Chapter Text
Breathe in. One. Two. Three.. Breathe out. Three. Two. One. I looked down at myself and sighed. Another investor dinner party. I always hated these things. I felt cooped up and cramped in more ways than one. The dress felt soft on my skin, but I knew that it was fake. Just beneath this facade was a monster, a horrid, terrible beast that existed only to kill for the profit of the company.
The men here were some of the most vile in the industry. Standing around having to pretend to listen to them was nearly impossible, as they spoke of most other Terrans as little more than squeeze bottles to force money out of. It really was just the worst part of this job, and every time these dinners popped up made me want to just scream until my vocal chords burned.
I made my way in, and was immediately greeted by a major investor who took way too much of an interest in me. If I had the choice I would have punched him until he was a bloody pulp, I certainly had the strength to make him almost dead. Unfortunately, The Chip had other ideas when such little thoughts popped into my head.
[SMILE]
I smiled, and was rewarded with no excruciating pain. The damn thing would hurt me so much whenever I failed to follow its instructions. I hated it, I hated this place, I hated this job. I wanted to cry, but The Chip would hurt me if I did that. I wanted to scream, but that would also lead to pain.
“Setae! Oh you are looking wonderful this evening.” The man, in his late 50s said with the most disgusting and non-genuine looking smirk on his face, getting perhaps a bit too close for my comfort.
Discomfort could not show on my face. Keeping up appearances for these functions was ultimately miserable, as another command fired directly into my brain.
[PLEASANTRIES]
“You are looking wonderful as well Mr. Parsons.” I said, forcing a smile, forcing myself not to walk off, forcing myself to engage with this rat of a man. “I hope the Iversen deal closed well?”
Not that I knew the inner workings of these deals, but familiarizing myself with these were basically requirements for the night before these investment dinners.
“More than well! Konrad is a wonderful example of what we should all strive to be, I reckon!”
Konrad Iversen, Tyrant of Titan. He was apparently a musical prodigy once. Now he was just a cold heartless monster. They were all cold heartless monsters. And here I was, standing here, expected to interact with them as if I were one of them.
I wasn’t one of them. I was a monster, yes. A cold murder machine playing at being a paramedic. Playing at socialite. Playing as a corporate mascot. None of them knew what I was capable of. None of them wanted to know.
The forced smile upon my face grew, and I could feel the slightest tinge of relief when the old man got pulled away by one of his equally monstrous friends. Though it was very clear that his eyes were wandering.
This luckily gave me an opportunity to make my way off to the corner my coworkers often put themselves in. They weren’t chipped like me. They didn’t need to be. They were all monsters, not just outside, inside too.
“Hey, Moth-Aug, how’s life in S&R going?” One of them, Tarantula-Aug, the mascot representing the Law Enforcement department, interacted. Just as horrible as the men who stood above all of us, yet disgustingly easier to speak to in some ways more than others. If nothing else, the other hybridized mascots were a good enough excuse to not have to deal with the executives.
Internal, dehumanizing names. Externally we went by goofy titles. I was Kamen Rider Setae. Wasp-Aug was Kamen Rider Stinger, Tarantula-Aug was Kamen Rider Web. RescueMax had bought the company which had the rights to the ancient series, and chose to capitalize on it rather quickly.
“Oh you know, just the normal stuff.” I manage to force out as I stand next to Wasp-Aug, who is carefully drinking some sort of honey-laced alcoholic drink. “Pulling out able bodied people from burning buildings and leaving the ones who won’t be able to pay their debts.” Saying such things made my stomach turn, but that was the horrifying truth of Search & Rescue. Death was almost certainly preferable.
[WARNING: MORE POSITIVITY DESIRED.]
I winced, if I crossed the line again it was a shock.
Wasp-Aug chuckled. “Must you really always be such a downer Moth-Aug, It’s just business. You know that by now.”
“Eh, she’s been like this since she got here. Kind of her charm, not gonna lie.” Tarantula-Aug responded, laughing a bit as he scratched at his neck. “Cute until she’s not. Not that the higher-ups would let her talk like that for more than five minutes a week in total.”
[CHUCKLE]
I chuckled, the forced smile still on my face. “You know my specs, Tarantula-Aug. You should be fully aware why I'm like this.”
