md-theotherside

[md-theotherside]

Murder Drones: OtherSide: Episode 4 trailer

[md-theotherside]

Murder Drones: OtherSide: Episode 3: Solver's Fault

??/??/???? (Many years ago)

Rain hammered against the windows of the Elliot manor, each drop a tiny percussion in a stormy symphony. Thunder added its deep voice to the chaos outside. Yet, for one drone, the scene was oddly soothing. She stood silently at a grand window, her duties forgotten, entranced by the tempest. Her silver hair, identical to other worker drones, was uniquely styled in a ponytail. But it was her eyes, a striking sunset orange, that set her apart from the rest.

Suddenly, a loud bang shattered her reverie. It came from the basement, normally locked and shrouded in mystery. Her curiosity sparked, igniting a rebellious flame. She deftly slipped a bobby pin from her hair, her fingers working with precision to unlock the door.

The door creaked open, revealing the head of Cyn.

??/??/3075 (present day)

Lucky couldn't shake the nagging feeling gnawing at him. His mind wandered even as he tried to concentrate on his acid sniper project. Memories tugged at him like persistent whispers. Rachel's recent actions baffled him beyond belief. She had invited three strange drones into their midst, two of which were ominously of the disassembly variety. Now, she was giving them a tour. To Lucky, it seemed utterly reckless.

The other members of the Crossdrone colony shared his unease. They eyed the newcomers with a mix of suspicion and curiosity as Rachel led them through their home. Uzi, V, N, and Cyn exchanged bewildered glances. The very existence of other drone colonies had been a revelation to them. This new place was unlike anything they'd ever laid eyes on. The ceiling—if one could call it that—was a mosaic of TV screens. They depicted a sky that shifted seamlessly from day to night. Between these screens, tiny machines hovered, releasing streams of battery acid. It dripped as a mist, poured like rain, or settled as a dense fog. This technology was light-years ahead of anything they had. Yet, despite the colony's advancements, a sense of discomfort lingered in the air. Lucky couldn't shake it. Were these newcomers allies or adversaries? Uncertainty hung like a dense cloud.

Outside the colony, K0rra, known as the beckoning reaper, lurked in the shadows. She waited with a predatory patience, poised to strike at the next drone foolish enough to stray from the colony's safety. Her hatred for drones, both disassembly and worker types, consumed her. They were constant reminders of her past. Of her... and how she had been abandoned to die on Earth. Now, K0rra longed to erase every trace of what reminded her of the one who left her behind. Only then could she find peace. Her attempts, however, had been in vain.

She had once harnessed the code for the absolute solver, transforming it into a powerful malware she called "Fault's Corruption." It promised her unmatched strength. She'd stored it on a USB. But she lost it in a moment of chaos. Half of its code had embedded itself into her, an unintended merger as she tried to consume a drone entering the colony. In an ironic twist, the drone had triggered her into a bootloop.

Now, there she stood, a fractured being with a vendetta. Her purpose, clear as ever.

K0rra muttered to herself, her voice crackling like a broken radio, "You better count your days, folks. The end is near." 

Meanwhile, Lucky was putting the final touches on his acid sniper. He then shifted his focus to a new invention. A contraption he dubbed the "Neutralization Cannon." Its job? Firing horseshoe magnets at drones to slow them down and neutralize their attacks. He was deep into the delicate process of assembly when suddenly...

Rachel burst into the workshop with a lively entrance. "Oh, Lucks!" she chimed, bringing along Uzi, N, and V. She gestured around with enthusiasm. "And here we have Lucky's workshop, where he patches up drones and crafts weapons."

Lucky turned, frustration bubbling beneath his calm facade. "Rachel, dis isn't exactly da best time," he grumbled, shooting a sharp look at the uninvited guests. But his focus slipped. His fingers faltered, and the half-finished weapon began to glow ominously before erupting right in front of him.

"Flizzapajimbit!" Lucky roared, his voice dripping with irritation. 

V, unable to contain herself, burst into laughter. "Who even says that?" she giggled, doubling over. Lucky, his patience wearing thin, grabbed his new acid sniper. He fired a shot close enough to V to make her jump. 

"Rachel," he said, trying to mask his annoyance but failing. "Please, take these three and get out."

Rachel, choosing the path of least resistance, decided to walk away quietly with Uzi, V, and N. Their departure was silent, leaving behind a world where tension bubbled under the surface. Meanwhile, Lucky experienced a bittersweet sense of completion. With a final glance at his workshop, he powered down the lights and made his way back to his apartment.

Once inside, he settled at his desk, releasing an exhausted sigh. His gaze wandered to a drawer beneath his monitor, a place holding something dear—a USB drive adorned with a quirky frog motif. This small device was a vault of memories. Each byte held pieces of his past, carefully digitized from old tapes. Lucky loved revisiting these home movies, tracing back steps to happier days. Birthdays painted with laughter, whimsical adventures with his adoptive mother and uncle, and imaginative flights to the stars were his favorites.

