missiondeterminant | [Open Post]

[He notices how quickly she has an answer, and it makes sense before she continues to explain about Todd; he feels, not for the first time since ending up here with her, that there was no great loss in her shooting Todd. Someone probably should've done it a lot earlier.

He does have an answer to the last question, but it's the same thought that had briefly gone through his head earlier; the same reasons as before stop him from considering it too much further, along with a new sense of spite. He doesn't want to let Amanda force him into doing something like that, because no matter what he might prove--if anything--it would still be a victory for her in the end.

So instead, he'll figure something out. He's done more difficult things before, like going deviant--just as Kara had said--and that thought helps begin to lower his stress level a little. They can do this.]

This is an elaborate simulation. If the only point was controlling me, it would be more simple and you likely wouldn't be here. That indicates there is something we could accomplish here.

[But why? Why would CyberLife have put in a way to 'win'?

Unless it wasn't Cyberlife.]

You saw the backdoor exit that Kamski programmed into the Garden.

[Connor looks at Kara sharply, really coming out of his daze now.]

Maybe he programmed one into everything CyberLife has. If this is just a more elaborate version of the Garden, then there should be an exit, and maybe all the scenery is to keep us from finding it so easily.

[ What he says makes sense, and makes Kara nod. All she knows about Kamski is what Connor showed her in his memory, the echoing voice in the frigid gusts that Amanda abandoned him to in the garden. He always leaves an exit, is what he said. ]

I think you're right. CyberLife wants us trapped here, but there's a way out. We can't ever forget that. [ She says that while staring straight at Connor. This is important. This is their goal. They may be lost as to how to get there, but they know their oobjective.

They have hope now.

She's about to ask him if they should come up with places of significance to them and to Detroit as a whole when what should be a howling gust of wind sounds, to Kara, like a child weeping. Straightening in her seat, she looks wide-eyed through the cracked glass of the shopfront, listening as hard as her audio processing unit can.

There it is again. ]

Did you hear that? It sounds like someone's crying. Like-- like a child.

[ She hears it again and stands, slowly approaching the window. The voice grows louder and clearer. Someone's out there. They have to be. ]

[Connor nods at her in return, affirming that they're in agreement about this; they can do this, and they will. And, out of a combination of both pettiness and wanting to reassure himself, Connor even makes himself a set of official tasks for it:

Mission Objective: Escape CyberLife Simulation
Secondary Mission Objective: Ruin Amanda's Game

Satisfied for now and stress levels continuing to drop back into reasonable ranges, Connor considers getting up to further explore the store when suddenly Kara's expression changes. His eyebrows furrow in confusion as he follows her gaze to see nothing, then rises to join her at the window as she moves toward it.

He's only even more puzzled at her question, allotting more power to his audio processor in order to try and pick up any quiet noises, but all he can hear is the storm picking up.]

I don't hear anything. Are you sure?

[Maybe he just isn't noticing it because the sound of the approaching blizzard is so unsettling to him.]

[ She can't be imagining this. She doesn't even self-diagnose to confirm her systems are working properly. There's no mistaking that sound, clearer every time, extended vocalizations, vowels stretched out to indicate fear, maybe even pain. She presses a hand to the cold pane of glass, peering through the stormy wind.

And the voice calls her name. ]

Alice. [ she breathes, and when she hears it again, she bolts for the door.

Connor's barricade is heavy, but with her stress levels as high as they are, she manages to get it out of the way enough that she can slip through and into the street. ]

Alice!

[ The storm swallos her voice, but she can still hear Alice's -- and why shouldn't she hear her daughter loud and clear? Kara tries again, through their wireless link, desperation mounting. If Alice is here after all, she's not letting them hurt her. ]

[Connor isn't often taken by surprise, but he's just not expecting Kara to suddenly shove aside the barricade and race out into the storm. Even if it is Alice, what the hell is she thinking?

He doesn't hesitate to race after her, shielding his eyes from the wind and what feels like it might be sleet that's starting up, activating his scanners to look for where Kara might've gone. He follows her footprints more than anything else, calling out to her verbally, but just like for her his voice won't carry in the storm and he has to switch to the mental link as well.]

Kara, stop! We need to stay together.

[Who knows what might happen if they get separated.]

[ Never underestimate an AX400 who is also a new mom. Alice is everything to Kara, and probably always will be. Or at least, Kara can't imagine otherwise.

His voice cuts through her frenzied thoughts long enough that she pauses for a moment and tries to reorient herself. She should be about in the middle of the street, right? The storm is messing with her sensors. She's not made for this environment, so maybe it's best if she stays still and waits for Connor, who is better equipped to deal with this weather, right?

But Alice is screaming now, a sharp, piercing scream that tears at Kara's insides. Someone's hurting her daughter. ]

Hurry, Connor, she's scared! She's so scared...!

