Two Androids and a Detective Walk Into a Crematorium (Edgar/Lenore/Autumn SL)

Preparing for departure was almost comically easy; in part because such a mundane task was almost absurdly easy compared to doing battle with demons or having judgemental eyes sear into her back with every move (it was blessedly empty inside her supposed creator’s former workshop). It wasn’t as if Autumn harbored any sort of attachment to Vault Olympia, after all - she hadn’t even been here for a day, and there was no emotional baggage for her to shed save for the vexing bursts of nostalgia Protesilaus would send echoing throughout her mindscape for reasons unknown.

After the battle (a violent and most dangerous alchemy of demons and some of her fellow drones into corpses that was still fresh in her memory banks) the android had almost immediately made for the fourth level of Vault Olympia’s sprawling industrial complexes, conducting hasty repairs and patching the damage her body had suffered during the skirmish at the gate (more scars amongst many - perhaps she was trying to drown out the resounding pain of her failure at the doors with action) before making preparations to leave for the surface. Thankfully, this task was made much easier simply by virtue of how her body was significantly less needy than that of a human; she stowed a set of tools, basic parts necessary for emergency repairs along with an almost laughably archaic analog radio that, while severely limited in range, would hopefully make it harder for demons to nail her down (she wasn’t sure if it’d work) inside a simple but sturdy bag that she slung over her shoulder. Autumn paused, belatedly remembering something else she had to bring, packing a few magazines compatible with her built-in firearms inside the bag as an afterthought. More ammunition never hurt, and if any impressions she’d managed to gather about the surface were accurate, it’d be sorely needed. Protesilaus’s approval sounded clear in her chest like the stroke of a bell before going silent once more.

Finally, she lifted the slightly curved blade, shaped like the arc of a waning crescent moon in her hands, recalling how she had instinctively called it to her during the battle prior. She turned it in her mechanical hands, almost mesmerized by the rippling, shifting green light that ran along the blade like synapses, before her eyes fell on a pair of initials that ripped her back into reality: A.M. She sighed, slipping the sword into a simple oilskin scabbard that hung at the back of her waist before ducking out of the room into the hallway, bidding the place of her awakening farewell just as dispassionately as any normal person would leave their home. It would not, after all, be missed.

There was one more affair to set in order before she left, and Autumn only hoped that she’d arrived on time as she stepped into the crematorium - after all, it wasn’t in good taste to show up late to a funeral.

It was tough,  it was a tough time and everyone was handling it in their way. There was real pain and suffering, a lot of lives were being threatened from the demon attack and he was doing his best to make sure that he got people away from the levels that had most of the fighting.

Guns didn't work and the drones were dropping like flies. The carnage was terrible, and there was a lot of rebuilding that the group had to do. Or better yet, regrouping, it was made clear that the vault wasn't that much of a safe place anymore. Will they ever find their safe place?

As one of the members of the Olympia police force,  at the very least, he should be able to instill confidence in the survivors. He represented safety and security,  and by wearing his academy uniform for today only, he would at least be able to do that.

"Oh, Autumn. You survived....."

Edgar would say this as soon as he walked over to the android. After taking a few pictures of the area, he figured that he would take a small break.

"How do you feel? "

Death manifested in many different ways - from the slow diminishing of old age to the spontaniety of a workplace accident to the spite of a knife stab. Over the almost forty years, Lenore had seen all of those many times during her duties. It was normal. Routine.

Perhaps that was the reason she felt unsettled - because today did not fit that routine at all.

In the autopsies, there were claw marks and bite wounds, torn limbs and damaged stomachs. The shelf on the left side of the room was filled with coffins - there were coffins on the shelf for the first time since the Vault became operational, because the amount of deaths has for the first time exceeded the amount of furnances in the crematorium!

Lenore did not like the way she was currently feeling at all.

Shaking her head, she took a moment to recalibrate - she had a duty to fulfill. With a press of a button, the next coffin was unloaded to the trolley - one A. Morgan, who actually managed to die on the outside a bit earlier, though to a similar thread. Moving it closer to the furnace, she settled her pointed gaze on the two visitors striking up a chat. She didn't say anything yet, but her gaze was usually already enough to make others either get to the point or leave.

