#Guess What I'm Not a Robot Ch40

[theshapeshifter100]

Guess What? I‘m Not a Robot Ch40

Summary: Everyone can finally chill, take stock, talk to family. Then there’s a knock at the door.

Chapter Warnings: Mentions of injury and being shot. One (?) f-bomb.

Word Count: 1,745

09.45AM Friday 12th November 2038

She unlocked the door and let the boys in. It felt weird to back. The whole world had changed since she and Paul had left, and yet the apartment was still the same as they’d left it.

“Alright,” Megan set about introducing the place to Oscar. “Bathroom’s there, kitchen there. That door there is my bedroom and I’d appreciate it if you didn’t go in there.”

As she did this Paul went to check the taps and lights. The lights flickered on dimly but the tap made a horrible gurgling sound with no water appearing.

“We’re on generator power. Great,” Megan sighed. “We’ll just have to deal with it.”

She turned her attention to the landline phone and sighed, seeing that it was blinking with several messages. She went over to play them over one by one.

“Megan,” it was her mother. “Things sound like they’re getting pretty dangerous in Detroit. Stay safe okay? Call me back.”

The next one was also from her mom, and the next, and the next. Each one becoming more and more hysterical.

The second to last one was from her brother, saying that he’d picked up movement in his college with Android Allies and was hoping to keep protesting and harbouring androids as best he could.

The final one was actually from the Beckwiths.

“Megan dear, we hope you get this. We made it to my sister’s and Anita is safe. Don’t you worry. You and Paul take care of each other now. Okay? Stay safe.”

With a long sigh and a bit of preparation as the boys puttered around in the background, Megan called her parents.

“Megan Violet Carroll!” her mom screamed down the phone, making her pull the receiver away from her ear. “Do you have any idea how worried we’ve been?!”

“I can probably guess,” Megan spoke before she thought, and quickly realised that now was not the time for a smart answer.

“We’ve been worried sick! Especially with all the phones down. What the hell were you thinking, protesting illegally?! I never thought you’d be one to break the law! We’re booking a flight for you to come home right now!”

Megan felt sick, but did something that she felt like she needed to. “You don’t need to do that.”

“Yes I do. And I know airports make you anxious sweetheart but we’ll put that in the extra requirements and we can have someone meet you.”

“No. You really don’t have to. I, I don’t want you to.”

“Megan? What are you saying?”

“I’m staying in Detroit.”

“No you most certainly are not! The entire city’s a warzone! Buildings destroyed, people fleeing in terror-”

Megan interrupted her mother for the first time in many years. “Well I’m looking out of the window right now and not a single building has been damaged and people are leaving in an orderly fashion.”

“What about these androids-?!”

“They haven’t hurt anyone. Not a single human life was lost in this entire revolution. Detroit is safe.”

“Young lady, in case you haven’t realised there’s an evacuation order!”

“I’ve broken one law. I’m happy breaking another. See you later mom.”

“Megan! Don’t you dare-!”

Megan hung up the phone and took a deep breath to steady herself. Her stomach roiled in protest and she felt her legs wobble, but overall, she was okay.

Before her mom could call her back, she called her brother.

“Hey James,” she said after he’d picked up.

“Hi Megs, still in Detroit?”

“Yep, still on campus?”

“Just about. I hid under the bed when security came round. They don’t know I’m here.”

“Cool, I’m guessing mom demanded that you come home?”

“Oh yeah. I shut her down though. You?”

“Same here. She was not happy. How’s AA your end?”

“Pretty good. Some guys had to go home but most of us are still here. What about you? I saw you on the news.”

“Yeah. Most of us are still here. Alex was arrested. I don’t know what we’re going to do about that,” the pain killers had worn off about an hour ago, and she shifted her shoulder uncomfortably, wincing audibly.

“You okay?” James asked and Megan couldn’t bring herself to lie.

“Had a run in with the military for the protest and harbouring an illegal android. I, I got shot.”

“What?! Shouldn’t you be in hospital?!”

“What hospital? They’re all closed,” Megan rebuked. “One of the guys knows first aid and can sew. I’m stitched up pretty nicely.”

“Good, that’s good. Don’t do anything too reckless, okay?”

“You’re telling me not to be reckless?”

“Well, given what you’ve just told me...”

“True true,” Megan agreed. “How are you doing anyway?”

“Me? I’m fine. Not shot anyway.”

“I mean, mentally. Are you okay? I know this might not be a good time to talk, but...”

“...it’s okay. I’ve got other things to focus on. I’ll figure it out when everything dies down okay?”

“James,” Megan warned, feeling big sister mode kicking in.

“I’m fine. College was a bit of a shock, that was all. I’m fine.”

“Alright,” Megan sighed, not believing him but too tired to push. “I’ll call you later, okay?”

“Sure. Love you.”

“Love you too.” Megan hung up, that phone having been a lot better than with her mom. Final call was to the Beckwiths. It went to voicemail, so Megan left a message.

