Chapter Text
Chapter 1: A Bunkers Backstory
It was a fairly normal day in colony three of Copper-9. Kids were gossiping, adults were ignoring them, and Uzi Doorman had a friggin headache. It was hard not to, when you've just had a sci-fi weapon blow up in your hands.
Uzi was certain her railgun would work this time. She checked everything. Why the hell didn't it work!?
She sat in the first aid, a steaming railgun corpse beside her, trying to figure out where in Robo-God’s name she went wrong! Her brooding was interrupted by two pairs of eyelights appearing in the doorway. One pink, one red. Two stares, one judgemental and the other apathetic.
"Hey, a piece of advice, freak."
Lizzy’s words weren't so much harsh as they were amused.
"Next time you try to blow yourself up, do it properly."
Red eyes stopped themselves mid roll, and the two drones left, Lizzy giggling to herself.
Uzi groaned. Normally, she'd have bitten back with a response, but today wasn't the day. No, she'd prove them wrong without words. Because today was the day that Uzi Doorman would kill a murder drone. If she could get this piece of crap gun to fire!
Whatever. She'd figure it out. Uzi was smarter than any of these losers. The bell marked the end of the school day, and everyone was rushing to get back to their little corners of the bunker. For what? Uzi could never understand how all these drones were okay with living down here. What is there to run home to?
Especially for someone like Uzi, where even the company wasn't worth it. Because, fun fact, her dad was the one who trapped them all down here in the first place!
Okay, technically, it was the murder drones that forced them into hiding, but Khan Doorman was the one who went all kookie about doors and "never leaving the bunker ever!" Lame.
Uzi didn't have any memories of her mom, but she was sure that someone like her would never stay cooped up in this dump. And neither would Uzi.
She arrived home to a familiar lack of greeting. Khan was probably at work. (If you could even call it work), so Uzi was alone. Like always. But it was a good thing. More time for railgun mechanics.
Uzi threw the broken weapon on her desk haphazardly, spreading out some blueprints. Everything was exactly how it was meant to be. Cooling didn't fail. Barrel didn't jam. The only explanation was.. the power source. Uzi knew that a weapon this size would need a lot of power, but she figured she could get at least one shot off!
The only other power source that could handle that much charge was a Jcjenson power core, and the only working ones came from the murder drones landing pod! So, to get the part she needed for her murder drone killing gun, she had to go to the lair of said murder drones. Great. Absolutely fantastic. Uzi was planning to go there anyway. But this just became a stealth mission.
The purple eyed worker slumped at her desk, grabbing a few tools from her pile. She’d need her railgun to actually be in one piece to install the power core. Fixing the gun didn’t take a horrible amount of time. She even added a few extra power diverters to make sure it wouldn’t explode this time.
With a sigh, Uzi flopped onto her bed. The more charge she got now, the better. Because Uzi Doorman had a big morning planned. And nobody was going to stop her.
Despite not actually needing to follow human sleep patterns, most workers went offline during the night. They could charge at any time, and they definitely didn’t need bedtimes. But they had them anyway. Just another bit of proof that first gen workers are obsessed with copying their oppressors.
So naturally (or artificially), the colony was quiet at 3 in the morning. Except for the Doorman household.
A purple visor blinked on. Khan should be gone for work by now. Now or never.
Uzi grabbed her beanie and railgun and very sneakily took the master door keycard from Khan’s room. A few minutes of sneaking around later, and she was there.
All that stood between Uzi and her wicked vengeance was three stupid doors. That, and a whole wasteland of ice and death, but Uzi would cross that bridge when she got to it.
She tapped the master key, and door three pulled open. Revealing a very disappointed looking drone.
“Ah- Robo-Jesus!”
Uzi startled. Khan stood in place, arms crossed, and digital brow furrowed low.
“And where,” he started. “Might you be going?”
Uzi figured she could lie her way out of this. It’s not like he cared enough to double check anything.
“Uhh... sneaking out to make out with my super real boyfriend?”
Real convincing, Uzi. Khan forced a short laugh.
“Ha! Very funny. But try again. The truth, this time. Maybe start with explaining the gun?”
Uzi cringed. Yeah, the railgun on her back was a little suspicious, but she was Uzi Doorman! Weird and edgy projects were her whole thing!
“Well, you see... I was going to examine the exterior hydraulics of door one! And the gun is for… protection?”
A door-based lie, Khan couldn’t not fall for that. Except, he didn’t fall for it.
“Uzi, there are sticky notes on your ceiling describing your plan to sneak out.”
Uzi was furious at the knowledge that Khan had gone through her private crazed ramblings, but she had bigger issues right now.
“You were going to go looking for the murder drones? Uzi, do you have any idea how dangerous those things are?”
Purple eyes rolled.
“Yeah, that’s kind of the point, dad! Once I get the last part for my sick as hell railgun, no one will have to worry about the murder drones again!”
Khan was quiet for only a moment. Grey eyes hollowed.
“Uzi... you can’t fight those things.”
Uzi scoffed. Of course he’d think that. He didn’t have a super awesome railgun.
“Not with these dumb doors in my way, I can’t.”
Khan shook his head, his eyes still hollow for reasons Uzi couldn’t figure out.
“Do you know why I built the doors?”
a simple question. Uzi knew exactly why.
“Because you’re a coward. Everyone in this bunker is a coward.”
Quiet again. Some might call it awkward, but Uzi can’t remember an interaction with her dad that wasn’t. Then, he answered. His voice held sorrow Uzi had never heard from the older drone.
“No. I built the doors because I refuse to be a coward. I refuse to be the coward who let your mother die.”
Purple eyes matched the hollow display. Okay, guess she’s getting a free trauma dump about her dead mom.
“That day.. Nori was staring a murder drone in the eyes, and I didn’t do a thing. I ran.”
Khan sighed. Nostalgia mixed with regret.
“That day, I vowed I’d never be that coward again. I built these doors to make sure you never have to be in that situation. I finally did something worth a damn. To make sure you never look a murder drone in the eyes.”
Wow. Impressive speech. But someone as rebellious and determined as Uzi Doorman wasn’t going to be stopped by a tragic origin story. The young worker steeled her expression and gripped the keycard tighter.
“When I find one of those things, I’ll be prepared. Sorry dad, but I’ve got a mother to avenge.”
Uzi ran, and Khan did not stop her. Figures.