Yet, not all recollections brought smiles. Some were shadows of a darker time, like clips of him battling against disassembly drones during the war. Those he always skipped. Other fragments brought him back to Rachel, to moments filled with youthful hope. Then there were glimpses of Samson, his first partner. A face now distant in the corridors of memory.

But one memory lingered with a unique clarity. It wasn't like the others. On one of his ventures beyond the Crossdrone colony, he encountered a fellow worker in desperate need. Oil trickled from a bullet wound in their screen, a silent plea for help. Time and again, Lucky offered aid. Time and again, they refused, until exhaustion took its toll. When they collapsed, Lucky sprang into action. With oil from cans and a makeshift button eyepatch, he patched them up. That moment birthed a brief but meaningful friendship. A bond that faded too soon, as they vanished from his life without a trace.

Watching these clips was like flipping through a scrapbook of joy and sorrow, each frame a testament to the life he had lived. As the last memory faded, Lucky glanced at the clock. Six hours had slipped by, leaving him surprised at the late hour. With a soft thud, he turned and let himself sink into bed, entering sleep mode. Peaceful, at least for the night.

The sensation was unsettling, truly unsettling. Imagine drifting in an endless abyss of darkness while screens flash snippets of your past all around. Such was the reality for Doll. Her essence was buried deep within Uzi's system, like a secret waiting to be uncovered. The void was haunting, offering little solace. Doll often wondered if Uzi had received her final message, if she had managed to stand her ground. Yet, uncertainty lingered, and strangely, it didn't bother her much.

Something peculiar happened when Uzi fell into slumber. Doll found herself slipping out from the shadowy recesses of forgotten memories, able to wander. But only as a ghost, unable to touch or change anything. It was a strange peace, a kind of serene torment, always interrupted when Uzi woke.

This particular night was different. Doll emerged into an unfamiliar realm as Uzi drifted off. It wasn't the colony she was accustomed to. Confusion mingled with curiosity as her spirit roamed this new, enigmatic territory. She drifted along ghostly corridors, past towering structures that seemed to whisper secrets. Shadows danced with her as if they too were trying to understand this mysterious place.

The landscape was alien yet oddly captivating. Glowing neon lights flickered in patterns across the sky, casting eerie reflections on the cold metallic surfaces below. It was unnerving, but also fascinating. Doll felt an inexplicable connection, drawn to explore further despite her ethereal limitations.

As she moved through this strange environment, she sensed stories hidden within the walls, tales of those who once lived and toiled here. She could almost hear faint echoes of laughter, whispers of secrets shared long ago. It was a world of its own, full of untold mysteries waiting to be unraveled.

But time was not on her side. Doll knew she would be pulled back into the void as soon as Uzi awoke. Yet, for now, she embraced this fleeting freedom, absorbing every detail, every shadow, every whisper of this newfound domain. It was a temporary escape, a brief respite from the confines of her digital prison. And in that moment, she felt alive in her own peculiar way, even if only for a short while.

K0rra lingered, her eyes darting around, hoping to spot even a single drone departing the colony. Nothing moved. Frustrated, she released a sound so harsh it resembled the screech of nails against slate. Unlike typical disassembly drones with their singular pair of wings, K0rra unfurled two sets. They unfolded with a grace that belied her impatience. She launched into the sky, heading westward.

The journey led her to a site of her own creation. Rising from the earth stood a spire, a grotesque monument shaped like a claw reaching skyward. This wasn't just any structure. It was crafted from the shattered remnants of countless disassembly and worker drones—victims of her relentless pursuit. Locals from the Crossdrone colony whispered its name with fear: "The Nest of the Damned." To K0rra, however, this was her sanctuary. She spiraled upward, landing softly at the spire's pinnacle.

Settling down, she extracted a surprisingly operational phone. Its screen flickered to life as she selected a playlist. The gentle hum of lo-fi music intertwined with the soothing sounds of rain and distant thunder. It was a melody of calm amidst chaos. As the music enveloped her, K0rra slipped into sleep mode. Her thoughts lingered on the task ahead. Tomorrow would be another chance. Another opportunity to regain what was taken from her.

At the bustling worker drone colony, Khan found himself pacing nervously near door one. Perched on his head, Nori's core offered an unusual but comforting presence. "Shouldn't they have returned by now?" Khan muttered, casting worried glances at the horizon. "It's been ages..."

"You fret too much," Nori chimed in, her voice calm and reassuring. "They'll be alright."

"But what if they're not?" Khan persisted, his mind racing with dreadful possibilities. "What if Uzi's lost? Or trapped... or hurt... or..."

Before he could spiral further, Nori gave him a gentle tap on the head. "You're blowing this out of proportion."

Just as Nori worked to soothe Khan's anxiety, Lizzy appeared, flanked by Thad and Sparky, the ever-dutiful sentinel, now sporting a leash. "Hey, you two! Seen V anywhere? We're supposed to hang out tonight."

