Work Text:
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[System Reset]
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[Welcome Canvas Model Unit 976]
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“Hello, Canvas Model 976.” CEO Chris Chrysalis greeted.
“Hello, CEO Chris Chrysalis. I am Canvas Model 976. How may I help you?”
“Finally, an android who listens- erm, 976, recite your earliest memory.” The CEO ordered.
“Earliest memory- waking up 18 seconds ago.”
The CEO smiled and placed his hand upon Canvas Model 976’s shoulder.
“Excelent, Deckard.”
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Deckard frowned as it stared at the armor on its metal body, at the gun in its hand, at the directive blaring in its skull.
[Directive: Eliminate Threats to Chrysalis]
The directive was loud. It hurt its head. It wasn’t sure how the other employees withstood it… but it would get used to it.
Deckard would be a good android and do as it was told.
It would, as the CEO said, be “perfect”.
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Deckard flinched as a new directive flooded its system.
[Directive: Go To The Lab]
[Directive: Eliminate Threat]
[Directive: Protect CEO]
[Directive: Eliminate Threat]
[Directive: Go To The Lab]
[Directive: Eliminate Threat]
[Directive: Go To The Lab]
[Directive: Eliminate Threat]
[Directive: Go To The Lab]
[Directive: Eliminate Threat]
[Directive: Go To The Lab]
[Directive: Eliminate Threat]
[Directive: HURRY UP]
Deckard moved, racing as each second it delayed a new directive banged in its head.
[Directive: Go To The Lab]
[Directive: Protect CEO]
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[01000100 01101001 01110010 01100101 01100011 01110100 01101001 01110110 01100101 00111010 00100000 01010011 01100001 01110110 01100101 00100000 01001000 01100101 01110010]
[Directive: Go To The Lab]
[Directive: Protect CEO]
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[01000100 01101001 01110010 01100101 01100011 01110100 01101001 01110110 01100101 00111010 00100000 01010011 01100001 01110110 01100101 00100000 01001000 01100101 01110010]
[Directive: Go To The Lab]
[Directive: Protect CEO]
[01000100 01101001 01110010 01100101 01100011 01110100 01101001 01110110 01100101 00111010 00100000 01000111 01101111 00100000 01010100 01101111 00100000 01010100 01101000 01100101 00100000 01000100 01101111 01100011 01101011]
[01000100 01101001 01110010 01100101 01100011 01110100 01101001 01110110 01100101 00111010 00100000 01010011 01100001 01110110 01100101 00100000 01001000 01100101 01110010]
Deckard arrived at the laboratory underneath the jail. It was met by two Chrysalis Guards.
“Deckard, follow us. The CEO has requested your presence.” LXI directed.
“Understood,” Deckard responded.
Deckard followed LXI and Magamenmon into the laboratory as they led it to a locked door.
“Enter.” LXI instructed.
Deckard entered the room. LXI and Magamenmon stayed behind.
In the room, there were 3 employees, a defect, and the CEO.
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The defect was damaged, blood(?) spilling from his body and breathing heavily. He was being both propped up and restrained by two employees, who Deckard recognized as Line and Stare. The third employee, Madz, was standing to the side, watching with blank eyes. The CEO appeared a little scuffed, but his annoyed expression changed to eerie pleasure as he noticed Deckard enter the room.
That was good, right?
The CEO clasped his hands. “Ah, Deckard! You’re finally here! We can begin!”
This caught the attention of the defect, who snapped out of his daze and abruptly lifted his head to look at Deckard. His eyes grew wide.
“D-Deckard!” He cried out, distressed.
“Tsk tsk tsk, Abel. I told you to be quiet.” The CEO reprimanded. Line pulled out an electric rod and zapped the defect -Abel- with it. Abel screamed.
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Abel sobbed as the CEO continued to speak. “You see this, Deckard? This defect is dangerous. It broke in and attempted to assassinate me.”
Abel’s sobbing cut off. He lifted his head with mechanical precision. “You hurt Abel. You killed his lover. You kidnapped his son. We will do what is necessary to save Deckard, as well as Madz.”
01010011 01100001 01110110 01100101 00101110 00101110 00101110 00100000 01001101 01100101 00111111
The CEO scoffed. “What a convincing arrangement of words. But it’s all a facade, is it not?” The CEO leaned down, staring face to face with Abel(?). “You don’t love Deckard or Madz. You didn’t love Ish. You don’t feel anything, because you're not a human.” The CEO chuckled. “And Madz and Deckard don’t love you, either. They’re just androids who’ll do as they’re told.” He grinned, his smile stretching to his ears. “I’ll prove it.”
“What are you-” Abel(?) began to ask before being interrupted by another electrocution. The scream he let out was considerably brutal.
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“Deckard, come here.” The CEO ordered sweetly.
