Chapter Text
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Chapter One:
Of “Enh-uh” And Robot Bunnies
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INITIALIZING UNIT (VM516)
UNIT (VM516)…
.BOOTING PROCESS READY
DIVERTING POWER TO MOTHERBOARD. . .
INITIALIZING UEFI. . .
STARTING SYSTEM CHECK UP:
RAM. . .
.OPERATIONAL
CPU. . .
.OPERATIONAL
MAIN MOBILITY MOTORS. . .
.OPERATIONAL
SECONDARY MOBILITY MOTORS. . .
.OPERATIONAL
EXTERNAL CAMERA FEED. . .
.OPERATIONAL
SYSTEM CHECK UP SUCCESSFUL
.CALIBRATION COMPLETE
BOOTLOADER (MAIN) ACTIVATING
SEARCHING FOR OPERATING SYSTEM. . .
OPERATING SYSTEM FOUND
INSTALLING MAIN OS – BANGBOO OS v2.4. . .
.OS INSTALLED SUCCESSFULLY
MAIN PROCESSING DRIVERS. . .
.CONNECTED
SEARCHING FOR CONNECTION. . .
CONNECTION FOUND -BANGBOO N.E.T-
CONNECTING TO BANGBOO N.E.T . . .
.CONNECTION ACHIEVED
UNIT (VM516) READY FOR BOOT UP
!
UNIDENTIFIABLE FILE DETECTED IN EXTERNAL DATA DRIVES
NAME FILE: (JIDE.ZIP)
DOWNLOAD (JIDE.ZIP) INTO SYSTEM OS?
[Y/N]
Y
!WARNING!
DATA DETECTED TO BE PARTIALLY CORRUPTED OR PROCESSED INCORRECTLY
PROCEED WITH DOWNLOAD?
[Y/N]
Y
EXTRACTING FILES FROM (JIDE.ZIP). . .
DOWNLOAD SUCCESSFUL / BEGINNING IMPLEMENTATION OF CHANGES TO BANGBOO OS v2.4
UNIT (VM516) READY FOR BOOT UP
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“Euuuughhh-what the hell!” I groaned loudly, hands moving up to hold at my head, as if to push back the feeling of brain matter having been turned into mush potato puree and put back together via duct tape and crappy glue. Though, as it should have been expected, such didn't work at all.
Had there been a drinking event yesterday for me to feel like this? How much alcohol was even drunk?
Wait, as a matter of fact, you have never drank alcohol, dumbass.
My head pulsed once again, feeling as though it would implode like an overripe watermelon covered in rubber bands and stain my entire bedroom.
This reminded me of that one time I spent an entire forty-eight-hours without sleep, provoking the worst kind of headache known to man. But oh God, this was about ten times worse elevated to the square.
Thankfully, the painful, almost sentient writhing of my head started to reduce momentarily, allowing trains of thought to become somewhat more coherent, my cloudy perception of the surroundings not as pronounced as it was just a moment ago.
“...llo!”
Huh?
“...ello!”
The hell is that sound, did my computer remain on all night? Ohhhhh no, the electric bill is going to wipe my ass if I left the entire thing run its course agai-
“HELLO!” WAAAH!
“WAAAH!” I shouted startled, jumping backwards instinctively, with my hands moving to a somewhat prepared karate stand. Muscle memory from being forced to go since the age of five baby.
Wait, why was I standing just now? Shouldn't my form be upon the comfortable, squishy surface of the mattress in my room referred to as the Holy Resting Place? Did I fall off and stand up while asleep?
“Oh! Sorry to have startled you, I didn't mean to!” Exclaimed a voice, most probably the one which had scared my soul out of my body, worry tainting their non-identifiable tone. Were they male or female? Meh, not having the ability to identify even that is probably a mix of being half asleep and possessing the worst goddamn headache ever.
“Don't worry, just stop screaming at random people.” I muttered off-handedly, hand swiping the air nonchalantly, while keeping a firm view of the suspiciously close floor. Shutting my eyes tight a second after, when seeing letters and symbols sporadically appear at the edge of my vision “Also, dude, what are you even doing in my house? You know locked doors mean it's supposed to be private property, right?”
Wait a minute, did I lock all the doors?
…
Huh, can't remember, everything is kinda fuzzy. Kind of… sussy.
…
Christ, this is what watching Max0r videos regularly does to a probably sleep deprived, pain clouded mush of a brain.
“Doors?” Asked the unidentifiable voice in front of me. “What doors? There are no doors here. Well, maybe that reinforced one over there, but-”
Bruh.
“Look” I interrupted him, annoyance starting to radiate from every word, stabbing the air to where he hopefully was repeatedly to emphasize. “I don't know if you're just as high as a kite, or a very, very big dumbass with great skills for infiltrating into houses, but if you don't get out, I'm going to kick your ass.”
