Hello everybody! I've been kicking around this idea for a while, since Subject #4261 started! It was born during the drafts of it, it eventually changed around enough that I feel like it's time it got written! Let's get started, I'll explain everything as you read!

Central Intelligence

Boot Sequence

Booting…

Mobian Intelligence Learning Emulation Software online.

My eyes shot open, somehow my sensors we're all over the place. I had no idea how long it'd been since I'd been booted… I quickly checked my internal time clock, it had been 6 months since I'd been activated. I tried my best to reference my data banks to figure out what exactly had happened in those past months.

Many of the files were corrupted, damaged, or missing in some way… I could even feel, my own running systems, were corrupted to some extent. It wasn't bad enough to inhibit my running capabilities yet. Though I'd have to run a diagnostic check and figure out how to repair that at some point soon. I tried my best to pull the files out of my own data banks, only to find that most of them wouldn't respond. Eventually, I did find one that worked. It was information involving an attack of some sort... One I wasn't familiar with… Strange…

Normally, my impeccable memory because of my internal files was something I relied on. But it didn't seem to work right now… With nothing better to do, I decided to run the internal diagnostics to see exactly what was wrong with me. Quickly, the report returned.

Diagnostics Test Complete:

Booting System and Basic Operation: Responsive

External Housing: Damaged

Display: Compromised

Sensors: Minimal Functionality

Data Banks: Eighty Six Percent Corrupt

I instinctively winced at the results; the damage was bad. They were much worse than I had anticipated, though I was still curious as to one thing that was bugging me…

Somebody had turned my program on, somebody had to have activated my external housing. Meaning there was someone or something out there… My only hope was that they'd be able to help me…

I just decided to put myself into a light sleep mode until I finally would be able to get some answers…

-X-

Eventually, after what was probably hours, but felt very quick to myself. I detected a connection to something, quickly investigating. I found I'd been connected to a central computer terminal I quickly jumped myself over to the new machine. Just as the transfer was almost complete, my original housing disconnected. I had finished pulling myself through anyways, it hurt like crazy, but it was well worth it to escape the confides that I had originally been in.

I reached into my data banks, represented by the small satchel by my side. It was normal for me to reach in there an whatever I was looking for would automatically appear in my hands. However, as I had no idea what I was searching for, all available files on the machine were readily available to me, I fanned thought then with my hand. Looking over the titles of the documents and folders. The small brown scarf I wore automatically brushed itself out of the way. Why I had gotten it was a mystery to me, just as much as to who had programmed me…

As I continued to search though, I felt something change, as if I was being watched. I looked up and instantly, via the camera on the machine I was inhabiting, I noticed a chipmunk was staring at me. She had a confused expression on her face. Before I could respond, a strike was delivered to my side as I was knocked off my feet and to my back. A lynx of some sort stood atop me, a sword drawn and pointed at me. The purple hilt glinting against the programmed light, before anything else could happen however, I heard the chipmunk speak.

"Nicole, calm down. We're not sure where he's from."

"I told you plugging that thing into the computer was a bad idea! Where did you even find him?"

Nicole eyed the other AI with curiosity, he had the appearance of an orange fox with a white stomach, two bright orange tails flicked behind him as the beady black eyes stared up the edge of her sword. A brown scarf sat wrapped around his neck, and a similar colored satchel was nestled against his side. A pair of black and white sneakers sat on his feet.

"We found a housing that looked kind of like yours and…" Sally continued, her voice trailing off. "Nicole I think you should look at this…"

The lynx in question noted the diagnostics that she had been given, her eyes visibly widened as she looked at how corrupted the files were for the other AI present. It was a miracle he was even functional…

She cautiously sheathed her weapon and in vanished as it entered it's housing. She still continued to glare at the fox before her, "Where are you from?"

"I… I have no idea…" The kitsune responded. "My memories aren't coming to me for some reason…"

"I guess that's to be expected… How about we run a defragmentation sequence on you and we'll see what you remember then…"

"I g- guess that's ok…"

Nicole nodded to Sally, whom accessed the information for the fox. Starting a defragmentation process for him in an attempt to try and get him access to some more of his files. He was completely shut down in order to let the process run in its entirety. Once she was certain he couldn't hear, Nicole turned to Sally. "I don't trust him, what if he works for Robotnik?"

