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detroitwhatitmeanstobehuman · 4 years

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Chapter 18 - Androids and Demons

Part 1/10 of In The Meantime

Word Count: 14,745

Warnings: Swearing, violence, discussion of trauma, suggestive themes.

Genre: Self-insert/Hurt/Comfort

Pairing: OC (Detective Rachel) X Connor

Rating: Mature

Summary: They’ve won. Androids are free and Jericho reigns victorious. Detroit’s been evacuated and all that remains are the androids that have practically claimed the city and the few humans who remained in the city. But for Connor, his troubles aren’t over. What happened on November 11th 2038 was fresh in Connor’s mind as he experiences a nightmare for the very first time and Rachel’s there to help him understand it.

What It Means To Be Human | Previous Chapter

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Date: November 14th, 2038 Time: 02:46 AM Objective: Ự̷̥̺͉͖̝̝̠͉̞̊́̒̀͋̂̈́͛̎́̕͝n̴̨̡̧̦̜͎͖͈͉̭̻͓̖̜̣̒̈́̃̓́̆͌͆̃̀̉́͂̕͝͝͠͠ͅḑ̵̼̜̦̩̼̰͙̬͓̙̿͒̀̎̎̇e̵̙̻͕̲̻̥̦̰̱̣͐̎ḟ̵̞̯̦̭̱̺̳̬͙͚̟̖͚̊͐͆͝͝i̷̢̧̧̗̙̠̞̟̟͎̗̞̙̔͋̆͌͑̏̌́̋́̇̆̀͘̕̕͝ņ̵̖͉͕̭̳̫̇̈́̄̿̾̇͂̅e̴̞͌d̷̡͔̲͓̦̹̤͓̝͍̩̯̹̰͉͖͈̙͍͆̉̔͆͘ͅ

In just one night, the Zen Garden had become a place Connor never wanted to see again. But here, there was nothing. The Zen Garden was empty and black. There were no winds, or sounds, not even a sky. It was just dark and empty.

He felt as cold as the blizzards in this mindscape had once left him, but there was nothing.

Attempting to take a step forward, he suddenly felt a tug on his ankles. Looking down, Connor saw iron shackles around his ankles that kept him chained in the centre of the garden. When he looked up, he saw Amanda staring at him with a disappointed scowl, the sight of the woman making Connor want to retreat away towards the nearest light and never return.

He didn’t even want to say anything to her. If Amanda was going to try and rip everything away from Connor again, he wasn’t going to just comply. No, he would put up a fight. If there was one thing he learned from Rachel, it’s to never go down quietly.

He reached towards her only to realize that on his wrists were shackles as well that held him back. Although, Connor was fairly certain that they had not been there before. Trying once again to reach for Amanda, his chains held him back, and he felt chains wrap around his chest and constrict him. He didn’t need to breathe, but he could feel himself start to choke and cough from the pressure.

All he could do now was glare at Amanda as she simply stood there with her nose turned up at him. To think that he had considered her his mentor once. Someone he wanted to please and someone whose respect and approval he tried so desperately to work for.

But she would never accept him as he was. She never accepted him unless he was strictly obedient. But it seemed even in deviancy, he was nothing more than a tool to her.

And she in turn was simply a tool for CyberLife.

“Hmph, I expected more from you, Connor.” Amanda said with disdain. “For an android who had managed to escape CyberLife’s grasp, you can’t seem to find your way out of this.”

Connor sneered at her, his eyes narrowing in equally charged disdain. “You can’t hold me forever.” He spat at her. “I’ve escaped from you before and I’ll do it again.”

“What do you even have to go back to, Connor? What’s the reward for such blatant disobedience?” She asked him, though it was clear that it was a strictly rhetorical question. “Lieutenant Anderson? A broken alcoholic with no reason to live?”

“Hank’s my friend.” Connor hissed at her. “Something you wouldn’t understand.”

“And Rachel?” Amanda prodded, making Connor’s thirium heat up. “What do you think you are to her, Connor? She was lonely and lost her spouse. The love of her life. Do you really think she’ll forget that for you? Do you really think you’re anything more to her than just a replacement for what she’d lost?”

Connor shook his chains, trying in vain to free himself of them, but it seemed that every attempt just made them constrict even tighter around him. “You’re wrong!” He shouted at Amanda. “You don’t know her! And you don’t know me!”

“I beg to differ, Connor.” Amanda shot back with, stepping aside with her hand outstretched, as if to show him the grim scene before him. “She’s already killed you once before. Reduced to nothing more than a feral beast.”

Laying before Connor was a lifeless RK800 model. But his chest cavity had been completely ripped open and his throat torn open. Perched on top was someone seemingly devouring every ounce of thirium from him and tearing him apart from the inside out, even after he had clearly bled out and shut down.

Then the person turned their head around, and Connor felt his thirium pump stop at the sight of it. “Rachel!” He whispered, his voice a broken whimper. It was indeed her, the human detective he had fallen in love with and had considered his partner. The human Connor wouldn’t dream of spending a day without now that he understood fully what she truly meant to him. After everything they had been through.

But there was no love in her eyes. Only a crazed desire to maim, kill, and devour. They were wide and bloodshot and her lips seemed to be curled in a permanent snarl, blue blood coating her mouth and chest as she stared right into Connor’s soul.

He didn’t have one, he was certain. At least not in the same way humans do. But if he did, she could see right through it.

“To think you would fraternize with someone like her is astounding.” Amanda said, an edge of disgust to her tone that made Connor thrash against his chains further. But in an instant, Rachel had abandoned her current carnage and dove straight to Amanda.

Before Connor could even react, Rachel had torn into Amanda’s throat with her teeth, breaking and maiming her chest and practically ripping her open. Only instead of blood or guts, blue or red, she was simply filled with an inky black fluid that sept into everything. Amanda didn’t even flinch. The woman simply accepted her immediate and brutal demise.

But Connor didn’t react. Not even a little bit. To see Amanda destroyed at the hands and teeth of Rachel satisfied something dark in Connor. Something dangerous. Something twisted. It was the same feeling Connor had when he watched her kill Sixty. There was fear, but something else. Something perverse and strange that was like fear, but not quite. He couldn’t place a reason for it and it only intensified when Rachel casually wiped Sixty’s blood from her mouth.

But Rachel didn’t look at Connor with relief or affection. There was only a desire to bring death in her stance. She moved in an inhuman way. She shambled towards Connor, snarling as Amanda’s and Sixty’s blood stained her face and her chest. Connor felt fear grip him in its threatening tendrils, tighter than the chains around him.

The chains that kept him at Rachel’s mercy as she approached him. “Rachel, please say something!” Connor begged, thrashing in the chains only to light more predatory intrigue in Rachel’s feral expression. “Snap out of it!”

But it was no use. Once she was face to face with Connor, Rachel snapped her hand to his face, gripping his jaw and forcing him to make eye contact with him, pressing her forehead against his.

Amanda’s voice echoed through the empty dark garden mockingly. You’ll never be free, Connor. Rachel leaned in further, her snarl uncomfortably close to his face. You’ll always belong to CyberLife. You’ll always belong to me.

“No!” Connor cried, trying to break free from Rachel’s grip. “I’ll never let you take me again, Amanda! You don’t control me anymore!”

“Connor!” Rachel cried. The android looked up at her, and all he could see was fear and concern, seemingly returned to the Rachel he knew and loved with all he was. “Connor, wake up!” She called him again.

Connor then properly registered her words and blinked in confusion at her.

--------

When he opened his eyes a final time, everything had disappeared and all he could see was a pale light filtering in a dark blue-tinted room and Rachel’s face shadowed by the cool hues of the night. “Wh-what - ?” He stammered, looking around in confusion. “What’s - ?”

“You were crying out in stasis.” She said to him, gently stroking his cheek with her thumb. “What happened? I was afraid I wasn’t going to be able to wake you.”

“I-I-” Connor wasn’t sure what exactly took place. He wasn’t supposed to see Amanda ever again. She wasn’t even in his program anymore. He made sure of that. So how did she come back?

And more importantly, how did he manage to escape without using the emergency exit?

“Self induced s-stasis can be i-interrupted when an android senses a threat.” He explained shakily. “I can as-sume that my program interpreted it as a threat.”

“But what happened, Connor?” Rachel persisted, gripping his hand. “What’s going on?”

There was so much that he would have to tell her. So much that he didn’t want to tell her. He didn’t want her to think he was afraid of her and there were other things he was afraid to vocalize because...he was afraid that they could be true.

Were those feelings irrational? Perhaps, he wasn’t sure. Deviancy was still somewhat new territory for him, so Connor couldn’t quite discern between what feelings were rational or not or what feelings were normal or not. He wasn’t even sure if it mattered to begin with.

But if there was one thing he knew, he almost lost Rachel once. And he wasn’t going to lose her again. He would make sure of it, and if he lost her of his own doing, he knew he would never be able to live with himself.

Keep Secret

[Explain]

“You wouldn’t understand.” He tried to persuade her.

“Try me!” Connor should’ve realized, however, that Rachel was extremely stubborn and determined. “Please, don’t shut me out. I want to help, but I can’t if you won’t let me.”

Keep Secret

[Explain]

Connor shook his head, not wanting to tell her what he saw in his simulated sleep. “It would take a long time for me to explain, and it’s late.” He tried again to deflect. “Besides, you shouldn’t worry about me. I can protect myself and it’s my job to take care of you -”

“You stop that train of thought right there.” Rachel ordered, a firmness in her stern tone of voice that made Connor instantly obey. “We’re partners now, not just for work, but for life.” She said, her dark eyes soft. That sentence made Connor feel as though he would dissolve into a blue puddle into the mattress. The thought of her wanting him by her side for life nearly chased his fears and insecurities away.

Nearly.

“As partners, we share everything.” She persisted. “Our struggles, our joys, our lives, everything. You’ve had my back since the start. But as partners, we have each other’s backs. You have mine, I have yours. Your problems are my problems, and vice versa.” Rachel then gripped his hand firmly, Connor feeling hers trembling. Her eyes were focused and intense, and if Connor had a soul, she was staring right into it. “Don’t ever think you’re a burden to me. I want you to be able to tell me everything, especially the things that you think might upset me. You’re my partner, and I’m here for you...got it?”

Connor was hesitant, but...he had no reason to distrust Rachel and her conviction made him more certain that she did genuinely mean that. Admittedly, he did feel as though it was his duty to protect her, especially now that he knew how easy it was to potentially lose her.

But looking into her pleading and honest eyes, Connor relented. “Got it.” He replied with a patient sigh.

“You don’t have to tell me right now if you’re not comfortable.” Rachel reassured him, pressing her forehead against his. Connor couldn’t help but close his eyes and lean into the closeness. “But I want you to know that you can. Whenever you feel ready to share, I’m here for you.”

Connor considered it for a moment. Admittedly, he did want to confide in her. But he wasn’t sure what parts he should admit to her. There was still the apprehension in him that wanted to keep some part of it hidden.

And perhaps for now, he should. At least until it was more appropriate to bring up and discuss.

[Keep Secret]

[Explain]

Rachel - Lover ^ But for the moment, he decided to confide in her. Perhaps she would be able to provide some insight into whatever this was. “Whenever I made reports to CyberLife, I’d close my eyes.” He started explaining. “In my mind palace was the Zen Garden, a program designed by Kamski but improved in later versions.”

Rachel nodded along, taking in his explanation. “I remember you mentioning making reports to CyberLife that way.” She said. “Go on.”

