Synth

TO hadn’t even considered contacting GiDi before they dove into helping the civilians. They had gone these past few days without no contact with their friend and, given how rushed their morning had been, getting in contact with GiDi was the last thing on their mind. They remembered that GiDi was now recovered from their thing with Pearla when they saw them rushing about the dormitory, helping people get their things packed up just as TO was doing.

Relief that their friend was now there to help them battled the twist of anger in their stomach at the knowledge that GiDi had been fully involved in the creation of the failsafe, and that they had actually been the one who suggested it in the first place.

GiDi glanced up, and in a split second they caught TO’s eyes. TO quickly looked away, feeling their ears pin back and their wings lift. They were glad they had GiDi around again, even though they were still angry at them. It was so odd to feel such a mix of emotions at once, and given that they were still struggling with seeing blood on their skin every time they closed their eyes, they didn’t want to deal with this right now.

Even if they did, there was no time. They had to get everyone on the ship.

GiDi seemed to think differently. Out of the corner of their eye, TO could see GiDi practically drop the stuff they were packing up and run over to them. “TO!” They stopped short of TO, their wings against their arms, their hands clasped before them as though they didn’t know what they were supposed to do with them. “TO… Pearla told me that you know-“

“Now isn’t the time.” TO said, not looking at GiDi. It really wasn’t. Even if they were in a better state of mind and wanted to talk about everything, they were far too busy, and there was far too much going on to have this conversation.

“I… I know. But TO, please, I’m… I’m sorry, I-“

“GiDi…” TO gave an irritated sigh, “This really, really isn’t the time.” TO said as their ears flicked down once more, their lip curling slightly as they focused on arranging some supplies into a bag with far more care than was necessary.

“TO… please, look at me?”

TO couldn’t help but glance up, planning to only take a quick look at their small friend, but when they looked at GiDi and saw how big their blue rimmed eyes were, and how low and practically limp their ears were, the anger drained from them. As angry and betrayed as they felt, they knew GiDi well enough to understand that they wouldn’t have done something so hurtful if they didn’t believe it was the best option. TO still fully believed that GiDi was in the wrong, but somehow they just couldn’t hold that same anger anymore, especially when it made GiDi look so heartbroken.

“Look…” TO said softly, their ears dipping down, relaxing from their previously tense and angry pose. We really can’t talk about this now. But.. we’ll talk on the ship.”

“I just need you to know that-“

“I know you wouldn’t try to hurt us,” TO said. “I know that. So, it’s ok. We can talk on the ship.”

GiDi took a stilted step forward, hesitating as they looked up at TO. Their wings wrapped more tightly around their arms.

“It’s ok.” TO said, “I…Well, it’ll be ok.” Their ears perked up as they remembered something. “I’m not going to tell Avery that I knew about everything beforehand. That will have less of a sting if you to tell them yourself. I think it’d hurt less that way.”

GiDi winced and took a step back from TO. “Y-you’re right.” They said. “I didn’t want to hurt them. I didn’t want to hurt anyone, I just-“

“Again, it’s fine. We’ll talk on the ship.” TO said.

GiDi hesitated a moment more, looking at the floor, at the walls, around at the civilians rushing around them. It only took TO another moment to realize why they were hesitating. TO pulled them into a quick hug, and though their armor prevented their wings from bending forward enough to wrap around GiDi properly, they did at least relax from their own tensed position as they held GiDi close.

“It’s ok. Or, It will be. We’ll be ok. But we need to get ready now.”

GiDi nodded, lingered for a moment more in TO’s embrace, then pulled away from them and rushed back to what they were doing.

“I admit.” A voice from behind them said, “It’s weird to see that, especially when you’re in your armor.”

TO jolted, turned, and saw a civilian who they only knew through their time in the civilian dorms. He came from the tunnels and had no family to speak of on this planet. The dark clothes he wore created a start contrast to his pale, nearly translucent skin. Instead of legs, he had a long, eel-like tail with which he moved about on land with relative ease. He also had long ears; longer than a synth’s ears, but also much narrower. Unlike most Psicijin, he didn’t need a cart or a wheelchair to get around; he moved as easily on land as a Nagarajin, using his tail as a snake would to make his way about.

His name was Lon, TO recalled that from setting him up with his travel partner.

