[[color=#39B54A]Celine[/color], [color=#FA341D]Claire[/color], [color=#1055E5]Damon[/color] and [color=#D0991E]Roy[/color]]
 
Kayden turns to the other three with a desperate look in his eyes. 
 
As they arrive onto the scene, Kayden hurriedly describes how to remove one’s Soul Tech. 
 
Celine focuses on her palm, imagining the crystal reappearing. A bit of quartz rises and appears on her hand. It in no way resembles the original Soul Tech. [color=#39B54A]“Hmm… kinda misshapen? Did I do it wrong?”[/color]
 
[color=f49ac2]“...That doesn’t look right. Try again please.”[/color]
 
Celine frowns and tries once more, only to lose her balance and fall over. Kayden looks like he’s seriously considering seppuku. She tries once more, imagining a part that looked like the original crystal. She fails. Something roughly similar to the golem’s shoulder pops out and looks even worse than the one before.
 
Roy watches intently as Celine attempts to draw the Soul Tech out and back into its original form, growing more hesitant with every second. He liked the pixie. He really did, and parting with it sounded like such a sad proposition. Stealing a glance at Kayden’s pained facial expressions, he decides it is for the best and attempts to remove the Soul Tech. Delving deep within himself, Roy imagines picking up the tiny sprite and removing it from its snug spot. As soon as the sprite was out of place, the sickening feeling of being incomplete sunk in and his grip slipped. The sprite fell back into place.
 
Staring at her hand, Claire attempts to manifest the red egg she touched earlier by imagining the flame being sucked out of her soulspace. Nothing happens. [color=FA341D]“Ai-chan, what do we do if we can’t give the soul tech back?”[/color] Claire asks. 
 
[color=f49ac2]“I suppose you’ll have to stay here.”[/color]
 
[color=#d0991e]“How long?”[/color]
 
[color=f49ac2]“Until I get permission to let you leave. [/color]
 
[color=#d0991e]“Can we go outside and have you escort us instead?”[/color]
 
[color=f49ac2]“You’re not allowed to leave with the Soul Tech. Going outside would be leaving with them. [sub]And I can’t go outside anyways...[/sub]”[/color]
 
[color=#d0991e]“But we can come back to the lab when your boss is back. And we can take you outside with us?”[/color]
 
[color=f49ac2]“You’d still be leaving the facility with the Soul Tech.[/color]
 
[color=#39B54A]” Oh… I guess I’ll just stay in here then?” [/color]
 
[color=f49ac2]“Yes.[/color]
 
[color=#39B54A] “Ok! Where do we stay?” [/color]
 
[color=f49ac2]“Here.[/color]
 
[color=#39B54A]”No like, where? We need beds and food!” [/color]
 
[color=f49ac2]“Anywhere in here. Or in the hallway. I have no beds. The food probably went bad a few hundred years ago.[/color]
 
[color=#d0991e]“We’ll starve to death in here. If we die, we can’t return the soul techs and you’ll never be able to get them back.”[/color]
 
[color=f49ac2]“...Hmm...”[/color]
 
[color=FA341D]“If we can go outside, we can get food and not die.”[/color]
 
[color=#39B54A]“Ooh! What if my golem-”[/color] Damon rushes over and covers her mouth before she can say anything else to worsen the situation. She struggles to finish her sentence anyway. [color=#39B54A]“Mmmmmfffffggggg- Damon!”[/color]
 
[color=f49ac2]“What were you going to say?”[/color]
 
[color=#1055E5]“She meant to ask what we’ll do if her golem suddenly goes berserk because she’s dying from starvation.”[/color]
 
[color=f49ac2]“You can still die if you go outside. Humans die all the time outside.”[/color]
 
[color=FA341D]“But we’re guaranteed to die from starvation by staying here! The mayor keeps us pretty safe on the outside. We’re less likely to die outside.”[/color]
 
[color=#d0991e]“Since you’re not actually a roomba you wouldn’t technically be leaving the facility if we took one with us. You’ll be able to monitor the situation and tell us when your boss is back so we can return the soul techs.”[/color]
 
[color=f49ac2]“Who is your Mayor? Also, I would not be able to communicate through the self-directed cleaning unit once it leaves the facility. ”[/color]
 
Kayden edges over to an unchosen pedestal nearest the entrance and leans against it, one hand in his jacket. His relaxed posture is at completely at odds with the tension visible on his face.
 
Changing the topic, Celine instead suggests the solution to everyone’s problems. [color=#39B54A]“What if I become the boss!”[/color]
 
[color=f49ac2]“If you became my boss you could give yourself permission to leave.”[/color]
 
[color=#39B54A]”Ok! How do I get promoted? [/color]
 
[color=f49ac2]“A Fervor Corp. employee would have to employ and promote you.”[/color]
 
Changing the topic again, Roy asks [color=#d0991e]“Is there any way you can leave with us?”[/color]
 
[color=f49ac2]“Not right now. I would have to construct a suitable chassis, one capable of carrying my “mind”.”[/color]
 
[color=#FA341D]”How long will that take?”[/color]
 
[color=f49ac2]“I do not know.”[/color]
 
[color=#FA341D]”Do you have an estimate?”[/color]
 
Kayden turns and pulls out a handgun--aimed at the glass atop the pedestal. He has to fire three times before the already cracked glass breaks enough to reach a hand through. Heedless of the sharp, broken glass, Kayden places his hand on the slot covering up the glass pyramid Soul Tech. Deafening crackling fills the air as electricity splashes against the sides of the glass box. 
 
[color=f49ac2]“[b]Stop.[/b]”[/color] Ai-chan’s voice booms from every corner of the vast room. The training dummies turn toward Kayden as one and break into sprints.
 
Damon turns to the other three. [color=1055E5]”I think now would be a good time to bail”[/color]
 
[Color=#BADA55]“Stop her! She won’t let us leave anyways!”[/color] Kayden roars over the sound of his own electricity. He levels his other hand at the oncoming dummies and fires a bolt of lightning, downing two robots immediately.
 
[color=#39B54A]”Ai-chan, if we help you stop this man, can we leave?”[/color] Celine whispers to the nearest cleaning unit.
 
[color=#1055E5]“Don’t worry Ai-chan, we’ll run to the exit, cutting off his escape!”[/color]
 
Claire winks at Kayden. Roy also winks at Kayden. Celine can’t wink. A very forced blink is attempted. Celine’s golem can’t wink either. Damon’s eyes are invisible from behind the most glare-catching pair of glasses mankind has ever known.