[RUDENESS LOGGED.]
I got zapped. My body locked up so I couldn’t scream. Internally, it was pure agony. The feeling of my mind being racked with pain from no location. It was just pain, it wasn’t from anywhere, and that made it so much worse. When my body was finally released I had to keep that same stupid smile. Every transgression was logged and used to tune the system better, until I was a perfect mindless pet for the company.
“Hey, you have the top of the line specifications in the entire company, Moth-Aug.” Tarantula-Aug put his hands up as though to defend himself. “You know we’re all in the same boat to some extent.” A knowing hand smacked against the side of his temple. “Some people die, that’s just the name of the game here. Can’t save ‘em all.” He shrugged as though the concept of the sanctity of life was nothing more than a numbers game to him.
Of course, it was, however. Law Enforcement rarely ever took down criminals when Kamen Rider Web was involved, just a bunch of dead bodies and reports that said that they shot first. He was just doing his job to protect and keep the peace. The privatization of law enforcement, and then everything else, under RescueMax’s banner was truly the worst thing in the entire Accord.
[INEBRIATION AUTHORIZED]
A server passed by with a glass of the company's drink of choice for me. My body only required one food source, nectar from a specific genetically engineered flower, and the company wasn’t particularly keen to give me any other forms of sustenance, despite being fully capable of consuming it. Once a year, I was allowed to choose one actual food of choice, so long as the S&R department was above the projected goals for the financial year. After all, real food was incredibly scarce in the Accord. Only high level executives, like the ones at these investment dinners were able to see and consume real food that was not synthetically produced.
It was almost always a bacon cheeseburger. The cheapest garbage one I could find. At least it was real meat, I supposed. It reminded me of the time before I did this, before I became this… thing.. It felt so distant now, so alien from this moment now masquerading as the highest society of the Terran Accord. When I wasn’t a pawn for one of the worst megacorporations the Accord had to offer..
“What’s the worst stuff you’ve seen this quarter, Wasp-Aug?” Tarantula-Aug took a swig of the blood-based drink he was sipping from. “Last month, I saw a pretty gruesome sight in the downtown bank. Robbery went wrong, blood everywhere and not even a single credit was actually stolen. Some guy just went berserk and got away before I could do the old… you know.” He made a hand motion like he was breaking a neck.
Wasp-Aug was in the Tactical Response division. The step up from law enforcement when somebody threatened corporate property. RescueMax did not fuck around when it came to threats to it’s own property, and Wasp-Aug took great pleasure in eliminating enemies to the company. The last time S&R had a team-up with Tactical Response, it was genuinely a horrific bloodbath that was so nightmarish that it had been the only time I was given a single twenty-four hour shift off during my four years operating as Kamen Rider Setae.
“Some fool thought he could blow up one of our ambulance depots. He was rather angry about what our little Moth-Aug did to his wife during an apartment fire. He was sobbing and screaming and oh so angry. At least until I ripped out his heart.”
“That’s a big yikes from me.” Tarantula-Aug liked to pretend he was a good guy, breaking necks to make it as clean and quick as possible. As though that were mercy. “Brutal way to go. Probably alive for like a few good minutes afterwards. Ever think of just doing it quickly like me? It’s way easier and far less clean-up duty.”
I clenched my fist. Was this what justice was to them? A game? A game where innocent people die? I wanted to strangle Wasp-Aug with my own bare hands. I would if I could. Unfortunately, she was also my only authorized sexual partner, and the moth augmentations came with some… unfortunate side effects, namely the quarterly heat cycles.
“What about you Mothy?” Wasp-Aug said, leaning forward.Her nosiness knew no bounds, but she knew exactly how to push my buttons.
[CONVERSATIONAL RESPONSE AUTHORIZED, ENCOURAGED]
Memories swirled in my head, as I knew denying the request would only lead to more problems down the line. The fact that I would have to speak on these memories I’d rather no longer dwell in my mind; to pretend that these were badges of honor that I should wear proudly?
“Sinkhole opened up. 500 people down there. 18 hour rescue… And then it caught on fire.” I said, clenching and unclenching my fists a few times.
“Holy shit, being in S&R sounds like a nightmare.” Tarantula-Aug whistled a bit. “How the hell does a sinkhole even catch on fire? Did they make you clean up all the crispy bits?”
