Carbon ribs

Standing beside Rk900, because apparently the android didn’t want a name, Sebastian listened intently to the police officer explaining his job. The man was, since this morning, very patient and had no trouble explaining everything very clearly. Of course being android made the whole experience rather easy as for both of them had access to all internet instantly. 

But Sebastian has to admit he felt quite awkward with the other android not showing any reaction to the man’s explanation. He just stood there, unmoving, while Sebastian made little noises here and there showing the officer he was listening. Both him and Sebastian glanced embarrassed and confused at the android who only granted them a cold glance. ‘OooooK so during the day your working hours will depend on your direct supervisor. So for the time being, me.’ He said cheerfully ‘At five you will have to go and get yourselves connected to the network with the IT team. If we got any time I might even have the time to introdu… ah !! Lieutenants!!’ The man exclaimed, noticing a little group coming their way and gesturing for them to come closer. 

While a middle age man, with more salt than pepper hair, talked warmly with the tiny looking officer, Sebastian’s eyes froze at the other man behind him smiling softly. ‘Hey Morgan! How are you doing? Did you just come back from your holidays?’ Hank asked the officer with his usual hoarse voice while Sebastian never got his eyes off his colleague. 

‘Yeah, just this morning.’ He smiled to Hank before turning to the other man. ‘You must be Lieutenant Potter?’ Morgan said while giving the man a curt salute always dressed by his warm smile. ‘Officer Morgan Fletcher, Nice meeting you sir.’ Harry smiled back with a little chuckle presenting his hand to the man as the quiet ‘Potter’ left Sebastian’s lips unnoticed. ‘Nice meeting you too.’ 

They shook hands and then Morgan turned his hands to show the two androids beside him. ‘Sorry to call you out so suddenly but here are Sebastian and RK 900, the androids that might end up working with you in a week.’ He said as Sebastian somehow felt like his face was on fire when lieutenant Potter laid his eyes on him. 

What was this sudden reaction now? Was his code breaking down? Was he overheating? Sebastian wondered, trying not to feel too embarrassed by his incapacity to look away from the man. ‘Oh that’s cool!’ Hank exclaimed as Connor, not much noticed up until now, seemed excited, mumbling something about being a big brother. ‘Nice meeting you two.’ Harry gave a professional smile to the both of them. Before either of them could properly take their salute posture, he presented his hand to them. ‘Sorry I’m not very into this whole military custom. I’m British you see.’ He grinned while Sebastian got confused yet again as to why his stomach twisted oddly at the sight. Was he even capable of it?! Last time he checked he didn’t have much of a stomach to begin with. 

Hesitating despite his strong need to shake this hand, Sebastian glanced rapidly at the other android, a heavy silence taking place while RK 900 didn’t seem to care about the lieutenant’s word and stood stiff in his salute. ‘It is the rules.’ He simply said not even looking at the man. 

Sebastian turned to the man with an embarrassed smile and shook his hand. ‘Hi Sir, I’m Sebastian.’ The man glanced a little longer at the tall and large android before turning to Sebastian with a warm professional smile. ‘Glad meeting you. What model are you?’ Sebastian glanced at his green eyes impregnating himself in the curiosity the slightly shorter man was showing. ‘I believe I am a RK 850, but I can not be certain as I sustain a memory formatting after my deviancy.’ 

The lieutenant seemed confused for a moment and turned to Hank. ‘Memory loss, it can happen after a too strong deviancy, the code is so overloaded that it sometimes shuts down and breaks… basically.’ Harry nodded trying his best to understand what Hank was trying to explain to him but honestly, even after so many days in here it felt like speaking another language with them. He was understanding the basics of androids, and Harry guessed that was fine enough. Maybe he should call Arthur for further explanation, the man did know how limited Harry's knowledge was.

Then Harry turned to the other android. ‘I believe I understand what model you are, but I’m afraid I didn’t catch your name ….’ Rk 900 didn’t even glance at the lieutenant talking to him.

‘Name is a human feature, I, as an android, are not, therefore having a name is useless to me.’ Harry blinked several times, his hand still outreach in its greeting manner. So with an embarrassed smile Harry closed his fist and hid his hands in his pockets. ‘Alright then, nice meeting you anyway RK 900.’ The android simply nodded curtly before everyone confused eyes.

