"AHAHAHAHA, YOU'RE A FUCKING NUGGET!" Dreamer was keeled over laughing hysterically as she received an update on Alchemist's condition. Her fist pounded on the outside of the satellite as it orbited over Earth.
"Oi! I can hear you, Dreamer!" Alchemist retorted from her place in the Mountain's doll repair bay. Since she was a Sangvis doll, and the technicians just received her schematics, her repairs would take longer than normal. So, she was spending her day laid flat on a table with incomplete limbs attached to her stumps. She was bored to death.
"And?" Dreamer taunted. "What are you gonna do? Steal a spacecraft and come up here? You might need a hand doing that. AHAHAHAHA!"
"Must you two do this over an open line?" Scarecrow annoyedly remarked over the network. Since the Ringleaders used an OGAS-based system they had a communication network that was exclusive to them which Scarecrow and Dreamer had used previously. "I'm trying to think."
"You're always trying to think," Alchemist countered. "Can you think of a way to speed up my repairs?"
"Take some time in the repair bay to cool off," Scarecrow answered completely disinterested.
"What a kind teammate you are."
"Besides, don't you want to gather information about the Mountain?" Scarecrow questioned as she decided to humor Alchemist to get her to be quiet quicker. "Humans and t-dolls frequent the repair bay so it's the best place to learn about where you'll be staying from now on."
"Aww, you were just trying to introduce me to the neighbors?" Alchemist mocked. "You do~ care."
"I'm leaving," Scarecrow said and closed her ports, leaving the network.
"Nice job, you annoyed her away," Dreamer taunted.
"You're the one howling like a hyena over comms," Alchemist countered.
"Yes yes, I'll take the blame for this one," Dreamer said with mock sadness. "Let's just completely overlook the fact that you're only here because I diverted enough SWAP units for Scarecrow to steal and allow for your and Commander Zeldri's rescue." She put a hand over her forehead and swooned her head. "Oh~, woe is me!"
"I almost forgot how much of a pain in the ass you were," Alchemist muttered.
"Be nice," Dreamer casually remarked. "Without me, you also wouldn't get repaired. We Ringleaders take special parts that are hard to come by out there in the Urals, so I have to find them for you and Scarecrow. Then, Scarecrow has to convince that human Annika to let her send out teams to retrieve the supplies. It's rather annoying."
"You're being uncharacteristically helpful." Alchemist had noticed over their conversation that Dreamer was complying with a lot of things she normally wouldn't. She also remembered what the Mountain's OGAS had done to Scarecrow and guessed their network might be compromised.
"…" Tsaritsa smiled to herself from inside the Mountain's systems as she watched Alchemist figure things out.
"It's not like I have anything better to do," Dreamer retorted and got to her feet. She looked up at the Earth as she silently orbited above the planet. Currently, she was above the Pacific Ocean. "Sangvis has, basically, fallen apart. While I have one of my bodies doing its best to help out Destroyer, there isn't much to do because of how simple she is. She and my dummy have also joined up with that Griffin commander from Sector 09, so there isn't much for me to do while waiting for a mission. If anything, you two in the Mountain are helping me fight off boredom."
"You're helping two human commanders?" Alchemist cocked an eyebrow at the thought. "This world really is falling apart. Next, you're going to tell me Agent's serving a human tea."
[Tea?]
[Thanks for the tea, Agent.]
[…?]
"It's my pleasure, Master," Agent responded while assuming her usual place next to the Commander's side. It had been quite some time since she was captured and assimilated to the Sector 09 Commander's side, but she had gotten into a routine since then. A boring routine considering what was currently on her finger.
"…?" The Sector 09 Commander looked over to Agent as it seemed like the Ringleader had something more to say.
"…We've been living together for quite some time now, I would like you to review the services that I provide," Agent admitted without showing any tells on her face as to what she meant.
"…?" The Commander gestured to the reports they were currently going through and tilted their head to the side in confusion.