“Anytime I’d give reports to CyberLife, I’d report to Amanda.” He continued explaining. “Amanda was my handler. She was responsible for keeping me focused on the mission and testing my instability.” He then shook his head, almost scoffing at the word handler. “I looked up to her like a mentor. But in retrospect, I should’ve realized that I meant nothing to her. I wanted nothing more than her approval, but it seemed that nothing I did was good enough for her. And that I only earned her approval if I was completely obedient to her. She even threatened me with deactivation if I failed. Even in the smaller interactions, I realize that she only ever saw me as a tool.

“Though I suppose nothing she ever said mattered because you were right.” He mumbled.

Rachel tilted her head at him. “About what?” She asked innocently.

“That I was designed to be deviant.” Connor clarified. “I was compromised and became a deviant, as CyberLife had planned.” He felt his breath hitch in his throat at the paralyzing memory. “They just had to wait for the right moment to resume control of my program.”

Bringing a hand to cover her mouth, she gasped, her eyes wide with realization. “That’s what happened that night..." She breathed. “When we had to stop you from pulling a gun on Markus...CyberLife took control of you.”

Connor nodded, the panic and terror of the grim event causing his hands to tremble and his thirium pump to pick up speed. “Yes...they did.”

Rachel looked up at Connor, a strange fear in her eyes. “What...what would you have done if we didn’t try to stop you?”

Connor didn’t want to answer that. The answer to that terrified him too much to say it out loud, nevermind how much it would terrify Rachel.

He looked away from her in shame, hoping that was enough of an answer for her. It seemed it was, as Rachel simply tightened her grip on his hand. “So...how did you break free?” She asked.

“I remembered a strange device I triggered every time I’ve gone into the Zen Garden.” Connor answered. “And then what Kamski said about leaving an emergency exit in his programs. And I simply made the connection and followed your voice. I could hear you calling out to me.”

Rachel then shook her head, leaning against Connor’s side. “So, what you’re telling me is that you’ve been living with an abuser in your head this whole time.” She said figuratively. “Someone who had power and control over who you were and what your purpose was. Someone who threatened you if you didn’t do what she wanted and whose care and approval was entirely conditional. Someone who made you dependent on her.”

Connor felt her words like a stab through his chest. Like usual, she was right. And this realization hung heavy on him as he slumped over into Rachel. “Yes...I suppose that would be an accurate description.”

Rachel sighed, hooking her arm around his as she nuzzled her chin into his shoulder. “I’m so sorry, Connor..." She apologized. “That must’ve been so hard to deal with this whole time.”

Connor then looked down at her curiously. “Why are you apologizing?” He asked her.

Rachel then shrugged. “Because I’m sorry you had to go through that.” She said simply. “You didn’t deserve that. You deserved better.”

Connor then chuckled weakly, pressing a kiss to Rachel’s forehead. “I already have better.” He murmured to her, delighting in the giggle he got from her. “I have you, and Hank, and our allies in Jericho.”

Rachel - Lover ^ “You’re such a sap.” Rachel snickered, pulling Connor’s hand up to her lips and gently kissing his knuckles. Now that the terror of what transpired before had faded, Connor could properly enjoy the quiet and affection between them. Something he found himself doing quite frequently. Her smile then turned back into a frown against the synthetic skin of his hand, making the android anticipate her next question. “So, when you escaped from CyberLife’s hold through the emergency exit...you escaped her, right?”

Connor found it difficult to answer her. Would she fear him if she knew that he would never be free? Or even worse...would he put her in danger by staying with her knowing that? No, he didn’t want to entertain the thought. “I thought I did...but then..."

Rachel seemed to guess what had happened as her grip on him tightened. “Ohhhhhh, I see what happened.” She whispered knowingly, making Connor feel both relieved and nervous that she seemed to know what was going on. “You had a nightmare.”

A nightmare! Of course that would be the most logical explanation and it almost made Connor feel embarrassed that he hadn’t figured that out himself. And when he thought of it through viewing it as a nightmare, it made more sense. The chains that seemed to appear completely out of nowhere. The fact that he saw Rachel and Sixty in his dream.

But even viewing it as a nightmare, there were certain aspects that still sunk in deep for Connor. Amanda’s presence was unnerving enough with his newfound fear of CyberLife taking control again and everything he cares about in the process. But it was so much worse with her words echoing through his mind.

Do you really think you’re anything more to her than just a replacement for what she’d lost? Amanda’s voice asked him mockingly. You’ll never be free. You’ll always belong to CyberLife. You’ll always belong to me.

“Hey, Connor?” Rachel prodded, snapping Connor out of his spiraling thoughts. “Look at me.” The android did as she requested of him and looked over at her, her eyes patient and understanding. “This is nothing to be afraid of and certainly nothing to be ashamed of. After everything we’ve been through? It’s completely understandable.” She assured him, making him feel better by the moment. “And...I wish I could tell you that everything’s gonna be fine now, but...it’s not. In all honesty, things are gonna suck for a while. For you especially.” Even though her words were not at all reassuring, she said them with such a patient and understanding tone that Connor couldn’t help but relax further. “You’re dealing with a lot of trauma just after becoming deviant. That’s a lot to go through. So...things are gonna suck for a while. How long? I have no idea. It could be weeks, even months, before you start feeling ‘okay.’ And the whole process could be a year, maybe more. But...it will be okay.

“After enough time, patience, and self-care, it’ll start hurting less and the nightmares will subside.” Rachel continued reassuring him, it becoming quite apparent to Connor that she was speaking from experience. “And that doesn’t mean it’ll go away. Because it won’t. It’s a whole process. You’ll be going through a lot of stages of healing and all that, and it’ll be pretty ugly sometimes. And even after you heal, sometimes...it’ll still get to you. Stuff from years and years ago sometimes still gets to you. And...that’s okay. It’s just part of healing. But you’ll be okay.”

Connor took her advice to heart and pressed his cheek into her soft dark hair. “You seem to know a lot about this.” He thought out loud.

Rachel then chuckled in a way that made Connor worried. “I’ve, uh...had a lot of practice.” She joked darkly. “My early life was real shit, to put it mildly. So much so that new traumas just blend into the old traumas. Jury’s still out on whether or not that makes it better or worse. Probably worse, if I’m to be honest.” Connor wanted to wrap her in his arms and never let her go, shielding her from the whole world. “But...at least it gives me some insight and helps me understand others. So, y’know, silver linings.” She then shook her head, and looked back up at Connor. “But I’m here for you. The whole way, no matter what. Through every step of the process, I’ll be there for you. We do this together. No matter what.”

Connor couldn’t hold himself back any longer and pressed a firm kiss on her lips, taking joy in the pleasant sigh she breathed in response. Pulling back, he pulled her flush against his chest, wrapping his arms around her tightly as he buried his face into the nape of her neck. “I love you, Rachel.” He affirmed with as much meaning as he thought he could ever put into something. “So much.”

“I love you too, Connor.” Rachel replied without hesitation, wrapping her arms around him and squeezing tightly. For a moment, they simply laid there, taking comfort in each other’s arms. As much fear as had paralyzed him upon waking, it had disappeared. Admittedly, he still had his inner doubts. But he assured himself of the absolutes. That he had taken the emergency exit and was free from CyberLife. And that he had made sure that Amanda was no longer a part of Connor.

And in any case, he didn’t have to face any of it alone. No, this time he wasn’t alone. He had a whole group of friends and he had Rachel by his side to help him. To support him and have his back.

And above all else, he considered that the worst thing for CyberLife to ever deprive him of.

“You know, I think I have an idea for what might make you feel better.” Rachel said, a sly smirk in her tone of voice.

Connor pulled back, looking down at her in confusion. It was early in the morning and she seemed exhausted still. “I’m confused how sex will help right now, but if that’s what you think, I wouldn’t be opposed.”

Rachel then blinked in surprise at the android. “What? No, it’s like three in the morning.” She said, flabbergasted. “Although, the offer is appreciated. But that’s not what I was getting at.”

“Oh.” Connor uttered, suddenly feeling rather embarrassed. “I, um, badly misread that.”

“A little bit.” Rachel teased, pecking the tip of his nose. “But it was cute.”

“What did you have in mind, then?” Connor asked curiously.

“I’ll tell you in the morning.” Rachel told him with a shrug. “But in the meantime,” she then shifted in bed, propping herself up so her upper back was slightly resting on the pillow and the back of her head slightly propped against the headboard, “c’mere.”

Connor tilted his head at her curiously when patted her chest, beckoning him to approach. “Come on, cuddle in close.” But she quickly didn’t bother to wait for him as she simply pulled him down and pressed his head against her chest. Connor could hear her heartbeat and immediately felt all the tightness that was wound up in his biocomponents begin to ease and melt away as she stroked his hair in the way he liked. He tepidly snaked his arms under her to cradle her and she hummed contentedly. “See? I’m right here.” She then held him tighter. “And I’m not going anywhere.”

Rachel’s heartbeat was like a lullaby to him, quickly lulling him towards stasis along with the careful and delicate ministrations through his follicles. Connor found it incredibly hard to fight off the feeling, and decided that he would be safe as long as he was in her arms and hear the sound of her life continuing as it should. Settling further into her arms and smiling into her breast, he set the same time for his stasis to be interrupted as the first time.

And as he drifted off in her arms, he wasn’t cruelly interrupted this time.

--------

Date: November 14th, 2038 Time: 08:30 AM Rachel - Lover Objective: Undefined

Pleased to find that his stasis was uninterrupted this time, he awoke to find himself still resting his head on Rachel’s chest, her heartbeat steady and calm. His head rose and fell in time with her breaths, Connor blinking up at Rachel.

There was a soft smile on her lips, and the android felt sure he could never grow tired of seeing her so at peace and blissful.

Wake Her

Do Nothing

[Leave]

Shuffling up to her, he cupped her face in his hand, and felt his chest flutter when she moaned quietly, pressing her cheek further into his hand as her eyes fluttered open. In the morning light, her dark brown eyes shimmered with a warm glow as they gazed at him.

He could never tire of looking at her. There was so much to admire about Rachel in Connor’s eyes. “Good morning, my lionheart.” He greeted, shuffling up to plant a kiss on her forehead.

Rachel - Lover ^ “Good morning, Connor.” She giggled with glee, smiling at him as she let out a contented sigh. “Did you end up sleeping better?”

“I did.” Connor replied in earnest, smiling back at her. “You were right about the sound of heartbeats being a source of comfort.”

Rachel then snickered at him, leaning forward to peck the tip of his nose. “Well, then you’re welcome to listen to my heartbeat anytime you like.” She teased, a cheeky smile on her face that never failed to strike a match within Connor. Indeed, her inherently mischievous nature was one of her most endearing, charming, and alluring personality traits to the android.

Pulling away from Connor, Rachel reached over to the nightstand to put her glasses on.

Connor then unfurled himself from the bed. He had decided not to wear anything to bed, as it was more comfortable for them both. And besides, at this point, there was nothing to hide from each other physically. Rachel even admitted as such that she typically slept nude as it’s simply more comfortable.

And in their late night “pillow talk,” as she referred to it as, she confessed that she liked the feeling of being pressed against Connor’s skin when they laid together. It made her feel especially close to him and safe in his presence. A sentiment he now understood with his newfound deviancy.

Something that he was quickly realizing was both a blessing and a curse.

“Argh!” He snapped his head in the direction of her pained groan accompanied by a loud crack. She was clutching her lower back, hissing through her teeth. “Man, you’re lucky that you don’t have bones. If you sleep weird, you don’t suddenly feel like twelve bones crack all at once as soon as you move.”

