Oh, I'm back! Oh look Zero, I found a kitty! Isn't he just adorable? Here, you hold him for me… no, I insist… aww…. (big kissing sound) Thank you Zero! Oh! Well, back to my story! (inane giggle) Where was I? Oh yeah, waking up… (sniff) It was just awful…
"Ouchies." Coco came to consciousness slowly. She was shoved into a corner of the lab, far away from the lab table. Her bleary eyes raised to see dozens of technicians… all fiddling with the new robot. "Ow ow ow…" Coco groaned, putting a hand to her head, stumbling up. It hurt so bad… and nobody was helping her. Nobody! That robot's important, but I'm not! Dull resentment burned… But dissolved into cheerful welcoming as she saw Malcolm.
"Malcolm!" She chirped, stumbling towards him. He ignored her almost completely.
"Not now Coco… you're sure he hasn't been tampered with?" Cocoran stared. Her hair coiled and uncoiled as strange thoughts roiled through her mind…
He doesn't care either…
Why am I here? Serving humans…?
What am I THINKING?
"Maaaaalcolm…." She tugged on his arm, urgent to communicate her… difficulties. He turned around with an irritated glare.
"Coco, not now! Mavericks invaded the company! Three humans are dead and four bots! I have work to do!" And he shoved her away. Tears sprang up in her eyes. She hurt, no one was listening to her, and she felt so strange…
"Coco!" A familiar, dreaded voice boomed from behind her. Coco jumped, but instead of the usual panicked subservience, resentment burned inside her. Why should I do what he says? Part of her was just aching to put her hands around his neck and squeeze…
What am I thinking? Coco shook her head, panicked and afraid again. Her human supervisor scowled down at her.
"What are you doing here?" He demanded. She opened her mouth to say that he sent her here, but didn't get the chance as he grabbed her arm. "Nevermind. Come on, come on!" And he practically dragged her out of the lab. Coco gulped, cringing away from his touch, a strange revulsion going through her. She didn't want him to touch her…
"Go downstairs and start cleaning up the bloodstains." He ordered her brutally. She stared blankly, her mind a roiling mass of emotions.
"Let go of me!" She finally burst out, yanking away. "I don't have to do what you say!" From a large Reploid it might have sounded ominous. From a tiny little cleaning bot, it was childish. He stared at her.
"What's wrong with you, you stupid cleaning bot? Go do your job!" And he tried to grab her again. He wasn't expecting a punch in the face, but that's what he got. Even a small cleaning bot had a great deal more strength than a human did, and she mashed his nose across his face.
Ohhh… Coco stared in horror at the blood on her hands, then his body as he slumped. Oh…! She ran away, sobbing, ignoring all the startled looks and questioning voices. She ran and ran and ran… she even barreled past a couple of Maverick Hunters, one in blue who looked familiar, but it didn't matter…
"What was that?" The blue Reploid, X, asked, stunned, looking after the pig-tailed apparition that had just pushed past him. It was disappearing rapidly into the brush. Another Hunter shrugged and answered.
"I dunno. Looks pretty weird, though. We ought to go see how that super bot of theirs is doing." X nodded, glancing curiously after the lost Reploid.
"She… hit me! Cocoran, that little bitch!" A middle-aged human was shouting as they entered the building. X winced at the volume, then eyed him sharply. Except for a bloody nose, he would be fine.
"Coco-what?" A rookie asked disingenuously. A distraught lab bot with spiky red hair stopped right in front of them.
"Coco-puffs, she punched bossy-boots and ran off!" He was so nervous he was yanking on his hair rapidly. "Something was wrong… I should have listened…" He babbled to himself, then suddenly seized X by the arm. "She can't be a Maverick, she can't be! Coco wouldn't hurt a fly! Please sir, bring her back safe…"
"Um, yeah." X muttered, trying to extricate himself and find someone slightly more coherent. "We won't hurt her…" I think. He added mentally. If he understood this correctly one of their Reploids had gone Maverick… one with a sweet disposition.
But Maverick infections usually put an end to that, no matter how kind and caring the victim.
They would just have to see…
Ohhhh, Malcolm did care! Oh, X, you never told me that before! (soft kissing sounds, then a strangled growl) Oh now Zero, don't be silly, I love you too! (more kissing sounds) Oh, I really…
Hunh? Oh, right, I'm supposed to be telling a story! Um… where was I?
Oh yeah! I didn't know where I was going but I just had to go… kind of like lemmings. Do you know lemmings X? I've seen lemmings! They're just so CUTE! I wanted a lemming but Dr. Cain wouldn't let me get one…
Oh, I'm boring you again, I can tell. Zero's getting that look, too. Well, anyway, I went to Maverick HQ!
Where else does a Maverick go, right?
Sigma wasn't happy to see me. (sniff) Oh, he was so mad! I've never been that scared in my life… it was awful… oh, thank you Zero, that's so nice of you….
Well, I guess I should skip to getting to Maverick HQ…
"Wow, that's big!" Coco marveled at the imposing building in front of her. She'd been walking all day and all night, rather like a homing pigeon, and had finally gotten where she needed to go.
I wonder what this place is? Coco hesitated nervously outside the gate… but something was urging her to keep going. Urging her rather strongly. Finally, she went up and knocked on the door, very politely.
