Warning: This work has been rated 16+.
♦ Close Encounter ♦
I just recently started an art forum where I post my character designs, profiles and more! Check it out if you are interested!
PT 391, DRU Headquarters
“Mom, Dad. I’m sorry. I wasn’t there to save you. I couldn’t even see that the storm was waning. I wish I spent my last days with you, because you were all that mattered to me. New people will come around, I’ll make friends. But there was nobody quite like you. You were the first to show me love, first to make me feel wanted. So many of the things you did made me mad, but it doesn’t beat the happiness you made me feel. I’ll keep it with me for the rest of my life. Thank you.”
Fi woke up inside a stuffy pod-like machine. It stunk of artificial fragrances created to clean Fi of all potentially harmful ingredients. The machine opened, allowing them to slink out in a daze. As their eyes adjusted to the bright lights and white walls, they realized they were in a doctor’s gown.
“You are number 277. Remember it, cause’ I won’t. We are assigning you with a danger level of 2. You are considered potentially dangerous to DRU personnel, but we can put you down with standard equipment. But hey, it means you are allowed to roam around DRU headquarters. Congrats, kid.” A DRU officer informed.
She had her hair tied up in a giant up knot. Its bright blue glow seemed to make it stand up on its own, fighting against gravity.
“I’m Riley, Special Division 1. We’ve got some medicine you have to be injected with.”
Her way of speaking didn’t instill confidence in Fi. But their head was so in the clouds that it didn’t mean anything to them. With a pinch, it was done and they were sent on their way out of the operating room, where they went through another room. The sign as they walked in read “decontamination”.
Like most other rooms, it was plastered white everywhere with windows behind and in front of them. On a bench-like seat were Fi’s clothes. A one-piece suit that fit close to their skin, accented with a rhombus-like pattern on it’s sides. What really mattered was the poncho and plague mask their mother had gifted them all those years ago. Still intact.
They rose the poncho over their head, getting dressed but putting their plague mask aside. A sense of fear and anxiety crept up on them as they ran their hand down the poncho. There was a newly-formed hole engrained in the fabric. Whatever DRU was going to make them do, it wasn’t worth destroying the only memory they had of their family.
Fi was guided by a DRU officer to the cafeteria, they were met with faces they’d only read about in stories. Every glitch stared at them, Fi was silent, holding their ground as they walked. They could tell that everyone was sizing them up like a monster stalking it’s prey.
“It’s okay. Nobody’s going to do anything. Every glitch goes through the awkward staring phase. Do you want to sit with me?”
Kitty had somehow snuck behind Fi. Against their judgment, they followed Kitty to a table. It clicked in their head that the arm they had previously cut off was now reattached like it had never been sliced off. Because Kitty wasn’t considered a glitch, she was able to go behind the lunch counter and get them “food” that was to a higher standard than the processed meat glitches ate. A meal of mashed potatoes and gravy was something Fi had never tasted. At Joji, all that most citizens had to eat was meat and a small amount of fruits. The fruit was eaten whole, and the meat always took forever to chew. The way DRU’s food melted in their mouth made it all the more savory.
“How are you feeling? I know you’ve been through a lot.”
“Shut up. You don’t get to speak.” Fi interjected.
“Do you think I had something to do with the storm falling? You know that isn’t true.”
“Doesn’t mean I like you. People like you are no different than the ১೨iėźℼk’s that followed the King and Queen.”
“Why do you keep saying that?”
“What?”
“It’s a swear right? In your native language?”
“Here’s one. Vℼɑςno UĦ, Kittψ?”
“What’s that mean?”
“Something like, leave me alone, Kitty.”
“I can’t leave you alone. I guess HQ expected you to like me. We’re partners in our first mission. It’s for your ease of access. We already worked together, and we made a pretty good team, huh? If I’m really that insufferable to you, I’ll partner you with someone else for your next task. My treat, huh?”
“Why…would you do that? Is this just some game you’re playing?”
“I was employed by DRU, you are now, as well. I understand it’s hard, but I had no choice in what I did at Joji. It’s either follow DRU, or die. I figure if I’m going to be staying alive, I may as well move up while I am.”
“I’d rather die than serve some evil organization.”
“We all have something to fight for. It’s in our blood”
They finished eating in silence. Fi looked over at Kitty only to see she was picking at her food. They assumed that maybe she was shaken from the tit-for-tat they just had, but thinking about this only infuriated them more.