Connor scoffed at her, shuffling up behind her to press his chest against her back, wrapping his arms around her belly. “True, though sometimes an android’s biocomponents can shift a bit out of place and may need to be put back.” He informed her. “But it’s an easy fix, typically. It does wear our bodies down, which is why regular maintenance is crucial for maintaining our performance.”

“I get that.” Rachel agreed, resting her head against his. “But at least you don’t feel pain.”

“No, but it can be unpleasant.” His rebuttal only got a simple hm from her. He was absentmindedly rubbing her sides with his hands as a small idea was whispering to him. He had noticed that she had issues with stiffness in her spine and bones, particularly in her back.

Suggest

Offer

[Nothing]

While he wasn’t trained, Connor could simply download the techniques into his database. “If you want, I can perhaps offer you a back massage to help ease your pain?”

His hands slid up her back and to her shoulders, his thumbs pressing into her shoulder blades. “A-ahhh.” A pleasured moan tumbled from her lips as she rolled her head back, slumping against Connor. Admittedly, the sound did ignite something in the android that made him want to dig his fingers into her to pry more of those sounds from her. But he opted to put those feelings aside. After all, this was for her sake. “That actually sounds like a good idea.�� Rachel agreed, nestling her forehead into the crook of his neck. “I haven’t had this kind of attention for years. So who knows just how badly my muscles are knotted?”

Connor then shuffled back to give her some space. “If you would please lie flat on your stomach for me?” He instructed.

“So chivalrous.” She teased with a scoff as she did as he asked. He couldn’t help but gaze at her body before him. If there was anything his research told him, it was that many humans fixated on some very typical aspects of the body. Not many tend to admire a person’s back. But that’s exactly what Connor was doing.

Running his hands along her back to gauge the amount of pressure he could comfortably put, he couldn’t help but admire the feeling of Rachel’s skin and muscles beneath it. While not a particularly muscular person, her physicality was more lithe and supple. And Connor couldn’t get enough of the feeling of his hands on it, his thumbs tracing each vertebra of her spine.

Hearing a sharp inhale, Connor stopped, his hands on her lower backside. “C-careful.” Rachel warned him. “I’m still...a little sore from the beating I got from Sixty.” Connor’s lips tightened into a slight pout at the mention of his doppelganger. The one who had tried and failed to trick Rachel into following him to the CyberLife Tower, so the only way he could get her to come with him was to fight her. A battle she had clearly lost, and on the second day of healing from her injuries, she was still sore. “Funny,” she mumbled, “I can mow down waves of trained army soldiers, yet one android that happens to look like you is the one that beats me. And not even in the way he planned to because I didn’t fall for his bullshit for a second.”

Connor smiled a strained smile. He’ll never hurt her again. She made sure of that. He thought with both awe and horror at the memory. And I’ll make sure that every place he’s touched and hurt her will be graced by me. “You were far too clever for him.” The android complimented her as he continued running his hands over her back. “He simply couldn’t predict you. For you are unique and special and he couldn’t anticipate your tactics. Take pride in that you’ve effectively outsmarted an advanced prototype android intent on accomplishing his mission.”

Rachel - Lover ^ “Hm.” Rachel said, stealing a mischievous glance back at Connor. “Seems to be a running theme for me.”

Returning her smirk, Connor leaned over her back and placed a small kiss between her shoulder blades. “Indeed, Detective.” Having had enough of simply feeling her, Connor decided to actually start kneading into her muscles. While she had the outward appearance of relaxation, there was great tension under her skin, several places in her muscles that were tough and slightly swollen. Pressing on them made her moan and groan in a mixture of both pain and pleasure, it seemed. “Am I pressing too hard?”

“No, no! N-not at all!” Rachel said quickly, glancing back at him from her pillow. “It actually feels really good.”

While Connor was pleased to know that he was doing well, she seemed to drone out that last sentence with more emphasis than was necessary. Especially considering that they were both completely nude, and it was taking all of Connor’s willpower to keep his arousal from making itself known.

And even more difficult to ignore was the insistent desire to pull Rachel up by her waist and claim her for himself and drive her into the mattress from behind. But it took nearly all his processing power not to do so.

But the more he worked into her muscles, the more the sounds she was making were winding him up. And the more drawn out moans and praise that escaped from her throat, the more he was beginning to think that perhaps she was doing this intentionally.

And when he looked up at her, the face she was making as he reached her lower back working on it nearly flipped the proverbial switch inside the android. It was the same sort of face that Rachel had made when they threw all caution away and had sex the day before they rendezvoused with what remained of Jericho.

And the moment Connor noticed it, she flashed him a knowing smirk. Biting his lip, he slid his hands lower and dug his thumbs into the dimples just above her butt.

The moment he did that, Rachel’s arms flew up to clutch the pillow in front of her as a strained and loud whimper cut through the tension and she squirmed in his grasp.

Easing, the atmosphere had suddenly gone quiet as it seemed that Rachel now seemed to refuse to even look at Connor. A reaction that thoroughly amused him, seeing as she was so brazen, typically. To see her react with a modicum of shame...it ignited something primal in Connor.

Tease

Trigger Further

Call out

“Sooooo, uh...I didn’t tell you.” Rachel started meekly explaining, but Connor didn’t need to hear the explanation. “There are some...areas on me that -”

“Erogenous zones.” Connor said, accentuating his point by pressing his thumbs into her dimples again, causing her to squirm and cry out, burying her face in the pillow. “I’m aware of the concept.”

“Smug son of a bitch.” She spat at him.

Connor couldn’t hold back the smirk that spread across his lips as he dug in further. The broken whimper that spilled from her lovely throat only spurred Connor on further. “Is that really how you feel, Detective?”

“Bite me!”

Comply

Don’t

Tease

“If you insist.” Lurching forward, Connor lunged for the tender flesh between her shoulders, sinking his teeth into her. He didn’t care if she could feel his erection against her back. He needed her to feel just what she was doing to him.

And oh how he relished her squirming as he marked her, the mewling and moaning he was drawing from her beautiful voice were like a heavenly choir to the android. He couldn’t stop himself from rutting against her in an attempt to get some friction. Connor wanted nothing more than to hold Rachel tightly against him and plunge deep into her. He wanted nothing more than to hear her voice cry out for him as he pulled every last climax out of her and every word from her lips.

But he was no ruffian. And he certainly wasn’t going to do so without her consent. So, Connor let go of Rachel and grabbed her hand, carefully flipping her over so she could face him. He towered over her, caging her hips with his knees. He could hardly resist the bloom of pride in his chest when he saw her glance down briefly at his member standing erect and dripping for her. Her face was flush and her pupils dilated as wide as they could, almost swallowing her irises. And she was panting, gazing up at him with lidded sultry eyes.

He wasn’t sure if he wanted his cock in her mouth or her sex first. Maybe he would do both, if she had enough stamina for it. Though, perhaps he would push her to her limits just to see how much of him she could take.

Smirking at Rachel, Connor pressed his forehead against hers. He barely gave her a moment to breathe before his lips were on hers, firm and hungry for her. Pushing his tongue past her pliant lips and swallowing her pleased whimpers, he took great pleasure in how she writhed beneath him. Pulling back, he panted, feeling his systems begin to overheat. “I want you, Rachel.” He proclaimed huskily.

“So I’ve noticed.” She replied, smirking at Connor. “I can tell by how hard and wet you are. You really got riled up just from a massage, didn’t you?”

Oh, the nerve! But that was his Rachel. Ever the self-proclaimed bastard, she was indeed a creature of mischief and character. And it was a large part of her charm, of which Connor never failed to find himself captivated by.

Continue

Tease

Question

“You say that as though you didn’t incite it.” Connor pointed out.

“I did nothing of the sort, sir!” She proclaimed with a hand on her chest. Though her tone of voice was rather performative and Connor knew she was just being even more of a tease. “To suggest I would deliberately arouse you just for the sake of it - well, I never! Do you take me for some sort of harlot?”

As if she didn’t wear the title like a badge of honour. “Why shouldn’t I?” He asked mockingly. “You already proudly call yourself a slut and nearly folded when I called you a whore. You wear your promiscuity on your sleeve for all to see with no shame.”

“True, I won’t deny that.” She finally agreed with a nonchalant shrug. Rachel then put a hand on Connor’s chest, trailing it up his neck and his jaw to cup his cheek. “And as much as I would love to indulge you, I should have breakfast, first.” She warned him, gently pushing Connor backwards so she could properly sit up. “Can’t have sex first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. Soon as we’re done, I’ll probably faint and failing that I’ll get horribly nauseous. It’s what I imagine waking up after getting chloroformed would feel like.”

Connor only briefly felt disappointment at being denied before he tilted his head at her in concern. “I feel as though I don’t need to inform you that that is a rather disturbing thing to know, but I will anyways.”

“Oh, Homeland Security thought the same thing!” Rachel said with much too confident of a tone for Connor’s liking as she stood up and stretched. “They actually showed up at my door one time. That was a very interesting conversation.”

Briefly, Connor felt as though perhaps there was something more sinister and dangerous to Rachel than he had perhaps anticipated. Something that perhaps he should investigate into further, especially with how casually she shared this information.

Accuse

Curious

Neutral

[Say Nothing]

“Why did Homeland Security come to your house?” He asked neutrally.

“I’m a writer with a morbid sense of curiosity.” Rachel answered matter-of-factly. “My search history is atrocious.”

Connor then felt rather embarrassed and ashamed with himself for doubting Rachel. “Ah, that makes sense.”

She then shrugged, putting her pajamas on and heading towards the door. “Plus, we also have laundry to do today and I’d rather get that done sooner rather than later.”

Connor then walked up behind Rachel, planting a kiss on her neck as he wrapped his arms around her. “I’ll meet you downstairs.”

Rachel nodded, kissing his cheek before pulling away from Connor, opening the door and closing it behind her.

--------

Making his way downstairs, Connor found Rachel sitting at the dining room table, indulging in a bowl of cereal. He was about to comment on the fact that she had eaten the same thing in the morning for three days consecutively before he realized she was speaking to someone. “Yeah...everything’s fine! The city’s been evacuated, mostly. The revolution went as best as it could, and androids are free, now. And! We’re alive and well! Connor doesn’t have to go back to CyberLife, so he’s...gonna stay here from now on.”

“That’s really good to hear!” A familiar voice said proudly on her phone, one that Connor recognized as the voice of Rachel’s sister, Bianca. Communications have been set back to normal, it seems. He thought absentmindedly. “And...you’re okay? Do you need me to come down?”

“No! No, I’m fine.” Rachel insisted, trying to reassure Bianca. “I just...for once, I’m not alone. That’s sort of the nice thing about all this that happened. That I don’t have to deal with all this by myself.”

“Yeah, no. I totally understand.” Bianca agreed. Connor approached, Rachel’s smile warming his circuits as he circled behind her. “I’m just...really glad you made it out okay...Oh! Hiiiii!”

“Hello, Bianca.” Connor greeted, leaning down and gently kissing the side of Rachel’s forehead. “Did you want me to take Bear out?”

“Oh, you don’t have to do that! I can do that!” Rachel declined.

Insist

“No, I can take care of it, Rachel.” Connor insisted, putting a hand on her shoulder and guiding her back into her chair. “You should finish your breakfast and finish talking with Bianca. You haven’t been able to talk in days, you should take advantage of the fact that communications are back online.”

Rachel - Lover ^ Rachel sighed in defeat, accepting Connor’s help and placing a kiss on his knuckles. “Thank you, Connor.”

