#event 002: the drones

[darcyxpalmer]

status: closed with @akhilaasthana where: along the streets of the bungalows

Maybe if she just gotten home, these hornets would leave her alone - at least that was Darcy's thought process. If she could just hide away, they'd leave her be.

She managed to sneak away from them for now and if she was just quiet enough, she could make it.

She was really close, when she turned the corner and basically ran right into Akhila. "Shit, shit, sorry, are you-- are you okay? No hornets chasing you?" she asked, looking around immediately, but they were in the clear, at least for now.

[darcyxpalmer]

"I guess it could be like a video game, yeah. Kind of like VR but more real, more advanced," Darcy gave a small shrug, curious how Tej would take the topic. "Everything before we woke up on the cruise ship was in one. There is just no way anything else would make sense." Others didn't agree, but she didn't need others to know. She knew it for sure and she also had Alex's confirmation too.

"Ha ha, very funny," she gave him a look, but really, it was fair. "It's really interesting, though. Just how differently some of these powers manifest. I wonder if these reactions have anything to do with the powers themselves, or maybe the people who have them."

Darcy let out a small chuckle. "No, definitely not a writer of any kind." Artists did run in the family, but-- but no, that didn't really matter cause that was in the simulation and it was a whole different situation and it didn't matter. "I'm just a waitress. Or was, I guess. Not much more." Kind of. "And the second, the beckoning is more of a feeling than anything else. No actual voice is speaking in my head or anything."

The idea that there was something in them was interesting, Darcy tilted her head, pondered it for a few moments. "Almost like the powers chosing us based on whatever we have in us? Maybe we were even chosen to be here because of something special like this?" That could certainly be a possibility, or at least some kind of factor.

None of it really mattered, though. Not when the hornets were attacking Tej right when he was climbing up the side of the wall. Those fuckers truly had a great, amazing, mind-boggling timing. Just what either of them needed.

All of it went down so fast, if Darcy was being honest, she couldn't even fully comprehend the choices she made during it, she just wanted to get Tej away from them and keep the robot monstrosities away from him. Who cared if she lost a bag, right? As long as they got out of things okay.

So when she got him up next to herself onto the ledge and made sure that the hornets weren't hanging around to cause even more damage (really, was it just their goal to sting and then get away in the most traumatic way possible? fuck them all).

"Yeah, they're gone, they're-- fuck, they really got you." He was bleeding on his side, so she quickly got the sweater she was wearing off of herself, clumped the textile up and pressed it against his side for now, trying not to focus on the blood that started to pool under him.

This was not like the last time. This was not like the last time. This was absolutely not like the last time.

"If you are going to chastize me, I really do not want to hear about it, Tej. Of course I stayed and--" But he simply said thank you and Darcy let out a high-strung sigh, only realizing now that her hands were shaking as she held the sweater against his side. "Yeah, it's nothing. You just stop bleeding and we get back and it's all going to be fine. Otherwise I'm bringing you back just to kill you myself in the most painful way possible, and really, you absolutely do not want any of it. I might not be an artist, but I can be creative in that regard." She wasn't sure if she wanted to lighten the mood for his sake or her own more, but if anyone asked, it was absolutely his.

"I don't care about the bag, Tej," she said, but she leaned over the ledge again. She couldn't see the bag but she also couldn't see any hornets that decided to come back, so she took that as a win. "How are you feeling? Aside from the side bleeding situation, of course."

She sat back onto her heels, taking the rest of him in. "Have you seen anything? After the sting?" She thought of her own experience, the way she could feel Jim's fear and terror but last moments of determination too, as he tried to help Beema. "I got stung by one of them, too - by one of the bungalows. And I saw Jim's last moments in it."

The longer they were on the island, the more he longed to go back. Nothing had been left behind-- grief drained the life out the world, and Tej was on the move to a new one. Perhaps the desire tied itself to a more distant familiarity for Tej. The bliss of London, before everything went to shit. (Unfortunately, gaining the presence of Zaid on the island only reminded how much he'd lost.)

No exes around for Darcy, and Tej muttered, "A lucky one." My history in the simulation. The hell was she talking about? "A simulation... of what. Like a video game or something?"

His gaze darted to Darcy's restrained hand. "Thanks mom, but I'm fine. The fever comes on before it all starts. I think. And I like, simultaneously feel as if I'm burning up inside but have the chills too." Competing sensations (not terrible ones either). "I haven't noticed it when I'm... playing with the light, so I guess it goes away."

The power seized Tej like an infection. While Darcy said the shadows beckoned. "No, s'not weird. That's poetic, you know. You aren't a writer or anything like that, are you?" Musician. Actress, creative type. "Is it a literal voice, or the idea of one. An impulse, drawn to something without knowing why." An abstract notion Tej was more familiar with, such as the match strike of inspiration.

Questions stacked as high as the ceiling of the cave. Mentally debating the limits on these powers, how they were differentiated, where the hell did they even come from. "I've wondered if there is something in us." To use Darcy's word, beckoned. "Something about us personally that's called to these powers, brought them to us."

Under attack by the hornet, a rhythmical drone of electricity contracted his muscles. Pain flared at the point of the sting and spikes of metal legs punctured his side. Tej lost his own vision and found it replaced by a multitude of screens with Qwan's frozen, wide open screen plastered on each one. Then, the vision flipped like a channel to Qwan's point of view. If this was on a Netflix show, the scene of a looming hybrid robot/hornet casting a glance of hundreds of electronic eyes on someone, well. He'd snicker, change the channel, roast the show with acquaintances. Seen through Qwan's eyes, the petrified fear rushed like a river inside Tej.

The next scream came from Darcy. Through the pixelated snow that filled his view, there was movement. And sounds: rocks struck and fell, another loud thump below followed, and Darcy's shouts. A hand clamped over his wrist as he clung to the rock ledge. The slow and sickening tug of sharp steel pulled out of his skin. The air from slick metal winds dissipated as the hornet released him.

In a blink, he could see again. Bleeding and confused, Tej managed to hoist himself the rest of the way out of the cave with Darcy's help.

Up top, he rolled with a grimace to his back. "Did you run them all off?" Tej's eyes opened to see her. "The fucker really got me, huh." His hand ran over tears in his shirt and came away coated in crimson.

"You're out of your head for hanging around." Just like with the girl on the boat. A complicated emotion welled up in Tej, even if it didn't surface to his expression. "Thanks." Without Darcy, he'd be on the cave floor broken, stung, worse... and would it be so bad. (No. It would not. Maybe he'd be back in that long ago London then.)

But he was there now, and unsurprised Darcy was too. "Fuck, your bag is gone."

[akhilaasthana]

>> 📱 Baskar

Akhila: Sorry I lost you, had to deal with an emergency. Where are you? Akhila: Baskar please tell me you haven't gone with them have you?

