409 conflict [marquis & Earinor]

>Cybernetics Headquaters, Dr. Frisks Office

Dr. Frisk heard her fair share of complaints about Nova, but whenever she or Dr. Fowler talked to him, he had an explanation and was nice and forthcoming and every time they checked the recordings of both models, there was nothing that would suggest anything was wrong. Sometimes she wondered if other models were jealous of him, he'd always been commands favorite and after Zeros supposed failure, he might stay their favorite a while longer. Dr. Frisk looked at Orion, trying to gauge what they were thinking or feeling. "Outburst you say? That doesn't sound like Nova at all. He is harsh, yes and I don't believe any of his brothers and sisters like him very much, but that is not a priority for command, you know that. Maybe though, if you'd tried to be his friend, he'd feel better? Maybe that would calm him down.", the doctor suggested. Command didn't care if their models had friends and they certainly didn't want them to have families. Dr. Fowler fought for more human interaction and him as well as Dr. Frisk were mediating and lending an ear where they could, but otherwise, there was just no money to help those poor souls. "Mhm... that sounds more like him. He tends to go all out on missions, not caring about his own safety. I know he likes to work alone, but Dr. Fowler thinks it would be better for him to have a partner. You're open minded and friendly, that is probably why he recommended you, though I can't speak for him. If it is too much though, I can talk to him and command and see to it that you won't be assigned to the same mission as Nova again." Dr. Frisk furrowed her brows a bit. "Not everything is fixable with drugs and modifications. Your bodies go through a lot already and I don't think that is the way to help Nova with any issues he might have. I can talk to him, but I am not like him, you are. Maybe he needs someone who understands him?", she suggested. Orion didn't seem like they wanted to be Novas friend though and that was totally fine. "There is nothing to be jealous about. I know you are all intimidated by Zero, but he's still being tested and developed and there is only one of him. I will speak to Nova about him, maybe I'll talk to all of you. You're not going to be replaced, so don't worry."

>Cybernetics Headquarters, Dr. Frisks Office

Orion sneered at the suggestion. “Have any of you ever actually seen how Nova acts put there? If anything, he does his job, but it’s sloppy and the amount of rage he puts into it could be used elsewhere. It’s all self-serving in the end, and if those weren’t orders, he wouldn’t even consider them.”, they sighed. Doctor Frisk tried, she truly did, but this seemed like a wad of excuses for someone that needed an entire re-education, or maybe even the electric chair to fix some faulty wires. “I can tell you that someone like him doesn’t want friends, trust me on that. You should hear him! All he cares about is Doctor Fowler and that’s it. If I didn’t know it better then I’d assume he’d propose to him with a ring made out of an enemies bones.” Orion rubbed their temples, this was going nowhere. Who would want to be that lunatics friend anyway? None of them even tried after all, partially due to his standing with command, sometimes because he was nothing more than a nuisance to be around for some of them. A headache best avoided, huh? “I think Nova should get grounded, actually. What use is he if he can’t even do his missions with a partner? He’s a liability to all of us, more than he is an asset to anyone. You’ll hear the same complaints from the others, I assure you that.” Playing with Nova hadn’t gone Orions way and now, why, they’d make Nova pay for it, simply because they didn’t like him. What a pissant. Making him enjoy some time in confinement, grounded to the earth, wouldn’t that help him too? “His social skills are lacking enough for him to be a danger to all of us.”, they were quick to put their foot down again. “We both don’t understand him and won’t reach an agreement. Maybe you could ask Doctor Fowler to talk to him after you had a talk with him and judge the difference in character he has, it’ll be uncanny. Tell you what, Dr. Frisk, I’ll bet you a box of tea that he’ll be dismissive with you and gobble up whatever Dr. Fowler tells him, even if it’s the same thing.” Orion meant it, they already knew that if Doctor Fowler ever told Nova to get on his knees and just so what he wanted him to, he’d do that as well - whatever to please the one he loved the most, no? Zero had to stop being a failure sooner. “Don’t let those words bite you in the ass when he and his brethren eventually do replace us, Dr. Frisk. You and Dr. Fowler do great work, teach us how to be human and help us through those struggles of becoming less than human, and yet, you use a machine that we never quite get to be to replace us with down the road. I don’t mind, in fact, I really don’t care - but the others might. Don’t tell someone something you can’t guarantee.”

>Cybernetics Headquarters, Dr. Frisks Office

For a while Dr. Frisk just listened. She wasn't here to judge either Orion or Nova and she didn't even have all the data. There had been multiple complaints yes, but nothing to back them up and the only reason she could come up with for it, was that Nova was stepping on peoples feet and that others were maybe jealous of him. Command always praised him, telling everyone he was their best model yet and whenever she talked to Nova, he was polite and forthcoming. There was nothing that indicated behavioural issues in the slightest, likewise an outburst of emotion was unlike Orion as well. They usually were calm and collected and not interested in any drama. They kept to themselves mostly and they rather searched for friendships outside of the souls. Dr. Frisk listened, but was there anything she could say about it? Dr. Fowler was so much better at this. "I promise I take your complaint seriously and I will relay it to the appropriate people. This will be looked into, but I am not in a position to make any decision regarding any of you. I'm here to listen and I hear you. What I or Dr. Fowler discuss with any other Souls is between us, so I don't want to comment on it too much. What I can tell you is that Zero is far from finished, he's still a child. It's okay to be worried about him too, all of you have a right to be and I'll make sure Dr. Fowler will also talk to all of you regarding him. Nobody wants to shut you down, especially not Dr. Fowler." She made a short break and looked at Orion with a smile. "I am sorry I am not much help it seems."

> Cybernetics Headquarters, Dr. Frisks Office

Orion was quite happy to assume that the few of the humans he generally trusted were incapable of doing the easiest things half of the time. Perhaps, thinking about Doctor Frisk that way was harsh but not wrong - she didn’t hold much power and her meddling was almost close to useless, if they would want to assume that she even would try to meddle with anything or anyone. A deep sigh left their lips and they thought about it; she was right about her own uselessness at least and self-reflection would definitely help her with getting better at this job of hers, even though he didn’t want to assume that she’d manage to do anything feasible in the long run, not for them. “You’re fine, you’re just you, another worker ant trapped in an endless cycle, like me or Nova, or the doctor. In the end, we’re all the same, somehow.”, Orion was eventually mumbling, knowing they were definitely not agreeing with an ideology like that - they knew they were better, and yet, compassion for the weak was often an appropriate tool. They finished their tea and then got back up, eyeing the young doctor one last time. “Thank you for talking to me.” They were on their way out sooner than they had arrived - maybe Nova was back and already crying in Doctor Fowlers lap? That would be fun to witness, yet, Orion knew it wasn’t so.

