Killing machine on the loose /jk

(Mostly) Book-based Murderbot RP blog -- Read info before interacting -- Est. 2025 - Played by Alnee

[constructedanxiety]

“So the plan wasn't a clusterfuck, it was just circling the clusterfuck target zone, getting ready to come in for a landing.”

Murderbot, Exit Strategy

So uh. This is awkward. By now, you probably realise that I'm a SecUnit, but I'm probably saving your ass and/or my ass right now, so uh. Let's keep all the finger-pointing and/or shooting at the scary murderbot for later, okay??

Independent roleplay blog for Murderbot from the Murderbot Diaries - Mostly based on the books, with some TV aspects

Written by Alnee (33+) | Minors dni | Everything-friendly | highly selective Read info before interacting [ Info / rules | Mun | Verses | Art tag | Threads ]

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[cruelcoppinger]

[constructedanxiety]

Happy New Year's Eve, everyone! 🎆 🎊

[kxllerblond]

The handshake did mean a lot. He knew Sec wasn't big on contact and Clark wasn't either really, but he at least hoped that the gesture somehow communicated that he'd missed the construct enough to push them both outside their comfort zones in the name of holiday togetherness.

❝ Well, no one HAS to or needs to do any of this, dear. It's just something people like to do. ❞ Clark shrugged and let his hand drop again, turned his head to listen Howard and Kikugawa-— though he flinched at the mere mention of karaoke. What a dreaded pass time. There was some appeal in watching others butcher songs, but that always came with the price of participating and he loathed the idea.

❝ That's fine. ❞ He said it immediately and with an even calm to try and be the first to allow Murderbot to feel confident in its confession. He had moved to place a hand on Howard's shoulder. ❝ People dart around and do drop-bys for the holidays all the time. Plenty of people have multiple families or groups they spend it with. You're just one person, you can't be in multiple places at once. That's perfectly fine you can't stay and we appreciate you stopping by for any amount of time. Don't we, Howard? ❞

He gave Howard's bicep a squeeze and withdrew. ❝ Let me just go get your present into a bag. I won't make a big show about it. We can open your things now so we don't keep you long. ❞ And he walked off and was gone for a good few minutes before returning with a simple gift bag.

The contents contained quite a few expensive stationery supplies. A few journals of varying paper styles as well as writing utensils in also a variety of colors and types. Pencils, pens, and even some markers. He held it out to the contract and resumed his place by Howard's side.

[tooth--ache]

Howard tilted his head to the side, wondering who Sec's friends were, somewhat worried about the lot it had found itself amidst. Though if they were inviting it for Christmas, surely they were good people? Hope was all Howard could have for it; it knew how to take care of itself. Hopefully. Either way, he wasn't all fussed about it not making it for the celebration the day after -- they've got a week before the year is over, don't they? Unless Sec meant it in a way that it would never return again, he was absolutely amiable to the change of plans. Not that it had much to begin with; after all, he had a fight with Clark just days before which would have resulted in a worse celebration than not having Sec home tomorrow.

"You think having to tell your family that you can't come on Christmas Day is bad? Try asking a married couple with living parents how difficult it could be -- it gets political so quickly," Howard began to laugh. "Don't worry about it, Sec. You can come home on Boxing Day, can't you? You've got your gifts at your friends' family for the day, then come home the day after and spend some time with us."

He shrugged and nodded at Clark's explanation, which was better worded than his own. "Yes, what he said; though if you skip BOTH days then I'd be very, very cross with you," he pouted, then laughed. "I'll leave your gifts in the stocking and under the tree so you have a reason to duck out of your friend's house before things get awkward from all the drinking the night before," Howard grinned. "After all, it is called Boxing Day for a reason. Wouldn't be one without boxes now, would it?"

"I shall be splitting my time between 兵器 and you both," Kiku said. In between their chatter, she was perched cross-legged on a bar stool, sampling the cookies on the kitchen island with a satisfied hum. "I've observed Thompson‑sama use his powers so often I've managed to copy it!" She disappeared, reappearing on the stairs as a cat once more. "Distance would not be an issue, although I can be persuaded to stay longer, as and when I'm needed."

[constructedanxiety]

That's right. It didn't have to be complicated or stressful. Clark and Howard were right, this was all about doing things because we wanted to, not because we needed to. And that was why I was here, right now. Because those people were important to me.

