Chapter Text
August 15th 2038
PM 8 : 00 : 00
The ruckus was easily heard from the rising elevator, crashing glass and shouts vibrating the small space the ascending box held. It felt like a small earthquake, nothing mind blowing or detrimental, but a rouse nonetheless. The elevator quivered a bit as it rose to the 70th floor, but nothing that truly concerned the passenger inside it.
The Sergeant inside just sighed, rubbing their fingers against their temples, already tensed and annoyed.
A group of 6 officers had responded to a 911 call from downstairs neighbors reporting about loud shouts followed by gunshots being heard. The closest responding officers had received the call and headed straight towards the address given by the android caller.
A few minutes after that, the Sergeant standing in the elevator had been called. The best of the best the Detroit Police Department called them, the youngest yet among the fastest rising officers in decades. Though they were a bit unnerved, seems as they were just packing up to go home when the call came in.
The melodic ding pulled the Sergeant from their thoughts, the chaotic yet tranquil walkway greeting them. It was a long rectangle, one side completely covered from floor to ceiling in glass, an array of fish swimming happily inside it, completely unaware of the tense scene happening in their own home. Stepping from the elevator, two officers were talking by the broken portion of the fish tank, shards of crystalline reflecting glass scattered all over the place, alike bits of sand on a windy beach day. The crunching underneath foot almost got on the nerves of the Sergeant if the two bumbling cops discussing the latest episodes of TV shows didn't first.
"Gentlemen, I presume you have all the information I need to figure out this case and have a debriefing. Otherwise, maybe we should cut the chit chat, no?" Their voice, venomous alike a viper, caught the two policemen off guard, which was evident by the short gasp from one and the curse underneath the other's breath. They both turned in that instance, standing straight and tall, hands behind the backs of their uniforms.
It wouldn't look too good if the head Sergeant of the police department was the one filling a misdemeanor report on them.
"Ah ! Sergeant, we were just uh -" The closest officer began to assemble a half-ass excuse for whatever horseplay they were doing prior to the high up officer entering the building.
They waved away the excuse, a scowl painting their countenance, sharp hues narrowing, a quick tongue click sounding aloud their annoyance. " Frankly I don't care what you were doing. It's already been a long day for me. Please just tell me where Chris is." The Sergeant sighed as the tense officers seemed to relax a bit, seeing the Sergeant so wound up and on edge . It was a rare occurrence for them to be on edge, the last remaining string of patience wearing a bit too thin.
Normally they were quite, enjoyable to be around. Usually soft-spoken, but chilling in their ability to observe a crime scene, finding clues no other officer could've hoped to find. It was almost like they were an android.
But not tonight.
This was the fourth deviant case they'd had to deal with that day alone . And this one wasn't even a scheduled investigation. Just another file folder to add to their ever growing pile of paperwork underneath this investigation.
" Detective Chris is in the other room, working on the surveillance footage to try to piece together something, as well as keep and eye on the Deviant." The second officer nodded, thumb pointing in the direction of the living room, branching off from the end of the open corridor.
Nodding a silent thanks, the Sergeant dismissed the other officers as they made their way into the heart of the home of a once happy family, and into the new home of a crime scene.
"Sergeant Lunsford. Always on the case I see." A police officer, easily identified as Chris as I got closer, turned around in his seat as I approached, a smirk plastered across his grimy countenance. His aura alone left a person feeling dirty, as if used without having been used at all.
That's how much of a gritty scumbag he was.
"Ah yes, the going never stops." I give a half-ass smile, raising my brows in the process, showing with all muted effort how uninterested in his conversation I was. I wasn't there to indulge in the other police officer's fantasies, I was there to do my job. And in a high tense environment such as this, there was no time to waste.
"I suppose you want a debriefing." Chris stated as he turned back in his seat, missing the eye roll that had my annoyance flare for a moment. Taking a step forward, surveying the room , and trying to avoid looking at Chris I shook my head, looking dumbfounded, speaking as I observed the number of evidence markers around the scene.
"Oh no, not at all. Thought I'd go into the hostage situation with a blind eye." Turning, as Chris and I met gazes once more, I felt mine narrowing. I was in absolutely no mood to be dicked around with. Espeically on the job, or should I say fourth job?
I was about to quip when Chris' expression conveyed he understood my standing at the moment. He stood, the wheelie chair swiveling without the weight of the male to anchor it down. The leather back just spun in circles, almost as if it had a life of its own. I watched it for a few rotations before Chris gently grabbed my arm, moving me from the room where the body was, the man's sobbing wife out of ear - shot. The kitchen was brighter than the rest of the penthouse, the fluorescent lights sending migraine spots across my vision, an exasperated sigh crawling past my thinly set lips.