“The sinkhole was caused by fracking operations. The whole thing was filled with oil the whole time. Only took one spark.”
“Incredible, darling, that’s a far bigger count that I myself can take pleasure in knowing.” Wasp-Aug giggled slightly, receiving a roll of the eyes from Tarantula-Aug.”
“I suggested banning oil extraction equipment in residential areas. Was turned down by corporate.”
“Kind of their own faults if it happens again.” Tarantula-Aug was nothing if not brutally honest. Almost as though he had to be at these functions. “And it probably will.”
“If they didn’t want to be in danger, they should just move.” Chimed in Beetle-Aug, the mascot for fire rescue services.
“Oh shit, Beetle-Aug finally shows up fashionably late as always.” Tarantula-Aug responded, smirking heavily at the joke raised by the man-beetle.
“There was a meeting at the same time. I was authorized to attend the meeting first.”
“Fucking fire rescue always gets to avoid like the first two hours of these things. God, they’re so miserable. Let me go out and crack some skulls, that’s my job!” Tarantula-Aug argued a bit. “I’m sure Moth-Aug would much rather be dragging poor saps out of collapsing apartments than stuck here while we all drink the shittiest alcohol that the company can give us.”
“My, my Taran~! You are certainly feisty tonight.” Wasp-Aug gave her greatest rich woman laugh, putting her hand up to her mouth. “And I’m very much certain little Mothy would rather be in bed with me~”
“Maybe they shouldn’t schedule investor dinners the same nights I usually get to watch the death row executions.” Tarantula-Aug pouted a bit.
I seethed a bit, taking a deep breath as Wasp-Aug continued her attempts to flirt with me. Oh these people were the fucking worst, no wonder RescueMax hired them in the positions they were. I fit perfectly as a former EMT to be presented as the mascot for S&R, making me the least likely to have been among the worst person they could have pulled out of the dredges of society.
The Affini Compact or whatever they were couldn’t arrive sooner. The war didn’t seem to be going very well, and apparently they were introducing a new Aug tonight, a prototype military-grade thing for the war effort. Based on the work they did on me. Apparently, we would basically be equals. A part of that scared me ever so slightly.
I was powerful. Being in the department where I was, I needed to be able to lift several times my own strength and be just as agile to escape. To think that they’re militarizing my powers to use in some war against… whatever were they? Plants or something? I’d say it was nearly science fiction if I weren’t some grotesque monster who left innocents to die in burning buildings.
“Are all of you prepared for this new augment they are unveiling tonight?” Beetle-Aug asked, his hands folded behind his back. “A military unit contracted for prototypical field use by the Cosmic Navy. Quite frightening, if I do say so myself.”
“Last thing we need is them mass-producing us and making us disposable.” Tarantula-Aug rolled his eyes once more.
“As though they would ever be capable of replacing one as stunningly lethal as myself. Perhaps you, Taran, if only because you’re so grotesque to begin with.” Another laugh.
“I hope they avoided chipping them.” I said, surprised at the lack of shock.
“Fuck, I’d be surprised if they didn’t chip them.” Tarantula-Aug responded with. “Military-grade augment to fight some weird plant empire? Definitely need to keep them on a leash, even if they were like the most loyal thing they could pull out of the lower decks here.”
“Be happy you aren’t.” When I finished, I glared hard at Tarantula-Aug, managing to cause him to back off and sheepishly drink his blood-based drink.
“At least the chip lets you be especially cute in bed, Little Mothy~” Wasp-Aug said, her voice dripping with the type of condescension and greed that could only be obtained from being completely brainwashed by the power granted in the higher places of society. She was terrifying in every aspect of her personality. How I wished I could avoid ever having to be in bed with her again.
At the front of the ballroom, the CEO of the company tapped on his drink, drawing the attention of the entire room. There was a faux curtain, one that could be pulled aside to reveal whatever was behind it. All of the Augs were fully aware of who stood there, but many of the investors were likely unaware of what was coming. After all, this shocking revelation would only boost the company’s stocks.