And it seemed I had no reason to feel stressed. There were ways to make this work. Ways for me to see both Zoe and PARIS, and Clark and Howard. I relaxed a little and snorted.

"I wouldn't dare. I know how you look when you're cross," I told Howard flatly. It was meant to be humorous, but the moment I said it I realised how it sounded after what transpired before. When Howard had been so mad at me he got violent.

Shit. "I- I mean this- as a joke," I told him sheepishly, but the more I spoke, the more it felt like I was digging myself in deeper. So I closed my mouth and swallowed hard before changing the subject.

"It shouldn't be an issue. I don't sleep. I can travel all night. And we're not stationed too far with Zoe and PARIS." I glanced at Howard. "They're... friends of Dr Harper. You might know them."

I smiled a little too, knowing that Kikugawa would split her time. It made me feel warm in my organic parts. But not in an alarming way. Just something pleasant I wanted to cherish.

"I can.. wait to open my.. gifts." What a strange concept. But not unpleasant either. "But would you... want to open yours now? Or... wait for... boxing day?" I glanced at them all. A quick online search allowed me to find out boxing day was on the 26th, right after Christmas. It would work out fine.

But if they were to open the gifts, Kikugawa would find a small hat for her cat form to keep her ears warm (it didn't feel right to look at her in her human form. Disrespectful in a way, and I couldn't shake the feeling), bedazzled and red and golden. It had been the easy gift.

For Howard, I still remembered the whole saga about his watch, and how important it had been for him. So when I came across a kit for cleaning and maintenance for watches, I thought maybe he would find some use in it.

Clark... Clark had been the hardest to think of a gift for. But I thought he might share my appreciation for paper and analog writing, and I had noticed his use of physical folders and writing still. So, with the help of my friends and the internet, I looked for some fountain pen. Something old school enough for someone like him, and hopefully fitting for a business man.

Of course, I was well aware that none of them needed any of this. They could get it all the second they wanted it. But, as I was told before, it's the thought that count. And hopefully, it counted a lot.

"I should... go." I told them at last, because I suddenly realised I wasn't sure I could bear the anxiety of watching them open the gifts I got them and waiting to see on their face just how much they hated it. Or not. Maybe I could be a little hopeful.

[kxllerblond]

Clark had returned shortly after, already mid-sentence to Howard and talking about making sure to remind him to refresh their stock on that one soap they both enjoyed. The sentence was cut short upon seeing the guest, his hand halting where it'd gone to grab up his apron again.

❝ Howard, you didn't tell me Sec would be by today. ❞ He hissed lightly.

❝ I haven't even wrapped your present yet. I thought I was going to have to ship it somewhere later. ❞ Clark had been under the impression the construct's holiday gift would be more like a New Year's gift depending on how busy it was and where it had found itself.

The cambion let out a huff and finished grabbing up his apron and tying it. ❝ Oh, I'll just use the ole' bag and tissue paper trick I suppose. ❞ Her came to join the two where they stood and politely held out a hand.

❝ I assume you're still not one for hugs so... ❞ He made a glance for his hand and shrugged.

[tooth--ache]

It had been far too long since he'd seen Sec, and that distance alone had made Howard lose his familiarity with Sec's undercurrent of anxiety, which reminded him awfully like the black cat hanging around its neck that meowed long and scratchy at him.

"No, gods, no, I've just put it up. I meant it as a joke," he explained, just as a flurry of black fur leaping towards him, claws out, perching expertly now on his shoulder as he rose up to take the gifts offered. "Aw, you even brought us something! Thank you so much."

"The stockings are where the small gag gifts and bits and bobs like socks and underwear gifts go," Howard explained, "There used to be aisles called stocking fillers in the shops. I used to get... Tangerines in it. For some reason or the other." He rubbed his chin. "It has always been a somewhat capitalistic endeavour, a horror show for people with no talent nor interest in gifting-"

Clark appeared out of nowhere, as was normal for a cambion he supposed, and this prompted Kikugawa to leap off of Howard's shoulder to stand in her human form next to him. She was potentially wearing the most modest kimono second only to her cooking attire, looking up at the men with her round yellow eyes in interest.

"I didn't actually know it was coming today. Just at some point which I had hoped to be today," Howard turned to Sec, "but no pressure. There's Boxing Day! Lord help me if you're not even back by then, Sec, I'll send you a box of bees if you don't!"

