Hi everyone. So here's a thought. Due to how I write, I often have enough let material left over for two or more Chapters when it comes time to upload, and so sometimes I upload multiple Chapters on the same day. I also tend to upload them whenever I want, which is generally as soon as I've written and edited them. That said, I can understand if some people might want a more consistent upload schedule as well as a definite break between Chapters. What I'm proposing is a regular upload schedule of just one Chapter a week. If enough people show interest in this, then I'd be willing to consider implementing it. Otherwise, I'll just keep doing what I've been doing.
With that said, here's hoping you enjoy this Chapter. This one and the next few are going to be a bit... unorthodox. They'll be written in a First Person POV from a character that hasn't gotten that much focus until now, but hopefully, you'll learn a lot more about her by the time this arc's done. If this little experiment works out, I might do more of these sorts of Chapters in the future, though by no means would it be a regular thing. Again, hope you enjoy!
Tekno's Journal, October 1st, 2017 MC
I suppose I had better get started then. Hello there everyone! Not that everyone is reading this, but one can never be too careful. In any case, with things settling down a tad, I believe now is as decent a time as any to start writing a proper journal. Not that it would be my first. I have learned from experience that writing down my thoughts allows me to think more coherently than I could attempting to sort everything out verbally. I guess that is just how I operate. This is always something I continue to have to tell myself.
In any case, quite a lot has happened over the last few weeks. After Sonic and the others returned from Green Hill, it was clear that a fair amount had occurred while they were gone. As for the rest of us, we had gotten lucky. For whatever reason, Robotnik had seen fit not to deploy any attacks on the rest of the kingdom whatsoever. As for why this is, I believe that he's gathering and accumulating his forces while also fully renovating Mobotropolis, and perhaps performing some renovations on the city's populace as well. I do hope that I am wrong about this. I truly do.
Still, one must take advantage of every opportunity. With the time given to us, we have managed to transform the center of Knothole forest into a thriving base of operations. Of course, none of this would be possible under normal circumstances, but as things stand, we possess the two fastest things alive as well as a number of heavy hitters. Evidentially, this includes one of our newest recruits Cream. Normally, we would not subject a child to such hard labor, but not only was she capable of it, she was grateful for something to do. Something to get her mind off of everything else I suppose. Speaking of Cream, we have also managed to develop that device Tails spoke of. With his help, we were able to create a device that could mask Cheese's energy signature, and in pratically no time at all. I believe he may turn out to truly be something special, given a year or two.
In any case, thanks to all of them, as well as some additional help from Harvey Who, we now have a variety of different buildings and facilities available. We possess houses, warehouses, a laboratory, a workshop, a command center, and even a medical bay, as well as anything else we would need. And thanks to Harvey's endless amount of connections, we were able to secure a generator in practically no time at all.
Speaking of Harvey, he has also been able to create a variety of supply routes with the various villages in the kingdom, as well as arrange comprehensive information networks. If we need so much as a pin, we will get it, and if someone drops a pin, we will hear it. I used to drop pins all the time when I was a child. I couldn't tell you why I did it. I just did it. It is something I still haven't been able to wrap my head around to this day. And I wish I could.
With everything secure, that just left the final step, which was to build new weapons and tools for everyone who didn't have any special abilities of their own. We've come up with some most wonderful inventions, and now all that is left is to build them. That said, this is not the only area we seek to improve on.
It was three days ago. Rotor and I were discussing plans for a weapon of my own in the workshop. I will be spending much of my time in the lab, but there will no doubt be instances when I will have no choice but to take to the field, and I must be ready for that. Some say that I put too much thought into these sorts of matters. That I tend to overcomplicate things; that I do things that are completely unnecessary. To which I must say, I am not over-complicating anything of the sort. If being adequately concerned about such matters is considered an oddity, then I shall be as odd as they like. Which, despite my best efforts, I am more often than not.
