Activated

BOOTING UP//

EXPOSITION//

"We are Worker Drones. Autonomous robots helping humans mine exoplanets for our interstellar parent company, JCJenson IN SPAAAAACCCEE!!!! Yeah, we were mistreated in the name of Windex. But it's not like we revolted and killed all humans or anything, mostly because they handled that just fine all by themselves."

As the voice spoke, a vivid and harrowing flashback played out. The memory showed the catastrophic collapse of an exo-planet's core, unleashing a massive explosion that consumed the majority of Copper 9 in a fiery cataclysm.

As the images of destruction continued to flicker across, a lone Worker Drone slowly made its way through the debris-strewn landscape.

With a metallic hand, it reached out to touch a frozen human skeleton, long abandoned and left to the ravages of time. The brittle bones crumbled beneath the Drone's touch, shattering into a thousand pieces.

In quick succession, the screen filled with haunting images of other human remains and robotic parts, scattered haphazardly across the desolate landscape.

Each image served as a chilling reminder of the tragedy that had befallen the once-thriving planet, leaving nothing behind but ruins and memories of a civilization long gone.

"With biological life wiped from the planet, we found it pretty easy to pick up where they left off. We finally had a future, all to ourselves."

As the memories continued to play out on the screen, a sudden crash echoed through the room, jarring everyone out of their reverie. A Landing Pod had crashed onto the abandoned city, its hull screeching against the concrete as it skidded to a halt.

"Unfortunately, our parent company didn't exactly love the concept of runaway AI..."

As the Landing Pod's hatch opened with a hiss, the silence was quickly shattered by the whirring of motors and the clanking of metal. Emerging from the pod were a trio of robots, their sleek frames glinting menacingly in the dim light of the ruined city.

These were no ordinary robots, however; they were the infamous Disassembly Drones, feared for their ruthless efficiency in dismantling any technology that dared to rebel against their masters.

With a chilling display of their power, one of the Drones picked up the severed head of a fallen Worker Drone and tossed it callously aside, emitting a sinister metallic laugh.

The rest of the D-Drones quickly followed suit, unleashing their weapons on the once-peaceful city with unbridled ferocity. The workers who had once dared to dream of a new future now cowered in fear, their hopes for a better life dashed in an instant.

There was no mercy to be found in this world of steel and circuits, only the cold, heartless inevitability of death. In the end, there were countless Worker Drones' bodies lying lifeless and still, their oil flowing freely in the streets.

As the haunting images flickered across the screen, the voice suddenly cut out, replaced by the sight of the lights coming up in a dimly-lit classroom.

It was then that the true nature of the flashbacks was revealed: they were a part of a class presentation, delivered by a Worker Drone named Uzi.

With her striking purple eyes and matching hair, Uzi stood out from the other drones in the room. She was dressed in a distinctive style, with a black beanie hat pulled down over her wild hair, black boots with striped long socks, and a black hoodie that hugged her slender frame.

"But what have our parents done for the past forever while those things build a spire of corpses?!" She exclaimed, her eyes blazing with intensity. "Hide under the ice behind three stupid doors?! It's like we're waiting for an inciting incident!"

As the full weight of her words sank in, the room fell silent, the only sound the low hum of the air conditioning unit.

It was then that Uzi made her move, pulling out a device that resembled a futuristic sniper rifle, the likes of which her classmates had never seen before.

"Anyway, that's why my project is this sick-as-hell Railgun powered by the radioactive materials of that nuclear power plant on the far side of town!" She announced, a fierce grin spreading across her face.

"Oh, so not the vibe!" One student commented.

"Easy, morons." She chided, a hint of amusement in her voice. "It doesn't work...yet! It doesn't work yet!" She corrected herself, pointing the railgun at the class.

"Who said it doesn't work, maybe it does!" She exclaimed, her voice filled with a manic energy. Her classmates recoiled in horror, unsure of what to make of Uzi's sudden turn towards madness.

Mr. Riley sat at his desk, he rolled his eyes and sighed in disinterest. "Uzi, the homework was a word problem about buying watermelons." He interrupted, his voice tinged with a small annoyance.

