imperfection - dream sequence

7/31/2019 Imperfection - Dream Sequence.

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I have a lot of faith that youll deliver, and it would be wise that you make sure this goes well.

Dont worry, maam. Weve got the backing of all the majorcompanies, if anyone can afford a

venture like this, its us.

You had better be right. Im sinking a lot of money into this project, and I guarantee I will- take you

and your whole damn studio into the ground if this fails. And not even your fucking chicken will be

able to stop me.


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IMPERFECTIONPart OneLilly (kvalheim) Clayton

A Monday Night Combat Story


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Prologue

April 2, Year 3040

Darkness the world seems clouded, empty thoughts appear as soon as they disappear, and fuzzy

voices are heard.

Routine birthing again? I thought we had enough of these for the teams, and its not like we need

to replace emevery five minutes like the Sparks and Sins.

Naah, nah man, this aint for the show. Hell, I dunno where this ones going, cept that some big

shot upper class is paying us a ton for this. And what the fat cats want, they get.

Muffled laughter. Things start to become clearer, the glass tank distorting two hunched figures

operating machines. It feels like drowning, but air still flows into fresh lungs. The figures leer

forward, and then hurry back at their machines.

Well,quit staring, you know she aint real. Go get to it, Mick just called down, we need a whole

new set of those new pros spawned in for the new season. They want to add another pair of teams

for some special four-way shows and they need in within the next hour.

aightman, just just gimme a sec. Son of a--- the personality replicator is on the fritz, -again-.

Seriously? Well, no time to fix it If anything goes wrong, well, at least this isnt Assassin.

Yeah, I mean, the hell a rogue Pit going to do? Releasing the clamps, and Ill send it down to the

pens, least let it meet the other Pros before we ship it off.

A loud noise, a bang, and the water rushes out of the prison. Its clear now, a tube, a glass womb

acting as packaging for another product. Before even taking a breath, the world becomes dark again.

* * *

It was several hours later and deep within the back rooms of the Monday Night Combat training

grounds, there sat a young girl in a small grey concrete room. She was slender, fair skinned, and her

hair was a long deep brown that she quickly tied up into two ponytails. Her eyes were a deep hazel,

and stared curiously around, a sort of uncomfortable expression as she tried to piece together

where she was. There was a sort of similarity one could see between her and one of the standard Pit

Girls, but this one was younger, couldnt possibly be more than 19, and wore a plain vest and shorts,

no team markings. A small speaker in the top corner began to buzz, and a monotonous voice, similar

to a certain trademark commentators but much less lively, began to drone out.


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Welcome to your stasis cell. You have been commissioned under order of a donator to Monday

Night Combat, but for the next [two-thousand-seven-hundred-and-sixty] days you will be grown

alongside the regular stock. This message is brought to you by Regenitol.

The girl in the room stood up, and peered around. Her mind was effectively blank, but already this

seemed like a cage, but was yet to be seen as either a safe confined space or an inescapable fortress.

She looked over to a small sliding glass door, and upon opening it revealed rack upon rack of

identical low-cut vests and shorts, a closet full of tools, belts, boots and gloves lying adjacent to it.

They too had no team colour, instead manufactured in a neutral beige and white. As she changed,

the door slid open, and strangely enough, a small floating bot approached, similar in appearance to a

slimbot but neutral coloured and with a small monitor in the head. It simply displayed a small notice,

YOU ARE NEEDED IN FOOD DISTRIBUTION ANNEX

This flashed several times, before the Bot returned to wherever it had come from. The young Pit

simply nodded silently, and once changed, stepped out into a long, LONG corridor. A line offluorescent red arrows dotted the floor, and an identical line of blue arrows ran parallel in the same

direction. A holographic sign on the wall read Destination: FDA and Recreation, flickering a few

times, before turning into more arrows that demanded to be followed. A small group of red bots

sped past along the similarly coloured path, and she decided to follow, cautiously examining the

path in curiosity, like an infant child.

* * *

Eventually, she approached a large room, far too large for the five or six brightly coloured Pros

sitting at grey metal tables. The girl took a few more steps, and as she did so, one of the strangers,

the Assassin, stood and walked away with a sneer.

The girl sat at the far end of the furthest table, and simply looked over at the group, who were

talking in hushed voices. Each of them would peer over in turn, before adding something to the

secret discussion. Eventually, a few of them Cheston, Combat girl and Assault moved over,

carrying trays of heavily branded food boxes and cans.

So, Kid Assault started, sitting on the next chair, Whats the deal with you?

The girl stared blankly, thinking for a moment, yet just as she opened her mouth to talk, the Combat

Girl swung around on her stool, wrapping her arm around the girls shoulder, a warm smile on her

face.

Cmon, darlin, dont be shy! Were all brothers and sisters here, well cept Assassin. You best be

steerin clear of her unless you wanna catch a mighty foul case of the ugly, bless her heart.

The young girl peered a little confused back, and uttered out slowly,

Oh okay?


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There was a strange silence for a split second, before Cheston stroked his furry chin, leaning

forward.

