Work Text:
The Scene
The smart home crime scene was something out of a science fiction film, all sleek surfaces and disembodied digital voices. It should be fascinating but the whole home feels wrong, sterile in a way that has nothing to do with death. Jack looked as out of place amidst the high-tech gadgetry as a typewriter in an Apple store, his brow furrowed and shoulders tense. Despite the seriousness of the situation, she couldn't help but be amused at his obvious discomfort with the futuristic technology surrounding them. Ignoring him for the moment Nikki circles the body of Dr. Sarah Chen, noting the splayed angles of her limbs against the pristine white floor. Everything in the room screams of careful design, of planning, everything but the careless sprawl of her corpse.
"Blimey, it's like something out of a sci-fi film in here," Jack muttered, breaking the silence, eyeing a voice-activated control panel with suspicion. "I'm half expecting C-3PO to come round the corner with a cuppa and some biscuits."
Nikki cannot suppress a small smile, leave it to Jack to crack a joke over a body, she thinks fondly. "When you're a superstar AI researcher, I suppose an ordinary semi-detached isn't going to cut it. Still, it is a bit eerie, isn't it?" She gestured at the sleek, automated devices all around them. "All this technology meant to make life easier..."
Jack's expression darkened as he turned his attention to the victim's body. "And look where it got her."
Nikki knelt down to take a closer look, ignoring the chill of the polished concrete floor seeping through her slacks as her keen eyes searched for clues. The smart home's climate control hums quietly, maintaining its perfect temperature even after the death of its occupant. There were no obvious signs of trauma, but as she peeled back the eyelids, she noticed something troubling. "Petechial hemorrhage. Possible asphyxiation?" Nikki posits, carefully examining the victim's lips and fingernails. "But the positioning is odd for someone who simply collapsed from lack of oxygen."
Jack raised an eyebrow. "In a fully sealed fully automated house? What, did Alexa go rogue and strangle her?"
Rolling her eyes at his quip, Nikki continued her examination but her mind lingered on his words. Jack's gallows humor could be grating at times, but she knew it was his way of coping with the grim realities of their job. And if she was being honest, his sharp wit was one of the things she lo--appreciated most about him. And besides all that there was something almost serious in the way he asked that question.
As she continued examining the body her mind turned his words around pondering the absolutely surreal nature of this case. She guesses given their surroundings a killer Alexa wouldn’t be beyond the point of reason.And really how mind boggling is that, a world where your own home could turn against you, where lines of malicious code could reach out from cyberspace to choke the life from your lungs... It was like something from a dystopian thriller, not everyday London. Shaking her head at the fanciful turn her thoughts had taken Nikki returned to examining the body as Jack proceeded to to take crime scene photos and collect evidence hands deft and practiced in his work. All the while Velvy examines the home's environmental control panel, his fingers moving swiftly across the interface muttering out his observations as he has them, his quiet thoughtful voice a pleasant background sound to her work. “
“The house's logs show what looks like a catastrophic malfunction - all oxygen scrubbers activating... simultaneously, purging the room's breathable air. But it feels too perfect, too clean, and so obvious, when the rest of this code is so complex, elegant. It’s out of place. Everything about this day is out of place.” Velvy trails off as he continues his cyber sleuthing but what she had already heard confirmed the feeling Nikki had been getting about this scene. This was no accident. This woman was murdered.
They processed the crime scene side by side, trading theories and observations and Nikki felt the familiar thrill of the chase thrumming through her veins. This was what she lived for - unraveling mysteries, tugging at the raw edge of an anomaly and seeing where it brought them.. And there was no one she'd rather do it with than Jack Hodgson. For all his rough edges and cynical facade, he was the best partner she could ask for. Loyal, brave, brilliant in his own way.
Despite the literal chill in the air she feels warmed in his company as she looks up and meets Jack's gaze, seeing her own grim determination and eager thirst for answers reflected back at her. They had a killer to catch. With a nod of silent understanding, they readied themselves to head back to the lab, prepared to follow the trail of this woman’s death wherever it might lead.
The Post Mortem
In the mortuary's harsh light, it becomes increasingly obvious that Dr.Chen’s death had been the result of deliberate human action. Nikki leans in close, examining the subtle marks around the victim's nose and mouth, the fluorescent lights casting stark shadows across the body's pale features. The ventilation system hums quietly overhead, a sound that now carries an unsettling resonance given the circumstances of death.
"Look at this," she calls up to Jack in the observation suite, and Velvy who wanders over to join her. "These abrasions here - they're not consistent with gasping for air during system failure. Someone held something over her face."
"How can you tell?" Velvy asks, always eager to learn something new.
