Sean groggily looked over at Nathan. He was strapped down to a similar gurney to his own. However, he had a full face ventilator mask that had images moving over the clear screen. Nathan's eyes were closed, but there was a set of LEDs blinking on the sides of the ventilator mask where his temples were that appeared to be doing something. On the open case of Nathan's gurney, his vitals were displayed to show he was in an induced deep sleep cycle. Sean tried to call out to him, but his body couldn't seem to find the energy. Bim moved around the gurney, his tailored black suit and nicely combed hair seeming out of place in this dingy place. Bim adjusted his thick framed glasses, telling Dr. Iplier hopefully. "Leave, CyberNateic. He's not going anywhere. I'll call down Dr. Sharper to get him. Let's get this Oyster hooked up. When his sedation wears off, we'll want to get him into the system quickly. It will be one last thing for our dear Red King to worry about." Dr. Iplier huffed, grumbling out as he walked up to the gurney. "You trust Dr. Sharper? You know, I wouldn't be surprised if he's the one messing with CyberNateic." Bim waved a careless hand, stating out casually. "Nonsense. Dr. Sharper built him. CyberNateic just isn't as fine tuned as S34N or Googleplier, that's all."

Dr. Iplier stopped messing with equipment on a table to snap back. "That's my point. Dr. Schneeplestein and I got the other two up and running just fine. Yet, instead of working on functionality... CyberNateic is an emotional wreck. One might say that Dr. Sharper is making him more... sentient than the others. You saw him! He doesn't know what he is! How dangerous is that?!" Bim glanced at the door, then gestured for Dr. Iplier to keep his voice down. Inching closer, Bim whispered to him. "CyberNateic isn't like the others because... I've been trying something new. Something to preserve an Oyster for longer." Dr. Iplier raised an eyebrow, prompting Bim to tell Dr. Iplier a little excitedly. "Imagine this just for a minute." Bim moved to Nathan, gesturing to him and then CyberNateic as he said calm and clearly. "What if we could take everything that makes King Nathan so special... and put it into a form that WE can control? Like CyberNateic." Dr. Iplier crossed his arms, answering a little flatly. "That's not possible. They'll both die."

Bim raised a hand to stop him, cheerily blurting out. "Ah! But what if it isn't? Think about it. Sharper Industries is all about scanning memories. Changing them to allow others to experience the power of a dream. Of imagination. Dr. Sharper and I have scanned Nathan's memories. We upload the ones WE want him to remember in CyberNateic. Then let CyberNateic generate more Pearls. More consistently. And the best part... He won't know because he'll think he's the REAL Nathan." Dr. Iplier gawked at Bim, then uttered out under his breath. "That's great in theory... but look at CyberNateic... It's not working." Bim rolled his eyes, straightening himself up as he told him confidently. "The project has hit some snags... but they are being fixed. We just have to be patient." Dr. Iplier shrugged, saying softly. "The Red King only has so much patience. You would test that?" Bim stepped closer, telling Dr. Iplier seriously. "That is why we need HIM. His Pearls will satisfy the Red King, until we work out the kinks with Nathan. We'll take things slower this time. Keep the stress off the Oyster to keep him burning out so fast. This time... This time will be perfect."

Dr. Iplier narrowed his eyes on Bim, before turning away to face Sean. Looking over Sean's eyes with a small flashlight, Dr. Iplier told Bim a bit gruffly. "You know... Sometimes you sound like him." Bim removed his glasses, leaning over Dr. Iplier's shoulder to sneer into his ear. "The show must go on. He understands that, and so do I. Now do as you're told. I may be charming but I'm not above informing Darkiplier of dissension among our ranks." Dr. Iplier jerked his head up, stating out timidly. "Don't. I'm sorry..." Bim gently touched Dr. Iplier's chin, whispering close to his face in a light airy voice. "Apology accepted. Now do your job... Or you'll see why they call me the Walrus." Dr. Iplier turned his face away and Bim flashed him a charming smile before putting his glasses back on. Bim then walked off, adding over his shoulder. "I want him hooked up by the time I come back with Dr. Sharper. Understood, Doc?" Dr. Iplier nodded as his only response. After Bim left, Sean looked to Dr. Iplier, pleading out in a wispy dry voice. "Don't..." Dr. Iplier hooked up an I.V., then carefully slipped the needle into Sean's arm. Sean couldn't move his arm, but he felt the stinging pain of it entering his skin.

