Chapter preface: There is a scene where spoilers, two foxes meet for the first time and one technically drugs the other one. This is going to be a common theme for this character to do things to other people without consent, nothing sexual… its like a super scientist villain who specializes in bio technology. The intent of this scene is to show the start of a toxic codependent relationship. This is not a sexual scene but to demonstrate how… crazy and... driven... a character is… If you want to skip it, when the first character starts smelling "blueberries and warm" is when it starts.
Chapter 12: The Powers that be
Mobius - Robotropolis - Outside junk yard quarentine zone - 3239
The hoverpads of the carrier whirred as Colin watched the delivery come in. The transport was carrying his new lab and living space along with some of his projects. He fidgeted as he watched the carrier transport swing into the clearing just south of the new quarantine zone. The giant ship corrected its angle and slowly touched down, dropping the trailer amongst the train cars. He gave a sigh as he strode towards his new temporary home as a swatbot captain followed behind him. The small human grumbled. "Stay outside. You are not required for protection inside my own dwelling." He bit.
The red anodized captain saluted the human. "OF COURSE SIR. ENTERING STANDBY, CALL IF ANY ASSISTANCE IS REQUIRED."
The short man glared at the robot then entered the portable habitat and lab. The structure was made of the same blued metal just like everything else his uncle made. He scraped off his shoes at the door and made his way past the entry and through the lab to the living quarters in the back. He paused at the door, taking a deep breath to collect himself before he entered his new domain. Exhaling, he entered his code on the controls and entered the living quarters. There was a simple bed built into the wall on one side with a little kitchen and a door to a restroom. There was a desk with an extra chair next to it, a terminal sat on the desk with extra chairs on the side. On the side of the room there was a box of equipment, probably Metal's next prototype chassis. Besides the crate was a Robian, a cyan beetle with blank violet glowing eyes. She stood motionless, dressed in a pink suit skirt. He stared into her blank eyes, he had replaced them some time ago, he couldn't stand to see his uncle's haunting red eyes on her.
The man wilted at the sight of her. "I'm sorry…" He uttered. "I want to try and free you again… but I'm sorry I left you for so long…"
"Did you need assistance with something Dr. Kintober?" The robian emotionlessly asked.
He squirmed at the thought of the co-processor responding instead of her. "No, I just need you to be still while I work. Co-processor unit override, you do not need to speak to me while we work. " He cleared his throat as he fully entered the dwelling. He squirmed again as his eyes met her lifeless glowing orbs. "I haven't tried on anyone else." He hesitated. "I promise, no other mobian is going to die from this..." He repeated, the ritual almost complete. He walked up to her and grabbed her metal hand. "Follow." He ordered as he led her to the spare chair next to the desk and sat her down. He moved to the other equipment that had been delivered and opened the crate looking for tools. "I'd ask how you've been but I believe we've both been dreadful." He sighed. "I don't want to compare as I'm sure you've been way worse off…" He blushed. "Nevermind. Just... sorry…" He grabbed a kit of tools and cables and then glanced down past the kit. "Oh, I guess you can meet Metal this time." He pulled out a cyan crystal with circuitry laminated in it. He smiled at the Robian. "I'm making him to protect me." The human whispered. "I've been scanning the time dilation phenomenon caused by the blue hedgehog and I may be able to replicate it…" He shrugged. "At least in bursts." He walked back over to the beetle and set the crystal computer down on the desk, connecting a communication cable to the crystal's base and the other into his terminal. "I plan on working on his calibrations and you..." He cleared his throat. "While I've got some free time." He gave a huff. "I've got some time to kill from this task Uncle Julian put me on, so I thought I should be productive where it counts."
She didn't respond.
He frowned, remembering she wouldn't until he broke the blasted co-processor's grip on her consciousness. "I mean to escape to either Earth, or… just someplace, someplace else." He fidgeted. "I know you probably hate me but… you were the first friend I made in years… I don't want to leave you like this… once you're free maybe I can help you find a place to live a somewhat normal existence…" He sighed. "I'm going to use Metal to protect me while I make my escape. Maybe you can come with us if you want." He got up and moved to her. "Turn your head, I need access to the diagnostic port." He ordered.
The robian moved to comply. The human brought out a drill and started removing the screws that held the plates on the back of her head. "Easy does it… I'm sorry if this is weird…" He mumbled. "There we go." He removed a plate in the back, exposing the diagnostic port and the back of her contained brain unit. "I– I'm sorry if this feels weird…" He stammered as he plugged the diagnostic cord into the port and wired her up to his terminal. "I have to do this part locally. I can't hook you up to the rest of the network anymore." He grumbled. "Uncle has gotten suspicious. If I hadn't scrambled your serial number he would have probably recycled your chassis and beaten me again…" He froze at what he had admitted. "You're safe, I shouldn't have told you that but you're safe, I won't let that happen…" He continued to connect her up to the diagnostic equipment and then he returned to the terminal. "I've got some time while I wait on the next simulation results for the dimensional tear." He cracked his knuckles as he set to work at the terminal. "Let's give another crack at finding that override for the co-processor slave unit." He grinned as he got to work.
Earth - City 17 - Isaac's Lab - 2019
Eli was working in the corner with their small dark matter reactor. His daughter's pet droid Dog at his feet. The droid was curled up and whining and whirring with depression. He nudged the now wolf sized robot with his metal foot. "I know, she's coming back though, don't worry." He mumbled to himself as his daughter's upgraded pet got up and moved to the couch in the corner to lay down. Barney scrambled to the end of the couch to make room for the mechanical beast.
Dog laid down and set his heavy head in Barney's lap, causing the middle aged scavenging soldier to shift. "Don't pinch me!" He yelped as he moved, pulling out from the robotic pet's metal joints. Dog seemed to whir with disappointment as his red optic stared longingly at the humans. Barny got a furrowed expression. "You said he's like a real dog?"
"He is a real dog." Eli quipped as he continued to work at the mini reactor. "Found his neron file on a Combine server that had backups of many animals, they were auditing all potential species, not just us." He grumbled. "Alyx didn't really have playmates her own age growing up, so a pet is the best I could do." He glanced at the old security guard. "Issy's been watching him for us as he's got the room now. Alyx went a little overboard with the upgrades so he can't hide with her anymore…"
Barney gave an exasperated expression that turned to pity. "Come on boy." He moved to the arm of the couch. Sitting at it as he moved his hand to rub at the robot's head. "Good boy, everything's going to be ok…" The robot's head met the man's hand, melting into the pet as he whirred with content, calming at the attention.
Eli got up from his work and moved to Kleiner who was still working at the chalkboards. "The reactor's up at optimal, anything I can do to help here?" He asked.
Isaac shook his head. "Please don't interrupt my concentration." The doctor flatley uttered. The mousy scientist seemed to jump when he realized who he was speaking too and his head darted to his friend. "No! Sorry! I'm fine. I think it would be best to just relax until Gary gets back with Russell and Judith. Then you can–"
*SLAM*
The secret door to the warehouse lab shoved open. "I have returned! Ah ha ha ha!" A deep gravelly voice boomed throughout the converted shop.
The three humans turned to see the vortigaunt coming in, a bag of equipment slung on his back with one hand holding the strap. He was carrying a dead headcrab with his other hand. A caucasian man in his 50's tailed behind him, he had a short white beard and was wearing a ushanka cap. For clothes he wore liberated hazmat gear that made him look like a fisherman in bright orange waders. He was carrying a box full of random computer equipment and papers. "Well, I guess I've arrived too!" The older man quipped as he walked over to the corner with the reactor and set his box next to it. He got up, his hands on his back as he stretched. "Why do we always have to take the sewers?" He griped. "Always the sewers… never can just take a midnight stroll…"
"You're foolish to think they don't watch the streets at night." A middle aged woman quipped as she strode in behind them. She was in her late 30's to early 40's but it was hard to tell from the lines of stress beginning to etch her face. She had pale skin and reddish brown hair, She wore a stained white sweater and old tan slacks. "Just be glad we made it…" She sneered.
Russel got a done expression. "Thanks for the input, you're ears still ringing from the gun?"
She frowned. "No… but thank you for that save, next time you don't need to fire it right next to my head."
The fisherman looking scientist got a stupid grin. "To be honest, I was more just thinking of ending the headcrab. You can owe me one later, Judith!"
She grumbled as she unslung her backpack and moved to set it in the corner. "Thanks…"
Garry walked up to Russell and roughly patted his shoulder causing the older man to yelp in pain. "It was a grand time, you did well my friend! Thanks for shooting dinner!" The alien roughly dropped his bag of equipment and held forth the dead headcrab. "Are you sure you don't want to share the spoils of your kill?"
The older man gave a nervous smile. "Nah mate, I think I'm good… I'd love to try but they're kind of toxic to humans, remember?"
Judith laughed. "Oh… not willing to try it yourself? How many people have you asked if they'd try it for you?" She quipped as he gave her a glare.
The vortigaunt seemed to pause then shot a hand up pointing. "YES!" he shouted, closing his eye and beginning to roughly nod. "Yes, Yes… I remember now. I hope not to offend you by offering poison as sustenance, I forgot about that."
"That's all right!" He patted the alien on the back. "I'm ok if you're ok!" The bearded man turned as Eli made his way over to the three. "Ah! The man of the hour! How are you holding up Eli?"
"Could be better, glad you guys could make it." He moved to shake his good friend's hand.
Barney walked up, putting out a hand to the man. "Russell? Been a while. Right after the resonance cascade, right? Last time I saw you, you were getting ready to bug back out to Australia. Were you really still waiting a year to try and apply for Black Mesa again? I could have gotten you a job as a security guard."
