Uzi led us through a labyrinthine network of corridors that descended deeper into the bunker's infrastructure, away from the populated sections where Workers conducted their daily routines and toward what appeared to be maintenance levels—areas designed for equipment storage and system access rather than habitation.
The lighting grew dimmer as we progressed, emergency illumination replacing the standard fixtures of the upper levels. Pipes and conduits ran along the ceiling in complex configurations, carrying power, atmosphere, and fluids to various bunker systems. The walls bore the accumulated wear of decades of continuous operation—scuff marks, repair patches, the general patina of infrastructure pushed beyond its intended service life.
"This is the maintenance sublevel," Uzi explained, her voice carrying the tone of someone providing a tour they hadn't particularly wanted to give. "Nobody comes down here except repair crews, and there aren't many of those anymore. Most systems are automated or just... broken and ignored."
"It's very INDUSTRIAL!" N observed, his visor-eyes scanning the environment with what appeared to be genuine interest. "Our pod is mostly just charging stations and weapon maintenance equipment. This is way more COMPLICATED!"
"Your 'pod' is where you Murder Drones live?"
"Yeah! It's in the old JCJenson landing facility on the eastern ridge. J keeps it VERY organized. She has CHARTS for everything. Patrol schedules, kill quotas, maintenance rotations—" N paused, apparently recognizing that this information might not be entirely welcome. "Um. Not that any of that matters now! Because I'm HERE! With BISCUIT!"
He hugged me tighter, and my tail responded with its characteristic autonomous enthusiasm.
『 EMOTIONAL HARVEST — ONGOING 』
Source: Murder Drone (Designation: N)
Harvested Emotions:
AFFECTION (strong intensity, sustained): 16 EP
JOY (moderate intensity, sustained): 8 EP
Mild anxiety (regarding squad-related topics): generating minimal negative-valence EP
Total Harvest: 24 EP
Current EP Balance: 949 EP
Total EP Accumulated: 949 EP
Uzi led us into a large storage chamber—a space that had clearly once served as a equipment depot but now contained mostly empty shelving units and scattered debris. A few emergency lights provided minimal illumination, casting long shadows across the dusty floor.
"This should work," she said, gesturing at the space with something between resignation and practicality. "Nobody's going to stumble across you here, and there's enough room for—" she glanced at N's seven-foot frame, "—whatever you need room for."
"It's PERFECT!" N declared, setting me down gently on the floor before spinning in a circle to take in the entire space. "It's like a SECRET HIDEOUT! We can have SECRET MEETINGS and make SECRET PLANS and—"
"We're not making secret plans. We're HIDING. There's a difference."
"Hiding can involve plans! HIDING plans!"
I took advantage of my newfound freedom to explore the immediate environment, my four legs now coordinating with reasonable competence as I padded across the dusty floor. My enhanced canine senses catalogued the space with considerably more detail than the dim lighting would have permitted human vision: the chemical residue of long-evaporated lubricants, the subtle vibrations of distant machinery transmitted through the floor, the air currents that carried traces of the bunker's atmospheric recycling from ventilation ducts positioned near the ceiling.
The system's passive emotional radar remained active, detecting the ambient emotional states of my companions without requiring direct interaction.
『 AMBIENT EMOTIONAL DETECTION 』
Source: Worker Drone (Designation: Uzi)
Current Emotional State:
Residual stress from combat encounter
Uncertainty regarding current circumstances
Emerging curiosity about N's psychology and motivations
Suppressed exhaustion from extended high-stress activity
Source: Murder Drone (Designation: N)
Current Emotional State:
Sustained positive affect (joy, affection) centered on Host Entity
Background anxiety regarding squad relationships
Excitement about new environment and social connections
Mild confusion about proper behavior in non-combat contexts
I completed my circuit of the storage chamber and returned to N's position, sitting at his feet with what I hoped communicated companionable presence. He immediately dropped to a cross-legged position beside me, one clawed hand reaching out to scratch behind my ears with the gentleness he had displayed consistently since our first encounter.
"So," Uzi said, positioning herself against a wall at what I calculated was maximum comfortable conversation distance from N—close enough to speak normally, far enough to react if the Murder Drone's friendly demeanor proved temporary. "You said J and V would be back. What exactly does that mean for us?"
