Chapter 26, Officer Down, Part 3

Chapter 26

Officer Down, Part 3.

Powerful Robo1 drives fast, away from the basement, the tires screech on the pavement. Bertha has reacted on Robo’s courageous and kind act to save her life and now she will manage to park the car aside the cyborg cop that seems to be acting as a protective shield for his female partner. Bertha remembers what it was like, fighting alongside the man she loved and how devastated she was when she lost it.

The rebellious woman is conscious now, that putting her life at risk just to get her revenge could cost the life of two fair police officers. Robo 1 abruptly stops, just centimeters away from RoboCop’s back. Time to crouch down, Bertha thinks.

Suddenly the robotic voice of an artificial intelligent device can be heard. “ZERO”

A big explosion that destroys a big part of the basement takes place. A great portion of the first floor is gone and a big hole surrounded with fire has made the Rehabs that are in the facility to realize that they have been attacked.

Robo1 resists the detonation, as it is a partial electric vehicle that uses hydrogen to start its engine and in a moment of danger, the engine might cover itself with a thin cape of ice to resist explosion.

However, the glass windows, are shattered by the far-impact of the detonations, and some glass pieces hurt Bertha’s arms.

The impact of the explosion made RoboCop fall on the ground, however, his fast mechanic reflexes make him bend his arms and lean on his forearms preventing to crush down the human body of Lewis that is lying on the ground too, underneath his mechanical body.

The cybernetic man can tell his back is hot but feels no pain. Lewis had covered her face with her arms, and her body armor is dirty with dust now. Her helmet had protected her head, but the visor now is cracked. Her hands show scratches and blood on them.

RoboCop keeps looking down upon Lewis body. Desperately trying to scan life signs in her. His inner computer had gone crazy due to the loud sound and he just sees small green squares falling one after the other as if it was a computerized pixel game. A second mini explosion can be heard inside the basement now, and RoboCop fears, the chain reaction reaches the second smart bomb that was set by Bertha before they left the place.

Suddenly, a female voice, although, not the female voice he had expected to hear. It comes from Lewis’ chest, almost as if it was inbuilt in her body.

“Second smart-bomb has been successfully deactivated remotely, thank you for using Smart Explosives Deactivation protocols, if you have any questions, please visit our website, smartbombs.com”

It is Anne’s intelligent device speaking through her chest pocket where the policewoman had placed it before the first explosion had taken place. Although Alana was unable to deactivate the first smart bomb, the second one seems to be offline now.

Although relieved, RoboCop expects that Alana’s familiar and robotic voice, is not the only voice left in Lewis’ body. The robotic officer tries to stand up and pick up his partners body at the same time. “Everything hurts, Murphy” He remembers.

The time he picked her up from the muddy pit. Robo’s human logic tells him, that even if his systems are somewhat damaged, that Lewis is not in the bad conditions she was, when attacked by Boddicker in the past. Therefore, she should be still alive.

Bertha comes out from the car, the woman had suffered just minor injuries. And sees the heartbreaking scene. Her relentless and selfish wish to avenge the death of his loved one, perhaps has left another one without his loved one as well.

“I am so sorry Murphy…I am such an idiot…is your girl? Look, they will be coming for us, soon…the grey bastards up there, they know we’re here, let’s get in your car and go…this car damn fucking car of yours resists everything!!”

Bertha receives nothing but silence from her robotic friend. RoboCop keeps walking carrying his partner in his arms, without really knowing, where he is heading at.

“Deploy the TDX unit, kill the fucking monkey!” Those are the radio orders that commander McDaggett furiously gives to the captain in command at the facility. Some Rehab officers are wounded by the explosion, a few others are gathering as much as they can from the illegal weaponry that was stolen from the police department and seeking to exit the place. They know, that if the police arrives to the place, they will be in serious problems.

Bertha is consumed in fear now, as she feels, she has been left alone. She charges her machine gun and feels ready to face her enemies. A red van that can be spot from the distance, is approaching the place.

