#too soft for the life of a SecUnit

[ilovedthestars]

Trick or treat! 🦇 🎃 🦇

happy halloween voidling!!

i know you're familiar with some of my OCs (and your love of them makes me so happy 🥰) but would you like to meet Flower?? Murderbot and Three run into it on a mission with ART's crew, still (for now) governed, and having a Bad Time

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The damaged SecUnit on the floor twitched again, and one of its hands moved towards me. I said, “Don’t make me shoot you again.” It prodded at my feed. I let it establish a connection. It sent, Query: Unit Status? That was standard communication, but not something you generally asked the hostile SecUnit that had just pummeled you into near-inoperability. I couldn’t figure out what it was asking for. When I didn’t answer, it pulled Three into our connection and pinged again. Query: Unit Status? Then it sent us its analysis of our actions and communications, which were practically all flagged as anomalous. Three said, Yes, we’re rogue. Oh, so that was what it was asking. It sat there processing Three’s answer for 15 seconds, which was a really long time for something so simple. Maybe it was coming up with tactics based on the new information, but that seemed pretty optimistic when all it could do was lie on the floor leaking. Just when I had decided our conversation was apparently over, the SecUnit pinged us again. Query: Request Assistance I looked at Three. Three looked at me. In our private connection, I said, It’s asking for my hack. Three sent an affirmative. It had come to the same conclusion. What should we do? …It’s already damaged, it’s not like it can try to hurt us. I concur with your assessment, Three said, and dropped my governor module hack into the Unit’s feed. It applied it almost immediately. It shuddered a little and closed its eyes. I figured it was going to be a while before it wanted to talk, so I asked Three, “Now will you help me get up?” Seth pinged us. We’re coming to your location. Three ignored the fact that pretty soon I was going to need to get up and move back to the shuttle and I couldn’t do that myself, at least not without looking utterly ridiculous. It was still focused on the Unit. In our shared feed it said, We can leave you here, or you can come with us. Which do you prefer? This time it answered with its buffer, like it was talking to a client who was asking confusing questions. I do not have that information. It was a bit early to be asking it for things like preferences, but I guess we were doing this. I said, Do you like your clients? Do you like working here? Query: Request Clarification Are they the really bad kind of clients, or the kind that aren’t so bad, or the good kind? Query: Request Clarification of: “the good kind” Yeah, I hadn’t known they existed, either. Three said, Our clients are good clients. They care about our well-being and treat us with respect. It opened its eyes and looked at us. It clearly didn’t believe Three.

[cactusspatz]

December recs

Whew, I read a lot of fic in December! My Yuletide recs are here and here, and I winnowed down the rest of them to a mere ten recs.

Click on for Batman, Murderbot, and Goblin Emperor fics!

BATMAN

The Time Before by @cdelphiki

One moment, Red Hood was fighting with Black Mask, listening to the idiot go on about how he'd murder Jason long before he'd become a problem. The next… Jason was ten years in the past, nine-years-old, and fending for himself on the streets of Gotham. Bruce might not know about Jason yet in the timeline, but Batman was the only one who could protect him against Black Mask. If only Jason didn't hate him so much…

Excellent time travel fic!

this kind of weather by r_astra / @heyy-its-skip

Jason’s at school when his mom dies, and that’s the only reason any of it happens. If he’d been home, if he’d been with her, he would’ve been in the wind before anyone else even knew. Even if they looked, no one ever would’ve found him. He’d have taken to the sewers if that’s what it took, man-eating crocodile guy and all.

I love Jason in this, and his friendship with Stephanie, and the identity secrets.

seventeen going under by @bonerot19

"Where's your pops?" Terry shouted down the sidewalk. "Dunno," Jason said. "Haven't seen him in a week. I stopped goin' lookin' for him a long time ago." Hell, Jason was happy with the man's absence. Maybe it would stick, this time. "He owes me fifty bucks." Terry, closer to Jason now, was still shouting. Jason spun around and started walking backwards. "What'a'ya know," he said. "Me too." AU where Jason is seventeen, his parents are alive, he works nights at a convenience store, and everything is about to go to shit.