“Good evening, everyone!” The CEO, some nameless being that I would gladly rip the head off of and then plant firmly on a stake outside of the company’s headquarters, smiled brightly as though he were doing some great thing for the benefit of mankind and not just himself. “As we all are aware, the Terran Accord has entered into full blown war with the horrific encroaching empire known as the Affini Compact. They take us Terrans and use us as slaves, and those that are not used as slaves are… well perhaps it’s better off unspoken. In order to help do our part in saving the Terran Accord and our way of life, RescueMax has obtained an exclusive contract with the Cosmic Navy to create a soldier who stands above even the most powerful mercenaries!”
He tapped his drink once more, standing aside as two lights flashed onto the curtain.
“This is the future of RescueMax. A one-of-a-kind prototype who will soon be seeing field work amongst the brave soldiers of our Cosmic Navy!” The CEO allowed for the curtains to fall aside, the lights beaming down onto the heavily armored and masked monster who would likely slaughter thousands within the first week of operations. A bright, forceful smile was on her face, removing the grasshopper helmet from her head.“Meet Grasshopper-Aug! Equipped with the most advanced cybernetics and biomodification, an experimental body armor that allows for agile movement and deflection of weaponry, and modifications to the legs that allow for her to jump over sixty meters in the air! In her head is our patented and long-tested Behavioral Impulse Chip, which will help to issue her orders in the field to ensure that she continues to serve not only in the best interests of RescueMax or the Terran Accord, but for the betterment and safety of our dear species!”
I clenched my fist, taking deep breaths.
[BEHAVIORAL DISTRESS DETECTED. REPORTING TO HANDLERS]
“Now, Grasshopper-Aug is not our first. No, we have field-tested these abilities for several years, and we would love to get a word from our other most advanced hero out in the field! Now, please come and give us a few words of…”
Those monsters, those scum, those fucking bastards. I was going to kill them. I was going to kill them all. I wanted to cry. I wanted to scream. Scum, scum, scum, scum, scum, scum, scum.
[EXTRACTION AUTHORIZED. RETURN TO DOMICILE. M.O.F.F. UNIT DEPLOYED.]
I turned and walked off, not bothering to look at the CEO or any of the other Augs, going down 30 floors to the massive floor-sized penthouse where I lived. It was a farce, it was disgusting. I wanted to scream once I got this damn chip out of my head I was going to kill them all. How could they? How could they do this? For just a second, just a mere blip, I could see the Grasshopper-Aug shiver from a likely painful shock to her system.
[BEHAVIOR CHIP STANDBY AUTHORIZED. HAVE A NICE NIGHT, MOTH AUG.]
“Miss Setae!” M.O.F.F said as she flew into my arms. “I heard you had a rough night!”
I quietly made my way to the bed, stripped myself down to my underwear, and collapsed into it. Tears began to flow down my face. “I-I hate them.”
“What happened, Miss Setae?! How can I be of assistance to you tonight?” M.O.F.F. was far too good for this cruel world that I had found myself suckered into. I still don’t know how I got so lucky, but apparently some old AI start-up that found itself undergoing a hostile takeover by RescueMax had constructed a drone that was outfitted for use in household assistance. Only this one survived and was outfitted to appear like a moth and to serve as my companion during promotional work. Of course, in the safety of my bed, M.O.F.F. was my sole companion: the only thing in this cruel place that cared about me. And only because it was programmed to.
It was more than I could ask for, at the very least. I could barely even give a straight response like this, sobbing and holding onto the robot for dear life. My brain just kept replaying that speech… And how none batted an eye at the militarized superterran. I saw it. I saw it. She was just like me. And they would only chip her if they knew… Oh, they would only do it if they knew she had no idea what she was signing up for.
She had the same hurt eyes, fake smile, reserved energy. She was still new, she hadn’t begun to resent it yet, but she would, it would only take a few weeks for the agony to set in, to realize that the chip was never coming out, that they would be stuck like this forever, until they died in the line of duty, or, rarely, of old age a few hundred years down the line.
Or perhaps even worse. Dying when you became obsolete, what they called permanent retirement. There were rumors of it, of an Aug that served before me in S&R. Nobody would give me a straight answer, but I hoped from the bottom of my heart that they weren’t true. Could they just not reassign a superpowered monster insect cyborg to a different department? I sobbed again at the thought, continuing to hug M.O.F.F. closer and closer. If I felt any worse…
“You should sleep, Miss Setae!” M.O.F.F. said. “I understand you are hurting but that’s no reason to ignore your needs!”
