Not Alive

Partners

I took another cab to the downtown gym, the building surprisingly small and made of brick with a neon sign over the door that read "Downtown Gym".

I got out of the cab and walked towards the door, the car driving off while I opened the door and stepped inside, the strong scent of sweat filling my nose as soon as I took a breath.

"Excuse me, do you know where I could find Tyler Schied?" I asked the android receptionist at the front desk, my voice barely audible to myself over the sounds of the gym.

Several types of exercise machines like treadmills filled the space behind the desk, most of them occupied by people bobbing their heads to the beat of the classic rock music playing on the overhead speakers. Lined on the right wall was rows of gray lockers and the left wall had several shower stalls.

"Mr. Schied entered the gym at 5:30 this morning and has not left yet." The android stated with a polite smile.

I nodded in appreciation and walked past the desk, my eyes scanning the area for signs of the officer.

From the file I had received about him from Matt, Tyler Schied is a twenty-nine year old male with short curly brown hair and is known as "Stone-Face Tyler" or "One-Word Tyler" by his colleagues and those he arrests.

I casually scanned each human's face as I walked around the gym with my hands clasped behind my back, a display of the human's police file appearing in my vision as I analyzed them carefully before I would move on to the next.

It wasn't until I got to the back of the gym where the back wall was peppered with small colorful rocks made of plastic, a lone male scaling the wall with no safety harness attached despite the recommendation of wearing one posted on the holographic sign in front of me.

With one glance at the man's face, I could tell that they were the person I was looking for as I watched him easily find a new handhold and continue climbing with ease.

Tyler was dressed in a pair of light gray basketball shorts and a plain black t-shirt, his hair partially hidden by a gray knit beanie.

"Lieutenant Schied?" I called up to him loudly, hoping to gain his attention.

The officer either ignored me or didn't hear me as he finally reached the top of the wall, his neck craning back to look at the brick ceiling.

"Lieutenant!" I shouted, causing other patrons to shoot confused glances at me before resuming their exercises.

Only then did Lieutenant Schied look down at me, his silver-blue eyes scrutinizing me as the sweat that plastered the male's hair to his forehead dripped slowly down his face.

"What?!" Lieutenant Schied snapped impatiently as he started climbing back down, his movements calculated as if he had scaled the wall multiple times before.

"You were assigned a case that you have yet to be debriefed about that-"

"Oh great, you're an android." Lieutenant Schied scowled with a loud huff as he hopped onto the ground and stepped up to me, his expression showing his irritation.

"Does the fact that I'm an android impede you from solving the case?" I questioned, my expression neutral as Lieutenant Schied glared at me.

"Why the hell would I need you for whatever my next case is anyway?" Lieutenant Schied retorted bitterly.

"I have been assigned to work with you to help decrease the rate of android deviancy in LA." I informed him.

"Thanks, but no thanks." Lieutenant Schied replied tersely before striding over to one of the lockers and swinging it open with a bang, the officer retrieving a big black duffel before slamming the door shut and walking towards the exit.

I quickly followed Lieutenant Schied as he climbed into his car, my arm reaching for him as he shut the door hard.

The door bounced off of my arm and left a cut on my suit, my skin beneath the ripped clothing bleeding slightly.

"Goddamn machines." Tyler grumbled as he shoved my arm out of the way of the car door and motioned for me to get into the passenger seat as he closed the door.

I quickly climbed in before the car took off, the tires squealing as the car started to move at a crawl.

"Lieutenant...can I ask you a personal question?" I asked Lieutenant Schied.

"You can, but I won't answer." Lieutenant Schied responded instantly, his eyes focused on the road as his grip tightened on the steering wheel.

I fell silent as I watched the world fly by in a blur of colors, humans walking down the streets with androids in tow.

"Get out." Lieutenant Schied directed gruffly as the car pulled to a stop at the police station, the male already out of the car.

I got out of the car and followed Lieutenant Schied inside, my gaze wandering to observe my surroundings since I knew I would spend a lot of time here.

"Lieutenant, Captain wants to talk to you." A male with short brown hair and sapphire blue eyes stated, my analyzation of him revealing that his name was Private Ethan Nestor.

Lieutenant Schied grumbled something under his breath before he stormed off, leaving me to choose what I should do.

Follow Tyler?

Explore?