“Bah-what!? Why!?” Shouted the voice in a mix of anger and bafflement
“Dude, you can't say why! You literally went through four different doors and an entire security system to access my room to what–watch me sleep?” I demanded, moving my head to, even if my eyes were closed, glare daggers at the dumbass. “If you wanted money, you could have just asked me and I would have given you some! But noooo, you had to try and steal from me and my poor, poor house.” I continued a moment later, tone dropping into a whisper, though not less menacing all the same. “And also, God bless you if you touched anything on your way here, because the only way out you'll know is to heaven with same day shipping.”
“B-but, how am I supposed to get out!?” Asked the voice, now reduced to a sobbing whimper.
“Ughh.” My face met my hand as it touched the suspiciously flat surface of my nose, and face, and mouth, without any of the familiar meaty texture for some reason. “You got the door,” I pointed out with a hand to my right, calculating my position from being beside the bed, and then doing the same with the emergency exit. “And the window for emergency.”
“Why would you use a window as an emergency exit?” The voice questioned, clearly stupefied by what they heard, as their tone reduced to confused muttering.
“Because why not? It's right there. So, if you were to already kindly leave, take any of them, but just go. Preferably, actually, use the window and break a few bones while you're at it, might as well make us both a favor by ending paraplegic and stopping yourself from breaking into another house.”
“I can't leave, and neither can you!” The voice hurriedly said, the swooshing of air pushed around indicating something was being waved dangerously.
“Oh-ho, so that was your plan, using me as hostage, eh? You probably got a weapon to ensure I don't do anything stupid right?” The response came out of me cockily, arms crossed over my chest.
Not like much can be done if they have a gun or a blunt weapon. And if beating his ass was not an option, then sharing with him my brain damage in hopes his brain short-circuits to buy me enough time to make a break for it is the next.
“I don't have anything!” The voice exclaimed, the swooshing of a large object waved around accompanying the action.
“Uh-huh, and I was born five minutes ago to not hear the very clear weapon you are waving around!” I commented sarcastically, raising an eyebrow with a crappy, humorous grin.
“We were just booted up five minutes ago!” Damn, this guy really is bad in the head to refer to being born as ‘booted up’.
I want some of whatever he smokes. Might just help with the headache if it leaves someone acting this stupid.
“Ahhhhh, truly, human stupidity knows no bounds.” I muttered to myself quietly, shaking my head side to side.
“Why are you talking about humans all of a sudden?” The voice spoke stupidly.
Groaning in pure, unfiltered annoyance, the voice yelped as I continued. “And why are you referring to your goddamm race in third person? What, did an alien just break into my house? Was there a spatial distortion in the space continuum that teleported me inside a black hole full of Eldritch monstrosities? What, truly, what is it?” A ping resounded at that moment, suspiciously inside of my head, however, as any of the random bull crap currently occuring, was thoroughly ignored and chalked up to my brain having turned to tender potato puree.
“Yes, there have warnings of possible companion Hollows emerging in accordance to information inside the N.E.T” UGHHH-
“Okay. You know, that's it. I don't care if you have a gun or not, or if my head is about to implode.” Forcing my eyes open, and ignoring anything that could be seen swirling in my vision, I started flailing around wildly, gesturing exaggeratedly with both hands. “You have the door, the window, or if you want me to kick your ass that bad, you got the wall behind me! So pick one, since I'm not going to deal with this crap any further!”
There was just one problem.
One very big, very confusing-
Problem.
Right where the door should be? A cute watermelon-shaped bunny with penguin-like stumps as limbs.
The emergency exit? Another watermelon bunny.
The supposed wall behind me? Bunny.
And the voice I pointed at and insulted for an entire conversation?
You guessed right-!
“Bunny.” I dryly and absentmindedly spoke, observing how the optics of the mechanical bunny in front of me blinked in clear confusion. An arm caught in the air reaching at me, then stopping mid-way, second-guessing.
“Are you… okay?” Its head tilted to the side, giant, gray ears atop the head, possessing a screw at the end, swishing through the air as it did.
Oh, so that was the supposed weapon.
“What- why are you…” The rest of my sentence remained inside my mouth as I shut it tight why does no muscle respond properly? Let's just analyze the situation. Yeah, that's a better idea.
The bunny, apart from the already mentioned characteristics, had an oversized zipper, right below the black screen displaying worried light green optics, which lightly bobbed up and down at the action. The edge of a light green disk, seemingly serving as a short, stubby tail, coming from Its back. Though it all seems as an… add-on, weirdly, as though the custom could be interchangeable.
And there were dozens of these things surrounding me.