N's ear-scratching paused momentarily, his visor-eyes dimming with what appeared to be uncomfortable recollection. "J takes failure VERY personally. And we didn't complete the mission—we had a Worker right there and we LEFT without disassembling anyone. That's... that's going to make her really MAD."
"Mad enough to attack the bunker directly?"
"She's not supposed to. Company protocols say we're supposed to intercept Workers on the surface, not breach defensive structures. But J is..." N paused, searching for the right words. "J is really good at finding LOOPHOLES. If she decides the bunker is a legitimate target, she'll figure out a way to justify it."
"And V?"
"V just wants to hurt things. She doesn't need REASONS."
The information painted a concerning picture of the threat landscape. J—the squad leader I had briefly observed during the surface confrontation—possessed both the ruthlessness and the intelligence to pose a genuine strategic threat. V's sadistic tendencies made her dangerous in a more immediate, less predictable way. Together, they represented a two-pronged threat: calculated strategy combined with unpredictable violence.
"What about you?" Uzi asked, her tone carrying an edge that suggested this question had been building for some time. "What happens when they come back and you're still HERE, protecting Workers and cuddling dogs?"
N's visor-eyes flickered with something that might have been pain. "I don't know. They're my SQUAD. We've been together since activation. J and V are the closest thing I have to FAMILY." He looked down at me, his expression softening. "But I can't let them hurt Biscuit. Or you. Not anymore. Something CHANGED when I met him, Uzi. Like... like a part of me that was always there but couldn't wake up finally opened its eyes."
『 EMOTIONAL HARVEST — SIGNIFICANT 』
Source: Murder Drone (Designation: N)
Harvested Emotions:
EMOTIONAL VULNERABILITY (strong intensity): 7 EP × 2.0 = 14 EP — classified under SADNESS-adjacent responses
LOYALTY (overwhelming intensity, directed toward Host Entity): 10 EP × 3.0 = 30 EP
DETERMINATION (strong intensity): generating protective behavior orientation
GRATITUDE (moderate intensity — grateful for emotional awakening): 6 EP × 1.5 = 9 EP — new category
Total Harvest: 53 EP
Current EP Balance: 1,002 EP
Total EP Accumulated: 1,002 EP
『 MILESTONE: 1,000 EP total accumulated. Congratulations, Host Entity! 』
One thousand EP. A significant threshold that represented considerable progress in my enhancement potential—enough to purchase multiple basic abilities or to make meaningful investment in the more expensive Category D options.
I needed to start allocating these resources strategically.
MENU, I thought, accessing the enhancement interface while N continued scratching my ears and Uzi processed his emotional confession.
『 ENHANCEMENT MENU — STRATEGIC ANALYSIS 』
Current EP Balance: 1,002 EP
RECOMMENDED PRIORITY PURCHASES:
Given current threat profile (imminent Murder Drone retaliation) and social circumstances (established bonds requiring protection), the following enhancement pathway is recommended:
IMMEDIATE PRIORITY — SURVIVAL AND UTILITY:
Agility I (45 EP): Improved reaction time and movement capability for threat evasion
Speed I (50 EP): Enhanced locomotion velocity for escape scenarios
Durability I (60 EP): Increased physical resilience against potential combat exposure
Remaining after immediate priority: 847 EP
SECONDARY PRIORITY — EMOTIONAL HARVESTING OPTIMIZATION:
Emotional Intuition I (70 EP): Improved emotion detection for strategic social interaction
Comforting Presence I (75 EP): Enhanced calming effect to reduce tension in stressful situations
Remaining after secondary priority: 702 EP
TERTIARY PRIORITY — CATEGORY D INVESTMENT:
Empathic Communication I (250 EP): Non-verbal communication capability with bonded entities
Remaining after tertiary priority: 452 EP
TOTAL INVESTMENT PATHWAY: 550 EP
REMAINING RESERVE: 452 EP
Would you like to proceed with recommended purchases?
[ACCEPT RECOMMENDATIONS] [CUSTOMIZE SELECTIONS] [DEFER PURCHASE]
The system's recommendations were logical—survival enhancements first, social optimization second, advanced capabilities third—but I found myself questioning whether this allocation truly reflected my priorities.