[l3monlem0n]

Some Murder Drones Episode 7 screenshots I thought were interesting and my thoughts on them :>

SPOILER WARNING!!!! is spoilering

Nori, despite being a middle aged woman with a child, appears to be an Otaku or otherwise likes "edgy" and "scene" stuff, as well as listening to nightcore, very much like her daughter. Good for her tbh you're never too old to have fun

She also has a photo of Khan and what I can only assume is baby Uzi, though it appears to have blue eyes, but maybe it's just the lighting. Still very cute she has a pic of her husband

As well as all the previously mentioned Otaku stuff, she also drew herself as an anime character. She has a skinsona. Phenomenal (pos)

Nothing much here, just Uzi coughing up blood. Girl got the goop (gore) inside of her already

Lab Space. Apparently the Church was just down there and not even the humans know why. The canonicity of this is questionable; it could just be a joke

OT, as per google, stands for "Occupational Therapy". Makes sense for the context, and makes the bottom text funnier

"Fun Time To Universe Big Crunch: 87". The Big Crunch is a hypothetical way the Universe could end, where the universe folds on itself and shrinks into a single point. 87 "what" I don't know. If it's months, that 7 years and 3 months

Honestly the Murder Drones lore is super confusing. I think what this is trying to say is that every other Zombie Drone is doing poorly, (Except for Yeva), they are trying to reactivate 002 (Nori) via the USB. I'm not sure what this means. Maybe they only got the results they wanted from the two of them, and are trying again with Nori since she was the only other one that worked (also why they got Yeva when she failed; this may all be referring to how the episode opened up) Also, the date says SER. As revealed in the episode Cabin Fever, Copper-9 has months that Earth does not. SER most likely stands for Seramorris, the month revealed in that episode

Looks like the "bad event" wasn't the first one. Certainly was the last one though lol

Just a good pic of ghost/hologram V with the scary stuff. Might use this as a wallpaper

You can literally see the hole in his neck where N bit him in...

...And it's to the point his HEAD FALLS OFF. (including because I didn't notice the first time around)

Yup, the idea that Uzi became the Admin for N and V is completely true. I wonder what would've happened if she didn't, since Cyn didn't react whatsoever

friggin bug (very pos)

You would not believe how difficult it was to get a good pic of this (I'm using snipping tool lmao). Always a pleasure to see Uzi's doodles. Things her gun can do (upper right):

NOT judge her

Forced prom date (?)

Allows her to say she had friends before she frickin murdered them with sci-fi machinery

The cut off text at the bottom: Plan B: Normal gun + Shoot really fast

This is while Tessa is looking for something in the lockers. Claws, chains, magnets, Wings, and scribbled "HELP". Looks like the lockers were all specifically to hold the infected worker drones. Oof

We are in the future now baby. We have rererererereCAPTCHA. Funnily enough, it still couldn't stop a robot

There is a message board where someone who doesn't like robots is talking. They also are scared. Also no one else is using this system, which is unsurprising. "Ur aight ;)" Wait is the winky face intentional foreshadowing? Or unintentional?

We get the names of a bunch of other Worker Drones. Unfortunately for all 029 fans, her name was not visible. (also can someone tell me what "JWEB" could be short for?) And Yeva is said to have a patch. That may be the crucible thing idk

Cyn (which I will be calling this version Skyn [Skin + Cyn]) apparently took of the space suit just to give Doll the Withered Foxy jumpscare. Honestly really terrifying. If this photo was teased before release I think the fandom would've exploded

Just N being a good boy :3

The MDs, Cyn's pets. Nori refers to them as "Nerfed" so the "Entity" can ensure control, and says they were made to destroy other hosts. I don't know why Cyn would want them dead, but I'm not the loremaster here. YouTube line is there because I couldn't be bothered after the Railgun image

Probably already confirmed, but doubly confirmed that a symptom of the Solver is giving Drones organic insides. A Worker Drone body with a rib cage and guts. I wonder what would happen if the infection continued uninterrupted (also R.I.P. Doll I loved you :frown:)

I'm sure everyone noticed, but when Uzi tried to manipulate Tessa, the ERROR noticed appeared. Already hinting Tessa is not all she says she is

Apparently the Solver can create Black Hole Saws. Interesting development (Blackhole Blitz)

I know most people (I think) see this as a joke and N just being a bit of goofball. But honestly, I think he did it intentionally to shock Cynuzi and give Nori a chance. In the Pilot, he licked V's sword to surprise her too, which means he isn't unfamiliar with doing something weird and surprising for the advantage

Skyn eating Doll's core. R.I.P. Doll again. Seriously, was that Doll in Core Form like Nori was? Or was Nori a fringe case because she was "Exorcised" and this is just a regular core? Questions, questions. Also yeah the Solver also gives you a Core. Fun

This tag makes me think that this body is Cyn's actual body. Not longer a hologram, but her actual body from the mansion. The reason Tessa gave N, J, and V their names was because that was the first letter of their Serial Designation (she's very uncreative). However, Cyn's tag was slightly faded, which meant her SD couldn't be seen, so Tessa gave her the name "Cyn" after her P/N, even though the other 3 already have the same P/N as Cyn (Tessa, again, is very uncreative)...

...and for some reason, Cyn or the Solver, which ever theory you subscribe to, decided to wear Tessa as a skin suit for some twisted reason. It did help her with the Captcha. Also scary because this doesn't have the right proportions for an adult (unless Cyn really forced that skin on), which leads me to believe that this is a Younger Tessa, and she faked having an older voice. Maybe I shouldn't call her my wife... I'm sure Eldritch J is still available :^)

(Seriously, the eyes are burnt out, leaving two eye holes over the visor, so she gives herself two X eyes so it looks better. Also yeah we found out what that thing on the "It Came From Copper-9" poster came from. It really was Cyn or Skyn)

Just a frame of the final...frame... for coolness. I'm probably also going to use this for a background. Also, this is definitely Copper-9. You can see the ring and ringless moon together on the right. Uzi somehow got sent to orbit after falling in the meat hole

Well that was all for now. This series has consumed me entirely, body and soul, and I wouldn't have it any other way. Goodbye and goodnight

[kittydragondraws]

Murder Drones Timeline (As Best As I Can String Together)

This series is known for having a confusing and convoluted timeline. However, when you break everything down based on the information given, it's actually quite simple.

Here, I am going to try to create what I think is the timeline of event for Murder Drones, based on things shown to us, told to us, and blink and you miss it background details.

Before we get started I just wanted to clarify that these dates aren't exact and I'm just going off of rough guesstamates and what feels most realistic.

With all that out of the way let's head back (or in our case, forward) to 3037.

3037

Tessa Elliot is born to James and Louisa Elliot.

3048 - 3050

Tessa would, against her parents' wishes, go out to the nearest Worker Drone graveyard and rescue any of the still-functioning Zombie Drones she found, bringing them back to the mansion, repairing them, and adopting them as her own. The last of these being Cyn.

3051

The Elliot family would host a gala, during which the Solver (through Cyn's body) would attack and murder all the attendees, including Tessa. Although faithful to its word it wouldn't discard her, and would instead wear her skin as copy her voice. It would also use the Zombie Drones to repurpose them into Disassembly Drones.

The Solver uses these Disassembly Drones to massacre all the humans on Earth, sending them to other human colonized exoplanets around the galaxy to wipe them out there as well.

The humans on Copper 9 learn about this, and try to find a way to defeat the Solver by removing it from the systems of infected Workers. This led to the start of the Cabin Fever Labs Project, where they would purposefully infect Workers with the Solver to learn about it with the end goal of developing antivirus programs that could successfully remove it from their code.

During an attempt to exorcise the Solver from Subject 002, otherwise known as Nori, the procedure goes horribly wrong and 002 and 048, also known as Yeva, end up triggering a core collapse. Causing a wave of frigid and toxic air to blow across the planet's surface killing all biological life.

Nori and Yeva are shot up to the planet's surface, where they are later found, rescued, and taken in by a Worker named Khan and his group.

Several ships land on Copper 9, each one filled with a trio of a new drone type known as Disassembly Drones or, as they would come to be called by the Workers, Murder Drones. Causing the Worker Drones to flee to the bunkers in fear of them.

