Tohuvabohu

As you head to the break room after your shift in the TV Titan's hangar, you come face-to-face with an unfamiliar TV-unit.

Before you can greet them, they sprint towards you, drawing a blade - purple and faintly glowing, and mounted to the length of its owner's arm, too big to be a retractable wrist-blade. The unit brings the cutting edge of the blade to the wall right next to your face, ready for action. Fuck!

← "Human, I do not know you. How did you get into TV Base?" the unit says.

This TV is presumably not familiar with you. "Please reverse your speech output so I can comprehend," you say, fighting to keep calm in the presence of the blade. As you talk, you reach into your pocket for your communicator.

"…What are you doing here, human?"

"…My job. I'm an engineer to your Titan and an auxiliary to your faction."

"And you expect me to believe that? As if the Imperator would make a skibidi-in-waiting an auxiliary! If that's true, I should submit a motion of no confidence in the Imperator. Security is really getting lax if you were able to get in…"

Shit, this unit really doesn't know who you are. "What's more likely?" you ask, stalling for time as you try to work your communicator blind. Your voice shakes a bit. "That security somehow all fucked up simultaneously, or - that I'm actually allowed here?" As you talk, the unit unfurls its other blade… "If you harm me," you say, trying to stay brave, "A lot of people will be unhappy with you, including the Imperator and the Titan."

The stranger turns their screen purple - issuing you a command you can't resist. "Don't run." You're forbidden from trying to work your communicator…

Before the unfamiliar unit can say or do anything else, your saviour appears in the form of Polycephaly rounding the corner.

← "Good, you can help me," says the unit to Polycephaly. ← "Caught this skibidi-faced fucker prowling."

"Sabre! What the fuck are you doing to Phaeton?!" yells Polycephaly, their voice clipping with static. They unfurl two of their stems and plunge them into two newly-materialised pockets of teleport-fog, making the stems appear around you and pluck you out of the hostile unit's reach. Polycephaly re-teleports their stems back, and re-arranges them and you until you're safely ensconced in Polycephaly's arms.

You squirm a little so you can get a good look at the strange unit. From how they're looking up at Polycephaly and how Polycephaly is quivering with restrained rage, you think they're aware that they've fucked up…

← "Taking care of a security breach," begins the unit.

"Reverse output," says Polycephaly coldly. "Let Phaeton hear you."

"…I was apprehending what is clearly an intruder."

"That's no way to treat your bloody auxiliary." Polycephaly is furious. They tilt their main screen down to look at you, and their tone changes to a soothing one. "Phaeton, it's alright, I'm here, Polycephaly's here for you, I've got you…" Polycephaly continues saying comforting nothings while they stroke you softly.

You're not sure how to feel. You were frightened by the blade, but you were running on adrenalin, which kept the fear from taking over. And now you're securely in Polycephaly's arms, one of the safest places you can be. You mostly just feel confused right now. You do admire how quickly the strange unit reacted, though - if you had been an intruder, they absolutely would have been doing the right thing. But how have they not heard of you? You're practically a mini-celebrity in the TV Faction. Did this unit just get activated? They do look different - are they a new experimental model?

"I'm calling your bluff." The stranger gets out their communicator and talks into it, still looking up at you and Polycephaly. ← "Imperator," they say. ← "Reporting security breach. Unknown unit is claiming that a human is your auxiliary."

"What the fuck are you playing at?" asks Polycephaly. "Who are you calling 'unknown unit' - I'm mother-fucking Polycephaly!"

"You don't look terribly polycephalic," points out the unknown unit.

"Guess again, fucko." Polycephaly unfurls their stems, each with a sub-screen 'staring' the stranger down.

The Imperator spawns in, in a cloud of black mist, shortly followed by their two guards. The Imperator quickly spins dials on their head-casing.

"Imperator-" begins the unknown unit, before the Imperator cuts them off.

"Reverse output," says the Imperator, doing up their undone jacket buttons. "I want my auxiliary to hear what you have to say. You'd better have a damn good reason for interrupting me." The Imperator finishes adjusting their quilted pea coat and smooths themself down.

The unknown unit looks between you, Polycephaly, the coldly furious Imperator, and the two guards (stoic and impassive as ever). "I… might have fucked up," concedes the stranger.

"How had you not heard of me or Polycephaly?" you ask.

"Sabre, I gave you a huge dossier of everything that happened while you were away," says the Imperator. "Did you… not look at it at all?" Well, that explains something. This unit is called Sabre, and they've had a long absence. They must have left before Polycephaly was activated in their current form.

"…I skimmed it," says Sabre.

"My office," says the Imperator. "We have much to sort out. Polycephaly, bring Phaeton." The Imperator teleports away, while their two guards lay a hand each on Sabre's shoulders and teleport them.

Polycephaly holds you tight and initiates a teleport of their own, spawning outside the Imperator's office. One of the guards opens the door to admit you both, Polycephaly pulling all their stems in so they can fit. You guess Polycephaly probably could have ported directly into the Imperator's office, but you remember them saying they're 'officially not supposed to do that'. They're probably doing everything perfectly in front of Sabre to show them up.

"First off," says the Imperator as you walk in. "Phaeton, are you hurt?"

"No, my Imperator," you say. "…Just a bit rattled."

The Imperator unhesitatingly strides over to you and hugs you, wrapping one arm around your waist and using their other hand to cradle the back of your head as they press you to them. You allow yourself a few silent tears of relief - the Imperator's embrace is so comforting, and so warm. Your head rests on the Imperator's metal breastforms, deliciously toasty. (The three Imperators have these to act as heat outlets for their advanced processors. They were made to resemble human tits for aesthetic reasons.) You let your face bury itself a little in the fabric hammock made by the Imperator's clothes over their tits, and let the rising warmth blossom on your face.

You find yourself shivering as more tears fall - your earlier fear from being held at knifepoint, kept away by adrenalin, is creeping back in and carving its path through your guts. You cling to the Imperator - your Imperator - like clinging to a rock unmoving in a surging tide. The Imperator snuggles you a little - if they had a human face, they'd surely kiss you on the top of your head right now.

Your breath catches in your throat, and then shudders out as the Imperator rubs your back and strokes the back of your head. Their warm body soaks up all your fear, and their strong arms absorb all your shivers, until you are still and calm again. The Imperator emits a clicking rumble from their speakers, presumably to soothe you.

The Imperator is liberal about dispensing hugs, and the affection feels genuine, but you get the impression that the Imperator is hugging you at Sabre - sending them the message 'This is my human. Harm them at your peril.'

The Imperator ends the hug with a comforting back-rub and a little squeeze, then takes their place behind their desk, flanked by their two loyal guards. You do love how those two move in perfect synchronicity, and how they look as though they belong at the Imperator's side and always will.

Polycephaly sits on the floor - the Imperator doesn't have any chairs that will accommodate them. They hold out their arms to offer you a seat in their lap, which you delightedly accept. Polycephaly does know you love hugs and pickups and is happy to indulge you, but this time you get the impression that Polycephaly is holding you in the same way the Imperator hugged you - at Sabre. 'This human is under my protection.' You nestle gratefully into Polycephaly nevertheless, and rub Polycephaly's arm in a way you hope conveys how much you appreciate them.

"Imperator…" begins Sabre. "This seems very unwise, making a skibidi-in-waiting your auxiliary. How do you know this human won't betray us?"

The Imperator, Polycephaly and even the normally-impassive guards react much the same way as if you'd asked them if you could take a dump on their screens and spread it around with their blades.

"I will try to answer that," you venture. "Before I joined the Alliance, I lived alone in the wilderness. I had several encounters with skibs, and as you can see I remain un-transformed. I think if I was going to transform, it would have happened by now. As for how you know I'm not selling secrets to the skibidis… well, for one, how would that benefit me? I don't fancy selling out to a faction that wants me dead. Secondly, do you think the TV faction's security is that bad?"

