"Dark Justice" is the first part of the 2001 miniseries RoboCop: Prime Directives.
Plot[]
Ten years after RoboCop's initial activation, the terrorist vigilante Bone Machine commits an array of attacks in Delta City. Meanwhile, Delta City Security adopts a "zero fatality" policy, meaning no lethal force shall be used in response to crime. Supporters hope this will keep Delta City the "safest place on Earth."
At the Chelsea Clinton Savings & Loan, the Detroit Police Department trade fire with Da Bomzz, who wear bombs on their chests and have taken prisoners. Sandra Smyles from OCP's Legal Affairs division tries to negotiate with the criminals. They refuse to speak and one of them, Napalm Joe, heads outside and detonates his bomb. The leader demands a news crew so they can display their power to the world. Commander John T. Cable of Delta City Security arrives, taking command of the situation, giving Da Bomzz two minutes to state their demands. He makes a plan to breach the building, but Officer Lourdes informs him that OCP took away all of their lethal ammunition due to the zero fatality policy. Another member of Da Bomzz, Johnny Nitro runs out of the building and Cable detonates his bomb by shooting it. RoboCop arrives and flashes back to when Alex Murphy was partners with Cable, who declines RoboCop's help. Nevertheless, RoboCop heads in, prompting Cable to leave.
Inside, as RoboCop demands the release of the hostages, Bone Machine bursts in, knocking over the Da Bomzz leader. The prisoners and members of Da Bomzz leave the building, with the gang members being apprehended. After RoboCop is thrown back by Bone Machine's gunfire, the Da Bomzz leader fires at him. Bone Machine returns fire, causing the leader's bomb to explode. Bone Machine releases tear gas and escapes. RoboCop, severely damaged, shuts down.
At the OCP corporate headquarters, the Old Woman tells the board that OCP is on the verge of collapse. Junior executive Damian Lowe suggests Sentient Artificial Intelligence NeuralNet Terminus (S.A.I.N.T.), an OCP New Technologies project aimed to automate the OCP headquarters and monitor everyone there, which would extend into a consumer product, thus controlling Delta City and its citizens. Security Concepts' Sara Cable points out the unrealistic nature of S.A.I.N.T. and the Old Woman is also skeptical of the idea, feeling it to be too abstract. He tells the board he has a prototype of S.A.I.N.T. that could be ready in ten days, so the Old Woman reluctantly agrees to it.
At Precinct 1, Dr. Colleen Frost performs maintenance on RoboCop, who reflects upon his age and worries that there was no true higher purpose for his creation.
Lowe announces to S.A.I.N.T.'s technician Ed Hobley that the project is a go, though Hobley feels it is impossible to have the project running in ten days, preferring six months. Lowe assures that Hobley's success in such a limited time will lead him to getting a promotion.
At the urinals, Lowe gloats to James Murphy and another junior executive, telling them that he will be their boss in less than a months' time. James goes to his office, where he receives a cryptic message: "there are two types of people - those who truly listen, and those who wait to speak, Be aware of new allies and new enemies. - a friend." He attempts to trace the source of the message, but fails. He joins Sara Cable in an elevator and she is skeptical of James' near-immediate rise to the top branch of the company. James cites only hard work and says he will do whatever it takes to make things better for OCP, even if it means opposing a company policy.
RoboCop's maintenance is completed, though Frost cautions him against Bone Machine. He examines footage of Bone Machine, enhancing images of the terrorist's equipment. He connects to his terminal and finds that Bone Machine's equipment was manufactured by OCP Security Concepts. While he goes to find Cable, RoboCop again flashes back to being partnered with him, specifically when Cable was held at gunpoint by a criminal, telling Murphy to take the shot and asking him what he is prepared to do. Cable plays chess in his office, telling RoboCop that it is an old game he frequently returns to. RoboCop shows him his discovery. They surmise that Bone Machine was a police officer taking the law into his own hands. Cable asks for the matter to be kept between them for now. Cable flashes back to playing the game of chess with Murphy. Murphy takes Cable's queen and thinks he is about to win, but Cable checkmates Murphy with his own strategy he calls the "Cable Maneuver." Cable searches Murphy's record, finding that one section of files is restricted to OCP Gold Level or higher.
Bone Machine strikes again at Harlan's Donuts, an alleged hangout for drug dealers, killing three. RoboCop arrives and flashes back to when the donut shop was frequented by police. Murphy, Cable, and fellow officer Albert Bixler discuss the serial killer dubbed the Motor City Mangler before Murphy and Cable head out on their beat, discussing OCP's impending takeover of the Detroit Police Department. Cable is bothered by the takeover and his wife Sara's plans to join OCP and divorce him. Dispatch has them respond to a report of a rabid dog. Cable knocks at the door of the residence where the dog lives, but receives no answer. Hearing a dog behind the house, they go around and climb the fence. They approach the dog and discover it eating a human body part. Fearing that the dog's owner may have a prisoner, Cable enters the home without a warrant, with Murphy following.
