Nine people sat around in a circle in the game room, Silverback circling the perimeter and eyeing his empty chair. Menace munched on peanuts, shell and all, kicking her feet, as they all looked ashamed or annoyed, except her.
“I’ve gathered everyone here as the village elder.” He started. “And this Hutu uprising has gone far enough. We’re losing it. We have cabin fever.”
“Cabbage Femur!” clapped Menace.
“Sure. Now something like this experience has a tendency to either temper you, or melt you down, and it’s clear that rumors have spread as well as some legs, and in order for the tribe to exist as a unit, we need clarity and honesty. To hell with the Gizzybot, what does she know about us? She’s only technically part organic and zero percent human, Eridani, or Delmarian. We’re on our own here, and this is first and foremost an Eridani moon. My family called this their moon before any other species even set foot or hoof on its soil, so by tribal law, as the group elder, I am putting a stop to this secrecy and cheating shit.”
“Where I was raised, the leaders are the ones who survive the most combat, not the oldest.” Hyde said.
“Motherfluffer please, you were born in a pickle jar 3 months ago. You didn’t get raised to do damn shit. Now everyone here combined is still younger than I am, so respect your elders you damn kids. Now. We’re gonna start in a circle, and we’re gonna come clean about what’s been happening. Anything shady or disrespectful goes on the table right now, and if anyone has a problem with that, they can head their ass down that tunnel with the bugs, and disrespect them. I will not have toxic secrets and lies under this roof or Vinn's roof, while we’re stuck under them. We will not argue, or fight, or blame anyone. Everyone will take turns coming clean and baring your soul right here, and it better be all of it. All rumors will be said aloud and either confirmed or dropped forever. If there is any objection, leave the damn house.” he boasted.
"Is it just me..." Mel whispered to Dee "Or is Silverback taking charge super hot?"
"Super hot."
The room went and remained silent. “GOOD. I’ll go first." Silverback said "I slept with Evee. This was AFTER I broke up with Dee but while she was not clearly separated from Hyde, so I did nothing wrong to Dee, but Hyde, I am sorry. And I blamed Jack for drinking the last of the good beer the other day when it was me. I had a weird day and needed to get wrecked, I overshot my rations. Dee, your turn.”
“Oh good this should be lengthy. Uh. I cheated on Silverback with Hyde, both betraying Evee and him, I lied about it to Melody, and we gossiped about How Evee was cheating with Jack, because if she was cheating, then I didn’t start the process. Turns out I did start the process, I’m a horny bitch.” She said nodding to Vinn.
“I’ve been spying on Jack because I heard he was banging One of the Nicoles and even though I assumed it was bullshit or Evee, I was always worried that maybe it was mine. Sorry honey.” He sighed, ruffling her hair.
“And I’ve made messes in the kitchen and left them there and blamed it on Evee, because nobody could tell the difference, and I hate doing dishes.” Nicole shrugged.
“That’s it?” Dee asked. “ Dish dodging and moderate lack of faith? You guys are too perfect, that’s not fair.”
“Dee.” Said Vicki, taking her turn and shutting her up. “Shot one of your holes. I have been sneaking out in a self indulgent spy fetish because I’m insecure and feel useless, and it kills me to see Jack leaving and knowing he may be in danger. I have a James Bond kink. I put myself at risk and broke quarantine for selfish needs, and Jack had to let me.” She sighed, passing the turn to Jack.
“And I started that situation by sneaking out to kill bugs at night. I feel useless and bored during peaceful quarantine, and needed the stress relief, so I broke quarantine first, lied about it being a mission for Gizzy, so I could get an itchy trigger finger satisfied, and then instead of stopping when Vicki found out, I let her go with me, putting her at risk.” He said, as a loud banging sound came from the closet where the Gizzybot was taped to a chair.
“Bonk.” Menace pointed.
“Not now sweetie. Bonk is okay, ignore the bonk.” Whispered melody as she nodded.
"Bu..." she pointed, "BONK!"
“I suppose I have a lot to start with, so I’ll make it efficient.” Hyde said. “I have put my needs before my wi…oh hell we’re not even married, my girlfriend Evee. I drove her away from me being an arrogant prick, and then when she finally ignored me, I fucked Dee senseless on Vinn’s couch.” he shrugged.
“Dude.” Vinn shrugged back.
“And I apologize for that, both to Vinn for violating his marital home, and Silverback for violating his girlfriend…consensually, but still repeatedly. I should have acted with honor and asked permission, and if denied, challenged you to her access. I did neither, and like a bitch, I then hid it, and repeated the act 6 more times total"
“I’m not even shocked.” Silverback chuckled sadly. “The relationship was based on swinger clubs anyway. We haven't had sex in weeks. Dee, all you had to do was dump me."