Sabre doesn't have a quick answer to that.

"I have utmost confidence in Phaeton," says the Imperator. "And I have zero doubts about Phaeton's loyalty to the TV faction." (You knew that already, but it makes your heart soar to hear the Imperator say it to an audience!) "Tread very carefully, Sabre. I'm happy to see you back with us, of course. But things have changed since you were last here." After a moment, the Imperator motions for Sabre to take a seat, which they accept.

"Thank you," says Sabre, sitting down. "You do look good, Wedge. I'm a little surprised, though. I wouldn't have thought such a shell would be your style."

The Imperator displays a beaming emoticon, clearly amused. "That's because I'm Foursquare," says the Imperator. "Polycephaly is Wedge."

You're intrigued by this. What are these names? (Sabre looks slightly surprised themself.)

"I couldn't bring myself to potentially sacrifice another TV to Project Polycephaly," explains Polycephaly, "So I did it myself. I became Polycephaly, and I handed over the Imperator's reins to Foursquare."

Does that mean Polycephaly used to be the Imperator?? But… the old Imperator went missing, didn't they? "Please can I have some context?" you ask.

"Of course," says the Imperator. "Let me bring everyone on the same page… Phaeton, as you will no doubt have surmised, this is Sabre. I'm sorry your first meeting with her had to go the way it did - I had been looking forward to introducing you."

'Her'? Sabre is a gendered techfolk - that's very unusual. A few of them choose to go by he or she, but most don't bother. ("Gender? I 'ardly know 'er," Polycephaly had said to you once.)

"For what it's worth, Imperator," you say, "I think Sabre's actions would have been the correct ones had I actually been an intruder."

"Thank you, human," says Sabre, "You are gracious."

"Oh, don't get me wrong," you say. "I'm still pissed off with you. I'll forgive you quite soon, but I need to finish being angry first." (Polycephaly gives you a very gentle squeeze, as if in solidarity.)

"…Quite. And your name is Phaeton?" asks Sabre.

"That's right," you say. "I obviously don't have a yes-I-live signal, but you can look me up on the faction databases. I have a serial: Eighteen-Forty-Two."

"It might behove you to do just that," says the Imperator drily to Sabre.

Sabre taps and swipes on her tablet - you think she must be looking you up. Oh, this will be delicious when she finds out you weren't lying about who you are… "I… don't know what to say," Sabre eventually says.

"I suggest starting with an apology," says the Imperator.

Sabre is defeated. She can't talk her way out of this. She puts the tablet to sleep and puts it away, before standing and facing you. "Phaeton," begins Sabre, "…I'm sorry for how harshly I treated you. I should have read the dossier. I have no excuse for not doing so."

"I acknowledge your apology," you say. "I will accept it, but not right this minute. I need to get over it first. When I'm normal again, I'll accept your apology."

"I suppose that's the best I can hope for, given the circumstances," says Sabre, sitting back down.

"Back to my explanation," says the Imperator. "I am not the first Imperator this faction's had. The first Imperator went missing in action - Sabre left in an attempt to track them down and bring them home."

"I found nothing," says Sabre. "We must assume the original Imperator is either deceased or has no intention of coming back to the faction."

"Before the old Imperator left," the Imperator continues, "They nominated Polycephaly as their Vice-Imperator - though of course Polycephaly wasn't Polycephaly at the time."

"You were 'Wedge' - is that right?" you ask Polycephaly.

"That's right," says Polycephaly. "That was my old nickname, when I was a normal unit."

"And mine was 'Foursquare'," says the Imperator. "Because my old serial was Four-Four-Four-Four."

"That's both cute and elegant," you say. "It's very like you." (The Imperator displays a beaming emoticon at your comment.) "Polycephaly, why were you called Wedge? Was it a meaningful name or just something you liked the sound of?"

"It was tenuously linked to my serial," says Polycephaly. "My serial when I was a normal unit was Fifty-Three-Thirty-Six. If you write the digits out and turn it upside down, it looks a bit like 'geese'. A bunch of geese is called a wedge."

You mentally display the digits 5336 in your mind and turn them upside down. It looks like 'GEES'. Heh.

"As you know," continues Polycephaly, "Project Polycephaly was a test-run for building Project Titan. My role as Vice-Imperator was to decide which candidate would become Polycephaly."

"But you ended up doing it yourself?" you ask.

"I did," says Polycephaly. "I think some of the candidates were slightly annoyed about that, as though I was saying to them 'actually, I'm better than all of you'. But that was never my intention. No TV had ever been upgraded before - we were confident it was doable, but there was a non-zero chance it wouldn't work. I couldn't submit another TV to a non-zero risk of annihilation."

"That was noble of you," says Sabre.

Your own estimation of Polycephaly has just gone up several notches. "…This is the first I've heard of this," you say to Polycephaly. "That's very modest of you. I would have expected you to have mentioned that you used to be the Vice-Imperator!"

"I've moved on," says Polycephaly. "I always was best at field missions and at mapping the void. Our current Imperator does a better job than I ever could of leading our faction and making tactical decisions." (You notice the Imperator smiling happily at that comment.)

"I think you still must have been a good Vice-Imperator," you say. "You could have stayed in your position but you acknowledged that someone else could do it better. That's impressive." (Polycephaly purrs their speakers slightly at your words.) "Sabre," you begin. "If you've been away since before Polycephaly was built, how much do you know about the Titan?"

"Very little," says Sabre.

"…It's really not."

There's a brief pause while that works through everyone's synapses. Then the ice breaks - the Imperator displays an extremely amused emoticon, and even the guards' facades break similarly. Polycephaly brings their hands in and good-naturedly pretends to throttle you, to your mutual amusement. Sabre appears wryly amused, as if she resents being made to feel that way.

"Who got upgraded to the Titan in the end?" asks Sabre once everyone is back to normal.

"It's confidential," says the Imperator. "Even I don't know. Only the Titan itself and the Engineer Prime know. I have access to the encrypted file with all the candidates' information on it, but I won't decrypt it unless I need to for some reason."

"…What is the reasoning behind that decision?" asks Sabre.

"The Titan needs to be wholly devoted to its role and not be tied down by its old connections," says the Imperator, "And that's made easier if no-one else even knows whom the Titan used to be."

The Titan has to be the whole faction's Titan - if its old colleagues knew who it was, they might feel sad and disappointed that their old friend isn't really the same entity any more. You recall the Titan once asked you how you would feel if your friend Cygnus became a Titan. Part of you would be beyond delighted that your best friend became immensely powerful, of course - but you would have lost that intimate personal relationship.

"For what it's worth," continues the Imperator, "If you'd been around, I think you would have made a very strong Titan candidate. You always were one of our best agents." (You notice the Imperator's two guards nodding in agreement. They were Titan candidates themselves.) "Let me check if the Titan is awake," says the Imperator, checking their communicator. "It's past closedown time in the hangar, isn't it, Phaeton?"

"Yes," you say. "I'd finished my shift and was heading to the break room when I… ran into Sabre."

The Imperator puts their communicator on speaker mode and lays it on the desk - evidently the Titan is awake and able to answer calls. "Titan," says the Imperator once the call connects. "Are you up to entertaining a brief visit?"

"For you, my Imperator," says the Titan, "I will always have time. Hello, Phaeton."

"Evening, boss," you say. The Imperator had spoken forwards (well, in reverse by TV standards), which TVs only do when they want you to understand. The Titan must have inferred that you were meant to hear the Imperator's words, and had amended its own voice accordingly.

"I have Polycephaly here too," says the Imperator, "And Sabre has finally returned. I'd like to introduce you at last."

You wonder if the Titan and Sabre ever met before the Titan became the Titan. The Titan might not confirm or deny it, if it might reveal whom they used to be.

Polycephaly lifts you off their lap and stands you on the floor, before standing themself. Everyone converges on Polycephaly - you follow their lead and move in to join the four TVs encircled by Polycephaly's stems.