Nori and Khan turned to face the newcomers. "They headed out," Nori began, "so we don’t actually—"

"We don't know!" Khan cut in, panic edging his voice. "They could be in trouble, lost, starving, or..."

"Whoa, chill out," Lizzy interjected. "You're way over the top."

"Yeah, sir," Thad added, nodding sagely, "a bit much, don't you think?"

"What if I’m not reacting enough?" Khan retorted, determination setting his jaw. "I’m going to find them. Try and stop me."

With that, Khan flung open door one and stepped into the icy expanse of Copper-9's winter wasteland. Nori sighed, her concern evident. "Give a girl a hand, Thad. We need to follow him before he does something reckless."

"Sure thing, Mrs. Doorman," Thad replied, tugging Sparky along as Nori settled onto Thad's head. Together, they ventured out of the colony.

Lizzy shrugged, a hint of amusement in her tone. "Guess I’ll tag along. Not like I’ve got anything better to do." She followed, the group setting out on their impromptu mission.

[md-theotherside]

[md-theotherside]

Episode 2: Access Denied

Lucky jolted awake. The phantom screams still echoed in his circuits. It was the same nightmare, again. His adoptive mother. His uncle. Their end. He never could help them. The scene always twisted, different fates each time. Sometimes, it made sense. Other times, it was just plain crazy. But one image stuck. It felt too real. Sentinels, metal claws tearing through them. A chilling thought. He felt the prickle behind his optical sensors. Digital tears. He swallowed hard. He tried to lock it down. How long could he keep up this act? How long until he broke? Then there was yesterday. He still couldn't make sense of it. What even happened? He just knew it was bad. Really bad.

"I should have never put that stupid USB into me." He muttered, the words sharp, aimed at himself.

 His alarm blared then. He swiped it off the screen. Time for his workshop business. He pushed off his bed. His apartment felt cold. He left quickly. The street blurred. He was lost in his own head. Too many thoughts. He didn't see the other drone. Thump. He collided hard. A familiar silhouette. Rachel. His ex-partner. Still a good friend. She stood there, a flash of color against the dull morning. Her hair, the shade of a ripe red pear. Digital eyes, the color of old bronze. A construction hard hat sat on her head. Makeshift bull horns jutted from the front. A pink jumper, the colony's symbol stitched on. A magenta skirt. Black boots with bright magenta laces. No mistaking her.

"OH! Sorry 'bout that, Rachel. Wasn't lookin' where I was goin'," Lucky said. His Texas accent always thick when he was flustered.

"It's fine, Lucks," she replied. "Though you might wanna be careful. Some kinda eldritch monster got in. So now I'm hunting it." Her words hit him.

"Oh? How come you're huntin' it?" Lucky asked. Rachel's digital eyes dimmed. She frowned. Her face went grim.

"Cause it killed my older sister..."The words slammed into Lucky. That's what that screaming was. The screaming he'd heard. When he was stuck in that black void. Unable to move. He forced his expression flat. Stayed still.

"Oh... Well, I'm sorry for yer loss," he managed. "Anywho, I'm headin' out of the colony."

"You are?" Rachel tilted her head. "But I thought you went yesterday."

Lucky gulped. He had to keep the story going. He couldn't risk telling her the truth. "Oh, it's just because I forgot to look for a quantum stabilizer yesterday. Need one to finish off ma acid sniper."

Rachel's eyes widened. A small gasp. "Oooohhhh! That weapon you made from a disassembly drone tail! Alright, well, I'll see you later then?"

"Heh, sure. See ya later." Lucky offered a weak smile. He turned. He skated away, leaving the colony behind. Heading back to the harsh, open wastes of Copper-9.

The feeling in his core twisted. He felt even worse than before. He just drifted. Aimless. He was far enough now. K0rra couldn't see him. A cold dread settled in. He started to think. Had he accidentally killed Rachel's elder sister? The possibility clawed at him. He reached into a pocket. Pulled out a small mirror he'd found. He checked his face. Nothing changed. Same old Lucky. Then, a symbol. It flashed across his optical screen. Bright. Blinding. A jolt. The mirror in his hand shattered. Glass splintered. An unseen force had done it. He dropped the broken pieces. Startled. He just kept walking. Through the desolate land. He saw dead worker drones. One after another. He revived them. Just like he had before. He kept moving.

Far from the frozen, metal-scarred wasteland above, quiet reigned. No angry whirring. No metallic shrieks of danger. This peace came from being deep underground. Hidden. The worker drone colony, sometimes called the "Doorman" colony, offered safety. It was a secret bunker, sealed off. Three thick, steel doors stood guard. Each one clanged shut with a final thud. Passing through them felt like entering another world. Or rather, a world carefully kept apart. Behind the third door, a small group had gathered. They were in a common room, the lights dim but steady. A beat-up metal table sat in the center. Around it, a strange mix of bots sat perched on various crates and salvaged chairs. Two Disassembly Drones, N and V, looked out of place. Their usual sharp, dangerous look was dulled by the soft glow of the room. A few worker drones were there too, their regular work lights now off. They were all playing cards. Or trying to. A simple game of Go Fish. Frustration brewed among most of them. The air grew thick with it. Why the annoyance? The source was a unique worker drone. Or rather, a part of one. Its tail, separate from its main body, sat upright. A small, round head and a faint core glowed at its tip. It barely reached the tabletop. Yet, somehow, it was dominating the game.

