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9 days, 15 hours, 33 minutes.
That was the amount of time since the Vault Hunters rescued Felicity from the clutches of the Bosun. What she didn't realize was that would be the same amount of time she would have ‘lived’(plus a few seconds) for her existence would soon be wiped and the leftovers would be placed into a new machine, capable of constructing more robots to help with the retaking of the Helios Station and, eventually, halting the destruction of Elpis. Felicity protested, begged, pleaded with the others.
It just wasn't fair. For her to be rescued, to be able to forge her own identity only for it to be ripped away as quickly. She’d picked a name for herself! Her name! As soon as she was pulled from the Drakensburg, she was filled with hopes and wants and goals that seemed impossible while stuck in that husk of a ship.
And yet a part of her, the logical AI part, understood. The needs of the many, the safety of those on Elpis, Helios and Pandora greatly outweighed her feelings.
Didn't mean she couldn't salty about it.
But there was nothing she could do. There was nothing left to do but wait for the inevitable. She would be put into that giant monstrosity of a machine and she would be deleted, like a piece of-
“Maybe I can help,” announced a rather cheerful voice from behind the group. To most on Elpis, hearing that voice caused most to groan and for others to clutch their most prized possessions abreast. But to Felicity, it was voice of her would be savior, which is why she cried out when the group immediately turned, guns aimed at the person. One of them fired but thankfully the shot was too high and the almost victim was already on the ground, hands covering his head.
“Pickle?” Athena calls out, “Is that you?”
The self-described fingersmith uncovered his head and waved at the heavily armed of now annoyed adults and one oblivious Claptrap. “Tada?”
There was a chorus of groans as they lowered their guns. Wilhelm walked over to kid, grabbed his leg and hosted him into the air. “Kid, what the hell are you doing here?”
Pickle crossed his arms. “None of your bizzo but I'm just having a Captain Cook at what you mates leave behind!”
The mercenary stared at him for a few moments before, dropping the boot, grumbling, “I have no idea what you just said.”
Pickle yelped when he hit the ground but sprung up to his feet immediately after. “I heard of your AI troubles and can offer a solution!”
Jack's face appeared on the closest console. “If your solution is copying her, then no dice kid. We just don't have the time.”
Pickle walked over to the computer. “Then why not just copy the important bits? That'll probably take much less time.”
Jack open his mouth and then closed it, lips pursed in thought. He called out, “Gladstone!”
The frazzled scientist’s face appeared in a window next to Jack's. “Y-yes, Jack?”
“You heard the little anklebiters’ idea. Is it possible? Can you make that happen,” Jack asked.
The Hyperion scientist blinked slowly. The Vault Hunters watched as Gladstone rolled himself to a different computer and type furiously at the keyboard. He looked at his monitors and scratched his head, almost sheepishly. “Uh... actually, yeah. He's right.” And then in a quieter voice, “I can't believe I missed that.”
“So what's the timeframe, Gladdy? A couple minutes? An hour?”
“It'll still take a day and a half. Two at most.”
“That's still too long.”
Pickle snapped his fingers and looked at the shortest Vault Hunter. “Claptrap, come 'ere.”
“What do you need,” asked the mistake of technology. Pickle climbed on top of the robot and sat on his head, using him like a chair.
“Stay like that and don't move.”
“Okay!”
His fingers flew across the screen as he brought up what looked to be the schematics of the Titan Robot Production Plant. “Gladstone, what if we increase the power to this console? How long will it be?”
There's more furious typing and then a ding.
“Three hours.”
Jack steepled his fingers, took a deep breath and smoothed his hair out.
“It's your lucky day sweetheart. Do it, Gladstone.”
If Felicity could cry she would. Instead she stayed silent, not jinxing this reversal of fortune. With that, Jack's face disappeared from the screen.
"Aces!" The small urchin hopped off of Claptrap and faced the mercenaries with the biggest from on his face. “Vault Hunters, I need you go back to Power Control and reroute the power to this room. Be prepared, 'cause I think the scavs may have a fit."
The mercenaries looked at each other but didn't move. The scamp rolled his eye and shooed them off, "Well, what do you want, an invitation? Chop, chop! Get a move on!"
"You'll be fine here?" Athena asked but Pickle just waved her off.
"I'll be fine. Now go! Before Jack changes his mind!"
Athena shrugged and reloaded her SMG. "You heard the runt. Let's go." The four of them grabbed their gear and guns and shuffled back to the other room. Pickle, with Felicity still plugged in, began making the necessary adjustments to the copying program. Felicity became worried once she heard gunfire from the other room and doubley so when a stray shot hit the wall right above where the tiny scavenger was standing. Pickle yelped at the near miss and ducked under the console.
"Pickle? Are you okay," the AI begged. If anything happened to that child...Felicity would rather them put her in that constructor then and there. "Please, say something!"
There was silence and then a hand appeared on her sensors that gave her a thumbs up. It was then Pickle's radio crackled to life and Nisha's voice came over the comms.
"Alright runt. Starting the power trans- DUCK!"
A massive explosion rocked the area, sending debris down from the ceiling. And then it was silence.
