10 Minute Tales

Mar 13

Eventually, the blindfold was taken off. Queenson blinked, struggling against the light. When his eyes adapted, he was able to see a workshop, similar to Avo's but... dirtier. Aurora was already walking over to a pile of computer scraps in the corner, kneeling down in front of them to make her way through them.

"So, what, you're gonna upgrade her here?" he asked.

"Indeed." Abe confirmed. "We shall also obtain some weapons for yourself. What sort of weapon style do you prefer?"

"I'm used to pistols."

"Fire rate or individual power?"

"Individual."

"Very well. I hope you won't mind a jailbroken weapon?"

"Long as I don't recognise where it came from." Queenson frowned. "Remember what I said about abuse of power?"

"Indeed. Rest assured, I have no intention to enter an arms race. Make yourselves comfortable." Abe left through a second door.  Aurora stood up, carrying a couple of circuit boards.

"Weird to think these are in me." she commented, casually dropping them onto a workbench and switching the light on.

"... Aurora, right? Not Error."

"That's the name." she replied, not looking over. "How can I help, champ?"

"You're... weirdly good with speech, compared to Error. How's that?"

"Well, that buggy version is the most recent version, before you ask, but Avo tried to update way too much, got the processor's workload out of balance." she shrugged.

"Right... so, what, you can't do as much as her?"

"Pretty much." she huffed. "Dumb girl can't even talk and she's the favoured bitch..."

"I'm guessing you two don't like each other, then."

"She wouldn't say so, I don't even think she has an emotion suite, but yeah, she'd hate me. Like Abe pointed out, I'm way more passionate."

"Passionate, or simply lacking restraint?" Queenson frowned softly.

"Little of A, little of B." she shrugged again, throwing one circuit board back into the corner she got it from.

"What are you even doing there?"

"Looking these over, trying to improve them. This is based on pre-Ascent technology, but I've got to admit, they didn't do half bad." she grinned a little. "Still, not sure I'd put these in me."

"What do you use, then?"

"Sorry, buddy, that's confidential." she winked at him. "Besides, isn't it rude to ask about a lady's hardware on the first date?"

"This isn't a date I'd want." Queenson frowned. "We're preparing to act on a raid against the biggest man of the company you were made in. Would have thought you'd take this more seriously."

"Blah, blah, company loyalty, hardware use, whatever. You yourself said it, when Avo made me, he made life. I ain't spending my life tied to the whims of some fleshbag I haven't even met."

"Hm... I guess I can agree with you on that, at least." his frown softened slightly. Who would have guessed? He'd agreed with a bag of bolts.