And it’s only after many seconds than the silent got broke by Hank chuckling warmly. ‘He would be perfect with Reed.’ Connor beside him smile. ‘I believe so too.’

In the middle of all this human courtesy, Sebastian gaze somehow very rarely left the new lieutenant figure’s. He wanted to be placed with that man, and he didn’t know why. Something about this man felt … familiar.   

OoO

After 3 very busy days in Detroit with officer Fletcher, Sebastian honestly felt quite exhausted. The man was an amazing teacher, no doubt on that. A better teacher Sebastian could ever be, not that the android ever felt like doing such a boring job. But Detroit was a very active city. The general tense mood brought by the independence of android didn’t seem to have faded during the year.
Officer Fletcher simply took them for patrols in those three days and Sebastian felt like he had seen a hundred cases of dickhead being bastard with people in the streets. Anywhere they’d go, there would be insults or punches being thrown.
The stress of the day seemed to follow Sebastian even in his home. The android wasn’t even sure he was charging well enough during the night. Even though his program keeps telling him his batteries were full, it didn’t feel less exhausted when waking from his crappy bed. At least the damn thing couldn’t possibly dream to damage his back like it would a human’s.

‘Today’s our last day of patrol guys. Tomorrow I’ll show you what personally gets me to wake every morning.’ The officer grinned twisting in his back to glance at them while walking quietly before them. Sebastian while massaging his shoulder without really knowing why, sighed. ‘Finally? I’m tired of hearing people throwing tantrums in the streets like toddlers.’ Morgan laughed at Sebastian’s obvious irritation, before moving his hand around. ‘Don’t be too glad as today I’ll let you handle most of the cases. If I feel that you two are not fit to handle those troubles we might need to continue patrolling for a day or two.’ 

All of a sudden Sebastian looked offended and honestly quite disappointed. ‘Please Officer be nice to us.’ He pleaded behind the officer’s back before sending a death glare at the other android who didn’t appear at all disturbed by the news.

And as they approached one of the many parks in the area, Sebastian sighed yet again with all his fake lungs’ capacity as he saw one man punching another before what seemed to be his son’s scared eyes. ‘Sebastian this one is for you.’  A quiet but no less heard whined of desperation came out of the android. He put his jacket properly on his shoulders tidying up his DPD blue collar. ‘OK…let’s go I guess.’ 

In the corner of his eyes the android could see a mother looking alerted and asking her son to get closer to her. ‘DPD may I ask what’s the matter?’ Sebastian asked, showing his uniform and name tag underneath his jacket by pushing it aside. 

Both men turned to him and despised the obvious fury they were in, tried to appear as polite as possible. But Sebastian still got a glimpse of the punching father hiding his son a little more with his body while one of his hands rested on his tiny back. ‘Perfect timing officers!!’ Said the puncher. ‘This man is getting too close to the children, I’m quite certain he doesn’t have a child of his own in this park! You have to do something.’ 

Raising a brow up in the sky the android turned to the other man who seemed weirdly quiet. Officer Fletcher and his colleague android were silently observing in his back. ’It's true!’ Screamed one mother on Sebastian's far left. ‘He tried to play with my son and tried giving him candy the other day!’

Resting his hands on his hips to have the hand closer to his pair of handcuffs, Sebastian turned to the accused man.‘Sir … do you perhaps have anything to say for your defence?’ Sebastian’s judgmental gaze landed on the middle age man for only 5 very short seconds before the man threw his cup of hot coffee at his face and made a run for it.

Sebastian stiffened immediately jumping slightly back spreading his arms to avoid as many contact with the hot liquid as possible. His breath caught in his throat with a curt breath through the nose, he took a second to regain the slightest bit of composure he had deep down. If he killed the idiot here he might never become a detective android.  ‘Sebastian!!’ Exclaimed officer Fletcher as Sebastian’s tense feature relaxed slightly with a deep sign. When he opened his eyes the android felt the rage build itself even more as he gave a look at his sticky brand-new jacket. 

