Chapter 6: Picking Your Brains
Dee awoke the next morning and took advantage the shower once more before she ate, able to buy food from the commissary with the Sink CIU. Dee paused at the elevators that led to either the crater or the Think Tank and thought: should she talk to them again? She was understandably wary of them after what they did to her but she also had bolted before learning much about them and seeing their homes in Higgs Village reminded her that they too had once been human, that and the fact that the Sink's machines were just personalities meant she still felt alone and needed to talk to someone. Swallowing her fear, Dee stepped into the elevator that led to the Think Tank.
The pacification field still made Dee uncomfortable as she walked up the ramp to the Think Tank's massive laboratory. All five floating brain-bots hovered around their various work stations small claw arms occasionally extending from the back of their chassis to manipulate controls. Dee tried her best to see their faint aura before she decided to speak to Dr. Klein first.
Klein floated at the top of a flight of stairs and spoke as soon as Dee reached the top of the same flight. "DID YOU RETRIEVE THE TECHNOLOGIES YET?" he rotated to face his screens at Dee, "WE NEED THEM, AS I HAVE INDICATED."
Dee took a deep breath before she spoke "Just the sonic emitter," She patted the weapon at her side, the pacification field rendering her unable to even try and draw it. So far she was just relieved she could speak properly again.
"THAT'S ONE, HURRY AND RETRIEVE THE OTHERS BEFORE MOBIUS BREAKS IN." Klein turned back to the computer screen he had been working on.
Dee could sense his ego so tried to play to that as best she could, "I'd be honored if I could hear any knowledge the Think Tank had to share on the sciences."
"OH, SO YOU FANCY YOURSELF A SCIENTIST AS WELL? UNPOSSIBLE, IF YOU WERE A SCIENTIEST YOU'D RECOGNISE MY GENIUS AND FOCUS ON WHAT I SAY NEEDS TO BE DONE." Klein turned back to her in annoyance, "BUT YES. WE ARE FILLED WITH THAT KNOWLEDGE YOU SPEAK OF. IF YOU WISH TO KNOW MORE, SIMPLY ASK THE OTHERS, THEY CAN HELP YOU."
"Aren't you the one in charge here?" Dee asked, "Shouldn't you know everything."
"YES, I AM DR. KLEIN, CHIEF HEAD RESEARCHING F LOGISITCAL OPERATIONS AND IDEA-OLOGY HERE AT BIG MT, AND I DO KNOW EVERYTHING THAT'S WHY I'M IN CHARGE."
Dee pressed for more information, "Then please tell me, what do these technologies I'm supposed to retrieve to."
"I'LL TELL YOU WHEN WE HAVE THEM, I'M TOO BUSY TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO STOP MOBIUS FROM INVADING," Klein didn't even turn from his monitor.
"Can you at least tell me about the brain extraction you performed on me?" Dee was a bit nervous to hear the answer but too curious not to ask.
"YES, WELL WE DIDN'T PERFORM IT, THE AUTO-DOC WAS SET TO AUTOMATED MODE BY MOBIUS, SO HE'S THE REAL ONE AT FAULT HERE. WE JUST DID OUR BEST TO CLEAN UP AFTER THE PROCEDURE, BROKE THE STUPID THING IN THE PROCESS TOO," Klein turned to Dee briefly, "WHY ARE YOU STILL ASKING QUESTIONS? HURRY TO STOP MOBIUS BEFORE HIS INTELLIGENCE DRAINING ROBO-SKORUPI ATTACK AND DRAIN OUR INTELLIGENCE, LIKE WHAT HAPPENED TO DR. O."
Dee sighed and walked back down the steps. Even without her aura sense she could tell he was blustering as a way to hide that he didn't know. Dee had done a cursory examination of the sonic emitter during her run-throughs of the course at X-8 that it might function as some sort of electronic lock pick, though something was missing and she suspected that she'd need the other two pieces of technology to put the whole picture together.
Dr. Dala floated at a console right next to the bottom of the stairs and turned as Dee reached the bottom. "You are an unusual specimen to so boldly…walk…" Dala stared at Dee's legs, "into the mighty expanse of the Think Tank. Fearless and proud as a Teddiursa."
"Thank you?" Dee wasn't sure what to make of Dala's tone as the brain tank circled her once she stepped away from the stairs.
"Between the extraction of their higher reasoning abilities and urination-inducing fear, most Lobotomites dare not approach us. Let alone speak to us." Dala's screens tilted up and down to observe all of Dee's body, "Yet you have no such ear, facing me, epidermis flushed with blood, plasma running molten beneath, your face contorting with muscular expression and even changing your outer coating instead of letting it fall to pieces." Dala stopped in front of Dee, "Will you… indulge me? Say a… few words? Face towards the monitors, please… so that I might record it… for further examination."
Dee recoiled a bit as her eyes shifted left and right. She felt like she was being asked to put on a private show, "Umm… She sells sea shells down by the sea shore?"
