Harsh red emergency lights bathe the entire area, while the monotonous blare of alarms repeats in an endless, urgent loop.
Countless red targeting lasers from the security robots are all trained on Veronica and Serra.
One false move, and the heavily armed security robots will shower them both with a hail of bullets without mercy.
Looking as pale as a ghost, Serra struggles to maintain her composure nonetheless.
She presses herself tightly against Veronica, a futile attempt to shield her companion from harm.
The standoff is short-lived. Heavy footsteps approach, accompanied by the grinding of metal against metal as Overseer draws near—each footstep a death knell signaling their impending fate.
Finally, the massive mechanoid emerges, its towering frame casting an overwhelming shadow that swallows both Serra and Veronica whole.
You can drop the act now, Mechanic Serra. You've performed admirably.
Overseer's words leave both Serra and Veronica stunned. Before either can react, the security robots swiftly move in to separate them.
ConfirmeDDmechanoid Veronica has attempted desertion and acted upon this intent. Punishment will be administered per the protocol.
Mechanics Serra and Roko have identified this security risk during maintenance and provided successful verification. Rewards will be distributed per the protocol.
What...
Serra's pupils contract in shock as she struggles to process what she's just heard. Right then, a chilling, rage-filled growl cuts through the air.
SERRA—!
No! Wait... It's not what you think!
Serra struggles to break free from the security robot's grip, only to be intercepted by someone else.
Roko appears out of nowhere and roughly forces Serra's head down as he leans in to whisper in her ear.
Stay still if you don't want to die!
Roko then lifts his head and puts on an ingratiating smile for Overseer.
Thank you, thank you! This little one here is still caught up in her role-playing, you see.
Roko clamps one hand over Serra's mouth while frantically fishing out the "storage component" she had seen earlier from his pocket and offering it to Overseer.
Through Overseer's network, a holographic projection stored in the storage component appears before everyone—footage of Serra and Veronica's previous interactions together.
Seeing this, Serra deflates completely. All of Roko's strange behavior during their earlier conversations suddenly makes perfect sense.
...
...You knew all along? You were watching us the whole time?
And then you just waited for the perfect moment to stab me in the back?
Roko avoids Serra's gaze. He turns his head away as his fingers tremble almost imperceptibly.
...I don't have much time left, but my wife and child are still out there.
So that's why you betr—
"Betray me?" Roko clamps his hand over her mouth again, stopping her from saying more.
Serra swears that she's never seen this man as emotionally conflicted in all their years together.
Determination, ferocity, and... unmistakable guilt.
At least I kept you out of this!
Liar!
Another angry voice suddenly yanks Serra out of her grief.
She turns around to face the consuming rage in Veronica's eyes.
So... you two are in this together.
No, I'm not part of this!
It's not like that, I swear it's not what you think it is...
Quite a show you've been putting up there treating mechanoids like friends.
Always playing the victim, claiming you're trapped here, constantly oppressed.
Spouting nonsense about being a prisoner here just like the mechanoids when you're a human.
Hah! Utterly ridiculous!
You've been waiting for this very day, haven't you?
To you humans, mechanoids are nothing but "tools" to further your own agenda.
I should have strangled you when I first saw you.
...
Meeting Veronica's unbridled fury, Serra has nothing but tears and silence to offer.
Their fragile friendship now lies shattered.
Now, die!
Veronica's lance slices through the air with deadly precision.
Serra makes no attempt to dodge Veronica's attack. She simply closes her eyes, awaiting what comes next—only to realize nothing has happened.
There's only the heavy thud of something hitting the floor—she opens her eyes to find Veronica's face contorted in agony.
Veronica collapses to her knees, the restraint collar around her neck discharging powerful electrical currents. In excruciating pain, she can barely hold herself upright.
Behind her stands Overseer.
Initiating disciplinary protocol against rogue mechanoid Veronica.
...You... human... lapdog!
Stop it!
Without hesitation, Serra throws herself at Veronica in an attempt to shield Veronica with her own bodyDcompletely forgetting she could be shot dead while at it.
She completely disregards that this same mechanoid was just trying to slash her down moments ago.
All she wants is to rush forward and embrace her friend in this moment of crisis.
But a security robot's bullet tears through her calf with surgical precision.
The wound isn't fatal, but it instantly robs her of her ability to move.
Serra desperately reaches out trying to close the distance between herself and Veronica, longing to touch her, to save her from this nightmare.
