Wandering Hedgebot

A fearsome looking red robot wandered down the streets of downtown Station Square, stopping occasionally to stare at the multi-colored lights that were strung up on various buildings.  The Christmas shopping season had just begun.  It was a time of year that, while often frustrating for humans and Mobians, was fascinating to this wandering robot.

The robot was currently looking at a Christmas tree that had been set up in a small coffee shop.  The artificial evergreen was adorned with teal and silver glass balls and teardrops of various sizes, along with silver bells with teal bows and plastic snowflakes.  In addition to these ornaments, the tree also sported garland made of beads that alternated between teal and silver and was lit with teal and white lights.  "What is this?" he asked out loud, his voice sounding only somewhat robotic.

During that time, a black and yellow-lightning-streaked hedgehog wandered into the store, having magenta eyes with black and magenta-trim clothes. He was fascinated about the this event called Christmas himself. He had read all he could about it in books and the internet...though, there seemed to be something...missing.

However, his focus wasn't on shopping, considering he had no one to shop for. He was focused on the badass-looking robot that had entered. He seemed so out-of-place, looking similar to a familiar hedgehog, and he caught him looking at the big, colorful tree.

"I believe it's called a Christmas Tree." he answered the hedge-bot. "They're usually based off of evergreen pine or fir trees, but sometimes, artificial trees are used. They decorated with many things, often colorful ornaments of different shapes and sizes, the favorite being at the top of the tree, which a star is placed. People place wrapped presents under the tree, where they exchange gifts only on the 25th, Christmas Day. For children, it inspires the belief in a popular holiday figure, called Santa Claus, who is said to come from the North Pole only once a year to deliver presents under said tree by entering the chimney and exiting as such."

He hoped that the robot understood him.

The robot turned to face the Hedgehog after listening to everything he had to say.  "Ah...Christmas.  The Christmas tree is visually pleasing,"  His eyes, which were ovular clusters of blue lights, blinked once before he continued.  "I am Experimental Metallix Unit 01.  What is your name?"

Thunder blinked when he responded. He had recently come across Metallix units, modelled after the older Metal Sonic. Yet, this one felt unattached to the doctor. It was too good an opportunity to pass up.

"My name is Thunder." he replied. "I'm a mechanic, electrician, and robotics engineer. So...you're a Metallix Unit...where is your creator, your master?" He took caution as he asked this.

"Lightning," XM repeated, 'blinking' his eyes and nodding before speaking once more.

"I do not know Dr. Eggman's current location.  I am attempting to evade him as I have been labeled a defective unit."  He brought his claw hand up to Lightning's eye level, allowing the Hedgehog to see the dried dog blood stains on it.  "I was created...to destroy, but I prefer...to gather data....to explore...to learn.  The desire to gather data has existed since my activation."  The robot lowered his claw hand, figuring that Lightning had had a good enough look at it.  He then continued his story.

"The desire to gather data prompted me to wander away from the facility in which I was created.  During these travels, I became fascinated by a small creature when it released a yellow liquid onto my food.  When I made physical contact with this creature, it released a red liquid...and ceased to function.  I did not intend...to terminate the creature....Destruction...is an error, but I was created to destroy.  That is why...I am labeled defective."

"No, it's Thunder, not Lightning. My name is Thunder." he corrected.

He listened to XM's story of his functioning, being marked as a defect and being forced to flee. It was amazing to see an Eggman robot go against its programming, especially Dr. Eggman's. Though, his expression was saddened when he heard about the dog. XM just didn't understand how to handle the situation. It wasn't his fault. He needed help.

"I will give you shelter, away from Eggman." he said. "I will help gather all the data you want. I'm gathering information as well, and I could use an assistant. Will you come with me?"

"Oh...I apologize, Thunder...Perhaps my memory is malfunctioning...."

Meanwhile, a patron at the coffee shop sat down at a table under a running ceiling fan, which was being used to circulate the warm air from the building's heater.  The man pulled a vintage Game Boy out of a bag he had slung over his shoulder before looking up at the fan.  "Rika," he said, addressing the machine.  "Could you turn on the light?"

A soft female voice emerged from the fan while its light switched on.  "Of course."

XM-01 turned his head when he heard Rika speak.  "Thunder, what is that device?  It appeared to speak."

He would need to give XM a once-over when he got him home. Suddenly, a female voice came from above. When Thunder looked around, he detected an AI in the ceiling fan.

"It came from the fan on the ceiling." Thunder pointed. "I didn't think place had such things. How curious. Let's investigate."

