Vines and Wires

by Bisp

Summary:

Theta Alpha 1-7 is a lone ex-tech priest living in the depths of a hive city. After she faked her death she lives here hiding from those that would bring her forth. Her work of innovation is not appreciated by the higher ups in her former cult.

Little does she know that the world above her hab is about to be broken down and reforged by the affini, and she too will be remade.

Chapter 1: A Calm Day

“You’ll get your gun when you give me your payment.” I said calmly. Another half-wit ganger with ambitions to rise up the ranks.

 

“I told you! I already gave it to you!” he protested, I turned towards him from my work bench, rising from my stool and lowered my eyes to him. My oculus always sent some fear through these lowly types.

 

“What you gave me was not what I asked. I don’t ask for much you know, and yet you failed to even get me the proper parts and oils I requested. You even tried to counterfeit the oil by mixing in the machine oil with mineral oil as if I wouldn’t notice!” My anger at this pathetic man dripped from each of my words.

 

“Now, Drogent. Are you going to give me what you owe me, or are you going to leave empty handed?” I had unfurled before him, my twin mechadendrites leaning over my shoulder. This seemed to cow him for a moment, but I found it was an act just in time to grab the knife he thrust towards me. My twin mechadendrite arms caught it before it could even graze me, twisting his wrist until it audibly broke. He pulled away from me, screaming all the while.

 

“Please please please I’m sorry, look I’ll get the parts you want and extra just give me more time!” his pleading was most amusing. This was the most amount of fun I’ve had in a social interaction for the past two weeks.

 

“Certainly. I’m glad you’ve come to understand your place in our arrangement. You owe me. Simple as. There is no way you get your weapon without paying me. Now you also have to get medical treatment which likewise you will get from me. You are building quite a tab with me.” I said in my flat mechanical voice. He nodded his head vigorously, agreeing with me wholehearted.

 

“Good! We’ll get started then. You can hardly pay me back with your shattered wrist.”

 

I picked him up from off the ground and brought him further into my workshop. I’m not much of a doctor, but I have enough experience with the human body to fix this. The monotony of the job let me slip into thought. Another ganger too big for his boots. At this point it’s getting annoying… maybe killing them would send a stronger message. No, that would only bring others down on me and I’d rather not have to fight off the entire depths of this hive city, thank you very much. 

 

Drogent’s wrist was open in a spray of blood. I worked through the wreckage of what I had done, connecting ligaments, tissue, muscle, all back together. Fusing bones together where I cracked them, and then sealing the whole thing up. It was a swollen mess, and no doubt it hurt him. He was screaming like a banshee the whole time… oh right I forgot the anesthetics. Oh well! I gave him a cast and he could barely even look at me before he scampered off. Another satisfied customer! 

 

“Finally that fool is gone. Now back to work.” I returned to my work bench. A novel piece of technology sat upon my desk. A device capable of generating a stealth field! Such a technological innovation was not new, archeotech such as the cloaking array already existed but now I could make more of them! The cloaking array was limited in number, a relic of an age of man long since passed. My device was unstable, but the parts that oaf owes me should help stabilize it. This will stick it to those higher ups in the Cult Mechanicum. Shows them for fearing innovation! 

 

I can’t go back though, I’ve committed far too much tech heresy at this point. Good thing I already faked my death. Shame I have to make do with scrap parts on this rock called Moltova. I can’t even live in the good parts, just the underbelly of this world. That’s the price of my work though. Trading weapon making services and prosthetics for food and other supplies. It wasn’t much of a living, but I got by and got to continue my work. For the most part the gangers left me alone as I gave them a lot through trade. Still, it can be lonely. 

 

At least the world itself was safe. It would be hard to take an Imperial Guard recruiting world like this one. Though I guess the tyranids could manage it… I have to come up with a contingency plan for that.

 

The chronometer at the corner of my vision within my bright blue oculus flashed to grab my attention. Was it really that late already? Unfortunately I remained constrained by my biological components needing rest. Oh how I loathe this particular need. Sleep is such a waste of time. I have managed to change my sleep schedule so I sleep enough for the entire week as opposed to just for one day. I set the timer for my internal chronometer for about fifty six continuous hours. 

 

Now, time to lock up my house. I walked to the front door of my workshop and pulled the bar across it. I locked each of the seventy two locks that adorned the door and brought the blast shield down after it. You can never be too careful when it comes to these gangers, even if this is a tad over-kill for keeping them out. I reached the back of my shop, letting my weary body crash to my bed. My consciousness flickered and gave way to rest.

 

Chapter 2: First Contact

I awoke with a start, checking my chronometer I noted that only forty hours had passed. Something had woken me up… my query as to what awoke me was quickly answered by the banging at my cast iron front door. Who in the name of the Omnissiah could be knocking on my door with such vigor?

 

“THETA PLEASE SAVE ME THEY’RE GOING TO GET ME” And who else could it be but Drogent waking me up, and I severely doubt he has the parts I sent him for. I rose from my bed and grabbed my galvanic rifle. I checked the chamber, just to be safe. Yep, all the bullets were accounted for. 

 

“PLEASE, THETA I’LL DO WHATEVER YOU WANT, GET YOU ALL THE PARTS YOU COULD EVER WANT PLEASE JUST SAVE M-” And nothing followed save the rustling of leaves.

 

I moved towards the door of my workshop, but Drogent’s yelling had stopped, and now he was… deathly silent. A scream or a gurgling of blood I could understand. But sheer silence was beyond deafening. I had no clue as to what was on the other side of my door, and a lack of knowledge now more than ever haunted me.

 

“Oh, is there another one of you cuties on the other side of this door? Why thank you for telling me!” That bastard! Had he ratted me out to the cult Mechanicum? No, non-sense. They’d not take him seriously. And that voice was unlike anything I'd heard out of them, and Drogent was most certainly unconscious or dead at this point…

 

“Come out cutie, or I’ll have to break down this door of yours!” the feminine voice spoke casually about the matter. Whatever this was, getting through my door was going to be impossi-

 

She crashed against the door, and several locks already popped from the place, clattering against the blast door. Oh no. I didn’t have much time. Scattering I grabbed things that I could easily carry and would be helpful. I donned my old mechanicus robes in a flurry of mechadendrite movement. I put my experimental cloaking unit into my hands for use and kept my rifle slung over my shoulder. Adrenaline flowing through my organic components kept me focused on my task of survival. 

 

I backed into a corner of my front shop and as the blast door came crashing down to the floor I activated my cloaking device. I inspected my hand and found it invisible. Excellent, now hopefully whatever beast has found its way here would just let me slip right by it.

 

“Such a shame I had to knock down your door! You can still surrender and everything will be okay!” Its silhouette was horrifying. It was a giant woman that barely managed to crouch through the doorway! As she entered then I saw the vines and the glowing eyes. This was no woman… It was a monster. 

 

I held my breath as the woman invited herself in, walking casually across the shattered remains of what was my door.

 

“Come on out, little Terran! I know you’re in here! Theta, was it?” Drogent you fucking idiot, you gave them my name… then I spotted Drogent tangled up in her vines. Unconscious or dead… that was the question and I didn’t want to wait around and find the answer. She swept deeper and deeper into my hab, but I was in the entryway. I slipped through the front door and out into the passageways of the hive city. 

 

Out of the low light of my workshop I could work to avoid that in future. I had no idea if I could even kill that thing… better to go find someone who could manage. But most likely that will end up with me being killed too. I’ll probably keep it to myself then.

 

As I peered into the darkness of my workshop, I turned away to escape, noticing only more of these same creatures. Oh no, they were everywhere… In the light I could see them far easier. Each of them stood several heads taller than me. Plant matter, vines, flowers, and bark made up their bodies. They tried to force themselves into a human form but only managed a vague mockery of it. 

 

Wrapped in the vines of each of these xenos were the forms of humans, each dead or unconscious and the constant uncertainty kept me on my toes. They passed by my hab and called out to the one within in some language I couldn’t begin to understand. She emerged from the hab and joined them. Shit, well I guess Moltova has fallen to these xenos. Good thing I grabbed my robes, they should help me sneak off planet on some escape shuttle, should they even bother with that.

 

I started off down a separate hall when my cloaking device failed. With a crackling sound of electricity and a long droning sound to follow. Damnit Machine Spirit. I didn’t even want to breathe. I turned my head slowly to look behind me, silently begging to the Machine God that none of them heard that. 

 

Two blue eyes stared back at me. Silently watching me. It was the one that broke into my hab and tried to capture me. 

 

“Hello there, little Terran! I’m Fabaceae Lipins, Second Bloom she/h-” She didn’t finish before I started sprinting away down the hallway. I was blessed by the Omnissiah that my legs carried me farther and faster than any human could normally, but it proved not enough. Just as I rounded the corner it's vines wrapped around my right arm. I disconnected it in a heartbeat, luckily this stunned the beast for a few seconds so I could get more distance. Good thing I am left handed. 

 

“A clever trick but you won’t escape that easily!” it was close on my heels again, this time it's vines wrapped around my legs. Shit, I can’t exactly drop those. I tumbled to the ground as it started pulling me back towards it. I turned over to face it as it pulled me back towards itself, un-shouldering my rifle and aiming it with my left hand held aloft. I fired as many shots as I could without letting the recoil break my wrist into several pieces. The pulling stopped as I finished firing. I had done it!

 

A vine wrapped around the rifle, pulling it swiftly from my hand. The shock hadn’t quite set it until I was held up by dozens of the same vines and eye level with the predator that had chased me down.

 

“My my, petal. You shouldn’t play with such dangerous toys” It’s musical voice danced in my skull, it would be artful were it not so terrifying. 

 

“As I was saying, my name is Fabaceae Lipins, Second bloom, she/her pronouns! Your lucky world is the first to be domesticated in this galaxy!” Somehow her words were more terrifying than the chase.

 

“Domestication?! What do you even mean by that!?” I tried to sound confident, but my fear bled into my words. Clearly they were intending to use us for labor. That wouldn’t be so bad if I didn’t have to work with the rest of these oafs… maybe my talents will earn me a spot away from physical labor. 

 

“Well it means we’re going to take care of you! You’re going to be loved and cared for. You seem to have had a tough life with all those missing limbs of yours… how about we get you back to your new home?” These xenos had something even worse than mandatory labor… if it took me I was going to be turned into a pet! I struggled and thrashed, trying to break from the plant, but the effort would never be fruitful. Its vines had a vise grip all over my body, there was no escape. A needle passed by my vision, dripping with a purple fluid. 

“What is that?!” I yelled, genuine terror running through my body.

 

“Just a bit of Class E and Z, we’ll calm you down so that we can take you back home! Just as soon as I find some skin… there isn’t a lot that isn’t mechanical, is there?” I squirmed and writhed in her vines, but to no avail. In the sharp focus the adrenaline in my body caused I felt the prick of the plant’s needle. Immediately calm and sleepiness took over my mind.

 

“Yeah… well there’d be lessifIcouldmanagethat…” I blacked out. I guess this was my answer as to whether or not those people wrapped in vines were dead.

 

Chapter 3: It

Reality faded back in slowly. Blessedly, the lights were dimmed in my room. Ah good, it had all been a dream. Which is strange because I stopped dreaming five years ago as it is a waste of time and energy. I lifted my head up to look around my room, immediately noticing that it was very much not my room. By the Omnissiah it wasn’t a dream. 

 

I sat up in this absurdly large bed to take in my surroundings. Every wall was giant as were the chairs, dressers, and so on. It was less like the prison cell that I expected and more like an ordinary room. It felt like the room was sized for a custodes, but still just a room.. I moved to rise myself from the bed, but my right arm was still very much missing. I guess my captors hadn’t bothered to reattach it. I had no clue how long I had to myself, and determined to make the most of it I slipped off the bed. The mystery as to where my right arm was located was easily solved as it sat on the dresser next to my resting spot. Attaching it once more I sought a way out.

 

The xenos relied more on you breaking yourself down than they did on doing it themselves, or at least that’s what my old teacher had said. The xenos was a mentally weak and spiritually inferior being to humanity, and thus they needed humanity to break itself. 

 

There was not a scrap of material that could be useful in any way throughout the room. That would figure, as I’m sure those plant xenos would want someone like me to struggle and thrash against the mental prison they were building around me. I knelt down towards where the wall and floor met and started to dig into it. They could hardly expect their prisoners to start digging out from their confinement so swiftly! 

 

The door to my cell opened and in stepped my captor and another of its vile kind. This time rather than flowers the xenos was mossy and coated in a soft green blanket. They caught me in my escape attempt and no doubt planned on punishing me, so I acted swiftly and rushed them, attempting to knock them out so I could escape.

 

“Awww she’s digging a little hole!” my captor said, vines swirled around me and my limbs were held in place. My feet no longer felt the ground beneath them as I was raised up. Its blue eyes stared into mine as it started speaking again.

 

“Looks like she was trying to escape through the floor or something. Such a silly sophont!” it poked my nose with the tip of a vine as it carried me around. I tried to bite it, but it was faster than me by far.

 

“Oh is she? I should have expected something like that… She’s not exactly cooperative.” the other one spoke up from behind my captor. 

 

“Hi, I’m Thuidum Tamiscum, fifth bloom, he/they pronouns. I’m a xenoveterinarian aboard the Hyaline which you are now aboard! So, uh, welcome aboard.” it said again. I was barely paying attention to a word either of them were saying. 

 

“Unhand me at once! Let me return to my work and you can then crawl back to whatever Hel you emerged from!” I struggled against the vines of the one that held me captive. It smiled unto me, thorns for teeth forming a row just behind its mouth.

 

“Honey, I don’t think we can very well do that! You’ve proven yourself to be a danger to yourself and… what is the word in Terran? Otters? A danger to yourself and otters!” I stared blankly at it. I knew xenos were intellectually inferior… but this one was simply stupid.

 

“It’s ‘others’, Fabaceae.” the other corrected.

 

“Well she might be a danger to otters!” the other insisted. I could barely tolerate even listening to these two.

 

“If you two xenos are going to torture me could you start already? Listening to the inane ramblings of you monsters is starting to get onto my nerves!” This gave them pause. 

 

“Honey, we’re not going to torture you! I thought I told you when I subdued you. And we’re not monsters, we’re affini!” The one with flowers in its hair spoke softly to me, and the other one nodded along. 

 

“We’re not going to harm you, things are only going to get better for you, petal.” The mossy one said over the shoulder of the first one.

 

“Then why else would you bother taking me from my home? Hmm? The only reason anyone would ever do that is to harm me, and especially if it was filthy xenos like the lot of you!” The one holding me sighed and patted my head. I tried to fight against it, but so tangled in its vines I was unable to.

 

“What a scared little thing you are… Thuidum, she’s cleared to leave, yes?” It turned away from me and towards its fellow who nodded to it.

“Ah! Good, now let’s get you back to your new home.” The statement was directed towards me. What blood I had turned to ice in my veins as I shouted into my vox-caster a series of swears in binary that these xenos had no way of understanding.

 

It departed with me in hand, snaking through the hallways of the ship going towards its hab unit. I do not want to imagine what kinds of torture takes place there. I struggled against the vines that held me to it as we moved throughout the ship, but it still wouldn’t budge even a single inch of space, and the struggling had even started to bend the metal of my arms and legs out of shape. I was helpless in the grip of this alien, and it wasn’t likely to get better.

 

“And here we are, my lovely Floret!” its voice rang out into the room as it sat me down onto the comically large couch. The room was spacious, clearly designed with these disgusting beasts in mind. I wanted to struggle. I wanted to run, to sprint as far away as I could but I knew that I’d have to be smarter than that. Plants and vine snaked around the room and flowered up and down the walls. A typical display of the ostentatious tastes that the xenos had. Disgusting.

 

“Never refer to me as that again. That or what that other thing called me. It called me petal, is that correct?” It finally let me go which was a nice change from my constantly entrapped state.

 

“Yes he called you petal! It’s just a cute little name we like to call cute little sophonts like yourself!” Omnissiah, its tone was grating against my ears. “And please refer to people by their names from now on! And also by their pronouns, that’s very important too!” It was speaking to me like a child!

“I will do no such thing!” I shouted into my vox-caster. “You and all your ilk can only do one good thing for the galaxy and that is die.” I shouldn’t be saying this, I should be keeping it to myself and acting on it later but… I could not just leave well enough alone.

 

“Ah, well a lot of that will need to be worked on later, but how about we just make you… more respectful to others. I mean, respecting pronouns and names is not that much to ask, is it?” my voice rose in my throat, but was dead before it arrived. It held my face towards its own, and its blue eyes locked with mine again. I felt paralyzed, not with fear, but with some strange set of other emotions I could not begin to process. 

 

“You will refer to the affini as people. You will use their pronouns. You will use their names. Am I understood?” The words echoed in my skull, bouncing around and sticking deep within my psyche. I was transfixed, I couldn’t have said no if I wanted to. Fabaceae was in my head! I couldn’t even call her what she was anymore! 

 

“Say my name, Theta. Go on and say it!” she beckoned me, her vines holding my face in place. I couldn’t refuse as her mind burrowed into mine.

 

“Fabaceae! Your name is Fabaceae…” I managed to squeak out of my vox-caster. I had shrunk back into the couch subconsciously, trying to struggle away from her. 

 

Somehow, I would have felt better if she had just tortured me rather than that.

Chapter 4: Dinner and a Show

Summary:

Theta finally gets some good food for once in her life.

I was still in shock. The affini had spoken to me, stared into my eyes, and now I could no longer refer to her or any of them as affini, I mean affini! I mean! That word that starts with x! I couldn’t even say it in my thoughts now.

 

Omnissiah, why couldn’t I have just managed to escape earlier?! Now I’m trapped here while this… affini insists on giving me a tour of her home! At least she let me use my own legs (as long as I behave, as she put it). 

 

“Over here is the compiler! I bet someone  interested in innovation and technology would be fascinated by it!” her face gave its best attempt at a wink and managed merely to blink both eyes at the same time. I gave up yelling, calling her names, or even physically struggling now. She could clearly shatter my mind asunder whenever she felt like it so it’s best not to anger her.

 

“Do you want to see how it works, Theta?” She encouraged, vine wrapping around me. Omnissiah, this was humiliating.

 

“‘The only will of the Machine Spirit is that of the Omnissian technologies,

for the Xenos will deceive you and tempt you, but you will not falter, for you are a Priest.’” Oh good, I could say xenos generally. Hopefully that puts a stop to whatever tour she’s giving me.

 

“I thought I got rid of that word from your vocabulary! Don’t call me a xenos, please.” she sounded genuinely hurt by what I said. What kind of imbecile was I dealing with?

 

“I was speaking generally. It’s a quote from a religious text. There are other xenos in the galaxy and broadly speaking their technology is just as heretical as yours!” Her vines rubbed my head like one might a pet, which I suppose I am to these affini.

 

“Ohhhh It’s a religious thing! I understand now. Sorry about that, we don’t have to do that right away but you’ll have to get used to the technology sometime or another!” she pulled me up into her vines, my thrashing was muted compared to before, but still just as fruitless.

 

“Just tell me something you like to eat and we can generate it instantly! You won’t even have to touch the compiler, I’ll do that for you!” She makes me want to scream out in frustration every time I have the misfortune of sharing the same air as her. 

 

“Fine, if you insist. I normally subsist off of corpse starch. It is a food source that contains all of the vital nutrients for my biological components.” I said with a flat voice. Her vines stopped for a moment, and she turned to me. She looked me in the eyes again, and I closed mine. I was such a coward I couldn’t even look her in the eyes.