Except there is nothing she can do.
Overseer watches it all unfold, its voice remaining as cold and emotionless as ever.
Fugitive resistance escalating. Intensifying disciplinary protocol.
Overseer's massive mechanical hand clamps around Veronica's neck as it pumps increasingly powerful, disruptive currents through her frame.
...!
Veronica eventually loses her will to fight under the overwhelming force. Her mechanical body goes limp, and her arms fall to her sides as she collapses to the ground.
VERONICA!!!
But the mechanoid lying on the ground will never again respond to her call.
A human voice crackles through the surveillance system overhead.
It belongs to a young girl—soft as a feather, yet sharp as a blade.
I heard every word they said. What a captivating little drama that was.
You two are such "exemplary assets" to the Consortium. Truly deserving of recognition.
Keeping them together would be foolish. See that they're accommodated separately.
Bring the girl to me—as for that old man, he's all yours.
Yes, Master.
Overseer shoves Roko—his face ashen with fear—into the midst of security robots like a discarded rag doll. Multiple weapon barrels instantly lock onto him.
...
Then, with its gun barrel, Overseer motions for Serra to walk ahead.
Come with me to meet "Master".
Top Level, the "Master's" Chamber
Everett Arena
Everett Arena, Top Level, the "Master's" Chamber
Serra enters a place she's never been before. It's so dimly lit here that she can barely make out her surroundings.
Still, she immediately senses something different about this place.
Beneath her feet isn't the cold, hard metal floor she's used to, but soft, plush carpet. Rather than reeking of the pervasive machine oil stench of the arena, this place smells of a subtle fragrance she's never smelt before.
The most striking feature of the room is the enormous aquarium spanning an entire wall, its waters emanating a faint, ethereal glow.
But Serra is not interested in any of this right now. Her thoughts are fixed on this "Master" waiting for her somewhere ahead.
Never has she felt such terror and isolation—not from the threat of death at the hands of this "Master," but from not knowing where Veronica is right now.
A horrific vision flashes unbidden through her mind: Veronica lying unconscious in the middle of the arena, a hydraulic press descending with a piercing screech and inching closer until it crushes her into scattered parts.
She can't shake it off her mind. All she wants is to flee this room and rush to Veronica's side—whatever fate might await them both.
But Overseer's gun remains pressed against her back. There's nowhere to run.
Master, here she is.
Overseer shoves her forward, forcing her into full view of its "human master" waiting at the far end of the room.
With a respectful bow, Overseer silently withdraws beyond the doorway to stand guard.
Serra can barely keep herself upright with the gun wound in her calf. Gritting through the searing pain, she struggles to push herself upright from the floor.
This "Master" remains shrouded in darkness. Casually reclining on an enormous bed, this person apparently has no intention of rising to greet her.
Serra catches the soft, rhythmic beeping of some kind of device. In the same direction, mysterious indicator lights pulse rhythmically.
Relax. That little wound of yours isn't going to kill you.
Let's skip the pleasantries. I already know your name, Serra. A beautiful name, I gotta say.
I run this place. You can call me Deloris.
Take it easy. Say, fancy some girl talk?
...
Only now does this girl who calls herself Dolores slowly straighten herself on the massive beDDher movements come with the soft whirring of mechanical joints.
When Deloris's face catches the dim glow from the aquarium, Serra finally sees her face—one with delicate, youthful features, framed by raven-black hair that only accentuates her unnaturally pallid skin.
From beneath Dolores' dress, a web of strange tubes extends outward carrying all sorts of colored fluids that pulse slowly through their transparent lengths. All of them connect to a bizarre machine whose indicator lights blink in an irregular rhythm.
As Serra traces the tubes to their destination, she gasps in horror—they pierce directly through Deloris's delicate skin at various spots across her body, effectively imprisoning Deloris to the massive bed.
Please accept my apologies for not showing you a better version of myself.
What the hell do you want from me?!
Didn't I already tell you? To give you your "reward" for being such an excellent employee.
...
Why would you trust those useless pieces of junk?
You don't actually believe a mechanoid you barely know would unconditionally take your side just because you've exchanged a few words, do you?
And you're still trying to speak up for her here when she just tried to kill you? How very sad.
Only humans can truly understand one another's struggles, thoughts, and deepest desires... Don't you agree?
I know exactly what you want—you want to be flying out there like a free little bird.
With a knowing smile, Dolores eyes the winged pendant hanging from Serra's neck.