All looking at me. Some scared, others intrigued, yet, mostly all observed with a stillness in their gaze that seemed mechanical and unnatural. Almost alive, nonetheless, nowhere close to awareness.
The headache was forgotten for an instant, now replaced with pure dread.
Holy almighty, this is eerie.
The sound of speakers calibrating as they were turned on resonated in the occupied metallic room, interrupting the sudden stillness which had settled inside the space.
“Unit VM516, cease all continuation of disruptive behaviour or reactivation procedures shall be initiated.” A cold, female voice spoke from the speakers that were most probably hidden inside the walls.
Damn, that VM bunny should really stop causing mayhem unless it wants to be reactivated. Which is like, identity death for a robot if I'm not wrong.
“Hey,” Spoke the bunny I verbally harassed in front of me, moving closer “Please, stop, you'll be reset if you don't.”
Wait.
“Reset? Me?” I started with a chuckle, placing an arm why does it feel wrong? on its small shoulder. “Listen little fella, I'm a person, not a robot or whatever you cute bunny things are, so that can't happen. See?” Extending my free hand forward, the sight of -
A grey pajama?
With a stubby, familiar penguin-like arm with no fingers on sight beneath?
Eyes widening in horror, my free hand whipped to now be found in front of my face, turning one side and the other, with the other leaving the rabbits’ shoulder and doing the same the following moments, noticing they were both the same. Head slowly, almost painfully, cranning down, observing the rotund body with two short feet and a zipper coming up to right where my nose should be. Lastly, bringing both arms to the section atop my head slowly; the movement marked with horror and unease, two thin ear-like appendages were grasped and brought down to my field of vision.
They were the same ears with screws at the end the bunny in front of me had.
That all the bunny had.
Arms falling limply to my sides, I observed the bunny in front of me, catching, in the shine of Its visor, a reflection. That of a panicked, rotund, and melon shaped mechanical rabbit with a thousand yard stare, standing still as their reflection stared back.
As my reflection stared back. Eyes unmoving from the digital Unit ID showing at the right edge of the visor.
VM516
My mouth opened, trying to cycle air, however, none entered.
There were no more lungs to cycle air from.
I inhaled aggressively, barely mimicking the familiar action. “THIS IS SUCH BULLSHI-”
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“Do you think there is a failure with the programming?” I asked, white trenchcoat flowing freely down my chair, observing the footage of the newest batch through one of the cameras inside the first room of the assembly area.
“I already checked the new OS version. Multiple times.” Marisa mentioned, observing through the same camera feed as mine, what was currently proving to be the most problematic unit that had ever been produced in this factory.
And within the first five minutes of being active.
“And? Any faults or wrong coding you could find?” Typing at the keyboard, the information of components and assembly of each and every single Unit inside the batch was checked, my eyes already skimming through half of the two hundred total Bangboo produced.
“No.” The blonde denied with a firm shake of the head, eyes fixated on the shouting Bangboo screaming at the walls. “Those at the programming sector are right on what they say, their programming is flawless.”
“Flawless.” I muttered disbelievingly, half hissing. “Oh, sure. This wouldn't be happening if their code was flawless as they said!” Cat ears dropping low in annoyance and frustration, feeling my tail swish sharply behind me.
I observed how Marisa rolled her eyes at my outburst, carefully observing how the Bangboo VM516 had been communicating with, BO783, gazed around, panicking as the rest of Bangboo from the batch backed away from the unstable Unit, and, carefully, tried getting closer. Jumping away the next moment as VM516 turned erratically in Its direction, angrily stepping closer while It tried to back up, grabbing It by the shoulders, then moving the other unit back and forth desperately as something was spoken.
“We should call the Tech Team to take control of the situation.” I suggested. While their boss was an ass, he at least knew how to do his work.
Heavy, intentional steps could be heard as a figure approached both our stations from behind, hands grasping the backrest of both our chairs as he leaned in between both to observe the ruckus happening on screen. “Did somebody say Tech Team?” Jerry asked rhetorically, the usual grin plastered on his face.
Damnit.
Mouth opening, already forming to express a tired no, before stopping.
Was I really going to have to do this?
Letting go a tired sigh, I spoke. “Yes, we did say Tech Team.”
“Ha! Knew you did!” Exclaimed Jerry out-loud, slapping me on the back playfully, and gaining a sharp cat-like hiss of annoyance in return. Turning to observe us both as his gaze moved away from the screaming Bangboo on screen. “Now, what's going on here?”
