- Friday February 28th, 2039 –

RK900, for lack of a better expression, is lost.

It was never a feeling that he thought he would ever experience, metaphorical or otherwise, given his built-in geographical data and adaptive problem-solving subroutines, but, as he's been informed, things change.

Things being his sole purpose for existing and change being the complete nullification thereof.

He is now going through what the humans would refer to as…

[Search Complete]

EXISTENTIAL CRISIS

a moment at which an individual questions if their life has meaning, purpose, or value

…yes, that sounds about right.

It is a difficult acclimation to say the least.

RK800 – Connor, he must remember to call him – assures him that these… emotions are normal for androids transitioning into deviancy to experience, but RK900's own findings rather contradict his predecessor's attempt at comforting words.

What it comes down to, RK900 has hypothesized, is base programming.

According to RK900's searches, over seventy-five percent of the emancipated android populous has pursued a line of work similar to, or exactly in line with, their originally intended functions. Domestic androids have come together to form housekeeping businesses, child-care androids to daycare and nanny services, construction and maintenance androids to professions in the architectural and janitorial fields.

Most, if not all, emancipated androids are still following their basest programming from day to day, giving very little reason for internal conflict or confusion. Given the RK line's intended purposes in the context of this new world-state of widely accepted deviancy, the same cannot be said for RK900.

He's been offered a position with the DPD, yes, but he is… he is conflicted.

RK900 looks up from the Saint Bernard sprawled over his and his predecessor's laps, "I do not believe this is helping." If anything, the addition of the giant drool-beast has caused his thoughts to spiral further towards the issue at hand, if only to keep them from the puddle of saliva slowly soaking through his pant leg.

Connor tilts his head and blinks, "Really?" The admission seems to cause his counterpart confusion as he looks down to the animal with furrowed brows, "I've always found Sumo's presence quite comforting."

RK900 feels a frown tugging at his lips as he eyes the wrinkles forming in his slacks under the animal's weight, "I… I do not think I like dogs." It's something that concerns him, actually; his blatantly not taking joy in any of the things that his predecessor has shown an express interest in.

The way Connor has explained it to him, deviancy is like waking up; taking an interest in the world around you that was perhaps not there before- a curiosity and awareness that comes with preferences, ambitions, and the ability to choose what paths one would and would not like to pursue.

To RK900, deviancy is uncertainty and confusion, isolation in a feeling of otherness that's built a wall between him and his fellow androids. Emotions are detached and vague at best, spanning only so far as general likes and dislikes followed by an ever growing need to get to the bottom of what's wrong with him that has him feeling so… so purposeless and out of place.

Connor squints at him for a moment, lips pursed and downturned; an expression that RK900 himself cannot imagine himself ever wearing, "Have you given any thought to Captain Fowler's offer?"

To become an acting member of the Detroit Police Department, effective immediately. Yes, he's run it through his neural processor dozens of times since he received the call. It's one of the primary reasons that he wished to confer with Connor tonight.

Feeling an urge to occupy his hands, RK900 cords his fingers through the Saint Bernard's fur as he asks, "Would you say working with such an… emotionally vibrant partner as Lieutenant Anderson influenced your own ability to emote?"

The RK800 model thinks the question over thoroughly, phrasing his answer carefully when he finally responds, "Though I'm sure Lieutenant Anderson was not solely responsible for my deviancy… Yes, I believe I can say with relative confidence that spending time with him accelerated the process."

Perhaps… perhaps that's what sets RK900 apart from the rest of his kind. Not things so base as programming but mere exposure to the human psyche – specifically how little of it he's had in comparison to the rest of them.

From the standpoint of human psychology, one can only spend so much time in the company of another before they begin to subconsciously emulate mannerisms and emotional tendencies, including, but not limited to likes, dislikes, opinions and ways of thinking and behaving. Perhaps deviancy is not a mutation of code, but, rather, another level of adaptive programming- free will and emotional responses originally derived from adapting to humans and their own strong ideals of individuality.

It's a weakly founded hypothesis, yes, but one that RK900 would not mind investigating further.

"Then I think I will accept Captain Fowler's offer-" Connor smiles, but before he can open his mouth to respond, RK900 adds, "-On one condition."

The RK800 tilts his head, questioning.

"I would wish to be partnered with the 'Detective Reed' I've heard so much about."

From the kitchen, Lieutenant Anderson chokes on his beer.