Chapter Text
April 10th, 210X
Dr. Phillip Cain looked at the various notes before him, running through the dusty papers with his fingers. What a find, he thought. This was nothing short of absolutely incredible. Yet, he hadn't intended for any of this to happen.
He had initially set out on this expedition to uncover fossils of ancient plant life from the Mesozoic; precisely, one that would prove his theories regarding potential proof of two well-documented findings being linked and having maybe split off from one sample recently discovered. Yet after he had set out, he had nothing short of bad luck. It was a good month since he and his team set out in the middle of a barren wasteland searching for the coveted proof of his studies, and frankly, he was beginning to lose hope.
At least, that was until yesterday.
After setting camp at a new site, Cain and his team lay out the preliminary gridwork. Yet, upon getting the equipment up and running, odd readings were detected at location E-46. While it was just speculation, something with metallic properties appeared buried deep beneath the ground. What this was, exactly, no one was sure, yet that it was indeed "something."
And what he found was nothing short of both incredible and impossible.
Buried out in the middle of this barren, dry landscape was what appeared to be a small, hidden laboratory. One that had been buried for quite some time. Cain remembered the echoes as he and a few other brave few entered, flashlights being one of the few comforts they had when exploring. He could only speculate, and there were too many details missing to construct a picture of what happened, yet he couldn't help but think that something had occurred here. Some scuffle or...a battle.
It was ironic that such a thing would come to his mind, considering what they found next.
One of the younger men alongside Cain called out to them, having decided to check out one of the rooms to the side. Inside laid papers that had significantly deteriorated, but some among them were able to be partially deciphered. And what was discovered nearly caused Cain a heart attack, as it belonged to a man whose name was a literal legend among the world of robotics, the scientific community, and humanity.
"Dr. Light," Cain repeated to himself. If he didn't have these papers before him at this very moment, he wouldn't have believed it himself. The second he could do so, the older adult retired to his tent and reviewed the notes the team had collected, going over every part of the reports. "What have you been doing?"
The notes spoke and detailed what seemed to be a very peculiar project. It must've been, considering that Dr. Light had made an effort to build a lab in an area such as this, though whether or not it was always underground was still a mystery. Though the mystery of what the notes called "the capsule" was what captivated Cain at the moment. It wasn't strictly descriptive, but one portion of the text could be deciphered.
Cain made his way to his cot, yet he didn't stop reading, only falling asleep near dawn. If what these notes said was true, then that would mean, somewhere, deep in that dark place hidden from the world, a work of Dr. Thomas Light lay hidden. Deep underground, waiting to be discovered.
And he would be the one to unearth it.
April 13th, 210X
As he gazed upon it, Cain's eyes widened to the size of saucers. It was standing fourteen meters high and eight meters wide. The "capsule" mentioned in Dr. Light's notes was finally found.
It had been a couple of days since Cain and his team further searched the lab, their trek slow due to the unknown stability of the place. So it was ironic that what they had been searching for was underneath a collapsed ceiling. But, impressively, the capsule seemed intact and in decent condition (considering all the debris that weighed down on it).
The capsule was brought above ground, yet that was all that was taken, as no one was confident enough to stay for too long in case more of the lab fell. Further searching could be done later. The capsule had been placed in a spare tent, for as far as Cain was concerned, this was a far more extensive and critical find than any fossil of ancient plant life. Everyone was pondering and coming up with theories about what was contained inside, though Cain himself grew rather anxious despite his previous excitement.
True, as one of the team's younger members said, whatever it was, it was a creation of Dr. Light. Anything crafted by a man whose entire legacy was standing up for peace and showing how mechanical humanoids could lead to a better future despite whatever damage another infamous scientist managed to do. But still, Cain was torn.
Ultimately though, it was decided that it would be opened tomorrow. The still functioning indicators read as green, thus indicating that it was safe to open. Or rather, it was ready.
April 14th, 210X
"I guess it's time." Cain reached to press the control that would reveal what had been hidden underground all this time, for who knew how many years.
Once everyone heard something mechanical shift from within the capsule's inner workings, everyone knew there was no going back. Whether they tried to contain their excitement or make it look like they weren't nervous, each member of the digging team froze at what met their eyes.