The metallic legs of the cyborg officer that were mildly damaged by the explosion, make broken sounds as they keep on walking, towards the cliff. OCP, the police force, Murphy wonders what would be left for him to live if he could not stop his partner from dying.

The one human being that dared to love him under the unconventional circumstances he was forced to live. That was not afraid of his physical strength and showed love and tenderness towards him. Never cared to see him unmasked. Never cared to hold his grotesque robotic hands.

The police officer that nearly died so he could achieve his personal revenge against the men that stole his human existence from him. His best friend, ally, partner and the woman he inadvertently fell in love with, after realizing, she had developed feelings for him too.

Suddenly they are together, at the end of the cliff. RoboCop knows, that if he throws himself in it, it is a sure death for his human organic parts and he’d wish, he is never awakened again and being put inside a computer for a second time. He would be free, he would achieve freedom, at last. He looks up to a grey sky that is turning orange and wonders, why his prayer was not listened. Perhaps, God, doesn’t listen to aberrant creations like him, and perhaps, he doesn’t even have a soul, anymore.

The small green squares that keep floating around his computerized vision, finally seem to re-organize themselves. They start fading one by one, and the remaining one, turns itself into a small heart. A small heart that starts beating and has activated the Medivac medical application in his systems. This application allows him to scan Lewis’ physical state, at last.

Her heart had never stopped beating, she had never stopped breathing. It was his irrational fear of losing the most important person in his new existence, what prevented him from noticing, that although unconscious, Lewis was still there with him.

“Everything hurts, Murphy…”

However, RoboCop wonders if those words he had just heard are a product of his imagination and a replay of a past memory or if those are being said, by his partner, for real and for a second time. Lewis is wearing a broken helmet with a dusty visor, he is unable to tell, if her eyes are open now.

RoboCop: Medivac version 3.1 informs you have no internal wounds, your blood pressure can be considered as normal, you will be okay officer Lewis, you've survived the explosion

Lewis: What? What fucking whatever of your…fucking things is that? Just put me down, I need to take off this piece of crap helmet…and let’s get the hell out of here!! I don’t want you to get killed!

RoboCop grins and gently puts down his partner so she’s able to stand on the ground, her usual persona is back and he can’t be any more grateful to…whoever is up there that his prayer was listened. She is alive, and although battered the woman is quite capable to remove her helmet and throw it to the ground, her dirty blonde hair is visible. Robo knows he is not dreaming, as Lewis’ hair is back to its original short length.

Perhaps that recurring dream was a possible future that never happened. Longer hair, a more dystopian reality than the one they’re living at the moment. The fear in her eyes. A police officer was going to die that day and he, Murphy, the mechanized man that is not supposed to be more than a war instrument, somehow could be more than that, for just some minutes in which he hoped, using what’s left of his humanity to not be left without the person he cares about the most, in the new existence he was forced to live.

Confusion wanders and it’s the man-machine conflict again, he wants to say too much, he wants to approach, he wants to let her know, how much, she means to him.

“They never erased my memory, it was a safety measure the old man came up with to protect me and you from Johnson's’ plans to erase my memory again, you see, Anne, they will never allow us to be together”

Those are the thoughts that could not be said by him, as the computerized vision has taken over and it is indicating that incoming danger is near: Another mechanized unit has been deployed and it’s coming close, it will be visible for Bertha, Lewis and him, in just a few minutes.

The TDX unit. A programmed robot that was meant to be the newer refined version of ED-209 units and that OCP had financed to clean the streets from vicious gangs, resulted to be another project in which OCP spent millions of dollars without having the results they really wished they had.

The old man condemned once again the performance of the TDX units and he has been dreaming about the idea to make a RoboCop2. Another hybrid police officer that can be as proficient as RoboCop is, and then this new officer, would work alongside RoboCop, the CPD unit then would have remote control of the TDX units.