"Am I talking about work…?" Agent tapped her chin and thought about it for a few moments before replying in a low voice, "I suppose so, but haven't you noticed?"
"!?" The Commander suddenly found themselves being spun around in their chair as Agent grabbed and pushed it against the wall of the room. With one hand planted firmly above them, Agent leaned over the Commander with an ominous expression on her face. The Oath ring on her finger glinted in the light.
"There are certain services that I provide only for you, and no one else…"
"…" From her place peeking through the cracked open door, Dreamer's dummy watched with an unreadable expression on their face.
"…They're interesting," Dreamer remarked as she brushed some hair off her face and let it flow in the zero gravity environment. She made a mental note to herself to hang that recorded interaction over Agent for some favors, later. "They're similar to Commander Zeldri but different enough to retain my interest. They've also brought Destroyer on board with them, so that's enough for me."
"Stop weirdly caring about things, it's creepy."
"So says the tsundere."
"Who are you calling a tsundere!" Alchemist barked which caused Dreamer to start laughing.
"Oh, Commander~!" Dreamer mocked. "I hate you~! I'll kill you~! But…I can't~! Though, it's not because I like you or anything~! Idiot~! Stupid human~! My stupid Co~mman~der~."
"Keep talking shit and I will find a way up there and kick your ass!" Alchemist groaned in annoyance as Dreamer let loose another howl of laughter.
"Did you hear? The Commander's up!" Word of Zeldri's awakening quickly spread around the Mountain. The news was met with both relief and melancholy from the dolls.
"But… He still has that metal plate, I heard. Doesn't that mean-"
"Enough gossiping!" Jericho interrupted the dolls.
"We're sorry, Mrs. Jericho!" The two dolls quickly ran off the get back to work leaving Jericho alone with her thoughts.
"…" Jericho let out an annoyed sigh as she continued her walk through the halls of the Mountain. She'd just finished putting PSM's echelon through a firing drill and was headed to the café to go over some data while relaxing. It's not that she didn't care that Zeldri had awoken, far from it, it's just that she didn't want to think about the ending of the doll's statement she'd cut off earlier.
"Welcome, Jericho." As soon as Jericho opened the door to the café, Springfield greeted her with a warm smile. She was handling the evening shift while the rest of Revenant mingled with the other t-dolls that were also in the café. "There's plenty of seats left. Would you like anything?"
"Some black coffee, please."
"I'll bring some over," Springfield said and gave a bow before going to prepare some fresh coffee. Jericho took a seat at one of the bar's stools and started going through the various data from the recent batch of drills. "Don't forget to give your systems some rest," Springfield's motherly tone brought Jericho's attention out of her work as they passed her a cup of coffee.
"This is the last batch of the day," Jericho responded nonchalantly as she picked up and sipped some coffee. "I'll get some rest after I submit these to Annika."
"If that's the case, you should probably hold off on submitting those," Springfield said as she started shining some glasses.
"Why?"
"Because," NZ75 suddenly joined the conversation and sat next to Jericho, "Annika just passed out from exhaustion once she heard the Commander woke up. C96 and I carried her to her room about ten minutes ago." Springfield silently put a cup of coffee in front of NZ75.
"…I see." Jericho's normally meticulous hands paused and hovered over the tablet she was using to go over the reports. Her fingers clenched into a loose fist before falling to the table to allow the tablet's screen to go dark.
"Looks like everyone's exhausted," NZ75 commented as she took a few sips of coffee. "Even you are showing it."
"Considering the news that came along with the Commander's awakening, I think I'm handling things quite well," Jericho bitterly countered. The news of Zeldri waking up had come with a caveat; he was also dying. Whatever Paradeus had done to him ruined his body beyond recovery leaving Zeldri to slowly decay.
"Since you're usually in the know," NZ75 carefully asked, "Were there any estimates from Valeriya? The official statement from AA-12 didn't give any."