Wincing and hissing, Sean could only curl his fingers in protect. Dr. Iplier tapped down the needle to his arm, telling him lightly. "Relax. This is just going to help get the drug out of your system faster." Sean took deep breaths, then found himself holding his breath as Dr. Iplier set up another ventilator mask like the one on Nathan. Removing small circular pads, Dr. Iplier pressed them to Sean's temples and said aloud. "S34N? Run test image file fifteen." A robotic voice from the speakers in the room announced prompting. "Confirmed. Running file now." Sean jerked his head back as his vision blurred and he saw a mix of colors before he started seeing kittens on his chest. They looked so real. He could smell them. He could feel their little paws on his skin. He could feel their tiny claws poking him. He could even hear them. He turned his head away, but the image just adjusted to show him on a beautiful bed with more kittens creeping across the bed to rub against his face. He faintly could hear Dr. Iplier telling S34N calmly. "S34N, the mask is not showing the image." S34N stated more clearly. "Understood. Synchronizing the mask now." Sean closed his eyes, but still felt and heard the kittens. How were they doing this?

Dr. Iplier's faint voice, asked aloud. "S34N? Test the Hallucina-Puff Gas tank in Mask two." Sean faintly heard a soft hiss, before S34N replied casually. "Done. H.P.M.G. is online and capable in mask two." The image of the kittens faded out, letting his senses return to normal. Dr. Iplier removed the mask from a holder that contained and removed the green gas, telling Sean nicely. "Almost done." Dr. Iplier brought the mask over his face, causing Sean to thrash his head a little, but it didn't stop him. Tightening the straps around his head, Dr. Iplier told him calmly. "Just relax. You'll have enough to fear soon enough." Sean whined, his chest heaving with worry. Dr. Iplier moved away from him to check on Nathan, asking S34N coolly. "What program is playing for Nathan?" S34N answered stoically. "Nathan is in the middle of a 'Trail' program. It has him walking through a dark forest, underground caverns, and endless hallways of a mansion. Would you like me to switch the program? Or bring him out?" Dr. Iplier checked Nathan's vitals, replying lightly. "No. His vitals are getting a little low. Keep him in the loop but insert a few ghosts and bats to give him a little jolt. That should bring his heart rate up."

Sean watched as Nathan's body jerked a little in the restraints, before Dr. Iplier grinned. Closing the top of Nathan's case, he tapped a few things on the glass and asked S34N in a guarded tone. "Run a diagnostic on Nathan's headgear. Has he had any outside interference in the last twenty-four hours? Say... with CyberNateic or another hacked source?" S34N's voice replied coolly. "Running the diagnostic now." After another minute or two, S34N announced bluntly. "There is a wave of white noise that I can't track the source of." Dr. Iplier looked up from the case, saying rather darkly. "Oh, really... Can you tell what this white noise is doing? Is it a glitch? What program does it stem from?" S34N took a pause before finally regaling. "It doesn't stem from any program. The programs are intact. It seems the white noise is coming from Nathan." Sean gasped softly, while Dr. Iplier blurted out. "That's impossible! Are you sure you are running those numbers right?!" S34N's voice answered with prompt amusement. "Yes. I'm quite sure. Seems the Oyster has discovered a way to get around his own family's software. He's created a backdoor." Dr. Iplier glared down at Nathan's sleeping form, grumbling out. "Can you keep him from doing it?"

S34N replied openly. "I cannot without further damaging the software containing him. To fix the problem, I would need CyberNateic online to guide me through the program. Without him, I could crash the system." Dr. Iplier rolled his eyes, asking curiously. "Could Googleplier walk you through the program?" S34N replied promptly. "Negative. Sharper Industries runs on specific guidelines put into place by King Nathan and CyberNateic. I'm afraid not even Dr. Sharper of Sharper Industries can help me get through the inner systems code." Dr. Iplier shook his head, asking in a disappointed voice. "Why was such guidelines put into place to keep even Dr. Sharper out of his own system?" S34N answered without pause. "The guidelines were put into place to keep 'Scientist Nate' A.K.A. Dr. Sharper, from further continuing the project on H.P.M.G. properties. Since it was not designed for extended use and containment of Oysters in its original data log." Dr. Iplier glared up at a speaker, asking darkly. "And how do you know that?" From the doorway, a slender man in black pants with a yellow sweater stepped in to answer physically. "Because CyberNateic told me personally."