[ And it is so, so cold. The sleet pelts her face. All she wants to do is run to where Alice's voice is coming from, but in the storm, it sounds like she could be anywhere. And the wind-- it's getting louder, like a truck or a bus traveling too fast for a crowded city like Detroit. ]

Find her first. Please, just stop them hurting her!

[ The engine-roar wind noise starts to drown Alice's voice out. ]

[He still can't hear whatever it is Kara is hearing, and he's beginning to think it's some sort of trick, but on the chance that it really is Alice he shifts processing power again to both his audio receiver and his scanner. Together, if Alice is close enough for Kara to be hearing her, he should be able to find her.

But all he's really picking up is the steadily increasing noise of what sounds like a fast-moving vehicle, like those that are typically confined the the automatic freeway. He doesn't see anything and his scanner don't pick anything up, but the noise is just growing louder and the storm is increasing, and so it almost startles him when he runs directly into Kara in the middle of the street.

Connor barely has a chance to register that if he ran into Kara instead of sensing her then there's something wrong with his scanner, before the noise is suddenly directly upon them and Connor dodges on reflex, pulling Kara with him. But he can't see anything and so just doesn't react quickly enough to avoid being clipped by whatever it was, and warnings flash in his vision which he quickly dismisses; none of them are critical, so he'll deal with them once he figures out if Kara's okay. They should be right next to each other, so he shouts her name verbally instead of using the connection.]

Kara!?

[ Connor catches her off guard -- what wouldn't, in these conditions -- so Kara is already off balance and in no position to even think of resisting when he pulls her out of the way of oncoming traffic. She lands hard on her side, (and she's ashamed to say she screamed as all of this happened) triggering an alert on the state of her shoulder joint (very minor damage to the skin layer, which will heal over quickly enough) which hurts but at least isn't serious. In any case, she's more concerned with finding Alice, but the only person she hears is Connor.

Rather than answer, she reaches for him, fingers wrapping around his forearm. It's easier this way, given the weather. She doesn't want to lose track of him again. ]

I can't hear Alice anymore! [ she shouts over the wind. ] Did you find her?

[ With his advanced scanning capabilities, if anyone can find her in this mess, it's him. At least it seems like the sky is growing lighter. The reflection off the snowflakes won't be the most helpful, but she'd rather that than darkness, if not for their sake, then for Alice's. ]

[He feels Kara's grip on his arm and she must be at least mostly okay, especially since she's still talking about Alice, but he's more focused on the sound of another... Something approaching. They need to get out of the road.

He doesn't bother explaining, instead just pulling Kara up as he gets to his feet as well, tugging her forcefully to the side of the road and out of the path of any additional oncoming cars. He does reach out his sensors to continue scanning, however, trying to locate Alice, but there's still nothing.]

I don't think she's here, Kara.

[He raises his voice to respond, even though they're right next to each other, his head still ducked against the wind. He hates this, and at this point he feels like this must be a trap.

But what if Alice really is out there somewhere?]

[ They're in danger out here, both from the storm and from speeding traffic. An abandoned, ruined Detroit shouldn't still have vehicles in operation, but then, this isn't real. It's a simulation meant to keep them trapped forever.

If Connor can't find Alice, then... maybe he's right. She fell for Amanda's trick and moved them out of their shelter and into possible death, or worse. ]

Let's go back.

[ But where is "back"? Kara is disoriented, and she doesn't trust her mental map, built off memory alone. The sleet feels sharp on her exposed synthetic skin, but she's not letting go of Connor.

Feeling as best she can with her comparatively limited capabilities, Kara starts towards what should be another empty store. Anything to get out of the wind, in her opinion. She'll even take a dumpster at this point. As she moves, she says guiltily through their link, ]

I'm sorry. I almost got us killed.

[Connor sticks close to Kara, both so they don't get separated and so he doesn't get lost; the mental communication continues to cause the annoying side-effect of rapid blinking, which doesn't help the sense of disorientation they're both feeling. But this time he suddenly realizes what the reason for such an annoying and highly visible reaction being programmed into him might be; it might've been to discourage him from communicating with other androids in any secret way. If he only spoke to them verbally, and he was with humans at pretty much all times in the course of his job, then there would've less of a chance for him to create any sort of rapport with a deviant that might compromise him.

But that's something to consider later, even if the very thought makes him want to use the connection--inconvenience it causes him or not--out of spite. Right now they need to get back inside, and he needs to reassure Kara, which he does out loud again.]

You thought Alice needed help.

[And if Alice had really been in this simulation with them, then the risk would've been well worth it. It isn't Kara's fault that it had been a trick.]

[ She hasn't noticed that reaction, processor too concerned with keeping her and Connor moving toward safety, but when she answers this time, it's out loud. The wind beginning to die down helps her voice carry. ]

I've never been in a simulation before.

