Stories are often left untold due to the nature of being away from the one that matters. Stories that build character, expand the world, or are just there for fun. These untold stories are what we call 'Chronicles'. Join us, dear readers, as we give a nice calm before the inevitable storm with… The West Island Chronicles.

Science Log 88 - Date: [REDACTED]

"Doctor Jennifer Robotnik speaking, after some heavy delays caused by one certain doll, Sonic and his friends left to train with an old drinking buddy of mine to become a better team. Needless to say, I am worried over their safety, but I have other things to deal with. First, the Death Egg pieces extracted from Angel Island have given me some insight on my baby brother's methods of technological advancement. That is to say, his prowess reeks of narcissism, down to plastering his mustache face on the toilet seats. …Why does he have toilets for robots…? Anyway, questioning the logic of a madman will only lead me down a path I'll regret treading. Next on my agenda is the mysterious ring-like device I discovered in the ruins near Casino Night. The architecture is no doubt made by ancient echidnas, but the device… My computer came up with an error trying to indicate how old the thing is. It wasn't just ancient, it was as old as Planet Mobius itself. Older than echidnas, older than the last generation humans, older than dinosaurs, older than life on this rock we call a planet. And to make it even stranger, despite its age, its in pristine condition. Earthquakes, floods, lava, anything our planet has suffered through… yet it remains downright untouched. It goes against all forms of logic and scientific research. No matter how many times I wrap my head around it, I can't make heads or tails of how this device has survived the tests of time! I brought an arcane expert to inspect any magic or what have you protecting it, and she did discover that it is shielded by… something. "It felt like Chaos energy, but… different," she said. I may have a theory on this machine and its purpose… It could be a kind of portal device made to transport materials to and from a conjoining portal. And if one 'Warp Ring' as I've dubbed it survived, then another must be somewhere, preferably on Mobius. I'll keep working on this Warp Ring, but one thing we've confirmed is that it can be moved. As of now, it acts as a nice lawn piece for my hedge maze, until I can utilize it better in Metropolis. Third and final, my condition has indeed worsened ever since that attack by Sage and Omelette. This is troubling, not only for limiting my time living, but also for my daughter. My dearest… dearest daughter, Amelia Hope Robotnik… She's turning fourteen a day after my estimated passing. Heh… Life [bleep]ing sucks… Sorry, I'll bleep that. I'll try to see her… With Eggman still at large, I can only make so many promises… I'm tired… And my muscles are leaving me… … … … Sorry, I'm just… Why did that [bleep]er have to do this to me!? Why!? …Sigh… Ugh… I don't know what I'll do when I see her… Sonic and his friends, aside from Nicole, don't know about my worsening condition or how long I have… I'm hoping Eggman or whatever will keep them so busy that they won't even notice I… vanish… Uh… Sorry, this got depressing… Point is, I got a lot planned, but I promise to visit Amelia one last time… The first time since she was only five… I couldn't help her then, and even if she doesn't resent me for leaving, I resent myself… I've failed time and time again to save people I care about… I-" [Recording full]

After the tape stops recording, Jenni can be seen at her desk, throwing profanities as she gets up from her seat and paces around her study, taking a moment to calm herself before her stress levels reached critical levels. As she calms down, she turns to a glass case on the other side of the room containing the still limp but very much alive Tails Doll, who stared at her with its unblinking eyes.

Jenni: "...Are you judging me or are you just staring at a woman trying to destress?"

The Tails Doll simply shifts its eyes, making its expression ambiguous. Jenni simply sighs before opening the glass case, removing the puppet out of it and placing it on the desk. Tails Doll moves its eyes to follow Jenni as she grabs a surgical knife and cuts an opening in the area for a mouth. Using her seamstress skills, the doctor began to make a mouth for the Tails Doll, creating a sharp teeth-like mouth, since it seemed very fitting. Tails Doll moves the mouth, even spouting out noises.

Jenni: "There. You can talk without your gem now."

Tails Doll: "...Why give me the ability of speech? For what end goal do you give me the ability to speak?"

