#kabusie

I'm very busy in college and I don't find myself having the motivation or time to make more Kabusie content. Then i wanted to make digital sketches, but my tablet broke. I hope whoever is waiting for Kabusie content likes this!

She frantically tapped away at her tablet trying to discover any faults in the machine, but nothing stood out. The probability of failure was 0.024%. That was incorrect, evident by the chunks of metal that lay in front of her.

What was a near indestructible wall of laser cannons was now charred steel with its internal components exposed. The central cannon was the biggest and strongest, yet it was missing entirely.

Susie tapped a button on her headgear. “Voice Log A-3. The C.O.G.S. defense unit had its primary cannon decimated. It was likely our enemy’s way of getting past it. Consider drafting a plan to ensure C.O.G.S. can withstand an attack like this in the future.”

This will not happen again.

Kabula’s engine revved after months of being idle. The spin of her propeller circulated the dust that built up while she was hibernating. Kabula resides in her hangar on a far off island where she couldn’t be disturbed.

It was pitch black inside the Hangar. Kabula shook off the dust and cobwebs that had accumulated on her. It’s time to wreak havoc; her favorite pastime.

The wide metal door rose letting light flood the room. As Kabula’s cameras adjusted to the light, she was shocked to see the state of Dreamland.

The blue skies were now a dulled, cloudy grey. Grass now plated in rusty metal. A massive spherical UFO hid the sun, bringing darkness to Dreamland. What happened while she was sleeping? Kabula activated her engines and zoomed straight toward the UFO.

I should be the only flying machine terroring these people!

She prepared her cannon for the impending battle and she spun rapidly, heading straight for the heart of Dreamland.

Dreamland looked worse than she thought. Everything she saw had robotic attachments. Lightbulb shaped trees pierced the ground, leeching the life from around it. Buildings were being assembled before her own eyes.

A cloud of smoke caught her attention. The source was from the Halberd engulfed in flames. Kabula had always been envious of Meta Knight’s ship with its sheer size and endless artillery. If the mighty Halberd was taken down, does she even stand a chance?

Atop Mount Dedede was a large pile of bricks where Dedede’s castle should have been. Forget the UFO, I need to make sure Dedede is okay.

A massive laser narrowly missed Kabula. There’s no turning back now. Kabula fired a barrage of cannon balls at the UFO. The cannon balls bounced off the surface. The UFO responded with another laser inches away from hitting her.

Dread consumed her. Kabula revved her engines and she set her propeller to full throttle. She whirled rapidly, ready to zoom to safety.

The UFO fired a laser that grazed Kabula, destroying her propeller. She plummeted leaving a trail of fire behind her, and she struck the ground. Smoke obscured her vision. She felt as the fire slowly spread to every part of her body.

When she needed repairs, King Dedede would send his servants. But Dedede was nowhere in sight.

The smoke would occasionally part wide enough for her to catch a glimpse of small men approaching her. She succumbed to her rapidly draining battery and deactivated.

“That pink monster!” Susie shouted. “I’m certain he was the one responsible for destroying C.O.G.S. and the rest of my machines.” Her grip tightened as she held the wrench.

Susie was in her private repair room. It’s reserved for quick repairs to minor issues. Now it was being used to rebuild her business suit, a powerful mech provided to her by the Haltmann Works Co.

The floor was littered with a mess of metal parts, screws, and wires. Susie was hard at work, letting her anger fuel her as she tightened bolts with a wrench.

Because she had an image to uphold, she always appeared calm and composed in all of her public appearances. It was rare to see Susie get angry.

“Does he have any idea how much he’s cost us? Billions! Robotics aren’t cheap in the slightest!” she grumbled. She reached for a hammer to attach metal plates to the mech’s exterior.“I’m the executive assistant of this company! I shouldn’t be inconvenienced by tedious repairs! I have important matters to attend to!” she shouted. Every strike with her hammer was stronger than the last.

She took a step back to take a look at the firmly attached plate. It was almost starting to look brand new! “Just a few more hours of work and I’ll be-”

Her business suit promptly fell apart, every part crashing to the ground. The metal frame was all that was left.

