In the seating area of the APE transport shuttle sat three parasites, all anticipating going into a plantation for the first time.
"I just can't wait!" exclaimed the excited pistil, known as code 004 "They look so small in the war manuals, but even from this far away Plantation 13 looks massive!"
"I just hope that the pilots there are more accepting of us than everyone else normally is." Replied code 003, the partner of 004.
"Well, as long as we try our hardest, we should seem mostly normal. The only thing we can;t change is our looks." replied code 135
"Yeah, but at least you look more human than me." Retorted 004 "I never look fully human. Not that it bothers me." 135 opened his blue eye and looked over at 004. She had dark red hair that was cut into a lob, with copper highlights. Her pale, soft-looking cheeks had a lot of freckles, and her dark green eyes offset her hair perfectly. She was appeared human and was undeniably beautiful, but she wasn't human. She had been artificially created to pilot the FranXX, as had the other two. Because of her origins, occasionally her synthetic skin would reflect light in a weird way as it was composed of very small triangle-shaped panels of a rubber-like carbon-fiber.
"You know, at least you got a lot of detail put into your face. I wasn't that lucky" replied 003, whose skin was just metal covered in a skin textured paint. "I wear a mask around other people because of just how artificial my face is. It's like those robots from way back in like 2020. I think 135 looks the most human out of all of us."
004 looked over at him. It really was almost impossible to tell him apart from any other parasite. That was, unless you looked hard enough. His face was totally normal, as was the rest of him. He had dark brown hair, with highlights similar to 004, but his skin was very different. It actually was a biological growth on the outside of his metal shell, and it actually had feeling that went to his brain, similar to a real human. The main difference was that he had a red eye and a blue one. The red looked as if it were in a permanent scowl, and the blue eye looked very peaceable and kind. Because of this he normally wore an eye-patch, which stayed in place but could be moved from side to side to convey different emotions. He also had one hand which was all metallic, with no feeling, that was covered by the long left sleeve of his red, gray, and black uniform. However, it wasn't just that. On that hand were over 20 long, metallic fingers. This would have been able to use this for the incredibly precise control of a FranXX. That is, if he could pilot. He was the only male synthetic pilot that could hold not a Stamen position. And he had tried both with synthetic and organic parasites. He had decided take his gift of modifying and creating mechanical things, and had designed a pair of weapons that could be wielded by him into battle against the klaxxosaurs. He had yet to try them, as none of them had ever been into actual combat. They had only piloted the simulators. She wondered if...
"What are you thinking about, 004?" asked 135.
"Oh! Well, you know, um... well, I was wondering what you'll be doing while me and 003 are trying piloting in a FranXX for the first time."
"Don't worry about me" Replied 135. "I've got my own things to test in combat."
"You mean your special weapons?"
"Yep. I can't wait to see if they're actually going to work."
"Well what will you do if they don't? You should have a backup plan for if you get stranded out there."
"That''s why I'm waiting to see of you guys can connect in a FranXX first. If I can't kill my klaxxosaur, than you guys can just come and get me."
"So you testing your weapons lays in my and 003's hands?"
"In a way, yes. So try your hardest."
"Don't worry, we weren't planning on not."
"I like that attitude" responded 003 "as long as we all think that way, we'll beat the klaxxosaur for sure!"
Over the intercom, the pilot called out that their ship was preparing for landing. "Well, bye for now guys. I need to go charge up my guns." 135 then left the seating area, as 004's eyes followed him. In her mind, she was starting to do feel something. She didn't know how to describe it, but it felt like she wanted to be around 135 forever and always. He made her happy like no one else seemed to. She wanted to protect him and be protected by him. She wanted to never have to take his eyes off him again- and to never have him leave. She didn't know it, but she was feeling love- something that was never intended to be felt by the synthetic parasites.