Sean stared at S34N with interest. Didn't the note in his pocket watch say something about this android? The android's yellow bangs covered its black eye with a yellow iris but left its normal looking bright blue eye visible. Dr. Iplier jumped at the sight of the android, asking in a panic. "Whoa! Who turned you back on?!" S34N didn't answer, but another man in a long white lab coat and glasses propped up in his dark hair did. The man's eyes were locked on the clipboard in his hand, never breaking his stride into the room when he answered distantly. "I rebooted him. Unless you want to pick up a thousand pound android off the floor?" Dr. Iplier scoffed, snapping back. "Why not call Bingiplier? He can move CyberNatic. S34N produces waves that upset Anti! Are you trying to bring Anti's vengeance down on us, Dr. Sharper!" Dr. Sharper set his clipboard down, huffing out calmly. "Do you see Anti around? No. I didn't think so. And Bingiplier is busy loading New Tubes up to the surface. And Googleplier is up there helping to arrest rebels. I NEED help and S34N isn't doing anything except collecting dust. So, fuck it." Dr. Iplier cringed, muttering out. "No, thanks. That's just disgusting..."

S34N slowly walked into the room toward CyberNateic, and Sean saw S34N glance at Dr. Iplier with a small smug smirk on his lips. Dr. Iplier blushed when their eyes met, before quickly turning away from the android. Dr. Sharper looked over Sean's vitals for himself, then carefully removed the needle from his arm. Sean shook his head, but Dr. Sharper wasn't looking at him when he put gauze to Sean's arm and told Dr. Iplier coolly. "He looks good now. We should run the start-up program and then have Flynn hook up his tablet to start drawing the images for the Pearls. I think for now... We should allow him to slowly adjust to the system before we start making Pearls. They will produce better quality if his mind is in deep Rem sleep. Do you agree?" Dr. Iplier nodded, then piped up quickly. "Do that. But then take a look at Nathan. S34N says he's found a way to get around the system." Dr. Sharper leaned over Sean, his hand moving to something on the side of the mask. Sean gave him a desperate look, his voice so scared and wispy when he pleaded through the mask. "Please...? Don't do this..." Pressing something, Dr. Sharper stared into his eyes with a strange soft expression upon saying aloud. "S34N? Load start-up program in Mask two. Then turn on the Hallucina-Puff Gas in mask two."

Sean heard a soft beep by his ear, before S34N answered from across the room. "Command confirmed. Start-up loaded and initiating H.P.M.G. now." Sean heard the soft hiss and watched a light green gas fill the mask. He held his breath and tried to wait it out by not thinking about it. He almost thought that he could hold his breath that long, until Dr. Sharper trailed a finger along his armpit. The sensation made him jerk from how it tickled until he gasped without meaning too. Dr. Sharper's hand then patted his shoulder before moving away to listen to Dr. Iplier. Sean coughed but couldn't stop himself from breathing in the gas. The gas had a pleasant light lime smell and the more he breathed in, the more he relaxed until he drifted off to sleep. He didn't feel fear. He just felt comfortable. For a bit everything was dark, all sound disappeared, and he felt nothing. Then he felt like he was falling, but before he hit the ground... he jerked awake. Sitting up, Sean hugged himself. He was sitting in a grassy field on a nice sunny day. A few blue butterflies fluttered by, and a gentle breeze blew. He could even hear birds singing. The place was so peaceful.

Getting to his feet, he glanced around at the miles and miles of gorgeous mountain scenery. Was he back home? He reached up to touch his collarbone and gasped. He was dressed in his normal plain white t-shirt and blue jeans with sneakers. His hair was short, and he felt like himself again. Walking slowly across the meadow, he called out curiously. "Hello?" He couldn't be alone. Could he? He hoped he wasn't. He kept walking to try and get his bearings, until his heart skipped as a voice called out. "Hey, Stranger." Turning around, he thought he was going to see Illinois. Instead, he saw only a man who looked like Illinois except he was wearing a green tunic and tan pants with a thin gold circlet across his head that had dangling silver acorns on it. The man walked carefully toward him, chuckling out. "What are you doing out here?" Sean shrugged, asking softly. "Do I know you?" The man rolled his eyes, when he answered sweetly. "Of course, you do. The King of Squirrels from Tulgey Woods? You told me to meet you here." Sean blinked, asking very gently. "Are we still in Wonderland?" The man laughed, telling him sweetly. "Where else would we be?" The man got closer, and Sean started to ask something else, until the man leaned in and kissed him.

Sean put a hand to the man's chest, pushing him back as nicely as he could. The man leaned back, whispering to him lovingly. "We don't have to hide here, Highness. You're meeting with King Sean isn't for a few hours. So... Let's just enjoy this while we can." Sean's jaw dropped. He was meeting with himself? How was that possible? Unless... Sean touched the man's cheek and asked him curiously. "Say my name." The man grinned, then leaned close to his ear. The audio seemed to glitch, but he distinctly heard the man say. "Your name is... Nathan." To Be Continued...