Groza/Profile

Groza

Story

Profile

Quotes

"I can't sleep yet, I still have work to do..."

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Record 1

After the Griffin restructuring, Groza was seconded to Statesec and ended up becoming a member of a Security Directorate operations squad. However, she was abandoned due to an operation and was only reactivated when she met the Commander again.

As a mature and responsible elite Doll, Groza was undoubtedly the pillar of her team, maintaining her poise and confidence regardless of the circumstances. Her skills had helped the Commander through numerous difficulties during the early days of the Elmo's journey. Having lost part of her neural logs, Groza occasionally felt uneasy and lost, but she rarely showed that side of her.

Groza was professional and efficient during operations. As the team leader, she was capable of running her entire team by herself. Outside of work, Groza's personality underwent a complete about-face, seeking a casual yet romantic lifestyle that was unaffected by her work.

While rumors about how she drafted action plans through the night circulated on the Elmo, the truth was that she puts all her work aside and simply enjoyed the undisturbed silence at that time of night.

Due to their cooking-based interactions and their long years of working with each other, Groza and the Commander had developed a unique camaraderie. In daily life, Groza was very close to and actively shared her views with the Commander.

The shadow over Groza's heart gradually faded as the Elmo grew more and more lively in recent days. However, the missing portion of her neural cloud was like a wound that wouldn't heal. It remained in her heart, as though waiting for the right time to spring from the darkness and tear her ruined body to shreds.

Record 2

It happened in 2066.

For a machine, being abandoned like this was nothing short of "death", just like with human beings. However, on that day, the slumbering Groza was finally reborn.

In the eyes of a bounty hunter wandering the contamination zones alone, even an abandoned quarry filled with industrial waste held the possibility of containing classified information and useful resources.

And today, the Commander—who had only just become a bounty hunter—found Groza in this abandoned quarry.

"Hm... Groza? What are you doing here?"

Her frame hadn't been started up in a while, and it had been ravaged by battle damage and the passage of time. Right now, even this elite Doll who once possessed outstanding specs could only groan raggedly, like a pile of shifting scrap.

System self-diagnostic... complete.

Tragically, despite her murky memories prior to her abandonment, the sense of despair that came just before death clung to her like a nightmare that she could not shake loose. As Groza gradually came to, the words "mission failed", "abandoned in place", and so on filled her neural cloud.

It was as though she was trapped in that moment, constantly bumping up against those emotions and unable to break free. The choking sensation was almost enough to drive her mad. Her throat croaked like a rusty ventilation fan, emitting a cry of anguish.

How had she ended up like this? What was this substance flowing out of her eyes?

In the very next moment, however, a warm human being embraced her.

Ah—what a familiar scent, a familiar form... and with them, this strange sense of comfort and familiarity. Perhaps it was because her power cells were almost drained, or the massive neural fluctuations were more than an abandoned Doll like her could handle, but Groza allowed her eyes to close.

This time, she was sure she would be able to wake up again.

Record 3

The gap in her neural cloud was like an electric current. It hit Groza without remorse and filled her with a bizarre sensation.

"Groza, what's wrong?"

Upon noticing the irregularity in Groza, the Commander moved closer to her. Groza was used to reading people's thoughts through their faces. She looked at the Commander's face and saw nothing but concern. At the very least, there's nothing about abandoning her in the Commander's expression.

Abandoning her?

Upon realizing what she was thinking, Groza was startled by how dark her thoughts had become. She may never have felt this way if not for that incident.

She recalled the day the Commander found her, how those warm hands drew her forth from "death" and damnation. If the Commander knew how uneasy she was, if she knew that she was incomplete, would all this fade like waking from a dream?

Groza secretly made up her mind to prove her worth and thus avoid the fate of being abandoned again.

"...I'm fine. I think it must be because of my frame being damaged earlier."

Before the Commander called her name again, Groza smiled warmly, "Don't worry, Commander."

"And besides..."
In a sneaky turn of events, she returned the question back to the Commander. "I won't break down so easily, so feel free to lean on me a little more—won't you?"

Record 4

"Commander, would you like to taste my cooking?"

This was the first time Groza was cooking for the Commander, and clearly even he was surprised by that. Even if the Commander was used to having an extra Doll aboard the Elmo, but even so—

"Oh? Does my attire look so strange?"

The apron-clad Groza flashed a smile that said she was expecting this reaction and placed the pumpkin pie she made on the table.

"...I was just wondering when we got a housekeeper Doll on the Elmo."

The Commander pulled up a chair and sat down, and Groza took a seat beside him.

"Since it's my first time cooking for you, I thought I should dress for the occasion. How is it? Does it suit me?" Groza smiled at the Commander.
"It does, very much so."

The Commander shifted his gaze from Groza to the pumpkin pie sitting on the plate. The crust had been baked to a rich brown color, and it looked crispy and delicious. Meanwhile, the filling looked soft and moist, gleaming in the light and radiating a tempting aroma.

"Commander? You should taste it rather than just staring at it," said Groza while gesturing for the Commander to help himself.

The Commander didn't hesitate, taking a slice of the pie and putting it in his mouth.
—It tasted nothing like they imagined. A complex taste akin to vomit spread through their mouth. The crispy crust and the filling blended together, leading to even more ghastly mental images.

"..."
"Commander?"

The Commander forced it down, then thought carefully before speaking.

"Have you tried it yourself, Groza?"
"Not at the moment. In truth, I was planning to request that you install gastral modules in me." Despite her doubts, Groza voiced her thoughts without holding back.
"Got it, I'll install them in tomorrow."

Record 5

Steam and vapor filled the Elmo's lounge. Groza ladled the cream stew into three bowls and brought them to the table. This was the first meal that the three of them were having together after welcoming the newest member of the Elmo aboard.

