splitting up

1

"...I'll take the left. You go right."

Your breathing was heavy from running as Connor fixed you with a troubled look, one that said he didn't agree.

"Connor," you caught his attention with a hushed tone, raising your eyebrows. "The killer is inside and this is the only entrance. We have more of a chance to catch her off-guard. There are a lot of rooms, too. We need to cover ground, quick."

"Detective, I really have to disagree," Connor replied. He looked off for a moment before glancing back, huffing, "She could be armed, and we know she was doing Red Ice before she ran. She's dangerous."

"Connor!" Your tone was louder, and frustrated. "I'm lead detective. You go right."

You didn't wait for an answer, instead shouldering open the door and pointing your gun in the air as you disappeared around a corner.

Connor stayed stagnant for a moment, taken off guard by your irritation. His LED flashed yellow, processing the interaction.

[ >>> DETECTIVE (YN) (LN) ]

[ >>> ANALYSING STATUS... ]

[ >>> NEUTRAL ]

He shut his eyes in regret.

It was one thing when you lightly chided him for a mistake. It was another when he let your partnership take a hit because of something he said.

He shook the thought away as he raised his own gun and entered the building, immediately scanning for signs of movement or noise. He had a number of rooms to begin in. You'd already disappeared past several walls of sight, leaving him concerned and alone.

Connor took a few tentative steps down the hall, his shoes clicking loudly against stark white tile. The building was an abandoned laboratory, one of many that had been used for experimental tests and trials on androids. Before the revolution, before deviancy had been considered acceptable, a number of worn androids were donated to the facility. Most of them were brought in already shut down, sometimes maimed. Very few were brought in with their thirium still flowing.

After months of protest, the facilities were finally shut down and the buildings boarded up. That didn't necessarily mean people didn't break into them, though.

When you and Connor had chased the suspect to the outskirts of town, to this lab, he'd immediately registered it as one used for experimental drugs. Taking unwanted androids and injecting them or gassing them with potent chemicals. See what compromised their systems so they could build more efficient models that could withstand said dangers.

He scanned the building for power lines and generators. There was a 78% chance that some of the machines were still active and loaded within the testing rooms. He had to be careful.

Connor whipped around the corner into a darkened room, his gun creaking as he tightened his hands around its handle. His nerves were getting to him, something telling him that he had a bad feeling. He didn't hear any other movement as he stepped in further, his eyes flitting back and forth. He was looking for anything, everything. His systems were scanning faster than he could process, multiple diagnostics invading his head and making it harder to concentrate.

[ >>> STRESS LEVEL: 72% - HIGH ]

He grit his teeth as he waved the notion away, shutting his eyes and shaking his head to clear some of the clutter, though he knew it'd take more than that to be rid of it.

"Shit...," he cursed as he paused completely in his tracks, only barely realising that he'd still been inching forwards into another room. It was just as empty, a single dim light flickering with the last of its power to illuminate what used to be a cubicle office.