3053

Khan and Nori have their child, Uzi.

3055

Nori is attacked by a Disassembly Drone, presumably N, and left to die. With Khan finding her and putting her out of her misery by beating her with a wrench.

3071

Events of the show.

[darcyxpalmer]

Zaid was in some kind of shock. Darcy wasn't quite sure why, but it seemed like he saw something or somebody on the tv screens that got his mind running, spinning, completely losing any kind of focus on what was happening around them and really, if one of the unknown people she saw on the screens was somebody he knew, she got it to some degree, but it was still dangerous. They got lucky that it didn't outright go for them but passed them by, they should not risk anything.

And yet, it still took her some time (what felt like an eternity but it probably wasn't that long) to snap him out of it. Only for him to point out that she's been hurting him all this time. "Shit, sorry, I didn't mean--" she snapped her fingers away and looked over her shoulder again making sure nothing was behind them.

He took her hand then and she squeezed it. "Don't apologize, this shit is-- yeah, it's scary as hell, you're good. We just gotta get out of here." The how was still questionable for Darcy, but she didn't bring it up, instead she just nodded at his suggestion to go exact opposite to where the gigantic hornet was headed. As long as they were getting away from it, they could figure out the rest.

"We need to warn people about this big one. It didn't seem too bothered by us, but if it comes to our base and starts stinging people..." She rubbed the place where the smaller one stung her earlier. "The small one was bad enough, one from this could pretty much kill anyone." Not good prospects, to say the least...

They did end up finding the beach and Darcy breathed a sigh of relief, but it only lasted for a moment. "Do you think there's a chance the mist was intentionally keeping us from the beach somehow until we saw that thing? Almost like-- I don't know, a warning or a taunt or something?" Did the smaller ones chase them to the big one or was it all a coincidence and she saw too much into things?

He brought up the screens and if she saw something on them himself - Darcy wasn't quite sure how to bring up the freezing herself. She originally decided to get back to it once they all dealt with the hornets and they could breathe again, but since he asked... "Yeah, I saw recordings of a bunch of us. That was pretty creepy. And then there were some screens that had scenes and people from the simulation. Or the outside world, if that is better description for you."

She tilted her head, tried to read anything out of his face - he just seemed in his thoughts, really, but there had to have been more about it. "What did you see, Zaid? You just froze, so you had to see something. Or more like somebody you knew before all of this?"

Inika. Inika. Her sweet little face. Dark curls like a halo around her round forehead, so kissable. She was laughing, she was laughing and happy. Not distressed, crying, clinging to him on a windy, cold beach, bawling for Tej-Uncle, wanting to go home, home. Home to Tej-Uncle.

Everything else faded away but her face. Zaid hadn't looked at any photos of her since her funeral, he couldn't bring himself to. Perhaps in those six months of grief and self-pity, he'd secretly hoped he could forget that adorable little face. Maybe it would fade away with time, with moving on. Maybe he could forget.

He was a stupid fucking cunt, for thinking that.

Darcy's voice, soft and urgent, repeating his name. It entered his conscious psyche after a minute or so, and Zaid was caught in a liminal moment of confusion. How was Darcy in New York? Did she know what he'd done to Inika? Was she his friend, helping him pack up his flat, his restaurant, his entire failure of a life?

'Ridiculous, Zuzu,' Zaid reminded himself. 'You have no friends.'

He blinked, and focused on Darcy's earnest, urgent face. She was really quite a beautiful woman, up close. Most people here were beautiful...right. Here. This bloody strange place with powers and robot hornets and no way home.

This all happened in the space of a minute or two, and Zaid shook his head, deciding firmly that what he'd seen on the mega-hornet's TV screen - that pretty little face he'd seen - was wrong. He was mistaken. He was a fucking cunt for even imagining it.

"Right. Right, sorry Darcy, I...right." Zaid pat her hand, then twisted his arm in of her grip when he realized her digging fingers were actually hurting him. "Let me go, you're hurting me, love. We'll - we've got to go, you're right."

Instead, compulsively, Zaid took a hold of Darcy's hand and held it firmly in his. "Right? We'll go, you're right. I'm sorry, I...I dunno what came over me. I'm just scared, I'm sorry, love." He looked around.

"If...if that fucking thing was coming from there, then that's where we'll go. The opposite direction of it, yeah? Away from it. Yeah? Let's go."

Zaid started to walk through the mist with Darcy, and only paused when he heard - with some relief - the sound of water crashing on shore. They were near the beach! He glanced at Darcy and smiled at her, then started walking faster. "Darcy, can I ask you something? Did you...see anything in those...screens? Of that monster hornet?"

[cityofevelynx]

Event: The Drone part 002 Characters: Evelyn & Zaid @zaidshair Location: Near the medcenter

This place was one disaster after another! If the relentless attacks from those insane robotic hornets weren't enough, now there were these creepy creatures digging everywhere. It was chaos: people scattering, fighting to survive. The whole scene felt too close to some twisted sci-fi movie, and Evelyn could hardly believe it. But ridiculous or not, her instincts kicked in. Agent training didn’t just disappear, and she moved into fight mode without a second thought, scanning for threats and bracing herself for whatever came next.

Evelyn was determined to find anyone or anything that could lead her to this Beema. It might sound crazy, but she couldn’t stand by and let an innocent person suffer or perish. They might not share any connection, but she had made her own choices now. As she scanned the surroundings, her gaze landed on someone who looked utterly worn out. “Has anyone found a way into the forest to get to Beema or at least a plan?”

[ppnuggie]

　　　　300 follow event :: MATCH UPS

　thank you so much for 300 followers !! :D even if its not that many ,, its a lot to me !! i hope you all are enjoying my blog so far ,, even if its gotten sidetracked from being just a transformers x reader blog ,, and turned into more !! however ,, as a celebration for this ,, im doing match ups for my followers !!

　if you’re interested in the matchups ,, then by all means feel free to ask for one !! :) however ,, there are some rules to this ,, and please be sure to read them !! if you dont ,, and you dont follow the rules ,, i will not do your match up :| i made sure to put those in bold and colored lettering ,, since some people may overlook all this text ,, and then ill have handfuls of matchups to do that people didnt listen to the rules for.

the matchup you receive will have :: the character i match you with ,, small headcannons of your relationship w/ the character ,, and a small scenario. i have a format for it <3 so heres the template im using so you have an idea :)

𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐂𝐇𝐄𝐃 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 :

𝐈𝐍𝐂𝐋𝐔𝐃𝐄𝐒 :

𝐒𝐂𝐄𝐍𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐎 :

　　rules —

001 :: please be following me for this !! as this event is for my followers ,, not just anyone !! its alright if you follow me now and do it ,, but please don’t unfollow me afterwards just for the matchup. if you’re going to want to get the matchup and you follow me ,, the least you can do is at least look at some of my works.

002 :: be sure to specify what fandom you want a matchup for !! i do a few fandoms :: lost in space ,, transformers (tfa ,, tfp ,, g1 ,, bayverse ,, cyberverse ,, rescue bots ,, siege trilogy ,, beast wars) ,, brave police j decker ,, alien ,, predator

003 :: be specific in your match up !! you dont have to include your appearance if it makes you uncomfortable ,, however i need some info on your personality !! it helps a lot to know your personality !! feel free to include your likes and dislikes too ,, it also helps !!

004 :: i dont mind doing a match up for anyone ,, regardless of race ,, gender ,, sexuality ,, identity ,, religion ,, etc… i personally dont care what you identify as or what your race or religion is ,, it has nothing to do with me and i will not discriminate against you for any of those things. :) however ,, if theres a certain gender preference you want then just say so !!

