Chapter Two: Partners
Truman whirled around, but found an empty hallway greeting him. He stared down it quizzically, then looked back at Cooper, Joe, and Jeff. They had similar confused expressions, and rubbed their eyes.
"Wha-?" Jeff wondered aloud. Joe looked at him.
"You saw it too?" he asked.
"That floating smiling face? I don't know, man. It was like a flash."
Cooper shook himself.
"Ugh, I think we're working too hard," he said, "With all the stuff, and the dead guy, let's just call it a day. We're losing it."
"I don't understand. What did you see?" Truman asked.
Joe scrunched up his face as he tried to recall it.
"It was a like... Just this face, right over your shoulder. Just this big smile, but fake, like... like a doll," he said, "It's fading away. I think there were... lines?"
"A ghost?" Truman asked fearfully. He did not like ghosts, and if the place was haunted...
"Dude, I don't know, but if we're hallucinating things, I say we get out of here," Jeff proposed. Cooper nodded, rubbing his temples.
"Yeah. Go home and rest up, Truman, I need you back here at midnight," he said.
"Not if this place is haunted!" Truman protested.
"It's not haunted, I promise. We're just tired," Joe said reassuringly, "Bizarrely, similarly tired."
"Go put the stuff inside, we'll meet up tomorrow. It's been a long day," Jeff said. Joe nodded, and began he walk inside with bag of parts. He stopped a few steps past Truman, before turning and looking at him questioningly.
"What were you saying about the animatronic?" he asked. Truman's eyes widened.
"Uh... nothing..." he lied. Joe nodded and walked inside.
"Ok. Good luck tonight," he said.
Truman waited for a shout from Joe that signaled Springtrap's whereabouts, but nothing came, and he soon walked to his car and drove home.
Several hours later, Truman was back in the Adventure Park parking lot, walking to the small center where Fazbear's Fright was. It wasn't much, just three buildings sitting a small distance away from the entrance. After the idea to create Fazbear's Fright was approved, the other two buildings were formed to serve as a gift shop and a small pizzeria, all using the Fazbear Fright theme. The pizzeria was much brighter than the attraction, and resembled a much, much smaller version of Freddy Fazbear's Pizza in its heyday, with the nicer artifacts being preserved.
Freddy's had cemented itself in legend after the place closing down revealed its dark history. Details on the murders and missing night guards the company hushed up were leaked, but it didn't matter as Fazbear Entertainment died with the restaurant. The public was outraged and terrified that such atrocities were able to continue, so it surprised no one when the pizzerias were attacked in an act of arson. Good riddance to bad rubbish, as they say.
As the years passed, the sting of the event faded, and again rumor took hold, as it was never explained exactly why the night guards were murdered and who or what was responsible. The same theories of ghost children and demons persisted, and even though its doors were closed for good, Freddy Fazbear's Pizza remained in the public consciousness for years afterwards, its place in lore and legend
None of this, however, was on Truman's mind as he clocked in and took his place in his chair in the office. No, he was more concerned about ghosts and a certain animatronic that continued to stalk him.
"I see you," Truman said, looking through the camera screens. Springtrap was standing motionless in the hallway, staring at something. The guard shuddered. It might not want to kill him, but the robot still creeped him out.
The screen flickered, and a burst of static shot through the system, cutting the camera feed for a few moments. When it returned, Springtrap was nowhere to be found.
"Huh? How did...?" Truman wondered aloud. He found the robot again on a nearby camera. It was again making its way slowly towards the office. Truman was about to tap a "Play Sound" button when the maintenance panel's alarm sounded, followed by a loud clack as the ventilation shut off.
The air in the office quickly became stale, and soon Truman found it difficult to breathe, choking as his lungs began burning. He frantically rebooted the system as his breathing became ragged, vision swimming. The system continued to reboot. Truman stared out the window, when suddenly he could make out a semi-transparent face staring back at him.
