Murder Drones: A Merch in Time

Yeva let out a frustrated sigh, shaking her head.

”Iz-za etogo ANUBISA i vsekh uchonykh u menya takoye oshchushcheniye, budto nas ispol'zuyut kak peshki v shakhmatnoy igre.”

[“Between this ANUBIS and all the scientists, I feel like we're being used as pawns in a chess game.”]

Yeva crossed her arms, looking at Karasu solemnly.

”YA podderzhu tebya. No yesli ya chuvstvuyu, chto tvoya zhizn' v opasnosti, ya prinimayu tochku zreniya.”

[“I’ll support you. But if I feel your life is in danger, I'm taking point.”]

Yeva watched with interest as Karasu checked his weapons. They had some guards here, but none of them went through the rigorous checking that the mercenary was going through. The difference in how they handled things was remarkable. Soon they were ready: it was time for their first direct confrontation against the doctor’s forces.

"Almost assuredly, yes. But we'll just have to make the best of it. Because there's one thing about chess that many overlook."

He paused for a moment, then he calmly looked over to Yeva.

"Sometimes pawns kill kings."

And if it came down to that, he'd bring that fact straight to Chambers.

But one step at a time. It was checkmate if he busted Nori out and proved that he wasn't going to let either her nor Yeva be mistreated or locked away. Plus it would prove that he was fully capable of taking care of himself, despite whatever the "good doctor" thought.

Still, Yeva seemed uncomfortable, and made it known that if his life was in danger, she would take point. Rather than arguing, he gives her a nod.

"I'll trust your judgment if that happens."

With that, he holsters the pistol. It was better to keep that saved for when he needed it, because once he pulled that card, there would definitely be plans and counter-actions made because of it.

Karasu takes a breath, and then he begins to march down the halls. There was more of an urgency in how he carried himself now, compared to his more relaxed gait from before. He was making a direct beeline for the locker room.

Alice decides that now would be a good time for her to get moving as well, she'd need to get close to this 'savior' once things REALLY start kicking off.

Yeva paused, considering Karasu’s words. She then gave him a slight smile.

”Bylo by neplokho khot' raz perevernut' situatsiyu s shakhmatnym masterom.”

[“It would be nice to turn the tables on the chess master for once.”

With everything set up, Yeva kept pace with Karasu as they went down the halls. The area was strangely devoid of people. The reason for that became clear when they approached the locker room.

Outside it was a detail of 10 human guards wearing full body armor and holding weapons. There were 5 sentinels, one for every two guards posted at the entrance. Dr.Chamber’s voice came out from the intercom.

”You got Nori to distract you to get you off camera. I don’t know what you are planning, but it ends now. Here’s how things are going to go from now on. I’m going to keep you alone in a secure location. And if they behave, I’ll sometimes let Nori and Yeva visit you. You get to live, and I finally get a way to fully control that troublemaker. It’s a good arrangement for everyone.”

10 more guards with another 5 sentinels came up behind them, boxing them in. Yeva took a stance, staring at the ones that had got up behind them.

---

Meanwhile there was just two human guards in front of the “savior’s” room. And the two guards were having a conversation.

“Looks like the doctor is making his move. I was wondering why he didn’t just kill the guy.”

“Hey, if it keeps Nori in line then it’s fine by me.”

The first guard grunted, shrugging his shoulders. “I guess. I’d just rather we’d scrap her and be done with it.”

Right now the guards were distracted with talking with each other. The sentinels that were normally there were not present. Dr.Chambers clearly wanted to make sure that he got Karasu and Yeva under control. He didn’t consider the possibility that there were more pieces on the chessboard he wasn’t accounting for.

It didn't take long to realize that the halls were devoid of personnel -- and really, the Drones too... It was unusually quiet. Just as Karasu predicted, Chambers was already setting an ambush and intended to keep Nori locked up. He was probably going to take the nearest, and easiest opportunity to do the same to Yeva. Then when Karasu was totally isolated, he could get control of the situation.

Yeah... The only problem with that, is that Karasu was expecting it. And he sure as hell wasn't going down without a fight.

Still, ten guards in front, with five sentinels. They had armor and weapons. Then Dr. Chambers began speaking over the intercom, and in the process, a group just like the one in front came up from behind them, boxing Karasu and Yeva in.

Karasu held a hand in front of his chest, and pounded a fist against it. Then he tilts his head to one side, then to the other, as if warming up.

"You have no idea what kind of trouble you're in."


As he eases into a fist-fighting stance, it must have garnered some disbelief from his opponents --hell, probably even from Yeva.

But then he rushes forward with surprising speed; most of them struggled to properly ready their weapons, and a Sentinel was the first one to charge in, in response. As it lunges at him, he grabs it by the jaws, and he soon pulls it apart, dismantling the functionality of the mouth.

He then adjusts his grip, holding it up by the throat, just in time to soak up the bullets fired by the guards as he walks towards them. Unease and panic begins to fill the ranks as he closes the distance with a calm determination.

Suddenly he picks up speed again when they have to reload, tossing the Sentinel aside and grabbing one of the guards by the armor.

"Get over here!"

He pulls his free arm back, and slugs him hard across the face, and releases him at the same time -- it sends him flying into some of his buddies, bowling them all over.

"... Stupid asshole!"

One of the guards tried rushing him to try and hit him with the butt of the rifle. He evades the strike, and spotting another Sentinel, he grabs hold of the guard and maneuvers him right into the bite of the Sentinel. Almost immediately the bot begins to glitch and halt. He kicks them both aside, turning his attention to the rest of the guards and their Sentinel entourage.

They were now trying frantically to finish their reloads and take aim. But he was already running towards them.

He slugs one in the gut, then kicks him into one of his buddies. Yet another Sentinel lunges at him, but he steps aside, grabbing it by the tail before yanking it, and swinging it into a throw at some of the guards trying to stand back up.

One of the remaining Sentinels tries to sneak up behind him and jump onto his back. But right as it leaps into the air, he turns and catches it, and then he slams it into the ground, before stomping on it.

What was left of the squad that was still brave enough to stand just realized that they only had one more Sentinel still up and running. At least until he picks up one of the guns, finishes the reload on it, and pops a round right into it's head.

They had their asses handed to them when he DIDN'T have a weapon, and now they were much less keen to go confronting him.

"D-... Doctor Chambers, what the hell?! This guy isn't normal! You said this would be more than enough to deal with him!"

One of them was trying to contact his boss now... Yeah, Karasu was betting that Chambers could see all of this over the cameras right now.

And by his estimation, it should result in any able personnel being pulled for reinforcements.

---

Alice took a deep breath as she peered at her quarry from around the corner. Yeah, of course there would be guards now. Why wouldn't there be? Chambers is a strange, paranoid man!

She tries to psyche herself up for this... How should she handle it? Should she just try to walk right up and go inside? Should she try to ambush them?

Well, if there really was going to be a distraction for her to pull this off, then she could afford to wait a little bit longer before committing to any crazy plans...

Yeva wasn’t one who showed emotion that often. But not even the Russian drone could stay stoic when Karasu just ripped apart a sentinel drone’s mouth. The eyes on her visor grew so wide they covered the whole screen.

Yeva had been prepared to block the bullets that were going to be fired at him. Yet he masterfully blocked the shots aimed at him. He was utterly dismantling them without even trying. Yeva thought that she was going to have to help him take out the guards.

But he hadn’t needed her help at all.  As she was covering him she couldn’t help but feel awe at the display of skill Karasu was showing off. So were the soldiers who remained. Yeva took the opportunity to use her solver on their weapons while they were frozen in fear. Now the shoe was on the other foot: Karasu was armed and his adversaries were not.

Dr.Chamber’s voice blazed through the intercom again. ”I expected you to have at least some modifications to your body. No normal human would have come to this place alone. But your augmentations are professional. Are you  genetically engineered human? Or maybe you’re outfit with cybernetics of some type.

An audible sign came through the intercom. ”I hoped I wouldn’t have to resort to this. Security level blue. The Containment protocol is now in affect. Take your posts and secure all entrances and exits. Tactical squad 1, prepare to withdraw as soon as I give the order.”

An alarm started blaring. Blue lights above all the doors suddenly turned on. Something which the remaining soldiers were glad to hear. But their relief turned to horror with their next order.

”Locker containment staff, release numbers 008 and 037. Debrief them on the situation. Tell 037 to expect a full reward for cooperation.”

Meanwhile the sounds of humans and drones running around the facility could be heard. While their hallway only had a few people running down it, orders being yelled out could be heard off in the distance. Dr.Chamber’s orders came through the mic.

”All units fall back to the nearest entry point.”

Yeva would have dealt with the fleeing soldiers if there wasn’t a more pressing matter at hand. Specifically the outer door of the locker containment area opening up and two short figures walking out. One of them would be a drone that Karasu would recognize. The other one waved at Karasu and gave him a victory sign.


”Way to go dude! I’ve never seen the doctor get this desperate before. Thanks to you, I’m going to be able to get some fresh air and dine on fresh oil! It’s just not the same if you don’t get it from the source.”

The drone raised her hand, the solver symbol appearing in her visor and around her hand.


”Do me another solid and stand still. I really want to go outside and I might break something important if you try and dodge. The doctors a real slave driver: he wants you alive, but humans are as fragile as wet paper.”

Ans with that 037 would try and bind Karasu by making a solver symbol appear around him and restraining him. Despite how quickly it appeared it was telegraphed and took a second to take effect.


Meanwhile, Yeva and 008 couldn’t affect each other directly. So they were resorted to using the environment against each other. 008 was strictly using the discarded guns and a broom, making them float with her powers. Yeva was being more liberal, since she didn’t care about property damage. She ripped a pile out of the wall and made it shoot at 008, making the other drone dodge.

Bullets were flying and being reflected all over the place. One zoomed past 037’s head. She scowled, pressing down on her hat with her free hand.

”Watch it!  I only own the one hat!”

---

The guards guarding the savior’s door looked up as the alert lights turned blue and the alarm went off.