Rage boiled from within. She flung the hammer across the room. She finally snapped.

“I’m gonna destroy that dirty little mother-”

The door behind her slid open. Susie dropped her hammer and snapped into a formal stance. Luckily, it wasn’t Haltmann. It was her assistant Haltworker, Pam, holding a carton of ice cream.

Pam held the carton out and offered a spoon. “I saw how upset you were and brought you some vanilla ice cream.”

Susie snatched the carton and ate a spoonful, immediately cooling her down. Her face lit up with delight.

“I apologize you had to see me like that.” Susie took a breath of relief. “You always know how to lift my spirits,” she said while taking another spoonful.

Pam was her very own assistant. Among all of the Haltworkers Susie commands every day, Pam is usually the one that sticks by her side. Even outside of office hours, Pam follows Susie around when she goes shopping or at a bar on karaoke night. I guess she could be considered the executive assistant’s assistant.

Pam revealed a tablet with blueprints while Susie enjoyed her ice cream.

“I think we found something you might want to see. It may help you defeat your pink friend.” Susie leans in to see the tablet.

“I don’t remember approving a design like this.” Susie said while eating another spoonful.

“It was actually found on this planet. A large blimp that we found trying to attack us. We defeated and captured it with ease. Following standard procedure, we began the mechanization process, but realized it had far more potential. I wanted to run this by you in case you had any ideas on what we could do with this.”

Susie placed the carton down and took a look at the blueprints herself.

The blimp was large, but compact compared to other ships she had seen. It clearly wasn’t meant to be piloted, either, judging by the lack of an interior. It didn’t have much in terms of weaponry. It had an interior and exterior cannon and was packed with ammunition.

The potential excited Susie. It was like a project begging to be completed. It was her obligation to finish it. To perfect it.

Susie hands the tablet back to Pam. She takes a look at the mess of parts in the room. Just staring made her dread having to continue working. She needed a break, and this was the perfect opportunity.

“Lead me to this machine. I must have a closer look.” Susie said as she took another bite of ice cream.

They both traveled across the Access Ark in a private high-speed hovercart. Susie loved viewing the Access Ark from above. Plenty of large buildings took up her vision. Each of which were made to host a subsidiary of the Haltmann Works Company.

She could see thousands of civilians roaming below like ants, each with an important job of their own. About half of the population on board the Access Ark are natives of the previous planets they’ve colonized.

Where would they be if the Haltmann Works Company didn’t save them from their boring, sedentary, and meaningless lives? Susie shuddered at the thought. Instead, they have the privilege of participating in the greatest company in the galaxy with a thriving economy and a wonderful community!

They entered a dark tunnel, snapping her out of her daydream.

“NOW ARRIVING. CONTAINMENT CELLS - DIVISION C. HAVE A GOOD DAY!” The hovercart parked beside the entrance.

“Right this way, ma’am.” Pam said, stepping out of the cart and leading Susie inside.

The room was a long hall illuminated by the laser bars guarding the cells. The grid of cells stretched high into the far ceiling. The groans and whines of every captive echoed throughout.

The largest containment cells, exclusive to the largest creatures, were in the next room across the hall. Susie smiled as she walked across the room. Each of these savage creatures would be given a wonderful purpose!

They entered the large door at the end of the room. Inside was a one-way window with a direct view into the cell that held the blimp. Several Haltworkers were making repairs to the damaged shell. The cell was cold, dull, and lit by a single lightbulb.

“Relocate them to a different job for today. You too, Pam. I’m gonna need some time alone to examine this thing.”

“Sure thing, ma’am.” Pam walked to the small hallway beside them that led to the cell. Susie watched from the window as Pam delivered the message. The workers scurried out of the room, each giving Susie a salute as they passed by. The door shut behind the final one.

She took a look at the blimp from the view of the window. Its hull had several tears and burn marks, but looked untouched otherwise. She found the painted shark face cute, but ultimately useless. Aside from the lone cannon and a handful of ammunition, the blimp was practically defenseless.

The potential was boundless!

She began to hum as she walked down the hall leading to the cell. The prospect of building an ultra-powerful war machine had her singing her favorite song: The Noble Haltmann.