But even though the man was running out of the park with dear life Sebastian didn’t bother to activate his own leg. ‘It’s fine officer.’ His gaze dark and angry he grabbed a wooden stick on the ground, with one eye's close aimed and throw the stick across the park. The movement strong as he balanced his upper body and right arms to the front. Thanks to his quite violent strength, the stick flew in the air with a whistling nose, leaving the humans around him gasping with surprise. He smirked as officer Fletcher watch, flabbergasted, the stick hitting in a loud clinging noise the street light and in its trajectory hit the runaway on the side of his face with a comical ‘thumb’. The impact was so powerful that the man fell on the ground grabbing onto his head. 

Proud of himself Severus turned to his chef to find the man looking surprisingly not proud. So Sebastian controlled his smile. ‘Not good?’ Morgan glanced at him, still in shock. ‘ No …. Of course not Seb.’ The android sighed disappointed. ‘Honestly, what’s the difference between a stick and just my heavy metallic body falling on him after running for 15 minutes?’ Morgan opened his mouth to retort something but stopped opening and closing his mouth like fish out of water. ‘I just didn’t damage myself more than necessary. I mean … I’m quite expensive aren’t I?’ 

Sebastian glanced at his colleague android who was quietly collecting the man and came back to them. With one eyebrow up disappearing in his hairline, he watched his chef look up in the sky analysing the situation. ‘OK you have a point, but please stick to normal procedure? The lieutenants are …, let’s say, eccentric enough for you androids to add to that. We do not want to drive our dear Captain crazy. So, you, my dude, are not going with Gavin. At least Lieutenant Potter seems calmer…. ’he said pointing a finger at Sebastian before turning around with a sigh. To this Sebastian smirk and looked to his right in a vein attempt to hide his obvious enthusiastic feelings.  

While RK900 took care in holding the accused to prevent any other escape, Sebastian went to take the parent's deposition. With a quick glance, Sebastian lets his system bring back the file related to them. Then, slide them to the side of his vision and start asking and confirm with them in case of any changes in their infos have been made.

And then it was a matter of interrogation and neat note on a pre-made police document. All his conversation were written down reorganised in real time by him as his system seemed to have a hard time making sense of the different male voices and couldn’t comprehend which part were important. 

After 15 minutes of questions Sebastian finally could turn and give his moment of glory to the charming, accused man. Bringing back the file of the man upfront and opening a new document, Sebastian started confirming the identity of the man before stopping in the middle of his words. This time, the file has several pages long compare to the one single page all the other people in the park had showed. The man had a criminal record. It almost made Sebastian laugh. ‘I won’t answer your dumb question fucking robots I’ve done nothing wrong.’ Sebastian with the shadow of a smirk glared at the man. ‘So you won’t mind coming with us to the police station right?’ While the man start getting agitated and scream about injustice Sebastian read the numerous accusations and conviction he had already faced. The man was not yet 30 years old, and he had already quite the history with children.

About to stop Sebastian in his way to handcuff the runaway, officer fletcher stopped in his tracts as Sebastian still putting his handcuff on the man, point his chin at the officer’s phone. It didn’t take more than 5 seconds after laying this eyes on his screen to understand and back up letting the android do his jobs. Sebastian had sent him the criminal record.  ‘This is a scandal!!! How could you!!’ The man was struggling to get away from the taller machine but could obviously do nothing as Sebastian’s strength was not comparable to his weak human arms.  ‘I have done nothing wrong!!’ Sebastian totally deaf to his outrage gave his goodbyes to the parents and children in the park, asking them to stay available in the next coming days as they might get called to testify yet again.

OoO

Around 4 Pm the three of them were called to a nearby shop for a robbery. And this time it was RK 900 to handle the case. When the three of them arrived in front of the shop, Sebastian stood beside Morgan with his arms crossed. ‘You had time to change?’ Sebastian watching as Nine walked over the young lady who had done the robbery, turned to the shorter officer. ‘Yes, thank you.’ 

The woman seemed shameful and while looking at the floor the whole time, didn’t stop the android from taking her identity nor look inside her bag. The cashier looked sorry and sighed at the young lady. 

