Breakthrough.

|9|

The sheer amount of panic that too, entered Suns' system caused them to flare up with an alert- a sudden increase of activity in their processing strata.

"Pebbles, what the HELL have you been up to!?"
They practically shouted, hands against the screen of their holographic presenter of the Transmissions Array.

"Just... A little project. It seems it's not being very pleasant today."
He remarks, a collective of Inspectors now moving on another holographic broadcast- Dozens of them.

They moved with an efficiency unmatched, and that's when Suns fully understood just how busy Five Pebbles had been.

With another swift movement- the Inspectors were upon the spreading of rot- a Cyst having managed to free itself from the containment. Inspector after Inspector forced it back- hurling pieces of sharpened debris like weaponry.

The creature was swiftly forced back- unable to consume the Inspectors from a distance, and unable to pursue them properly without being injured by another volley of spears... It slunk backward, the door behind it opening, and then crushing it as it was forced back into containment.

This was tremendously worrisome, not only because The Rot had found a way out-

But because the Inspectors, some of them were already injured- missing whole heads, or various chunks of their bodies.

Suns practically shouted once more, managing to lower their tone slightly- as to not frighten Pebbles.
"What in the actual FUCK- How long has this been going on!?"


"A few cycles, they seem to keep wedging the door open in a group effort, and then cram one or two through. I haven't had too many issues, since I can keep producing new inspectors- but they certainly are persistent."
He responds, his arms now similarly crossed. He has finally stopped itching at his skull- and turned to properly face suns. The screens about him still flicker about, monitoring the state of The Rot- while the Inspectors seemed to search for any other escapees.

When Five Pebbles finally seemed to find none- he cut off his broadcasts, and simply spoke.
"I have the situation under control, and so long as I don't overuse my electrical systems- I am fine. The most significant project I have in order, is fixing the door. It has gone sufficiently well to have me call it a success, even if this still happens from time-to-time."

"Five Pebbles, you don't seem to understand the danger you are in- I see that you've got the situation under momentary control- but the fact it has managed to escape, that itself, is vastly concerning."
They responded, their expression shifting from frustration- firmly into concern, and worry.

"Suns, I am fine. You need to stop being so worried- I can handle this."
He responds, a faint tone of irritation laced beneath the usual formality of his robotic voice.

"Pebbles, You KNOW I haven't been able to make any progress on killing it, because it lives off've you- right? It CANNOT be killed, and eventually? You're not going to be able to keep up with it if you just- Keep blowing it off!"
They responded, their tone growing more frustrated as they spoke.

They took an inhalation of air through their vents, before flushing it out- filling their 'Can' with smog.

"I Demand that you increase your safety precautions, for your own. Fix. That. Door."
They respond, their voice now laced with that familiar venomous undertone, hidden beneath the formality of a demand.

"And, while you're preoccupied with that, decrease your energy, and water consumption. You're increasing it's rate of growth, and making it worse. I warned you, and you clearly didn't understand...
Do. Not. Overdo. It."

They continued, before gesturing to their messenger. It gave a nod- before exchanging a few gestures back and fourth. The Messenger simply charged into the nearest tunnel- after being given a boost by Five Pebbles' citizen, which sat there like a housecat, lazing in the corner.

The transmission was abruptly cut short- Suns ending it for once- and Pebbles in a state of mild shock- which quickly transformed into frustration- and anger.

How DARE Suns order him around?

He quickly looked to the nearby Citizen- his frustration now focused upon it, for having let The Messenger leave without even a repercussion for him being disrespected- but The Citizen seemed to ignore his demands- and instead, screech and chirp back at him.

Finally- the Citizen then leapt at him, and tried to drag his head by the antennae, over to his transmissions array.

With a screech- Five Pebbles tried to yank it off've his head, to no avail as this mouse was immune to his abilities, with the drone following it around. He merely glowers at where it has lead him, trying to scrape it off've his head- and his senstive, sensory arrays.

It gestured towards the Imagine of Suns- before nodding.
It seemed to be trying to communicate that Suns was right-and that only infuriated him further.

The CITIZEN agreed with SUNS? How DARE the little ruffian even consider-
It then proceeded to smack him over the forehead, huffing irritably. It jumped down from his head, arms crossed like an irritated mother scolding a child.

The amount of anger that manifested on his face, caused the ruffian to smack him over the head again, and made him only all the more frustrated.