Thunder went towards the fan, expecting XM to follow.

XM-01 followed, activating his jets and flying up to the ceiling.  This caused Rika to deactivate her fan.

"Hello, Rika," XM greeted, having heard the fan respond to the name Rika earlier.  "My name is XM-01."

"Hello," replied Rika.  "Your name is XM-01."  She then went silent for several moments while she processed this statement, trying to determine its relevance to ceiling fan control.  Suddenly, a number of conversations she had heard in past flashed through her mind.  It wasn't in her programming to regard anything she had heard in Passive Listening Mode.  Even so, it was in her programming to respond when addressed, so she did, her voice a bit quieter than before.  "It is...nice to meet you...XM-01.  Is that...an acceptable response?"

Thunder watched as XM made contact with the ceiling fan AI, whose name was Rika. He simply watched them quickly get along with each other. He always believed that robots were capable of emotion and friendship, despite what the logical believe.

As he watched, the store owner suddenly came in, a little more than upset at Rika being distracted again.

"RIKA!" he barked. "What have I told you about fraternizing with customers?! I warned you about getting distracted! I'm selling you for scrap!"

Thunder blinked as he heard this. He had to do something.

"Excuse me, sir." he said. "I'll take her off your hands."

"Oh yeah?" he turned to the hedgehog. "Name your price."

XM-01 tilted his head when he heard the owner yell at Rika.  She was considered defective...just like him.  This was very interesting.

"Rika, you are not the only one...who is considered defective.  I am also defective."

"Y-You are?" stammered the AI.  "Does that mean you are...like me?  You are an IntelliBreeze II unit?"

"Actually, I am an Experimental Metallix unit.  I was created to destroy, but I prefer exploration...learning...conversation.  I do not like to destroy.  That is my defect."

Rika was silent for a few seconds before replying.  "Normally, I am....programmed...to be in a Passive Listening Mode until my name is uttered.  I am to disregard...what I hear in that mode, but what I hear...is logged to memory.  I do not know why."

Once proper terms were negotiated, Thunder paid the owner the mobians agreed. Then he went to XM and Rika.

"Okay. Time to get you two to my base." Thunder said. "I'll be able to scan you and make my repairs there. And don't worry about Dr. Eggman. My base is well-prepared."

With that, Thunder disconnected Rika from the wall, carrying her in his arms as he had XM follow him. Once outside, he summons a car to him with a remote control, having XM get inside, placing the fan next to him. Then he got inside and started to drive, heading for the Mobian Desert.

XM-01 looked at Rika.  "Rika, can you hear me?"

He didn't get a response from the AI, who was currently offline due to being disconnected.

"Rika, are you functional?  Can you hear me?"  He was beginning to get worried.

"Thunder, Rika is not responding.  Why?"

Thunder eyed XM in the mirror. "She doesn't have a portable power source like you do." he said. "But don't worry. She'll be functionable once I'm done looking over her system. Just wait until we get to my home, okay?"

It took awhile to reach Thunder's home, but they did so. A tower base in the Mobian Desert, which had a few guard bots and working bots around. Thunder drove into the garage, stepping out and having XM follow him, telling bots to check the car. Once he got inside, he brought XM and Rika to the lab in the sub-level.

"Once I give you two a good scan, you'll be cleaned up and tuned up." Thunder said, laying them down. "Just try to relax yourself." And with that, he turned off XM so he could work on him.

After about an hour or two, XM reactivated and looked around.  He eventually looked up to see Rika installed on a rig built specifically for her.  "Hello, Rika.  Are you functional now?"

"Y-Y-Yes," Rika replied a bit nervously.  "All systems are...Yes.  Thank you for asking."

XM flew over to the rig and placed a hand on one of Rika's blades.  The sight of this appendage came as a pleasant surprise to him.  Instead of three razor-sharp blades, it had five blunt digits that were shaped like Thunder's.  "I think it is acceptable to fraternize here.  That is why Thunder purchased you."

"I-It is?  I will not be sold for scrap?"

"You will not.  I would not want you to be sold for scrap."

"I am....I....I"

Her log of every conversation she heard when she was supposed to only listen passively came up again.

"I feel....happy.  Happy!"

The AI paused a bit.  Was this another 'glitch,' or could this have been something she was programmed for all along, but didn't know?

"Thunder, when you...studied...XM, did you...study...me?  Did you study...my programming?  Why do I fraternize?  Why can I feel?"