“Yes, well, apparently it’s distracting for me to go around without a shirt on, so I opted to wear my armor. At least, most of it.” TO said.

“Yeah, I noticed. Thanks for not wearing the helmet, that thing is freaky.” he sighed and clasped his hands at the small of his back. His own long ears dipped down, and while there were certain aspects of the movement that would have differed from their own, TO was able to recognize the concern in them.

“What’s wrong?” TO asked.

“My partner.” He said. “She refuses to leave. She’s not packed, and she says she’s just going to stay here.”

TO sighed and scanned the room, looking for Lon’s partner. They didn’t want to do this right now; they hadn’t had time to prepare themself mentally… But time was short, and they had no choice.

“Right.” They said once they failed to find her in the mass of moving civilians, “Bring me to Beck.”

======

“Hey, Beck?” Lon said as they approached where she lay on the bed, walking far slower than was necessary so as not to startle her with TO’s presence. The last thing TO needed was for her to get frightened and draw her claws on them.

“What?” she hissed.

“Could we talk?” Lon didn’t know Beck before they ended up underground together, and their pairing up for the trip had been an issue of circumstance and opportunity, and not because of of any connection between the two. Lon was small, and mobile on their own enough that if there were any issues Beck would be able to carry him. Of course, this meant that Lon didn’t know Beck, didn’t know why she was staying behind, and had no idea what to say to convince her or how she might respond.

TO didn’t even know what they could do to convince her. They really didn’t want to knock her out again or otherwise incapacitate her. A part of them even considered that maybe it would be better to let her stay if that was what she really wanted… But they had to attempt to convince her otherwise.

Beck looked up, saw TO, and tensed. TO’s eyes went right to her hands, watching her fingertips for the faintest glint of claws. “Please don’t draw your claws on me.” They said, putting their own hands in the air before them, showing that they were empty. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

“You could have fooled me.” She hissed.

“TO be fair, you drew your claws on me and lunged.” TO said, “Amongst ... well, in training, you didn’t draw your claws on another. If you did, it was a sign that you wanted to hurt them badly, maybe even kill them.” Their ears pinned back, “You’ve seen the scars on DH’s face, yes? Someone in our training group clawed their face and destroyed their eye. DH had to get a replacement. Our Overseers nearly didn’t give it to them.”

She was silent for a moment, still tense as she watched TO carefully, “… What would have happened if they hadn’t gotten the new eye?” She asked.

“They’d have stayed on the training ship to work in maintenance or reclamation. They wouldn’t have been placed here with me and I’d likely never see them again.” TO didn’t say that it was likely they’d have been corrected eventually in such an environment. They didn’t know how much she knew of that, or how much she cared. They also didn’t have time to explain that to her.

“Beck, you need to come with us,” Lon said, his voice soft despite the visible irritation in his ears. Idly, TO wondered if there was some link between Lon’s species and the Chilacians. Maybe some ancient ancestor before they split off, one growing wings and the other forming a tail. “There’s nothing here for us. There’s nobody to help us once the insurgency leaves, and the authorities are on their way. Even if they weren’t, Decon might kill everyone anyway!”

“I’m staying.” She said, looking away from TO and Lon.

TO sighed and picked up the empty bag on the floor next to her cot. They passed it to Lon, “Here.” They said, “Put her stuff in this. Let me talk to her.”

“I don’t want to talk to you,” Beck snapped.

“If you listen to me for a few minutes, I’ll give you a choice.” TO said, trying to make a plan in their head as they went, “You can either get on the ship with us… or I’ll show you how to get out of the tunnels and back to the city.”

She clutched at her arms, her own ears flicking back, her tail curling around her legs. After a moment of silence, she looked up. “You promise?” She asked.

“I promise.” TO said, “Lon will pack up your stuff. When we’re done, you can take your pack and either go with him to the ship, or you can follow the map I’ll send you, and get back to the city.”

She looked over TO, searching their face for something. TO realized they were probably looking for a hint of sincerity in their expression, but she’d not find that there. To realized that while her own ears were mobile, and while they corresponded with some emotions, they weren’t as essential as TO’s own were. Perhaps they were more indicative of levels of attention.

“Alright.” She said. She picked up her communicator and set a timer. “You have three minutes.