It was like she was pouting for attention. As a non-glitch. Fi was convinced she had it easy. She’s treated with respect, and given an admirable position. Glitches have no goals, nothing to strive for. No matter how good at their jobs they are.
“...What’s the job we have to do?”
“We’ll be destroying a Radio core. Think about it like a virus that spreads in the body. Radio cores are large red rocks that need to collect souls. Once they get enough, the core explodes. Dooming the dimension.”
“It destroys the dimension?”
“They make the dimension uninhabitable. Even DRU doesn’t harness the power to be able to destroy a dimension. We can only do the same as Radio.”
“So Radio is a person?”
“They are an extra dimensional being that leaves extensions of themselves in all dimensions. If we destroy the core, Radio’s grip on that dimension is extinguished.”
“So we just have to destroy a big rock? Let’s go right now!”
“Wouldn’t you rather get some sleep? We need to relax so we can be at full power for tomorrow’s operation.”
“Says you. You’re like, thirty.”
“I am not thirty-” Kitty stopped herself. “Let’s just go to bed.”
The living quarters of Fi looked like the cleanest jail cell to ever exist. The doors were bars like a jail cell, but they were able to be swung open with just a push. There was one bed laying in the corner of the room, with a toilet and a sink on the opposite side of the room. For the first time in their life, Fi felt invisible. They could be picked out of a crowd, heard just by the tone of their voice. Now, it didn’t matter. Being different doesn’t matter among a crowd of the unorthodox. The naked walls of their living quarters were equally bothersome. While it wasn’t supposed to be a jail cell, the jail bars, lack of privacy, and bed for one in the corner weren’t very convincing.
The glitches’ living area was fused with the cafeteria. The lunch tables were in the center. Along the perimeter was the jail cells. A constant reminder that you could be locked up at any second. Most of the jail cells were empty, claimed as sleeping quarters for most glitches, there were others who were fully locked up inside of their cells, with no hope of escape. Assistants of DRU brought food to them in a routine.
Fi laid their head in their new bed. Sleep did not come easy. In a single day everything had simultaneously been taken from them and they’d been introduced to a new, restrictive way of living. Even Joji lent Fi some mercy day-to-day. There was the advantage of wearing their plague mask, as long as they moved through life quietly, they wouldn’t be bothered, unless it was by Dzo. The bullying was weekly or monthly, lessening as they grew and society moved on. Here? Daily they could be thrown into a new life-threatening scenario, each more dangerous than the last.
As they closed their eyes, memories of their parents fluttered through their mind like balloons floating by. Fi would reach for every one that floated by, again and again, they were just out of reach. They became more and more frustrated with each attempt to reclaim what was theirs. Vague memories flew by, Nothing could be securely held.
So they wept, clinging to the concepts their parents held, the frustration overflowing to a point where they couldn’t even remember what it was like day-to-day. The ghosts of their parents lived in their heads now. Not who or what they really were.
The next day, Fi and Kitty were in the same prep room that Kitty was originally in when she went on her mission to Joji. They went through the decontamination process, and stepped in with their gear and weapons. All Fi requested was a DRU-issued handgun, swords didn’t serve much of a purpose to them when they trusted their hands better. Kitty took a handgun and her knife. It was a special weapon that was gifted to her from her sister. It heats up rapidly, allowing for Kitty to more effectively cut her limbs off if need-be. She also took a short-sword, which looked like a large thumb-tack she could use to jab enemies with. It was the same sword that Fi cut her arm off with. The pair met Petra in the briefing room.
“Kitty, you already gave her the briefing on Radio, right?”
“Yeah.”
“You’ll be going to dimension Z-022. We’ve tracked the Radio core to a wandering asteroid field.”
“Uhm, Petra. We can’t breathe in space.”
“Yeah. Obviously. That’s why I am going to give each of you these.
Petra handed the two of them transparent oxygen masks that fit flat on their faces. Like they weren’t even there. They extended all around their bodies. Warming their bodies enough so they wouldn’t freeze in seconds upon entering space.
“There’s a society of humans that live among the asteroids. Here’s a radio core tracker. All you need to do is destroy it. One solid strike should be enough.”
“Do we know where it is?”
“It’s hiding among the society, our equipment couldn’t do enough to find it. That’s why it’s up to you.”