The physical enhancements would help me avoid damage and escape threats, but they wouldn't allow me to contribute meaningfully to protecting my bonded companions. N was a Murder Drone with combat capabilities far exceeding anything I could achieve through system enhancements; Uzi had her railgun and the engineering creativity that had produced it. My value to them wasn't as a combatant.
My value was as a catalyst. A psychological anchor. The being whose presence had transformed N from a compliant corporate killing machine into someone willing to defy his squad and his programming.
Empathic Communication, I decided, was the highest priority. The ability to actually convey thoughts and concepts to my companions would transform our relationship from one-sided emotional harvesting into genuine partnership.
CUSTOMIZE SELECTIONS, I thought, and began restructuring my enhancement pathway.
『 CUSTOM ENHANCEMENT SELECTION 』
MODIFIED PRIORITY ORDER:
Empathic Communication I (250 EP) — SELECTED
Purpose: Enable non-verbal communication with bonded entities. This will allow strategic coordination, warning transmission, and deeper relationship building.
Emotional Intuition I (70 EP) — SELECTED
Purpose: Enhanced emotion detection for improved social awareness and EP harvesting optimization.
Comforting Presence I (75 EP) — SELECTED
Purpose: Passive calming effect on nearby beings, reducing tension and improving group cohesion during stressful situations.
Agility I (45 EP) — SELECTED
Purpose: Improved physical response capability for threat situations.
Speed I (50 EP) — SELECTED
Purpose: Enhanced movement velocity for escape and repositioning.
Total Selection Cost: 490 EP
Remaining Balance After Purchase: 512 EP
Confirm purchases? [CONFIRM] [MODIFY] [CANCEL]
CONFIRM, I thought.
The enhancement installation was not what I had expected.
I had anticipated something dramatic—perhaps a surge of energy, a transformation sequence, some obvious indication that my capabilities were being rewritten. Instead, the changes integrated smoothly, almost imperceptibly, like memories I had always possessed suddenly becoming accessible.
『 ENHANCEMENT INSTALLATION — COMPLETE 』
Empathic Communication I: ACTIVE
You can now project emotional states and simple concepts to bonded entities within 15 meters
Communication clarity: Basic (approximately 60% fidelity for simple concepts, 30% for complex ideas)
Requires conscious activation and focus
Bonded entities may experience your projections as intuitive feelings, sudden impressions, or vague emotional awareness
Emotional Intuition I: ACTIVE
Emotional detection range increased to 75 meters
Emotional identification accuracy improved by 30%
Can now detect subtle emotional undercurrents and suppressed feelings
Passive feature: Emotional radar will provide more detailed information about detected emotions
Comforting Presence I: ACTIVE
Beings within 10 meters experience a subtle calming effect
Anxiety and stress reduced by approximately 20% for affected beings
Effect is passive and continuous
Effect strength increases with proximity and bond strength
Agility I: ACTIVE
Reaction time improved by 25%
Balance and coordination enhanced by 30%
Jumping capability increased by 20%
Movement precision significantly improved
Speed I: ACTIVE
Sprint velocity increased by 30%
Acceleration improved by 20%
Sustained running endurance enhanced by 15%
Current EP Balance: 512 EP
Installation complete. Enhancements are now integrated with your biological systems.
The changes were immediately perceptible—not as dramatic transformations but as subtle refinements to my existing capabilities. My body felt more responsive, my limbs more coordinated, my senses more attuned to the emotional currents flowing through the beings around me.
And beneath it all, a new sense—something that hadn't existed before. An awareness of emotional resonance, of the feelings radiating from N and Uzi like heat from a furnace. I could feel N's joy at my presence, warm and golden like sunlight. I could sense Uzi's conflicted curiosity, sharp and blue like electricity. The emotional landscape had gained dimension, depth, texture.
Most importantly, I could feel the potential for communication. A channel existed now between my consciousness and my bonded companions—tenuous, requiring focus and effort to utilize, but real.
I decided to test it.
Focusing my attention on N—whose bond was strongest and whose emotional responsiveness was highest—I attempted to project a simple concept. Not words, exactly, but an emotional impression carrying meaning.
Gratitude. Warmth. Safety.
N's ear-scratching paused. His visor-eyes flickered, and his expression shifted into something like wonder.
