The Story of XM-01

XM-01's bio

Somewhere in the heart of Central City, a red robotic Hedgehog walks down an alley between an apartment complex and a building occupied by several local businesses, including a liquor store, burger joint, an appliance store, and a Chinese restaurant.  The side of the building and the brick wall surrounding the neighboring apartment complex were riddled with graffiti, courtesy of local gangs and rebellious punks.  The robot would stop from time to time to study the colorful tags, trying to make out what they were.  It was obvious that this robot had never seen graffiti before, causing him to approach it the same way a young child might.

This robot was Experimental Metallix Unit 01, a creation of none other than Dr. Ivo Robotnik, better known as Eggman.  Unlike his mechanical brethren, he did not come to Central City on any mission from his creator.  In fact, he had spent most of his short 'life' on the run from the obese madman, who labeled the robot as defective after he wandered away from the base in which he was created.

XM-01 was intended to be Dr. Eggman's ultimate fighting machine and a successor to Metal Sonic.  There was no doubting this machine's purpose based on his design.  One arm ended in a 3-digit claw comprised of razor sharp jointed blades that dwarfed the clawed talons of his predecessors.  The other arm ended in a powerful plasma cannon that, at full power, could destroy the average armored vehicle or renegade E-Series robot.  In addition to these formidable weapons, XM-01 was possessed of immense physical strength, supersonic speed, and incredible adaptability.  He would indeed be a deadly weapon if not for something called a Program Configuration Error.  This glitch caused his data-gathering protocols to overpower and dwarf out his combat protocol.  This created an insatiable curiosity in the robot that resulted in his escape from the Egg Base.  Eventually, that same curiosity, combined with his systems being designed for combat, caused him to accidentally kill a non-anthro dog by impaling it with his claw.  This caused him to develop an intense aversion to death and destruction.

Unfortunately for the pacifistic Metallix, the people he came in contact with were unaware of his gentle nature, judging the proverbial book by its cover and sending GUN after him.

Having evaded the parties pursuing him, the wayward robot now had a chance to take in his surroundings.  It was something he relished, and he hoped that this peace would not be disturbed by someone trying to either kill or reprogram him.

(And here's my chance. Here I go!)

The city hadn't actually seen much action recently; at least, not by its normal standards. People finally had the opportunity to bask in the late afternoon sun without being hounded by monsters or madmen. If there was one thing that could always be counted on here, however, it was that calm was generally the calm before the storm.

Nonetheless, Stardust and his posse of weirdos were taking advantage of this short period of inactivity to do some shopping and relax. Or rather, Stardust and Linda were relaxing. Lafawna, as usual, was twitchy from her innate disdain for urban environments. This led her to wander through the streets for a while.

As luck would have it, she happened to pass by the alley where XM-01 was standing. It was at the exact same moment that she saw him, and that she noticed the distinct clop-clop-clop noise that her hooves were making on the concrete. Struck by panic, she hastily jumped out of view, then peered into the alley to get a second look. Had the robot seen her?

XM-01 heard the clopping of Lafawna's hooves as she went into hiding and, out of his usual curiosity, went over to investigate.  He eventually came face-to-face with the girl and tilted his head.  He tried to look as non-threatening as he possibly could as he prepared to greet her.  He 'blinked' his 'eyes,' which were ovular formations of blue lights set against a black visor that served as imitation sclera.  He had next to no experience with socialization and wasn't sure exactly how to approach people, but that didn't stop him from trying.

After about a minute of preparation, the robot finally spoke.  His voice was somewhat monotone and metallic, but one could still easily detect emotion in it.  "Hello.  I am Experimental Metallix Unit 01."  He nodded, then continued.  "What is your designation?"

"Uh..."

Lafawna was understandably a bit put off by XM's appearance. Stardust, in his typical bluntly honest way, would probably say he looked like a Metal Sonic recolor.

"I'm..."

