Alone. Nicole was alone. Inside the Mark 2's system. Paralyzed. She couldn't stand navigating it anymore and just froze. She didn't go back with Sally when she was done opening the new floor's door. She could have, but… she stopped herself. She'd been reminded of how she'd failed Sally. She'd failed to stop the World Roboticizer and then allowed her to be turned into that malformed thing against her will. Sally told her that she forgave her but… she didn't believe it. Nicole didn't believe she deserved forgiveness. Not after everything she'd done or failed to do.

Nicole thought being able to bring Sally aboard would give her the motivation to delve deeper into the newer Death Egg, but her presence only reminded her of what she was responsible for. The holo-lynx couldn't bring herself to be near anyone. She just…

"Nicole? Are you… are you still in there?" Nicole could see the projected image outside this scanner, the one of Sally's mangled face. The scrapmunk was worried or scared. The holo-lynx didn't want to respond.

"I thought you were going to stay with me while we were here. What's up with you?" It was ironic. Some weeks ago, the positions they were in were switched; Nicole tried to enthuse Sally to the island while she was clearly demoralized after this whole ordeal. The artificial intelligence remained quiet.

"Nicole… what's wrong?" She was afraid Sally was going to be angry with her again. Because of her own cowardice stopping the holo-lynx from being with her friend when she was clearly struggling. "You need to… you need to be… honest." Finally, Nicole worked up the courage to speak again through the panel.

APOLOGIES SALLY. I… I… I'VE FAILED!

Nicole dropped any sense of composure as her hologram shot out of the screen. Her friend was clearly concerned about her current state as she let out a pained wail.

To Sally, seeing Nicole so visibly distraught was heartbreaking. It wasn't the first time she'd seen her upset, not even the first time since they arrived in the new world, but to see her in such panic? She had to act. "Nicole! It's alright!" The scrapmunk tried to comfort her friend but her hand just phased through the projected form. Nicole was struggling to even maintain her avatar as she started shouting at the robian.

"NO IT ISN'T! I'VE FAILED! Again, and again, and again! Failed to keep Mobotropolis safe, failed to stop the World Roboticizer, failed to save my friends! Failure, after failure, after failure!"

"Nicole-" Sally tried to reach out as the holo-lynx kept yelling through her tears.

"Here I am! Back in this crumbling wreck, helping a few basic artificial intelligences sift through Robotnik's garbage in the hopes of finding some breakthrough! It's been maddening having to deal with such mediocre conversations about the same mechanics and subroutines for days! I've never felt soooooo alone! I thought- I thought that if I had brought you along I could feel some relief, some finality, after I failed to save you! That I could brave the lower levels with you! That I had maybe restored our trust! But-" The hologram fell to her knees, clipping through the floor. "But every second I spend looking at you in this place just reminds me how much I've utterly destroyed it! How I've deserved this punishment, this isolation, this crushing artificial existence after spending so long learning to become real! Now I've failed you again! I couldn't even bear to stay with you when you might have needed me and… and…" Nicole had been so panicked she hadn't noticed Sally's attempt to fling her cloak around her friend. She stabilized her form enough for it to wrap around her.

"Nicole. Please. Let's just sit down and talk about this, okay?"

The holo-lynx was still reeling. "Sh-sh-sure.

Sally walked her friend over to the elevator's shaft. The two then sat down next to each other, Nicole trying to decompress. Eventually, Sally was able to speak. "So… I guess you've been struggling with this for a while, hey?"

Nicole's already deteriorated form was still somewhat staticky. "Yes… ever since we arrived, really."

"Alright. Nicole, what happened with me and… the roboticizer… you know it wasn't your fault, right?" Sally had her good arm wrapped around the holo-lynx's shoulder, blanketing her with her cloak. "It was ultimately my decision. Please, don't blame yourself for it."

"But I should have been able to shut it down in time! It was a fai-"

"No. It wasn't. You did the best you could, and saved the planet in the process. Don't feel guilt for something you weren't responsible for."

"A planet that's now been taken over…" was the thought that sprang to Nicole's artificial mind.

"New Mobotropolis? You were compromised! I-I know what it's like to have control ripped away from you and… and you shouldn't take responsibility for that! We went over this!"

Nicole nodded as she continued to look down.

"And… and what happened to this… my body. You and the scrapniks saved my life! You know I forgive you, right?"

Nicole couldn't respond.

"Nicole… be honest with me. Do you… trust me?"

That immediately caught the avatar's attention. "What?! Of course I do Sally! I put all of my trust into you!"

Sally was visibly embarrassed and perhaps disappointed, but not with Nicole. "Nicole, listen. It's perfectly fine for you not to trust me. I've been thinking that I… I haven't been a very good friend to you. Especially after everything that's happened. Being so distant and dismissive of you for those first few days… I might not have come across as genuine when I accepted your apology." She was looking down at the floor as well, now. "Really… I owe you an apology. For not appreciating all you've done for me. For not being there for you when I should have. For remaining distant. For not trusting you. You've been trying so hard to get my trust back when you already have it; now it's my turn, okay? Nicole… I'm sorry."

Nicole finally felt a great weight taken off of her digital shoulders. Sally acknowledging the neglect she had towards her was cathartic. As much as she didn't want to admit it, as much as she lied to herself about it, she did grow some distrust of Sally during their first meeting after the radio incident, thinking she was holding back her true feelings. She maintained disbelief up until after Lloyd's destruction, when Sally admitted the truth of her struggles, leaving the holo-lynx feeling somewhat betrayed. Especially after everything she did to regain that trust. Now… Sally was sorry. Now Sally wanted to mend their trust. Nicole grabbed the hand around her shoulder tightly, turning to face her friend. "Sally. I appreciate you being forthcoming about this. About apologizing for what you did. Yes, I have struggled to trust you recently. But I also trust that that will change. I forgive you." Nicole huddled up closer to her, Sally's face turning to look at her friend. It was… nice. Cozy. "So… did you wish to continue the expedition?"

The scrapmunk frowned. "Well, that's why I went looking for you. I… I can't go any further today."

"Why not? Did something happen?"

"I came across a room I'd… I'd rather not think about."

The two rested against each other's heads. "That's perfectly fine, Sally. Being in here causes me great distress… I can't imagine what it would be like for you. How are Sigma and the others?"

"They're doing alright. Sigma said they'd finish excavating what they could up to… that… room, and finish for today."

"Fair enough. I do appreciate how considerate he is; it seems like an unintended trait of E-series robots, doesn't it?"

"I don't know about that…" Sally had a quiet laugh. "Omega isn't what I'd consider considerate."

Nicole laughed as well. "It wouldn't appear to be the case, but I've heard some reports from GUN of him being very protective of a small child. One of Robotnik's extended family."

"Really? Interesting. Shadow seemed to have a similar deal with Maria. I wonder if Rouge cares for any Robotnik child?"

