Lost in thoughts, you chewed on the inside of your cheek, one foot nervously tapping on the floor, while going through the lines of code for, what felt like, the hundred's time. Everything seemed fine, no mixed up numbers, no missing code nor anything that would have seemed suspicious at first glance.

You had to frown, glanced up and met Connor's gaze.

He was sitting on the other side of the table, not moving a single bit. His eyes were staring against the fridge while cables were hanging out of the back of his head.

"Connor?", you asked.

His head moved, but he quickly forced himself to stay still.

"Yes?", he said in his calm, soft voice.

"Do you feel strange? I mean... does this make you uncomfortable?"

"I'm a machine.", his fingers moved. "I cannot be uncomfortable."

A sigh escaped your lips.

You got up, walked around the table and grabbed the cables to set him free.

At first, he didn't react, but as the connection broke, he tried to glance up over his shoulder.

"The analysis isn't done yet.", he noted.

You sighed.

"I know."

"You should continue."

"I don't want to."

His expression changed into a scolding one, as if he was mad you weren't doing your job properly.

"If my program consists errors, it is your duty to fix them.", he demanded. "Please keep looking."

You locked eyes with him.

With a dead serious gaze, you lowered yourself and grabbed his face with both hands so that he was forced to look at you.

"Connor.", you breathed a kiss onto his nose. "You're fine."

Struck by surprise, he blinked.

"What are you doing?", he asked. "This is dangerous."

"It is. But I won't shut you down. The codes say you're just the way you're supposed to be. There are no errors."

"My LED is red. I can feel the instability of my software."

"I know. But it's not a software problem. I checked."

He frowned. His eyes jumped through the room before returning to you.

"Then... what is the issue?"

Letting out a deep breath, you pulled away and shrugged.

"I really don't know.", you hummed. "Maybe... I'm not sure if that's possible but it seems like you're developing on your own."

"But you could have programmed that as well."

"I programmed the ability to learn and take own actions without receiving orders beforehand. But I never gave you the ability to... to judge and decide. You were supposed to follow logic. Now you seem to follow your own sense of justice and responsibility."

His eyes turned dark.

"Is that bad?", he asked in a soft voice, audibly afraid that he was not meeting your expectations.

But you were quick to reassure him.

"Not at all.", you smiled. "At least not to me. But... Alright, let's set some rules to make this work, okay?"

He nodded.

"What would you recommend?"

"Act like an android. Be obedient, at least when others are around."

"What about Hanna?"

"I...", you frowned, both feeling guilty and afraid that trusting her might turn out to be a worse mistake than not trusting her. "Let's say... keep it down. You can talk to her. Be nice and accept her joking around. But don't be... don't act the way you do now. Don't ask fundamental questions. You're not supposed to have an identity crisis."

He huffed.

"I can have an identity update.", he said.

Struck by the sudden joke, you couldn't help but snort.

"Where did that come from?", you asked with a broad grin and held back laughter. "I didn't program humour."

He gifted you a prod grin.

"I thought of it. Just now. Was it funny?"

"It was. Good job, Connor. You're improving by the minute."

His eyes lit up.

"I'm becoming Connor.", he said all of a sudden.

Hearing this made your heart skip a beat.

But at the same time you could feel how much truth there was in those words. He really did start to become Connor, nit just a copy, but a reborn version, so similar yet different in many ways.

He was starting to identify himself more as Connor and less as the android send by CyberLife.

This was a dangerous development in many ways.

And yet.

It made you happy to hear him say what you were feeling.

"We should get some fresh air.", you suddenly said, feeling the urge to go outside and clear your head. "I'll show you around the garden."

With a curious shimmer in his eyes, he got up.

"Did he like the outside?", he asked as you pushed the door open and a gush of warm, crisp wind hit your face.

"He liked hiking.", you said and entered the terrace.

The sun had heated up the smooth stone, making it warm but not burning hot. It felt like standing in heated floor.
The sound of sun stroking through the trees filled the silence.

Birds flew by.

It smelled like clean, mountain air.

Immediately, memories flashed up inside your head.

You flinched.

But before you could stumble back and fall over, Connor grabbed you by the shoulders and pulled you close. His arms wrapped around you.

Your back hit his chest.

"Do all the memories about him cause panic attacks?", he asked, so close to your ear that it made you shiver.

Taking a deep breath, you closed your eyes and managed to fight down the quick best of your heart.

"No.", you hummed. "It was fine for a long time. I don't understand why it's back."

"Maybe it's me?", the way he asked it made him sound so weak, so fragile and disappointed that it could have shattered him to hear his fears be confirmed.

But it wasn't the truth.

"You're fine, Connor.", you assured him with a smile. "I'm glad I made you. It gives me peace."

He didn't react to it.

From the corner of your eyes you were able to see his red LED dancing in a circle, quick and restless.

His attention was firmly fixed onto the fence.

Confused, you followed his eyes.

"What are you looking at?", you asked.

He frowned.

"The fence had a hole.", he said. "Someone fixed it. But there is thirium showing around the edges."