Thoughts ran through her head. Was he really one of Eggman's? He definitely had the look, not to mention the weaponry, but Eggman tended to be pretty clear on whether one of his robots was a thinker or a fighter. Something was off. Lafawna reached into her jacket and gripped the handle of her knife. She'd play along for now. No sense wasting her energy fighting something with that kind of firepower.

"Lafawna. Lafawna Bristol."

XM-01 nodded.  "Hello, Lafawna Bristol."  He wasn't sure what to say next.  He tilted his head again and brought his claw to his ear and tapped his head, creating a dinging sound.  He opted to imitate Lafawna's stutter.  "Uhh...Um...Uhh...Um...Information received?  Is that correct?  I am unfamiliar with social protocol.  Please...forgive me."

Just then, a loud crang could be heard behind Lafawna and XM.  The source of this sound was a fairly imposing-looking Eggbot.  The machine looked similar to the E-100 series, but was black and silver with a red visor in place of the two eyes of its mechanical cousins.  These differences gave the robot a very drone-like appearance.

The machine raised a cannon arm and pointed it at XM-01.  "Defective unit located," it droned, its voice far more monotone than that of XM-01.  "Proceeding to neutralize."

Having heard the robot's announcement of intention, XM-01 uttered a quick "Eggman" before rocketing away.

The Eggbot responded by activating its rockets and following XM-01.  Its mission was clear.  It was to retrieve the wayward Metallix and return him to Dr. Eggman for program reconfiguration.  Failure was not an option.

As Lafawna watched the Eggbot give chase, she suddenly realized that they were headed in the direction she had come from. That meant they would be going right by where Stardust and Linda were. Taking a deep breath, she took off after them with as much speed as she could muster.

Not far away, Stardust sat on a cafe patio sipping a root beer, as he was prone to doing. His faithful robot companion Linda was doing nothing, which was an unusual thing for her. When one is built to be helpful, doing nothing is generally not the best course of action. But today was a peaceful day, or so they thought. You can imagine their surprise when they saw XM-01 speeding by, only to be intercepted by the Eggbot and shoved into the side of a parked car.

"Sir," Linda chimed in, "Those robots match Dr. Eggman's design aesthetic. I suggest we- sir?" Linda looked upward. Stardust had already drawn his hammer and was now standing on the table.

"I know, Linz. We analyze the situation, engage the robots, and deliver what's left to Nebula for reverse-engineering. Are you going to join me, or just sit there and look pretty?" Linda's right hand retracted into her sleeve, shortly replaced by a large device resembling a taser. "Be careful what you say, sir, or I may decide to do the latter."

XM-01 continued to run from the pursuing Eggbot, but stopped and turned around when he heard Stardust get pushed against the parked car.  He raced over to the car, only to see Stardust get back up, draw his hammer, and jump up on the table.  The Eggbot followed him.  It stopped when it saw Linda and Stardust.  "Hostile life-forms detected," the Eggbot droned before transforming its right hand into a machine gun.  "Interference with objective is not tolerated.  Combat mode engaged."  It began to fire on Stardust and Linda.

XM-01 watched the Eggbot for a split-second while it fired.  It was going to hurt those people!  He began to shake.  This wasn't going to be pretty  "Eggbot," the timid machine began.  "Please do not damage them.  I do not wish to see them damaged."

The Eggbot heard the Metallix, but wasn't interested in doing what he said.  Its mission was to capture XM and destroy anyone who got in the say.

Noticing that XM was in range, the Eggbot pointed its free hand at the wayward Metallix and fired a blast that couldn't be seen, but its effect could.  XM-01 shut down and fell forward with a loud clang.

"An EMP," Stardust thought to himself. Looks like the bad doctor's 'bots were still susceptible to the tried and true. He'd almost been looking forward to making a few dents, but they only had a moment, and the opportunity was golden. "Linda, NOW!"

