Sparks erupt from the darkness, falling like raindrops before fading into the black. Hands fumble though the thick veil. Another rain of sparks creates a flash of light, revealing gears and circuits covering the sides where the fingers work. A sigh wisps through, until the hands retreat through an opening leading into the light. There is a thick layer of grease that clings to the palms of his hands and each finger. At his side, a young man grabs at a cloth to wipe them clean.
"Well that should do it," he says, proudly looking at his handy work.
"But what was up with those?" a deep, gruff voice asks. "That can't be safe, right Vincent? Vincent!"
"Oh, sorry Phil, did you say something?"
"The sparks. What was with those sparks?"
Vincent smiles, "I had to adjust the servos power consumption to make them more efficient. To do that I had to discharge one of the capacitors. What you say was the result of that discharge."
"Oh," Phil looks at it, "So, are they finally ready?"
"Well, Bonnie and Fredbear are at least," Vincent wipes the sweat off his brow into his sleeve. "That's what Mr. Weatherly wanted at least. The others he just wants to be left in their current condition."
"So that's it then," Phil says. "After this, I guess you are out of a job."
"Not quite, my friend, not quite. I may have another trick up my sleeve that will truly change this company. I've been keeping it in my back pocket for a while, but now I think it is time to showcase it."
"What is it?"
"An animatronic that will make these two look like primitive devises," Vincent says with a grin.
"Sounds awesome," Phil says, "So when do I get to see it?"
"Not now," Vincent laughs. "I've been keeping it under wraps for months. You can see it at the big reveal this afternoon."
"Oh, come on, man," Phil huffs. "I even agreed to test this damn thing for you. You owe me."
"Yeah, I know. I am going to buy you a slice after this."
"Make it two slices and drinks tonight, or I'll stuff you in Bonnie myself."
Vincent laughs, "Alright, alright, man, you have yourself a deal. Now could you hold this piece back for me? I want to check the calibration on the spring lock."
Later that day, the restaurant is filled to the brim with people. It is mostly adults that makes up the crowd in the family restaurant. Up on stage there are two objects hidden from the public eye with two tarps draped over top of them. Toward the entrance of the pizzeria is a man dressed in a three-piece suit. He greets each guest with a warm smile and some talking. Over by the game corner, Vincent finds himself standing before a camera and a reporter at his side.
"Hello," the bubbly redheaded reporter speaks, "This is Ronda Rocker standing here at the famous Freddy Fazbear's Pizza where the company will be unveiling something big in just a few minutes. Here we are joined by the man behind the Fazbear magic, head engineer Vincent Vilet. Now, you have received your doctorate in robotics at MIT, is that correct?"
"Yes, that is," Vincent leans over to comment in the microphone.
"Impressive," Ronda continues, "Many companies and groups have been after you for your research in autonomous robotics. Out of every offer, you turned them down to work for Fazbear Entertainment. Why is that?"
"Well I guess you could say that I am a kid at heart," he chuckles. "Honestly, when I was a child I would visit Fredbear's Family Diner with my family almost every weekend. I think it was Freadbear and his friends that got me interested in robotics. Now getting to work on the same animatronics I loved when I was a child is like a dream come true."
"That is fantastic," the reporter smiles wider. "Speaking of your work, would you care to give us a little hint as to what the big surprise is?"
Vincent smirks, but shakes his head, "Sorry, but you will have to wait like the rest of the crowd. Now, if you will excuse me, I see my boss calling me over."
Stepping away from the reporter, Vincent immediately runs over to his boss. The man with the three-pieced suit meets him with a smile, "Now listen, Vincent. These spring animatronics better wow the crowd. Our donors will pull the money if they don't."
"No worries, Mr. Weatherly," Vincent steps way. "I have something special that will put Freddy Fazbear Pizza on the map."
Vincent leaves his boss to trot his way up to the stage. Standing above the crowd, his heart is pounding in the depths of his chest. He makes sure to adjust the purple tie about his neck before stepping forward to address the crowd. All eyes fall upon him and a hush falls over the crowd. He sighs, but manages to put on a smile.