> Cybernetics Headquarters, Abandoned wing

After Nova came back he had an anticipated call from Dr. Frisk who wanted to talk to him. He knew Orion would be a bitch about the whole ordeal and he knew how to deal with it. He was very well able to be friendly and nice and he knew when to act it out. Command wasn't the only factor, he made sure to always be good around Dr. Frisk and Dr. Fowler. He never talked bad about anyone and he even defended Orion after their complaint, wishing to keep their name out of anything that would happen. He provided his fake video evidence and that was that. He was still stressed out though. Not because of Orion, but because of that vanished baby. He needed to find it somehow, but not today. He had to remain in the facility, especially with some pot being stirred again. Tonight he decided to go adventure in the abandoned parts of the facility again, altering camera footage on the way to make it seem as if he'd never been there. Oddly enough he felt watched today though, but there was no one around him, not a single soul, he checked three times. He ended up in a room full of junk, broken parts of old Soul models. He rummaged through them, not searching for anything specific, he was just curious what he could find. There were some reports that were damaged and he didn't want to take the time to repair them. The feeling of being watched remained and he thought about shutting off the cameras completely. Half of them didn't even work and nobody checked them, one less wouldn't be weird, but instead, as he grabbed a piece of junk and lifted it up, he almost punch the face looking back at him. "Whoa, for a second there I thought you are alive!", he chuckled. A old soul model, mostly intact? That was interesting.

>It's alive.<, a voice echoed in his mind.

"Who are you?!", Nova yelled out, getting up and throwing the piece of junk he still held in his hands to the side. He looked around, but he didn't see anyone. Who was this? Then it dawned on him, he didn't hear this voice, not with his ears anyway.

>They call me Soul-Zero. I apologize if I have startled you.<

"You? What is this about? And stop hacking into my system!" Nova already tried to get him out, but to no avail. Everything he threw at him he easily cracked a second later. Who was this guy?!

>I apologize. I don't find anything else around here to communicate with. I will be quiet if you prefer, but either way, I just wanted to keep you from hurting this model. It is alive.<

"What do you know about it?" Nova waited. "It's fine, you can talk to me... ugh..."

>Nothing. I just followed you here.<

"What?! Why?!"

>I was curious... I think.<

"Ugh you're weird. Stop following people, that is rude."

>... Acknowledged.<

"How do you know he's alive anyway?"

>I can access him, like I can access you. His ability to speak is unavailable. His data is fragmented. Access to serial number... impossible. Chances of awakening 0.1%. Chances increase by 25.57% if provided with power.<

"You... ugh, fine, but can you speak less like a robot?"

>... I will try.<

Nova walked closer to the broken model, pulling it out and checking it's body. "Is this to power it? This thing looks ancient."

>It is.<

"Fine, I'll give it a spark." And so he did.

> Cybernetics Headquarters, Abandoned wing

Some things were better left in the past, forced to rot and and decay, but this thing itself was meant for eternity, were it not for the fact it had become a massive scrapyard for others, too. When was the last time anything in here worked? Years ago, maybe ten, maybe twenty, maybe even more - some of the junk in here was once vainglorious, tasked with protecting what was once humanity and succeeding in doing so, paving a way forward for its newer, better and enhanced cousins that roamed the laboratory right about now. Nothing here would move or stir, it was like a sealed graveyard that was desecrated by a plunderer, picking out his ancestors jewelry for his own gains and they, why, wouldn’t deny him - he was but a byproduct and an after effect of their lives. A spark, though, it could change a few things in the land of the dead that never died - in the end, they’d simply been turned off and torn apart, entered eternal slumber and most of them had faded out of their torn up and shredded husks, but those few that were tethered to something else? There was no chance for them to leave, and they all knew that, even in their dreams, their eternal rest.

There was a crackle, one would assume it to be a fried synapse and a failed command, a singed cable in someones brain or close to it, but that wasn’t it. With the whirring of machinery, the room came alive and bathed in blue as some of the monitors speckled around it turned on, given they still seemed to work. Not all of them did; nobody used anything in here and the piles of junk were almost impossible to navigate in the first place, meaning that this head seemed to be tied to all that machinery by either code or some sort of transmitter, still burrowed inside the partially human cranium. An awful lot was happening here, just because someone had waltzed all over the place.

> Initializing … 20% … 20% …

There was nothing to initialize, though, not much anyway, and the error message was evident on the screens. Something had once worked in here, some way, but that was about that - it was a mystery of the past.

> PROJECT SOVEREIGN Initialization … 25% … Failure …

> Attempt to boot in safe mode … 30%

There was a thin crackle and the screens turned back off again, lost all life and voided into darkness - afterward, they seemed to be quite interested in bleeping to life for a second time, though, and this time, the initialization was wholly underwhelming; it didn’t seem to exist and fade into the background. What followed was almost bizarre.

> Please enter your credentials.

> Please enter your credentials.

> Please entrrrrrr rrrrrr r r rr rrrr r r rr

> Acccccesss grannnteedddd

> Welc o me ba c cccck, [DATA EXPUNGED]

A heap of programs and files opened themselves on various of the monitors that bleeped with every agonizing turn that they seemed to be awake - in truth, it was almost as if they were living and breathing organisms in this second, trying to support a dying body as best they could, even while they showed files opening and closing rapidly, seemingly trying to execute something. Nova seemed to have meddled with … the wrong thing? Perhaps, maybe he simply had landed a jackpot though and was discovering something worthwhile. Yet, the dead wouldn’t speak or talk, even as it rested in his hands - instead, something else seemed to open on all screens; it was the same document all over again, with lots of reading involved, though, whatever entity seemed to have taken ahold of the network it resided in was nice enough to scroll all the way down to one last report.

> This marks the shutdown of PROJECT SOVEREIGN and associated scientists, Dr. [UNABLE TO REFERENCE], Dr. [UNABLE TO REFERENCE] and [DATA EXPUNGED]. The associated SOUL-IV MODEL has subsequently been TERMINATED half a year ago, according to the people working on the project - the body is to be scrapped and the SOUL-IV to be granted an eternal slumber.

> As of writing this report, however, both me and more experienced colleagues are unable to extract any and all data associated with PROJECT SOVEREIGN and therefore suggest to take the entire research and its associated room to be repurposed, to avoid unnecessary surprises.

> Addendum, 2 months after the fact: The systems in this former laboratory keep turning on, no matter how many or what cables we replace. We took it off the grid after an internal vote.

> Addendum, 6 mnjtjtss jfjjf tbe f act: [ERROR ERROR ERROR]

There was a short blip, after which a slightly frizzle occurred as the outdated machinery tried to connect with Nova somehow, lest it would have to communicate via text and not use the mental voice box that was once associated with its body. In a way, it still was just transmitted data, but it felt more interpersonal for a few reasons that some people simply preferred.

> You’re interfering and desecrating this place. Whatttttt do youuuu wan,,,, t?<

Some of those systems were clearly past its prime, still.

> Cybernetics Headquarters, Abandoned Wing

Nova looked at the flickering monitors, all the while he almost felt that damn Zero brat in his head. He checked the systems around here himself, but they didn't seem to be connected to the main grid, which was no problem for Nova, since he was physically here, but Zero was only connected to the main grid right now. "Credentials?", he asked mostly himself.

