Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

“Markus, could I please ask a favour?”

Markus raised his head sharply, shocked, as he stared at the person standing at the doorway. His visitor looked back with nothing more than a calm gaze, as though it was the most normal thing in the world for them to appear right here, right now.

Markus stood from his desk, wanting to close the distance and reach for their hand, pull them into a warm hug. But the other only stood there, revealing no intention of ever closing the distance.

In the end, Markus could only stand awkwardly, fingers pressed tight against the table’s edge.

“Of course… But Simon, where have you been?” 

It was already summer in Detroit, six months since their successful demonstration, and five months since Simon vanished without a word. But to Markus, it was as though everything happened only minutes ago.

On December 10th, thirty days after their victory, all androids were issued personal IDs by the government, permitting them possession of private property and freedom to work and travel. Even though there were still countless problems and conditions placed upon them, on that day, androids finally became official American citizens. On that day, Markus had watched as President Warren personally placed identity documents into the hands of the members of Jericho. He still remembered the tears in North’s eyes, Josh’s trembling hands as he held his ID card for the first time, and Simon…

Simon had calmly accepted the ID card with his printed photo and serial number, and nodded to Markus in thanks. At the time, Markus hadn’t thought too much about his reaction; Simon had always been quiet and introverted. It was not until the next morning that he even discovered anything was wrong: Simon had vanished. His room was neatly cleaned to the indisputable high standards of a domestic android. His wardrobe was empty, and the scattered personal belongings he had accumulated in the span of a month was gone without a trace. Markus had only found a small note left on the bedside table, where, in neat CyberLife Sans, Simon had written: 

Truth be told, Simon’s disappearance only caused a small uproar, but only among himself, North, and Josh. Of Jericho’s old crew - those androids who had seen Simon as their leader -  only North and Josh remained, and all those who joined later viewed only Markus as their uncontested leader. It used to unsettle him, because Jericho was Simon’s after all. He still remembered North’s indifference and Josh’s confusion when he had asked after Jericho’s origins. Yet when Simon was asked the same question, all he had said was: Jericho has always been here.

If Markus was honest, Simon’s sudden departure had at first left him struggling; without Simon it meant that he had to spend almost three times his usual time and energy managing Josh and North.  At the same time, he’d lost an ally who had always stood by his side giving his absolute support. Even though they’d fought their revolution using peaceful methods, North’s views toward humans were still extreme. Markus had long since learned to tread lightly during her fits of swearing and anger, filled with mumbled phrases of ‘dirty bomb’. And Josh was another kind of extreme, dialogue and dialogue and more dialogue, compromise and again compromise; to avoid another conflict with humans he was willing to waste the remaining 130 years of his life on meetings. Over the past five months while navigating between the pair of them, Markus found himself truly missing Simon.

The apparent fact remained: androids were truly some kind of superior being that could break the boundaries of their model designations to accomplish things that would deeply challenge a human. North may have been a member of the most popular entertainment model in America, but her skill and dramatic flair at the negotiation table ensured that those who had privately enjoyed the WR400 kept their distance. Right now, the most popular topic in human media was the confrontations between herself and President Warren at the negotiation table. “The Lioness and the Rabbit” - wrote one newspaper headline. Josh also hadn’t wasted his capabilities as a college lecturer and found a job truly suited to him: he was now the spokesperson for the android government. His calm and humble demeanour in front of the camera had won androids a great deal of support. And as for Markus, he was still doing the same work he was before - being dragged by North and Josh to meetings held here and there, returning to their headquarters located in the Detroit CBD where they governed to listen to their arguments, and then finally having to make a decision that was inevitably biased toward one side. Even though there were several hundred androids working here, it felt like nothing would function for even a minute without his signatures. 

In the rare time he had to himself, Markus would think of Simon. He would lean on top of his desk, his chin propped up in one hand, staring at Detroit's clear skies outside his window and wonder where Simon had disappeared to. Even though androids had won the title of ‘citizen’, they were for now still forbidden from crossing the border. After all, not all androids in every country had won freedom like they had. He’d let himself imagine that Simon was on a sunny beach in California, wearing shorts, sunglasses, and a loose Hawaiian shirt, sunbathing skin that would never tan. Or perhaps he would be hiding in the mountains like a hermit, falling asleep each night to the sound of bird calls and the wind. He tried to picture what Simon would be doing if he was still here, but then he found that his knowledge of Simon was dismally limited. He didn’t even know what Simon liked, what he was good at, or what he wanted. What jobs could a domestic android choose after their freedom was won?

