A voice in the dark

Polycephaly searched for the only TV who was not perfect.

They entered the void, turning sideways from reality in that way only a TV could, their teleport-circuit resonating as they deciphered the web of void-pathways radiating from horizon to horizon.

The web was hurting, these days. When the Astro forces had ripped their way through the void to latch onto and drag away the TV Titan (Polycephaly's servos sorrowfully clenched at that memory), they'd done it with no finesse. The Medusoid Jotunn had simply torn her way through the pathways, making them snap and recoil, tearing more of the pathways further like high-tension wires suddenly being severed and ripping through their surroundings. It was some small comfort that the Medusoid's actions would also make it harder for the Astros to use the void - even if they could see the pathways. It made it harder for most TVs too - but Polycephaly wasn't most TVs.

The Voidweaver would probably need a little help.

Polycephaly hovered at the centre of a baby universe of their own making, as their mind travelled down hundreds of potential pathways, mentally untangling and reforging them. There. Polycephaly rotated their perception around them, in eight directions through eight dimensions, and set off. Then…

"Go 'way," said a voice. It was the one Polycephaly had been wanting to hear. "Waste of my time."

"Jeffrey-" began Polycephaly.

"You. Shut the fuck up. Interrupting me." The owner of the voice flared his wrist-blades, void-black with purple edges.

"Jeffrey," said Polycephaly again. "I'll go, if you really want me to. But I want to speak to you, if you'll let me. It's been too long."

"…Wedge?"

"I'm Polycephaly now. Do you remember? But you can call me Wedge if it makes you happy."

"…I remember now. Polycephaly." Jeffrey twitched his stems as his memories came back and he recognised his friend. "Oh, Polycephaly, you look atrocious. What happened?" Jeffrey flared his stems in puzzlement, as if asking where Polycephaly's had gone.

Polycephaly clacked their detaining grabbers, and spun them a revolution. "Astro salvage," said Polycephaly. "I hate it too. But to keep up with the Astros, we have no choice. If we keep doing what we've always done, we'll get what we've always got." Polycephaly paused. "May I stay longer?"

"Alright. You can stay a little while," Jeffrey replied.

"Thank you," replied Polycephaly. They removed their sword from their back and sat down as they spoke, setting the blade on the ground.

"…And thank you for not saying 'only a little while?'"

"I know you better than that," said Polycephaly. They folded up their Astro-style appendages like a bird folding its wings.

"What now?" asked Jeffrey. "Are things dire enough that they've sent you here to drag me back?"

"…I'm just here to see an old friend, nothing more," said Polycephaly. "But you know you're always welcome to come back. …It is important to me that you know that."

"I know. And we both know that's not going to happen." After all, Jeffrey lived in the void by choice. "You know it's best I stay away from other TVs." Jeffrey sat down, mirroring Polycephaly, and fussed his stems around each other. "But… thank you for coming to check on me."

"Thank you for letting me," replied Polycephaly. Even Polycephaly would have struggled to track down Jeffrey if he really didn't want to be found.

"I felt it, you know," said Jeffrey, getting up again. Polycephaly didn't have to ask what Jeffrey was referring to.

"I can't imagine," said Polycephaly. "I mean, I felt it too, but it must have been horrific for you." Polycephaly raised their arms to intercept the approaching Jeffrey, and pulled him into a hug. Jeffrey willingly settled into Polycephaly's lap, hugging his stems around his big friend. Both TVs rumbled softly in sympathy with each other.

Polycephaly took the opportunity to observe their surroundings, and felt a pang of guilt at the realisation of just how long they'd gone between visits. Scraps of void-webbing lay everywhere from where Jeffrey had been performing his reconfigurations. Evidently Jeffrey was only just about coping.

"I'm sorry," said Jeffrey, pressing himself into Polycephaly. "I saw it happen, and… I froze. I could tell what was about to happen, and… I did nothing."

"We'll have none of that," chided Polycephaly gently. "You couldn't have stopped her. The Titan couldn't."

"What's the point of me?" Jeffrey's voice was tinged with static lament.

Polycephaly let Jeffrey bury his screen in their jacket. "You already know the answer," said Polycephaly gently, "But I think you need to hear it again." They cupped the back of Jeffrey's head in their hand, and waited a moment to see if Jeffrey would object. He didn't. Polycephaly rubbed Jeffrey's head-casing with their thumb, and continued: "Do you think I would have achieved everything without you? …Well, I would have done it all at some point, because I am 100% the most authentic teleportation bitch. But I am indebted to you. I got to do it all on easy mode, thanks to you."

