Chapter Text
Melinda’s family saw her off at the subway station as she boarded to visit their final destination. “We’re here if you need us!” Ramona called as Zach and Max waved at them. Melinda waved back, promising to return if she needed them. Sylvie thanked them for all their help and promised to look out for Melinda.
“Stay strong! We’re almost out of here!” Max called out. It was true; once the last Nanomachine was dealt with, Melinda and her friends could finally wake up! A surge of energy hit Melinda at the thought of being so close, and she boarded the subway anxious to be done with all of this.
“One left…” She thought aloud. Sylvie’s ears perked up and she looked at Melinda as they took their seats.
“Not to be a downer, but…” Sylvie said, “I have a bad feeling about all of this. Like we’re gonna destroy this last Nanomachine and get the rug pulled out from under us by Vera’s bullshit.”
“I mean, yeah, there’s some shady stuff going on that we haven’t figured out yet. But I want to appreciate our progress at least a little!” Melinda countered.
“That’s fair,” Sylvie admitted. “We can celebrate the moment and keep our eyes open at the same time, I guess!”
Melinda nodded. The subway car started to move, and they were on their way.
“I guess the last area of the simulation is gonna be mapped by my insular lobe?” Melinda posited. “Logically, it’s the only major part of the brain that hasn’t been represented yet.”
Sylvie shook her head. “That might be the last part you remember learning about in school, but brains are really complicated. Scientists divide the parts of the brain into all sorts of categories. There’s things like the amygdala, the pons…” she trailed off. “...that being said, if you remember the insular lobe and we haven’t been there yet, it’s probably the last area FINE helped your brain map out.”
“Yeah, all those classifications were my least favorite part of science,” Melinda admitted. “Anyway, I remember the insular lobe handles memories sort of like the limbic system, but its focus is the stuff you don’t really pay attention to. Mundane parts of your day and all that.”
Sylvie scratched her head. “Guess that means just about anyone could be in there… lots of people are in our day-to-day lives that we don’t pay that much attention to.” She gave a mischievous grin. “I’m glad your brain didn’t put me in there; I’d have never forgiven you!”
Melinda laughed. “Imagine if my brain made a Sylvie for each part of the simulation. Eight Sylvies!” she laughed again. “It’d be chaos.”
“That’s impossible anyway!” Sylvie retorted. “I’m completely irreplaceable!”
They talked and joked for a while longer until the subway car came to a halt. They disembarked and left the station to find themselves in a familiar place.
“Aaaand we’re at Ruthless Ruth’s.” Melinda groaned. “I should’ve expected this, but do I really have to walk around my office looking for a Nanomachine? Talk about anti-climactic.”
“At least it’s your first time,” Sylvie replied. “I already saw your office in the parietal lobe, remember?”
Melinda had forgotten about that mystery; the ‘second’ office with the details all wrong and the office papers full of gibberish. Maybe her brain stored different memories about the same location in different places; nothing surprising about that. Still, why would her brain remember her office so badly? Did it remember her entire workplace better here?
“Let’s get to the bottom of that right away, actually,” Melinda said. “Follow me.” They walked straight to the door that led to her office and walked in; sure enough, everything was exactly as she remembered. “I don’t know why, but I get a bad feeling about this…” Melinda ruminated.
For just a moment, something appeared in the middle of her office before blinking back out of existence. “The hell?” Melinda said, rubbing her eyes. “I... must be thinking too hard, and now I’m seeing things.”
Sylvie shook her head. “There was definitely something in the room with us just now. My glasses picked up on it, and now…” she focused on her readouts. “There’s a piece of coding appearing and disappearing all over the area, really fast. It might be the Nanomachine.”
Let’s see what Vera has to say on the matter.
Melinda called out to Vera, who quickly responded. “It’s the Nanomachine, all right,” she confirmed. “It’s taking evasive maneuvers, teleporting randomly between rooms. I have a bad feeling this one’s trying to stall us out.”
“No big deal,” Sylvie said. “We’ll catch it eventually, right?”