005 :: please be patient ,, as i am busy with not only requests but also other match ups !! it would mean a lot if you could wait !! :)) please send your matchup in my dms or inbox !! whichever you’re comfortable with <33

006 :: please do not ,, and i will repeat ,, do not do this when you describe your personality — “im very depressed and lonely, i have no friends” — i swear on my life this is unrelated to matchups. ive had to deal with this sort of thing so much, its bothersome. please do not do this, and/or list a character(s) that you like most, because if you do this, im deleting your matchup right away. i mean it.

　　　　template (optional) ::

personality ::

likes ::

dislikes ::

fandom ::

any sort of gender preference ::

　　　　fandoms ::

- transformers — rescue bots ,, animated ,, prime ,, g1 ,, war for cybertom trilogy ,, cyberverse ,, robots in disguise 2015 ,, beast wars

- lost in space — only the robots (sar ,, robot ,, scarecrow)

- xenomorph — just a regulary drone xenomorph and/or queen xenomorph — maybe even a king xenomorph

- brave police j decker — just the handful of characters ,, the robots that is :: deckerd ,, shadowmaru ,, gunmax ,, power joe ,, power joe ,, dumpson

- predator — wolf ,, city hunter ,, scar ,, celtic ,, jungle hunter ,, ap ,, fugitive ,, feral ,, berserker ,, tracker ,, falconer

　　　　　link to the 100 follower event :: 🟪

[akhilaasthana]

She’d rocked back onto her heels, which was enough to see the hornet’s arrival. It buzzed through the trees with a flurry of its mechanical wings, for a beast made out of metal, it was surprisingly graceful. That or Akhila’s vision was still swarming. Static hissed as a compliment to the obtuse fluttering. Not all hornets would lock on like this, what had spurred this hornet to follow them? Questions she’d unpack later when she was sound of mind and not staring the creature down. Akhila’s chest heaved quick and shallow. She’d run dry of the courage, or stupidity, that’d driven her down here with him.

It didn’t matter.

Akhila was hauled to her feet, surprisingly, she yielded with no complaint. It was the kid he’d scrambled back up the muddy bank. Held his hand out as a defiant order to stop against the hornet. She was too dazed to bark at him that was ridiculous. The hornet wasn’t likely to obey his attempt at traffic control. That hadn’t been his intent. It became obvious as the stagnant water flushed overhead of them. The putrid smell of algae encased them and Akhila’s lip peeled back. What did it matter if it smelt? The hornet was confounded by the shield of water as it hovered several paces away. Staring. Waiting. Watching. Akhila raised a hand to squeeze his shoulder, an insinuation, keep it up.

Eventually, the hornet lifted in one smooth takeoff and disappeared above the tree-line. Akhila gave the kid a pat on the back. “Well done kid.” His abilities were not limited to that of solid mineral forms. Which was all the more curious. Akhila idly wondered how far he could be pushed. He seemed to have excellent control over his ability, she’d witnessed firsthand Zaid’s overzealous talk for a rather meagre output. “Can you stop it now?” She asked him, because the smell was starting to make her gag, and in part because they had a long trek back. No time to waste like the present.

“What was your name?” Akhila abruptly queried. There wasn’t a chance in hell she could lift him again, it was some small miracle she’d managed to shift her own weight and his. There was one other small problem. Akhila didn’t know where they were. No point in worrying the kid. She continued her interrogation instead. “Have you been practicing with your…ability?” 

He was still convinced that she shouldn't anger the half-bug, half-robotic creature. Elliot couldn't believe this was happening right now. He was physically not cut out for this, and if he had gone to the gym like he should have, he would have been in better shape to run. The images of the island showed on screen, and he had only seen parts of the place. However, it flickered the faces of the group from the meeting as well.

'Sincere apologies for this.' what do you mean? he questioned in his mind. Why would she apologize? She had motioned to lift him and he was not prepared. "Woah, woah, how---" whether she had the strength to lift him, he was pretty tall. He wasn't sure what she was trying to do. Sacrifice him? Is this how it ends? He wasn't prepared for what was about to happen.

Everything blurred the second they took off, the world rushing by in streaks of green and brown. He barely had time to gasp before the wind whipped the breath from his lungs, his stomach dropping as if he’d left it miles behind. Trees, mud, all blurred in his vision as he flashed past in less than a blink. Just when he thought he couldn’t hold on any longer, the momentum shifted—as he tumbled down.

His body rolled until he was met with the awakening splash of a small pond. Elliot did not like water, in fact, he was a terrible swimmer, and quite frankly did not have good memories. His initial reaction was to gag, he wanted to vomit everything he had eaten. Whatever it was that happened, had his head spinning. However, the cool sensation of the water is what had him remain still. He wasn't immersed in it, but at the edge of the water, not fully thrown in.

He couldn't explain the discomfort from being covered in water, and mud together. Yet, the feel of the water had him remain still. For two reasons. The first he had explained earlier, he didn't like water. The second, he felt a connection to it.

MOVE!

His thoughts snapped back to see the other woman across the way, followed by the hornet that had followed her earlier. Elliot moved like his life depended on it. He felt hopeless, useless, and afraid. The feelings swirling within, followed by wanting to survive. Wanting to come out of this alive. "You move too!" he said as he crawled, before standing to make a dash for her. Should he have run the other way --sure, but Elliot was not the kind of person to leave someone behind.

The hornet was making it's way, he managed to reach her and pull her to stand up. The hornet was close, and Elliot held his hand out in defense. The last thought in mind was protection. They needed protection. All he could hear was the sound of water flowing like one would hear if they were near a waterfall. Like magic, a swirling wall of water formed around them, rising like a shimmering, liquid barrier. It encased them entirely, a protective shield of fluid motion that pulsed and shifted with every heartbeat.

[psychopersonified]

Tale of the second drawer...

Part of the prequel series to "Are we ever going to talk about this?".

I'll post little snippets of their 'not dating' days in this series. Little events that draw them together and the intimacy they share in plain sight.

--------

Q pokes at the plaster with his undamaged hand, tracing the outlines of what must be an impressive blister underneath. “Owww... With luck, I might end up with a wicked scar. Makes for an interesting conversation starter.” 

Bond smiles indulgently at his exaggeration then lobs a half-hearted line at him, “Would you like me to kiss it better?” His calloused thumbs running back and forth lightly over the open palm. 

Q can’t help but laugh at that,......

----------------------------------------------------

Agent 006

“Yes I know, our appointment was 2 hours ago. Sorry Q, M had me in his office for 2 more hours than expected,” Trevelyan apologises when he reports to Q.

Q looks up from the textbook he is consulting with and peers over his glasses at him. The text is a mass of hexagonal scribbles and lines that 006 recognises as chemistry symbols. There are handwritten notes in the margins and liberal application of highlighter all over the page.

“Ah 006, no worries. Your kit is waiting for you on the table,” Q gestures to the workbench behind 006 where a brushed aluminium case sits. Inside are what looks like a dozen silver pens.

“Deposit them around the areas of interest and it will detect any wireless enabled equipment within its radius. This will allow us to find the weakest link and likeliest backdoor where we can tunnel in with. As you can imagine, it only has a limited battery life, so you’ll need to be strategic about using them and coordinate with us for the timing—...”

Alec tries to listen carefully to the instructions, but his stomach objects to being ignored any longer and makes its displeasure known - loudly. The meeting with M ate (pun intended) into his lunch hour.

