New Program

Here we FLIPPING go

"Oh, I'm sweaty. Who programmed that!?"

"You good, Uzi—?"

"I'm good— better than good! I am GOD!"

Uzi finally turned toward a familiar green-eyed worker drone, who'd been standing there pretty awkwardly for.. who knows how long, really. She laughed nervously, rubbing the back of her neck.

"Hi.. hi, Thad," she mumbled, before taking her railgun from him, "thank you..."

A quick shared thumbs up with N.

"Of course, Zi!" he said, before briefly turning to N, "N and M's. You two saved my life! I don't think the colony is even serious about all this banishment stuff. More just.. confused, especially with—"

"The fact I'm too rogue to re-enter society now?" Uzi finished for him, "I can never return." She posed dramatically.

Thad blinked at her, "The recent disappearances?"

"...the huh?"

Thad rubbed the back of his neck, "Yeah, a few kids have gone missing recently, and it's a little... concerning, to say the least. And I don't think they ran away or anything!"

"Why not?" Uzi asked with a deadpan glare, "They were kids like us, right? They probably just found how cowardly the WDF are and left."

Thad shrugged vaguely, "Yeahhhh.. but I'm not too sure Chad would even think of running away.."

Uzi cocked her head, "Who?" She moved to lean against the car N was sitting on.

Thad all but glared at her, "You know..."

"Nope."

"Chad? My best friend?"

Uzi took a few moments to think.

"Ohhh right!" she looked a little less than happy at remembering him, "...him."

"He's not that bad!"

N perked up nervously, "Who exactly are we talking about again?"

Uzi groaned, "A typical star-student bully that Thad has a crush on."

"I DO NOT!"

Uzi ignored him, "He's a popular, stereotypical jock type who likes picking on anyone and everyone smaller than him. I mean, except for Thad and that one other kid, but even they get bullied a little. That jerk can bite me..."

N hummed slightly, turning to Thad with a perplexed look, "..why are you friends with him again?"

Thad huffed, "He wasn't always like that. It mostly started a little after I first met him... and besides! It's affectionate bullying, okay!"

"Even when he shoves you in a locker?" Uzi deadpanned.

Thad shuffled on his feet a little, "...he always helps me out afterwards."

Uzi rolled her eyes, turning to N, "Sounds kinda like you and J."

The disassembly drone thought about it for a moment, "Oh! Hey, you're right!"

"Is that a good or bad thing?"

"Good—!"

"Bad."

"—very bad!"

.

"What even are you..?"

M groaned from his spot on the ground, voice muffled by the floor, "Mmmmm... don' remember..."