“We implore you, dear Haltmann! Bless our work and–”

“Who’s the idiot I hear singing?! Will you knock it off?” A loud feminine voice echoes down the hall.

Susie whipped out her patented HWC branded blaster, decorated with a coat of magenta: her favorite color. She aimed her blaster and slowly scanned the room, ready to shoot at anything that moved.

“Whoever you are, reveal yourself at once!”

“It’s me, the pizza guy…” the voice said sarcastically. The room had a surprising lack of pizza men. Could they be invisible?

“It’s the battleship you captured, ya moron! Who d'ya think it was?”

“Oh!” Susie exclaimed. She holstered her blaster and approached Kabula.

Both her cannon and propeller were detached, leaving her defenseless and motionless. Kabula was nothing but a steel frame covered in painted cloth.

“I would like to apologize for aiming my blaster at you. I was… unaware of your sentience.”

“If only I weren’t sentient. Your singing was unbearable.”

Susie scowled. “I’ll have you know my singing is appreciated across this entire ship!”

“Then everyone on your ship must be deaf or flat out dead.”

Susie clenches her fists. Instead of lashing out, Susie took a few deep breaths and restored her composure, a skill she’s learned from her many years of being a spokesperson for the company. She was here to do a job. She walked up to the “face” of Kabula to greet herself.

“I would like to apologize if my remarks offended you in any way. I believe we may have gotten off on the wrong foot. Allow me to introduce myself.”

Susie took a bow. “My name is Susie, the executive assistant of the Haltmann Works Company. Would you like to tell me your name?” Susie held out her hand for a handshake, but promptly reeled it back realizing Kabula didn’t have hands.

“Why do you care? Just get to the point and end me already.”

“End you? Of course not. We respect all inhabitants on this planet.”

“I don’t think salvaging me was very respectful.”

Even implying the company would be disrespectful upset Susie. They would never disrespect creatures that would make perfect citizens of the Ark.

“We identified you as an attacker and handled you properly. You’re still here, correct? Not many other companies show mercy like we do.”

Kabula refused to answer. Even if she was alive, she was still trapped in a cell by these lunatics.

“What do you even want with me, anyway?” Kabula asked.

“Great question!” Susie said gleefully. “As a part of the Mechanizing Occupation Project, we take inhabitants of your planet, mechanize them, and integrate them into our company. We have various job positions available, like bodyguards, construction, medical duty, ambass–”

“Mechanize?” Kabula interrupted. “What do you mean by that?”

“You see, we take your flawed organic bodies and add robotic enhancements that serve to improve your functionality.” She walks up to her damaged shell and examines the ripped fabric.

“Although, you don’t seem organic in the slightest, so your mechanization might be a bit easier.”

“You’re right about that!” Kabula gloated. “I’m made of the finest material you can find on Popstar. Organic bodies are overrated. I was built to last.” Kabula said.

“That’s great news for you!” Susie claps excitedly. “Once we supply you with upgrades, you’ll be stronger than you’ve ever been before.”

“Stronger? You want to make me more powerful?”

“Precisely! Once we have you upgraded, you’ll be employed as one of our defense machines to protect and destroy any intruders or rebels.”

Kabula was experiencing deja vu. “Y’know, I actually had to defend a castle the last time I was upgraded.”

“So you already have experience with this type of job? You’re perfect for this!” Susie clapped her hands out of delight.

As Susie’s enthusiasm grew, so did Kabula’s reluctance. Despite being offered incredible upgrades, she was still being handled by a psychopath and her evil company. But what could she do? She couldn’t escape if she wanted to.

“I guess I might be up for it. As long as I don’t have to face that annoying pink punk again.”

“Pink?!” Susie exclaimed. “You mean you fought him too?”

“The small pink dude with a bunch of abilities? Yeah, that’s Kirby.”

“Kirby… So this was the one thwarting my plans.” She started to pace around the room.

“Kirby is a nuisance!” Susie shouted. Her voice slowly rose in intensity matching her growing anger. “He’s throwing a wrench in our plans! He turned my business suit into a pile of junk! I need him gone! Terminated! Executed!”

