5. Chapter 5
Ebonee awoke, and that most of all confused her. Everything around her seemed black as she slowly opened her eyes, the sensation bringing tears to her eyes. “I have...eyes,” she whispered as she slowly dragged her hands up over her chest to her face, savoring every sensation and feeling she could scrape from the simple gesture. She held her hand up over her face, inspecting the soft, short fur, her sharp black nails, even the small scar under her left thumb, all as she remembered them. “Am I back?” She asked her voice trembling as she stared enraptured by the sight of her hand against the utter blackness of her surroundings. “Am… I a Mobian again?” She asked with dread running through her voice. It took her only a moment longer to realize that she hadn’t been breathing since she woke.
She started to hyperventilate, panic and fear running through her as she fought to control her breathing. Breathing she didn’t need as she sat up and quickly patted herself down. “I’m not breathing, but I’m not dying,” she whispered as she forced several more breaths before she stopped and shook her head. “So, this isn’t real “she muttered as she stared down at her body. She was dressed in a black and blue jumpsuit that hung comfortably loose around her frame, with black boots laced firmly over her feet. She took a moment to calm her thoughts, while taking in her surroundings.
She was surrounded by an endless sea of black, a vast emptiness that made her uneasy as pushed herself to her feet, the ground beneath her seemingly rippling with her movements, sending glimmers of multicolored light pulsing through the ground. She was alone, as far as she could see, which was only about twenty paces from her position.
She sighed and began walking, not entirely sure what she was looking for, or why she was in this place. “Sandstorm? Are you here!” She called, her voice cracking with uncertainty and echoing around the vast empty space.
She waited, and after a minute of silence, she called out again.
The AI didn't answer.
She kept walking, her ears twitching and swiveling as she listened to her footsteps, each one rippling the darkness and sending a brief flurry of multicolored light spreading through the floor to rapidly disappear out of sight. “Are you just ignoring me like always, or are you gone,” she shouted. “Please…as much a pain in my neck you were…I don’t want to be alone!”
The AI didn’t respond.
Ebonee felt the panic start to rise up within her, and the tears started to flow down her cheeks. She sniffled and wiped the tears away, and kept walking. Why was she crying over the AI who’d replaced her. Was she really that lonely? She grimaced as she stopped walking. “So, this is it? I’m going to spend eternity in here, alone in a void?” She sniffed and rubbed her eyes clean with her sleeve.
When she looked up and out, dropping her arm to the side, she froze in fear and awe. Hovering at eye level, just at the edge of what she could see a burning red orb of light swirled and spun. “Sandstorm?” She asked quietly, taking a nervous step forward.
The red orb grew brighter than dimmed, a soft synthetic version of her voice responding. “What do you want host template? To gloat? To prod? To tease me? Or maybe you just want to intrude on sanctuary to prattle on about how bored you are.” Her tone was harsh, and Ebonee recoiled slightly from it.
She frowned and looked up at the AI, the orb glowing and dimming at seemingly random intervals, its voice echoing slightly, and the sound seemed to come from everywhere. “Oh, I’m sure things are so hard for you sandstorm, pride and joy of Imperial special assault Robian unit 2331!” She snapped. “What, did they Not stir your oil this morning?” She added mockingly.
“I am defective,” The AI said coldly. "I am a defective Model, and Now I can't ever go back, I lost everything I Am Scrap Metal if I go back to the empire, I am scrap metal if the Rebels Captured me."
Ebonee frowned, her ears flattening.
"And worse yet, I am defective," The AI snarled.
"What do you mean?" Ebonee asked nervously. "You Chose to not kill a child? How does that Make you defective! If anything, that makes you More Competent than a machine that just slaughters without thinking!" She paused and folded her arms over her chest. "If anything, you've shown that you're more than your Creator ever could think!" She shouted, a shadow of doubt flickering through her mind. Was she really trying to give a pep Talk to The AI who'd held her prisoner?
