Breakdown
It was odd how they were back in the same situation they had been that morning: the old synths and humans waiting in the main body of the restaurant, sat at one of the tables. Except this time, there wasn't as much good-natured banter. Instead, apprehension hung in the air.
"So, when they said they had mental issues, they really meant it," said Bonnie, her leg twitching. "Go figure."
"Indeed," agreed Freddy. "I had expected there to be some lingerin' feelins and memories in relation to their experiences, but this is much worse than I imagined."
"Does that feel alright, Foxy?" asked Chica while she looked over his jaw.
"Aye, I'm fine. Just wish there was somethin' we could do fer them." He looked towards the Parts and Services door. "Ya shoulda seen poor Vev after her episode."
"At least the kid is okay? I mean, for the most part," pointed out Mike.
"His name's Billy and I wouldn't call any of this okay," said Jeremy.
"Sorry, I'm still learning their names," said Mike quietly.
"No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't snap. Like Foxy said, I don't like sitting here and doing nothing." He looked over at Phil. "Did you know anything about this?"
He shook his head. "Sorry, no. Like I said, I wasn't really involved in all the technical stuff for the synths. I-I was more like Sid's front man, you know? I'd do most of the talking to the uh, interested parties. Usually on the phone. I o-only saw them a few times while they were being developed and I was shooed off pretty soon after. Couldn't be seen as being uh, too nosy and blowing my cover, if that makes sense?"
"Dude, do you have to give out your whole life story every time you talk?" asked Bonnie. She got pointed looks from Freddy and Chica. "What? I can't be the only one who notices."
"Hey, it's okay, she makes a good point," admitted Phil. "Sorry, I uh, I have a bad habit of rambling. Fred, Fred Fitzbar, I mean, he used to joke that I'd never need to use physical force as his security guard. All I'd have to do is keep talking and they'd just get bored and leave." He forced a laugh. "Y-Yeah, real kidder, that guy. Anyway, sorry for the rambling. I don't even realise I'm doing it sometimes."
"Whatever, it's fine. Sorry for being a jerk in pointing it out," she returned. She stood up and looked at the door. "Good timing on these guys being put under again though. If that Ted jerk had gone on any longer, I would have gotten him to shut up."
"He certainly was far from tolerant. And while I don't approve of his treatment of the others, Clyde wasn't really helpin' matters either," put in Freddy.
"Oh, I wanted to slap him for that chickpea comment," added Chica. "As for Hermana, I don't want to be mean, I really don't but she's so exhausting. I don't know how you managed to endure them for all that time, Jeremy."
"Okay, I'll be the first to admit they're far from perfect and that whole thing could have gone better." A sceptical silence met him. "Yeah, fair enough, it was pretty bad. But they're not like you guys. The way I understand it, all things considered, you actually got nurtured. I don't think they've ever been any more than an experiment to Sid and that's not even getting into what they've all been through. I know it doesn't excuse their behaviour, but you've got to remember that."
Chica sighed. "You're right. I'm sorry, I'm just being petty."
"No, you're just frustrated," said Mike. "That's natural, anybody would be after all that. But hey, there were some pluses to take from that. They apologised for the attack and Hermana and Clyde were making some kind of effort. I mean, if Foxy and Goldie can come back from what they did, these guys can too."
"You make an excellent point, Mike," agreed Freddy and nobody else tried to argue that. "We knew this wouldn't be easy, but we can't give up on them after only one talk."
Mike caught Jeremy's eye and the young man gave him an appreciative look. Mike returned it with a nod. He remembered when he had to be the one to pull Goldie back and almost everybody had been against him. He didn't want Jeremy feeling the same way.
The door to Parts and Services opened. They looked to see Billy step out. He looked a little nervous, but he still managed to smile.
"Hello. Goldie will be done soon. Am… I okay to join you?" he asked.
"Yeah, come on, Billy. You can sit with me," Jeremy replied, pulling out a chair for him.
Billy hurried and climbed onto it. He took one look around at them, then his eyes darted down and he pulled out a balloon to start stretching out. Everybody glanced around the table at each other, not really sure what they should say.
"How are they doing?" asked Jeremy.