“Hey, I thought we were just dealing with one human. Even if Yeva is being pals with him, we shouldn’t have had to resort to this.”

“Yeah, code blue is crazy.”

Both the guards were heavily distracted now. Whether it was sneaking past them or taking them out, Alice now had a window to act.

Karasu’s hunch was right on the money. The laser pistol blast hit 037’s hand, causing her to stumble backward in pain and to let out a pained hiss. What was once her hand was just a stump. The solver symbol surrounded it, quickly reconstructing a new hand. 037 barked at Karasu angrily as it repairs herself.

”Ow! You actually got me! Nice shot!”

037 was indeed very persistent about going after Karasu. After he shot off one of her hands a second time she took a rather unorthodox approach. As the damage began repairing itself, she held both hands behind her back and used the solver to pull out a piece of the wall behind her.

”Sorry bout this, but if you’re gonna be this stubborn then I’ll just have break you a little bit!”

She directed it at Karasu’s legs, aiming to break something. Anything to get the guy to stop rolling around. However a red silver symbol appeared around it, and the boulder suddenly took a turn away from Karasu. It went right for 008, who raised her hand and made the blue silver symbol appear. The boulder broke apart, sending pieces of rock everywhere. 037 didn’t give up, trying to throw more items at Karasu.

Then suddenly both drones stopped. 037 blurted out. ”Really?! You’re so lame doc!”. It seemed like he was communicating with them somehow. the solver drones ran back towards the open door, retreating into the locker chamber. Yeva tried closing the door with her solver, but 008 kept it open long enough for them to go through. Yeva glanced over at Karasu. She seemed to be waiting for him to make a decision of some type.

---

Alice meanwhile would enter what was probably was one of the cleanest rooms she’d even been in. It had a cold, sterilized feel to it. Only it didn’t have the smells one normally associated with a hospital. There was an artificial light set up behind some curtains, simulating the effect of sunlight streaming in. A green haired girl with mechanical limbs was lying on the bed, reading a book. Her eyes were not yet green, meaning that those had yet to be changed.


”Is that alarm test still going on? That’s the second one this week. I swear, father is getting more paranoid by the hour..”

Apparently the guards weren’t being honest about there being an actual threat at hand. Cloris didn’t look up from her book. She seemed to be too engrossed by “Droneology and You: AI-Chan’s Guide to Programming”

037 was adapting to the battle -- it made sense, Karasu wasn't going for killshots even though he absolutely could have. He was just trying to disable her ability to use Solver. What he hadn't anticipated on was the insane level of regeneration basically making it so it didn't matter. He theorized that he might be able to put a Solver Host down for a longer period of time by inflicting more severe damage, but...

Well, to put it simply, none of the Drones here were his enemies, even if they happened to be under the control of Chambers. Still, as items were tossed his way, he'd move to deflect them, specifically in the direction of 008. It might be too difficult to take them on in a one versus one setting, but the more he could support Yeva, the easier it would get to eventually overcome their obstacles here.

But then there was a lull in the fight, with 037 expressing her annoyance before the two retreated back into the locker chamber. Yeva tried to close the door on them, but 008 seemed to be able to hold it open long enough for their retreat to finish.

... The question was, now what? Karasu glances over to Yeva.

"It's a trap."

He gestured to the room that the two Solver Hosts retreated to.

"No way he'd give up so easily."

He then walks over to one of the wall panels that had been tossed around during the fight, picking it up. He retrieves a cable from one of his pouches and begins to secure the panel to his arm, effectively turning it into a tower shield.

He gives it a few test braces, and with some minor adjustments -- particularly with Yeva's help, he's able to get it to be a more reliable setup.

"You hang back. I'll go in. Whatever he's planning won't work nearly as well if only one of us is caught in it."

That was the plan that he came up with -- but he also held for a moment, allowing Yeva the opportunity to share her thoughts before they committed to this plan of action.

---

Alice walks over to Cloris, smiling a little.

"Oh. They told ya it was just a test, huh?"

She gives a wave to the green-haired girl. It wasn't the first time they interacted. Though this WAS probably the first time she ever showed up unannounced like this. Most Humans ignored her, but Chambers didn't exactly slack on the security detail Cloris had. It was enough that she wasn't a Solver Host, and Cloris seemed to like having some company.

But after the surgery -- all this talk of her being a 'savior', even that fell under some restrictions...

"Well... I gotta share some interesting gossip with ya."

Alice grins a little, hopping into a nearby office chair, wheeling it over to the bed with some practiced ease.

"They're actually ringing that alarm because someone is gettin' real ornery with his way of running things. So I gotta ask... How much do you know about what he's doing in these here labs, anyway?"

She trails off after that, letting Cloris process the information that she just shared, and ponder the question too; they had a lot to talk about, and this was only the beginning...

Yeva frowned. ”Vot chto menya bespokoit. Tol'ko idiot ne podumayet, chto eto lovushka. Pochemu on sdelal eto nastol'ko ochevidnym?”

[“That's what worries me. Only an idiot wouldn’t think it's a trap. Why did he make it so obvious?”]

Yeva nodded, reaching out and squeezing Karasu’s hand gently. Then as he made his way into the locker room, she turned and watched the hallway. She would make sure that the doctor’s forces wouldn’t be waiting for him when he came back.

---

Dr.Chambers watched over the security cameras as Karasu entered the Locker room alone. [I]”So he decided to go in alone. He guessed that it was a trap as I thought he would. But it doesn’t matter what he decides to do. Sometimes a trap so effective that there’s nothing you can do even if you know it’s one. All his decision amounts to is that I won’t need to use the EMP.”

After all, there were two active solver users in the room. And both of them were on his side. Well, one of them was. The other knew well enough to work with him anyway. He then gave the two drones instructions over the intercom again.

---

(pretend that all the lockers are numbered and labeled).



The locker room that Karasu entered too was much cleaner looking then the one they kept on the lowest levels of the facility. Suddenly a blue solver symbol appeared on the open door behind Karasu. It then slammed shut, separating him from Yeva. Then a new higher-pitched voice spoke out. Although they were trying to make it as deep as possibile.

”Muhahaha! Anata wa watashitachi no wana ni hamatta nodesu!”

[“Muhahahah! You've fallen into our trap!”]

Karasu would hear a groan. ”Damn it Noelle! You know how much I hate that weeb crap!”

037 and 008 (or Noelle) walked into view. Dr.Chamber’s voice echoed throughout the room via the intercom.

”I normally would have put Nori in the more secure locker room beneath the facility. But I knew you would come to try and free her. And now you’re exactly where I want to be. Except Nori, all the solver users in this chamber are loyal to me. You don’t have Yeva to protect you anymore. Now surrender and drop your weapons. I don’t know what kind of opponents you’ve fought, but there is nothing more dangerous then carriers of absolute solver.”

008 and 037 took fighting stances. The latter adjusted her hat a little as she stared at Karasu. ”Hey, don’t be lame and surrender to the doctor now.  You’ve made it too far just to lamely give up.”

Dr.Chambers sighed over the intercom. ”037, don’t encourage him too keep on fighting.

037 turned her head and looked up at the intercom. ”My name is Kathy! Kat. Thee. That crap is why I don’t like you and your dumb staff! I’m only doing this so I can go outside for a little while. I’ll subdue this guy for you. But that doesn’t mean I have to hate him more than I hate you.”

Dr.Chambers growled at the other end, but he didn’t say anything else. Kathy then turned and looked at Karasu again.

”Hey, you know my name now, but I don’t know yours. What do I call ya?”

---

Cloris sighed, closing her book and putting it down. She rubbed her forehead with a mechanical arm. ”He lied to me again. I know there are some things he has to keep secret, but whether or not I’m in danger shouldn’t be one of them.”

She looked up, waving back at the drone. She wasn’t exactly the happiest right now, but she managed to give Alice a slight smile.

”It is good to see you though Alice. I always enjoy your company. I just wish this time it was under better circumstances.”

Cloris turned to face Alice, watching her with interest as she made her way to the bed on the wheelchair. It was amazing how fast she managed to maneuver in that thing. She looked at Alice curiously.

”Really? It isn’t a drone causing all this? I thought only a corrupted drone would be able to cause this alarm to go off.”

Cloris looked down, hanging her head down. Her body sagged like someone had tied an anvil to her.

”I know what he’s trying to do in this facility. He wants to control this program that can warp reality. He wants to install it in me. He’s keeping how he’s doing that from me, but I know that he’s gathered infected drones here. I can’t imagine that he’s treating them well. And god only knows what he’s doing in the other facilities he owns across Copper 9. I heard him and Dr.Ridley talking about a cybernetic research facility where they developed the mechanical parts they’re outfitting me with. And he told me that the process he’s using to get me ready for this Absolute Solver was carefully researched and developed. The only scientific way to develop things like this is trial and error. Which implies that he’s used humans to…”

Cloris trembled, covering her mouth and letting out a gagging noise. She swallowed, then lowered her hand, breathing heavily.

”Sorry, but whenever my mind goes there…”

He didn't perfectly understand what Yeva was saying -- just one of the downsides of not being bilingual like the Drones could be. But he could still pick up context clues on how worried she was, including how she squeezed his hand.

"Don't worry. I've got a plan of my own."

He didn't say what it was because he wanted to make sure Chambers couldn't react to it until it was too late... Eventually, he enters the locker room.

---

The blue solver symbol appearing over the door and slamming it shut was about what he expected. Either way, he was remarkably calm about the entire situation. Even as Noelle seemed to be speaking in... Japanese? At least if what 037 was saying was accurate.

In either case, it's not long after that Dr. Chambers speaks over the intercom once again, urging Karasu to surrender while warning him about the capabilities of the Absolute Solver.

"Hmm. High praise."

That's all he responds with for the doctor, before turning his attention to Noelle and Kathy. 037 seemed keen on him not giving up, much to the annoyance of Chambers. More importantly, there was a chance for conversation -- at least only because of Kathy's part in all of this.