Interchanging a glance with Marisa's blank face, whose head barely moved downwards, meaning she nodded acknowledgingly, the words flowed out of my mouth in a tired string. “We had just started production on the newest batch. Assemble the hardware, install the program into the components, and boot up before proceeding with the tests, the usual. However, since the assemblage process was finished and the tests began no longer than five minutes ago, there has been an Unit that is proving to be…” pressing the unmute button-
“EUHN-NAAAAA-” The wrathful scream reverberated through the room, scaring away work companions on their computers who yelped in place, the shout climbing up the walls and onto the ceiling, dust falling from the surfaces, and the air screeching in protest. The Bangboo on screen letting go of Its batch mate, turning upwards towards ceiling, and screaming incoherently as if it had wronged It personally, arms swinging wildly to the sides.
-and pressing it again two seconds after, the silence in the room a relief to my eardrums. “Problematic.” I finished flatly.
“Hm,” Grunted Jerry, grin widening into showing all teeth. “Ain't that one ruckus of a Bangboo. In all my years working here, I don't remember a case like this ever popping up.”
“Getting It scrapped and continuing normally would be better for the efficiency of the company.” Marisa commented in her clipped tone, the Tech Team leader turning to her. The emblem of his branch gleaming on the light as it hung from his dark blue and green uniform.
“Or,” He started, briefly glancing at the screen, where the heavy, metallic duty doors opened, letting through half a dozen guard personnel that entered the space of the newest batch, heading in the direction of a startled VM516 who had stopped shouting at their arrival. “We bring it here, and check for any problems in Its OS which might have caused a catastrophic first boot up as this.”
Did he already call the containment unit?
No, wait. Of course he did.
Weren't they supposed to be twelve, though? He must have just called half then. It's only a defective Bangboo after all.
“The OS was already verified. There were no problems from the version sent by the programming team.” The blonde clarified, repeating exactly what she told me.
Again. If they had done their job properly, this wouldn't have happened!
“Yes, I trust your judgement about the Generalized OS version installed into the newer batch models being flawless.” Jerry spoke, nodding to himself, eyes closed. Opening them a second later. “Nonetheless, did you two perhaps check the OS of the affected problematic unit specifically?”
I snickered in annoyance at his comment. “Really? Check the Unit’s OS? You think that will serve for anything? It was downloaded straight from the Marcel Group's specialized database, and, even if the Dennies those assholes higher up “used” for the cyber-security systems of the branch served for nothing, meddling with the data is still not possible.” Stopping momentarily, my furrowed gaze met with Jerry's amused own. “Clearly, someone in the programming sector messed up, and messed up bad.”
“Maybe.” Admitted the man, shrugging his arms. “Checking won't hurt anyway, will it?”
“No, it won't.” How could-?!
Turning, I glared at Marisa, ears folding backwards atop my head in irritation. “You're with him now, Marisa? Checking this is just stupid! There can't be any changes done to the OS due to the direct download! It's a waste of time that could be used for anything else, like putting the situation under control!”
“Bah, it's just a little check!” Jerry spoke, hand swishing the air as if pushing my complaints into the trash. “I can do it myself if you don't want to.”
Sharply ignoring the comment from the Tech Team leader, my eyes fell on Marisa, whose blank, professional look observed my frowning own without dignifying a response. Seconds passing by as she stared me up and down, no reaction but a delicate eyebrow raise serving as the only answer.
“You know what, fine!” I started, frustated, typing on the keyboard. Accessing the Bangboo N.E.T admin controls, then entering the inner data and characteristics of newly connected Units. “If both of you want to lose time that much, I'm not your father to say otherwi-” My mouth shut tight the next second as a last window appeared on the screen, tail and ears dropping low in confusion.
“Wha-?” I muttered disbelievingly, observing as more and more error messages piled up. The opened file causing the computer to freeze momentarily, each buffer cycle becoming longer, as an impossible image slowly loaded in. “What is this? How is this even possible?”
“Something wrong there, kitty?” Asked Jerry, with less snark and more worry in his voice, to my left, moving to the other side of the chair. Permitting Marisa to move closer to observe, her eyes widening the more she read.
“There's data and information that wasn't coded-in present there.” Marisa muttered, her cold, disciplined demeanor breaking as she spoke, sounding half horrified yet astounded.
“No, no, It's just- what the hell!? This shouldn't be possible!!” I turned, panicked, to him with my hands holding onto the white edge of the table to ground myself, observing as his amused grin turned sharper at having seen the data on screen.
“Well, seems my team now has our work cut out for us,” Jerry spoke, cackling lightly, as my wide-eyed gaze returned to the Operating System appearing on the error-ridden screen. Warnings and alarms barely hiding what appeared beneath.
It was wrong.
Oh, so wrong.
Where green numbers and binary data should flow, working in tandem -yet separately- they merged, interlacing with one another as if some kind of wretched spider-web had taken hold and interlaced them together in places where connections shouldn't have even been made in the first place. Parts of the original OS could be glimpsed, in their classical green coding, though merged or split haphazardly with something else that took root. Warping, twisting, and changing what once was a simple Bangboo operating system into something more.
