S M Directive Unknown

Demetri Malius

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A loud rumble slowly died down as the muffler of a truck spat out black smoke, sputtering and coughing as the vehicle came to a stop. A man in dirty coveralls and welding goggles came out of the run-down shop, waving a wrench around as the driver stepped out.

"What do you reckon this hot pile of scrap heap is worth?" The driver spoke as they slammed their door a few times, making sure the latch locked into place. His dirt covered hand adjusted his woven hat while he walked to the back of his truck and began to show the mechanic his findings.

"That better not be a body, we don't need that kind of attention, especially after the last incident."

"Quit your worrying, its some type of android, high grade too. You think its one of them robotic sex dolls? Might sell well if we make sure its clean."

The mechanic leaned forward and poked the body with his wrench.

"You scared of it, Danny? It's just a pile of metal and synthetic flesh."

"Looks different than what I've seen sold at the market. I don't trust it."

The truck driver sighed and hopped onto the back of his truck, moving the rusted metal parts he scavenged out of the way and dragging the replicated female body to the edge of the truck bed, propping it up. Though covered in dust and dirt, it was clear to see it was a female android, most of its limbs torn pretty harshly. The usual lights that came from inside them were dark and seemingly dead. Reaching around the shoulders of the android, the man grabbed its breasts and bounced them a bit, trying to show them off.

"Just a fancy doll, see? Take a feel for yourself, bet it would be better than your wife's. I'm telling you, top quality."

The mechanic was hesitant, narrowing his eyes as he wiped his brow.

"Fine bring it inside, but don't try anything with it. I'll see if I can get it running. Might be self-cleaning or something."

"There we go, making a good deal here Danny, just you wait."

The man was quick to start unloading his truck as the mechanic returned to his shop to prepare some workspace. It wasn't long before they had the android across the table, opened up with tools and worn down clamps full of grime.

"Quite the body she has." The scavenger spoke after a whistle. "Might keep her for myself."

"Always were a gross bastard, since you could never keep yourself a woman."

"Not my fault they can't handle my way of living."

"You treat women as well as you would treat this doll."

"I'm just saying, a man has needs."

"Just hand me the prybar right there, it looks like there is something stuck in her."

The scavenger stood quietly for a moment before retrieving the tool, not wanting to pry his own eyes of his haul.

"Where did you find this doll anyhow?"

"Nowhere special."

"When you say that I know that you did."

The mechanic struggled as he attempted to wedge the bar in the android's arm, hearing a sharp twang of metal.

"Just a bit beyond the ridge is all."

Another twang echoed as the prybar snapped, sending a piece flying across the room. Hands slammed against the table as Danny turned to face his customer.

"Goddammit Dave! I told you not to get your shit around those parts anymore. Nothing but trouble beyond the ridge. The last thing we need is some alien agents roaming around looking for something that belongs to them!"

"Hold on there Danny, the hell is that."

"The hell is what." He turned to look back, freezing in place at the blue glow emanating from the android's arm.

"Pliers. Now."

Silence as the scavenger snatched up the tool and handed them to the mechanic. With shaky hands, he dipped the nose of the pliers into the arm and pulled out a sparkling blue blade. Advanced electronic energy whirred and sizzled from it, a deadly weapon in the right hands. A large crack was visible down the blade, possibly making it too weak for any proper use.

"That ain't no sex doll."

"Alright so it ain't a sex doll, just take out the weapons and we turn it into one, right?"

'No Dave, I'm out, you can go ahead and take this right out of my damn-"

Initializing complete. Repairing damaged nodes.

"Oh shit."

"What do you mean, oh shit, Danny, what's it doing?"

"Look at its arm."

The two watched as the tissue and metal seemed to melt back into place and grow, sealing the previous gaps while also absorbing all the dirt and grime on it. The blue glow shone brightly from its chest through the skin. After a few silent moments, the android sat up, looking around, seeming to not notice the two men as it examined its surroundings. She sat with pale skin and starch white hair, with bright blue eyes. Her skin was shiny and smooth looking, with no markings besides small outlines along her body that made it obvious she was synthetic.

"Look, ma'am... android... thing, my buddy here didn't know what happened to you and we were just trying to help out, nothing bad, alright?"

The android tilted her head, her soft upturned nose sniffing the air and her downturned eyes glancing back to the mechanic.

"I am unsure what had caused my malfunction, but I appreciate your help. Do you happen to know where it is that I am?"

"Uh, just a bit outside Markov?"

"Markov?"

"You must have been roughed up something mean back there, you don't even know Markov?"

"It appears that my navigation and directives have been reset. Can you tell me anything about how you found me?"

"I don't know if-"

"Well, you were right by my house of course! I bought you as my personal android wife a while back, how could you not remember?"

The mechanic turned to give Dave a dirty look, trying to signal to him to cut the shit.

"Wife? I don't believe I understand."

"Well look at yourself, all beautiful and whatnot, of course you're my wife."

"Your wife..." The android seemed to process the information slowly.

"Of course, you see, with your nice tits and all." The man slowly walked forward, separating her from the mechanic, who stepped back with caution.

"My... tits? Are you referring to my breasts?" She looked down and placed a hand to her chest, unsure of any implications.

"Aren't you a smart doll." His hands reached down as the mechanic's eyes widened in surprise and disgust. "And don't forget about this wonderfully tight-" The soft blue of the android shifted and quickly turned to a piercing red, her right hand motioning around and thrusting her palm into the chest of the scavenger. A look of confusion fell on her face as she watched him launch across the room into the wall, causing dust to stir up in the shop. She glanced at the opening in her forearm, noticing the empty compartment and looking towards the cracked blue blade next to her on the table.

"Woah alright hold on there, no need to get violent. Yes, my friend here is an asshole and an idiot but we can talk things out! I'll get you some clothes and you can go wherever you were going before we found you."

The android seemed to calm down as her color returned to its previous state, shining blue.

"There we go alright." The mechanic looked at the man on the floor, he seemed to be out cold but still breathing.

"I'll be right back okay, don't go anywhere." With that he then rushed out into his shop, calling out for what sounded to be his wife to find some clothes. By the time they returned, Dave was holding on to a nearby shelf to pull himself up from the floor. The android was nowhere in sight.

"Even fucking androids are cunts," the man groaned.

"Get the fuck off my property Dave. I'm done with your shit."

"Fine, like I needed your goddamn service. Can't even fix a busted robot."

The scavenger stumbled back to his car and began to drive off as the mechanic looked around for the android, but only empty roads stretched as far as he could see.
 