"Right, well when we got here, the deviant had already shot and killed the father, his body already dead and sprawled on the floor in the living room, where it is now. Nothing besides the living room seemed to be out of place, however the deviant has a gun with him, which he stole from the father's bedside drawer. He had used it when we first arrived, shooting two officers down dead on impact. He then fled to the balcony, which is where he is now, with the little girl. It turned into a hostage situation quick, and it seems whenever we pull a gun on him, he uses her as a shield. We tried sending an officer out there a little bit, but that backfired, and they ended up lying face down in the pool.
Currently, we were waiting for you and the Negotiator to arrive to handle the rest of the situation as directed. We've simply been monitoring the deviant's position and the stability of the wife." Chris turned to me then, a look of passive aggressiveness painting his visage, as if he hated what he had to do, and wish he could go out there and shoot the deviant himself.
Such a shame truly, most people are in the same boat as him. Ignorant, in denial.
N a i v e .
But that is neither here nor there.
We had a situation on our hands.
"Negotiator? Who even calls themselves that?" I ask, scoffing as we head back to the other room, where the wife is pacing, the four officers on duty to make sure she doesn't go anywhere are standing by warily.
As we enter the room she turns, eyes narrowing and directly pointing at me, as if I were the one who had killed her husband, and was using her little girl as a bargaining chip.
"That thing has my daughter!" The woman's frantic, near shock induced, as she tries to take a step towards me and Chris. The plethora of guards surrounding her go to stop her, but she manages to rip from their grasps, coming toe to toe with me, eyes looking me up and down, as if analyzing me like a display case.
As if I were one of the androids.
I sigh, for seemingly the hundredth time that night, and look the woman in her teary eyes, not backing down.
"And that thing , was brought into your home by you and your husband. I am sorry for your loss, but we are doing everything we can to get the situation under control." I try to keep my voice even and steady, not letting the stress or anger bubbling up inside of me to effect how I handle the woman, who's nearly comatose with the events of the night. I glance behind the poor woman to the guards. "Get her out of here. Bring her to the station, or wherever you feel is safest for her. Once we're done here I'll have someone call you."
The guards nodded their understanding, the woman, who had begun wailing angrily now, was ripped from the scene, the crystalline droplets of her human tears leaked from her bloodshot eyes, her ducts overflowing with grief from her late husband, and anger boiling over in her veins to protect her child.
Despite the fact that she was able to slip from them the first time, the woman failed miserably the second time, all four officers grabbing her arms, two on either side, as they all but lifted her form the scene, her flailing limbs and failing wailing words met no sympathetic ears besides the Sergeants'.
Even then there was nothing I could do.
Swallowing hard, I went to work looking around the scene laid out before me, various officers typing away on their electronic reports to be analyzed later. Without much in - depth thinking, I went about the crime scene, just bringing myself to the attention of all the markers strewn about, to the Thirium splattered on the floor, presumably leading to the balcony, the pool of blood spilling forth from the deceased father alike the true sneaking nature of death itself, the knocked over inoperable tablet, even bringing myself to the little girl's room, to see if there was anything out of place, all for an initial once over.
A photo was adorning her desk, the picture containing a little girl presumably her, and a blonde android, his LED happily blinking blue on the right hemisphere of his head. The photograph gave such an air of happiness, I felt a tug at my chest. What could have brought him to do such a thing?
What could make any of the androids do such a thing?
I mean most people barely treated them as machines but -
"You look troubled Sergeant, is everything okay?" An almost mechanical male voice sounded from beside me, startling me so far as almost causing me to drop the photograph. Gently replacing the picture frame to stand where it had before, I shake my head, turning my attention to the male beside me.
"I am alright, thank you for asking. And you are?"
The android perked up then, warm bronze-shielded oculars melting underneath the soft bedroom lighting. "My name's Connor ! I'm the android sent by Cyberlife. The negotiator. I apologize, I didn't mean to startle you." His voice was soft, inviting. A friendly demeanor and visage, clean and good-natured as well it seemed. Even so much as adding a human aspect of a few tufts of hair falling in front of his face, the ends curling just above his left eyebrow, the completely opposite side from his LED. If anything, it gave his face a bit more of a balanced feel, a more complete look. His uniform was standard Cybelife uniform, a dark silvery jacket, the blue triangle glimmering online above his RK 800 serial number, a matching band circulating around his right arm. The jacket hung open, showcasing the long black tie along his chest cavity, the white button down underneath it, all topped over black slacks and dress shoes, a polished look down to his soles.
Connor, the Android negotiator, huh?
"Well, nice to meet you Connor, and welcome to the team. Have you had a chance to analyze the scene since you've arrived?" My gaze stays upon the android as he walks around the room, moving towards the girl's bed as he picks up a pair of headphones, soft music bleeding from the plastic cone of the headphones' speakers.