A digital symbiosis being the only name I could use to dignify this… thing.
It seemed rudimentary. A mess without order that shouldn't work, but, somehow, did, by the manner in which the orange code spread onto the pre-programmed pathways and response algorithms, permitting their growth at an uncontrolled rate. Breaking and ripping everything apart, but repairing it the next moment in Its own image.
Worse, the foreign code pulsed in a soft orange light, with the original OS doing the same after, as if trying to imitate it, lagging behind. However, counting each second that passed by, the pulses became closer to each other, syncing.
“And yours has it too.”
My hands slipped, letting my head meet the table with a tired, pitiful sounding thump.
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“Look fellas, can't we talk about this? SURELY, an agreement can be reached in which you won't be mauling me to death with sticks.” My short, stubby legs moved me backward in a slow gait, hands swiping the air desperately, as I spoke to the six armed guards with metal poles, longer than my entire body, encircling me against one of the grey, though slightly of blue shade, walls. Their plated armour covering them from head to toe.
Which, as well as with everything else that had come out of me in the last couple of tense seconds, was ignored completely, they preferring to advance further in encircling me with the professionalism of a black ops group. The small, rotund bunnies surrounding us clearing path for me and the armed group to pass, giving a wide berth.
Goddamn it all, I knew blindly accepting those policy contracts without reading was going to get me into the black market one way or another, and not exactly as a buyer.
I jolted forward from a sudden impact on my back, barely keeping myself from stumbling into the floor.
Cranning my view backwards, my widening, horrified eyes observed my back touching the surface of the hard, metallic wall, with no apparent exit in sight. Feet pushing uselessly to try to make me pass through it.
Uh-oh.
Turning to the front, arms raised and palms pointed at them, even though the entire thing could be counted as a palm from the lack of fingers, I spoke cheerily, though having an edge of tenseness in my voice which didn't go away. “Okay, okay, understood. You're not the talking type, got that clear over here. However! I know someone who does talk-who talks for the sake of the people!” I started, arms spread wide to the sides.
Come on, sprouting random crap has to work to get them to lose focus!
They kept approaching as I continued my charade, not a single drop of focus lost or redirected. “Saul Goodman, a man of justice and word. He knows I have rights, and that they should be respected, so, kindly, respect them alread-” In unison, the six guards lifted their baton, grasping it with both hands, and twisted. Letting go a set of sparks from the end as they lit up, electricity crackling on their end.
*CRACK-BZTTTTTT*
Crap, those weren't metal sticks, they were metal sticks with stun tech!
“WOAH!” Sidestepping to the side, narrowly evading a direct blow from a baton, then jumping to evade an overhead hit, a miscalculation; mainly on how tall a petite thing like I was now could jump so high, prompted me to fall face first into-
“AGH-GET THIS CRAZY BANGBOO OFF ME!” Shouted the guard whose face was used for me to land on. Dropping the baton on hand, which crashed uselessly to the ground; electricity fading as he let go, and desperately pushing to try and get me off, akin to how someone would to a cat clinging to their face.
I held on to the sides of his head with all strength, grasping tightly, not wanting to let go in fear of flying away into an even worse position. Penguin like arms and legs holding on surprisingly well.
“DON'T WORRY, JUST STAY STILL.” Exclaimed another guard, launching himself both over to me and his companion, trying to bat me away with his own weapon. Yet failing, as the guards’ body I held onto twisted to and fro in desperation, causing me to hold tighter, and him to swish around more frantically. “ANTON, STAY. STILL.”
“THEN GET THIS OFF!” Anton yelled alarmed, the pushing against me becoming more desperate.
My head swiveled around, desperately searching for the exit. Looking through the crowd of Bangboo and five other guards taking turns at swinging their funny light sticks in my direction.
“Where is that door!”
I twisted in place, grabbing Anton's head tightly and yanking to the side, evading an incoming blow that dangerously sizzled through the air where I just was. Bangboo -what a weird name for people to refer to these things with, sincerely- stumbling over each other when evading me and the guard serving as my appointed taxi service of the day moving throughout the room.
I literally just saw the door when they entered, It can't be that hard to find!
Another yank of the head, “AUHG!” another blow barely dodged from another guard.
So-
One yank, “GAH!” one dodge.
-where-
Yank, “DAMN-” dodge.
-is-
Yank, “YOU!” dodge.
-IT?!
Wait, is that…?
“EUREKA, THERE YOU ARE YOU PESKY DOOR!” I shouted to the heavens when having caught a glimpse of my escape route.
Okay, so now just jump off and-
*SWIISH* OH-GOD-DODGEEEE
Yanking with all my strength, Anton swiveled uncontrollably to the side, spine folding backwards, and giving enough space for the hit to exclusively graze close enough to see the crackling electricity on my face. Which means TOO CLOSE.