Kabula chuckled. “You and me both, Susie. He’s such a goody two-shoes that he stops anyone trying to pick on the people of Dreamland. He’s no fun at all!”

The data clicked in Susie’s mind. If Kabula knew the enemy, then she was Susie’s ticket to defeating Kirby. Kabula hates Kirby as much, if not more than Susie herself.

She held her hands together and faced Kabula.

“May I propose a deal? I will supply you with all of the upgrades you could ever dream of. In return, you must assist me in his defeat. With your knowledge of Kirby and our incredible weaponry, we can… no- we will defeat Kirby.”

Kabula weighed her options. Susie’s enthusiasm was great, but she seemed like she was only taking advantage of her.

“I’d love to be upgraded. It’s my dream to be powerful, after all. But you really don’t realize what you’re dealing with. Kirby is unstoppable. Capable of taking down enemies a hundred times his size. I’ve already lost to him twice. I don’t know if I want to make that three times.”

Susie slumped over and sighed. She didn’t say anything. She just put on a frown and slouched. It was like seeing an innocent cat become sad. She was starting to pity Susie, but perhaps that was her intention.

Kabula was already going to be mechanized whether she accepted this deal or not. Why not take advantage of this opportunity?

“Can I trust you to give me the best of the best upgrades? On the same level as the ones you used against me?”

Susie’s energy returned in an instant. “I guarantee you’ll be provided with the strongest cannons we have available, among plenty of other upgrades to make you perfect.”

“Then you’ve got yourself a deal, Susie.”

"Brilliant!” Susie said, enthusiastically clapping her hands. “I’ll start making plans and return in a couple hours to discuss further details.” Susie said while walking out of the room.

“Wait!” Kabula shouted “You can’t just leave me here with nothing to do. It gets super boring.”

“Right, my apologies.” Susie felt embarrassed. She forgot she was talking to a motionless blimp. She scanned the room until she spotted a TV on the corner of the ceiling.

“I’ll leave the television on for you.” Susie grabbed the controller to turn it on. “It’s on the Haltmann Channel where the network produces the most entertaining shows!” she said excitedly. “I am invested in the show ‘Love at First Byte’ right now. It’s a story about the strained love between a haltworker and a general of the security force. I guarantee you will love it too!”

Kabula scoffs. “Whatever. Anything’s better than silence.”

Susie heads out of the room, but stops before the exit. “I didn’t seem to get your name. Do you mind telling me?”

Kabula spoke with an unenthusiastic voice. “My name is Kabula.”

Susie smiled. “Kabula? That’s a pretty name!”

Kabula didn’t respond. She must already be invested in the television, Susie thought.

She left the room and headed straight for her office. Her head was brimming with ideas for upgrades, so needed to write them down as soon as possible.

On the commute back to her office, she couldn’t stop thinking about her interaction with Kabula. A sentient battleship who was just as excited to be mechanized as she was to mechanize her. She could not stop getting excited while thinking of all the possible weapons and accessories she could put into Kabula.

Once Susie had arrived at her office, she swiftly went to work drafting ideas.

Chapter 2 / Read on AO3

Criticism is welcome and appreciated!

Susie reached for the remote and turned the television off.

“Ooh! How are you liking the show so far? I never get the chance to talk about it with anyone.”

"I think I like it,” Kabula said, trying to mask her enthusiasm. “But I don’t understand why they can’t just get together?” 

“Well you see, Eva is a haltworker who resides in District 44 while Grant is a security guard who works at one of our entrances. They are not only physically distant, but have totally separate and busy jobs. Their lives get in the way of their romance, leading them to doubt their love for each other.”

“I honestly think they’re too different from each other. One’s a busy passionate worker and the other is a cold brute who knows nothing but combat. They just aren’t compatible.”

Susie gasped and froze in place. She was moments away from ranting and explaining their relationship to Kabula, but she had a job to do.

“I… respect all opinions… but you just don’t get it yet. I don’t want to spoil too much, but there’s more to Grant than his tough exterior.”

“Whatever,” Kabula scoffed, “I see you’re an expert on the show, so I’ll take your word for it.”