The funerary chamber was austere, silent save for the noises of footsteps echoing across the floor and muted chatter from the scattered attendees of the service. The android wondered what they were thinking as they watched the coroner feed the bodies of the dead into the crematory furnace. They did it as dispassionately as an ordinary laborer would go about a menial task, not leaving indelible proof in the minds of all present that death had occurred on this day, reducing what was left of the dead to ashes as if to confirm that they were gone.

It was a difficult feeling to stomach. Not grief -- such a simple word could not describe how she currently felt -- but something much more. It made her feel hollow, truly a machine since the first time she opened her eyes.

A familiar voice, breaking her quiet vigil over the coffins being fed rhythmically into the furnace, brought her back to reality. "Fancy meeting you here, Edgar." She greeted him quietly, turning to face the man. "You sound disappointed," Autumn chuckled mirthlessly, though her humour lacked it's usual dry edge, sounding more tired if anything. "What's done is done, I suppose." The android muttered, looking back over at the coffins before one in particular caught her eye, the letters engraved in the side striking a chord.

A. Morgan.

Shuffling over to the trolley almost without thinking, Autumn met the gaze of the mortician, recognizing a spark similar to her own in their eyes, before speaking again, bluntly inquiring about the coffin. No grief bloomed in her chest upon seeing the vessel for his body, just a muted finality that she found difficult to place. He was dead - no amount of sadness would change that.

"Do you happen to know who this man was?"

"I know of the Olympia safety protocols. If the drones all fell, you were the next in line in regards to the vault's defenses. Human beings like me are dead last. I'm sure that most androids that were created here have the safety of human beings here in mind. They would have sent you to die, giving you up would be a waste if your sentience has reached so far that you talk and walk like a regular person. "

He wanted to ask her if she was sad, or if she was experiencing the sadness of some kind. Edgar wasn't too sure, but something was different about the robot today. But before he got a chance, there was another individual that caught his eye. They were standing near a grave with someone who had the name of "morgan". Wait, did that sound familiar to him?

Looking to the newcomer, Edgar would ask a simple question. Tapping on Autumn's shoulder, he figured that he would take the lead in any questioning if he had to. He still needs to repay his debt to Autumn, and maybe people would respond better to authority figures.

"Detective Thiers, OPD. What's your relationship with Alphonse Morgan?"

Strength

Spoiler:

"In case the location didn't clue you in, I'm about to cremate him," Lenore replied, annoyance evident in her voice. She knew that wasn't what he intended, but she did not appreciate people interrupting her work (especially not when she was feeling like she did) and the lascivious detective really should have phrased his question better.

Her gaze slid to the second, unfamilliar visitor. Lenore's database included photographs of every citizen of the vault, for corpse identification purposes, but this girl didn't seem to be in... oh. Lenore's eyes lit up with recognition, match found in an unexpected place.

"You woke up! Congratulations," she raised her eyebrows, her attitude now (slightly) more personable. "If you're looking for people to talk about Morgan, I'm not the best choice. I knew him, yes - he was one of the few people qualified to repair ASSWs, after all - but we only met once or twice."

"You don't say," Autumn muttered sardonically at Lenore's somewhat barbed remark. Still, her irritation was understandable, especially since Edgar's approach was rather heavy-handed in nature. The android shot a discreet but clearly exasperated glare in his direction before turning to face the woman before her again as recognition crossed the latter's face.

"I'm wondering if that's something worth congratulating," Autumn replied perhaps a little bitterly, recalling the events of the previous few hours. It was, however, a pleasant surprise when the mortician confirmed that she too was an android, Autumn preferring a slight smile in response.

"Thanks for letting me know," She grinned, before her expression became something much more sober. "Could you...open the coffin? So I could know what he looked like, is all."

He saw the look he was getting from autumn, but it was trifling, to say the least. He was only really trying to assist, but if the Android wanted to handle their own problems, Edgar had no issue with that. "Alright then. " With a simple shrug after looking at the two, Edgar would start to play along with his phone a bit while the two continued their little exchange about the casket and who was truly inside of there.   "If you want to take a look inside, I'm not going to stop you. There is probably something along the lines of desecrating the dead and in some cultures, they are unable to pass on because of it. However, that probably doesn't matter."

After coming across some old photos, Edgar would start to remember something when he came across a picture of the woman.

"Lenore right? I remember now, though your response to me earlier could of gave it away sooner."