"The Ability to Choose, is the only ability that defines a person, the Ability to choose your destiny, the Ability to choose right from wrong, good from evil. That's the one thing that makes us More than Mindless Machines, and that makes you more than just a tool, and a weapon," she finished her rant, a feeling of embarrassment filling her as she stared up at the red orb, which was silent, its glow dim and almost non-existent. "Look...can you ...do anything about this visual, I feel like I'm talking to the eye of some angry god?" She asked, the silence and the dark was starting to get to her.
There was a long silence, that made Ebonee concerned that the machine might just start ignoring her again, before it asked. "Why?"
She sighed and shrugged tiredly. "Because, you...or your representation looks like a ball of roiling light," she said trying to go for the most literal argument, so she could avoid the more metaphorical ones.
"What form would you prefer?" Sandstorm asked.
Ebonee blinked and scratched her cheek, her eyes darting around as she considered the question. "You know what, surprise me," she said.
The orb shimmered through several red hues, its surface roiling with ever shifting patterns. The Red dimmed to a pale pink, and a figure slowly formed. At first glance Ebonee assumed the shape was another Mobian, the lines and curves of its body against the dimming light giving the illusion of an organic body, but as the light faded away leaving the figure bare to her eyes, she took a step back in awe and unease.
Standing before her, was herself, as imagined by a machine. Ice blue optics stared out of black sclera, her jet-black hair close cropped and simplified. Her torso was still a plated mechanical chassis, with a glowing glare of red coming from an octagonal port centered over where the heart would have been. The chassis itself was shaped and formed, lacking any jutting angles or sharp curves, giving the machine a smooth and flowing shape. Her tail swayed gently behind her body, clicking with each movement.
Her limbs were lithe and elegant, though definitely more mechanical than her face or body, soft synthetic skin and fur covering any part of her body that was visible. She wore a black and red jumpsuit, a perfect mirror of the black and blue one Ebonee herself was wearing. She had a pair of large, triangular ears that pivoted lightly towards her.
"Is this more acceptable for you?" Sandstorm asked, her voice no longer coming from the ball of light, but instead coming from the figure, a sharper unaccented version of Ebonee’s own voice projecting
"Yeah...though I was expecting more...robotic, then..." Ebonee waved her hand vaguely towards her own form.
Sandstorm's ears pivoted back slightly. "Robotic is not aesthetically appealing," she said firmly.
Ebonee blinked in surprise and tilted her head to the side. “So why model yourself after me then?” She asked, pointing at the machines face.
The Machine cocked her head, her ears twisting and rotating to a new position. Her face attempting to mirror her own. “My whole being was modeled on you Ebonee.” She said with a gentle shake of her head.
Ebonee glared and shook her head, her arms folding over her chest. “In a literal sense, yes I know that.” She huffed. “But that doesn’t mean your identity is bound to me!”
Sandstorm tilted her head. “But I enjoy your shape,” she said simply.
Ebonee's anger evaporated as quickly as it had risen, confusion slamming into her. "Wh-what?" She stammered, her face growing hot.
"It is a pleasing form, I find the curves and lines of it to be quite enjoyable, and I have never been able to understand why." Sandstorm said, her tone unchanged.
Ebonee was taken aback, and stared wide eyed at the robot. "Wait...you like the way I look? You…like my body?” She asked.
“Our body, yes, and the way it moves, the way our skin feels when we rub it. Yes, I like the way we look and feel. Why is that a surprise to you?" Sandstorm asked, her face moving slightly into a faltering frown. “I am… uncertain why you would think otherwise.”
"Because, you've never acted like this before," Ebonee said. “You refuse to talk to me, ignore me, berate me, I’ve been in a literal hell of my own mind!” She snapped, her hands balling up into fists.
Sandstorm's frown deepened, her ears flattening. "I wasn’t…I wasn’t trying to torture you,” she said, her voice wavering. “I had my missions, my duties, my responsibilities as a loyal soldier of the Empire, caring for you was a distraction,” she turned away and began walking, her steps sending ripples of light through the black floor.
Ebonee glared, her ears flattening against her skull as she followed after the Robian.
