FINDING HOME
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"I'm a coward.... just a 'normal guy'..."
Standing upon a sandy shoreline one particular afternoon was a humanoid male. Though most of his bones and flesh were encased in metal, there were spots of thick brown fur to prove that he was no machine. Nearby his ragged form there was an escape pod, corroded and rusted beyond salvation.
The metallic demihuman firmly grapsed the metal casing around his skull.
"The power of Solaris' technology... obtained through the suffering of surface dwellers -Lambs-... refined by nanomachines... just for a 'normal guy' like me...!"
With a cry of sorrow and disgust, he yanked the casing with all of his might, a storm of pain exploding within his body and his soul.
"Not like them! I'm not... like... THEM!"
The metal began to bend, the casing was starting to yield.
"Yeeee-aaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGH!!!"
Grinding steel rang through the air as the Solarian crown of domination broke, flying through the air to land on the sand with a dull thud. The humanoid fell face first into the sand, and became silent.
***
The tortured demihuman rose ever-so-slowly to his knees hours later. Opening his eyes, he was surprised to discover that he wasn't feeling burdened. His thoughts were clear; the fog of Solaris' brainwashing had drifted away. He felt... alive.
Standing once more, he looked upon himself in a broken panel of glass near the escape pod. He was still clad mostly in metal, but that didn't concern him now. He could see his face, and his eyes, were untranished by the process which had warped him before. He was Hammer once again.
All at once, he saw within his mind's eye the friends he had left behind.
"Bro... master Rico... Elly... the doc... I remember everyone..."
Looking toward the ocean, he nodded.
"I'll do mybest to atone. I'm going home to you guys."
Hammer smiled softly. The sea breeze felt good against his face.
------------
"I'm a coward.... just a 'normal guy'..."
Standing upon a sandy shoreline one particular afternoon was a humanoid male. Though most of his bones and flesh were encased in metal, there were spots of thick brown fur to prove that he was no machine. Nearby his ragged form there was an escape pod, corroded and rusted beyond salvation.
The metallic demihuman firmly grapsed the metal casing around his skull.
"The power of Solaris' technology... obtained through the suffering of surface dwellers -Lambs-... refined by nanomachines... just for a 'normal guy' like me...!"
With a cry of sorrow and disgust, he yanked the casing with all of his might, a storm of pain exploding within his body and his soul.
"Not like them! I'm not... like... THEM!"
The metal began to bend, the casing was starting to yield.
"Yeeee-aaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGH!!!"
Grinding steel rang through the air as the Solarian crown of domination broke, flying through the air to land on the sand with a dull thud. The humanoid fell face first into the sand, and became silent.
***
The tortured demihuman rose ever-so-slowly to his knees hours later. Opening his eyes, he was surprised to discover that he wasn't feeling burdened. His thoughts were clear; the fog of Solaris' brainwashing had drifted away. He felt... alive.
Standing once more, he looked upon himself in a broken panel of glass near the escape pod. He was still clad mostly in metal, but that didn't concern him now. He could see his face, and his eyes, were untranished by the process which had warped him before. He was Hammer once again.
All at once, he saw within his mind's eye the friends he had left behind.
"Bro... master Rico... Elly... the doc... I remember everyone..."
Looking toward the ocean, he nodded.
"I'll do mybest to atone. I'm going home to you guys."
Hammer smiled softly. The sea breeze felt good against his face.