A semi-fascist view of the old man, in which, his robot army would be commandeered by the two semi-robotic leaders that would be his high commands that would fight against crime and the police force would obey to.

However, that vision of the old man is far from becoming true. The CPD unit hasn’t been manufactured yet. RoboCop seems to be “more human” every time, and has to be put under control. And the TDX units, were taken over by Johnson, as the executive believes Delta city can still be constructed. The granted access to the units were given to McDaggett and Lyle, in another erratic desperate move from Johnson to escalate to the position of vice president, and maybe later, to become OCP’s new president.

The robotic unit is on sight now. Bertha crosses herself and points her mini UZI submachine gun at the mechanical threat. The rebellious woman had been able to get in the car carrying her weapon. She would never leave her firearm to one side.

RoboCop takes out his auto9 and points at the dangerous machine: “TDX, You are not authorized to be deployed on civilian ground, without the orders of your highest command, Mr. Daniel Highland”

Murphy still believes that naming the old man in front of the machine would make it get into conflict with whatever the prime directives of the big mechanical thing must be. He is not that far from the truth, as the TDX machine stops stomping its black mechanical feet and hesitates for a while. Lewis helplessly tries to contact Robo1’s radio, as she has grasped her own car was destroyed in the explosion. Robo1 is the only unit remaining in the scene and it is the last hope for backup to arrive.

Then, the police woman comes up with a new idea: Lewis comes closer to her partner, hoping he’d have kept a shotgun in the trunk of Robo1. Just like they did once. They can team up again. RoboCop remains impassive pointing his gun at the mechanical threat, when he notices, Lewis has come closer. She has no helmet and her bulletproof vest is highly damaged, nevertheless, the courageous woman doesn’t want to give up to the fight, she is not giving up on him.

Lewis, takes the mechanical black hand that has protected her from harm many times. She won’t run away and risk her partners’ life. She can’t afford to lose him again.

Lewis: Hey partner, tell me you have a Barrett in the trunk like old times, Déjà vu…

RoboCop: There is, a Barrett M82 rifle in the trunk, officer Lewis. I would, though, recommend you and Bertha to step back and call for backup...

Lewis: I already did, now, we did this once, remember? We can do it again!

RoboCop: No. I am asking you to step back, I will handle this

Lewis: Fuck me!! You remember or not? ED!! Fucking wacko ED-209! These things were made over EDs weren’t them?

RoboCop: What do you mean?

Lewis: If TDX units have been built on top of…whatever OS ED-209 had or have, then these machines can be clumsy too, we just have to make it crazy, like we did, with that…broken ED, yes??

“Civilians, should surrender your weapons now. You are under arrest. RoboCop 001 has been chosen for extermination for disobeying the protocols and aggravated assault to the police force, have a nice day”

TDX’s robotic voice come from a badly designed mini screen that pops out, making the unit even creepier to the eyes of human beings. RoboCop thinks, his partner has a point. They could deactivate a broken ED-209 once in the commercial area of Cadillac Heights. They can do it again.

“Ain’t not gonna surrender to you, fucking piece of junk!!”

Both police officers are surprised to see Bertha creating a distraction, almost as if she could have heard their plan. The TDX unit turns to face Bertha and repeat the same protocol words that come from the same pre-recorded sound device, in the meantime, Lewis thinks she has to be fast.

The policewoman takes out the Barrett rifle from Robo1’s trunk, wondering if shooting at his control panel will have the same impact it had, when they deactivated that faulty ED-209 together.

However, that time, RoboCop managed to jump on the robot’s back and open the panel for Lewis to shot at it, also, they counted with a Cobra Assault canon. And Lewis just looks back at her car on fire, lamenting that the canon she had kept there, is probably useless by now.

