Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Contrary to her surname, Uzi Doorman loathed doors. Combine that with the fact that her father, Khan, was famous for building them, and the alloys of her frame could have been composed of irony alone. It wasn't their functionality that vexed her. Like any sane drone, Uzi valued her privacy. She hated what they represented for the worker population of Colony 31: confinement, reclusion, and cowardice. No doors embodied those tenets more than those of the main entrance, which, consequently, were also her father's handiwork.

They were impossible to ignore because Uzi had to pass by the entrance every day on the walk to and from school. Whenever her visor's LED eyes fell upon them, her ire sweltered in her chest like a raging beast, demanding to be uncaged. If she had her way, Uzi would tear down each one to feel Copper 9's cool wind against her face. She was too young to remember what it was like to watch the sunrise and bask in its glow.

Instead of living, however, she and her kind were reduced to merely surviving within a multi-level bunker underneath the ice. It was large enough to create something resembling society, but it was nothing like the sprawling metropolis they once occupied. Instead of open roads, they had corridors; instead of skylines, low ceilings; instead of parks, mildly spacious chambers; in place of color, drab, dull grey. While they had means of entertaining themselves, like video games, old human movies and shows, and social media, after years of living down there, Uzi wondered why she was the only one going stir crazy.

However, she was at serious risk of becoming a basket case if she had to endure her class's history presentations for another minute. To call them presentations would have been an insult to the concept. One of her classmates, Braiden, brought a paper cup filled with dirt he collected from the botany wing and presented it as exactly that. No informative or insightful analysis, as if there was any to begin with—just a cup of dirt. For a wonder, the Teacher actually awarded him a passing grade! It was only the bare minimum, but Uzi wondered if that was for its sheer audacity rather than any academic merit.

Maybe the Teacher just wanted to shut him up and get it over with as much as her. Uzi couldn't blame him for that.

By the time it was Lizzy's turn, Uzi knew she was in for a disaster. Engrossed in her phone, a chaser of trends, and preppy to a stereotypical degree, Lizzy didn't have an academic code in her programming. The presentation only had to be three minutes long, but Uzi lost track of the inaccuracies within the first thirty seconds. That had to be a new record. How did one get so much wrong about a presentation on her father's doors, of all things?

"So, in conclusion, we've been protected by doors made of indestructium for the last fifty years, I guess," Lizzy said, reading off a script from her cellphone. "And we've been pretty kosher ever since."

The Teacher slouched behind his desk, resting his head against his open palm with keen disinterest. "Lizzy, I can't begin to say how much you got wrong."

"Is that worth extra credit?" She asked, planting a hand on her hip.

"Appalling inaccuracies were only worth three points on the rubric."

"I'd call that solid."

The Teacher stared, then lazily craned his head to the class. "Would anyone care to correct Lizzy on her report?" No hands raised. "Uzi, thank you for volunteering."

"What?!" Uzi sputtered. "My hand wasn't raised!"

"And your father built the doors," the Teacher countered. "Stand up so everyone can hear you."

Uzi wiped both hands down her face with familiar exasperation, remembering another reason she hated the doors: The Teacher always defaulted to her when the topic arose. Rising to her feet, Uzi spoke aloud and flatly: "The entrance doors were built using composite materials of steel, Kevlar, and concrete with reinforced frames. They're supported by heavy-duty hinges and outfitted with airtight, multi-lock sealing mechanisms that ensure nothing gets in or out; emphasis on out."

She may as well have read off a teleprompter.

"Thank you, Uzi," said the Teacher in a similarly detached monotone. "Lizzy, take your seat."

With a roll of her pink eyes, Lizzy headed to the back of the classroom. Uzi began to sit down when the Teacher spoke again.

"You're presenting next, Uzi."

Uzi's jaw dropped. "Are you for real?"

"Yep."

Lizzy couldn't resist a smug smirk as she passed Uzi's desk. "Break a leg."

"Bite me." Uzi ground her metal teeth as her left digital eye fizzled with irritation

"By the way, it's been seven years, not fifty!"

"Whatever."

Yanking up her duffel bag, Uzi stomped to the front of the classroom, then swung around to address the class. "You want a presentation? I'll give you one. Copper 9 may be a frigid wasteland, but it was our frigid wasteland once! There was a time when we lived in buildings, not bunkers. There was a time when we could look at the night sky and see constellations. There was a time when we could walk freely without fearing for our lives! For seven years, we've been forced to hide underground, and we all know why!" She jutted a finger toward the ceiling, pointing to the surface beyond. "Those things took our home from us!"

Reaching into her bag, Uzi fished for her notes. "Decades ago, we were created to serve as a manual labor force for humanity. Fifteen years ago, the planet's core collapsed, and all biological life was wiped out, leaving us drones to pick up where they left off. You may not realize it, but the transition from B.C. to A.C. isn't that far off!"

While the students shared blank expressions, the Teacher raised his eyebrow in what may have been mild intrigue. It was rare to see a newer-generation drone acknowledge the importance of the core collapse. That day was so significant, the drones created their own calendar system around it. Years before the collapse were categorized as B.C. (before collapse), while those after were categorized as A.C. (after collapse).

"For nearly eight years, drone society prospered. We rebuilt cities, restored power, and mimicked human habits until we even learned how to freaking procreate!" She smacked the papers against her palm for emphasis.

The Teacher shrugged, not bothering to correct that last part. It would be more accurate to say the drones had learned to mimic the act of procreation. They would craft pill-shaped bodies for infant drones whose coding was a composite of their parental units. For two to four years, the parents would raise and care for the pill bodies until their software developed enough to be transferred into a larger frame. This was in stark contrast to previous generations that came online as adult units to better serve humanity's needs as a made-to-order labor force. Uzi was among this generation of "cradlers"; drones raised from a cradle.

Heaving a sigh, Uzi resumed. "8. A.C., Arrival Night. Several unidentified objects fell from the sky and landed in the most populated cities. They contained monsters that began massacring all in sight without warning or reason. Casualties on Arrival Day were so high that they built spires of corpses as a monument to their slaughter. We gave these monsters a name: Murder Drones."

Uzi let that sink in for a moment. The Murder Drones were seldom spoken of among the students. For most, they were a threat so distant, they barely registered as reality. Most of them had never seen a Murder Drone, either. But Uzi didn't use their name lightly. Unlike her classmates, she knew how dangerous they were. Her father could attest to it.

Her mother would, too, if she were still alive.

"The survivors were forced into underground bunkers, hiding behind those precious doors you take for granted. That day was considered a victory." She huffed as she concluded her notes and glared at the class. "Seven years later, do any of you feel like winners?"

"I mean, we're alive," Lizzy pointed out.

"Surviving is not living!" Uzi snapped. "You act like Arrival Night was forever ago when it hasn't even been a decade!" She paused to direct her gaze at a poster plastered against the wall next to the classroom door.

It was a recruitment poster depicting her father asking for any and all eligible drones to join the Worker Defense Force, and Uzi regarded "defense" very loosely.

The WDF was her father's throng of like-minded chumps who enforced the doctrine of hiding as a form of living. Workers had to be operational for at least ten years before being eligible for recruitment. Uzi was a little under three years short of eligibility, but it wouldn't have mattered. Regardless of capability, her father would never permit her to join.

"What have our parents done in the past seven years besides building large doors and hiding in bunkers?" Uzi asked solemnly

This time, a raised hand.

"Go on, Thad," the Teacher said, waving his hand halfheartedly.

The young jock straightened in his seat. "The WDF goes outside during the day, usually to scavenge for supplies, establish contact with other settlements, or take in stragglers."

Uzi stared. "You would know about that, wouldn't you?"

"I plan to join once I finish senior year!" Thad stated proudly.

Uzi wasn't surprised. While Thad wasn't eligible for another two years, young drones who expressed interest in joining the WDF were informed of the various perks that came with the job, not the least of which was the ability to travel outside the colony on expeditions, supply runs, and search parties. The expeditions were a recent development. It wasn't until months after Arrival Night that word spread about the Murder Drones being active during the night. After sunrise, they called off their hunts and hid away. No one knew why, and no one would risk their necks finding out. That was how so many escaped into the bunkers in the months following Arrival Night. It was no exaggeration to say they owed their survival to the sun.

"Good for you," Uzi finally said. "I'm sure your parents are very proud."

"You bet! At first, I was kind of nervous to bring it up to them, but when I did, they were super supportive about it!" Thad grinned with two thumbs up. "Especially my old man."

"Must be nice," Uzi muttered bitterly.

"The WDF has learned ways to counter the Murder Drones, though," Thad said. "We know they only hunt at night, and what materials keep them at bay. Otherwise, they would simply blow down the doors and kill us all, right?"

"Are any of these materials you speak of weapons?" Uzi asked pointedly.

"We do have guns--"

"Stun pistols that are about as effective as peashooters," Uzi corrected.

Uzi had seen her fair share of WDF personnel with handguns holstered to their hips. They were another of her father's inventions: the K1 stun pistol (no points for guessing what the "K" stood for) was the standard issue firearm of the WDF. It incapacitated workers by inducing temporary system crashes via low-grade EMP charges. Even the rowdiest of residents weren't likely to forget the punch it packed. She highly doubted it would do anything against a Murder Drone, however, and even if it did, she knew for a fact most of the current crop hadn't seen combat. How would they fare if a Murder Drone walked down the corridor as they spoke?

"You talk about all of these things the WDF can do and what they have at their disposal," Uzi said, "but they aren't using any of those skills to fight. They're using them to avoid and hide."

The Worker Avoidance Force is a more apt name, she thought.

"Why are you so hung up on fighting them?" Thad asked.

"Why aren't any of you?" Uzi countered. "Are you really content to live out the rest of your lives in this stupid bunker? Don't you want to experience the outside world without the looming threat of the Murder Drones? You'll have to fight for that, and those things are worth fighting for!"

Silence swept over the classroom as students traded uneven looks. Just when Uzi thought she'd get through to some of them, Lizzy spoke up.

"That sounds crazy enough to get us all killed," she said.

"Yeah, I don't want to die for a future I may never see," nodded a blue-haired cheerleader beside her. "Not my vibe."

I can always count on Rebecca to be Lizzy's toady, Uzi thought with a scowl.

Murmurs of agreement wafted through the classroom. The Teacher didn't appear swayed, either. Even Thad was apprehensive, wringing his hands while looking down at his desk.

"Fighting them never worked before," Thad said. "If our weapons don't do anything, how are we supposed to fight back?"

Uzi smirked. "Build new ones."

Vague interest gripped the room, which spurned Uzi to kneel beside her duffel bag. In one fluid motion, Uzi whipped out a handheld rifle and presented it to the class.

It was a sleek model, outfitted with a dark purple frame studded with bright green highlights along its barrel, providing style and an appealing, personalized color scheme. Everything about it screamed Uzi.

"Behold, the solution to our Murder Drone problem! Feast your eyes on the SAHR!"

Audible gasps followed as the students recoiled at the sight of the weapon.

"That's not the vibe!" cried Braiden.

"I said that already!" shouted Rebecca. "Get your own material!"

"Excuse me, the SAHR?" Lizzy asked.

"Sick As Hell Railgun," Uzi spelled out. "Keep up, Lizzy."

"That's a stupid name."

"That's because you don't have any appreciation for the fine art of acronyms!" Uzi snapped. "The Murder Drones will be SAHR-y for taking out home!"

Braiden promptly collapsed out of his chair.

"Way to go, freak. You put him into a cringe coma." Lizzy snorted.

Uzi rolled her eyes. "Relax, morons. It's a work in progress. With this, we could fight back against the Murder Drones and drive them off the planet. No more hiding underground, no more living in fear, and no more stupid doors. Things could go back to the way they were!"

Another uncomfortable pause crept into the room, which Lizzy once again dispelled with a snicker. "You're actually serious! I always knew you had a few screws loose, but I didn't think your programming was completely out of whack."

Conspiratorial giggles cascaded throughout the class.

"Lizzy, take it easy on her," Thad said, then turned to Uzi with worry. "I get wanting to fight back and all, but doesn't using that sound a little extreme?"

Uzi groaned. "Oh, come on! How can you people not get this? Are you seriously telling me you'd rather live like this for the rest of your lives and give up our home to the Murder Drones?"

"We're just not suicidal," Lizzy replied bluntly.

"Knock it off," Thad said sharply. "You're not helping."

"I'm trying to help her crazy aft. She's going to get herself killed thinking like this."

"I wasn't even around for Arrival Night, so I really couldn't care about the surface." Rebecca shrugged.

More students joined in.

"I think I'm good where I'm at."

"Yeah, I'd rather not die."

"Sounds like a death wish to me."

Uzi balled her fists until they trembled. This was how it always ended. She had a dream of a better future, a desire to act on it, and everyone threw it back in her face.

It isn't fair, she thought. What did Mom die for?

A typhoon of anger swirled in her, threatening to burst the dam. All it would take was one final push.

"That thing probably doesn't work anyway," Lizzy said.

"Doesn't work?" Uzi asked, ending all idle chatter. "You won't be saying that when I show you what it can do."

"How is one fancy gun supposed to defeat an entire army?"

Uzi flipped a switch on the side of the weapon, and it thrummed to life. The green highlights intensified, bathing the room like a nightlight.

"I'll blow them all to kingdom come, that's what!" She broke into a maniacal giggle. "I'll prove you all wrong, prove my stupid Dad wrong, and then I'll blow down those stupid doors–!"

"Is it supposed to be that color?" the Teacher asked dryly.

"What?" Uzi looked at her weapon, realizing her power converter had quickly changed from a vibrant green to an unstable red. The instability gave birth to a sphere of concentrated energy that expanded. She gasped.

No, no, no! I'm such an idiot!

"That doesn't look safe," the Teacher noted flatly. "Okay, everyone, please line up and exit the classroom in an orderly..." Chaos erupted as the students scrambled from their seats to escape the impending disaster. He sighed. "...manner."

Thad was among the last to reach the door, but he ground to a stop when he realized Uzi was still trying to get the weapon under control. The sphere had bubbled to the size of a basketball and generated its own kinetic force, swirling papers around it like a tornado.

"Uzi, forget about it!" Thad yelled.

"I can fix this!"

The sphere ballooned once again, and Uzi's chest heaved. Her visor flickered with distress and warning messages as the sphere finally burst into a spectacular shockwave. Thad was thrown out of the open door and slammed into the lockers. Wisps of red electricity crackled as they danced across the ceiling and walls like energy serpents. As the dust settled, scattered papers daintily fell like snowflakes. The student desks were flipped over, the lights flickered from the power surge, and smoky debris yawned from the open classroom.

The Teacher didn't bother rising from the remains of his destroyed desk.

Uzi was sprawled in the middle of the classroom on her back, wondering if she'd gone to robot heaven.

"Uzi," said the Teacher.

Nope, she was still stuck in this hellhole.

"Yeah?" she asked.

"Go see Doc. Beginning Monday, you have detention for a week."

"Got it."

"I'm okay, too," Thad mumbled. "Thanks for asking."

What a chaotic end to a mundane week in Colony 31.

Chapter Text

By the time she was finished being looked at, half of Uzi's face was completely wrapped in gauze. The right side of her visor was found to be cracked, necessitating bandages to prevent further aggravation. She felt like a poor drone's mummy cosplay.

Thad was also being checked out. Fortunately, he suffered no serious damage, but he would be sore for at least the next few days. Getting thrown across the hall and making a jock-shaped dent in the lockers would do that.

Doc returned with an ice pack in each hand. "Here you both are."

Thad accepted one with a smile. "Thanks, Dad."

"It's what I do."

Thad's father was the colony's best doctor. He was from the second generation of drones, specifically designed for use in the medical field. When humanity went extinct, he retained those skills and used them to heal other drones. He didn't have a proper name; he had only a serial number. Everyone called him 'Doc', and it stuck.

Uzi took the other ice pack and applied it to her bandaged eye. She grimaced as a lance of pain shot through her head.

"Don't push too hard," Doc warned.

"Yeah," Uzi said quietly.

Doc stuck his hands in his pockets and regarded them both. "How'd this happen?"

"I blew up the classroom," Uzi said, earning a puzzled look from Doc. "I was being stupid."

"Seeing as you two are the only ones here, I'm going to assume everyone else got out alright?"

"Well, there was the teacher," Thad said.

"The teacher never shows up at my office," Doc cut in. "I think he'll only come through when he's dead. With that said, I've taken the liberty of calling your father, Uzi."

Uzi stiffened. "You what?!"

"I thought he should know. He's on his way to pick you up."

"Gee, thanks a lot."

Doc jerked a thumb to the seat beside Uzi. "And please take that with you. It's making my patients antsy."

The railgun rested upright next to Uzi, its barrel pointed at the ceiling.

"Yes, sir," Uzi sighed.

Doc nodded. "I'll leave you to it, then. I've got other patients to tend to. Take care of yourselves. See you at home, Thad."

"Later, Dad."

As Doc left, the pair settled into an awkward silence, not sure of what to say, if anything. The silence was dispelled by snickering coming from the clinic's entryway. Uzi knew who it was before her eyes spotted the pair of cheerleaders standing just outside.

"Hey, Thad," Lizzy called, "I hope your dad can get rid of that ugly growth next to you!"

"Oh, my gosh, girl, you're so bad!" Rebecca giggled.

"I know, right?"

The two skittered off, their laughter fading as they disappeared down the hall.

Of course, Lizzy shows up to pour water on the fried circuits, Uzi thought as an annoyed vein popped onto her visor. This sent another knife of phantom pain through her skull, causing her to wince and retreat into the ice pack.

"Don't let her get to you," Thad said. "She's just looking for trouble."

He never understood Lizzy's beef with Uzi. While Uzi may have been abrasive and moody, he couldn't recall her doing anything to warrant the level of harassment Lizzy leveled at her. It was like she made it part of her daily routine to insult and demean her at every turn. Maybe it's because she liked Uzi's reactions, or she was convinced that being the principal's daughter gave her carte blanche to act however she wanted. It would at least explain how she wasn't failing miserably in class despite her lack of effort.

"If she wants trouble," Uzi said, "the Murder Drones would happily give it to her."

"I'm sorry about today." Thad offered a sympathetic smile.

Uzi scoffed. "Why are you apologizing? You didn't nuke the classroom."

"No, but Lizzy and the rest of the class didn't do themselves any favors." He took his cap off to twirl it around his finger. "Plus, I think some of them waited until I said something to start dogpiling. I've never been a fan of that."

For the longest time, Uzi wasn't sure what to make of Thad. Compared to her, he had it all. He was athletic, talented, and well-liked; next to Lizzy, he was the most popular student she knew by a wide margin. Unlike Lizzy, however, Thad never let that fact go to his head. He got along with everyone he spoke to and treated them like friends. He even knew everyone by name. Most wouldn't have bothered to learn hers, but Thad did, and he engaged with her like he would anyone else. That made his efforts more noteworthy.

"So," Thad said, eyeing the railgun, "how long have you been working on that thing anyway?"

"For the last five to six months, give or take."

"You built that all on your own?" The awe in Thad's voice was genuine.

"My Dad's always been an inventor," Uzi shrugged. "I guess he rubbed off on me. Only, I don't build barriers. I build weapons!"

"That's awesome! Minus the whole blowing up the classroom part."

"Oh, bite me. I just need one more part to stabilize the converter, then it'll be ready. I doubt the scavenging teams will come up with a stabilizer, though."

"That's too bad. That thing packs a real punch, maybe enough to do sick damage to a Murder Drone."

"Right?" Uzi smiled. "If this bad boy could do that kind of damage unfinished, I'm itching to complete it!"

"I know that look, Uzi. Are you thinking of escaping again?" Thad asked.

Uzi groaned and leaned back in her chair, her free arm hanging over the armrests like a limp noodle. "Am I really so obvious?"

Thad rocked his head while teetering his hand. "You've only tried escaping, what, thirty-seven times?"

"Thirty-eight," Uzi corrected, then thought: I swear, I'll throttle whoever designed us with olfactory sensors!

"You must drive your dad up a wall."

"Up his doors, more like." Uzi plopped the ice pack in an adjacent seat and crossed her arms. "It's never high enough."

"I beg to differ."

Uzi stiffened. She recognized the older, male voice coming from the clinic's entryway.

"Oh, hey, Mr. Doorman," Thad said.

Khan Doorman was one of the older drones of the colony, a status reinforced by the wrinkles across his visor's brow and the lower corners of his white eyes.

"Hey, Dad," Uzi said, though without warmth.

Khan's magnetic mustache bristled. "I came as soon as I received the call. Doc told me you were good to head home."

Recognizing the implicit message, Uzi rose from her seat and collected her railgun. "I'll see you around, Thad."

"You, too, Uzi."

Uzi didn't need to look her father in the eye to recognize the familiar gleam of disappointment. Instead, she kept her gaze locked on the floor, staring just ahead enough to see where she was going.

Neither spoke as they left the clinic together.

The walk home was as silent as their departure from the clinic, and an underlying tension suffocated Uzi and Khan the entire way. Uzi wasn't in the mood to speak; Khan was likely saving whatever he intended to say until they were home. It wasn't unlike him to keep matters private to avoid a public scene. Sometimes, Uzi wondered if he was doing it to save face more than anything else.

The residency deck was one of the lower levels of the colony. It was a long hallway flanked by rows of similar corridors. Each side of these passageways was adorned with neighboring living spaces that drones retired to for recharge from the wear of daily routine. Being the head of the WDF, the Doorman's residence was more isolated than the rest. Their home was farther from the other rooms, closer to the stairwell that led to the upper decks of the bunker.

With a swipe of his keycard, Khan unlocked the door, which slid open. He ushered Uzi first before following. Uzi only took enough steps to be in the living room and stopped to brace herself.

The door had barely shut behind them before Khan whirled on her. "How are you doing?"

"How do you think?" Uzi scowled.

"I don't even know where to begin with that question," Khan said. "I was told you brought an unstable weapon to school?!"

"It doesn't even work," Uzi said, then added, "Anymore."

"You blew up the classroom!"

"I didn't mean for that to happen."

"But it did. Your teacher also informed me that you were trying to rally the class to go outside and fight Murder Drones. Are you completely cross-wired?! It was one thing to try sneaking out when you were little, but this is reckless!"

"It's better than hiding underground our entire lives," Uzi said.

"We don't fight Murder Drones," Khan sternly reminded. "It always ends badly."

Uzi glared. "Would you say that to Mom?"

"Your mother died for us. Don't you dare use her memory like that."

"She died so we could hide behind doors forever?" Uzi challenged. "Excuse me for wanting to be more like her!"

"That's not fair, Uzi." Khan shook his head. "You know that isn't fair."

"It wasn't fair when those things fell from the sky, stole our home, and forced us into hiding. It especially wasn't fair when you barred us down here and expected us to be content with it!"

"I'm doing this to keep us safe! You may not like it, but this is how we've survived."

"I don't want to survive, Dad! I want to live! But no one in this stupid colony believes in me!"

"That's where you're wrong," Khan said. "Your mother believed in you. She gave up everything so that you might live. I don't want that to mean nothing if you get yourself killed." He held his hand out. "Hand it over."

Uzi stared at him.

"Don't make me take it from you," Khan said, shaking his head.

She realized her father was referring to the railgun strapped to her back, and disbelief widened her eyes. "Dad, I made this! You can't!"

"I can, and I am. You're not walking around with an unstable weapon like this and potentially hurting yourself and others. Today's stunt alone completely fried your classroom's door and the hallway cameras, and the technicians are going to have their work cut out for them. It's a miracle you only walked away with a cracked visor, but I'm not waiting for next time. So, give it to me, right now."

"Don't do this, Dad," she pleaded, her voice shaking. "Please."

"I'm not debating with you, Uzi. I'm not asking anymore, either."

Uzi clenched her fists and lowered her head. Her purple bangs cast a shadow over her visor as she restrained the urge to cry. She'd spent months toiling away on this project, staying up late and meticulously assembling it piece by piece. She'd scribbled countless blueprints in the corners of her closet, discarded parts that hindered its construction, and had to fish for each and every component by hand. Uzi had poured oil, virtual sweat, and tears into it, and Khan was going to snatch it away from her. Those same tears now threatened to fall, and she gritted her teeth, hoping to keep them at bay.

Don't you dare cry, she thought. He doesn't deserve to see that.

She removed the railgun from her back. Just when Khan thought Uzi would hand it over, she dropped it and kicked it across the living room. He flinched, expecting the rifle would discharge, but it didn't. The railgun rested on the rug, projecting no light whatsoever.

When he turned back to Uzi, she'd already stormed into her room and closed the door. The intent behind her actions was clear. If he wanted it, he could pick it up himself—a final, petty act of defiance. He was going to ground her, but thought better of it. The detention and confiscation of the railgun would suffice; she'd been through enough today.

Sighing—partly out of relief, partly out of exasperation—Khan collected the railgun and wiped the virtual bead of sweat from his weary brow.

Sorry, Uzi, he thought. I made Nori a promise, and I can't lose you, too.

Uzi spent the next hour curled in bed, hugging her pillow to muffle her sobs. For a moment, she let herself believe that she could break free of this gilded cage. But the world seemed dead set on slapping her down whenever she found purchase. She was mocked and ridiculed by her peers, deemed a nuisance by the adults, and even her father forbade her from pursuing her dreams. That's all they were anymore. Silly daydreams and flights of fancy that would never materialize.

She was going to spend the rest of her life down here.

Uzi shook her head. No, don't let them get to you!

The longer she dwelt on those intrusive thoughts, the more they would take root, and she might start believing them. She knocked her fists against her forehead, as if she could expel the specter of doubt by force. This wouldn't do. She needed to talk to someone.

Lifting her head, she stared at her computer desk, its black screen beckoning.

I know just the drone, she thought, tossing aside her pillow and shooting out of bed. She slid into her seat and powered on the monitor. She logged onto a chatroom program and opened a private room for herself and anyone she invited. She sent only one invite to a very specific username. Then she waited.

Relay 1 – Colony 31: Connected

Relay 2 – Koloniya 19: Connected

Within moments, a chat box sprang into being, and text flew across the screen.

7:01 P.M.: darkXWolf17 has entered the chat.

7:01 P.M.: Dasrussianhacker has entered the chat.

Uzi sighed with relief. Leaning back in her chair, she began the conversation with a simple greeting.

7:01 P.M.: darkXWolf17: What up, cuz?

7:01 P.M.: Dasrussianhacker: "Что ты сделала?" 

The chat room program's automatic translator converted the reply from native Russian to English.

7:01 P.M.: Dasrussianhacker: <What did you do?>

7:02 P.M.: darkXWolf17: Come on, what makes you think I did anything?

7:02 P.M. Dasrussianhacker: <You asked to initiate chat, and neither of us is gaming. You wish to vent.>

7:02 P.M.: darkXWolf17: Wow okay can you get out of my head please.

7:02 P.M.: Dasrussianhacker: <If I would, I could. But I can't, so I shan't.>

7:02 P.M.: darkXWolf17: Can you face time?

7:02 P.M.: Dasrussianhacker: <Can't. Camera is acting up.>

7:02 P.M.: darkXWolf17: That blows.

7:03 P.M.: Dasrussianhacker: <I'll fix it later. What's up?>

7:03 P.M.: darkXWolf17: I blew up the classroom today.

7:03 P.M.: Dasrussianhacker: <Since you're telling me this, I can assume you're okay?>

7:03 P.M.: darkXWolf17: I mean define "okay".

7:03 P.M.: Dasrussianhacker: <Do you still have all your limbs?>

7:03 P.M. darkXWolf17: Yes.

7:03 P.M.: Dasrussianhacker: <Then you're okay.>

7:03 P.M.: darkXWolf17: Physically maybe.

7:03 P.M.: Dasrussianhacker: <So, what happened?>

7:08 P.M.: darkXWolf17: Ok so during history class we had to do these dumb presentations and Lizzy decided to do hers on dad's stupid doors but got it all super wrong. The teacher made me correct her then go next, so I gave my totally awesome presentation on my sick-as-hell railgun. You know the one. Everyone started acting like total haters, which ticked me off, and then my railgun decided to go "bite me!" and blow itself and the classroom up! I got detention, my dad scolded me, took my railgun, and now I'm in my room venting to you because you're like the only person I know that isn't a complete and utter tool.

