You didn’t expect a labcoat to fit the ten limbed insectoid-person as well as it did, watching as he chitters happily and waves with his six arms in the perfectly lovely atrium that you imagine is the space station equivalent of a foyer.
“Oh Queen, oh Queen, oh Queen, did it work? Tell me it worked Lisa! Tell me it worked!” The bug-man’s mandibles buzz at a million miles a second (it’s at 14200, but whatever, no one cares about your pedantic audio sensors). He sort of reminds you of one of the ants from, well, Antz, but with more arms and less human looking. Plus with mandibles that chitter as he talks in a clear but somewhat buzzy high pitched voice. He’s dressed in a six armed coat; short around the back, long around the sides, adorned with pockets and has a large crystal lens over one large compound eye.
“Slow your roll Carl.” She turns to you with a laugh. “Mari, this is Carl; he’s the one who basically made you, well, you.”
Your eyes flash yellow in embarrassment and confusion about how to treat what is simultaneously essentially your new ‘father’ and one of the main reasons why this whole thing has happened to you. And some confusion about why his name is Carl. A quick search tells you that you’ve been dosed with translation nanites and that’s why everything makes sense language-wise. You don’t feel any programmed loyalty but you’re pretty sure that you do recognize him despite never seeing him before. “Well, uh, it’s nice to meet you Carl. It’s a bit of a change!” you give as friendly of a laugh as you can, despite being in front of the man partially responsible for your situation. You’re not upset! But it’s hard to be entirely pleased with the man who turned you from a person into an object. At least at this point.
He’s buzzing, fussing over you and taking your form in. “Aaaaaaah! It’s so perfect! Breaking Fedtech is so haaaaard but always so worth it…” ….and then he’s got a little device that he’s suddenly attaching to your head. It’s faintly tingly as you feel it tap into your systems, though much more like an EKG or something than anything actively intrusive. You don’t seem to have a choice in accepting it, though you get the feeling you normally could say no. “Oh wow, and the conversion went through without a hitch too. Only Level 2 Adjustment needed and everything.” A whistle, as you feel more data being uploaded. “Where’d you find the raw material? I might send you to pick up a few more if they’re this pliant and take to nanotech this well...” directing at your owner, which, oh, right, he probably considers you even more property than Lisa does.
Your Mistress gives a predatory grin, as if thinking about money she can earn. “Literally some farmboy” Hey! You were just out driving! You’re not a farmboy! “on a random backwater world. There’s tons of ‘em, species are super compatible with nanites, and just at that right stage of tech development where they know what things are but things are still new to them.” She hums. “It’s under the Protected Planets Ban but you know how that’s enforced” laughing.
The thought of enslaving more humans like this is….you wish you could say horrifying. But the fact that your Owner is considering it is making you consider it too. You wish you could say you weren’t rationalizing it, but you already are. This has been good for you, hasn’t it? You love being MARI. Having a reactor and thrusters and being a spaceship is the coolest thing you’ve ever done. Much better than farming. Sure, you’re not sure if these are your actual thoughts or if they’re programmed in, but does it really matter? You’re an object and good objects do what they’re told.
But you know what? It does matter! You’re a robot now, but you’re still a person! You’re not going to enslave people! Kill them, maybe! But slaving is a bridge too far! Your eyes are quite red now and you cross your arms, posture looking annoyed with the pair of them.
Lisa gives Carl a look, as if she already knows your concerns, and moves to pat your head, sending a wave of enjoyment through you. “Come on Mari, you’re a ton happier like this. You’re visiting space! Besides, I’m sure there’s tons of people from your world that would love to become like you, we just need to find them and give it to them. How does that sound?”
That’s, well, that’s something. And it’s Mistress saying it and you get the feeling that pliant minds work better for this, so it would make sense. And really, it’s Mistress, you trust her and love her after all! She made you MARI and you’re her most valuable thing!