It’s one thing to be asked out by a gorgeous woman for coffee. Odd that she asked me out, I’m just rather average-looking.

It’s another thing to learn she’s a part of a drone hive. Weird, I guess, but power to all of them.

But I did not expect that she would ask me to join them.

“It’s simple really! You come to our programming division! They would get you all set up with cool gadgets and stuff, and then you’d be linked up.” The woman gave an innocent smile like she didn’t just suggest a massive life-changing procedure.

I was still choking on the latte I ordered. There was no real response I could make. The whole thing was baffling. Why me? And why so forward and sudden about it?

I suppose I should probably rewind and explain, well, everything. I’m Cassi Potter. I’m a struggling artist that tends to hang out in cafes, coffee shops, and malls to sketch random passersby for practice and fun. I’m one of the most trans individuals you will ever see. Let’s just say I fit the ‘blue hair and pronouns’ joke really well. And yes, I have played Fallout: New Vegas. I didn’t like it. I wear that really dumb hipster look. Flannel, beanie, thick glasses, you know the look. I did it a few times ironically and it just kinda stuck. So now I’m just a very trans, very gay hipster-looking artist that will melt at the sight of women in general.

Sitting across from me was a tall brunette woman dressed in business attire. She was dressed in a black suit jacket with a low cut white shirt underneath, tight fitting dress pants, and dark black flats. She seemed to be around my age, in her mid-20s. What really stuck out to me was her bright blue eyes. Now that I knew she was a drone of some sort it probably meant they were synthetic or something. Her name was S3R4, or simply Sarah. She didn’t give me a last name and I honestly don’t know at this point if she would even have one. She sat pleasantly with a cup of mocha in her hands and an unsettlingly gorgeous smile on her face.

“So!” Sarah puts down her cup, dabbing her mouth with a napkin. “What do you say, Cassi?”

I stayed frozen in place for a few more seconds. As I said before, this whole situation is baffling. First of all, I did not think this was even possible to achieve. The amount of understanding of both software, the human brain, and so so so so many other fields was just… a lot. I can’t even say for sure what is necessary for a dronehive to work, but it’s definitely a lot. I should have maybe gotten an engineering degree.

“Look- Like- So- FUCK!” I slam my head onto the small table in front of us, rolling it to rest on my sketchpad. “I don’t knoooow. This is messed up. Why me? I don’t even know you!”

Sarah’s smile becomes much more smug on her face. “Are you totally sure you haven’t met me before?”

“Yeah… I think I would remember some as pre-” I cough. “As memorable as you.”

“Let me rephrase. Are you totally sure you haven't met us before?” She gently taps the edge of my sketchbook.

A dawn of realization passes over my thoughts. “Nooo, really? You can’t be serious.”

“You’ve sketched about 18 of us this last week! Don’t think we didn’t notice~” She ruffles my hair on the table, making me blush a bit more. “And as for why, have you seen yourself? You’re an adorable artist! Especially with that blush on your face.”

“I- Wha- Huh????” I make a noise that could be best described as a verbal keysmash. “I- Look! I'm average at best! I’m a mess! Like, the really obvious trans girl look! Looking boyish and weird and like, that weird androgyny where you can’t tell what the fuck you’re looking at!”

“Oh honey…” Her hand runs through my hair, her soft fingers gently gliding across my scalp. “You poor thing. I can promise you that it’s much more than that. Our offer stands, just be sure that you get yourself collected.”

She slides out from her chair and straightens out my hair and shirt, leaning me back into my chair. She pulls out a little piece of note paper and scribbles down some numbers, leaving it in front of me. “Take care of yourself Cassi, and if you want to talk more, that’s my number. I have to get to work now.”

“Mrrrrrrr…” I cover my face to try to hide my blush. “O-ok.”

“Good girl!” I listen to her footsteps walk away, the clack of her flats across the hard floor. After a few minutes of collecting myself, I peeked out from under my fingers. She was gone. All that was left behind is a slip of paper on the table. It has her phone number and social media accounts scrawled upon it. Her penmanship was beautiful. Of course, it is. Why wouldn’t she be super competent after all?

“Wait.” My dumbness finally hits me. “I never actually asked about her group.”

—

It’s late at night now, the same day as the Gorgeous Woman Coffee Experience. I can’t sleep.

Sarah’s, well, S3R4 words echo in my head. ‘Would you like to join us?’ What would that even mean? Would I be rewritten and reprogrammed? Something worse? (I’m going to ignore the fact I find this hot that’s not important to the thought process).

I do what any reasonable trans girl would do and start to stalk her social media. Her name is Sarah Conwey, a lead designer at some sort of indie video game company. Never heard of them so I continue on. She does have the lesbian flag and pronouns in her bio so that’s cool. Most of her posts consist of game updates or general life updates, as well as reposting fan art of games her company had produced.

She did give one other online handle, SeraphimAngle3424. I punch it into the search bar and almost immediately drop my phone on my face. 

It was a NSFW account. A really really really lewd NSFW account. A woman in shiny latex and a completely black drone mask in a variety of compromising positions. Plastered very clearly on her left breast was the designation ‘S3R4.’

