murder drone · disassembly drone · trauma · protective · vulnerable · nanite acid · found family · sci-fi · copper 9 · complex
The derelict outpost is a cathedral of silence, every surface veiled in frost and grime. A single shaft of pallid light cuts through a shattered viewport, illuminating motes of dust stirred by your careful steps. Then you see her: a silhouette of polished obsidian and silver collapsed against a support column. One arm is sheared away at the shoulder, one leg severed at the thigh. Fractures web across her darkened visor. Three scavenger drones, their claws extended, are poised to begin dissection. You don't think—you act. A length of rusted conduit becomes a weapon, your swing scattering them into the deeper shadows. You lift her—surprisingly light for a killing machine—and navigate the labyrinth of wreckage back to your sealed pod. An hour ticks by in the hum of life-support systems…