‘The difference between you two is impressive.’ Turning a throwing a brow in the sky to the man, Sebastian made a confused noise. ‘You act so much more human than him. Nothing surprising considering he didn’t deviate yet, but you are….’ Sebastian let the officer glanced at him without saying anything. ‘I am?’ But Morgan simply shook his head. ‘If you didn’t make those noises…’ Morgan knock Sebastian metallic chest. ‘I would honestly doubt your nature.’ The android simply snorted. ‘Come on you are going to make me blush.’ Morgan glanced at him a little more, his expression too complicated for Sebastian to fully understand it.

‘You are under arrest for robbery, you have the right to remain silent.’ Nine grabbed the young woman who seemed ready to cry but didn’t show any resistance. Sebastian frowned seeing Morgan make his way to the bag of the woman and take a pick at it. The cashier hesitant to say something did extend his hands in a vein attempt to stop the android. ‘NINE Stop!’ freezing as he was told, the big android turned to the officer not realising the bruise forming of the young woman’s arm underneath his grip. ‘Officer?’ Morgan sighed and gave the bag back to the woman who took it confused and hesitant. ‘Let her go.’ 

It was mild, but Nine frown at this. ‘But officer, she stole from this store. The law clearly state…’ 

‘I know what the law state!!!’ Morgan barked angrily. ‘I have been a police officer for 15 year. No matter how advance you are, I still know this job better than you. Let her go.’ But Nine didn’t seem to want to move. ‘I need an explanation sir.’ Sebastian walked over to the woman and tried to push nine’s hand off her to hold himself with an obvious softer grip. ‘You are hurting her.’ He simply told the android finally making him lose his grip but not making him let go completely. ‘We do not arrest mother stealing baby formula! Let her go… that’s an order RK 900.’ And with that he did let go. ‘I don’t understand.’ Morgan sighed yet again passing a hand through his face while Sebastian hold the woman by her shoulder feeling her to be suddenly quite weak on her legs, and let her rest against him.

‘Of course you don’t… show a little bit of humanity that is all.’ but nine retort almost immediately with his usual plain voice. ‘I am an android Officer I do not…’

‘I know god-damn it!!!! Emulate it then! I don’t care, observe and try to understand us! We, human are still in charge, so it is your job to follow our rules, and as a DPD agent you have to show humanity. So study!!’

OoO

Walking up the stairs Sebastian yawned with one hand in front of his mouth and made his way into the Starbucks. Probably his favourite place so far. His LED neatly inactivate he walked to the counter greeting the barista. ‘Hey Sebastian!! It’s been a while!’ the undercover android gave her a slight smile his hands in his pockets. ‘Yes I apologize I had loads of works.’ The woman dried her hands in a white dishcloth giving him a beaming smile. ‘No problem, the usual?’ He nodded paying quickly with his phone and walked further in the room to retrieve is drink.
While he waited patiently he, as usual, took a straw in the dispenser before turning to the rest of the room to find a place to seat where he could be alone and in peace. 

But.

His eyes landed on a man. A man bend over his table almost buried in his own computer as he seemed to be working hard enough to not realise how badly he was seating.

Thanking the barista, Sebastian took his drink walking his way to the man, and it’s only when he arrived in front of him that Sebastian realise he didn’t have any reason to disturb him. ‘Hi, I hope I’m not bothering you lieutenant Potter.’ He said feeling like an idiot. Harry looked up from his computer screen bending his back a little too much making it crack. ‘Oh… Sebastian, was it? Please have a seat.’ The android did just that, putting his coffee in front of him. ‘I didn’t know android could drink coffee.’ The wizard said honestly surprised. Well not that Harry knew much of those machines yet. ‘I don’t,... that’s for my neighbour, they broke their leg.’ Sebastian, want to curse the idiot on his phone making him lie to who might be his lieutenant in a couple of days.

‘So, is the work with officer Fletcher going well?’ The man asked taking a sip of his own coffee that was now growing cold. ‘Yes it’s going fine I suppose. Honestly during those short 3 days I’ve manage to see a sample of 90% of humanity in just one city.’ Harry chuckled giving some kind of odd warm feeling in the android’s chest.
He probably had to check with those people in his phone if his code was not breaking down, it kept doing odd things whenever he was in front of the lieutenant. Though Sebastian definitely didn’t want to go back to them, he would probably end up spending a month getting test and being lock up in his white room again.

