"We need tankers! Tankers! North side!"
"There's boilers in the basement! Get them contained!"
"Residents are still on the upper floors, where are the dolls?!"
"..." I still remember the last job of my old life. It was the dead of night when the alarms rang throughout the station waking the humans and activating the standby status of us dolls. We were already loaded into the truck, so all we could do was wait for the human firefighters as the radio gave updates.
"Thirty story complex. Most tenants are out." I was stationed closest to the crew cab which allowed me to hear them talking as we wove through the city's streets. "Fire started on the seventeenth floor trapping some of the slower residents upstairs."
"I'll send the dolls up when we get there." The ride was tense as the radio continued to give deteriorating updates until we arrived.
"This is engine 16; on-scene."
"Let's go, dolls!" With the verbal command given, and doors opened, we a-dolls fully came online and exited the truck into the chaos. Trucks and men surrounded the building as they desperately tried to fight back the flames that burst out the windows. Police were also on the scene along with men from the FSB. Looking up, I couldn't even see the top of the building with how much smoke clogged the sky.
"Get those Cordelia dolls moving!" The head of the fire station beat us there and was beginning his coordination efforts. Since we dolls were kept in the trucks with our gear, we were ready to move at a moment's notice. The tanks on our backs were filled with foam that were attached to hoses and nozzles we could use to clear paths. And, while we were just dolls, we were in full uniform like the human personnel as the intense heat could still mess with our electronics. "I want them inside and evacuating the upper floors!"
"Yes, sir!" we spoke in unison. While many dolls needed handlers or advisors physically with them when working with the public, those in the Ministry of Emergency Situations were given more autonomy as even a second delay in judgment could be the difference in saving a life.
"Цунами-1 (Tsunami), entering the building," I reported to command over my integrated radio as I led the other dolls into the building. Despite the fire starting on the seventeenth floor, there was noticeable damage to the lower floors. Too much damage.
"I see it," the voice of our handler came into my head. He was back in the truck monitoring our status through the cameras in our eyes. He noticed what I had been staring at. "We don't know the full extent of the damage, and the call didn't give us a cause. There are also those guys from the bureau, so move as quickly as possible."
"Yes, sir!" I turned to the five dolls that were following me as we reached the stairwell. "Цунами-2 and 3, start fighting any fires that threaten the stairs. Цунами-4 and 5, clear the odd-numbered floors while 6 and I work on the even-numbered."
"Roger!" We raced up the stairs to designated floors and got to work. The lower floors were clear, so we began our sweep with the eighteenth floor. We found nothing up until the twenty-sixth floor. Цунами-6 and I were clearing rooms when our audio sensors picked it up.
"...Помоги...мне...(Help me)" It was faint. A whimper on the verge of being snuffed out.
"Move!" We didn't even look at each other before Цунами-6 took out her axe and broke down the door into the room. Smoke poured out of the unit, but we rushed inside. "Hello! Can you hear me!?" I called out to the smoke hoping for an answer. There wasn't a response, but some movement caught my eye.
"...!" A young girl, she looked no older than seven, was kneeling next to her grandmother who was sprawled out on the floor.
"It's going to be okay," I attempted to calm the girl, "We're going to-"
"No!" The young child screamed and threw herself on her grandmother. "Dolls bad! Mom said so!" Since all the dolls in my group were from the Cordelia line we all looked the exact same which made our existence as dolls obvious when next to each other.
"... Дерьмо (Shit)," I cursed under my breath and contacted the handler, "Предрассудки! Предрассудки! (Prejudice)" Prejudice was our code for when a person actively refused rescue based on the fact that the rescuer was a doll. Because of that, we needed direct authorization from a human to force the person to be rescued. It was, sadly, a common enough occurrence that the use of the term was adopted by most fire stations. I felt the connection to his computer strengthen as he set his focus on me.
"Grab the girl and have Цунами-6 get the old woman."
"Yes, sir!" Цунами-6 and I exchanged a knowing nod as we moved into position.
"Sto-!" While Цунами-6 distracted the girl, I moved behind her and wrapped an arm around her. She started to flail around which let me easily get her off her grandmother. "NO! PUT ME DOWN!"
"Calm down! Calm down! We're here to help!" Young children were always difficult as their bodies were more fragile and could easily get hurt from my enhanced strength as I attempted to keep her in my grasp. It was like she barely registered the situation she was truly in. "Цунами-6, get her ba-!" As I attempted to relay new orders, the entire building violently shook causing us to lose our balance. The radio screamed to life with answers.
"The lower floors just collapsed! There's fire in the basement! The boilers are no longer-!" The man was cut off as an explosion from the basement caused the building to once more violently shake.
"We've lost team 2! Everyone, get away from the building! It's coming down!" By the time Цунами-6 and I registered his words, the world started to tilt.
