Chapter 18: The enhanced reality. Part II
Chapter 18: The enhanced reality. Part II
Dr. Lazarus is nervously driving back to her office after lunchbreak. She is distressed by the heavy traffic and concerned about missing an important video call she had arranged in advance. She finally gets to the OCP building and rapidly walks towards her office, bumping against some people in the way.
Although it might seem Marie is eager to engage a video call with a lover, the reality is very different. Over the last few days, Lazarus had been studying the installation programs her assistants coded for the new proposed weapons and has found something out of the ordinary that has made her concerned and absent minded.
Lazarus had been especially focused in developing a machine gun arm for Robo, that can also work as a flame thrower and missile launcher, however, the biggest problem the talented Bio-Engineer had encountered after her meeting with RoboCop, was tweaking the design enough to allow Robo to control the device without him going through the unpleasant task of removing his own forearm. Lazarus wants to honor his personal request as she thinks Robo deserves to be treated with respect.
There was a chip in the bunch of coded cards her programmers had sent and she could not recognize. It was a small electronic card that contains coding sent from the OCP research lab. Lazarus had done some programming at college and was surprised to see the programs sent by Dr. Moore’s crew were encrypted. She had contacted her best friend from college, Earl, a programmer that works for the Sparkle network, asking him to help her to decrypt the programs.
Fortunately she didn’t miss her video call, as her friend was patient enough to wait for her. Earl and Marie start going through the unencrypted data just to realize, the programs sent by Moore are nothing but malicious bits of coding, designed to damage and override RoboCop’s operating system, the Omni Control System, version 3.1. No upgrades or real updates were sent by Moore, but a mind inhibitor created with the solely purpose to corrupt RoboCop’s programming.
Lazarus is sitting in front of her personal computer, her elbow resting on her desk, her hand on her mouth, whilst shocked and horrified to hear everything her pal has been telling her for over an hour.
“According to what I could decode, I can assure you the main objective of these programs are to corrupt RoboCop’s operating system enough to make him lose his mind. No directives or any other commands that have been installed would prevent from him looking at civilians or other cops as threats…he’d be capable of shooting defenseless people, with no remorse”
Lazarus: When I was hired by OCP…I was almost threatened by Security Concepts to not do anything that would break what they call “The most expensive product OCP has created”…I have been extremely careful with my projects regarding RoboCop…and now the research lab is attempting to mess him up, to the point where human lives will be at stake?
Earl: I have told you countless times, Marie, you should resign…OCP is an evil corporation, just read the newspapers or watch the news, get away from there before they get you into trouble. That is the best advice I have for you…
Lazarus: I don’t know…I feel I am finally making progress with my designs, and when those are deployed, and RoboCop’s performance has been improved, my department will grow, I will get more assistants, more resources, our lab at the moment is just a small warehouse full of spare parts and useless pieces of equipment, but if I can make those shine…I feel I can make a career here you know?
Earl: There are other corporations that would hire someone of your talent. Apply to Mecca Bionics or Sextronica, I have heard both companies pay great money to Bio-Engineers for developing original mechanical pieces, oh and Cyberotika is one of our best clients. Mr. Thompson recently paid us a large amount of money to secure all his networks…he had some problems with a former employee or something like that…
Lazarus: Cyberotika is different. They prefer to hire Bio-Technical physicians because their accessories are connected to human bodies…
“Bio-technical physicians” Lazarus is suddenly reminded of her co-worker Rose Tyler. She wonders if Tyler should know what Earl and she have just discovered. Lazarus has started connecting dots, remembering the unpleasant confrontations with Lewis during the time she had been visiting RoboCop’s laboratory. The evasive answers from Dr. Akita and the many negative answers she has gotten from Tyler regarding her proposals.
“So all this time, they have been protecting him from us…that is why none of them like me, because I am part of them”
The civic centrum, a beautiful constructed building donated by the city hall to the city of Detroit has been reserved for a private event, no media was involved. Just a few executives from OCP and the high commands of the Rehabilitation group are present in the audience.
The event consists of a confrontation between two failed law enforcers. Although none of them are human. It is a droid battle between a repaired ED-209 that was put offline due to its malfunctioning in the commercial area of Cadillac heights, and a TDX-1000 unit, the most modern version of ED-209 that was originally designed to be a law enforcement officer with no success.
