Chapter 7: The Factory Ruins

August 6, 2300

The next day, Crono, Marle, and Lucca arrived at Proto Dome. Upon entering, the three of them noticed that there were no humans whatsoever. There was no Enertron, either; the dome was devoid of all life. There was only debris everywhere.

"I don't even want to know what happened here," Crono muttered.

"I...wonder...if the people we saw yesterday...are the only ones left in the world," Marle suggested.

"That occurred to me as well," Lucca added.

Soon, they reached the back of the dome.

"Where's the Gate?" asked Crono.

"It should be here," Lucca replied as she waved the Gate Key around.

"Don't tell me we came to the wrong dome!" Marle exclaimed.

"Hold it," Crono said. "There's a door here."

Crono, Marle, and Lucca scanned the door. There was no knob or anything to open it.

Lucca then pushed her body against the door.

"It won't budge!" she groaned.

Crono stepped back, preparing to charge. It was then that the nearly tripped over some of the debris.

"Whoa!" he exclaimed.

"You okay?" Marle asked.

"Sorry," he apologized. "I thought it was a corpse!"

Marle took a look at what Crono had nearly tripped over.

"What this?" she asked.

"It's in bad shape," Lucca replied as she examined it, "but it appears to be a humanoid robot! Incredible!" She then took a look at the wires. She also spotted a computer on a nearby console. "I think I can fix it."

"What?!" Marle exclaimed. "It might attack us!"

"I'll make sure it won't," Lucca assured her. "Machines aren't capable of evil. Humans make them that way."

"Lucca, you…pity them don't you?" suggested Marle.

"Let me get to work now, okay?" Lucca insisted.

AN HOUR LATER...

"Right, that does it!" Lucca announced as she closed the robot's torso. "I'm going to give it some juice!"

With that, Lucca flipped the "on" switch.

At first, nothing happened.

Then, the robot's eyes began to light up.

"Good morning!" Marle greeted.

"Good morning, mistress," the robot replied. "What is your command?"

"I'm not your 'mistress.'" Marle laughed. "I'm Marle! And this is Crono. And Lucca, here, fixed you!"

"Understood," the robot replied. "Madam Lucca fixed me."

"Actually," Crono added, "she used the computer for help. She found a video on some place called Youtube."

Lucca sighed and turned to the robot.

"Just Lucca will do," she insisted.

"Impossible," the robot dismissed. "That would be rude."

"Look, I hate formal titles!" Lucca sighed. "Don't you, Marle?"

"Hate 'em!" Marle replied with a smile.

"I understand, Lucca," the robot said.

"All right!" Lucca said. "Now what's your name?"

"Name?" the robot answered. "Ah, my serial number. It is R-66Y."

"R-66Y?" replied Lucca. "Cool!"

"No!" dismissed Marle. "That won't do at all! C'mon Crono, let's give him a better name!"

"Okay," Crono went along with it. "Since he's a robot...how about Robo?"

"Robo," Marle echoed. "Robo…that's perfect! Your new name is Robo, okay?

"I am Robo," Robo answered. "Data storage complete."

"Hey Robo," began Lucca, "why aren't there any people here?"

"What has happened here?" Robo asked as he scanned the debris. "There were many humans and others of my kind in this dome."

"I think something awful happened here," Lucca suggested.

"It would appear so," Robo agreed. "But how is it that you survived?"

"We came through a time warp from the year 1000," Lucca replied.

"While exploring Arris Dome, we learned there was a Gate here," added Marle.

"We found you when we came looking for the Gate!" Lucca said.

"But the door to the inner chambers is locked, so we're out of luck," Marle lamented.

Robo briefly scanned the door.

"The power is off," he informed them. "If we go to the factory up north, I can pass through security and activate this dome's generator."

"You'd do that for us?" Marle asked hopefully.

"You repaired me," Robo replied. "Now it's my turn to help you. But the generator won't run for long, so someone must stay behind to open the door while the power's on."

"Right!" Lucca agreed. "I'll handle things here!"

"Say, Robo," Crono began, "Lucca's my cousin and best friend. She's going blind, and, in our time, there's nothing they can do for her. Is there anything here that could save her vision?"

"Let me take a look," Robo requested.

He gently scanned Lucca's eyes with a light blue beam. It only took a few moments.

"All I'm seeing here is a mild case of myopia," Robo announced.

"What?" Lucca asked.

"You're nearsighted," Robo explained. "But the strain on your eyes will eventually blind you. Come with me. You'll keep your vision. I know exactly what will stop you from losing it."

With that, Robo led Lucca into a side room.