It was bright white, with black, empty, oval shaped eyes with purple lines that led down to a large, equally empty and black grin. Almost as quickly as it appeared, a beep from the terminal and clunk from the vents signified the air flow had returned. Truman drank the fresh air, taking several deep breaths.
"Oh... my God," he gasped, "What kind... of old tech... are we using?"
Truman's breathing slowly returned to normal, and he became aware of Springtrap staring at him through the window. The animatronic tilted his head as soon as the guard looked up. Are you okay? the look seemed to ask.
"I'm fine," Truman said, taking another deep breath and shaking his head clear, "I'm fine."
Springtrap straightened his head, and looked towards the open doorway to the office and back at Truman. The guard gave the animatronic a confused look, causing it to repeat looking to the door and back at Truman. His eyes widened in realization.
"Oh! Uh, yeah, I guess you can come in," he told the robot. Not like there's much I can do to stop you.
Springtrap crossed over to the doorway took several steps inside, lowering his more intact ear to keep it from brushing against the lower office ceiling. He looked around, pausing and staring at the box full of props with interest, picking up an old, red v-shaped electric guitar and studying it.
"That's a guitar," Truman explained, "A, uh, musical instrument."
Springtrap nodded, turning the instrument and holding it correctly, and faced Truman. It was an odd sight, the dirty, damaged, skeletal animatronic holding the bright instrument.
"Doesn't really suit you, but you seem to know what to do with it. Were you part of the band back in the day?" Springtrap didn't react, but put the guitar back in the box and picked up a white fox head with empty eye sockets. The rabbit tilted its head as it looked at it, and showed it to Truman, hoping the guard could explain.
"Uh... It's a fox head? Maybe from one of the other animatronics? I've got nothing on this one, sorry," Truman told the robot rabbit. Springtrap stared at the fox head's face for a few more moments before putting it back. Truman clapped his hands.
"So... You're a robot..." he said awkwardly. Springtrap looked up. Truman rubbed the back of his head, scratching at an itch. After a moment, Springtrap reached up a hand and rubbed his suit head in a similar fashion. Truman froze, thinking for a few seconds the animatronic actually had an itch, but realized it was simply mimicking him when Springtrap froze at the same time. It tilted its head. By now the guard realized that the gesture was Springtrap's way of saying "What is/was that?"
"Just an itch. Human thing," Truman explained. Springtrap straightened his head. Question answered, Truman decided. A small silence blanketed the scene, aside from the quiet clicks and whirrs Springtrap made. For a moment they just stared at each other, until Truman made a realization.
"Oh man, Cooper's gonna want to activate you to see how much work you need to be in the attraction," he said aloud, and stood up, "We're going to need to hide this... alive, thing you've got going on." Springtrap tilted his head from one side, then to the other. Truman sighed. "Well now you must be really confused. Uh... Look, you need to not walk around and stuff. In fact, when they turn you on, just don't move at all, understand?" Springtrap tilted his head to the other side.
"Ugh, why couldn't you have a super-smart robot brain?" Truman fumed, "I guess I'll just show up... Tomorrow's gonna suck." Truman sank back down into his chair, putting his head in his hands. Springtrap walked over and slowly put a hand on Truman's head. It landed roughly, edge of the thumb cutting into Truman's forehead.
"Ouch!" Truman exclaimed, causing Springtrap to recoil away. The guard rubbed the spot the animatronic's hand landed on him. "Jeez... Ow..." Springtrap took several steps backwards. Truman looked up. "What the hell was that for?" Pulling his hand away from his forehead revealed a small amount of blood on his palm. He had been cut by the sharp metal of the robot's hand.
Operator Injured: Seeking medical attention...
Upon seeing the visible distress in Truman's face and his adverse reaction to whatever was now on his hand, Springtrap felt a bit of his programming take over, and he immediately began to search for any cues or triggers that signified medical staff. Several symbols had been loaded, including a cross or plus, the words "First Aid," "Medical Station," and other similar images. The rabbit marched out of the room, scanning his surroundings.