"Yes, yes, go on." One of Dala's eye screen pressed close to Dee's mouth, "Seeing your… lips and mouth forming the words… both revolting… and somehow…how does it feel to have he flesh roll around in your mouth like that? To control each muscle… and the tongue…like having a fish, or extremely dextrous Slugma, lolling and flopping in one's… mouthal cavity."
"Like I should be burned?" Dee took a couple steps back away from Dala, feeling her skin crawl, "Why are you so focused on my body?"
"Because it is fascinating, all that flesh and fur twisting as it squishes and contorts to allow movement, the functions each part must form to support such a primitive body. And most Lobotomites flee before I can take it all in," as she spoke, Dala circled Dee once, "Where is the penis that was on your back before?"
Dee shuddered, "My tail's inside the clothes."
"And why do you cover your fur and skin? What purpose does it serve?" Dala zoomed in on Dee briefly.
"To protect me from the environment and for modesty," Dee looked over her shoulder at Dala.
"Modesty? Modestyyyyyy…" Dala spoke the word as if it were a strange concept, "Lobotomites never care about this."
Dee used the chance to change the subject, "What are all these Lobotomites running around?"
"They are curious, they wander in and once their brains are extracted they end up littered across the crater, like skinvelopes," Dala floated back around to Dee's front, "They wander and gather, fight for dominance or inject bodily fluids into each other, but they never want to do so in my presence. If I brought you one, would you do that for me?"
That was it, Dee stepped away, "No, I need to talk to…" she spotted Dr. O close by, "Dr. O!" She hastily marched away from Dala, leaving her sounding disappointed but going back to her work
Dr. O sounded annoyed as Dee approached, "Breaking News: Talking Lobotomite arrived in Think Tank. Its purpose? Unknown. Undefinable. Its presence here? Unpossible." He turned to Dee and rotated his eye screens to the best version of a scowl he could.
"I was wondering that too," Dee tapped her head, "If all the other Lobotomites had the same extraction as me why am I still self-aware?
"How should I know? Biology was never my focus," O seemed to fume inside his biogel tank, "Dala said something about an unknown 'wrinkle' in the process but then got lost in her perverse fascination with your body."
"Your name's Dr. O right?" Dee asked, hoping to get away from the disturbing subject.
He grunted "O? O yes, I'm not going to bother correcting you. At least you got the 'Doctor' part correct. I can be grateful for that, at least…"
"So can I talk to you?" at least this was going better than the first two conversations.
Then Dr. O suddenly went off on a rant, "Sure, go head. What, you come to humiliate me, tell me how I've yet to find a means of stopping Mobius' Skorupi? Or better, ask how 'progress' is going on Porygon creation at the plant? We've had setbacks in research is all. That's all. And…" he turned and focused on Dee's left arm, "Stop the presses. Just in from my eye monitors… is that RobCo tech on your arm? It is!" his monitors pushed uncomfortably close to Dee's face, "What's your agenda bringing that in here?"
"My Rotom-boy?" Dee lifted her arm to look at the wrist-mounted computer, "I thought it was Silph-co."
"Oh, of course you thought that because House owned everything and showed off just how happy he was to show me up at every turn," Two arms extended from the back of O's chassis, "how I'd love to rip that off your arm and tear it apart to show him just how fallible and fragile his stuff really is."
Dee backed away slowly as O devolved into a rant about this 'Robert House' character, not wanting to provoke him any further.
The only two left were Dr. 8, who spoke in static, and Dr. Borous, the only one Dee thought could be more insecure than Dr. O. Not wanting to risk touching that kind of nerve right away, Dee approached Dr. 8.
Dr. 8 didn't even take notice of Dee until she greeted him, "Hello? You're Dr. 8, right?"
Dr. 8 turned and started blaring static and random sounds. Dee focused as best she could, trying to sense his aura so she could pull something out of that mess like she had 'heard' when first meeting them and managed to get 'yes, my role: audio engineer.'
"So you work with soundwaves," she patted the emitter holstered at her side, "You invented this?"
'Finest creation. Why talking? Can't understand, after visitors broke me,' Dr. 8 shook in frustration.
Dee saw the other sonic emitter on a table nearby before she turned back to Dr. 8, "Visitors? Like the ones at that prison camp?"
'Yes, one broke and messed with voice…' the static trailed off and 8 stared at Dee, 'you understand? How?'
Dee smiled and touched one of her aura dreads, "I had to re-learn how to speak after my brain was swapped, and I realize now I can understand anyone if I can read their aura for emotions, as long as I focus on them."
Dr. 8 projected a wave of relief, 'thank you! Tired of forcing understanding!'
"I can imagine," Dee gave Dr. 8's chassis a once over to find the damage, "That sounds like the same kind of comm link I've heard on stuff like my Rotom-boy. O called it a RobCo tech right?"
'Yes. He's jealous, couldn't match their skill, breaks things, frequently' Dr. 8 shook his screens in shame.