Suns COULDN'T be right- he was FINE, and this was curable. He simply had to work harder, and then things would work out- He could prove them all wrong, ALL OF THEM!

He was sufficiently bonked by The Citizen over the head again, which seemed to immediately notice his spiraling patterns of thought. However, what she hadn't expected- was him to grab her physically, and hurl her out've the room, or, try to.

She slammed against the nearby pipe- before being forced inside by- you guessed it, Five Pebbles. The Slugcat was met with a familiar lizard, and plenty of Inspectors outside- already trying to hurl it about, or even nearly killing it with a thrown spear- that she narrowly avoided. She simply scuffled about- trying to get away from this chasing force, and blasting her way through certain sectors.

But that's when she saw it.

THERE WAS MORE THAN ONE ESCAPEE, AND IT WAS SPREADING. FAST.












Suns was immensely frustrated- going through various systematic processes. They needed to finish this project- and faster than anticipated. With a whirl of fingertips- they finally opened many, many processes.

They'd been putting this off to check on Pebbles' condition- but now? The situation revealed just how serious it'd be come, and by now, they knew Pebbles would hardly listen to them, unless he was Directly Confronted, and proven wrong.

And so, that was exactly the plan.

With another iteration of their plans- They began to once again test their Model- iteration after iteration, five- six, seven- and more. It continued going up, and up- each improvement making a difference, change after change. They worked with such efficiency, now, that they had purpose- finding the issues they'd sworn to solve later, and changing them so drastically, in order to make it function hundreds- hundreds of times faster.

With each whiz of fingertips- faster than an eye can process, functions were checked, and new processes put in order. Storage medium? No longer a concern with new strategy.

They next few cycles remained in this buzz- a constant whizzing of energy, placed entirely into construction, and this project- failure after failure, success after success. Mere words, Mere Numbers, mere Ones, and Zeros.

Hundreds of new ideas sprouted from each concept- a new twist- a new turn, a different method of energy production- a form of self defense.

Each took shape, and each one was found with a solution. Each iteration figured through trail and error- experience, and determination.

And with another buzz of fingertips- they sent their updates to NSH, a brief, but sufficient message to convey their progress- and the new objectives for them to overlook.

What they overlooked, however, was the sheer amount of steam billowing from their superstructure- forming a thick smog over their grounds, and leaving their situation to look concerning...

They also, overlooked the sheer number of concerned message No Significant Harassment had left them.

–
NSH: You sure are producing a lotta steam over there, finally get to work?

NSH: Dudddeeee send me a new copy already! I know this isn't your best work.

NSH: Cmonnnnn Wake Uppppp!

NSH: Hey, are you okay? You really are producing a lot of steam.

NSH: You good? You haven't responded like, at all.

NSH: Respond, you're worrying me.
–

And so, they simply gave their response.

–
NSH: Respond, you're worrying me.

SRS: Hello, No Significant Harassment. I am sorry that my activity seems to have concerned you, but it is merely that I have been hard at work. It has come to my attention, that Five Pebbles' state has worsened, and I am looking to more properly use my time.

I have greatly improved my designs, and would like you to look over the biotechnical, and biological components of this updated iteration, if you do not mind.

Take care,
Suns.

FILE ATTACHMENT:
|[DOWNLOAD]- PPP.ITERATORPUPPET_V2478 -[MORE INFO]|
–

And shortly afterward, No Significant Harassment responded too.

–
...
Take care,
Suns.

FILE ATTACHMENT:

|[DOWNLOAD]- PPP.ITERATORPUPPET_V2478 -[MORE INFO]|

NSH: Dude... Do you have any idea how worried I was? Also, excellent work. I have got to commend the effort, but chill out buddy! I'm getting rain from ya over here.

I'll overlook this, but it already looks a hell of a lot better. You've definitely been working hard!

Take care of yourself, you freakin goof.

–And so, Suns took a brief break- giving a sort've sigh through their vents- and glancing about their chamber. Their Messenger sat in the corner, asleep once again- smog being vented out've the containment as it built up from the sheer amount of steam being produced. Perhaps a short break wouldn't hurt- and they would preferably, check in on Pebbles' condition afterward.

After all, this was for him- and that, making sure Five Pebbles would be okay, it what mattered. Because they would, make up for their mistake.