The walls hummed faintly as cooling systems adjusted. Nikhil's personal unit was a mixture of raw tech and cozy chaos: wires snaked across the floor, holographic monitors flickered with shifting codes, and two servant-bots hovered near the kitchen, plating metallic rations. The air smelled faintly of oil and faint ozone, but also something… sweet.
Luna, still pink-faced from her earlier disaster, hurriedly pressed the glyph at her wrist. In a blink, her light purple biomechanical layer resealed over her body, fitting seamlessly like a second skin. The shame clung in her chest, but she pushed it down. Don't think about it. Don't think about it. Just focus on cake. Cake makes everything better.
Nikhil clapped his hands together, metallic echo mixing with flesh.
"Thoda relax karo. Rest. Eat your own food. Mera food mat khana — tumhare liye toxic hoga. Robots, serve!"
("Calm down a little. Take a rest. Eat your own food — mine would be toxic for you. Robots, serve!")
Two service droids glided over to him, setting down steaming bowls of glowing nutrient gel. Nikhil dug in without hesitation, slurping happily like a man who had long given up elegance.
Across the table, Luna tapped her wristwatch again. A soft hiss — chk-tss! — and two compact silver cubes slid out of a compartment. She placed them on the table. With a press, they unfolded like origami, revealing two delicate blueberry cakes, frosting catching the neon glow of the room.
Her heart lifted. "Yes! I saved them!" She clasped her hands together like a child with treasure. She picked one cake up, fork diving in, and the moment the cream touched her tongue, her whole body relaxed. The sweet tang melted, and her cheeks flushed faintly pink. She even let out a soft laugh, eyes sparkling. This… this is heaven. I could survive every mission if I had this.
Valerian, however, sat silently, his posture rigid, gaze fixed straight. His plate was empty.
Nikhil paused his eating and frowned, switching into Hindi.
"Arre, tum kuch kha rahe nahi. Bhookh nahi lagti kya?"
(Hey, you're not eating. Not hungry?)
Valerian answered evenly in English, though his tone carried weight. "I didn't carry food. Only my HD uniform. I was told to drink the Memorium liquid."
Nikhil nodded, tapping his cybernetic temple. "Haan… sahi. Memorium tumhe sharp rakhega. But raat ko. At nine pm, fix time. Tab lena. Timing important hai."
("Yeah… right. The Memorium will keep you sharp. But only at night — nine p.m., exactly. Take it then. The timing is important.")
Luna, who had been quietly licking frosting off her fork, blinked. Oh… so he really doesn't have anything… Her heart tugged. Without thinking twice, she slid the second cake across the table, her smile bright and warm.
"Here. You should eat."
Valerian turned his head toward her, his storm-grey eyes landing on her face. For one second—just one—he saw her clearly. The way her purple-tinged skin seemed to glow under the neon lights. The way her cheeks flushed from cake and nerves. The way her smile looked like it could melt the coldest void.
Something in his chest… shifted.
But his voice stayed cool. "You like cakes. So you eat."
Luna shook her head, her hand nudging the plate closer to him. "But… we're teammates." Her tone was so soft it almost cracked. Please… just this once. Don't push me away.
There was a pause. Valerian's jaw tightened, then, finally, he reached forward. His hand brushed the plate, his fingers brushing the fork she had held just moments ago. He lifted the cake slice with calm precision, and without a word, took a bite.
The cream spread across his tongue. Sweet. Light. Strange. Something alien to his disciplined life. His face didn't change—expression carved from stone—but inside, there was a flicker. So this is what she loves. Sweetness. Lightness. A taste of something… human.
Luna, watching with wide eyes, almost exploded inside. He ate it! He actually ate my cake! First time ever—he accepted something from me!
Her cheeks turned crimson, a tiny squeak of joy slipping out before she bit her lip to silence it.
Nikhil, of course, ruined the moment with a booming laugh.
"Arre wah! Ab samjha main. Thomas sahi tha. Tum dono teammate nahi ho. Couples ho. Girlfriend-boyfriend. Dekho, ek dusre ka cake share kar rahe ho!"