"The pattern of petechial hemorrhaging in her eyes, plus these distinct pressure marks." Nikki points with her gloved hand. "See how the bruising forms an almost perfect seal around her nose and mouth? That's not random. That's deliberate application of pressure."
The speaker clicks on and Jack’s voice joins them "What kind of material are we looking at?"
"Something soft but non-porous," Nikki says, carefully turning the victim's head to examine the marks from another angle. "Possibly silicone or a similar synthetic material. The edges are too uniform for fabric."
She steps back from the table, pulling off her gloves with practiced efficiency. "Velvy, you said the smart house logs show all oxygen scrubbers activating simultaneously, but these injuries tell a different story. The killer used those logs to cover up a manual asphyxiation.”
“Could the killer have hacked the system afterward?” Jack asks, sounding almost incredulous.
“And what? Created a false malfunction to match the time of death?" Nikki counters
“Yes, yes, exactly that!” Velvy replies, scrambling for his tablet. “That is what makes sense here. The environmental systems would have had to log something to explain the oxygen deprivation in her blood though...those marks on her neck seem to suggest she fought back and if there was a struggle the house’s sensors should have captured it, but they didn’t.”
"Unless those logs were altered too," Jack suggests, sharing a meaningful look with Nikki. .
"Exactly." Nikki moves to the computer, pulling up the preliminary findings. "We need to look at every sensor log in that house. Movement, pressure, temperature - everything. Somewhere in all that data is the truth about what really happened to Dr. Chen."
She turns back to the body, mind already piecing together the sequence of events. Someone had gotten close enough to overpower her, someone who knew exactly how to make a murder look like a technological malfunction. Someone who understood both the human body and smart home systems intimately enough to create the perfect cover-up.
"Velvy," she says, "I need you to work with Cara. Compare these injury patterns with the house's sensor logs. Look for any inconsistencies, any gaps in the data."
The young APT nods, already typing on his tablet. This is where he’s at his best - bridging the gap between technology and forensics.
"And Jack?" She adds catching his eye over Velvy’s bent head. "We need to look at everyone who had access to both her home systems and her research. This wasn't random. This was someone who knew exactly what they were doing.
The Second Body
The second body tells the same story - death by suffocation made to look like technological failure. Nikki feels Jack's presence behind her as she examines the crash victim, the familiar scent of his coffee mixing with the mortuary's sterile air. The victim lies pale under the harsh lights, skin mottled with impact trauma that tells only part of the story. She can feel the weight of this case settling into her bones. After years at the Lyell Centre, she's learned to trust her instincts, and right now they're screaming that they've barely scratched the surface of whatever they're dealing with.
"The oxygen deprivation occurred before the crash," she explains, pointing to the subtle tissue damage. "Look at this here - it’s already showing signs of advanced tissue decay that wouldn't be present if he'd died in the crash."
Velvy moves closer, tablet in hand. "The autonomous vehicle's logs show a catastrophic system failure at 11:42 PM."
"But our victim was already dead by then," Nikki says, carefully examining the bruising around the victim's mouth and nose. "These marks - they're identical to the ones we found on Dr. Chen. Same material, same pressure pattern."
She steps back, pulling off her gloves and reaching for fresh ones. "Someone cut off his air supply, then staged the accident with the autonomous vehicle. They're using these smart systems to cover their tracks."
"Could it be random?" Jack asks, though his tone suggests he already knows the answer. "Two tech researchers, both involved in AI development, both dying in technological 'accidents'?"
"Nothing about this feels like a coincidence" Nikki moves to examine the victim's throat more closely. "See these marks here? The killer knew exactly where to apply pressure to avoid leaving obvious signs of struggle. This is someone with medical knowledge. And” she moves to pull up the victim's preliminary tox screen. "See here - trace amounts of an unidentified compound in his system, the same one we found in Dr.Chen.” Nikki straightens up. "And look at this." She points to microscopic abrasions on the victim's neck. "There are traces of the same synthetic material we found in Dr. Chen's lungs. I'd bet anything this is all connected to their research."
Jack tilts his head in acknowledgement. "We need to find out exactly what both of them were working on when they died. Something about this has to be in their work.”
“"Has to be.” Nikki agrees frowning at the screen in front of her “Jack, can you get Cara to look deeper into those security logs? There has to be a trace of our killer somewhere in the system."
"Already on it," he replies, phone in hand. "What about you?"
"I need to run more detailed tox screens. Whatever this compound is in their system, it might be our key to understanding what they were really working on." Nikki turns back to the body, her mind already racing through possibilities. "And Velvy? I need you to start cataloging every mark on this body and Dr. Chen’s. Even the smallest detail could be significant."
The younger man nods, already reaching for a fresh pair of gloves. There's determination in his movements now, any initial jitters replaced by professional focus. Nikki feels a flutter of pride - he's learning quickly.