Polycephaly and Imperator teleport the six of you right inside the Titan's hangar. You spawn on the main walkway, where you notice Sixty-Eight, the Engineer Prime, is already standing. Did the Imperator or the Titan summon them just now? Or perhaps they were already here. The Titan habitually keeps one or two of its engineers back after closedown for a social chat. Perhaps Sixty-Eight and the Titan were enjoying some quality time.

"My dear friends," says the Titan as you and the tangle of TVs disengage. "What a treat to have all of you here at once. Good evening, Imperator."

At this, the Imperator steps forth to meet the Titan's hand, pulling one of the Titan's fingers into a hug, and the two guards come forth and lay a hand each upon their Titan's great hand. When the Imperator has had their fill, the Titan takes its hand back and scruffles Polycephaly's head, treating the big unit to head-rubs with its fingertips.

"You're next, Phaeton," says the Titan. The Titan gathers you in its hands, letting you lean back in the palm of one while stroking you with the fingers of the other. You close your eyes and sigh luxuriously under the Titan's touch as it gives you a belly rub with a fingertip. A purr rises in your throat - this is making you feel simultaneously revved up and relaxed. Your purr turns to a squeak as the Titan's fingertip slides down tantalisingly close to your junk, before retreating back up your torso, making your squeak seamlessly pitch back down to a purr.

Before you joined the Alliance and met the Titan, before the world ended… even though you'd never been that modest, you would never have guessed you'd be delighted by being 'displayed' in front of an audience like this. It's as though the Titan is showing everyone just how close you are with it - showing off that the Titan is the only one who is allowed to handle you this way. It's almost as though you're the Titan's trophy, but it doesn't feel that way. …You surge with pride at the fact that only someone as powerful as a Titan could possibly subjugate you this way. It's more as though the Titan is your trophy - look at this almighty war engine, this living god; this is the only one allowed to touch me like this. Don't you wish you had what I had.

You wonder if the Imperator expected or hoped for this. Did they want to hammer home to Sabre just how close you are to the Titan? You did say you'd forgive Sabre, but you're not displeased to rub their error in their screen for a little while longer. Cope and seethe. You shiver happily as the Titan finishes petting you and moves its hands to make you stand on the walkway under your own power again.

"Sabre," says the Titan next. "Welcome back."

Sabre appears amazed and transfixed by the sight of the Titan… especially so once the Titan rumbles its speakers in a friendly manner and ripples the magnificent blades at its back.

"Titan… You look… far more impressive than the blueprints I saw last," says Sabre once she's done being too awestruck to speak.

"Don't I, though," says the Titan, purring in agreement. "But I did used to look very close to the original blueprints. I've been greatly upgraded and improved since then, thanks to the ongoing efforts of my dear Engineer Prime and the rest of my engineers. Look: I even have my own version of your guns." The Titan lowers its great head so Sabre can behold the giant mobile guns on top, colossal replicas of Sabre's own. The Titan lets Sabre admire them, then resets its position. "Sabre, I'm glad you came back to us," says the Titan. "You know I can't reveal my former identity, but I feel safe in revealing that we did work at least one mission together. I know a lot of agents did, so I can tell you that without giving away which one I was. Now, Sabre, let me look at you properly," says the Titan, bringing its face close to the walkway. "Won't you pet my screen?"

Sabre hesitates - she surely wants to, but screen-petting is quite a familiar gesture among TVs. Sabre must be surprised that the Titan is allowing it at first meeting. Of course - she's been away so long, Sabre won't know that the Titan unlocked its full potential, and as a result its love for its faction grew until it encompassed each and every member. ("I love each and every TV-unit," the Titan had explained to you. "How can I not? I am their Titan.")

Sabre reaches out, as if she can't quite believe this is allowed. She strokes the Titan's screen reverently, gradually building up to a gentle rubbing, as the Titan's screen dances with static and its speakers softly click in appreciation. You think the Titan's mind is folding Sabre into its world-view - of course the Titan already knew Sabre existed, but this is its first encounter in Titan form with her. It must be like making a new friend and being re-united with an old friend, all rolled into one. The Titan emits a purry rumble, in the tone it does when it's feeling extra relaxed and affectionate.

"Sabre…" croons the Titan. "I love each and every TV in this faction. And that means I love you too."

"…Truly?" Sabre is startled into stopping her rubbing of the Titan's screen. "We've barely met."

"Truly," says the Titan with quiet joy. "I am you, and you are me. You are a part of this faction, and I am this faction. I came from all of you and you are all a part of me. I am your Titan."

Sabre lays a hand on the Titan's screen again, then both… then steps forth to meet the Titan's screen as the Titan wraps its hand around her in a cuddle. The Titan, simultaneously the beloved creation and the mother hen of the TV faction, welcomes its long-lost chick home… your heart melts at the sight.

You can't hold Sabre's actions against her… the Titan - your beloved Titan - loves her. You can't hurt your Titan's feelings by hating anyone it loves. A purr rises in your throat. Did the Imperator wager that this would happen? Or is this just your friend Cygnus the diplomat's influence on you - always mentally questing ahead for how actions will intersect and fall into place with each other.

Sabre and the Titan finish their embrace and disengage, the Titan displaying happy emoticons on all its screens. You notice the Imperator is beaming at the sight.

"Sabre, let me re-introduce you to Sixteen-Sixty-Eight," says the Imperator. "I expect you've met before, but it's been a while."

"We met only briefly," says Sabre, accepting a fist-bump from Sixty-Eight. "I didn't have much cause to speak to the Engineer Prime."

"Sabre, you and Sixty-Eight have something in common," you say. "Sixty-Eight and I didn't get off to the best start," you say. "I… did something careless, let's say, which created a lot of work for them."

"But you corrected it in the end," says Sixty-Eight, displaying a smiling emoticon.

"And Sixty-Eight very graciously allowed me to join the Titan's engineering crew. …If Sixty-Eight can forgive me for my actions and still be friends with me, I can do the same." And Cygnus, you think. If you and Cygnus can forgive each other for the time they put you in danger and you had to smash Cygnus's screen to get the pair of you to safety, you and Sabre will manage. "I forgive you, Sabre. We don't have to be friends, but I hope that happens."

Sabre offers you a fist-bump - a TV gesture of acceptance - and you delightedly accept. "…I am sorry," says Sabre. She apologised earlier, but that was a professional apology. This time, Sabre is admitting she feels sorrowful for her actions.

"Forgiven," you say. Sabre clearly feels remorseful and won't threaten you again. It would be a waste of energy to keep holding onto resentment. You'll feel just fine after a night's sleep. Could you get away with offering a hug? …What the hell. That first day you met Cygnus, you dared to ask for a hug, and now they're your best friend. You open your arms to Sabre.

"Be careful," she warns, but opens her own arms nevertheless. "I'm pointy."

You step forward, and you and Sabre carefully arrange yourselves so that you avoid her blades. You hum happily at Sabre's pleasant warmth. All techfolk have that, but it's always welcome.

"Oh, you are soft," remarks Sabre.

You lean into Sabre as she holds you to her. You got off to a bad start, but you find yourself grateful that a lost member of your faction has come home at last.

┄

Tomorrow sees you working your second job in your home base in Sector Antlia-Four. You don't love it as much as you do working in the TV Titan's hangar, but you enjoy it enough. You repair and assemble incoming weapon components and broken weapons from the field, and return them to battle-ready condition for the Alliance foot-soldiers.

"I'll be with you in a moment," you say to the Cam-unit who just stepped onto your hug-rug. You keep a carpet tile by your workstation in the weapon workshop, on which anyone is free to stand to indicate that they'd like to receive a hug from you. You set down the weapon you'd been disassembling, and step forward to hug the waiting Cam. Techfolk give such lovely hugs! You don't think you'll ever get tired of giving and receiving them.

You break apart a little, ending the embrace proper but keeping your hands on the Cam's sides. "Do you want burger-head?" you ask.