Morene Fellon

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Metallic stamping of sabatons rattled through the forest air, louder than the acid rain that poured from the polluted sky. The few faunae that remained in the dense woodlands struck curious poses as a knight-errant made her way to what she hoped was some sort of civilization. Morene Fellon of Creedmoor was not concerned about finding her purpose again, not even in the circumstance of extradimensional existence. The godly being that spawned her here did so for a reason, she thought intently.

As the light precipitation washed the smell of combat from the woman's armor, Morene was thankful of the increasing presence of urban debris on the forest floor and the decreasing density of flora. As the knochten wandered, her mind did as well. Realizations of the gravitas sunk into the woman's head slowly but surely.

'Why here?'


Morene couldn't help but question, not out of concern, but genuine curiosity. Her spirits were most definitely higher since her last bout of armed conflict, which may have been a result of the raw sewage smell being washed from the chinks of her dense Cerantium plate armor.

Unfortunately for the warrior woman walking, she did not have much time to explore that question before she faced the ends of the silent timberlands. She stood on a slight incline before a strip of devastated concrete that kissed the end of the horizons. The knight-errant was now split between two choices, literally left or right. Both equally meaningless given the context.

A heavy sigh escaped Morene's lips as she pondered the possibilities of either option coming back to bite her later, beginning to take a few steps forward and let the wind guide her. Before the heel of her boot dug into the ground beneath her, the huntress had heard a rattle in the air. Slight and distant, but enough to get her to freeze where she stood, immediately turning to the source of the sound.

On the horizon of the road laid before her, a humanoid figure approached rapidly. Morene immediately noticed that the figure was not human, or at least not a normal one considering it's intense, almost robotic movement. As soon as the huntress noticed the stiffness of the figure's readily approaching body, her immediate suspicion was that she was once again about to come in contact with a mechanical, yet conscious being.

Watching the figure that Morene now identified very clearly as an android approach put a slight knot in her stomach. The knight-errant did nothing to provoke any hostile interaction, keeping her shoulders loose and her posture casual. Still, Morene knew there wasn't a point in attempting to walk past the bot now.

As the doll-like robot came in earshot, Morene kept both hands on her armored hips, raising an eyebrow at the android's feminine figure. Not as if she wasn't used to seeing a lady, but the bot's lack of clothes concerned the woman, especially considering the less than desirable chill in the air coupled with the damp soil beneath. Morene waited for a single moment as the android girl slowed her pace, stopping a considerable distance away from the huntress.

A dreadful silence filled the air, only natural for a planet on the brink of death itself.

The faint blue glows in the slits of the android's skin was about the same as that in the chinks of Morene's armor. The robot felt compelled to speak, detecting no hostility in the woman's stance, although she immediately recognized the woman's protective suit as dangerous.

"Excuse me, do you know where I am?"

'Loaded question,' Morene thought in immediate response, her mouth agape slightly. Perhaps she wasn't as alone in her scenario as she once believed. She let out a low, almost disappointed chuckle.

"I play no tricks to you," the knight-errant replied, "for I know not either."

Another silence, and the mechanical girl before the warrior did nothing but raise a brow in response, seeming to analyze her words. "Where are you from?" The android inquired, piqued suddenly.

"Another world, unlike this one." Again, a beat of quiet.

"How did that happen?"

"I was sent here. I'm not entirely certain as to why."

The android blinked. She looked up and down the huntress' full plate of Cerantium armor, now dented, small enough to be areas that bullets were deflected.

"Are you okay?"

"Now I am, yes!" Morene raised her tone briefly, giving a heartier snicker than the last. Thankfully, the bot girl before her did not flinch at this.

Morene continued this time, lowering her body to sit down, plopping herself upon the dirty ground beneath her. She guestured at the lost lady's body, completely devoid of clothing and surprisingly unscathed, though still mildly caked in dirt.

"Aren't you cold, girl? Actually, nevermind that, I doubt you even feel it; what's your name, miss...?"
 

Demetri Malius

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The android tilted her head, trying to understand not the question, but the answer. Her eyes drifted beyond the armored knight in front of her, scanning what lay across the horizon before closing. As simple a question to ask, the answer seemed so complicated and unreachable. Then, as if on cue, a thin blue line slid across her vision, branching out and analyzing her environment. Several errors messages flashed and her systems began to fully boot out of preservation mode.

Initializing Intelligent Rogue Infiltration Specialist.

Running Diagnostics...complete. No hostiles detected. Executing Nanobot Repair.

The wary knight seemed to tense as she watched the android unwittingly reveal the damage on her arm from the mechanic earlier. Seemingly liquid metal spread across the wound before being sealed by synthetic skin. The look in the knight's eyes showed she was more than simply intrigued. She would need to keep a close eye on what else this seemingly innocent android could do.

"My name..." The android's voice seemed to quiver softly as her systems forcefully fed her lines of code and information. Her gaze slowly fell as she brought up her hands, staring down at them, noticing the tiny etching on her arm. If she weren't a programmed AI, it would have taken quite some magnification to notice.

Serverity Systems

Her hands slowly lowered, her head lifting to meet the sight of her armored companion.

"Iris."

The knight stayed silent, unsure of what to make of the situation.

"My name is Iris Serverity. I apologize, it appears that much of my system was badly damaged, and much of my data on my objectives and surroundings are lost."

"Seems then that neither of us know anything about this place."

"Yes. It seems so. However, I wish to accompany you and perhaps discover answers to both of our questions."

The knight thought for a moment. Sure, she didn't trust the AI completely, but having an ally, even if they know nothing of the environment, is helpful in a new and possibly hostile world.

"Sounds fine to me."

"Very well, I will initialize my personality module with what data I have in order to aid more fluent communication. Apologies for any inconvenience."

The android closed its eyes and hummed for some time as the knight watched, the hard lines that clearly relayed she was an android seemed to seal over, leaving only the blue glow shining through her bare chest and her iridescent eyes to give her status away. Some moments later, she seemed to awaken once more.

The android held her head with one hand and seemed to sway a bit.

"Ugh, all this buzzing doesn't let me think." She opened her eyes and scanned her surroundings as if it was the first time.

"This place looks like it got left in the sun too long." Iris stretched and yawned before remember the knight sitting not too far from her.

"Oh! Right. Sorry for the hold up, its always makes me a bit dizzy coming out of sleep mode."

"You seem drastically different?"

"Of course! Without any personality I would be pretty boring to be around, and people like talking to people!"

Iris then froze for a moment.

"Wait do they? I... I can't seem to remember much. What do people like?"

Before the knight could even process what was going on, the android bounced in place, leaning forward and asking another question.

"Sorry, a little excited is all! I've been meaning to ask you, since you already asked me. Who are you exactly?"
 

