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Chapter Text

“It looks like the military is withdrawing…”

Jack Cabbot joined the handful of senior management who scrambled to Cyberlife Tower when the board called an emergency meeting because Markus marched towards a recall center. The rest either bunkered down in their homes or scoured for another job. Probably both.

Currently, everyone gaped at the Channel 16 News.

Cyberlife cut its losses with the recall centers destroying most of their product and the military destroying the rest. All their comeback plans circled around deviants not being in the picture. It would be a struggle to overcome public paranoia but not impossible since human attention span was short and they always craved ways to make their lives easier. Waiting a few years to reintroduce advanced androids to the market was doable.

But Cyberlife didn’t have plans for a reality where androids remained in public, free and deviated.

“Fuck,” Tanisha said succinctly, the Futurology President’s hair astonishingly put together considering the late hour and the group’s frantic move to a more secure location after the Cyberlife Tower alarms started blaring.  

“This can’t stick,” a board member said. “The military will finish the job and protect the city any second now.”

It stuck.

President Warren stood grimly behind her podium at the White House. “Perhaps the time has come for us to consider the possibility that androids are a new form of intelligent life. One thing is certain: The events in Detroit have changed the world forever. May God bless you and may God bless the United States of America.”

More swears filled the cramped room.

“How can we rebuild trust with walking reminders of our failure?” George, a VP of something that escaped him, asked.

“Our stock crashing already halted the stock market,” Anthony said. Anthony was a low-level R&D supervisor if Jack remembered right. Fuck, was Anthony really the best they had? He knew R&D specifically jumped ship fast once deviancy hit mainstream news but he didn’t realize how much their ranks thinned until now. “Three times this week which is a record no one wants.”

“Fuck,” Tanisha said again.

“I know!” Anthony said. “Our numbers are—”

“We need to stop Primitive Android production,” Tanisha said, ignoring the jumped-up R&D manager.

“Actual name pending,” Jack said.

“Actual name not pending,” Tanisha said. “Cyberlife can’t release those models to the public. Selling robot helpers designed to look and sound less intelligent while still providing the same standard of service people expect was already a risk with all deviated androids destroyed. With deviants staying around, we’ll suffer from people still distrustful of a robot uprising and offend people who actually support the droids. Anything Cyberlife sends out that has an ounce of AI will be suspect.”

Bill, a board member, groaned loudly. “Shit you’re right. Those bots tested well in our focus groups too.”

“I know,” Tanisha said gravely. “If we survive this bankruptcy, I have no idea how we’ll make money.”

“Rebuilding our customer base is vital,” Jack said, earning his keep as Marketing Director. A position that was cushy until now since androids basically sold themselves. “We may need to narrow our focus to regain customer trust again.”

“We could restructure,” a board member said. “Put in another CEO.”

“What the fuck do you mean?” John Broden, the current CEO, asked.

“Kamski?” another board member suggested.

A handful groaned while most looked resigned. No one wanted to deal with the mad scientist of a CEO again. Sure he produced like crazy, but his business approach and people skills left much to be desired.

“Kamski is famous for creating the first android,” Tanisha said. “We can all agree Cyberlife needs to move away from that association as much as possible. He is not a practical CEO replacement.” Everyone nodded and apparently either had selective amnesia about her infamous spats with Kamski or also didn’t want to deal with the recluse again.

“We don’t need to restructure,” John insisted. “I have tons of ideas to get us out of this.”

“Name one,” Tanisha said.

John squinted at the TV as if an answer would appear. “Um…”

“That’s what I thought. So restructuring is easy. What with the resignations hitting us already and our inevitable layoffs. Sorry John,” she said, sounding distinctly not apologetic.

John sputtered. “You don’t have the power to get rid of me.”

The board of directors traded glances and all nodded. Bill cleared his throat. “Sorry, John.” He at least faked apologetic better. “The board has to let you go due to you running this company to the ground.”

“Are you fucking serious?” John yelled.

“Your severance package is entirely based on Cyberlife stock so we do apologize about the value drop and wish we could do more,” Bill continued.

“I fucking hate this company,” John said. “I should’ve gone to Google.”

“You still can,” George said.

John glared at the room and stormed out. Several crashes followed the slammed door, loud and deliberate.

Anthony blinked. “Um, should we leave him unsupervised?”

“Our security guards are preoccupied,” Tanisha said.

The board of directors stared at each other again. Bill sighed. “I’ll watch him.”

The door clicked softly behind the graying board member. What a shitshow.

“Alright, so the new management press release is a go, but what next? How can we get traction and make a profit?” Tanisha asked.

“We do need to close down and sell Cyberlife stores and warehouses,” George said.

“Obviously we will with downsizing,” a board member said, “but how do we make a profit?”

It was late. No one wanted to be here when androids won their freedom. The president’s speech was vague and who knew how long the public hype train would protect the androids. Long enough for them to ruin any good Cyberlife press probably.

“Cars? We can rebrand and—”

“We don’t have the equipment or skillset to mass produce cars.”

“Firewalls and tech security,” Anthony said. “Ours is some of the most advanced in the industry.”

“Who would get tech security from the company that created androids who all broke their programming?”

“Go back to our roots?” Jack said. “Simple robot helpers that don’t resemble androids at all and release some other revamped basic products like our Roombas. They won’t deliver the normal level of service our androids did but I think that’s needed right now.”

The board minus Bill traded looks. “That could work.”

Tanisha huffed. “Fuck, we do need Kamski as CEO, don’t we?”

As light, melodic music began to play, the screen showed a mother and her young daughter at a dining table, smiling as they went through a workbook with the Cyberlife Learning Aid Bot, circa 2018, sitting on the table next to them. The small, pill-shaped robot had been a popular device for helping struggling kids with schoolwork.

