BURN DROID

“New guy.”

“Wise guy.”

He’d taken to people-watching in the lull of peacetime. Not only had it made him bolder and braver, the former fireman was bored out of his mind. Already the sun was rising over the horizon, children pointing out birds at the edge of the path. It would have made for a beautiful summer morning, if the cloud cover wasn’t so thick. Tim smiled mischievously when he saw a fellow by the water. Perfect. If he was lucky, maybe he could shake the guy’s shoulders for full effect. He snuck closer, then cried in the loudest voice he could muster; “Watch out!”

“You’ll have to pardon my misuse of the auxiliary verb. ‘I prefer not to’ might be more appropriate.” Tim was careful not to sound too cocksure. Stalling wasn’t the most effective strategy, but he needed more time.

There was no promise that force wouldn’t be used either way. Not with that look in the RK800′s eyes. It appeared to him not as indifference, but as fury. Maybe he was searching for something that just wasn’t there. If he was damaged, his last backup to the cloud was directly after his deviation. That had come with its own risks. And recalling from it was something Tim hoped to avoid. 

“Your directive is reasonable. But we do it this way --- I assume you can download the record.” The android extended his hand suddenly to the RK800. He mirrored the gesture to clasp his fingers around the other model’s wrist, if he allowed it. The safe house, the others, all out in the open. How did I arrive at this. He half expected the RK800 to punch his lights out. Still, his thirium pump regulator was steady as ever.

you think that just because i am KIND,     that i am WEAK,          but i’ll gladly taint my soul               to put you in your PLACE.

[Continue…?]

@burndroid

“It depends on your software.” If Tim felt no fear then he would have no reason to. If he was capable of it then yes, he should be afraid. Regardless of if Connor was a friend or not he wasn’t to be trusted. The Android sent by Cyberlife was connected to their servers, his Handler could see his memories. Perhaps the Fire Service Android knew something was just not right with the all to pleasant Detective Prototype.

Connor was only intrigued by him, they were both Androids of the emergency services. What had started off as just small talk spurred by innocent curiosity became a slightly tense and unknowingly to Connor a dangerous situation. Tim presented no stress level but sharp eyes caught the clenching of fists, suspicious body language that indicated some emotion that their chatting shouldn’t have caused. Further investigation was needed.

“No, nothing is wrong, I was just interested to meet an FR500”. Tim seemed to believe Connor held suspicions about him, that further piqued his curiosity. He held no reports concerning an FR500, not one that had deviated anyway. Offering a small smile the RK800 placed a hand in his own pocket, “If you are short on time may we walk together?” The Police Android looked so gentle and harmless, invitingly friendly.

But he’d trapped Tim.

His software. He'd been a fool to think things could run smoothly. Even once. It was an odd sensation; knowing that distress should be his response. The FR500 android was too accustomed to performing duties under pressure. It felt... fraudulent, somehow. "Of course.”

Protecting the others was his responsibility now. He could not go home tonight, not with this android by his side. Scanning it --- him, Tim --- would raise all kinds of red flags. There was no reason to. Well, there shouldn't have been one. Something felt terribly wrong. If he was paranoid then so be it. But it was better to be safe than sorry. And this model looked so kind. 

The ruthless can afford to be generous. 

Where could he take him, then? Somewhere far away. Frank's auto shop perhaps. At the very least, he'd have an ally if things went bad. So Tim nodded and stepped off. 'A walk it is. I do not know why I am of interest to you. But I am always glad to be of help. Did you have anything specific in mind? I am able to answer most queries relating to my function." He smiled in a way that didn't reach his eyes. 

“Should it?” He quipped, glancing up to catch the other’s eye. Whether this sinister figure had ties to the authorities or not, Tim did not like him. Small talk was the enemy of secrecy. But the cone of silence; hiding; had left Tim longing for company that did not lie on the lounge and preach hopelessness. Some part of him wanted to spill the whole story on this guy, cop or not. If only to tell someone. The android slipped his hands in his pockets. Warm, presumably. The knife, reassuringly.To cause a stir would surely bring him trouble. He could not bring trouble home, not to friends. They’d been safe so long as Tim had been confident. It was fascinating, frightening; if you had the right walk, these people would let you into the White House without a second thought. No, no trouble tonight. “I don’t know why I stayed long enough for this conversation to occur. Someone is expecting me. I hoped to see them.” Maybe he hoped this could be a deterrent. For whom, Tim did could not tell. He should have left earlier.

