Chapter Text
V1’s frame was covered in a thick film of bloody mist. A sizeable dent lay flat on the expanse of its back; it must’ve knocked into some fragile components since V1’s plating couldn’t absorb the blood.
Gluttony’s flesh caved in beneath the machine’s pedes. It’s fluids squelched with the rancid scent of bile as it pooled against the slightest pressure. Despite the briefest touch, the shallow film of liquid that remained on the machine began to feed on its plating.
It lightly brushed its servo on the affected pede. Rubbing its digits together, it inspected the flakes of metal that crumbled from its plating with a scrutinizing optic.
The machine’s processor piled in notifications on its HUD based on the tibit of data. Manually clicking through the notifications, it disregarded the active protocols to conserve fuel to redirect blood towards its damaged region.
It settled itself on a fleshy ledge as it kneaded its plating to stimulate the flow of blood. It’s plating pooled the blood onto the corroded surface and formed new material to cover the affected area.
Sensing something behind it, V1 swiveled its head around and cycled its optic. Embedded in the ceiling was an immense orb; the surface of its lens was clouded and moistened by the fluids that were oozing from the flesh. It felt a slight presence coming from beyond the pupil.
However, regardless of how long it directed its motion sensors to strain, it couldn’t pick up the slightest movement. As it stood, the machine’s optic lingered on the orb before proceeding through the next section in quick strides.
As it stepped through, V1’s auditory sensors were supplied with a bout of static; it held its helm in its servos as it began recalibrating its pitch and volume with a groan.
A voice seeped through the walls of flesh, “Machine, turn back now. You do not belong in this realm. The layers of this palace are not for your kind. Turn back, or you will be crossing the will of God.”
Its helm swiftly rotated to find the source of the voice; launching multiple programs on its HUD, it briefly scanned the surroundings to see a smudge of static in the ceiling. The machine’s optic dilated as it intensified its motion sensors, bringing them into a state of heightened sensitivity.
Crack.
V1’s servos shuddered over the split glass of its optic.
An immense heat wafted off the smudge of static and roiled over its frame. It activated its internal fans as it fluttered its plating in a wave-like motion to disperse the heat building within.
As the machine’s internals cooled, it processed the following words: “You’ve gone far enough, machine. Less you squander the grace of God, heed my advice, and your life will be spared.”
V1’s spinal struts tightened against its plating as it observed the surroundings. A bubbling pool of heated bile covered the floor as moving sections of glistening, whitened flesh protruded above. The machine’s servos clumsily grasped at its fans on the underbelly of its chassis, flinching when its olfactory senses processed the thick, pungent odor.
The pungency permeated through the seams of its tightly sealed plating, dampening its supporting struts and internal pistons with a layer of debris-like sediment that prevented joint movement.
The machine’s optic dimmed as it intensified its auditory sensors through the tunnel of squirming muscles, “Very well, your choice has been made.” The voice carried a weary tone, “ Now, as the righteous hand of the Father, I shall rend you apart, and you will become inanimate once more.”
V1 recalibrated its visual sensors as it squirmed through the flesh-infused tunnel; it brightened its optic at the vast arena surrounding a bulging eye, similar to the one it saw before. In the distance was a heart that was connected to the walls. It concentrated on the auditory aspects of the immense thrumming that beat along its plating.
The machine’s visual input dissipated in a surge of static, “Behold. The power of an angel!”
V1’s HUD automatically processed the visual input a few nanoseconds later; however, its screen was bombarded with lines of faulty coding that blurred its vision to an indefinite outline of the figure. Its servo clutched the marksman's revolver as it flicked three consecutive coins into the air, pivoting the barrel of the gun, and shooting the coins towards the figure.
“That’s not going to be enough, machine. You are at a disadvantage; cease your futile attempt and accept your fate.”
The machine switched the marksman revolver with its electromagnetic railcannon, it ruffled its plating as it twirled its whiplashed arm to grapple with the outlined figure, and pulled. V1’s struts propelled it airborne as it aimed the barrel with trembling servos and pulled the trigger.
Bouts of blood spilled from where V1 shot the figure. The voice spat a mouthful of blood, “... That’s enough stalling,” he grasped onto the machine’s abdominal pistons, “Let’s get this over with already,” and flung the machine away from him.
V1’s engines hissed as it pivoted its whiplashed arm ahead of itself.
Snap.