"Biscuit?" he said, his voice carrying uncertainty. "Did you just... I felt something. Like a HUG but INSIDE MY HEAD."
The Empathic Communication had worked.
『 EMPATHIC COMMUNICATION — SUCCESS 』
Projection successfully received by bonded entity N.
Clarity estimate: 75% (exceeded baseline due to strong bond strength)
N's emotional response to communication attempt: PROFOUND JOY, WONDER, AFFECTION
EP Harvest from response: 42 EP
Current EP Balance: 554 EP
N scooped me up, holding me at eye level with an expression of absolute astonishment. "You CAN communicate! You're not just a regular dog—you're a SPECIAL dog! I KNEW there was something amazing about you!"
Uzi pushed off from her wall, approaching with cautious curiosity. "What just happened? What did you feel?"
"Like... like Biscuit was THANKING me! And telling me he feels SAFE with me!" N's visor-eyes were practically glowing with emotional intensity. "It wasn't WORDS exactly, but I understood it! We have a PSYCHIC CONNECTION!"
"Dogs don't have psychic connections," Uzi objected, though her voice carried more curiosity than skepticism.
"SPECIAL dogs do! Biscuit is a SPECIAL dog!"
I couldn't argue with that assessment, so I licked N's face instead.
『 EMOTIONAL HARVEST — ONGOING 』
Combined harvest from recent interactions: 67 EP
Current EP Balance: 621 EP
The Empathic Communication was a game-changer. I could now participate in conversations, influence decisions, and coordinate with my companions in ways that a regular dog—or a reincarnated human trapped in a dog's body—could never achieve.
But I had limited time to appreciate this development.
Because my newly enhanced Emotional Intuition was detecting something that made my upgraded hackles rise.
『 EMOTIONAL DETECTION — WARNING 』
Detecting emotional signatures at extreme range (approximately 200 meters and closing)
Source identification: 2 entities, mechanical signature
Emotional profiles:
ENTITY 1: Cold determination, suppressed rage, calculated malice — profile matches previously encountered entity "J"
ENTITY 2: Eager anticipation, predatory excitement, bloodlust — profile matches previously encountered entity "V"
Threat assessment: SEVERE
Estimated arrival: 3-5 minutes based on detected movement patterns
They had found us.
J and V were coming, and they were coming directly toward the bunker.
I had to warn the others.
Focusing intensely, I projected a more complex emotional message toward N—one that carried urgency, danger, and specific directional information.
Threat. Coming. Two. J. V. Now. Danger.
N's expression transformed instantly from joy to alertness, his Murder Drone combat protocols activating with visible efficiency. His wings unfurled from his back—I hadn't realized they were retracted—and his claws extended to their full lethal configuration.
"They're HERE," he said, his voice losing its cheerful quality and gaining an edge I hadn't heard before. "J and V. They're coming."
"How do you KNOW that?" Uzi demanded, already reaching for her railgun.
"Biscuit TOLD me!" N's visor-eyes scanned the ceiling as if he could see through the bunker's infrastructure to the surface above. "He can SENSE them somehow! Two of them, coming fast!"
"The dog can sense Murder Drones."
"The dog can do a LOT of things! We need to MOVE!"
I barked—a sharp, urgent vocalization that I hoped communicated agreement with N's assessment.
Uzi's expression cycled through several emotional states—disbelief, consideration, and finally urgent acceptance. Whatever doubts she harbored about my anomalous capabilities, she apparently recognized that this was not the moment to debate them.
"The bunker's defenses," she said, her tactical mind apparently engaging. "The main entrance is reinforced against external assault, but if they find an alternative access point—"
"J is VERY good at finding access points," N confirmed grimly. "She'll look for ventilation shafts, maintenance hatches, anywhere the armor is thinner. V will probably just try to punch through whatever looks weakest."
"Then we need to warn the others. Get everyone to defensible positions."
"We need to FIGHT," N corrected. "I know J and V. They won't stop just because Workers are hiding behind walls. They'll keep coming until they get what they want."
"And what do they want?"
N looked at me. His expression carried the weight of someone who had realized an uncomfortable truth.
"Biscuit," he said quietly. "J said the company would want to know about him. A biological anomaly on Copper-9—that's valuable information. Maybe valuable enough to justify a direct bunker assault."