Q pauses going over the instructions. Trevelyan gives him a thin lipped smile hiding his embarrassment.

“...Hungry? There are some snacks in the second drawer.” Q motions to his desk with a tilt of his head.

“Ta!..” 006 all but skips to the desk. There is a selection of protein snacks and Alec rummages through the drawer to find a variety he likes. As he shuffles through the drawer, the other contents piques his interest. He peeks at Q who is still preoccupied with repacking his kit.

006 takes the opportunity to investigate:

a pair of solid gold cufflinks - judging by the weight

aviator sunglasses - non prescription, not Q’s

an Aston Martin car key fob with a separate key attached to it - the key does not correspond to the car, its for a door or a lock.

a neatly folded tie, heavy silk, designer label - not Q’s usual style

Curiouser and curiouser. Finally, an employee ID badge - he flips it over, a very familiar face is printed on the ID. James Bond.

Alec smiles -confirmation-. 006 sees it for what it is. But it is odd that the Quartermaster tolerates such territorial behaviour - unless a) the feeling is mutual or b) he’s not aware of it, which is more likely. He wouldn’t have let Alec rummage through his drawer otherwise. Oh James, you poor smitten sod.  

“Anything to your liking 006?” Q catches him smiling.

Alec grabs a random protein snack, rips it open and takes a huge bite of the bar. “Oh…mmm….” he chews around his words, “—thank you.” He holds up the bar in thanks.

When Q turns back around, 006 thinks this is the perfect opportunity to screw with 007... but how? How do you piss off a possessive territorial lion? ...By planting blatant evidence of intrusion of course!

Alec checks himself, his tie-pin - gold and crusted with small diamonds. Much too gaudy for 007’s tastes. It’s the perfect juxtaposition. He unclips it and drops it into the drawer.

When he leaves Q-Branch, he’s feeling particularly wicked. Its ingrained in him, to look for and act on opportunities when it presents itself. The others would expect no less of him. He pulls out his phone to text 003 with his discovery.

Agent 003

Two weeks later, 003 returns from her mission seducing the son of a manufacturing tycoon in South East Asia, with links to human traffickers luring workers into modern slavery that span the region from Philippines to India.

She stops by Q’s desk to  return her kit consisting mostly of trackers and hidden video cameras. They all served their purpose but one of them had an issue with the sound quality. She recalls the text 006 sent her weeks earlier so before leaving, she contrives feeling hungry.  

“Q, you don’t happen to have something to munch on do you? I’m feeling… peckish.”

Q is pre-occupied, checking over the piece of equipment with a macroscope to understand what went wrong. “Oh, second drawer. Help yourself to whatever.”

Perfect. She goes to his desk to retrieve a snack. She only needs to remove the first packet and she has to stifle a laugh.

She spots 006’s panther shaped Cartier tie pin, next to it is 005’s Tiffany tanzanite and platinum drop earrings along with 002’s Bvlgari gold and onyx signet ring. Finally under all of it is 008’s Hermes silk pocket square.

Shoved further into the back of the drawer are the items that Alec told her about, those that belong to 007. The ID badge pushed right to the back facing down - you’d be hard pressed to notice it if you didn’t know it was there.

She had heard that 007 won’t back from Venezuela till Friday, so she’s just in time to add her calling card. She shifts around the snack packets to burry 007’s things and then drops in a stick of Chanel No5 lipstick in its signature flaming red tube - 007 will not be able to miss that.

----—

Quartermaster

Last 36 hours had been exhausting. Q had altogether probably 3 hours of sleep in that period. And he needs a shower. The cats are alright, he just checked the cameras - Q has an automated feeder set up for emergencies like this.

Q had spent the better part of the time hacking into system after system covering tracks, laying traps, planning infiltration and escape routes; all culminating in last night’s tense Ops trying to save 009 from premature death when his cover was blown by a double crossing informant. It was over now, with 009 safely extracted by their allies and on his way back to England with miraculously minor injuries all things considered.

So yes, his hand eye coordination is shot. His fingers slip on his mug handle and liquid sloshes over the top, splashing over his shirt and onto his desk. Q uses his tie to quickly mop up the spilled tea before it  spreads onto the paper schematic open on his desk.

He takes the mess to the pantry sink to cleanup. The wet spot on his shirt sticking uncomfortably to his skin. Its a good thing he’d removed his cardigan earlier. He can hide the stain on his shirt under it.

As he’s attempting to remove the stain and dry his shirt as much as possible he feels his phone vibrating in his pocket. He pulls it out - its a text from Eve:

:: Where are you?? Meeting’s started ::

What meeting? Q tries to recall. He checks his calendar app. Shit! 2:00 pm Joint Executive Oversight meeting. He checks the time. 2:15pm!

He abandons the mug and tie next to the sink. No time to wash it now.

Q rushes back to his office to put on his cardigan. The cardigan doesn’t hide the topmost stain - a tie would do the trick. Also god forbid he walks into the meeting dressed so causally. They would think the young Quartermaster was starting a mutiny.

There must be a spare tie in his desk somewhere - Q thinks as he rummages through his drawers. He’s about to ask Nish to borrow his tie when his hand brushes fabric under the stash of snacks and protein bars. He fishes it out - a tie! Yes! He loops it around his neck and starts to tie it - the knot is uneven, but he has no time to worry about it now.

He grabs his laptop and rushes out the door - informing Nish about the meeting and the mess he left next to the pantry sink. He’ll clean it up later.

In the lift on the way up, as he adjusts the hastily knotted tie - he tries to remember when was it that he purchased an accessory this fancy.

——

After meeting. He tries to get back to being productive to make himself feel better. What an ordeal; he had to face-off with Timothy Hayden (IT-Branch HOD) in the meeting - no surprise there. Normally he’d be fine to hold his own. But today, suffering from sleep depravation and a wardrobe mishap meant that he was uncharacteristically flustered, which Hayden took advantage of.

His stained and slightly damp shirt front was passably hidden behind the cardigan and tie, but it still made him self-conscious. What was more, Tanner and Eve kept looking at him oddly. The navy replacement tie looked dark enough in warm light, but when it caught the harsher fluorescent light, it had a slight iridescence to it that clashed with his mustard cardigan - it clearly wasn’t his style nor his tie.

Q fires up the soldering iron. He plans to finish the circuit board for the prototype controller that will be used in a portable drone. Once he confirms it works, he’ll have the schematics sent to a manufacturer to have it miniaturised. He could at least get this bit done today.

Twenty minutes into the ‘zone’ and he has finished a round of soldering. He pauses to check his work against the overall drawing. It doesn’t look quite right.

What? He flips the drawing around. Argh! He grabs a fistful of his hair in frustration. It’s upside down!

He slams his hands down on the work table. The vibration causes the soldering iron resting on its holder to tip over. The weight of its power cord starts to pull it off the table.

Reflex makes him shoot out his hand to grab the iron. But instead of grabbing the handle he misjudges and grabs the tip instead. The 400’C tip burns his palm instantly.  

“Ah!!” Q yelps and jolts back in pain. The pain makes him drop the iron - right into his lap.

He stands hastily to avoid the heated tip - and bangs the back of his head against the top baffle of the fume cabinet as well as upending the stool he was sitting on.

“Fuck!!” The escaped curse is something between a hiss and a yell.

His pained curses and bangs draws his minions to investigate. Nish pokes his head around the corner and asks “You alright sir?”