“It’s alright! Fi and I are great at finding stuff!”
“I see, you’re the stray from Joji?”
“What about it?”
“Dimensions are nothing like the desert of sinkholes. Be prepared.”
“Don’t worry, they're pretty good at adapting.”
“I bet they are.” Petra said with a slight smile. “Here is a biosphere stone.”
Kitty was given a glowing yellow stone, with a few shakes, its light flooded Fi’s world.
Points:
Time spent:
Canary word: Present
Possible AI signals:
Original Text:
Are you sure you want to delete this comment? This cannot be undone.
Mark this comment as a review? Points will be awarded to the poster.
Your comment was posted, but it wasn’t long enough to count as a review. Reviews need about four complete sentences (at least 250 characters). Try writing another review that explains your thoughts in more detail — the author will appreciate it, and you’ll earn points for it.
125,029 Literary Works • 672,781 Reviews
Hello there, human! I'm reviewing using the YWS S'more Method today!
Shalt we commence with the malicious S’more?
Top Graham Cracker - Fi is taken in by DRU and classified as a glitch, they have to work with Kitty and they still don’t like her because they don’t trust her, Kitty explains that they have to fight Radio together, and then, Petra sends them both off on their way!
Slightly Burnt Marshmallow - I have no recommendations to make as of right now, but if you would like to edit this, then you may.
Chocolate Bar - Again, I do love that Fi still does not trust Kitty. It makes sense for them, but I also like the description of Kitty with her food, because I do think that she genuinely cares about Fi (for now) and is a little hurt by how Fi is acting. Another thing I like is how Fi is still trying to cling onto the memories of their parents, because of course they would miss the people who cared about them most, and it hurts me that they are all alone.
Closing Graham Cracker - Overall, a fabulous chapter on what it is like to be adjusting to a new world! I hope that Fi and Kitty’s mission will go well and I also hope that they become a bit closer, because they seemed close in Kitty’s story, but I wonder how that happened…
I wish you a spectacular day/night! ^v^
Hello Again, My Friend!
It's me, Raven, and I'd like to review the next chapter in this great story using my Familiar method! Let's dive in, shall we? Heh heh heh...
What The Black Eyes See...
Ah, Fi awakens in DRU, and impressions seem mixed. It looks like they're trying to keep a breath of hope and positivity, but this environment is less than welcoming, and they still seem very annoyed with Kitty. But maybe that will change on their first Radio hunt...Let's get into the details though.
Where The Dagger Points...
I didn't really have any recommendations to make! Good writing job!
Why The Grin Widened...
I absolutely loved the introduction of this chapter;
This sort of elegy for their parents hit so hard after the last chapter; knowing they will miss them so much and lost them in such a way is sad, but the fact that they manage to keep a little bit of hope -the idea that new friends will come around, and just being able to remember the happiness and acceptance shown by them, does add a very sweet positive inflection that makes this hit harder. Very well done ~
The callous way Riley treats Fi; like they're a sort of biohazard is frustrating to see, reminding us how DRU sees glitches. And the fellow glitches, understandably in such sorry conditions, don't seem much better off. This makes Kitty's friendliness even better to see, and while it can be taken as Fi not having much of a choice if they don't want to eat alone, it can also be read as Kitty being back at headquarters; she could drop the guise if she wanted and do her own thing, but she sticks with Fi regardless out of concern. That's a nice character trait to see ~
On the other hand, I do like how Fi is defensive here. After all, it was DRU who changed Joji, and conveniently after their arrival, the disaster happened. Especially in a time of mourning, it makes sense for them to jaded and standoffish with people, even ones like Kitty. To the point of even assuming Kitty "has it easier" just because she's not a glitch, it gives the impression that there's a lot of growth and development that can be made on both ends here.
Also loved the refresher course on Radio.
Well, another potentially positive thing to pick apart from this that was interesting to think about. On one hand, jail-like environment far from home. On the other hand, many of the troubles that plagued them in Joji won't seem so bad here perhaps. Interesting...
Ah, and their first mission begins! I'm so curious how this will go!
Our
MadThoughts...Overall, that was a great chapter to show Fi's beginnings at DRU! Nicely done!
Good Morning/Afternoon/Evening/Night(whichever one it is in your part of the world),
Hi! I'm Kate and I'm here to leave a quick review!!