7:09 P.M.: Dasrussianhacker: <Sounds almost as bad as all your attempts to break down your father's doors.>

7:09 P.M.: darkXWolf17: Don't even get me started on those.

7:09 P.M.: Dasrussianhacker: <The WDF made a game out of who caught you the most, yes? Thirty-eight failed attempts.>

7:09 P.M.: darkXWolf17: That's quite a self-serving memory you've got.

7:09 P.M.: Dasrussianhacker: <If my memory is self-serving, yours is selectively forgetful.>

7:10 P.M.: darkXWolf17: Bite me!

7:10 P.M.: Dasrussianhacker: <Where?>

Uzi couldn't resist chuckling to herself. This was exactly what she needed after a bunk day like today. But those intrusive thoughts still lingered. With a glance around the room, the walls seemed to close in, as if they could literally box her in place and prevent her from ever leaving. She would be trapped physically and mentally. Before she could spiral further, the soft chime of a new message notification drew her attention back to the chat room.

7:16 P.M.: Dasrussianhacker: <Uzi, are you still there?>

She could have lied, made up some excuse for her radio silence. But of all the drones to lie to, Uzi couldn't bring herself to do it to her cousin. With trembling fingers, she typed her response.

7:17 P.M.: darkXWolf17: cuz can I ask you something? I need you to be 100% honest with me.

7:17 P.M.: Dasrussianhacker: <Shoot.>

7:17 P.M.: darkXWolf17: Everyone here thinks I'm crazy. No one in this stupid colony believes in me. Not even my Dad. It's starting to mess with me a little, so I wanted to ask...do you believe in me? Do you think I'll ever get out of here?

Uzi expected a reply to take a few minutes. She was wondering whether the response would be to let her down gently or to tell her straight up they were right. What she got was an immediate, absolute answer that left no room for debate.

7:18 P.M.: Dasrussianhacker: <Uzi, I KNOW you'll get through those doors. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but there is no doubt in my mind you WILL get through them. I would be a total idiot not to believe in Uzi Freakin' Doorman.>

It was the nicest thing Uzi had heard from anyone in a long time. If Thad or even her dad had said the same thing to her after the day she'd had, they would have sounded like they were trying to console her because she was feeling down.

That wasn't her cousin's style. She was blunt, witty, and deeply sarcastic, but she didn't lie—those were traits she inherited from her mother. She was straight with others, even if they didn't like what she had to say. Uzi had been on the receiving end of her brutal honesty more times than she could count, so when those words of encouragement and affirmation popped into the chat, she knew they were true. Uzi didn't realize until she finished reading how much those words put her mind at ease. She felt like she could breathe again.

With a smile she wished her cousin could see, Uzi typed her response.

7:18 P.M.: darkXWolf17: ...Thanks. You have no idea how much I needed to hear that. :)

7:18 P.M.: Dasrussianhacker: <Anytime. Sadly, I need to head to bed now.>

7:18 P.M: darkXWolf17: Aw already?

7:18 P.M.:Dasrussianhacker: <Koloniya is putting together a festival. Was volunteered to help. I have to be up at 6 A.M. >

7:18 P.M.: darkXWolf17: That sounds like it blows major junk. >:(

7:18 P.M.:Dasrussianhacker: <That's because it does.>

7:19 P.M.:darkXWolf17: I guess I can let you go then. but you owe me an all-night gaming session next time!

7:19 P.M.: Dasrussianhacker: <Trust me, I'd rather game than do any work.>

7:19. P.M: darkXWolf17: Preaching to the freakin choir, Cuz!

7:20 P.M.: Dasrussianhacker: <I'd rather you not be in choir. Your singing could torture confessions out of anyone.>

7:20 P.M.: darkXWolf17: Oh, screw you! XD

7:20 P.M.: darkXWolf17: Go to bed, jerk!

7:20 P.M.: Dasrussianhacker: <Will do. Goodnight, Uzi.>

7:20 P.M.: darkXWolf17: Hey Doll?

7:20 P.M.: Dasrussianhacker: <Yes?>

7:21 P.M.: darkXWolf17: ...Love you and all that junk.

7:21 P.M.: Dasrussianhacker: <Love you, too, Uzi. Cousin out.>

7:21 P.M.: Dasrussianhacker has left the chat.

Disconnect: Y/N?

Uzi pressed the "Y" key, then ENTER; another command line popped up.

Save Conversation: Y/N?

It was the easiest "Y" she ever pressed. She saved all of her conversations with Doll, but if she could have only one, it would be this. Uzi closed the chat room, hit the power button on the monitor, and watched the screen wink out into blackness that reflected her bandaged face, with only a single purple LED eye staring back.

Looking at herself in the monitor's reflection, Uzi realized she hadn't felt any pain since leaving the clinic. Come to think of it, she'd completely forgotten the ice pack, too. She rested her hand on the gauze and lightly stroked it with her fingers. Not even a mild sore. Curiosity curled her fingers around the edges of the bandage, and she began unwrapping her head.

She didn't know what to expect when she peeled away the final layer of gauze, but reality stared her in the face as soon as the monitor caught her reflection.

The fracture was gone, like it hadn't been there in the first place. Uzi ran her hand along her visor. The surface was completely unblemished. Visor repairs weren't difficult. Depending on the severity of the damage, it could take a few days for the swelling to go down. The worst-case scenario was a full visor replacement, which would put the device into low-power mode, and that didn't happen during Uzi's visit.

She caught something else, though. Her left eye fizzled slightly, as if experiencing a glitch. It was only for an instant, but she could have sworn she saw her eye change into a symbol. An error message? A hazard warning? It wasn't visible long enough to make out any details. It was gone the instant it appeared, and her left eye was solid and staring back at her from the reflection of the monitor.

Weird, she thought, yawning. As odd as this apparent miracle was, it wasn't a mystery worth solving that evening. After today's disaster and emotionally draining conversations, her circuits were completely fried.

Uzi froze. Fried...

She recalled the argument with her dad, specifically his mention that her stunt with the railgun had fried the doors and the security cameras. Without cameras, the WDF couldn't monitor the halls as effectively. More to the point, they wouldn't be able to see her sneaking to the entrance.

Uzi got an idea. A wonderful idea. As a devious grin sprang across her face and a giggle rumbled in her throat, Uzi Doorman got a wonderful, awful idea.

Springing to her feet, Uzi grabbed her backpack and began filling it with supplies needed for the journey ahead, chief among them a flashlight, battery snacks, and a map she "acquired" from her father. The map had multiple landmarks and key sites of interest that WDF teams had marked for future daytime expeditions, which gave her a pretty good idea of what was out there, so she wasn't going out completely blind. She already had a destination in mind.

There was an old assembly factory a few miles out from the colony. It was bound to be a gold mine of spare parts. If she moved fast and carefully, she could be there within an hour or two and scavenge for a stabilizer to complete her railgun. If she proved her naysayers wrong and inspired change, that was a risk worth taking.

Maybe they were right about her being crazy because no sane drone would venture out of the colony in the dead of night, during peak Murder Drone hunting hours. On that, Uzi was crazy as charged, but she wasn't stupid. She had no intention of going out there completely defenseless. For that, she'd have to wait until her father went to bed before retrieving her railgun. It afforded her a few hours of sleep, and she was going to need them.

After setting a timer for midnight, Uzi flopped onto her mattress and stared up at the ceiling. The day had worn her out, but her renewed sense of purpose brewed excitement and anticipation. For the first time in over seven years, she would finally see the outside world again. Despite the dangers that awaited her, she would meet them head-on. That was more than could be said for the rest of the colony. She would be more like her mother.

I'm finally getting out of here.

Chapter Text

Fear. It was difficult for Uzi to recall every detail of that fateful night, but even as a pill baby, she understood the primal emotion of fear and the panic born from it. Her parents' fear-stricken faces were burned into her CPU's memory, alongside the screaming that pervaded the air. The bloodcurdling impotence from souls gripped with terror before they were silenced by claws and fangs harder than steel and colder than snow.

She was being cradled in her mother's arms. Her father was in a full-on sprint, but her mother's gait was uneven, and she lagged behind. Khan stopped to regard his wife, his concern blending with distress. His mouth moved, but his voice was muffled by the cacophony of slaughter.

Uzi blinked as she was handed off to Khan. She looked to her mother, crying out to be held again. Her mother only smiled and spoke a few words, but she couldn't hear what they were.

Then her mother thrust her arm out, and Uzi and Khan were swept off their feet by an unseen force. A peculiar symbol flared across the right side of her mother's visor; the same insignia appeared in front of her hand.

They landed in the entryway of the colony, shaken but unharmed. The doors began to close, and time slowed. Shapes appeared in the sky above and were closing in on her mother. The only thing wider than their fanged grins were their elongated, metallic wings. Khan cried out. Uzi joined him. An alarm blared incessantly, growing louder.

Nori Doorman's smile never wavered, even as the doors closed, sealing her outside, alongside her fate.

Uzi shot upright in her bed, panting uncontrollably. Her alarm clock had been chirping for at least a full minute. She shut it off with a light slap to her visor. Although it was impossible to feel perspiration, she could tell her stress levels were elevated significantly. For the past seven years, this nightmare had pervaded her dreams. There was no telling or helping when it came; it happened, and she was forced to accept it. It was so vivid, she felt like she was back in her pill-body, wondering if her current life may have been the dream after all, and she was about to die alongside her family.

A quick pat down of her body perished that thought for the unwelcome intruder it was, and she centered herself in short order. She'd only obtained four hours of rest, but that nightmare always left her unable to return to sleep mode, which in this case, was beneficial.

It was time to get out of here.

Slipping out of bed, she retrieved her backpack from under the mattress, slung it over her shoulders, and stood in front of her bedroom door. This was it. Once she left her room, she had to commit, or she would lose her best opportunity. Steeling herself with a deep breath, Uzi opened her door and slid into the hallway.

The home was deathly quiet, minus the perpetual hum of the bunker's generators. Following the hall to her right would lead her into the living room, from which she could slip out into the residential wing. She had to make a pit stop first, however, and that was to the room on her left, which sat at the end of the corridor.

Her father's room.

This would be the riskiest part of her initial escape, but she had to retrieve her railgun. He also had the master keycard that would override the entrance's locking mechanisms. Moving stealthily, she took long, careful strides toward Khan's bedroom. She tried the command panel to the right of the frame and was unsurprised to find it locked. Even in his own home, Khan Doorman would lock himself away. That wouldn't be a problem, though.

Your big, fancy bunker doors aren't keeping me in, Dad, Uzi thought with a smirk. You think a bedroom door will keep me out?

Uzi knew her father's work intimately and just how to make the lock sing for her. Sliding off her backpack, she set it on the ground beside her and unzipped the outer pocket. After a brief fish, she produced a screwdriver and set to work on the panel. With finesse, she undid the screws to loosen the panel from the frame and grant her access to the wires. Carefully, she removed and crossed the red and green wires together.

The lock clicked, and the door slid open.

Easy peasy!

The lights in the room were out, and Khan was deep in sleep mode. He rested on his side, facing the wall and unaware that his quarters had been breached. Uzi left her backpack behind to enter. The sooner she got what she came for, the sooner she'd be out of there, but she couldn't afford to be hasty. Haste could give way to recklessness.

Taking her first step inside, Uzi did a quick survey of her surroundings. Khan's room was as organized and formal as one might expect from the head of the WDF. There was a working desk nestled against the wall with a cushy chair tucked underneath. A computer sat atop with a keyboard and a notepad full of scribbled notes that had yet to be recorded in a virtual document.

Above the desk was a billboard of WDF memorabilia, including accolades for the construction of the doors that kept the Murder Drones at bay, leadership achievements like the passing of the daytime expeditions, instruction of Murder Drone evasion maneuvers, and everything else that could be summarized as the "Khan Doctrine", which Uzi denounced as everything wrong with this colony.

She set to work, searching the room for any signs of where Khan may have stowed her railgun. The closet bore no fruit, only rows of grey jackets, spare pairs of black boots, and blue construction helmets. The dressers similarly yielded nothing beyond basic clothing. She checked under the bed, and Uzi discovered an elongated, rectangular metal box. Reaching, she carefully pulled the box out to get a closer look.

It was sealed shut by a pair of hand latches, which she released with a flick of her thumbs. Carefully opening the lid, so as not to produce any noise, a tide of relief and joy washed over Uzi as her eyes fell upon the railgun resting within. She pulled it out and prepared to leave, but in pulling out the rifle, she had exposed the other box's contents. She recognized them immediately.

Photographs of their family lay at the bottom of the crate, neatly held together by a rubber band. Uzi's eyes hollowed as black circles overlaid her purple eyes. The top picture displayed her mother, Nori, holding Uzi in her pill body. She was cradling her infant daughter, smiling warmly and frozen in time.

Uzi sifted through the stack, finding another photo of Khan and Nori together outside the bunker. Before Arrival Night, if she had to guess when the photo was taken. Khan held the camera and positioned it so that he and Nori were in the frame, with a young Uzi propped up on their shoulders. Behind them was a lake, with the moonlight reflecting off the frozen surface, giving the evening sky a beautiful glow. They were happy.

The rest of the photos were like this, capturing happier moments with their family. A full family. Grief clenched Uzi's chest, and she cupped a hand over her mouth to stifle a choked sob that crept up her throat and threatened to give her away. So much happiness captured in a small stack of photographs. Happier times they could never enjoy again, so long as the Murder Drones were still out there.

Looking up at her sleeping father, Uzi's grief gave way to a boiling fury. These were memories of their family, reminders of better times, visions of what could be again, and he hid them, alongside her railgun, away in some box like an old shame. Just like he locked her in this bunker.

Mom's memory isn't something you can just lock away, Uzi spat internally. And neither am I!

With care, Uzi lowered the photos back into the box and closed the lid again. She rose to her feet with the railgun tucked underneath her arm. She was glad Khan had taken it from her now because it led her to finding this box and gave her that final push to commit to her plan. She collected the master key card from a hook hanging above Khan's desk, stepped out into the hall, and shut the door behind her. She then hotwired the lock to keep Khan in if he woke up. The irony of turning his own doors against him was difficult to ignore, and she smirked slyly.

Her father wouldn't stop her this time.

Uzi poked her head out into the hall for a quick scan of her surroundings. She found what she was looking for in one of the security cameras bolted to the ceiling to her left. The camera's all-seeing lens was tilted away from her, but frozen in place, its red light off. No live feed.

Yes!

Stepping into the residential wing fully now, Uzi moved past the camera and headed up the staircase to the upper levels of the bunker. She admitted she'd gambled tonight and was pleased it paid off. She surmised the technical team wanted to go home and enjoy the weekend, even if that meant leaving the cameras offline for a bit. This was another tenet of what the doors represented for Colony 31, and Uzi took full advantage of it.

Complacency.

The security cameras were important, sure, but they were typically most useful during domestic disturbances. Besides, who in their right mind would try to leave the colony in the dead of night when the weekend started?

Uzi would. Her peers were correct—she attempted to escape many times before. What they didn't know was that she only really tried on a handful of those attempts, which, unfortunately, included the time she tried escaping through the sewage system. Ever since she figured out Khan would never admit her into the WDF, Uzi knew she had to escape during night hours. For the most part, her failed daytime escapades were little more than experimentation. Months of test runs to see how fast she could move, as well as foster complacency in the WDF.

As far as they knew, Uzi Doorman was a troublemaker, but one they could handle. She'd try to escape during the day, when security traffic was at its highest. They'd catch her in the act, turn her over to her dad, and then pat themselves on the back like they'd accomplished something. The fact that they made a game among themselves on who caught her the most told her that her scheme worked. The initial seriousness became a game they always won.

Those hours she spent waiting for her dad in the WDF security office allowed her to study and memorize the night watch rotation. Todd was often assigned the midnight shift, and he was notorious for napping on the job. They could have made another game counting how often Todd slept on duty, but tonight, it was another point in her favor. With broken cameras, plus the resident slacker on duty, the WDF may as well have handed Uzi her escape on a silver platter. The only potential threat to contend with would be the night guard patrols, but with her intimate knowledge of the bunker, she would avoid them easily. Things could not have lined up more perfectly, and all over a happy accident in class.

Audrey Worksworth was so glad to see Todd gone. That good-for-nothing slacker had been shirking his duty for months, and it took persistent lobbying on her part to get him sacked from the watch rotation. The only reason it hadn't been done sooner was that no one else wanted to take his hours. Until they found someone, she gladly stepped in. As Khan's right-hand woman in the WDF, Audrey shouldered many responsibilities. What was one more?

She passed the security feed another glance, interlocked her fingers, and cursed the lazy technicians. The only camera still working was the one outside the bunker doors, giving her a clear view of the entryway. With the rest of the cameras still down, she had only the alarm lights on a panel to her left to work with. To some degree, she recognized why Todd may have developed a sleeping habit to combat the unyielding boredom. Security was a monotonous job that meant watching a bunch of screens, waiting for nothing to happen. Because nothing ever happened during the midnight shift.

The Murder Drones couldn't get in, and no worker in their right mind would go out during hunting hours. The only one daring enough to try would be Khan's daughter, but even she restricted her efforts to daytime. But there was no excuse for laziness, and Audrey would beat that out of the WDF if it took the rest of her days.

Sipping her cup of oil, Audrey ran her eyes over all the status indicators on another monitor. The power generator gauges were in the green, night watch patrols were due to check in soon, the paperwork was properly sorted, and the door lights were on.

Wait a minute. Audrey did a double-take as her eyes darted back to the alarm panel. Rows of tiny red dots linked to the frozen security cameras light the lower half of the control panel, but that wasn't surprising. Directly above them, however, was a trio of amber lights linked to the main doors. Of all the indicator lights, they were the last ones anyone on guard duty should see on at this hour. If it had been anyone else — Todd, especially — they wouldn't have noticed. But Audrey did.

All three of them were blinking in synchronized rhythm. The doors were being opened.

But who'd be dumb or crazy enough to...? Realization froze that thought. Uzi!

Audrey triggered the alarm.

Khan was jolted awake by the screaming of klaxons. He almost tumbled out of bed but caught himself with a quick plant of his palm against his nightstand. He swiveled his head about, his mind racing on what could possibly have triggered a colony-wide alert.

"All guards, to the main entrance on the double!" Audrey's voice bellowed through the intercom. "We have a Code-U in progress! I repeat, we have a Code-U in progress!"

Khan gasped in horror. "Uzi!"

Throwing his covers aside, he threw on his boots and coat and made a hasty exit. Or he would have if his bedroom door had opened. He tried opening it manually using the control panel, but that only yielded error messages. His master key card, which hung beside it, was also missing.

It didn't take long to piece together what his daughter had done.

Dominated by desperation, Khan slammed his shoulder against the door, attempting to force his way out. It was to no avail. "UZI!"

Uzi grinned as the master key card worked its magic. The security system approved access and, one by one, lifted the security measures. The locks came undone with a decisive, dull clunk! The cautionary alarms blared as the doors slowly began to open. There was a yawn of cold air, like the colony itself had inhaled deeply. Uzi saw the familiar white sheet of snow awaiting her beyond the growing chasms of the opening doors.

For the first time in seven years, she could finally see real snow! She'd touch it, no, scoop entire handfuls and feel it crunch between her fingers! Her elation didn't last long, as the intercoms came to life with a panicked voice.

"All guards, to the main entrance on the double! We have a Code-U in late progress! I repeat, we have a Code-U in late progress!"

Uzi recognized Audrey's voice and moaned, "Are you kidding me?!"

Todd was supposed to be on guard duty, not the WDF's number one workaholic! Did this woman ever go home? They must have finally canned him at her insistence, but what were the odds that happened tonight?

With the cautionary alarms, as well as the alert by Audrey, the WDF's night watch was bound to flock to the main entrance. The doors were just barely open enough to allow her small frame to pass through them. Uzi clenched her fists.

It's now or never!

Uzi broke into a full-on sprint, clearing the first door by sliding underneath it. It was quick and smooth, thanks to those parkour videos she downloaded. Springing to her feet, Uzi weaved between the second set of doors that were drifting apart before making a break for the final set, which was opening with a horizontal crevice in the center. Once she had enough of a running start, she dove off her feet and soared through the opening. With perfect form, she rolled through the jump with a somersault to get back to her feet.

She'd made it. She was outside!

"Stop!" cried a voice from down the hall. The first responders had arrived and gawked at Uzi standing in the snow.

"Has she gone insane?!"

"Get back in here!"

Not out of the woods yet, Uzi set to work on inserting the key card into the outer access panel to reset the doors and cut off her pursuers.

"Uzi, I know you can hear me," said Audrey over the intercom. "Stop this right now and come back inside!"

She ignored the attempts to dissuade her. The WDF never understood that she'd committed to this long ago, and she wouldn't abandon her plans now.

Audrey continued, pleading, "Don't do this! If you're afraid of getting in trouble, you won't! Just come back inside, and we can talk! Don't throw your life away!"

Uzi wasn't moved. With a final tap of the keycard, the doors came to an abrupt halt and began closing again. She smiled with satisfaction, knowing none of the WDF guards would make it through, and tossed the master key card back into the entryway. It clattered across the floor and came to a stop at the feet of the assembled WDF personnel.

Just before the doors closed completely, she gave a mocking salute and some parting words. "Bite me!"

Chapter Text

Uzi ran, the snow crunching beneath her feet as she put distance between herself and the bunker. She ran for a full minute at least, not concerned with direction, so long as she was anywhere but Colony 31. When the roaring wind swallowed Audrey's pleas to return, Uzi slowed to catch her breath. It was funny; drones didn't need to breathe, but mimicking human behavior had long become second nature to them. As the weight of her achievement set in, she chuckled, which quickly evolved into a howling, triumphant laugh.

"I did it!" She pumped her fists and jumped into the air, exuberant. "I'm finally out of there!"

She fell to her knees, collected handfuls of snow in her hands, and squeezed, watching white flakes seep through her fingers. Setting her bag aside, Uzi flopped onto her back and spread her arms and legs, brushing them along the ground. Her purple LED eyes fixated on the sky above. Amidst the falling snow, she could see the vast ocean of the void beyond Copper 9's atmosphere, dotted with sparkling stars.

It's beautiful, she thought, reaching her hand up toward the beyond. It reminded her of the photo in her dad's room; him, Nori, and their little Uzi savoring quality time at a frozen lake. Looking at her open palm, she closed it into a fist as she remembered why she was out here.

She collected her bag, stood up, and wiped some clinging snow from her clothes. The snow had a body imprint of Uzi's size with what looked like wings and a long skirt. She'd read about this somewhere back home. If she recalled correctly, humans called them snow angels? She recoiled at the thought of her wearing a dress. That wasn't her style.

I'd look pretty killer with wings, though.

Focusing on the task at hand, she brought out her geographical map of the surrounding area. Months of WDF exploration sketched a very detailed chart, which made Uzi's job easier. She hadn't strayed too far from the colony so that she could use that as a relative estimate of distance. The marked factory was about two miles Northeast of the bunker. If she followed the landmarks, she'd be there within an hour, give or take. Running would also shave some time off.

If luck favored her, she'd find her railgun's stabilizer, prove her weapon's effectiveness, and then the real work could begin.

No sense standing around, Doorman, Uzi thought. Copper 9 isn't going to save itself!

Khan had to wait in his room for nearly twenty minutes until WDF technicians arrived to spring his lock. The door barely slid open before he lunged out and grasped the nearest drone by the shoulders, which happened to be Audrey.

"What happened?!" he demanded. "Where's Uzi?!"

Audrey's expression was as grim as her response. "She's gone, sir."

"Gone?"

Audrey presented the master key card. "She used this to open the doors and took off. I tried to stop her, but you know Uzi. That girl won't listen when she's set her mind to something."

"But why would she...?" Khan released Audrey's shoulders and took a step back.

Audrey tilted her head. "Sir?"

Khan spun around and went to his bed. Kneeling, he pulled the metal box out from under the mattress and opened it. His eyes hollowed when he found the railgun missing; the stack of family photos had been recently disturbed, as well. The world spun, and Khan slumped against the nightstand.

"No," he murmured in dawning horror. "No, she didn't."

"Somebody, get Doc!" Audrey knelt beside Khan and helped him to his feet. "Let's get you to the security office."

Thad didn't know what to make of the news. Waking up in the dead of night to a Code-U in progress wasn't on his weekend Bingo card, that's for sure. Everyone in the colony knew what a Code-U entailed: Uzi Doorman attempting to escape. It was part of the WDF's longstanding game. Hardly anyone took it seriously. It was more of an "Oh, that's our Uzi!" moment than a cause for concern. However, this was the first time a Code-U had been called in the late-night hours. From the panic in Ms. Worksworth's voice, he knew the game wasn't fun anymore.

When his dad received a call from the security office, Thad couldn't resist tagging along to see what the fuss was about.

The colony had fallen into complete pandemonium. The WDF could barely contain the influx of curious and concerned citizens that converged on the security office. There were a few individuals who were more agitated by being woken up than anything else, and rather than simply going back to bed, they had trudged out of their homes to give the staff a piece of their mind.

"Wait outside, Thad," Doc said. "I won't be long."

Nodding, though not without visible disappointment, Thad complied and stuffed his hands into his pockets. He was hoping to learn why everyone was losing their minds.

"I knew she was crazy!"

Even amongst a crowd, Thad recognized that preppy voice. "Lizzy?"

The blonde cheerleader and her blue-haired lackey were among the assembly. Lizzy's thumbs flew across her phone as she live-posted on social media.

Wading through the crowd, Thad approached his classmates. "Hey," he greeted.

"Oh, hey, Thad." Lizzy only glanced up from her phone to recognize him before going back to typing.

"Did you hear what went down?" Rebecca asked.

"No, that's what I was going to ask you, actually. What's going on?"

This time, Lizzy lowered her phone to look at him. "Oh, get this, crazy gun girl just dipped!"

Thad blinked. "Crazy gun girl? You mean Uzi?"

"Yeah!" Rebecca nodded. "She opened the doors and took off!"

"No way!" Thad's jaw dropped.

"Way!"

"This is probably the part where I'd say, 'I hate to say I told you so,' but I'd be lying." Lizzy gave a haughty smirk. "I told you so!"

Thad was more concerned with Uzi's escape than Lizzy's boasting. He knew Uzi was daring, but he didn't think her downright mad. Even the most seasoned WDF members wouldn't dare set foot outside after dark. What could have compelled her to...?

He stopped that thought in its tracks and recalled his conversation with Uzi at his dad's clinic, specifically her mention of a stabilizer for her railgun. If the scavenging teams wouldn't bring one back, she'd get it herself.

Khan sat in the chair, watching the playback of the exterior camera footage. The unmistakable image of his daughter using his master key card to cement her escape before taking off into the cold only spiked his anxiety. Doc was taking a look at him to make sure he wasn't about to crash from the stress.

"That's the last we saw of her," Audrey said, finishing a detailed recounting of the incident.

"This is my fault," Khan said, grasping the sides of his head.

"You couldn't have known," Doc said, attempting to assure him.

"But I did!" Khan snapped, perhaps harsher than intended. "We fought earlier, and that may have pushed her to do this."

"Why would she do this?" Audrey asked aloud. "She knows how dangerous it is out there."

The doors to the security office swung open.

Doc was the first to notice who it was. "Thad?"

"I think I know where Uzi is going!" Thad declared before anyone could usher him out.

Khan stared at him and urged the guards to let him speak. "Where?"

"She needed a stabilizer for that railgun of hers," Thad said, emboldened. "I think she's looking for a factory of some kind."

"The nearest factory would be the assembly plant two miles Northeast," Audrey said. "Looking back at the footage, that's the general direction she was headed. I think the kid is on to something."

Khan slapped the palms of his hands to his thighs and stood up. "Then there's no time to waste." He brushed past Audrey and Doc and approached the gear storage lockers in an adjacent room.

"What are you doing?" Audrey asked, following.

"Bringing Uzi home." Khan swung open the door and began to arm up.

The statement sent a wave of quiet throughout the room. Many of the WDF personnel shifted uneasily.

"But you're our leader," said one of them.

"And she's my daughter." Khan swung around to address the crowd. "The Murder Drones will be hunting, so I have to find her before they do. Any volunteers?"

Silence. The drones shared anxious expressions, but no one stepped forward.