The TDX-1000 unit is being tested by the Security Concepts department, aiming to deploy some of the units as backup of the Rehabilitation team. Commander McDaggett has had access to the units for quite some time, without Johnson knowing about it. It is more like a clandestine fight that was organized behind the director of operations back.
None of the droids can open fire, their shooting commands have been disabled, it is more like wrestle match in which everyone is hoping the TDX-1000 unit tears ED-209 apart.
The TDX unit has been equipped with retractile arms, a design similar to the failed RoboCop2 unit. TDX-1000 is also able to walk faster, its legs are longer and more resistant than ED-209’s.
ED-209 has been walking around in circles trying to helplessly evade the multiple attacks received by the TDX’s arms, ED-209 is almost useless without firepower as its arms are short and lack movement. Its feet cannot be lifted very high either, making it unable to perform complex tasks such as going down stairs.
ED-209 uses its voice command to tell TDX to stop the attacks: “Surrender your weapons, you are illegally parked in a commercial area, you have 20 seconds to comply” whilst TDX keeps replying: “Lawbreaker. Not police officer, terminate the lawbreaker” TDX finally kicks ED209 down.
ED-209 looks now like a mechanical turtle that has fallen on its back, being unable to stand up, the TDX unit approaches it to scan if there are any further threats. “Lawbreaker has been disabled” TDX finally informs the audience. However McDaggett has a device that is engaged to the TDX’s main controls and uses his voice command ordering to destroy the unit. Another ED-209 unit destroyed in the OCP spare depot won’t make the difference.
“Destroy it!!! Tear it apart! Make sure it is permanently deactivated!!”
Those are the orders given by McDaggett and everyone laughs at TDX slowly dismantling ED209 whilst it keeps saying out loud “You have 20 seconds to comply” until its voice distorts enough to sound like a broken machine grunting in deep pain. Finally, ED has been turned into pieces.
TDX releases an in-built screen that displays a badly designed 3D artificial depiction of a policeman’s face to greet the citizens that it thinks are saved now.
“Greetings citizens! This threat has been eliminated. TDX-1000 is designed to protect and serve. Have a good day!” Almost immediately, the screen starts playing a heroic anthem popular inside the police force.
“Fuck me! Those things are creepy!” Are some of the comments heard among the Rehabs that were in the audience enjoying the show. “Do you think it will be that easy to break RoboCop into pieces? Will he cry too when he is being torn apart?”
RoboCop’s physical integrity has been safe for more than two years. He had rapidly adapted to the second prosthetic body that was given to him. However Robo’s interests have been evolving with time. He has mastered shooting, walking and doing complex driving manoeuvres again, although there is a new personal fight he is interested in.
Developing sensations and forcing his mind to free himself from his metallic prison would be his new challenge. Although Robo needs help, he is unable to walk this new path alone.
Lewis is surprised and overwhelmed to see Robo has taken action and has just parked the car underneath the yellow bridge away from the noisy traffic of city, without saying a word, and it is the instance in which she is sitting on top of him again, her hands on his face and his hands on her thighs when they connect their minds with a shared thought:
“Why didn’t we dare to do this before?” Robo and Lewis were unaware their relationship could improve considerably if they were brave enough to lose their fears by breaking the platonic love barrier that seemed to be an invisible obstacle between them.
Lewis loses her police belt and takes off her police shirt in excitement, although this time, Robo gets to see something different.
“This is a sport top; we need extra support when we run…I guess you didn’t know that, because well, you had never been with a cop girl before eh”
Robo dares to put his hand affectionately on her chest and shoulders however, he is unaware that Lewis is also focused in her own personal quest. Many things had happened the day they had their first encounter at Wildcard Edge and Lewis wonders if that chain of events were what triggered the passion between them, she had also been fearful to not feel any kind of arousal anymore the next time she had the cold artificial hands of her new boyfriend on her skin.
However, Anne assumes that if she’s able to connect the love she feels for Murphy with the sensation of his artificial body next to her they could develop a physical relationship with no problems. Robo is not the only one that has been silently training his nervous system, although she would not say that out loud, avoiding to hurt his feelings.
Lewis lowers her guard and feels confident to show some vulnerability to Robo by telling him how female cops go through certain physical annoyances male officers don’t. It is a strange sensation of comforting having a man with whom she can talk about these things with. She hadn’t had that in a long time. Or perhaps she had never had it.
Robo listens closely to everything Lewis has to say and finally asks: “Have I been a good partner to you?”