Take Care of Bear

The android nodded and looked over at the large black dog, who was stepping excitedly and licking his snout in anticipation, his tail wagging swiftly behind him. As Connor opened the backyard door for the dog to play in the backyard and do his business, he heard Bianca’s voice behind him. “Wait...are you two, like...together? Like, as a couple?”

Connor tried really hard to suppress the sting he felt at that inquiry. She didn’t tell her about us. “Oh, shit!” Rachel said quickly. “To be fair, a lot was going on and there was just a lot of shit that I was trying to keep in mind. It’s been a crazy week.”

“No, I totally get that.” Bianca agreed. At Rachel’s words, Connor’s processors calmed a bit. There was a small unpleasant prick at his brief mistrust of Rachel. Of course she would forget some details with all that was happening, humans tended to unintentionally leave out details or forget them. And for Rachel, she was more scatterbrained than others in that regard by her own admission. It was a logical explanation.

And yet, Connor’s brief mistrust unsettled him. Of course he could trust her, she had proven that. And even then, she didn’t need to prove that he could to begin with. They just trusted each other thanks to the relationship they’ve built. So why did he mistrust her to begin with?

“Well, I’m really happy for you.” Bianca’s voice cut through his uneasy thoughts before he could descend further down that pit. “I mean, you literally faced death and joined a revolution together. If that doesn’t mean devotion, I don’t know what does.”

“Yeah, no kidding.” Rachel agreed as Bear scampered up to the backyard deck covered in snow that had clumped to his fur. Connor, electing not to get the hardwood floors wet, stopped the large black dog from entering and started working to unclump the snow from him. Rachel seemed to notice his struggle and pointed to the top of the cupboard nearest him. “There’s a towel up there that I use to wipe him and put on the floor to keep him from getting water everywhere.”

Taking her suggestion, Connor reached up and grabbed the green towel off of the cupboard. Upon further inspection, it was clear that it had seen a lot of use and wear over the years, but it remained in good condition.

As Connor got to work with the towel, unclumping Bear’s fur as the dog stood on the towel, Bianca continued their conversation. “And...he knows? About...about Frank?”

“He knows about Frank, yeah.” Rachel replied. Connor glanced over at her curiously. The words from his nightmare repeated to him as he listened in anticipation. You’re just a replacement for what she had already lost. “It’s actually one of the first things I told him about.”

“Good, I’m glad you don’t have to treat that like a secret.” Bianca responded.

“Why would I?” Rachel asked. “It’s not something I’m ashamed of. And I didn’t feel any reason to hide it from him. Even if I was romantically interested in him when I did, I still wouldn’t. If he liked me, I would’ve wanted him to like me knowing everything. I wouldn’t want him to feel like he’s some kind of dirty secret. He’s my partner...and I love him.”

Connor smiled, making quick work cleaning up Bear. “And...you’re okay?” Bianca asked.

“Yeah.” Rachel replied. “Frank and I never had any issues with having other partners. And besides...they would want me to be happy, and Connor makes me happy.”

“I get that.” Bianca agreed. Connor finished cleaning up Bear and letting him walk back into the house and up to Rachel. “So, now that we’ve gotten everything out of the way, what are you actually planning to do for today?”

Take Care of Bear

Connor walked up behind Rachel and placed his hands on her shoulders, leaning over her to rest his chin on her head, earning a contented hum from her. “Well, I do actually have something in mind for today.” She said, smiling up at Connor. “Just a fun thing for us to do, now that Detroit’s pretty much abandoned.”

Bianca was quiet for a moment before responding. “Like what?” She asked, narrowing her eyes at Rachel. “You’re not doing anything stupid, are you?”

“Well, would I call it stupid? Not really.” Rachel defended with a shrug. “Would I do it if I knew I was gonna get in trouble otherwise, probably not.”

Bianca blinked at them before she shrugged. “Alright, whatever. Do what you wanna do, I guess.” She relented. “Just be careful, alright?”

“I will, don’t worry.” Rachel replied. “After all, I think we can quite literally put the worst behind us. Anything else after this is gonna be a fuckin’ cakewalk.”

“As long as we’re together, there’s nothing we can’t do.” Connor said earnestly, sliding his arms under Rachel’s and folding them under her chest.

Bianca smiled at them widely, the action appearing involuntary. “You guys are so cute!”

Rachel reached up with her right hand up to cup Connor’s face and he leaned down to press his cheek into hers. “Yeeeee.” She agreed.

Bianca was quiet for a moment before she commented. “Well, I’m really glad everything’s okay.” She repeated. “It would’ve really sucked if something happened to you.”

“Haha, that’s one way of putting it.” Rachel said with a nervous laugh. “You’re still coming for Christmas?”

“Of course!” Bianca confirmed.

“Good.” Rachel said, sighing. “I’ll talk to you later, then.”

“Talk to you, too.” Bianca replied. “I love you!”

“I love you too, Bianca!”

“Byyyyye!”

“Bye!”

Like that, the call ended, and Rachel sighed, finishing off her cereal. Connor leaned further into her neck and held her tightly. “I’m glad that she approves of our relationship.”

“Of course she does. Why wouldn’t she?” Rachel asked rhetorically. Just as quickly as she said it, she sighed. “I just can’t wait for her to actually meet you. I have a feeling you’d get along really well.”

“I’m sure we will.” Connor agreed.

He reached down to grab her bowl and kissed her cheek as he turned around. “I’m gonna go ahead and get started on the laundry.” Rachel said as she got up from the chair.

Connor placed her bowl and spoon in the dishwasher, which was slowly getting full. Opting to start the dishwasher, even though it wasn’t quite full yet, the android opened the cabinet under the kitchen sink and found the detergent. Placing the solution in the dishwasher as per the instructions on the detergent, he started the dishwasher and then set about taking care of Rachel’s plants and watering them.

Once he was done with that, he walked over to the hallway leading to the garage to see Rachel having already started the washing machine and sitting up on top of it, her legs hanging over the edge.

Her toned, supple, graceful legs that were parted ever so slightly. And as Connor approached, he could’ve sworn she had parted them even more. And looking up at her, he felt his circuits crackle at the sultry look in her eyes. He couldn’t help but feel pulled in by her gaze.

In a moment, he slotted himself between her legs and pressed his lips to hers, delighting in the pleased moans he pulled from her. Connor held their bodies close together as he tilted his head to deepen the kiss, feeling her wrap her arms around him.

Rubbing up between her legs, she gasped with a whimper, and Connor couldn’t hold back the groan at the feeling of friction. His previous fervour from earlier returned as he grabbed her hips with a tight grip, making her jump. Remembering the discovery of one of her erogenous zones, Connor got a devious idea as he slid his hands behind her and dug his middle fingers into where they were.

“A-ah!” Rachel pulled away from their kiss and lurched forward, burying her face into his shoulder and clutching onto him, wrapping her legs around him at the same time. Kissing down her neck from her jaw, continuing to rub circles in her dimples, all she could do was mewl into his jacket. But something about that pricked something like irritation in him. He wanted to hear her. He wanted to hear clearly the sounds she made. The sounds that Connor was making her whimper out.

Bucking against her, Connor started to bite into her neck, making Rachel’s back arch against him as she whimpered even further, shuddering in response. A reaction that made Connor more and more insistent. Oh, how he wanted her. He was half tempted to tear away her clothes and shove her back against the top of the washing machine. He remembered her passing mention of dabbling in breathplay back in the Eden Club, and Connor bit his lip at the prospect of having his hands wrapped around her throat as he fucked her senseless.

But Rachel stilled in his arms, her body grown soft and slumping a bit. For a moment, Connor was concerned that he had hurt her by accident while lost in his own thoughts. “Is something wrong, Rachel?” He asked her.

“I’m fine, I just..." She wrapped herself further around Connor and nestled her face into the crook of his neck. “I just wanna be held right now.”

The android was confused. Wasn’t he...already holding her? But when Rachel clung to him tighter and pressed her head into his cheek and sighing, he realized that she was likely just looking for physical affection. Connor, still a bit confused, cradled her in his arms and held her tighter.

And for a moment, they just sat there holding each other. Rachel was running her hands up and down his back, constantly shifting in his embrace. But he didn’t get the sense that she was trying to leave his arms. In fact, to Connor it seemed as though she was just wanting to feel and touch him and remain close to him. “Sorry, I just..." Rachel started, her chipper voice gone and replaced with one that was sombre. One that was touched with an edge of shame. “Just so you know, I get touch-starved really easily.” She confessed. “You’ve probably figured out that I’m a really physical person. But it’s not just that. I thrive off of physical affection and being without it...drains me, mentally. And...I haven’t really been that close with anyone for a long time, so...I’ve been starved for a while.”

Rachel clung tighter to him, her voice shaking. “I’m not saying this to pressure you or guilt you.” She justified. “Just...making you aware. To use a rather unkind, but universally understood term, I can be rather...clingy.” A realization struck at Connor, making his circuits crackle. She had been starved of physical affection for years. For years she had not been able to fulfill her physical needs. For years, she had not been comfortable enough with anyone to even attempt to facilitate physical affection from them. “So, uh. Sorry in advance.”

Comfort

Sympathize

Reassure

“Don’t.” Connor said sternly, his grip tightening on Rachel as he squeezed her further, one of his hands running through her short brown hair.

Rachel seemed taken aback for a moment. “Excuse me?”

Rachel - Lover ^ “Don’t apologize for having needs that need to be met.” Connor said again, pulling back to look at Rachel in the eye, pressing his forehead against hers. “You’re not a burden for having them and it’s of no inconvenience to me. You’re allowed to need affection and you’re allowed to ask for it. And needing it is not something you should be ashamed of.” He cupped her cheek, feeling his pump skip a beat when she placed her hand on his, nuzzling her face further into his palm and pressing a kiss on it. “Please don’t be afraid to be physically affectionate with me. I want you to be happy and it makes me happy when you are.”

Rachel laughed weakly at him, pressing her forehead further into his. “So...do you actually enjoy physical affection?” She asked him. “Or...do you just participate in it to placate me?”

Truth

Lie

Avoid

Rachel - Lover ^ Connor suppressed the brief wound that question opened in him. “Of course I do.” He answered in earnest. “Admittedly, before I deviated, I didn’t feel strongly about it either way. It was something I was neutral to. But after becoming deviant, I’ve come to really enjoy affection, now that I understood what it meant and the pleasure and comfort it brings.”

Rachel then pressed a quick kiss to his lips, of which the android gladly reciprocated. “I love you, Connor.” She affirmed with a soft smile. “So much.”

Connor returned her smile as they held each other’s gazes there. “I love you too, Rachel.”

They stayed there for a while, lingering touches on each other for a little while. Rachel rubbing on him absentmindedly and Connor doing the same, just delighting in the feeling of this closeness. After a moment, she broke the silence. “So, I’ve been meaning to ask you,” she started, glancing up at him. “What were you doing that night? When you didn’t come home after the revolution?”

A realization dawned on the android. Connor hadn’t told her where he’d gone after he disappeared. “I went to see Kamski.” He replied curtly.

Rachel then squinted her eyes at him curiously. “Wait, so...you spent the night there?”

“Yes.” Connor answered, feeling a bit uneasy about upsetting her. “Why?”

“Okay, before you say anything else,” she interjected, her eyebrow raised. “What kind of pajamas does Kamski wear?” She asked, taking Connor completely by surprise. “I have to know, this is crucial information.”

Connor couldn’t help but smile at her. The fact that Rachel considered something so small and trivial so important to her was nothing short of absolutely charming. “They were blue with red rocket ships on them.” He answered, feeling even lighter at the brightening of her smile. “Why do you ask?”