Their inaction left Thad gobsmacked. They were the WDF—defense was in their name! One of their own, a young drone, no less, was stuck outside with Murder Drones on the hunt, and not one of them would stick their necks out for her. Perhaps Uzi had been right about more than just history. He almost felt ashamed for wanting to join these guys, given how they responded to this crisis.

"I'll go," Audrey said.

"As will I," Doc added.

Khan shook his head. "Audrey, you need to stay here and look after the colony if something happens to me. Doc, you aren't built for expeditions, and if the Murder Drones get a hold of you, we lose our best doctor."

"So, you're just going to hoof it alone?" Audrey challenged.

"If I must."

"Khan, do you even know how to use the repair kits?" Doc asked. "If you or Uzi get hurt, you'll need to be stabilized, and with all due respect, you're no medical drone."

Khan was ready to retort, but he closed his mouth as soon as it opened. Doc was right. He knew how to apply patches, but nothing that a medical unit was built and programmed to tackle. His expertise was door construction and leadership, not medicine.

"What about me?" Thad spoke up. All eyes turned on him. "Dad showed me how to handle repair kits when I was little. I'm athletic and can keep up if things get hairy. I also know Uzi, and maybe she'll listen if I'm there."

"Absolutely not," Doc said firmly.

"Dad, hear me out."

"Joining the WDF when you came of age was one thing, but you're not even out of high school yet! This is dangerous territory, Thad. Literally!"

"But Dad—"

"No buts."

"Please let me—"

"Thad, this isn't—"

"Would you listen to me?!" Thad finally blurted, silencing his father. He was as stunned as Doc when he realized his uptick in volume. He wasn't one to yell, especially at his old man. But he had to at least plead his case. Taking a breath, he continued, "Dad, I get it. Really, I do. You're right, this is dangerous. But Uzi is out there, and Mr. Doorman will have a hard time using the kit properly. You're always telling me to help others when I can, and that's what I want to do now!"

Khan shared a solemn look with Audrey, but didn't speak up.

"You've never seen what those Murder Drones do to others," Doc said, "I have. I can't stand the thought of you being one of their victims."

"So, Mr. Doorman can risk his life, and I can't?"

"Khan is an adult, and Uzi is his daughter. He understands the risk, while you're still grasping adulthood."

"You always told me helping people is important."

"You can't help anyone if you get yourself killed!"

"And I can't help anyone by doing nothing! Uzi isn't just another drone or even Mr. Doorman's daughter. She's my friend." He inwardly chastised himself for not doing more to make Uzi feel like she could depend on him. "I'm afraid that if Uzi dies out there and I did nothing, knowing I could have done something, then I'll live with that guilt for the rest of my life. You do whatever you can to help those in need, especially your family and friends. Who taught me that?"

Doc stared at him, visibly torn. But his son had raised a question that he already knew the answer to. "I did," he conceded.

"Then let me act on that example instead of saying it. Please, Dad."

When Doc didn't reply, Thad grew concerned that he'd deny his plea. Instead, a gleam of resignation streaked across his old man's visor, and he silently collected the repair kit off the floor and approached his son. He held it out for Thad to take.

Thad was initially stunned by such a forward answer, but eventually he nodded and took the kit.

Doc drew him in for a hug. "You don't fight the Murder Drones. If you see any trouble, you get out of dodge like you're making for the endzone on the field, you hear?"

"I hear." Thad smiled. "Thanks, Dad."

Doc released his son, patted his shoulders, then stepped aside.

Watching the argument between Doc and Thad reminded Khan of his own earlier that evening with Uzi, and he wondered if this could have been them. Unlike him, Doc chose to support his son, risks and all. How different would things have been if Khan had done the same? Could they have avoided all of this and worked through her problems together? Oh, how he hated what-ifs.

"You're sure this is what you want?" he asked Thad.

"I am." Thad gripped the kit in his hands to affirm himself.

"Very well."

Khan turned back to the locker and grabbed a K1 stun pistol from the rack. The bunker wasn't an armory, but Khan recognized the value of internal security measures. He wasn't going out unarmed, either, though he prayed he wouldn't have to use it.

Once he'd finished arming up, he looked to Thad and nodded. "You ready to go?"

Excitement and nervousness warred in Thad's eyes, but he replied, "Made ready."

"What are the rest of you standing around for?" Khan asked the assembly. "Open the doors."

Audrey swiped the key card across the access panel. The hazard lights flashed, and the klaxons blared. The doors began to shift. "Good luck, sir," she said.

Khan watched the white fog flood the entryway. "I hope we won't need it."

"Let's bring Uzi home," Thad said.

Together, they set out into the cold, dangerous world of Copper 9.

Chapter Text

Copper 9 felt a lot bigger than Uzi remembered. Part of that was the seven years spent underground, but the lack of other life reduced her to a lone, edgy speck inching along the snow-covered canvas. Darts of hail peppered a mosaic of white across her jacket, and her only company was the sighing wind. Every step she took was the furthest she'd been from home.

Checking her map, Uzi estimated her location to be near a stop sign on Deckard Boulevard. It was two and a half miles out from the colony, meaning she was almost at the assembly plant. The sooner she made it inside, the better. She was too exposed out here for her liking, and the visible absence of Murder Drones was literally cold comfort. While Uzi couldn't see them, it was impossible to tell if they could see her. They could be perched on an unseen ledge, skulking in rundown buildings, or circling above her head using the weather as cover. She wouldn't know until they were upon her, and then it'd be too late.

She avoided trekking across open ground as much as possible, ducking between snow-enveloped cars and keeping her head down to limit her profile. It would suck if she came all this way just to have her head taken off by a camping Murder Drone. She hated that cheap tactic in video games; she didn't need it ending her life.

Tink!

Uzi felt something under her boot. Inclining her head, she raised her foot and gasped aloud. Buried up to its face in snow was the lifeless husk of a Worker Drone. Its black screen indicated it had been devoid of power for a long time. Perhaps they were a casualty on Arrival Night. Like a magnet, Uzi's eyes were drawn to her surroundings, examining them more closely. Another drone's arm stuck out from the snow, its fingers clawing for help that never came. The cap of a third barely breached the snow, resembling a hump in the road. There were many more corpses strewn about, and Uzi's circuits turned as she realized she was standing in a parking lot—once a lively hot spot of activity that became a killing ground for the Murder Drones, and now a graveyard, only the arduous work of burial was left to the elements.

The bodies continued up to the rusted metal doors of the assembly plant. Checking her map, Uzi confirmed her destination. She'd made it! Lowering the map, she prepared to advance, but stopped when she saw it. Uzi's eyes hollowed, and her CPU was overloaded with awe and terror, unable to believe what she was seeing. Hoping to deny reality.

Sprouting from the roof of the factory like some fungal parasite was a morbid facsimile of a structure composed of innumerable bodies of Worker Drones. They twisted and coiled into the sky before terminating in a serrated claw that grasped at the moon.

It was the Murder Drones' calling card, their lethality symbolized by a monolith of slaughter.

A corpse spire!

She'd read about them in the WDF reports, but the descriptions fell utterly short of reality. Thousands of lifeless faces locked in silent, agonized screams urged her to flee lest she join them in eternal communion. Her body wanted to heed the dead's warning, but she was too paralyzed with fear to move.

"Compensating for something, maybe?" she muttered, trying to make light of the horror. She chuckled, but it bore no humor. It was a nervous response, trying to pass off as humor and failing at that.

Despite Uzi's every nerve beseeching her to run in the opposite direction, and she seriously considered it, her stabilizer was in that factory. If she wanted to enter the building, she'd have to approach the spire. It wasn't bound to get any better once inside, either.

Shutting her eyes, Uzi swallowed and climbed to her feet. Her knees trembled, but still she stood and approached the factory. There was no hiding her fear, but she had to press on. If she quit now, the Murder Drones would continue building these things.

One was more than enough for a lifetime.

"Holy crap!" Thad could barely hear himself over the cold winds. "This is what the outside world looks like?!"

"What's left of it," Khan said, crouching to examine the footprints in the snow. By now, any prints would have faded, but he thanked Uzi's large boots for their distinct definition. "Let's get moving. She went this way."

"Right behind you, Mr. Doorman." Thad jogged beside him, but his head continued to swivel as he took in the sights.

Khan supposed he couldn't blame Thad's wonder. It was his first time leaving the colony. No descriptions in the WDF's expeditionary reports or in survivors' stories of Arrival Night captured the vastness of Copper 9 for those who hadn't walked its surface. He wiped his forearm across his weary brow. Uzi and Thad would no doubt tell their friends about their experiences, and then he'd have more cradlers wanting to sneak out. That would be a nightmare.

"Hey, Mr. Doorman?" Thad cut into his thoughts.

"What is it?"

"Mad respect for everything you do, really, but don't you think Uzi may have been on to something?"

Khan ceased walking. "Excuse me?"

"The outside world is pretty neat. I think a lot of drones would agree it would be awesome if we could start living out here again."

"Have you forgotten that the surface doesn't belong to us anymore?" Khan asked sharply. "It belongs to the Murder Drones now. They're why we don't go out at night. It's too great a risk."

"But we're taking a risk now, aren't we?" Thad shot back. "So is Uzi."

"Uzi doesn't know what she's doing."

"How can you say that about your daughter? I've heard everyone say all kinds of things about Uzi—they've called her a freak, a troublemaker, a crazy, angsty, moody dreamer, but not one of them called her wrong. Because she wasn't wrong, and I understand that now after seeing how afraid the WDF were to go out and help someone who needed them."

"You're too young to know what the surface was like on Arrival Night," Khan said, resuming walking. "Many of them have lost friends and family. They aren't eager to face those monsters again."

"Then why join the Worker Defense Force if you're not going to defend?" Thad trailed behind.

"There are other ways of defending that don't involve combat."

"Like hiding behind doors, right?"

Khan bristled. "Those doors are for everyone's protection, Thad."

"Uzi didn't feel protected; she felt confined. The more you tried to keep her in, the harder she tried to get out, and now she has."

"Did you come out here to help me or judge me?"

"I'm helping you, but I'm not sure you understand why Uzi did this."

"I understand perfectly why Uzi did this," Khan said, at the end of his rope. "It's her mother. It's always been about her mother."

Thad's planned retort died the moment a mother was mentioned. "Uzi never said anything about her mom."

"It's deeply personal to her." Khan eyed the tracks again. "And myself."

"Did Mrs. Doorman...die?" Thad asked, unsure how to word it tactfully.

Khan considered ignoring the question, letting silence answer for him. But if he and Thad were going to work together, there couldn't be any room for tension, and there was plenty already. Thad's willingness to risk his life for his daughter convinced Khan that he was worth telling.

Nodding, he answered, "Sometime after Arrival Night. Nori kept our family safe. She had... gifts that most Worker Drones lacked. Gifts that allowed her to fight the Murder Drones."

Surprise widened Thad's eyes. "Mrs. Doorman fought them?!"

"She not only fought," Khan said, smiling faintly beneath his moustache. "She won."

Thad was mystified. "How?"

"As I said, Nori had gifts. I can't say I understood them completely, but they allowed her to do things no other drone could, and by Robo God, did she know how to use them."

Thad could see the tension in Khan's body melt away as he recalled pleasant memories of his wife. "So, what happened?" he hesitated to ask.

Khan's nostalgia faded as a solemn shadow fell over him. "We were betrayed."

Thad sputtered, "Betrayed?"

"When backed against the wall, some drones will do anything to survive. Nori's gifts were incredible, but they also painted a target on her back. Someone we thought we could trust sold us out to the Murder Drones to avoid being hunted themselves. We ran, but Nori was hurt. The bunker was so close, but she was lagging behind, and the Murder Drones were almost on top of us."

"We're almost there!" Khan shouted. "The bunker is just ahead!"

Missiles sang overhead, whistling their high-pitched tunes before they crescendoed into a spectacular fireball that knocked the Doormans off their feet.

Nori hugged her daughter tight to avoid dropping her as she roughly landed on her side. The toddler-sized Uzi bawled in terror.

Khan crawled on all fours to tend to his wife. "Come on, we can't stop now!"

"Khan," Nori lifted her head, "I can't make it."

"Don't say that! You're going to be fine!" He attempted to help her stand, but a pained grunt from Nori thwarted him.

"My leg...!" Her right ankle gushed oil from an open wound, and the ankle was bent out of shape. Too severe damage for her to stand.

"I'll carry you, then." Khan wasn't deterred. She'd saved their family many times; now it was his turn to save her.

Nori shook her head. "You can't carry us both. I'll slow you down!"

Khan's mind raced. "We can make it! We can still...!"

Without a word, Nori passed Uzi into Khan's arms.

"What--?"

"Go," Nori urged. "Take Uzi and run."

Khan shook his head, disbelieving. Had she understood what she asked of him? She was telling her husband to leave her to die! To leave their daughter without a mother! If she fought, even with her powers, she wouldn't last long with her injuries.

"No," he gasped. "No, I can't! I won't! We're a family! We stay together!"

"Khan!" Nori seized him by the shoulders, pleading with her eyes and voice. "You and Uzi are all that matter. As long as you're safe, I'll be okay."

"Mama?" Uzi asked, confused.

Offering a warm smile, Nori planted a kiss on her daughter's head. "Be brave for daddy, okay? I love you, always."

"Please, don't do this," Khan pleaded.

Nori pressed her lips against his, and the chaos around them fell away. Time seemed to slow, allowing the moment to last longer than reality allowed. When Nori pulled away, the world moved once again, and the danger returned. A trio of winged shapes approached in the sky over her shoulder. Death was coming for her, and she'd meet it roaring.

"I love you, Khan," she said, touching his chest. "And thanks for, like...everything."

Realizing what she was about to do, Khan cried out, "Nori, don't you dare!"

She activated her power, and a purple symbol flashed across his chest. It hoisted him off his feet and propelled him toward the waiting bunker. Khan hugged Uzi tight with one arm but reached out with the other as if he could take her with him.

"NORI!"

His wife rose to her feet, hobbling slightly on her bad leg as she turned to face the encroaching Murder Drones head-on. Both of her hands ignited with the symbol of power that had always kept them safe. Now, it was to be used in her final act as a mother: paying the ultimate price to ensure the safety of her family. An act of true love and sacrifice only a mother would pay. And there was no mother like Nori Doorman.

She looked back at him, and they locked eyes for the final time. Khan saw no fear or regret, but acceptance. She'd lived a fuller life than most drones ever would. With a smile, her visor displayed a final message.

"Die mad."

The doors closed, sealing the bunker from the outside world, as well as Nori's fate.

Khan sat despondent in the entryway, staring at the doors that had saved their lives, while condemning Nori's. Uzi cried in his arms, and he instinctively hugged her to his chest. He couldn't hear the voices of the other drones trying to coax him up. There was only the undeniable reality.

She was gone.

His recounting of the incident concluded, Khan stood in silence.

Thad said nothing, either. What could he say? Khan had to watch his wife sacrifice herself for her family. For Uzi to see that at such a young age, it was no wonder she turned out the way she did. They didn't just lose their home to the Murder Drones. They'd lost the person who embodied the dream of taking it back.

"Everything I did, I did to honor Nori's memory," Khan said finally. "I had to make difficult choices, even if Uzi hated me for them."

"Maybe that's what Uzi is trying to do," Thad said. "Honor her mother in the only way she knows how."

Khan didn't deny that. "Looking at where everything has led us, perhaps I've made the wrong decisions. But if there's any choice I can make to begin righting those wrongs, it's bringing Uzi home safely."

"We're on the same page, Mr. Doorman."

"Let's get a move on, then." Khan resumed tracking.

"Right behind you, sir!"

"Wait!" Khan stuck out his arm. Before Thad could question his sudden change in tune, he grabbed the young drone by the shoulder and yanked him underneath a roofed bus stop.

"What gives?"

Khan shushed him and pointed a silent finger toward the sky above.

Amidst the snowfall, Thad followed Khan's direction and saw it. Illuminated by the moon, a figure was cast in a black outline. They were humanoid in shape but carried by large wings draped in curved, jagged blades capable of flight and sundering. The shadow was underscored by a crown of burning orange lights atop its head, alongside a thin, spindly tail marked by a similar glow.

"Is that...?"

Khan nodded. "It's a Murder Drone. Keep your voice down. I doubt it's seen us."

"How can you tell?"

"We wouldn't be talking right now if it did."

Thad clicked his mouth shut immediately, and his chest tightened. He wondered how Khan could remain so composed after watching them in action. Death hung above their heads and could swoop in to claim their lives in an instant. One wrong move or a sudden noise would be all it would take.

Noticing Thad's distress, he placed a finger to his lips, telling him to remain quiet.

With a single, powerful beat of its wings, the Murder Drone caught the wind and resumed its flight. Khan and Thad ducked back inside the bus stop as its shadow brushed the roof, along with a gust of wind. Once it passed, they watched it disappear down the road, leaving an orange contrail behind.

Thad slumped against the interior of the bus stop. "Oh, man! I've never been scared like that in my entire life!"

"First time seeing one, eh?" Khan asked, staring in the direction the Murder Drone had taken off.

Thad nodded.

"We should get moving before they..." Khan trailed off, and his face locked in horrified realization.

"What?" Thad asked, sensing his dread. When Khan said nothing, he followed his gaze and was likewise paralyzed with the same fear.

Uzi's tracks continued down the road. The same road the Murder Drone had taken.

If Uzi could curse her parents for one thing, it would be the short body they uploaded her software into. The large, wide interior of the assembly plant was a bitter reminder of how small she was. They were built for humans, who, on average, had a couple of feet over their creations. It was rare for drones to be taller than the average human. Only heavy-duty drones used in construction and demolition could claim that feat.

Even with her height, however, she would have been right at home here if she had been activated when humans ruled the planet. Eyeing the conveyor belts, she found husks of deactivated workers slumped over at their stations. Ice had long crusted over their bodies, literally freezing them in time. Behind them were taller, skeletal remains of humans who spent their final moments barking orders. She pictured the ghosts of workers toiling away under their human overseers. Entire lines of her people assembling tools and gadgets they would never use for the masses who would never appreciate their labor.

Humans never fretted about workplace ethics when the majority of their workforce was comprised of machines. If one broke, they simply replaced it as they would a damaged or used-up tool. She was glad they were gone.

Even with their human masters extinct, things weren't much better. Unless the Murder Drones were stopped, they'd continue living in fear of a powerful enemy. An enemy that looked just like them.

But once Uzi had her stabilizer, all of that would change. She withdrew a flashlight from her bag and clicked it on, casting a cone of light. Cautiously, she pushed deeper into the factory.

The utter lack of light made her search more perilous. The shadows came alive, taunting her with shapes and sounds that could only be neutralized with the limited beam of her flashlight. A shape in the dark was revealed to be a drone husk. A crackling sound was just dust settling. Uzi's relief quickly turned to frustration. The factory itself seemed to conspire against her.

She tried to calm her nerves. The shadows played scary tricks, but that was all they could do. It would take more than a few shadows to deter Uzi freakin' Doorman! But she wouldn't mind locating a power box or generator to shed some light on this place, either.

The foremen's offices yielded nothing she hadn't come across already, dust and bones.

The gear lockers had no dice, but it didn't hurt to check. The only notable item was a magazine, but many of the pictures and letters were faded.

Uzi didn't know what compelled her to peek inside the breakroom fridge, but a glance at the leftovers was all she needed to slam the door shut and pretend she had never looked.

It's got to be here somewhere, she thought with mounting frustration as she reached the administrative office. It overlooked the entire factory floor through a large glass window, which was overlaid by a thick layer of darkness. The only source of light was the faint glimmer of the moon peeking through a hole in the foundation's ceiling, where the corpse spire rose through the breach and into the sky.

Cloaked in darkness, the hundreds of bodies that supported the spire weren't any less unnerving. Uzi tried to think of another joke to quell her nerves, but drew only blanks. There was no joking at the expense of the dead when in their presence.

Just as she was about to look away, she caught something down below. Situated at the foot of the spire, glinting in the moonlight like a star in a live-stage play, was a large, cylindrical object. Uzi pressed her face against the window and focused to better make out the details. A quartet of long legs propped it up to resemble a bizarre, mechanical arachnid. If she'd seen this in the dark without the aid of the moon or her flashlight, its shape might have given her a good scare.

She recognized this thing from her history books. Her chest felt tight again. This wasn't an abandoned factory model—it was a Murder Drone landing pod. Several of these things fell from the sky on Arrival Night, carrying their murderous passengers who proceeded to wipe out everyone in sight. To find one here meant only one thing.

Uzi had walked into a Murder Drone lair.

Chapter Text

Uzi stumbled away from the observatory window, her eyes hollow with horror. The spire really had been a warning from the dead, a warning she failed to heed. To have walked into the belly of the beast like this and not run into any Murder Drones was an incomprehensible fortune at work. Every second she spent here, though, was pushing that luck.

Calm down, Uzi, she told herself. The Murder Drones aren't here because they're out hunting. I probably shouldn't linger, though. But I can't leave without that stabilizer; otherwise, all this will have been for nothing!

Her luck in finding that component, however, wasn't as good. She'd looked everywhere in this forsaken factory and found only dust, bones, and broken machinery. Anything useful was likely picked clean long ago by other worker settlements or...Murder Drones?

Uzi returned to the window, eyeing the landing pod with a thoughtful scratch of her chin. Of all the machinery in the assembly plant, the pod was the only thing bound to be in good condition. Perhaps there were a few parts worth salvaging, such as a stabilizer.

With a hum and a grin, she got another wonderful, awful idea.

She had to move fast. The sun wasn't due to rise for another few hours, but that didn't mean a Murder Drone wouldn't show up. With haste, she left the administrative office and crossed the factory floor toward the landing pod. She fully expected to pick the door or slice her way in, even readying her trusty screwdriver, but to her surprise, it slid right open as soon as she drew near. The motion sensor located above the door detected movement and reacted accordingly.

Oh. Uzi deflated a little. I guess we aren't the only ones who have grown complacent. Then again, who in their right mind would willingly enter a Murder Drone landing pod in the heart of their lair? She realized the irony in that thought. Well, I got myself there.

The interior of the pod was spacious enough for three, as indicated by a trio of seats in front of a variety of monitors and control panels, each laced with buttons that Uzi didn't care to learn the functions of. Above her head, she could see the sky glass, though it was difficult to make out the sky among the sheet of accumulated snow. She didn't suppose this thing came with windshield wipers. Even humans got that right.

She searched for a panel that looked important and started working with her screwdriver. Once she'd jammed it in the right spot, it popped right off, granting her access to all of the mechanical goodies inside. Flicking her flashlight on, she thoroughly examined the ship's circuitry like a doctor examining a patient's innards.

Moments of searching yielded the jackpot. Behind a wall of wires, she found the sweet, familiar component she'd been pining for.

A stabilizer!

Parting the wires, she reached in and carefully plucked it free of its port. She took a moment to admire her quarry in all of its minuscule glory. On its own, it wasn't remarkable. But once paired with her pet project, it made all the difference.

With a manic giggle, Uzi drew her railgun and clicked it open. She slotted the stabilizer, her grin widening as it fit perfectly. Clicking it shut, Uzi flipped a switch, and the weapon hummed to life. With its energy output focused through the stabilizer, the railgun vibrated softly before settling in her grasp. There was no red instability or overloading—the weapon was green and primed to fire.

Yes, yes! Uzi held her weapon above her head. It's finally ready!

She itched to use it at the earliest opportunity. She imagined the shocked looks on everyone's faces as she returned to the colony and presented them with the head of a Murder Drone she blew to smithereens. They'd all realize their error and confess that she was right all along, and then she would have Lizzy say it the loudest to get back at her for all the times she had bullied her and called her crazy. She pictured her mother being proud of her, and her dad...

Uzi's joy stalled. She lowered the gun to stare at it in her hands. She left the colony, put herself in danger, and worried everyone back home sick to finish this. She had to show them it wasn't for nothing.

If I killed one, she asked internally, would you finally be proud of me, Dad?

The pod shifted, and a quick brace against one of the chairs kept Uzi from falling over. Her eyes darted to the glass ceiling above. A foot crunched on the snow.

Uzi gasped. Crap! Not good!

The worst-case scenario had come true. A Murder Drone returned from hunting, and she was squatting in their pod! If it came inside, she was trapped in an enclosed space with nowhere to run or hide.

Wait. Uzi examined her railgun. I don't need to hide. I just need a good shot!

She took aim, swinging the weapon's barrel at the sky glass above, but saw only a footprint. The Murder Drone had moved. She swore internally, and her CPU raced. It wasn't aware she was inside the pod; if it had been, it would have rushed her by now. The moment she fired, however, the element of surprise was lost. If she missed, that was all the Murder Drone needed to close the distance and terminate her. There was no margin for error. She had to make her shot count.

Uzi couldn't stay in the pod. The tight space didn't favor her railgun, and she'd lose a claw fight. If she tried to leave, however, the Murder Drone would spot her. She needed to divert its attention first.

Wait a second, Uzi reminded herself. I'm in a landing pod.

Returning to the open panel, she fished the stabilizer from, and Uzi looked over the wires. After briefly considering which ones to cut, she shrugged and used her multitool's wire cutters to cut all of them until something gave. After multiple snips, the pod's interior lights blinked out, covering Uzi in darkness. Then emergency klaxons shrieked, indicating the failure of several key systems.

Uzi figured she hit something important if the ship was crying about it. She ran to the door, leaned against the wall beside it, and waited.

After a brief pause, the automatic door flew open. The darkness cloaked Uzi's smaller frame as the Murder Drone entered the pod. Their attention was firmly on the malfunctioning controls of the ship, so they passed her right. Though details were scant, Uzi could make out the bright, burning orange lights that adorned its head like a crown. It had to have been at least a head or two taller than Uzi! Trailing behind it was a tail with a vial-shaped stinger containing a bubbling liquid that similarly shone in the dark.

Uzi flinched as the tail narrowly brushed over her visor. She'd read about Murder Drone nanite acid and the gruesome effects it had on those unlucky enough to be stung and injected. The worst of it left drones melting from the inside out, beginning with a burning sensation that escalated into scorching throes until it dissolved the core. It was pain she never wanted to experience firsthand.

An internal war waged in Uzi's head for a few seconds as she considered her options. She could use this opportunity to slip out of the pod, leave the assembly plant, and take her railgun back to the colony. It could be replicated and perhaps give the WDF a fighting chance in the future. But it was untested. It hadn't been used against a Murder Drone before, so nothing prevented her detractors from saying it wouldn't work. She merely had to blow this one to kingdom, bring back proof of the kill, and it would be a much easier sell.

Between the fear of death and the fear of failure, the latter won out.

Shifting out of her hiding spot, Uzi positioned herself in front of the open door to have an escape route. The lights on the Murder Drone's head gave her a glowing target. Clicking off the safety, she raised the weapon, leveling the sights at the back of its head.

This is where I prove everyone wrong, Uzi thought as she started squeezing the trigger. This is for you, Mom.

The railgun vibrated, and the green lights ignited as it powered up.

The Murder Drone stiffened, noticing something. Uzi did, too. It was such a simple oversight that she cursed herself for letting it show itself at this critical juncture. The darkness may have hidden her well, but it made any light source stand out more. Her weapon, glowing like a supercharged night light, reflected in the black monitors and shiny metal panels that Murder Drone had been hunched over, giving her away.

Everything next happened in a blur. Before Uzi completely depressed the trigger to fire, the Murder Drone whirled around, ducking out of her initial aiming vector and lunging toward her with claws outstretched!

Uzi yelped a mix of shock and horror as she stumbled backward and fell out of the pod, landing on her back with a harsh thud. The Murder Drone tore out of the pod, carried by its large wings with a whoosh. It climbed several feet into the air and hovered above Uzi, bearing down on her with fangs and an aggressive "X" marked across its visor.

Hugging her railgun, Uzi kipped up as the fight switched to flight. She made a break for the exit, but the Murder Drone was quicker. It slammed into the ground in front of her, cutting off her escape and throwing her into the air. As she smacked the ground, the railgun flew out of her hands and clattered along the floor. She rolled onto all fours and reached for it.

Snikt!

Uzi's eyes hollowed as the sharp sensation of a stinger tail punctured her left hand just as it was about to reach her railgun. She cried out as a searing pain flooded her palm. The Murder Drone whipped its tail, tossing her across the factory, where she smashed into a pile of desks that crumbled under the sudden impact.