"We've had our ups and downs this year, our crazy little family," he gestured mildly. "The festive season unfortunately is a non-negotiable celebrations until New Years roll in."

"New Year's itself is my non-negotiable celebration too," Kiku interrupted. "Nothing will come between me and the concerts on the screen. And drinks. And more drinks." She nodded sagely. "And more celebration, perhaps a singing competition or two. I believe you call it: karaoke. I will win, naturally."

"Will you...be staying tonight Sec?"

@constructedanxiety

[constructedanxiety]

"Vivian summoned me," I told them honestly, by way of explanation. My gaze fell on Clark's offered hand. "No, I'm... not. One for hugs, still." Or one for handshakes either... But this was a special time... And despite the way we parted, I didn't want them to think I was upset at them, or closing them off.

It still made my organic parts clench unpleasantly, but I ignored it. I did want to respond positively. I wanted to show him I did care. Even if I wasn't into physical contact, I knew he'd know how much it meant if I touched him.

So I gathered my courage, and reached out for his hand too. Our palms made contact and... It honestly wasn't that bad. Clark's hand was warm, and I realised it was maybe the first time we ever touched like this.

"This is fine," I murmured, almost more to myself than to him. "You look- good, too."

I let go after a few moments before it could get too awkward (or well, more awkward).

"Actually, you don't need to--" I gestured to the stockings, the gifts and all that. "It's fine." I looked at them all, just a glance. It was a lot of attention on me, which was never comfortable, but what I was about to tell them made that fact even worse.

"I wanted to come-" home. "- back, because it... didn't seem right to do this from a distance but... I don't- know. If I'm. staying tonight. Or- Or at all."

My gaze lowered further, I felt horrible saying all this. "I've been... staying with Zoe and PARIS. And they- Zoe. likes. Christmas. Like you, Howard... They- invited me. For celebration." I risked a glance at Howard, but oh that made me feel even worse. "I thought... It might be fitting. To celebrate with them. But I- didn't want to do it without bringing you your gifts in person... At least." I finished, and I recognised the feeling in my gut: shame.

Why, I wasn't sure. Maybe because it felt like I was taking a gift right out of Howard's hands. Yeah. That's how it felt. But I didn't know how else to handle it. I couldn't be in two places at once, not fully at least.

[tooth--ache]

✦ ⋆꙳•❅·₊⋆☃︎·❆₊⋆ ✦ ─────── THE HOUSE SECURITY SYSTEMS alerted him of a familiar face by the door well before the doorbell rang. "Welcome home!" Howard shouted from upstairs. "You've been out and about for a while there, haven't you? Come on up, look at the damage I'd done to the house!"

Paper garlands hung across the ceilings, streams of curly tissue papers decorating its ends. Christmas cards hung on strings of twine taped onto the walls with red and gold stickers. The fireplace was lit, casting an ember coloured warmth over the decorations in the room.

Howard was sitting by the Christmas tree, stacking up gift boxes amidst statues of deer and fawn beneath it, humming along a festive song playing on the television. Clark was nowhere to be seen, but his apron was draped hastily behind a couch, cluing his return soon.

"Happy Christmas Sec!" He beamed. "Merry err, Festive Season of Winter, since you don't partake in the JC birthday celebrations. I've got your stockings here by the fireplace," he pointed at a white Christmas stocking, embroidered with a cartoon image of SecUnit's frowny face. It was burgeoning with small gifts. "Don't cheat! I know you've got x-ray eyes and all that."

"How have you been? You've not sent us any messages, but we thought you wanted some peace and quiet after... Well, everything that had happened," Howard sheepishly smiled. "So we didn't bother you all too much. How goes life?"

[constructedanxiety]

I didn't expect this. Not the cheer. Not the way Howard greeted me right away. Not the enthusiasm. It was like nothing had ever happened. And the last time I saw him, Howard had been carted away to be in isolation for a while. And he'd been mad at me. So mad.

Now here he was. And it was a relief. And he also didn't seem mad at all anymore.

Cautiously, I moved into the house, looking around for the aforementioned 'damage'. But I couldn't find much issues. The structural integrity of the house was good, so I relaxed. All I could find were papers hung from the ceilings and cards on the wall.

I looked at them quizzically. "Damage? Do you mean: you need help tidying up all these paper?" I asked, looking at the garlands pointedly.

My gaze lowered to the tree and the packages, then the socks. From what I could research, I was somewhat familiar with the traditions. The tree, at least, and the gifts (I had some gifts for them all too, in my backpack).