"Goldie says they'll be okay, but I don't really know," he said, not looking up. "She just had to ask me some questions."
"What kind of questions?" asked Mike.
"Just stuff." Billy briefly looked up. "I'm making you all feel weird."
Bonnie held up her hands and forced a smile. "Whoa, hey, who said anything about that?"
"I did, 'cause it's true," he answered. "You don't know anything about me, except that me and the others tried to hurt you. That makes you feel weird." He started to stand. "I'm gonna go. I'm sorry."
"Hey, hold on, Billy." Jeremy put a hand gently on his shoulders. "Nobody said they wanted you to go."
"They don't need to. I can tell. It's okay, I'm used to it," he said blankly.
"Now, just a moment there, son." Freddy had gotten out of his chair and came to kneel down to him. "I will admit that currently, things aren't as good as they would normally be. But I'm sorry that we made you feel unwelcome. I can imagine this must be tough for you as well."
Billy looked at Freddy silently for a few moments, then nodded.
"And we should have thought of that. So, how about we start over?" He held out his hand. "Hello there. My name is Freddy Fazbear. What's your name?"
"You already know that and I already know your name, Freddy." He wore a little smile as he pointed to each of them in turn. "That's Bonnie, Chica, Foxy, Mike, Phil and Jeremy. See? Already know."
"Hey, the kid's got you there, Fred," said Bonnie. Her remark made Billy laugh a bit.
"Why, indeed he does," Freddy chuckled, leading Billy back to the table. "You're a very perceptive lil' boy, aren't you?"
Billy shrugged. "I don't know. What does perc… perspe…"
"Perceptive," Chica repeated slowly. "It means you see what things are like very easily. Sometimes, things that not everybody else sees."
"Ohhhh. Then yeah, I am. I see stuff all the time, 'cause nobody notices me," he said.
"Is that so?" Foxy leaned over the table. "Must mean yer pretty good at sneakin', then."
"Really, really good," he nodded. "Aren't I, Jeremy?"
"Oh yeah, he is," he agreed. "First time I met him, he found my flashlight batteries when I thought they were in there the whole time."
"Yeah, lucky that I did," Billy said with an obvious wink.
"I don't know, Foxy. He can't be that good," said Bonnie, a smirk playing on her lips. "I mean, we all saw him just now."
"That's only 'cause I wanted you to see me," replied Billy. "If I didn't, I could do it real easy."
"Are you sure? I've got pretty good ears," she said, waggling them.
"I know I could!" He stood up excitedly. "Everybody, close your eyes and count to five. Then I'll sneak up on Bonnie and show you all!"
Everybody played along. Mike, who was closest to Jeremy, could hear the chair legs scraping and muted footsteps. When he opened his eyes, Billy was gone. He looked around, but there was no apparent sign of him anywhere in the darkened restaurant.
Bonnie held up her finger for silence. Mike saw her ears moving in all directions, listening intently. Her hands moved very slowly towards the table covers, her signature smirk growing. Without warning, her hands shot forward and lifted them.
"Ha! Found you! Hey, wait." She pulled her head out, looking confused. "I could have sworn I heard him moving under here." She stuck her head back under again. "Where is he?"
"Here!" Billy cried from behind her.
Bonnie yelped in surprise and banged her head on the table. Her scowl was only momentary, soon laughing along with everybody else at her expense.
"Okay, I admit, I'm impressed." She turned to face Billy. "Not bad, kid. Not many people can sneak up on me like that."
"Told you so!" said Billy, laughing in triumph. "Oh hey Mike, you lost your keys. But it's okay, I found them." He held them up, twirling them in his finger.
"What the…?" Mike checked the pocket and found it empty. "But how did you take them?"
"Ah, but he didn't take them, Mike," said Jeremy. "You lost them and he found them."
"Yep!" He continued to twirl them. "You want them back?" Mike reached for them, but he yanked them away. "Better come get them!"
He took off with a giggle, running around the tables in the Games Area. Mike groaned and ran after him, amid peals of laughter from the table.
Knowing how fast synths could be, Mike knew that Billy was only running at the pace he did to get even more of a laugh. If Mike got close, he would scurry away that little bit faster or dive under one of the tables.