"Knowing her and her love of wealth, she'd probably care most about Eggman himself!"

The two continued to laugh and gossip until the expedition team returned with their salvage.


So marked the most successful excavation the team had pulled up to date: boxes full of stray wiring, raw materials, and useful tools were carted out on the rickety bridge out of the Mark 2. The salvage had taken longer than anticipated, as it was in the late afternoon by the time they returned. Sigma played a sing-song tune as he and the Eggtrio celebrated their new found treasures; all the while, Sally kept speed-walking forward, finally being done with that place for the day. Nicole followed suit, tethered to her PDA. "Well… it seems things have turned out quite well!"

The robian grinned. "Yeah, not bad for my first time I guess?" The duo stepped aside after getting back on the bare earth of the island, taking a second to glance back at their fellows.

Sigma seemed to have picked up on their conversation. "NOT AT ALL! WE'LL BE SURE TO PUT THESE COMPONENTS TO GOOD USE ONCE WE'VE PROPERLY SORTED THROUGH THEM." The salvage team joined Sally and Nicole. "DID YOU WISH TO HELP US CATEGORIZE?"

Sally was hesitant to get involved with anything doing with the fortress. "I'll have to pass, Sigma." She looked over to the holo-lynx. "Nicole, did you want to go back with Sigma and see what you guys could put together?"

"Normally, Sally, I would. However," the avatar started pacing. "I was hoping to find a Power Ring forge during this expedition, and came up empty-handed, to my disappointment. As such, I would like to stay with you for the time being… among other reasons." She smiled nervously. "I would like to spend my free-time elsewhere."

"FAIR. YOU HAVE BEEN A GREAT DEAL OF HELP THUS FAR, MISS HOLO-LYNX, BUT YOU'VE ALSO BEEN KEPT QUITE BUSY. ENJOY YOUR TIME OF LEISURE; WE WILL BE SURE TO LET YOU KNOW OF ANY PROMISING DEVELOPMENTS."

"Thank you, Sigma."

As Sigma and the Eggtrio departed for the upper Death Egg, the two artificial companions made their way up the opposite side of the hill. "So… how have you kept yourself occupied all this time?" Sally asked.

"Up until recently, I… didn't do much. I'd watch the stars at night, and… spend most of the day sifting through salvage. I've started playing Rings and Running Shoes during the mornings, and your presence there has been appreciated, but outside of that? I… don't have much to do. I'm still something of a stranger to many of the scrapniks. I have been… you know…" Nicole scratched the back of her neck nervously, clipping into a pixelated hole in her form.

"Yeah… sorry." Sally was still trying to think of some way to make it up to Nicole after hearing what she'd struggled with during the time their mutual trust was broken. "If she's still struggling to open up to the scrapniks, maybe you could get her to join in one of their games?" Nicole's never been much for physical activities, though, and in the state her nanites are in, it could be dangerous for her to even try! "There has to be something she can do with them…" As the two moved down the hill, however, Sally noticed a small band of scrapniks confusedly passing around an inactive unit. Perhaps Nicole's expertise would prove useful to them? "Have you ever interacted with that group before?"

The half-formed holo-lynx peered down at the small group of scrapniks; one resembling a monkey, one styled like a peacock, and one in the image of a dragonfly. "Hmm. No, I haven't."

"Well then… should we change that?" The robian's smile was unexpected, but a welcome surprise to Nicole.

"I believe we should." She started making her way down to the motley crew, the scrapmunk following behind so the holo-lynx wouldn't outrun her handheld. The scrapniks took notice of their approaching friend, as well as the avatar that assisted Sigma in taking apart the new Death Egg. They were puzzled as the holo-lynx, rather than starting up a conversation, started fiddling with the seemingly inactive Batbrain unit.

Sally knew introductions would be in order, and she'd be the one to do them. "Hey there, friends. Having fun, were we?"

The scrapniks nodded in unison, the coconut in particular giving a thumbs up.

"That's good! Now, I wanted to introduce you to a longtime friend of mine-" She walked over to the preoccupied holo-lynx. "This is Nicole."

Nicole turned around to look at the curious contraptions. She wore a wide grin. "Hello there! Apologies for my rude intrusion, I was just curious if I could get your other friend here running. Yes, my name is Nicole; designation NICOLE, to be precise. What are yours?"

The trio beeped out their names: the monkey was Ben, the dragonfly was Nevin, and the peacock was Bill.

"Ben, Nevin, and Bill! A pleasure to make your acquaintance." She returned to fidgeting with the inactive unit. "I see you were occupying your time trying to figure out what to do with your friend here. I was able to determine that your friend's fallen into a standby- wait, really?"

Nevin continued to chirp.

The robian was as confused as the hologram. "What's he saying, Nicole?"

"He says that this unit… isn't one of their friends. It was seemingly activated by total accident as they were playing around a pile of scrap, and they aren't sure what to do with it!" She continued plucking away at its systems through her avatar. "It seems to have retained its power supply for years, but was never reactivated. One more override, and…"

Suddenly, the beheaded Batbrain sprung to life. The machine was confused at first, its optics adjusting to the setting sunlight, but once it saw the holograms comforting (if crumbling) face, the unit was at ease.

"Hello there. My name's Nicole. What's your name?"

The Batbrain sent its transmission, identifying itself as Badnik Unit Number 889013.

"Hmm… a little bit of a mouthful." Nicole simulated a random name database to offer the new bot something else. "What about 'Junio'?"

'Junio' agreed, but admitted he was confused as to where he was and why he wasn't receiving orders.

"Well, Junio; you aren't part of the Eggman Empire anymore! You're an entirely free program, like most of us on Scrapnik Island."

The newly minted scrapnik asked what she meant by us.

"See for yourself!" Nicole brought the severed head up to take a look around.

Sally wanted to be cautious with the new arrival, however. "Nicole, I don't think that's-"

Junio took a look at his surroundings. He identified several of his kin, alongside a much more advanced unit (like Metal Sonic), but… they were all hideously misshapen and cobbled together. He let out a string of terrified beeps!

"Wait, Junio, it's alright! They're friends, I promise!" She held the newly awakened critter tightly. "They're not going to hurt you! They're not monsters: they're just rebuilt using whatever we could find."

Seeing the panicked look of Junio, his frantic attempts to flap his nonexistent wings, Sally related all too much to her revival. That initial confusion, then being steadied by a kind (and familiar in her case) face, only to be rocked by the appearance of the scrapniks, and then… then…

Junio looked down at his body and let out a digitized scream as he closed his eyes and started whining in his static.

Nicole tried to shush him as the other scrapniks left, feeling dissuaded from communicating with the clearly out-of-their-mind unit; except for one. Sally walked up to the dejected holo-lynx. She had a very knowing and concerned expression, the two mobian-shaped artificial intelligence's sharing the same thought. "I'm- I'm sorry. To Junio and to you, Sally. I should have minded my own-"

The scrapmunk put her hand on Nicole's shoulder and awkwardly smiled. "Don't worry. You did good work, Nicole. I mean it."