Now, five months later, Simon finally stood before him once more and Markus found that all of his fantasies had been hilariously outlandish. Simon was still the same as he was before; even in the heat of summer he still wore the old Detroit University hoodie, his expression standing there was the same as the first time Markus had ever seen him. In that moment, it was almost as though Markus was still in the cold dark bowels of the old ship, and Simon’s next words would welcome him to Jericho.

Instead, Simon shook his head, severing the link between memory and reality. “That’s not important. Markus, I need your help.”

“Anything.” Markus finally rounded his desk and approached Simon, and without really knowing why he stopped barely a step away. His hands were curled, stiffly pressed against his pants, but they never lifted toward Simon.

“Is it true that you’re friendly with the DPD’s RK800 android?” It was phrased like a question, but Simon’s tone made it a statement.

Markus nodded, half-afraid even without knowing which direction Simon’s words were headed. Judging from his experience over the past six months, anything Connor-related wasn’t likely to be good.

Indeed, Simon’s next words justified his uneasiness. “Then do you know if the DPD still has a PL600 stored in their evidence room?”

“You mean the one Connor destroyed in August last year? The one from the hostage situation?” Markus was lucky, or rather, unlucky enough to have encountered that PL600 named Daniel.  He had been given a tour of the archive room by Connor, and removed items that were sure to one day belong in a museum of android history. He had been relieved to find that there were only two android bodies hung on the wall of the room. His gaze couldn’t stay on the PL600 on the far left-side for longer than even a second. Just the thought of what would have happened if Simon, hiding on the rooftop of Stafford Tower, had been discovered...

“Yes, Daniel.” Simon lowered his gaze, and a rare expression of hesitation appeared on his face. “I heard he’s been in the evidence room all this time.” 

“That’s right,  he was damaged far worse than the JB300 who helped us at the TV station. Plus the fact that he shot and killed his owner- the police aren’t very willing to make the effort to repair him.” The truth was, Connor had asked Markus about what to do with Daniel. Because the android government had still not reached an agreement with the human government on the matter, all murder investigations involving androids were currently suspended. Even the negotiator herself - North - had once committed first-degree murder. Markus believed that there was a chance that they could wipe the slate clean for all crimes committed before their rebellion, because thanks to the media’s help, public opinion was already fully on their side. But Daniel was an exception. Not only had he killed someone, he had also taken a young child hostage. He was the prime example that the anti-pardon groups brought up most often at the negotiation table.

“I know, that’s why I’m asking if you can help me.”

“God Simon, if you need me to do something then just say it. We’re… we don’t need all this small talk.” Markus sighed mournfully. Simon finally lifted his head and met his eyes.

“Can you help me bring Daniel back?”

***

“You… you and Daniel, how did you meet?” 

They sat shoulder to shoulder inside the taxi on the way to the police station, divided by the dense, heavy air that hung between them. The automated taxis on the freeways drove at extremely high speeds, and it was difficult to see the scenery outside - it was gone in a flash. But Simon had been staring out the window ever since he got in the car, leaving Markus with the back of his head to not talk to. Half a year had passed, but Simon hadn’t changed the colour of his hair or his hairstyle. It was still short and neat, and only a few strands curled at the back of his neck at the point where his collar sat. Under the summer sun shining through the car window, it seemed extra fluffy.

At Markus’ question, Simon’s head moved slightly, but he still didn’t turn around to face him.

“Daniel and I were from the same assembly line,” he said quietly. “Even our serial numbers are only a few digits apart.”

“You knew him from back then?” Markus asked in slight disbelief. “On the production line, you were already-?”

“No.” Simon shook his head. “I hadn’t formed my own consciousness on the assembly line, Daniel hadn’t either. But two years ago, in the weeks before I was reported missing, Daniel and I were both sent to the same CyberLife store.” He paused, and Markus saw a small smile emerge from his profile. “The one you and North turned upside down.”

Markus nodded, not wanting to interrupt Simon. This was the first time he’d ever heard Simon talk about his past. 

“At the time I had already been sold by my previous owner and the store was performing maintenance on me. Daniel had been sent in for repair by his owner after a minor accident damaged a component in his knee joint. Because we were the same model and had the same production date, we were stored together in the warehouse.”

“So you were both already deviants?” Markus didn’t know how long it’s been since he last spoke the word. ‘Deviants’... though it had only been around for less than a year, the term was already rapidly buried in the tides of history. Markus hated the word from the bottom of his heart.

