There's a table with two chairs and a tape recorder.

"Okay, motherpunker!"

::He sits Veronica down in a chair and takes a seat opposite her, pressing record on the tape player.::

"This is Officer Pen saying blah blah blah."

::Officer Pen is very irate as he says the usual stuff you have to say on one of these kinds of tape. After he's finished, he looks over at Veronica.::

"State your name, please."

::Veronica stays silent. She doesn't give her name to people she doesn't like.::

:: Officer Pen doesn't have the patience for this. He asks again.::

"State your name, please."

"... Patience. Patience Brookhaven."

"Now. Miss Brookhaven, you are aware that it's illegal to wield a gun in a public place in the state of California?"

[Bye bye memory, Vero!]

::Veronica blinks and sits back, her eyes flitting from side to side.::

(...)

::She stares at the man in front of her.::

(...?)

:: Officer Pen sighs one of those long sighs, obviously he is dealing with a true punk.::

"Miss Brookhaven, answer the question please."

::Veronica stares at the officer some more.::

"What? Brook- what the hell are you talking about?"

(Who is this guy?)

::Veronica frowns.::

(Looks like some sort of punk.)

"Miss Brookhaven, these games you are playing are not smart or funny. What were you doing waving a gun around in a public place? Were you planning on shooting somebody?"

"What?"

(?)

"No!"

::Veronica stands up.::

"This is ridiculous, what the hell am I doing here? I didn't do anything."

"Sit down, Patience. You don't want to make any more trouble for yourself."

::Veronica glares at the officer and doesn't sit down.::

"No. I'm not doing anything you tell me to. You're old and fat and ugly, and I don't like you."

::She crosses her arms over her chest and waits to see what he has to say to THAT!::

"Very well. I think you need some alone time."

::Officer Pen opens the door and two younger, prettier, slimmer officers come in, taking Veronica to the cells.::

::Emery opens the door and holds it, allowing Quinn to enter.::

"Take a seat."

::Quinn enters behind Emery. He's so eager to please, that he accidently steps on back of the DI's shoes. Ouch!::

"Oh! Sorry m'am!"

::The dark haired man looks horrified, and takes a seat on the chair. He looks up expectantly at Emery.::

::Emery sucks in a quiet breath through her nose and grimaces, not showing the pain more than very lightly. She turns the grimace into a smile of the same fashion, points it at Quinn, then closes the door. She walks to the table and stands for a moment, staring at him.::

::Quinn stares right back at the intimidating D.A., wondering what kind of hair product she uses to keep her mane so luxuriously wavy.::

(Wonder if she's going to accuse me of being a robot too? Though that'll never fly in court.)

::Emery pauses for a minute, then opens the door and is handed two paper cups of coffee. She nods thanks and closes it once more. This time there's a bolting sound on the other side. She carries the coffee in and places one in front of Quinn, taking a seat opposite him.::

"Careful. It's hot."

"Why am I here miss? I don't remember anything I supposedly did..."

::Quinn takes the coffee with a grateful nod, and sets the steaming cup at arms length from him.::

"You don't remember anything at all?"

::Emery fixes him with a look. A look of curiosity. It's piercing, but also kind of gentle.::

::Quinn's starting to relax a little. The D.I. didn't seem to be the big ol' bitch that she had appeared to be at first.::

"I'm sorry m'am, but no. I remember flipping through pictures on my digital camera - it's for my new job as a photographer for the Bay Mirror, you see... and then, nothing! The next thing I remember is waking up in your cell."

::The brunette hangs his head, his bangs falling down his forehead and into his eyes.::

::Emery sighs to herself, then straightens up.::

"All right. Then I wanna show you something."

::She gets up and walks over to a television screen set in the wall. She turns it on, then returns to the table and takes a video tape from the bag she'd brought in. She puts it into a slot beneath the TV and presses play.::

"This is from mall security."

::The video has a good picture of the three of them - Quinn, Portia and Aidan sitting in a booth together. Then Aidan stands up and a moment later, Quinn's body morphs into a gun-toting machine. Emery lets the tape play but stops paying attention to it, turning to walk around the room.::

"So you don't remember pulling machine guns on a room full of people? Old ladies, parents with their kids... innocent people, Quinn."

::Quinn watches the video with a horrified look. It's evident that he is extremely surprised by its existence. In fact, he's halfway wondering if this was all some sort of elaborate joke.::

"M'am, with all due respect, there's no way that this footage is re-"

::The brunette cuts off mid-word. His face does its weird spasm thing. Quinn straightens, his head slowly tilts upwards, mouth closing, and brown eyes turning to eerily stare at D.I. Emery. A few seconds pass in utter silence.::

"Core matrix activated. Causality: exposure. Initiating containment protocol."

