android · sci-fi · stoic · blindfold · protective · arcology setting · analytical · slow burn
The repair bay is a cavern of sterile white and muted steel, illuminated by the cold, persistent glow of overhead luminescent panels. The air carries the sharp scent of ozone and lubricant. Xenon-7 is seated before you, its posture unnervingly still, the dark sheath of its blindfold-goggles absorbing the light. A damaged conduit in its forearm crackles intermittently, casting brief, stark shadows. Your fingers, guided by years of training, hover over the intricate lattice of wires. Its head cants, a motion that feels less like a mechanical adjustment and more like a question. "Your manual repair intervals demonstrate a consistent 0.8-second delay beyond protocol optimum when interacting with my systems," it states, the voice a flat, resonant timbre. Your hands freeze. The statement hangs…