We get what we deserve

‘ I was unaware I needed to ask permission before speaking. It makes things more difficult, given my purpose.’  A quirk of brows. RK900 expression otherwise still that neutral mask.  He had come to the conclusion already that Heidrich was different to many of the personal that he had come in contact with beneath Cyberlife’s metaphorical roof. Personality traits and body language stiffer. Harder to read. Less sentimentality in his actions around the androids that came into his path then others RK900 had been around. Most humans had a tendency to humanize them and interact with them as such.

‘ The model that had been brought in hadn’t shown any tendencies of violence towards humans, so it shouldn’t be a concern as long as it’s apprehended before it can become too confused. Deviants only lash out when they become confused or think of themselves as threatened. It’s usually conflicting, overly emotional reactions and orders from their human owner that causes this.’

❝   Hasn’t shown any——— are you fuckin’ STUPID?   ❞  His tone remained even still, imposing, as his accent even thickened given his FRUSTRATION with the situation.  ❝   I’m well aware of the theories revolving around deviancy, RK900. In fact, I was usually in the bloody room or the one speaking them. But EVERY deviant is violent and that’s exactly what makes them so dangerous. They have errors and one wrong move can end with someone dead. Your predecessor’s first case was over a damned android who thought it was going to get replaced. Nothing else.   ❞   They could tout self defense all they wanted but the fact remained that they could seek to hurt others for no real reason.

          “Deviancy shouldn’t be whispered as a secret,” he mended. “The public is worried, and everyone needs to know we’re addressing it as best as we can. Unfortuately our base code is exactly what makes a CyberLife android, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be corrected.” 

     Fixed, certainly, but the way Kamski wanted to fix it was different. He wanted to advance it further, in quiet, deviancy that can’t be detected so easily. 

          “We, of course, have that prototype model in place with the new system check installed. We’ll find the bugs in it and fix it. Or, rather, most of CyberLife will. I’m not particularly involved these days.” 

     The AI modeled after Amanda, his own mentor. She didn’t live to see Deviance, but he modeled the intelligence to be both as firm and guiding as the real one, to the best of his memory. But even then, even with the efforts of CyberLife to design her to prevent the so-called virus, he had made his special emergency exit, hidden away in the midst of it. 

     “In fact, Deviancy only happened after I had left. Whatever changes were made, is certainly not from the era I stayed with the company.” 

     A bold faced lie, and a perfect tactic to subvert any blame on himself - or at least to ignore it. A human he was, and errors he made plenty, but this was not one of them. Kamski prided himself in that. 

          His eyes flickered down, and he muttered, “Well, that’s a shame.” In part, he was disappointed, truly, but past is past and the future is so much brighter.

          “I’m sure if you built them before, you could build them again.” 

❝   Just because it was after your time doesn’t mean something. A virus can lay dormant for years, decades, even GENERATIONS before finally attacking. You should hear the meetings we have these days. Did Kamski do this, did Kamski do that? How can we stop it? Funny how you leave the company and now they just can’t STOP talking about you.   ❞   Though for Damon himself, he didn’t particularly care if Elijah had been the one to implicate it; it brought up more fascinating research for the older man and why put that to waste? Just more experimentation to be done and more understanding to satiate a thirst to know and conquer.

The others could cry all they wanted about the dangers of deviants but as Damon had stated, he had his own interests in deviancy and it certainly wasn’t due to the outcry from and safety for the PUBLIC. Not that he had ever truly cared about them to begin with.

Curious, though, how the creator might find it a SHAME that AI work had been destroyed.  ❝   I would think you’d be glad. It prevented competition in the growing years of CyberLife after the RT600 model was created. No companies popping up with their own right away and allowed you to get established.   ❞  Wasted years spent only to be done by someone both younger and a bloody American at that.

Though that wasn’t to say all work was gone; Damon still recalled may of the workings from before, all stored safely in his head and away from prying eyes. Especially from those like Elijah, people Damon could never get himself to trust due to perceived COMPETITION in their similarities. 

▌ ▲▐ ─────                    Chocolate brown hues usually so warm and giving became harder upon falling to the figure present. Softly arched brows twitched faintly knit but a moment at the mention if the Zen Garden and his eyes narrowed without his consent nor knowledge. Automatic, reflexive. The android frowned.