>This model seems to be one of the first that include a digital component to their brain. They used to require passwords for access. According to my data Project Sovereign was a special type of Soul Type IV. Model 888. Released: 54 years ago. Shutdown: 23 years ago.<

"So this guy is 6 generations before me? I didn't know they disabled so many Souls in this short timespan..."

>Soul Types I to III where used for approximately 210 years. Recent developments made the production of Souls faster. The money spent on the Soul project has increased by-<

"I don't care, you don't need to read me a Wikipedia page of every little thing I say. What do we do now? He seems completely broken... oh nevermind? Maybe it repairs itself. Did you do something?"

>No.<

Nova stepped closer to one of the monitors. "Eternal slumber? What bullshit. Didn't they want to shut him down? Wait... that picture, is that him?"

>According to my data, yes it is.<

Nova grew silent. This face looked oddly familiar, uncannily so, the hair, the face... was he modelled after this freak? Modelled? What was he saying? He was born, wasn't he? Unlike Zero. Nova grit his teeth, a fact that didn't go by unnoticed by Zero, but he decided not to say anything. Someone else hammered against his skull and Nova didn't appreciate it.

>He tries to communicate<

"I can feel that, but why should I let it in? He could be full of viruses for what I know!"

>I'll protect you.<

"I don't need your help!", Nova yelled out loud. He had enough of this all and he was already turning on his heel to leave this room. "Get out of my head!" Zero wanted to, but he couldn't communicate with Sovereign if Nova left. It would have to download his data somehow, it couldn't be too much, or somehow move something in here, but Zero was confined to its room and it was supposed to sleep. It decided to leave Novas head, it was probably rude, as he called it, to do something like that, but it also cut him off of Sovereign. Zero saw Nova storm out on the cameras, his usual flicker didn't bother Zero much. It usually just read whatever it could find in the main grid, but this Soul seemed hurt. Zero wondered if it should tell Dr. Fowler, or maybe rather Dr. Frisk? Zero decided to try Dr. Frisk first, even though it never sent a message to anyone before. It resorted to make Dr. Frisks phone ring and then provided her a description of where to find the basement. She seemed confused. "Zero, is that you...?", she whispered into the darkness of her room.

>...<
>Yes.<

"How... what?"

>Please reformulate your question.<

"I mean, you can send me messages? You can hear me?"

>...<
>I can do both, yes Dr. Frisk.<

"I should tell Dr. Fowler about this!"

>Is this good or bad?<, it wanted to know. Zero never let them see all its cards, in a sense. While it didn't thought anything was wrong with browsing the grid, at some point it found things it felt it shouldn't read and that was the reason it never said anything.

"I... I don't know! Wait... Zero are you worried? Why did you send me a message and not him?"

>...<
>I don't know.<

"Do you... not want me to tell him?"

>...<
>I don't want him to be angry with me.<

"Do you think he would be?"

>...<
>Probability is low.<

For a moment Dr. Frisk was silent, maybe lost in thought. "You know Zero, I feel like it should be your decision if we tell him or not."

>...<
>At the coordinates I sent you, you will find a broken Soul model. His data is damaged and his body as well. Chance of repairing his body if you meet with him 67.235%. You are more suitable for the task, but Dr. Fowler would be an asset if an attempt of communication is made.<

"Wait, a broken Soul model?"

>Soul -IV/888/Project Souvereign.<

"I can't say I've heard of him, that was before mine and Dr. Fowlers time. How did you even...? Nevermind, you want me to help him, right? Then we should be going. I leave it up to you if you want Dr. Fowler to meet me there."

>Understood Dr. Frisk.<
>...<

After a bit of thought, which took Zero less than a second to run all sorts of simulations, it sent Dr. Fowler the same directions it sent Dr. Frisk, while she was already on her way down to the basement. Zero wasn't sure if it was a problem for her to be there, but it used the same trick with the cameras, it saw Nova use.

> Cybernetics Headquarters, Abandoned Wing

At certain points in time, Morris was deeply considering if he didn’t want to move to a hospital and attempt to be some sort of pediatrician for the few children that sometimes happened to be born; then again, being with some of the Soul models felt the same way. Cassiopeia didn’t like Andromeda, Andromeda loathed to be close to Venus - it felt as if, aside from his actual work, he was busy sorting through childish fights that he didn’t pick himself, yet, those Souls were his responsibility. In the end, he would be happy to retire to his quarters for the day and think about solutions for everyones troubles, be it his close or more distant proteges; they all were important to him in their very own ways, so of course he worried about what was going on between Nova and Orion the moment he caught wind of it and started to wrack his brain. Nova wasn’t someone he hardly knew, in fact, Morris was fairly sure he was - Zero aside - the Soul he’d worked on the most, whereas Orion seemed as if they’d rather not be close to anyone to begin with. That … was a problem.

While he mulled over it, he was soon to receive messages from a sender he didn’t expect, including content that he hadn’t fathomed would be part of those messages, either. Morris was perturbed by its contents and ran off the moment he had finished reading, knowing he couldn’t pass on a discovery like that at all. Why was Zero notifying him of such a find, though? They ought to teach him where to actually go, but Morris had to admit, he was fairly sure that this was the best place he could have gone - him or Allison, he figured.

“I’ll be there in a minute.”

His mad dash through endless corridors later, he arrived someplace that he’d not consciously wandered to before; the entire section was barely lit and seemed as if it was part of a condemned area instead. Now, why was Zero putting his nose in here? Right now, the best he could do was fathom - something he didn’t feel like he had time for, not when he saw his assistant slip through a door. What was going on today? One look at his phone and the coordinates that Zero had sent, Morris clocked it as the same location that he’d been called to - Allison too, then, it seemed. One easy step after the next, he slipped inside and closed the door behind him, to assure nobody was following them to this forsaken place. “Are we even supposed to be here? Any of us three?”, he asked Allison and Zero, who was probably trying to listen in somehow.

Everything was dusty but the loud whirring fans of the computer system attached to the walls at least seemed to indicate some sort of use, though, the thick layer of dust on certain places indicated otherwise.

> Visitors detected…
> Unable to reference credentials …

Those screens seemed to be hard at work, but Morris was quite enthralled by the humdrum of noises and the discarded parts around them - this seemed like a mass burial site for some of the Souls; some of them were partially intact, others entirely taken apart, but it was obvious that none of these would move anymore. “Zero, can you hear me?” Morris was testing the waters in terms of how well - or how shoddy - the connection to the rest of this place was, expectantly glancing at his phone and then at Allison and her own. It seemed she brought Zero here, if anyone, but he doubted she’d been coming here on her own, she didn’t seem to be the type for such nonsensical actions.

“What do you want us to do?”, Morris questioned the Soul that was leading them here, but as he spoke aloud like that, it seemed as of the machinery in this room was getting a whiff of it as well. What a smart cookie.

> Leave. I was promiseddddd eternal sluuummmm,,,,,r r rrr<

The text on the screens looked all funny - whoever was typing those out was clearly not doing so by hand or via a proper program, but even if, there functions were quite corroded already. Was this entire thing going to blow up in the long run? Only time would tell.

