Daniel and Connor

[choosetoforget]

Daniel's been having the dreams again. They come almost every night, waking him from even the deepest sleep. And there's always the same name that remains in his memory.

Connor.

He knows what it means, of course. Everyone has dreams like that. Everyone dreams of their soulmate, of the one that they're meant to be with, whether that includes intimacy or not, but he's nearly twenty three now and every Connor he's ever met has let him down. Granted, there were only two and one was in a primary class and the other was a server at a restaurant he went to, but he still feels like it could have been better.

Instead of trying to go to sleep, to face the dreams that he knows are coming, he makes himself some tea and watches the lights from the city out of his window. It might be the early evening, but the CyberLife tower in the distance remains illuminated.

Strange, he thinks, after the riots and what he's seen on the news, that the night seems calm. The kettle whistles and he takes it off the stove, then decides against it.

Tea isn't going to fix anything.

He wants a drink. Pulling on his coat and his boots against the snow, he steps out of his little rental and starts walking along the sidewalk, stopping only when a taxi pulls to a park beside him and someone walks out.

"Oh. Good evening."

Comments

[choosetoforget]

What an odd statement, Daniel thinks. "You are you," he tells him. "You don't need to be defined by what you do for a living. What do you like to do?" he wonders. "I mean, outside of work? I just found this really fascinating documentary about penguins, of all things. But it started with a new piece we received of Antarctica and now - here I am - penguins!"

He knows that he's babbling, but there's a part of him that just likes to learn and to share that learning with others.

[brutallyefficient]

Connor looks at him from the side, in his own baffled way at first but a fondness follows soon after. They are simple words but effective ones that he needs to hear at that moment.

"I enjoy documentaries." He admits sincerely. "They're very entertaining and simultaneously informative. I'd like to see it sometime."

[choosetoforget]

He still talks so strangely, but Daniel chalks it up to him being nervous. They just met, after all. But Daniel can't help feeling that pull again. Hearing his name from his dream. It's - odd. Compelling. And as they approach his door, he hesitates.

"Do you - want to come inside?" he asks. "I can show you the penguin one. I know - oh, hell - I swear I'm not a serial killer or anything. I just - " He stops near the concrete path to his door.

[brutallyefficient]

The stumbling over words finds him amused. For the first time that night, Connor feels an inclination of another emotion besides self-loathing within him. It's enough for Connor to nudge his new companion with a light elbow. "Real serial killers generally don't reveal themselves like that. They let the victims find out through their actions." Hopefully joking around would set him at ease.

"I would enjoy watching it. Perhaps you can tell me more about Antartica." Being treated kindly by a human is so strange and so welcome. "If that's all right with you?"

[choosetoforget]

"Oh yes," he breathes and takes out his keys, unlocking the door. He feels - lighter. "Do you want some tea? I had some water in the kettle before I walked out."

Daniel's home is small, but comfortable. The furniture is all second hand and a little worn, but there are touches of Daniel all around it. A corkboard with postcards from all over the world with three different handwritings. Pictures on the fridge of Daniel with some of his friends, but centered is a picture of Daniel and a pale woman, a few years younger than him, with his same eyes and smile. He has history books set on his coffee table and a video game console underneath his television. There's a blue and white rug in the living room and a black cat sleeping on top of it. And the only robot in the place is the little vacuum that rests against the wall.

He flips on the lights and sets his phone on a nearby table before taking off his boots and coat.

[brutallyefficient]

"I'm fine. Thank you." Connor slips his shoes off near the door. There's no need to track snow through the house, although the bottom of his pant legs are decidedly still covered in unmelted snow. Usually, human warmth would melt it but he doesn't have that warmth. He doesn't remove anything else and remains in his heavy jacket and hat.

Connor crosses his arms and steps further into the house, looking around as he does so. Items all over the room reveal a little about Daniel's personal life; Places he's been, people he knows. The pictures on the fridge are of particular note. There's one in the center - the most important photo judging by its placement - and he feels something within him stir. Some...feeling he can't quite define. Like he wishes he could be in similar photos.

"This is a very nice house." Connor makes for the sleeping cat and kneels down to pet them. "Your roommate seems to appreciate it, too." A furry roommate, of course.

[choosetoforget]

Daniel has his back to Connor as he makes the tea, so he doesn't see him with the cat at first. "I don't have a - ah. Yes. That's Chess," he says with a laugh. "She came with me from London." He walks over to the couch with his cup and sits down.

"You can take off your coat if you want. It's really not that cold in here. I promise I have the heat on!"

[brutallyefficient]

Right..

Connor slips off his coat. And, resigned, he takes off the knitted hat as well and sets both on the couch. It would look odd if he kept it on and trying to deceive someone like this isn't what he aims to do.

With the LED clearly visible, he sits down. Carefully.

Connor gives a somewhat pleading look to his new acquaintance. Hopefully, he wouldn't have an issue.

[choosetoforget]

Chess raises her head when Connor moves away, but lets out a soft chirp before stretching out and curling up again.

Daniel, for his part, nearly drops his teacup when he spots the LED. "Connor, I didn't - I'm sorry. I didn't realize."

He places his cup on the table so he can turn towards him. "I - I know why you didn't say anything." He's never worked closely with androids, but he's been around long enough to hear the noise. How could he not? It's everywhere.

