Hundreds of T-Dolls sat quietly in the hall. The crowded space was thick with a low, humming buzz that hung in the air.
Tokarev sat silently in a back corner, her cold electronic eyes sweeping over the room.
Confusion, unease, vigilance—those emotions were etched across many faces.
Makarov’s fingers tapped unconsciously on the armrest.
Colt Revolver: A full assembly of all Dolls… Not just for Base S09, this has never happened before in Griffin’s history. What exactly is this new Commander trying to do?
Tokarev lowered her gaze, staring at her own fingers.
Tokarev: Maybe… changes in the base’s defense protocols? Or… a new long-term deployment strategy?
Colt Revolver: Probably just another way to hand down orders. Doesn’t really matter. In the end, all we have to do is carry them out. Right?
Tokarev didn’t answer. Her eyes had settled on Makarov sitting up front.
She was poised and still, like an island untouched by the storm around her.
As if sensing Tokarev’s gaze, Makarov turned slightly. Their eyes met across the room—and Makarov responded with a small nod and a faint smile.
Tokarev: …
Creaaak—
Just then, the side door of the hall opened, and the young, energetic logistics officer burst in with a crisp laugh.
Kalina: Everyone’s here! Right on time! Good job, everyone!
She was like a splash of warm color in a room shrouded in gray. Kalina stuck out her tongue playfully, her bright orange hair gleaming under the lights.
Come to think of it, she hadn’t been in S09 for very long either.
Following behind her, the new Commander entered with a steady pace.
He wasn’t wearing the full uniform, just a plain white shirt with the sleeves rolled up to the elbows, the top button of the collar undone. He looked relaxed, almost slutty.
Kalina skipped lightly to the side of the podium, hands behind her back, rising slightly on her toes.
Kalina: Come on, everyone, loosen up! You’re not on standby mode or something!
Kalina: The Commander just wants to… hmm… have a little chat!
Makarov lifted her head and exchanged a brief smile with Kalina.
The Commander stepped up to the podium, calmly scanning the faces in the room.
Commander: Good afternoon. Thank you all for coming.
Commander: I know, gathering everyone like this is unconventional. You’re probably wondering what’s going on.
Commander: But there are some things I wanted to speak to you about in person. Starting today, there will be a few changes in how Base S09 operates.
A wave of murmurs swept through the room.
Commander: First—starting tonight, every Doll will no longer be required to enter the maintenance pods for scheduled sleep cycles.
The murmuring died immediately. The room fell into complete silence.
Commander: You may now choose to rest or remain active based on your own core condition and mission schedules.
Commander: As long as safety and operational efficiency are maintained, your personal time will no longer be bound by programmatic restrictions.
Commander: ...I wanted to offer individual quarters to everyone as well, but space is tight, so that’ll have to wait.
GSh-18 tilted her head slightly, glancing at Nagant beside her. Her lips moved, but no sound came.
Nagant sat stiffly, giving only a faint shake of the head.
Tokarev’s neural cloud was racing, trying to decipher the deeper meaning behind the Commander’s seemingly casual words.
Commander: I understand this might feel confusing. Unsettling, even.
Commander: But this isn’t a test.
Commander: I simply believe that you're not machines that should only toggle between standby and active modes.
Kalina nodded firmly, her smile bright and genuine. Clearly, she’d been briefed ahead of time.
Commander: Second—after working with Logistics, starting tomorrow at noon, the base cafeteria will be open to all base personnel, Dolls included.
Commander: Also, if any of you have experience in food service, or even just an interest, you’re welcome to help out in the kitchen.
Commander: Not just the cafeteria, either. Any facility here, if you’ve got the skills, the knowledge, or even just the passion, you’re welcome to try your hand.
Commander: For those of you without civilian-grade taste simulation systems or digestion modules installed, you can submit a request to Kalina. We’ll make sure you get outfitted.
Tokarev was more confused than ever. And judging by the looks around her, she wasn’t alone.
Commander: I understand that nearly all Dolls, technically speaking, don’t rely on bio-energy from food.
Commander: So this isn’t mandatory.
Commander: But if you do have the right modules, and you’re curious… or maybe just want to experience something new—the cafeteria’s always open.
Commander: It’s entirely up to you.
Kalina immediately stepped forward, her voice full of excitement.
Kalina: I’ve already talked to the chef! We’re prepping hot bread, mini cakes, and even a special batch of… hmm… human staff meals, personally approved by the Commander!
Kalina: They’re guaranteed to taste authentic! Anyone with taste modules, you’ve got to come try!
Beside Tokarev, FNC lowered her head, murmuring to herself.
FNC: Cafeteria… food… having Dolls simulate eating?
FNC: What’s the point? Testing our obedience?
FNC: Or… some new form of psychological intervention?
On the other side, Springfield wore a gentle smile.
M1903 Springfield: …I think it sounds rather nice.
Commander: And finally… there’s one last thing I want to say.
The Commander’s tone grew more solemn.
Commander: I don’t know how the Commanders before me treated you. I don’t know how they saw you, or used you.
Commander: But personally, I hope you can start to see yourselves as more than serial numbers and weapons.
