We Are Alive

Chapter 5 - Imminent

The car ride to the address is silent except for my music playing in the background.

When we arrive at the address I turn off the car and get out without giving Connor any instructions, I'm still angry with him, he's just a machine how dare he talk to me like that.

One of the patrol guys walks over to me and debriefs me on what has happened, the AX400 took the victims child and fled to somewhere in this area.

"We've got officers sweeping the neighborhood in case anybody saw anything else," Ted says, "Okay well let me know if they turn anything up," I say.

"What are you gonna do with that?" Ted asks.

I look up at him confused, he looks at Connor who is standing off to the side looking at a mural painted on the wall.

"I have no idea" I mutter.

I look away from Connor and look down at my shoes, I just wish that he would fuck off, there's no reason for him to be following me around, I've been able to solve all my cases so far, I certainly don't need his help.

I walk over to him and he greets me with a smile, even after I almost beat him up.

"It took the first bus that came along and stayed till the end of its route. Its decision wasn't planned, it was driven by fear" he informs me.

"Androids don't feel fear, you said that yourself" I respond.

"Deviants do," he says and inclines his head slightly, "they get overwhelmed by their emotions and make irrational decisions" he informs me.

"Alright well, that still doesn't tell us where it went," I say.

"It didn't have a plan, and it had nowhere to go, so... maybe it didn't go far" Connor suggests.

"Maybe," I say.

Connor nods before walking off towards an abandoned building, he looks under the fence in front of it and then looks back at me.

"There's blue blood on the fence, I know another android was here," he says, "Well would you look at that" I mutter.

I follow him as he walks towards the entrance of the building, Connor opens the door and holds it open for me as I enter behind him, there's an android standing in the middle of what appears to be a living room.

I pull out my gun as Connor walks over to it.

"There's blue blood on the fence, I know another android was here," Connor says.

The android doesn't move, he just stands there staring at us.

"Ralph scratched himself coming through, that's ralphs blood," he says.

"Who's Ralph" I whisper to Connor, he shrugs as he doesn't take his eyes off the android.

"I'm looking for an AX400, have you seen it?" Connor asks, the android still doesn't move he just simply stares at us.

"Ralph's seen nobody," he says, so Ralph is himself, he's talking in third person.

"Don't be afraid. I'm not gonna hurt you" Connor says as he walks towards the android, "Are there any other androids here?" he asks.

"Other androids?" Ralph questions.

"No, of course not" Ralph responds.

Connor and I exchange a look before I decide to walk upstairs.

"Is anyone upstairs?" I yell down to Ralph, "No" he responds.

I look back at the android to see him with an innocent look on his face, Connor looks at me and nods, like he knows the android is telling the truth.

Connor squints his eyes at something in the corner of the room, he walks over to it and I see the android start to tense.

The Android runs up to Connor and wraps both of his arms under his armpits rendering Connor unable to move, "RUN! QUICK! KARA!" the android yells.

I run downstairs just as I see an older girl and a younger girl running out the back, Connor is thrown to the ground by the android, I hop out the window after the AX400 and the little girl and sprint after them.

I chase them towards the train station, but they don't stop.

"Detroit police, stop!" I scream, I push people out of my way and have to vault over a couple of things, but I still can't gain on them.

They make it over the fence and stare at me from the other side just as I make it to the fence, I stare at the girl whom I presume is Kara and pull out my gun.

"Don't shoot, we need it alive!" Connor yells to me, I glance back at him and then back at Kara as I see her and the little girl sliding down the hill behind them.

"Fuck" I yell.

"They're crossing the highway there's no way they'll make it!" I yell to Connor.

I start to try and climb over the fence but Connor grabs onto my shirt and pulls me back, "There's no way I'm allowing you to chase after them, your chance of survival is low" he says and starts to climb over the fence.

"What about you? If you get hit you'll die!" I yell, he looks back at me and shoots me a grin.

"Androids don't feel pain," he says as he jumps off the gate and sprints after them.

I watch as he runs across traffic almost getting hit a couple of times before he makes it over to Kara and grabs her.

She elbows him in the face and he staggers back, into the middle of traffic.

"Fuck it" I mutter, I jump over the fence and run after him avoiding the cars, I pull him out of the way just in time as a car nearly hits both of us.

He falls on top of me and we both let out a couple of breaths before he looks up and sees that they're gone, "Shit" he mutters.

"You let them get away" he blames me, I scoff and shove him off of me, "You mean I just saved your ass," I say.

He looks back to where they just were and then shakes his head, "I told you that I'd be fine" he reminds me.

"But you didn't look fine, I just saved your nuts and bolts so why don't you say thanks and then shut your fucking mouth," I say.

He takes a step closer to me, "I'm faster than you, stronger than you, and I don't feel pain, I would have survived that had you not ruined our chances" he says, he towers over me, at least a head taller.

"I'll remember that next time" I mutter and shove him away from me and storm away from him.