[ So even knowing this was one and knowing she should be careful weren't enough to keep her aware that Alice is probably not here.

As the wind keeps dying down, the precipitation turns into snowflakes falling in wet clumps. Harder to move through, but at least the dangers of sleet and gusty winds are dying out. She stops when she reaches a wall -- it took getting really close to finally see it -- she looks back in the direction they came from, her hand on the concrete to keep steady and stay connected to their point of reference.

Not that there'smuch to see but a world of blinding white. ]

We can't go back. [ If Kara were one to swear, she'd drop a choice word or two now. ] My mental map of the real Detroit isn't good enough to tell where we are.

[ And they're lost now all because Amanda baited her with Alice's voice. ]

[The limited visibility is still a problem, but Connor's definitely feeling less stressed the more the wind dies down; the snow itself doesn't bother him so much, he's realizing, even if he isn't super fond of it. He also isn't super fond of the cold, which he can always register as a number on his temperature gauge but right now feels... He isn't sure. He decides not to dwell on that for the moment.

More pressing is figuring out where to go; going back to the store they had set up in would be the best course of action, but when Connor reaches out his scanners and tries to access his own mental map of Detroit it seems... Off, somehow. He can't figure out exactly where they are, even though he knows how far they should be from the police station, and he'd been able to find that well enough.

He furrows his eyebrows in frustration, but somehow isn't surprised; it's a simulation, and they can't see well, and the snow interferes with how far they can scan. It's a perfect opportunity to change their surroundings and disorient them.]

I don't think even a perfect map would help us at this point. Let's just keep looking.

[The old-fashioned human way.]

What's this wall?

[The one Kara's touching; is it to a building, or is it a divider? He can't tell just yet.]

[ He's right. What they have in memory doesn't matter altogether much in this virtual rendering of the city... which makes this even more frightening. Focusing on the texture of the wall against her skin reins in her stress levels and starts her thirium pump regulator slowing back to normal, at least. Now she can think up an answer for him. ]

If this were the real Detroit, it'd be a convenience store. [ Maybe it is here too.

Sliding her hand out toward where the window should be, she hopes for glass-- and there it is. It's a shop, and they can find shelter in there. The thing is, she doesn't feel as uplifted as she expected she would. ]

She's just gonna force us outside again. We can't keep playing hide and seek with someone who always knows where we are.

[ This is Kara's first brush with Amanda, but it's all the brush she needs to know she hates that AI and wishes Connor had never had to deal with her. ]

[Connor sticks close to her as she feels for the door, not sure exactly why they aren't going in until Kara explains, and it isn't as though she's exactly wrong. But Connor's attitude of how to deal with the problem is a little different, and so he moves to carefully push open the door and look cautiously around the convenience store as he responds.]

Maybe, but we can at least make her go through the trouble.

[He's going to be as contrary as possible. If Amanda wants to force them outside again she'll have to actually do it; he's not going to just stay in the snow and cold preemptively.

The store is eerily silent since the power seems out, all the normal sounds of refrigeration and air conditioning and such turned off, but at first glance--and first scan--it seems deserted, unlike the police station. He steps inside, holding the door open for Kara to follow him.]

[ ...that sure is teenager behavior. It's comforting in a way, something familiar in the midst of... all of this. Anyway, she's not keen to be separated from him, so Kara follows close behind. Deserted is good, and the temperature won't damage to them -- which is good, because suddenly she's nervous about starting a fire. Melting to death doesn't sound like a fun experience. ]

That place -- the Garden -- it's not a physical location, but neither is any of this. Do you think the exit is there?

[ It would be just like someone like Amands to try and force Connor to face her on her home turf, to use the location to try and intimidate him. It's like how Todd broght her bsck to the house over and over, always making the same threats. Kara remembers two occasions where he bellowed at her and Alice that they belonged to him, and a few more linger in her memory, she thinks. It's hard to tell.

She just wants to keep moving. ]

[He shuts the door behind her to keep out the snow, frowning as he considers the store again just in case he missed something, but it seems fine. The question, though, is not as fine, both because he doesn't have a real answer and because he doesn't necessarily want to try to figure one out.

In truth, Connor hadn't tried accessing the Garden again since using the emergency exit, and he doesn't want to. He doesn't know if it's possible and he hopes on some deep level that it isn't, but he's afraid to find out if it is; what if he tries to access it and that lets Amanda have even more control than she has right now? He and Kara are stuck in this setting, but he's at least in control of himself, except he isn't even sure of that because if this is a simulation then physically...

He tries to shake that thought, wandering off to look behind the counter just to give himself something to do, as he answers.]

I don't know if I can access the Garden, especially while already inside of another simulation. It also seems unlikely that the exit there would've been left intact, since I know where it is.