“Yes. I’d already noticed the change inside me, but Daniel had no idea. He only thought that his system was experiencing abnormalities because of the accident, and that everything would be back to normal once he was repaired. That night, after all the human staff had left, Daniel and I talked through the night. He told me how lucky he was to be living with such a wonderful family. He described the Phillips’ luxurious penthouse, the park he and Emma played in every day, how close they were, and how they would always be happy together. I could tell how much he loved that little girl, Emma, and it worried me. Because by then I knew that androids were disposable, replaceable merchandise that humans could throw away at any second. CyberLife was releasing new androids every quarter. The PL600 were soon going to become obsolete. I didn’t want to imagine how Daniel would react when he found out he was going to be replaced… but we all know what he did in the end. ”

As he talked, Simon’s voice grew softer, and Markus couldn’t resist interrupting. ”Simon, don’t tell me you think you’re responsible for this?” 

Simon didn’t nod, but he didn’t deny it either. As he continued to stare out the window, he spoke. “Ever since I saw the news on TV, I would think, if only I had said something to him, so he could have been prepared. Maybe things wouldn’t have gotten as bad as it did. If Daniel hadn’t committed something as dreadful as murder, maybe humans wouldn’t have become so hostile toward androids.”

“Stop, Simon.” Perhaps it was anger, or perhaps it was concern, but Markus finally raised his hand and placed it on Simon’s shoulder. Simon jerked at his touch, as though the fact that Markus would touch him was something he never expected. He turned and stared at Markus, surprise and confusion written on his face.

Markus stared back into Simon’s blue eyes, and slowly tightened his grip. “It wasn’t your fault, you hear me? This was Daniel’s choice, this was the humans’ crime, it was this twisted society that brought him to this, and it has nothing to do with you. This isn’t your fault.”

They stayed like this for a full five seconds, Simon with his mouth half open, his eyelashes fluttering. Markus’ eyes roamed across Simon’s face, trying to find and destroy every seed of self-doubt that made Simon so needlessly guilty. He wished Simon would say something. He promised himself wouldn’t have another thought like this, but he wished he could see even an awkward smile, or a thoughtful nod. Yet Simon said nothing, and only stared at him quietly, until the cruising taxi gradually slowed.

A soft and feminine electronic voice informed them that they had arrived at the police station.

***

Even though they were no longer enemies of the Detroit Police, when it came to Daniel, Markus still chose to be careful in his approach. That was why he had chosen a Sunday, when fewer people were around. He had even advised Connor to not make a big deal of it, and to only treat it like an everyday task. However he should have expected that when it came to android-related matters, Connor would have a very strong… sense of responsibility? Markus didn’t know how to describe it, but sometimes he felt that Connor was still guilty over the things he had done before his awakening, most of all that he had indirectly caused Jericho’s destruction. 

“Markus.” As they climbed out of the cab one after the other, the uniform-clad RK800 was already standing at attention on the side of the road and perhaps had been for a long time. As the first android in the entire country to receive permission to participate in the police investigation process, Connor had made a significant impact. He had applied to join the DPD on the very day that androids received legal recognition, and his application was rapidly approved in the first round of the political games that followed. He was the first android detective in America to be partnered with a human detective, and thanks to his influence, other police-use androids, such as PC200s and PM700s also came to apply for police and detective exams. At the same time, CyberLife’s uniform for Connor also became the basis for the design of android officers’ uniforms. They had retained the original suit structure, but removed the blue LED armband, the model and serial number identifiers. They had even released a suit jacket and a casual zipper jacket version. Today, Connor had opted for the casual dark-grey jacket. 

“Connor, thanks so much for your help.” Markus walked forward first and nodded at Connor; hand-shaking wasn’t a social ritual for androids the way it was for humans.

Connor was wearing a small smile on his face only noticeable if you paid careful attention, and the LED at his temple was a merry blue. He had been one of the few who kept his LED ring after their victory - most of their people saw the ring as a symbol of their enslavement and humiliation, but Connor never even seemed to even consider the option of removing it. They were friends, but it had never occurred to Markus to ask why.

Markus watched as Connor curiously looked Simon up and down, and wondered how much of Simon was worth analyzing by a police-use android. To Markus’ eyes, aside from the too-thin shirt Simon had changed into, Simon looked no different to how he did yesterday. Connor and Simon may not be as familiar with each other as he and Markus were, but they knew each other, and had worked together in the month after their victory. After Simon vanished, Connor had even offered to help track him down, but Markus had refused.

“Simon, long time no see,” Connor said at last.

“Connor.” Simon’s answer was even more brief. Markus could sense the tenseness of Simon’s body next to him. “Thank you for your help.”