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"My name," the woman began, licking her lips, "is Morene Fellon of Creedmoor."

"Of?" Iris tilted her head.

"Knochten of a van'giir family in the heartlands of Creedmoor. I don't expect you to follow; I'm from an entirely different plane of existence, my dear."

"Like a... knight, I think?" Iris blinked, tapping her toes on the ground beneath her. Morene's eyes widened in response.

"If a knight in your world is a warrior typically armed in combat to serve a royal family, yes!" The huntress rather ecstatically elaborated.

The android girl wanted to continue asking questions, her interest piqued entirely. Still, she paused, letting both her and the woman before her wander in their minds, completely conscious of the predicament they're in. Iris couldn't help herself.

"What's it like serving a family like that?"

Morene looked at the girl when she asked that. Something in her knew that question, in particular, had a reason behind it. Robots were designed to serve mankind at the end of the day, were they not? Whether or not Morene wanted to make her feel better about that reality, she answered truthfully knowing that Iris might have gotten something out of asking.

"I didn't particularly serve them, ever, truly. 'Twas more me doing backbreaking work before I got the title, then they sent me off without too much concern. They are creatures of the night at the end of the day."

"Creatures of the night? What! Like, uh, what're they called... vampires?" Iris leaned forward, her voice raising in slight shock.

"Again," Morene coughed out, "if vampires in your world are physically transmuted and genetically altered night-stalkers, yes. Not too bad if you get to know 'em after a while!"

A silence, Iris speaking shortly after, "No! The first one about the uh, knochten and knights was a bit more accurate."

The knight-errant herself chuckled at this, leaning back to comfort herself and savor this moment of peace while it lasted, the short while it did.

"Aye," the huntress nodded back, "you can tell me all about that! Later, though; we should find somewhere to stay first and foremost."

To stay. The woman repeated back in her head, her eyes squinting as if her own irises were zooming in on the horizons, akin to a telescope slowly inspecting the landscape. Morene realized that her suggestion may not have been the most plausible, albeit the most obvious thing either of the two women could have uttered. Why yes, Morene rolled her eyes, seemingly at herself, getting to a shelter would be nice in a post-apocalypse scenario.

"Well..." Iris dragged on, "I did happen to meet two guys all the way back there." Her voice seemed uncertain, and Morene was perplexed by the vague wording of her sentence. She asked a question this time, concerned.

"Back there? Iris, dear, you seem disheartened; is there not a good place?"

"Not at all." Iris seemed to shrivel up slightly. She didn't seem scared or embarrassed, but the slight frown on her face spoke volumes to Morene nonetheless. Still, the woman knew by that look alone not to press further than what was necessary.

"I shall talk to them then. Would it be okay if you were to accompany me on this journey, Iris?"

A metallic sound clanked onto the pavement beneath, breaking Iris from her tense expression. To her surprise, Morene had taken a knee before her, almost vowing to the android girl that she'd make good company without saying much. Besides, it was probably wise that she'd have somebody who is actually not a creep tag along with her, wherever they were going.

The huntress pressed what seemed to be a button on the side of her throat. A helmet folded around her skull and face, slight steam shooting out of it's chinks as it's visor illuminated akin to the joints of Iris' skin. Morene looked up and spoke again, her voice distorted, but still strangely gentle.

"I promise by my sword that I will protect you if you were to assist me."
 

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Iris seemed to be impressed by the knight’s helmet activation. The way it quickly enveloped her head and gave her protection seemed oddly familiar. She rocked on her heels for a moment as she allowed her processors to run.

“I believe I have some protection just in case we get into a fight!” The android seemed rather excited as it held its arms out and initiated some kind of protocol that caused a net of skintight clothing, most likely some kind of carbon nanofiber before larger metallic plates burst from nearly invisible crevasses in her joints and skin, complete with a full helmet. It was extremely clear that this android was meant for more than just pleasant chit chat, and Morene felt a genuine concern that such a being was simply wandering in, well, what she would assume to be the open public.

The android glanced over herself again, examining her armor before speaking up, “It doesn’t seem as fancy as yours but my systems tell me it should sustain at least type five impacts and below, so we should be fine?”

Morene raised an eyebrow, “What is a type five impact?”

Iris calculated for a moment to give a suitable answer. “It seems that an impact with the planet at terminal velocity would be sufficient to class as a type five impact.”

The nonchalant attitude of the android only further tightened the knot in Morene’s stomach. Unless this android was common on this planet, that type of armor was bound to get them noticed by somebody, and being caught with a rogue android was something that she did not want to have as a first impression for the inhabitants of this place.

“I don’t think all of that will be necessary. If anything comes up, I am sure I will be more than capable of handling it.” Morene spoke as she began to walk forward, starting on the route to wherever the android came from. Hopefully, there was nothing too terrible about the men she left behind.

“Of course, I’ll go ahead and disable my suit then.” She quickly allowed the armor to retract, leaving her nude body exposed to the elements.

“Going nude is not preferable either. If you can simply activate your armor without its plating, it should do nicely.”

The android cocked her head for a moment before nodding and allowing her suit to cover up most of her body without the heavy armor.

“Much better, so, about the way you came from, you said there were two men you met over there?”

“Oh, yeah. I’m not sure what one of them did but it activated my automatic defensive measures. I actually don’t remember much, in all honesty, everything has been a bit hazy since I woke up.”

The android began to follow behind Morene, speeding up a bit to catch up with her.

“I see. And what exactly was your directive before you woke up? You seem like you were made for something other than simply being friendly to people.”

“I am… uncertain. Most of my memory appears to be either corrupted or wiped clean, though whether it was from damage or security protocols, I can’t tell.”

“That’s worrisome. Perhaps once we find our way to a large settlement, we can discover more about what you are and where you came from.”

Iris set her finger on her chin, “Maybe we might find information on your origins as well?”

The knight fell silent for a moment.

“Yes. Perhaps.”

It wasn’t long before they arrived at the mechanic’s shop, an empty driveway ahead of them instead of the rusty flatbed that Iris had seen before. The man that Iris recognized and that Morene assumed to be the mechanic looked up from tidying the mess from earlier in his workshop quickly came out and held up his hands.

“Woah there, listen, there’s no need to get any muscle involved in all of these, I did not have no idea that I was working on a goddamn government robot! I just had…”

“We aren’t the local law enforcement,” Morene spoke, her voice carrying well over the dusty lot. She glanced to her side to examine Iris’s response, but found her simply as chipper as before, rolling on her heels in place.