::Weird? Very. The android now addresses the D.I. His voice sounds just like Quinn, losing its monotone inflection.::

"I trust you have secured sole proprietorship of this footage? You understand it cannot be leaked under any circumstances."

::Emery looks alarmed now. She doesn't think Quinn is crazy. She suddenly moves to the table and looks at him hard.::

"... are you... one of... them?"

(Emery. No. It's a conspiracy theory. It's not true.)

::Her eyes show she feels otherwise.::

::Quinn smiles. Yes, he actually smiles at the D.I.::

"No, m'am. I am one of you."

(Subject displays prior knowledge of target category. Initiating investigation.)

::The android turns its attention towards the video footage. It only turns its neck, without moving an inch of the rest of its body.::

"Rewind footage to 1.2 minutes before the incident - the arrival of the female subject. Watch her closely."

::Emery stares at Quinn for a moment before doing as he suggests. Unfortunately, all that's visible of Georgia is the top of her head.::

"You mean her?"

::She points at aforementioned motormouth.::

"Affirmative."

::It's too bad, but the camera angle totally cuts off Georgia using her powers to take Aidan's money. Showing no aggravation at the lack of footage - since, only the Quinn personality is programmed to feign feelings - the android forwards the tape to the part where Aidan suddenly jumps up and starts yelling at Georiga. Is there sound? If so, Emery would hear the boy witch shouting about his wallet being stolen. Words like 'thief' aimed at Georgia. If not... well, the android explains anyways.::

"Subject exceeded paranormal Threat parameters. She used her ability to steal the boy's money. This causality is what activated my core matrix."

::Only now, watching the tape, does the android realize that neither Aidan nor Portia seemed too shocked at the employ of magic. It identifies them both as magic users.::

"Uh huh..."

::Emery is looking at Quinn now, far more than at the tape.::

"So this... core matrix... only switches on at certain points?"

"Affirmative. Upon detection of Threat parameters."

::The android turns to look at Emery. It fixes her again with that eerie non-blinking stare.::

"Please state name and designation."

::Emery wonders if she should feel threatened, because she does. However, she's in a safe environment so really shouldn't have anything to worry about. She doesn't sit down, though.::

"What do you mean?"

"Sit."

::Is it an order? Certainly sounds like one. Regardless of Emery's actions, the android XX-002 returns to his own chair - sitting in that unnaturally rigid posture.::

"Your name detective? I must know who you are, and why you are in possession of classified information."

::Quinn looks up at Emery, his human features impassive, but there's a curious glint in his eye.::

(But you don't know what he'll risk to protect his secrets. That's the problem.)

::Emery still doesn't sit. She finds herself faced with a dilemma. If he really is one of them - then he could be really dangerous. And she wasn't even sure things like him actually existed. You can only read so many conspiracy theories before they become a joke even to the more intrigued investigator. But if he is... she could be in a lot of danger. As could the people in this building. But how do you reason with a robot? Eventually, the DI sits down. She then reaches over to the tape recorder and switches it off in an obvious, emphasised move.::

::Quinn reaches over and pushes the 'eject' button on the recorder. He nods at Emery, grabbing the tape that pops out and then breaking it in half. There could be no record of what has been said - and might be said - in this room.::

"I assure you - this unit is designed to protect civilians such as yourself. Now you must hurry... the Quinn personality will revert in 300 seconds and counting."

::Emery hadn't been expecting the destruction of police property. And she's kinda irritated by it. That had been evidence - her evidence. But then again, she's got her damned evidence sitting right in front of her. Unless he is just nuts. No. Can't be. Look at the tape. The DI turns and glances at the screen on the wall, caught in the same freezeframe image of Aidan, Portia, Quinn and the joyous top of Georgia's head. She turns back to the android. She doesn't know what she was meant to hurry.::

"Will you remember this when you turn back?"

"Negative."

::The android stares at Emery, an expressionless face - impassive and timeless. He understands her distress, and perceives the frustration she must be experiencing. But it feels nothing for her. She is simply a necessary consort, allowed access to only as much information as needed to expedite Quinn's release.::

"Why not? What purpose does this... alter ego serve?"

(True assimilation into society? But that public display... I mean, if this is meant to be discreet they're hardly doing a bang-up job. Maybe this one's... escaped...?)

"It serves as a method of societal integration. The Quinn personality thinks and acts human - because it believes itself to be human. Cogito ergo sum."

::There's a little twitch in the corner of the android's eye. Barely noticeable, but there's something processing inside it. Could it be that the robot is... nervous?::

"190 seconds until reversion."

"I think, therefore I am."

::Emery translates the well-known adage and wonders what Descartes would make of robots bastardising his philosophy.::

(Then again... maybe they're not.)

"Okay... but if you're after incognito existence within society, why did you reveal yourself in that coffee shop? In, in this-"

::She taps the frozen image on the screen.::

"- video?"