Billy was only stopped when he ran back towards where everybody else was gathered. Chica suddenly stood up and caught him before he could change course.
"Gotcha!" she declared.
"Yep, you got me. That means you get the keys." He gave them to her and she released him.
Mike held out his hand for them. "Thanks, Chica."
"Hmm." She didn't give them back, only dangled them in her hand. "Do you really want them back, Mike?"
"Oh, don't tell me you're about to run off with them too," he groaned.
"I was going to, but I think seeing that face is enough for me," she said, returning them to him along with a quick kiss on the cheek. "Consider that my price."
"I-I'm good with that," stammered Mike, feeling his face go red.
Billy stuck his tongue out. "Ew, gross."
"I know, right, kid?" said Bonnie. "Sorry you had to see that."
"Maybe being uh… perceptive," he said carefully, "isn't so great."
"Aye, but yer a mighty fine sneaker and steal- no, sorry, finder," said Foxy. "I think there might just be a spot open for ye in me crew, lad."
Billy looked delighted. "That sounds great! Do I get a hat, too?"
"I'll make sure of it," chortled Foxy.
The door opened to Parts and Services again, this time with Goldie stepping out. She saw Billy jumping up and down near Foxy and moved to join them.
"See? What did I tell you?" said Goldie, rubbing Billy's head. He laughed and dangled on her arm for a bit before she put him down.
"So uh, what's the verdict?" asked Phil.
Just like that, they were reminded of the reason they were waiting, the previous levity practically airing out of the room.
She sighed heavily. "I'm afraid it doesn't look very promising."
"What is it, Goldie?" asked Jeremy. "What's wrong with them?"
"Actually, Billy helped me work that out."
The boy looked surprised. "I did?"
"You did." She knelt down to his level. "You know the Other that you were talking about? The one that talks through from time to time?"
He nodded vigorously. "Is it the same for them? Do they have Others, too?"
"Based on what I've been able to garner from you, yes. It's probably easier if I show you." She beckoned them into Parts and Services.
Jeremy, Phil and Mike managed to get inside the small space first. The synths had to peer in from the outside as best they could.
"Here, this shows their neural activity." She indicated the display screen. "Looking at these readings, the minds of the newer synths are in a state of mental conflict. These aren't just headaches they're having."
"But what's causing it?" asked Jeremy. "Did the Puppet do this to them?"
"No, I don't think so. Sid told Aaron that there were issues with them mentally. He wasn't talking about their personalities, he must have been referring to this," she said.
Jeremy frowned. "Then if it's not him, then what is it?"
"The best explanation I can find is to do with a vital part of forming both a synthetic mind and an AI, like me: we call it brain mapping. All of their minds are based on an individual person's. They form the building blocks that are then used to help construct what becomes our minds," she explained.
"Yeah, you've mentioned this a couple of times and I think I have an idea about what it is. So, do you copy that person's mind?" Mike asked.
"Not a complete copy, that would be too dangerous. That could end up killing the original person. We only use it to establish the foundation, then we build upon everything else. Flesh them out, develop them until they become their own unique mind. There may be some small parallels between them but otherwise, the synthetic mind is completely distinct from the human they were based on. Freddy's something of an exception, but that's the general gist." Her tone became harsher. "However, it looks like Sid wasn't as careful with the mapping stage as he should have been."
"So," Jeremy said, "does that mean more of the original person got copied over than what's normal?"
"Precisely. I don't know what he ended up doing, but as best I can tell, entire chunks of those original minds were copied over in their transfer. Not full personalities, but they manifest as singular, powerful emotions that override everything else. I don't want to think about what that must have done to the humans he used, but the impact on the synths is evident. Their minds are in conflict between their own and these chunks, these fragments, that have been carried over and that they want us to fix."
"But why is it hurting them?" asked Billy. "My Other doesn't do that stuff to me. He just pops up and then hides away again."
"You got lucky," she answered. "Your particular fragment is more benign in nature. It's just nestled in your mind and isn't trying to do anything other than coexist, but they're different. Their fragments are more aggressive. They're actively trying to supplant the minds of the synths and take over completely. The one in Vevina is especially bad." She highlighted her own, the various waving lines looking jagged and spiking up and down violently. "It could probably account for why the Puppet had trouble keeping her in line more than the others."