Almost as soon as he'd said it, Linda had her weapon primed and ready to fire. If anyone had been closely watching, they might have almost seen a look of grim joy on her mechanical face as she took aim at the Eggbot and unleashed an arc of electricity into its body. The Eggbot had only a moment to realize what was happening before it too collapsed onto the ground. 

"Kai aftó eínai óti."

Stardust's Greek wasn't all that great. He just used it to look more cultured than he really was.

"What do you suppose caused these two to fight?" Linda asked. For all her access to information, she was nonetheless baffled.
"Whatever it was, we need to get them out of the street. Go bring the car around."
"Yes sir."

Linda darted off to where Stardust had parked his, for lack of a better word, car. Stardust, meanwhile, flipped his goggles down over his eyes and examined the incapacitated XM-01. Bits of analytical data ran across the augmented-reality lenses, but there didn't seem to be anything out of the ordinary. Not surprising. He didn't know what he was looking for.

"What is it about you that Eggman wants you back so badly?" he wondered aloud. "And while I'm talking to myself, where the hell did Fawny run off to?"

As if on cue, Lafawna ran up to him, exhausted.

"Stars... I need to tell ye... something important..."
Stardust looked down. "I think we already know, Fawny."
"Wha... what did ye do?!"
"I didn't do anything. The rock-'em-sock-'em robot over here shoved me into a car. Speaking of which, our ride is here."

Linda drove up to the duo in Stardust's car. On the surface, it was an ordinary 1957 Bel-Air convertible (or as ordinary as those got), but Stardust was fond of the extra features Nebula had installed. This was neither the time nor the place for that, though.

"Okay, ladies, help me load these robots into the trunk. I think Neb may have more to say on this little incident than we first suspected."

---

"And you're sure they were fighting?" Nebula asked over the phone line.
"If I wasn't, I would've disassembled them instead of going to all the trouble of bringing them back to the cabin."
"Well, it's possible that the one being chased could've gone rogue. Say what you will about Eggman, but he covers his bases well."
"Then explain why a so-called rogue was the only one to not fire a shot."
Nebula sighed. "I'm afraid I can't. Have Linda restore their functionality and learn what you can. If you need anything else, you know where to find me."
"Thanks, Neb. Good night."

Stardust hung up and turned back to the table where Linda was working. She was diligent to be working late into the night, that much was certain. Lafawna, in her typical delicate way, was passed out on the couch and snoring loudly.

"Any luck, Linz?"
"Only with one, sir. It appears my EMP damaged the pursuing robot beyond repair. I might feel remorse, but it's rare to find robots that are more than just machines."
"I suppose you would be the expert on that sort of thing."
"I only judge from experience, sir."
"So how about big red over here?"
"I've managed to restore some functionality, but there appears to be some kind of anomaly present in the data stream which is hindering my progress. Only Dr. Eggman knows precisely how to repair this one, and I'm certain neither of us wish to deal with him right now."
"You'd be correct. So let's turn him on and ask him a few questions."

XM-01 activated and slowly got up onto his feet before looking around at his new surroundings.  This didn't look like the city.  It looked to be enclosed.  The Metallix reasoned that he was brought here while deactivated by the Eggbot.  It didn't take him long to recognize three of the four occupants of this new environment.  He tilted his head quizzically when he heard Lafawna's beastly snoring.  He walked over to Lafawna before speaking.

"Lafawna, why are you producing this strange sound?"  He proceeded to play back a recording of her snoring before continuing.  "What is its purpose?"  While he waited for the faun to answer, the turned to face the rabbit-like creature and his robotic companion.  "I am Experimental Metallix Unit 01.  What...are your...names?"  He 'blinked,' not sure if he said the right thing.

"A curious one, aren't you?" Stardust looked at XM's eyes. Blue. Everyone knows evil robots usually had red eyes, so he obviously wasn't going to be any trouble. "My name is Stardust. This lovely piece of work here is my assistant Linda. She was the one who repaired you after that brawl today. Your OS is a tough nut to crack, you know that?"