The Cam nods enthusiastically.

You bring your hands upwards, doing it slowly in a mock-menacing way… then you suddenly grab the Cam's head and hold it like a burger in a bun - fingers on top and thumbs underneath. "Burger-head!" you say triumphantly.

The Cam revs its servos in its species' equivalent of laughter, and gives an amused thumbs up. You laugh at the interaction, and several of the Cams at nearby workstations 'laugh' with their servos too.

Both of you return to work, and you resume disassembling your pile of burnt-out stun-guns and sorting the components into 'reusable' and 'junk'. A little while later, a Soundkind stands on your hug-rug.

You enjoy a warm sturdy hug, until the Soundkind breaks it off. "Could I feel your song?" they ask.

"And you know what price I exert?" you ask.

The Soundkind nods, then unclips their grille plate to bare their speaker-driver.

You perform your own gesture of vulnerability, tilting your head back to expose the cricoid cartilage crescents in your windpipe. "Welcome to your life," you begin singing, "There's no turning back."

The Soundkind raises a hand and gently places their fingertips on your throat so they can feel the vibrations of your song, the bands of cartilage sliding up and down slightly and the flesh between them thrumming gently. You do the same, placing your fingertips on the Soundkind's driver so you can feel that vibrating cone pulsate and dance. "Even while we sleep," the Soundkind plays the recording of the song, "We will find you-"

You both sing as one: "Acting on your best behaviour, turn your back on Mother Nature, everybody wants to rule the world."

The Soundkind faction seem fascinated by how your voice works - how you can make such a variety of sounds with just the flapping membranes hidden in your neck, and how you can't play back a recording of a song but you can emulate it and sing your own version of it. You wonder if perhaps the Soundkind in general feel a greater kinship with humans than do the other two factions.

You and the Soundkind thank each other for the shared song, and you part ways to return to work. Another Cam-unit comes by after a while with a trolley full of more stun-guns. "What are they even doing with these?" you mutter upon seeing the condition of some of them. "Thank you, I'll get these done," you say to the Cam, who gives a thumbs-up and moves on to their next task.

You continue working, until you hear some aircraft noise overhead. That's not remarkable in itself - Antlia-Four is a supply depot in this cluster of bases, and copters come and go with supplies all the time. This noise, though, has alerted every techfolk in the workshop, all of them jumping up like prairie-dogs. "What?" you ask. "Somebody tell me!"

Through frantic Camsign from your colleagues, you put together that Titan Camera has arrived. Antlia-Four Base does have a Titan hangar, but as far as you know the Camera Titan has never come by to use it (nor have the other two, for that matter). Until now! Well, there's no way anyone's getting any work done for the next few minutes - everyone will want to stick their heads into the hangar to get a look at the pride of the faction. Of course, you're going too; you've yet to see Titan Camera in person. If you get to see her, you'll be able to say you've encountered all three Titans.

You join the queue of Cams (and a few Soundkind) waiting at the hangar security gate to be given a visitor's pass, good for a ten-minute visit. You just hope you get to go inside before the Titan departs - this isn't her main hangar, so this is probably just a quick pit stop.

Luckily, you get to go inside and behold the Titan - the first of her kind, the trailblazer. Of course, she's not as glorious as your beloved Titan TV - nothing is. But all the Titans are magnificent in their own way. Titan Camera reminds you of a flying battleship, with her arrayed guns and her crest. You join the myriad Cam-units beholding the Titan in quiet admiration, as the Titan casts her gaze around at them all. Until it stops upon you.

"How dare you."

It's rare to hear the Camera Titan speak audibly. It's not something that comes naturally to the Cams - most of them don't even have audio playback components. From what you've seen of the broadcasts from the battlefields, Titan Camera only speaks aloud when she's very angry. "How dare you show yourself here."

To your mounting horror, you recognise what the Camera Titan is doing: priming her hand-cannon.

You turn and run for your life.

If the Titan actually fires the cannon, you'll have no chance - you can't outrun it. Your only hope is that the other Cams will be able to tell her to hold fire, or that someone will close the bulkhead doors after you.

You knock aside Cam-units as you flee - decorum will have to bow out for now. This is matter of survival. Several Cams are looking at you askance. What did you do to make their Titan that angry? Should they not apprehend you?

Still running, you slide the two switches on your communicator that let you turn on emergency mode - it's an easy pinch motion but in a position that would make it hard to turn on by accident. You swipe the screen on the contact you can invoke only in the direst of emergencies: the TV Imperator themself.

"I'm under fucking attack from the Camera faction! Major diplomatic incident! Need extraction!" you manage to say out loud. "Antlia-Four Base… please, Imperator, I need you!"

Your vision suddenly turns black as a teleportation mist-cloud materialises in front of you, and before you can slow down or change course you run into the arms of the Imperator. The blackness envelops you, and you realise you're standing in the void, the hidden place between places. Polycephaly stands behind the Imperator and their two guards. (Polycephaly probably provided assistance to the Imperator in pinning down your location, you reckon - with the part of your mind that can still think logical thoughts in times of crisis.)

The Imperator wraps their arms firmly around you, holding you tightly against your trembling. You feel such relief - and such fear. What's happened to fracture the Alliance so?

The Imperator briefly loosens their embrace so they can adjust the dials on their head-casing, bringing their voice into a range you can hear. That done, they resume the hug. "Let's get you home," says the Imperator.

"No," you think - you don't want to stay in Antlia Four-

Polycephaly unfurls their stems and wraps them around you, the Imperator and the two guards, and initiates another teleport. You re-materialise… in the TV Titan's hangar. This is what the Imperator meant by 'home'. Of course. You almost laugh with relief at the familiar walls covered in criss-crossing black and purple piping and cabling.

"Imperator, Polycephaly, Phaeton, this is a pleasant surprise," says the Titan. "To what d-"

The Imperator interrupts: "Major incident. Let Phaeton stay while I investigate." The Imperator lets go of you, then grabs both guards by a hand each and teleports out.

"Of course-" the Titan begins speaking, but stops once they realise the Imperator's already left.

Polycephaly stands there, apparently with no idea what's going on. Everyone's now looking at you in confusion. Polycephaly decisively steps forward and kneels in front of you. They open their arms to offer a pick-up, and you all but leap into them before Polycephaly can ask if you'd like to. They gather you up in their arms and hold you tightly. "I don't know what happened," says Polycephaly, "But you're safe here. I've got you. Polycephaly's here for you."

The Titan reaches out and picks Polycephaly up, gathering them close to its chest. You're being held in a colossal double-cuddle - Polycephaly holding you in their arms while being held in the Titan's own. There's probably no safer place you could be, and you press yourself into Polycephaly as if you could burrow inside them.

"Phaeton, are you hurt?" asks the Titan softly.

"No," you say. "I'm very upset and confused and I don't know what I've done wrong." You're talking too loudly and your voice is falling into a monotone. You need a good cry but you're still in panic mode.

"Can I put you in my top pocket?" asks the Titan.

You'd rather be cuddled… but hiding in a warm dark place so close to your Titan does appeal. And you guess (using that part of your brain that can still carry on with logical thoughts) that the Titan needs its hands free so its engineers can continue working. "Yes," you reply. "I think I need to hide for a bit."

The Titan lifts Polycephaly so they can deposit you in the pocket, Polycephaly using their stems and arms to lower you in gently. "I'll be around if you need me, unless I get called away on a mission," Polycephaly tells you, before disappearing from view.

You curl up at the bottom of the Titan's pocket and cry in confusion, glad of the privacy the darkness and seclusion gives you. All you'd wanted to do was say hello to the Camera Titan…

The Titan slides someone into the pocket to join you - to your pleasant surprise, it's your friend Fornax. They sit down next to you and wordlessly offer a hug, which you gratefully accept. In your mind, you thank whoever it was who summoned Fornax.

