Another synth with a glowing red hand ran towards them as TO and the AI-C12 rounded another corner. TO aimed, fired, and kept running down the hallway.

It was easier if they didn’t stay to look at the aftermath. It was easier if they just didn’t think too hard about what they were doing. It was easier if TO just reminded themself over and over that it was just an AI as they let their training take over as a part of them seemed to sink deep within their head to simply watch what was happening from within. It felt like their eyes were unfocused, and yet they were following the orders given to them by the AI-C12.

 

These weren’t synths; These were targets. AI enemies. The targets had to be dealt with or TO knew that they would fail the simulation.

 

If they failed, they’d be corrected.

 

“We’re nearly there.” AI-C12 said, “It will be faster to go through the maintenance bay to get to the escape pods, but potentially more dangerous. Still, the training center has been destabilized, and might start to suffer catastrophic malfunctions.”

 

“Understood.” TO said. They were grateful for the orders; they didn’t have to think, they just had to act.

 

They made their way down another flight of stairs and got to the maintenance halls. There were several intersections up ahead.

 

Intersections. TO knew to take them carefully; check the adjacent hallways before rushing forward. They just had to rely on the basic training that they had learned from games or simulations or directly from C12. They ran to the first intersection, checked, and saw the long, empty hallways.

 

“Clear.” TO said. AI-C12 nodded and they both ran forward. The next hall was clear as well.

 

When they got to the third hallway, TO saw two synths coming towards them, both with glowing red hands. By merit of their training they were about to aim and fire, but something stopped them. Something stilled their hand and dragged their mind from the back of their head and dropped them right back into the whole situation they were in.

 

Suddenly the flashing lights seemed brighter.

 

Suddenly TO could feel the sweat running down their back.

 

Suddenly the smell of oil hit their nose.

 

Suddenly, it wasn’t just a pair of enemy synths running towards them, it was DH and their Overseer.

 

Time seemed to slow, and a chill worked its way through their spine from the very tip of their ears right down to their feet. That was DH! Was it really DH? Judging by the panicked look on their face and the way their ears were twitching and moving so frantically TO was certain that they weren’t an AI.

 

If they shot them, would DH fail the examination? That made no sense; they weren’t trying to eliminate synths; they were testing them. Ideally every synth in training would pass and advance. After all, wasn’t the Commander angry that not enough synths were passing?

 

No. It made no sense for them to put DH and themself on opposite sides if the real win condition was actually getting to the pods and escaping. There was one logical reason why they would have DH in the simulation; They wanted to see if DH and TO would fight one another. They wanted to see if they could try to kill one another.

 

TO turned the corner and took aim.

 

If they didn’t fight, they’d be corrected.

 

DH saw them, and the moment their eyes hit their face there was a sudden moment of recognition and of horror.

 

TO didn’t want to fight DH, didn’t want to kill DH. They loved DH. More than anything they loved DH.

 

DH started to pull up their multigun, but hesitated. Their ears flicked back in fear, in sorrow, in confusion.

 

DH didn’t know it was a simulation– they couldn’t know. The only reason TO knew was because they knew C12, and could tell very easily that the AI-C12 was not real. DH didn’t know their overseer that well, and even if they did, DH's Overseer was very normal, and probably more easily copied by an AI.

 

DH wouldn’t fire. TO knew that. They could see it in their ears, they could see it in the way their hand started to loosen around the multigun, preparing to drop it.

 

If DH didn’t fire, DH would be corrected. TO didn’t want that. TO couldn’t allow that.

 

There was only one thing TO could do to prevent that.

 

TO fired their multigun. The blasts fired out into the hallway almost randomly as TO’s aim- which wasn’t great at the best of times- was suddenly shaky. A blast went through DH’s wing, shredding it. Another blast went through their arm. Another blast got their Overseer in the chest, creating a dark, bloody hole in their body as they fell backwards.

 

Another hit DH in the side of the head, splattering blue blood and grey matter on the walls. Another went through their chest. TO took a step forward; they couldn’t give DH a chance to shoot them because if they had that chance and they passed it up then they’d fail their exam. TO felt tears start to fall from their eyes as they fired over and over and over at the body-

 

“That’s enough.” the AI-C12 said. Their calm, cold voice stopped TO, who llooked down at the mess of bone and blood that had once been their friend. Panic rushed through them; what if it wasn’t a simulation? What if they had actually just killed their friend? They knew it was a simulation of course; everything pointed to it.

 

It didn’t matter. A part of them screamed that it might not be. A part of them screamed that they had just killed their best friend.

 

“You went overboard.” the AI-C12 said, “You wasted time.”