A machine rested inside, its appearance striking Cain as both familiar and alien. The machine was humanoid in shape and proportioned, though areas such as the calves, feet, forearms, and shoulders were more pronounced. It was covered in blue armor that rested on the larger proportioned sections of its form, lighter areas residing in between, and was less built. It seemed to have a pair of pectorals, indicating that this robot was modeled after the male form. A helmet of blue was on his head; a red stone rested in the center of his forehead. His eyes were closed and his face still and smooth, as if he were deeply asleep, with Cain approaching closer.
Then, the machine's eyes opened.
Everyone leaped back, Cain stumbling over his feet and falling to the ground. The robot saw this and appeared to reach out for the older man, yet he found a high-powered blaster aiming right at his face. It didn't take long for the other droids to follow their friend's example, the blue machine finding himself surrounded by weapons ready to fire at any time.
Then, he stepped out of the capsule, and everyone saw his suitable hand slip into his blue, round forearm. Then a nozzle replaced the hand; the humans surrounding the capsule knew precisely what it was.
A buster. Cain thought, despite the potential peril. Light gave him a buster.
Cain then felt himself being pulled back by a member of his crew. No one dared to say a word lest they perhaps provoke this unfamiliar machine—this supposed "last" creation of Dr. Light.
The blue robot then seemed to stop, his green eyes scanning the area. Was he in any danger? These other machines, far blockier and less human-looking than himself, were ready to fire at him. And the humans around him stared with terrified awe. They were afraid.
"Be patient with them." a voice seemed to say in his head. Not a physical voice, but something from his internal records. The voice recording of a man. An exceptional man. A man that he couldn't exactly recall the name of. "Those who find you may not know who you are, what you are." The robot's green eyes saw the older man approaching him, many eyes just as wide and shocked as his. "They may be afraid." the old man came closer and closer, past the droids, ready to blast the robot if he made any sudden movements. "They may be just as afraid as you will be."
Dr. Cain stepped closer, he and the machine locking eyes with one another. Everyone around them was torn on whether to try and separate the two or wait for the inevitable to happen. They could see it now: this unearthed creature would slay them all and then walk the world, destroying all it could see. They had unleashed a monster.
Cain took another step forward, the robot doing so as well. Cain backed up, the droids ready to fire, and the crew hid behind them. But, in one way or another, everyone's eyes were on the blue machine. And his eyes were on all of them.
The blue robot then appeared to be disheartened. As if he had done something wrong. Cain and the other humans watched as the robot withdrew his buster and put his hands up.
And then the droids moved in to apprehend the strange, new machine.
A Short Time Later
"My God, what have we done?" a younger member of the digging crew asked, pacing back and forth in Cain's tent, the old man still trying to collect himself from what happened. "We've got to kill it."
"Kill it?!" Cain rose from his chair, astonished at what he had just heard. "Are you not aware of just what this means?!"
"Yeah, I know damn well what it means!" the younger digger exclaimed. "It means we've got something up and running that we know nothing about! That capsule's message was scrambled beyond belief, so we don't even know what we're dealing with!"
"You forget," another digger, a woman around the same age, interjected. "This is a creation of Dr. Thomas Light. One of, if not the foremost expert on robotics in the early twenty-first century."
"And?" the other digger asked.
"And, need I remind you of the plethora of accomplishments and contributions he made, not just for science, but for the world?" she argued back. "Bear in mind; we wouldn't HAVE the basic model for how everything from Mechaniloids to simple service droids is constructed!"
"And those creations of Light's were set loose and causing havoc all over the place!"
"That was due to Wily's reprogramming! And besides, you forget just what came AFTER Light's robots were taken."
No one needed any clarification on what the woman was addressing. Or rather, who. "I know well about the assistant bot reformatted into a fighting machine." Finally, another voice chimed in—an older man, younger than Cain but older than the two younger diggers. "And I also know well of the contributions of both Light AND WIly." despite having just entered the tent uninvited, no one thought to force him to leave. If anything, Cain and the two diggers were curious about what he had to say. "The inventions of both of those men changed the world forever. In some ways good, in some ways ill."
"And...what does that have to do with what's going on now?" the younger male digger questioned. "Are you saying that this...thing we dug up is good or ill?"