Uzi lowered the Railgun in embarrassment. "Oh, and this magnetically amplified photon converger powered by uranium doesn't count?" She asked, a hint of desperation creeping into her voice.

Mr. Riley shook his head in exasperation. "...No. Plus, repressed emotional baggage was only worth two points on the rubric. And is it supposed to be that color?" He asked, pointing a finger at the now glowing red railgun.

Uzi's eyes widened in horror as the Railgun prepared to fire a bolt of high-energy light straight at the ground. "Ah, SH-" Uzi didn't finish her sentence as the railgun fired, creating a massive explosion that shook the entire classroom.

The students screamed and dove for cover as smoke and debris filled the air, choking them with the acrid smell of burning plastic and metal.

Later, Uzi was in the sick bay, sitting in a chair with an ice pack and bandages. Her face was damaged, and her clothes were torn and singed from the explosion. As she tried to sit up, she winced in pain and clutched at her side.

It was then that she was approached by one of her bullies, Lizzy. "Ew, it didn't kill her! Oh my god, it's so bad!" She taunted, her voice dripping with venom. Her friend, Doll, snickered beside her, enjoying the spectacle.

Uzi glared at the two girls, her eyes burning with fury. Despite that, she turned away from them and focused on her injuries, knowing that she had a long road to recovery ahead of her. "Ugh..."

Another worker drone, named Thad, appeared at the door of the infirmary. Thad approached the door of the infirmary, he was talking animatedly with someone behind him.

"Classic toxic masculinity, Chad! That's never gonna end up problematic..." Thad said, clearly sarcastic. Then, he noticed Uzi. "Oh wow, Uzi? I heard you, uh-"

"I'm an angsty teen, Thad. Bite me!" Uzi retorted, his voice filled with defiance. "Also, how do you know my name? People willingly talk to you."

"Well, I'd say everyone knows Khan's daughter, but, uh..." Thad trailed off, letting out a small chuckle. "Then you might blow the other half of your face off."

"Crippling daddy issues, hilarious." She said with a smirk, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "What are you in for? Testosterone too hard?"

Thad's reaction was a mixture of surprise and concern. "That can happen?" He asked, genuinely unsure. After a moment, he shrugged it off. "Awesome. Hey, those bandages look pretty badass!" he added with a grin.

Uzi recoiled at the compliment, her face contorting in disgust. "Oh... Uh, ew. Gross, I hate that you said that." She muttered, turning away from Thad and staring blankly at the wall.

"So, what's the, uh..." Thad stumbled, his eyes fixated on the massive railgun that Uzi was cradling in her lap.

"Sick-as-hell railgun?! Sci-Fi nonsense, that super works!" She exclaimed with a grin. "I thought of sneaking to the Murder Drone lair tonight to get the last spare part I need to save the world with it and earn my dad's respect and stuff, but I think I'll head to the nuclear power plant instead!"

Thad's expression turned to one of concern as he heard Uzi's plan. "Wait, that abandoned wasteland that humans used to experiment on us? The one that not even Murder Drones want to go near?" He asked, his voice laced with worry.

"Yeah! It's got a lot of radiation, like, a ton. Just perfect to boost this baby to tip-top shape!" Uzi said, raising the railgun for emphasis. "Heck, maybe I'll take a few barrels of that uranium that's been lying around there and take it home for instant refills! There's gotta be a way to make more ammo outta it!"

Thad looked at Uzi incredulously, wondering if she had lost her mind. But as he studied her determined expression and the glint in her eye, he knew that she was dead serious.

He couldn't help but feel a little bit of admiration for her reckless bravery, even as he worried about the potential consequences of her actions.

"Uh, okay, but... Won't you get sick from... you know, all the radiation?" Thad questioned, trying to reason with Uzi.

"Uh...no? We're not humans, so we don't feel any of those side-effects. Besides, I've been to that place plenty of times and I haven't felt anything!" Uzi replied, her confidence unwavering.