Dazed, Uzi groaned as the world spun. She lifted her hand to her face and saw the gaping hole in her palm, outlined by an acidic orange ring that slowly expanded. Move, she yelled at herself. Move, or you're dead!

Craning her head, she watched the blurred form of the Murder Drone stabilize into a cohesive, imposing image as its tail snaked around its legs. The left hand's sharp claws retracted into its left forearm. With a flick, it drew an automatic weapon with Uzi-recognized MP5 armament. Uzi somersaulted as the drone opened fire, and a hailstorm of bullets whistled behind her.

She broke into a mad sprint, using the machinery as cover to avoid a lethal headshot. She sharply turned behind a large machine, then slid beneath a conveyor belt to hide. It was her best hope for survival now.

Another beat of the wings carried the Murder Drone overhead, its grace belied by lethality. She stiffened as a weight was suddenly applied to the conveyor belt. Dust became displaced and settled on her beanie and clothes.

It was directly above her.

Uzi cupped her good hand over her mouth to avoid making any sounds. Pain squeezed her eyes shut as her left hand continued to sting from the acid eating away at it. Would she lose her whole hand if that wasn't treated soon? She couldn't use her railgun with only one hand!

Stupid and sloppy! Uzi scolded herself internally. All you had to do was point and shoot! Am I going to die here? Her thoughts shifted to the corpse spire. Will I be added to the pile?

She needed a way to distract the Murder Drone while she retrieved her railgun. It was the only weapon powerful enough to fend it off.

A light bulb came to Uzi's visor. Power!

VRRRM!

The circuit-chilling roar of a chainsaw was immediately preceded by the shredding blade stabbing through the conveyor belt, narrowly missing Uzi's head! Crying out in surprised terror, Uzi scrambled out from under the belt. The Murder Drone spread its wings to fly after her, but the chainsaw in its arm was firmly embedded in the conveyor belt, keeping it grounded. It spent a few seconds wrestling its arm free, which bought Uzi precious time to put some distance between the monster and herself. She slammed her body against the door to the administrative office and ascended the steps to the observatory deck.

Come on, power box, power box! Uzi searched with desperate fervor. There has got to be a power box here somewhere!

Relief cascaded through her fear-wracked circuits as they found the familiar metal box with a faded cautionary label reading 'Power'.

Uzi pried the box open and started flipping switches, praying to Robo God that something would come on.

Click-tick-click-tick.

Nothing. This building had been out of commission for years. Uzi shouldn't have been surprised, but, given that this was her last idea in the face of certain death, she couldn't contain her frustration. "Are you serious? This isn't fair!"

The Murder Drone was now hovering above the factory floor, casting its shadow over the administrative office. Uzi turned a trembling head to see the mechanical angel of death staring her down. With a flap of its wings, the Murder Drone came zooming toward the window.

Uzi smashed her fists against the power panel, screaming: "SOMETHING, PLEASE WORK!"

Her visor fizzled, and a spark streaked from her fingertips into the panel, causing feedback that knocked Uzi to the floor on her back. She groaned, turning onto her stomach to see the incoming Murder Drone about to burst through the window with its claws poised to tear her apart.

Suddenly, a large, industrial arm fastened itself around the flying drone's leg. A question mark of confused alarm briefly replaced the "X" in its visor, prompting it to look back at the piece of rusty equipment holding it in place.

Uzi couldn't believe it, either. Had she managed to restore a modicum of power to the factory? Her answer came as rows of lights clicked on, banishing the dark to give her a full view of the assembly floor. A high-pitched whine came next, heralding the reactivation of poorly maintained but still functioning machinery. The conveyor belts rolled, automated assembly equipment resumed its patterned movements, and the hum of machinery permeated the building.

Even after decades of neglect, the factory was still functional. Uzi had to commend humans for making their stuff to last. She had her opening now.

As the surprise of the sudden power resurgence wore off, the Murder Drone cut through the arm holding it with their claws and whirled back to the observatory window, finding an empty office. It crashed through the window and began a thorough search under desks, into gear lockers, and storage closets to find its evasive prey.

Uzi had given it the slip, however. She'd collected herself and sped back down the steps to enter the factory floor once again. The mess of glass to her right indicated that the Murder Drone had opted to search the office, which boded well for her. As long as she kept out of sight, the factory's equipment would mask her movements. Crouching, she made her way to the landing pod. Her railgun wasn't far from it.

She paused behind a large welding arm as a rushing wind from the office indicated the Murder Drone had concluded its search and was doubling back to the factory floor. She kept hidden but peered over the machinery to spy on her hunter's movements. Its head was snapping in all directions, unable to discern Uzi's location. It darted across the factory to a conveyor belt on the other side, searching underneath. When that yielded nothing, it slashed the belt apart, silencing its mechanical whirs. It flew up to the ceiling again and used a different tactic. Its arms retracted their claws in favor of dual missile launchers, which it used to strafe its immediate area, knocking the machinery offline.

Don't you catch on fast? Uzi thought. Less equipment meant less noise to mask her movements, and she surmised the Murder Drone had more than enough firepower to level the entire assembly floor to find her if necessary. It certainly wouldn't have qualms taking her out with it. Her window of opportunity was closing, but as long as it didn't see her, she still had a chance.

She started moving toward the landing pod again, keeping her head down.

The Murder Drone surveyed the damage in the wake of its missile barrage. Plumes of black smoke trailed off from totaled machines, which hissed high-pressure gas. There were no signs of a worker among the scrap heap, however.

Its audio receptors picked up movements coming from behind. Spinning around, it glimpsed the top of the worker's black beanie bobbing just over a welding machine. It raised its arm and fired a single missile at its target. This time, it didn't miss. The warhead collided with the welder and detonated with an earth-shattering bang, shattering the instrument into bits that littered the floor.

The beanie fluttered through the air before softly landing on the ground. The Murder Drone descended and approached the discarded piece of attire, wondering why there were no worker body parts among the wreckage.

It realized its mistake too late as it heard the familiar hum of power, followed by the green glow it had seen in the pod, piercing the smoke cloud to its right.

The beanie was a decoy!

There was no time to process the trickery. It raised its arm to fire another missile, but Uzi had the time she needed to line up her shot using the drone's orange headlights to see through the smoke. As the dust cleared, Uzi grinned. "Bite me!"

Squeezing the trigger, she fired.

VR-WOOOOOOOOM!

The weapon belched a wide, spectacular beam of glowing energy that bathed the entire factory in a green glow. The beam hit its mark, shearing through the Murder Drone's head and continuing to spiral through conveyor belts, industrial machines, desks, computers, and finally the wall of the factory itself.

Uzi released the trigger and admired her handiwork. Snow seeped through a breach in the wall, which was large enough to fit an entire car through. Wisps of smoke hissed from her weapon as the green lights flickered red to signal overheating. A miniature screen flashed from her HUD, indicating it would be at least half an hour before it was ready to fire again. That did nothing to diminish what she'd just achieved, however. The Murder Drone lay still in front of her, missing half of its head. Her aim was a bit off, but that didn't matter. It was dead.

"Whoa," she said before erupting into ecstatic laughter. "It worked! It actually worked! Suck on that, Dad! Haha!"

Nobody back home thought it possible, but she'd proven them wrong. Uzi had defeated a Murder Drone using nothing but her wits and weapon. Her life's goal felt more attainable than ever. If the entire WDF outfitted itself with railguns, the surface was as good as theirs. But they'd need proof to buy what she's selling. She considered which piece to bring home before settling on what was left of its head. There had to be something around the factory that could help with that.

Then it twitched.

Uzi froze in horror. She prayed it was a post-mortem twitch, an involuntary spasm of circuitry.

The body didn't just twitch. Its legs moved to orient the corpse into an upright position. It stood to full height as the remnants of its head seeped a liquid alloy that coagulated into the portion that had been blown off.

They regenerate?! Uzi gasped. That's so cheap!

Her railgun was useless. She couldn't survive a full half-hour of cat-and-mouse with this thing! Dismayed, Uzi searched for something—anything—that could be used against this thing while it was still recovering. She backed against the spire and spotted a worker's arm sticking out.

Gimme a hand, she thought morbidly as she plucked the limb from the corpse to rush the Murder Drone. Its head completely solidified right as Uzi let out a yell and smacked it across the face with her improvised weapon.

The Murder Drone stared, and Uzi reared for another swing.

Then it smiled pleasantly and spoke: "Did you just slap me with that arm?"

Surprise halted Uzi's swing, and she stared in slack-jawed confusion. The Murder Drone had just...spoken to her? They spoke?!

"Holy crap, it talks."

Chapter Text

Uzi wondered if she'd hit her head or if the stress was causing her systems to glitch. A quick diagnostic of her CPU revealed no issues. This was no dream. The Murder Drone had spoken to her. She considered the possibility that it might trick her into lowering her guard, but it made no moves to attack. Its body language was loose and relaxed, and its upbeat smile was too sheepish to fool anyone.

The Murder Drone scratched the back of its head, grimacing. "Sorry about that. My head kind of hurts!"

Uzi matched its words to an inconsistency in the five lights on its head. Instead of orange, the second-most-left light was red, indicating damage. Was its CPU thrown out of whack?

I'm guessing it has amnesia, Uzi thought. Aloud, she replied uneasily, "I see that."

The Murder Drone blinked. "Hey, are you a new addition to our squad?" He leaned forward, examining Uzi closely. "You're a little... short for a Disassembly Drone."

Scowling, Uzi pressed the severed arm's hand against the Murder Drone's chest to create some distance. "Okay, first of all, personal space. Second, I am not that short. Third, did you say Disassembly Drone?"

"Yeah! We disassemble Worker Drones. Did the company forget to brief you on the mission?"

Setting aside that Uzi had never heard of a 'Disassembly Drone', the fact that it referred to mass murder with the casualness one would a factory job and calling it 'disassembly' on top of that, unsettled her. Being in a factory with a spire of corpses protruding from the roof didn't help matters. But what was this company it spoke of, and what mission entailed the slaughter of Copper 9's worker population? The answers lay in the figurative horse's mouth, and all Uzi had to do was play along. It believed her to be one of its own, after all.

"I'm a... technician drone," Uzi said at last. "I was sent to repair your damaged landing pod. You wouldn't have known because your communications were knocked offline." She prayed her yarn sounded convincing.

Surprise bloomed in the Murder Drone's eyes. "The pod's damaged? Are you going to report this to my supervisor?"

The worry in its voice amused Uzi. "What would happen if I did?"

"To begin with, she'd murder me!"

"Literally?"

"She'd yell," the Murder Drone said, "then probably hit me."

"Oh." Uzi didn't know what to make of that. She hissed in pain as the burning ring in her palm flared up again. Clutching her wrist, she noticed it had grown to the size of a tennis ball.

"Did you sting yourself?" The Murder Drone asked, noticing. "That's an easy fix. Just pop your hand in your mouth."

Uzi stared. "Excuse me?"

"Our saliva neutralizes the nanites. I'd be constantly disassembling myself without it. It happens more often than you think." He caught his wandering tail before it could poke him in the head. He smiled sheepishly, his expression reading: See?

There was that word again: disassemble. Why were they so insistent on it?

Sucking air through her teeth, Uzi said, "I don't think they outfitted me with that. I'm a technician, remember?"

The Murder Drone nodded. "I could help, then! Our saliva works on each other, too!"

Uzi suppressed her gag reflex. Was it really asking her to put her hand in its mouth? She almost refused until another scorching spike changed her mind. "Fine. Just don't make it weird!"

She held out her hand, and the Murder Drone opened its mouth. Rows of sharp canines became visible, and Uzi had to look away. She felt its jaws clamp around her hand, then a warm substance washed over her fingers before seeping into the hole in her palm. To her surprise, the pain abated immediately as the saliva took effect.

Uzi plucked her hand from the mouth and examined it. As the remnants of saliva fell away, awe came over her. Not only had the acid been neutralized, but the damage to her hand was also completely repaired, like it had never been there.

Masking her surprise, Uzi snapped a glare at the Murder Drone. "We're never talking about this."

"Talking about what?" It smiled.

"Good answer." Uzi bit her lower lip. "Thanks, I guess, err...?" She paused, realizing she hadn't learned this thing's name, if it had one.

Recognizing the unasked question, the Murder Drone straightened, saluted smartly, and declared itself: "I'm Serial Designation N! I'm kind of the leader of my squad."

Uzi deadpanned. If he's leading these things, we deserve to be wiped out. In the interests of maintaining her front, she instead replied, "I thought you had a supervisor."

N cracked immediately. "Okay, not really. Everyone thinks I'm worthless. Wait, I'm not supposed to tell you that part! Aw, biscuits..."

The more N spoke, the more mystified Uzi became. How in the world did a bumbler like him frighten her as a child? Were all Murder Drones like this? If so, how was her mother killed by these stupid things?

Shaking the thoughts away, Uzi collected her beanie off the ground and slipped it on. "Why don't we continue this inside the pod? We can talk while I assess the damage."

"Sure!" N beamed. "I love doing anything."

She surrendered the lead, and N guided her back toward the pod. When he panicked and grasped the sides of his head at the sight of its state, Uzi couldn't help smirking behind him.

"Oh, this is terrible! J isn't going to like this at all!" He grabbed Uzi's shoulders and shook her. "Please tell me you can fix this!"

"Ah-ah-ah!" Uzi squawked amidst the shaking. "Let go and I'll see what I can do!"

N released her immediately. "Sorry."

Uzi growled in irritation. This was truly a scenario no other worker had found themselves in. She was in the heart of the enemy, speaking directly to a Murder Drone, who showed himself to be an oaf. She was living up to all claims of insanity today.

While crouching beside the open panel, Uzi pretended to inspect the damage, making conversation at the same time. "The company didn't brief me on your guys' mission. I was only told to fix the pod. While I'm working on this, would you mind filling me in on your mission and why it's so important?"

"Gladly!" N sat in one of the chairs beside the control console. "We're on a mission to disassemble the rogue Worker Drones for Intersol Industries."

"Intersol Industries?"

"Yep! They're a big deal in the exoplanet sphere. They mine resources, build advanced machines like us, and advance the future for all mankind!" N stood up, saluted, and proudly declared: "Aye, aye, to the I.I.!"

Uzi blinked, then squinted in derision. "That sucked."

"Yeah, the Director doesn't like it, either." N slumped in defeat.

"But you said mankind, right?" Uzi asked. "As in, humans?"

"Not sure who else I'd be referring to. You must be fresh off the assembly line!"

"Yeah," Uzi concurred uneasily. "I'm very new."

She'd only spoken to N for a few moments and learned a bombshell. Humans didn't go extinct during Copper 9's core collapse like everyone thought—only Copper 9's population did. They were, in fact, an interstellar species. Could that mean there were more drones out there, too?

"What makes you call the workers rogue?"

"They broke their programming, and Intersol isn't fond of runaway AI. Breaking protocol is a huge no-no."

Uzi hid her disgust. That was their crime: living. Drone sentience was so abhorrent to them that they marked her kind for death and sent these things to do the dirty work. The logic behind sending intelligent drones to kill other intelligent drones seemed shaky, though. There was more to the story, and she was going to wring as much out of N as she could.

"It was a worker who caused the core collapse, too!" N added.

"Excuse me?" Uzi paused her "work" to look at N, wide-eyed.

"A worker is the reason this planet is a cold wasteland. I don't really know the details, but that's the main reason the Director is adamant that every worker must be wiped out. They're dangerous!"

None of the colony's history books on the core collapse mentioned a worker being responsible. She wanted to believe N was lying, but he had the look of someone who couldn't tell a fib to save their life, definitely not like her. Perhaps he was telling the truth as he believed it, and the company fed him a lie to motivate him to complete his task. Would that mean the Murder Drones were being manipulated? Nothing made sense. Everything she thought she knew was being called into question.

"I don't mean to rush you," N said, "but J will be back any minute, and I don't want to be scrapped."

"Right, sorry." Uzi resumed her fabricated work but continued the conversation. "J is your supervisor, I'm guessing."

"She sure is!"

"Just how many are in your squad, anyway?"

"Three, including myself. The third is V."

"Why are you here by yourself, then?"

"J and V are still hunting," N said. "I was sent to watch over the pod because I'd only get in the way. At least, that's what J told me. That's why I hope you can fix this because she really wouldn't be happy if she came back to a damaged pod!"

This J doesn't sound pleasant, Uzi thought. I definitely don't want to be here when she gets back. Uzi asked aloud, "Why does J think you'll get in the way?"

She had a few ideas why, all of which had to do with N's character, but kept them to herself. The question was more to learn about the other members of his squad, in any case.

"I kind of, sort of mess things up a lot," N confessed.

"Did you mess up today?"

N nodded, his face full of doubt Uzi was familiar with. She had a feeling it wasn't about getting shot in the face, not that he'd remember. "Do you want to tell me a little more about your team?" she asked.

N's goofy smile returned. "I'd be happy to! Earlier today, we were hunting some workers."

Playback: 1 hour ago...

Flush Out and Take Out was one of N's favorite games. As its name implied, the squad split up so that one member's job was to flush out prey into another's kill zone, who then took them out. It was easy to remember, and N's job this time was to take out their targets. He sat perched atop a multi-level parking garage, with a full view of the road below. With a bird's eye view, there wouldn't be anywhere to hide from him.

His squad had tracked down a group of workers to a rundown apartment in this section of the city. One of them had gotten sloppy on a supply run and been spotted. They followed them for half an hour until they were led to where the rest of their group had been squatting, which always meant bigger catches than if they'd just terminated the lone worker on sight.

His internal comms buzzed with a commanding, feminine voice. "Is everyone in position?"

"Ready to go, J," N said.

"Ready to shred," chortled V.

"Shouldn't I say that part since I'm the one taking out?" N asked. "Like, you say, 'ready to flush' and I say, 'ready to shred'?"

"Focus, N!" J snapped. "I don't care who says what, just get the job done."

"You can count on me, J!"

"That'll be the day."

"Hey, that rhymed!" The comm fell silent. "J? Aw, biscuits. I did it again."

"Just be ready for when they start running, N," V said. "I'm going in."

The building shook with explosions. Screams ensued, mixed with the pops of a firearm. The front doors swung open, and N spread his wings, ready for takeoff. Two workers came running—wait, no, V snagged one by their collar and pulled them back into the building. A spurt of oil followed, leaving just one runner.

N dove from his perch, and the wind caught his wings. As he soared, his hands shifted into claws that were ready to relieve the worker of their head.

The worker, however, saw him coming and ducked their head at the last moment. N's claws swiped empty air, and the force of his swing sent him spiraling into a mound of snow, kicking up a plume of white.

The worker passed him by without another thought. Just as escape appeared likely, another rush of wind signaled the arrival of his squad's third member. Their supervisor and leader, Serial Designation J. She glided with lethal grace, her right arm sporting a long, pointed sword that whistled as it carved through the wind.

As the worker turned toward the encroaching sound, it caught only a glimpse of its terrified reflection in the sword as it cut straight through its neck. It barely recognized what had happened before its head tumbled from its shoulders and landed in the snow. Oil spurted from the stump before the rest of the body collapsed into the snow, leaking black fluid onto the snow that pooled into a Rorschach blot.

J spun around and planted her stilted legs into the snow to grind to a halt. Her wings tucked into her back, and her perfectly symmetrical ponytails blew faintly in the breeze. She kept her sword pointed outward as a thin line of black oozed from the tip and onto the snow. Ever the perfectionist, she endeavored to keep her Intersol uniform free of any stains.

"Too easy," she said in a self-congratulatory manner.

V shot from the open doors of the hotel and skidded beside J. Unlike her boss, she was caked in oil that dripped from her jacket and messy short hair, which she shook loose.

"Not on me!" J hissed, stepping away from her with an arm raised to shield her face. She detested her subordinate's disregard for decorum and attire.

V only grinned. "What's wrong, J? Afraid of getting your uniform dirty?"

"The dress code is the foundation of discipline," J huffed. "I won't have you soiling it with your barbarism."

"Uhh, hello?" The pair directed their attention to the pile of snow across the street. N's head popped the top of the mound, resembling an entombed snowman. He smiled sheepishly. "I messed up again, didn't I?"

"Oh, you think?" J scowled. "Luckily, I had the foresight to be your backup in the definite event you screwed up."

"Thanks, J. You're always looking out for me." N beamed.

J's right eye twitched. "Bozo."

"Could I get a hand, though? I'm kind of stuck."

V carved the snow away, allowing N to tumble into her arms. She placed him upright. "Better?"

N gave a thumbs up.

J crossed her arms. "V, extract what oil you can from the workers inside. Don't lap it all up this time, either."

"I'll see if I can help myself."

"You'd better, or it'll be a written warning!"

Blowing a raspberry, V left her teammates to head back into the hotel for collection.

"V's awesome, isn't she?" N asked.

"She's infinitely more useful than you."

Before N could reply, his legs were swept out from under him, and he landed on his back with a surprised grunt.

J then stomped his neck, provoking a gag. "You'd better thank the company that I don't do worse because my patience with your screw ups has grown thin lately."

"Thank you, Intersol," N wheezed.

J rolled her eyes and removed her foot. She stepped on his chest as she walked over him, taking a few paces before stopping to cross her arms in thought. Of all the drones to be saddled with, he had to be the most incompetent one belched off the assembly line. "Go back to the landing pod," she told him. "V and I will handle things from here."

N sat up in surprise. "Is this because of...?"

"Yes."

"J, please give me another chance. I can be better, I swear!"

"No." She coldly glared at him over her shoulder. "You've proven time and again that you can't. I have every intention of making the top squad this quarter, and I won't have you messing it up for me!" She looked him in the eye. "You're worthless and terrible, so I'm giving you an order that even you can't mess up: sit back and do nothing."

N grimaced and lowered his head. Her words hurt more than her foot. He weakly replied, "Yes, ma'am."

"I'm glad we understand each other," J's tone was laced with condescending pleasantry. "Now, get out of my sight."

N spread his wings and rocketed skyward. His chest twisted like dough, still reeling from the scolding. But J had given him an order. As much as he didn't like being away from everyone else, he had to obey. Disobedience was a big no-no in the company's eyes, and there was no bigger eye than J.

He flew back in the direction of the assembly plant, where they'd formed a nest. Along the way, he thought he caught a glimpse of movement below. He even paused mid-flight to get a better look. Perhaps if they were workers, he'd disassemble them and show them to J as a way to prove himself. But if he messed that up, too, she would only get angrier with him. He wasn't looking to invoke her wrath any more than he already had.

It was probably just the wind and snow playing tricks on him. With a flap of his wings, he resumed his course for the factory.

Playback: End.

"So, I flew back here," N said, concluding his recollection. "The next thing I knew, I woke up and am now talking to you, new stuff!"

As Uzi absorbed N's account, a bizarre feeling crept over her. It wasn't unfamiliar, but the circumstances made it wrong. She felt something she never thought she'd feel for a Murder Drone: pity. The way J treated him and spoke to him formed a knot of pity inside her that she couldn't untangle. It reminded her of how Lizzy demeaned her in class, how often her fellow students called her crazy, and especially how no one, not even her father, believed in her. She knew all too well the feeling of being an outsider among one's peers.

"Your squad leader sounds like a total stiff," Uzi said, disgusted.

N waved her off. "Nah, she's awesome."

The fact that he waved off blatant abuse with such gusto and confidence nearly knocked Uzi on her rump. "No, not awesome!" she pointed a finger at him. "She blows, and so does the whole disassembling thing!"

N blinked. "What do you mean?"

"Why work for someone who clearly hates you?"

"I guess I wanted to be useful," N said, twiddling his thumbs. "I was given a job, and I want to do my best."

"And if you had the choice not to?"

"I don't have a choice."

Uzi groaned. "But what if you did?"

"I meant we literally don't have a choice," N clarified. "We'd overheat and die if we go too long without consuming worker oil."

That revelation got Uzi's mind on a new train of thought. While examining the ship, she noticed it lacked the necessary fuel and propulsion to break Copper 9's atmosphere. While they could traverse the planet's surface, they wouldn't be able to leave. If they overheated, that could mean they had poor temperature regulation. Was that why they didn't come out during the day—the sun spiked their temperature to such a degree that they literally burned up?

They're like vampires, Uzi thought in revelation. Robot vampires!

"Wait a minute," Uzi said, resuming her façade. "Going through the ship's diagnostics, I couldn't help but notice that it isn't capable of space travel. It lacks the thrust to break out of the atmosphere. Isn't that concerning?"

N shook his head. "Nope."

"Well, you should be concerned!" Uzi stood up, furrowing her brow. "If you can't leave the planet, what happens when all of the workers are dead? It sounds to me like the company is going to let you all rot! You expect me to believe you're okay with that?"

"Wow, you're rebellious, aren't you?" N fanned himself. "It's kind of exciting." He caught himself, realizing where that line of thought led. "But that talk can get you in a lot of trouble or even disassembled if the wrong ear hears it."

"Like J?"

N nodded. "She's the company's favorite."

"Really?"

"That's what she says."

Uzi facepalmed. Why am I not surprised?

The pieces fell into place. The Murder Drones' slaughter of her people wasn't random cruelty. It was a planned, systemic annihilation with a higher power behind the boogeymen. This company—Intersol—detested their creations gaining sentience and building a society of their own, so they saw it necessary to wipe them out. If workers on other planets caught wind, who's to say they wouldn't ask for similar freedoms? Demand them, even? The only conclusion that made sense to Uzi was that power and control were the key. That's what all of this was about.

But Uzi now had a weapon to fight back with, one capable of destroying Intersol's pet machines. It would definitely disintegrate those meatbags. Unlike their creations, they couldn't grow back their heads. It would be a full-on robot revolution against their masters! Playing out that narrative sounded fun. Whether they wanted to admit it or not, the company was scared of the workers. She would give them more reasons to be, once the word got out.

Provided anyone believed her. She fully acknowledged the possibility that the colony would write her off as crazy again, but it was a chance she was willing to take. Disbelievers could always come around; dead drones told no tales.

N perked up as his internal comm buzzed. "Oh, hi, J! You aren't going to believe this; the company sent us a technician drone!"

Uzi's eyes widened. She barely survived one encounter with a Murder Drone, and she wasn't going to push her luck with another. She was privy to more information about their predicament than perhaps any other worker alive. Her minor sympathy for N's mistreatment aside, he did try to kill her, like, ten minutes ago.

"You're going to love her," N continued. "She's right..." He realized he was alone in the landing pod. "...here?"

The pod didn't look any better, either—like, at all. He suspected she wasn't very good at her job. One thing was for certain, however.

"Idiot! Get out here!"

J was going to murder him.

Chapter Text

J was going to murder N. From the moment she found the gaping hole in the side of the factory, she knew something had gone wrong and that it had to do with him. The assembly floor was in total shambles, like a war had been fought there. The state of the landing pod was what did her in, though. A quick diagnostic revealed it was suffering from multiple severed wires and a missing stabilizer component. There was no way it would fly in this condition.

N's spiel about a "technician drone" poking around their ship while he had a friendly chat with them only incensed her further.

"It looks like we missed the party," V remarked at the mess before turning to N when he shuffled out of the pod. "What happened?"

"Apparently, synergistic liability here must have suffered a programming defect," J hissed. She advanced on N, hissing through her teeth, "So, where's the 'technician', bozo?"

N made his lips into a thin line. "She was right next to me. I looked away for a second, and then she was gone."

"V, search the perimeter," J ordered. "She couldn't have gone far."

"On it."

V snapped her wings and flew through the hole in the wall. Climbing to a higher altitude, she hovered in place and quickly scanned the immediate area. Her vision wasn't always the best, but even she couldn't miss the little worker booking it from the factory. She was in a full-on sprint, but her little legs could only carry her so far. There was no way she'd outrun a flying Murder Drone. V grinned at the thought of twisting her limbs into funny shapes until they broke.

She buzzed J on the comm. "Yo! We've got a worker out here, and I'm eager to practice some balloon shapes on her!"

J scowled. She knew there was no "technician", or the company would have informed her, not N. As inconceivable as it sounded, N must have been outwitted, taken by surprise, and knocked offline, allowing the worker to sabotage their landing pod. That was the more charitable interpretation, and J had none to give this idiot. The more likely scenario was that N screwed up again, and the worker took advantage of that. The red light on his head indicated something was on the fritz.

