E-001_log_entryset7

It is 1655 hours, Wednesday, January 17, 1973.

I've kept myself in a low-power state for most of the day so far.  There's no point idling when I've got no one to talk to and limited mobility.  Besides, I need to preserve my fuel.  Who knows how long I'll be here?

When I did come back online approximately thirty minutes ago, it was to find Scout uncomfortably close to my face.  He had been prodding at my front.

Scout unit: Ha, told you I'd find the "on" button!

I got to my feet pretty quick.  It didn't take long to see that Scout and me weren't the only ones in the room.  Demoman and Heavy were near the door, and Pyro was peering over Scout's shoulder.  Scout grinned.

Scout unit: Hey Rex!  I brought in some of the guys so, you know, you could tell them about Gray and all the cool things you can do since you're a robot.

E-001: I already told you I ain't really a robot.  And my name ain't Rex neither.

Scout unit: But--

Demolitions unit: Oi, lay off him lad.  If he doesn't want to be called by a name, then ye have no business calling him by it.

Heavy weapons unit: Da, Demoman is right.  Be nice to robot-man.

Scout unit: You guys ain't any fun, you know that?

He crossed his arms and looked petulant while I sat back on the bed.  Pyro was watching me real close, but I almost felt queasy trying to look back at him.  Instead I looked at Demoman.

E-001: All right, I reckon the real reason y'all are here is you want me to prove that I'm me.

Demolitions unit: The others might like that, but ye don't need to prove anything to me boyo.

E-001: Really.  How're you sure I ain't just a regular robot sent in to spy on you from Gray then?

Demoman drew himself up a little, almost indignant.

Demolitions unit: Because I know my own teammates, that's why!  Ye may be different on the outside, but soon as I saw that note and looked at ye blasted to pieces on the ground, I knew we'd gone and killed a man, not a machine.  I still haven't worked out how you're alive NOW, but by God am I glad ye came looking for us again.

Heavy shifted his weight and gave me a real stern look.  I stared back at him.

Heavy weapons unit: But Demoman brings up good point for discussing.  How are you still alive, robot-man?  Or was that different robot that was dead on field?

Demolitions unit: I already TOLD ye it was the same man.

E-001: Well I don't blame him for asking.  It's a good question.

Heavy weapons unit: Da.  So answer.

I tugged a little at the ropes on my arms, trying to make myself feel more comfortable.  Hopefully this wouldn't sound too far-fetched.

E-001: Gray figured out how to rig up a respawn system.  Just for me though.  And it doesn't really work the same way as the one y'all are on does; it just uploads my mind into a new robot... shell when I die.

Heavy weapons unit: Why is Gray not using this on all robots?

E-001: I don't know.  Maybe it doesn't work on regular robots.

Heavy weapons unit: Why would he go through this trouble just for you?

E-001: You got my first letter, didn't you?  I designed all of the robots except for... for me.  I figure he wants to keep me around in case he can pressure me into designing more stuff, plus I can repair his machines better than most of the robots he's got.

Heavy grunted and crossed his arms, still looking skeptical.  Demoman rolled his eye.

Demolitions unit: You're just acting like that because Medic doesn't believe him.

Heavy weapons unit: I can have opinion without doktor, and he can have opinion that is not mine.  I am just thinking that proof would be good.

I tried not to sound exasperated.

E-001: Well I'm not sure what all you want me to tell you.  It's me, but if you're wanting some sort of cold hard evidence there's not a lot I can do to change your mind.

Scout unit: Even if you can't prove anything I'll get them to let you stay!  You could like stay in my room, and I'd get you some kind of cool robot bed or something-- no, better, we could share a bunk bed.  Those are freaking sweet.  And maybe I could even get you some dog tags like mine!  Except they could have your name on them or something.

Demolitions unit: Ach, don't start with that again lad.

Scout unit: Hey, I already called dibs on the robot if he's not Engie, you got that?  I ain't about to give that up just because you're convinced it's really him.

Demolitions unit: That doesn't mean I have to listen to you blither on!  You've been prattling nonstop since you and Spy caught him, and you're well on your way to driving everyone mad!

I was going to interject, but then I realized that Pyro had slowly been scooting toward me all while we'd been talking.  Now he was just about a foot away from where I was sitting, his head to one side.  I couldn't really avoid talking with him anymore.

E-001: You... y'all know it's me, don't you?

It was hard to tell what he was thinking.  His head kind of went to one side, and he drummed on my shoulder like he did yesterday.  It sounded real hollow.

E-001: Pyro, I meant what I put in that letter.  I really am sorry.

