Reboot

Chapter 13

Sweet was surprisingly easy to talk to, it turned out. Lucy listened intently as Sweet detailed the Queen's plans to merge their worlds together. It was Watevra's hope that, if their peoples lived together, if they each had one of their own to co-rule, maybe the hostilities would finally die down. Not that it should be difficult now anyway, Lucy thought, now that we know this was all just one big misunderstanding.

"I always wanted to be able to do something like this," Sweet admitted, giving Lucy a shy grin. "To be at the forefront of forging an alliance with another world. I studied for it my whole life, you know."

"And you planned your contact with us based on what you observed." Sweet nodded. Lucy sighed. "I guess that whole fiasco wasn't entirely your fault then."

"So if your people really aren't all tough and aggressive all of the time, what are they really like?"

"It's... hard to say, honestly," Lucy admitted. "It's really only been since the Duplos first came that we've had such a united culture. We kind of had to, to survive when they started wrecking everything. Before that... everyone was pretty segregated, and Master Builders were outlawed. I spent a lot of that time fighting for our freedom, and to stop Lord Business from Kragling the whole world. And before that..." She shrugged. "I was the lead singer of a pretty well-known pop band."

"You really used to be a pop singer?" Sweet sounded disbelieving.

Lucy gave a self-deprecating laugh. "Yeah, a long time ago. I wrote the song Lord Business used to keep everyone too distracted to catch on to what he was doing. I was so embarrassed that I left the band, dyed my hair, and tried to find a new identity."

Sweet tilted her head. "I thought you said your hair was naturally black?"

Lucy frowned, only vaguely recalling the near-meltdown she had over it. "Well of course I said that, I've spent so long trying to hide who I used to be..." But she didn't feel quite as convinced as she tried to sound.

"I'm sorry you had to go through all of that." Sweet paused. "Wait, did you say 'Business'?"

"Yeah...? Why?"

"Like the former president of your world, Business?"

"Yeah?"

"Huh," Sweet mused.

"What?" Lucy demanded. "Why do you want to know?"

"We found him and brought him here, he's actually been working as the Queen's advisor for a few years now."

"What??"

Sweet winced. "I guess it would sound bad, after what you've hinted at, but he's actually been a huge help to her, here."

"Is that why she promised everybody stuff if we went along with this ceremony?" Lucy huffed. "Certainly sounds like the sort of thing he'd do to win people over."

"Possibly," Sweet admitted. "I wasn't privy to that conversation if it is the case. But the Queen genuinely does want you all to be happy, and she thought that might be what would make you happiest."

"Except for me."

"I'm sorry," Sweet murmured. "You are hard to read, though. Neither my scanners nor the Queen's empathy could figure you out."

Lucy ran her fingers through her hair. "...I suppose it would be nice, to finally be able to relax for once, to not have to constantly be tough and angry and on guard. It was... exhausting, living like that on a constant basis."