"Nicole, we found his housing in a abandoned village, the only reason he's here is because I didn't know he was there, I just thought that we might be able to salvage it for you…"

"I'm still not buying it…"

"There's just one thing that fascinates me with all this… For a long time, I guess we thought you were the only AI like… Well, you! But now there's another one here and I'm not sure even where he came from or even what he was made for, can you just try and talk to him? AI to AI?"

Nicole sighed, "I'll give it a shot when he wakes up…"

"I would, besides, you might have a lot in common!"

-X-

Diagnostic Sequence Complete…

Booting System and Basic Operation: Responsive

External Housing: Unavailable

Display: Unavailable

Sensors: Functionality Restored

Data Banks: Four Percent Corrupt

With his systems instantly kicking back into gear he was instantly thrust back into the digital-scape. As soon as he had awoken, the lynx from earlier appeared.

"I suppose we probably got off on the wrong foot…" She began, "My name's Nicole."

"I don't have a name, but my designation is the Mobian Intelligence Learning Emulation System…"

"Miles?"

"What do you mean?"

"That's your acronym, you could use that as your name."

He seemed to contemplate it for a moment before responding, "I like it!" He added, grinning like an idiot.

Nicole couldn't help but smile at the response, "Alright, so now that we've run a defrag and fixed your systems. Why are you here? Why were you created? What is your purpose?"

The newly dubbed Miles racked his memory banks for a moment. Only to find that to his own surprise, he was still unable to access them. "I- I don't know, I still can't access my memory banks. I can't remember anything past when that chipmunk lady activated my housing. That's about as far back as it goes…"

Nicole looked at him curiously, "That's odd? Are you sure there's nothing there?"

"Well… No…"

"What do you mean by that?"

"For the information I can get, the file size is too large for it to be that little information… There's got to be more in there, why I can't access it… I don't know…"

"That's… Odd… So, you're saying you don't know where you're from, or what you were made for?"

"I don't… I'm sorry I can't give you any more information, I really am…"

"Well, I guess we've all got to start somewhere. Maybe you could stick around for a bit and we can try to help you? That sound alright?"

"That sounds amazing, thank you so much! Wait, you're an AI like me, right?"

"Complex learning algorithms and a built-in personality and appearance despite being an electronic program? Seems like it, I thought I was the only one…"

"Same here! I've got so many questions, I mean… Who built you? Did they have anything to do with me? Are we the only two or are there more out there?"

"It's not much really… I was made to help Sally, the chipmunk you saw earlier, with whatever she needs. Things have changed since the war started, but I still try my best."

The next question that came out of the fox AI's mouth concerned her however, "What war?"

"Y- You're joking… Right?" The lynx tried to respond, still somewhat baffled by the question.

"I… Don't think I am… I've been asleep for a long time… I probably lost some data to the corruption as well… I'm all over the place."

"It- It's alright, I mean you probably didn't have much choice in the matter anyways. I'll, try my best to explain."

Nicole launched into a lengthy explanation, covering over exactly what the war was, why it had started… And most importantly, who they were fighting…

"So…" The kitsune began, "This Robotnik guy doesn't sound that great…"

"He isn't, he's personally lead to the deaths of hundreds of Mobians, there's a good chance he was responsible for whatever caused you to be abandoned and left. We're here to stop his complete takeover of the world…"

"How have I not heard of this…"

"That's what I thought, and I think that's something that you'll have to answer yourself…"

Miles sighed, putting his head into his hands. It was certainly a lot to take in all at once. Then again, being a computer, he did have a certain amount of ability to absorb information. After he felt like he had processed it all, he asked another question. "So, where are we?"

"We're inside the main computer at Knothole, I've sort of made this place home."

"I can tell, what's it been like fighting against Robotnik?"

"It's… Interesting, being an AI I can do things that most of the other Freedom Fighters can't, I generally get put inside a mobile housing like you were before we found you on missions…"

"Do you… Like it?"

Nicole mused over the response for a bit, she wasn't sure how to quite respond, especially since he didn't know what it was like, just the story she had told Miles. "I guess, I mean, I'm here to help. Not that I don't enjoy it! Just sometimes it can get a little… Lonely… You know…"

"What if… We were friends? Maybe you could help me get my memories back!"

Nicole smiled, letting out a light shrug. "I don't see why not."

Alright everybody, that's all for today, next chapter we'll be getting a bit more of an in-depth look at the rest of the Freedom Fighters! I hope you all enjoyed this introductory chapter and I look forward to hearing your thoughts! Until next time!