"Doesn't look damaged, did the visitor hack it?" Dee asked, "They must have known a lot about technology if they did that, maybe even took control of you."
Dr. 8 shuddered, 'Yes, forced me to train crash, left voice off, relieved others not that skilled,' he seemed to recoil from Dee.
Dee held up hands and shook them, "No no no! I'd never do that, I promise. I'd never take someone's free will like that!"
Dr. 8 sank in relief, 'Thank you, grateful not monster like visitors.'
"So, who were these visitors? I think there were three who weren't lobotomized," Dee shuddered as the though never ceased to unnerve her.
Dr. 8 had to think for a moment, 'Three: courier, elder, hunter. Never met hunter, but hunter was chasing elder. Elder demanded knowledge, broke me, force train crash east to escape, escaped with unknown tech. Courier, not you, asked questions, questions made others think, also dangerous without weapons, too dangerous to stop, let go.'
"Do you remember anything about the courier? What species were they?" Dee pressed hoping to find out something about who she suspected had left her the job that got her shot.
Dr. 8's screens scrunched together as if trying to force the memories out, 'Name… unusual. Sounded sad, lost, angry, dangerous. Crater monsters didn't stop, pokemon-human hybrid, like you.'
Dee sighed, didn't narrow it down much, "Thanks, Dr. 8. Do you know anything about these other technologies I'm supposed to find: the stealth suit and antenna?"
Dr. 8 shook his screens like one would their head, 'Not much, some biological applications and key to stop him,' by him Dee assumed Mobius, proper nouns were impossible to process through emotion sensing.
"Alright," before she left to talk to the last Doctor, a thought occurred to Dee, "Did the others ever try to fix your voice?"
Dr. 8's screens drooped, 'No. Not let breaker near me, others say prefer less talk. Too friendly. Miss some feelings.'
Dee felt sympathy for what seemed like the only sane member of the Think Tank, "Sorry to hear that. I just want to talk to Borous before I go back out there."
'Good luck,' Dr. 8 turned back to his work.
Dr. Borous was moving erratically around is workspace but stopped and turned to Dee before she could greet him, "The LOBOTOMITE Pokemon before me! What other terrifying terrors will plague us in our quest for knowledge? Be warned, attempt to manipulate ME. I will shriek as a frightened babe, calling loyal Cybergrowlithes to my aid. Do you comprehend, walky Pokemon?
"Cybergrowlithes? Wait you made those cyborg Pokemon?" Dee's eyes went wide.
"Yes! Loyal! Strong! Long lived! Especially Gabe," Dr. Borous seemed pleased with himself, "Evolved him with a FIRE STONE to see how well he took things after that, he was a success! But so difficult to work on and getting so many FIRE STONES was too much so I only worked on Growlithe after that."
Dee took a step back, "Is that what you do here? Experiment on Pokemon?"
Dr. Borous either missed or didn't care about the horrified tone of Dee's voice, "BEFORE you is the brain of Dr. Borous. Head of Pokeology, Monology and DNA-scrambling technology here at Big MT. You may know me as the Head Chief First Researcher of Labs Z-9 and Z-14. There I fought valiantly to preserve Seviper DNA and put it right where it belongs, in the husk of its hated enemy: the Zangoose. Oh, and the Beedrill. Can't splice enough, I always say, especially if you can make a magnificent Ninjadrill! For SCIENCE!"
Dee was horrified, "You made those killer monstrosities!"
"Indeed. Docile. Curious. Safe. Sterile. They are contained here at Big MT to preserve DNA and for observation." Borous announced.
Dee's mouth fell open and she just stared at Dr, Borous, "They're nothing like that! They're out in Kalos! They have to be breeding because the Ninjadrills have hives and they're about as docile as they are sterile!"
"That's UNPOSSIBLE!" Borus seemed to jab one of his eye screens at Dee like an accusing finger, "Such creatures are only found here, for research purposes. They would no more be capable of escape than breeding. I cannot expect a LOBOTOMITE to understand the careful surgical castrating procedures used in their creation." He slowly advanced on Dee, "Perhaps a demonstration of my castrating POWER would settle your doubts."
Dee walked backwards away from Borous, the pacification field keeping her from even trying to raise her arms in defense as it pushed her aggression down, "Stay back!" Dee's shout seemed to make Dr. Borous pause which gave her the chance to turn and dash for the elevators.
"Fine, run away like BETSY BRIGHT did to RICHIE MARKUS!" Dr. Borous shouted back. Dee vaguely recalled both those names with very unflattering records at the fake high school where Dr. Borous' audio messages had played.
Dee stopped in front of the elevator that would take her directly to the crater to catch her breath and tried to put Borous' tirade out of her mind. As she entered, Dee thought back to her conversation with Dr. 8 and wondered again if the courier he'd mentioned was the same one that had set her on the mission with the platinum poker chip. Why had they come here? The other visitor, the elder, was probably the one experimenting on the Poke Balls and if so what were they planning?
"One problem at a time," Dee said as she stepped back out into the crater