(Ah, now I see. Thomas was right. You two aren't teammates—you're a couple. Girlfriend-boyfriend. Look, sharing cake like lovers!)
Luna nearly choked, pounding her chest with her fist as she swallowed wrong. Her entire face burned redder than reactor fuel. She waved her hands. "N-no! It's not like that! We're just—"
Valerian's expression didn't flinch, but Luna caught it again—that same infuriating twitch at the corner of his lips. He was amused. He wouldn't admit it, but he was.
Inside, she screamed. He's enjoying this. He's laughing at me again! But—why does it make me so… happy?
Nikhil pointed at them with his fork, speaking half in Hindi, half in English.
"Bas bas. No argue. Mission ke liye tum couple ho. Toh ab couple ban jao. Samjhe? And relax. Mission tension alag hai. Pehle chip attachments karte hain."
("Enough, enough. No arguments. For this mission, you two are a couple — so start acting like one. Understood? And relax. The mission pressure is a separate thing. First, we'll attach the chips.")
He waved his cybernetic hand, and a panel in the wall hissed open, revealing a tray of microchips—tiny slivers glowing faint blue, suspended by magnetic fields.
"These chips," he explained, "essential. Memory enhancers. Reflex boosters. Identity stabilizers. You want to survive here, you need them. Main tum dono ke neural layers ke saath sync karunga."
("These chips," he explained, "are essential — memory enhancers, reflex boosters, identity stabilizers. If you want to survive here, you'll need them. I'll sync them with both of your neural layers.")
Luna swallowed, nerves bubbling up again. She glanced at Valerian, then at the chips. Another procedure… but after cake… after him eating from my cake… maybe I can be strong enough to handle it.
Valerian's gaze, steady as steel, met hers for half a second. She froze—heart pounding.
Nikhil clapped loudly. "Chalo. Time waste mat karo. Lovers later, mission now!"
(Come on, don't waste time. Lovers later — mission first!")
Luna buried her face in her hands with a groan. I swear, I'm never eating cake in front of these two ever again…
The air was colder here, drier, humming with electrical resonance. The walls shimmered faint neon veins of power, pulsing in sync with the rotating core in the center of the ceiling. Nikhil snapped his fingers, and three holographic screens burst into existence, each one projecting crystalline schematics of microchips enlarged tenfold.
The diagrams rotated slowly: circuits dancing like constellations, filaments interwoven like living veins. A faint digital hum vibrated in the air, the kind that sank into bones.
Nikhil pointed with his metallic index finger, voice smooth in rapid Hindi.
"Thomas ka data clear hai. Dono tum — close-range combat ke ustad. Weaponless mastery. Valerian, tum attack-type ho, silent, lethal. Aur Luna… tum versatile ho. Healing, long-range weapons, aur sab kuch. Pure balance. Perfect synergy."
("Thomas's data is clear. Both of you are masters of close-range combat — experts in weaponless fighting. Valerian, you're the assault type: silent and lethal. And Luna… you're the versatile one — healing, long-range arms, and everything in between. Pure balance. Perfect synergy.")
Luna perked up faintly at hearing her name, though she only understood half. She caught the words healing… long-range… versatile. It made her smile, though she quickly looked down. He's praising me… even if he doesn't mean it that way.
Valerian's gaze flicked to the rotating chips, storm-grey eyes narrowing, memorizing every detail. His voice was steady.
"What's the load distribution?"
Nikhil smirked. He loved serious ones. He swiped across the hologram, the chips' labels glowing.
"Dekho. These are the five core implants for survival in Mechatopia."
("Look. These are the five core implants required for survival in Mechatopia.")
"First chip — Assault Unit. Dmg amplification: +19%. In palms, gloves integration. Every strike, harder than steel."
"Second — Overdrive Unit. +14%. Arms only, boosts every motion, every push, every grapple."
"Third — Range Finder Unit. +15%. Synced with lungs and optics, stabilizes aim, reduces weapon drift. Long-range mastery enhanced."
"Fourth — Onslaught Unit. +19%. Elbows. Full integration in biomechanical layering's first mesh. In close combat, every elbow becomes a weapon."