"I don't know." the older man admitted. "No one knows anything right now." He looked outside the tent, spotting another tent in the distance. The one that the mysterious machine was in. "But I do know that no one here is equipped to handle this."
Cain knew well that was the truth. While the man had his credentials list, he was neither Thomas Light nor an Albert Wily. The man was a paleobotanist, not a robotics expert. He needed a seasoned veteran's view on the situation.
Suddenly, the three diggers turned their attention to Cain, tapping away at his mobile device furiously. "Doctor?" the female digger approached him. "What are you doing?"
"Making a call," Cain answered, continuing to press various numbers. Then, suddenly, the device began ringing, and Cain put it up to his ear. "Ah, yes, hello!" he greeted. "Is a Mr. Fujiwara there?"
The head of the expedition exited the tent, but the other three occupants could hear a woman's voice coming from the device. She sounded somewhat older and had a distinctive accent. "Who's he talking to?" the younger male digger asked.
If he received an answer, Cain didn't acknowledge it, his attention solely devoted to the call he was making. "So, is he there, Cecilia?"
"Yes, yes, he's here!" the woman answered. "What's happened?"
Cain paused for a moment. "I...need him to come down here."
"Come down where? What's going on?"
Again, Cain went silent for a short moment. "We found something that I need him to look at."
April 15th, 210X
Had he fallen asleep?
The blue machine stirred when his optics saw that the sun had come up from the tiny slit in the tent flaps. It was early morning, he was aware of that much, but everything else was lost. He had no idea who these humans dug him up were, let alone how much time had passed since he was first sealed.
And when was that?
His processor was still easing its way out of its dormancy from the long hibernation he was placed in, but he did know that things had changed in the time he had been sealed away. How much, he was still unsure, but he hoped that some sort of clarity would present itself to him. Instead, all he knew now was that he knew next to nothing, the robot had been taken in by this digging crew, and he was to be confined to this tent until further notice.
"Stay here and don't move!" one of the diggers told him, trying to appear intimidating, but his eyes said it all.
He was afraid. They were all afraid. Afraid of him. Just as the voice he remembered said they would be. He still wasn't sure whose voice, but he also recognized that it spoke of patience with those who would find him. But these people didn't seem all that patient. If anything, a good deal of them wanted him contained to this tent indefinitely. And while it was only in passing, he heard some of the diggers talking about ending his life.
Ironically enough, this made the machine want to keep himself inside the tent, away from anyone else. Since yesterday, the robot had been here, and he had little idea how long he would be confined from everyone else. But he suspected it wouldn't be long before they'd pull him out for something.
"He's right over here."
And perhaps that "something" was but a few steps away, the sound of two approaching figures picked up by his audio-receptors.
"In here?" a voice asked, the robot not recognizing it as any of the crew members.
"Yes." that was the man who dug him up! Cain was his name, right? The machine had only heard it in passing when people were talking about what happened. "I'll warn you; he's armed."
"Armed?" the voice asked Cain. "Then why haven't you put him in stasis?"
"He's BEEN in stasis. And the capsule indicated that it was safe to open." Cain told his company. "And so far, he's been compliant with what we've told him to do. He hasn't moved from this tent since yesterday."
Suddenly, the tent flap opened, momentarily blinding the robot before the tent was closed once again. Before him stood Cain and another human. The other human was somewhat taller and much younger. He appeared to be of Asian descent, with short, black hair and round spectacles. He wore a rather professional suit of black: somewhat impractical in an environment so loaded with dust. But whoever this man was, it was clear he was here for business.
"You." the Asian man began, addressing the blue robot. "Can you speak?" the robot nodded. "Then speak. Say something." The robot was silent for a moment. "Can't this thing even follow a basic instruction? Its processing connections must be out of tune."
Cain shook his head. "Perhaps he is just unsure of what to say?"
"What sense does that make?" the Asian man asked. "If it's as advanced as you say, then it should be able to accomplish such a simple request!" He turned to face the blue robot again. "You! Say something!"
"...something?" the machine answered.
Cain was shocked by this action, but the other, younger man seemed unphased. The robot's voice was that of a young man who had just entered adulthood. He sounded unsure and nervous, as if he were the one that was afraid of the younger human demanding an answer from him.
