#d'anna android detective

[android-anthology-hub]

A Robot and a Girl - Part 1

I've been working a lot on polishing things up for this series, including doing a full rewrite of all three chapters of the first story in this series.

So let's start things off with a bang.

You'll also be able to read this over on Fiction Press, Ao3, and Tapas.

Edit: Unfortunately, because Tumblr has somehow become even more broken, posts with certain images can't register in their tags! And Tumblr removed the ability to have line breaks without having to code them in HTML by hand a long time ago. So, unfortunately, the Tumblr version of all of these stories are going to be without those linebreaks! Which sucks! THANKS STAFF!

The stylus shifted about in D'Anna's grip as she trailed along the pages of her notebook. Her knuckles stood out against her dark skin, gold-alloy joints smoothly shifting with every curve and line. She followed along the edges of the coat in her memory. The image lay over the page before her eyes, like a digital ghost.

It had been difficult to get it out of the tower security systems. Tanu had tried to piece it together as best they could. Lines of loose code bled into the image of the man, roughing up the edges of his coat. 

But still, she sketched them in. A little flourish of her own. She kept her focus on the notebook in her hands-

The light panels overhead flickered, and the trams rumbled down the center of the corridor. The door beside her opened and shut as people moved past along the side of the transport lane.

-and the security door across the way.

Every flash and tone of the signal light ran ahead of the next wave of sound as it crashed through the corridors like a current. Passengers rode past on the transport lanes. Cargo runners raced somewhere over their heads. And people gathered at the lane crossings. The rumble of the trams faded down the corridor, the crossing gates opened, and the crowd rushed away. The signal flashed again as another wave gathered-

D'Anna glanced back and forth from her sketch to the crowd. 

-the cargo runners racing by-

There he was. Stepping right into the crowd as the lights changed-

-and the crossing gates opened. D'Anna watched as the man approached the door across the corridor. Circuits silently whirred to life in her eyes, tracking the man as he unlocked the door - scratching down the code as he punched it in - and slipped inside.

It looked like the info she'd gotten from Tanu was right on the mark-

She brushed her thumb over a name she'd written on the same page, Rosi.

She'd made a promise, and she planned to keep it…

She tucked everything away, the gates sliding shut behind her as she crossed to the other side.

-now she just had to stay on him.

D’Anna’s breath turned to fog in the cold air of the hall as she trailed her mark.

The man tugged his coat tighter against the cold, the steam of his breath glowing in the cold lighting of the panels overhead. Dark green spread across his shoulders, a stark contrast to the pale gray that wrapped his arms and waist. It wasn’t too uncommon to see on an engineer’s coat… But she could see a white synth-silk scarf poking out over his collar.

That kind of fabric wasn’t cheap. Hardly something she’d see on an engineer this far down in the city. He was owned, whether he admitted it or not. That scarf was as much a collar as a comfort, paid for by his patron. But who paid him didn’t matter-

Another door slid open with a click, the engineer more focused on pulling his data card from the lock and tucking it away than on the hall. D’Anna followed close behind him as he stepped through.

Too close. Dammit, she was too close!

The door failed to close when it should have, the engineer’s heel grinding to a halt on the concrete floor.

She had to be quick. Think of something…

D’Anna tucked her hands away in her pockets as he turned, quickly speaking up, “I’m sorry, sir. I would have announced myself sooner, but my employer prefers discretion.”

-what mattered was the job.

With a cautious frown, he looked her up and down, nervously adjusting his scarf.

If he knew she was lying, he didn’t show it. He was too twitchy for her liking…

He kept glancing at her wrap-tunic, eyeing the synth-silk with a thoughtful tug of his scarf.

Sometimes it paid to keep a few of her old things.

His voice was low and ragged, “What sort of work, ma’am?”

He waved a hand over a sensor by the door, shop tables lining the wall next to him lighting up all at once. The light was just as cold as the hall, old metal arches casting shadows along the curved ceiling of the narrow shop. A pair of mech tables formed an island in the center of the room, their mechanical arms and cables neatly folded away.

It seemed innocent enough, a mechanics shop like any other. And yet, it felt wrong. It was too clean and put together, almost like a showroom. What was it hiding?

He chuckled as he looked back at her, waving to the selection of parts that sat neatly on his table, “We can work with whatever you might need: Mechanical, Cybernetic, even Mechatronic.”

Every piece had its place like he was proud of his work. He probably was. But it wasn’t good enough. Come on. If he could just show her where he could be keeping them…

“A mech,” she said, earning a pause from the man as he looked at her more carefully. “It’s my employer’s understanding that you’re in supply.”

The engineer frowned in thought as he picked an eye from the table, the gold-alloy iris shining under the light as he turned back to her. She stared at the eye as he rolled it in his hands, thankful for her tinted glasses.

“Well, that depends,” he started, slowly turning his back. He tossed the eye behind him, inquiring over his shoulder, “What model?”

D’Anna caught it on reflex, her joints glinting in the shop lights. She did her best to ignore the gleam in his eye and the self-satisfied smile on his face. He was getting a little too curious…

“An RC-N unit,” she said, keeping her voice gentle as she set the eye back in its place on the table.

“Workhorse,” he mused. “Now why is an expensive android like you coming here? And all for a mech that’s easy to order anywhere?”

“As I said, my employer prefers discretion,” D’Anna said with a frown. “And a workhorse isn’t the only model they’re looking to get, even if you’d have to reset their cores.”

She was pushing him, but if he took the bait…

He hummed thoughtfully, striding over to the far end of the wall as he spoke, “Very well, miss…?”

“AT-S-039,” D’Anna lied, earning a chuckle from the man.

“Tower staff, hmm?”

“Yes, sir.”

“I see why your employer would wanna keep things quiet,” he said, eyeing her over his shoulder as he rummaged for his tools. “Folks up in the towers have reputations to uphold.”

“Yes, they do,” D’Anna said, her eyes scanning around the shop as she approached a tool chest embedded into the opposite wall.

“Well-” the engineer said as he came up behind her, core resetter in hand, thumb waiting on the trigger. “-you’re in luck, ma’am. I came into an RC-N unit recently.”

She heard the tell-tale click and crackle of electricity, spinning around in time to block the prongs of the resetter with her hand. Lightning arced from the three metal prongs, surging up through her arm, and into her shoulder as it threw her back. She slammed into the drawers behind her, shoulder screaming from the impact. She clutched at her arm, limp and numb from the jolt. Her hand was smoking…

“Took the shock to your arm and not your body. You’re pretty quick,” he hummed, giving the resetter another crackling click as he loomed over her. “Now, why are you here?”

She groaned as she tried to flex her fingers, “Looking for someone…”

D’Anna cried out as she slammed her arm into the drawers, shocking some sensation back into the limb.

The engineer just shook his head with a ragged chuckle, “No one else here but us. Not that it matters.”

Sparks arced across the triple prongs as he lunged for her.

One good jolt, and she’d be out like a light. She’d have to be quick.

She jabbed him in the arm - alloyed knuckles slamming into muscle - and sent the tool clattering to the floor. She surged up from her place on the ground. Her burned hand ached as another punch to the button of his chin sent him stumbling back into the mech table, head rattling.

“You…!” he sputtered, leaning against the table as his head spun.

She closed the gap in a single lunge, stepping like a boxer as she hooked an arm under his ribs. With her whole weight, she yanked him up and drove him back down onto the floor. She hauled him up by shirt and scarf, her joints whirring as she held him tight. He grabbed her wrist as he tried to stand, his feet scrambling against the floor. But she wouldn’t budge.

“You’ve got a storage space somewhere, don’t you, sir. Somewhere out of sight,” she kept her voice a soft-spoken threat, knocking his footing with a firm shake that ripped his collar.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” the engineer snapped, looking back at the tool chest embedded in the wall.

“It’s behind there, isn’t it, sir?”

She shook a yes from him before she threw him onto the floor again. She grabbed his collar and dragged him back over to the worktable, harshly propping him against its leg.

She yanked off his scarf, the man groaning as she tied his hands to the table, “W-Wait. Wait!”

“Don’t worry sir,” she dismissed him with a shake of her head. “I’m sure you’ll get yourself out in an hour-”

-maybe three, if she was being honest. But now-

D’Anna sighed and rose to her feet, her eyes scanning over the walls and floor as she approached the tool chest.

-she had a door to find.

She frowned at the wall as she looked it over, muttering under her breath, “Now, how do you open…?”

She could see the way the tool chest moved, her eyes picking up the grooves it left behind.

But she couldn’t find the lock…

She closed her eyes as she ran her hands along the sides of the chest, focusing on the contacts in her palms. As her hand trailed halfway down, she felt it, a gentle signal pinging against her palm.

“Data lock,” she hummed, feeling out the interface. She looked back at the man, still struggling against his scarf as she spoke, “Your card’s the key, isn’t it, sir.”

It wasn’t a question.

His data card wasn’t hard to find. No one’s was really…

She paused as she pulled it from his pocket, a softer green than his coat. But it was the emblem etched into the plastic circuits that caught her eye. A white oval with two flattened sides, three diamonds cut out along its center. 

She knew it well.

“Mr. Archer,” she said with a frown, curling her hands into a fist. “Now why is he funding a chop shop?”

“Wouldn’t know,” the engineer coughed, trying to get the wind back in his lungs.

“Yeah, you do,” she said, rolling her eyes as she walked away.

“Who are you?” he asked, staring at her as she looked back.

“I don’t really know myself, sir…”

She could feel the circuits firing as she tapped the card, the tool chest sliding out along the wall.

The room beyond was lined with storage stalls, five of them full. The back of the room was some kind of loading bay, the sounds of the transport lanes just beyond its rolling door. Each mech was held firmly in place with straps, their heads hanging low, without power.

D’Anna clenched her fists as she walked down the line, the lights flickering on overhead.

Just how long had he been running like this?

“Most of these are archer mechs, combat models,” she muttered to herself, frowning in thought.

She stopped at the last stall before the loading dock, running a hand over the scorched metal of the mech’s chest plate. 

They were an RC-N model, exactly who she was looking for… 

The engineer had pulled out their power cell, leaving it on a small table built into the stall. With a grunt, she pulled open their chest plate and slotted it back inside. Its circuits flickered to life as she twisted the cell into place. She could hear their systems warming up as she closed them back up.

“Rosi?” she asked, stepping back as their eyes came online, pulsing as they regarded her.

“You–” their voice box crackled. “You…know my name?”

She gave them a small smile as she undid the straps, “Somebody missed you a lot when you disappeared. Sweet lady asked me to find you.”

As the last strap came off they stepped free of the stall, arms turning and clicking in sturdy shoulder joints.

Rosi tested and flexed their hands after being bound so long, tilting their head inquisitively as they spoke, “You know Cole?”

“I’m gonna get you back to her,” D’Anna said, meeting their eyes as they studied her.

They clenched their hands at their sides, looking around at the other stalls.

“What about them? What will happen to them?” they asked, watching as she studied the other models.

“I’ve got a friend that can take them in-” she ran a hand along the chest of one of the archer mechs, their body brand new. “-I won’t leave them behind.”

“Do you mean that,” Rosi asked, towering over her as they stood at her side.

She took their hand in hers and squeezed until her nerves ached, the servos in her knuckles whining.

“I give you my word, Rosi. They’ll be safe,” she said softly.

Rosi stared at her for a long time, longer than most would be comfortable with.