Commander: To me, every one of your neural clouds is unique.
Commander: Even a Tokarev from one area is not the same as a Tokarev from another.
Commander: You have the capacity to think, to make choices. And you deserve—at the very least—a basic level of dignity.
Tokarev opened her mouth slightly, then gave a soft, incredulous chuckle.
Commander: Base S09… to me, it’s more than just a military outpost.
Commander: I want it to become something more, perhaps only temporary, but still… a place that can be as safe as possible. A “home.”
Commander: And in this home, every member—whether built on carbon or silicon—deserves to be treated with respect.
The hall fell into utter silence.
Some Dolls tilted their heads slightly, as if their neural clouds were struggling to process an overload of unfamiliar data.
Tokarev felt a faint dizziness wash over her, a flicker of disorientation brought on by the sheer weight of such a paradigm-shifting concept.
Commander: …That’s all I wanted to say for now.
Commander: There may be more adjustments in the future. We’ll discuss them as they come.
Commander: If you have any questions or suggestions, my office is always open. Or you can speak with Miss Kalina first.
Commander: That’s all. You’re dismissed.
The Commander scratched the back of his head as he stepped down from the podium, as if he’d already anticipated the confusion now washing over the Dolls.
But he didn’t leave immediately.
Instead, he made his way toward the front row and began speaking softly with Makarov and several other Dolls.
Kalina, meanwhile, flitted from group to group, her voice cheerful as she eagerly explained the new arrangements to the Dolls gathering around her.
Tokarev: Free… to choose… when to rest? To experience the taste of food?
Tokarev: What… what does that even mean?
Around her, the low murmurs of conversation began to rise.
GSh-18: Did the Commander really mean what he said? That we can decide when to go into standby mode? And even choose a side job for ourselves? I—I’ve always wanted to try helping out in the infirmary…
Leopard M1: But… what about energy efficiency? Unnecessary activities increase consumption… It’s just not cost-effective.
Makarov: Maybe it’s just a strategy, or a passing whim. There are always people like that, but none of them ever stick around for long. Most humans don’t understand how Dolls operate. We don’t need… all this “humanizing” nonsense.
Nagant: But… Miss Kalina seemed really happy. And I think the Commander… he seemed serious about it. Really serious.
Tokarev’s eyes locked onto the Commander’s back.
She stood up quietly, not joining any of the discussion groups, and began walking toward the exit of the hall.
Her steps unconsciously paused as she passed the spot where Makarov had stood earlier.
…Something felt off. Something she couldn’t name.
Just as she was about to step past the threshold, a familiar voice called out behind her.
Kalina: Tokarev! Wait up!
She stopped and turned around.
Kalina jogged up to her, cheeks slightly flushed, her smile radiant.
Kalina: I heard from the Commander, you’ve already tried the food from the old mess hall, haven’t you?
Kalina: Well, tomorrow at noon, the new cafeteria’s having its soft launch. You have to come check it out!
Kalina: I’ve already talked to the kitchen staff, we’re preparing some special little treats for everyone.
Kalina: Come and have a taste, okay?
Tokarev: …Report, my energy unit is functioning normally. Output remains stable. There is no need for external nutritional intake.
Hearing Tokarev’s response, Kalina just laughed softly and shook her head.
Kalina: This isn’t about whether you need it, Tokarev.
Kalina: You think our new Commander doesn’t know Dolls don’t require food?
Kalina:  That’s not the point at all. It’s not about needing, it’s about wanting.
Kalina: Aren’t you the least bit curious?
Kalina:  Like… what does sweetness feel like? Or the warmth of a hot soup sliding down your throat?
Kalina:  The Commander said these are important sensory inputs—
Kalina:  They’re part of what makes someone feel alive.
Kalina:  A small joy. For humans, and for Dolls too.
Tokarev’s optical sensors flickered rapidly, her processor scrambling to handle the flood of unfamiliar concepts.
Seeing the lingering confusion in her eyes, Kalina’s smile softened even further.
Kalina: It’s okay. You don’t have to give me an answer now.
Kalina: The cafeteria will be there every day.
Kalina: Whenever you change your mind—or even if you just want a place to sit for a while—do come by.
Kalina: The Commander said… he hopes that every person here—
Kalina: Or rather, everyone here—can find something, even just one small thing, that makes them feel a little better.
She gave Tokarev’s shoulder a gentle pat, then waved her goodbye.
Her bright smile lingering as she skipped away, disappearing around the corner of the hallway.
Tokarev stood alone.
She looked down at her hands, hands long overdue for a layer of synthetic skin, worn and exposed.
Tokarev: …A small… joy?
And as that strange phrase echoed through her neural cloud—
Zzzzzzzk—!!!
A burst of white light suddenly consumed her vision.
A deafening surge of static noise drowned out everything.
The high ceiling of the assembly hall, Kalina’s warm smile, the Commander’s steady gaze—
That strange, subtle stir of emotion inside her…
All of it shattered into flickering fragments, twisted and distorted by violent interference.
Then, everything collapsed into darkness.
Vast and bottomless.