ROBO'S STORY
PERSONAL DATA LOG C
BEYOND NOWHERE
System Check D active.
Unit R66-Y operational on March 14th, 11:44 PM, AD 2300. Boot system Geno Zero Zero Six Six Y running. No malfunctions detected. Motor activity at 100%. Visual and audio sensors running at 100%. Emotion chip now 12% operational.
System Check D inactive.
Log Entry H active.
The door shut behind us and we stood in a small, smelly room - empty, save for the glowing azure orb near the center. Lucca removed an odd- looking rod with five finger-like petals along the outer edge - it reminded me of the flowers from the old days. "This is the Gate?" I questioned. Crono nodded. "But you can't move at all or you might fall into a random time zone...!" I was alarmed by this until Marle spoke. "Don't listen to him - he's an idiot." She punched him playfully in the arm, and I watched quietly. I guessed that the same situation might possibly be happening between Marle and Crono as I had observed with Lucca and Crono - but then again, I was not so accurate at reading that kind of situation. If it WAS the same situation, an uncomfortable conflict might erupt. Regardless, Program Prometheus and the Emotion Chip had begun a slow transition within my "personality"...I was not quite sure how to adapt to that change or even what it was, but the point is that it was there. Everyone knew it was there, but it was never mentioned. I still knew, however, that my chip was not fully active. When it WAS fully operational...I did not wish to know.
But, I had recently come to understand that there is no point in worrying over what you cannot control. Lucca waved the rod like a conductor's baton and a rip in space-time expanded into being. Crono, Marle, and Lucca leapt inside immediately. I hesitated for a moment before jumping in myself. As swirling colors surrounded me, I was not sure if I was moving, or how much time was passing. I also noticed that I could no longer see myself. My companions had changed into points of white light - I wondered if I appeared the same to them. A rushing noise like a fresh breeze whistling through a cavern surrounded me, and I felt a distant sensation of falling in slow motion. How I saw, heard, or felt any of this - I did not know. I did not exist, and yet I did. The illogical sense of the whole situation was mind-boggling. Time travel was impossible, according to every law I had heard in my time of activation. I did not understand, and yet at that moment I remembered something I had once heard. Within the science of Quantum Mechanics, there is a theory about a Multiplicity of Histories.
In this theory, it states that whenever an action is performed, an alternate existence is created. What this implies is that infinite universes branch off during every moment of our existence. In an alternate unive ae, the event that split the original universe might not have occurred, or it might have happened in a different way. Existence is similar to that of a tree. The one difference is that every branch will create infinite more branches. Time travel is not possible if you wish to leap from branch to branch on the tree. To travel through time, one must journey down to the base of the trunk, and choose a different branch to travel up through. I realized that after I stepped through the portal, I must have passed the dawn of creation - the boundary of everything that exists - before I was able to travel through to a different time. But I also knew that to be able to travel there, I would need power greater than 6,000,000 suns condensed for conventional use. What could possibly create something that powerful I did not know.
I peered through a crimson blur to my left, and I could barely detect overlapped images flashing by at such an extraordinary rate that an organic being would not see a change. In fact, they flashed so quickly, that even I was not able to isolate and scan one. I simply was aware that the blur was comprised of the images. How many years had I passed? Had I reached the boundary yet? What had now become of my ruined world? The questions flashed about almost as quickly as the images. Then, all at once, I was aware that the four of us were not alone. It was invisible to my optical sensors and scanners - but a level of spiritual energy existed, and then quickly dissipated. I did not inform the others of my observation. I was suddenly aware of a sucking sensation - a vacuum drawing me forward. A black void swirled into being in front of us, and we hurtled through the portal, still points of light.
Precisely 2 seconds later, I found myself tumbling to the ground. I stood, and assured myself of the operation of my appendages. We stood on an old cobblestone road, lampposts on either side. An old gate stood in front of us, and three whirling pillars of light appeared when we stepped away. The light pulsated in a strangely soothing sense, as if it were alive. There was something very wrong with this place. I quite suddenly noticed what it was. This small land floated over and within nothing. Dark, navy blue fog surrounded us on all sides. I stomped...solid ground. This "village" of the old days must have had some form of anti-grav unit to float like this. But, oddly, I detected none. Yet another new emotion - curiosity took hold. How was this possible? But, I realized, I'd gone far beyond the realm of the possible and the impossible already. Was this world beyond even 2300 A.D.?
"Where are we?" I questioned. It was a rhetorical question, another new characteristic of the humans that I was attempting more and more frequently. My synthesized voice echoed about as if we were within a great chasm. But other than this, no sound occurred - not the tiniest drop of water, not even the buzzing of an insect. I suspected no life existed here. Marle looked worried. "What if it's a trap?" I looked at Crono and knew exactly what he would say. "I say we go for it." One day, I thought as we approached the gate, his recklessness would prove to be a great setback. I could only hope it would not bring harm to him. Lucca stopped us. "Now wait just a minute! Something's wrong. Look." She pointed to the three pillars of light behind us. "Yes? What's wrong with them?" Suddenly Marle slapped her hand over her forehead as she understood. "There's no Gate!!"
A shocked silence ensued. "So..." Marle said, glancing behind her back every so often as if stalked by a nameless enemy. "...That means...we're stuck here? HERE?!" "Please, Marle," I said, holding up my hand. "We are not alone. Your volume may attract his attention." I understood that this being didn't have anything to do with the entity I detected during our transport through time. That...I could not explain. Regardless, my comment stopped her dead in her tracks. "Someone's...out here? Waiting for us??" She glanced about nervously. I shook my head. "It is highly improbable that he would be waiting for us, but he does indeed exist." Crono turned to me. "Can you tell what he looks like?" "I will attempt to extend scanner range - please do not distract me." I sat and shut down all extraneous systems. "White," I began. "Male. Old age." I "opened my eyes," so to speak. "He is one of you. A human." Lucca's eyebrows narrowed. "Then what would...he be doing...here?"
A loud noise pierced the following silence. A loud vibrating snort, followed by a whistle. A moment later, it occurred again. "And," I said, "He is also asleep." "Well, at least that gives us an advantage..." said Crono, looking to the gate. Marle, reluctantly, lead the way and quietly pushed open the old gate. A square-shaped chamber met our eyes, lit by a single old lamppost in the center. However, I observed, it was not the only light source. Two buckets, one near the back of the room and one to our right, were lit with an eerie cyan glow. The glows seemed to pulsate, as the pillars of light in the other room had. A locked door stood to our left. But the subject of interest, of course, was the old man leaning against the lamppost. He wore a brown overcoat that I could not date. Every time I analyzed it, I got false readings stating odd statistics that I knew must have been impossible.
He wore an unsightly brown bowler hat with a dark green trimming. His shoes were battered and torn, and he held a worn yellow cane. Seconds later, the snoring subsided and the man lifted his head in surprise, his white mustache moving slightly. Everyone readied themselves. The old man chuckled and raised his hat from his eyes with a finger. "Ah, more guests...!" I nodded to the others - he appeared friendly. Lucca stepped forward. "What do you mean, "guest"...? And WHERE are we?" The old man laughed again and responded, "Why, this is 'The End of Time,' of course!" Not understanding, I checked the time gyro to get some answers for myself. But, the time gyro once again read "error." The old man continued. "All lost travelers in time wind up here! Now, where are you from?" Lucca spoke up again. "We're from Guardia Kingdom, circa 1000 A.D." I became slightly annoyed at her lack of consideration, and I quietly interjected. "I come from 2300 A.D..."
The man smiled and nodded. "When 4 or more beings step into a time warp, the Conservation of Time theorem states that they will turn up at the space-time coordinates of least resistance. Here." I was puzzled, but let him continue. "Disturbances in the space-time continuum have increased recently. Far too many folks are just popping in here...I fear something is having a powerful effect on the very fabric of time..." I nodded, this disturbing information ringing true. A new sensation, uneasiness, struck me. Lucca spoke again, bringing up another disturbing point. "...And that means one of us has to remain here." Marle's eyes widened further. I realized that they already now took up 11% of her face, rapidly increasing. "Stay HERE? ALONE?" I could tell she did not quite agree with the prospect. Understatement was another very human affectation I greatly enjoyed toying with.
The old man looked around. "It is pretty bleak here...but not to worry. All time periods connect here, so you can visit your friends whenever you wish! But you can never travel in groups greater than 3..." "So," I said, "One of us must stay." A silence followed. I suddenly felt Marle's eyes on me. Then Lucca's. And then Crono's. I turned my head and looked at the three of them. I understood that all of them, even Crono, felt a shade of fear of this place. I understood that I would be the one to stay this first time. I would then convince the others that it truly wasn't so horrible. However, in truth, I too felt fear of The End of Time. But as my Emotion Chip was still only 12% operational, I knew I should stay anyway. I nodded and agreed with them, much to their relief.