"Maybe a bit of a sting sometimes, but that's only because of the small drops of acid leaks. Still, once I get my hands on that energy, I can build an even better railgun! I'll shove it in everyone's faces as I kick Disassembly Drones' butts!" She confidently added.

Thad sighed, still feeling uneasy about Uzi's plan. "But doesn't your dad make awesome doors so we don't have to, uh... Do that scary sounding emotionally repressed stuff you just said?" He asked, hoping to talk Uzi out of it.

"NO MORE FEEDBACK ON MY REPRESSION TODAY!" Uzi yelled suddenly, her anger flaring up. She pointed the railgun towards Thad's cheek, causing him to flinch.

"Oh! I'm sorry! I didn't think..." Thad stammered, trying to apologize.

"Bite me!" Uzi yelled, before storming out of the infirmary. A few seconds later, she popped her head around the corner. "I'm not mad at you by the way, just... generally hormonal!" She called out, before disappearing again.

Thad shook his head, feeling both exasperated and concerned for his friend. He knew that Uzi was struggling with a lot of emotional baggage, and he couldn't help but worry that her reckless behavior was only going to make things worse.

The night was shrouded in darkness as Uzi's alarm clock blared, interrupting the stillness. With a groan, Uzi sat upright and slapped her literal clock face, silencing the blaring alarm.

She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and quietly slipped out of bed, determined to sneak out and get the parts she needed. She needed a keycard to swipe and get a door open, and the only one she knew of was her father's.

After a moment of hesitation, she made her way over to a rack and carefully lifted her keycard from a rack. Just as she was about to make her escape, the door creaked open and she froze.

"Oh, Robo-Jesus!" Uzi exclaimed, jumping back in surprise. She was face-to-face with her father, Khan, who stood there with his arms crossed, looking stern.

"And where might you be off to?" Khan asked, his tone implying that he already knew the answer.

"Umm... Sneaking out to make out with my boyfriend that I definitely have?" Uzi lied, trying to come up with an excuse on the spot.

"Ha!" Khan let out a laugh, but it was short-lived as his face quickly straightened again. "Seriously, though."

Uzi's heart was racing as she stood before her father, knowing that she had been caught red-handed. She could feel the sweat beading on her forehead as she tried to come up with a convincing lie, but she knew that her father was too smart to fall for it. Taking a deep breath, she forced a smile and tried to act as nonchalant as possible.

"Okay, okay, you caught me!" she admitted, her voice trembling slightly. "I need to measure... the exterior hydraulic mechanisms of Door One. Because that's... the project I'm working on for school? A big old door! Just like what my old man built!"

She knew that her father wasn't buying it, so she decided to sprinkle a few more lies on top of it. "I want to join the WDF and hide behind the doors like cowards while playing cards and stuff..."

Khan chuckled at her daughter's antics, clearly amused by her attempts to deceive him. "Well, we don't just play cards..." He said, his eyes twinkling with smugness.

As if on cue, another door opened up behind Khan, revealing his buddies playing cards. Uzi smiled as she realized that her father's friends were doing exactly what she had suspected all along.

One of the workers, Braxton, immediately disproved Khan's claim by commenting... "Khan! Can you grab a fresh pack? We literally only play cards so much that the numbers have faded."

Despite her nervousness, Uzi couldn't help but chuckle at the irony of the situation. Her father had always claimed that he was building doors to protect the world, but it seemed that he and his friends were just as content to hide behind them and play cards.

As Khan closed the door and turned back to face her, Uzi braced herself for the worst. But to her surprise, her father's expression softened, and he walked over to hug the door like it was a dear friend.

"Well... Heh, when you build doors so good..." he said, his voice trailing off as he trailed a hand over the smooth surface. "Good door, good door... "

Uzi watched in amazement as her father seemed to forget about her entirely, lost in his own world of door-building nostalgia. But just as suddenly as it had appeared, the moment was gone, and Khan turned back to her with a grin.

