Unipsi, lovely entity
chapter 71c: payback
Their return to base was calm and mostly silent. Iris was broadcasting on all vehicles her personal playlist of unknown songs. The list was mostly composed of vocal electronic music with some variations. They had several common points. The first and more noticeable ones were the languages used. Most songs were in Estir, few with a more solemn vibe were however sung in an unknown language. A language that expressed a certain amount of power and resonance. Whoever was signing was amazingly good but the language itself was so unique and perfect, almost built to be sung. Scilla liked the songs and asked
“who is singing in these melodies?”
“my sisters” a dry reply.
“did… did they sing often?”
“yes”
“they are amazing.”
Well I guess we are not back to what we were before. Can only blame myself for that.
Scilla closed her mouth and just watched outside the immense expanse of snow and completely submerged trees.
Back at the entrance and out of the vehicles Iris was still cold and distant.
“take off the emergency suit and get back here. I’ll give you 10 minutes or I’ll leave without you.”
“ok I’ll be as fast as possible”
Scilla rushed to change herself back into her clothes and returned to a now empty entrance except for Iris and her floating tank. In contrast to her massacred IFV the floating tank was perfect. Even if it was hit there was no sign of damage. In contrast to her IFV the ASF-300/800-P2 was one of the latest prototypes and of course, was equipped with the best they could offer. As all floating vehicles however none was ever deployed in combat and with few exceptions, none really got to serial production. The ASF-300/800-P2 was one of those left to its own.
“jump in fat ass” was Iris’s only sentence upon Scilla return. The tank had only one hatch on the body, which was the driver's hatch. However, instead of allowing access to just one seat it was bigger and brought to a pair of seats one stuck into the other. Iris entered in the front seat and Scilla had to squeeze into the back seat. With the hatch closed the place was barely livable. The seats were even more cramped than those on an aircraft. Scilla’s seat was barely beyond Iris’s seat. Her legs were forced to be on the sides of the seat in front and passed beside Iris’s lower torso. Scilla could also see Iris’s helmet popping up from her seat.
“I can barely fit in this tank”
“if you don’t like it then get out and walk. Also, this is not a tank. It’s an artillery”
Why is she so cold with me? What have I done? We were joking at the breach, what happened?
What happened was thinking. Once safe Iris reflected on what to do with Scilla and decided to go down the path of revenge.
After some initial setups, the artillery turned completely on. The entire cockpit became transparent allowing to see outside. It had the same technology that allowed Esterians to have suits without glasses or other see-through materials. The screen also allowed Scilla to understand what was going on outside.
Iris was being a speed demon but this time it felt safe. She was meticulous in her turns, showing great precision and understanding of the vehicle. Inside Scilla’s head, it became clear what the root of Iris’s bad driving was. Iris was probably used to driving those massive drifting things that work like a mix of a tank and a plane. Not wheeled vehicles.
After half an hour of speeding around they arrived at a house with a garage where Iris parked the vehicle. They left it to get inside. The house was smaller than all the others she had been so far. It had the bare minimum to be considered a house. It was composed of only 3 rooms. A small bathroom, a bedroom with a double bed, and the main room that connected to the garage, which was also the kitchen and a living room together.
“welcome to your new home for the next 10 days. I expect you to cook for me at lunch and dinner. I’ll give you a clock to know when it’s time”
“meh… s...sure”
“you will sleep on the couch. The bed is mine”
“but you sleep once every 10 of my days”
Iris walked in front of Scilla. The ARAC made Iris way bigger and intimidating. She was now 210cm instead of around 180cm. She was still shorter than Scilla with her 230cm of height, but way more intimidating than just 180cm. Also as long as Iris stayed inside the suit she had the strength advantage over Scilla.
“Remind me when did I ask for your opinion?”
Iris was making it clear that her words were law, no matter what was logical. If Scilla really wanted to reconcile she had to put up with some attitude.
“got it. I’ll sleep on the couch”
then Iris walked back to the garage door.
“I’ll be back in 3 hours which is lunchtime. You can use the bot to request food, but the cooking is up to you”
without waiting for a reply Iris left, hopped into the artillery, and went away to wherever she was currently working.
Scilla was understandably pissed but she knew that something was going to happen. Exactly as 511 even 608 held grudges. Still, Scilla had already decided on what to do. She was sure that with time and patience, Iris would come around and eventually forgive her. After all she was still alive.
In the 3 hours given, Scilla learned how to use the request system and acquired an unknown type of meat flown by a drone directly in front of the habitable unit. Immediately she started experimenting and found something she believed was going to please Iris. At Iris’s return, she presented the food and waited patiently at the table. She started to frown when Iris didn’t remove her armor or sat with her.
“Are you in a hurry?” asked Scilla.
“no” replied Iris coldly
The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.
then she grabbed the plate and launched the food at Scilla hitting her and wasting the food.
“WHAT THE FUCK?!?!”
“I'll return in 9 hours. I expect you to cook again to prove your will to rekindle our bond”
Extremely pissed Scilla agreed. She tried again and again but upon returning Iris just tossed the food in her face over and over again. To make it worse Iris kept denying her the bed and to inflict more suffering she also gave Scilla no covers in a house that was around 18°C. So to sleep with a bit of warmth Scilla was forced to use the couch pillows as blankets.
Days passed and Iris was always away and when not cold and angry. Scilla was losing hope until the 10th day came and instead of having her food tossed at her, Iris appeared from the garage without the power armor. She sat at the table and started cutting the steak Scilla made.
Scilla was looking unsure if it was a new devious ploy or not until Iris spoke.
“So did you like to be treated like shit?”
“n...no” replied Scilla looking away.
