Zzzt

System rebooting, please stand by...

Zzzt

P-p-p- plea-se Stand by...
Plz, plz, plz, plz, plz, p—p- l—S-s-stand-

Ztch

Byyyyyyyyyyyyeeeeeee....

Zch.

——-

[Socks' POV]

I was startled awake in a jolt

The world around me spun.

Things were swirling and splitting in two, blurring then readjusting, blurring and then readjusting again.
This repeating occurrence was as if it were some sort of sequence of ones and zeroes being replayed over and over again...

I had to move, had to reactivate

The first thing as any sensible program or living sentient would do, I have attempted to reach my hands out to grasp what I could make out,

literally

I felt my fists slowly uncurl as I then attempted to move my legs, even despite my vision refusing to cooperate with me at that exact moment.
I couldn't quite make out what was in my current area though however. I could feel my metallic structure touching against these strange thick long ropes that seemed to be attached to something I was unaware of.

No.

I paused for a moment.

I have miscalculated.

My hands and any form of movement halted to a sudden stop from a limitation by something that was holding me back. I stood there; processing...waiting...readjusting.

These looked more like...like...

I stared at the long gray things surrounding the area, my view starting to come back together as I was now able to see a much clearer picture, though still just slightly blurred.

They look like...

My head slowly swiveled around side to side curiously, blinking several times, eyes squinting, observing these disoriented large gray 'ropes'  around my area.

...They are all cords and wires

I could see all very clearly now: the dark grayish walls, the dimming of the faint yellow light across from where I stood, electrical cables and devices scattered neatly around the area amongst the walls, and these tangled...wires, cords, all dangling from the crooked ceiling intertwining to...

Me?

I was so observant with my current surroundings that I didn't process quickly enough to see the situation directly right in front of me. I jerked my left arm to my eye's viewpoint and recognized that there was this strange coloring on my skin as well, along with the cord attached to the back of my arm. Instead of the original metallic dull pinkish-gray, it was replaced with something much lighter, more...organic.

[error] [ error]

Whatever I have just processed into my system, it would not allow me to comprehend such things. Of course that shouldn't matter, it is not part of my code to question such silly little subjects such as this. After all, what is there to question when all the knowledge can be accessed through a digital storage system? But regardless of what I knew, it did still bothered me.

I then took this time to pause and listen carefully to the whirring sounds of low buzzing static droning into my ears. Sparks of small orange-yellow flame like electrons shot up from the corners of unstable cords or wires, coming dangerously close to zapping anyone who moved in particular. Trying to observe my surroundings, trying to see any signs of someone's presence around the room.

What have I been reactivated for?

According to the system, Mettanoids going through repair or reboot is always, and will always be greeted and be guided by a Repairer or someone who can be entitled as the 'technician' till fully readjusted to complete recovery.

I saw no guide, nor any technician.

None.

Just me.

Unsure of what to do, I have obliged myself to stay at the current location and position I was in till further given instructions from someone, anyone. Which...would've been far more easier if it wasn't for this strange sensation starting to creep from somewhere I couldn't depict inside me. 

Danger! Danger! Danger!

That's what that strange feeling seems to be echoing to me, but it was more nonverbal and uncalled for. Suddenly, I felt myself glancing back to see a small thin cord attached to right about the back of my neck. It didn't bother my conscience as much as it should but it surely triggered the strange sensation somehow. Suddenly, it is as if my senses gotten heavily enhanced, alerted at that exact moment but due to something I couldn't quite process, something I couldn't fully understand.
Because the next thing I knew, no matter my attempts of protests to process and analyze the situation before any possible sudden movements, my hands just grabbed the edge of the thin cord and yanked it out, followed by another cord being pulled out from the back of my arms, limbs...till eventually I was practically freed of these rubber 'restraints', each detached cords hitting against the cool rusty floor with barely faint audible thuds.

But it didn't stop there

Without even a second thought or warning, I felt myself shuddering at the sight of the area's surroundings. Perhaps it was the way the cords were attached to me earlier? Or was it how dark the room was? Or how empty and alone this place seemed? I'm not too sure about it myself. But whatever this sensation was doing, it was like immobilizing my other wanted and well calculated movements, and seemingly the only way to be freed from it was to kick the cords away and run out to the door just right to the side of the room and run till I couldn't anymore...running towards an exit, to find a sense of secure and safety.

And that's exactly what I did.