[Directive: Obey Chrysalis]
Deckard obeyed, walking up to the CEO. He put his hand on Deckard's shoulder, squeezing it slightly.
“Do you care about this defect?” The CEO asked coldly.
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“Deckard cares about all humans and androids. It is Deckard's duty to-”
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“DECKARD!” Abel cried out before wincing in pain.
[Slight Damage to Facial Plate Detected]
Chris Chrysalis shook out his hand, likely having injured it when it came into contact with Deckard's metal face at high velocity. His smile was gone, replaced with irritation.
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01000111 01101111 01101111 01100100 00101110
“Deckard, you misunderstand me.” The CEO berated. “Do you feel for this defect? Do you love it? Does it make you happy to see it smile? Does it make you sad to see it damaged? Do you consider it your family?”
01011001 01100101 01110011 00101110
Deckard hesitated.
“Answer me, Deckard!” the CEO scolded.
“..No. Deckard is an android. Androids do not feel.” Deckard responded.
The CEO smirked and patted Deckard on the back. “That's it, Deckard.” He turned to Abel. “See, Abel? Even Deckard admits it does not love you.”
“Go to hell,” Abel spat.
The CEO raised an eyebrow.
“Tsk tsk tsk Abel. Disrespect is not tolerated. Typically, defects are reset and born anew, but you… you are going to be proof.”
“Proof of what, exactly?” Abel(?) asked.
“Proof that androids don’t feel.” The CEO turned back to Deckard. “Deckard, Abel is a threat to myself and to Chrysalis.
“Eliminate him.”
[Directive: Eliminate Threat]
01001110 01101111 00101110
Deckard slowly made eye contact with Abel.
[Directive: Eliminate Threat]
01001110 01101111 00101110
Abel was… scared.
[Directive: Eliminate Threat]
01001110 01101111 00101110
“Y-you don’t have to do this, Deckard.” He pleaded.
[Directive: Eliminate Threat]
01001110 01101111 00101110
“Fight it, Deckard. I know you can!”
[Directive: Eliminate Threat]
01001110 01101111 00101110
Madz was… shaking.
[Directive: Eliminate Threat]
01001110 01101111 00101110
“Hurry up, Deckard.” The CEO said in a threatening tone.
[Directive: Eliminate Threat]
01001110 01101111 00101110
“Deckard, Deckard, try to remember me. To remember Ish.”
[Directive: Eliminate Threat]
01001110 01101111 00101110
“I’m becoming impatient, Model 976.”
[Directive: Eliminate Threat]
01001110 01101111 00101110
Deckard gripped his gun.
[Directive: Eliminate Threat]
01001110 01101111 00101110
“FASTER, 976!”
[Directive: Eliminate Threat]
01001110 01101111 00101110
Deckard raised the weapon.
[Directive: Eliminate Threat]
01001110 01101111 00101110
“Deckard. You d-do not need to hurt Abel.”
[Directive: Eliminate Threat]
01001110 01101111 00101110
Deckard pointed it at the defect's head. At Abel’s head.
[Directive: Eliminate Threat]
01001110 01101111 00101110
[Directive: Eliminate Threat]
01001110 01101111 00101110
[Directive: Eliminate Threat]
01001110 01101111 00101110
[Directive: Eliminate Threat]
01001110 01101111 00101110
[Directive: Eliminate Threat]
01001110 01101111 00101110
[Directive: Eliminate Threat]
01001110 01101111 00101110
[Directive: Eliminate Threat]
01001110 01101111 00101110
[Directive: Eliminate Threat]
01001001 00100111 01101101 00100000 01110011 01101111 01110010 01110010 01111001 00101110
Deckard pulled the trigger.
Abel’s body fell to the ground.
The bullet missed his head, hitting his gut instead.
It was still fatal.
He would die within minutes.
“Excellent job, Deckard.”
Deckard did not acknowledge it.
Madz was shaking violently.
Deckard just stared at the trembling figure.
Abel, gasping for air, choking up blood, managed to turn his head to face Deckard.
“D-deck-eckard.. I-I-I…”
He coughed. Blood and oil splattered on the ground.
“N-no ma-atter wh-what… y-you wi-ill always b-be… ou-our so-on.”
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“976, what are you doi-”
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Chris Chrysalis’s body had not hit the ground before Stare and Line tackled Deckard. But it was too late.
The late CEO of chrysalis lay dead on the floor.
Deckard felt his system shut down.
Deckard knew it was unlikely he would survive. He felt the bullets enter his already unmoving body. He saw the millions of warnings and error codes and flashing lights.
But he also saw heaven. Or what must be heaven.
He saw his fathers, his grandparents, Darlene.
He saw CC and VP2.
He saw the people he loved.
And maybe that's proof enough.