Very peculiar you sound like her all right, he motioned to Combat Girl, but you lack the same

perkiness and exuberance. Very, very peculiar.

Upon saying this, Assault too peered at her, stroking his chin in a similar manner. However, the pairs

actions put Combat Girl on the defensive a little, and she grabbed the younger clone in a very

protective manner.

Now you two hush your holes, yhear! Dont you listen to these two, sweetie, youre as good as any

of us. Ill take care of ya, darlin, and you can come on down to my humble quarters whenever you

need a listenin ear.

Now hold on, we werent

I said hush it, gorilla-boy!

The young Pit-girl nodded slowly, a weak smile growing on her face. The others looked to each other

fleetingly, then back, with reassuring smiles. Assault gave a smile that was dangerously close to his

trademark charming one, speaking softly,

Come on girl; lets bring you back over with the others. You may not fight with us but a fine girl like

you can eat with us.

* * *

They all regrouped at the main table, Combat girl jealously hoarding the young Pit and making sure

she got a seat beside her. The whole Hotshots team was here, not in armour, but still team-coloured

vests with more sponsor logos on them than was entirely necessary (especially given that viewers

rarely entered the premises), and they were all talking to each other in separate conversations that

were nearly impossible to follow. Assassin still hadnt returned, but there was a silhouette in the far

corner of someone repeatedly punching the wall. However, the conversation slowly died down as

they one-by-one noticed the new arrival, and in turn introduced themselves. They went on for agood few minutes as they said hello in turn, mostly interrupting each other. It got to her time to

introducer herself, though, and she simply stared. Her mouth opened slowly, and a soft voice from

her side whispered in her ear,

Cmon, darlin, tell them your name.

With a small nod, she replied quietly,

I guess I dont think I have a name

Combat girl let out a small chuckle.


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Course you got a name, silly! Heck, by the looks of you Id guess youre one of em Pit Girls. Looks

like you hit it lucky, darlin, I used to have it easy like that, until they moved well the best of us, into

the teams. Sides, aint nobody going to pick a fight with me and walk away with all their teeth in

their head, bless em.

I see the girl nodded, and grabbed a pouch of Spunky-branded-food-sustenance. It went down

easily, but still tasted like cheap, processed garbage. They continued like this, chatting and eating,

long into the afternoon, until a large klaxon sounded.

GAME IN 15 MINUTES, PROS REPORT TO SPAWNING ROOM. ALL NON-COMBAT PERSONNEL

REPORT TO STASIS.


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Chapter One

December 21, Year 3045

Europa Colony

Hold your horses; itll be done in a minute!

The snowfall was getting heavier, almost clouding the oppressive shape of Jupiter in the morning

sky, but still a slender young woman was working atop a burnt and battered old Jackbot, sounds of

wrenches turning and electricity sparking echoing against the thick concrete walls of the work yard.

The woman jumped down after a few seconds, and was greeted by a warmly wrapped Combat Girl,

who took her in a tight embrace for a moment.

Good to see ya, darlin! My, youre lookin all grown up, out here fixin and workin. Been a long

trip, shame you had to leave six months before our ship.

A pleasure to see ya too, Combat.

The Pit girl brushed a few snowflakes off her grey-yellow parka, and ran a hand through her hair for

a moment.

What say we go inside? This Europa air is freezin my bones, Ill be glad once this holiday game is

over and we get back home. Oh, and Im countin on yall to win.

Nodding slightly, the Combat Girl stepped a little to the side, motioning towards the Jackbot. Like Pit

Girl, its colours were also a steely grey with bright yellow highlights; however, it had scorch marks all

over and several large bullet holes.

Friend of yours?

This ol rust bucket? One of the security jackbots, some outlanders blew the well, I best not be

sayin more, they like to keep the show combat out of the real combat.

Once more nodding, the Combat girl circled the pile of machinery, grinning.

Well, shes a beauty, I trust yall be doing your best to fix er up. Least, as long as you aint planning

to send it out against us!

They laughed a little with each other, walking into the dark corridor as blast doors slowly slammed

against each other with a deafening bang. Small red lights flickered into life, illuminating the room,

and the pair followed them towards a large concrete room filled with monitors. There were

thousands of them, covering nearly every wall, each showing different possible plays and replays

from countless past matches. In the center crouched a slim man, his hair ragged and one eye

covered with a black patch. Four empty cans of energy boosters rolled on the floor, and he was

frantically scribbling down.

Cmon, sniper, we aint got all day.


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Aagh, fine! I spend all day trying to guarantee our win but you meatheads wont follow myflawless

tactics anyway. Will you at least lookat these play sheets?

Now now, sweetie, we can take a look at those little pictures later, maybe hang them on the fridge

after the game. Now cmon, weve got a game.

The Sniper growled, and stormed off down the hall. A few feet behind, Pit Girl tapped Combat on the

shoulder, raising an eyebrow. She uttered out,

Whats the deal with him?

Awe, dontworry about it darlin, hes just a heap of crazy, bless him. Now I be supposing they want

you away from the team rooms before the game, but come down after our victory!