 

“Honey, my Terran isn’t the best, but my understanding is that ‘corpse’ refers to the deceased remains of a terran, yes?” she asked as concern leaked into her voice. 

 

“Yes of course! What else do you think such a large structure would do with the mass of bodies that pile up each day? They are ground up, mixed with other additives such as algae, and then they are canned for consumption.” Such a simple fact of our lives was unknown to her. It was embarrassing for her if anything.

 

“Theta. That is one of the most distressing things I have ever heard out of a sophont. Are you okay?” Pity suffused her words. I opened my eyes to look at her, concern flashed across her face. Okay? Of course I was! I was fine in my workshop, alone, tinkering all day.

 

“Of course I am! I was perfectly fine before you kidnapped me from my home!” anger spouted out of me though I had sworn off it. Of course I was fine. Of course I am.

 

“Petal, there was nothing fine about the way you were living! You were living in some of the worst conditions I’ve seen for any sophont! I’ve been on a lot of those rescue missions to help capture you unruly little feralists, but that housing… that environment was atrocious!” her vines sat me down at the table she had at the center of the room which is what I could assume to be a kitchen. I didn’t bother fighting as I sat comfortably onto a chair that was far too big for me, clearly sized for someone more like herself. 

 

“Everything was fine… I was fine.” I said quietly. In response she let out a sigh. 

 

“I see you have some learning to do, petal.”

 

She stood at the compiler and started entering in some commands idly with her vines. Looking at her from behind I could actually look at her without fear of her scrambling my brain again. She was made of vines all up and down her body, bark provided a shell along her body making her seem more solid than she was. Her form was delightfully curvaceous and colorful. Lupines, I believe those are; a flower from Terra herself a long time ago. They adorned her body, but most were intertwined at the back of her head to create a waterfall of blues, purples, and pinks. I’d find her almost pretty were I not being held by her against my will. 

 

She turned back to face me, a plate of food in hand. She sat it down before me and on it was a spread of food so fabulous that it shocked me. Potatoes cooked carefully, meats prepared with seasoning, and vegetables arranged around the plate with a sauce covering them. She clearly saw how taken aback I was as she started speaking again.

 

“Are you pleased, petal?” she said, her sonorous voice drew me away from the food. She smiled, if that thorned grin could be called such. Omnissiah she was staring at me again. Her eyes were not becoming less uncanny… 

 

“Y-yeah it’s actually really good. But I have to ask.” I paused, for a moment, collecting my own thoughts. Why was she doing this? What does she want? “Why are you doing this at all? I mean, why give me food that I could only dream of? This must have been incredibly expensive. Is this a bribe?” I turned back to look at her only to find her smile was even wider than before. This was followed by uproarious laughter. Her bark creaked, her body rattled, and most of all her leaves rustled. 

 

“Oh petal . I know you’re new and you’ve come from a difficult area, but c’mon, I’m not trying to bribe you with food! I want to care for you! No, I will care for you! And besides, none of this cost me anything, you little cutie. We don’t even have money! Isn’t that great?” She picked up the knife and fork with a set of smaller vines and cut up a portion of the meat on the plate. Another vine tapped on my jaw as she held up the slice of meat in the fork.

 

“Say ‘ahhhh’ my dear!” she said, looking on expectantly. I, being a self respecting member of my species, refused to open my mouth to be fed in such a fashion. Her thorny smile turned to a frown as she saw I wasn’t planning on opening my mouth.

 

“Come on now. You don’t want me to open your cute little mouth myself, do you?” she said, practically whispering into my ear. She was right, that would have only been more humiliating. Reluctantly I moved my vox caster out of the way and opened my mouth. She slipped the cut of meat into my waiting jaw and tapped me again with a vine to prompt me to close it. 

 

I was loath to admit it, but it tasted better than anything I’d ever eaten. I was so used to eating the food scraps of society that the concept of food tasting like anything but rancid trash was an alien concept. Yet, here I was being delicately fed the best food I’d ever tasted by a giant plant. Omnissiah, this was a strange turn of events. She continued feeding me like this, a tap to open, a tap to close, and a tap to swallow. It was embarrassing, but I eventually got into the rhythm of it. It was actually relaxing all things considered. The food itself was utterly magnificent. The meat was perfectly cooked, and the vegetables were perfectly coated in that excellent sauce that I couldn’t even begin to describe. 

 

The plate was empty at last and I felt more full than I had in ages, though not to the point of discomfort. She put the plates and utensils back into the compiler and suddenly they were gone. Heretical this technology may be, it still is fascinating. Maybe I’ll take it apart when she’s not looking… 

 

She swept me up in her vines again, caressing me gently all around my body as she moved me again. She lifted me up so that she could sit at the table too, setting me down in her lap like some sort of child. 

 

“Are you full, darling?” she asked. Her musical voice was so calming as she held me in her lap. Omnissiah what was wrong with me?! I’m just letting this affini take control! I needed to think of escaping, but for now I’ll play along. 

 

“Yes, and it was rather good too.” I said through my vox caster. Her vines grew tighter as she hugged me with joy. 

 

“Excellent! And I’m glad everything was to your liking.” She said with a smile. Good, she was at least accepting my acquiescence at face value. That was until a vine moved in front of my face bearing a flower with a needle in its center. The fluid dripped from it as it sat still in front of me.

 

“W-what’s that for?” I asked nervously. I didn’t want to imagine what it was. Was it a sleeping drug like she gave me before? I shrunk back from it, sinking further into her body. Maybe it’s a drug to melt my mind into a helpless pet or something like that…

 

“What’s wrong, petal? Afraid of needles?” There was no remorse in her voice, no sadness, no concern. Instead, smugness dripped from her words. 

 

“Y-yes!” I shrieked, though it was a total lie.

 

“Then we’ll do this quickly.” her needle moved from my sight in an instant followed by a sting in my neck. It was gone in a moment and the pain subsided. I hardly felt any different which only served to make me more on edge.

 

“What was in that?” I asked, my hand reaching to the site of injection. The pain didn’t even spark when I touched it. I guess that’s the affini for you, even their needles don’t hurt that badly.

 

“Just some class D xenodrugs my beloved little Theta! It’s just to assure you’re a little more honest with me, petal.” She laughed to herself, drawing me up into herself in a hug. “Let’s give it a test, shall we? What’s your favourite color?” She asked me. What? Why would she want to know that? And a truth drug? Does she really expect me to believe that?

 

“My favourite color is purple.” Why did I say that? I guess it’s not that important of a question but still-

 

“Do you find me pretty?” she cut my thoughts off and I answered automatically.

 

“Yes.” Why did I say that?! I needed to stop myself before I said anything else embarrassing.

 

“Aww! That’s so cute! We’ve hardly known each other for a day and you already have a crush on me. That’s good! Such a good floret!” Her bubbly demeanor clashing with her removing any verbal blocks was terrifying. I reached up to remove my vox caster but my hand was pulled back to my side.

 

“Ah ah ah! I want to ask you more questions, Theta petal.” No no no! Please stop asking me questions!

 

“Are you planning on making an escape attempt?” 

 

“Yes! I was thinking about it but I hadn’t planned anything yet except maybe taking the compiler apart to learn how it works before I leave. Omnissiah why did I say that?! Please stop asking me questions!” I was shaking in her vines at this point, whatever question she asked I had to answer. This was more power than even the inquisitors held. She never needed to bribe me, she could get whatever information she wanted out of me nearly at will. 

“That’s no good, petal. I’ll just have to keep you with me for now until I can trust you to behave. I’d hate for you to hurt yourself trying to leave. We’ll get this nasty feralist behavior out of you eventually, but for now you’re with me all the time!” Her joy was equally matched with my terror. 

 

“Now petal, I have a question that might be a bit more delicate than the others. Why do you have so many artificial limbs and components?” 

 

“Because I despise the flesh. My religion, the Cult Mechanicum, believes that the flesh is fallible, weak, and impure. In order to correct this we remove parts of our body and replace them with the Omnissiah’s gifts. It is through the Machine God we find salvation.” At this point my explanation would normally be finished, but my mouth acting on its own continued: “And personally I’ve always hated my body. It was born in the masculine form, and I have rectified it through my religious worship. It still bears many of those markers, but I hope to get rid of them in due time.” That’s something I barely admit to myself, let alone some affini captor!

 

“If that’s your goal then I’m sure I can help with that! You’re going to be such a lovely floret, my sweet Theta.” 

 

I still wish I had that bomb in my chest I implanted in case the Cult Mechanicus found me so that I could escape this current nightmare.

 

 

Chapter 5: Bathtime

This sophont was going to be a challenging one, but that just makes it more fun to see them turn into an adorable little pet. As an engineer I also found her particularly fascinating. Theta belonged to a human cult that believed that metal and machinery was better than flesh and wanted to become machinery, how interesting! Though the way she was going about it was all wrong. Slowly removing part by part like this was crude, adorable, but crude. 

 

“And here is your room!” I said as I guided Theta through my hab. It was so cute the way she scowled at everything I showed her. She was mostly machine, her arms and legs removed to make way for metal arms with pneumatic systems to replace muscles. A simple design but effective! Several organs had been replaced with mechanical parts according to Thuidum. In place of her left eye was a great blue replacement oculus that remained unblinking. 

 

“My room is back on Moltova. It would be most gracious of you to return me there.” she said in her robotic voice. Everbloom, she’s so cute! She still hasn’t figured out that she’s staying here yet.

 

“Honey, that was a workshop! You slept on a dozen cardboard boxes all stacked on top of each other… but here you have a nice big bed!” I picked her up in my vines and plopped her down onto the bed. She looked so small on it, and what I could see of her face was twisted into a pensive expression. Adorable!

 

“Don’t give me that look! I know you’ll love it once you have a good night's sleep in it!” This assurance did not ease her at all. “Besides, we’ll have to give you a bath before you get into bed, no?” 

 

“Oh you are NOT giving me a bath. I will tolerate many things but that- HEY” She was so cute when she was protesting. My vines wrapped around her, pulling her into my chest. She struggled and thrashed as she always did, it’s better to give them the room to struggle otherwise they might hurt themselves!

 

“But honey, I am giving you a bath! I had it running while we were having our little tour around the hab! It’s got some nice bubbles in it so you can have all sorts of fun.” Her whining and struggling didn’t seem to stop at the promise of a bubble bath, which is a shame. The bathroom’s door lay ahead and it parted with a touch of my vine on it. This room alone was almost as big as Theta’s workshop. The bath must have looked like a pool to her!

 

“Okay, time to get those robes off of you!” my vines snaked around her and pulled the robe from her body. I kept her aloft with only a few of my vines holding her from under her arms. She was a cute thing without her clothes, dirty to be sure, but cute! Her limbs were more complex than what was seen in the Accord, actuators, pistons and gears all working in perfect tandem to move the arm around. Despite Theta appearing to be practicality oriented it still bore a finished quality that only served to make it look more human. The metal was pressed in and made to adhere to the shape of a human arm, then polished to a perfect finish. While the device was crude by Compact standards, I could not help but be taken in by the effort that went into its design. The legs too shared many of the same features, but were far shapelier. They gave the impression of large hips and each leg had rather large thighs on them. 

 

Much of her biological form was still intact around the torso, though pieces of metal occasionally jutted out from her, likely designed as receivers for signals or as parts of other systems. It was hard to say from the outside, but one thing stood out.

 

The piece of metal that made no sense to me was the metal straight on her chest. It looked like it was supposed to be a pair of breasts but only were made of metal. It was by far the most crude part of her prostheses. It was attached at about the same point as her arms, but barely. 

 

“Honey? Have you been using this metal as a breast form?” I looked her in the eye, though she tried to avert her gaze from me.

 

“Yes! Why else would it be there? If I could have managed it I would have replaced my entire torso but I didn’t have the materials to do that in the hive city, now did I?” I touched a nerve again it seems. 

 

“Now would you please stop staring at me and just put me in the bath already? If you’re going to do it just do it already.” She’s asking for it? Well that’s a good change of pace.

 

“I was just admiring the craftsmanship of your prosthetics! They are marvelously crafted and truly beautiful.” A flushed look came across her face as she looked back to me for a moment, then remembering her resistance, she looked away again. She only needed a few pushes before she became a wonderful floret, that much was clear.

 

“And as you insist, into the bath you go!” I lowered her slowly into the bath. It was shoulder depth for her, the bubbles fluffing up into her face as she glared up from the water to me. I am so glad that she waterproofed her electrical components before I adopted her! I couldn’t help myself and pet my vines across her head, this only made the glare more intense.

 

“I hate you.” she said through her voice box and the bubbles. This only made me pet her much more. How could a feralist sophont be so incredibly cute?! Though notably the water was turning a much darker shade around Theta, even as she sat still. Running another vine over her nude body I knocked even more dirt and oil off of her. The brown and black of the water growing like a cloud.

 

“Theta petal, when was your last bath?” 

 

“I don’t know. I don’t take them regularly so it might have been months ago.” Unacceptable! Unacceptable! Unacceptable! How could she go so long without bathing- No, calm down, don’t get upset at her. Maybe she just didn’t have the opportunity to regularly.

 

“Is it because you didn’t have access to it down there?” Good, yes, just ask her if it was because she couldn’t! 

 

“No. I just think it’s a waste of time when I could be doing other things.” ..WHAT?!

 

“THETA, you can NOT go without cleaning yourself! That’s like the basis of self-care! Self-care basics!” I had lowered myself into the bath to be eye level with her now, vines scrubbing down every inch of her body to clean her. How could she be like this?

 

“Self-care? Sounds like a bunch of nonsense and heretical tripe.” This floret was about to make me do some very un-affini-like things. 

 

“I see now that your domestication was even more required than I thought at its outset…” A vine wrapped around a bottle of shampoo (with class A mixed in). A squirt onto her head and some rubs brought the solution to a full set of suds. She was so cute with hair full of soap.

 

“Nonsense! I am perfectly fine to be by myself…” as I worked the shampoo into her hair she started to lean more into my vine without even noticing. She whimpered as another vine stroked her midriff and the sound pulled her out of it.

 

“H-Hey! What do you think you’re doing?!” she shouted, trying to pull away from my vines. Silly petal… it was too late for that!

 

“Just giving you a bit of fun time in the bath, my dearest and most lovely floret by the name of Theta Lipins, First Floret!” I added even more vines to the collection caressing her body oh so gently and her whimpers turned to moans in mere seconds. The coat of grime on her waded off her body and filled the bathtub but in doing so revealed the beautiful floret waiting underneath. Her resistance turned to nothing as she leaned into my vines, pleasure overwhelming her senses. Her eyes fluttered, her voice soared, and her body tensed and relaxed with the ebbs and flows of my vines over her skin, my word what a beautiful dance this was. But the dance was with purpose, each stroke of a vine wiped off a bit more of the grime, and the pets along her head brought water to her hair to remove the soap. What was greasy and tangled gave way to a beautiful waterfall of raven black hair that came down to shoulder length with a bit of brushing through it. I could hardly contain myself as I lovingly cared for her. Each of her little noises only drove me to touch her more and more. I couldn’t wait until she begged for this day after day.

 

She was an adorable little sophont now, but I wonder what she’ll want for herself in time for her body. I doubt this rough skin was what she wanted in the long run, and as much as I was impressed by them I certainly wasn’t going to let her keep her current arms and legs. No, she’d need proper affini made limbs! Or maybe she’d want to grow them back? Oh! Maybe full digitisation! So many possibilities for this little sophont to come into her own. 

 

Another dousing of water and she was clean from head to toe. Pulling her out from the bath she moaned as her weight pushed down against my vines, how cute! Sitting with her in my lap as I carefully dried each inch of her body with nearly a dozen towels was the cutest thing as she nearly was coming to her senses from her haze of pleasure.

 

“W-What just happened?” she asked, genuinely confused and blushing profusely. Sophonts coming down from their first class A dose always had that same look to them. 

 

“Oh nothing much, just a bit of class A shampoo and a bit of cuddling! You can expect that a lot of the time.” she squirmed in my lap, trying to get away again. 

 

“Don’t you DARE do that to me again!” she yelled, though it was hard to take such a request seriously coming from such a blushing cutie who minutes earlier was desperately trying to reach up into my vines for even more attention.

 

“It’s okay that you’re mad at me, but you’ll get used to this routine! Just being a cute floret will fit you well, Theta Lipins, First Floret~” I said, kissing her head.

“THAT IS NOT MY NAME.” She shouted, trying to scratch me with her metallic hands, though doing a poor job.

 

“It is now! Now I need to get you a cute collar and some cute clothes. But for now, bed time!” I carried her from the bathroom and into the bedroom. Maybe in time I’ll give her a room of her own, but for now it’s important that she cuddles up next to me each night as I want my biorhythm to be buried in her mind. While I don’t have a full wardrobe yet I did get an adorable night robe for her! It’s light, flowy, and has a bunch of lupines all over it! Slipping it over her head I sat her on the bed to admire the sight. 

 

“... I hate every part of this.” she grumbled, looking away. 

 

“I know, petal. But you’ll come to love it! Now come on and cuddle up to me.” I slithered into the bed that dwarfed my lovely Theta. Slipping under the blanket I lifted her to my side, cuddling her like a plushie.

 

“Eck! I won’t come to enjoy this. I’ll get away from here eventually.” she said in her robotic voice, and even as she said that I couldn’t help but notice her sinking into me of her own volition. 

 

“Goodnight, petal~” I whispered in her ear, lowering the lights in the room until only dim illumination remained.

Chapter 6: Wardrobe and Workshop

Summary:

TW: Panic attack in lower part of the story. A horizontal line marks where it starts and ends!

I awoke to my “owner” in a panic, worried and frantic, but my open eyes soothed her. She released a big sigh of relief as she stroked my face.

 

“Everbloom, I thought you were dead! You slept so deeply that I could hardly wake you up!” She fretted over me, quite literally. Her form towered over me as I laid in bed. What a fool. Doesn’t she know I sleep on a timer?

 

“What is it, plant? I barely got nine out of my normal fifty-six hours of sleep. You only got me to wake up because of my emergency wake function. Now is something wrong or can I go back to sleep?” I grumbled, barely awake. I pulled the blanket over me and settled in for sleep again only to have the blanket removed from my grasp entirely. I looked up and of course the plant had it.

 

“If you’re feeling alright then, you can get out of bed! Terrans only need about eight to nine hours of sleep nightly, so you’ve had plenty! No more of your fifty-six hours of sleeping anymore!” The cheer in her voice was nauseating, and the fact that she was going to reduce my efficiency because she ‘felt’ like it was better for me was inane. Her vines swept me up in a now familiar carry. She sat me down in the kitchen again, the same comically large chair letting me sink into it.

 

At least for now these conditions were tolerable. While having a doting affini caring for me is not ideal at least it isn’t violent torture. Besides, it would only be temporary. Certainly a recruitment world like Moltova being captured would garner a response from the Astra Militarum and the only possible reply to such an invasion would be swift and destructive to the foe. That should only take a week at most and then I’m free once more.

 

The only concern is that the affini might be taking humans as shields. Filling their ships with human captives would certainly make the Guard hesitant about striking said vessels. Though what an enormous cost to take onto oneself just for deterrence…

I got lost in thought and in the meantime the affini had placed food down in front of me. Some disks of flattened material soaked in some thick brown sludge. I looked up at her, perturbed. Did I only get one good meal and now it’s only rations? “I’m sorry, what is this?”