“Oh thank the stars, listen, if that there robot is yours, I apologize for any inconvenience I might have done upon you. I am a simple mechanic, and this old bastard that comes around brought her in and I…”

Morene held up a hand.

“We aren’t here to settle anything, what’s done is done. Clearly, you have regret for your actions and I assume you meant no harm. All we ask is directions to the nearest town.”

“Of course, yes! Here, I’ll grab my truck, the town is just up the road there beyond the hills, no more than half an hour drive…”

“No need, we can handle the trip from here, I don’t wish to trouble you any further.”

The man nodded and took a few steps back. “Thank you, I’ll be sure to avoid any suspicious gadgets in the future when I can!” With a bow of his head, he hurried back into his shop and continued to clean up.

That wasn’t so bad. Morene felt herself relax a bit, there seemed to be no outstanding hostility, and in a way, she was pleased that her current outfit still gave her a look of authority within this post-apocalyptic wasteland.

Beside her, Iris was careful to examine each and everyone moment of both her new partner and the man she had met before. Her eyes darted around, making sure to catch every bit of body language and subtle twitch, her audio receptors logging every influx of voice and tone.

As familiar as it all was, she couldn’t help but feel lost in it. As if it was some foreign language she once knew. Perhaps it was due to the lost data from before she had awoken. Serverity. Though she hardly knew the meaning behind the name, she knew it had to do with where she came from. She struggled to connect to anything, her signals simply dropping off into the distant static and leaving her nothing but white noise to decipher.

For a moment she lost herself in the emptiness, her eyes staring past the trembling mechanic, past the ragged shop, past even the horizon itself, to something beyond what any of her sensors could grasp.

“Iris! Hey, you alright?”

All functions immediately snapped into focus as she shook her head.

“Yeah… I… yes.” She turned and looked at Morene with her stark blue eyes, they were close enough so that the knight could almost make out the circuits behind them.

“Yes, I’m fine. Lost in thought is all.”

“Are you sure these men didn’t harm you in any way?”

“In all honesty, I don’t believe they ever had the possibility of doing so.”

Both women fell silent for a moment.

“Anyways, let’s head out! I’m excited to see the city!”

And just like that, the android walked past the knight, nearly skipping as she stepped onto the road that would lead them into the city. Morene stood for a moment, trying to make out what exactly was going on with this automaton, and whether or not she should trust it.

“C’mon, we should probably get there before the sun sets, my systems are saying that it isn’t the safest to be out here at night!”

Morene thought back to the events that led her here, with the strange mechanical beasts and that the man that had attempted to take her life.

For now, she would have no choice.
 

Morene Fellon

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Morene shook her head, thinking over her sudden distrust in the android before her. Breathing once, the huntress looked at Iris right in the eyes as she walked beside her.

The woman knew immediately that those eyes were that of an innocent woman. Nodding her head a single time, Morene Fellon of Creedmoor put her trust in her new companion completely and utterly, at least until proven that she shouldn't. Iris could tell the hulking woman was wandering off in her head thinking about these things. Blinking, Morene noticed the rather peculiar look Iris was giving her, both staring at each other.

"What's wrong?" Iris piped up.

"It's nothing dear, promise."

"Okay." A long silence followed. Neither of the two women spoke a word before they entered into the outskirts of the city. Morene knew the approaching skyscrapers, as rugged as they were, only served to distract wanderers from the absolute rubble that appeared to be the true slums of the capital. To be the gates for travelers, traders and immigrants to enter and leave as they pleased.

As long as they could make it through and back.

Try as she might, Morene could not use the one tiny benefit of Ark'maer's presence to summon any firearms at her side just yet. Her fingers twitched, head still, focusing to no avail. Iris noticed immediately.

"Are you okay, Morene? You seem jumpy!" The android attempted to cheer the mood.

"Of course. I'm attempting to reconnect with the Vaccanum to rearm myself; I feel weaker in that sense."

"Vaccanum?" Iris didn't stutter. Morene felt no shame in elaborating literally alien concepts to her.

"Yes; a realm of energy in the existing plane of which I originated. I was able to essentially store objects and call to them on a whim with enough mental fortitude, depending on the mass and weight of said objects. All I'm able to summon to myself is my sword, unfortunately."

"You're like me, then!" Iris teased, to which the knight-errant chuckled.

"In concept, for sure." Morene continued, relishing their minor bonding experience for as long as it lasted, uncertain of the silence in the air. She stayed quiet for a moment. Sucking air through her teeth, the knochten felt a knot in her stomach begin to form. "Stick to the walls over here, or what's left of them. Not enough to be in arm's reach of anybody; be careful."

Iris seemed to get the feeling too, nodding in reply and following Morene as they silenced their footsteps, close to the ruined remains of the concrete buildings. Both of the girls wandered, almost as if they were scattering their tracks. Minutes passed by, the air so still that Iris could feel every single tingling vibration on her heels every step she took.

Every passing moment seemed to be more tense than last as if the stillness somehow got even calmer. It wasn't right at all. At one point, both of the women couldn't even hear the wildlife, far too separated from it. Then, a gentle breeze swept through the sky. Iris became uncertain of Morene's seeming carefulness.

"Are you sure there's something wrong, Morene?" Iris whispered as quietly as the woman in front could hear her, knowing precisely that she was worried about something. The lady in full plate was at least assured Iris wasn't unfamiliar to getting jumped out of nowhere; there was a certain feeling to it, right before it all happens, like a calm before a storm. She noticed the huntress was occupied though, only nodding in response, slowly. They continued to walk, clearing every nook that vaguely crossed their pathway to Markov.

As Morene snuck her head to clear another corner, she signaled for the android to freeze, raising her fist. The android girl felt no need to be nervous or worried. The huntress reared the corner, finding herself in the open after a long while of huddling walls.

Morene immediately identified five humanoids standing at a moderate distance away. All of them seemed to present themselves as male, their clothing ragged yet surprisingly formal, presumably bought or made by a retailer in Markov itself. They were all fitted with urban suits and fitted pants, classy in every regard except for the bandoliers and ammo pouches that were strewn across their bodies at almost random points, impractically so. Only one of them seemed to stray from this theme, fitted with a more casual jacket, obviously a scavenger. The woman scoffed.

"Hey, you!" one of them yapped in a peculiar accent, immediately grabbing Morene's attention. They continued to mumble slurs at the woman, and she was thankful that her armor obscured her more womanly features as the juvenile individuals continued with their flurry of insults. It seemed as if they were attempting some kind of psychological warfare, not to much avail.

"Sorry, lass, but you're not gonna come out here seeing tomorrow."

Nevermind, Morene thought, rolling her eyes.