The old man nodded again. "...So there you have it. Don't forget. You can come back and change party members as often as you need to." Then Marle's eyes narrowed and she brought up the most pressing problem of all. "How do we get back to our time?" Everyone agreed with the question. The man pointed. "You see those lovely pillars of light? Those hook you up to different eras. Once you've been through a Gate, you can always use it to come here. To use a Gate from here, simply step into the light. But beware the Gate which leads from that bucket..." We nodded - even Crono. Danger was something none of us truly looked forward to. I waved goodbye and the three humans turned to the pillars. The man suddenly called them back. "Don't be in such a rush! Before you go, the four of you should take a peek in the room behind me! Here's the key, go ahead!" I joined them again.
Curious, Crono took the key and slid it into the worn lock. A loud clunk was heard, and the door creaked to the side. Another square chamber, much like the first, came into view. It was lit by an unseen source and was slightly larger. The one difference, however, was that a small, white fuzzy creature stood in the center. It grinned and stood as tall and proud as it could on its small, weak legs. "What're you lookin' at?" It squeaked. "I'm Spekkio. The Master of War! I've seen all kinds of battles from here. How do I look to you guys?" "Er..." The four of us exchanged glances. "Uh, strong!" Invented Marle. Spekkio's grin broadened as he somehow knew the truth behind our observations of the pitiful creature. "I see. Let's put it this way. If you're strong, I look strong. If you're weak, I look weak." "How is that..." I began, but Lucca raised her hand and cut me off. Spekkio's grin disappeared and he truthfully nodded in satisfaction. "You are strong of will...! That's why the Old One let you through." Spekkio looked to the swirling fog above us.
"Long before you were born...there was a kingdom where magic flourished. Everyone there could use it!" I was about to interrupt with a question regarding the definition of "magic," but Lucca once again stopped me. Spekkio continued. "But in time, people began to abuse their powers. It got so bad that no one was allowed to use magic except wizards." He looked back to us, lighting up. "But you have it...determination, I mean! Magic needs power of the heart. It needs inner strength." This time I held Lucca back and said, "But...what exactly is 'magic?'" Spekkio chuckled and agreed to explain. "Magic is divided into 4 types: Lightning, Fire, Water, and Shadow. One's type is decided by their inner soul - their past, their memories, and their personality." I could have sworn Spekkio's eyes flicked to me just for a moment.
"You, with the punk hairdo! You're 'Lightning.' The one with the ponytail is 'Water.' The girl with the goofy glasses is 'Fire.'" Spekkio stopped and analyzed me for a moment. "That's the biggest toy I've ever seen...hey, you're not alive, are you?!" I was highly offended. "You've got great strength. However, I can't measure your inner character! But from what I can see...yes. Definitely. You're 'Shadow.'" Crono and Marle looked at me out of the corner of their eyes, wondering what could have been within my past that would cause me to be deemed Shadow type. Of course, Lucca knew, and she looked at the ground, tracing a circle with her foot. I was grateful for her kindness.
Spekkio broke the silence. "Not just magic, but EVERYTHING is based on the balance of these 4 powers. And I believe that you four would not upset that balance." This new discovery came as a surprise to me. It was quite apparent now, that I realized with this power I could easily disturb the very lining of space-time. And I understood that Spekkio was fully ready to deem us able to carry the weight of that responsibility. We, in all likelihood, were the few who could use this power for good, and Spekkio saw that in us. It was then that Spekkio came out with something completely unexpected. "Think 'MAGIC,' and, starting from the door, walk clockwise along the walls of my room three times. Don't lose track, now." We looked at each other and shrugged, but complied. I brought up the rear, and, ridiculous as it may have appeared, we marched around the edge of the battered bars repeating "MAGIC" in our minds as many times as we could muster. Spekkio observed in amusement, following us with his eyes.
As we walked, I pondered Spekkio's existence. I peered into the tiny eyes in the head of the small creature, and understood that this being was something of my own creation. My subconscious had created this bizarre, twisted thing. I wondered what he appeared like to the others. Two laps to go... I also wondered if one of the mindless R-Series robots had seen Spekkio, if they would have seen his true form, or just seen nothing at all. They, after all, retained no individuality or subconscious. "Inner character," as Spekkio might have put it. One lap to go... I also understood that Spekkio must have been all-seeing and all-knowing if it was true that he was some sort of immortal creature and had watched everything since the Boundary of Time. His vast store of knowledge must have been incredible. As we neared the end of the last lap, I decided to scan Spekkio. All results turned negative, excluding the enormous level of spiritual energy I detected in his location.
We finished our "tour" around Spekkio's room, and gathered in front of him once again. Spekkio chuckled. "Very good!" Spekkio had us gather closer together. He lowered his head and raised his arms. "Ipso facto, meeny moe...MAGICO!" I felt a tingling and a rush of pleasure, almost like a sweet-smelling breeze. As soon as it began, however, it was quickly over. Spekkio raised his head. "So! Fortified with magic! Wanna try it out?" We all nodded in agreement. "All right!" He responded. He raised his arms, muttered, and a dummy appeared in midair. We assumed it was for use in attacking. Its appearance was identical to Spekkio's, so I assumed he had cast the same magic over this dummy. Spekkio nodded. "Who's first?" Crono stepped forward, eager to try. Then he stood, silent, slightly confused. "Um...what exactly am I supposed to do?" Spekkio laughed. "OK. First you need to clear your mind of all thoughts, and focus on something simple, such as breathing...yes, that's it...good...now open your eyes and watch." He did so.
Suddenly, a low roar was heard. I watched as Marle's hair stood straight up on her head. All at once, not 20 feet away, a bolt of pure energy arced down from the endless fog with a crack down into nothingness. Crono's eyes widened. "I did THAT?!" Spekkio nodded. "Keep in mind, you guys, that once you get good enough at this, you won't need to even clear your thoughts or focus at all. It's like domesticating an animal. Associate the magical effect with an action - such as raising or opening a hand, clapping, or whatever pleases you. Once the association is strong enough, one action will become synonymous with the magical effect in your mind. When you do that action, you will cast the magic. Plus, when you're strong enough, you can combine your powers to create new effects. We call these Double or Triple Techs. In general, the more power you combine, the greater the effect. Why don't we have the one with the ponytail go next?"
Marle nodded and stepped forward. She began repeating the actions Crono had done moments before, but Spekkio stopped her abruptly. "Hold on! Wait a sec! All magic is performed in a different way. Ice magic is quite different." Marle looked up. "Ice? I thought you said I was Water?" Spekkio shook his head. "No. Well, in a sense yes. Here, let me explain. Water magic is divided into two sub categories. One is Water magic, and one is Ice magic. You're Ice." Marle grinned. "Great! Actually, I think I like Ice better." Spekkio nodded. "It was designed to fit. Anyway, here's how you do your stuff. First, begin like you did a moment ago. Now, wait for a moment...open your eyes, but CONTINUE to focus your energy. Good..." A small spinning ball of sparkling blue energy formed in front of her open hand.
Spekkio continued. "Now, continue focusing for a moment..." After a few seconds, the ball began to advance forward, gradually gaining speed. Spekkio waited. "And...unfocus and release...NOW." Several yards away, the ball rapidly expanded into a large mass of unshapen ice, which tumbled to nothingness below. Spekkio continued. "Keep in mind that the mass of energy you created can pass through solid matter. Therefore, you can release when the ball is above or even inside of an object. This will be useful in battle. Another thing I gotta remind you. Everyone has limits, even me. We all have a level of something I call Magic Power, or MP for short. All magic we use will lower this level. If it is depleted, you will be exhausted and will not be able to use magic for about 10 to 12 minutes. The more magic you do, the greater this level will become. Let's see...why don't we have the girl with the glasses go next?"
Lucca came forward. Spekkio readied her. "Focus, as before. OK...release and open your eyes now." We waited, but nothing happened. "Uh, Spekkio? Nothing's happening. Is there something else I'm...supposed..." She stopped when she noticed her right fist was clenched and smoking. She opened her hand to find a levitating ball of crackling orange energy. She gasped, slightly surprised. "Why isn't this burning me?" Spekkio answered. "You are all immune to magic itself, so you will not be harmed if you hit yourself or the others." Lucca hurled the ball to the floor and it exploded into a pool of flame about 5 feet in diameter. It quickly died away. "Very good," said Spekkio. "There are three ways that all of you can perform your magic." Spekkio began to explain.