Nish takes in the toppled chair, the disheveled hair, and the way Q is holding on to his hand and makes the correct deduction. Who hasn’t burned themselves soldering?

“Go to medical boss. I’ll tidy this up for you.”

Q hangs his head in utter defeat and sighs heavily. “I’m done for the day I think. Thanks Nish.”

--—-

Agent 007

Bond is back at HQ. Ops had made it clear that he must hand them the USB stick with the time sensitive info he stole as soon as he gets back. They need to link together the web of supply chain involving the cocaine shipment from Venezuela-France-England before the people involved go back into hiding.

So here he is, direct delivery from Heathrow. He had handed the USB stick to R since Q wasn’t around. Then he had gone to the Quartermaster’s desk and the second drawer to retrieve a snack while he waits for Q to return. As jet-lagged as he is, he hasn’t seen the quartermaster for nearly a month and well... he wants more than just the voice to sustain him.  

Something on top of the packet grabs his attention. A bright red tube of lipstick. What the...? He shifts the contents around, a gaudy diamond and gold panther tie pin?? And whose bloody pocket square is that???

He checks the lipstick label - Chanel No5… Bloody 003!

He takes stock of the other items again, they -all- look familiar. How do they even know about this drawer? Did Q just let anyone rummage though his desk? Worse, are those snacks not just for him?

And what about his things? A first he can’t find them, then he pulls the drawer all the way out, until the wheels catch on the stoppers. They’re buried under a pile of snacks and shoved all the way to the back. Everything is there, no wait - except the tie.

He slams the drawer shut with enough force to move the desk a few centimetres. Those bastards!

Bond storms out of Q-Branch. None of them better be in the building, especially Trevelyan. This whole thing reeks of his idea.

——

Quartermaster

Medical patched him up and sent him away with a box of hydrogel burn plasters. Dr Chen tells him that they stock it specially for Q-Branch. But that also means she is obligated to report the incident as a work place accident. Great, more paperwork and the irony of having the HOD become a statistic.

Q shuffles morosely back to Q-Branch - will this day end already. He figures he should have a nap before going home. At this rate he is likely to accidentally walk right into the path of a moving bus on the way home.

There is a set of old brown leather Chesterfield sofas, deliberately semi-hidden behind a rack of storage shelves on this floor of Q-Branch. A relic of the 1950s in perfect condition that they found in storage during one of their inventory audits. Q had it brought out to serve as a makeshift lounge, usually used by those working late nights or during pizza parties after CyberWar nights.

He removes his cardigan to use as a blanket and flops onto the sofa.

Hours later, he wakes up and the place is mostly dark except for the safety lighting. Most of his minions have gone home. It’s not uncommon to leave Q here alone when he’s pulling all nighters, but the last person would usually check in on him before they left. Not tonight.

Q indulges in a good stretch and sits up. His head feels better. It doesn’t feel like its swimming or floating anymore. But he is hungry.

He makes way to his desk to collect his things but stops short - startled by the sight of 007 lounging in his chair, feet propped up on the desk, a textbook on Advanced Biofuels open in his hands. He’s not wearing a suit, just a button down shirt and khakis which probably means he just got back from Caracas and hasn’t gone home yet.

“You’re back. What are you doing here?” Q asks softly. Genuine question, what is he doing sitting in a darkened Q-Branch.

“Came to drop off the usb drive. I’ve given it to R since the Quartermaster was temporarily out of commission.”

“Ah. Sorry about that — “ checks his watch and yawns. “That must have been hours ago. What are you still doing here then?”

Bond doesn’t answer. Instead he asks, “Is that my tie?” gestures to the loosened tie around his neck.

“Is it yours? I was wondering about it. I found it in my desk.” Q undos the tie and folds it back neatly before handing it over to Bond. As he does, he notices his own tie now hanging on the shade of his desk worklamp. He reaches for it.

“Leave it. It should dry by Monday.” Bond tells him.

Q opens his mouth to tell him that it needs a wash, but pauses when he catches sight of his Scrabble mug on the table under the light of the worklamp, the white porcelain gleaming pristine - he peeks inside, even the stubborn tea stains are gone. Q blinks in confusion.

Something about the way the two items are arranged prominently on his desk and the feigned nonchalance hiding a pleased look on Bond’s face that makes him wonder.

“Did you.. wash my tie and mug?” Q is having trouble putting together the image of 007 fresh from an infiltration job in Venezuela that involved drug trafficking and a traitorous national guard, then returning to England to do something so mundanely domestic in the pantry sink - by hand no less.

Bond doesn’t answer, then again Q doesn’t expect him to admit it even if he did. He just opens the second desk drawer purposefully and deposits the borrowed tie back in there.

“Are you hungry Q?” Bond asks instead. “Can I tempt you with supper?”

There it is. That odd way that Bond sometimes says ‘Q’ when they are alone. That slight change in tone - softer, less clipped and almost affectionate. He’s beginning to be able to tell Bond’s ‘Qs’ apart.

At the mention of food, Q’s stomach responds with an embarrassing gurgle. “Famished. Something hot with fast service please. I don’t know how much longer I can survive without solid food.”

Bond smiles, pivoting in the chair to put his feet down. He picks up and hands Q his messenger bag - laptop and charger already packed inside, keys and phone in their usual compartments.

Then he switches off the worklamp and picks up an unsealed brown envelope from the desk before ushering Q out of his own office. The package rustles-jingles with the sound of loose items sliding about inside.

“Advanced Biofuels.... How did you like the book?”

“The scribbles in the margins were enlightening,” Bond smiles wryly, “Was it even written in English?”

In the brighter lights of the lift lobby, Q can see his own refection in the lift doors - the washed out tea stains still visible on his shirt and his frightfully mussed hair from the nap. He thinks he should be embarrassed, but can’t bring himself to care. When he looks up, he sees Bond staring him through the reflection.

“Don’t ask—“

“I figured… the mug and tie in the pantry, and the splotch on your desk.”

“Bloody spies.” Q accuses fondly as they step into the lift. He tries to adjust his cardigan so that it hides most of the stains.

“How’s the hand?” Bond asks concerned, his warm fingers reaching out and curling around Q’s that were fussing with his cardigan. He pulls them away from their fussing and spreads them palm up so he can see for himself.

Q pokes at the plaster with his undamaged hand, tracing the outlines of what must be an impressive blister underneath. “Owww... With luck, I might end up with a wicked scar. Makes for an interesting conversation starter.”

Bond smiles indulgently at his exaggeration then lobs a half-hearted line at him, “Would you like me to kiss it better?” His calloused thumb running back and forth lightly over the open palm.

Q can’t help but laugh at that, the flirting is so ingrained into their banter now that both of them recognise the ridiculousness of it. With the others, it is still a competition, a display of one up-manship - but with 007, it has shifted. Like they’ve called a truce, or simply didn’t care about the outcome anymore. Between them, the rules have changed. The fun was no longer in deciding a winner with a knockout blow, but in the simple joy of engaging in comfortable playfulness for as long as possible.

“I don’t know about the science of that; but I will give you the honour of hand feeding an invalid,” Q counters with a line of his own.

At the mention of hand feeding, Bond’s eyes go darker, pupils dilating. He doesn’t say anything, but doesn’t release Q’s hand until the lift dings on their floor which was (un)fortunately just a moment after.

On their way out to Bond’s car they stop at a security desk. Bond tips out the contents of the envelope onto her desk and leaves the empty envelope next to the items. The night guard’s eyes grow wide at the collection of expensive trinkets.