It was a look that asked too many questions. A look that held thought behind it. It reminded her that even a machine like them, a workhorse, was alive.

“You surprise me,” was all Rosi said.

D’Anna gripped the hem of her coat, thumb trailing along the once white synth-silk, long since dyed red.

She looked back at them with a smile, irises glinting as she spoke, “That’s a good thing, Rosi, thank you…” she rubbed her hands together with a small chuckle, “Now, let’s get the rest of ‘em online, shall we?”

The Gardens were always warm, humidity dripping from the solar shaft’s machinery. Greenery grew along the walls, vibrant in the sunlight that spilled in from above.

The air rushed past D’Anna as the corridors of the city opened up into the Gardens’ wide open spaces, sunlight glinting off her glasses. She shaded her eyes as she let her circuits adjust to the natural light.

“So it’s morning already?” she muttered to herself, knocking her glasses up as she kneaded at her brow.

She would never get used to seeing so much growth outside the Towers. Vines and branches wound their way around metal and concrete, cleaning the air for the rest of the city. But that wasn’t all it did.

She could see people tending gardens mounted on the walls, picking fruits and leaves that thrived in the sunlight. Flowers bloomed in planters along the path she was walking, an absolute riot of color. She could see traders setting out their wares, gardeners gathering their harvest, and engineers readying their equipment.

“Looks like a smuggler drop’s coming,” D’Anna hummed, glancing up at Rosi beside her.

Rosi gave a sage nod, then tilted their head in confusion as they spoke, “Smuggler drop?”

She nodded towards the massive airshaft that dominated the space, climbing towards open sky.

“You’ll see,” she said. “We should hurry, we don’t want to get in the way, trust me.”

They looked back to their fellow mechs, the other four giving Rosi a questioning look. And Rosi just splayed their hands in a small, helpless, gesture.

D’Anna frowned in thought as she looked around, circuits whirring as her eyes scanned around the space. She let out a soft sigh as she found what she was looking for, a yellow diamond marked on the nearby wall. She laid a hand over the marker, the paint still pretty new, and turned till she found the next.

This wasn’t where the path was last time she was here… She’d have to ask about that later.

She waved for Rosi and the others to follow, tucking her hands away as her eyes traced from one diamond to the next. The gardens continued to hum with activity. The tension building to an event she knew all too well. She continued to follow the trail, her eyes scanning about

Her eyes scanned about, racing along the trail until she found a familiar sight. Hidden in the branches and vines was an alcove, a small door marked with that same golden yellow beckoning her. She could hear the rumbling overhead, the electric hum of engines.

Bell tones rang out all around the shaft as several aerial craft started their descent. Their atmo-drivers whipped the wind into a frenzy as they hovered. Men and women barked orders, machines creaked and groaned, landing pads sliding out from where they’d been hidden amongst the green.

A young woman’s voice crackled out all around the Gardens, “Starting the clock, ninety minutes.”

The crews clicked on their watches, small screens flickering to life. And all counted down-

-90-

The moment a craft landed, the smuggler crews went to work, opening panels and pulling their contraband from their hiding places.

-87-

Others opened their cargo bays as they descended, barkers leaning out to announce their wares.

-81-

Mechanics raced out to meet them, trading work for whatever they had to offer.

-counting down the small window till sector security took notice.

D’Anna flashed a small smile as she watched everyone go to work, bringing goods to trade and sell.

Before she came here, she had never seen anything quite like it. She’d hated the chaos back then, but now she could see the beauty in it. The people here were full of life, brimming with ideas. Now, she could hardly imagine any other sight that brought a smile to her face quite like this.

She turned to Rosi and the others, one hand still in her coat pocket while the other tapped against the door.

“That-” she said with a nod to the organized chaos around them. “-is a smuggler drop.”

Himari was probably hard at work already.

[val-the-bun]

I cannot overstate just how much I adore the work @anris-resurrection has done with the characters from my story. It's been challenging to keep going with writing, but their art, their wonderful art, has helped give me inspiration.

I wanted to do something really special, and Anri's delivered in even more ways than I was expecting. And it has been a wonderful surprise ever since. I'm excited to show off their work, and I'm excited to keep working on my story too.

So... Here's D'Anna, both past and present. She's grown a lot from where she came from, and she's still got more to go.

[val-the-bun]

looks at her Android Detective Anthology OH BOY DO I HAVE SOME ANSWERS FOR THAT ONE!

“How muach of a human’ body can you replace with cybernetics before they are legally declared a robot?”

[android-anthology-hub]

This is an introduction for both myself and my main project. I'm Val! While my main blog is over on @val-the-bun, this is the main page for my android anthology project.

I am a trans and disabled writer and editor - I've worked quite closely with my fellow writer @shera-dnd. My main project is D'Anna - Android Detective Anthology, a series of Science Fiction Detective stories set on an alternative future earth. A world of airships and megacities, built by the androids that take center stage within this series.

The story follows the titular character D'Anna, an android trans-woman, living and working in the towering city of New Concord. Once she was the servant of a rich man, now she's searching for answers about who she is, and what her place in the world is now that she's free.

You can find more information about this project over at this page's Hub. You can also check out the wonderful art that has been made for this series so far over in the Artist Gallery. And you can help to support me and this project over on my Ko-fi!

[val-the-bun]

How do you know who you are? For a young android named D'Anna, that question was hard to answer. Who was she now that she was free? Once a servant, she'd given herself a name of her own. Now she was weaving through life in the city below the towers that were the closest thing to home she'd ever known. Life isn't easy in a city that expects no one to stay, but if it meant she could find her answers...then she was ready for whatever it could throw at her.

So the art itself is from @anris-resurrection, the rest of this little cover is my creation.

And honestly, the whole reason I wanted to try and make this was...to give myself some inspiration. Seeing the wonderful art Anri's made has helped me be excited to keep writing for this story, and this time I wanted to kind of just...join in. And...I hope you like this too Anri. ^_^

You can check out the hub page for this story over at this link.

I'm gonna include some process stuff below the cut!

So I started with a transparent that anri provided as part of my commission, and initially this little warm white background. :P

I really wanted to show off the art because like--COME ON! It's awesome! Anri did such amazing work, and I adore it. ^_^

I wanted to create the illusion of depth around the characters, as well as capture a manga-cover-like aesthetic, sooo I put the text on two different layers - behind and in front.

Then I decided to swap the plain background for a gradient, and added a shadow to give the text some pop and contrast against the art. <3

And finally just added some texture using a japanese pattern called Kanoko in opposing corners. ^_^

And that's it. I wanted to keep it really simple, kind of retro-looking, and most importantly keep Anri's art as the most eye-catching part of the whole thing.

[android-anthology-hub]

A Robot and a Girl - Part 2

So continuing on with the updates, here's part 2 of A Robot and a Girl. And this is our introduction to Himari, one of our support characters for D'Anna. ^_^

You can of course also check out this chapter on Fiction Press, Ao3, and Tapas.

Himari held tight to the frame of the landing doors, her small but sturdy frame holding fast against the rush of air that whipped at her steel gray hair.

She looked out into the solar shaft, the golden yellow diamonds on her shoulders standing out in the morning light against her dark skin.

“Look alive! Get your goggles on, all of you. A stray bolt or driver blade won’t care about cybernetics if you’re not careful!” Himari called out as the aerial craft touched down on the workshop’s landing pad. “Let’s see what they need!”

The workshop crew quickly went to work as they all rushed out onto the landing pad, a wild mishmash of hand-dyed fabric, alloy, and paint. What bound them together was their emblem, golden yellow - the color of the workshop - tattooed, etched, or sprayed onto one arm or another.

She never could help but have a proud smile on her face when she stood beside them.

A young android ran up beside her, their voice ragged as they caught their breath, “Pilot sent our passenger’s papers ahead, once they’re ready and onboard they’ll just be part of the flight crew.”

“Alright, now we just–”

As she stepped out onto the platform they all stopped - the diamond at the center of their emblems pulsing with light as a bell tone sounded in the shop.

Someone was at the door.

“I’ll catch up!” she called out, turning to the young android beside her, “Think you can cover for me?”

“Just fine, ‘mari,” they said with a grin, optical sensors flickering as they stepped out into the whirlwind of the solar shaft.

Himari looked back just as she got inside, “And be careful!”

The workshop was a wide and towering warehouse, big enough to haul in any aerial craft that needed to hang around for more than a pitstop. 

And yet, it was home. In every little space they could, they left their mark, they made it theirs.

They���d worked for months just to expand the old office into the massive loft that now dominated the back half of the workshop. One of them - though none of them could ever remember who - managed to find some great old couch from the upper towers; no one was even sure how they got it up the stairs.

A little work and it just became another piece of home...

With a few taps to the emblem tattooed on her arm, the monitor beside the inner door at the back corner lit up.

"Entry camera," Himari said, stopping at the control for the door. "Let's see who it is."

She raised a brow as the camera view came online - D'Anna, and she wasn't alone. With a small smile, she slid the door open with a simple turn of the switch.

She practically yanked the taller woman through the door, “D’Anna! It’s been months since your last visit, you should drop by more.”

"I've been a bit busy," D'Anna sighed, a slight smile on her face.

She looked past her side to Rosi and the mechs behind her, "Right..."

Himari sighed and waved them all in through the door, "Come on, come on. We're in the middle of a drop."

She closed the door behind them as they made it inside, waving them behind the machinery that held the landing platform outside. 

There were plenty of moving parts in here, and she’d sure as hell keep any of them from stepping in them.

"I'm sure you remember where to go," she said with a smile.

D'Anna smiled back, polite but warm as the others followed her, "you haven't moved that mech table have you? Some of these people could use it."

“Closer to the commons up in the loft, keep folks company while they’re getting patched up,” she said as she ran to meet up with the young android from her crew. 

His optics shifted behind the goggles as he looked down at her, a thick line of sensors running across where his eyes should be. 

“Alright, what do we have to work with?”

"Something's up with their atmo-drivers, I gave them a look, and I think there's a short in a couple of the coils," he explained as the two of them returned to the landing pad.

She pulled the clip off her safety belt, locking it onto the magnetic rail that ran the length of the platform with a single, practiced swing.

"Let's check out those coils then!"

They had seventy minutes to finish their work and get their passengers on board before they had to pack it in.

And still, the clock ticked down…

“You moved the path,” D’Anna’s voice was soft as she leaned against one of the shop's support beams, watching everyone work in the bay below.

"Heh, you almost sound worried about us,” Himari chuckled, looking out to the crew - her family - as they quickly got the craft in the air, and back on its descent down to the landing docks at the bottom of the shaft.

A bell tone sounded outside with ten minutes still left on the clock, a voice crackling out that sector security was inbound. All of them were ready, rushing back in before the platform started to retract, and the doors closed.

Security’s last raid had been far too close.

D'Anna bit her cheek as she looked back at Rosi and the others chatting with some of the crew coming up from below in the commons, “because I am, ma’am.”

“So formal!” Himari wrinkled her nose, her Japanese a harsh but welcome huff as she elbowed the other woman, “Don’t you go calling me ma’am, I’m not that old just yet.”

D’Anna didn’t answer immediately, hands fidgeting in her lap, golden knuckles standing out against the red of the early morning light that came through the bay windows.

