Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

"Not here, not here... Oh, let's try this one.."

Lucia Doorman was a worker drone. A miner, to be precise, and right now? She was sticking her non existent nose into things she should not be. As she searched through the shelves of the archives, she found the disk she needed. Walking over to a data desk, she put the disk into it...

Only for the projection to start glitching like crazy, waking up a security module, unbeknown to Lucia.

"Nope, Nope, Nope-!" She took the disk out, and after blowing the open side, put it back in, as a deep, masculine voice rang out. "That's better.."

"Long ago, our creator, Vickers, transformed himself into our world, Copper-9, and created the thirteen primes, thirteen drones each with their own traits and personalities. From there, Copper-9 grew into a grand world, filled with drones of all kinds, as oil flowed freely through the planet. However, the Solver and its sentinels attacked, causing most drones to be driven underground, as the primes went to the surface. However, all the primes suffered greatly, and the matrix of leadership.."  Lucia braced herself, her core beating fast. "Come on, keep going.." She said, hoping to learn more of the matrix. "Was lost to time, ceasing all Oil flow on Copper-9." Lucia groaned as the disk stopped.

"Why do all the legends of the Matrix END right there?!" She scratched her helmet, before hearing a beeping noise. "Uh oh." She turned, teeth clenched as she saw the security module. "HALT! UNAUTHORIZED ENTRY IN THE ARCHIVES! HALT! UNAUTHORIZED ENTRY IN THE ARCHIVES!" It rung out, causing Lucia to panic, and run off, before running straight into two disassembly drone guards, one with yellow eyes and one with red.

"Hey! Its that miner, Loser Boreman!" The yellow eyed Disassembly drone said, smirking.

"Actually, it's Lucia Doorman, very easy name.." Lucia tried to save her shell, as the red eyed disassembly drone slammed his hand down.

"Why are we wasting time here? She doesn't have a cog!" The red one barked out.

"Hey, listen, fellas.." Lucia backed up, as the two disassemblers stepped forwards. "How about I get a headstart, I run first, and then you go..?" Her sentence caused Yellow to laugh. 

"Its not like you can transform!" He said, smugly. Lucia simply grinned. 

"Oh yeah? Watch this." Lucia started to fold herself up, before running deeper into the archives.

"Hey- AFTER HER!" Red yelled, as he and Yellow gave chase. Lucia slid around corners, eventually managing to grab onto another security module and bash her way through a window, sending her flying high above Sector 03, as she slid over rooftops and wide roadscapes, eventually falling directly into a party full of cogged drones.

"Hey everyone, sorry, didn't mean to- Ooh, oil.." Lucia plucked some of the oil cans off of the table, running out from the party. "Enjoy the party!"

Lucia made it into the roads of Sector 03, preparing to make her escape when Red and Yellow land in front of her. "Got you now!" Red called out, as Yellow cracked his knuckles. 

"Hey guys, how about another head start..?" Lucia shrugged, and just as Red and Yellow were going to grab her, something slammed into them from behind- a cart of equipment.

"Hey, watch where you're going..." A white eyed drone, wearing a yellow shirt, with a yellow helm and brown overalls stopped midsentence as Red and Yellow turned around.

"You got a problem, no cog?!" Yellow yelled, leaning down to get into the white eyed drone's face.

"No, sorry, I did not refer to you, I was referring to the purple drone that was behind you." 

Red and Yellow turned to look behind them, watching as their target vanished. "Where'd she go?!" Red yelled out, and the smaller cogless drone pointed to his right. 

"The filthy purple and black bot? Has a big mouth, squeaky joints, gives off a corroded, metallic stench?"

"WHERE IS SHE?!" Yellow yelled, getting in the white eyed drone's face.

"She went that way!" the yellow clothed worker drone called, Red and Yellow ran off in that direction, as the drone carried onto the train infront of him.

Once on the train, He leaned next to the cart, before sighing. "Coast's clear." Just as he said that, Lucia popped out of the crate.

"Okay, N-71, I may be a bit dusty, but corroded? That was too far." Lucia just managed to stop a grinder from falling out of the crate as she tried to climb out. 

"Got chased out of the archives again?" N-71 asked, giving his friend a helping hand. 

"Yep. Flew out of a window, almost died. Trying to look for information on the Matrix." Lucia said, as she continued to put the rest of the scattered parts back in the crate. 

"James Elliot, THE James Elliot, is out there, risking his life on the surface, searching for the matrix!" N-71 said, as his eyes glowed brighter. 

"I know, and I wanna help him." Lucia said, leaning against the crate. "Hey, if you had a cog, what would your charged mode be?"

"A shovel, to beat you over the head with." N-71 said, without any hesitation. Him and Lucia shared a look, before chuckling.

"Well, if you beat me, I couldn't give you this cool.. Nori Prime thing I found, its cool, I'll give it to someone else."

N-71 stopped, before turning to face Lucia. "What Nori Prime thing?"

"Oh, its nothing, just this Rare, limited Nori Prime decal, first edition." Lucia smirked as she held up the decal, causing N-71's eyes to go wider. "If you don't want it, i can give it to someone else." Lucia said.

"Hey, now that's not funny!" N-71 reached out to grab it, but Lucia held a hand out. 

"Hey hey, don't grab, you're gonna crease it.." Lucia carefully put the decal onto N-71's arm, who smiled as he looked at it.