Inside the basement, they find chemistry supplies, empty medicine bottles, and various bloodied items, including a meat grinder with raw meat in it. They open a freezer, finding bones, and hear knocking from inside another freezer. A bound woman bursts out and Murphy calms her as Cable goes upstairs and continues his search. He finds a dead woman sitting in an armchair, but is then grabbed by the Motor City Mangler. Hearing the Mangler call out for him, Murphy runs upstairs, where the mangler holds Cable at gunpoint. Cable tells Murphy to take the shot, but he instead complies with the Mangler, placing his gun on the floor. The Mangler turns his gun on Murphy, but Cable manages to disarm him and knock him over before turning around and killing him.
James meets with Sara, who takes him to a restricted area called "the tombs," containing OCP's failed projects. They are joined by various others, members of the Trust, a group focused upon the future of OCP that she would like for James to join.
Cable matches Bone Machine's weaponry with OCP-made weapons, but is unable to access research information on the weapons due to restricted access. James comes into his office, having known Cable when he was partnered with his father. Having learned that Cable has a difficult reputation, James makes it clear that he cannot have personal concerns interfere with his business. RoboCop enters and James makes his leave. Cable recalls his friendship with Murphy and starts to hand over a print-out of the OCP weapon, but RoboCop follows James. He considers telling James that he is his father, but decides against it, feeling it is better that way.
Sara finds Cable in her office to ask her about Bone Machine's prototype Phalanx Bio-Booster Armor. However, she says that she is not familiar with the armor. He also takes issue with not having higher access, being the head of Delta City Security. She suggests that she may be able to give him access to the archives.
Sara speaks with James, concerned that Cable's line of inquiry could potentially threaten the Trust. As a solution, James suggests removing Cable. He asks Sara if she knew his father. She says she did not, to which he remarks that he did not either. Meanwhile, as Hobley works, Lowe airs his suspicions about Sara, fearing she has something planned against him.
On her way to RoboCop's chamber, Dr. Frost sees a man leaving, but she fails to catch him. She goes inside to find RoboCop sleeping, so she wakes him and asks who the man was. However, RoboCop does not know who she is talking about, as he was dreaming. He checks his systems and a fourth Prime Directive has been added: "Terminate John Cable." He puts on his helmet and marches out of the precinct to carry out this directive. In his cruiser, he receives a call from Cable, who asks him to meet him at a Security Concepts bunker to show him something.
Cable enters the bunker, a former prison. He unlocks a cell that is supposed to contain the Phalanx Bio-Booster Armor, but discovers it to be empty and that someone signed out the armor using his name. He immediately suspects Sara. RoboCop enters and prepares to arrest Cable. When he runs, RoboCop opens fire. After being hit in the leg, Cable confronts RoboCop. Having figured out his identity, he calls Alex by name and tries to talk him out of his apparent reprogramming. This causes RoboCop to begin malfunctioning, due to the fourth directive being in opposition to the others. He begins bleeding from the nose and begs Cable to run as he continues to struggle. Murphy flashes back to Cable being commended for his valor in the Mangler case. Murphy does not join in his partner's applause.
Via a MediaNet broadcast, Bone Machine is falsely identified to the public as John T. Cable.
Sara finds Lowe in her office, where he prepares to send a sophomoric message to the Old Woman using Sara's email account. He tells Sara that he suspects that her implementation of the zero fatality policy is connected to Bone Machine's appearance around the same time and intended to force the OCP board to resign so she can take power. He asks to be part of her plans, blackmailing her with a recording of Sara's meeting with Cable. She tells him to leave her office.
Sara visits Albert Bixler, who is angry with Cable being identified as Bone Machine, his own alter ego. She gives him a device to track RoboCop, who is on Cable's trail. She promises that he will be re-instated as the city's top cop if he succeeds in killing Cable.
RoboCop flashes back to after the awards ceremony. Cable confronts Murphy in the locker room, asking about his transfer to Metro West. Murphy requested this transfer himself due to his disapproval of Cable unlawfully entering the Mangler's home and killing him in cold blood.
RoboCop follows Cable to Metro South, where he was assigned with Cable, prompting him to recall voices from his past there. He soon finds Cable in a garage and again starts to malfunction while Cable reflects on how both of them have been cast by the wayside. Knowing there is no other way out for either of them, he tells Murphy to kill him. As Murphy raises his gun, Bixler enters and opens fire. A gunfight ensues until Bixler grabs Cable and holds him at gunpoint. Cable begs Murphy to take the shot. Murphy apologizes to Cable and fatally shoots him in the chest. Murphy then opens fire on Bixler, knocking him to the ground. He recognizes him and as Bixler puts a gun to his head, Murphy stabs him to death with his data spike. As Cable dies, Murphy goes to his side and tells him that they won.
Bone Machine is now correctly identified to the public as Albert Bixler. The false identification is explained by MediaNet as a ploy to draw Bixler out. As he watches the coverage, James receives a message asking if he wishes to know the truth about his father's death.
As Frost performs maintenance on him, RoboCop sheds a tear as he recalls Cable's death.
Two doctors, backed by Sara, prepare to turn Cable into a cyborg just like Murphy.