“Which was my initial justification.” Hyde added, "But the fact that I did not ask or challenge was nonetheless dishonorable. I also heard rumors that you pressured her into the sex clubbing and therefore had no honor.” He admitted.
“Nope.” Dee sighed. “I made that up to make you feel better. I forgot that one. That’s also on me.” She sighed. Evee stood up.
“I tried to make Hyde into Vinn, because I’m not over losing my husband and I can’t seem to accept that he’s not the same man. I’ve treated that like a flaw in his personality, but the truth is I just chose someone different and hoped I could change him. You can’t change someone who doesn’t wanna be changed, and you should try either. Hyde, you’re not the man I married, and you never will be, and that’s not your fault or your job to change. You have changed yourself to be so much more than your predecessor, and it’s incredible how much you have grown and bettered yourself, and I have no right to say that it’s not enough just because I got fucked over by life. We both did. And I made the move on Silverback before I knew you were cheating. I suspected, but never confirmed. I just hoped you were, so I could hate you and move on, instead of being the Evil Nicole and dumping you for being something you’re not. I’m the defective Nicole, those two belong together, we don’t. I was too afraid to be alone to admit it.”
“So we’re breaking up officially?” he asked.
“We have to. You’re gonna keep fucking Dee regardless. And Nathan… I’m so sorry, but I don’t love you. You’re a great guy and I needed someone, and I won’t pretend it's love in order to keep you on a leash"
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“And I love you as a friend, but with benefits. I know you don’t love me. But we can still have sex, right?”
“I’d like that.” She smiled.
“So how about we just switch seats here.” Dee said, scooting away and going behind the circle to avoid crossing Evee, who got up and swapped men.
“You look nervous.” Evee noted.
“You have that vibe like you could kill me.” Dee admitted.
“Oh she could.” Silverback added. “She’s shockingly strong.”
“I know, right?” said both Hyde and Vinn at the same time, giving awkward looks and silence. Melody stood up.
“And I’ve been perpetuating rumors that were just theories because I’m bored and haven’t been laid in a month. I have also been intentionally being more naked than usual to get attention, so if anyone is single and lonely, my door is always open. Metaphorically and literally.”
“Don’t you have magic?” Vinn asked. “I thought Sirens had like hypnosis sex magic or something?”
“They’re called tits and you’ve all seen them. They’re pretty magical. Show of hands in the circle of honesty…who here hasn’t noticed their magic?” she asked. Both Delmarian s raised their hands. Menace raised her hand just to participate. “Only works on mammals.” She whispered. The loud banging sound from the closet got louder.
“So are there any rumors left unspoken, or concerns still being withheld?” Silverback asked. Hyde raised his hand.
“Jack, have you had sex with either Nicole?”
“Absolutely not. The only time I have ever gone behind Vicki’s back was the night Vinn and I went to the strip club for Silverback's birthday. I didn’t so much as get a lap dance, I just lied and said we went to the pool hall. He needed a lap dance pretty bad that day.”
“Shit.” Dee huffed. “That was the birthday I forgot. Understandable."
“So, does anyone have any problems with this current arrangement?” Jack addressed? “Nobody needs to fight anyone for honor or screwing anyone’s partner? Is everyone even, or do we need a score settling ceremony of some kind?”
“My satisfaction remains to be seen, but I will not cause trouble and the exchange is understandable.” Hyde said.
“Oh no, I’m not being traded like a damn pokemon card. You see a marriage bead in my hair, Fuzzy?” Dee said. “I am a free-range woman and not to be exchanged or claimed. Is that okay with you?” she asked.
“Interesting, acceptable and intriguing, we will discuss the rules in private.” He grinned.
“And we’re not doing titles.” Silverback said. “Evee is my friend, and we choose to spend time together as we see fit.” He said calmly.
“I actually like this better.” Vinn said suddenly. “I really hated the idea of the clone of my arch enemy who stalked my wife is dating the clone of my wife and always had this like…urge to punch you in the balls. I know you’re not the same guy, but you have the same punchable face and punchable balls, that same creepy predator smile, and it just looks like you’re stockholming my wife’s clone. Silverback is cool, I trust him to be a gentleman. She may be a copy of Nicole, but she’s my friend and I care about her. I’m way happier with this arrangement, not that anyone cares or anything. Circle of honesty and whatnot"
“So is nobody free to bang me?” Melody asked. Silverback looked at Evee with a cautious shrug. She returned a look that did not seem like approval.
“Oh, for shit’s sake.” Dee blurted. “Hyde, you wanna throw her a freebie? The girl needs a redbull and I don’t even care.” She said, giving everyone a look as if to say, “so what?” He stood up and everyone shifted uncomfortably making noises of objection ranging from “Woah”, to “Bruh” and general grumbling “Not right this second, gad, like later, we can have a discussion. Can we end the sacred circle of openness or whatever and go back to having privacy already?”
