Connected. [Elijah Kamski X OC]

5.

Aria stayed in front of the window, her hand on the glass as Elijah was still swimming his last two laps, and the Chloe welcomed the guests inside.

An elderly man and a young looking Android entered the room. Elijah had, by now, finished his last lap, and climbed out of the pool. Chloe handed him a robe, and she helped put it on, tying it close. The Chloe then stood next to the one of the two chairs, a little behind Aria.

Aria didn't even bother too look. She listened, as she stared out the window. She could feel a pair of burning eyes on her back.

"I'm Lieutenant Anderson. This is Connor."
"What can I do for you, Lieutenant?"

Aria turned around, slightly smiling, and sitting down in one of the chairs. She observed the man and Android. The man had grey, somewhat longer hair, and blue eyes. The Android was just a little bit smaller than the man. He, or it, had dark brown hair, and brown eyes.
Both the human and the Android looked at Aria. Maybe she just stood out because she wasn't a Chloe.

"Sir, we're investigating deviants. I know you left Cyberlife years ago, but I was hoping you'd be able to tell us something we don't know..."
A silence followed, as Elijah was thinking of what to say. He looked up at the two, nodded, and spoke. "Deviants. Fascinating, aren't they?"

Aria had to try her very best not to roll her eyes and laugh. It sounded exactly like something Elijah would say.

"Perfect beings with infinite intelligence, and now they have free will..."

Aria couldn't help but glare at Elijah with those words. He didn't answer their questions, he didn't say anything helpful really, because by now everyone would have figured out they have 'free will'.

"Machines are so superior to us," Elijah looked at both the Chloe, and Aria, "confrontation was inevitable... Humanity's greatest achievement threatens to be it's downfall."
Elijah scoffed, as he continued talking again.
"Isn't it ironic?"

The Android, named Connor, spoke for the first time.

"If a war breaks out between humans and deviants, millions could die, Mr. Kamski. It's quite a serious matter."

Elijah slightly shook his head. "All ideas are viruses that spread like epidemics... Is the desire to be free a contagious disease?"
Aria again, tried her very best not to roll her eyes and sigh. 

"Listen, I didn't come here to talk philosophy. The machines you created may be planning a revolution."
The elderly man spoke, slightly annoyed. Aria bit her lip to silence herself, knowing this wasn't the right moment to say anything.
"Either you can tell us something that'll be helpful, or we will be on our way.

Elijah took a deep breath in, and then turned to Connor.

"What about you Connor?"
Connor just looked at the man confused, as Elijah stood in front of him.
"Whose side are you on?" Elijah tilted his head slightly.

"I have no side." The Android spoke determined, barely even moving. "I was designed to stop deviants and that's what I intend to do."

Aria frowned, looking at the Android. He sort of was a betrayer to his own kind, she had to give it that, but he could not really help it either, right? He was programmed this way.

Elijah, again, scoffed. "Well, that's what you're programmed to say, but you..." Elijah looked at Connor with a serious look in his eyes, taking a step closer to the Android. "What do you really want?"

The Android slightly shook his head, as if he was denying something.

"What I want is not important."

Elijah looked over to Chloe and Aria. "Chloe?" 
Aria knew what was going to come next. If glares could kill, Elijah would be deader than Abraham Lincoln, and that's pretty dead. He knew how much she hated that test.

Chloe just walked over towards the man and Android, almost as if she was oblivious to all what was happening. Elijah took a step back, and walked towards the little coffee table. He stopped in front of it.

"I'm sure you're familiar with the Turing test. Mere formality, simple question of algorithms and computing capacity. "

He turned Chloe towards Connor, and positioned her in front of him.
"What interests me is whether machines are capable of empathy."
Aria was so angry at Elijah right now. She wanted him to just shut up, and send these people out. He was just bringing the poor Android on the wrong track.

"I call it 'the Kamski test'," Aria cringed at the name of the test, "it's very simple, you'll see..."

He then turned back to Chloe.

"Magnificent, isn't it? One of the first intelligent models developed by CyberLife. Young and beautiful forever." His hand placed on her cheek slowly slid down to her chin.

Hank saw Aria throwing death glares at Elijah. And he felt the same about this as she did.

"A flower that will never wither..." He then pulled back his hand, and turned back to the two guests.
"But what is it really? Piece of plastic imitating a human?"

That stab she felt in her chest, it hurt like hell, but what was it?

"Or a living being..." Elijah opened the drawer of the coffee table, and grabbed a gun out of it.

"With a soul..." He put his empty hand on Chloe's shoulder, and pushed her down on her knees.
"It's up to you to answer that fascinating question, Connor." Elijah pushed the gun into Connor's hands, and pointed it at Chloe.

"Destroy this machine and I'll tell you all I know. Or spare it, if you feel it's alive, but you'll leave here without having learnt anything from me."

It almost sounded as if he was stressing the me, as if someone else had something to tell. Aria knew damn well that he meant her.

Connor's LED was flashing yellow vigorously, being confronted with his mission, and what he felt.

"Okay, I think we're done here." Hank looked very displeased, angry almost. "Come on, Connor. Let's go. Sorry to get you outta your pool." As Hank turned around to leave, Elijah spoke again. "What's more important to you, Connor?"
All Aria was hoping, was that he was smart enough not to shoot.
"Your investigation, or the life of this Android?" 

The Chloe looked up at Connor with her big, blue eyes, and it was almost if she was begging him not to shoot.

"Decide who you are. An obedient machine... Or a living being endowed with free will."

"That's enough! Connor, we're leaving!" Hank turned around once more, to be interrupted by Elijah again.

"Pull the trigger."

Don't pull the trigger.

"Connor! Don't!"
"And I'll tell you what you wanna know."

Connor handed the gun back to Elijah.
"Fascinating..." He took the gun from Connor.

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

Aria angrily stood up smashing her fist on the coffee table.

"That's enough!"