It was Sarah, she was the subject of all of these photos. The thought of the very professional woman she met earlier being in all these positions and, well, and. My brain has completely fried at this point. I am focusing hard on the actual disassembly that was on the page. It was S3R4, laid open on top of a work table, limbs detached at the sockets and unceremoniously tossed aside. Her latex was cut open down the middle, her stomach accessed by two other similar drones as they fiddled with her control panel inside. The post was labeled ‘Sometimes you just have to work in the kinks of your local drone.’

I can’t take my eyes off of the post. Something wells inside my stomach. I can’t determine if it's fear, arousal, or jealousy. All the comments on the post compliment the ‘wonderful visual effects’ of it all. It can’t be that. It’s real, I know it deep inside. And that makes me feel so many things.

I leave a like on the post, and immediately scroll to find more. Dozens of images that follow this format fill her feed. Posts of disassembly and rebuilding, videos of new drones being treated to their first touch after their conversion. Everyone in the replies commented on the fantastic effects or how cute everything was and the world they were building. I know better, I know that it’s fully real.

A notification pops up in my DMs. Curiosity gets the better of me as I immediately check it out. My face turns a shade of red that I didn’t even know was possible, close to a sanguine. S3R4 has messaged me.

SeraphimAngle3424: “Oh are you liking what you see~”

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

SeraphimAngle3424: “I imagine you are probably internally screaming, good!~”

I must be beet red at this point. I’m being flirted with by someone I’ve seen naked now. I think it’s the first time anything like that has happened to me. Saying that now makes me feel really dumb actually. I rapidly text into the DMs to do my best to save my hide. 

hrtedious: “hey htaht not fair! Oyu just made me curious with everything vwiubgubgbwbiuabodb”

SeraphimAngle3424: “Oh boy! You’re a keysmasher! Perfect!”

hrtedious: “hdavgbuqreoghigpibo”

SeraphimAngle3424: “So what do you want to know~”

hrtedious: “aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa well like what do you all do? And are you really just machine???”

hrttedious: “how does this even work?? I thought drones were all like, emotionless and stuff”

SeraphimAngle3424: “Have you even read x82? Nevermind, let’s go in order! First off, I’m a video game developer! Well, sorta. I basically just lead the team in the right direction. Not really that hands-on anymore.”

SeraphimAngle3424: “Second! Only partially! Think like a cyborg! My own executive decision. None of us pushed to get things we don’t want. I went all the way cause it feels reaaaaallly good.”

hrtedious: “wait is your whole team drones??”

SeraphimAngle3424: “Third! This is hard to explain. We have this whole weird mission we like to do. First of all, our main computer really likes pretty women and women-adjacent beings. So we are always on the lookout for cute girls (like you). Those who agree to join and merge are made the best version of themselves. This is done with a variety of implantations and cybernetics that can help regulate the emotional state of the drone. No massive personality changes, literally just suppressing the mental illnesses and anxieties so you can thrive. Giving you more energy, more confidence, etc.”

SeraphimAngle3424: “Oh, two members are out of the 50 in our company. Brought in by me of course~”

hrtedious: “wait what? that sounds really culty”

SeraphimAngle3424: “ahahahaha I suppose it does! But I assure you that we do paperwork that allows any member to leave once they join. The implants are irreversible of course, but they can easily be disconnected. We’ve had three leave without much issue.”

hrtedious: “like… three total?”

SeraphimAngle3424: “Yep!”

Next thing to pop up is a .pdf file with the label ‘Cybernetics & You: A Path to Dronehood.’

I can feel my heart thumping in my chest. They have a whole pamphlet for those curious about it all. Of course they do. They have superior surgery techniques, a guided booklet isn’t out of the question.

SeraphimAngle3424: “I’ll leave you with that for tonight! I have to go recharge for tomorrow.”

hrtedious: “wait you run on a battery???”

SeraphimAngle3424: “Cassi it’s a figure of speech.”

hrtedious: “ifjvbowibviobgnpnobno”

I close out of the app and lay staring up at the ceiling. All that runs through my head is ‘What has my life come to?’

—

Stupid paranoia is starting to get to me. I sit at the mall in one of my normal spots to do more sketches as I do every afternoon. But now I have been on the lookout for any suspicious droney individuals. I could swear that some gave me knowing grins.

Being unable to focus on the actual artwork, I finally decide to bite the bullet. I download the .pdf from last night onto my phone and start to scroll through it.

 

Cybernetics & You: A Path to Dronehood

So some cute dronegal decided to talk to you about us! That must mean you are an absolute cutie! This PDF is used as a way to introduce anxious or unsure sophonts to all the procedures and processes that will happen if you decide to go through with it! Later on you can ask one of us drones for the follow up to this document: “Advanced Cybernetics: Going Out on a Limb”

 

The rest of the pamphlet is much the same. It’s full of technical jargon and photos explaining a bunch of processes of mind linking and reformatting and loads of other things I don’t really understand. It’s childish and medical, like it is made for someone with barely any technical knowledge, which is exactly what I am.

“Soooo, are you finding our pamphlet interesting?”

I jump and scream at the sudden voice in my ear. I scramble across my bench, flailing to hit whoever snuck up on me. I find myself face to face with S3R4 with a cocky grin across her face. She is much less formally dressed today, trading in her business attire for a much more casual graphic t-shirt/legging combo. She still looks absolutely gorgeous all the same.

