hadriel | 001 [Video]

[For those who frequent the tops of the various climbable buildings in Hadriel, they might recognize that this broadcast is from the roof of one of them due to the angle; otherwise it's just a rapidly darkening cloudy sky for a backdrop, sun setting and rain clearly threatening to roll in at any time.

It's pretty, and that may or may not be the reason why Connor is out on a roof in the first place, but it's definitely not the point of this impromptu broadcast. He's just been wondering some things, and it's in his nature to actively search out answers rather than waiting for them to come to him, so he's decided to just go for it.]

Hello everyone; my name is Connor, and I just arrived a few days ago.

[Always good to start with introductions, and also to avoid saying exactly how many days or hours it's been since a given time when pretending to be human. He's getting a little better at this.]

I've been catching up on the situation at hand, and although the context is somewhat different, there are parallels to current events in my world that are difficult to ignore. Before I arrived, we were dealing with what might be the beginning of a civil war between humans and machines.

[He's trying to tread carefully, projecting enough genuine interest without sounding over-invested. He's just asking, after all, nothing more; there's definitely no personal reason why he wants to know.]

So I'm curious; I'm aware that what the Null have done is enough reason to be against them, but does what they are play any role in your feelings toward them?

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Perhaps.

[It's to all of that, but especially the last part; it might've been smarter for it to remain silent, yes, but sometimes that just isn't an option anymore.

Still, he doesn't want to get into that, so subject change.]

You said you were new too; did you arrive last week?

Yeah, with everyone else. I'm Deputy Pratt.

[He says it out of habit, but he's not a Deputy here. He's not even sure he's really a Deputy back home anymore. Well... he is. But he shouldn't be. He shouldn't have authority over anything or anyone, he knows that now.]

There's so much going on here to figure out and make massive decisions about. I think we all came at a bad time.

[Oh, that's interesting.]

You work at a Sheriff's Department?

[Something he at least sort is familiar with!!! As for that last comment, though--]

Unless this is the usual state of things.

Yeah. In Hope County, Montana.

[He grimaces, he honestly hadn't thought about that. He was figuring they'd just happened to come right before a big battle. But maybe Connor was right and it was just constantly like this.]

Well that would be terrible. No wonder most people here are so eager to escape.

We have something in common. I work with the Detroit Police Department.

[And as for it being chaotic here all the time, Connor honestly can't say too much on that; pretty much every day he's spent outside of the CyberLife Tower have been full of action and hard decisions, so this place is actually kind of relaxed comparatively. He's not sure if he likes it.]

Are they?

[He hasn't honestly heard too many sentiments about wanting to get out of this place, although he wouldn't be surprised.]

Oh good. We can compare horror stories. Then see how it stacks up to here.

[For one he's never been attacked by giant knifey bugs before, that's new.]

I've just been listening on the network, maybe not most of them want to leave, but a lot. Someone told me some of the people here are dead back home so they want to stay.

Not sure if I believe that.

Are you dealing with a civil war?

[Because he might just win by default, although he has no idea the level of bullshit Pratt is dealing with.]

Why not?

You could say that. There's been more murders than I can count. We've lost communication outside the valley and there's a lack of supplies. Multiple militias and religious fanatics clashing daily.

[But he's not saying which side of that he's on.]

Why don't I believe it? I'm more inclined to believe we're all dead and this is Purgatory honestly.

Why are they fighting?

[Not that humans need much of a reason; he presumes the 'religious fanatic' part is enough. Still, might as well ask.

As for the last part, what immediately comes to mind is the conversation he and Hank had on the bridge; Hank had pulled his gun and pointed it at Connor, asking him about android heaven and what would happen if he pulled the trigger, and Connor had answered as honestly as he could.

Nothing. There would be nothing.

He still believes that, even knowing now that he really is a conscious, living being; there's no heaven for androids, and he doubts any purgatory for them either.]

Maybe. In my world, advanced, lifelike simulations are possible, so I had considered that might be an explanation.

[Might as well offer his own weird theory; it's relatively harmless and might help develop a rapport.]

Eden's Gate thinks that everyone who doesn't follow them is an affront to God and the Father. And the people who live in Hope County don't want to give up their lives for a prophet they don't believe in.

[That's about as simple as he can make it without the complicated bits about drugging and brainwashing and torture and how John basically bought the valley out from under them. ]

Like we're all in the Matrix?

[He hadn't considered that. But having a massive group hallucination doesn't seem so far out of the realm of possibility considering how Bliss works back home.]

That might be better than the alternative. At least there's a way out of simulations. You just have to turn them off.

[Sounds like a lot of conflicts in human history, so Connor isn't too surprised, but it's easy enough to manage some sympathy considering Pratt is in the same line of work as he is.]

That sounds unpleasant. Religious conflicts can be especially delicate to handle.

[Or so says his programming and history databases. A different database helps him with what the Matrix is, and it isn't a bad analogy.]

Yes, like the Matrix. In theory you're correct, but often the only way to turn off a simulation is from outside of it.

[Unpleasant is one way to put it. ]

True. Maybe we can find the glitch and get out of it in order to turn it off for everyone else.

I'm open to any suggestions that aren't "get comfortable and settle in here."

As am I.

[He's not pleased with the complacency, although at least the search for the Door fragments is something.]

Right now, however, the fragments may be the only lead we have.

Seems to be. At least it's something. But everyone hanging their hopes on one thing.. there's sure to be some disappointment.

001 [Video]

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