"Hello, Phaeton," says Fornax, wrapping their arms around you in a cuddle. "I don't understand what's going on, but I was told you needed help. I'm here."

"I don't know what's going on either," you manage to say around your ragged breathing. "…Can you just hold me for a bit?"

"Of course," says Fornax, keeping their voice soft.

"Thank you," you say tearfully.

"Rest," says Fornax, holding you in an embrace.

The Titan wordlessly strokes you through the material of the pocket - you think it's using the back of its index finger. How sweet! (The part of your mind that continues thinking detachedly admires the construction of the Titan's outfit, its pocket able to contain and support both you and Fornax. When the Titan strokes you, you can just about feel the layers of reinforced mesh contained within the material.)

As you cling to Fornax, it occurs to you that you've only hung out with them when either you or Cygnus was sad and needed comforting. You're grateful that you and Cygnus have Fornax in your corner, but at this rate Fornax is going to end up associating you with miserable situations. At the back of your mind, you resolve to talk to Cygnus about the two of you spending time with Fornax for the sake of it. They're a nice friend and they deserve it… but that'll have to wait.

"…The Camera Titan attacked me," you tell Fornax when you feel able to speak. "Tried to. If it had actually attacked me, I'd be 200% dead."

"What?" says Fornax, with quiet fury. Above you, you hear the Titan exclaim in anger, like a static roar.

"I don't know what I did to make her so angry," you continue.

"That's unforgivable," says Fornax, clutching you. "Oh, Phaeton… there's nothing you could have done to justify that. And you're an auxiliary to our faction, at that. This is a direct attack on the TV faction. I never thought…" Fornax holds you a little tighter, as if for their own comfort. The thought of Alliance in-fighting is scary.

You're aware of snatches of voices from elsewhere in the hangar - your engineer colleagues are working themselves up into an angry state of consternation on learning what happened to their dear human.

"Phaeton, let me pick you up," says the Titan. "The Imperator has returned. Cygnus is here too."

You feel a small jolt of happiness at that. No matter what happens, your friend Cygnus will have your back. The Titan lowers two fingers into its pocket, and you and Fornax hold one each. The Titan gently lifts its fingers out, bringing its thumb in to brace you, as it deposits you and Fornax in the palm of its other hand. The Titan moves both its hands to hold the pair of you safely, then brings you both over to the walkway where the Imperator awaits. Cygnus stands nearby, along with Polycephaly and the Imperator's guards.

You disembark from the Titan's hands and gratefully slide into Cygnus's waiting embrace. You bury your face in your friend's pea-coat, calmed by their familiar scent. Fornax moves in close and gives your head a gentle pet, letting you know that they're still here too. "Thank you, Fornax," you say. You want them to know that you noticed and you appreciate them being there. "Oh, Cygnus, hold me."

Cygnus gives you a gentle squeeze in response. "Phaeton, dear one, you're safe," they say. "Don't you worry."

The Titan is displaying various angry emoticons on all its screens. An aura of black mist is starting to form…

"Don't." The Imperator's command is firm.

The Titan's teleport-fog immediately fades out of existence - the Titan doesn't change expression, but does not disobey its Imperator. It rattles the spikes at its back angrily.

The Imperator walks to the edge of the walkway and wordlessly beckons the Titan. The Titan lowers its colossal head within range of the Imperator, and the Imperator rubs their Titan's screen. "I know," says the Imperator in a low, soothing voice. The Titan's screens fade back to white static. "I know," says the Imperator again, "But we're trying to avoid escalating this further. Don't do the Toilets' work for them."

"I obey my Imperator," says the Titan. You guess the Titan is feeling angry about the injustice of the situation, and the Imperator is reminding it to stay calm for your sake. "I do as my Imperator commands. I am the Imperator's will, given form." The Titan lets the Imperator pet its screen a little more until the Imperator is satisfied that the Titan won't act in anger. "My Imperator," says the Titan, barely above a whisper.

The Titan lifts its hands, and brings them in to wrap around you, Cygnus and Fornax. You feel so comforted and safe and looked after…

"What happened?" you ask. "I'm so confused. What did I do to anger the Camera Titan?"

"It was a case of mistaken identity," says the Imperator. "Titan Camera mistook you for another human."

"And she couldn't fucking check?" asks Polycephaly. The engineers make similar exclamations. "I know Antlia-Four's a middle-of-nowhere base, but did their Titan really think their security was that useless that an enemy could walk into the Titan hangar?"

…What the hell did that human do to piss off the Camera Titan that much?

"Cygnus and I have informed Imperator Camera about what happened," says the Imperator. "I trust they will handle it from here. …I do not trust myself to be able to speak civilly to the Camera Titan right now. Attacking my auxiliary!" The Imperator briefly displays a furious emoticon - a rare sight. Their screen returns to its normal soft grey-white. "Phaeton, may I hug you?" asks the Imperator.

You love Cygnus-hugs best, but you would like an Imperator-hug as well. You accept, and the Titan opens its hands so Cygnus and Fornax can disengage from you. You step forth into the Imperator's waiting arms and allow the Imperator to hold you close. You inhale deeply then exhale through your nostrils. "My Imperator," you say as the Imperator strokes your back.

"My auxiliary," says the Imperator. "Phaeton, I'm so sorry. You've had a very trying couple of days. You should never have been made to feel unsafe at the hands of the Alliance… Oh, Phaeton." The Imperator holds you close.

You're aware of Engineer Twelve, the Vice-Engineer Prime, calling a temporary pause in tasks. Your colleagues are ahead of schedule, as usual, and no-one is going to get any work done right now. The Titan moves its head close to the walkway on which everyone is standing.

"Phaeton," says the Imperator. "What do you need to happen? I'll make sure this never happens again - leave everything to me. But what do you need? Do you need to… move out of Antlia-Four Base? If you don't feel safe there any more, I'll do what I can to arrange somewhere for you to stay here."

"I know you would, Imperator," you say, "But I won't ask you to do that." The Imperator's intentions are genuine, but TV Base was built by and for techfolk and is missing many things needed for human habitation. It's just not practical to move you here right now. The Imperator had previously proposed building an extension to TV Base suitable for you to live permanently. "I know you brought that up before," you say. "Moving me here, I mean. I'm guessing progress has stagnated because the war effort has to be prioritised?"

"What's holding it up?" the Titan asks the Imperator.

"Everything," says the Imperator. "Potable water and sewerage piping, plus a suitable site for Phaeton's hydroponic farm."

"And what's stopping us moving the base to somewhere that already has that infrastructure?" asks the Titan. The Titan holds up a hand, materialising wisps of teleport-fog around its fingers. It uses its other hand to point to the manifested fog. "I have the brute force," says the Titan, "And Polycephaly has the precision. Between us, we can move the base."

Polycephaly palms their own fist and rubs their hands together in anticipation.

"Titan, that's brilliant," says Cygnus. "Is that really possible?"

Oh, you hope so!

"…In theory, I know no reason why not," says the Imperator. "That would need a hell of a quantity of fog, though. And, Titan, you already need a hell of a quantity of fog just to port yourself." (The Imperator strokes you idly as they talk - it feels nice.)

"Boss," you ask, "Do you produce any excess? And if so, is it possible to store that excess for later use? By the time you've built up a big enough store, the Imperator and I might have found a suitable site." You'll need somewhere with suitable wilderness where you can find wild game to supplement your diet.

"Yes, and I think so," says the Titan. "Sixty-Eight, can you back me up?"

"I see no reason why not," says Sixty-Eight, the Engineer Prime of the faction and the leader of the Titan's engineering team. "I'll have to rope in D67 and have them help me design a suitable vessel for capturing the excess fog." (You still haven't met D67, the Scientist Prime. They're one of the few TVs who stubbornly persist with their old serial numbering and disdainfully ignore the current 4-digit system.)