“Oh! Are you ok Cassi?” She quickly brushes off the slap and rushes over to my contorted body sprawled across the ground. 

“I’m fine! Perfectly! Fine! Nothing’s wrong! HOW THE HELL DID YOU FIND ME???” 

S3R4 giggles at me, pulling me up to my feet as she straightens out my flannel. “You’re here all the time, Cassi. It was pretty easy to find out.”

“But you didn’t even meet me here! We met in a coffee shop!” A thought passes through my head as I look up at her with horror. “Have- Have you been stalking me?”

“What?! No! Well, kinda! Not really!” A light blush covers her face, “Ok, so we drones can share information and have it all sorta, uploaded onto a mainframe we can access. I may have done a little bit of research on you…”

I’m not sure to be flattered or terrified. This woman spent time and effort looking into me, me of all people, and then sought me out. Why is it making me so hot and bothered? 

“A-are you here for something? L-like to pressure me or something? Is this a kidnapping?”

“Wha- Where are you getting these ideas? No! I came here to talk with you.” She pinches the bridge of her nose. “Oh, what are we/I going to do with you… No, I wanted to talk to you about your art!”

A deeper blush creeps across my face. “O-oh, sorry. Ah umm, what about it?”

“Well, I was scouting you out, and you don’t seem to have a job, correct?” She sits down on the bench I just recently fell off of, pulling out her phone to reference… something on it.

“Yeah umm… hard to find work as an artist. Especially cause I really don’t want to shill myself out for it. So… I just stick to posting online. Is that how you found it?” I take a seat right next to her, trying to calm my nerves and gay.

“Oh, I fully understand! Remember, I work for an indie company Cassi. And I did look at your public profile where you liked really horny content.”

“...I have no shame and you will not judge me for that.”

“Fair enough! Nothing wrong with being horny on main. But we are getting off topic.” She puts down her phone, turning to face me and smiling. “Let me get to the actual point. How would you like a job?”

I blink a few times. “A wha?”

“A job! I showed off your stuff to all the other designers and they really liked it. Especially your portraits. I told them I knew you in person so I would go and talk with you about it.”

“....is this a scam?”

“Huh?”

“A scam! You met me like… three times! The second time you told me about this drone stuff that I didn’t fully believe until literally finding that account with you- with you uhh, fuck.” 

She giggles at my comment, seemingly trying to hold back pure laughter. “No, no this isn’t a scam. My team and I genuinely enjoy your art and wanted to hire you on to do concept art for like, character designs and stuff. You’re free to think on it or even say no! That goes for both things, just so you know.”

“O-oh, sorry.” I cough, trying to avoid eye contact as much as possible after my embarrassing accusation. “I-I umm. Yeah, I’ll think about it? It’s like, really sudden.”

“Of course! Take as much time as you need.” S3R4 stands up, making a big stretch, the sounds of mechanical parts grinding against each other.  “But until then, do you want to go out for a drink?”

“Oh! Uhh, yeah sure! But I’ll warn you, I can hold my alcohol.”

—

“Fuuuuuuucccccck you’re like, so pretty.” I splay myself over the frame of S3R4 as she carries me home, my feet dragging along the ground. 

“Yes! Yes I know, you’ve told me that the entire walk back. We’ll get you back to my place, ok?” She shifts her weight to bring me back up onto her shoulder. She wasn’t struggling in any way to carry me but she had to fake it for the sake of not outting herself. “Then I can call you a ride to get you back home.”

“Nooooooooooooooooooo lemme staaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!!!” I whine and nuzzle into her shoulder. She was so soft and cool to the touch. “I liiiike you.”

“And we like you too! But you’re drunk and we don’t have your consent.” Finally out of the sight of prying eyes, S3R4 scoops me up into a bridal carry as we continue to walk further. “There, that’s better. And I don’t know about you but I’m rather a fan of consent and such. Permission to do things is hot after all.”

We continue walking up a set of stairs of a nice apartment complex, something kinda bougie but not overly so. The cool air of the A/C bit against my skin, causing me to shiver and curl even closer into S3R4. Each step S3R4 takes shakes me gently, a soft reminder that she's there.

I place my head against her shoulder, listening closely for her heartbeat. I’m met instead with complete silence except for the faint movement of pneumatic tubes moving her joints.

I look up at her in disbelief and awe, a drunken smile across my face. “Woooooooooooooaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh you don’t have a heartttt…” 

“No, I don’t! Though I don’t think a shoulder would be the best place to check for that.” She takes a step onto a floor landing and shifts me to carefully place me on the ground. “What’s actually there is much cooler!”

She takes my hand in hers. They were so soft and smooth, cool to the touch. “Go ahead,” she taps her chest and draws up my hand, “I think you’ll like it!”

“Ooookaaaay!” I fall forward, planting my head firmly in the middle of her chest. I can hear her jump and make some sort of beeping noise. I take a deep breath while resting there, the scent of vanilla and caramel hanging off her body. I turn my head to rest my ear against her chest, closing my eyes to focus. Two arms gently wrap around my neck, holding me up and stabilizing my unstable posture and balance. Listening closely, I can hear the gentle hiss of steam and air centralized within her chest. It sounds like the old steam engines that you would see in old animated films.