"The first way comprises of your normal, single target blow. The second is a wide dispersal. This will attack any foe within 25 feet or so. The third is object focusing. With this, you can focus your magic power into an object. You with the punk hairdo should be able to focus into your sword - you with the glasses can focus into that gun of yours. Ms. Ponytail can even focus into other people to effectively revitalize them. Mr. Robot here is a different story, however. Any Shadow magic you use must be conveyed via that laser device you've got there. You can still do single target, wide dispersal, and object focusing, but it must be through that laser device. Why don't you give some magic a shot?"
I stepped forward, slightly nervous. The others watched with interest, as I would have to use magic in a very different way. "OK," Spekkio began. "It looks like you have an interesting past - Shadow magic should work well with you. I believe step one is gonna be to charge your laser." I did so. "Now, Shadow is quite different from the others. OK, you ready? All right. I want you to HATE me! HATE your friends. HATE this place, that old geezer next door, this dummy, and hate EVERYTHING ABOUT EVERYTHING! I want you to recall your worst memory - your archenemy - the death of a loved one. Remember everything you've ever lost!" I remembered. The cruel trick of the humans. The lethal experimentation of the R-Series. Atropos. My friends! R-64Y, R-67Y, and R-69Y. Gone forever! Reprogrammed!! My four hour death sentence. The rumbling...the shaking...rubble falling...screams of terror and shouts over the crumbling of the human race...the rage I had felt when my program was reactivated...I would never see Atropos or my friends again...!
A dark cloud began to swirl above my head as my rage mounted. The Shadow magic took hold and multiplied my emotion by precisely 63 times. A black wind began to howl loudly as the magic's intensity increased exponentially. Spekkio shouted over the racket, "FOCUS ON THE DUMMY...RELEASE!!" I vented my external casing, revealing the glimmering Prometheus Device. I raised my arms and the black cloud disappeared. After a moment of silence, the Device unleashed an eerie purple-blue beam that seemed to pulsate. I shut off optical sensors, letting all emotion flow out with the ray of pure destructive energy. The sound died down, and 5 seconds later, I opened my eyes. The dummy was gone. Completely vaporized. Behind it, a neat hole with a 3 foot diameter was now cut through the thick vertical iron bars. Crono, Marle and Lucca stared in shock.
Spekkio grinned. "Very, very good! I haven't seen Shadow magic performed that well in ages!" I returned to the others, and slowly regained my control. I had never felt such evil in a long time. Much less from myself. It was then that I discovered that my emotion chip was 4% closer to full activation. It now rested still at 16%. Apparently, the power within the magic itself had boosted it ever closer to...something. I hoped that when it came, my Shadow magic would not be so strong as to overload my own circuits and be taken over entirely by its evil. I did not make my thoughts public. Spekkio began again, chuckling. "You guys are too much! Bring newcomers to meet me." We nodded, waved, said our goodbyes, and left Spekkio to watch over his field of nothingness.
As we emerged into the previous room, the old man beckoned us to him again. He cleared his throat, and began to speak. "Well, well! People who lived long ago ALL enjoyed such powers. Now, I know you are itching to go ripping back and forth through time, but first you need to return to your era." I knew the old man was referring to my three human companions, as I would not accompany them on this adventure. The man continued. "And you must hurry. The longer you remain here, the harder it will be to change that which must be changed. Stop by whenever you're in the area!" Crono, Marle, and Lucca waved their goodbyes to me and I wished them luck. I watched as the three of them, one by one, stepped into the third pillar of light and dematerialized much like they would if on a trans-lift. And then silence.
I sat and shut down extraneous systems. I hoped it would not be a long wait. In fact, I realized as I thought about it, that they should have rematerialized as soon as they stepped in. Assuming, of course, that they returned after their adventure to the same time and place as they left. And it appeared that they hadn't. Unless the mission was unsuccessful... I immediately pushed the thought from my mind. They were able and strong human beings. I turned on optical sensors and detected the old man watching me. I decided it was about time I asked a few pressing questions. Just as I activated voice synthesis, however, he began to speak. "You're R-66Y, right? Prometheus?" I was surprised, as my serial number or program name had not been used since I was named 'Robo.' "Affirmative. How did you come upon my identity?" "Well, you were really quite the hero, you know. Saved everyone in Geno Dome." I was left clueless from his statement.
"I do not understand. I saved no one." The man pushed his bowler hat down over his eyes. "You led a small-scale revolution against the Mother Brain, right? Well, it activated extra security systems and sealed Level 1 blast doors 10 minutes after your jailing in Proto. The blast doors saved most everyone from Lavos." I attempted comprehension of his statement. I had saved approximately 46 humans and 157 robots from termination - this was a positive statement. However, the word Lavos...I had heard it somewhere...yes! The director in Proto Dome. Before he was crushed, he muttered "Lavos..." and yes! I now understood. "Lavos" was an ancient term of unknown dialect meaning "Great Fire." The creature creating the immense waves of energy and the massive needle-like cones drilling their way through the domes...the creature...was named Lavos. The man explained everything to me.
According to him, when the humans within Geno came to, all the robots were gone. Approximately 5 years into the aftermath of "The Day of Lavos," as it had come to be known, many of the survivors ventured from Geno's remains and spread to other domes such as Arris and Bangor. A few brave adventurers had found their way into places such as the sewers or even up onto Death Peak, the mountain created by the residual rubble from Lavos' apparation. Death Peak existed in the exact location in which Lavos had appeared. It was called Death Peak because none who ventured there had ever returned. The cowardly ones remained in Geno Dome. Months later, all of those who had stayed within Geno mysteriously disappeared. The remaining populous reproduced and rose to approximately 240. It was then that the robots returned. According to the old man, I had unwillingly protected not only Geno Dome, but Geno's Mother Brain. It had collected all of the robots - every single one it could find - and reprogrammed them. Now, they worked as a force to destroy humankind.
This, I now understood, explained why "innocent" Debuggers, Proto Units, Buggers, Remote Claws, and my friends from the R-Series had attacked us while we explored Proto Factory. This also explained why all of the domes were relatively clean inside. This meant that every drone that might have survived was now an enemy. The man continued to explain that the tattered edges that remained of the human race were rather useless. They did nothing aside from consuming what little food they had, and attempting to stay warm. In 2245, the robots attacked the survivors' camp. Over half of what remained of the population was slaughtered. Some were taken to Geno Dome for "tests." A 20-year-old man named Doan led an escape from several of the Domes to reside in the ruins of the ShelterDome. Years later, the people returned to the domes, but many lost the will to live and ended their own existence. Only a handful remained in 2300. In essence, the Mother Brain ruled the ruins of the world. The path to Geno Dome was sealed off with a large polluted bay.
"I am ashamed," I said, "That I know far less of my own time than even you." "Hey, nothin' to be ashamed of," He said. I thought of something else. "I am more ashamed that I cannot do anything to assist my companions." The man shook his head. "Who says so?" That caught me off guard for a moment. "You can follow them if you want, but it's kind of complicated. You see, The End of Time works a little different from the space-time continuum. It doesn't move forward in time at all. It's sort of like we're frozen in one moment, but we perceive it as passage of time. The problem with all this is that you MUST choose the right time and location, and you MUST find them BEFORE they return here. If they return before you reach them, you might create another branch of existence in which you never existed at all. Take your tree analogy." How he knew of my analogy, I was not certain. He continued. "It would be like you're stuck on one branch, and they travel down another. You'd simply phase out of existence in their timeline. You have to consider if it's worth that risk."
I actually considered staying for a moment, before I realized that absolutely nothing was worth harm to my friends. "You understand that I must leave. I have no choice." "Yes, I figured as much..." I nodded. "There is one final situation on my mind that I must ask you, however. Why are there only three pillars?" He chuckled. "The room beyond that gate houses the eras that are most important to you in the space-time continuum. If you see three, than you've got three things you have to worry about. For me, the whole floor is lit up. One last thing: When you do find them, you must either all enter the Gate at the same time, or you before them to prevent disaster." I bid him a quick goodbye, and set off for the pulsing pillars of light. I opened the old gate, and stepped into the first room once again. I was left in curiosity for a moment, but I quickly located a plaque on the floor in front of each of the pillars.
On the far left, I read one as follows: "'Mystic Mountain' 65,000,000 B.C." I found this highly intriguing - according to my data banks, any form of human life within that age would have consisted of small, fur-bearing, prey animals. I understood that this was the age of lush jungles, large reptilian beasts, and hot, humid weather. If I went here, I would create an alternate timeline as the man had suggested. I did not, however, understand why this era would be important to me. The inscription to its right read: "'Proto Dome' 2300 A.D." I found this enticing until I remembered the wasteland of my world. Lastly, to its right, the final inscription lay. It read: "'Medina Village' 1000 A.D." I realized that this must have been the area Crono, Marle, and Lucca traveled to. I did not understand why they would have traveled to a village of the Mystics, an antagonistic, magic-oriented group that despised humans above all else...but I felt that at least Crono would know what he was doing. I had recently gained new respect for him. I stepped forward into the rift of space-time.
