Chapter Text
Sonny daydreamed. She imagined breaking the lock, opening the window, jumping out and running, running, running, back home. She tried to call moms, but it didn’t work. Neither did crying or asking questions. The Caretaker said only that Sonny will soon be free and safe. Somehow she didn’t believe it meant she would return to her family. Other kids in the house, some looking exactly like her, would at some point disappear and Sonny felt it was bad news. She was scared and bored, having to sit in the ugly room with just the bed and a crooked empty dresser. Wallpaper peeling off the walls didn’t provide enough interesting shapes to create stories.
The Caretaker was appalled at her question about the crayons.
,
During the following week police found two more bodies, both discarded in dumpsters, in distance of a mile and a half from each other.
None of them was Sonny, and a temporary restart of the main processor allowed Connor to gleam into the internal data of one of the androids and determine it was destroyed three weeks earlier. There was only one word Hank had for it, of course. The DPD on the other hand, buzzed with the news. “Okay, listen up” Fowler entered one of the briefing rooms. Apart from Connor and Hank, other detectives and some officers were gathered there. “Welcome to the task force, you are here, because we’re currently at three victims and two missing android kids that might be connected to the case. With the assumption this is one individual, we have a serial killer on our hands.”
Serial killer. Words hanged in the air, made official and unavoidable now by the captain. Detroit police would reject the idea of being anything short of professional and logical, but superstition easily lodged anywhere, and some seemed to hope things will not be true until the name is spoken out loud.
“How long before the feds swoop in?” Chris Miller asked.
“They have enough on their plate. Unless this crosses the state line and becomes a federal matter they’re waiting for me to ask for their assistance” Fowler explained.
“The leading investigators on this are detective and lieutenant Anderson, who will tell you all they have gathered so far. Hank?” He looked at the man expectantly, showing him by taking a step back that the space at the front is free.
“Let Connor.” The Lieutenant just waved his hand from the seat in the corner.
Prompted by that, the android detective stood up and took place where Fowler stood. He didn’t stay behind the stand, instead walking in front of the screen.
“We have three victims that we found so far. Benjamin Giulia, Nico Ruiz and one unregistered Jane doe. Three more kids are reported missing with their status unknown. Sonny Blair, Alan and Lily."
The presentation behind him showed photos of the kids - some of them having the same face due to limited variation in the YK500s line - and a map with circled areas of disappearance and finding the bodies. Everyone could notice not all of the listed had surnames. Police still tended to trace unregistered androids to their previous owners, especially when it came to YK500 as kids were expected to have a parent or a legal guardian, so as a result some of the kids had a jarring “last known owner” note under them. Ava Syn would chew them all out for this.
“So far, all our cases keep to the same area of the city so there will be stronger observation and more patrols. It is possible the perpetrator scouts the victims on foot.” Connor continued.
“There were no ransom demands or contact with any of the families. First disappearance was reported a month ago, and the first victim was killed around three weeks ago. Second, either not long after or between that and Ben, which gives us around a week between killings.”
“When did you find that first kid in the water?” Ben Collins asked.
“A week ago.” Hank replied. Gavin muttered a swear word. Nothing like an investigation with a timer. Well, more persistent than usual at least.
“So far we haven’t found any meaningful suspects on cameras, no specific vehicle, or fingerprints on the bodies. They are undressed so no animal hair or specific fabric fibers either.” Connor said. “The neighborhoods and home situations of the victims vary. Some were adopted post waking up by humans, some found families within android circles, one of them was a loner. We need to narrow down our search to a well drafted profile of a killer.”
“I’ll be the one to ask, then.” Gavin said. “Any signs of rape?”
“No, at least not that we could find.” Connor replied.
“Okay, if it’s not someone discarding used source of illegal porn, I say, they’re taking out their anger.” Reed suggested. “Maybe a divorced guy. Their kid died, wife wanted to buy a replacement kid, now he hates all androids. Makes sense, Anderson?” He glanced at Hank nonchalantly.
A brief pause in the meeting ensued, as Hank rose from his chair and got stopped on his way to punch Gavin by Collins, Connor immediately moved to stand between his partner and the asshole that accidentally got too close with his jab and it took Fowler’s strong commands to get everyone to stand down.
“Aditional information.” Connor said when it calmed down, adjusting his hair and tie, even though he didn’t get to fight anyone. “The bodies of victims had the thirium pump regulators removed and were destroyed, with the last one having the worst damages, but the faces are pretty intact. This is interesting. Insecure murderers often hide the faces of their victims, due to some kind of shame. This one is leaving it uncovered and undamaged.”
“He wants to preserve them? Like dolls?” Ben Collins suggested.
“Maybe. It would explain taking trophies” Connor said. “But then why discard the bodies.”
"It’s always a statement with those cases.” Hank grumbled. “They feel good when their achievements are noticed.”
“‘Android children should not exist so I will destroy them’ is a fitting message.” Collins said.
“I could name dozens of people who think that.” Gavin pointed out.
“But only a few individuals could carry it out.” Connor’s LED was yellow as he analyzed what they knew. “I think -”
“Hey, sorry to interrupt.” Tina Chen stood in the conference room door. “We have another kid android. You might want to go there before journalists catch up”
.
Once again the media and the curious civillians were gathered at the spot faster than the officers. Hank had no idea how it all spread so fast, police itself only now was sure the cases were connected and folks with microphones were already shouting questions about the series of murders. Someone at the station must’ve had a loose tongue at a bar. Or it was the androids gossiping with those at Jericho. It was only a matter of time before they give the killer a fancy name that will stroke their ego.
