Cabin Fever Cages - Nuzi AU

Chapter One: New Arrival - PILOT

Deep below the surface of Copper 9's cold, and heartless atmosphere, was a place that never saw the light of day. Countless drones in cages, one experiment after another.

A tall, white male drone roamed the lonely hallways, as he did every sunset. His surroundings saddened him, reminding him of the day his sister was lost to the Absolute Solver. He could never escape it, looking at the worker drones infected in their own way.

A variety of the workers had a conscious, and were aware, still able to speak. The rest were like feral animals, clawing at the nearest scrap of metal passing by.

Each cage was on top of a conveyer belt, leading them to a seperate room to be let out and observed without having to touch or disturb them. At the end of the hallway, there were several empty cages. This would mean they have more space and time to form a cure before it reaches the surface, or that the previous captive had died.

N was in charge of many different drones, each with their own personality. The first name on the long list was Nori, an older drone, who he always tended to first out of respect. She wasn't aware half of the time though, but N always wanted to help.

Still looking down at his clipboard, he went to press the button to activate the conveyer. It was more silent than usual, causing him to look up. Nori wasn't behind the bars.

N, panicking a bit, dashed to the door to find one of his coworkers; Serial Designation V. Quickly pushing open the door, She was exactly where he thought she would be. Looking into the glass of the observatory.

"V.. Wheres-"  He was cut off by V's half apology. "She didn't make it through the night. Be glad you didnt see her last moments. It was pretty awful." N didn't verbally reply, but only looked up encouraging her to continue.

" She was conscious during the entire time it took over her body. Claws emerging from her back, this is the first time Ive seen this. " She spoke, quietly, knowing there was still no way to fully cure it.

"I thought I was close to curing her. To saving her. Khan counted on me. " he slammed his hands down on the desk in front of the glass, surprising V a little. She pressed a button cautiously, lightening the outside of the observatory, revealing Nori's body.

Trembling slightly, N's eyes widened. Her body didn't look right in the slightest. Her limbs were twisted, and eldritch-like limbs were sprouting from her. Her visor was stuck on a horrified, lifeless expression, and she even twitched now and then.

Covering his mouth, N backed up slightly. V looked at him, looking slightly worried. Was it really hopeless? Is there really a point in keeping them down here other than to protect the workers above?

" well, all we can d-" she was cut off by the door slamming open loudly, revealing their boss in an annoyed state. "Will you idiots come help me with this THING ?! " The pigtail-haired drone shouted. N and V looked at each other, following close behind.

" School field trip incident. Still conscious, in the kill stage. She was caught by her remaining classmates, despite her protest. " J explained. Looking behind her slightly, she added on. " shes.. the daughter of Nori. " she informed N quietly.

He bit his tongue, anxious to see her. What if she found out he couldn't save her mother? His thoughts spiraled as the elevator to the surface was taken.

The elevator doors hissed open, revealing a crowd of drones and splattered oil. The three rushed over, and the small crowd cleared, silencing themselves.

N couldn't see her yet, as J and V were standing in front of him, attempting to get more information. Zoning back in from his trance, he only really heard a couple sentences. " How many has she eaten? "
J asked, writing down as much as she can. " eaten at least two. Killed maybe six, everyone scattered. " a green eyed drone informed.

N snuck around J and V, not being able to wait any longer. The students around his age nailed ropes to the ice, not allowing her to move. The girl was clearly in distress, breathing heavily and looking panicked. The absolute solver covered her visor, hissing about.

She looked up at him, For some odd reason calming herself a bit. " Take the bodies. We can feed her this way. " she ordered V. Nodding, She urged the crowd away. " hard case. Ive never seen one kill this quickly. How the hell can we treat this one? " J rolled her eyes, putting her hands on her hips. " Ill take her. " N urged.

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Hello everyone! Edit: Next chapter is out :D - I hope you enjoyed this first chapter, I'm so excited to continue this story! Please share and let me know what you think, as it can help me gain motivation and ideas for the next chapter :)