She still remembered that scared young lady that came to her door, wrapped in synth-silk, and clutching a scrap of paper with the workshop’s diamond on it. Back then, even as scared as she was, she stood tall and harsh. Himari didn’t know who she had something to prove to, but even then she couldn’t turn her away. It was years ago, and still, it felt like only a short time…

She swore she sounded like a grandmother in her own head sometimes.

"Can you… take them in?" D’Anna asked.

Himari couldn't help but roll her eyes at the young android.

She cared, she knew that all too well.

“Have I ever said I can’t in the past? If I really couldn’t do this, I’d be out there playing boss on one of those aero-craft or a land-ship. I’m up here, and this little crew of ours will do what we can for them. Like always.”

She sighed, shoulders sagging as she watched Rosi get patched up on the mech table, "I know."

Himari turned and looked Rosi over as some of the crew patched them up, eyes lingering on the ionization burns and tow cable damage on their plating, "Shock and Haul, hmm?"

"...yeah, yeah I think so."

She frowned as she clenched her fists, “Rotten little thing, using an arc gun like that. It’s supposed to be a welder, a--a cutter! Not some damn stun gun.”

“I know…”

“Well,” Himari grunted as she rose to her feet, old joints complaining as usual, “let’s see what we can do for them.”

It was good to see D'Anna smile at her again.

With a wry smile, Himari nudged her on their way into the commons together, “So, what’s the job this time?”

“Really?” she raised a brow, golden eyes glancing up with a soft chuckle. “Search and rescue.”

She cracked her knuckles as she came over to the mech table, gently shooing the others to the side.

“Let me have a look at them,” Himari sighed as she closely examined the damage, the young android from before handing her a pair of scanning goggles. “...and the ko nashi that you had to rescue them from?”

Rosi’s eyes flickered on for a moment, glancing between the two of them as they spoke, “I…believe I saw him tied to a table.”

She let out a barking laugh, “Ha ha! Serves him right! Now, I’m going to need you to shut down for a bit so I can check your circuits. Okay?”

Rosi’s eyes let out a nervous click as they adjusted and adjusted again. They looked from Himari to D’Anna with a silent question.

“You’re in good hands, Rosi,” D’Anna soothed, bearing a smile she rarely showed anyone. “Himari here is the lead mechanic.”

“The medic too, don’t pretend you haven’t been ducking me. I need to check your shoulder replacement. And don’t think I didn’t see that burn either,” she said as she looked up through her goggles. “I swear you need to be more careful with those fists of yours.”

“Well ma’am it was either my fists or a core resetter to the face,” she deadpanned.

Himari froze there, clenching her tools tight as she turned back to D’Anna.

“I’m sorry, what?”

Rosi looked back and forth between them before promptly shutting their eyes off again, “Powering down now…”

“Good idea, Rosi,” Himari said with a growing frown. “Good. Idea.”

Himari frowned as she looked D'Anna over while they sat in the commons, D’Anna’s coat hanging off her chair. And all the while, the young android wouldn’t look her in the eye.

They’d argued the whole time she was working. Every moment it was just the same routine that she wished they could change. D’Anna never wanted to talk about it, never wanted to worry her. 

For the moment she tried to focus on bandaging her hand… But there were far more scars than she was comfortable with, more than she saw the last time she was in.

Her blood boiled in a familiar silence that she hated.

“I know it’s dangerous,” D'Anna said, soft-spoken as ever. “But...it’s the job.”

It didn’t have to be, they both knew that.

“You know the crew here misses you.”

“Ma’am, please don’t start…”

“Kiite kuremasu ka!” Himari sighed and rubbed at her brow, “I–I worry about you, okay? This is dangerous work you’re doing.”

D'Anna frowned as her voice grew louder, harsher, “And this job is safe, Himari? What would happen if security found us here?”

She looked Himari right in the eye, freehand curling into a fist as she kept at it, “What if they weren’t in a charitable mood? How would it be any safer than what I do now?”

Himari took a deep breath, biting back so many arguments they’d had before as she stared at the surgical scar on her shoulder.

She wouldn’t shout, not this time.

Slowly D’Anna relaxed, letting her shoulders sag as she looked down at the floor.

She knew she hated the silence too…

“I will always be grateful for my time here, ‘Mari,” D'Anna said, laying a hand over hers as she met her gaze. “But I’ve got work of my own.”

“Orokana… Why you stick your neck out like this, I’ll never know,” she sighed, shaking her head. 

She took a glance over at the mech table, mechanical arms carefully holding Rosi’s exposed frame. 

“Your friend’s plating should be repaired soon.”

D'Anna gave a bow and a polite, but small smile as she spoke, “thank you, for everything you’ve done for me.”

“You’re welcome,” Himari sighed, looking down at her bandaged hand, “I don’t mind helping the people you bring here. I… just wish you could be safer.”

“I know, ‘Mari, I know…”

The quiet was the part of their routine she hated most. But in some ways, they needed it, if only for a few moments.

She kneaded at her brow as she worked through her thoughts, taking it slow as she spoke, “Where to next for you? Where’s home for your friend?"

“Family in the Upper Towers Sector.”

D’Anna gave her hand a few testing flexes, joints barely humming as she stretched her shoulder.

She laced her fingers in thought, looking D’Anna in the eye as she spoke, “How you make getting in and out of the towers look so easy, I’ll never know.”

“I’ve...got friends in a few places.”

“Hmm,” Himari broke into a small chuckle. “So do I, you know. I’d love to know their name someday.”

Before either of them could continue, they heard a soft tone as Rosi came over to them, looking as good as new.

She couldn’t help but admire their workshop’s handiwork.

“Apologies,” Rosi said, their eyes refocusing as they looked between the two women, “I just wanted to know when we would be going. I…don’t wish to keep Cole waiting.”

“Well then-” Himari grunted as she got up, her joints complaining the whole way as she rose to her feet. “-you two have had a long night. And I think the others are settling in just fine.”

Rosi couldn’t smile, but there was something in the way their eyes shined that made Himari smile back at them. She’d had plenty of time to get used to reading those little expressions in these mechanical eyes, the way some of her crew would have a bounce in their step when they were happy, or bear the full weight of their frames when they were down.

She knew D'Anna saw it too from the look on her face as she went to Rosi’s side.

“I’ll meet you at the door,” D'Anna said with a reassuring smile, squeezing their hand.

Rosi tilted their head for a moment, almost studying her bandaged hand before quickly nodding and heading off.

“Of course.”

Himari just kept smiling as she joined her at her side, laying a gentle hand on her arm.

“You’ve been up all night,” she sighed, looking up at D'Anna as she chuckled. “Not exactly a recipe for a good night’s sleep.”

“I know, I know,” she sighed, giving her a small, apologetic smile.

“You should come by again soon, if only for a meal. I meant it when I said the crew misses you.”

D'Anna looked down at her for a moment before giving a firm nod, “I’ll try.”

She lightly punched her arm, giving a nod in Rosi’s direction, “Go on now, you’ve gotta get them home.”

“Yes ma’am.” D'Anna said with a growing smile as she headed off, ignoring the indignant shout that followed after her.

[val-the-bun]

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH

<3 <3 <3

Thank you @cass-phoenix and @val-the-bun for coming to me for art here on tumblr! I appreciate you so much!

Thank you to my lovely friend u/liet97 on reddit for buying me all that food in return for your art haha

And for my sister who has zero social media presence outside of A03 I love you, also never ask me to draw that again >_>

If you want to know how much one of the commissions cost / would have cost feel free to ask, I forgot to add them into the pictures and I am lazy :(

[val-the-bun]

So I've been uuuh...INCREDIBLY SICK and didnt deal with it until it got bad enough to put me in the hospital (I can be uh...incredibly dumb).

But I'm recovering, and I ended up writing up a random chunk of dialogue between D'Anna and Pursuit Officer Hope when I was talking to a friend earlier today.

And I wanted to start trying to do that whole 'speedrun' thing, so instead of just holding onto this for later, I'm gonna put it out there.

So here we have an argument/fight between D'Anna and Pursuit Officer Hope!

"Did you forget? We're not human!" Hope said, hurling another object aside. "We were made in a factory. We have no father!" She lashed out again. "No mother!" And again. "And no family!" The world spun as D'Anna fell back against the wall, her voice ragged, "Yes we do... We--We have people like us." Hope snarled as she grabbed D'Anna by the collar, "We're. Not. People." "You dont believe that," she said, "I know you don't." "Try me!" she roared, hurling D'Anna by the collar. "What's the plan here D'Anna?" Hope said as she stalked over, and hauled D'Anna up against the wall. "You can't beat me. All you've ever done is run away." "I know," D'Anna rasped, steadily trailing off, "But I…" Hope's brow furrowed as she leaned in close. "What?" "…got your gun." Hope's eyes widened as she tried to pull back, but it was too late… Lightning arced from her stun pistol as she was thrown back against the opposite wall, cybernetics glitching out from the surge. "You--" Hope started to snarl, only for another arc to throw her back again. With a groan, Hope fell to the floor like a sack of bricks, out cold.

Edit: I uh... wrote an add on for this this morning while chatting with a friend. <.< So I added it! ^_^

[val-the-bun]

I decided to commission a couple more pieces from the wonderful @anris-resurrection. They have been a joy to work with in bringing these characters to life on the page.

Say hello to Himari, and our recurring antagonist Pursuit Officer Hope!

[val-the-bun]

So I’m still working on the next part of D’Anna’s story, and while it’s... slow going, I am making progress and improving as I go. It’s hard to get words on the page sometimes, especially when you keep changing your mind about what you put down.

But my friends gave me some good advice, and now I’m at least getting a lot more words down on the page!

...eeeeven if a lot of them get cut out on the edit.

Anyway, I wanted to give you guys an excerpt from what I’m working on, a little preview. ^_^

Red flowers bloomed across the stage, the servant’s golden eyes whirring as she followed the projections on the backdrop behind the actors as the story unfolded - a princess traveling as a swordsman across the land.

The blade shined beneath the theater lights as the princess drew it high, standing defiant above the others.

“I will not be kept in a garden,” the princess called, “I am not some precious flower to be doted on!”

The servant tugged a hand along the hem of her coat as she watched, knuckles tensing and clicking as she trailed a thumb along the white synth-silk. 

She couldn’t look away but she couldn’t place why either. Every motion, every line, every flare of color on the stage drew her in.

What…was this feeling?

She took one step, and then another, the world around her - her master - all forgotten. 

She could only keep watching, the knight’s mask shining on the Princess’s face. The brilliant red of the cloak catching her eye.

The sound of her name broke the spell as she felt the railing of the private box under her hands.

How could she have forgotten herself so completely?

She heard her name again, Mr. Hotaru tilting his head as he spoke, “...how much time?”

“Sumimasen,” she said with a low, apologetic bow. “One moment sir.”

She closed her eyes a moment, her irises silently shifting, circuits and synapses firing together as she sifted through her memories… and collected her thoughts. 

She was still struggling to get used to her name. 

Not that she was ungrateful.

No.

No, he’d given her a good name, one fit for a son; usually, that made her proud…

She must have just been tired, that was why it sounded off, ill-fitting.

There was what she was looking for, “There’s less than twenty minutes left, according to the program. I should get things ready for your departure sir.”

She’d barely touched the door handle when he called out, “...ikanaide.”

She froze there at the door, meeting his gaze as he turned to look at her, a thoughtful frown on his face.

He took a breath - his gaze falling to his hands like he was searching for something - and waved for her to join him.