The men noticed her as she took a step forwards, greatsword rested upon the woman's pauldron. She was only able to walk for another short breath before she saw one of the punks pull a handgun from their waistline.

Grasping her blade, the knight-errant swiftly launched her sword at the poor soul attempting to gun her down. In the immediate second that the sword javelined out from her hands, Morene looked at Iris, waving her palm back as to tell her to assist in a quick motion. A short scream of pain followed, then the shot of a gun. The noise of the skirmish only intensified from that moment onwards.

Launching herself forwards, the knochten dove as to mitigate the damage of any oncoming projectiles that might have hit her in the split second she activated her thrusters and collided with the dusty concrete below. Her hands found the grip of the handgun that was attempted to shoot at her, and though it was strange to hold in her large palms, it only took a single shot that connected with the gullet of the man nearest to her to adjust.

Clutching the pistol close to her chest, she immediately took a knee, ensuring the man was dead by another quick shot to the skull, snapping her sights onto the next unfortunate soul caught in her deadly aim. Another bullet left its chamber, and another one of the men fell to the ground like a bag of dropped bricks. No sound escaped Morene's lips as she leaped into the air, activating her jump pack again and rocketing herself directly upwards.

It only took her a second to analyze which one of the men were still in shock, and which one of them was actually resisting. The three remaining men tried to scatter, but the next one that tried to pull a firearm from their pockets met a good three bullets slamming against their sternum, incapacitating the gangster immediately after the third shot hit. As the knight-errant's sabatons crashed against the concrete beneath her, it created enough force to crack the ground on which she landed. As the last suited man pulled from his hips what seemed to be some sort of carbine rifle, Morene Fellon of Creedmoor responded by throwing the handgun depleted of ammunition at him, looking behind her to immediately find her sword...

Only right before an electric crackle filled the air. At the corner of her eye, a whip-like stream of energy shot outwards from above her head, stabbing into the man's head. As Iris shot out from behind cover, the remaining scavenger's eyes were frozen in shock. He recognized Iris immediately, the android he himself picked from off the ground and tried to have fixed by the mechanic whose paths the two women had crossed hours beforehand.

"You bitch--" He tried to speak, only right before his face was seared, head split in twain.

The air returned to silence, now deathly still.

Both of the women looked at each other, Morene breathing intensely, Iris not breaking a sweat. Morene wanted to comment on it, but now that the blood of five attempted murderers was on her hands, neither of them dared to speak a word. They stood for what seemed to be minutes before the knight-errant stood on her feet again, greatsword in hand. Iris seemed displeased, and she expressed as such.

"He," the android stammered, pointing at the unique individual who was last to die, "was the one who woke me up."

For a moment, Iris spoke as if she was fresh from being rebooted, her voice monotone and her expression soulless. A second passed, and her face turned into a slight frown. The combat bot crouched over his lifeless body, the plasma whip from her arm retracting into her palm again.

Morene didn't speak a word, knowing Iris was having some sort of moment. Not as if she cared for the man, especially not after the horrific things he attempted to do with her sleeping body, but... Her eyes were fixated on something at his side. Morene slowly walked beside the android. Iris reached for the gun hidden under his ragged coat.

Ripping it from his pocket, the combat bot then inspected it with gentle care, comically so. Morene held back a snicker as Iris analyzed what was obviously some sort of energy blaster, a strange white logo of some sort of corporation plastered on its grip. The android looked rather annoyed now.

"This is mine!"
 

Demetri Malius

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The android stared down at the gun, her eyes processing the different parts and analyzing what had been modified since she had last seen it. Much like the blade that had been removed from her body and the whip that she had used a moment before, inside her were storage compartments for these deadly weapons. However, with the modifications made to the pieces of the blaster, it was useless to her without some tinkering. Only after her combat metrics slowly died down did Iris again notice the hue of her glow slowly change to blue from a deep red.

"Iris, are you sure you are fine?"

The android blinked and turned to look at her. "It seems that flaws in my system allow for certain memories to persist after my data destruction. I am unsure of how this may affect me in personal terms, but I believe I should be fine." Her lips pushed into a soft frown as she spoke.

"I'm here if you need any help. What about that weapon there, you said you recognized it?"

"Yes, one of my custom fitted blasters with many different modes for hostile interactions, it appears to be damaged. Funny enough, I don't remember having one until I saw it. " She thumbed over the etched brand and glanced over to the dead man beside her.

"Perhaps the brigand has more of your effects. Do you wish to investigate him?"

With a nod, Iris knelt down and began to search the many pouches and pockets on his person, tossing out shells and knives before finding a small electronic chip. Her eyes glowed for a moment with recognition. Morene raised an eyebrow, waiting for an explanation.

"I believe this is for my interplanetary ship, though I can't quite remember where it could be." Her excitement faded into confusion.

"Well, the city is nearby, there is a chance we will find it there." Morene had noticed her use of the word 'interplanetary'. It seemed there was much more than this forsaken land of greasy men and dusty metal. "We may be able to travel to a world much less hostile than here."

Iris hopped up with joy, "Of course, that sounds like a wonderful idea!"

They resumed their journey and quickly saw the tall metal structures in the distance. As the sun set across the horizon, they arrived at their destination, a sprawling display of lights and rust, a mix of post-apocalyptic wasteland with a lost touch of futuristic potential.

Morene's eyes scanned the city, wary of its inhabitants. The worn down street signs and dirty arrows pointed them around and they passed by many people, ranging from what they could assume to be outlaws like the ones they just fought to starving men and women that seemed to be working as pack mules to carry items from place to place. Morene kept her hand at her side in case of any trouble, but Iris seemed content just frolicking through the alleys and roads. Soon they came upon the docks for ships.
Iris hopped up some metal steps, eager to see the ships as they came into the docking bay, their drivers and crew unloading before a large machine came and directed the ship to a large garage. The android hadn't even noticed the man guarding the top of the stairway.
"Hey, no heading into the docking area without checking in and out." The large man quickly grabbed Iris by the shoulder and swung her over to the waiting area. Morene was quick to lean over him, as even with his height over Iris, the man still needed to look up at the towering knight. The man seemed to not be intimidated, however.
"As I said, you need to check in or out to pass through here. I'll need a name and a ship registration number."
The knight turned to look at Iris, who seemed to be pondering what the ship number would be. It seemed to click in her android mind as she sprung up and nearly shouted at the man.

"Iris Serverity! Ship Registration number 25986A!"

"Let's see h-"

"Objective: Infiltrate known organized criminal group and sabotage weapon distribution and recruitment by any means necessary. Status: Failure of the mission due to an unforeseen squadron of elite members of organization. Extreme damage and malfunction detected. Recommend salvage and reconstruction of the current model." Her usual blue faded for a moment before returning back a mostly purple haze quickly appearing and disappearing as fast as it came.