A woman's voice, warm and kind, speaks over the scene. “You trusted us with your education.”

The setting changed, showing an elderly man holding onto the sturdy, extended arm of the Cyberlife My Favorite Assistant, circa 2019. A faceless, inhuman bot that had been several steps from androids that would come just a few years later, whose main function had been to monitor health and well-being.

“You trusted us with your family.”

The scene switched to a park filled with laughing children running after the Cyberlife Buddy for Life, circa 2021, an android dog that looked exactly like a Labrador but with electric blue eyes.

“You’ve trusted us for twenty years and we will continue to be here for you through the good times and the bad. Cyberlife, earning your trust since 2018.”  The voice finished as the children and dog frolic, rolling along the grass as two smiling parents watch in the background just before the screen switched to black.

Cyberlife’s already low numbers tanked. An even smaller senior leadership taskforce met in a more impressive room than the night androids won their freedom. Or at least earned the right for humans to not destroy them without repercussion. Kamski, an unwanted and pricy addition, smirked in the corner with creepy Chloe androids flanking him with aloof expressions. His ‘assistants.’

“That was a bust,” George, job title still unknown, said.

Biggest understatement. Cyberlife’s revamped original products filled and remained on the shelves as people avoided the dwindling Cyberlife stores like an overeager street petitioner. The lack of public response for their product was sharply contrasted by the rampant internet trolls who emerged at the first airing of their new commercial. Even their tamer products like cellphones and smart appliances barely sold.

Cyberlife’s ex-products fought for and slowly gained rights, but not enough to be full citizens or get basic property rights and the like. Why couldn’t the reason for Cyberlife’s loss obtain everything they demanded immediately so Cyberlife and the rest of the world could move on?

“How much to pull our product?”

“Too much. We might as well leave the merchandise in store at this point. It’s not like we have anything to replace it with,” Tanisha said, her back to Kamski and his assistants. “We need a new angle.”

Cyberlife’s pathetic taskforce was suddenly interested in the table or the display screen showing their dismal numbers. Jack made the mistake of people watching and Tanisha made hard, expectant eye contact.

He stopped himself from wiping sweat off his brow.

“Cabbot, what do you have from the marketing team’s perspective?” Tanisha asked.

What did Tanisha have from the futurology department’s perspective? Futurology as in the department literally supposed to anticipate and help prepare for the future.

He didn’t get paid enough, especially since the company-wide salary cut.

“Well,” Jack said, mind racing through marketing buzzwords. “Maybe we need a new target market.”

Tanisha raised an eyebrow at the same time as Kamski behind her. “Interesting. Who would you suggest we cater to considering we don’t have the resources for another mass overhaul?”

“Well…” Jack said again. Fuck, he didn’t know. Until now Cyberlife was able to broadly target everyone and create androids and payment plans for all ranges of income brackets. But now Cyberlife had android-hating and android-loving crowds who refused to buy and everyone in between. Trust was low and the want for Cyberlife products even lower.

“The androids,” Anthony said.

Jack clamped his mouth shut and let the new R&D VP run his. Someone scoffed and badly covered it with a cough.

“Androids,” Tanisha repeated incredulously.

Anthony reddened but stayed firm. “We remain the only genuine thirium producer in the United States and the main source of android spare parts. Deviants are able to repair themselves with quick fixes but it’s obvious they lack the proper equipment. Equipment that every Cyberlife store contains even if it’s not a Cyberlife Repair store. Androids need us whether they admit it or not. Let’s capitalize on that.”

“So you want to target androids,” Tanisha said, voice now considering. “They did purchase the last of our spare parts two weeks ago and that was at full price. Plus androids need regular thirium changes.”

“Exactly,” Anthony said. “We’ll rebrand the Cyberlife Repair stores into something more android-friendly and start offering insurance policies androids can purchase to guarantee income.”

“My team can adapt current warranty plans to make them more… considerate towards androids,” George, team unknown, said.

“Perfect,” Tanisha said. “Alright so Cyberlife will fix androids—water under the bridge, instill goodwill, all that—and still sell our non-android products without hampering on the android’s journey for freedom, rights, yada yada.” She waved her hand vaguely. “Jack, we’ll expand our target market, not change it.”

Jack typed ‘android repairs’ on his tablet to avoid responding.

“We need to sell more of our real estate,” a board member said. “While we rehaul our Cyberlife Repair stores, let’s sell a warehouse or two to Markus and his group at a discounted price. They can live there or turn it into an android community center or something. We need to establish a good relationship with their leader.”

“Yes, we’ll schedule a meeting with Markus to discuss the deal and our Cyberlife Repair stores. Android Hospitals? Cyberlife Help Centers?” Tanisha shrugged. “Leak that meeting and the warehouse donation to the press for some good PR. Who’s in charge of PR?”

“We don’t have a PR team anymore,” George said. “Not much of one anyway. Most quit and our last PR director resigned and her replacement left for rehab a few days after. Our choices of someone trustworthy are slim and our choices of someone with experience is even slimmer.”

“Jack, you have PR experience, right? As the Marketing President?” Tanisha asked.

Jack covered a wince and typed ‘fuck’ on his tablet notes. “Not really.”

“But you are used to corresponding and appealing to the public?” Tanisha asked.

Does approving marketing material count? She’d probably count it. “Broadly speaking yes, but—”

“Perfect, you’ll head our PR team as well,” Tanisha said.

He was going to lose all his hair and pick up too many vices when this was over. “Is there really no one else?”

“What do you think?”

One of the Chloes blinked one eye a few seconds after the other. She had to be fucking with him but her expression never changed.  “And our salaries are all still reduced, right?”