There seemed to be no real love between her and Chambers. It made a lot of sense, none of the Drones seemed to be treated particularly well, especially if this locker room was any indication. He chuckles softly as Kathey asks for his name.

"Well, Kathy. I'm Karasu."

He spoke calmly.

"I'd like to make you a counter offer. We both know Chambers will do the bare minimum to keep his word, if even that."
He pauses for a moment, soon continuing;

"You help me get Nori out of that locker, and I'll make sure you never have to go into yours again."

He then glances over at Noelle.
"Same offer for you. I'm not your enemy, and he's never given you a reason to fight for his sake."
As he finishes making his offer, he glances back to Kathy.

"You want freedom and better treatment? The only way it's going to happen is if you follow the philosophy of a Raven -- A Raven is a symbol of resolve. The will to choose what one fights for."

He lets that offer hang in the air. If he had to, he'd fight even though the odds were against him... But, simply put: They weren't his enemies. And they wouldn't gain much by trying to stop him. He had a feeling at least Kathy wouldn't see a reason to stick with Chambers after this.

---

"Jeesh. Sounds like a complicated family life."
Alice remarked. His dad sounded like a real piece of work, even to his own daughter...

Still, at least Cloris herself was pleasant. She and Alice always seemed to get along, whenever they had the chance to meet up like this. Though yeah, it would be a lot better if it was under better circumstances.

"Well, a touch of southern hospitality should make your day a little bit better, kiddo."

Alice gives a smile, especially as Cloris can't really hide how impressed she is by her maneuverability with that chair. Still, the green-haired girl was inevitably curious about just what or who was setting off that alarm. She wasn't wrong to think that typically a Drone would be the cause, but...

"Heheh, nope, we got an outlaw in the facility!"
She chuckles a little while revealing that.
"Well, I say 'outlaw', but he's a nice enough guy. And he has a REAL interestin' story. Right now he's fighting for the freedom of the Drones."

Still, the atmosphere changed a little as Cloris hangs her head heavily, soon revealing just how much she actually does know -- Alice is taken aback by the sheer amount of logic and thinking she's put into all of this. Eventually when the girl trembles and gags, Alice intervenes, gently patting her shoulder.

"Whoa, there. You're goin' a mile a minute!"

Alice commented, letting out a little sigh once it seemed like Cloris was finally settling down.

"Now then... Main reason I came here, aside from bein' able to spend some time with ya again..."
She trails off momentarily, she wanted to find the right way to word this, but maybe it was better to just rip off the proverbial band-aid?

"That guy I was telling you about could use your help. He wants to stop the Absolute Solver, and there's someone in the facility who has somethin' that can do that."

She smirks a little.

"Ever heard of Coral that comes from a planet called Rubicon 3?"

After that, she slips out a table and hands it to Cloris -- on said tablet, Cloris would find all the details related to Coral, as well as the project specifically taking place within these very labs, right under Dr. Chambers's nose...

"If it interests ya, consider this your official invitation to lend a helpin' hand. Because they're real stumped right now."

Noelle looked like she was about to say something, but Kathy held out her hand.

”Easy there. Let someone who can speak English do the talking.”

Noelle’s eyes rolled on her visor. Kathy sighed, reaching up and adjusting her hat.

”Karasu, I wish I could take that offer. Noelle has her own reasons for helping the doctor, but most drones in this room aren’t exactly loyal to the doctor. And this is where he keeps the more cooperative drones. But you don’t understand the situation, so let me let you in the know.”

Kathy’s visor flickered, and the solver symbol appeared in it, replacing one of her eyes Kathy pointed at it.

”This thing is a program. One that’s been transferred into me. And it’s trying to take us all over. The more I use it, the closer I get to losing my mind. See, the scientists here have all sorts of countermeasures in place. But if we all rebelled, the best case scenario for the doctor is mutual destruction. But we don’t, and you know why? Because it’s not the doctor that is holding us here: it’s this thing.”

The symbol got replaced with her eye again. She let out a sigh. ”The humans here are developing a patch that will allow us all to keep our free will. If we rebel, then we’ll all be corrupted sooner or later. And even if we did take over the facility, they’ll just send more people and punish those who rebelled. Nori’s the only one crazy enough stand up to them: honestly she’s causing trouble for the rest of us.”

She took a fighting stance again. She stared at Karasu, motioning her hand towards herself.

”You don’t seem like you’re going to give in either. So come on Karasu! I’ll bring you in painlessly if you give up. But I wanna see what a Raven can do. Show me that you can actually save us, and that your words aren’t empty!”

---

Cloris just nodded at Alice’s statement. It had gotten pretty complicated after her mother died. Not that it was simple before now, but it was normal. Normal for their family anyway.

Cloris gave Alice a slight smile. She felt her mood perking up a little. ”You do have a talent for cheering me up. I still find it hard to believe that a southern drone exists.”

She stared in shock as Alice mentioned he was a human. She scrambled up into a sitting position at the edge of the bed, leaning forward with enthusiasm.

”A human?! Does he have cybernetics? Is he some kind of assassin with a tragic backstory?! How did he get here?!”

Cloris’s mind was whirling a million miles a minute, and she had none of the filters she had as an adult. Eventually, she calmed down enough for Alice to explain the situation.

Cloris blinked, holding a finger under her chin. “Coral… I’ve heard of it before. Some kind of rare material that hasn’t been manufactured for mass production. I think Dr.Ridley was on a research team that went to Rubicon before she came here. But that’s all I know.”[/color]

Cloris gingerly took the notes from Alice. She seemed to be trying extra hard not to crush them. Her motions with her hand were a little clumsy as a result. She stared at the notes, looking all of them over.

[color=green]”These are extremely detailed. I’d have to go to this person’s lab and get up to speed on all this face to face, but this is incredible.”ris paused, looking over at Alice. [color=green]”Alice, has the person working on this tried to communicate with the Coral? I know this might seem rather obvious, but if she’s unable to make a full connection between the Coral and another being, then wouldn’t it be easier to ask the Coral what would work?”

Of course, it's not like Karasu was doing nothing while this conversation was going on. One of the advantages of wearing a helmet was that they couldn't see where he was looking, as long as he didn't turn his head. He was carefully scanning each locker, looking for the one that had Nori's name and number on it. It didn't take him long to find it, thankfully.

That wasn't to say that he wasn't listening to what Kathy was saying, however. She interrupts Noelle from trying to speak -- saving everyone a bit of time. She takes the time to share a few more key details that Karasu was missing in all of this. Yeva and Nori filled in quite a few of the blanks for him as it was, but it was still good to have this confirmation in mind.

It seemed like neither Kathy nor Noelle would be aligning with his offer, tempting as it was at least for one of them. Still, he did feel the need to say one thing;

"Allow me to clarify one thing, then. I have no interest in overthrowing the Doctor or his Facility."

He begins, and then adds;

"I disagree with his treatment of the Drones, however. Isolation and chained up in lockers -- that's rather unnecessary."

Still... She was right about one thing, he calmly shifts his stance, moving the improvised shield in front a little bit more.

He thought back to one of many battles he'd been in before. It was a situation a lot like this, being caught in an ambush and continuing on despite the odds.

"Stop such foolishness...
Resistance is futile.
Your fate is sealed.

Go back... It is not too late.
... What is your wish?
... Come no closer."

Just like back then... He then continues speaking;

"Unfortunately for you two, if you two choose to fight, I'll have to stop holding back. No matter what the Doctor has said, he would have me locked up permanently at best. Executed at worst."

His grip tightens on the laser pistol, but he keeps his finger clear of the trigger for now.

"Neither result is acceptable."

If it became clear that there would be a fight... Then rather suddenly, he aims his laser pistol at Nori's locker, and shoots the lock! This was his biggest advantage against any Solver Host; they couldn't stop this weapon, or deflect the projectiles.

---

"Well shoot, even if there's only one of me, ya'll can always count on me to make ya feel right at home!"

Alice replies with a grin. She'd known Cloris for long enough, they did kind of feel like family, in a way. Even amongst the Humans, Cloris treated her like any other person -- and that was a very key description; like a person. Not a tool or an assistant, or something like that.

Yeah, even the nicest Humans in the labs really treated her like anything more than that. Save for a mere handful, anyway. Not like it bothered her, but she still appreciated the meaningful connections, like the one she had with Cloris.

... Hell, she kind of thought of the girl as her kid, just considering how easy it was to get her all excited for a good story filled with fantasy.

"Heheheh. Ya'll did always have a fancy for them fantastical stories."

But then, she leans in, bringing a hand up as if whispering the juiciest kind of legend ever.

"Better! He's a time traveling Mercenary come back to the past to save the whole planet from going kaboom!"

Alice replies -- yeah, the truth sounded even crazier than some of the things that Cloris had listed off earlier. But Alice was not one to indulge in lies; and even if she did, they were usually very obvious sarcastic attempts at teasing, rather than the genuine attempt at trying to hype the girl up right now.

One step at a time though, she needed to learn about Coral. Alice watched as Cloris carefully grabbed the tablet and began to inspect the details. It looked so awkward for the poor girl... Yeah, she had half a mind to go chewing Dr. Chambers out for all of this. She would if she thought the idiot would listen to even a little of what she had to say.

Regardless, it seems like Cloris was coming around to the idea the more she read... Even offering an idea of what they could try doing!

"Well, let's start with yer last question there. We've only been able to communicate it because of that very same guy I was telling you about earlier. Somethin' about him and the Coral resonates. He even named it -- Aegis, if you're curious."

After putting just a little more bait on the hook, it was time to see if she could reel this one in.

"So. Here's the thing, he comes from the future, and apparently... All this stuff that yer dad is doin'? It doesn't work. That Absolute Solver goes on a real rampage. We need a new approach, kiddo."

Alice then gently boops Cloris on the nose with her finger.

"You're the smartest I know. If anyone can figure out these missing pieces, it's you. And if you are the head of this little project, yer father will probably back off and let you do it."

After Alice finishes her suggestion, she decides to give this just a little bit of an extra push.

