Work Text:
Abraham entered the storage crate carrying a burlap sack that left a trail of oil wherever it when. It was dinner time for the creature. It was his most proud creation, but it was flawed. Even after so long, he was still learning how disassembly drone anatomy worked. Hidden in the corner was the creature, circling in its space like a caged animal. To ease its primitive state, Abraham did what he always did when he entered the makeshift cell. The creature looked at the entrance where the music of “Hot Hungarian Foxtrot: Jealous Eyes” came from.
“I brought you food.”
It hissed. Then it felt a shocking pain throughout its body.
“Manners.”
The creature slowly approached the worker, sniffing the air for the oil’s scent. Abraham unceremoniously dropped the bag in front of the mutilated drone, to which it slashed the sack open and began tearing the corpse within. Abraham stared at the thing with disgust.
“What do you say when you are grateful?”
Foxtrot turned its head. Abraham glared at the disgusting heap of metal.
“What do we say?”
It growled. Abraham did not like that. Screams of pain echoed through the halls of the facility.
“What do you say?”
“...”
“Well?”
“Thank you.” It spoke in a raspy voice.
“Good.”
The creature finished its meal as Abraham walked away. And using the oil, it painted on a piece of paper. A remnant of whatever sanity it had left, a memory of when he was whole. Figures from the past were drawn crudely over any solid surface, along with scratches to mark how long the creature was there. Scattered around were scribbles trying to imitate a familiar form. It missed its old life. It longed for its home, captain, sister-
“Hey, F,” a sweet, high-pitched voice filled the room. The creature turned to see L in perfect condition. But L is dead. She had been for years. The creature is isolated from others besides his master.
“L is dead. You’re not real.” Its voice came clear to it.
“That might be true,” L looked down, “but you need someone-”
“I need to be alone. I need time to think.” The creature hissed.
“You have been alone for five years.”
“Five years isn’t enough time.”
“F, you can escape!”
She kept saying that name, but F was dead as well. Five years dead.
“No, I can’t. I’m not myself. To be away from here tears me apart.”
“You have to let go-”
“I have lost so much. I despise this place, but it keeps me together.”
“It drives you insane.”
“Just leave me alone.”
“F, please, listen to me.”
“Leave me alone.”
“No. You need to leave.”
“I said: ‘Leave me alone.’”
“F, listen to yourself!” L pleaded, “You are broken!”
“WHY WON’T YOU LEAVE ME ALONE-”
And that was what the creature was. Alone. No specters from the past to haunt it. No worker drone to command it. The creature was alone.