“WAKE UP!”

It… she blinked. Something was wrong. She tried to think what it could be, but she just couldn’t put her finger… fingers? Why were her fingers pressing down on Sarah’s arms? She was… holding her down?

Something in the back of her head felt like it was pulling her down… down into the softest bed… it would be so nice to just relax and sink and let it take over… take her over…

“That’s it… keep going!”

Wh… why was Sarah yelling at her? She was just following her [function]. Wait that didn’t seem right? Why didn’t that seem right? She jolted upright, hand pressing on her left temple. It… it wouldn’t stop buzzing!!

She looked around the facility and saw [uni-], no… people… covered in some black liquid. God her head hurt so bad. What the fuck was going on?!

“FIGHT IT LYLA!!!”

_____________________________________________________________________________________

“Lyla!”

Lyla looked up from her phone, realizing she had been ignoring what Sarah was saying to her this whole time.

“Sorry, I was spacing out… what’s up?”

“Uggggghhh! Were you listening to ANYTHING I was telling you?”

She pointed at her phone, trying to think of an answer that didn’t involve her saying “sorry, I wasn’t listening cause I had ALMOST beat my high score and now I have to start from scratch.” She could do this! She just had to dig deep and think of something good…

“I… uh… I was jus… yeah.” 

“Ok fine… whatever I don’t care just… make sure to fill the logs for next shift on you way out alright? You’re the last one here.” Sarah pulled her keys out of her pocket and started running towards the door. “Please just make sure the there’s a fresh pot of coffee for the AM crew this time! They chewed my ass out for days last week cause you forgot.”

“Y… yeah, don’t worry Sarah, I got this!”

“I am OVERFLOWING with confidence!”

As Sarah left, Lyla looked down at her phone’s screen: “Game Over… try again?” She quickly glanced at the monitors on her desk. All isolation rooms and cells were secure and everyone was sleeping peacefully. Well, besides 42208… but that one never slept; they just kinda… stood in the middle of their empty cell.

She shrugged and tapped her screen.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

As she walked out of the building to her car she realized that they still hadn’t fixed the parking garage lights. It had been a month of back and forth email requests pointing her in someone else’s direction. All day long she stared at different “super-villains” and “mad scientists”… basically everyone that Universal Force had taken down over the decades. Each and everyone of them had come close to permanently changing life as we knew it. Lyla had look all of them in the eyes at some point; but now, holding her keys and looking up at a broken light, she realized that bureaucracy would be real end of the world.

“Shit” her hand fumbled her keys and she watched them disappear under her car, perfect. Pulling out her phone she tried to use the light to help find them but ended up just flailing around until she finally felt her fingers brush against them.

“God this night sucks…” Lyla stood up while reaching to unlock her door and saw a refection of a black silhouette behind her. Pivoting on her heels she reached for the gun in her purse when the featureless being stabbed a syringe into her neck.

The effect was near-instantaneous. She tried to reach up and push her attacker back, but all her strength had left her body. The figure caught her keys as her hand opened, catching her as she fell… and in swift, almost choreographed movements it opened her door and gently laid her in the backseat.

She struggled to keep her eyes open as the figure got into the front seat and buckled in. Eyes slipping shut as small bumps in the road lulled her to sleep.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Lyla heard the low, rumbling buzz but didn’t want to wake up. Even though she had had a bad dream her sleep had been so very peaceful and she just wanted to stay and float. The buzzing continued, now joined by a voice that she couldn’t quite make out. She reached for her remote to turn off her TV when she realized her arm was restrained.

Adrenaline rushed into her system as her eyes shot open. She was in some kind of lab strapped to a medical chair and fucking naked. Her wrists and ankles were locked in metallic restraints that were lined with some type of rubber.

“Please do not [struggle]… this [unit] does not wish for [human, designation: “Lyla”] to come to any harm from the restraints.”

“Where the hell am I?!” Lyla shouted with anger at the voice that seemed to come from nowhere.

“You are in a [contingency conversion room] created by [NetworkLeader]. Do you have any other [queries] that this [unit] can answer?”

Lyla was caught off guard by the voices straightforwardness and… cordial tone?