The Realization
Nikki stares at the screens displaying both victims' tox screens, her mind racing. There’s a pattern emerging but it makes no sense to her right now. Both victims showed traces of experimental compounds, things that shouldn't exist outside of theoretical papers; there's no way that’s a coincidence. She rubs her tired eyes, the late hour and fluorescent lights of the lab doing her no favors. Finally something about the values on the screen catches her eye.
"I think I've found something," she calls out to Jack, who's bent over his own workstation nearby. "The compound in Chen's system? It's also present in our second victim. But the concentrations are different, almost like..."
"Like they were testing different doses," Jack finishes, crossing to look over her shoulder at the data.
"Exactly. Look at these molecular structures." She points to the complex diagrams on screen. "They're synthetic neurochemicals, similar to ones used in experimental behavioral modification studies. But these are far more sophisticated than anything I've seen published."
Before Jack can respond, Cara and Velvy burst through the door, hands flying in excited signs. Cara's red hair is disheveled, suggesting she's been running her fingers through it in frustration - a habit she shares with her uncle and Velvy looks like he stuck his finger in a light socket, hair standing on end every which way as he translates her rapid signing:
"We’ve found evidence of deleted security footage from both scenes. Someone tried to wipe it clean, but they left traces. Digital footprints."
Nikki feels her pulse quicken. "Can you recover any of it?"
Cara's hands move again, slower this time, her expression serious. Jack nods as he picks up the translation: "Maybe. The deletion was thorough but rushed. She thinks they can probably piece together fragments, especially from the autonomous vehicle's backup systems."
"There's more," Nikki says, pulling up another screen of data. "Look at the timestamps of when these compounds were present in their systems. Both victims showed elevated levels in the weeks leading up to their deaths, but with different intervals."
She stands, pacing as she thinks aloud. "What if they weren't just test subjects? What if they were running the trials themselves? Underground human testing of experimental behavioral modification drugs..."
"That would explain the secrecy, why no one will talk about their work" Jack agrees. "And why someone wanted them silenced."
Cara taps the desk sharply to get their attention, then signs something that makes Jack's face darken.
"What is it?" Nikki asks.
"She says they found references in the fragmented data to something called 'Project Oracle.' Multiple communications between both victims about trial results."
"Oracle..." Nikki murmurs. "Like prediction. They weren't just developing an AI to predict crime - they were trying to prevent it by chemically altering behavior patterns."
The implications hit her like a physical blow. The ethical implications alone are staggering, let alone the potential for abuse. She thinks of the bruising patterns on both bodies, the careful precision of their murders.
"Someone wanted to stop them," she says softly. "Or silence them."
Cara signs again, her movements sharp with urgency and Velvy nods in agreement already translating aloud as he moves towards the computer on Jack's desk. "We found something else. A third name in the communications. Another potential test subject."
Nikki feels her breath catch. "We need to find them. Fast.”
The Revelation
The rain hammers against the windows of Jack's car, thundering like a countdown as they speed through London's streets. Nikki grips the dashboard, her mind racing through the evidence - the precise asphyxiations, the manufactured accidents, the careful manipulation of smart home systems.
"According to Cara's data, Dr. Marcus Reid should be in his lab," Jack says, taking a corner far too sharply in her opinion. "He's the last team member with access to the Oracle files."
"If our killer follows the same pattern, they'll try to make it look like another technological accident." Nikki pulls up the building schematics on her phone. "The whole facility runs on automated environmental controls."
"Just like Chen's house."
They screech to a stop outside Dodona Inc.'s gleaming headquarters. Security guards wave them through - Someone at the lab must have called ahead and cleared their access. The elevator feels agonizingly slow as they ascend to the experimental levels.
"There!" Nikki spots Reid through the glass walls, slumped over his keyboard. She rams her shoulder against the door but it doesn't budge. "Jack!"
Jack's already at the security panel, plugging in the device the team had cobbled together to hopefully override the ‘malfunction’. The door slides open with a hiss, releasing a wave of thin air. Nikki rushes to Reid while Jack forces open the emergency ventilation controls.
"Dr. Reid!" Nikki checks his pulse - weak but present. As she pulls him from his chair, she spots movement in the glass reflection. "Jack, behind you!"
The struggle is brief but violent. Their killer - Dr. Wright, a team member who’s funding had been cut the previous week - goes down under Jack's tackle, the silicon mask in her hand clattering across the floor. Outside, sirens wail closer.
Later, watching Reid being loaded into an ambulance, Nikki feels Jack's presence beside her, solid and reassuring.
"We almost didn't make it in time," she says softly.
"But we did." Jack's hand finds her shoulder. "We did."