"I hope they're okay," said Pickle from his hiding spot.
"They'll be fine Pickle. I have a question for you."
"Shoot."
"Why help me?"
Pickle stood up, scratching his head. "Cause you deserve it."
There was a beep from the computer. Pickle checked it and gasped as a new window popped up.
Copying files. 1%....2%
The scavenger let out a whoop and did a celebratory jig. In the middle of his dance, his echogear crackled to life.
"Pickle?" Felicity's voice was quieter than usual.
"What's up Felicity?"
"What's going to happen to me after all of this?"
The ragamuffin pursed his lips and scratched his head. "Dunno. You could always travel. Go see the sights 'n stuff."
"I would probably need a body, unless someone wants to haul me around with them-"
"Then it's settled!" He rubbed his hands together. "We're gonna get you a body after this!"
The AI let out a sigh. "Don't count your Kraggons before they explode, Davis."
"Don't call me that! You sound like my mom. Anyways, I'll take that as a challenge! Beside I'm pretty sure I've stol- I mean liberated enough stuff to jerry-rig one together!"
"Well, then I know what the first thing I'm going to do with my new body."
"What's that?"
"Give you the biggest hug ever."
Pickle blushed, running the back of his head. “I'd like that.”
One robot fight with the proto-constructor later (because Gladestone forgot to label the Vault Hunters as friendlies), Jack and the Vault Hunters were preparing for the siege on Helios in the Meriff's former office. They had the Vault Hunters, they had the robotic army, they had a way in. They were good to go. But as they were ready to charge the fast travel, Athena brought up an important question.
"What do we do with Felicity?"
Everyone stopped and looked at the housing that held AI. Felicity had been mostly silent as there wasn't anything she really do to help them from this end. Plus she had already played her part. Moxxi reached over and picked up Felicity. “Well, I heard that Concordia needs a new Meriff after you 'fired' the last one.”
Jack scoffed and slammed his fist on the desk. “He deserved it, that dirty traitor. But sure! Why not! How about it Felicity? Wanna become the new Meriff?”
Felicity's console light dimmed. "What's-
"Mayor and sheriff," explained the buxom bar owner, "We'll install you into the town’s mainframe and you'll have control over all of the systems that keep Concordia safe and running."
"Though just a little fine print: your predecessor got his head vented because he turned traitor. You try that and I'll turn the laser onto Concordia once I regain control over Helios," Jack explained with a sneer, "Got it?"
Felicity knew better to double cross the engineer. "Yes, sir."
Jack clapped his hands. "Good. Then by the power vested in me by me, I now proclaim Felicity the new Meriff of Concordia. Huzzahs and hoorays, now can we please get back to the topic at hand? Ya know, the big frickin' laser that is aimed at the moon?"
It has been some time since Pickle heard anything from the Vault Hunters but at the same time he understood. Heroes were in short supply and on a strict schedule. But that was too was the last time he saw Felicity and he kinda missed her. He could only hope she was okay and that Jack kept his promise not to delete her.
Out of boredom, the scamp decided to go have a romp in Concordia, at least until that dumb Merriff kicked him out. It was easy getting past CU5TM-TP. He paid a quick visit to Nina, and then sauntered over to Janey's store. His fellow scavenger was seated at her desk looking down at some papers, a pen twirling in her fingers. When the door chime sounded off, she lifted her head and a smile formed on her face when she saw him. "Well, well, well. If it isn't sticky hands himself! Glad to see you still kicking around!"
Her rubs his nose and smiles, cheekily. "How ya doing Springs?"
"Not bad. Not bad at all."
"Does that have to do with Athena?"
A light blush appeared on Janey's face as she grabbed a single sheet of paper and stuffed in her pocket. "What do you want Pickle?"
"After the whole thing at the robot plant, the Vault Hunters took Felicity back here. You know where she is? I've come to say hi."
Her smile got bigger. "Your best bet is to check with the Merriff."
"But he hates me!"
"Huxter got the boot. We got a new one and, trust me, you'll want to meet them."
The Merriff's office looked the same since the last time he was in there, except that one slot machine that he used to steal money from was gone. Pity, he wanted to see if he could make off with some change. He reached the office but found a forcefield barring entrance into it. Peering into the office, he didn't see anyone around. Maybe this new Merriff was watering the weeds, so to speak.
"Hello? Mr. Merriff? A concerned citizen needs to tell you something!"
There was silence and after two minutes of waiting Pickle decided he was tired of waiting and was getting in that office. He went over to the door console, popped the cover and was about to jack in when a robotic arm wrapped around his stomach and picked him up.
"What in the-"
Before he could try to escape, the arm spun him around and he was face to face with the top half of a Hyperion loader. Instead of yellow, its torso and arms were painted in blue and white stripes and the legs painted black. A light where the sensor would be began to glow brightly. Directly above the loader was the holographic protection of a woman's head. She had blonde shoulder length hair and wore a Captain's hat.
“You know that's a violation of Concordia law to tamper with locks kid,” said a very familiar voice.
Pickle gasped, eyes wide. “Felicity? Izzat you?"
Felicity smiled as she finally hugged the boy. “Got it in one, kid.