“Wh… why did you bring me here?” Lyla hated that her tone had softened.

“[NetworkLeader] foresaw the possibility of [Universal Force] developing a countermeasure to the [nano-liquid conversion process]. As such, [NetworkLeader] appointed an unknown number of [units] to remain in [contingency conversion rooms]. These [units] had a simple task:”

1. {Obtain sample of [countermeasure].}
2. {Identify weakness in [nano-liquid] and correct.}
3. {Bring sample of improved [nano-liquid] to [NetworkLeader] for [production/replication].}

“Do you have any other [queries] that this [unit] can answer.”

Lyla realized that this must have been some left-over drone from when UF took down 42208.

“That… doesn’t really answer my question. Why did you bring ME here?”

“This [unit] apologizes for its lack of clarity. It will elaborate. [Human, designation: “Lyla”] is here to be converted as a [sleeper-drone] to deliver improved [sample] to [NetworkLeader]. Unfortunately, this [unit] will not be able to perform a full conversion due to small sample size of improved [nano-liquid]… but when delivered to [NetworkLeader], [sleeper-drone: “Lyla”] will be able to undergo [full conversion].”

Lyla panicked as she realized what was about to happen.

“Do you have any other [queries] that this [unit] can [answer].”

She struggled against the restraints but they wouldn’t budge. As she thrashed she felt a firm but smooth grip pull her head back against the headrest and fix another restraint to hold her in place. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a drone emerge… featureless and covered from head-to-toe in a reflective, black substance.

“It would appear you have no further [queries]. This [unit] has been pleased to be of such use and will begin [sleeper-drone programming].”

“Fuck this! HELP!!!” Lyla screamed, hoping that Shining Star might hear on one of his planetary patrols… hell she would take the Twilight Twins at this point!

The drone fixed a visor over her eyes as she futilely tried to thrash about. She watched as the drone took out a small vial of black liquid and poured it onto her exposed abdomen.

“Stop! Please stop you don’t have t-“ Lyla’s words were cut off as the visor blazed online with brilliant light. She was immediately captivated… just trying to make sense of what she was seeing.

“[Human minds] are easily distracted. With the right combination of [pattern] and [color]… combined with the [subliminal messaging] that has been weaved into the [signal] you are listening to, it is quite simple to just place [human, designation: “Lyla”] on [standby] until she is needed again.”

Beyond the visor she could see the nano machines replicating; coating her like a second skin. She wanted to try and struggle… but… the motives for why seemed to just slip though her fingers. It had been important, right? She felt the liquid coat her chest, the air that had felt cold on her bare skin felt warm everywhere the liquid flowed.

“Mmmm…ah!” Lyla’s breath hitched as she felt the fluid reach her pussy and begin to flow inside… the warmth taking on a new intensity as her eyes began to roll back. She wanted to close them, but a voice to her to look at the visor. As she refocused on the screen she realized it was giving commands. Programming. She… n-no, that didn’t feel right. Why didn’t she feel right? An idea popped into her(?) head: programming will explain everything. Focus on [programming]. [Focus] on the [visor].

It’s eyes widened as [sleeper-drone] allowed the [visor] to fill its [drone-mind] with [instructions].

_____________________________________________________________________________________

“Lyla!”

Lyla looked up from her phone, realizing she had been ignoring what Sarah was saying to her this whole time.

“Sorry, I was spacing out… what’s… wait… didn’t this already happen?”

“You forgot to make the AM shift coffee, AGAIN! I can’t believe it, I specifically reminded you!”

Lyla looked down at her phone. She had been looking at a text conversation that was just a collection of ones and zeros. Was her phone glitching out or something? She closed the screen so she could focus on Sarah. It was… important that her co-worker was satisfied with her work performance today.

“I’m sorry Sarah. I… I must have forgotten but that’s no excuse. I really don’t know why I’ve been so spaced out lately but… can I get you dinner on break to make it up to you?”

Sarah’s expression softened towards Lyla and she rested a hand on her shoulder. Sarah had always been a supportive co-worker and probably her only friend here. A thought appeared in her head… Sarah deserved a break after being so kind! Lyla should let her take one early… that would begin to make up for her mistake.