"New Zealand." The man corrected. "I'm from New Zealand, not Australia…" The man grumbled. "I was living in the states at that point... not the first time I tried getting a job at Black Mesa... And besides, I'm glad I didn't get trapped in that mess…" He glared at the woman setting her bag down. "Unlike psycho over there who thinks she could have saved the world if she had been in the chamber instead of Gordon…"
The woman snapped her head to the older man, an irritated blush on her face. "Did you just call me psycho?!" She snapped, her hackles rising.
"Only because who wants to be at the center of a world ending event!" He growled. "I know you enough Judith, we were in the same boat! Trying to get hired year after year at the legendary Black Mesa! We were roommates." He scoffed. "I don't think it's normal to want to be at the center of a cataclysm! Doesn't seem too smart to me!"
She flustered. "We've been over this! My qualifications were so much better than Gordon's!" She glared at Isaac who was still at his chalkboard, only starting to realize there were more people there. "Nepotism is the name of the game though…" She quietly bit. "It always is…"
Russell gave a choked laugh. "I'm almost glad that Egg of a man Julian ruined my chances the first few times around, you think ya know someone…" He started grumbling. "That should have been my job, not his…" He gave a huff. "But he's dead and I'm not, so I'm glad for that… not that he's dead… I guess I can't gloat about survival to a dead man…"
The woman rolled her eyes as she made her way to the group and glanced at Eli. She gave a deep sigh and smiled. "Hello Eli." Her expression was tired. "I'm sorry to hear what you've been going through. How have you been holding up?"
He gave her a tired smile back. "Getting by… Thank you for coming to help."
She lit, a little bounce in her step. "How could I miss this!? We're resurrecting the teleporter?!" She got more excited. "A chance to be at the forefront of humanity and do some good in the process?!" She smiled. "I wouldn't miss it for the world!"
Eli smiled. "Thank you, both of you. So you do know what we're doing?"
Russell's eyes lit. "I heard on the way! You think we can get my gloves back!?" He shook his head. "Your daughter, I can… help you… get your daughter back!" He gave a nervous grin. "My gravity gloves are obviously a secondary objective…" He awkwardly chuckled.
Eli was giving him a pensive look. "Yeah…" He gave the man a pat on the shoulder. "We got a good starting point for the new teleporter, we got a new resonance conduit crystal too, with vectors pointing to a new destination. Hopefully we can make it a two way gate, but it's obviously only going to be operable on this side. Isaac and I went over the preliminary plan and it looks like we are going to try and slingshot through the border world instead of rubber banding around it back to local space."
Judith rose an eyebrow. "How did you get a new conduit crystal? Was there a small portal storm?" She began looking nervous. "I hadn't heard any news on that…"
Eli shook his head. "Someone donated it… I… don't know the exact details other than it's another survivor of Black Mesa…" He frowned. "They may not be human…"
Judith paused, looking nervous. "Is it safe?" She fidgeted. "We're not going to cause another resonance cascade, correct?"
Eli shook his head. "The readings we've been able to get from it so far are way more stable then the original Xen sample. As I said though, It's giving a coordinate vector that's way different then the Xen sample, we may need to chain a Xen crystal with this new one to safely punch through." He cleared his throat and met her eyes. "We aren't going to Xen." He sighed, raising a hand to scratch the back of his head. "Either way, if we get something working we can either punch through to the other side or rubberband our way back to teleport locally, worst case scenario we can teleport people out of the city."
Russell eagerly nodded as he started clasping his hands in excitement. "Sounds like you got a plan, so what am I making?"
Isaac finally walked over, adjusting his glasses. "Do you still have the Xen samples I gave you?"
Russell gave a sheepish nod. "Some of them, some of them are in the gravity gloves Alyx took."
"But you do have one of them, correct?" The mousy scientist reiterated.
Russell nodded, reaching into his pocket to pull out a tiny crystal and holding it out to them. "Right here!"
"Perfect!" Isaac chirped as he reached out with some tweezers, plucking the crystal from the man's hand, putting the sample in a containment apparatus.
"HEY!" Russell yelped. "I get to have it back right?! I need to synthesize replacements for my next glove prototype!"
"If we can get back to Xen or in any of the other border worlds, you can have as much crystal as you can carry." Eli quipped. "That was a sample to study, not for you to make a product to sell." He grumbled. "Not like you could sell anything anyways…"
Russell got a disgruntled look. "A man can dream, can't he?" He gave a wry grin. "Deal, I get first dibs on any crystals we find!" He clasped his hands together again. "So what am I working on? I see you guys managed to set up the mini reactor without me, so I'm guessing something to do with construction of the gateway?"
Eli moved to the chalkboards, examining a diagram of a complex electromagnet around what looked to be the beginning of a particle accelerator. "We're on build duty, I'm going to be programming the electronics you make as well." He glanced at Judith. "Thankyou for coming Judith."
She smiled, a light blush on her face. "Of course, Eli." She replied.
"Don't you have a beef with Alyx?" Russell quipped. "Why are you helping?"
The woman's smile dropped as she glared at Russell. "Alyx has some issues with me, I don't have an issue with her." She glanced nervously at Eli. "I'm sure she and I can work everything out Eli…" She snapped her gaze to Russel, sneering. "Besides, aren't you just trying to get your prototypes back?"
He looked offended. "Of course not! You know sometimes I get hyper focused on things! You have no idea how much time I spent on those gloves! And if it weren't for those gloves, Alyx and Eli would both probably be dead now!"
"Guys!" Eli cut in. He gave a strained smile. "Thank you Judith, Isaac can probably use another major in theoretical physics." He gave a nervous grin. "I tried to help but I'm only a minor in it."
Isaac looked uncomfortable. "The help would be appreciated. Sorry Eli, you caught me when I was... EHEM, in the zone…"
"I can help lift things!" the vortigaunt bellowed from the sidelines, raising its arms in triumph.
Barney gave a lazy salute from his spot back on the couch. "Tell me where I can help and I'll do my best, commander!"
Eli smiled as he turned, looking at all his friends. "We have a lot of work to do. Hopefully after all this, not only can I get my daughter back, but we can get people away from the Combine." His confidence grew. "Maybe get people out of the city, or if we can find a safe haven on the other side… Then maybe there. I don't know but I have a good lead on where Alyx ended up with this new crystal." He gave a determined grin. "Let's get to work."
Mobius - Dark Swamp - 3239
Nigel glanced back to the platypus getting bombarded with questions by the young girl. He chuckled, for someone who claimed to not like kids, he seemed to be enjoying answering so many questions. He turned forward thinking of his friend. Why hadn't Starline ever thought about raising a family, he'd have to do it eventually with his goals… He remembered back to those conversations they had in young adulthood. The platypus gave excuses and waved him off, saying things to the tune of "I've got time and I'm too busy right now." The Chipmunk Monarch gave a sigh as he glanced at his new conversation companion.
Zara gave a soft smile, meeting his eyes. "S-so Nigel is it?" She raised an eyebrow, piercing him with her familiar electric blue eyes. "I-I am curious. If my t-tail is such a unique trait amongst ch-chipmunks… Who d-do I remind you of?"
The middle aged Chipmunk grew nervous, his gaze looking forward to the drone they were following. Should he tell her? Probably not all of it, but to deny it completely would be an even worse idea… he was already probably starting to give off nervous vibes. "My wife…" He mumbled, his shoulders stiff.
Her eyes widened as her expression dropped. "W-what?"
"You remind me of my wife!" He flustered, his eyes darting to her as he got a nervous grin. "I hope to find her when I get back! I hope she isn't lost!" He rambled, his eyes darting forward as he avoided her gaze. "We've been separated for years! It's a slim chance but I hope to reunite!" He was stiff, his nervous smile turning into a line. His cheeks heated as he could feel her gaze boring into him. "Her name was Annabell, I miss her… She was my other half…" He mumbled, his eyes dropping to the ground.
"I r-remind you of your Annabell?" She squinted trying to get him to look her in the eyes.
"You have her hair, her eyes, and her tail…" He blurted.
The woman hesitated, her step faltering. She looked down, a moment of silence as she thought over the information. She pursed her lips, scrunching her face. "You haven't seen your w-wife in how many season cycles?" She gave a suspicious look to the male beside her, his gaze still avoiding her.
He hesitated his response. "I think it's been 15 season cycles since I was trapped."
her eyes widened in shocked realization. "Oh…" She hesitated, getting nervous herself. "You're on your way back to her? Yes?"
He began fidgeting again. "Yes… I hope I am… I hope to reunite with her and my daughter."
Zara's eyes widened, a look of shock on her face. "You have a d-daughter with Annabell?"
Nigel swiftly nodded. "Sally, my daughter's name is Sally…" He got a panicked look. "She'd be a grown woman now!" He choked back. "If it's been 15 cycles… I've missed the rest of her childhood…" His voice cracked as he wilted.
Zara looked unnerved. "I'm... s-sorry…" She fidgeted, silence growing between them. She took a deep breath, building her confidence, a hopeful look on her face. "What's Sally l-like?"