“Would you mind putting these in the Lost and Found please? Their owners are probably anxious to have them back. Thank you.” He walks back to a waiting Q with a smug smile.

—————-----------------

Note: If you liked this fic, there’s more like it on the blog. Including my take on a kidnapped Q. Enjoy!

[darcyxpalmer]

status: closed with @selinswonderland where: in the Wilderness

Darcy was terrified, and that was saying a lot.

But Beema was still alive and out there and something horrible and huge and giant was out there, potentially hunting her, so there was no question that they needed to help her. Maybe there was a bit more question if Darcy had to be there, there was a few moments of hesitation on her part for certain, but in the end she couldn't have stayed away, couldn't have stayed back on the beach.

So now she was in the Wilderness, hoping she was heading in the right way. Nobody knew where they were really going, but they had to find Beema, right? They just had to.

Ans hopefully before the hornets found them, too.

Thankfully it wasn't the hornets she stumbled into first - it was Selin, probably here for the same reason as she did. "Selin? Selin!" she called out - or more like whisper-called out and jogged up to the woman, hoping she heard her and wouldn't get a jump scare as Darcy stepped up against her. "I'm assuming you haven't found Beema yet either, right? Or seen that giant mostrosity?"

[a-certain-academy-city]

The Danger of Seeking Information

Academy City: The Last City of Humanity.

It was a phrase that took some getting used to, yet the weight of such was a heavy thing to imagine. When she first heard the news, Uiharu Kazari couldn’t believe what was being said. She refused to believe that the world had been destroyed by an unknown cause, and that her parents were caught in such destruction.

It was only until much time passed and the various drone footage of what should have been Tokyo had been shown, that she was simply forced to accept the reality. There were no words for it, only tears.

But she saw the resolve of many in the city, regardless of their levels or walks of life, rallying around a certain woman who was doing everything in her power to make sure the city thrived and helped deal with the threats that the esper militia organization known as ZERO posed.

Uiharu had seen the effect she had on many, including her partner and friend, Shirai Kuroko, who seemed more motivated than ever to carry out her duties as a member of Judgement. Whether it was because of the obvious fact that the world ended or her worry for a certain #3, was unknown, but Shirai had taken that woman’s words to heart.

The woman was known as Violent Violet.

When Uiharu first heard the name, she was intrigued in that in itself, but the more the woman was active in the city’s affairs, her curiosity grew.

She looked through Judgement and Anti-Skill’s database to find any information about her, only to draw a blank. There was surprisingly little to know info on her whatsoever. What she knew of her was what had been revealed publically, that she worked for the Board Chairman and had been helping with the city’s affairs for some months now.

Then there was the matter of her powers. From what Uiharu could tell, Violet was not an Academy City Esper, having monstrous strength that seemed to rival the #1′s. The clearest examble was how she was able to do things like take down an entire force of ZERO radicals, to holding up an entire building so others could escape.

There was very few people in the city that she was aware of that could pull of such feats, and the fact that she didn’t seem like she was an esper produced by the city made her think that she was a Gemstone.

But even then, something about her seemed different, suggesting that she was not a Gemstone or anything of the wort at all, but something different altogether. Like the woman in black who had once impaled Uiharu with her hand alone.

And while Violet had caught her interest, perhaps the most striking thing that became the source of her curiosity was the mysterious tower that was constructed months ago.

The Tower of Chaldeas.

It was a structure that had seemingly risen up from the ground one day, without any explanation of description of its purpose being there. It was so random, yet the thing stood taller than every other building in the city. Its appearance was similar to the Endymion Space Elevator that had been there one year ago, yet the tower’s presence was alien in a way that couldn't be described with human words or comprehension.

Uiharu wanted to find out just what was with that place, why it was there and what purpose it served. She dug further, hacking into the Board of Directors’ database, trying to find anything that related to the tower’s existence, and if it had anything to do with Violet’s sudden presence.

It had just been then that she realized how similar the two’s existences were. Both had suddenly appeared out of seemingly nowhere and became integral parts to Academy City. Both had rumors surrounding them for a while, and if the timeline in her head was correct, both had seemingly appeared around the same time. 

There was a possibility that they may have been completely unrelated to one another, but then again, they could be connected.

Sitting at her desk in the Judgement Branch Office 177, Uiharu continued typing away on her laptop, looking through a long list of files in the database, and it was only after a while that she found a particularly curious file.

“C.S.C 002...?”

The file had an image of the Tower of Chaldeas, which she was looking for. There was a great nervousness as she hovered the courser over the file, clicking it.

When it opened, she was given more closer images of the tower and some details written below that could clue her in on the structure’s purpose.

“...As per the agreement of Multi-Universe Peacekeeping treaty, Academy City is to have one facility dedicated to the C.S.C, serving as a secondary headquarters for designated personnel and to maintain a protective displacement boundary field around the city in the event of an X-K Class End of the World Scenario. Access to this facility is limited to C.S.C Personnel with Level 7 clearance, and unauthorized access will be dealt with severely including termination.”

Uiharu felt a chill as she read the file description. There was a lot about it that she didn’t understand. End of the World Scenario? Secondary Headquarters? What was this about? Did Academy City, or this third party know about  the end of the world before it happened and created this facility to protect the city? Uiharu did not get it, but she guessed that tower was the very reason why Academy City wasn’t blown off the map.

But the threat of termination was what chilled her. It was a statement, to anyone that read this that they would be dealt with if they looked in too deeply.

She started to wonder if she was in danger for reading this very file. She did hack into the Board of Director’s database after all.

But before she could do anything, multiple windows suddenly opened up on her laptop’s screen, each of them taking up space and no matter how much she tried to close them out, more of them kept appearing.

“H-Huh?! What’s going on?! W-What is this?”

The windows contained a very disturbing image of the same picture. The image was a silhouette of a strange person... could it even be called one? It had multiple horns on its head, seven circles that looked like eyes on its chest, had what looked like a tail, or tendrils around it, its lower body wrapped in what seemed to be chains, sharp white teeth that formed a grin on its otherwise featureless face, and a crown that seemed to hover atop the figure’s head.

Strange audio that sounded like distorted laughter came from the laptops speakers as more windows popped up. It had then came a point where the computer had been completely destroyed. The screen shut itself off and smoke seemed to come from the device as she tried to turn it back on.

Uiharu had heard of a Virus that had been only talked about in fourm boards where looking into certain files on the internet would allow such a virus to infect software and utterly destroy their systems, making the device too far gone.

This was the Scarlet King Computer Virus.

It was developed by an unknown party, and if weaponized, could be used to take down entire grids and networks across the world. Uiharu had gotten a small taste of that virus’s capability, with her laptop no longer functioning. It was a Judgement issued laptop, so if the time came, she could request for a new one, but this was a concerning development.

What were they hiding to warrant such a hostile cyber response? with the virus being sent her way, it was obvious that they knew she had accessed their files....

....And if what they were saying about unauthorized access being dealt with severely was true, what did that mean for Uiharu right now?

She suddenly dealt as if her life was in danger.

“T..This is bad isn’t it?”

[akhilaasthana]

This was the world that Akhila new intimately. One with scalpels, hammers, and occasionally saws. “Excellent, that’s the spirit.” She encouraged him, pleased to see his earlier refusal had waned. Whilst some might argue refusal was a sane decision, such rationals didn’t live up under the scrutiny of Akhila. They were needed, therefore they would be supplicant to that need.

Usually... she was entrusting nervous residents, not chefs.