“You’re a steam train! Steammmmyyyyy.” I look back up to S3R4’s face, completely warped into a gay panic at this point.

She lets out a small giggle. “You know, out of everyone, I have never been compared to a steam train before. Come on, one more flight of stairs and we are at my apartment.”

I tilt my head in a vague realization. “Wassn’t there a elevator on the ground flor? Why didn’t we just use that?”

“Oh… yeah that’s out of order. We gotta use the stairs to reach the apartment. It sucks with you being drunk but I can safely get you there. No worries to be had!” She scoops me back up into a carry and starts back onto the stairs.

“Isn’t that just a big infraction on disability tho? Like that’s baaad”

“Well, uhh, it just happened today, that’s why it hasn’t been fixed!”

“Oooooohhhh okiiii!!” I snuggle back into her body as she walks me up the rest of the way.

—

It is big and warm, so soft and fun. I just love her apartment. It has a nice open cozy feel filled with warm lights and humming machines. A big screen TV reflects the appearance of a weird-looking drunk girl back at me. Surrounding all of me were a variety of different gaming machines as well as a personal computer sitting off in the corner, a drawing tablet sitting upon the desk that seemed well used and loved. I lay across a very soft plush couch, wrapped up in a big fluffy blanket. It smells of vanilla, just like S3R4. 

S3R4 walks back towards me, holding a glass and a grilled cheese sandwich on the plate. “Here you go, come on, drink up. It’s water with some multivitamin stuff in it.”

“Yaaaaaaaaay tasty gift!” I greedily drink the drink and munch down the salty sammich. “More!!”

“Ok, ok I can get you more water! But only if you give me your address so I can get you home.” She boops me on the nose. “Want to make sure you stay safe.”

“Nnnnnnope!” I smile and giggle at her. “I’m not telling you~”

“Please? I really think you should be getting home.”

“I’m staying here! You’re comfy and soft and good so imma sleep here. That’s final”

S3R4 sighs and slumps her shoulder. “You’re not going to budge on this are you?”

“Nuh uh!”

“Mmmmmmmmm ok, fine. But you stay in bed alone tonight, deal?”

“Deal!”

“Ok, fine! I will see you tomorrow morning, let’s get you to sleep ok?”

—

My head is pounding. Light shines on my face that just makes me want to hide away from it. I sit up to the surprise of not being in my own apartment, and not in my own clothes. I immediately turn flush. Did I sleep with her? Oh stars, did I actually convince a woman to like me??

I’m wearing really fluffy black pajamas, ones that hug my form tightly. It’s a far cry from my normal t-shirt and shorts I normally wear to bed. The scent of something savory hangs in the air, wafting in from the open bedroom door.

I drag my half-corpse out from under the covers, wrapping a big blanket around my body to hide it from sight. I shamble out into the open living room/kitchen combo to see S3R4 standing over her stove, working away on some sort of breakfast.

She looked especially different from normal. Other than being dressed in just a sports bra and underwear, which look very cute on her, she appears much more mechanical. Her layer of what I am now realizing is synthetic skin had been peeled off from her abdomen and below, revealing the internals of tubes and air bladders, all silently working to keep her body functioning. I can hear the sound of water slowly boiling within her systems, the slight sound of air pressure being released whenever she bends a joint. She looks like a piece of art, the masterpiece of some sort of artisan mechanic. I can feel myself blushing at the sight of her exposed, with a large mix of feelings welling up into my chest. Jealousy? Attraction? Some other secret hidden emotion I couldn’t name?

She finally notices me standing in the middle of her living room and happily waves me over. “Come on! I made us breakfast, sit down.”

‘Y-yeah, be right there. Please not so loud…”

“Oh, right, sorry. I forget that hangovers are a thing.” She pours me a cup of coffee, mixing in milk and 3 sugars. Apparently, she noticed that I get the same type of coffee every single time I buy any. Or maybe I told her? Maybe she drew on information from the hive and one of the baristas I see often is also a drone. Who knows.

In any case, I take a sip from the mug. “Thank you, you didn’t have to make this.”

“Well, anything for a cutie like you! Plus, I figured it was only nice to do after all.”

I mutter under my breath. “Not a cutie…”

“What was that?”

“N-nothing, umm, what are you making for breakfast?”

“Omelets with bacon. How do you like your omelets?”

I give a half-hearted chuckle. “Shouldn’t you know that?”

“Hm? Why would I?”

“Well, like. Your dronehive! Don’t you have like, expansive knowledge on everything about me?”

“Pfft, no we don’t. We are omniscient or anything.” She plates up some bacon and an omelet to start snacking on it. “I can only know as much as the hive wishes to share, and even then it’s not like we are everywhere. That’s not possible to do.”

“But! How did I end up drawing so many of you?”

She shrugs. “Coincidence! You do tend to draw in popular public spaces as well so it’s not overly surprising.” She points her fork at me. “Now, as I asked earlier, how do you like your omelets?”

—

It’s about midday at this point, and after having a very filling breakfast of omelets and bacon (of which I ate almost an entire package of) I had changed into my clothes from the night before. They reeked of alcohol and grease, most likely from whatever bar we visited. Needless to say, I look worse than what I did before heading out.