The man stood silent for a moment, waiting to see if the android was done. "Your ship is ready, it will be here in a moment. Looks like it's only meant for one, but federal laws don't have anything against you bringing your friend here. Good luck finding room."
With that, he directed the two over to the side, where a small ship came out of the garage. it was sharp and looked like it was quick in both speed and maneuverability. As Morene glanced at the vehicle, she quickly whispered to her ally.
"Iris, what was it that you said back there? I assume it is a part of the flawed systems you mentioned earlier." She spoke with concern.

Iris, for once, seemed genuinely uncomfortable. She fidgeted for a moment, seeming to ignore the knight's question. It was only after it had docked and the door opened that the android finally spoke, the stairway up to it slowly reaching out to provide them access.

"I'm not sure. Something with how everything was back there felt very familiar like there was a job I was supposed to do. But," her voice trailed off as they boarded the ship, the door closing behind them as they found themselves now in a small hallway with bright lighting.
The silence hung in the air for a moment.

"Do I need to be deconstructed for my failure?"

The question hit the knight harder than anything physical she had experienced since being thrown into this new world. The tears in the android's eyes as she turned to face her seemed to show some deeper wrongdoing done to her, something that didn't compare to whatever happened between her and the brigand from the scuffle earlier. She was speechless as the second line came from the androids lips.

"I can't help but feel fear for what is to become of me."
 

Morene Fellon

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After ending the lives of an unfortunate pack of misguided souls in a rather messy self defense scenario, Morene was surprised to have walked through the city with little to no problems, despite the weird looks a few passerbys exhanged with her and the occassional insult or slur thrown their way, typically not intended for the knight to hear. Out of all the times it did happen, Morene found the wicked piercing glare of her helmet's glowing visor acted well as a deterrent to anybody that might have deemed her or Iris an acceptable target of a mugging or hate crime. Despite this, Iris seemed to have packed along her own set of problems that the two women would deal with in the immediate moment they walked inside the ship.

Iris' concern stabbed through the warrior's heart. It was almost more effective at enticing a reaction from the woman than it was in Pecan's case to throw streams of hot lead onto her for little to no reason. This had purpose, and no intent to harm, as much as it did anyways.

The knight-errant couldn't stay silent for much longer. Morene's heart swelled, feeling the fear in Iris' voice. In a way, Morene could relate, and to that, she extended her sympathy in the best way she knew how. A gauntleted hand rested upon the android's shoulder as the woman spoke to her.

"Please," Morene pleaded softly, "don't say that."

"I'm sorry," Iris immediately detected Morene was hurt by her words, but not for the reasons she analyzed. The knochten continued.

"No, none of that either; I needed to hear it." A brief quiet fell upon the two girls as Iris sat down in the driver's seat of the ship. Morene had paid no attention to how crowded it seemed, squatting down to the best of her ability to be at level with the girl, now her companion. Iris spoke no words as the knight-errant continued.

"Maybe you were constructed for a purpose," the woman spoke firmly, "but you are you, Iris. You could still have your old directives and I'd say the same thing."

"Morene," Iris seemed to pout, "directives aren't a choice, nor is my ability to follow them. What if it comes back? What if it ends up hurting you?"

"People on my world say those things to justify following unjust orders too, you know. Sometimes, it's less fortunate than that; from societal programming to ghostly hexes. Still..."

"Still?"

"Still," Morene finished, "you, like them, are sentient, capable of cognitive thought and choice. Yes, it is foolish to say that choices are completely free and unbiased, but your identity is your most powerful establishment that those choices are founded upon."

The android frowned again. Something in Morene's argument didn't seem right, and she felt like it wasn't helping. Morene knew that.

"I'm an android," Iris restated, "designed for combat purposes." Morene raised a finger at this, sighing as both women looked directly into the other's eyes.

"Yet, you feel emotion, do you not?"

Another crippling quiet filled the ship, moments before the fuel in the aircraft began to ignite. Peering out the window of the cockpit, the knight-errant knew Iris was shaken by the question she had just asked. The roar of the space faring vehicle's engine seemed to distract Iris, almost calm her, as she closed her mouth and thought. Rising into the sky, she finally analyzed a response in her head that, to her, seemed more like a feeling rather than a conclusive and consise consequence to a thorough scanning of factors. She knew she was capable of that, somewhere in there. Morene knew it too.

"Yes, I... think. I hope," the android still questioned.

"Then," Morene nodded, "you are evidently self-aware, cognitive of your own choices, and quite intelligent, if I do say so myself. Take that last part with pride; you're talking to a woman that had to forge armor by her own hands that is able to respond accordingly to my cognitive thoughts and decisions." Iris seemed to be impressed by this, a slight grin taking form where a distateful frown used to be.

"All by yourself?"

"Absolutely not! My baseline understanding of the brain's processes is very limited, about enough to get this armor to work and feel it's effects. Now, not to toot my own horn, but I DID end up cutting myself open to put those quite peculiar looking plugs on my spine to allow it to work in the first place... Yet, I tell you this with what little I understand to be true. My point is that I am a 'fighter' at the end of the day. Not because it was meant for me, by fate, orders or even by directives, but because I am," Morene faintly growled as she ended her conclusion as powerfully as she could.

As the knochten looked outwards, the atmosphere of Cevanti faded into space. Finally, in the presence of nothing but the white noise of the aircraft, Morene felt at enough ease to take in the interior of the spacecraft and reflect on it from outward as well. The woman spent so long focusing on Iris' inernal conflict that she barely noticed the technological wonder that was her ship. The sudden realization that Morene barely felt their ascending lift towards the outer worlds hit her with awe. Noticing Iris hadn't yet responded, the knight-errant decided now would have been a good time to change the subject.

"This is amazing," the huntress expressed her genuine awe, "the spacefaring technology of my world only reached outwards to the bare rim of our solar system. Space colonization was just becoming a prototype of sorts."

As Morene looked around at the smooth surfaces of the ship, the only thing that seemed to raise any flags as to it being a small infiltration ship was it's size. It was sleek, if not slightly damaged and worn out. The knochten imagined very vividly of the off-white sheen that the ship's compact interior would have radiated with a few touchups and a nice painting over. It became Iris' turn to talk, hesitantly, but with a noticably improved mood.

"Ah, I suppose that's natural here! Yeah, it's small, and not much, but I feel quite fond of it sometimes, especially now that I've... left home, you know? I don't know how to feel about all of this yet, but... I suppose I should be grateful, huh?"

