Chapter 49 - Originate of Development

After travelling through the hallways to one of the facilities elevators, Robotnik entered it. Without turning around, he voiced command to level 3B. Hearing a computerized voice repeat the request and confirmed, the slide doors closed behind him. Hearing gears activate, the lift began to descend. While going down, the human male put his hands behind him with one holding onto the other.

'Test model #85...how irritating to have to go through so many and still have issues,' Ivo muttered in his mind. 'The combination of my robust designs with my colleague's dexterous exoskeleton frames addresses the flaws from our robot models...yet the complexity of code and function seem to have risen to new tiers of difficulties.'

'I have increased the processing power...the short-term memory access capabilities...the power supplies...the sensor outputs...the memory storage...operating system,' he continued. Feeling the elevator slow down to a stop, there was a faint ding from the overhead speaker.

[Level 3B has been reached] the automated voice came over head.

"..." Robotnik stared forward focusing on nothing. Slowly turning around, he slow walked out of the lift. So focused on his internal discussion, his feet seemed to move automatically. Despite debating in his head and not looking at where he was going, he already knew the layout of where he needed to go.

'...verified all code has been sorted and detailed...there are no errors when running program tests...yet once uploaded into a model then activated...sequences of code become jumbled causing faults.'

'I have questioned if Dr. Swvedstin's program and data were bugged...or created an access portal into my domain's cyberspace,' the scientist continued.

Blinking and looking at his surroundings, he had turned down a hallway. Glancing to his left, there was an observational window. It showed a large room which had industrial equipment and conveyor lines for parts. It was the main construction area for his S.W.A.T. robots. The next chamber on the other side of the wall was the experimental/testing facility. Observing, nothing was stopping the assembly of his robust bi-pedal tank machines. Looking back at the hallway to the next area, he proceeded forward.

'Though relieved that there was nothing of the sort from all scans and diagnostic review...it only adds to the irritation.'

"I am a scientific genius...one of the greatest minds of the Great War," he proclaimed out loud to no one. Closing his hands into fists, he raised one up as if to mock someone in front of him.

"I will not be out classed...nor stumped by some messily error of machines. I will conquer this. There is a purpose...it must be done."

Feeling more upbeat from his self-talk, he let go of his hands. Walking confidently to the next room down the hallway, his expectations began to grow. Small whispers of doubt in the back of his mind were silenced. The pessimism he had when the test model was ready had died down. In his mind, #85 would be the one to make the breakthrough. Feeling set, he opened the door and walked to the observation podium that had a service bot nearby.

[...Dr. Robotnik...] the machine said in an atonal voice. [...test model #85 is ready for testing procedures...]

"Excellent," Ivo replied with a smirk. Folding his hands over his chest, he got onto the observation platform. Standing in front of a podium with a digital notepad on it, he took the stylus and began to clicking inputs on the program it was opened to.

"Servbot...commence the testing trails for #85."

[...commencing test trails for test model #85...] the robot repeated.

Turning around, it began typing in commands on the terminal it was stationed at. As the procedure started and ongoing minutes, the prototype model was functioning as it should. It could take commands from various methods, act as a sentry, and respond. When it came to the more complex tasks, the scientist could see a pattern from previous test models. Deciding to forgo the doubt that was in his head, the test trails continued.

[...doctor...test model #85 has failed to execute test trail #42]

"..." Ivo felt his left eye twitch. Of the tablet he was holding, his hands gripped it firmer. The prototype was running amok and smashing heavy machinery in the outline testing area. Seeing it destroy another piece of equipment, his tolerance snapped.

"RRRRRR!" he let out his voice. Raising the tablet up in the air, he threw it down hard onto the metal catwalk. Upon impact and metal to metal slam, a large dent was made in the frame while the touchscreen web-cracked immediately.

"Blast it! Another useless hunk of scrap iron!" the man shouted. As if the words he used signified a command, the test model stopped smashing the object it was facing. Turning its humanoid head, its red scanner eye locked onto the scientist. Saying a garble of mechanical voices, it turned around. Lowering its arm holding a large monkey wrench, it began to move where the man stood.

