Motherboard woke up to sharp knocking on the break room door. Groggily, she trotted to the door and opened it to see the Commander standing there. Without a gesture for entry, The Commander walked forward, past Motherboard and placed his hoof on the break room table.

Concerned, Motherboard asked,“Sir? It is 02:00 hours. Don’t you have to wake up for your monthly meeting with the masses?”

“That can and will wait, Motherboard. We have more pressing issues.” The Commander wasn’t even giving Motherboard eye contact but instead was looking away and at the coffee maker.

Motherboard trotted over to The Commander. Seeing his glance at the coffee maker she asked, “Would you like some coffee, Sir?”

With his slow nod, Motherboard prepared the coffee and The Commander continued. “I want you to begin work on another cyberpony.”

Motherboard nodded, “Understood, Sir.”

Thinking about it for a moment, she tilted her head slightly. “But don’t you think that it is too soon to send another model out into the field?” Motherboard was only slightly surprised by The Commander’s request. Circuit had not even had enough time to report in so she knew that he couldn’t have run into any problems.

She hoped he hadn’t run into any problems.

Motherboard finished preparing his coffee and had levitated it to the table beside him.. Taking another small sip, “I know that we don’t want to spook anypony or give away Cir- the cyberpony.”

For a small moment, The Commander chuckled and reagined his serious demeanor ,“That you don’t have to worry about, Motherboard. This cyberpony won’t be in the field. The cyberpony will be me.”

Motherboard’s eyes widened. The coffee cup fell out of her grip and shattered on the break room floor. “Sir?! You can’t be serious!”

“I am dead serious, Motherboard. You know me well enough. I never joke.”, his voice deepened to emphasise the last sentence. “It has been years since I took you up on your offer to find a way to heal me. I had thoughts of sending you to camp, had you not come up with a solution.”

Motherboard swallowed down the lump in her throat. Trying not to allow visions of her nightmares to surface in front of The Commander, she defended herself, “Sir, you know that I have been working hard on finding a cure for you!”

“Cease your yelling, Motherboard. I know you don’t want to fail me. That wouldn’t be in your best interest. I am giving you a simple...redirection. I want you to split your efforts between watching the prototype and working on my new body. Don’t you see? I mean, it’s perfect. This body will rot and decay away with whatever is killing...”, The Commander had to pause to cough up more blood into his hoof but he continued, “Ahem...is killing me but my mind will live on and soon I will prove to that idiot Celestia what I have done and what I can do!”

“O-of course, Sir.”

Ending his tirade, The Commander saw Motherboard staring into her coffee. “Motherboard, what is your problem?”

“N-nothing, Sir. I was lost in thought. I will begin work on your new body immediately.”

“Yes you will. You and I will be working much closer on this project due to the specifications I have for you. This won’t be a problem. I know you will make time.”

Automatically Motherboard responded, “Of course, Sir.” She knew that she didn’t have a choice. The Commander had made up his mind, and there was no changing it. It was now just a matter of making it happen.

“Well, now that we have that out of the way, I will let you sleep. You have the weekend off. I expect good things from you, Motherboard.”

With that, The Commander left the room and closed the door behind him. Motherboard immediately fell to her haunches, releasing the tension that showing the restraint she had to have in front of The Commander imposed upon her body. Life was hard for her, but at the same time, she was the most privileged unicorn in Technicolt. Living directly under his hoof wasn’t as bad as outside the complex. But on the other hoof, being run ragged would kill her before the Commander’s curse could run its course.

“Oh, Luna”, she sobbed, “What am I going to do?”, She said this while staring into her coffee, her reflection, as if asking it for guidance.

You know exactly what you’re going to do.

“But I know the process isn’t even close to ready. I don’t think we have the technology for that. He isn’t thinking straight.”

Obviously, that’s why you have to make it.

“But it could kill him.”

It could.

“I don’t want him to die.”

You don’t? After all he has done to you?

“No. He has taken care of me.”

No. He made you his slave.

“No he hasn’t! I am protected and he cares about me. I am important to him.”

You are a tool to him.

“No, I am more than that!” She paused,” He needs me. He needs me...”

The reflection did not offer any retort. Now, she was left unsure about herself. She knew where her place was. It was with The Commander. She was safe with him. She was protected with him. She knew that The Commander only takes care of the things he cared about, so he must care about her.

Motherboard was willing to prove that.

Author's Note

Still here. And working on getting more of this out to your eyeholes.

Enjoy and comment!