(5/6/2056 | 20:14 | Memory Playback)
StG44 knew they had lost.
She'd accepted once she'd seen this Ringleader tear apart M3 with her bare hands. When this black and white maid had leaped from building to building, raining plasma down on the heads of her fellow Griffin dolls with monsterous efficiency.
Maybe that's why, when she saw G3 about to have her neck snapped by this monster, she tried to save her subordinate. Instead of cutting and running like the other dolls, she stood her ground and emptied the last of her magazine into her target's side. It had been enough to distract her. G3 was released, and the younger doll was able to run for her life into the city's bombed out ruins.
But then the ringleader had turned it's guns on her. And before 44 even knew it, her form was torn in two by a hail of merciless hot hell.
She flew back and fell onto the streetside. As her senses came back, she could see the lower half of her body splayed out on the concrete. Red coolant spilled from the now exposed wires and gears.
The ringleader marched, keeping both of her hip-mounted weapons aimed squarely at the felled echelon leader's head. StG44 scraped at the ground, trying to crawl over to her discarded assault rifle, only to see the weapon be crushed underfoot by her deathbringer.
"Any last words, Griffin filth?" The Sangvis doll questioned. She looked up to see her assailant's uncaring, cold eyes. They were a sickly lemon yellow, completely inhuman and devoid of any empathy.
The German grit her teeth, accepting what was about to come.
"Fahr zur Höllesaumensch."
(12/6/2056 | 09:36)
StG44 woke up, gasping for air like she'd been pulled straight from the ocean. There was a loud hiss as the repair pod opened up, the dazed and confused doll stumbling out as each of her sensory systems rebooted.
The room was an uncanny valley for her. It was a Griffin repair bay, that much was certain. But it wasn't her repair bay. It lacked the small details she'd grown accustomed too, like how their engineers kept plants and beds to make the healing dolls more comfortable. This one more closely resembled a morgue, only the bare necessities present in tools and accomidies present.
Wherever she was, it was not her home.
The confused, frightened doll sat herself down on a tabletop. The state of the room made her more and more anxious; nothing was in order and everything was a mess. Wrenches and wires splayed all over, cans of doll coolant stacked in the corner like a house of cards. Whoever the engineers were here had no respect for orderly setups.
"Khan, she's awake!" StG heard someone call. She turned her head to see a rather buxom blonde with a green beret coming over. She had a tool-kit in her right hand, and a spanner in her left as oil had been splotched along the sleeves of her coat. Instinctively, StG whigged at the unkempt look of the woman. It was so casual and undignified. Even if she was an engineer, she should have more respect for her look.
Not that 44 could complain. Seeing how she was sitting on this table in her… birthday suit.
Oh no.
Her neural cloud was quickly overloaded with embarrassment as she realized how unpresentable she was. The germaphobe couldn't even cover herself up, shell shocked by the shame.
Fortunately, the unknown woman seemed to catch on once she got closer. At first she watched with confusion, then realized herself exactly what was wrong. Setting her tolls down, the American doll shrugged off her coat and offered it. Such an offer only made StG squeal again, rapidly inching away from the dirty coat.
"Oh you've got to be…" The 'engineer' lamented, before pulling out a cell phone and dialing a number. "...Hey, Thirty Six? Those packages made it, right?... yeah, yeah she's awake. How long? Got it."
"Garand? Did you say something?" A man allied from outside of the room, though his voice was strangely muffled.
"We're in here, Assad!" 'Garand' called over her shoulder, then turned to flash the doll a smile. "Sorry about him. We just finished up with another doll."
StG44 nodded meekly, taking the coat and draping it over herself. Another figure made his way inside, someone in an actual engineering jumpsuit and a donut hanging out of his mouth. Garand glared at him, unimpressed by his gluttony. So the engineer quickly stuffed the pastry into his gob.
"I see you've already met my assistant! And she's already gotten to work." Khan mused as he clapped Garand on the shoulder. "What would I do without you?"