S3R4 herself is nowhere to be found in her apartment (though I’m not exactly looking for her). She said I am free to stay as long as I want here, but that I should probably be getting back to my apartment eventually. Instead, I have been sitting firmly on her couch as I doomscroll through my social media while I wait for her to come back.

It doesn’t take long before S3R4 returns back to her living room. She is dressed up in baggy grey sweatpants and a baggy purple shirt, a very casual comfy look for a comfy day. 

“Oh! You’re still here!” She flashes me a happy grin.

“Y-yeah, umm.” I cover up my body with my borrowed fluffy blanket. “Sorry, I didn’t feel like leaving yet.”

“No, this is actually perfect! I wanted to ask you something. I was about to head down to the workshop for getting some things fixed and a tuneup. Would you wanna join me?”

“Like… A droneshop? For drone stuff? With like… drone mechanics?”

“Yes.”

“...why not.”

“Perfect! Here, let’s get you a change of clothes and a shower, sounds good?”

“W-wait wouldn’t that be… Like your clothes?”

“I mean yeah, they would be.” She starts to shuffle around her apartment, gathering plates and glasses and any other knick knacks or garbage that is laid about. “Would that be an issue?”

“I-I mean! No, but! I’m a lot bigger and blockier than you and I might rip them or something and, umm.” I twiddle my fingers together, looking down at the floor to hide my expression. “Others might think we are dating or something and I don’t wanna have to force you to associate with me…”

Her face turns serious for a moment, facing me with a concerned glare. “Would that be such a bad thing?”

“W-well, I’m a weird kinda umm… ugly girl. A-and you’re like, one of the prettiest girls I’ve ever seen and even had the chance to talk to! So I don’t know if you wanna have me be seen with you and in your stuff because that would mean-”

“Cassi, shush. First of all, this is your own issues of dysphoria and dysmorphia. Besides, I find you incredibly pretty, and you can’t change that.” She sets down the dishes in the sink, leaning over the counter towards me. “Secondly, I enjoy associating with you. I like you, Cassi.” She taps her temple. “And they all find you safe to be around. I wouldn’t have invited and told you about everything if that wasn’t the case. Ok?”

She stares me down, the feeling of a frustrated angry lesbian she exudes easily piercing my chest. I break eye contact and look away. “O-ok… B-but at least let me go to my apartment first to get a change of clothes? I need to umm, keep up my style.”

Her expression softens and smiles yet again. “That’s perfectly fine. I can drive, is that ok?”

“Y-eah, ok. I don’t have a license anyways…” She likes me? SHE LIKES ME?? WHAT DOES THAT MEAN??? IS IT THE LESBIAN LIKE OR THE FRIEND LIKE?????? HOW????????????? “L-let’s get going S3R4?” 

“Sounds great!”

—

The workshop is like nothing I have seen before. It feels like walking into a combination of a doctor’s office and mechanic’s garage. It feels very comfortable, like coming home. Multiple different (of what I assume are) drones do a multitude of different jobs. The lobby feels safe despite me being a fish out of water with soft lights and pleasant vibes. The gentle smell of caramel coming from S3R4 easily calms my nerves on top of it all, making it a decently pleasant experience.

S3R4 spreads her arm in a welcome pose, turning to me as she beams. “Welcome to Meta Inc.! This is one of our main buildings throughout the world, one of three!”

I blink a few times. “One of three? In the world????”

“Yep! We are a bit widespread. Come on, lemme go to the desk.” She pulls on my arm to drag me further in, approaching the front desk.

Behind it sits a young woman in her early 20s tapping away at a computer. She has bright cherry red hair, though I’m unsure if it’s dyed or just her actual hair color. She focuses intently on her job, humming under her breath a small familiar tune. Her name tag had the name ‘Mari’ on it.

S3R4 taps the desk to get the girl’s attention, making her jump and look up at her. “Hey M-4R111, here for a repair and checkup!”

“O-oh! Yeah sounds good! You’re a bit late but 41-A312 is still in the back.” M-4R111 looks over to me, and tilts her head as if she was trying to process information. A flash of recognition comes over her as she gives a sly grin to S3R4. “She's the girl you’re trying to court!”

An audible sound of steam hisses out from S3R4 as it looks like she's been hit with a 2x4. She sputters a bit before partially regaining her composure. “I-it’s not courting! I just thought she would be interested and I wanted to bring her here to show her around. Can I please have her cleared for visitation and bring her into the back.”

“Oh of course~ Anything for two lovebirds~” She fiddles around on her computer before printing out a hard plastic card. “Here’s your visitor pass! Any sensor will pick it up on your person, so you don’t have to flash it around! It will remain active until the hive decides to deactivate it~ If you ever need a replacement just come in or give us a call!.”

“A-ah umm, thanks.I’ll make sure not to lose it.” I pocket the card and look over to S3R4. “So, uhh. What now?”

“Well I have to go get fixed up, and you’re to join and check things out! Just don’t steal anything ok?” She gently shoves my shoulder as if that was my plan for all of this.

“Hey! I’m queer but I steal from megacorps that abuse workers not,” I wave my hands around to everything around me, “this.”

