Pyrecoren:

pyrecoren:

date: august 25th, afternoon location: somewhere in the desert  status: open to all 

As the hours passed, the walk only seemed to get longer. It seemed that for Pyre, everything was going wrong. Glancing around at the crew, trudging beside him, he knew that it would be impossibly for him to hate any one of them. But now, it was hard to feel that when every conversation was leaving him feeling more terrible than the last. For now, it would be best to just let them all be. To complete his mission, as should have always been his first (and only) priority. 

But then, he glanced to his left. A few yards ahead, one of the crew had fallen, and seemed to be struggling with getting their bag back together. No one else around them seemed to notice, and Pyre sighed, quickening his pace to meet them. 

“Hey,” he approached them, leaning down to grab some of the items that had fallen into the sand. This was a part of his job, he told himself. He couldn’t let someone fall behind. It didn’t matter who they were; taking care of the crew was what he had signed up to do. There didn’t have to be any emotions about it. “Let me help you with that.” 

Slumped shoulders and sweat-soaked brows littered the mismatched crowd slowly moving across the unforgivable desert, marching to a broken beat of an unbalanced war drum. Despite the early hour of their mission, DATA could see the weariness of the heavy heat slowly seeping beneath the thin cotton sheltering the sensitive skin of the organics and hybrid crewmembers. They would likely leave this planet with souvenirs of stinging sunburns and mischievous sand, somehow finding its way into any vulnerable crevice. DATA, however, would find little familiarity in their grievances.

Escaping the suffering heat by nature alone, DATA was content to walk beside his fellow friends and bear the heaviest of packs. His steel frame, unlike humans, did not bend beneath the combined stress of the desert sun and abundant supplies. Or so he thought. His knee, a mechanical joint only just repaired weeks earlier in a routine inspection by his creator, suddenly gave in to the persuasion of gravity, buckling beneath the heavy weight he dared to hold.

Confusion invaded his gaze as he stared down at the crooked limb and alerts of the limb’s defection filed his vision. Bracing his own hands against the coarse grains encasing the landscape, DATA prepared to push himself back to his feet by determination alone. The sudden emergence of friendly cadence relieved any insecurity surrounding the uncooperative joint still stubbornly sitting in the sand despite his initial efforts.

“Thank you, Pyre.” Granting him a polite smile, customary to those who had obtained some achievement of friendship, DATA allowed him to assist him without argument. Without the obtrusive weight on his back, DATA was able to manipulate his weight to rest on the functioning leg as he straightened back up to a standing position. Once secure on the still shaky limb he would have to ask Theon to look at, a reluctant action that would only happen in the aftermath of a hesitant apology; DATA held out his hand to once again take the pack he had been assigned to carry.  

private channel : DATA & THEON

Theon: DATA?

Theon: For fuck's sake, DATA.

[STATIC]...

Theon: DATA please, can you hear me?! Just answer me!

[STATIC]...

DATA: -eon? [STATIC] ...hear me?

DATA: [STATIC] too much blood... [GUNFIRE] attempting... [STATIC] his vitals are slowing [STATIC]

DATA: ...turn off the pain sensors [STATIC]... more efficient in aid- [STATIC]Please shut... off... [GUNFIRE]

Team 1, RIP

Raven: So, any idea on what we're actually trying to be, uh, assaulting?

Raven: ...over.

Pyre: I believe it was left vague and at our own discretion. Over.

Augustus: So you're saying we have no idea what our actual goal here is?

Augustus: Uh, over.

DATA: According to the message, the goal of the mission is to infiltrate the western wing of facility. Over.

Team 1, RIP

Thane: Y'know, Doc, you'd make a great human shield.

Thane: Over and out.

Nyena: Fair point. Over.

Kallia: Theon's lap dog would make a better shield.

Augustus: Not that I'm supporting anyone being used as a human shield, but isn't he made of metal?

Augustus: Much better shield material. Over.

DATA: Perhaps we should attempt to negotiate with them instead of initially engaging in violence. Over.

private channel : DATA & THEON

Theon: What do you mean, turning off the pain sensors? Are you in pain?

Theon: DATA, I can't shut them off from here. The signal is too weak.

Theon: I-... [voice low] ... Please tell me you're okay.

DATA: -ot in pain... [STATIC]... to aid Gus [STATIC]

DATA: [GUNFIRE] ...need it more. I could take off the armor... [STATIC]

DATA: ...Turn it off- [STATIC]... Kalia and I... [Voice fades out] machines... expendable [STATIC]