Accident Prone - Becoming Human

Nightmare

A late spring snowstorm had covered the entire city under a massive layer of pure, icy whiteness that kept most of the denizens indoors where it was safe and warm, and to help keep the harsh wind at bay. Due to the unexpected, sudden and extreme dip in temperature the reported cases involving androids had dropped considerably courtesy of the intense cold. The reasoning behind such a sudden decrease in reports was potentially connected to the extreme cold causing damage to android biocomponents or freezing over internal Thirium lines, which of course kept androids inside buildings just like the humans in an attempt to keep safe.

In a rare moment of opportunity Hank and Connor had been sent home from the precinct early due to the bad weather and the lack of deviant cases. Soon the duo found themselves bored after being cooped inside all afternoon with the dangerous weather keeping them trapped within the walls of the small house.

"When I was a kid," Hank stated as he looked at the massive snowflakes blowing by in the powerful gusts of wind through the front window in the livingroom. "I dreamt of snowstorms like this just so I wouldn't have to go to school the next day. Now as an adult I dream of winters where the snow misses us entirely so I don't have to shovel the driveway, look at the aftermath of people getting sick, getting hurt from slipping on the ice, or dealing with... car accidents."

Connor sat quietly on the beige couch with Sumo laying over his lap, the massive dog keeping the deviant completely still and unable to move as he sought some attention. "My scanner indicates that the storm should pass by noon tomorrow." The change in subject was sorely needed as Connor knew Hank was thinking about Cole again. "The cold spell will pass by in seventy-two hours allowing the temperature to rise from twenty-eight degrees to sixty-three degrees at an even pace."

"Three days, huh? Not soon enough. Guess I should keep dreaming." Hank lamented as he sat down in the recliner beside the couch and stared with disinterest at the television screen showing yet another report on the chaotic weather outside. The entire lower half of Michigan was covered under thick white snow clouds that showed no sign of dissipating soon. "What about you, Connor?" The senior detective asked in a strangely curious tone. "What do you dream about? Electric sheep perhaps?"

"Dreams? Androids don't dream, Lieu- Hank." Always logical and honest Connor explained the situation casually as he ran his right hand down Sumo's back. "When in rest mode our programs become dormant and recorded memories will briefly replay as our systems process all of the recorded data for that day to conserve in our memorybank. That's all."

"So, even after you become deviant, even after you gain freewill and can think for yourselves, you still have the same routine as any other machine?"

"Corr-" Connor stopped short as his L.E.D. flashed from a content blue to a cautious yellow for a moment before returning to blue. "For a majority of the time, yes."

"Majority of the time?" Picking up on the hesitation, if not confusion in Connor's response, Hank pressed the matter a little further. "Sounds like a 'no' to me, son."

"I do not... I don't quite understand the concept of dreams, yet." The still learning deviant's brow furrowed a little as he tried to explain things to the seasoned human detective who knew even less about android design. "Shortly after I became deviant I found myself witnessing unusual images and sounds while in rest mode. They weren't recorded memories replaying, they were... different."

"See? You do dream." Hank pointed smugly at the deviant from where he sat. It wasn't often Hank was able to prove the deviant wrong and he relished in every opportunity that came his way. "Do you remember what you dream about?"