Gray All Over

Chapter 3 - The Nightmares I Had

Tech isn't sleeping yet when Emerie comes back into their room some minutes after she left initially, and he jerks upright at the unexpectedness, instantly anticipating an attack. He's still sore from his injuries even if it's getting better so he wouldn't be in a good state to fight back but he'd do it if he had too. It is just his sister, though.

"Problem?" he asks, on full alert. She's holding something brown, too blurred to make out.

"Minorly," Emerie replies with a sigh, "There was a surprise inspection scheduled in Omega's room today."

His heart drops. "Ah." His gaze zeroes in on the small object she's holding. Tech is not fully certain what it is.

"The search team found this," Emerie continues, "I was uncertain what to do with it, though I had to take it."

"Did you?" It was a given that Omega was breaking the rules, and Tech is instantly concerned. He is fully aware Emerie would never harm their sister, but he cannot say the same about anyone else in the facility.

She sighs. "It was for her own good."

"And who determines that? She can choose the life she wants."

Emerie looks at the object in her hand – it looks like a doll – and sighs. "Not here. We are a part of something more. We cannot make those choices here."

"She is a child," Tech argues, flickers of familiar, ceaseless rage rising. "Omega is the one who determines what she wants." He has been on Tantiss for months now. He lost track of the time, but he can estimate. He may have been forced to adjust to how it is here but that does not mean he can ever truly grow used to it.

"I do not want to take it from her," Emerie admits with a sigh. "She is a child, and we cannot expect her to fully understand. I want her to have a normal life, but that is not something I can offer. The search team was there when it was discovered. I had no option but to take it. I... will return it tonight."

Emerie has changed a lot over the months here. Some of her coldness has worn off, and as he anticipated, she is slowly growing increasingly comfortable and open with him. But, in the end, no matter how much she has changed, she is still loyal to Hemlock and the Empire. And it still upsets him that it has not changed yet.

"Omega deserves a normal life," Tech says, "That is not something she can have as long as she is here." And that is his primary mission, as it has always been. There is little chance for his own escape, even if he is as close to being healed as he will be from Eriadu. Protecting Omega and ensuring she escapes is the priority.

"I know." Emerie sets the doll on the edge of their bed and leaves, the door closing behind her.

Tech reaches for the doll once she's gone, picking it up. He might not be able to see it, but he can still feel the shape of it. The morning light on it makes it more visible as well, and he can see the outlines of his face. She modeled it off Lula. The first item of her own she ever truly had.

Crosshair had made Wrecker's tooka doll for him many years ago. Of course, the one item Omega was able to keep is one of her connection with them. It has been so long since she was free.

***

When Emerie returns again for the completion of her shift, something is visibly upsetting her, and after what happened with Omega the previous night, it sets him on instant alert. "Is something amiss?" Tech inquires.

"Omega released one of our hounds into the wild," Emerie replies, "She was scheduled for termination after sustaining an injury. The doctor was... not pleased."

"Of course, she did," Tech replies. Naturally, that is something Omega would do – she has done things like that frequently when they were on missions together. He could never fully understand her desire to help everyone who could use it, but it is who she was.