Giantess World
Author's Chapter Notes:
I have no idea what to put in here this time – I already used nothing in ch11, so it wouldn't be original...
Nicole could barely sleep through the night. She was thinking how to convince Amber she is still her friend. Maybe she could comfort her that Kate seemed ready to reconcile? But she wasn't sure if Amber was worried about that at all... Did she hate Nicole for going against her during that discussion? She tried to recall the events of the last couple days... they did not meet or talk at all after the parties. Before coming with Kate, Amber seemed worried about the population drop in her zones. What if Nicole could help her with that?
The problem is that she does not know anything about training micros. They seemed to be doing fine with Nicole mostly ignoring them, at least as long as they provided her with what she wanted. The only real insight she has are Lauren's explanations... But they seemed already helpful. The micros in her zones seemed somewhat thankful and more eager to do anything she did not care about that, but what if she could inspire the ones in Amber zones to act similarly? Perhaps they would stop killing themselves?
She seemed very angry at Nicole after their discussion.. maybe she should wait a couple days? Time always helps with that. But what if Amber can figure out the problem with her micros in her own? If she haven't already... Nicole suggested everything that she would do.. Well, she did not really think it would help at the time... but even if it didn't help, Nicole would look nice and helpful. Especially if she doesn't want anything in return, just a little selfless advice. At least for some time that is friends help each other after all, so she could expect Amber to help her when she will need it.
Nicole hasn't figured out how to repay Erica for what she did to her but she will need all the help she can get. She can count on Kate, as long as she does not push too hard but little favors should be enough for now. Yes, Nicole needs to try helping Amber to make sure they are still friends. Especially after how she was rejected yesterday...
But she needs to prepare for this. It is good it's still early, hopefully she will have enough time before Amber wakes up and yes, wristcom shows she is still in the facility, most likely asleep. So Nicole goes to her biggest zone to request a communication kit with two headphones and a team to investigate problems in some other zone on standby so they will both be able to listen to whatever micros have to say.
If she only knew how to fix a zone.. it's too early to ask any firsts and even then they wouldn't give her anything useful... Besides, Nicole does not want to be indebted. No, she will figure it out perhaps together with Amber? Even if it does not work, if the situation there is really that bad, maybe her micros will see how good she is for them and stop bitching and complaining if she returns them back...
But when micros confirm that the requested items will be ready on time, she needs to make sure she incidentally meets Amber eating breakfast. It will not work if she takes it to her room or one of the zones, the only chance is if she will be eating in cafeteria. Of course Nicole cannot just sit there for hours others would notice and ask inconvenient questions.
But Nicole knows how to deal with this she needs to keep going there and making breakfast every ten minutes or so. If Amber is not there, she will take it out and throw out when nobody is looking otherwise just sit in with her friend. Fortunately the cafeteria has three entrances and Nicole can take a route from her quarters that will make it very unlikely to meet anybody on her rounds especially Amber, it may look awkward if she wanted to talk with her on the way back. A random meeting during breakfast should be okay.
It takes fourteen attempts to find Amber she must have slept a long time.. or was she thinking as well? When she can see her in the cafeteria around nine, Nicole says hi but receives no reply. It does not matter like every day Nicole approaches the assembler and programs breakfast: daily ration and one hydration kit. Like many others, she prefers the kit over water since she does not need to bother with urinating for the entire day or even longer it not only hydrates her, but also somehow assures more efficient fluid management in the body. Rachel told them about that in the school also explaining the side effects of its long term usage, but Nicole wasn't really listening... others were using it so she followed and it was nothing medbeds couldn't fix.
Waiting for the products, she casually looks around Alisa is also there, alone.. Nicole must remember to figure out if she feels rejected by the other thirds it would make her vulnerable for manipulation. But her main concern now is Amber and she is sitting in a corner, looking into her partially consumed ration. Good, no reason to make haste then.