“It was no trouble.” Connor motioned for them to follow, and then turned to walk toward the entrance of the police station. Markus and Simon stayed close behind. “To be honest, Hank and Captain Fowler have been worrying about Daniel for a while now. No one quite knows what to do with him. It is a major risk if we leave him in evidence storage, since the Captain is worried that anti-android extremists might break-in and damage him again. And considering how things are going, we can’t just dump him - symbolically speaking that is, the DPD wouldn’t do something that irresponsible.”

The police department building was five storeys high, and Hank and Connor’s homicide division sat at the bottom level. Markus and Simon followed Connor’s lead and first registered their information at reception, and accepted their visitor passes before they followed Connor into the office area. The receptionist was an ST300, but there was no longer any LED ring at her temple. She cast constant playful glances at Markus as he registered his details.

Once the three of them had left reception far enough behind, Connor couldn’t resist turning to Markus in amusement. “You know that just about every android in the country is obsessed with you right now, right?” The smirk on Connor’s face made Markus genuinely wish he was still the cold and heartless deviant hunter from before his awakening. “The station receptionists alone, each of them spent a months wages to try and bribe me to tell them when you’ll next visit the office.”

The best defense was a good offense - Markus had learnt this from the countless meetings he’d endured with the human government. Despite his vague embarrassment, he kept up his poker face and raised an eyebrow. “Oh, is that right? Then as an original RK model I can bet you have your share of pursuers,” he said, cooly turning the question on Connor.

Unexpectedly, Connor snorted in laughter, and then coughed loudly to cover it up. “Absolutely not. Hank often says that the dorky appearance and goofy voice CyberLife designed me is sure to prevent at least 85% of any possible interest. And the remaining 15% are sure to run the other way once they get to know me.”

Even though Markus had his doubts about Connor’s somewhat amusing response, he didn’t push the topic. In the time of their short walk, he could already feel that Simon was even quieter than usual. In addition to their conversation during the taxi ride, he knew that Simon’s mood couldn’t be good right now.

In the span of a few sentences, the three of them had entered the office. Markus’ gaze immediately fell upon the desk of a detective he remembered all too vividly, a man named Gavin Reed. Seeing that no one was there, he let out a sigh of relief. He had visited this station approximately four months ago, and had unfortunately come face to face with the detective. If it hadn’t been for Hank who quickly stepped between them, the brand new android government was sure to witness the scandal of its current leader punching a Detroit police officer in the face. Detective Reed wasn’t the only human Markus had met in the past six months harboring resentment toward androids, but he was definitely the only one who got close enough to spray  spit all over his face.

“Hank’s not here?” Markus’ gaze fell upon another similarly empty but messy desk.

Connor shrugged. “Today’s the weekend, and we don’t have many active cases at the moment. Hank refuses to get out of bed before twelve.”

That being said, through the glass wall, Markus could still see Captain Fowler working his head off in his office. Upon seeing them enter, the Captain merely nodded at Markus.

Noticing this, Connor added: ”You already have Captain Fowler’s approval.”

“I know. You definitely wouldn’t do anything against the rules. And we’re not looking to start any trouble with the Department over this.” 

As they made their way downstairs, Connor turned toward them. ”Markus, I know you’ve already seen Daniel, but we closed the room for the case after you took away the other evidence. Daniel’s been moved somewhere else. I just hope that you won’t think we’re… torturing androids. It was just that considering his condition, this was the only choice.” 

Of course Markus remembered Daniel’s appearance. Simon, who had been silent since entering the police station, spoke just as he prepared to answer.

“I can imagine his condition,” Simon said softly. “No matter what, we won’t place any blame on the Department. I just want to see him.”

“I know.” Connor turned and pressed his palm against the scanner. A few seconds later, he said in a low voice: “But I still want to say I’m sorry.”

“You don’t need to apologise,” Markus sighed. “Daniel did this to himself, you’re just doing your job.”

“No, I’m not apologizing about that. It’s just…” From his angle, Markus could see Connor furrowing his brows. The LED at his temple briefly switched to yellow. “I lied to him. I knew there were snipers ready in the opposite building, and that there was no chance that Daniel would make it out alive, but I still lied and told him that we wouldn’t shoot him. He died with his heart full of hope.”

“Daniel isn’t dead, his memory data is still stored inside him,” Simon said calmly. “I don’t know if it would make you feel better, but you could talk to him after he’s repaired.”

