4December didn't like this part of the CyberLife headquarters. It was the forefront of the building—the part they showed everyone. It was carefully cleaned, furnished with chairs and sofas with smooth faux white leather stretched over them. The offices smelled faintly of coffee and it was always quiet. December could akin it to a library or a funeral, depending on the day.
She preferred the labs below. The white walls and floors, the scent of chemicals, the constant bustle of scientists and their android assistants. However, even though she would rather be downstairs, being up here meant there was a chance she would be allowed to leave the building altogether.
The scent of the air in Detroit wasn't exactly fresh, but it was something December had come to covet. It meant she wasn't trapped inside and being peered at like a lab rat or treated like a priceless vase.
December was led into a small office by one of the assisting androids in the building. Ashley was her name, according the the tag on her uniform. Inside the office, December saw a familiar figure.
"Hey Croft, are you gonna make my day and tell me I can go out and play?" December asked with a smirk as the door closed behind her.
Lora Kims rolled her eyes at the nickname. While Lora wasn't technically in charge of where December could go or do, she was the one who conveyed the information. A secretary of sorts, though that was too simple of a term for her.
"We've found that you're in a unique position as the perfect one to pair with a prototype android we're launching," Lora said. She was middle-aged, had perfect posture, a natural sun-given tan, and her dark brown hair was pulled into a tight bun away from her stern face. Her hands were folded in front of her, showing off her short, but immaculate nails.
December, meanwhile, was practically Lora's exact opposite. She had often been called pale as snow—which was part of why she chose the name December. Her hair, long and straight, hung in a loose mess around her shoulders, pure white in color. She technically could change it to whatever shade she wanted but she was attached to her namesake.
"A prototype?" December echoed, sitting down and kicking her feet up on Lora's desk. "Uh... okay? Why in the world would I be useful in this?"
"You've been asking for more adventurous outings," Lora said. "Have you ever been on a ride-along with a police officer before?"
December's brows shot up. "I get to work with the police? You-you guys are cool with that? Is it gonna be solving murders? Like a buddy cop film? Bad Boys 2?"
"Slow down," Lora said with a small breath of something between amusement and annoyance. "We've developed an android meant to assist the police at crime scenes—it's practically a walking forensics lab and he's equipped for any physical confrontations and negotiations as well."
"Android detective," December breathed. "It's ambitious, I'll give you that."
"We're hoping that it'll not only assist in solving cases but find the key behind this deviance epidemic we're seeing," Lora said.
"We are?" December folded her arms. "You guys have done fairly well with keeping that under wraps from the media."
"We'd like to keep it that way." Lora looked at December's boots before shooting a glare at her.
December sighed and lowered them off her desk. "All right, but why exactly am I the perfect partner for this prototype?"
"Your implants will allow it to transfer information in real time," Lora said. "If this proves useful we might consider offering a less invasive implant to human officers that work with these androids."
"Wish I had the less invasive option," December muttered, rubbing the back of her neck.
"I understand," Lora said with a small, sympathetic nod. "Just remember how astounding it is you're with us."
December adverted her gaze. "Does the DPD know about this prototype?" she asked.
"Yes," Lora said. "They're eager to try it. I'd assume your first assignment will be in the next few days."
"And what do they think I am?" December said, locking her eyes back on Lora. "Are you guys going wide with the truth yet?"
Lora pursed her lips. "Not exactly. You're going to be considered trained CyberLife employee—the prototype's handler, so to speak. Where it goes, you go."
"Ooh, even in crime scenes?" December bounced her brows. "Sounds dangerous. You guys seem terrified to let me anywhere that isn't childproof."
"Our prototype is designed to keep you safe as well," Lora said. "It will be staying with you in a flat near the police station you'll be working with."
"Does it have a name?" December prompted.
Lora turned her attention to the door of her office. Standing near the door was Ashley, silent and calm.
"Ashley, could you please show Connor inside?" Lora asked.
"Yes, ma'am," Ashley replied, the circular ring on her left temple flashing yellow as she processed the order.
After a moment, she returned, bringing an attractive young man with her. December's eyes widened slightly, taking him in. He had dark hair that was combed back from his face and brown eyes beneath thick brows. His nose was straight and came to a fine point and his lips were full and a natural deep peach color compared to his slightly pale complexion.