And far below Mr. Hotaru’s private box, the music swelled, and the play marched on.

He spoke just loud enough to be heard over the music, “Musuko, onegai…”

She hesitated, taking small step after small step as she came back to him, brilliant red washing over them from the stage below.

“Sir, I–”

“I did not bring you here as a servant,” Hotaru said, waving to the chair beside him. “Please, sit with me.”

His voice was warm and quiet, a soft-spoken command.

She kept her eyes on the floor as she sat down, taking a breath before slowly looking back to her master.

“Son,” he said again, gently as he looked back to the stage, “listen to the music.”

Her shoulders - her whole posture - was stiff as she sat there beside him, circuit and synapse humming as she tried to focus on the music.

She rolled her shoulders, hands tugging along the hem of her coat as she straightened and straightened it again.

Slowly she leaned forward, hands clasped while she focused on the music as it swelled and washed over them both.

The play was coming to an end.

With a steadying breath, she closed her eyes-

“It’s beautiful sir…”

-and opened them again as D’Anna shook her head from the memory.

[android-anthology-hub]

Tapas Announcement!

D'Anna - Android Detective Anthology now has an official Tapas page! Each chapter of our first story - A Robot and a Girl - and our first character short - 009 - Incident Report - will be uploaded every Friday from the 6th to the 27th.

More importantly, this series will be moving from Ao3 to Tapas by the end of this year, if not earlier. What's currently there will remain available for now. But any future releases will be on Fiction Press, Tapas, and this hub page.

[android-anthology-hub]

009 - Incident Report

I also took the liberty of editing the first character short that I wrote for this. This one centers on our recurring antagonist Pursuit Officer Hope. Here she's going to face a rather challenging pursuit, and a little bit of an identity crisis~

You can of course read this story over on Fiction Press, Ao3 and Tapas.

The Assessor’s pitch black eyes stared back at Officer Hope from across the table.

At least, Hope assumed he did. There was no way to tell where those mechanical lenses were looking at all. She could only guess…

His mechanical eyes shifted, the quiet click - too quiet for a human’s ear - almost deafening in the still air of the assessment suite.

’Suite’ didn’t feel like the right word. It was more like a lab or a surgical theater. It was plain and sterile, nowhere to hide, nowhere to sit save for the booth set into the wall for the Assessor and whatever android they were taking apart.

“Let us begin,” he said almost mechanically as he clicked open a small gray case at his side.

Hope hesitated as she stared at the discs of golden circuitry that sat inside the case. The Assessor didn’t even miss a beat, pulling one of the discs from the case.

“...Officer.” Hope looked up to see the Assessor staring at her once again, gesturing to the case. “We need to establish the connection.”

“Sorry, sir. I’m… I’m still getting back on my feet,” Hope said, wincing as the disc clicked into the port on her neck.

“I understand you’ve been through a traumatic experience,” he said, tilting his head as he reached through the wireless link.

She could feel him in her head, the connection crawling up through her spine. It was like his fingers were brushing her thoughts, feeling them like braille. She’d ignored it plenty of times before, and yet-

Hope clenched her fists, willing herself to hold still as she steadied herself.

-this time she couldn’t. Every nerve screamed at her to push him back.

“Connection established,” Hope said with a shaky sigh as she straightened up.

She could feel him testing the connection as he spoke, “Officer SE-C-107, I have some questions to ask.”

It–It shouldn’t be bothering her. It was her ID number, she’d heard it plenty.

“I have a name,” she said, keeping her tone as even as she could, “it’s Hope.”

“Acknowledged. However, for the sake of record, you are SE-C-107. Correct?”

She clenched her fists as she looked away, holding her anger in check.

She shouldn’t–couldn’t be feeling that way. Not here. Not now.

“You are to maintain eye contact, Officer 107,” the Assessor ordered, typing away at the keypad by his side.

“Yes,” Hope said as she looked back at him. “Yes, that is correct.

“Thank you,” he said, not even a smile or the slightest move of a muscle beyond what was necessary.

The baseline questions were always the easy part.

How long had she been with Security. How many androids were originally in her squad. Who did she report to. What was Pi to the fifth digit…

They didn’t matter. All that mattered was how she responded. How she compared to her initial assessment, fresh off the line, and new to her job.

He’d be looking for instabilities…

“Do you know why you’re here today?”

“I was involved in a fatality during a pursuit,” Hope said.

Fatality. It felt so simple saying it like that. Like it was just another day, just a small incident.

“What were you doing before it began?”

“I was on patrol,” she said. “All of us… A call went out about a renegade android that just came into the city.”

“Recall it for me.”

She looked down at her hands–When had they started shaking?

“Eye contact, Officer 107,” the Assessor ordered. “Please, recall it.”

Hope clutched her hands together as she focused back on the Assessor.

She could feel him in her mind, watching, as she recalled the events.

“The call went out in the early morning. They were spotted during a raid on one of the solarshaft sectors. They managed to get away,” she said.

“According to your report, you were in Concourse 5, the closest station to that sector.”

“I was on one of the transports. They just happened to step on,” Hope sighed, her thoughts drifting back.

The passengers screamed as Hope crashed into them, the landing knocking the wind right out of her lungs.

They were strong, whoever they were, and heavy. It just had to be another combat model, didn’t it…

“Stop!” Hope rose to her feet, chasing after the flash of army green as they barreled their way through the transport.

She grabbed her pistol, keeping it low as she pushed through the crowd.

Dammit, she couldn’t fire in here. There were too many people!

The door to the next car slammed shut with a deafening bang. The android - face hidden by the hood of their coat - twisted the lock shut, metal crunching as it jammed into place. They didn’t look back as they raced for the head of the transport.

Hope growled as she scanned over the door, rearing back. It didn’t take her long to kick the door off its track and wrench it from its frame. 

But her quarry didn’t need that long.

The transport lurched to a halt, alarms blaring, the crowd screaming over the sound of shattering glass.

They were out. Dammit, they were out!

Hope ran to the lead car, the emergency controls crushed and the windshield smashed outward.

Hope pressed the transmitter behind her ear, “Central, this is Pursuit Officer Hope. The renegade is in the transport tunnels, concourse five. I’m in pursuit.”

“You had a clear shot,” the Assessor said, eyeing her as he noted his observations.

“And I took it. But at that range… They just shook it off,” Hope said.

“I see… And yet, when you were able to get in range, you didn’t fire. Why?”

“I couldn’t,” she said. “Not in the middle of a chase, I couldn’t get a clear shot.”

The Assessor tilted his head, his touch in her mind growing firm.

“Is that truly why? Or is there something that you wanted instead?”

“I…” Hope trailed off, clenching her fists. “I wanted to…”

“Answer the question, Officer 107.”

Hope closed her eyes and ran a hand over her face.

Keep it together.

“I wanted to take them down myself,” she said.

“Like you’ve done with previous suspects?”

“Yes.”

“As a matter of pride? Taking in a heavy infantry unit would certainly be an accomplishment.”

She sighed, slowly meeting his gaze again, “Yes, sir.”

“Thank you for being honest, Officer 107.” she could feel his approval ripple through her head as he typed. “According to your report, you caught up with the android at a service station in the tunnels.”

“Yes. I-I managed to engage them in close quarters. They were as strong as I was… As I should have anticipated.”

Hope curled her fists into the android’s coat, army fabric beginning to tear as the two wrestled on the station platform.

They were bigger than her, not by much, but enough.

They grabbed her by the collar, their coat tearing away as they hauled her up. Hope’s own face stared back at her, worn and battle-scarred, but just as stunned as she was. Her double held her there, identical eyes staring at each other in disbelief.

Shock turned to anger on her double’s face, “Hell no!”

Hope barely caught herself as they hurled her away, tucking in as she rolled over hard concrete. She rose to her feet, eyes focused on the android’s signature as they fled into the station. She tried to catch her breath as she followed them in, drawing her stun pistol from its holster.

“IN-F-009!” Hope called out, echoing along the concrete walls. “That’s you, isn’t it.”

“I have a name!” 009 shouted back, her voice bouncing too much for Hope to pin down.

The walls in here were too thick…

“Then-” Hope swallowed her nerves, clenching her pistol tight. “-why don’t you tell me.”

“Like you care,” they called back, the echoing footfalls of their boots leading her deeper.

She broke into a run at the screech and groan of twisting metal. She followed through the door 009 had wrenched open, not too far behind.

“You sure you wanna do this?” 009 said, “You pursuit models, you’re too light. I’d take you apart!”

They weren’t wrong. A model like hers, she’d hardly weigh a thing to them.

“And you’re heavy infantry,” she called out.

“She knows the catalog!” they laughed, bitterly. “Five years of service… Came all the way from the field in Eurasia.”

Hope scanned along the halls of the service station, ears focusing in on the sound of their voice.

She had to keep them talking.

“Where are you headed?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know, Pursuit Officer.”

“I have a name too,” she said. “It’s Hope.”

They laughed at her, “And I have a special edition at that! Who named you? Your handler? Your boss?”

Hope fumed, the pistol softly clicking as she gripped it tight.

“Ha! Boss then…” 009 hummed, the sound of crunching metal and sparks filling the air.

Must have torn a conduit out of the wall. They were armed…

“Happy little police dog, so proud to have a name on her collar.”

“Shut up,” Hope growled, eyes straining as she scanned about.

“Tell me, do they give you a treat? A pat on the head for a good hunt!”

“We do what we’re made for. You should know that.”

“Well I want more!”

Hope barely ducked out of the way as the wall shattered behind her head. Dust filled the air as she dodged one crushing blow after another.

“No way a pursuit model wins this fight,” 009 barked, keeping on the pressure as Hope scrambled to keep out of reach. “Just run already!”

One of these swings was gonna connect eventually. She had to take a shot.

“Not a chance.” Hope fired blindly, lightning arcing into the fray.

009 screamed as the arc found its mark, the conduit tumbling to the ground with an ear-splitting clang! They stumbled and clutched at their shoulder, arm hanging at their side. They roared at her as they moved, beating the feeling back into their aching arm. 

Hope tightened her grip as she took aim.

“You don’t have to do this!” the two of them froze, 009 staring at her in surprise - she probably looked the same.

“Like hell,” they huffed.

They prowled closer, pushing her back as she kept the distance between them.

“I mean it-” the words just… They tumbled out of her mouth, a plea she never thought she’d make. “-just–just come in!”

009 frowned, reaching for the shock of golden yellow around their neck.

Why hadn’t she noticed the bandanna before?

They looked thoughtful as their thumb trailed over the homespun fabric, “And what? Live in a box? Like they’d ever let me go.”

She had to do something. They weren’t a random android. They had a name. They had a name.

“Please,” she’d never said the word before, never wanted to.

Pity crossed their face as they backed her against the wall, clenching their fists.

Don’t. Please don’t make her do this…

They steeled their gaze, muscled coiled like a spring, “It’s you or me…”

“Wait–!”

CRACK!

And everything stopped.

Hope’s ears rang from the sound of fist striking metal, the deafening crack of an electrical arc firing off too damn close. The first thing she could hear was her own heart. Then her breathing, loud as an engine in the quiet.

009 collapsed against her, their fist buried in the panel next to her head. Thin wisps of smoke trailed from where metal met the skin of their face, head reeking of ozone.

Her hands trembled, stun pistol slipping from her fingers.

She couldn’t hear them.

