Chapter 264 - Scientists Don't Do Politics.

Afton's eyes were about to roll out of his head. Apparently, the only reason he'd survived the fungus was because they were trying to dissect him, the fungus had somehow foiled their plans to extract his heart, but hadn't prevented them from doing the same with his brain and spine... He wasn't sure whether or not he sure be grateful towards them or on the warpath.

Not only that, but the machinery they'd stuck into his back had increased his abilities, jumping his Strength from nine to ten, maxing it out and granting him a new Perk, [Tremble before me!]. His sideways glance at the Perk had revealed that it was pretty powerful, if slightly situational.​​

He didn't have time to think over the positives and negatives though as he didn't want to get lost in the robot's conversation...

"-Totally overrated, that arrangement of vertebrae." Zero scoffs before continuing, "'Look at me, with my lumbar and thoracic curvature.' Never had a use for any of that. Spineless is what I prefer." he states.

Afton frowns at him, "You can be spineless all you like! I'd rather have had a choice in the matter though! Aside from that, where did you 'misplace' my Brain and my Spine!?" he asks, more hoping for the return of the former as the [Spineless] Perk was pretty strong.

"Your spine should be in the sink's organ hotel, as for your brain? I do not know." Dala says.

"But YOU took it out in the first place!" Afton exclaims, getting dangerously close to feeling 'angry'.

"To be correct, you should say, 'The Auto-Doc' took out your brain. It did all the heavy lifting. It has never worked so hard before. It was unusual. Indeed, it worked so hard on your surgery that it destroyed its own memory... How odd. I bet your brain remembers what happened." Dala says.

Afton was confused at that, how would his brain remember the event, yet he himself was unaware of it... In the first place, his brain had no sensory organs if taken out of his skull...

"THAT AUTO-DOC-JUNKHEAP WAS ONE OF MOBIUS' CREATIONS, LIKE THE REST OF THE TALKING SCRAP METAL IN THE ATTIC." Klein says.

"After that, the brain lost itself... Not in the metaphysical sense. Might have gotten flushed into one of the pipes... Actually, that's pretty likely." Zero says.

Dr. Borous immediately picks up on this, "If so, it was FLUSHED all the way to MOBIUS! Fwoooosh! That... Is the sound of flushing..."

"BY THE FISSURE OF ROLANDO... ENOUGH OF THIS BIOLOGICAL SURGERY TALK." Klein exclaims before again, pointing his monitors at Afton, "LOBOTOMITE, LISTEN TO MY VOICE. IT DENOMINATES ME TO ASK, BUT... WE NEED YOUR HELP." He asks in an almost sincere way.

"IN MOST PROBABLE OF PROBABILITIES, OUR ENEMY, MOBIUS, HAS YOUR BRAIN. THIS IS NOT GOOD. HE WILL LIKELY COME AFTER OUR BRAINS NEXT. WE WANT YOU TO STOP HIM. SOMEHOW. WITH SCIENCE." Klein says, making it clear he's only asking to protect himself, and not in any way to make reparations for what they had collectively done to him.

Afton jabs his new, bark-covered finger at them, causing the robots to back away in fright, "FIRST, you lobotomized me without any consent, then you lose my brain, and attempt to harvest the rest of my organs to satisfy some curiosity or sick fetish..." he glances at Dala who's taking 'too much' interest in his extended finger and shivers before continuing.

"And now you are asking me to risk my life to save you all!? How does that make sense!? You guys all seem to be for forethought and logic, why would I ever help you!?" Afton exclaims.

"BECAUSE, LOBOTOMITE, WE, THE THINK TANK TOLD YOU TO." Klein says.

Borous interjects before Afton can respond, "For proper motivation, all we need do is rely on your SELF-PRESERVATION. Dr. Mobius has your brain, and thus you cannot leave this place brainless. You will recover it to save yourself, destroying Mobius in the process!"

"You forget! My spite trumps whatever self-preservation I might have right now. And what's stopping me from joining Mobius? He'd return my brain and I'd work with him to get payback on you lot." Afton says, his words a lot tamer than they would be if the Pacification Field wasn't inhibiting his aggression.

...

"Did... Did the lobotomite just say he'd join Mobius!?" Zero quickly asks the others.

"It did! WHAT DO WE DO NOW!?!" Borous exclaims.

"*BZZZTCH*" 8 buzzes static at them.

"Yes... That might work." Borous mutters and the robots turn towards Afton again.

"LOBOTOMITE! IN RETURN FOR NOT JOINING MOBIUS AND DESTROYING US, WE WILL GRANT YOU TECHNOLOGIES, THE LIKES OF WHICH YOU HAVE NEVER SEEN!" Klein says.

Afton crosses his arms, deciding to pull as many teeth from them as possible. "Oh? Wouldn't I be able to acquire technology if I joined Mobius? Once we defeated you, it'd be simple to retrieve it."

...

"Huh, well, he's got us there Klein." Zero says.

"QUIET! I DID NOT PREDICT THIS! LET ME THINK!..." Klein exclaims, causing them all to go silent.

...

Afton wonders if they actually have anything worth trading... For super scientists capable of creating teleportation, and lobotomizing him without removing his ability to think... They sure don't seem all that much. Though, there were a few side-benefits from allying with them.

One of which would be the Robo-Scorpion Mobius has apparently sent out. Most would consider that a negative, but for Afton it would basically be free exp... Depending on how difficult they are to destroy.

Honestly, the most important thing the Think Tank could grant him wouldn't be anything material... No. It would be their knowledge, their specialities and experience. Dr. Mobius is likely to only be worth on of the Think Tank, specialised in robots and whatever else concerned the Robo-scorpions.

The group though? If he could somehow manage to persuade them into his services, why, he'd literally have the smarted people from before and after the war working for him.