“Of course I am. I’m such a big fan they allowed me to have a few cameos!” Susie rested the remote on a shelf beside her.

“We’re getting too distracted. Let us begin planning our course of action.”

Susie reached under a desk and rolled out a stool to sit on. She pulled out her red reading glasses, a digital notepad, and a pen.

Kabula watched her put the glasses on. The color complimented her outfit, and the glasses framed her face well. If only there existed a pair of glasses for blimp-sized people.

“To get us started, I would like to know more about this Kirby individual.” The pen tapped against the notepad in a short rhythm.

“Well, he’s pink, small, and loves to eat,” Kabula said. Susie scribbled in her notepad as she spoke. 

“I mean he really loves to eat. He devours his enemies to take their abilities.”

Susie’s scribbling came to a halt. “What?! He devours his enemies?!”

Susie doodles a sketch of Kirby with red horns on the page before she continues to jot down notes. “We really are dealing with a savage.”

“Yep. I’m lucky I’m too big for him to eat.”

“If he can’t eat you, how did he defeat you?”

“I was defending Dedede’s Castle and I actually shot him down while he rode on his Warp Star. Then he used the power of the sparkling stars to create some kind of star ship. It shot out a barrage of star bullets that were enough to take me down. None of us knew he could even do something like that. From what I can tell, they were similar to the star bullets that the Star Rod could shoot.”

“I’m starting to feel tired of hearing the word ‘star’.”

“Maybe you should have thought of that before trying to invade Popstar.”

Susie rolled her eyes. “Would you let me know about your other defeat?”

Kabula paused. Susie could feel a slight warmth emanating from Kabula’s hull 

“Uhm… Yeah. That was the first time I fought Kirby. This was before I got my upgrades.”

“Dutily noted. What happened during the battle?”

“I was flying over Float Islands, and I needed to shoot him down the moment I saw him. And… well…"

Her hull continued to heat up. Before Susie could express her concern, Kabula muttered.

“Kirby ate a mint leaf, and his minty breath shot me down…”

Kabula braced herself for Susie to burst out in uncontrolled laughter, but Susie silently scribbled in her notepad. She tried to gauge Susie’s reaction, but she couldn’t stand the sickening silence.

“Again! This was before I got my upgrades! I was a tiny weak blimp before!”

“There’s no need to stress, Kabula. You’re not the only person to be humiliated by our mutual enemy. I think your defeat says a lot more about him than you. I’m sure you were moderately powerful before your upgrades.”

Kabula took a sigh of relief, and her hull cooled off. 

For the next hour, Kabula told Susie everything she knew about Kirby.

There was that time when Kirby stopped the sun and moon from fighting. When he used the Star Rod to vanquish Nightmare and return dreams to Dream Land. The time he stopped Meta Knight from conquering Dream Land, which Susie found notably impressive.

Susie took plenty of notes, including insignificant details like Kirby’s eye color and favorite food. Once Kabula was finished, Susie laid several blueprints onto the desk. Kabula watched as she examined each one carefully. Susie mumbled to herself as she doodled on the blueprints, crumbling a few and throwing them to the side. Susie's design process fascinated Kabula.

Susie took her glasses off and approached Kabula. “Alright, Kabula. It is clear to me that we need to approach this battle differently. Both times, you were expecting to see Kirby, you came to him. He had time to prepare for you. As did most of his foes. So this time, we should catch him by surprise when he least expects it. We also need incredible firepower, as much as we can afford to give you. I think overkill is good in this instance.”

“How exactly are we gonna surprise him? If you didn’t notice, I’m a giant blimp four times his size. There’s no way I can sneak up on him. And if this firepower is as strong as you say it is, how will my battery even last? I’d be sluggish by the time I encounter him.”

“I’m glad you asked! I have the perfect way to solve both of these issues!”

Susie picks up her tablet and taps away, projecting blueprints on the wall. She explains the plan in extreme detail adding hand and body gestures to emphasize her plan. At some points, Kabula spaced out, and instead focused on Susie’s passion while explaining her plan. The way her hair swayed as she moved, her nicely fitted suit, and her large blue eyes.

“So, what do you think?” Susie asked.

Kabula snapped out of her trance and tried to remember as much as she could.