With that, Combat Girl left down the same hall that sniper stormed down, disappearing into the

dimly lit depths. Pit sat down for a moment next to the sheets, staring at where her friend had left,

and thought for a moment. There was something in her, more than just being a near-exact biological

replicate, which made Combat seem like a sister to her. It was very strange, for as far as she knew,

and from what she saw from the other Pit Girls, she was supposed to be this sort of perky,

independent, very confident individual; but she never quite felt that. She had made attempts to fix

it, trying to make her accent (which did not come perfectly to her) fit, and was mostly happy with

her life, but there was always this nagging feeling at the back of her mind.

Her train of thought was ruined by a large speaker the voice was mostly distorted, but the gist of it

came through. The management wanted her to come up to the office, and fairly urgently at that. She

stood to her feet, and headed up a stairway that had retracted from the wall.

* * *

Ah, youre here!

The Pit Girl arrived at a large office space, the walls much cleaner and more colourful that the drab

concrete of the rest of the complex. There was a large window that made up the whole back wall,

showing a plain white skyline of ice, with a few structures closeby, and the combat arena about 15miles away. At the large wooden desk was a plain man in a plain suit, with a suitably plain nametag

reading Mr Blunt, non-combat management

Did you want me for something, sir?

Take a seat.

The girl took off her thick parka, hanging it on the back, and sat there was a slight wobble and

adjustment as the airChair2 took her weight, and then floated at a standstill.

Now, Ive got a little proposi--- well, lets cut to the chase, Im not going to give you the illusion ofchoice. Were transferring you into one of the series entertainment contingents.


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fraid youve lost me there.

What Im saying is that were putting you into one of the teams. Not for combat, of course, weve

got enough combatants. No, the Hotshots need another Pit Girlnasty incident, one of Beths

rockets managed to hit a faulty support, whole wall crashed onto the last one. But youll be fine.

Well sure, I spose so. She smiled, screaming happily inside her head. There had been a sort of

sense that most of what shed been working on lately was mundane and fairly useless, and it would

be a part of the actual show. The main reason however was that over the last couple of years shed

gotten very close with that particular team, since theyd been friends since her spawning.

ExcellentOh, and one more thing. Your contract with us is at about a halfway point, so I suppose I

should tell you a few things. Youll be with this team for the rest of your time with us, and then

youre going into full time service in a classified manner. Your funder will speak to you in the next

few days about that. Now, be gone, I have work

The woman slipped out of the room, and jumped a little in joy. She hurried on down the stairs,

almost tripping on several occasions, following the maze of corridors and the trail of red lights until

she reached a small briefing room. Inside, Assault stood at the shimmering board, surrounded by

Sniper, Combat Girl, Tank and Cheston, all discussing tactics whilst sniper berated them all for not

using his own. Pit Girl entered quietly, a soft smile on her lips, as she approached the group, and

Assault took notice, interrupting himself.

And it seems heres our new blood, but I guess were all quite familiar with this one he smirked,

motioning her over. She slowly stepped forwards, smiling with what had become sort of her

trademark soft smile, much less ecstatic that it should be, but with a more sincere tone to it.

Im really, wow, I cant wait to spend the next few seasons with you guys. I spose Ill have to be

headin over to the Arena before you guys for the pregame check-ups, but Ill be sure to meet back

with yall after the game.

* * *

It was a ten minute hover car drive to the stadium over the ice plains to the stadium a large

cylindrical hole bored into the glacier, the stands half-encased and packed with freezing rowdy

crowds. The car touched down in a large metal garage, where officials carrying tablets and match

statistics randomly shouted out names, and the occasional over class limousine would be greeted by

hordes of assistants scrambling over each other to be the new favourite employee. The Pit Girl,

surrounded by a few Hotshots team officials, stopped momentarily and stared for a moment there

was a very rich group of people, dressed immaculately and barging past the rabble, demanding

something unintelligible from the ticket booth. They were yelling,

Get out of my way, scum, youll only turn your seat into a hideous shanty hut or something. For

goodness sake, youd think these bums would get enough of watching violence with their petty little

drug fights.


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Pit Girl almost frowned in disgust, the only thing really stopping her being the perkiness in her DNA

she may be different, but traces still made it hard to express anger or disgust. She simply moved

along with the rest of the team officials. There was a small room behind the spawn, with an old

industrial stairwell. (the Arena, as well as most of the surrounding facilities, was part of an initial

mining effort which fell flat due to lack of funding. The owners sold it for next to nothing and now

Monday Night Combat make a killing off a winter extravaganza) A flickering sign read Exhibition

Balcony. One of the team directors, a scrawny little man with a clipboard, spoke quickly, not once

looking up.

Right, up the stairs, do your thing for the Cameras, then back here in 5 for Pit duty. Go, go, I got

bigger things to do now

The girl opened her mouth momentarily, then sighed, and followed the stairs up. They were old and

rickety, and it took a good while to walk all the way up. Finally she reached the top; a round

platform, chain bridges connecting it to the winners platform and a special VIP stand. A group of

camera-bots hovered around the edge, swaying in the ice-cold wind. Upon stepping out into the

outdoors, the Pit Girl immediately started to shiver, wrapping her arms tight. A few feet away, the

Icemen Pitgirl was standing calmly, and looked over.

