Griffin S09 Base
Bang, bang, bang—
On the training grounds, a few Dolls moved mechanically, their expressions vacant as they cycled through the motions—raising their rifles, firing, reloading, again and again.
Tokarev sat with her head down, disassembling and reassembling her firearm.
Her movements were stiff and clumsy.
Tokarev: …Training doesn’t feel very effective today. Feels like we’re just wasting ammo.
G43: You’ll get used to it. It’s not like anyone actually cares how well we train anyway.
Makarov: Keep it down. Miss Kalina’s heading this way.
Makarov: Wait… who’s that with her?
Tokarev looked up at the mention, just in time to see Kalina walking into the training grounds. Beside her was a young man in a crisp, new Griffin uniform, likely about her age.
Tokarev: A human? He looks so young.
Nagant: That must be the new commander. Miss Kalina mentioned he’d be arriving today.
The Dolls on the field gradually stopped their drills, eyes subtly drifting toward Kalina and the unfamiliar figure at her side. Kalina’s voice cut through the air, firm with professional composure.
Kalina: Everyone, please continue with your training!
She then turned to the young man beside her, her tone softening slightly.
Kalina: Commander, this is the current primary training ground for Area S09. It’s a bit plain, I’m afraid. I hope you don’t mind.
The Commander smiled and looked around, eyes briefly meeting those of the Dolls curiously peeking at him.
Commander: It’s alright, Miss Kalin. What matters is that everyone’s giving their best effort. Though… I suppose morale could use some work?
Kalina let out a quiet sigh of resignation
Kalina: Most of them weren’t created for combat. It takes time to adjust. I’ll arrange for you to meet with each squad leader soon. For now, shall we continue the base tour?
Commander: Sounds good.
The Commander cast one more glance toward the Dolls still in training, gave a small node, and followed Kalina out of the area.
G43 curled her lips
G43: That new guy’s probably looking to make a splash. Wonder how long his fire will burn.
Nagant: He seems… alright? At least he isn’t all stiff and stern.
Tokarev, however, silently watched the Commander’s back as he walked away, lost in thought.
 …
That same noon.
After a full morning of touring the facility, the Commander sat alone in a quiet corner of the base’s cafetaria. The cafeteria was mainly meant for human staff, but with so few of them stationed in Area S09, it usually felt empty.
At the entrance, Tokarev and a few other Dolls had just finished their morning drills. They hesitated, debating whether they should go inside to refill their coolant, when their attention was drawn to the lone figure in the corner, quietly eating.
They peeked in, whispering among themselves.
Nagant: That's the new commander, isn’t it? Is he eating all by himself?
Makarov: Should we… you know, say something? But this is the human cafeteria, right? We’re not really supposed to be here…
Tokarev: I… I don’t know. Griffin doesn’t prohibit Dolls from entering, but I’ve never been in here before…
Tokarev: Still… it does smell good.
Just then, the Commander seemed to notice the group standing by the doorway. He put down his utensils, offered a friendly smile, and gestured toward them.
Commander: Hello there.
The Dolls jumped in surprise.
Gsh-18: Wha—Was that meant for us!? The Commander greeted us!?
Springfield: He did… He said “Hello”... To us…
Tokarev: W-what do we do?! That’s the first time a human has ever greeted me… Gsh, didn’t your last job involve interacting with humans?
Gsh-18: E-Eh?! I-I was a medical Doll, sure, but the most anyone ever said to me was stuff like “wipe the sweat!”...
Commander: Why are you all just standing there? Come on, have a seat. Wanna join me for a bite?
The Dolls froze again, exchanging glances, faces painted with bewilderment and disbelief.
None of them had ever been invited like this, especially not here, to share real human food.
Gsh-18: D-Did the Commander just… invite us? To eat? With him?
Nagant: Uh… H-Have any of you even eaten anything before…?
Tokarev: I have a food processing module, but I’ve never actually used it.
Nagant: Gsh! Go already?
Gsh-18: W-Why me? M-Makarov, you go!
Tokarev: …
After a brief moment of hesitation, Tokarev, recalling the Commander’s gentle demeanor, summoned her courage and stepped forward.
Tokarev: U-Um, Commander, sir… hello… Is it alright if… if we eat here?
The Commander didn’t seem at all surprised by her caution. His smile remained, warm and sincere, as he gestured to the empty seats beside him.