“Not if it manages to do enough damage to Melinda’s brain in real life to kill her.” Vera retaliated. “That’d kill all of you.”
Melinda gulped. It never occurred to her what would happen if she died while everyone was hooked up to FINE. “We need to draw it out, then?” She asked.
“Precisely. Act casual for now, the Nanomachine still has a hard directive to attack you if the opportunity arises. Draw it out and strike when it lowers its guard.” Vera signed off and left them to their task.
“Might as well see if anyone else is here…” Melinda reasoned. “I bet Polly and Karin are hanging out somewhere, if anyone is.” They were Melinda’s two remaining co-workers. Polly was amicable enough, but they rarely talked. Karin was also nice, but… being around her for an extended period made Melinda uncomfortable.
“This doesn’t look like that big of an office,” Sylvie said. “You can lead the way, and we’ll look around together.”
They started with the empty office adjacent to Melinda’s; first it had belonged to Delphine, then Ellie during her short stint working with Melinda. Now, it was abandoned, and her brain hadn’t bothered to put anything in here. If the Nanomachine blinked in to spy on them, they must have missed it.
Back in the hallway, they decided to try Karin and Polly’s room next. They shared an office since they often worked as a team; the door had Polly’s name in standard office font and Karin’s in cheerful, handwritten letters. Melinda winced as she opened the door.
Karin and Polly were at their desks, working in complete obliviousness. Sylvie coughed to get their attention, and they looked up at her.
“Ah, good morning Melinda. I see you brought your friend to the office today.” Polly said. Karin’s face beamed at them. “So good to have guests!” She added. “Would you like coffee? Tea? Anything at all?”
Sylvie shook her head. “Actually, we were looking for you,” she said. “Do you… happen to know what’s going on?”
“Why, it’s another lovely day at work with my best friend, of course!” Karin replied.
“No. My son didn’t get kicked out of class again, did he?” Polly asked, her shoulders slumping.
Melinda cut to the chase and explained the situation. Polly slumped even further in her seat while Karin listened with rapt enthusiasm.
“...Well, at least we’ll be going home soon.” Polly sighed and straightened herself back up.
“Ah, if Ruth is here, she’ll sort this all out. Nothing to fear!” Karin chimed in.
“I mean, she’s stuck in another part of the simulation,” Sylvie countered. “What’s she going to do from all the way over there?”
“Ruth is like Zangempkin from Mortal Brawlers. She just rushes in and whups everyone into shape when you least expect it,” Polly pointed out.
Sylvie’s face lit up. “You play Mortal Brawlers!?” she asked.
Polly’s eyes brightened. “Played? I dominated Mortal Brawlers, kid. I was number three Dark Gospel player in the world before the new patch introduced Haruka.”
Karin crossed her arms and glared at them.
“What’s wrong with Haruka?” Sylvie asked. “His skill ceiling is astronomically high, but that’s what makes him so cool!”
“He’s over-centralizing!” Polly told her. “Every top player in competitive Mortal Brawlers plays him now, it’s boring. You can’t even play with Haruka’s mana and spell system consistently unless you’re some sort of micromanaging genius anyway!”
Karin started tapping her foot, glowering at the nearby wall.
“You played Dark Gospel, how can you complain about over-centralizing characters like it’s a bad thing?” Sylvie retorted. “And Haruka isn’t that hard, just get good at making decisions dynamically!”
“This is so, so stupid…” Karin muttered.
“Uh, Sylvie? I think we need to get going…” Melinda interjected.
Sylvie blinked. “Oh, right,” she said. “Sorry, fighting games are a weak spot of mine.”
“Don’t be sorry! I love to talk about video games!” Polly assured her, grinning ecstatically. Karin rolled her eyes.
“Keep an eye out for that Nanomachine. It’s probably not going to attack anyone, but you never know.” Melinda warned the others. Karin and Polly nodded, content to stay in their office. Melinda and Sylvie left them alone to resume looking around.
