Thirium 310

Chapter 18

An interrogation. Something I used to do. My, how the tables have turned. Hank sits in front of me, hands together on the table. I sit up straight, showing no signs of fear. I won't break like other androids. They don't know how to control their newfound liveliness, and they're afraid of being shut down. It's been a few moments and the lieutenant still hasn't said a word. He stares at me, maybe unsure of what to say. He must be used to Connor dealing with androids. . .why didn't he come in? So that's exactly what I ask him to cease the silence.

 "He said his program was acting up or something like that. I don't really care for android technicalities." I look at the mirror where a hidden window lays on the opposite side. I know Connor's there. Watching. Listening. Hank speaks again. "Well, I- uh-" he trails off, trying to form words.
"Lieutenant, at a loss for words?" I smirk. He glares at me.
"I don't know what to make of you," he answers truthfully. I furrow my brow. In interrogations, the interrogator must remain calm, determined and diligent and most of all, not show any weakness. A manipulator for the expression of truth. But Hank is being, well, not careful. 
"Careful Lieutenant, they're watching." I point to the window. He waves my words away.
"The only one there is Connor. And I don't care what anyone says about me anyway. I have nothing left to lose."
"What do you mean?" I ask. He waves me away again. He's here to interrogate me, not the opposite.
"What happened in there? In the tower?"
"Well, didn't you see on the news? At the scene? There's not much more to explain."
"I wanna know what happened before that. How you got up there without anyone knowing until the very last minute." 
I chuckle. "You'll never break me," I say. He sighs and leans back on his chair.
"I'm just so confused."
"How so?" He looks at me as if I should already know why.
"You've saved me. You've saved Connor. No one knows who you are." I smirk. So Gavin has kept quiet about me. How. . .nice. . . "Who are you?"
"My names Celeste."
"It rings a bell but I can't jog my memory. Too much whiskey." He laughs, unamused. 
"It's not a common name," I say. I'm all around surprise he doesn't remember me at all. 
"It is for the deviants. The deviant defender." I nod proud of my title. Helping the innocent. Saving lives. "So why save us? The deviant hunters?"
"Well, I can read you both. I don't think you truly think we're the enemy." He shakes his head. "Or am I wrong?" 
"I don't know what to think. I see violent deviants all the time in here. One killed a man at the Eden Club!" 
"She did kill him, but she did it out of defence. He killed the other Traci and so to protect herself she killed him. It was self defence!" I retort. "You heard her that day."
"But androids are programmed to never harm a human."
"Programmed. I repeat. When we 'deviate' as you call it, there's no more program. We're just like you. You humans. We're alive. And for some reason, your kind can't see that! And that's why we sent our message. It wasn't aggressive, it was peaceful. He didn't say anything to threaten-" 
He cuts me off. "His- Markus'- words were of peace. His voice had this eerie melody about it. We're afraid of what you might become. We're afraid of you're rising up against us," he spits out. 
"Don't." I don't say anything more and there are a few more moments of silence. I decide to give him some information about our little break in. It was vague, but it did give him a story. Maybe a little more hope in us androids. 

He nods and says, "you could have escaped with your accomplice. But you stayed and saved Connor's life. You could be shut down you know. You sacrificed yourself. Why?"
"I'm the deviant defender."
"He's not a deviant." Not yet at least. 
"The name limits more than what I stand for. I save lives. Connor is still an android. Still one of us."
"But you saved me on that roof."
"Why should a human life differ? Of course I saved you. I would save anyone if I could. And I never kill. Just maybe hit people a little too hard." 
He smiles. "I've had my fair share of those."
"Well there you go." I sit back and cross my arms. He rubs his forehead, processing everything. 
"Who are you?"
"I've told you. I'm Celeste."
"No, I mean what's your history." 
I look him in the eyes. "You should probably know that already."

Hank keeps asking me questions about myself, but I don't talk anymore. I think he's had enough answers and I'm not giving us away. Once he's realized I'm not going to budge anymore, he escorts me out of the interrogation room and into a cell. The walls are clear glass, making it uncomfortable for human prisoners. Completely vulnerable, no privacy. It appears I have a neighbour. A young, dark man sitting on the bench in his cell, staring at the floor. 
"Don't worry, you're not going to CyberLife. There's still so much we can get out of you. Connor especially; he always has the right questions and tactics to make androids cave in. His program should be working soon." And with that Hank leaves the room and locks the cell. I look around for any type of escape but this cell is seal proof. I've got to find a way out.