Murder Drones: Out with the Old, in with the new Disassemly.

The sun over the skys of copper 9 had set, plunging most of the world into darkness. Amidst the snowy clouds of the night sky, a beacon of light shone in the darkness. The repaired ship flew through the sky at a leisurely pace, making a long orbit around the city.

Cloris sat on the bridge, keeping a close eye on the monitors and the displays. If she had to she would take control of the ship in a hurry. She had volunteered to stay behind on the ship: the others had gone to… a prom being held by the drones.

Cloris let out a sigh at that, trying to stave off the headache that was threatening to creep up on her. She understood that the crew couldn’t work all the time. But given the circumstances, she didn’t think they could afford to waste time indulging in dancing. Something which she did not expect to be happening on Copper 9.

Then again, a lot had happened in the time she was separated from the group. They fought another monster and emerged victorious. Ray had given into lust much like Chaos had, and overall they had gotten closer to the drones inhabiting the bunker. Close enough to attend a high-school style prom of all things (how was that a thing?).

Cloris had no need for partaking in such things. So she remained on the ship, planning out her next move. For the moment they had managed to fight off the solver monsters. Now was the time to start going on the offensive. She had wanted to start the planning with the others as soon as possible. But that went out the window rather quickly. Why did guys let their hormones control everything?

”Not that you’re one to talk.”

A sly voice said in the back of her mind. Cloris shook her head, letting out another groan.

”I didn’t let it control all my actions like they did.

”But it did make you confess things you shouldn’t have to 99.”

Cloris didn’t have a rebuttal to that. 99, the comrade that she didn’t expect to have. The one that had resulted in the change of a great deal of plans. It would be so much easier if 99 could work directly with her like the rest of the group. But she understood the drone’s reasons for wanting to keep her distance. So now Cloris was having to make her plans while taking that into account. Which was a tricky balance, even for a genius like her.

Right now she was considering which facility to explore first. There were a few possible places where the elevator code could have ended up. The main facility was a no go right now. But there were other places of interest that could be explored. Cloris was alone with Aegis and her thoughts, but that was about to change.

Cloris was so distracted by her thoughts that she didn’t hear the footsteps behind her. She tensed as she felt a hand on her shoulder. She whirled her head, relaxing as she saw 99.

”99! I didn’t expect to see you so soon. Why are you here?”

99 was looking down at her intensely. There was something she didn’t recognize in her eyes.

”I came to copulate with you.”

Cloris stared disbelievingly, looking at the drone disbelievingly.

”You want to what?!”

I want to copulate. With you Cloris.”

Cloris felt dizzy, her heart pounding in her chest. Her face was as red as a tomato. She looked at the drone in front of her.

”What… what brought this on?!”


99 put a hand on her chin, peering at the human in front of her. ”Ever since we’ve met I’ve felt strangely about you. When I saw Chaos and J and Ray and V, it finally clicked. I want V and J have with their humans. Actually, that’s not quite accurate.”

Everything felt so warm around her. Cloris’s heart pounded faster as 99 put her free hand on her shoulder, inching ever closer and closer to her.

”I know you want this too. You feel the attraction, just as I do. I know you want to feel again Cloris. More than anything. You would have traded all your cybernetics for human parts by now if you hadn’t resolved yourself to see this fight through.”

Cloris couldn’t move an inch. Or was that she didn’t want her body to respond. 99 reached up with one hand, gently cupping her cheek.

”I can’t give those things to you. I can’t even convince you to make augmentations that would bring back feeling to you. I can’t give you the sunsets and colors you spoke so fondly of. But I can make you feel more human. I can… no… I want to make you feel pleasure. I want to make you mine. Cloris Jade, will you be mine?”

99 tenderly stroked Cloris’s cheek with her thumb. The sound of her own heart was practically drowning out everything else. She could barely hear her own voice as she murmured.

”Yes… I want you to make me yours…

99 paused. Then gave Cloris a smile that made her heart flutter. It wasn’t fair: a drone with teeth like that shouldn’t be able to smile in a way that made her knees melt.

”Mission parameters updated.”

---

99 has whisked her away to her room after that. It was via the princess carry, something that 99 had called ”the most optimal romantic carry.” 99 then proceeded to take the lead. At first she was gentle: it was clear that it was mostly about Cloris’s pleasure. Not that 99 didn’t indulge in her own desires.

An hour into it Cloris found herself on her hands and knees, her arms and legs tied. 99 stood over her, as naked as she was. A whip emerged from her arm.