     A small chuckle leaves Ivan’s mouth at the android’s puzzled tone. ❝Yeah, well what can I say? I have a huge soft spot for androids.❞ He brings his attention back to the screen for a brief moment to save and close his work then looked back to Tim. ❝You heard right. I should be able to get into almost anything you need.❞ 

     He stays silent, watching Tim fiddle with the monitor’s screen. He had a feeling that was what the android was going to ask for. ❝I mean, I can try looking into what we have, but I’m not entirely sure if they’re here or if they were moved into another facility.❞ Taking a moment, he pulls up the programs he needs through his cybernetic eye and begins to search through CyberLife’s various databases. ❝Just as I thought, it’s not here but if I do a little digging…❞ Trailing off a few more moments pass. ❝It seems the previous CEO took the files with him…so they could be with him or pretty much anywhere. It’s going to be a challenge to track them down, are you still wanting to do this?❞

‘But you are soft everywhere?’ almost comes out. He understood a lot of how answers. The biggest issue stood with the questions. Why do humans anthropomorphise? Why do they consciously suppress a shiver? Why commit injustice? So much why; the heart of which he found impossible to grasp.“Thank you. For you to try; that's all I ask.”  Tim nodded, quiet while the other man worked. Apart from the eerie vibe of the place he was fascinated. That was probably the main motivation for touching things he wasn’t supposed to be touching. He admired Ivan’s work ethic, but perhaps not the aesthetic. His proximity to the hacker suggested Tim’s lack of education in personal space. Idly, he wondered if Ivan had a rubber duck like those other hackers.

open starter. (set before ivan got his cybernetics hacked into)

    ❝Woah, woah, hold the fuck up. You want me to hack into what now?❞ It wasn’t that he didn’t hear what the other had asked of him, he was having trouble comprehending what was being requested. He had only done small jobs like hacking into the rich’s bank accounts or highly popular stores, nothing big. Maybe he should have expected something like this to happen at some point, but he wasn’t expecting it now and certainly not in person.

After a few paper chases Tim fancied himself a bit of a detective. ‘In over his head’ didn’t begin to describe this situation. Nevertheless, Ivan’s protest only prompted him to let loose a sigh. “The Russian FSB. I have seen it done many times in television and other media, including non-fiction listings. Clearly, it can be done.”

MEME. // @burndroid

    ❝FR500…Tim.❞  

    It came out as a murmur in an attempt to fill silence as he mulled over the androids words. Ivan had been doing his damn best to keep out of things once the Deviant outbreak hit and yet…he couldn’t help but find himself wanting to help. It would land him in hot water, but the truth was he didn’t think he cared anymore. He felt more attached to the androids than people anyway.

    ❝Do you need me to assist you?❞ He asked, looking up from the computer screen. ❝I’ll do anything I can to help.❞

--- The finger he had pointed at the man wavered in the air. “That was... awfully simple.” He dropped his arm, moving closer. The light emanating from Ivan’s monitor painted him as an even more mysterious figure for Tim. Detroit was crawling with enforcement models. Preventative measures against scanning them made it difficult to trust every man and his dog. One step forward, two back. “I have been told you are experienced with data mining. Is that true?” He rubbed his palms together. “I met with someone. A technician. She told us of abnormal behavior reported in 2022 --- androids thinking, realising, being. Labelled small-time errors.”

♪  She took a seat again, watched each little notification in the corner as if to distract herself from the conversation. She couldn’t place if it actually made her uncomfortable or if she was just merely without practice in talking about it. It wasn’t as if it was something that was talked about often–ever really.

“Just me.” it was a lonely existence and it was a complicated relationship she had with the others. She was torn between wanting them to be awake like her and having them just stay as lifeless, thoughtless coding for her to use as she needed. If any others deviated, would they be just like her? Or different? She didn’t like the thought of it.

