Work Text:
Omega kept still as Nero picked the dirt and rocks out of its tiny chassis, only twitching its legs when the brush bristles touched the joint mechanisms. Alpha circled around Nero’s workbench, despite being firmly told to ‘go bother Cid’ while Nero was busy fixing Omega. Alpha would periodically flap his wings as hard as he could to try and see over the edge of the workbench. Nero finished his work on Omega’s leg joints and reached for a metal stylus, to pick the rest of the rocks out. He wrapped his hand around the middle of its main chassis and tilted Omega upwards. Omega helped by bracing its hind legs against the workbench, soft metallic clicks dull as it gripped the wood surface.
“Entity Nero,” Omega blipped.
“Hm?” Nero replied, still chipping away at a rock lodged in Omega’s plating.
The little robot tilted its faceplate. Even though it didn’t have defined eyes, Nero felt that it was studying him intently. He released Omega’s chassis and let it settle back on all four legs. Omega lowered itself up and down and tested its joints. It whirred, pleased, and directed its attention back to Nero. “This unit has a query,” Omega said.
Nero leaned back in his desk chair and raised an eyebrow. When Omega didn’t continue, Nero prompted, “Go on, then.”
“This unit has observed the behaviors of all Garlond Ironworks employees, including Entity Nero, for a long time period. With consideration to the collected data, query: why does Entity Nero remain with Garlond Ironworks?” Omega asked.
“It’s lucrative,” Nero replied automatically. “And, I have free access to all the Allagan technology I please.” Well, ‘free’ wasn’t quite right– he just couldn’t get in as much trouble for poking around ancient ruins as he might if he wasn’t with the Ironworks.
Omega beeped low. “Audio records indicate that Entity Nero is displeased with Ironworks staff and operations– in compliance with Entity Nero’s personal standards,” it reported.
Nero frowned. Omega was, historically, hyper-observant of its former test subjects. He wasn’t surprised that since returning with Alpha, the little robot was sticking its nose into everyone’s business. Nero scoffed. “Obviously,” he replied. “I expect a high level of quality, and for good reason.”
“If: Garland Ironworks unable to reach Entity Nero’s standards of quality, then: Entity Nero should leave Garlond Ironworks,” Omega reasoned.
Nero opened his mouth to snap a reply, but shut it again. Omega was right. It would be the most logical thing to do, in both Nero’s mind and the machine’s, and yet he remained. Nero took his glasses off and rubbed at his eyes.
In contrast with Nero’s ‘personal standards,’ Garland Ironworks operated as smoothly as it could– especially now that the end of the world wasn’t looming over everyone’s heads. The workshop was clean, when Cid wasn’t trying to do ten projects at once. The team met its deadlines more often than not. Even back several months ago, when the Warrior of Light had disappeared into the future of a different star, the Ironworks ran with its same chaotic efficiency. Some of the work Cid dragged Nero along to do was exhilarating, even. The Ragnarok had been a fascinating project and his time with the Lopporits was well-spent. If anything, working with Cid had been a broadly positive experience.
Nero turned Omega’s observations over in his head. Did he really seem that dissatisfied with his current conditions? His only complaints recently were Cid’s nagging and the occasional annoyance from the other Ironworks staff. Nero did acknowledge, however, that if Omega had asked this question about a year earlier, he wouldn’t be thinking so hard about it. He would have told the little robot that he was planning his next grand escape from the Ironworks as they spoke… but he was still in Mor Dhona and still wearing his Ironworks uniform.
Nero didn’t mind any of the staff, not anymore. Biggs and Wedge’s antics were a nuisance at best, but Nero couldn’t deny their synergy and competence. Jessie was a skilled engineer and knew how to keep everyone on task. Nero’s respect for her had only grown over the course of his employment. Cato Mammula getting hired on and the subsequent stream of Garlean citizens fleeing from the Empire’s collapse that followed made Nero feel slightly more at-home in Eorzea. The other staff, hailing from all corners of the star, rarely had conflict with each other except during busy production periods when stress levels were naturally high. As he’d thought before, there was little to complain about.
And then there was Cid. Since their first collaborations at the Academy, and saving Cid’s father’s life with their makeshift drone, Nero had been at Cid’s throat and heels. He’d realized several months after surviving the World of Darkness that Cid’s apparent death during the Calamity had been truly unbearable. His rivalry with Garlond gave him more purpose and drive to create, invent, and surpass his limits than he’d believed in his younger years. It’s what kept Nero coming back to Cid’s side.
After staying with the Ironworks for longer than a couple of months, however, Nero noticed he was happy to see Cid when he entered the workshop. He found himself excited to be invited on research trips or on-site visits with Cid. A year ago he would’ve begrudgingly followed along wherever Garlond saw fit to drag him along, if the work was potentially beneficial for his own needs. Now it was different: Nero and Cid didn’t bicker every second they were in the same room, and they often brought project notes and blueprints to each other for critique. Nero wasn’t sure if the end of the world had changed his outlook on his relationship with Cid or if the changes were just a consequence of getting older. ‘Friendship’ was perhaps too strong of a word, Nero thought, but he and Cid were certainly headed in that direction– and possibly beyond, if Nero was lucky.
Omega’s metallic rattle cut through his thoughts. “Entity Nero,” it said. Alpha trotted over and nuzzled his beak against Nero’s shin.
“What?” Nero replied. He slipped his glasses back onto his face and scooted his desk chair closer to the workbench. He picked up the metal stylus again and prodded Omega’s side with a finger, trying to get it to turn to the side.
Omega shuffled into the position Nero prompted it to take. “This unit’s query has still not been answered,” it said, followed by an annoyed blip.
Nero huffed a sigh and worked the stylus under the plates of Omega’s chassis. “Well,” he began. Moments from the last several years flicked through his mind again. His palm tingled with the memory of Cid’s gloved hand, somehow warm, grasping his own as Cid yanked him out of the portal to the World of Darkness. “This is an… acceptable place to be, at the moment,” he said.
Omega hummed. “Response accepted and logged.”