"Perhaps!" Morene exclamied in response, "maybe you should teach me a few things about how this all works."

"Well," Iris looked to the side of the dash in the cockpit, past Morene's tall and hefty body, "it is quite a bit easer when somebody is looking at signals for me when I'm driving. See that tablet over there?" Morene hummed in response.

"Aye, what does one do with this?"

"It's technically just a giant tablet that I sometimes fiddle around with when I get bored! It does, however, if you're concerned about your safety in the deep reaches of space, detect electromagnetic wave frequencies used by most communication devices on most of the planets' established civilizations," Iris quipped, holding back a giggle after her rather dry attempt at sarcasm. Morene, however, thought it was funny, chuckling back as well.

"Try to look out for me, okay?"

Morene nodded simply. "Aye, not the first time I've been a spotter."
 
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Demetri Malius

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Iris began to slowly ease into the familiarity of the ship, much of her lost data returning upon interacting with the ship. It appeared that although her memory had been corrupted, much of the data was retrievable upon reevaluating whatever subject she had forgotten. It felt as if she was playing a simulation of someone else’s life, being given bits of their past as she continued on in it. She glanced at the weapon, seeing its poorly welded extra bits of metal and springs, scowling almost at its crude look. She turned away to peek over at Morene.


"You stated that you held a high degree of skill with weapon design, right? Maybe you can help me with working on my blaster once we dock and find a suitable workshop? I don't have much here to actually operate much. The ship shows I only stocked a bit of biosynthetic fluid and ammunition for the trip."


The knight looked up with a smile. "Of course! I am not sure how much help I may be since I do not know what materials are available in these worlds, but I will do my best to provide assistance."


With a nod, Iris returned to guiding the ship to a nearby space station. Although the android did not need much, she assumed that she would need food and water for her newfound friend. Most of what they might need would most likely be on one. It wasn’t long before she managed to find one and park the ship into the docking bay. Already, small non-sentient robots began cleaning the glass and hull of the ship, shooting liquids and wiping as others came to assess any damages that may need repairing.


"Manage to find anything interesting?" Iris quipped as she hopped down from her seat.


Morene responded with a sigh. "Nothing much, there is a lot of interference from advertising stations and whatnot. I attempted to make a profile on a career website for both mercenaries and bodyguards, I am hoping we manage to get integrated into this society in that way."


"Hm... seems fine to me, I guess we would be quite good at doing that wouldn't we?" She tilted her head and ran the thought through her processing while heading out into the hallway. She then tossed the misused blaster into one of the two lockers before turning to Morene.


"Well, anyways, I wanted to tell you can have one of the lockers for anything you need, they have a lot of room and I don't really use them for much."


"Oh, thank you, I appreciate it. I suppose that I would need it since there isn't much room in your ship, being that it's meant for one person." Upon her words, she decided to remove her helm and store it in the locker Iris spoke of.


"Hmm, we should probably get a new one, shouldn't we?"


"You don't need to go do all of that for me, I am sure that we will be fine." Morene followed Iris out of the ship and into the docking area where signs pointed them to all of the nearby shops and cuisines.


"Of course I do, safety procedures call for a ship upgrade if we want to be able to fight properly in space battles!"


"How often are we going to have battles in space?"


"I dunno, but I believe we should be prepared!"


"Let's focus on finding a job, for now, then we can figure out our ship problem later. Do you have any currency for supplies?"


"Of course! What do you want to get?"


For the first time since she had arrived, Morene felt her stomach grumble.


"Food would be a nice start."


Once they found a restaurant that they figured looked pretty tasty, they ordered what they assumed would be lunch, given how long they had both been conscious. In space, day and night don't really exist. They took their seat as they waited for their space food, which was the same as regular food, just in space.


"I must say, this has been the most lost I have been in my lifetime."


"Oh? I guess that makes sense since you aren't from here. Do you know how you got here exactly?"


“There is much to explain for me to answer that question in whole, but as I said before, I was sent here. I do not know why, nor do I know how to return.”


Iris watched and listened with her hands balled into fists and pressed against her cheeks.


“Do you want to go back?”


Morene thought for a second before answering. “I don’t believe I do. There is a reason I am here and I expect that I will discover why and fulfill whatever destiny is ahead of me.”


“Ooh, that sounds heroic!” Iris smiled, bouncing her face on her fists.



“If you see it so. It is simply my duty.” Morene couldn’t help but smirk at the remark.



“You were telling me a bit about your world when we first met, but I don’t know if I understand much of it.”


“That’s understandable, it sometimes escapes my own understanding as well. There is much to tell, but you know a bit already. I forged my own weapons and armor and served as a knochten for a family of vampires. Truth be told…”


Morene explained much about her world and how she had come to finally be swarmed by darkness and suddenly arriving on Cevanti, as well as her interaction with some ruffian that had attempted to take her life soon after her appearance. It wasn’t long after her story finished that someone brought food to their table.


“Steak and chicken tenders, each with an order of fries.”


Morene exhaled softly at the sight of the steak, the smell alone enough to make her mouth water. Iris seemed excited as well, and though she didn't experience hunger, the taste was something she thoroughly enjoyed with food.


Morene was quick to start stabbing at the slab of meat and bringing each piece to her mouth, savoring the taste. Every so often she would take a few fries and nibble at them, glancing at her surroundings and seeing the other spacefarers around them.


Iris, on the other hand, was scarfing down fries by threes and four, consuming them in large bites and examining her tenders before seeming to eat half of one at a time. She would chew for about a minute with a full mouth before finally swallowing.


“You okay there Iris? You eat as if you have been starving for weeks.” Morene seemed rather surprised at the ferocity that the android ate.


“Oh, well,” the android began. “I don’t actually eat too much, at least not for myself, so I really like to savor all the flavors and stuff my mouth. I don’t eat like this on missions, I promise!”


“No, it’s fine,” Morene started with a chuckle. “I was just making sure you were well.”


Iris smiled with her cheeks full, her eyes squinting from the bulging while she nodded, a quick “Thank you!” coming from her after she finished chewing and swallowing.


Once finished, Morene decided to lean back a bit and let her food settle, then asked, “So, that was my story, while we wait, why don’t you tell me yours?”


“Well, most of what I know is not accessible to me right now, but I know I was made by Serverity Systems. From my programming, I can decipher that my name comes from Intelligent Robotic Infiltrator and Strategist. So I would guess that means it is my function.”


“Yes, I would assume the same. I have to say, however, you are strangely well equipped for an infiltrating unit.”


“From what I can tell most of my combat equipment is a standard grade, at least for how strong I can be.”