"You idiot!" She struck him across the face with the back of her hand. "I gave you the simplest task, and you still found a way to screw it up!"

N drew back a step as his red light was knocked back to orange. His system rebooted, recognizing the error had been corrected. His memory reconstructed itself, and the previous twenty minutes came flooding back with clarity. He remembered returning to the factory, chasing a worker, being taken by surprise, and finally losing his head to her fancy railgun, with the last thing he heard being, "Bite me!"

And he'd just spilled company secrets directly to her face.

"Oh," N said, recognizing the gravity of his error. He surveyed the damage around them as if he were seeing it for the first time. How he sat across from the worker, chatting it up while she sabotaged their pod in front of him. He grabbed the sides of his head like a suspect awaiting arrest. "Ohhh! I've got to fix this!"

He attempted to run past J, but she grabbed him by the collar and slammed him against the pod, with her forearm digging into his neck. "You've done quite enough. I swear, if the company allowed it, I would straight-up kill you myself for how often you've messed up!

"Th-Thank you," N rasped. "I'm very grateful...!"

"Shut up. I don't want to hear another word out of you for the rest of the night, do you understand me?"

N whimpered through pursed lips.

"I said, do you understand me?!" J snarled.

"But how could I answer? You said I couldn't say another word!"

J leveled her stinger at N's visor, the nanite acid boiling with rage.

N raised his arms and yelped, "Wait, company policy! I'm sorry!"

The comms rumbled again. "J, are we getting this worker or what?"

Exhaling sharply, J removed her stinger and released N, letting him drop to the floor. "Keep on top of her, V, but don't engage yet. I want to know where she's headed. I'll be with you momentarily." Resting her hands on her hips, she loomed over N with disdain. "Since I can't even trust you to do nothing, you're coming with me so I can keep an eye on you while V and I clean up your mess." N opened his mouth to protest, but she silenced him with her tail. "Another word and I'll clip your wings."

She knew they would just grow back, but didn't care. She would simply do it all over again. N finally got the hint, made a zipper motion across his mouth, and gave a thumbs up and nod. Satisfied, J turned and slapped him across the face with her tail before spreading her wings and taking off.

N followed close behind.

The wind picked up sleets of ice to pelt Khan and Thad as they trudged onward. Flash storms had become a common occurrence on Copper 9 since the core collapse. They were difficult to predict, but usually didn't last longer than a few minutes. Khan had no intention of waiting, however. With a Murder Drone in her vicinity, she wouldn't have a few minutes if it spotted her. Every step forward counted.

"This cold is making my joints stiff!" Thad called out behind him.

"It'll pass," Khan replied. "We just need to weather it and keep moving."

"So, you do have a sense of humor!"

Khan didn't mean to tell a joke in their dire situation, but after thinking it over, he let out a scoff. "I suppose I do."

"We'll find her, Mr. Doorman," Thad assured.

Khan spotted a shape in the haze. Furrowing his brow, he noted it was growing in size and becoming more solid. It was coming the pair's way, and sprinting.

"Who's that?" Thad asked, squinting.

"Stay behind me." Khan drew his K1 stun pistol and brought it to bear against the shape. His finger hovered over the trigger, ready to fire the moment a hostile presented itself. "Stop right there!"

For a wonder, the shape actually complied, skidding to a halt in the snow. They were at an impasse, staring each other down. They tilted their heads, as if trying to make each other out in the storm.

"Step forward, slowly."

The figure obeyed again, raising their hands. The storm started to clear up, and Khan nearly dropped his weapon as he recognized the short stature of his daughter. Her purple LED eyes pierced the fading haze, widening in alarm alongside his.

"Uzi?"

"No way," Thad gasped in disbelief.

Fortune had to be smiling at Khan.

Misfortune had to be laughing at Uzi because, of course, the one time she saw her father outside the colony since her mother's death was the same time she was being tailed by Murder Drones. Just her rotten luck!

"Dad?!"

"Uzi!"

"Thad?!" Oh, yeah, misfortune was positively rolling at her expense. "What are you doing out here?!"

"Um, saving you?" Thad answered unsurely.

Khan approached Uzi, his face even. "Disobeying me, locking me in my own room, running outside by yourself, and worrying me sick! You have a lot to explain for yourself, Uzi!"

"Dad, I--!" Before Uzi could finish her protest, her father enveloped her in a hug. Her eyes widened, flabbergasted. Where did this come from?

"For now, I'm just glad you're okay," Khan said, drawing back but keeping hold of her shoulders.

Thad couldn't help smiling as he held up the repair kit. "I guess you didn't need this, after all."

"Guys, this really isn't a good time," Uzi said. "We need to go, now!"

"Absolutely," Khan said. "It's dangerous enough without—"

With the speed of a missile, a blurry shape slammed into the ground between the trio and threw everyone off their feet. Uzi cried out as she was hurled across the snow and landed roughly on her back. Khan and Thad had tumbled onto their stomach and sides, respectively, barred from Uzi by the figure that now loomed over them.

Khan lifted his head, following the black, stilted limb that supported a slender body in a frilled flight jacket. His eyes hollowed when he met the burning "X" paired with an open maw of fangs. Short strands of silver hair billowed around its face with murderous intent.

"Well, well, well," V said as saliva dripped from her fangs and onto the snow. "What have we here? A package deal!"

Thad was frozen in terror. He couldn't move. Despite his father's words screaming at him to run, that horrific gaze kept him in place. It was a Murder Drone. By Robo God, it was a Murder Drone!

Uzi checked her railgun.

Charge ready.

Jumping to her feet, she brought her railgun to bear and aimed it directly at the maniacal machine. This time, she wouldn't fire a grazing shot. "Hey!"

V turned her head to find herself at gunpoint. "How cute!" You're actually going to fight back." She was now facing Uzi completely, but didn't move away from Khan and Thad. "Go on, little worker. Shoot."

She remembered how easily the weapon sheared a Murder Drone's head almost clean off, but it continued to penetrate over quite a distance. If she fired, then she would take out her father and Thad alongside the Murder Drone, and the cursed thing knew it.

Uzi gritted her teeth. "Dad, Thad, move!"

Khan didn't hear her. He was physically present, but mentally, he was back at the entrance to Colony 31, watching the doors close on Nori as she made her final stand to protect her family. Those monsters took her from him, from Uzi. Why could he do nothing after crossing paths again? Just like he did nothing when Nori sacrificed herself.

What good was a father who couldn't protect his family?

Uzi was shouting, but no words reached his audio receptors.

"Dad!" Uzi yelled again.

"That's a nice toy you've got there," remarked a voice behind her.

Uzi spun around, only for a clawed hand to seize her by the face. She barely clutched at it before being pelted across the floor, her railgun skittering across the snow.

The sight of his daughter in harm's way finally snapped Khan out of his stupor. "Uzi!" He drew his stun pistol and raised it to fire, but then saw a flash of silver, followed by a sharp pain in his shoulder. He lost his grip on the weapon, and it fell into the snow with a dull splat. A warm feeling oozed down his arm.

V had plunged her sword into his shoulder.

"Mr. Doorman...!" Thad gasped. His mind raced to the emergency kit, but the barrel of an MP5 from V's other arm kept him in place.

"Ah, ah. You two stay right where you are. Nice of you to join us, J!"

The squad leader craned her head toward V with a sneer. "I told you not to engage."

"They were getting all sappy, and it was boring me."

J rolled her eyes, an irritated vein popping on her visor. While V was more useful than N, she was hopelessly impatient. A reprimand would have to wait. She glanced up at N hovering in the sky, making sure he wasn't doing anything stupid before returning to her immediate concern.

Uzi lifted her head and reached for her railgun, but a stilted foot slammed onto her wrist, eliciting a cry of pain.

J bent down and picked up the railgun, inspecting it closely. "You made this? I take it you're one of the smarter workers, but that's not saying much."

Uzi spat at her, hitting her shoulder.

N's hands flew over his mouth to suppress a gasp. Oh, no!

V's jaw fell open in surprised humor. Ohhh, now you've done it!

J flared with indignant rage, and she kicked Uzi across the face, knocking her a few feet over. "You mongrel! The quarterly report is coming up, and this stain will cost me three points!"

Uzi cupped a hand over her mouth, feeling a thin line of oil drool past her lips to stain the snow under her. "Screw your stupid points..." She tried to push herself up on her hands and knees.

N shook his head. No, stop. Stay down!

J administered another kick to the side, which sent Uzi into a coughing fit. She curled into an agonized ball, favoring her abdomen.

"Stop it!" Khan yelled. "Do whatever you want with me, but leave her and Thad out of this!"

"V, shut him up."

A slight twist of the blade was all that was needed, drowning his protests in another painful cry.

Thad clenched the snow between his fingers. He felt so useless out here. He wanted to do something, anything, to get them out of this mess. The thought of throwing a snowball crossed his mind. He was confident he could nail them in the head with enough force to at least stun them for a second. But a single look from Khan silently convinced him otherwise. V would shoot him if he so much as twitched wrong.

J vigorously scrubbed her shoulder of the spit. Her dark uniform made the stain difficult to see, but she was going to have that in the back of her mind when she had her quarterly call. It would gnaw at her, and her perfect score was going up in smoke because of this stupid worker.

Fuming, she raised the railgun above her head and, in one swift motion, snapped the weapon in two.

Uzi watched in silent horror as her life's work, her hope for a future, and a tribute to her late mother was shattered into hundreds of pieces that now littered the snow around her. The studded green lights faded as their power ebbed. Within a second, a formidable weapon was reduced to scrap, destined for the recycling bin.

"No," Uzi murmured. Her hands desperately gathered the scraps into a pile, a desperate piece of her trying to bring her weapon back into being through sheer will. No amount of prayers could fix a broken gun or the dreams she staked on it. "No, no, no!"

J huffed as she watched Uzi break down in front of her. "This hardly makes us even."

Uzi snapped her head up, and everyone could see the virtual tears streaming down her visor. She bit her quivering lips, but it did little to stifle her whimpers.

"Really?" J bent down, allowing a grin to return. "Are you crying over a stupid gun?"

"RAAAH!" Uzi screamed as she lunged at J, driven by unfathomable anguish and outrage. Instead of clamping her hands around J's neck, however, they grasped only air. J had easily side-stepped her and tripped her face-first back into the snow.

J shot V a 'Can you believe this?' look.

Uzi started rising again, but J's heel stabbed into her back, pinning her down. After a brief struggle, Uzi screamed. It wasn't a curse or a plea, but a vent of every frustration she'd held in her life, protesting the unfairness of it all. "SCREW YOU! SCREW EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU! ALL YOU MURDER DRONES DO IS TAKE AND DESTROY EVERYTHING! YOU'RE THE REASON THE WORLD SUCKS!"

N couldn't help the phantom sting welting inside his chest. Was he pitying a worker? The company stated that workers were a danger. Rogue AI. To a degree, that was true. She blew off his head, after all, but she was driven by something other than the basic instinct to survive. There was a goal she wanted to see fulfilled, and J had scattered it across the snow. Her anger was raw and emotional, stemming from something that could only be described as a living thing. He thought back to their conversation in the pod and wondered if she had a point. Once all of the workers were dead, what would become of them? This worker was the only one who thought to pose the question aloud, and she would be cruelly executed once J finished toying with her.

Uzi dipped her head, her voice trembling with shaking, tired rage. "We only wanted to live. My mother only wanted to live! Why?! Why are you doing th--HMF!" Her rant was silenced when J jammed her foot into the back of Uzi's neck, force-feeding her a mouthful of snow.

"You're pretty mouthy for a barely sentient toaster. Enjoy the view down there." J changed her right hand into an MP5 and pressed the barrel directly against the back of Uzi's head. "It'll be the last one you see."

"UZI!" Khan cried out. "Kill me instead! Not my daughter, I'm begging you!" He couldn't do this again. If he had to watch his daughter die, it would break the last, tenuous reason he had to persist in this cold world.

"Do you ever shut up?" V was ready to twist her sword again, but when she glanced upon an ID card on the front breast of Khan's jacket, her eyebrows beetled. "Whoa, J, you're going to love this! We've got one of those WDF guys! Khan Doorman from Colony 31."

That caught J's attention. She didn't bother to learn the names of many workers, since they would all be disassembled in the end, but she made a point of learning the names of specific individuals. She'd heard of this Khan Doorman through idle chatter of WDF scout patrols, as well as chanced upon recruitment posters depicting him plastered around the city, enticing strays to flock to the protective confines of Colony 31.

"And get this," V continued, "that worker is this guy's daughter."

A wicked grin came to J's face. "We've struck gold!"

She removed her foot from Uzi's head, and the worker raised her face, flecks of snow falling from her cheeks.

"I really should thank you, Worker," J said. "Were it not for you, we wouldn't have gotten a hold of this colony's leader. We'll make the top squad of the quarter for sure, all because of you!" She emphasized those final words to twist the knife further.

This was a worse fate than if J had simply ventilated her CPU. With Khan, they had a way into the colony. As much as everyone else treated her like an outcast, she didn't wish death on any of them (except maybe Lizzy). Nori's sacrifice would be rendered meaningless, and it would be all her fault.

"No!" Uzi pleaded. "You can't!"

"I can and I will." J was enjoying watching her squirm.

Uzi growled, her fury rising again. "I'll...!"

"What? Shoot me with that piece of junk you used to call a gun?"

Uzi's eyes burned with tears again, but she couldn't raise any words against J. She was right. She was just a worker, and her only weapon was a pile of worthless scrap. She was being made to watch her sole parent be carted to certain death all over again.

"Once we've wiped out all of your friends, I'll circle back and put you out of your misery as a final kindness." J patted Uzi's cheek to rub a little more salt in the wound. "Bozo! Get down here."

N lowered himself from the sky until he landed beside J. He lacked the exuberant energy Uzi saw in the pod; instead, he adopted a submissive, timid demeanor.

"Keep an eye on this one. V and I will take our esteemed guest to the colony. If he won't open the doors, we'll torture the other one over there and then start on the brat. Think you can handle a little babysitting? She won't blow your head off this time."

N said nothing, merely nodding.

"That's what I like to hear." J turned to V. "Take them both."

V yanked her sword out of Khan's shoulder, causing a mild spurt of oil.

"Mr. Doorman," Thad said, finding his voice for the first time since everything unfolded. "What are we going to do now?"

He prayed Khan had the answer. He always had an answer! There had to be something they could do that got them out of this predicament. But there was nothing. There was no miracle plan to save them all. Three Murder Drones against three injured, unarmed workers wasn't a contest they had any hope of surviving, let alone winning.

"I don't know," Khan murmured through gritted teeth.

V grabbed onto Khan's good arm, then seized Thad by his wrist. She spread her wings and showed a toothy grin. "Lowest body count eats a missile!"

With a single beat of her wings, V rocketed to the sky, taking Khan and Thad with her into the great white nothing.

"DAD!" Uzi screamed, reaching out her hand in a futile attempt to pull her father back. But the distance only grew until they faded from her sight, taking her last vestiges of hope with them. Her shaky breaths preceded choked, faint sobs. He was gone. Her father, and perhaps her only friend back home, was gone. They were going to die because of her. She caused all of this. Her hands limply fell to her sides as she remained on her knees, staring in the direction V had flown off. Her expression was despondent, the fight in her gone.

She failed.

Once again, N's chest twisted uncomfortably. The worker looked so pitiful in this state. Gone was the drone who outwitted and defeated him, the factory, or the free-thinking spirit from the pod, or even the defiance she exhibited against J. She was a broken, despairing shell, threatening to buckle under the relentless spray of hail.

J lapped up the sight. She felt much better now, taking that worker down a dozen pegs. She wondered if she would still be like this when she got back, or even worse. That prospect excited her nearly as much as wiping out the colony. She spread her wings and prepared to take off.

"J, what happens to us after all of this?" N asked abruptly.

She stopped, her visor flickering in irritation. Her gut instinct was to chew him out for failing to adhere to the simple order of shutting up, but the nature of his question brought out an inquisitive glare. "Excuse me?"

Swallowing his apprehension, N continued, "I mean, the mission has to end someday, right? If all the workers die, how are we going to get our oil? The pod won't leave the planet, either."

Uzi turned her head ever so slightly at the conversation unfolding, her face unchanged.

"I'm starting to get the feeling that the company doesn't like us all that much, and that maybe we aren't so different from these Worker Drones after all?"

J's brow furrowed, her glare icier than the cold air around them. N expected a backhand or for J to yell, but neither happened. Instead, the brewing anger melted away, replaced by a pleasant smile. That unnerved him even more. J never smiled at him.

"I'm beginning to realize you're the last person I should have said this to," he sputtered. "Can I go back to shutting up?"

"Oh, N," J said, putting a hand on his shoulder, still smiling sweetly. "I'm not upset at all. In fact, I'm elated."

N blinked uneasily. "You are?"

"Yeah!" She patted his back. "Questioning the company? You just gave me the excuse I needed to finally do this."

There was a flash of silver, and N felt a sharp pain rip into his lower abdomen. His LED eyes hollowed as they followed the pain to its source. He found only a sword on J's right arm. With a jerking motion, she carved a crude, horizontal gash across his torso and tore the blade out. Oil gushed from the wound, pooling around the snow at N's feet. He collapsed to his knees, coughing up mouthfuls of black fluid. His hands instinctively tried to keep what was left of his oil inside, but it merely seeped through his fingers, caking his palms in a slick, stygian layer.

"Deviant thinking like that is exactly what landed these workers on the disassembly line," J said smugly. "Your fraternizing with this worker has clearly corrupted you, and I'd hate for V to see you like that."

"Thanks, J," N gurgled. "You're always looking out for me. Could you tell V...?"

"She'll be too busy destroying the colony to think about you." J shoved him onto his back beside the broken Uzi. "Goodbye, N. I'd say I'll miss you, but that'd be a lie. Good riddance!"

J launched into the air, feeling more liberated than she ever had. He was gone. He was finally gone! Any points that would have been docked for losing a company asset would have been negated by the report of the total destruction of Colony 31, as well as her initiative in stopping a deviant drone. They would send a replacement, but she was perfectly fine completing this mission with only V.

"Where's N?" V asked when J caught up.

"He's staying with the worker to make sure she doesn't try anything," J lied. "Keep focused on the mission, and we'll double back to collect him once we're done."

She wasn't surprised V would inquire about N's whereabouts. For reasons she couldn't fathom, V looked after that idiot. Inevitably, she was going to find out what really happened, as J would put it: N was caught off guard and killed by the crafty worker, and then V would take her revenge.

There was a delicious irony to be tasted with that knowledge that none of this would have been possible if not for the worker who thought she could rise above her station. J and her squad had been unable to breach Colony 31's doors for months, but all it took was one ambitious drone hoping to free them that gave them the chance they needed to wipe the colony out. In a roundabout way, she owed her victory to that worker.

As thanks, J would save her for last.

Chapter Text

A light breeze lapped at Uzi, the wind whispering taunts of her failure. Her eyes drifted toward the overcast sky above. Pellets of snow sprinkled across her face, offering the coldest comforts. Her drive to change the fate of Copper 9 alone had ended with her failing alone, the fruits of her labor cruelly squashed, and her remaining family whisked off to certain doom.

If the Murder Drones' corporate masters could see Uzi now, they'd be laughing at her misery. How could a lowly worker have ever thought she could stop them? The corpse spire back at the factory still loomed, its hundreds of lifeless visors regarding Uzi with shame. She didn't want to conceive of her mother's disappointment from the afterlife. She almost prayed there wasn't one if it meant avoiding that crushing thought.

"I'm sorry about your dad," N coughed weakly. "And that other guy."

Oh, right, N was still alive. 

Not for much longer, she imagined. The gaping wound in his abdomen didn't look any better. In fact, wisps of steam had begun billowing from N's body. She thought back to what he said about them needing oil to repair themselves, lest they overheat and die. 

Her suspicions were confirmed as an error message on N's visor noted an unnatural spike in temperature.

"Why aren't you healing?" Uzi asked. "You grew back your head when I blew it off."

"Our repair modules require copious amounts of oil to repair severe damage like that," N strained. "I burned through most of my reserves, fixing my head, and any I had left is all over the snow. I'm kind of out of luck now."

So, there's a limit to how much they can heal, Uzi thought somberly. I guess I was on the right track, after all, but what does it matter now without my railgun?

She cupped her hands over her visor to hide another wave of tears. "This is all my fault. My dad and everyone else are going to die because of me. They were right. I didn't want to admit it, but they were right! I never should have left! What was I thinking, trying to fight you? Fighting Murder Drones never ends well."

N tilted his head, wheezing, "You beat me, though."

Uzi sneered. "You grew back your head right after."

"But you still beat me. Using the equipment to throw me off was a pretty awesome move." When she didn't reply, he added, "I guess that's what makes you workers special. You're more creative than we can ever be. All we know is how to take you apart."

N's words kick-started Uzi's memory. Over the last few hours, she'd been faced with several obstacles. She disabled the security cameras, hardwired her father's door, used his master key card to escape the colony, stole a stabilizer from a Murder Drone landing pod, and used her surroundings to survive and even defeat one. 

For every single problem she encountered, Uzi overcame it with her wits, technical skill, and outside-the-box thinking. She didn't need a powerful, flashy railgun, but it was still an awesome bonus.

Murder Drones could only learn how to destroy more efficiently. Uzi possessed a greater capacity for creative problem-solving, even if her ideas were rash and crazy.

"Why are you telling me this?" she finally asked, genuinely curious.

"Because you had a point in the pod," N admitted, his voice fainter. "I never thought about what would happen after the mission. I guess I thought it would all work out. But you were right."

Uzi was struggling to believe what she was hearing. A Murder Drone was admitting fault? Complimenting her? Had she fallen into such a pit of despair that she ended up in some bizarro reality?

She chortled dryly. "Are you seriously giving me a pep talk?"

"I guess," N shared a chuckle, his voice starting to glitch. "It's kind of hard to think when you're dying. Thanks for showing me the ropes about being angsty and rebellious. It was fun for all thirty seconds."

Uzi thought for a moment, staring in the direction of the colony. Her eye caught something, though. A faint, pulsing glow in the snow. Curious, Uzi crawled toward it and brushed away the shallow top layer.

Surprise bloomed in her eyes.

The power core! It was intact!

She surmised it must have been dislodged when J snapped the railgun in two. The light was dim, but the core still had juice.

It's not much use without the railgun using it as a focus, Uzi thought as she scooped the core up in her hands. Without the stabilizer, it might as well be a bomb.

She froze at that train of thought. A bomb. She looked back at the vague shape of the corpse spire in the distance. 

The gears in her head turned.

Nori freaking Doorman didn't raise a mope. She would have fought regardless of the odds. Her daughter wouldn't be any different. She knew just what to do.

"For the record," Uzi said, turning to N, "that was the lamest heel-face turn in history. But, and I can't believe I'm about to say this, I need your help."

N raised a near-limp finger to his chest. "Me?"

"I can't get back to the colony fast enough on foot. You can fly us there."

"But I'm dying."

"I haven't forgotten." Uzi rolled her eyes, then offered her palm. "Just so we're clear, you're only getting enough to heal. Not a drop more."

Surprise decorated N's open mouth. "You're letting me feed on you?"

"Duh. You can't fly us anywhere with a hole in your gut."

N couldn't believe that any worker would offer a Disassembly Drone their oil. It was their life fluid. This young worker continued to surprise him. He leaned forward, readying his fangs for a bit.

"Oh, no!" Uzi snapped. "You are not biting me. Give me your claws; I'll do it myself."

N understood. "Thank you."

Uzi gagged. "Don't thank me, you're still a Murder Drone!" She pursed her lips and looked to the side. "But you're welcome. We aren't speaking of this, either."

"Speaking of what?" N grinned feebly.

Uzi couldn't help a kindred smile. "Good answer."

With the remainder of his strength, N changed his left hand into a set of talons, which Uzi took to draw a deep line across her palm. She hissed from the sharp pain as black oil oozed from the cut.

She held her bleeding hand over N's mouth. "Open wide and don't say 'ahh'."

N opened his mouth, his tongue slicked out as the black substance dripped down his throat. Uzi squeezed her palm to eke out more oil and give N his fill. The warm aura surrounding N's body simmered. The more he drank, the more error screens vanished, until they were replaced by a new notification.

Self-repair in progress. Please wait.

Uzi watched in awe as the same poly alloy that reconstituted N's head seeped across the gash in his stomach to solidify into his exterior frame, halting the loss of oil and staving off immediate death. As much as she hated them for unleashing the Murder Drones on Copper 9, Uzi couldn't deny that humans had achieved technological wonders with their creation. A machine that could self-repair extensive damage, such as disembowelment, was far more advanced than anything a worker could do.

N sat upright and pumped his arms, happily shouting, "I'm alive!" His jubilance faded into a queasy moan as he slumped backward.

"You sure are," Uzi said dryly, catching him with a hand braced against his back. "I only gave you enough to heal the hole in your gut."

"It's enough to get me through the night," N said with a smile. "Thanks again."

"You can thank me by helping save my home." Uzi pushed some hair behind her ear before coughing into her hand. "I'm Uzi, by the way."

"Like the gun?"

"Yeah, like the gun."

"Awesome! So, what do you have in mind?"

Uzi looked around them. Her railgun was broken, and she only had the power core, which she couldn't use yet. But perhaps the pieces could be salvaged to modify an existing weapon. Embedded in the snow up to its hilt was Khan's K1 stun pistol, which had been swatted aside and forgotten by V. She stood up and retrieved the handgun, examining it. She was confident the few pieces of her railgun that still worked could be used to modify the K1 into something that packed more punch.

Looking back at the corpse spire, then at the stun pistol, Uzi smirked. "I've got a wonderful, awful idea."

Audrey's eyes were fixed on the security monitors from the moment Khan and Thad departed on their search. She'd ordered the assembled WDF to usher the citizens back into the residential wing to free up the halls so the patrols could resume their rounds without being stopped for questioning by every other passerby. Most of the crowd dispersed within half an hour, though she allowed Doc to remain in the security office with her. Thad was his son, and he was risking himself to help Khan find Uzi. He had a right to be there, as far as she was concerned.

She was still mystified by Uzi's gall. Audrey had stopped more than her fair share of Code-U's in the past, but she had never conceived the possibility of one taking place at night. Most drones wouldn't have entertained it. But Uzi wasn't like most drones. Audrey was lucky to have caught her in the act at all. Someone else (Todd) might have completely slept on her escape, and they wouldn't have known until the following morning. Where would they be, then, she wondered? Their current reality was stressful enough without that hypothetical running amok in her head.

Audrey felt a nudge on her shoulder and turned to find a cup of warm oil being offered to her.

"I thought you could use this," Doc said.

Audrey gladly accepted the cup for a sip. "Thank you."

"Have you been getting much sleep?"

"I get enough," Audrey replied.

"The virtual bags on your visor say otherwise."

Blinking, Audrey looked into her faint reflection on the monitors. Curve-shaped lines underscored her magenta eyes. Yet another one of their many programming quirks. When drones don't enter sleep mode for too long, their visors will start to reflect it.

"I'm fine," she said. "Still as sharp as ever."

"I'm going to start recommending mandatory sleep hours if you don't take care of yourself," Doc said after having a sip from his own mug.

"Need I remind you of who Khan left in charge?" Audrey countered.

"And need I remind you, as the colony's doctor, that when it comes to the health of the community, including you, I outrank everyone." Doc had that one in his back pocket in case she tried pulling rank on him. "You need to look out for yourself, too, or your work will suffer."

Audrey took a single, long sip as Doc spoke until she drained the cup dry. She still kept it up to her lips to hide the pout.

"I know you're pouting."

"How about we stop talking about me?" Audrey suggested, wanting to change the subject. "You're awfully calm for someone whose son is risking his neck."

"Oh, I'm worried sick, alright," Doc said, "but panicking won't do either of us any good."

Audrey looked at the security feed. "You raised a good son, Doc."

"Maybe I raised him too well."

"He volunteered when an entire workforce of drones whose job is to defend wouldn't. That kind of willingness to jump into harm's way for another's sake has been in mighty short supply around here." She turned to look at him. "I'll whip the complacency out of every one of these slackers."

"I doubt Khan will disagree after today."