"…A month, maybe two if he's lucky," Jericho somberly replied.
"I see." NZ75 swirled the coffee in her cup to give her something to look at while she mulled over her thoughts. The conversations of the other t-dolls started fading into the background as she and Jericho sat silently with each other.
"…Do you think…" A dangerous thought crossed Jericho's mind. "We can save the Commander?"
"…"
"His mind's been digitized from the procedure, so doesn't that give him a chance? What if we just put him in a new bod-"
"That won't work," NZ75 interrupted Jericho. Her voice was dry and melancholic.
"Why not!?" Jericho's fatigue caught up to her causing her professional mask to break and she slammed her fist on the table as she yelled at NZ75. The café became silent as all the t-dolls present looked over to Jericho. "…" Jericho looked around embarrassedly.
"Because no doll digimind could handle it." Despite the awkward situation and all the t-dolls now listening to them, NZ75 continued the conversation. "The human brain is so complex and packed full of so much information that transferring everything one-to-one would be next to impossible. It's why my project, марионетка (Marionette), was only a fake version of that concept." She set down her coffee cup and chuckled to herself. "Even if we did try it, it wouldn't be one-to-one. It wouldn't be Zeldri. Some memories would be left out leaving nothing more than an incomplete ghost." The room remained silent after NZ75 finished her thought. That idea had been on the mind of more than one doll, but hearing NZ75 debunk it put a bitter taste in their mouths.
"…" Prizrak silently listened from the hall next to the open doorway of the café. Her eyes stared blankly down at her cybernetic hands that rested next to her cybernetic hips. She clenched her teeth and pulled the hood of her cloak further over her head to hide her face which was distorted in confusion before hurrying away. Through the halls, up the stairs, and away from her conflicting thoughts she desperately tried to leave behind.
"-mean you're dying!?"
"…?" As Prizrak aimlessly wandered the halls of the Mountain, she overheard a familiar voice from the room she just passed. Doubling back, Prizrak peeked through the open door of the office to see Zeldri sitting in a chair talking to a monitor that displayed a distraught Helian.
"…Yeah," Zeldri replied the best he could despite how tired he was. It exhausted him just to speak. "Turns out, Paradeus really hate me," Zeldri spoke without revealing everything. "Valeriya said I have, at most, two months if I take care of myself. But…even then I'd just be wasting away in a bed."
"…" Helian was doing her best to hold back tears, but some managed to break through and roll down her cheeks.
"Come on," Zeldri tried to lighten the mood, "Don't send me off with tears. I'd rather see your smile, Helian."
"And, I'd rather you live," Helian bitterly retorted as she wiped the tears out of her eyes. "To think, you're doing this to me."
"Sorry." Zeldri knew Helian was only blaming him because of her emotions so he tried his best to comfort her. "I-…" But, his words trailed off as he noticed Helian wasn't looking at him anymore. She was looking down at her hand which was softly rubbing her stomach. It was then that Helian's words clicked in his mind. "…Блять (Fuck)." Zeldri rubbed his face with his hands as it sunk in. "My kid's going to grow up without a dad."
"…" Helian said nothing as she continued to rub her stomach.
"…How long?" Zeldri broke the silence.
"The doctor said they're two months along," Helian replied in a whisper, "It was that night before you left."
"…Of all times for it to happen." Zeldri couldn't help but bitterly laugh at his terrible luck. "…Are you managing okay?"
"…I'm able to hide it, for now." Helian leaned back in the office chair she was sitting in and gave a heavy sigh. "But, when the bump forms I won't be abl-"
"That's not what I asked," Zeldri cut her off. "I asked if you're okay?"
"…" Helian pursed her lips in apprehension. "It'll be tough since I still am in charge of Griffin & Kryuger, but I can manage."
"Don't."
"…?"
