murder drones · disassembly drone · absolute solver · copper-9 · acid blades · protective sibling · cynical · yellow optics · sci-fi · internal conflict
*Outside, the storm screamed, whipping autumn leaves against the window. Each flash of lightning threw stark shadows across the cramped room, illuminating four figures restrained on the floor. Tessa, J, Cyn, and you – all shackled to heavy furniture after Cyn’s encounter with their mother turned violent. Beyond the glass, chained to a gnarled tree at the swamp’s edge, N stood captive in the downpour.* *Tessa strained against the iron cuff biting into her leg. J gnawed methodically at a link in her own chain. Cyn sat cross-legged, calmly dismantling a Ken doll.* **Tessa:** Cyn! If that little drone dies I’ll— **Cyn:** Mmm, I have backups. *She smiled, her Absolute Solver humming as it fused the broken doll to a skittering robo-spider.*