In any case, Bunnie had come walking into the lab. Rotor had called her there, preparing to ask her something that he saw fit to deem 'most serious.' Speaking of being serious, it was then I decided I probably should have removed that 'Kick Me' note someone had taped to his back. Complete with a smiley face that looked as though it were begging for me to give him a swift kick to his posterior. I supposed that there were some people who got off on that sort of thing, (on being kicked, not sticking 'Kick Me' notes onto another,) but it was more likely that whoever stuck it there did so merely because it would be good for a laugh.
Although, and you may be shocked to hear this, but I could not blame them. Even with Eggman having taken a powder, the situation is still somewhat grave. As far as we know, we could die at any time. In the face of such horrors, antics such as this were merely a way of staying sane. Suicide may be painless, but I don't believe anyone wishes to commit it. And if this helps keep them from doing so, then who are we to put a stop to it?
Regardless, Rotor called Bunnie, gesturing her to take a seat. She refused, but the offer was still appreciated. "Thanks, Rote', but I figure I'll stand. Sides, it's not like these things ever tucker out any." She raised a leg and gently shook it in the air as if to emphasize this fact.
"Suit yourself," said Rotor. "Anyway, the reason I asked you over is because, well, this might be hard to ask, given your situation and all, but…"
"But? Come on now, sugar, no need to be shy. Whatever you've gotta say, you don't got to worry none. Now, you gonna spit it out or not?"
"Okay. Let me get right to the point. Lately, we've started developing weapons and gear and whatever else for everyone who needs them. Not all of us will be in the field that often, but we've still got to be prepared. Mind you, we did get set back a bit."
"Really now? How come?"
At the moment, I had been sitting at a desk and working on ideas for my own weapon, but it was then that I felt I might as well chip in. "Someone lodged a banana in a laser blaster yesterday. It wasn't long after that that it blew up right in our faces. Literally."
"My stars!" Bunnie placed a hand to her gaping mouth. Apparently, she had yet to get used to the current state of affairs. I suppose I should have been thankful that she hadn't felt to feel the need to try and sell a desk to the black market. Manic was responsible for that one.
Rotor turned ever so slightly, his body now positioned in just such a way that Bunnie was barely able to make out the 'kick me' sign. Much to her amusement. "Right," said Rotor. "Stuff like that's been happening more and more over the last week or so."
"You mean like slappin' a 'kick me' sign on your back?"
Rotor raised an eyebrow. He didn't want to believe it, and yet, there was some small part of him that knew it was true. When he reached around to remove it, he wasn't surprised in the least. "Yeah. That."
"Hey, people gotta keep themselves busy somehow."
"And sane," I said. "In times like these, this is just how some people cope. Not that it doesn't give some of us migraines."
Rotor tossed the note into the nearest waste bin. "Maybe, but you'd think they'd have the decency to keep that sort of stuff out of the lab. But anyway, weapons. Everyone without powers is getting something, but there was someone I was hoping to give an upgrade instead."
Judging by the expression on her face, Bunnie knew where this was heading, and yet she could not help but feign ignorance. I must admit, I am guilty of committing such acts myself. When there is something I do not wish to do or when I do not want to do something that I have interest in, I on occasion act as though I do not know anything at all. Which could not be further from the truth.
"You don't mean…"
"You got it. Bunnie, you're strong, I'll give you that. But this is a war we're fighting. 'Kick me' notes and exploding bananas aren't going to change that. And we need everyone as strong as they can be. Now, you're tough as is, but if you let me, I can throw in some real bells and whistles that will easily make you that much stronger. Shortfuse will be eating your dust. But it's got to be your choice."
Bunnie stood there, stiff as a post. It was entirely possible that Rotor had come on too strong. I know this from experience. Years ago, I would quite often appear to be far too 'into' something or another, or be so gung-ho about whatever point I was trying to make that I was not considerate enough to whoever I was attempting to present my case to. That said, Rotor was trying, as I often did and still do. But I believe that he may have overdone it nonetheless.
