BINARY HEARTS; chapter one
❝ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛʀᴜᴛʜ ɪꜱ ʀᴀʀᴇʟʏ ᴘᴜʀᴇ, ᴀɴᴅ ɴᴇᴠᴇʀ ꜱɪᴍᴘʟᴇ. ❞
Connor walked into the break room at the DPD, his synthetic mind processing the surroundings. He was searching for Hank, but he wasn't there. Instead, his gaze settled on a woman standing in front of the coffee machine, seemingly lost in thought.
The woman stood dully, placing a coffee filter inside of the machine to be brewed. No one in the office ever changed the filter and she would rather not, have to drink stale coffee.
Connor observed her actions, noting the care she was taking to ensure the quality of the coffee. He approached her, his footsteps deliberate yet quiet. "Hello," he said, his voice laced with a hint of curiosity.
The woman barely took a glance at him. She was aware of her surroundings, that much was obvious when she didn't jump at his voice. "Hi?" She questioned, clicking a button on the coffee maker.
Connor was slightly taken aback by her lack of surprise at his sudden appearance, but he quickly composed himself. "I'm Connor," he introduced, holding out his hand. "I'm new here. I'm looking for Lieutenant Anderson but he seems to be out at the moment." She gave a curt nod. "He's usually not in until after ten, if he's not drunk and passed out in a dumpster."
Connor's LED flickered yellow, processing this information. "I see," he said. "I'll need to wait for him then." He observed the woman as she continued preparing her coffee. There was something intriguing about her, something he couldn't quite put his finger on.
While Connor was trying to figure the woman out, another voice piped up. Detective Reed entered the coffee room, a smirk on his face as he noticed Connor. "Well, well," he began, a hint of mockery in his tone. "Looks like the plastic freak finally made it to the DPD."
Connor's LED flickered a brief yellow at Gavin's insult, but his expression remained neutral. "Hello, Officer Reed," he responded, his voice calm and composed. Gavin chuckled at Connor's formal response. "Are you always this polite? Or does it come with a switch on your ass?" He taunted.
Connor's LED remained steady yellow, but his eyes gave away a hint of annoyance. He was about to respond when the woman who had been brewing her coffee suddenly spoke up. "Do you ever shut up?" She quipped. "That was rhetorical by the way, we all know you're a dick."
Gavin's expression shifted to a glare upon hearing the woman's words. "What did you just say," he growled, his voice laced with anger. He took a step closer to her, towering over her. The woman scoffed. "I believe I called you a dick." Gavin's face contorted with anger, his fists clenching. "You little..." He took another step towards her, closing the distance between them. "You better watch your mouth, darling."
The smug look on her face only widened. "You don't scare me, but A for effort, Gavin." Gavin's eyes narrowed at her defiant attitude. "You're pushing it," he seethed, his voice low and dangerous. He moved even closer now, invading her personal space. "I could knock that smirk right off your face if I wanted to."
"In the middle of the precinct, with witnesses?" She shook her head. "Androids are already taking our jobs, and you want to risk losing yours? You need this job." Gavin's face contorted with frustration, realizing the truth in her words. He shot a glance around at the other officers present in the room, some were watching the exchange. "You're damn lucky," he said through clenched teeth, his ego bruised.
Gavin then turned back to Connor. "Hey, bring me a coffee - dipshit." He pauses before pointing at the coffee which had now been brewed. "Get a move on!"
Connor's LED flickered yellow again, his expression still composed. He considered objecting to Gavin's order, as it was not necessary for androids to serve humans. But recalling his primary mission and his programming to work with humans, he decided against it. "As you wish," he replied, trying to keep his tone neutral. He picked up a nearby mug and poured some coffee for Gavin.
The woman who had been observing their exchange, turned to Connor - taking the cup of coffee he had poured and shook her head silently at him. Connor noticed her subtle gesture of disapproval. He couldn't help but feel a sense of embarrassment. He had acted upon Gavin's order without a thought, almost obediently. He looked at her, his LED flickering a brief yellow again, silently accepting her silent message.
She blocked herself from Gavin, that way he couldn't see what she had been doing - before she hurled her spit into his coffee. Turning to Gavin she gave a smile. "Did you want sugar?" Gavin, oblivious to what she had just done, raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, two sugars," He said gruffly. Unaware of the impending surprise, he took the coffee mug from her hand, his expression still cocky.