"Freedom"—that's exactly what I want, too. You see, our goals are perfectly aligned.
I could make this room the most comfortable and luxurious in the world, but I'm sick of being stuck here.
I want to walk, I want to run, I want to... indulge in every pleasure life has to offer! Anything would be better than living like this!
Dolores seems to be growing more manic by the second.
So, help me gain my "freedom," and I'll grant you yours in return.
You're going to complete my "experimental project" and "repair" my body.
Serra stares at Dolores in shock. No matter how Serra looks at her, she appears entirely human. She can't even see a mechanical prosthetic on her.
What... do you mean? I'm not a doctor...
Dolores puts on a wordless smile. She turns her face away to gaze at the aquarium beside her as though admiring its artificial landscape.
But the massive tank contains no fish. The only inhabitants are a few oddly-shaped hermit crabs slowly crawling about.
One of the hermit crabs appears to be searching for a new "home," persistently exploring all the shells on the tank floor with its claws. Eventually, it picks a shell that meets all its requirements.
The hermit crab slowly extracts itself from its old shell. Without protection, its soft, twisted body appears grotesquely vulnerable and hideous.
It carefully maneuvers its body to slide into the new shell. Apparently satisfied with its new "home," the crab starts waving its pincers again and continues its search for food.
When she's done observing the hermit crab's performance, Dolores turns back to Serra with a lingering smile.
The human body is far too fragile. Even the slightest injury or illness can break it. How very useless, no?
Mechanoids, on the other hand, are powerful, beautiful, and capable of anything.
...
A terrifying realization dawns on Serra, but the horror of it paralyzes her completely. She can't bring herself to vocalize her thought.
Dolores, however, reads Serra's thoughts from the terrified look on her face.
You're clever. What I want is a new mechanoid body.
I want Veronica's body.
You're mad!!!
Dolores breaks into a calm smile, looking as though she completely saw this reaction coming from Serra.
Still trying to act tough, huh?
There is no negotiating—unless, of course, you want to end up like "him."
With a gesture from Dolores, the door slides open. With it, metallic footsteps echo through the room, drawing closer and closer.
It isn't, however, Overseer—but an ordinary, generic mechanoid that doesn't even appear to have any combat modules installed.
It moves forward with slow yet steady steps and comes to a halt next to Dolores' bed.
Ready to serve you, Master.
Who are you?
ID: 18702, codename: Roko.
Y-you are...
There is no mistaking who this mechanoid is, distorted as its voice is.
Roko, who was desperately crawling through a pool of blood not too long ago, is now permanently imprisoned within this cold mechanoid shell—forever denied the "freedom" he so desperately craved.
And the worst part of it is—he doesn't even know what's happened to him, no memory of who he once was.
Uncle Roko!!!
The mechanoid, however, shows no reaction, standing motionless as it awaits further commands from its "Master"DDolores.
You may leave now.
Yes, Master.
The mechanoid housing Roko's consciousness turns around and exits the room with the same slow, measured steps.
...
The dark room falls into absolute silence—save for Serra's tears dropping one by one onto the floor.
What she just witnessed has completely shattered the last bit of resistance in her mind.
Dolores waits patiently for the young mechanic to give her the answer she wants.
After a long silence, Serra, desperate, finally gives her answerDshe reaches out and clutches the silver letter opener gleaming on the table.
Instead of pointing the letter opener at Dolores, however, Serra points it at herself.
Her hand trembles as she musters what little resolve she still has in her.
Only in death can she find redemption and escape—she must destroy her knowledge and skills along with her life.
She refuses to become a tool for evil.
Trying to kill yourself now? How very funny.
Death is terrifying. Are you sure you're ready for that?
When the blade pierces your flesh, the pain is excruciating. When your blood drains away, you're going to feel colder and colder...
And when you die? You'll be lying in the pitch-black earth while the worms slowly devour that pretty face of yours... Still think it's worth it?
Dolores laughs softly, her venomous gaze cold as ice.
Even if you die, I'd still be able to extract your entire consciousness and transfer it into any mechanoid shell I choose.
All I need is your skills as a technician. Everything else about you, I'll just erase.
Then you'll truly become a "tool" that does exactly as I say.
So, put that thing down now.
Says Dolores as she takes the letter opener from Serra without so much as breaking a sweat.
Enough. Let's not waste any more time—we shouldn't keep Veronica waiting.
Now... let's begin the "feast," shall we?