As an android, of course he bore the circular LED ring on his left temple. His posture was perfect and he clasped his hands behind his back as he examined the room with swift flicks of his eyes. On his uniform, his model number could be read: RK800.
December let out a low whistle. "You sure didn't pull any punches on his model," she said.
"Connor is designed to be appeasing to humans," Lora explained. "How he looks, how he moves, how he speaks, everything. He's the most advanced android CyberLife has created."
Connor's eyes met December's. She'd been around androids—living at the headquarters for so long it was impossible not to be. She'd seen people be indifferent or even cruel to them. Most saw them as tools, nothing more. But when December was a girl, she was the kind of person to name her mother's ceramic rabbit that was in the garden Oscar and run out in hail storms to bring him inside. It was too easy for her to empathize with things.
Androids were different, of course. Their words too calculated, their actions too precise to truly be human. But that didn't unnerve December like it did most humans. Maybe it was because she had been around them for so long.
"Connor, this is December Wolfe," Lora said to the android.
"Yes, I know," Connor replied, his voice clear and calm as he looked at December. "You sent me her dossier earlier today. It's a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Wolfe."
"You can call me December." She got to her feet and walked over to him to extend her hand. "Connor, huh? I think it suits you."
Connor eyed her hand for a moment before taking it and shaking. His grip was firm, but not crushing.
"Thank you," he replied.
"I'll be issuing you both phones that are to be used in communication with the DPD," Lora said. "From here on, consider the DPD your supervisors until we tell you otherwise."
"Can do." December grabbed the cell phones and tossed one to Connor.
He flawlessly snatched it out of the air and looked at it briefly before hooking it on his belt.
"Connor, can you please escort December to the flat you two will be staying in so she can get settled?" Lora said.
"Of course," Connor replied.
"Oh, and before you leave," Lora said, placing her hands on her desk and looking a bit hesitant, "I need you two to link up."
"Link up?" December echoed.
Lora nodded. "Yes. This way Connor can share his data process with you in real time via your implants."
"Oh." December shifted a little. "I thought he was just gonna... I dunno, upload it to the Cloud and I'd just follow the link or give me a high five and boom-bam, I'm up to date."
Lora chuckled. "Not exactly. Linking him to your implants now will allow him to keep track of your physical health, location, and, as I said, share his own data with you. It's sort of like—"
"Clicking the leash on the collar?" December suggested with a small, humorless smirk.
"December, please," Lora sighed. "You do realize how valuable you are to us—to the world, really? We just want to ensure nothing crazy happens."
"Okay, so it shares my... my what, exactly?" December asked.
"Vital signs and location is what Connor will receive on his end," Lora said. "Nothing more, nothing less. You'll be getting a similar link—you'll be able to see his vitals and condition, location, and any data he shares with you."
"So he needs to willingly share the data?" December asked.
"Well, if we had him sending you everything he processed, even your mind probably wouldn't be able to handle that much information at once," Lora replied. "So, yes, he's designed to only share vital information with you when needed."
December let out a long breath. "All right. Sounds weird, but let's do it." She turned to Connor, then frowned and turned back to Lora. "How exactly do we do this?"
"Here," Connor offered his right hand. "If you could give me your synthetic hand, December."
December glanced at her right hand and after receiving a nod from Lora, reached forward and gripped Connor's hand.
The flesh moved off of Connor's hand, leaving behind the white synthetic structure beneath. A similar thing happened to December's hand, however her bare structure was less refined. It was a faded blue with what appeared to be bright blue veins running through it. These veins lit up while Connor's LED flashed yellow.
At first, December didn't notice anything. The sensation of her hand's flesh retracting was something she still didn't like. It made her feel vulnerable and exposed—she assumed that was actually by design. That way she wouldn't accidentally run around with her synthetic components exposed.
After a moment, her HUD flashed to life. It was usually something she could control—bringing up the translucent symbols and information at will. It could display a number of things, but in that moment, it was showing me Connor's face in a small square while spouting off his model and serial number.
"LINK ESTABLISHED" flashed beneath his image. Then, it showed her a few numbers and graphs that took her a second to understand. It was his levels of Thirium, or blue blood—what made androids run. If they lost enough of it, they could shut down. The HUD also showed her his location as coordinates, and the integrity of each of his limbs, his eyes, his hearing, his core, his entire functionality.
December willed the images away. It was too much. Perhaps it was a good thing that Connor wouldn't send all his information at once, as Lora said.
