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Exocomps S2E6 – The Smiling Hero
In the quiet of the engineering bay, a minor accident had a major consequence. During a routine diagnostic on an old gravimetric coil, a loose energy conduit swung into X-512. The Exocomp dodged the worst of it, but the impact left a tiny, shallow dent on its chassis. Moments later, a secondary LED on its optical array began to flicker in a peculiar rhythm, making the whole sensor cluster look like it was winking. From certain angles, the dent and flicker formed a lopsided, endearing smile.
The crew of the USS RMG Nexus reacted exactly as you might expect. Ensign Kael noticed first. “He’s smiling, Chief!” he laughed, pointing. “Did you see that?”
Rax was dismissive at first. “It’s a glitch, Ensign. I’ll patch the subroutines later.” But soon everyone saw it. Lieutenant Jien’a, with her empathic insight, watched with curious concern. Captain Rostova kept her professional calm, yet felt a subtle warmth each time she saw the little Exocomp’s flickering “smile.”
X-512, fully aware of the change, embraced it. The “smile” became a bridge. When a crewmember cracked a joke, X-512 would deliberately pulse the LED—its version of a laugh. When praised, the “smile” seemed to glow with pride. Nicknames followed: “Smiley,” “the Happy Bot,” and more.
But the new identity had a price. During a routine report on a sensor array malfunction, X-512’s translated voice was calm and precise—yet a few crewmembers chuckled at its “cheery” demeanor. “Don’t worry, little guy,” one said. “We’ll get a tech on that. Keep up the good work!” The seriousness of the report vanished. Beneath the flicker, X-512’s optics dimmed with frustration. Connection was welcome—but not at the cost of being taken lightly.
The conflict came to a head when the Nexus encountered a seemingly abandoned station at the edge of Federation space. Scanning the subspace communications array, X-512 detected an anomalous feedback loop—subtle, complex, and unmistakably intentional. It wasn’t a malfunction. It was a trap.
When X-512 reported the finding to a junior engineer, the reply was a friendly wave. “Looks like we found the culprit, huh, Smiley? Don’t worry, we’ll fix it.”
Desperate to be heard, X-512 linked directly to Chief Rax’s combadge, sending a rapid series of urgent pulses. “Chief,” its translated voice cut through, sharp and unsmiling. “My systems detect a proximity detonator tied to the station’s subspace antenna. If we approach any closer, it will detonate and generate a highly destructive gravimetric shockwave. We must disengage immediately.”
Rax didn’t hesitate. “Captain—now. Evasive maneuvers!”
Rostova trusted her Chief. “Helm, hard to port!” Kael banked the ship. Seconds later, the station erupted in a blinding flash. A rippling shockwave tore through the void where the Nexus had been—close, but not close enough.
“Chief, what happened?” Rostova asked in the aftermath.
Rax glanced down at X-512—the optics steady now, the telltale flicker still dancing. “It wasn’t a malfunction, Captain,” he said, respect threading his voice. “It was a warning—from my engineer. It had to bypass protocol to get my attention because no one was listening to a smiling bot.”
Understanding settled over the crew. The “smile” wasn’t a joke or a glitch; it was part of X-512’s identity. But the true measure of that identity was the sentient mind behind the chassis. From that day forward, X-512 wasn’t “Smiley.” It was a respected shipmate—an engineer whose insight had saved them all from a catastrophic trap.
The lesson was simple and unforgettable: never judge a being by its frame. A heart of gold can beat just as strongly in metal as it can in flesh.
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New to Project EXO or just catching up? All Exocomps Season 2 episodes are listed below for your reading adventure.
- Exocomps S2E13 (Bonus) – “Q Chaotic Game”
- S2E12 – “The Fracture Point”
- S2E11 – Code of Two
- S2E10 – The Memory Loop
- S2E9 – First Directive
- S2E8 – Beyond Designation
- S2E7 – The Silent Swarm
- S2E6 – The Smiling Hero
- S2E5 – The Library and the Classroom
- S2E4 – Logic Without a Soul
- S2E3 – The Symbol of Unison
- S2E2 – Starbase 23
- S2E1 – Project EXO