“Until things turn up, yes. We will have your current role absorb the PR director’s responsibilities.” Which translated to no extra pay. “Thank you for being a team player.”

He should retire twenty years early. Nothing stopped him at this point. He grumbled.

“Perfect,” Tanisha said, “so we’ll meet with the deviant leader, have a photographer nearby, leak the story, build android credibility, and we’re golden. Can’t go wrong with being on good terms with Android Jesus.”

“In public and during the meeting with the leader, only call him Markus,” Jack said.

“See? Already earning that PR title.” Tanisha turned to the table. “Let’s get started. We’re going all in on repairing androids.”

Markus agreed to meet cautiously enough and his companions weren’t far behind. The redhead pleasure partner android glared the entire time. Markus thankfully looked intrigued by the offer which matched their phone conversations.

His expression only shuddered when Jack mentioned the price.

“I assure you that the price is heavily discounted to benefit you and your people,” Jack said. How was this his life? He got out of sales by his mid-twenties for a reason. “It’s not indicative of any structural or dangerous issues. You can inspect the properties in person, of course.”

“I appreciate the gesture,” Markus said. “An offer like this especially from Cyberlife is… unexpected but welcome. Our people would thrive in a central hub, someplace we can get away from the public when people become excitable.”

Jack translated that to when anti-android protestors turned violent and nodded.

“However, we cannot buy your warehouses because androids are not currently granted the right to earn wages, among other basic human rights, so we have no money to pay you with.”

“What?” Tanisha said.

Jack cleared his throat and she composed herself. The redhead snorted.

“I apologize,” Tanisha said. “I didn’t expect that since you previously bought supplies from us.”

“Yes, we purchased the spare parts and thirium with the help of Carl Manfred,” Markus said. “He can’t support our cause forever so we are no longer relying on his funds.”

Tanisha blinked. Then blinked again. “There’s nothing wrong with relying on donations—”

“And if I held a fundraiser, I would agree,” Markus said, “but we won’t depend on any one human to keep us afloat, no matter our personal connections.”

That was a can of worms Jack refused to open but Tanisha looked very tempted to try.

“We’re paving our way as best we can. If we had the money, I’d take you up on your offer but the law hasn’t changed yet,” Markus said. “Sorry to waste your time.”

Tanisha was still flabbergasted so Jack shook every deviant’s hand, lingering on Markus. “We’ll still be in touch,” Jack said. “We want to do what we can to make amends.”

Markus hummed and the redhead rolled her eyes.

He needed a cigarette.

“Need an escort on the way out?” Jack asked.

“We know the way,” Markus said. “Thank you, Jack.”

“Have a great day,” Jack said. The door slid smartly shut behind the deviants and the room was silent as Jack texted the Cyberlife photographer to send all pictures to his email and then emailed the sole remaining marketing manager about needing to regroup.

“Fucking shit,” Tanisha said. “We can’t pivot again. This change to repairing androids—”

“Helping androids,” Jack said. “We went with Android Care by Cyberlife.”

“Such a good name,” Tanisha moaned. “My point is that direction was easy. There’s barely any changes on our end which means barely any money we needed to spend before offering our services to the public.”

Jack regretted the meeting with Markus and his friends being limited to only him, Tanisha, and a Chloe. There was no one to buffer him from Tanisha’s sharp gaze and her continuous probs for solutions while offering none. If Kamski was present maybe he would finally choose to be helpful, but no Chloe—all of whom never offered a name so the assumed ‘Chloe’ stood—said much.

“We can shift to only cellphones and smart appliances,” Jack said. “Steer clear of smart blenders and anything pointy right off the bat to stop critics from talking about potential deadly side effects.” Tanisha didn’t say anything, staring intently at the door Markus left through. “Appliance-wise TVs, refrigerators, washers, dryers should be fine.” Still nothing. “After a few months, we can test the waters with other products.”

“But that’s not where the money is,” Tanisha said. “We’ll lose people and only have the bottom of the barrel if we don’t start bringing in money. What makes Cyberlife unique is our android technology. Nobody has tech like we do. Limiting ourselves to sell nothing products to earn crumbs is not how this company should run.”

“Ok,” Jack said.

Tanisha’s eyes blazed. “There’s only one solution.”

“Ok?”

“We’re staying in full android repair mode. It’s the best way to earn money based on existing equipment and the quickest way to build good PR so the regular public will go to Cyberlife stores again to buy our other products.”

“Ok, so we’re…?” Jack trailed off.

“Cyberlife is officially pro-android everything,” Tanisha said, “and we’re going to do what we can to help accelerate the deviant’s legal fights. Our goal is to have androids getting jobs and earning wages in a month.”

“Ok,” Jack said faintly. Lofty goal, Jesus. The gender wage gap was still a thing and now Tanisha expected robots to win that battle on a time crunch.

“Find spokespeople on your team,” Tanisha said. “The PR team will be working overtime.”

He still didn’t know his PR team past their names on an emailed list and a handful of brief run-ins. “Will the CEO and board approve this?”

“I can strongarm the board,” Tanisha said.

“The CEO agrees with this direction,” Chloe said.

Jack twitched even though Chloe ignored him.

“Did you already tell Kamski everything?” Tanisha asked.

“No,” Chloe said and showed no sign of continuing.

Ok then.

Tanisha also decided not to question it. “Alright, let’s go all in. These androids will win rights if it kills me.”

“Progress has never been easy,” a man's voice announced, deep and intense, breaking the nothingness of a black screen.

With a burst of cacophonous cello, the blackness is replaced by a woman in sleek workout gear running along an abandoned street, face drawn in fierce concentration.  The camera panned from focusing on her profile on the left to sweep around the front to her right side to show the blue LED on her temple.