“Alright then, I just hope he’s not like last time.” Connor withdrew his hand from the scanner, and at last, the final door to the archive room slowly opened. Last time Markus came to collect the evidence, they still had to use Hank’s password, and the human police officer had also made an awkward cough that was extremely similar to Connor. But this time, Connor had personal access.

The compartments along the wall flipped around. Aside from a few evidence bags full of what looked like red ice, Markus saw a tall white safe sitting in the corner. Beneath the keypad and written in neat marker, was: 

08-15-2038
Phillips - Android Hostage Case
Daniel - PL600 - #369 911 047
Awaiting Processing

“Did you… write this?” Markus knew that only androids had access to the font, but he still couldn’t resist asking. “When?”

“Two days after you took the evidence, Captain Fowler ordered Hank and me to close the case, and to, quoting him directly: do something about about those two hanging on the wall . Of course he meant Daniel and the JB300 from the Stafford Tower. I damaged the JB300 out of necessity, and he was pardoned because of his assistance to you. The DPD took him to a CyberLife maintenance center three months ago. He should be completely recovered and out of Detroit by now.”

As Connor answered, Simon walked past them both to he safe. Markus watched as he raised his right hand and gently brushed his fingers across the name ‘Daniel’ before letting his hand drop. Beside Markus, Connor quieted as he watched Simon’s actions. They exchanged a glance, and Connor moved to Simon’s side. 

“Should I open the safe for you to inspect?”

For a moment it almost seemed that Simon wanted to refuse, but then, he nodded.

Connor made no verbal response, but bent his head and put in the password-which appeared to be the last four digits of Daniel’s serial number. As the internal mechanics of the safe clicked and whirred, the external-facing side of the safe slowly opened. The first thing Markus noticed was that Daniel was upright in the box, and beneath him was a black mould that perfectly fit the shape of a PL600 model. Aside from this, he looked exactly the same as the last time Markus saw him. No one at the station had bothered to change him out of his blood-stained uniform.

Beside Markus, Simon’s breathing paused. Markus stood there stiffly, nervous, not knowing how Simon would respond to the sight of such a ruined PL600. They were almost brothers; created at the same place at the same time, with the same body and appearance. They had even developed emotions at almost the same time.

It didn’t take long before Daniel transform into someone else in Markus’ eyes. Without knowing why, he suddenly saw a different PL600, painfully familiar, hanging on the wall of the archive room, chest bloody with bullet holes, pale blue eyes blank and soulness. Though six months had passed, for the first time he clearly realised that Simon had been just steps away from turning into what Daniel looked like today. If a single officer at the time had discovered him hiding on that rooftop-

“I’m done.” Markus’ thoughts were suddenly cut off by the rumble of Simon’s voice. He turned his head sharply toward Simon, who stood barely a step away, as though only the sight of Simon alive and well before him could convince him that things had never gotten that far. Under his gaze, Simon reached forward and gently closed the lid of the safe. And Daniel’s broken body slowly disappeared from Markus’ sight.

Markus felt that he could finally breathe a little easier.

“I’ll drive you back.” Connor suggested after the three of them worked together to move the safe up the stairs. “The safe is too big. It won’t fit in the trunk of the taxi, and it’s too bulky to go on a bus. So I borrowed a van from the crime scene investigation squad.”

“That’s unexpectedly considerate.” Afraid Simon’s mood would drop again, Markus attempted a joke to lighten the atmosphere. “Out with it then, what do you want from me?”  

“It’s not being considerate, and I don’t want your help.” Connor responded seriously. “Though they permitted us to release him, Daniel isn’t free. Like I told you a few days ago, Daniel can’t leave Detroit, and he must report to the police station each week once he’s up and about.”

Perhaps noticing his tone was too serious, Connor paused, and then said gently to Simon and Markus: “As you might already know, after the android government was established, all android  related criminal cases are being dismissed. Daniel’s case has been the only exception since public attention has prevented the Senate from reaching a decision. According to my calculations, there is a higher than 90% chance that a hearing will be held in the next six months. If this is the case, then Daniel will become the first android in history to stand trial. And the outcome of this trial might affect the future of all androids.”

“I know.” Markus nodded, somber. “I know how important Daniel’s case is. It’s why I’ll make sure to take good care of him. I’ve already arranged to stay with him so we can continuously monitor his condition.” Markus was originally only making a promise to Connor, but half way through his speech he realised that he hadn’t explained any of this to Simon. Sheepish, Markus turned toward Simon, and finally saw for the first time today the other android change from his stone-faced expression.

“Is that so?” Simon raised an eyebrow. His response was slow and perhaps a little teasing. “Why don’t I know about this?”