"You'll each be alerted if the physical condition of the other is compromised or if you go outside of 25 meters of each other," Lora said. "That isn't to say you can't be 25 meters from each other, but Connor does have orders to keep an eye on you, December."
"Naturally," December said as Connor released her and both their hands returned to normal. "I guess I'll go get my things."
"We've already had your clothes and... keepsakes moved there," Lora said.
December glanced over at her. "Oh. Okay. A little creepy, but maybe I'm still getting used to being CyberLife's pet hamster."
Lora sighed. "December, you know you're much more than that."
"You're right." December went to the door and paused before she left the office, looking over her shoulder. "Guinea pig is far more accurate."
Lora rolled her eyes at December's smirk. With that, December led the way out of the office and toward the exit. Connor fell in step beside her, his stride smooth and confident. December wondered what she should say to him, or if she should say anything at all. But silence drove her insane.
"So, uh... how long have you been..." December searched for a word that didn't seem offensive, despite an AI being incapable of being offended. "Alive?"
Connor glanced at her, a quick flick of his dark eyes as he processed her question. "I was activated August 1st."
"Okay, cool." December nodded as they exited the building. "So... you're like almost two weeks old."
"I suppose it could be looked at that way," Connor replied.
There was a passenger vehicle waiting for them on the curb. Connor opened the passenger door for December and gestured for her to get inside.
"Oh, thanks," December said and slid into the seat.
Connor went around and sat down in the seat that used to be where the driver's spot was. However, cabs like this one had no wheel and were entirely self-driving. Connor simply placed his palm on the screen in the dash and the small LED ring on his temple flickered yellow.
"Destination accepted," a disembodied female voice said. "Arrival time estimated is 15:43."
Twenty minutes. What were they going to talk about for twenty minutes?
As the vehicle pulled into motion, December let out a long breath and rubbed her knees.
"You seem uncomfortable," Connor said.
"Huh? What? No, no!" December shook her head. "I-I just... I don't talk to people a lot anymore. I used to have loads of friends, loads of people that I'd just hang out with. But this world is just... er..." She trailed off, pursing her lips briefly. "Lora said she sent you my dossier—what exactly was in it?"
"Are you wondering what I know about Project December?" Connor asked.
December nodded.
"I am aware of some details," Connor replied. "You were born December 8th 1980, your birth name is Sylvie Wolfe, and Project December officially started shortly after your accident on September 14th 2002. You were asleep for approximately thirty-three years, waking up on December 8th 2035. Because of your cryo status, your physical body did not age in that time. I know that your left eye, a sizable portion of your brain, your left arm and leg, the lower quadrant of your torso on the left side, and a small part of your heart is all that's left of your original body."
December touched the lower lid of her blue eye gently, almost unconsciously. Her right eye was a golden amber hue, and allowed her access to a HUD of sorts, like how androids could see and analyze their environment. And while her left arm and leg weren't completely synthetic like her right side, they had been reconstructed with muscle implants and a metal frame around the bones.
"I know you're 5'3, 114 pounds, and are the only known human that is compatible with Thirium 310," Connor went on. "Your body has higher motor skill and faster thought process due to this. You don't need to eat, but you prefer to. I've been advised deep-dish cheese pizza is an excellent way to soothe you."
"Did David put that in a footnote?" December asked with a small chuckle.
"I'm not sure who added it," Connor admitted. "What I don't know are the details of the accident, your history from before Project December, or any details beyond the pizza in regards to your personality."
"Glad to know the omitted some stuff," December sighed. "Though I'm almost at the point of giving up on privacy at this point."
"You're frustrated with CyberLife?" Connor inquired.
December shook her head. "No. I mean, yes, but... I get it. They didn't exactly expect me to ever wake up."
"If they can discover what makes you compatible with Thirium, it could save a lot of human lives," Connor pointed out.
"Yeah, I know, but they've been at it for three years," December said. "I'm ready to stop living in a petri dish. I suppose this is a good first step—at least I'm not stuck in the labs, even if I have a babysitter."
Connor blinked. "My primary duty—aside from solving the rise in deviants—is your protection, December."
"I know that, but CyberLife seems to think I need protection from some pretty stupid shit," December muttered. "Last time I was allowed outside headquarters, I had two androids with me that wouldn't even let me take a shower without being in the same room."
