A Friend

Chapter 9

Zi slurped on her protein pouch disdainfully as she watched over the 'Puppet' in its box, whom this whole time hadn't made a single noise or indication there was anything living in there. Someone would figure that anything living that was stuffed in a box that was barely big enough to fit a toddler in would want out, but no, there was no noise, no breathing, and if it wasn't for the green indicator that said it was in there you'd think it was empty Zi thought to herself shuttering. Trying to take her mind off it she did what she always did to distract herself during these extended times of extended nothing; no drills, no marches, not even guarding the overall interests of the collective. Running her fingers across her hairless head; tracing the wires that ran just beneath the skin, all of which connected to an earpiece if you could call it that.

As it was more of metal plate with buttons on it that allowed her to, as mundane as it sounded, access the comms network, too directly jacking her consciousness into any wireless system. Inevitably she reached the back of her head and idly tracked the very thing that identified who she was, who she and others belonged to, Z one dash Zyphon; her finger jumping a little as she jumped the gap near the top of the one making it look more like an I then a one. The machine that was responsible for the marking, according to the overseers, glitched out and ever since she was Zi instead of Z one. Which even though minor made her a little happy as no one else besides the 'specials' had names, or rather anything close to a real name.

The silence was heavy as it always was when they went to auctions as the overseers wanted more genetic material for the vats going on and on about 'We must rebuild our legions quicker' and 'We can't wait on you vat-born to mix the gene pool yourselves so go find people'. Easier said than done especially when they say 'You can't alert the local authorities too quickly or else' which ruled out most conventional means Zi knew of resulting in coming to places like this. To deal with the wannabes trying to be ...somethings, meaning going to these auctions, cleaning up some two bit gangsters' messes, and so on and on. It was really starting to wear on everyone, all this cloak and dagger stuff isn't the Greny way, Zi thought to herself glancing at the time to know how much longer her and her people are still going to be stuck here, which shouldn't be to much longer as the clock showed the action was about to begin.

And right on time, no sooner then the clock stuck midnight the subordinate she'd placed up there named Za, a pompous 'special' who came out of his vat with a supernatural level of charisma and cunning, checked in "Commander the auction is starting" the voice echoed through her cranial implants as its faster to send thoughts to one another then talking as thoughts traveled fast, and unless one of the freaks of this dimension had a mind reading power they sure in Hel ain't going to hear what's said.

Moving her fingers to rest on her earpiece Zi hesitated a moment before pressing down the button to talk "Good now remember the plan and-"

"Folk, we got a Lorekeeper that just walked in!" Za interrupted with good cause as Zi bristled and almost laughed out loud at their misfortune before remembering she was still transmitting, which meant Za more or less felt what she did and given what she was getting from him, he was not impressed.

"Damn, continue as planned and try not to give yourself away." Zi thought trying to put as much authority in it as possible in an attempt to save face, while quickly fingering a different button causing her vision to go black till it was filled with light, as the electrical signals going from her brain to her eyes and vice versa was interrupted. Before being connected to her implants directly allowing her to view a tactical map that showed the whole building in a mental 3D display. Quickly surveying the map looking at the blue dots signifying friendlies and white dots representing everyone else. Watching in horror, Zi noted that every dot except for two white dots vanished from the auction room, meaning everyone in that room just flatlined.