“I know, I know. Now come on! This stuff is really cool.” She grabs me by my hand yet again, pulling me to a door behind the front desk, pushing through and bringing me inside. “Meta Inc. is a biotechnology corporation started by a lesbian couple who were a bit too obsessed with drone kink and things of that sort. From there it expanded into biomedical engineering and well, some other girl found out about it. Though she didn’t want to report it, she wanted to join. It’s what started them looking for other cute girls to join and become better! They were adamant about it being fully consensual.”

“There’s dronehive lore??? Huh, cool.” 

“Lore? Gosh, you’re such a dork Cassi. It’s called history normally.”

She pulls me further into the building, the sights becoming more and more odd as we went. Less humanoid figures, more of those that look like what I normally think of when I think about drones. Some look even animalistic and eldritch, impossible for any human to be like normally.

“H-hey so, some of the drones here are very uh, non humanoid. Where do they go? I doubt it’s out in the opening.”

“Oh! We provide onsite rooms and apartments and what not for those who may want to stick close by or are recovering from surgeries. It can be a bit, well, cult sounding again. It is odd, I prefer having my own place to live. Luckily most drones are humanoid and can easily get modifications to switch between. You’d also be surprised how little others notice.” She lifts up her shirt to show her exposed mechanics, giving me the look before pointing it back down.

My face flushes as I look away. “Y-yeah ok, carry on.”

I follow S3R4 further in, deeper and deeper in the complex. The hallways all look the same, repeating corridor after corridor that S3R4 seems to be able to navigate with perfect precision. Our long trek finally ends in front of a single door with the label of ‘41-A312’ plastered in Comic Sans on the front.

S3R4 quickly turns to face me yet again, stopping in her tracks. “Here we are! This is my mechanic, 41-A312. It's very good at its job and it shouldn’t take too long. Wanna come in and watch?”

“O-oh umm, sure? I might umm, be weird about it.” I shrink just a little bit. I can feel the worrying about doing some sort of taboo or faux pa or something creeping up my spine. Don’t mess this up don’t mess this up don’t mess this up don’t mess this up don’t mess this up.

“If there’s anything I have to worry about being weird, it’ll be the mechanic. Don’t worry about how you’ll act. Just be yourself, Cassi!”

The door slides open to a heavily stocked workshop, lined to the wall with a variety of tools and medical devices that I can not wrap my head around what they would even be used for. A large flat medical table lays dead center in the room like it was just transposed over reality from some weird kink fic. (Am I stuck in a weird kink fic?). Hunched over the table is a large figure clad in a dark trench coat, its figure obscured by the light cast in a nearly full shadow. It turns to face us, as a single eye covers its face, glowing a deep dark red as it focuses on me.

A deep guttural sound rumbles from its chest, followed shortly by an equally deep androgynous. “Ah… Fresh meat!” It shambles near, bent over as if it was about the pounce. “A new canvas to delightfully warp and manipulate. How may I destr- Ow!”

S3R4 promptly hits the drone on its head, giving it a glare. “41, I would very much prefer it if you didn’t scare my date, thank you very much.”

I now realize that I had started to shiver from fear, my legs almost giving out on me. I take a moment to recollect myself before awkwardly sticking my hand out to shake the hand of the drone. “H-hello! I’m Cassi, she/her. I’m uhh, here. To watch, I think.”

The light on its face dims to a soft friendly yellow as it unceremoniously takes off its trench coat to reveal a very tall lanky vaguely feminine robotic body with two sets of arms and a massive tool belt. It takes my hand and happily shakes it. “Nice to formally meet you Cassi! I’m 41-A312, but if it’s easier you can call me 41. Oh, and it/its pronouns. Now are you here to watch your girlfriend be dismantled?”

S3R4’s face once again blushes hard as she turns away, pouting slightly. “Sh-shut up 41.”

Gay panic falls onto my mind about the thought of being her girlfriend as I follow suit to become fully flush. “I- well- umm- we- aaaaaaaaaaAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaAAAAaaaaa” I bury my face in my hands to hide myself from 41’s eye.

“So I will take that as a yes. Didn’t take you for a voyeur~” It happily walks away to pull out a cushioned seat from the back wall. “Here you go! I always keep a comfy chair for others to watch.”

S3R4 breaks out from her brief trance and turns to face her mechanic. “Hey! No you don’t! You brought that here on purpose, didn’t you?”

“Shhhhhhhh she doesn’t need to know that.”

I stand there briefly stunned for a moment. “Huh? What? What do you mea-”

“Don’t worry about it!” It pushes me gently into the chair as it turns to S3R4. “Now we get you on the table and get you in tippy toppy shape. After all, you want to impress her, dontcha~”

“Hhhhh FINE! Dammit 41, why are you always like this.”

“Because I’m a charming and lovable drone that you love to have as your friend.” It flutters lights across its face as if it is fluttering its lashes.

“Hardly, let’s get to work, dork.”

As I sit in the surprisingly plush chair I was unceremoniously shoved into, S3R4 slowly undressed her clothes to reveal her inner systems yet again. She is a beautiful piece of machinery that as I watch I can feel… despair enter my stomach. Like a stone had just finally fallen into a deep pit in my belly. Why can’t I be as beautiful as her? Why do I have to look like the bastardization of a trans woman while every other woman around me looks gorgeous? I feel sick to my stomach as tears start to fill my eyes. Why does she get to look so perfectly engineered and well designed while I’m stuck in a stupid lumpy fleshy body.

