The Machine

In this Our World story, Angela reprograms Breezie and ends up reluctantly revealing a secret about herself.

This is a transcript from Discord.

## Story

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A few days after the wedding (like, around the 28th-ish?) we find Angela and Jack back in their lair in Raven Haven. And I actually mean lair this time... For you see, Jack just opened up one of the old GUN labs below the Crow's Nest.

Jack:
*Walks into the dusty laboratory with a torch.*
"Geez, this place looks rough..."

Angela:
*Carefully pushing a handcart with a deactivated Breezie on it down the stairs.* "Well, as long as at least one of these computers works..."

Jack:
"Oh yeah, surely... Lemme go find the breaker box..."

Jack leaves to get the power back online. And Angela is left in the dark with the shut-down phycho robot.

Angela:
*Sighs.*
"Don't give me that look... This is for your own good..."

The power comes back on with a dull buzz, revealing an old computer console in the corner.

Jack:
"Ooh kay. We good?"

Angela:
"Yeah. I can handle it from here..."

Jack:
"Alright, if you need anything I'll be cooking supper..."

Angela:
*Nods and begins hooking Breezie up to the computer.*

Jack:
(Man I do NOT trust that robot.)

And with that, Angela is left alone in the lab with just her and the robot.

Angela:
"Alright, let's see here..."
*Pulls up Breezie's hard drive.*
"This is gonna take a while..."

TWO HOURS LATER

Angela:
"Okay... that's all the aggression files trashed... You REALLY hated Jack didn't you? Now, I should probably modify your memories a bit..."
*Hesitates deleting the memories.*
"No, it's for her own good Angela. You can do this..."
*Deletes several memory files.*
"Okay... Moment of truth I suppose."
*Runs a power on command in the console.*

Breezie:
*Activates with what sounds like a gasp for breath.*
*Looks around the room.*
"Where... Where am I?!"

Angela:
"Calm down Breezie, you're safe."

Breezie:
*Tries to find her memory files of how she got here only to find gaps in them.*
"You... You removed memories... Why?"

Angela:
"I had no choice... You were gonna get yourself hurt." *Clenches her fist.* "And hurt someone important. Not to mention hurt me..."

Breezie:
*Her face turns to a look of horror.* "Sweet Gaia..." *Looks at her hands and sees her index finger missing.*
"I did it again didn't I?..."

Angela:
"Did what again?"

Breezie:
"N-nothing... Listen, Angela sweetie... I think I may need to step down as CEO... I'm not sure I can continue like this... Can you take over?..."

Angela:
"No."

Breezie:
"Why not? According to my records something happened when I took over that caused the company to almost go bankrupt... It's hardly clearing a million rings a month now..."

Angela:
"Breezie, it's time to move on. Evazorn Imperial Fruit needs to die. We should sell our assets..."

Breezie:
"But what about my--I mean, the manor..."

Angela:
"...You kept the house?"

Breezie:
"Of course."

Angela:
"No, we're keeping that one. Is Dad still..."

Breezie:
"Negative. His systems are still offline."

Angela:
"...Good. We should look into terminating his system."

Breezie:
"I--What? Why?!"

Angela:
"He's a monster Breezie."

Breezie:
"I am afraid I cannot do that. It would violate my programming."

Angela:
"Alright, we'll put that on hold for now. Now, you should probably get back to work... Any questions?"

Breezie:
"Yes. It appears I have Rouge the Bat and Blight Beakton on my do not employ list. Is there a reason for this? I have no record."

Angela:
"Uh, that's an error. Well, one of them. Rouge is fine. But the only member of the Beakton family you should trust is Jack. And me I suppose."

Breezie:
*Looks at Angela confused but then looks at Angela's hand and smiles.*
"I'm disappointed in you. You didn't invite me to your wedding."

Angela:
"Oh, uh, you came."

Breezie:
"I don't have any memory of it. Did you delete them? Why?"

Angela:
"Look, it wasn't exactly a good day okay? Things got ugly... I wish I could delete the memory from myself honestly... But what's done is done."

Breezie:
"I see. I am sorry your special day is a day you do not wish to remember."

Angela:
"It's okay, we had a pretty good honeymoon."

Breezie:
"Oh did you now? Care to share some details?"

Angela:
"Given we were in a country where Jack is technically unwelcome, no."

Breezie:
"I see. Then how was it a good honeymoon?"

Angela:
"..."

Breezie:
"Oh, right... N-nevermind."

Angela:
"It was just nice to spend some quiet time alone..."

Breezie:
"Anyways... I should probably get going. Um... Is there like a phone or something I can use?"

Angela:
"Hmm? Oh. Sure. Just ask Jack upstairs."

Breezie:
*Nods and then heads up.*

Jack:
*Is in the kitchen cleaning dishes.*
*Singing.* "Scrubbin' all the dishes! With my sponge and soap! Scrubbin' all the dishes, it's cleanin' up I hope..."

Breezie:
*Ahem.*

Jack:
*Drops a plate with a scream.*
"Uh, I mean, uh... Hello there..."

Breezie:
"Hello Jack."

Jack:
"You uh, good now?"

Breezie:
"I don't believe good is the word for it. I am functional."

Jack:
"Right... Robot and all..."

Breezie:
"Ah, so you know."

Jack:
"Yeah, the whole exposed wires in the hand and stopping with an admin command thing made it pretty obvious."

Breezie:
"...Do you know about Angela?"

Jack:
"What about her?"

Breezie:
"That she--"

Angela:
*Breezie is interrupted by Angela entering.*
"So, I assume supper's done?"

