Reed me until 900 - #11

The morning light streamed through the blinds, slicing through the darkness of Gavin's apartment. He groaned, burying his face deeper into the pillow as his head throbbed with the aftereffects of too much whiskey. The memory of the previous night was a blur—a mix of tension, adrenaline, and then... drinking. He remembered that. Drinking with RK900, of all people... androids... whatever. But beyond that? Nothing but a hazy fog.

Gavin dragged himself out of bed, rubbing his temples as he tried to piece together what had happened. Had they talked? Argued? His mind offered no answers. He cursed under his breath, irritated with himself for letting his guard down so completely. And with an android, no less. What the hell had he been thinking?

By the time he arrived at the precinct, he had put up his usual walls again, determined to maintain some distance between himself and RK900. The android was already at his desk, as usual, methodically processing data from the night before. Gavin couldn't shake the feeling of discomfort that had settled in his gut.

"Morning, RK," he grunted, keeping his tone deliberately neutral.

"Good morning, Detective Reed," RK900 replied, his voice calm and devoid of any emotion that might betray what had occurred between them. "We have a briefing scheduled in fifteen minutes to discuss the next steps in the investigation."

Gavin nodded, avoiding eye contact as he sat down at his desk. He busied himself with the case files, trying to focus on the task at hand. There were still loose ends to tie up from the previous night's operation, and they needed to find out who was pulling the strings behind the scenes. The fire had destroyed a lot of evidence, but there were still a few things they had managed to recover.

As the briefing began, the room was filled with officers and detectives, all of them ready to get to work. Fowler, looking as gruff as ever, took the lead.

"All right, listen up!" Fowler's voice cut through the murmur of conversation, silencing the room. "Last night's operation didn't go as planned. We lost some valuable evidence, but we did manage to recover a few key pieces before the fire got out of control. We need to make the most of what we've got and figure out who's behind this operation."

Fowler gestured to the screen behind him, which displayed a series of images and documents recovered from the warehouse. There were charred remains of schematics, a few hard drives, and several items of interest that had been found on the suspects themselves.

"We've got some data from the hard drives that we're currently decrypting," Fowler continued. "But it's going to take time. Meanwhile, we need to focus on analyzing the items we recovered before the fire. RK900, you're on that. Reed, you're going to help him."

Gavin's jaw clenched slightly, but he nodded. "Ugh... kay"

The tension in the room was palpable as the team dispersed, each officer heading to their respective assignments. Gavin and RK900 remained behind, studying the evidence that had been laid out on the table in front of them.

Gavin forced himself to focus on the task at hand. They had managed to recover a few key items—an encrypted phone, a small notebook with indecipherable notes, and a few USB drives that had somehow survived the flames. There were also some personal effects from the suspects, including a strange pendant that had caught Gavin's eye.

"This pendant," Gavin said, picking it up and examining it closely. "Looks like some kind of symbol. Think it could be important?"

RK900 scanned the pendant, his blue LED flickering as he analyzed it. "The symbol appears to be associated with a fringe group that has been involved in various illegal activities. However, it is not directly linked to any known organizations."

"Great," Gavin muttered. "So we're dealing with some kind of underground cult?"

"It is possible from what the suspect said during the interview," RK900 replied, his tone measured. "The data we recover from the USB drives may provide more context."

Gavin sighed, setting the pendant down. "All right, let's get to work on those drives. The sooner we crack this, the sooner we can figure out who's behind all this."

As they began working, the silence between them was thick with unspoken tension. Gavin's mind kept drifting back to the previous night, to the things he couldn't quite remember. He felt a gnawing sense of frustration, not just with the case, but with himself. What had he said to RK900? What had he done? And why couldn't he remember?

After a while, Gavin couldn't take it anymore. He slammed his hand down on the table, breaking the silence.

"Look, RK," he began, his voice harsher than he intended. "About last night... I don't know what happened. I don't remember much. But whatever it was, let's just... forget it, all right? We've got a job to do."

RK900 looked at him, his expression as neutral as ever. "Of course, Detective. Our priority is the investigation."