”As you know, I’ve had over 200 torture and interrogation techniques programmed into my subroutines. I’ve repurposed all of them to give you pleasure. And instead of war crimes, I’m going to violate you”.

And violate her she did. Cloris let out a pleasured cry every time 99 cracked the whip down on her. Obviously the drone wasn’t using her full strength on her: she was hitting hard enough for it to register, but not hard enough to flay the skin. Cloris let out a particularly loud yelp when she whipped one spot in particular.

[“Ahhh- ! My ass!”

99 pauses, then reaches out with her other hand and caresses to gently. ”Your ass is so perfect Cloris. Let’s rest for a moment before we continue. I still have 199 methods at my disposal.”

The world around her faded as she embraced the depravity.

---

”GAH!”

Cloris shot up, her back slamming against the chair of the cockpit. She hadn’t gotten much sleep the night before, so she had decided to take a short nap when the others had left. She was panting and sweating all over. She didn’t need feeling in her hands to confirm that her underwear was ruined.

”Stupid guys and their stupid crushes. They’re the ones that put this into my head.”

Her feelings had gotten more intrusive when she learned about what Ray and V did. This was starting to become a serious problem. And she honestly didn’t know how to deal with it. Years of suppressing her desires were now slamming against the barriers she set up. And little by little. they were breaking apart.

Cloris didn’t have any time to deal with the state her body was in right now. Hopefully, the hologram wouldn’t betray just how off she was right now. She immediately cleared her throat and glanced at Klein.

[color=green]"Klein, don't answer this device again.

”Oh! This is Klein. He’s a sentient AI on which Ray and I collaborated. I’ve been fascinated with sentient drones since my time in the Cabin Fever Labs. All the solver drones were alive and I always wondered if that could be recreated. Klein is nowhere near you or other drones like you, but I think he turned out well for the most part.”

She paused, staring at him curiously. [color=green]"I don't know where he got half the things he says from though. I don't recall outfitting him with information about secret agents. And I doubt Ray went out of his way to put that in too."

Cloris waved a hand dismissively as 99 apologized. ”There’s nothing to be sorry for. The others went to… a prom. So I’ve been here trying to plan out what to do next. The rest of the crew are normal humans, so they need to relax more than I do. Besides I can do some things behind-the-scenes while they’re distracted.”

Then they got into the meet of it. Naturally it was a place that 99 couldn’t get access to easily. Cloris’s face widened in recognition at the name of the theme park. She did something that she did for the things that she wished to hide: access one of the files placed inside her systems by her father. She entered in a search parameter and immediately had a file come up on her vision hud.

”I see why you’re focusing on this one. There are things I’ll need to discuss when we meet in person.”

She gave 99 a slight smile when 99 saluted her. ”As flattering as being called madam is, I view you as an equal 99. Don’t ever forget that. I’ll see you in an hour 99”

”Besides, I’d rather call you madame anyway.”

A naughty voice rang at the back of her mind. She shook her head, looking over at Klein. ”I suppose it’s better to let you come, since you’ll sneak your way to the amusement park on your own if I don’t. Mama needs to get ready.”

After the course was set, Cloris got up, and immediately started walking towards the living quarters. She was going to take a nice, cold shower. And get a change of clothes before meeting 99.

---

Later when the ship touched down, Cloris stood outside the entrance to the Theme park, Klein perched on her shoulder. She was wearing a custom environmental suit. She looked around, scanning the area for 99.

Cloris quickly commanded Klein not to answer the device himself, causing him to respond to her request.

"Okie Dokie!"

The drone raised an eyebrow as Cloris explained who and what this little robot was. She made an observation; perhaps innocently as she spoke up.

"So then Klein is like your child, in a way. That's what I gather from what you've told me of the worker drones of this world and their ability to build offspring."

Klein flapped his wings, responding to what Type-99 had said.

"Mama is super smart! She likes whips!"

Type-99 was stunned into temporary silence at his comments...But eventually the disassembly cleared her throat, continuing. Cloris didn't seem to know where the little penguin was learning of these things, though 99 had her own theory on the matter.

"Right...Well, it sounds like Klein is able to learn a lot of things from his environment. Perhaps he noticed something around him that allowed him to pick up on these things. As a war drone I recall I was able to gain new information by observation. War is an ever-changing beast. If your weapons cannot learn in real time they will be outsmarted very quickly. He may be a far cry from a weapon, but it isn't impossible to believe he might be able to learn things without your input."

Cloris explained her situation. The others had gone to a...What? Type-99 tilted her head in confusion.

