Chapter 5: P.R.I.U.S.
(Sniffle's POV)
"Splendid! Check it out! I found a recipe for robots!" Splendid's ears perked up upon hearing this.
"Really?"
"Yeah! But with the amount of materials I have so far, I can only create three. And I need the three chosen people to be here." He tapped his chin.
"Hmm...I think I know just the three who could be a part of your project."
(Flippy's POV)
"Alright! I think that's enough for now!" Flora's hand halted to a stop before releasing the huge water balloon and Flaky got up from her crouched position. I clasped my hands together. "Not bad, but Flaky. Don't be scared, ok? You can do well if you try. And Flora, use a lot less force, ok? You're practically trying to kill the wall here." Then, I pointed to the wall, which was dotted with several small craters. She looked at her hand with the water balloon and hid both hands behind her back, grinning sheepishly.
"Heh, um...oops? I guess I'm a bit...too into the game." Suddenly, the door leading to the hallways opened and Splendid stepped in.
"Splendid! What brings you here?"
"Sniffles has something for you three. So come on." he said. Flaky and Flora looked at me for a second before shrugging.
"Ok, lead on."
Minutes later...
"Ah, welcome!" greeted Sniffles, gesturing us towards a rectangular steel table with steel stools. "Please, have a seat. There's something I would like to tell you three." I took a seat in between the girls.
"What is it?" I asked. Sniffles didn't reply, but placed a recipe of some sort onto the table.
"You see, I found a recipe for crafting robots, but I could only make three. You three are chosen to have your own robotic...clones let's put it. Now, I need to know if you guys are going to say yes to this."
"ARE YOU KIDDING? OF COURSE YES! THIS IS GOING TO BE EPIC!" screamed Flora. I quickly covered her mouth with my hand.
"Shh. I'm sorry, please continue." I said.
"As I was saying, do you three agree?" I glanced at Flaky, who nodded slightly, then as Flora, who nodded vigorously. Yeesh, so much energy in her.
"Yes, we all agree."
"Ok. Let's see here, we need a bucket of bolts, permanent paint, robotic eyes, and some of my own ideas. And most importantly, I need you three."
"Us? Why?"
"Well, I need to get a visual to know what the robots should look like."
"Well, ok then."
"Hmm. You know what? We'll make these high-tech robots! Splendid, can you get Handy? I might need his assistance."
"Sure," he said and flew out of the room.
"Flaky."
"Yes?" she asked, quietly.
"I need you to stand here." he said, gesturing to the spot by the lamp. "It helps me see you better." By the time she reached the spot, Handy walked in, with Splendid holding the door open.
"Alright, what do we have?" he asked. He moved the recipe closer to himself and scanned the paper. "Mhm, mhm, well, this looks like a fun project to do! Sure, I'll help! Who's first?"
"Flaky." For a moment, Handy eyed Flaky, his eyes moving from her face to her quills.
"But then we would need to alter the basic structure, ri-"
"No, we can KEEP the structure and add features to it. That might work. Handy, can you find some metal bars we can use while I measure the long needles on her head?"
"Kay." Then, he trotted off to the piles of metal, while Sniffles took out a measuring tape.
"Stay still, ok Flaky?" She nodded. "Alright, seven inches, nine inches, eleven inches...hmm."
"Got some!" shouted Handy, struggling with some long metal bars. He dropped them onto the table with loud scattered sounds of metal rapping onto the steel table. Then, the blue anteater took out a laser gun and began to draw an eleven inch needle. Handy turned towards us.
"This may take a few hours, so please, take a rest. Flaky, you can sit down with them." She sighed and plopped down next to me.
"Greaaaat. A few hours." said Flora, using her horrifically bored voice. I chuckled and laid my head back, only to remember that we're sitting on stools.
"AAAAAAGH!" I yelled, falling from my seat and landing on the floor on my back. Two shocked faces, red and white, looked at me before helping me up.
"Forgot the fact that you were on a stool?"
"Yeah." Sniffles looked up from his work.
"You can sit by the wall on the cushions, if you're that tired."
"Thanks." Then, we all got up and sat onto the plush cushions. Flaky beside me yawned and closed her eyes. After a few seconds later, her head fell onto my shoulders. Flora followed suit. I myself began to feel drowsy. I yawned, and allowed the dreams to take over.
(Handy's POV)
"Now isn't that the cutest picture there?" I whispered, nudging towards the sleeping trio. Sniffles nodded.
"Yep. You know? Those three make the cutest love triangle."
"Yeah, but who is Flippy going to be with?" He smiled.
"I'm sure he's not going to choose."
"Eh?"
"He's not going to choose."
"I know, but what do you mean?"
"I mean, he's going to be with both of them."
"Both? Is that possible?"
"Why not?"
"Well, you know, usually you can't be with two girls. They could fight, they could-"
"I'm sure that'll be fine with Flippy. Besides, Flaky and Flora get along fine. They're both shy- though Flora tends to be a bit energetic at times- and friendly." I chuckled.
"Wow, Flippy's a lucky guy, huh?"
"Hah, yeah."
(Flaky's POV)
"Mmf, Flippy?"
"Hi Flaky."
"Flippy?"