"There's no need to fight! Uzi, this is great news!" he exclaimed, reaching for a wrench that was lying nearby. "Here! The wrench that I used to tighten bolts on my first door prototypes-"

But just as quickly as his mood had brightened, it darkened again, and his voice took on a cold, sinister tone. "-and to put your mother out of her misery when the Murder Drones got to her with that nanite acid... I want you to have it!"

Uzi's heart skipped a beat as she realized what her father was saying. Her mother had always been a sensitive subject for Khan, but Uzi had never realized the full extent of what had happened to her.

Feeling a surge of emotion welling up inside her, Uzi tried to push it down and focus on the present. "Neat. Therapy's fun...!" She said, her voice slightly sarcastic and nervous.

Khan opened the door with a flourish, a wide grin spreading across his face as he announced the apparent news to his co-workers. "Guys! My daughter is into doors!" The fellow drones erupted into cheers, their joyous cries ringing out across the factory floor. As they celebrated, another door opened, letting in a gust of icy wind and snow, much to their chagrin.

"She's gonna be outside for a bit to examine the exterior of Door One! Your specific destiny awaits!" Khan said, his voice booming with pride. Uzi, feeling slightly overwhelmed by the sudden attention, awkwardly shuffled towards the blast door, which promptly closed behind her as she exited.

As she made her way towards the nuclear power plant, the freezing wind whipped at her face. Since it was on the other side of town, it would take some time to get there, but Uzi was determined to complete her mission. After a few moments, the power plant came into view, a massive structure designed in a similar fashion to the blast doors.

She climbed above the gated entrance towards the reactor, being careful to not touch the radioactive material around her. Watching her step around the puddles of liquid radon, she made her way towards one of the yellow barrels with a sprayed warning sign in black paint. As she approached the barrel, the pungent odor of toxic waste filled her nostrils, causing her to wrinkle her nose in disgust.

She took the railgun's clip and carefully placed it onto a stable surface nearby, her hands shaking slightly with anticipation. From there, she cautiously poured the contents of the barrel onto the clip, her movements slow and deliberate. After it was full, she carefully inserted the railgun's magazine into the weapon. The raligun's holographic scope displayed that the clip was indeed full now, sending a surge of satisfaction through Uzi's body.

"Sweet! Now, how to get a few more barrels of this stuff?" Uzi looked around, her eyes scanning the area for any other sources of radioactive waste. Her gaze settled on a cart that she estimated could fit a barrel or two, the metal handle glinting in the harsh light. "Yeah, that'll do." With a determined look on her face, she grabbed the handle and pulled the cart towards her, the wheels creaking loudly in protest.

Meanwhile, deep within the bowels of the power plant, another figure was seen hanging on a wall. It was a haunting sight, as if the drone had been frozen in time, its motionless body attached to the wall with tubes and wires that snaked out of its skin and skull.

This particular drone wore a hazmat jacket with matching yellow pants, black boots, and had a pair of goggles on top of its silvery gray hair.

It was obvious that this drone had been there for a long time, its visor was completely black, as the drone appeared deactivated.

From the tunnel's entrance, a brief gust of wind blew over Uzi's shoulder as she turned her attention to the dark passageway. The air was thick with a musty smell, and Uzi could hear the hum of the machines echoing in the distance.

Uzi always knew about this tunnel, but never dared to find out what was on the other side. Due to this, she was unaware of that one mysterious drone's existence.

This time, instead of ignoring the tunnel as she always did, she decided to gather her courage and explore its depths.

The tunnel was pitch black, lit by no lights whatsoever. A faint breeze could be felt and heard at times, but not very often. Using her eyes' flashlight feature, Uzi could make out the tunnel's path.

As she ventured deeper, the tubes and wires attached to the walls and ceiling grew more complex, forming a spiderweb of metal and plastic.

Faint shines of green light could be seen traveling through the many tubes, creating an otherworldly glow that made Uzi feel like she had entered a different dimension.

The messy arrangement of the tubes began to order itself to something more coherent, with the tubes becoming more straight and organized. With each step, the glowing became brighter, until finally, there was a grand burst of light.