"Where are you going?" Truman asked, "Why'd you hit me?"
Springtrap didn't acknowledge this, as he didn't understand the question, and continued his search for first aid. The robot wasn't familiar with the layout of the attraction aside from the main halls, and tried different doors, stopping to stick his head in, scan around the room, before continuing on his way. The first few doors were the maintenance room and a janitorial closet, neither of which possessed any form of medical supplies. One door, labeled "Manager," simply didn't open at all, as the door itself was fake. These setbacks didn't frustrate Springtrap, who continued his search diligently.
Finally, he found an "Employees Only" door and saw a large set of cabinets with several different labels, one of which was "First Aid."
Retrieving...
Springtrap pulled the drawer open and stared at the contents. It consisted of self-adhesive bandages, rubbing alcohol, cotton balls, and a bottle of ibuprofen. Springtrap grabbed everything and marched back towards the Security Office.
Truman winced as he rubbed his head. He wasn't entirely sure what made Springtrap give him a whack on the head, but the sharp metal of his endoskeleton's hands left quite a cut. He debated getting up and heading for the staff room, but worried that Springtrap was getting violent. He wasn't sure what the hit was all about.
Heavy, clanking footsteps sounded down the hall, and Springtrap strode past the window, carrying something in his hands. The robot entered the office, marched right up to Truman, and deposited the items onto the desk: several band-aids, a bottle of rubbing alcohol, a pack of cotton balls, and a bottle of painkillers. Springtrap took a step back and looked at Truman expectantly. The guard stared at the supplies in surprise.
"Thanks," was all he could say. Springtrap didn't acknowledge this and continued to watch the guard. Truman opened up the cotton balls and gave one a splash of the alcohol, dabbing it on the cut on his forehead, hissing as it burned. Springtrap stirred, leaning in and looking at the cut closely, tilting his head quizzically. The guard finished cleaning the cut and stuck a bandage over it, and turned to Springtrap, who hovered over him.
"I'm fine. Why'd you do that?" Truman asked, "I mean, I'm glad you gave me this stuff, but why'd it happen in the first place?" Springtrap tilted his head. "...Right, forgot. Well, thanks anyway." He patted Springtrap's forearm, grimacing as he wiped the grime the suit stained his hand with on his pants. Springtrap stared for a moment before the corners of his jaw twitched upwards, increasing his skeletal grin by giving a genuine smile. Truman's eyes widened in surprise, causing the robot to return to its neutral expression, before suddenly turning on a heel and marching back down the hall to the Service room.
Curious, Truman watched Springtrap's progress as the rabbit opened the door (rather violently), slowly lower itself (himself? It was still confusing) into a sitting position against the back wall and insert the charging cable into the back of its head. One second later, a chime went off, signaling the end of Truman's shift.
"Huh..." he said, looking at the clock that now proudly proclaimed "6:00 am". A sudden headache exploded across his forehead, accompanied by a ringing in his ears, and again he saw the same white, smiling face, this time just outside the window. It floated closer, but just before it reached the glass, Truman screamed in pain, and the figure immediately vanished. To Truman, it lasted no more than a second. The guard sat in his chair for a long moment, rubbing his temples and taking deep, calming breaths as the headache went away as fast as it had occurred.
"What the...?" he asked himself, before deciding he wanted no more of this ghost business and exiting the attraction.
Several hours after Truman left for home, Cooper, Joe, and Jeff arrived to continue setting up the attraction. The first order of business was to try and figure out what they could do with the animatronic. Cooper activated the attractions main lights, removing the dark and creepy atmosphere for the sake of working. He took a moment to look over the place with pride. Things were really starting to come together. Now to check up on the animatronic.
"Alright, let's see what we've got to work with," Cooper said, pushing open the door to the small maintenance room. There sat Springtrap, just as they left him, sprawled out on the floor with a charging cable stuck into the back of his head. Jeff sighed.
"I'm starting to hate this hunk of junk," he said. Cooper patted him on the shoulder.
