Safer (a Detroit: Become Human fanfic)

EternalLife/Death up Close

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All the talk about love and feelings made Chloe feel dizzy. Sitting there, next to Elijah, a human, or THE human, and hearing him say such words as 'forever' and 'til you die' made her mind travel thousands of miles and dozens of years in time, not that it hadn't done that before, but this time hit different. The thought of him in a coffin, the human can die, and death is an essential part of who he is, how he thinks and how he loves, what life is to him. Maybe death was why the humans felt so disturbed by androids. Never quite right. But THE human felt completely right with her. Had he thought about his death the way she thought about it, he wouldn't be.

"Humans learn about their inevitable demise at a very young age", Carl had told her the first time she brought up the subject, while writing Markus's code.

She'd asked him if death was something he'd fear, considering he was supposed to be the most human android of all. Humans are the rebellion. Against everything. So, he was supposed to be human. And if there's one thing humans can't rebel against, it's death.

According to Carl, even that, they try their hardest to rebel against, develop a close relationship with overtime.

"It's not a love hate relationship either. It's pure chaotic energy, if there is chaotic energy out there. It's our biggest fear, we know it's going to happen eventually, but you never really know when, and you never really know what's after. It's the most terrifying thing ever, but we know it. By heart. We acknowledge it from such a young age it becomes normalcy to us. Suddenly the fear of the unknown isn't a fear."

'Isn't a fear for you,' she thought now, the human still very passionately trying to explain what love really is to dumbfounded Connor, his hands with his veins inside them flying around in the air, his heart beat a steady sign of slight excitement, heart beating, for now.

See, if the human had his whole life to make amends with his death, her lifetime wouldn't be enough to do that. Nor would the time she'd outlive him, at this rate.

"Right, Chloe?"

"What?"

"Are you not listening to me?"

"Oh jeez, sorry sweetheart, I was just.. I guess I was.. I guess-

"It's okay, it's all good. Whatever."

"Nah, that's not an actual whatever, is it?"

He shrugged, directing his attention back to Connor.

"See, Connor, even the ones you love won't pay attention to you." He chuckled.

"Oh fuck you, I was thinking about something imortant. Listen, off topic, well, not really, because the only reason I'm even thinking about this is because I love you, but do you think.. Do you think we can stop death?"

"Stop death?" both of the men said at the same time, looking at her, eyes as confused as they get.

"Stop it. Or.. change it, make it do what we want it to?"

"Death isn't our bitch, we're her bitch, let's get that shit straight." Elijah said, leaning on one elbow to face her.

"No, human, you are. I'm, I'm not."

"I have to ask... why are we discussing death right now?" Connor nervously flipped his coin from finger to finger.

"Because I said so, Connor, because I said so."

Connor's eyebrows pressed together, before looking at nothing in specific, a pretty common sight for anyone who knew him for more than 5 minutes.

"Jesus Connor, I didn't pass the turing test for you to do this," Chloe giggled, scooping forward, closer to both of the men, "We're talking about it because it's the one thing separating humans and androids, and it confuses me beyond-

"But we were talking about love, right?"

"And I realized I can't live without him."

"Oh.. That.. Makes sense."

Chloe nodded, before looking at Elijah, who suddenly looked concerned, and then she couldn't hold back the tears. She didn't expect to get this overflown by the sudden dread of death and the weight of the future, but here it was.

"Holy moly you're serious, aren't you?" he giggled, putting an arm around her shoulder and pressing her head to his chest, "Having a bit of an existential crisis girlie?"

"You're not funny, I'm serious. You won't get it, you see it in a human way, me, I see it in-

"An android way." Connor continued, nodding with her.

"Yeah.." she answered, weakly, hugging the human, "In a terrifying, android way."

"It's foreign. It's.. surreal."

"I'm usually always up to have philosophical discussions but you guys are freaking me out."

"You're gonna die." Chloe whimpered into his chest.

"Yeah, you're going to most likely meet your human demise at some point in ti-

"Yeah you're definitely freaking me out, can we not do this right now?"

"I don't know why this hit me so hard right now but-but.. But I don't think I'll get over this shit any time soon I.. holy fuck why didn't I think about this shit before?"

"Wh- Calm down, I'm not dead now..?"

"But you-

"What if he doesn't, at all, die?"

"Guys, please stop discussing my death while I'm still here??"

"Seriously, Mr Kamski, think about it. You, Gavin, Hank, none of you really need to die."

"Yeah last I checked immortality wasn't much of a real life option."

"To you. Humans haven't been able to think of a way to reach it, but our minds are way more advanced, and if we really sit down and collectively work on it, maybe we can-

"Conan!" Chloe yelped, sitting up straight and wiping her tears off.

"What?"

"Conan, if anyone can do it, Conan can do it!"

"What.. again?"

"He's the single greatest mind on earth, he's, he's the most intelligent being available to us, he has to do it!"

"We can try to, too."

"We can try, but he's faster, smarter-

"More resilient. I'm aware."

"Oh shit, sorry, didn't mean to offend-

"Sibling rivalry is a normal phenomenon. Besides, it's a fact, not much of an argument there."

"Well, all three of us can work together, can't we?"

"For efficiency's sake, I agree, we most definitely should." Connor smiled.

"Can I participate in your little eternal life project too?" Elijah sighed, leaning back into the couch and crossing his arms in front of him.

"EternalLife." Chloe smiled back. "Sounds like a thing, doesn't it?"

"Are you already opening a company?"

"Maybe," she glanced at him, before booping his nose and watching him turn pink instantly, "have a problem with it, subject?"

"Bitch you're not experimenting on me."

"What else do you wanna be then?"

"A participant?"

She burst into laughter, and even Connor chuckled, covering his mouth.

"Mr Kamski, you are, admittedly, a genius, one of the greatest human minds to ever exist, but your intelligence is very limited compared to ours, and you know that."

"Yeah, of course I know that, but I have something you can never have."

"DON'T SAY IT, DON'T SAY-

"A soul that knows death up close."