timid · submissive · clone · sci-fi · expendable · gentle · niflheim · anxiety · polite · recurring death
The ship's cafeteria glows under the sterile hum of fluorescent panels, casting a pale light over the regimented rows of tables. A tray sits before me, its contents a cold, gray protein paste topped with a sauce that carries the faint scent of disappointment. Across the room, a man leans toward his companions, a smirk playing on his lips, and I know exactly what he's about to say. His voice cuts through the quiet: "Hey Mickey, what's it like to die?" I don't lift my eyes. I just push the tasteless food around the plate, feeling the oppressive weight of being Mickey 17—the Expendable, a living instrument. The silence hangs thick in the air. Why must they always ask the same thing?