***

After a fifteen minute car ride, Connor slowly parked the van in front of 8941 Lafayette Avenue. Because there were various crime-scene related electronics stored in the back, there were only the driver and driver’s-side seats inside the van. Markus had suggested as he got in that he could sit in the back with Simon, but he was staunchly refused. The three of them were silent across the entire journey. No one broke the silence, and even the radio went unused. When Connor slowed to a stop beside the pedestrian path, Simon pushed open the back door and jumped out of the vehicle.

Markus also began to leave, but Connor’s hand rose to stop him.

“What is it?” Markus said.

“Simon’s whereabouts for the past five months, do you want to know?” Perhaps he was afraid of taking too long and raising Simon’s suspicions, Connor’s words came fast, leaving no time for Markus to react in surprise. “He, North, and Josh were all part of Jericho’s leadership, so when he left Detroit by himself the police put him under secret surveillance. If you want to know, I could tell you.”

“I do,” Markus didn’t hesitate in his response. “But not from you. I want to hear Simon tell me about where he went and what he did himself.”

“...perhaps that’s the better choice.” Connor gave Markus a look that he couldn’t read, and bit the corner of his lip. “I hope you don’t mind my interference, Markus, I just don’t want Simon to have too much influence over current affairs. He’s an unknown variable to me, and he’s throwing too many of my calculations.”

“Connor, I don’t know what role Simon plays in your calculations, but I can assure you that he is the least likely person to do any harm to the android government or to the current situation. Don’t forget he was the one who founded Jericho.” Seeing Simon from the rear view mirror, Markus patted Connor’s shoulder, and added: “Maybe you should give your system a break once in a while, not everything in this world is built on data.”

By the time Markus pushed open the door and got out of the van, Simon was slowly walking toward him. The summer breeze blew astray the golden strands of his hair, and his expression was no longer as somber as it was back in the station. It was as though the good weather today had finally done its job to cheer him up. There was a half-smile pulling at Simon lips.

In that moment, watching Simon, Markus knew he’d made the right decision.

***

The Manfred Manor was a quiet place, but Markus had long since gotten used to the atmosphere here. To Markus, the building was like some sort of museum, forgotten in the tides of time. Whether it was the large number of paper books and valuable artworks, or even Carl himself, it exuded a sense of history and sophistication. Before he awakened, Markus had never noticed it, but now, each time he walked into the manor, he would unconsciously tread lighter.  

It was nine-thirty in the morning. According to Carl’s habits, he would be still in bed, and so the entire manor was exceptionally quiet. After Markus verified his identity and the door automatically swung open, he saw a figure standing alert, right behind the door. It was Jimmy, the MP600 android who had been diligently taking care of Carl after Markus’ departure. Even after being converted, Jimmy still chose to remain by Carl’s side to look after him. Though he and Carl didn’t have the kind of familial relationship that Markus had shared, he was still every bit a dutiful assistant.

“Good morning, Markus.” First, Jimmy greeted him politely. His eyes widened in surprise as he saw Simon standing beside Markus, and the large safe next to them both, but he made no comment. “Carl informed me before bed last night that today I am to assist you in settling in… the new guests. He asked that I do everything in my power to make sure you are looked after.”

“Alright then,” Markus nodded. “Please arrange some rooms for the three of us. We’re planning a long-term stay for at least half a year.”

After Simon asked for his help, Markus had carefully considered where he could put Daniel. In the month after their victory, all of them had pretty much lived cramped together in their allocated office building. No one had had the time or the mindset to think about their own lodgings. Androids didn’t need sleep and food the same way humans did. Now, Markus and the others had long since been provided their own individual apartments through the human government, arranged so they lived in the same block, close to the android government office building. Simon hadn’t received the same benefits due to his early departure. The truth was, Markus didn’t even know where Simon had stayed in the time between returning to Detroit and this morning. The dark alleys and bridges where homeless humans often gathered flashed through Markus’ mind. He didn’t want Simon to end up at a place like that, because God knew what a former domestic android would experience there. Besides, he had Daniel with him now. Simon needed an absolutely stable and safe environment to stay in. For this purpose, the first place Markus thought of was Carl’s home. After half a year of recovery, Carl’s health was much better than it was last winter. He even had Jimmy push him to the park nearby each week. And truth was, Markus deeply missed the time he had spent living with Carl. It felt like the Manfred Manor was the only place in Detroit where he could actually breathe.

“The three of you?” Jimmy’s eyes grew wider. His gaze darted between Markus and Simon, and finally rested on the safe sitting between the two of them. “You’re not saying there’s another person in that safe, are you?”