Nicole sits on the other side of the Amber's table there are two dozens of other tables, but they used to eat together so it would not surprise anybody. Besides, there is plenty of room each table is made for ten people or more. While Nicole starts slowly eating, Alisa finishes hers on the other side of the room and leaves now the two seconds can talk alone. Nicole is unsure if she should start the conversation somehow, but Amber quietly murmurs:
That stupid bitch... - Nicole is not sure if she heard that right and if so, who would she refer to...
I'm sorry? - she asks trying not to sound worried.
Nothing - Amber answers barely louder. She must be really angry at Nicole. Was it a good idea to talk with her? Maybe waiting a day or two would be better.. but since they are both here, Nicole can try to fix their friendship...
So.. are your zones any better?
Silence Amber is not even trying to eat, just moving the remaining paste around the flat plastic container. Should Nicole insist on talking or eat quickly and leave her to think? But before she can decide, Amber answers with sad voice:
One is still dying, down to three and a half million this morning... - so that is the reason why Amber is here so late. She must be simply worried about the micros killing themselves the way seems clear for Nicole to offer help.
I'm sorry to hear that.. Have you tried talking to the micros? - silence - You know, maybe we could try that together? My mother seems to have trained most of my zones already and I could get some micros to see whats wrong...
Amber takes her eyes off the food and looks at her. She does not seem angry nor especially interested... just, looks at Nicole in silence for a moment and answers calmly: Yeah, that might help.
She definitely seems troubled and Nicole needs to find out what is the problem. Maybe if they fix that zone, Amber will tell her?
So.. lets meet up in an hour, okay? - Nicole will not need that long, but it may seem deliberate if she was ready now.
Fine - this was not Amber she talked with yesterday.. back when she came to Nicole alone, it seemed any ideas of how to help her micros should inspire her for action and now she was just.. fine with it? But Nicole focuses on finishing her food get the kit and her micros they should be ready by now, but she learned not to take chances...
So after a couple minutes of eating in silence, she leaves at least Amber replies to her see ya and Nicole goes back to her zone. She is happy to find that the micros are waiting and the kit is fixed up with a second headphone, but decides to wait at least twenty minutes. Contacting Amber any sooner would seem suspicious.
Nicole grabs the communicator, a mini-transporter with couple dozen of her micros and mesgs Amber that she already has nothing to do and can join her. She receives coords to the zone and promptly teleports there. Amber is lying down next to a big town she seems to be playing with it, crushing some houses with a finger and pushing things around while Nicole approaches her.
Shouldn't you be trying to figure out what is wrong with it? - she asks Amber.
Oh, I was just bored and wanted to have some fun.. it's not like many micros died anyway...
While crouching down, Nicole tries to survey the situation. Well, that certainly wasn't good she thinks - but lets see what the micros have to say before giving any suggestions... - and speaks:
Maybe you could stop that while try to talk to them first.
Okay, whatever - at least she is not as passive as during breakfast, which means she should be happy when they figure it out.
Nicole lays down on some plants and farms trying not to damage the buildings, places the control structure between her and Amber who seems to withdraw a bit, but Nicole hands her a headphone while telling her:
Here, wear this - was Amber ever using headphones to talk with micros? - Be careful, the wire is only about a feet and a half long, you may need to lean forward actually. And it's delicate, don't squeeze it or jerk too hard - Nicole gets an annoyed look of her friend, but Amber does what she is asked. Nicole turns towards the half inch control station which apparently powers the headphones and provides micros with communication capabilities:
Alright guys, go out to ask what is wrong.
Yes, my goddess - comes a response from the headphone.
Oh... - she can hear Amber's voice. She is definitely surprised... but she had to see those things in some firsts zones and such was she never interested about the micros lives at all? Has Amber only wanted to have fun with them? Nicole starts to suspect what the problem might be...
But her team leaves the station and continues to give them some remarks on the rather poor state everything is in as the approach the towns damaged roads, crashed and left cars, burnt houses.. they even comment it seems like nobody was here in months - Gee Amber, five days, really? - thinks Nicole.
