Chapter Text
MAIN PREMISE
This slice-of-life AU takes place in EPCOT, ranging from 1989 to the present day. It depicts various moments in time between the cranium commandos + Bobby, both during and after the closure of the attraction (which is often referred to as “the presentation.”)
The Wonders of Life pavilion houses Cranium Command, whereas Cranium Command houses not only the command center that guests would enter, but hidden, military-esque bases and offices scattered throughout the queue.
COMMANDOS
Buzzy
Age: 27
Buzzy is the (former, depending on the context of the drabble) host of the Cranium Command presentation. Humble, determined and empathetic, he tries to see the good in everyone and everything. However, when words don’t work and situations are hard, he doesn’t shy away from growing much more assertive.
-He sees Bobby as his son. Whereas most commandos tend to rotate their crafts, Buzzy chose to stay with Bobby due to his high empathy and strong paternal pull. At first, General Knowledge agreed to it as a result of still looking down on him, yet once Buzzy scored the role as the head of the Cranium Command presentation, he truly acknowledged their bond and still does what he can to help them out.
-Buzzy is a natural born explorer. He loves making friends and he’s always out and about, almost always wandering through Epcot at night.
-Suffers from generalized anxiety disorder and often resorts to trichotillomania as a poor coping mechanism. It’s something that’s being worked on.
-While he tries his hardest to not let it show, the constant torment during his first few weeks on the job did get to his head. While he enjoys hanging out with his fellow comrades, he’s fully convinced that they all despise him; he just takes advantage of the fact that they haven’t told him to get lost yet.
-He knows some of the most useless, niche trivia facts ever.
Captain Cortex
Age: 28
Intro piece: https://archiveofourown.org/works/78982391/chapters/207172741
Cortex is a bold, impulsive and cocky retired commando, who prides himself on his time as the host of the Cranium Command presentation before Buzzy came along. He often comes off as brash and a “control freak”, yet cares in his own way that not even he himself can fully comprehend yet.
-He’s afraid of a lot of things, especially dogs and particularly puppies. However, he’s far too egotistical to admit it…or any of his flaws, at that.
-He isn’t mad at Buzzy for replacing him; he blames the corporation entirely and is deeply, DEEPLY resentful and traumatized from his time spent decaying in the storage closet (view, “Forgotten Yesterdays”). Despite getting a little snarky here and there when he’s struggling to process things, he’s admittedly good at stopping and acknowledging who’s really at fault before going overboard.
-As a further result of the corporation’s neglect, Cortex lives with hyperthyroidism that was discovered upon his attempted reintegration. It visibly manifests through swollen eyes, weaker muscles, a low body weight and an extreme heat intolerance. He appears a lot more fragile than he really is, however; something he uses to his full cunning advantage.
-He has a beautiful singing voice. Unfortunately, he’s afraid to use it after the public humiliation session that ensued when the test audience witnessed his presentation. (He also knows how to beatbox. He’s very proud of that.)
Sito
Age: 27
-Sito is an outgoing, highly intelligent commando in Buzzy’s platoon. She enjoys cracking bad jokes and hanging out with other commandos, effortlessly scoring some of the highest ranked crafts with little effort. Despite claiming to not take her job seriously, she doesn’t hesitate to act when situations are tense and has always been regarded as one of the best in the fleet.
-Sito joined the military at 18 to escape a difficult home life. Her first few experiences with it weren’t what she wanted it to be, and she only experienced true peace upon joining the Cranium Command.
-She is extremely prone to burnout and loses motivation and interest in things very quickly and easily. One day, she’ll be inventing something that’s globally renowned, and the next she’ll be sitting on the couch all day, sleeping and eating junk food.
General Knowledge
The sergeant of the Cranium Command, the man running the whole shebang. Hard-headed, ruthless and extremely demanding, the General wants nothing more than a functional, structured fleet of cranium commandos. He will do anything to ensure success and precision in the art of piloting, including driving his recruits to collapse if they don’t live up to his standards.
-The General’s behavioral motives aren’t power. He is severely mortified by all the injustices in the world, and wants to make things right as soon as possible. If he was granted one wish, world peace would be it…followed up by a vacation to the Caribbean.
-As a commando-in-training, his first assignment was to pilot the brain of a puppy. As a result, he’s the biggest dog person you’ll ever meet.
Trousdale
Age: 29
Athletic, respectful and efficient, Trousdale is one of the driving forces of the Cranium Command. He has made major contributions to the real world’s athleticism field and is widely renowned amongst his comrades as well. However, he remains level-headed and modest through it all.
-Many people on the Cranium Command tend to view Trousdale like a father-like figure, due to his sternness, reserved energy and helpful advice. However, Buzzy, Sito, Neo and Burton view him as the least serious person known to man and goof off around him like there’s no tomorrow.
-Despite his serious demeanor, Trousdale will never turn down a good party or chaotic plan. Thanks to his days of piloting a frat boy in college, he loves having fun.
-He is commonly confused with Burton, for reasons neither of them can figure out. Sometimes, however, if the occasion is unimportant, he’ll play along with it and see how long it takes the other commando to realize who he is.