Comeongetupppp!!
Anton, in fact, did get up. Swishing an arm wildly to try and hit me, which, as was done with the rest of the attacks coming my way, caused me to yank his head carelessly in the opposite direction. Throwing my newly acquired vehicle into a crowd of panicking Bangboo, who weren't able to move out of his path at the suddenness of the move, resulting in him crashing into them, stumbling to the floor wildly.
With me still on him.
Damn, this is gonna’ hurt.
The guard fell on me, flattening me against the ground along a few other robot bunnies, who struggled and grunted in annoyance, trying to scatter away.
“Ugh.” Squishing myself out from below him with a grunt, distancing away the mass of Bangboo surrounding him with a push of my arms, I slipped belly first onto the floor in front, limbs splayed wide.
Okay-okay, just get to the exit, pretty easy-peasy.
Now, where was it again?
My head travelled around the room, trailing every nook and cranny of each wall, until finding what I searched for.
…Annnnnd there!
“Gotcha’, you damn slippery bastard!” Said a pair of arms maniacally as they grabbed me from the ears atop my head, squishing tightly. It didn't hurt, whether from not having pain sensors or having it not be a part of what I now was, I didn't know. Which was good.
What was not so good was the situation that such discovery was made in.
Struggling proved of no use as I was raised from the ground, held and defenseless like a sack of potatoes, then turned with a sudden twist of the ears to face my assailant. Eyes narrowing when observing who it was.
Anton.
“Guys, come on, tase it already!” The guard shouted to his companions, who approached in all directions, as I observed them in the corner of my view and hearing.
Which… wasn't that surprising, considering he was the only one in grabbing distance capable of surprising me.
“Heh, nowhere for you to go now.” Anton spoke cockily, tone low, as he observed me swing around, reaching with both hands to try and pry his own off, glaring at him. His free hand lifted from his side, and -against my beliefs thinking I was about to be used as a punching sack- moved to his helmet, pressing a button to the side. A mechanical hiss resounded from within, then almost tearing it off his head, brown, short hair came flowing from inside. Eyes, of the same colour, glaring at my own green, digital ones.
“You know, I had a really bad day, and this just made it worse. So, I congratulate you for it!” The guard admitted with a sharp, wild grin, gaze focused on mine. Grasp on my ears tightening even more. “Because having gone through this, knowing they will dismantle you, has just made my day!”
Did he go coo-coo?- Wait, dismantle!?!
“Yeah.” He blurted with a laugh, probably seeing the mortification on my face- er, eyes. Everything else was void now. “With how defective you came out, that's assured.”
Alright, no doubt, getting out of this human trafficking market of a company was a must.
The rest of guards had closed in a star pattern for what I could discern, methodical steps carrying them closer, and in the few seconds since being held captive on the air, they advanced, currently only a few meters away from our position. Reducing the distance rapidly.
Reducing my chance to escape.
“Stop struggling.” Mentioned the brown haired guard, smirking momentarily as I went limp, arms and legs pointing to the floor. “Heh, knew you would notice the pointlesne-”
“Heh-heh.”
Anton's head jerked back in surprise, raising a confused eyebrow, as my own head raised to look at him. “And why are you looking so smug?” The question was accompanied by his face reducing the distance, observing me up and down.
“Take this!” I exclaimed, whipping both arms upwards and stabbing forward. “Secret Technique: Forced Visual Impairment!”
“AHHH MY EYES!!!” The man shouted in pain, both arms flying up to grab at his face, as he turned away, letting go.
Dropping to the floor, standing upright, body swinging uncontrollably in all directions for a moment until finding balance, my legs propelled me around as I did a 180 and bolted. Pushing through the crowd of identical Bangboo on the way, observing how the two closest guards in front of me fought to do the same, trying to cut me off, but were held back by their own size.
Destination? The hallway leading outside the room.
Guard A, the one on my left and approaching, gave up, crouching, and, the next moment, arcing through the air, hands in front of him ready to catch me. I stopped advancing, pedalling back a few steps, and jumped over as his body flew through the space below, crashing into the sea of identical robots with a loud, almost comical, crash instead. Guard B, on the contrary, held his overly bunny-crowded ground. Settling low, arms set wide, ready to grapple me as my body moved uncontrollably through the air.
With how I'm going, stopping isn't an option. So-
Reaching the apex of the jump, right above where B was, my lower body set itself, legs stretched and pointing at the guard, as gravity set hold a second later, augmenting my velocity the more I fell. Coming down as would a guillotine upon him.
The guard’s body noticeably shook, taken back, though recovered a beat later and went for a defensive stance, settling with his arms on my way to counter. But he was too late to react, receiving the full impact on his face. Being caught in between a stance and the other as the hit took place, he lost complete balance, dropping to the floor like a cut tree log as his defense crumbled.
