Terrestrial Undead

Chapter 4

"Unit 003 is requested at the bridge."
The announcement dropped a weight in 009's chest. She liked the mechanic, as much as they baffled her, and being the only person in 8 years to treat her like another person, of course 009 was attached to them. But now it looked like they were in trouble because of it. She just hoped they had enough sense to keep their head down and agree with whatever the Captain had to say to them.
What that would be, she didn't know, but she doubted it would be good for her. If 001 had reported 003, it would be for negligence in not reporting 009 defect. This meant that 003 had only bought her more time rather than save her as she had hoped.
An inspector thumped her between the shoulder blades with their baton, sending a metallic clang bouncing off the walls.
"You're not here to do nothing, trash can. To work."
009 instinctively moved to obey the command when it was followed by another: "wait".
Suddenly there were guardsmen filling up the room. One took the hammer hanging loosely from 009's hand.
"You're going to come with us."
As he said that, her knees gave out and she crashed to the ground. There were hands everywhere, tying her to a large upright gurney. The last time she had been on one of these was when she woke up 8 years ago.
"What happens now?"
009 thought hazily that those words must have come from the sick feeling in her chest and not the gears and wires in her throat— they shouldn't have allowed for it while she was powering down.
Of course, nobody answered. Why would they? She was just a machine. Just a trash bucket, ever since...
as they wheeled 009 away, memories swelled in her head with so much force she thought it might burst. 8 years ago, The Captain, her mother, had knocked her out with a baton. She had fought them as they stabbed her with needles, and writhed under leather restraints while her veins burned. Then her body had gone still while her mind kept screaming. They took up a scalpel and cut into her face, into her throat, into—
As the gurney came to a sudden halt, 009 felt an unfamiliar burning sensation bubbling up from her navel. Unable to choke it back, foul black bile sprayed from the seams of her mask. Before her stood the image that had made her laugh just a few days ago; Captain 11, soaked in cyborg sick. She didn't laugh now— her face felt as if it were burning.
The Captain dabbed at her chest with a handkerchief.
"Where is the other?"
A guard nudged a crumpled body in the corner. The Captain nodded, dismissing all but one.
"There should be better ways to deal with divergent types. I've done my best with every single child they've given me, but what can you expect from the ones from Sect 12?" She asked the remainder.
"Nothing but a swamp," he agreed.
"Only tell the crew that bring the unpunished food there are prisoners. No one else."
"Yes, Captain."
With that, they left. 009 squinted through the gloom toward the corner.
"...003?"
"Hi, 009. What's happening?"
Although their speech was slurred, the cheerfulness only their voice despite the circumstances confirmed that it was the mechanic. 009 groaned.
"I'm sorry, 003. I didn't know you'd get dragged into this."
"It's okay. Dragged into what, exactly?"
"I don't know."
Looking around, she gathered that they were in the hold. Something squelched unpleasantly under her mask.
"I do know your repairs are covered in puke, though."
003 stood up a little unsteadily. One of their legs was shackled to the wall, so they had to shuffle over. When 009 saw their face, she turned hers away for fear of covering it in more black muck.
There were little drawn instructions scribbled over 003's face and neck— the thing that made her stomach churn was the dotted line mirroring 009's own mask. 003 was marked for Punishment.

003 didn't seem to be aware of the one-way ticket to a life of fresh hell scrawled all over their face, and even 009's mechanically altered heart ached at the prospect of having to tell them. As they carefully popped off bits of her mask and scraped out the gunk made of who knew what with their own hands, a picture of them going limp under those leather straps arose in her mind unbidden. It was too much to bear.
"We have to get out of here."
They both froze as she said it. 009 could hardly believe she had managed to choke the words out around her now stiff voice gears. The words hung between them before 003 managed to reply,
"Why?"
She had to tell them. How else would they understand they had to escape?
"Because they're going to do to you what they did to me. They're going to cut up your body and put it back together again, so they can control you, not completely, but you'll never be the same again. They're going to punish you like they punished me— by turning you into their tool."
009's heart might have fallen apart if there weren't copper wires holding it together as fear and confusion clouded 003's face. Again, this time a whimper,
"Why? What did I do?"
Everything— all the pain and confusion and sheer injustice of it all— forced itself out her eyes. For the first time in 8 years, they made tears by themselves.
"Nothing. You didn't do anything, they just don't want us to be able to think for ourselves, I don't know why, I've never known why. I was just a child, I just wanted to get my book back so I snuck into the Captain's quarters and—"
003 did something very strange then. They came close, very close, and wrapped their arms around 009's body. It was such a bizarre sensation that she was torn between shoving them away and doing it back.
"What are you doing?"
"I... don't know. It just seemed right. I'm sorry," they said, and then stepped away, looking at their feet. 009 eyed them for a moment longer and looked away.
"I'm sorry too. I didn't want to tell you, but they've drawn it all over your face, marking what needs to go where and all— we have to get out."
After a long time, 003 answered, "I think you're right. Because if that's what they're going to do to me, what are they going to do to you?"