-Trousdale is humble until it comes to Neo. Their friendship manifests as a playful rivalry due to both of them sharing a similar amount of physical strength, thus leading to them constantly trying to one-up each other.
Burton
Age: 27
Charming, playful and sociable, Burton is a welcoming presence on the Cranium Command. He engages in conversation with others on the force whenever he can and is good at soothing their nerves through distracting, reasonable words. He’s best friends with Sito and was the only commando who never initially doubted Buzzy’s abilities.
-Burton is an (often unintentional) instigator prone to switching up. He struggles to stick to his word, often coming up with cunning ideas and concepts, only to try backing out of them once they actually become a reality.
-Burton is often pursued by many members of the Cranium Command’s other platoons. However, he is blissfully unaware and belongs to the aromantic / asexual spectrum.
-During the takeoff that was seen in the preshow, HQ forgot to assign him a craft. As a result, he had to work on craft design until the next rotationals, something that he really enjoyed and still does simultaneously.
Neuro Logical (Neo)
Age: 28
Birthday: May 12, 1988
Intro piece: https://archiveofourown.org/works/80596846/chapters/211674376
Bitter, sarcastic and independent, Neuro Logical is the estranged granddaughter of General Knowledge. She first appears in the attraction’s pre-show, where she can be seen rolling her eyes at Buzzy right before takeoff. She serves in a separate platoon of the Cranium Command to Buzzy, Burton, Sito and Trousdale, yet commonly has to endure mission overlap with them.
-Neo has a lot of tension with Buzzy due to his constant, unintentional interference with her personal space. He tends to bump into her frequently and makes a lot of noise when staggering around her proximity, something she doesn’t like in the slightest.
-Before the closure of the Cranium Command presentation, her final craft was a young girl with a brain tumor. Neo had to be forcefully dragged out of her skull and never got the chance to pilot again; this haunts her deeply.
ANATOMY
Buzzy and Cortex aren’t the animatronics they are in canon; they’re much more human-like, yet still fall under the robotic category with a ridiculous amount of hydraulics inside of them. General Knowledge, Sito, Burton, Trousdale and Neo, however, are products of some unknown biological mutation. They fully resemble and function like humans, yet aren’t under any set classification. Nobody knows where they came from: not even themselves.
Despite having set ages, nobody actually grows older over the years (cartoon logic).
The cast members and “corporation”, however, all have no idea the commandos have any sentience. They’re fully under the impression that Buzzy is a worthless, recyclable object and his comrades are bound to screens. Likewise, they think Cortex is still inside the storage closet they shoved him into after the Colossal Pictures variant of the presentation bombed; they don’t care enough to check.
Most importantly, there’s the major historical inaccuracy. Allegedly, the actual Buzzy animatronic was built AS Captain Cortex, and then touched up and reclothed. However, since they’re two different humanoids in this AU, things go the body horror route. Buzzy is his own being, containing some of Cortex’s parts that the workers removed to build him; essentially, the OG commando got partially gutted. While hidden underneath his clothes, he has gaping wires and hydraulics exposed everywhere.
OTHERS
Hypothalamus
Monotone, helpful and slightly self-depreciating, Hypothalamus is Bobby’s most important brain structure and Buzzy’s best friend. He often has no other choice but to serve as the straight man to everyone around him, General Knowledge included. Despite frequently undermining his own abilities, everyone does their best to let him know he’s loved.
-Hypothalamus has the interests of the average Grandpa in a retirement home (and the author). Chess, reading classic literature + newspapers and looking at photography.
-He has a tendency to say brash, offensive things he doesn’t really mean to say. It often ends with him shrinking back in embarrassment and trying to keep his talking to a minimum for the next week or so.
-Even though it has nothing to do with his job, he’s extremely dreamy. He spends a lot of his free time imagining himself as a beloved celebrity (or going out with his crush, Robot Butler)
Bobby
Age: 12
Hyperactive, loyal and innovative, Bobby is the craft of Buzzy. He radiates chaotic energy and is extremely passionate about the things he loves, willing to go to whatever lengths he must to defend the people who mean the world to him. Despite being a little scatterbrained, his intentions are always for the best.
-He unfortunately had to go by for years struggling with undiagnosed ADHD, anxiety and rumination syndrome. As a result, it caused both him and Buzzy a lot of mental turmoil due to external ridicule from others.
-Grew up forced to be on the track team by his mother. He complained the entire time and hated it with his entire being, yet it did wonders on his speed that he never lost.
Annie
Age: 12
Smart, easygoing and kind, Annie is Bobby’s girlfriend. She doesn’t hold back when it comes to telling people how she feels and she never forgets faces and kind gestures, always going out of her way to make people’s days a little better.
-Annie is a massive animal lover. Coming from a wealthy family, her parents own multiple cats, dogs and horses at home, all of which she loves and cares for immensely.
-Annie’s pilot is unknown. Buzzy has constantly tried to drop little gestures and hints in attempts to figure out who they are, yet to no avail.