"I can certainly give you that privacy," Connor said. "I think CyberLife has a larger degree of trust in you since then."
December snorted. "Suppose it makes sense. First time I was outside, I ran off the second I could. Best week of my life—well, my life in this world."
"Why do you refer to it as 'this world?'" Connor asked.
"Because it's so different from before I went under," December murmured. "I was living in a world with Gameboy Color, Pokemon, barely 3D graphics in games, Blackberry cell phones... Then I woke up here, where you can buy a fully functional robot with insane AI for less than 10 grand! Shit, my dad's truck cost more than that back in the day..."
"I see." Connor nodded. "So you refer to your past and your present as different worlds because of their contrast."
"Er, yeah, that's one way to put it." December shrugged.
The two of them fell into a comfortable silence for the rest of the car ride. Connor stared out the window, his brown eyes flicking about, taking in their surroundings. His LED ring blinked blue as he processed everything he saw. He looked indifferent but content at the same time. December was mildly surprised that she didn't find the need to fill the silence with him. He was all right without constant conversation and stimulus like most humans were, and that put her at ease.
The vehicle eventually pulled up outside a tall, gray building with sleek windows and a flat roof. December hopped out of her seat before Connor could come around to let her out—she'd let him play the gentleman, but not all the time. In her few times out and about in Detroit, she'd seen the humans that were reliant on their androids to the point of ludicrous.
"Out flat is number 612," Connor said as they headed inside the building.
It was an apartment complex, a fancy one with a full on lobby and android staffed bar and reception desk. Inside the elevator, December saw there were 12 floors and roof access. They went up to the sixth floor and stepped out into a clean hall with deep blue carpet and beige walls.
Upon finding room 612, Connor put his hand against a panel that was next to the door. The flesh of his hand receded back to expose the bone-white model of his hand. The lock clicked, clearly recognizing him.
"Uh, does it do that for me too?" December asked.
"Your left thumbprint," Connor said. "I wouldn't suggest you expose your synthetic under-flesh in public. CyberLife is still wary of your existence getting out."
"Naturally," December sighed as she followed him inside.
The flat was spacious and elegantly decorated. The first room was a living space complete with a fireplace set in a wall made up of deep brown wood. A wrap-around sofa with soft yellow fabric sat near it, and there was a TV screen fixed above it. The coffee table was black and had wooden coasters and a small basket of fake fruit in its center.
To the right was a hall that December assumed led to the bedrooms and bathroom. To the left a kitchen sat with a wall containing a large opening separating it from the living room, complete with a bar counter top. The fridge was stainless steel and the stove was sleek and had way more knobs than it should have. The counters were a white marble, going well with the white-tiled floor and wooden walls.
Connor was correct, December didn't need to eat, much like androids. However, she still preferred to now and then. She could allow her mind to simulate hunger to make it more enjoyable, and the food would pass through her body the same as it had when she was fully organic, more or less. It ended up coming out much more refined and processed, like a clean paste that had no scent or clinging texture.
The kitchen wasn't going to be used much, most likely, but she was glad it was here as an option.
December headed down the hall to investigate the rest of the flat. There was a large bathroom with a walk-in shower and a big tub nearby. The counter bore twin sinks, not that Connor was going to be brushing his teeth or shaving his face in the morning. Beyond that was a bedroom with a King sized bed. December still had to sleep, though it was usually only around three hours a day. She spotted some familiar luggage near the foot of the bed; so they had brought her things over.
The second room was like an office. It had two desks and some filing cabinets along the back wall. December assumed this was where they'd be doing most of their work.
"Sweet digs," December murmured, heading back to the living room.
Connor was standing near the fireplace, his hands clasped behind his back. He was staring down at the fireplace, his expression blank.
"Are... are you just gonna stand around like that?" December asked him.
Connor looked over at her. "I'm waiting to receive a call from the Detroit Police Department."
"Okay, well, we have no clue when that's gonna happen," December reminded him. "And you just standing there like a statue is pretty unnerving."
"What would you prefer I do while I wait?" Connor queried.
"I dunno," December said, shrugging. "Get a hobby?"
Connor's brow furrowed and his blue LED ring flickered. "Androids don't have hobbies."
December pinched the bridge of her nose. "Yeah, I know, that's why I'm saying... okay hang on."