It was quite different from the gates. I felt much more...comforted...at ease. I cannot describe it. But the familiar lurching sensation of suddenly increasing the rate of speed of the passage of time by several hundred thousand times remained. I once again felt as if I was falling in slow motion - floating and sinking. And, all at once, I felt something. A pair of firey eyes on me. Then gone. The spiritual energy. It was back! I scanned once again, trying to make out even an impression of a shadow of anything. None existed, and the energy was gone as quickly as it had come. As the black portal opened in front of me, I still could not understand the meaning. Why? Who was my hidden watcher? I did not know. The portal closed, and I tumbled out of a wooden cabinet to the floor. I now understood that I was down to minutes before I created an alternate universe and erased my own existence.
I stood within a small cottage, apparantly owned by the two Imps now watching me. Imps are approximately 2.5 feet tall, have small, squinty eyes, and a two-sectioned cranium. As animal-like as they may have appeared, I knew they were just as or more intelligent than humans. I stood and faced them. "I apologize for the intrusion. Did you happen to observe..." The Imp pointed to the mountains to the west. I thanked him and left. Most likely, my human-like appearance disturbed them. I exited the hovel, and entered the fresh air. I heard a distant, eerie chanting in the distance, but I had no time for observing anything of the sort. When I later found a cave in the wall of the mountain, a group of three guards approached. They were all Henches. Henches are large, yellow-skinned, blue-armored, muscled beasts - not as intelligent as the Imps, but still intelligent enough for speech. As far as I remembered, Henches followed all orders exactly - not enough will to improvise - hence the name "Hench."
Regardless, they approached me with fists clenched. "All enemies will perish!" I nodded. "My thoughts exactly." Very soon, with some "bargaining," I was inside. I entered the cave to find several fallen bodies - luckily none of which were my friends. At that moment, a loud rumble, a roar, and an explosion brought a vibration to the rock under my feet. I raced through the tunnel, now understanding that this was not the best of ideas. I located hurried speech far below. I knew, from scanning, that I would have a long hike ahead of me. I could not afford to wait. I activated Motor Node D, and my legs extended by approximately .76 feet. I leaped from the rock platform.
I landed near the base of a waterfall, and my legs cushioned my landing and returned to their normal length. I entered a large cave. A dead beast lay on the rock, crackling with electricity. I quickly identified it as Heckran, one of General Ozzie's troops from the middle ages. Why he existed here, I wasn't sure. I heard echoing voices from far ahead. But as I ran forward, I could no longer hear them! Were they the way I had come? No, that was unlikely, for even as I drew near the entrance I still could not hear them. I stepped around Heckran once again, and noticed a glimmering mass of water ahead. It was approximately five feet across, and it glimmered white in a way that was unnatural. I stepped forward, curious. Scans turned negative. Simply water. But I saw something more. I bent down and swished my hand through the liquid. Almost immediately, I felt myself being drawn forward, and I felt an uneasiness almost as if I had entered a Gate. But I saw no Gate.
If there had been a Gate, my fate would already be sealed. Suddenly, the uneasiness died away, and I felt a sucking sensation...
Log Entry H Inactive.
Log Entry I Active.
Seawater. An interesting substance indeed - a high content of salt within the water, and yet filled with tiny organisms that had somehow managed to adapt. Unfortunately, I was not one of them. I found myself immobile, floating on my back in the water. Luckily for me, land was not 20 yards away, and I activated Motor Node E. My body moving automatically, I quickly reached a small beach and fell to the sand. I vented my internal casing, and approximately one gallon of seawater gushed to the sand from my internal systems. Almost immediately I stood, trying to locate my friends. I climbed up the beach, and luckily no civilians were in sight. I peered around. Warm sunshine, old cottages and cobblestone paths met my eyes. Laughing children played in the streets, and I heard merry music echoing from a town square in the north. Seagulls soared overhead, calling, and the sun shone off of a towering castle in the distance.
I didn't belong, I knew that much. I was cold steel, originally designed for the very purpose of destroying all human intruders. As I scanned...there! The three of them, walking to one of the cottages. I ran through the warm morning air. A man turned to look at me in wonder. I understood that the kingdom of Truce had simple mechanics - stoves, refrigerators - but machines such as I had never even been dreamed of in fiction. And I also realized that I was now changing the course of history. My very being created hundreds of infinite paradoxes every moment. With the simple wave of a finger, I could create an alternate timeline. I needed to find my friends before I was witnessed further - there was always that slim chance that the future I had currently could become worse.
I sprinted across healthy green grass, full of my newest emotion: adrenaline. Under diferent circumstances, the peaceful atmosphere might have compelled me to sit at that location, shut down systems, and begin my regeneration cycles then and there. But, as a side effect of my emotions, I couldn't allow myself to do so, no matter how much I needed rest. In fact, I activated Motor Node E and increased speed by 6%. I also took a second scan of my surroundings and discovered that I was just passing the residence they had entered. I followed immediately, nearly busting the door in my efforts to get inside. It was a fairly simple residence - an armchair lay to my right, upon which Lucca sat. To my left was a small kitchen, where Crono appeared to be introducing Marle to a woman of approximately 35. Neither Crono or Marle appeared to notice me, but Lucca turned, wide-eyed, to look at me. She gestured for me to approach, and she spoke in a hushed voice.
"Robo? What...how...?" "The old man at the End of Time suggested I help you. I am here, should you require assistance." Lucca grinned. "Well, that's good - but then I suppose you met Heckran...?" "Affirmative - or at least what remained." "Yeah, Crono went a little psycho on the guy...oh well, he seems to be having fun." Suddenly, her grin was erased. "Wait a sec...how're you going to get back?" "As long as I enter a Gate before you, I will not be lost." "So the End of Time was pretty boring, huh?" I thought about her question, and what "boring" even referred to. "Yes," I said. "Yes, I WAS bored." I said it with a strange surge of pride that I could, in fact, admit such a thing - almost as if I was bragging. "Well then, you should meet Crono's mom - she's an interesting person..." Lucca gave a wink, and suggested I should approach Crono, Marle, and Crono's mother. And so I did.
Lucca's mother caught sight of me, and nearly dropped the plate she was washing in surprise. "Goodness...! Lucca, is THIS one of your inventions?" I was slightly offended, but I fully understood. Lucca was really the only person during this time period who had even a partial knowledge of electronics. It made sense - she did not realize I was sentient anyway. I bowed and responded in the usual fashion: "Greetings. I am Robo. Crono is my friend." I knew that the more I said, the more I would change history and even Crono's life, so I kept it simple. Crono's mother smiled. "My, how polite! Strange looking, but well behaved! Crono, you could learn a thing or two." Crono slowly faded to beet red and said, "Yeah...well..." Marle burst out laughing. Crono's mother smirked slyly and turned back to her work.
Crono, Marle, and Crono's mother continued conversing, and I joined Lucca at the armchair. I discussed with her what I had learned at the End of Time, and she told me of a previous adventure of theirs - just hours before I had been activated - involving an abandoned dome in 2300 AD that housed the information center in which the Director had been killed. There, they had discovered a video record of the Day of Lavos, and I told her where I was during that moment. I did not tell her what I was doing, and I did not once mention Atropos. Lucca did tell me of Geno Dome's appearance after the blast - dented and destroyed, but more intact that the others. In return, I explained to her what had happened which led to that, and why it happened. At that particular moment, I felt a furry warmth against my leg, and looked to discover Crono's cat slinking along near my right foot. I knelt, and put my hand just above it, as if asking permision.
The feline's golden-brown tail began wriggling furiously in anticipation, and I brought by hand to touch the "sweet spot" I remembered just behind the ears, and gave a gentle and steady scratch in a semi- circular motion. It purred in deep satisfaction, and I pondered upon the fact that I, comprised of steel and electric charges, had just gained the trust and complete approval of a creature simply by knowing where to put my fingers. And was it not the same in my own time of 1998? Was it not so that machines became so intelligent that they knew exactly what to prod and what to move so that they would gain the complete trust and approval of humankind? And then did they not take advantage of that situation in 2300 AD when Geno's Mother Brain destroyed half of what remained of them all? Was it not survival of the fittest? And weren't androids, including myself, those that decided exactly what the future of the humans would be? Exactly what we would do with that "burden," simply by pushing in a certain direction??
I jerked my fingers away from the cat's fuzzy ears.
