Chapter 6

"Who is this?" James threw a magazine on the table in front of you at work, as you were caught up in some boring powerpoint that had to be made for the next meeting. You were shook out of your working trance and looked at the screen of the magazine. On the front were some new pictures of the faceless android that was Markus. It was from the security camera in the Stratford Tower. If you didn't know Markus there would be no way for you to tell that it was him, so you knew just how frustrating it was for the police to figure out who he was. And of course Connor. But the fact that they were looking for Markus had to mean that he wasn't the one Connor 'felt' shoot itself in front of him. Markus was out there and alive. You tried to hide how it felt like a thousand kilos were removed from your shoulders, but you knew James saw through you as you talked.

"I don't know." You said and turned your head back to your computer. James stood there for a moment and you felt his eyes on you but you tried to ignore him until he bowed down so you could talk quietly to each other with no chance of anyone else hearing it.

"He is one of those you helped, right?" He asked in a whisper. You stopped typing all the useless numbers in an illustration and looked at him.

"Why is it so important?" You asked a little annoyed. He didn't like them anyway, why did it matter?

"Because he is their leader now. He is your creation if so."

"He is his own creation! All I did was covering up his bruises! I didn't treat him any different than any other android I help." You hissed at him but tried to keep your voice down.

"So you did help him. Funny." James said and stood up straight again.

"Why is it funny?"

"You might have helped the android that lead all android into their dead. Because of the speech he made we don't even have androids working here anymore. They get thrown away and I have seen that android graveyard! It's not a nice place to end. Oh! And I had to empty the dishwasher myself today in the kitchen before I could get a cup of coffee this morning. Can you believe it?" James said and threw out his arms in frustration before leaving you to work again. The magazine was still lying beside you and you couldn't help but stare at the faceless picture of Markus. You sure hope he knew what he was doing.

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

When you got home and found another android in your garden you kind of hoped it was Connor as soon you saw it. It did have a very nice brown haricut but nothing could compare with the charming little lock of hair Connor always fashioned on his forehead.

"So. You are going to Jericho too?" You asked the male android that said he didn't have a name. You applied some synthetic skin on his exposed electronics on his arm to stop the bleeding. He sipped of a bottle of blue blood you had given him, after the loss of blood that had happening in his escape. You never really asked them what happen and what they were doing before they got to you. Not unless the start talking about it themselves. You guessed that many of them wanted to forget their old life and wanted to start a new one as a new individual. They couldn't have been happy where they were when they were willing to be damaged so badly to escape from there.

"Yeah. I want to help in the fight to get our freedom." He said loud and proud. You couldn't help but smile. It was so nice to hear the enthusiasm in the voice of the androids lately. The first ones that got to you were all shy and didn't know what to do about themselves. But as the numbers of deviants grew, so did their will to fight for what they were.

"I wish I could see Jericho and all the deviants that have been here. See how they are doing, you know? But I have heard it's only androids that are able to find it." You said and sighed. Also wondering why the authorities haven't found it yet, since they had androids like Connor on the case.

"You will see them all again as soon this is over I am sure that they will come forward and show their gratitude. But I can give them a message from you if you like?" The androids said politely.

"I don't even know what to tell them. I guess just want them all to have a long and happy live in freedom." You said after thinking for a while. The android lifted up his shirt for you to check his pump was okay, before you could leave. He wanted to join the others in Jericho as soon as possible and you were willing to spend another night going into the city and dropping him off. You knew that things were happening soon. It was like unspoken words that was fizzling in the air in ever little gust of wind that passed you. The president didn't want to listen to what Markus had said on TV and they were ready to involve the military if necessary. But you had met Markus and he didn't seem like a man who wanted to practice violence if not attacked first. You just had to hope that the military didn't attack first.

As you neared the place you used to drop of the androids you could sense that something was happening in the city. The usual way you drove was block by road work but even in the dark you could see that Capitol Park nearby was full of life. It was only lightened up by dim light from a neon sign that flashed in different commercials. It was strange all the lights were out. You remembered how you used to see people on a midnight stroll when you went and dropped some of the other androids off. You stopped the car and asked the android to stay put. As you walked up the streets that were blocked with traffic cones you could hear people talk. They weren't shouting like a protest would do it. They just walked around and drew something on the store windows facing the square. You couldn't tell exactly what. As you entered the small park you could see that many of the people around wore the classic android clothes designed by CyperLife. They were all androids. What were they doing?