Jack:
"Oh, well, kinda. It's in the oven. Though I doubt my following of the instructions will be the same as Mrs. Cam's casserole."

Angela:
"Well, I'm sure it'll be fine. Would you care to stay for supper Breezie?"

Breezie:
"No thank you. I should really be going--"

Suddenly the door is kicked open.

Scratch:
"MISS BREEZIE!"

Grounder:
"WE'RE HERE TO SAVE YOU!"

Jack:
"..."

The two dumb-bots see Breezie casually standing with Jack and Angela.

Scratch:
"Oh... I uh, guess you're okay then..."

Grounder:
"I told ya she'd be fine!"

Breezie:
"Scratch? Grounder? I'd like you to meet Angela and Jack--"

Jack:
"We've met."

Breezie:
"You have? When?"

Scratch:
"The kid was around when Eggman made us."

Grounder:
"Yeah, but he was a lot less ugly then."

Scratch:
"Yeah, puberty was not kind to you Jack."

Breezie:
"Anyways... We should really be going. Have a wonderful evening you two. And congratulations on the marriage."

Scratch:
"Wait, you married HIM?!"

Jack:
*Smirks.* "You jealous Scratch?"

Scratch:
"No, it just means there's hope for my love life... if a loser like you can score this big..."

Jack:
"OUT."

The three robots leave, Scratch and Grounder chuckling along the way.

Jack:
"Ugh... I hate that robo rooster's laugh..."

Angela:
"It's no more annoyin' than yours."

Jack:
"Ha ha. Very funny... So, Breezie asked me if I knew something about you, but she stopped when you came in. Know anything about that?"

Angela:
"No telling, it's nothing you should worry about sweetie..."

Jack:
*Gives Angela a look that says "We're married, no secrets."*

Angela:
"Look, it's not something I can tell you in a few minutes okay? I promise I'll tell ya later. Alright?"

Jack:
"Tell me now or I put jalapenos in the mac and cheese."

Angela:
"You wouldn't dare."

Jack:
"Try me."

Angela:
"Breezie... isn't the only robot in the Evazorn family. You're gonna want to sit down..."

Jack:
*Sits down at the table and Angela does the same at the opposite side.*

Angela:
*Holds Jack's hand and looks him in the eyes.*
"I'm not the girl you went to fencing camp with."

Jack:
"Pfft I know that."

Angela:
"Y-you do?"

Jack:
"Yeah, I mean we all change as we grow up. But what does this have to do with robots?"

Angela:
"..."
"I really don't know how to put this... So, you know how my father was a supporter of the Kukku Empire right?"

Jack:
"Yeah."

Angela:
"Well, he and Dr. Fukurokov worked on a rather unnatural project. My father was a sick man. In more ways than one. I don't remember the name of the disease [someone called it "Chronic Marfan syndrome"] but his heart could explode at any minute. So, they created this machine... It could upload a person's consciousness to a computer. But when Dad did that... things... changed... Dad wasn't the same. And one day, I just... couldn't take any more of the machine that replaced my father. So I tried to destroy it. I went into the server room... shotgun in hand and opened fire..."

Jack:
"..."

Angela:
"Unfortunately... I didn't account for the self-defense protocols of the machine. On November 7th 2017... Angela Evazorn... died."

Jack:
"...Wat."

Angela:
*Sigh.* It's complicated."

Jack:
*Scowls.* "So, you're telling me you're not Angela?"

Angela:
"No. I'm telling you I'm not the same Angela. My body died. But, my father couldn't accept that he killed his daughter... So he had the doctor make the synthetic lifeform sitting here." [actually, I wouldn't consider her a lifeform]

Jack:
"...So that year I didn't hear from you... you were--"

Angela:
"Dead as a doornail."

Jack:
"...And when I came to see you..."

Angela:
"You saw me. The me who you helped destroy that monster who called himself my father's empire."

Jack:
"I see."

Angela:
"Look, I know, this is a lot to take in..."
*Stands up.*
*Begins tearing up.*

Jack:
*Looks down.*

Angela:
"I didn't want you to know about this... I didn't want to hurt you like this... I'm sorry."
*Slips off her wedding ring and puts it on the table.*

Jack:
*Grabs her hand before she can move it.*

Angela:
"Huh?"

Jack:
"Angela..."
*Stands up.*
*Grabs the ring and then gets on one knee.*
"I don't care if you're not the same Angela I knew as a kid. You're the Angela I fell in love with..."
*Slips the ring on her finger.*
"And the Angela I married."

Angela:
"...Jack..."

Jack:
*Stands up and hugs Angela.*

Angela:
*Returns the hug.*

Jack:
"So... we gonna tell Pip about this?"

Angela:
"Uh, let's finish getting you used to the fact first... Then we can tell the others alright?"

Jack:
"Yeah... okay... WAIT. Hold up. You have some kinda targeting system?"

Angela:
"...Perhaps..."

Jack:
"...So you WERE cheating at our target practice!"

Angela:
"...Out of this whole conversation. THAT is what you get out of it?"

Jack:
"Would you rather me have an existential crisis?"

Angela:
"Valid point."

Jack:
"Well, we should probably eat supper and then recharge our batteries."

Angela:
"I'm gonna have to suffer through robot puns now aren't I?"

Jack:
"Yup. Hey, that's what ya get for marrying me without laying all the cards on the table."

Angela:
"Heh. Fair enough."

Well... That was a plot twist and a half... I need some time to process this...

```

## Characters

*In order of appearance:*

* Jack Beakton
* Angela Beakton
* Breezie the Hedgehog
* Scratch
* Grounder