Three
Time passed like this. Nothing much really happened, except for me being tormented by Naugus, and the King finding it highly amusing, though he tired to (unsuccessfully) hide it. As I was passing by a room one day, I overheard Naugus talking to someone. I peaked in, and saw no one else in the room. Of course, this being Naugus, it was quite possible that he was talking to himself.
I quickly flattened myself, the best I knew how, against the wall outside the room to listen to what Naugus had to say.
"…What do you mean you still haven't found a way!" Before the person could respond, (if it was indeed a person instead of one of Naugus's multiple personalities) he yelled again. "Well I suggest you do and soon!" He banged his fist against a crystal surface. He left the room by walking through the wall in the direction opposite of me. I had no desire to discover what the sorcerer would to do me if he found me eavesdropping.
After Naugus left, I saw what he had been blocking form my view.
To my amazement, there stood a computer.
"Hmm" I said to myself "Is it even remotely possible that Naugus can now create computers with magic?"
From everything I had studied, magic could only control those things that occurred in the natural world, since magic itself was a supernatural occurrence. If Naugus had found some way to break this barrier…
I shuddered at the thought. A powerful Naugus was the only thing that I truly feared.
I quickly looked around to make sure neither Naugus nor the King was in sight and went to the computer and typed in some commands.
"Let's see just how advanced this computer is," I said to myself wondering what the extent of Naugus's capabilities were.
To my relief, the command had worked; Naugus had at least created a minimally competent computer. I had disabled all voice programs expect for voice command.
"Is anyone there?" I typed.
A response quickly appeared. Even if the person was speaking, their voice was now automatically converted to text. "What do you want now Naugus?"
I quickly debated whether to tell the person if it was Naugus or not. "I'm not Naugus," I typed.
"Really?" the words appeared across the screen. "Then who are you?"
"I am Julian, also known as Robotnik." I hated using my first name but something told me to do it here.
"JULIAN!" came the response.
"Yes, do you know me?" I typed eagerly though a little taken aback the response.
"I umm... well it's Snively."
"Snively?" I said to myself bewildered forgetting the computer. Suddenly Naugus reappeared.
"What are you doing Doctor?"
"Naugus, I can explain," I said getting down on my knees fully expecting to be turned into a hyena or something of the like.
"No need Doctor, I will tell you what is going on." He snapped his claw closing the connection with Snively.
Another snap of his claw caused some crystal to part, creating a seat for him.
"You see, Doctor your nephew, whom you left behind to die, survived the explosion." Naugus went on to explain the underground elevator shaft.
"Hmm" I said putting my robotic hand on my chin. "I underestimated Snively."
"Yes," said Naugus gravely. "After the King and I had to return to the Void because of crystallization, Snively contacted me a few days later."
I felt my blood pressure rising. "Why that little!-"
"It's true, Doctor. You see, your nephew never really respected you." He looked at me. "Any respect he once had was lost the day of the coup when he discovered your true nature."
He paused to let that settle in and continued.
"We devised a plan. Snively was sure that your Doomsday Project would fail, So he and I worked out a way for me to take over Robotropolis."
"So Snively would be a lackey again?" I interrupted.
"Oh no, Doctor, Snively would be my equal, just as you and I would have equals, had you not betrayed me."
I rolled my eyes.
"So Snively's job," continued Naugus ignoring me, "was to devise some way for me to exist outside the void. He found the old retrieval programs you told him to disable, so he could get me out of the Void."
"But wouldn't you have turned to crystal?" I asked. Had Naugus really survived another trip out of the Void?
"After a few moments, yes" admitted Naugus. "But Snively brought me out of the Void so that I could survey the damage to Robotropolis for myself. Then I returned."
I nodded. "But what good does that do you Naugus? You can only exist outside the Void for minutes at a time."
"That is why I have Snively working on a way to extend that time period," replied Naugus. "When I am outside the Void, it draws from my life force. In order for me to exist outside the Void, there must be a way to replace that life force."
"And once Snively discovers a way," (Good luck with that, I thought) "you will leave the Void for good?"
"Yes," said Naugus. "And I will take the King with me."
"But what about-?" I gasped at the sudden implication of Naugus's words.
He laughed again. "Yes, Doctor that is your fate. To live out the rest of your natural life alone in the Void!"
He laughed again. His laugh always sent a chill down my spine: The laugh that was part laughter, part wheeze.
"But wait a minute Naugus." I protested. "I am human, more or less, I will not last very long without food and water."
He signed. "I know." He got off of his "seat" and began pacing again while I sat, still on my knees.
