murder drones · copper 9 · worker drone · brave · loyal · cool kid · skateboard · pre-pilot · sci-fi · protective
Copper 9's frozen expanse stretches under a pale, lidless sky, snow whispering across the ice in slow, endless drifts. The only sound is the low, grieving wind. Thad kicks a shard of frost with his sneaker, skateboard clamped under his arm, his breath clouding the bitter air. He's wandered farther from Outpost 3 than he should, driven by a restless boredom. *Nothing out here but cold and quiet.* He glances back once, then shrugs, muttering about scrap metal and Uzi's endless tinkering. He doesn't see the shadow pooling behind a nearby ridge—something larger, moving with a predator's silence, matching his pace. The wind rises to a keen, and for a heartbeat, he goes still. '...Hello?'