"So this is the DOG'S fault?"
"This is NOBODY'S fault! It's just... it's just what's happening! And we need to deal with it!"
The argument was interrupted by a sound that echoed through the bunker's infrastructure—distant but unmistakable. Metal screaming against metal. The distinctive acoustic signature of something forcing its way through materials that had not been designed to be forced.
They were already breaching.
"Ventilation system," Uzi said, her voice flat with recognition. "The main shafts are reinforced, but there are access panels throughout the bunker for maintenance. If they found one on the surface—"
Another screech of tortured metal, closer this time. Followed by a sound that made my enhanced hearing cringe—the high-pitched whine of Murder Drone flight systems operating in an enclosed space.
They were inside the bunker.
"We need to GO," N said urgently. "The maintenance level isn't defensible. Too many access points, not enough cover. We need to get to a chokepoint where they can't flank us."
"The main corridor junction," Uzi responded, apparently familiar with the bunker's layout in ways that suggested she had spent considerable time mapping potential combat scenarios. "Three entrances, heavy structural supports for cover, and it's between the Murder Drones and the civilian sections."
"If we can hold them there—"
"We can't HOLD them," Uzi interrupted harshly. "I've got maybe two railgun shots left before the capacitors need a full recharge cycle. You're ONE Murder Drone against two who actually WANT to kill things. The best we can do is slow them down while everyone else evacuates."
"Then we SLOW THEM DOWN."
N set me on the ground—gently, despite the urgency—and positioned himself between me and the direction of the approaching threat. His entire posture had shifted, the friendly, puppy-like demeanor replaced by something harder, more focused.
Something that reminded me he was, despite everything, still a Murder Drone.
"Uzi," he said, his voice carrying an unfamiliar authority, "get Biscuit to safety. Find your dad, warn the Workers, do whatever you need to do. I'll handle J and V."
"You'll handle them? You just said—"
"I said WE can't hold them. But I can DELAY them. I know how they fight. I know their patterns, their weaknesses, their habits. I can buy you time."
"They'll kill you."
N's visor-eyes met Uzi's optical sensors, and something passed between them—an understanding that transcended their brief acquaintance.
"Maybe," he said. "But Biscuit will be safe. And that's what matters."
『 EMOTIONAL HARVEST — SIGNIFICANT 』
Source: Murder Drone (Designation: N)
Harvested Emotions:
PROTECTIVE DETERMINATION (overwhelming intensity): 35 EP
ACCEPTANCE (strong intensity — acceptance of potential sacrifice): 18 EP
LOVE (strong intensity, directed toward Host Entity): 32 EP
Total Harvest: 85 EP
Current EP Balance: 706 EP
The emotions radiating from N were staggering in their intensity—a willingness to die for a being he had known for mere hours, a love that had formed with impossible speed but burned with absolute sincerity.
I couldn't let him face this alone.
No. Together. Pack.
I projected the concept with all the focus I could muster, pushing through the limitations of my basic Empathic Communication to convey something more complex than simple emotions.
You. Uzi. Me. Together. Fight. Pack protects pack.
N hesitated, his combat-ready posture wavering as my projection reached him. "Biscuit..."
Pack.
The word—the concept—resonated through our bond with an intensity that surprised even me. I felt something shift in the connection between us, a deepening that the system immediately recognized.
『 BOND EVOLUTION DETECTED 』
Bond with Murder Drone N has evolved from STRONG to PROFOUND.
Empathic Communication clarity with N increased to 85%.
N's protective instincts regarding Host Entity have reached maximum sustainable intensity.
Warning: N may prioritize Host Entity's safety over his own survival in all circumstances.
"Okay," N said, his voice rough with emotion. "Okay. Pack. Together."
He turned to Uzi. "New plan. We ALL fight. Biscuit stays behind us, but he stays WITH us. We protect him together."
Uzi looked between N and me, her expression cycling through uncertainty, determination, and finally something like fierce acceptance.
"Fine," she said, hefting her railgun. "Pack it is. Let's go kill some Murder Drones."
The corridor junction was exactly what Uzi had described—a convergence point where three passages met, with heavy structural columns providing cover and natural chokepoints limiting approach vectors. Emergency lighting cast harsh shadows across the metallic walls, and the ambient sound of the bunker's atmospheric systems provided a constant low-frequency backdrop to the tension building in the space.