“So you want to use the remains of your old defense machine, and then place me inside the central cannon. Then, when Kirby inevitably appears, he expects to blow right through like the first time, which is when I reveal myself and finish the job?”

“That’s right! You’d be stationed at one of our research labs as well, so you’d be supplied with petawatts of energy! Since you’d be connected to our power supply while inside of C.O.G.S., you’ll start the battle fully charged.”

“Susie! This is perfect! You’re a genius!”

Susie’s cheeks glowed red.

“Aww, thank you! I don’t think it’s much but I admire your enthusiasm.” Susie tried her best to act humble, but she was gloating in her mind. She’s a genius, after all.

Kabula could see right through her facade. She didn’t mind though, Susie deserved to be proud of her work. In fact, Kabula felt a little envious of her gifted brain.

Susie tinkered with the tablet’s hologram to display a list of accessories.

“Well, now that we got our general idea, I’d like to discuss some accessories with you. This includes various attachments, weapons, and extensions. These will be your upgrades.”

The hologram displayed various weapons and attachments. They discussed their various options. They added and removed cannons and lasers, keeping in mind the budget displayed in the corner. They talked about cannons versus lasers, getting into tangents about their applications.

Kabula preferred the physicality of cannons and missiles, but Susie critiqued them on their energy efficiency. It took a significant amount of power to get an object to move at great speeds. She generally preferred the instantaneous nature of lasers. Kabula reluctantly agreed.

While swiping through the accessories, an ice cream maker caught Susie’s attention. She suggested it to be added to the already long list of attachments because everyone loves ice cream! Kabula dismissed it. A combat blimp wouldn’t find use for an ice cream machine.

  Hours of indecisiveness and long conversations later, they landed on a final list of upgrades.

“We have a modular central cannon and several smaller laser cannons, both of which can fire both lasers and physical projectiles. An ammunition fabricator. Reinforced Haltonium alloy envelope. Enhanced propeller and gravitational multiplier. And an energy optimizer for efficient use of power.”

Kabula was still trying to understand everything she said, but she knew the details didn’t matter.

“Wow,” Kabula exclaimed. “When you read it off like that, it makes it sound like I’ll be powerful!”

“That’s the plan!” Susie said, patting Kabula’s hull. “I guess that means we should start construction as soon as possible. I just have to get these plans to our engineering committee for approval. Do you have any questions before I go?”

There was an important part of her design that hadn’t yet been mentioned by Susie.

“What about my face?” she asked. “Will I still have it?”

“You mean the painted shark decal on your envelope? My apologies, but I don't see it happening. Expensive paint will only add to our already bloated budget.”

“Expensive?” Kabula’s voice began to rise. “You were the one to suggest adding an ice cream dispenser to me. Why is that okay but my face isn’t?”

Startled by her change in tone, Susie attempted to diffuse the situation. “The ice cream dispenser would be cheaper than this paint job would be. We have an ice cream factory after all, not a paint factory.” She chuckled nervously, trying to make light of the situation, but Kabula didn’t budge.

“It stays on. I need my face.”

“I’d love to, but we’re already over budget. You have to realize it adds unnecessary expen-”

“I don’t care!” Her voice echoed inside the silent cell, and in Susie's mind.

Susie was startled by Kabula’s outburst. Her attempts at diffusing the situation failed. Words found it difficult to leave her mouth.

“I’m- I’m sorry. We’ll do that for you. Your face will be painted. Sorry for the inconvenience.” Susie said while grabbing her tools to leave.

Kabula did not honor her with a response.

Susie turned the TV back on and left in silence, freeing her from the tension in the cell.

…Or so she thought.

Susie continued her day as normal. Minor disagreements are common in the world of business after all. There was no time for her to linger on her thoughts.

She went around the Access Ark fulfilling her duties as executive assistant of this glorious company.

First of all, she had Kabula’s blueprints approved and ready to start construction the next day. She made sure to include her shark decal face, despite their limited budget.

She ordered the construction of new buildings and machines, designed and approved blueprints for mechanized creatures, and ensured the local burger joint is up to health standards. As she completed her tasks, her heart kept gnawing at her, demanding her attention. She refused to acknowledge it and continued about her busy day. This illness will pass soon, she thought.