“Are you kidding me? You are the best, partner, friend, man…I have ever worked with…and, do I tell you a secret? This is my first time getting involved with a partner too…to this degree”
“Do I tell you a secret?” Lewis’ words immediately trigger a known scene inside Robo’s head. A treasured memory he had liked to reorder trying to find comfort the times he’s been lonely. It is Alex Murphy’s wife, Ellen, walking towards him whilst saying: “I really have to tell you something…” Although he is conscious enough to stop the complete replay avoiding to not listen to the final part where Ellen finally says:
“I love you”
Robo is remorseful to admit he has replaced that memory that used to comfort him in the past for a new one that includes the same words, he never thought were going to be said to him again.
“And I am so in love with you”
Reordering Lewis’ voice in his mind telling him the words Ellen had said to Alex once has been his recent private pleasure. The man in him feels he is betraying the woman he supposedly loved once and should still love by indulging in the new memories of the new woman that plagues his mind now.
Someone has dared to love his new self and that fact seems to override the ‘romance’ memories of a life that is now gone, it is almost as if Ellen and those fragmented scenes have slowly become a mirage compared to the new fresh memories of Lewis he had been storing lately. Sadly, his son James has started to become a mirage too; although Robo would not lose faith to be able to talk to him someday.
There is an inner conflict inside his mind and heart now, the guilt to realize the roles are being reversed and more and more he thinks of Ellen as a long-time friend he would like to talk to someday and the woman he acknowledges as a lover, wife and companion is Anne now.
“Alex, it doesn’t matter what they’ve done to you”
Those were the nice words said by Ellen to RoboCop in the last encounter OCP forced them to have aiming to discourage Ellen from suing the company and although he had wanted to believe them, deep down, Murphy knew those words weren’t necessarily true.
Ellen would not understand what he is now or the life he has been forced to live, however, the strong woman that once extended her hand to offer unconditional support and help as a partner and friend can. She is a cop just like he is, and Murphy is slowly acknowledging, Anne has always been there, ever since he woke up again turned into a rebuilt cyborg. He doesn’t remember Anne before he was killed, however, at the same time he cannot remember life as RoboCop without her.
“And I would do it again, for you; there is nothing I wouldn’t do for you”
Lewis initial enthusiasm to have a romantic moment with her man has been dissipating as she observes he is there but not really there. She senses Robo is probably thinking of her, the ghost, the invisible love rival that still hides inside Robo’s head.
Perhaps Murphy just wants to discover new sensations, but she isn’t the woman he would like to be with. Despite the fact Lewis’ guess is more or less accurate, in the internal fight she is having against Ellen, inside Robo’s mind and heart, she seems to be winning.
Lewis puts the shirt back on in disappointment. Robo comes back to the reality when he notices Lewis moving and getting dressed again. “What’s wrong huh? You don’t like what you see anymore?” are the heart-breaking words said by Lewis whilst trying to get out of the car, although Robo abruptly closes the car’s door, grabbing her hand afterwards, preventing her from opening it again, he sadly observes her hand in his mechanical black one and finally replies:
“No, it is the exact opposite”.
The main CPU server that is installed in Robo’s laboratory has been running a mock up test over the last two hours: A simulation of RoboCop’s OCS saved in a memory card against the mind inhibitor that contains the programs created by Dr. Moore that Dr. Lazarus had decrypted and handed to Dr. Tyler hoping to find answers on why OCP is attempting to corrupt RoboCop’s programming.
The OCS mock up card resists the attacks, however, after struggling for two hours, the operating system gives in and it is overridden by the malicious code, its programming is corrupted and mostly useless now. Tyler ejects both cards from the server and observes the OCS one is completely ruined.
Tyler: Well, there you go, you were right, they want to screw him up, why am I not surprised?
Lazarus: But why? Aren’t we supposed to improve his performance as a police officer? To take care of him?
Tyler: Well, in theory yes, this is why you and I were hired for. You have a lot to learn from OCP’s bizarre ideas and all the backstabbing that is involved in those…
Lazarus: Did you know they want to make another one?
Tyler: Oh yeah. They always want to make a new one. They have failed miserably over the years trying to replicate Morton’s ideas into a second unit.
Lazarus: Aha, but this time they want to make it synthetic, no organic components.
Tyler: Well good luck to them in that case, OCP is quite mediocre when creating artificial intelligence only robots. Even Sextronica and Kanemitsu make more interesting droids than them.