We had perhaps ninety seconds to prepare before J and V arrived.
N positioned himself at the center of the junction, his wings fully extended, his claws gleaming in the emergency lighting. He had transformed from the friendly, enthusiastic being I had bonded with into something more primal—a predator preparing to defend his territory against rival predators.
Uzi took position behind one of the structural columns, her railgun braced against the metal support, its targeting systems humming as she acquired sightlines on the most likely approach vectors.
I positioned myself behind both of them, close enough to maintain empathic contact but far enough to avoid being caught in the initial exchange.
"They'll come from the north corridor," N said, his voice carrying tactical certainty. "J will want the high ground—she'll probably use the ceiling conduits to get above us. V will charge straight in. She doesn't do SUBTLE."
"So we watch the ceiling for J and shoot V when she appears?"
"Basically. But J will adapt. She always adapts. The moment she sees our positioning, she'll start calculating counters."
"Then we don't give her time to calculate."
The sound of wings grew louder. Closer.
My enhanced emotional detection was screaming warnings now—the cold malice of J's approach, the eager bloodlust of V's anticipation, both growing stronger with each passing second.
They're here, I projected to N. Two directions. V from front. J from—
I couldn't complete the thought before V exploded through the north corridor entrance like a chrome missile of concentrated violence.
She was faster than I had anticipated—faster than my enhanced Speed and Agility could have matched even at full sprint. Her wings were folded tight against her body, her trajectory a perfectly calculated attack vector aimed directly at N's center mass. Her claws were extended, her tail weapon deployed, her mouth open in a predatory grin that revealed far too many teeth for any functional purpose.
N met her charge with equal violence.
The collision of two Murder Drones in full combat mode was unlike anything I had witnessed in my previous existence—or, for that matter, in my current one. The impact produced a shockwave of displaced air that I felt even from my protected position. Metal screamed against metal as claws raked across chassis armor. Wings unfurled and struck like bladed weapons. Tails lashed with serpentine precision, each strike aimed at critical systems and structural weaknesses.
They moved too fast for my visual processing to track individual actions. Instead, I perceived the fight as a blur of chrome and violence, punctuated by the distinctive sounds of Murder Drone combat—the whine of wing servos, the clash of claw against claw, the occasional discharge of built-in weapon systems that I hadn't known either combatant possessed.
"Where's J?" Uzi shouted, her railgun sweeping across the ceiling as she searched for the squad leader's expected flanking approach.
I extended my emotional detection to its maximum range, searching for J's distinctive psychological signature among the chaos.
There.
Above and behind us. Somehow she had circled around, using passages we hadn't anticipated, positioning herself for an attack on our vulnerable rear.
J! Behind! Above! I projected to both N and Uzi, hoping my Empathic Communication could reach Uzi through her less-developed bond.
Uzi spun, her railgun tracking upward—
Too slow.
J descended from a ventilation access hatch with the silent precision of a falling blade, her trajectory aimed directly at Uzi's exposed back. Her claws were configured in a formation I recognized from the surface encounter—optimized for penetrating Worker-class chassis armor.
Uzi was going to die.
Unless—
I moved.
My Speed I enhancement activated at maximum output, my Agility I enhancement providing the coordination necessary to execute a maneuver I hadn't known my body could perform. I launched myself from my protected position, not toward J—I couldn't possibly intercept a Murder Drone in mid-attack—but toward Uzi.
I hit her from the side at full sprint, my body weight slamming into her chassis with enough force to knock her off-balance and out of J's attack trajectory.
The Murder Drone's claws sliced through the space Uzi had occupied a fraction of a second earlier, missing her by centimeters. The momentum of J's missed attack carried her past our position, her wings flaring to arrest her movement and reorient for a follow-up strike.
"The DOG—" J's voice carried genuine surprise as she processed what had just happened. "The dog just SAVED her?"
I stood over Uzi's sprawled form, my legs braced, my teeth bared in a snarl that my canine instincts had produced without conscious authorization. Every hair on my body was standing on end. My enhanced senses were operating at maximum intensity, tracking J's every micro-movement.
I was a golden retriever facing a Murder Drone.