Finally, a slot opened, showing her a rather bloodshot eye. "Yes?" The voice sounded incredibly bored. Coco blinked.
"Hi!" She chirped, her cheerfulness making the eye blink. "I'm not sure why I'm here, I've just got this thing in my head that says I ought to be, so I came! I'm Cocoran. Who are you, sir?" There was an extended pause.
"Serges. A thing in your head?" He sounded wary, as if he was dealing with a possible lunatic. Coco didn't help that initial impression, with a very brainless smile.
"Yes, sir. I'm from the Kitomir Corporation!" Coco heard a growling sound from Serges as she announced that, and suddenly felt uncertain. The door swung in, and Coco could see a small, squat Reploid in a rather silly cape… with white whiskers and red eyes. He looked very ugly.
"Come with me." He told her curtly, leading her into the building. Coco marveled at the nasty, foreboding atmosphere. It needs some ferns… She immediately started planning all the ways she could make it nicer.
Yes, Zero, I did! Right away! Unh hunh! Yes, I… oh, you liked that? I thought it was kind and sweet and…
…oh. Well, I suppose it was ironic too…
Um? Yes X? Oh, the story. Right…
Reploids of all descriptions turned to look at her and point as she bounced through in blissful ignorance. She smiled at them cheerfully… one of the younger males, a very humanoid 'bot, blushed and smiled back. Most of them just stared.
Coco tugged exuberantly on Serges cape. "Where are we going Mr. Serges?" Serges shot her a look of semi-horrified amazement. He'd never had anyone tug on his cape before. But the cheery, brainless smile and cuteness factor kept him from punting her through a wall. This time.
"We're going to see Sigma." He told her shortly. Coco's forehead crinkled as she thought about that. She knew the name from somewhere, but couldn't quite recall…
"I hope he's nice!" There was choking sounds from any Mavericks near enough to hear. Coco looked around in puzzlement. "Did I say something wrong?"
Serges just sighed and pushed into another room… through some very big doors. Cocoran followed in trepidation. This place was terribly gloomy, even worse than what she'd already seen…. It was huge, and there was a big… chair at the end, with dark wine colored curtains and everything…
Coco was irresistibly reminded of some terrible movies she'd seen. Like the one where the evil mummy came to life and then…
She couldn't remember the rest, but it was like that. And there was a HUGE Reploid sitting in the throne… Coco stared. She felt something in the back of her mind…
"Lord Sigma!" She chirped in response to it. "I came! I'm Coco!" Sigma stared for a moment, then slowly stood up, his blue eyes narrowing. He walked down, his cape sweeping out behind him…
"What is this?" Coco stared at him, entraced, as he reached out to touch her chin, tilting her head gently.
She suddenly felt a touch in her mind. It was like the voice she had been hearing, but fuller, deeper… but the touch was brief. Sigma let her go, his face crinkling in disgust.
"Those fools. They infected a mere drudge with my super virus…" Coco shivered, backing up. She could hear and feel the cold anger in him, like the weight of a dead star… Serges could also feel it.
"Shall we destroy her, Lord Sigma?" Coco's eyes went very wide, and she started to shiver. Destroy… me? Malcolm! She thought longingly of her friend… Sigma glanced at her for a moment.
"No. Another super virus infection won't matter. Send her to the cleaning crew." Coco burbled thanks for a moment, until Sigma cut her off for a wave. "And bring those bumblers to me…" One of the few good things to be said about Sigma was that he blamed the right people.
It wasn't Cocoran's fault she had been infected… and she would not be the one to suffer.
Sigma wasn't that bad to me, but boy was he scary! Isn't he scary X? Yes? Zero? No? Well…
He's lying, X? Oh no, don't fight! Please don't… ACK!
A few minutes later
Oh dear, that's better. I'm sure they'll be able to fix that computer in no time…
But where was I? Oh yes! Maverick HQ. (sniffs) It was awful… no, it wasn't Sigma, it was the other Mavericks…
Coco pushed her little cleaning cart through the Maverick HQ corridors, humming a sweet little tune.
Malcolm was right, everyone needs cleaning bots! Coco quickly pulled out her Dust Buster VI, getting rid of a coating of dust on a metal light. Then she polished it to a bright shine.
There. She gazed at handiwork proudly, then glanced around furtively. No one was around…
She hunkered down, reaching into her cart for something… something hidden underneath the cleaning supplies…
"Hi Mr. Snuggy Poo." She whispered softly, cuddling her teddy bear to her chest. It was a very cute bear, with golden fur and a happy face. It always made her feel better, hugging her toys, but she was always afraid that-
"Well! Look what we got here." Coco squeaked in panic and bolted to her feet. There were three Mavericks there, looking at her in amused contempt. The male who had spoken grinned with predatory cruelty…
"A little cleaning bot with a toy. How cute… I think I want to play!" And he snatched her teddy bear away…
Oh, I can't tell what happened next! I can't! (sounds of weeping) Oh, X, thank you, I… (more weeping) They killed Mr. Snuggy Poo! I hated it! I…
Hunh? The day I met you, X?
Yes, that was a nice day… I'll start telling everyone about that!