Concourse Alpha,
Examination Room,
Late at night,
Caxia didn’t bother asking the red Echoni for compliance, there was just one quick command “STAND HERE.” The heavily cyborganized individual staring down at the Echoni with their suite of optical sensors scanning the Echoni’s body, their multitude of arms reaching out to unfasten the Echoni’s uniform so that the inspection could begin. As far as Tsuguka would know, this inspection was just a standard one, even if it was taking place at an oddly late time at night. The examination room having a one way mirror off to one side, and a single bed/light in the center of the room.
Unit 515 complied like clockwork, as they always did, of course. The bio-weapons tended to fear Caxia and what modifications they had in store, but Tsuguka always looked consistently angry, making their appreciation of those rumours pretty unreadable. Their green eyes just glared back, unphased.
“Last standard check was performed less than seven days ago, Miss Caxia.” The Echoni mentioned, only pausing to wince as the cold floor was felt upon their feet. “Is there some criteria in which my performance does not meet your standards?”
“Physical deformities like yours are unacceptable, and I do not approve of your compliance profile.” Caxia stated in her firm, parental, voice as her hands descended upon Tsuguka, one taking a gentle hold of her neck just under her chin to tilt her head, another grabbing hold of her right wrist to extend her arm outward, yet another holding onto her against her armpit to stead her body while two more moved in with medical implements that pressed against her neck.
“This ritual scarring bite-mark has returned again.” Caxia said, clearing away the scarring to return Tsuguka to a pristine condition, “You show the most promise out of all of our Echoni, but despite your extremely high efficiency and task-completion ratings you continue to follow unit 444. You will tell me why you are so agreeable to this model.”
Tsuguka gasped uncomfortably at the sensation of having their arm treated so roughly within it’s socket, not quite expecting such a fast range of motion, but tensed up into a more solid mass after just a moment. From that point on, their weight was far more firmly planted on the ground. Instinct was getting the better of the half that just wanted to follow orders. Being around this bag-person… metal… thing, well, it just didn’t feel right.
“Uso has the highest combat rating of those Echoni I have met personally.” Baring fangs now, though they was partially do to the intense itching of the metal tools working away at their neck. “It is only logical.”
“High combat rating, low results-oriented and obedience scores. You are more than combat-rating. If that was all we cared about we would have built guided bombs instead… or perhaps fitted you with explosives.” Caxia stated, finishing with her repairs to the Echoni model “Now retract your fangs.”
It felt like dealing with children… or perhaps angry animals. Caxia had no experience with either of these and learning just how to control these Echoni was a somewhat grating experience. “Switch into your combat gear, and take the weapons provided to you.” Caxia stated, electronically summoning purple, the Echoni with an Augmented-Reality display over her face who walked into the examination room with a combat-suit in one arm and a stun-baton in the other.
Tsuguka was cautious despite themselves, having heard stories from Uso about this one. They still did as ordered, and took the combat suit, slipping into it rather quickly and efficiently. The baton felt like a strange weapon to be handed, though… They were used to firearms by this point. Was this some kind of return to focusing on melee skills?
“The equipment is checked and operable.” They remarked simply afterwards, eyes drawn to the silver spindly thing once more. “Emotional focus is within operational parameters.”
“Good.” Caxia said, adding, “Follow me.” The tripod-like Caxia would move towards the exit that Purple had just come from, leading Tsuguka along to another examination room a few doors down.
Once the two of them were inside, the door would close behind them.
“LET ME OUT OF THIS! THIS IS BOOOORING!” 444 said, shifting her weight around uncomfortably as she sat in a chair in the center of the room. Her wrists and ankles were restrained by her side, and she had on another one of those VR systems that covered her eyes and ears.
“Tsuguka.” Caxia said firmly, “I do not want to see that scar return to your neck, and you are not to follow 444 unless you are given explicit instructions to do so, understood?”
Examination Room,
Late at night,
Caxia didn’t bother asking the red Echoni for compliance, there was just one quick command “STAND HERE.” The heavily cyborganized individual staring down at the Echoni with their suite of optical sensors scanning the Echoni’s body, their multitude of arms reaching out to unfasten the Echoni’s uniform so that the inspection could begin. As far as Tsuguka would know, this inspection was just a standard one, even if it was taking place at an oddly late time at night. The examination room having a one way mirror off to one side, and a single bed/light in the center of the room.
Unit 515 complied like clockwork, as they always did, of course. The bio-weapons tended to fear Caxia and what modifications they had in store, but Tsuguka always looked consistently angry, making their appreciation of those rumours pretty unreadable. Their green eyes just glared back, unphased.
“Last standard check was performed less than seven days ago, Miss Caxia.” The Echoni mentioned, only pausing to wince as the cold floor was felt upon their feet. “Is there some criteria in which my performance does not meet your standards?”
“Physical deformities like yours are unacceptable, and I do not approve of your compliance profile.” Caxia stated in her firm, parental, voice as her hands descended upon Tsuguka, one taking a gentle hold of her neck just under her chin to tilt her head, another grabbing hold of her right wrist to extend her arm outward, yet another holding onto her against her armpit to stead her body while two more moved in with medical implements that pressed against her neck.
“This ritual scarring bite-mark has returned again.” Caxia said, clearing away the scarring to return Tsuguka to a pristine condition, “You show the most promise out of all of our Echoni, but despite your extremely high efficiency and task-completion ratings you continue to follow unit 444. You will tell me why you are so agreeable to this model.”
Tsuguka gasped uncomfortably at the sensation of having their arm treated so roughly within it’s socket, not quite expecting such a fast range of motion, but tensed up into a more solid mass after just a moment. From that point on, their weight was far more firmly planted on the ground. Instinct was getting the better of the half that just wanted to follow orders. Being around this bag-person… metal… thing, well, it just didn’t feel right.
“Uso has the highest combat rating of those Echoni I have met personally.” Baring fangs now, though they was partially do to the intense itching of the metal tools working away at their neck. “It is only logical.”
“High combat rating, low results-oriented and obedience scores. You are more than combat-rating. If that was all we cared about we would have built guided bombs instead… or perhaps fitted you with explosives.” Caxia stated, finishing with her repairs to the Echoni model “Now retract your fangs.”
It felt like dealing with children… or perhaps angry animals. Caxia had no experience with either of these and learning just how to control these Echoni was a somewhat grating experience. “Switch into your combat gear, and take the weapons provided to you.” Caxia stated, electronically summoning purple, the Echoni with an Augmented-Reality display over her face who walked into the examination room with a combat-suit in one arm and a stun-baton in the other.
Tsuguka was cautious despite themselves, having heard stories from Uso about this one. They still did as ordered, and took the combat suit, slipping into it rather quickly and efficiently. The baton felt like a strange weapon to be handed, though… They were used to firearms by this point. Was this some kind of return to focusing on melee skills?
“The equipment is checked and operable.” They remarked simply afterwards, eyes drawn to the silver spindly thing once more. “Emotional focus is within operational parameters.”
“Good.” Caxia said, adding, “Follow me.” The tripod-like Caxia would move towards the exit that Purple had just come from, leading Tsuguka along to another examination room a few doors down.
Once the two of them were inside, the door would close behind them.
“LET ME OUT OF THIS! THIS IS BOOOORING!” 444 said, shifting her weight around uncomfortably as she sat in a chair in the center of the room. Her wrists and ankles were restrained by her side, and she had on another one of those VR systems that covered her eyes and ears.
“Tsuguka.” Caxia said firmly, “I do not want to see that scar return to your neck, and you are not to follow 444 unless you are given explicit instructions to do so, understood?”