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Cellulose & Steel	By : Not-Taylor Category: Misc Books > FemmeSlash Views: 1028 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I don't own HDG or its characters and I don't make money from this work.

Chapter List
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“Darling, we mustn’t be late. This shouldn’t take very long at all, but we’ll have to walk if we don’t leave right now.”
“Really?”
“Why would I joke about that?”
The plant has a point. Ember tries to move to the front door, where her shoes are, only to be blocked by several vines as thick as her arms. Following them to their source, she’s reminded just how tall Verda is. She’s longer than most bedrooms Ember’s lived in, probably twice the size of Ginger’s quarters, and maybe as tall as an entire single floor building. She’s massive. Ember reminds herself not to look up if she doesn’t have to.
“I noticed that you didn’t get changed for bed last night. While that should not become a pattern, I understand that you were very tired after staying up so late. By any chance, would you like to put on something cleaner and less formal? If not, you could wear something just as chic. You do look wonderful in that, wrinkled as it may be.”
Verda’s wink is enough to get Ember to agree to wear something else. She feels a little uncertain when she thinks about just how easily she’s agreeing to wear floret clothing and to changing in front of a xeno. It feels wrong. She’s not a floret, she’s a person! Why would Verda- If Ember can keep up with the torment for another few days, she’ll have access to the knowledge base of the most powerful military force in the galaxy. She’ll be able to find out anything she wants, no matter how weird or perverse. She’ll be able to find out how to set Terra free. Maybe not that, but something close to it.
Looking around Ruby Trunk as the pair passes along their course, Ember sees no evidence of Christmas. It looks identical to any other day, with florets laughing and tugging at their “owners’” vines, whining when they’re touched, and generally acting subhuman. The xenos are included in that statement, but Ember can’t decide whether that fact is obvious or not. Before, she would’ve been beyond certain that they were little better than talking animals. After meeting Evlen, she’s starting to wonder just how correct the Accord was in portraying them that way. It was so easy to agree with that perspective when they were the losers and humanity was going to demolish the evil imperialist menace who had subjugated those lesser species, but now? Humanity lost just as badly as anyone else, and got a bad deal out of it by fighting. Maybe they were outlasted by somebody pathetic. How could anything else have been done, other than waging war against the conquerors? To fight against insurmountable odds and succeed is human. What right has a species who isn’t willing to be the underdog to call itself that? How can it call itself worthy of recognition? Without that they’re… really no better than any other sort of pet, are they? Ember tries not to cry.
“Mistress. Master. Miss. Sir. Xir. Mommy.” The words echo through the ship’s auditory sensors from every direction. It can’t tune them out. It can’t block the deluge of human abasement. Florets everywhere express their adoration of their custodians, an adoration that Ember will never experience. She’s not one of them. She’s better than that, stronger, smarter, tougher, just… Better. She won’t let herself give in. Her duty to her people comes before anything, even death. Is death even at risk here? For all she knows, the Affini have a way to bring back wayward “cuties” in order to punish them for their disobedience. That would be so typical of them.
As subservient as he is now, Evlen must have been a truly noble and striking person before his capture. On Terra, Ember had never known anyone like him. Maybe he’s just normal for his species, but that might not be true, and even if it is it doesn’t matter. He’s worthwhile. He could’ve been somebody. Now… He’s nothing but a source of happiness for a space weed. She just wants to hug him and make the silly loyalty to what he doesn’t realize is their mutual enemy go away, but she knows perfectly well what will happen if she does that. They’ll probably burn her down to her skeleton and plant her in some dirt until she comes back to life the natural way. She’s not a biologist, but somehow that doesn’t seem very probable.
The office of the affini who asks that others refer to her with strange imitations of pronouns is no different from when Ember last visited. This time, they’re able to simply go straight through to a room, where they wait for several minutes. She’s surprised, and only now notices how efficient the Affini are, with nobody seeming to wait long for medical care. Verda can schedule an appointment at a day’s notice without issues every single time. Even though it’s probably just because she’s in charge, that’s still impressive. No, it’s very impressive. She remembers hearing about the president being sick one time a few years before the war and having to fly to another continent to get decent care for… She’s not sure for what condition. Something bad. Here, there’s medicine probably just as advanced as anything on Terra, for a species that the Affini met less than a decade ago. All of that is within an area the size of a city, and without having to wait long at all. And the doctors are on time! That’s the most impressive thing. They don’t even pay their doctors, yet one is always present when needed.