Marle turned to Crono.

"Thanks for asking," she complimented as she affectionately place a hand on his shoulder.

A moment later, Lucca and Robo emerged from the side room.

Both Crono and Marle were surprised at what they saw.

"Lucca!" Crono exclaimed. "What are you wearing?"

"They're called...glasses," Lucca replied. "Robo said that if I don't want to lose my eyesight, I have to wear them."

MEANWHILE...

Far away from Proto Dome, a robot that looked nearly identical to Robo stood in the facility. I say nearly identical because this robot was pink, and had a bow on its head.

"Atropos," called Mother.

"Yes, Mother," she acknowledged.

"Something has happened that we never suspected," Mother replied.

"What is that?" Atropos inquired.

"We have three visitors from the Eleventh Century," Mother informed her. "They passed through Lab 16 and were last spotted near Proto Dome. It seems likely they stopped at Arris Dome and discovered the beginning of our era."

"I see no danger in that," Atropos dismissed.

"You are mistaken," Mother reprimanded. "If they are allowed to return to their own time, they could possibly alter history and erase our reign."

"I will not allow that," Atropos assured her. "I'll go myself and kill them one by one."

"No," Mother dismissed. "I won't allow that. You're too valuable. Send the six Rs."

"I'll deploy them immediately," Atropos replied.

Act 2

The factory was a mile due north of Proto Dome. Upon entering, Crono, Marle, and Robo noticed red lasers that seemed to block their way in.

"Hold on," Robo commanded as he made his way to a nearby console. "Override Security System 00," he said to himself as the lasers disappeared.

At that moment, a strange orange mass dropped from the ceiling.

"Don't let that touch you," Robo warned. "It's pure acid."

There were two elevators in the next room; one on the left, the other on the right.

Robo first led Crono and Marle down the elevator on the right.

Below were conveyor belts with robots that looked different from Robo were sitting on.

"What is this place?" Crono asked.

"It's called a factory," Robo replied. "It's a place where robots are made."

"Were you made here?" asked Marle.

"No," Mother replied over the speaker. "He was made at Geno Dome."

Crono and Marle began to tense up; their trust in her was waning.

"You're everywhere, aren't you?" Crono asked.

"I'm not everywhere," Mother replied.

Robo then led them through the nearest doorway. Inside, there were insects that were the size of a dog.

"Ew!" Marle exclaimed.

"Look out!" Robo alerted them as he fired a laser from his shoulder, incinerating the bugs one by one.

"Whoa!" Crono exclaimed.

"They started out as ordinary insects," Robo explained. "Then radiation made them larger. They caused the extinction of cats."

"What does that mean?" Crono asked.

"Cats are gone forever," Robo answered. "They preyed on them."

"That's awful!" Marle exclaimed.

Crono and Marle then locked hands.

"So you're boyfriend and girlfriend?" Robo observed.

"What does that mean?" Crono asked.

"You're dating," Robo clarified.

"We're definately keeping track of the date," Marle assured him. "It's August 6, 2300."

Robo shook his head.

"Are you just friends, or are you more than that?" he asked.

"Well," Marle replied with a smile as she looked at Crono, "I do consider him more than a friend."

"You're dating," Robo informed him. "You're boyfriend and girlfriend."

"I mean, she's a girl that's my friend, so yes," Crono replied.

"Looks like we've got a Sheldon Cooper on our hands," Robo observed.

"Was he famous?" Marle asked.

"In a way," Robo answered.

He then turned his attention to the nearby computer console.

"Last defense lock code named "ZABIE."

"What's that for?" Crono asked.

"To get us further into the ruins," Robo answered.

"I would turn back right now, Prometheus," Mother warned.

"Prometheus?!" the baffled Marle echoed.

"Let's keep going," Robo insisted.

Act 3

Robo entered the ZABIE password at the next console, thus opening the door in front of them.

Beyond the door, there was a large, green switch embedded in the wall.

"Is that the power switch?" Crono naturally asked.

"You got it," Robo replied.

"Lucca should be standing by," Crono said.

Robo nodded, proceeded to the switch, and pulled it.

Immediately, an alarm began to sound.

Crono and Marle covered their ears; they had never heard one before.

"Emergency!" Robo announced frantically. "Security system has gone haywire. Must escape immediately!"

"I think that means we need to get out of here!" Crono suggested.

The three of them ran back down the hallway. As they did so, a pair of hige, steel doors began to close; they made it through with less than a second to spare.

A few yards down, another pair of doors began to close.

Robo quickly charged in between the doors, holding them open with his super-human strength.