"Where is your tent, Cain?" the younger, suit-wearing man asked.
"Just a short walk from here. Why?"
Without another word, the Asian man turned away from the blue robot, and Cain, the older man, looked back at the robot, just as confused as he was.
"I...I'll be back. But, until then, stay put here. Ok?" here the old man was, talking to this advanced machine like he were a child, but Cain found himself unable to just leave the machine without some sort of clarity on what was going on.
But then again, Cain had little idea himself.
Later That Evening
And thus, the blue robot found himself alone again, everyone wary about getting too close to his tent. He wouldn't lie; he was quite bored. And more than a little anxious to get out of here. On the other hand, the confines of the capsule were not terrible, and a part of him wished that he could return to it. The calm and stillness were peaceful but, at the same time, restricting. Even if he couldn't remember much of anything at the moment, the blue robot knew well of the brief, fleeting thoughts he had in his prolonged rest.
Out. He wanted out.
And now here he was, out. But he was only confined once again. It frustrated him, and he had contemplated going out several times. He had no ill intent against these humans or their helper robots. And, well, if he had to be honest, it wasn't as if anyone could stop him. And if he explained himself, then surely they'd understand. Nevertheless, he wanted out, just for a little bit.
But he was told to wait. And he remembered what the voice told him. The humans WOULD fear him. How could they not? He was something new to them, something unfamiliar. Potentially dangerous even.
But he still wanted out. He would have to wait until later when the camp would be quiet. Then he could go to the lab he had been uncovered from.
He could see if there was something else that those who dug him up had missed.
If some stray bits and pieces of scrambled memory files were correct, he might not have been the only one down there.
Dr. Cain's Tent
"So, let's review." the Asian man began, entirely at a loss for words. "You didn't know what this thing was," he said, Cain only nodding in agreement like a child caught doing something wrong. "You open it up," Cain nodded. "But before that, you know that you're not in the suitable field to deal with this sort of thing," Cain nodded again. He was feeling relatively small right now. "And it's AFTER you open it up that you decide to call someone who is more qualified. Do I have everything right?"
Cain sighed. "Yes. You have everything right, Sho."
The younger man, Sho Fujiwara, took a moment to adjust his glasses, his temple feeling quite sore. "And now, you have…whatever THAT is, up and free in the world."
"But the indicator on the capsule said it was safe to open!" Cain explained. "And, even if I don't mean to dismiss your concerns, I honestly don't think that machine is dangerous."
Sho Fujiwara sighed. "Correction: he hasn't done anything dangerous YET. You said it yourself that this model was given a weapon. A buster." At first, he didn't believe it when Cain told him what he had to show him. But when he pulled back the curtain and saw this machine for himself, it became clear who his creator was.
Still, all of this was quite much to take in. A strange, new machine was dug up, and no one knew its capabilities, let alone just how much damage it could cause. Everyone here was potentially a lamb waiting to be slaughtered. But still, what Cain and his team stumbled upon was something that warranted further study.
"Sho?" Cain asked, the younger of the two men taking a moment to adjust his glasses.
"This expedition is over. Or it will be if you want my help."
"What?" Cain rose from his chair.
"Bring that robot to my lab in Arcadia," Sho told him. "We can go from there."
Cain was about to ask several questions but never got the chance to do so.
"Dr. Cain!" a woman rushed into the tent, clearly panicked. "He's gone!"
Both men were puzzled at first but soon registered what the woman meant. Cain and Fujiwara rushed out of the tent and went over to where the robot had been placed. And sure enough, he was nowhere to be found.
It would just be for a short time! He just needed to see for sure. Then he'd come right back and go back to the tent.
It had just come to him a short time ago, just when he had resisted the urge just to try and walk around the camp again. Perhaps that would show the humans that he had no intention of causing any trouble. But the blue machine knew that he'd either cause panic or be herded back to his prison. He remembered the voice's plea to be patient, yet the machine found that his patience was about spent.
He had to get out. And he planned to do that when everyone had turned in for the night. Then, he could explore the area and return to the tent. It'd be like nothing ever happened. Yet as he finally had a reason to wait, a thought came to him.