RoboCop: You should then, take the car, leave the rifle to one side

Lewis: I can do both! Remember? “You’re illegally, illegally parked in this facility”

RoboCop: TDX units don’t work like that. Just drive, create a distraction, don’t shoot yet

Lewis: Bertha is doing a great work distracting him…

The TDX unit is getting close, the fake 3D representation of a human face that is shown on the screen, seems to have lost its patience. The Gatling gun that the TDX uses as a weapon of major firepower, starts spinning, as a way to scare the two women that seem to be protecting its major target, which is RoboCop.

“Civilians, I won’t be asking one more time. Surrender your weapons or your lives will be terminated in approximately 30 seconds…29….28”

Lewis: No, dumbfuck robot! It’s 20 seconds, not 30!!

Bertha: Really? Officer Lewis? Don’t give that piece of crap more ideas!

The computerized vision takes over. RoboCop, although shaken by the explosion, is capable of detecting where the fault in TDX units are. The cyborg police officer tries to aim at the almost hidden slot that seems to be in the right armpit of the robot. That way, he will burn the wires that connect inbuilt Gatling gun from its main processor to its right arm.

However, Directive 4 starts overriding his systems. Robo’s POV becomes blurry and he has to use his human instincts to point at his target and shoot. Robo fires once, apparently missing the slot, making the TDX unit open fire too, however the TDX unit seems to have missed its target too and has fired at Lewis’ already destroyed patrol car instead

“RoboCop 001, you have been targeted for extermination…” The TDX unit seems confused, it seems, Robo didn’t completely fail his shot. He must have been shot something else, that makes the internal computer of the unit, to get confused about, what its targets really are.

Unfortunately for Bertha, Lewis and Robo, the TDX unit, can still open fire.

“Get backup Bertha, run!” Those are the orders that Lewis gives Bertha and as rebellious as the woman is, she knows, Lewis is actually right.

Bertha runs fast carrying her UZI machine gun, not before shooting at the TDX unit, trying to confuse it even more, she prays for the fire to not reach her, since, now, the rebel wants to live and bring back help for the courageous blue officers that are resisting the attack of the robotic threat.

The bulky woman feels she will fall down out of exhaustion, when she sees a Metro West patrol car approaching the crime scene, she shouts as loud as she can to the officer driving the patrol car:

“Go there! Help them girl! That thing over there will kill them!!”

Estevez hears well everything Bertha says to her, she hits the gas and drives even faster to the rehabs partially destroyed facility, she knows, Robo and Lewis, as daring as they are, are together, fighting a robot, until the last consequences, then, she gets to see a scene worthy of a futuristic horror film:

RoboCop is having a physical encounter with a much bigger robot than him. Apparently, he wants to climb up to the back of the robot, just like he did with the faulty ED-209 that he and Lewis had deactivated once in Cadillac Hills. Both cops had made headlines after such courageous act. Nevertheless, this time, the mechanical threat seems to be much stronger and less clumsy than what an ED-209 really is. The TDX unit manages to shake Robo off its back and Lewis keeps driving Robo1 around the two mechanical enemies having the fight.

Lewis is unable to fire the Barrett rifle and drive at the same time, so she has resorted to fire her gun with one hand and drive with the other one. Although the Gatling gun seems to have been damaged by the shots and punches received by RoboCop, it still can spin and fire at times.

“You are…in direct, direct violation of the protocols…” The TDX unit seems confused, but that doesn’t make it less of a threat.

Estevez swallows heavily. She knows that helping her police partners implies risking her own life and she could drive back and bring more SWAT team members with her. But there is no time. Robo and Lewis’ life are at stake at that moment.

The TDX has managed to put Robo on the ground, and it keeps violently hitting on his chest armor, Lewis doesn’t know what to do, and thinks she has to aim at the torn pieces of the TDX unit,

Then a flashback: Being tied alongside Lewis in a warehouse full of explosives. RoboCop disobeyed a direct order to go get them. Yes, that suicidal mission in which Lewis and she thought they could get the perps on their own.