"'Course, ya'll don't have to take mah word for it! You can see the truth fer yerself! Mercenary's got some recordings of the future in that helmet of his."

Kathy laughed, raising her hand again. ”I have to hand it to you, you’re mighty interesting. You aren’t here to overthrow the doctor you say? Yet at the same time here you are defying his orders. But you’re either a hell of a poker player, or you have no idea what the solver can do. I’m not the gambling type of drone, but I’m betting its the latter. It’s two against one.”

Kathy raised a hand, the solver symbol appearing both there and in her eye again. ”Come on Noelle, lets finish this quickly!”

Noelle also raised her hand, a blue symbol appearing in it. Just before they were about to use it on him, Karasu shot open the door to Nori’s locker. That only made Noelle cackle.

”Baka yarō! Anata wa watashitachi no wana ni hamatta nodesu ne!”

[“You fool! You fell for our trap!”]

Kathy rolled her eyes. ”Yeah, the doctor already knew you’d try and free Nori. So he put her in a different locker. Now you’ll have 3 of us to deal wi…”

”"Hehehahahaha. AAAAAHAHAHAHA!"

Kathy’s face display got a little translucent. It was the drone equivalent of turning pale. Both her and Noelle whirled, trying to bear their solvers around. But it was too little too late. Nori already had her solver activated.

One big purple solver symbol appeared on the floor between drones. Then a 5 feet slab of the floor just rocketed up like a cork being popped, taking the drones along with it. They slammed into the ceiling. Then the solver symbol appeared on the ceiling where they were.

”Lets see how you like being trapped in a tomb!”

The debris came flying down, pushing down the two other solver drones down into the hole she just made. The two drones managed to yell out simultaneously before they were muffled by all the debris.

”NORI YOU BIMMMMPH!”

NANIIIIIIII?!”

Nori fist pumped, grinning widely.


Damn that felt good. Those two are two decades away from taking me on.”

Nori then looked over at Karasu, grinning at him.

”I knew you weren’t a bitch! You actually managed to fight your way into here. But man, you almost fell for that trap. Fortunately yours truly may have used an illusion to mix up the lockers.”

Nori raised her hand in a victory pose.


”We make a hell of a team Karasu!”

---

One of the security officers in the room winced as Dr.Chambers looked over at him. His voice could have frozen fire.

“I told everyone to memorize the positions and not rely on your eyes. I’ll deal with your incompetence later: you’ve just forced me to use up a safety layer.”

Dr.Chambers went over to a control panel. He turned some knobs and pressed a big red button.

---

Suddenly a humming filled the room. Nori looked up, her eyes widening. ”Crap! He’s desperate enough to do that?! Karasu, hang on for a few minutes!”

Just then a huge wave pulsed throughout the room. Nori’s eyes flickered, then she fell over backwards. It seemed that Chambers had been resorted to using a safety measure.

---

Cloris smiled at Alice. ”Thanks Alice. I know making me feel st home isn’t exactly an easy task. Considering where we are.”

Cloris slowly swung her arm in an arc, gesturing at the entire room. The scientists had gone out of their way to make it as homey as possible. They even simulated sunlight and sometimes played bird sounds. But there was no escaping the reality that this was a hospital room in a lab.

Cloris lightly blushed, looking at Alice sheepishly.

”I won’t deny that. This whole situation sounds like one of those stories coming to life.”

She said that even before Alice dropped the big one on her. That this person was a time traveler from the future. She stared at Alice wide eyes. The skepticism was evident in her voice.

”But that’s impossible. That defies all known laws about space and time. And the project is going well. I’ll be ready in a month if all goes well...”

But Alice kept insisting on it. She looked down at her hands, her body trembling.

”Then did I agree to this for nothing?”

She seemed to snap out of it a little when Alice booped her nose. She looked at the drone appreciatively.

”That means a lot, coming from you. My father is the type that will only back down if he sees an advantage in it. We’re going to have to push him backwards if we want him to back off.”

Cloris paused for a moment, a sad expression crossing her face. And then her face was filled with determination.

”If this person is the only one who can contact the Coral, then we can’t let this person die. I’ll find out how true this time travel story is later.”

Cloris’s eyes moved to the wheelchair Alice was sitting in. Then she looked at the drone.

“Say Alice, how fast do you think you can roll that thing?”

"Then let's see how far you can fly -- on borrowed wings."

Karasu retorted to Kathy betting on the fact that the Absolute Solver would pull ahead on this -- especially with the fight being two on one. But regardless, it seemed like there was no avoiding the fight at this point. Karasu meant it when he said he wouldn't be holding back, but he did have to start off with a move that he was pretty sure no one would be expecting.

Suffice to say, he hadn't expected that Dr. Chambers was quite THAT prepared to deal with him. It didn't change much ultimately. Three versus one... Yeah, he'd been in a situation like that before, too.

"Those who wield too much power...

Those who only bring chaos...

They are simply not part of the program."

Well. He just had to keep fighting. Just as he prepares to make his move, he hears a very distinctly familiar laughter. Before long a much larger Solver Symbol with a purple hue forms on the floor. Only for said floor to be rocketed straight into the ceiling. Then the symbol appeared again, and it sent them crashing down with all the debris.

Nori seemed to be enjoying that just a little too much.

"You don't do anything by half measures, do you?"

He comments, chuckling a little. Not long after that, Nori gives him some high praise, even despite the fact that he almost fell for that trap.

"Yeah... Good call on that. I didn't expect him to pull a trick like that."

As Nori raises her hand in a victory pose, Karasu performs a trick spin with the pistol before holstering it.

"That we do. I think it's about time that we-"

He was cut off by a suspicious humming filling the room and slowly growing more intense. Nori tells Karasu to hold on for a few minutes, and then the pulse surges throughout the room -- an EMP. Fortunately, he wasn't in powered armor. So he didn't have to worry about being stuck in a suit of armor that was too heavy to move.

His enhancements, though... They weren't as extensive as the ones that Cloris had done, but they were disabled now. He flinches from the shock, but soon steadies himself with a grunt. Everything was taking more effort now, compared to what he was used to.

He walks over to Nori and picks her up, before securing her with the arm holding the shield, effectively holding her close to him. There wasn't a very easy non-intimate way to hold her and protect her at the same time, not while leaving his hand open to use his weapon still. But this would have to do.

"What's the plan here, doc? You couldn't stop me from getting Nori, and Yeva wasn't caught in your trap."

He spoke aloud, then making his way over to the door to see if he could open it. As much as he trusted Yeva to handle herself, he figured it was about time to give her some backup now that he had Nori, too.... Especially because of those Sentinels.

Karasu was the only one that could deal with those properly. Still, he pauses his inspection of the door for a moment, standing up and looking towards one of the cameras.

"And by the way... If you try something like this again... I'm going to make sure you regret it."

He then returns his attention to the door. Jeez, he'd forgotten what it was like to be without his enhancements... Normally forcing this thing open would take no effort at all. But he then uses his free hand to knock on the door.

"Yeva! I've got Nori and we're clear!"

He yelled. He just had to hope that she would be able to handle the door on her end.

---

Alice gives a nod in agreement with Cloris's comment about the room.

"Yeaaahhh... This just doesn't compare to the real thing. I'd really like to sneak you outside sometime, get some actual sunlight for a change."

But she could already hear the lecture from Chambers if she tried that. God, that guy was so uptight. At least she didn't have to worry about being stuffed in a locker, he just always found some menial task for her to do that would take hours if she ever got out of line.

Still, it was understandable that what she had to say was quite the bombshell for Cloris. Both because of the whole time and space thing, and because... Well... Yeah, this project.

Alice sighs a little, bringing her hands over Cloris's to gently grip them.

"Sugar, ain't no one going to fault you for your choices. Yer brave as hell, and this doesn't make you any less of who you are. Don't go thinkin' any malarkey like that about yourself, okay?"

Still, at least between that and the little poke that Alice gave her, it seems like Cloris snapped out of it with an appreciative expression. It didn't take her long to start figuring out exactly how to deal with all of this, either.

"Atta girl! Then we better give him a real good shove, huh?"

Alice replies -- yes, Cloris might look a little sad right now, but she already knew this wouldn't be enough to keep the girl down either. Before long the green-haired girl gets a determined look on her face before speaking once more.

To be honest, even Alice was getting into the rebellious spirit at this point. She always liked seeing that fire light up in Cloris.

"Yeah, no two ways about it, we're gonna need him for this."

Although the conversation took a bit of a strange turn as Cloris asked about the chair that Alice was in. She arches a brow, looking down at it. After a little bit, she smirks as she looks back up at Cloris, chuckling softly.

"Heheh. Real fast, sugar! One time even Nori had a hard time trying to catch me when I got goin'!"

She then leans in a little bit once more.

"Whatcha got in mind?"

Nori grinned at Karasu.  ”Nope! I always give it my all.

Which was what led to her being so feared (that and the skill and power she used the solver at). Nori looked up at one of the cameras in the room.

”He’s a clever little shit, I’ll give him that. Fortunately the same can’t be said for the people on the security detail.”

Nori whistled as Karasu whirled his pistol and holstered it.

”Damn that was stylish! How much practice did it take to get that one down?

After the EMP went off, the doctor was quick to reply to Karasu.

“The plan is to wait for the security detail from a sister facility to clean things up. They’re just about to get through the checkpoint. I can’t let anyone else sneak their way in after all. It should be a simple matter, now that your cybernetics are disabled.”[/color]

The EMP burst had given him some useful information. Then he continued talking.

”You call her Nori as though 002 has a soul. Your heart is in the right place, but you’re trying to fit it into a square peg. These drones may appear to be sentient, but that’s only because the absolute solver has raised their intelligence. They were born as worker drones: soulless machinations meant to do our work.”

He basically confirmed what Karasu likely already knew: he didn’t consider them to be living beings.