Linda approached XM. "We'd like to ask you a few questions about your origins. Would you mind having a seat?" She gestured to the nearby chairs. A few moments later, they were all seated around the table. Lafawna had miraculously not been roused from her sleep.

"Okay, since I want to get this out of the way, I'll ask the obvious question: What's your connection to Eggman, and why is he so determined to hunt you down?"

---

(Short, yes, but it needs to lead up to something else. I'll introduce Iris when the time is right and you can control her from there.)

"I would not mind possessing a seat," XM-01 replied.  "Also, I did not know my operating system was a nut that required cracking."  He looked around a bit before taking a seat.

After sitting down, the unusual Badnik began to tell his story.

"After activation, my directive appeared to be to gather data on my surroundings.  I proceeded to do so, exploring the facility in which I was created and eventually venturing beyond the premises.  I remember a loud sound being emitted when I did so.  It was followed by a group of robots pursuing me.  I fled when I realized their intention, a self-preservation protocol having activated." 

"By the time I managed to evade them, I encountered a small creature who greeted me by releasing a yellow liquid onto my foot.  After that, it attempted to make optical contact with me while attempting to verbally communicate in a language I did not understand.  Eventually, I made physical contact with the creature, only to release a red liquid and....cause it to....cease functioning....."

The robot hung hiss head, then stared at his claw.  "The event caused an unidentified sensation that triggered error reports...It resulted in an aversion to such events.  I believe Dr. Eggman considers this aversion a defect.  I am designed so that all attempts at physical contact have a high probability in causing the same event.....Destruction."

Stardust nodded his head. It was pretty clear now. "So you were built to kill, but your programming has an error which compels you to gather information instead. And after causing an animal's accidental death, you have an aversion to violence. That means Eggman's goal is to erase your memories and start over." He slammed his hands down on the table for dramatic effect. "Well, we obviously can't have that, or there'll be one more psychotic robot to destroy. Okay, I'll make you an offer. This cabin is a fair distance off the beaten path, so it should be safe for you to stay here tonight. Tomorrow morning, we'll formulate a plan of action. For now, though, I need to get some sleep. Linda, be a dear and make sure nothing happens to our guest."

With that, Stardust walked into another room and closed the door.

"Well, I suppose that's that, then," said Linda. "Personally, I think it was quite fortunate that you met us. Stardust tends to be more open-minded than most people. Lafawna is..." She looked over at the snoozing faun. "Well, she's Lafawna. That woman can be quite rough around the edges, as they say, but she can grow on you, if you can look past her... frankly boorish habits." A look of sudden realization appeared on her face. "It just occurred to me that I use a lot of figurative terms. I apologize. It happens naturally, I suppose. It also occurred to me that you don't have a proper name. Experimental Metallix Unit 01 is somewhat long for casual conversation. How about XM, to keep it simple?"

XM nodded.  "That is acceptable.  Also, I wish to thank you for allowing me to remain in this cabin, Linda."  The gentle Metallix would smile if he had a mouth.  He was finally at peace.

"I have attempted conversation with various devices and life-forms on many occasions.  Most life-forms run away or attempt to destroy me.  The devices, while able to speak and hear, seem to be unable to understand my queries.  You spoke of robots being...just machines.  Am I...just a machine?"

"Oh. You heard that?" Linda might have blushed, if she was capable. "Well, as I said, I speak from experience. Many machines are built simply to perform a task or follow orders. It can be a rare occurrence for a robot to make its own decisions and use abstract reasoning to justify defying its programming."

She put a hand to her chest. "Sometimes, this anomalous trait is intentional. For instance, Madam Nebula designed me to carefully weigh situations and determine the best course of action. Stardust is a brilliant young man, certainly, but sometimes it falls to me to be his voice of reason. In other cases, such as with you, this contrary behavior comes about by accident. Often this would make a robot hostile and dangerous, but because you were obviously built for battle, it appears to have done the opposite."

