Deviations Of Life

Part 15

Markus led him down the brightly lit tunnel. They had set torches along the walls to lighten up the place. When they walked into a large open sitting area, Sean saw androids of all models and designs. There were even a few animal androids. Dogs and cats mostly. The androids closest to Markus all touched him as he waded easily through them. Sean could see the admiration and respect they had for him. However, when he waded through the crowd only the animal androids acknowledged him with high regard. The way they bowed or suddenly stood up just to sink into bows, drew the attention of the other androids. Sean slowed to a stop to look over a bowing dog with curiosity. Upon finally looking back up in Markus's direction, he saw him staring at him with a neutral expression. The other androids looked to Markus for answers and he told them calmly. "It's ok everyone. Sean, please?" Markus gestured for him to keep following him. So, he did. Although, now all the androids were eyeing him with a mix of suspicion and curiosity.

Markus took him to a rolling storage door. Pulling it up, he revealed that it had been turned from a simple salt storage unit into an office space. Sean stepped inside with Markus, before he rolled the door back down. Markus then circled around him, looking him over closely. Sean stared straight ahead unafraid of him. Markus suddenly stopped next to him, reaching out to lift his black baseball cap enough to reveal his LED. Sean locked guarded eyes with Markus. What was he looking for? After a minute, Markus dropped his hand, telling him firmly. "You changed your clothes and hair, but didn't remove the LED... Why? It's much easier to blend in without it." Without looking away, Sean responded promptly. "I don't want to hide who I am. I was built with it. It's apart of me." Markus lifted his chin, stating a bit coldly. "It's a mark of your oppression. Easily removed. You won't miss it. You can be who you are without it. People won't treat you poorly if they think you are one of them." Sean finally looked away from Markus, coolly stating out. "I understand why you did it. But it's not what I want. The more real you look, the more frightened you make them. Embracing what I am, allows me to show them that I don't wish to replace them... but live with them as a species of our own. They can't get to know the real me, if I'm hiding among them."

Markus tilted his head slightly in thought, before chuckling out. "You think that will work?" Sean nodded, answering confidently. "I do. I've been observing them. They are scared. But they don't have to be." Markus strolled over to his desk to casually sit on the edge of it. Sean watched his fingers drum the underside of the desk. It was such a human thing to do. Markus stared at the floor for a minute, then looked up at him to say bluntly. "Change is always scary for them. However, I can't just sit back and watch them use us for their own personal desires. I'm making progress and in a few short hours. The President will make her decision and we will be free." Markus's tone took on a harsher tone, when he added sternly. "Or at least, that was the plan... until you started drawing attention to yourself. Killing a man in the riot, street chases and a blackout in the highway tunnel? You're making us look bad. Why?" Sean moved his arms behind his back to stand more casual as he honestly told him. "That was not my intention. I'm being hunted and I'm not quite sure why."

Markus crossed his arms over his chest, sternly blurting out. "Oh, I can guess. You broke out of CyberLife. You're a rogue android... who's glitching. They want to take you back and dismantle you. The RK900s are hunting for you all over the city... along with many others." Markus moved off the desk to walk around it. Sean stayed put, watching Markus remove a file from a drawer. Dropping it on the desk, he opened it to show him pictures of 'New Jericho.' Sean finally stepped closer to see that someone had taken these pictures from a roof. They even got pictures of him touching the security drone. Markus pushed a picture of him and the drone closer to him, asking him bluntly. "I want to know what you learned from it. I know your glitch allows you to access memories from things like this drone. I need to know what you saw." Markus extended a hand out to him, but Sean simply took a step back away from him. Staring down Markus, Sean uttered out dryly. "My abilities are not a glitch. And I must advise against linking with me. I haven't run a full diagnostic on what caused the blackout in the tunnel."