"HANG ONTO SOMETHING!" I screamed over the sound of the shattering concrete and splintering wood as the building went down. The young girl was still screaming in my arm, so I rushed into a doorway and fully wrapped myself around her. I couldn't see Цунами-6 because of the smoke. The last thing I felt was the impact of the building slamming into the ground and its remains crumbling on top of me.
...
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...
...
...Reboot Sequence: Engaged...
...Running Diagnostics...
...
...Warning: Multiple Damage Reports Available...
...Warning: Signal Strength Low...
...Warning: Tank Rupture Detected...
...Warning...
...Warning...
Even though my eyes were open, I could barely see. My vision was mostly static, and the lenses of my eyes were cracked. Though, I could still make out the figure of the young girl in my arms. She was trembling. Alive. She probably had multiple broken bones, but she was definitely alive. Now that I was online, I checked whether my ping system was functional.
...GPS Locator: Online...
I poured power into the locator and sent out my location along with a screenshot of my view of the young girl to my handler's computer. I didn't have to wait long to know if they got it.
"Over here!" Even though I was surrounded by debris, I could still make out the voice of a man along with the distinct sound of debris being moved.
"Put your back into it! Come on!"
"Come on! Come on!" Eventually, the beam of a spotlight pierced through the darkness. And, as the final piece of debris over me was lifted, I was met with the faces of both dolls and humans. The young girl in my arms trembled as a fresh gust of cold air hit her.
"She's alive!" one of the men yelled.
...Warning: Power Low...
Before my body could shut down, I unfurled my arms from around the girl and allowed the men to take her. Then, the world returned to black.
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...Reboot Sequence: Engaged...
The next time I awoke, it wasn't to the scene of the collapsed building, or my fire department's vehicle bay, or to a repair shop for a-dolls. It was to the cold rain as it pelted my body that was lying in a pile of scrap. Junkyard scrap. This wasn't a completely unexpected outcome. If a doll was damaged enough, it was often cheaper to just replace it than have it repaired. And, due to funding issues, our department needed to save money where it could, so I understood.
"..." But, that didn't stop the rain from feeling especially harsh as it pelted me.
"Hmm." The sound of a man's voice drew my attention away from the sky. Kneeling in front of me, inspecting my body, was a rather gruff-looking man in his forties along with another man in a uniform that showed the junkyard's logo.
"You sure you want that one, Horris?" the junkyard man said as he shivered, "I've got some more intact dolls inside. You know, away from the rain?"
"..." Horris kept his eyes on me as he continued to inspect my body.
"Isn't it too cold for old men to be outside?"
"..." Continuing to ignore the other man's bitching, Horris kept inspecting me until he looked up and noticed I was watching him. Our gazes met and he stared into my broken eyes. "...Say," he finally spoke, "How would you like to come with me?"
"What?" the other man questioned, but Horris waved him off.
"Not you." He turned back to me. "It's a better deal than rusting away here, right?"
"..." Words failed me as my voice module had been damaged in the collapse. But, even if I could talk, I had no idea how to respond. While I was given some autonomy as a firefighter, I was never like this. Never alone.
"Ah, right," Horris sighed as he looked me over, "Your throats all sorts of fucked. Probably crushed your voice module. Hmm."
"Why are you asking a broken doll for permission?"
"See, if you don't take my offer, you're gonna have to listen to this guy's bitching while he scraps you," Horris said with a sly smile and a wink.
"You're insufferable."
"And, you're on minimum wage. So, act like it and fuck off."
"..." This man, Horris, was certainly something. Was he a mechanic who wanted a doll helper? A hobbyist looking to make something new? I didn't know, but something about him made me use the last bits of power I had to reach out my hand to him.
"...I'm glad," he said while gently taking my hand. Despite the cold rain, the warmth of his smile was something that I would never forget. However, my power supply was so low that I had to return to a stand-by state soon after.
...
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...Reboot Sequence: Engaged...
The next time I awoke, it was in a makeshift workshop inside a garage. The static and cracks in my vision were gone, and the warnings had significantly decreased in number.
"If I'm shipping this to you, I'm charging you extra." A female voice with a distinctly American accent caught my attention and, out of the corner of my eye, I saw Horris sitting at a computer that displayed seemingly random images. It looked like a chat program and the images were likely avatars.
"You want me to come to the United States? In this economy?" Horris joked as he typed at his keyboard. On the second monitor, I saw blueprints for my model of a-doll with notes Horris was adding.
"Considering shipping prices versus airline tickets and travel costs to get to you?" A third voice, male with a Japanese accent, spoke up. "The cost is about the same."
"Thank you, Mr. Calculator. Very cool." The woman sounded annoyed. "It was already hard enough finding one with the wand still intact. These things barely left Vietnam, and time wasn't nice to them, either. I expect payment in full."
"I always pay, Pentagon," Horris reassured the woman, Pentagon, "So long as it can work."