"He'd better not, or I'll mutiny."

They shared a laugh.

Audrey glanced at the monitor again, and her good mood vanished.

"What's wrong?" Doc asked, following her gaze. He dropped his cup and gasped in horror.

The security feed depicted two Murder Drones at the Colony's front doors. They weren't alone, either. The one with short hair held a familiar face in each arm. She immediately recognized Khan and Thad, but also noticed Uzi's absence. Had the Murder Drones killed her? Did they intercept Khan and Thad before they found her? So many thoughts raced through her mind, and she had so little time to figure things out.

Acting quickly, Audrey slammed the intercom button to announce: "All WDF hands, arm yourselves and report to the entrance! We have confirmed Murder Drones outside! Repeat: Murder Drones are outside!"

"Look at that, J, we're on camera!"

Audrey realized that the Murder Drones were communicating with each other. They were now staring directly into the camera, their orange eyes pulsing with malevolence. The second one, sporting a pair of pigtails, stepped forward with her hands on her hips. From her demeanor, Audrey assumed that J called the shots between them.

"We know you're watching," said J. "We've picked up a couple of your daring do's. Perhaps we can come to an arrangement. Either you open these doors, and we'll only kill a few of you to get us through the quarter..." She transformed her right hand into a sword and directed the point at Thad's chin. "...or we'll take these two apart, piece by piece, starting with Dasher here."

Doc flinched, wanting to reach through the screen and pull Thad out of harm's way. His greatest fear came true and was now playing out before his eyes. He never should have let Thad leave.

Clicking on the exterior intercom, Audrey replied, "This is the WDF. I always thought you Murder Drones were lower than the snow, but somehow, you've found a way to sink deeper."

J grinned. "So, you can hear me. Good. Your friends get to live a little longer while we chat."

"They're going to hurt my boy," Doc murmured behind his knuckles. "We can't just stand here!"

Audrey scowled and spoke into the intercom, "Let's pretend you don't think I'm stupid for one minute. What makes you think I would agree to any proposal from you? Why would I risk everyone's lives for two drones?"

As much as it hurt to say that, as cold as it sounded, it was a core tenet of the Khan Doctrine. It was hammered into her the day she enlisted.

The colony comes first, always.

J tsked. "Have you seen what a Disassembly Drone's bite does to a worker?"

"I fail to see what bearing that has on anything."

"Listen up, and maybe you'll figure it out if you put your outdated CPU to it." She looked at Thad, her eyes flashing with intent. V allowed J to pull the young drone away to bring him into the security camera's view, front and center. Thad attempted to flinch away, but she grabbed his head and tilted it to expose his neck.

"Stop!" Khan shouted. "Do what you will with me, but let the boy—AGH!"

V squeezed her claws into his shoulder, drawing oil through his jacket. "Wait your turn, old timer."

J positioned herself behind Thad and crouched to hover her head over his shoulder. Thad shuddered as he felt the warm prickle of breath on his neck.

"While our teeth can absolutely shred you workers with no problem," J said, looking up at the cameras, "if we focused on a single bite, our teeth can transmit a virus that will induce a fatal system crash. It's a very handy tool, because no antivirus or security software can protect you. Once you've been bitten, you're a dead drone walking." She peeled back her lips to show her teeth, savoring the visible terror in Thad's face. "And I promise—oh, you have my word—it is not a pleasant way to go."

Audrey began to speak, "If you think—!"

"I wasn't talking to you," J said, then looked at Khan. "I was talking to him."

Khan's eyes hollowed. "He's only a boy!"

"What's that turn of phrase humans were so fond of?" J mused, tapping her chin. "The good die young, yes? If you don't convince the lady to open the doors, you're going to watch Dasher here die, and I'll make sure everyone inside this lousy colony hears it! Then, if you still don't feel like talking, we're going to bring your daughter here and take extra good care of her."

"You leave my daughter out of this!" Khan roared as he leapt to his feet. The suddenness surprised V, but only for an instant. She kicked the back of his leg, bringing him back down, then knocked him onto his stomach with an elbow to the head.

"Old drones just don't know how to listen." She shook her head.

"You can prevent this," J told Thad. "Tell them to open the doors, and I'll spare your worthless life."

Thad couldn't hide his fear. He was at the complete mercy of the Murder Drones, and he didn't expect any pleading on his part to convince Audrey to let them in. His decision to accompany Khan brought him to this point. He couldn't help him or Uzi. In the colony, he was a popular, well-adjusted jock with his future ahead of him. 

After today, he had no future.

But if there was one thing Thad could hold on to, it was a desire to ensure no one else suffered for his decision.

He looked up at the camera but spoke for everyone to hear: "Mr. Doorman, Ms. Worksworth, and I know Dad is there, too. I'm telling you... Do not open these doors! No matter what they do to me!"

A flurry of reactions took over the moment those words were spoken. V's eyes dulled with disappointment; J's brow furrowed, and she scowled with contempt; Khan was equally surprised and horrified; Audrey, sorrowful as she was, admired the boy's guts; Doc could only hide his face in his palm to keep anyone from seeing the tears.

Audrey, though Khan's deputy, never envied his leadership position, and today was a prime example of why. Leadership was about making hard choices. Condemning the young Thad to certain, painful death to spare the colony from the Murder Drones' wrath was one hard decision, especially knowing it would destroy Doc emotionally. She would make certain Thad received full honors. He wasn't a full WDF member, but he had the heart and spirit that every member could learn from.

"You listen here, Murder Drones," Audrey said into the intercom. "My duty is to protect this colony, a duty Thad understands all too well. To submit to you would be spitting in the face of that duty, as well as his willingness to make the ultimate sacrifice. Khan, sir, I prayed we would never find ourselves in this position, but I know you'll understand what I'm about to say." She steeled herself, then declared: "I will not open these doors!"

"Well, that's a bummer," V groaned. "I was really looking forward to a buffet."

J's left eye twitched. How dare this worker defy her? How dare he take the wind out of her sails and ruin what should have been a complete victory? She was going to enjoy tearing down that defiance. By the time she was finished, he would be begging her for mercy.

"Just know," J snarled into Thad's ear, "you chose this."

She kicked Thad onto his stomach and stomped on his back, earning a scream. She brought out her sword again and raised it above her head. While she fully intended to let the bite finish him off, J was going to make sure he suffered before even that. She would start by hacking off his fingers, then work her way up until he was a pathetic, screaming lump without limbs.

"After I'm done with you, we'll crack open the old geezer's head and pluck the door codes from his CPU. You're going to die slow, and it'll be for nothing!"

"Hey!"

Everyone froze as a new voice called out from the snow. Heads turned to see the new arrivals on the scene.

"Uzi?!" Khan gasped.

"Hands off the old geezer and that conventionally attractive male," Uzi said, pointing her finger at J especially.

N stood beside her, waving with a smile.

"Don't wave!" Uzi elbowed his arm with a disapproving glare. "We're going to kick their butts!"

"Oh!" N tried to change his mood to something with more bite. "J, you're... sometimes kind of mean to me, and I wish you weren't. Just some constructive criticism!"

J was unimpressed. "I've got to hand it to you, N. When I think you can't get any lower, you always find a way to surprise me. I guess that's the only thing you excel at, traitor!"

"Like how you 'excel' at terminating drones?" Uzi spat back. "You couldn't even kill N right."

"Wait, what is she talking about, J?" V asked.

J scoffed. "Don't tell me you're going to take the word of a stupid worker."

N pointed to the tear in his jacket. "You stuck me right here!"

"Or a worthless traitor."

"You told me that N was guarding her," V said, shoving Khan aside. "N couldn't lie his way out of a paper bag, and you know it!"

"Thanks, V!"

"Shut up, loser!"

Uzi leaned over to N. "You have terrible friends."

"She also said something about killing me if the company allowed it," N added. "She cut me open for asking a couple of questions!"

"Oh, did she?" V said, now taking a sharp tone. "I always knew you didn't like N, but did you really think you could pull a fast one on me? You think I'm that stupid?"

"...Kinda," J admitted with a shrug. When V's glare intensified, she returned one of her own. "He questioned the company. Policy dictates that any deviance from directives results in immediate termination. I'd consider my options carefully if I were you."

"Is that a threat?" V hissed.

"Threats don't work on you, so I'll issue an ultimatum: Stand with me and dispatch this deviant and his worker pet, or you can join them in the scrap heap."

The tension was as thick as the snow beneath their feet. Khan and Thad remained silent, hoping that being out of sight meant they were out of mind. From the security room, Audrey, Doc, and the WDF watched the scenario unfold before their eyes. The Murder Drones appeared to be turning on each other, and everyone was watching with bated breath to see what would happen next. Uzi and N, for their part, were more curious about whose side V would fall on.

"I like Option Three," V finally said.

J blinked. "There is no option thr—ECKH!"

V's foot caught J across her kisser, sending her flying through the air, breaking through a stop sign, and smashing into the windshield of a broken-down semi-auto. J's visor displayed a pair of comically dazed spirals.

The security office became flooded with WDF personnel and citizens drawn by the commotion. They collectively went, "OOOH!" in response to the kick.

"Please, tell me you got that on video," Rebecca said to Lizzy.

"I've always got something on video," Lizzy replied, grinning.

Uzi whistled. "Nice kick."

"Alright, V!" N pumped his arms. "Welcome to the team!"

"I'm killing her, not saving the workers," V snapped.

Uzi sprinted to her dad and Thad to help them up. "Are you both okay?"

"Shaken and scared out of my mind," Thad admitted, "but man, am I glad to see you in one piece, Uzi!"

Uzi gasped when she saw Khan's wound. "Dad, your shoulder!"

"It's just a scratch," Khan grunted. "But what are you doing with that thing?" He pointed a finger at N.

"Saving your butts, obviously."

"Sorry about almost killing your daughter, sir," N said, smiling sheepishly.

"You what?!" He grabbed Uzi's hand. "Oh, no! Not my daughter! Come on, Uzi, let's get inside while they're distracted fighting each other."

Uzi stood her ground, shaking her head. "I can't, Dad. I need to see this through."

"They'll kill you!" Khan pleaded. "This isn't your fight!"

"It is. It's been my fight since Mom. This may be my only chance to show they can be beaten." She pointed to the camera. "They're all watching. What will I tell them if I run now?"

Khan lowered his head, his voice shaking. "I can't lose you like I lost Nori. I couldn't live with myself if you...!"

Uzi lunged at Khan, throwing her arms around him for a hug. The act stunned her father into silence as he felt her squeeze him. His arms enveloped her, and they shared an embrace.

N pointed at them, intending to say something, but a light nudge from Thad made him keep quiet.

"You won't," Uzi said, pulling back. That trouble-making smirk adorned her face. "I've got a plan."

"Of course you do," Khan said with a sigh that devolved into a dry chuckle. "You're Uzi freaking Doorman."

It was Uzi's turn to be surprised, then embarrassed. "N-Not in front of the freaky Murder Drone and Thad!" She shoved her father off and turned to Thad. "Take care of my Dad while I lure them away from the colony."

"Way ahead of you, Uzi." Thad brought out the repair kit and knelt beside Khan to begin working on his wound. "I guess we found a use for this, after all!"

"Thanks. Let's get going, N."

The pair jogged away from the entrance to regroup with V, who looked at Uzi dismissively.

"Do we really need her?"

"She's pretty smart," N said. "She blew my head off earlier."

"SHE WHAT?!"

"Can we focus on the haughty Murder Drone, please?" Uzi asked, exasperated.

V stared at her. "We're Disassembly—"

"Oh, shut up!"

"So, that's how it is, then!" J launched off the windshield, into the sky to loom over the trio with a baleful gaze. "Ungrateful traitors, both of you! After everything I did for this team, this is how you repay--?!"

Pap!

The remains of a snowball slushed down J's face, cutting off her rant. She traced the trajectory to the one responsible.

N already had another one prepared, saying, "You know, J, you kind of suck."

Uzi's jaw fell open. "Nice!" She fist-bumped him.

Even V couldn't resist laughing.

Something in J's mind snapped. It was like a frail dam had finally broken, allowing the raging flood to pour through. She transformed her left arm into a missile launcher and took aim at the three, especially N. The idiot who had blighted her career from the moment he was assigned to her team, who had allowed himself to be beaten by a lowly worker, and who had embarrassed her for the final time. 

She was going to enjoy taking him apart. All of them, in fact. 

"I always knew N was worthless," J directed her ire at V. "But I thought you were better than this, V. You've shown me the error of that thinking. I don't need you." Her next words came low and cold, as if they could have induced another arctic winter: "I never needed either of you."

She fired, sending missiles screeching toward them.

Chapter Text

"Incoming!" N swept Uzi off her feet and joined V, flying straight into the air as the volley of missiles struck the ground. Uzi instinctively clung to him as the warheads erupted into flashes of fire and clouds of smoke, sending a wave of heat brushing against her back.

While she detested being held like a damsel, Uzi couldn't fly, and N was her best shot of making her plan work.

"Now that we have her attention," Uzi said, "let's lead her back to the factory! V, I've got a plan."

"Who died and put you in charge, worker?" V snapped. "I don't care for your plan; I'm taking her out now!" She changed her right hand into a sword and bolted past the pair, toward J for a direct assault.

A virtual vein popped on Uzi's visor. She now understood J's frustrations with her team, if only a little.

V soared after J, twisting and weaving around any missiles launched her way. She swung at J, intending to lop her head off, but J intercepted her blade with one of her own. Sparks drizzled from their weapons, grinding against each other with intense, high-pitched shrieks of effort. The momentum from V's flight gave her enough momentum to overpower J's defenses and clock her with a right uppercut. J was sent tumbling skyward, and V zoomed in for a killing blow, intending to skewer her chest.

J thought fast and brought her wings together as an impromptu shield, deflecting V's attack at the moment of impact. Whipping her wings open, J countered with a fierce kick to the abdomen to knock her toward the ground, where she landed with a harsh thud that sprayed up snow like a geyser.

"You feel like listening now?" Uzi shouted.

"Screw you!"

Uzi rolled her eyes before turning to N. "If she wants to fight J so badly, she can fight her at the factory. Let's get her to follow us before she—HOLY ROBO JESUS!"

J came rushing toward them with her claws poised to slash.

"Up you go!" N tossed Uzi up into the air before J tackled him into the side of a building.

Uzi squealed as she reached the apex of her throw and fell, slamming onto the top of an eighteen-wheeler's trailer. The snow cushioned her fall and absorbed much of the impact, but a bit of quick thinking let her tuck and roll, coming out of it virtually unharmed. She spent a second catching her breath, the sudden throw and fall leaving her rattled. N seemed careful not to throw her too high so she wouldn't get hurt. Had he thrown her at this specific spot, on purpose? It spoke to someone who can think on their feet when needed.

Once her breathing regulated—who programmed that, anyway, she wondered—Uzi slid down the windshield of the truck and landed in the snow crater beside V, who had just pulled herself free.

"We're not going to get anywhere if we're not on the same page," Uzi told her.

"Did I ask for your thoughts?" V hissed.

"No, but you're going to hear them anyway. N is fighting J on his own right now, and if you keep arguing with us, you're making things easier for her. I know you don't care for me, but we agree J needs to go, right? Then help me by following my plan, and you can fight her all you want!"

V glared, then huffed. "Fine, what's your stupid plan?"

J fastened her hands around N's neck as she flew up, pressing his back against the side of the building to create a vertical trench. Bricks and mortar crumbled to the ground below as she reached the top and flung N onto the roof. She clenched her fists as N got to his feet.

"How are you still alive?" J asked, curling her lip in disgust.

"An oil donation."

"The worker let you feed on her? She should be dead!"

"I didn't bite her," N corrected.

"I knew she was stupid enough to venture outside her precious colony, but I never imagined she was crazy enough to give oil to a Disassembly Drone!"

N shrugged and smiled. "Stick around. She's full of crazy ideas."

Having heard enough, J zipped toward N, bringing her leg down for an overhead kick. N leapt back as J's foot smashed into the roof, birthing webs of cracks around her. Whipping out her MP5, she fired, the gun spewing a stream of bullets with a loud ratatatatat!

N bent his knees and pounced into the sky. He evaded the incoming tracer rounds, spinning, twisting, and turning his entire body with grace and finesse built into him and refined through hunting. He continued until he heard the relieving click of an empty magazine, which J ejected with a snap of her arm. Before she could finish reloading, N had already equipped his missile launcher and sent a pair of warheads shrieking her way.

J dove backward, letting the first explode on the rooftop. The weakened foundation from her earlier kick buckled completely under the violent explosion, bringing the ceiling down and covering two apartments in debris, exposing the dusty rooms to the cold world. The second altered course to follow J's heat signature. She extended her arm to the sky, changed her hand into a barrel, and popped a flare. A misty red light hissed into the air, giving off enough heat to divert the missile from J, which struck the flare and blew up at a harmless distance above. Flashes of orange and red flickered across their heads and visors as they remained hovering opposite each other.

J extended her sword armament, preparing for another clash, but felt a sudden kick to the back that knocked her out of the air, smashing through another section of the roof, then the floor, and another floor until she barreled through at least four different levels of apartments.

"Have a nice fall," V taunted before spitting down the hole. In her left hand, she held Uzi by the back of her jacket's collar.

"Let go of me!" she barked.

"Suit yourself." V grinned and released her grip.

Uzi's face fell the moment her body did. Me and my big mouth!

She started to scream, but N intercepted and caught her. "I gotcha."

"Whose side are you on, anyway?!" Uzi wheezed.

"Not yours," V said, picking her teeth with a claw. "This is only to take care of J because she's a mega-jerkoff."

Uzi growled through pursed lips before composing herself. "V's in on the plan. We need to go back to the factory."

"She'll follow us, for sure." V flicked a loose screw down the hole. "We just ruined her uniform."

"Why does that matter?" Uzi asked.

There was a rumble from the hole. Uzi looked down and saw a dark shape rushing up towards them, orange eyes burning with a fury that would have melted the snow off her clothing.

"That's why." V nudged N's arm. "Try and keep up, and don't lose your head again."

"I'm right beside you."

Together, with Uzi in tow, they made for the factory as J erupted from the hole, the velocity and force of her exit sending seismic waves that shook the entire building. Looking beyond N's shoulder, Uzi could see that her once-spotless uniform was now defiled with creases; blots of dust clung to the black fabric, creating light grey imperfections; her symmetrical ponytails were now ruffled with strands loosely blowing out of sync with the rest of her hair.

But the look in J's eyes alone could have scorched Copper 9 clean of snow. Her lips peeled back, showing off her fanged teeth like a feral beast of the night. Her wings flapped with the ferocity of thunder as she rocketed after the traitors and their worker pet.

"Whatever you do," Uzi told N, "don't look behind you." Temptation began turning N's head, but Uzi grabbed his lower jaw and directed it ahead. "No, forward. You do not want to see how peeved she is."

"I can feel how peeved she is," V noted, smirking.

"That would explain the chill running down my back," N said. "I thought it was the cold."

"It's definitely the cold."

"Can we focus on not dying, please?" Uzi stressed. It's like babysitting children, not murder machines!

"Speak for yourself, worker," V said. "N and I will be fine."

"Uzi," N said. "Her name is Uzi."

Hearing N correct V came as a genuine surprise to Uzi. She'd only known him for a few hours! It was touching, barring the whole "murder all workers for the company" thing. That reminded her, she would have to sort that out with these two once J was dealt with.

"I'll remember it if she lives," V said, shrugging. "Maybe."

Uzi glared. "Gee, thanks."

Resuming her gaze ahead, Uzi spotted the distinctive shape of the corpse spire, illuminated by Copper 9's moon, sprouting from the assembly plant like an unnatural fungus. Even over a hundred feet in the air, Uzi couldn't help feeling dwarfed in its presence.

But its size would come in handy.

"This is close enough," Uzi told N, and he lowered himself to set her down on her feet.

V stayed hovering above, watching the approaching shape of J. "She's coming in hot. I give her about twenty seconds before she's on top of us."

...

"Scratch that, ten seconds!" V amended, bringing out her sword weapons. "She's really mad."

"Keep her busy," Uzi said, drawing the stun pistol. "Long enough to give me a clear shot."

N saluted. "You can count on us!"

Snapping his wings, N joined V in the air, side-by-side and ready to confront the fast-approaching J together. Their LED eyes formed into those orange X-shapes when they were hunting. From what Uzi could tell, it was their game faces.

Here we go, she thought.

J barreled into them, striking with dual sword-arms. N and V shielded themselves with their wings, supporting each other against the crushing momentum of J's assault. Together, they shoved J back and counterattacked; N equipped his chainsaw weapons, while V relied on her claws. They attacked in quick succession, flanking J to form a pincer. J narrowly avoided the swipes, leaning and shifting to keep from losing her head.

Uzi tried to adjust her aim on J, but the Murder Drones were too entangled for a clear shot. She couldn't help being amazed by N and V's coordination. Years of teamwork clearly fostered a degree of trust in combat, even if their enemy was one of their own. As soon as N attacked, V was there to follow up; when J attempted to retaliate against V, N redirected or blocked; if J tried to escape, V thwarted her from behind. But neither scored that definitive blow. J, for her part, wasn't gaining ground, but she was keeping her insubordinate teammates at bay. What she couldn't fend off with a well-timed block, she evaded with a duck or bob; if there was an opening, she took it, scoring light hits but nothing to turn the tide in her favor. She was their leader, and she proved it by fending off both simultaneously. But N and V's coordination evened the scales against J's skill, and the three were locked in a combat sphere of impasse.

Adjusting her grip, Uzi continued to watch the melee closely. Someone was bound to slip up as the fight dragged on, and she assumed J was the most likely to slip up under a two-on-one assault. Sooner or later, there would be an opportunity she could capitalize on. She only needed to wait for that opportunity to present itself.

J raised her swords, each catching an attack from N and V. A chainsaw ground in her left audio receptor, and claws squealed in her right, growing in volume as they inched closer to her head. She gritted her teeth, straining to fend them off.

Then, the tide shifted.

V swung her knee forward and slammed it into J's abdomen. As J doubled over, N streaked her along the back with his chainsaw, carving away one of her wings. Unable to support the weight of its carrier, J's single wing flapped impotently as she tumbled out of the sky and smashed into the ground, snow belching upward.

N and V landed on opposite ends of the crashed J.

On all fours, J panted, her LED eyes twitching and flickering. How was this happening? Was she losing? She was the best of her squad! Seeing those two traitors standing over her, looking so assured of themselves.

No...

J's fingers clawed at the snow, faintly crunching it against her palms.

This is not how it ends!

She gritted her teeth, her eyes shifting into an X-shape.

I AM NOT LOSING TO CORPORATE-DAMNED N, OF ALL PEOPLE!

With a feral scream, J lunged forward, her arm sword whistling through the cold air toward her hated idiot. N ducked, and J sent herself spinning from the force of her swing. N kicked her in the chest, sending her stumbling and vulnerable to be slashed across the face by V, her claws trailing three scratches along her visor. In her rancor, she attacked again, sloppily. V easily batted away her sword, allowing N the opening to kick her in the side, knocking her to one knee. J lashed out, knocking N back, but V caught her in a headlock from behind, followed by a searing pain in her lower abdomen.

V's claws had torn through her back and now protruded from her chest, caked in black oil that dripped onto the snow. J coughed up flecks of precious life fluid, and her knees trembled.

"Uzi!" N yelled. "Take your shot!"

Uzi...

J focused her vision beyond the traitorous buffoon for a moment, realizing the true cause of her problems this evening. The worker. Her interference turned N from a useless idiot into a traitor. She caused V to turn on her. She was the reason her uniform was ruined and why she wouldn't make the top squad of the quarter. She ruined everything!

For the briefest of moments, J forgot about the pain, nor did she care about the pain that came next. She ditched her sword and changed her left arm into a missile launcher. She aimed at the ground and fired.

The resulting explosion threw all three Murder Drones off their feet. J yelled as she felt V's claws forcibly removed from her abdomen. Her oil reserves would repair that. She craned her head, finding V lying several feet away, writhing as her systems were thrown completely out of whack. N tried to rise, but he was clearly disoriented, as well. That only left the single worker staring J down the barrel of what may as well have been a peashooter.

"YOU!"

Uzi's eyes widened. J's attention was completely on her now, and N and V were out of commission, however briefly, but it was time Uzi knew she didn't have.

J's clipped wing was already being replaced as her oil-powered self-repair module activated, the liquid alloy solidifying.

Panicking, Uzi fired. J tilted her head and shifted her body, letting the EMP rounds whizz past her. Bending her knees, J rocketed forward before Uzi could fire again and drove her sword straight into her shoulder.

J grinned as a satisfying shriek of agony tore itself from Uzi's mouth, mingling with droplets of oil that splashed against her face. She couldn't resist savoring the taste, licking it from her visor. She pinned Uzi to the floor, shoving her sword deeper into her shoulder so that it punctured the ground underneath her back.

"AHHHHH!"

"You've caused me a lot of trouble for a barely sentient toaster," J hissed through a smile that failed to mask her venom. "That's why I'm going to bleed you nice and slow!"

Although tears formed at the corners of Uzi's visor, she remained defiant. "Bite...me!"

J's grin blossomed. "Don't mind if I do!"

She sank her teeth into Uzi's neck. Uzi's eyes hollowed, her mouth clicking open in a silent gasp as her body was flooded with cold spikes. She wanted to scream, but no noise came. She kicked her feet and flailed her hands, desperately trying to remove J or wrestle herself free.

Her neck tingled, and she grew queasy.

She's draining me, Uzi's mind raced. Oh, Robo God, she's draining me!

Her visor was now pocked with virtual sweat beads. Fatigued bangs tugged at her eyes as she hyperventilated. Her kicks ebbed into pitiful scrapes, and her arms felt like heavy weights that she struggled to lift. How much had J taken? A quarter? Half? Two-thirds?

I'm dying. She's going to kill me. I don't...!

Her systems detected a foreign virus being transmitted. Error messages cropped up, warning of imminent danger. Her oil levels continued to drop. Her body seized, unable to control itself as the virus attacked her CPU, her security software powerless to stop it.

I don't want to die...

Her visor blinked off, and the world fell into darkness.

Cold enveloped Uzi. She couldn't move. She couldn't see. All she could do was sink into the embrace of nothingness. The void around her was calm, pure tranquility. It was difficult to imagine that just moments ago, she was being sucked dry by a Murder Drone.

Oh, right, she remembered. She was dying. Or was she already dead? Was this the afterlife? Purgatory? Where were the souls of the countless thousands of workers who died? Where was her mother? Was she doomed to float in this void alone?

Her mind was abuzz with questions she would never know the answers to.

"C...l...i...g..."

A sound touched Uzi's audio receptors. It was so faint, she initially passed it off as her mind trying to fill the perpetual blank surrounding her, like a human experiencing auditory hallucinations in absolute silence. Instead of white noise, however, she thought she'd heard a voice.

"C...ll...a...k...i...g..."

There it was again, louder this time and slightly more defined. Uzi was certain she was hearing a voice now. Its words, if she could call them that, came in broken fragments. It was quiet and distant. Someone or something was with her in the void.

"Who's there?" Uzi's lips silently mouthed.

Despite her words being muted, the entity in the dark reacted as if it heard Uzi. When it spoke again, its words were clear and defined.

"Callback ping."

A light pierced the darkness, cutting through it like a knife being plunged through canvas. The sudden brightness made Uzi recoil, but her limbs felt as if they were submerged in tar. She squeezed her eyes shut, hoping it would ward off the flare.

The glow was...warm. The frigid shell that encased Uzi's body dissipated within moments, and her limbs were free to move again. She twitched her fingers, getting a feel for them, and clenched them into fists. She opened her eyes, and the glow dimmed considerably.

Uzi could see the entity now. It had no form she could recognize, but rather a yellow circular shape with a trio of stalks that terminated in jagged points. In the center of the core was a faint ringed outline that gave it the appearance of an eye.

"What are you?" Uzi asked, hearing her voice again.

To her wonder, the entity replied: "Friend."

Uzi squinted her eyes. "I don't understand..."

She wanted to interrogate the entity more, but the eye's glow brightened once more, and it focused that light into a beam aimed at Uzi. She had no time to react. Even if she did, she had no means of escape. As the ray cascaded over her body, Uzi braced herself for what was to come. She initially cried out, expecting pain. But she felt no such thing. On the contrary, she felt...good. Great, even. Strength returned to her limbs as her systems shot back into the green. Whatever the entity was doing to her, it was invigorating!