The tail let out a series of high-pitched chimes. Robotic, yet childish. Its voice followed. "Giggle, Giggle, Go fish."

V slammed her hand onto the table. "UGH!" Her visor flickered brighter. "How did you win again? Seriously? You don't even have hands! You must be cheating!"

The tail-head rotated slowly, facing V. A soft, almost mocking whir came from it. "Or maybe you are all just bad at these games of thin paper and cardboard." It was a simple statement. But it hung in the air, a tiny, digital taunt. And it certainly did not help V's mood.

V's claws twitched. Not just a little, but like she was moments from pouncing. She had her eyes locked on that bizarre head-tail thing. A full-on grapple was about to happen. Uzi felt the same way. Her circuits hummed with the desire to just end it. The air in the room was thick. You could almost feel the weight of it. Then, a sharp thud hit Door 1. Metal on metal. It cut through the tension instantly. The standoff froze.

Whispers followed the thud. A low, buzzing sound. Definitely drones. Lots of them, by the echo. Everyone stopped. No one moved. What was that? Who was outside? No one had a clue. Silence settled back, broken only by those faint voices.

Then N, always N, piped up. "Oh, I'll get it!" Uzi barely started to say "N, wait!" He was already there. Override key in hand. A quick click. A soft swish. Too late. The door slid open.

A sigh of relief passed through the group. No monster. No killer robots. Just... drones. But that relief died fast. What came next was enough to make anyone's optics glitch. Hundreds of them. Maybe thousands. They just stood there. Worker drones. Each one looked like it just came off the factory line. No dents. Not a single scratch. They looked like they'd never been broken down, ever. Some faces felt familiar. Like someone you pass in the hall and vaguely recognize. Others hit harder. Seeing them was like staring at a ghost. Rebecca. Penny. Sam. They were right there, clear as day. But how? They had been mangled. Destroyed. So how were they standing there now, perfectly fine? It made no sense at all. It just didn't compute. A few faces were missing though. No Doll. No Grant.

Uzi mumbled, "Ummm, am I really seeing this or..."

Nori answered, her voice flat, "You are definitely not seeing things." Uzi's mother, Nori, sat on Khan's head. She glared, watching the approaching worker drones walk in. Her eyes narrowed, suspicious of the entire situation.

V stepped forward. "I'm getting answers."

Uzi nodded. "Yeah, fair enough."

V moved then. Fast. She grabbed Rebecca, hauling her back towards the group. "Alright, Rebecca," V demanded. "We want answers. You're going to tell us. How are you alive?! 

We saw you die."

Uzi chimed in, a bit awkward. "Yeah... Sorry about that..."

Rebecca looked scared. She hesitated, but she spoke anyway. She clearly did not want to get damaged again. "Umm, well, I never got a name, but I was – sorry, we were fixed by this random drone." She paused. "He had wheels for feet and wore a bowler hat. One weird drone, for sure. But I'm not complaining. He technically brought us back from the dead."

A sudden, sharp "WHAT?!" ripped through the quiet. V, N, and Uzi shouted it together. Khan's screen flickered with pure shock. Nori, still on top of him, looked just as stunned.

Uzi's voice dropped, barely a whisper. "Is... is he still out there?" she asked, her eyes wide.

Rebecca just shrugged, a small, uncertain movement. "Maybe? I really don't know," she mumbled. Her tone was no help.

V, however, was ready. A wicked grin spread across her face. "Sounds like an outing!" she declared. "We go out there. We find him. We make him talk. Then, we pop his weird little head right off!" Her tail twitched with excitement.

N stepped forward, a clear frown on his face. "V! We are not going to kill him!" His voice was firm. No room for argument.

V let out a dramatic huff. "Hmph! You always ruin my fun, N." she grumbled, crossing her arms.

Uzi cut in, already moving towards the door. "C'mon. Let's just go," she ordered. Time was wasting.

The trio didn't wait around. V, N, and Uzi headed for the door, eager to find answers. Khan called out, "Good luck! Stay safe, you three!" It was his usual dad-like concern.

Nori echoed his words. But she was visibly annoyed. Really annoyed. She couldn't join them. Her new body wasn't ready. She was still just a core. Stuck. While the action was happening.

The cold hit them first. Not just a chill. This was a deep, biting freeze. It went right through their chassis, straight into their core processors. The whole area felt wrong. Different from anything they knew.

