(Not) Alive - Machine | Detroit Become Human [finished]

1010 - Hopes

November 8, 2038

The next afternoon, Angie had resumed her usual activities.  It wasn't that she no longer wanted to work on the deviants case, but it was stagnating somewhat.

Connor was digging through the files and Hank had interviewed a few of his informants to no avail, they didn't need an unnecessary third person.  She had therefore resumed taking depositions, but that didn't prevent her from thinking about the trail they could follow in order to continue. As Connor had pointed out, several deviants had in common this obsession with Ra9, their messiah or their liberating god, but knowing that didn't help them much.

Several had also been mistreated, had wanted to defend themselves or take revenge, like the android found by Connor and which he had interrogated or the blue-haired Traci ... For Kara on the other hand, it was more difficult to determine. Although ... her owner had taken her for repairs shortly before, maybe it wasn't because of an accident.  Given the man's background, it made sense to think he might have been violent with his domestic android ...

She should share her thoughts with Hank and Connor, even though they must have been thinking about it before. Suddenly she heard Hank calling her.

- Angie, come're!

She stood up quickly and joined him in the break room.  He gestured to her at the screen and she turned to look at it. It showed the face of an android without his skin or hair, so he was white with light gray parts and tiny black acronyms, which surely allowed him to be identified.  He wore a blue and yellow maintenance uniform and spoke directly to humans.

- We are no longer machines, he would say.  We are a new intelligent species and the time has come for you humans to accept who we really are. Therefore, we ask that you grant us the rights that we're entitled to.

He spoke in a calm voice, he presented his cause with passion but without violence.  Was he the spokesperson for the deviants?  In this case, they had to be able to meet, to regroup somewhere.  Things were much more advanced than they had expected.  From several isolated cases, they had moved on to an organized group that now had demands.

The on-screen android continued his speech, now calling for the end of slavery and equal rights for all androids.

- We demand that all crimes against androids be punished in the same way as crimes against humans, he continued.  We ask you to recognize our dignity, our hopes, and our rights.  Together, we can live in peace and build a better future for humans and androids.

Everyone present at the police station had gathered in front of the screen to listen to this plea.

- This message is the hope of a people. You gave us life. And now the time has come for you to give us freedom.

The television scrambled and then the screen turned blue after the signal was lost.  Angie heard Ben call Hank.

- The Stratford broadcast tower was infiltrated.  Special forces are already there, Fowler has sent a team.

- Ok, answered Hank, we'll wait for the scientist to do their job and see what we can find there.  Angie, Connor warns, we're back to service!

__________

A few hours later, the three of them were on the seventy-ninth floor of the huge Stratford Tower.  Angie watched Connor juggle a coin he regularly used to calibrate his sensors. He twirled it around on his fingertips, tossed it in the air to catch it between middle and forefinger, passed it from finger to finger and from hand to hand with agility and particularly precise dexterity.  The young woman was almost hypnotized.