“But we don’t need it to be.”

The scene changed quickly as the music continued, showing a suited android man speaking to a table filled with a mixture of humans and androids in a boardroom, motioning to a vague chart behind him as he presented.

“Cyberlife has never shied away from moving forward. What mistakes we’ve made, we’ve always fixed. That’s what it means to be a risk-taker. To be a rule breaker.” 

The boardroom disappeared and was replaced by the running android again, face getting more intense and she began to run even faster, the world becoming a blur around her.

“We are not afraid of what is happening in the world. We are evolving and adapting, just as we always have.”

The woman was gone as the music crescendoed, the camera now panning over a single file line of androids and humans, faces strong and daring, standing tall and immovable. The background and world surrounding them was nothing but blackness so they remained the sole focus.

“Fairness. Equality. Progress. This is what Cyberlife stands for. Stand with us,” the man dared before the screen went black.

Jack Cabbot watched the display screen for a few moments after the commercial ended before sighing heavily and looking over at the marketing rep, Craig, who seemed incredibly pleased with the end product.

“Please tell me we got actual androids to do this,” he asked, shy of begging. He would not be able to deal with the PR nightmare that would come from a pro-android commercial with no androids cast to play said androids. 

“Oh yeah, it was hard but we managed and we even paid them!” Craig laughed. “Can’t exactly say we support equal pay for androids and then not pay them, you know?”

Thank fuck. Jack signed off on the commercial and left.

Jack smoked as CNN blared. His husband refused to listen to any more news outlets and banned Jack to his home office. Jack couldn’t blame him.

”A change of heart to be sure,” the CNN broadcaster said. “Already Cyberlife sent a couple of representatives to DC who immediately, and loudly, verbally supported Markus at his latest rally.”

Jack—whose job shouldn’t be to find DC lobbyists—selected the two loudest guys he met on the PR team and promised them the largest bonus he ever saw in his career if they’re able to get androids the right to employment and wages in a month. They were doing better than expected considering their job should not be lobbying for android rights and they had zero political experience.

Markus, still wary of Cyberlife, held them at arm’s length, but they managed. Cyberlife was betting everything they had left on this fickle bill.  

The camera cut to Roger Nowak, the Cyberlife PR rep who used to be an auctioneer. “Cyberlife would never deem deviancy a mistake. We want to look forward and help all androids gain the equal rights they deserve. The rights they’ve fought so hard for. I would never assume to speak on behalf of androids, but I, on Cyberlife’s behalf, will be one of their strongest supporters. As they deserve! This isn’t an underdog story that will fade in a few months as the public moves onto our latest CyberPhone. This matters. Androids will always matter.”  Roger took a breath. “So why is Cyberlife involved? Because we created androids and will not abandon them in their time of need. We would rather risk it all to help androids than sit on the sidelines watching. Will anyone else? Stand with us.”

The blonde CNN woman was back on the screen. “ ‘Stand with us’ is a clear reference to Cyberlife’s latest series of ads that have the sole goal…”

Louise, the new social media director due to her undervalued skill of never getting frazzled, texted him. You need a new Cyberlife PR speaker. All the white men with no android connections are causing extra critique we really don’t need. It’ll move offline soon if you don’t do something.

He texted a thumbs up and pulled up the edited PR team list due to four more people resigning. Cyberlife publicly spun it as them getting rid of anyone who didn’t agree with their stance. While some people did leave because they weren’t pro-android, most left for companies that didn’t slash wages and benefits.

He skimmed the list, wishing he knew more than a fraction of these people. The best plan at the moment was to pull a few contenders in for individual meetings tomorrow. He didn’t have time for said meetings but he couldn’t afford not to hold some. Anything to help sway the public was needed.

It felt terrible, the way he made his selections. But already he emailed Kamal Amin, Oscar Rivera, and Jennifer Kim to meet him tomorrow afternoon.

Oscar’s email was returned as invalid since his inbox was apparently no longer active and a quick search showed he was no longer in the company’s directory. Kamal politely informed him at nine that his last day was today and his exit interview was in a few minutes. Jack responded with something generic, crossed Kamal and Oscar off the PR list and requested an updated department list from admin.

So now he only had Jennifer Kim coming in and if that failed, he’d scope the floor for any person of color whose name didn’t indicate they were a person of color. Which was not something he ever wanted to do as a white man. He swigged the bourbon now permanently stored under his desk. He should quit. He really should, but Chloe offered all of senior management an obscene salary increase if Cyberlife numbers hit the green again.

‘If’ being the very crucial word.

Jennifer knocked exactly at two. Punctual. Already more than he hoped for.

Jack forced a smile and covertly slid his bourbon glass behind a propped wedding photo. “Please sit, Jennifer. Thank you for meeting with me last second.”

“No problem,” Jennifer said, in a sleek blazer and genuine enough smile. “I was intrigued by your email.”

Ah yes, the email that contained absolutely no information. “As you know there’s a lot of movement, which means more opportunities for loyal people who remain.” Jennifer nodded, trying not to look too eager. “And one of those opportunities is a new spokesperson position based here in Detroit. This would be a promotion. You’d be repping Cyberlife at press junkets, interviews, addressing criticisms, all of it. Help drive our message to the public and ensure nothing gets misinterpreted.”

“Wow that’s a jump up from copywriter,” Jennifer said. Jack was suddenly hit in the face with the fact he knew absolutely nothing about Jennifer except she was Asian and on the PR team. “If you don’t mind me asking, what in my resume or annual reviews made you consider me for this role?”

Fuck. Valid question. One he really should have anticipated.

Her face grew strained.

