Arthur stood in the Outpost's commander office, reviewing the cascade of complaints on his terminal with growing concern. Seventeen separate incidents in forty-eight hours, all involving the same individual. He rubbed his temples, the goddesium fingers of his right hand cool against his skin.
The office door opened without ceremony. Anis strode in, her expression thunderous.
"Commander," she said without preamble. "We need to talk about your girl Yuni."
Before Arthur could respond, Anis suddenly went rigid, her eyes widening in shock. A strangled gasp escaped her lips as she clutched at her side, though nothing had physically touched her.
"What the—" Arthur began, moving toward her.
Yuni's cheerful voice preceded her through the doorway. "Annie! There you are! I've been looking for you!"
The petite Nikke appeared, pink hair bouncing as she skipped into the office. Her leather shorts and white shirt presented an innocent contrast to the whip coiled at her side. Her eyes sparkled with mischief.
Anis straightened as the sensation apparently ceased, pointing an accusatory finger at Yuni. "See? See what I'm dealing with? She just triggered my pain sensors remotely! While I was walking!"
"It wasn't that bad," Yuni protested, her tone playful. "Just a little tingle. You're so sensitive, Annie."
"A little tingle? It felt like someone jabbed a cattle prod into my kidney!"
Yuni giggled, pirouetting on one foot. "You make such interesting sounds though. Very stimulating data."
She skipped back out of the office before Arthur could intervene, humming a cheerful tune that seemed entirely at odds with the situation.
Anis turned to Arthur, her frustration palpable. "Well? What's your opinion on this, Commander? Because from where I'm standing, this is harassment."
Arthur considered his words carefully. "I think it's Yuni's way of expressing affection. She's drawn to you specifically, which suggests—"
"Affection?" Anis interrupted. "Commander, with all due respect, if someone shows me affection by remotely electrocuting my nervous system, I'm going to have some serious concerns about their communication skills."
"Fair point," Arthur acknowledged. "I'll admit it's getting out of hand."
Footsteps in the corridor announced new arrivals. Mihara entered first, her movements precise and measured, followed by Nyx and Lyra. Mihara's expression suggested she'd been listening from just outside.
"The situation with Yuni has become problematic," Mihara stated without preamble. "Missilis HR is drowning in complaints. I've been monitoring the escalation."
Nyx dropped into one of the office chairs, stretching her long legs out. "So what's the deal? Why's the little pink terror going around zapping everyone?"
Mihara's gaze remained steady. "Yuni has a physiological quirk. She cannot feel any physical sensation unless she's touching someone else directly. At first, simple contact sufficed—caresses, strokes, hand-holding. But like any sensory input, she became inured to gentle stimulation. She needed something stronger."
Arthur felt pieces clicking into place. "So hitting people provides more intense feedback."
"Precisely," Mihara confirmed. "And triggering pain responses remotely creates even more varied reactions. Each person responds differently, providing novel data streams. It's become her primary method of social interaction and sensory fulfillment."
Anis crossed her arms. "That explains the why, but it doesn't make it okay. Half the base is scared to walk around corners now."
"Why doesn't she just hit you all the time?" Nyx asked Mihara with characteristic bluntness. "You're into that shit, right?"
Mihara's lips curved in a slight smile. "I would very much enjoy being Yuni's exclusive focus. Unfortunately, she's greedy. She wants all the pleasure for herself—experiencing others' reactions provides richer sensory data than simply feeling my own responses."
Lyra shifted uncomfortably. "I think I should excuse myself from this conversation."
"Stay," Arthur said gently. "This affects the whole team. We need to find a solution."
Mihara stepped closer to Arthur's desk, her posture shifting to something more formal. "Commander Cousland, I'm requesting your assistance. Yuni needs to learn proper communication methods—ways to satisfy her sensory needs without causing widespread disruption."
Arthur blinked. "Me? Mihara, I'm not exactly an expert in sensory therapy."
"You adapted to my needs," Mihara countered. "You understood what I required and provided it without judgment. You've consistently demonstrated an ability to meet your Nikkes' unique requirements, even unconventional ones."
Nyx snorted. "She's got you there, boss. You're the king of weird solutions."