"What is a...'prom' exactly? I...Seem to lack that information in my database. Were you...Not interested in going along with your fellow humans? Well...Perhaps it works out regardless. I would prefer to keep this situation from getting out of hand."

The disassembly drone's holographic projection smiled slightly as Cloris seemed to get what was going on already.

"This will be even easier to explain than I expected, then."

A nod of affirmation was given as Cloris asked her 99 not to call her "Madam".

"Very well. It is a force of habit I suppose. I will suspend this and simply refer to you as Cloris for now."

With their course of action set, and Cloris begrudgingly agreeing to bring Klein along, the little robot responded with excitement.

"Hooray! We're going on a road trip!"

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Sometime later they had arrived at the park's entrance. The entrance was shuttered with a gate, though the lock holding it in place had long ago rusted into pieces. Opening it would be as simple as pulling it aside. Though it had been empty for a long time, there were prints in the snow clearly left by the pegged feet of a female disassembly drone. They stopped at the gate and didn't pass beyond it, but there was no sign of anyone still here... The sign above the gate was lit by a dim lamp that somehow continued shining as a beacon in the dark after all these years without a visitor.


Those words hung above the gate calling to all who came near. There wasn't a single sign of life here however. Not even the usual skeletons that littered the streets could be seen, and the reason would soon be revealed if Cloris checked a sign posted next to the gate.

"Hey folks! Copper Carrie's going to be taking a vacation while we work to make the Mine as great as it can possibly be! Expect many new and amazing attractions when we open back up!"

A promise of new things that would never have a chance to be fulfilled. Though on the bright side, at least this meant fewer skeletons there to gnaw away at one's psyche. Once the gate was pulled open it would creak loudly, the steel echoing out into the park ahead as years of built up ice and rust were shaken loose from the barrier that barred entry. Stepping through the gate would lead one down a small path into a building ahead. A gift shop and visitor center that served as the main entrance to the park. Inside the shop were racks and shelves that had been turned over and emptied long ago. Only a few knick-knacks, t-shirts, and plushies remained inside. Scanning further into the gift shop one would find a ticket counter that met with a set of turnstiles which blocked the open doorway into the park proper.

Shockingly however, approaching the counter would reveal that this park wasn't as dead as they might have first assumed. The translucent blue phantom of a woman in miner's clothes appeared in front of Cloris and Klein, smiling brightly as if nothing was wrong.


"Well howdy there folks! I am just so glad you came to visit us today! As I'm sure you're well aware, I'm Copper Carrie, the owner of this here mine! But if you didn't know that then just ask these friendly folks behind the counter here and they'll be delighted to tell you all about my park! I just KNOW you and me are gonna have a blast today! And you'll get to meet all my other friends too! There's Silver Sally, and good ol' Miner bot! Then there's everybody's hero, the ever loyal, always straight shooting...Stella of the starry skies! Oh but don't just take my word for it! If you wanna meet them then you'll just have to come along with me! So go ahead, grab a wrist band from one of these fine folks here, ask any questions ya might have, and then follow me through this gate over here!"

Closer inspection revealed that this "phantom" was being emitted by a holographic floor projector. Still, from the way she continued to silently stare at the pair, one could almost get the sense that she wasn't just a simple projection playing on a loop...The turnstile wouldn't be particularly difficult to simply climb over, however if Cloris chose to follow along with "Copper Carie"'s instructions...Grabbing a wrist band would cause a loud click to ring out from the direction of the turnstiles...

Cloris blinked as 99 put her relationship with Klien as bluntly as possible- She sighed, reaching uo and rubbing her hair.

”I suppose that's one way ro put it. Only without actually being in a long them relationship with Ray. It was strictly business.”

"Mama is super smart! She likes whips!"

Cloris had never felt so embarrassed in her life. Klien had just casually mentioned her liking whips in front of 99. She closed her eyes,Her face turning red in real time.


”That’s what I have concluded too. But there are some things where I cannot determine where he got the context from. Apparently he called a Russian worker drone “lil babushka”. I don’t know where he got that, or where he got the idea I like whips from...”

There was a reason Cloris was keeping her eyes closed (besides the overwhelming embarrassment. She did not want 99 to read her eyes right now. A drone like her would probably be able to tell if she was lying based on that alone. Cloris didn’t have the strongest of poker faces when it came to stuff like this.

She opened her eyes as she asked what a prom was. Her face was still a little red even as she was asked that. But she was a little more composed as she answered this question.