The first few androids saw you and stopped what they were doing. They didn't attack you but they didn't move their eyes from you either. You just kept walking toward the middle of the park as more and more eyes were on you. Should you approach them? Ask them what they were doing. You were afraid that they would misunderstand you asking. You didn't get to ask anyone anything before someone grabbed your arm hard and turned you around with force to look at them. An android woman was looking angrily at you. By quickly scanning her face you could see she was beautiful. She was built with a perfect bone structure and the hair was neat even though it was mostly hidden under a beanie. There was no sign of any LED either. You could only imagine why she was built so beautifully and you understood why she was angry.

"What is a human like you doing here?" She hissed at you and squished your arm even harder.

"I'm on your side." You said through the pain. You tried to loosen her grasp on you with your free hand but her fingers were locked tightly.

"I don't believe you. You only say that so we don't hurt you." She spat at you and laughed very sarcastically. You screamed out as she squeezed harder on your arm and you were sure it would break if you weren't interrupted by another android grapping her around the neck and forced her away from you. It was the male android you had told to wait in the car. He must have followed you anyway and you were glad he did.

"She's telling the truth! She's helping us!" He shouted as he struggled to keep the female in place.

"What are you? Her pet?" She screamed and tried to claw at his face, but he kept his arm tightly around her neck.

"Enough!" Someone shouted from behind you and you all turned around to see none other than Markus. He was dressed much more nicely than when you had left him, but he kept the coat. He looked with burning eyes on the fighting androids. They slowly let each other go and the female marched to stand next to Markus like an angry bulldog protecting its owner. But Markus didn't look affected by the angry woman as his expression softened when look at you.

"Y/n." He muttered before reaching out his arms. You ran to him and threw your arms around him and let him hug you for a bit. He smelled like old diesel fuel but it was so good to see the first ever deviant you ever helped. You couldn't say you were close but he had stayed at your home for a few days long than any other deviant which meant that you knew him a little better than any of the other deviants that had passed your home since it all started. He was the face of the revolution and you had helped. It gave you a sense of pride to feel his arms around you.

"Markus. I'm so glad to see you." You said breathlessly as Markus let you go again. The angry female android behind him snorted at the scene and crossed her arms over her chest. She clearly didn't like you being anywhere near Markus.

"I can see you are here to drop another one of. Welcome." Markus said and reached out his hand for your rescuer. The new deviant looked slightly confused – clearly not used to the whole hand gesture thing – but shook Markus hand.

"What are you all doing here? Why have you left Jericho? It's not safe here in the city. They collect all androids and dispose them." You explained and Markus nodded slowly.

"I am aware. A lot of deviants have come to us lately. Those who had time to escape at least. But we have to get the message out. We need more people to hear and understand us so we have to get out and show our points to the public. It wouldn't hurt if the press saw us too." Markus looked around the place where more androids peacefully wrote their statements on different surfaces. Sure it would be great to have the press showing up for this, but the military is as fast as the press in many cases.

"It's really risky, Markus, but I understand. Is there anything I can do to help?"

"You can't help with anything." The female android interrupted, before Markus could say anything.

"North!" Markus hissed as some kind of alarm suddenly went off in the area. All the deviants looked around terrified to see where the sound came from. More and more alarms went off around them and it suddenly came to you that you had heard that sound before. It was not alarms; it was the sound of the Special Forces.

"They are coming." You spoke out loud and Markus reacted immediately. He jumped up on top of the nearest car to get everyone's attention as he waved his arms over his head.

"Everyone fall back to Jericho!" He yelled and the deviants threw everything they had in their hands and started running to oppose direction that you had parked your car. They must all know where Jericho was. Even the guy you just brought there ran along with the others.

"We sent a message without violence, just like you wanted!" North said to Markus as he came down from the car to you again. He just looked at her without responding.