She can’t fail Robo and she can’t fail the best friend she has ever had in the police station.

“You fucking love birds, wanna die together or what? I am not gonna let you!”

Estevez accelerates and hits the TDX unit from behind. Her car hood is mostly damaged but she can still reverse and start driving around in circles, making the unit realize, it has a new target on sight.

Lewis suddenly realizes that Estevez, is there. Backup has arrived even if it was only one cop in one patrol car the one that came back to help.

RoboCop is also surprised to see that the two policeladies he saved once, are now driving around the mechanical threat making it forget about its quest to destroy him, it’s time for them to help him out this time.

“Drive! Confuse the fucking piece of shit I will shoot!!” Lewis screeches Robo1 and parks it nearby RoboCop. She doesn’t want to see what the damage in the man she loves really is. No time for sentimentalism, no time for love, she needs to be pragmatic, otherwise, Murphy will be destroyed.

In the meantime Estevez keeps using her battered patrol car to keep bumping at the TDX unit, Robo who is dragging himself along the ground is able to lift a high punch, breaking the TDX’s Gaitling gun completely, then, he partially deactivates himself due to overheating his systems, by trying to use extra force.

Lewis then knows it’s her shot. She finally aims the Barrett rifle at the TDX. Just like she did with ED-209. She didn’t fail the first time, she won’t do it this time. She hesitates where to shot at:

The exposed armpit that has some wires hanging, the semi broken screen that just mumbles unrecognizable words in a grotesque broken voice, or the joints on its legs that are damaged now, thanks to Estevez continuous car hits.

She takes a leap of faith, and remembers ED-209’s control panels. Deactivating the main CPU of the machine is more important than making it fall on the ground. Plus, she is afraid to shoot at its legs and the unit falling on top of RoboCop’ body.

Lewis then, aims at the bizarre screen. The main controls on the CPU should be connected to that voice command.

“Smile you motherfucker!” Lewis shoots the rifle, once twice, violently breaking the screen and making the TDX unit shout a loud electronic screech that almost sounded human.

Her theory must have been true, as the TDX just takes a few steps towards Lewis, then, the broken machine just stops and freezes standing up. “Have…a nicee… day” the sound command shuts down and internal circuits seem to be slowly burning inside of what can be called its head.

Lewis puts the weapon to one side and runs to where RoboCop is. Estevez parks the patrol car and runs towards RoboCop as well.

Both policewomen look at each other. This time the ones that are up to save the mechanical officer that disobeyed Reed to go get them, it’s them. Lewis crouches and tries to make Robo talk. However, she realizes his battered chest armor is too hot. “Murphy, it’s us, wake up, backup is coming…” Lewis tries to wake Robo up by touching his face and Estevez keeps repeating to herself “No, not again, I don’t want to see another one of our friends dying today”

Lewis: What do you mean another one of us? We’re still here!

Estevez: Not…all of us, someone died today, Mason, Mason died

Lewis: No…no, this is a fucking nightmare, tell me it was the rehabs the ones that…

“Somebody will die today, Murphy” Suddenly, Estevez voice makes Robo conscious of his surroundings. Yes, the story was changed, but still a police officer died that day. However, the robotic cop is way too weak to even try to heal himself from the severe damage that the TDX unit had caused on him. His barely audible words, can nonetheless, be heard by both police girls.

LOAD BIOS

COMMAND.COM

MEMORY…internal failure

OVERHEATED SYSTEMS in a 40%

RoboCop: I am…overheating, I need…ice

Lewis: Ice? Murphy? What are you talking about? I can’t pour water on you! I’d kill you!

Estevez: Not really…how about we get some cold beers for the guy?

Lewis: Are you out of your fucking mind! He is in an emergency mode and you making stupid jokes!

Estevez: Hey, cool down, Mrs. Robo!! I am fucking serious!! Water can’t do…but, beers…? Cold ones they will make a foam layer on top of his armor?