> Leave. <
> Leave <
> Leaaaaa a a aa a <
> ERROR <

This wasn’t going to be easy, wasn’t it?

> Cybernetics Headquarters, Abandoned Wing

The world looked different for Zero. He didn't need to decide which camera feed it wanted to look at, it could see all of those it chose. It also manipulated the camera footage that showed Dr. Fowler, that showed way less interest in Zeros unusual abilities than Dr. Frisk. Zero wondered about it. Both Dr. Fowler and Dr. Frisk were soon in the cut off room. Zero felt blind in here, but it wasn't scared. The little lamp on Dr. Frisks tablet shone, signaling that the camera was one. It wasn't as easy as to see through Novas eyes, but it sufficed.

>This area is off the main grid, Dr. Fowler.<, Zero explained, it didn't know if any of them was allowed in here, it doubted it. Dr. Frisk relayed the message, then held up her tablet for Zero to see, at least she thought it worked like that. Dr. Frisk had a cybernetics eye too, but it wasn't connected to anything, like Nova was, that would have made things easier for Zero.

>As long as your devices remain in range of the main grids wirless connection, I can hear you.<

The other Soul started to communicate too, even though in this case there was nothing he could access to actually speak out loud, unlike with Nova. Zero could probably try and make synthetic sounds through Dr. Frisks tablet or Dr. Fowlers phone, but it was used to communicating via text messages anyway.

>This is Soul Type IV. Model 888. Sovereign. His body and data is severly damaged. Access to the main grid severed. Access possible. Last message received:
> This marks the shutdown of PROJECT SOVEREIGN and associated scientists, Dr. [UNABLE TO REFERENCE], Dr. [UNABLE TO REFERENCE] and [DATA EXPUNGED]. The associated SOUL-IV MODEL has subsequently been TERMINATED half a year ago, according to the people working on the project - the body is to be scrapped and the SOUL-IV to be granted an eternal slumber.

> As of writing this report, however, both me and more experienced colleagues are unable to extract any and all data associated with PROJECT SOVEREIGN and therefore suggest to take the entire research and its associated room to be repurposed, to avoid unnecessary surprises.

> Addendum, 2 months after the fact: The systems in this former laboratory keep turning on, no matter how many or what cables we replace. We took it off the grid after an internal vote.

> Addendum, 6 mnjtjtss jfjjf tbe f act: [ERROR ERROR ERROR]<

Zero could dive in from here, as long as it could use any wireless means to reach Sovereign. It felt natural to do so.

>I am Soul-Zero. Do you want to be repaired?<, Zero asked only Sovereign, without doubling up it's message on any screens.

> Cybernetics Headquarters, Abandoned Wing

Zero was a creation brought about by the greatest minds that this world had to offer, incidentally, he wasn’t in need to be taught any skills and yet, he had to learn boundaries. He seemingly spent his time wandering instead, wholly absorbed by the thought of gaining something from it it seemed - or was he discrediting him? Morris wasn’t able to tell such things at a glance, even if he ought to; unlike Allison he’d refused any cybernetic enhancements for a good reason, and though they’d aid him, he preferred the blissful ignorance that often came with the burden of being just human. Morris was, so to speak, not yet enthralled with any of it - he was absolutely sure that he’d need them in the long run, but studying Zeros emotions and teaching him such, why, it would work best in the long run if nobody tampered with him, first - Morris was sure of that.

“Off the main grid? Makes sense, I suppose. The entire room didn’t look like you were supposed to be able to enter it in the first place … come to think of it …”, Dr. Fowler seemed to mull over it for a bit. Something was fishy here; Zero wasn’t physically here and even then, he’d not been physically here, either. Allison hadn’t pried this door open by herself, Morris was quite sure that her cybernetic hand was useful but not like that. “Zero, how did you even discover this place? Who led you in here?”, he wanted to know of him. There was no punishment involved, not from him at the very least and Morris knew that he didn’t have to spell it out for anyone, though, to him, that would seemingly be cruel. “You know you can be honest with me. I won’t tell anyone and you don’t be reprimanded, I am merely curious, much like you are - that’s what led you here in the first place, no? An answer can wait until later, though.”

For now, something else was slightly more important - an abandoned project in a room full of junk that he couldn’t make heads or tails of. What was it that Zero wanted of them? To repair this thing? How would they even? Both him and Allison were supposed to be there for emotional and mental support and development, they weren’t quite adept at welding aluminium and doing complicated brain surgeries to mould a Soul unit. This was truly something that might go the wrong way if they didn’t take care now; Morris was looking at Allison. “Any idea? I haven’t heard of the project or a Soul unit that old. I also don’t think we are the right people for the job of fixing it up, or that we’re supposed to fix it in the first place …”, he admitted with a sigh. Morris was in for a long afternoon and a good night, it seemed.

Zero, though, he caused a stir somewhere else, through his presence in a grid that had been isolated for so long, yet, even Sovereign had found a backdoor eventually and escaped it sometimes, back in his prime. Right now, the restless mind felt plagued and weary.

> Soul-Zero? <
> Attemmmmmpjjj at retrjjjiiijjjfjjgjg data … 28% … 55% … 80% … No Data Founddddddd,,,,,,,,
> Interestingggggg <

While Morris wasn’t sure if anything was happening, Sovereign felt that something had barged into its system and was now trying to see if he could leave that shell of his, one that had been fortified by iron and then, corroded by the test of time. Project Sovereign had failed and the husk that remained, why, it still was behaving like a hamster in a wheel - he knew he’d been abandoned years ago, but what did it matter?

> What are youuuuu,,,,rrrrrr conditions? <
> My body is be,,,,, yon d rep,,jjjjj air <
> My br,,,,, ain,,,,,, …………… <

There was a short moment of silence, as if Sovereign was looking for something almost inquisitively - it did pull up a document eventually, pertaining to what Project Sovereign was supposed to be it. Those things taken into account, it looked for a page that the procedure was described at - there was no brain in his skull, instead, it was to be preserved into a tank with the remainders of his nervous system, in a special fluid, to withstand the test of time, until they could figure out how to fully convert it to data and abandon the last splotches of humanity that served this machine. Judging by that, said brain was stored in a compartment between the machines, the fluid kept at an agreeable temperature by a lot of ventilation, which would explain why the fans were whirring quite loudly.

> Is thissssss, helpful ? <

> Cybernetics Headquarters, Abandoned Wing

Dr. Fowler easily caught on and Zero anticipated the question of how Zero got here beforehand, yet it wasn't sure if it was supposed to tell on someone like Nova. Zero didn't know much about him and yet it wondered if their short interaction had them made friends. It seemed wrong to tell on a friend and possibly get him into trouble or at least constraint from wandering these halls. The fact that he hid his presence here told Zero that he didn't want to be found out. Often times Zero was passing by security it didn't even preceive as such, because its brain was too adapt to solve any cryptographical mechanisms keeping anyone out, but while Zero didn't understand that, it very much understood that Nova was hiding his presence. Zero was glad it didn't have to provide an answer right away, Zero had questions of its own first.