“They’re… interesting,” Sylvie said after they reached the next office room. This one belonged to Ruth, and it looked the same as it did when Melinda had been there with Delphine. “Are they… together?” Sylvie asked.
Melinda shook her head and chuckled. “They sure seem like it, don’t they? Nah, they’re just good friends.”
“They really compliment each other,” Sylvie pointed out; she paused for a moment and looked over at Melinda. “...kind of like us.”
Melinda laughed again. “Yeah, I think they’re both aromantic or something. They make a great team, though.” She smiled and looked at Sylvie. “We make a great team, too.”
Sylvie blushed and giggled. They kept searching Ruth’s office for anything useful while stealing glances at each other for a bit longer.
“The last place to check is the waiting room for clients,” Melinda said. She still had no idea how they were gonna draw out the Nanomachine, but maybe something in there could help with planning? She and Sylvie headed there to try their luck.
“Phew, this place is monotonous…” Sylvie groaned, putting her hands behind her head. “Is your real life office this boring?”
“Tell me about it!” Melinda admitted. “I don’t know how I can be surrounded by women and be so bored sometimes. I’m glad to have a job and all, but working for Ruth isn’t some lifelong career goal.” They entered the waiting area and started looking around at the front desk.
Melinda felt Sylvie’s hands wrap around her waist. “Sounds like someone needs to help improve morale...” she whispered into her ear. “I might have something that could make your workplace a little more exciting.”
Melinda purred, grinding her ass on Sylvie’s crotch. “Mmm, how about you… lay the details out for me?” she teased.
Sylvie complied, bending Melinda over the front desk. Melinda’s breath hitched as Sylvie’s hand unzipped her jeans, then reached into her underwear and started to work up and down her vulva.
“Miss Sylvie, you drive a hard bargain…” Melinda cooed, getting into a role. “Are there any other services you could offer to get me to… come to a deal?”
“Of course, Miss Melinda,” Sylvie teased back, “I believe I have an offer you can’t refuse…” Pulling down Melinda’s pants and underwear in one go, Sylvie dove her face between Melinda’s legs and began licking her clit with fervor. Melinda gripped the desk and let out a moan as Sylvie’s tongue circled under her hood and lapped at the base of her clit. It was all happening so fast, but it felt so right that Melinda didn’t dare complain.
Sylvie took her mouth off of Melinda’s clit and used her fingers to continue pleasuring Melinda. Her head moved to the back of Melinda’s neck and started sucking and nibbling her earlobes while her fingers thrust into her.
“Hhhaah, that’s so good…” Melinda whimpered, losing track of their little roleplay as Sylvie continued to fuck her over the desk. Her hips bucked as Sylvie started to work her clit with one hand and finger her with the other, while her ass clapped as Sylvie’s palm smacked against it with each thrust of her hand. She screwed her eyes shut and let her body rock and sway to the pumping of Sylvie’s hands.
Their first time together had been awkward and pitched as a pragmatic decision, so Melinda savored the idea of Sylvie making love to her on a whim like this. There hadn’t been a discussion or an excuse for sex this time, and something about that was incredibly precious to Melinda. Whatever kind of couple they were becoming, Melinda hoped it had more moments like this: unscripted, sincere, even a bit sloppy.
There was an unexpected pause and Sylvie shrieked. Melinda opened her eyes and looked straight ahead as something shot right over her and embedded itself in the figure across from them: it was undoubtedly the Nanomachine. It crumpled to the floor immediately, and they quickly collected themselves before going over to inspect the damage.
This one was almost human-sized, but resembled a large, metal skull with clawed cables extending out of the base instead of a spine. There was a stapler lodged in its head, apparently thrown by Sylvie with her HP to augment the velocity. Its wound oozed black oil, and it didn’t move when Melinda kicked it. Soon the oil stopped gushing out, indicating it must’ve ‘bled out’ by now.
“It’s… really dead,” Sylvie confirmed with her glasses. “I can’t believe I just killed it like that!”
“Didn’t even go out with a fight…” Melinda added. She looked from the husk of the Nanomachine to Sylvie. “But I guess that’s the end of it!” They high-fived and let out a sigh of relief.
