Crime
Scene
DATE
JANUARY 27, 2039
TIME
PM 02:47:23
Haley sat in a café
chair near the fire, holding a full cup of coffee with both hands. She stared
at the creamy liquid, dazed. She paid little attention to the investigators
walking by her, taking photos, and discussing information.
The front door chimed
as two sets of footsteps crossed the threshold.
“Holy shit.” A deep,
gruff male voice said.
A soft display of
ripples danced on the surface of her coffee as an officer walked by toward the
entrance.
“Good afternoon,
Lieutenant Anderson.” Officer Miller said. He had been the first to arrive
after the incident.
“Yeah, doesn’t look
so good, does it?” The lieutenant responded.
“Could be worse,
sir. This one is still alive at least.” Officer Miller said.
“And we’re sure it’s
the same guy?”
“Well, she’s a
young, fair-skinned woman with auburn hair…”
“Hmm.” Anderson
gruffed.
Haley tuned in to
listen more attentively, though she kept her head down. She was part of a series of attacks? She felt their eyes
on her and she tightened her grip on the coffee mug.
“She’s still in
shock. Hasn’t been able to say much.” Officer Miller said. “Unfortunately, the
dishwasher said he was on break when the whole thing happened.”
The red head heard
feet shuffling.
“Umm, lieutenant…?”
Came a different officer’s voice.
“Ugh. Christ.” Lieutenant
Anderson again. “He’s analyzing the blue blood. He says it’s faster for him to
do it on site. Just pay him no mind.”
“By the way, I heard
you personally asked Captain Fowler to keep Connor on the Detroit Police
Force.” Officer Miller walked with the lieutenant around the café. “Didn’t’ see
that comin’.”
“CyberLife would’ve
destroyed him if they got him back.” Lieutenant Anderson let out a heavy
breath. “Nothing’s set in stone yet. But I do owe Jeffery for at least delaying
things. Hopefully we can get it sorted out.”
“Hey Connor,” The
lieutenant spoke up. “You able to do that memory access thing on this android?”
Haley’s nerves
prickled at the mention of David.
“I would need to
reactivate it,” Came a new, smooth voice. “Unfortunately, it’s far too damaged
to do that.”
“Shit.” Anderson
breathed.
“However, I analyzed
its damaged biocomponents and conducted a scan on the café. I should be able to
reconstruct the incident, but it’s vague.”
Haley began to
nervously run her thumb over the handle of the coffee mug. The image of the
attacker came into her head. The blue blood on the knife he pulled out of David.
And the disturbing way he looked at her.
The sound of chair
legs sliding on the wood floor snapped her out of the vision. Someone sat
across from her.
She looked up a bit,
seeing a gray jacket accented with a blue cuff around the right arm and a blue
triangle on the front of one shoulder. She read “RK800” above a series of small numbers on the
opposite shoulder of the jacket.
Connor took a
moment to scan the young woman.
ANALYZING…
RYAN, Haley // Height:
5’3” - Weight: 112.4 pounds
Occupation:
Coffee barista and store owner
Born: November 18, 2011
The android
watched her eyes as they studied the front of his jacket. She appeared unstable
and nervous.
“Hello, Miss
Ryan. My name is Connor.” He kept his voice soft and cautious.
The young woman tilted
up her chin, her gaze hesitating on his temple where his LED was. Then she met
his eyes with hers. Her expression appeared dejected and lost.
The android’s
eyes were drawn to the deactivated android on the floor, surrounded by a puddle
of thirium. “That android…you were close weren’t you?”
Connor saw the
girl follow his gaze to the android. Her eyes glassed over and he heard her
swallow. She looked back down at the coffee she held in her hands, closing her
eyes.
Connor studied
her face. “What was his name?”
“David.” She
whispered. Tears collected on her long, dark lashes. “My father left him with
me after he passed.” Her hands shook.
Connor gently
placed one hand on the back of hers. He then eased the coffee mug out of her
hands and set it on the table. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.” He
leaned forward, placing his elbows on his knees and folded his hands in front
of him. “I just want to understand what happened.”
The girl looked
up at him, a single tear running down her cheek.
“We want to catch
the criminal so that he can’t hurt you again. You can help us.”
Haley took a deep
breath before she began to recount the events of the afternoon.
Connor listened
patiently, never interrupting.
When she finished,
tears streamed down her face. She wiped her face with her sleeve. “I’m sorry.”
“No need to
apologize. Are you alright?”
The girl nodded.
After lingering a
moment longer, he stood up. “Thank you, Miss Ryan.” He shifted his shoulders,
straightening his jacket, and then tightened his tie.
Connor walked
over to the front of the shop where Hank stood with Officer Miller. “I found
out what happened, lieutenant.”
“Let’s hear it.”