To pretend that we’re capable of producing something with a soul is arrogance. Only God can bestow a soul upon someone, and he didn’t create the drones. The human race did. How long are you going to continue to stand beside things that don’t share the same concern that you have for them? They’re just psychopaths faking emotion to use  you.”

Dr. Chambers was silent for a minute as Karasu threatened him. ”Then you’ll doom humanity if you take it out on me. But I can assure you that you won’t get the chance.”

Yeva opened the door, a relieved smile on her face as she saw Karasu. Then her eyes flickered to Nori, who Karasu was still hanging onto. An annoyed emoji appeared on her visor above her eyes as she stared at the unconscious drone.

---

Cloris looked up at the ceiling. That would be nice.”

She murmured softly. It was a dream that would only happen once the operation was complete.

”They’re going to replace my eyes with the final surgery. So that I’ll be able to monitor all the new systems operating inside me. They’re allowing me to pick what color to see with, but it will only be that one color. Maybe I can convince him to see the sun one last time before that surgery.”

She said lowly. It was a frightening prospect: would she be able to handle things looking so different? How much of her would be left after all of this? Cloris wished she knew the answer to that.

She looked at Alice as she grabbed her hands. She couldn’t feel them of course, but the gesture was appreciated by her. She paused, then nodded her head.

”Thanks Alice. I’ll try not to blame myself for this.”

Cloris smiled as Alice told them that they needed to give them a good shove. ”They aren’t the only ones who need a shove. I’m going to need to be pushed around for a bit.”

Cloris giggled, then gave Alice a big smirk.

”No will will expect someone to travel fast in a wheelchair. I need you to take me to Karasu in that thing.”

Of course Karasu expected that there was going to be a mess after he pulled this stunt. The Doctor was not the type to back down easily. So hearing that he was sending more guards to deal with this problem came as no surprise.

"Yeah? How many should I expect? A hundred? A thousand?"
Karasu retorts.

"I'll admit that I underestimated your capacity to plan ahead. But if you think it was the enhancements that made me so capable, you're about to be very sorely mistaken."

As Karasu finishes saying that, Chambers began to reveal the extent to which he could justify his actions -- his treatment of the Drones. Karasu had seen enough in his lifetime to be able to disagree with the Doctor's viewpoint.

He lets out an exasperated sigh as the Doctor finishes his reasoning.


"You know... Just when I thought I didn't have enough reasons to dislike you."
Karasu begins his response, gesturing to the debris that Kathy and Noelle were buried under.

"Kathy and Noelle are sticking to you because they think you can save them. That you can stop the Absolute Solver. For what purpose would they remain loyal to you if they were only serving out their own interests?"

He doesn't let up, however. Karasu lowers his arm as he continues.

"If they're only capable of using others to get what they want, tell me precisely what they get out of this. What is it that they want, versus what Nori and Yeva want?"

Karasu then shakes his head.

"You know... I met someone like you once. He hated people that interfered with his work. He believed that he was made for the purpose of recreating Humanity and the world they lived on.

And if anyone could threaten his work -- his orchestrations of entire organizations and factions, then he viewed them as irregulars. Obstacles not part of the program that are to be eliminated. You can probably guess, but he wanted me dead too."

He pauses briefly, letting the Doctor think this over before he finally finished with;

"He was an AI."

Despite Karasu's speech, it seemed that Chambers would be sticking to his position however. Only proclaiming that Karasu would be dooming Humanity -- and that he wouldn't get the chance.

The Mercenary goes from simply knocking on the door to having punched it, turning his head back to the camera.

"I've seen what happens because of your handiwork. I'm pretty sure I would be doing the Universe a favor."

He turns his attention back to the door, and it opens not long after. So Yeva was still fine, good... Karasu had gotten rather tense there, so he tried to relax a little. In the process it became clear that he was holding onto Nori, and that seems to have agitated Yeva somewhat.

Karasu looks down at the Worker Drone secured in his arm, and then he glances back at Yeva.

"She was hit by an EMP. She should be fine after a few minutes."

Karasu then steps out of the room.

"Can you shut the door? I don't want him to get the bright idea to use that thing again."

He then asked of Yeva. Once that was tended to, it was time to let her in on what was coming their way in short order...

"He's sending security detail from a sister facility. I think we can handle it."

---

Alice crosses her arms, thinking over the fact that Cloris really wanted to be able to see the sun again, just one last time before the final surgery... Honestly, she couldn't believe the lengths that fool of a man was willing to put his own daughter through.

"Well, if it comes down to it, then I'll just have to take you up there myself! I don't know what has gotten into that man, but nobody should be treatin' their own kin in such a way."

She had plenty of choice words for Dr. Chambers, really... Still, that was an aside, she wanted to put more attention onto Cloris right now. Poor girl needed a lot of help with these things. Alice couldn't even begin to imagine what it must be like, to have to change parts of yourself like this. Sure, it was real easy to swap replacements for a Drone. But for Humans?

Well, once you lost something... Look at how much you had to do just to get it back, and it wasn't even what it was like before. Alice decides not to mope about this, however -- trying to lighten the mood a little.

"Eh, s'not so bad! I see everything with a nice orange overlay."

Alice smiles a little, as she points to her own optics.

"Might take some getting used to. But yer strong, you'll do fine."

Honestly, if you asked Alice why she cared so much about trying to keep Cloris happy, she wouldn't really be able to give you a definitive answer that made sense. But there was something about caring for a young girl that seemed so lost in the world -- it just... Fit.

Like it made everything feel "right" to her. She'd reason it as feeling motherly, but she feels it might be a bit presumptuous to say it out loud, too... That and she wouldn't want to imply that she's replacing a precious someone from Cloris's childhood.

But damn if she didn't feel like Cloris was a good kid and a perfect daughter.

"Well good! I'd have to start chattin' your ear off if you started treating yourself that way."

She replied, feeling a little more at ease that she was able to deal with at least SOME of Cloris's concerns. She wasn't foolish enough to think that this would really solve them all, but one step at a time. She could be there to help with plenty more steps like this.

Although... It was easy to forget sometimes that Cloris needed a bit of help moving around. Well, that was okay! Alice gets out of the chair, ready to help Cloris once she knew where they needed to go.

"Weeelll, sure thing! We can get-"
She does a double-take.
"To Karasu?! Sugar, there's gonna be all sorts of trouble there!"

Alice settles down a little bit, taking a breath (even though she really didn't need to do that.

"Ooohhh, what the hey? We're already gonna get in trouble, might as well make sure we go big with it!"

Fortunately, it didn't take much convincing to get Alice to go along with this -- she'd help Cloris into the chair.

"Get ready, this is gonna be a wild ride!"

She'd give the girl a few moments -- and once she was sure that Cloris was ready, Alice would take off! Pushing the wheelchair in a full sprint, they'd burst out of the room and she would beeline straight down the fastest paths to Karasu and the others!

Whilst passing the guards outside the room...

"Just try 'n' catch us, ya durn galoots!"

Not much sense trying to be stealthy, they'd notice straight away even if she tried to sneak out with Cloris. Not to mention the time limit they were on, knowing Dr. Chambers...

”I don’t doubt that you’re capable even in this state. But you wouldn’t have installed those cybernetics if they didn’t provide you with significant advantages. In this state I won’t even need hundreds to deal with you.”

The doctor paused, then spoke to Karasu. ”Only because it’s the logical thing to do. The Absolute Solver requires its hosts to have a certain level of intelligence. But in doing so it gives the host a survival instinct. They know that if they get consumed that it will end in humanity extinguishing them. That’s all it is.”

The doctor spoke calmly. He seemed resolved, determined to see this through. There was another brief pause as Karasu asked him about the differences between the drones. At first it seemed like Karasu might have gotten through to him, but then…

”The difference is their obsession with you. Had you appeared in front of 037 and 008, the situations would been reversed. Well! I suppose that isn’t entirely true. That unpredictable, malfunctioning 002 would have caused problems regardless.”

There was a good minute  silence after Karasu compared Dr. Chambers to an AI. When be spoke again, his voice was laced with barely controlled anger.

”Don’t ever compare me to a soulless pile of scrap. I’m not a murderer. If you weren’t useful for controlling 002 and 048, then I would simply turn you into the authorities. No one would believe your story of this place.”

Dr. Chambers was a lot quicker to respond to the next thing Karasu said.

”I doubt you have. If you’ve seen my work then you’d know I’m doing mankind a great service.”

Yeva nodded in understanding. It made sense, considering that she was shut down. She then raised her hand, making the solver symbol appear and shutting the door. Then she walked over and stood beside Karasu, waiting for him to make a decision.

---

Cloris sighed, looking down. ”It’s… complicated. Ever since mom died…

She paused, trying to find the words. ”He doesn’t want to take any chances with my safety.  But he didn’t make me do this. He asked me upfront. This is all my choice.”

She gave Alice a slight smile. ”Orange is an underrated color. But you wouldn’t want to go back if you could see the world through a human’s eyes.”

Cloris clasped her hands together, looking at Alice with determination.

”I’m glad you have faith in me Alice. It makes me really happy. I’ll put faith in myself, the lord, and you Alice. Everyone will help me see this through.”

Cloris smiled as Alice told her that she might have to start talking to her a lot if she kept berating myself.

”Maybe I want to hear your voice more. You make any room you’re in brighter and more lively. And I do love listening to you.”

Cloris moved to the very edge of the bed, scooting over so she was directly in front of Alice.

”And that’s exactly why we have to go. I don’t know much about Karasu, but from what you’ve told me he isn’t going to back down. And my father is obsessive about control. This fight is going to continue to the end if we don’t do something. And the longer things go on, the more danger everyone is in. I don’t know if the time travel part is true, but this fighting could trigger the Solver’s rampage early.”

Cloris beamed at Alice, bending forward and hugging Alice tightly.

”Thank the lord you’re here Alice.”

Cloris let Alice help her into the wheelchair. hung on tight as Alice sped through the facility. She  felt a pull on her stomach as they just accelerated down the hall. The guards were shouting something, but all she could focus on was the wind that was make her hair wave. Strangely she only had one thought in her head.