Log Entry I Inactive
PERSONAL DATA LOG C
BEYOND NOWHERE
System Check D active.
Unit R66-Y operational on March 14th, 11:44 PM, AD 2300. Boot system Geno Zero Zero Six Six Y running. No malfunctions detected. Motor activity at 100%. Visual and audio sensors running at 100%. Emotion chip now 12% operational.
System Check D inactive.
Log Entry H active.
The door shut behind us and we stood in a small, smelly room - empty, save for the glowing azure orb near the center. Lucca removed an odd- looking rod with five finger-like petals along the outer edge - it reminded me of the flowers from the old days. "This is the Gate?" I questioned. Crono nodded. "But you can't move at all or you might fall into a random time zone...!" I was alarmed by this until Marle spoke. "Don't listen to him - he's an idiot." She punched him playfully in the arm, and I watched quietly. I guessed that the same situation might possibly be happening between Marle and Crono as I had observed with Lucca and Crono - but then again, I was not so accurate at reading that kind of situation. If it WAS the same situation, an uncomfortable conflict might erupt. Regardless, Program Prometheus and the Emotion Chip had begun a slow transition within my "personality"...I was not quite sure how to adapt to that change or even what it was, but the point is that it was there. Everyone knew it was there, but it was never mentioned. I still knew, however, that my chip was not fully active. When it WAS fully operational...I did not wish to know.
But, I had recently come to understand that there is no point in worrying over what you cannot control. Lucca waved the rod like a conductor's baton and a rip in space-time expanded into being. Crono, Marle, and Lucca leapt inside immediately. I hesitated for a moment before jumping in myself. As swirling colors surrounded me, I was not sure if I was moving, or how much time was passing. I also noticed that I could no longer see myself. My companions had changed into points of white light - I wondered if I appeared the same to them. A rushing noise like a fresh breeze whistling through a cavern surrounded me, and I felt a distant sensation of falling in slow motion. How I saw, heard, or felt any of this - I did not know. I did not exist, and yet I did. The illogical sense of the whole situation was mind-boggling. Time travel was impossible, according to every law I had heard in my time of activation. I did not understand, and yet at that moment I remembered something I had once heard. Within the science of Quantum Mechanics, there is a theory about a Multiplicity of Histories.
In this theory, it states that whenever an action is performed, an alternate existence is created. What this implies is that infinite universes branch off during every moment of our existence. In an alternate unive ae, the event that split the original universe might not have occurred, or it might have happened in a different way. Existence is similar to that of a tree. The one difference is that every branch will create infinite more branches. Time travel is not possible if you wish to leap from branch to branch on the tree. To travel through time, one must journey down to the base of the trunk, and choose a different branch to travel up through. I realized that after I stepped through the portal, I must have passed the dawn of creation - the boundary of everything that exists - before I was able to travel through to a different time. But I also knew that to be able to travel there, I would need power greater than 6,000,000 suns condensed for conventional use. What could possibly create something that powerful I did not know.
I peered through a crimson blur to my left, and I could barely detect overlapped images flashing by at such an extraordinary rate that an organic being would not see a change. In fact, they flashed so quickly, that even I was not able to isolate and scan one. I simply was aware that the blur was comprised of the images. How many years had I passed? Had I reached the boundary yet? What had now become of my ruined world? The questions flashed about almost as quickly as the images. Then, all at once, I was aware that the four of us were not alone. It was invisible to my optical sensors and scanners - but a level of spiritual energy existed, and then quickly dissipated. I did not inform the others of my observation. I was suddenly aware of a sucking sensation - a vacuum drawing me forward. A black void swirled into being in front of us, and we hurtled through the portal, still points of light.
Precisely 2 seconds later, I found myself tumbling to the ground. I stood, and assured myself of the operation of my appendages. We stood on an old cobblestone road, lampposts on either side. An old gate stood in front of us, and three whirling pillars of light appeared when we stepped away. The light pulsated in a strangely soothing sense, as if it were alive. There was something very wrong with this place. I quite suddenly noticed what it was. This small land floated over and within nothing. Dark, navy blue fog surrounded us on all sides. I stomped...solid ground. This "village" of the old days must have had some form of anti-grav unit to float like this. But, oddly, I detected none. Yet another new emotion - curiosity took hold. How was this possible? But, I realized, I'd gone far beyond the realm of the possible and the impossible already. Was this world beyond even 2300 A.D.?
"Where are we?" I questioned. It was a rhetorical question, another new characteristic of the humans that I was attempting more and more frequently. My synthesized voice echoed about as if we were within a great chasm. But other than this, no sound occurred - not the tiniest drop of water, not even the buzzing of an insect. I suspected no life existed here. Marle looked worried. "What if it's a trap?" I looked at Crono and knew exactly what he would say. "I say we go for it." One day, I thought as we approached the gate, his recklessness would prove to be a great setback. I could only hope it would not bring harm to him. Lucca stopped us. "Now wait just a minute! Something's wrong. Look." She pointed to the three pillars of light behind us. "Yes? What's wrong with them?" Suddenly Marle slapped her hand over her forehead as she understood. "There's no Gate!!"
A shocked silence ensued. "So..." Marle said, glancing behind her back every so often as if stalked by a nameless enemy. "...That means...we're stuck here? HERE?!" "Please, Marle," I said, holding up my hand. "We are not alone. Your volume may attract his attention." I understood that this being didn't have anything to do with the entity I detected during our transport through time. That...I could not explain. Regardless, my comment stopped her dead in her tracks. "Someone's...out here? Waiting for us??" She glanced about nervously. I shook my head. "It is highly improbable that he would be waiting for us, but he does indeed exist." Crono turned to me. "Can you tell what he looks like?" "I will attempt to extend scanner range - please do not distract me." I sat and shut down all extraneous systems. "White," I began. "Male. Old age." I "opened my eyes," so to speak. "He is one of you. A human." Lucca's eyebrows narrowed. "Then what would...he be doing...here?"
A loud noise pierced the following silence. A loud vibrating snort, followed by a whistle. A moment later, it occurred again. "And," I said, "He is also asleep." "Well, at least that gives us an advantage..." said Crono, looking to the gate. Marle, reluctantly, lead the way and quietly pushed open the old gate. A square-shaped chamber met our eyes, lit by a single old lamppost in the center. However, I observed, it was not the only light source. Two buckets, one near the back of the room and one to our right, were lit with an eerie cyan glow. The glows seemed to pulsate, as the pillars of light in the other room had. A locked door stood to our left. But the subject of interest, of course, was the old man leaning against the lamppost. He wore a brown overcoat that I could not date. Every time I analyzed it, I got false readings stating odd statistics that I knew must have been impossible.
He wore an unsightly brown bowler hat with a dark green trimming. His shoes were battered and torn, and he held a worn yellow cane. Seconds later, the snoring subsided and the man lifted his head in surprise, his white mustache moving slightly. Everyone readied themselves. The old man chuckled and raised his hat from his eyes with a finger. "Ah, more guests...!" I nodded to the others - he appeared friendly. Lucca stepped forward. "What do you mean, "guest"...? And WHERE are we?" The old man laughed again and responded, "Why, this is 'The End of Time,' of course!" Not understanding, I checked the time gyro to get some answers for myself. But, the time gyro once again read "error." The old man continued. "All lost travelers in time wind up here! Now, where are you from?" Lucca spoke up again. "We're from Guardia Kingdom, circa 1000 A.D." I became slightly annoyed at her lack of consideration, and I quietly interjected. "I come from 2300 A.D..."
The man smiled and nodded. "When 4 or more beings step into a time warp, the Conservation of Time theorem states that they will turn up at the space-time coordinates of least resistance. Here." I was puzzled, but let him continue. "Disturbances in the space-time continuum have increased recently. Far too many folks are just popping in here...I fear something is having a powerful effect on the very fabric of time..." I nodded, this disturbing information ringing true. A new sensation, uneasiness, struck me. Lucca spoke again, bringing up another disturbing point. "...And that means one of us has to remain here." Marle's eyes widened further. I realized that they already now took up 11% of her face, rapidly increasing. "Stay HERE? ALONE?" I could tell she did not quite agree with the prospect. Understatement was another very human affectation I greatly enjoyed toying with.
The old man looked around. "It is pretty bleak here...but not to worry. All time periods connect here, so you can visit your friends whenever you wish! But you can never travel in groups greater than 3..." "So," I said, "One of us must stay." A silence followed. I suddenly felt Marle's eyes on me. Then Lucca's. And then Crono's. I turned my head and looked at the three of them. I understood that all of them, even Crono, felt a shade of fear of this place. I understood that I would be the one to stay this first time. I would then convince the others that it truly wasn't so horrible. However, in truth, I too felt fear of The End of Time. But as my Emotion Chip was still only 12% operational, I knew I should stay anyway. I nodded and agreed with them, much to their relief.