Nigel glanced to the woman, a soft smile growing on his face. "Sally's wonderful. A spitfire, just like her mother. She's kind and daring…" He got a funny expression. "Seemed to spend more time roughhousing with the squires and Chuck's nephew then what I was expecting for a girl… But she has a gentle side too… I think she must have gotten that temperament from her mother…." He got a stupid grin. "Doubt she got it from me! I'm still working on that!" He gave a choked laugh. "You should see her mad! Guess dad's warrior spirit skipped me and went straight to her too... WOW when she's mad can she fight dirty! Just like dad!" He gave a sigh, the line of his mouth wavering. "That kind of terrified me when she kept sneaking off to spar with the squires, that wasn't proper..." His face kinda scrunched. "I was hoping to put the tradition of swordplay to rest but Annabell convinced me otherwise." He laughed. "She said if I wasn't going to teach my daughter saber's, then she was going to teach her daughter twin daggers and throwing." He grimaced. "In retrospect, I shouldn't have put up so much of a fuss, I wish I would have allowed her to train earlier then I did..." He eyed the dagger sheath at the woman's thigh then averted his gaze. "Tell me about your daughter… Her name is Sticks right?" he got nervous, blushing under his fur. "That's kind of an odd name."
Zara glanced back to the ecstatic badger pestering the doctor. "She's my world… or what's left of it…" She sighed. "Her name was chosen by her father, I didn't get to choose it." The woman gave a sigh. "Sticks is… unique. She is energetic and wants to explore anything new she can. Much more of an adventurer then any of the other of the tribes kids… She got along with everyone fine though, she wanted to help with the hives the instant she was old enough, she has a good work ethic." The woman's mouth strained. "She can be a bit paranoid though, it got worse as she got older… Then Tikal showed up… that started a panic and got her kicked out…"
Nigel frowned. "A panic?"
Zarah hesitated. "Tikal claims to be an Echidna guardian… their raids on our tribes were a real problem… but that was before my time…"
Nigel blinked. "An Echidna guardian?" He glanced back to the girl then back to her mom. "Like a guardian spirit? How… how does that make sense?"
"It d-doesn't!" The woman bit. "My daughter isn't an Echidna! If this is an Echidna spirit then somethings wrong! If it's an illness of the mind then something is wrong! If it's an illness of the mind then…" Her eyes grew hopeful. "Technomancer medicine can help…" Her face strained. "The sea tribe traders are gone, but when they still showed, they told me of how my husband…" She choked. "His infection could have been stopped…" She wavered. She gave a bitter laugh. "Apparently, some of the swamp tribes used to trade with the city to the north for medicines…" She gave him a glare. "I've h-heard the storys of that p-place, what it was and w-what it now is…" She rose an eyebrow. "They d-demanded subjugation for cooperation…" She tilted her head. "Is that what you were talking about b-before? You knew the badger t-tribe."
He blushed. "The Dark Swamp is part of the Acorn Kingdom, The acorn Kingdom has a history stretching back 400 cycles, the city is older than that…" He gave a huff. "Dad couldn't spend too many resources trying to bring the zone back under control, but I decided to take a more diplomatic approach."
Her eyes widened. "Your dad? y- you…" She got a flustered look. "WAS STICKS RIGHT?! ARE YOU A KING?!" She shrieked as she sank back. "I RAISED A KNIFE TO ONE CHOSEN BY THE?!-"
"I forgive you!" He cut in, his eyes frantic. "Please ease your worry. I take no offense!" His shoulders wilted. "It's been so long though, I don't know if the title is still valid…"
She looked on edge but her hackles were slowly lowering, a silence building between them.
Nigel got a thought that wouldn't stop pestering him, making him bristle. "So you were married?"
She slowly nodded. "For a time… He found me wandering sick in the deep swamp. He nursed me back to health and we became friends… then more…" She fidgeted. "After Sticks was born, things were well for a time… a few years back he g-got hurt… a-and… then infection…" The woman paused, a grimace on her face.
Nigel closed his eyes, a pained look on his face. He hesitated then swallowed to clear his throat. "I'm sorry." He uttered. "The death of a loved one is never easy. May you find peace with your memories. M-may he be at peace with the memories of you as well."
She wiped away the tears. "I don't know why they insist on l-living like this, even for t-tradition…" She choked back a growl. "Living like this... all of th-this... instead of what is supposedly such a t-trivial medicine…" She wilted. "Nothing I can do can bring h–him back." She looked at him, a unsure look for a fraction of a second that turned into hope. "I hope to start over in a n-new village… I will n-never forget him though…" She looked down, clutching her head. "Memories are p-precious to me, good ones and bad. I need to remember." She choked back a bitter laugh. "It's terrifying to forget…"
Nigel glanced forward in the building awkward silence, another confirmation that the woman beside him was his wife… Where was sally? Hopefully Rosie had been able to protect her… he didn't really know how to respond. "It might be a new start for all of us…" He uttered, trying to break the silence.
The woman gave a deep sigh and looked at him. "You know of a safe place past the condemned city?"
His eyes widened. "Condemned?" He mouthed, as he got stiff. "What do you mean condemned?"
She rose an eyebrow. "You really have been exiled for 15 cycles?" She bit back a laugh. "Maybe this wasn't a good idea…"
He fully turned to her, an unnerved look on his face. "No matter what, I will protect you and your daughter. I…" His expression strained. "What do you mean condemned? What happened to my capital?"
Her expression softened. "The city to the n-north is just about abandoned. Blue metal titans roam the streets. T-they stay out of the swamps as they sink and get stuck in the mud…" She turned forward, looking at the drone in front of them. "That is why I kept my daughter here. This is the life we know, n-not the one we want." She gave him a glare. "They say the ghosts of the people still roam the city as well…"
He raised an eyebrow. "What?"
She frowned. "They say the technomancer in his round t-tower turns them into slaves. They c-call him Robotnik."
Nigel was shocked at the name. "H-he t-took Gerald's name?" He choked out. He mulled over some of the other info he had heard, raising a finger to his chin. The metal slaves bit was worrying, he glanced at Victor who was now looking a mixture of annoyed and relaxed at the girl who was still chatting away. A cold sweat started as he turned forward, what if Julian found the full roboticizer codes? How could he, they were destroyed… unless… he thought back to Victor telling him he had lab's all over the place, just in case… What if Julian had found one of them? What if he'd found a backup of the signed nanite program Victor had made in his and Gerald's monopoly over the technology? His gut churned at the thought… He'd have to talk to the platypus in private later… for now as he couldn't do anything about it… he'd try and relax… if this was his wife… at least it was nice to talk to her… hopefully he wasn't coming off too weird.
The path started to descend down hill at a slope, they must be getting closer to the coast. Zara noticed and grew stiff. "We are in the w-west most region of the swamps. Flyers are n-not the only predator we need to watch for h-here, this is outside Tribe Area." She gave a nervous gulp. "We must be wary of Ground Raptors if we are this close to the coast."
Nigel gave a smile. "I wouldn't be too worried about that. We could be sleeping and these drones will protect us. State of the art, at least the last time I checked." He gave a small smile. "I've got my vibrasabers as well though, if push came to shove, there isn't any bone I know of that these blades can't slice through. We'll make it to Knothole Village, no problem."
The silvering redhead gave him a tired look then relaxed her shoulders. "I w-want to be upfront about my d-daughter's… friend…" She gave a grimace. "She told me a bit about you… I d-didn't know what to believe but… This is the decision I've made so far." She sighed. "I don't know if she is speaking to a spirit b-but it just doesn't seem right. The longer Tikal talks to my little girl, the more she bleeds. If she talks too long then her head starts to hurt." The concerned mother shook her head. "I want my daughter to stop hurting…"
Nigel glanced at the concerned woman. "I… I guess I'll see if I can find a doctor to help…"
She gave him a wavering smile. "Thank y-you."
The simple thanks made him feel warm and his tail started to swish back and forth. "It's my pleasure." He replied.
They chatted about small things for a bit, Zera telling him what it was like to live in the swamp and the daily challenges. He took the time to just enjoy her company. The four of them continued their journey through the dark swamp as the tree's got thinner and thinner.
Mobius - Robotropolis rooftops looking out to the junk yard quarantine - 3239
A wolf in a suit waited patiently, glancing down to his watch, lazily blinking. The world around him turned grayscale as a line of light formed, sliding up as if a door was opening. A middle aged man in a blue suit stepped out, green eyes meeting the Mobians. "I apologize for my tardinessssss."
The wolf lowered his wristwatch. "I hhhhave observed what I can. There is nothing pressssing I can detect." He tilted his head. "How is the progresssss in timeline alpha and beta?"
The human walked over to look off the building's edge, towards the junkyard and the trailer positioned outside the new quarantine zone. "Alpha timeline is on ssschedule. What this Alyx did, gave me permission to take the Alyx in the Alpha timeline." He cleared his throat. "Gordon and Eli are now back on track, pursssuing her in that reality. There is a possibility to bring Gordon back under our control from the meddling of that Vortigaunt collective." He sneered. "They do not understand, their ignorance towards the long term is baffling for their species, they can only glips around the corner… not down the hallway…" He sighed. "That timeline should be… successful." He glanced back to the wolf. "Beta is still going to fail…" He sighed. "However, the Eli Vance there got the letter." He shifted his stance. "He is now making a teleporter that should exit Beta into the dark swamp in Delta, same as the platypus and the chipmunk… enough humans there should escape to start the colony." he gave a big sigh. "One timeline sssacrificed for the sake of two… as planned." He tilted his head at the Mobian across from him. "How goesss the progress in the Delta timeline?"
The wolf stepped forward. "Thhhings here progress, there are some hiccups though…" He glanced towards the trailer in the junkyard. "Colin plans on opening his own portal back to Beta, if it opens at the softspot in city 17 and draws the attention of the Combine…"
The human raised his hand. "We… knew this was a possibility, our employers have authorized an artificial softspot in the failing Beta… If he breaches the gap he can say hello to his Mother in Aperture…" The man gave a contemplative grin. "He won't cause any damage to the mobian Delta." He rose an eyebrow. "The worst he may do is bring back some artifacts from that failed multiversal empire, Aperture." The human chuckled. "One of the few organizations to break into the multiverse and they try and scam alternate versions of themselves… how foolish..." He mumbled. The alien man collected himself, looking to his mobian counterpart. "We can still see enough of Colin to know that this pathhhhh will not doom the humans or mobians here." The human got a tired smile. "How does the king's progressssssss go?"
