August 15 2038

Rain.

It hadn't been raining all day-or even all week now that she thought about it, but the heavens seemed to have opened the moment the DPD Report centre received the alert.

Another ominous sign.

Earlier on in the day her car had stopped working on her route to work, perhaps the first warning telling her she should have skipped work.

Her husband had insisted she stay in bed after another bout of terribly severe morning sickness, but being the skilful negotiator that she was, Stephanie had managed to talk him around, reassuring him she would be careful and only take low risk negotiations and reiterating to him that she would take maternity leave as soon as she hit the 6 month mark.

And if he was allowed to go deal with active shooters every other day and whatnot she could talk down a suicidal from a bridge and dissuade a kidnapper or two.

Which was why she didn't bother to think twice and accepted the call, when the case of a rogue android holding a little girl hostage was wired through to the crisis negotiation team from the report centre.

She wouldn't be quick enough if she went by car, so instead she scooped the keys from the bottom drawer of her desk with a red lacquered finger, zipped up her jacket and popped on her helmet.

Her motorcycle should get her there before the SWAT team would do anything too hasty.

Turning on her earpiece she patched herself through to the police already at the scene.

"Crisis negotiation is on it's way, status report?"

As soon a she spoke she heard a crackle in her ear as another line opened.

"Stephanie turn around now."

"Detective Allen." She addressed him with his official title, showing her seriousness and professionalism, knowing she'd have to negotiate with him before she could get talking to the android.

"Situations like this usually call for the crisis negotiation team don't they?"

"This isn't a situation with a human, its an android, you don't know how it'll react, if you'll be able to reason with it like a human."

She rolled her eyes despite him not being able to see.

"Honey, if anyone can do it it's me, you know they say I could sell the ocean a cup of water."

He was silent, knowing her stubbornness wouldn't shift.

"So whats the status?"

He sighed.

She smirked victoriously.

"SWAT are already in the building-"

Stephanie pulled her motorcycle to a stop in front of yellow police tape. Handing her helmet to the nearest officer she ducked under the tape, and headed to the elevator, flanked by two of the SWAT kids, both of them armed and ready.

"I'm on my way up, don't make any sudden actions until I get there-"

"Stephanie-"

"Honey-"

"It's too dangerous Stephanie, the android is out of control, you can't put yourself or our child in danger, I wont let you."

"We won't be in danger honey, not when I have you and you're boys and girls watching over me with all those fancy toys."

"Captain Allen."

The captain of the swat team turned to the other officer.

"What is it?"

"I just got word from cyberlife, they're sending over an android to talk down the rogue android."

He turned straight to his wife, she quirked an eyebrow and planted her hands on her hips.

"You see, you're not needed here, just go home okay?"

She frowned, arms folding over her chest, brows furrowing and face scrunching into that sulking thin-lipped pout that showed she was pissed.

"Not needed here? An android went rogue and kidnapped a little girl and you want to trust another to save her?"

Gunshots sounded from inside the apartment, followed by the little girl's scream.

Perfect timing to prove her point.

"The longer we wait the greater the risk gets. I'm not not going anywhere, if it makes you happy i'll put on a bullet proof vest but I am going to talk to that android."

Her husband clenched his jaw.

"If it was our child out there, you'd want the best of the best to save her right?

She touched an arm gently to his shoulder.

Comforting, reassuring.

"Take this."

He said, giving her a loaded pistol.

"And someone get her a vest."

When she was kitted up, carefully she entered the apartment.

Immediately she was hit with the smell of blood and gunfire.

"They're out on the roof."

"He has my baby please!"

Stephanie stepped through the scattered SWAT team to reach the sobbing woman, catching sight of the dead male on the ground.

"Her husband John Phillips, he was shot by the android."

"Caroline right?"

Stephanie held the woman's hands and gave them a squeeze.

"Don't worry I promise we'll work our hardest to save your daughter, I just need you to tell me a bit about what happened okay?"

"My daughter! He has my Emma out there and he has a gun!"

"I know I know," She nodded, sweeping the room for information before turning back to the girls mother.

"Do you have any idea what brought the sudden attack on?"

"No, I, I don't know, it just happened Daniel just shot him."

"Daniel, that's the name of the android?"

The woman nodded.

Stephanie smiled reassuringly.

"What can you tell me about Daniel?"

"I..i..i don't know, he was just an android he..."

The women paused for a moment, turning to the direction of the rooftop.

"Emma spent a lot of time with him, she doesn't have a lot of friends so he kept her company, played with her."