The machine’s feedbacker clutched the whiplashed arm to its junction; it held steadily onto the detached wires, loose panels, and cleaved fuel lines that dripped along its frame. It grasped its helm tightly with its knuckleblaster arm and whirred its systems panel to calibrate the damage that it had received.
WARNING: HEAVY DAMAGE SUSTAINED.
RUNNING DIAGNOSTIC
ERROR: (WHIPLASHED) ARM CORE MODULE_NOT RESPONDING
ERROR: PRIMARY JOINT ARTICULATION_’OBSTRUCTED’_NOT RESPONDING
INITIATING SELF-REPAIR PROTOCALS
NOTICE: (WHIPLASHED) ARM CORE MODULE_SELF-REPAIRING – 0%
NOTICE: PRIMARY JOINT ARTICULATION _ ATTEMPTING TO REMOVE_OBSTRUCTION
WARNING: UNABLE TO REMOVE_OBSTRUCTION–PAUSING PLATING REFORMAT TEMPORARILY
WARNING: INITIATING NEW PROCEDURES TO CONSERVE FUEL_USER_CONFIRMATION (COMPLETED)
NOTICE: TEMPORARY SHUT-DOWN
STATUS UPDATE: 0%
—-------------------------
STATUS UPDATE: 16%
V1’s optical lens shuddered to a close as its processor covered itself with a persistent fuzz.
Gabriel swiped the blood dripping from the holes in his helmet and flicked the blood onto the fleshy surface below. His wounds had already stopped bleeding. But dry flakes of crusted blood were nestled underneath his armor; he’d have to rinse himself off once he went back to heaven.
He sighed and glanced at the crater of flesh he’d made when he flung the machine. Gabriel materialized above the crater in a fragment of light and looked down at the creature, “Foolishness would only grant you too much success, machine. Now… It’s over?”
It wasn’t the machine that he’d seen a few moments ago.
This ‘machine’ was significantly smaller than Gabriel remembered; he tucked in his wings and reached down for the object. He clutched it lightly in the palm of his hand and squeezed gently on its bulbous head, “Still made of metal but… Softer.”
Gabriel released the machine’s head when a high-pitched whine came from its vocalizer, “Still alive, I see; you’re quite difficult to get rid of. Now that you’re incapacitated, though, you are unable to continue through hell. I’m not sure what to do with you now.”
The machine drew out a long beep and wriggled in his clutches.
Gabriel glanced at the top of its head; there was a set of distinct dents in the shape of fingertips aligned on its delicate helm. He clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth and rubbed the softened metal until the dents disappeared.
V1’s optic shuttered into a narrow slit until it was a dim glow.
“The Council is expecting me,” Gabriel said as he clutched the machine to his chest, “They’ll deliver the final verdict. Oh, don’t fret, let’s just go along now. You’re still alive, aren’t you?”
Gabriel placed another hand on the top of the machine’s helm as he basked the both of them in pure light. His heel clinked against the circular, disk-shaped marble beneath him; he felt an overwhelming pressure as the entire Council shifted its attention to him.
He tucked his wings neatly to the flat expanse of his back and peeled the machine away from his chest to present towards The Council.
Hushed whispers descended upon the Council’s room; despite it all, Gabriel could pick up snippets of their words; however, it barely gave him an idea of what they were thinking.
“Supposed to be disposed of in the other realm…”
“...Assuming its primary goal to be fuel, then we could…”
“That’s reasonable… Make sure it’s working for our agendas.”
Gabriel raised his head when the room’s chittering stopped. He tucked the machine to his chest again, “Gabriel, you are to supervise the object until further due notice. We expect you to arrive tomorrow morning for a debrief on what’s to be done.”
“Understood.”
Gabriel turned his back towards The Council and walked into an expansive hallway; he turned to the first room that appeared to his right. The room had an open-concept; an intricate canopy bed in royal blues was lined with various paintings and a simple door to its left; in front of it was a rectangular couch with a plush chair on the side.
He plopped down on the couch and lifted his feet over the ledge to lie down; Gabriel settled V1 into the crook of his arm and placed a hand over the cross ingrained on his helmet. Periodically, he shifted into different positions on the couch before he settled on one.
V1’s engines were smothered by Gabriel’s body and were puffing out hot air from its miniature vents. It wriggled in Gabriel’s grasp until it decided that it was a futile attempt when its frame was tucked into the crook of Gabriel’s neck, and when he began snoring.
Morning couldn’t come fast enough.