Strife Underground

Overtime

The room was quiet except for your hitched breathing, as you read the instruction manual carefully.

"Green button..." You mumbled, your hand drifting towards the pulsing green button and pressing it. "Then the lever." 

Pulling the lever to your right, you smiled as the machine in front of you churned to life. The sound of gears spinning fast filled your ears as the ooze dripped down from a hatch in the ceiling into the machine's main processing chamber. You close the book and sat on the swivel chair in the room, giving it a small spin. 

"Finally learned how to work this thing!" You exclaimed, leaning back in your seat. Putting your feet up and closing your eyes, you opted to get a little shut-eye before the sound of footsteps heading towards the door stopped you. You quickly stood up and faced the machine before the door burst open and three fellow octolings walked in, one with a clipboard. Concealing your anger, you face the trio.

"Greetings, Captain 65-" You are cut off by your superior.

"Save your greetings, Unit 10000. Have you got the machine working?" The one with the clipboard snapped.

"...yes, it's running." You say, trying to keep your impatience out of your tone. "I know how to operate it now."

Examining the running machine and writing on her clipboard, the octoling turns to you sharply. 

"Everything seems to be in order. Perfect job, 10000." She nods, expressionless. 

"Thank you, Captain 65." You bow in response. Captain 65 begins to walk out of the room before stopping, tapping her clipboard with her pencil. After a brief moment of this, she turns back to you.

"Unit 10000. How would you like some overtime?" She asks.

"Overtime?" You asked, raising an eyebrow.

"C.Q Cumber has called in sick, but no other organism is available to man the metro. Since you have completed all your duties for today, how would you like to do it?" 

You think for a second. You? Driving the test subjects around? That was a pretty important job...But you might as well. More CQ points for you!

"Yeah, I can do that." You nod.

"Perfect. Walk with me." Captain 65 gestures. 

══•●•══

You adjust the conductor's hat (as small as it is) on your head as you look at the controls. 

"So many buttons...but, I was trained for this!" You say out loud, pumping your fists. 

Pushing the blue button, a large holographic map popped up and you set the destination for A00, Central Station. The doors of the subway cars closed and you pushed a green lever upwards slowly, firing the engines. The metro blasted off down the rails, almost knocking you over, and towards the hub of the testing facilities. 

When the metro came to a halt, you opened the doors and watched as several octolings, all clamoring excitedly amongst themselves, boarded the metro. You blinked and walked up to the translucent window that separated you from your passengers. They all dressed in the same black garbs as you but they looked wildly different, not just from you but from each other. Different hairstyles, different eye colors, different skin tones and different personalities, and yet they all seemed happy to be around one another. You scoffed and ignored the small weight in your chest; Those cheery, carefree attitudes were not suiting of the Octoling race and must be destroyed. The small ping shakes you from your stupor and you look at the map; G06/A01 was lit up and had multiple pings. You set the destination of the metro for the very first test and fired up the engine. The metro speeds up and as you maintain the speed of the engine, you watch the octolings interact. The expressions they wear makes something in your chest hurt as you become more aware of your breathing. You turn away quickly and don't look at them again; You must be sick.

"I'll go to the infirmary after this..." You mumbled as the metro pulls to a stop. The metro doors open and the octolings excitedly rush out, still talking to one another. As the C.Q Cumber of G06/A01 greets them, you get a small alert on the holographic map. Tapping it, footage of Central Station appeared, showing a lone Octoling talking to the phone with an old inkling by their side. Sighing, you set the destination for A00 once more and speed off, leaving the new subjects to laugh at their fellow peers as they attempt to pass the rail-themed obstacle course.

Pulling up to the platform, the octoling and inkling hop on board.

"I'm pooped, Agent 8" You hear the inkling say. "Gonna rest my cuddlebones here for a bit." 

After a bit of silence, another ping pops up at A05. You stretch and set the destination once more, smiling at how easy driving the metro really was, and set off. As the metro sped along the tracks, you opted to turn back and look at the latecoming test subject.

They were standing by the translucent glass, looking right back at you.