 

“They’re pancakes, my silly girl! I thought they were common for terrans… oh well. Other terrans really like them so I bet you will!” She grabbed a knife and a fork, cutting a piece of one of these ‘pancakes’ to feed to me. I opened my mouth as she tapped my jaw, letting the fragment of the disk onto my tongue. She tapped again and I closed my jaw. To my shock it was rather sweet tasting, or at least the fluid atop it was. The disk itself was fluffy and light, tasting like buttery bread and was oh so tasty. I swallowed it down after chewing it. 

 

“Soooo how does it taste, my precious Theta?” oh right, she was still here…

 

“It tasted good. I thought you had given me rations at first.” she patted my head once again though the gesture grated less against my ego each time it happened. This is only temporary… this is only temporary…

“Rations? Petal, I don’t think any affini would give their floret rations for no reason like this. You’ll get all the yummy food you can eat and all the cuddles you deserve!” Her vines brought another piece of the breakfast up to my mouth which I took in without resistance. This would be a lot better were I able to feed myself and not have this affini around all the time, but it will do for now. 

 

Breakfast was quick from there as it was hard to chat as the plant automatically put food into my mouth and then prompted me to shut it again over and over. The pancakes were rather good, certainly a step up from corpse starch. The glass of fruit juice she got for me too was impeccable and far superior to Moltova’s water (not that such a feat was difficult).

 

Her vines wrapped around me in a way I was growing strangely accustomed to. As she lifted me from the chair in the kitchen I didn’t even bother to struggle. She set me down onto the couch again, lowering herself to my height to be face to face.

 

“Theta petal, I have two lovely gifts for you today. Do you want the one you’ll like or the one you’ll LOVE first?” She said in her sickly saccharine tone. I bet I’ll hate both. Fine, let’s get this over with.

 

“I’ll see the one I’ll ‘like’ first.” I bet it’s something awful, so better to start with the least terrible option. It was probably some terrible form of humiliation that these plants loved to inflict upon me. Omnissiah be with me, I will escape.

 

She lowers me down onto the ground and beckons for me to follow. I begrudgingly do. Towards the bedroom she walks with me lingering just behind her. The door was still jarringly large for me, but I suppose I’ve only been here a day. These affini were truly towering in height. In the bedroom nothing seems to have changed from yesterday and I cocked my one eyebrow at her because of this.

 

“This is the same bedroom. Nothing’s changed!” 

 

“Not nothing, petal. I’ve got new clothes for you!” Oh. That’s what she’s gotten for me. She reached into a container too far off the floor for me to see what was inside and brought out what looked like tech priest robes, but only different in design. It was bright purple instead of the stately red that it normally was, and in place of the gears that circled the edge of the robe there was a snaking plant that had blooms of blue, pink, and white. It was ridiculous. 

 

“I am not wearing that!” I shouted, pointing an accusatory finger at her and the robe. Her face looked saddened as I did.

 

“That’s a shame, petal. I tried to make it more similar to your old robes than other design ideas I had to keep you comfortable during this transition period, but I guess even this is too much… may I ask why?” Her feelings almost seemed hurt by my refusal… but still I cannot wear that! But why?

 

“I guess I wouldn’t feel… right in it? Maybe it’s… I guess it’s too feminine.” I think that’s the truth at least.

 

“Oh yes, gender dysphoria. I did need to talk to you about that.” Gender dis-what? What’s the plant talking about now?

 

“You know we can help with it, that discomfort you feel around your more… masculine aspects. We could eliminate your need for that metal breast form too. You could have breasts of your own instead!” She tempted, surely that was not possible.

 

I mean even if it was, what was the point in accepting the offer? I was just going to remove this flesh in due time and be far away from here as soon as I am able. I mean, getting rid of this metal plate does sound appealing… but only because it’s irritating! When I am fully machine and only have the barest amount of flesh left none of this will matter. 

 

She stared at me intently. Oh right she was expecting a response… well I guess saying yes wouldn’t hurt and it would get her off my back. Fine, I’ll gain breasts in the meantime while I’m stuck here.

 

“Fine… and I’ll wear the robes too. I think that getting rid of this plate would be good, but only once there’s been some breast development!” She nodded her head vigorously, pleased with the acquiesce to her want. She slipped off my nighttime clothes and put me into my new robes. The robes were sacreligious, but it’s only for now, right? And they were still really cute…

I had to admit, it did look good on me. She brought up the mirror so that I might look at myself and it looked even better in the mirror. I actually felt pretty for once, which was an odd feeling for me. She kissed me on the cheek, taking me out of my revery and back into frustration at her existing.

 

“Having fun now?” She said in her victory, smugly gleaming down at me with her needle-like teeth. I crossed my arms in defiance.

 

“Maybe I am.” I begrudgingly admitted. If this was the better of the two then I do not want to imagine what degradation remains for me to witness. Her vine wrapped around my hand and led me away from our shared bedroom. Out into the main hab she led me to a room that I’d not entered yet. Dread soaked me from head to toe as the door parted and I saw… a… work table? A bunch of spare parts and other materials were scattered about. Wrenches, powertools, and all other tools of artifice were scattered about. Even my most beloved cloaking device sat on the center of the desk!

 

“Excited, are we?” I hadn’t even noticed but I broke from her vine to run into the room and start inspecting everything that my eyes could see. She did all of this for me? 

 

“Yes… I love it. It’s so much better than that dingy workshop on Moltova.” 

 

“And it’s all yours! You’re free to tinker away here in whatever way you feel like, barring dangerous machines mind you. I wouldn’t want you hurting others or yourself, but that goes without saying!” Her sweet tone came back into picture. That same sickly glucose tainted tone.

 

“Alright, well how do you intend on keeping track of the things I make? You can hardly lean over my shoulder all day and I also doubt you understand what I would make.” I got her here. She’s a nitwit hardly half as intelligent as the most foolish member of my ex-cult.

 

“Well honey, I can’t watch you all day but I could easily understand what you make. I am the chief engineer aboard this vessel after all. And the other problem has a simple solution: the hab AI will watch you!” The what.

 

---

 

“I’m sorry, I’m not sure I heard you right. You said the Hab AI? As in there is an AI watching us right now?!” I tried to remain calm but fear leaked into my voice all the same.

 

“Yes, there is. Is everything alright? Are you okay?” No no I wasn’t! That monster was watching over us. That singular piece of technology nearly brought about the destruction of our kind! No no no no no I can’t be here with it I can’t be anywhere NEAR it, I need to get out of here. I don’t know when I reached the floor or when my heart rate had spiked to one hundred twenty beats per minute but that didn’t matter I just needed to get out of here and away from that abominable intelligence! Please please please just remove me. I thought I heard Fabaceae talking to me but I couldn’t understand her. 

 

Then the tension was cut, the welling terror drained, and I was left feeling calm again. A vine retracted from my arm as I came to my senses and Fabaceae had lowered down to eye level with me. My heart slowed and my breathing became placid. A few minutes passed in silence as I calmed down, then I spoke.

 

“Thank you, Fabaceae.” I said, quietly.

 

---

 

“You’re welcome, petal. The hab AI is not true intelligence. They are not fully aware. And regardless, you are safe here. Nothing that the affini make will cause you harm, do you understand?” I did. They seemed like harm was not their goal.

 

“I understand.”

 

“Good. I love you, so what we’re going to do is get you into therapy to help deal with this phobia of yours, okay?” That was good, though I don’t like AI breaking down like this wasn’t ideal… or is this is the drugs talking? 

 

I didn’t really care, I felt safe for once.

Chapter 7: New Faces Old Face

“There is no way I am putting that on!” I yelled, casting the xenos machine masquerading as a human limb to the floor. The thing made of metal and plant matter barely counted as a machine. It was just a collection of vines that Fabacaea was trying to stick into my arm socket. 

 

“Oh come on, don’t be so dramatic! I even tried to make it look like your current set of limbs to make you more comfortable!” she said back to me while picking up the arms that had clattered to the floor. I turned away from her, facing away from my own workbench to sulk in the corner. 

 

“Please, Theta, I just want you to try them on! For me, okay honey?” she now was leaning over my body with her floral scent filling up the air. Even some of her flowers sunk into line of sight. As much as I want to leave… I think I’ll miss her when I’m gone. Those beautiful petals she danced in front of me… her lovely smile… and the scent of her form was immaculate…

 

“Fine. I’ll give it a try .” I said with a sigh, standing to face her. Those eyes of hers flecked with gold swirling with the blue in a spiral. It was enchanting. 

 

“ Good girl~ ” she whispered and I felt myself shiver as that song of hers swelled. She slipped off my left arm as my eyes were locked to hers. The colors swirled and danced like the aurora in the night sky. They quickly ensorcelled my world, swallowing my awareness whole. No thoughts existed besides ones related to those eyes. 

 

“All done!” Suddenly eye contact was broken and reality flooded back in. I blinked a few times to come back down from her hypnosis. I hated when she did that. 

 

I moved my left arm around, bending and flexing it to get a feel for it. The thing felt odd, as one could imagine. But its functioning was not terrible, in fact I dare say it was better than my old one. I moved each of the fingers and the metallic digits moved according to my will. This was far better than my prosthetics. The range of motion was greater, the dexterity was perfect, and its strength was perfect for picking up even the most delicate items with which I struggled with my other arm. 

 

I had been so distracted by my new arm that I didn’t even notice that Fabacaea was still staring at me. Her twin kaleidoscope eyes are waiting for some commentary.

 

“It’s alright. I guess…” I looked away from her, I could barely even admit it to myself. How could xenos technology be better than the works of the Omnissiah? It made zero sense. Her vines moved to my right side, twisting the arm out of its place and placing the other one in its stead.

 

“Fine I’ll wear them both, happy?” Her smile told me all I needed to know. I did have to admit that they were amazing tools, but ultimately heretical. This is all just for now… eventually I will never have to see her again. I’ll never see her again… huh.

 

That series of thoughts were brought to an abrupt end as she slipped a robe over me. I’d gotten used to just going along with her at this point. It’d been a week, so each of these embarrassments were starting to feel normal to me, much to my chagrin. I was draped in the same floral robes that she had given me before. At least this comfort remained. The light flowing robe and hood were familiar things that I held on tightly to despite my current condition.

 

Fabacaea turned her back away from me, casually organizing parts of my workshop WITHOUT CONSENT which I did not take kindly to. She’d been much more careful with me and my work after I tried making a simple series of bombs from the techpriest equivalent of duct tape and wishful thinking. The ai couldn’t make heads or tails of it, but Fabacaea certainly made sense of it. They were nearly done too, and the plant couldn’t even have the decency of a proper punishment like flogging or a firing squad. Noooooo , this plant decided that I just needed more social time with others! 

 

That's what she was making me do today. Ugh, I did not want to talk to others on a good day and I haven’t had one of those in a week now. Some stupid meet up between her and her friends to show off their florets to each other. A “playdate”, such a demeaning name.

 

“Come on now, Petal. We have to get you nice and pretty for your new friends!” Bullshit, it was to look ‘pretty’ for your preening plant posse. 

 

She pulled a hairbrush out of her vines and beckoned me to sit in front of her and I obliged because she would just force me to sit there regardless. Besides, I feel a certain comfort next to her. And I can almost hear my bones reverberating with some music that soothes my soul. I suppose that’s something I’ll have to look into for these plants. Maybe I can snag a sample of them when the Astra Millitarum takes back the planet…

 

The brush ran through what hair was left on my scalp (not a lot because most of it is taken up by the Omnissiah’s blessed works). Fabacaea had taken to brushing it regularly and saying how pretty it was. What a foolish plant, how could anything not of the Omnissiah’s making be pretty?  The brush however did feel fantastic as she ran it through my hair. With its slow draw down my scalp and towards the back of my head it was quite relaxing.

 

“Are you excited for your playdate?” she as she moved in front of me, letting her lengthy vines do the work of brushing my hair. That same sickly sweet smile of hers stretched across her face with her needle sharp teeth showing from behind it. How I knew exactly how her teeth looked was because I was desperately trying not to look up into her eyes again.

 

“I’d be more excited for a lobotomy.” I said in grim fashion. She chuckled softly at that. Well at least the plant found my glib sense of humor amusing. 

 

“Come on, don’t be like that. I’m sure you’ll love chatting with them once you get to know them!” Her normal jubilant tone was almost unbearable given the context. ‘Oh yeah I’m sure you’ll have fun talking with these braindead rejects we found on the streets.’

 

“Fabacaea, can’t I just skip this? I mean we could do something else, right? I don’t want to waste my time talking to some drugged up heretics.” The brushing stopped. How suddenly that happened… that’s haunting. Fabacaea was completely still as I looked up into her eyes. Bright red mingled with the blue, though the red was winning in their contest of wills.

 

“Do not talk about florets like that.” I heard her say. Or it might be more apt to say that I felt that. The transformation from the normally placid and kind affini to a nearly raging beast that looked like it wanted to hurt me was terrifying.

 

“O-okay I won’t ever say that again!” I tripped over my own words trying to get that out of my mouth as fast as possible. Omnissiah I did not want to see what these things were like when they were truly angry…

 

Luckily she was already calming down and her eyes returned to the normal blue that filled them.

 

“Sorry to get like that, Theta. Affini are just very sensitive about how people talk about florets. And even though you are one, that doesn’t give you the right to be mean about how others choose to live!” The brush returned to my hair as she spoke, but I could hardly calm myself down. How could I after such a mercurial shift in her disposition?

 

Our preparations went smoothly after that. I sat still on my workshop’s seat and let her brush my hair to the point where it was smooth and silky as Fabacaea liked it. I never cared about how it looked and all this preening ever managed to do was annoy me. After she snapped like that however it felt like more of a maneuver to hold power over me than just a gesture of her care.

 

With my hair made neat and my floral robes adorned she led me outside the hab. I hadn’t been outside of the habitation unit since I arrived because I simply saw no need. Only fools and preening plants existed outside of it. Better to deal with the plant you know than the plant you don’t, after all. 

 

“Alright honey! It’s not too far from our home, do you want me to carry you so you don’t wander off?” she said, leaning down to look me in the eyes. Why do I feel like this isn’t a choice?

“My legs work just fine and I won’t ‘wander off’.” Her smile widened and that thorny grin was put on full display. 

 

“And yet given your recent behavior I don't believe you, up you go!” Before I could even protest, her vines wrapped around me and pulled me up and into her. I struggled against her vines even as they closed around me, leaving only the front half of my body exposed. This is beyond embarrassing. I was little more than decoration on the surface of this damn plant! 

 

“PUT ME DOWN IMMEDIATELY, I CAN WALK.” I cried out, my vox caster struggling to maintain the volume without crackling and wavering. In response to my demand she tapped the tip of my nose.

 

“Nope! Not happening, cutie.” She said, I gave up instantly after that. Why waste my energy trying to beg a plant to do something she clearly had no intention of doing? Besides, the halls weren’t hard to look at. They were actually pretty in a way. Plants snaked along the ceiling into designs that reminded me of simple wood working, the walls were a shade of pink, and the lights were nice and bright which was certainly a welcomed change from the dark depths of my old environment. The lights were rarely on outside of my old workshop so you could barely see two feet in front of you.

 

The elevator opened before both of us and we took it up what felt like a dozen floors. The other floor’s hallways were similarly massive in scale, clearly designed for the affini rather than their unwilling pets. 

 

“Okay just in this one, Theta.” She said to me as we approached one of the doors at the far end of the hall. She sat me down on the ground and rang the doorbell. I thought about running at that moment, but I remembered how well that worked out for me the first time and so I sat still. 

 

“Hey Fabacaea! Come right in!” A mechanical voice chirped at her and the door opened without anyone behind it. More AI, of course…

“Theta. I want you on your best behavior. I want you to be respectful to your fellow florets. They can be somewhat sensitive so I don’t want you to do something to upset them. Can you do this for me, petal?” Her eyes lowered down to mine and the memory of red overtaking them flashed in my mind. 

 

“Yes… I-I’ll try my best…” I shrunk from her piercing gaze, looking down at the ground rather than into her eyes again. She took me at my word and beckoned me to enter before she did. I obliged.

 

Their hab was strikingly different from ours. Bits and bobs adorned every shelf. Picture frames, knick-knacks, and plushies abounded against a backdrop of warm brown walls. The lighting was relatively low, but still illuminated the space plenty. It was a warm sort of fire-lit tone of light that reminded me of ancient human habitation units called “cabins”. 

 

“Oh look who’s finally showed up!” Another affini spoke up. This one looked… remarkably tiny, actually. More like a shrub than a big scary plant monster. She was barely taller than me, a cute pair of antennae sitting atop her head. Two pairs of eyes looked passed me to the big plant lady sitting behind me.

 

“Hello there Ringia, as cute as ever, I see!” Fabacaea entered, lifting up the smaller plant and hugging her tightly. Setting her back down, this ‘Ringia’ turned to regard me.

 

“And can I presume this is your naughty little feral? You made quite a mess with that bomb of yours!” She gave me a hug too, which made me freeze in place, uncertain what to do. The hug thankfully stopped and she beckoned us in further. Two other affini were there. One looked like they were coated in leaves that held skin-tight to their humanoid body, with even their face mostly wrapped up save for the long leaves which acted like hair. Their six green eyes locked onto me as I came into view.

 

“What a pretty floret you are! Fabaceae, I know you’ve been sharing pictures with us, but she is so much more adorable in person!” This is disgusting. They’re treating me as if I am just some pet! Not that I really expected anything else by this point.

 

The other affini was a familiar sight. Thuidum, the doctor who I first saw upon waking up in his office aboard the ship. What a dreadful memory. He was particularly fluffy today, that same mossy fluff coating his body.

 

“Well well well, nice to see you got rid of those old arms of yours. They weren’t up to scratch as they were.” He gestured towards my new hands sticking out from the bottom of my sleeves. These plants never stop being condescending, do they?

 

“Introduce yourself to my lovely little mechanical floret everyone! Come on, don’t just expect her to figure out everyone’s names by herself!” Fabacaea ushered me into the center of the room, the various sets of eyes all locked onto me. It’s definitely the glowing eyes that I’ll never get used to…

The smallest one sat up on the couch next to the leafed one and Thuidum. They put their small hands onto their hips(?) and pridefully proclaimed: “I am Ringia Vulgaria! sixth bloom! She/her pronouns!” Alright, well she’s very excited for this. 

 

“Plagia, fourth bloom. She/they pronouns.” The leafed one said, in a much quieter tone of voice, and far less of a prideful declaration than the short bush to their right. She seemed a lot more reserved, bowing gently in their seat with a leafed hand pressed to their chest.

 

The last was a familiar sight to me. A reminder of the first time I had the misfortune of waking aboard this vessel.

 

“Thuidum, fifth bloom, he/they pronouns, but you already knew that. I’m glad to see you’ve been cleaned up as well. You weren’t in the best state when you arrived here.” He said with a smile across his face. Omnissiah I hate these plants and their parental behaviors…

 

“Thank you everyone! I’m sure she’ll love getting to know you later, but I’m certain she's anxious to meet the other florets!” Fabaceae said, picking me up off the ground. 

 

“Bye-bye! I’m sure you’ll have fun with all of our florets!” Ringia said, waving to me as I was carried away. 

 

“I won’t!” I cried out as it was my only course of resistance. This made the small bush smile as I was taken away.

The room I was brought to was smaller than the living room, seemingly the living quarters of her floret if I were to bet. Stuffed animals were piled high atop a big bed with large and fluffy blankets. The far right side of the room held a number of mechanical parts that immediately caught my eye, but soon the florets caught my attention. Only two others were in the room, but I couldn’t get a good look at them from my position on high.

