File 1, Entry 5 - Data Retrieval
Machine Learning - File 1, Entry 5 - Data Retrieval

As the elevator continues its slow, grinding ascent, you retrace your steps back from your last intact memories. You follow your squad's sweeping path through the Island as you scoured it of anything of the slightest interest. It was a more interesting mission than what you were usually assigned.

The Island had been in the periphery of many of your previous missions. It was only logical that eventually you would be sent to the mysterious origin place of the Red Flowers. The floating Island predated all existing records, and while there was evidence that multiple large civilizations had at some point been present on it there were no remaining members of those civilizations left. Just Mimiga and ruins that people abandoned. Chevron suggested that there might have been a Mimiga empire on the Island, and then went on to suggest that they were the ones who created the Island in the first place. You let him know exactly how stupid that suggestion was. The Mimiga are and always have been an underdeveloped people. They don't have the magical or technological capability to create something like the Island and never did.

Naturally-occurring magical phenomena aren't unknown, but they are extremely rare. What's more common are magic-adjacent life forms like most Monsters, sapient creature like the Mimiga or Demons, and abnormal plant life like the Red Flowers. All of these tend to cluster near places like the Island, implying some line of correlation between them. Apparently that's not important though, so your team's investigation was purely about what was on the Island and how much of it could be taken or replicated.

You had been dropped off on a clear area near the west side of the Island, just on the surface's edge. The landing zone was lightly forested, dotted with treasure troves of information all within walking distance. The remnants of structures from all throughout history were found quickly. Though "all throughout history" isn't exactly correct. There was a notable gap between the older structures, typically carved from stone and sometimes cut from the Island itself, and the metal buildings that were built in later and clearly constructed by visiting teams like your own investigating or attempting to settle the Island. You were the only one to find this interesting. Curly and Quote were clearly trying to pay attention when you were explaining but were both starting to zone out. Paren just told you that it was all meaningless for the mission outright. Chevron said the same thing, just in a nicer way. Syn, as usual, didn't have anything to say.

This elevator is one example of an old structure left within the Island. It matches the make of the newer constructions put together by the other forces present on the Island at the time, but it's way too old to have actually belonged to anyone who was present so recently. Or maybe they built this early on in the incursion but abandoned it? It's not really important. Other factions were sent at the same time as your own mission, but the Island itself was more of an obstruction than those things. A proper Machine Soldier could wipe out thousands of those mass-produced units. Instead, it was just traversing the Island that caused the most trouble.

Most of the important parts of the Island aren't on the surface. They're inside it, nestled somewhere in the intricate cave systems that fills the floating landmass completely. You don't know how much of it has been explored. The maps held in the facility that you woke up in seem extensive, but they're missing paths that you remember. What's more interesting is how much of it is filled with buildings. The facility connects to the Egg Corridor, both entirely constructed areas. Whoever was operating down here must have been well-equipped. They also were wiped out by someone else a long time ago. It wasn't your team, you can tell that much. The signs of damage are more in line with animals than gunfire. Paren definitely wasn't there judging by the lack of gaping holes in the walls and smoking wrecks in the place of anything she thought looked at her funny.

Your route through the island took your team across the surface first, eventually meeting a cliff face too sharp to scale. There was also a bit of resistance from the local population and other invaders, but it was so easily overturned it was hardly worth noting. More of the difficulty came from just getting around the cave network within the Island. You can recall the path that the team was meant to take. A slow, methodical sweep based on existing maps that would eventually circle back to the surface near the opposite end of the Island. There were certain rumors regarding magical artifacts and technologies that you were supposed to verify and retrieve if possible. The strange machine that nearly crushed you earlier was one of those, you're sure of it. You can recall seeing other constructs like it along the way. The Sand Zone and Labyrinth were both part of the planned route, but you don't have any memories of either place. Either the plan changed for some reason or you've lost the relevant memories.

The closer to the present you follow your route, the spottier your memory becomes. At first it's just tiny moments, the blink of an eye's worth of time absent, but the gaps grow larger and larger until you can barely keep track of where you've been. Hours of travel missing, taking you from a day of sampling ancient ruins to a hike through an underground jungle to more walking through lifeless caverns. Then the gaps grow further, and all you can piece together are glimpses.

-the Filthy water pouring through mounds of miscellaneous trash, its murky brown color reflecting the rot and rust that clings to every surface with all the tangible contempt of the-

-brilliant moonlight cast above sweeping silver clouds drawn into the Island's wake, an ocean within the sky making a second horizon far above the-

-pristine white stone marred by cracks and fractures, marked by the years it has endured. The pillars feel like teeth closing around-

-Curly, wincing as Quote pulls a bright silver arrow from her arm. Paren's laughter and the sound of explosions fill the air-

-"Mere machines cannot hope to"-

And then nothing but a haze of gunfire and light. Sometime after, you woke up. Your later memories had moon and sunlight though, so your team must have made it to the Island surface. But then you ended up all the way down here, so that's not really that helpful.