"Probably get crushed under an avalanche of spare parts." Garand postulated, chuckling.
He beamed a smile at both girls, before extending his hand over to StG44. "Miss, it is my pleasure to welcome you to the Sector Nine supply post."
44 looked at the grubby, grease and frosting covered mitt like it was a disease ridden rat. Not even washing his hands before approaching her, was everyone here so utterly unsanitary?
Not that she was surprised. Sector Nine was a backwater, away from the front. This outpost was a glorified post office for both the company and the local towns. Only the unsanitary or the unfit for combat were stuck in these rearline positions. Not on the front, not at headquarters. Glorified logistic units.
Seeing she wasn't going for the shake, Assad shrugged and retracted his gesture. "I take it the core installation went well?"
"There was a power-surge when I woke her up, but I don't think anything was damaged." Garand noted, pulling up her datapad to show the massive spike in neural cloud activity. "My bet is that it was caused when we put her through playback mode."
"Ah, right. That must have been unpleasant considering." Khan deducted, stroking his chin in thought. "You were able to successfully copy the files, yes?"
"You copied my memory files?" StG asked, a feeling of indignance coming about from being violated in such a manner. Even if she was a doll, she would have preferred to have given consent for such a procedure. Especially if it was going to be carried out by such unsanitary people!
"Told you she'd be upset." Garand chimed, something that made the engineer groan.
"I never said you were wrong." Khan answered, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration. "We apologize, but you had sensitive files that were requested by Corporate. Our Commander didn't want to wait for your awakening."
"Th-th-that's besides the point!" StG babbled, very much not OK with these strange people rooting around in her mind and witnessing her personal secrets. Not just her last moments against the ringleader, but also any… intimate moments.
She could feel her brain overheating from the embarrassment. But there wasn't anything she could do about it now.
Whether she liked it or not, she was here.
(9:43)
Somehow, her clothes had been transported to this outpost. They were creased and wrinkled beyond reason. Likely mishandled by whoever had transported them. But it was still nice to have something familiar in this strange place.
They'd been delivered by a doll in a maid costume, who introduced herself as her new echelon leader. This 'G36' had let her put on her uniform, then escorted her away down the winding halls of the base.
It wasn't difficult for her to find out where they were. Most Griffin complexes were prefabricated buildings, each following the same floorplan. This especially went for the outposts, which were made extremely generic for general purpose duties.
As they marched, she kept a fair distance behind the maid. Observing her perfect posture and perpetual glare. She'd seen this model before, once in a blue moon. They acted as personal assistants for the more affluent families in Europe. A premium model, one that cost a pretty penny.
Meanwhile, she was an industrial seamstress doll. There were thousands of her kind all over Germany and Austria. Standing next to her technical superior did wonders for her ego.
That, and being demoted.
Eventually the pair made their way to the base cafe. It was a ragged place, most of the seats and tables being made out of molded plastic or steel with cushions strapped to them. Nothing compared to the furnished break room of her old base.
At the bar were two figures. One, StG44 was able to identify as another doll who had been on her last mission. A short, blond girl with two pigtails. She wore a brown ushanka, and a shawl covering a blue villager's dress. The other was a tall, more mature looking woman. Her hair was tied back by an American flag patterned bow, and her dress uniform followed a similar scheme.
The older looking doll saw them coming in, waving at the two as they approached. G36 approached the counter, meanwhile StG44 hung back and let them speak.
"Found your other new duckling, I see." Springfield hummed jovially.
"She's been following me like one." G36 agreed, though she didn't sound particularly enthused. The smaller doll looked up from her stool, nibbling on what looked to be a muffin. "And you, Fourty One. You were supposed to meet us at the repair station."
PPsH-41 scarfed down the last of her snack, wiping the crumbs away before hopping top her feet and smiling. "Sorry, Vaspaja. Miss Springfield insisted I eat something.""Poor dear hasn't had a meal since she came here. Khan sent her off as soon as they were done." Springfield lamented with a sigh, her hands going to tighten up the knot of her bow. This was when she noticed StG44 was keeping her distance, and waved for the doll to come over. "You don't need to be so far away!"
