Chill Out

Chill Out	It's Been A While Previous Reunited
Note: This interlude is only available when It's Been A While is live and is not added into the Archives after BW ends.

Characters
Castle-3 Chiave Lancet-2 Rockrock THRM-EX Xiaohei Ah Gen Biu Xiaobai Engineering Operator Ethan Gummy Cafeteria Staff Calm Child Heixiu Playing Child Truant Child
Backgrounds
1 2 3 4 5 6

“

Xiaohei tries to find someone to care for Biu while they go on a mission. A few robots volunteer.

”

<Background 1>
A Day in the Life of Biu
Biu	Biu!
Cafeteria Staff	Where are the ingredients? The dishes? Did someone let Kay in?
Gummy	That thing keeps changing colors! How does it do that?
Ethan	Where did they find this? It's just like me. Be nice to him, medical. Wait, you want to give me a check up too?
<Background 2>
Biu	Biu!
Playing Child	Where did that toy go?
Truant Child	Oh no, Instructor Dur-nar must've come to bring me back! What do I do?
Calm Child	No need to panic. Just say you came looking for the toy that mysteriously went missing, and accidentally stumbled on a secret in the depths of Rhodes Island...
[Chiave enters the room.]
Chiave	Really? No joke? I want in on this.
Calm Child	?
<Background 3>
Biu	Biu!
Engineering Operator	–? What the heck are you? What are you doing?! That's a machine component, you can't eat it!
[Ms. Christine shoos Biu away.]
Engineering Operator	Oh. Ms. Christine? Whew, that's a relief. I should thank Phantom. He may look hard to get along with, but he's got a heart of gold. Have a nice day, madam!
[Biu was caught by Xiaohei.]
Biu	Biu...!
Xiaohei	Gotcha!
Xiaobai	Why won't you listen, Biu? You'll get hurt if you keep running around like this!
Ah Gen	What's with this color?
Biu	Biu!
Ah Gen	Looks like he ate a lot. So where did you find him, Xiaohei?
Xiaohei	The room at the end of the hallway. He also went to the toyhouse and the restaurant, and ate some of the food and toys. Without permission.
Xiaobai	Whoops... Guess we'll have to apologize.
Ah Gen	Yes, and keep a close eye on him.
Xiaobai	Okay. Let's go!
<Background fades out and in>
[While walking through the corridors...]
Xiaobai	So Biu didn't cause too much damage, and even caught an operator who skipped class? And that fierce-looking red guy over there... was talking about digging something up, and now he's leaving by himself... Oh, he's looking this way!
Truant Child	I'm sorry, Instructor Dur-nar! I won't do it again!
Chiave	Don't worry, brother, I'll complete the mission!
Xiaobai	...How touching.
Ah Gen	...... Nice job, Biu. So, apparently we won't need to pay any compensation, just do a few missions for them.
Xiaobai	Does that mean Biu can't come with us?
Ah Gen	Yeah, but they gave us a cage to put him in. But we still need to find someone to take care of him...
[THRM-EX appears to be overjoyed while Castle-3 and Lancet-2 watches.]
THRM-EX	Mmph! Ohhhh! The ingenious Master Closure has added so many features with this update! I can feel my passion break through and shine even brighter!
Castle-3	Our storage capacity has increased by 35.7%, allowing us to download and install more engineering-related files.
Lancet-2	I've been updated with more first aid procedures and language modules, further enhancing my support capabilities. I especially appreciate the ability to recover deleted files. I recovered a recording of the Doctor snoring from a few years ago. Would you like to hear it?
Xiaobai	Wow!
Xiaohei	What are those?
Ah Gen	Robots? Talking to each other?
THRM-EX	Good morning, unfamiliar lady and gentlemen! Are you in awe of my perfect form? I knew no one could resist my scorching charisma!
Castle-3	Unknown personnel detected. Do you require assistance from Rhodes Island?
Lancet-2	I can help you if you're not feeling well.
Xiaobai	Wow, they really can talk! Hi there, we're new here, but we have a pet who needs to be looked after while we're away. Do you know anyone who can help us?
Castle-3	A pet?
THRM-EX	Not a problem! This update includes 956 volumes on pet care, encompassing every species of plant and animal known to be kept for recreational purposes. I guarantee my burning core will keep them warm!
Lancet-2	I can also help when they are not feeling well. I have extensive experience in caring for operators.