“That’s what I thought. But now we are even. Your attitude also changed a lot. I guess reality sunk in.”
“sorry for all I did”
“it’s forgiven….” Iris let out a long sigh.
“look you have your problems I have mine. You have to cope with the loss of your lover and I with the lies of my family. I’m not your punching bag and you are not mine. So how about we start anew?”
Iris moved her right hand forward while still eating with the left one.
“are you sure?”
“why not? You seem remorseful. I don’t expect the same level of… mental fortitude from everybody.”
“I would love to start again” continued Scilla grabbing and shaking Iris’s hand.
“so want to come and see what I’m working on?”
“are you sure I can?”
“why not? It’s not like you have anything to do here”
Together they returned to the ASF. This time Iris instructed Scilla to get in more comfortably. After all the cockpit was built to allow power armor users. Once Scilla was in Iris jumped in. She was without armor so she didn’t pop out from the seat. Iris closed the hatch and as soon as she was in position she pinched Scilla’s left leg that was exposed beside her. Scilla immediately tried to pull it back but hit the cockpit.
“ouch! Why?”
“cause funny”
“yeah, yeah pull out your head I’ll hit it”
“nope. You are the passenger so you suffer”
“I wanted to ask before, but well… it was before. How did you operate this thing at the breach?”
“like usual? I don’t understand what you mean”
“Like you were alone right? But this thing has two seats”
Iris laughed loudly.
“two seats but yours is useless. Like most of the latest prototypes, the ASF-300/800-P2 is a one-crewman vehicle. The second seat is only optional to improve coordination and reduce stress on the pilot. But I do both flying and shooting”
“oh. Let me guess it’s to cope with the small population?”
“that's what I have been told”
“so were we going?”
“to an automated farm. I have been working on it for about 20 days and I’m sure it’s about to work properly. I mean it’s working I’m not that incapable. But efficiency is not maxed.”
Some minutes of travel later they arrived. Iris guided Scilla inside. She was surprised because even if she knew that it was impossible to be on the surface with the little they traveled she still imagined a field with plants. Instead, she was met with endless plants stuck in cubes and growing in a transparent gel. All those cubes were stored on a compact infrastructure that probably pumped water and nutrients.
It was a majestic view with a sinister touch. So much precision, order, and efficiency yet it felt off. Even if it was a farm there was no natural feeling. Plants were kept as individuals, not as groups. There was no dirty soil or dust. No chaotic growth. All was controlled, all was enforced to the point that nature was replaced with an artificial unsettling order.
“why not… just some dirt and… well basically a standard greenhouse?”
Iris tilted her head in confusion.
“why accept nature’s will when you can force your own? Plants are lazy, they have a cycle. Why bother with it when you can keep them at your orders? Decided how fast they live, how much they reproduce, when they make fruits, make flowers. Decided what they eat, when they eat.”
Iris spoke with a malicious joy in her eyes. It was the same hereditary illness that ran in the Founder’s blood. The desire to improve beyond any reason and any humanity. Or so people would think. Their desires were neither right nor wrong. After all, it was nature's product improving nature itself.
“I think it’s wrong. As intelligent creatures, we should aim toward harmony with nature. Not abuse.”
“There is no abuse. We… I am not destroying anything. There is almost no pollution, no soil impoverishment. It’s the opposite. With our technology we can balance everything to a perfect cycle… well almost perfect. But what you see is not intensive agriculture, even if it looks like so. You have to view plants as computers but made of cells. What we did was learn how to give them orders, how to receive outputs based on inputs, and how to keep them on standby. For the most part we… I do live by harmony and cooperation principles. But they are not everything.”
“would you do the same… to someone like me? I mean… fuck I don’t even know where I’m going with my words…”
Iris turned to her and placed a hand on her shoulder.
“Breathe calmly and stop thinking. Focus on the vents and machinery sound…”
“I can do this. To me… looking at this feels wrong. Like if I stop for a moment and wonder what if I was the plant? Would I like to be forced as just a gear in some machine instead of being free? If my own people had some usage as… resources would I even consider to harvest them? Of course not but this place feels like the mind of someone who would say yes”
Iris again looked at Scilla in confusion, then looked at her farm. She went back and forth several times before speaking again
“I partially understand. But plants are not people. And they are kept in their best state physically possible. If I had to make an example using your people I would say they have a usage. They could be bred. I don’t really know how but it could be useful to produce strong warriors. The breeders would not be kept in pain. They would live their whole life suspended, shut off from reality. They would be kept stable in a perfect illusion in their own minds. No pain, no suffering. No cruelty. Their real body would be kept in perfect function every second of every day. If taken from the beginning they will not even develop a personality. Could they be considered really alive? Even better. What if the only thing that kept working was their breeding capability? Nothing else. They literally couldn’t think or breathe, or move. Would it really matter?”
Scilla was shocked for a moment but then she remembered that she was talking to an Idra.
“yes it would. It would be terrifying. What if it was one of your sisters in such conditions?”
“which one? The capable body or the never-developed one?”
“the second one that is even worse”
“I would be pissed…”
“see”
“because my genetic code is a state secret and should not be wasted. It can’t be used for something so useless as farming food. But to be blunt Idras have been in such a position of self-experimenting. Also, we were all grown inside tubes, sort of. We tried to improve ourselves and in the process failed multiple times. We have been farmed by our own family. But what is in the tube can be reduced to just flesh. Like a fresh limb that will twitch if salted. It’s the same thing. Organized meat with no capability of thought or pain. Built for a purpose and nothing else. Barely considerable alive because it is barely alive. without us, it won't even grow.”
“we deeply disagree on this one”
“I agree on disagreeing. It’s fun. Come I’ll take you to the control room”