Another shot fired and the woman dropped to her knees in fright, Stephanie searched for her husband.

"Situation?"

"One of our guys thought he could get a shot, android shot him down."

Stephanie tucked her hair behind her ears.

"Standby," She said firmly, her tone icy and irritated.

"No more shooting until I give the word, tell the chopper not to linger too close either."

Returning her attention back to Caroline she knelt down to help the woman stand.

"We need to get you out of here okay?"

"No I wont leave her, i'm not leaving Emma."

"If you get hurt it will upset Emma even more, she's already lost her father Caroline, lets not make her an orphan."

At the harsh reality the woman seemed to cave, and allowed the SWAT to escort her away.

Stephanie did a quick circle of the room, dark eyes fixing on a blinking piece of software on the ground.

"Thank you for your purchase."

She quickly connected the dots in her head; the Phillips were going to replace Daniel.

With all the information she needed, Stephanie headed over to her husband who was watching the scene on the rooftop through a digital screen.

"I'm heading out, get your kids to cover me but tell them not to follow me out."

"I'm not letting you go out there alone."

"Cyberlife's android is on it's way up."

An officer called out, and Daniel sent a last pleading look to his wife.

"Let the android do the dirtywork."

She cupped his chin with a smile.

"I love you, but you're real fucking annoying sometimes."

"And you're so fucking stubborn."

Kissing his cheek she turned on her heels, tucking her pistol into the waistband of her jeans at the small of her back and making her way to the rooftop.

"I'm going to start negotiations."

She announced to the SWAT members, who carefully fell into position around her and nodded.

The first step forward onto the roof sent a bullet flying towards her.

She inhaled sharply, flinching backwards and raising her arms in defence.

She heard the SWAT loading their guns, and her husband shouting her name, and quickly made a move to settle them.

"Easy now, I'm okay, i'm okay, bulletproof vest remember."

She exhaled a breath and took a step forward.

Another shot was aimed near her, missing her shoulder and hitting the wall behind her.

An intentional miss-this was a good sign.

"Don't step any closer or i'll jump!"

The android yelled, Emma cried and squirmed and Stephanie came to an abrupt stop.

"Okay, i'll stay right here and keep still, but only if you keep still too alright, let's all keep nice and still."

She emphasised her words, mainly out of concern for the little girl who was moving far too much and far too close to the edge of the building.

She realised interestingly as the android followed her line of vision that he noticed it too, and tightened his grip on the young girl.

He didn't want to hurt the girl at all-she had her hook.

"Daniel."

She addressed the android.

"How do you know my name!"

She saw his eyes narrow, distrustful.

"My names Stephanie."

She spoke, calmly and as softly as she could but with enough volume to reach over the roaring of the chopper.

The wind and rain was starting to slowly drench her, turning her immaculately styled waves into inky seaweed like tendrils.

Her shoulders started to tremble with the cold.

"Now you know my name too."

"i know what you're trying to do!"

Daniel yelled, "You're trying to trick me so you can kill me."

Stephanie shook her head.

"I don't want to hurt you Daniel, I don't want anyone to get hurt."

Stephanie blinked back raindrops from her eyelashes.

"i want you to trust me, so i'm going to show you that I trust you."

Slowly she tossed her gun to the ground, kicking it behind her.

"Steph what are you doing?"

Captain Allen's protest crackled in her ear, she ignored it and started to unzip her bulletproof vest.

"Steph just get out of there, cyberlife's negotiator is here, it can takeover."

Stephanie shook her head.

"No, it's too dangerous to switch negotiators at this point, it can cause further complications."

"Mrs Allen is correct. And presently I see no need for myself to intervene."

"You're the one cyberlife sent?"

She mumbled into her earpiece, receiving an introduction.

"Yes, that's correct, my name is Connor, the android sent by cyberlife."

"Well Connor, thanks for taking my side."

"Come on Steph, it's too dangerous." Captain Allen complained, and she knew she wouldn't her the end of it.

"I'm perfectly fine Honey. This is my job remember, I do this sort of thing every day."

Stephanie removed her earpiece and tossed that aside too.

"I just want to talk Daniel."

"I don't want to talk."

"Okay, then just listen to me, how about I talk and you listen?"

The android was silent, reading the possible outcomes of the situation, after a short moment he nodded.

"Good."

She smiled.

"Do you mind if I come a little closer to talk a bit easier Daniel? I'll keep walking towards you and stop when you say the word okay?"

The android agreed.

Slowly she made her way forward, the wind generated by the chopper whipping her hair around her face, cutting into her skin icily.

