I saw that last image and immediately had to write something with it so here take some pre-show oilrose angst:
Scuttling on the roof. Moron and Lesser Moron must be back from hunting. The colony outside is nearly completely annihilated, depleted of all its resources — the workers, of course. I’d done my job, submitted my quota, and returned to the ship long before them. N takes his sweet time dawdling to no end, and V likes to take her time toying with every kill. She makes a spectacle of her victims for whatever reason. I swear it’s like I don’t recognize her sometimes. I recognize N, but he doesn’t recognize me.
It’s probably for the best that none of us recognize eachother. It makes punishing the others in the name of the solv- the company easier. The company, J, get it right.
The door opens, I quickly shut my eyes and flash a false ‘Operating Hours: CLOSED’ message across my screen so they know not to disturb me. They’re not even supposed to be in here while I’m sleeping! I’ve claimed the pod during daylight hours for privacy, and as the highest-ranking amongst us three I’m allowed to do so. I still refuse to be embarrassingly undignified and sleep hanging by my tail, so I’m curled up on the ship’s floor.
In hindsight this is also embarrassing. They’re not supposed to be in here!
The sound of V’s bragging boisterous voice silences mid cackle. Both of the others surely stopped in their tracks at the sight of me — not daring to wake their superior. “We uhh.. we don’t need to bother J right now, right V?” N asks, lowering his voice, “Submitting fancy business stuff to the company can be a tomorrow thing, can’t it?”
No, idiot, those reports have to be sent every day, not ‘whenever it conveniences you’. I’m supposed to be asleep, so I don’t respond, but I would’ve liked to. I might have shoved him outside into the snow, as well.
“Do whatever you want,” V grumbles, “I’m not getting scolded over not doing something that I already did.” N scrambles off, no doubt to find a place in the spire to rest before the sun rises completely. The door shuts, and the clanking sound of V’s footsteps approaches. I crack open an eye to watch her.
My coworker takes the clipboard off the console and scribbles down her kill count tonight. I watch her blatantly commit fraud by adding in N’s tally to save his cheap metal ass from a beating. Undoubtedly she’s forging the numbers, as well. That’s one thing that hasn’t changed, at least. V’s covered for N since the dawn of time.
I exhale tiredly and roll over on my side to face the wall. We’re just coworkers. Strangers. That’s all. I feel like strangling myself with my tail. Pretending I don’t know them is a punishment in of itself.
A muffled sob freezes the oil in my veins. My limbs get cold and achy as though I’ve slipped up and made a mistake in front of Boss — waiting in crushing dread to be dismantled and brought back ‘better’.
The sound of footsteps echo, closer than before. V’s yellow optics glow against the wall I’m staring at. They sink to the floor and I can feel her body press lightly to mine from behind. My core jumps in my chest; the external array of cameras across my head flicker to life.
“What are you doing?” I growl. V flinches, but doesn’t move. I turn my head back to glare at her, but I stop short as a pair of teary hollow eyes meet my gaze. She looks up at me, my mouth open in a silent complaint. Her hand wavers, then she soundlessly drags herself closer. Her face presses into my back — fearful expression unblinking.
“There was a girl in the raid today, she- She looked like me, J.” Tears well in the corners of her eyes and their centers hollow out a little bit further. “She looked j-just like how I did back in the manor, and I ate her. Alive. I killed her- I-I-I…”
Her stutter breaks off with another small sob. Those frightened haunted eyes squeeze shut, pressing the tears out of them. They drip digitally from her face. Slowly, she lifts an arm and wraps it around my waist. “Please tell me you actually remember the manor this reset.”
Dear sweet corporate, I can't look at her anymore. I turn back over to face the wall. Another sob muffles against my back. “N-No..” V gasps a whimper that makes me want to vomit yet hold her close. “No, please not you too. I know we hardly spoke back then, but I can’t deal with two strangers again, I can’t, I-”
“I remember, V.” Against my better judgement, I rest my arm over hers, clutching my midsection like a lifeline. A teary exhale tickles the hair on the back of my head. “Thank robogod,” she gasps. Her tail twines gratefully around mine.
“She looked like you?” I reiterate. V shudders, “Big round glasses, white eyes, everything.” I swallow a tired sigh, “Did you take the glasses, at least? You could really use them, and I’m sure your numbers would skyrocket.” V is so quiet for so long I begin to believe she’d passed out.
She doesn’t say anything more.