StG44 held her ground, enjoying the safe and sanitary distance she held away from the group. Something that made Springfield frown, but she didn't press the issue. Instead she directed her attention back to G36. "So, what's the plan for today?"
"The Commander wants me to give zhem a tour." G36 informed. "After that, my usual duties. Khan's office is probably a complete pig's sty again."
StG44 shuttered as her first impression of the filthy engineer was confirmed. Springfield just chuckled in amusement. "Didn't you say you weren't going to bother cleaning after him anymore?"
"If I don't do it, he certainly will not." She points out.
"True." Springfield admitted. "But won't it be difficult to handle cleaning up after him, and Santiago, and the Commander with these two in your wing?"
"And who am I supposed to let handle it?" G36 inquired with measured caution. Letting other people do her jobs was something she avoided.
"Ninety Seven seems perfectly happy to help." Springfield advised, knowing that the smaller shotgunner was always looking for ways to pitch in. "And PPK could use the distraction, you know what happens whenever she's left to her own devices."
"She hasn't tied up one of the aircraft crewmen again, has she?" G36 asked. The memories were not lost on either of the two, while the newcomers looked onto their pained expressions with confusion and no small amount of fear.
Springfield tapped her chin, recalling when she'd last seen the base's resident sadist. "...You should probably check with Santiago."
The maid groaned, then looked to her two new team-members. The Commander had told her to put a new priority in leading her echelon, but that didn't mean shirking her other jobs. Especially with Hsu, the man was surprisingly high maintenance with how much he refused to take care of himself.
Either way, she had to make it work. Orders were orders.
"Can you handle meals for the rest of the day?" G36 asked. Springfield smiled, glad that she'd gotten through to her overworked friend.
"I can whip something up. And I'll tell your other girls to cover everything else."
"Gut. And zhis is a one time thing , got it?" G36 reminded.
"Oh, of course dear. Wouldn't dare think anything else." Springfield assured, smiling and nodding to avoid straining the moment.
Pleased as she would be with these arrangements, G36 began to walk out of the eating area. She snapped her fingers, a clear order for the two other dolls to follow behind her. One that they followed promptly, StG44 falling in with a poised gait. PPsH-41 waved goodbye to her new acquaintance, before skipping over to join the two Germans.
This was going to be a long day.
(01:02)
For a rather small outpost, it had a fairly large airport. A final stop of an exhaustive tour.
Four hangers, each one paired with a helicopter pad lined a short airstrip. There was a rather consistent cycle of helicopters of all kinds taking off and landing, though the type varied from aircraft to aircraft.
Some were transport helicopters, dropping off civilians and soldiers alike waiting to be taken to some settlement in the surrounding area. Some were cargo helicopters, pallets of goods being dragged off and loaded onto truck-beds. Only a small handful were combat craft, and they were the only ones that had the PMC's logo brandished on their doors.
It made some sense in PPsH-41's mind. If this was a supply hub, then there would constantly be material flowing in and out of it. She just had never seen the backlog of Griffin's logistics before. Ever since she'd joined the company, she'd been close to where all the fighting took place.
It was pleasant, honestly. Being far away from the Sangvis front. The girl was honestly looking forward to this transfer. Though judging from how StG looked, that wasn't a universal sentiment.
"We take in several thousand tonnes of goods every day." G36 continued to instruct, having narrated the tour the whole way here. "Automated drones and human logistics personnel sort them, before locals come to claim and transport their wares across the sector."
"Is it safe enough for them to travel without escort?" PPsH asked, moving so she stood close to the side of her new superior.
G36 glared at her, but made no motion to shoo the small doll away. "Our duty is to protect this outpost. What happens outside these walls is not our jurisdiction."
The smaller doll shrunk a bit, noting that the maid had avoided answering her question. The reaction wasn't lost on G36, but it couldn't be helped. There were many problems in this sector, but Griffin hadn't been hired to fix them.