Linda steepled her fingers and smiled. "XM, you and I are technological beings, but we don't allow our existences to be dictated by the agendas of others. So to answer your question, no. Ethics and morals are what make one more than a machine, not flesh and blood, and when it really matters, metaphysical bonds like that are much more meaningful than what we look like or how our bodies function."

"Ethics and morals...." XM repeated.  "Perhaps that is why I do not like to destroy.  Are there others like me?"

Before Linda could answer, a faint sound caught the curious machine's robotic ear.




XM turned his head to face the direction the sounds were coming from.  Eventually, he got up and followed the sounds to a bedroom.

Inside, what looked like a young Cat girl sat on a beanbag chair with a strange (to XM) device in her hands.  The device appeared to be an extension of another device that was placed on a wooden stand.  This device was connected to the source of the strange sounds.

"What is that device?" XM asked, causing the girl to press a button in the center of the device in her hand, causing the moving image on the screen to freeze in place.  She then turned to face XM.  "Oh...It's a Super NES.  I'm playing Super Mario World.  Would you like to..."  She then got a decent look at Metallix.  "Oh.  You're Experimental Metallix Unit 01.  It's nice to finally get to meet you."

"Please call me XM.  What is your name?"

"I'm the Intelligent Robotnik Information System, but I prefer Iris."

"You are a technological being?"


"I am, but I was designed to be as close to biological as possible.  I'm designed to be a walking database of Eggman technology, but I was given free will and emotions.  It always amazes me to discover an Eggman robot with those traits.  Unlike my creator, Dr. Eggman doesn't accept free will and emotions in his creations, especially when it causes them to defy their intended purpose.  Others have existed, but they're either destroyed or have their systems reset and placed under special inhibitor programs."

"That must be what he wishes to do to me.  It would cause me to become a psychotic killer....correct?"

"Yes, but Team Rebel won't let that happen.  I know it."

Linda followed XM into the bedroom, just in time to catch the entire conversation.

"I believe the time for questions isn't quite over, then. How did you get in here, Iris?"
"Isn't it obvious? I walked in while you were talking and made myself at home."
"Without being detected?"
"You seemed busy. I stayed quiet so I didn't bother you."
"This cabin is a top-secret, heavily-camouflaged safehouse. How do you know about its location, its security systems, and Team Rebel?"
"Besides the fact that you were on the news today?"
"Just answer, please."
"My creator told me everything."
"And who is your creator?"
"Nebula Celestial."

This caught Linda by surprise.

"Madam Nebula never mentioned anything about you."
"It was strictly on a need-to-know basis. You'll likely be at odds with Dr. Eggman soon, and since Nebula likes keeping tabs on her potential competitors, I've been gathering data on him since I was first brought online. Everything there is to know about that man is locked up here in my head. Consider me a pleasant surprise."
"Very well. Just don't cause trouble, Iris."
"Come on, Linda, you know me."
"No," Linda remarked somewhat jokingly, "I really don't."

Linda left the room. It was unclear what she did while her carbon-based comrades slept. Iris turned back to the TV. "So, ever played a video game before?"

---

The next morning, Lafawna woke up to find her hair in a mess and her breath as rotten as a skunk who'd skipped a shower. In other words, it was Sunday.

"Oog... crazy robot dream. Good thing that's all over with." But, tempting fate, she looked over at the kitchen, to find Linda happily cooking pancakes and Iris talking to XM at the table. Not in the mood to put up with reality, she turned over and went back to sleep, hoping she was still dreaming. Meanwhile, Stardust walked out of his bedroom and yawned. Quite atypically, his fur was messier than usual and his accessories were nowhere to be found.

"The hell was all that noise last night? It sounded like-" He looked at Iris and blinked, still half-asleep. "Linz, I thought I told you to leave the cat out at night."

Iris giggled.  "There's no electricity outside.  How would I entertain myself?  Besides, I'm not exactly built for battle, so being spotted by Eggbots would be disastrous."  She looked at XM as he came in and sat at the table.  "His schematics are stored in my database.  Maybe we could make a couple modifications....if that's alright with him."