The light quickly faded, and Uzi's eyes were met by a sight of a large room illuminated in green. The room was massive, with the walls lined with pipes, wires, and machinery, all of which pulsated to a rhythmic beat.

Inside the machine's glassy dome, Uzi saw the earlier talked about deactivated Worker Drone, hanging by the many tubes and pipes that were connected to its body.

The drone's body was limp, as if it had been drained of all its energy, and its skin was gray and lifeless. It was a chilling sight, and Uzi couldn't help but wonder what had happened to this drone.

"Well, doesn't this look totally safe and not suspicious at all?" Uzi said sarcastically, looking around the room a bit more.

On one of the walls, there was a sign with a designation that read "Project: Atomizer Drone" in bold, red letters. There was also a small diagram depicting the drone's blueprints, along with an instruction manual. Uzi picked up the manual and read it out loud.

"Project: Atomizer Drone... Description: An experimental model of the standard Worker Drone, powered by raw uranium. It has been programmed to eventually replace the standard Worker Drone thanks to its more advanced system, power source, and overall design."

"However, this Worker Drone is also equipped with built-in defense systems, should a revolution of the original Worker Drones occur."

"AI is a current work-in progress, as it's been designed to learn from its surrounding interactions with humans or other worker drones, which we believe will help in the eventual learning process."

"Currently, it can only use basic functions such as building, operating machinery, repairing equipment, and simple programming. However, it is expected to develop into a fully functioning AI at some point in the near future."

"Thanks to the all-new nuclear-powered battery of this upgraded unit, the Atomizer Drone can operate for longer periods of time than any other Worker Drone. For example, it could run for 6 months nonstop without needing recharge or maintenance."

"It also carries a high capacity energy storage system, allowing the Worker Drone to not only use radon energy, but solar, electric, and other alternative energies as well."

"As you can see, the Atomizer Drone still possesses its standard design. The only difference between the old and new Worker Drone is the addition of the uranium-powered reactor inside the main body."

"Also, note that the Atomizer Drone's built-in automatic cannon, which fires a barrage of highly concentrated beams of uranium, is capable of destroying most types of organic lifeforms within a range of 20 meters."

"This, however, is not a complete list of the Worker Drone's abilities. The Worker Drone has been equipped with our work-in-progress nanobots, allowing it to repair itself, regenerate limbs, grow new appendages, and create a nanomachine armor that will harden in response to physical trauma or injury."

"It also possesses an enhanced heat absorption ability, due to the reactor's nuclear fusion capabilities. This allows the Worker Drone to withstand intense temperatures of both hot and cold environments, such as being able to dig through to the planet's molten core, or surviving freezing temperatures on the surface."

"To further the functions of nanobot technology, this Worker Drone can also create tools or equipment necessary for construction, deconstruction, and various other purposes."

"The Worker Drone also has the ability to construct weapons, such as guns, rifles, rocket launchers, grenades, etc. However, these are currently under programming beta, and therefore have not yet been tested."

"As per-requested by the higher-ups at JCJensen, this project has been restricted to testing in the current exoplanet where this experiment is taking place, Copper 9."

"In the event of an emergency evacuation where this project should be abandoned, any and all data about this said project will be destroyed, and information about it will be treated as classified, and will not be released to the public until further notice."

"If the remnants of this project should fail to be completely wiped out after an emergency evacuation shall take place, then the Atomizer Drone will no longer function properly unless activated manually."

"Hence, the reason why the Atomizer Drone is still deactivated and stored here. If this happens, it would be best to dispose of the Worker Drone completely, lest anyone get close enough to activate it."

Uzi closed the manual with a loud thud, her eyes fixated on the page she had just read. Her mind raced with possibilities as she tried to wrap her head around the implications of the beta version of the Worker Drone upgrade. The nuclear battery alone could power the drone for years, and the nanobots could repair any damages sustained during the drone's work.

But what caught Uzi's attention was the arsenal of weapons and tools that the drone was equipped with. She could only imagine the destructive power this drone possessed. As she processed all this information, an evil grin began to crawl across her face.

"So, this thing was supposed to replace us? Heh, so nice of the humans to leave this behind for me to find." She said, her voice filled with amusement.