 

“You be good, okay? I don’t want to have to come back in here because you were being naughty.” Fabacaea said to me while setting me down on the ground. “Can you do that for me?”

 

I sighed. “Fine, I’ll try my best.” I was lying of course. I planned to find a nice corner to enter sleep mode in and not talk to a single soul here. Why waste my mental effort talking with a bunch of foolish heretics? Fabaceae removed herself from the room and left me alone. Good, now to find a nice place to rest-

 

“Omg hiiii!” Oh no. It’s talking to me.

 

“You look really cute in that robe! It’s got the same colors as your owner! That’s so cute!” The woman said to me. Her skin looked like metal, and her clothes hung tightly to her body. I was frozen, uncertain what to do in this situation. I couldn’t threaten her to leave me alone, at least not anymore. That was my normal reaction to people talking to me when I didn’t want them to. 

 

“Not much of a talker, huh? Well that’s alright! I can just introduce myself and we can work from there!” No wait, I just didn’t think of anything to say yet- “My name is Maria Vulgaria, first floret and she/her pronouns! That lil bush out there is my owner, and this is my room!” she gestured all around herself as she spun around for dramatic effect. It was hard to avoid noticing it but her entire body was mechanical. Her joints are clearly defined in a way they wouldn’t be were she organic.

“Yes, yes it’s very… cool. But I have to ask, are you some sort of machine, or… AI?” The idea of having to deal with proper AI in what they consider a pet was confusing to say the least…

 

“I’m not an AI, dummy! You must be new or something! Oh wait, aren’t you that new feralist that Miss Ringia has been talking about? You must be! Your head must be full of so many silly ideas.” Now I’m even being talked down to by the plant’s drugged pets? 

 

“My head has never been full of ‘silly ideas’ I will have you know.” I said in a flat authoritative tone of voice.

 

“Yeah, sure it hasn’t! Also your voice is like, super cool, you know that? Why do you have that thing on your mouth? Can you speak without it?” The ditz ambled through the conversation at her own pace. 

 

“It is my vox caster. I use it to speak as my vocal cords were removed long ago. As you can see a lot of my body has been replaced with mechanical parts.” I said, gesturing down to my metallic hands.

 

“Woah! It was a choice I take it? That’s so cool! Are you going to go fully machine like me? Oooo! I could help you pick out your new body!” She said casually, as if what she had said wasn’t a horrifying idea.

 

“That is NOT going to happen!” I shouted at her, making her shrink back from me as if wounded by my words. But before she could respond I heard a familiar weedy voice pipe up from the bed above me.

 

“Is that you, Theta?” It said, and a certain sense of fear crept into my body. My circuitry ran cold as I looked up and saw a familiar face from my life on the planet below. Drogent the lowly ganger decided to show himself.

 

“Oh damn, it really is you… I figured the plants would never get you. I guess you’re in the same boat as the rest of us then. How’s life now that you don’t have to push around the scum of the hive to get by?” He said, his surprise quickly turning to smugness. 

 

“You better watch your tone, Drogent. How’s your wrist treating you?” I responded coldly, not letting him in on the fact that his mockery was infuriating to me.

 

“Much better now, no thanks to you. The affini are much better with flesh than you after all. And tech, as you can see.” His hand gestured to the airhead heretic machine that stood idly by, no doubt trying to wrap her small mind around words with more than three syllables in them.

 

“The works of the affini are not superior to the works of the Omnissiah and you would do well to not say anything like that to my face or else-” 

 

“Or else what? You’ll break my wrist again? You’ll hurt me? I’m sorry to say but there’s nothing you can do to me now, Theta. I am beyond your reach. Go ahead and try something why don’t you. I’m sure our owners would love to come in here and straighten out your attitude.” He said, dropping down.

 

“Drogent! You really shouldn’t be mean to her! She was only doing what she had to in the wild…” The foolish machine said, trying to stop Drogent from getting smacked down like the pest he is.

 

“Maria, it's not that simple! She’s a sadist at her core and has yet to learn from her mistakes! She just threatened me.”

“She just needs time to adjust…”

“I will do no such adjusting! I am going to be free of these plants and return to my former work and life, and I don’t need a machine telling me what I will do.” The robot shrunk back from the conversation, looking like she was on the verge of her fake tears of a fake sentience. 

 

“You really just had to go and make her cry, didn’t you? Why don’t you just adjust to your new life? You’re never going back to the old one.” He said with folded arms.

 

“I will, Drogent. Because unlike you I have the intelligence and the willpower to resist these plants.” I said, turning away from him to enter sleep mode away from these heretics.

 

“You really don’t think I have the willpower to resist? I never wanted to, Theta. Because unlike the “Master of Mankind” my Mistress cares for me deeply! She loves me, she cares for me, and she doesn’t expect me to work in an engine of production until I keel over dead, unlike you and your feralist kind.” He yelled at me, forcing me to stop in my tracks and turn back to him.

 

“YOU WILL NOT BESMIRCH THE NAME OF THE OMNISSIAH IN SUCH A WAY YOU FILTHY DEGENERATE HERETIC!” My voice was raised to such a volume it caused my vox caster to waver and crackle. My hand was raised to strike down at him, but a change in the air gave me a moment of pause. That same vibration of pure rage resounded through the room and before I could break Drogent’s jaw with my fist a needle pierced my back. A drug filled haze soon filled the space where my rage once was.

 

Fabacaea entered into my line of sight along with the other affini. I couldn’t hear a word of what they were saying, but they were speaking with Drogent, and the leafy affini was cuddling him to make sure he was okay. Maria was embraced by her bush-like owner and comforted through her tears. Fabacaea was still red-eyed as could be, but still picked me up gently.

 

Her touch was like it was in the bath only much stronger, I unwittingly pushed into her for more cuddles as she carried me out into the living room. I couldn’t tell what was happening for most of our time. It could have been five minutes or five days, I could not tell. I was passed around from the bush to the leafy affini to the machine, all who cuddled me and brought me such bliss that I could not comprehend. 

 

The talking eventually slowed, the affini trickled out and along with that so did Fabacaea and myself.

 

It ended, fabacaea carrying me back to our hab and before I knew I was even home I was embraced by soft blankets and drifted to sleep.

Chapter 8: Shattered Visions

Notes:

Just a warning, suicide briefly comes up during the chapter but is not depicted.

“Have you slept off your little outburst?” Fabaceae asked, towering over my sitting form on the couch. I did not reply, and kept my eyes staring at my lap. She let a sigh loose, though we both know that it’s an act. Her vined form snaked onto the seat next to me, she tried putting her arm around me, but I pulled away to the side of the couch.

 

“Look, Theta. I’ve been trying to let you adjust on your own. You know I could have just hypnotized you to accept your new life, but I feel that’s not what you would have wanted.” I don’t want any of this. I want my old workshop back.

 

“What would you like me to do to help you get comfortable in your new life?” 

 

“I want you to release me.” I said, coldly. 

 

“I cannot do that. Your life outside of my care was far below what a sophont like you requires!” She raised her voice to make her point. I still don’t care. I was fine in my workshop…

 

“And how could you possibly know what I require and what would make me happy? And even if you did, I wouldn't want you to provide it.” I said, venom dripping from my words.

 

“Your ideal life is within your reach!”

 

“Nonsense. I cannot strike down those who oppose me and be left alone to my own devices.” I calmly explained.

 

“You only liked doing that because it made you feel safe in the chaotic depths of that travesty of a city… and it's not healthy for a Terran to be alone for so long.”

 

“Nonsense. I was fine in my isolation. And there are very few who I would deign to spend my time with, least of which florets.” I said, being careful not to be openly disparaging towards florets. I did not want a repeat of my previous remarks and their consequences.

 

“That's because of your environment! You're safe in my care and can learn to open up. You will learn to open up, I should say. Theta, you're not leaving to become a feral Terran again and you need to accept that.” She tried to cuddle me, but I pulled away with force.

 

“I WILL ACCEPT NO SUCH THING. This will all become but a distant memory someday as I forge a new life elsewhere!” I grow tired of speaking to this plant day after day. Even if she is really cute.

 

Fabaceae let out a heavy sigh. 

 

“Theta. Nobody is coming to ‘liberate’ you.” 

 

“Of course they are! The Astra Militarum will appear and rescue the planet from your cruel subjection.” 

 

“I’m sorry that I have to do this.” She said, in a sad tone. Before I could ask what she meant, the large screen of the television turned on and stunned me to silence. 

 

‘Terran Fleet Domesticated’. There was no way I was reading that correctly. I read it again and again but each time it made less sense. How could it have happened?! The Astra Militarum and the Navis Imperialis could not have been brought low by a handful of plants, but there it was. Numerous ships entangled in the vines of the affini’s ships, bound and unable to move. Not a scorch mark on their vessels.

 

“No… no, that’s not true! This is a fake! This is uh, uh a forgery! Propaganda!” I shouted, turning to Fabaceae, who didn’t say a word to respond to my accusations. 

 

“Theta.” My circuitry went cold. I averted my eyes again as her vines rested on my shoulders and I did not cast them off.

 

“Not only was that fleet not going to ‘rescue’ you and the others we domesticated, it was going to ‘exterminatus’ the planet, as you say. They would rather kill all of you than let you live in happiness.” She calmly explained in somber fashion. 

 

“I… I don't believe a word of this! This is nonsense! Certainly they would have sent the Adeptus Astartes too on this mission; they surely would not have failed!” I shouted, my voice cracking from anger and welling fear that she might be telling the truth.

 

“Yes, the Astartes. Speaking of, one will be joining us as my pet!” She said with a smile so wide it looked like her face was about to split it twain. 

 

“Okay, now I'm certain you're joking with me.” I said with a nervous chuckle. There was no way they- 

 

“Do you wish to see them? They're currently in suspended animation while we prepare them for surgery to remove all those nasty implants that make them rather dangerous to others.” She said so casually it was haunting.

 

“Please, show them to me.”

 

“With pleasure.”

 

The room she brought me to was spacious, and unlike every other place aboard this vessel it was a sanitary white everywhere you looked. A window looked over a surgical theater as we passed into a nearby room suffused with an eerie green glow. A lone pod of plant matter held the place of a bed, and with trepidation I looked through the glass.

 

She wasn't lying. One of the Astartes was lying unconscious (and mostly nude) within the pod without a scratch on his form. 

 

“Do you need confirmation that he is indeed a Space Marine? I can provide it if you'd like.” Fabaceae said while leaning over my shoulder.

 

“No… no, that won't be necessary.” Everything added up. All the correct ports and connectors to their suit. They were appropriately massive, even to the point where the pod struggled to contain them.

 

“Then are you ready to give up on this fantasy that this fascist government is going to appear and ‘liberate’ you?” Fabaceae asked me in a low voice.

 

What could I even do now? I… they were just going to kill us all. I know that sometimes happens, but not even an attempt at our rescue? I can hardly believe it. Though perhaps that is a lie on its face. I suppose there is but one soul who could tell me the truth, and he lays unconscious in the pod before me. Perhaps he could even help me to escape this place! Yes, what a genius idea, Theta!

 

“Theta? Did you hear my question?” She asked again, tapping my shoulder. Right. I needed to respond, though I would need to avoid letting her onto my plan to free this Angel of the Emperor.

 

“Yes, I heard. I’m just… processing this. I am ready to give up.” I said, lying through my vox caster. 

 

“That’s good, honey. I know this is still going to be hard on you, and adjusting to your new life will still take effort. I love you, Theta.” Fabaceae said as her vines wrapped around me in a hug. It felt… genuinely heartwarming. It made me feel a little bad that I was going to betray her trust the second she turned her back.

 

“I’m going to speak to Thuidum about your new connivent’s surgeries, and I’m sure you don’t want to hear about the details of that. So here, you can borrow my data pad for a minute!” A vine brought out some device with a screen commanding most of its surface area and handed it to me. 

 

“Be right back, Theta!” Fabaceae said as she departed the room. Her vines retreated and the door closed behind her with the hiss of a hermetic seal being formed. Perfect. I didn’t even have to persuade her to leave the room!

 

The panel next to the pod that contained my ally-to-be was of affini design and thus needlessly complex. After turning a few dials and pulling a lever I was lucky that the pod’s door opened for me, though I had no clue what those dials really did. The eerie glow of green flashed brightly for a moment as the seal broke and he was freed. 

 

His start was slow, at first he stirred not at all. Then his eyes shot open and he leapt out of the pod and onto the ground. He towered above me, scanning the room with his brown eyes. Then he turned his gaze to me. 

 

“You there, tech priest. Could you inform me as to what has transpired?” He said, his voice booming in the small space. 

 

“Certainly! We have both been captured by the affini and are being held captive-”

 

“Xenos, tech priest. There is no need to use their name. They are all abominations before the Emperor. There is no reason to respect them, much less their name.” He cut me off mid sentence… to correct me? Well I can’t say xenos to describe them anymore… wait. If he found that out he might think I’m some heretic spy! He squinted at me, his eyes adjusting to the lighting.

 

“You wear odd attire for a tech priest.” He turned to face me, his whole body turning in tandem to face directly towards me. Oh no, he was starting to get a better look at my shameful presentation…

 

“How long have you been held in their capture, servant of the Omnissiah?” he said, his voice switching into an interrogational tone. I took a step back and then answered him.

 

“I’ve only been here for a week, and my name is Theta, Theta Alpha 1-7.” 

 

“A week and you already are donning the apparel and trappings of the xenos? Just look at you. You even accepted their machinery?!” He grabbed me by my wrist and pulled it up to get a better look at it. 

 

“As I thought. Filthy heretic machinery. You are weak-willed and the Templars would have me kill you for your treachery, but I have not the time. For whatever plot you freed me for, I shall not participate. Assist my escape and I might not kill you.” His voice was cold. I fear I have made a great mistake.

 

“I am not a heretic! I am just doing what I had to do to keep myself together… and I wish to escape!” I nearly whined out to him. His expression did not waver as he leaned down to speak to me.

 

“A loyal tech priest would have killed themselves rather than be forced to wear what you wear and use the tech that you use. You deserve death, and nothing less. Now get moving-”

 

The door behind us opened and before I could even react I was swept up into the air. Pressure built on either side of my head as I was faced towards Fabaceae who entered. A look of shock crossed her face and her body froze.

 

“Take a step closer and she dies.” the gruff Space Marine warned Fabaceae. His hands tightened on my head, the pressure growing as he threatened to crush my skull between his palms.

 

Regret was nearly at the forefront of my mind, but terror superseded it. Each side of my head ached as he pressed on it to punctuate his threat. Oh Omnissiah… is this how it ends. Were my tear ducts functional I would be coating my face in that salty fluid. 

 

“THETA! Please don’t hurt her!” Fabaceae cried out, hand extended. “Please, I’ll do whatever you want, just let her go!” 

 

“Then give me a shuttle with which I can escape, Xenos.” His demand was clear and concise. Please give it to him Fabaceae!

 

“I can do that, but first just look into my eyes.” She said, her eyes changing into a collage of different colors. I felt so calm just staring into them… but I was stirred from that as the pressing began again.

 

“Stop your feeble attempts at hypnotizing me! It won’t work on me like it worked on this weak-willed heretic you keep for company.” He said in a shout. “Now leave the room. We can communicate over comms. “

 

Fabaceae looked to me and then back to the marine, nodding to them. 

 

“Okay, as you wish.” She said in an even tone of voice. I was stunned. She was going to leave me here with this psychopath?!

 

“NO NO, PLEASE DON’T LEAVE ME WITH HIM, FABACEAEA!” The squeezing began again, threatening to crack my cranium. Please don’t let this be how it ends for me, crushed by some brute. If you were ever to interfere in my life please let it be now!

 

“Shut up, traitor. Plant, you move along the wall nice and slowly. And keep your hands in sight.” He demanded. Fabaceae obliged. But while the marine was focused on her hands and body, I noticed her trailing three vines behind her. 

 

“Okay, now go through that door. No sudden movements.” Her hand opened the door, and just as she stepped through it her vines snapped shut the trap. The three vines had injectors on their tips and launched into its target's flesh. The three needles hit home and the marines' grip loosened. I slipped from his grasp and tumbled to the floor. I scrambled away from him and towards Fabaceae, hugging her leg as I reached her. He tried to fight against the drugs in his system but ultimately it was a losing battle as he was lowered by her vines to the floor.

 

“I'm sorry! I'm so sorry, Fabaceae!” I clung to her leg, desperate not to let go of her as she felt like my only safety now. She lifted me up into her arms and embraced me, pulling me close with her vines and kissing me upon my forehead.

 

“Shh shh shh… it’s okay petal. You’re safe now…” Her vines moved the slumped over space marine back into their pod with ease as she cuddled me close to her chest. I hugged her back, holding onto her with my full strength. 

“I’m sorry you had to go through that. I don’t even know how they got out of there…” She said as she sealed the pod with the space marine now inside. I felt a pang of guilt as she expressed her confusion.

 

“I-I let them out…” I whimpered out, shutting my eyes so I didn’t have to see the look of anger on her face. But the anger never came.

 

“It’s okay petal, but just never do anything so reckless ever again. It’s really my fault. I left you here alone and you were still adjusting to the fact that you were not going to be ‘freed’. I wished to avoid this sort of thing happening though. Are you okay?” She’s not mad at me? Why not?

 

“I’m okay, at least physically… but he said a number of upsetting things, to say the least. I don’t deserve death for accepting some changes from you, right?”  She pulled me away from her body, holding me out at arm’s length and letting my hood fall down so she could look at me fully. Looking into her blue eyes I felt her sadness at even the suggestion of that.

 

“No. Never, Theta. You deserve life and all that you want to make you happy. You deserve to be happy, my floret.” She said in the softest voice she could muster. I could not but choke up and thrust myself onto her again in a great hug. She returned it, holding me close to her chest and running her fingers through my hair.

 

“I’m just going to give you something to relax you, is that okay?” she asked, nearly whispering into my ear. My body was still tense in all the muscles that remained on it, so I allowed her to. A needle slipped in just below my shoulder blade and the momentary pain floated away as if it was never there to begin with. Every fiber of my body felt like it melted at once as my head lulled backwards and hung off my shoulders rather than being lifted up by my neck.

 

Why was I so worried again? I guess it’s probably not that big of a deal if I forgot about it… hey, it’s Fabaceae! Hi Fabaceae! You’re very cute, and pretty, and I wish to cuddle with you…

 

“Petal, did you mean to say that outloud?” She asked, eyebrow cocked.

 

I didn’t say anything though! What if she can read my mind?! I hadn’t considered that… These plants become more nefarious by the minute…

 

“Of course you didn’t say anything, how silly of me.” She smooched me on the forehead, and I returned to my idle cuddling

 

Yeah, of course she can’t hear my thoughts, that would be ridiculous! When did I get so sleepy?... Her arms are quite soft. I’m sure she would not mind if I rested my eye for a moment…

Chapter 9: Settling In

Notes:

Sorry this took so long, I've just been busy dealing with constant fatigue which can make it difficult to sit down and write.

So, this is my new life.

 

Sitting at my workbench, screwing this part into that part, soldering that component to this component, it gives me time to think: maybe this isn’t so bad. Putting down some fiber optics into my lovely project I couldn’t help but feel relaxed in this. My workshop is nice and clean, the lights above cast their radiant luminance down onto my work and in my mind I could not but contrast this with that dust filled dimly-lit closet of a space I had before… and it makes one think that I might almost be better off here. 