"No, it's Handy. Wake up." My eyes slowly opened up like a slow garage door. Two blurry shapes appeared, but were then combined to form a picture of Handy. I yawned.
"How long have I've been asleep?" He looked at the clock.
"Well, for about four hours or so. Or maybe four and a half." I stretched my arms until I felt something soft press against my palm. What? I moved my hand to the left then to the right. "Uh, Flaky? You can stop stroking Flippy's fur...or his head." Quickly, I retracted my hand.
"I was sleeping on Flippy?"
"More like his shoulder. And yes. Flora did the same shortly after you dozed off."
"So, the robot is done?" He chortled.
"Robot? In four and the half hours? Ha! Good one. You see, we finished THREE HIGH-TECH robots!" Flora jolted upwards from her sleeping position.
"WHA- REALLY?" she shouted. Sniffles, who's by three tables in their vertical positions, nodded.
"Yep, now all that's left, is to wake up Flippy. We'll need all three of you to be awake to power these robots." In a flash, Flora grabbed Flippy by the shoulders and shook him. Softly this time.
"Psst! Psst! Hey! Flippy, wake up!"
"Mmf." he mumbled. She pressed on.
"C'mon. Wakey wakey."
"Flora?"
"Yeah, it's me. Now wake up sleepy head."
"Heh. YAWN, what's up?"
"Sniffles and Handy finished the high-tech robots!"
"Really?"
"Yep. Do you need help getting up?" He waved her off.
"No thanks. I can do it myself."
"Ok, now since you're all awake, come with me." said Sniffles as Flippy got up from his spot. Slowly, we walked over to the three vertical tables with the robots on one side on each. I walked up to my robot and touched its blank face. It feels cool to the touch.
"Nice on the details. But why are their clothing a bit different than ours? I mean, mine has the arrows on the sides of the lower part of the jacket."
"Well, we want their clothing to look slightly different from what you wear. We even made one up for Flaky's robot. Now, if you'll please, stand against the table...then strap yourself...make sure it's tight...alright! Let's start! You may feel a bit dizzy afterwards, but that's normal." And with that, Sniffles pulled down the lever, which made the tables spin and spin, just like a carnival ride. Only this spinning speed is faster. "JUST A FEW MORE SECONDS!" Suddenly, a bright red light eneloped me and my robot. Flippy in green and Flora in lavender. I felt a part of my self being sucked away from me. Just when the last gasp of air I breathe escaped, the spinning stopped. The straps that held me release its grasp, and I fell to the floor on my knees, gasping for air.
"Is it- gasp- ok?" I gasped. Sniffles, walked behind me and removed his goggles, staring in awe at the three standing robots.
"Ok? No...IT'S A SUCCESS!" He spun around, with bright light shining from behind, and casted three shadows (not counting Sniffle's). He jabbed his index finger into the air while his lab coat fluttered by an unknown wind source. I looked behind to see a fan turned on. Wha? "FEATURING! THE THREE P.R.I.U.S!" Then, my robot version walked in from Sniffle's right side. "iFlaky! The porcupine of defense! With her weapons, needle-like feet upon transformation, needle arms, and her famous impaling barrel roll!" Next up is Flora, who skated in from his left side. "iFlora! The cat of speed! With her weapons, supersonic arrow beams, spring fists, and her favorite, tail blade." To top it off, Flippy's robot jumped from behind Sniffles to the front and crossed his arms. "And last but not least, iFlippy! The bear of attack! With his weapons, fiery flamethrower feet, abyssal swords, and his star weapon of choice, the hyper cannon!" Suddenly, random fireworks blew up from behind. We all (me, Flippy, and Flora) sweat dropped.
"Seriously?" asked Flora. Sniffles snapped back into reality.
"Huh, what? Oh. Sorry, I was a bit too...excited."
"So, what powers up our P.R.I.U.S? And what does it mean?"
"You and P.R.I.U.S meeeeeaaaaans...Personal Robotic Intelligence Under Special Care!"
"Then shouldn't it be P.R.I.U.S.C?" He shifted his glasses.
"Well, it wouldn't sound better with the extra C now would it?"
"No?"
"Precisely."
"But wait, we're somehow...linked to our P.R.I.U.S?"
"Ah yes...getting to that, here." The anteater gave each of us some sort of...gem. Ecah a different shape. In fact, they're the shape of our heads, with two oval shaped eyes. "That is a status checker. It shows you how your P.R.I.U.S is doing. For now, they're all their regular colors. Yours lavender, Flaky's red, and Flippy's green. If they all turn yellow, then they're under attack or they're attacking. If blue, then they're malfunctioning. If orange, then they're being messed with like someone taking their parts. If black...then you're in trouble. That means your P.R.I.U.S has shutdown or in another words...died. And that means that half of your spiritual energy has disappeared."
"WOAH, WOAH. YOU'RE SAYING THAT HALF OF OUR SPIRITUAL ENERGY IS IN THOSE ROBOTS?! THAT MEANS WE'RE FUCKING SCREWED IF THEY'RE DEAD!" yelled Flippy. Both me and Flora flinched.
"Yes, and that's why I'm going to find a more suitable energy it can live off of. But for now, enjoy your replicates!"