Lazarus: That means you aren’t going to join the team?
Tyler: What team?
Lazarus: Well, rumor has it, that Dr. Moore will be leading a crew for the making of the CPD unit. Mr. Highland has hinted at me, I could get promoted if I join his team, although, after this, I am not so sure…
Tyler: Wait, wait…things start to make sense now…so this is probably why Moore wants to put RoboCop offline, so he’s replaced by his new whatever unit they are planning to build…fuckers!
Lazarus: But why keeping Murphy offline if Johnson is planning to add him to the Rehab team?
Tyler: Beats me. Something tells me Moore is not alone on this. I wonder if Security Concepts is behind this unorthodox idea to make Murphy go berserk. I am glad you came to me. No one else should know about this, alright?
Lazarus: What about the CEO? Shouldn’t we inform him of this?
Tyler: The CEO is in Germany at the moment. We will have to wait. This is the same nightmare of RoboCop2 all over again…sounds bad but I am actually glad Faxx is dead…
Lazarus: And…where is he now? Shouldn’t he be here already? Shall we tell him?
Tyler: What for? If you knew all the times OCP have attempted to dismantle him, dissect him to see how he functions. As long as this doesn’t have any consequences, we don’t have to tell him and he isn’t here now, because…well. He has been coming to the laboratory late as of recent.
Lazarus: Are you going to report overtime hours?
Tyler: No…they ask too many questions. This is between him and me. Besides, I take my Sparkle cards from home to record programs on the connective TV of the laboratory to watch later. Order some food…Nick leaves early, so I can relax for a bit.
Lazarus: Don’t you have anyone waiting for you at home? A boyfriend, husband? A kid? A cat?
The realization that RoboCop seems to have a better personal life outside work than his own technician, makes Tyler chuckle at the irony. She takes off her robe and folds it carefully in her suitcase, whilst replying in a sarcastic tone: “Marie, name one OCP employee that actually has a life outside work”.
Lazarus was hoping to see RoboCop that day and had kept making time by asking questions although she is disappointed to see Robo is not coming back anytime soon.
Lazarus: So…out of curiosity…what does Murphy do when he is not at work?
Tyler: Watches the Media break…whilst we give maintenance to his body…what else could he possibly do?
Lazarus: Yeah, but you know, out there, is he always working? Does he have more friends other than well, you know, that rude cop that is always here telling me to fuck off? Is she married or something…?
Another irony, Tyler thinks. If Lazarus only knew, it is clear for her now that Lazarus’ professionalism to report Moore’s unethical actions is tainted with personal interest over RoboCop.
Tyler: Don’t look much into it. He is what he is. You’re younger than me; don’t let work take over your life. Perhaps you are the one that needs a boyfriend waiting for you at home, huh?
Two broken deactivated droids with human form, a male and a female one that seemed to be reconstructed with metallic patches of different colors, have been inserted into two poles, making them stand still as shooting targets in a large backyard surrounded by grass and brick walls.
The male droid loses an arm as it’s blown off by the firepower of a powerful gun. The female one follows, as she loses one leg too. Dr. Moore reloads his gun in rage and keeps shooting his inanimate targets, over and over in consumed anger.
Some days ago, Moore had received an electronic memo from the Defense Development program’s crew informing him that the coding sent from the research lab was not installed on RoboCop’s systems due to some incompatibility problems with the main CPU server from the laboratory and the programmed card.
Over time, Tyler had learned to make elaborated lies to protect RoboCop from OCP’s nonsense ideas and she had adviced Lazarus what to report in regards of the malicious code sent to override Robo’s programming.
Moore had been able to grow a small fortune working as a Bio-Technical physician for many important corporations since he was young. However, for him, nothing is ever enough. He feels his genius has been underestimated. The targets keep receiving gunshots until Moore is side tracked by the buzzing of the inter-phone communicator that is in his private house office.
He puts the gun down; a fiberglass transparent replica of RoboCop’s modified Beretta that Moore had developed behind OCP’s back. The doctor forgets about his rant as the person that is calling him lets him know there is an important emergency at the Detroit’s Memorial Hospital he needs to attend. The fiberglass modified Beretta 3 is carefully kept in its case, and then inside a drawer that has a lock on it.