The wolf returned a relaxed expression. "Better than expected, heeeeee found his lost wife…they are making decent progress and he's been able to keep a cap on his… temper." He gave a thoughtful look. "The platypus seems to be helping more than we thought as well, they haven't killed each other for one... It will still be interesting to see Victor's reaction to what happened to his technology and his home becoming an orphanage in Knothole." The wolf shifted. "The possibilities with that one are endless. Ever since his arm was shredded by the Aperture scientist's attempt home, we can't be entirely sure…" He cleared his throat. "We'll see how he reacts to his… created children… and how they've grown." He gave a menacing smile. "He took a flawed warp topaz from the void, who knows? He may leave the perfect one in Knothole alone… if he does remove it, the village is doomed." The wolf gave a genuine laugh. "He'd hunt Julian if he did that though… foolish for him to think Dr. Kintober wouldn't have a backup plan if a portal wielding wizard were after him."
"This is no concern to us." The human waved off the wolf's mild excitement. "If that safe haven Knothole fallsssss, the dark swamp is for the Humans." He shifted his stance, giving a deep sigh. "The Mobiansss can either go west to the sea, east to the deserts… or north to the mountains." He looked back to the city skyline. "They will survive and prosper." He gave a sigh. As long as a sizable chunk of humans make it here… in a thousand years we will have another colony of sentiants geared to survive and fend off any Combine incursion. Another group of species who have grown to meet the responsibility of that kind of power." He glared at his duplicate. "Is there anything else?"
The wolf straightened up, adjusting his tie. "The girl s-saw me… she has made it to Knothole. I still have clear sight of her but sometimes things fog, she has crossed the threshold two times already." He walked up to his counterpart, next to the ledge. "She is going to learn of her true origin sssoon." He glanced at the human. "Our separation is disorientating, forgive me… What reason was there to keep this information from her to begin with?"
The human glanced from his counterpart back into the cityscape. "Her mind was taxed already, that might have broken her already stressed state, she has had time to acclimate to her surroundings, she will pull through." He gave a sigh. "Her love for her father will ensure our success." He glanced at his counterpart. "Do not forget how powerful familial bonds are to these beings." he grumbled. "Remember to use it to our advantage."
The wolf nodded. "I will remember, I eagerly await being rejoined to the collective, to give back any variance of experience that has occurred." He gave a sigh. "Any word from our employers?"
The man huffed. "The dreamers still feed me their collective will, nothing has changed and our manipulations have not crossed the threshold. No higher beings have been drawn to intervene with our plans… It will stay that way." The white door opened in front of the man. "Keep the watch, we will meet again. You're progress is well met." He stepped through the door, the slide shutting behind him, leaving the wolf alone on the roof, the bleary colors returning around him.
He sighed. "Well met. I will keep the watch." He turned to fade into the background, fading from existence.
Mobius - Robotropolis waterworks – Deep under the College – 3239
The dark tunnels lit with the light of torch light as a white robian fox trudged down the corner, he was wearing old hazmat gear with the helmet mask pulled back. He had a backpack slung over his back, full of pillaged industrial chemicals meant for resins, ceramics, nylon and silicon products. He gave a sigh as he continued his trudge through the currently gas filled undercity. The waterway tunnels creeped him out, he hated the dark decay down here. It reminded him of what would have happened to him if he hadn't figured out how to get control of his body back. He'd probably be rusting with all the other Robians topside. He gave a wistful look, he was glad he had been able to find Trisha, it had taken a while for him to find his wife. He was glad Robotnik recorded basic info about his Robian workforce. If that hadn't been the case, there were hundreds of thousands of moving robians he'd have to look through to find his wife. His mechanical smile turned cheeky, it had irritated her so much that he'd figured out how to break the mind control and she hadn't. His smile softened, she'd clung tight to him that night, crying. For once he'd been the prince charming she'd been able to swoon for. He frowned. The triumph hadn't lasted long, they hadn't been able to find a trace of Miles, nor many other children for that matter. Hopefully he was still alive… that was a long shot though… He had been 3 when the coup had happened…
Trisha had wailed at the loss of her baby boy, a deep depression had crushed her with the loss of her womb as well, her family legacy might be at an end. He had cried with her for the loss of their son, a cold emptiness at the realization he'd never see his boy grow up.
He wilted at her recount of the events. All she'd remembered was panicking, trying to escape with her baby before a pain exploded in her head, probably causing another seizure. After he had free'd her mind, they had escaped to the undercity to sulk, that had been about 5 years ago. A sadness washed over him… he was so excited to be a dad… if Trisha's samples hadn't been damaged… he grumbled at the thought of the so-called Freedom Fighters causing so much damage to the power infrastructure. He wilted even more, even if the samples had survived for them to clone Miles… that wasn't the same… all of their samples had been damaged… too many years on unreliable power… He had his DNA archived with the ARC 2 project but Trisha hadn't… neither had Miles as he wasn't the required age… The only one who could potentially be cloned was him… and that wasn't enough to fix their family.
He sighed, his outlook brightening as he pulled himself from the depressing thoughts. They had a somewhat normal life now, at least for them... They'd found a lab owned by one of Trisha's father's rivals… One of the Starline clan… For a deposed noble, Starline sure knew how to stock an emergency holdout. The infamous Starline family, fallen from their undeserved grace… at least their legacy would go to proper use now... He grinned at that thought, it was exciting being part of a grand house, even if they were on the down right now… The grin grew stupid. He loved the drama, Trisha got so passionate about it, he loved her so much, and to think she chose him!
He sighed, things weren't perfect but they had been on the up until the coup had happened… Her dad's old money had funded much of their work while they were getting back on their feet. Trisha had been bonding with Miles too… She was still running tests on him, she said she had plans for their son and she needed to prepare him for his future as minister of science. He was down with that, he didn't know how she planned on doing that with such short time before the choosing. When Princess Acorn was 18, their son would be 8, he'd have to be really smart for that to happen… he wasn't even sure if they'd allow anyone so young to apply… He wilted at the thought of the loss of their son. He had to have hope, maybe they could still find him and revive the great house of Powers… someday… somehow… if they couldn't find him… Maybe they could revive it… Just the two of them.
He got stiff at the memory of ruining her father's holdout lab under the junkyard. His chemical spill had been devastating, seeping into the waterworks… His father in law would have murdered him for almost killing his daughter… Guess he was glad he'd only heard of the Mobian, Maxwell sounded terrifying… The Robian winced, remembering his first attempt at bringing his new house fame. He should have stuck with robotics… He may have been good at chemical engineering but… His so-called fix to the Echidna problem had been a mess… instead of curbing the population and hazing their minds for a few generations it had been a non lethal but destructive neurotoxin that caused birth defects… He'd regretted ever starting that project, what a horrible thing to have on his legacy, all those kids he'd marred… He'd been wearing protective gear when the chem-synthesizer ruptured, but Trisha hadn't, she'd been in the other room working on her own biotech… He'd been able to drag her out of the lab but it had damaged her brain and her eggs… After she'd recovered, she had been able to direct him on stimulants to help her damaged neurons remap. The process was slow and painfull but she was soon able to walk properly again... the experimental drugs had pleagued her with chronic seizures that they had to manage with medication though... Thankfully the brain unit for the roboticizer seemed to have calmed that aspect of her. He grew uncomfortable, It had taken her almost 3 cycles for her to patch up a viable egg cell so they could have a child. Their son had paid for that… at least she was able to prevent any lasting health defects, but he'd had an extra tail...
The robian wilted as he thought of the consequences of his weapon, he'd been devastated to learn it was leaching into the waterworks… He'd mustered up the courage to turn himself into the authorities, but Trisha had promised him raw neural pain if he even considered confessing again… That was his wife… the master of bio-engineering and a pioneer and prodigy in the field of neurological wetware. He loved his wife, but she could be terrifying… He'd settled on just doing his best to contain the mess in their old lab and clean it up over the years. The whole incident had been a strain on their marriage, but he was just terrified she'd leave him. A warmth built in him, thankfully she hadn't abandoned him, she'd been royally ticked at him though… Things had gotten better since Mile's had been born. After Miles was gone though… she had confided in him that she was afraid he'd leave her… He'd never do that… He couldn't understand why she'd think that… Their bodies might be gone, but he loved her for more than her body, he loved her…
He re-adjusted his haul, he'd started a new project after his first blunder. He decided to stick to his mastery of robotics. Mark II roboticized limbs, they weren't as strong as the mark I limbs initially, but soon he was able to get close with some of his chemical engineering expertise. A mix of silicon, ceramics and resins. If things had gone well, he would have been able to give all those kids new limbs that looked way closer to real limbs… all those war vets could live like normal people… his wife had eagerly latched onto the idea. More recently though, they were in the process of making new synthetic bodies with the nanofab in the old Starline lab. They may not be able to reprogram the nanites because of the safety lockout, but at least they could have the nanites build things for them…
He sighed as the phantom feeling of his non-existent gut churned, the feeling creeping over him. She was probably going to try and transfer him when he got home… These were the chemicals for making her body. They had taken apart a few dead roboticized mobians to figure out the transfer… He had trapped and taken apart some live roboticized mobians to figure out how to turn off the mind control… It had taken a few attempts to figure out how to detach the slave unit without causing any strain… He'd freed those Robians for their contribution. They still hadn't been happy with the risk he had put them through… there was a small town of Robians in the deep city now, slowly making lives for themselves… away from him and his wife. He had made friends with a few of them after teaching them how to free their family safely… A few had warmed up to him but others were still terrified they had been almost killed. He sighed as he skipped a piece of trash with his metal boot, no easy way to make everyone happy… He was sorry he'd killed some of them... He didn't mean too... He didn't know what else to do though...