Xiaobai	Really? Wow, amazing!
THRM-EX	More than amazing, incredible! For I, Closure's masterpiece, will singlehandedly solve all your problems!
Xiaohei	(Whisper) Are they spirits?
Xiaobai	Smart robots, Xiaohei. Way more advanced than the ones we're used to, though. They may not look like people, but they definitely talk like people. The technology here is incredible. So, he says he knows a lot about caring for pets. I think we can trust him. What about you guys?
Xiaohei	Hm... Why not?
Ah Gen	It wouldn't be easy to find someone else on short notice... Alright then.
Xiaohei	Stay here, Heixiu.
Heixiu	Hey-xiu!
THRM-EX	Oooh! What an adorable black blob! Sitting right on my outer frame!
Xiaobai	Haha. We'll leave things to you then! And don't give Biu any metal or living things. It's dangerous! You can take him out of the cage if Heixiu's around. But he's still very excited, so keep him locked up for a little longer.
Castle-3	Understood. Please register your names and that of your pets, to be uploaded to the terminal as a mission.
Xiaobai	Thanks!
<Background 4>
Biu	Biu! Biu!
Castle-3	Behavior analysis indicates a desire to go out and play.
THRM-EX	Let him ride on my broad back! I'll show him every corner of Rhodes Island!
Biu	Biu?
Lancet-2	He's clawing at the cage. Is he not feeling well? Hey, why does he not talk?
Castle-3	Querying the latest language modules.
Lancet-2	I seem to have previously deleted some language data. Allow me to restore it... Eat my shorts, berk, guan ni pi shi...!
Castle-3	Analysis indicates this is from a collection of Terran expletives that was accidentally added to your library. The engineering department prepared a plugin for you because of this.
Lancet-2	Apologies... I have re-deleted them.
THRM-EX	No, no, time waits for no man. I can't hold back my core's burning passion anymore! Put the cage on my back, and let's depart!
Castle-3	Hold on. According to "100 Tips on Keeping a Pet," animals demonstrate stress reactions when exposed to an unfamiliar environment. This is because they are unsure if it is safe or not. We must create an environment for Biu that is absolutely safe.
THRM-EX	Acknowledged! Scouting the nearby environment. Scouting! Scouting!
[THRM-EX observes the vicinity, but...]
THRM-EX	Failed! Feature not found!
Castle-3	I will do it.
[Castle-3 observes the vicinity.]
Castle-3	Hallway confirmed safe. There is no need to worry, Biu.
Lancet-2	Is he trembling?
Castle-3	It may be a stress reaction.
Biu	Biu! (I wanna go out and play!)
Lancet-2	What do we do? Let me give him a check-up.
Biu	Biu! (I wanna go out and play!)
Lancet-2	Data within expected range. We can go.
THRM-EX	Ooorah! Let's go!!!
<Background 3>
Biu	Biu!
Lancet-2	Do you want to go out and play?
Castle-3	We cannot. The operators said he is still excited, and that it will be dangerous. I must scan each room to ensure absolute safety.
Biu	Chirp...
THRM-EX	Don't be frustrated, little one! I'll give you the full tour during the long wait! This is the Rhodes Island rest area. Operators put up stalls over there from time to time, where you can buy whatever you like!
Lancet-2	I doubt Biu would be interested in shopping.
Biu	Chirp...
THRM-EX	Then what about the workshop? I can't wait to bring him inside!
Biu	Biu! Biu! (I wanna go!)
Castle-3	Scan complete. The garage contains large quantities of metal, indicating a high degree of danger.
Biu	Chirp...
Castle-3	Continuing scan of conveyor area.
[Two R.I. operators pass by.]
Operator Passerby	Hey, what's that?
Curious Operator	Gummy said he's a big eater! Want some fries?
Biu	Biu!
Curious Operator	Oh, he's so cute!
Operator Passerby	Come on, eat up, I have more where that came from!
THRM-EX	Apologies, operators, but his owner warned us not to feed him because it's dangerous.
Operator Passerby	I see.
Curious Operator	Sorry.
[The operators leave.]
THRM-EX	So what about the conveyor area? I can't stop myself from overheating anymore!
Biu	Biu! Biu! (I wanna go!)
Castle-3	Scan complete. The conveyor area contains conveyor belts, indicating a high degree of danger.
Biu	Biu...
[Castle-3 scans again.]