The inventory room of the Metro West station is littered with piles of old files from the police archive that were digitalized over the years. Looking at the old paper files is the last resort Sergeant Reed has to identify the ex-cons hired by Johnson to be part of the rehabilitation team. Reed, Kaplan, Lewis have been locked in the room for hours trying to find as much evidence as possible. Mason was not patient enough to stay for very long, and had left to work earlier.
RoboCop has to be there. He is standing whilst his interface needle is connected to the OCP Mainframe computer, downloading images and data. Robo is annoyed as he’d like to be out in the streets working and not standing still as a piece of technical equipment.
Reed: How many have we gotten so far?
Kaplan: Ten of them. Reese, Lyle, Goldsmith all of them had facial reconstructions, that is why it was almost impossible to detect them in the system. Some of them got scars and tattoos removed as well.
Lewis: Yeah that ‘facial reconstruction’ thing seems to be the last trend in the criminal world to get a new ID and merge again into the system. I feel I will go crazy if I remain sitting down at this desk for any longer…
Kaplan: Well, we should order some take out. Who’s with me? I am hungry as hell…
Lewis: You are always hungry…but that’s not a bad idea, not at all
Kaplan: Ok, who’s with me? What do you guys want? Thai, Mexican…? Hey Murph, what do you fancy?
Lewis: He…can’t digest most of the things that are sold by commercial places…
Kaplan: Oh I am sorry man, I didn’t know…
Lewis: Well, you see, what they do at the laboratory is that they elaborate for his organic part…
RoboCop: Sergeant Reed, I believe my presence is not required anymore, I request your permission to go back to patrol Zone 5.
Reed: I am sorry Murphy, but I need you here. You are the only one of my officers that has the recordings of the rehab team we need for facial recognition, only you can do a selection of images, zoom them and match them with police files. We are far from finished yet, although all of you can take a break if you want.
RoboCop: The video facial recognition application that connects with the Metro network is what you require, not my presence.
Reed: Unfortunately, you took the recordings and the application is merged within you. If you download all the information and we use the application from the network to find matches, it will take us double of time to get results.
RoboCop: The video recorder device stays in that case.
Reed and Kaplan walk out of the inventory room and Lewis seizes an opportunity to approach Robo, she puts her hand on his forearm whilst Robo is annoyed classifying all the information twisting his right wrist as his interface needle is still connected to the OCP mainframe.
Lewis: You know you are more than that to me, right? You don’t know how many times I had wanted to say it…but I was so afraid
Robo turns his head to look at Lewis and his wrist inadvertently twists one more time, he’d like to say something nice in return, although Lewis is distracted at what has just shown on the main screen of the computer.
Lewis: What is that? That…what you just downloaded
RoboCop: The failed search on the night guard’s identity from the factory in New Stoneleigh. No exact match was found by the Metro application.
Lewis: Because…she isn’t in the system right? What if…she had facial reconstruction too?
RoboCop: We are unable to know if she doesn’t have a criminal record.
Lewis: Can’t we break into the medical network of Prisma’s surgery clinic? Most of the rehabs seem to have gotten a new identity there?
RoboCop: Only if I request permission to sergeant Reed. He can dictate an electronic order.
Reed and Kaplan are back in the room. Kaplan is distracted on the phone and Lewis immediately stands back as she sees Reed is coming their way.
Robo and Lewis finally tell Reed the complete truth about the explosive factory they found in new Stoneleigh and the woman they met that day. Reed is annoyed to see, once again his officers made decisions without informing him and although he dictates an electronic order to break into the files of the Memorial Hospital, he has a warning for his daring officers, once the search has been completed.
It takes Robo and Lewis more than 20 minutes to search in the database for someone that looks like the night guard. They are both disappointed when Reed comes up with a new idea “Add the name Bertha to the search, isn’t that the name of the leader of that resistance group?”
Lewis: You wouldn’t be implying…that the night guard is actually Bertha…?
Reed: She might have fooled you guys.
Robo adds the new keyword and they finally had a match. Reed’s guess was correct. The woman they met at the explosive factory was in reality Bertha Knowles, the leader of the resistance they were looking for. Although she didn’t have a facial reconstruction, she was in the clinic for some time to recover from assault; the clinical files inform that an African American woman of approximately 27 years was taken to the clinic for leg reconstruction after suffering a violent attack on the streets. She was repeatedly hit with a metallic tube crushing both her leg’s bones as a result. The man that took her to the emergency room was identified as Moreno Knowles, a car mechanic that saw the assault and defended Bertha from the lawbreakers; he was treated for head and arm injury too.