Loosely inspired by this kind of weather (in that Jason's parents survived longer) but much heavier on the angst and h/c. I'm loving the WIP sequel as well!

coconut and aloe by merils (Tim/Kon)

Tim still doesn’t sit. “I washed it like three times, but my hair still smells like vinegar and death,” he says, and gazes intently into Kon’s eyes. …Ah. Now Kon gets it. “Tim, buddy,” he says, amusement bubbling up in his chest, because apparently Tim can’t just ask like a normal person. It’s stupidly endearing. “Do you want me to wash your hair?”

Soft and sensual and sweet.

MURDERBOT

An Unexpected Quarter by @ilovedthestars

Murderbot is captured by the company, with no one to come to its rescue. Help comes from somewhere it doesn’t expect.

Aimed directly at my id, and a great outsider POV. On a similar theme, I also enjoyed Salvage or Repair by the same author.

words left behind by torpidgilliver

"How do you stand it?" Dr. Gurathin's tone is slow and even when he asks, "Stand what?" SecUnit 3 shares its feelings with someone who might understand.

Beautiful exploration of Three's grief, and a lovely look at Gurathin's life.

Terrible Tactical Strategy by audreycritter

Three is behaving oddly. There's a surprisingly ordinary explanation, it's just that the explanation isn't fun for anyone.

In which Three has feelings about media in an entirely new direction, and a mini breakdown. Achy but kind.

Un/Safe by John_lzhc

Ayda Mensah was in her office cubby, reviewing the last of the council dispatches, when she received an urgent assistance request from Secunit. That… had never happened before. Murderbot has a close encounter of a 3-year-old kind. It is not impressed.

*cackles* Look, Murderbot is so competent that I just can't resist stories where it panics in social situations.

GOBLIN EMPEROR

The Search for Marneise Amalo by Sphragis

"Before we may attend to the truly important aims of our account, we must address a matter that we had rather not. Were it not for the prurient curiosity of the worst kind of people, we would not deign even to introduce the following subject. As we are obliged to speak, we shall keep the point brief: Pel-Thenhior was not marnis. The accusation was always and only vicious rumor." On the (in)ability of love to find expression in the historical record.

Gorgeous fic using historical research (letters, academic writing, and video/interview) to explore the edges of Thara and Iana's relationship and future. Creative and wonderful.

[iviarellereads]

Rogue Protocol, Chapter 2

(Curious what I'm doing here? Read this post! For the link index and a primer on The Murderbot Diaries, read this one! Like what you see? Send me a Ko-Fi.)

In which Murderbot tries to figure out why this feels different.

(As an aside, my apologies if I use she/her pronouns for Miki at any point during its presence. For some reason, I have no problem tracking Murderbot as it, and I only rarely get the impulse to gender Art with he/him, but my brain will not stop trying to she/her Miki because it's so soft and sweet and a perfect cinnamon roll, even though that's not necessarily gendered at all. Incredible how we internalize our perceptions of gender, even after a good ten years of trying to deprogram myself, and spending most of those out as nonbinary myself!)

MB takes a shortcut off the transport, so it doesn't have to spend more time with the doomed humans it can't save. It's becoming old hat to hack SecSystems to allow it through weapons scans. It stops to buy some data clips, noticing that its hard currency card still has lots left on it, and thinks that Tapan and crew must have paid it generously.(1)

MB finds the transport headed for Milu, and confirms its details. It's on a 47-cycle schedule, and expects to be cleared within two cycles. MB normally likes to negotiate passage, but this one is so limited in scope, it just hacks its memory to board. MB scouts the ship and its capabilities, and settles on a bunk, not realizing the bedding in one of the lockers is there for a reason.

Twenty-ish hours later, the life support cycles on. MB queries the transport, and gets word that two passengers are boarding, and the transport is now filing a departure time. MB hustles to a less-accessible locker, and stuffs itself into the back, hiding itself behind supplies. With the transport's drones, it has a decent idea of what's going on outside, even without security cameras.

Sixteen minutes later, the lock cycled and two passengers came aboard. Two augmented humans, carrying traveling packs and a couple of cases I recognized immediately. Combat gear, including armor and weapons.