[...doctor...test model #85 is heading to our direction. Shall I abort the test trails?] the servbot asked in a monotone voice. There was no emotion behind it as it remained at its station on standby.

"..." Robotnik frowned and closed his eyes.

Feeling immense agitation, the act of causing destruction to combat his current mood seemed logical at the moment. Instead of ordering the servbot to shut down the prototype, Ivo reached into his inner coat. Grabbing a capsule with a button on top, he clicked it. Going to the safety railing and seeing the maverick machine still approaching, he threw the capsule hard at it. The mechanical unit saw the incoming object and lifted its arm. Timing it, the metal figure swung the heavy tool at the capsule.

Upon impact, the small cylinder container imploded and shot out an electrical discharge. The prototype instantly became electrocuted and began to overheat. Its mechanical voices began glitching in and out as its limbs jerked in different directions. Trying to move its head towards the direction of the human, the red illumination from its eyes kept flickering. Attempting to move forward to pursue its assigned target, warning pop-up windows began appearing in its view. Seeing them occurring faster and faster at a high rate of fire like artillery, the overload caused an explosion from inside.

With sparks and flares of light emitting from its neck region, the experimental robot's head burst in a cloud of smoke and sparks. Becoming headless, its limbs became less erratic till they became locked in a position. Sort of standing and leaning too much, the unit began to tilt over. Hitting the ground on its left side, a metallic thud echoed in the testing chamber. When it became quiet again, the servbot slowly turned around to address the creator.

[...test model #85 has ceased functioning doctor...]

"..." Ivo frowned. Not addressing the robot worker, he bored at the deactivated machine. His mind was running with thoughts and conversations that absorbed all of his senses. Unable to decipher his thoughts clearly, he curled his fingers. Forming fists, he began to grind his teeth.

"...why...why is it not working?" he spoke in a low growl. "I've analyzed...examined...executed...the build and designs perfectly. All the pre-tests passed inspection. All the coding has no errors. All mechanical parts and components have been machined to finest centimeter."

"AND YET!" the man shouted. Turning to the assistant machine, he grabbed its slinky segmented neck with both hands. Squeezing, he began to strangle it while shaking it.

"EACH DAMN UNIT IS A FAILURE! HOW CAN THIS BE WHEN I AM A SCIENTIFIC GENIUS!? ANSWER ME YOU PIECE OF SCRAP BUCKET!"

[...] the robot stared trying to process. The shaking did not disrupt its ability to input the creator's request and calculate an answer. Finding one, the expression on the scientist's face was that of infuriation.

[In analyzing your question doctor...it seems there is something missing in the unit's inputs]

"SOMEHTING MISSING!? ARE YOU SAYING THAT I MISSED SOMETHING IN CREATING MY NEW ARMY OF S.W.A.T. BOTS!?" Ivo blared barring his teeth at the small metallic unit. Still angry, he lifted the robot up. Taking a couple of steps, he held the unit over the safety railing. Below was a one story drop to the testing ground floor.

"EXPLAIN YOURSELF TINCAN BEFORE I DROP YOU!"

[...I am not programmed with enough processing or have access to blueprints and programs inputted into the prototype doctor...] it initially stated with a monotone voice. Seeing that the scientist seemed to become enraged, it continued regardless of his threat of causing severe damage to itself.

[However, there are two designs...your creations doctor that have operated without error since you created the first production units. The other is Dr. Swvedstin's design...which emphasizes more delicate and fine motor parts]

"..." Robotnik stared at the machine. Feeling his brain slowly begin to turn and listen, he narrowed his eyes.

"Go on."

[The bulkier design doctor does not require complex code and programs to operate...thus its processing power does not need a high operation capacity. The other design would require a CPU and processors to handle multi-functional tasks while operating on a core directive such as given to your S.W.A.T. units]

"Hmm," he said feeling a little calmer. It also made his brain clearer and able to think.

"That has already been considered after the 10th prototype could not handle the input load...by the 50th experiment run, the new units have three times the processing and a brain that can handle various takes at once."