"The deviant, Daniel, was unheard by the little girl. He had oversaw the father looking at other models of androids as possible replacements. Something about that sent off a short circuit in Daniel's programming. They were about to have dinner, but instead it seemed Daniel attacked the father, coming into here and taking the little girl, turning the situation into a hostage one, and fleeing to the balcony."
Connor reconstructed the scenario easily, just by having analyzed some of the evidence marked by the yellow cones placed beside them as he had a look around before entering the girls room, where him and the Sergeant were now.
Impressive.
"So what's our next move, Negotiator ?" I asked almost cheekily, crossing my arms over my chest. Having someone who wasn't going to push my buttons around was a relief, giving me a chance to actually be able to look at the situation from a winning stand-point, and an unbiased one at that.
A short smile tugged at one of the ends of Connor's mouth, his gaze settling upon me once more.
"Well, we need to go settle the hostile situation."
The pair walked to the floor to ceiling glass sliding doors that led to the balcony, the area just off to the side room branching from the kitchen, the two cops stationed nodding at the pair, aiming their guns away from the area, allowing the two to exit the penthouse without almost getting shot. The cold air rushed at the pair alike a pouncing predator, the airy tendrils tugging at the uniforms the pair wore, fabric swaying this way and that.
At the end of the balcony stood the blonde Android, Daniel, in one hand a gun, the other the little girl, tears staining her pale and Thirium covered face. The Android noticed us the second we got out of the house, his gun pointing towards us, instantly raising my blood pressure by miles.
A shot rang loudly through the air.
I instinctively pull out my gun, keeping it close to my side as a mechanical smell fills my nostrils. Glancing beside me, I see Connor's LED circle to red for a moment as he assesses the wound he just received, the circle dying down to yellow and then back to blue as he looks over at me, seemingly to check if I'm alright, before looking back towards the deviant.
"Stay back ! Don't come any closer, or I'll jump !" The deviant threw the threat like it was nothing, the poor girl in his arms flailing, and crying out sobs of a rebuttal, trying to hold the android back from killing not only himself, but her, as her small arms were trying to push away his mechanical ones. It was no use, we'd have to play it safe. I looked at Connor for guidance, but it seemed his entire attention capacity was on the deviant.
"Hi Daniel. My name is Connor." Connor called out to the deviant who moved the gun to the girl's head as he looked around, cutting off Connor.
"How do you know my name?" The puzzled, yet wary tone of the android's voice sounded almost . . . human .
"I know a lot of things about you." Connor shot back to the deviant, his voice calm, like he had the situation under control. "I've come to get you out of this."
While Connor was idly chatting with the android, I took a minute to take in the surroundings of the place, noting all the places where DPD snipers were getting into position, prepared to strike upon my word, or even Connor's at this point.
But it seemed by Connor's opening , that hopefully, they, or any other forms of violence, wouldn't be needed.
Until a large blast of air shot at the group on the roof, the big beacon lights searching along the roof for Daniel, the whip whip whipping of the helicopters propellers loud and almost deafeningly close. Especially for my comfort.
My human ear comfort.
Connor started to move slowly towards the deviant despite the helicopter's presence, fear completely void from his countenance, hands held out cautiously in front of him. Then again, he was an android after all.
"Daniel, I know you're angry, but you need to trust me, and let me help you-"
"I don't want your help! No body can help me!" The crazed expression on the deviant only intensified the longer him and Connor exchanged words, the deviant's cerulean hues frantically looking about. If Connor didn't end this soon, or at least get Daniel far enough away from the roof . . .
But alas, Connor didn't stop slowly advancing towards him, and I began to slowly follow behind and beside Connor, gun clicked off of safety, and angled away from the other Android's main view.
"All I want is for this to stop . . ." The android paused, his LED flashing from red to yellow for a second, before aiming the gun at Connor and I. "Are either of you armed?"
A glance is then shared between Connor and I, his gaze instantly dropping to the gun in my hand, and mine to the gun in his back pocket.
I bring my gaze back to Daniel as I see him pull back the safety on the gun, hands poised upon the trigger, thumb adding pressure to it, as if he were about to -
"Connor!" My voice rings shrilly through the blisteringly loud night air, a piercing scream followed by the kick of another gunshot, my feet pushing me forward before I can even think, a spew of red tainting my vision the last image I see before everything goes black.
Time to Choose : What Do You Do ?
X - Choose Connor (Proceed to Chapter 2 or Click)
O - Choose Markus (Proceed to Chapter 3 or Click)
∆ - Choose Kara (Proceed to Chapter 4 or Click)