She was now in her room at her desk filing paperwork. This was always the most boring part of her day, but it’s essential for her duties as secretary. Every few minutes, she would check the clock watching it slowly tick toward 10 PM. Finally, it did.

The bells tolled across the Ark, signaling to the citizens that it was now curfew. 

She swiftly changed into her pajamas and buried herself into her blanket. The stress of her busy day faded away.

Except something was keeping her up. But that gnawing never left. Susie kept tossing and turning, wanting to forget everything and fall asleep. But now she had no excuse to ignore her feelings. She was alone with her thoughts.

Guilt consumed her and she didn’t understand why. She never felt like this when mechanizing other creatures, so why does she now?

Susie buried her face into her pillow, trying to ignore the stream of thoughts bouncing in her head.

Why did I say that?

She deserves to be treated better.

I’m no good for her.

I hurt her and I’m sorry.

It became clear to her that she had to do something about this.

The Ark was dark and quiet, absent of all the bright lights. Since everything was shut down, Susie had to use her flying transporter to get to Kabula’s cell. She held the transporter’s handle and had a blanket on the other hand.

Susie was still in her bright pink pajamas, but she wasn’t ashamed. If anyone were out this late to see her like this, they’d have bigger things to worry about.

  The mechanization cells were near, and Susie could already feel the tense atmosphere return. She took a deep breath before entering inside and walking down the long hall of cells.

With every step she took, she felt her heart beat faster.

The captives growled and whimpered as they watched Susie walk. It was deafening. Beads of sweat crawled down Susie’s face.

She finally reached the end of the hall and hurried into the door. The cell was silent, so Susie took a moment to calm down. Her breath slowed from hyperventilation to a steady pace.

From the entrance, she could see into the cell through the window.  Kabula was motionless and the TV was still on.

It was exactly as Susie left it. Nothing was different.

Susie crept into Kabula’s cell, trying not to disturb her. She heard the TV and nothing else.

“I can hear you, y’know?” Kabula broke the silence. Her voice was much louder than the TV.

"Um. My apologies. I hope I’m not disturbing you.”

Susie waited for a response, but didn’t get one.

"Well, I brought you a blanket in case you were cold. It’s one of my fav-”

“I’m a machine, Susie,” She said sternly. “I don’t feel warmth or cold or pain or joy. You should know this, right?” Despite the television’s audio, the room was eerily quiet.

“Sorry for the inconvenience,” Kabula mocked. “You should take that blanket back with you and leave me here. Alone.”

Susie usually had zero tolerance for rudeness, but it was different this time.

Part of her was reaching for the exit like a magnet, but she knew she needed to face her mistakes. She just wasn’t sure how.

Susie began to speak softly. "I'm… I’m sorry. I really am. You aren’t just a machine to me.”

Kabula scoffed. “Don’t lie to me. I’m just a cog in your plan. Literally. You just want to use me to get what you want.” Kabula’s voice started strong, but quickly weakened with every word.

“Forget about adding my face.” Her voice strained, her words betraying what she felt. “I won’t need it anymore. Now leave me alone.”

“Kabula, it’s already added to our budget. We’re going to paint your face on.”

“Are you seriously still talking about the budget?” Kabula sounded annoyed. “The last time we spoke, you called it an ‘unnecessary expense.’ I don’t care if you’re adding the decal now. I already know what you think of me.”

  They both were unable to speak. Susie was looking for the right words to say. She didn’t want to make things worse. Finally, she took a breath and spoke.

“Kabula, you’re more than a machine.” Then, Susie paused. She was hesitant to admit what she was feeling. But the words spilled out, allowing her heart to shine through.

“I know it’s weird because we’ve only met a day ago, but I like you. I enjoy being around you. I’m sorry that I hurt you, I really am. It’s stuck with me this entire day. I couldn’t stand to leave things as they were. I had fun with you, and I want to keep having fun with you.”

Susie baked in the tension of the room the longer Kabula stayed silent. The TV on the wall got suffocatingly loud. It was starting to get unbearable.