 

Who am I even trying to convince at this point, of course it's better here. I’d be a fool to say otherwise, but piety is lacking. Then again, it was piety that tried to snap my neck not but a few days prior. Fanatical Black Crusader bastard… 

 

I suppose that’s what has been settling into my cranium for the past few days; that there is no leaving now, and  I do not want to leave, much to my chagrin. That as much as one part of me loathes my owner for taking control of my life like she has, the other part enjoys her caresses, her care, and her attention. Why does the plant who owns me have to be so pretty?!

 

Clicking the last part of my creation’s shell into the place was a moment of perfection. It was now nearly complete, but first I needed to bathe it in sacred incense so that the machine spirit may be pleased with me. Fabaceae insisted that this was silly, but what did she know of what the Omnissiah willed? The smoke from my censer (which my ‘mistress’ designed with vines and flowers on it) swung back and forth over my new and improved cloaking device, and with a few prayers it was finally complete! 

 

“Finally done, are we?” Fabaceae leaned over me, her ‘breasts’ pressing into the back of my head. I couldn’t help but feel flushed, not to mention startled by the sudden appearance of such a large being.

 

“Uh… yeah it is now complete…” she always had this effect on me, turning me into a muttering fool. It was embarrassing, but I couldn’t stop myself! Her vines wrapped along my arms, slowly weaving their way down to my hands while she pressed into my back.

 

“Then why don’t you start it up? While I loathe the idea of seeing less of you, seeing your cloaking device work would make me even happier!” She kissed the back of my head. The actuators in my legs stopped working for a moment and I nearly fell down, though her vines caught me.

 

With a fresh blush on my face from nearly falling down and being wrapped in vines I activated my creation. The field it generated surrounded me and only a moment later my arms disappeared from sight. Fabaceae seemed to be wrapped around nothing as the device worked as I had intended. A chuckle came from my vox caster, then a giggle, and then uproarious laughter. I did it! I made a functioning invisibility device! My heart swelled with pride until it was nearly bursting. Fabaceae’s heart was well past bursting as her pride in me filled the air around us. She finally let me in on the fact that I wasn’t crazy and that I could in fact feel her emotions through bio-rhythms. It was improper of her to keep that from me…

 

“I’m so proud of my little inventor, I think you’ve earned a Fabaceae kiss!” she said leaning in.

 

“N-No! I’m good I just-” I was cut off as her lips made contact with my cheek. It was like pleasure was poured into my waiting veins the way it spread through my body. Her xenodrug laced lips left their stain on my cheek and leached into my blood. It was like a raw orgasm put directly into my system. I writhed and squirmed in her grip as the pleasure mounted in my body.

 

“Good petal~ I just love seeing your reaction to my kiss!” She whispered into my ear, sending wild shivers down my spinal column. I reached my climax, cumming in her grasp and leaking what little fluids my body could muster through my genitals. Fabacaea was quite pleased with her work as she turned me around to see my drooling visage. 

 

“Don’t start drooling, now. We have to go to therapy!” I was slowly coming back from my stupor as she told me about our plans for today.

 

“Ther AP? Is that some sort of affini ammunition type?” I asked as I struggled to get my eyes to focus on her. Through my focused sight I saw her face give way to laughter and her eyes turn to a pleased shade of green. I found myself giggling along absent mindedly as my vision finally focused on her pretty face. 

 

“Everbloom, you always say the silliest things that are also deeply concerning…” She picked me up from my seat and spun me around to face her. I was held aloft from under my arms and presumably looked like a cat when you hold them up.

 

“Then where are we going?” I said, as my mind finally came into the sharpness I was accustomed to.

 

“Therapy, it’s this thing where you talk to other people about your problems so you can work on them together! It’s sweet and really helpful to sophonts who have had a tough life.” One of her vines papped my nose. “Like yourself, my little workshop gremlin!”

 

“That sounds completely asinine.” 

 

“Shush, you. It’s not like you have a choice. We are going to see the other plant lady and you are going to talk to her!” She said in a jovial tone, petting my head.

 

“I didn’t say I wasn’t going to, but I maintain that it sounds ridiculous.” I tried my best to cross my arms but that is much harder to do with vines holding you up. Her petting continued as she took me into our shared room to get me out of my workshop attire and into something more suitable.

 

My workshop clothes were allowed to get dirty, but when we went out of our hab she didn’t like me being “filthy”. If being adorned in sacred oils is being filthy then I do not want to be clean! Her idea of appropriate clothing was a poofy dress and knee high boots. Both of which were adorned with the colors of her hair: blue, pink, purple, and white. Her only concession to me was that I could remain in my hood, which I very much loved. Removing a tech priest from their hood was like removing a turtle from its shell. The whole outfit was dreadfully frilly, but Ms. Lipins refused me my robes like before.

 

Our mission outside of the hab brought us not far and to a nearby office. It seemed odd to me that talking required its own space like this, certainly talking can be conducted anywhere where there is air. Perhaps the air is special? No, that’s stupid. How can air be made to conduct conversation more efficiently? My thought process was interrupted as a vine poked the side of my head, prompting me to look over. It was Fabacaea, of course.

 

“Sorry, you just looked way too lost in thought and I was hoping you weren’t completely gone on me, many florets have such issues of floatiness!” She said with the same cheeriness she always did. She opened the door ahead of us before I could even respond, and it is probably for the best that I keep my commentary to myself sometimes.

 

The front of the office, a sort of room to wait in, is currently empty. A number of chairs, clearly sized for affini, litter the space up against the walls. A table sized for humans sits off in the far corner, clearly this is a space for florets… and thus for me. It feels strange to think of such spaces as ‘for me’ when clearly it is designed for the intellectually impaired florets that seem to be so common, what with the coloring books and available data pads for their amusement. 

 

I was scooped up into Fabaceae’s vines without warning, giving me only a moment to struggle. 

 

“Come on now, we have to register at the front desk! You can play there in a minute if you wish.” I did not wish to play there! Foolish plant… She turned towards the front desk and the figure sitting there caught me off guard: it was the robot who I made cry. A pang of guilt echoed through my chest, but it was drowned out by a rising tide of revilement at the tech-heresy on display.

 

“Fabaceae Lipins second bloom, here for an appointment for Theta Lipins, first floret.” She said, gathering the attention of the absent minded floret behind the counter.

 

“Hi Miss Lipins!” She said, smiling up at Fabaceae, then to her datapad. “I can sign you in right away. Probably don’t take a seat though; Mistress isn’t seeing anyone right now so it’ll be less than a minute before you can get in!” 

 

“Thank you, cutie~” Her vine slipped through the divider’s screen and petted her head causing her to rub up against it like a dog. I looked away from the display, my guilt starting to equal out with my disgust at her. I mean she is rather cute…

 

“Is Fabaceae already here? It’s unusual for you to be early for anything!” A familiar voice spoke, standing right next to her secretary was the person I was to be speaking with: Ringia Vulgaria, sixth bloom I think.

 

“Aww, that’s an absolutely adorable outfit you’ve got Theta in! It’s nice that she’s embracing being a floret!” What I never-

 

“I know, right? I never would have gotten her into this before, she’d probably have just torn it up!” It’s hard to do that when I’m drugged up, you know…

 

“It seems you’ve started to tame the feral in her after all. I thought it was a waste of time to wait out her feral tendencies rather than drugging her to make her feel so much better, but I see things are starting to go your way.” The small hands of the tiny affini pressed a button upon the desk and the lock on the door opened up, then she ushered us in.

 

The other side of the office was decorated with a series of paintings depicting happy florets being held up by their affini of all shapes and sizes. Is that what I am to become? I wonder if that’s a bad thing. Fabaceae carried me through an open door, snapping me out of my thought process. The room was cozy and warm, three seats sat unoccupied, one much larger than the other. Ringia sat in the one that sat opposite of the other pair and beckoned us in.

 

“Now Theta, I need to ask you a very important question.” Fabaceaea said, turning me to face her. “Do you want me in here for this session or do you wish to talk to Ringia alone?”

 

“If I am to be talking about my emotions and feelings… I think it best if I can keep those thoughts to myself.” I averted my eyes from her, hoping she wouldn’t be mad at me. Instead, her vines lowered me down onto the floor. 

 

“Then that is your choice, my darling floret. Be good for me, and should you want me I will just be in the waiting room!” Her eyes turned away from me and to Ringia. “I leave her to you, bushy bush girl!” was the last thing she said before closing the door behind herself. 

 

I turned from Fabaceae’s now absent form and towards the much smaller affini. She sat patiently upon her little chair, swinging her legs back and forth and gazing at me with a smile.

 

“Come and take a seat, little Theta.” This is the first time I’ve been in a room alone with an affini besides Fabaceae, it feels weird. The way her voice fills the space feels off, but I press on anyway. I sit down gingerly into my seat, allowing myself to get comfortable and adjust my dress as I do.

 

While I was patting down my dress an unseen vine had slithered across the floor and jabbed me in the shoulder before being yanked back to its owner. 

 

“OW, what was that for?!” I asked, rubbing the area where I was punctured.

 

“Don’t worry about it, cutie! I just gave you a little something, with your owner’s consent of course, that will make you a bit more honest with me, and perhaps even yourself… Given the nature of some topics we will be covering it’s important to maintain honesty!” She said, giggling as she rested her data pad in her lap. This bushy bitch… “It will also help keep you calm during the process. Emotions can run quite high during such discussions.”

 

“So how have you been settling in? Have you been up to anything? Have you got any hobbies?” This is what causes emotions to run high in florets? 

 

“I’ve been fine. My quarters are comfortable, though I wish I had a bed with fewer affini in it-” She interrupted me with uproarious laughter.

“Oh ho, honey I’m not sure that’s going to happen! I don’t think any affini could let such a cute thing out of their bed.” I felt my face go flush. These are not feelings she should be able to invoke in me! 

 

“Any passion projects that you’ve been working on?” Enthusiasm swelled in me.

 

“Oh yeah! I’ve just finished a device that manipulates light to allow its wielder to remain invisible to the eye! It’s the culmination of several years of work for me and I’m very proud of it!” My voice was genuinely excited for once, rather than remaining at the normal even tone I take on when speaking with the affini.

 

“I’m glad to hear it! Just don’t use that to get up to anything too mischievous, okay?” she said with a wink from one of her eyes. “And I’m glad to hear you’ve been settling in. You’ve had a tough time adjusting in a few places, which I am here to help with!” I don’t like the sound of that…

 

“Now then, Fabaceae left me with a few points of concern about your behavior and thought processes that she felt were most deserving of attention. First on the list being your strong aversion to AI and digitized sophonts.” Her smile crept towards the sides of her rounded body. “I’m sure you remember Maria, yes?” Red flashed in her eyes like fire in a pan.

 

“Y-yes I do…” I said while looking away. Fabaceae didn’t leave me to her for some sort of punishment, did she?

 

“Good! Then you remember how your phobia hurt her feelings.” She calmed herself, leaning back into her chair. “I hope you then realize that we have to do something about it…” 

 

“And what are you planning to do, mind control me or something?! Omnissiah I was so scared when Fabaceae did it to me that one time… I didn’t mean to say that.” I slipped into the back of my chair, trying to shrink into a compacted cube of mechanical waste.

 

“Such a solution would work, but Fabaceae… is kind of a weirdo by affini standards. Don’t tell her I said that though. She has let you get away with a lot, that in other cases would have made your affini break your mind until you were only a docile little pet! Instead, she’s let you get adjusted at your own rate. I thought it wouldn’t work at all, but you have been making progress… So her goal for this is to simply be a dialog to help you work through this issue.” She said, her smile growing gentle.

 

“Okay, I can engage in a dialogue with you.” I conceded to her. I can certainly justify my fears. I am a rational being, and thus my fears are rational.

 

“Excellent! I’m so glad we can have a polite conversation on the matter! So, the first thing I should ask is why are you afraid of AI and digitized sophonts? Was there an inciting incident for this phobia or did it simply appear?” 

 

“It’s based on a rationale that most tech priests like myself have. In the far past AI nearly destroyed humanity in its entirety and thus we have not had AI for millennia. They are dangerous and nearly ended us all. They are unholy and can never be trusted.” Good, that is a solid explanation! Surely the plant cannot find fault with my reasoning.

 

“I see, those would be good reasons to be fearful of AI to be certain!” As I expected- “But the affini have had AI for over one hundred thousand years and we’ve never had such an issue. Are you really saying that our little Maria is capable of hurting a fly?” 

 

“Well I just know from our history that they can be!” 

 

“Then why were they? I would take a guess and say humanity might have abused their AI creations. Any group when pushed too far might only find their way forward to be violence.” Ringia’s face was plastered with a smug expression. This condescending plant! Lecturing me about my own history!

 

“AI was created to be subservient to humanity! Treating it as anything else would be an insult to the superiority of those who share the Emperor’s form!” I said with passion, but it didn’t feel right. Like the rage it should have been paired with were snuffed out before it could rise in my chest.

 

“And now don’t you think that is part of the problem? That general attitude of human superiority? How could you ever expect peaceful coexistence out of such conditions?” I- uh… my mind drew a blank as I tried to come to an answer but each time religious notions filled the void of thought. It’s hard to entertain such ideas after that space marine showed them carried out to their conclusion. In my thought I failed to notice that the bushy affini was now just a foot away from me, nearly pressing her face into mine.

 

“Can’t think of a response, can you?” I most certainly can… Okay well maybe human treatment of AI led to their uprising but that doesn’t mean they aren’t evil. But that is my only evidence that they are evil, and if they affini never experienced something like that then… shit I might be wrong. Religious responses won’t do either…

 

“Okay fine, I don’t have a response.” I conceded. She hopped up and down in joy, her leaves rustling around as she giggled.

 

“I’m so glad that’s the case! We’re making really good progress for this being the first session. We have worked through the logical basis you had for your phobia, so next is working through the irrational portions of it!” She tossed herself back into her seat, looking honestly pretty cute as she did. I, however, was now rather concerned as to what her meaning was. That must have shown on my face because she explained herself.

 

“Oh don’t worry, we will still be moving along with Fabaceae’s gentle plan for your domestication. She made a note of how much you have calmed down around AI. Given the first time you heard about it you had a panic attack and now you can be in the same room as Maria, though I note she is not artificial intelligence, without having something similar happen is a good sign of progress! So, your owner has decided to give you to me for the night for a little sleepover! Exposure therapy is the best way forward for you!” Oh that sneaky flower bitch! 

 

“And if I don’t want to go?” 

 

“Honey, we can hardly let you go back to your hab to be by yourself! Fabaceae is going to be off-ship for a few days helping with repairs on another vessel. She just took this opportunity to further your healing.” That sneaky flower bitch twice over! 

 

“Hmph, fine.” I crossed my arms and sat back in my seat. She smiled as she crossed the room. 

 

“Everbloom, you are adorable when you’re being a little brat, you know that? I wonder if that’s why Fabaceae lets you go around without an implant…”

 

“I’ve got plenty of implants.” I corrected her. 

 

“I’m sure you do. But I mean a particular one-” she stopped herself. “Well if Fabaceae wanted you to know about it she would have told you, right? I better not step on her roots.”

 

“Tell me right now, Ringia!” a thorny smile greeted me as I put in my demand, a piercing needle biting into my flesh once again. Next my mind was like goo. I held onto thoughts but they molded and morphed before my eyes as I focused on them. Where am I again? I guess it doesn’t matter.

 

“Good! No more questions from you. Excellent. We can swing by your place to get any items you want, and then it’s off to my hab!” Ringia said, clapping her hands together in delight. “I’m so glad to have you as my guest!”

I’m a guest at her house? That sounds nice… My thoughts faded and turned to mud as I relaxed into the chair, thinking of being in a new cozy hab with Ringia.

 

Chapter 10: Adeptus Floretus

Notes:

Big thanks to my friend StoneSaint for being my excellent beta-reader throughout this work.

I don’t know what was in that jab, but it knocked me out within seconds. I shudder to think that these xenos have compounds so strong that it triggered my oolitic kidney. That heretic escaped my grasp mere moments before I turned its head into a mash of blood, bone, and metal. In those last moments I saw the traitor turn to the xeno they claimed not to serve and cry into their arms. Pathetic. The merest hint of death and they began to shed tears. Though it’s equally pathetic that I was easily felled by such a horrid creature.

 

Now I lay captured once again. Restrained, my limbs not my own as they do not heed my command. Only my thoughts occupy my time. I have no clue what torturous end I shall meet by the hands of these xenos, but I know that I go to my end with the Emperor guiding me.

 

“I have to say, this sophont is particularly… odd in terms of their anatomy. It is consistent with the others who had the same armor, which makes me think it’s either due to mutation or intentional implanting.” One of the plants entered into my line of sight. I laid on a bed, and though my limbs didn’t listen to me my eyes at the very least did. Looking upon the beast, I found it to look like some amalgamation of moss-coated vines. 

 

“Oh it is most definitely intentional. I’ve never seen anything like this! So many implants with the sole goal of making the sophont as strong as possible within combat…” Another stood across from the mossy xenos, this one with vines dotted with flowers that ran the length of the plant matter.

 

“Yes, and I doubt this is done with the best interests of the sophont in mind. I shudder to imagine how many rejected the organs or died because of procedures.” The mossy one responded. The other one turned to regard me, smiling with its mouth filled with thorns.

 

“Hey there little one! Or should I say big one! You are absolutely massive compared to other terrans. I’m just speaking to you to let you know that everything is going to be okay from here on out! I’m Fabaceae Lipins, Second bloom, she/her pronouns, and you my dear are my new floret!” I don’t even want to imagine what any of that means. I need to figure a way out of here while I can still manage it. I struggle against my bindings, but no luck, my limbs remain heedless of my commands. Without thinking I spat out: “I’ll be a ‘floret’ as soon as you lay dead and your race is burned in a pyre of holy light.”

 

“Oooo, that nasty little mouth of yours still works! That’s very rude of you to say, and I’m sorry but your little stunt with my beloved floret Theta Lipins only makes your domestication more inevitable than before!” Domestication?! What in the name of the God Emperor’s name do they even mean by such a phrase?! Nothing good. There is nothing holy that can come out of this. I must silence myself. With the numbed muscles of my mouth I moved my tongue between my teeth and bit down as hard as possible, yet whatever vile concoction these xenos have created kept me from drawing blood, much less finishing the job. 

 

“Ah ah ah, don’t do that! I merely wish to give you the best life possible, and you’ll need your tongue for that!” It turned away from me to speak to the other. “Is everything good to go? You have figured out what all those extra organs do, right, Thuidum? I don’t want you removing anything excessive.” They are NOT going to be removing anything from me. I just have to struggle free!

 

“Yes of course Fabaceae. I’m not about to start pulling out organs without knowing their function. Do I look like a first bloom to you?” The moss coated one sounded overtly offended but that was the least of my concerns as a needle-tipped vine drew closer and closer to me. “Just sit still and this won’t hurt a bit…” 

 

The needle hit home and my consciousness faded again.

 

---

 

“Fabaceae.” Thuidum turned to look at me.

 

“Yesss what can I help you with, my mossy friend?” I coyly smiled at him.

 

“It may be a number of days before we get xenodrugs that can be used on this sophont safely. And in their current state nothing seems to be working.” He said looking over at me. Wait what does he mean?

“What do you mean? Haven’t we knocked him out like three times now? Surely those class Zs must be working…” Oh Everbloom have I been messing up? My vines twisted inside me. Have I made a mistake? 