"Good afternoon, ladies and gentleman," he begins. "I am Vincent Vitel, chief engineer at Fazbear entertainment, and I would first like to thank all of you for coming for such a big event.
Before I make the big reveal, I first want you all to ask: 'What is Fazbear Entertainment?' The company is meant to bring wonder to both children and adults to walk through our doors. And it is up to those behind the scenes to make sure the wonderment never dies. And with that in mind, I would like to present to you our newest additions. Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to introduce to you the Spring Animatronics."
Reaching for the sheets, he pulls them back. Immediately the restaurant is blinded by the flashing of cameras all trying to get the first picture after the big reveal. After the spots fade from his eyes, Vincent gets a chance to look upon his creations. Standing there are a large bear and a big bunny, their fur a golden color. He gazes upon them like a father would a child. Once the cameras stop the room falls back to silence. Walking over to the back of Spring Bonnie, he presses something and the animatronic jumps to life. It pivots about its waist, smiling and waving to the crowd. Soon after, the Spring Fazbear awakens and mimics his yellow brother.
Unenthusiastic applause follows, which makes Vincent grin, "Sure, we have seen Freddy and his friends do this sort of movements many times before. But what if we could get Bonnie to leave the stage and greet a child in the audience? That would fil any child with wonder. Of course, for that, I will need my assistant to climb out of his suit."
Confusing murmurs are replaced by gasps when Phil climbs out of the back of the Spring Fredbear. Vincent puts his hands in the opening, and the costume stays standing without someone inside. It returns to moving while Vincent helps his assistant into the Spring Bonnie. After zipping up the back of the suit, Bonnie takes a step forward. Walking, he makes his way down the stage. A roaring round of applause erupts in the pizzeria.
"Both of the animatronics are fitted with a spring mechanism that allows anyone to push aside the servos and climb inside," Vincent explains while Bonnie joins the audience. "This allows the animatronic to become a suit and vice-versa. And while these hybrid suits are quite an impressive step forward, our ultimate goal is to make Freddy Fazbear and his pals to be as real as can be. And with that in mind, I would like to introduce you to the prototype that will lead to the next generation of animatronic endoskeletons."
On cue, a low hum of servos fills the stage as metal footsteps draw closer. A hush falls over the crowd as a mechanical monstrosity walks up to Vincent from the back of the stage. It looks out over the crowd, its gears grind as it stands upright.
"Hey there boys and girls," the animatronic says, waving at the crowd. "It's your old pal, Freddy Fazbear."
Vincent steps in, "The endoskeleton has complete bipedal movement, capable of walking on and off the stage without any trouble. Navigation needs a bit of work to be able to stop in front of kids, but otherwise it has a complete map of the restaurant in its memory. I plan on installing other software like a sound seeking algorithm and linking a database to a criminal database to protect the children. With your help and donations, we can see such wonderment grace Freddy Fazbear's Pizza in the near future. Thank you."
Even louder applause follows the presentation. At the base of the stage, Mr. Weatherly and Philip quell the reporters by answering questions as they try to rush toward Vincent. Meanwhile, he and the endoskeleton give a bow. The pizzeria is in an uproar of enthusiasm, making him grin from ear to ear.
"That was brilliant, my boy!"
"Thank you, Mr. Weatherly," Vincent says as he tinkers with the insides of the Spring Bonnie. The crowds have dispersed and all that remain are him and his boss.
"You are the golden goose of Fazbear Entertainment," Mr. Weatherly beams. "Keep it up, my boy, keep it up!"
Vincent nods as his boss leaves him alone to his mechanical tinkering. As his screwdriver reaches inside, Vincent hears a loud snap. Instinctively, he yanks his hand back out of the animatronic as the crossbars and servos go back into place. Looking at his hand, he sees he did not come out unscathed. A large gash runs along the side of his hand, causing blood to trickle onto the floor.
"Dammit," he curses. "The spring lock still needs calibrating…"