 

TO nodded, wiped away tears, and turned to run down the hallway ahead of the AI, “Apologies.” they said, but they offered up no explanation after that.

 

Once they were out of this, when they saw DH again-

 

-DH. Unless they killed them. Blood everywhere. Bones. Bones cracking. The smell of disinfectant-

 

-then they’d explain why they had done that. They did it to protect DH. They knew it was a simulation, DH didn’t. DH would understand.

 

They had to understand. They had to. If they didn't, then TO didn’t know what they’d do.

 

They tried to go back deep inside their head, but they couldn't. All that was waiting for then inside was that awful memory of repurposing that tiny synth, and the fresh memory of DH’s mangled body. They couldn’t hear anything over the sound of sirens, cracking bones, and a scalpel through flesh. They couldn’t smell the fumes that wafted around them over the stench of disinfectant.

 

It wasn’t until the sound of the first distant explosion boomed over everything else that they noticed anything at all. It was a sound that they felt more than heard; it shook their bones and made them stop in their tracks. It was then finally that they heard the roar of distant flames under the sirens, heard C12 saying that they needed to run.

 

It was then that they smelled the fumes wafting around them.

 

It was all noticed too late.

 

The second explosion was closer and nearby pipes shattered, spraying unknown chemicals all over them. TO and the AI ran as fast as they could away from the spray of strange chemicals only for the next explosion to catch them, showering them in debris and chemicals and fire as they felt through the now damaged floor. TO reached out frantically, managing to grab a beam and keep themself from falling down into the engine room below. They heard the AI cry out, but a moment later they were suddenly silenced.

 

TO tried pulled themself up, but when they tried to climb back onto more secure flooring a sudden pain in their right leg stopped them; They almost let go as they cried out, but they managed to hold onto the beam.

 

Their leg was broken, or at least the simulation made it feel like their leg was broken. They tried to spread their wings and fly, but the explosion had torn holes in the membrane of their wings.

 

They wouldn't be able to finish the simulation. Even if they got to a sturdy part of the floor, how could they get to the pod on a bad leg?

 

Didn’t matter. That didn’t matter. They didn’t know what the fail condition for this simulation was, but they refused to give up. They refused to do anything less than their best. They would not provide the synths watching, the Overseers, the Officers, and the Commanders, any reason to suggest they should be corrected.

 

They were going to pass. They were going to survive this. They were going to see DH, and hold them and hug then and tell them how sorry they were; it didn’t matter who was right or who was wrong in their stupid little fight.

 

TO felt so stupid, so horrible for being so angry.

 

They tried again to pull themself up. They used all their strength in their arms and swung their good leg up, knocking off the thin slipper and using their toes to hold onto the edge. They slowly pulled themself up, their damaged leg scraping over the exposed metal and wires.

 

It hurt so bad. This simulation hurt more than previous ones ever had. It was all TO could manage to keep from crying out in pain. Yet, through the pain all they could think about was DH. If their leg was hurting this much, how much had DH suffered when they shot them in the head.

 

-Blood. Bones. The look of Horror on DH’s face-

 

How much of that did they actually feel?

 

They pulled themself up, flopping over and rolling over on their back and finally allowed a cry of pain to escape their lips as their broken leg twisted unnaturally with the action. It didn’t matter; they were up. They were still in the simulation. They’d drag themself to the pod if they had to, screaming every second in pain and agony if it meant getting out of the simulation and seeing DH again. They would do it. They could do it! They just needed a moment to collect themself, to prepare themself for all that pain…

 

They heard someone running down the hallway and towards them. TO reached for their multigun but realized that it was gone; they must have dropped it in the explosion or while they were climbing up onto a solid bit of floor.

 

Bad wings, a broken leg, and no multigun. Most likely, the synth rushing down the hallway towards them was an enemy. TO knew that they wouldn’t be able to escape, and there was nowhere for them to hide. They pulled themself up against the wall so that they were at least in a sitting position. They drew their claws. They didn’t want to fight, they didn’t want to use their claws on another synth, but if they had to, they would. They would make it out of this simulation.

 

Of course, chances are they wouldn’t have to do anything. The other synth would simply use their multigun. Well, at least they’d be out of the simulation then. At least it’d be over. At least then they could try to talk to DH.

 

Well, provided they actually passed.

 

They braced themself as the other synth approached, preparing for the blast that would hopefully go right through their head and take them out of the simulation.

 

The sound of footsteps drew closer. TO kept their eyes fixed on the corner, ready to fight if they had any opportunity.

 

They wanted to cry when they saw GiDi turn the corner, multigun out before them.

 

GiDi stopped as they saw TO laying on the ground, covered in blood.

 

They froze.