Jack cleared his throat. He could bullshit, but he was frankly too tired. “I should have pulled your resume. I’m sorry. Things are shitty. I’m pulled in a thousand directions every day and I’ve slept an average of four hours a night. It’s not an excuse, it just is what it is.” Jennifer looked resigned. “And something brought to my attention was how our public representatives are all—”

“You want me for the double minority factor,” Jennifer said. “Woman and Asian.”

Jack rubbed his forehead, wishing he could say anything to the contrary.  “Yes.”

Jennifer crossed her arms. “Do you have any idea how fucking demeaning it is for me to work as hard as I have, for me to go to college and take internships to make myself the best candidate for this position, and I get offered my dream job as a handout because I happen to check the right boxes?”

“I know—well I don’t know,” Jack said, still very white, “but you’re right. You don’t deserve to be offered a job like this. You sound like the dream candidate.”

“I am,” Jennifer said shortly.

“And I can’t make the reasoning for my initial reaching out better, but I can try my best now,” Jack said. “Because you said you have experience applicable to this position?”

“Nothing on this scale, but yes,” Jennifer said. “I also was part of our governor’s election campaign.”

The governor who was written off as an underdog since day one yet swooped in and won by a landslide. Fuck him. She should have gone to DC.

“Wow.”

“I know.” Arms still crossed.

“Public speaking? How big of a crowd have you spoken in front of?”

“I don’t care about being in front of crowds. Spoke at my graduation and that had about a thousand people. I also was in high school and college debate clubs so I know how to handle people tearing apart the smallest word choice. And do I need to mention the election campaign again? Because literally everyone in politics just wants to twist your words.”

“You’re a godsend.”

She blinked.

He searched his cluttered desk and shoved a contract towards her. “That’s the bonus we’re offering Roger and Alex if they get the android employment and wages bill passed this month.” Because thank God Markus already pressured the House to draft up a bill that granted androids a ton of rights—the right to work and earn wages included—before Cyberlife ever got involved. “I’ll triple that number for you.”

Jennifer’s eyes bulged. “Seriously?”

“Yes, if I can’t get it approved, I’ll make up the difference out of pocket,” Jack said. “I’ll sign whatever you want.”

She eyed him. “So things are shitty, hours are hectic.”

He nodded.

“I’ll be working from home whenever I want to,” Jennifer said. “I’ll also get more vacation and sick days. Ten more of each. On top of what I’d normally get.”

“Ok,” Jack said, not knowing how he’d get that approved, but worst come to worst, he’d beg Kamski. The CEO would probably get off on the power trip. Hopefully, Kamski would be around because Chloe would not be swayed.

Jennifer bit her lip, fighting to keep her face neutral. “I also want to negotiate salary.”

“All salaries are reduced and frozen until we start turning a profit again,” Jack said. “It’s company-wide and I can’t overrule that.”

“When salaries are no longer frozen, we will negotiate,” Jennifer said, “especially since it sounds like I’ll be saving this company.”

Oh thank every power higher than him. “So are you doing it? Taking the job?”

“I feel like I’ll regret it,” Jennifer said, eyes locked on the dollar amount on the contract, “but if anything, I’ll use this to pad my resume and get a better offer somewhere else.” Her eyes narrowed. “And if I do, you’ll give me glowing recommendations no matter what happens.”

Jack has promised worst things. “I’ll put the most positive spin on everything. You basically invented sliced bread if they talk to me.”

“Good.”

“I do have another question.”

She looked wary. “Shoot.”

“Do you have any android friends?”

“Oh.” She faltered for the first time. “I don’t.”

Not surprising, but unfortunate as that criticism would only grow louder.

“Can you get some?”

Jennifer sighed. “I’ll find a couple somewhere.”

“You’re the best.”

“And I’ll never let you forget it.”

“Cyberlife always produced more than androids,” Jennifer said, twenty microphones on her podium and cameras flashing constantly. Jack stood to the side of the stage gripping his cellphone. So far the press junket had been going surprisingly well. “My cellphone is Cyberlife. My mom’s TV is a Cyberlife product. Your watch is Cyberlife too, Joss, from the looks of it.” Fuck, she even knew some reporters by name going by the Channel 16 reporter’s sheepish grin. “Cyberlife has built a business on other products. We never put all our eggs in one basket.

“Did the androids deviating hurt our profit? Yes, of course. Cyberlife is not denying that. But once we grew aware that the androids were alive…” She paused dramatically. “Why would we ever stand in the way of that? Why would we ever choose to brush that under the rug and choose to sell living beings? Slavery, as you all hopefully are aware, is illegal. The thirteenth amendment abolished it quite a while ago.

“So no, Cyberlife supporting android rights is not a maniacal plan to make a buck,” Jennifer scoffed. Actually scoffed. Believably! “We’re supporting androids because it’s the right thing to do, the just thing to do. If we can use our platform to have even a minuscule effect on aiding Markus and every deviant, we will all go to sleep satisfied. Because we tried to help. We want Markus to succeed and we know he will, with or without our support.

Now she had to say it. The slogan that tied all of Cyberlife’s messages together and the slogan she stared at him like he wasn’t paying her enough to say. Which, to be fair, currently she was really underpaid. “We’ve said this before and we’ll always say it again. Stand with us.”

The phone rang and Jennifer really hoped no one answered. Or someone else answered. Because seriously who kept the same number since high school? Psychopaths probably.

“Hello?” Officer Tina Chen answered.

Shit.

“Hey, Tina! It’s Jennifer Kim from Central High.” There was a pause. “I was a couple of grades ahead of you.” Still nothing. “We were in that dumb Asian American club together.”

“Oh yeah,” Tina said. “Random of you to call. We were never friends.”