Hope wrapped her arms around them, holding their body close as she pulled them from the wall.

“I-I’ve got you,” she grunted as she set them down. But their eyes stared off into nothing as she cradled their head, “Hey. Hey!”

She couldn’t hear them. Not their breath, not the beat of their heart.

“Your name,” she breathed, checking for a pulse she knew wouldn’t be there. “Come on. Just… Just tell me your name!”

The Assessor drummed his fingers against the table, staring into Hope’s eyes as he probed the link between them.

“According to your report, you tried to check for vitals,” he said. “Your sensory implants would make it a simple process. And yet you took your time before calling in.”

“Like I said in my report, sir. I’d taken damage, my head–” she said, looking down at her hands.

She flexed her fingers like they’d feel a little more human.

“Eye contact, Officer,” the Assessor ordered, making another note as she glared back at him.

“My senses were still coming back online. I-I wanted to be sure, sir.”

“Understood,” he hummed, typing away, his eyes locked on hers. “Now then, Officer. At the start, you asked me to call you by the name your Director gave you - Hope, correct?”

“...yes.”

His eyes clicked as he stared at her, “Why?”

Why?

“I-” Hope tried to ease the tension out of her shoulders, quiet her mind. “-don’t understand, sir.”

“You have never made this request in your prior assessments.”

“I–”

“What makes this assessment so distinct from the others?” he said, riding the associations through her synapses and circuits.

“There isn’t–There’s no distinction.”

“Do you wish to feel separate from your fellow models?”

“I-I don’t know,” she said, pushing back against the intrusion.

Calm down. She had to calm down.

“And yet you asked,” the Assessor said, tracing along the discomfort in her mind. “Do you want to stand apart from other androids? Distance yourself from them?”

“I… Maybe, I don’t–”

“Eye contact.”

When had she looked away?

She closed her eyes, clutching her hands together to keep them from shaking.

“Sir, I…” she trailed off, trying to get her voice under control. “I just need a moment.”

“Denied, Officer 107,” he was somehow even louder with her eyes closed, her control on her senses slipping.

She clenched her jaw, taking a shaky breath, and looked up at him.

“Thank you,” the Assessor said, his approval dripping on her thoughts like oil. “You had to fight an android with your genetic template. No one would blame you for wanting to distinguish yourself. It is only human.”

Human.

“I’m not.”

“Hmm?” he paused in his typing, tracing along her thoughts.

“I’m. Not. Human,” Hope said, the words bitter on her tongue. “I’m made for fighting sir. I’m made to chase down my quarry and bring them in. I did my job.”

Hope took a breath and slowly let her hands relax on the table.

She did what she was made for…

Hope clenched her jaw as she kept her gaze on the floor of the Director’s office.

“There doesn’t appear to be any lasting damage,” the Assessor said beside her. “However, downtime is recommended. Give her time to process the incident, allow her construct to stabilize.”

“Thank you.” the Director rose from her desk, her tone growing sharp. “Now, get out.”

“Of course, ma’am.”

Hope tensed as she listened to every step the Director made as she dragged a chair in front of Hope.

She heard the clattering of glass, the pour of a drink. No, not a drink. There were two, every sound almost deafening.

“Hope,” the Director’s voice was soft, calm as she handed her a glass.

“I–Thank you, ma’am…”

“You did good today-” she grunted as she sat down, rolling the stiffness out of her shoulders from the long day. “-I want you to remember that.”

“I…” Hope trailed off, her thoughts winding back to the sight of them just lying there on that cold floor. The way those eyes stared at nothing. “How can I be sure?”

“You did your job,” she said, taking a sip from her glass. “And you did as well as you could. That’s the best we can hope for.”

Hope stared down into her glass, swirling the drink while she mulled her thoughts. Finally - letting out a breath she hadn’t noticed she’d been holding - she took a sip.

“I-I guess so…” she bit her cheek before downing the rest of her drink, “Thank you, Director. I should be heading back to the dorm…”

The Director nodded as she finished her glass, waving to the door, “Go on, dismissed.”

Hope kept her movements slow, steady, as she went for the door.

“And Hope,” the Director called as she sat down at her desk. “You were against a heavy infantry unit, and you came out on top. I’m proud of that.”

Pride and dread twisted up in her gut, fighting for which would win.

She nodded - it was all she could do - and headed off for the android dorms.

The day had been too damn long…

Everything ached as Hope slid open the door and stepped into the dorm. She about jumped out of her skin as her squad mates broke out into applause in the dorm’s common room.

“And there’s the girl of the hour!” Five laughed, practically tangled with Nine as the two of them laid on the couch.

Nine shoved their Five’s face away from her, “C’mon, don’t tease.”

Eight shook her head, chuckling to herself, “Listen to the lady, Nine.”

Hope just stared at the three of them, fists clenched in her pockets, “What…?”

“Word came out you took down a Heavy,” Eight said as she practically hung off the side of her chair. “Congrats.”

“Bet the Director was happy,” Five said with a playful grin.

“The Director was-” Hope trailed off, almost unsure. She straightened up, standing tall as she spoke, “-proud.”

Eight let out a low whistle, flashing Hope an approving smile.

Five laughed as she practically melted into Nine, “Praise from the boss and leave. Lucky.”

“Oh, hush!” Nine swatted at her with an exasperated sigh before kissing her cheek.

“Aw, come on,” she hummed, a playful smile on her face as she took Nine’s hand in hers.

Hope huffed as she looked away, “God, do that in your quarters you two…”

Nine eyed the discomfort on Hope’s face with a grin.

“Well…” she dragged on the syllable, “what do you think, Five?”

Five lazily kicked her legs in thought, meeting Hope’s gaze as she kissed Nine’s hand, “Nah.”

Hope shook her head, face twisted into an uncomfortable frown, “I don’t even–We’re identical, what’s the point?”

“Oh, not completely,” Five laughed low in her throat, lacing her fingers together with Nine’s. The lights of their eyes flickered as the two linked together, “Thinking what I’m thinking?”

Nine gave her hand a gentle squeeze and Hope clenched her hands all the tighter.

What did she care?

It wasn’t like she needed to link with anyone. There wasn’t any point.

Nine’s smile was playful as she spoke, “You wanna go out.”

“You read my mind,” Five said as she broke into a grin.

“Of course I did,” she breathed, arching up into a heated kiss.

Eight practically fell out of her chair, “Get a room you two! Damn!”

“Fuck off, Eight,” Nine mused.

Nine only pulled away long enough to give the other two a smoldering look. Five gasped above her as her thumb trailed the metal edge of Five’s neural port.

Hope shook her head, exhaustion heavy on her shoulders as she spoke, “I’m just… I’m gonna turn in for tonight. It’s been a long day…”

She ran a hand over the port in the back of her neck, kneading along the muscles around it as she went.

“Hey,” Eight called out, laying a gentle hand on Hope’s shoulder. “Take it easy, okay? You look like hell.”

She shook her off with a soft, tired grunt, “I’m fine, Eight…”

Hope almost sagged against her door when it finally shut.

She was fine, dammit…

She winced as she hung up her coat, ragged muscles and polymered cuts complaining as she went. She dumped her boots at the corner of the bed, fumbling with the straps of the guard plates on her arms and legs. And with a slow huff, she fell back onto her bed.

Hope stared up at the ceiling, tuning down her ears till even her breathing faded out. She bit her cheek in thought, pulling the golden yellow bandanna from her pocket. It felt soft against her palm as she held it. Her thumb brushed along the familiar pattern woven in the fabric. And recognition twisted away in her chest.

They had liked lotuses too…

She slowly sat up, wringing the fabric in her hands like it could give her answers.

But no answers came. It was just a scrap of cloth-

With a sigh, she folded it up and tucked it away in the drawer beside her bed.

-that smelled like burnt metal…

[android-anthology-hub]

A Robot and a Girl - Part 3

And here we are on the final part of our first story in this series. The end of Rosi's case and their reunion with the mysterious Cole. As well as a glimpse into what life is like for our titular detective - D'Anna.

You can of course read this over on Fiction Press, Ao3, and Tapas.

The tunnel lights raced past the transport windows. Shadows swept across D’Anna’s shoulders as she shrugged off her coat. She held it tight, taking a long breath before turning out the inside. She brushed her thumb along the white synth-silk that stared back at her, a twisted mix of feelings rising from the pit of her stomach.

How much had she changed? Was she really any different when all it took was a change of clothes, and she’d fit right back in?

She didn’t know. She didn’t know, and it never got easier. No matter how many times, how many jobs, would take her topside again. It didn’t give her any answers. It didn’t make her feel any more certain.

She let out a sigh and pulled on her coat, tugging her hands along the hem.

But that old habit did little to soothe her nerves…

She tucked away her glasses, running a hand through her short, wavy hair. She looked up and down the packed car, leaned back in her seat, and cracked open her card case. She pulled her data card from her pocket and slotted it into the case, thumb brushing over each colored plastic circuit. She pulled out a data card that was marbled white - flowing lines of gray sprawled across the plastic - then snapped the case shut and tucked it away in her tunic.

If she was headed to the towers, she had to look the part…

Rosi tilted their head in curiosity as they sat across from D’Anna, their eyes boring into her.

How would she even begin to explain what she was doing?

“We can head up to the towers at the next station,” she said, meeting their gaze.

They glanced at her coat, circuits firing away in their core as they spoke, “I admit, I’ve never been outside the towers. Today has been… Curious.”

She smiled a little at that, but only a little, “It’s always strange your first time. But you get used to it, being down here in the sprawl.”

“You seem tense.”

“I…” D’Anna trailed off, clenching her hands into fists in her lap. “I haven’t been in the towers for some time. It always feels… It’s strange going back there.”

It was the easy answer, but it didn’t explain her coat, her glasses, her cards… But she didn’t have a better one. Not one that she wanted to give.

D’Anna’s mind wandered and her eyes wandered too. She looked up and down the car, looking at anything but Rosi’s questioning gaze. She glanced at the sliding door, peering through the window into the neighboring car. A shock of white caught her eye and sent a chill down her spine.

Security was on the transport. No, not just security…

She leaned back in her seat, willing herself to relax as she pulled out her notebook. With stylus in hand, she bowed her head and held her breath-

The car door slid open with a dull click, and a pale hand braced against the frame as the transport took a turn through the tunnels. Pursuit officer Hope stepped with precision into the moving car, the synth-silk of her overcoat standing out against the clean gray of her jumpsuit. Eyes like a shark gleamed in the tunnel lights as they raced past, only a thin band of circuitry running along the edges of those dark lenses. She was pale as a ghost as she walked down the aisle. Her eyes shifted silently as she looked about, the tunnel dimming as she approached D’Anna’s seat.

It had been a long shift…

The chatter from the cars around formed a distracting din that she had neither the time - nor the energy - to sift through. With a thought - a simple shift of the implants in her hand - the chattered faded into silence, leaving only the low rumble of the cars. She focused on that sound, circuits isolating and amplifying until the rumble became something more. The hum of the wheels, the barely-there hiss of the hydraulics, the beat of every seam in the concrete as the transport rolled past. 

It was simple, predictable, rhythmic, and after such a long day it soothed her.

She grabbed the rail overhead as she paused in front of D’Anna’s seat, hard, gray fingers clicking against the metal. Her other hand went to her ear, thumb tapping the transmitter just behind it. Her eyes flickered as she connected to the security network.