At least, not yet.
"Sometimes, we're asked to help offload the heavier goods. Do not damage anything, it will come out of your paycheck." She warned sternly. "Follow the instructions of the logistics personnel, usually Kalina is around overseeing everything. Questions?"
"Um… is everything cleaned beforehand? I would prefer to avoid handling anything covered in muck." StG44 questioned, twiddling her thumbs nervously. The smell of petrol and hot rubber assaulted her nostrils, creating an unpleasantly toxic scent. Like someone had set a pile of tires on fire.
G36 looked over her shoulder, eyes narrowing as she reached the end of her tolerance with this woman's cleanliness compulsion. "If I tell you to grab a bag of manure , you will do it with a smile. Verstanden?"
StG44 visibly recoiled at the declaration, her face nearly going green with illness. But she didn't say another word as they kept walking towards the hangars.
As the trio got close, a pair of voices could be heard clamouring inside. Two women were laughing with one another, loud enough that it could be heard over the constant sound of aircraft coming and going.
They made their way inside, and were greeted to the sight of Thompson and Santiago well into a discussion with one another. The echelon leader standing up with a bottle in hand, pantomiming a story while the chief of aviation sat on an ammunition crate.
"So I says to the lady. 'If you didn't want me to steal your boy-toy, you should've stopped me!' Then I walk out with him draped all over me." Thompson roars, breaking out into a new fit of laughter.
Santiago joined her, the older woman nodding her head along. "Nice, nice. And how did the rest of the night go?"
Thompson snorted, downing the last of her beer and throwing it over her shoulder into a trash bin. "Dumbass couldn't hold his drink, I dumped him and went to another bar."
"Ooof. That is cold ." She commented, going to take another drink from her bottle. It was then she noticed the three women approaching, and she waved the bottle towards them. "Buenos dias, senoritas! What brings you here?"
"Just an orientation, Frau Santiago." G36 answers, giving the human a bow as her station required. StG44 did as she had done this entire time, hang back and observe her surroundings carefully. Meanwhile PPsH-41 came forward, wanting to get a closer look at these two other women.
Santiago's eyes locked onto the small Russian doll's form, immediately falling head over heels at how adorable she appeared to be. She quickly departed her seat, running over and pulling Papashaw off the ground and into a bear hug.
"Oh. My. God!" The pilot gushed, spinning in place. "You are absolutely precious! What's your name, garotinha? Oooooh, I could just eat you up!"
PPsH-41 giggled, very much enjoying this little ride through the sky in the arms of this somewhat drunk human. "My name is Fourty-One. But my friends call me Papasha!"
"Papasha! Even her name is adorable!" Santiago commented with unrestrained glee. Having gotten her maternal urges out of her system, she put the doll back down onto the ground. "Well, you can call me Tia Ines. And you are welcome to my hangar whenever you wish. Want to take a look at my helicopter"
As PPsH-41 jumped up and down, then ran off at an inhuman speed towards the parked Blackhawk. Santiago giggled as she saw her run off, then looked to G36 with a new fire in her eyes. "I'm stealing her. She's mine, you can't stop me."
"Try me." G36 challenged, hiding her own amusement at this whole scene.
Thompson snorted, grabbing another bottle of beer from a blue cooler. She gave StG44 a look, then noticed the flag that was stitched into the tail of her coat. "Oh, great. Another Kraut. Fan-freakin'-tastic."
StG44 was taken aback by the sudden vitriol, but then grit her teeth. The meekness present before fell away at the slight. So much so that she began to stomp towards Thompson. The gangster watched her approach with a cocky grin, hoping for an excuse to fight.
Unfortunately for them both, G36 stuck an arm out and stopped her subordinate dead in her tracks. The maid leveled her usual glare at her fellow echelon leader, one that made clear that she was willing to have a repeat of their last encounter.
Thompson rolled her eyes, then tossed the beer bottle towards StG44. The tailor caught it reflexively, staring at the beverage as Thompson walked past them both.