First Impression
Well this looks like we're moving on very quickly from the dimension collapse there, which I think it would seem is just how the DRU likes to operate there. We are seeing Fi still being affected and suffering from this but its not like they're going to get much respite from the DRU.
Anyway let's get right to: Kate's Line by Line Reactions;
Well we have a touching little goodbye there although it looks like its really not going to be allowed to be delivered in much of a meaningful way and Fi is just now being integrated into the whole DRU situation.
Well looks like Fi is being treated pretty much the same as everyone else, although maybe just a little bit kinder compared to the earlier interaction although not by a whole lot given they're still very much not treating people with much respect.
Well looks like they're afraid of a lot of things which I'm going to assume probably has mostly to do with things like diseases and such. There's not exactly much else to decontaminate, at least nothing that a simple shower can't do anyway.
Okay looks like after all that they've been released for a moment into a larger population of people there and we're back to that awkward introductory moment. I guess we're back to it being this story now because its been quite a long time since we heard from the other team.
Well looks like Kitty's taking a bit of a special liking to Fi. I'm assuming this is more of a she made a promise to Xo-Shi thing than the DRU requesting things thing, or at least I hope its that way at any rate.
Well looks like Fi is thankfully not converted into instantly liking Kitty just because they were saved in that moment. That's good to see. Kitty really hasn't done a whole lot just yet that Fi can see anyway that would classify her as a force for good. Honestly not even we can conclusively decide that at the moment.
Seem like quite a reasonable request there at the moment given everything that Fi has gone through there and what Fi has just lost in this moment. I don't think Kitty wants to or even can do that at the moment though.
Well looks like Kitty has been sucked in good there, or more like just given up on actually doing anything beyond them. That tells us a little bit of how that must be operated. Although I don't think Fi is going to be turned to that cause any time soon though.
Well be that as it may, that still definitely doesn't exactly justify fighting for an evil organization although I'm sure we'll see how that's going to actually pan out soon enough.
Well looks like that explains the DRU's position about most of their agents pretty clearly there, and well looks the mission that they're going off on is also a pretty destructive. The DRU really seems to love going about with that particular plan.
Well that seems reasonable enough, and I assume the dimensions mentioned here are special because of the radio person and can't be destroyed like others, either that or Kitty has just been lied to by the DRU. Either one is equally as likely to be honest.ww
Well looks like Kitty needs a bit of a nap there before getting out there which seems quite Fi. It looked like Fi got a chance to rest during the decontamination process while Kitty has probably been on her feet since the whole incident panned out.
Well definitely sending a few pointed messages to all the residents there with an arrangement like that being laid out for the whole sleeping quarters slash prison idea. I think that's a lovely description there really bringing all of that to light quite well.
Well looks like poor Fi is not about to have a good rest there, already lots of scary looking images running through all of that there and really starting to ring true and haunt Fi there now.
Well looks like Fi isn't about to be free of that torment for a little bit there from the way things are shaping up it looks like its going to stay for some time there. Also love the little suit up scene. That's nearly the third one of those we've seen now. Looks like its a pretty standard procedure from the looks of it.
Hmm there's a few more things to worry about that freezing and oxygen out there in space that I feel like should be mentioned there especially since you not they are quite thin little things, but I'm sure its a device that thinks of all of those things too.
Well looks like they're going to go ahead and cause havoc on another civilization from the looks of it. I don't know if Fi has fully processed what destruction they're about to cause upon another world to be so casual about this.
Well looks like for the moment Kitty is making sure to support Fi a little even as the others don't exactly same impressed which I am guessing is the whole glitch mindset. We'll see how that's going to end up panning out then.
Aaand that's it for this oneee!!!
Overall
Overall I think you've done a great job setting this up here, showcasing the effects all of this is having on Fi and of course naturally its not going to be easy to overcome. Good to see that attitude difference by everyone between Fi and Kitty even though Kitty herself isn't always treated great. We'll find out soon enough how this mission is going to go I'm sure.
As always remember to: Take what you think was helpful and forget the rest!
Kate
Thank you for the review! Despite DRU%u2019s sometimes violent efforts, they do want to protect dimensions. Not sure if I explained this well, but if the Radio core explodes, the dimension is corrupted. It%u2019s DRU officers objective to destroy the core before it explodes, thus preventing any destruction or death