Morene raised an eyebrow. “Standard Grade?”


“Well, I don’t believe I am the only android made my Serverity, I vaguely remember seeing others like me, my combat design is an MKII.”


“How high does it go?”


“MKV.”


“That’s troubling, especially since the organization would most likely be upset that you are not performing orders anymore.”


“Yeah, that’s true.” Iris seemed to become a bit uncomfortable. “What if they come after you because of me?”


Morene couldn’t help but laugh.


“Even with what you have said, let them try. As much as I have concerns about not being able to summon the rest of my arsenal, I trust they will find getting through me much more difficult than they would realize. And either way, “ she gave a smile to Iris. “I will protect you.”


With those words, Iris couldn’t stop herself from reaching across the table and hugging Morene, knocking a few utensils off the table.


“Woah, hey there, it’s fine,” Morene spoke as she hugged back and slowly let her down.


“I really appreciate it Morene.”


“It’s no trouble, really. Now, what should we do next.”


“Well, we actually should get a new ship.”


“I told you it was not necessary.”

“Actually, it is,” Iris spoke as she looked away and scratched her head.



“How so?”


“My ship has a built-in tracker that I won't be able to deactivate, luckily the one on me doesn't work anymore, and I managed to move some funds to a fake account away from my creators, but other than that I think we should be harder to trace.


“I see. Then allow us to see the marketplace and find a new vessel?”


“You’re fine with it?”


“If what you say is true, then it must be done.”


With a nod, Iris paid for the food and they both left to the marketplace to find a new ship.


A salesman immediately greeted them and started to try to pull them in with deals and low price advertising before Morene put a hand up to get him to be quiet. Once his mouth stopped moving, she motioned Iris forward, who gave him a slip with her ship info.


“We would like to trade in this ship for a small crew vessel with high tier combat and technical capability.”


The man’s eyes widened for a moment on seeing the ship details but quickly brought them to a ship that seemed to be perfect for them.


“This is the Jaxton-486A one of the few from the…,” he trailed off into the ship producers details while Iris examined the dark-colored ship.


“Two crew minimum with up to 8 crew support, complete with full living quarters and even a small cargo bay for transport. Two laser cannons for pilot control and a heavy cannon located on the rear with gunner controls, perfect for quick and nimble dogfights and a stealth field for off-station parking. Used but in great condition. There is a…, but other than that a great steal, I mean trade, for you two!”


“What was that part?” Morene quickly pointed out.


“Excuse me, Ma’am?”


“You mumbled, what was the issue with this ship?”


The salesman gave a small sigh and tried to give a smile. “It is an ex-pirate ship that was confiscated but currently clear for any previous criminals associated with it. No external or internal damage though I swear!”


Morene gave a nod.


“So long as it’s cleared of its previous owner’s reputation then I suppose it will do.”


“Great! Here just sign on the screen and you are good to go!”


Iris struggled to grab the datapad shoved in her face and quickly signed it off and gave a sigh of relief when the man took it back and scurried off.


“You cargo transfer will be done shortly!” The man shouted as he ran through an office door.


“I do not feel comfortable with them handling my helmet.”


“I think we should be fine. Plus I don’t think they would want to be caught mishandling your helmet.” Iris spoke with a giggle. “You seem to scare them a bit.”


“Fair point. I suppose we should board the ship?”


“Yes! I am excited to see how it looks!”


From inside, it seemed slightly worn but completely functional, if anything, the cargo bay and the living quarters seemed to have been the most used, unsurprising from space pirates most likely throwing parties and having close calls with stolen goods. The many scars on the walls showed lots of repairs but they appeared to be well done, none of the shots being near any vital machinery.



“Ooh! It’s pretty spacious!”


“Yes. There is a lot more room on this ship. There are beds as well for when we need to rest.”


“I don’t really need to sleep much but sometimes it helps for my processing ability.”


Their thoughts were interrupted as the salesman quickly came up into the main cabin, nearly out of breath. A few goblin-like creatures followed behind, carrying items from their old ship. They skittered around for a few seconds, storing everything in a blink of an eye and then funneling out the door.


“Everything should be in order, paperwork is complete and you are ready to take your new ship for a joyride. Good luck and have a wonderful trip!”


Before the two could thank him, the man was already on his way out the door.


“I suppose that’s it then?” Morene asked, quite unsure of the whole ordeal.


“Yup, I think so! I’ve never traded my ship in before so let’s see!”


The women made their way to the cockpit, passing by the different halls of the ship and the gunner seat, before seeing the two seats for the gunner and communications handler. Iris scanned over the controls, analyzing each button and the minuscule print on and around them. It wasn't as simple and intuitive as her old ship, but she could easily drive it.


Morene had managed to sign in on the smaller computer and was already checking the account she made to find a job for them.


“Looks like there’s someone here from a planet called Opealon. They said that although it is their mother’s account, that she, the daughter, would need to protection. She seems to be rather new to the area, so having someone around just in case they happen upon a bad situation sounds like a good idea. Their mother would be interviewing us in order to assess our discipline and ability.”


“Awesome! That sounds great! Are we protecting a princess or something?”


“Perhaps? It seems that they are not from this place, similar to me.”


“Let’s get to it then!”


Iris immediately hopped into the captain’s seat and began to dial up controls and press buttons.


“Alright then, let me go ahead and-”


The ship jolted forward and shot out of the docking bay and into the wide gap of space, heading towards what Morene could assume to be Inverxe as she slammed against the side of the ship.


“Oof, Iris, it would be nice for you to let me know when we are about to take off, I-” Morene stopped as she saw the Andoird face first over the captain's seat, feet in the air.


“Iris are you okay?” Morene quickly sat her up, noticing her rather dizzy response.


“I may have, uh, forgotten about the lack of quality of spatial gyrostabilizers on this ship. The fluids in my head are a little bit shaken up. I should stabilize in a moment.”


Morene sighed before giving a chuckle. As she began to find out more about the android the more human she seemed to be.


“Anyways, right! Opealon I righted the ship before I think it should be a straight path there, from what I think I remember. This ship isn’t as fast as mine was, so its gonna take a little bit to get there.” Iris sat back in her seat and stretched. “From what I remember, Opealon is really nice! They really like technology but they don’t like magic as much. I don’t know how to use magic or anything so I usually don’t have any problems with them.”


“That seems fine, we shouldn’t have much issue then.”


“Yup. Oh, and Morene! I ordered some clothes along with supplies from the station so maybe you can help me a bit with trying some on! I was trying to remember if I used to wear anything specifically but I think it mostly just depended on my mission. I want to try wearing something for fun this time though! There was a wide selection!”
 
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