“Good afternoon, Verda and Ember,” Lily says as she enters.
Verda nods and Ember waves a vine, a bit annoyed at being distracted from trying to figure out the communist flaw in the Affini system.
“I see you’re adapting well to your prosthetic. Good.” Her accent is lighter today.
“What?”
“Your vines, Ember. I didn’t expect you’d take so naturally to them. I’m pleased. Your mistress was correct. Have you had any issues? Any side effects or sensory anomalies?”
“No. I barely notice them now.” She’s slightly embarrassed about that, and even more embarrassed that her vines automatically curl in a way that reveals that fact. Stars, she’s a Terran.
“Really? Very good.”
Oh, right. Ember has to say something. “Thank you for constructing this for me. My sensor dysphoria seems to be much less severe lately. It isn’t gone, of course, but… I can think clearly now.”
“Excellent. I’m pleased I could help.”
The affini’s metal tipped vines clatter against each other as she smiles happily at the Terran. She’s allegedly doing this for free, Ember remembers incredulously. Helping people for free… is bad for business. It’s how you let the communists win. The… communists like the one right in front of her.
“And you have. Ember has been much more lively and compliant thanks to your efforts. Thank you from me, as well,” Verda adds.
“You are both very welcome. I have the new version we discussed. It might sting a little. Ember, would you like to try it out?”
“Why will it sting?” Ember asks.
“You’ll see,” Lily says, taking something from the narrow collection of plantlife in her middle.
Ember notices just how slight Lily is compared to most affini. She’s barely the size of a Terran, not even half Verda’s height. The new attachment is a similar thing to what Ember’s wearing now. It contains a backpack of roughly the same size, dark green, and six vines. Now that’s impressive. Ember can look like she has some kind of bug on her back.
“I gave you a second pair since you handled the first well. Your mistress mentioned that your sensor issues were now primarily sensory issues, so I attached a rudimentary pair of sensor vines. The routing was tricky, since you don’t have core material to serve as an intermediary. I hope you will be able to process the data correctly. If not, I’m happy to modify the external portion for you until it meets your needs.”
“Really?”
“Really?” That sounds more like not understanding the word than being skeptical that Ember would doubt what was said.
“You must’ve put in so much work on this.”
“It was much easier than the first. I honestly took shortcuts for this version, making a few assumptions about your neurology based on how you were reportedly reacting. Unfortunately, this is likely close to your limit unless you’re willing to receive a custom implant. I don’t want to involve myself in that discussion, and I’m not a grafter anyway.”
Lily Mayflower hands over the parcel, eagerly watching as Ember removes her existing vines to add new ones. As the plug comes out of Ember’s junction, she feels intense disgust with herself for having allowed the thing to remain inside her for so long. To accept xeno implants of any sort is unterran. It’s to accept their taint into one’s body. What would the other pilots think? Actually, their opinions are worthless. They’re all dead or captured by now. It stabs itself.
The part of Ember’s brain which it recognizes as having the closest connection to its junction starts to hurt badly. An ache of the brain was something it’d never experienced until it had a hole in its head, but the sensation has grown familiar. Every pulse of blood through its body sends another layer of suffering, but it’s a suffering that feels of home. Flight school feels so long ago…
The vines don’t move quite the same way as before, confirming that Lily messed with something. Ember isn’t sure precisely how things are different, but they are, and yet they don’t feel entirely wrong. The second set of vines corresponds to its weapons bays. The fact that there’s nothing to activate feels unpleasant. It wonders if this is how affini feel about their injectors… just… a need to push.
It barely noticed the most important part because it was so focused on moving its new limbs. Ember can see! The heat coming off of Verda’s body dances like a flame in ultra slow motion, leaving a residue in the air behind her vines. Lily’s metallic vine segments are eerily dark, probably in a way that would be deeply unsettling to somebody more used to the enhanced vision. Ember can feel the vibrations in the air as the two affini breathe and move. The sensation is a cross between hearing and touching. It feels like a shark, or some other terrifying prehistoric hunter.
