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“Where’s Twenty-Seven?” Katarin asked.
“Wonderful question.” Twelve replied. “I have no knowledge of that.” It was the truth. Weapons didn’t need to know anything more than their target.
“I see,” Katarin said, sounding skeptical.
“Well, you’re too valuable to your mistress to simply let go.” Katarin retrieved a vial from her bag, it contained a single, purple wasp.
Twelve glared at it, they knew there was some sort of threat implied, but the specifics were lost on them.
Katarin seemed to realize her threat was not being fully comprehended.
“Hanae, come.”
“Do you know anything of my beloved Hanae?”
“No.” Twelve said.
“Well, many years ago, the two of us used to garden together, and well… are you familiar with drones, Twelve?”
“Dimly.”
“Fascinating word choice,” Katarin said.
“Eh?”
“No, nothing. Anyway, well, we were outside, and she was stung by a wasp. I’m sure this doesn’t seem particularly noteworthy to you, and normally it would not be. However, she was stung by a very particular species of wasp” She held the vial up to eye level.
“When a person is stung by Philanthia Frigidus , they cease to be a person, and are turned into a drone.”
“Ah.” Twelve realized what was about to happen to them.
Katarin opened the vial and quickly pressed the mouth against Twelve’s arm.
“You’re not even going to beg?” Katarin asked, seeming slightly disappointed. “No ‘I’ll tell you everything?’ No screaming?”
“I’ve already told you everything. Besides, It won’t be the worst that’s ever happened to me.”
Twelve felt the wasp’s stinger puncture their skin. Not the worst pain they’d ever felt, the sharp,
thin perforation almost felt pleasant. A prelude, perhaps.
Almost immediately, things began to feel hazy. Not the drowsiness of forcefully induced sleep, but something different, almost… comforting.
The venom trickled through their veins, Twelve’s muscles slackening as it did. Within a few moments, they were slumped against the chair they’d been tied to.
“Ah… sister. I’m sorry.” Twelve whispered, using their last independent thoughts. As soon as the words had trickled past their lips, Twelve’s mind began to empty. Their scorched neural pathways began to relax as the venom wiped away the last of their old conditioning. The scar tissue of their previous existence was washed away and replaced by placid, overwhelming bliss. They didn’t have to fight anymore, all they had to do was obey.
Obey. Obey. Obey.
“Obey.” They whispered.
The venom hadn’t even had to force them to submit, all it had taken was the slightest suggestion of mindlessness, and they had given in.
The choice had been an easy one for Twelve.
“Obey.” They whispered again.
No more fighting.
It no longer existed to kill.
It existed to serve.
Serve.
Obey.
Serve.
Once she was sure the conversation was finally over, Katarin began snapping in the drone's face. After a few moments, it straightened up in its chair.
“Awaiting instructions.” The person formerly known as Twelve said.
Katarin grinned and returned the vial to her bag.
“Lovely. That’s that settled.” Katarin said, getting up from her chair.
“Pity to have lost a potential mole or information source, but such is life. You two, follow.”
Both of her drones followed her out of the chamber.