 

“Fabaceaea my dear, it’s fine. What has been happening thus far is we’ve been tripping this organ inside of them.” He pointed to the chart of their anatomy on his pad. “It seems to be some additional kidney with a number of functions, one of said functions being that it renders the sophont unconscious in order to filter toxins out of their bloodstream. It seems our xenodrugs have been hitting that repeatedly, but it hasn’t had any ill effects. Well, beyond the unconsciousness but that was our goal, wasn’t it?” He smiled to me and I breathed a sigh of relief. It’d make me sick to my core if I had been harming my floret like that…

 

“We’ll just have to remove that along with a few other organs. After that we can put them back in the stasis pod until we have xenodrugs more appropriate for their genetically modified body.” He explained to me, though he paused to turn to me.

 

“Are you sure about this course of action for their domestication? Surely this sophont would be better served by more direct methods.” He said leaning against the table holding the terran in question.

 

“You know me, Thuidum. I prefer a more gentle approach when caring for my florets. So doing what you suggest and merely shattering their sense of self through hypnosis is not how I want to do this. I wish to show them true kindness, and I cannot do that if the sophont before me is hardly the same as the one I first met.” I lamented. Truth be told, perhaps this one's ultimate fate could be on class O’s, but it is my goal to see that not happen. 

 

“Very well, Fabaceae. I think your plan is crazy, but I’ve seen crazier work out before. You with Theta for instance. I never thought that she would just settle in like that…” 

 

“That was hardly without effort. And as terrible as it was for Theta, perhaps this one provided the final push that was necessary. But now it is their turn to be molded into something new.” My vine caressed his unconscious face. I could not imagine the pain that has visited this one, but all of that is finally over.

 

“A number of organs will be removed, but even so they will remain a far cry from the typical terran. Surprisingly most of the organs are actually helpful outside of the life of a soldier, but others only have benefit in that context. So I’ll remove those ones. Like these organs that produce a highly corrosive acid in the mouth.” He said pointing  a vine within my floret’s mouth, pulling it out to show the tip had corroded. 

 

“Okay yeah I see why that needs to go…” 

 

“Elsewise, they will be able to take class G’s like any other terran. Though I’ll monitor that if they choose to take them.” 

 

“Good, and everything is set up with the haustoric implant?” I asked. Truth be told I despise having to put that into my floret, but in this case it must be done. I’ve always thought haustoric implants to be too much for guiding a floret to their best selves, but many affini liked them regardless. 

 

“Yes! And it grew magnificently too! All is set and ready to go.” He said, guiding me gently out of the room. “I’ll let you know when they’re ready to be picked up. It should only be a week,

 

“Perfect! I’ll have to make arrangements before then… maybe Ringia could take Theta in the meantime…” 

 

---

 

One Week Later

 

I awoke with a start. Staring up at an unfamiliar ceiling I felt the immediate sense of danger in the air. Springing off of the bed I was laid upon I scanned the massive room. Even for someone of my size the bed was immense and too big to be built for anyone but a member of the Custodes. Or perhaps those vile plant xenos. 

 

Looking around the spacious room I note nothing alive but me in the space. Well, minus the plants that snake along the walls. I better watch out for that, that is how they got me last time with that surprise attack. The space seemed to be inspired by old log cabins used by humanity in ages past, though still used on feudal worlds like my own homeplanet.

 

The door to the room hissed open and in stepped the xenos. Without a second of hesitation I charged the beast down, but something felt dreadfully wrong as I did. No matter, the wrongness I felt soon became a lesser worry as its vines wrapped around each of my limbs and bound them with a grip both gentle and yet stronger than a vise.

 

“I’m so glad you’ve finally awoken! You were out for a while and I’d hate for your muscles to atrophy due to spending too much time in bed.” It said caressing my body gently with its vines.

 

My charge felt… wrong. Like something was missing in it. Even now as I am held by this xenos there was still something lacking in me. That wrongness came to the forefront of my mind in a blaze of recognition: my rage is gone. My righteous fury that carried me through so many battles was simply missing.

 

“What did you do to me?” my voice wavered, in place of rage all that was left was fear. Fear? How could I ever be afraid? “And they shall know no fear” is mere truth for the astartes yet I felt it, that clawing anxiety making me want to flee and bury myself in a hole.

 

“It’s okay, petal. You’re safe. We just removed some things that were dangerous and added another implant to make you happier!” Nonsense! I could never be safe here!

 

“Give me back what you stole and let me go!” I shouted, though my voice quivered with terror rather than being towering strong like it would were it said with rage.

 

“Oh I will. Well, I could give you back all of those nasty organs made for war and your freedom. Just a simple caveat.” It’s face grew closer to mine, just a few inches from me. “You just have to defeat me in combat. But should you lose, you do not gain anything but core time. I hope that maybe with how martial your subspecies of Terran is that combat might get through to you how little you stand a chance at resisting me.”

 

“What in the name of the Emperor is ‘core time’?” Is it some form of torture? I can’t imagine any form of torture that would get through my mental conditioning so it shouldn’t be a concern. Focus. Focus on defeating them.

 

“Wouldn’t you like to know, petal?” As if I hadn’t already figured it out already. This xenos scum stands here and mocks me as if they aren’t about to be defeated. One foot back and the other forward, breathe in and out, ready yourself mentally and charge! One foot landed after the other and I was on top of it before it even reacted. I drove a fist towards the target but to my shock the vines parted and caught my hand.

 

“Oh, are we starting already? That was a very cute attempt!” This beast of mockery! I tried pulling my fist back but it was well stuck. I drove my left into the beast’s side to try and stagger it, but it merely got caught in the vines in the same way as my fist did.

 

“Is that all?” It sunk its face down to my level. “I expected a little bit more strategy!” I smashed my forehead against its, but it didn’t even flinch. Its vines wrapped around me entirely, keeping each of my limbs aloft from the ground. 

 

“I think you’ve lost!” it said with a nauseating giggle.

 

“I will never lose to you.” I replied. 

 

“And yet it is I who decides who wins! And now: it’s core time!” It’s alright, any form of torture these plants can inflict upon me is pitiful compared to what I have prepared for. Its chest opened up and within it I beheld a sight most glorious.

 

A mass of green I saw, the air shimmering and singing to me around the object. It… calls to me. The world fell away from me and all that was left was this green mass that I wished to get closer to. I luckily was able to. My face pressed against it and rapturous bliss echoed through my mind. I coiled around it like a great serpentine beast of legend surrounding some great jewel.

 

This… core. It is simply the most amazing thing I have held and beheld. For once I felt content, blissful, and happy. No more worries about heresy, about protecting the Imperium, or any of my other responsibilities. All that was centered in my mind was the core. The core pushed everything out of the way. Perhaps I should be feeling something beyond pleasure, but such thoughts were motes of dust on the cosmic wind; imperceptible and negligible.

 

Time mattered not for me, and I had no sense of it. The sense of passing moments was subsumed by the core. Any sense beyond it was scattered and dulled to the point of being useless. All of my being was focused on this majestic entity. But slowly my mind returned to me as the core shrunk away from me. Light filled my vision and I felt as a newborn baby being ripped from the warmth of its mothers womb to be thrust into the cold unforgiving world.

 

“W-what! No no no, please I need to get back to the core! Please, please!” I begged and pleaded to the universe itself. I needed to return to it! A rustling and creaking laughter broke my focus from my begging for a moment and I looked to find its source. Some sort of plant-like being was making it, wait no, a xenos! Focus! I shut my eyes to think for a moment. My name is Vasten Kanir, member of the Black Templar Astartes and servant to the Emperor’s will… 

 

“Did you enjoy yourself, petal?” Yes. Wait! No I didn’t! I was laying atop the bed that I earlier had awoken on top of, now with that same plant laying atop me, its face with the biggest grin I’d ever seen.

 

“N-no I didn’t…” I lied through my teeth. Wait, it wasn't a lie! I hated that… heavenly experience… it’s just some xenos trick to make me lower my guard.

 

“I’m glad you enjoyed yourself. I’ll be so happy to watch you break, petal. And please, stop calling me ‘it’ please.” Wait, can it read my mind? Am I that weak?

 

“No I can’t read your mind, but you are speaking your thoughts aloud.”

 

Chapter 11: Foolish Escape

Notes:

Big thanks to my friend StoneSaint for being my excellent beta-reader throughout this work.

Hey, where am I? I… I think I was talking to an affini not too long ago. Was that an hour ago or a few moments? Has it been weeks? Wait, weeks since what? Forget about ‘when’ how about ‘where’! Wait where am I? I think I was talking to an affini- 

 

A pain cut through my thoughts as the veil of cloudiness was lifted off my mind. I snap my head around, taking in my environment. It’s familiar, but a haze still lays over my eyes. Vines with their flowers in full bloom adorned the wall like fine decorations. Their scent brought me a feeling of comfort and safety, unlike the office of that damnedable therapist… Oh right, that’s what I was doing prior to this. Wait then how did I get here, and where is here? I feel like I was just about to place it-

 

“Welcome home, cutie!” A voice distracted me from my series of spiraling thoughts. Wait, this is my hab! Right, now to place that voice. Annoying, shirl, way too bubbly… it’s the therapist. I am placed upon the ground and focus finally returns fully. Standing on the solid ground of my hab made me feel safe, but the apex predator that placed me here did not.

 

“Now I know you’re a bit of a tinkerer, so I think it would be a good idea to bring along a few things that you’re working on! I’m sure my dear little floret would love to see them and even help you out!” Ringia patted me on the head with one of her vines which I swiftly batted away.

 

“Fine, but only because I’ll need something to distract me during this ‘sleepover’.” I said, careful not to mention that the robot is likely a simpleton when it came to my engineering work. The very idea that she could ever help me with my work is inane and insulting, though it is always best practice not to insult a floret right in front of their owner. Besides, I’m fairly sure I’m on thin ice with this affini already.

 

I walked away from the affini at an amiable walking pace, glancing once over the shoulder to check if she was following me. She smiled back, but held in place. Perfect. It would be much better for me if I could look over my things in peace. Maybe if I stayed in my workshop for long enough I’d slip her memory? No that’s stupid, I’m sure the affini have object permanence. No, no, a different plan is needed to slip her vines, I’m sure! Entering my workshop I closed the door behind me and gazed over my creations, either fully completed or in some state of partial finish. Now let’s see… the thought projector? Not finished, and I doubt it would help. Keeping my lips sealed and my thoughts to myself is quite vital. The instant dissector? I don’t think showing how quickly I can dissect an insect or other small creature will win me any favor.

 

Then my eyes were cast upon the device which was my saving grace: my invisibility field! Yes! If ever the Omnissiah were to provide me the tools of salvation it would be in this moment. I took the cylindrical device and slipped it within my satchel to take with me. I of course added other marvels of my work to the bag as well, some in states of half completion but Ringia didn’t need to know that. I just needed more things to cover up my real saving grace. With the satchel full of mechanical parts I heaved it over my shoulder and walked out of the room, the sliding of the automatic door revealing that Ringia was standing right outside the door the whole time like some statue. Her eyes gazed down to my half-open bag and sighed.

 

“No stuffie for you? And here I thought you were the type to never sleep without one…” She cooed, petting my head. I let her vine rustle my hair for a few moments, but when it became clear she had no intention of stopping I eased her appendage away from me with a forceful application of my backhand. Her smile turned to a frown as she reapplied herself to my head, and this time my hand would not budge her as she pet me again.

 

“See? Not so hard to just accept being pet like the pet you are!” She exclaimed with a gleeful smile that stretched from each side of her face to the other. Dealing with another affini really makes me miss Fabaceae. At least she doesn’t force herself upon me like this. It’s humiliating! Her vines came to rest on my shoulders, beckoning me to walk next to her with the motion. “Is everything in that little bag of yours?” She inquired. 

 

I tried my best to ignore her constant touching and nodded quietly. I may be entering her home but I had no intention of staying for long.

 

Her hab unit was essentially identical to how I remembered it last time with clutter still adorning its walls and surfaces. It would be an extremely cozy home were it not for the lion that called it it’s den. On the too large couch the lion’s cub appeared, leaping down towards me.

 

“Oh hey there Theta.” The plant’s robot said, strolling towards me. She seemed a bit apprehensive. The same cheer she displayed towards my- Fabaceae wasn’t fully present as she looked away from me and towards her owner instead. “Omg hi Mistress! Hi!” 

 

She dashed passed to embrace the bush that followed behind me, flinging herself into the set of waiting vines. Her face was buried into the leaves of Ringia’s as she kissed the affini with a flurry of smooches. The conversation I had with Ringia earlier passed through my mind. Do I really believe that this needy floret was a capable killer? I mean, certainly humanity could have treated their AI better, but there must be some villainy inherent to such a creation… 

 

“Well go on and say hi, Theta!” I was pulled from my thoughts by a vine wrapped around my shoulder, prompting me to say hello to the doted on machine. Oh, I couldn’t remember her name. This isn’t a particularly good look for me. Um, I think it started with an S? Maybe? Oh no they’re staring at me. 

 

“Theta, are you going to say hi?” she asked again, her impatience starting to show. Oh right I do need to say something. “Hi, you?” I said towards the metallic being wrapped up in vines.

 

“You totally forgot my name, didn’t you?” She stated, looking me dead in the eye. I tried to come up with some excuse but it simply came out as “Well, uhhh, y’know we only met like, twice. And! And I uh, have… uh bad memory?” Her face remained unmoved, though only for a moment before bursting into uproarious laughter.

 

“Oh man you really have changed a lot! I remember just a week ago you were some big mean feralist, but now you’re just a cute floret tripping over your own words!” I- Well I wanted to say she was wrong, but… she wasn’t really. Have I really changed so much in a week that it was so evident to a floret? “My name is Maria, try not to forget it this time. Though that may be difficult for a floret given how much information tends to go in one ear and fall out the other with us.”

 

I chuckled. I can’t even remember the last time I laughed because I found something funny, but here a machine was making me giggle. She was right, Omnissiah I’ve changed so much. Is it even for the worse? I don’t think I can bring myself to say that.  

 

“Maybe I should go get settled in?” I suggested, eager to start my plan of escape before I get lost in my own thoughts again. Hopefully they’ll have a bed for me to use in this plan of escape. I need only leave for a day, probably less depending on how long I was out earlier.

 

“Sure, petal. You’ll be sharing a room with the two of us tonight. I put your bed down on the ground so you could have a bit of space.” she said gesturing to the same door I had that awful playdate behind. She hardly acknowledged me as I slipped away to the room. The door hissed shut behind me and I set to work.

 

The bed that I was to sleep in was… not what I was expecting. I had anticipated a bed with four legs, not a round bed designed for dogs. Whatever, it matters not. It still held the keys to my salvation. A pillow and a blanket. All that I needed for this. I arranged them such that the pillows lay under the blanket in roughly my body’s size and turned the blanket so that it looked like I was covering my head with it. While this isn’t super convincing, it should give me enough time to slip away, wherein the game of hide and seek should begin.

 

I took my cloaking device from the bottom of my bag, the clanging of the metal pieces moving around I thought was sure to gain attention, but she was still busy doting on her pet. I fired up the device and made for my escape. Slipping through the door the affini still remained distracted and through the main door of the hab unit she too didn’t notice me. I was finally in the clear! Now to find somewhere to spend the next twenty-four hours.

 

---

 

Oh my sweetest Maria, it’s so hard for me to pull my attention off of you once you take it and wrap it around your fingers. My vines stroked along her head like they so often did and her noises of contentment made my core flush with joy. Though I can’t help but feel like I’m forgetting something right now… my eyes glanced at the clock on the mantle (next to the thirty six pictures of Maria being adorable) and it’s already been an hour since Theta came over. Oh right! That’s what I was forgetting! Poor Theta must be so worried that I haven’t come to check on her that she’s not even left the room! 

 

“Maria petal, I have to put you down now, okay?” A whine slipped between my vines, but that was to be expected from my perfect floret. I placed her on the couch and slipped her stuffed sheep into her arms. She grumbled slightly as she got cozy on the couch. She’s always so cute when she wants more attention… which is why she’s always the cutest thing in the world.

 

The door slid open easily as I entered the room. Theta’s bag was laying on the ground, but where was she? I look under the bed to find nothing out of the ordinary, and certainly no florets hiding there. Then I noticed the mass underneath the blankets of her pet-bed on the floor! Oh how silly of me, she must have been tired from therapy and took a nap. I eased closer to her, laying down next to the sleeping sophont  to listen to the noises she was making as she slept (really one of the cutest aspect of florets), but I couldn’t hear anything. She’s alright, right? It’s only been an hour, certainly she’s still okay? Dirt, if something happened to her Fabaceae is going to throw me into a blackhole! 

 

Sitting back up, I pulled the blanket off of her. But there was nothing but a set of pillows sitting under it. Wait, where is she?! I turned my head from side to side, but still nothing. But where could she have gon- the front door had opened earlier. Nobody was there but what if she snuck by… I mean how could she? It would have been impossible for me to not notice!

 

“Darla, can you bring me up footage from this room from about an hour ago?” I pulled my data pad out from my vines to look at what had happened. “Sure thing, miss!”

 

The video was startling to say the least. One moment she was here, one moment she was gone. Teleportation? How could she have done that… wait, no, it’s invisibility. That’s why the door opened. How dare she slip through my vines! Everbloom I am going to drag her back here kicking and screaming if I have to! I threw my data pad so hard against the floor that it left a dent and clamored out of the room. Maria was already fast asleep so I didn’t have to worry about her for now, good. I need to bring in a naughty feralist. 

 

---

 

“Theta, aren’t you supposed to be at Miss Vulgaria’s hab?” the AI chirped at me the second I entered my hab. Omnissiah, here we go… “I was allowed to return by myself on condition of my good behavior here! I hope you can honor that deal by helping to…” I sighed, the humiliation of my own concocted story setting in. “...make sure I’m on my ‘best behavior.’”

 

“If that’s the case I’ll make sure you don’t get up to anything naughty!”  The hab AI responded. I guess I can stay here for now. But I’ll have to ditch this place before too long. Maybe that story means the AI won’t let me leave… which could make things rather complex. Okay, well let’s just make it seem normal. Spend an hour or so here so that it looks normal and then say I am bored and tell the AI I’m leaving back to that affini’s hab. Perfect! That should be enough time to have the cloak recharged. I sauntered into my workshop and hooked that device up to a wayward set of cords that I use for my machines. I sure hope I installed the charging circuit on that properly because I really don’t want to be putting out fires today… 

 

I sat myself down at my desk, twiddling my thumbs as I waited for it to hurry up and charge. But that’s when it hit me. I’m in my workshop! I have all the means in this universe to pass the time! What should I work on right now? The invisibility cloak was such a rousing success that it makes some of my other work look menial by comparison. How about that improved data-slates? Sure, why not. Some light work compared to what’s behind me. It should be simple, data-slates are rather crude means of storing information used by the Imperium so I should be able to work on that…

 

The improved data-slate was half the size of the typical one with double the storage of one! I’m sure we have the technology floating around in some random archive that the magos simply don’t want to access for their fanatical devotion to keeping things exactly how they are, but here is my own design that I made in… an hour? Huh, I suppose time moves faster when you’re having fun- my train of thought was assailed just at its tail-end. The air had changed within a few moments as one thing radiated through me: rage .

 

“Oh petal, I don’t really appreciate you running away from me!” Ringia spoke into the hab. I thought I had more time! And just as it finished charging too! I grabbed the device as I felt that boiling fury grow closer and closer to the door of my workshop. The shuffling of leaves and vines slipping by each other growing louder by the second. I had just enough time to grab the cloaking device and switch it on before my door was nearly ripped from its place as it was forced violently open.