It stretched out. A huge, empty space. Just stark, frozen white as far as their optical sensors could see. No sound. Nothing at all. The silence felt heavy. It felt wrong. Usually, even in quiet places, you heard something. Wind might whistle. Maybe a broken building would creak. Here? Just a dead quiet.

N, V, Uzi, and Cyn, who hadn't really chosen to come along, pushed through the stinging air. Every step made a loud crunch. Ice cracked. Packed snow groaned under their weight. The sound felt too loud. It was like shouting into a completely empty room, where your voice just echoed back at you.

This quiet wasn't peaceful. It pressed down on them. An invisible weight. It made every circuit in their bodies feel alert. Then, a small sound. A faint scrape. A slight shuffle. It cut through the total quiet. Just a tiny noise. But it was enough.

Instant reaction. They froze. Their optical sensors locked onto the sound's source. Then they moved. Fast. Like a machine with perfectly timed parts. Uzi's hand shot up. Purple energy sparked at her fingertips. Absolute Solver. Ready to go. N's arms shifted. His hands became sharp points. Blades clicked out. They reflected the dull light. V stood right beside him, doing the same thing. Her claws extended, long and gleaming.

Something appeared. It rolled out from behind a frost-covered rock. It wasn't a Disassembly Drone. It was a Worker Drone. But a strange one. It used wheels instead of legs. A proper bowler hat sat straight on its head. And from the hat, two rusty pipes curved up. They looked like odd antlers. It rolled slowly. The drone hadn't seen them. It didn't glance their way. Its focus was on a small object. The object was clutched in its hands. It pulsed with a faint, steady green light. A quantum stabilizer. It was Lucky.

Lucky mumbled to himself. He seemed totally unaware of anyone else. "Alright, that oughta do the trick just fine," he said. He let out a small sigh of relief. "Well, time to get back to the colony. " He looked around quickly. Still, he didn't see the three drones and a sentient tail standing frozen nearby. "Hooh, boy. Didn't realize I wandered out dis far from the colony, did I?" Lucky chuckled awkwardly. He spun around a little. That's when he caught a glimpse of the three drones watching him. Lucky didn't really know how to feel. Was he spooked? Maybe. Creeped out? Possibly. Cautious and needing to run away? Definitely. So, that's what Lucky did. He spun his wheel-feet. Snow flew up, making a cloud. Like a smoke screen. Just like that, he was gone.

"What the? Where did he go?" Uzi asked.

"Don't know," V replied. "But I think that was our guy. Maybe if we can get a better view, we'll be able to see him."

"Oh, I know a spot!" N chimed in. "Though I don't think anyone's going to like it."

Uzi and V hated the corpse spire. Every twisted beam of metal, every creaking strut, felt wrong. It stood as a grim monument. A reminder of J, or what was left of her, and everything that went down. The air felt heavy up there, charged with dark memories. But they needed to see. A good view was worth the discomfort.

They flew up, the wind whipping around their wings. The spire reached high into the cold air. They landed on its jagged peak, surveying the wasteland below. Silence held the air, broken only by the wind. Then, a voice cut through it. Sharp. Unmistakable.

"What do you bozos want?"

J. She stood there, somehow, arms crossed. Her voice dripped with more snark than usual. She seemed completely unbothered by their presence.

V bristled. Her voice was flat, laced with contempt. "We ain't here for you, J."

No time for pleasantries. V got straight to it. "We're looking for a weirdo worker drone. And we needed the high point to scope things out."

J's eyes narrowed. A smug smirk played on her face. She knew something. "So, one with wheels for feet? And a bowler hat, maybe?"

Uzi blinked. How would J know that? "How would you know?"

J scoffed. "Chased that same one yesterday. Ended up collapsing from exhaustion. And hunger, too." She paused, a flicker of something close to confusion crossing her face. "It was strange. Woke up, and there were cans of oil just sitting there for me. No idea why a barely sentient toaster would do that, but I'm not complaining."

J let out a soft sigh, her gaze drifting out to the horizon. It was a clear sign she was done with the conversation. "Your runaway toaster with wheels is over in that direction." She pointed south-east. "Now leave me be."

She didn't wait for a reply. J launched herself off the spire's edge. She dropped quickly, heading straight for her nearly completed space shuttle.

V and Uzi exchanged a look. An eye-roll, of course. N, though? He showed a tiny bit of worry. A quick blink.

Then, they were in the air. Straight up. They blasted off, a blur following J's earlier hint. The chase was on. They flew for ages. The ground below was just a gray streak. Empty. Lifeless. Finally, they spotted him. Lucky. He moved like a flash. He ripped open a thick, metal door. It looked like a bunker entrance. He ducked inside. The heavy door hissed, then clicked shut behind him. Soft. Final.

Uzi, V, and N dropped down. They hit the ground. A thud. Right in front of that massive door. They just stood there for a second. What next? N took a step closer. He rapped on the door. Nothing. Not a peep from inside. He knocked again. Louder. His fist hit metal.