"Don't be like that!" he said, "It's not like he could help it. Now let's see here..." Cooper pulled out the cable, flicking the master power switch to the on position once again. This time a click and whirring sounded, and the robot's eyes began glowing.
Welcome to FazBearOS!
Loading Funimatronic AI V 3.0...
Loaded.
Loading FaceTracker...
Loaded.
Scanning for personality matrix...
Scanning...
Scanning...
None found. Loading last saved data...
Loaded. Awaiting cues...
Springtrap saw three men staring at him, one with a giant smile on his face.
"Well would you look at that!" the smiling man said. Another man rubbed his head.
"That's... unexpected. I was certain this thing needed a lot more work," he said. Another man, visibly similar to the confused one, looked unnerved.
"It's kind of creepy," he said.
Springtrap paid them no mind, and began to look around for Truman, before suddenly remembered what his operator had said. He remained rigid, unmoving, as directed. Part of his logic convinced him this was the best course of action, but Springtrap couldn't yet understand why.
"Better hook that computer thing up, see what's programmed," the smiling man said. The confused man nodded, and disappeared out of Springtrap's peripheral vision.
Auxiliary device detected.
Springtrap "felt" the computer begin to access its code, and his system automatically sent an error message when the two machine's operating systems didn't coincide (a safety protocol installed after management began to worry about their latest creation).
"Huh," the man with the computer said from behind, "Looks like I can't do much here. It's locking me out."
"What do you mean?" the smiling man (who was no longer smiling) asked.
"It means I can't do anything. I need something called 'FazOS' installed. I'll have to see if there's a copy of it online or something."
"What about this thing?" the uncertain man asked.
"Beats me," the computer man replied, "I'm not even sure it can do anything."
The smiling man began to pace around, deep in thought with a hand to his chin. He suddenly whirled around.
"Wait a minute, Truman was saying something about this thing moving around, so it must have some sort of AI or something. Right?" he looked to the man with the computer for conformation.
"I guess...?" he said, not sure what his boss was going on about.
"I'm gonna call him," the man replied, pulling out his phone, tapping it a few times, and putting it to his ear. He waited for a few moments before lowering it, tapping it again, and lifting it to his ear.
"Hey, hey, Truman?" the man asked the device, "It's me, Cooper. Hi, so, what were you going on about with Springtrap? Uh huh... Uh huh... Alright, cool. What? Well of course we turned him on! Yeah, he's staring at me, it's... kinda creepy, which is great! No, no, he's not moving around at all, just standing and staring. Yes. Okay, thanks. See you tonight!" Cooper tapped the phone once more and put it back into his pocket.
"Welp, looks like our friend here does have an AI. Let's see what happens," Cooper folded his arms in expectation, leaning against the wall, watching Springtrap, his companions doing the same. They waited. And waited. And waited. A small click sounded from inside the robot's torso, and the men leaned forward expectantly, but it was some ambient noise caused by Springtrap's machinery, and the rabbit remained motionless. Cooper frowned.
"Hmm. Well this'll be a boring attraction," he said.
"The damn thing's broken," one of the other men said.
"Truman was swearing up and down this thing was moving around earlier," Cooper replied, doubt seeping into his voice.
"I think he was just messing with you," the other man replied, "Let's just take it apart."
A loud clack sounded from Springtrap.
Maintaining orders.
Scanning facial features...
Name association complete: "Kew-per"
Springtrap remained motionless, instead letting his AI collect and analyze data. The person named Cooper seemed... nice, yes, that was the word.
"Let's just take it apart," one of the other men said.
No.
No no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no nononononononono
The word exploded across Springtrap's mind. He looked at the man who said it, and recognized that it would be best to get away. He walked out of the room and into the long, winding hallway that served as the attraction's route.
"Hey, it's doing something!" Cooper exclaimed, and followed the robot.