Polycephaly was pleased to notice a slight twitch of amusement in Jeffrey's shoulders, the movement magnified down his stems. Polycephaly dared to slide a hand down Jeffrey's back and rub his back-aperture where his stems emerged. Polycephaly themself adored getting back-rubs there, and had discovered that Jeffrey was balefully weak to them too. Jeffrey shivered in enjoyment, his stems wrapping gratefully around Polycephaly's arm. Polycephaly gently pulled at the roots of Jeffrey's stems and scritched inside the unused aperture slots, making Jeffrey clench his stems in near-ecstasy. As Jeffrey began to quietly growl with static, Polycephaly disengaged, recognising it as a signal that Jeffrey was beginning to get overstimulated and would lash out if Polycephaly didn't stop. Polycephaly emitted a soft static purr of their own, barely audible, at the thought that they were one of the very few that Jeffrey permitted to get this close.

Jeffrey corkscrewed from a sprawling to a seated position. "I'm sorry it's such a mess."

"I came to see you," said Polycephaly, changing position to better support Jeffrey. "Not the nexus."

"Still embarrassed," said Jeffrey, looking out over all the debris that Polycephaly had noticed earlier. He shuddered and his screen flickered, and Polycephaly could tell Jeffrey was close to losing it. "You." Jeffrey's stems spasmed. "You're just so damn perfect. You were one of the most elite agents, and a councillor, then the Vice-Imperator, and then you became Polycephaly on top of all that. You were supposed to pick someone else! But you couldn't stand to let anyone else have that glory, could you?"

"…We didn't know whether the upgrade would work," said Polycephaly. "I couldn't ask another TV to potentially sacrifice themself. …Everyone tells me I'm so noble for that, but I was a coward. If it hadn't worked, and I'd sent another TV to their annihilation… that would forever have been on my head. The possibility that I might die was less scary."

"…'m sorry." Jeffrey gave a strained burst of static like a sob, and clung to Polycephaly. "Wedge. No… you're not called that any more. Can't do anything right."

"You can call me Wedge; I really don't mind," Polycephaly said as they wrapped their arms around Jeffrey. "I am still Wedge; I just got bigger and uglier. Large units aren't like Titans, taken apart and remade. We're still just the same fuckers."

Jeffrey pondered that. "I really am sorry. About your Titan. I know you were close."

"Our Titan. It's every TV's Titan, even yours. …Even mine. I don't feel like myself sometimes. If I have to keep strapping on more of this Astro crap just to keep up, am I going to reach a tipping point when I'm more monster than television?"

"You'd be in good company, at least," Jeffrey replied - then, to Polycephaly's delight. made that rarest of sounds; a soft static bark of laughter.

Polycephaly took advantage of Jeffrey's good mood to hug their small friend anew. Jeffrey put up with it. "You don't have to be the Voidweaver forever, you know," said Polycephaly. "You can come on home, and someone else can take this burden for a while."

"I am home," replied Jeffrey. "…I'm disappointed that you call this a burden. Even you don't understand. I thought you would." Jeffrey sounded bitter. His tone was softer when he spoke next: "…You meant well. I know you were only trying to be kind."

Polycephaly squeezed Jeffrey softly by way of reply, touching the underside of their 'scoop' to the top of Jeffrey's head-casing.

"Dammit, Polycephaly," said Jeffrey sorrowfully. "Why are you friends with me?"

"Because you're there for me when I need you," said Polycephaly. "Come here."

Polycephaly leant back, lying down while holding onto Jeffrey. Jeffrey let out a contented static sigh as he let Polycephaly guide him to lie down on Polycephaly's front. Polycephaly stroked his sides, and was treated to the sight of Jeffrey lowering his stems to the ground - a sign that he was utterly relaxed and letting his guard down. "You can lie upon me any time," said Polycephaly.

The two TVs lay in silence, wordlessly enjoying each other's presence. Polycephaly could hear Jeffrey relaxing, his overworked servos clicking faintly as their tension disappeared.

"Polycephaly…" Jeffrey eventually broke the silence. "Thank you for coming to see me, but I am feeling visited enough." He began picking himself up off Polycephaly.

"Then I'll leave you in peace," said Polycephaly as they sat back up. "Here." Polycephaly withdrew a package from their coat. "I brought you a little care package." Polycephaly set it down on the floor next to Jeffrey. "There's a draft copy of my new paper in there. I'd appreciate a beta reader, if you get the time."

"I make no promises," replied Jeffrey. "Thank you for the package."

"You know, I'd really like a co-author. Maybe one day?"

"I probably won't," said Jeffrey. "But maybe."

"When you're ready. But not before." Polycephaly stood. "Goodbye for now, Jeffrey."

"Goodbye, Polycephaly. …I know that if nobody's got me, Polycephaly's got me."

"Damn right."

Polycephaly left Jeffrey alone in the void.