"Wow, its just.. so cool.." N-71 brushed his hand over it slightly. "Y'know, James Elliot said that Nori was the greatest prime to ever live."

Lucia laughed a bit. "I know, buddy."

N-71 smiled as he looked at Lucia. "Thanks." Lucia stretched and held her fist out. N-71 met it with his own.

"Always got your back."

"No matter what."

Chapter Text

Lucia and N-71 hopped off of the train, having arrived down at the raw oil mines. "Alright, ready to punch in?" Lucia raised her fist for a fist bump as she grabbed her jetpack. N-71 met her fist with his own, having already put his on. The two met up with their group of other miners, including their captain, Jennifer-One. 

"Alright Worker Drones!" Jennifer called out, and all of the miners stood at attention. "Start ignition!" All of the miners followed suit, their jetpacks lighting up one by one. "Go!" At Jennifer's signal, her and her team of miners shot through the caves. "Metal to the pedal, Drill bits, this is it! How much Oil have YOU mined under my leadership?" She yelled out.

"So much, Jennifer-One!" The group called back.

"And how perfect is MY mining record?" Jennifer yelled again, continuing her flight to the mining tunnel of the day.

"So perfect, Jennifer-One!" The miners responded yet again.

"We are a mere thirty units of Oil away from MY promotion to supervisor, are you happy for me?"

"So happy, Jennifer-One!" The mining group landed, and preparations were made for that days' dig site.

"Jennifer- I mean, Captain, you are looking especially shiny today, is that a new polish?" Lucia asked, running to catch up with Jennifer.

"Lucia Doorman, I'm sorry that I somehow gave you the impression that we were friends. Light up that wall!" Jennifer responded, paying no mind to Lucia's quiet 'Apology Accepted.'

"Happy to take the lead today Captain. I'm feeling like I have enough power to reach down and touch Vickers myself." Lucia said, still trying to make friendly small talk.

"You don't have the touch, or the power. Ready positions, Rust buckets! Lets go!" Jennifer ran ahead, leaving Lucia and N-71 behind to get ready.

Soon, the tunnel was set up, and the miners flew inside, filling up multiple carts as they mined through the surface of Copper-9, bringing up trace amounts of oil in what they mine. Soon, however, one of them hit a particularly unstable vein, and the tunnel began to collapse. Jennifer was first to notice, and ordered an immediate evacuation of the tunnel. "Go, go! The tunnel is closing!" She called out, and Lucia and N-71 were soon on their way out, until one of the miners behind them got trapped by a collapsed piece of rubble.

"Jennifer, Sam is stuck! I'm falling back to assist!" Lucia radioed in, despite Jennifer's objections, and Lucia and N-71 went to save the pink eyed bot, Sam.

"Augh, Save yourselves! Take your jetpacks and go!" Sam cried out, leg pinned under the rubble. Lucia's eyes lit up.

"Okay!" She said, running back to grab her jetpack, which she then used to push the rubble away as her and N-71 pulled Sam out from, disconnecting his leg but saving him as the tunnel began to explode. 

Outside, a shockwave hit the escaped miners, as the tunnel began closing. "Lucia Doorman, can you please leave the tunnel of death?" She said, not expecting a response, before her radio crackled back.

"Jennifer, its gonna get messy out there!" Lucia called, as Jennifer saw Lucia and N-71 carrying a crippled Sam out of the destroyed tunnel.  Jennifer managed to keep the tunnel open enough for Lucia, N-71, and Sam to escape, the impact from the tunnel's collapse causing them to fall over.

"What the hell, Doorman, why couldn't you just follow Protocol?!" Jennifer yelled, picking herself up and dusting herself off. "If I get fired because of you, I swear to Vickers-!" She stared at Lucia with a stern expression, as Lucia helped N-71 up, Sam having been carried off before. 

"You're not gonna get fired!" Lucia tried to calm Jennifer down, before Lord Frumptlebucket landed behind Jennifer. 

"Jennifer-One, you're fired." He said, tone deadpan as Jennifer's eyes widened.

"What! I've worked so hard for this promotion, PLEASE, Lord Frumptlebucket!" Jennifer's expression quickly shot to a worried look, as Lucia came up from behind to try and save Jennifer's job. 

"That's right, it was my fault, I broke protocol- Woah!" Lucia fell over as Jennifer pushed her, tears in the captain's eyes that she quickly wiped away.

"You are no cog drones with limited options. Report to waste management immediately!" Lord Frumptlebucket said, glaring at the drone. 

"Waste Management?" Jennifer said, watching as Lord Frumptlebucket walked off, before turning around, and punching Lucia in the shoulder. "Maybe think twice before you ruin someone's life.." Jennifer said, voice quiet.

Lucia scowled, turning to Lord Frumptlebucket. "Hey, Frumptlebucket!"

"Don't.." N-71 froze, trying to stop Lucia as Lord Frumptlebucket turned around.

"I may not have a cog, but my finger can transform! Guess which one! I'll give you a hint." Lucia began to raise her middle finger, causing Lord Frumptlebucket to throw a punch, causing Lucia to brace herself before N-71 caught it.

"Excuse me." N-71 punched Lucia in the face. "I apologize for my friend here, she got a bit too over her head-" He tried to explain.

Lord Frumptlebucket simply punched N-71 in the face.