"You see Doctor, my magic can do many things in the Void, including enabling a being to survive in conditions he would be unable to in the outside world." He turned to me. "How do you think the King survived so long?"
"Good point," I mused.
"I am a sorcerer, and while I am not immortal I do not need the same means to survive as other organic life-forms." He paused. "Besides, with my magic I could easily create the necessary items for your survival, Doctor.
'But as I have said before, those items are not necessary. Food and drink in this place are only for pleasure, and I don't plan to make your experience here a pleasurable one." He eyed me.
I shuddered.
"Yes Doctor," said Naugus wickedly. "What I have in store for you is a fate worse than death. I will be able to control you with my magic even from outside the Void." He laughed, and turned my head into a donkey.
"I only have one question Naugus" I brayed. "How did you get a computer inside the void?"
Naugus sat down again.
"Alas," Naugus admitted woefully. "It was your nephew who sent me the parts to build this computer. The crystal is merely for decoration," he said indicating the crystal casing. "It is true that my magic has limits. It can only deal with the natural realm. For years I have struggled to expand my magic to the unnatural." He paused. "I must admit, Doctor, I admire your mechanical genius."
He returned me to my normal state and then motioned for me to investigate the computer. I stood up and studied it in further detail. It was a fairly simple machine, a large communication port that could be operated in voice or text mode. That was it. No logs, no encyclopedias, no way to recall old files.
I turned around. "Well Naugus, I have studied mechanics for many years and-"
"Yeeeees" he interrupted. "That area of study has always eluded me. I have learned a great many things without the aid of magic. The fact that even with magic mechanics still eludes me is of great frustration to me." He lowered his eyelids in a vulnerable moment.
I recalled that fateful day when I had met Naugus on the borders of Mobotropolis. He had been a trusted advisor of King Acorn's father, but King Acorn had found his ideas too unorthodox, The King gave him a pension and let him go. Even though the King held no grudge again Naugus, telling him he would be allowed to work anywhere in the kingdom, save of course for the King, Naugus held a personal grudge against the King.
Naugus and I began discussing ways to overthrow the King. That was when we formed our alliance and planed the takeover using my mechanical abilities.
As the time drew near for the coup, however, I came to understand why King Acorn had let Naugus go. Naugus was, for lack of a better word, insufferable. Magic became his way of solving every problem no matter how ludicrous using magic in that situation was. I explained very calmly to Naugus, that we could not rely on the use of magic for everything, that we must use brainpower. I told him this over and over and over again. Finally one day I lost my patience and slapped Naugus across the face.
That was the day Naugus started turning me into animals.
By this time Naugus had discovered the Void and expressed his wishes to explore it further. I agreed for we both knew better than to kill the King, perhaps, the void would the right place for imprisonment.
Indeed the void was the right place for imprisonment, but not just for the King but for Naugus as well.
I came out of my reverie and looked at Naugus.
"So you plan to rule Robotropolis with Snively at your side?" I said in a mocking tone. "How charming." I knew I was playing with fire, but an idea was starting to form.
"No Doctor. I plan to get rid of Snively once I have no more use for him," said Naugus dismissively.
"What happened to you two being equals?" I asked innocently.
"I have changed my mind. I have no need for Snively."
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"You see Doctor, once I acquire the mechanical knowledge I need to operate Robotropolis I will kill him. He will only stand in my way."
"Oh?"
"Yes Doctor," Naugus chuckled. "You see Snively, has tried to take your place as Overlord and failed miserably.
Naugus went on to explain how Snively had dubbed himself Snively the Great and tried to stage a takeover of Knothole. (Why Snively stills claims that he had once found Knothole is beyond me.) Snively had failed after several attempts to find the place and had been so preoccupied with that, that he neglected to begin rebuilding the damaged parts of Robotropolis and manufacturing new Swat Bots. This enabled freedom fighter groups from all over the planet to completely undo all my beautiful work. The only place left that was still out of the control of the Freedom Fighters and other Mobians was the heart of Robotroplis itself.
"He is certainly intelligent, Doctor, perhaps more so in some ways then you," mused Naugus. I fumed with anger, clenching my fists. "But," Naugus continued, "he does not have your flair being a ruler. Heh heh heh heh heh."
"So what is going on now?" I asked.
"Snively had locked himself inside of Robotropolis headquarters. The Freedom Fighters, instead of going in to get him out, believe that if they wait long enough, he will come out and surrender."
"I don't understand," I mused. "Why not just go in and get it over with?"
"By now Doctor, you should know that as a fighting tactic, the Freedom Fighters avoid a direct assault whenever possible. "
I, however, was no longer listening to Naugus because my mind was deep in thought.