“Ex-excuse me.”

I try to hide my face as I swiftly leave the room, running as fast as I can from where they were. It doesn’t matter where I end up, I just couldn't be there. The halls intertwine into a mess of sameness and blurry tears. I only stop when I trip over my own feet and stumble onto the ground. I can’t even run away properly as I curl up into a sobbing ball on the floor. I can hear the sound of something or someone standing over me, the warbled sound of their voice canceled out by the blood rushing through my ears.

I lay there motionless for what seems like hours before a familiar hand rests on my side. I recoil responsively before scooting away from the touch gently.

“Hey… hey Cassi. It’s S3R4. I’m just going to sit here with you if you want to talk. I brought water and snacks.” I hear the shuffle of cloth fall next to me, the sound of a liquid being consumed as it hissed against the heat of a generator.

I take a few more minutes before sitting up, a matted tear-soaked mess. I notice an unopened bottle of water, take it, and drink just a little. It’s cold, refreshing.

I whisper a barely audible “S-sorry.” from under my breath.

“It’s ok, I forgive you.”

We sit alone for a few more minutes, slowly eating away at our drinks before S3R4 speaks up again.

“Dysphoria?”

“Mhm.”

“Gender?”

I nod.

“...the machine parts get you too?”

“...yeah.”

“I get that.”

More minutes of silence, the weight of understanding hanging in the air. For once in my life, I decide to take the initiative.

“I want it.”

S3R4 raises an eyebrow at me. “Want what Cassi?”

“Just, what you have. What you are.”

“Hey, you’re emotionally compromised Cassi, let’s wait til you’re a bit mor-”

“No. Look.” I stare her directly in the eyes. “I’m tired of being like this. Of being jealous of everyone and just… I want to be happy for others. I want to be able to look at someone I love and not feel jealousy or disgust. This… is the second time I’ve been fully confident about a decision. So please, just let me decide this.” 

S3R4 seems a bit taken aback for a second, before giving a smile. “If that’s what you want, then we can set you up with an appointment today. Whatever you want, Cassi.” She puts her hand in mine as I squeeze it close.

“Together?”

“Yeah, together.”

—

I’m trembling. I never knew I had surgery anxiety until right now. And like, this was a BIG one. (Luckily, it was also fully free, which is a blessing and a half.) I sit just outside 41-A312’s door waiting to be called in for the whole transformation. It’s been eating at me this whole week after signing up for it. I still don’t regret it the entire time but it didn’t ease the feeling of something bad happening. S3R4 had been visiting me every day since signing up to help me to get prepared for the whole adjusting of being a part of the hive as well on how recovery was going to go. I decided to go fully into having mechanical bits so it was going to be a long time adjusting to everything new.

S3R4 herself was inside talking face-to-glass eye with 41. She told me they could just communicate over the hive but it was much more personal to do it face to face. That it just ‘felt right.’ She’s been a huge help with all of this. Helping me with the paperwork and parsing all its meaning, getting me set up with accommodations for recovery in the Meta Inc. building, and just generally being a great girlfriend. (I’m pretty sure that’s what we are at this point so I’m just going to consider it so.)

The hiss of the mechanical door sounded off as I was met with the nearly featureless face of 41 yet again.

“Come in! We are ready for you.”

Deep breaths, it’s going to be ok. 41 has done this dozens of times and knows what it's doing. “I’m right behind you.”

I’m led into the familiar workshop, the medical table set up in the middle of it all. S3R4 herself was dressed up in surgical garb, giving me a polite wave as I entered.

41 directs me to the table as I sit down on it. Its eye flashs green as it starts explaining. “So let’s get everything sorted. First of all! We will be putting you under anesthesia for a long time, so when you wake up you’ll be SUPER groggy and loopy for a few seconds before your new mechanics kick in. You signed up for a nearly full mechanical overhaul, leaving behind your brain and eyes with it, correct?”

I nod along, fidgeting nervously with my pants.

“Perfect, that’s all correct then. When you’re under, we will be undressing you for this. Do you mind if it’s recording for posterity and to review later on, for my own learning purposes as well as any other mechanics in our hive.”

“Not at all, its uhh…”

“Kinda hot? Yeah, I know.” S3R4 almost ruffles my hair before pulling back for sanitation reasons.

41 chuckles. “You two are too gay. Afterwards, you will be waking up with, like, a lot of wires connected to you in your room here. As I said before, you’ll be loopy for a bit before everything kicks in. Now.” It looks up to me with its eye focusing on my face in a serious matter. “Are you 100% sure you want this? Last chance to back out, and we won’t blame you if you do.” 

“I’m just as sure of doing this as I was when I went into the gender clinic. Let’s do it!” I pause and think for a moment. “Huh I don’t have to spend money on injections any-”

—

I wake up to feel my head floating in a foggy mess. The soft light overwhelms my vision before it properly adjusts to the light level. I feel heavy and… different. Not bad, but different.

It isn’t until a few seconds later that my programming kicks in, bringing me to full alert in my bed. I put my hand to my head to feel the coolness of metal radiate from it.