Why howdy there, darlin. New to the field of combat are ya?

The girl stood blankly for a moment; there was something very haunting the woman talking to her

looked exactly like her, save for the Blue colouring to her Red. Even more so than Combat girl, who

although unerringly similar, was just different enough, but there was a strange feeling here that was

like she was looking into a mirror.

First game, right? Dont sweat, teams only matter for them fighters down in the arena. Were all

good up here.

Uh thanks. Its mighty cold up here, aint you freezing?

There was a small pang of annoyance in her head. This accent, the ridiculous southern accent that

her DNA and her peers were screaming at her to adopt, just felt so forced. Still, she thought, what

choice was there? Better to conform and stay alive than become a faulty product and be scrapped.

The Icemen girl laughed, pointing to a small dial on her glove.

You really just are out of the tank, arent ya? These outfits are electronically warmed, keeps us

lookin fine while the weather aint.

With a sigh of relief, the girl turned up her own, and instantly felt much more comfortable. The

cameras suddenly came much closer, and a director wrapped tightly in a jacket came out, shouting,

Fifteen seconds! Ladies positions, you know the drill, chirpy and sexy ten seconds,go!

Loud music suddenly started to fill the arena, accompanied by loud cheering; then, a very

recognisable voice started to resonate, introducing itself as Mickey Cantor. The words didnt matter

much to the Pit Girl, who was busy trying imitating her blue partner, smiling and posing in front ofthe camera. It was all over very quickly, and before she knew it the cameras were off, sounds of


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gunfire filled the arena floor below and she was being rushed down back to the spawning rooms.

Now she just had to cheer on the team, and wait for the final whistle to blow.

It was a crushing defeat in the end.


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Chapter Two

December 22

The team locker rooms were filled with a sombre mood the next morning. The Pit Girl strolled in,

carrying a few cases of equipment, trying to embody the chirpy persona she was supposed to

embody.

Morninboys, we all are feelinfresh for another days work?

The team replied with a joined groan, with the exception of Combat Girl, who jumped up to Pit.

You bet, darlin. Here, let me help you with those.

She picked up a few of the cases, and they kept walking down towards the engineering room. A fewmechanics were working on an assortment of pipes and cogs, impossible to tell what they were

actually doing. The pair dropped the cases onto a metal table, and then each sat down on it,

swinging legs in unison.

The teams in a mighty foul mood that loss get to them?

Seems so. They aint taking it well. Heck, even Assault seems down, and he aint never failed to rally

the morale.

They both sat quite quietly for a moment, the quiet rumbling of the machinery echoing, a slight

breeze from the vents blowing their pigtails forward in unison. Combat girl jumped up, laughing.

Enough of that, heck, were all still alive here. Come on, youre still workin on that ol Jack?

Not so much since going red, but its still a side project.

Then cmon, were gonna finish it up. Heck of a heap more exciting than sticking around in this

steam room or trying to kick-start the ol team.

With a slight chirp of happiness, the Pit Girl jumped up, and led the way down yet more repetitive

corridors. She thought momentarily that even though it was absolutely freezing on the pitch, there

was a much nicer aesthetic feel to the place compared to these steel and concrete labyrinths that

the MNC Corporation seemed to love. She had only been in two locations, but this industrial colony

felt awfully similar to the spawning complex. Almost hadnt crossed her mind that shed be back

there in a month

Hey, cuckoo, anyone in there?

They had stopped, and Combat Girl was tapping Pit on the head. She laughed shyly, brushing a loose

hair aside.

Oh, sorry got a little lost there.

Well, were here aint we?


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They looked through the large doorway on the right. It was the same work yard, covered in a thick

layer of snow. Since the last game, the Jackbot hadnt moved, and was covered in icicles. Grabbing a

ladder and a toolbox, Pit Girl trudged through the white ground and set up. Combat too, grabbed a

kit and opened the front hatch.

Boy, this wirings more tangled than a mule with a jump-rope.

Pit Girl looked over, raising an eyebrow with a puzzled expression.

Oh, Im sorry darlin, that wasnt my best comparison.

They laughed a moment, and got back to working. Pit was tinkering with one of the Ammo-mule

rocket loaders, and smiled a little, speaking,

You know, they told me last night they dont need this ol bucket anymore.

Oh, well thats mighty disappointin

Pit Girl laughed loudly, shaking her head.

Oh heavens no! Instead, I get to keep this all for myself, long as I keep it disarmed

Coincidently, at this moment she was removing the loader, tossing it aside. It hit the snow, quickly

collected by a small salvage-bot that disappeared as quickly and unnoticed as it arrived.

Well thats marvellous, darlin. Whatre you gonna do with it?

Heck, I could make it our team mascot? But Im likin the grey and yellow scheme, makes it feel

more of my own. I might even name the old rust pot.

