Murder Drones - A New Dawn (AU Story)

4 | Reminiscence (Part One)

SYSTEM DATE: 3071-08-14, 19:35

The pod circled around the spire, landing just a little ways away from the entrance of it.

Tessa swiveled her chair to look at N. He had gone motionless, his baggy and hollow eyes staring at the ceiling. Tessa knew the pain she felt was nothing compared to what N was feeling, but even then she still wanted to break down.

She had already told N that there was no way to re-clone V or J, which just shattered whatever hope was left in him. She looked at the motionless drone for a second before reaching a hand out to his on the arm wrest. "N... I'm sorry it had to happen this way."

N didn't even blink in response. He just quietly sniffled, thinking about how he failed everyone. Tessa sighed. She knew there would be no good time to say it, but she figured now would be the best time.

"Hey, N... I'm gonna... need to leave for a few weeks... I need to let the company know that the worker drones aren't a threat and that the Solver isn't a threat anymore." Tessa knew that N would know that the last part was a lie, but she knew he would understand why she'd lie about it.

N closed his eyes, exhaling. "Won't... the company just... come and retake the planet, then?.." He sounded like he was barely holding himself together.

It made Tessa feel horrible, to see her favorite drone in such a condition. But she knew that she had to stay strong because if she broke down like she so badly wanted to, they'd both probably die from refusing to do anything.

"That's... the other reason I need to go. B-but I'll be back soon, alright?" She noticed how N reeled from the realization that he'd be completely alone for that duration, and she knew that she'd hate it more than N.

The two would sit in silence for some time before N spoke up. "W-we... should let the colony know, first. It's not right to leave them in the dark..." N felt weak everywhere, but he knew it would be the right thing to do. Tessa nodded.

"Let's get it done with." She'd stand up, helping N stabilize himself. He had taken a serious beating in the final fight, enough so that the material used to repair the drone was in short supply in his system. Tessa still noticed the obvious scratches and dents across most of his body even though it had all concluded nearly half a day ago.

She wished she could do something, anything to stay and help N have at least some comfort, but she tried reassuring herself that it was either stay and risk the company sending in another squad of disassembly drones to finish the job or leave for the time being to try to sort things out. It wasn't exactly a comforting comparison to Tessa, though.

She would open the pod's door, letting N walk out first. N, who would on any other day fly down and strike some kind of action pose, just used the ladder. Tessa followed behind, and the duo slowly made their way to the colony.

After what felt like an eternity of trudging through the snow and wind, they made it to the bunker door. N weakly raised his arm, knocking on the door. After a few moments of waiting, the door would slit open slightly, and a pair of white, baggy eyes looked out at the two.

The drone stood there for a second, looking at the two. "Not sure whether I should be glad to see you, N." It was Khan. The drone wasn't sure whether he should like or despise the drone; he was the drone that had doomed his beloved Nori but was also his daughter's closest friend. He hated the polarization of those facts.

The thought of his daughter snapped him back. But before he could ask about her, N spoke. "Khan... I– we need to talk to you..." This was new of the disassembly drone, Khan thought. Every time that Khan had seen the drone, he was seeping with energy, but now... he just looked limp.