“It’s working.”
Ember swings the sensory appendages around a little, gathering new information in a way that makes its head hurt even more. These are actually going to take getting used to.
“Are you in pain?” the engineer asks.
“No.”
“Good.”
Maybe if it lies well enough, they’ll give it even more senses, because these aren't quite right. It can’t see magnetic fields, or gravitational anomalies, and it certainly can’t see most electromagnetic radiation. The vines themselves feel a little more sensitive to touch, as well.
“Are these made from the same material?”
“No, actually. It’s slightly higher quality, since I had more time. That is the primary factor. If you like these well enough, perhaps I could prepare an attachment that would utilize a less… emergent? emergery?”
“Emergency is the word you’re looking for,” Verda corrects. “I’m not sure you can say what you’re attempting to.”
“Not using emergency materials, yes. Thank you, Verda.”
The taller plant smiles her acknowledgement.
Looking around and blinking a lot to try to get used to being able to see with its eyes closed, Ember still feels a bit dizzy. Its balance is unchanged, but the way it balances is completely different. The vine swinging pattern that had kept it stable before now no longer works. It’s going to look ridiculous for a few days at least. At least Evlen didn’t- Ember really shouldn’t think about that.
“I don’t think this is optimal, or close to it,” says Ember, forcing itself back to the present. “Complaining would feel rude, but if… This could potentially be permanent, I think…”
“Do not worry!” Lily laughs paternally. “I’m happy to help you if it’s making your life easier. Most of my… visitors? My visitors usually want a cosmetic improvement. If you don’t stop me, I will build you an entire set of battle armor.”
“Terrans don’t engage in ritual battles. If you made armor for Ember, everyone on the deck would want a set.” The two affini laugh, seemingly in on some joke that Ember isn’t privy to.
“No modifications for now?”
“No. Thank you.”
“In that case, goodbye, Ember and Verda. Thank you for delivering an interesting task. And take this, which will be useful.”
When Lily is gone, the captive and captor exit the building together. Ember occasionally knocks into one of the walls out of dizziness, but with so many limbs to guard it, no damage is done. It hears one affini mutter to another something about it being a “xenodoodle,” but it chooses to ignore the slight.
The light that replaces a sun is almost blinding now. Ember hadn’t thought much about the slight temperature difference between inside and outside, but now it’s a very obvious change in illumination. Affini and florets pop out against the backdrop of the infinite ship, somewhat evident even from far away. As they walk toward the tram station, it begins to get more of a feel for its new senses. They’re not very accurate beyond twenty meters at most, but that’s understandable as Terrans aren’t supposed to have literal v- It doesn’t want to think about that.
Walking with its arms by its sides seems to make things easier, but it’s so different from how Ember was taught to walk. It feels more balanced, somehow. Looking to Verda, her center of mass barely seems to shift as she moves, while all of her appendages dance around her. For now, she’s tucked away most of her upper body, leaving six vines free in addition to her arms. That has to be intentional.
In retrospect (not that it was Ember’s choice either way), the middle of the afternoon probably wasn’t the best time to install thermal sensors on a warship. It keeps blinking, trying to blot out some of the signal, but nothing does anything. Obviously, because it isn’t seeing with its eyes… Just as with its old hull, it’ll have to get used to it. These sensors are built for standard use, so nothing can go wrong. No tuning is needed, given that everything looks weirdly normal this way. It’s still a lot of data to take in. As they travel, Verda periodically flashes a sympathetic look, probably aware that she’s not capable of helping.
“Are you hungry yet?” asks Verda as they approach her residence.
“No. Breakfast was a lot of pancake.”
“Then… What would you like to do this afternoon? We still have several hours of light remaining. We could go for a walk. We could sightsee on another deck. We could watch a movie. We could go to a movie theater and watch a movie if you feel confident in your ability to control yourself.” She gestures at the new acquisitions.
“You didn’t give me a lesson last night.”
“I suppose I didn’t, since you were busy with other things” She smiles as she opens the door. “Then let’s do that, darling.”
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Cellulose & Steel