"Miss Groza... You're really good at cooking," Mayling said as her eyes gleamed with anticipation.
"Well, it looks and smells good enough. The taste, however... It's kind of unique." The Commander recalled the first time she sampled Groza's attempt at this dish. "Still, I taste-tested the cream stew last time. It'll be fine."
"Alright, why don't you try it, you two?"

After the two of them each took a spoonful of the stew, the smiles on their faces that followed told Groza that this attempt at cooking ought to be a success.

Even though she didn't have gustatory modules installed, Groza sat beside the Commander and picked up her spoon, helping herself to her own portion of the stew. The air was filled with peace and happiness; she could partake in this warmth as well by the mere act of eating. She brought her spoon to her mouth as such thoughts ran through Groza's head.

"Oh, right. Groza, there's something I'd like to discuss with you," the Commander suddenly said after the meal was over.

"Even though we only have three people on the Elmo right now, in the future... I might end up recruiting more Dolls onto our team. Therefore, I'd like you to become the leader of our Doll complement."
"Oh my, does this mean you've acknowledged my skills, Commander?"

Groza was clearly surprised, but she still smiled in that same confident way.

"You don't need to give me an answer right away. Take your time and think carefully about it."
"No, Commander, I would be honored to accept that role. Your Groza is willing to serve."

Record 6

It happened in 2066.
I had just become a bounty hunter, but just as I was thinking about whether or not to recruit more Dolls, I found Groza in an abandoned quarry.
She seemed really worked up when I awakened her, almost like a child. I'd never seen Groza like this before—it certainly didn't fit my mental image of her.
"So you brought me back right there and then, Commander?"
"Well, to be frank, back then I hadn't even thought that far yet. But I knew I couldn't just leave you there."

Even with an underground broker's help, cleaning and fixing up Groza took a long time. Fortunately, she could speak with me normally in the end.
"You're just like how you were in Griffin, Commander."
"In what way?"
"The way you treat Dolls," Groza smiled. "Normal people wouldn't think that way, right? 'I couldn't just leave you there...'—that sort of thing."

After fixing up Groza, she looked more like how I remembered. However, I knew her frame couldn't be repaired that easily. Worse still, the gaps in her neural cloud would be the hardest to fix.

"Don't think that way." I patted Groza's shoulder after completing the basic checks. "Your frame's damage isn't so bad, though we'll probably want a professional to help take a closer look at you."
"...I think I'm doing fine now. I don't need a follow-up." Groza stood up upon hearing me, but refused further treatment.

"Alright. Are you leaving, then?"

Since she said as much, I wasn't going to press the point. I nodded, but just as I was about to send her off, she shook her head.

"Commander, won't you take responsibility and go all the way?" She stepped forward, her eyes filled with longing.

It would seem I wouldn't have to worry about what had given me pause for thought earlier.

Record 7

It seemed that I had set foot into a realm that I shouldn't have entered. The current me was pinned under a massive amount of junk.

"Commander?"

Meanwhile, the culprit of all this—Groza—arrived at long last.

"Oh my, it looks like you've fallen foul of these things as well."

Just how many other unfortunates triggered this trap previously, anyway?

It all started when Groza invited me to her room for a late supper. Just as we thought everything was set, Groza realized that she had left her bottle opener in the lounge and stepped outside to get it. Meanwhile, I was incredibly bored and accidentally touched the big black cabinet in the corner of her room.

Then, I was deluged by countless pieces of detritus that forced me back, piling up higher and higher until I was completely buried by it.

"Aren't you going to explain this, Groza?"
"Sorry, Commander, but I ordered plenty of stuff and it all accumulated before I realized it."
"That's not the point. How on earth did you..."

While we were talking, Groza had already stuffed all the junk back into that black cabinet, and the room was clean once again.

"...Put it all in there?"
"Well, they say ninety percent of most magic merely consists of knowing one extra fact. Would you like to give it a try, Commander?" said Groza as she opened a of wine.
"Also, some spaces aren't as small as they look. I had that cabinet custom-made."

The cabinet in question seemed less like a storage space and more like a black hole. As I looked into that black corner of the room, it seemed unfathomably deep.

Meanwhile, Groza took a sip of red wine.

Record 8

"Commander, I've got a new recipe. I added a little twist to it, but I hope it isn't too much for you."

I ignored the fragrant chicken sausages in tomato sauce before me and looked up at Groza, who was wearing an apron for the first time in a long while. I couldn't help but feel nostalgic as I looked at her. Also, her apron was fancier than before.

Over the years, taste-testing food for Groza had become second nature.
Originally, Groza would have gained a gustatory module with her gastral modules. However, her frame was damaged, which meant that the gustatory modules could not be successfully installed, and after changing her frame, she refused to have them installed in the name of cutting costs. And thus this state of affairs had persisted until now. As a result, was my job to substitute for Groza's sense of taste all this time.

"Commander, are you thinking about the past?" Groza topped off my cup of fruit juice for me. "We'll be having an ops meeting later, so we'll have fruit juice for refreshments today."
"No, it's nothing. I was just thinking that the food you're making now isn't a pretty roulette wheel anymore."

Groza's cooking was impeccable... provided she didn't get too adventurous.

"After all, that's the only way to make you choose my food, given the present circumstances."
"The present circumstances?"
"You have many options available to you now, do you not?"
"Well, I've grown used to your cooking over the years."

I pulled out a chair and gestured for Groza to sit next to me.

"Besides, I promised to taste-test in your place."
"I'm grateful for your trust, Commander..." Groza smiled as she took my hand.
"That's why I will always stand by your side and live up to your expectations."

Her words were a shot in the arm that drove me to pick up my spoon and sample Groza's newest culinary creation—