Lewis: Oh for fucks sake…

Estevez: What options do we have? We can’t let the boy internally burn here in the meantime Tyler comes here with her whatever equipment?

Lewis: What other choices do we have…?

Estevez: Okay! I will…run, there is a store in front and people seem to have walked away from it due to the explosion…I am surprised and angry, no one from Metro West or at least fucking Metro South is here yet!!

Lewis: Well, my friend, you came…

Lewis slightly grins at her best friend, before looking at her running away trying to get cold beers in a desperate attempt to save her partner.

Anne sits on ground and tries to hold Murphy’s hand, one more time. She can’t even do that, his complete armor is hot on the surface. This is the neverending story for them, either one of them is hurt or both of them are hurt. Persecuted and not being given the chance to be happy together.

“What can I say to you, my love…that I haven’t said already? That I know, they didn’t erase your memory? Well, partially I don’t know…I don’t want you to die, my life, will make little sense”

Suddenly Robo seems conscious again. Lewis’ words make him open his eyes again.

Earlier, he had overridden directive 4 and the overheated system is a “punishment” response to his daring actions. Plus, the TDX unit had broken one of his internal coolers that works mostly on a sophisticated mix between cooling liquid and hydrogen. The vents on his chest, are in reality an exhaust for the artificial air that his mechanical systems produce have an exit. But his human breath has to still come out from his mouth, and he still can breathe as a human being. Systems overheated can mean that although Robo can be reconstructed again as a machine, what’s left of his organic systems can be damaged forever.

RoboCop: Robo1….hydrogen 3.13, Anne, you can do it…I trust in you…

Lewis: What? Hydrogen? Where? How?

RoboCop: I am bleeding cooling fluid, you need to bring that from the car…

Lewis looks down and Robo seems to be bleeding a blueish liquid from his armpit. Where the arm joints are. Just like they made the TDX unit bleed oil and hydraulic fluid from its joints earlier, this time, it’s Robo the one loosing mechanical fluids.

Lewis: Engine coolant? From the car? No, shit no, I won’t pour that on you! Let’s wait for the beers look

RoboCop: No. The beers won’t be enough…there is a mechanism, inside Robo1…take hydrogen from it, ask…Alana to show you…

“You and your girlfriend will owe me a night’s out dinner paid when all of this is over!!”

Out of sudden, Estevez is back carrying a bag full of beer cans and in a matter of seconds, Robo starts being showered by the cold liquid, Lewis knows that the beer idea is good, but it’s a temporary healing patch, she gives instructions to her friend to keep on cooling Robo in the meantime she will try to get liquid hydrogen from Robo1’s mechanism. She will resort to her A.I. friend, once more to give her a map of Robo1 and know which will be the wires she will have to cut.

Lewis manages to put the hood of the car up and she discouraged at what she finds inside sophisticated Robo1. The mechanism doesn’t remotely look like all the cars she’s ever given maintenance to. Even Alana seems confused at the way, Robo 1 is wired.

“Scanning…scanning…loading information from OCP’s Security concepts car prototypes…”

Lewis: Alana don’t you fucking do that! Give me your best guess, where is the hydrogen!! Come on! The significant other of your…programming is dying!!

Alana: No. RoboCop 001 unit will not cease his mechanical functions forever if he suffers a leak of cooling fluid. He will shut down temporarily until, technical equipment is able to restore all the damaged hoses and the servos that surround its central cooling system. His organic systems, however, would be melted all together.

Lewis: You just have no idea of the horrible thing you just said…stop…just give me a guess! Which hose do I tear here that doesn’t make this car explode and kill us both!

Alana: No. RoboCop 001 and I might still be reconstructed if unit 2424 explosion occurs. We will need to be reformatted and replaced with newer materials that can go from Kevlar, epoxy plastic, silicone…

Lewis: FOR FUCK’S SAKE you stupid machine!! Stop doing that and scan the damn car!