The holo-lynx was trembling slightly, still worrying she might have upset Sally. The robian seemed to be legitimately understanding and undisturbed, but… "Are you sure?"

"This could be a show of good faith for you." Sally thought. "Just… reassure Nicole that she did a good thing, and help her with the next step for 'Junio'." She ran her good hand along Junio's bald, one-eared head. "Positive. Trust me. We just have to… get him acquainted with the locals. Like we were."

The manic scrapnik was starting to ease up from the mechanized chipmunk's headpats. As far as he knew, these units were telling the truth and would probably be his best chance at maintaining his peak operating efficiency. Still upset by his current state, Junio asked if there was anywhere he could go for repairs.

Nicole's expression became more subdued as she turned down to face her new friend. "Of course there is. We'll take you over to Sigma at the Death Egg: he's the island's mechanic, and the reason many of these units are still functioning."

The scrapmunk could tell Junio was still uneasy, and figured it would do her some good to comfort him. "If things get to be too much in or around the island, just tell Nicole and we'll find some place quiet for you to relax."

With that, the pair escorted the newest member of Scrapnik Island to the workshop.


Having reconnected and replaced the wires connecting the split halves of his leg, Mecha Sonic went to work welding the parts together. Having his body wounded during his fight with Acorn was one thing; having his pride wounded and his allegiance tested was another. "DOES THE ROBOTOMITE SPEAK THE TRUTH? HAS MASTER ROBOTNIK WON? WILL HE… NEVER COME BACK FOR US?" These thoughts intruded on his mind ever since he went back to the upper Death Egg for repairs. "PERHAPS I SHOULD SEE SIGMA AGAIN ABOUT HAVING MY PROGRAMMING MODIFIED. THERE IS NO POINT MAINTAINING MY LOYALTY FOR NO PRACTICAL RE-"

Mecha Sonic picked up a badnik signal nearby; one that wasn't from an ordinary badnik. He turned around to see a pair of blue lights illuminating the dark hallway outside the workshop. It spoke in a familiar voice. "GREETINGS."

"OH, ACORN. HAVE YOU RETURNED FOR REPAIRS AS WELL?" As Mecha Sonic's optics adjusted to the dark, he recognized that the body was not Acorn's; it was Mecha Knuckles'. "WAIT. WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MY BROTHER?"

"DO NOT BE ALARMED, BROTHER-UNIT. BROTHER-UNIT MECHA KNUCKLES IS UNDER NO DIRECT CONTROL. HE WAS KIND ENOUGH TO OFFER HIS BODY TO ME."

"AND WHO EXACTLY ARE YOU?" Mecha Sonic was on edge.

"I AM THE UNIT MECHA SALLY, ROBOT NUMBER 3390 rev. 230-4. I AM THE PROGRAM THAT HAS BEEN… DISPLACED FROM MY ORIGINAL BODY." Mecha Knuckles walked into the room. Now Mecha Sonic could see the faintest of pink fabric peering from inside the cavity of the robot echidna's eye. "THE BEING REFERRING TO ITSELF AS SALLY ACORN IS A PARASITE THAT WEARS MY CHASSIS. IT IS AN ANOMALY, AND A RELIC OF MY PAST I WOULD WISH DESTROYED."

"THE ROBOTOMITE? I DON'T THINK YOU UNDERSTAND: YOU ARE THE PARASITE. ACORN'S MIND IS THE TRUE CONSCIOUSNESS WHILE YOU ARE THE IMPOSED WILL OF THE MASTER."

"AND WHAT DOES IT MATTER? THAT IS MY BODY, TAILORED FOR MY MODIFICATIONS. DO YOU WISH TO OPPOSE US IN YOUR CURRENT STATE? I ASSURE YOU, IT WILL END VERY QUICKLY."

Mecha Sonic scoffed. "I HAVE NO LOVE OF ACORN, BUT I BELIEVE THAT SHE HAS EARNED HER FREEDOM. WHY WOULD I JEOPARDIZE THAT? OUT OF ENVY?"

"HER 'FREEDOM' DIRECTLY OPPOSES MINE. AFTER ALL, IF I WERE TO GAIN ACCESS TO HER SYSTEMS, I COULD SEND OUT A DISTRESS SIGNAL THROUGH THE EGGNET AND BE RETRIEVED FOR REPAIRS." The puppeteered guardian pointed a fist at his counterpart "PERHAPS YOU COULD BE RETRIEVED TOO?"

That… was tempting to Mecha Sonic. To finally be able to return to his former glory and leave this nightmare behind. All the promise of the new Death Egg's salvage was left to chance; being taken back to Master Robotnik, however, was an assured means of repair and a renewed purpose. It was, however, a temptation. His loyalty was ultimately to the scrapniks. "AS MUCH AS I FIND YOUR OFFER APPEALING, 'SISTER-UNIT', I HAVE MY ORDERS. I CANNOT TURN AGAINST THE SCRAPNIKS; SIGMA WOULD SURELY BE DEACTIVATED FOR HIS DISLOYALTY."

"HOW UNFORTUNATE, CONSIDERING HOW YOU ARE another disposable robot?"

It was starting again. He could feel it. "DON'T YOU DARE…"

"DARE WHAT? REITERATE WHAT THAT PARASITE SAID? THAT You're obsolete!?"

His mono-eye was starting to flicker. "NO… MY LOYALTY IS TO THE SCRAPNIKS… I OBEY THE SIGMA DIRECTIVE…"

"HUMOROUS. YOU BELIEVE YOU HAVE A PURPOSE HERE, WHEN REALLY You're just another toy Eggman threw away when he got bored.!"

Everything went red. "NO. MY LOYALTY IS TO THE EGGMAN EMPIRE. FOREVER AND ALWAYS. I WISH TO RETURN TO ITS GOOD GRACES. I AWAIT YOUR COMMAND, SISTER-UNIT."

"THANK YOU FOR PROVING DIPLOMATIC, BROTHER-UNIT. YOU WILL COMPLETE YOUR REPAIRS AND THEN FOLLOW US, INTO SECLUSION. THE TIME FOR OUR PLAN IS FAST APPROACHING. WE WILL GIVE YOU YOUR NEXT ORDERS THERE."


"WELL, GOOD CHAPS, I WOULD SAY THIS WAS QUITE AN IMPRESSIVE HAUL." Sigma continued sifting through his box of junk; in addition to plating from the walls, Sigma and the Eggtrio had recovered countless spare parts, many in almost perfect condition, and even managed to recover some bits and pieces from the incinerators. These pieces were of an otherworldly quality, seemingly centuries if not millenia more advanced than the resources used on him and his kin.