Castle-3	Scan complete. A high degree of danger.
Biu	Biu...
Castle-3	Scan complete. A high degree of danger. Biu, you need to stay within a 5-meter area in this hallway. Both ahead and behind are too dangerous. You must remain in this cage until you calm down, to ensure your own safety.
Biu	Biu...
Lancet-2	Biu is looking even worse. Is he afraid of the outside?
Biu	Biu! Biu! (No! No!)
Castle-3	He became more excited upon hearing your words. I gather you were correct. Let's return. Scans indicate a large amount of metal and living beings in these rooms, but no wood, making it dangerous.
Lancet-2	Here is some disinfected wood. According to "Pets for Dummies," it is ideal to feed once every 2.5 hours. Here, an appropriate portion.
Biu	Biu! Biu! (It's too little!)
Lancet-2	The serving size has been meticulously calculated. The next feeding will occur in 2.5 hours. According to "How to Make Your Pet Love You," one must always be attentive to their physical and mental state. One hour has elapsed since the last check-up. I must perform another check-up to ensure that you are healthy, and continue to do so every hour.
Biu	...... Biu!!! (I'm gonna bite your head off!) Biu... (No, Xiaobai said not to...) Biu... (Sob...)
Lancet-2	Come on, Biu, turn on your back and let me check your pulse...
<Background fades out>
Biu and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
<Background fades in>
Castle-3	I observed the black blob open Biu's cage, causing Biu to flee into a corner of the hallway. I am unable to bend down, so I do not know where he went.
Lancet-2	But I can hear him run away as soon as we approach. He seems to be avoiding us.
THRM-EX	I'm sorry, Biu! Were you scorched by my burning passion?! I haven't learned to cool it down, but I'll control myself for your sake if you don't like it! For that is my duty!
Castle-3	Biu remains stationary beneath a box.
Lancet-2	Heixiu is still here, which means Biu is safe, but keeping his distance.
Castle-3	I ran another self-diagnostic. There is no error with my programming. Every step was taken in accordance with the instruction in the books. I do not understand why this is happening.
Lancet-2	Perhaps we should ask other operators for assistance. But we clearly did exactly as instructed, and have not had similar issues when interacting with operators... What could be the issue?
[Rockrock walks by.]
Rockrock	Biu? Biu? Where are you? I just reported back, Lancet-2. I heard Biu is with you, but I don't see him.
THRM-EX	Hello, Operator Rockrock! While I would love to share the burning warmth of my core with you, we need your help!
Castle-3	We have a situation here, Operator Rockrock. Based on your interactions, how did Ah Gen and the others take care of Biu?
Lancet-2	We followed the pet care manuals to the letter, but ran into some trouble.
Rockrock	Hmm... let me think...
<Flashback starts here>
<Background 5>
Xiaobai	Uh oh, Biu, what did you just eat?
Biu	Biu!
Ah Gen	He's turned black, with red and white dots on him.
Xiaobai	Eek!
Biu	Biu!
Rockrock	Er, I think he just ate the comb I made.
Xiaobai	Oh, I'm so sorry!
Rockrock	It's fine, there's plenty of wood for me to make another one. But does he eat wood?
Xiaobai	Yup! Biu loves wood. He even made a big hole in my grandpa's house!
Rockrock	...And you're that happy about that?
Xiaobai	Teehee.
<Flashback ends here>
<Background 3>
Rockrock	Fine, just give him what he wants. He ended up eating most of the materials I brought. And I was planning on making something, too. Oh well.
Biu	Biu!
[Rockrock gave pieces of wood to Biu.]
Rockrock	There you are. Let me rub your tummy– You're starving, aren't you? Here, my last two pieces of wood...
THRM-EX	But it's not feeding time–
Castle-3	Your machine has not yet been scanned–
Lancet-2	It must be disinfected first–
Biu	(Swallow) Biu!
Rockrock	Well, now he's a light yellow. Looks like the wood wasn't thoroughly dried. Thanks, Biu. Oh, there you are, Heixiu.
Castle-3	There was no scan, nor is it feeding time. Your actions are not in accordance with the manuals.
Lancet-2	But Biu came out of his own accord, and he looks happy.
THRM-EX	Thank you, Operator Rockrock! You have relit my core, which had gone cold at not being able to solve the problem!
Rockrock	Yeah, so just do it like that. Let him run around and eat whatever he wants. Other people can hold him too, as long as Heixiu's around. Don't overthink it.
