idiosyncratic <h2ovanoss>

UnControlled

*Old Version*

Del's a robot, forced to sing for people in an audience. Though he wasn't always a robot, and he wasn't always controlled by the push of a button.

.:Evan:.

Walking through the rows of seats, my boots clanked against the ground, signalling my entrance. Nobody noticed, after all they were to entranced by the current One up on stage. The lights in the room were dim, the seats worn, and the auditorium had a big grand stage that looked close to collapsing. The entire place was old and worn, but it was still very popular.

As I sat down, I glanced at the stage while getting comfortable in my seat. Today was the day the newest One would come up, and everybody had been waiting for weeks, hence why the place was so full. I got one of the front seats since all the others were taken, but it was one of the best ones. I guess sitting in the back was cool or something, despite having a better view up front.

The One currently on the stage had metal on Their limbs, basically a full One by now. Every once in a while They would get these... surgeries, to make Them more appealing. Usually They become One in the first few days, so this One must be about four days old.

The One everyone was waiting for had been worked on for weeks, so They must be a complete robot by now. The giant chair guarded by rails sat in the very middle of the very back row, two guards around it, while the current Master was sitting in the chair, working the controls to make Them sing. They never seemed to mind, to fixed to care.

See, this place was a place where people owned other... people. The people who owned were called Masters, and the ones being owned were called Ones, or They. They used to be people, but were kidnapped a few days prior to Their first performances, and were turned closer to robots than humans. They always lived on the streets beforehand, and They had to sing on stage for us. Each One had wires in and on Their vocal chords to make Them sing, metal and bolts in Their limbs and all over Them to make Them be controlled however the Masters wanted Them. Only commoners or the rich were able to view Them, but the only other types of people there were, are the ones who are turned into Them. This place always got good ratings, and everyone loved to hear Them sing whatever Their Masters wanted Them to.

As the audience clapped, I joined in, listening to the whispers start. The newest One was next, personally called Delirious by its Master. Each One was given names, but overall Their types were called Ones. Delirious had been worked on for three weeks, and oddly enough today was Their first performance.

"... And now, everybody cheer for the newest arrival, the One we've been waiting for, Delirious!" The audience did indeed cheer, screaming even, as I was included. We've all been waiting, and now the waiting was to stop.

As all the lights turned on except for the few broken, gold dimmed ones on stage, everyone was silenced. Glancing back to the Master of this One, I noticed how his lips were in a straight line instead of the usual smug grin all the other Masters wore. When I heard gasps, I sat back properly in my seat, eyes widening by the One on stage.

Delirious had only bits of metal here and there imprinted onto Their skin, though I'm guessing it was a he before he was turned. Its face had pale blue, almost silver eyes, and I knew they were natural by the way there wasn't a single metal in the world like the colour. Their hair was shaven on the sides, yet the middle waved off to the side, and the remainder of Their skin was clean, but almost rusty looking with its paleness. The clothes They was wearing were loose, sweatpants tied up to the knees, a sleeveless tank top showing off Their arms, covered in vibrant tattoos where metal wasn't.

This wasn't right. Ones that had been developed for weeks should be completely metal, there was no other way around it. There didn't even look to be wires anywhere on Them. The One must be a mistake.