"Thirty-Six, we need to talk. Leave your shrimps with Ines for a bit." She instructed, walking outside of the hangar. G36 shirked at the idea of conversing with her nemesis, but followed after.
StG stayed behind, giving the beer a sniff and souring her face. "Bleh. Budweiser."
The two seniors met outside, Thompson leaning up against the hangar door as she produced a cigarette. As G36 arrived, she offered the pack to the woman. An offer that the maid declined, with a wave of the hand.
"Guess you're finally a real team leader, eh?" She started off, patting herself down for her lighter.
"If this is going to be another one of your mocking sessions, I'm leaving." G36 sternly replied, eliciting a chortle from Thompson.
"See, this is why we don't get along." Thompson explained, giving her pockets one last search before giving up. She stuffed the cigarette back into her coat pocket, grumbling. "You've got the biggest stick up your ass."
"While you have no respect for rules, authority and common decency." G36 added on, growing more and more disinterested in the discussion. "Now, get to the point Annette."
Thompson scowled. "I told you to just call me Annie."
"And I told you, again, to get to the point."
"Fine. Fine, look. I'm proposing a truce, OK?"
"Define 'truce.'"
"You and me stop barking at each other. We're both Captains, we're gonna need to work together. We'll work better if we aren't goin' after each other."
"Last I checked, you antagonize me more than anything."
"Because you're hellbent on doing everything by the book. We're mercenaries, for cryin' out loud! Bending the rules is what we do!"
G36 scoffed, not accepting any of this. "Griffin is not a company of self-serving thugs. We follow the laws of the land like any other legitimate business."
Thompson looked at the doll, chuckling darkly at her naivete. "Uh huh. Keep tellin' yourself that. But we still need to work together."
"And we shall. But that does not mean I want anything to do with you outside of our work." G36 answered, ending the discussion on the spot.
"Feelin's mutual, Kraut." Thompson answered, seeing that this wasn't going to go anywhere. Feeling that their parlay had ended, G36 turned to re-enter the hangar. But the gangster spoke up again, pulling her attention.
"One more thing. You seen Old Man Hsu today?" Thompson inquired. G36 looked over her shoulder, shaking her head. A gesture that made Thomspon loll her head against the hangar door in frustration. "Great, he's been missing all day. Bar wanted to wrangle him into our poker-night."
"Gambling on company grounds is frowned" G36 reminded pointedly, but all she got was an eye-roll from her peer.
"It's our money, we can do whatever we want with it. And if it was that forbidden, we'd be programmed to not do it." Thompson countered, her logic being rather bulletproof. Anything Griffin didn't want them to do, they could easily force. "...Say, can go check on him?'
"I'm trying to show the new girls around." The maid reminded, her point made more clear as PPsH-41's happy laughter could be heard. Both dolls looked inside to see the Russian bouncing up and down in the cockpit, with Santiago giving her a crash course in flying.
"Ines and I can play babysitter." Thompson promised. G36 looked at her with clear distrust, but the doll raised both her hands in surrender. "We'll be nice , I promise. No pranks on the new blood yet."
"No pranks ever. Or else your next meals will have some extra ingredients." G36 threatened, something she could easily follow through on. She did make everyone's meals, after all.
"OK! OK!" Thompson responded. The ultimatum was enough to make her back off even further, not wanting to be fed a plate of spice powder. "Yeesh, y'know for a goodie two-shoes, you'd be a good enforcer. Ever think about a new line of work? Kinda wasted on this whole maid thing."
"My duties in the past often had me enforce discipline on children." G36 informed, before going to leave. This time, she walked back towards the main Griffin compound, leaving Thompson where she stood.
The American doll stood there, before she caught on to the final dig. "What's THAT supposed to mean!?"
Sadly, she didn't get an answer.
(01:22)
G36 entered Hsu's quarters, and was horrified by what she saw.
