Tick Tock Part One - Hickory

Detective Asshole

"Hey Gav, you okay?" Tina asked sympathetically as he walked into the break room with his mug to get a refill. The fourth of the day. His stomach was already rumbling in objection, but fuck it, you only live once. He barely spared her a glance as he put his mug under the machine, one hand fisting in his jacket pocket as he waited impatiently. He knew he looked like shit. How could he not? Two hours he'd been stuck in that room. Two hours he'd been forced to relive that day, reopening old wounds that he'd thought had fused shut.

"Phcking peachy." Tina knew better than to press further. Reed was insufferable when he was like this. There were only two things that would calm him down. A beat down or a good fucking, neither of which was her area of expertise. She was literally half his size, and he was gay. Despite having no words, she rested a hand on his shoulder in a small show of solidarity. A silent assurance that he'd get better. Get better? Where did that thought even come from? He wasn't broken to begin with!

"Detective Reed! You have a call out," Miller called as he appeared in the break room's doorway. Reed put his coffee aside without a second thought. This is what he needed. A case. A distraction. Something he could sink his teeth into. He looked almost relieved as he turned and followed Miller out to the car. Miller drove the cruiser as he updated him on the call. There wasn't much to say. It was an android body, found in a rundown apartment block. One of the older places that had been altered for android use.

At the scene, they hurried up the dim, dirty staircase to the second floor, where another uniformed officer was waiting for them with the holographic police tape already in place. A few residents were milling around, mostly androids with glowing red LEDs. Reed ignored them as he entered, pulling on a set of blue gloves as he went. Miller was still at his back and joined him in examining the scene as they slipped boot covers over their shoes. The apartment wasn't much to look at. Just an empty space. It was a common sight for new android accommodation. They just wanted somewhere to sit or stand while going into stasis. They didn't need beds or furnishings, and even if they wanted some, most couldn't afford them.

"Well, would you look at that...phck..." Reed murmured as he looked at the body. What was left of it. Miller had backed off already. It didn't matter that it was a machine. It looked human enough to churn his stomach. That was a problem that most officers seemed to share these days. They can't see a piece of junk as a piece of junk. "They really went to town on this thing..." Reed added as he looked over at Miller, who was pointedly looking down at his electronic pad.

"The victim is Erica Doe, a PL500 assisted living model. She's lived here for two months. No employment records that I can see..." he reported in a smaller voice than usual. Reed almost rolled his eyes. It wasn't like the thing was human! Why make such a damned fuss? He crouched down and took a closer look. The synthetic skin had mostly faded away, unable to remain active without the electronic input and thirium flow. Something hard had been used to beat the android, and the limbs had been torn from their sockets. It was certainly passionate. A simple hate crime? Reed looked at the blue-stained plastic. If she was wearing clothes before, they'd been removed. A lover? It has the parts for it...

"Detective, forensics are here," Miller reported with a glance over his shoulder. Reed nodded silently as he continued examining the scene, pausing as he studied the face. Perfectly sculpted to be sweet and attractive. Of course it was. He shivered a little as he noticed the eyes. They were wide open. A deep rich hazel with flecks of amber. Soft and innocent, and almost sickeningly familiar. His jaw tightened as he realised it was the same colour pattern used for Connor's eyes. Phcking androids...

"Bag it and tag it. Don't miss any of the bits, and call me when you have something," he instructed in his usual gruff tone as he turned to the forensic analyst. He noticed the LED on her temple circling red as he spoke. If it hadn't been for the LED, he probably wouldn't have realised she was upset. She didn't let anything show on her face otherwise. "Got it?" He didn't quite feel the disdain he usually felt. The woman looked at him with deep blue eyes that seemed almost hurt by his dismissive words and the way he'd just dehumanised the victim.