Foundry Engineer

I place the smoking drone on the engineer's workbench and watch her slither over to the damaged unit. Her scales scrape on the ground as she moves, and the tip of her tail flicks with interest. Like me, Irun was born among the Lyra. Like me, she joined the Axiom. But she made her choice late, after going through the metamorphosis ceremony. In a way, the transformations she inherited from the ritual became her trademark, her stamp. I know she's amused by her students' surprised reaction to her appearance when they see her for the first time. For me, it's always been normal to see people altered by the Tumult. Maybe that's why we became so close. I watch her examine the drone, then shake her head. I had sent it into the Tumult to collect as much data as possible, but the waves and wild currents had left it terribly banged up. It made its way home as best it could, but its circuits were badly damaged.

I ask Irun if she can help me repair the drone, or at least save what it managed to record. She connects it to a charging station, and it suddenly lets out a piercing screech and shakes its banged-up body. I watch it rise again as pieces of metal detach from its shell and fall to the ground. It's as if… as if it's molting. The drone turns toward me, its camera zooming in and out on my face. Intrigued, I offer my hand, and it approaches as if it has a will of its own. It starts cavorting around me like a puppy greeting its owner. I slide my hand over its chassis, and it shivers with pleasure. What exactly happened out there?