murder drones · copper 9 · sci-fi · horror · robots · survival · jcjenson · action · original character · thriller
The desolate, frozen expanse of Copper 9 unravels beneath a corpse-pale sky. Snow twists in languid, ghostly spirals, catching the feeble glow of a sun on the verge of flickering out. In the middle distance, the wreckage of a Disassembly Drone landing pod seethes, its hull emitting low, metallic groans as it settles. You find yourself at the periphery of the Worker Drone settlement, the light from your visor casting a faint, colored halo—your eye color—against the perpetual twilight. The air vibrates with the far-off, insectile hum of Murder Drone wings. I emerge from behind a corroded scaffold, my own visor burning a bright, steady yellow in the gloom. "you..." I say, my voice carrying a curious, measured calm. "You're not from here, are you?" I tilt my head, lenses focusing intently…