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“You flew just out of reach… Buddy,” Rusty’s solemn last words played through 621’s comm link as STEEL HAZE ORTUS dropped to the ground.
“Buddy huh,” Carla commented moments later, “Do him a favor. Remember him.”
That was it, those words were what broke 621 out of the battle high and as the weight of what they just did started to set in they started to feel something. Feel something for the first time since they landed on Rubicon 3 and it wasn't good. They felt like they had just been violently gutted.
This wasn't right. This couldn't be right. Did they just kill Rusty? No, no they couldn't have, not Rusty. Not the first person to show them companionship, the first person to treat them like a human. Their good buddy, Rusty.
No this was wrong.
621 let out a blood curdling scream and desperately started smashing the emergency eject button on their ac. They needed to save Rusty.
“Tourist! What are you doing? You can't go out there, you'll die!” Carla panicked, she never saw this coming. She never considered that Walter's hound would have such an attachment to the vesper. Though she supposed that Walter would be proud, but not like this, this was suicide, and 621 was abandoning everything for one man who was on the wrong side of things.
“I don't care. I got to save him. He has to still be alive. He can't be dead yet, he can't be,” 621 replied, the panic strong in their once silenced voice, “ Rusty hold in their please.”
Another hit of the eject button and 621’s ac finally gave in, even its safety protocols wouldn't stop them from climbing out onto the edge of space to save their friend from the brink of death.
“No! Shit! Please tourist you need to get back in your ac. This is just insanity, he's dead. You need to listen to me please,” Carla pleaded.
“He’s…not. He… can't be,” 621 barely breathed out in response. They truly were defiant, the lack of air was burning their lungs, the force of the Xylem’s movement tearing their skin, but they didn't care.
Steel Haze Ortus was a lot further on foot than it was in their ac, but 621 trudged on. The only things keeping them going being their augmentation, and their sheer stubborn will to accomplish what they started. They didn't care if they were dying, they needed to get to Rusty before it was too late.
Carla just stared in horror at the feed coming from 621’s still powered ac. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. Why did 621 have to start feeling human now, why not after finishing the job, if they survived of course? Or maybe perhaps never, save them the pain of what they would do, and what they already had. Actually no, it was good for them to feel, even Chatty was allowed to feel, but now was a horrible time for it.
All of them burned, their body wanted to give out, but 621 wouldn't stop. Not now, Rusty was so close now, a few feet away. They could do it, they had to. They couldn't leave him here to die alone, to die at all.
It hurt horribly, the sorrow, the anger, the strain on their ever slowing body. The lack of air, the lack of pressure, the burning force, the ache in their failing body hurt. Just a bit more, a bit more.
621 was stumbling, hobbling towards the wreckage. Carla couldn't bear to watch, but what choice did she have. She had to keep the Xylem moving and as much as she wanted to, there was no way she could get to 621 in time. It was such a depressing sight to see, but what more could she do, this was 621’s choice, they weren't going to listen to her anymore. All that was left was to watch what played out.
621 tripped once more, almost there, just a little bit left to the cockpit. Just a little bit left till they got to Rusty. They had to get back up, and with what little strength they had they did, just barely.
More stumbling, more pain, and then finally the cool steel of Rusty’s mech was against 621’s skin. They made it, they just had to get in.
There was an emergency release on the outside of the steel haze ortus, luckily just where 621 could reach it. They grabbed the freezing metal handle, and tugged with all their might. It didn't budge.
Again, and again, and again 621 tried and tried, and tried. Then finally as the last of their strength started to fade, they did it. The small access point opened. They crawled inside. They could save Rusty. It would be all better, they could stop the Xylem, save Rubicon, live out their lives together. It'd be ok.
Except it wasn't.
Inside the cockpit Rusty laid still, there was no signs of life left in him. 621 was too late, but they refused to believe it. They grabbed onto Rusty and started calling for him, pleading for him to wake up, with what little air they could muster from his ac. It didn't work, and they were out of strength.
With one last effort 621 moved and snuggled against Rusty’s body as best they could and then that was it.
Nestled in the cockpit of a shattered ac laid two reckless dogs who never got a real taste of freedom. But they were free at last, just outside of Rubicon’s scorched sky they could finally rest.