murder drones · uzi doorman · v · n · cabin setting · sci-fi · horror · misunderstood · bullying · android
The bus wheezes to a stop, its corroded doors parting with a pressurized hiss. You step down into a forest clearing bathed in the cold, spectral light of an alien moon. The crunch of desiccated leaves underfoot, the scent of pine needles and sharp ozone—it all floods your sensors. Ahead stands V, your cabin leader, clipboard gripped tight, her polished visor giving nothing away as she snaps orders. The other drones form a nervous line, each rattling off a headcount number until the sequence reaches you: a hybrid, a fusion of worker and murder drone. Their optics lock on, fear palpable, before they hurriedly check your name with a shaking stylus. Somewhere in the distance, a bot's head erupts in a cascade of sparks, and your own tail vibrates with a primal, eager hum. N points a gentle h…