They don’t find much information on the pair after that event that had occurred more than 10 years ago. Moreno Knowles was found in the database as deceased trying to rob a convenience store.
Lewis: That is so not true. It was the rehabs, they killed him…they dragged him on the streets…
Reed: Information was manipulated apparently, this woman is still a criminal though, she has been leading a resistance group above the law
RoboCop: We have to go back to New Stoneleigh.
Reed: No, you leave things like this for the moment.
Lewis: Say what? No, no sergeant, we are very close to put those bastards in jail! We need to look for Bertha now, we bring her under arrest and we make her declare!
Reed: No, you just said it yourself, we are very close to bring those bastards into charges, you cannot ruin everything all of us have been doing today, just because you guys want to go out there and find this anonymous whatever vigilante, the answer is no.
RoboCop: The rehab team will murder the civilians that don’t want to be evicted from their homes; we need to provide police assistance to them
Reed: Are you guys deaf? Stubborn? Or both? Look, once I inform the CEO of Johnson’s illegal actions, the complete rehab team will be put under custody, a trial will be arranged, the crew will be inevitably dissolved and no eviction will take place and once we find their secret facility…
Kaplan: We will confirm they used our arsenal for training. That is why they had been stealing from us, to train the group with our weapons. That is a federal offense.
Lewis: What if there is no time…and the Splatterpunks and the nuke for Christ gang start killing civilians in the meantime the blue police is chasing the grey police eh?
Reed: It is hardly our fault. New Stoneleigh and Clover Hills have been declared as no-police zones by the same civilians we have tried to help for years. We take care of the rehabs…they’d need to defend themselves from the gangs that infect the towns.
RoboCop: The gangs have superior firepower now, thanks to the rehabilitation team.
Reed: Look, I am already annoyed at both of you for hiding important information the day you escorted those families out of Clover Hills. They are being relocated in a witness protection program and we are hopeful they declare against commander McDaggett and Officer Lyle.
Lewis: We still think…
Reed: That is the problem; you always think, assume, presume and decide together without informing me of your actions. This is why I wanted you out of the case Lewis. And if you or Murphy disobey my orders one more time, you will not only be out of the case again. I will reassign you with someone else.
RoboCop: I have been…a good police officer all this time.
Reed: I don’t deny that Murphy, but you think I have forgotten about Delta city ruins? The destroyed police property I had to declare to the city hall?
RoboCop: Officers Estevez and Lewis were rescued in time. That was the priority.
Reed: I know. But shall I remind you, that very recently all of us covered up for your emotional choices…?
RoboCop: Officer Riggs…was out of order. He broke the police protocol.
Reed: Murphy, we saw the surveillance video, all of it. I heard everything Riggs said to you. I would have been pissed too…however taking things personal in this matter will only result in ruining the investigation. Stick to my orders, for once or you…won’t work with Lewis anymore. Understood?
Reed knows his threat although cruel, has been effective as RoboCop has remained in silence and has stopped his rebellious attitude towards him. Lewis is also silent leaning on a wall, whilst mortified and Kaplan is silent looking down crossed arms too.
Sergeant Reed can’t risk that an investigation that has taken months to develop goes to waste and had to use desperate measures to control RoboCop from making judgement calls and pursuing Bertha and the group of rebels. Attempting to take the second one in command at OCP to face justice is already scary enough for Reed. He can’t risk his officer’s safety or the gathered information.
Later on that day when the search at the inventory room is finally over and Lewis and RoboCop are together in the cruiser, Robo breaks the long-time silence by expressing his frustration about the rehab case.
RoboCop: I think…we should go out and help them.
Lewis: We will find ways to protect them, we will convince Reed eventually. But at the moment let’s leave things as they are, I don’t want to be separated from you…not now.
The more days that pass by the more their personal relationship becomes stronger. Robo and Lewis discover their work as cops has improved since they agreed to spend some alone time together after duty.
The new bond they’ve been developing have made them endure certain things that were annoying or hurtful to watch in the past. They aren’t even bothered by the cops playing with the newsflash recorder anymore, both of them are convinced Mason’s singing has improved, however it is their new shared vision what makes them believe certain things around them have changed or improved.
They don’t even debate about who will drive the cruiser for the day. Lewis allows Robo to monopolize the car with a smile on her face “Whatever makes him happy” she thinks to herself.