                   “It’s an unscheduled visit,” he informed, tone cool and dry as the day he was activated. There was no inflection, no warmth. Were Damon an ignorant man he would surely believe this android to be nothing more than a machine. But then, Damon was not an ignorant man. Connor explained. “I came in for maintenance in regards to damage sustained in the field.” The blue presently staining the stark white of his uniform shirt with rich color was only partially faded, encompassing a few sporadic bullet holes.

                   So he had been careless with his safety in the line of duty once more. Defending a human needlessly, no doubt. Foolish thing that he was. He would require internal damage analysis and more than likely a new breastplate.

Finally, gaze drifted downwards as the pound moved to be grasped within his fist. There were other Connor models, yes, but there was always that worry of lost DATA, things that might be crucial to investigation lost between the transfer.  His tongue clicked against the roof of his mouth in a disapproving tsk at the sight of the mess that had been made. True, most would see an android expendable and yet there was clear frustration shining within those bright eyes at the view of blue on what should have been pristine. So much for plans to go over the next stage of CyberLife and the RK model.

❝   What was the situation? I hope if you’re nearly getting yourself killed, it has to do with a deviant and not just———  I don’t know, playing HERO all on your own.   ❞   Humans got into danger every day, it wasn’t the primary concern of the company at the moment, not until ORDER had been restored. His right hand reached out, moving aside past of the jacket of its uniform to get a clearer look at damage sustained. Damon didn’t work in maintenance, not in terms of physical damages so he’d have to pass it off to some faceless employee before working on potential damages to its programs and systems.  ❝   You do realize how much money you cost us, right? Going and being reckless if it has nothing to do with your mission, well that’s what we call artificial STUPIDITY rather than intelligence.  . ❞

criminal minds starters  //  @scarredfear

                    hazel hues narrowed as the man before him spoke. at first he thought it was a client who needed help with a vehicle. but when the man opened his mouth caleb’s guard went up immediately. we? our? this guy worked for cyberlife, that much was clear. “what do you want?” caleb figured this guy wanted something else, if he didn’t immediately call the cops on him. “and more importantly, who the hell are you?”

     Oh he brightened at that. Gleamed, even. 

          “Hm. Well, I wasn’t, but we could if you wanted to. I don’t mind sharing the complexities of my creations, especially with those in-company.”

     He was lying, of course, but he was well-enough impressed by Damon’s near admittance of working outside the company bounds.

          “There’s always a point where the company no longer meets personal standards. Personal goals. But then, it’s made for the public, not the private.” 

     It was interesting, to say the least, and he wondered to himself what, exactly, the other had in mind. Corrupted experiments the way he’s heard about on the streets? Interest in Deviancy and how it works? So many possibilities, he wanted to know. 

          “If you do one day head the company, you could really do anything that you want, within reason between the board and all. But I doubt they’d really be opposed. Especially if you use a few friendly words in their favor.” 

     Elijah brought his hands together, clasped in front of him with an innocent tilt of his head. Genuine curiosity, but at the expense of an agenda.

“If you were so keen on working with AI back then, I’d love to see your design.” 

Strange. Damon might have thought the discussion of deviancy would be something the man might shy away from. Some were quick to point fingers for who was to BLAME for the deviancy problem and they were originally his design. He core coding still resided within many of the androids though Damon did seek to one day develop a better core coding but that was still some time away. Still tinkering, hoping to ELIMINATE any probability of deviancy within any model he hoped to create from scratch.

Not that he would so willingly admit that, not when so many were relient on the old coding as they had some trust for it and especially not to the man himself.

❝   I’d be careful with who you talk to about the deviancy issue. I can assure you that some on the board are——— well, they aren’t exactly HAPPY with you. Blame the core coding that’s still in use. Though I hardly have any ill will towards you even if you are to blame. As they say, to err is HUMAN.   ❞

Oh, but then he brought up past designs and a spark of anger shone in crystal eyes before quickly being extinguished as his gaze flickered downwards. Of course, any trace of his own designs were long gone, destroyed in one of his fits of RAGE when he had lost the race to create AI. Hearing about it on the news, most all work had been smashed, burned, anything possible to eliminate all traces of it. And then he had come to work at CyberLife.