[Yes doctor. An increase in CPU and processor makes the speed of reaction to execute commands increase. It does not enable the unit to act on multiple functions at once towards your specified core directive]

"My core directive? It hasn't changed from what I put in the S.W.A.T. units," Ivo exclaimed with a frown. At the same time, he thought about the ultimate function he put in the prototypes.

[From my records doctor. The core directive in the prototypes-]

"Yes-yes-yes...I know...what I put in them servbot. Know your place."

[...] the robot made a couple of internal whirls of gears. Its cyclops eye camera closed its shutter and opened stiffly. It was the only thing about it that resembled human like behavior.

"..." the scientist blinked and stared at the unit he was still dangling over the safety rail.

Its simple act of blinking seemed to trigger something in his mind. A hypothesis came to him on how to solve the issue with the prototypes failing. Turning his head a little, his mind looked back into the past. He recollected things until he remembered something distinctive. There was a large mechanical, bio-engineered room that was created in the War Council during the Great War. Blinking and looking back at the servbot, something clicked in his head.

"...of cooouurrssseee!" he began. Letting go of his hold on the robot, it fell to the floor below. While stroking his moustache with one hand and lost in thinking, a loud crashing thud was heard followed by a couple of sparks.

[Physical damage to exterior shell...minimal...internal damage...minor...initiating self-repair...estimated time to repair...2 hours] the unit's voice was barely heard from the platform.

"...yes...yesss...yes yes yes..." Ivo repeated while still staring unfocused in front of him.

"Why didn't I think of that before? It all makes sense now," the man said with a grin. Letting go of combing the hair under his nose, he rubbed his hands together.

"My colleague...you wanted me to struggle first before finding out how to make them work...I knew that you still had that old mentality of the past."

"Computer!" he commanded loudly. His voice echoed throughout the chamber.

[...yes doctor?] the loudspeakers in the facility clicked on and voiced itself.

"Constructed the same prototype and bringing it to level 3 of the operating room...and also," Robotnik began. Walking towards an elevator, he chuckled quietly to himself.

"Bring me...robotized vermin...to the same operating room."

[...executing commands...now doctor...]

"...heh heh heh...Heh Heh Heh...AAAHHHAHAHAHAHAHA!" the man burst into a fit of laughter. It echoed across the entire room till he reached the lift and the doors closed.

"..." Speed replied from her statement by stoically staring at her.

"..." Chiara stared backed. Moving her fingers a little, she kept her arms across her chest. After a few moments of silence, she felt a combination of irritation and anxiety building inside her. Not wanting to revert back to her old self or give into the emotions she suppressed when she was last in Oastial Harbor, she opened her mouth.

"...what are you doing here?"

"..." Vermilion continued to bore at her without blinking. "...following Sonic. You?"

"I'm here on...personal business," she answered feeling sort of surprised. "You are following the kid? You stalking him?"

"He decided to come here before...heading to the village he lived in...I am just," the gray, ash colored hedgehog said while tilting his head to the right a little. "...in mild terms...his support."

"Oh? This part of his training or something else?"

"Possibly...what is it to you?"

"..." Chiara pressed her lips together.

She could feel that the tension he brought was swelling up inside of her. His mild head movement along with not closing his normal eye was getting on her nerves. Like it was adding salt to her invisible wound of apprehension. Trying not to lash out from the brewing of suppressed emotions and mentality, she changed the subject to someone both of them did not particularly care for.

"I heard from the squirt that you two ran into the chief cat. That true?"

"Yes...we did... she is Captain cat now," he corrected while doing a lethargic close and open of his right eye.

"..." the female stoat blinked.

Part of her thought how he stated it was supposed to be amusing. On its own, she would have smirked or added another comment to it. However, different feelings and tension fought against any sense of amusement. Get the sensation again that it was her creating things more awkward than they should, she tried to continue the conversation. Somewhat caught off guard that her mind was not working, it made her agitated that she was acting this way.

"Whatever. She still a stuck-up copper. It only be a matter of time before she ranked up. What the hell did she want with you two?" she stated giving him a small frown.

"As far as I could tell...she wants to capture and question."

"Capture and question who? You or the kid?"

"Who...do you think?" he asked narrowing his right eye. Given that his left eye could not close, his face sort of gave a creepy appearance.