No more car door slamming, awkward silences, sexual tension or fear of rejection among them anymore, they reach a degree of understanding that shows even in work hours just by gazing at each other in the middle of a disaster zone whilst surrounded by other officers.
A subtle shared smile makes them remember they share something meaningful no one knows of. And what a beautiful scenery that is for both of them.
They patiently develop a system to live a complete life as a couple outside work hours and despite the fact their sexual experiences are not conventional, they start to feel complete. Expressing their feelings in a physical way at last has been a catharsis that has soothed the emotional pain of being close whilst trapped in a platonic relationship that seemed to go nowhere.
It becomes a routine for them to drive to different places where they can have privacy without feeling observed, although love is a difficult thing to hide and the exhilarating feeling of stumbling upon each other at the parking lot of the station and knowing that an embrace between them can happen out of nothing, that a kiss might follow have made them forget at times, they aren’t as alone as they’d like to be.
Robo has allowed certain emotional impulses to take over, at times, when he forgets what he is or what they did to him; if she doesn’t see it, he has started to not see it either.
The physical contact they shared in the past was born out of necessity. One of them was either endangered or hurt and needed to lean on the other seeking for help or protection.
Nevertheless, and after the disastrous Riggs’ episode, not many people want to really get involved in the matter. Lewis has slowly starting to get detached from the rest of the officers as sitting down at Sal’s over the weekend with her police friends have started to make no sense for her anymore.
Lewis slowly realizes she misses Robo more than ever, and although he is as silent as a lover as he is as a friend, Lewis perceives Robo seems to miss her too after a long weekend of working alone. Lewis had decided to work overtime hours and despite the fact Reed more or less knows what she might be doing, he prefers to not look too much into it and sign her overtime sheets without asking questions.
The beauty table as it has been affectionately called by Tyler and Akita is a small rolling metallic table that includes all the products and cleansing instruments that are necessary for RoboCop’s human face maintenance. Robo has been dismissive in the past to take care of his organic part. Perhaps a death wish that still lives inside him is what had made him risk his physical safety more than once and has made him being dismissive or difficult when maintenance time has come.
Tyler has pushed the beauty table next to RoboCop for facial cleansing by knowing she’d probably will have to do those chores herself whilst Robo is expressionless, silent and mostly detached from everyone by watching the connective TV of the laboratory. It is the way it has always been.
Robo is sitting down unmasked in the meantime Tyler goes back to her cubicle to get more of the products she needs for Robo’s beauty time, Akita is busy in his own cubicle too typing on his personal computer.
Lewis has finished her lunch hour and had decided to walk to Robo’s laboratory, she finds him sitting down and this would be the first time she looks at him unmasked since they had started their romantic relationship. They exchange glances and despite the fact Robo’s face shows almost no expression, his eyes tell a different story.
Lewis immediately notices the way he looks at her has changed and it is that silent subtle declaration of love what makes her feel she is not stepping in solid ground, she is weightless, floating. She impulsively approaches him aiming to kiss his bare face for the first time. Robo is overwhelmed and moves his head to one side, avoiding her.
“Right, too many people around, huh?” Lewis is not even discouraged and kisses him on the cheek instead. Robo automatically smiles. He looks up and sees his reflection on the industrial refrigerator and the smile slowly fades away.
Lewis is unaware that Robo won’t let her approach him under certain circumstances. His self-acceptance process is still incomplete. For Lewis, unmasked Robo is the same man she fell for. For him, allowing her to approach her whilst he is not wearing the RoboCop mask makes a world of difference.
Lewis finally says goodbye, Akita and Tyler are back and it is the instance in which Tyler gets a brush out of a case she’s holding in her hands, when Robo raises his hand and manages to snatch it from hers .
“I will do it myself now” That is what he tells his technician determined to finally take care of the human face he has been disgusted to look at and has preferred to hide under a metallic mask all this time.
Tyler: Since when? I know you do the daily maintenance routine and you do it well…but sometimes I feel you take care of yourself just enough…to keep yourself alive, how many times have I put the beauty table next to you, so you ignore it and it is me, me the one that ends up doing the work, because you don’t care about yourself…and if it wasn’t for me…
RoboCop: Would I be dead?
Tyler: That is very funny. Of course not. But your face would be seriously degraded by now. Listen, I will tell you exactly what each brush is for now and you…
RoboCop: I know what everything is for. Please hand me the case.
