Author's Notes: I DON'T OWN ANYTHING! GO AWAY! Besides Fer. And some other peoples. And the story.
Shut up.
This story will make me sad, as I have to be mean to the Tallests. Not neat. :(
"Fer, where were you?" Stek asked as he walked in. Since Irkens were essentially a lab baby race, there was no need for genders, and most didn't even notice, but Stek still had the classic traits of an Irken female. Walking into the common rooms, Fer shrugged. "I had a couple last minute mistakes to go back and fix on the runner."
"Well, there's no work tomorrow. The Tallest are declaring the opening of a new building nearby. All the workers in the area get to take the day off and attend."
"Is it mandatory?" Fer asked dully, letting himself fall into a chair. In some part of his mind he was thinking of escaping the masses and spending a whole day on his hill. He might have to alternate having the PAK on and off, but the time alone would make it worth it.
"Yeah," answered Stek, sitting next to him. "Here, a random shipment of clothes came in today. I picked out this hat for you, I think it suits you." Stek handed Fer a grey wool cap. He looked at it like it was something threatening, but realised he might stand out if he didn't take it. "...Thanks," Fer mumbled, dropping it on his head so his antennae poked out from underneath.
A moment of silence passed between them. His chin in his hands, Fer looked over at Stek. While some females still retained the more purple eyes, Stek's were unusually so. And her fingers were awfully slender. Fer tried to remember when it was that all Irkens were banned from mating and babies were born from computers. It disturbed Fer that while he knew a male and a female were needed to make a baby, he wasn't entirely sure how to do it. It also disturbed him to know he was the only one with these thoughts. He was different. Stek probably wasn't thinking of much as they sat in silence aside from her job and her Tallests, her natural purple eyes staring ahead vacantly.
Stek suddenly turned to face Fer, and he was surprised. "Why are you staring at me? It's creepy."
Fer's eyes went wide, then they eased. She was just another robot, after all. "Hey, Stek..." he said with a chuckle, leaning forward so his antennae brushed hers. "Wanna mate?"
Her eyes were very large at such a distance, and easily showed confusion. "What are you talking about?"
The hat had begun to fall off when Fer moved his antennae, so he grabbed it off his head as he stood up. "I have to go talk with a partner about helping me with the runner." Fer had no intention of speaking with Nyon, though. He walked to a corner where he could sit alone, and think. The whole time he moved past the other Irkens to the other side of the room, Fer could feel a pair of eyes on his back, and he felt very content with the fact that they were large, violet, questioning ones.
The time between work and rest always passed quickly, but Fer was startled when the group began to filter out of the room and along the route the robots instructed them to go, leading them to the ceremony. But his indifferent feelings to the whole affair quickly fell away as their group blended with the others, standing before the new construction site.
With horror, he realised the site was his hill.
A platform zoomed over, The Tallests waving at the crowd as a cheer rose from them. All except Fer. He stood quiet and stiff as stone, eyes blank.
"Our people, we are here today to announce the immediate construction of our new puppet theatre!" Tallest Red shouted.
"You aren't allowed in," Purple followed up. A few moans were heard from the crowd.
"You can look through the windows," Red said with a smile.
"But only if we say so," Purple said with glee.
"And right now... we say get back to work." Red finished, and the platform rose a bit, but remained hovering over the dispersing crowd, the Tallests waving once more. All except Fer began moving away.
His hill.
His eyes cold, angry, he fixed his gaze upon the two who made sure they towered over the rest of the Irken race. For no reason. These weren't rulers, they were clowns.
His hill.
Height wasn't everything, and as he looked upon The Tallests, he knew it was true.
Height wasn't everything.
Height wasn't everything.