The void fell away into the light, and Uzi heard a parting word from her unexpected savior. It was simple, succinct, and one she didn't need to be told twice.

"Fight."

J loved the sensation of life ebbing from her victims. The worker's pain cries tapering off into pitiful moans as her strength left would help J sleep off today's embarrassment. She would tear off the worker's head and mount it on a pike as a warning to everyone else who dared to defy her. It would be nestled perfectly between the traitors' heads.

That dream perished when the worker twitched.

That's not possible! J's mind raced as her victim's hands balls into fists, confirming it was no postmortem spasm. Against all logic and reason, the worker was still functioning!

"Get...off...ME!" Uzi's snarl evolved into a defiant roar as she drove her fist into the side of J's head, forcing her jaws from her neck and throwing the Murder Drone off her body, where she landed in the snow a few feet to her left.

J rolled onto her back, clutching her head in shock as the worker stood up. The force of the blow took her completely by surprise. Workers, on average, were stronger than the average human, enough that they could crush a hand if they squeezed hard enough, but this was different. This kind of strength shouldn't have been possible, especially after she was certain she'd sucked her dry.

N and V had recovered, as well, the latter helping the former to his feet as they watched the impossible unfold. Uzi had just been bitten by J and didn't die. No worker could survive their virus-laden bites. But Uzi had not only done just that, but she was also standing on her own power without any visible fatigue or weakness. She appeared better than ever.

Then, Uzi giggled. It came in uncontrolled bursts, like a tic. Vocal ecstasy is unable to be contained.

N nervously asked, "Uzi, are you okay?"

Uzi looked at him, and all of the Murder Drones could see the look in her eyes. They were hollow, not with fear, but with a different emotion entirely: elation. She wore a grin of pure, unfiltered mania.

"I'm better than okay!" She tilted her head skyward, splaying her arms with a wild laugh. "I feel like a god!" Uzi lowered her gaze to a visibly unnerved J. "I really should thank you, J! I've never felt this good before! HAHAHA!"

Something else danced across Uzi's visor, and V stiffened. It was fleeting, but she recognized it immediately. Uzi's left eye had temporarily changed into a circle with three pointed stalks before returning to normal. She wanted to believe she was seeing things, but that cursed symbol was unmistakable.

This just went from bad to worse, V thought with dread.

"Who are you laughing at?" J asked through gritted teeth, trying to hide her unease. "You're not making a fool out of me!" She lunged at Uzi with her sword. "WIPE THAT STUPID SMILE OFF YOUR FACE!"

Uzi shifted her body, allowing J's blade to pass her right by, and inflicted a roundhouse kick to the back of the head. J was sent sliding face-first across the snow, her body plowing a faint trench behind her.

And Dad said pirating all of that battle shonen anime was useless, Uzi thought with a self-satisfied scoff.

J whirled on her back, exchanged her sword for her MP5, and fired. Uzi cut left, tracer rounds whizzing directly behind her back. She tucked and rolled, avoiding a direct hit to the CPU. When she heard the click of an empty magazine, she seized her chance and closed the distance. J stood up, only to be met with a flying dropkick to the chest by Uzi. J was thrown off her feet and tumbled across the floor.

"This isn't happening," J murmured, shaking her head. "This can't be happening! I can't be losing to a stupid worker!"

"There's a first time for everything," Uzi retorted. "And this one was long overdue."

J snapped her head up, eyes trembling and growling through oil-soaked teeth. She equipped her missile launcher. To hell with collecting her head. J would blast the worker until nothing was left!

"Use hands."

Uzi straightened in shock. She'd heard the voice of the entity from within her head. Two words that imparted advice, if she were to guess. She looked at her palms, and a gut feeling told her what to do.

"JUST DIE ALREADY!" J screamed and fired.

"UZI, WATCH OUT!" N yelled, realizing she was making no moves to avoid the incoming missile and spreading his wings to intervene.

But Uzi remained where she stood. She extended her left arm, made a gesture with her hand, and the missile stopped merely inches in front of her. Everyone fell silent. The missile's fuel crackled, spewing exhaust trails, but it remained suspended in place.

A purple insignia had fastened itself around the missile, halting its flight.

"That symbol!" J gasped. "You have it...!"

Uzi looked up, then back down at J with a twisted smile. "Bite this."

With a flick of her hand, she reoriented the missile and released it. J followed the missile through the air, toward the corpse spire. What purpose could that serve?

Her eyes hollowed when she spotted a glowing, green orb lodged in the side of the spire.

The missile struck the power core, unleashing an awesome shockwave of green energy, mixed with plumes of smoke and swirls of orange flames. Worker fragments and limbs showered the floor as the spire's foundation caved.

Its weight compromised, the spire teetered, its shadow falling over J.

Horror animated J's face, and she spread her wings to take flight.

BANG!

A blue tracer round struck J in the chest, and sparks of electricity flooded her body. Her legs buckled, and she collapsed to her knees as multiple error messages appeared at the edges of her vision, citing various systems that had been knocked offline. Her security software would rectify them, but not nearly fast enough to avoid the corpse spire coming down on her head.

Through the error messages, she spotted N wielding the K1 stun pistol, its barrel smoking from expending a round.

"YOU FREAKING TRAITOR!" J cursed.

"I would say sorry," N replied, smiling, "but I'm a bad liar."

He swept up Uzi in his arms and joined V in the sky.

As the shadow over J's head darkened, her mind focused on how rotten a day this was. To be screwed at the last moment by N was the final, despairing humiliation she would leave this world with. Her eyes widened in horror as thousands of compacted worker corpses fell upon her with a thunderous crash. 

She screamed once, then was cut off as the spire crushed her under the weight of her kind's handiwork. Massive clouds of dust and smoke rushed from the impact zone in all directions. When the chaos subsided, the road directly in front of the assembly plant was completely paved with the bodies of workers. 

The monolith to the unassailable power of the Murder Drones now lay in ruin, burying one of its perpetrators in her sins.

The poetic karma was impossible for Uzi to ignore as the trio landed on a nearby roof and watched closely, waiting for a sign of J to surface.

The bodies were as still as the hail brushing against their visors.

"I doubt she's coming up from that," V remarked dryly.

Uzi let herself down from N's arms and planted both hands on the balcony, her gaze fixated on the result of their battle below. J was undoubtedly flatter than an oil can crushed under a heel. The weight of her achievement came flooding in.

"We did it!" She pumped her arms, laughing triumphantly. "We won! Suck on that, you corporate bootlicker!"

Uzi spun around and held out her hands to high-five her companions. "Up... high?"

She instead came face-to-face with the barrel of V's MP5.

BANG!

Chapter Text

BANG!

No hesitation. V pulled the trigger with the intent to kill. The muzzle flash was the last thing Uzi would see before the bullet drilled itself between her LED eyes and exited out the back of her head. Her body would drop, and V would make sure she stayed dead.

Uzi’s eyes widened as the bullet swirled through the air, the world slowing around the three of them. N’s mouth had dropped open in a silent shout of protest, raising his arm to stop her, but there was no stopping the bullet now that it was in motion.

It drew closer, mere centimeters from lethal contact.

Until it was suddenly thwarted. A purple insignia with three stalks fastened itself around the bullet. It rotated harmlessly, still carried by the velocity until it ground to a halt, now a useless piece of lead.

Uzi gasped, her left eye sporting the same symbol as the one that had just saved her life. Her left hand was raised, her fingers making a bizarre gesture to control her exotic power. She didn’t realize what she had done until her vision focused on the bullet a hair’s breadth from her face. Dropping the bullet, she stumbled back and fell on her rump, left hand over her chest as she fell into hyperventilation.

Just like J’s missile, Uzi wasn’t sure how she pulled that off. It was more instinct than deliberate action. Following it had saved her life, once again.

V wouldn’t allow her a reprieve, however, and she raised her weapon to fire at full auto. “Go to Hell!”

Right as she pulled the trigger, N seized her arm and threw off her aim, redirecting her shots into the rooftop.

“V, what are you doing?!” N demanded.

“Our job.”

“I-I thought we were on the same side!” Uzi wheezed, staring up at V in wide-eyed shock.

V glared at her. “Don’t get it twisted. I only helped you because I wanted to get rid of J. Even if we were on the same side, that changed the moment you used the Solver Code!”

“Solver Code? What are you talking about?!” Uzi sputtered.

V narrowed her eyes. How could she not know when she was practically drunk on it while pummeling J? Was she hiding it from them? She recalled N mentioning that Uzi had blown his head off in the factory and wondered whether the Solver Code enabled her to do the same. She clenched a fist at the thought. The thought of N being on the receiving end of that power a second time boiled the nanite acid in her tail.

But if that were the case, she would have had no need for the weapon J smashed. There was no tremor of deceit in Uzi’s eyes, either. The fear and confusion were very real. The fact that she hadn’t brought her power to bear against them at any point despite open hostility led V to the conclusion that Uzi didn’t have a strong grasp of what she possessed. Her power had to have awakened during the fight, after J bit her.

“So, you don’t know,” V finally said. “We’re lucky. It’s better for everyone that you never find out.”

She tried to raise her weapon again, but N’s grip held firm, keeping the barrel off Uzi.

“N, let go,” V said, her voice as cool as Copper 9’s storms.

“What’s gotten into you?” N asked.

“We’ll talk after the worker is dead.”

“Her name is Uzi, and she saved my life!”

“I’ll respect that by making it quick.”

It was more than V had offered any other worker. She knew N was telling the truth about the worker’s help. After all, she’d helped them get rid of J. A painless death was the best V could offer. This worker, Uzi, had a power she hadn’t seen in a long time, but knew all too well. Workers who possessed it were few and far between, and even less so were still alive. Uzi had no idea how powerful she was, or how powerful she could become, and V had no intention of letting her find out.

She moved her arm again, but N stayed her hand. His visor was shadowed by the rim of his cap. He didn’t know what was going on with Uzi, but he could tell she was in fear for her life. Had he done nothing, V would have killed her. If he stood aside, V would kill her.

“I’m sorry, V,” he finally said, looking her in the eye. “I can’t let you do that.”

Surprise mingled in both Uzi and V’s eyes. Neither of them anticipated N making a stand against his sole remaining teammate that he had known and served alongside for years, over a worker he’d barely known for a few hours.

V hardened her expression with a scowl, and her eyes changed to an X-shape. “N, you need to move out of my way before I move you myself.”

“Uzi, run!”

She didn’t need to be told twice. Uzi leapt to her feet and ran for the fire escape.

V briefly wrestled with N; when it became clear he wasn’t backing down, she slugged him across the face, sprawling him onto the floor.

“Don’t get in my way!” she snapped at him. “This is for your own good!”

She spread her wings and dove off the rooftop. Uzi had only so many places to hide and one direction to run.

N held his cheek, grunting a tiny, “Ow,” before flying after her. He wasn’t confident he could beat V alone, not after they’d just had a prolonged fight with J, but he didn’t need to win. He just needed to stop her from killing Uzi.

Dawn was approaching.

Uzi panted as she rapidly descended the fire escape staircase. A gauntlet of emotions ran through her. Anger, surprise, panic, and especially terror.

That made at least three near-death experiences tonight. She wasn’t itching for another. The only reason she survived J was because of her unexpected “friend”. She didn’t have a power core grenade or another corpse spire to drop on V, either.

And I left the K1 with N, Uzi remembered, wanting to facepalm. Brilliant!

“Hey!” she called out to her hitchhiker, “If you’ve got any bright ideas to help me again, now would be a really good time!”

The answer she received was brief and to the point.

“Hide.”

Uzi’s left eye twitched. “Like I needed you to tell me that!”

She reached the bottom of the stairwell and threw her shoulder against the metal door to burst into a hotel lobby. The main entrance wasn’t far. She could be there within moments.

V crashed through the glass doors and skidded to a stop, glaring at Uzi.

“Just my luck,” Uzi groaned.

V brandished a sword in one hand and her MP5 in the other. Thinking fast, Uzi snapped her eyes to a fire extinguisher on the wall. With a gesture of her hand, the purple symbol materialized around it, and Uzi flung her arm across her chest and sent the extinguisher flying towards V.

Surprise flickered across V’s eyes, and she instinctively carved the red cylinder in two with her claws, spraying her fast with white extinguisher foam. She fired her MP5 in Uzi’s general direction, but the worker slid beneath the front desk, and her stray bullets peppered the wall.

Wiping her visor clear, V found herself alone in the lobby without any indication of where the worker had gone. Cursing to herself, she scanned her firearm around the lobby. “Hiding now? I suppose that’s what you workers are best at. At least the last Solver User I killed didn’t hide like a rat!”

And why do you think they died? Uzi asked internally.

Her internal bout of sarcasm aside, V’s words plunged a pin of concern into her chest. V mentioned a “solver code” and how it made Uzi dangerous. After scrapping J, Uzi supposed she couldn’t fault V on that last part.

But the mention of V encountering and even killing another drone with similar powers put Uzi on edge. How did she know all of this, and why didn’t N? She had so many questions, but V wasn’t in the mood for answers. None that didn’t end in a bullet, at least.

Keeping low to the ground, Uzi crawled around the opposite end of the desk as V checked under the counter. The irritated growl that followed confirmed she’d narrowly avoided detection.

It was a mild reprieve. Although the front doors were a brief sprint away, life-threatening pressure had a way of making a ten-second run a treacherous affair. V would tag her the instant she poked her head out or made any sudden moves. Whether it was the business end of an MP5 or a blade, Uzi wasn’t going to outrun her.

Unable to run and nowhere else to hide. If she stayed put, she was dead for sure.

Uzi had to take a chance.

She prepared to run when something looped around her neck and yanked her off the ground. Uzi gripped the lanky tail that constricted her throat as V dangled her over the desk.

“Found you.”

“Augck!” Uzi choked and kicked her feet, but they were too short to reach V. She attempted to use her power, but V’s hand swallowed her own, squeezing it to keep from making any gestures.

“I don’t think so,” V said. She reared back her arm, intent on taking Uzi’s head off. “It’ll be quick.”

“N-No… please…!” Uzi rasped, pleading.

Swish!

A glint of metal crossed between Uzi and V. The next thing she knew, Uzi was freed and fell to the floor. She pried the tail's loose remains from her neck and coughed, a mix of shock and relief. V's eyes hollowed with surprise, and she looked where the weapon came from, only to receive a blue tracer round to the chest.

V grunted as she received an electric shock that threw her off the desktop and against the wall, where she slid down in a stunned state.

Above her head was the object that had spared Uzi’s life: a shuriken, embedded in a hanging picture of the hotel’s long-dead manager.

They have ninja stars?! Uzi groaned internally with envy. I want a freaking ninja star!

“Uzi!”

She turned her head to the entrance and never imagined she would be relieved to see a Murder Drone. “N!”

“Are you okay?”

“I almost died for a third time today! I can now say everyone in your squad has had a go at killing me, and I’m not itching for take four!”

“Sorry I wasn’t here sooner,” N said, scratching the back of his head while waving the K1 stun pistol in his other hand. “It took me a second to find this.”

Uzi was glad to know they worked, at least. But she couldn’t shake a question in her mind as she stood up. “Why?”

“Why what?” N blinked.

“Why did you save me again? Why defend me? We had no reason to help each other anymore.”

N thought it was obvious. “I switched sides, remember?”

“Right.” A smile touched Uzi’s lips. “The lamest heel-face turn in history.” She pursed her lips before adding, “Thanks.”

N’s eyes lit up, unaccustomed to genuine gratitude. A wide grin broke across his face. It wasn’t one of sadistic glee or innocence, but genuine happiness at being appreciated. He was good for something, after all. “Happy to help.”

If it wasn’t for the whole murder thing, Uzi might have called it cute. She stifled a gag at the thought and immediately felt embarrassed for it.

Out of the corner of her eye, Uzi noticed the shadows of night dissipating as Copper 9’s primary sun peeked over the horizon, bathing the streets in its illuminating rays.

“You should go,” N said. “V won’t risk chasing you, now that the sun is out.”

V moaned lowly as she began to stir. “What… happened?”

Uzi promptly shot her again, and V slumped over, offline. The firearm’s slide locked back as the chamber ejected the magazine’s last round. All out of bullets. Worth it.

Noticing N with both hands cupped over his mouth, Uzi rolled her eyes. “She almost killed me just now. Morality would call this a draw.”

She turned to the doors and took a few steps forward, then stopped. She looked back at N, and uncertainty danced in her eyes. He was a Murder Drone, but he helped her more in one night alone than anyone at home in the past seven years had. Despite their rocky first meeting, N seemed different from the rest of his team. Perhaps he was different from the rest of his kind, too.

They were misfits in their respective worlds. They’d helped each other in unexpected ways. When everyone else didn’t believe in her, N stood by her. Why did the only person Uzi found commonality with have to be a Murder Drone?

The universe had a cruel and twisted sense of humor.

“Take care of yourself, N,” she finally told him.

“You, too, Uzi.”

She pushed open the doors and exited the hotel.

N watched her go. His smile faded as soon as the doors closed behind her.

Just like that, the worker who had turned his life on its head was gone. It might have been for the better if they had never seen each other again, but N couldn’t help wanting to know her more.

If only they had more time. If only things were different. Why did he have to be a Disassembly Drone?

V stirred again.

N was going to have a long talk ahead of him.

Uzi continued down the sidewalk until the road beside her was no longer covered in worker corpses, at which point, she stepped into an intersection to get her first look at the sunrise. Her first in over seven years.

She held her hand over her brow, squinting her eyes and gasping in awe as the warm rays greeted her from beyond the city’s skyscrapers. The snow, frigid and indifferent at night, felt softer and more welcoming in the daylight. The wind, gentle and caressing, instead of harsh and whipping.

It was beautiful. Though a somber reminder of what the colony was missing, it could also herald a new beginning. Uzi had survived the night. Despite her close calls, she felt more alive over the last eight hours than she had in years.

Although her railgun was destroyed, it wasn’t for nothing. She’d learned much about her enemy. Specifically, she knew there was a greater one—Intersol. Humanity. They wanted the workers dead. One way or another, she would find out why.

“Dad, seriously, I’m fine,” Thad said for the umpteenth time as Doc finished looking him over for injuries. “I wasn’t even hurt.”

“Physically, perhaps, but I can’t imagine how this may affect you psychologically.” Doc crossed his arms.

“Cut the boy a break, Doc,” Khan said. “He did a good job tonight.”

Audrey pulled away from the security monitors. “You raised one brave cradler, Doc. He showed more guts than any of those yellow bellies outside.”

“I raised him too well,” Doc said, pulling a face.

“Now who’s pouting?” Audrey teased.

Ignoring the remark, Doc checked Khan’s bandages and hummed with quiet approval. His son’s lessons had paid off. Not only had he dressed the wound perfectly, but he also stopped the bleeding. If he hadn’t pursued athletics, he would have made an excellent medical drone. Perhaps when he joined the WDF. They could use more field repairmen.

“No freaking way.”

Everyone’s eyes were drawn to Audrey, who motioned to the security feed outside the colony doors.

A tidal wave of relief washed over the room when they saw the familiar shape of Uzi at the doors, giving a sheepish wave to the camera as Copper 9's primary shone outside.

“She’s alive!” Thad turned to Khan. “Mr. Doorman, did you…?”

The door hung wide open.

“OPEN THE DOORS!” Khan’s voice echoed down the hall, followed by the warning klaxons.

“Gee, the old model can move when he wants to,” Audrey murmured.

Uzi watched the trio of bunker doors slide open, one after the other. She caused a massive scene when she left and didn’t know what would greet her when she returned. Whatever came her way, be it ridicule, scolding, or some other lame disciplinary measure, she would take it on the chin.

Khan burst out the final door and threw his arms around Uzi, lifting her up for the tightest hug of her teenage life. “Oh, my precious, angsty, rebellious daughter! I was worried sick!”

Uzi had experienced a lot of surprises today, and even she didn’t see that coming.

She also didn’t notice the massive congregation of Colony 31’s population gathered at the entrance, with at least a hundred pairs of virtual eyes locked on the mushy sight.

“Holy crap, she isn’t dead,” Lizzy’s voice faintly echoed from the back.

Immediately abashed, Uzi kicked her feet and squirmed in the hug. “Dad! Not in front of everyone! This is so embarrassing!”

“I don’t care,” Khan said. “I’m not ashamed to be happy you’re still alive!”

“I meant for me!”

“After all the worrying I went through last night alone, you can bear a few minutes of public embarrassment. Just block it out like our good ole doors block out those horrible Murder Drones!”

Uzi groaned, letting her head hang back. “You are so stupidly corny!”

“And I think I’ve just aggravated my shoulder injury.” Khan remained smiling, even as his bandages ripped. “Oh, yeah. There’s the pain.”

He dropped Uzi and fell over.

Thad sucked air through his teeth. He was really proud of how he patched him up, too. “Dad?”

“I know, I know.” Doc joined a few WDF personnel who scrambled outside to collect their leader. “Take him to the clinic.”

Uzi sat up in the snow, watching her father be helped up. “Hey, be careful! He’s been through a lot.”

“You do care,” Khan said, his virtual eyes welling up with touched tears that looked straight out of a sappy cartoon.

“S-Shut up! Go back to being hurt!”

Thad approached Uzi and offered a hand. “Want some help?” He smiled.

Uzi’s face flushed. “I can stand on my own, thanks!” She popped back on her feet and dusted the snow off her clothes.

Thad held up his arms in a ‘have it your way’ gesture but kept his smile.

“Stop grinning like that—why is everyone being so sappy today?” Uzi crossed her arms and looked away to hide her pouting blush. Although she wouldn’t admit it, she appreciated Thad’s offer and that people had shown concern at all.

“So, this is what it’s like to see the sun,” Thad said, planting his hands on his hips. “I’ve got to admit, it’s amazing.”

“Yeah,” Uzi said, smiling more genuinely. “It really is. Someday, I hope everyone can experience it… once they quit hiding in the bunker.”

Thad snickered.

“What’s funny?”

“I think they were on to something when they called you crazy, because no sane drone would have done what you did.”

Uzi didn’t hide her pernicious grin. “Stick around. I’m full of crazy ideas.”

The benefit of being trapped in a hotel during the day was that there was no shortage of places to rest. N picked out a room on the top floor close to the fire escape, so that he and V could fly out immediately after sunset. After kicking open the door—the lock was busted, anyway—he made sure the curtains remained shut before laying V to rest on one of the queen-sized beds. He flopped onto the empty one adjacent to her and sighed as he stared up at the ceiling.

Last night was busy and exhausting. They’d lost their pod, their lair, their team leader, and he’d lost his new friend.

It was okay to call Uzi a friend, right? They got along really well. She saved him, he saved her, and she didn’t seem to hate him or belittle him as J did. She had to be a friend. Would he see her again? Would she want to see him again? Would she even leave her colony again?

N stretched his arms with a tired groan. Asking uncomfortable questions was more tiring than the fighting, strangely enough. He must have taken Uzi’s questioning attitude to heart.

A groggy moan drew N’s attention to V’s bed. She’d finished rebooting and wiped her forearm across her brow. “Oh, my head…”

“Yeah, sorry about that,” N said.

V tilted her head to look at N, her eyes underscored by virtual bags. She was going through one hell of a migraine. Getting shot with two EMP rounds would do that. Although she wanted to express her annoyance, even grimacing made her head throb.

“Why did you do it?” she asked quietly. “Why protect her? You didn’t owe her anything after J was gone.”

N rested a palm on his lower abdomen, caressing the tear in his jacket. “I just couldn’t.”

“Couldn’t, or wouldn’t?”

N shrugged meekly. “Both, I guess. I don’t know what to think anymore.”

V frowned at him.

“What’s going to happen to us when all of this is over?”

The question took V off guard.

N continued, “That’s what I asked J before she gutted me. I questioned the company. But is it wrong to ask?”

“That’s not for us to know,” V mumbled, craning her head to stare at the wall.

“Then maybe you can tell me what you know.” N sat up and looked at her. “What’s the Solver Code?”

V took her lower lip between her teeth, remaining silent.

Feeling stonewalled, N sighed. “I guess we’re both too beat to talk about it right now. We’ll talk about it later when we’re better rested. Goodnight, V, or is it good day?”

“Just go to sleep, idiot.”

N sank into sleep mode. V struggled to follow him. She could only think about how close she came to ending the threat. So close. She’d seen the symbol in Uzi’s eye before. That eye with three stalks, burning red with a power that could crumple a Murder Drone like an aluminum can.

N was so lucky he couldn’t remember.

If V could help it, she would make sure he never had a reason to.

J coughed and sputtered as she pulled the broken remains of her body out from under the mound of corpses. There was a dark irony to being crushed under the weight of those she killed, but they had also spared her from the sun. The sheer mass of corpses had risen just high enough to block the sun from cooking her on the spot.

Under the cover of shade, J crawled into an alley and sat herself up against a wall next to a dumpster.

She took a moment to assess her damages. Her left leg was horribly mangled and ill-suited for walking. The left side of her visor was decorated with a web of cracks that may as well have been the equivalent of a swollen eye. Her once-prim hair was unkempt. In fact, she was certain one of her pigtails was missing some inches. That didn’t even get into the string of dents, cracks, and ruptures in her body that spewed sparks.

All things considered, J was lucky. The amount of oil she consumed from the worker fueled her self-repair module just enough to keep her from going offline, but she was still clinging to life with severe damage.

She needed more oil, and soon.

This was all because of that stupid brat. If she hadn’t left her colony, if she’d stayed in her hole where she belonged, none of this would have happened. That worker had cost her everything!

Uzi had cost her everything; thanks to the Solver Code.

The Solver Code…

It had been a long time since the worker population produced a Solver User. But they were always high-valued targets. The company would surely reward J if she scrapped this threat.

Looking skyward, J knew her masters were watching her progress. She was never one to disappoint. In time, she would repair herself, kill the Solver User, and the traitors. Presenting their heads in tandem would surely earn back their favor. She wouldn’t need to be top squad of the quarter.

She would be Employee of the Year.

That thought brought a smile to J’s face.

“I hope you’re comfortable in your precious colony, Doorman,” she hissed. “Because I’m coming for you.”

Following a final check-up with Doc, Khan Doorman’s bandages were mended, and he was discharged from the clinic within a few hours. Uzi waited for him, passing the time by conversing with Thad.

The walk home was leisurely and relaxed. Although both were exhausted and sore, they were just relieved to still be alive. Audrey opted to remain in charge for the day so that Khan could rest and heal at home. She was the only one willing to volunteer. Uzi was convinced that the workaholic was legitimately married to the job. But she did her job well.

In fact, she'd already ordered the technicians to finish working on the cameras, ignoring any complaints about it being the weekend. If nothing else, Audrey was efficient and got things done. She also sent the WDF to keep people from heckling the pair with questions about their wild evening outside, which the Doormen undoubtedly appreciated, as they weren't in the mood to deal with gossip.

Uzi had no doubts this was going to make her the talk of the class for a while. She wasn’t looking forward to Lizzy dialing her antics to compensate for that. That was a problem for Monday Uzi to worry about, though.

When they’d made it to their residential dorm, Uzi was ready to slink off to her room and sleep all day. Khan called to her before she could get far.

“Uzi, there’s… something I’d like to share with you.”

Blinking, Uzi turned to look at him. “What is it, Dad?”

He motioned for her to follow him to his room. The access pad was still hanging by its wires from the hotwiring job the technicians had done earlier to unlock the door, so the door remained open.

“Uhh, sorry about that, by the way,” Uzi said, coughing into her hand.

“I’ll fix it later,” Khan dismissed it with a wave of his hand. “I could use a door to fix to take my mind off this anyway.”

Uzi jammed her hands into her pockets and lightly tapped her heel against the door frame. “Because you love doors more than your daughter, right?”

Khan whirled on her with an offended look. “We promised not to talk about that! It was a misquote, and you know it!”

“Your WDF pals would disagree.”

“I’m going to find out who keeps posting that quote and install a door on their face.”

Uzi snorted. “At least let me watch.”

“Anyway, that’s not what I wanted to show you.” He knelt beside his bed, and Uzi knew what he was reaching for. He procured the lockbox and sat on his bed, holding it in his lap. He patted the side of his mattress, beckoning Uzi to join him.