Tyler remains standing next to Robo in hesitation holding the case that contains brushes and liquids that help his face and eyes to remain alive. Deep down Tyler is fearful Robo stops needing her one day.
Akita: Just give him the fucking case Rose! These are the kind of things no one pays you for and you have done for free all this time. He finally wants to do it, congratulations to him! And if he doesn’t take care of his face and it rots and falls out as a result, as long as he has an arm to shoot and two legs to walk, that’s what matters. OCP pays us to keep him functional. Not pretty.
Tyler: He still needs his eyes to shoot…like you said…
Akita: You and I very well know his human eyes are just accessories. If they dry and fall out he has cameras behind the corneas…he would still be able to see, probably in low resolution with limited colors, but whose fault would that be, huh?
Although over time Akita has tried to gain Robo’s trust, the indirect hurtful comments he has said at times have prevented Robo from acknowledging him as a friend.
Tyler: Don’t listen to Nick, you know the way he is…gets overly stressed about things, here’s the case and let me know if you need anything else.
Robo takes the plastic case and opens it whilst replying “You might schedule joint cleansing for tomorrow”
Tyler walks back and observes Robo looking at his face and teeth in a mirror. Akita makes one last remark as he observes the same scene too.
“Who would have thought Robo was eventually going to get vain…eh”
Rose knows things are way more complex than that. She knows exactly what he is doing and why he is making those choices. He is allowing someone close to him and that is changing the perception he has of himself. For Tyler, taking care of RoboCop has been a way to feel connected to the creation of the man she once fell in love with and never corresponded her feelings.
Tyler wonders what Morton would say if he had observed the fantastic evolution RoboCop has had over the years. Would he have grown affection for him by now, or would he be the same ruthless ambitious OCP executive that would order a second memory wipe on him? Those questions cannot be answered anymore. Tyler just hopes Murphy doesn’t end with a shattered heart like she did in the past.
Days later Robo decides to drive to the abandoned dock where he usually isolates trying to find peace, although the dock is not his private hideout anymore as he has decided to take Lewis with him. Robo has a purpose and needs his police partner to back him up on his idea.
Both cops step out of the vehicle and Lewis observes the view. She’s flattered to know Robo has dared to share his secret place and tries to joke with him.
Lewis: So, do you bring all your girls here?
RoboCop: No. You are the first one.
RoboCop directs Lewis to an abandoned shed as he has something important to show her. The abandoned place seemed to be a fancy wine depot in the past, there are empty cabinets on the walls and barrels in the corners, Robo lifts up Lewis making her sit on a barrel and her hearts jump in excitement by expecting his next move.
Robo is slowly approaching her; she surrounds his hips with her legs. Lewis closes her eyes in great anticipation as she can feel his closeness. Suddenly the squeaking sound of rusty hinges, Lewis opens her eyes and looks to one side, Robo has opened an old wall cabinet behind her to show the way he has been hiding some of the unreported recovered arsenal.
There are shotguns, Laser Glock guns, Sig Sauer pistols and smoke grenades carefully stored in the cabinet.
Robo smiles proudly as he tells her: “We will be able to help them now” his idea consists in handing the weapons to the rebels so they’re able to defend themselves from the criminal gangs in the meantime the rehabs are brought to justice. Robo knows his partner won’t let him down and he wouldn’t have shared his secret with anyone else, a true demonstration of trust from his side.
Lewis tries to hide her disappointment as she grasps Robo had brought her to that isolated place to show his weapons’ stock and not to have a romantic escapee with her. She quickly switches back to cop mode and congratulates her partner on his idea.
“We wouldn’t be technically breaking the law, as these weapons were stolen first by OCP employees…”
They walk outside the shed and as Lewis observes Robo standing up in front of the fence, looking at the water she dares to ask “So…are we, going back to the cruiser?”
Robo turns back and slowly walks towards her in excitement. He is content to have shared this part of his privacy with someone else. His existence is not as lonely as it used to be, perhaps it does have a purpose after all. He uses his recently restored mechanical arms to playfully lift up his female companion, making her chuckle, and replies:
“There isn’t anyone around here” Lewis understands that after all Robo had taken her to the dock for a romantic moment, however, in his particular world work will always come first.
The lights of the city reflect on the water, the sky above them merges orange shades with blue ones. The buildings that can be observed from afar complete the perfect urban landscape for the embrace of two lovers that are sharing a moment of true happiness in the enhanced reality they have created together and has helped to paint each other’s lives with new intense colors.