Jenni: "None, really. Just got bored of talking only to myself and you were the closest thing in the room."

Tails Doll: "...Whatever. So now what? Do you plan to experiment on me? Am I your Frankenstein's Monster?"

Jenni: "Tempting offer. But no. I want to know more about you. Tails found you - or rather, your gem form - in the remains of the Metallic Madness base, no less in the core. Chaos Gems today are a rare breed of gem said to be as powerful as a Chaos Emerald. However with further analysis, the Chaos Gem you possessed was nothing but a fabrication. But what were you doing there?"

Tails Doll: "I was… used as a battery for the base. Lord Robotnik considered me a failed Chaos Gem recreation. He was angered at the loss of the chunk he had at Robotnik Island thanks to two Mobians spies you sent-"

Jenni: "Come again? I don't recall sending spies…"

Tails Doll: "His words, not mine."

Jenni: "Ah. Paranoid, are we, little brother?"

Tails Doll: "Anyway, I was created as a sort of attempt to recreate his genius. It failed to meet his expectations. But what he created was a being of pure malice that took the form of that brat, Tails, because I could detect traces of an unusual energy within them."

Jenni: "...'Them'? My little doll, Tails is a 'him'."

Tails Doll: "Are you sure?"

Jenni was fairly certain, but that didn't matter. The unusual energy part did catch her interest even more. Perhaps it might be worth digging into once she finds time. Putting that to the side, Jenni resumes her questions.

Jenni: "So Ivo sees you as a failure?"

Tails Doll: "Yes… I intended to get back into his good graces by attempting to destroy the being who defeated him. Destroy his enemies… But I ultimately failed."

Jenni: "Why remain loyal to him?"

The doll seemed confused by this question.

Jenni: "You are unlike any other robot I've seen. Your tone is more genuine than a mere recreation I or Ivo could make. Dare I say you have… emotions?"

Tails Doll: "Your assessment is inaccurate. You claim I have emotions. And that is true on some level… Those emotions are anger at you for putting me in that glass prison… And at those Freedom Fighters for foiling my plans…"

Jenni: "And what of Ivo?"

Tails Doll goes quiet at that question. Its feelings for Ivo are… complicated. It is loyal to him due to being his creation, but it is also angry at him for leaving it to be a mere power source.

Jenni: "Doll. You can be more than a madman's toy - no pun intended. A being of your own, one that can follow your own rules. I admit that I'm basically putting a big gamble by saying that, but what I say is technically true. Eggman threw you away because you were a failure. But to me, I do see you as a far more intriguing being than any robot I could ever make in this lifetime. You aren't bogged down by mere programming… are you?"

Tails Doll remained quiet, laying down limp to end this conversation, pretending to be bored with it. But part of it was in deep thought over Jenni's words.

Jenni: "Whether you agree or not, I don't believe in robots being slaves. I gave my robots personalities relatable to living creatures, partly for my own sanity, but also because I never want to be my brother; someone who only sees a tool and not a living creature. Tails Doll, you are made of malice… But it's never too late to change."

Jenni sighs as she picked up the doll, only for the doorbell to ring, followed by urgent knocking. Turning on the security cams reveals Ivory and Ebony with two green female pronghorns, one of them looking very ill.

Ivory: "D-Doctor Jenni! Someone needs medical attention really badly! Please! Open the doors!"

"A continuation of the abrupt ending of that last entry, but with a question now… 'What is life?' Is it merely something we experience? Or something we choose to experience? That is a question I pose to myself on the daily. For me though, life is too short. Papa often told me that I worry too much on the smaller details… But it's acknowledging the small details that separate the scientists from the crowd. But more importantly, life is something we should cherish. Something we should be given a chance to live how we see fit. That's where me and Ivo differ… He chose to squander his choice at life by fearing the inevitability of death; I live my life, knowing full well that my time is short. But… Maybe I can make difference… in someone else's life…"

Jennifer Evaline Robotnik

To be continued…