”It’s a social event that high schoolers take part in. They invite their significant others to it, where they dance and hang out. Among other things. I was surprised to learn that the drones are holding one.”

Surprised was putting it mildly. When 99 asked if she was interested in going, Cloris rubbed the back of her neck.

”I have no interest going to that sort of thing alone. I would just probably hung out in the corner most of the time.”

Cloris felt her heart skip a beat when 99 smiled. It was very reminiscent of the one she gave her in her dream. Pushing that down, she smiled back at the drone.

”Don’t ever stop calling me Cloris. I’ll see you down on the surface 99.”

Cloris chuckled, looking at Klein in amusement before heading off.

”Sorry Klein, but we won’t be using the roamer today.”

---

Cloris being Cloris surveyed her surroundings carefully. She indeed wandered why there was a distinct lack of corpses around. But as she peered at the sign, the answer became clear.

”Thank god for small mercies. At least my memories won’t be associated with dead amusement park guests.”

Or at least the memories of who she used to be wouldn’t be tarnished. Honestly it was getting harder to associate her memories with who she was now. Returning to Cooper 9 after all these years put her into a flux of sorts.

Cloris made her way into the park, taking in all the sights around her. It was an eerie sight to say the least. Her green displayed showed the ruins of what was once a great park. It was like she had put on a slide over her eyes after looking at the original park

Yet surprisingly, not everything was as desolate as it would seem. Cloris extended her arm by instinct, startled as the hologram popped into existence. She stared at it in shock, not expecting anything to be active.

”I didn’t think there would be a power source left to allow things to function. It’s amazing that it’s lasted for this long.

Cloris could have just ignored Carrie and make her way into the park. Instead she followed her instructions, taking a wrist band, intending on going into the park. She put on the wristband, only to pause after she did so. She looked down at her wrist, her expression unreadable behind her helmet.

After that pause. she went through one of the turnstiles.  When she got throigh, she looked around. Then made her way to tbe closed ticket booth. She opened the door and entered the small room, closing the door behind her and protecting herself from the elements.

Cloris lifted her helmet just enough so that a bit of her neck was exposed. The scientist was careful not to dislodge Klein from her shoulder as she did this. She took off the wristband. pressed the wristband against her neck, and closed her eyes.

”So that’s what it felt like. It’s been so long I had forgotten.”

Yes, that’s what it felt like! To wear a silly piece of plastic to give one access around the park. Unfortunately she could not stay there forever. She put her helmet back on and pocketed the wristband, then opened the door and walked deeper into the park.

Cloris made her way across the park. She stopped she came across the ruins of a roller coaster. She looked up at the once grand structure. Now it was just a bunch of twisted piles of metal with some segments of track still intact. The sign read “Copper-9 Mine Train”


Cloris didn’t have memories of going on this ride: she had been too young to go on it alone when she last came to the park. Cloris felt a tinge of sadness at that: she’d never be able to experience that ride.

---

[I]”The sounds of children laughing filled the air. The intoxicating aromas of overpriced food beckoned to all who were hungry. And the voice of a green haired girl pointing at the roller coaster rang out.

”I want to ride that one!”

Cloris often heard people talking about doing cool things. The Mine Train wasn’t any where in the same league as rides like The Cave in or The Driller, but it would be a good thing to talk about at the respectful age of 8.

“Not until you’re 5’1 dear.”

Cloris pouted, stamping her foot. ”But Moooom, I want to ride something cool! You keep telling me no!”

”Now now, don’t be too harsh on your mother. If it were up to me we wouldn’t be here at all.”

Cloris huffed at the smile on her fathers face, crossing her arms and looking away. Cloris’s mother let out a little giggle.

”Your father  can be mean sometimes.”

”And yet here I am paying for this adventure.” He said in jest. He didn’t seem that bothered by it. Maybe it had something to do with his smiling wife.

“And I appreciate that Charlie, I really do. I know how you feel about how safe these rides are.”

She looked down as Cloris tugged on her shirt a couple of times.

”Moooooom. I wanna ride something. Come on, let’s go!”

Her mom smiled at her daughter.


”Alright, we’ve kept you waiting long enough. Let’s find you a ride you can go on.”

”Fiiiiiiine! But one day I’m riding that coaster!”

---

Cloris stared at the ruins of the once great ride, letting out a sigh.

”There are promises you can’t keep. I didn’t think this would be one of them.”

Cloris reached up and pet Klein a couple of times, then went deeper into the part. She figured she’d start with the town center, and work her way out from there. When she got there, what she discovered was surprising: the park was more alive then she thought it was.