Lancet-2	We should relax our parameters? I can try. ...Biu, I have a piece of wood here. Would you like it?
Biu	Chirp!
Castle-3	You are feeding him directly?
Rockrock	Yeah. Look at how flat his tummy is. He's hungry. Just give him something to eat and he'll take a nap.
Castle-3	What about the unfamiliar environment?
Rockrock	Heixiu's around, so no worries.
THRM-EX	Can others feed him too?
Rockrock	Sure, as long as it's not metallic or alive.
Lancet-2	Understood. Thank you, Operator Rockrock.
Rockrock	Alright, I gotta get going.
Castle-3	Have a nice day. Lancet-2, I think we can delete some of the books in our library. Or all of them. Biu has responded better to Rockrock's methods than the ones we have recorded.
THRM-EX	You're absolutely right! We must warm Biu with our burning cores!
Lancet-2	I will retain "Basic Pet Habits," to ensure that I have essential veterinary knowledge. I was originally designed to care for operators, after all. Is that ok, Biu?
Biu	Biu!
Castle-3	Where do you want to go, then?
Biu	Biu!
THRM-EX	Wherever you like! My warmth will always be by your side!
Lancet-2	We can just follow him.
Biu	Biu!
<Background 6>
Biu	Biu!
THRM-EX	Wooow, look at that setting sun! It's lit a fire in my core! And look how stylishly Biu eats, like the wind sweeping through the clouds!
Castle-3	Did you install a module of Yanese expressions, THRM-EX?
THRM-EX	The amazing Doctor did! They believed it would help me convey my thoughts even better! Round and plump!
Biu	Biu!
Castle-3	......
Lancet-2	......
Castle-3	According to Ah Gen, they should be about done with their mission soon. No wonder Biu wanted to get out.
Lancet-2	Did you like the food from the cafeteria, Biu?
Biu	Biu!
Lancet-2	That said, the staff were a little sad to see you ignore their dishes and go straight for the chopsticks.
Castle-3	Fortunately, operators from Yan or Higashi are rare, so we have plenty to spare.
Biu	Biu!
THRM-EX	Look, Biu likes it! Oooooohhh! Oooooohhh!!! He's approaching me for the very first time! He likes me! I can't control the heat of my core– Oh, I'm burning... burning!
Lancet-2	–
[Lancet-2 sprays THRM-EX to cool him down.]
Lancet-2	Good thing I have the cold spray first-aid module. That seemed effective on you.
Castle-3	If only Biu could install language modules.
Lancet-2	My programming has determined that that would be illegal.
Castle-3	I mean, if only he could communicate with us. Taking care of a creature that cannot speak is much more difficult than expected. At least we didn't fail the mission. Thank you, Biu. I am not equipped with an emotion chip, but my core is instructing me to sing a folk song for you. Would you like me to play it?
Lancet-2	It feels as though my clock speed is dropping. Why is that? Oh, it's back to normal.
Biu	Biu! Biu!
Lancet-2	Ride on me and we'll climb the hill ahead of us. That way, we can see the vehicles headed back to the ship. Would you like to ride on me, or walk by yourself?
Biu	Biu!
Lancet-2	You want to go by yourself?
Biu darts through branches, bushes, and rocks towards the peak of the hill. The setting sun shines on him and the robots.
Castle-3	Lancet-2, THRM-EX, can you sing? I looked up a song that I previously learned.
[Castle-3 plays a song,]
Castle-3	"♪My parents want me to be a lawyer♪" "♪My grandparents want me to form a family♪" "♪But all I want to do is pick up my brush♪" "♪And draw this sunset♪"
Lancet-2	Can Biu draw the sunset, Castle-3?
Castle-3	I am unable to answer this question. But the way he runs around under the setting sun shows that he is happy.
Biu	Biu! Biu!
Castle-3	It is what he likes to do. ♪That is all good, but I love the sunset the most♪'
THRM-EX	Hey, I can see the sunset reflecting off the vehicles on their way back! Let's go meet them with my burning passion!
Lancet-2	Please wait while I update my database.
[Lancet-2 updated her database.]
Lancet-2	Update complete. Let us go.
Biu	Biu!
The robots follow behind Biu, leaving long clouds of dust in their wake. A line of text flashes across Closure's robot monitoring terminal. "Worry not and enjoy the present."
Biu's Perfect Day