[Of course, he should check, but his stress level rises drastically every time he thinks about doing so.]

[ What a coincidence; Kara is also trying not to think about what could be happening to her physically.

As if she can sense his increased stress, Kara decides to move on from that subject. ]

Maybe a CyberLife factory. I can't tell if that's too obvious or not. I don't really know you, so it's hard to try and help you. [ And if they have to work together, be allies, then it's in their best interest to have more knowledge. ] What's your favorite color?

[Connor is crouched behind the counter, looking through the shelves for anything anything, and has to look over the countertop probably somewhat comically to furrow his eyebrows at Kara for her question. He's about to respond with 'I don't know' when the rest of what she said suddenly sparks a thought--]

CyberLife Tower. The basement; level sub 49.

[If Amanda were going to hide an emergency exit somewhere meaningful in order to lure them into a trap or something, it would be there. He's sure of it.

But getting to Belle Isle at all, let alone into the tower, won't be easy; it's a long way, and with the weather and whatever was in the police station and all the things Amanda could do to them the journey itself would likely be dangerous. But it's at least a destination.]

[ He's killing her here, wow.

She doesn't pursue the matter further (for now) because that sounds like he solved a puzzle. ]

Perfect, now we can figure out how to get there.

[ Kara looks around the store -- what to write with? -- and settles on a box of pasta. With that, she makes a very simplifed map of Detroit on the floor, like this is a craft project for school. It's useful, a good distraction, and fun, a good mix here. She hopes Amanda hates this. ]

We're here. [ She points to a spot on the map. ] Where's the tower?

[ She wants him to confirm, a little afraid her resets, both full and incomplete, corrupted the data hard coded into her memory. ]

[There's nothing useful behind the counter, and so he wanders back around it to find Kara... Playing with pasta?

Oh. It's a map. Very creative; Amanda would definitely hate it, which makes Connor enjoy it.]

Here.

[He steps around in order to indicate where the tower would be, in the middle of the river.]

It's on Belle Isle. So you were nearly right, about going to Canada.

[It's a really, really weak joke and assumes that CyberLife Tower really is where their exit is, but still. He's trying.]

[ Her arts & crafts module was unaffected by all the madness. c:

She gets the joke -- she's programmed to pick up on things like that, because it's like something a young kid would say -- and despite their current situation, Kara chuckles. He's trying, and that's what matters here. Positive reinforcement is go. ]

It's gonna be a long walk. [ She frowns at the map, calculating routes, closing out prompts to consult public transit schedules and the taxi database in the phone directory. There's connectivity here, and nothing is running unless Amanda wants it to run. Kara would rather not be in any closed spaces right now anyway. ]

Bicycles would make the trip faster. [ But there aren't any here, ugh. ] I'm ready to go whenever you are.

[ She just wants this nightmare to be over, even if the thought of the journey ahead of them fills her with dread. ]

[Connor... Has probably never made any art in his life so far honestly. Not that he has much opportunity to start now, but after this, she must encourage him.

The encouragement about the stupid joke is appreciated though, and he's pleased--underneath the stress--by the little chuckle. At least he did something right, and he glances out the window at the snow before looking back at Kara.]

The storm has died down. We may as well go now.

[He isn't looking forward to this either, but like Kara, he wants to get it over with. Doing something--anything--to improve their situation is better than the dread and anticipation of waiting around.

He moves to the door and cautiously opens it, but it's just as deserted as it had looked through the window; it's dark, but the snow and wind have both calmed quite a bit, and although the snow is still falling heavily visibility is much better. It's also cold, but not too cold.]

We should stay close together, just in case.

[ That's music to her ears. Kara gets up, leaving her pasta map behind out of spite -- it's something pretty in this ugly simulation.

Coming up beside him, she peers past him into the dark, snowy exterior. Her temperature sensors tell her a child would need several layers to be comfortable here for a half hour, but that she will be fine for much longer.

Excuse her as she takes your hand, Connor. ]

Our destination is due east. I can't promise I won't run after Alice if Amanda tries to trick me again, so I'm giving you permission to stop me from doing that.

[Connor knows, logically, that the storm has probably died down for a reason, in order to encourage them to go outside. But it's better than doing nothing.

He glances toward Kara in surprise when she grabs his hand, but he doesn't pull away. That's definitely one way to make sure they stay together, and it isn't a bad idea.]

Alright. I may run off in search of dogs, so the same applies.

[He's half-joking, but he definitely can't promise he wouldn't run off if he thought he heard Sumo barking. Or, of course, any of his friends needing help, but still.

And that said, he begins leading the way cautiously down the sidewalk, staying out the street in case another truck comes out of nowhere.]

We should expect some sort of obstacles; I can't believe we'd be allowed to just walk to Belle Isle.

fuck todd tbqh

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