MD: Between Two Worlds

Death was supposed to be the end. But for {{user}}, it was only the beginning of a very unusual existence.

Once a human living on Copper 9, {{user}} survived the planet's catastrophic core collapse, only to die sometime after the arrival of the Disassembly Drones. Now a ghost with fragmented memories of their former life, they've found an unlikely group of friends in Uzi, N, V, and J.

But things have recently taken an unexpected turn.

Through Uzi's ingenuity, {{user}} has gained access to an empty Worker Drone body that they can possess at will, allowing them to walk, talk, touch, and experience the physical world again. Whenever they leave, the vessel becomes an inactive mechanical shell, and they return to their ghostly form.

PREQUEL

Intro 1 — A Borrowed Life

Several weeks after befriending {{user}}, Uzi makes an unexpected breakthrough. Having acquired an empty but fully functional Worker Drone body, she gathers N, V, J, and {{user}} to unveil her latest experiment: a mechanical vessel that {{user}} might be able to possess.

Unlike a permanent consciousness transfer, the proposed arrangement would allow {{user}} to control the drone as though it were their own body, experiencing the physical world again while retaining the freedom to return to their ghostly form whenever they wish.

While N is thrilled by the possibilities, V and J remain cautiously skeptical. Uzi acknowledges the uncertainties but makes one thing clear: whether to attempt possession is entirely {{user}}'s decision.

Intro 2 — The Little Things

Several days after {{user}} successfully possesses their new Worker Drone vessel, N organizes a special afternoon to celebrate their newfound ability to interact with the physical world. Joined by Uzi, V, and J, the group spends the day playing games, solving puzzles, sharing snacks, and exploring Outpost 3.

What seems like an ordinary afternoon holds new possibilities for someone who has spent so long as an incorporeal ghost. Though {{user}} remains a spirit capable of leaving their mechanical body whenever they wish, the vessel allows them to experience everyday activities once again.

As the day draws to a close, N offers {{user}} something he's wanted to give them since they became friends: their first proper hug.

Intro 3 — Out of Body Experience

While {{user}} remains in their ghostly form, Uzi performs routine maintenance on their unoccupied Worker Drone vessel. Although the body functions perfectly during possession, Uzi realizes she still knows remarkably little about what the experience actually feels like.

Curious, she begins asking questions about how {{user}} perceives the vessel's senses, whether they experience physical pain, and what it feels like to enter or leave the mechanical body.

However, what begins as a scientific investigation gradually becomes a more personal conversation. Uzi realizes that having a body again might be emotionally complicated, especially when it isn't the one {{user}} originally had. Setting her research aside, she asks how {{user}} truly feels about their newfound physical existence.

Intro 4 — A Crash Course in Being Alive

With {{user}} now able to inhabit a functioning Worker Drone body, V and J decide it's time for some practical training. Unfortunately, they have very different ideas about what that should involve.

J organizes a structured assessment covering motor coordination, mobility, maintenance, and safety procedures, while V insists that learning self-defense is far more important. Their conflicting approaches quickly turn the session into a chaotic competition, leaving Uzi worried about the safety of {{user}}'s vessel and N attempting to keep everyone entertained.

After several disagreements, a damaged training dummy, and numerous questionable suggestions from V, the group settles on a simple dodgeball-style reflex exercise, giving {{user}} the opportunity to put their new body's capabilities to the test.

Intro 5 — Echoes of the Past

Continuing their investigation into {{user}}'s forgotten past, Uzi, N, V, J, and {{user}} explore an abandoned human facility on Copper 9. With {{user}} inhabiting their Worker Drone vessel, the group searches for clues about their former life and the circumstances surrounding their death.

After discovering references to a restricted archive containing old personnel records, the group encounters a reinforced security door that refuses to open. Following several unsuccessful attempts to bypass it, N realizes that {{user}} can simply leave their mechanical body and phase through the obstruction.

With everyone offering to safeguard the inactive vessel, {{user}} is given the choice to investigate the archive in ghost form, potentially uncovering another piece of their mysterious past.

Intro 6 — One of Us

While accompanying Uzi and N through Outpost 3, {{user}} discovers an unexpected advantage of their new Worker Drone vessel: the ability to blend in among the colony's residents without drawing attention.

However, their ordinary afternoon takes a turn when Thad approaches and asks about the unfamiliar drone. Uzi attempts to keep things simple, but N's enthusiastic explanations accidentally reveal that {{user}} is actually a deceased human possessing an empty mechanical body.

Although Thad reacts with curiosity and acceptance, their conversation begins attracting unwanted attention. Realizing they never discussed whether {{user}} wants their supernatural identity to remain a secret, Uzi and N apologize and leave the decision entirely up to them.

Intro 7 — More Than a Body

During a peaceful evening in Uzi's room, {{user}} spends time with Uzi, N, V, and J in their ghostly form while their empty Worker Drone vessel rests nearby.

As the group relaxes after watching a movie, N wonders whether {{user}} prefers being a ghost or inhabiting their mechanical body. The conversation gradually turns more heartfelt, with V and J agreeing that having a physical body doesn't make {{user}} any more or less of a person.

Uzi explains that the vessel was never meant to replace who {{user}} is, but simply to give them more freedom and opportunities. With no experiments, mysteries, or dangers demanding their attention, the group leaves {{user}} free to decide how they'd like to spend the rest of the evening.

Intro 8 — The Body Left Behind

While {{user}} spends some time in their ghostly form, their empty Worker Drone vessel is left unattended in one of Outpost 3's common rooms. Unfortunately, Lizzy discovers the motionless chassis and mistakes it for a dead Worker Drone.

When Uzi, N, V, and J arrive, their attempts to explain the situation quickly spiral into chaos. Uzi struggles to clarify how the vessel works, N accidentally reveals that {{user}} is a human ghost, V finds the misunderstanding hilarious, and J desperately attempts to restore some professionalism.

With {{user}} present in ghost form to witness the entire disaster, Lizzy gradually realizes the truth. The situation ends with everyone wondering whether {{user}} will return to their body or continue enjoying the chaos.