"I tested it myself, Tinkerer. The thing can still handle normal fuel and napalm, as requested. Though, your custom requirement will be difficult as that would, without a doubt, melt the entire apparatus if used."
"That's fine," Horris shrugged, "So long as I have it I can make it work."
"I don't see how with how much heat you plan on this thing spitting out."
"It'll be fine." Horris glanced at me as he noticed I was awake. "Once I use the ASST to imprint it onto her, I'll tweak it to work."
"I still don't like this." The Japanese man seemed uncertain. "Using that woman's work. It's filthy and tainted by her treacherous hands."
"If you want to go after Persicaria and become another 'suicide' statistic, be my guest." Horris' tone shifted as the talk of Persicaria seemed to annoy him. "While I didn't agree with her and Lycoris' choice to go public, what's done is done. Besides, she's using our Zener Protocol, so it's only fair that I use her Imprint Technology." There was silence as the other two couldn't think of anything to say. "Either way, I'll be going as my sleeping beauty's woken up."
"I swear to God, Tinkerer," Pentagon said, "I'll find and kill you myself if you install wom-!" Horris exited the chat program and turned towards me.
"Some business colleagues," Horris answered the unasked question. "You'll be hearing more of them as we're relatively close. But," he clapped his hands in expectation, "I think it's time I told you what you'll become."
"..." Become. The phrasing was ominous, but I remained motionless as I waited for him to continue.
"See, I've always been fascinated with...tinkering." He chuckled at the irony of his online name. "You dolls are such wonderful things that, often, get overlooked or purposely ignored. But, I see something more... I guess I'm similar to them in that way." Although he didn't say their names, I knew he was talking about Persicaria and Lycoris. "I'm also someone that doesn't like to be outdone. Which is where you come in, my Cordelia. I'd like you to be my answer to the unintentional challenge and make you my t-doll."
"...?" T-doll? That wasn't a term I was familiar with.
"Mmm." He saw the confusion on my face. "A t-doll, tactical doll, is an a-doll that's been imprinted onto a weapon. They're like typical military dolls, but you can use any doll as a base and any weapon as a target. It's quite brilliant, and dangerously deceptive when you consider that any doll can now become a tool of war while keeping their external appearance." There was a twinge of sadness that crossed his face but was gone in a second. "As a firefighter, you risked your existence to save lives. And, I'm asking you to become something that takes them."
"..."
"While I could force you to do it... That's not my style. I'm too old to be acting like that to someone that looks old enough that they could be my daughter. So, Cordelia, would you fulfill my wish?"
"..." This...was a lot to take in. It was a lot, while also completely simple. The firefighters back at the station had treated us dolls fairly, but never as people. More like pets. But Horris...
"Hmm?" A look of surprise crossed his face as I warmly smiled at him. I sat up, gently took his hand, and gave an approving nod. "...Hah..." He scratched the back of his head as he awkwardly laughed. "That whole 'old enough to be my daughter' thing was just a passing comment. But, look at you warming an old fool's heart like a real one." He burst out into real laughter that echoed off the walls of the workshop. If my voice module was working, I might have laughed, too. "Well. A father can't have his daughter being half broken." He motioned towards the monitor that was displaying warnings of what was still wrong with my body. "I'll be putting you back under while I work, but it shouldn't take long. So, get comfortable, and I'll see you soon-"
"M7? Could you get my pipe wrench?" Horris had half his body inside the engine compartment of a 2S35 Koalitsiya-SV. Upon seeing it, Horris wanted to work on it first out of all the vehicles in the Mountain's vehicle bay. "This thing wants to be stubborn, so I'm gonna be stubborn right back!"
"..." M7 smiled and went through the toolbox looking for the wrench. The hose of her flamethrower lightly dangled behind her and tapped her boot as she kneeled down. In a way, having the M9A1-7 was similar to her old tank apparatus as a firefighter. But, this one was far more lethal. Especially the third tank that was a custom addition Horris had added. Picking up the wrench and a flashlight, M7 went to Horris' side and handed him the wrench. She then flicked on the light and got into an angle to give Horris the best light.
"Excellent!" Horris lined up the wrench and used it to smack one of the engine's pistons free. "Thing's frozen in place." M7 motioned to her flamethrower. "...Maybe later, if even this doesn't work."
"..." M7 smiled and continued to hold the light for Horris. Despite her voice module being repaired, she never spoke a word. She wasn't sure why. Had she been silent for so long that it felt normal to not talk? Was she afraid to speak? Again, she wasn't sure. What she was sure of, though, was that she wanted Horris to hear her first words. And, she wanted them to be special. Something that could convey the feelings she had for him. These feelings she was certain a doll shouldn't have, but her behavior module kept pushing into her. She knew he would accept them, but that didn't stop her from wanting it to be something special. When she found her voice, she would speak those words. They would probably come naturally to her at the moment. But, for now, she said nothing and kept her silence while holding the flashlight to help Horris work.
