Loch was forced out of their escalating thoughts about having to deal with the fair folk with the appearance of a fourth person, an older man...

... who was carrying axe.

Okay, Loch had dealt with some strange people and things before, but this was starting to get a little out of hand. They started to open their mouth to address the newcomer when the TV screen above the entrance burst life. "What the hell?!" Loch exclaimed, their hands reflexively going to their heart. They took the time Jack the jackalope was speaking to try and recollect themself. However, they didn't have long to do so, because screen shut off not longer after it had started, and the doors to the park opened.

O'Malley said what Loch had been thinking: somehow the park was still functioning after all these years. The animatronic also seemed to be talking to two people who weren't among their group. A 'Joey' and a 'Zach'.

Oh yeah, O'Malley had mentioned those two earlier... the husband and son of that missing woman he was looking for. O'Malley must have some channel of direct communication to them open right now. They might have been the ones to fix him up as well...

Before Loch could ponder that for much longer, everybody started making their way through the entrance of the park. "Oh okay, I-I guess we're going in now. Great, wonderful, love that..." Loch said, awkwardly following after Cassidy, who was gripping her pistol tighter than before.

Loch grimaced. What had they gotten themself into this time?

"Couldn't dial it down even if I wanted to, Cass m'lass. My programming won't let me" O'Malley said in response to Cassidy's words as he led the way into the park. "And while I am aware that catchin' up with old friends ain't our main reason for comin' here, that doesn't mean we shouldn't take the time to socialize. A few o' the other animatronics and I used to help Scott out with this sorta thing back before Covid, and it often paid dividends to have a nice little chat with the people we met along the way. Now sure, we're not gonna have a lot to talk about with whatever's harming kids in there, but monsters like that tend to have minions at its beck and call. By all means put down the master the moment you see it, but we'd do well to see if the servants are malicious goblins eagerly aiding this evil or enslaved sprites bound to a task they despise with all their hearts before givin' them the same treatment."

As the group enters the amusement park, they can see that there is one clear path ahead. The path led them past various shops, and one main gift shop. A TV overhead past the turnstiles light up once more to reveal Jack once more as he speaks, his voice distorting occasionally at some of the words.

"Oh, right! Silly me, I almost forgot! Before we go further in, your group is going to need a Wonderland Passport! It'll help you access rides and various other attractions while you're here! Head on into the Gift Shop to your left. Dataandliabilitywaiverincluded.PriceofPassportincludedinadmissionfees. You can also learn about my friends while you're there! That way, you can keep out for a chance to meet them in person during your time here!"

With that the TV shuts off, leaving the group with the option to go left into the Gift Shop, or to continue further into the Park.

At Jack's request, O'Malley made his way towards the gift shop. While the animatronic was confident in his ability to make his was around without a Wonderland Passport, and that it would likely be quicker and easier to do so, that would likely upset Jack. The thought was more than enough of a reason to get the Passport. But it wasn't the only reason. O'Malley was having trouble recalling what he knew about the Park's mascots, so any information the Gift Shop had on them would hopefully jog his memor-

"Wait...why was Dandruffella in a cage?" Joseph's voice came though O'Malley's line of communication to his friends on the outside. "Who were those guys?"

"Ah, I'm guessin' that camera you attached to me's been showin' you what I see whenever I patch into the Park's security systems, eh?" O'Malley said. "I'm not sure who those guys were just yet, but anyone who locks pixies and children in cages are generally not the nicest in my experience."

Of the three other people here, Loch realised - somewhat ironically - that it was the animatronic platypus they felt the most safe around, so when O'Malley started making his way towards the Gift Shop as per Jack's instructions, Loch found themself almost instinctively following after him.

Even as the animatronic continued to talk to his people on the outside, who the rest of them could not hear.

"So, err," Loch asked O'Malley. "What are they saying? Your, err, friends. Any insights on..." They motioned vaguely at the park around them. "This?"

"So, err," Loch asked O'Malley. "What are they saying? Your, err, friends. Any insights on..." They motioned vaguely at the park around them. "This?"

"What do you... Oh. Yeah. Right. You can't hear them, can you?" O'Malley said as his comedy subroutines finally allowed him to remember that only he could hear Zachary and Joseph speaking to him. "Well to answer your question Loch m'lass, Zach and Joey are learning along with me. The insights I've been gettin' 'ave been from patching into the Park's security cameras. So far, I've learned the following: There are at least two things with large claws in the Park. I need to get to Owlicious's Academy as quickly as possible. There's an organization o' people in lab coats here. One tried to leave while we were at the entrance, but was attacked near Fantasy Forests by something with a pink adhesive whip. This attacker is one o' the two things with large claws, and was heading away from Fantasy Forests after the attack concluded. During the attack, the scientist dropped a badge that was then picked up and pulled into the shadows by an almost human hand. I can confirm that the unicorn mascot in Fantasy Forests is afraid of cold iron. As are its mini-me minions. And finally, while the fine folks from Faerie are indeed involved in what's going on here, I wouldn't at all be surprised if man turns out to be the real monster before all is said and done."