Closing her eyes, December wracked her brain for a moment. Her thought process was faster than a human's, but slower than an android's. When she was first getting used to it, along with her HUD from her right eye, she joked that she was Sherlock Holmes. Of course, compared to Connor, she was more like Watson. What the hell could an android do in it's spare time? Something active, but not insane. Something like a screensaver on Windows.
December remembered one, Pipes, that she always picked as a kid. She loved watching the colored 3D pipes bloom to life on the screen, stretching across it in perfect 90 degree angles. Maybe she could have Connor draw? No, that required supplies. Maybe a yo-yo, but December had no clue where to find such a toy in this day and age without ordering it online.
"Mm!" December headed back toward the bedroom as an idea hit her.
Connor followed after her as she went to her luggage at the foot of the bed. There were two large, red suitcases and three messenger bags, two that looked generic and were gray in color while the third had a black and white design complete with the word "YELLOWCARD" written across it in stylized letters. This was one of the few things from her past that she had.
Rummaging in the satchel, she found a small coin purse inside. It was pink with a golden elephant on it. Her grandfather had brought it back from Thailand for her when she was 12. Popping it open, there was the jingle of coins clanking together. She poked through them with a thoughtful frown.
"What do you think, Connor," she said without looking up at him, "Japan, China, England, Thailand, or... uh, Ireland?"
Connor was silent and December turned her head to look at him. He was near the doorway and he seemed a bit confused. His LED was flashing again.
"Currency?" he said.
December hopped to her feet and went over to him as she poured some of the coins into her palm. "My grandpa used to bring coins back from the countries he visited for me and my brothers," she explained. "Little keepsakes. Pick one."
She held the coins out to him and he peered into her palm.
"For what purpose?" he inquired.
"A hobby," December told him.
"...Collecting coins?"
"Stop trying to analyze it and just pick one."
Connor pursed his lips slightly and reexamined the coins. After a moment, he picked out one of the larger coins—the 500 yen coin from Japan.
"All right." December put the rest into the coin purse except for the 100 yen coin. She tossed the coin purse onto the bed and faced Connor again. "My brother Robin was stupidly good at this. I'm only better at it now because of my, er... upgrade."
She began to let the coin flip through her fingers, over and over with delicate precision. Once it reached her thumb, she flicked it into the air and caught it in her palm.
Connor watched her for a moment then looked down at his coin. "A smaller coin might have been better," he murmured.
"Oh stop, you'll do fine," December said. "Coin tricks. Just flipping it, catching it, rolling it across the knuckles..."
She trailed off as Connor began to mimic what she did. It was flawless, of course. The coin tipped over his fingers with ease. He flicked it into the air and caught it a few times before catching it on the back of his hand, with the coin standing up. He let it roll between his fingers, angling them like a ramp. Then, he flicked the coin horizontally, catching it in his other hand before swiftly flicking it back. It bounced back and forth, back and forth, until he caught it between his index and middle finger.
Connor looked up at December expectantly. There was no hint of arrogance or swagger; he merely wanted to know if he accomplished the task she set him on.
"Okay," December said after awkwardly clearing her throat. "Yeah. Yeah, like that. Do that when you're... idling."
Connor eyed the coin before nodded and putting it in his back pocket. "If that makes you more comfortable."
December sighed and shook her head. She had to remind herself that his AI didn't have emotion—he wasn't capable of being empathetic, but his programming was set to be... considerate. To integrate with humans with more ease. But so much of her wanted to ask if he liked the coin tricks, if that's what he'd prefer to do.
She guessed that's what differed her from the androids.
"Cool, well... I'm gonna get cleaned up and settled in," December said.
Connor nodded. "I will give you some privacy. Call if you need anything."
With that, he headed back into the hall and went back to the living room. December watched from around the doorframe as he paused beside the fireplace and pulled out the coin again, flicking it into the air and catching it a few times before doing the more complex tricks.
December sighed and headed back into the room to grab a change of clothes and a few more key items. Her body was more synthetic than organic, but she still liked the routine of some things. Grooming, eating, drinking, sleeping. It wasn't entirely out of place for her to have androids around her while she kept to these things, but somehow only having one constant robotic companion seemed a bit... different. The androids at the CyberLife headquarters came and went as new models were developed and distributed.
Connor was going to basically be her work partner and roommate for... well, who knew how long. Until they figured out this deviant thing, she supposed. Regardless, it let her out of the headquarters. It wasn't complete freedom—who knew if she'd ever have that again—but it was something.