XM tilted his head at the mention of modifications.  "What modifications do you intend to make?

"I'd simply remove your homing beacon and give you a pair of proper hands.  The former would render you invisible to Eggbot scanners, while the latter would allow you to touch things without worrying about damaging them."

XM stood up slightly.  His ears would've perked up if they weren't in a fixed position on his head.  "You would do that for me?"

"Of course."  Iris smiled.  "As I said last night, sentient Eggbots are rare, and those that pop up either get destroyed or reprogrammed.  I don't want that to happen to you."

"I would greatly appreciate these modifications, Iris."  XM would've smiled too if he could.

"Okay, you can remove the homing beacon, since everyone conveniently forgot to mention that important fact to me. But let me talk to Nebula before you go making any modifications."

Stardust went over to the phone on the wall. Landlines were steadily becoming rarer these days. Well, this one wasn't exactly a landline. It was connected to a network of encryption and proxy satellites. Nebula was secure about these sorts of things.

"Hello?"
"Neb, it's Stardust."
"You woke me up."
"How is that possible? It's almost five o'clock there."
I sleep in a lot."
"Whatever. I need to talk to you about-"
"Iris, right? I had her dropped off by a silent UAV last night. She should've been there hours earlier, but the craft was experiencing some mechanical failure. I'll look into it later."
"Why didn't you say anything?"
"Can't I surprise my favorite cousin?"
"No."
"Too bad, because there's another one. Iris was delivered with some experimental new parts I designed. You mentioned XM-01 resembling Mecha Sonic and not having hands, so I put a pair together. If they're compatible, there won't be any more risk of unintentional damage."
"I really hate it when you leave me in the dark about things that are relevant to me."
"I know you do. Bye."

Nebula hung up. Stardust facepalmed.

"Okay, fine. Do whatever you're going to do. But can it wait until after breakfast?"

---

(I've decided that Nebula now has the ability to see the future, since she somehow seems to know so much. But like all people with that ability, she's really cagey about it.)

"OK.  Thanks, Stardust."  Iris turned to XM-01.  "You no doubt remember the room I was staying in."

"I do."

"Well, follow me back into that room and we'll get started."

XM nodded and followed the Cat android as she walked back to the room.

As soon as they entered, Iris pointed to the bed and motioned for XM to lie down.  "Just lie down where I'm pointing.  "You'll have to power down for this.  Don't worry.  I won't do anything to your programming."

XM complied, lying down on the bed and powering down.

Iris, meanwhile, turned on an MP3 boombox loaded with a vast selection of pop and R&B songs from the 80s and 90s.  She liked to have music on while working.  After the music started, she opened a case sitting next to the bed to reveal tools and a pair of arms styled similarly to the ones XM currently had, but instead of the cannon and 3-digit claw, these ended in proper hands with padding on the fingertips.  The hand on the arm that was to replace his cannon arm was designed to retract and be replaced with a number of tools.  It was possible that XM could end up preferring to fix and build things.

Seeing that XM was completely powered down, Iris got to work removing his homing beacon.  This was a simple procedure.  The beacon was prominently located in his chest.  She pulled out a screwdriver and proceeded to remove the four screws holding the beacon in place.  The beacon, which ran on its own power source and was not wired into XM's systems, was still active.  Iris used her wireless uplink to Eggman tech to hack the beacon, causing it to give false location data.  Afterward, she opened the window and tossed it out as far as she could.

With the homing beacon taken care of, Iris proceeded to remove XM's old arms and set them aside.  She then attached the new arms and calibrated them so they would work correctly with XM's systems.  "I hope Eggbots don't mind the cold too much," she joked before reactivating XM.

XM brought his new hands up to his face and flexed the fingers.  He then sat up.  "Thank you, Iris.  I have wanted this for a long time."