"Then we've got to do something!" Jeremy declared. "If we don't fix this, these fragments will wipe them out!"
"I'm afraid it's even worse than that," she murmured. "The fragments are just that: bits and pieces, but they're not the whole mind. If they took over their bodies, they wouldn't be able to hold themselves together. They'd not only destroy the synths, but they'd end up tearing themselves apart as well."
"All the more reason we've got to help them!" he insisted. "They've been through too much and I'm not going to let them die because Sid didn't read the manual right!"
"I agree, but unfortunately, Jeremy, there's not a whole lot that you can do. However, in my regard, it's a different story," she said. "If we're going to have any chance of helping them, I'm going to have to do it from the inside. I need to venture inside their minds, isolate the fragments and extract them."
"Blast that Hawthorne!" roared Foxy. "On top-a everything else, he can't even get this right!"
"Yeah, how come he didn't try and fix his own problem?" asked Bonnie. "Like, he really didn't notice this when he finished?"
"He did, but he mustn't have been able to effectively address it if the mapping process was imperfect. The best he could hope for was to have the Puppet keep the fragments in check and suppress them, but if the Puppet tried anything beyond that, he would be putting himself at risk. The combination of trying to maintain his own control over them and trying to remove the fragments whilst also ensuring they don't damage him, he wouldn't have been able to manage it."
Bonnie cocked an eyebrow. "How do you know that?"
"I wouldn't and he's supposedly 'more advanced' than me," replied Goldie.
"Then the question becomes, why would you fare any differently?" asked Freddy.
"You forget, I not only maintained my own mind but also helped to develop and train my family here. Whilst the human mind is something that is still a mystery, the synthetic mind is one I know inside and out. I can go in, find what doesn't belong and take it out before it does any further damage," she explained.
"And when you do, will they get better?" asked Billy.
"If you mean their minds will be safe, then yes. But any personal issues they have aren't being caused by these fragments, though I have no doubt they're helping exacerbate them." She looked over at them. "I'm afraid those feelings they'll have to deal with their issues the old fashioned way."
"If that's the case then, our presence here seems somewhat superfluous," said Freddy.
"Actually, brother dear, you all still have an important part to play," she went on. "You see, these fragments have become mixed in with their thoughts and buried deep. You've seen it, they don't even realise when it happens. Even for me, finding and removing them while avoiding doing damage to their actual minds will be challenging. However, I have a theory. Based on what Billy has told me, both about his own fragment, I suspect that they're tied to their trauma. When you were interacting with the others before, was there any trigger that set them off?"
Foxy pressed his finger to his chin for a moment. "Aye, I'd say so. With Vev, it happened anytime when she talked about what happened with this lot."
"I believe Theodore was rantin' about his authority when his came on," said Freddy.
"Hermana kept talking about how we all need to put on a smile, I think," added Chica.
"All that Clyde guy said was about this all being a waste of time, talking about it I mean. Mentioned pasty face here too," said Bonnie, jerking her head towards Vevina.
"That all seems about right," agreed Jeremy. "From the time I spent with them, it seems like they all had their particular fixations and ways to cope, I guess. But they never liked to talk about what was actually on their minds, probably because they didn't feel like they could."
Billy nodded. "I saw stuff like that all the time when they thought they were on their own or while they were talking with Jeremy. Even my Other talks more whenever I'm feeling really down."
"Then that confirms it. What we need to do is draw those feelings to the surface and really talk them through it. Since these fragments appear as very strong emotions, there's no question in my mind that getting them to confront those feelings will draw what doesn't belong to the surface and make it easier for me to pick out what doesn't belong."
"So, while you're going mental spelunking to get these things, we have to sit and talk to them about personal feelings and such?" Bonnie grimaced. "Why do I feel like we drew the short straw in this?"
Arc of Carona: And now we wait again XD
ArchineerRob: Hope you're enjoying it so far.
SamVG93: Hey good to hear from you! Glad you're liking the story so far. Hope you're doing alright as well.
Guest: You can definitely say that.
Fate-Be Changed: Funny you should say that XD
Geek4Life: Ooh good shout, thank you.