Side-effects may include dizziness, nausea, sudden loss of consciousness, irritability and emotional instability. Consult your senior Vanguard or AI for further info.
~ Disclaimer for bionic body-enhancements
As usual, I'd arrived early to lab class. As usual, I'd start setting up and made myself a coffee, and of course prepared one for Lu- Dr. Doppler. Black, extra strong. I sipped my latte, asking myself the same question I asked myself every week around this time: How could someone drink that and enjoy it?
Well not like it was my prerogative to question it.
'The least a failure like you can do is make himself useful to his superiors and betters!' I practically heard dad shout at me.
My superiors and betters. Dr. Doppler. It said a lot that dad considered her of all people to be better than me, the well known sexist that he is. 'A woman's place is at home behind the stove, not in a lab! And the fact that she's better than you is just more proof of your inadequacy!'
I needed to stop thinking about dad. Thinking about Dr. Doppler was much better.
Of course she wasn't actually my superior, and I got the distinct feeling that if I were to refer to her as my better, even jokingly, she'd get angry. That was the frustrating part, really.
Dr. Doppler was supposed to be this larger than life figure. She was a year younger than me, had a PhD and was working on her second, while I was struggling to get a master's degree I didn't even really want.
She beat the odds and sexism to earn a spot in this lab and research group by being so good they couldn't ignore her.
I was never supposed to breathe the same air as her. I was only here because of nepotism, not actual qualifications.
But she just... Wasn't. She never treated me as anything other than an equal, she always considered my input. She was just a regular person.
Quite frankly the only person who used my actual name and pronouns. Yes, that might be related to only her knowing and her only really knowing because she saw my phone's trans pride background and when she asked me about it, I panicked and told her everything, but it still counts.
She regularly asked if I wanted hugs for fucks sake! I had never taken her up on the offer, because it would just feel awkward and all that, but still!
The door opened, and a familiar voice said, "Oh you made coffee? Thank you so much, I don't know what I'd do without you, Mads!"
"Yeah, I figured I'd get the coffee-machine started since I got here early."
I turned around to face her. Oh. Oh damn. Either that was one hell of a cosplay or she was in fact not kidding. Those were some pretty big fox ears.
"So you weren't kidding?"
She shook her head.
"Nope! You like it?"
Sappho give me strength. She had her ears perked up all cutely in what I assumed meant happiness? It was certainly giving happy vibes.
And it was adorable!
"I, uhh... Y-yeah. I-it suits you."
Calm down Madeline! Don't freak out just because pretty woman is nice to you! Besides, she's lesbian, she'd never want to be with an impostor like you, and-
My train of thought was interrupted by something obscenely fluffy and soft bapping me on the head. What?
"I appreciate the compliments, but don't you think I should get a say in who I do and do not consider eligible dating partners? I am a lesbian and therefore into women, yes. But! Trans women are women! That includes you!"
H-had I said that out loud? Oh gods I said that out loud.
"Anyways, allow me to introduce you to my new partner in crime," she said, pulling out her phone and laying it down on the table, "Maddie, meet Lyona, Lyona, Maddie."
Normally I would have doubted people talking about having an AI in their phone, because, well, you know why. But this was different. Dr. Doppler was just as adamant about hating that technology as I was, and as far as I knew, there was no way to simulate ears and a tail as realistically as I had seen hers be.
Maybe she really had an alien AI in her head, selling her all kinds of stuff? It sounded silly, but it was the best explanation anyone had provided for this thus far.
Greetings, Miss Madeline! My name is Lyona, and I have been tasked with supporting Dr. Doppler in uplifting humanity as well as fighting the Antithesis. A mutually beneficial arrangement thus far.
That was... a lot. Uplifting humanity? That sounded a lot like what some fascists would say. Probably involved lots of ethnic cleansing also. Then again, if that was the goal, I struggle to see a world where choosing her of all people would be helpful towards that.
Dr. Doppler was extremely nice and also very vocal about her opinion on fascists. Maybe this was genuinely supposed to be a good thing?
"Uhh, hi? I'm Madeline, uhh her lab-assis-"
"-Partner."
"Lab-partner. Nice to meet you?"
The pleasure is mine! My Vanguard has told me a lot about you, only positive things, of course.
That seemed to startle Dr. Doppler.
"Lyona, how could you betray me like this?!"
I reserve the right to embarrass you in front of your friends, Luna. It will happen again.
The two of them kept arguing for a bit, but I tuned them out, focused on something else entirely. That one word...
Friends? Did... Did that mean she considered me her friend? She was really close and informal with me, but surely, that couldn't...
I mean, she was so cool and hot and smart and, and... Intimidating. How could she possibly view me as someone worth spending time with, much less a friend?
I was eventually jostled out of my thoughts by the fact that we did have a job to do, but the topic remained on my mind throughout the day. The fact that sifting through and pruning a few week's worth of data was boring, repetitive and tedious didn't help either.
Eventually, Dr... should I call her Luna? No, no way, that had to be overstepping some kind of boundaries.
Eventually, Dr. Doppler got up and turned to me.
"I'm feeling a bit dizzy, I think I'll lay down in the break-room, call if you need anything? And sorry for leaving you to do this alone."
That...
"Nevermind that, are you alright?"
"I think so?" She shrugged, "Just a bit dizzy. Might be growing pains of the new nervous system? I'll just lay down in any case, just to be sure. Can't fall down and hit my head if I'm already laying and all that. I'll let you know when I'm doing better?"
That was moderately reassuring? Somewhat? I hope she'd be alright.
Unfortunately the data wouldn't sort itself out, so I still had to go work through that, despite my growing concerns about her, the longer she didn't return.
I made it to lunch-time and entered the break-room, where I saw her lying on the couch. She smiled weakly and gave me a wave.
"Dr. Doppler, I'm going out to get some fried noodles. Do you want anything?"
It wasn't the healthiest, but it was cheap enough, I supposed.
"No, thanks I'm good, I think I'll just get so-," she suddenly stopped talking mid-word.
"Dr. Doppler?"
I was getting worried now.
"Dr. Doppler?"
She did not respond.
I went to poke her lightly with my index-finger. Nothing.
Might as well try.
"Luna?"
Nothing. What was happening?!