The old man nodded again. "...So there you have it. Don't forget. You can come back and change party members as often as you need to." Then Marle's eyes narrowed and she brought up the most pressing problem of all. "How do we get back to our time?" Everyone agreed with the question. The man pointed. "You see those lovely pillars of light? Those hook you up to different eras. Once you've been through a Gate, you can always use it to come here. To use a Gate from here, simply step into the light. But beware the Gate which leads from that bucket..." We nodded - even Crono. Danger was something none of us truly looked forward to. I waved goodbye and the three humans turned to the pillars. The man suddenly called them back. "Don't be in such a rush! Before you go, the four of you should take a peek in the room behind me! Here's the key, go ahead!" I joined them again.
Curious, Crono took the key and slid it into the worn lock. A loud clunk was heard, and the door creaked to the side. Another square chamber, much like the first, came into view. It was lit by an unseen source and was slightly larger. The one difference, however, was that a small, white fuzzy creature stood in the center. It grinned and stood as tall and proud as it could on its small, weak legs. "What're you lookin' at?" It squeaked. "I'm Spekkio. The Master of War! I've seen all kinds of battles from here. How do I look to you guys?" "Er..." The four of us exchanged glances. "Uh, strong!" Invented Marle. Spekkio's grin broadened as he somehow knew the truth behind our observations of the pitiful creature. "I see. Let's put it this way. If you're strong, I look strong. If you're weak, I look weak." "How is that..." I began, but Lucca raised her hand and cut me off. Spekkio's grin disappeared and he truthfully nodded in satisfaction. "You are strong of will...! That's why the Old One let you through." Spekkio looked to the swirling fog above us.
"Long before you were born...there was a kingdom where magic flourished. Everyone there could use it!" I was about to interrupt with a question regarding the definition of "magic," but Lucca once again stopped me. Spekkio continued. "But in time, people began to abuse their powers. It got so bad that no one was allowed to use magic except wizards." He looked back to us, lighting up. "But you have it...determination, I mean! Magic needs power of the heart. It needs inner strength." This time I held Lucca back and said, "But...what exactly is 'magic?'" Spekkio chuckled and agreed to explain. "Magic is divided into 4 types: Lightning, Fire, Water, and Shadow. One's type is decided by their inner soul - their past, their memories, and their personality." I could have sworn Spekkio's eyes flicked to me just for a moment.
"You, with the punk hairdo! You're 'Lightning.' The one with the ponytail is 'Water.' The girl with the goofy glasses is 'Fire.'" Spekkio stopped and analyzed me for a moment. "That's the biggest toy I've ever seen...hey, you're not alive, are you?!" I was highly offended. "You've got great strength. However, I can't measure your inner character! But from what I can see...yes. Definitely. You're 'Shadow.'" Crono and Marle looked at me out of the corner of their eyes, wondering what could have been within my past that would cause me to be deemed Shadow type. Of course, Lucca knew, and she looked at the ground, tracing a circle with her foot. I was grateful for her kindness.
Spekkio broke the silence. "Not just magic, but EVERYTHING is based on the balance of these 4 powers. And I believe that you four would not upset that balance." This new discovery came as a surprise to me. It was quite apparent now, that I realized with this power I could easily disturb the very lining of space-time. And I understood that Spekkio was fully ready to deem us able to carry the weight of that responsibility. We, in all likelihood, were the few who could use this power for good, and Spekkio saw that in us. It was then that Spekkio came out with something completely unexpected. "Think 'MAGIC,' and, starting from the door, walk clockwise along the walls of my room three times. Don't lose track, now." We looked at each other and shrugged, but complied. I brought up the rear, and, ridiculous as it may have appeared, we marched around the edge of the battered bars repeating "MAGIC" in our minds as many times as we could muster. Spekkio observed in amusement, following us with his eyes.
As we walked, I pondered Spekkio's existence. I peered into the tiny eyes in the head of the small creature, and understood that this being was something of my own creation. My subconscious had created this bizarre, twisted thing. I wondered what he appeared like to the others. Two laps to go... I also wondered if one of the mindless R-Series robots had seen Spekkio, if they would have seen his true form, or just seen nothing at all. They, after all, retained no individuality or subconscious. "Inner character," as Spekkio might have put it. One lap to go... I also understood that Spekkio must have been all-seeing and all-knowing if it was true that he was some sort of immortal creature and had watched everything since the Boundary of Time. His vast store of knowledge must have been incredible. As we neared the end of the last lap, I decided to scan Spekkio. All results turned negative, excluding the enormous level of spiritual energy I detected in his location.
We finished our "tour" around Spekkio's room, and gathered in front of him once again. Spekkio chuckled. "Very good!" Spekkio had us gather closer together. He lowered his head and raised his arms. "Ipso facto, meeny moe...MAGICO!" I felt a tingling and a rush of pleasure, almost like a sweet-smelling breeze. As soon as it began, however, it was quickly over. Spekkio raised his head. "So! Fortified with magic! Wanna try it out?" We all nodded in agreement. "All right!" He responded. He raised his arms, muttered, and a dummy appeared in midair. We assumed it was for use in attacking. Its appearance was identical to Spekkio's, so I assumed he had cast the same magic over this dummy. Spekkio nodded. "Who's first?" Crono stepped forward, eager to try. Then he stood, silent, slightly confused. "Um...what exactly am I supposed to do?" Spekkio laughed. "OK. First you need to clear your mind of all thoughts, and focus on something simple, such as breathing...yes, that's it...good...now open your eyes and watch." He did so.
Suddenly, a low roar was heard. I watched as Marle's hair stood straight up on her head. All at once, not 20 feet away, a bolt of pure energy arced down from the endless fog with a crack down into nothingness. Crono's eyes widened. "I did THAT?!" Spekkio nodded. "Keep in mind, you guys, that once you get good enough at this, you won't need to even clear your thoughts or focus at all. It's like domesticating an animal. Associate the magical effect with an action - such as raising or opening a hand, clapping, or whatever pleases you. Once the association is strong enough, one action will become synonymous with the magical effect in your mind. When you do that action, you will cast the magic. Plus, when you're strong enough, you can combine your powers to create new effects. We call these Double or Triple Techs. In general, the more power you combine, the greater the effect. Why don't we have the one with the ponytail go next?"
Marle nodded and stepped forward. She began repeating the actions Crono had done moments before, but Spekkio stopped her abruptly. "Hold on! Wait a sec! All magic is performed in a different way. Ice magic is quite different." Marle looked up. "Ice? I thought you said I was Water?" Spekkio shook his head. "No. Well, in a sense yes. Here, let me explain. Water magic is divided into two sub categories. One is Water magic, and one is Ice magic. You're Ice." Marle grinned. "Great! Actually, I think I like Ice better." Spekkio nodded. "It was designed to fit. Anyway, here's how you do your stuff. First, begin like you did a moment ago. Now, wait for a moment...open your eyes, but CONTINUE to focus your energy. Good..." A small spinning ball of sparkling blue energy formed in front of her open hand.
Spekkio continued. "Now, continue focusing for a moment..." After a few seconds, the ball began to advance forward, gradually gaining speed. Spekkio waited. "And...unfocus and release...NOW." Several yards away, the ball rapidly expanded into a large mass of unshapen ice, which tumbled to nothingness below. Spekkio continued. "Keep in mind that the mass of energy you created can pass through solid matter. Therefore, you can release when the ball is above or even inside of an object. This will be useful in battle. Another thing I gotta remind you. Everyone has limits, even me. We all have a level of something I call Magic Power, or MP for short. All magic we use will lower this level. If it is depleted, you will be exhausted and will not be able to use magic for about 10 to 12 minutes. The more magic you do, the greater this level will become. Let's see...why don't we have the girl with the glasses go next?"
Lucca came forward. Spekkio readied her. "Focus, as before. OK...release and open your eyes now." We waited, but nothing happened. "Uh, Spekkio? Nothing's happening. Is there something else I'm...supposed..." She stopped when she noticed her right fist was clenched and smoking. She opened her hand to find a levitating ball of crackling orange energy. She gasped, slightly surprised. "Why isn't this burning me?" Spekkio answered. "You are all immune to magic itself, so you will not be harmed if you hit yourself or the others." Lucca hurled the ball to the floor and it exploded into a pool of flame about 5 feet in diameter. It quickly died away. "Very good," said Spekkio. "There are three ways that all of you can perform your magic." Spekkio began to explain.
