With Mecha Sonic, Robo Knuckles, and Tails Doll defeated, you've successfully kept Chicago safe, and dealt a blow to Eggman's forces. Still, there's a lot that's left unexplained. Who was that mysterious voice? Why did these robots look so different from the ones you've seen before now? Why didn't Sonic and friends recognize them? There's no answers to your questions today, unfortunately.
You'll be escorted home by the trio after everyone's picked themselves up, healed off the damage, and had a moment to recover. Feel free to play out the immediate aftermath and/or the return to the base in this post!
[ It seems to More that the professor wanted to have his cake and eat it too, to make a copy of himself and then bar him from all that defines him. He frowns deeply. ]
A week in this world has not been enough for me to gain a deeper understanding of robotics. It would be difficult for me to talk about your situation in terms deemed precise or even accurate, but...
From where I am standing, this sounds like a curse. A cruel curse, cast on a caring heart.
[Turo doesn't seem to entirely know what to do with that. His gaze darts towards More, and then returns to the racks for several quiet moments. He doesn't seem to be really looking at the clothes.]
...it is...not so defined a situation as you might think. An intelligent machine such as myself is not technically possible to create in my world. Maybe one day, but not now. The location we were in contained a certain mysterious energy - that is what drew him there in the first place. Among other properties, it allows for technology that operates on a much higher level than should be physically possible. The only time I tried to leave the area, I became something no more than the computers Tails keeps.
[An experience that haunts him on a number of levels. He'd been able to feel it happening, at least for a few seconds...is that what it is like for humans to decline with age, or suffer certain injuries?]
So as far as our world is concerned, he has the right to do as he likes with his property.
[Maybe if there were more like him, if they were more broadly known, that would change? Turo could have tried that. But he was afraid. As long as everything down there was secret, at least it was safe.]
[ "Property". The word stings to just hear. Slavery is not entirely unheard of in Euchronia and disguised forms of it run rampant through society even if called by other names. It's not unthinkable to call a person someone's property... but being thinkable does not make it right. ]
You're not property. He may have created you, but that makes you his belonging no more than a child is the property of their parents.
[ Many people also do see children that way, naturally, but they're wrong yet again. ]
There are many things in the world that are tolerated or encouraged by the crown... or by whatever ruling body exists in your world... that are still moral wrongs waiting to be corrected.
What's been done to you is an injustice. I see that much quite plainly.
[He continues petting the squirrel, because I totally mixed up these threads lmao]
I would like to think that. It is...not something I am used to. It's easier now, after what he tried to do to the children, but that - that's different. [That's kids, of course that was wrong.]
[ We're at Hot Topic. We're at the Squirrel Zone. We're at the Combination Hot Topic Squirrel Zone.
Though More won't say it, he feels an instant wave of relief at the wording. 'Tried to' means he didn't succeed in reality. That boy is alive. Those girls are alive. Thank goodness. ]
You have time to think it through again, now. Speaking from my own experience, confinement and solitude cloud the mind... but you're free now, to walk this world and form opinions based on more than commands or mere theory. It is my sincere hope that you'll find new meaning for yourself in this, my friend.
[Those might-have-been dreams are the worst ones. But Turo doesn't know quite which version More saw; he dreams of it the way it really happened too.]
I'm not sure I know how. But it's a nice idea.
[That's all he really means to say. But after a moment, more bursts out in a quick torrent:]
Before...that, I had thought...I'm not sure. I never could have gone anywhere else, but I had thought I might try to do something of my own, if I survived long enough. But after I found out about the Protocol - it was too dangerous for me to stay.
[ If Turo wasn't still holding the brainwashed squirrel, More might have actually grabbed his hands here for support and emphasis. Because the squirrel is there, he has to be good and hold back from dramatics. ]
And thus you didn't stay. You came here. There's no 'time machine' for you to be forced to warp your being around.
Once we save this world, you could choose to remain here and make a life for yourself. Your path is as open as the sky.