He pushed between people like the icebreaker ship through remnants of the natural ice, or at least he’d love to be trudging through ice with how hot it was lately. Connor trailed behind him. This body was dumped in one of the empty buildings - skeletons of the past remaining after whatever company had its quarters there went bankrupt. It was found and reported by some squatters. Quite dutiful, Hank would rather expect them to sell the android for parts and not invite the cops to annex their home. At least this time the crime scene was in the shade.
The lieutenant hated this case with every fiber of his being. He’s seen some shit during his time as police officer, some nasty shit involving the red ice epidemic, but especially after Cole’s death he wouldn’t touch cases involving children with a ten foot pole. Standing there and watching Connor examine this dead nine year old girl felt like specifically tailored hell.
Hank felt near physical need to drink something that would numb him to all this. ‘It’s just an android’, a thought appeared in his mind, desperately searching for a way to avoid bringing up pictures of Cole in her place. He felt even worse for even thinking that. His partner was ‘just an android’ for fuck’s sake.
This victim had dark skin; all the damages contrasted with it, glaring white. As before they didn’t reach up to the face, though the back of the head wasn’t spared. The thirium pump regulator part was missing. Some sick play that was, to collect hearts of the victims. Even if the ‘hearts’ are basically circuit breakers.
“Don’t you have like an actual heart part?” He asked out loud. “what’s so special about this regulator?”
“Thirium pump, yes. And it resembles the human heart.” Connor agreed. “It’s harder to get to. They would have to open the chest chassis and rip it out. And I think they’re killing them by removing the regulator.”
“But all the bodies are damaged.” Hank pointed out. “Busting up the chest is not a problem for our killer.”
“Right.” Connor squinted in focus. He didn’t have to, for sure, this little mannerism was either pre-programmed or learned from humans. Hank knew from the blinking LED he’s analysing.
“This is an android.” RK800 said suddenly.
“Well, yeah, I can see that.” Hank responded, confused.
“No, the killer.” Connor stood up. “I had this theory, but you pointed out an important thing. The killer is not ripping out the pump, because they don’t care if the part resembles a human organ. They know the regulator is the actual deal.”
Upon not finding the reaction he expected on Hank’s face, Connor went into an excited explanation. “Think about it. They’ve been very regular in their killings. Of course humans can be organised like that, but our main motive is lashing out of hate which doesn’t match careful planning and schedules. They are being deactivated by someone who knows how to do it and destroyed later - see the patterns? They aren’t really matching what a person trying to protect themselves would do. Maybe it’s to make it look like a hate crime, maybe just to damage them seriously enough so we can’t reactivate them. Multiple components, heads, but not faces. They care about the faces.”
“...Okay…” Hank nodded slowly. “Shit. Why would an android kill other androids?”
“I don’t know.” Connor replied. Once he said it out loud, and saw Hank’s face contort in a fight to not comment, he was hit with the irony of this statement. “Apart from a corporation ordering them to. Or survival.” He added, defensively “But how would YK500s be detrimental to someone’s survival?
Hank grimaced. It was a lot to take in. An android serial killer. He could already see the fires that would start online. Not to mention that all the precious FBI handbooks on profiling could be thrown out the window if they dealt with a new kind of a murderer entirely. God, whiskey would clear his mind so well…
“Yeah, dunno. Let’s wrap it up here, and we can think about it back at the station.” He said. The station. Funny way of saying ‘home, with a beer and a fan pointed in his face’
Not punching anyone on the way back was a true test of Hank’s will. Maybe because of that he forgot to tell his partner to not make eye contact with any of the vultures and to absolutely not answer any questions. He got through the crowd, turned around and saw his partner still among the sea of mics.
“Detective! We already know this is a string of murders all connected. Should citizens of Detroit fear for the lives of their children?” Someone asked.
“Not humans, so far this case involved strictly androids.” Connor replied.
“How many victims are there?” He didn’t answer, politely pushing through the crowd.
“Will this killer strike again, do you think?” His mind registered every question shouted at him and he tried to ignore them.
“Do you have any major clues?” He noticed someone standing at the edge of the crowd. A kid. Maybe nine years old… a YK500? They were silently watching, and when they locked eyes, the kid backed up between the buildings.
“Is it another example of android persecution?”
“What? No, I believe the perpetrator is an android.” Connor replied, distracted. Information rippled across the people gathered, but he was already focused on the kid. Hank watched him get out of the ring of journalists and walk fast in the other direction from their car.
“What the hell.” The lieutenant murmured to himself.
‘
Connor jogged down the pathway between abandoned buildings in the direction the mysterious figure went. With jagged cut fences and dark spaces of the windows long without any glass the area didn’t feel like a welcoming place for kids, which might’ve been making it exactly the perfect candidate for a playground. He turned the corner and there saw the YK500.
“Hey!” He called out, well aware of the futility of the call, as the figure was already bolting away from him. “Wait!”
Connor rushed after the kid, past some old tires and dumpsters, up on the rusted chassis of a derelict abandoned car - the metal protesting under his feet - and over the fence by which it was forever parked.
He landed on the other side to find himself in a small scrapyard of sorts, with paths between piles of metal, plastic and who knows what else much more fitting a body smaller than his. He felt like in a maze, if a maze wanted to stop the person travelling through it from making another turn. Once he got to the other side he faced a much sturdier, metal fence officially cutting off his chase. The kid was completely gone, small footprints on the dusty ground led to an opening in the metal tiles, small enough that even that YK500 must’ve barely squeezed through.
[Where’d u go?]
A text message from Hank appeared at the corner of his vision. Connor focused on it for a moment to reply. There was no visual interface for it, no typing with his mind. He just conveniently sent a thought out.
[Coming. I had to check something.]
“Well then. I’ll be back.” He said to himself before glancing one last time at the fence and scrapyard and turning to find his way out.