After flexing his new fingers one more time, XM stood up.  It didn't take long for the sound of Destiny's Child's Jumpin' Jumpin' to catch his ears.  "What is that sound?"

"Oh.  It's music," replied Iris.  "I like to listen to it while I work."  She pointed to the boombox.  "That's an MP3 boombox.  It's designed to play digital music recordings.  It doesn't have an AI, so it can only do what it's designed to do."

"Ah.  It is just a machine then.  That is acceptable."  XM looked over to a nightstand sitting next to the bed.  A wooden box with a starburst pattern engraved into it sat on the corner of the table.  Inside it was a collection of remote controls, one of which resembled the boombox.  He grabbed it gently and pulled it out of the box.  He marveled at it for a bit.  It remained intact in his hand.

"That's the remote control for the boombox.  Also, I can just tell how excited you are to be able to hold it without breaking it.  It's in the way you carry yourself."

"I am not capable of carrying myself."

Iris giggled.  "Your behaviors and body posture suggest excitement."

"Ah," replied XM, pressing a button on the remote and causing the song to change to Tony Braxton's Un-Break My Heart.

"Okay, you lovebirds, that's enough." Stardust, having finished Linda's pancakes while Iris worked, wandered in and turned the boombox off, chuckling quietly. "You could have at least put some Queen on or something."

"If I could have everyone's attention," Linda began, "I'd like to make a suggestion. What with XM's new, less terrifying arms, I think we should go somewhere public and get him used to being around people. Only... not downtown this time. The regulars of the area will likely remember him from yesterday." She coughed and rolled her eyes. "Any suggestions?"

"There's a nice business sector on Windsor Drive.  There's a coffee shop that just opened up, and they serve some delicious drinks and sandwiches.  There's also Randal's Appliance Mart and Starlight Cinema.  The Zeta Project: Synthoid Brotherhood just came out."

"What is The Zeta Project: Synthoid Brotherhood?" asked XM.

"It's a movie billed as a sequel to a canceled TV show called The Zeta Project.  You'd probably like it.  It stars a robot who isn't too different from you."

"Really?"

"Yes."  She pulled a card out of a blue purse.  "I have enough money on my cred card for us to see the movie and get something at that coffee sho....Ohh....You can't eat or drink.  I almost forgot about that."

"Is your memory malfunctioning?"

She scratched her head while running a quick system check.  "All my systems appear to be fine according to diagnostics.  I guess your inability to eat was just something I overlooked out of excitement."  She giggled.  "Well, Nebula did design me to be as close to Mobian as possible aside from having encyclopedic knowledge of Eggman tech."

"And this is why I have a built-in Mr. Fusion," Linda remarked jovially.

"Wait a minute. Neb gave you a credit card? She never gives me pre-paid credit cards."
"Frankly, sir, I think that's because she know you always max them on video games and S&M equipment."
"That's TRAINING equipment."
"Whatever you say, my self-proclaimed lord and master."
"Don't sass me, Linz. Besides, she wouldn't HAVE to know if you weren't such a blabbermouth."

Iris whistled to get their attention. "While I would love to see what realms of debauchery this conversation will lead to, I think we should get out of this cabin before we all get cabin fever."

Lafawna tumbled out of bed.

"Good of you to join us, Fawny. Get cleaned up. We're going shopping."
"I dun wanna."
"Lafawna, take a shower or I'll shower you myself by force. And I'm not gentle."

"Ach, fine." Lafawna shuffled off into the bathroom to do one of the things she hated most. Stardust looked over to XM.

"Say, XM, how about we test out those new hands of yours before we go out? Make sure you won't break anything."
"What are you suggesting, exactly?" XM asked apprehensively.
"A friendly arm wrestle. If Neb did her job right, those hands will prevent you from seriously injuring me."

---

20 minutes later, as they all got into Stardust's car, he rubbed his sore shoulder vigorously.