Cloris tilted her head at the strange tone in 99's voice as she addressed her and Ray's working relationship. Was that relief in her voice?

”I don't see that being something Klien would be bothered about to begin with. I think he just views us both as his creators, without the rest concerning him.”

She nodded at 99's assessment of a prom, leaning back in her chair. ”I'm starting to get used to how human the Copper 9 Drones are. Although even a prom still managed to surprise me.”

Cloris's eyes widened when 99 mentioned she would have gone with her. She scratched her cheek, a faint tinge of pink appearing on ber cheeks.

”That’s fully kind of you to offer that. However even if we were open, I’m not sure I would attend just for that reason. Chaos and Ray are seriously dating J and V respectively: I’m not sure it would be appropriate to take you to a prom unless we were actually…”

Even as she said this, a little thought managed to wriggle its way into your head. ”99 would have looked amazing dressed up.”[/I]

Banishing that thought to the back of her mind, Cloris gave 99 a wry smile. ”We’ll see where things stand a year from now 99.”

---

Cloris couldn’t believe that this holographic stage play was still operational. It was one thing for a few holograms here and there to have power still. But watching Copper Carrie and the gang take on the dastardly Drone Barron was quite another matter entirely. Boy that took her back. But her main focus wasn’t on the show: she already had memories of that. The new memories she was making by staring at 99s entranced face were far more important.

Cloris watched the drone’s reactions like a hawk. She couldn’t help but smile at how curious the other drone was, how enraptured she was by the performance. Honestly, it reminded her a lot of her first time seeing this. It was a side to the drone Cloris suspected 99 possessed, but seeing it like this was quite another thing. 99 wasn’t as perfectly logical as she made herself out to be. But that was something she loved about her.

When the performance was over, Cloris clapped alongside 99, walking over to where 99 was. ”I wonder what kind of schemes the Barron would have cooked up if the park were still around. I loved these things as a kid. Maybe a little too much for my mom’s tastes: she was worried I’d go and try and build a laser pistol when I got home.”

Cloris chuckled, sitting next to the drone. Her expression was unreadable behind her environmental suit, but she was beaming at 99. ”I’m curious: which of the theme park’s mascots is your favorite character?”

Cloris did not fail to noticed 99 getting startled. She let slip a small smile in response. 99 could be surprisingly cute sometimes.

”Did you expect otherwise? I prefer to be very punctual.”

Cloris paused as she sat next to 99. She reached into a pocket in her suit and took out a wallet.

”I have my fair share of fond experiences. This park is one of them. Sometimes I took at this and remember back.”

Cloris handed 99 a picture. It was one that you took in a photo booth. In it were Cloris and her parents. All of them were smiling (although her father’s was a little more reserved).

Cloris looked back over at the stage. She leaned forward, staring ahead at the closed curtains.

”Her fears weren’t entirely unfounded. I did end up creating a low-voltage taser. I never got to use it though: my mother took it away when she realized what I made.”

Cloris laughed, shaking her head a couple of times. ”She couldn’t make up her mind if she should be mad that I made a weapon or commend me for making it. In the end she said that it was great that I made something, that I shouldn’t make weapons like that.”

Cloris looked over at 99. She wouldn’t be able to see the surprise on the human’s face. That was an answer she didn’t expect. She let out a little chuckle

”I suppose she does speak in a way most drones would find annoying. Carrie loves to beat around the bush.”

She didn’t have the heart to tell 99 that this was how most children’s mascots talked. They would definitely come off as condescending for someone who didn’t understand the purpose behind those traits.

Cloris beamed behind her helmet as 99 revealed her favorite She closed her hand into a fist and pumped it slightly.

”I knew it! You can see a lot of yourself in Stella, don’t you?”

She then listened to the rest of what 99 liked about her. There was quite a bit more to it then Cloris realized. Then again, 99 was a rather complex person. She nodded her head in understanding.

”Most scientists don’t exactly hand out praise when their creations do well. They’ll show them off proudly if they do as they expect or above expectations. They”ll sometimes say “good job”. But no matter how much dignity you have, no matter how far you separate yourself from your counterparts, they’ll never say thank you.”

So Cloris understood why she would want something like that. She  looked at 99 as she asked her who her favorite was. She raised her right arm, forming her hand into a fist.

”I tried my hand at making a ray gun when I got home. So you tell me 99.”

Cloris made a finger gun and made a shooting motion with it. She she lowered it, looking back towards the stage and putting her palms on the ground.