Vera was quick to contact them and confirm the good news. “I can’t overstate how proud I am of you, Melinda!” she told them. “You’ve given us a lot of information that can help improve FINE and save untold lives, but most importantly you’ve survived against all odds!”
Melinda blushed. “I mean, I got a lot of help from everyone else…” she replied.
“So modest!” Vera said. “There are so many people who could learn a thing or two from-”
Ask her about the other people still connected to FINE! There were others attacked and injected with Nanomachines, remember!?
“Other people! That reminds me!” Melinda interjected. “How are the other victims of the attack holding up?”
“...pardon?” Vera asked.
“The other people who are in their own simulations with their own Nanomachines?” Melinda clarified. “I heard there were others that got attacked the same night as me.”
There was a moment of silence on Vera’s end. “I… didn’t want to tell you this…” She replied. “The others… everyone else attacked the other night… they’ve succumbed to their condition. You’re the last one left, Melinda.”
It should have hit Melinda like a punch to the gut; people who were fighting for their lives just like her were dead. Maybe she was lucky, maybe she had something they didn’t, but regardless it was a sobering idea that she’d managed to live through something with a 99 percent mortality rate.
And yet it wasn’t, because the situation was so obviously fabricated. Vera’s words sounded hollow and forced, like a liar tripping up at the last second. Melinda and Sylvie exchanged knowing glances. “That’s… awful.” Melinda responded.
“It is what it is.” Vera said. “I wanted to hide the reality of the situation from you so you didn’t lose hope. Please, forgive me.”
Melinda nodded. “You did what you had to do. I understand that, of all people…” It took everything to play along with the bullshit, but they couldn't show their hand just yet.
“On a brighter note,” Vera continued. “With the Nanomachines gone, FINE is able to relax some of the safety features that made transportation difficult. Once I make a few changes to the simulation, you and your friends should be able to freely move between areas. To get you out of there, we need everyone in the Parietal Lobe for… hold-”
Vera promptly cut herself off. Sylvie looked at Melinda worriedly, who just shrugged in reply.
“...Apologies! Must’ve hit the wrong button on my screen.” Vera said. “Anyway, Sylvie, do you remember that room I showed you while Melinda and Ellie were separated from us? I need you to gather everyone there, or I won’t be able to wake Melinda up.”
Sylvie nodded. “That means we’ll have to get all fifteen of us together. Shouldn’t be too much of a problem!”
“Sixteen.” Melinda corrected. “I don’t know what to do with her, but we ought to have some kind of plan for Hilda.”
“Absolutely not!” Vera shot back. “That… aberration can stay exactly where it is, to be archived with the rest of this simulation. Remember, she isn’t an actual person, Melinda…”
“Vera’s a bit harsh, but I get her point.” Sylvie assented. “If we have to gather up Hilda, we might as well also capture the…” her voice faltered and her face turned pale.
“...Hello? Was there another communication issue?” Vera called out, but Melinda had realized the same thing that had dawned on Sylvie. There was a seventeenth person in the simulation that would be able to move freely once Vera gave everyone permission to do so, and she had a sinking feeling it was going to 'unexpectedly' complicate things.
“...Quick question, Vera,” Melinda said. “can you give free access to only certain people in the simulation, or is this an all-or-nothing deal?”
“Oh, if only I could!” Vera said ruefully. “I’d love to keep Hilda on lockdown, but she and The Cleanser will have… full access…” her voice trailed off.
The moment Vera gave permission for everyone to travel freely, The Cleanser would be able to move from area to area. Since they considered her friends a threat to her body, their immediate prerogative would be hopping from place to place and killing everyone except Melinda to “save” her from the perceived threat. Ergo, they couldn’t leave the simulation unless The Cleanser was destroyed, something that Vera gravely warned them against doing.
All of that work killing the Nanomachines had been for nothing; whether Vera was being sincere or this was another part of her misdirection, they were still trapped in FINE.