Scene 1 – Kara and Alice
The bus had dropped them off miles from anywhere. The rain had found them anyway.
Kara held Alice close beneath a broken umbrella, scanning the endless line of dark houses. "Just a little farther," she whispered.
Alice's small voice cracked. "I'm cold."
Kara's LED flickered red for a second, then steadied. "I know, sweetheart. We'll find somewhere safe."
They reached a rundown sign half-buried in snow: ZLATKO'S REPAIR SERVICES.
The building loomed ahead, windows dim, half of them broken. Kara hesitated, scanning the front door.
"It's our only chance," she murmured.
Inside, a tall man with pale eyes and a calm smile greeted them. "You lost?"
Kara's sensors registered him instantly. Human. Male. High stress indicators hidden under a practiced tone.
"My name's Kara. We need shelter. The child's sick."
Zlatko smiled wider. "Of course. Come in. You can rest here."
Alice clutched Kara's sleeve tighter. "I don't like it here."
Kara forced a soft smile. "It's okay, Alice. I'm here."
But as they stepped inside, the door clicked shut behind them.And something deep in Kara's code whispered: danger detected.
Scene 2 – Hank, Elara, Connor
The homicide office was dark except for the pale glow of screens. Connor scrolled through crime scene data, his voice calm as ever.
"Another deviant case. That makes twelve in the past month."
Hank rubbed his eyes. "Twelve's a pattern. What do you think, partner?"
Elara leaned against the wall, arms crossed. "I think the city's waking up, and no one's ready for it."
Connor didn't look up. "Androids are not capable of emotional awakening."
Hank scoffed. "Sure, and I'm the Tooth Fairy. You've seen the reports, Connor. These androids are making choices. Feeling things. Hell, even you—"
"Lieutenant," Connor interrupted sharply, LED flickering once. "I am functioning as designed."
"Yeah," Hank said quietly. "That's what they all say before they stop listening to orders."
Elara stepped forward, folding her arms. "You're missing the point. Whether they're feeling something or not, people are dying. That's the case. That's what matters."
Connor finally met her eyes. "You sound… determined."
"Determined keeps people alive."
Hank chuckled. "She's learning faster than you, Connor."
Connor processed the comment but didn't respond. The rain against the windows filled the silence.
Scene 3 – Markus and Jericho
The subway tunnels hummed with broken light. Markus stood before the gathered androids — faces weary, eyes dull from years of abandonment.
Simon, calm as ever, stood beside him. Josh watched silently. North's eyes burned.
"They throw us away," North said bitterly. "They call us defective. But we feel every bullet, every word."
Markus nodded slowly. "Then it's time we stop hiding. We're not machines to be discarded — we're lives to be defended."
Josh frowned. "Defended how?"
Markus looked up, eyes catching the weak light. "By showing them what they've done. Peacefully. Powerfully. Together."
Simon stepped forward. "Then Jericho has a leader."
Markus hesitated. "No. Jericho has a voice."
North smirked faintly. "Let's hope it's loud enough to shake the world."
The androids around them murmured, hope flickering where there had been only silence.
And deep down, Markus felt the first pulse of purpose — raw and unstoppable.
Scene 4 – Kara
Zlatko's workshop was full of old android parts — limbs, heads, circuits piled like trophies. Kara's sensors pinged red.
"Where's the bathroom?" she asked, trying to sound calm.
Zlatko smiled. "Down the hall. But first—" He reached for her shoulder.
Kara stepped back. "Don't touch me."
He froze. "Oh, I see. You're… different."
Alice whimpered softly. "Kara—"
Zlatko's smile returned, colder now. "You should've stayed a machine."
Kara grabbed Alice's hand and bolted. The hallway erupted with the sound of mechanical footsteps — androids that weren't alive anymore, but moved when he called.
"Run!" Kara shouted.
They crashed through a back door, into the night. Rain pelted them like needles. Kara lifted Alice into her arms and ran through the mud, through the dark.
Behind them, Zlatko's voice echoed: "You can't hide forever!"
Kara didn't look back.
For the second time in her life, she'd chosen something impossible — and survived.
Scene 5 – Hank's Car
The rain turned the windshield into a blur of color and noise. Hank drove, one hand on the wheel, the other holding a stale donut.
Elara leaned against the window, half-asleep. Connor sat in the back, watching the raindrops race down the glass.
"Another long night," Hank muttered.
"Are you ever off-duty?" Elara asked, smirking.
"When the city stops bleeding."
Connor's gaze stayed fixed outside. "Humans often associate precipitation with melancholy."
Hank looked at him through the mirror. "You mean sadness?"
"Yes."
Hank snorted. "You ever feel sad, Connor?"
"No," Connor said after a pause. "But I think I understand why you do."
Hank glanced at Elara, who gave a small smile. "He's learning."
Connor looked between them — two humans in a world that no longer felt predictable — and stored the moment quietly.