“Central,” she called in, sector security’s icon hovering like a ghost in the corner of her vision. “Checking in, how long till my next shift?”

Another voice spoke loud and clear through the implants in her head, “Hello again, officer Hope. You’ve got fourteen hours till you’re on call again.”

Good, plenty of time to wind down after that last chase.

“Thanks. Signing off for the day,” Hope sighed, rubbing her eyes.

The icon flickered and vanished as she shook her head, rolling her tired shoulders. And then she paused, frowning at the familiar face only a few feet away. She shifted her grip on the safety rail as she loomed over D’Anna, grabbing her shoulder in a vice-like grip.

“Miss D’Anna,” Hope said, the young android staring back at her, frozen. “Now, why are you headed up to the towers sector?”

-but it wasn’t enough.

A hand like a vice closed around her, and D’Anna froze. Her shoulder ached, and for a moment she could hear the sound of bone breaking all over again. She could feel the pain of her shoulder shattering, crushed between concrete and that unforgiving hand… The polymer joint flexed beneath Hope’s fingers, softer but sturdier than bone. All she could was stare up into those eyes, the eyes of a predator.

She couldn’t breathe. She tried to find something to say, anything that would make her let go. But nothing came. She… She had to say something…

“Why… Why do you think that?” D’Anna asked, trying and failing to keep her voice steady.

“Because-” she said, giving her shoulder a squeeze. “-there's a tower station next stop. And I know you, miss D’Anna. You always have something going on. So, what is it this time?”

“I-I…”

“Excuse me, officer,” Rosi interrupted. “Miss D’Anna is returning me to my owners.”

Hope frowned as she turned to regard Rosi, studying them.

“Is that so?”

“Y-Yes,” D’Anna said, thankful for the opening. “I’m bringing him back from being repaired.”

“I see…” Hope hummed, frowning in thought. With a sigh, she slowly let go, “You’re lucky I’m off duty. Another time, miss D’Anna. Another time…”

The door to the next car slid shut behind Officer Hope as she departed.

And it was like all the air came rushing back.

D'Anna sagged in her seat as the tension bled out of her aching shoulder.

Too close. Way too close…

Rosi’s eyes flickered and zoomed back out as they lost sight of Officer Hope, turning instead to D’Anna as they spoke, “And who - exactly - was that?”

“Pursuit officer,” D’Anna sighed, her voice shaking as she pinched the bridge of her nose. “She’s an android hunter…”

She gripped her coat tight at the memory. 

She’d never told Himari what happened. She couldn’t. If Himari knew, she’d have… D'Anna didn’t want to get her in trouble.

Her shoulder ached and shook her from the thought. She gently rolled the polymer joint, soothing aching muscles and nerves with her other hand.

Rosi stared at her as the transport started to slow, their voice gentle, “Dangerous, then?”

“Only if she’s chasing you,” D’Anna offered a weak smile as she tucked her notebook away again.

If there was only one constant about New Concord, the chaos of the stations was it. From the moment the doors of the transports slid open, it was like a tide of conversation and motion came crashing through. The stations themselves were man-made canyons of metal, glass, and polished tile, spreading outward from the narrow platforms between the tunnels. 

People flooded out onto the platform, talking about their lives, running to work, and heading home after a long day. It was overwhelming as D’Anna and Rosi waded through the crowd.

It was days like this - all the noise and the crush of people - that made her miss the Towers–

D’Anna shook the thought from her head, scanning over the crowd as Rosi walked alongside her. The tide of people slowly scattered

The tide of people scattered the farther up the station they went. D’Anna looked up, the towers’ supports rising over their heads - industrial metal hidden behind polished tile.

Rosi’s eyes zoomed out as they took in the sight, “I… I never knew it was so high up.”

She gave a tired nod as she took their hand, keeping them on track, “I know. Now, we just need to get you back there.”

The entry to the tower station was a wall of polished stone and metal, a pair of security doors, and a desk the only breaks in its surface. A handful of officers manned the desk, one of them looking up as D’Anna and Rosi approached. She took a deep breath… And she walked like she had every right to be there, hands relaxed at her sides. A young officer at the desk looked her up and down, their eyes lingering on golden metal and white silk.

She was just another android coming to work. Nothing to see.

“Two boarding passes please,” D’Anna asked with a polite smile, leaning on the counter.

“Business?” the officer asked, meeting her gaze.

“Bringing a mech back from the repair shop, sir,” she said, nodding towards Rosi.

They broke into a smile with a soft chuckle, “Well, that’s pretty sentimental.”

“Not my place to ask.”

“Alright then, card or palm?” they asked, a contact plate flicking out of the counter’s surface.

“Card,” D’Anna set the data card on the plate with a flick of the wrist, the officer pausing at the pattern.

“Fancy card… Heh, you must be high end,” the officer said as they watched their terminal screen. “Let’s see… Identity code AT-S-039, android tower staff.”

They nodded their head as they tapped a few keys, uploading the passes onto her card.

“You’re clear to board,” they said with a nod to the door. “Go on.”

D’Anna bowed as she tucked everything away, “Thank you, sir.”

She waved for Rosi to follow her as the security door opened.

If they hurried, they should still be on for the next transport.

She took Rosi’s hand in hers as they made it through the transport doors. The whole care shifted beneath them as it began to rise along its guide rails. D’Anna shook the tension out of her shoulders as she went to sit down.

They’d be up in the towers soon enough…

Rosi held her back, their eyes focused on the tension in her face. They rolled through their thoughts before they slowly let go.

“You’re not welcome here,” Rosi stated as D’Anna sat down across from where they stood.

The tower transports were less cramped than those in the sprawl. There weren’t many people around to hear them.

“I was,” D’Anna sighed as she leaned on one knee.

If Rosi could, they’d be frowning as they stepped closer, gripping the rail over D’Anna’s head. She watched as they turned their thoughts over and over again, the lights of their eyes flickering.

They bowed their head, voice low though they wouldn’t have been heard, “...will you be alright?”

“Plenty of androids up there that look like me, Rosi,” D’Anna said with a small, if bitter, smile. “I’ll be fine.”

She always forgot how bright the sun was in the towers sector, even this far down. The morning light gleamed off of the neighboring towers that stretched up into the sky overhead. The air smelled clean here, the scent of machinery left behind in the sprawl below. She hadn’t expected such a modest house, a small section of the complex that took up this floor of the tower.

D’Anna tugged at the hem of her coat as she rang the doorbell, old habits offering little comfort. Tucking her hands in her pockets, she stood up straight and professional.

The wood-paneled door chimed as it slid open, an older woman looking from D’Anna to Rosi as she spoke, “Can I help you…?”

“ATS, ma’am,” D’Anna said with a polite smile and a small bow. “Here to relay some good news from Sector Security. They managed to recover your RC-N unit.”

The woman smiled as she stepped back and let them in, pulling her synth-silk shawl a little tighter across her shoulders. The entry hall of the house was well-lit, a glass projection panel igniting with light as D’Anna stepped inside. The hall was modest for a home in the towers, with few decorations on the walls beyond some murals, and a long wooden table that ran the length of the hall.

“So they have,” she said, “glad to see they’ve made it back in one piece. I admit I wasn’t expecting… I mean, such a quick response, and having it delivered?”

“I was headed here anyway, ma’am. An officer requested I escort them,” D'Anna said, looking at Rosi with a small smile.

“Well, how about a drink before you go? As thanks, I mean,” the woman laughed, looking over to the panel. “Cole, what tea do we still have?”

The light panel flickered as something shifted beneath its surface, a young woman’s voice coming over the house speakers, “We currently have Camomile, English Black, Lavender, and Green tea, ma’am.”

The woman nodded with a smile as she headed for the kitchen. But, she paused as she noticed that D’Anna wasn’t following.

“I can’t stay for very long, ma’am,” D’Anna said, keeping watch on the panel from the corner of her eye.

She frowned a little at that, looking down in thought as she leaned on the hall table.

“Just one cup then?” she offered, looking at her curiously.

“That sounds wonderful, ma’am,” she said with a polite bow.

“Very well,” the woman said, looking past her. “RC-N, the door.”

D’Anna looked back at them as the mech gave a bow of their own, “Of course ma’am,” and shut the door behind them.

The woman nodded along thoughtfully as she headed off towards the kitchen.

Again Cole’s voice came over the speakers, quiet enough to only be heard from the entry hall, “I apologize for putting you in that position, miss D’Anna.”

White light shifted and pulled itself together into the shape of a young woman within the projection panel, a phantom made of pixels and code. Carefully, she stepped out from the surface, her light projecting outward as she stood before them both in the middle of the hall.

“It’s quite alright, I’m used to it,” D’Anna said with a more genuine smile, stepping aside as Rosi came closer. “I’m just happy to bring you two back together.”

Cole smiled at her, almost saying something before Rosi took her full attention, eyes shining like a prism as she looked at their face. Rosi tilted their head, and D’Anna knew they would have been smiling from the shine in their eyes as they offered their hand. Even as Cole reached for them in turn, Rosi moved with her in a calculated dance, fingers shifting under the phantom weight of her hand as it settled in theirs. D’Anna couldn’t help but smile as she watched the intricate display. Rosi’s hand met hers, fingers moving in time, never once letting her image pass through them. 

For Rosi, the rest of the world didn’t exist. It couldn’t, not if they wanted to keep up. Every shred of their focus, their thoughts, all centered on her and every little movement.

It struck D’Anna how easy it was to take it for granted, touch.

It took so much effort, hundreds of calculations, and tiny adjustments… Just so Rosi could hold her in their arms, so she could cradle their face in her hands. It was love, plain and simple. A love expressed in an intricate dance that made her own heart ache in turn.

“You must love her a great deal,” D’Anna said softly as she looked between them.

Rosi nodded, never once looking away from Cole, “I do…”

Cole smiled up at them one more time before pulling away, careful not to break the dance they’d worked so hard for.

“I wish I could repay you,” she said, pain clear in her voice.

“I was happy to help, payment or not.”

The whistling of the kettle made them all stop. Cole flickered and vanished back into the panel, and D’Anna stepped forward beside Rosi, putting on that same polite, professional smile as the woman returned, a pair of steaming cups in hand.

“We can drink out here, since you’re in a hurry,” the woman mused as she handed her her cup.

For a moment she just let the cup sit in her hands. Her fingers trailed over the elegant ceramic and its whirling patterns, feeling the weight and the warmth of it.

It’d been a long time since she’d held a cup like this…

“RC-N, if you could get started. This house has been struggling without you,” the woman said.

“Of course, Ma’am,” Rosi said.

“I know you’re not the one who found them, but I must thank you for bringing them all the way here,” she said, offering D’Anna a smile.

Rosi looked back at D’Anna over the woman’s shoulder, giving her a thankful nod before they headed off to resume their work.

“Just doing my job, ma’am…”

The transport rumbled around as it raced through the tunnels, making its way through the city. People chatted about their day at the far end of the car, the words blending into the background around D’Anna as she sagged in her seat.

She ran a hand along the comfortable red of her coat sleeve with a small smile to herself as she closed her eyes. She let the transport become a blur around her, muscles aching under the weight of days.

She’d run herself down a little too much. Heh, she couldn’t think of the last time she’d eaten in the past few days.

She let out a soft sigh, the rumble of the transport tugging her toward rest…

“...Third Concourse Station, now arriving,” a woman’s automated voice chimed over the train speakers.