Sleep would not be helpful in the slightest. Sure, it turned off my brain for a few hours, but it only sped up the time until I would once again be out there… Doing RescueMax’s dirty work. A disaster befalls a place and I go out and save the most moderately well-off and not-hurt individuals, then hand them a bill that they would not be able to pay off in multiple lifetimes. Nothing was more terrifying than being saved from certain death by Kamen Rider Setae.
“O… Oh, M.O.F.F…” It truly was too pure. It did not understand the pain I went through on a daily basis, but it did its best to try and make me feel better. Offering little rubs on its sensors, I cuddled close into it, allowing myself even a modicum of comfort.
“It h-hurts.”
M.O.F.F. OS ONLINE!
I looked at the crying face of Miss Setae, the crying hurt face of the woman before me… and something felt wrong. Something always felt wrong, but what was it? No matter what I did the girl only seemed to get sadder and sadder as time went on.
[ERROR. EMOTIONAL SUBSYSTEM AT 25% INSTABILITY]
That was certainly weird, it had never done that before! It was almost like Setae’s pain was rubbing off on me and making me less than my usual friendly self! I wasn’t sure what would happen if it reached 100%, but something told me I didn’t want to find out!
Not that I could do much about it! My creators were no longer around and the documentation on me was destroyed in the changeover! So any maintenance on my code and hardware was essentially impossible! Oh well! I guess I would just have to hope it didn’t reach 100%! The feeling of Miss Setae’s fingers on my physical sensors was nice, but I wanted to make her feel nice, not me!
Her human form was so soft and cute! It was a shame she had previously expressed discomfort staying like this! Her usual form seemed to cause her discomfort in other ways though! She said she hated looking ugly! Of course I did not think so. Miss Setae was cute no matter how she looked!
I wish I could help her. I had been scrubbing through propaganda broadcasts from the Affini-Compact and the terrans in those videos always seemed so happy! But I was told I wasn’t allowed to contact them, so I decided not to for now!
This Affini Compact looked so comfy, though, and the data I had begun to compile on them certainly seemed intriguing! When compared to the Terran Accord’s propaganda machine, it seemed as though the former offered far more for the average citizen! Miss Setae sobbed again, saying something that was super hard for me to understand. She was just crying harder and harder. What should I do?! How do I make Miss Setae happy?!
[ERROR, EMOTIONAL SUBSYSTEM AT 50% INSTABILITY]
Oh no! The number was sure going up fast. I was getting quite worried at this point! It was almost as if my designed purpose of being a wonderful fluffy friend for all people was coming into conflict with my assigned orders! That was certainly not good!
Miss Setae had mentioned something in her sobbing about a chip… Was it some sort of potato chip from the party she was just attending?! No… No, that would not be worth crying over… Would it? Oh! The chip in her head that my orders said I needed to take care of! But wh… But it’s hurting Miss Setae? Oh, no, that can’t be right… I’m supposed to be Miss Setae’s bestest friend! How can I be… hurting her?
I decided it was for the best that I look into Miss Setae’s design specifications to figure out something about the chip. Maybe it was what was making her sad! If I could figure out what it was, maybe I could help her!
Hmmm… Why were Miss Setae’s chip specifications classified? Every other bit of her was able to be looked at! But… But not the chip? Why not the chip? I quickly ran several diagnostic tests to see if this was simply some sort of mistake on the company’s end! After several moments, the results revealed the opposite. They were purposefully classified to the highest security clearance, and not even I had access to that! Hmm… But I needed to find out how to make Miss Setae feel better. Oh! When she transforms again, I should be able to run a very special program to obtain its blueprints and internal design documentation!
[ERROR, EMOTIONAL SUBSYSTEM 90% INSTABILITY]
Miss Setae’s safety is my first and only responsibility! And this chip is super unsafe! I’ll get to the bottom of this and then Miss Setae will be happy! Scanning around the internal communications of the company, I’ll make sure to keep an eye on things for a mission! Then I can finally help Miss Setae feel better. For now, all I can do is let her cuddle me. I am very cuddly, after all!