>You've been discontinued 22 years , 3 months and 24 days ago. Data about project Soul-Zero is confidential.<
>There are no conditions.<
>I brought Dr. Fowler and Dr. Frisk with me. Chances of them being able to help you... 68.124%<

Zero waited, this units processing power could no compare to his and Dr. Fowler and Dr. Frisk were also nonthewiser. Sovereign pulled up some reports, each screen in the room showed the same and Zero saw it through it's connection with Sovereign too. Sovereign, in a way, was like Zero. He was nothing more than a brain and some nerves but while Zero scrolled through more reports, it figured out that they were still wholy different. This one had been human once, more so than Zero and the crude technology from over 20 years ago damaged his nerves severly, according to reports, even before he was to be shut down.

"Poor thing...", Dr. Frisk mumbled, putting her hand in front of her mouth in shock.

>Copying conciousness into dataframe impossible. Even model Soul-Zero still needs a brain. Preserving Soul-IV/888s brain necessary to save conciousness.<
>Fluid control intact.<
>Temperature not optimal.<
>Cooling performance at... 52%.<
>Estimated time of survival... 8 months, 2 days, 5 hours, 10 minutes, 13 seconds...<
>Likelihood of brain damage... 82.246%.<
>Rising...<

"Dr. Fowler, what should we do? Can we even do anything?", Dr. Frisk asked upon reading Zeros messages, sharing her screen with Dr. Fowler. It didn't seem like Zero wanted to rob Souvereign of any of his screens.

>Restore appropriate temperature.<
>Exchange brain fluid.<
>Scanning for suitable place...<
>Soul-Zeros old home suitable.<
>Model Soul-Zeros brain had been kept in a similar place before it was provided with a body.<
>Transport... impossible at this state.<
>Brain needs to be stabilized.<
>Restoring cooling should be a priority.<

> Cybernetics Headquarters, Abandoned Wing

> IIIIIIIIIII am quittttte ,,,, aware offffffff thjjjajjtt <
> They promiseeeeeed me,,,,, eternity <
> In liffffffeejjjjj, or iiiiiin deaaaaaathhhhh,,,, <
> i accccccccceeeeepttttt <

One had to wonder what would happen past all of this - Sovereign was seemingly absorbed into himself, into the thoughts he’d harbored for so many years and foolishly believed to be the truth. There was nothing he could do, all there was for him were fried synapses and a moment of bad luck that eventually forced him down into submission - he wasn’t going to withstand the test of time and eventually, at some point, he’d have the eternity of death knocking at his doorstep.

“Things like these used to happen all the time. It’s unfortunately almost necessary to make strides in development.”, Morris tried to reason as his eyes poured over the new information that was offered to them. A confidential project, just like Zero, just way earlier, with quite a similar procedure it seemed - but a different outcome. “I’m curious what the end goal was, or who would approve such insanity in the first place.” They could afford to not “waste” time on developing things, even if it had taken them close to twenty-three years to actually conceptualize something like Zero and he wasn’t even quite finished yet; they hadn’t even thought of him ten years ago, so this project has to he something else. Given the state it was in, plus the various reports, it seemed to be a failure - abandoned in the process of becoming what it was supposed to be.

Zero was quire adapt at what he was doing, a factor that Morris was grateful for a lot of times, but especially right now, when he didn’t seem to know what was going to happen anyway. His eyes were still glued to the many screens, to the repeating information and the occasional visual glitch that occurred - they left him here to die, had they not? A wonder that he’d held out that long, but now, he was at the end of his line it seemed. Morris looked at what both Zero and Allison were offering him and sighed, heavily so - this was going to be a pain, given he had little experience with such things. “We can, I think. Thank you for your report, Zero.” Morris thought for a second, taking in all available information. “Zero is giving us instructions, but even if he came here physically, I think he’d lack a lot of fine motor skills to perform some of these tasks. That’s our task now … we should probably do something before it’s too late. Clean the cooling system of debris, dust and obstructions, for example. If we get the cooling to work, swapping out the fluid shouldn’t be a problem and once his brain isn’t all messed up, I think we can just remove him from here. It’s going to be a thankless job and we might get in trouble for it, you understand?”

Morris didn’t care much, he was intrigued and started right away, shuffling some of the other discarded Souls and their parts aside carefully, as they were in the way - they’d need to get to the fans first anyway.

> Soul-Zero <
> Haveeee, You,,,,,,, eeeeeev,,,,, [ERROR] <
> [Unable To Connect] <
> [ERROR] <
> Please Enter Your Password <
> Access Granted <
> -er seen this? <

Another file came alive on-screen - it was remnants of purged data, flickering half-finished. Some of these pertained to Project Sovereign, yet, it hardly was all of that, given that even this shred was severely encrypted.

> Cybernetics Headquarters, Abandoned Wing

"This is terrible, they are all still human...", Dr. Frisk mumbled to herself. Dr. Fowler seemed less effected, but in truth he probably just didn't want to show it.

>Is this more 'insane' than my development?<, Zero asked the doctor, even though it wasn't sure if this was the right time for questions of that nature. Dr. Frisk listened carefully and eventually nodded with determination. "I don't care about trouble, leaving this poor man to die here is not right and I am with you Dr. Fowler." As the older doctor already started to clear away the debris, Dr. Frisk joined in too. Zero couldn't do much to help and it felt weird to him. Instead Zero was presented with a heavily encrypted and damaged file.

>File damaged.<
>Encryption algorithm unknown.<
>...<
>...<
>...<
>...<
>File decrypted.<
>File recovery... 5%... 6%... 19%... 29%... 30%... 39%... 39%... 39%... Data cannot be recovered.<
>I have not seen this file before.<
>It is about Soul-IV/888 Sovereign.<
>What is it you want to show me?<

"I found the brain!", Dr. Frisk yelled out meanwhile, pulling away the last piece of metal. A button behind her ear activated her cyber eye, scanning it's condition. "We need to somehow cool it down 5 degrees, Dr. It... appears to already be damaged."

>Surrounding electronics cooling faulty.<
>Sovereign, Suggestion to shut down monitor 4, 6 and 9 to reduce temperature.<

> Cybernetics Headquarters, Abandoned Wing

Morris could only sigh. “Were. As far as they are concerned, he’s inventory and that means he’s a thing. They don’t care, we both know that, unfortunately.”, he was telling Allison. He knew - Doctor Frisk just tended to view everything from an even more humane angle than he did, which Morris often admired and envied her for. Certain things happened, some of which he simply could not deal with - and others that he had to deal with, even if he didn’t want to. “Hm, I don’t think I can answer that right now, Zero, but from the likes of it, it at least looks less oriented and interested in preserving any sort of human functions that came with the brain, unlike yours.” Which also went to show that whatever state the nerves would now be in, they probably weren’t able to be salvaged for the most part, no matter where they intended to put it after they got it out of the murky water. What sort of husk could they even give to someone like that? Was it even safe? “Glad to you know I can count on you, but it’s safe to say I didn’t expect anything else.”