The time stretched as he continued his way back to their sanctuary. He'd already finished designing his body but she was meticulous with her designs, she had also insisted on doing the fine details on his re creation, especially his face. While she was working with the design software, he had been gathering fabricator materials for the nanite fabricator. He sighed, he'd also taken some of the time to continue cleaning his mess, it was finally all combusted. No more poison except for the stuff already out there, and that should dissipate within a few years. That fact alone would alleviate his consciousness a bit.
He turned to a stairwell and made his way towards their new claimed den. His chest felt warmer as he approached and his grin returned. He was so excited to see her, it had been a week! He hoped she would be happy he was home. At the end of the stairwell there was a steel door with five stars in a line emblazoned on it; they had painted an orange and white fox tail over it as their claim, a crude rendition of her family seal. He pulled a panel open with a gutted keypad, he typed his code into the hacked device and the door slid open. He walked in as the door slid closed behind him. The dark gloom of the undercity was replaced with the pristine white frosted metal, apparently the Starline's scientists were known for.
"Honey! I'm home!" He preened, the phantom warmth in his chest increasing.
"Welcome home Lloyd!" He heard her sing around the corner. He heard the clink of her feet as she rounded the corner into the entry, a warm smile on her roboticized face. She was a fully roboticized Mobian fox like him, her chassis was dulled orange and white. She seemed to have a spike curving from her forehead, a remnant of her family's signature hair fringe and a permanent ponytail sticking from the back of her head. She was wearing an old plain white lab getup they had found. Her smile dropped when she saw him done up in the hazmat gear. "You're still doing that?" She winced. "Did you at least look for the extra silicon and nylon for the fabricator I asked for?" Her red eyes grimaced at him. "Change into something less industrial, I want some normalcy…"
He nodded as he started taking off the backpack. "I can do that–"
Her eyes lit. "ACTUALLY NEVERMIND! YOUR NEW CHASSIS IS FINISHED!" She got a spiffy look to her face, crossing her arms over her chest. "I hope you like it!" She started twirling a hand dramatically, the other moving to her hip. "I'm currently fabbing the superstructure of mine… I can't believe you're not taking this chance to add any extras… just a normal body?" She looked disgusted. " I'll have you know I added some stuff to help if we ever get in a combat situation…" She glared at him. "I hope you appreciate all the work that I've done for you Puppy..."
He moved forward grabbing her shoulders as he brought his face to hers to nuzzle their muzzles. "I always appreciate you Kitty."
Her red optics brightened as she grabbed the front of his hazmat gear like a tie. "Come on, I want to get you into your new threads already." She chirped, dragging her husband to the next room. There was a fabricator slowly working on what looked to be a mobian skeleton in the corner and in the center of the room there was a body… his body… his face even looked the same. He was a silver and gray fox, his tail was short and his ears were a bit longer. He smiled, "You even got me clothes!"
She nodded, crossing her arms. "There was some lab getup I found in one of the storage sheds. It's Starline lab wear and design, but I had the nanites change the color after I bleached it, no more burgundy black and purple. We're stylin like Powers! Blue, white and black!" She quipped, a proud look on her face.
He walked up to the mannequin, gently brushing the fur on his new body's face. "It's so real?!" He glanced at her. "You managed fur! I thought we were going to just stop at silicon skin!?"
"Nylon fur! Yours is easy because it was just white and silver. My orange and white is going to take a bit longer." She frowned. "Keep it nice… It doesn't grow back… If it gets messed up we got to reprint the skin to fix it…" She began growling. "I won't have my other half looking like a half dead animatronic from a horror movie!"
He wilted back a bit. "Of course. I'll do my best to keep it nice…" He gave a nervous grin.
She squinted at him, then nodded. "Strip and get on the table." She pointed to the workbench in the corner. "Your head towards the wall." She ordered.
He got nervous. "Now?"
She glared at him. "Yes now! If you're nervous, we're married... Plus you and I don't got anything private to show anymore anyways!" She started growling at him. "I'm tired of looking at you like that, I want MY Lloyd back." She grimaced, looking a bit disgusted. "Not… this…" She gestured to what remained of his physical being, causing a sinking feeling at his core.
"I… Sure…" He flustered, taking off the hazmat suit and moving to the work bench, climbing onto the cleared space, laying fetal with his head towards the wall. "I'm ready…"
He could hear her clap her metallic hands in excitement. "Perfect!" She strode forward grabbing a tool kit. "When you're detached you're going to go into sleep mode, be ready."
He could hear a nut driver at his neck plate beginning to unscrew his head. He winced at the odd sensation. "First time sleeping in years? I wonder if I'll dream?" His spirits slowly started lifting at the thought. He felt a click and then an emptiness at the back of his head. "Are you about to–"
*BLACK*
*STATIC*
Mobius - Mobotropolis - College Cafe under Library - 3215
The silver fox yawned as he made his way into the cafe, it was a day off… or it was supposed to be his day off.
"Lloyd!" A black fox yelled, waving him down from the corner table at the cafe. He glanced up, seeing his two best friends turned couple. Eli and Azian smiled, waving him down. He smiled at the two foxes and made his way over. "Hey Eli! Hey Azian!" He waved, grabbing a seat and turning it around. He sat down, leaning against the backrest as he gave another yawn.
The girl, an orange fox with eastern eyes, gave him a lazy grin as she leaned into her cheek. "You're out and about early… Eli's said you've been having issues sleeping, you want to come by the psych lab for a sleep study?"
The silver fox shook his head. "It's getting better. I don't know what it's been the last week… No dreams, just waking up hazy or sleeping through my alarm." He glanced at his roommate, a black fox. "Thanks for getting me up yesterday for my midterm Eli…" The Silver fox blinked, scrunching his eyes trying to banish the sleepiness from them. "Last night was more normal though, so I think I'll skip the sleep study." He rubbed his face. "I just need a few normal nights…"
Eli frowned, leaning forward. "You stumbled out of Computer Club last night like you were already half asleep. You sure you're okay?"
He nodded. "I've been trying to go to bed early to try and combat this, I don't know if it's helping or making things worse…"
The eastern vixen gave a raspberry in response. "Come on, you could really help me with one of my papers. It's just taking a nap with some equipment hooked up to you." She nudged her boyfriend. "Eli helped me. It's just a few nights, maybe we could really help you."
He glanced at the psyc major. "Maybe... Let me just sleep a few normal nights in my own bed…"
"Come on Azian." Eli nudged his girlfriend back. "Let him be."
She stuck her tongue out at the black fox. "Finnnne." She glanced back at Lloyd. "Seriously though, if you're having issues sleeping, go do a real sleep study." She leaned back in her chair, bringing a leg up to rest her knee against the lip of the table. "Sleep's important, its when your brain detoxes. Sleep deprivation is serious and you don't want to get to the point where you start hallucinating."
He smiled back, tired. "I'll keep it in mind." He sighed and blinked, his eyes clearing. "So what are you guys up to today?"
"Hanging out then date night." Azian responded, dropping her leg and leaning forward to grab her coffee.
Eli set his own cup down. "You caught up?"
Lloyd shook his head. "My day's booked. This sleep thing has really screwed up some of my projects, I'm going to spend a bit upstairs in the library then the rest of the day in the robotics lab." He rubbed his eyes again. "I just need to catch up…"
Eli looked worried. "You sure you're ok?"
"My grades are fine, I think I just need to start my day." He glanced over to the coffee shop line.
"I was asking if you were ok, not you're grades." Eli quipped.
The white fox met his friends eyes. "I'm ok. thank's for asking." He gave another sigh. "I think I need some extra help though, chugging a coffee isn't going to cut it. I've got two days to catch up and I think I might chug an energy drink instead."
"Be careful with those…" The girl winced. "One of the girls in class didn't eat anything for a few days then followed that with two of those things and had a heart attack… no idea why she thought that was a good idea but… those things… I wouldn't be surprised if the Royal Minister of Health steps in and regulates them…"
The silver fox gave a dejected look. "Really? Are you guessing or did you actually hear that somewhere?"
"One of my classmates has ties to some of the political families. It's probably going to be regulated soon." She quipped, sipping her own caffeinated drink as she flatley stared at him.
"Then I guess I'll have to enjoy it while I can…" He grumbled. "I still got a bottle of Scotch my dad left me from when he passed away, special occasions only…" He sighed. "They keep flip flopping on that one, its like every other minister of health keeps banning and unbanning hard liquor."
"Tis the system we live under…" The Vixen quipped. "Long live the monarchy." She gave him a tired smile. She dropped her coffee to the table and tilted her head, looking at the silver fox. "So did you talk to her yet?"
The silver fox looked distant. "What?"
The eastern fox looked miffed. "Tracy!" She palmed an eye. "You were supposed to message Tracy! If things went well, we were going to see if you guys wanted to do a double date night tomorrow!"
The silver fox got nervous. "Oh… I forgot about her…" He flustered. "You know i'm not good at that kind of stuff! Why do you keep trying to set me up on dates anyways!"
Eli glanced at his girlfriend. "It is a little weird you're trying to play matchmaker for him."
She got a hotty look. "We've been the three amigos for how long? SINCE MIDDLE SCHOOL! We could be the four! double dates can be fun!" She gestured to the bewildered fox across from her. "It's getting sad! It's like he's not even trying!"