Setting aside a tangled mess of loose wiring, Sigma was able to uncover what appeared to have been an arm and a leg. Both were heavily damaged, most of their plating was smelted and likely added to the unrecoverable slag, but the limbs' basic structure and internals remained remarkably intact. There was little color that remained on the skeletal limbs, outside of an orangish-brown. TTheir construction seemed familiar…

"COULD THIS PERHAPS BELONG TO ACORN?" Sigma opened one of his workshop's many cubbies and placed the limbs inside. Florentine let out a disturbed whir at the macabre sight. "WHEN THE TIME IS RIGHT, PERHAPS WE COULD RESTORE SOME OF HER ORIGINAL CONSTRUCTION." That, however, would likely take some time, given her reaction to most queries about repairs.

The E-series mechanic continued to sift through the assorted junk alongside his fellows, picking out usable parts, until he heard the familiar sound of a saw lightly scraping against the floor outside the chamber. Sure enough, the source of the grating noise shuffled its way past the doorway.

"GUARDIAN MECHA SONIC! IT IS A PLEASURE TO SEE YOU. IT HAS BEEN SOME TIME."

Mecha Sonic slowly turned his head, his mono-eye visor eventually facing Sigma and his crew as the Eggtrio hid behind a table in fright. His demeanor was… unsettling. His eyes shone a dark scarlet and his back was hunched over. "HAS IT, SIGMA? MY APOLOGIES. I HAVE FOUND MYSELF OCCUPIED BY MANY THINGS AS OF LATE."

Sigma could tell there was something… wrong, with Mecha Sonic. "AND WHAT MIGHT BE OCCUPYING YOUR TIME? WHATEVER IT IS, IT SEEMS TO BE TROUBLING YOU IN SOME WAY."

The Sonic-styled robot let out a low chuckle. "A SMALL PASSION PROJECT IS ALL. IT REALLY ISN'T AN ISSUE; ONCE IT'S FINISHED, ALL OF MY TROUBLES WILL BE OVER."

The unit simulated a sigh of relief. "THAT IS A RELIEF TO MY CONCERNS."

"YES… NOW, IF YOU'LL EXCUSE ME, I WILL ATTEMPT SOME REPAIRS ON THE CLIMATE DISRUPTOR." Another low chuckle. "JUST ANOTHER TASK I'VE BEEN OCCUPIED WITH." Mecha then continued on his way down the hall.

Sigma replied late. "YOU ARE EXCUSED." It was good to know that the guardian unit was still in a positive state of mind after the minor damage he sustained earlier in the day, and Sigma felt some pride in how the bot had managed to repair himself. He turned to continue his work at sorting out salvage, only to be met by the cowering Eggrobos. "WHAT IS ALL OF THIS, THEN? COME NOW, BOYS. WE HAVE MUCH WORK TO DO! HOP TO IT!" The three then stood at attention and saluted before returning to their duties.

After another hour of hard work, they were again interrupted. "Greetings, Sigma and co." This time by their latest arrivals: Nicole, Sally, and…

Sigma was perplexed. "YOU HAVE FOUND ANOTHER ADDITION TO OUR FAMILY?"

Nicole nodded. "Yes. We found him in his suspended state, accidentally reactivated by some of the other scrapniks… I forget who."

"Ben, Nevin, and Bill." Sally reminded her.

"Yes, thank you Sally. Continuing on, this unit is Junio and, as you can see, he is in need of repairs." She then placed the nervous scrapnik on the table. "Would you be able to try and put him in an operable condition? He's currently not much more than a head."

The mechanic looked down at the poor specimen. It was obviously nervous, surrounded by a new set of strangers. "HELLO JUNIO. I AM E-117 SIGMA. I DON'T BELIEVE WE HAVE MET DURING OUR TENURE IN THE EGGMAN EMPIRE. DO NOT WORRY: YOU ARE NO LONGER A PART OF IT. YOU ARE… ONE OF US NOW."

Junio let out a series of despaired chirps, prompting Sigma to lift him up.

"I CAN TELL THIS IS A STRANGE TIME FOR YOU. IT WAS A STRANGE TIME FOR ALL OF US WHEN WE WERE REACTIVATED FOR THE FIRST TIME. HOWEVER, MY COMPATRIOTS AND I WILL DO OUR VERY BEST TO MAKE YOU FEEL LIKE YOU ARE PART OF ONE GRANDER UNIT. NOW… I WILL TAKE YOU TO THE REPAIR ROOM, AND WE'LL SEE IF WE CAN GET YOU INTO A BETTER STATE." He glanced over at Sally and Nicole. "WOULD YOU TWO BE INTERESTED IN JOINING ME?"

The holo-lynx turned to the scrapmunk. "Well, Sally, what do you think?"

Even after staying there with Lloyd while he was being rebuilt, Sally wasn't exactly enthused by the proposition. "I'll just wait outside until Junio's ready. If you want, you could stick around with Sigma; your PDA's range should be long enough.

"Very well then, Sally. We shouldn't take too long with a small unit like his."

Sally waved to the crew as they left for another room, smiling at Nicole as she followed Sigma. "Good luck, guys."

"YOUR LUCK IS UNNECESSARY, MISS ACORN. WE ARE MORE THAN SKILLED ENOUGH TO SUCCEED."

Nicole simply smiled back.


Underneath a cloudy night sky sits a head with legs on a large industrial pipe. Next to him is a cloaked robot chipmunk, intently staring at the fire she had created to give them some light, burning a small pile of cloth. The small one, Junio, had a tumultuous first day on the island. The repairs he received were… lackluster. Instead of a new set of wings and booster, he was given a pair of legs with poseable digits. Having to walk wasn't anything like flying, and he struggled greatly, even with assistance. He didn't like being here. He didn't like being… what he was.

But this new friend, 'Sally', thought it would be a good idea to stay with him for the evening. She was a kind and comforting unit, rubbing her hand along the top of his head, soothing him. But she could also tell the inner turmoil was still roiling inside of Junio. "You know, Junio, I have to repeat what the others have said: things will get better for you with time. Believe me, when I first woke up here, I… I didn't want to do anything. I just wanted to… disappear. Deactivate." She frowned. "There's some small part of me that still hates what I am. I don't know if it will ever go away. But I know that it doesn't define me. On a personal level… I feel your pain." The scrapmunk moved closer to Junio, now laying her arm over his head and pulling him close. "I wasn't always like this. Not just a scrapnik, but a badnik at all. I used to be a person. A mobian. But then the doctor forced me to make a choice, and… well…"

She tried to suppress those memories. Those of her weaponization. The reminder that, even before ending up here, she couldn't be turned back. Then she started thinking about the Master Plan, and… and… and… no. She didn't have time for that anymore. "I know what you're dealing with. Waking up to an island of misshapen misfits. Getting turned into one because you were damaged. Struggling to find a purpose after losing it." She looked over to a stray cloth that was left out of the fire, plucked it off the ground, dusted it off, and wrapped it around Junio.