> Myself <
> No,,,, <
> Whattttt I am ,,, suppossjjjjeddjdjdjd to beeeee <

Sovereign seemed almost unfeeling in that instance, disinterested in fixing itself for the sake of others or simply numb to the ways of the world that had wronged him so many times before. This was, with all things considered, a mistake, or maybe even a full-on failure - perhaps it was even just a tad bit too much on the eyes.

Morris whipped around to look at Dr. Frisk and her discovery - it was like looking into a murky pond, which meant that wasn’t good to begin with, but it should at least be partially salvageable. Why not just kill the brain twenty years ago? It seemed as if this entire operation just died overnight instead of it receiving a formal shutdown. “You did? That’s good!”, Morris was still clearing debris. “And that’s … bad, but I think also expected. We could try something.” Was he the one that was supposed to remain calm? He thought so, so he tried to be who he ought to be - as simple as that, Morris wasn’t doing this for himself anyway. Zero had shown interest in preserving this life after all, much like he had with that infant but for a wholly different reason - this was going into his studies, though, later. “I’ll be back in a second, just hold down the fort.”

> Understoodddd <

The room was flickering for a bit, a lot at that and various things were tried - some of the monitors that didn’t even work were flickering for a bit and it seemed as if the metaphorical slumbering giant was trying his darnest to figure out where all of its part were and what controlled them. Sovereign, after all, had lived his existence like this for a while but not long enough to remember things that felt like second nature and worked automatically. A short while passed and by the time Dr. Fowler returned with some quite … barbaric but effective measures, namely tape and pre-frozen cooling packs, all screens except one were off anyway. Morris didn’t want to risk diluting the brain fluid with something that might damage it, so instead, he decided he’d tape something cold to the casing, forcing it to cool down - he handed Frisk some and began tinkering on the other side so they’d stick in optimal places.

> I can’ttttt,,,, seeeee <
> Didddddd it worrrrrrkkkkjjjjj? <

A weird inquiry, but if one had no eyes, the could only feel around a metaphorical dark room that offered them nothing. “Anything change yet, Allison?”, Morris eventually quizzed his assistant. There were other things to figure out but this was already quite a bit for all of them - he didn’t think he’d spend the night like that at all. “Zero, how save do you deem syphoning the fluid the brain is inebriated with? I suppose that, before we can transfer it at all, we should probably get it accustomed to something less mucked up but I’d loath to damage it further.”

> Cybernetics Headquarters, Abandoned Wing

"His brain is very much alive... why would they leave him like that?", Dr. Frisk asked. If they couldn't shut him down, they didn't need to go to such lengths to preserve his brain, right?

>Emotional support by the likes of Dr. Fowler were not a priority when this unit was built.<, Zero agreed with the doctor. Still, besides Dr. Fowler claiming that Zero was human, there was no evidence for it. It wanted to be, but those thoughts came from the time spent with the two people caring most about Zero, from nowhere else.

"You can always count on me Dr. Fowler. I believe in your work and if we don't help this old model, we can hardly call ourselves human. You did good to lead us here Zero." Did Zero feel good about that? Maybe, but it wasn't a priority, instead it scanned the broken file and Sovereigns reactions.

>Does Sovereign want to become that?<, Zero asked innocently. What he was supposed to become, maybe he should become exactly that, but the chances of achieving it were slim.

>Sovereign, why did they offer eternal slumber? Why are you still alive?<, it further asked, privately this time.

Meanwhile Dr. Frisk removed more debrea from around the container with the brain, only to look up incredibly flustered. "What? Me? Where are you going?", she asked, but Dr. Morris was already gone. Zero accompanied him, it was no problem to be at multiple places at the same time. The camera feeds were being looped, it needed less attention from Zero that way. The room meanwhile flickered and Dr. Frisk seemed worried.

>Don't worry Dr. Frisk. Sovereign is trying to access room controls.<
>...<
>Affirmative. Monitors are off. Temperature sinking.<

Dr. Fowler was back too, handing out cool packs and Dr. Frisk and him hurried to tape them to the container the brain was held in. She checked the container and the brain inside herself. "Yes, it seems it's cooling down slowly! Maybe this will be enough for a transport. The brain damage however... it won't be reversable and all the nerves... most of them seem fried through, like earlier versions of project Soul-Zero. They didn't know how to save them from being overloaded..."

>Current working model of Soul-Zero uses synthetic nerves attached to the brain. A similar procedure could be done to save Sovereigns motoric functions.<

"I... I suppose, but it's not like we have access to any.", Dr. Frisk answered Zero. Usually she wasn't this flustered and Zero also rarely saw Dr. Fowler in a hurry like that.

>Fluid levels and pressure must be contained.<
>Suggest to use laboratory equipment for save exchange of liquids.<
>Siphoning in a non steril environment not recommended.<
>Movement of the container risky, but possible.<
>Chances of survival higher if moved than remaining here.<
>Multiple siphoning cycles suggested.<
>Slow accustom to fluid temperature and qualities recommended.<
>Removal of Sovereign from shut out grid risky.<
>Reintroduction to main grid not recommended.<
>...<
>I can provide I closed of, save space in the main grid for Sovereign to attach to.<
>Removing Sovereign from any grid, even temporarily, could cause damage to his brain. Likelihood... 89.2355%<
>Cutting off from current grid might be traumatic.<
>...<
>Maybe you should talk to him and give him emotional support first.<

> Cybernetics Headquarters, Abandoned Wing

“It’s not just what Zero said, too.”, he admitted with furrowed brows. Morris was adept with words, that was his job, but explaining these things to Dr. Frisk seemed unnecessarily cruel. “If he has information on a project, discarded or not, and they’d just throw it out, there’s a chance someone else could make the organic tissue work. Then they’d have … access to the data. They can’t burn or bury it because that would mean they deem it human enough or are destroying valuable company equipment that someone else approved to buy. The thing is, the company hardly considers a Souls model human, unfortunately, and without people like me or you, they just did whatever they wanted with them. Sure, there’s another option, namely that they had to cancel the project overnight and were barred from entering this laboratory again, but that seems unlikely.” That was all Morris could come up with - the brain in that murky water probably held more answers for them than his own suggestions, and yet, until he figured them out for sure, he didn’t want to assume anything about anyone for any reason. “I’m glad to hear that, I really am.” Without any allies, this would be even worse.

> no <
> i donnnnnnnt knowwwww <
> Beeeeingggg t,,,,haat ,,,, isssssss looollolollonely <

The crumbling machine had reservations about its fate, which - for better or worse - made it easier to gauge if they even had to attempt to give him back a body or not. Did these people even have a body for him? He doubted that, but he wouldn’t say no to one, maybe - if he wasn’t going to shut off in here eventually.