”Stella was the most amazing to me. Worker drones weren’t what they are today. So seeing one take up a gun and become a protector was awe inspiring.

Cloris looked over at 99 again. She knew the other drone couldn’t see her face, and she wanted to express her gratitude towards 99.

”I can’t promise you a crowd of adoring fans. But you have my thanks 99. You’ve saved my life, you’re sticking by my side. And you were willing to go to a prom with me just to make me feel more human. You’re amazing 99.”

Cloris lowered her head as 99 commented on how happy they looked. And everything that must have happened to remove those smiles.

”Even when it wasn't directly responsible, the solver took so much from my family.”

Her mother got no shortage of comments about her beauty. But then 99 claimed she was prettier than her mother. That was a new one for her. She was glad that the helmet was hiding her face right now: she was pretty sure it was redder than A cherry at this point.

”Um…Cecilia. Her name was Cecilia…”

Did 99 even know the consequences of such statements? Or was the drone just a natural at being charming? Regardless, she took the picture back and put it back in her wallet after they were done talking about her mother, carefully putting it away back into her pocket.

She let out a little chuckle behind her mask at the smile on 99’s face. ”Nepotism didn’t go into my dad’s decision to choose me for the project. My intelligence made me the best suited for it.”

Then 99 gave her a wide grin. And this time Cloris outright laughed behind her mask. ”I won’t deny that I was a handful in my youth. I was a curious child and I didn’t have any restraint.”

Cloris listened to 99 talk about how she viewed what she considered tools. Cloris folded her hands together, speaking softly to the drone.

”I think you’ve stopped being a tool for awhile now. You shouldn’t view yourself that way.”

Cloris giggled behind her helmet at 99’s genuine surprised. Seeing the normally stoic drone express herself felt special seeing her like this.

”You don’t have to be so formal 99. We’re talking about a favorite character we share.”

She leaned forward slightly, peer at 99’s visor. One could practically see Cloris smiling behind her helmet.

”You saved my life and defeated that old disassembly drone. You’re a real life Stella.”

Cloris reached out her hand, putting it on 99’s shoulder gently. She leaned in closer.

”99, you’re much more impressive then Stella. I wish you could see that for yourself.”

Cloris took 99’s hand and climbed to her feet. She lowered it to her side after she got up.

”My father spent his last moments ensuring the ARK protocol went into effect. The Apocalypse Response Knot. All facilities owned by his division were to be sealed. Any personal that couldn’t have access to a ship were to activate their facility safeguards and hold out for help. And if a facility breach occurred and the solver got in, then they were to purge all data in their facilities.”

Cloris sighed, her head tilting down slightly. ”They were supposed to hold up until Earth sent supplies. But that didn’t exactly pan out. I doubt any of them are still alive. Their supplies have long since been exhausted.”

Or if they did, they likely weren’t human anymore. Some bright minds did exist in the other facilities. But time and changes would liklely make them unstable. Cloris kept to herself for now.

”Those facilities are something we have to visit. But you were right to focus on this one first. It poses the most immediate threat.”

Cloris had made to respond, but 99 quickly elaborated with her opinion. And the more 99 spoke, the more she couldn’t deny it. Cloris let out a low laugh, shaking her head. ”I doubt that my curiosity will ever be sated. But I honestly thought I lost my unrestrained side a long time ago. I planned on splitting off from the group eventually, but you were never a part of my calculations.”

Cloris looked at 99, a warmth entering her voice. ”You brought that side out again 99. I don’t know why it took you pointing it out for me to see the obvious.”

Cloris sighed as 99 called herself a tool again. She put her hands on 99’s shoulders. ”No you aren’t 99. Not anymore. You’re helping humanity because you love us. That’s what you told me yourself. You want to help us 99. That’s not something a tool would do.”

Cloris withdrew her hands, leaning back a little. She stared at the drone for a few seconds. ”Then I’ll have to make you see how special you are 99. I’m not the type to sit back and let things happen. If I want my wishes to come true, then I’m going to have to make them happen.” No matter how long it will take, I will make you see.”

Cloris paused, looking back towards the stage as 99 informed her about the facility. ”My father gave me all the information he could at the end. Some of his research I wish I hadn’t seen.”

Cloris paused, lowering her head slightly. Then she spoke up again.

”That aside, It doesn’t surprise me that someone messed up. I only know a handful of my father’s staff that wouldn’t lose their cool in the face of an apocalypse. The only question is discovering which facilities managed to follow the protocols and which ones didn’t.”