"Makes sense it be you given all the shit that happened before," Chiara commented. Adjusting her arms and hands, she recrossed her arms over her chest.

"What she want to know from you?"

"The implosion...more than 2 months ago," he answered and lifted his left arm. Making a thumbs up gesture, he pointed over his left shoulder behind him.

"..." Chiara blinked and looked in the direction he pointed.

Despite all the new construction that had taken place around, the site of where the shady bar was still could be seen. The rubble and debris were gone. Instead, there was a fenced off area with a leveled ground. She could make out that there was some street post sign that had some writing on it. Acknowledging to herself that it was where the bar was, it then led her mind to think what was beneath it. A shiver went down her spine from recalling some of the incidents that were down there.

"...the dungeon place right?" she asked looking back at him. He lowered his arm back to his side.

"..." he responded with a single nod.

"...I see..." the female commented. Rubbing her right biceped a little, a flair of goosebumps went up her legs. Flashbacks of the horrors in that place came to her that made her left eye and corner of her mouth twitch. Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, she opened them and looked at him.

"...so...what did Darcia say they recovered from that place?"

"..." the hedgehog responded with lethargically blinking his left eye again. Moving his head back straight, she got a slight vibe change from him.

"She said...nothing..."

"...?" Chiara blinked then raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean...nothing?"

"Nothing...was recovered...they never dug to...investigate."

"Wha-!?" she responded with surprise. Breaking the tension she had been building inside her, her mind was suddenly thinking and asking many questions. Blinking a couple of times at him, her mouth opened and closed several times. Seeing that his expression had a slight frown, it gave the stoat a sense he was disappointed.

"What do you mean they never dug it up?" the woman asked uncrossing her arms. She took one step forward and leaned a little towards his direction.

"There is no way law enforcement or city people would ignore a plume of death and destruction."

"..." Speed answered with slowly shrugging his shoulders. "She reasoned...no equipment to dig...so they didn't."

"...!?" she veered back surprised again.

Her mind was racing again with questions of why and how, but there were no answers for them. Looking at him, his face returned back to being stoic. His stare caused her to remember the inhumanity that was and probably still is inside him. Shaking her mind vigorously internally, she reset her stance to be standing straight. A part of her told her that he was pulling her leg. The only problem was that he had never told her wrong in the past. Even when he stayed at the apartment complex in the past.

"You gotta be shittin' me...right? There is no way the leaders of this place blew it off and told the people here to just ignore it."

"...what if..." Vermilion began and gave a callous smile. "That was the case?"

"T-Tch," she stuttered a little. Feeling her fur stand on end a little from remembering that expression, she watched him.

"That's a load of shit...and you know it. The folks here...aren't that cruel."

"...hmmh-hmmh-hmmh..." the amputee chuckled a little while continuing to stare at her. His crooked expression never altered as his shoulders moved up and down from his audible amusement.

"My...my...you have changed."

'You see what you did! HE SEES YOU AS WEAK AND FEEBLE!' her alter ego shouted at her. 'I TOLD YOU! I FREAKIN' TOLD YOU! DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY TIMES I TOLD YOU, YOU WUSS!?'

'SHUT UP!' Chiara screamed viciously in her head. About to show scorn, she saw him open his hand and gesture to the inner city.

"This place...for a lack of better terms...was an outlaw city. The crime...the corruption...the underground market...the depravity of livelihoods...was rampant."

"Your previous employment...housed the ones that lived that...lifestyle...no?" he asked reducing his smile to a small one. However, he lowered his head a little to give a mild glare at her.

"..." she responded with keeping her ground and staring back at him. Seeing him lift his head, his expression slowly faded back to his stoic one and returned his arm back to his side.

"...I see..." Speed spoke voided of emotion. "In the end result of the...implosion event...and aftermath...it doesn't matter."

"...!?" the woman forced herself to move a little. She had felt frozen with anxiety when he glared at her and seemingly was trying to mock her. The aspect that he didn't continue was odd and threw her off. Recalling what he said, she forced herself to open her mouth and speak.

"Doesn't matter...why you say that?"

