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[evilgrows]

WELCOME TO YOUR PRIVATE CHANNEL, DR. ROBOTNIK. FOR SECURE COMMUNICATION, USE 905.77.247.37 *** DOCTORROBOTNIK has joined 905.77.247.37 <DOCTORROBOTNIK> You've reached Doctor Robotnik. Leave only one message, and I'll get back to you if I find it necessary.

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[evilgrows]

Of course I'll take it, [he all but snaps, following him out after one last longing look at the room full of machines. Oh, he'll have himself an army again someday.

Until then, there's all of this. He scoffs]

Oh ye of little faith if you think I'm incapable of multitasking. How do you think I ever get anything done? Working for The Man every day, doing the same thing over and over and over, listening to a bunch of idiots with more medals than sense try to tell me how to do my job? Side projects.

[Okay, so he hasn't had that particular job for... some months, but that doesn't change anything.]

They'll be getting plenty of use, trust me. Preservation project and all.

[ikonsuit]

'The Man'? Sounds like you should have cut your losses. Gone solo.

[ It worked for him. ]

Keep looking around, if you want. Passcode's 1102. [ Which will surely be changed before the day is over. ] I'll get a contract drafted up in the meantime. Shouldn't take long; got most of it typed up before you got here.

[evilgrows]

Unfortunately, The Man tended to provide better resources. Like hell I'll even have a job anymore when I finally get out of here, anyway. I doubt they'll be waiting for me with open arms.

[Probably more for the alien debacle than the "stuck in monsterland for months" thing, but y'know. No need to mention specifics, make things too complicated, back himself into a corner of Truth. He can only hope Agent Stone knows where his loyalties should lie.

Still, he smiles when he's given the code.]

Ah, the keys to the playground. I'll make sure everything stays in one piece, just bring me the legal mumbo jumbo whenever you're ready.

( minor NSFW i am so sorry )

[ikonsuit]

You can't afford to break anything.

[ They can swap tales of bureaucracy and corporate red tape after the business at hand is handled.

For now, Robotnik is left to his own devices. True to Slade's word, the fancier the machine, the more dead it appears to be. Tanya's labs are filled with chronal harnesses, atomic microscopes, and devices that shoot your consciousness off into space. Have fun trying to get any of them to work.

Robotnik gets about an hour of free-range exploring before Slade is back with a stack of papers comparable to a small phone book. Wherever Ivo lands, Slade'll take a seat at the nearest table and place the stack in front of him. ]

Master Development Service Agreement.

Agreement for the Development, Implementation, and Maintenance of both Hardware and Software

The legally binding document between one (1) WILSON and one (1) ROBOTNIK serves the following purpose —

a. Assigning ROBOTNIK to the limited employ of WILSON

In signing, each party agrees to be of legal age, mentally capable, and has agreed to the terms of the contract of his own free will.

[ From there, the text goes into various clauses and subclasses about the length of the agreement, the specifications of said agreement, and what it takes to break the contract. There's something free room and board — should Robotnik choose to move in — and 24-hour access to the labs, should he decide to use them.

There's also the now-infamous sex clause somewhere on page twenty-seven, which states that their contract isn't inherently nullified in the instance that they bang. ]

beautiful

[evilgrows]

[Robotnik spends the entire hour flitting around the labs, sometimes shrinking himself to see if he can get inside various machines and get a better look. Except for the most basic of devices, it's pretty much all dead, which is especially frustrating when it comes to machinery he's not familiar with. It'll get done eventually, if he has anything to say about it.

When Slade comes back with his contract tome, Robotnik's only about a foot tall, taking a close look at something complicated and outside the realm of possibility where he comes from. He watches Slade sit down, zips over to the the table, and goes back to full size before pulling up a chair to check out what he's dealing with.]

These'll do, [he says by way of conversation before grabbing the stack. Of course, he reads the whole damn thing. He's fast, though; the man clearly speed-reads.

The contract definitely covers all the bases, and he's almost impressed at what he's reading. Plenty of wiggle room for doing the things he wants, nothing he can particularly object to. He's definitely not moving in, although considering how much he works the fact that he can stay here is definitely helpful.

All in all, definitely a reasonable contract... so he makes just about the most unpleasant face when he gets to the "sex clause." He's silent, though, until he reads the whole thing.]

Well! Certainly can't say you're not thorough. I can only hope some of it was generic.

[Please don't be coming on to him. He is above such things. Also terrible at other such things.

But he's got a pen in his pocket, because of course he does, and he pulls it out to sign the contract with a flourish.]

Can't wait to get started.

[Not only is it not a lie, this whole lab thing's probably one of the only things he's even looked forward to in this hellhole. Any possibility of getting closer to getting home is fine by him.]

[ikonsuit]

Standard boilerplate, doc. [ Except where it isn't and tailored specifics are a necessity. ] Contracts are part of my job. Brought on plenty of geniuses to design my gear back home. You get used to writing in what's essential and skipping past what isn't.

[ Yes. This is his version of a concise contract. No hidden fees, no dubious clauses wrapped up in legalese. He's honest on that front — what you see is what you get.

Slade's also got a pen at the ready, but it makes a bit more sense in his case. Once Robotnik is done, he also signs on the dotted line before returning the contract to a folder marked simply with the number '3'. ]

Seems we're in business.

You make your own schedule, Robotnik. Take the day off or keep tinkering around. Doesn't make a difference to me.

[ With everything set to go, he gets to his feet. ]

Before I forget, we're having a summit. You're invited. Granted, it involves being around people. Figured my mileage would vary. [ That said, there's an invitation set on the table for him. ]

[evilgrows]

That's only mildly reassuring.

[But whatever, other than that oddly suspicious clause, it's probably the best contract he's ever dealt with. To the point despite his length, doesn't try to sneak anything in, nothing he has to argue about... or threaten anyone about.

It's fine!]

I want to get a better look at what I'm working with. I'll be around if you need me.

[There's a clear undertone of "don't need me" in his voice, but whatever, he is under contract and everything. What's briefly more interesting is the invitation. He raises an eyebrow, looks at the invite, then scoffs.]

A... summit. Interesting choice of words for a party.

[There's even a fancy little faerie on it. Pointlessly cute.]

I hate networking.

[He pauses. It's... rare that he gets invited to things enough to even bother turning them down. Not that he'd usually go even if he did, but maybe something for "professionals" will be slightly less... obnoxious?

Unlikely. Near-impossible. Especially something that's clearly on Christmas. He is not carving the roast beast.]

But fine. I'll show up. Just don't expect me to stick around.

[ikonsuit]

I don't expect anything from you that you didn't sign for, Robotnik. Your job is to build something out of nothing. That's it.

[ It's a strange way to say 'thanks for the RSVP,' but it's there. If you squint. ]

Lock up when you're done. Should have a personal entry code programmed in for you by tomorrow. Don't break anything. Update me with progress.

[ Is there anything he's forgetting... ]

Any questions for me?

[evilgrows]

Great. Couldn't've asked for more.

[Where the hell was this kind of job all his life, huh?]

The contract seemed pretty straightforward. Everything else... I've always liked independent hands-on learning.

[Mainly because when people talk at him about things he knows most about it already anyway. Some of this might be outside the level of tech back home, but that doesn't mean he can't figure it out.]

I'll bother you with questions later if I find it absolutely necessary.