resurgence

It was startlingly clear. Mildly hesitant, but not choked or fearful - not like the first time he’d heard the Agent’s voice. When she told him to leave her alone. When she’d torn into his skin, leaving marks that proclaimed his bitter, shameful rejection. When he’d nearly shot her. Familiar, yet foreign, and quite frankly? Somewhat terrifying. The experience as a whole was new, different. And it awakened something within him that he had previously considered poisoned, tired, and hopeless. It perked its ears and stared around frantically, an edge of panic cutting in. It wanted to hide. It had been waiting for her, yes - but now, it wanted nothing more than to cower. It cursed its hypocrisy.

Pegasus put his pencil down and leant back in his chair. The scared little something steeled itself and swallowed her message.

The A.I looked more confident than he felt, to say the least.

Pegasus frowned, shoulders settling into a slight slump as he placed his forearms onto the tabletop. He had to face her at some point, right? ]

But as the AI's voice enters her mind, the woman gasps. Her spine shivers, feeling like sparks had danced their way from her brain to the tips of her toes. 

His crisp tone and diction are familiar, yet so foreign. As if he was a boy in her primary school that she promptly never met again. Shakily, the Agent collects her thoughts.]

I believe it has something to do with the human activity ‘relaxing’. Vacations are supposed to be a time where one rests, relaxes, and pursues activities that they enjoy.

And what about you, Peter? Are you enjoying yourself?

[Now this… This is amusing. Orion barked a quick noise, a laugh that grated against his throat, a derisive sound, dismissing her with little more than a smirk.] 

Oh, yes, Agent. Tell me all about how your race is morally superior.

Shall we discuss how many genocides the mechanoids are responsible for? Or who started this war that we are currently fighting? Your arrogance, your bloodthirsty savagery, it has lead to this. And another race whose only sin was to stand in the way of human imperialism will be ground into dust.

[His lips twitched upwards, scorn in the expression.]

Tell me again which of us has malfunctions. Because as I see the facts, Agent, it is your race that is striped through with greed and pride and murder. Your race that has systematically repressed religions and genders and sexualities, people groups and entire nations because of pigmentation.

I am afraid, Agent Annapolis, that you are speaking of your own weaknesses, your own fears, your own prejudices. Not facts.

Which is another downfall of your kind.

[Orion moved forward, something between amusement and fury in his expression.]

Are you looking for my sympathy? You may have it.

Your kind is too erratic to pair with mine. We should not be joined. Two mechanoids in the field would surpass even a platoon of humans easily.

It is not your fault you were too weak willed for your original implantation. I only hope that another one of my brothers does not bear the brunt of your ineptitude.

But, you forget that indeed you were made by the hands of these so called abominations. You, nor your brothers or sisters would exist. 

I acknowledge your physical and logistical power, yes. But there are decisions that you don't know how to make. If you don't acknowledge that, well...

It presents your own downfall.