[It is, isn't it...? The thing that always kept him tied to the time machine was the Tera crystals. But now he's away from them, and somehow he's still alive. If it stays like that...]
...I...don't even know what I would want to do.
[This is a good thing! He knows he sounds - ungrateful, or something, probably. But he's never had any real freedom of choice before, and now that he does...what's he supposed to do with it?]
You have time to give it due consideration. For now, we are obliged to help out Sonic, our liberator, and it will keep us busy.
[ There's conflicting emotions inside of More when he thinks of that. For one, he feels guilty for his own uselessness. His spot on the team would have been better served by being given to somebody else. On the other hand, he's glad that they have a mission to focus on, before he has to make decisions about his own existence and where to go from here. There's someone at home whom he owes support, but is that enough to voluntarily go back to his prison?
Somewhere in this conversation, More has grown tired of holding his ice bag up, so it's now resting in his lap, cold and kind of wet. He looks down on it. ]
... very busy, and worse, if today was anything to go by.
[ There are black and blue bruises all over his body, hidden nicely under his clothes, and he's still mildly dizzy from that hit to the head, but... it's fine, right? Others had it a lot worse. And the worst of the worst was healed up. His chest may be in bandages, but the depth of the Mecha Sonic cut has reduced to a mere uncomfortable scrape. ]
I was ill-prepared for a real confrontation with the enemy.
[A ready admission; he's hardly a combatant. His poor performance was fairly obvious to everyone. But that is not his focus.]
I am sure the healers could do something for it. Triage happened hours ago, I don't think you need to worry about taking their attention from someone else anymore.
[Straightening a bit and turning his body more fully towards More.]
Is it your chest still, or something else?
[He saw that he was injured there earlier, when he was still trying to help gather people up for the healers, but he'd rather thought it must have been resolved. Their powers did a wonder for him, after all.]
[ A part of More is touched about the apparent concern, but a larger part of him simply feels shame for how badly he performed today. ]
The chest injury has healed up except for shallow scabs, it itches more than it hurts now. The healing magic here is really quite astounding. It is a rare art, even in my world.
[ ... but maybe he shouldn't descend into nerdery as a deflection tactic. ]
... I was hit with quite a few pieces of debris flying through the field. I may have to sleep off some... residual dizziness from that ordeal.
[Granted, Turo wasn't a medical doctor, and Turo (AI) hasn't learned or been programmed with the knowledge since. But he's always known humans are far more fragile than himself, and he didn't come out of that fight too well either.]
I'm not sure you ought to be sleeping without some kind of observation. Not if you might have a concussion...
[He leans forward to peer closely at him, and also quite possibly opens WebMD in a separate tab of like, his brain.]
[ Euchronia has a concept of a concussion as an effect of a heavy shaking of the brain, but the modern conception of what to watch out for afterwards is foreign to More... so he's a little bit startled by this amount of attention, help. ]
I shouldn't...? Then maybe I will attempt to remain awake for the rest of the night. I could busy myself with my reading, but I am not certain I'd be able to focus my brain in this state...
[Fortunately it only lasts a second or two, before Turo decides that it isn't working. He'd need to get more in More's face to really judge his pupils, which is...honestly just not something he feels comfortable doing. He'd do it anyway if he thought there was significant risk, but he's seemed pretty normal this entire conversation, at least.]
If...it is not too presumptuous, I do not mind keeping an eye on you. It is not really necessary for me to shut down every night.
Normally, More tries to avoid sleep as much as possible. There is much to see and study in this world and sleep is only taking precious time that could be spent learning or socializing. But after today? His whole body aches and he is fatigued to the core. It would prove stressful and difficult to stay awake all night in such conditions.
So... ]
You are truly gracious, far beyond mere common decency. I... would be grateful to have you watching over me. If opportunity arises, I hope you will allow me to take care of you in kind.
[He's not sure it really is that far beyond common decency. He's also not sure he should accept the counter-offer. It just...doesn't feel right, having someone offer him help that way.
