Overdue Check-Up (Poppy Playtime) [On Hold]

(Chapter 5) Part 7: He ain't Chummy

Ahead of them lay several stacks of boxes blocking the end of the hallway, thankfully it wasn't a dead end as there was more to their right. The two walked around, and explored the next room, finding yet another notes on table that seemed to be a letter of sorts.

Nearic picks up the yellow letter and looks it over, "This isn't a document."

Catnap tilts his head, "Not a document?"

Nearic nods as he turns to his uncle, "Yeah, but it is from one of the workers, not a guest or kid."

The feline sighs, "Well then, read it out and follow me; I'll keep us moving."

The Kit nods as they walk out of the room, Nearic reading the note aloud.

Dr. Atkins Personal Letter 1

Pumpkin (and I guess you too, David, haha)

Hey you! Sending my love from a particular toy factory out West! (Still INSANELY weird to say out loud). Missing you both like crazy right now. And I know, I know, it's only been a couple of weeks, but still. Anyways, I told you I'd give you an update on the kind of people I'm meeting here in the Lab•••

Some of the scientists here are super quiet, keeping mostly to themselves. They love the work-just not the people. Some are kind, but they almost feel a little sad when you talk to them. I can't exactly say why. And others are... well, let's say they're not the type I wanted to see here.

There's this initial group of scientists that everyone else is built around. The "Brain Trust." I'm told these people were from some relic program in the 60s called "The Young Geniuses Program." The head of THEM is a guy named Harley Sawyer. You guys would hate him. He's the type to let others break their backs lifting hay and then congratulate himself on the good work he did.

I know the offer was a strange one. And David, I know you're worried about me (you don't even need to say it, you've just ALWAYS been like that). But I really believe in this. Playtime sold me a vision that means something. Maybe even everything. It's not enough for me to just patent a thing and make a bit of money off it, then retire somewhere to teach it in a class where nobody really cares about what you've dedicated your life to. I need what I do to be more than that.

Julie, I want you to be proud to have a Mommy like me. And I swear, I'm going to do just that. Promise to be home for your 9th birthday!

Love,
Dr. Chloe Arkins

Nearic sighs as he folds the paper, "Some of these people were good and kind, but the morally corrupt coworkers changed them... now they're gone. All of them."

Catnap sighs as he smashes the vent inside the new room, "Yeah... sometimes I wonder what could've happened here if I had just... listened to them, and not Prototype," he shakes his head as he steps aside, "So many lives were taken, so many that didn't deserve it."

Nearic grabs the battery on the floor and walks up to the vent, "You were tricked."

"Maybe... doesn't change the fact that I killed my friends, your family. We should've been in this together, but instead I... I ruined everything."

The Survivor hops down into the next room, spotting another battery, "Uncle... you need to stop beating yourself up over this, you didn't know the extent of how far Playtime's corruption went." He looks around and spots two battery slots, "You were angry, upset, and lost, if anyone deserved to lash out, it was you toys."

Catnap huffed, "Maybe..." he replies quietly.

The teen puts the batteries into their respective slots, activating the output port, but he had no idea where to circuit goes. He takes a look around the room as he adds, "Plus, no one really taught you to be better, no one really taught you at all, not how you should've been."