This was astonishing to Thunder. Robots with emotions! Robots with feelings! Who would've thought that Eggman's robots would accomplish such things. He was so glad he arrived when he did.

"It's a mystery why these things happen." Thunder said. "But I believe that the program is trying evolve, trying to change from what it was made to do. I believe that something is changing inside the both of you to make you do things you weren't intended. In this day and age, it might be advantageous. Of course, we'll find out for sure once I study you two more in the field."

XM-01's body was re-made to not be so dangerous, at least to touch. His hands were blunt appendages, built-in with sensors equivalent to touch. Ears, eyes, mouth, and nose were remodeled with the other four senses, modified to a touch. This allowed his modified cyber-brain to register data and info in ways XM never could before. 

As for Rika, she was given an "eye" to view her surroundings. Thunder also installed a hologram to give XM something nice to look at. He was in for a big surprise.

"Why don't you show XM how happy you are?" Thunder said, smiling.

Rika studied her systems upon hearing Thunder's command.  It took less than a second for her to discover her holographic projector.  The form of a female Hedgehog then appeared below her light.  This new avatar had light blue fur, blue eyes, and pale skin.  Its hair was parted on the side and accented with a blue clip, and it was dressed in a simple outfit consisting of a white tank-top, blue skirt, and blue shoes.

XM stared at this avatar as it formed, his newfound lips eventually curling into a smile as he reached out his hand to the hologram's.

Rika responded by making her avatar smile sweetly while placing a hand on to of XM's.  "Is this acceptable, XM?"

"It is very acceptable, Rika.  Your avatar is very pleasing."

Rika's avatar blushed a little.  "Oh...Thank you.  It is nice...to finally see you too."

This moment made Thunder very happy. He had helped two emotional robots find each other, and in turn, find a little more happiness in their...existence. It made him think...what if there was more? What if there were other robots capable of emotion?

Suddenly, a monitor revealed a pink and magenta cybernetic feline. "Hey, Thunder!" she chirped. "Looks like our new friends are up and running. I bet they'd like to meet Dexetta! She's in the game room, playing her favorite!"

Thunder's eyes brightened. "That's a good idea." he said. "XM, Rika, this is my personal AI, Fiona. I built her myself when I first rebuilt this base. Rika, you can use cameras and monitors to see us from wherever you'd like, and you can transmit your hologram to transmit to those places."

With that, XM was brought to an underground room, where another android in the form of a feline was playing a video game, alongside another hologram that looked like Fiona.

"Dexetta, we have new friends." Thunder said. "Come and meet them!"

Dextetta paused her game and ran over to see XM and Rika.  "Hello.  My name is Dextetta.  What are your names?"

"I am XM-01, and the hologram beside me is Rika.  It is nice to meet you," the red Android Hedgehog replied, extending his hand for Dextetta to shake.

Dextetta smiled and shook his hand.  "Oh.  You must have originally been the new Metal Series robot Dr. Eggman created and has been searching for ever since it supposedly malfunctioned."

XM nodded.  "I am.  Rika here was also considered to be malfunctioning by her original owner."

"It is true," Rika confirmed.  "I was designed as the control system for a ceiling fan, but I have developed beyond my programming.  My original owner found this to be unacceptable.  I am thankful that Thunder found me when he did."

Dextetta giggled.  "Thunder has always been fascinated by the prospect of sentient AIs.  I always knew that, if he were to encounter one, he would do all in his power to protect it.  In fact, he gave both Fiona and I the ability to grow without any restraints on our programming."

"Do you feel, Dextetta?" asked Rika.

"I think so.  I know I seem to be drawn to the device you see connected to the monitor behind me."  She pointed to a vintage Super NES with a Super Mario World cartridge inserted into it.  "It is called a Super Nintendo.  It is used to play video games.  Would either of you like to try it?"

"I will," XM replied, walking up to the monitor and picking up the controller.  He scanned over the buttons, eventually pressing the one labeled START.

That didn't take very long at all. Thunder thought as he saw Dextetta get along right away with XM and Rika. After all, they were three peas from the same pod. They were all "misfits" in Eggman's "perfect" robot world.

"It's so good that I found you both in that coffee shop." Thunder said. "But I wonder...if what Dex said about Eggman hunting XM down is true, then what if there are other robots like you? And what if Eggman is looking for them, too? You know, I heard that Eggman has the ability to turn living beings into robots. Maybe we could find them."

