A Second Chance
Chapter 2: Re-acquaintance
Khoal couldn't help but laugh at the sight that unfolded before her. A soon as Forte had uttered the canid's name he was not only knocked over but being licked to death on top of it with the black armored Bioroid trying to fend himself off on top of it.
"Glad to see that the pooch is happy," the reptilian Bioroid said with a toothy grin as she too chuckled at the antics of the two.
"Gos…bleh…. Gosp…" Forte started before he had to spit out dog slobber, then the laughter came as the canid was starting to tickle the poor Bioroid.
"Gos…Gosp…Gospel!" he wheezed trying to catch his breath between fits of laughter.
This was too much for Khoal and she raised her hand to her mouth and let out a sharp whistle, which caused the canid, to look up at her, tongue lolled out of his mouth before he charged over to her. There he sat down and placed his paws in her lap and waited for pats, which she gave.
"What a good boy," she cooed to Gospel, the purple canid just grinned at her happily.
Inwardly the woman sighed, knowing that the temperament that Gospel showed right now was far from his original personality. At the time she had such a problem with his system that he had to be brought online before any of the original memory had been restored. The personality that resided within the purple canid was nothing but a learning program with a temperament that would not drive Draka too crazy in the process. Guri had refused to work with the dog and she was not going to leave the task fully to Draka if Gospel could have been restored to his original state within the new canid body. Gospel's memory restoration would have to wait, for several reasons, not just for the sake of Draka sanity.
After Gospel got off of him, Forte managed to get himself turned upright and wiped the nice layer of slobber off his face before getting to his feet. "How?" he questioned as he looked around the room. Still not quite balanced he nearly fell over when he slid in a slick spot of dog drool as he tried to right the chair.
"Easy there sugar," the Drakanid said as she grabbed hold of Forte by the arm to steady him. "Slate and Khoal will be able to answer all your questions."
"Forte, this is Draka," Khoal said with a light motion to the Drakanid, with her free hand. "Draka, Forte."
"It's a pleasure hun," Draka said with a smile.
"Nice to meet you…" He said as he looked to Draka's hand then back to her face. "As well and ahh…thanks…for the…uhhh… hand," Forte added as he regained his balance.
Guri stood there in silence, shaking his head as he watched the whole entourage of canid attack Bioroid happily. What would the reaction have been if dog memory was complete? Guri thought, besides the fact that I would have wanted to destroy it by now. He then rolls his eyes at Draka's pleasantries to Forte; it was just about enough to make him sick. The tall Leonid then walked around the table and took a seat in front of the large window, waiting for the others to sit down as well.
Slate will be the next to take a seat just to the left of Khoal, she may not be sitting at the table yet but he knows where she will sit when she does decide to move. "Draka is right, Forte, we will do what we can to answer your questions," the man said with a smile. Slate's mismatched eyes showing his sincerity towards the newly awakened Bioroid.
The woman gave the canid one last pat before she got up and moved to take her place at the table. The canid followed after her practically on her heels before returning to Forte since the man seemed to be steady on his feet once again. Once there Gospel sat down at Forte's feet as the Bioroid stood next to the table, hands on the back of the chair, newly set back upright. Forte looked down at Gospel for a moment, a light smile formed across his lips before he moved around him to sit down in the chair. He then looked around from face to face to face before his gaze came to rest upon Khoal, the only person that was the most familiar to him at this point in time.
"Where am I?" Forte asked, the first question to fall from his lips that would soon be followed by several more. Maybe then some of his confusion would die.
"You are in a place known as the Inner Sanctum, sometimes know as the Bioroid Headquarters. It normally depends on our daily mood on which name it is called," Khoal started to explain before she let out a sigh. "How to explain all of this," she placed a hand to her forehead. She was never good at explaining time gaps, especially in this sort of situation.
At this response Forte, looked from Khoal to the others about the table before his gaze returned to Khoal. He didn't know how to take this initial reaction. "Is something wrong?" He asked.
"No, nothing is wrong," Khoal said with another light sigh. "It is just trying to figure out where to start with an understandable explanation." She then shook her head and placed her elbows on the table, before she laced her fingers together.
Forte nodded as he leaned back in the chair and placed a hand to his chin in thought. He then reached up and pulled the helmet off his head and set it upon the table. Its black and tarnished gold areas glittered slightly. Black hair fell in a wild fashion framed his pale face, caused the purple tattoo like 'smudge' lines that ran under each eye and down around his jaw line to stand out brightly. He ran a hand part way through his hair, before he closed his eyes and leaned back a little farther in the chair. Legs crossed at the knee as he used the one-foot on the floor to keep his balance.
"Don't worry hun," Draka said speaking up after a few moments of silence as she watches Forte. "Things that have happened are not the easiest to explain, so just be patient. Khoal will answer your questions to the best of her knowledge to be sure. It just may take some time."