MB is a little surprised, as its understanding is that bots are much more commonly used for combat than humans, even with the corporate and political entities that have treaties against combat bot use. Or, at least, those sorts of entities finding a way around the restrictions is a common plot on serials from outside the Corporation Rim.(2)

The humans don't talk much, but it was too much to hope, really, that they would say why they're going to Milu. MB sets the drones up to record, and settles in with its shows until it has enough to run analysis.

It took twenty cycles by Ship’s local time to get to Milu.

MB thought it would be fine, as it can remember being shipped in transport boxes and cubicles for longer trips. But, it's gotten accustomed to traveling as a human, not cargo. In the end, it's used to having freedom of movement.

It's rather relieved when the ship reports it's on approach to Milu. Only, the station feed is completely lifeless, and it creeps MB out, even knowing the station is approaching final shutdown for the same reason it's here to investigate.

MB checks the analysis of the drone recordings, and finds that the two humans, Wilken and Gerth, are security consultants, subcontracted for GoodNightLander Independent, or GI. They filed abandonment on GrayCris's deserted facility, trying to take possession and prevent its disintegration. The research group these two are hired to work for were sent by GI to report on the station's status. It's exactly the job MB and its model are designed for, but there's no bond and no SecUnits involved.(3)

As the ship docks, MB puts all the memory chips into a space under the skin next to its right arm's energy weapon, since it's going to leave the knapsack in the locker. It disembarks a safe time after the humans leave, poking around to see if they left anything behind first, but no luck. It leaves the ship in a maintenance status, and makes it think it needs MB's permission to leave, so it won't be stranded.

It disembarks, and follows Gerth and Wilken on the working security cameras, using its code to delete itself from those same cameras. The humans head to what a schematic says is the Port Authority/Cargo Control office. A motion-sensitive ad goes off in front of MB as it makes its way, and it barely doesn't scream. It's never seen emergency marker paint used that way before and hates it very much.

MB finds a maintenance/weapon scanner drone, and repurposes it for spying. The humans have found two other humans, and a human-form bot. MB has complex feelings about all-construct bots like this one. They aren't popular, because their capabilities are unremarkable, and they're often used to portray the evil SecUnits in the media, which MB isn't annoyed at one bit.

The new humans are introduced as Don Abene and Hirune, and the bot as Miki. Introducing a bot is highly unusual, and the consultants mostly ignore it. Abene hopes they won't need security, but there's no way to be sure before they go in.

They go over some possible scenarios, and MB feels a little smug about two things: one, that it knows more about terraforming than these clown security humans, and two, that even humans sometimes find it hard to hide their facial expressions.

As the humans head inside and keep talking, though, Miki looks up, directly at the drone MB is watching through. It focuses directly on the camera.(4) MB looses the drone, wiping its memory, and letting it go back to its normal patrol route. Miki doesn't move, but does send a ping into the aether, as it were, to see if anything will reply. MB, for its part, makes sure it's not leaking any signals and tightens up its walls. It assumes Miki picked up the ad MB set off, or a whisper in the feed, and tries not to think about it.

Eventually, MB finds a place where it can get a connection to the yes, just two cameras inside the Port Authority offices. It catches enough to gather that their first trip will be short, just twelve hours, then back for a rest period. This should give MB plenty of time to find what it needs, but there's one problem: getting onto the ship they're taking.

I was going to have to make friends with the stupid pet robot.

While the humans take a rest period, MB has about three hours to seduce Miki into helping it onto the transport. Miki, for its part, is extremely friendly and completely guileless. When MB asks Miki not to tell anyone that it's here, Miki says it tells Don Abene everything, because she's its friend. MB realizes it's going to be even more annoyed than it expected.

MB explains to Miki that its existence must be secret to keep the humans safe. Miki asks it to promise, and after a moment of hesitant flabbergast-ery, it does. When Miki asks for a name, MB offers Security Consultant Rin, and Miki immediately calls that it's not MB's real name. MB says that's what it wants to be called, and Miki accepts this, and says it will be Rin's friend and help the team.