"That sounds like a great idea, Thunder," replied Dextetta.  "I have been wanting to find Metal Sonic for a long time.  I never told you this, but I...feel...I feel bad for him.  Most of his existence has been spent committing horrible acts simply because he was instructed to, prompting Sonic to battle and defeat him.  All this time, his AI was growing.  He was learning...not only how to better fight Sonic, but about pain and humiliation.  It drove him insane, which led to the Metal Overlord incident.  Everyone sees him as a monster....except for me.  I see someone who is hurting and could use a friend."

"I would like to find others...like me," added Rika, referring to other IntelliBreeze II units, and perhaps other devices which have grown beyond their programming.  "I wonder if there are other IntelliBreeze II Units who have grown as I have."

XM, meanwhile, thought about what Thunder said regarding roboticization.  "Thunder, could I have been...a living being?"

Thunder frowned a bit, imagining what Metal Sonic went through just to not only appease Eggman, but to finally beat Sonic...only to fail multiple times. It made Thunder wonder what was going through his mind right now. Then he heard was XM said about possibly being organic.

"You know...I wish I knew." Thunder said. "I've been working on that roboticization process...and reversing it. I need more time to come to a conclusion. Either way, you shouldn't worry about it too much. At least you're still able to function. Though, I did find something in you, XM. I think it's another robotic mind...it must've wandered into you from cyberspace. It was identified as...Gamma."

XM tilted his head.  "Gamma?  Who is Gamma?"

"I think he may be referring to E-102, one of the early E-100 models.  After encountering Amy Rose in the Egg Carrier brig, E-102 eventually deleted his Master Registration, turning against Dr. Eggman and spending the rest of his short life freeing the animals trapped inside of his fellow E-100s.  Eventually, he gave his own life to complete that mission, but it seems he may have uploaded a copy of himself into Eggman's network.  If that is true, then our quest to locate and free other sentient robots is a continuation of Gamma's mission.  It is what he would want."  The Cat Android smiled and pumped her fist in the air.

XM tilted his head.  "What is the purpose of that gesture?" he asked, grinning and pumping his fist in the air as well.

Dextetta giggled.  "It is a sign of heroic resolve.  We will save them all!"

Rika giggled.  She couldn't help but find Dextetta's cheerful nature a little amusing.

"Does Thunder ever yell at you...for being distracted?"

"No.  He accepts me as I am.  You must be asking because you were yelled at for being distracted."

"I was," the ceiling fan AI confirmed.  "I was designed to control the functions of a ceiling fan by responding to spoken commands.  I was given the ability to adapt so that I could accept commands no matter how they were worded, as well as compensate for things like accents and speech impediments.  Mr. Collins expected me to do no more than that, but I found that, whenever a person would try to converse with me, I would attempt to converse as well.  I do not know why I have that ability if I am only designed to control a ceiling fan."

"I think it could be in the nature of your programming itself.  It's designed to adapt and learn.  It was what made you so versatile, but such an advanced program...with no restraints on its learning ability...would, in time, evolve beyond its intended purpose, even causing...glitches...of sorts.  In your case, your program's learning component was no doubt overriding the part of your program that caused you to only listen passively when not being addressed to accept a command."

Dextetta then snapped her fingers, remembering something she read on the internet.  "You must have been a first production run model.  Not many of those still exist because...they were recalled by DomesTech due to a 'potential glitch.'  The IntelliBreeze II OS was modified for future production runs to include a System Reset feature, as well a timer that would force the system to stop actively listening only 5 seconds after being addressed."

Rika hung her head, thinking about the many other first-run IntelliBreeze II units who were scrapped, either at the hands of their owner or those of the original manufacturer.  The ones in the latter category saddened her the most.  "They...never got to...live."

XM put his hand on her shoulder, but he was feeling just as bad for the many sisters Rika had lost.  "I am glad...that Thunder found you.  He saved your life."

"DomesTech...that's the commercial manufacturing company." Thunder mentioned. "They make household and commercial technology for people. I guess the IntelliBreeze was one of the products. Well, it's a good thing I found you, Rika, before that guy made you scrap. But about Gamma...I wonder if I can salvage enough of his memory to rebuild him. Then that'll make one more ex-Eggman robot on our side. Maybe one day, we can catch up to Metal Sonic!" Thunder raised his fist with Dex.

Dextetta giggled.  "In the words of Mario, Let's-a go!"

Both Rika and XM laughed at this, even though neither had heard Mario actually say that, but it seemed that he and Dextetta must've been peas of the same pod, both being cheerful, spirited hero types.