But that's how a team is supposed to function, is it not? That's how people, in general, are supposed to function. He should at least try.]
You should tell me if you made any progress with this little fellow, when I wake up.
[ The squirrel is, for the record, still adorable. Even in its dazed state. It's a good squirrel.
And though maybe there are things he should be taking care of before just laying down, the offer of being watched over has taken the last push of adrenaline out of More's system. He tries to stifle a yawn behind a raised hand. And then decides to give up and just curl up on one of the other couches in the room. ]
[His friend? Turo's surprised enough to hesitate a moment.]
...goodnight. Sleep well.
[He really must have been tired! Turo rises after a moment and goes to sit on one of the couches nearer to More's, where he can keep an eye on him. The squirrel comes along, naturally. He doubts there will be any change in it so quickly, but he can easily look after both of them at the same time.]
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no subject
A week in this world has not been enough for me to gain a deeper understanding of robotics. It would be difficult for me to talk about your situation in terms deemed precise or even accurate, but...
From where I am standing, this sounds like a curse. A cruel curse, cast on a caring heart.
no subject
...it is...not so defined a situation as you might think. An intelligent machine such as myself is not technically possible to create in my world. Maybe one day, but not now. The location we were in contained a certain mysterious energy - that is what drew him there in the first place. Among other properties, it allows for technology that operates on a much higher level than should be physically possible. The only time I tried to leave the area, I became something no more than the computers Tails keeps.
[An experience that haunts him on a number of levels. He'd been able to feel it happening, at least for a few seconds...is that what it is like for humans to decline with age, or suffer certain injuries?]
So as far as our world is concerned, he has the right to do as he likes with his property.
[Maybe if there were more like him, if they were more broadly known, that would change? Turo could have tried that. But he was afraid. As long as everything down there was secret, at least it was safe.]
no subject
You're not property. He may have created you, but that makes you his belonging no more than a child is the property of their parents.
[ Many people also do see children that way, naturally, but they're wrong yet again. ]
There are many things in the world that are tolerated or encouraged by the crown... or by whatever ruling body exists in your world... that are still moral wrongs waiting to be corrected.
What's been done to you is an injustice. I see that much quite plainly.
no subject
[He continues petting the squirrel, because I totally mixed up these threads lmao]
I would like to think that. It is...not something I am used to. It's easier now, after what he tried to do to the children, but that - that's different. [That's kids, of course that was wrong.]
no subject
We're at Hot Topic. We're at the Squirrel Zone. We're at the Combination Hot Topic Squirrel Zone.Though More won't say it, he feels an instant wave of relief at the wording. 'Tried to' means he didn't succeed in reality. That boy is alive. Those girls are alive. Thank goodness. ]
You have time to think it through again, now. Speaking from my own experience, confinement and solitude cloud the mind... but you're free now, to walk this world and form opinions based on more than commands or mere theory. It is my sincere hope that you'll find new meaning for yourself in this, my friend.
no subject
I'm not sure I know how. But it's a nice idea.
[That's all he really means to say. But after a moment, more bursts out in a quick torrent:]
Before...that, I had thought...I'm not sure. I never could have gone anywhere else, but I had thought I might try to do something of my own, if I survived long enough. But after I found out about the Protocol - it was too dangerous for me to stay.
no subject
And thus you didn't stay. You came here. There's no 'time machine' for you to be forced to warp your being around.
Once we save this world, you could choose to remain here and make a life for yourself. Your path is as open as the sky.
no subject
...I...don't even know what I would want to do.
[This is a good thing! He knows he sounds - ungrateful, or something, probably. But he's never had any real freedom of choice before, and now that he does...what's he supposed to do with it?]
no subject
[ There's conflicting emotions inside of More when he thinks of that. For one, he feels guilty for his own uselessness. His spot on the team would have been better served by being given to somebody else. On the other hand, he's glad that they have a mission to focus on, before he has to make decisions about his own existence and where to go from here. There's someone at home whom he owes support, but is that enough to voluntarily go back to his prison?