"I wouldn't phrase it quite that way," Mihara continued, "but the sentiment is accurate. Yuni trusts you. She respects you. If anyone can guide her toward healthier interaction patterns, it's you."
Anis looked skeptical. "And how exactly is Arthur supposed to do that?"
Mihara met Arthur's eyes directly. "It seems lonely that I'm the only one Yuni can properly communicate with. She needs connection, Commander. Real connection. Someone who can teach her the difference between stimulation and genuine interaction."
The guilt trip was subtle but effective. Arthur recognized the manipulation even as he felt himself responding to it. He looked at the faces around him—Anis's frustration, Nyx's curiosity, Lyra's quiet concern, Mihara's calm expectation.
"Alright," he said finally. "I'll talk to her. Try to find some middle ground."
"Thank you, Commander." Mihara inclined her head. "I'll leave the matter in your capable hands."
She departed with characteristic efficiency. Nyx stood, stretching. "Good luck with that, boss. Pink terror's unpredictable as hell."
After they left, Arthur sat alone in his office, contemplating his approach. Standard counseling wouldn't work—Yuni's condition required practical solutions, not just lectures about boundaries. She needed to understand through experience, through sensation itself.
An idea formed, audacious and potentially foolish, but aligned with how he'd approached other seemingly impossible situations. If Yuni needed physical contact to communicate, he'd provide it. On his terms, under controlled conditions, teaching her the difference between taking what she wanted and asking for what she needed.
Arthur activated his Omni-Tool, accessing the Outpost's tracking systems. Yuni's signal appeared in the training facilities, deep in the lower levels.
He found her in one of the smaller combat simulation rooms, practicing with her whip against holographic targets. The weapon moved like an extension of her body, cracking through the air with precision that belied her cheerful demeanor.
"Yuni," Arthur called from the doorway.
She turned, her eyes reflecting the simulation's dying light as the holograms faded. "Commander! Are you here to play with me?"
"In a manner of speaking." Arthur stepped into the room, the door closing behind him. "We need to discuss your recent activities."
Yuni's expression fell slightly. "You're going to lecture me about touching people, aren't you? Everyone's so sensitive."
"I'm going to teach you," Arthur corrected. "There's a difference."
He moved to the room's center, spreading his arms slightly. "Mihara explained your condition. You need physical sensation to feel anything at all. I understand that. But taking it without permission is causing problems."
"What am I supposed to do?" Yuni's voice carried genuine frustration beneath the playfulness. "Ask nicely? 'Excuse me, may I trigger your pain receptors?' Nobody would say yes."
"I'm saying yes," Arthur stated simply. "Right now. Hit me."
Yuni's eyes widened behind her visor. "What?"
"You heard me. Use your whip, use your remote trigger, I don't care. But do it now, with my permission, so you can feel what consensual contact actually means."
The petite Nikke stared at him, her usual exuberance replaced by confusion. "You're serious."
"Completely. This is lesson one, Yuni. The difference between taking and receiving. Between forcing sensation and being given it freely."
Slowly, almost hesitantly, Yuni raised one hand. Arthur felt a tingling across his left arm—the prosthetic registered the pain signal but his nervous system interpreted it differently through the goddesium interface. Not quite pain, more like intense pressure.
"Stronger," Arthur instructed. "Don't hold back. I can take it."
The sensation increased. Arthur's jaw tightened but he maintained eye contact, letting her see that he wasn't flinching away, wasn't trying to escape. He was choosing this, offering it.
Yuni lowered her hand, the sensation ceasing. Her voice came out small, uncertain. "Why does it feel different?"
"Because I'm giving it to you," Arthur explained. "Instead of you stealing it. That's what Mihara wanted you to understand. Connection requires two people, Yuni. Not just one taking from the other."
The pink-haired Nikke looked at her hands, then back at Arthur. Something shifted in her expression—not quite understanding yet, but the beginning of it.
"Can we try again?" she asked quietly.
"Yes," Arthur said. "As many times as you need."
This, he reflected, was what leadership actually meant. Not just directing squads in combat, but meeting each individual's needs in whatever form they took. Even if it meant becoming a training dummy for a sensory-starved Nikke who'd forgotten how to ask instead of take.