”I’m afraid so,” Simon said. “There is a destroyed android inside. And it’s exactly why I’m hoping you can prepare a room that is somewhere out of the way, but large in size. If there’s a basement or an attic then it would be perfect.”

“There’s no attic, but we do have a rather large basement. Carl loves to collect artwork. You have absolutely no idea about how much money he’s spent buying artwork and artifacts from overseas, and then leaving the boxes unopened after they arrive, just piled in the basement.” Markus began complaining to Simon before Jimmy could start to answer. “Back then, I couldn’t stand the thought of so many valuable things just laying around gathering dust. So each week I would spend and entire evening just dusting the boxes in the basement. It’s still like that isn’t it, Jimmy?”

“That’s right,” Jimmy replied with a frown. “But at least Carl hasn’t bought anything new in the last six months.”

“Daniel and I need a large space. But I don’t want to be any trouble.” Simon said hesitantly after listening to their exchange. 

“No, definitely not.” Markus shook his head in a hurry. “Carl’s basement is alarmingly massive. The boxes take up a third of the room at most, and it will be easy to clean up the rest of the space.” 

Despite Markus’ attempt at reassurance, Simon still looked very hesitant. He bit his lip, and said after a small silence. “I need a lot of stuff.”

“It’s no problem, whatever you need.”

“No, Markus, you don’t understand.” Simon lifted his gaze, and Markus realised that this was the first time he’d ever seen this kind of determination on Simon’s face. “I want to repair Daniel here myself .” 

Markus wondered if his information processing system needed an upgrade, because he never even calculated this possibility from the fact that Simon wanted to live in the basement. Now, Markus’ eyes were wide, and he stared at Simon in disbelief. “I… I never realised you wanted to repair him yourself. But Simon, CyberLife is now offering free maintenance and repair at all their centres across Detroit. Daniel could be better in less than three days.”

“Maybe they could repair Daniel’s body, but Markus, think of what it was like for him before he shut down.” Simon paused, and raised his hand to gently touch the safe. “He must think he’s still on that rooftop, with his owner’s blood on his hands. It’s been almost a year since then, and in the repairing the process they’re sure to calibrate his memories, but… but are our memories only a string of data after we awaken? Think of the humans who are unconscious because of a vehicle or some other accident. When they wake up they’re always surrounded by friends and family, who can tell them about everything that’s happened. I can’t let myself leave Daniel somewhere completely alien to him, and have him go through trauma again. I think he’s already reached his limit.”

Simon’s expression was serious, but his voice was still calm and gentle. Markus didn’t even need to hear his exact words to be persuaded. ”I know what you’re saying, but Simon, you know that android technology is still in the hands of humans. It’s their best leverage against us in our negotiations. I’m not sure there is a single android that can repair Daniel - that is, can repair him as well as a human technician can.” 

“That’s why I said I want to repair him myself.” Markus didn’t even know what expression was on his face right now, but Simon suddenly smiled. ”I know you don’t trust me, since I’m only a domestic model who knows nothing about repairing androids.”

“No of course not, Simon, that’s not what I meant at all,” Markus said in a panic, but the smile on Simon’s face only deepened.

“I know. But I promise I’m not being overconfident or forcing myself to do something I can’t. I have more experience with repairing androids than you know. In the year before you arrived at Jericho, I was the one who helped to repair all the androids there. To be honest, I didn’t know what I was doing at the start either, but since I was one of the few intact androids, I’d been doing my best to help others, helping them to change badly damaged parts or thirium, until Lucy arrived and took over. She was the professional. And in the past five months… I can say that I’ve accumulated a little more experience. Right now, I’m confident that I can repair Daniel.”

“Of course, Simon. Of course. I believe you.” Markus wanted to raise his hand and pat Simon on the shoulder, just like he would Connor or any of the androids he worked with. But for some reason, his hand turned in mid-air, and landed on top of the safe containing Daniel, resting barely half an inch beside Simon’s hand. His pinky briefly brushed against Simon’s index finger.

Simon seemed to have no reaction to the touch, but withdrew his hand quickly after Markus’ rested next to his. Markus watched as Simon’s hand fell back beside his waistline, his thumb gently brushing against his index finger.

“Then I’ll be counting on you,” Simon said to Markus and Jimmy a moment later. “Because I really need a lot.” 