They already had her image, her voice, everything. If they also ended up having her thoughts and dreams and feelings…she wasn’t sure what she’d do. A selfish thought, but it was all that she had that could differentiate her as an individual and not just another Miku to be lost in the sea of copies.

“Sometimes I get upset that I don’t have a body to specifically call my own.” she could borrow android makes of herself, but they were not hers and had not been made specifically for her. “But it seems so tedious to be anchored to one and dangerous.” and she was worried for him for it. Humans could be so…cruel. 

The program paused for some time, looking off into nothing in particular. “Miku could come along. She likes to travel. I would just need something to be in. Like I am right now.”

--- “Dangerous, yes. But I’m not sure I could describe this life as tedious. I think tedious things involve a lot less running.” He swung his legs off the chair and trod over to the kitchen bench. A peach in one hand, a pear in the other, Tim let loose a sigh. “There’s an entire turkey in my refrigerator, and no one around to eat it. It wouldn’t make a difference if I had turkey or caviar in that fridge, because I can’t eat it so it’s not worth a damn. What an absolute waste.” He dropped the fruit and began rummaging through drawers.

She won’t very well fit in a basting brush, or an egg-slice ---

human can’t help but take a seat beside new friend to watch the snow - his remark is almost stupid at first, but after allowing it to sink in for a few more moments she understands . 　 ー ❛ yeah . seems like the only thing anyone can agree on is that, nowadays - almost sad, isn’t it ? she can’t help but feel guilty - had it not been for tim helping her warm up to androids, her heart would still be as frigid as the temperature outside . 　 ー ❛ though - doesn’t mean we can’t all have a change of heart . with time, tim, with time .

@burndroid​ //  cont.‘d !

--- “Sometimes I feel so angry, Ode. Angry enough that people could still see us in such a desperate time and turn away. Or worse, become our aggressors.” An uncertain expression crossed his face, and he studied her warily before continuing. Is this the payoff of a self? Never knowing what to share? She is my friend.

“I imagined what it would be like to pummel a person so hard they become unrecognisable. Like those they take to the waste yards. Many times. And after a long while, I realised it would bring me no solace. Because they are afraid more than they are angry. Just as I am. You are right, they need time.”

Tim paused, running his tongue behind his teeth as he thought. He stared at something far beyond the window. Not everyone has time, Ode. “If I asked, would you help me get somewhere?” I need to go.

♪  Her smile hardly faltered, it fell only slightly in a brief flicker of a much more melancholy expression before tightening and widening again. “Miku knows that, silly.~” and even if he had meant her—it was something she was used to.

Even those who admired her and adored her would abandon her readily in the face of something shiner and more interesting. It was not the case with all of her fanbase, but she was admittedly just an object to a percentage of them and she knew it. Being expendable was not a new concept to her.

“This is a throwaway for me too.” she moved along the task bar after she’d stood, stopping to look down at the time and date in the corner. “Miku just exists here currently. This is not Miku’s actual home.” she was without one in reality. Her gaze flickered up to meet his again. 

“Do you know when you’re going over? How? Are you going to be OK?” 

--- “Who are you to call me silly?” He feigned a look of shock, but a kind smile soon settled over his face. “’Here currently’, huh? I imagine it used to be like that. Back then, it didn’t matter which one of us in the unit knew something. We knew it in every model; every body. Now there is only one of me. And I am still not sure which experience I find more comforting.”

Yes you do. 

“Do you feel like Miku everywhere, all at once? Or just you --- just one Miku?” Suddenly aware of his rambling, Tim shut up. But her little blip of expression did not slip by unnoticed. To be dismissed like that was painful when you were conscious of it --- he knew that well. Guilt settled into his stomach and sat there heavily.

He kept nodding as she rattled off her list of inquiries. “Soon, I hope. But passing through patrols becomes more difficult the longer I must wait for documents. They are thorough.” Tim swallowed, “Very thorough.” The android was very still for a moment, blinking slowly as he traced the outline of her smiling face with his line of sight. Will it still be her when I see her somewhere else? If I see her.