Cassidy

Cassidy was shaking off the effects of using her sight, when she caught the tail-end of the conversation between O'Malley and Loch. "Now wait a bloody minute!" She growled and caught up to the duo in two long strides. "D'ya mean ta tell me ye've been gettin' all dis information from somewhere an'ave been just keepin' it t'yerself!" She'd forced the animatronic to stop, by placing her left hand, holding the crowbar un such a way that the iron implement lay parallel across O'Malley's metal chest. "If ya can't do a thing 'bout yer cheerful settings, how's about ye adjust yer transparency ones. Cuz all that stuff ye just blurted out like it was the weather forecast fer tomorrow, could save lives! An' not of the ones we're aimin' to. But ours as well!" The former Olympian spoke in low menacing tone of voice. Though, not particularly aimed at the animatronic so much, as the ridiculousness of the situation.

"Right..." Cassidy stepped back from O'Malley and sighed tiredly. Her gaze drifted to Loch with concern. The conspiracy theorist was probably the most vulnerable where their little group was concerned. "Here!" She handed Loch the crowbar with a tiny grunt. "Ye best keep this now that we've confirmation of cold iron fearing creatures, aye! An' just t'be on da safe side, why don' ya let me lead." Cassidy nodded at the gun and extended it in a ready stance, close to her chest, but aimed steadily ahead as she proceeded with caution toward the Gift Shop.

---

Loch once again suppressed the urge to say anything when O'Malley referred to them 'm'lass', instead allowing to the animatronic to relay the information he had... and it was a lot of information. Loch wasn't even sure how to started processing what they had just been told, and they didn't have much of a chance before Cassidy cut into the conversation. She pointed her crowbar at him, expressing rage that he hadn't told them all of this upfront - though given everything that happened since they'd all gotten there, Loch wondered when he would have even had a chance.

Thankfully, this didn't escalate to violence as Cassidy instead handed her crowbar to Loch instead. "Err, thanks..?" Loch said awkwardly, taking it from her. She then insisted on leading the way into the Gift Shop. Once she had turned her back on the two of them, Loch glanced at O'Malley as if to say 'What's up with her?' In some ways, it was nice that she concerned about them... but Loch wished she could be a little less aggressive about it.

"Now wait a bloody minute!" Cassidy growled as she caught up to Loch and O'Malley. "D'ya mean ta tell me ye've been gettin' all dis information from somewhere an'ave been just keepin' it t'yerself!"

"Perish the thought, Cass m'lass." O'Malley replied before Cassidy could continue any further, raising his hands placatingly when the woman began holding him at crowbar point. "I weren't keepin' nothin' to meself. It's just that the process of gathering information takes time, is all. And we haven't been here all that long. I'd only just finished compiling my first round of findings when Loch asked her question."

"Right..." Cassidy stepped back from O'Malley and sighed tiredly. O'Malley watched then as Cassidy's gaze drifted to Loch with concern. The animatronic's sensors indicated that Cassidy's concern stemmed from her deeming Loch to be the most vulnerable where their little group was concerned. "Here!" O'Malley watched as Cassidy handed Loch the crowbar with a tiny grunt and received an awkward thanks from Loch. "Ye best keep this now that we've confirmation of cold iron fearing creatures, aye!"

"Aye." O'Malley agreed with the assessment.

"An' just t'be on da safe side, why don' ya let me lead." Cassidy nodded at the gun and extended it in a ready stance, close to her chest, but aimed steadily ahead as she proceeded with caution toward the Gift Shop.

Once she had turned her back on the two of them, O'Malley noticed Loch glance at him as if to say 'What's up with her?'

"Oh that's just Cass bein' Cass." O'Malley said reassuringly. "She's always cross with the folks she cares about. I know not to take it personally." With that said, O'Malley went after Cassidy.

"Maybe I should take point." O'Malley suggested as he moved to walk beside the armed woman. "While my durability enhancement and self-repair systems have yet to fully reactivate, I do still make for some good cover. Plus, as a machine, I can be rebuilt if I get taken apart, makin' me the most expendable of our number. And what's more, if we run into someone or something that can be reasoned with, the chances of a peaceful resolution go up if the first face they see is friendly and seems to be unarmed."

---

Noise that is all that echoes. From Televisions from people, from that…

It is all familiar, a sound this place should know well. It is the banter of people and the artificial cheeriness of robotic voices. But maybe…William looks over at thePlatypus. Perhaps not as artificial as he once thought, even with their history. But this is a place far removed from any of that now, today it is little more than a tomb.