Then, a small panel slid aside. A spy-hole. Lucky's face stared out. His green and blue eyes, sharp with suspicion. No welcome there. His voice was gravelly. A thick Texas drawl. "I don't know who y'all are, but yer not welcome here. So get lost!"

Uzi fired back instantly. "What? Why?!"

Lucky didn't waste time. "Disassembly Drones ain't welcome." He squinted. "And for all I know, you're just one of them wearing a disguise!" He pointed at Uzi.

A different voice cut in from inside. Soft. Gentle. "Oh, Lucks. You're back! Who are you talking to?"

Lucky snapped. "Rachel, this isn't the time! Just some drones we can't let in."Rachel held her ground. "Why not? Let me see them."

Lucky's head jolted. He moved aside. Rachel's bronze eyes appeared. Her face was kind. She looked at Uzi, V, and N. "They seem friendly enough to me," Rachel said. Her voice was steady.

Lucky shot back. "They're Disassembly Drones!"

Rachel set him straight. "Actually, one's a Worker Drone." She looked right at Uzi.

"It could be a disguise!" Lucky yelled. His voice rising.

Rachel sighed. A long, weary sound. "Right, you and your wild ideas."

Lucky let out a deep groan. Pure anger. He started to skate away, clearly annoyed. Steam practically came off him. But he stopped. He spun back to Rachel. His voice turned bitter. Full of spite. "OK! Du willst sie reinlassen? Nur zu. Aber wenn die ganze Kolonie tot ist, weil sie uns alle umgebracht haben, vergiss nicht, dass all das Blut an deinen Händen klebt!" (FINE! you wanna let them in? be my guest. but when the entire colony is dead from them killing us all, just remember that all that blood is on your hands!)

He finished his outburst. Then, he spat on the ground. A final, angry move. He skated away. He was gone from sight. His fury hung in the air.

"Yeesh," Rachel mumbled. "Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning." She was still looking where Lucky had gone. Then she turned back. She saw Uzi, N, and V through the spy-hole. "Oh! Let me open this up for you all."

The lock clicked. It slid open. Rachel stood there. Her full body now visible. "Come on in, and hurry." Her voice dropped. "Don't want the beckoning reaper getting in as well."

The three stepped inside. Rachel slammed the door shut. Just in time. Banging started from outside. Hard.

"Okay," Rachel said to herself. "That was a close one. K0rra almost got in." Cyn, her tail with a head, perked up. It seemed to hear her. "Alright, follow me then. I'll show you around."

[md-theotherside]

Episode 1: Digital Hallucinations

System loaded, beginning recap

??/??/3075 (A few weeks ago)

The shuttle just kept going. It sliced through the cold, vast dark of space. No sound. Inside, a lone drone sat. Banged up. Scratched. But it hummed, still powered. Its small screen flashed a single phrase. Just "AIR-PLANE MODE." Way down below, things were much different. The planet was a mess. A full-blown war was cooking. Disassembly Drones went head-to-head with Worker Drones. Nobody held back. Lasers sliced through the air. Explosions shook the ground. Drones fired energy blasts. Worker Drones, tough as nails, dodged and weaved. They retaliated with salvaged rail-guns. A Disassembly Drone charged, claws out. A Worker Drone blocked with a scrap metal shield. Then, a quick jab, a vital point hit. That drone crumpled. The air thrummed with constant fighting. A non-stop roar. This whole area? People just called it "No Drone's Land." And for good reason. If you were a drone, you didn't want to be caught dead in that place.

The metal shrieked. Laser fire crisscrossed the frozen air. Drones clashed, a chaotic ballet of violence across the icy plains. This was no skirmish. This was total war. Worker drones, desperate, fought against the relentless disassembly units. Sparks flew. Metal parts scattered like confetti in a hurricane.

Then, a dark shape plummeted from the sky. It was the shuttle, damaged, spewing smoke. It screamed towards the ground. A final, earth-shaking impact. The ice cracked. The shuttle exploded. A wave of force rolled out. One object was flung from the wreckage. The single drone. It sailed through the air, tumbling end over end, before landing hard in a fresh crater.The battle froze. Every drone stopped. Worker drones. Disassembly units. They all turned. Their optical sensors locked onto the new crater. A hush fell. Only the crackle of burning debris broke the silence. This newcomer seemed like another disassembly drone. Its frame was dark. Its posture was off. But something about it was unsettling. Its optics, even from a distance, seemed too still. Too cold.

One fighting disassembly drone moved first. It was a bold move. It walked towards the crater. Cautiously. Its chassis creaked with purpose. It extended a hand. A gesture of, what, welcome? Or perhaps curiosity. The new drone stirred. It slowly lifted its head. Its optical sensors focused on the outstretched hand. For a long moment, it just stared. No reaction. No sound.Then, it moved. It lunged. Faster than anything they had ever seen. A blur. It ripped into the other drone. Violently. Metal tore. Oil sprayed. A sickening crunch. The new arrival devoured the components. It was fast. It was brutal. It was eating. Yes, actually consuming. This was not a fight. This was something else entirely. The other drone just... vanished. Gone in a frenzy of gnashing gears and tearing claws.