The room was a catastrophe. The bedspread was completely undone, with all the covers and blankets thrown about. The windows were still shuttered, with dusty beams of light eeking through from the high afternoon sun. The door to the bathroom was still wide open, with the sound of the sink filling out the silence of the room.
Hsu was sleeping at his desk, wearing only his collared undershirt and a pair of red and white boxers. Stacks of papers and datapads surrounded his head, along with an expensive looking bottle of liquor.
It was all sickening to look at. She knew the man was a bit unclouth, but this was some of the worst she'd ever seen. And it had only been a few weeks since he even came here.
First thing first, she went to the bathroom and shut the sink off. Also putting the cap on several prescription bottles and organizing them back into the cabinet. Thankfully, the sink hadn't overflowed, so a mop wasn't necessary.
Second, she went back over to Hsu and began to clean up the desk. Putting the unmarked pieces of paper into one stack, the marked up ones in another, and the datapads in a third. She also took the empty bottle in hand, along with the whisky tumbler.
An idea came to mind then.
She returned to the sink, washing off the glass and filling the bottle. The maid then set the glass onto the bedside table, before going back over to Hsu's sleeping form. The Commander was deathly quiet, one would think that he was a corpse. But G36 was able to sense his very much active vitals.
So, in one swift motion, she pulled his head back and dumped the ice-cold water right into his face. Hsu gasped for air as he was forced awake, floundering like a fish and falling to the floor as chills ran down his spine.
"A gentleman does not sleep past noon." G36 scolded, setting the fancy bottle onto the desk and going to the window. As Hsu continued to suck in oxygen, the maid pulled on the blinds to allow the full force of the sun to charge into the room.
The poor Canadian groaned. Now he was wet, cold and blind.
Seeing her leader's pitiful condition, G36 went to grab a towel. She then came back, grabbed him and set the man on his bed before beginning to wipe his hair and face dry. "Honestly, Master Hsu. Would it be so much to ask you to take care of yourself, even in the slightest?"
"Really, really not in the mood Gretel…" Hsu managed out. Part of him wanted to yell at the doll for putting him in the drunk tank, but he was able to hang onto his rationality through the hangover. "What time is it…?"
"Well past one in the afternoon." G36 informed him, finishing up with the towel job and hanging it on the hook of his bathroom door. "Some of the girls were looking for you. As is Chief Poniatowski."
"Right. Kalina. Probably wants an update on those." He deducted, pointing back over to the desk.
G36 went to the table, feeling a rush of satisfaction that the way she laid out all the papers avoided any of them being soaked by the water. She took the datapad in hand, activating it.
It was an expense report. Their expense report.
And it wasn't good.
"We only have this much left in reserve?" G36 asked, looking at the number again to be sure she hadn't misread it.
"Probably less. That's just my projection, and I was obviously drunk while doing the math." Hsu mentioned, rubbing the back of his neck as his mental faculties began to return. "Turns out Kalina was balancing everything on a hair. The money Griffin sent this place was a little more than enough to keep things running. Nothing was ever left to make a 'rainy day fund.' This rate we won't see the end of the month."
"But how did we expend so much of our budget so early?" G36 asked, setting the pad back down. "Things can be tight, but we've never been bankrupt."
"Yeah. When this place was just a supply outpost." Hsu pointed out, running his hand down his face as color began to return in his eyes. "But now we're doing missions. Which means costs quadrupled."
"And the mission we did for Headquarters?"
"Payment for that went into covering equipment costs for the mission." Hsu explained. "And the patrol from my first day."
He began to count off the new payments they now had to make. "We've expended more ammo in the past week than this place had in the seven months prior. We've doubled the amount of full body repairs in the past two weeks than have been in two years. And let's not forget our two new members, they both cost a ton to maintain."
"From what I've seen, the girls don't seem to be very spend-happy."
"They both use weapons from the forties. It cost us ten grand to get them new weapons and replacement parts. Don't even get me started on how expensive Seven-Six-Two Tokarev is."
"I… did not even know that kind of ammunition existed."