For a minute it looked like he was just gonna shrug and back off.  Instead he flung his arms around me and squeezed real tight.  Pyro's like that sometimes.  I would have been grinning if I was still capable of it.  It looked like Pyro recognized me after all.

Heavy cleared his throat then, and I realized everyone had gone quiet and was watching us.

E-001: Ease up a little buddy.  You're going to give folks the wrong idea.

He didn't really listen, but when he was good and done hugging me he backed off.  They left pretty soon after that.  It was kind of awkward, and Scout couldn't stop snickering which meant Demoman was obliged to whack him over the head.

I figure the rest will be around to try and get some sort of proof about my identity before too long, but I'm not too worried about it anymore.

It is 1913 hours, January 17, 1973.

Medic, Soldier, Spy, and Sniper came in about an hour ago.  They knocked first then filed in, one after the other, all looking stern.  I started to stand up.

Spy unit: Don't bother.  We plan on conducting the interrogation here.

E-001: Interrogation?

Medic unit: You sound almost surprised, Kamerad.  I thought you would be expecting something of this nature.

E-001: I'm not surprised.  Just...

Soldier unit: JUST WHAT?  SPEAK UP ROBOT SCUM!

E-001: Nothing.

I sat back down all the way, watching them really close.  Medic stood in the middle of the room with his hands clasped behind his back.  Soldier kept a tight grip on his shovel like he thought he might have to beat me into submission at any moment.  Spy just stood there like he usually stands places, smoking a cigarette.  And Sniper leaned against the wall with his hat low over his face.  He didn't seem to want to be involved.

Spy unit: Now, 'Engineer', explain to us exactly what happened to you after you left the employment of Builders League United.

E-001: All right.  You want me to start just after I left, or when I got to Gray's place, or what?

Spy unit: Whichever you prefer.

I nodded and thought back to that time.  It wasn't as precise and easy to recite as my memories from after I had been mechanized, so it took a second.  Medic drummed his fingers against his arm.

E-001: When I first set out from that base, it was around about August.  I put down that letter I wrote for you all and--

Medic unit: Where did you place it, Machinenmensch?

E-001: In Sniper's locker in the spawn room.  I figured he'd show it to the rest of you guys.

Sniper made a non-committal noise.

Medic unit: Mm.  Continue.

E-001: Anyhow, after I had the letter put down I didn't bother packing most of my things.  I needed to make a run for it with as little warning as possible since if the Administrator caught wind I was getting my stuff together she might cut me off.  So I just... I grabbed a gun and some money, got in my pickup, and set out for Gray Gravel Company's headquarters.

Soldier unit: SO YOU ADMIT THAT YOU BETRAYED US TO GRAY!  I BET YOU'RE NOT EVEN FROM TEXAS YOU COWARDLY TRASH COMPACTOR!

Spy unit: Soldier, he's already told us that he has been working for Gray.  Let him finish.

Soldier grumbled something unintelligible, but the way he glared at me said enough about what he thought of the situation.  I looked back at him best as I could.  I could see out the corner of my eye that Sniper had looked up to watch us closely.

E-001: It was an act of self-preservation, you've got to understand.  You might have thought you were fighting for some higher cause, but for the rest of us it's always been a job.  We fought, we got paid, and we moved on to the next base.  That's just how it worked.

Soldier unit: YEAH WELL YOU DON'T SEE THE REST OF THE TEAM DEFECTING TO THE OTHER SIDE DO YOU?

E-001: Damn it Soldier, I never said I was proud of what I've done.  I made a mistake, but at least you can take solace in the fact that I'm paying pretty dear for it now.

Soldier unit: NO SIR, I WILL NOT TAKE SOLSTICE IN THE WORDS OF A--

Medic unit: Ach, let him speak or we will never finish!

Soldier glowered at Medic but stopped talking.  I gave him a grateful little nod.

E-001: All right, so... I contacted Gray once I got near where his place is, and he let me in through security.  Acted real gracious to start out with, you know, got me set up in a room and all.  But he made it pretty clear from the start that I was working for him more than with him.  I didn't like that much, but I wasn't about to say anything.  He was protecting me from the Administrator anyways, and I guess you all too.  So there I was, doing maintenance and helping to modify systems that weren't working as efficiently as we thought they should and all.  Then one day I found out who Mann Co. had hired to fight off the robots.

I paused.  Spy nodded.

Spy unit: And you felt guilty for aiding the fight against your old teammates?