"Fifth — Integrated Power Unit. +20%. Hands. Power flows first layer. Every grip, every block, amplified."
Each unit glowed as Nikhil called it out, the holographic hands rotating to show placements, beams mapping precisely onto nerve clusters and suit ports.
Luna bit her lip. All this… inside us? Attached to our bodies? She felt the faint weight of the biomechanical layering pressing against her skin. She remembered how fragile she felt earlier, when she had pulled it off by mistake. Will these chips… make me stronger? Or will they just remind me how weak I am next to him?
"Samjhe?" Nikhil clapped once, breaking her spiral.
Valerian gave a short nod. "Understood."
Luna quickly mimicked, cheeks red. "U-understood."
Nikhil gestured toward the twin recliner-beds at the center. They weren't ordinary beds—they were clinical, surgical, cradles built with nanofiber straps and docking rails. Above them, a lattice of mechanical arms hung like a spiderweb, each tipped with multi-tools glowing faint blue.
"Lie down. Dono. Abhi."
("Lie down. Both of you. Now.")
Valerian walked with measured precision, boots clicking against the steel floor. His expression never flickered, though his shoulders radiated composure that somehow filled the room.
Luna followed slower, clutching her chest faintly, trying to regulate her breathing. She stole a glance at Valerian's back. He's calm as always. Why can't I be like that? I'm shaking, and he's already ready to be turned into a weapon.
Both reclined. Instantly, nanofiber restraints slid over them—soft, but firm, locking their wrists, ankles, and torsos. Their suits pulsed faint light: Valerian's storm-blue streaking like lightning veins, Luna's lilac glow tinged with faint pink warmth.
The mechanical arms descended. Tiny lights on their tips scanned across Valerian's chest and arms, calibrating. Luna flinched as one hovered close to her temple, its whirring making her stomach knot.
Her eyes glowed faint lilac, and she whispered under her breath. Don't move. Don't embarrass yourself. You're S-rank. Remember that.
Valerian turned his head slightly, noticing the tremor in her breathing. His voice cut cold, steady.
"Stay still. It won't hurt if you don't resist."
Luna's heart skipped. His words weren't gentle, but they steadied her. She gripped the recliner edge, forcing her breaths even. He's… right. Always right. Why do I need him to tell me how to breathe?
The first chip lowered. A faint hiss. The Assault Unit aligned with Valerian's palm. In microseconds, the chip unfolded into filaments, threading into his glove, bonding seamlessly. A blue spark crackled across his hand, then vanished.
His stormy eyes never blinked.
Luna's turn. The second robotic arm descended toward her palm. She winced as it clicked into her glove. Thin lines shot across her suit like spiderwebs. The pulse was warm, not painful, but intimate—like something was crawling under her skin. Her breath hitched.
It's inside me… part of me now.
Nikhil's voice echoed. "Ho gaya. One done. Four more."
One by one, the chips integrated: arms, lungs, elbows, hands. Sparks of blue and pink streaked across their bodies, the biomechanical suits absorbing, then harmonizing.
Valerian's suit pulsed brighter, storm-blue veins glowing, storm in his eyes deepening. His breathing stayed level.
Luna's suit shimmered lilac-pink, glowing faintly like aurora. But her heart hammered, each chip sending a rush through her nerves. She bit her lip, cheeks red, trying not to make a sound. Why do I feel like this? Like my body is alive in ways I can't control…
Finally, the last chip integrated. The arms retracted, folding neatly back into the ceiling. The restraints loosened with a hiss.
Nikhil leaned back in his chair, grinning. "Perfect sync. Tum dono ab bas humans nahi. Close-range demi-weapons."
("Perfect sync. You two are no longer just human — you're close-range demi-weapons.")
Luna sat up slowly, touching her glowing hand. Her lilac pupils shimmered faintly. She whispered to herself, so soft only she could hear:
If only… I could sync my heart with him as easily as this tech.
Valerian flexed his fingers, watching blue sparks crackle briefly before fading. His face betrayed nothing. But in his mind, a flicker of thought passed: She's trembling less now. Stronger than she thinks.