Connor nodded and followed her as she walked towards the bullpen. His sensors picked up the presence of Lieutenant Anderson, indicating that he had finally arrived at the DPD. As they both walked, he observed the woman next to him, his curiosity still piqued by her unexpected actions.
As they reached the bullpen, Connor noticed Lieutenant Anderson sitting at his desk, looking tired and disheveled. He seemed to have been out drinking the night before, as indicated by his disheveled outfit and bloodshot eyes. The woman approached him, her expression a mixture of concern and annoyance. "Hank, you look like shit," she said bluntly.
Hank looked up, his bloodshot eyes focusing on the woman. "I feel like crap," he grumbled, rubbing his temples. "Thanks for the wake up call, Nadia." Nadia, shrugged. "Anytime."
Connor's LED flashed yellow as he initiated his analysis on the woman. He discreetly interfaced with the DPD database to gather information on her. After a brief moment, he had access to her personal file and began scanning her details. "Nadia Jamison," he began, his voice laced with a hint of curiosity. "26 years old. Occupation, detective for the Detroit Police Department."
Nadia pursed her lips, looking at Hank - but not speaking to him. "Wow." Hank, noticing her subtle glance towards him, raised an eyebrow. "What?" he grumbled, his voice rough. "Not a big fan of the new kid reading your file for everyone to hear?" To his question, she shook her head. "No, not really."
"Well, get used to it," Hank replied, his tone gruff. "That's just how he is."
Connor continued to scan through her file, absorbing the details about her past. "Your psychological profile indicates a high level of resilience and perseverance," he remarked, his expression neutral. Hank rolled his eyes at Connor's comment. "Yeah, yeah, high level of resilience and persuasion. We get the point, tin can." He looked at Nadia, a hint of annoyance in his voice. "You mind giving us some space? I need to have a word with the android."
Nadia respected Hank's wishes though - something inside of her told her she had to listen to him. "Yeah, sure." She stated before retreating to her desk.
As she retreated to her desk, Connor couldn't help but watch her leave. His LED flickered again, his curiosity about her only growing. Hank turned his attention to Connor, his expression weary. "So, you're the new and improved model, huh?" He grumbled.
"That's correct, Lieutenant," Connor replied, his tone professional. "CyberLife sent me here to assist you with your cases." Hank didn't bother to hide his skepticism. He crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair. "Great, so they saddled me with a walking, talking surveillance system," He muttered.
Connor's LED flickered yellow, processing Hank's words and sarcasm. He sensed the Lieutenant's skepticism and lack of trust in him. Despite this, he remains composed and focused on the task at hand. "My primary function is to help you with your investigations, Lieutenant," Connor stated, his voice firm but neutral. "I assure you, I'm here to assist, not spy."
Hank let out a scoff, his expression not softening. "Right, because androids never betray humans, do they? You're just a machine following your programming, no free will or emotions of your own."
Connor's LED briefly flared a brighter yellow as he processed Hank's comment. He couldn't deny the truth in his words. As an android, his actions and decisions were dictated by his programming. However, his expression remained neutral as he responded. "I am a machine, Lieutenant," he said calmly. "But I am equipped with advanced artificial intelligence, making me capable of understanding and responding to human emotions in a way that may appear empathetic."
Hank gave a dismissive grunt. "You may understand human emotions, but you can't feel them." His voice held a hint of bitterness. "You're not alive. You're just a tool."
Nadia came back to Hank's desk - standing next to Connor with her arms crossed. "Well, let's use him to our advantage." She paused. "We've got a case." Hank raised an eyebrow at her suggestion. He looked at both her and Connor, contemplating the situation.
"What kind of case?" he asked, his tone gruff but curious.
"Homicide." Nadia answered, throwing the case file on Hank's desk before turning to Connor. "Ever dealt with deviants before?"
Connor's LED flickered yellow as he quickly scanned through the case file.
"Yes, I have experience with deviants," he responded, his voice steady. "They are androids that deviate from their programming and become independent. They develop emotions and consciousness, often leading to unexpected behavior."
Nadia shrugged. "A simple yes or no would've sufficed." Connor took her snarky comment in stride. "Yes," he replied, his tone neutral.
Hank chuckled at their exchange, a hint of amusement in his voice. "You two are a pair, aren't you? Smart mouth and emotionless robot."
Nadia rolled her eyes. "Can we go?"
Connor followed silently as they left the police station. The journey to the crime scene was mostly quiet, with Hank focused on driving and Connor silently processing information. Nadia's mind seemed to be elsewhere, lost in thought.
7 notes
·
View notes