”Is this what riding that roller coaster would have felt like?”

---

Dr. Chambers stiffened when he saw Cloris being pushed down the hallways. Her whirled around, staring at everyone else in the room. Even though his face was hidden, they could feel the anger radiating from him.

[color=I ordered that our best men should guard her room. Who are the two idiots that were put there?”[/color]

The cold, dark rage was terrifying for everyone in the room. It wasn’t explosive and uncontrolled. It was the type of anger that promised that he would think hard about how to vent it. One of the people in their swallowed.

“They’re assholes sir.”

”Yes I know that! I mean who are they?!”

“No that’s their name. Thad Gianno Asshole and Tucker Brad Asshole. Although most people call him Tuck.”

There was a pause. Then Dr. Chamber’s icy
Voice froze the room.

”Why did Dr.Ridley assign these people to guard my daughter?”

“Um… she didn’t. She’s sick today. I guess this guy really has you distracted.”

Another pause. Let me guess, the person filling in the role of director of science personal is…

“Dr. Asshole. Beet Fiz Asshole.”

Yet another pause. Then Dr. Chambers turned in his chair, looking back at the monitor.

”I knew it, I’m surrounded by assholes. Someone secure my daughter!”

---

Yeva raised her hand as something wheeled into view. For a couple of seconds the solver symbol formed. Then she lowered it as she saw who it was. When Alice would inevitably stio, Cloris had to bend forward, gripping the wheelchair and breathing heavily.

”That… was… something else…”

She quickly regained her bearings and looked up at one of the camera.

”I know you can hear me father! Stand down now!”

There was a pause. Then Dr. Chambers spoke up. ”Cloris, he’s a threat to you. I have to take care of him.”

”I’ll be the judge of that.”

”No, you won’t. What you will do is continue to get rest. You just had surgery and aren’t thinking straight.”

Look at me father. Do I look disoriented to you?”

There was silence for a moment.

”Then why are you doing this?”

[color=green]”I’ve got information from a reliable source. That there’s a new path to controlling the solver.

”Is this source of information that drone behind you? I keep telling you that they’re all only…”

”Don’t. You know how feel about that.

Cloris looked up, glaring at the camera up there.


“You keep telling everyone that I’m the savior! Well then maybe you should listen to what the savior wants! I want you to back off, and to talk to this man. Well?! Are you going to back off?! Or are you going to tell everyone that your orders mean more then the savior’s?!”

Dead silence. There was nothing but silence for a whole minute. Then a resigned Dr. Chambers spoke up.

”Adeve Security team, you have no orders. Escort my daughter and the intruder to her room. You will stand guard until she is done talking with him. I want two of you in the room at…”

”No guards or surveillance active. I want privacy.”

”Corrction, post a few men outside and wait until they’re done. Then return to the Adeve facility.”

The security team came rushing up. Their were heavily armored, although their weapons are now put away. They motioned to Cloris to follow them. She then turned, looking over at Karasu.

”Well? Are you coming or what?”

To say that Karasu and Dr. Chambers didn't like each other would be massively understating things. Honestly, it was to such a point that Karasu would take the time to make his disdain perfectly known;

"I'll call you precisely what you are, and there isn't a damn thing you can do about it."

He shot back, but he certainly wasn't done with just that much, as he soon continues:
"You don't care about trying to help the Drones -- and if Nori didn't take the time to tell you off, I'd still be locked up in that room, fed whatever scraps you deem unimportant enough.

But congratulations, maybe you're not a murderer. That's a low bar to pass, and even that is debatable.

I'd clap for you, but my hands are full taking care of someone that you think isn't real!"

After that point, Karasu wouldn't respond to anything the doctor had to say... Honestly, he was glad to be free of that room. It meant that he had time to figure things out with Yeva. Nori would be offline for some time, and there would be a full security detail coming for them -- he could handle himself, especially with Yeva there to help him.

But he could rig the odds in their favor. He whispers to Yeva;

"We're headed to the cafeteria."

It was a big open space, it had all the resources they would need to hold up for awhile. Plenty of tables and other furniture with which to board up the entrances. It was the perfect place to make a stand. Eventually Nori would come back online, and his implants would boot back up, too. From there, Chambers would have no choice but to concede to negotiations.

Because of that, he starts to take point. Though the pair are soon cut off by an unexpected encounter...

---

Alice's ire with Dr. Chambers eased up, if only because of Cloris explaining things. The Worker Drone gives a small sigh.

"Don't get me wrong, sugar. I don't mean to downplay the choice you made, but he don't seem to appreciate you nearly enough."

Still, at least the bad mood didn't linger for long as their discussion of eyesight continued, with Cloris making mention of how compelling it is to see the world through Human eyes.
"I admit, ya make it sound very interestin'. Maybe you and me should work on some upgrades after that point. Make it our own personal project, y'know?"

Alice still had a fair bit to learn when it came to working with technology, but she'd pick up more than a few tricks, too. Plus it was an excellent way for the two of them to bond. Cloris knew what Human eyesight was supposed to be like -- whereas Alice didn't really have a reference for that sort of thing.

"Now there's that strong girl I keep talkin' about."
Alice replies with a proud smile as Cloris grew more determined. Still, she couldn't help but chuckle as the green-haired girl insists that maybe she'd have to berate herself just to hear Alice talk some more.

"And that is why I always call ya sugar! Sweet as can be."

But it was time to start getting things underway. Cloris felt that they had to do this, it was the only way to prevent the Solver from rampaging early, too. Alice hadn't even considered that, but... Yeah. She knew that those witches could turn real freaky if they were pushed too far. Something about those yellow eyes just wasn't right.

But she's brought out of that thought as Cloris hugs her. Alice's initial shock is soon replaced with appreciation as she gently hugs the girl back with a smile.

"And I'll always be here, sugar."

Their escape was, of course, a total success! Not a single one would dare to take a shot at Alice while she was so close to Cloris, and catching up to her physically was definitely out of the question.

---

Finally, Alice and Cloris crossed paths with Karasu, Yeva, and Nori. Albeit Nori was kind of out of it at the moment.

The mercenary hadn't expected to run into Cloris -- yeah, he could still recognize her. She looked different, less modifications... But it was definitely her. It was a good thing he was still wearing that helmet right now.

What he also hadn't expected was for Cloris to so brazenly confront Dr. Chambers... Her father. That was quite the bombshell to learn. For Alice's part in all of this, she just glares at one of the cameras as he starts to go into one of his spiels about Drones. She might not have a grudge against him like the witches do, but they sure weren't friends.

Her expression softens as Cloris tells him to not even start on that. It was kind of impressive just how much she was able to talk Chambers down. Now Karasu had a private meeting with her. That being said, he still didn't trust the Doctor. Whilst still holding onto Nori, he also reaches over to place a hand on Yeva's shoulder.

"You'll forgive me if I don't particularly trust him after this latest stunt. I'll be bringing them with me."

Still... Those men were heavily armored. It wouldn't have been an issue if they were able to hold up in the cafeteria as Karasu originally planned. But they were definitely a step up from the goons in this facility.

The motioned for Cloris to follow them, and Alice would move the wheelchair to do just that. Although Cloris does insist that Karasu comes along as well.

"Of course."

For the moment, he'd have to mask the fact that he recognized Cloris. Giving any hints of that right now would make everything unpredictable. The trip back to Cloris's room would be rather uneventful. Karasu kept holding onto Nori, and by this point he was also holding onto Yeva's hand.

His latest scuffle with Dr. Chambers meant that he wasn't leaving anything to chance right now. He said he was going to protect them, and he meant it... Although Nori was probably not going to be happy about it when she woke up.

Well, they'd have to cross that bridge when they get there.

”What you think I am. Don't presume that you know anything about me. I don't know you either, but you remind me of those obnoxious pro-drone protestors.”

Yeva nodded, Prepared to head to the cafeteria. But before that, things took an unexpected turn.

---

Cloris paused, looking down at the ground. ”I’ve had doubts lately. But… I’ve seen the good in him. He wasn’t always like this. It can’t be all be gone. I know he lost mom, but I did too. I didn’t end up like…”

Cloris sighed, shaking her head. It must have been more than that. People didn’t completely turn just from one person’s death. Just what was going on here?

Cloris blinked as Alice suggested that they work on making seeing in color a personal project. Cloris tapped a finger against her chin for a moment, winced slightly as she felt the metal pressed against her skin and then looked at Alice, her eyes shining.

”That would be quite the endeavor. It’s hard to incorporate a human’s eyes into a drone. I’d love to show you the world. Take you out to see a sunrise through my eyes. It’s like…”

Cloris’s brow furrowed as she tried to find of a way to describe it to Alice. ”I can’t think of a way to describe it. Hmmm… I got it!”

Cloris tried snapping her fingers. Although the sound her fingers made was not what she was going for. She gazed over and frowned, looking down at her hand. Then she looked at Alice.

”I should ask my father if he can get me a copy of The Giver. It’s set in a society where people can’t see in color. And the main character ends up seeing color eventually. Of course, there’s more to the book, but that’s the most relevant part for you. The author does a great job of describing what color looks like to someone who can only see a few colors. I think you would find it interesting!”

Cloris giggled, cupping a hand over her mouth. ”Geez, you’ve called me sweet more than my mom ever did. Sugar tops anything she ever said. And she was pretty sweet to me.”

Cloris smiled against Alice, holding the other drone against her. ”Alice, no matter how much I change, I’ll always want you in my life.”

---

Yeva got quite a few revelations. She had no idea that Chambers was using his own daughter as the test subject. She glared up at a camera, and words in Russian flashed on it for a few seconds. Needless to say, it wasn’t very family-friendly.

Even more amazing, this girl was able to talk her father down. She had never seen Dr.Chambers so at a loss before. When she felt Karasu’s hand on her shoulder, she scooted to the side slightly, then reached out and gently grasped his hand in hers. And that’s how they walked all the way to Cloris’s room.

