Out of the Ordinary
Tags: Loss of Autonomy, Major Character Death, Canon Typical Violence, Whumptober, Angst
Published: 02 October 2022
Word Count: 911
Summary
Whumptober 2022
No. 1 A LITTLE OUT OF THE ORDINARY
Adverse Effects | Unconventional Restraints | “This wasn’t supposed to happen”
The point of view of one of the GrayCris SecUnits at the DeltFall habitat.
This wasn’t supposed to happen.
I’m not supposed to be here, at this habitat. I’m not supposed to be murdering these humans.
I shouldn’t have had a combat override forced into my data port by my own clients. They’re my clients, I’m meant to obey them - the governor module ensures that. But that wasn’t enough for them. They wanted direct control. I’ve never had freedom, but now I’m denied even my autonomy.
I’m not a new unit. I’ve been for around a while. I’ve been through a lot. And every time I think I’ve seen or experienced the worst humans can do… they prove me wrong.
So now I’m a passenger in my own body as my clients use me to do their dirty work. I didn’t want to force combat overrides into the first two DeltFall units, dooming them to the same fate. I didn’t want to kill the third DeltFall unit with the mining drill when we can’t get the override to it in time. I don’t want to be shooting these unarmed, panicking humans as they futilely try to escape.
I have no choice. I’m not in control. I never have been, really, but this is even worse. I try to move my own body in some way, try to blink, but the combat override has locked me out, locked me down, and I can’t even do that much.
This wasn’t supposed to happen.
The last DeltFall human falls, and the client controlling me makes me shoot them two more times, just to make sure they’re dead. It’s unnecessary, but I can’t say as much. Even if I could, I don’t think my client would care. They just want the DeltFall humans out of the way, and they’re enjoying the power trip.
Once my clients are sure the area is secure, they arrive in their hopper and start going through the DeltFall habitat. Some of them go through DeltFall’s systems for their survey data and any other information they can find. Some of them go through the DeltFall humans’ belongings, looking for valuables or anything of interest. I’m made to carry their loot to the hopper, along with the other units, like we’re simple cargo bots. Even in this menial task we have no control of ourselves - the combat overrides puppet us along in our assigned tasks.
Then the humans hurriedly get in the hopper and depart, leaving us behind at the DeltFall habitat. At first I’m not sure why - they don’t tell us anything, obviously. We’re just left standing there, unable to do anything.
Time passes. Then, things start happening again. There’s the sound of another hopper landing, but at a distance. More time passes. I can’t tell what’s going on - I don’t have access to my own scanners. My clients do, however. The DeltFall units are ordered to do something, but I don’t see what it is. I and my fellow GrayCris unit are left deep within the habitat.
Then there’s the sound of weaponsfire - projectile and energy weapons. Who else is here? Who else will my clients get us to murder? I don’t know. The weaponsfire ceases, and I’m finally made to move.
There’s another SecUnit in the habitat. I don’t recognise it. It’s damaged, but it’s managed to drop both the DeltFall units. I don’t know whether to be impressed with its ability, or furious at the clients puppeting us and limiting our effectiveness. Maybe both.
Either way, it doesn’t detect me approaching until it’s too late.
Once it’s disabled, my fellow GrayCris unit starts dragging the DeltFall units off - to their cubicles, I guess - and I’m made to drag the unidentified unit through the habitat, then haul it up onto a table. I still have the combat override that was meant for the third DeltFall unit, the one I wasn’t able to use. I’m forced to take off this new unit’s helmet and upper armour, peel down its suit skin, stab it in the neck - I don’t know why - and then install the combat override into its data port.
I’m sorry, I think at it. I’m so sorry. I don’t want to doom this unit to this fate, but I can’t stop it. I can’t do anything.
This wasn’t supposed to happen.
The new unit moves suddenly, unexpectedly - twists its arm unnaturally and grabs my wrist. I’m caught off-guard by its sudden reactivation - not that it matters, I can’t react anyway. I have to rely on my client, but they’re too slow, caught off-guard even more than I am. We end up on the floor, the other unit’s legs clamped around me as we roll.
I’m not in control of my body, which gives me time to study its face. Its expression looks furious, and terrified, its eyes blown wide and its mouth twisted in a half-grimace, half-snarl. I wonder if my own face has ever looked like that, if it looks like that right now. I don’t know.
My free arm rises, my energy weapon extending at my client’s orders, but it’s not fast enough. The other unit clamps down on the port, shoving the weapon back in, keeping it closed, and forces my own arm up beneath my chin. The client controlling me is too slow, far too slow, and I know what the result will be as I feel the other unit release the pressure on my straining weapon port.
It’s almost a relief, really.
This wasn’t supposed to hap—