DM Lance: Diagnostics

[Reddnn]

A dimly lit room, with a singular light source. A working lamp poised on a table where a droid was laying on it’s side, temporarily deactivated as deft hands worked on an inner panel that was opened up.

The figure sat back after some time tinkering, setting the tools aside. They waved their hand, and a number of screws began to levitate back into place, before screwing the panel closed. Pressing a series of buttons and switches next to the panel, the droid once more whirred to life. It beeped as it ran the standard diagnostics, as the figure once more raised a hand, the droid lifting from the table and finding itself placed on the ground upright.

”All systems at 100% mistress.”

The droid rotated it’s headpiece as the robed lifted from the chair, and stood. Reaching out, she brushed a hand affectionately over the droid’s head plate, before crouching down next to it.

”Run a scan for me.” she said softly, offering the crown of her head to the droid as her chin dipped to her chest.

A blue light expanded over the woman from the droid’s lenses, running over her bowed head several times before retracting, whirring softly as it processed the scan.

”Stability within safety perimeters. Last recorded incident: Eight days ago. Incident level rated at level 2. Projected stability to remain at current levels for-“ The droid whirred quietly for a few moments as it ran a process. ”-Error. Stability levels decreasing from prior data. New calculation for projected time between incidents required. Will begin working on new calculations, mistress.”

The woman bobbed her head in a nod, once more caressing the droid, as one might do so to a friend. She rose up, adjusting her robes to smooth them out. For the moment, she had work to attend to. From a darker corner of the workbench, unlit by the lamp, she slid her fingers over a sleek black box with a satin finish, tucking it under her arm. She strode out of the room, the sensor door hissing open as the artificial light from the hallway poured in. The droid whirred it’s motor and followed her close behind.

[Reddnn]

One Month Ago…

The room was near light-less, save for the artificial lamp on the ceiling, the bulb flickering. Beneath it was a chair, a figure in disheveled robes, and entirely strapped down. Across his arms, his neck, and torso were various IVs and other medical monitoring devices, and the quiet whirring of the device they led to could be heard in the shadows.

The door squealed open, a grinding of a metal door upon the concrete floor stirred the man. Blue eyes slowly became unclamped from behind their swollen lids, as another individual entered the room, and a droid following in behind shortly after.

”Congratulations, you’ve been spared death.”

He grunted, spitting out a glob of blood that had flooded from the inside of his cheek. He’d aimed it toward her boots, though it did not connect. Rather, it quivered in the air - hovering inches above the intended target. A snap of movement from her robes, and the globule spattered square in the center of his forehead. The wet, sticky mixture of saliva and blood smearing down the prisoner’s face.

”My my, that’s no way to treat a lady. No issue, of course. I have uses for you yet. In fact, a very special use.”

A strap connected to the headrest of the chair flew forward, clamping over the man’s mouth and muffling any further protest as it latched itself in place. Each device and IV lodged within the man slid out, and dropped to the floor. With a further grinding of metal, the chair was dragged out of the room aside the woman, droid in tow behind.