I broke into a run and pushed down the door, the rough metal door breaking way easily and making a loud clattering bang once hitting the floor. Stepping over the now fallen object and nearly tripping from the scattered wires and cords along the way, out to the rusted seemingly empty and dark echoing hallway.
This strange sensation was like controlling me. I was fully aware that what I was current doing is absolutely foolish and completely insensible. But it's like I couldn't stop till I listened to what this sensation was guiding me to. I started to jog, then turned to a quick pace, then breaking into a fast sprint in the hallow hallway.
This terrible occurrence made my breaths come out quicker, taking in large gulps of that thick suffocating air as my legs subconsciously forced me into this long run. But at the same time, I felt somewhat stiff, paralyzed. But I kept going and going, this alarming sensation controlling every bit of my movements and a portion of my thoughts, defying my principles in staying calm and collected as much as possible.

Wait a moment...air?

As I ran, even though I was starting to feel the energy replenishing on me, my hand felt against my face to see that my half gas mask, if I can remember from the memory recovery files correctly, was supposed to always be equipped on me at all times, was now absent.

My system should be shutting down by now, but it's not.

Mettanoids were not required to breathe in O2 or so called oxygen due to the air being so heavily toxic. So instead, we rely on 'clean' carbon for our now or so involved 'respiratory system' fit for the current environment around us. So why am I breathing into O2 now?

Why?

Why?

It felt like my hard drive was going to override and explode, this had to be just some sort of broken sequence of codes coming into my brain and body processes at an unsteady and sloppy pace.

Why couldn't this stop? Why does it feel like I absolutely have no control?

My mind raced till I eventually came to an utter halt, leaning down as I placed both hands on my knees, breathing in and out, in and out again at a quickening pace. Forms of thick sticky droplets of liquid formed around my forehead. There was also this twist of another new sensation, but it was far more agonizing than the first, just coming from around the center of my upper right rib cage and near where my lungs are supposed to be. My teeth clenched as my hands curled into tight fists.

What was happening? Is this a malfunction?

So many questions, yet in no condition to process logically or to answer any of them. I was acting and thinking like a damaged machine, unable to process or do anything correctly according to code. As I finally slowly took the effort to crank my head back up, my head slightly and heavily bopping up and down as I continued to breathe, chest rising and falling, I then came to notice a strange small yellow dotted light across from where I stood, blinking faintly and delicately in the distance.
My eye lens adjusted and refocused towards that exact target, acting as a microscope, allowing my vision to veer closely from a further distance away to see what this strange light was. Turns out, the light was located at the very end of the hallway wall, there were streaks of cracks emitting from what I processed as a medium sized punctured hole on the wall, the exact strange light pouring in from the small exposure.

Then there was this other strange sensation, though this felt more different. More friendlier than the first two. I couldn't fathom what I was experiencing at this moment but this third sensation, fluttered inside me as the world seemed to have become lighter? Brighter? More lifted? Well this sensation wasn't really saying anything with real words of course but that's what it seems to be trying to tell me. And it was encouraging me to keep going and moving, trying to indicate to me that great things will come ahead, it's just right there. Close. So very close. An exit, escape.
What I still didn't understand was why the sudden change once seeing that light peeking from the hole? I'm probably just a mindless drone at this point, no answers, no sense of what I was doing or of my purpose, just following whatever these strange and nonverbal sensations led me to (most likely towards a trap I had no control over). But these sensations were trying to tell me something I couldn't make sense of without words, I wanted to go against it but these sensations were much more stronger than my own mind.
I started to pick up the pace once again and ran towards that light, to the end of the darkening hallway

Light

The light

Always the light.

Running towards it blindly.

With no doubt, I was a broken and loss machine.

—————————-
Author's note:

Hi there, this is Squishy here and again, I do not expect anyone to read any of this because you know, it's just a bunch of words.

But, to those who did take the time and effort to read the writing, thank you. I have been suppressing my writing motivation for a while now and I'm glad to have managed to let it out all thanks to you guys.

Imperfections is a story I actually have some plans on, I just never bothered to share it before. But now with the amazing and kind support from so many people, I think I can try to continue this story using complete confidence and passion.

Though I still do not expect this story to update often, I shall only write when I'm willing to and for fun. Art is still something I must work on prioritizing after all *cough* *cough* Candy AU *cough* *cough*

Anyways, have a wonderful day to you all readers out there, you've all made my day a bit better for being here. And I hope you have enjoyed reading this as much as I did, even if it may not all be perfect and great like many of the great stories with experiences writers out there in this platform.

See you all soon.