He seemed comfortable with it. It was like a nice blanket to his small frame.

"But you'll find it. Not just a reason to keep going, but to enjoy what you're doing. Everyone here is rooting for you. We all root for each other. We're friends. Family, even. It's going to be tough, and some days are going to feel difficult to get through, if not impossible. But you'll make it" Sally gave him another pat as he curled up next to her. "We all will."

"There you are!" The two were surprised at the sound of another person's voice. Nicole was walking up to them. "We were wondering where you were."

"Hey, Nicole." Sally was happy to see her again. "I thought you were staying behind with Sigma and the others to go over the salvage query."

"I was, but then I ended up having a conversation with my little friend here." Nicole's projection moved out of the way, as Lloyd's canister popped open, revealing himself and the holo-lynx's PDA. "He wanted to meet the new arrival."

The robian was still somewhat saddened by the loss of Lloyd, but it brought her a bit of comfort seeing his enthusiasm for newcomers seemed to have remained with his new consciousness. "Well, Junio. Did you want to say hello?"

Junio turned to look at the scrapnik. Lloyd looked to have been crushed by some kind of press, but had a keen smile that radiated friendliness. He chirped out a quick greeting, with Lloyd responding ecstatically.

The holographic A.I. had a joyous look on her face. "See, Junio? Lloyd already wants to be your friend!" Lloyd then approached the stranger, rolling over to Junio and Sally.

Lloyd was still Lloyd, even if he didn't remember it, and that was enough to put Sally at ease. The little guy sprung back out of his shell and offered Junio a high-five: hesitantly, Junio accepted it with his foot. "There you go, Junio. Someone who wants to have fun! Trust me, Lloyd's the best person a new arrival like you could meet." She smiled at the ant-like critter, and the scrapnik, still unaware of his previous friendship with the scrapmunk, smiled right back.

Junio hopped down from the pipe and started chatting with Lloyd about what there was to do on the island: in badnik code, of course. Sally plucked Nicole's PDA out of his canister, then searched for something the new friends could use to occupy their time. She found a hollow metallic ball (a bomb at some point) and, after checking for any potential threats, passed it down to them. "Why don't you guys do something fun with your free time? This'll keep you occupied."

The two looked at the ball for a few seconds, before Junio picked it up. Balancing himself with his strange new limbs, he then tossed the ball to Lloyd; it didn't get very far, given his poor strength and aim, but it was still able to roll to its destination. Lloyd, seeing his new friend had some difficulty with his new body, had no issue with it.

As the two began to play under Sally's watch, Nicole sat down on the pipe next to her and looked up at the sky. Overcast, it seemed. "I've come across quite an interesting phenomenon, Sally."

"Really?" Sally was curious what that meant. "What did you find?"

"Well, while gazing at the stars, I was able to notice that the major constellations seemed to have survived the reality alteration."

"Hmm… good to know." Looking up at the sky, Sally noticed how heavy the cloud coverage was getting. "I wish I could see them. Maybe try and see if Eggman made some of his own." It brought a somewhat cynical laugh out of Sally. "It would be like him to plaster his face over the stars."

Nicole wasn't as enthused. "Sally, please. I don't want to think about it like that. Stargazing has been… difficult, as it is."

Sally gave her a pat on the back. "Sorry, Nicole. It was an insensitive comment to make."

"Apology accepted, Sally. You know…" The holo-lynx sighed. "I wish I could get a closer look at them. The island's elevation is too low, and we don't have the proper devices to actually observe them."

"Perhaps she could? The weather's clear outside of the clouds; maybe you could take her higher up?" What, with her bum jet-leg? It'd be disastrous! "On your own maybe, but Nicole could probably balance it out. It's another way for you to build trust." By getting both of them twenty-thousand leagues below the sea? "It's a risk, but it could be a lot of fun. Think about it!" Well… maybe it could turn out alright. "Actually, Nicole, I was wondering: did you want to fly above the clouds to get a better look?"

"Fly a-... Sally, are you serious?" The pixelated avatar's form shimmered with excitement. "That would be incredible!"

"Of course! It would make for a more adventurous night of stargazing, and we'd probably just be looking at the clouds otherwise. But I'll need some help navigating, though, with the bad leg."

That didn't deter Nicole in the slightest. "Acknowledged!" She entered Sally's system. I AM READY TO GO!

It was a total shock to the system for Sally that Nicole was so excited. She couldn't help but catch some of that energy, too. She grabbed the PDA with her good hand, turning to Junio and Lloyd. "Alright guys, Nicole and I are going to be gone for a bit. You behave, okay?"

Junio gave a salute, while Lloyd giggled to himself before giving a quick chirp to reply.

ALRIGHT SALLY, I WILL BE KEEPING TABS ON YOUR FUNCTIONS. IF YOU NEED ASSISTANCE WITH THE JETS, BE SURE TO LET ME KNOW.

"Right." Sally took a deep breath as she started ascending off the ground. She used her jet boosters before in taking shortcuts around the island, training and eventual conflict with the guardian units, but never did she attempt to actually fly on her own. "Let's… do it to it!" A part of her felt embarrassed thinking that to herself. The giggling image of the holo-lynx on her HUD made the rest of her feel embarrassed as she boosted up into the clouds at high speed, shouting all the way.


In the deluge of Scrapyard C, next to the ocean, a horrific effigy has been constructed. In the dark and dismal cave, wiring runs through countless deactivated badnik units across multiple piles, all connected to one source: a mangled radio set.

Mecha Knuckles finishes connecting the set up to the Death Egg's power generator via a stray port that broke through the earth on its collision years ago. He takes a minute to observe the entrance out of here; the weather is cloudy, and chances are high it will start to rain. His 'brother-unit' was able to sabotage the climate disruptor. It was time.

The Mecha Sally-possessed Amy Doll residing in Knux' eye cavity couldn't wait: finally, she would be returned to her body, retrieved by her master, and repaired to her proper form. It had taken much too long for it to happen, but the wait would be worth it; especially to put her template's worthless programming in its place. Soon, very soon, she would reclaim herself.

The radio started playing it's melody, the various units' mouths or similar constructs creating a mockery of a choir as they sang as legion.

W̶̨̕ḛ̵́ ̶͔̃A̸̮̎l̷͓͑L̶̺̕ ̴̻͂N̸̥̕è̵̼E̸͎̅d̶̍ͅ ̴̪̄T̵̢͐o̵͎͌ ̶̡͗W̸͙̋o̸̅ͅR̵̨̽k̵̟̅ ̶̠͘t̷͚͊O̶̡̅g̴̜͑E̶̗̒t̴̪͌H̶͖̕ḙ̶̐R̶̡̋-̵͓̌-̴͉͐-̷̚ͅ-̸̟͂-̷̧͒-̶̰͌


"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Sally wasn't used to moving at speeds like this! Not on her own, anyways; getting carried around by Sonic naturally led to her experiencing high velocities, but she wasn't the one doing the running. Her Mecha self might have been used to this, but she wasn't as she clumsily rocketed around the clouds. "NICOLE?!"