They laughed and worked well into the day, the dim sun and goliath shadow of Jupiter peering down

at them from the sky. There was very little to do that day, as all the games were over until the

LazeRazor Winter Holiday Blitz Bonanza on the 25th

, and since they had lost the match, they

wouldnt be participating. There were a few VIP audience tour groups going around, mostly rich

metropolitan Tokyo-types who tried to take pictures of absolutely everything, and the occasional US

celebrity trying to buy off some of the clones while officials tried to distract them. It wasnt too much

of a hassle, they were both used to being public figures; it also helped when half the time it was

someone else who looked and acted exactly like you.

Phew, this thing just does not want to run!

Combat girl lifted her cap and wiped her brow a little, shaking her head. Pit Girl was deeply focussed

on repairing some circuits in the machines head.

Just a sec one more this should do it

The eyes sparked a little, and Combat jumped to her feet, stepping back. Pit gave a few more

tweaks, and the Jackbot flashed into life, accidently knocking the girl off as it snapped into position

she landed in the snow unharmed but with a grin on her face. Her teammate smiled warmly,

Oh, Im so proud of you darlin. Come on, lets see what it does!


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Okay, well Jackbot, identify!

The machine sparked momentarily, a few sparks bursting from its joints. It seemed to almost die for

a moment, but then a deep monotonous drone came from speakers under the head.

JACKBOT XL, MODEL 128-B, SERVICE NUMBER A-A983, REPORTING.

The two girls high-fived, cheering;

Great! I suppose we should leave it there, its getting late. Heck, I never know what time it is on

these moons. Combat girl laughed, picking up her toolkit and heading towards the door. Pit Girl

followed, carrying the ladder.

This was totally worthwhile, heck; Ive always wanted my own robot.

A hearty laugh came from Combat girl, who was dropping off her tools into the locker.

Since when!

Since always!

Dont be such a child, darlin! Still, getting that heap working was quite a feat.

The pair packed up their repair tools, and closed the blast door, brushing off the snow on their

shoulders and hats. The lights of the corridor flickered on, and the two girls walked back towards the

Locker room.

* * *

The locker room was empty upon their return, which was puzzling. The two peered around, but

there was nothing to see save for a solitary black figure twirling a knife in the corner. Both instantly

knew who the black concealed woman was, and rolled eyes simultaneously as they stepped

forwards. The Assassin held up a hand, pointed to Combat Girl and motioned for her to go away.

Why, thats mighty rude! Im part of this team and I aint leavin

The concealed woman shook her head, laughing lowly.

You will- leave. Now. I want a word with your little friend.

Fine, but you watch your attitude, Missy.

The Combat Girl strutted off, patting Pit on the shoulder and whispering,

You be careful around her, darlin. It aint her fault, she just gets jealous around those who can

show their face in daylight.


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A smirk grew on Pit Girls face, and she waved her friend goodbye; she turned back to Assassin and

raised an eyebrow.

So, what ya want?

You can drop the accent there. Ive seen you around here, and you must know as well as I do thatyoure not just another wise-ass southern piece of eye-candy.

The Pit Girl scowled, folding her arms. It wasnt exactly an insult towards her, but she had gotten

pretty defensive about her close friendship with Combat Girl; even the Icemen Pit Girl seemed

pleasant enough. Besides, she had tried so hard to get the accent right, would be a shame to drop it

now.

I aint dropping nothing, missy; now whatre youon about?

You can play dumb all you want, doesnt change the fact that I know about you. See, Im not like

these mindless gun-happy thugsand as far as Ive seen, my kin arent either. Seems a silly mistake

on whoever picked my DNA, but fact of the matter is that one day, Im going to get out of here. I

figured from the looks of you, you didnt belong here either, and unless you want to risk being found

as faulty and sent to processing, youd want to get out of here too.

The Pit Girl leaned on the lockers, peering in a puzzled manner.

What on earth are you talkin about? she questioned, her voice in a slightly more concerned tone,

much less of the southern accent coming through. Processing? Escaping?

Assassin stepped closer, staring down in a nearly threatening manner but her face was still a blank

mask as she spoke. Her voice was much lower, and much darker than before.

There was another, the a few years ago. They cloned an Assault, but they must have messed up the

personality replication; he was far, far too arrogant, a real hot-head. The crowd hated him, and the

producers took him away one day, for processing. Nobody saw him since.

She stepped even closer, almost walking past, but stopping and placing a hand on Pits shoulder.

I dont likeyou. Hell, when I saw theyd cloned another one of you shallow crowd-pleasers, I was so

enraged that I well I lost it, broke my wrist punching the wall. But youre unique, and I respect that,

because it means that you can at least be useful in getting me out of here.

With that, she walked off. Pit Girl looked at her disappear, a puzzled expression on her face, and

sighed. There was only one person she could talk to now

* * *

*Alright, alright, Im coming!


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Combat Girl opened the door to her quarters, to see Pit Girl leaning on the wall outside. She had her

head lowered a little, eyes peering up.

What can I do ye for, darlin?

Pit Girls voice was quite soft, a fair bit of the usual enthusiasm gone.

Can I come in? I need to talk

Well, sure, as I told you, my doors always open.