Commander: Of course it is. Why wouldn’t it be? You’re part of this base too, aren’t you? After all that training, you deserve a good meal. Come, sit. Let’s see what the food’s like around here.
Seeing Tokarev take the initiative to speak with the Commander, the other Dolls exchanged hesitant glances before cautiously stepping forward as well.
One by one, they settled into the seats across from him, every movement stiff and unsure.
Their curious eyes fell on the food trays on the table, the unfamiliar aroma of human cuisine wafting temptingly through the air.
Commander: No need to be nervous. I may be the base’s commander, but I’m the newcomer here. Could I ask for your names?
The Dolls introduced themselves one after another, their voices tinged with both curiosity and the faint thrill of a new experience.
Tokarev was among them.
Commander: Tokarev, Nagant, Gsh-18… It’s a pleasure to meet you all. I saw how hard you were training this morning. Got anything planned for the afternoon?
Tokarev: We… have standard firearms training later, sir.
Commander: I see. In that case, how about I come along after lunch and watch?
Nagant’s eyes widened slightly in surprise.
Nagant: Eh? You’re coming to observe our training, Commander?
The Commander chuckled lightly, then picked up a piece of bread and handed it to Gsh-18, who had been awkwardly staring at her tray, unsure where to begin.
Commander: Of course. I just want to get a better sense of everyone’s skill level firsthand. Who knows, I might even be able to help out. Besides, sitting in the office all day gets a bit dull. Here’s give this a try.
His easygoing tone and natural gestures began to chip away at the Dolls’ unease.
Slowly, cautiously, they mimicked the Commander, picking up their utensils and sampling the food, something almost entirely foreign to them.
Their movements were clumsy, but in their eyes shimmered a glimmer of something hard to describe.
A kind of quiet, fragile excitement.
…
Back on the training grounds, the Dolls resumed their drills.
But unlike the numb repetition of the morning, their movements now carried a spark of energy.
Maybe it was the unexpected lunch, or maybe it was the presence of the new commander, standing there at the edge of the field, not as a distant superior, but as someone watching them.
After a while, the COmmander loosened his collar, then casually shrugged off his crisp Griffin coat and draped it over a nearby railing,
Left in just a white shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbow (slut), he moved among the Dolls with calm assurance.
He approached a Doll engaged in rapid-fire training, crouched beside her, and gently corrected her form.
Commander: Here, try steadying your wrist a bit more. Like this… Feel that? You’ll get better control over the recoil that way.
Then he walked over to Tokarev, who was swiftly assembling and disassembling her firearm.
Her technique was sharp and precise.
Commander: Tokarev, your speed’s impressive. But on the battlefield, you might run into more unpredictable problems. Parts might get gummed up with the mud, overheating, and warping. Try adding interference simulations in your training. It’ll help you adapt faster.
Tokarev gace the Commander a firm nod, logging the suggestion into her neural cloud.
Tokarev: Yes, Commander! I’ve recorded it.
Then, to everyone’s astonishment, the Commander picked up a training rifle and personally demonstrated a few tactical maneuvers.
Though not as flawless as an FCC-equipped T-Doll, each motion carried the weight of real-world experience.
Practical, deliberate, grounded.
It was clear he wasn’t just showing off.
The atmosphere on the field shifted.
For the first time in a long while, the Dolls weren’t simply going through the motions.
Their eyes, once blank with routine, now showed focus, and something deeper, harder to name.
A quiet, budding feeling that could almost be called hope.
Tokarev watched as the Commander gently adjusted Makarov’s shooting posture, his voice calm, his gestures precise.
Tokarev: This Commander… feels different from any human I’ve met before…
The thought flashed through their neural clouds.
Maybe… Griffin might really start to change.
But then—
Her vision suddenly began to flicker violently.
Like a faulty old screen riddled with static.
Harsh, blinding bursts of white noise tore through her sensors.
The training ground warped and twisted, as though corrupted by a surge of unstable data.
A harsh buzz filled her ears, like a warning alarm from a failing system.
Her voice cracked with distortion, fading like a broken signal.
Tokarev: Com…mander…
She reached out toward the scene now drifting away from her grasp, but her vision darkened, consumed, slowly and inexorably, by a vast and heavy darkness.