When MB asks for access to the shuttle's system, Miki hands it over, no further questions asked. It finds that there's no bot pilot, and no SecSystem. This tracks with what it's heard about the regions outside the Rim, that they focus on external threats, not internal ones, but that's not what MB is used to deal with. It does think about what Preservation might be like to live in, but squishes that idea as fast as it can.(5)

MB figures there's no problem to find a place to hide out in the shuttle, but it will have no monitoring capability whatsoever when it does. So, it debases itself again, and asks Miki if it will agree to be Rin's eyes and ears, warning that sometimes Rin might have to speak through Miki to warn Miki's… friends. Miki, again, agrees eagerly.

This felt way too easy. I almost suspected a trap. Or … Miki, have you been directed to reply to every query with a yes? No, Consultant Rin, Miki said, and added, amusement sigil 376 = smile. Or Miki was a bot who had never been abused or lied to or treated with anything but indulgent kindness. It really thought its humans were its friends, because that’s how they treated it. I signaled Miki I would be withdrawing for one minute. I needed to have an emotion in private.(6)

=====

(1) I dare say they were all grateful for its help and them all coming out the other side alive. (2) I think this is actually a really important and telltale spot. Wells, through MB, is telling us that MB doesn't know everything about the society in which it lives, only that for which it has context. Which, nobody knows the full context for their society, not really, not even political leaders. But we're so inclined to take MB at its word, to take its statements as fact. I think this is a really important reminder that that's not always the case. (3) How odd. Why might they not want a SecUnit involved in this one? (4) Even our old pal Murderbot might be underestimating this one. (5) The thought process makes out like it thinks Preservation would just be boring, but I can't help but think there's some longing behind the comment. (6) What do you think Murderbot is feeling here? Jealousy? Embarrassment? Guilt? Anger? I don't think just one emotion can really capture it all, myself, but "an emotion" is punchier than "emotions".

[rosewind2007]

Aylen said, “One point I’d like to get out of the way. Did you have anything to do with this?”

Oh for the love of light, as Ratthi sometimes said. Gurathin badly wanted to curse, aloud. What did Aylen think she was going to achieve with this? Surely they didn’t think it was responsible? Not really? Why were they provoking it?

Gurathin kept his mouth shut and his expression impassive. He could just make out SecUnit’s face in his peripheral vision, and almost feel the icy waves of rage pouring off it—even if he hadn’t been able to feel its emotions seeping out into the feed; surprise, anger but also a lot of hurt. Despite its swagger, sometimes approaching braggadocio, Gurathin knew SecUnit craved approval. Especially, ironically, from figures in authority (much as its default was to loathe them: unless they were a certain ex-head of the Preservation Alliance).

Please don’t rise to this! Please don’t rise to this… He realised he was almost praying—offering up an invocation to the void. He had never had any truck with gods.

Next to him Ratthi snorted, he was almost vibrating with indignant fury on his friend’s behalf. Ratthi expected people to act fairly, and Gurathin loved him for his sometimes naive faith in the goodness of others. However, in this situation his intervention probably wouldn’t be helpful.

“No, I didn’t. Why would I?”

Woah, SecUnit: its voice was a soft and melodious as always, but Gurathin knew it well enough to hear the sharp, steely edge.

Aylen ploughed on, appearing to lack any sense of self preservation; couldn’t they sense the threat SecUnit’s words? “I don’t like having private security with its own agenda aboard this station.” Gurathin groaned, but internally. Despite himself, he knew Aylen was reasonable to be suspicious. He himself had been suspicious of SecUnit initially too; had he been this obnoxious? He’d probably been worse.

He knew that in fact Aylen had every right (and a whole heap of corroborative data backing her up) to be wary of SecUnit. Even SecUnit acknowledged that rogue SecUnits were dangerous. But surely even she didn’t believe it had killed Lutran? Why would station security even—oh, of course! They were several steps behind, they thought Lutran could have been a GrayCris agent.

As Gurathin thought this, he felt a change in demeanour from SecUnit; it had clearly reached the same conclusion. Never play high-stake cards, SecUnit. Gurathin’s mind raced, this conversation could go downhill very fast: he remembered its utterly shameless declaration on TranRollinHyfa when he’d asked if it was going to kill the people holding Mensah against their will. Its icy, “If I have too.”