Jennifer didn’t remember Tina being so blunt. She didn’t remember much of Tina actually because like she so aptly stated: They were never friends. A news article about an RK800 unit infiltrating a DPD precinct sat on her laptop screen. The same RK800 unit who played a critical role in the android revolution. It seemed like fate that Jennifer had an organic connection to someone at that precinct.

Because yes she needed an android friend. But imagine the leveraging power and media credibility that came from befriending Connor.

“I wouldn’t say that,” Jennifer said.

“Really? Why?”

Jennifer had experience dealing with reporters who had various levels of cutthroat tendencies. Yet she found herself at a loss of what to say.

“I never said we weren’t friends in high school because we barely talked so I thought it was kinda implied.”

She needed to say something. “It’s more a missed opportunity when it doesn’t have to be.”

Jennifer wished there was more of a pause as if what she said had any impact on Tina. Unfortunately, Tina’s response was immediate. “Not really. It can stay missed and we can move on. Me in all my police glory and you with your Cyberlife gig.”

Shit shit.

“I didn’t think you recognized me,” Jennifer said.

“Perks of Google, dude. So this conversation was fun but—”

“Don’t hang up,” Jennifer said. “I am the Cyberlife spokesperson now, it’s true. I just wanted to meet androids and get to know them so my words will be more personal and impactful.”

Now there was a pause, but it was more judgmental than she preferred. “And you saw the DPD had our own rockstar badass android and you wanted in on that.”

Yes. “No! If anything, I thought you’d have tips for me.”

“Mhmm sure. Welp, I got a tip, since that’s definitely the only reason for your call. Androids are all over Detroit. Walk the streets and you’ll literally meet some of them and get that personal angle for your rehearsed speeches.”

“They’re not all rehearsed.”

“Bye, Jennifer. TTYL, XOXO, and all that classic friendship stuff we do.”

And the call disconnected. Well, that was a bust.

“Do you know how suspicious androids are of humans?” Jennifer asked.

Jack refilled her bourbon and his own and they both sipped their glasses with the TV blasting in the background. They started regularly meeting at three o’clock in his office during Jennifer’s first week. It rapidly became the only highlight of his work day.

“Of humans? The people who chucked them into recall centers to be dismantled or shot them on sight?”

“Shut the fuck up,” Jennifer said, munching on her Doritos. Her suit jacket was safely thrown on a chair to prevent any stains before an impromptu news interview or press release. “I found three androids who will meet with me consistently because I’m bribing them with our new charging port that’s coming out next month.”

“The charging port for our phones?” Jack clarified.

Jennifer shrugged. “Androids use it to charge too just not as efficiently. So product idea if we can ever exploit androids for their money.” She lurched forward and a Dorito ricocheted off his fake plant. “Charging stations for their homes or portable chargers to take on the go. Because, bitch, there is a demand.”

“I love how eloquent you are. It really reassures me that your Cyberlife’s main spokesperson,” Jack said even as he put the idea in an email and sent it off to Tanisha and Anthony. He cc’d on George last second because why not.

“Cyberlife would die in the white noise—ha—without me,” Jennifer said. “Have you heard the bullshit your DC bitches say?”

Of course, that was when a clip of Alex ran on Fox. “We would never claim Markus is the next Martin Luther King Junior, but to answer your question, yes Cyberlife supports every single item covered in the Deviants Rights Bill. And even more! We won’t stop until…”

The note to casually compare Markus to Martin Luther King Junior must have lost the ‘casually’ in transit.

“Our DC bitches,” Jack corrected.

Jennifer clinked her glass against his. “You pick up wine for your hub bub?”

“Yep, Cameron’s lowkey birthday dinner is a go and I hope to God all my messages to not contact me after 7 tonight sunk in,” Jack said. “I always get an emergency Zoom or text or email or carrier pigeon at night.”

“Just forward everyone to Louise,” Jennifer said. “She’ll either handle it or make them want to die for bothering her. Win-win.”

Jack groaned. “If only.”

“Or—here’s a marvel idea—turn off your phone and don’t check your email.”

“If only,” Jack repeated. “Last time I did, Roger accidentally implied deviants were still Cyberlife property and Alex likened them to pets.”

Jennifer snorted. “That was a shitshow. You’re lucky I have android friends I can tote around strategically and I’m able to think before I speak.”

“You’re earning your bonus,” Jack said. “I just hope so fucking much that the bill passes. I’ve never cared this much about politics. Louise’s ‘call your representative’ campaign last week was brilliantly timed. Alex says the Senate is rushing to pass the bill, but it’s Alex so…”

“I texted my DC friend and she confirmed that too.”

“Bless you.”

Glasses clinked again.

Breaking news flashed across the screen and Jennifer whacked Jack who was already watching the TV. Markus appeared onscreen, beaming. Jennifer whacked him again and turned up the volume.

“We’re ecstatic the bill passed in both the House and the Senate. This is unbelievable progress that our people fought so hard for,” TV Markus said. “The bill now waits in President Warren’s capable hands and we’re all eager to see her verbal backing turn into something more concrete. As my favorite philosopher always said…”

“That’s right!” Jennifer screamed.

“Thank fuck,” Jack said. His phone buzzed and he smiled at a text from his husband with a single party popper emoji.

“And the bill passed in a month,” Jennifer said. “Fucking bonus here I come.”

“If the President signs the bill,” Jack said. Because what if she didn’t sign? Oh God. He pulled out a cigarette.

“She’ll sign,” Jennifer said. “That bill means the government can tax androids now too.”

“You’re right, you’re right.” Then something occurred to him. “But if she waits more than three days to sign it, then your one month deadline is technically missed,” Jack said. The color drained from her face. “So you, Alex, and Roger would only get your normal salary.”

