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 â the workers, of course. Iâd 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 itâs like I donât recognize her sometimes. I recognize N, but he doesnât recognize me.
Itâs 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 âOperating Hours: CLOSEDâ message across my screen so they know not to disturb me. Theyâre not even supposed to be in here while Iâm sleeping! Iâve claimed the pod during daylight hours for privacy, and as the highest-ranking amongst us three Iâm allowed to do so. I still refuse to be embarrassingly undignified and sleep hanging by my tail, so Iâm curled up on the shipâs floor.
In hindsight this is also embarrassing. Theyâre not supposed to be in here!
The sound of Vâs bragging boisterous voice silences mid cackle. Both of the others surely stopped in their tracks at the sight of me â not daring to wake their superior. âWe uhh.. we donât need to bother J right now, right V?â N asks, lowering his voice, âSubmitting fancy business stuff to the company can be a tomorrow thing, canât it?â Â
No, idiot, those reports have to be sent every day, not âwhenever it conveniences youâ. Iâm supposed to be asleep, so I donât respond, but I wouldâve liked to. I might have shoved him outside into the snow, as well. Â
âDo whatever you want,â V grumbles, âIâm not getting scolded over not doing something that I already did.â 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 Vâs footsteps approaches. I crack open an eye to watch her. Â
My coworker takes the clipboard off the console and scribbles down her kill count tonight. I watch her blatantly commit fraud by adding in Nâs tally to save his cheap metal ass from a beating. Undoubtedly sheâs forging the numbers, as well. Thatâs one thing that hasnât changed, at least. Vâs covered for N since the dawn of time.
I exhale tiredly and roll over on my side to face the wall. Weâre just coworkers. Strangers. Thatâs all. I feel like strangling myself with my tail. Pretending I donât 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 Iâve slipped up and made a mistake in front of Boss â waiting in crushing dread to be dismantled and brought back âbetterâ. Â
The sound of footsteps echo, closer than before. Vâs yellow optics glow against the wall Iâm 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.
âWhat are you doing?â I growl. V flinches, but doesnât 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 â fearful expression unblinking.
âThere was a girl in the raid today, she- She looked like me, J.â Tears well in the corners of her eyes and their centers hollow out a little bit further. âShe looked j-just like how I did back in the manor, and I ate her. Alive. I killed her- I-I-IâŚâ
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. âPlease tell me you actually remember the manor this reset.â Â
Dear sweet corporate, I can't look at her anymore. I turn back over to face the wall. Another sob muffles against my back. âN-No..â V gasps a whimper that makes me want to vomit yet hold her close. âNo, please not you too. I know we hardly spoke back then, but I canât deal with two strangers again, I canât, I-â Â
âI remember, V.â 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. âThank robogod,â she gasps. Her tail twines gratefully around mine. Â
âShe looked like you?â I reiterate. V shudders, âBig round glasses, white eyes, everything.â I swallow a tired sigh, âDid you take the glasses, at least? You could really use them, and Iâm sure your numbers would skyrocket.â V is so quiet for so long I begin to believe sheâd passed out. Â
âI couldnât take them.â Â
She doesnât say anything more.