"You're reaching out to them when all they feel for us is contempt." She spat and looked at you in the progress. You were about to defend yourself but Markus sighed and you knew that there were no use in discussing anything with that woman. She ran the same way as the rest of the androids, leaving you and Markus alone.

Drones suddenly filled the air over your heads and casted a strong light down on you. You had to cover your eyes not to be blinded. Markus grabbed your arm and dragged you to cover behind a car. He looked like he was going to say something to you as gunshots rang through the streets. Markus looked scared in a split second but it shifted to determination.

"I have to find North. Stay put." He mumbled more to himself than to you. He left you behind the car to run in the direction of the gunfire and you started to panic. You could feel yourself hyperventilate and you sat down behind the car and closed your eyes for a moment to get everything under control. You didn't know what to do. You never imagined yourself in the middle of a warzone and you knew that if you ran behind Markus you would see dead bodies lying around. Maybe even Markus'. But maybe... Maybe if you showed up and showed you were human they would stop shooting? They wouldn't kill a human with cold blood like they wold with androids. It was sad but true. You took one last deep breath as you got up and ran in the direction you had seen Markus disappear the moment before.

As you turned the corner you had to stop for a moment. Bodies was scattered everywhere and the blue blood was turning the snowy street into a battleground. Markus stood over North that was examine a body lying on the ground. You had to force yourself to move further down the street as the gunshot kept going and more androids fell to the ground. You ran passed Markus and North and you heard them call your name, but you kept running. You had to stop this. You wanted to do something. The huge group of androids in front of you had stopped in front of a military van and two armed men stood there and shot the androids even though they didn't even threat them. The androids just stood there and let the men shoot them one by one. You pressed your way through the terrified androids and showed yourself to the armed men.

"I am human!!! I am human!!!" You screamed at them and folded your arms out for them to see your full form. No electronics anywhere. One of the men didn't seem to care and pointed his gun at you but the other one laid a hand on him. Your heart was racing and you could hear your pulse in your ears.

"We can't do that. No civilians!" He yelled at the other one and they both lowered their guns. You lowered your arms with them but before you got to breathe out the air you didn't even knew you were holding, a few deviants jumped the two armed men and took their guns away from them. They made them kneel on the ground with their hands behind their heads and took their helmets.

Markus and North forced their way through the now angry crowd and up next to you.

"Are you mad?" Markus asked you, but he didn't sound like he was angry at you. More surprised about your behaviour. One of the androids that wrestled the men reached out one of their guns to Markus with a serious expression.

"They killed our people Markus. We want justice!" Another one called out and the crowd mumbled in agreement. You knew you couldn't stomach to see any more spilled blood, so you turned away from the scene to see North smiling. She wanted this. She wanted them to die and that was equally disgusting.

"Please... please..." One of the men pleaded and you hugged yourself and closed your eyes. This was too much. You heard Markus sigh and the sound of a gun hitting the ground rung out in the street.

"We won't punish a crime with another crime." He mumbled loud enough for those nearby to hear. He started to walk away from the scene and you looked up to see all the gathered androids glare after him like he was a mad man. You decided to run after him and caught up with him, still holding your arms around you, as the cold quickly made its way to your bones. The adrenalin you had felt before was apparently enough to have kept it away until that moment.

"Markus." You mumbled his name but he heard you and stopped.

"Mmh?" He answered.

"Will you take me to Jericho? I want to know what it is like. The place I send all the deviants." You said and send him a sweet smile. It was hard to smile now that you still were in a street full of dead bodies, but you needed to know what Jericho was. You wanted to know what they were doing and if it was a nice place.

"It's not a place for humans."

"Please? Only shortly, of course." You begged him. He frowned at you before nodded. You lightened up at him actually wanting to take you there. It meant that he trusted you. He took in your frame as you stood there shaking with cold and hugging yourself. He shook the same jacket off that he had always worn and threw it over your shoulders.

"I will take you there but we will get you home later tonight." You followed Markus and the other androids. North came up on the other side of Markus and glared at you with a sour face. One side of you wanted to flip her off but the other side of you understood her reaction to humans. They haven't really shown any act of kindness towards androids. So you descried to be decent and show her that human actually can be good.