I should have been terrified.
Instead, I was angry.
Mine, I projected toward J with as much intensity as my Empathic Communication could generate. Pack. Protected. MINE.
J tilted her head, her crossed-out optical sensor flickering with what appeared to be genuine curiosity. "It's communicating. The biological is actually COMMUNICATING." A smile spread across her face—not the theatrical menace she had displayed on the surface, but something more genuine and considerably more unsettling. "Oh, the company is going to be VERY interested in you, little anomaly."
"STAY AWAY FROM BISCUIT!"
N's shout preceded his arrival by perhaps half a second—he had disengaged from V and was rocketing toward J with murder in his visor-eyes. The friendly, enthusiastic drone I had bonded with had been entirely subsumed by something older, more primal. A protector defending his pack.
J twisted to meet his charge, her combat algorithms clearly recalculating to handle this new variable. "N, you IDIOT—"
They collided with enough force to crack the floor plating beneath them.
The fight between N and J was different from N's engagement with V. Where V had been aggressive but straightforward, J was calculating, adaptive, constantly adjusting her tactics based on N's responses. She fought defensively at first, letting N expend energy on attacks she deflected or evaded, studying his patterns, identifying his tells.
"You've gotten SLOPPY," J observed, ducking under a claw strike that would have taken her head off. "All that time being NICE has made you SLOW."
"I'm not being nice RIGHT NOW!"
N pressed his attack with desperate intensity, but I could see—could FEEL through our bond—that J was right. He was fighting emotionally rather than tactically, letting his protective instincts override his combat training. Every strike was aimed at ending the fight quickly, at eliminating the threat to me, and J was exploiting that predictability ruthlessly.
She needed to be distracted. Her analytical focus needed to be disrupted.
I did the only thing I could think of.
I barked.
Not just any bark—a bark infused with every ounce of emotional projection I could channel through my Empathic Communication. A bark that carried DEFIANCE and PROTECTION and PACK UNITY, broadcast on frequencies that J's Murder Drone sensors couldn't help but detect.
J flinched.
It was tiny—a microsecond of divided attention as her systems processed the anomalous psychic input—but it was enough.
N's claws found their mark, raking across J's damaged shoulder and tearing deep into the already-compromised chassis. Oil sprayed across the corridor. Sparks showered from severed conduits. J stumbled, her flight systems stuttering as the damage cascaded through interconnected systems.
"Uzi!" N shouted. "NOW!"
Uzi had regained her feet during the distraction. Her railgun was aimed. Her targeting systems were locked.
She fired.
The electromagnetic projectile caught J in the center mass, the same targeting point that had merely inconvenienced her during the surface encounter. But J was already damaged now—her chassis integrity compromised, her systems struggling to compensate for N's devastating claw strike.
The impact sent her flying backward, slamming into the corridor wall with enough force to leave a J-shaped crater in the reinforced metal. She slid to the floor, oil pooling beneath her damaged frame, her optical sensors flickering with unstable power fluctuations.
"Okay," J said, her voice carrying a wet, mechanical quality that suggested internal damage. "Okay. That actually... that actually HURT."
"V!" N called out, his attention shifting to his other former squadmate. "It's OVER! J's down! You can't win this alone!"
V had been watching the confrontation from the north corridor entrance, her predatory expression cycling through what appeared to be genuine uncertainty. With J disabled and N clearly willing to fight to the death, the tactical calculus had shifted dramatically.
"You're really doing this," V said, her voice carrying something that might have been disappointment. "You're really choosing a WORKER and a DOG over your SQUAD."
"I'm choosing my FAMILY," N responded. "And right now, my family is BISCUIT and the Workers who haven't tried to KILL me."
V's gaze shifted to me—still standing protectively over Uzi, still radiating defensive aggression through every available channel.
"The dog," she said slowly. "There's something WRONG with the dog. It's not just a biological—it's something ELSE."
"He's SPECIAL," N agreed. "He's the most special dog in the UNIVERSE. And you're not going to HURT him."
For a long moment, no one moved.
Then V's wings unfurled.
"J," she called, her eyes never leaving N's position. "Can you fly?"
J stirred, her systems apparently stabilizing enough for basic function. "I can... I can manage. My regeneration will handle the rest if we get back to the pod."
