Deviants Fallen: A DBH Story

Chapter 5: Old Friends

Clara and Connor stepped outside the Cyberlife building and into the cold afternoon air. Clara shivered lightly, pulling her coat tighter around her. They waited a few minutes while a valet android, non-deviant, pulled her car around. Stepping out, the android held the door open for Clara to climb in. She nodded in thanks then shut the door behind her. As she entered the new coordinates into the GPS, Connor climbed in behind her, taking up his spot in the back seat. She waited for his door to shut then set the course, allowing the car to take control and navigate them to their destination. 

Satisfied that the car was moving sufficiently fast enough, Clara once again pulled out her tablet and began to carefully write down everything she'd learned from the day. 

"Dr. Hayes?" she heard the android ask. "Why are you always writing?"

Clara finished her sentence then looked up from her tablet. "I like keeping meticulous documentation of my day. It helps me organize my thoughts. Plus, I'm always learning new things. Writing them down helps me remember." She turned her attention back to her notes while Connor processed that. 

"What are you writing about now?" The android looked at her curiously.

"That's classified." Clara refused to look up from her tablet. 

As if sensing the hostility, Connor was quiet for a moment, then said, "I apologize for my behavior this morning, Dr. Hayes. It was not my intention to offend you. I'm just trying to understand you. You aren't like the other humans I've worked with."

Clara looked up, pausing her writing. She sighed, then said, "I accept your apology, Connor, but don't expect more than that. Everything I do, you're reporting back to Cyberlife, which, in case you've forgotten, is the company that threatened me into working for them, the company that you threatened me on behalf of. So thank you, but I'll not be trusting you or them any time soon."

She looked back down at her tablet, then continued. "Besides, the only reason you even care is because I'm part of your mission. Not exactly a solid foundation for trust and friendship. And, if you're really just the machine you claim to be, then you and I both know there's nothing more to it than that." She watched the android's LED flash yellow briefly, then his polite expression faded into blankness, clearly not liking Clara's answer. He turned away from her and looked out the window, idly taking his quarter out of a pocket and rubbing it between his fingers.

Clara resumed her writing, enjoying the silence of the car. She had a lot to think about. The silence lasted a little while, then Connor spoke again. "Doctor, where are we going? This isn't the way to your house." 

"Detroit Memorial Hospital. There's someone there I need to see." She continued writing, carefully observing the android across from her. He gave no reaction aside from an expression of mild curiosity. 

"Who?" he asked. 

"An old friend," came Clara's cryptic reply. 

The car grew silent again. After about 20 more minutes of driving, the car announced that they had arrived at their destination. Clara took control and pulled the car into an empty parking space, then climbed out of the car. "Let's go," she said. Trusting that Connor would stay close behind, she trudged across the slippery parking lot to the entrance.