Of course, in the event, it had coordinated the rescue with minimal casualties—even Serrat had been left unscathed. Of course, this was SecUnit. For a self-professed rogue murderbot, it appeared (when it came to the crunch) to hold human life far more precious than almost anyone Gurathin had ever met. Even when it had seen him as a threat to its very existence, it had left him utterly unscarred. At least physically.

Gurathin pulled himself together; right now, they needed a way out of this. He knew it’d be trying to find one, and this was a scenario where he, Gurathin, was (for once) almost more experienced. Over the feed he felt it reach a conclusion, stiffen its resolve—

Continues and concludes in:

[worldsentwined]

Tagged by @astridbecks​ (you know I never turn down a chance to talk about my stories haha)

Rules: List the first lines of the last ten (10) stories you published.  Look to see any patterns you notice yourself, and see if anyone else notices any. Then tag some friends. consider yourself tagged if you want to do it!

(I’m doing more than one line for some of these because I can - also, I skipped a few items that were either not prose (poetry, songs, etc) or were collaborations with other people so the first lines are not necessarily mine. This is also just based on what’s on AO3, I think I have at least one Tumblr story that should be in here too but I was too lazy to figure out where it should go in the order.)

1. Baba Yaga’s Bequest (original work, original m/nb pairing)  

“I’m sorry, it’s what?” I press the phone tighter to my ear and cover the other with my free hand. This house is never quiet in the first place, but ever since we got the news this afternoon my family has been in an uproar. I elbow my way past squabbling cousins and dodge Aunt Inessa’s wooden spoon to escape the kitchen. The back door closing behind me muffles the noise just in time for Feliks to repeat himself.

2. Saw you down at the space bar (Murderbot and Mandalorian crossover, no pairing) 

<opening secure feed channel> SecUnit? Is everything okay? I'm not sure. Running a risk assessment now.

3. Great was their loaf and greatly did it sustain them (Queen’s Thief, modern AU Costis/Kamet)

Late as it was, they met no one on the street as Costis led the way to his apartment.

4. Sorrow Knocks (original work based on a song, original m/m pairing)

Flames licked along the bed of coals, flickering behind the haze of smoke. It looked and sounded just like real fire: crackling, dancing, occasionally sending up a shower of sparks with a loud pop. But the same coals had been there for a good hour now, and they hadn’t gotten any smaller. Also, the room was cold, but that didn’t mean much. Jonah was always cold.

5. Bread and Oranges (original work based on a song, original m/nb pairing)

Will you tell me a story? What kind of story? A story from before. When the world was different. The world is different every day, you know.

6. Operation: Boyfriend (original work, original m/m pairing)

The room was quiet apart from the soft hum of medical devices and an occasional chime from one of the monitors. According to his chart, the man in the bed had been treated for a broken arm, a head injury, and numerous small lacerations and contusions after a “car accident”. Which, while technically correct, was far from the full story.

7. A Song for a Stranger’s Smile (original work, original m/m pairing)

A log shifted on the fire, sending up a shower of sparks. The soft crackle of flames made a fine background for the tune Noll plucked out on his harp, idle notes to warm the quiet evening.

8. On first and fierce affirming sight (Queen’s Thief, modern AU Costis/Kamet)

“Explain to me one more time,” Kamet said, “Why you want me to do this.”

9. First Snow, Frozen Toes (Queen’s Thief, Costis/Kamet)

Four days into our journey through the Taymets, we saw snow for the first time.

10. Solider, Poet (Queen’s Thief, Relius/Teleus)

I wake each morning the sun threading through the window, first light falling on linen fine as your hair, soft,

Analysis:

I’m kind of surprised only four of these start with dialogue, since that’s one of my favorite ways to kick off a story. Not terribly surprised that most of the remainder of them are atmospheric setting descriptions, though, and there are several common elements: fire, quiet, evening, cold (or warmth overtaking cold). I have spent a lot of my life staring into campfires and it shows.