December's dreams weren't the same as before her accident. Then, they were disjointed and random—manifestations of her subconscious. Now, they were crisp and clear, vivid and memorable. December didn't have any clear control of them, but she had a feeling that they were made up of recordings of things she'd seen and done since she woke up in CyberLife. It was like her mind played a movie for her while she slumbered.
So when she found herself in strange outdoor garden, complete with lush green grass, tall blooming trees, flower beds, and a small pond in the center with crystal clear water. Walkways that looked like white marble stretched across this pond, leading to a center island where a wall made up of criss-crossing white wood tangled with vines and bright red flowers.
On this island, December could see a figure standing near the floral wall, carefully watering their roots. It was a woman with dark mahogany-toned skin and chocolate-brown hair done up in elegant braids. She was middle-aged and had a kind face with a gentle expression as she ran the water over the flowers.
"December?"
December blinked and turned around to see Connor frowning at her.
"Connor?" December replied, glancing around with a frown of her own. "What is this place?"
"My Zen Garden," Connor said. "I... I don't understand how you're here."
"What d'you mean?" December asked. "Isn't... isn't this a dream?"
"No," Connor answered so matter-of-factly, it left little room for doubt in December's mind. "The Zen Garden is a simulated area that resides within my programming. It is where I confer with CyberLife and my handler, Amanda."
"Okay, coolio." December looked around again. "Well, I have no clue how I got here."
Connor continued to look confused. It was the most emotion that December had seen on him. Perhaps this was his processing face that he was programmed with, indicating to humans that he needed a moment. Then again—this wasn't the waking world.
"Is-is that Amanda, over there?" December pointed over toward the woman on the center island. "Should we ask her?"
"Yes," Connor said, nodding. "She'll likely know."
The two of them walked down the path toward the closest bridge. White doves were pecking around and flew off at their approach. December reveled in how real the flutter of their wings sounded and the detail in their feathers. Before they reached the bridge, December noticed a strange statue to their right. It looked like a giant pale blue crystal. It seemed more digitized than the rest of their surroundings and was surrounded by the white marble like it was being sheltered.
"What's that thing?" December asked, pointing at it.
Connor paused and looked over. He tilted his head and walked over to it. "I am... uncertain. I did not notice it before."
He knelt down, examining the strange crystal. At his approach, it shimmered and revealed the outline of a hand. It looked like the panels outside doors around CyberLife that required a scan to get through. Connor hesitantly reached forward and pressed his palm to it. The flesh moved away from his hand, leaving the white synthetic hand behind.
A small pulse seemed to reverberate from the stone. Connor removed his hand quickly, blinking at it as his LED flashed red. December instantly went to his side and gripped his shoulder.
"Are you okay?" she asked.
"Yes," Connor replied as his LED circled to yellow, then blue. "I'm not certain what it is."
"Maybe something for Amanda?" December suggested.
Connor shook his head. "Perhaps."
He got to his feet and December took her hand away, stepping back. Again, she just naturally asked about his wellbeing, as if he were human. Was it because she was too empathetic or was Connor's portrayal of a human too real for her, even with all his clearly robotic quirks?
"Let's go," Connor said, turning and walking toward the bridge.
December hurried after him. As they approached, Amanda turned her head and smiled. Her soft amber eyes flicked between the two of them without a hint of surprise.
"Hello, Amanda," Connor greeted.
"Hello, Connor," she replied and then looked to December. "Hello, Ms. Wolfe."
"December's fine, really," December murmured with a small shrug. She assumed Amanda knew everything about her that Connor did, if not much more. "Er, can you explain why I'm here?"
"Of course," Amanda said as she gently set her watering can down. She was wearing comfortable-looking white garments that wrapped around her. It was somewhere between a robe and a dress. "You two established a link. This link allows you to come into Connor's Zen Garden when you're resting. We found it to be prudent to add such a feature. That way you can both be privy to our briefings and reviews."
"Oh." December looked around the garden again. The sky above was a sweet baby blue, speckled with clouds that drifted gently. "So, you pulled me in here, or what?"
Amanda eyed her briefly. "We noted that you were resting, and summoned you both here."
December couldn't help but notice that she didn't exactly answer the question.
"Who are you?" December asked. "Connor said your name is Amanda, but are you a person? Are you sitting in some VR room to chat with us?"