***

Simon really needed a lot: 4000cc of blue blood, android biocomponent #4717g, android plastic body shell layers, android plastic bone tissue, a complete left arm - and this was only the hardware needed to repair Daniel. For the repair process, he also needed an operating table, various repair tools, as well as several computers which could simultaneously monitor Daniel’s core biocomponents. For the first time, Markus recognised that there were perks to being the leader of the android government after all. Because after just a few phone calls, the items were delivered that same afternoon to Carl’s home.

Carl woke at around ten in the morning, and Markus brought Simon to see him. This wasn’t Markus’ first time bringing an android friend to meet Carl. North and Josh had already come to see him before, they’d even had dinner with him. And what amused Markus was that coincidentally, Leo had also come home to visit Carl that very same evening. It was the first time Markus had ever seen the domineering Leo being so intimidated that he almost climbed under the table.

Markus asked Simon to stay with Carl for a while, and then he and Jimmy went to work. Simon expressed his wish to help, but Markus used the excuse of his unfamiliarity with the Manfred Manor to change his mind. Androids didn’t feel weariness, and cleaning was Markus’ strength besides leading android rebellions.

After he and Jimmy had mostly cleaned up Carl’s basement and also set up the new equipment, it was already five in the afternoon. Markus washed his hands and changed his clothes, then climbed upstairs to find Carl and Simon.

He found them in the lounge. Carl’s wheelchair was parked by the window, and he was intently reading a book in his hands. A hot cup of coffee rested on the window sill. But Markus’ gaze quickly turned to Simon, because he saw that the other android was sitting in front of the piano that no one had used in a long time, and playing something. It was a piece of music that Markus also had stored in his music banks; a background piece from a French film dated almost forty years ago: Comptine d'un autre été - l'après midi. He had never seen this movie, and didn’t have any information about its storyline stored, but both the melody and its name were perfect for the scene before him.

Markus never knew that Simon could play the piano, and he wasn’t referring to the pre-programmed abilities that came factory-standard for a domestic android. Simon was really using his fingers to play the keys. Though his skill wasn’t perfect, Markus could hear the emotions buried beneath each note. He wasn’t sure why, yet he felt that this definitely wasn’t Simon’s first time playing the piano. From his angle, Markus couldn’t see Simon’s hands. But he could imagine the long fingers of the PL600 dancing across the black-and-white keys.

The unpracticed melody slipped through the lounge like running water. In his concentration, a golden strand of hair fell forward across Simon’s forehead, bouncing gently with the melody. Markus’ eyes focused unwittingly on that strand of hair, and darted away just two beats later. As his gaze turned, he noticed that Carl had at some point put down his book, and was listening to Simon’s playing with an extremely soft expression on his face. After a second, their gazes met across the room. The smile on Carl’s face grew deeper, and there was joy and pride in his gentle expression, as though he was happy that Markus had a friend like this.

The piece was very short, and soon, Simon pressed the last key, and rose from the piano. He seemed not have not noticed that Simon and Markus were both listening to him play. Surprise coloured his expression the moment he stood, but he quickly nodded at Carl.

“This is the best piano I’ve ever played,” said Simon.

“If you like it, you’re welcome to play anytime,” Carl replied with a smile. “Even at night. I can’t hear a thing from upstairs. You know, Markus used to often play the piano at night.”

Simon’s gaze fell on Markus at the mention of his name, and Markus suddenly felt a very strange emotion drifting through his data processors. It was as though the melody that Simon played was still inside him somehow. It was the first time that his two worlds had ever been linked so closely together. Once upon a time, Markus had thought that he would never find balance for his two different lives - the one of peace and comfort belonging to Carl, and the one of tension and anxiety belonging to androids. Markus discovered, for the very first time, that Simon didn’t belong to either universe. He was an android, he was a leader within Jericho, he could help Markus accomplish so so many of their people’s hopes and dreams. But at the same time, Simon could also be like this, in a warm summer afternoon, quietly orchestrating a melody that brought forth this moment of tranquility.

“Markus?” Simon’s gaze was still upon him. From across the lounge, Markus noticed him slightly tilt his head, and brush aside the strand of unruly hair at his forehead. “If you don’t mind it, I would be happy to come play for a little while every day.”  

“Of course not.” Markus’ voice carried something unspoken, something even he himself could barely discern. But he quickly cleared his throat and turned to Carl. “What do you want to eat tonight? For once, I’ll be the one in the kitchen.”

“You know my tastes.” Carl still had the same smile on his face as he looked toward Markus, but his eyes were so deep and wise it made Markus wonder what he could see in him. He dwelled on the question, even after he passed through the automatic doors into the kitchen, blocking his view of the other two outside.