You consider putting your fist through the passing cavern walls only to notice a strange eye-shaped carving. It feels like it's staring at you as the elevator platform slowly passes it by. These things are everywhere on the Island, to the point that when Chevron joked that they might be naturally-occurring you actually considered it. On seeing the pictures you sent back to Command, their specialists claimed that there are no marks on any of the eye structures that would indicate as to what tool was used to make them. It still seems ridiculous that they would just be sprouting out of the walls, but the functions of magic-infused locations are a mystery. It's why you're here in the first place.

That, and all the things you need to kill here. You would rather not think about that part if at all possible.

Instead, your attention latches onto the final moments you can remember. Fighting something that remains frustratingly obscured to your recollection. Frustrated enough to break out a dictionary for the description, apparently. You sound like the Commander.

The Commander will be fine. That fact would be clear to any member of your team. Curly Brace and Quote occupy more of your thoughts, having been damaged as you were in what you can recall of the battle. Somehow, you're most worried about Paren and Chevron. The other two would do just fine on their own. Quote is literally built to operate solo when required to. Curly picked up some reconnaissance abilities for some reason as well. Chevron and Paren, meanwhile, don't do well when separated.

It's not that they're weak. They're not! But the two are… Chevron doesn't like the word damaged. Paren was calibrated incorrectly in her construction, and that mistake was worsened by some damage she took in an early mission. Even since she's been especially unstable. She's never been dangerous to any of you, but you wouldn't trust her in a social situation. Chevron was damaged similarly, though in the opposite way. He has issues making decisions on his own, so he really needs to be paired with somebody else. Having to run her ideas through somebody else tends to slow Paren down enough to make less terrible decisions most of the time, and Chevron can perform as well as anyone else when he's properly directed. They work well together, but if they got separated…

Well, at least Paren would be easy to find. You'd just need to follow the sound of fire.

There's no fire up ahead, but the light at the top of the elevator shaft has come into focus. It's harsh and artificial, the mark of another underground facility. You stare at the platform above as it draws closer and closer. It looks cleaner than the ruins below. Soon, the elevator platform grinds to a halt in a tidy but dimly-lit room. A massive, echoing clang sounds out as it stops. You stumble, not having expected the slow-moving platform to have carried that much force.

The room is wide and mostly empty, lit by a few lamps affixed to either side of a massive door in the center of the opposite wall. The floor is a metal grate, its off-white material matching the metal plating on the walls. Maybe this color is what the corridor is named after, and not an actual egg. Judging by the similarly-shaded shipping crates strewn about the corners, it seems more like a cargo transportation zone than anything to do with eggs.

The loading door looks like it'll be difficult to open, but a quick scan of the room reveals a smaller door beside it. You prepare to leave the room, but stop just as your hand closes on the handle. You don't know what's going to be on the other side of the door. Somebody was in the lower facility, and they took something out of it and brought it to one of the upper floors. It might have been here. Not only that, but this place looks much more well-maintained. It might still be in use.

If there are foreign elements based here, you have an obligation to remove them. It'll be difficult on your own, but not impossible if you're smart. You had no trouble accessing the lift and the door isn't locked, so whoever might be on the other side isn't expecting an attack. You have the element of surprise on your side. As long as you are careful and-

Somebody screams. It's not a voice you recognize, that's your first thought, but it is a scream nonetheless. Your fingers sink into the doorknob's metal with an awful screech that you hope nobody noticed.

Sounds of distress are a good thing for your mission, even if they unfortunately confirm that the Corridor is occupied. A distraction will only advantage you further.

But it sounds like whoever's screaming needs help.

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A Scream

[] Don't be baited.

This isn't a member of your team, it isn't your objective, so it's not your problem. Just move through as you would normally.
[x] Move Quickly
This endangered person presently a limited window of opportunity to retrieve whatever information they might have.
[] Write-in
 
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[X] Move Quickly

Voting for this because, while my memory of the game is spotty, I think that's one of the mimgas being kidnapped by that bot that looks like a suitcase.
 
File 1, Entry 6 - Execute Program
Machine Learning - File 1, Entry 6 - Execute Program

The fact that somebody is clearly in distress is meaningless to accomplishing your mission. The voice you hear screaming on the other side of the door does not belong to a member of your team. The chance that they can provide some insight into the Island that you couldn't find elsewhere is tiny. You are not required to save them, and doing so would be at an unknown risk to yourself.