“Here. I want you to cut here with this.” Akhila handed him a scalpel befitting of cutting through the meat on a man’s thigh. “Cut approximately two cms.” Akhila held up her fingers to demonstrate the required depth. “Then once the pressure has been relieved we can work to reset his bones.” She hoped there was some strength in those wiry limbs of his. This was her home, this was the safe haven she’d craved with time stripped of any rational sense. But she was an observing party. It was Zaid who would be enjoying all the fun.

Akhila held tip of the suction device to the aforementioned site on Johnny’s thigh. “There just a little of his fascia. Perfect right, now for the hard work.” The little clear plastic tube sucked up a generous portion of blood.

“That's released, now we’re going to create space in the femur…Johnny’s thigh bone to insert a rod.” Well, Zaid was going to create said space. Akhila stared at him from underneath her glasses as if she could gauge potential for fainting from the white’s of his eyes. Chefs don’t faint. Right, but Akhila hadn’t ever had a chef for a resident before.

Akhila spared Johnny’s obs a brief glance. Another irritation of being a team of one and a half (he only counted as half given his status as contributor of steady hands only), there was no-one to confirm back on. To bark at for status reports.

It was almost lonely.

“Right.” Akhila squeezed the button on the drill it buzzed into action. “Press it like this and it moves not too dissimilar to a drill from B&Q.” 

"Chefs don't faint," Zaid huffed at the perceived insult, whatever he thought Akhila was insinuating about his profession. He drew himself up, proud and haughty - one could say, as proud as a surgeon, for considerably less justification. Surgeons saved lives; Zaid could argue that a chef's food could save people's souls.

Still, his bravado wilted slightly as he realized - with considerable dread - what Akhila wanted from him. She wouldn't explain her strange blurriness, apart from it being her curse. Zaid gently pressed a hand to his chest. He wasn't feeling nauseated, his excess of...inner destructive snot recently expended on hornets. He could hear Akhila telling him what needed to be done - cut into Johnny's thigh, release pressure. Simple procedure but dire consequences.

Zaid exhaled and reached out boldly, to grip Akhila's shoulders. Still her buzzy body for just a moment, force both of them to look each other in the eyes as he stated, "I'll do this. I'll do everything you tell me. And Johnny dies, it's on you. Not me."

He let go, then got into action. Or rather, just followed Akhila's lead to get ready. He politely turned away from Akhila when they changed into clean scrubs, although he had to admit there was something incredibly thrilling about all of this. Heated and thrilling, like something out of a primetime soapy drama.

The vigourous washing almost a comfort to Zaid, used to proper hygiene in his kitchen. Gloves were normal after Covid; the gown...like an apron, why not. Sure.

Johnny on the operating table, the big lights turned on. Buzzing of scrabbling hornets, and people shouting from outside; but Zaid could easily ignore it. Hubbub in the restaurant was normal, focus came from within.

"Right. Johnny's a leg of lamb," he proclaimed, using a pair of scissors to cut the trousers off Johnny's leg, elbow the cloth aside to expose the injury. It was ghastly, and Zaid visibly winced, but masked his expression quickly.

"I haven't done a proper full animal butchery in months. Where am I supposed to cut, love?"

[akhilaasthana]

Location: Ash's bungalow @ash-johnson-stunts

The dust had settled. Or rather, Akhila had slammed herself shut into one of the bungalows. The hornets were in fact actually quite terrifying. Akhila slumped against the door, her breath still caught in sharp flurries, she needed to announce her the intrusion. Possibly apologise for it. Except. Currently, the robo-wasp was thundering against the door. Akhila slung her weight against the door, as much as she could.

“A little help?” She grimaced, as the door nearly yielded to the insect. Finally, movement in her periphery. “I’m––right, it’s you.” 

Akhila would’ve huffed if most of her efforts weren’t currently focused on keeping the hornet decidedly outside. “If you don’t mind, I’m just going to hide in here for a moment.” The door trembled. Akhila pursed her lips as she decided precisely what was the appropriate name for the creature. Creature? Being? Machine? Akhila settled on. “Giant robo-wasp.”

[belost-the-watcher]

Galra Internal Affairs

Note: Portions of entry ordered to be redacted by command

Subject - XQO.0043

Codename Wraith

Name: Belost Windor

Aliases: “The Watcher”, “Wraith”

Age: Roughly 150 Years

Height: 7′10″ since exposure

Weight: About 280 pounds with armor

Affiliation: Galra Empire, Imperial Army, & █ █ █ █ █ █ █

Time Since Exposure: 20 years

Notes:

Initial report filed by Agent G (see Internal Affairs record S-XQO.0043-001)

Followup report filed by Agent C (see Internal Affairs record S-XQO.0043-002)

Entry 1

There has been much debate surrounding the necessity of taking containment measures against XQO.0043. Agent G’s recommendations were always to maintain a hands off approach and to study the subject from a distance. The idea seemed to be a way to limit Wraith’s stress and suspicion. Given his newfound strength and distrust of authority, however, it seems necessary to implement some form of containment protocol.

While he has always been a loyal (if somewhat troublesome) soldier of the Empire, he is still dangerous. And rare. There are very few living quintessence-infused entities as it were, let alone ones who remain sentient and responsive. The potential for study is too great to pass up.

Over the coming weeks I will be implementing some safeguards. Wraith will continue to be observed, but from a closer proximity. Armed guards will be placed discreetly along his more common routes, especially those near the hangar. Guards at the reactor should not be necessary given his documented aversion to quintessence. If possible, lockdown drills should be run in the event an escape or hostile action is taken.

This leads me to another necessary protocol. Should Wraith ever become openly hostile, security will need a means to deal with him. Nonlethal methods should be exercised if possible, as previously mentioned he is simply too rare to squander. However, if necessary then lethal means should be allowed.

Multiple teams of no less than four guards each should be deployed. Given his speed, a more direct approach is not advised. Instead there is potential in exploiting his permanent night eye. Flashbangs should be used to disorient him long enough for tranquilizer rounds to be applied. His body seems to metabolize many different chemicals quickly, so speed and a large dose of tranquilizers will be necessary.

No chances should be taken if a lethal approach is warranted. Catch him in lock down and █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █  the ship. This will most likely kill some crew as well, so once again: A lethal approach is NOT recommended unless in extreme circumstances.

Entry 2

The newly added guards were noticed within a few days. XQO.0043... strongly requested.. they be removed. Request was denied and the subject became aggressive. Will be doubling the amount of guards posted.

This agent believes subject to have initially been given too much freedom. XQO.0043 was allowed to become complacent in being uncooperative. Will be scheduling another test this week.

Entry 3

Wraith has gone into hiding. His ship is still in the hangar but he has become... difficult to find. Wraith will need to come out eventually. Will update upon his reemergence.

 Entry 4

Six days and he is still missing. Ship is still in the hangar. May start sending search parties.

Entry 5

The posted guards have been called off after they reported being watched.

Entry 6

Calling Agent G to advise on the situation after I woke to find my bathroom mirror shattered.

- Agent C

Addendum

Wraith resurfaced after nearly two weeks gone. Potential hiding spots will need to be mapped out. Subject has expressed well wishes in this agent’s return. Observation drones have been posted, guards removed, and no additional interviews beyond the regular have been scheduled.

Non-lethal containment protocol developed by Agent C seems sound and will be maintained. Orders from command have forbidden lethal measures upon this agent’s recommendation.

Will be requisitioning a new mirror for Agent C’s old / my new room.

- Agent G

[savetopnow]

2018-03-31 03 APPLE now

APPLE

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