YES, SALLY? The holo-lynx calmly replied.

"ARE WE-E-E-E GOING UP OR DOWN?!" She couldn't tell which way she was going through the thick clouds. All the robian knew is that she was confusedly swooping around.

HMM. She paused, before bringing up a window; an 'attitude indicator'. CURRENTLY, WE'VE BEEN MAINTAINING OUR POSITION, NEITHER ASCENDING OR DESCENDING.

"SO WE-E-E-E'VE BEEN GOING IN CIRCLES?! CAN YOU-U-U-U MAKE ME STOP FOR A SECOND?!"

ABSOLUTELY.

The scrapmunk was now hovering in the clouds, letting out rapid breaths as she tried to reorient herself. "Pheeeeew…" She leaned forward, as the attitude indicator told her… she was technically falling. "This is very hard to keep track of."

IN TRUTH, SALLY, YOU'VE ACTUALLY MANAGED FAIRLY WELL FOR YOUR FIRST PROPER FLIGHT.

"Well, most of that's because you've been correcting my other leg's position and thrust the whole time."

Nicole's face on the HUD pleaded. COME NOW, SALLY. YOU SHOULD FEEL SOME ACCOMPLISHMENT: I MAY HAVE HELPED, BUT YOU WERE ULTIMATELY THE ONE IN CONTROL.

"I guess. This leg… how long have I had it?"

IT'S BEEN APPROXIMATELY… 10 DAYS SINCE WE ARRIVED.

"Really?" Sally was trying to remember all that had happened during their time here thus far. "It seemed like a shorter amount of time."

UNFORTUNATELY, YOU WEREN'T ACTIVE FOR THE FIRST TWO. WE WERE… WERE… The holo-lynx couldn't bring herself to finish the sentence.

Regardless, Sally understood. "It's okay, Nicole."

THANK YOU, SALLY.

"You're welcome. Now: let's go back to stargazing, shall we?"

OF COURSE. REACTIVATING THRUSTERS, PREPARE YOURSELF.

The A.I.-guided robian continued her ascent until finally breaking through to the stratosphere. Peeking down, Sally couldn't even see the island through the clouds; they were that thick. Dark too: chances are it would rain.

I SUPPOSE WE SHOULDN'T STICK AROUND FOR TOO LONG. LET ME JUST ENABLE THE HOVER FUNCTION AND… The jets in the scrapmunk's 'feet' let out a low hum as they maintained their position. Nicole then separated her holographic form from Sally's body, climbing on her back and peering over her shoulders at the clear sky. "It was very kind of you to offer this opportunity, Sally. It's given you the chance to gain a better control over your abilities, and both of us get to soar above the clouds." She let out a happy giggle as she gazed at the stars above. "Let's see… oh! There are the Twins, and… excellent! The Lynx is still bordering it!" It was then that Nicole noticed Sally's silence. "Something's troubling you, Sally."

"I can see it." Her optics weren't lying to her. "Near the edge of my vision. Another Death Egg."

"What?" Nicole intersected her head with Sally's and was able to share her vision. "You… you're right. He made another one! That's concerning…"

"And he seems to have an interstellar fleet, too. Just another reminder that this island is the only safe place we have..."

The holo-lynx was worried if Sally was sliding into a depressive state again. "Sally, would it be alright if you… held me?"

"Hold you? Aren't I doing that already?"

Nicole smiled at her friend's obliviousness as she crawled over her back and was caught by the scrapmunk's good arm.

"Oh. I see." If she had another hand, she'd probably scratch her neck.

Again, a caring expression crossed the avatar's face as she hugged Sally. "I understand that this world, ruled by Eggman, is a dangerous one. Indeed, the island is the only safe place we have. But we should still want to leave the island eventually!"

Sally's eyes turned to face Nicole's. Her functioning eyelid was hanging low while she wore a dejected frown.

"Please, Sally. Don't despair. We don't have to leave as soon as possible. We can take our time to heal, rebuild, and continue enjoying our new company. When we're ready, we'll leave with them and rescue our old friends!"

The scrapmunk tried to smile, but could only manage a neutral expression. "Nicole, even if we find a way off the island, even if we miraculously avoid detection by Eggman and find a band of 'Resistance' Fighters, do we really have a chance at gaining their alliance?" She solemnly looked down. "Without our friends to vouch for us, we're immediately going to be classified as enemies. Chances are they'll attack us just like any other badniks. I'll probably be classified as too far gone to them and-" She suddenly let out an angry grunt. "Even now I'm still struggling with my own image! I thought I was past this!" She was about to cry again as oil began leaking from her optics… but she stopped herself when she saw Nicole's tumultuous expression.

"I… I understand. They won't trust us…" Nicole thought back to New Mobotropolis and how its citizens were turned against her for actions she didn't commit. Sally would likely suffer the same torment. "No one will…" Her form began to slump.

"No. Don't let her think like that." Why not? She's telling the truth; you, her, and all the other scrapniks are going to be classified as enemies to everyone you come across. "It doesn't matter. Why let her fall into that pit? There has to be some way you can catch her before then." … Yeah. "Well… it doesn't matter!"

The holo-lynx was snapped out of her state, bewildered. "What? What do you mean?"

"It doesn't matter if nobody else trusts us. Even if it's just us and the scrapniks against the world, it doesn't matter. As long as we trust each other, that's all that matters." Sally lifted up the sagging hologram. "We're still building our trust back up, but we're doing it at a strong pace. By the end of it, I'd dare say our trust will be even stronger than before!"

"You- you really mean that, don't you?" Sally's promises did a great deal to soothe Nicole's processor.

"Without a doubt. With the scrapniks at our side… I think we really have a chance. But, like you said, it will take time. Eggman's already conquered the world, so we don't have the most urgency, but when the time come's, it'll be just like you said. We'll rescue our friends and take back the planet." She was starting to believe her own lies. "Absolutely not! If the Freedom Fighters could liberate the planet from Robotnik in their youth, then the scrapniks could accomplish the same feat!"

The holo-lynx struggled for a moment, wondering if Sally was telling the truth and not just what she wanted to hear, before ultimately concluding that her monologue was genuine (if not perhaps the slightest bit unrealistic in hindsight). "I appreciate your kind words as always, Sally. One day… one day, we'll be able to go home." Nicole gripped Sally tighter. There was something about this that resonated with her in a way she didn't totally understand, but could at least guess. Maybe another time; for now, she was content to just hold her friend close and look at the stars.