“If no objections, I think the tribal meeting is adjourned.” Silverback said as the closet door burst off the hinges and a rather tattered looking sexbot with one blue eye and one yellow eye staggered out, tearing off her restraint tape.
“I OBJECT, YOUR HONOR! You insolent boot licking worm.” She said, toggling between dom lawyer and Gizzy. Her eyes flickered to red and then to both bright blue as she regained her composure. “Sorry, I had something to say, and you taped me in the closet.” Gizzy said, part of her synthetic face ripped off from headbanging the door off the hinges, metal gears moving behind it.
“Are we about to get terminated?” Nicole said backing up against Vinn.
“No, Dumbasses, you’re about to get employed.” She said. “In the whole circle of trust spirit, I have a confession, too.” She said, staggering out and falling over. “God, they do not make these sex robots very sturdy.”
“Well, they’re made to like…pose and brace themselves, they’re not exactly demigods built on battle frames.” Vinn noted.
“Fair point. I’ll order another one. Anywhom, I knew everything the whole time, except shit that happened before you all moved in here. I let Jack and the femme fatale duo clear the tunnels because you happen to be headed towards the Arcades. There was a distress signal from there in the form of Morris code on a pac-man game, and I sent a team to investigate. The college is fucked. There’s a whole nest we can’t break through. We lost 3 men in the attempt. The signal went dark a few days after. Apparently the tunnels between the arcade and your homes were far less occupied and they dead end shortly after that. You did such a good job clearing it, I’m authorizing it as a mission.”
“We’re not leaving lockdown in a few weeks are we?” Vinn asked.
“Circle of honesty?” Gizzy asked.
“Please?” asked Nicole.
“Nah. Surface is absolutely boned. This shit could take 6 months to a year. They spread too far before we got the power grid isolated, the numbers aren’t growing, but they are evasive shits, and they don’t starve as fast as we thought because apparently they can eat flesh and sustain themselves they just can't breed without power. The death toll is around 1200, that’s a lot of meat. They also hit the beef plant, and that’s a lot MORE meat."
“Is that why we can’t get beef?” Vinn asked.
“Yea, and I’m pretty pissed about that too. Let me turn off the hologram windows real quick.” She said, as the windows went from a peaceful view to a dystopian landscape covered in dead bugs and burning buildings.
“Oh my god, it’s like a horror game.” Nicole gasped.
“Well, the burning cars were mostly me, I did rampage a little when they took over my beef cloning factory. Mamma needs her beef.” Gizzy sighed. “So who is now suddenly more grateful to be stuck indoors with cheating friends and a lizard with no respect for personal space?” she grinned. All hands went up. “Fantastic, so let’s talk mission. Whoever was in Arcadia has been either stuck down there for months alone, or is already dead. We can't send soldiers to die for a likely starved body, so instead of suicidally throwing good men at that damn nest, we’re gonna have you guys finish clearing to the arcade, asses the situation and then once it’s cleared we’re gonna hit the nest with a belligerent shitload of Thesian radiation and send the bugs to hell. It’s gonna be fun, I’ll have a stomping party afterwards. We can’t do that now because whoever is in the arcade may get…lightly microwaved like a bag of popcorn…including the popping part.
“So you want us to fight our way to the arcade, and then you’re gonna nuke the arcade?” Nicole said, looking sad and confused.
“Jack already cleared 80 percent of the way there with minimal risk. We’re not blasting it with bombs, we’re using Thesian radiation beams. It’s totally harmless to the structure but anything organic is toast. Basically heats the water to 150 degrees for 4 minutes. The bugs don’t seem to do well when you do that. I assume survivors would be similarly Sous Vide so we wanna have no survivors there. So either you guys save lives that would otherwise get killed trying to breech the hive, or save the person who would get gently roasted in there when we un-hive the place. Maybe you’ll make a new friend…maybe Mel can get some dick, you never know but it pays well and Jack clearly has done descent with an untrained human and a Nicole. With Vinn on backup and Menace on cleanup, Silverback on the flamethrower and me running lead, this should be a walk in the park.” She shrugged.
“You…delivering a fresh sexbot?” asked Hyde.
“Obviously, I’m printing one that looks like me and has better armor. This plastic shit is a joke.”
“I technically own that one, can I get a fresh one?”
“Hyde, good lord…I’m throwing you a duo, and you want a trio?” Dee barked.
“No, I want a damn maid, and one that doesn’t tell me to lick her boot every now and then.”
“Oh snap, good point, can we get a maid bot?” Dee asked.
“Fine, but no genitals. I may still need to hack this thing and spy on your guys from time to time, and I don’t even want the temptation of someone banging it. It’s gonna be the same model but with the Barbie doll crotch mod. No nips or holes. Nobody bangs the robot. If I log in and find myself sticky…” she said, turning the windows back to apocalypse mode. “Rampage.” She added, turning it back to pleasant lies mode.