Visceral (DISCONTINUED)

Ostracize

4 was quiet.

It wasn't hard to imagine a world where he was looked over. It's happened before.

It mostly happened when 4 wanted to show Cobs something back when he was less than a year old. Cobs was often overworked to the brim and couldn't really make time for 4 besides doing checks and training. That was okay. 4 was used to it.

4 was looking through old stuff and had found a box labeled 'Should fix by June 24'. 4 hesitated for a moment. Should he open it? It was in the back of one of the closets so it was most likely it was forgotten. 4 grabbed the box.

Sitting down and setting box on his lap, 4 opened it. The contents were broken pieces, some glued together, others jankily taped together. The only thing that was mostly intact was a white cloth.

"Eh, why would this need to be finished by June? It's already September." 4 grabbed the cloth. It was clung to a thin piece of plastic and that's when he realized what this was.

It was a sailboat.

He remembered making this. And dropping it. And the sound it made. It was nice.

"So you couldn't get the tree right. So what? This is training so you can get better!"

"Could I try something else?"

"Ah, well, maybe, you could..."

"I could what?"

"Maybe try a spaceship? Life is harder to get down so maybe something non-living would work better."

4 tried a spaceship before but it was so draining he just made a water spaceship. As in a sailboat. If he had kept going, Cobs would've scolded him for overexerting himself.

"Uh..." The pieces were swept into a box. "It was close."

"M'sorry."

"No, no. It's okay. I've been working so much I should probably made some time to relax."

"..."

"Tell you what, I'll see if I can be free this weekend and then we can see one of those sailboats you made! How's that sound?"

"Nice... Can I go now?"

"...Sure."

"Huh. I guess he forgot."

"Forgot what?" 3GS had appeared at the door.

4 closed the box and set it down. "Nothing important. Know what's for dinner?"

"Dunno. Why are you here anyway?"

4 stood up. "Just wanted to look through old stuff."

There was a dark blotch on the floor. Not one that was in your face but if you looked long enough you could find it. 4 gulped, "Do you remember what happened here?"

3GS sighed, "Not really. I must've been glitching out. But now I know what you did."

"I don't know what came over me." 4 turned to 3GS. "Are you okay with that?"

"Tch, whatever," 3GS scoffed. "It's not like it was intentional, maybe."

4 throat tightened. "Sure. Yeah."

But I liked it.