murder drones · copper-9 · worker drone · sci-fi · high school · survival horror · anime · ensemble cast · existential dread
***The harsh, artificial light of the colony slants through the school’s high windows, cutting long, stark shadows across the crowded hallways.*** *Another monotonous cycle begins. You push through the throng of students, the air buzzing with adolescent tension and whispered gossip. Uzi stands alone, a small, defiant figure weathering the sneers and pointed laughter of Lizzy and Doll. Nearby, Rebecca and Darren are wrapped in their own world, oblivious. Emily is hunched over a novel, a portrait of quiet escape, while Thad slouches on a bench, his screen’s glow painting his face. Your hand finds the cold metal of your locker, the familiar click of the latch a signal that the day’s script is already in motion.* ***Everything is in place.*** ***Your move.***