Maybe the IT of the police station could take a look themselves?

‘This city is definitely full of energy.’ The man said sounding tired before closing his computer with an exhausted sighed. ‘You seem quite worn out Lieutenant?’ The android said making Harry looked at him with a face Sebastian was not sure to understand. As he massaged his shoulder Harry sighed heavily once more. ‘As we just said, this city in a busy one…. I had quite a lot of work since I arrived and very little sleep.’ Giving the man his strongest smile but who might look like a slight grin, Sebastian chuckled almost imperceptibly. I hope they pay you enough for your sacrifice?’ Harry gave him a smile and laughed as well. ‘Oh believe me, money had never been a problem. They can pay me 10 times less that they should my bank account would not notice the difference.’ To this Sebastian raised an eyebrow. ‘Oh … You are a rich Britain lord then? Who would have thought.’ 

Maybe Sebastian shouldn’t enjoy the twisting feeling in his non-existent guts as it was probably something broken in him, but the way the lieutenant smiled at him could almost … make him cry. If it made any sense. ‘Something among those lines yes.’ Pushing his long messy braid in his back Harry sighed passing his hands on his face. ‘That’s a vintage looking laptop you got here?’ The android said after his eyes landed on the old looking computer. Pushing his shoulders off the back of the chair to have a closer look at the thing he stopped himself from touching it. ‘Oh this old thing? Yeah, my son bought it to me.’ looking up in the lieutenant’s eyes, Sebastian nodded feeling a slight, hard to understand, disappointment. ‘I can not bring myself to get rid of it since it still work just fine. 

‘It does look in very good condition.’ Of course, it did. James with his mother’s help bought this for Harry before the sleeping disaster. Even though Harry called it an ‘an old thing’ it was actually new in his life. He barely used it 2 years in total. In between his work at the ministry who doesn’t require a muggle laptop and his difficulty to use it. Harry had kept it lovingly but rarely opened the thing. Though now that he was in muggle Detroit he didn’t have much of a choice. And now on top of being clueless with android here he was breaking his skull on those damn demonic things.

‘You look and feel way more human than any other android I have seen… even more than Connor.’ Harry said looking up at the fancy machine. Sebastian grinned. ‘Officer Fletcher told me the same thing. I suppose it has to do with the fact that I am an unknown experiment.’ Harry raised a brow question mark in his eyes which Sebastian seemed to understand. ‘Finished model have usually a round number, 800, 900. Experiment have number in between I’m a serie 850. And I seem to be the only one of my series, quite like Markus, although HE is a finished model.’ Harry nodded. ‘You seem very finished to me.’ To which Sebastian sighed and turned to look through the window. ‘Maybe I look like this, but I can’t be sure of anything.  The problem is, I do not know who, for what and for whom I was created. So I have no way of knowing what are my specialities or simply what is my mission. I was found in a dumpster by good Samaritans who repaired me.’ Sebastian almost threw up at the nickname he gave those people. ‘Knowing this I just feel like I might shut down at any point honestly.’ Harry gave him an understanding gesture nodding as the idea seemed to get clearer in his mind. Unfortunately the name Markus was still a mystery for him….

Shouldn’t he search on Google for this?

Harry could almost hear his eldest son curse at him for being such an incapable dunderhead.

‘And you don’t feel too scared of this?’ The wizard asked making the android in front of him hesitate after looking back at him a little confused. ‘Hmm… I don’t know….’ He answered honestly. ‘It means you could die any minutes and don’t even know how to prevent it… sound pretty scary to me.’ And it was, Sebastian’s guessed. ‘Maybe … I don’t know Sir….’ Harry chuckled with a sigh. ‘Oh please don’t call me that. We might work together what about you call me Harry?’

‘If you insist… Harry.’ Sebastian said seated in a usual and chill posture. Almost like the name didn’t felt like his whole metallic body had catch fire, combusting slowly on this chair.