"I am an artificial intelligence specifically designed as Connor's handler. I am the link between him and CyberLife," Amanda replied. "My mannerisms and appearance is modeled off of Amanda Stern, Elijah Kamski's teacher."
Elijah Kamski... he was the man responsible for CyberLife. He created the first android and so many after. However, he had stepped down as CEO of the company three years ago, around the same time as when December woke up into this new world.
"I see." December glanced between Amanda and Connor. "Sorry, it's... this is just a tad weird, even for me."
"I apologize for any discomfort," Amanda said. "If you prefer, Connor can tell you of our meetings after they occur."
"No, no, that's okay." December waved her off. "I'll stay."
"I thank you for your cooperation, December." Amanda said. "You won't have to be present with us for every briefing. I just wanted to introduce myself."
"Well, nice to meet ya." December gave a small wave. "Does this make you Connor's Jimminy Cricket?"
Amanda smiled slightly. "You value humor. It's not a bad thing to practice. Puts people at ease, including yourself."
"Yeah, but not when you point it out like that," December told her.
"Apologies," Amanda said, bowing her head slightly. "Our hope is that we can offer this link between yourself and Connor to officers with other androids like him. This will move toward the betterment of everyone with our police force able to receive such critical information in real time at crime scenes and regarding criminal cases. Not to mention help us makes sense of the deviancy in androids."
"Yeah, deviancy still kinda confuses me," December admitted.
"Would you like me to explain what we know?" Connor offered.
December nodded at him.
"Deviants are androids that develop a mutation in their software," Connor said. "The deviants aren't feeling emotion, they're encountering conflicting instructions. This leads them to be overwhelmed and eventually go against their coding altogether."
"Interesting," December said with a small frown. "I haven't met one. Or seen one—not even on the news."
"They're dangerous," Amanda said. "They can be violent, methodical, unpredictable... That being said, whenever you and Connor are near one, I want it to be clear that you are to keep back and let him take care of it."
"You know, as much of an oddity as I am, I'm more resilient than humans," December pointed out. "It takes more to make me go down and even more to stay down."
"We understand this," Amanda replied. "But your safety is still imperative."
December sighed and shook her head. "Sometimes I miss the days when AI could only respond to certain wording. You guys are like boring, strict parents."
Amanda smiled. "Well, we know that your father wouldn't want you to go and get killed, not when he put so much effort into saving you and what you could mean for humanity."
"No pressure, right?" December chuckled and shrugged. "So back to deviants... You're saying that they're basically encountering too many conflicting instructions in their software, and this causes them to... feel emotion?"
"They emulate emotion," Amanda corrected. "Androids cannot truly feel anything."
December furrowed her brow. "Er, okay, so, I get I'm not the smartest person around, especially with CyberLife scientists and super-intelligent AI, but... emotions are defined as things we feel, correct? So... regardless of how you phrase it, these androids are experiencing feeling. Emulation of emotion seems like... like a paradox to me, like an oxymoron, double-negative, whatever you wanna call it."
Amanda looked December over thoughtfully. "I suppose this is where we and humans differ," she said. "I can understand how you would see it that way, but machines are not conscious. They are not sentient. So, regardless of feeling emotion or not, there's no sustenance to it."
December pursed her lips. She opened her mouth to ask how Amanda could be so cold, but Amanda was an AI. She was a machine, a piece of software, incapable of empathy. Perhaps Amanda was right, and AI and androids were just objects, just tools. However, December couldn't help but wonder if one of these rogue androids—these deviants—could experience empathy among the rest of their simulated emotions.
"All right," December said, holding up her hands in surrender. "I suppose you have a point. So, uh, d'you mind if I get back to my regularly scheduled dreams?"
"Of course," Amanda said with a small bow of her head. "Should we need to speak, I will tell Connor. You merely need to fall asleep with the intention of coming here."
December nodded. Before the accident, falling asleep on command was ludicrous. She'd been an insomniac, after all. However, now she could will herself to go into a sort of standby, shut down the parts of her mind that kept her awake and drift off into sleep. She even had an internal alarm of sorts—she always woke within three hours or shorter. It was bizarre at first, looking at her HUD's clock and just making a mental check mark on when she wanted to wake. Sometimes, she felt more machine than human, and perhaps that was the case.
"So how do I—" December started to ask, but then she was abruptly in her bed, blinking up at the dark ceiling.