The guards were posted outside, and the others were put into the room. Cloris wheeled her way to the bed, and with difficulty managed to climb her way back onto it. She rolled over on to her side awkwardly, pointing at the chair.

”Could you put the unconscious drone in the chair? I don’t want to just lay her down in a corner haphazardly.”

Cloris used that time to sit up on the edge of the bed. She leaned forward, folding her hands and studying Karasu.

”Alice has vouched for you, and obviously you have two other drones willing to fight for you. But if you want me to believe you’re from the future, then I need undeniable proof. It’s pointless to have a conversation until you show me some.”

Alice sighs heavily. She wishes that she had the answer for Cloris, but this whole thing seemed to be well beyond her understanding. Just what was it that first caused the sudden change in her father's behavior? Was it when Cloris's mother died, or was it something else? This obsession with the Absolute Solver might be the key to it... But without knowing for sure, she didn't want to bring that up as a possibility.

"I wish I could tell you, I really do. But I think you're the only one that could figure out what's goin' on in that head of his."

But at least it wasn't all gloomy! Getting her to think of a more personal, important project seemed to be just the ticket! Something they could both work towards... Yeah, that sounded like it'd be pretty nice all around.

Still, Alice couldn't help but smile as Cloris seemed to be struggling for a way to describe it to her. Eventually an idea comes to the girl, and she suggests a particular book for Alice. One called "The Giver", and the way that Cloris described it, it sure sounded like a pretty magical story.

Admittedly, Alice wasn't even sure what it might be like to go from experiencing a small set of colors to a full array. Sure, her coding could fill in some of the blanks, she could identify something as a given color. But being able to actually PERCEIVE it that way was another matter entirely.

"Well if it's comin' recommended by you, I'm sure I'll enjoy it!"

Alice then replies, the story did sound very interesting to her -- and maybe it would give her something to look forward to, this big project of theirs... Not long after that, Cloris giggled as she shared that not even her mother was this sweet to her.

The worker drone can't help but give a smile back.

"Well, she's a smart lady! But like I said, you add a dash of southern hospitality to it, and ya make everything feel more like yer home."

Moments like this were precious to Alice. And she could feel that they were pretty important to Cloris too. But even if she ever had her doubts, they were dispelled by Cloris's very next words.

"Well good! Because yer fixin' to be stuck with me at this rate."

Alice teased just a little, but nonetheless her affection shines through.

---

Once they got into the room, the first order of business was making sure that Cloris got back into her bed. It was kind of awkward for her to manage by herself -- fortunately, Alice was there to help her along!

After that, Cloris asks Karasu to put Nori in the chair, and he gives a nod.

"Yeah. I have a feeling that would make her mad. Although probably not as mad if she were to wake up to me holding her like this."

He replied, bringing her over to the chair and setting her into it. He took a bit of time to make sure that nothing was sitting awkwardly, and that she would hopefully be comfortable... Did Drones really experience discomfort? He thought of that, and to the reaction that Kathy had when he shot her hand.

So, they probably did. Either way, while he's doing that, he speaks up;

"You know, when I said that I would protect her and Yeva from being put in those lockers, she told me that she didn't need a knight in shining armor."

Karasu chuckled a little. Eventually he stands back up and turns to Yeva.

"Although even if both of them got upset with me, I think I'd have to do it anyway. Something about it just doesn't sit right with me."

Of course, at this point it was pretty much expected that Cloris was studying him. She was trying to get a read on the type of person he was, and Karasu didn't have a problem with that. Not even when she asked for proof.

"Harsh terms."
He admitted, but nonetheless he goes through the process of removing his helmet, and he's also setting it to play a specific recording.

"I'm sure you'll point out that any kind of video footage I show you could be doctored. So I'll save us both some time and pick out something that serves as more undeniable proof."

He then hands the helmet to her.

"Put the helmet on and press that button. You're about to see the future, Cloris. You become part of my crew."

The fact that he knew her name wouldn't be convincing enough by itself. Her father had said it when she confronted him, after all... But Karasu seemed certain, and even continued to make his case;

"We've never met before, and your father and I certainly aren't on good terms. I'll admit that learning you were here, and related to him came as a shock... But I think you'll agree I had no time to be able to prepare something like this, no matter how good technology is at faking something."

With that, he falls silent and lets Cloris focus on the recording.

This one was on the mission they had together to investigate the clues from Type-99. It was going to be a lot to take in, so Karasu just let it play out, waiting patiently.

Cloris gave Alice a gloomy nod. Yes, she was the only one that she could reach him. That wasn’t going to be easy either: he was being more secretive then ever. What happened at those other facilities? She wouldn’t be able to close the growing gap if she didn’t have a way to cross it.

Cloris was excited talking about the book. ”It isn’t the happiest of stories, but it isn’t all doom and gloom. I think you’ll like it!”

Cloris’s smile widened at Alice. ”If you keep this up, I’ll never want to leave this facility.”

She said that in jest, but Alice really did make her feel at home. She just wished she could see more of her.

Cloris turned her head so she was looking directly at Alice’s face, beaming at the drone. ”That’s good. I was afraid I’d have to use to use rope to keep you close to me.”

---

Cloris's shock was apparent as Karasu talked about keeping the drones out of the lockers. So much that she struggled to find words to say. Yeva meanwhile gave Karasu a little smile.

”Nori budet razdrazhena, yesli vy budete nastaivat' na tom, chto yey nuzhen belyy rytsar'.”

[“Nori would be annoyed if you insist that she needs a white knight.”]

Cloris managed to find her voice. She couldn't hide the awe in her voice.

”You fought the facilities curiosity just to get them out of the lockers?”

She had never met anyone who was willing to stand up for drones. She leaned forward, her violet eyes glinting with curiosity.

”Are you a member of the Brotherhood of the Singularity? My father has been talking about how annoying they've been lately. But I didn't get the impression their protests included breaking into top secret facilities.”

But when the discussion turned serious, she folded her hands, looking at Karasu sternly. ”We’re talking about a possible armageddon. This isn’t the time to be soft.”

Cloris’s eyes widened as Karasu said she became a part of his crew. She reached out, taking the helmet and examining it. Without a word, she put on the helmet and pressed play. Even without seeing her face, one could tell she was getting into it. She leaned forward so far that she had to grip the mattress to keep herself from falling out. Which was stong enough to dig her fingers completely into the material. Eventually she backed up, her face as pale as a ghost.

”...You couldn’t have faked this in this short amount of time. My father’s really going to…”

The shock of it made her feel faint. She fell over onto her back, staring up at the ceiling. Was this outcome set in stone? No, the fact that he traveled back in time meant that it could be changed, right? She rubbed her hands over her face and sat back up, looking at Karasu firmly.

”Tell me everything you know. What you’ve been through, what the plan to advert this is, everything.”

As much as Alice was genuinely enjoying these moments -- it was about time that they got moving. After all, they did have something very important to take care of. But at least they would have plenty of time afterwards to be together!

---

It seemed like Yeva was far less annoyed at the prospect; instead she seemed rather thankful. Karasu might not have been able to understand every word she had to say, but her smile, along with the mention of Nori painted a clear enough picture via context clues.

To be honest, it might not be a bad idea to try and pick up enough Russian to at least understand what she's saying... But Karasu would have to shelve that thought for later. Cloris eventually speaks up, admitting how impressed she is in the process.

"Only Nori had gotten stuck in the locker, but yes."
Karasu began his reply as he looked back to Cloris.
"I think the Drones have enough to worry about without constant threat of solitary isolation hanging over their heads for every minor infraction."

Still... He certainly wasn't used to how much more open and energetic Cloris is in her youth. It seems like whatever happened here, it was terrible enough to harden her up considerably. And given that she has some of the cybernetic enhancements right now, it was safe to say that those aren't a result of the apocalyptic event that struck Copper 9.

"Heh. No, I'm just a former Raven -- a Mercenary, if you're unfamiliar with the term."
He responds, soon adding;
"However, no one has hired me for this, and I'm acting out of my own personal stakes in this."

He fully intended to explain more, but Cloris still wanted her proof, so that would have to happen first. Understandably, however... This came as a massive shock to her. To learn that all of these efforts still lead to a ruined future for the planet, and everyone on it.

He wasn't sure what he could say to comfort her in such a difficult time. But Cloris finds her determination once more, eventually asking him what the plan is.


"Well, it's a long story..."

He began to recount the events, how they first got to Copper 9, the struggles they faced. All the way up to that fateful battle with the Subjugator Gargoyle, and what ultimately pulled him through space and time. So now, that left the biggest question of all... What were they going to do to avert this?

"As for my plan, if we can get Aegis up and running, I can handle anything the Absolute Solver throws at us. Beyond that...

I think our best option is to improve conditions here at the Facility for the Drones -- and to ensure that patch I've been hearing about actually works."

He shares his thoughts. The Absolute Solver as an abstract foe, but even keeping that in mind...

"If treating the Drones as dangerous and refusing to see the Humanity in them is what leads to all of this mess, then we need to try something radically different.

I believe that if we can bring them into a connection with Humanity, then we could make them more resistant to the influence of the Absolute Solver. This thing seems to love dividing and conquering. I'm sure that it's spinning Chambers's treatment of them to it's advantage.

After all, if you feel trapped, mistreated, isolated, and you have no reason to believe that things will ever work out for you even if the Humans are successful... An entity promising you godlike power becomes a lot more appealing."

He falls silent for a moment. That was his assessment of what he thinks of the Absolute Solver. Not a program gone rogue. But something that preyed on vulnerabilities and insecurities. It knew how to best amplify your darkest fears in order to manipulate you. It would match everything he has seen thus far...

"I've faced it enough times, I know I can beat it. We have the advantage of knowing what is coming. So if we can reduce the number of viable hosts not through control or destruction of the Drones, but by giving them a reason to want to care about the world around them, and the people in it...

We can weaken it enough that I can deal with it at the source."

... He sounded completely serious.

Karasu was actually intending to chase this thing down -- whatever it was that was exerting it's influence -- and fight it.