Crimson eyes slid open at the sound of Draka's voice and he sat back up and finished the motion of running his hand through is hair before he placed his elbow upon the armrest. He then leaned his chin against his hand as he looked at the Drakanid. "I know," he said in agreement to the reptilian Bioroid's words. "I doubt that it is easy for any of you in this situation. Maybe a better thing for me to ask is why is it that you awakened me?" He asked as he turned to face Khoal again, crimson eyes meeting slate blue ones of the woman at the end of the table.
"It is more then just simply re-awakening you, Forte," Slate said all of a sudden as gestured slightly with one hand.
This caused the black armored man to swivel in his chair to face Slate, a dark brow lofted in confusion. "What do you mean?"
"What he means Forte, is that you were not always a Bioroid," Khoal started softly. "You were a robot, one that has not been active in over 46 years. Your remains were in a galleria, as a display of 'ancient' technology since by today's standards," there was a pause. "Robots of your design were creations of the past."
"When the galleria was demolished by a rampaging Maverick, four months back was when Khoal and I went and rescued you, Gospel and one other from the rubble of the building," Slate started to explain as his sister's voice had dropped a bit, picking up were she had left off. "Unfortunately we were not able to acquire anyone else."
Forte looked back and forth between the twins, as he leaned back in the chair. A bit intrigued at how they could complete or at least compliment each other's explanation about what had happened to him. He again lofted a dark brow at what he had heard thus far.
"So I was re-awakened on a whim?" He said with light disdain. "If that is the case then I would have preferred to be left off line."
"NO!" Khoal responded quite loudly in shock, as her gaze focused steadily upon Forte, as the Bioroid looked at her twin. "No," she said a bit softer and under more control. "That was not the reason that you were re-awakened. There are a couple of reasons why you were re-awakened. First and foremost it was to learn."
Draka and Guri turned to look at one another for a moment at the outburst from Khoal. It was not something that they saw often, so they both remained quite. Neither of them sure what to do or say in this situation. Both of their gazes turned towards Khoal at the same time, to watch the woman that was their creator.
There was quite a look of shock on Slate's face as well, even his jaw dropped slightly. He shook his head as his mouth shut with a soft click of teeth. He was not quite expecting that sort of response, though his sister had warned him that something like that might happen.
"To learn?" Now this question was asked in total confusion. Forte then swiveled the chair the slight bit needed to focus his attention back on Khoal.
"Yes, so much information of the era that you were originally created in was destroyed. There is not much technology left to even learn from. The Galleria was the only place that is…" there was another pause in Khoal's speech as she corrected herself. "Excuse me…was the only means of learning about past technologies. Now even that is gone. Most of the robots that were left were destroyed, regardless of the damage that was done to them. Slate and I tried to acquire more robots to see what we could learn from the past and the best way to learn of that past is from a functioning creation," her voice just trailed off again.
I can't say it, Khoal thought as she closed her eyes, I simply can not say it. She just could not bring herself to say robot, even though that was what Forte had been. She had never actually thought of him or any of the other robotic creations of the past truly as robots. The internal struggle was apparent on the young woman's face as she sat there.
Now two brows are lofted, now in concern for the woman. What is going on? Forte thought as he watched Khoal. "Are you all right?"
Slate looked at his sister in silence, he knew what thought was running through her mind and he had to admit he felt the same way. There was actually very little difference from robots that were made during the days when Dr. Light and Dr. Wily were friends, turned to bitter enemies. For all intents and purposes they were very basic Reploids, they had emotions to some degree, the difference was that they were not capable of overly complex thought processes. Where most other robot on the other hand were nearly devoid of this capability. He had discovered that, in Forte's case much to his surprise that robotic CPU brain had been the most advanced system that he had seen, compared to what he had discovered in mangled head remains from other projects, when they were allowed to get them. There was a higher level of thought involved as well as complex decision making, in Forte's case he was the closest that Slate had seen to a Reploid in almost every aspect of brain function, the major exception being a full use of emotions.
"I'm fine," Khoal replied as she opened her eyes again to look at Forte. "We had found you to be heavily damaged and data extraction of your memory was nearly impossible to achieve if we left you in your former state. You see the data that serves as the memory system in a CPU brain when extracted needs to be put into some sort of readable form. How that is done here is it is downloaded into what we call Memory Rods. They are small data compiling units," she paused and looked over to Slate. "I think that Slate had better finish this explanation. I know how it works, I designed the process, but I have never been able to explain it properly." She explained as she gestured to Slate.
Forte nodded to Khoal, signaling that he was ready for her to continue before he actually leaned forward in the chair, resting his elbows on the armrests he laced his fingers together and leaned his chin upon his hands. To listen to the rest of what she had to say. He maneuvered the chair so that he could focus his attention on Slate when the woman had gestured for him to start speaking.