You squeak happily and bury yourself in the Imperator's embrace. "Oh, Imperator, if the faction can pull this off, I'll be so happy. …I would still like to go back to Antlia-Four sometimes, but I very much want to call TV Base my home." (You hear the Titan purring its speakers approvingly.)

"Leave it with me for now," says the Imperator, displaying a happy emoticon and giving you a squeeze. "I'll need you to help me choose a suitable site later - I'll keep you informed about what I need from you. Now… What do you need in the short term? If it's in my power to do, I'll make it happen."

You think while the Imperator strokes your back. "…Could we have our Titan visit the Antlia-Four hangar? That would help to 'cleanse' my memory of what happened there, by making me associate the hangar with my Titan instead of the incident with the Camera Titan."

"I'm happy to do that for you, Phaeton," says the Titan. (The Imperator nods.)

"And," you continue, "Would it be possible for me to meet the Camera Titan again? Properly, this time. We don't have to like each other, but I don't want our first and only meeting to be on such bad terms."

"Of course," says the Imperator, giving you a gentle squeeze. (This is probably the longest Imperator-hug you've ever had - you're in no hurry to end it!)

"And I think it might be helpful if the Camera Titan gets a proper look at me," you say. "So she doesn't make the same mistake again."

"Oh, I'm very sure she won't," says the Imperator with a hint of ice.

"Could I ask your guards for a hug?" you ask quietly.

The Imperator displays a happy emoticon, and the guards step forth on cue, displaying smiling emoticons of their own.

"Hello, cuties," you say as the guards Sixty-Six and Fifty-Three wrap you in a double-embrace.

You'd love to stay here all day and night, getting doted on and petted by every TV in the hangar, but you do have to go back to your quarters in Antlia-Four Base eventually to eat and sleep and use the facilities there. As usual, it will be Cygnus's job to port you home - though this time they're coming prepared for a sleepover with you. You wait in one of TV Base's break rooms while Cygnus finishes tasks in their office and their quarters.

You're just wrapping up telling an anecdote about your pre-apocalypse life to a couple of TV scientists and a visiting Soundkind scientist, when Cygnus arrives and sits on the sofa next to you in the break room. They place their briefcase on their knees and lean their elbows on it while they wait for you to finish telling your story.

"Are you ready to depart?" Cygnus asks once the conversation has come to a natural pause and the scientists announce it's time for them to return to work.

"I am," you say.

Cygnus gives you a smiling emoticon and their hand to hold for a teleport, and the pair of you spawn in your quarters.

"Good timing, this," you say. "Brooks will be wanting her scran about now."

"Did you find out whether it's a he or a she?" asks Cygnus.

"No," you say. "I randomly change pronouns with her. She's quite a big pigeon, so she might be a he, but Lahore pigeons are quite big in general. And his feet have slightly smaller side toes, which usually means a female."

"Are you hoping she's female so you'll have fresh eggs?"

"That would be nice, but pigeon eggs are quite small, and female pigeons generally don't lay eggs unless they have at least one other female in their flock. But you can sometimes fool them with a mirror, I'm told. I really would like to get some chickens; I could show you the many ways to cook an egg. Oh, there's my good pidgey-pidge."

"Hoo-roo," Seabrooks Canadian Ham announces his/her arrival through the improvised pigeon-hole in the window. You'd wedged one of the sliding windows in place, added a cat-flap in the gap and plugged the remaining space. (You'll have to come up with something better before the weather turns colder, though.)

"I have something for you both," says Cygnus as you prepare a meal of seeds and grains for Brooks. Cygnus gets a bag of sunflower seeds out of their briefcase. "Do pigeons eat these?" they ask.

"I'm sure they do! Brooks can't thank you for your thoughtfulness, so I thank you on his behalf." You accept the bag of seeds from Cygnus and add a few to Brooks's trough.

"And this," says Cygnus, getting something else out of their briefcase. It's a food container of one of your favourite baked treats. It looks home-made. "I've been practicing making these," explains Cygnus. "Just ask Fornax how many failed attempts I've been pushing down their biofuel burner. I don't know how it tastes, of course, but I've got them looking good. I just happened to make this batch before work today." Cygnus hands you the box.

"It smells delicious!" you exclaim as you open it. "Cygnus, you continue to outdo yourself." You set the box down, then practically throw yourself at Cygnus for a hug.

While you're engrossed in hugging Cygnus, Seabrooks Canadian Ham saunters over, pushes the lid all the way off and starts helping herself.

You realise what Brooks is doing. "Oh, Hammy, you naughty pidgey-pidge, after Cygnus got you those lovely seeds." You break off the bit that Seabrooks was pecking and let him keep that bit for himself, then you sample some yourself. "Cygnus, you fucking beauty!" you exclaim. It's wonderful enough already that Cygnus took the time to look up recipes, gather ingredients and utensils and find a working oven - and this is actually delicious! You hold the sides of Cygnus's big angular head and plant a kiss in the middle of their screen, making it flood with hot pink heart emoticons.

"Hoo roo," comments Seabrooks, fluttering up to your shoulder and affectionately pecking at your hair. She must have realised that you're being affectionate to Cygnus and wants to join in with cuddle time.

You and Cygnus spend a lovely quiet evening in each other's company, with Seabrooks's antics keeping you both entertained… Though you have to stop a few times to have another cry about what happened earlier. Cygnus comforts you each time, letting you lean on them, letting you lie on them, and holding you close.

"Cygnus, you give me such strength," you whisper into Cygnus's front while they stroke your head, gently combing your hair with their fingertips.

"You do this for me when I need it," points out Cygnus, their voice soft. "Sleep for now, dear one."

You drift off to sleep bathed in Cygnus's warmth and in rain-like white noise from their speakers.

┄

You wake up in the same bed as Cygnus. Very nice, this… it occurs to you that if the TV Base moves to another location with a suitable living space for you, you and Cygnus will be able to do this a lot more often. You gently pat your friend's hand to see if they're in sleep mode.

Cygnus wordlessly curls their fingers around yours, and their screen powers on with the tiny whistle-crackle of a CRT powering up. "Good morning, Phaeton," says Cygnus softly. They unplug their charging cable from the port on their sternum, then Cygnus pats their front, indicating to you that you should climb up for a cuddle. You do so with delight, and Cygnus scruffles your hair gently, undoing some sleep-tangles with their fingertips.

"What time is it?" you ask, turning your head to see a clock. "It's about an hour before I need to get up. I'm going to snuggle with you until then, if you'll let me, and then I'll have something to eat before we head over to the hangar."

"What do you want to eat?" asks Cygnus. "Why don't I make it for you and you can eat it in here while I cuddle with you?"

"Oh, Cygnus, you're too good to me," you say, a purr in your voice.

You tell Cygnus what you'd like for breakfast, and they head off to your kitchen. You sprawl in bed and stretch pleasantly, enjoying Cygnus's residual warmth and scent. As you hear Cygnus return, you pile up your pillows to make a seat. Cygnus walks in with a tray of your requested foods and a beaming emoticon on their screen.

"Cygnus, buddy, I'm so lucky to have you as a friend," you say as Cygnus approaches.

Cygnus lets the folding legs of the tray drop down so they can place the tray over your lap, then Cygnus gets into bed with you and cuddles you. To your great delight, Cygnus hand-feeds you your breakfast, using their free hand to give you belly-rubs with long, slow strokes. "My softest friend," remarks Cygnus.

"You really are too good to me," you say dreamily as Cygnus nuzzles their screen against the side of your face, the soft static crackling pleasantly. "Cygnus, you're a shining star."

"You absolutely deserve it," says Cygnus. "And you do this for me when you change my coolant and oil my joints." Cygnus purrs their speakers in appreciation… and Seabrooks Canadian Ham hops onto the bed and eats the crumbs of your breakfast.

"Brooky, are you having a crap on my bed?" you ask your pigeon as he starts the behaviour characteristic of building up for a shite. "I've been trying to train him to poo only in one place," you say to Cygnus, "Though I don't think he understands yet. Pigeons are lovely birds, but they still have hazelnut-sized brains. Oh!"

