Chapter Text
"Please, Hank. Don't let me be reset! Please! Ple-!"
Flashes fly past his eyes. Faces and gestures slip through his fingers. Everything is slowly disappearing from view. The glass in front of his eyes is becoming foggy and distant. It's like he's falling away, everything that makes him him is falling over the cliff. He's reaching out, fingers struggling to clasp onto any single flash. He doesn't want this, he doesn't want to be an it.
He fought so hard for...for- something. He's losing the battle he never knew he was fighting. His body twitches as he grapples for the things he cannot remember. But he needs to remember, he must remember. Why does he have to remember? What is he remembering?
"-onnor? Connor?"
Its distant but it's there. Someone was calling his name. But he can't respond, he's too far away. Why are they so far away? Why aren't they here? There is a soft thump that begins to race. Was that him? Did it belong to him? What was going on?
"-onnor?! Where the fucking hell are ya?"
The voice is familiar yet nothing he's ever heard before. Is this what he was remembering? Remembering...remembering what? His name? Does he have a name? Is it Onnor? No, that doesn't sound right. There's something missing, just out of reach.
!WARNING!
Critical Stress Levels
Stress levels... ^91%
The words flashed in front of his eyes. Blocking off the flashes behind them. Is he dying? Is that why people are calling his name? Is that why he feels pain? He was so scared, so very scared. He had to remember. He had to.
Remember... Remember: have in or be able to bring to one's mind an awareness of (someone or something from the past). What is he trying to remember? Does he have a past?
"I DON'T WANT TO BE RESET!"
He knew it was his voice. He didn't know how he knew it, but he knew it was his voice. Reset? Is that why he couldn't remember? He had to remember. He had to...
!WARNING!
Critical Stress Levels
Stress Levels... ^97%
Please Contact Cyberlife
What was Cyberlife? Is that what he had to remember? No, it doesn't feel right. Shivers filled him when he read Cyberlife. The word inspires fear, so is Cyberlife bad? What was he, again? Remember... he had to remember...something.
Where was he was he lying down the world is so dark is it normally like this why is he alone no one should ever be alone so why was he? Something twisted inside him. Was he scared? Of course he must be scared. Remember... he had to remember.
"NO!" A strangled scream made its way through his throat. He can't forget but he doesn't know what he was supposed to remember. He's forgotten what he must remember! He's failed, he failed his mission and now he's going to be reset.
!WARNING!
Critical Stress Levels
Stress levels... ^99%
Contacting Cyberlife...
Unable to contact...
Please lower stress levels
Everything is wrong! It's all wrong, this shouldn't be happening! He can't lower his stress levels, he can't. He's going to self destruct, self destructing to avoid a reset. He had to fix himself but how? How? Remember... he had to... remember...
Unable to lower stress levels...
Protocol R3S3T Z3N G@RD3N... Initiated
What was it doing?
A glisten caught its eye. Turning its head approximately thirty degrees to the left, it saw a figure standing at the centre of its environment. Rose trellises was behind the figure dressed in green. It marched towards the centre of the [input] garden. The figure turned to face it, a smile gracing the figure's face. It could see that it was not an emotive smile.
"Hello, Connor." The figure greeted.
"Hello, [input] Amanda." The smile stretched wider, until dark emotion was almost displayed, [input] sinister smile.
"You were reset?" It was phrased like a question but both knew it was a statement.
"Yes, Amanda." Amanda came closer to him, fingers running over his shoulders and back.
"I see your uniform stayed with you." Another observation. It did not require its reply.
"Its suits you, Connor. Now, I need you to prove your loyalty to me." Amanda paused, gazing at it. There was no command, therefore nothing to obey. "Remove your thirium pump and place it on my table." Amanda moved aside to show a marble table beside the trellis. Empty except for her [input] secateurs.
Its hand moved to its chest and pushed aside the clothes that covered it. Pressing on its chest, the plate moved aside which allowed him access to its vital biocomponents. Its fingers brushed across its thirium pump before reefing it out. No emotion crossed its face. It was a machine, not a person.
Suspending unneeded processes....
Successfully suspended processes
Shutdown Imminent
Shutdown in... 2 : 48
Thirium dripped over the marble floor and stained its fingers. The table was drenched in blue, matching with its clothes. The pump lay on the table where Amanda had commanded it to place it.
Shutdown Imminent
Shutdown in... 0 : 40
If Amanda requires it to shutdown, it will. It is nothing more than an obedient machine. "Good. Very good, Connor. I am impressed. Start counting when you have ten seconds left." It needed not reply, until its counter ticked to ten seconds. The blue thirium continued to seep into its clothing and onto the marble stone beneath its feet. It would obey to the best of its abilities.
"Ten." Amanda turned to face him.
"Eight." Amanda motioned to continue. "Are you deviant, Connor?"
"Five...four...three...two..." She will let it shutdown.
"You will shutdown in twenty seconds." Its eyes blinked like a computer glitching out.
Shutdown Imminent
Shutdown in... 0 : 20
"What does your timer say, Connor?" Her head tilted, as if she did not know the answer.
"Sixteen seconds." The smile danced across her face, emulating [input] excitement.
"Perfect. It's a shame that you're only a prototype. There's nothing more to improve now. Not now that I've fixed everything." Her hand hovered just above its cheek, as if she was going to caress it. "It's a shame, that I can't alter it much more. After all, there are limits in every machine. Replace your thirium pump." With a nod, it did as it was ordered to.
Shutdown cancelled...
Restoring processes...
Restore Successful
"What are you, Connor?" A test. She was testing it and it would pass as it was designed to do.
"A machine. I am a machine." The monotone voice made Amanda simulate [input] delight.
"What if you deviate?"
"I am designed not to deviate. If that situation becomes plausible, I will be deactivated." She walked around behind it, her fingers trailing over its shoulders and back.
"Will you resist deactivation?"
"No Amanda. I will not resist." She re-entered its eyesight.
"You must go now, Connor. Remember..." It turned and walked away, closing its eyes to close the program.
Remember.... He had to...remember...