But the socks were new, unfamiliar. I blinked a few times when he told me not to peek, confused. "I do not- wear socks." There was also only a single one, and it looked far too big for me. I had to be missing something.

"Merry Christmas. Howard," I returned the cheery words, though with a bit more hesitation, just as to took out the gifts: one for Howard, one for Clark, one for Kikugawa. "I believe using this formulation is appropriate. From what I've been able to research, the celebration of 'Christmas' has been largely removed from the birth of the messiah and turned into a mostly capitalistic holiday."

I looked at Howard through my drones, studying him for a moment (although I quickly parked them safely away. I remembered his distaste for the sound and didn't want to pick up a fight).

"You look... Good. Better." I hesitated a moment, then added apologetically. "I wasn't keeping tabs on the calendar. And I... didn't want to bother."

And well, I thought neither of them were particularly eager to see me again, given everything that happened. But I didn't tell him that.

From what I'd seen, Christmas was a time for cheer, not for arguing and being sad and mad at each other.

[constructedanxiety]

xmas - xmas - xmas - xmas - xmas - xmas - xmas - xmas °•.˜”°• . •°”˜.•°”˜ * ˜”°•.˜”°• . •°”˜.•°”˜ * ˜”°•.˜”°• . •°”˜.•

@tooth--ache

It was... strange. Coming home after what felt like months out there. In fact, I knew, it had only been a few weeks. But so much had happened in such a short time I didn't feel like the same person anymore. And it sounded like Howard and Clark had gone through just as much while I was away.

Life went on, with or without me there. Some might find it demoralising. But honestly? I found it more comforting than anything. They didn't need me. They never had. (And that used to wreck me) But also, I wasn't necessarily the cause of their unrest. It was just how they were and it wasn't my business.

That was nice. In a way. And I think Victory Harper would be proud of me. Maybe. I hoped.

Either way, that's how I found myself at the door to Clark's residence.

It was decked out in colourful lights, and I could almost make out what looked like a triangle-shaped evergreen tree through the window. I thought about knocking or ringing the bell, but this was technically still my home too.

And yet. It didn't feel much like it anymore.

I stood there for a long time, stuck on what to do, before flushing the query and taking a compromise. I petted Kikugawa for courage, rang, and opened the door in the same movement.

"I'm back." I thought of saying something more, but... Nothing came to mind... So I repeated, "I'm... back."

[constructedanxiety]

"You must return home for the holidays. I INSIST." Vivian bit on the construct's ear and pawed at its face. "The idiots at home were fighting again four days before Christmas and thank the kami they are together again, by the sliver of fate. I predict calmness. But return we must!"

The nip (bite?) was almost expected, so I didn't jump. I looked at Kikugawa on my shoulder instead. "Hello, Vivian." By now, I was used to the supernatural occurrences around me.

I had been away from home. A mission, with Zoe and PARIS. And what had started as a short mission to look into unusual android fabrication patterns, had turned into something far bigger. Something that took me away from worrying about Howard's DNA -- I know, I'm shocked too.

All in all, I had not been thinking about the approaching custom of celebrating the birth of the messiah. Or the red-clad old human bringing gifts through chimneys. To each their own, but I didn't quite understand either customs.

Not that I needed to, as I was surrounded with people (people, because one was human, one was a vampire, and one was an android) who were really into this holiday and more than ready to enlighten me.

"I'm not... sure about this," I admitted to Kikugawa. "My. Partners. They've invited me to spend the 'holiday celebration' with them."

But I knew just how much Howard loved that holiday too. It made something act up in my gut. Something uncomfortable.

I couldn't leave things like this, even if I was planning to accept Zoe and PARIS' invitation. But even if I had taken some distance and grown to understand I didn't have to be tied to them, Clark and Howard had done so much for me it felt like betrayal not to come back.

"... I will go home. I will talk to Howard." Then a thought came to the forefront. "Should I... bring a 'gift'?"

[constructedanxiety]

OOC PSA

Hello everyone,

First of all, I wish everyone some merry times in this end of the year!

Second of all, as some might have noticed, I've been less present on this blog. This is partly due to the holidays, but also partly because I've been focusing more on my OC RP blog (which can be found here, in case someone is curious).

I don't plan on stopping to play MB fully, but I might limit the amount of threads over here to develop my OC more instead.