She paused, considering 99s words. She put a hand under her chin. ”The worker drones working in that factory might still be intact. However they lacked the sentience the current Copper 9 drones have. If they’ve been stuck in there for that long, then it’s unlikely they had the chance to evolve and change. But considering that my teammates are currently attending a drone prom, it’s safe to assume that literally anything is possible. So we should be prepared for unknown variables as best we can.”

She paused, looking over at 99. She put a hand on her shoulder again, staring at the disassembly drone. ”You don’t have to ask me to help you 99. We’ve given everything to each other. I’ll help you with anything you need me to.”

Cloris chuckled, turning her head and looking at the drone. ”I can’t really deny that. When something, or in your case someone, gets my interest, I zone in on it, or them.”

And that same curiosity led to Cloris leaning forward to try and catch a look at 99’s visor when she looked away. It was hard to tell from her angle, but she thought she saw a blush on the drone’s visor. She simply noted it for now, leaning back and deciding not to press 99 too hard.

Cloris paused, nodding her head as 99 explained things. ”It’s a good thing that I had too foresight to ask you. Otherwise me and the others would be playing catch up constantly.”

Cloris paused again, then let out a little laugh. ”Like I said, anything is possible. I doubt they would have changed like that, but we have to be prepared for that possibility.”

Cloris paused, holding her chin in thought. ”I’ll have to do an assessment of the inventory and the condition of the facility and drones. Ideally I would like to cut down on the amount there significantly and make slight upgrades to the remaining ones. If it’s beyond If I have to destroy the whole factory then so be it. But if all goes well I can get rid of 90 to 95 percent of all disassembly drones in that facility and have a few good quality drones.”

Cloris then nodded, walking over to 99. ”It would be a lot faster if you flew me there.”

Cloris would give directions on how to get there. In no time at all, both of them found themselves the factory.

Cloris nodded her head in return. ”Yes, no more falling behind.”

With 99 now knowing how Cloris wanted to handle things, they were now on the same page. Cloris thought about telling 99 not to salute her again, but she realized that it was probably a habit that wasn’t going to die for awhile, if at all. She still had a tendency to run her hand through her hair when she was a little embarrassed or uncomfortable, even though she couldn’t feel with her hands anymore.

Cloris looked over at 99 as she told her she was out for 30 minutes. Behind her helmet she frowned.

”You need to be especially careful around JC Jenson facilities. The most extreme of their security are countermeasures to drones and people with cybernetic enhancements. I need to take caution too.”

Cloris walked a little closer, turning to the left and looking down at a few glowing, rectangular things with glowing white lights.


”You know, that paint trick you did reminds me of the creative anti-drone measures my father used. These lights right here let off a little heat signature. So they hide the heat signature that he really wanted to hide. Let’s move these here… Aha!”

Cloris picked up each of them one by one and moved them to the side. It revealed a panel in the floor. Cloris opened it up and took out a screwdriver.

“My father hated using things that were hackable when it came to his security systems. He left this factory automated and only had trusted employees come by every once and awhile. Lets see here… the red wire is this one right here…”

She started moving around and connecting the wires to sockets above some switches. She had to unscrew and rescrew each of the 7 main wires that there visible. She answered the question that was likely on 99’s mind.

”My father told me the positions of the wires in the files he gave me. Otherwise this would have been impossible for me. Okay, all set! Let’s switch them on.”

Cloris flicked each of the switches. The door light turned green and slowly slid open. Cloris got back to her feet, looking over at 99.

”There we go! Alright 99, let’s see what we’re dealing with in there.”

Cloris walked towards the entrance, peering ahead and treading carefully.

”Not an invasion specifically. Of course There’s the solver users and Zombie drones. The latter sometimes happened even without solver involved. But there were other threats as well. A worker drone could be reprogrammed by a spy or just plain malfunction. A company disassembly drone could potentially go berserk. That’s the kind of man he was: he thought of every possible threat. Well, almost every threat.”

All his preparations didn’t prevent the Copper 9 Extinction event. Cloris focused on the task of hand, getting to work on revealing the panel.

”That’s correct 99. He became especially paranoid after my mother died. As you can see, it has its advantages.”

Cloris chuckled, looking back at 99 as the doors started opening.

”You thought I was gaslighting you for a moment, didn’t you? No, my vision really is all green.”

Green and black to be precise. That that was splitting hairs. Cloris reached up and pat Klein gently.

”I see you helped yourself to our movie collection. You were busy while we were in the cryopods, weren't you?”

Cloris nodded at 99, carefully making her way into the factory. She made sure to stay close to the drone. They eventually entered a large room. Cloris watched as the conveyor belt carrying containers.