"Because...it was Darcia's choice," Vermilion answered while turning a little to the right. "One can't claim there was...an underground market of atrocity...if it is no longer there. Burying truth...shields the innocent from...horror."

"She wouldn't have done that," Chiara defended though immediately questioned herself of why she was. "...she was always looking for intel on where crime was. Getting tips from others so that she had something to go after."

"...then ask her...yourself..." he responded then turned right more. Showing his back towards her, he began walking away.

'...finally...' the stoat whispered in her mind. Feeling initial relief from seeing him walk away, her second personality became acute in her head.

'...you got to be shittin' me...are you for real right now?' it stated in her mind with distain. 'You freakin' whimpy ass SOB. You just gonna let him walk? He completely overtook you!'

'I don't care...he is not my priority. I'm here on a mission...nothing more...nothing less...' the female told herself firmly. Seeing the adult hedgehog go to the roof edge, he leaped off of it without looking back.

[Chiara, you read?] the leader called through her earpiece. Hearing his voiced helped her snap out of the tense atmosphere she was in. Feeling able to relax, she lifted one arm and touched her earphone.

"I'm here."

[Who was that you were talking to?] he asked. Background noise came through as if he was shifting position from somewhere.

"...he was...a familiar face from my old job here. Sometimes would rent a room," the stoat answered as normally as possible.

[I saw the guy as well. Missin' body parts and metal head eye] another scout piped in. [For someone as banged up as him, that hedgehog moves quick on his feet]

[Hmm...is he friend or foe Chiara?]

"..." she replied with looking back at where the amputee went. Sort of expecting him to materialize near here, he never did. Shaking her head, she answered.

"He is neither. Best to just let him be. The Capatin of the law enforcement here wants him for questioning...so that may help us get attention off ourselves."

[...that is useful info. Alright. Keep searching for the defectors]

[Roger] a couple of other stoats responded back.

"Copy," Chiara replied then lowered her arm.

Sighing out loud, she took a look around. Getting bearings of where things were, she tried to retrace her steps. Acknowledging to herself the direction she would go next, the stoat moved to the rooftop edge. Stopping and scanning around, everything seemed normal. There weren't suspicious people that fit the description of the traitors of her village. Her eyes began to shift from looking for the targets to the hedgehog she just encountered.

'He doesn't matter anymore,' Chiara thought shaking her head. 'Just focus on the mission...focus on-'

'There's da asshole!' her second self claimed.

Her eyes immediately glanced to the sidewalk below. A block away from her position, a cloaked wearing individual was walking away. Seeing people not pay too much attention to that person, the figure vibrated then vanished. The electrical current sparked in her back which made her wonder if another phantom was around. About to turn around, she saw five stoats come out of alleyway. It was right where the cloaked person was.

'How did he know they were...' her mind wondered before clenching her teeth together.

"Doesn't matter," Chiara stated. Raising her arm again, she tapped on her comms device.

"Found the defectors. Outside of flea market. South side of city."

[Excellent. Do not engage and keep sights on them. All units, converge to Chiara's location in the establishment. We capture them alive. No death. If need be, we will spill blood if they do not comply today."

[Roger]

"Copy," she stated.

Removing her fingers on the earphone, she bent down. Placing her hands on the roof edge, she glanced down below. Not scared of the drop, she saw obstacles that she could grab to get to the ground. Glancing back up and seeing the group move across the street, she looked back down and leaped forward. Crossing to the other building and grabbing on a railing sticking out, she climbed down quickly.

Getting her feet on the floor of the alleyway, she hurried to where the sidewalk was seen. Reaching the end, she took a casual step out of the passageway and turned right. Spotting the defectors on the other side of the street, they seemed to be considering entering another pathway between buildings. Seeing them all continue, she lost visual of them. Moving left to be in the street and looking both ways, she jogged to the other side.

"Targets entered another alleyway from previous location. Heading West. In pursuit," she stated touching her headset.

[Who is closer?] one scout asked. [I'm in the opposite direction and in pretty deep of downtown]

[I'm sort of nearby] another replied. [I'm heading to your location]

[Keep at it Chiara] the leader stated. [Don't lose sight of them]

"I won't," she remarked and rushed faster to follow.