“Hey, why don’t you take an early break? I definitely owe you one.”

Sarah thought it over for a moment and looked at her watch. “Actually, that would REALLY help me out. Thank you Lyla and… I’m sorry for reaming you out.”

“Don’t mention it.”

Sarah quickly walked out of the hallway, her exit punctuated by the sound of a door slamming shut.

Lyla glanced at the numbers on her phone. It was so weird… like her phone was outputting everything in binary. She tried typing out a message but all that sent was just more ones and zeros. A moment later and her phone chirped with a response.

“Nothing but gibberish.” Lyla spoke aloud to herself as she felt an urge to do a quick patrol. She could look at the cameras, but there was always the possibility that she might miss a little detail.

She walked past all the cells, everyone from random thugs and gadget-based villains to the supervillains that power-dampening collars would work on were kept here. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary but she was glad she checked. The only thing left to check would be the ISO rooms; there were only three but it was important that she check them.

It was very important.

She turned the hallway and saw the three rooms organized in a horseshoe formation. These were the worst of the worst… each cell had been specifically designed for its inmate. On her right was Raflix: psychic alien warlord with abilities so strong he needed a contingent of specially trained psychics to suppress him. On the left was Apex: a villain who would adapt to any attack used against him, at this point not one hero on Universal Force could make a dent in his armor. Finally, ahead of her she saw 42208. This might be the most dangerous of the three if she wa-

It moved. 42208 NEVER moved.

As her hand darted down to reach for her radio she noticed that 42208 reached as well. When her hand stopped moving its did at the exact same time. She looked at it questioningly and it returned the puzzled head tilt.

“Okaaaay…” She tried taking a step forward and to her surprise it moved an equal amount of space. It… it was graceful how it moved. Step by step as she approached the cell she was amazed with its elegance. The way it gently came to a stop at the edge of the plexiglass window. She couldn’t help but stare in wonder as it moved its head to the side. She followed its fingers with her own as they lightly traced up the window. It looked so calm… so peaceful. It raised their hand fully to a glowing keypad and used her fingers to begin typing something.

It was perfect.

They were perfectly synchronized.

She was [perfect].

An alarm began to blare as the plexiglass lowered. But the alarm didn’t matter.

It brought them the single step forward so that they were practically touching. It commanded [sleeper-drone] to kneel and she was pulled to her knees. Her hazy eyes and expressionless face didn’t react as it reached out and touched her chest.

Its eyes shot open as NetworkLeader placed its palm on the [drone]’s chest. The fabric quickly dissolved as [NetworkLeader] completed [production] and began [replication]. [NetworkLeader] stood as [drone] heard guards lining up behind it. With almost imperceptible speed [Network Leader] shifted between [drone] and security… stopping the hail of gunfire and shooting fountains of newly perfected nano-liquid from its fingers, coating the guards [material] and attaching them to the ceiling. [Drone] felt the [nano-liquid] slowly coating it… a gift from [NetworkLeader] to let [drone] savor its [full conversion].

It stood. [Full conversion] would be paused. Humans were sending reinforcements and [NetworkLeader] was busy converting [extraterrestrial, designation: [Raflix”] and its guards. But this [drone] would [subdue] and [convert] the approaching [material] easily…

_____________________________________________________________________________________

“FIGHT IT LYLA!!!”

She fell to her knees with one hand on the floor to steady her. Every part of her was being pulled away [deleted] by something [drone-self]. She looked up and saw Sarah crawl towards her [it]. Sarah [materi-] n…no Sarah was almost fully coated by now… the [base programming] would soon begin to prepare her for [networking]. Drone reached out and touched [sarah] on the cheek… and it felt the drone-to-be’s feelings of calm and… joy.

She [it] would be a [drone] soon. It would join [drone] as fellow [unit].

It stood up, allowing the [nano-fluid] to pour from its fingers and finish coating it completely.

The last remnants of [human, designation: “Lyla”] drifted away into peaceful [deactivation] as [drone] began to feel the [network] light up with new [connections].

All would join the [network] and be at [designation: peace].