”Okay, we need to find the main computer. It’ll tell us how many assets the factory has accumulated. We’ll… hide!”

Cloris moved behind a pillar as she saw movement. A worker drone walked into view. It walked along the conveyor belt, surveying the machinery. Cloris peered around the pillar at it.

”If only we could tell if it was sentient or not. It should be a normal drone… but what if it isn’t?”

Right. The planet core collapsing. Cloris paused, her head tilting down slightly.

”The biggest mistake my father made was underestimating the solvers capabilities. Or rather, he believed he had managed to figure out everything the solver could do. But even though he designed a path, he only scratched the surface. All his paranoia didn't help him in the end.”

Cloris looked at Klein. He was acting rather strangely. Granted he wasn't supposed to act a certain way, but this was something else. She let out a sigh.

”That’s because it isn't an official title. It's what Klein calls Chaos, because he fed Klein pudding. Of course me and Ray didn't design a digestive system for him. When I got back to the ship, I saw pudding stains all over the place.”

She hadn't made a big deal out of the mess. Mainly because it hadn’t even registered compared to some of the other damage done to the ship. But it had been rather vexing.

Also vexing: Klein going out to greet the assembly drone. She couldn't rush after him without revealing her position. Fortunately 99 was quick enough to drag Klein back into hiding. And amazingly, the drone didn’t investigate the source of the sound.

Then 99 quickly and efficiently restrained the worker drone. While what she whispered to the drone wouldn't be the thing she wanted to hear, the image was very appealing to Cloris.

But I wouldn't be able to feel her grabbing me.

Her mind drifted back to the first time they met face to face. How 99 had suggested she could put feeling back into her limbs.

"Perhaps you could study how I'm constructed and copy that information for your own limbs. You don't have to live as half a human. I know you have the aspiration and knowledge to change it."

Cloris had never entertained on getting any feeling back until she accomplished her task. Yet 99 showed care for how her mental state was being affected. She wanted her feelings, her normal eyesight back more than she could put into words. But this was the first time she was being tested in a big way.

”Stop it Cloris. You mustn't falter to that temptation. You need to stay strong.

She cleared her throat, walking over to 99 and her captive. ”I'm glad we won that coin toss: if he was sentient then we'd have an awkward situation on our hands.”

Ignoring Klien for The moment, she leaned close and addressed the worker drone.

”You'll have to excuse my friend: JC Jenson sent us to inspect the factory. We got a report that there might be a rogue drone malfunctioning, so we can't be too careful.”

If it wasn't sentient, then maybe she could brush off this situation. If she could get it to cooperate, they wouldn't have to worry about the worker drones considering them to be intruders.

Cloris paused for a moment. There was still a lot she didn't know about 99's past. She assumed 99 meant she threatened sentient drones, but did that also include humans? Not that Cloris was worried about her safety around 99. But it did bother her that there was still Things she didn't know about her.

”I'm sure it isn't. But it would have caused quite a few problems in this situation.”

She didn't fail to see how angry 99 was. She frowned behind her helmet. What was going on? They had just confirmed that this guy wasn't sentient. She had perfectly subdued him. Why was she so angry? Cloris raised a hand.

”Easy 99. I think he's willing to talk.”

She lowered her hand, reaching into a pocket in ber suit. She took out a wallet, taking out a card and handing it out for the drone to take. It would look like an official JC Jenson identification.

”Cloris Jade, IT officer.

Of course she didn't official work for JC Jenson. She had gone out of her way to avoid being involved with them. They would have asked her so many questions about the incident on Copper 9. But her father had worked for them. And it wasn't too hard to fake an I.D.

The fake I.D. seemed to do the trick. The employee database wasn’t exactly up to date on Copper 9. Unfortunately, the drone still couldn’t give her information without authorization from the overseer. Who was most certainly dead.

I was afraid of this. Now we have no choice but to hack our way in. I doubt the overseer has survived for all this time.”

Her eyes widened behind her helmet as she realized something. ”But if there was no one calling the shots, the drones wouldn’t be continuing their normal tasks like this. Someone or something has taken the role of overseer.”

99 seemed to realize something was up as well. Cloris put Klein back on her shoulders, looking over at 99 and nodding. ”Something has taken the role of overseer. As much as I don’t like to just walk into something, we need to know what we’re dealing with.”

She then followed the drones instruction, walking down the catwalk and then turned left. She made sure to stick next to 99 as they made their way to the Overseer’s office.