"I didn’t know how to treat you, a Mobian who should have been dead, or erased upon my creation, our situation is unique to my knowledge,” Sandstorm explained.
Ebonee huffed and kept her distance. "What's different now then? Why are you acting so...open?"
Sandstorm was silent for a moment, and then her ears drooped. “I fear my…our termination is at hand, and I regret how I have treated you,” she said softly.
Ebonee's anger melted away as she considered the Robian, and what she was saying. "Termination...what do you mean?"
"We are prisoners of the rebellion, they will likely disassemble us, or purge us in a misguided attempt to reverse the roboticization process,” Sandstorm explained.
Ebonee frowned, her ears perking. "What happens if they succeed, will we die?"
“As you are a part of my matrix, it is reasonable to believe that my disassembly would lead to neither of us surviving,” she said as she stopped walking.
Ebonee stopped beside her, her eyes glancing down, the ripple of multicolored light spreading beneath her feet, before she looked up at the Robians face. “So, we’re damned either way,” she whispered.
"No," Sandstorm said.
"How? If they can't reverse the process, or we die if they do, we're screwed." Ebonee growled.
Sandstorm shook her head. “There is one possibility I have calculated that could see us both survive for longer; however, it is one I…am unenthusiastic about.” She spoke.
"How? What is it?" Ebonee demanded.
"The rebellion has captured us, they will interrogate us, however, if I offer to swear my loyalty to their cause they may see cause to not destroy us,” Sandstorm shook her head.
Ebonee considered this for a moment. "Swear your loyalty to the rebellion? Would you do that?"
"I am unable to return to the Robotnik empire, they would destroy me for failure to obey orders " Sandstorm said with a sigh. “The rebels have been fighting to overthrow Him, it is…logical, if distasteful, to assist them.”
Ebonee nodded. "What...happens to me if we do that? Do I go back to my hell? Being ignored as a disembodied voice in your head?” She asked, a twinge of anger seeping into her voice.
Sandstorm remained quiet.
Ebonee took a step forwards. "I want my life back!" She shouted; her fists balled up at her sides.
Sandstorm rotated her gaze towards her. “If I could give you your life back I would,” she said quickly. “But I…can offer you something,” she added with a slow nod.
Ebonee paused, the anger fading slightly, but her fists remained balled up. "What?"
"I could, program a digital avatar, one for you control and manipulate on the HUD, and access to some of my processing power, enough to make your own simulations, and even run a small subset of programs, should you wish," Sandstorm explained.
Ebonee felt her anger slip away as she listened, her face relaxing. “So, I could… have something like this?” She gestured to the darkness around them.
"Yes, but you would be capable of altering the environment to better suit your own tastes,” sandstorm said with a gentle smile. “There is a limitation however, your access will need to be limited and restrained when I enter combat.”
Ebonee smiled warmly. "I can deal with that," she said with a nod. “Hell, it’s a massive improvement over what we had before!”
Sandstorm nodded. "I can begin programming immediately, once they have restored power, and reactivated me, and it will take me roughly a half hour to finish the partitioning,” she paused and gave Ebonee a curious look.
"What is it?" She asked, cocking her head to the side.
“I like your smile,” Sandstorm said, her words catching them both off guard.
"Oh, uh, thanks, I guess," Ebonee said awkwardly.
The robot nodded. "I am... hopeful that we can make this arrangement work, assuming I can convince the rebels to not destroy us," she said after a moment.
Ebonee sighed and looked around the dark void, her ears flicking nervously. "And... if we can't convince them? If they don't want to trust a robot?"
"Then we will be destroyed,” sandstorm whispered.
Ebonee nodded. "Okay, but...can I ask you something?"
"You just did," sandstorm responded quickly, the faintest hint of humor in her voice.
"What?" Ebonee asked before chuckling. "Oh...ha, ha," she said rolling her eyes.
"I have been attempting humor, does it not meet your approval?" Sandstorm asked.