Lloyd shrank in his seat. "Well that's…" He frowned, his face scrunching. "I'm ok with just being friends with you guys... I don't need to join you guys for double dates…" He sighed. "Besides. I'm not sure I want to even do that…" He shrugged. "I mean if it happens then it happens, not going to complain about that but…" he sighed, closing his eyes. "I'm busy…"
Eli glanced to his friend. "This actually reminds me." He tilted his head, his green eyes leveling with the silver fox's blue. "There was a girl asking about you the other week in the computer lab, was a day you were gone."
His ears perked. "What?"
"Fox, orange fur with white. Ponytail and a hair fringe that stuck up on her forehead." He described. "You know her?"
He thought for a second. "I don't know her, but I think I've seen her… She's been at my study table upstairs a few times." he hesitated, thinking back to the cute girl. "I didn't want to bother her, so I just chose a different floor." He shrugged, averting his gaze from Azian's.
Azian pursed her lips. "Well, have you tried talking to her?"
He shook his head. "No, why would I talk to her?"
She got a deadpan look. "Nevermind…" She sighed and started grumbling to herself. "I should write my thesis on how dense you can be…" She muttered under her breath.
Lloyd got up and returned the chair to its original position, tired of the antics. "Thanks for making it a point to check up on me guys…"
Eli smiled. "I'll see you at the dorms later. If not that, I'll see you at Computer Club, the first of the week."
Lloyd nodded. "You got it! See you there." He yawned, waving to the couple as he made his way to the line to buy his drink. After picking up his drink and a few pastries, he made his way upstairs to his usual study spot with his bag of goodies.
The library was pretty empty, midterms had just happened for some of the classes and there was a lul between work loads. Due to some of his long term projects, he had to stay on schedule, otherwise he could fail by the quarter's end. He popped the top of his drink and took a sip, the tart fruit flavor a comfort, he'd never really liked coffee. He grumbled at the thought that these might be banned soon. His mind started wandering, maybe he should learn how to make his own? He was minoring in chemical engineering after all, molecular gastronomy in the kitchen wasn't too far off…
He made it closer to his secluded corner of the library when he paused, something smelled… what was that? He couldn't drive it from his mind. What was that? It made him feel warm, whatever it was. He abandoned the thought of his study session and started to hunt for it, he left the side area and entered into the rows of bookshelves. It smelled like blueberries and warm? It was getting stronger, he saw an orange tail with a white tip poking from the corner of one of the shelves. It swayed, then left his vision… His mind froze, was it a girl's perfume? He hesitated, he didn't want to be creepy… This was driving him nuts though! What's up with that smell?!
He stood there as his mind grew foggy, the smell increasing. As he stood there he saw a head poke around the corner and frown. It was a girl, an orange and white fox, she had a fringe of hair poking from her forehead. It was the girl who had been sitting at his study space the last week or so. She looked hopeful at him then her hope melted into annoyance. She sighed and rounded the corner, glaring at him as she walked up, the mind numbing scent intensifying. "Are you alright?" She asked, the annoyance dripping from her voice.
He was having a hard time thinking. He could hear her but… what was going on? He sat down in the book aisle, setting his bag down and scooching his back to one of the shelves. "I–I'm not sure…" He wavered, his mind getting patchy as his whole body felt warm. "Something smelled really good, now it's hard to think!" He blurted as he clutched his head, hackles raised.
She smiled, an awkward expression on her face as she started mumbling to herself. "Well I guess it was designed specifically for you... might have gone overboard though..." She whispered, gritting through her smile. She walked up to him and offered a hand. "Do you need any help?"
"I don't know!" His pupils were dilated. He looked up to the girl. He froze, his heart skipping a beat as he stared at her, she was beautiful.
She hesitated, watching the wide eyed stare he was giving her. Her outstretched hand hesitated. "Do... Do I have to take you to the infirmary?" She got a determined look. "Let's get you some fresh air…" She bit as she grabbed his hand and pulled the stumbling boy to his feet. She began grumbling as she started dragging him slowly to the elevator. "So much for first impressions…" She glanced back at the white fox who's eyes were so dilated he honestly looked like he was high, only half paying attention to what was going on. She winced. "How do you feel?" She hesitantly asked.
"Is that smell you?" He wavered. "It's nice." He blushed. "I'M SORRY I DON'T WANT TO BE CREEPY!" He blurted as he almost fell against a bookshelf, she yanked his hand, pulling him back up with great effort as she tried to steady his shoulders.
"That's fine…" She hesitated. "I don't think you're creepy…" Her cheeks were burning under her fur… "Make a big powerful first impression, he said…" She grit. "It's in our name, he said... Thanks for the advice, Dad…" She grumbled.
She managed to drag the stumbling sophomore to the elevators, punching the door controls to open the door. They entered the elevator and it closed, starting to descend. She propped him against the wall as he was starting to shake. She began to look worried then nervous again. He noticed her hand hovering on a canister on her hip. His eyes widened at the implication. "Is that mace?" He tried to escape, stumbling into the elevator corner. "PLEASE DON'T!" He yelped as he was gripping the interior rail beginning to hyperventilate.
She got a panicked look and slid the canister around the back of her belt. "You're fine! You didn't do anything wrong!" She wavered, holding her hands up. She gave a nervous chuckle. "Now or nothing…" She smiled and put her fist out for him to bump as he clutched to the side railing of the elevator. "I just want to help you right now, you seem a bit woozy. My name is Trisha, Trisha Powers. What's your name?"
He hesitated before moving his hand to meet her bump. "Lloyd, Lloyd Foxglove."
She pulled back, fidgeting. "You're… You're in the robotics program? Correct?
His mind was still foggy, slow like molasses. "Y-yeah…" His breathing was easing a little. "I'm majoring in robotics and minoring in chemical engineering…" He locked his gaze with hers, why was this girl so interested in him? Where had she come from again?
Her nervous smile grew into a big grin. "I'd love to ask for help on something…" She clasped her hands behind her back, dipping her head, a nervous pout forming. "So I'm majoring in bioengineering, we don't get access to the nanite fabricator in the robotics lab… They don't see any good reason to give us access to that level of equipment. Could you... Could you help me with one of my projects?"
"I'd love to!" He blurted, heat rising in his cheeks. He hesitated as the elevator hit the first floor. "I…"
She got a grin. "Thank you, I've got a few wetware chip designs I want to try and make…" She pulled him to his feet again, looping his arm through hers as she began dragging him out of the library. She smirked, a twinkle in her eyes as they exited the library into the garden path towards the robotics lab. "You said you're in chem engineering and robotics? That could be a useful combo… A really useful combo… You've got just two more years on your program, right?"
He blushed again as he deafly nodded. "How did you know?"
She paused, catching her mistake. "I'VE HEARD ABOUT YOU FROM ONE OF THE OTHER STUDENTS!" She blurted, a blush under her fur as her smile grew nervous again.
His mind grew a little clearer and he paused, still muddled with confusion but feeling more himself as his feet steadied. "That was strange…" He blinked, the scent was still there but out side it wasn't as strong. He realized something, where was his energy drink? He looked around as she noticed his pause.
She gave a small frown. "Is something wrong Lloyd?"
"Where's my energy drink?" He sounded confused.
Her worried expression dropped to annoyance as she rolled her eyes. "I can buy you lunch after you help me fabricate my biochips." She tugged at his arm, causing him to stumble forward. "Come on! You said you'd show me the nanite fabricator!"
His mind seemed to be a mix of different conversations he'd had today, a haze of confusion still present. "Like a date?"
She paused at that, blushing fiercely. "Sure…" Her grin got bigger as she looked at him slyly, starting to mutter under her breath again. "That might as well be the best result I get from that failed potion… With you're majors and your genetics, you're a perfect candidate, the other half I need." She grit through her smile. Her face brightened. "You seem really sweet." She said to him, winking at him. "You've been such a gentleman this entire time… I'd love to go on a date with you." She chuckled between her slightly malicious smile. She turned forward, continuing to drag the boy to the robotics lab as she continued monologuing. "Didn't need to use the mace at all… Perfectly well behaved…" She quietly grit. She turned to him again, giving him a genuine smile. "Let's have lunch after you help me fabricate my chips! My treat!" She chirped, a spring in her step as she led the stumbling vulpin forward.
He deftly nodded, still partially entranced by the beautiful vixen. Stupefied and feeling warm at the thought that anyone wanted to spend this kind of time with him.
Robotropolis – Waterworks – Deep under the College – 3239
*WHINE*
"GASP! CAUGH! CAUGH!" He curled onto the ground trying to clear his lungs, something didn't feel right? Wait… he couldn't breath? did he need to breath?
"Stop being dramatic, you don't have any lungs, don't risk blowing out your voice box with that act." A familiar feminine voice snipped.
He got to his feet, blinking in confusion as he turned to see… Oh yeah… His wife was there, sitting on the lab bench, her roboticized eyes piercing him. He got nervous. "Trish? What happened? I have a gap in my memory…"
She smiled as she hopped off and came running at him, scooping him into a hug. "It worked! Oh I knew I could do it!" She gave a mechanized sob. "Soon I'll be by your side and we will be beautiful!"
He patted her back as the memories came flooding back. "I dreamed, I think…"
She pulled back, looking curious. "Oh? How was it?" she tilted her head in question.
"It was a memory of when we first really met… when you first helped me from one of my episodes." He sighed as he hugged her again.