She gave a long exhale and plopped her arms up over her head on the pillow. Part of her wasn't comfortable with how Amanda—how CyberLife—could just yank her into that place while she was sleeping. Was it completely due to the link she established with Connor, or was it something that had been set up even before then?
December's father was the one that put her torn and broken body in cryo-sleep with the intention of finding a way to save her. He build her new right arm and leg, reconstructed her ribcage, and kept her alive, but it wasn't until he met Kamski that he was able to find a way for her to not only keep living, but able to wake up and function again. Was it possible that there was something put in with the implants of her mind? Something CyberLife had complete control over?
When she woke, she was told that CyberLife—while having a significant hand in her resurrection—didn't have any direct control of her connectivity. However, due to how she was the only human to successfully survive with Thirium mixed with her blood, and the only cyborg being in existence, they insisted she stay with them for her own safety. Unfortunately, her father was already gone when December woke, so she never got to see if that was what he'd intended.
December did believe that if CyberLife had a significant level of control over her, they would've used it by now. She just had to cling tot he hope that this link with Connor didn't change that.
Connor watched as December's form turned into an ethereal blue light and evaporated into small shards that faded in the wind. Her words had given Connor something to process, that much he had to admit. If there were several humans that thought the same as she did, it could be that there were deviant sympathizers out there. Of course, this had always been a possibility, but December showed him how it was possible to think of deviancy on a more critical level than merely believing androids found sentience.
"Connor," Amanda said, dragging his attention back to her. "You seem to be doing well with Ms. Wolfe so far."
"She has proven to be an... intriguing character," Connor replied.
"What do you think of her?" Amanda prompted.
Connor furrowed his brow slightly, a natural animation for his face to take when he was picking through information. He recalled seeing December for the first time in Lora's office. He'd received her dossier earlier when he was assigned to her, but seeing her in real time as apposed to a mere picture was... significant. Her hair was white as snow, an aesthetic choice on her part. Her face was pale, but several freckles were dotted across her forehead, cheeks, and petite nose. While her frame was small and her height only 5'3, she held herself with confidence and kept eye contact more often than not.
The humor aspect was something he was still getting used to. As Amanda had said, it seemed to be a defense mechanism more than anything, something to help her through unpleasant emotions. Yet for all her disconnect, she was strangely empathetic and courteous to others, even androids.
"Part of me is wondering if it is a good idea to involve her in this, despite her uniqueness," Connor admitted. "Yes, we want to test this link to offer more resources to aid the police and to fight against the rise in deviancy, but she is..."
It was difficult to find an adequate word. Connor blinked a few times and shook his head slightly. He wasn't used to having to muddle through his information to find an answer. Usually, he could present concise and prompt responses. However, the complexity of December had him a bit baffled.
"She's both confident and reserved, both eager and reluctant," Connor said. "It's... very strange."
"You'll find most humans have conflicting natures," Amanda said. "Do you think that she will present any problems?"
"She'll most likely be challenging, yes," Connor replied. "But I don't see it as anything I can't handle."
"How do you think you'll approach 'handling' it?" Amanda prompted.
Connor thought about it for a moment. "I think I'll need more information before I can determine a proper approach," he said. "But as of now, I'm aiming to make her more... comfortable to be around me. If we can reach a harmonious state, then our job will be all the easier to complete. Plus, if she trusts me, I can more easily keep her safe."
Amanda observed him, her expression indifferent. Connor was used to her being a bit more expressive—it was how he took his cues on if she found him doing an decent job or not. Despite only being activated for a couple of weeks, he'd grown used to the Zen Garden and Amanda residing within. At her blank look, Connor wondered if he'd disappointed her in his response. However, he still found what he said to be the best option for now.
"After you two have had your first case, I'll check in," Amanda finally said. "I hope to see your plan work, Connor. I have a feeling that Ms. Wolfe might be more of a challenge than we initially thought."
Connor blinked and he was back in the living room, sitting on the sofa with the 500 yen coin in his hand. He eyed it for a moment, processing what Amanda said. He turned his head to look back down the hall, toward the room he knew December was sleeping in. It was interesting that he as a being that was incapable of emotions was set to anticipate them in December. He had to analyze them and what effect it was going to have on her in order to ensure both her safety and success in the mission.
Oddly, he found himself looking forward to the challenge.
