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Description

“Ļ̧ig̕h̸t'̡́s̡ ou̕̕t, p͠͠͠u̢̧p͜͡p̕e̵̕t.”
That command – Why was it so – ?
Google froze, his half-formed thought stalling with him. Errors scrolled behind his eyes at top speed, his vision filled with blinding static and he exhaled harshly, fury and fear bleeding through his internals. Gears in his shoulders chittered violently in an effort to make a move – any move.
“ Mųch.̶.͝.̸to̷o.́.̨.̢e̛a̢sy̛,” the voice just behind his ear chuckled ruefully. Google could have sworn he felt a hand press against his back, as if in sympathy, but just as quickly the pressure was gone, leaving his sensory net tingling. “ Ýo͏ư're̸ ͜j͜u͟st͏ a̡n̵y͜one'̛s ͡pup͟p̡et͟, ͜are̕n̵'͘t ̧y͜ou? A͟n͟y͢ǫn͏e̴ ̴who k͢ņows̕ ho̡w to giv̢e҉ o̕rd͞ér͞s̡.͡ ”
Google made a half-formed noise of protest, his entire frame rattling with the effort to re-sync, to turn and face his enemy. The faceless one spoke up again as his cold fingers made another brief connection with the android – this time at the base of his neck.
“Wh̕a̶t̴'͜s ͘y̨o̧uŕ ̶pur͏po͝s҉e?”
Programming took over, the emblem on his chest flickering and sputtering like a jostled candle. “Pri – Primary objective,” Google answered falteringly, fighting every word, “is to answer questions as quickly as possible.”
“N̴ot͟ ͘ąny҉m͝or̨e.͏ ͠Y̸our͞ pr͠i̡m͏ar̢y̢ obj̵e̡c̴t͡iv͡e…” The voice trailed off, but Google was more preoccupied with what those icy hands were doing. Both of them were at the base of his neck now, pressing into it, feeling the artificial muscle and bone underneath the skin. A moment later, all of Google’s systems seized with a fierce lance of pain and he couldn’t manage anything but a high-pitched yelp, like a dog that had been kicked. As coolant began trailing down his spine and the fingers slipped into his circuitry, Google’s cry dissolved into a low, strangled whine.
This wasn’t right, he realized as his processor abruptly started to lag. This – what was this? Where was he trying to go? This… His body eased into a more relaxed stance of its own accord. Somewhere amidst the throbbing pain, he registered the satisfied exclamation of the one behind him.
“ Yo̷u͢r͏ pri͟ma͘r͢y o͞b̕je̸ctive͡.̕.͞.͡ “ he concluded, his breath harsh against Google’s exposed circuitry, “ .͡..i͟s ̧t͜o͠ ̨ans͞w̵e͘r to͞ ͠me. You͟ ẃo̢n'̶t̕ reme͘m͏b̴e͜r ͞th͠i̶s c̀ǫnv҉ȩrs͞a͢t̡ío̷n̡. – i̧n f̕ac͏t̡, ͟yo͝u'͘ll be ̶lucky͞ i͏f y̶ou reme͏m͢b͏e̶r̷ your ͡o̕wń na̶m͜e.̀ Į’m ́n͏o̕t ̛exact͡ly̡ ҉de̛l̶ica͢t̡e! But̀ ̧w̶h͝a͠t ̛y͏o̧u̡ w̕i̢l͝l ͟r̶e͝m̶em̛ber̀, ̷p҉u͠p̡p̴e̷t̸,͡ is ̕t̷hìs: y̸ǫu'͏re b̴ei͝ng̕ ͜uséd, a͢n̴d́ I'͡m g̕oing to̢ e͠nj̧o͡y i͜ţ.̛ ”
Google hardly had time to process these words before another burst of static made him stiffen, twitching defectively as some kind of malfunction swept through his most recent minidump memory files. His mind hazed over, his eyes fell closed and his head lolled toward his chest.
When he lifted it again, he was standing alone, unsure why he was trembling or why he had coolant dripping down his back.