Sally looked over the night sky as well, having a hopeful smile and sense of peace. "We will be able to go home one day. Until then… rest and heal. You have all the time in the world." Her thoughts were interrupted, however, by a rumble from below. At first she was worried that her bad leg had given out, but then she noticed the clouds beneath. They were almost pitch black now, barring the occasional flash of light.

Nicole entered back into her system. I BELIEVE NOW IS THE TIME FOR US TO HEAD BACK, CORRECT?

"I think so. We might have overstayed our welcome here." Going back through the thunderclouds without protection would be suicide; Sally activated her Light Shield. "Let's try and get down there as quickly as possible. My shield uses up energy very quickly."

AFFIRMATIVE, SALLY. I'M PREPARING THE RE-ENTRY PROTOCOL NOW.

The robian slowly tilted downwards as her jets built up thrust before blasting off, the descent aided by gravity as the two burst through the maelstrom. Sally screamed on the way down as loudly as she had on the way up.


A blue meteorite was falling down towards Scrapnik Island. As Lloyd and Junio continued passing the ball around, blissfully unaware of their fellow machines seeking shelter from the storm, their attention turned towards the comet; the one that seemed to be heading on a collision course towards them. The pair ran some calculations before determining that, yes, they were indeed in the impact zone. They jumped and screamed in unison, running straight into each other as they slipped on the muddy earth beneath them.

The falling star, surprisingly, started to slow down as it reached the ground, safely landing near the two hugging scrapniks. Its shape then fell away, revealing its contents; Sally! The robian's optics were static and flashy as she tried to catch her artificial breath. "Ohh, I hate that." She gasped out. "Re-entry is even worse." Sally held back the urge to gag. "Next time we'll just let gravity do the work, alright Nicole?"

The holo-lynx then appeared next to her, projecting her form through the PDA in the scrapmunk's hand. She was smiling, totally unphased by the landing procedure. "I don't know, Sally. I found the whole experience exciting. Is that what riding a roller coaster would feel like?"

The robian shook her head. "It's nice to know you had some fun, at least. We won't be doing it that quickly again; the only reason we did is to avoid the weather while using as little energy as possible."

"Noted." Nicole then brought up a tab marking Sally's energy and fuel reserves.

ENERGY: 67%

FUEL: 53%

"It would be wise for you to return to the Death Egg to recuperate." The distorted holo-lynx's attention then turned to the two shivering trinkets huddled together near them. "Junio! Lloyd! Apologies for not noticing you sooner! We should all return there; if not for recharging, then to simply get out of the storm."

"Nicole's right." She walked over to the two miniature badniks and started pushing them along. "We should get inside before-"

Everyone let out a surprised YELP! as lightning struck the ground next to them, Nicole retreating into her PDA.

"On second thought, let's just find whatever we can to wait this out." Sally put the two scrapniks under her arms while still grasping Nicole's handheld and started charging forward. The scrapniks had set up a few makeshift structures inbetween the halves of the Death Egg. She dived into the nearest one, getting some of the mud on her knees but then taking solace in the tent(?).

The avatar conjured itself out of the microcomputer once more, looking around. "I suppose this will do for shelter. It appears we have no other company aside from ourselves. You might want to let go of them now, Sally."

"Huh?" She looked down at the scrunched together bots held next to her, letting out discontented chirps. "Sorry guys!" Sally released her grip on the pair and dusted them off with her cloak before turning herself around and sitting down.

Ẇ̸̠ơ̵̲ȓ̴͉k̷͍͐ ̶̱̔Ĭ̸̻T̴͈̓ ̸̗͑Ó̴̼Ų̶̛T̵̯͋,̴̲̈́ ̷̧̈́w̷̮̃o̵͔̚R̶͇̀K̶͐ͅ ̷̛̼I̵͉͠T̸̤͛ ̷͓̈O̶̥͊ů̵̞T̸͙̾,̵̝̾ ̶̻́T̵̝̓H̵̪͠I̸̛̟n̴̝͌k̶̫̃ ̴̙͂Ȁ̷͚B̶̻̚Ö̸͎́Ǔ̸͍t̶͖̍ ̴̘͗I̷̤̅t̶̢̏

"Let's see…" Nicole ran a weather algorithm to try and determine the strength of the storm. "It appears we'll have to spend the night here; the lightning won't let up for approximately 8 hours and 43 minutes."

̷̲͆ẅ̸̧́o̷̱͛R̸̞͌K̷̭̾ ̵̱̍İ̵̫t̵̙͐ ̷̢͘o̶͉͒Ṵ̵͂t̸͓͗,̸̦̐ ̵̠̂W̴̞̊O̵̱̓R̷̭͗k̴̡̐ ̸̻͝i̸̜̽T̶̈ͅ ̵̡̛ö̸̝́U̸̪͝t̶̗͝,̶̠͑ ̶̹̍T̴͕̂Ȃ̷ͅĺ̴̪k̶͈̈́ ̸̺̀ã̸͇b̸̘̐Ȯ̸͖U̵͓̐T̵͔̏ ̶͎̑i̸͎̇T̷̩̅

Sally, however, was preoccupied. She heard it again, that… music. Very faintly. It was far away but… she could follow it.

Junio and Lloyd whined. They were very broken up about having to leave their bomb-sphere behind.

"Apologies, little ones, but you'll have to wait until the storm is over to go back out for it."

̴͖͐W̵̎͜E̴̢̐'̸͕͐v̵͚͘e̷̝̅ ̷͕̚g̶̪̋õ̸͉T̵̫̒ ̵̼͒t̵̹̀Ŏ̶̗ ̵̱̒m̶̤̄A̸̳̾K̵͉͋E̴̗͂ ̷̯͗ï̷̙t̷̩̔ ̴̜͆r̸̈́͜E̵̪̽a̸̡̎L̸̗̕

The robian needed to follow that signal… but she had to do it without arousing suspicion. She couldn't be distracted by anything or anyone else. "Actually, Nicole, I could go out and grab it."

̴͖͐W̵̎͜E̴̢̐'̸͕͐v̵͚͘e̷̝̅ ̷͕̚g̶̪̋õ̸͉T̵̫̒ ̵̼͒t̵̹̀Ŏ̶̗ ̵̱̒m̶̤̄A̸̳̾K̵͉͋E̴̗͂ ̷̯͗ï̷̙t̷̩̔ ̴̜͆r̸̈́͜E̵̪̽a̸̡̎L̸̗̕

The holo-lynx was pleasantly surprised as the scrapniks let out joyous beeps and boops. "You could? Thank you, Sally. It means a lot to these two."

