Chapter Text
Things had gone back to normal almost immediately after Uzi left with the Murder Drone.
There was a moment of silence for the newly-dead, of course, and a rush to repair the doors. Once that was over though, it was like nothing had happened. Thad wasn’t really surprised by this; they had been living the same way for years and they’re not gonna be running out the doors anytime soon. School continued, homework was completed, boring lectures were ignored, and gossip was as unavoidable as ever. The only real change was that a lot of the gossip was about Uzi; that she was eaten the moment she left with that Murder Drone, that she left to be his bride, that she opened the doors on purpose because she wanted to ‘save’ everyone. Thad always shot that last one down whenever he heard it.
There were plenty of times where he wanted to go check on Uzi, a few where he almost did. But…even though the Worker Drones didn’t consider bodies to be all that important in regards to existence-why would they when they could change parts with ease-a giant spire of corpses was still off-putting. Plus, there was the possibility that the Murder Drones would, well, murder him. Especially after those other Murder Drone pods touched down; an event they all stayed extra careful not to open the doors for. And it wasn’t like Uzi couldn’t handle herself. So Thad never visited, although he still missed her, especially when the rumors died down after a few months with no sight of her. The only evidence that there were other lifeforms than them on the planet was the occasional explosion going off in the distance, and the brief glimpses of mechanical flying beasts fluttering around the Spire.
Even those ended once the rocket launched. At least they assumed it was a rocket launch, a few curious souls peeking outside, reasoning the streak of fire leaving the planet to be the source of the shaking.
After a few weeks with no signs of life from the Spire, Thad decided that Uzi had left the planet with that ship. She had always talked about ‘getting off this robo-God-forsaken iceball’, and with her self-exile, there would be no reason not to follow through with that desire. Thad never talked to Khan, he didn’t think anybody really did, but he saw him occasionally. If the man felt anything about the rocket leaving, he wasn’t public about it.
Weeks became months, then years, and Uzi became another name on the wind. There would be the occasional comment, someone wondering about that kid that exiled herself.
‘Did anyone ever find out what happened to that kid that left?’
‘No, she just vanished.’
‘She’s probably living on another planet.’
‘Heh, she was always acting like she was on another planet.’
The Worker Drones started taking quick trips outside; first just out the door, then a little further, then in bigger groups. Three years after Uzi was last seen, there were two smaller colonies set up in other parts of the ruined human city. Everyone avoided the spire.