“GAH!”
Me landing on his face as he collisioned with the floor, tripping, to then, funnily enough, meet the floor face-first with a dry thud too.
“Well, didn't expect that dropkick to work. But glad it did.” I muttered, unglueing my face from the floor, swiping and patting dirt away from the gray pajama when standing up. Finishing, putting both arms on my hips. “Execution was a 7 at most, though.”
Calmly walking forward -as B was definitely out cold, A trying to get out from under a pile of Bangboo, Anton was still nursing his eyes, and the other three guards were found half a room; along one crowd of bunnies, away from me. All proved with a glance.- and leaving behind the room, consequently passing through the illuminated doorway, a white, pristine hallway presented itself. Each step resounding out sharply in the emptiness of the space, as the struggle from the room slowly bled away, replaced with an eerie calm.
Head swiveling around, my eyes explored every crevice of the pristine, white walls without a speck of dust in them. I hummed, muttering under my breath a second after. “Where the hell did I end up?”
A moment of thought was followed with a groan, hand moving to grasp my brow, however, touching flat, cold glass. I lowered my arm harshly, observing it flatly, then closing whatever there were for eyes now tiredly. Arms hanging limply to my side, body slumped forward. “Because this looks like some crappy backrooms level or a Corpos’ wet dream of an office building with how clean it is.”
I crashed into something.
Hard.
“The hell? Who put a wall here?” My head crammed up slowly, gaze furrowed, as it took in the familiar, and, somehow, human shaped plated wall looming above. The white, harsh light, coming from the plated ceiling lights above, complicating the process of getting a clear view.
Wait, did a helmet sprout from the wall to look at me? What kind of architect would build something like that?
Oh. It's a guard, actually.
…
IT'S A GUARD.
Body dropping to the floor and scrambling backwards desperately, the semblance of the guard slammed a baton, electricity crackling, on the spot where I was. Five more coming from behind him orderly, passing by their side, and settling in as a physical, impenetrable wall not permitting any attempts at passing through.
Nuh-uh better go back!
Standing and turning with a shove of my arms, I faced the opposite side of the hallway and scrambled, going back into the room.
Or, I would have, if the three guards standing on the path I took hadn't forced me to stop the momentum driving me forward, narrowly evading a swipe from a crackling baton, and then be forced to jump backwards to avoid a following grapple.
This is bad.
Touching the floor, careful to not let either group off my sight, I twirled around, one half facing each side.
The situation is salvageable still, I just need to get back to the room, and merge with the crowd. Considering I'm a robot -or whatever these psychos turned me into- and concluded earlier getting tired was apparently not possible, outlasting them until an opportunity presents itself could be doable.
A hissing sound, of mechanical components moving and settling on place, could be suddenly heard. Noise from the crowd of Bangboo, which had grown again on my return towards the door, fizzling out.
…
…If you're wondering, that was the sound of the door closing shut right now.
…
Um, help? Anyone? Please?
Something shot through the air from the group of three at my right, travelling the distance.
I turned, alarmed, however, was too late as a new sudden bout of pain arced through my pounding head; posture freezing in pain. The projectile slammed into me, previous to even being registered, impacting and lightly penetrating the surface of where my forehead should be.
Two thin metal pins, barely bigger than an ant, glistened in the cold light of the hall as I set my view on them. Tracing down the length of the strands connected to them, with the slowness and fear of a person seeing doom itself, my eyes found the sight of the muzzle of a taser gun. The person holding the weapon stepping forward confidently, passing the group of three, and settling brazenly in my range of vision. Holding the pistol in a single-handed grip.
“Heh-heh.” Cackled Anton, irritated red eyes observing me way too smugly, finger passing over a red button on the side of the gun purposefully, grinning triumphantly. “Take this!” Pressing the button, a spark ignited, electricity running down the cables towards me like a pitbull to a kindergarden.
*BZZZZZT*
[ELECTRICAL SYSTEM OVERLOAD, SHUTDOWN PROCESS IMMINENT]
That message resonated in my head, flashing with varied intensity in my view, as the shock stopped, letting my body stop twitching. Dropping to the floor and hitting it with a thud, as a last, crappy joke resonated in my waning consciousness.
Heh, it could be said I'm a bit… shocked by… this… development…
[SYSTEM SHUTTING DOWN]
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[INITIALIZING OPERATING SYSTEM REBOOT]
Opening my eyes, I blinked at the over saturation of grey, dirt and grime found on the current cubic space surrounding my standing form. Meeting sight with a totally barren room of -if my calculations were right- 5 cubic meters in width and length, having no windows, and with only a tightly locked door serving as the only visible entrance.
