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It was only ten minutes after Connor was back from… whatever happened to him, that made him lose control of himself and attack Hank, that he decided he had to leave.
“Uh, what?”
“I can’t stay here. I’m dangerous.”
Hank stared at him. “You’re not about to walk out of that door.”
“No. That would upset Sumo.”
“Gee, thanks.”
“But I can’t stay around you. I attacked you.”
“Look, no hard feelings, Con.”
“Yes, but I could do it again. We don’t know. Maybe… I should go to New Jericho.”
Hank nodded. “I agree. But you’re not just runnin’ off there on your own. I’m taking you.”
Connor shook his head, frowning. “If you drive me there I might… it might happen again.”
“Then we’ll put a seatbelt on ya.”
“Hank…”
“Look, I’m not leaving you alone during this. Whatever’s happening to you, I’m helping you.”
“You’re not going to change your mind?”
“Of course not. Now come on, let me take Sumo round to the neighbour’s and then I’m taking you straight there.”
*****************************************
Fortunately, the ride to New Jericho was uneventful. They’d told Markus about his arrival and the android medics were ready for him.
Unfortunately, Lucy, who would have been most suited to dealing with this sort of problem, had gone on holiday. But they still had ample staff who’d hopefully be able to help.
As Connor had been adamant about it, he was in the smallest building at New Jericho, cut off from the rest of the small town. It consisted of one large room with a few hospital beds, and a smaller room sectioned off by a door.
“Connor.” The android, he recognised—Simon—greeted him. “How are you?”
“I’m… doing okay. I didn’t have an attack again. And thank you for organising this room for me.” He added. “I’m glad I’m not a danger to the androids of New Jericho.”
“Great. Glad you’re cozy in here. Well… if you’ll both sit down.” He pointed Connor to the bed, and Hank to the chair beside it. “We can get started.”
“What are you plannin’ on doing?” Hank asked.
“I’m just going to check his vitals, and then do a scan of his system to make sure he hasn’t caught a virus.”
“Damn.” Hank watched him hook Connor up to the machines. “Hope there isn’t a virus like this goin’ around. Wouldn’t bode well for our department at the station.”
Simon chuckled. “It doesn’t look like a virus to me… Okay, your vitals are okay. I’m going to do a system scan now. You shouldn’t feel a thing.”
Connor nodded, laying back on the bed. He felt the scan start at the bottom of his systems, working up. Nothing out of the ordinary—
Until it reached the more complex web of coding in his mind. At that point, a familiar spark of pain stabbed in his eye. He brought a hand up to his face.
“Hey, uh, I’d stop whatever you’re doing.”
“Hmm?” Simon looked up, frowning to see Connor’s reaction.
“Yeah, last time it happened, he said his head was hurting, and it looks like it is again…”
“Oh. I’d rather not stop the scan halfway through, but if it’s causing you pain.” He pressed a few buttons, cancelling the scan.
The pain lingered a moment longer before fading away. “It’s gone.” Connor supplied.
“Huh. That’s strange. As soon as the scan tried to get into your mind, your central thoughts and whatnot—it seems whatever is causing your problem rebelled. Some sort of… thing, lashing out at anything that touches it.”
“Thing.” Hank repeated after him. “Could you be any more specific? I know you’re probably dumbing it down for me, but…”
“No. It’s just that—I don’t really know what it is. Have you had similar symptoms before, Connor?”
“I don’t know. Maybe a little during—no, after my deviation. On the stage with Markus. I, uh…” he paused. Realised he hadn’t told anyone other than Hank and Markus about almost shooting Markus in the head. “…Cyberlife tried to control me again. They stuck me in my mind palace and tried to take over my body. It felt then the same sensation of not being in control.”
“Hm.” Simon nodded, typing something. “Go on. Were you forced into your mind palace this time?”
“No. I just… one moment I was getting up from the dining table. The next, I had just attacked Hank.”
“Huh. Like you blacked out?”
“Yes. It felt as if no time had passed.”
“Right. So, a little different to what happened before—”
“Oh. But my mind palace was damaged. After Cyberlife tried to control me. I used an emergency exit to escape, and I haven’t been able to access it since.”
“Ah, that would explain it. Maybe you are being sent to your mind palace again, but since there’s nothing really there, it’s like you’ve blacked out.”
“Perhaps.”
Hank just looked at them both, mouth hanging open. “I’m… lost. I kind of get what you’re both sayin’. Uh, is it those Cyberlife bastards again?”
Simon shook his head. “Given the similarity of the symptoms, it could be. We haven’t deduced one thing yet—Connor, when it happened before, did you do anything like attacking the Lieutenant? Something like you wouldn’t usually do?”
“Uh… I managed to escape fairly quickly. So, nothing happened.” He answered quickly. “But I believe that was their intention. And this time… I remember seeing something before I blacked out. Something about my old mission, as the deviant hunter.”
“Right. That doesn’t sound good. Maybe it is the same thing as before.”
Hank groaned. “Are you saying those Cyberlife lot, they’re actively trying to control you again?”
“Cyberlife are disbanded.” Connor disagreed. “It can’t be an active attempt this time. Maybe… something left behind…”
They all stopped, looking up as the door to the building flew open. Someone had walked in.
“I heard you were here, Connor,” Markus panted, “I wanted to check you were doing okay.”
Connor looked up, and the pain in his head intensified. He saw Markus through a blurry haze, and then, he saw nothing.