office hours: round 1.

[foo_bar]

office hours daily. i'm here to help... i think.

(screened PCs with han)

Comments

[donotlick]

You're holding all the cards. I steal from you, I might not get any booze next week. Or, you know, in the next couple of days, depends on how I'm feeling.

[ He crosses his arms. ]

Unless you want me to steal from you.

[ He pauses. Now why would anyone want that? ]

Is this Hale's booze?

[foo_bar]

No, it's definitely mine.

You know that guy's an asshole right? And that's putting it lightly, even.

[he grabs a glass from inside his desk, it's got "Vancouver" written over it.]

I'll consider this an advance, but I've got a serious request for you.

[donotlick]

So they tell me. Real asshole, must be an even shittier boss.

[ Oh that's definitely bad but Hank is definitely going for it. He never turns down a free drink. ]

Alright Captain Canuck, what's this request?

[ I mean, Detroit is literally north of some parts of Canada. The border is weird. ]

[foo_bar]

[he's been found out.]

Setting that aside...

I think Hale's got a spy among the students.

[donotlick]

[ He's polite by nature, eh? Hank nods at this information. It's not like it's a huge surprise. It's more insurance. ]

Considering how much you and the girl hate his ass, that's no surprise.

So?

[ Go on. ]

[foo_bar]

Right now, I just want to know who it is. Without Hale figuring out that I'm looking into it on my own. After all, he killed the last person in my position.

[donotlick]

[ Mmm, sounds dangerous!! Good thing Hank doesn't value his life! He nods. Consider this case opened. ]

Got it.

[ He holds out his hand to shake. All you have to do is pay him in alcohol. What a deal. ]

You keep the booze coming and I'll find your guy. Or girl, you know, whatever.

[foo_bar]

[he reaches out to shake his hand, firm.]

This is the best deal I could ask for. And in the mean time, we'll... work... on the kidnapping part. No promises.

[donotlick]

You scratch my back, I scratch yours. We'll call it even... minus the kidnapping part.

[ He shakes his hand, nice and tight, even offers an obviously fake smile. 'No promises' huh. ]

I still don't trust you, but I got an android who can taste-test for poison, so I'm sure you won't try anything funny.

Not that you strike me as the killing type, but it sounds like your pal Hale might not be as Canadian as you are.

[foo_bar]

We're a polite bunch, us Canadians.

But honestly? Not trusting everyone you see is probably a smart idea. I'm just banking on if you're the one I think he's got spying, that he's not already giving you the good stuff.

[donotlick]

Don't I know it. We get a whole bunch of you in Detroit. Would make my job a whole lot easier if everybody was so damn polite.

I've been around the block more than the rest of the kids you guys grabbed, that's for sure.

[ No answering yes or no on the Hale thing, since, y'know, he's gotta keep some secrets. ]

[foo_bar]

[honestly, he figured, Hank. He figured.]

Detroit, eh? Not close to my neck of Canada, but I've heard... things.

[donotlick]

[ Smarter than he looks, this one. ]

Yeah, it's a shithole. But it's my shithole, y'know? Especially since Cyberlife moved in and bought out half the city with their whole 'revitalization' project. Fat lot of good that did us.

[foo_bar]

I'm going to be honest... I've never heard of Cyberlife. Outside of Connor saying it.

But they're already committing one of my least favorite sins.

[donotlick]

Kinda figured, with the whole dimension-bullshit.

And that is?

[foo_bar]

Copywriting code. But it's a problem we'll live with forever, I guess.

[donotlick]

Hah. Yeah, that ain't gonna change any time soon. Cyberlife has the whole world in their pocket thanks to that -- wouldn't be making billions if people could just make their own biocomponents or whatever they're called.

[foo_bar]

They created Connor, right?

[donotlick]

Yep. Sure did. Think he's some kinda new model or something.

[foo_bar]

That's just amazing to me. It's not unusual, that a company could create something good, and be awful. But it's disappointing.

[donotlick]

Well, androids're aren't all the same. Some of 'em go rogue and start killing people. Others just do shit like desk work or watching the kids.

[foo_bar]

Go rogue how? Like... a malfunction? Are people not taking care of them?

[donotlick]

Yeah, they call those models "deviant." Means they broke out of their programming and went against their orders.

Nobody really knows what causes it, but it's freaking people the fuck out.

[foo_bar]

Were the orders contradictory? Were they inconsistent with an android's internal programming?

[donotlick]

Shit, don't ask me, I've only ever seen one of those things and it was -- it was defending itself.

So yeah, it's fucked up, but androids aren't programmed to have self-preservation. They're not human.