Her team continues - I think I can see some survivors in one house, we will try to question them about... - she can hear some noises from the headphone - They are shooting at us!
Nicole does not understand what they mean by that, but figures they were suddenly scared by something having do to with the local micros maybe it wasn't Amber's fault after all?
She lightly taps her fingers next to the town - Please behave down there, they are here to help you, a small reprimand usually helped with her micros.
After some commotion she can hear her team through the headphones - Thank you, my goddess they seem to have stopped, we'll try to contact them again - Nicole has no idea why they often call her that or even what it means, can't they use her name or something? Whatever, as long as they do what they're told.
Eventually they are able to question the locals and a couple minutes later they explain how it seems there is no disease or wars in here the potential problems Nicole suggested them while preparing for the expedition just.. the people do not see much point in trying to rebuild, are all afraid for their lives and even many of them prefer to die on their own terms. The locals testified that it is happening all over the zone. Nicole may not know what it means, but she thinks she already understands the general idea of what is going on.
I don't get it. I told them not to die so many times now - Amber says after being silent for the whole time.
Amber, we need to talk. Can you meet me outside in five?
But aren't we supposed to fix...
Please? - Nicole adds.
Fine, but I still don't get it - Amber gives up. Nicole can only think: Of course you don't... - but waits for her team to get back to the transporter she moved a bit closer to them. When they are aboard it, she stands up, carefully picking up her equipment and prepares to leave. Amber agrees to meet in Nicole's room in a couple minutes.
While returning the team to her zone, she casually mentions something about that crazy Amber - she even heard some firsts are doing this to keep the morale high. April and Christina even set up some small zones, terrorized the population and then got a couple expeditions from other caretakers zones to show that it could be worse, that their owners aren't that bad. They started exchanging the favor between themselves, but eventually others signed up as well. The problem was that after a couple visits, the local fuckers seemed to figure out that something was wrong and they had to terrify some new zones to keep the story believable. Well, it seems the genuine work of Amber has shown her team it can be much, much worse... They should stop complaining for some time now.
When Nicole teleports back to the facility and walks to her quarters, Amber is already there, standing by the door. Great, it seems whatever bothered her yesterday, was not about Nicole or she already forgot about it.
Come in - Nicole invites her as she enters her room and sits down on the bed. This is probably going to take some time... Look, I can imagine you only want to have some fun with the micros, but.. you cannot be so obvious about it you have to at least suggest them that things will be okay and try not to kill too many of them on purpose...
But this sounds like one of Rachel's ideas! - Amber interrupts her surprised.
Well, it is true, at first glance... No, it's not like that Rachel wanted everyone to stop killing micros entirely... Look, maybe I should explain you what my mother told me when I was little - supporting herself with Erica's authority always works.
So Nicole starts explaining how she used to play and kill micros in her mother's zones as well, but when she was about twelve, Erica became annoyed with that and began telling her that she needs to be more careful or else they will stop servicing them or even that there will no longer be any of them left it seemed crazy at the time, but when she threatened taking the zones away from Nicole and actually removed access for a few.. she had to behave. At first she did it out of fear, but later she also noticed that you can get much more from micros if you are careful and the visit to Lauren's salon has only confirmed that.
So you are saying that I need to be careful and stop killing them? That is not what the firsts are doing... - Amber inquires.
Well, I am not sure if they were taught anything, but you know how they have some zones that they very carefully manage? - it is true, even the oath of good behavior isn't enough to get Andrea, Jolene or Kimberly to let anybody into one of their source zones, as they call it - And they only have fun in much smaller, already damaged places?
Amber seems to consider it for a couple minutes obviously she did not think about it in this way. Well, it wasn't obvious, especially after almost two decades of carelessness... but they are adults now and they need to be responsible. If Nicole handles this correctly, Amber should be grateful and even trust her for a long time.