Her eyes were wide, her posture a little stiff as she hesitantly returned his hug. "I… I'm just glad you were okay back then, Puppy…"
He took a deep breath as he melted into her hug, his eyes lidding open to see his hand… He pulled away, looking at his hand. He froze, It looked like his hand, it wasn't a metal hand. It felt like his flesh… HE REMEMBERED! A stupid grin broke out on his face. "My body!" His gaze snapped to her flustered look. He hugged her again, she was cold… wait, so was he… His body wasn't generating heat like an organic… The temperature difference was noticeable, but wasn't wholly unpleasant… at least not to him... He'd miss that now that he remembered it was missing though...
He pulled back from the frazzled woman. "Do you have a mirror!" He blurted, realizing he was basically back in the body of his 36 cycle old self.
She nodded and dragged him to the restroom they seldomly accessed. "There's one in here!" Her grin returning full force. "You look just as I remember you!"
He stared at his reflection, a dumb look on his face. He tried smiling and frowning and sticking his tongue out and looking down his throat… Ohh there was a speaker grill in the back of his throat… He took a closer look, his pho fur looked real enough, so were his eyes, they had a soft blue glow under the lenses. He smiled, looking back to his wife. "Thank you Kitty!" He gave her another hug and she met his embrace, preening at the praise.
"Don't forget this is your handy work too! Mr. Roboticized limbs 2.0…" She got a devious grin. "Just imagine how much money we can make if this war ever ends… all those hopelessly roboticiezed citizens!"
He hesitated, pulling back from her. "We wouldn't just be helping people be normal?"
She frowned, pulling away from him. "What?!" She gave him a weird look. "I mean… I guess we could do that… but that's a lot of work for no pay…" She winced at him. "We got to eat, don't we?"
He hesitated at her mood. "M-Maybe we could seek a contract with whatever state establishes itself after Robotnik's gone… if Robotnik is ever gone…" He gave a nervous grin. "I still think it would be commendable to… just help people be normal again…" He shrunk back a bit. "Besides… we don't have to eat… all we need is water for the bioreactor to function and cleanse toxins from our remaining organics… you know, because we're fully roboticized?"
She gave him a blank stare, then her expression softened as she leaned in for another hug. "That's what I get for marrying a softy." She sighed. "We'll see how it goes, who knows what the world is going to be like. Money might not even exist in whatever world we inhabit… favors do though."
He relaxed a bit, that was better… he melted in her hug, his new tail started to gently sway as he embraced her, moments like this were nice…
Mobius - Knothole Village - Rosie's cabin - 3239
Alyx followed behind Rosie who was dragging a fidgeting Tails into her cabin. It was a small cabin with what looked to be three rooms, a front end which looked to be a doctors office. Alyx scrunched her face a bit at the memories of the picture books, something like a doctor's office. There was a door to the side, to what looked to be a restroom. To the back it looked like there were some personal quarters. There was an exam bed with a movable divider for privacy. The woodchuck led the boy to the bed. "Sit down." she ordered.
He grumbled as he complied. She moved to grab the divider, dragging the end to separate the view as she pointed for Alyx to sit at a chair on the other end. "Thank you for your patience." The older woman smiled as Alyx nervously sat, the realization of getting poked and prodded finally hitting her.
Rosie moved to the side of the partition with a miserable Tails glaring at her, his hackles risen with his ears flat. Her mouth became an uncomfortable line. "Come on Miles… Don't make this more difficult then it has to be… you were shot by lazgun bolts… you should have been brought to me first thing."
The boy's shoulders sagged. "Sorry…" He uttered, avoiding her gaze.
She sighed. "I see you're ear is chipped now too… I can't do anything for that…" She gave a nervous frown. "You're going to have to live with that reminder, don't let the reminder go to waste…" She closed her eyes giving a deep sigh. "Please remove your shirt Miles, show me your back."
He blushed at the thought of the girl on the other side of the divider. "Yeah…" He pulled off the shirt and turned to let Rosie examine his back. As Rosie combed through the fur, examining the patches where the bolts had burned his flesh, his mind drifted to the jacket Alyx had let him borrow. He glanced up, looking at the divider. "Alyx?"
"Hmm?" He could hear her shift.
"Thank you for letting me borrow your jacket the other day. There isn't any bloodstains on it, I checked… it probably just needs a normal wash. At some point today we can swing by my hut and I can give it back to you."
"Oh, Thankyou!" She replied. Tails relaxed then stiffened as he felt the edges of the cold stethoscope press past his fur.
"Deep breath." she instructed as Tails went through the motions. "Any pain? Anything seem off?"
"It's tender, that's about it." He shifted uncomfortably.
Rosie gave an odd expression. "Other then the patches where it happened… Hmm... I guess we'll see if fur grows back there… You seem healthy… I can't really tell more unless we did a full body scan, I don't have that here. We'd have to sneak back into Robotropolis for that…" the woodchuck shifted uncomfortably. "Put your shirt back on."
Tails nodded and pulled his shirt back on. "I done?"
"Not yet." Rosie quipped. She leaned around the divider meeting the gaze of a wide eyed Alyx. "Come on, I have some questions you can answer, you were there right?"
Alyx nodded, getting off her chair and moving to the side where Tails was nervously kicking his legs back and forth on the examination table, he gave a little wave which she returned.
Rosie went to the counter and picked up a familiar looking syringe. "So you injected Miles with one of these?" The woodchuck rose her glance from the device, meeting the vixen's gaze. "What is this, what does it do?"
Alyx's mouth scrunched a little. "Well, it's a stimpack, a medical hypo. Kind of an all in one field fixit thing."
Rosie looked at the device, unsure. "Sally wasn't kidding?" She mumbled. Her eyes darted back. "Do you know how it works?"
Alyx shrugged. "It promotes cell growth I guess, works on all species that we've tried it on too. About the only thing it can't do is regrow limbs. She shifted her pantleg, showing a hole to her thigh. "I used one too the other day, fixed everything but my tail."
Rosie's eyebrow rose. "You're tail?" She shook her head. "One thing at a time if it's not life threatening."
"I don't think it is…" Alyx shifted.
Rosie's face scrunched. "How does it promote cell growth without the risk of cancer?"
"What's Cancer?" Alyx tilted her head.
Rosie looked shocked at the girl. "Uncontrolled cell growth… like tumors…"
Alyx's face got an O expression. "Oh. ok that's ringing a bell now…" She shrugged. "If anything, they seem to stop tumor growth, doesn't remove the tumor though."
Rosie looked a bit shocked and concerned between the two foxes, Tails looking more bewildered at the thought of the mystery drug that he was injected with.
Rosie moved to her cabinet and pulled out two packages with swabs and test tubes. She also grabbed for a blood draw kit "I'd like to get some DNA samples from you two. Blood samples as well." Tail's ears wilted as rosie gave him a sympathetic look. "Sorry Miles… Sally put me in charge of doing the preliminary tests on the hypo, I'm going to be sending a bit to the mountain village as well. There's a chemical engineer there who can take a look at the makeup, my job is to see if there's any harm that it did to you... I guess you two…"
He stuck out his arm, looking away. "Get it over with…" She moved to start the short process, wiping a spot with iodine, tinting the fur on his arm in the process.
"Thank you for being brave." Rosie mumbled as she pressed the small tap and vial into his arm.
Tails had a grim line on his mouth as he took deep breaths. He closed his eyes, scrunching his expression and after a few more seconds, it was done, Rosie wrapping a small bandage and cotton ball on his arm. She marked the label on the small vial and then handed him the DNA kit.
Rosie sighed. "You know the drill, swab your cheek and put it in the tube." She patted his shoulder as he started. She turned her attention to Alyx, who was looking curious. Rosie rose an eyebrow. "Ever have blood drawn?"
She slowly shook her head. "Not on purpose… at least not from me?" She gave a smile holding out her arm.
Tails looked at her bewildered. "You're really that ok with needles?" He asked as he finished swabbing his cheek.
She gave a nervous smile. "Got to be, I guess… Hypo's are… well that…" she pointed to the syringe on the counter. "Health stations have like 6 needles that inject stem cells too."
Rosie looked a little unnerved at that. "Injecting stem cells?"
"From Antlion larva!" Alyx chirped.
There was an awkward silence as Rosie slowly moved her gaze from the girl to the fox on the examination table. He noticed and his ears flattened. "She's a realmwalker apparently…" He nervously answered.
"Ah…" The middle aged woodchuck returned her gaze to the Vixen. "I guess… I'll keep that in mind while I'm examining these samples…" She sighed as she grabbed the outstretched vixen's arm. "Relax, it makes it hurt a lot less." Alyx nodded as she watched the woodchuck prep the area with iodine like Tails and poke the second tap and vial, filling the tube with blood, then removing the needle. Rosie sighed as she bandaged the arm with a cotton ball and marked the vial so they wouldn't get mixed up. "You ever do a DNA test?" Rosie asked.
"Nope! Not like this!" She chirped as she plucked the kit from the woodchucks outstretched hand. "Just swab my cheek?"
Make sure the end only touches the inside of your cheek. Put it in the test tube when you're done." The woodchuck sighed. She looked Alyx up and down as the girl did the test. "So if you're not from around here, and at that, you're still a newcomer…" The woodchuck rose an eyebrow as she leaned against the counter. "You plan on doing any field work?"
"Possibly." she said, her mouth open as she swabbed. "I don't know yet."
"I'll set up a class for trauma care, there's some kids who need to go through that too." the white haired woman sighed. "You and I can make an establishing care appointment later…" The woodchuck remembered. "You mentioned something about your tail?"
The girl finished the test and handed the test tube to the woodchuck. "Yeah, It got smashed."
Rosies eyes widened. "WHAT?!"
"Just the end." Alyx laughed. "I think it's got character now!" She brought her tail forward to show off the crook at the end.
Rosie winced. "How long ago did that happen?"
The vixen shrugged. "Like a few days?"