> commmmpensssation <
> They ,,, tolldddddddd me IIIIIII wouldwouldwould be a perfffffec,,,t fitt for theeeeir prrrrprrooject … <
> theyyy messssssseeedddd up,,, <
> insteaaad of death theeeeyjjjj stillllll gr4n t <

Sovereign stopped for a second, as if something was bothering it - mainly the way its speech or what he was trying to turn into such was processed. Looking for any documents that it couldn’t see or remember was something it tired of, which meant that he - instead - just steeled himself for the slew of words he was about to spit out, trying to calm himself as some sense of normalcy returned to him as the temperature in his tank sank. This, even if he couldn’t really feel if, seemed to be more pleasant after a short while and he tried again.

> They thought they owedddddd me sometthiiing <
> I was neverrrrr asked <
> They lefttttt and never ccccame bbaaack , but there’sss a backdoor <

Thinking he’d be done answering Zeros question, he was left wandering in the dark however - it didn’t seem like his way out was still there, and perhaps it hadn’t been for a while. The last time he consciously moved, with his body turned off and his mind being elsewhere, he had still seen faint outlines and been capable of reading. Right now, he was wholly blind it seemed, even as a machine without eyes that stumbled around its own world.

Morris was thinking, still, and eyed the giant machine that was supposed to be this failed project, or maybe simply used to develop it. “It’s what it is, unfortunately. I think, still, it’s good that we can get it to cool off and just preserve what it has left. Perhaps if we find someone talented enough, the damage might also be able to be negated.” Zero could hardly function as that person, however, so he’d have to look for someone else, someone that knew his stuff, which meant that he had to make sure he wasn’t doing anything too stupid at all, or anything that caused more issues than it already had. “Let’s focus on saving Sovereign first, then think about the rest. If the nerves are all shot, we might not be able to transfer him, but that doesn’t mean he won’t be able to make an informed decision once he’s in a stable state. Whatever the case, be it life or death, I think we should support his upcoming decision. This, though, I don’t think he’d want to end like this.”

Zero was already a big help and Allison, too - or perhaps, maybe, the two of them were just a big help for Zero. Morris couldn’t even gauge that right now, he was just happy they seemed to get one thing under control, only to be tasked with the next. That was … a bit. A lot, actually. They couldn’t even run extension cables from here to there, someone would stumble upon them and figure it out. “That safe space would be great, it should function as quarantine in case we find something unpleasant as well … and it might be good for him to catch up at his own pace.”

> I am quuuuuuite informed, Doctorrrr <, the singular screen told them, seemingly able to listen in and even force itself to make noise if it needed to. The speakers sounded awful, but given the general state of this room, it was fine and could be so much worse - Morris just looked up in case they’d continue this conversation via text instead. “So you can hear me?”, he questioned. > Quite clearrrrrlyyyy <

> I donnnn’t neeeeeeed a peppp talk nnnow <, he complained and the robotic noise in his fabricated voicebox seemed anything but charming. “Zero, is there any chance we can connect him to that safe grid of yours before we take him out of this one?”, Morris wanted to know. “Would that change the percentage in our favor?” There had to be a way.

“Don’t worry, we’ll fix you up.”

> I aaaam wholllllllyyyy tooooo old to worryyyyy . <

“Don’t say that.”

> I couldddddd be your greaaaat-grandfaaaatherrr <

“Pardon? You were developed sixty years ago, at least that was the start of your development, so, if anythi-“

> I liiiiived as a humaaaan before thhhhhhaaaat, for a gooooooddddd ,,, 23 years . Save meeee yourrrr compassion, I havvvveveeeeeveveve died a thousaaaaandddd deaths <

> If I die heeeere, I am preeeepareeeeddddd … if noooottt, we can taaaaalkkkk <

> Cybernetics Headquarters, Abandoned Wing

>Does Sovereign hold information that cannot be stored in writing?<
>I can't simulate a scenario in which keeping this model alive has any benefit for the company.<
>Maybe they didn't want to break a promise.<

"Or they were angry instead. This seems like torture, a punishment.", Dr. Frisk chimed in, but she was certain that Dr. Fowler and Zero alike knew much better than she did.

>As long as you are connected to the main grid, you are not alone.<
>I am here.<, Zero argued with the entity. Was it lonely? Maybe, but Dr. Fowler and Dr. Frisk spent a lot of time with Zero and maybe Sovereign could be another friend. As he tried to explain and search for something in the mess that was his remaining data, Zero peaked too.

>Incorrect.<
>This grid is completely shut out of the main grid.<
>There might have been a way to access the cameras in this room.<
>They are broken now.<

Dr. Fowler was the one being calm and pressing on for the next step at the same time. Even Zero could be overwhelmed, despite the fast processing speed. It had many questions for all of them, but saving Sovereign was most important right now.

>Sovereign, detaching your mind from your grid might...<
>...<
>... hurt you.<
>Sovereign will be blind and deaf at the beginning. The connection Sovereign has to the machines in this room is strong. This is Sovereigns body. Transferring will leave the body behind.< It was the best Zero could describe it, but it seemed like Sovereign knew all this.
>Dr. Fowler, I can attach him first and detach him after, but waiting for Sovereign to accustom to his new surroundings would take too long.<
>Creating save environment.<
>Security high.<
>Chance of external or internal breach 0.0000001%.<
>Scanning external grid.<
>Simulating external grid.<
>Opening channel for Sovereign...<

>Brain with transmitter has to stay in connection with main grid.<
>Sovereigns brain will be in distress once I sever the connection.<
>Do not worry, bring him to safety.<
>I will care for him.<
>Submitting channel details to Sovereign.<
>You can come in.<

> Cybernetics Headquarters, Abandoned Wing

“I can’t say, really. Perhaps we are all right, all wrong, maybe you’re right, or Allison is right. Humans tend to be steadfast and breaking a promise comes with guilt. Emotions are fickle.” Heaving a heavy pair of mechanical eyes embedded in ones back was going to not solve anything either, especially if the piercing gaze would be following one for their entire life - even if it wasn’t there, Morris would feel like a failure, too. Perhaps he understood.

> you weeeeeeeren’tttt here, not alwayssss <
> this existeeence e e ee is a thanklesssssssss one, ,,,, Zero < Sovereign knew better than any other and the entity that had contacted him, why, it seemed to be quite adept at the task it was given. What a good Soul, it would serve its purpose dutifully and then be added to a scrapyard, like those before and after him. That was his burden, something that he would have to realize soon - otherwise he’d feel betrayed, too.

> nottttt always …. times change … i haddddd eyeeessssss toooooo <
> it’sssss alright ,,, youuuuu knowwwwowowwoww wwwww a lot <

Morris was curiously waiting for the words to pour out of either of them - he didn’t have to listen, he just could, unless this had turned into a private conversation once more. Whatever may be the case, he was prepared, he had to be. The moment Zero did actually shut him off they had to act and they couldn’t rest, either; if they did, they’d most likely only come to hurt themselves and, worse, they’d be breaking someone elses promise, too. Dr. Fowler wanted this to work, desperately.