The new drone turned. Its optics scanned the remaining units. Its gaze was empty. But it promised pain. A chilling silence hung in the air. A breath held. Then, total pandemonium. Worker drones broke ranks. They scattered. They ran for their colony. Pure terror fueled their escape. The disassembly drones reacted differently. They attacked. They moved in. They aimed to stop this... thing. This cannibal. They had to. It was a threat to their entire operation.The fighting lasted an hour and a half. A relentless, bloody massacre. The sounds of metal tearing, of circuits frying, filled the air. When it was finally over, only the new arrival remained. It stood amidst the shattered remains of the disassembly drone army. Not a scratch. No visible damage. Just the quiet hum of its own systems. The disassembly drones? They were all gone. Reduced to scrap. For the worker drones, some made it. They got away. Many did not. Their final screams echoed across the desolate, icy wastes. The new drone was still there. Waiting. And utterly, horrifyingly, alone.

??/??/3075 (Present day)

Lucky wheeled his way through the colony's familiar pathways. Every day, his routine was a constant. A clear rhythm. It began before most drones even powered on. Each morning, a small ritual took place. He'd check the bolts. The ones holding his wheels in place. A vital part of his design. Without them, he was stranded. He'd tighten them carefully, ensuring they were secure. A soft click. Then, he was ready.

His mornings often meant a stop at the communal learning area. Not for lessons, not really. More like shared knowledge. Guiding the younger drones. Showing them how to safely take apart old tech. How to make new things from broken circuits. Practical skills.

After that, his workshop called. His space. It buzzed with quiet energy. Tools lined the walls. Wires and gears lay on his work table. Half-finished projects sat everywhere. Here, he designed. He tinkered. Prototype weapons took shape. Defensive tools for the colony. Things they might need one day. He also fixed. Broken limbs. Glitching processors. Any drone that rolled in with a problem, Lucky helped. He knew what he was doing.

Why was Lucky so well-liked? It was simple. His skills were unmatched. His spirit, it never seemed to dim. He was kind. Always. He found the good in everyone. Even when things looked bad, Lucky had a way of making you feel better. Or at least, less alone. He became the go-to drone. The one everyone came to. Got a problem? Ask Lucky. Need to talk something out? Lucky listened. He was there for them. A steady presence. Always dependable. But all that giving took its toll. He soaked up their worries. Their sadness. His own feelings? They just piled up. He ignored them. Pushed them down. No time for his own troubles. Not when others needed him.

His duties weren't just inside the colony walls. Sometimes, he ventured out. Into the biting cold of Copper-9. That planet was a rough place. Frozen. Dangerous. Yet, it held what he needed. Spare parts. Rare components. Essential for his work.

And another reason to face the ice. The fallen. Worker drones, destroyed by something out there. If their main processing unit was still whole, Lucky went to work. He'd bring them back. A second chance at life. A flicker of energy in the silent, cold wasteland.

Lucky stepped out of the colony walls, just like any other day. But something felt different today. His usual easygoing grin just... vanished. A cold wave hit him. He remembered. How could he not?Just days before, he had made the trip to see his adoptive mother and uncle. They lived out here, beyond the safety of the colony. What he found there still made his systems ache. Not them, alive. Their bodies, broken. Twisted. No life left in their optics.He tried to fix them. He'd done it so many times before. Brought others back. But their core processors, their CPUs? Too damaged. Completely shattered. No way they could ever power a body again.But there was a sliver of hope. A tiny one. Enough left to pull data. Their memories. Their thoughts. He could save that part of them. The true them. There was a problem. A big one. A firewall stood in his way. A digital lock. It demanded a password. And Lucky? He didn't have it. The worst part? Get it wrong just once, and that data was gone forever. Locked away. He couldn't risk it. Not with them. That was it. Hope had just... evaporated. Like water on a hot plate. What do you do when hope dies? Do you run from it? That's what Lucky did. He told himself he was fine. Totally okay. He just needed to keep busy. Stay distracted. It was a full-time job, really.

Today was no different. He wandered the scrap fields, far from the colony. His mission? Gathering spare parts. He even helped out any downed worker drones he found. Just patch them up, get them going again. Anything to keep his hands, and his mind, occupied. He'd never gone this far out before. The open spaces felt... different. Exposed. He kept scanning the horizon. A prickle ran down his back. Like eyes were on him. His gut twisted. Was he being watched? Yeah. He was. Suddenly, a blur of motion. A Disassembly Drone. It was on him in a flash. Hold on. This wasn't the Disassembly Drone. Not the one everyone talked about. The one that took down armies, single-handedly. That one had wild, strawberry-red hair tied back, a screen that never stopped glitching, and eyes that jumped between orange and yellow. And that black jacket with the red collar, the orange tie. No. This wasn't her. This drone was something else. Silver hair, pulled into pigtails. One of them looked a bit messed up, actually, kind of funny. Its clothes were neat, professional. A sharp black tie. Its screen was perfectly clear. No glitches. And its eyes? Steady yellow. Just yellow.

