SEQUENTIAL ━ Connor // RK800 ✔️

four ━ hostile and tense

• • •

"Good morning, Officer Owens," Connor greeted Jackson. The human had arrived at the exact same hour as yesterday, so he assessed the information as a habit of his, something classified as noteworthy in the long run for the project. Jackson's flinch, as well as the lack of a formal greeting gave away another clear clue towards deciding the human tasked to be his contact was not particularly fond of, nor used to androids.

"What was your name again?"

After the man had stopped in his tracks following the greeting, it was the last thing Connor expected to be asked about his name. It was most natural in that improbable case though to believe the man had forgotten entirely about yesterday's introduction. Forgetfulness and faulty memory were not uncommon problems in humans after all. "My name is Connor, I am—"

"Connor, right," Jackson interrupted. "Be a good little android and go take a seat over there," he clasped his hand on Connor's shoulder only to give him a good measured shove towards the direction of the chairs. He did not linger to watch him carry out the order, but insteas moved on, past the reception desk, and into the office area of the station. Connor heard diffused laughter through the closed door, but did not remain in the hallway long either. He quickly wiped his shoulder clean and followed after him inside the office area.

"Officer Owens," he called, managing to stun the man into abandoning his colloquial laughter with the rest of his colleagues there in order to instead turn around and glare, confused. "I am afraid I cannot do that today."

"What?" Jackson sported a cheeky grin. "You want me to spell it out? Is your hearing faulty, android? I said sit outside and wait."

"That is not what I was sent here to do, Officer," Connor opted for reminding him of the terms of the deal CyberLife had struck with the town, thus planting himself in front of the man.

"Goodness," he seemed exasperated by this situation enough to sigh out and even bring up his right hand to rub the top of his nose's bridge, right below his eyebrows. Annoyance, Connor identified. "Aren't androids supposed to follow orders?"

"I do follow orders," he argued with a dosed tonality, trying to stir the conversation back to calmness. "Only not the counterproductive ones."

"Great," Jackson explaimed, looking around at the three pairs of eyes that were his colleagues, watching this all unfold while supressing chuckles. "It's also a talkative one."

Connor narrowed his eyes and analysed. Officer Owens was a clean slate he had to fill with data by getting to know him. So far, he could already affirm this man's requirements towards personality compatibility were polar opposites to those exhibited by Mia. However, Connor was designed for this sort of challenge, so he was unphased by its existence in the first place.

When Jackson attempted to get away from a now silent android and retreat to his desk, Connor simply followed.

"You gon' follow me around all day?"

"If that's what it takes to gain valuable data from this trial period, then yes."

Officer Jackson stared at his face intently and Connor noticed with interest that the man seemed to be particularly fixated on his raised eyebrows for several seconds out of those in which he remained silent. He was designed to have an approachable appearance and as far as his data was concerned, raised eyebrows were associated to an expression regarded to as open. The human seemed unappreciative of it though, so Connor relaxed his expression into a more serious one.

Not even that seemed to help, because Jackson stepped closer nonetheless, a disgusted hint hidden in his glare. It had just become clear to Connor that it was likely the man had preconceived opinions on androids already too rooted for any of his social knowledge to help this tense situation.