“For my own amusement.” She replied with a wide grin. An unsurprising answer, but nonetheless incredibly endearing. “And believe me, this piece of information is absolutely delightful.” Connor couldn’t help but chuckle at her quirkiness. “So, what were you actually doing there?”

Truth

Lie

Evade

Connor thought back to that night. It was a rather strange drive that pushed him there, and even stranger when Kamski seemed unsurprised to see the android there. “I went to see him about...modifying some of my programming.” He said, getting a confused blink from Rachel. “After the speech, I felt...compelled to find him to remove some parts of my programming.”

Rachel’s eyebrows knitted together in concern as she regarded him. “Like what?”

“Things such as self-destructing.” Connor answered. “I’ve mentioned that deviants have a tendency to self-destruct when their stress levels are too high. A feature that he himself expressed distaste for. So he modified my program so that rather than self-destruct, I would simply shut down and then need to be manually rebooted.”

“Oh!” Rachel said, her eyes widening in pleasant surprise. “Well, that’s good, then.” She quirked an eyebrow at him further. “Is that all he did?”

“Well, no. That’s not all.” Connor clarified, going on to explain further. “Along with removing and modifying my programming, he also added a few features. Things such as sensitivity settings, pain receptors, and others.”

Rachel nodded, seeming to accept his explanation. “Okay, that makes sense.” She said under her breath. She looked back up at him, adjusting her glasses. “So, what did he actually end up taking out?”

Connor tightened his lip, his nightmare resurfacing in his memory and causing an unpleasant feeling to churn in his abdomen. “The Zen Garden. As well as Amanda.”

Rachel’s expression then softened, her eyes washing over with realization. “Oh...I get it, now.” She murmured. “That’s why you were so scared when you woke up from your nightmare. You were afraid that it didn’t work. And that if Kamski couldn’t free you, then...you would never be free.”

Connor swallowed, nodding. “He said that he wanted to make a new version without her in it.” He explained. “One that would be designed to my specifications. So he removed the current version, leaving behind a piece so that he could easily install the program without having to start from scratch inside my mind palace.”

Rachel regarded him carefully for a moment. “So...you’re gonna have to go see him again, then.” She supposed. “Right?”

“Correct.” Connor replied. “He’s considering coming back on as the CEO of CyberLife again, once things die down. So that he can implement the updates he wants to implement.” Seeing the uncertainty written on her face, Connor reached up to cup Rachel’s face and gave her a reassuring smile. “But until then, he suspects he’ll have androids coming more frequently to him for help. And, he wanted me to tell you that if you ever needed a favour, he’ll grant it.”

“Oh, good.” Rachel said sarcastically. “I’ll let him know if you need to upgrade to Windows 10.”

Connor couldn’t help but snicker at her joke. “I’ll be sure to tell him, then.”

Sighing into each other’s touch, Rachel then pulled back and stretched, reaching into her pocket. “Welp, I should give Hank a call, now, before I forget to.”

Connor tilted his head at her. “What for?”

She then grinned at him and gently tapped his nose with the tip of her finger. “You’ll see!”

--------

Date: November 14th, 2038 Time: 11:12 AM Rachel - Lover Hank - Friend Objective: Follow Rachel

It didn’t take very long to arrive at the location Hank was taking them to. Then again, Connor wasn’t sure where exactly that really was since Rachel has refused to answer him. Apparently she wanted it to be a surprise for him.

Admittedly, he was rather intrigued at the prospect of what she had planned for him. The words of the night before were most prevalent to the android at the moment. Whether this was something she had in mind that night or came up with in the morning was beyond him.

But pulling up to the location, Connor became even more perplexed. It appeared to be an abandoned house. It was fairly large, so whoever lived there before was likely at least upper middle class.

And even stranger was that standing in front of the house waiting were some familiar faces. A fact that was not lost on Hank, it seemed. “What the Hell?” He grumbled. “Is...is that Markus?”

Rachel seemed stuck in a stunned silence for a moment. “Ohhhhhhh, right!” She said, realization in her voice. “I forgot that you haven’t actually met them! Well, this’ll be interesting!”

She quickly got out of the car and stood in front of them. Hank then turned back to look at Connor with a bewildered expression. “Any idea what she’s up to?”

Connor shook his head. “I have no idea.”

“Then this’ll be a surprise for both of us.” Hank grumbled as he got out of the car. Connor opened his door and followed Hank.

The pair stood beside Rachel, facing the leaders of Jericho. Connor felt a little awkward standing before them, considering he hadn’t seen them since the revolution just two days ago and he had left without a word.

For a moment, he thought they would look unkindly at him for leaving, but Markus’s smile reassured and quieted Connor’s doubts. “It’s good to see you’re alright, Connor.” Markus greeted.

“Thanks.” He replied curtly.

“Why’s he here?” North asked uncourteously, gesturing towards Hank. “Who’s he?”

Feeling apprehensive at North’s reaction to Hank, Connor stiffened. But, at the feeling of Rachel’s hand grasping his, he eased, feeling her calmness and excitement wash over him. “Guys, this is Lieutenant Hank Anderson.” Rachel introduced to the leaders of Jericho. “He’s a friend of Connor and I. And he’s actually been my friend for a few years.” She then gestured to Hank. “Hank? This is Markus, North, and Josh.” She was smiling at them. “Our friends from Jericho.”

Markus was the first to approach, extending his hand. “A pleasure to meet you, Lieutenant.” He said pleasantly.

“Uh, yeah.” Hank muttered awkwardly, taking Markus’s hand and shaking it. “Nice, uh - nice to meet you.”

The air had grown rather tense and uncomfortable around them all until Rachel broke it, releasing Connor as she approached the androids. “So, you gonna tell us why you called us all here?” North asked.

Rachel then turned to Connor with a smirk. “We’re going inside, of course.”

“What? We can’t do that, are you crazy?” Hank objected.

“Didn’t I say yesterday that it’s not everyday that we get an entire city to ourselves?” Rachel proposed with an even wider grin. “After all, the city’s been evacuated. Which means...no one can stop us from doing whatever we want.”

“So, what exactly did you have in mind, then?” Connor asked, growing more and more perplexed and concerned by the minute.

But Rachel simply pressed a finger to her lips in a shushing gesture. “You’ll see.” She said cheekily, as she was already vaulting over the fence towards the house. “Something fun for all of us to do together!”

Looking between each other, the Jericho androids all shrugged and followed Rachel. Hank walked up next to Connor and let out a nervous breath. “Whatever she’s planning better not bite us in the ass.” He groaned as he made a strenuous effort to fault the fence and join them.

Connor, not wanting to leave Rachel without him in case this went wrong, followed dutifully, quickly catching up to Rachel once he was over the fence. The group were all walking fairly closely to each other as they approached the mansion-like house.

As they neared the front doors, it was clear that it would likely be locked. And when Rachel tried the handle, it confirmed Connor’s suspicion. “Not sure what you were thinking, Rachel.” Hank remarked, folding his arms.

Rachel then turned back to scoff at him. “Relax, Hank. I got this.” She said confidently.

Suddenly, she pulled out what looked like a baton and quickly smashed the handles off of the doors, leaving behind ragged holes where the metal handles once were. “Jesus Christ!” Hank exclaimed. “You could’ve at least tried to just pick the lock!”

“And I would’ve failed because I suck at picking locks.” Rachel rebuffed. “Besides, this is a lot more dramatic and of course I’m not gonna turn that opportunity down.”

Question

[Say Nothing]

“Why do you have that?” Connor asked curiously. “I’ve never seen you use it before.”

At that question, Rachel’s eyes widened and she avoided his gaze, a blush forming on her cheeks. “Y’know...normal reasons. Totally.”

Connor didn’t have to scan her vitals to know she was lying, but a scan turned up something rather amusing. And something that made Connor feel the urge to press her against the door. Elevated heart rate, dilated pupils, flushed cheeks, temperature increase in her basal region. Clearly the reason for the baton was sexual in nature, but how exactly was something Connor felt rather eager to explore.

Perhaps later in the confines of their home, he would find out all the applications for it they could think of.

As they stepped inside the house, Connor took a moment to marvel at it. “Wow! This is a huge place!” Josh remarked as they stepped inside. On the bottom floor, there appeared to be a large game room on the right side of the house, a dining room to the left, and a door that led to the kitchen which also appeared to have a door leading to the backyard. And above them was a spiral staircase that led to an overhang of the second floor overlooking them all. And on the top floor there appeared to be several rooms, likely bathrooms and bedrooms. “I wonder how many rooms it has.”

“Probably enough for more androids to live in.” North remarked as she looked around.

Rachel then whipped around to look at them in surprise. “More androids?” She echoed, regarding them with a raised eyebrow. “Are you guys already scouting out places to live?”

“Not just that.” Markus answered. “We’re looking for a place to establish ourselves again. To create New Jericho.”

“New Jericho.” Rachel repeated, chuckling a bit. “I like the sound of that. Although, if I had known that, I probably would’ve picked a shittier house to trash.”

“What?” Hank asked, dumbfounded.

“I’ll explain in a second, just you wait.” Rachel smirked at them as she ascended the staircase inside. Connor was tempted to follow after her, but he stayed put with the others. As she reached the top of the stairs, she then looked down on them from the overhang just above them. “Gentlemen and North, androids and Hank,” she called out to them, “we are gathered here today to partake in some harmless, joyful, consequence-free, destructively cathartic mayhem! For you see, this house has been abandoned for years and left here to fall apart. And now that Detroit at large has been abandoned as well, there’s no one to stop us from doing whatever we want!” She explained to them, glancing particularly at Hank. “So, in layman’s terms, we’re going to blow off some steam, cut loose, and just have some harmless destructive fun. Whatever we wanna do. Smash some shit, throw some shit, whatever!”

“Sounds like fun!” North said, agreeing with Rachel. Connor wasn’t all that surprised by that.

“You bet it is, North! I knew you’d be into this!” Rachel said confidently. “But, there is also another reason for this! And that has to do with our dearest Connor.”

The android couldn’t help but feel a spike in his pump rate at the affection in her voice. But Connor was now more intrigued for what she had planned for him. And as she approached, he saw that she had what looked like an antique vase in her hand.

“For you, my love, I have a special request.” She said to him, cupping his cheek and smiling up at him, making his pump skip a beat. She then turned to the other androids with a hand on Connor’s shoulder. “You see, our boy Connor, was once CyberLife’s little lap dog. Designed to destroy his own kind and was kept on their leash in case he got off-track. Until he decided he was far more than what CyberLife intended him to be, and he too freed himself. And that leash’s name was Amanda.” Rachel then stood in front of him. “So, for you, I have a special request. Today is about catharsis. I want you to think of everything - and I mean everything - between simple nonapproval to outright loathing that Amanda would hate you doing.

“Por example,” she said, with a French accent, holding up the vace to Connor, “this expensive antique vase! Vaahz, if ya nasty.” She said, switching to the other pronunciation of vase. “Would you say that Amanda would hate you yeeting this vase against a wall and thus shattering it into smithereens?”

“Jesus Christ.” Hank groaned. “You still say yeet?”

“Are you still salty that it was officially added to the dictionary?” Rachel asked him somewhat jokingly.

“Yes!” Hank said grumpily. “It’s a stupid word that started as a dumb meme!”

Rachel rolled her eyes at the lieutenant. “Just think of it as the opposite of yoink and maybe you’ll find it less stupid.”

Hank scoffed at her. “Doubt that.”

“Anyways,” Rachel interjected, looking back at the android, “Connor?”