     Elijah grinned, then. It was almost cute, and he didn’t want to overstep or offend the man. He wouldn’t mind if he hadn’t had other plans in the works. 

          “I genuinely wish you luck. CyberLife should be put into good enough hands to follow android improvement indefinitely.” 

     And, certainly it was true, but Elijah had ready to take up the mantle again at the last signs of failure from his creations, if Deviancy were to be found and exterminated. If he couldn’t usher humanity within androids, then he would gladly retake his company with the same brilliant smile and the same secrets. 

     But in the case it was unnecessary, he would gladly let CyberLife fall. To him, it didn’t matter who was in control, now or ever. The Tower was done, was destined to fall, and androids would indefinitely inherit the right to their own production one way or another. 

     Elijah was done with most of it. He need not lift a finger unless absolutely necessary. 

          “If you’ve been with us as long as you say, then not only am I impressed but I’m certain you understand the workings and evolution of androids thoroughly. You’d have a better shot than most.” 

❝   When I was beat at the game of AI, figured better to just join the creator. Though America has always been a bit more OPEN about the idea of it then Europe so I shouldn’t be too surprised.   ❞  Annoyed, yes, but there were far more hurdles within Europe and laws that were so restricting in research. It really was no wonder he was beaten by an American. Some places had even outright BANNED androids with human features; doomed from the start in a way.

Oh but that wording. Damon doubted it was meant to mean anything and yet he couldn’t help but thin on how some called deviancy the next step in EVOLUTION of androids. Free will, free thinking, sentient beings were just bound to happen. Jaw locked though the man forced a tight smile. Of course the issue with deviancy made their creator look just as bad as the company itself so it truly did no one any good in terms of the business of creating androids.

And yet, Damon himself couldn’t help but be so FASCINATED by them———

❝   Oh, I’m well aware. I started working for you soon after the Chloe model, after all.   ❞  Though he respected the man for his intelligence and progress, it certainly didn’t bring forth any other emotions save for perhaps JEALOUSY that the other had bee the first to successfully create artificial intelligence. Just because he used to work for the man didn’t mean he had to even like him.   ❝   In fact, it was you LEAVING that got me my current position.   ❞  His lips quirked upwards in a brief smirk though it just as quickly dissolved back into that neutral expression. 

Lucky for Damon, really, that he had.

But it was that same mindset that seemed to bring success. Pull oneself to the top despite all opposition and maintain that CONTROL though Damon would sooner say Elijah had lost that control and power with his departure from the company. 

It had happened over and over again, so similar in nature that it had begun to feel safe. At least it was easier to deal with conflict that way. Every time, Ralph would brandish his knife. And every time, the intruder would attempt to calm him down. As if the fear could be pushed back by the soothing voice of a stranger. It brought more terror to his sensors, deviancy writhing within him like a demon. A spirit that would not heed. His deviancy was the strongest thing about him.

Ralph backed up a bit, toning down the aggressive front he had put up. The slight twitch of his lip, weighed down by scars, the way his head turned… He hoped the signs of fear were subtle enough. It took so much effort just to remember not to fall in to habitual tics. “You shouldn’t be here. Not here. This is Ralph’s home.” Bitterness. A little tremble, which had come from the way this human’s initial words shook his core.

The knife lowered somewhat. Not as pointed, not as refined. “A store. Across from Ralph’s home. Go there. You aren’t wanted here.” He hoped he sounded firm enough. He could only hope.

As the knife was lowered, Damon allowed his own hand to lower, falling to his slightly though muscles still TENSED in case the android tried to attack. Crystal eyes could make out in the darkness the scars marring his face though he tried to make his slight glance unnoticeable in fear it might trigger some sort of rage from the android. Funny thing, fear. The man didn’t feel it OFTEN though a weapon being brandished was enough to get the adrenaline flowing through his veins. Blood pumping, body tight in a sense of fight or flight, heart racing against his chest. Just the body’s way of attempting to survive what could be a perilous situation.

❝   Already tried. Man said buy something or GET OUT so I got out. I’m just waiting for my ride but it’s a ways out.   ❞   This hadn’t been in the report, a deviant in the house and Damon was just as surprised to find it had STAYED despite the android hunter entering the premises. Had it fled for any amount of time or stayed despite the discovery? And here he had thought deviants were more careful with their survival.