The girl walked in, and sat down on the small springy bed. The room was painted orange, with lots of

hotshots posters around the room. Half-built contraptions and bots filled the floor. Combat Girl

came and sat next to her, smiling.

Whats on your mind?

Pit girl rubbed the back of her neck, nervously.

I need to know I can trust you

The older clone faced her, looking into Pits eyes with a warm, sisterly smile. Pit Girl knew it in her

heart; she could trust her. Heck, they were almost the same person, and she could trust herself. She

lay back, clutching her pigtails.

You know Im not perfect, right? You know Im not as chirpy as you, or the other Pit Girl

yesterday I can barely keep up the accent. Assassin kept saying things, she wants me to help her

escape, and then wants me to leave to or the producers will kill me. Her lips quivered a little andshe pulled tighter at her hair.

Combat Girl lay back next to her, and looked to Pit with a warming smile.

Darlin, Ive known you were different since the day you strode out of the spawning room. I aint

gonna judge you on it, heck, Im glad of it much more enjoyable to have a friend who aint an exact

copy of myself. She laughed, and sat up, pulling Pit up with her.

And dont let that ol Assassin get to you, Darlin. I told you before, that girl is a whole mess of

grumpy, something not right in that ugly ol head of her, bless her heart. Trust me, youll be fine.

The Combat then shook her head, chuckling softly.

Besides, dont worry about the accent; you might be shy buy youre just as southern as I am!

They both smiled happily, and stared around. The wall clock a small digital series of numbers

straight on the wall - was reading 13pm Jupiter Standard Time, which was fairly late in the evening.

Pit Girl stood up, and gave a quick sincere hug to Combat.

Thanks a lot, Combat youre a great friend. I guess we should go join the others wonder where

they could have gotten to


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Chapter Three

December 23

It was late that morning, when Pit Girl finally woke up. They had found the rest of the team in the

Cafeteria last night, and spent the early hours talking and relaxing while the Icemen were constantly

training for the big game on the 25th

. It had been suggested that their team just head back on a

shuttle to Earth (it had also been suggested the team hang themselves by unlucky gamblers who had

lost a bit on the last match, but it wasnt to happen). However, there was at least one more event

they had to stay for, where a group of overclass school kids were getting a tour of the facility from

Mickey their principal was also CEO of a multinational corporation and as such remarkably wealthy

and Pit Girl had to find a suitable transport vessel for her Jackbot.

Pit Girl walked down to the table carrying a tray, seating herself next to Combat Girl as usual; they

were all sitting pretty silently, eating, checking the monitors hanging from the ceiling for when things

were going to happen, and when their shuttle would be leaving.

So thats it, were all hittin the road tomorrow morning? she asked, taking off her cap and

downing a gulp of Spunky GO! Morning Energy Juice. Assault shrugged, nodding,

Thats right, Ladies. Get set for a nice three months of Stasis relaxation, because the new season

starts once we get back to earth. He shrugged, downing a protein shake. Pit Girl took out a small

tablet and, with a few swipes oh her fingers on the screen, started browsing through lists of what

seemed to be cheap cargo freighters. Combat Girl peered over, raising an eyebrow.

Lookin to buy a ship? You aint gonna afford one on a clones salary, darlin!

I know, I know, I just need to hire one of these guys to take my Jack back home.

Ah, I see. Well, that one there looks a goodun, you should check it out after this tour. Can hardly

believe myself these little kids would wanna see a losing team. Combat smirked, finishing her

breakfast and placing her hat on the table. It was weird to see, since without the slightly different

hats and attire the two girls looked perfectly identical. Both of them looked at the image on the

screen, a fairly well sized bulky ship, unpainted grey and with two large cylindrical pulse-jets jutting

below and to the sidethe name read SZ-II-Loader, owned by a Mr S. Richards.

Ill find this man this afternoon then, after yall meet those tourin folk.

Almost immediately on cue, a crowd of loud and excitable young kids, none older than about

thirteen at most. They were all clearly from rich heritage, hence the smart maroon uniforms with the

crest of New Lunar Academy emblazoned on the chest. A young, smart-looking man, perhaps

twenty-two at most, was desperately trying to control them, clutching an e-clip board and calling out

names; he was trying to make sure they were all present, but his voice couldnt drown out the

marauding kids.

Pit Girl, having finished her breakfast, stood up and gazed over. There was a strange feeling in her

chest when her eyes locked over the teaching assistant; he was fairly attractive, short tidy hair,

smart clothes, but the seller it seemed was that he was normal. In the grounds, she was


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surrounded by people who were defined by one trait Assault was the slick handsome guy, tank was

the gruff, unlucky but loveable sucker, Cheston was, well, a gorilla. Even herself, she thought; she

was a Mary-sue, the clever eye-candy. She shook her head, trying to push away those thoughts, as

she walked over to the tour group ahead of the other; for reasons she couldnt quite put a finger on,

she put on her most charming southern accent.

Why howdy, darlin. Is this the group of younguns? She motioned over to the kids, charging

around the room like wild animals. The teaching assistant scratched the back of his neck, sighing;

one of his eyes kept peering at the holo-watch on his wrist showing a clustered timetable.