She slouched, dragging her body toward the exit.

  “Susie… You make me feel weird things, you know that? I forgive you, but this is the only time.”

Susie rushed to Kabula to give her a hug, arms spread wide on her hull. The sudden act of affection surprised the both of them, so Susie awkwardly shuffled away. Her face was flush red.

The spontaneous hug felt warm to Kabula. It wasn’t a manipulation tactic or an attempt to get closer; It felt genuine.

Before Susie could announce her departure, the moment was interrupted by Susie’s voice, but it wasn’t coming from her.

          “Hello, Eva! You said you wanted permission to go to the entrance outside your schedule?”

  “Oh my goodness!” Susie exclaimed. She jumped onto the top of Kabula to get a closer look at the TV. Kabula was startled by Susie’s sudden burst of energy. Her body rocked, creaking as Susie stood. “Hey! Be careful, Susie!”

“Kabula, look! This is what I was talking about! One of my cameos in the show!”

          “You know my name?” Eva asked.

        Susie giggled. “Of course I do. I know the names of all our citizens.” She flipped her hair and struck a pose.

  Kabula noticed this was the same pose Susie struck the second time she met her. It was so charming. She wished she had the same mobility to strike stylish poses.

"Do you actually know everyone’s name?”

“Uhm, yeah! Heh heh,” Susie laughed nervously as she set down her blanket to lay on. “I just get help from my headgear’s scanners and our database of citizen profiles.”

Susie snuggled into her blanket, her eyes still glued to the TV.

          “There’s no need to worry, Eva. I will pardon your absence from your station. The power of love is hard to stop.” 

        Susie turned to the camera and spoke directly to it.

        “We want all of our citizens to feel safe and comfortable talking with our representatives to arrange schedules.”

        Susie pulled a large book out of nowhere like magic.

        “As long as those schedules fall under local legislation and follow the Haltmann Works GTEP: Guidelines to Ensure Productivity.”

  Susie giggled. “My little company messaging was so subtle I bet you didn’t notice it!” She said without a hint of irony.

“I mean, maybe for Haltmann advertisement standards.” Kabula laughed, rumbling Susie with every chuckle. Susie started to laugh uncontrollably. She felt like she was being tickled. Her laughter only made Kabula laugh more; a constant cycle of giggling.

Once they had both calmed down, Susie peeked at the clock on the wall. She might have been busy tomorrow, but another half hour wouldn’t hurt, would it?

“Hey Kabula. Do you mind if I stayed a little longer? I cameo in a few more episodes and I’d like to watch them with you.”

Kabula couldn’t speak a word. She was too flustered to formulate a sentence. Susie felt Kabula warm up beneath her, and she had no way to control it.

“Um, yeah sure. Stay as long as you want. It beats being alone.” She said, trying to suppress her feelings with a nonchalant attitude.

  Susie and Kabula watched episode after episode. During the commercial breaks, they’d talk about the show, about living on the Access Ark, and whatever would pop up randomly. Kabula was curious why the only show on the channel was Love at First Byte. Susie told her the channel was in its infancy and it was still considered an experiment, and it was given a minimal budget. More shows are being produced as they spoke.

Kabula found Susie’s pink pajamas cute. Susie rambled about fashion and colors that fit her until the commercial break ended. Susie vented about the work she had to do and how busy she was all the time, grateful to have someone to listen to her. She normally talked to Pam about her frustrations, but they would only listen, never respond.

Half an hour became an hour. Then two. Then three. Susie's energy faded with every passing minute. When Kabula asked about her thoughts on the plot twist ending of an episode, she got no response. Susie had fallen asleep on top of her.

She felt happy to spend time with someone as a friend. It still amazed her to be calling someone a “friend.” She had almost forgotten about their feud entirely, but it still came up in her thoughts.

It was clear to her that Susie didn’t mean to hurt her feelings. She made up for it by spending time with her anyway.

Kabula didn’t feel comfortable showing it, but she wanted to keep having fun with Susie too.

With nothing else to think about, Kabula shut down. The two of them resting for their busy day tomorrow.

Chapter 1 / Read on AO3

Criticism is welcome and appreciated!