SHORT CIRCUIT, connor dbh (discontinued)

; 23

"So how does Liv know this guy?" Hank asked.

"She said that her father used to work with him. With some research I found out that her father runs a branch of CyberLife in Columbus, Ohio." Connor explained.

"Well, I hope he knows something." Hank approached the door and knocked, with Connor following behind him. A female andriod opened the door.

"Hi, uh, I'm Lieutenant Hank Anderson, Detroit Police Department. I'm here to see Mr. Elijah Kamski."

"Please, come in," She said as she opened the door and let them inside. The two stepped in, and Hank sat in one of the chairs by the door.

"I'll let Elijah know you're here, but please make yourselves comfortable." The andriod left the room.

"Nice girl, huh?"

"You're right, she's really pretty."

"Be careful what you're saying now, Connor. Liv might be a little upset if she heard you say that," Hank said, jokingly.

"Why would she be?" Connor asked in confusion.

"Well you two are dating now, aren't you?"

"Liv and I aren't dating."

"Really? 'Cause it didn't look like that."

"We're friends, so why would she be mad?"

"Well, I hate to break it to you, but friends don't make out. And when people are together they can get jealous of other people. I was joking with you anyway, Connor. You gotta learn to not take things so seriously."

While listening to Hank speak, he noticed a picture of Kamski and Amanda. Scanning it, he realized that Amanda had been his mentor, but had died in 2027. His LED flickered between blue and yellow as he processed the information.

The andriod from earlier came back into the room, opening the door to let them in, "Elijah will see you now."

Hank and Connor entered into the room. The area was quite large, with a pool full of red water in the center. In the pool were two more andriods exactly like the one who answered the door and Elijah Kamski. He got out of the pool, water dripping off of him on to the white, plush rug as one of the andriods gave him his robe. He pulled his hair into a bun.

"I'm Lieutenant Anderson, this is Connor," Hank introduced.

"What can I do for you, Lieutenant?" Kamski asked.

"We're investigating deviants. Our partner, Detective Thomas, thought you might know something. I know you left CyberLife years ago, but we're hoping you know something we don't."

"Thomas? Sounds familiar."

"You used to work with her father, Alexander Thomas," Connor added in.

"Alexander, yes. I do remember him," Kamski said, "Deviants, facinating, aren't they? Perfect beings with infinite intelligence, and now they have free will. Machines are so superior to us, confrontation was inevitable. Humanity's greatest achievement threatens to become it's biggest downfall, isn't it ironic?"

"We need to understand how androids become deviants, it's spreading like some sort of virus. Do you know anything that could help us?" Connor asked.

"All ideas are viruses that spread like epidemics. Is the desire to be free a contagious disease?"

"Listen, I didn't come here to talk philosophy. The machines you created may be plotting a revolution. Either you can tell us something helpful, or we will be on our way." Hank said.

"What about you, Connor?" Kamski said, walking toward the android, "Who's side are you on?"

"I'm on the humans side, of course."

Kamski smirked, "Well that's what you're programmed to say, but you."

Kamski stepped closer to him, "What do you really want?"

"What I want is... not important."

"Chloe?" Kamski called for his andriod, who immediatly stood by his side, "I'm sure you're familiar with the Turing test. Mere formality, simple question of algorithms and computing copacity. What interests me, is whether machines are capable of empathy. I call it the Kamski test, it's very simple, you'll see."

He put his hand around her chin, forcing him to look at her as he stroked her face, "Magnificent, isn't it? One of the first intelligent models developed by CyberLife. Young, and beautiful forever. A flower that will never wither. But what is it, really? A piece of plastic imitating a human, or a living being with a soul?"

He turned around, reaching into a drawer in the table behind him. Kamski pulled out a gun, quickly putting his hands up to show he was no threat to them. He walked over to Connor again, placing the gun into his hand. He placed his hand on her shoulder, making her get on her knees.

"It's up to you to answer that fascinating question, Connor," Kamski said, moving Connor's arm so that he was aiming the gun at Chloe's head, "Destroy this machine, and I'll tell you all I know. Or spare it, but you'll leave here without having learnt anything from me."

"Alright, I think we're done here. Come on, Connor, let's go. Sorry to get you outta your pool," Hank said, but Connor stood there with the gun still aimed at her.

"What's more important to you, Connor, your investigation, or the life of this andriod?" Kamski asked, causing Connor's LED to turn red, "Decide who you are, an obedient machine, or a living being endowed with free will."

"That's enough! Connor, we're leaving!"

"Pull the trigger!"

"Connor, don't!"

"I'll tell you what you need to know."

Software Instability /\ /\

Connor handed the gun back to Kamski, deciding not to shoot Chloe. He took it back, looking at Connor in amazement.

"Fascinating. CyberLife's last chance to save humanity is itself a deviant..."

"I'm- I'm not a deviant!"

"You preferred to spare a machine than accomplish your mission. You saw a living being in this android! You showed empathy." Kamski held out his hand to help Chloe up, then dismissed her, "A war is coming, and you'll have to choose your side. Will you betray your own people or stand up against your creators? What could be worse than having to choose between two evils?"

"Let's get out of here," Hank said, grabbing Connor's shoulder and made him turn away. He death stared Kamski. They almost left the room when Kamski began to speak again.

"By the way, I always leave an emergency exit in my programs. You never know..."

What did he mean by that?

Connor walked out of the room and followed Hank outside. Once they were outside, Hank began to talk to Connor.

"Why didn't you shoot?"

"I just saw that girl's eyes, and I couldn't, that's all," Connor explained.

"You're always saying you'd do anything to accomplish your mission. That was our chance to learn something and you let it go."

"I know what I should have done! I told you I couldn't! I'm sorry, okay?"

"Maybe you did the right thing."

"No, I didn't! I'm supposed to do anything for the mission and I didn't. If I don't accomplish this mission, they'll shut me down! Hank, I don't want to die! And Liv, I don't want to leave her. I should have shot her!"

"I guarantee you that if Liv was here, she would say the same thing as me. She deserved to live, just like you do, Connor. You did the right thing."

"I need to know where the deviants are hiding. I have to, Hank," Connor said, "I don't want to die."

"I'm going to call Liv and tell her what happened."

Hank dialed her number, and stayed on the line for a while. He called again and again, but no answer.