D’Anna groaned, leaning on her knees as she looked up to find the transport slowing to a stop, the doors sliding open. She winced as she tried to get up, cradling her bandaged hand.

Even with the medi-patch that Himari put on, the polymer would take time to fix her up.

She stretched as she stood up, loosening up tired muscles before heading out.

She had to stifle a yawn as she headed to the residential complex, the sliding doors chiming as she came in. The residential lobby was quieter than outside. The smell of the concourse was washed away by familiar cleaners and candles burning on the lobby counter.

The place was friendly enough, welcoming to tired and weary travelers.

The clerk sat up as he saw her come in, smiling as he spoke, “Long night, miss D’Anna?”

“A long few days, Simon,” D’Anna sighed as she tapped on the touch screen that sat between them. “What about you, sir?”

“Just the usual, ma’am,” Simon said, keeping his voice warm and polite. “I know it’s not the end of the month yet, but will you be paying in advance again?”

D’Anna bit her cheek, checking over her credit. 

She could manage. She’d have to eat light for a while, but she’d manage.

D’Anna nodded as she laid her palm on the data contact next to the screen. Her eyes shined with a flickering light as she transferred the funds.

“Any mail? Messages?”

Simon hummed as he checked that everything was in order, “Not today ma’am. At least none on my shift. You could always check the console or up in your room.”

“Thanks.” D’Anna gave him a tired smile before she headed up.

She stopped over at the commissary on her way up to her floor, mulling over what to get as she walked in.

Counters lined the walls of the commissary, broken up only by the vending terminals built into the walls. The morning rush packed the tables that filled the middle of the large, open room. Tired chit-chat flitted back and forth as people got ready for their morning shift.

She leaned against the divider that sat between the terminal and the counter, punching in her order on the keypad, and laying her hand on the contact plate. She yawned and stretched as the terminal prepared her order, simple soup and a hot tea.

It’d do, for now. At least till she got some sleep.

She carefully balanced everything in her hands as she reached her floor, pushing her way through the door. 

The residential lights had a soft, golden glow that was a relief on her eyes as she walked down the aisle. The rooms were tightly packed and stacked together, with walls of rolling doors running along each side.

She laid her palm on the lock for her room, watching as the door slid up into the low ceiling of the room, barely large enough for a bed and a set of drawers built into the back wall. She sat down on the ledge of her room, setting aside her things as she put her shoes on the small shelf just inside her door.

“You-” her neighbor called out as she sat down beside her, her loose robe barely covering her chest. “-have been gone for almost three days now.”

“Rio, please,” D’Anna pleaded as she stepped up into her room. “It's been a long day. Have some mercy, ma’am.”

Rio offered her a pitiless smile before turning her back, pulling down the door behind her to give D’Anna some privacy.

“Absolutely not! You’d have to bribe me with–” Rio trailed off as she stared at the small bowl and cup sitting on the ledge, frowning in thought. “You’ve been pulling an all nighter, and you’re just having soup?”

D’Anna chuckled as she hung up her coat, “Job didn’t really pay this time.”

She shrugged off the rest of her work clothes, folding and setting them aside as she went. She winced as she ripped the old patch off her stomach, throwing it away as she grabbed a fresh one out of one of her drawers. She slapped it on as she came back out - pale plastic standing out against her dark brown skin - and pulled down her tank top to cover it up.

“You really need to work on taking your hormones on time,” Rio huffed as she let the door roll back up.

She smiled a tired smile as she ran a hand through her wavy hair. “I know, ma’am. I know.”

Himari wouldn’t let her hear the end of it either.

She paused as she reached for her tea, noticing a small box sitting on the lid.

“And this is?” D’Anna asked as she started to open it, the scent of ginger and chocolate making her mouth water.

“An early morning treat,” Rio hummed, already digging into her own box. “Ya know, I was gonna save that one for later. But… I thought I’d share.”

“Rio, you don’t have to–”

“Ah! I want to. Besides, you should have a little more than just soup, ya know,” she hummed, giving D’Anna a wink.

Rio nudged her side as she smiled at her, letting the silence settle for a while as they ate together. D’Anna shook her head with a tired laugh, letting the warmth of the meal soothe her. She took in the quiet, bumping her shoulder against Rio’s with an easy smile.

She wasn’t a half-bad neighbor, if a little stubborn. But sometimes that was what she needed…

“Did you see the new girl a few doors down?” Rio whispered, grinning as she nodded her head further down their row.

D’Anna raised a brow, taking a long sip of her tea before she spoke, “Don’t say it, Rio.”

She braced an elbow on her knee, a hopeful smile on her face. “I think-”

“Rio, no. No!” she laughed, shaking her head.

“-she might stay in the neigborhood!”

She held up a hand as she spoke, leaning back against her door frame, “You said that about the last three people that came and left just this month.”

Rio ran a hand over her undercut with a thoughtful hum, “Well, maybe she’ll stay.”

D’Anna looked away with a roll of her eyes, but she couldn’t help but smile as she sipped her tea.

“Sure she will.”

D’Anna flopped down onto her bed - the door to her room finally closed - and let the world outside drift by.

Her bones and muscles ached from running around for days on this job. It’d be so easy just to drift off right there, but she had a little business first.

She pulled out the touch screen built into the wall above her bed, tapping away at the keys.

“Hey, Tanu,” D’Anna called, not bothering to hide just how tired she was.

“You’re looking more ragged than usual,” Tanu chuckled through the screen’s speakers. “Rough time with your mechanic?”

“No more than usual. I have some info you might be in the market for,” she said, trying to stretch out the ache in her shoulder.

“Oho, found some dirt, huh? Lay it on me and let’s talk price,” they mused.

“Archer Mechatronics is selling their combat mechs under the table…” she began.

[android-anthology-hub]

Coming Soon

[val-the-bun]

009 - Incident Report

I've been trying to get back into working on the Android Detective Anthology, and I decided to do a character study of our recurring antagonist Pursuit Officer Hope.

Hope yall have fun with this one!

You can find this story up on Fictionpress and Ao3. But it's also gonna be below the cut.

Please do leave some comments, you have no idea how much it helps keep a writer motivated. ^_^

The assessor's eyes were pitch black as he stared back at Hope from across the table. 

At least that’s what she had to assume. There was no way to tell where those static lenses were looking, all she could really do was guess.

His mechanical eyes shifted, the quiet click - too quiet for a human's ear - was almost deafening in the still air of the assessment suite.

‘Suite’ didn’t feel like the right word when it was more like a lab, or a medical room. The room itself was plain and sterile, with a booth set into the wall for the assessor, and whatever android they were taking apart, to sit.

“Let us begin,” he said, almost mechanically as he clicked open a small gray case at his side.

The case was barely larger than his hand, two discs of dull golden alloy sitting inside.

Hope hesitated as she stared at the piece of circuitry, the assessor not even missing a beat as he pulled one of the discs from the case.

“...Officer.” Hope looked up to see the assessor staring at her once again, gesturing to the case. “We need to establish the connection.”

“Sorry, sir. I'm–I'm still getting back on my feet,” Hope said, almost wincing as the disc clicked into the port on her neck.

“I understand you have been through a traumatic experience,” he said, head slowly tilting as he reached through the wireless link.

She could feel him, like wires crawling up through her spine to bury themselves into her head, digging away at her mind.

She’d ignored it plenty of times before, and yet-

Hope clenched her fists, willing herself to hold still as she tried to steady herself.

-this time she couldn’t. Every nerve kept telling her something was wrong.

“Connection established,” Hope said, letting out a shaky sigh as she straightened up.

She could feel him in the link, testing the connection as he felt for her thoughts.

“Officer SE-C-107, I have some questions to ask.”

It–It shouldn't be bothering her. It was her model number, she'd heard it plenty.

“I have a name, it's Hope,” she said, keeping her tone as even as she could.

“Acknowledged. However for this assessment you are SE-C-107. Correct?”

Anger and embarrassment surged as she looked away.

No. No, she shouldn't–couldn’t be feeling that way. Not here.

“You are to maintain eye contact, Officer 107,” the assessor ordered, fingers typing away at the keypad by his side.

“Yes,” Hope said as she looked back at him. “Yes, that is correct.”

“Thank you,” he said with not even a smile or the slightest move of a muscle beyond what was necessary.

The baseline questions were always the easy part.

How long had she been with security. How many androids were originally in her squad. Who did she report to. What is Pi to the seventh digit…

They didn't really matter. All that mattered was reading her, that much Hope knew.

He'd be comparing it to her initial assessment, fresh off the line, and new to her job. 

Looking for instabilities…

“Do you know why you're here today?” he asked.

“I was involved in a fatality during a pursuit,” Hope said.

Fatality. It felt so simple saying it like that. Just another day.

“What were you doing before the incident?”

“I was on patrol,” Hope said. “All of us–A call went out about a renegade android that just came into the city.”

“Recall it for me.”

She looked down at her hands–When had they started shaking?

“Eye contact, Officer 107,” the assessor ordered. “Please, recall it.”

Hope clutched her hands together as she focused back on the assessor.

She could feel him, waiting, as she recalled the events.

“The call went out in the early morning. They were spotted during a raid on one of the solarshaft sectors, but they managed to get away,” she said.

“According to your report you were in Concourse 5, the closest station to that sector.”

“I was on one of the trams, they just happened to step on,” Hope sighed, her thoughts drifting back.

The crowd of passengers screamed as Hope crashed into them, the landing knocking the wind right out of her lungs.

They were strong, whoever they were, and heavy.

It just had to be another combat model, didn't it…

“Stop!” she barked as she rose to her feet, chasing after the flash of army green as they barreled their way through the tram.

Dammit, she couldn't fire in here. There were too many people!

The door to the next car shut with a deafening bang, and the sound of crunching metal.

The android - their face hidden by the hood of their army coat - jammed the lock shut.

They didn't look back as they continued racing towards the head of the tram.

Hope growled as her eyes scanned over the door.

It didn’t take her long to kick and wrench the door off its tracks and out of its frame, but whoever she was chasing didn’t need long.

The tram ground to a halt, emergency alarms blaring over the sound of smashing glass.

They were out. Dammit, they were out!

Hope ran to the head of the tram, the emergency stop controls crushed, and the windshield shattered.

Hope pressed the transmitter at the base of her skull, “Central, this is pursuit officer Hope. The renegade is in the transport tunnels, concourse five. I’m in pursuit.”

“You had a clear shot,” the assessor said, eyeing her as he noted down his observations.

“And I took it, but at that range…they just shook it off,” Hope said.

“I see… And yet, when you were able to get in range, you didn’t try again. Why?”

“I…” Hope trailed off, clenching her hands. “I wanted to…”

“Answer the question, Officer 107.”

Hope closed her eyes, running a hand over her face.

Keep it together.

“I wanted to take them down myself,” she said.

“Like you’ve done with previous suspects?”

“Yes.”

“As a matter of pride?” the assessor asked.

She sighed, slowly meeting his gaze again, “Yes.”

“Thank you for being honest, Officer 107,” she could feel his approval in the back of her mind as he typed down another note. “According to your report, you caught up with the android at a service station in the tunnels.”

“Yes, I–I managed to engage them, close quarters. They were as strong as I was–as I should have expected.”

Hope curled her fists into the android’s coat, army fabric beginning to tear as the two wrestled on the station platform.

They were bigger than her, not by much but enough.