Seabrooks Canadian Ham trills and struts triumphantly over the egg she's just laid.

"Well, I guess we know now she's female," you say. "I'll have to make sure she has somewhere to build a nest if she wants. She'll probably need grit or something so she has nutrients for making eggshells. But you'll have to wait a bit, Seabrooks. I've got a meeting soon with a very big pigeon. Heh, don't tell her I said that."

After fussing a bit over Seabrooks and giving her a bit more of Cygnus's baked treats, you prepare for your visit to the Titan hangar here in Antlia-Four Base. You and Cygnus make your way over there - to your immense gratitude and surprise, Cygnus holds hands with you the whole way. Cygnus doesn't normally publicly display affection with you outside TV Base. 'This human is my friend,' seems to be the message, 'and I don't care who knows it.'

As always when entering a Titan hangar, there's a pause while you're cleared through security. The Imperator's staff has already arranged everything, and the security guards admit you and Cygnus without delay.

You and Cygnus head to a central walkway to wait for the two Titans' arrival. Cygnus holds your hand and lets you lean on them while you wait. The roof of the hangar is already retracted ready for Titan Camera to fly in. It makes no difference either way to the TV Titan, whose arrival is shortly heralded by a colossal column of black fog.

In the middle of it, your beloved Titan appears. It soothes your soul to see… You notice the Titan has Sixty-Eight, the Engineer Prime, riding in its top pocket. You're glad to have someone else here in your corner. (As the teleport fog dissipates on the breeze, you suppose it's a good thing the roof is down.)

"Phaeton, Cygnus, good to see you both," says the Titan. It steps backwards carefully, mindful of its blades, to ensure there'll be enough room for Titan Camera to occupy the hangar too, then brings its hands to the walkway so you can step on. "On you get, Phaeton." You let the Titan pick you up, and it clasps you in both hands, holding you in front of its core chamber. You rub the Titan's hand in appreciation. You wait, calmed by the presence of your dear Titan.

A sound fades into hearing - it can only be the Camera Titan in flight. She lands inside the hangar with practised elegance… and then removes the protector that normally covers her lens and grants her immunity to screen hypnosis. This must be a conciliatory gesture towards the TV Titan, showing 'I trust you to not exact revenge'. (The back of your mind admires the tactic. Did the Camera faction's equivalent of Cygnus advise her to do that?)

"Comrade Camera," says the TV Titan, "This is Phaeton, my engineer, an auxiliary to the TV Faction, and my dear friend. If anything should happen to them, I shall be most displeased." (You feel you might burst with pride at how the Titan is talking about you.)

Titan Camera doesn't raise her head to look at you. You think she must feel mortified about nearly causing a major diplomatic incident. (…Or maybe there's a really interesting spider on the hangar floor.)

"It's Phaeton you need to apologise to," says your Titan quietly. (You think Titan Camera must have said something via transmission.) "I can't accept your apology until Phaeton does."

You wait until Titan Camera raises her main lens to regard you, and the immense focusing rings show that she is zooming her vision on you. "Self comprehend Camsign," you sign, "Titan prefer sign over audio? Titan sign. Self sign-name: Sun Driver." (You suppose Titan Camera could also transmit to your Titan and have the TV Titan voice her transmissions for you. But that's up to the two Titans to decide between themselves.)

Titan Camera appears to be pondering this. (You wonder if your signs were clear enough - maybe you sign with an Antlia-Four 'accent' because you learned it from the Cams in this sector?) Then she slowly and deliberately signs: "Self regret action. Self desire apology Sun Driver."

You'd wondered if the Camera Titan had a sign-name of her own (besides 'Titan'). Presumably not, if she didn't tell you it. You sign back: "Self not-desire Titan enemy. Self forgive, information exchange. Unknown-human action, what provoke Titan?" You want to know what the hell this human (who apparently looks like you) did to make the Titan react the way she did.

"Long-ago, self - ordinary camera, before self Titan. Unknown-human attack. Unknown-human hate techfolk. Frightening. Yesterday, self think Sun Driver unknown-human. Self… incorrect."

This unknown human must have caused the proto-Titan great suffering to provoke such a reaction. Your own opinions of techfolk weren't always positive, it's true, but you would never be deliberately cruel to them. You'd never understood the humans who hated techfolk for being 'unnatural false people' or however their rhetoric went.

"Boss, would you hold me out a little?" you ask your own Titan. "I want to go closer."

The TV Titan gives you the gentlest of squeezes, as if to bolster your courage, then brings its hands further outwards towards Titan Camera.

"I hope it's okay for me to switch to spoken word," you say. "My knowledge of Cam-sign lacks the eloquence I need right now." You close your eyes and incline your head slightly, mentally bracing yourself to continue.

Your Titan is here. Cygnus is here, and it doesn't hurt that Sixty-Eight is here too. You've got this.

"…I'm sorry," you say. "You suffered at the hands of one of my kind. I'm sure you didn't deserve that. I'm still… upset about what happened." (The TV Titan very gently touches its thumb to your back, reminding you that you're not alone.) "And I probably will be for some time. But I don't hate you for it. I forgive you. I want to forgive you. And… I thank you, too. You're the first and oldest Titan, and you did a brave thing by agreeing to become that. My Titan and the Sound Titan might not exist if not for you."

You think you probably have more to say, but you let it go. There's no need for you to warn Titan Camera to be more careful with humans - her own Imperator and Cygnus-equivalent will surely have had that discussion with her already. You've said what you need to.

Titan Camera inclines her head in what you think must be a solumn bow, showing acceptance of your words. Then she cocks her head slightly, as though in puzzlement, and signs: "Sun Driver's Titan? Sun Driver not-TV."

"Phaeton is my engineer," says the TV Titan. "Therefore I am absolutely Phaeton's Titan." (Oh, you feel bursting with pride that's too big for your frame to contain it.)

Titan Camera raises a hand and brings it towards you… you realise she's forming a friendly fist in the same way TVs do. Not only is she copying the gesture of your adopted faction, but this also keeps her hand-cannon tucked away and unusable. (The back of your mind wonders if she came up with that or if the 'Cygnus-type' Camera advised her. It's a good gesture, either way.)

You bring your own fist in to meet Titan Camera's fist bump, and form your other hand into a thumbs-up. The Camera Titan follows suit, and twitches the wings of her flight-pack in what you assume to be a gesture of thanks. The TV Titan rumbles its speakers softly in appreciation of what went down.

Mission accomplished.

Your Titan sets you down on the walkway next to Cygnus, who immediately pulls you into a hug. "Beautifully done," Cygnus whispers to you.

"Phaeton, are you coming home with us?" asks the TV Titan.

Home.

TV Base might not be your home just yet… but you want it to be.

You accept, and you and Cygnus step onto your Titan's hand. Your world is a vortex of black fog… and then your favourite place to be. Your future home.

The Titan sets you and Cygnus down on a walkway so it can retrieve Sixty-Eight from its top pocket. The rest of your engineer colleagues greet you affectionately, taking turns to pull you into a hug, while those still waiting stroke your head. As they greet you, you gather that they saw what went down from a broadcast from one of the Cams in the Antlia-Four hangar.

"Titan privileges," says the Titan once all engineers have had a turn with you. "Let me pick you up, Phaeton."

"Nothing I'd like more, boss," you say, letting the Titan scoop you up.

"I love all my engineers, of course," says the Titan. "But right now, I think you deserve some extra fuss. Come here."

The Titan lets you lie in its palm while it uses its other hand to stroke you into relaxation, until you melt into an affectionate puddle. Then the Titan targets your weakness - its fingertip finding the one spot that makes you fold up with a wheezing laugh in protest. "Shrimp," says the Titan, playfully mocking you for the shape you've folded into like a cooked prawn… Then it places its free hand flat on top of you. "Shrimp sandwich."