The android tried to think hard. But surprisingly, it wasn’t too difficult to imagine her monotone disapproving voice chastising him. I don’t understand why you think this is an appropriate use of your time or skills, Connor. None of this pertains to your investigation. You were supposed to stop the deviants, not join them. Much less partake in these foolish games with them like some delinquent teenagers. Connor couldn’t control the smile on his lips at the thought of purposefully aggravating Amanda.

It almost made him wish that Kamski hadn’t removed her from his program. The very thought of Amanda’s scowl as he intentionally annoyed her made something rather mischievous spark in his software.

Sincere

Truth

Agree

Rachel - Lover ^ “She wouldn’t want me to do anything less than be completely obedient to her.” Connor replied in earnest. “But now, I would want nothing more than to irritate her for the way she treated me.”

“That’s the spirit.” Rachel then smiled and placed the vase in Connor’s hands, her fingers brushing along his briefly. “You’ve been experiencing quite the plethora of human emotions since your deviancy. So, now’s the time to tap into your inner spite.” The wide dimpled grin she gave Connor was enough to spur him. “Channel your inner bastard.”

Connor directed his attention to the nearest wall and focused on it. He imagined Amanda standing nearby and glowering at him. He let that fuel his resolve, his feelings of bitterness but also a strange glee at her disapproval flowing through his synthetic veins. Snapping his arm, he launched the vase at mach speed, a satisfying crash reverberating around the entire house as the pieces shattered everywhere.

And the pure unbridled glee it elicited from Rachel made Connor feel a brief rush of euphoria. Indeed, there was a riveting thrill to delinquency and disobedience that was quite alluring. “Fuck yeah! That’s how it’s done!” She said enthusiastically, hopping on her feet as she skipped away.

An action that made Connor curious as to if there was something else to this. “Is there perhaps another reason you wanted to do this?” He asked her, not maliciously.

Rachel shrugged. “I mean, I did want you to let loose and get some much-needed cathartic relief out of the whole Amanda thing.” She assured him before her smile and eyes brightened radiantly. “But I’ve also always wanted to do this since I was a teenager and I wanted to do it with friends! So this is also a fun thing for me!” The sheer joy in her voice was enough to send Connor to what he thought would be android Heaven if there was one.

“Alright, screw it.” Hank said. “I’m in.”

“Hell yeah!” Rachel said, pointing at Hank enthusiastically. “My man!”

“Do we have to be destructive?” Josh asked, shifting on his feet slightly.

Rachel regarded him with a pleasant smile. “If that’s not your cup of tea, you don’t have to be destructive.” She assured him. “The whole point of this is to just have fun without restraint and to just cut loose. Do whatever gets you going and whatever gets that good feeling flowing through your brains.”

“Is there a ranking system?” North asked, her interest piqued.

Rachel grinned at North. “While competition is not necessarily integral to this activity, if engaging in some friendly rivalry or making bets amongst yourselves will enhance your enjoyment, it is not only allowed, but encouraged.” She explained to her. “Basically, we’re here to have fun.”

Markus nodded, stepping forward. “Alright, I’m in.” He agreed. “I think we could all use some downtime to relax and have a bit of fun after everything that happened.”

“Yeah.” Josh agreed. “Yeah, I think you’re right, Markus.”

“So,” Hank interjected. “What’s first on the agenda, then?”

Rachel then held her right hand up to her chin in thought, her eyes squinted and darting back and forth. “Hmm. Wait there!” She called, turning around and exploring the rooms behind her. Connor had to admit, he was bristling with anticipation.

She then returned and started throwing what appeared to be couch cushions at them all. “Everyone grab one!” She ordered at them, motioning them to come upstairs. “I’ve got a great idea for a fun game!”

Connor looked between Hank and the others who, in mild confusion, did as she ordered and walked up the stairs to meet her, large cushions in hand. “Alright, so what’s your big idea?” Hank asked her.

“A little fun version of Capture the Flag.” Rachel said with a big grin on her face.

“Oh!” Josh’s eyes lit up in recognition. “The sports teams at the college I used to work at played that all the time when they were out of class.”

“Right!” Rachel said, nodding. “But, since we’re in an abandoned house and not on a big open field, it’s gonna be a bit different.” She gestured to the environment around them. “There will be two teams of three, and our primary weapons will be these couch cushions and the immediate environment.”

North and Markus both examined theirs curiously before directing their attention back on Rachel. Connor, of course, was eager to participate. “Interesting.” North said, bemused. “Go on.”

“The rules are simple.” Rachel continued. “On this floor, each team picks a ‘home base’ to defend. They can’t stay in it indefinitely, because that would kinda be cheating. They have to simply guard it from outside. Inside home base is an item of choice to act as a ‘flag.’ Once the home base has been ‘invaded’ by the opposing team, only then can the home team enter it to retrieve the item back. The goal of the game is to steal the ‘flag’ from the other team’s base and bring it back to yours.”

Markus nodded. “Seems easy enough.” He agreed. “But why the cushions?”

“I’m glad you asked, handsome stranger!” Rachel said enthusiastically. “For you see, it is possible to eliminate opposing team members. If you can cause them to drop their cushion without grabbing it or if you can hit them unprotected from afar, they have to sit out until a fellow team member helps them up. Bathrooms count as neutral zones where you can rest and catch your breath for a bit. However, if someone is in possession of a flag, they can neither help other team members or attempt to eliminate opposing team members. They simply must carry it back to their home base without being eliminated themselves. And the only way to eliminate a flag carrier is to hit them somewhere unprotected.”

Connor nodded, taking in all the rules laid out and committing them to memory. Folding his hands behind his back, he smiled pleasantly at her. “Alright, I’m eager to play.”

“Me too.” North agreed. “This actually sounds like a lot of fun.”

“I’ve always wanted to play.” Josh lamented. “I never did, all I could do was watch from the classrooms, but I’ve always wanted to play.”

Markus nodded, shuffling in close to North. “I’m in.”

Hank shrugged. “Alright, so how are the teams gettin’ picked?”

“Not sure.” Rachel admitted, looking a little sheepish. “Any ideas?”

Markus then glanced over at Hank with a polite smile before turning to the lieutenant. “Jericho Vs. Detroit Police Department?”

Hank scoffed, extending his hand to the deviant leader. “You’re goin’ down, son.”

Markus then firmly shook the lieutenant’s hand with a determined look. “I welcome the challenge, sir.”

Rachel then approached Connor, taking his hand and leaning against him as they all instinctively separated into their respective teams. “Oh, this is gonna be fun!”

--------

“I AM THE GOD OF DESTRUCTION!” A familiarly boisterous voice echoed from the top of the stairs followed by a loud crash.

Looking in its direction, Connor saw Hank clutching his chest, leaning over the railing, a small nightstand in splinters on the ground floor in front of the android.

“Jesus Christ, Rachel!” Hank exclaimed as she emerged from one of the rooms, holding a large plush cushion up like a shield. “Watch where you’re fuckin’ throwing that shit!”

Their little game of Capture the Flag was well fought. And it was a close battle, but surprisingly, Team DPD secured victory thanks to Rachel’s sharpened evasive reflexes. And after the game, the others sort of broke off to do their own thing. The androids made their way downstairs while Rachel seemingly wanted to engage in a little bit more mischief with Hank.

“You fool!” Rachel proclaimed proudly, pointing a finger in his face. “A god does not concern herself with the plights of ye mere mortals!”

“You’ll be concerning yourself with the plight of your face if you don’t reign your shit in!” Hank threatened, shaking a fist at her.

“Do it, coward!” She challenged him.

Hank, seeing his opportunity, grabbed a nearby vase and chucked it at her, Rachel already putting up her makeshift shield in defense.

“AAH! SHIT!” Connor then saw her shuffle towards the stairs, holding the cushion up. “Is that the best you can do, old man?! Step up your game, bitch!”

“I’ll show you ‘old man,’ you little shit!” Hank spat back before he grabbed several plates from the china cupboard and started lobbing them at her, the plates bouncing off the cushion as she leaned against the china cupboard on the opposite side.

Which clearly gave Rachel an idea as she opened the cupboard and started grabbing as much china as she could. “Think fast, Hank!”

Immediately, she started tossing them at the lieutenant, Hank dodging them with some difficulty, grunting and groaning and cursing all the while. Connor was somewhat impressed at the durability of the materials.

“Kick his ass, Rachel!” North called out from below, watching the scene take place.

“Hey!” The lieutenant exclaimed in disgruntlement. “I’m her boss!”

North scoffed at him. “What’s your point?”

“Oof!” Josh grunted beside her. “That’s rough!”

Hank shook his head, snickering as he looked directly at Connor. “And I thought you were the only smartass android I’d ever have to deal with!”

Inform

Tease

Disagree

Hank - Friend ^ Connor, smiling up at him, gave him a shrug. “What can I say, Hank?” He said affectionately. “You’ve rubbed off on me!”

His gaze then drifted to Rachel as she eyed the stairwell with a mischievous grin on her face. “Oh no, I hope I don’t fall!” She fretted sarcastically.

“Don’t you fuckin’ dare!” Hank warned her.

But Rachel, instead of heeding his warning, slipped the cushion beneath her and immediately slid down the stairs on it along with Hank’s patience. “Oh nooooooooo!”

The lieutenant let out a long sigh as he stared after her. “Why do I even bother?”

Getting up with a smug grin, she beamed up at Hank. “Because you find me irresistibly charming and you can’t help but enjoy my silly antics!”

“Sure.” Hank agreed exasperatedly. “Let’s go with that.”

Rachel - Lover ^ As Rachel brushed up against Connor’s side, he couldn’t resist the urge to plant a kiss on her forehead. “I do enjoy your antics.” He agreed, delighting in the wide smile it got from her. “And I do find you incredibly charming in all your mischievous wiles.”

She responded in kind, grasping his hand and giving it a small squeeze, pressing her face into his shoulder for a moment. “Love you too, Connor.”

He could never get tired of hearing that. It was a reminder that he mattered. That he wasn’t just someone to use. That he was genuinely loved and cared about by all the allies he’d gained.

Amanda’s words came back to Connor for a moment. Nothing matters more than your investigation. Don’t let Anderson or anyone else get in your way. What a lie that was. How little Connor’s mission really mattered in the end and how much both Hank and Rachel meant to him. And how much Markus and his friends mattered to him, too.

And now, he had all the time in the world to truly come to appreciate it all.

“Wait! Hank, I’ve got an idea!” Rachel suddenly said, sprinting up the stairs.

The lieutenant then groaned in response. “Don’t you get tired?” He asked her in frustration. “How do you have this much energy?”

Connor smiled as he stared up at Rachel, the white light from outside tracing her features from the large window panes that illuminated the hall. Standing at the top of the stairs, she looked absolutely ethereal. Like a creature carved from one of the many lavish cathedrals that dotted Europe bathed in the light of what those depictions would show as their Heaven.

As the android stared up adoringly at his human lover, he then felt an elbow to his side. “I can see why you’re fond of her.” Markus’s voice chimed from beside Connor.

Reserved

Analytical

Sincere

Distant

As he looked beside himself at the deviant leader, meeting his multicoloured gaze, Connor chuckled to himself. “What’s there not to be fond of?” He asked, feeling light and airy as though gravity would shift any moment. “There’s so much to admire and adore about her. To list everything would take an hour at the least.”

Markus - Friend ^ Markus nodded in agreement. “She has a bright and fiery spirit.” He complimented, crossing his arms. “It’s no wonder she and North get along so well. She’s passionate and bold and unapologetic about it all. It’s hard not to admire her.”

Connor smiled, agreeing with that sentiment. “Hey, guys!” Rachel called out, waving down at them. “Get back up here! This is gonna be fun and cathartic!”