Thank you for your understanding, and my IMs are always open if anyone wants to reach out!

~ Alnee

[constructedanxiety]

@tooth--ache - Continued from [ here ]

[ TXT ] yeah you go tell yourself that about your face. you've gone without your drones for so long you don't even know how you look like anymore [ TXT ] stole the drones right from the presses, still warm when the little idiot packed it into the box for me. merry christmas, or whatever. he said it shouldn't have any trackers on them but check them again just in case. idk anything about these techno mumbo jumbo [ TXT ] i think you're meant to fuck up though so don't be too hard on yourself. ya can't learn if ya don't break a few nuts! [ TXT ] kid, nobody likes me 😂 that's literally the fucking point 😏i know she wanted to kill me -- kind of like her gumption! wanna see her try. [ TXT ] what the fuck are pronouns? [ TXT ] oh. does it matter? [ TXT ] oh of course it matters to you what am i on about [ TXT ] robert is a male human body. i don't give a fuck, i dont have pronouns, whatever you like in the end. for the sake of the audience, it/its

______________________________________________________________

Reading the messages, I was stuck between wanting to tell it (it! Not that I cared all that much about pronouns either, but I knew I didn't care to be gendered either (ew, genders and sex), so I didn't want to gender it if it didn't like that either) to fuck off for insulting my face, or telling it to please appear asap because I was so damn fucking happy for the gift.

I did neither. Instead, I hurried to the door to retrieve the package. Inside were a full set of intel drones, exactly the right ones for my specifications, and trackersless as far as I could tell. In that moment, I almost wished I could actually cry, because that's how I felt in that moment.

I interfaced with the drones, and they turned on, and suddenly I had about fifty eyes open on my surroundings once more.

The relief was intense.

And now, I knew what I wanted to respond.

[ ᴛxᴛ ] - No shit they don't like you. You're a menace, Robert. But you're my favourite menace. [ ᴛxᴛ ] - You don't even know how much this means to me. Or you do, I don't know. You're good at knowing things without needing to be told. I. needed this. [ ᴛxᴛ ] - I've never. had a christmas gift before. I don't know the. good practices for this. Do I. gift you something too? [ ᴛxᴛ ] - Is there anything you want? And no, you're not getting my soul /jk [ ᴛxᴛ ] - But seriously. Anyhing? [ ᴛxᴛ ] - 'Robert is a male human body'. But you're not a male human body. You're not actually 'Robert', are you? I've been wondering. I know you're a 'god' of sort. But what. are you? Do you have... your own name? What do you look like? [ ᴛxᴛ ] - Is it gonna fry my system if I ever saw you? I know recording you is almost as bad as recording Clark. And Howard is only a little bit better.

[constructedanxiety]

/// MESSAGE FROM : ROBERT

[ TXT ] hey kid [ TXT ] sorry i haven't been messaging [ TXT ] howie is on meds so im losing "signal" [ TXT ] i think victory is taking him off it so i should be able to come back as usual [ TXT ] you good? you look like shit lately. check outside the door i got a gift for you (new drones)

After what felt like everything in my life collapsing and going to shit, seeing a message from Robert was a fucking relief. No one seemed to like it (Him? I still needed to ask). But he'd always been nice to me. I liked him, and I missed him, simple as that. Even when he had been a shit trying to trick me (it had only been for play anyway so I didn't mind).

[ ᴛxᴛ ] - Hi Robert [ ᴛxᴛ ] - I don't "look like shit". I literally cannot. I don't look any different from usual, because the usual is what my configuration is supposed to look like. [ ᴛxᴛ ] - But. Drones? You got me. drones? Alright, maybe I wasn't doing so well at all but you just made my fucking day, Robert. [ ᴛxᴛ ] - I messed up, Robert. I made the crumbling castle collapse and that's why Howard is going through what he's going through... I trust Dr Harper though. She's one of the. good. humans. She really wants to. help. Howard. I vetted her. Well. He vetted her first, but I vetted her too when I messed up. She's clear. [ ᴛxᴛ ] - PS: Be careful, I think she's plotting your demise. I told her not to, but I think she doesn't like you. [ ᴛxᴛ ] - PPS: What's your pronouns? I'm getting confused over here and I don't know what to use anymore in my internal monologue.