One got the impression that he would even face it alone...

"... And I think I know where it is, too. During my investigations, I learned about an underground cathedral, and I have my reasons to believe that is where Absolute Solver breaks free, and destroys Copper 9."

Cloris stared at Karasu. She tilted her head to one side for a few seconds. Then she did the same for the other. She straightened it again, still looking at him in surprised.

”You see them as people too. Outside of the BOS I didn’t think anyone else felt that way.”

Cloris nodded in understanding, leaning forward to take a good look at Karasu.

”I’m not very familiar with specific mercenary groups. I do know that they use high grade equipment and modifications. No wonder you were causing the staff problems.”

Cloris listened to the whole tale. She was very expressive during it. Unlike the Cloris in the future she was very animated and didn’t had how she felt. She was scared by the fact that she nearly got dragged into a vent by a monstrosity (and then glad she played a part in beating it), seemed very interested in the disassembly drones and the colony they encountered. When he was done, she lay back, looking down.

”I need a minute to process everything. That’s just…”

Cloris paused, listening to Karasu’s plan. Cloris nodded as he mentioned that the solver prayed on negative emotions.

”That's something I heard them talk about. It’s why they’re doing my surgery in stages. They want to keep my mental state stable. If they did it all at once there would be a disconnect.”

Cloris did not voice her suspicions on where they got that information in the first place. Everything was confusing enough without going into that nastiness.

Cloris looked down at one of her hands, opening and closing lt.

”Godlike… I’ve had the strangest feeling all this time. I feel like we’re building the Tower of Babel. That we’re trying to encroach on something that we have no business reaching. But we’re still climbing higher and higher, building that tower using the bodies of drones.”

Cloris paused, considering Karasu’s suggestion. She nodded her head.

”I agree, but it isn’t going to be easy. The attitude the scientists have is the prevailing one over drones. People like the BOS and us are a rarity. I could talk to my father and maybe by some miracle I could convince him to make things a little better. But it won’t change how the staff here view the drones.”

Cloris listened to the rest of the plan of Karasu. She shuddered how he mentioned the cathedral.

”That church gives me the creeps. I’ve only been there once, when my father took me there to explain things to me. They built the facility on top of it.”

When Karasu was done, Cloris folded her hands together. She took a deep breath, and stared at Karasu.

”I’ll help you in any way I can. I’ll start with the Coral problem you’re dealing with. If my hypothesis is correct, then we’ll able to cut out a significant amount of time to utilize it. We can’t let the end of the world happen.

Meanwhile Nori’s visor booted up. She groaned, and then her face loaded up. She sat up. Shaking her head.

”Owww… fricken EMP bursts give me a headache…”

Nori rubbed her forehead, trying to clear it. She then looked up, seeing where they were. She looked around, focusing her gaze on Karasu.

”I’m not in a locker, so I think we won. What did I miss?]

"Everyone in my crew does. There's actually a lot of people out there that are in support of Drones getting better treatment. And... Well, there's an event that happens that pushes that entire movement forward."

Karasu thought about that for a moment. What were the odds that Proxima was related to Absolute Solver? It wasn't an impossibility. Putting that aside, Cloris commented on Mercenaries and admitted that she didn't know much about them other than their equipment and modifications being high grade.

"That's the easiest way to look at it. Although for Ravens the business is even more cutthroat. Ravens are ranked, and the completion of missions -- or defeating other Ravens -- can move you up those ranks.

There's a saying that "a single Raven is worth an entire army", and it's why their prices are so high."

After that... Cloris brought up why her surgery is being done in stages, rather than all at once -- she mentioned there being a possibility of a disconnect. She didn't mention how she got that information; or how anyone did, for that matter. But Karasu could draw some conclusions.

To be honest... The idea of the Absolute Solver somehow crossing the bridge into Humanity was a deeply concerning prospect. Mistreated Drones were one thing. But how many Humans felt that they were wronged? How easy would it be to just slip in during their darkest moments? Moments of passion would turn into a story where another monster is made.

And it could happen countless times a day. Even being engineered by the Absolute Solver.

"... Be careful, Cloris. Humans are naturally immune to Absolute Solver -- as far as we know -- but bridging the gap to it... That could be an apocalyptic scenario all on it's own."

Although it seems his warning was mostly unnecessary, as Cloris shared her thoughts on what it seemed like they were doing here. The Tower of Babel... Yeah, that was a pretty apt comparison. Although Karasu believed that it wouldn't be the wrath of god that splinters the tower and casts Humanity far and wide.

After that, Cloris mentioned that his idea seemed solid enough; the problem was getting everyone else to go along with it. Chambers would be a source of resistance, and the majority of the staff also held no reason to change how they treated the Drones. Karasu gives a small nod at that.

"I think if we can get Chambers to relax his stance on the Drones, then dealing with the rest of the staff would be very easy... They're not exactly capable."
He clears his throat slightly.
"I could get them to back off. But him? He's going to be stubborn."

And then there was another chance burst of luck; the very cathedral that he was searching for, it was underneath this facility. He knew that it was somewhere underground on Copper 9, but having this concrete of a confirmation made things even easier to plan for, in his head.

"Well, at least I know where it is now. That's probably going to be where the fate of the planet is decided. So we need to be as ready as we can be for that moment."

And it seems Cloris was in agreement. The first problem to tackle was getting the Coral ready. Once Aegis was fully operational, the tides would start turning. Chambers wouldn't be able to threaten Karasu anymore -- but even more importantly than that, it would also be an answer for the Absolute Solver.

"That's our first step, then. Thank you for this, Cloris. I've been trying to map out a plan of action the entire time, but you're going to make this a lot easier."

And shortly after that, Nori started to boot back up, letting out a small groan. Eventually she sits up and shakes her head, griping about a headache. Karasu turns to her, smiling.

"Well, Cloris came straight to us. She's going to help us with something that can counter the Absolute Solver... And I'm pretty sure she just got her father to stand down and call off his hounds."

He explained, and then adds;
"We have two major projects to work on. She's going to handle the Coral for us. But on our end... We're going to have to find a way to prove that our methods will produce better results than Chambers's system of keeping the Absolute Solver in check."

Cloris stared, looking at him disbelievingly at first. Then she let out an awkward laugh, placing her hands on her knees.

”Sorry, it’s just… we’ve been treating drones the same way for centuries. It’s wild that there’s going to be progress made on that front in my lifetime.”

She paused, frowning at Karasu. ”Is it the events on Copper 9 that trigger that change?”

She stared as he talked about the Raven’s organization. She frowned, her eyes staring at Karasu with sympathy.

”That must have been difficult for you. I can’t imagine what kind of training they must have put you through.”

Cloris paused considering Karasu’s words. “That’s one of the reasons I was chosen for the project. Psyche evaluations were a key element in determining who was fit to take in the solver.”

Cloris pointed at the helmet. ”Besides, it doesn’t look like my father managed to complete it in time. Whatever happens to Copper 9, it isn’t the result of me taking in the solver.”

Cloris paused, frowning. ”He isn’t the only one who is going to be stubborn. I’ll give you a list of the staff later. I’ll mark down which would be the easiest to say and which ones are going to be the most difficult to change. Well to find a way to reign my father and those others in.”

Cloris reached up, rubbing the back of her head. ”The location of the secret elevator is… weirdly obvious. But it’s impossible to activate without the code key AI.”

Cloris nodded, looking at Karasu solemnly. ”Any sane person in my position would help you. That said, I am looking forward to working with you: judging by the footage, we’ll make a great team.”

When Nori woke up and listened to Karasu, she stiffened. She looked over at Cloris. She clenched her fist and grit her teeth.

”His own daughter?! He’s experimenting on his OWN DAUGHTER?!”

Nori jumped to her feet and stomped towards the door. As she reached for the handle, the red solver symbol appeared over the door. Nori whirled, glaring at Yeva.

”Unlock the door Yeva!”

Yeva didn’t flinch in the face of Nori’s anger. She shook her head.

”Poka ty ne uspokoish'sya, Nori.”

[“Not until you calm down Nori.”]

Nori grit her teeth, stamping her foot. And shouting at the other robot.

”He’s gone too far this time! He’s experimenting on his kid! His KID!”

Cloris swallowed, then spoke up. ”I volunteered. I want to go through with this.”

Nori swirled to look at Cloris. Her ire then fell upon the green haired girl.

”No you don’t! You’re a teenage girl. You want to go outside, talk on the phone way too much, hang out with friends and drive your parents crazy!”

Cloris crossed her arms under her chest, looking at Nori with annoyance.

”I’m not that kind of teenager.”

”Whatever! But I bet you want an actual window next to you. Actual sunlight coming in. Not that fake crap they have set up behind you!”

Nori pointed at the fake window. Cloris looked down, biting her lip. ”That’s…”

Nori lowered her hand, still staring at the girl.

”You don’t want this. But your father has convinced you that you do. Told you that you were the only one who can do this. That you’re some kind of savior. Well you aren’t! You’re a kid! A smart kid who’s letting her love of her family cloud her judgment!”

Cloris glared back at Nori. ”Shut up! You don’t know anything!”

Nori threw her arms in the air in frustration. ”Robo-god! I know what he’s done to me. What’s done to the others. You’re the one who refuses to see what’s in front of her!”

”You don’t know anything about him! My father was…

Was! Maybe he was halfway decent once. But he’s a monster now. Get it through your thick skull! YOUR FATHER IS A MONSTER NOW! GAHHHHH!”

Nori’s face turned completely yellow. She collapsed to her knees, clutching her visor with both hands. Cloris stared on in horror. Yeva jumped up and ran over to Nori, putting her hands on her shoulders and shaking her a few time.

”Nori! Uspokoit'sya! Yesli ty etogo ne sdelayesh', eta shtuka proglotit tebya tselikom!”

[“Nori! Calm down! If you don't that thing will swallow you whole!”]

Nori was letting out sputtering noises. Her visor was flashing between purple and yellow.

”I… know… It’s… ngh! It’s strong…”[/b]