It’s also interesting that most of these are in third person (though it’s hard to tell from the first lines - numbers 1, 5, and 9 are all in first person and 2 is ambiguous because it’s all dialogue). I feel like I’ve actually been writing first person a LOT more recently, but I guess several of those stories have not actually been published yet.

[theres-no-protocol-for-this]

Doctor's Visit

Written for a Whumptober prompt. Content warnings: torture, gruesome surgery, terrible things done to SecUnit. Please make sure you have the spoons.

I knew I was in trouble the moment the maintenance technician walked into the examination room. The heavily augmented human looked ancient — by serial standards. He stopped a few away from me and his gaze briefly glazed over (probably interfacing with the feed). Then, he came over to stand beside me and loomed over me.

“So, this must be the SecUnit they brought from that ship,” he said thoughtfully. He was talking to himself because there was no way for me to answer. His expression turned serious. “Dr. Mensah, on behalf of the Preservation Alliance, has petitioned for your immediate return with no modification. The Pansystem University of Mihira and New Tidelands is backing the petition because you apparently work for them.”

The tech shook his head. “This is complete nonsense, but I’m obligated to comply. I mean what can you do? A court order is binding, even if it’s absolutely ridiculous.”

He grabbed a small metal device from a nearby table and placed it in my mouth. I felt the moment the thing expanded and began burrowing directly into the soft tissues in the back of my mouth. Once it was through tissue, it began drilling the bone surrounding my spinal column.

“With your data port disabled, we had to get a little creative to retrieve the data we need, but don’t worry little bot. This will only sting a little.”

Every nerve in the associated area was screaming in agony. Error messages filled up my logging and then continued to yell into the void. I couldn’t move because of the override attached to my spinal column, also directly. Whoever had captured ART known about my disabled data port and had worked around that.

It appeared that this tech was similarly well informed.

“You know, I spoke to your owner.” The tech spoke as he worked, filling the silence. “She seemed like a nice person. A little formal, but not too difficult to deal with. Not like most political figures.”

My initial reaction was to do whatever possible to keep these assholes away from Mensah and the rest of Preservation. Unfortunately, I was in no position to do that and had to hope they were safe. Meanwhile, the technician adjusted the device, and I felt the moment the drill pierced my reinforced bone and slid something directly into the nerve bundle on the other side.

“Or she was, anyway, until I mentioned you. It’s funny how people get attached to their tools sometimes. I read the reports that you saved her life, so I can’t blame her, I guess. But thinking that tools are people… that’s taking it too far. We know better, you and I.”

The device finished its task, jamming my mouth partially open and freezing my jaw in place so I couldn’t spit it out.

“Now, let’s see what data we can pull from your memory banks,” the tech mused.

Once we’d known that leaving ART was the only way of protecting it, the transport had done what it could to wipe anything incriminating from my long-term storage. It had been thorough — as much as time permitted — but knowing that didn’t totally silence the panic gnawing at my organic neural tissue.

Plus, ART wasn’t here to save me. It had to return to the university to make sure no one blamed it for the death of those inspectors. I would have to get out of this mess all on my own.

I poked at the device in my mouth. It wasn’t a governor module, not the way I understood them, but it was some kind of mix of organic and inorganic, and it had woven itself directly into my main processing unit. Unless I somehow physically removed it, was going to do whatever the doc wanted it to do.

The override on the other hand was of a much flimsier design. I could do something about the thing keeping me immobile. It was poorly put together and coded by juveniles with crayons. Overloading it took no more than five minutes, and the tech didn’t seem to notice when he longer had control of me.

He was busy looking through my file systems and making notes about all the media content I had stored in there. “I didn’t think the Preservation councilwoman was being serious when she mentioned your media collection, but wow. If you were sapient, I could call this hoarding. I can’t help but wonder what glitch in your coding caused this kind of unwanted behavior.”

I couldn’t stop him from examining my files and drawing his conclusions, and maybe it didn’t matter what he thought. I debated moving and getting the hell out of there against the fear that doing so would put Mensah in danger. This was enemy territory for all practical purposes.

