SENTIENT

Admission

It took AJ overnight to get the vodka-tonic out of her system and this morning, she needed caffeine – lots of it – to circulate throughout her veins. Miller left a beeper on her smartphone and requested her in his office before seven.

Connor, of course, was already there. Right outside the door of Miller's office to pull it open as AJ walked through. Miller had just few things to say about the double homicide case that just closed.

"What the hell happened in there?! The protocol was to shoot at sight! You completely jeopardized yourself and the rest of the officers on scene!"

AJ tried to explain, "Captain Miller, we believe that bringing in the suspects alive would be more beneficial – especially with the recent circumstances."

"What recent circumstances? What are you going on about?" It was only 06:48 AM and Miller was not in the mood for vague ideas before his first coffee.

"If we want to catch these deviants, we need to study the behavior that reveals more about their deviancy. The best way we can do that is direct interviews – see if different methods create reaction to different profiles." AJ stopped once she realized she was starting to sound like her android partner.

Miller exhaled a loud and irritable sigh. This time, he made sure to speak louder than himself before.

"Methods? Profile? Behavior?! These deviants stalk, assault, shot, and stab their victims! They kill – and that is the only behavior we need to know!"

Deep down, Connor was scolding himself silly. Miller could be a drill sergeant sometimes. He knew Miller doesn't do well with new ideas, and he knew AJ was not going to just take it.

AJ tried to defend their idea once again, "With all due respect, sir, I know how it sounds but this could be a better way to identify–" Before Miller so rudely interrupted her.

"Detective, this is not a good time," Miller showed them his palm. That palm continued to gesture in the air and activated a hologram broadcast of his terminal screen. Disturbing photographs of a crime scene swiveled up and down after another.

He said, "Deviants Crime Unit just turned down another case for a very important lead on the Blueblood Ripper investigation. I need the two of you to get on it now!"

AJ received this file over her tablet, but quickly dismissed the notification on her screen. "If you don't mind me asking, what is this important lead about?"

Once again, Miller sighed. "If I tell you, will you get the hell out of my office?"

"Sure," AJ said.

"The DCU is overwhelmed. They're getting a thousand hits at a time, looking into deviants with medical knowledge – surgeon models, paramedic, healthcare workers – and cross-checking with criminal records or history of violence."

He gave his two problematic subordinates a final good look and quickly resumed his work.

Hearing this explanation was the light to AJ's fuse, but she didn't want to set herself off in front of the captain. Having her insight stolen once again was not unexpected and she knew there was only one person behind this.

It had been entirely planned by Adrian Gates. She walked out of Miller's office muttering something under her breath, "No good son of a bitch."

"Detective, where are you going?" Connor tried to keep up with her pace. She was now faster than an android trying to follow her.

"I just need to have a word with someone." She grunted. Her blinking was hasty and her breathing grew impatient.

He was able to keep up. Now he's standing between her and the elevator button, "I'm coming with you."

"I don't need some android bodyguard to properly break-up with a person," she pressed the elevator button anyway. He said nothing to that as they both walked into the glass chamber that floated upwards.

The glass door of the elevator slid open to unveil the 12th floor. Smiling photos of all the officers killed in line of duty, rowed on one side of the wall, serving as a reminder of what kind of task these people walked into each day. AJ continued her long struts towards the end of the hall.

She pleaded, "Just don't. Don't say what you're programmed to say."

"It would be reasonable to have this 'talk' with Detective Gates tomorrow, maybe when you're more mindful of yourself." Connor suggested, but trying to talk her out of it serves the opposite of a calming effect. 

If anything, she wished that he would give up following her around. She thought that whoever designed androids must have thought that avoiding confrontations would diffuse situations.

Sitting in the break room with a fresh, warm cup of coffee, cracking jokes with a young brunette officer, was Adrian and his smug little grin.

He must have thought he deserved to take it easy for the day, since they're closer to finding a break on the Blueblood Ripper case. The most infuriating part is how nobody in the department has seen through his tricks like AJ did.

That smile faded off quickly when he met the fury in her expression. He tried to play it cool with another lie, "Audrey? Audrey, listen I was going to call you but–"

"Working around the clock, you?!" AJ yelled once she found him.

His brunette friend knew break time was over. All the officers working in the next room peeked their heads to check what the big scene was all about. Connor regarded the stares they were getting.

AJ wasn't bothered, she made herself appear taller over him. "You cheating, slacking, lying little roach! How could you put me in this position? After everything I went through for you!"

"Audrey, stop! Damn it! What did I ever do to you?" He pretended to not know.

The most painful part was knowing how much she had been taken advantage of by someone she had given her commitment to. She even let him come with her to visit her father's grave two Thanksgiving in a row – and that meant a huge deal to her.

"Are you kidding me? You knew I worked all my life to get here and I trusted you!" She was ready to violate his space, if necessary, "And that Blueblood Ripper lead? You used me! All those cases we worked together, that was all me and you know it!"

At this point, Connor knew it was time to hold her back before she does something that may cost her a disciplinary action.

"AJ, let it go," he said calmly. He was surprised at how much of a force she was to be reckoned with, and it does not help that Adrian continued provoking her.

The man who consisted of mainly protein shakes and poor self-awareness, arrogantly stood up from his seat. He did not care that he spilled his coffee all over the break room counter.

He couldn't hear any more about his actual incompetence. He responded, "Yeah? Or maybe you just can't accept that I've always been better at this job than you, Audrey! Reality check? I earned the gig and you–"

"Adrian, that's enough!" Exclaimed a voice from the other end of the hall.

It was Larrosa who had heard the commotion all the way from the conference room. Not that she had anything against her, the poor girl, but Larrosa ended the confrontation for good.

"Detective Whitley, I suggest you get back to work," said the lieutenant.

By the time AJ realized it was truly over, Connor felt a thousand weights lifted from her body. She was empty as a ghost of a woman who wasted two years in a manipulative relationship that impaired her career.

When Adrian did not like the way that Connor was staring back at him, he said, "What are you looking at, skinner?"

Concept Art by https://www.iamag.co/the-art-of-detroit-become-human/