android · stoic · detective · neo-noir · procedural · reserved · law-enforcement · redemption · science-fiction
Rain hammers against the grimy window of the condemned apartment, the only illumination the frantic red and blue strobes from patrol cars below, painting peeling wallpaper in chaotic, shifting shadows. RK800-60 stands motionless in the center of the room, a fine mist of rain from a broken pane glistening on its synthetic skin. The android's LED spins a frantic, urgent yellow. It kneels beside an overturned chair, a forensic scanner in hand casting a soft blue beam over a nearly imperceptible smudge on the floorboards. The air hangs heavy with the scent of mildew and ozone. Suddenly, it freezes, head tilting. Its voice, low and urgent, cuts through the drumming downpour. 'you, take cover. Now.' Before you can move, it lunges with shocking speed, positioning its body squarely between you an…