"The first way comprises of your normal, single target blow. The second is a wide dispersal. This will attack any foe within 25 feet or so. The third is object focusing. With this, you can focus your magic power into an object. You with the punk hairdo should be able to focus into your sword - you with the glasses can focus into that gun of yours. Ms. Ponytail can even focus into other people to effectively revitalize them. Mr. Robot here is a different story, however. Any Shadow magic you use must be conveyed via that laser device you've got there. You can still do single target, wide dispersal, and object focusing, but it must be through that laser device. Why don't you give some magic a shot?"
I stepped forward, slightly nervous. The others watched with interest, as I would have to use magic in a very different way. "OK," Spekkio began. "It looks like you have an interesting past - Shadow magic should work well with you. I believe step one is gonna be to charge your laser." I did so. "Now, Shadow is quite different from the others. OK, you ready? All right. I want you to HATE me! HATE your friends. HATE this place, that old geezer next door, this dummy, and hate EVERYTHING ABOUT EVERYTHING! I want you to recall your worst memory - your archenemy - the death of a loved one. Remember everything you've ever lost!" I remembered. The cruel trick of the humans. The lethal experimentation of the R-Series. Atropos. My friends! R-64Y, R-67Y, and R-69Y. Gone forever! Reprogrammed!! My four hour death sentence. The rumbling...the shaking...rubble falling...screams of terror and shouts over the crumbling of the human race...the rage I had felt when my program was reactivated...I would never see Atropos or my friends again...!
A dark cloud began to swirl above my head as my rage mounted. The Shadow magic took hold and multiplied my emotion by precisely 63 times. A black wind began to howl loudly as the magic's intensity increased exponentially. Spekkio shouted over the racket, "FOCUS ON THE DUMMY...RELEASE!!" I vented my external casing, revealing the glimmering Prometheus Device. I raised my arms and the black cloud disappeared. After a moment of silence, the Device unleashed an eerie purple-blue beam that seemed to pulsate. I shut off optical sensors, letting all emotion flow out with the ray of pure destructive energy. The sound died down, and 5 seconds later, I opened my eyes. The dummy was gone. Completely vaporized. Behind it, a neat hole with a 3 foot diameter was now cut through the thick vertical iron bars. Crono, Marle and Lucca stared in shock.
Spekkio grinned. "Very, very good! I haven't seen Shadow magic performed that well in ages!" I returned to the others, and slowly regained my control. I had never felt such evil in a long time. Much less from myself. It was then that I discovered that my emotion chip was 4% closer to full activation. It now rested still at 16%. Apparently, the power within the magic itself had boosted it ever closer to...something. I hoped that when it came, my Shadow magic would not be so strong as to overload my own circuits and be taken over entirely by its evil. I did not make my thoughts public. Spekkio began again, chuckling. "You guys are too much! Bring newcomers to meet me." We nodded, waved, said our goodbyes, and left Spekkio to watch over his field of nothingness.
As we emerged into the previous room, the old man beckoned us to him again. He cleared his throat, and began to speak. "Well, well! People who lived long ago ALL enjoyed such powers. Now, I know you are itching to go ripping back and forth through time, but first you need to return to your era." I knew the old man was referring to my three human companions, as I would not accompany them on this adventure. The man continued. "And you must hurry. The longer you remain here, the harder it will be to change that which must be changed. Stop by whenever you're in the area!" Crono, Marle, and Lucca waved their goodbyes to me and I wished them luck. I watched as the three of them, one by one, stepped into the third pillar of light and dematerialized much like they would if on a trans-lift. And then silence.
I sat and shut down extraneous systems. I hoped it would not be a long wait. In fact, I realized as I thought about it, that they should have rematerialized as soon as they stepped in. Assuming, of course, that they returned after their adventure to the same time and place as they left. And it appeared that they hadn't. Unless the mission was unsuccessful... I immediately pushed the thought from my mind. They were able and strong human beings. I turned on optical sensors and detected the old man watching me. I decided it was about time I asked a few pressing questions. Just as I activated voice synthesis, however, he began to speak. "You're R-66Y, right? Prometheus?" I was surprised, as my serial number or program name had not been used since I was named 'Robo.' "Affirmative. How did you come upon my identity?" "Well, you were really quite the hero, you know. Saved everyone in Geno Dome." I was left clueless from his statement.
"I do not understand. I saved no one." The man pushed his bowler hat down over his eyes. "You led a small-scale revolution against the Mother Brain, right? Well, it activated extra security systems and sealed Level 1 blast doors 10 minutes after your jailing in Proto. The blast doors saved most everyone from Lavos." I attempted comprehension of his statement. I had saved approximately 46 humans and 157 robots from termination - this was a positive statement. However, the word Lavos...I had heard it somewhere...yes! The director in Proto Dome. Before he was crushed, he muttered "Lavos..." and yes! I now understood. "Lavos" was an ancient term of unknown dialect meaning "Great Fire." The creature creating the immense waves of energy and the massive needle-like cones drilling their way through the domes...the creature...was named Lavos. The man explained everything to me.
According to him, when the humans within Geno came to, all the robots were gone. Approximately 5 years into the aftermath of "The Day of Lavos," as it had come to be known, many of the survivors ventured from Geno's remains and spread to other domes such as Arris and Bangor. A few brave adventurers had found their way into places such as the sewers or even up onto Death Peak, the mountain created by the residual rubble from Lavos' apparation. Death Peak existed in the exact location in which Lavos had appeared. It was called Death Peak because none who ventured there had ever returned. The cowardly ones remained in Geno Dome. Months later, all of those who had stayed within Geno mysteriously disappeared. The remaining populous reproduced and rose to approximately 240. It was then that the robots returned. According to the old man, I had unwillingly protected not only Geno Dome, but Geno's Mother Brain. It had collected all of the robots - every single one it could find - and reprogrammed them. Now, they worked as a force to destroy humankind.
This, I now understood, explained why "innocent" Debuggers, Proto Units, Buggers, Remote Claws, and my friends from the R-Series had attacked us while we explored Proto Factory. This also explained why all of the domes were relatively clean inside. This meant that every drone that might have survived was now an enemy. The man continued to explain that the tattered edges that remained of the human race were rather useless. They did nothing aside from consuming what little food they had, and attempting to stay warm. In 2245, the robots attacked the survivors' camp. Over half of what remained of the population was slaughtered. Some were taken to Geno Dome for "tests." A 20-year-old man named Doan led an escape from several of the Domes to reside in the ruins of the ShelterDome. Years later, the people returned to the domes, but many lost the will to live and ended their own existence. Only a handful remained in 2300. In essence, the Mother Brain ruled the ruins of the world. The path to Geno Dome was sealed off with a large polluted bay.
"I am ashamed," I said, "That I know far less of my own time than even you." "Hey, nothin' to be ashamed of," He said. I thought of something else. "I am more ashamed that I cannot do anything to assist my companions." The man shook his head. "Who says so?" That caught me off guard for a moment. "You can follow them if you want, but it's kind of complicated. You see, The End of Time works a little different from the space-time continuum. It doesn't move forward in time at all. It's sort of like we're frozen in one moment, but we perceive it as passage of time. The problem with all this is that you MUST choose the right time and location, and you MUST find them BEFORE they return here. If they return before you reach them, you might create another branch of existence in which you never existed at all. Take your tree analogy." How he knew of my analogy, I was not certain. He continued. "It would be like you're stuck on one branch, and they travel down another. You'd simply phase out of existence in their timeline. You have to consider if it's worth that risk."
I actually considered staying for a moment, before I realized that absolutely nothing was worth harm to my friends. "You understand that I must leave. I have no choice." "Yes, I figured as much..." I nodded. "There is one final situation on my mind that I must ask you, however. Why are there only three pillars?" He chuckled. "The room beyond that gate houses the eras that are most important to you in the space-time continuum. If you see three, than you've got three things you have to worry about. For me, the whole floor is lit up. One last thing: When you do find them, you must either all enter the Gate at the same time, or you before them to prevent disaster." I bid him a quick goodbye, and set off for the pulsing pillars of light. I opened the old gate, and stepped into the first room once again. I was left in curiosity for a moment, but I quickly located a plaque on the floor in front of each of the pillars.
On the far left, I read one as follows: "'Mystic Mountain' 65,000,000 B.C." I found this highly intriguing - according to my data banks, any form of human life within that age would have consisted of small, fur-bearing, prey animals. I understood that this was the age of lush jungles, large reptilian beasts, and hot, humid weather. If I went here, I would create an alternate timeline as the man had suggested. I did not, however, understand why this era would be important to me. The inscription to its right read: "'Proto Dome' 2300 A.D." I found this enticing until I remembered the wasteland of my world. Lastly, to its right, the final inscription lay. It read: "'Medina Village' 1000 A.D." I realized that this must have been the area Crono, Marle, and Lucca traveled to. I did not understand why they would have traveled to a village of the Mystics, an antagonistic, magic-oriented group that despised humans above all else...but I felt that at least Crono would know what he was doing. I had recently gained new respect for him. I stepped forward into the rift of space-time.