E-001: I reckon you could say that.  Near the beginning, I think Gray caught wind of what was going through my head.  My words weren't guarded enough maybe.  I caught wise after that and stopped saying anything about it, but Gray kept watching me like... like he thought I'd bolt at any second.  And it started to seem like he was planning something.  But you all got that letter.  I didn't like the situation, and I decided to make a run for it.

I paused again.

Sniper unit: Except he turned you into a robot first.

E-001: Yeah.

Sniper unit: How?

I didn't want to elaborate.  It was kind of painful to think about, even if the worst parts were hazy.  Still, it seemed the best way to convince them of who I was would be to be as straightforward as possible.

E-001: They knocked on the door first.  I turned the letter over real fast and slipped it under a book, just in case, but I had to open the door.  If I didn't Gray'd get suspicious and any chance I'd have of getting out would be gone.  So I opened the door, and it was Gray, see, except there were some robots with him too.  And he was just acting normal-- for him, I mean.  He said there was some problem he wanted my opinion on and it'd be great if I came and took a look at it.  I followed, but I didn't like it at all.  The only good thing was that I had a gun on me, though a pistol wouldn't be a good deal of use against the whole army of robots at his disposal.

They were all listening quietly now.  Medic was frowning.

E-001: So... so I followed him over to the experimental labs he's got set up, but he took me into one I hadn't seen before.  It was about as full as any of them with all the equipment for making and repairing robots, and there was also some stuff that would've looked more at home in a hospital.  In the middle though, there was something covered in a tarp.  So I asked him if it was a new model of robot he'd been working on, sounding casual as I could.  He said yes, that was what he'd been wanting to show me.  And he took the tarp off.

I had to stop again.

Spy unit: And it was... what you are now, I presume?

E-001: Yeah.  Robot Engineer, new E-series he called it.  And I figured I was done for, he was replacing me, but I nodded real polite and asked if he wanted to turn it on.  Except then he told me that he hadn't put the processor in yet.  And that's what he wanted my help with.  I asked if there were more of them.  He said no, not yet, because this was a prototype.  Then he looked me straight in the face and said that he thought he might only need the one Engineer anyways.

My voice was starting to shake, but I didn't stop talking.  It'd be easier to just say it all at once.

E-001: I pulled my gun out.  Fired at him.  He moved too fast though, got out of the way.  The robots got me then, and there just wasn't anything I could do.  I thought I was a dead man.  Except instead of snapping my neck, they got me out of the room and took everything I had before strapping me down to a gurney.  No explanations, no idea what Gray was planning, just... they wrestled me down and stuck me with some kind of sedative that made it hard to focus or move much at all before wheeling me back in.  Most of them left at that point I think, except Gray and... yeah, one... one robot.  And Gray smiled like a shark before he moved around to my head and started... started doing things.  It hurt a lot.

That was a pretty serious understatement, but it wasn't like I was going to explain the sensations in detail.  They wouldn't have had the patience for it anyways.

E-001: So I don't really know how long that went on for.  Eventually my senses started to cut off, one at a time, until I was just left in complete darkness without being able to hear or do anything.  It.. that was pretty bad.  I was kind of hoping I'd die at that point, and wondering a little if I was dead already.  Then everything just came back online, all at once.  And I was a robot.

There was a little more to it than that, but I didn't want to go into the talk Gray and me had after I woke up for the first time.  They were quiet again for a moment, just watching me.

Spy unit: And later you decided to contact us again, yes?  Or was this something you tried to do immediately?

E-001: I waited.  I didn't want to come crawling back to you in this condition, not after I... yeah.  But it got too much.  I figured it was worth a shot anyways even if you all wouldn't help me.  And that brings us here, more or less, unless you all have more questions.

Soldier shifted his weight though he didn't say anything.  Sniper was watching me real close and was about as tense as an angry cat.  Finally Medic broke the silence.

Medic unit: It may please you to know that we have one more test thought out that may clear this matter up further.

E-001: What's that?

Medic unit: A physical inspection.  We have requested that RED's Engineer join us tomorrow evening to see if your hardware might be different from that of the other robots, perhaps in a way that would allow a mind to be uploaded into it.  He has graciously accepted.

I tried to sound happy about this idea.

E-001: Oh.  That's good.  I... guess that'll work out real well.

Medic unit: Ja.  Now, unless the others have anything more they would like to ask...?

He looked at the other humans.

Sniper unit: Nah, I think we're done here.

Medic unit: Gut.  Then we shall see you tomorrow, Machinenmensch.

And they all filed out.  Sniper watched me as he closed the door.  For a second I thought he was going to say something, but he didn't.

I'm tired.

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