That said, you would still like to. You have easily enough room to determine a justification beyond that. The vast majority of the forces on the Island are hostile, so a conflict involving them could provide you an advantage. If it's a human in danger, you may even be able to interrogate them if you keep them alive. Furthermore, the area still having power is odd in contrast to the obvious disrepair of the lower facilities. Information regarding that would be much more easily obtained from a person rather than independent observation.

There. Perfectly logical, mechanical justifications for what you're about to do.

You turn the door handle, only to realize with a flash of irritation that you crushed it earlier. Frowning, you instead take a step back and hurl yourself bodily into the obstructing door. The horrible shriek of metal bending fills the air as you burst into the Egg Corridor, scanning your surroundings for any sign of the scream you heard.

The Egg Corridor is a bizarre place. As the name might imply, you have entered a single long passage that extends as far as you can see to your left and right. "As far as you can see" is not actually that far, and the scaffolds, shipping crates, and other metal boxes that fill the room in organized blocks limit how far you can actually see. The corridor is completely packed too; the crates stretch from wall to wall and completely cover the floor in most places. It's impressive considering the sheer size of the room, a three-dimensional labyrinth built by incident, geometric layers upon layers made with the sort of mindless, intentless disorganization that stands opposed to the very idea of purpose. Most of these crates can't be accessed anymore, not stuck between more boxes or under towers of metal. Scaffolds and platforms have been built over the boxes, leading through the maze and out to the doors lining the walls.

You only have a moment to take it in, though, as you take off running towards the source of the sound. The metal containers clang loudly with each step. Their surfaces bend under your feet, buckling against the weight of your body hammered into them for only a scant moment before pushing off to the next. Each step is stiff and without dexterity, but the force alone is enough to propel you. In a span of moments and a trail of dented crates, you land on the other side of a wall of boxes and atop a wide platform.

The place you stand on now is a far cry from the mess of boxes at your back. The ground is solid and whole, divided cleanly against the barely-organized structure behind you. More importantly, it marks what might be the corridor's end. The opposite wall is metal of the same off-white color as the rest of the corridor, decorated only by a pair of protruding windowless cubes that must be rooms judging by the doors placed on each one. It's overwhelmingly functional above all else, lacking any aesthetic appeal. But it's all secondary to the other occupants on the platform.

The first is a Mimiga. The rabbit-person is short even for their species, likely a child. Mimiga are more rabbit than human in terms of body shape, though their size and the fact that they stand on two legs would make mistaking one for a common animal impossible. This one wears a plain green shirt over its body and has tied some of the fur on the back of their head into a single messy tuft with a red hairband. Their eyes are dark and narrowed as they yell at the other individual, gesturing frantically to try and make up for their lacking height. They're not displaying any of the signs of having consumed the Red Flowers at the moment. Your hand twitches towards your gun at the sight of a Mimiga so close, but stops when you take in the person they're yelling at.

You don't know if person is the right word. The other creature standing on the platform is some sort of boxy rectangle, wider than it is tall and rounded on the edges. Its body is slate-grey and marked with small scuffs and scratches. Whether it's made of metal or stone is unclear. Two boxy legs protrude from its bottom, and the rounded nubs emerging from the vertical slots on either side of the creature might be arms. Its face is slightly set into its body's surface, composed only of two overlarge eyes and a wide mouth set into an irritated frown.

"Well, I don't want to! What's the point of putting all this effort into some silly plants!"

The Mimiga's words echo in empty air as your feet crash against the ground. The creature opposite her stops, whatever response it was about to spit back halted by the abrupt sound of your arrival. It turns slowly to look at you, surprise quickly replaced with bored irritation. That boredom morphs as quickly into abject shock the moment it lays eyes on you. The mimiga, too, whips around towards you. They jump back with a shriek the moment their eyes meet yours.

"Wow!" The creature says, its voice cheerful and without concern. It exudes a certain level of detachment the way it talks with so much levity. "You're one of those soldiers from surface. I didn't think there were any of you left."

"R-robots aren't r-real!" the Mimiga stammers, a far cry from their earlier passionate objections. Their eyes don't leave your body as they speak. You glance down, remembering suddenly that you are still damaged. Not just in the ways that you can't possibly forget, the grinding imperfections that you feel in every movement, but also in the ways you don't care for. The artificial skin covering your body remains torn open. To a truly human body, it would be like having half of their flesh peeled back to show their skeleton underneath. You are fortunately free of all those gross meat parts, but the comparison is there.