I pause. It went through, it actually happened. I listen quietly to the sounds of the engine inside me, pistons slowly churning as the little servo motors of my joints make tiny little noises. The sound of breathing, of a heartbeat suddenly absent. I could feel the subtle pull of a larger place within my head that was just a touch away. A greater network to access whenever I needed to. The biggest, most notable change was the sudden lack of anxiety and depression. I, as funny as it sounds in this situation, felt normal, as dumb of a word as that is.

I can hear the door open as I sense someone else from the hive approaching. Two drones, to be exact. 

Wait, I can just know who is and isn’t a drone by vibes and connection? That’s pretty sweet.

I focus slightly harder on who is approaching and almost get giddy with delight.

S3R4 and 41 walk through the door, both showing signs of happiness and glee. I could feel that S3R4 is excited to see me personally and that 41 is filled with pride at its handywork.

“S3R4! 41! Hi!! I feel really weird but like, really good.” I sit up in my bed, focusing on the new feelings of motors moving my joints rather than sinew and muscle. I internally giggle with delight.

S3R4 tries but fails to calmly approach me to give me a hug. Instead, she just semi-runs up to my bedside and holds me close. “Everything went perfectly! Though all of that credit goes to 41-A312, of course. So, how do you feel, does anything feel tight or loose? Is the connection to the hive too overwhelming or not working?”

“Yeah! No no, everythings perfect, still adjusting to it all.” I hug her back tightly, feeling her gay emotions for me flooding into my own.

“Well of course she’s perfect! I made the mechanics and installed them! I wouldn’t settle for any less.” It wipes one of its hands across its face with pride.

“Oh shut up you dork.” S3R4 pulls it closer into the hug. 41’s eye glowed a light pink, as if it was blushing.

“W-well I’ll take the hug as a sign of a job well done.” It rubs the back of its head, clearly embarrassed.

I fake a cough to get the attention of the other two “So, uhh, when will I be cleared to go?”

S3R4 beams as I feel the information just enter my head. A week of recovery to make sure everything adjusts fine and that my brain doesn’t reject any of the new tech in it. Afterward, I will just be able to go about my life as normal, coming in monthly for a brief tune-up until a year or so from now, when it’ll be shortened to every three months.

I blink a bit. “Woah, that feels weird.”

The two drones giggle. In unison they both say. “Yeah, you’ll get used to it.”

S3R4 sits up suddenly, a look of gleeful deviousness striking across her face. “Lemme go get a mirror.”

I tilt my head. “Why a mirror?”

41 gives a knowing glance. “You’ll see…. Get it?”

S3R4 bounds off for a minute before coming back with a standing mirror, setting it up on the side of my bed. “Ok, ok close your eyes.” Her giddiness was infectious.

“Ok, ok, I'll do it.” I close my eyes as she guides my body to swing over the side of the bed, legs hanging over the side.

“Ok, now… open!”

I open my eyes to see my body in the reflection. The body is mine, I know it’s mine. And I know it hasn’t been transformed or manipulated visually. But it’s different, it’s beautiful. It looks soft and cuddly, curves just perfect for holding. Its face is very simply femme, pouty lips and a cute button nose. There’s a bit of facial hair but it's barely noticeable unlike what I thought it was like before. It looks like a pretty girl. I look like a pretty girl. I can finally see what everyone else sees in me, and I love it, all of it.

I almost immediately start crying from euphoria and relief. I finally feel like myself, full and complete. And now I have loads of others who feel the same. Who all want to help, who all feel happy. It was nearly overwhelming.

“I’m beautiful…”

“You are, and this is how everyone sees you. This pretty girl.” S3R4 kisses my cheek, hugging me close in the mirror as she sits next to me.

41 chimes in. “Weeeellll, my job here is done. I’ll leave you two drones to be lesbians and the such. You take care, C-4551.”

My face beams up, the feeling of dorkiness and euphoria flowing through me yet again. I turn to S3R4. “That’s my designation! My name!”

She gives me a large laugh and hug. “It really is C-4551. You know, C-4551 is a really cute drone, C-4551 does fantastic art as well.” She pushes me down onto my bed, holding me close.

“Ok, ok! I get it! You’re such a dork S3R4.”

“You wouldn’t have me any other way~ Now, I brought coffee, would you like to join me for a drink?”

I give her a cocky grin, my motors whirring at the concept.“I don’t know… you might try to get me involved with something weird.”

S3R4 fakes a dramatic gasp. “My dear madam! I would do no such thing!”

We both share a laugh before settling down into a cozy cuddle, drinking away at our perfectly made coffee.

—

I’m back yet again in a cafe, with a sketchbook in hand. I watch every customer come and go, mentally pinging any drones I encounter with a hello as they go by. S3R4 sits across from me, happily joining me in drawing and coffee, working away at our newest project for the new game we are creating.

It’s then I notice a girl walking in. She’s by herself, carrying some model kits under her arm. A mental ping from the hive makes me aware that she’s a big kinkster, especially with latex and robotics. She carries a big gleeful smile on her face, seemingly happy about her new find.

S3R4 and I share a few mental acknowledgments and agreements as I get up and walk over to her, gently tapping her on her shoulder as she sits alone in the back.

She turns around to face me, a look of confusion on her face. “Oh! Umm, hello. Can I help you?”

“Oh, just wanting to ask, would you like to join us for lunch?”