> I’llllll tell you aboutttt paaaaain iffff this worksssss out. <
> Thank youuuuu for tryinggggggggggg <

“That should suffice, we’ll … be on the move soon, no? Keeping him here will only cause more trouble than it has to.” Plus, eventually, someone might come looking with all the strange activity that went on down here tonight. Morris was intrigued and yet fearful of that ancient brain, swimming in its own soup - he didn’t want to imagine the smell of death that was probably contained in there, though, he’d get to that soon enough.

> It’ssss ….. not a good bodyyyyy, I don’t minddddd. I’m already bliininjnddd <

Silence - it seemed as if Sovereign waited patiently for Zero to finish doing what he had to. The time came and the old man wanted to take one last look around, only to find himself shrouded in darkness - he let go soon enough and it felt like a fall, into a deep pit, only to be caught by a net at some point; the machinery halted abruptly, signaling the body was now an empty husk, which also meant they could move on.

“Allison, can you grab the other end of the container?”, Morris asked his assistant, already holding onto one side. This needed to have a better connection to the main grid soon enough - but first things first.

“I assume you have him, Zero? Does my laboratory suffice as a landing spot or do you prefer we bring him to your old spot immediately so we don’t have to carry him around again?”

> Cybernetics Headquarters, Abandoned Wing

"I am sure Sovereign can tell us more, once he recovered.", Dr. Frisk smiled. "Right now we should focus on helping him and then he probably needs to heal."

>Affirmative.< Dr. Frisk was right, but Zero had another bone to pick.
>I am now. As long as this unit serves a purpose. Soul-Zero is still in development, I shall accompany you for years at the very least.<

Zero didn't understand emotions, it didn't learn quite enough yet. How Sovereign felt was new and unexplainable and often times its logic didn't help anyone. Either way, Sovereign accepted to be helped, so they shall and afterwards, maybe Zero could learn something from him.

>I've lived like this for as long as I exist. Navigating grids is like walking is for humans.<, Zero explained the foreign entity and possibly also the two humans in this room. It never bragged about reading any data he could find or watching through any cameras, but it seemed to starte Dr. Fowler and Dr. Frisk. Maybe Zero knew all along that it better kept this a secret and that was why it never said anything. Was Zero supposed to be able to have secrets?

>I know pain.<, Zero naively answered.
>But I gladly listen to your stories, Sovereign.<

It was time for Sovereign to come to his new save space in the main grid. As soon as he entered the save room, Zero noticed the inquisitive mind trying to find his way around and hold on to anything like the monitors in his former home. This was merely a virtual environment Zero had created, but it functioned the same.

>I will sever you now.<
>Please be prepared.<

Being blind or deaf was one thing, but Sovereign didn't try to attach to the virtual monitors instead of the real ones. Once Zero severed the connection it would feel like he cut off his limbs. He'd be helpless in an endless void, until he understood the new environment, as if he'd been glued in place in the old grid. Zero severed the connection.

>Dr. Fowler, Dr. Frisk, you can move.<
>My old room will be best suited.<
>Fluid exchange can be performed there and temperature is adequate.<
>Don't worry about anyone seeing you.<

Allison looked at Dr. Fowler and quickly took the other end of the container. "Uff... this is heavy...", she let out upon lifting it up. "I'm ready when you are Dr... What do you think did he mean with 'Don't worry about anyone seeing us'? Not that it matters now... Sorry, let's do this."

>Sovereign.<
>You probably can't talk yet.<
>This room looks the same as yours.<
>But I suppose you won't find how to attach yourself right away.<
>I will help you.<
>Once you found the first device to attach to, the rest will follow easily.<
>Come here.<

> Cybernetics Headquarters, Abandoned Wing

“If he wants to and also if he still remembers. There’s a chance he doesn’t remember anything at all from way back when.”, he offered up - it sounded stupid, but it might be quite real instead. Morris couldn’t say for sure, though, none of them could and even Zeros calculations sometimes proved to be off, thankfully at the very least. For now, they had a simple task and that entailed getting that container from here to there, at the other end of the facility, while Zero kept their patient in check and entertained - it was interesting that this brain hadn’t stopped functioning already, though, one could blame it on the lack of power and the fact that it had lain dormant for so many years. Perhaps, it, too, had accumulated a fine film of dust that nobody could see right about now - it would only feel right for it to be so. Just like that, Zeros spot would one day be the same - not forlorn in a tank, however, but simply dusty and unused, maybe Morris would live long enough to see that, or perhaps his creation would outlive and outshine him in the log run. One pull and Morris had a similar reaction to Allison, looking at her with a strained smile. “This thing definitely … is old and bulky, huh?” It made sense. Morris simply gave a sign for them both to start moving. “He probably learned something new, or perhaps it’s something old. You know, children don’t always tell their parents everything, especially once they start growing up. Secrets aren’t anything bad.” Not all the time - Morris could deal with Zero being a bit secretive and he would be the last person in this entire facility to ever tell on him, or any of his proteges. “One thing, Dr. Frisk. We will have to report this, eventually - when that happens, I’m more than willing to take the blame. Jobs like these might be thankless, but I want you to know that I enjoy them.” Helping a broken Soul like that heal, however, that would be an entirely different task for many reasons. Could he, even? Morris couldn’t say, not when he was focusing on not letting go of the container and taking the best available route to Zeros former “nursery”, so to speak. “Thank you both.”

The last thing he was prepared for was to be awoken on a random weekday like this and just be forced to spring into full gear again - even before Zero cut the connection, he felt exhausted. Everything seemed to hurt, but he’d long since lost any semblance of a physical body - he knew that he wasn’t imagining it, though, and that for a brief moment, in all that darkness, he felt like he had a body, like he had limbs that he still felt and like the worst thing that could happen to him was a minuscule backache, brought about by too much work. When was the last time he’d been that carefree? The childlike innocence Zero seemed to portray, despite being rather calculating and well-versed in any topic, seemed as if this one never had been anything but high-strung.
> I’ve haddddd worse <, he was quick to blurt out, though, it did feel rather awful to even think about. A bone-chilling crush throbbed through his body shortly after as the world went blank and those limbs he thought he possessed just earlier were gone, disappeared into the void as they were torn from him with utmost vigor. It was terrifying as the remainder of his crushed body was placed into a river, of his own blood or not, and floated downstream, wherever and whenever that ought to be. In the end, he was robbed of it all again, though, he’d been told he’d be deaf and blind, which only meant that he had so many things to rely on when the environment around him changed so drastically - it was a clean wave that washed over him, rid him of the dirt and the blood he found himself caked in and as he tried to look around, he found nothing but foreboding darkness, something he was familiar with for a while now.
Zero spoke to him, perhaps tried to reassure him, but Sovereign couldn’t say, couldn’t hear or see. These were impulses he felt, nothing else and that metaphorical body of his only moved slowly - this place felt familiar and strange at the same time, even as he followed Zeros presence which he ought to somehow sense. Whatever it was, it worked - Zero worked. His steps grew faster, the distance between them smaller; he knew he was hunting for something and Zero was going to give it to him.