Connor Compendium

(to Richard from Gavin)

X

—

Richard looked over at Gavin in confusion, not really understanding what the man meant. People give him many different looks, so Gavin was going to have to be more specific.

Richard was careful when Gavin was this irritated and quiet. If he said anything, he feared the risk of making things worse, even if he didn’t mean to. He was just bad at wording things apparently. The android always seemed to unintentionally piss Gavin off.

He tilted his head at Gavin’s questions. They do offer those upgrades. I am hesitant to get them, however. I am cautious around technicians.

Human techs had problems with still treating androids like machines and objects. Android techs didn’t like Richard. All androids were wary if Richard. I do sometimes think that I could benefit from eating, but I am unsure if it is worth the hassle.

It was strange to see Gavin so invested in how he worked, but he didn’t mind. In fact, Richard was eager to inform the man about what he was capable and incapable of doing.

Worse than me taking my throat apart to access a compartment full of chewed up food?

Gavin gaped, shocked. “You can’t just like… stick your fingers down there and- hyuh-” he gestured with his finger pointed to his mouth and mimicked heaving. 

I mean, I could, but taking my throat apart would be easier and quicker.

“Wow! That’s so freaky!” Gavin commented thoughtlessly. “Can I see?”

Do I ask to see you take a shit?

He looked genuinely surprised, caught off guard by the vulgarity and struck by the comment itself. He had no idea it was so personal.

I would rather you not see that.

He just nodded, his cheeks red now that he was aware of his faux pas. “Oh yeah… … Ok. My bad…” He paid his utmost attention to the coffee in his hands. Richard’s next comment caught him completely off guard. 

You can see other things about my body, but I would rather keep the stranger things private.

He choked a little, sputtering on his coffee for a minute before clearing his throat and regaining some composure. “Yeah?” cough, “Like what…?” His eyes were wide with interest, his mind immediately in the gutter. 

… Like me without my skin or some internal functions. However, I have the feeling you are thinking about something else.

“Whaa-?” Gavin tried to sound shocked at the accusation. “Nooo…. No… I was jus’ uh… Yeah. That’d be cool. … To see your… uh… robot… parts….” 

The most you are seeing is me shirtless without skin. Maybe my Thirium pump as well.

The thought alone made Gavin’s heart speed up. He’d never seen an android like that before, at least not… alive. There was something strangely erotic about it, or else he was just that thirsty. It had been a while. He was chewing on his lip and deep in thought about what parts he might be allowed to see later, when a man from the booth behind him decided to speak up.

“Can you stop flirting with your fleshlight? I’m losing my appetite over here.”

Gavin’s fist made contact with the table with a loud BANG, startling the innocent patrons, as well as the asshole. He was on his feet in an instant, rounding on the man who had the audacity to talk shit. “The Fuck did you just say? Hey! Asshole! I’m talking to you!” he slammed a fist down on the other guy’s table this time. He wasn’t screaming, but his voice was loud and unhinged, with very little effort to contain his anger. 

“Hey, Dick!” Gavin’s obtrusive greeting cut through the background chatter of their shared office space. “I gotchu somethin’ boiii!!” he declared with gleeful enthusiasm, as he produced a small package from behind his back. It was a box, wrapped tidily with a bow on top. Without a care, he tossed the gift to the RK900, confident in the android’s ability to catch it. 

(to Richard from Gavin)

X

—

Richard looked over at Gavin in confusion, not really understanding what the man meant. People give him many different looks, so Gavin was going to have to be more specific.

Richard was careful when Gavin was this irritated and quiet. If he said anything, he feared the risk of making things worse, even if he didn’t mean to. He was just bad at wording things apparently. The android always seemed to unintentionally piss Gavin off.

He tilted his head at Gavin’s questions. They do offer those upgrades. I am hesitant to get them, however. I am cautious around technicians.

Human techs had problems with still treating androids like machines and objects. Android techs didn’t like Richard. All androids were wary if Richard. I do sometimes think that I could benefit from eating, but I am unsure if it is worth the hassle.

Connor awoke once his program finished assessing and sorting a multitude of errors. Memory corrupted, files not found, broken pieces of code mended into working order. He blinked, his LED flickering yellow. It settled to blue after a moment, his system gave the all-clear. In spite of the errors, he was functioning at full capacity and feeling fine. 

After all, they didn’t work with him. They simply knew of him. Heard of him. Knew of his accomplishments and many of his studies. But they didn’t know him. They could only infer his motives and passions for the world around him.

And they certainly couldn’t know about his secret project.

But what he didn’t expect was to speak with someone in robotics. Well, that wasn’t necessarily accurate. That was expected. What he didn’t expect was what he’d get out of that conversation.

They spoke of a prototype android. One that had been sold and passed around in circles of engineers and scientists alike. Many reported that no matter what, the android behaved disobediently. Defective, they called it.

That didn’t sit right with Nathan. These people weren’t true scientists. Scientists searched for the truth. What these mocks wanted was justification for their already preconceived notions and views of the world. They were disgraces to the sacred art of science itself.

It was no surprise that the moment his colleague spoke about potentially scrapping or disposing of the android, Nathan protested. How could they just waste or throw something away with so much potential? Had they gone mad?!

He didn’t want to pay for the android, but he would do anything just to make certain it wouldn’t be disposed of like garbage. Because it wasn’t. It was something marvelous and extraordinary. It deserved to be studied. To be understood.

As itself. Not an idea that needed to be filled, but what it already was. What it would become when allowed to be itself. What ‘itself’ meant.

And when the android finally awoke in his cybernetics room after he ensured the android was in perfect physical condition, the scientist greeted him with a smile and extended his hand in greeting. After all, just because he was now his subject didn’t mean that proper introductions weren’t in place. “Dr. Nathan Oswell.” He said doing just that, offering the android a welcoming smile. “It’s an absolute pleasure to meet you Connor. How are you feeling? Comfortable? Stiff?”

(to Richard from Gavin)

X

—

Richard looked over at Gavin in confusion, not really understanding what the man meant. People give him many different looks, so Gavin was going to have to be more specific.

Richard froze as Gavin rejected his attempts of reassuring the man that he wasn’t overstepping. Did he do something wrong? He knew he struggled with proper human social cues and behaviors since he was so new to deviancy as well as not having the same social programs that Connor had. In that way, he was inferior to his predecessor. 

After a moment, the android began to follow Gavin again, hands fidgeting to try to reduce his stress levels. He should apologize, but Gavin didn’t seem to want to talk to him any longer. Should he even be following him? Should he just let Gavin get food and just go back to the precinct to wait for him? 

In the end, Richard continued to follow Gavin, his face completely void of emotion. The only indication of how he was feeling was his LED flickering between red and yellow. Why couldn’t he have stayed a machine? It was so much easier.

It took until they were seated in a booth at the Waffle House, and two cups of black coffee, before Gavin finally spoke to his partner again. “You ever wish you could eat? Do they make hardware upgrades for that or some shit?” he looked up from sipping coffee number three. The way Gavin’s eyes tilted slightly outwards made him look sad every time his brows lifted. He looked cautious, and a little bit afraid.