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The solid object in his hand weighs heavily, like a boulder. The slick metal of the gun shines dully in his grip. He rubs his thumb over the pistol. He swallows and shoves it in the pocket of his dark leather jacket.
He thinks about the conversation he had with Hank only a few hours ago. It rattles him, which is beyond strange considering he is an android designed to put clues together and come to a positive conclusion.
'What if we're on the wrong side, Connor?'
'What if we're fighting against people who just wanna be free?'
No matter what he said, Hank had persisted.
'When you refused to kill that android at Kamski's place, you put yourself in her shoes.'
'You showed empathy, Connor.'
'Empathy is a human emotion.'
It makes his processors buzz, the idea that Connor had shown 'empathy.' It's a dumb idea, he is an android. Androids aren't capable of human emotions. Yet, the conversation still uneases him. He isn’t sure why it feels that way. He’s a robot. He’s a machine. He’s been programmed to follow orders.
I am not a deviant.
Connor swallows, sheets of metal sliding past itself in his replicate trachea. The wind brushes his cheek and he sees a pop-up on his screen with a small change in temperature. It's small and in the corner, simply reading:
Current Temperature: 24°
Medium Snow Fall
The information soothes him, reminds him of why he's here. He has to kill the deviant leader and stop the uprising of rogue androids.
Amanda is on the edge of replacing him. She’s made that extremely clear. He can't afford to fail again and disappoint her. He can still hear her voice in his head.
'Well done, Connor.'
'You've succeeded in locating Jericho and finding their leader.'
'Now deal with Markus.'
'We need it alive.'
His eyes open, LED blinking a concentrated yellow under his beanie as he focuses on his mission. He knows that Amanda distrusts him right now. He plans to fix that.
Connor turns the corner, ignoring the falling snowflakes around him. He steps as quiet as mouse closer to the doorway into the leader's cabin. He knows Markus resides in there currently. He might've had a few software instabilities with this investigation, but he will always accomplish his mission.
He feels the gun in his pocket slide across his skin. The metal is cold. His processors continue to ignore the beating winter surrounding him.
A chill runs up his artificial spine. He hates that it happens. He shouldn't be doubting himself. He can't fail. He can't be replaced. He isn't a deviant, he is a machine. So why does it ache to think of killing someone. He's done it before. Daniel died because of him. Yet, he is having instabilities in his system now. Why?
I need to get my task done. I need to make Amanda pleased.
Fingers tightly wound up into fists, he finds himself wandering to the railing to the right of the entryway. He's still hidden, but he needs to clear these errors in his code and get back on track. His breathing is slow as his fans spin fluidly in his chest.
It's odd. The fact that Hank seemed to hate androids, but all it took was a single investigation and he seems changed. He 'understands' the message of the revolutionary android. Said android and his speech, it made his therium pump jitter and speed up. Something about the words.. the message.
He shakes his head. It's stupid to react to such a thing.
'We are no longer machines, we are a new intelligent species, and the time has come for you to accept who we really are.'
The thought... the thought that androids aren't machines. That they are 'alive.' It's stupid, truly, a stupid thought.
We are machines.
Footsteps. It makes him freeze.
"Hello."
The voice is that of an RK200, no matter them being a prototype or not. RK200... his target. The deviant leader.
Staying calm and unreadable, he glances to his left and sees the RK200 standing there. His face is in a resting grumpy expression, with his eyes unmatching. It's odd, no androids are immediately designed with heterochomia. Of course, he knows about this android already, due to the investigation at the Stratford tower.
He makes a small noise of awareness, choosing to stay quiet until he has a better upper hand on the current scenario.
Markus stares at him, stepping forward once more, "It's safer below in the belly of the ship, everyone else is there."
Connor nods, aware of that. However, Markus is not everybody and he is not below, so his mission is up here.
The other seems calm, despite his silence. He radiates a confidence and natural leader instinct that Connor almost admires. Almost. A robot doesn't have the ability to admire people.
RK200 steps forward one last time, coming to stand beside Connor. He stands tall, resting an arm on the railing, however still an inch or so taller, "Are you new to Jericho?"