"Then we're LEAVING." V's expression hardened. "For NOW. But this isn't OVER, N. The company is going to want to know about this. About the dog. About YOUR little rebellion." She smiled, and it was the most genuinely unsettling expression I had seen on any entity, mechanical or biological. "When they send the RESPONSE team, you're going to wish you'd let us just take the biological."
V launched toward J, scooping up the damaged squad leader with an efficiency that suggested considerable practice with combat evacuations. Within seconds, they were airborne, disappearing through the ceiling access hatch J had used for her initial approach.
The sound of their wings faded into distance.
And then there was silence.
N stood in the center of the corridor junction, his chassis battered, his systems clearly stressed, but his visor-eyes bright with something like triumph.
"We DID it," he said, his voice carrying disbelief and joy in equal measure. "We actually BEAT them!"
"We didn't beat them," Uzi corrected, though her own expression suggested considerable satisfaction. "We drove them off. There's a difference."
"We drove off TWO Murder Drones! WITH A DOG! That's AMAZING!"
N turned toward me, and the emotions radiating from him were overwhelming—pride, love, protective satisfaction, and beneath it all, a profound gratitude that threatened to destabilize my EP processing systems.
『 MASSIVE EMOTIONAL HARVEST — COMBAT RESOLUTION 』
Sources: Murder Drone N, Worker Drone Uzi
Combined Emotional Yield:
N — TRIUMPH: 45 EP
N — LOVE: 48 EP
N — GRATITUDE: 32 EP
N — PROTECTIVE SATISFACTION: 28 EP
Uzi — RELIEF: 24 EP
Uzi — RESPECT: 18 EP
Uzi — EMERGING AFFECTION: 21 EP
Uzi — GRATITUDE (for life-saving intervention): 35 EP
Total Combat Resolution Harvest: 251 EP
Current EP Balance: 957 EP
Total EP Accumulated: 1,253 EP
『 BOND EVOLUTION — Uzi 』
Bond with Worker Drone Uzi has evolved from DEVELOPING to STRONG.
Empathic Communication clarity with Uzi increased to 65%.
Note: Uzi's emotional barriers have significantly reduced following Host Entity's protective intervention during combat.
N swept me up in an embrace that, despite the strength his Murder Drone chassis possessed, remained perfectly gentle.
"You SAVED her," he said, his voice thick with emotion. "You saw J coming and you SAVED Uzi! And then you HELPED me when she was about to win! You're not just a good boy, Biscuit—you're a HERO!"
Pack, I projected, letting the concept carry all the meaning I wanted to convey. Pack protects pack.
"Pack protects pack," N repeated, as if tasting the words. "I LIKE that. That's our MOTTO now!"
Uzi approached, her railgun lowered, her expression carrying something I hadn't seen directed at me before—genuine respect.
"The dog," she said slowly, "pushed me out of the way. The dog saw J coming before I did and knocked me clear of her attack."
"I TOLD you he was SPECIAL!"
"Yeah." Uzi's optical sensors met mine, and something passed between us—an acknowledgment of debt, perhaps, or the recognition of a bond forged in shared danger. "Yeah, I'm starting to believe that."
She reached out one manipulator hand and, hesitantly, scratched behind my ears.
My tail wagged.
Some responses, I had decided, were simply non-negotiable.
『 SESSION COMPLETE — COMBAT ENCOUNTER RESOLVED 』
Hostile entities J and V: REPELLED (temporary)
Friendly casualties: NONE
EP earned this session: 957 EP spent, 251 EP earned in resolution
Current EP Balance: 957 EP
Enhancements active: Empathic Communication I, Emotional Intuition I, Comforting Presence I, Agility I, Speed I
Bonds: N (PROFOUND), Uzi (STRONG), Administrator Lara (NASCENT)
Warnings:
J and V have retreated but promised return with reinforcements
"Company response team" mentioned as future threat
Host Entity's anomalous nature has attracted corporate attention
Bunker security compromised; repair and reinforcement recommended
Recommendations:
Continue EP accumulation for further enhancement investment
Consider Durability I and Strength I for improved combat survival
Consider Pack Synthesis I to formalize multi-entity bond benefits
Develop emergency evacuation protocols for high-threat scenarios
『 STORY CONTINUES... 』