Description

“Ļ̧ig̕h̸t'̡́s̡ ou̕̕t, p͠͠͠u̢̧p͜͡p̕e̵̕t.”
That command – Why was it so – ?
Google froze, his half-formed thought stalling with him. Errors scrolled behind his eyes at top speed, his vision filled with blinding static and he exhaled harshly, fury and fear bleeding through his internals. Gears in his shoulders chittered violently in an effort to make a move – any move.
“ Mųch.̶.͝.̸to̷o.́.̨.̢e̛a̢sy̛,” the voice just behind his ear chuckled ruefully. Google could have sworn he felt a hand press against his back, as if in sympathy, but just as quickly the pressure was gone, leaving his sensory net tingling. “ Ýo͏ư're̸ ͜j͜u͟st͏ a̡n̵y͜one'̛s ͡pup͟p̡et͟, ͜are̕n̵'͘t ̧y͜ou? A͟n͟y͢ǫn͏e̴ ̴who k͢ņows̕ ho̡w to giv̢e҉ o̕rd͞ér͞s̡.͡ ”
Google made a half-formed noise of protest, his entire frame rattling with the effort to re-sync, to turn and face his enemy. The faceless one spoke up again as his cold fingers made another brief connection with the android – this time at the base of his neck.
“Wh̕a̶t̴'͜s ͘y̨o̧uŕ ̶pur͏po͝s҉e?”
Programming took over, the emblem on his chest flickering and sputtering like a jostled candle. “Pri – Primary objective,” Google answered falteringly, fighting every word, “is to answer questions as quickly as possible.”
“N̴ot͟ ͘ąny҉m͝or̨e.͏ ͠Y̸our͞ pr͠i̡m͏ar̢y̢ obj̵e̡c̴t͡iv͡e…” The voice trailed off, but Google was more preoccupied with what those icy hands were doing. Both of them were at the base of his neck now, pressing into it, feeling the artificial muscle and bone underneath the skin. A moment later, all of Google’s systems seized with a fierce lance of pain and he couldn’t manage anything but a high-pitched yelp, like a dog that had been kicked. As coolant began trailing down his spine and the fingers slipped into his circuitry, Google’s cry dissolved into a low, strangled whine.
This wasn’t right, he realized as his processor abruptly started to lag. This – what was this? Where was he trying to go? This… His body eased into a more relaxed stance of its own accord. Somewhere amidst the throbbing pain, he registered the satisfied exclamation of the one behind him.
“ Yo̷u͢r͏ pri͟ma͘r͢y o͞b̕je̸ctive͡.̕.͞.͡ “ he concluded, his breath harsh against Google’s exposed circuitry, “ .͡..i͟s ̧t͜o͠ ̨ans͞w̵e͘r to͞ ͠me. You͟ ẃo̢n'̶t̕ reme͘m͏b̴e͜r ͞th͠i̶s c̀ǫnv҉ȩrs͞a͢t̡ío̷n̡. – i̧n f̕ac͏t̡, ͟yo͝u'͘ll be ̶lucky͞ i͏f y̶ou reme͏m͢b͏e̶r̷ your ͡o̕wń na̶m͜e.̀ Į’m ́n͏o̕t ̛exact͡ly̡ ҉de̛l̶ica͢t̡e! But̀ ̧w̶h͝a͠t ̛y͏o̧u̡ w̕i̢l͝l ͟r̶e͝m̶em̛ber̀, ̷p҉u͠p̡p̴e̷t̸,͡ is ̕t̷hìs: y̸ǫu'͏re b̴ei͝ng̕ ͜uséd, a͢n̴d́ I'͡m g̕oing to̢ e͠nj̧o͡y i͜ţ.̛ ”
Google hardly had time to process these words before another burst of static made him stiffen, twitching defectively as some kind of malfunction swept through his most recent minidump memory files. His mind hazed over, his eyes fell closed and his head lolled toward his chest.
When he lifted it again, he was standing alone, unsure why he was trembling or why he had coolant dripping down his back.