“Hey, just letting you know that I’m okay. Me and Paul are okay and I’m glad to hear Anita’s good. Hope you three stay safe. Don’t worry about calling back. I have a feeling that things might get a bit busy. Bye.”

Megan hung up and turned to face the rest of the apartment. Paul had moved some of his stuff from the couch so that Oscar could sit down, and the android was now pottering around the kitchen.

“Paul, what are you doing?” Megan asked.

“Making breakfast,” he replied, checking bread, bacon and eggs. They seemed to satisfy him and he got to work.

“Need help?” Megan asked, already knowing the answer.

“How about you read a book?” Paul suggested. “I’ll ask Oscar if I need help.”

Megan sighed, nodded and did as he suggested, sitting in her desk chair. It felt so good to sit there again.

There was silence for a while before Oscar broke it.

“So, now what?” he asked. “We’re just going to hole out here?”

“For the time being,” Paul replied as bacon sizzled. “We will need to do a supply run sooner or later, and deal with Alex. We should have gotten Lieutenant Anderson’s phone number, then we could have gotten him to get them out.”

“Hindsight is 20/20,” Megan commented, nose deep in her book.

Oscar shifted uncomfortably. He wanted to do something, but all he could think of was watching tv, and they were on limited power.

“Oscar,” Paul started, sensing his restlessness. “I would suggest calling your parents.”

Oscar nodded, and got up to do just that.

The whole thing was very calm, very domestic. Almost a complete contrast to the last few days. If you ignored the hand guns the boys had placed on the coffee table.

Morning soon past into afternoon, and everyone was startled by a knock at the door.

2PM Friday 12th November 2038

Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at each other. Paul grabbed and cocked a gun before approaching the door and looking through the fish eye hole.

“Lieutenant Anderson?” he opened the door to reveal the titular detective.

“Finally!” he stated. “I was starting to wonder if you were even in.”

“What are you doing here?” Paul asked, angling himself so that he couldn’t see into the apartment. Or the gun he was holding.

“Thought ya might want to know about your friend. They got released today, on account of bigger fish to fry.”

“Okay, thank you for that information,” Paul responded. “It seems like you went to an awful lot of trouble for this detective.”

“Yeah, ya got me. That ain’t the only reason I’m here,” Anderson rocked back and forth on his heels. “Mind if I come in? It’s freezing in this corridor.”

Paul looked his shoulder at Megan, who nodded reluctantly. He stepped back to let in the detective.

”Damn tiny place you got here,” he commented, Paul closing the door behind him.

“It was designed for one person,” Megan’s snark was there, but was muted in the presence of a near stranger.

“I can tell,” Anderson continued to rock on his heels. “Anyway, you guys seem to be the main pro android group in the city right now, huh?”

“I, guess,” Oscar responded with a shrug. “No one else seems to be organised.”

“Exactly, and ya say this Alex is yer leader?”

“More or less,” Paul responded cautiously, wondering where this was going.

“Look, I know Connor, and I know he’s gotten in good with the deviants, so I figured that I could talk to ‘im and see if we could set up a meeting between your guys and Markus.”

Megan made a noise that sounded like a cat coughing up a hair ball, and Oscar’s mouth fell open.

“Are you certain about this detective?” Paul asked, the only one able to regain his cognitive faculties.

“Not really, but I can try. Besides, it would be good for them to meet pro android folks who aren’t politicians. Plus, you can be with other androids if ya want,” he aimed that last part at Paul, who narrowed his eyes.

“I’m not sure that I do.”

“Eh, whatever,” Anderson shrugged. “You do you. I’m just putting the offer out there. I didn’t get a chance to tell yer friend, and you’re the only other guys I know.”

“We will pass it on,” Paul assured.

“Great! Er, here’s my phone number, just in case,” since Paul was closest he handed it to him, and Paul copied down Megan’s landline and cell phone number.

“Alright,” Anderson made his way back towards the door. “I’ll, er, be in touch.”

“Thank you Lieutenant,” Paul responded, since no one else seemed to feel like talking.

“Call me Hank. This is unofficial after all,” the detective attempted a smile, and seemed to fall a little flat. “Be seein’ ya,” with that he left.

A few seconds after the door fell shut Megan stared at Paul.

“...Did that just happen?”

“Yes. I do believe that it did.”

“Fuck.”

“Indeed.”

Well, I guess Hank showed up sooner than I remembered.

I'm admittedly not too fond of where the story goes from here. It seems like a natural continuation to me, but it feels, I don't know, too convenient. At the same time, I don't know how to make it better without dragging it out, so I've left it as is. Other Options Flowchart

(Megan) Be blunt. Be sincere. Be sarcastic to her mother's worries.

(Megan) Be firm. Be hesitant. Be rude with her mother.

(Megan) Lie to James about the injury

(Megan) Press James about his mental health.

(Paul) Leave the gun.

Tags! @nightmarejim @nightmarejim