Rosie's eyes bugged out. "WHAT?!"
She stepped forward, gently motioning to examine the appendage. Alyx nodded and handed her tail to the woodchuck. The older woman examined the appendage while carefully watching the girl's face for any sign's of pain. "You're not in any pain?" she hesitated.
"Nope!" Alyx quipped. "It healed after I did an injection. Wow, that was painful though."
Rosie slowly nodded. "That's because that's the base of you're spinal cord dear…" She glanced at the hypo on the counter. "Good to know…" she glanced back to the tail and gave a grimace. "If its already healed… if we wanted to set it we'd need to break it again…"
"NO!" Alyx yelped. "I ALREADY SET IT BACK GOOD ENOUGH!" She looked frantic. "THAT REALLY HURT!"
"It's fine!" Rosie exasperated. "Let me just feel the bones and make sure there aren't any splintered pieces…" The girl nervously waited as she felt the doctor check the couple of sections near the break. "You don't feel any pain as I'm doing this?" She asked.
Alyx sharply shook her head. "No."
Rosie sighed. "I guess… It's up to you then… let me know if you want it fixed."
Alyx took her tail back. "I'm good for now!" She glanced at Tails who was looking bewildered at her exchange with the doctor and nanny.
He blinked and glanced to Rosie. "Are we okay to leave?"
The woodchuck sighed. "For now." She glanced to Alyx. "I'll be in touch, you live next to Belle right?"
Alyx sharply nodded. "Yep!"
Tails hopped off the table and moved to the door. "Thanks Rosie!"
She nodded at the two foxes as they made their way for the door. "Have a good day you two, stay safe." She perked up. "Welcome to knothole! Both of you! Welcome back Miles!" She smiled.
Tails paused to turn back to the woodchuck. "Thanks Mrs. Rosie." He nodded as Alyx got the door and they left.
As the two exited the small cabin, Xander waved them down with Nicole by his side, it looked like the group of kids had left along with Tangle and Grady. The chipmunk and hololynx walked up to the two.
The young chipmunk smiled. "Did Aunt Rosie poke you?"
Tails gave a nervous chuckle. "Yeah…" He cleared his throat, covering his blush with his fist and yawning. He looked around for everyone. "Where did everyone go?"
Nicole stepped forward, her hands clasped behind her. "Up to the range. Tangle got into it, she's now announcing since Elly's going to participate in the rest of the games. Grady's helping with that." The holo lynx gave a chuckle. "She realized last second and wanted to apologize about cutting her tour short with you."
Alyx waved off the concern. "Nah, It's fine. I'll figure this place out eventually."
Xander perked up, bouncing on his heels. "You want to go see the computer lab! I can show you that! Brandon's probably going to be there too! You might be able to meet Rotor!"
Tails's smile grew a little strained. "Maybe–"
"Sure!" Alyx chirped, not noticing Tail's slight frown.
Xander noticed Tails's demeanor and hesitated. "Come on… Please try and get along with my friends…" He whispered as he grabbed his older brother's hand.
Tails sighed, looking tired. "Yeah. Let's go..." He smiled. "If he makes an effort to not antagonize me anymore, then I'm ready to make peace."
Alyx noticed the oddity of the conversation and hesitated. "You don't like Brandon?"
The four of them started off towards Alyx's hut and the hanger underneath that housed the computer lab.
Tails shifted as he followed his younger brother. "Brandon has a problem with me and I've gotten tired of it… I havn't made the best decisions in my responses…" He chuckled nervously.
"I'm taking care of that… Don't worry about Brandon starting anything." The young chipmunk quipped. He spread his arms wide. "I don't get you two! We could be the best team of hackers since… like ever!" He looked over to the older vixen. "I wan't to see what you know too! Even if its something we already know, more heads helps us! Almost no one want's to help!" He frowned. "I think Kits may join us again, but he's pretty tied up taking care of Surge since she lost her legs…" He shifted uncomfortably, glancing at his older brother who's expression fell in shock.
"What happened to Surge?" Tails nervously asked, worry etched on his face.
"Her legs were crushed on a mission… Mom won't tell me the details…" The young boy began fidgeting. "She hasn't been herself, she's been really mean… Well, meaner then usual… I guess it's understandable, but still…" His nervousness settled. "Rosie's thinking of trying to do a mission to the hospital… if we can at least get a partial Roboticization on her legs for ports…" His expression fell. "That's going to be so dangerous though… I don't know how we're going to be able to do that without risking everyone who goes…" The young boy twirled and pointed to the two foxes. "If we can make the swatbot patrol's ignore that zone's sub sector… she can walk again!" he pumped a fist in excitement. "Come on! We got to try! I don't want Mom and Dad's team going into a deathtrap like that… If they even decide it's worth the risk…"
Tails looked nervous for a second then nodded. "We can try… yeah, we got time." He had a confident grin. "Maybe we can make a sizable dent in the network!" He glanced at Alyx, giving her a smile. "You excited?"
She gave a nervous grin. "I hope you guy's aren't expecting a miracle…" she began shaking her head. "I still haven't seen one of these computers… I don't know if it's different from what I'm expecting…"
Xander perked, skipping over to walk besides the older girl. "That's ok! Brandon and I are just glad for the help. Belle and Rotor stop by every once and a while but they've got their own duties." He wilted. "I'd of thought uncle chuck would be helping us, he does a bit... But he's been on dispatch duty for as long as I can remember."
They were now passing by the central tree's alcoves and Tails gave his little brother an inquisitive look. "So how do the royalty lessons go?"
Xander deflated. "Boring, but almost over…" He perked. "Uncle Ant's going to teach me sabers like grandpa and great grandpa!" He put a fist forward, mock fencing as they walked. "If I start now, maybe I can swing a swatbot like dad someday!"
Tails chuckled. "Are you saying you got your dad's speed now?" he wagged his eyebrows, teasing the boy. "You realize Sonic's not the best fencer, his speed can amplify his strength."
The boy hesitated then puffed up. "It could still happen… Uncle Chuck's still not sure how Dad inherited that trait from his brother." He got a goofy grin. "That or how it mutated like that…" He looked confident. "Who knows! Maybe I'll have some other form of time dilation!"
Tails ruffled his little brothers red locks as the boy tried to push his hand away. "That would be something. Who know's what could happen though. Whatever happens just be careful. You should ask your dad what happened the first time he learned he could do that."
The boy snickered. "He's already told me that story, he moved too fast with a bowl of cereal and the milk flew out the bowl and into the living room."
Alyx perked up. "So it's time dilation? That's how he moves so quick? What's time dilation?"
Tails gave a wince and tilted his hand back and forth. "Kind of. Normal time dilation is your perception of time changes based on how fast you are going. He looked up to the sky. "There's satellites that are swinging around mobius. Their time is slower and they have to account for that in their software." He shrugged as he looked back at Alyx. "Sonic's like… from the books I've read it's closer to being out of phase with this realm…" he looked forward. "There's a series I've been reading about warp zones by V.R. Starline, the same family who set up this place initially." He brought his hand to his chin in thought. "There's a bordering dimension called the void of silence, the properties of time are strange there…" He shook his head dismissively. "Anyways, what Sonic seems to do is phase more in sync with the void, this slows time for him, making it like he's moving… well you've seen it." He chuckled. "It's like a reality glitch, using the laws of one dimension to get an advantage in another." He shrugged. "I call it time dilation because I don't really have any other description that fits it better, it's just changing the perception of time and the force that he applies over time."
Alyx looked forward. "Is this book series in the library?"
He glanced at her, tilting his head with half lidded eyes. "Oh yeah." He pulled his little book bag forward and pulled out one of the volumes. "This is a rare one too. Chuck couldn't find any mentions of the registry number on the back in the database. None of the series seem to exist which is weird as they all have registration numbers." He sighed. "Sally told me he was probably scrubbed from the record for doing something horrific, but I can't imagine what." He put the rare book away. "I can show you the series and the recommended requirements later if you'd like."
She smiled, folding her hands behind her back. "I'd like that…"
Tails grew slightly excited at the thought of hanging out with her in the library. His cheeks grew warm as he averted his gaze from his new friend. "Well, here w-we are." He stuttered as they came up to the open bay hanger under Alyx's new house.
Chapter 12 end.
Author's notes: unfortunately more slow chapters but things need to be tied up to get to interesting stuff, at least some of it is imo really interesting and not just conjoining storyline. Tails parents are not supposed to be an ideal couple at all and it's tricky writing them as I do not want to glorify things that should not be glorified, I hope it's obvious. I hope I got across that Lloyd may love his wife but is kind of like… "Why are you like this?" sometimes. The thought for them came from a few things but eventually spiraled into what if Tails's parents were saturday morning cartoon esque super villain scientists. Even if it was more one inducting the other into her "world". I can write sci-fi and super sciency characters no prob, in fact sometimes I have to pull back so I don't just do a huge info dump on nerd stuff… I'd like that, to a point… but I don't think the audience would like to read that at all... The computer lab section which you got a taste from is planned to have some realistic stuff and not be just Hollywood hacking but it needs to be interesting and I want to really try and make it interesting and understandable to people who do not play with computer innards and software. Star Wars is interesting because it's a sifi about a dysfunctional family, this story should be interesting because of the character interactions and I really want to keep that theme. This chapter seemed a bit slower but that's partially why I gave the chapter for Tails's family background. I really hope people don't hate the OC characters, I've really been trying to make them their own characters and interact with the canon ones in believable ways. More planned, I still don't see where this story is definitely ending. Again as always, comments are not necessary but if you do plan on it. Please tell me what you think, bouncing ideas off of people helps me write future content and catch things.
– Traveler out