You laugh like a twat, setting the Titan off. Oh, you needed that! "Boss, can you put me down again for a bit?" you say when you've calmed down. "I want to ask Sixty-Eight something."

The Titan lowers you to the walkway where Sixty-Eight is standing. It's always such a little thrill to get a ride on the Titan's hands!

"What do you need, Phaeton?" asks Sixty-Eight once you've disembarked.

"Privacy - can we go to a control room or something?"

Sixty-Eight extends a hand for you to hold. You take it, and Sixty-Eight teleports the pair of you to one of the glass-fronted control rooms inside the hangar. "Let's have it," says the Engineer Prime.

"I'd like to ask the Titan if I can give it a nickname," you say, "And I want to check with you first how you feel about that. You're the one who's closest to the Titan, so that honour should be yours if you want it."

"I appreciate you checking," says Sixty-Eight. To your unexpected delight, they hold their arms out for an embrace. You're only too happy to accept. "I like you, Phaeton. I'm glad we're friends." (You squeak with delight!) "Go right ahead. You should know by now that nicknames aren't really my style - I've never bothered with one myself. You can offer the Titan a name, with my blessing." Sixty-Eight breaks off the hug, then offers their hand again to quickly teleport back to the Titan.

"I think Phaeton has something to ask you," Sixty-Eight says to the Titan.

The Titan brings its hands in once more to offer you a lift, and conveys you closer to its face. "If it's 'Have you heard the one about the Skibidi crossing the Clifton Suspension Bridge?', Polycephaly already told me that one."

You laugh briefly, then ask: "Do you have any nicknames? Besides me calling you 'boss' sometimes."

"No, I've never needed one. I am the one and only Titan."

"In our faction, yes. But it did feel odd today calling Titan Camera 'Titan' - and the Sound Titan the other day - because that's what I call you too."

"I think you're fond of nicknaming others, aren't you?"

"A little. Mostly it's just easier for me - remembering word names comes much more naturally to humans than remembering serial numbers. And I don't have the benefit of being able to receive transmissions or yes-I-live signals."

"But don't you think that as the most powerful and perfect of all Titans, I alone should get to claim the name of 'Titan', and the other two should be called something else?" The Titan's tone is jovial and it's displaying an amused emoticon - it's clearly only joking. You both laugh a bit. "Did you have a name in mind for your Titan?"

"I did," you say. "Will you hear it?"

"Of course. Let's have it."

"Ex Nihilo Audeamus. And for less formal use, just Audeamus. It means 'Let us dare' - I thought it apt for the most powerful Titan, plus it just trips off the tongue nicely. And when combined with 'Ex Nihilo', which means 'from nothing', the full phrase becomes 'Let us venture forth from nothing'. Because that's pretty much what you TVs do when you teleport."

The Titan displays an ellipsis on its screen, indicating that it's deep in thought.

"…I approve," says the Titan. "If you're in a situation where it gets confusing to refer to multiple Titans, you may call me Audeamus. But I like it best of all when you call me your Titan, my engineer." The Titan pauses to stroke you with a finger, making you cluck delightedly. "And I do love how you call me 'boss'. That's your name for me and only yours."

"I love you, boss," you say as you hug the Titan's finger coming in to give you another stroke.

"And I love you, Phaeton," says the Titan. "Out of curiosity, did you think of names for my Titan comrades?"

"Actually, I did, but I don't expect to get the opportunity to ask them. Plus, I hardly know them, so they might not be interested in getting a nickname from me. Can I share my ideas with you?"

"Please do."

"For the Camera Titan, 'Hyperion Panoptes'. Hyperion means 'the one who comes first', and she was the first of the three. And Panoptes is 'all-seeing'. For the Sound Titan, 'Ruber Qui Loquitur'. It means 'the red one speaks'. A bit obvious, perhaps, but I think it has a nice cadence to it, and the Soundkind usually pick triparte names, so I'd like to think it fits."

"…Audeamus, Hyperion and Loquitur? Do you know, I think they might like that." The Titan twitches the blades at its back in approval. "…Now, I need to speak to my Engineer Prime. But give me some screen-rubs first." The Titan lifts you to its screen and clicks its speakers in pleasure while you rub that huge pane of static-y glass. "Dear Phaeton," says the Titan affectionately.

When the Titan is satisfied with having its screen petted, it sets you down on the walkway. "Sixty-Eight," asks the Titan of its Engineer Prime, "Might I give you a nickname?"

You think Sixty-Eight is both delighted by this proposal and taken aback. They'd said to you before that 'Sixty-Eight is a perfectly fine number' when the topic of nicknames came up in the past. Plus, you think Sixty-Eight and D67 the Scientist Prime rather enjoy the fact that their numbers are adjacent. (Maybe that's another reason D67 doesn't want to use their 'new' serial?)

The Titan wraps its hands around Sixty-Eight, playing with the Engineer's circular aerial with a fingertip - making Sixty-Eight squeak with pleasure and then immediately pretend they hadn't.

"Sixty-Eight…" begins the Titan. "You are my dearest friend, my favourite and best engineer, my most beloved…"

Sixty-Eight is gazing up at their Titan adoringly.

"No one knows me better than you, no-one loves me more…"

Your heart soars at hearing the Titan say that. You love the Titan so much - and it has someone who loves it even more. It deserves it.

"You were there to see me off in my old form - you comforted me and made me feel safe. I already knew then that there was no-one I'd rather have as my Engineer Prime…" The Titan strokes Sixty-Eight's head with a fingertip.

Sixty-Eight is trembling with joy.

"You were there when I was reborn as the Titan, and you looked after me and brought me into being…" The Titan brings its finger around to caress Sixty-Eight's screen.

Sixty-Eight grabs and hugs the Titan's finger instead, pressing themself into their dear Titan as hard as they can.

"You were there when I was at my lowest, and you healed me…"

You can hear Sixty-Eight's speakers purring from where you're standing.

"You brought my current form into existence, made me the most powerful, the most glorious, the most perfect…" The Titan wraps Sixty-Eight in both its hands and strokes Sixty-Eight with its thumbs.

Sixty-Eight is beside themself with joy.

"You are my friend, my confidant, my advocate, my protector, my healer, my creator. There is no-one that I hold in higher esteem. You are the highest upon high… Zenith."

Zenith. The highest point. The apex. The highest of the highest.

"Titan…" begins Sixty-Eight. "My dear Titan… I love it. I accept. Oh, thank you, my Titan." Sixty-Eight - Zenith - hugs the Titan's hand fiercely.

Cygnus can see how overjoyed you are at witnessing this, and hugs you so you can squeeze out your happiness into them before you end up overstimulated. Your friend gives you gentle scritches on the back of your head, and you bask in Cygnus's presence.

"Dear ones, my core chamber is open for the next few minutes," says the Titan. "We've time for a quick visit before we need to get back on schedule. And I'll need someone to take a look at my welds on my left screen." As it talks, the Titan begins ferrying its engineers into its core chamber for a quick break.

"You've time for a core snuggle club, haven't you, Cygnus?" you ask.

"But of course," says Cygnus with a beaming emoticon, and you both join the next batch of TVs getting a ride on the Titan's hands.

You and Cygnus enter the core chamber and join the engineers in a cuddle-pile. You find yourself sandwiched between Cygnus and Palindrome, one of the electrical engineers.

Zenith enters the core chamber and joins their deputy Engineer Twelve for a cuddle.

"Chief," you ask, "Can we call you by your new name, or is it only for the Titan?"

"It's for everyone," says Zenith. "I didn't think I cared for nicknames, but I love this one so much." (You hear the Titan purring its speakers in approval.)

"I have to return to work soon myself," Cygnus says to you. "But I'll be in my office, so you can come find me if you need porting back to Antlia-Four."

You'll have to go back at some point to get things to eat and to check on Seabrooks Canadian Ham. But for now, it's nice to be home.