[brutallyefficient]

With so many people uncomfortable with the presence of an android, it was anyone's guess how he would react. An apology and something that sounds more sympathetic is as much as he can ask for.

"I'm sorry. I hope this doesn't appear misleading." Connor says. His gaze is pinned to the floor. "I couldn't risk being outdoors like this with everything that's happening."

[choosetoforget]

"God no. Please don't apologize!" he says softly, turning towards him fully. "I - You're safe here, Connor. I promise."

He can't think about the implication of this.

Surely this isn't his Connor.

But.

He picks up his tea again. "Did you still want to watch the documentary? Because these penguins are rather adorable." And he gives him a hesitant smile, hoping that he hadn't said something wrong.

[brutallyefficient]

Safe is something he hadn't been in a long time - if ever. The thought of it is enough to settle him even if he's still not quite sure he can trust it.

Connor brings his knees up and makes himself as comfortable as possible. "I'd like that."

Not content to let the conversation end at that and sit quietly the entire time, he decides to recite some facts. Maybe it would be interesting and encourage more communication. "Did you know that the Galápagos penguin is the only type of penguin found north of the Equator?" It said somewhat carefully, trying to figure out if Daniel is up to talk further. "They can be found by the equator as well."

[choosetoforget]

Daniel turns on the television and the documentary, but is absolutely fascinated by what he says, too. He immediately takes out his phone and searches for them, showing Connor. "I didn't know that, but look at them. You never hear about those penguins." And then, as if Connor had never revealed his secret, as if he hadn't just told him that he was an android, Daniel continues, talking a bit faster. "Oh, the Emperor penguins are the ones with the funny sort of eyelashes, aren't they?" he wonders, moving closer to the other man so he can find a picture of them.

[brutallyefficient]

Connor leans over to look at the pictures on the phone. As if in tune with the energy Daniel brings, he begins talking quicker and more enthusiastically too. It's so rare that someone would share his fascination with something rather than dismiss it.

Connor points to a picture on the phone. "I don't know if I would call them eyelashes, as such. But it does give them a distinct look that sets them apart from all the other birds." Speaking of! "The Detroit zoo has a habitat specifically for penguins if you would enjoy observing them firsthand."

[choosetoforget]

"They're absolutely eyelashes!" he says with a bright laugh. "What else would you call them? Do they have this kind at the zoo?"

Daniel's not actually been to a zoo, not since he was a boy, at least, but suddenly the thought of it is a lot more appealing now that Connor's said it.

[brutallyefficient]

What else would he call them...? A good point actually, he's not entirely sure.

"The zoo has several kinds of penguins. Given their dwindling population, the penguins that reside in the zoo are android replicas, made to resemble the originals as closely as possible in both appearance and behavior." He leans in. "This species is on their itinerary." Connor chatters away contently.

"I've never been to the zoo personally, but they have been praised by local news stations for their authenticity. They also have an interactive exhibit."

[choosetoforget]

"Hm. Maybe I'll take a day to go out there," he decides. "Might be fun." He puts his phone away and points. "Oh! Look. This is where they talk about how penguins swim."

He doesn't move away from him, keeping his close proximity, especially when Chess gets off of the rug and jumps up on the other side of Daniel.

But there is something just inescapable about this interaction. Something he can't ignore. Something that's eating at him. "Connor. Do you dream very often?"

[brutallyefficient]

The question comes out of nowhere, it seems.

"No..." He begins. "Androids don't sleep as humans do, so they're not capable of dreaming." He seems to turn the question over in his mind and give it some thought outside of the rehearsed answer. "However, I have had some strange occurrences one might describe similarly while in standby." He looks down and shakes his head. "I'm not sure what to make of them."

[choosetoforget]

Daniel nods. "There's a reason I - I invited you here, Connor. Not simply because of this." And he gestures to the television. "It's because I dream of a person with your name. And you said - you know my voice. I had to know."

[brutallyefficient]

Connor looks down.

"I thought you might have worked at CyberLife because I recognized your voice." It seemed like the only local conclusion to draw.

"I heard it occasionally during the months I was placed in their storage room. The voice would ask me if I was all right or how I was doing on that day. It helped with what I now understand was loneliness." Of course, it was dismissed as some extra data he couldn't explain.

[choosetoforget]

Somehow, knowing that his voice had been so helpful to Connor is soothing. It's encouraging. And then it hits him.

"You heard my voice? Specifically mine? Are you sure?"

How is this possible?

[brutallyefficient]

"I wasn't lying before." He informs. "I was a prototype detective android. I have voice recognition software preinstalled to mitigate any uncertainty that voice samples are different." All it takes is comparing the two voices. "It's highly unlikely that it was someone else. You speak exactly the same."

[choosetoforget]

Fascinating. But he doesn't press for more information on that. There's a more pressing question he has to ask.

"What do you think it means?"

[brutallyefficient]

"I think..." Connor looks up as he turns the question over in his mind. "...That there are some occurrences in life that can't be explained." Like why he had become aware of emotions, why he dared to fight at all when it wasn't in his programming.

Connor looks back optimistically. "All I can conclude for sure is that it must mean that I'm supposed to be here. With you."

[choosetoforget]

Daniel's smile is warm and inviting and he hesitantly reaches over to put his fingers against Connor's sleeve. "I think you're right. Now, let's finish this show since you've missed a quarter of it," he says lightly, feeling as if something right has settled into place.