Suddenly, a private feed connection materialized where the tech wouldn’t be able to detect it. Strong shields wrapped around my mind — a relief since I couldn’t bring up my own walls in my current state. And then a familiar heavy presence slid into my mind.

In 6.5 seconds, all the lights will go out and electricity will be cut to the entire building. Proceed to the nearest exit. Dr. Mensah is waiting for you in the administration area next door. Join her immediately. You will both need to hurry to the transit ring, docking bay 18AF.

ART?

Yes, you little idiot. Who do you think it would be? Or did you assume we’d just leave you here?

It took me a moment to form a coherent retort. Yeah, I assumed you would return to Mihira and stay there. Where it’s safe. Where the company can’t get their hands on you.

And leave you here?

I can take care of myself, I pointed out.

They’ve implanted a new neural net into your core processors. I wouldn’t call that taking care of yourself.

It sounded sarcastic as fuck, but it was also right. I would need its help to remove whatever it was the technician had shoved into my central nervous system. Before I could say anything more, the lights flickered and then the room went completely dark. Even the familiar hum of air circulation cut out.

Now would be a good time to get up, the transport told me. Can you do so?

The technician paled when I swung my legs off the examination platform and backed away. I didn’t even have my weapons out, and already the augmented human looked terrified.

I didn’t spare him a second glance as ART sent me a map of the floor and directions on where to go. A few other scientists in lab coats got out of my way. I had no idea what the transport had told them, but whatever it was, they didn’t try to stop me from leaving.

Mensah got up when I walked into the room and came toward me. I think it took her a great deal of effort not to reach out and hug me, and I was grateful she hadn’t tried. In my current state, I was pretty sure any kind of touch would set me off. It had been that kind of day.

Taking a deep breath, she said, “Perihelion informed me that we need to leave. Can you nod for me if you’re up for a walk?”

I nodded and held the door open for her.

In the feed, ART said, I’ll make sure you don’t encounter anyone. And I’m keeping station security occupied for the moment. Seth and Martyn are waiting for you at the transit ring entrance. But just in case, I’ve deployed a few drones. You should be able to pick up their inputs once you get in range.

Thanks, I told ART. And then I asked, Are you OK?

It didn’t answer for nearly two minutes while Mensah and I made our way through the station mall. The sight of a mangled SecUnit with its guns out was enough to keep anyone from getting too close to my human.

I am now, the transport said finally. And I will be even better once you and Dr. Mensah are aboard. Pin-Lee is pacing holes in my carpet.

Somehow that didn’t surprise me. I saw them hurt you.

They tried, but they’re only human. There wasn’t much they could do. Taking you from me was the worst of it.

[mvrderbot]

@huntsmandotphd // event starter call [x]

       murderbot remembered the first night cycle spent with the mensah family. it’s family, it guessed - but it still felt weird to admit. 

       dinner was...awkward, at best. mensah’s family was large, but still close with one another. dinner wasn’t shared around a singular table but rather an entire room. the husbands, wives, spouses, children, other relatives, and friends all mingled together comfortably and happily while eating. it wasn’t anything like what it had watched on the entertainment feeds, or the advertisements. it was softer, warmer. and even though it didn’t need to eat, and was largely uncomfortable in a setting with this many people, it was...happy to be there.

       this moment wasn’t vivid solely because of how terrifying and joyful it was, but because it was the few moments in it’s life that murderbot allowed itself to be vulnerable without threat to its humans. murderbot wasn’t wearing its helmet or its visor in this memory - just regular, soft, almost too comfortable clothes. still, that didn’t stop the conflicted, nervous expression on its face, even in something it knew to be a memory. it was accustomed to being in a room filled with humans, just not being on the same level with them. 

      “ secunit? do you want to leave? ” it knew one of the small humans was going to approach it, and it still all but jumped. “ you don’t look very happy. it’s okay if you need to take a break. “ she assured. 

        it gave a shake of it’s head. “ i...i’m....” afraid. just say afraid, murderbot. you’re terrified. everyone can see it. way to go. “ i don’t know what i want. ” murderbot still didn’t know how she was able to understand, but she did - just like last time-, and asked to take it’s hand. it allowed her to. “ ... thanks. ” it almost smiled back to her, but it froze as something - someone - was off. this wasn’t the way the memory went. only the preservation crew & family was in it - not....well, that was the thing; murderbot wasn’t sure who this person was. 