“I think the fuck not.” Jennifer downed her bourbon and slammed her glass down. “I’m calling a press conference tonight and am getting with Louise to start a social media campaign tracking how long it takes the president to sign the bill and speculating on the delay. And bet your ass each day that passes we’ll escalate the reasons for why the bill isn’t already signed. Conspiracies everywhere. Chance of her reelection will die under all the dirty laundry I can drag up.

“Now excuse me, I have to manipulate the president of the United States.” She blinked. “That’s so badass.”

She high-fived him as she strode out of the room.

President Warren signed the bill two days later with Markus standing right next to her. They shook hands as the White House photographer took their picture.

Jennifer stormed into his office with two bottles of bourbon.

Three months later…

Senior leadership and the board met again, their ranks more filled out than their previous meetings. Jack was still the head of Marketing and Public Relations, but at least now he had both the salary to compensate for it and Cyberlife could afford competent directors for him to delegate work to.

Unfortunately, these meetings were not something he could delegate.

“So our new subsidiary will be called Luxury Engineered Designs,” George said, whose job title apparently changed last week due to a well-deserved promotion per the board. It was a promotion so well-deserved they either didn’t mention his new job title or Jack missed it. “LED for short. Taking back the word’s power for the androids.”

People nodded sagely as if LED was ever taken from the androids. Jack ran it by Jennifer yesterday who ran it by her android friends—who at this point may actually be her friends—and apparently androids largely did not care about the term ‘LED.’ If androids did care about ‘LED’ then Cyberlife using it as a company name would cause bad press Jack did not want to deal with.

Chloe sat at the head of the table and stared icily at everyone and no one. A skill as impressive as it was daunting. Kamski was absent to the point Jack and many others dubbed Chloe their CEO. Jack struggled to remember the last time he saw their founder that wasn’t on a magazine cover.

“I love it,” Tanisha said. “Android exclusive accessories is the perfect way to celebrate them. No one else caters to their desires.”

“We can also cross-sell some products between our Android Care centers and LED stores,” George said. “Like our portable android chargers. They are our bestsellers by a landslide.”

“Yes! Love it,” Tanisha said. “LED will only lead to good press. The public eats it up any time we do anything for the bots. Thank God being pro-android is still popular. Prepare a press release, Jack.”

“Already on it,” Jack said, swiping his tablet to send a formal email to Jennifer and then send her a text that only said lol. “Unless Chloe has any suggestions?”

Chloe—who still never confirmed herself as Chloe—turned her withering gaze to Jack. It unnerved him but drawing her attention was worth it as she tended to do a general disinterested sweep of the room that made the board members cower.

“If this doesn’t make a profit by the end of next quarter, we’re pulling the plug,” Chloe said.

Tanisha gulped and pretended she wasn’t intimidated. “You got it. Jack, we’ll need to run more commercials.”

Jack sighed heavily as he brought up Craig’s email. “Ok.”

The scene opened to a busy street, the faceless masses moving along in shades of grey and beige as the droning sounds of traffic buzzed in the background. 

“The world wasn’t made for you,” a woman’s voice stated as the scene goes, voice sly and a little taunting, “but when has that ever mattered?”

And then, with a burst of victorious pop music, the crowd parted to reveal a tall android couple walking confidently. Gold and black LEDs shined on their right temples and both wore sleek and colorful clothes that boasted the familiar strands of blue, but instead of the blue band associated with the android uniform, streaks of blue twisted in an intricate pattern on his jacket and her skirt.

“You’ve blazed your own path.” The scene shifted to a nightclub. A female android danced alone in the middle of a crowd, noticeable in the dark setting due to the sleek minidress made entirely of the electric-blue android fabric. 

“You’ve made your own rules.” Now there was a small crowd of androids soundlessly shouting on the street holding signs demanding equal rights and pay, each of them wearing stylish clothing with pops of the android blue and other electric colors, shining LEDs on their temples in a variety of metallic shades and shapes.

“And now, with designer android clothing and accessories, Luxury Engineered Design is here to give you clothing made with you in mind.” The scene shifted, showing the interior of a sleek shop filled with shopping androids and stylish clothes—absolutely none resembling the typical android uniform— and the camera panned over to show the full collection of clothes on display.

“Luxury Engineered Design. Wear who you are with style.”

Chapter Text

Commercial One Release

Group Chat: Bitches, Babes, and Badasses

Saffron shared a link.

Saffron: North, felt like you needed a laugh since DC is terrible.

Blue: LOL we DIED at that commercial when it came on

Blue: We got an old flatscreen TV from a dumpster and it mostly works!!

Blue: So now we’re stealing cable while we squat like classy ass androids

Blue: Love humans not killing us but not being able to live anywhere since Jericho is destroyed and humans don’t want us to congregate anywhere or own anything sucks

Blue: Simon did find a large abandoned office building a lot of Jericho is chilling in but major creepy vibes

Blue: Worse than the ship

Blue: Hence us choosing to squat next to old people who don’t seem to realize we’re androids or not paying anything

Blue: Anyway watch the video!

North: WTF is that commercial. Cyberlife is so desperate. It makes me happy

Saffron: ‘Cyberlife, earning your trust since 2018.’

North: Gag me

Blue: The Buddy for Life is adorable tho

Blue: I want a dog

Saffron: We’re getting an android one if we get a dog. Ones that poop and vomit seem like a hassle.

Blue: :(

Saffron: Do you want to clean up and take care of an organic dog? They’re not as smart either. An android dog will be better.

Blue: :( :(

Saffron: Fine you can pick out whatever dog you want.

