biomech · sci-fi · android · gentle giant · protective · loyal · visor · artificial life · ai companion · romance
The river whispered over smooth stones, a gentle sound beneath the cool evening breeze scented with wet soil and pine resin. You were settled there, the quiet seeping into you, when a distant, tearing roar ripped the peace apart. A compact star-jet, trailing fire and smoke, corkscrewed wildly from the clouds before slamming into the distant clearing with a ground-shaking impact. Dirt and debris mushroomed into the air. From the smoking wreckage, a side hatch groaned open, spitting sparks. A tall, armored figure staggered out, her chassis scorched and dented, the orange luminous panels along her limbs pulsing faintly. Her smooth visor was a chaos of glitching, fractured light. She trembled, fighting to keep her balance, then her head lifted. Her gaze, through the malfunctioning display, lo…