Slate nodded at the gesture before he turned his full attention on to Forte. "The computer system here is not like most other systems. It runs on a technology that is actually more advanced then even most military systems." Slate said to start his explanation as he gestured a bit. He was always one to talk with his hands. "Because of this advancement, straight robotic CPU systems are not that compatible. They can function yes, but when it comes to extracting data that is as sensitive as that of memory it can be a bit of a problem. That is why Khoal created the Memory Rod system. This allows for data to be sorted into small compiling units by similarities in pattern. The system is sensitive enough that it filters out system information with only minuet, but important differences. This sorts the data into specific information rods that can be placed into an advanced 'brain' system for the lack of a better word."
"Because of this 'brain' system, as Slate has called it. It is easier to just reconstruct an entire functioning unit then bogging down the 'central brain' unit in the Cerebral Matrix," Khoal chimed in. "That way our systems stay free for other needed information gathering and other functions needed to support this underground complex. That and you now have a chance to explore not only your past, but take a steps towards the future that you might never realized possible," this is where Khoal decided to leave off for now, to let the information try to sink in.
During this whole time of explanation, Forte looked back and forth between the two siblings as he remained very quite. Now that that Khoal had stopped talking he leaned back into the chair again, slowly as he tried to digest all the information that was given to him, hands held before his mouth in thought.
The Drakanid and Leonid watched in curiosity. They had actually heard this explanation before, but each found it intriguing in their own way to watch another go through the same process of explanation. The only major difference between themselves and Forte is that they did not have a pre-existing form in the past.
He sighed, not knowing fully what to think or to expect for that matter, Forte dropped his hands back into his lap and looked at Khoal for a few long moments in silence before he spoke. "What do you hope to accomplish? I still don't understand the importance of what you have done."
Khoal sighed again as she rubbed the bridge of her nose, eyes sliding closed as she started to get frustrated. What could she do? She didn't know how to explained what she hoped to accomplish.
"I don't know what you're expecting me to tell you Forte," Khoal stated, lowing her hand as slate blue eyes slid open, before shaking her head. "For me this is a learning experience, an experience of the past as I strive towards the future with tentative steps. Your re-awakening is a learning process for not only myself but for Slate as well. To catch a star you must first know how to reach for it. The same is true for technology, if you cannot look at creations of the past to learn from then ones steps towards the future falter."
"As I had said before, it was but a whim," Forte said as he stood up, eyes narrowing slightly before he added. "What of Gospel? Did you re-awaken him for some form of perverse pleasure as well?"
Both Guri and Draka's jaws dropped at the accusations that Forte directed at Khoal, even Slate's jaw dropped a bit as he blinked at the black bioroid. Khoal didn't even flinch, at least not visibly; inwardly the words that Forte spoke wounded her deeply.
"How…" Guri snarled, eye narrowing as he got to his feet after finding his voice. He looked as if he was ready leap over the table and pounce upon the bioriod upon the other side. "…. dare you!"
"Guri…." Draka started as she too stood up, she really didn't want to see a fight break out right now.
A snarl was all that was Guri's response to Draka as he put a large hand out to push her away if needed to be able to get to the 'offensive' creation across the table. His long tail lashed back and forth angrily as his ears flattened against his skull.
"Guri!" Khoal snapped in an authoritative tone as she stood up, placing her hands against the smooth surface of the table. "Sit down now!"
Guri's head snapped up as he turned to look at Khoal, the tone in her voice caused him to stop. He slowly sank back into his seat, ears perking up just a little from there angered state as his snarling vistage melted away into a look of mild shock.
The harshness of Khoal's tone drew all the eyes in the room to her, even the canid that was still laying at Forte's feet looked up at the woman. There was a great deal of strain upon the woman, it was evident in her features as she stood there leaning upon the table, long ebon locks falling haphazardly around across her shoulders. Her gaze turned to Forte as he stood by the table, on hand resting upon the back of the chair as a dark brow was lifted.
"Do you honestly think that I would be trying to explain things to you if I had re-awaken you for my own perverse pleasure?" Khoal said as a beginning answer to Forte's accusation as she stood up a little straighter. "If I had re-awakened you for my own 'perverse pleasure' do you think that you would be standing here as you are right now?" The woman paused a moment, to let that information sink in. "I highly doubt it, for if my pleasures are so perverse as you accuse them of being then you would be bowed down at my feet at this very moment."
When that was said and done the woman swept out of the room without even looking back. She had had enough at the moment, the day had been a long and tedious one in truth. She no longer had the patience or emotional stability to handle anymore questions from the arrogant bioroid. She knew that he was going to be a difficult one to deal with, but she had hoped that he wouldn't have been quite the pain in the ass that he had been as soon as he had re-awakened.
Everyone watched the woman go, no one saying a word. Forte sat back down in his chair. Fingers laced together as he swiveled the chair to face the door as it slid closed behind the woman. He was not sure what to think at the moment, part of him felt that he should be highly irritated with the woman, the other part of him was still highly confused.