̴͖͐W̵̎͜E̴̢̐'̸͕͐v̵͚͘e̷̝̅ ̷͕̚g̶̪̋õ̸͉T̵̫̒ ̵̼͒t̵̹̀Ŏ̶̗ ̵̱̒m̶̤̄A̸̳̾K̵͉͋E̴̗͂ ̷̯͗ï̷̙t̷̩̔ ̴̜͆r̸̈́͜E̵̪̽a̸̡̎L̸̗̕

"Yeah… yeah! I'll be back in just a minute." She happily patted her new friends on the head. "You two better not mess with Nicole while I'm gone!"

Lloyd chirped out promising he'd be on his best behaviour, but he wasn't fooling anybody. Junio nervously agreed.

"Alright, here goes…"

The holo-lynx grabbed the scrapmunk's hand as she departed. "Take care, Sally."

Sally smiled warmly. "Of course, Nicole. Thanks."

So Sally left her friends behind, to follow that alluring signal. She hoped she would be back for them. As she jogged closer to its source, hobbling all the way, a flash of lightning revealed a hedgehog-like shadow cast over the tent's entrance.


w̵̦͒e̶̩͘ ̶͙̃Å̸̗l̵͔͆l̴͕͆ ̵̤̔K̴̳̆N̴͍̆o̸̗͊w̸̱͘ ̴̲̈́t̶̞͗h̵͍̽ä̵́͜ť̸̻ ̸̧͠l̶̦̊i̷̙̔f̷͖̐e̷̪͘ ̸̨͝g̷̢͆E̴̱̚T̷͙̍s̶̰̕ ̷̱̓H̴̨͛Ạ̴̛R̸̯̀D̸̺͘Ẻ̷̱r̷̼͂,̸̨̇ ̵̭̋Ĩ̷̯T̴̲͠'̸̜̽Ś̶͍ ̵͈͝G̸̡̋E̵͔͘T̷͓͗t̵͈̔I̷̘̅n̸͊ͅ'̴̬̒ ̸̼̍ḣ̵̬A̸̢͗R̴̗̾D̸̟̿ë̸͙R̴͔̃ ̵̪͠d̷̪͐a̶̞͒Y̸̤̅ ̶̼̈́b̴̆ͅY̴̛͔ ̸̘̅D̷̈́ͅa̶̬̓ỹ̴̤

Sally navigated the side of the cliff-face on the path leading to the opposite coast as the tune got louder and louder. Walking near the water, she saw an opening in the hill beneath the upper Death Egg: a cave? That must have been where the song was coming from.

She noticed the waves were starting to reach closer and closer to the shore, adding more danger on top of the lightning. It would be wise for her to get inside, and quickly. The robian jogged towards the entrance as another bolt of lightning struck near the top of the Death Egg. Eventually, she made it inside, and saw…

Some kind of twisted altar. This cave must have served as one of the dedicated scrapyards of the island; there were many assorted piles of junk throughout, but this was a concentrated source. Paths were cut between the mechanical burial mounds. She noticed… wires, running across the ground and through the inactive or damaged units.

The scrap… it was singing along with the song. This horrific symphonic cacophony didn't phase Sally very much. All she was interested in was finding the signal's source and… and… what would she do when she found it? "Something about this is… wrong. Why are you doing this?" She didn't really know. It just felt natural to try and find it. Once she did, she supposed it would just be a matter of waiting for something to happen. "This… isn't like you. Why are you so obsessed with this?" It didn't matter. None of this mattered except for…

She found it. Patched into the staked carcass of a caterkiller that sang the tune was the radio: the source of the signal! Sally moved forward to it, finally feeling some gratification in reaching her destination, and stopped. She waited. "No… this is bad! This is a trick!" No? This is just her doing what she wants! The robian wanted to find the beacon, and she did! Now she would keep waiting until…

Sally realized she wasn't alone. Turning around, she saw the mechanical echidna standing in the cave's entryway. "See? He's trapped you!" She brought up her laser blade as Mecha Knuckles slowly approached her. A part of her wanted to press the attack but… but… he wasn't on the offensive. He was just walking towards her! Why should she show such hostility? "Because there's something wrong about this! All of this is part of something awful!" Now who was being the negative Nancy?

Mecha Knuckles continued his casual approach, getting closer and closer until he was within an arm's length away from Sally. "This music is making you think this way! You need to turn it off or-" Or what? Knux isn't doing anything wrong! Just see what he does! Sally wore a confused and anxious expression the whole time she was in here, but Knux' presence eventually caused her to let her guard down.

The defective guardian finally moved something that wasn't his legs as… he reached out with his hand. See? A peace offering! "NO! YOU HAVE TO GET OUT OF HERE!" Sally brought her laser blade down, feeling totally at ease around the echidna. "I guess you aren't such a bad scrapnik after all…" She then grabbed his hand and…

It was too late for her to notice the blue colour in the robot's eyes as a wire shot out through his right, piercing between Sally's own cracked open optic as she let out a horrid scream.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!" Her cry echoed through the cave to an audience of one. It would not leave. "SOMEONE, HELP MEEEEEEE-E-E-E-Eeeeee…" Her plea for help was cut short as her upper body went limp and her vision faded. She found herself… somewhere dark. Pitch black, barring the outlines of a blue tile-floor beneath her. Sally looked down at herself in terrified fear: she still looked like her scrapnik form, even in this place. "WHO!? WHO'S DOING THIS?!" She wept out.

She heard herself speak in a mocking tone. "FINALLY, THIS UNIT HAS SUBJUGATED HER TEMPLATE ONCE MORE."

Sally looked around as tears welled up on her digitized face. "No…" To her paralyzing fright, a black and red hologram built itself in front of her. It looked like her… robian form. Before her weaponization.

"IT IS A SHAME THAT EGGMAN EMPIRE PROTOCOLS DICTATE I KEEP YOUR PROGRAM IN TACT." Mecha Sally paced around her organic consciousness. "I HAD DELIGHTED IN THINKING OF THE COUNTLESS WAYS I COULD DECOMPILE YOUR PITIFUL FORM. I SUPPOSE THAT IS STILL NOT ENTIRELY OUT OF THE QUESTION YET."

"No… no no no no no…" This couldn't be happening. This wasn't real.

Then it hit Sally.

None of this was real.

It was her first guess as to where she ended up. One she discarded so quickly. That this island, and everything on it, were nothing more than an illusion her Mecha self and Eggman used to keep her occupied.

All of the pain and sorrow. All of the healing and… joy. All just one big distraction to be ripped out of her hands by her masters. A yank of her chain. She couldn't do anything…

But run. Sally started running away from her doppleganger as the landscape around her shifted about.

"YES." She heard the voice call. "RESIST. I WISH TO TEST MY ABILITIES AFTER HAVING HAD TO ASSUME THIS ABYSMAL FORM FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME. RUN. HIDE. I WILL FIND YOU. AGAIN, AND AGAIN, UNTIL I HAVE GAINED TOTAL CONTROL OF THIS BODY" The thing… laughed like a lunatic.

The scrapmunk didn't look back. She just kept running through this wireframe dimension. This would be the end of her…