More things of the past try to surface with that thought, only to be shoved back to where they belong. Now is the time for action, to vent a helpless anger, not to fall back into that pit of depression.

"Maybe I should take point.

So he acts, letting that flame spark higher for a moment.

HIs axe, sharp and heavy, finds the television screen. Sparks and shards of plastic wires go everywhere, even more when its torn back out to point at that friend animatronic

“I think, you should get to talking more about this information you have. In fact, I think you all are suspicious for being here at the same time as I am.” The axe once more is swung, but in a general gesturing motion then anything threatening. Who are you to be so friendly with that robot, who are you to come here, why should I not treat you as the strangers you are and go through you to torch this place down?”

Loch jumped in alarm when the strange older man brought his axe down one of the televisions, before proceeding to point it at O'Malley. He questioned why they and Cassidy were acting so friendly with the animatronic.

"I mean, he's not the one waving an axe around and threatening arson," Loch said. The words tumbled out of their mouth before they had a chance to think - very likely due to nerves - and it was only after they had spoken that Loch realised that maybe, just maybe, mouthing off to a stranger with a weapon was a terrible idea. They quickly ducked behind O'Malley.

"Saints alive!" O'Malley exclaimed when the third human to have joined the expedition buried his axe into the TV screen, the animatronic's programming compelling him to step between the aggressive axe man and the other humans present. As he listened to the guy speak, a combination of facial features and vocal patterns pinged an old match from the animatronic's approved maintenance worker database. This was William Aubergine. O'Malley had met him during the big crossover event between Wilderness Wonderland and the bowling alley back in 2012. The two of them adventured together through the backrooms of the Park at one point, which culminated in O'Malley saving William's life from what was going to be a horrendously tragic accident.

Of all the humans O'Malley had met thus far, William was the one who had changed the most. That wasn't surprising though. The last he had seen of Joseph, Zachary, Loch, and Cassidy; it had been in early 2020 during the last few months before the bowling alley had closed during the Covid lock downs. William though? O'Malley hadn't seen him since the final day of the big crossover event. So needless to say, the animatronic had a much older point of reference for William than for anyone else he had seen since being brought back online after all these years. What was surprising was how much anger William had seemed to have picked up since then. O'Malley had detected nowhere near the levels of rage he was reading off of William now. Just what had happened since they had last met to make the guy so passively furious.

"I mean, he's not the one waving an axe around and threatening arson," Loch answered William's question about why they were being so friendly with the animatronic.

"Ok everyone, let's take a breath now and calm down before things escalate any further." O'Malley said to everyone, before addressing just William. "I'd rather you hold off on burnin' this place down for the time bein'. There is at least one innocent person somewhere within these walls, and it would make a cute little nine year old and his father very happy if I got her back to them safe and sound. As for matters of information, there's going to be plenty more of that to discover in the gift shop. And once I can find another TV screen that isn't damaged, I can play the camera footage I've dug up so that you can all see what I have seen."

---

There is a pause, long enough to see nervous shuffling and twitchy hands.

This is supposed to be an easy choice, just put it aside and save this kid they are talking about. Vengeance can wait, its supposed to wait. Yet it feels so very hard to simply agree with them.
William had doubts they would lie, that urgency with an electronic voice would not be deceit and that woman was snarky enough to be straightforward.

It takes far too much effort to lower his weapon, to let its head scrape across the concrete with a scratch.

”Fine, I will give you your chance to look for this child.”

”Fine, I will give you your chance to look for this child.”

"Ah. My mistake. I shoulda been more specific." O'Malley said in response to this. "The one I'm lookin' for ain't a child. She's a woman fully grown. The mother of the nine year old and the wife of the father. Her name is Ellora Williams and I'll be able to show you what she looks like when I can find a TV." O'Malley smiled then. "Either way, I appreciate your patience in holding off on burnin' this place down, Will m'lad. I understand that humans can find that prospect to be a tempting one in regards to one's place of employment. Dependin' on the circumstances, you shouldn't need to wait long... Now then, let's go see what this gift shop has to offer." With that said, the animatronic started off towards the gift shop once again.

Cassidy

Cassidy opened her mouth to answer O'Malley's ridiculous suggestion he's somehow more expendable than the others, since he's mechanic and not flesh and blood. But the mystery man with the ax suddenly exploded in a flurry of motion, smashing the TV screen and proceeding to accusing all three of them of being suspicious.

It took each and every ounce of Cassidy's composure in order to stop herself from disabling the unstable individual with a few swift, practiced moves. The hand that gripped the sidearm went white with the effort. Meanwhile, thankfully O'Malley jumped in, aiming to pacify the situation and the unstable individual. While Cassidy had taken a protective step toward Loch, trying to place herself between the conspiracy theorist and the ax man.