"I don't think challenging a super-strong robot to an arm wrestle was an intelligent action, sir."
"Linda, I say this because I love you: Shut up."
"Yes, sir."

"Did I damage you," XM asked as he watched Stardust rub his shoulder.

"You may not have the curse of impaling whatever you touch, but you still have the same strength you did before the modification.  Nebula did that because such strength can be used just as easily for good as it can for evil.  You can, say, clear the rubble of a building leveled by a natural disaster to look for and rescue survivors."

"Nature causes destruction?"

"Unfortunately, it can.  Tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, and volcanoes are very destructive forces.  While technology exists that can predict these events in order to prepare people for them, not everyone can easily prepare.  Those people become victims."

XM just hung his head.

"I know...it's a sad thing to think about, but we can't control the strength of nature to avert these disasters entirely.  You, however, can control your strength.  Next time Stardust challenges you to arm wrestle, maybe you should go easy on him."

"He instructed me to do my best.  I followed his instructions."

Iris giggled.  "You don't have to do everything everyone tells you.  People can tell you to do the wrong things, and when that happens, you shouldn't listen.  You should do what you feel is right.  You have that capacity, and that's what separates you from 99% of the Eggbots out there."

"How do I determine what is right?"

"Just think about the action you're about to perform.   If it's likely to hurt someone, it's wrong."


XM nodded.  "It is wrong to perform at optimum levels when arm wrestling then."

"Heh. No kidding." Stardust propped his feet up on the dashboard. "Anyway... Windsor Drive. Isn't that also the place with that huge comic store? The Rift, or something like that? Weird how a place with so many amazing places would be so out of the way."
"Amazing for you, anyway. You keep dragging me along when you know I'd rather be sleeping against an apple tree."
"Ah, quit being a whiner. You knew what you were getting into when you joined Team Rebel." Stardust pointed a finger forward. "Onwards!" Linda started up the car, and the group went speeding off into the city.

---

Meanwhile, somewhere further away, Dr. Eggman paced back and forth. This was unthinkable. First, his magnum opus going rogue, then its tracking beacon suddenly delivering false information? It was too unlikely to be a coincidence. He slammed a fist down on a nearby desk and massaged his forehead with his fingers. There had to be a way to fix this, otherwise he risked one of his most powerful creations turning on him.

Looking up and seeing the schematics of XM-01 on the nearby computer's screen, an evil smile suddenly ran across his face. Sure, XM-01 was his latest now... but he was still the first, and the prototype always has a few defects.

---

Back in the city, the red convertible pulled up into a parking space next to the sidewalk. Stardust finally put his feet down and spoke up.

"Okay, ladies... and XM. We have an hour and a half before the movie starts. Where do you want to go first?"

XM-01 turned his head toward Randal's Appliance Mart.  His robotic ears had picked up a faint, but interesting sound.  A man was inside, talking to a voice which seemed to be coming from one of the ceiling fans installed in the store.  "Fascinating....What is that device the life-form is speaking to?"

Iris turned to face R.A.M. to get a look at what XM was referring to.  "Oh.  I think that man is talking to an IntelliBreeze iI unit.  From what I understand, their voice control system is designed to be adaptable instead of relying on a predetermined command list."

XM-01 nodded before rocketing off into the building, barely giving the automatic doors enough time to open completely.

"Wait up, XM," called Iris before running after him.

By the time Iris reached XM, the curious robot was standing under the IntelliBreeze II unit.  "Hello....Rika," greeted XM after reading a sign on a table near the fan.

The fan was silent for a moment before responding.  "Hello," it said in a soft female voice.

"My name is XM, Rika.  It is nice to meet you."

"It is...nice....to meet you...XM"

"What is your...purpose, Rika?"

"I am designed to control the functions of this fan.  I can control the speeds of the fan and control the brightness of the light."  Rika paused for a long time.  She was conversing with this robot...She was CONVERSING.  She wasn't designed to do that.  "I was not....designed to converse.  Why am I conversing?"