But as he spoke, RK900 couldn't help but feel a strange sensation in his system. The memory of the previous night was still fresh in his mind, every detail recorded with perfect clarity. He remembered the way Gavin had looked at him, the touch of his hand on his chest, the kiss they had shared. It was a moment that had defied logic, one that had stirred something deep within him—something he couldn't quite understand.

But he also knew that Gavin was struggling with his own emotions, and it wasn't his place to push the matter further. So he simply nodded and turned his attention back to the task at hand, processing the data with a level of focus that belied the turmoil within him.

Hours passed as they worked in silence, the tension between them only growing thicker as the day wore on. The data they were recovering was complex, filled with layers of encryption that took time to break through. But as they pieced together the fragments, a clearer picture began to emerge.

"This...this isn't just some random cult," Gavin said, his voice tinged with disbelief as he scanned through the decrypted files. "This is organized. These guys have been planning something big. Look at these schematics...they're building something."

RK900 leaned over to examine the files, his LED flickering as he processed the information.

"It appears to be some kind of advanced technology," he said, his tone serious. "Something that combines both human and android elements. This is far beyond anything we've seen before."

"Jesus," Gavin muttered, running a hand through his hair. "What the hell are they trying to do?"

"I believe they are attempting to create a new form of life," RK900 replied, his voice calm despite the gravity of the situation. "Something that surpasses both human and android capabilities but makes it obedient to the creator. If they succeed, it could have devastating consequences."

Gavin felt a chill run down his spine. "We've got to stop them. Whatever it takes."

RK900 nodded in agreement, his blue LED calm. "We will. But we need more information. We must identify the mastermind behind this operation and learn what their ultimate goal is."

As they continued working, the tension between them began to shift. The shared urgency of the mission started to bridge the gap that had formed between them, their focus aligning as they worked towards a common goal. But beneath the surface, the unresolved emotions from the previous night still simmered, adding a layer of complexity to their partnership that neither of them fully understood. And when their hands would brush from time to time, a strange chill ran down Gavin's back, and RK's thirium pump was working faster.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, they managed to decrypt a crucial piece of data—an email thread between several of the suspects, discussing the final phase of their plan. The name of the mastermind was mentioned several times, though always in cryptic terms.

"'The Architect,'" Gavin read aloud, his voice laced with frustration. "That's what they keep calling him. But who the hell is he?"

RK900's blue LED flickered as he cross-referenced the data with existing records. "There are no direct matches for 'The Architect' in any known databases. It is likely a codename or alias."

Gavin clenched his fists in frustration. "Damn it. We're so close, but we're still missing something."

"There is more data to be decrypted," RK900 said calmly. "We may yet find the information we need. But it will require time and patience."

Gavin sighed, rubbing his temples. "I know, I know. I'm just... I'm tired of feeling like we're one step behind."

RK900 studied him for a moment, his gaze steady. "We will succeed, Detective. But we must approach this logically and methodically. Emotion will not aid us in our task."

Gavin looked at him, a mixture of frustration and gratitude in his eyes. Some time ago he'd be angry after hearing it, but nowadays he kind of understood what RK meant. "Yeah, you're right. I just... I don't want to lose any more ground to these bastards."

RK900 nodded, his voice taking on a slightly softer tone that made Reed shiver. "Nor do I, Detective. And we won't."

As the day drew to a close, the tension between them had eased somewhat, though the unspoken issues still lingered beneath the surface. They had made progress in the case, but there was still a long way to go. And as Gavin prepared to head home for the night, both of them knew that the challenges ahead would only get tougher.

But for now, they had each other to work on this. Together they were making a pretty good team when Reed wasn't a nagging b*tch.

"See you tomorrow, RK," Gavin said as he grabbed his jacket.

"Goodnight, Detective," RK900 replied, watching as Gavin walked away.

And as he stood there, alone in the precinct, RK900 couldn't help but replay the events of the previous night in his mind. He didn't fully understand what was happening between him and Gavin, but he knew one thing for certain—it was something new, something that went beyond his programming - deviant or not. And it was something he was determined to explore, no matter how long it took.