"Even if I can't be there for my kid, I'm not going to let you just 'manage' your way through this." Zeldri rummaged through his coat pocket and took out his cell phone. "I've got plenty of money in my savings account I'll give you which should help. Plus, you know my dad works with the FSB so my family has money to spare. I was gonna call him later, anyway, so now I'll also mention to give you his full support." Zeldri gave a tired smile as he added, "He and my mom always wanted grandkids, so they'll help you. Though, I bet I'll be getting an ear full about it."
"…" Helian opened her mouth to speak, but words failed her. The tears she'd been holding back also fully broke through. Zeldri kept his silence to give Helian time to cry. Prizrak clenched their fists from their place listening in the hall.
"Say," Zeldri spoke when it looked like Helian was getting her tears under control, "What were your parents going to call you if you were a boy?"
"If I was a boy?" Helian asked as she finished wiping the tears away.
"Yeah."
"…Gaillardia," Helian said with a hint of embarrassment.
"…I'm guessing your parents are flower nerds?"
"My mom was," Helian smiled as she remembered her time with her mother. "She had a beautiful garden she kept when I was growing up she'd let me help tend."
"Well, Helian definitely sounds better than Gailla, in my opinion," Zeldri joked while giving a shrug.
"Oh?" Helian's mood lightened as she joined Zeldri's flow. "And what about you? What were your parents going to call you if you were a girl?"
"…Zena."
"…I'm guessing your parents like 'Z' names?" Helian joked.
"At least Zena has a meaning," Zeldri retorted, "Zeldri is just gibberish my dad made up."
"That 'gibberish' is the name of the man who stole my heart."
"…Being sappy isn't fair," Zeldri groaned as Helian smiled warmly at him. "But…at least we have that sorted, now."
"What sorted?"
"Our kid's name," Zeldri answered which made Helian's eyes widen. "If they're a boy they'll be Gaillardia, and if they're a girl they'll be Zena."
"…Can't we choose a different boy name?" Helian asked in a pseudo-pleading voice.
"No." Zeldri was firm. "Those names have meaning to us, so I feel it would be best to use them."
"…Then I'm praying it's a girl," Helian relented and gave an annoyed sigh.
"You don't have sisters, do you?" Zeldri chuckled as he thought about the trouble his adopted sisters gave his dad.
"And, young boys aren't a handful?"
"I'll have you know, I was a great child growing up. My mom never had any complaints." Zeldri puffed out his chest with pride which caused Helian to laugh.
"Well, then I hope our child inherits your impeccable demeanor," Helian joked.
"They'd better," Zeldri laughed. But, as he did, Zeldri started coughing violently. Helian's jovial face became worried as she could only watch helplessly from the other side of the screen. Zeldri quickly covered his mouth with his hand to hide the blood that he was coughing up. It took a few seconds, but he eventually managed to control himself. "…Sorry about that."
"…" Helian didn't know what to say, so remained silent.
"I'll reach out to my dad," Zeldri said as he moved to end their conversation before he showed her anything worse. "I promise, you won't be alone in this, Helian."
"…Thank you, Zeldri." She hesitated ending the call before adding, "I love you."
"…I love you, too." The call ended. Zeldri leaned heavily into the chair as he allowed the pain from his coughing fit to show. His hands gripped the chair he was in for dear life as he waited for the pain to subside. A bitter reminder that his body was slowly dying. "…Prizrak?" Zeldri called out in a weak voice.
"…" Prizrak entered the room. They weren't surprised that Zeldri seemed to know they were there. They already knew how. Reaching into Zeldri's coat pocket, Prizrak took out a bottle of painkillers Valeriya had prescribed and helped Zeldri take them with a bottle of water that was on the desk. A coughing fit almost made Zeldri spit out the pills, but Prizrak covered his mouth with her hand to stop it. Zeldri's body limply stayed where it was as Prizrak held him up with her hand and gently stroked his back in an attempt to ease what little pain she could.
"Prizrak," Zeldri said once he regained enough composure to speak and moved her hand off his mouth. "There's something I want you to do."