Look - Nicole continues - it's not easy and I had no idea the micros would go as far as killing themselves, but you need to be more careful about how you talk and act next to them. She thinks how she can explain it more clearly she never thought about it really.. just did what her mother ordered her to. And Erica was obviously worried about her own zones - Remember how the firsts had problems with their own zones after their graduations as well? They played carelessly and ended up losing most of their micros, before they learned...
Alright, I get it I have to love them or else they will die.
I wouldn't go that far, that would be something Rachel would say... - they both let out a laugh - But seriously, if they lose all hope that they may be okay, the entire zone can turn bad.
Makes sense - Amber replies, but.. does it? Nicole is still unsure if that is the real reason for the problems, but the Lauren's words combined with what her team found out strongly suggests it... - But how do I fix it them? - Amber adds.
I haven't got a clue I never heard anybody fixing a zone in that bad situation... You already lost over two million micros there?
Yes.. almost half of the population... It seems like it really is hopeless should I move the remaining ones to the other zone?
No, no... - Nicole tries to correct her, Amber really has no clue what she is doing... - if you do that, they will tell the other micros what awaits them and the new zone may also turn bad.
So.. you're telling me that I cannot save them in any way? Like they were contagious? - now that Amber mentions it, Nicole realizes she never thought about it in this way Rachel told them the basics on diseases and how they should look out for them in any zones they enter. She explained it was easy to help cure the people, but... if only they paid more attention!
It's not that bad you still have the other zone right? I hope it is still doing pretty well?
I suppose... - Amber confirms half-hearted.
You should talk with them, make sure everything is okay and maybe offer some help it seems to cheer up micros in my zones a lot - Nicole tries to share hints, but Amber still seems worried, so she adds - What's wrong?
Nothing.. I'm just thinking how can I have fun with them now, it may turn bad like the first one...
That's easy Nicole explains her how she sneaks some of them out without disturbing the rest, she actually started doing that back when she was much younger Erica never asked her not to kill micros, just try not to show it to the rest.
Hey, that's pretty neat - Amber looks already happier - and the micros never realized what you're actually doing?
They haven't so far but you have to keep an eye on the population count, let them rebuild you know...
Of course.. well, I wish I knew all this when I got my zones - Amber regrets.
Well, it could be worse.. remember how Jolene was left with no decent zone after a couple months? - it was pretty sad, she did not hold any parties and such - At least you have one very nice population there. I wish one of my zones was that large, you know... - at this point Nicole is certain they are not only still friends, but perhaps even better than ever.
They chatted about nothing in particular for twenty more minutes and finally parted ways Amber concluded that she should check that other zone and thanked Nicole for all the help, who until very recently did not realize she is actually doing something right with her micros...
Chapter End Notes:
Yes, publishing four chapters at once – not three, also five is not the number of chapters published today either – but four! If You have any comments regarding any particular one – place a review on it, You don't need to read them all first – it will help me understand what the remarks refer to.
As for Nicole's not realizing she is “doing something right” - it is entirely reasonable – since she isn't... well, at least she was better than Amber. Will they learn anything from it?
Otherwise – fairly simple chapter, but I hope it gives an idea on how little they know about the world and should make You really think how deep must have been Kate's realizations earlier – since she has no way of knowing much more than the other two...
Now only forty more and we should be done... No, wait, I wanted to write in the fortieth chapter that only fourteen more – that would certainly seem more reasonable. But! No harm done, I hope You aren't bored to death yet... there will be plenty of time for that later on!
As always – let me know what You think!
As for Nicole's not realizing she is “doing something right” - it is entirely reasonable – since she isn't... well, at least she was better than Amber. Will they learn anything from it?
Otherwise – fairly simple chapter, but I hope it gives an idea on how little they know about the world and should make You really think how deep must have been Kate's realizations earlier – since she has no way of knowing much more than the other two...
Now only forty more and we should be done... No, wait, I wanted to write in the fortieth chapter that only fourteen more – that would certainly seem more reasonable. But! No harm done, I hope You aren't bored to death yet... there will be plenty of time for that later on!
As always – let me know what You think!