Murder Drones - Model Mix-up

The Promening - Later That Night

It remains the dead of night, Wesson toiling away mindlessly at sketching blueprints and making pointless gadgets. He doesn't want to sleep. He doesn't want it to be day again. The days are monotonous and dull... nothing compared to what he'd been doing before...-

Nori - "May I come in? I have something for you!" she calls out to him through the door, her voice ringing with a tinge of excitement.

Wesson - "Sure..." he responds with considerable delay. Nori walks in, holding a steaming hot bowl.

Nori - "I remember when I used to see the humans make stuff like this. I hope you like it!"

She gently places the bowl on an empty spot on Wesson's desk. Sure enough, it's another blackish liquid substance held within, garnished with bundles of wire and half a dozen thin, wafer-like computer parts - Nori said the wires were meant to be a recreation of 'noodles.' He often questions whether this is standard for every drone... he'd never heard anyone else talk about their favorite food or preferred meal of the day. He always felt like an outlier... but Nori assured him everyone did it.

Nori - "Remember, if you need anything... I'm only a few seconds away." She places her hand on Wesson's head for a few seconds.

Wesson - "...Thank you, mom."

Nori - "No need to thank me, dear."

Nori quietly leaves the room, allowing Wesson silence and solitude once again. He wasn't going to talk to Nori, of course... he's too wrapped up in tinkering and festering. He stops momentarily to divulge a portion of his food, taking in its flavor. It's what Nori called 'savory' - she claims she has a secret technique to alter the tastes of her dishes. Wesson still doesn't understand why everything his mother made had the same black motif... but after so long of asking himself the same question, he gave up on trying to find an answer. The only thing he's ruled out is that it's oil... Nori vehemently denies such a concept.

Where does it all go, he wonders? There must still exist the physical restrictions of reality within himself... where does all this food go? It doesn't go anywhere once eaten, so where is it stored...? And then... he recalls the heart of V.

That's ridiculous, he tells himself.

In pursuit of not thinking too hard on the idea, Wesson's mind wanders for a time, thinking on various subjects ranging from gadget ideas to the implications of eldritch robotic creatures that didn't regard their hearts. Hardly anything makes sense to him anymore...

The morning sun begins to rise, and the drones of the colony follow suit. However, Wesson fails to do so, sleeping in about an extra half-hour. His visor reads: "SLEEP MODE [Guilt: Active]." His deactivated self recalls the brief interaction between him and Z just before their separation... his words to her echoing through his head.

"What are you?"

He's subtly awoken by a strange sound, slowly gaining his senses as he attempts to figure out what disturbed him. He realizes he's sprawled across his workspace - he... must have lost power while working. Beside him is an empty, black-stained bowl... he surmises Nori hasn't returned to his room since he fell asleep. He lifts his head from the desk - still unsure what awoke him, before realizing it was his phone vibrating.