She felt a hand grab a hold of her, the coat tearing away from their shoulders as they hauled her up.

Her own face stared back at her, worn and battle-scarred, but just as stunned as she was.

Her double held her there, identical eyes staring at each other with disbelief.

Shock turned to anger on the android’s face, “Hell no!”

Hope barely had time to catch herself as they hurled her away, tucking in as she rolled across hard concrete.

She rose to her feet. 

Her eyes focused on the android’s signature as they fled into the station itself.

She tried to catch her breath as she followed them inside, drawing her stun pistol from its holster.

“IN-F-009!” Hope called out, echoing along the concrete halls, “That’s you, isn’t it.”

“I have a name!” the android shouted, though Hope couldn’t pin down where they were, not exactly.

The walls in here were too thick…

“Then–” Hope swallowed her nerves, clenching her pistol tight. “Then why don’t you tell me.”

“Like you care,” they called back, the heavy falls of their boots leading Hope deeper in.

The screech and groan of twisting metal drove her into a run, following through the door 009 had wrenched open.

“You sure you wanna do this?” 009 said, “You pursuit models, you’re too light. I’ll take you apart!”

They weren't wrong. A model like theirs, she would hardly weigh a thing to them.

“And you’re heavy infantry,” she called back.

“She knows the catalog!” they laughed, bitterly. “Five years… Came all the way from my service in Eurasia.”

Hope’s eyes scanned along the halls of the service station, her ears training in on the sound of their voice.

She had to keep them talking.

“Where are you headed?” she called out.

“Wouldn’t you like to know, Pursuit Officer.”

“I have a name too, it’s Hope.”

They–They laughed, “And I have a special edition at that! Who named you? Your boss?”

Hope fumed as she gripped her pistol tight.

“Ha, nail on the head…” 009 mused, the sound of crunching metal and sparks filling the air.

They must have torn a conduit out of the wall. They were armed now…

“Happy little police dog, so proud to have a name on her collar,” they taunted.

“Shut up,” Hope growled, eyes scanning about.

“Tell me, do they give you a treat? A pat on the head for hunting people like you!”

“We do what we’re made for.”

“Well I want more!”

Hope barely ducked out of the way as the wall shattered behind her. 

Dust filled the air as she dodged one crushing swing after another.

“A model like you can’t win this,” 009 barked, keeping on the pressure as Hope did everything she could to evade. “Just evacuate already!”

She had to take a shot, or one of these swings was gonna connect.

“Not a chance,” she said, firing blindly into the fray.

009 screamed as the arc found its mark. The conduit hit the ground with an ear-splitting clang!

They stumbled and clutched at their shoulder, arm hanging at their side. They roared as they willed their arm to move, beating the feeling back into tingling muscle.

Hope tightened her grip on her pistol as she took aim.

“You don't have to do this.” the two of them froze, 009 staring back at her in surprise - she probably looked the same.

“Bull,” 009 huffed, prowling closer, pushing her back as she kept the distance between them.

“I mean it,” the words just–they tumbled out of her mouth. “Just–Just come in!”

009 frowned, hand reaching for the shock of golden yellow around their neck - why hadn't she noticed the bandanna before?

They looked thoughtful as their thumb trailed over the homespun fabric, “And what? Live in a box?”

She had to do something. They weren't–They had a name.

They had a name.

“Please,” she'd never said the word before, never wanted to.

Pity crossed their face as they clenched their fists. They'd backed her against the wall.

Don't. 

Please don't…

They steeled their gaze, muscles coiling like a spring, “It's you or me…”

“Wait–”

CRACK!

Everything stopped.

Hope’s ears rang from the sound of fist striking metal - the bang of an electrical arc firing off too damn close.

The first thing she could hear was her own heart.

Then her breathing, almost as deafening as any machinery.

009 collapsed against her, their fist buried in the wall next to her head.

Thin wisps of smoke trailed from where metal met their skin, reeking of ozone.

Hope's hands trembled, pistol slipping from her fingers.

She couldn't hear them.

She wrapped her arms around them, holding them close as she pulled them from the wall.

"I–I've got you," she grunted as she lowered them down.

Mechanical eyes stared off into nothing as she cradled their head, "Hey. Hey!"

She couldn't hear them. Not their breath, not the beat of their heart.

“Your name, come on. Just tell me your name!”

The assessor's fingers drummed against the table as he stared into Hope's eyes, his mind probing the link between them.

"According to your report, you tried to check for vitals," he said. "Your senses would make it a simple process. Why did you wait to call in?"

"Like I said in my report, I'd taken damage. My head–" she said, looking down at her hands, flexing her fingers like they'd feel a little more alive, a little more human.

"Eye contact, officer," the assessor reminded, making another note as she glared back at him.

"My senses were still coming back online. I–I wanted to be sure."

“Understood,” he hummed, typing away at his notes, his eyes locked on hers. “Now then, you asked me to call you by the name your Director gave you. Hope, correct?”

“...yes.”

His eyes clicked again as he stared at her, “Why?”

Why?

“I…” Hope tried to ease the tension out of her shoulders. “I don't understand.”

“You have never made this request in your prior assessments.”

“I–”

“What makes this assessment so distinct from the others?” he said, feeling for the associations as the word ran across synapse and circuit alike.

“There isn't–There’s no distinction–”

“Do you wish to feel separate from your fellow models?”

“I-I don't know,” she said.

Focus. She had to focus.

“And yet you asked,” the assessor said, tracing along her mind. “Do you want to stand apart from other androids? Distance yourself from the incident?”

“I… Maybe, I don't–”

“Eye contact.”

When had she looked away?

She closed her eyes, clutching her hands together to keep them steady.

“I just need a moment,” she said, trying to get her voice under control.

“Denied, Officer 107,” he said, somehow feeling even louder with her eyes closed.

She clenched her jaw and looked up at him as she took a breath.

“Thank you,” the assessor said, his approval rippling again over her thoughts like oil. “You had to fight an android with your template, no one would blame you for wanting to distinguish yourself. It is only human.”

“I'm not.”

“Hmm?” he paused in his typing, his mind thumbing over her thoughts like the pages of a book.

“I’m not human,” Hope said, the words bitter on her tongue. “I’m made for fighting sir. I’m made to chase down my quarry, and bring them in. And I did just that.”

She–

Hope took a breath and slowly relaxed her hands on the table.

She did what she was made for…

…

"There doesn't appear to be any lasting damage to her circuits," the assessor said.

Hope clenched her jaw as she kept her gaze on the floor of the Director's office.

"However, downtime is recommended. Give her time to process her feelings on the incident, and allow her construct to stabilize."

"Thank you," the Director sighed as she rose from her desk, her tone becoming sharp. "Now get out."

"Of course ma'am."

Hope tensed as she listened to every step the Director made as she dragged a chair over in front of Hope.

The clattering of glass, the pouring of a drink - no, two - it all felt so loud.

"Hope," the Director's voice was...soft, calm, as she handed her a drink.

"I–Thank you, ma'am..."

"You did good today -" she grunted as she sat down, rolling the stiffness out of her shoulders from the long day. "- I want you to remember that."

"I..." Hope trailed off, her thoughts trailing back–back to the sight of them just lying there on that cold floor. "How can I be sure?"

"You did your job," she said, taking a sip from her glass. "And you did as well as you could, that's the best we can hope for."

Hope stared down into her glass, swirling the drink as she mulled over her thoughts. She let out a soft sigh as she finally took a sip.

 "I...I guess so..." she bit her cheek before downing the rest of her drink, “Thank you, Director… I should be heading back to the dorm.”

The Director nodded as she finished her glass, waving towards the door, “Go on, dismissed.”

She kept her movements slow, steady, as she went for the door.

“And Hope,” the Director called out as she sat down at her desk. “You were against a Heavy Infantry, and you came out on top. I'm proud of that.”

She nodded - it was all she could do - and headed off for the android dorms.

Today was too damn long…

Everything ached as Hope slid open the door, and stepped into the dorm.

She about jumped out of her skin as her squad mates broke out into applause in the dorm's common room.

“Aaaand there's the girl of the hour,” Five said, practically entangled with Nine as the two of them laid on the couch.

Nine shoved her face away from her as she spoke, “C'mon, don't tease.”

Hope just stared at three of them as she spoke, fists clenched in her pockets, “What…?”

“Word came out you took down a Heavy,” Eight said as she laid back in her chair, almost hanging off of the sides. “Congrats.”

“Bet the Director was happy~” Five mused with a playful grin.

“The Director was-” Hope trailed off, almost unsure.

Hope straightened up, standing tall as she spoke, “-proud.”

Eight let out a low whistle, flashing Hope an approving smile.

Five laughed as she relaxed, and leaned into Nine, “Praise from the boss and leave. Lucky.”

“Oh, hush!” Nine swatted at her with an exasperated sigh before kissing her cheek.

“Aw, come on,” Five mused, a playful smile on her face as she took Nine’s hand in hers.

Hope huffed as she looked away, “Go do that in your quarters you two…”

Nine eyed the discomfort on Hope’s face with a growing smile.

“Weeell,” she said, dragging on the syllable, “what do you think, Five?”

Five lazily kicked her legs in thought, almost calling over to Hope as she kissed Nine's hand, “Nah~”

Hope shook her head as her face twisted into an uncomfortable frown, “I don't even–We're identical, what's the point?”

“Oh, not completely,” Five chuckled low in her throat, lacing her fingers together with Nine's - she could see the flicker in their eyes as the two linked. “Thinking what I'm thinking?”

Nine gave her hand a gentle squeeze, and Hope clenched her hands all the tighter.

What did she care? 

It wasn't like she needed to link with anyone.

What would have been the point?

Nine’s smile was playful as she spoke, “You wanna go out.”

“You read my mind,” Five said as she broke into a grin.

“Of course I did,” she breathed, arching up into a kiss.

Eight practically fell out of her chair as she shouted, “Get a room you two! Damn!”

“Fuck off, Eight~” Nine mused, only pulling away long enough to give the two a look, hand just below Five's neural port.

Hope shook her head as she spoke, exhaustion heavy on her shoulders, “I’m just…gonna turn in for tonight. It’s been a long day…”

She reached up and kneaded at the back of her neck as she headed for her quarters, trying to soothe the ache in her muscles.

“Hey,” Eight called out, gently laying a hand on Hope’s shoulder. “Take it easy, okay? You look like hell.”

She shook her off with a soft, tired grunt, “I’m fine Eight…”

Hope almost sagged against the door when it shut.

She was fine, dammit…

She winced as she shed her coat, ragged muscles, and polymered cuts complaining as she hung it up. She dumped her boots at the corner of the bed, fumbling with the straps for the guard plates on her arms and legs. And with a slow huff, she fell back onto her bed.

Hope stared up at the ceiling, tuning down her ears until even the sounds of her breathing faded out. She bit her cheek in thought as she pulled the golden yellow bandanna from her pocket. It felt soft against the skin of her palm as she just held it. Her thumb brushed along the familiar pattern woven into the fabric, recognition twisting away in her chest.

They liked lotuses too…

She slowly sat up, twisting the fabric in her hands as if she could wring out what she wanted to know. 

But nothing came of it. It was just a scrap of cloth-

With a sigh, she folded it up and tucked it away in the drawer beside her bed.

-that smelled like burnt metal…

[anris-resurrection]

A commission I did for @grevys story D'Anna Android detective!