"Crap, crap, crap!" Truman said as he drove towards Adventure Park. He had forgotten about coming back to keep Springtrap's sentience a secret. After the whole mind fuck that occurred, it seemed like a much preferable option to sleep it all off. Good thing Cooper called for advice. Hopefully Springtrap hadn't gotten into too much trouble.
Truman pulled his car into the parking lot in front of Fazbear's Fright, spying two other cars occupying spaces near the employee (read: back) entrance. He parked next to them and made to open the door. It opened a crack before clunking to a halt.
"What the?" Truman asked, and jiggled it, knocking it against the obstruction. He peered through the small gap, seeing something that looked faded and yellowish. "Springtrap?" The robot moved away at the mention of its name, turning around and pulling the door open and out of Truman's grasp. The corners of its mouth twitched upwards for a second, before returning to neutral.
"Ah, here he is!" Cooper said, rounding the corner, "Hey Truman! Check it out, he works! No idea what he's doing, though." Joe and Jeff followed behind him. As soon as Springtrap saw Jeff, he tried to go around Truman, but there wasn't space in the doorway and he refused to shove the guard out of the way, instead taking small steps towards the side and leaning with intent.
"What're you doing?" Truman asked in a low voice. Springtrap didn't acknowledge, instead turning back and watching Jeff intently. Truman looked between the two. "What's the deal?"
"I'm guessing it's that free roam I was talking about. It doesn't know where it's going," Joe supplied, "We can probably override that." Jeff shoved his hands in his pockets.
"So are we going to tear it apart, or...?" he asked. Springtrap backed up, stopping as he ran into Truman.
"Hey!" the guard protested, then slowly added, "Move, let me inside. What's wrong?" Springtrap did as requested, and stepped forward, giving Truman enough space to get around the decayed rabbit and close the door. Springtrap backed up against the door, brushing past the confused guard. It finally clicked.
"You don't want to be taken apart..." Truman breathed, then whirled around to face Springtrap, "Seriously? You're scared of Jeff?" Springtrap tilted his head. Joe spoke up at this point.
"No, Jeff, we're not taking it apart. Probably couldn't put it back together," he said, "I just have to find that operating system, give it it's new programming." Truman saw his opportunity.
"...I could do it," he said. Joe chuckled.
"Thanks, Truman, but it's sort of complicated," he said, "and you don't strike me as the technical type. No offense."
"I've been reading this old journal though, and it explains stuff," Truman replied.
"Such as?"
"Uh... stuff..."
"I think it's great!" Cooper said. Joe turned.
"How so?"
"Think about it! Truman works nights, so he can read that journal and take care of Spring here," Cooper explained, "And that leaves you free to do other things."
"But you specifically hired me to-,"
"Sure did, but you gotta learn to be flexible, man!" Cooper said, and turned to Truman, "Thanks for volunteering, man, I knew you were a good choice. From now on, Springtrap's officially your responsibility! Make sure he's all set for Monday!"
"But Cooper-," Joe began.
"No buts, I'm in charge," Cooper replied, holding up a hand, and dropped his voice, "Look, man, can't you see the poor kid's really trying? You can clean up the mess, alright?"
"I... sort of heard all that," Truman said. Cooper smiled big.
"Heh. Well, uh... Come in tonight, and start working, okay? Thanks again!" he turned to Joe and Jeff, "C'mon, guys, let's go tell Scott the good news!" Jeff shrugged.
"Alright," he said. Joe sighed.
"Fine. Maybe he'll approve of that new lighting setup," he said. The three men turned and walked off towards the door that connected the attraction to the actual park. Truman sighed in relief.
"Phew. Glad that's settled," he turned to Springtrap, "Looks like we're together in this."
Springtrap looked down, and smiled.
A/N: Red herring, noun; a rare species of fish that is frequently identified as those of another type due to presumptions about its appearance. Also see 'because plot.'
Hi. Sorry this took long. Working on a visual novel for JANAF. Bye.
-DeltaV "It'll be free, of course, because I've never designed games (?) before!"