"Stop, stop there."

She was still too far of a distance away. But it was a closer proximity than before atleast, meaning she didn't have to raise her voice as much.

Her teeth chattered, subconsciously she held a hand to her stomach.

"You're pregnant?"

The android tilted his head as he looked her up and down. Stephanie saw conflict cross his features.

"Yes I am."

She smiled, hand lingering on her stomach, "Almost 12 weeks."

When the android remained silent she continued.

"My husband thinks the little peanut is a girl but i'm certain he's a boy."

"I'd like a boy first, so that when I do have a little girl later on she'll have a big brother to look after her."

The android had a peculiar look of understanding on his features, which suddenly became saddened.

"I know you cared a lot for Alice, like you were her big brother right?"

Stephanie took a cautious step forward, the android made no complaint.

She took another step.

"And I know, you don't want to hurt Alice do you? Because if you did you would have done it already."

The android trembled, gaze turning to the young girl.

"Daniel."

Her high pitched voice and tear stained eyes seemed to strike a response from him.

"I..I didn't want to hurt anyone, I didn't mean too."

"I know."

Stephanie sympathized.

"You were angry and upset right? You didn't want to be replaced, that's why you fired the gun."

"They told me we'd be together forever but they lied to me, all humans ever do is lie."

The android was starting to get angry again.

The chopper inched closer, fans whirring as it adjusted it's positioning.

"That noise I can't stand that noise anymore!"

Stephanie inhaled deeply, the android was getting even more agitated.

"Tell that helicopter to get out of here."

Stephanie chewed on the inside of her mouth, nodded firmly.

"If that's what you want."

Flicking a wrist she ushered the helicopter away.

"There. I did something for you, now do something for me."

The android waited for her request.

"I want you to trust me, let Emma go and I promise you, everything will be okay."

The android shook his head, then stopped, looked behind himself and around the rooftop,then at Emma and then back to Stephanie.

"I want everyone to leave, and..and I want a car."

Stephanie closed her eyes briefly as she thought through her options. She really wanted a good outcome for everyone, but no matter how she thought about it, a complete happy ending was just impossible.

When she opened her eyes, she saw Daniel shift his gaze behind her and she turned to see Cyberlife's android was approaching.

What the hell was the thing doing?

"Daniel that's impossible."

The android spoke in place of Stephanie, knowing she was conflicted, and knowing the mission needed to be accomplished successfully.

"If you let Emma go now then I can promise you won't get hurt."

Daniel looked between Stephanie and the android.

"Okay."

He nodded, extending his arm and offering the gun to Stephanie.

"I trust you."

She smiled, assuring him he was making the right choice and slipped the weapon from his hold, tossing it over her shoulder.

The android slowly lowered Emma to the ground, and as soon as his fingers loosened their grip on the girl, every next action became a sudden blur.

The SWAT team fired and blue blood splattered against Stephanie's torso, she turned as the roof was suddenly flooded with SWAT officers who shot twice an then a third time and then a fourth, and as the injured android started to stumble, his eyes wide with fear and panic he reached out, grabbing for something,anything-Stephanie's jacket as he staggered backward, over the edge of the cliff.

Connor reached an arm out toward her, but he had hesitated too much and not acted quick enough. Her fingers were a ghostly touch against his as they slipped through his grasp.

She was falling.

The wind tore through the air as she did, billowing around her and sharply hitting the gaps of exposed flesh between her clothing, flooding her very being with a foreboding chill. She flailed in a desperate motion, deafened and unable to hear the android falling bellow her calling out an apology, or hear her name leaving her husbands lips in a yell.

She lets out a gasp and her breath is stolen by the winds around her, leaving her soundless and out of oxygen and her stomach flipped at the pull of gravity, beckoning her to join it.

Her baby.

She cries.

She could come to terms with it she was the only one falling but her child, her child didn't deserve this fate.

Her stomach lurches at the deadly pull of gravity, and her heart hammers out of fear.

Fear of what lies when her descent comes to a stop, and fear that she had made a terrible mistake.

Thunder rumbles all around her as she is consumed by a cold and ferocious wind, causing her hair to blindfold her eyes and the leather wrapped around her to billow out like wings.

Wings that cannot fly.

Like a flightless bird she falls, closing her eyes.

She tried to cry out once more but her sounds were mute amongst the loud wailing of the wind, and her eyes burned with tears that leaked down her face.

This is going to hurt. Are her final thoughts, as she tumbles towards concrete.

And it does.