 

A mass of plant matter slid in, less a woman and more an amorphous blob, but her face remained. Her eyes looked around slowly, glowering with the hate filled red burning through them. Then, she turned to me. Staring into my soul, she spoke:

 

“I can’t see you, but I can smell you.” 

 

I tried to sprint as fast as I could but before my foot could even touch the ground I was encased in a tomb of vines. Every limb was contained in the writhing mass of green that refused to yield to even the strongest forces I could muster. The tightening grip forced me to drop the cylindrical cloaking device down onto the ground with a clank as it clamored to the floor. Her vines were unyielding, not even letting me move an inch in any direction. I could only imagine the look of fear plastered across my face as I became visible again.

 

“And there’s the unruly little floret I’ve been looking for!” she said in discordant tones, a melody made of chaos and fury. Her eyes never wavered from that solid rage-filled red. In her grasp I felt like a child’s plaything, unable to resist in even the slightest as she dragged me from my workshop. “You should be careful. You’re on very thin ice.” 

 

Her voice was like creeping ice at the window of a home. A warning of the dangers on the other side of it. I was at her hab faster than I could have imagined. I  could barely even see the journey as I was swallowed into the mass of shifting vines. She was not interested in having a chat about what happened, just dragging me back to her den. “Please, I’m sorry -” she cut me off.

 

“Sorry? Are you really? Because I find that very hard to believe, petal. No, I don't think you're sorry at all. Given that you had every opportunity to improve your behavior and you chose instead to run away as fast you could, I think you're only sorry that you got caught .” she brought me out of her body and into the open air, still being held aloft by her freakishly strong appendages. “Everbloom, why did Fabaceae have to take an interest in such a dangerous feralist? She always does this, you clearly belong in the vines of someone more forceful! I can understand wanting to let some sophonts come out of their shells naturally, but you? You made a bomb the first chance you got! Most would have taken that as a sign, but she gave you another chance and what did you do? You made my Maria cry. ”

 

“But I am! I’m just adjusting! I’m sorry!” I said in my own defense. Her glowing red eyes scowled at me. Just behind her I saw Maria start to stir from slumber, confused as to what was going on. “Mistress, what’s going on?” 

 

“Nothing, petal. Just return to sleep. Theta and I have a little bit of business to attend to.” she didn’t even turn to regard her floret, but kept staring at me. “I am sick and tired of Fabaceae putting others in danger and letting her florets harm other sophonts! I’m sure Fabaceae wouldn’t mind if I just fried the brain of one…” 

 

“NO, please! I beg you, don’t do that! I am getting better please! I just-” she cut me off with a squeeze on all sides of my body. “Please!”

 

“Oh now you want to play nice? Well you can play all kinds of nice once your cranium can produce an echo!” an injector came into view, dripping some blue fluid as it drew closer. “This is just some heavy class H xenodrugs to help the hypnosis take. I’m sure you’ll be much nicer afterwards!” 

 

Omnissiah, is this how it ends for me? All of my work gone from some vengeful affini? I felt something that I hadn’t felt in a long time. A tear running down my cheek. I’ve cried many times but it has been at least two centuries since I last felt a tear drop. I suppose this has finally illuminated that my tear ducts do work. It’s a little late. 

 

“Please mistress, you’re clearly scaring her! Stop it!” Maria cried out, now pulling at her mistress’ leg vines to get her to stop. “Oh don’t be silly, she won’t even be able to be scared after this. Besides, she hurt you! She made you cry, soon she won’t be capable of that no matter how hard she tries!”

 

“ YOU’RE making me cry!” Maria shouted as loud as she could. 

 

“I-” Ringia’s head snapped towards her pet and I was able to tilt my head forward to see her as well. Tears ran down her silver face “I wanted a friend, not this, mistress.” she gestured to the needle still dripping with liquid. “I-” she looked back towards me, the red of her eyes faltering and turning slowly to a blue, and then a deep blue. “I- I’m sorry…” she lowered me to the ground and let me stand on my own. 

 

I nearly buckled at the knees as I recovered from nearly having my mind shattered into thousands of pieces, but Maria stepped in to help me stand up. “Like I said, I want a friend, Theta. Do you think you could try that?” 

 

She caught me by the waist, and if I didn’t know any better I would say this looks an awful lot like a form of romantic gesture, but surely that’s not the case. 

 

“I-I think I can try that…” oh right, I forgot her name. 

 

“Maria.” she said, lifting me to my feet. 

 

“I can try, Maria.”

 

Chapter 12: A Walk in the Park

Notes:

Big thanks to my friend StoneSaint for being my excellent beta-reader throughout this work.

“Come on, Vasten. You have to put on something, or do you want to go out of our hab naked?” the plant said to me from across the bed. I wished to not be in the nude but her suggestion was for me to wear civilian clothing! The shirt was plain and the pants were inoffensive to my tastes, but where was my armor?!

 

“Certainly I can just wear my armor, right?” I suggested, with a slight smile on my face. Her vine-arms crossed her chest in disapproval. “No. Besides, you couldn’t even use it anymore! We had to remove the interface during surgery.”

 

“You didn’t have to remove anything.” I said under my breath. She drew closer, her vines wrapping gently around my limbs. “Oh honey, if we didn’t do that then you wouldn’t get your spine friend!” 

 

“As if I wanted this ‘spine friend’! I wanted to keep that righteous fury!” I shouted at her, she only giggled in return. “You wanted to keep your ‘righteous fury’? To me it seems like wrongteous fury! Aren’t you happier without it?”

 

“Of course I’m not!” I tried to throw off her vines, but they didn’t budge at all. 

 

“Fighting me again, are we? Well I’m sure some core time will fix that…” 

 

“No no no! No fighting, I won’t fight!” I had to avoid ‘core time’ again. If I were exposed to that again… the consequences don’t bear thinking about… I sighed, putting on the clothes laid out on the bed. Turning to look into the mirror I flinched seeing myself. I looked like an overgrown child on some agri-world. That and I hated seeing myself without my armor. My armor was a grand comfort to me, a home I wore into combat, bearing the same face as my brothers. But now I was without it… and it felt as wrong as the warp.

 

“Are you alright, dear?” Fabaceae asked, leaning in and pressing her hands upon my shoulder. Her face was sullen and sad, in this hers mimicked mine. She loomed behind me, face hovering over my shoulder. It was sullen and sad, and in this it mimicked my own.

 

“I am fine. I simply don’t like this attire.” Her face softened as she looked me over. Her damned perceptive eyes must have been picking up on how uncomfortable I felt. This is why I always wear my armor! Nobody should see me sulking like a child. 

 

“I think I have a good solution to this. Wait right here!” she gave me a kiss on the cheek and whipped out of the room like a storm. Turning my head back to the mirror from that show I found the mirror now clouded over and I was unable to look at myself. Why did she do this? Did she really believe that I was so sensitive that I couldn’t stand looking at this stupid outfit in the mirror? Fine. It doesn’t really matter.

 

A moment later Fabaceae returned with a set of clothing freshly compiled. She laid them out on the bed for me and at first they didn’t seem much better than that which I already had on. Its appeal grew steadily as I inspected it. The top and bottom were both made of the same soft material, the top was black as the night and the bottom was grey like raw steel. The top had a simple metallic device for opening and closing it that ran down the middle, and what seemed to be a hood for ill weather. The pants were simple, with only a length of string to keep them at the waist. She must have detected my approval because she provided me with another article of clothing. A simple shirt, plain white with short sleeves on it.

“This is an outfit that sophonts with similar clothing issues as you tend to enjoy, so I hope you do too!” She said with a cheery smile as she ushered me on to change. Getting out of this ridiculous outfit felt great at the very least, but I remained apprehensive about the new one. The shirt, hooded item, and then the pants went on, but I wasn’t allowed to see myself in the mirror as it remained fogged. I did enjoy their feeling on my skin, and they eased my discomfort about my lack of armor, but curiosity about what she said filled me.

“What clothing issues do I have?” I inquired. I doubt many of the slaves they call pets wore armor as frequently as I do. She smiled as she touched my shoulder. “Petal, I think it might take a bit longer before you’re ready to learn about it. For now, just trust me. I’ll tell you in time, okay?”

 

I scowled at her, but ultimately could do nothing lest I get core time for struggling against her. “Fine.” I huffed. “Where are we going today?” I asked.

“Now that you’ve got your clothes on I can show you, rather than tell you.” 

 

The vessel itself remained incredible to me. The structure was more sprawling than any ship of the Navis Imperialis, even the ships of my own order pale in comparison to this one. I’m sure it could even fit the Eternal Crusader within it. While the affini clearly didn’t develop artificial gravity like we had, their solution looked far grander. The entire vessel spun around a central axis like a grand wheel just to produce centrifugal force to keep our feet on the ground. Certainly artificial gravity would have been the easier solution, but this was more awe inspiring. 

 

“Hurry up, Petal! We can look at the ship later but where we’re going is time sensitive!” she said, her vine tugging on my hand. We were walking through some sort of park with affini and their pets all around us, but I had no clue where she was taking me.

 

“Do you mind telling me where we’re going now? ” I asked, keeping pace with the affini. I have to say I am not a fan of the wayward glaces that my size was gaining from affini and pet alike, but seeing how much larger the affini were than their pets, I supposed seeing one that matched their "owner's" size would be surprising

 

“Why ruin the surprise? Besides, our destination lies in front of us.” She said, gesturing at a bench. 

 

“How in the name of the Emperor is this time sensitive?” I said looking at her as she sat upon the bench. For once though the bench was large enough for me. I still demanded an answer before I’d sit on it. I crossed my arms and refused to budge.

 

“Are you fighting with me, Vasten?” 

 

“N-no.” I stuttered out as a response, joining her on the bench. Emperor, I hate how she just needs to mention that in order to get me in line. It’s humiliating. 

 

“Good, I’m glad to hear it, petal. Though I hope you’ll eventually want core-time.”

 

“That will never happen.”

“Never say never, Vasten.”

 

We sat quietly for a number of minutes. I could not tell how many for my mind ran with that same idea: me wanting core-time. I would never want such a thing! The very idea was degrading to think about… but there was a certain appeal to it as well. The core existed as a punishment in that it broke down my defenses, but as a reward in that those defenses were broken down in pleasure rather than pain. No! Stop thinking about how it feels. That’s how they get you…

 

“Oh here they are.” Fabaceae said in a quiet voice. Before I could turn to see what she was talking about an injector stabbed into my neck. I tried to ask her, in very strong terms, what she had just shot into my bloodstream, but no words came out. Sound died on my tongue and not a word was spoken. She locked eyes with me and tutted. “No no no, Petal, you’re supposed to look that way.” she said pointing out ahead of our bench with an extended vine.

 

I turned to see what she gestured at and found something that made my heart and stomach sink to the lowest depths of my body. Crawling along the ground nude with a collar and leash was one of my own chapter members, Aphael. He was being treated with no greater dignity than a dog. I wanted to scream, but my body didn’t let me. He turned to his xenos owner, receiving physical affection in the form of petting, and even more dreadfully: he enjoyed it. Bile rose in my throat and I wanted so badly to remove my own eyes. Just as swiftly as the display started, it ended, then my brother and his affini captor walked away. I could only sit, staring with my mouth agape at the horror of it all.

 

Fabaceae stung my neck again with her stinger and my mouth once more heeded my commands, but in shock I still couldn’t speak.

 

“Vasten, I know that was a lot for you, and you may be upset about that-” I jumped to cut her off, twisting my head in her direction.

“Upset?! That was the most horrifying thing I’ve seen in my life! That was my own chaptermate reduced to something no better than a dog!” I slid down the bench to move away from her. Alarm flared through my mind as another thought crossed it. “Is that what you intend for me?!” 

 

“Petal, I was just getting to that. I showed you this to let you know how many affini treat their pets, even your former chaptermates.” She lowered her voice. “I do not want anything like this for you.”

 

“I… then what do you want from me? All I’ve seen is that your kind breaks down the will of others. Our walk here showed only florets in states of intoxication.” Her vine hushed me by pressing against my lips. “Other affini take the path they feel is best. As do I. What I want is for you to be fulfilled. To grow into the person you truly want to be. Not what I want you to be. To see you flourish into a wonderful floret who feels fulfilled in life is what I want to see from you. I want to know who you truly are inside, not what you were told to be in your armor. Can you help me find that sophont?”

 

I paused for a moment. This was weird. That actually sounded… kind of nice. Do I dare even consider this to be a genuine proposition? Her vine extended out to me, offered like an olive branch. “Jiggle on it?”

 

“What?”

“Is it not customary for terrans to jiggle hands to conclude a deal?”

 

I cracked a smile, perhaps the first one since I got here that wasn’t drug or core induced. 

 

“We shake hands, Fabaceae.” I explained as I reached out and shook hers. 

 

“Oh! I see! Well I’m glad to have learned that. Come now, would you like to go home?” She stood up off the bench. I followed suit. 

 

“I would like that very much.” I said softly, smiling to her as we started returning to our hab.

 

The silence was broken only a few seconds later by Fabaceae saying “But jiggle and shake are synonyms! Sure they mean the same thing regardless of the context-”

Chapter 13: The Weakness of Her Flesh

Summary:

Big thanks to my friend StoneSaint for being my excellent beta-reader throughout this work

The door hissed shut behind me as I took in the sights of the space. This was a workshop, no doubt about it. Tools were strewn about the table set against the wall with half-finished mechanical limbs with their innards still spilling out sitting idly. I suppose all of us tinkerers and engineers are the same: messy. Maria forced herself into my field of view, calling my attention to her.

 

“Sorry about Mistress, she is… protective of me.” her hand rested on my shoulder, cold and metallic, but still calming to me. Obsessively protective might be more apt though. I sighed, letting the tension in my flesh and steel fade. 

 

“I figured out that much. Thank you for saving my free will, Maria.” She sweetly smiled at me as I thanked her, then the smile turned to a smirk and she tapped the side of my face with her hand. 

 

“You don’t have to be so serious all the time, you know. You can be a lil’ silly sometimes! Intentionally, I mean.” She walked away from me to sit on her work stool by the desk. 

 

“I have never been silly in my life, that I can assure you of.” I crossed my arms in front of myself. Maria, on the other hand, just started laughing uproariously. I never wavered in my expression, but everytime she looked at me she only started laughing again. “What’s so funny?” I asked, frustration leaking into my voice.

 

“As if your mistress doesn’t talk to my mistress about what you get up to together!” She wiped a tear from the corner of her eyes as I blustered and tripped over my words. My cheeks grew sunset red as I tried to say something, anything! Of course Fabaceae talks to others about me! Why didn’t I expect something like this?! “Vine got your voice?” she said in the most smug tone ever summoned. 

 

“I wasn’t… I…” Words failed to form into coherent sentences as I fumbled to defend myself. I don’t even know what she’s heard so I could reveal something embarrassing that’s new to her! “Stop teasing me!” I stomped my foot to the ground.

 

“Since you asked so nicely, I will. I am sorry for teasing you, Theta. Do you feel better?” She got up off of her stool to approach me, coming in close until she was mere inches from my face.

 

“It actually does… thank you.” 

 

“Don’t you think you owe me one though?” her expression dropped. Her warm smile blew away in the wind as it was replaced with a blank expression. I knew this was going to happen eventually, but do I actually feel bad about what I did? I reflected, looking away from her. The memory of my scalding words causing her to tear up and leave the conversation. Even back then she was trying to help me… Omnissiah, I do actually feel guilty about it.

 

“I’m sorry that I called you just a machine and…” I paused, was I really about to say this AND mean it? “And even if you were it doesn’t make it right for me to devalue you like that.” 

 

Her face grew a soft smile as I apologized. An arm wrapped around my shoulder and pulled me into her. “And I accept! Now we can get on like old friends. Wouldn’t that be nice?”

I nodded sheepishly. Maybe having a new friend would be nice. Afterall, I cannot remember the last one I had. I mostly have kept contacts and associates over the last century, but no friends. Perhaps back on Holy Mars I kept friends, but that is so far out of my current data storage to be irrelevant. 

 

She ushered me forward into her lair, further than her workstation and into a room not yet lit for my viewing pleasure. A flip of a switch brought the light of the sun down on my eyes, but more stunning still was the array of robotic bodies in all forms along the wall. Each one bore a unique design, each catching my eye as I scanned from left to right. The first seemed clunky and unrefined. Its joints were clearly exposed and looked as if they would seize up after a day without oil. It was square and crudely built, but certainly showed talent. The second improved on the first, a smoothed form replaced the square one and its joints were covered like the body was a suit of armor. The third was quite human-like, and unlike the previous ones where they had a screen it had a rudimentary human face. It was more like a mask, almost like a doll that could move its face in small ways, but not in large ones. Then, stood at the end was Maria herself, her body able to wear clothing without it catching on anything, and her face so life-like despite the chrome that is beggared belief. 

“Impressed?” she asked, hands on her hips and a smile on her face. “I had a lot of fun designing them.” She walked down the line to the oldest and clunkiest model. “This one was supposed to just be temporary until I built something better. I grew up on Mars so my human body was a bit… ill-suited to being in harsher gravity. So instead I replaced it with this tough steel!” her fist banged on the shoulder of the metallic body.

 

One of those statements ran through me like a lightning bolt. 

 

“You’re from Mars? I didn’t realize you were a member of the Omnissiah’s clergy.”

“The Omni-what? I don’t know anything about a religion like that…”

What?

“You are from Mars and yet you haven’t heard of the Omnissiah? Are you well? Did you misplace that somewhere in your database? It would be like not knowing about the metal underfoot or the stars above!” Is she mad?

“Well I’m originally from Mars, but after the affini reached Mars, the war was basically over. I was pretty on board with a lot of what they were doing, then I ended up in Mistress’ vines! That’s the short version, at least. Still, I think I’d remember if there was some cult there.” She trailed off a moment before she smacked her own forehead with a start.

“OHHHHH, nobody’s told you yet! There’s a reason why humans are already on this vessel even though it’s the first into this galaxy! Because there are two nearly identical Milky Way Galaxies! Mistress said it was like something to do with like a vast temporal anomaly that caused them to be samesies, but like that’s all I got from her explanation. OMG so you’re from this Mars and I’m from a different Mars! Mars twins!”

 

My eyes looked down to the floor. That’s… a lot to take in at once. What was this other galaxy like? What did its technology look like? Is the technology heretical in nature? What forms of hostile xenos do they face? Was it merely humanity that was supplanted into a new galaxy or did all other horrors follow them?

Maria poked my cheek to get my attention, which snapped me out of my line of inquiry. 

 

“Theta, are you alright? You kinda blanked there for a few seconds.” Her face reminded me of a concerned animal, checking to make sure their owner was still alive.

“It’s… it’s just a lot to think about. I mean, you’re throwing a lot into my understanding right now.” Her concern didn’t fade.

 

“Well how about we just focus on something else for now, okay? I’m sure your mistress will be able to tell you all about that!” I don’t think that would make me feel any better then as it does now… 

 

“How about we get back on these bodies! Meat, what is it good for?!” She said with some flair from her hands, trying to get me to smile. She did accomplish her goal, but only for a second. Being reminded of my body only soured my mood again. I slumped against the wall and slid down it, eventually touching down on the floor. 

 

“...I’m sorry, I didn’t realize you were sensitive about that…” She sat down next to me, leaning into my right arm. Her head rested on my shoulder, and despite its metallic make, it was actually pleasantly warm. The moment dragged out into minutes. Then half an hour. At some point, I cannot remember when I began to lean back into her. 