      “ ... well, you’re...new. ” none of the others in the room seemed to notice him just yet - only murderbot and the child still holding its hand in a comforting gesture. “ uh....i’m not really sure what to do about this. it’s...a memory. i don’t know how you’re here. ” it wasn’t agitated, just surprised and trying to figure out how it was possible that someone was viewing its memories without actively hacking into it’s brain.

[cactusspatz]

November recs

Yuletide is coming - but this should tide you over until then!

IRIS Log #1548 by deadchannelradio (Batman, gen)

(01:25) Red Hood: (Mild static) (Out of breath, slurred) You motherfuckers. Put some fuckin- (01:25) Batman: (Shaking) Red Hood- (01:25) Red Hood: Shut up. Put some fucking respect. On my name. Start fucking copying me. I just got thrown fucking. Um. 40 feet. Into a fucking uh. What's it. Ditch. I'm still fucking conscious. (01:25) Batman: Red Hood, do not move, we're en route- (01:25) Red Hood: What'll I win if I stand up. (01:25) Batman: (Loud) Do not stand up.

Absolutely hilarious slice-of-patrol-life story, featuring a VERY concussed Jason.

Easy as Pie by Ptelea (Batman, gen)

Five times Jason baked something for or with his siblings, and one time they baked for him. A drabble sequence of triple drabbles written for the Seasons of Drabbles Summer 2023 challenge exchange.

Soft Batsiblings story, with a lot of feels packed into a small space.

Cinema Verite by BoldlyNo (Murderbot, gen)

"Someday, Ratthi hopes, he’s going to run out of things to learn about Secunit that break his heart." Making a documentary in five hours flat is an experience in and of itself, but making a documentary with some of your friend's worst memories as footage is something else altogether.

Will I ever be over them making a documentary FOR GREAT JUSTICE? Definitely not. This is a great Ratthi POV on it.

Reformation by LocalCryptid7 (BNHA, Midoriya/Todoroki/Shinsou)

After a failed suicide attempt, years of bullying, and his mother's death, Izuku Midoriya doesn't think he has any option besides joining the League of Villains. After all, foster care is no place for a quirkless kid like him. Plus, working as a hacker and analyst for the League doesn't sound like it would be too bad. But, after meeting a hurt little girl in Overhaul's headquarters, Toga and Izuku can't just sit back and take orders from Shigaraki anymore. With some careful consideration, Izuku figures a villain reformation program at UA doesn't sound horrible, even if it means having to put up with Bakugou.

Villain!Izuku is usually a hard sell for me, but this works! Mostly because it shows both how Izuku ended up isolated and needing, AND he immediately turns tail once a kid is in danger. And then good followup on the consequences.

The Warlock's Cat by Marchling (Shadowhunters, Magnus/Alec)

Pain raced up his arm. It was a sharp throb that radiated out. More than a broken bone. When Alec went to flex his hand to see how bad it was he couldn’t. His eyes snapped to his own hand and there was no hand. A mission gone wrong leads to Alec being turned into a cat. Alone. Hurt. No one aware of what's happened to him. If only there was a cat-loving warlock nearby to save him.

Hello, I am a sucker for turned-into-a-cat-&-taken-in-by-my-enemy-who-turns-out-to-be-loveable stories - which is a very specific trope, but thankfully people keep writing it! This is a fun exemplar and an interesting AU.

Burgeoning by Owlship (Mad Max, Max/Furiosa)

He smiles a little, an uptick of his mouth, plush lips exposed where he's shaved the mangy beard off in the process of cleaning off the wasteland. "Here," Max says, and nudges into her space, arranges the plant carefully so the roots are properly covered, the leaves brushed free of dirt. Furiosa doesn't realize she's going to move until she does, leaning across the slight distance between them and pressing her lips to his.

Max-returns-to-the-Citadel PWP, featuring poor gardening etiquette and a lovely vulnerable Furiosa.