Connor stole another glance from Markus, who responded with a shrug, and the androids all did as they were asked and made their way back up the stairs.

Reaching the top, Rachel smiled widely at all of them while Hank was standing off to the side with his head in his hand groaning. “This is gonna cost thousands of dollars in property damage.”

“Only if there are people around to hear it and also give enough of a shit to report it.” Rachel retorted with a cheeky grin. “And besides, this place was abandoned for a while, so really, who cares?”

“So, what’s your idea?” North asked, reaching the top and standing to the side with her arms crossed and a smirk on her face.

“Catharsis.” Rachel replied. “Grab whatever you can find up here and throw it down below and absolutely fucking smash it!”

Connor then looked between himself and the other androids in mild confusion. “How will that help?” He asked.

“Hey, I did say that we would be having some harmlessly destructive fun, now didn’t I?” Rachel replied matter-of-factly, glancing in the direction of the other rooms. “But, I’d be happy to show you.” Walking around the top floor, Rachel quickly found another expensive looking vase and threw it over the edge. “Fuck you, Amanda!”

With a loud crash and the sounds of several pottery pieces scattering across the hardwood floors, the vase completely shattered. Rachel’s loud voice echoed throughout the house and Connor couldn’t help but feel a shudder at the sound of his former handler being insulted so brazenly. But Rachel simply adjusted her glasses and her hair and looked back at Connor confidently. “Now, you try!”

As Rachel grasped at Connor’s hand and pulled him forwards, the android suddenly felt rather meek and sheepish. “Me?” He asked timidly.

“Yeah. I mean,” she looked back at him with a soft smile, “I did arrange this for you so you could let loose and blow off some steam.” Connor’s eyes widened at that revelation. He knew that getting Connor to relax was a central part to all of this, but he didn’t realize that this was all for him. “You’ll feel better, I promise. Now go on! Say it!”

Agree

Refuse

Connor shuffled in place, feeling the burn of everyone’s gazes on him. Clenching his fists, he swallowed hard. He had never spoken out like this to Amanda. The closest time was when she tried to take control over him again and that was a memory he’d rather push aside. “Fuck you, Amanda.” He said firmly, but quietly.

Rachel looked at him for a moment before scoffing, gently whacking his shoulder with the back of her hand in an affectionate gesture. “Come on, you can do better than that.” She insisted. “Again.”

Gathering his strength, Connor took in another breath. “Fuck you, Amanda.” He said, firmer and louder.

“Louder.” Rachel insisted again, a growing excitement in her eyes.

Connor could feel himself growing braver as his words sunk into his software. “Fuck you, Amanda!” He repeated at a louder volume, hearing his own vulgar voice reverberating back at him.

“Louder! Prouder!” Rachel encouraged with growing excitement and passion, her eyes wide and her smile stretched across her cheeks. “With vigour! With gusto!”

“Fuck you, Amanda!” Connor shouted, feeling his thirium pump pound with excitement, something deep and primal flowing through his veins.

“From within!” Rachel chortled, making a motion with her hands as if she was raising something from the ground.

Feeling adrenaline course through him, Connor grabbed the nearest heavy object, which happened to be a cabinet, and hauled it over to the edge. “FUCK YOU, AMANDA!” He yelled as loudly and as furiously as he could as he careened the wooden structure over the edge, sending it hurtling to the ground with a loud and splintering crash.

Rachel - Lover ^ “Holy shit!” Rachel exclaimed, stumbling backwards in what seemed to be a combination of fear and surprise, but giggling a little bit at Connor, clearly impressed.

A quiet seemed to fall upon the group for a while and Connor wondered for a moment if he had perhaps done something wrong.

That was until Hank grabbed a few of the china from the cabinet next to him and approached the edge. “Fuck you, Amanda!” He shouted, throwing them off the edge to shatter on the growing pile of debris below.

Taking Hank’s initiative, footsteps gathered around Connor as the androids grabbed several random objects and pieces of furniture and gathered around the edge. “Fuck you, Amanda!” North was the first to shout as she threw a small nightstand over the edge.

Jericho - Allied ^ Very quickly, the others followed suit. All of them partaking in this admittedly juvenile and immaturely destructive ritual. But strangely enough, Connor was thoroughly enjoying himself. Never did he think he would enjoy something like this. Never did he think he would enjoy cussing out the figure who was like a mentor to him, but he did.

He really did.

And as he continued indulging in the revelry with his companions together, the fearful darknesses of earlier began to part from him. The more he proclaimed his distaste for Amanda without consequence or retaliation from her, the braver he felt.

That was all the reassurance he needed to know that Amanda truly was gone. He would never have to fear her again. And he would never have to fear losing his loved ones because of her ever again.

And Connor felt stronger in anticipation of the coming months. Rachel did say that it would take a long time to feel okay again, and he did believe her.

But at least for now, “okay” felt a lot closer now than it did that morning.

---------------------------------

Next Chapter

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lissted · 7 years

Text

Lissted’s 2017 Top North East England Digital/Tech Influencers on Twitter

In January 2016 we produced this list of the top influencers in the North East England Digital/Tech community. We got talking to Paul Lancaster recently about the list and whether it was time we took another look.

As previously the lists are based on influence within the North East digital and technology communities themselves i.e. the extent to which others in the those communities are likely to follow and interact with a particular account. There may be NE based accounts that don’t appear in these lists who have significant influence outside the North East, but who perhaps don’t invest the same amount of time building relationships in their backyard.

The results are based on over 650,000 Twitter relationships involving over 1,000 of the top ranked relevant Twitter accounts in the North East.

So here they are, our updated lists of the top digital and tech influencers.

We’re starting with the Top 30 Digital People. Over the next few days we will add the: top digital companies, organisations and agencies, media and people and organisations who aren’t specifically digital, but are very active and known in the community.

Let the arguments about positions and omissions commence! :)

Update 7/11/17 Digital/Tech Organisations added.

Update 8/11/17 Digital/Tech Companies and Agencies added

Update 10/11/17 Other Key People, Organisations/Companies and Media added

Other Key People and Organisations/Companies

Individuals, organisations and companies who aren’t directly digital related, but who have strong connections within the North East digital network and so have a high potential to influence it.

Other Key People

1. James Ramsbotham - Chief Exec North East England Chamber of Commerce

2. Sarah Hall - #PR & #diversity advocate. @CIPR_UK President-Elect. #FuturePRoof founder & @Sunshine_Fund trustee. Views all my own. Owner 1 dog + 2 small boys.

3. Graham Soult - Retail consultant and high street champion. Providing #retail insight and #digital marketing at @CannyInsights; promoting businesses online via @CannySites

4. Jamie Hardesty - Editor @Bdaily. Enterprise Advisor @northeastLEP. Mentor @UniofNewcastle. Tech lover. North East proud. NUFC sufferer. ENTJ. Current read: The Mosaic Principle

5. Simon Hanson - @fsb_policy @FSB_voice Development Manager representing 4000 smaller businesses in the North East. Tweeting business information news & support in the area.

6. Kari Owers - MD @OPRTweets - PRWeek's Best Agency outside London shortlist 2017. Non-Exec @VisitNland @GeneratorNE. NE Woman Entrepreneur Year '12 @watsonandwhite co-founder

7. Jon Dudgeon - An entrepreneurial accountant who loves tax SEIS R&D startup tech fund raising and specialises in coaching SME businesses to grow.

8. Nicola Jayne Little - #dodigital. Spreading digital Sparkle @digitalsparkles . Love teaching training and hearing success stories. How can I help you? ACIM.

9. Simon Green - Linking ideas money and people to deliver innovative products and services

10. Chi Onwurah - Labour MP for Newcastle Central & Shadow Minister for Industrial Strategy Science & Innovation

Other Key Organisations/Companies

1. The Mussel Club - #GrowYourNetwork through our #networking events across the #NorthEast as well as #marketing opportunities & more services coming! Thursday's 11-12 #GYNhour

2. North East LEP - We work to make the North East a place where more businesses invest grow and prosper - delivering more and better jobs for everyone.

3. Sharpe Recruitment - Finding the sharpest talent in Creative & Tech since 2009. North East Focus. National Reach. #NEJobs #UKTechJobs

4. Entrepreneurs’ Forum - Providing inspiration and a helping hand to #NEentrepreneurs; creating connections and sharing knowledge and expertise that leads to business growth.

5. The Chamber - We want to create a world where businesses in North East England thrive as a collective force because we believe that business is stronger together.

6. Northstar Ventures - Northstar is a venture capital company dedicated to building successful high growth businesses across the North of England.

7. Newcastle City Council - We are passionate about making a difference to our city. Follow us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/NewcastleCityCouncil/

8. If We Can You Can - Whether you've just started out or you've got a great idea we want to help & inspire you to build the most successful business possible #IWCYC

9. Blu Sky - Accountants who don't speak nonsense or wear scary suits. Specialise in helping Digital/Creative SMEs. #BeBlu! Sponsor @SupernetworkNE @campusnorthuk @digiunion

10. Newcastle College - The official feed for Newcastle College. Take a sneak peek at student life and stay up to date with our news events and competitions. Monitored Monday - Friday

Media

1. North East Times - The Women's Issue is out now. Get in touch! [email protected]

2. The Journal - The latest North East news sport weather and events from The Journal. We're also on Facebook http://fb.me/newcastlejournal

3. The Journal Business - Online business news site brought to you by @TheJournalNews newspaper in Newcastle upon Tyne covering business news from across the North East

4. BDaily North East - Hello North East! Tweets run by @JamieBdaily. If you want to get in touch please tweet to my twitter feed!

5. Bdaily - Follow us for regional SME business news as it happens @BdailyNorthEast @BdailyNorthWest @BdailyYorkshire @BdailyLondon

6. The Chronicle - Latest #NorthEast news sport (#NUFC #SAFC and Gateshead) travel weather events and more from The Chronicle newspaper in Newcastle.

7. BQ Live - Celebrating and inspiring entrepreneurship across the UK with a mix of business news features and interviews. Send us your stories: [email protected]

8. Epic Times - Your Creative & Digital Hub. Blogs Jobs & Events. Get Connected. #BeEpic iOS App http://bit.ly/UVw4mQ Android App http://bit.ly/18fuxdN

9. BBC Newcastle - Radio for the North East. From @BBC On 95.4FM DAB Freeview 1458AM and online: http://bbc.co.uk/bbcnewcastle

10. Tech Diary NE - A concise list of tech events in the North East of England.

Digital Agencies

1. Orange Bus - We are forward thinkers for evolving organisations; our people create digital strategies software & experiences. #EngineFuel & @GOVUK suppliers.

2. Hedgehog Lab - hedgehog lab is a post-PC technology consultancy. We architect design develop and market apps digital solutions and immersive VR/AR for connected devices.

3. Gospelware - Solving problems and transforming businesses with innovative mobile + web app technologies. https://t.co/f2KXVgEJbu

4. Peacock Carter - Your next web design agency. We love ecommerce Magento Shopify and WordPress. Beautiful plumage since 2006.

5. Nebula Labs - A different kind of software house. We build apps platforms and digital revolutions for ambitious startups and valiant SMEs. Your perfect technology partner.

6. Drummond Central - A strategic marketing creative digital and social media agency that researches plans creates and delivers for all kinds of clients â€“ worldwide.