Somewhere in this conversation, More has grown tired of holding his ice bag up, so it's now resting in his lap, cold and kind of wet. He looks down on it. ]
... very busy, and worse, if today was anything to go by.
no subject
[He shakes his head sharply. Of course, he's getting ahead of himself. He's not exactly done serving other peoples' ends yet.
(That's not fair. What's happening here is wrong, and they need help - and he did agree. He just...it's not like he really had much choice, is it?)
The movement attracts his attention to the ice, anyway.]
...you are not still injured, are you?
no subject
[ There are black and blue bruises all over his body, hidden nicely under his clothes, and he's still mildly dizzy from that hit to the head, but... it's fine, right? Others had it a lot worse. And the worst of the worst was healed up. His chest may be in bandages, but the depth of the Mecha Sonic cut has reduced to a mere uncomfortable scrape. ]
I was ill-prepared for a real confrontation with the enemy.
no subject
[A ready admission; he's hardly a combatant. His poor performance was fairly obvious to everyone. But that is not his focus.]
I am sure the healers could do something for it. Triage happened hours ago, I don't think you need to worry about taking their attention from someone else anymore.
no subject
[ More than More, certainly. It's not like he did anything of any use today. ]
These injuries pose no danger to me, all I need is rest.
no subject
Is it your chest still, or something else?
[He saw that he was injured there earlier, when he was still trying to help gather people up for the healers, but he'd rather thought it must have been resolved. Their powers did a wonder for him, after all.]
no subject
The chest injury has healed up except for shallow scabs, it itches more than it hurts now. The healing magic here is really quite astounding. It is a rare art, even in my world.
[ ... but maybe he shouldn't descend into nerdery as a deflection tactic. ]
... I was hit with quite a few pieces of debris flying through the field. I may have to sleep off some... residual dizziness from that ordeal.
no subject
[BRO]
no subject
I did not lose consciousness! It should be fine.
no subject
[Granted, Turo wasn't a medical doctor, and Turo (AI) hasn't learned or been programmed with the knowledge since. But he's always known humans are far more fragile than himself, and he didn't come out of that fight too well either.]
I'm not sure you ought to be sleeping without some kind of observation. Not if you might have a concussion...
[He leans forward to peer closely at him, and also quite possibly opens WebMD in a separate tab of like, his brain.]
no subject
I shouldn't...? Then maybe I will attempt to remain awake for the rest of the night. I could busy myself with my reading, but I am not certain I'd be able to focus my brain in this state...
no subject
If...it is not too presumptuous, I do not mind keeping an eye on you. It is not really necessary for me to shut down every night.
no subject
Normally, More tries to avoid sleep as much as possible. There is much to see and study in this world and sleep is only taking precious time that could be spent learning or socializing. But after today? His whole body aches and he is fatigued to the core. It would prove stressful and difficult to stay awake all night in such conditions.
So... ]
You are truly gracious, far beyond mere common decency. I... would be grateful to have you watching over me. If opportunity arises, I hope you will allow me to take care of you in kind.
no subject
But that's how a team is supposed to function, is it not? That's how people, in general, are supposed to function. He should at least try.]
...of course. Think nothing of it, really.
no subject
[ The squirrel is, for the record, still adorable. Even in its dazed state. It's a good squirrel.
And though maybe there are things he should be taking care of before just laying down, the offer of being watched over has taken the last push of adrenaline out of More's system. He tries to stifle a yawn behind a raised hand. And then decides to give up and just curl up on one of the other couches in the room. ]
Goodnight, my friend.
no subject
...goodnight. Sleep well.
[He really must have been tired! Turo rises after a moment and goes to sit on one of the couches nearer to More's, where he can keep an eye on him. The squirrel comes along, naturally. He doubts there will be any change in it so quickly, but he can easily look after both of them at the same time.]