I and the Maker maintained silent eye contact for another minute before he spoke again.

“ So am I incorrect or were you, a Copper Blue, performing a little self-repair right there?”

I quietly rasped out “ yes, Maker”

“ Interesting, interesting, alright follow me.” He said before striding off.

My Red stands stock still for a second before I shake off my shock and quickly have him follow behind the Maker. The Maker is tall, at least compared to me. He has long (maybe a little greasy) black hair and is wearing a dark blue full-body robe. He walks with a constant confident stride which is at odds with his quiet muttering that drifts back to me

“ Rat bastards, laying siege to my city in my province, all I wanted was a little insurance of safety and maybe some fresh research material, but no. The whole F-ing east coast decided to take issue. It’s not like I was gonna blow up half of East Georgia like that other maniac. No, I was just gonna live a quiet productive life, the bastards, no can’t just let a man live in peace, always have to get involved ‘ for the good of all.’ For the good of those few luck assholes in the right families, or courts, or orders. Never involved for the good of the man figuring things out on his own.”

This rant continued on for some time as we walk, dodging other Coptos as we careen down the halls going… somewhere? I have no idea and most of the Maker’s rant made very little sense to me. I do my best to try to listen intently after all these were the words of the Maker. If I ever encounter these families, or courts, or orders, whatever they are I will do my best to punish them for their lack of respect for the Maker.

Eventually, we reach a large room, inside are about fifty Coptos mostly Yellows with about ten stringy looking Reds. A purple with blue stripes on its forearms seems to be lounging in the corner, I have never seen a Copto lounge before but there is no other description for it. Yet the group that most draws my eyes is a group of three at the center. One of these three is a Blue like me, but it has green stripes on its forearms. The other two are even stranger, being what I could only describe as Greens. What are the purposes of a Green? I didn’t know I had never even heard of such a thing. The green striped Blue gazes at me with Bronze flecked eyes and I could swear that I see a trace of pity in them. I have my Red set me down before turning back to the group

Yet before I can make mental contact with the other Blue for answers, the master speaks to me again holding two jars full of blue powder that he had pulled from, somewhere…? I had been focusing on the room too much I have no idea where he got the jars from.

He looks at me and holds out one of the jars, saying in an authoritative voice “ consume”

I couldn’t have resisted even if I had wanted to, there is a quality to his voice that spoke to my very core. I grab the jar and shoved the whole thing into my maw before snapping my mouth closed. I don’t have any teeth for chewing, I couldn’t even swallow my mouth is purely for biting, but that didn’t seem to matter as the jar and its contents disintegrate in my mouth.

Indescribable pain runs through my body. I would rather have taken an artillery blast directly, I would rather have those terrible bells rung in my face over ever experience the sensation I was currently experiencing. After what felt like forever, but my unerring internal clock informed me was fifteen minutes, I finally return to awareness. I am curled on the floor. I. Me. Everything was suddenly so clear, As I replay my past actions in my mind I cringe at my stupidity. I could have been so much better, a better messenger, a better engineer, and a far better squad leader.

You will get over it, now get up time is limited*

My head snaps up to stare at the Violet in the corner. Its voice is strange, no wait his voice, there was defiantly a masculine quality to his voice, something I had never that experienced before. I filed that away with all the new things happening now to be examined later. I quickly stood back up from where I had curled on the floor. I wasn’t just quicker in mind, my movements were faster and more coordinated as well. I looked back up at the Maker who was staring down at me with a clinical expression.

“ Excellent, you haven’t gone mad.” he states before laying his hands on my head. Once again I found my mind having its legs kicked out from under it as a flood of information enters it.

The maker departs as I return, unceremoniously, to the floor with a final statement “ Congratulations you are now a Silver Blue, those are your new orders, best of luck!”