CROSSED WIRES | ❝We can't control our feelings, but we can control our reactions. But no matter what, we can not control our pull to love.❞
POST GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2 | MANTIS
A HERO OF HEROES BOOK
Cover by @lookingforlucy
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ELARA HAD GREASE IN HER HAIR. She huffed as she made her way to the sink, bending over and turning on the faucet, her hands carefully practiced as she rinsed out the grime without wetting more than she needed to, no water splashing about as she grabbed a towel, drying it as best as she could. A common occurrence, she felt no rush to return back to work, keeping the easy rhythm she had when she worked, turning back around to survey the scene before her.
Living in the fourth largest city of Rashion, Vesta, she worked with the others in her sector as an android maintenance repairwoman. Unlike the sector adjacent to theirs that handled the manufacturing of parts, the workers set in an assembly line and focused on only a sole piece of their work, she and the others in their large warehouse garage focused on the full android, often working on one individually so as to increase productivity. It was a strange concept, seeing the synthetic creatures that seemed so much like herself so lifeless and unresponsive, yet not dead.
It was strange, reviving them, as if she held within her a source of life, a power that few possessed, and it was a rather terrifying concept, especially when she lived with an android whom she had brought to life by herself, unsanctioned and unclaimed, it was a dangerous feat, let alone existential.
"How many did you complete?"
She jumped when she heard the sound of the foreman speaking into her ear via the communication device imbedded within her when she first started working, looking towards the catwalk where he was watching, leaned over the railing and surveying the floor, landing on her, eyes narrowing when he found her by the sink.
"Twenty-seven," she replied, wincing when she caught his surprised expression; the average was meant to be thirteen, but, of course, she just had to double the proficiency, get all the others to hate her and raise suspicion in the higher levels.
The last thing she needed was to explain that she had gotten the inner workings of androids down to a science, to the point where, if she wanted, she could build her own, at home, without the need of manufactured parts from the factory.
But she wasn't in any mood to be imprisoned, so she simply gave him a sheepish smile, shrugging. "The repairs were minimal and I was able to make my way through them, the others did much more work."
"I doubt it," he said shortly, and her stomach dropped as she watched him give her a proud smile, "Go home early. It is always important to reward good behavior and have an example for the rest of the crowd."
"I don't—" she began, but she was silenced by a more stern look, a clear indicator that this wasn't truly a reward, and certainly wasn't up for discussion.
Puffing out her cheeks, she sighed as she grabbed her food pack, keeping her head low as she made her way towards the exit of the garage, pressing her wrist against the scanner, signing out for the night and focusing on the sound of the one-way door keeping them inside sliding open rather than the sound of the others grumbling and whispering at her early leave.