"Hurry!" he ordered. "Now!"

Crono and Marle hurried through the door. Robo then moved, causing the doors to slam shut.

As they rounded the corridor, they stopped in their tracks.

Six robots were standing there. They were tinted violet, but they otherwise appeared identical to Robo.

"These are my friends!" Robo announced. "R-64Y, R-67Y, and R-69Y! Good to see you!"

Robo approached his counterparts to acknowledge them.

And, without warning, R-64Y punched Robo so hard that he was sent skidding into the back wall.

Marle gasped in horror.

"What are you doing?!" Robo pleaded.

"You are defective," R-64Y coldly responded.

"You have been tainted," added R67-Y.

"Pardon?" asked Robo as he approached his counterparts once again. "I'm malfunctioning?"

"Affirmative," R-64Y replied.

Robo lowered his head sadly.

"A defect," he muttered. "I'm a defect."

"Have you forgotten our mission?" demanded R-69Y. "All intruders must be eliminated!"

"That was my purpose?" Robo asked.

"You shame us!" droned R-64Y. "You must be destroyed."

And then, without warning, the six purple robots began beating up on Robo.

Crono drew his sword.

Marle armed her crossbow.

"No, stop!" Robo pleaded. "These are my brothers!"

"Robo!" Marle cried. "Crono, Robo's getting whipped!"

The purple robots briefly stopped their attack.

"Please stop," Robo pleaded. "Please…"

The purple robots attacked again.

"You'll break down!" cried Marle.

Moments later, Robo was laying unconscious on the ground.

"Now to take care of the intruders," R-64Y announced as he turned to Crono and Marle.

"You'll never get away with this!" Marle snapped.

Crono, with his sword still drawn, approached the robots, allowing them to close in on him.

"Are you crazy?" R-67Y taunted. "We can crush your bones with our-"

He was unable to finish his final words.

Crono swiped his sword three hundred and sixty degrees, decapitating all six robots.

"Whoa!" Marle exclaimed. "You scared me for a second. Who taught you that?"

"Melchior," he replied. "I took sword lessons for a year with him."

And then, Marle looked downward.

"Robo!" she exclaimed. "They trashed him! What should we do?! Robo just got creamed!"

"Well," Crono replied, "Lucca was able to fix him once before."

Marle nodded.

"Crono, let's take him back to Lucca!"

MEANWHILE

"Mother," began Atropos, "I can't reach any of the robots I dispatched."

"That's because they were destroyed at the factory ruins," Mother replied. "The time travelers destroyed them. They are no on their way back to Proto Dome to enter the time vortex."

"I'll got after them," Atropos promised. "They'll never make it inside the dome."

"Don't even bother," Mother dismissed. "I think we waisted our time and power anyway."

"What do you mean?" Atropos inquired.

"If they think the mass of four individuals can handle a time vortex," Mother replied, "they're really in for a shock."

SOMEWHERE ELSE

Robo had sealed the enterance to Proto Dome with his last ounce of strength. He then collapsed on the spot. He gave Lucca, who had run to his aid, a weak, desperate look.

"What happened?!" Lucca exclaimed.

"He was attacked by six of his kind," Crono replied.

"Can you repair me?" Robo asked weakly.

"Shh, don't talk," Lucca commanded.

"You are trying to save our world?" Robo inquired.

"I don't know how far we'll get," Lucca replied, "but that's the plan. Anyway Robo, what are you going to do when you're repaired?"

"What am I going to do?" he asked.

"Yeah," Lucca answered. "I mean, what plans do you have for the future?"

"Lucca," Robo said, "no one has ever asked me that before!"

August 7, 2300

The newly-repaired Robo's eyes lit up.

"Good morning," he greeted.

Marle smiled in relief.

"Robo!" she exclaimed. "You're all right! Lucca, you're incredible!"

"I hope I never have to do that again," Lucca sighed.

"Lucca, I have made up my mind," Robo announced as he rose to his feet. "I want to go with you."

"Pardon?" asked Marle.

"There is nothing left for me here," Robo insisted. "Together, maybe we can give this planet of ours a chance."

Crono, Marle, and Lucca smiled in unison.

"Then let's go!" Lucca declared. "The Gate's up ahead!"

Crono, Marle, Lucca, and Robo passed through the open door to the room behind it.

Lucca waved her Gate Key, causing the Gate to open.

"Hang on to your shorts!" she announced as the four of them stepped into the gate.

As the Gate began to close, sparks and bolts suddenly began to fly.

Before anyone could say anything, the Gate closed, sending them to an even stranger world.