Alana: Loading…trying to access OCP Security concepts prototype car’s manuals…

Lewis: No one has access to OCP Security concepts files!! Are you stubborn or deaf?

Anne thinks she has had enough dialoguing with an artificial entity that is not taking her anywhere, Robo is in critical condition and her intelligent device, suddenly is not that intelligent. The police woman puts her semi battered phone on the ground and takes out her swiss knife and her lantern, it is getting dark and she will have problems looking for that special hose that is keeping the liquid that her loved one needs to survive at least until Tyler comes to take him to OCP’s repair room.

Lewis starts looking inside to see, if the dashboard has any commands that might activate the hydrogen ice defense, she sees there is a switch that seems to turn on the dashboard of the car. She turns it on, hoping the car will also activate the lights and she will be able to find the hose easier.

Suddenly, an artificial male voice makes her jump and bump her head on the car’s ceiling:

Robo1: Unit 2424 at the command of RoboCop unit 001 is ready to receive orders. Organizing calls…retrieving files from the Metro Network. You have new 7 messages from the TSAP messenger service.

Lewis: Fuck me to the fucking eternity of the fuck…you talk too? You piece of crap? Guess what! Your owner is dying out there and you need to give me some of your fluids, to keep him alive! Where do you keep the hydrogen 3.13?

Robo1: Unrecognized voice command. Identify yourself.

Lewis: You don’t know who I am? I am RoboCop’s partner! Seek out in the Metro database and you will know everything Murph and I…

Robo1: Good afternoon, officer Anne Lewis. Unit 477 from Metro West. How can I help you today?

Lewis: Give me your hydrogen 3.13 we need it, RoboCop needs it! Where is the hose I need to break?

Robo1: I am sorry officer Lewis, there is no direct order from OCP that indicates I should give access to the internal design of my machinery. Is there anything else I can do for you, today?

Lewis: Are you fucking serious? Call Sergeant Reed! In fact I will call him on the radio now and you will comply to my orders! Where is the hose! Show me your internal design!

Robo1: I don’t take orders from Metro West officers. I take orders directly from OCPs research laboratory and my high commander in line RoboCop 001. Is there anything else you need today? I can call a help crisis center if you need to speak to a professional in mental health and stress, your tone of voice, indicates, you are under stress.

Lewis: I am not…crazy, piece of fucking shit!

Anne takes a deep sigh, as she sees, Robo1 seems to have deactivated its voice command and instead it has started showing a video on its dashboard screen about stress in the police force and she thinks minutes are precious. Then, her other artificial entity, seems to be obsessed with breaking into the Security Concept’s files with no luck. Then an idea pops out.

Alana: Loading….loading. Requesting access to Security Concepts files. Robert Morton’s designs…

Anne: Okay, my little crazy friend, I will introduce you to a new…thing that is like you, can you please convince this talking car, that RoboCop unit 001 is over there in critical condition and needs more than a few beers to survive?

Lewis tries placing her intelligent mobile in front of Robo1’s dashboard, hoping, that both operating systems start interacting with each other.

Suddenly, there is courteous greetings among the pair. Robo1 introduces itself as the intelligent CPU that is in control of Robo1 2424 police unit and Alana informs her new friend, it is a virtual personal assistant.

Then, there is silence. Both devices start interfacing. Lewis can see nothing but what it seems to be some sort of binarian code that both screens are sharing

“So, are you pair of robotic whatever things making love to each other? Hurry up!! My boyfriend is dying!!”

Finally. Robo1 is the first artificial voice that speaks out loud:

“Thank you for your cooperation. Access granted to classified files: 011908900 Robo1 interceptor’s infraestructure: Author Robert Morton, OCP Vicepresident. Security Concepts”

Lewis turns back Alana, just to read something she never expected to. One of the many reasons why Bob Morton’s files have been stored and highly hidden by OCP during all this time.