Yeah, I suppose theyre more monsters than children, and Ive got to ferry them around half the

moon while theiractual- teacher is awaiting ransom with some outlanders. Not that theyll get any,

the school will probably just get me to replace him.He lowered his wrist and shouted out, Cmon

now, seriously, if you dont settle down well get no time to meet these guys and well be back on

the shuttle without seeing anything remember what happened when you wanted to see Mister

Cantor!

The children slowly quietened down, getting into a tight group behind their teacher. They were all

led towards Assault, who started his usual routine of not-quite-boasting, but still talking in such a

manner that made all the kids adore him that was, after all, what he was. The exciting hero, the

leader, the fan favourite. While he and the rest of the Pros were interviewed by such deep and

probing questions (such as one particular boy who asked could you beat captain spark in a game of

tic tac toe?), Pit Girl decided to hang back, some weird feeling drawing her to this young man, the

teacher. A slight red blush to her cheeks, she tentatively asked,

So, whats yer name cutie?

She immediately shied away, head rushing with panic. Why had she said cutie? shed never used

that word in her life. He raised an eyebrow, seeming to sense the discomfort, and smiled casually in

a strangely reassuring way.

Well, Im Felix Oakley, not sure if Im exactly a cutie, but Ill take the compliment. How about

yourself, got a name?

Pit Girl scratched the back of her head, sighing while speaking softly,

I asked the same thing a few hours after they birthedme, didnt get much of an answer.

Thats a bit strange

I get used to it, everyone just calls me Pit Girl.

No, not that, he interrupted, your accent has faded quite a bit. What, you put it on?

Pit hesitated for a moment, unable to think of a way to answer the question. She stuttered out,

I Ive gotta split, darlin Ill see ya soon.

She ran off in a hurry, heading down the exit corridor.


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* * *

It took Pit Girl a good few minutes to realise where it was she was going, but she was starting to feel

a little less awkward. It wasnt even that big of a deal, but if he found she was faking the accent,others might question her genetic stability, and that could only lead to bad ends. She figured that

while she was out, she might as well find that ship, and get the Jackbot mounted on it. Looking down

at her tablet to remind herself of the ships name and such, she turned down the doorway to the left,

only to stop still. There were hurried footsteps behind her, and she turned; it was the man again,

Felix. What was he doing?

Hey, wait up! he called out, and almost instinctively did so. She sighed, head turned away from

him as he stopped.

What are you doing, chasing me?

Chasing? Oh no, no I was just, I mean, you bolted off so quickly, something wrong?

Pit Girl shook her head, uttering,

No, no, nothin. Its just been a rough couple of days, is all.

The man put his hand on her shoulder, giving that same reassuring smile as before. There was a look

in his eyes though that made it seem that even he didnt quite believe he was about to say this to

someone in her position.

Then here, Ill buy you a coffee.

This was very, very strange for Pit Girl; she didnt quite understand what he meant by this, and

added to that, shed never stepper outside ofher designated work areas beforegoing for coffee

with this man would mean effectively going AWOL for a short time.

Really, Im not sure

Come on, it will only be for a few minutes. Ive got to go pick up those monsters in about half an

hour anywaygod, those overclass parents sure do spoil them too much.

The clone thought it over for a few seconds, before attempting to imitate his smile,

Sure, if thats all then I should have time. Ive got some work of my own to do soon too.

They headed down another corridor, one that Pit Girl hadnt seen before, labelled Concession

Stands and Arena Seating There was a booth that was obviously meant for security but it was

currently unmanned, with a small sign saying On break. After a few minutes of walking through

dispersed lower-class crowds, they reached a brightly-lit caf with a great neon sign above it that

flickered CaffeiNATION. They took a few seconds to order at the on-table menu, and just sat for a

few minutes, an awkward silence hanging in the air. Pit Girl kept peering around, looking at the

passers-by who kept staring at her.


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Dont mind them I guess its lucky youre not one of the team; there are a lot of angry Hotshots

fans causing fights in the docking areas. Heck, we almost got caught up in it on the way up here, half

the kids wanted to join in.

It was then that the girl noticed she was in her neutral colours something she must have done

subconsciously this morning. It didnt matter much, for some reason she preferred sticking out from

the two teams; plus, it helped her from not being too conspicuous out here in the public. Taking a

small sip of coffee, she looked up at the man. He had been staring at her all this time, just watching;

it was slightly distressing, but something kept her eyes locked on him.

Look, Im just going to cut to the chase here I know youre just a clone, but I dunno, I really like

you. Is there any chance you and me could, you know

Pit Girl raised her eyebrow, slightly confused,

Know what, sugar?

You know go out? Hell, I cant stand the overclass girls; theyre so very condescending about my

family history. This is a long shot, I know, but theres definitely something here.

With a raised eyebrow, Pit girl shook her head.

I honestly have no idea what youre on about, darlin, but I cant, really. Besides, you dont wanna

be stuck with some clone that only exists as eye candy for TV

Felix sat back, folding his arms with a slightly concerned expression on his face. Something in his eye

was peering into her, and he leaned forwards again, looking hard into her.