It was quite different from the gates. I felt much more...comforted...at ease. I cannot describe it. But the familiar lurching sensation of suddenly increasing the rate of speed of the passage of time by several hundred thousand times remained. I once again felt as if I was falling in slow motion - floating and sinking. And, all at once, I felt something. A pair of firey eyes on me. Then gone. The spiritual energy. It was back! I scanned once again, trying to make out even an impression of a shadow of anything. None existed, and the energy was gone as quickly as it had come. As the black portal opened in front of me, I still could not understand the meaning. Why? Who was my hidden watcher? I did not know. The portal closed, and I tumbled out of a wooden cabinet to the floor. I now understood that I was down to minutes before I created an alternate universe and erased my own existence.
I stood within a small cottage, apparantly owned by the two Imps now watching me. Imps are approximately 2.5 feet tall, have small, squinty eyes, and a two-sectioned cranium. As animal-like as they may have appeared, I knew they were just as or more intelligent than humans. I stood and faced them. "I apologize for the intrusion. Did you happen to observe..." The Imp pointed to the mountains to the west. I thanked him and left. Most likely, my human-like appearance disturbed them. I exited the hovel, and entered the fresh air. I heard a distant, eerie chanting in the distance, but I had no time for observing anything of the sort. When I later found a cave in the wall of the mountain, a group of three guards approached. They were all Henches. Henches are large, yellow-skinned, blue-armored, muscled beasts - not as intelligent as the Imps, but still intelligent enough for speech. As far as I remembered, Henches followed all orders exactly - not enough will to improvise - hence the name "Hench."
Regardless, they approached me with fists clenched. "All enemies will perish!" I nodded. "My thoughts exactly." Very soon, with some "bargaining," I was inside. I entered the cave to find several fallen bodies - luckily none of which were my friends. At that moment, a loud rumble, a roar, and an explosion brought a vibration to the rock under my feet. I raced through the tunnel, now understanding that this was not the best of ideas. I located hurried speech far below. I knew, from scanning, that I would have a long hike ahead of me. I could not afford to wait. I activated Motor Node D, and my legs extended by approximately .76 feet. I leaped from the rock platform.
I landed near the base of a waterfall, and my legs cushioned my landing and returned to their normal length. I entered a large cave. A dead beast lay on the rock, crackling with electricity. I quickly identified it as Heckran, one of General Ozzie's troops from the middle ages. Why he existed here, I wasn't sure. I heard echoing voices from far ahead. But as I ran forward, I could no longer hear them! Were they the way I had come? No, that was unlikely, for even as I drew near the entrance I still could not hear them. I stepped around Heckran once again, and noticed a glimmering mass of water ahead. It was approximately five feet across, and it glimmered white in a way that was unnatural. I stepped forward, curious. Scans turned negative. Simply water. But I saw something more. I bent down and swished my hand through the liquid. Almost immediately, I felt myself being drawn forward, and I felt an uneasiness almost as if I had entered a Gate. But I saw no Gate.
If there had been a Gate, my fate would already be sealed. Suddenly, the uneasiness died away, and I felt a sucking sensation...
Log Entry H Inactive.
Log Entry I Active.
Seawater. An interesting substance indeed - a high content of salt within the water, and yet filled with tiny organisms that had somehow managed to adapt. Unfortunately, I was not one of them. I found myself immobile, floating on my back in the water. Luckily for me, land was not 20 yards away, and I activated Motor Node E. My body moving automatically, I quickly reached a small beach and fell to the sand. I vented my internal casing, and approximately one gallon of seawater gushed to the sand from my internal systems. Almost immediately I stood, trying to locate my friends. I climbed up the beach, and luckily no civilians were in sight. I peered around. Warm sunshine, old cottages and cobblestone paths met my eyes. Laughing children played in the streets, and I heard merry music echoing from a town square in the north. Seagulls soared overhead, calling, and the sun shone off of a towering castle in the distance.
I didn't belong, I knew that much. I was cold steel, originally designed for the very purpose of destroying all human intruders. As I scanned...there! The three of them, walking to one of the cottages. I ran through the warm morning air. A man turned to look at me in wonder. I understood that the kingdom of Truce had simple mechanics - stoves, refrigerators - but machines such as I had never even been dreamed of in fiction. And I also realized that I was now changing the course of history. My very being created hundreds of infinite paradoxes every moment. With the simple wave of a finger, I could create an alternate timeline. I needed to find my friends before I was witnessed further - there was always that slim chance that the future I had currently could become worse.
I sprinted across healthy green grass, full of my newest emotion: adrenaline. Under diferent circumstances, the peaceful atmosphere might have compelled me to sit at that location, shut down systems, and begin my regeneration cycles then and there. But, as a side effect of my emotions, I couldn't allow myself to do so, no matter how much I needed rest. In fact, I activated Motor Node E and increased speed by 6%. I also took a second scan of my surroundings and discovered that I was just passing the residence they had entered. I followed immediately, nearly busting the door in my efforts to get inside. It was a fairly simple residence - an armchair lay to my right, upon which Lucca sat. To my left was a small kitchen, where Crono appeared to be introducing Marle to a woman of approximately 35. Neither Crono or Marle appeared to notice me, but Lucca turned, wide-eyed, to look at me. She gestured for me to approach, and she spoke in a hushed voice.
"Robo? What...how...?" "The old man at the End of Time suggested I help you. I am here, should you require assistance." Lucca grinned. "Well, that's good - but then I suppose you met Heckran...?" "Affirmative - or at least what remained." "Yeah, Crono went a little psycho on the guy...oh well, he seems to be having fun." Suddenly, her grin was erased. "Wait a sec...how're you going to get back?" "As long as I enter a Gate before you, I will not be lost." "So the End of Time was pretty boring, huh?" I thought about her question, and what "boring" even referred to. "Yes," I said. "Yes, I WAS bored." I said it with a strange surge of pride that I could, in fact, admit such a thing - almost as if I was bragging. "Well then, you should meet Crono's mom - she's an interesting person..." Lucca gave a wink, and suggested I should approach Crono, Marle, and Crono's mother. And so I did.
Lucca's mother caught sight of me, and nearly dropped the plate she was washing in surprise. "Goodness...! Lucca, is THIS one of your inventions?" I was slightly offended, but I fully understood. Lucca was really the only person during this time period who had even a partial knowledge of electronics. It made sense - she did not realize I was sentient anyway. I bowed and responded in the usual fashion: "Greetings. I am Robo. Crono is my friend." I knew that the more I said, the more I would change history and even Crono's life, so I kept it simple. Crono's mother smiled. "My, how polite! Strange looking, but well behaved! Crono, you could learn a thing or two." Crono slowly faded to beet red and said, "Yeah...well..." Marle burst out laughing. Crono's mother smirked slyly and turned back to her work.
Crono, Marle, and Crono's mother continued conversing, and I joined Lucca at the armchair. I discussed with her what I had learned at the End of Time, and she told me of a previous adventure of theirs - just hours before I had been activated - involving an abandoned dome in 2300 AD that housed the information center in which the Director had been killed. There, they had discovered a video record of the Day of Lavos, and I told her where I was during that moment. I did not tell her what I was doing, and I did not once mention Atropos. Lucca did tell me of Geno Dome's appearance after the blast - dented and destroyed, but more intact that the others. In return, I explained to her what had happened which led to that, and why it happened. At that particular moment, I felt a furry warmth against my leg, and looked to discover Crono's cat slinking along near my right foot. I knelt, and put my hand just above it, as if asking permision.
The feline's golden-brown tail began wriggling furiously in anticipation, and I brought by hand to touch the "sweet spot" I remembered just behind the ears, and gave a gentle and steady scratch in a semi- circular motion. It purred in deep satisfaction, and I pondered upon the fact that I, comprised of steel and electric charges, had just gained the trust and complete approval of a creature simply by knowing where to put my fingers. And was it not the same in my own time of 1998? Was it not so that machines became so intelligent that they knew exactly what to prod and what to move so that they would gain the complete trust and approval of humankind? And then did they not take advantage of that situation in 2300 AD when Geno's Mother Brain destroyed half of what remained of them all? Was it not survival of the fittest? And weren't androids, including myself, those that decided exactly what the future of the humans would be? Exactly what we would do with that "burden," simply by pushing in a certain direction??
I jerked my fingers away from the cat's fuzzy ears.
Log Entry I Inactive