Or rather, a memory.
Instead of exploring the outside world, the blue android found himself back in the ruins of the lab he had been recovered from. When he had scanned the area outside the tent, he saw that there were few enough people to where he could sneak by. He had intended to wait just a bit longer, but then it was then that it came to him.
It came to him disorganized and jumbled up, images of young faces, an old man, and the world being light, then fading away from his reach for what he feared was forever. At least, that's what he thought from what he could recall. But he was well aware that he could've pieced it together all wrong. It was all so confusing.
But still, the fact he could at least see images of them, flashes in his memory bank, made him wonder. The old man was dead; a clip showed his relatively poor health. But the others, the machines. Were they sealed up like him? If this was the lab of the old man, then surely they'd be here too, right? They were small, timid, resembling children. He wanted to see if they, or really, anything else the old man had built was down here. He needed to see.
He explored every room yet found nothing of note. So he went down each hallway and corner, the lab being relatively small, so he didn't have to look long. But he still found nothing. Was there indeed no one else here? Was he the sole thing sealed up in this place?
Did this mean that he was the only one left?
No, he shook his head. Impossible. He couldn't be. There had to be someone else. Or at least something else! There had to be! He couldn't be the only one that remained! He couldn't be!
He couldn't be.
Then, as if to answer him, he saw a door hidden behind a large piece of rubble. Drawing out his buster, he blew the rock apart. But after the task, he realized what he had done and was surprised and confused. Logically speaking, he would use his buster: he had it built into him, so its function was to be used. But such a weapon only served him in blowing away debris, not firing on anyone, like those other machines he had seen earlier. So perhaps its use wasn't as clear-cut as he thought. Or did he just do what was called "improvising"?
Whatever the case, he had gotten the blockade out of the way. Prying open the door that had rusted and its opening mechanism having deactivated long ago, the blue android entered the room, hoping that perhaps something awaited him inside.
"Dammit, Cain! What had you done!?" Fujiwara growled, clearly aggravated at this sudden turn of events. "Where's that lab?"
"Just over here!" Cain said, gesturing to the entrance uncovered. Then, the younger man exerted the ruins. "Wait, Sho!" Cain explained, following down in the darkened tunnels. "Hold on a moment!" He turned to one of the diggers. "Bring us a pair of flashlights!"
The digger nodded and went over to fetch some, returning in a short amount of time to give him and Fujiwara. "You're letting me go down there?" the younger Asian man asked.
"No," Cain answered. "But it's clear that whatever I say isn't going to stop you." he then took a few steps ahead. "But you need to be careful. This place doesn't seem that stable."
With that warning, the two men searched for the missing robot, looking throughout the lab to find him. "So, he's nowhere on site. You're sure of that?" Fujiwara questioned.
Cain nodded. "Yes. He was told to stay put, but-"
"But, he hasn't," Fujiwara noted. Even if he was frustrated at Cain's inexperience and naivety regarding robotics and matters such as these, the scientist had to admit that the robot broke a command given to it was fascinating. How would he be able to do that? "This robot, it's a creation of Dr. Light, yes?"
"Yes, that's what the notes said," Cain answered. "I don't mean to diminish your concerns or anything, but I do wonder if maybe this thing is-"
"Is what?"
"Well, if it…he's as dangerous as we fear he may be. After all, no one has been injured, man or machine, and up until now, he's behaved well in a manner of speaking.
Fujiwara shook his head. "It's not about what has been or is," he answered. "It's about what could be." Especially if we don't get this thing under control first.
Suddenly, Cain's flashlight caught something. "Look! I think I see him!"
Inside a room with the door partially shut, Cain and Fujiwara navigated over the large chunks of rock that had been the blockade. They saw the blue machine upon entering the room, yet there was something else.
Someone else.
Lying atop of an operating table typically found in a lab, a small form rested on it, hands clasped over their chest and their eyes closed as if they were asleep. It was a machine, for sure, appearing to be that of a young girl. Her hair was blonde and kept in a ponytail, and she wore a red dress with a white collar, black sleeves, and red boots. The blue robot leaned over her, studying her.
He couldn't remember. He couldn't remember, but he had seen her face before. He had seen her and the faces of several others before.
Where were they now?