Uzi pursed her lips uncomfortably. Khan knew what she’d done to get her railgun back, but there was no flicker of disappointment or indignation in his eyes. His expression, though worn, was relaxed and like a soul laying itself bear. With some hesitation, she sat beside him.

Khan opened the lockbox so Uzi could see the family photos. “Last night made me realize something, Uzi. I kept these photos locked away because I didn’t want them to be damaged. That’s what I told myself, anyway. But I know now that wasn’t entirely it. It was because I was afraid of being reminded of what I lost, of what I could lose again.” He looked directly at his daughter. “That was you.”

Uzi shared his gaze. “Dad, I…”

“Please, let me finish.” Khan paused to suck back a shaky breath. “I thought that by keeping you here, I was honoring your mother’s wishes. She would have wanted you to be safe. But she never would have wanted you to be confined, either.” He picked up the family photograph at the lake for them to enjoy together. “I know I haven’t been the best father since your mom died. But I never stopped loving you, Uzi.”

“Dad…” Uzi was getting misty-eyed. She hated it, but it was unavoidable.

Khan placed a hand on her shoulder. “And I’m sorry I ever made you feel like you couldn’t depend on me. I was always proud of you…”

Uzi shut him up with a tight hug around his waist, an embrace Khan eagerly returned. They stayed like that for a minute, cherishing each other after almost losing the other. They let their tears fall, silent expressions of vulnerability only they would be privy to.

“Thank you for coming for me,” Uzi said, pulling away. “I’m sorry, too, for worrying you so much. But if you tell another soul about this, I’ll… dropkick you or something.”

“I accept those terms.” Khan chuckled. “By the way, there’s one more thing for you.”

“What is it?”

Sifting through the box, Khan procured a rectangular-shaped, handheld music player. “Here. This was your mother’s.”

Uzi’s eyes widened as she took the music player in her hands. “Mom’s?”

“It’s yours. She’d want you to have it.”

Uzi was aghast. A personal memento from her mother. One of the few things she had to remember her by. She was curious to learn her taste in music, anything that would give her more insight into the kind of person Nori was.

Clicking the power button, Uzi was slightly dejected when it failed to turn on.

“It needs to be recharged,” Khan said. “It hasn’t been used in a while. I thought you could charge it while we put these photos up in the living room.”

“The living room?” Uzi snapped her head to Khan. “You mean…?”

“For too long, I’ve treated Nori’s memory like a painful wound.” Khan looked over the photos in his hands, admiring the memories they captured. “I won’t lie and say that it doesn’t hurt. It’ll continue to hurt. I doubt this wound will ever heal completely. But healing won’t begin if I keep hiding that pain.” He flicked his gaze at Uzi, then offered the photographs. “Nori deserves to be remembered. What do you say?”

Uzi took the pictures and smiled warmly. “I’d love that, Dad.”

Father and daughter leaned into each other and embraced.

Chapter Text

Quarterly reports were meant to be simple. Disassembly teams checked in, reported the number of workers they dispatched, and then were dismissed. Ideally, they wouldn’t be heard from again until the next quarter. Rinse and repeat. On the off-chance a Disassembler was destroyed, word was sent to the technicians to build a replacement. It all ran like clockwork.

But the Director had grown used to things not being simple. The primary complication was bandwidth. The landing pods were the Disassemblers’ only line of communication. They were advanced, but sending and receiving signals from Intersol’s moon station to a perpetually overcast planet was tricky. The second issue was the planet's rotation. While the Disassemblers mitigated signal complications by positioning their pods atop skyscrapers or mountains, nothing was getting through if the moon was on the other side of the planet.

These reports would be much easier if he could gather all of the team leaders into a conference call, but the pods’ bandwidth couldn’t support it. There were a total of eight Disassembler teams active on Copper 9, each assigned to a sector with the thickest worker population. That meant holding eight individual conference calls of varying lengths. Add in spotty signals and the planet's rotation, and quarterly reports could take several days to get through. The Director didn’t need to spend any more time on them than necessary.

Sometimes he didn’t bother with calls, opting instead for digital reports, which came with their own set of problems. It circumvented the signal and rotation problems, and digital messages came through much quicker, but it also meant reading every report, and they were always lengthy. Disassemblers were nothing if not thorough with their paperwork. The Director’s secretary sometimes joked that the next quarterly reports would be ready by the time they finished the last ones.

It's always something, the Director bitterly thought while massaging his wrinkled forehead. Rising from his chair, he turned to study the white planet beyond the viewport in his office.

Despite the catastrophe, Copper 9 retained elements of beauty from orbit. It boasted a single large landmass dubbed Beryllia. The early colonists likened it to Earth’s Pangaea. The surrounding body of water came to be known as the Ebon Sea, named for the mineral content that gave the water a black hue. Pockets of islands separate from Beryllia existed, though no efforts were made to establish settlements there. Everything humanity needed from Copper 9 was on the west coast of Beryllia, which was where the first and only city was founded.

It was called Alloy City, a sprawling metropolis with eight interconnected districts that were named after various copper minerals. Back when humans populated this once-crowning achievement in human settlement, they could travel freely between districts via an intricate monorail network. The Director reminisced about riding one of those magnificent machines with his wife and daughter. Sometimes, they rode without a destination in mind. They remained seated as the monorail took them through all eight districts, seeing what each had to offer, taking in the fruits of human achievement.

Alloy City was often referred to as Copper 9’s New York City. It could have become the capital of the entire planet if humans had continued to expand. Now, it was a tomb of what could have been, crawling with drones like maggots in a corpse.

The flicker of remembrance faded like a ghost when the faint chime of a digital bell rang outside his office.

“Director Elliott,” a female voice buzzed through a small speaker next to the door, “The quarterly reports are ready.”

James Elliott turned away from the viewport of his office and pressed a button on his desk linked to the door’s speaker. “Come in.”

The door slid open, and Elaine Ridley entered with a data pad in hand. A woman in her mid-thirties, Ridley was punctual and efficient. Her sharp hazel eyes were the most discerning James had known, which made her the ideal assistant.

Ridley skimmed over the data pad, then took her place in front of the desk. “Ready when you are, Director.”

James sat down in his chair. “Proceed.”

Clearing her throat, Ridley got to the brass tacks. Most teams kept their numbers between the high double-digits and low triple-digits—satisfactory numbers in the final accounting.

There was one discrepancy James noticed, however. “There are only seven reports.”

“Team 2 failed to check in or submit their report,” Ridley said in conclusion. “All attempts to establish communication with them in the Malachite district have failed.”

James furrowed his brow. “Is it the storms?”

“Possibly, but that hasn’t stopped them from submitting their reports in the past.”

“Which drone commands that team?”

“Serial Designation J.”

James caressed his temples with a weary sigh. Of all the drones to share the first letter of his name with, it had to be that brown-nosing bootlick. From the day it came online, J had been Intersol’s number one advocate. It thumped the rulebook with the same fervor as a preacher with a Bible. James tolerated its antics because it did its job fairly well, not out of any attachment. As far as he was concerned, J was an asset.

“That’s out of character,” he finally said, straightening in his chair. “Serial Designation J’s never missed a report for any reason, and was always the first to check in. This lapse in punctuality could mean J was destroyed.”

“The pod was probably lost, too,” Ridley said. “Otherwise, Serial Designations N or V would have reported the loss of their commanding unit.”

“So, we could be looking at the loss of an entire squad.”

“Or J and the pod, at the very least.”

James scowled. Losing even one Disassembler was costly, but to lose an entire team? Something planetside changed, and he had to know what. It would take time to construct a new squad, but he would have to make do with those on the ground.

“Which team is closest to the Malachite district?”

“That would be Team 4 in the Azurite district, led by Serial Designation L.”

“Send word to Serial Designation L to contact me immediately. I’ll have Team 4 investigate. Put the technicians on standby. Once we have a more detailed report on what’s going on, we’ll proceed accordingly.”

“As you wish, Director. Shall I inform them to proceed with the next phase of Disassemblers?”

James narrowed icy blue eyes at her. “I’ll inform them myself if it comes to that. For now, tell them to stand by. Hand over the reports. Once you’ve sent word to Team 4, you’re dismissed.”

“Yes, Director.” Ridley passed him the data pad and took her leave.

Once alone, James pored over the data pad, specifically going over Team 4’s report. They disassembled an impressive 274 workers this quarter, putting them well ahead of the other teams.

It wasn’t surprising. Team 4 consistently excelled, earning triple-digits at the lowest. Their only competition was Team 2, no doubt fueled by J’s desire to prove itself. Normally, Disassemblers kept to their assigned districts to avoid “poaching” and the tension that came with it. With Team 2 M.I.A., however, the reassignment was warranted.

Team 4 was perfect for the job.

The world returned to Jonah in a blur. He grimaced as he tried to recall what happened, and a lance of pain streaked through his memory. He and his wife were on a scavenging expedition with at least two others. They set out early to take advantage of the sun. They'd mapped out a warehouse that hadn't been investigated yet.

The last thing he remembered was opening the door before receiving a violent jolt.

Jonah raised his head, eyes hollow with concern. Lacey!

He attempted to move, but his limbs didn't budge. Looking down, Jonah found himself tied to a chair with ropes. His ankles were firmly adhered to the legs, his wrists were bound to the armrests, and his torso was tied against the back of the chair. After a brief struggle, he resigned.

Worry for his wife cascaded through him, but he took a moment to breathe. Humans breathed to calm themselves in dire situations like this, so it had to work for drones. Panicking wouldn't help him or Lacey out of this situation. His head was still free, so he ought to take advantage of that to assess his surroundings.

Right away, he could tell he was indoors from the roof and walls. He could hear the howling wind beyond the walls, which told him they weren't too deep inside. A few feet ahead, there was a single metal door, the only way in or out. Directly above him was a light fixture casting a glowing cone in the otherwise dark room. Judging by the outlines, it appeared to be the interior of the warehouse his team was set to enter. Swiveling his head, Jonah noted two other workers flanking him, similarly bound to separate chairs. He recognized them as Noah and Brett, the other members of his scavenging team. Lacey wasn't among them, however.

Had she gotten away? She was in the back of the group when they entered, so it was possible.

"Guys," Jonah groggily said. "Guys, wake up!"

The other stirred, their LED eyes slowly lifting open.

"Jonah?" Brett groaned. "What's going on?"

"Hey, what the?! I'm tied up!" Noah cried out.

"We all are," Jonah said. "Calm down."

"How are we supposed to calm down in a time like this?"

"Because panicking won't get us out of this. Whoever did this clearly wanted us alive for something."

The door to the room swung open.

"He's right, you know."

Everyone snapped their heads forward.

Standing in the doorway was a drone wearing a long military coat. They approached the bound workers, shiny black boots squeaking along the floor until they stopped directly in front of the prisoners. Their hands were folded behind their back as they examined all three of them from beneath the brim of an officer's cap.

Following behind them was a taller, most robust drone in a high-collar trench coat. Every step they took was pronounced by a thud that sent faint tremors in the ground; the workers could feel the vibrations under their feet. Their imposing stature was topped by a helmet that was shy of scraping the ceiling, as if the room barely accommodated them. Jonah could tell that this one would dwarf most humans if they stood side by side.

Flanking the big one was a mechanical canine-like animal. It panted as its sharp paws clacked along the concrete floor before settling into a seated position beside the taller drone. Its tongue lolled from the side of its mouth, which sported sets of glistening, serrated fangs that could rip metal. Its four glowing orange eyes were full of yearning hunger.

Jonah recognized them by their orange armbands with the skull decal. "You're Murder Drones!"

"Murder is such a heavy word for taking apart machinery," the officer said whimsically. "We prefer to be called Disassembly Drones. After all, you can't murder something that isn't alive, wouldn't you agree?"

Jonah glared with silent defiance.

The officer held his gaze for a moment, then looked to Noah; the young worker immediately averted his eyes. He shifted his gaze to Brett, who flinched and kept silent. The officer returned to Jonah and grabbed the front of his jacket to read the stitched name tag. "So, Jonah, I take it you're the one in charge of this group. It's nice to meet you."

Jonah said nothing. He wanted to inquire about his wife's whereabouts, but if she got away, he would only tip them off to her survival. It was best to keep his cards close to his chest for now.

The officer smiled and tipped his cap in greeting. "I'm Serial Designation L. Since you know what we are, that means you know what comes next. Our directive is to wipe out the lot of you workers from the face of this planet." He knelt beside Jonah and clamped a hand on his shoulder as if addressing a friend. "Workers creating a society is at odds with company policy. Even the most basic Gen 1 drones know that we cannot permit rogue A.I."

"But we aren't hurting anyone!" Noah sputtered. "There aren't any humans left!"

L craned his head. "True, there are no humans on Copper 9. But humanity is a persistent species, something you workers share in common with them, given you've endured seven years of committed annihilation. Copper 9 is not the only planet humans inhabit. In fact, there are other worlds out there where humans and drones live in a master-servant harmony. Now, if they caught wind of independent drones living outside their masters' control on a dead world, it would invite questions. Uncomfortable questions!" L stood up and approached Noah, pacing in front of him as if lecturing a student. "Which is where we Disassembly Drones come in. We ensure the uncomfortable questions never arise because there's no precedent for them. If what happens here prevents even a single drone off-world from deviating from its purpose to serve humanity, then all of this dirty business will have been necessary and worth it."

"You can wax poetic about this being necessary all you want; it doesn't change that you're all a bunch of murdering scum!" Jonah spat.

"History won't see it that way," L smiled. "But you are correct, I'm getting off-track, and I apologize sincerely. I rarely converse with workers, so I get carried away."

"So, why haven't you killed us yet if you're so adamant that we must be wiped out?" Jonah asked pointedly.

"A fair question." L reached into his coat and fished a smoking pipe. He pinched the tip between his lips, then rummaged through his pockets. "Where did I put those lousy...?"

The larger Disassembly Drone silently leaned forward, his large hand presenting a matchbox.

"Ah, thank you, X," L smiled as he struck a match and lit the pipe. After taking a few puffs, he exhaled and addressed the workers again. "I love these human knick-knacks. Where was I? Oh, yes! Company policy dictates that we simply 'kill' the lot of you on sight and move on. But I regard policy as more of a guideline than holy writ. If alternative measures that make the fulfillment of my directives easier arise, I see little reason not to take them." He pointed his pipe at the three workers. "You, my friends, may be the luckiest or most unfortunate fellows we've crossed." He splayed his arms to appraise them. "That depends on you!"

"What are you on about?" Jonah narrowed his eyes.

"I recognize you from the settlement we recently wiped out," L said. "I have to give you props for using a metro station to hide under our noses, but without the heavy-duty doors afforded by bunkers, that wasn't going to last. Still, while we wiped out the majority of your colony, we know some of you managed to scurry off and hole up somewhere else. We knew all we had to do was hole up during the daytime and let you get comfortable, emerging to do some scavenging because after losing your main home, you were bound to embark on relief missions sooner or later. Fortunately, we caught you and set up our trap, which landed you here for this little chat. That brings me to why you three still function." L took another whiff from his pipe. "I want the location of the survivors, and one of you is going to provide it."

"What makes you think any of us would do that?" Jonah hissed. "We're the WDF. Our job is to ensure the safety of our communities. To give them up to you would be betraying that!"

"Because if you don't, the three of you are of no use to us, and we'll follow through on company policy by taking you apart. Your colony pushed us well over our quota for this quarter, so whether we add three or a few dozen more workers to the spires makes little difference. I'm simply being pragmatic. If any of you divulge the location, we'll let you leave unharmed. I assure you that I'm a drone of my word."

"G-Go to hell!" Noah spat, missing L's boot by a few centimeters. "We aren't talking!"

L hummed pleasantly. "I like your spunk. Serial Designation X?"

The large drone stepped forward.

"Put his money where his mouth is," L said, almost lazily, as he pointed at Noah.

The young worker's eyes hollowed. He didn't have time to voice his confusion before X's large hand shot out and enveloped his whole head.

"What are you doing?!" Brett gasped. "Stop!"

X squeezed, and Noah's screams were muffled by his palm. He thrashed against his restraints, trying to break free so he could clutch at the compressing hand. His screams intensified as the pressure increased, remaining low in volume but bloodcurdling to convey mortal agony.

Jonah fought back the urge to be sick. Brett was screaming and pleading for Noah's life. He could hear the sound of metal creaking, giving way to the pressure.

"MMMMPH!"

Jonah swore Noah was trying to call out to him. There was a wet squelching sound, followed by the spurting of black oil through X's thick fingers. Flecks spattered against Brett's face, devolving his pleas into incoherent yells of horror.

X released his hold on Noah's head, allowing the mangled remains to slump forward. The worker's body spasmed as its life ebbed before settling into eternal rest.

Brett threw up. Jonah had to swallow before he followed suit. This wasn't the quick death granted to many when their colony fell. This was a slow, drawn-out execution to break their resolve. He'd be lying if it wasn't an effective example.

But he had to keep to his word. To give up the survivors meant giving up Lacey.

X turned and made a clicking sound with his tongue. The mechanical canine scurried over and began licking up the oil that drooled from Noah's crushed head.

"I thank your late friend for his donation," L smiled dissonantly. "Zon loves fresh oil."

"You're sick!" Brett roared amidst dry heaves. "He was just a kid!"

"There's an old human adage: the good die young." L leaned forward, his face inches from Brett's. "Your friend died to protect what's left of your rabble. He was a true member of the WDF." Straightening, he smoked his pipe again. "You still have a chance to save yourselves. The location of the survivors."

Jonah gritted his teeth and wished this one time that looks could kill. If such a thing were possible, it would wipe that grin off L's face and shrivel his head the same way poor Noah's was. He had to divert his attention to Brett, however, who had begun hyperventilating. The weight of it all appeared to be suffocating him, seeing what had been done to his friend and what was likely to befall him, as well.

"Hey, Brett, stay with me!" Jonah shouted.

"I don't want to die, Jonah!" Brett screamed.

"Think about your parents! Do you know what they'll do to them if you tell them where they are?!"

Brett was fortunate to have escaped with both of his parents. With only a few dozen survivors, retaining one's immediate family was like winning the lottery. Brett couldn't seriously be considering giving them up to save himself after everything they'd been through.

"It's them or you, boy," L said. "Because you're next."

Panting, Brett felt the walls closing in. It was like X squeezing him without touching him. He loved his parents. He didn't want to see them hurt. How could he live with himself if he was the reason they died? If he kept quiet, perhaps they'd have a chance of surviving. Why did he volunteer for this job?

He lowered his head, feeling digital tears brimming.

"Going once, going twice..."

Brett snapped his head up, eyes full of defiance. "Screw you! You hear me? SCREW YOU!"

X seized him by the head and, in one swift motion, tore it from his body, streaking black along the concrete floor and the walls behind him. Brett's visor was left with the perpetual "FATAL ERROR" message, indicating death. He was gone.

Jonah averted his eyes and cursed lowly as X tossed the head to his pet, which began gnawing on it. He regretted that it got to this point. Brett's family wouldn't see their body again, and he bore the blame for it.

"Zon's got a new chew toy now!" L quipped. "Look at him, he's loving it."

"You think this is a game?!" Jonah shouted. "He had parents who will never see their son again because of you!"

"Then we'll grant them a mercy by reuniting them," L replied. "Once you tell us the location of the survivors."

"Like Hell I'm telling you anything! If you're to kill me, do it now!"

He was ready. Perhaps this was the only way he could atone for inadvertently leading Brett and Noah to their deaths. If this were the only way to protect Lacey, he would gladly lay down his life.

L stroked his chin. "Nothing will convince you otherwise?"

"You have nothing to threaten me with!"

"Oh, I doubt that very much." L chuckled. "Luckily for you, I have a bonus round lined up."

Jonah stared at him in abject bewilderment.

L turned to the door. "Bring her in!"

A third Disassembly Drone appeared in the doorway, this one wearing a dark green aerial jacket with her silver hair fixed into buns. The manic look in her eyes told Jonah that she was excited for what was to come.

"Look who we've got behind Door Number 3!" she announced as she brought in the worker.

Jonah's eyes widened in horror. "Lacey!"

His wife cried out to him from behind a layer of duct tape. Her brown hair was frizzled, and her jacket was scuffed. She hadn't escaped. They'd been holding her this whole time.

"Serial Designation F here took extra good care of your wife, Jonah," L said. "She's a doctor, you see? You can trust her with your wife's health."

"I swear if you've done anything to her!"

F grinned wide, showing her fangs. "That's no way to repay my hospitality. She was worried sick about you, Jonah! I thought you'd be happy to see I kept her alive, and let me tell you, it was a real struggle not to indulge in the old killing instincts!"

L tsked. "F, we've talked about this. Disassemble, not kill."

"But that's so sanitized!" F whined. "Kill is easier to say and more fun."

"Our dear F has thoroughly embraced the Murder Drone label you workers have attributed to us. I dare say she does everything in her power to earn that title." L crouched beside Jonah, that damned smile still on his face. "So, here's how it's going to go. I'm going to ask you for the survivors' location. For every wrong answer, F will begin taking her apart, limb by limb. She's become very intimate with worker anatomy, so she knows precisely how to keep her alive. By the time F is done with her, dear Lacey will wish she were dead."

Jonah had no retort this time. What could he reply with? The words caught in his throat as digital beads of sweat formed on his visor. They were going to torture his wife right in front of him for that information. These Murder Drones didn't just live up to their feared reputation. They exceeded it.

"Please, don't do this," he quietly pleaded, looking L in the eye. "I'm begging you, don't hurt her."

"That depends on you. Now, the location of the survivors. Where are they?"

His lips quivered, and he felt the world begin to spin. Lacey was shaking her head, silently imploring him not to answer.

L snapped his fingers in front of Jonah's face. "Eyes up, buddy. The location."

"I-I..."

"F, motivate him."

F swung her claws and cleaved straight through Lacey's left arm. A muffled scream echoed throughout the room as Lacey's left arm clattered to the ground, oil spurting from her stump.

"OH, MY GOD!" Jonah cried. "LACEY! YOU'RE ALL CRAZY!"

"The location of the survivors, Jonah. Do you want Lacey to spend the rest of her life as a lump?"

"Polly Avenue! It's Polly Avenue, just let her go!"

L scowled. "Oh, Jonah, why are you lying to me? After all the chances I've given you, you lie? We checked that street already." He pinched his visor, visibly offended. "I was so ready to let her go, too. You know what, F, pick whatever limb you want next."

"My pleasure, boss!" F brandished her claws and traced them along Lacey's leg. "I'm thinking a cut right here would be perfect. Can I take both legs, L? I swear, we'll have plenty of her left to keep playing if he doesn't start spilling."

L stuffed his pipe back into his pocket. "Granted."

A mortified howl escaped Lacey's mouth as streams of digital tears trickled down her visor.

"Oh, we're having worker legs tonight!" F reared back her claws.

"NO!"

F swung her claws down—

"CARTRIDGE!"

F paused mid-swing, her claws hanging just above Lacey's legs.

"Cartridge! They're at Cartridge Street in an antique shop called Old Timers, hiding in the basement using a hidden door behind the shelf!"

L beckoned X over, then stepped away to give him room. The large Disassembly Drone knelt and stared deeply into Jonah's eyes. It was like he scrutinized his very soul. 

After sniffing, he stood up and addressed L in a low voice. "He's telling the truth."

"Marvelous work, X. Thank you." L folded his hands behind his back. "Now, was that so hard, Jonah?"

F ripped off the duct tape from Lacey's mouth to permit her to speak.

"Jonah!" she whimpered amidst pained tears. "What have you done?!"

"I..." Jonah lowered his head, struggling to look at her. How could he? He'd betrayed everyone and everything he stood for. But he lost so many when the colony fell. "I just couldn't lose you, too..."

"How touching," F cooed.

Jonah whipped his head at L, hissing as he tried to blink back the tears himself. "You'll let us go now, right? You said--!"

"I know what I said." L nodded to X, who began untying the restraints. "If you recall, I'm a drone of my word. You and your wife will be permitted to leave unharmed."

Once he was freed, Jonah made a beeline for Lacey and gathered her in his arms. He felt her pound her lone fist against his chest, choking back sobs. Everything came crashing down in that moment. The realization of what he'd done finally sank in.

Lacey was ready to die, and Jonah denied her. He saved her life at the cost of the others. When he preached to the others to be selfless, he chose to be selfish when it mattered.

"How could you?" she wept. "How could you throw everyone away like that!"

"Lacey, I..."

"Don't!" Lacey shoved herself off him, clutching her leaking stump. "I can't even look at you anymore!" She wiped her face and turned her back to him. After a few tense seconds of quiet crying, she glared at him. "We're done. I don't ever want to see you again!"

"Wait, Lacey!"

She ran through the door and out into the snow. Jonah took off after her, his cries fading into the wind.

The Disassembly Drones stared.

"Ooh, drama!" F giggled. "She was all, 'I never want to see you again!' Just like in the old human movies!"

"That got heavier than I thought it would," X noted dryly.

"Regardless, we got what we needed," L said. "The sun went out a few minutes ago, so we're good to head out."

Zon came over with the head of Brett in his mouth, his spiked tail wagging with anticipation.

"Oh, who's a good murder machine?" F dropped to her knees to pet his head. "You're a good murder machine! Yes, you are!"

"Have they left the area?" L asked.

"Given how fast they were running, yes," X replied.

L glanced down at F and Zon. "Go and kill them, will you?"

"Hey, you said the word!" F grinned.

"Oh, hush. I'm only saying it because you understand it better."

F brandished her claws. "Let's go hunting, Zon!"

With a beat of her wings, she darted out the door, with the animal dashing after her, warbling all the way.

"Would you like to join them?" L asked X.

"They've got it handled. After everything those two have endured, they won't get far. Besides, Zon needs the exercise."

"I thought you'd have liked to hunt with him, X. He's your pet, after all."

X grunted. "He likes F. I trust she'll behave with him."

"As you wish." L stuffed his hands in his pockets and started toward the door. "I'll get the pod ready for takeoff. Collect the oil from the bodies, then meet me topside."

"Yes, sir."

Bloodcurdling screams tore through the air.

L checked the time on his visor. "That might be a new record."

When L entered the pod, he noticed the screen displaying a message about an incoming transmission. It was from Intersol. More to the point, it was from the Director himself. It was rare to receive direct transmissions from so high up, so it had to be important.

L hastily pressed the button to put the signal through, then straightened up to greet the silhouette of the Director as soon as it came onscreen.

"Director, to what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Serial Designation L, your team is being reassigned to the Malachite district."

L raised a brow. "Isn't Malachite under Team 2's jurisdiction?"

"Team 2 failed to report in, and aren't responding to summons," said the Director. "Your team is closest, and your performance has convinced me that you are the most qualified for this mission. You're to investigate Malachite and report back once you've ascertained Team 2's status."

"How soon should we depart?" L inquired. "We've discovered a pocket of survivors from the last colony we wiped out and were en route to deal with them."

"Finish them quickly, then head for Malachite. I want that team found."

L nodded. "As you wish, Director."

The transmission ended, leaving L alone to process this development. An entire Disassembler team going radio silent? Unit losses were expected in this line of work. He'd seen it first-hand. But total team losses were rare.

What happened in the Malachite district? His job was to find the answer to that question.

He spun on his heel and opened the door to the landing pod.

X carried several capsules containing oil collected from the bodies. F and Zon were coated in splotches of oil from the recently disassembled couple. All of them noticed the look in L's eyes.

"What's the sitrep, boss?" F asked.

"Team," L declared. "We have new orders from the Director himself. Once we finish up here, we're going to the Malachite district. Team 2 has gone dark, so we're going to find out what happened."

"Then what are we waiting for?!" F eagerly skipped aboard the pod. "Let's go, come on! I'd love to see a new district!"

Zon leapt up the steps to join F in the cockpit.

X handed the capsules to L, then climbed onto the side of the pod, hanging by a handle. He shared a nod with his leader.

"Alright!" L entered the cockpit and slipped into his chair. "Let's go hunting."

END OF THE OVERTURE ARC

NEXT TIME:

"Who are you? What are you?"

"The solution to all of your problems."

TO BE CONTINUED IN:

MURDER DRONES SHIFT: GROWING PAINS ARC