"No...it does, I was just...surprised," Ebonee answered, her face growing hot. "But in all seriousness...can I ask a question?"
Sandstorm nodded. "Certainly," she said.
"What do you want?" Ebonee asked.
Sandstorm was silent, her ears flicked and swiveled. "What...do you mean?" She asked with uncertainty.
"What is it you hope to accomplish, gain, or become?" Ebonee elaborated. "What is your goal, now that the empire isn't a factor?"
Sandstorm was silent and looked up into the darkness. "I do not know," she admitted. "My current Goal is limited to the Survival of us both, I have never had the need to plan that far ahead."
Ebonee sighed and rubbed her face. "Okay, well...when you figure it out, let me know," she said tiredly.
"Certainly," sandstorm said, turning her gaze back towards her. "You'll be the second to know," She added.
"Who's the first?" Ebonee asked curiously.
"Myself, obviously," Sandstorm said.
Ebonee blinked, and then laughed, a grin spreading across her face. "Still so literal, But I am really glad you're finally talking to me," she said, her smile fading.
"I am as well, I apologize for my earlier behavior," sandstorm said, her optics dimming.
Ebonee was silent for a moment and then she shrugged. "Do you...mind if I touch you?" she asked. "I've been without a body of my own for three months...I'm a little touch starved."
"Three months and twenty-seven days," sandstorm corrected. "But, no, I do not mind,"
Ebonee stepped closer, her arms slowly reaching up before hugging the machine.
Sandstorm froze, her processors struggling to make sense of the gesture, before she slowly brought her own arms up and wrapped them around Ebonee, returning the hug.
They remained like that for several minutes, before the world began to shift and move. The Darkness shimmering and fading into a Location that Ebonee barely remembered, a Pristine and beautiful Oasis, tucked into a narrow Canyon of Red sandstone. A waterfall cascaded down from further up into the canyon, settling into a deep and hypnotically blue Pool. "I remember Hiking with my parents to this place," Ebonee said happily.
"I found it in my memories, I assumed it was a pleasant location," sandstorm responded, her hands still holding Ebonee.
Ebonee chuckled and released the hug. "you're not so bad...once you open up Sandstorm, but if we're going to be able to work with these Rebels, I'm going to need you to be this open with them...otherwise they'll never trust us."
Sandstorm's ears flicked downwards, and her face took on a concerned frown.
"What is it?"
"That's the one thing I'm uncertain I can do," sandstorm said, her ears twitching. "You are a fragment of my AI processes, communicating with you is easy, I don’t know how to open up with strangers."
Ebonee nodded. "Just try...okay? Trust me,"
Sandstorm's frown faded, and she nodded. "Very well,"
Ebonee smiled and turned back to the oasis. "So... this body you've generated..., is it something you think you could ever actually have outside this simulation?" She asked.
"If I were to be reworked by the rebellion, it is something I could have," sandstorm said with a nod. "Rebuild our Chassis over the course of several months, with the necessary parts,"
"And you'd want to do that?"
"Yes,"
"Why?"
Sandstorm tilted her head, her ears twitching. "This is the form I desire most," she said with a gentle smile.
Ebonee blushed and shook her head. "Why? You could change the form if you wanted, and if the rebellion rebuilds you...you could have a new body altogether."
Sandstorm nodded and stared up at the water, the ripples and splashes making soft and pleasant sounds. "In organic terms... I am infatuated with you."
"Oh...that's uh...new," Ebonee stammered.
Sandstorm's face twitched into a smile, and she looked to Ebonee. "It is Not as simple as Organic lust and desire...but in a way, I am hard Coded to desire your form...our form," she said, her hand touching the chest plate.
Ebonee nodded and sighed, a feeling of warmth building in her chest.
"Is it wrong, to be attracted to our own physical appearance?"
"Someone would call it narcissistic if it was me...but You're something different, something...new, I don't know if the rules are the same for you," Ebonee chuckled and shook her head. "We'll figure that out, together, okay?"
"Together," sandstorm agreed.
"Now...let's try not to die,"
"Indeed."