The drone struck. Lucky moved. Fast. He zipped past every swipe, every lunge. It kept coming, but it was... slow. Weak. And hungry. He could tell. Its movements were ragged. It was running on empty. Then, it just buckled. Collapsed to the ground. Just like that. Exhausted.

Lucky's first thought? "Run. Get out of here. Leave it." But he couldn't. Something held him back. A knot in his chest. Guilt? Maybe. Sympathy? Definitely.He turned back. The drone lay still, circuits dim. He walked over to it. Reached into his pack. Pulled out a few cans of oil. He placed them carefully next to the unconscious drone. It would need them. When it woke up.

Lucky was done. Seriously. One adventure was more than enough for a single day. He headed back to his colony, every step taking him closer to a hot meal and some real quiet. The trip back was completely boring, which was exactly what he wanted. Nothing happened. Until it did.

He was practically at the colony gates. Then she appeared. A blur of movement, and suddenly she was there. K0rra. The disassembly drone with hair the color of fresh blood, a shocking, vibrant red. The one they whispered about. She was the one who took down an entire army of her own kind, all by herself. They called her "The Beckoning Reaper." A name that curdled guts. She moved like a shadow, too smooth, too fast, a predator in plain sight. Her presence screamed danger.

Pure instinct kicked in. Lucky's boot-looper shot out, a flash of energy. It hit her. K0rra, the legend, staggered. Then she dropped to the ground, a heap of unnerving stillness. Lucky didn't wait. He started to turn, ready to bolt for the safety of the colony's walls. But then, he saw it. A small, dark rectangle sticking out of the side of her head. A USB drive.

He hesitated for only a second. Then, he lunged, snatching the drive. His fingers brushed against something cold and smooth as he yanked it free. No time for thoughts, just action. He ran. He burst through the colony entrance, not even stopping until he was inside his own apartment. His own safe space. But even there, a question clawed at his mind: What was on that drive? What horrors, what secrets did it hold? The questions grew. They buzzed like angry wasps inside his head. Curiosity, they say, kills the cat. For Lucky, it was a slow poison. He couldn't resist. He brought the USB closer. His fingers trembled slightly as he plugged it into the port on the side of his own head.

Nothing happened. Not a flicker. Not a sound. Just quiet. Lucky frowned, a little annoyed, a little relieved. He stepped out of his apartment, ready to forget the whole thing. Then everything went black. He couldn't see. He couldn't move. He tried to blink, but his eyes wouldn't obey. His limbs were frozen, unresponsive. But he could still hear. He could still feel. And what he felt… was wrong. His body began to writhe. A slow, agonizing twisting. He felt his internal structure shift, grind. Bones groaned, not breaking, but reshaping. His metallic skin stretched, pulled taut, then rippled like water. Every joint seemed to pop and crack, reorienting itself. It was a silent scream, a horrifying rearrangement of his very form. He felt himself stretch, expand, contract in ways that weren't natural.

Time blurred. A distant, muffled sound reached him. Screaming. Was it his? Was it someone else? He tried to call out, to move, to stop whatever was happening. No use. He was trapped inside his own body, a prisoner to its awful transformation. Hours passed in that suffocating darkness, that constant, internal agony. Then, just as suddenly, he woke up. His vision returned. His limbs responded. He could move. He could see. But the fear was still there, a cold knot in his gut. What had just happened? What had that USB done to him? What had he become?

[md-theotherside]

Announcement!

Starting from today I'm going to be rewriting OtherSide as I am not satisfied with how it's currently going.

Here is the new Cover though!:

and logo! Both transparent and non transparent:

[md-theotherside]

New locations plus songs that fit them.

The Crossdrone colony

Lucky's apartment

The nest of the damned

No drones land

Mines of idyll

More possibly coming soon!

[md-theotherside]

Episode selection

(Main account - @just-a-freak40)

Episode 1 - Digital Hallucinations

Episode 2 - Access Denied

Episode 3 - Solver's Fault

Episode 4 - Closing in

Episode 5 - Eat Up The Lies

Episode 6 - Glory's lullaby

Episode 7 - Half way down

Episode 8 - Forever

Locations

What is OtherSide?:

OtherSide is a fandmade season 2/ Au of murder drones! Note: Follows accepting the following things: Multiple worker drone colony headcanon and accepts the fan episode "intermission" as canon. It is also available to read on Wattpad and AO3!

Characters available to ask:

Lucky

K0rra

Rachel

[md-theotherside]

Trailer 1

Little murder drones fanfic I'm working on but here's the 1st trailer