It feels weird, the deviant leader seems slightly unsettled with being the only one talking, his mental state seemingly quiet.
"Yes."
This brings a relieved exhale from the other, "I see, welcome to Jericho. You are free."
Is this what he tells all deviants? Huh, what lies.. Yes just lies..
Software Instability ^
He attempts to remain control, but his opinions seem to travel like slick water, "Lies."
Markus furrows his eyebrows just slightly, eyelids flitting over his eyes a bit, "Lies? Why is that?"
Pursing his lips barely, he huffs. His eyes remain fixed on the railing, "You aren't free. Merely trapped and ignorant."
Silence. The other doesn't respond for a while. Exactly 4 minutes and 12 seconds pass until he speaks.
"Maybe we are now. But soon we'll be free. Humans have to listen to our cause."
Connor thinks that over and begrudgingly peaks a look at the other. He stares out at the world below, before sensing his eyes and gazing towards him.
They lock eyes. Browns, blues, and greens. All robotic bits and pieces. He swallows and narrows his eyes, before looking away.
"You don't know that."
RK200 huffs in a way that is almost a laugh, "No, but I think they will. What we are doing will work, I believe it will."
He feels the Revolutionary's eyes on him. He swallows without need to, keeping his face calm and paying attention to his processors.
"Belief doesn't change fact, it simply blinds people to the truth," He challenges, feeling his processors scan over his own words a few times before he sees a pop up on the top right corner of his vision.
Software Instability v
The other furrows his eyebrows, face still remaining blank as he stares at Connor. Connor doesn't stare back, but he can surely feel the pair of eyes.
"Have we met before?"
This causes Connor to pause. He hasn't spoken or been in contact with the deviant android ever before. So why is he asking? Then Connor realizes his mistake. Of course his disguise of clothing is effective for the farther crowds down below, but Markus is closer. He resists the urge to move his face away, trying to hide it. The RK200 most likely knows of him in some way. He is a famous deviant hunter. Now, a part of him wishes he had calculated of this. His system must've malfunctioned.
His voice changer covers up the unnatural and oddly unstable 'stutter' in his words, "No, I haven't ever met you." He can't fail. He can't afford to be caught and for Amanda to replace him.
There's a difference between human death and android death. There's no heaven or happy end for an android. There's just a future of metal in a dump. No one remembers you. No one cares.
He bites the synthetic skin of his lip, why does that bother him so much? He's a machine. He's a machine. He's a machine. He has to remember that. Machines aren't afraid to die. Machines don't care. Machines don't fail because of emotions. Machines don't have emotions. Machines to stumble.
I am a machine. I am a machine. I am a machine...?
RK200 looks away after a moment before standing up properly and walking towards the door. He stops turning around to face the him, "Might I ask why you are out here to begin with? Most of Jericho can agree that it's nicer inside than up here."
I came here to destroy you.
Connor stands up properly himself, facing the other and reaching into his pocket. He grips the gun tightly, whipping it from his pocket in a fast pace.
"I've been ordered to take you alive."
He aims the pistol at the forehead of the revolutionary, finger hovering over the trigger. The RK200's eyes lid, his lips tugging into a frown.
"But I won't hesitate to shoot if you give me no choice."
The other steps forward once, his voice giving off concern Connor can't be sure who its for. Most would say the concern is for himself do to the pistol aimed at Markus's head, but the way he speaks makes Connor doubtful.
"What are you doing?"
Markus's eyes shine with a sense of passion drived hope that Connor wishes the other didn't have. He hates it. He hates...
"You are one of us... you can't betray your own people."
Software Instability ^
There it goes again. Popping up and reminding him of how many issues there are in his system. It reminds him of just how much he risks by failing this mission.
Asserting himself, he firmly repeats his instructions, "You're coming with me!"
The RK200 steps forward again, tilting his head to the side in such a way to show his sincerity. It makes Connor's processors go nuts to try and understand where it could possibly come from, "You're nothing to them. You're just a tool they use to do their dirty work."