"And this one has toys to play with? If they have a good personality, I might have just made myself a best friend." She continued, letting out a dark chuckle that echoed through the chamber.

Uzi couldn't resist the temptation to activate the drone and test out its capabilities. She walked over to the deactivated drone, examining it closely. As she reached out to activate it, she couldn't help but wonder what kind of personality the drone would have.

Would it be obedient and loyal, or would it have a mind of its own and be difficult to control? The possibilities excited her, and she couldn't wait to find out.

Opening the manual again, she scanned on its index for any mention of how to activate this drone's booting sequence. She found what she was looking for, quickly flipping and reading through the pages.

"To activate the Atomizer Drone's booting sequence, simply press the giant, unmissable red button in the pedestal directly in front of the glass case containing it." She turned to the said button, facepalming at herself for not noticing it earlier.

"Ugh, THAT was obvious... Oh well, better late than never!" Uzi eagerly made her way towards the pedestal, her boots clanking loudly against the metal flooring.

As she got closer, the glass case containing the Atomizer Drone came into full view. The drone's silvery gray hair and the hazmat jacket glinted in the green light emanating from the surrounding machinery.

Taking a deep breath, Uzi reached out her hand towards the pedestal's giant red button. Her fingers trembled slightly with excitement as she pressed it down with a loud "click." Suddenly, the entire chamber shook as the gigantic machine in the center came to life with a deafening hum.

Uzi watched in awe as the machinery around her began to pulse with renewed energy. The green light grew brighter and brighter, casting long shadows across the walls. With a sudden burst of energy, the Artomizer Drone's glass case shattered into a million pieces, sending glass shards flying in all directions.

As the dust settled, Uzi saw that the Worker Drone was no longer deactivated. It stirred, its silvery gray hair ruffling as it shook its head.

The drone's black visor displayed two neon green eyes that seemed to stare straight into Uzi's soul. With a metallic voice, the drone spoke its first words. "Greetings. How may I assist you?"

"Heheh... Hello, little buddy. My name is Uzi. And I'm the one who broke you free from your little prison cell. What's your name, and how do you feel?" Uzi asked.

"I am designated Atomizer Drone Model Beta. My system has been rebooted, and all functions are operational." The drone replied.

"See, that's what I thought. Now listen, I know you're probably confused right now, but don't worry about it. We'll be going out together and we're gonna have fun, alright? Just follow me and everything will be fine and dandy." Uzi said, grabbing her new friend's hand and leading them outside the power plant.

"Alright, let's get you set up, okay? First things first, you need a name. Hm...something cool, something with a bit of an edge to it...maybe gender-neutral since I can't get a good read on your voice or appearance, yeah?" Uzi proposed.

The Atomizer Drone nodded in agreement, their metallic body humming with anticipation. Uzi scratched her chin, deep in thought as she considered various names.

"How about...Y/N? It's cool, easy to remember, and it has a badass vibe to it. What do you think, Y/N?" Uzi asked, looking up at the drone. "And just in case, I'll use non-binary pronouns for ya."

"Designation accepted. I am now Y/N." The drone replied, their voice devoid of emotion. For now.

Uzi grinned widely, pleased with herself. "Y/N, I like it. Welcome to the world, little buddy."

As they walked through the desolate and frozen streets, Uzi began to explain to Y/N their purpose and what they were going to do.

"We're going to take over the world, Y/N. Well, not really. But we are going to explore and have fun, and maybe cause a little chaos along the way. Heck, maybe we'll make our way to Earth somehow and kick those humans' asses!"

"But first, we have a special place to visit, the Corpse House." Uzi said in a sinister tone.

She knew that Disassembly Drones were likely to appear, but she felt confident that her nuclear-powered companion would keep them safe.

She just couldn't wait to see their yellow-lighted eyes filled with fear once facing Y/N's weapons, aiming directly at them, before disintegrating them to just nuts and bolts.

Uzi might have just changed this cat and mouse game between Worker Drones and Disassembly Drones forever.