"Of course you don't. No modern guns use it, they haven't for decades. I had to place a special order from a factory in Baku."
Hsu's shoulders sagged. The older man looked totally defeated, backed into a corner with few options out. The night before was already a blur, he couldn't even remember passing out.
He sniffed, staying static on the bed. "We need a source of income. Kalina's arranging a video call with one of the town mayors."
"Enough to fill the gap?" G36 asked, getting the scoff she expected.
"Enough to start. But this means I need you in the fight sooner, not later."
G36 grimaced, having expected that as well. Though it was easily the last thing she wanted to hear. "I… Master Hsu, with respect. I haven't even gotten a chance to put the new arrivals through a training simulation."
Hsu shook his head. They couldn't even afford to run training sims right now. "Make due. Because if we don't make some money soon, then I'll have to start cutting costs. And we both know what'll go first."
"...You mean our salaries, don't you?" G36's eyes narrowed, growing suspicious. "This is… unbelievable! We've done nothing but perform to standard! And our pay is a fraction of that of the human staff!"
"And unlike the human staff, you don't need three square meals a day and health insurance. " He reminded fiercely, anger starting to flare up at the robot's insubordination. "Do you really think I'm going to throw down their lives before yours? Without their livelihoods, they die. You just go into stasis and get recharged!"
The booming shout stunned the maid into silence. Her digimind racked itself for a rebuttal, but there wasn't one that would make logical sense. They were humans, she was a doll. He wasn't doing this out of malice, but… necessity. Unfortunate necessity.
Hsu grabbed his head as he felt the hangover's migraine hit him again, like a club over his head. Seeing his state, G36 ran into the bathroom and produced some aspirins. She filled up the tumbler from prior, then came back.
He took the medicine and drink, downing both and paying no mind as the doll sat next to him on the mattress. He looked to his left, the pained look that the doll had on his face. Not about the money, or their situation. But about him, and what he had just suggested.
Hsu took a breath, finishing off the last of the water before cradling the glass in his hands.
"I know it's not fair." He admitted. When he first arrived, he wouldn't have felt guilty. They were just androids, they shouldn't be paid in the first place. That's how he would've rationalized it.
But that wasn't the case anymore. He didn't want them to suffer like he had during the War. Like they all had, cold and penniless while freezing to death in China. Stuck in a hole, terrified what the next day would bring.
G36 sighed, extending her hand and placing it on top of Hsu's as it clutched the glass. The gesture caused him to jolt, but he soon relaxed
The doll's hand felt… uncanny. It had the texture of a real one, but not the right temperature. It was colder. Not devoid of warmth, but not quite human.
But the emotions he felt in such a simple gesture were as human as could be.
"Thank you." He finally said. "You've… you've done a lot, Gretel. You didn't have to be my maid."
"I wanted to." She said, giving him a smile and squeeze. "...You remind me of my old master. He was also a man who carried a weight on his shoulders. But he always tried to carry it alone."
Hsu laughed. A quick, but honest one. "I've gotta do my job, don't I?"
"Quite." G36 added with a chuckle. She then stood up, taking the man by the arm and lifting him as well. "Let's clean you up. A Commander should not look like a homeless bum."
"Oh, I'm a bum now?"
"You certainly smell like one. I almost turned off my nasal sensors." G36 answered with a grin. Hsu laughed again, this time fully and with vigor. For the first time, she saw the man's smile. Soft, honest, happy. It was gone as quick as it came, but it was still heartwarming.
As he made his way into the bathroom, she closed the door behind him and looked over the still remaining mess. Most of the room was still in disarray, and she doubted either PPK or M1897 would make their rounds here anytime soon.
Maybe it was providence, she'd be able to accomplish her primary function after all.
A/N: And with that, we end the prologue arc before heading into the main story. Thanks to everyone who's been following, and welcome to the new followers! There's gonna be a bit of a pause in updates, need to give some of my older works some long overdue attention. But this seems like a great place to take a small break.
See you all soon!
o/