The creature, whatever it is, doesn't care. "Yep! That's one of 'em right there!" They indicate towards you with one of their nub-arms, confirming your earlier observation. The lack of fingers that you can see would make them rather ineffective limbs, though.

"You have seen others of my model?" you say, demanding confirmation. Your voice is smooth and cold, without any intonation or touches of personality. None of the pride you feel in your judgement seeps through. This thing has information that you could use. Not necessarily about your squad, but at least related to the other machines on the Island.

For as promising a start as it was, the answer you receive is disappointing. "I dunno. It's not like it's my responsibility to check that sort of thing. Not that it matters, since I've gotta do my job now. Orders are orders, after all."

Those last words are spoken with a note of tired resignation overcoming the odd creature's careless attitude. You barely have a moment to think what their job may be before the creature starts running towards you.

\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\

Balrog

[x] Fight

You're a machine designed for combat. If they're going to do their job, then you'll do yours.
[] Retreat
You're damaged, and you don't know how strong your opponent is. It's safer to retreat.
 
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Ok, people who've actually played the game, can you tell us if we can take this schmuck?
Edit: I think this is Omega, after skimming a boss comp video.
 
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Ok, I actually watched the video this time. This guy is a fucking joke of a boss fight. Let's kick his nonexistent ass.
[X] Fight
Ok so, I'd like to add a bit to Balrog Commentary. My Two Cents and some things I think you need to know:

Balrog is a recurring boss. He does get somewhat harder with subsequent fights, but it should also be noted that Balrog is not even slightly invested in his job with the Doctor. Odds are he's gonna sandbag pretty hard the first time we meet 'im. Which is now. As for how we stack up to Quote... The Machine Gun is a significant increase in firepower compared to Quote's first and maybe even second encounter with Balrog. In addition, the mobility it offers is a rather potent thing for a Robot as damaged as we are.

...On the other, we are, in fact, still damaged, and probably significantly squishier and a little less mobile than Quote without the Machine Gun. Where he or Curly could take somewhere between like 3 and 6 hits (IIRC, and depending on Life Capsule Count) against Balrog Fight 1... I'd guess we're liable to go down in one. And even if we don't... Any damage we take now is damage we're gonna have to live with until we can get a place to rest, or better yet, spare parts. We'd best hope our damaged everything and a machine gun are enough to take him down before he can land a hit.

Looking at it from a cold, logistical standpoint with OOC knowledge? Saving this particular Mimiga is an investment. If, or I believe more accurately when we take down Balrog, we'll almost certainly have a more positive reputation with the Mimiga as a whole, and as the Mimiga Village represents something of a minor 'hub area' in the game... This is a good thing. But as they are not particularly tech-inclined, all they can really offer is a safe place to rest, at this time. If we want parts we're gonna have to look elsewhere or hope previous explorers (or the humans on the island as of game start) have left things behind.

I do believe the investment is worth it, especially since we were never gonna work with The Doctor anyway, but it does mean getting his attention early. And the more we meddle, the more likely it is that he's gonna have Misery throw us into Labyrinth or something to make us Not His Problem and uh... Frankly I'm not entirely sure we'd survive the escape attempt without full repairs. And a bigger arsenal. And a Life Capsule or 10. Assuming those are still a thing, at least. But I do still think it's worth doing.

Also, we know exactly none of this in-character so it would also be in-character to not think about those repercussions because we don't fuckin know Misery exists! Or The Doctor, for that matter. To us Balrog's just Some Fucking Guy who wants a Mimiga for some reason that's rather pointedly implied to be related to the Red Flowers, so letting him off would be... difficult to justify. Also we want someone to talk to for info and a Mimiga's about as good as we're gonna get for information on the current events. Only thing that would be better at this time is a human, and that's only for the potential gamble of "Is their less-reliable information worth the possibility that they can do better repairs?" since. Y'know. Return to Full Functionality is an extremely important thing.

[X] Fight
 
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His heart isn't in this. I'd bet any amount of resistance will break his will to fight, and our machine gun has resistance to spare. Light him up.

[X] Fight
 
(Seriously, what is he supposed to be..?)

I still think he's an old suitcase that someone decided would be a great housing for a robot. The arms are handles and the stripes across his eyes are old straps to help keep it closed. And now that I look closer it appears there's also a carry handle on top of his body too.

Edit: on second glance I realize the top handle was actually a bit of the background.
 
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(Seriously, what is he supposed to be..?)
I've heard suggestion that he's supposed to be some kind of lunchbox. But checking the first wiki I could find...

...He was allegedly based off a bar of soap. Which is one hell of a claim but if that's true I wanna know where the fuck Pixel's getting his soap, shit must be magical if it does THAT when you smush a bunch of it together :V
 
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