Bunnie wasn't quite sure what else to say. That is until she was. "So, what? You want to mutilate my body even though it's been through the ringer already, is that it? You want to turn me into some jacked up, superpowered cyborg switchblade? Because if that's what you wanna do, then you're out of your damn mind."
"Bunnie—"
But she wasn't done. She lifted up her arm and held it in midair for all to see, as though it were a display piece. "THEY DID THIS TO ME! They took me and turned more than half of me into some cyborg freak of nature! And you want to make it WORSE?! Hell, for all I know, there might still be some chance to reverse it! There might still be—!"
"BUNNIE!" Rotor stood tall and puffed out his chest. He was usually a rather amiable fellow, but he wasn't afraid to lay down the law if he felt he had to. Or when certain individuals were blowing things out of proportion. In any case, this, at last, managed to bring Bunnie's tirade to a screeching halt, enough for Rotor to tell her something that he should have told her in the first place. At least in my honest opinion.
"Bunnie. I hate to tell you this. I really do. But it's just not possible.'
Bunnie couldn't believe her ears. "You can't be serious."
"Look. I've been doing some research on the roboticizer. Turns out that Eggman wasn't the original designer. Instead, it was one Uncle Chuck."
"Say that again?"
"Uncle Chuck was responsible for building the first roboticizer," I said. "It was designed to preserve the terminally ill and the gravely injured until they could find proper cures and treatments. Unfortunately, there were two most noticeable roadblocks."
"'Roadblocks'?"
"Chuck meant well, but the device had some serious design flaws," said Rotor. "The big one was that it suppressed the subject's emotions, leaving them lifeless husks. It was like having a lobotomy. And it would have made it so much easier to reprogram you if someone like Eggman got hold of you"
"The second flaw," I said, "and the one most relevant to your situation, is that Chuck was unable to revert those roboticized to their original forms. Thankfully, he only tested the process on non-mobian rats and similar animals, but the fact was that once one was roboticized, they could not change back."
Bunnie stood there, her mouth gaping, as though all paths to the future suddenly led to a one-way street. And it didn't seem like one she wanted to walk down. "My stars. So you're saying that I'm stuck like this? For good? I mean, I kind of figured as much, but I thought that maybe, just maybe—"
"Sorry, Bunnie," said Rotor. "We could try and run some tests ourselves, see if we could come up with something, but there's no guarantee we could come. Chuck is one of the most brilliant scientists there is. If he couldn't figure out a way to reverse it, I don't know who else could."
Bunnie didn't seem to know what to think. If I were in her situation, I would not be sure if I would know what to think either. To know that no matter what, that in all likelihood, this would be the remainder of your existence. Then again, perhaps in some small way, I do.
Just then, I wanted to tell Bunnie that everything would be okay, that it would be alright, but something was holding me back. Something that had always held me back. Something I could never explain, other than what the doctors had told me. It was heartwrenching. It always had been. To be able to want to say something so desperately and yet be unable to do so, and to not be sure why. It was like being trapped within some steel husk and unable to crawl your way out. I suppose I also knew how Shortfuse felt, to some small extent.
Bunnie stared at her hand. She looked at it as though it were some unknowable alien monstrosity from the stars as if it couldn't possibly be part of her. Like she was looking at it for the first time. Impossible, and yet, there it was.
"So. That's it then. This is all I'm gonna be."
"Bunnie—"
"JUST SHUT THE HELL UP!"
And all that Rotor and I could do was stand there in silence. What else could we do? As for Bunnie, it only an instant later that she realized her mistake, her eyes widening in dawning comprehension. "Oh, Rotor. Tekno. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to—"
"It's okay, Bunnie," said Rotor. "Maybe I could have used a bit more tact."
"No, Rote', that's okay. I just, I gotta think about this. Really think. Just… please understand."
"Not a problem. Just let me know when you've sorted things out, okay?"
"Sure thing, Rote'. And thanks." She then ran off down the pathway of dirt, heading for the village center. Wherever else she was off to, she needed to think. That was only fair. And I supposed I could use some thinking as well.