[hackxr]

Sen7inel watched, observed the other as it explained in a direct way she could appreciate that it was the one for the job. There was a mix of caution and bravado — and something else she couldn't quite place. Concern maybe. Regardless, she was sold the moment it pulled out a bullet and reiterated discretion. That's all she needed for this gig. But when the security feed access was cut over to her —

Well, alright then. Wait, how did it have that level of access and she didn't? Maybe it was better to not ask questions yet. That set of skills could be... handy.

"Ah —" Lips creased into an impressed grin as her gaze flicked from the footage to the bullet. "— you did indeed understand the ad." A quick chuckle escaped, low and entertained, as she drained the last of the wretched beverage meant to be a social lubricant, nothing more.

"Business, huh?" The mention of a 'shared objective' (that's how she viewed it anyway) was interesting. She chose to look at it as a good sign — if it had its own objective and goal, perhaps they'd be more committed to her mission. The hacker only hoped the reward was enough to keep this security consultant from ditching her mid-mission.

"Fine by me, though this ain't a free ride — if I'm payin' you, my business comes first. Clear? Otherwise, we're gunna have a problem." This time, she looked at the other expectantly, reading its reaction for any ticks or tells that there could be ulterior motives at play.

After a few heartbeats and a quick glance around the bar to ensure no one was eyeing them, Sen7inel raised her arm, making a few quick and intentional gestures using her band. It probably looked a little odd until she started syncing data on the private stream Rogue had already opened between the two of them.

Now, for the real talk.

"Here—" several files and schematics opened: a sanitized version of her contract, a 3D wireframe blueprint of the target location that seemed mostly accurate, and a mess of recon notes from her first intrusion attempt. “—is what I'm after.”

Several points blinked on the blueprint; one large and bright red located down several subterranean levels of the building. There would likely be several obstacles to overcome — locked doors, secured elevators, probably a few different hardened security measures. Nothing she couldn't handle if there weren't bullets flying over her head.

"So, once we're planetside, I gotta get in here." She leaned forward, pointing to the red spot. "It's the core system controller for this... lovely corporate operation. My 'employer' would like me to take them offline. Hard." The hacker didn't feel like sharing how she was going to do that. It didn't seem like a necessary detail for the one wielding the gun. "But the whole system is self-contained, I checked. Problem is—” her hand swept to the contract, dismissive, “—this thing failed to list the small private army this corp has station in and around this place." Okay, maybe she was exaggerating but that had been a rude surprise. "Hence the uh... bullets. If we can avoid using them, great. But something tells me that won't be the case. And I'll need someone to cover me while I worm into their shit."

Sen7inel paused, leaning back and crossing her arms while giving the other a minute to look over the information. She doubted she didn't need to read it line by line. Besides, this was typically the part where someone would get spooked off.

"That's the basics... Any questions?"

[constructedanxiety]

Some people would call it feeling smug, but I'd just call what I felt 'satisfied with a job well done'. I did my best to keep my face neutral as I sat back in my seat and pocketed my bullet again. But I would be lying if I said it didn't feel good to see the impressed look cross her face. I looked away.

It helped me school my features into neutrality when I remembered I wasn't there to impress anyone. I was here to blend in. Here to just appear as a simple augmented human. A competent one, sure, but still just an augmented human. Impressing someone too much would just make my job harder if it gave me out as what I actually was.

Shit. Now I sure wasn't feeling smug anymore.

And I needed that reminder to stay neutral, when she insisted next that her business came first. I kept my eyes on the wall for a few, long moments (though I was watching her through one of my nearby drones, so small they were easily concealed in a busy environment like this one). She was scrutinising me really hard... And I didn't like that. But it wasn't like I could argue. I was the one seeking to get 'employed' here, no matter how much I wanted to take the lead.

I still needed someone to fly me there and get me some 'legitimate' access... And ugh... It was planetside. I fucking hated being on planet... There was always a risk of getting stuck... And the options for getting out were limited.

But this was my best lead. And she was my best chance. I needed her to trust me so she wouldn't dump me down there with no way out in the middle of the mission...

"Fine. Your mission, your business," I relented. "Mine shouldn't disrupt yours. I have something to retrieve." That wasn't fully accurate, but I didn't want to give it all out. Not just yet at least.

I resisted raising an eyebrow at the gesture, and that's when I realised she was using some sort of interface. Something I didn't know about, so it was either custom, or something I'd never encountered before. Which was just as fair, honestly. SecUnits' education models suck, and it's not like we're loaded up with everything out there. Plus, I wasn't exactly the most recent model.