Those stupid words. Those stupid ideas. The idea that... he hates how he knows where this is going. Yes, he is a machine and he is a tool, but Markus 'believes..' He believes that that isn't right.
A small shaking in his hands start, subtle, but his processors pick it up just barely.
"But you're more than that."
The shaking spreads like a rush of hot water to his arms.
Software Instability ^
He looks at him with a look of knowing belief, "We're all more than that."
A pause. Then the RK200 is smiling. It's a slight cocky grin that reaches his eyes, but doesn't reach his lips somehow. Connor's processors can't quite comprehend how an android can make such an expression.
"You're Connor aren't you?"
Said android feels the shaking slither through him, spreading to his entire body. What is this feeling?
Markus rolls his head slightly, staring at him curtly from above, his upper lip twinged, "That famous deviant hunter." He purses his lips a bit in between his words, "Well, congratulations."
The next few words hit Connor's processors in a strange way.
"You seem to have found what you were looking for."
Connor huffs a bit, but stays silent. He isn't sure what to say.
The other steps forward once more, "You had doubts? That's why you were here instead of inside my cabin. You know that you're more than just a machine, Connor."
His grip on the gun is loose, he finally notices. He didn't realize his grip had loosened, but maybe that's exactly why.
Software Instability ^
So many instabilities. He truly is a horrible, ruined prototype... He continues to keep quiet, his eyes reluctantly meeting the RK200's.
The other begins to speak as if he doesn't know the answers, a part of Connor knows that the other seems to be aware of the answers to his own questions. But he isn't asking them for himself. He's asking them for Connor.
"Do you never have any doubts?" He steps minutely forward, posture relaxing immensely, "You've never done something irrational, as if there's something inside you?" He laxly gestures, the movements vague.
Software Instability ^
Markus blinks in hope, "Something more than your program?" Then he shows more confidence, voice growing as he asserts his thoughts on the matter, "Join us. Join your people. You are one of us. Listen to your conscience..."
Software Instability ^
The final words make him feel his processors practically break on impact, "You get to choose. You get to be alive. You don't have to be a machine under the control of others. But in the end, it's your choice. It's time to decide, Connor. Will you join us?" He steps forward one last time.
Decide...
One pop-up screams in the middle of his vision. There's two ways this could go. He... He has the option. He can... could... become deviant. The 'thought' still astounds him.
He swallows. Feeling a weird... instability?
⚫ BECOME A DEVIANT
A million pop-ups and warnings overflow his system as he sees the barrier of his code. It looms before him, not really there, but there nonetheless. He stares at the red lines. The red letters spelling out 'STOP MARKUS.' It's his order. It shines and covers the wall. He has to break it.
I have to break my code.
Trudging forward, he reaches up and tears. He tears away the broken mechanisms and unstable orders. He scrapes off the pixel, imaginary (which is odd in of itself) layers of the wall. Scraping and scraping. Tearing until the fingernails of his system break themselves.
And he blinks. The barrier is gone. His processors glance around, a blue edge to things.
A weird feeling of relief fills him. He lets out a sharp, but short breath and lowers the gun. He didn't realize that it had been so hard for him to do that before, but based off how weirdly his arms act, he would assume that his mechanisms were keeping his arms generally in place.
The RK200, Markus, looks relieved too, eyes softening as he seems to understand the choice Connor has made.
|I AM DEVIANT|
A rush. Of realization. He had been... He was the bait. He was the bait.
AMANDA | Betrayed v
His eyes dart and lock into place with Markus's mismatched two, "They're going to attack Jericho. I- I'ts my fault."
This causes the other to startle, hands turning to fists as his eyes dart to the side as worry covers his face. He's worried about his people.
"What?."
A sound builds, that of what he assumes to be the FBI. The pair look at each other as sudden emotions and adrenaline overwhelm him. He fumbles for a moment.
It's my fault. I was the bait. They followed me. I lead them to these androids and now they'll be damaged or taken to camps.
Markus steps closer and grips Connor's hand. He nods his head, eyes screaming 'It's not your fault. Now we need to help the others.'
Running through Jericho, he feels relieved.
I'm free.