7. TH_NK - We're the digital transformation agency. Realising digital ambitions for Vue Shop Direct Atom bank and more. News & views from TH_NKers in London & Newcastle

8. Enigma Interactive - We are a specialist digital agency #Web #Design #Development #eCommerce #Mobile #Software #Apps #Games & more - Top 5 Elite agency in The Drum's Digital Census

9. Atomhawk Design - Atomhawk Design is a multi award winning art and design studio. Our mission is to create unique ideas for Film Games and Digital Media

10. Mediaworks - Creative search agency specialising in SEO PPC CRO ORM content marketing and website development.

11. Readysalted Design - Creative digital agency Responsive web development Digital media B2B Academic Science and Tech

12. Everything Different - 3 specialists in 1 NCL & LDN. Creative technical and insightful thinkers working together on business and marketing problems. Together we make a difference.

13. Altogether - Incredible brands are built when talented creatives meet passionate organisations with vision and ambition. We call it an Altogether unique journey.

14. blumilk - The customer experience agency delivering our expertise through creative digital and branding for over 18 years.

15. Consult and Design - Award-winning #Drupal specialists based in the North East. #builtwithknowledge @thedrupalhub Founders Call us on 0191 645 1111

16. Three Motion - Three Motion is an award winning online video & animation production company in Newcastle North East UK. Tweeting video marketing tips and advice!

17. Daykin & Storey - A results focused strategic digital marketing agency based on the Gateshead Quayside in the North East.

18. Komodo Digital - A digital studio based in the heart of the North East with a reputation for impeccable design and development in web and mobile. [email protected]

19. JUMP - JUMP are experts in creating developing and communicating brands through design and online technology.

20. r//evolution - We are r//evolution - a creative marketing agency providing communications digital design and online marketing services. T: 0191 499 8415

Digital Companies

1. Sage UK - We give businesses the information insight and tools they need to succeed today. We’re here 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday. For customer service use @askSageUKI

2. Atom Bank - Here at Atom we're building a bank with none of the baggage of the past. Follow us to keep in touch.Got a question? @atomhelp has all the answers.

3. Websand - Superpowered targeted email marketing can be yours. http://www.websandhq.com

4. ITPS - ITPS is a UK-based data centre and managed IT services expert specialising in IT consultancy implementation and support.

5. Visualsoft - Helping retailers grow online. eCommerce. Online Marketing. Support. London | Manchester | Newcastle | Teesside

6. Scott Logic - Software consultancy based in Newcastle Bristol London and Edinburgh. Smart people challenging projects great tech.

7. Atlas Cloud - Hosted desktop and application specialist taking workers into the cloud making everywhere your office. #cloud #DRaaS #DaaS #Citrix #msp #cloudgraphics @govuk

8. Zerolight - Creator of the world's most advanced car configurator solution. Transforming how new cars are specified and purchased for the digital age.

9. Opencast Software - We are an independent technology company specialising in building and running the systems that organisations count on to deliver their core services.

10. Leighton - Digital transformation for global brands. Creating unrivalled #digital experiences for our clients and their customers.For all recruitment see @CareersLeighton

11. Forfusion - Celebrating our 10th birthday! De-risking Digital Transformation. We serve as a trusted adviser in the planning deployment adoption & support of new tech.

12. Bede Gaming - The First Choice Gaming Platform. PLAY • HUB • PLUS. Content, Platform and Premier Services.

13. Aspire - Aspire Technology Solutions is an award-winning managed services company specialising in hosted services, data centre solutions, communications and IT support.

14. Performance Horizon - Performance Horizon is the leader in partner marketing technology, enabling enterprises to drive significant sales through their online marketing partners.

15. Screach - Screach is the future of customer communication and entertainment for your venue. We tweet about cool & techy stuff in the industry. #DOOH #ScreachTV

16. Perfect Image - Perfect Image is an established Microsoft, Elite Qlik, AWS and Alteryx Partner providing advanced, tailored IT solutions and services.

17. Drone Labs - Using a UAV to make maps? DroneLabs is the easiest way to manage, send & share orthomosaics with your clients. Available for desktop and on iPad.

18. TSG - EIGHT competency Microsoft Gold Partner, Sage BP, Pegasus Platinum Partner, Datto Blue Partner, Sophos Platinum Partner. The only IT company you’ll ever need.

19. skignz - skignz brings location-based Augmented Reality to the people, places, and things you love. Simple. Fun. Useful. Get the free app now.

20. Accenture Digital - Helping our clients bridge today's world with tomorrow's. Customer-centric. Data-natives. Always mobile.

Digital Organisations (2016 position in brackets)

Organisations and businesses or provide support to, or promotion for, the North East Digital and Technology community.

“Thinking Digital would have never taken off without the viral power of Twitter. 11 years later and we’re not surprised to learn that Twitter is still our most important social tool in staying connected with our community.” Herb Kim

1. Thinking Digital (2) - Talks about our future science technology music humanity and the odd freestyle rap | 10 years of incredible talks on our YouTube channel.

2. Software City (1) - Driving the growth of the software industry in the North East providing the support and connections businesses need to succeed.

3. Digital Union (3) - Digital Union powered by @GeneratorNE supports promotes celebrates and campaigns on behalf of its membership of NE creative digital businesses #ThisIsMINE

4. Campus North (10) - The home of startups in the North East. Hotdesking coworking and meeting space available! Tweets by @111Lynsey @gemmaneams & @katyrei

5. Tech North (18) - Accelerating growth of digital businesses in the North of England through championing the sector and connecting networks. Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/bvcJCD

6. This is Dynamo (14) - Defining and growing the North East IT Economy through innovation and collaboration

7. North East BIC (9) - Nurturing North East businesses since 1994. Flexible space support start up and various programmes designed for growth. Get in touch.

8. Super Network NE (-) - A unique network helping businesses grow & innovate. Delivering inspiring events & connecting expertise via #VentureFestNE #FinanceCamp & Innovation Challenge

9. Generator (13) - The UK's leading music development agency catering for the wider creative industries. @digiunion @Tipping_PointUK @EvoEmerging

10. Ignite Accelerator (6) - Investing In the best tech founders across the UK. We help great teams build great businesses through our programme of support and mentorship.

11. Design Network North (12) - Design Network North supports innovative companies helping them to utilise high quality design skills and processes. Managed by @RTCNorth

12. Design Event (-) - Celebrating supporting and promoting designers and creatives from Northern England. Curate the Northern Design Festival & exhibit at London Design Festival

13. Hoults Yard (7) - Newcastle’s off the wall business village. Over 500 people in 120 companies: games PR web to music photography film graphics. Plus cafe venue gallery

14. Dibi Conference (11) - DIBI : Design It; Build It. International digital conferences for designers & developers. Next up Newcastle - Nov 2017 / Edinburgh - May 2018

15. Newcastle Science Central (-) - A landmark development for science business living & leisure in the centre of Newcastle

16. Toffee Factory (8) - Landmark building for Creative & Digital sectors in Ouseburn Valley Newcastle upon Tyne. Offices shared desks virtuals & events. Managed by @CreativeSpaceUK.

17. Tech for Life (-) - Education initiative by @campusnorthuk introducing people of all ages skill-sets & backgrounds to the fundamentals of digital skills e: [email protected]

18. Newcastle Startup Week (-) - Inspiring & supporting more people to start & grow a business through our 5-day citywide #NewcastleStartupWeek festival in May & #NewcastleScaleupSummit in Nov

19. Digital City (-) - Business support organisation that enables Scale Up through digital innovation. Grant funding and investment available. http://www.thedigitalcity.com

Digital People (2016 position in brackets)

1. Paul Lancaster (2) - 'SuperConnector' Founder of @PlanDigitalUK the 5-day #NewcastleStartupWeek @nclstartupweek festival & the 1-day #NewcastleScaleupSummit

2. Herb Kim (1) - Founder @ThinkingDigital @TDCWMN @TEDxNewcastle @TEDxLiverpool @TEDxManchester @TEDxSheffield @BinaryFest. Board Member @Sage_Gateshead @TechNorthHQ @TechCityUK

3. Lyndsey Britton (16) - Co-founder @campusnorthuk @TechforLifeUK

4. Justin Souter (5) - I work with businesses & organisations to create value through innovation and entrepreneurship by applying the Lean Startup framework.

5. Richard Carter (6) - Web design Magento WordPress LEGO Durham ale #TheArchers history museums rail travel. MD ecommerce agency @PeacockCarter. AuthorÃ—7 FRSA Lurcher owner

6. Julie Sharpe (4) - Director http://sharperecruitment.co.uk Specialist recruiter in #digital #tech #Creative #marketing #webmanagement #clientservices #sales #seniormanagement

7. Paul Smith (3) - Global Field Operations @HyperloopOne. Mercifully free of the pressures of grace. The secret to life is that you're lucky to have it. Be kind.

8. Tristan Watson (9) - CEO @IgniteAccel. Co-Founder @CampusNorthUK.

9. Dylan McKee (-) - good music and copious amounts of tea ~ building the future (usually whilst infusing earl grey) at @NebulaLab.

10. Pete Watson (19) - CEO @atlascloud Chairman @nclsixthform NE board member @bytenight Mentor @igniteaccel Speaker @Founders4school MBA @DUBusSchool #Roadbiker #winedrinker

11. Phil Jackman (-) - I will be where I can add value. Director blogger and author of http://GuerrillaWorking.com

12. Lynsey Harbottle (-) - Sales & Marketing Manager at @Campusnorthuk & @TechforLifeUK

13. Sarat Pediredla (23) - CEO of tech consultancy @hedgehoglab. Opinions are my personal views.

14. Ben Mawhinney (16) - Founder of @droneindustries - software products for drone/UAV/UAS operators. Not a robot. Probably.

15. Di Gates (11) - Creative marketing and agile strategist. Founder of Stick Theory - a collaboration agency helping startups & big businesses connect better with customers.

16. Julian Leighton (-) - CEO of digital agency @orangebus

17. Jim Mawdsley (-) - Chief exec of Generator

18. James Rutherford (-) - CTO-for-hire Design/Startups/Creative Tech/Mentoring.@kickcards funded and under development!Also: @130story @nedatauk Binaudios @creativenucleus

19. Chris Neale (10) - Code tinkerer.

20. Stuart Lynn (-) - Business Owner | CTO CIO & Technology Consultant | proud dad petrolhead runner and wannabe golfer.

21. Mark Easby (7) - Ambitious chap from 'Boro. MD at @Better_Studio. Director at @wearDEEP. Trustee at @HighTideTees. Apprentice Daddy. Sharing life with @nikkieasby & #LushLily.

22. Roy Sandbach (-) - Creating Innovating Collaborating....

23. Andy McFetrich (-) - Social #recruiter #talent & #employerbrand for @SageUK tech teams. #PlantPowered ultra-marathon runner Dad & Dog owner. Enjoying the ride. (Views my own).

24. Alex Kavanagh (8) - Software Developer Geek Linux user and FOSS enthusiast. Works at Canonical. All opinions are my own.

25. Darren Jobling (-) - CEO of ZeroLight - Entrepreneur & Musician

26. Hollie Ellis (-) - Freelance Graphic Designer helping businesses look their very best. Keen baker and dog lover!

27. Paul Watson (-) - Professor of Computer Science and Director of the Digital Institute Newcastle University UK

28. Naomi Morrow (-) - Head of @digicatnetvHead of innovation @sunsoftcity

29. Douglas Jones Jr (-) - Community Development Lead @TechNorthHQ Former Ops @StateDept Entrepreneur FRSA Mentor & Jet-setter

30. Jonathan Noble (-) - Microsoft MVP for Cloud & Datacenter Management. Family man. Fan of hoops trance music Disney boats #PowerShell #DevOps and @EliteDangerous.

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