“For the love of Jesus Christ…” Lewis observes that her device has become a scanner that is working almost as if it was an x-ray machine that could see the interior structure of the car without dismantling it. Then, it is Alana’s voice command what creeps the policewoman’s nerves making her even more stressed than what she already is.

“We stop right here, we need to extract hydro-3.13” Alana orders Anne to stop and observe. In the right side of the car above the rear tire, there is a small compartment that opens automatically. Lewis, can see that the small compartment has a mini gallon that is full of the liquid, RoboCop desperately needs. The woman, takes the recipient with a shaky right hand, in the meantime she manages to hold Alana, with her left one.

The compartment closes and the car locks itself as a safety measure. A preventive yellow light emerges from the police sirens and it starts wailing silently, to let people know, the vehicle now, it’s in self-protective mode.

Lewis doesn’t have more time to ask questions and runs back where Estevez and RoboCop are. It is almost funny, Lewis thinks, to see Murphy lying on the ground surrounded by beer cans. Then she remembers, Murphy shouldn’t lie flat for long periods of time, as the weight of his chest, might damage his internal organs.

The policewoman takes off her vest and tries to put it underneath RoboCop’s head, Estevez has no idea what Lewis is doing, but just helps her on the quest.

Barbara had tried to stop Robo’s bleeding by squishing a can and trying to make it fit where the cracked joint was. Although it didn’t completely stop the leaking, it made the pouring slower. Also, the cold beer showering and the ice that was put over Robo, seemed to have cooled down a bit.

Lewis explains to Estevez they have to remove that can now and find the broken hose and manually feed it with the gallon of hydro liquid.

Both women get their hands dirty whilst performing the mini operation Robo needs. Finally, Lewis thinks that the only way to completely seal the hose is to cauterize it. Which means using a lighter to melt the open end.

She asks Barbara if she is carrying a lighter. Fortunately the woman does.

“Will your hubby explode if we do that?” Nervous Estevez asks.

“Shit I don’t know…but if we don’t do it, we won’t know…” Lewis not so hopeful response discourages Estevez. However, Lewis theory was right and it only takes a lighter to melt the broken hose and wait for Robo to respond.

LOAD BIOS_

COMMAND COM

MEMORY SET

SYSTEM STATUS

OK_

RoboCop opens his eyes. The first thing he sees are the two proud officers that managed to bring him to life, after the dangerous overheat episode he went through. Also, his human part can smell something weird on top of him. Reminiscence of a past life he doesn’t have anymore. Something he can’t drink not only because it won’t be good for him. But also, it’s a beverage that doesn’t present any kind of appealing to him. His human hunger is limited now.

They’ve done for him, what he once did for them. That day, when he rescued Estevez and Lewis from being blown up by explosives. It was the man in him the one that made a choice, free will. Overridden orders from Sergeant Reed.

The love he feels for Lewis and the real concern he carries on his shoulders, about safekeeping all the human cops from the station, that he knows have worked alongside him, even if hardly anyone has really befriended him during the time he has been living as RoboCop.

The women cheer in between the mess that Robo’s mini operation left on the ground and on their blue uniforms.

“Fucking hell, seems the three of us went to one of those Paloozas things? We’re soo wasted man!”

Estevez laughs. Lewis looks at Robo in an endearing way. Now she knows a new secret:

It wasn’t only Estevez, Robo1, Alana and she, the ones that saved RoboCop that day. But the last commands of his gone creator that envisioned a police interceptor that would be so faithful to its commander, it would be willing to self-destruct or would allow dismantlement, if such actions meant, saving RoboCop’s life.

That was Morton’s legacy, something he never got to see. A faithful robotic vehicle, willing to give its own existence to protect RoboCop’s. In some way, Morton had saved Murphy that day.

However, Anne’s thoughts are interrupted. Robo seems to be wide aware of his surroundings, it seems that the battle is not over yet:

“Incoming….vehicle. A mechanical unit is approaching…”

TO BE CONTINUED...