I filed that away in my database for later, and took in all the documents and the map. The contract didn't interest me (it had been scrubbed of anything relevant to me, which, again, was fair), but the notes and the map caught my attention.

I downloaded both into my internal system after running a thorough check for malware. I didn't have any data on the place before now. So this was invaluable. Even if the deal didn't go through between us, I at least wouldn't be going in blind.

But I wasn't even thinking of double-crossing her. She seemed okay enough, so far. And I still needed a ride in and out.

"That's where my business comes in," I told her as I turned the wireframe map around to focus on her highlighted points. That was kinda funny, too, that our goals overlapped so much, but I didn't think much of it at the time. "I know, I know. Your business first. But as I said, I won't disrupt it. I just need access to the system before you take it offline. I won't be long. And once I'm done, you can do whatever the fuck you want to it. I'll even help you take it down."

All I needed was the files. The incriminating evidence of whatever operation was happening there. Hopefully incriminating. Or I would have wasted my time even coming here.

But I was confident. And hopeful. I know, it's rare to hear me say that.

I glanced at her when she asked me if I had questions.

"... Yes. A couple." I nodded. "Do you have a means of transportation to get to the destination?" I hadn't seen anything about that, either in the ad, or in the documents she provided now. But that was the main reason I was responding to this ad in the first place.

But there was something else that bothered me. She obviously went there first, hence the map and recon. And that meant she ran into that 'small private army'. Unprepared. Probably getting caught by surprise.

That she managed to survive and escape was either a show of luck, or a show of skills... or... A trap. But I had time before I needed to focus on that option.

I couldn't resist, I ran a quick scan of her (which confirmed she was unaugmented, only had an interface. And this device which was definitely custom, now that I had a better look at it). But I was no medical system... I was a SecUnit, meant to interface with a MedSys. But without one, I was missing parts of my functionalities.

She didn't look injured, as far as I could tell, but I couldn't be sure, so I asked her anyway, "Are you injured? After your run-in with the... small army? I have to know, because this could be detrimental to the mission if you are. And I'd rather find out now than in the middle of a high-risk situation."

[constructedanxiety]

The last few things Clark told me were lost to me. My system didn't record them, only returning errors as it took all available resources to process what was happening in my organic parts.

I had never felt something like this. All consuming, burning anger.

Before I even realised what I was doing, I got up (the chair toppled down, I would notice later when reviewing the fragmented footage) and slammed my hands on Clark's desk.

"You kicked her out. You KICKED HER OUT! Vivian was not YOURS to fucking KICK OUT. She is MY friend. And she's under MY protection! She saved my fucking LIFE and she protected ME. And YOU kick her out?!"

I wanted to break something. I gripped the edge of the desk so tight it started giving in and splintering. I could throw it. I could wipe the apathy and neutrality off Clark's face--

I'd never do this. I didn't want to hurt him.

It felt like a vice around my throat. I wanted to scream and yell at him and crumple... But Vivian. Kikugawa. She needed me. All this meant she hadn't been outside by choice. That was the important part.

I pulled away and marched to the door of Clark's office. But before I left, I turned to him one last time, "You're lucky I'm not taking further action against you for this!"

Words I would come to regret, later. But at the time, all I could think of was how angry and upset I was, and how much I needed to secure Kikugawa and make sure she was safe.

[kxllerblond]

Clark did not startle or move, he simply sat back slightly and watched as the construct shot up in anger. It was a bit jarring to see it so angry. Most of its reactions had been neutral or muted or simply guarded and kept to itself. This was new.

❝ And you are under mine. ❞ He did not raise his voice but it was firm and sharp. He looked up for it but said nothing of its threat. He did not stop it, did not call out for it, and did not bother to try and formulate any grand scheme to smooth things over. He simply let them happen. If holding on too tightly was strangling the household, then he just needed to let them all do as they wish. And if they got themselves killed in the process? Then maybe that was just how things were meant to be.

He looked for the door just a beat longer and then returned his glasses from their resting place and went right back to work.

[constructedanxiety]

(( Keeping this for posterity! Continued -> [ Here ] ))

[scipunk]

Virus (1999)

[kukuraga]

trying visualize ART

[king-of-kaoss]

"There’s that caring thing again." [Rogue Protocol, Exit Strategy, Network Effect/helpme.file]

[layaart]

my other new con ribbon design: crew of the perihelion!