Somethings definitely off with you, isnt it? The accent, the lack of constant cheeriness Im sorry,

am I prying too much?

With a sigh, Pit Girl lowered her head, quickly glancing around to make sure there werent any

working cameras around. She couldnt risk still being discovered as being an imperfect clone, despite

her doubts about what Assassin had told her. Her voice softened into that less accentual, yet still

very much unique tone.

I dont know, I mean I think something happened when they spawned me, five years ago. Its very

noticeable when I stick around Combat Girl, who tries her best to help me fit in, bless her heart. Buttheres just this I cant put my finger on it

* * *

Maam? Its MNC cloning department, weve got some important information you might want to

know about.

I wasnt expecting a call from you for another five years; what is it youve decided to interrupt me

with, Im very busy at the moment.


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Its about your delivery, Im not sure if you noticed we had her on display during the Europa match

two nights ago. But thats beside the point we wanted to inform you that although your request

for a more individual personality went as planned, its having undesirable consequences. Were

watching her right now, and it seems shes starting to develop a very outlander-style yearning for

freedom. I dont think shes noticing herself, but the roots are there, and well need to speed up the

rest of the process. Hows next month for a delivery?

Thats awfully soon, but it will work. Ill have to move some things around in my ten-year

schedule, but Ill be mighty happy to have an early present.


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Dream Sequence *1

Stasis Dream Sequence: 12/23/3045

What. Here again?

A harsh sun beat down upon the girl, as she opened her eyes. She could feel the long grass against

her skin, and sat up to see the same sight that visited her every night; A large, colonial estate, and a

heavy-set old man beckoning her forwards. He was wearing a white suit and hat, his beard a

matching shade, and he was calling her over, daughter, daughter

So, here, this was her father. She stood to her feet and looked down at herself; gone was the tight

pit-girl top and shorts, she was now wearing a light summer dress, golden yellow in colour and

drifting in the warm breeze. She strode over, running a hand through her untied hair.

Father Im here, what did you want?

The old man gave a warm grin, his teeth shining through perfectly in an expression that read youre

safe with me. They exchanged a brief hug, before he took her hand.

My, youre attracting a lot of attention from the neighbours, a whole mess a fine young men have

come round to court your hand. Now darlin, you want me to let em in or send them packing?

They kept walking into the large manor as she replied,

Aw, papa, I dont think I wanna deal with all this right now. How about yall keep them in the dining

room for now and Ill get down there later.

Thatll do fine, - - -

There it was. Every night, that sentence was blurred; he must be saying her name, but she couldnt

make it out, she didnt have one. Every night, she tried making it out was it two syllables, three?

Could she read his lips and find it out? No no

She walked out onto the front porch, sitting on an old white wooden bench. Looking out, there were

endless fields as far as the eye could see; fields of green grass and yellow flowers. There was a white

picket fence that she had never crossed that led into this vast free expanse the gate was always

closed, and she had never felt the need to go through. But now, it was open; the gate to her

freedom was swinging freely, calling her over.

Go on, cross it. Ill protect you and well be free together.

Looking up, Pit Girl saw him it was Felix, again. This was another first, for someone from her life to

appear in her dreams. She stood, and for a moment, time seemed to stand still he gazed at her,

she gazed at him, and they clasped hands. Her voice so natural, yet still rife with southern

mannerisms, spoke softly to him.

My, my Ill be might happy to take you with me, darlin.


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The stood together, hands held tenderly, and stood at the gate. The sun was still glaring down at

them, air shimmering in the heat.

We can be free, but you have to take the first step.

Pit Girl glanced back at the house, at her majestic manor, her rich governor father, the many finemen sitting inside.

But I have it perfect here, am I not free? Isnt my life perfect already?

It became clear that moment that these were all representative of her real life. The manor was her

secure home, the father was MNC Corporation providing her with all that she needed, the willing

bachelors were the swarms of fans leering over her. And right then, it all seemed so fake, so walled

in this wasnt a real life. It was exploitation.

Youre right, theres nothing for me back there.

She looked back at the expanses of grassland. It was hope, thats all it was. She could end her life of

essential slavery she was practical eye candy, thats all. Born to fix things and excite the male

members of the audience. That could all finish, she just had to take

One

Step

They walked onto the grass, and everything changed. Felix disappeared to dust, the gate lockedtight. Even the sky had changed the sun turning into storm clouds.

Oh god oh god whats happening!?

Rain began to attack the ground, getting her hair wet and tangled, ruining her summer dress. She

felt no choice but to run, keep running.

Keep on running

Dogs arrived, chasing her; she struggled to keep running through tangled grass that turned to thorns,

through mud that clung to her feet and made it hard to lift off the ground. This was even more of alie, more of a deception; there was no freedom out here. There was nothing but pain and suffering,

and eventually death.

That was her choice; that was her life. She was forced between a rock and a hard place and never

noticed, always had been, always would be.

She was a slave to the producers, or she was dead. There was no freedom.

imperfection - dream sequence

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