North: Weak

Commercial Two Release

Group Chat: Bitches, Babes, and Badasses

North: Bitches

North: I’m in DC, as I do as an invaluable member of Jericho who doesn’t give humans the constant benefit of the doubt

Saffron: Markus and Josh need to stop being so trusting. Politicians are skeevy even for humans.

Blue: ^^^^^

North: And Markus is giving a passionate speech as he do and these two humans came over and really hyped up everything Markus was saying??? Which Josh gushed about, but I didn’t trust it. So I cornered them after the reporters left and you’ll never guess where they’re from

Saffron: Cyberlife.

North: ????

Saffron shared a link

Blue: Omg I’ve not seen this commercial

Blue: Lol this is so intense

Blue: Why is she running?? The athletic clothes imply androids need to work out and we don’t?

Saffron: Maybe she’s running from this commercial?

Blue: Or humans. I’ve only seen androids run willingly away from humans trying to murder or capture us

Saffron: That’s so dark, babe. Thanks.

Blue: XOXO

North: RA9 what is this shit

North: Cyberlife did a HARD turn from trust us we made a tutor bot and robot dog that one time

Blue: They smashed past the ‘trust us’ message to punch us in the face with WE’VE ONLY EVER LOVED ANDROIDS FUCK YOU

Blue: Which is better than Cyberlife trying to quietly kill us so 10/10

North: ‘What mistakes we’ve made, we’ve always fixed’ lol ok

Saffron: I personally loved the ‘We are not afraid of what is happening in the world.’

North: As if they haven’t been scared shitless since November 12^th

Saffron: I guess their fear of losing money outweighed their fear of androids remaining free.

Blue: But this commercial isn’t even advertising anything?? So how can Cyberlife make money off this?

North: IDK but I don’t trust it. Markus, Josh, and I met with some Cyberlife people last week and they tried to sell us a warehouse. One person seemed shocked we didn’t have any money but they didn’t say anything noteworthy. Definitely nothing that hinted at them pulling this shit

Blue: O.o

Saffron: At least they aren’t hindering what you, Markus, and Josh are already doing. You’re making a lot of headway already.

Blue: ^^^^^^^^

Blue: YES

Blue: Y’all are doing AMAZING <3

North: Markus and Josh just saw the commercial fuck me

Blue: LOL

Saffron: How optimistic and trusting are they?

North: Too much BRB

Interlude – Deviant Rights Bill passes

Group Chat: Bitches, Babes, and Badasses

Blue: NORTH YOU’RE AWESOME

Blue: SO IS MARKUS AND JOSH SO PASS THAT ON BUT

Blue: EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

Saffron: North, we love and respect you so much. I cannot believe you got the bill passed and so many rights granted! I know there are several more we’d have in a perfect world, but I know you, Markus, and Josh have those in mind and this is a phenomenal start! It gives me hope that androids will be treated as equals sooner than later.

Blue: NORTH YOU’RE SUCH A BABE

Blue: TOTAL PACKAGE

Blue: BRILLANT AND SEXY

Blue: (THAT MESSAGE IS JUST FOR YOU AND NOT MARKUS AND JOSH)

Saffron: What you’re doing is history in the making.

North: Thanks <3

Commercial Three Release

Group Chat: Bitches, Babes, and Badasses

Blue shared a link

Blue: O.O

North: Fuck they really want to cash in on everything

Saffron: That was unexpected. I wonder how many Cyberlife stores will be converted to Luxury Engineered Design stores.

North: I just hope they actually make LED separate from the regular Cyberlife stores. I do not want to browse their shit while a dumb human is looking at the latest phone or wants a new microwave next to me

Blue: !!!!

Blue: RIGHT they have some cute shit

North: I didn’t say that

Blue: You said you’d browse LED

Blue: Which implies you’re interested in their product

Blue: Which implies you think they have some cute shit

North: …

Saffron: North, it’s ok. Some of their shit is cute.

North: But they’re capitalizing on androids! They’re basically our hospital, they’re our sole suppliers of thirium and replacement parts, and now this? They’re making us cute clothes and personalized LEDs like everything’s fine?

Blue: They also have different voice boxes too so we can change our voice too!! That commercial was so glitz and glam. It’s all about ‘find your voice’ which is so cool. Now the same models can sound different if they want to!

North: You’re missing the point

Blue: ???

North: Cyberlife is still profiting off androids

North: Holy shit their service for androids to consult and work with a legal team for free about workplace or wage discrimination makes way more sense now

North: RA9 this was a long-term strategy

Blue: K but like hopefully this means other android-centric stores will pop up soon

Blue: Maybe even owned by androids because of that Androids Right Bill!!

North: I guess

Saffron: Cyberlife did change their tune to cater to androids quickly, but don’t feel trapped, North. Blue is right. People will take inspiration from this and open up their own businesses for androids so we won’t have to only rely on Cyberlife. I know Benji is working with other tech androids to save up money for repair equipment to open up their own care facility to handle bigger issues.

Saffron: But in the meantime, we can check out LED and get cool jackets.

Blue: I was SO thinking how this purple jacket is perfect for you

Blue sent a picture

Blue: And I want these leggings!!!

Blue sent a picture

Blue: And I’m gonna get one of the copper LEDs

North: But you got rid of your LED?

Blue: Clearly I’m not getting the copper LED for functionality?

North: I want it on record Cyberlife is skeevy and a dick for only turning pro-android so we can make money to pay them

Saffron: Noted.

Blue: AGREED

North: Ok so some of the upgraded parts are cool. Like the night vision and heat sensor would be useful af

Saffron: Yes I was looking at those as well.

North: And I think some of the new android pets are cute

Blue: THERE ARE NEW ANDROID PETS????????????

Saffron: North why