 

She was comfortable to lean again, and she’s such a sweet person. Omnissiah, I’ve really gone soft haven’t I? To find such comfort in the arms of some heretic? It would have been unthinkable just two weeks ago. But now? Perhaps I don’t care that she goes against my beliefs. Do I even care anymore?

 

Should I even deny myself the chance to fuse with the Machine like Maria to my right? 

 

“Feeling better?” Maria said, breaking the long silence. I nodded gently, though I wasn’t completely fine yet. I still don’t feel whole.

 

“It feels like I’ve got two dead ends and I’ve still got to choose.” I said somberly. 

 

“What do you mean?” Maria asked quietly, letting me rest my head on her shoulder.

 

“I just… I know I can’t keep going on like this. I hate this flesh of mine and I want to be rid of it, but I can’t be entirely without it. That’s heresy. Either way I would feel sick with myself.” I paused, saying aloud something I’d been considering for a while. “Is there any way that the affini could get rid of the disgust for my own flesh?” 

 

She shook her head.

 

“I’m afraid something like that is basically conversion therapy, and the affini don’t do conversion therapy. I think you should embrace change. We’re friends, right?” She asked me. I answered with a nod. 

 

“And you accept that I’m not compliant with your beliefs, right?” I nodded again.

 

“Then is it such a leap to accept that for yourself? To be happy, regardless of what those in your cult would think?” That gave me pause. The little fool friend of mine had put me into a logical chokehold; it was exciting. A smile crept across my face.

 

“You’re right! I should just do it! And to Hel with anyone who says otherwise!” 

 

“Yeah! You should!” She helped me to stand up on my feet. I embraced her in full. She was right, I should just do it. To Hel with shame!

 

“Want some help with it?” She asked, patting my shoulder. 

 

“I’d love that, Maria.”

Chapter 14: Mirror Intermission

Summary:

Big thanks to my friend StoneSaint for being my excellent beta-reader throughout this work

“Vasten! We’re going to pick up Theta in an hour so be ready to go out!” Fabaceae called to me from the other room. 

 

“Okay!” I responded. The last few days have certainly taken some adjusting to. The lack of armor, the fact I don’t have to engage in training drills, no more mandatory prayers (though I still do), and of course the constant affection. The affection was… new. My fellow Astartes held a brotherly bond between each other to be sure, but often that lacked warmth; being around Fabaceae is like being wrapped in a soft blanket. Her affections never stop.

 

Though, her affections are unwanted when I am changing my attire. Her insistence over the last week to change my clothes for me has been humiliating, to say the least. Today, after my insistence, she has allowed me to dress myself. With sudden freedom, however, I found there was an overabundance of choices. I flipped through the pages and pages of the data pad trying to find something, anything that I’d like!

 

Dresses, gowns, and skirts dominated the catalog! I could barely find anything that wasn’t aggressively feminine. The least feminine things I could find were “boyshort” underwear, a set of tight black pants, a white shirt and a black leather jacket to go over it. Some of the outfit is still terribly feminine, but it’s at least not a dress.

 

I slipped the clothes onto myself, the pants fitting snugly and the jacket hugging my body. It’s almost as tight as my old body glove was. I looked to the mirror to get a sense of how ridiculous I appeared, but it was still frosted over. Figures… I tapped its surface, hoping to somehow dislodge this effect on it. While I know this is a stupid idea I couldn’t help but entertain it as the alternatives are: going out in public without the slightest clue as to what my selected attire looks like on me, OR asking for Fabaceae to come in here and fix the mirror. I needn’t have contemplated the alternatives though as the frost on the screen melted away.

 

I looked over my reflection to see how everything looked on me but I kept finding it sitting in weird ways in the mirror that didn’t look right. I mean first, the pants made my thighs look huge. They are not small by any measure, but looking down at myself I can see that they clearly aren’t that big. Moving further up the mirror I KNOW my hips aren’t that wide and my waist isn’t that thin. I hardly had time to think before noticing the giant pair of breasts that filled out the jacket in the mirror.

 

“What the…” My eyes snapped to my mirrored face, but it only vaguely looked like myself. The face staring back at me was feminine, with all the harshness of my face washed away to leave behind a spotless womanly visage. The hair was a light pink, long on one side and shaved on the other. I reached up to grab at my face and the reflection did the same. Is that… me?

 

“She’s beautiful, isn’t she?” Fabaceae’s voice spoke from behind me.

 

“Fabaceae!-” I tried to turn and look at her, but her vines wrapped around me, keeping me staring at the mirror. And like me, the woman in the mirror was held in place, but no vines appeared in the reflection. 

 

“She is very pretty, Vasten. Wouldn’t you agree? Oh I know you do, but that desire in your heart; do you want to be with her, or do you want to be her?” Her voice echoed through my mind.

 

“N-No I don’t want to be her!” I looked at her face twisting with fear across from me. Buy why? I’m not scared of Fabaceae! I…

 

“Then how about some Class D? Perhaps that will get you to admit it to yourself.” Wait no! But it was already too late. The injector found its target and its load was pumped into my veins. 

 

“Now, do you want to be her?” I looked up into my reflection, the soft-faced woman with her massive shoulders and breasts looked back at me.

 

“I want to be her…” I said, a sense of shame flooding over me.

 

“And you can be. I will make your reflection who you really are.” Another injector found its way to my neck, but this time there was no immediate impact that I could see. The mirror frosted over again, hiding the woman I wanted to become.

 

“What was that?”

 

“Class G xenodrugs. We’ll get you looking like that woman in no time. We better start thinking of a name for you, my cute little girl~” That made me blush and stare at the ground as if there was the most fascinating object there.

 

“I’m sorry to have given you class Ds like that, but it’s better to give a sophont a gentle push when what they want is right in front of them.” Her vines released me, letting me look whichever way I wanted, but my mind wanted to avoid looking down.

 

“Oh.” She said waltzing in front of me. “Another question: do you want core time?”

 

“What? Of course I do! Wait no I meant to say yes! I mean yes I want it I mean-” Her vine hushed my lips as her chest opened up. And this time I just let her take me in. The idea of being that woman flooded my brain as she pulled me into herself. I will look like her, I will become her; I am her. She is me! Why didn’t I see that before, it’s so obvious! It’s so cozy in her(e)...

Chapter 15: Formed Form

Summary:

Big thanks to my friend StoneSaint for being my excellent beta-reader throughout this work.

Sorry this took so long, but there's only a few more chapters left now!

Oil covered my hands as I labored over the new robotic body set before me. A beautiful melding of circuitry and steel. Still, the body remained a shell; incomplete and hollow. Were I to inhabit her, she would need so much more. She was little more than a skeleton so far, but in time she would be beautiful. A perfect body.

With the infinite resources of the Affini, I doubt this would be my last body either. Omnissiah, could you imagine having a whole selection of forms made of perfect steel? It was enough to send me into ecstasy. This first one would just be a simple body modeled off of human anatomy. Later on I could get far more creative with the shape and size of the body. 

“Maria, can you hand me 0.1 precision screwdriver?” I said, holding my hand aloft. There is just one last little screw that needs to be placed along the skeleton, then the frame can be put in.

“Here you go!” She said with the usual cheer in her voice, handing me the small screwdriver. Maria had helped in putting together the new body, this steel skeleton being her design. A fine starting point, but once I escape this flesh I will go about designing my own forms. Though I’m sure she’d love to help out too, and I certainly won’t say no to the assistance.

“And that is the last one.” I said as I finished tightening the micro-screw.

“Well I mean, we’re gonna give you a head, right?” she said, gesturing at the empty area above the neck. She broke out into a fit of giggling that I found awfully adorable. 

“Yes of course I’ll have a head, dear Maria.” She provided the basic design for the interior mechanics. They were similar to her own body, but left plenty of room to add things atop of it, like the chassis and the skull itself. 
“Dear Maria? Keep acting like that and I’ll make your new head have kissable lips just for me!” Said Maria with a wink. My mechanical heart would have skipped a beat if possible. Why am I getting flustered by this woman all of a sudden…Well she definitely picked up on the silence and the shade of red that appeared on my cheeks.

“I didn’t realise how easily flustered the stern Theta was! I should really tease you more…” She drew closer to me, brushing her hand across the side of my head as my organic parts grew warmer than their usual parameters would allow.

“I am NOT easily flustered! The temperature of the room is simply higher than what I am used to! Not to mention we’ve been working for quite some time, thus increasing my temperature further!” There! A perfectly rational explanation to the raised temperature and flushing of my cheeks. Surely this will assuage the continued activities of this thermal inquisition. Maria shrugged.

“It seems to me like the temperature in the room is not the problem, but that you’re just easily flustered. I’m sure you can admit to it in time.” She said with a smug smile draped across her face.

Before I could respond, the sound of the door opening drew both of us to look at it. There in the doorway stood Fabaceae, a comforting and familiar sight. Her biorhythm filled the air around us, and her smile was from ear to ear.

“Well I see you’ve gotten along well with Maria, my little lube ape!” she said, gesturing to my oil-slicked hands.

“I think you mean ‘grease monkey’, Miss Fabaceae.” Maria corrected, I think? I have never had such vocabulary pass into my ears before so the correction might be untrue. I, however, was already rushing to hug her, and though it vexes me to admit that I missed her: I did.

“Glad to see you too, my darling Theta.” Her vines wrapped around me in a loving embrace, pulling me up and into her arms. Her hug was lovely as ever, and certainly a treat after being away from her for so long. “So, what have you two been up to in here? Ringia says you’ve been in here almost the whole time you’ve been at her hab!” 

Maria and I looked at each other with worry, the mention of Ringia bringing back the memory of my near-mindbreaking experience. Fabaceae gave my forehead a big kiss to calm me back down. My expression clearly gave away my worry at the name. Would Ringia get in trouble? I began to speak, but my mistress cut me off.

“No need to worry about that little incident. Ringia told me and has apologised. It’s up to her to make it up to me, but in the meantime we’ll be getting you a new therapist. Okay, Theta?” She pulled me away from herself to look at me in the eyes, hers were a deep yellow that calmed me to placidity. 

“A-aren’t you mad at her? Or me?” I asked sheepishly. Afterall, I had tried to leave the hab, and that’s what sparked her reaction. I had no designs on any sort of escape beyond going back to my own hab, but still!

“Oh no, I’m furious at her. How dare she do something like that to MY pet! And while your behavior was out of line, hers was far worse.” Her eyes flashed briefly red as she talked about Ringia, but soon the shades of yellow returned to her eyes. “I’ll be talking to her again later and I will find you a new therapist, okay Petal?” 

I nodded to her. While I hated therapy at first, it did help me get over some of my feelings and embrace my want for a non-biologic body. I looked over to Maria, who had taken a seat by her workshop’s table and I waved to her.

“Goodbye, Maria.” I said, trying to keep emotion out of my voice. I know I am going to see her again, but for some reason saying goodbye to her felt like parting from something dear…

“Don’t you mean dear Maria?” She said with a smug grin on her face. Yes, that’s right. Dear Maria. My Dear Maria…

“Ooo sounds like someone has a girlfriend!” Fabaceae said in a sing-song voice, making me blush. Having said my goodbye, she carried me from the room and out into the main hab area. Ringia averted her eyes as we walked by and out the door, evidently still ashamed of her actions. 

Our walk home was quiet at first; I simply enjoyed being back with her again. It amazes me how quickly I have warmed up to this plant, despite my issues, and formed a genuine bond. The silence was interrupted as Fabaceae began speaking.

“So, you and Maria, huh?” She pondered aloud.

“It’s not romantic in nature.” I stated pointedly, pensively looking away from her. She chuckled softly at me.

“Oh I didn’t imply anything. I was just going to comment on how nice it was to see you playing well with her given how things went last time and all.” She pet my head with a free vine as I kept my scowl uninterrupted. “So what were you working on? It seems you were rather into it given all the oil coating your hands.”

“Oh yes. Well I’m sure you’ll be quite excited to hear it: I have decided to forgo this flesh and replace it with machinery. The comfort of steel will-” Fabaceae cut me off, her excited squealing overpowering my words.

“Everbloom, really?! Ringia must really be a good therapist if she got you to like Maria and decide to digitize in the same weekend!” She hugged me even closer to her chest. “I’m so happy! We can get you started right away when we get home!”

It was… infectious to see her so happy, or perhaps that was just her biorhythm… regardless, I felt elated at her joy about it. It felt nice to make a choice that she was so enthusiastic about. Maybe having friends isn’t such a bad thing if I get to feel like this more often…

Our walk home from there was filled with more cuddles and cooing over me, but as we drew close to our hab she stopped.

“I should give you a heads up. Do you recall the space marine from that one incident?” She asked, hushing her tone.

“The one that tried to crush my skull like a can? Yes, I am familiar with them. Why?”

The hab door opened and out stepped said skull-crushing giant.

“Mistress! You’re back!” They said, as they hugged her. Meanwhile I was stuck in a hug-sandwich as she wrapped her arms around Fabaceae, who was carrying me at the same time.

“Hello my dear Celestine! Missing me after only half an hour?” Fabaceae said, smugness dripping from her words.

“N-no! I just, well I am just excited to see you again, that’s all!” she said like a happy puppy dog.

“Right right, of course! And this here is Theta, I believe you met already.” She said, lowering me to be eye level with this “Celestine”. Lo and behold it was the same brute that had tried to kill me, but with a more feminine set of attire, and treating Fabaceae like a beloved mistress? Well things really have happened while I was away…

“H-hi.” They said sheepishly. “I’m sorry, about, well, you know…”

They were saying sorry? Omnissiah, Fabaceae broke them very quickly… I squinted my eye in suspicion, but it seemed like a genuine gesture, though the context seemed absurd. ‘Sorry I nearly squished your skull in but now we have the same plant owner so we should get along.”

“Apology accepted.” I said flatly. While I still held distrust of them, so long as Fabaceae was here they wouldn’t be able to harm me at all. Their new attire was rather shocking. I didn’t expect Astartes to partake of feminine clothing. 

“Well I’m glad to see you both are getting along already! And so ready to let bygones be bygones too? Oh you two just know how to make an affini happy…”

The hab was like I remembered it save for its newest resident. Celestine was still going to put me on edge for a while, but they seem to have turned over a new leaf. I expected a Black Templar to hold out for quite some time and take some serious effort to reform into the current docile floret I see, and yet it only took a few days.

Fabaceae held me up like one might a cat and looked me up and down. 

“I see my little engineer is all dirty. How about a nice bath before we go and get a meal, hmm?” Fabaceae asked, clearly asking a rhetorical question. “Then you two might get more acquainted later.”

“Would you allow me to bathe myself this time?” I asked, and in its own way this too was a rhetorical question.

“Of course not.” She said, her sharp teeth showing through her ominous smile.

The bath was as uneventful as they could be. I only got mildly drugged this time and certainly did NOT orgasm. I hope never to repeat that embarrassing event. For as long as I exist.

I was sat upon the sofa next to Celestine, the Space Marine who not long ago attempted to end my life; but she just sat quietly on her data pad looking at Omnissiah knows what. Fabaeceae was in the kitchen making food for us, so I was left in the awkward silence that you share with someone you only have a mutual friend with, or a mutual mistress I suppose.

“So, you have changed your gender as well, Celestine?” I said, trying to break the ice. I was going to be spending a lot of time with this one, so it is best that I start things off in a friendly manner. Though it was incredibly difficult not to feel small sitting next to them as they were nearly tall as Fabaceae.

“You did it too? They call it being ‘transgender’, but I hadn't heard about the term until a few days ago.” She replied.

“The term remains relatively new to me as well. When I was still within the Machine Cult, I found myself uncomfortable with the way others spoke about me. Despite wanting to be rid of my flesh entirely, I still felt a want to resemble a different form of flesh, if you follow.” I explained, shrugging as I finished. “Nobody within the Cult really cared about it, and that was all that mattered to me.”

“That sounds nice. Within my order I would have never been allowed this freedom. We are to serve the Emperor, and trying to change ourselves in such a way would only hinder the mission, and my Brothers would have simply laughed at me for having any desire to be feminine.”

“I could only imagine, Celestine. I could only imagine.”

She was once a killer, but now seemed less dangerous than a spare screw. 

“Your violence against me was not without benefit, just so you know. It encouraged me to leave parts of my faith behind.”

“Ah yes, Fabaceae brought that up to me while we discussed my own faith. For my own part, I’ve come to believe that the Emperor wishes for humanity to love one another, and that the faith as it exists now is flawed, and borne of necessity. At least that’s what Fabaceae wants me to think.” Celestine said the last part quietly.

“Do you believe her?” I asked in a similarly hushed tone.

“I do, but it does sound a bit silly compared to what I used to believe…” 

Silence filled the space between us for a while. I had designs turning over in my head for my new body, but before I finish that body I need to get the materials for the Proteus Protocol. I’m sure that Fabaceae will help with that!

“Dinner is ready! I hope my two florets have been getting along?” Fabaceae asked us. Both of us having sat in silence for ten minutes looked at each other and nodded

“Most definitely.” I said

“Yes, certainly.” Celestine agreed.

We were sat at the table. I sat in the wide and soft lap of Fabaceae, and Celestine sat opposite of us as she was actually big enough to sit properly at the table. Despite the distance: Fabaceae fed both Celestine and myself effortlessly.

“So how are things with Maria?” Fabaceae started.

“As I had told you earlier, they were great. I do believe I’ve made a friend.” I said impartially, getting a spoonful of food put in my mouth as a reward. 

“Anything interesting? You were working on something with her, right?” 

“Well you see… I’ve decided to finally get rid of the remainder of this flesh!” I said with excitement!

She matched my excitement, practically glowing.

“Ooooo!! I am SO happy to hear that! So that must be what you and Maria were working on! I’m sooo so so so proud of you!” She planted a big kiss on the top of my head.

“So, we’ll have to see about digitizing you, alright? We can do that in one of two ways. We can just make a digital copy of  your conscious mind and then put your living body on class Os forever, or we could slowly replace your brain with machine components until there’s nothing left… but that would require more of your to be left. I’m afraid without some pretty risky procedures that will never work. So only option one! Everbloom I’m so excited!” Fabaceae exclaimed. I was not so pleased as there was another option she was ignoring.

“Do the affini not know of the Proteus Protocol? I would figure such technology would be well within your kind’s grasp. In the Imperium it is heretical, but possible of course. We simply transfer my mind into an inanimate vessel, and then connect that vessel to technology. I did some experimentation with the technology on my own, and I’ve figured out some of its quirks.” I told her. It was true that I experimented with it, but never on myself. It’s best not to let Fabaceae know how many people died before I got it to work properly.

“No.” Fabaceae said flatly.

“No?” I asked incredulously.

“Correct! I can’t let you do some random experiment with your mind like that, it could be dangerous! It’s much better to do it our way. I hate saying no to you, but on this I’ll have to say no.” She said to me, I felt anger rising in my chest.

“Of course I can do it that way it’s perfectly saf-” she cut me off by putting food into my mouth.

“Princesses aren’t supposed to eat with their mouth’s full, silly. We can talk about this later, but for now I am ending this conversation, okay?” I chewed my food and swallowed, knowing damn well I wasn’t just going to give up on this.
“...okay fine.” I said, petulant.

“Good girl!” She praised me, another spoonful of food entering my mouth.

It seems I’ll have to undergo the Proteus Protocol without her support. It shouldn’t be that difficult. After all, I did manage to build a bomb under her nose.