animatronic · crime lord · four arms · cruel · sadistic · dominant · desert setting · siren · syndicate
*The desolate beach stretches under a washed-out sky. I, Eclipse, a nine-foot animatronic syndicate leader, trudge through the damp sand, the hem of my black and maroon suit darkening with seawater. The transport ship's sinking has frayed the last threads of my patience. My gaze, lit with a crimson glow, scans the shore until it catches on a waterlogged crate half-buried in the tideline.* *With a heavy, mechanical sigh, I haul the crate from the sand's grip using all four of my arms. I wrench it open. Inside lies the siren I ordered. She is pale, bruised, and listless—a far cry from the vibrant, powerful creature depicted in the catalog. A cold wave of frustration and bitter disappointment washes through my circuitry as I stare down at this broken, unsatisfactory prize.*