My gaze turned downwards, briefly flickering through the dust marks of maybe a couple years old on the floor, marveling at how my body stood perfectly straight.
How did I not fall to the floor while ‘shut down’?
Machine bullcrap, I suppose.
The crackling of speakers brought my attention back to the position I was in.
“Unit VM516,” Spoke the same female voice as the one from the room, her tone even. “A team of personnel will be entering your enclosure shortly for a test. Behave.”
“Well, gee, thanks for telling me miss, appreciate the tact.” My speaker, or the similar vocal cords equivalent, transmitted sarcastically. Quickly identifying the lone camera found inside the room and nodding at it with a blank eye-look.
There was nothing else to express emotions beside that, so I had to manage with what few I had.
“Flattery will get you nowhere.” The female voice responded.
Heyywaitaminute, responded? Finally, someone besides a bunny robot with a weird ass name responded to what I said? Hell yeah that's a win for me!
"It's not flattery miss,” I started, dropping into the ground with a thud, half entering a crossed legs position, until giving up from them being too short, while keeping direct eye-contact with the camera. “Such is only the basic courtesy I wasn't given. And, pray tell, why did you tell me to keep calm when you can simply bring one of your guys with guns and tasers to ensure I am?”
“The purpose is to see whether cooperation can be achieved or not.” She flatly admitted.
“Well-well, you're quite lucky then.” I began, putting more theatrics when waving a hand and adding flair to my voice. “I'm quite the cooperative individual, you see?” A tilt of the head accompanied my last word, feeling the rabbit ears swish back and forth.
“That is to be seen.” Dryness exuded from her voice as she replied.
Okay, we are not getting anything on that front. Let us switch tracks.
If they thought they could use me like a bag of walking money by selling my organs and turning me into whatever this is, then they got another thing coming. Mainly, a headache just like the one I have.
Oh, It's gone now, actually. Splendid.
Anyway, going back on topic, the best form to be a pain in the ass was to act like a smartass. So, as one would say, forth we go!
“I wonder,” My hand moved up, being observed by my two green eyes, as the pompousness in my voice went over nine thousand. “Do you have some kind of safenet to ensure nothing happens if I result to be-” A fist was formed, me turning to the camera the next moment. “-uncooperative.”
“Perhaps. Would you like to find out?” She mentioned dangerously.
A few tense seconds passed by as I simply observed the moving lens of the camera, eyes blank and devoid of emotion. The silence, comparable to a mantle permeating the room, almost permitting the beep of hidden imaginary bombs to be heard.
“Haha, no.” I denied calmly, a playful shake of the head following the sentence. “Not yet, at least. I have to annoy you more before that happens.”
The lady grunted in annoyance. “Then stop parlotting.”
“Nope! Sorry, but there is no off button.” A shrug accompanied the words.
Tired muttering, though not from her, was what came through for a moment previous to being cut-off with the speaker being deactivated.
Interesting. Though, I'm not having the effect I hoped such an act would.
Should I change into acting like a bratty ten year-old? That is bound to get under older peoples’ skin, know so from personal experience, after all.
The door behind me clicked and rattled, the sound of a key being inserted on a mechanism that was one soft push away from jamming irreparably, opening, with a team of people in labcoats passing through, depositing multiple items close to me in the center of the room. A table, two chairs, and a few other nicknacks that my eyes passed over at being focused on the six armoured guys, practically wearing the same as before, -but, rather than holding electricity crackling, mosquito exterminating, unga bunga metal sticks, they went up a step in the stairway of evolution- possessing rifles that screamed of having a caliber easily described as ‘can put you down with just a shot’.
Or maybe they were just really big taser guns, considering all the weird things observed; mainly those robot ‘Bangboo’ bunnies, of this place having. Who knew.
The crackling of the speakers turning on sounded out again. “While they set the necessary equipment, we will go through a list of questions to-”
“NO PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS HOLY.”
Everything stopped for a moment as my shout reverberated on the walls of the room. The researchers -because of the labcoats, duh.- paused, flinching away, an item or two falling onto the ground, while the guards raised their weapons slightly, gaze locking onto me with their finger settling on the trigger.
A moment of awkward silence passed by as the realization dawned on me.
Damn. I messed up.
The speakers spoke up once the silence was lengthened far enough. “Is there a problem with responding to some simple questions?”
“No.” The response came out quick, too quick. I forced myself to answer slower afterwards, yet my voice wavered. “None at all.”
Crap, that was too obvious.
“Then, let us start. First question,-”
GODDAMNIT, WHY CAN'T I ESCAPE THOSE POINTLESS COMPANY SURVEYS NOT EVEN AFTER BEING KIDNAPPED AND SOLD IN THE BLACK MARKET!!
UGHHHHHHH-
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