Feels like going backwards

You make it back to base camp to find Emalie sitting on the desk, waiting. She looks up and looks you over, smiling and giving you a nod.

"Nice, Shiv, very nice."

"Thank you?" You're not quite sure what she's referring to. Then it hits you.

"Rocking that teal-ness. Don't want to sound like an ass but, like, I'm going to anyway! What was it like?"

"Very hot."

"Very hot?"

"Yes."

"Not how'd I'd describe doing it after, like, a billion years of googly eyes, but I respect your boundary."

That's nice. It's a little morbid how she wants the intimate details of almost burning alive, but some people can't look away as a house burns down. Gruesome to behold, but in awe of the shee- hold up.

"Wait, no! No, uh- it's not what it looks like! He only took off my clothes when I couldn't put out the fire myself! We- I- there was this stool and when he leaned in, everything was burning!"

Emalie is just smiling, nodding, going, "Niiiiice."

"My body was on fire- No! It wasn't like that!"

"Sure, you sly fox, you."

"It really wasn't," you insist feeling frustration rising, you want to stomp the floor. Instead you shout exasperated, "Nothing happened!"

"Why are you yelling?" Mute asks, rolling the stool into the room, only wearing his cat boxers.

"Shiv was just sharing some juicy details of your," Emaile doesn't finish her sentence, but gives a full-face wink and a loud click of the mouth.

You think Mute's blushing as he fixes the misunderstanding, "Uh, we didn't do anything. This thing lit on fire and burned almost everything in the room."

Looking like she's just saw someone melted by wolves, Emalie bounces of the desk and runs over, enveloping you in a hug.

"Gosh, Shiv! I'm so sorry! Like, I'm so, so sorry," she rambles apologetically as you let her crush you. "Seriously, like, I'm so sorry!"

With a face-full of hair you spit, "It's fine. I'm fine," still not quite sure why she's sorry.

"What happened?" Jorrel asks, as a sack of coffee drops on the floor.

Emalie exclaims, "They were on fire!" Still crushing you.

"Christ. I was wondering where your clothes had gone, but since you'd been with Mute I just kinda assumed... and stayed quiet." Jorrel looks to Mute and asks, "Shouldn't you have, you know," he gestures his entire body, "burns everywhere?"

Mute, confounding, looks at you. You look at him. Emalie let's go and looks at both of you.

"Ancient man?" Mute proposes confused.

Jorrel is right. You should still have burns all over your body. You don't. You're pretty good at denying reality at every turn, but even you wouldn't be able to deny a third degree burn.

"I mean... what else could it be?" You say. "Maybe the robot only burns clothes?"

Mute shakes his head, "No, remember the desk?"

Jorrel and Emalie gathers around Mute and his stool. You join them, forming a weak circle around the thing. Jorrel and Mute make a a series of HMMM noises, trying to out wonder each other.

"Would you guys shut the frick up?" Emalie snaps. They both do. Then she turn to you, "Shiv, you think you can, like, turn it on or something?"

"Maybe," you reply and crouch down. "Huh, it's saying something else now."

Mute motions for you to go on.

"It's a tiny animation. Couple of dots forming a row the, 'Boot 100% awaiting activation phrase."

"Same as with Robbington," Jorrel says excitedly. "Think the same phrase works?"

The group stands in silence for a while, collectively handing the stool a staring beatdown.

"Way I see it," Jorrel continues, "We can turn it on here or bring it back to Shiv's workshop and turn it on there." Jorrel looks to the group. A little more at Mute than the rest of you.

You say, "It might only work here. Some bots are bound to the building we've found them. So it's always a gamble. On the other hand, I got all tools and restraints there."

"Right," Emalie acknowledges, "Since it's a fire-starter, it might try to violently **** us when we turn it on. But it might be better taking it on here, rather than not at all."

Jorrel thinks. "Right. I need to talk out loud for a moment, stay with me."