Cassidy could see the turmoil on the face of the newcomer. Until, slowly, the tension decreased and he lowered his ax and acquiesced to O' Malley's peacemaking. Once the animatronic resumed his trek to the Gift Shop, Cassidy sidled up to him.

"I'm not gonna waste time explainin' t'ya how wrong ye are in sayin' yer more expandable than any o'da rest of us. And 'sides, if I should fall I'll feel better knowin' ye'll still be dere ta finish da job! Jus' as long as ya keep in mind dere's not just yer friend who's in need o'helpin' and we need ta unravel whoever or whatever's messin' with children's lives. Violence might be required, O'Malley, and I need ta now yer ready t'dish it out. Meanwhile, I'm taking point, and yer looking out fer Loch. They're... squishy." Cassidy finished. Her face pale with worry.

---

O'Malley paused as Cassidy sidled up to him and continued to insist that she go first. The animatronic's brow furrowed in conflict. Relays began clicking within his chest. The lights in his eyes started to flicker. Status LEDs beneath his costume turned from steady green to flashing yellow. For a time, O'Malley's programming struggled with the conundrum that lay before it. On the one hand, letting Cassidy lead the way had a chance of putting her at unnecessary risk. On the other hand though, Cassidy did bring up a good point about Loch being the most vulnerable of the group. After a moment, the clicks, flickers, and flashes eventually ceased as the animatronic returned to normal with the sound of a resigned sigh issuing forth from his speakers. "Alright, I'll give you this one." O'Malley said with no small amount of reluctance as he let Cassidy lead on. "I will say this though: While I understand that sometimes the only solution is to fight, there are other times when violence needn't be - or simply isn't - the answer. And while I don't like the idea of gettin' meself scrapped any more than you do, the repairman has an easier job than the doctor and it's a simpler task to rebuild a machine than it is to raise a person from the dead."

The moment after William brings his axe down on a television screen and breaks it, Jack's voice can be heard over the loudspeaker echoing around them...

"Please do not destroy Wonderland property. This is your first offense, so a warning has been issued and the replacement fee will be added onto your admissions fee. The third infraction will have you kicked out of the park,"

The loudspeakers fall silent to let the group talk amongst themselves before they enter the Gift Shop. Upon entering, the group sees merchandise still resting on the shelves and hangers. Stuffed animals, mugs, shirts, pens, and all sorts of goods are in this store! Whatever happened in this park, it's clear that looting did not take place.

There is a separate shelf off to the side holding small books for autographs. Above them is a poster that reads "Can you find us? Get all twelve of our autographs and you get a prize!"

Underneath that header are pictures of twelve cutesy mascots and their names. The primary mascot is Jack the Jackalope, but there are eleven more mascots to deal with in this place...



At the front counter, another TV screen lights up again and Jack speaks to the group, while a series of machines whirl quietly, "Here you go! Here's your Passport to our Wonderland! You can use this as a key to explore more of the park, and if you keep it next to your heart, it can serve as a life-saving tool in case of emergencies! UseragreementandwaiverisincludedinyourAdmissionscontract,"

The TV Screen shuts off again, and all that's left is a microchipped booklet labeled "Wilderness Wonderland". It certainly looks like a passport in its own right!

As O'Malley entered the Gift Shop, the animatronic felt his hard drive warm with nostalgia as he beheld the contents that lay within. In here, it felt like only yesterday that he'd been here for the big crossover event. O'Malley's memory banks still held the times he had spent in Wilderness Wonderland with great fondness. Helping the children play Hide and Seek with Chase. Giving guest lectures on composing music and cooking pizza at Owlicious Academy. Watching Admiral Lapworth and his crew perform with Nicholas. Sending and receiving Christmas cards from Rhonda in the years that followed thereafter. All those memories and more came rushing back as O'Malley beheld the depictions of all the mascots. The animatronic took a book and a pen as he listened to Jack explain the purpose of the Wonderland Passport. Once Jack was done talking, O'Malley walked up to the counter, deployed a coin dispenser from his wrist, dispensed enough coins to cover the cost of the book and pen, and then turned to regard the Passport.

"If we're only gettin' one o' these, I reckon one o' you should carry it." O'Malley said to the others. "I don't have a heart, so I can't say for certain if that feature of the Passport will work on me. But we can say for sure that it'll work on one of you, what with you havin' hearts an' all... And another thing I can say for certain now that I have an in tact TV is that I can set meself to my broadcasting mode so I can show you what I've discovered so far. This should only take a moment." With that said, O'Malley began staring intently at the Gift Shop TV screen. A red light began blinking rapidly in one of the animatronic's eyes and a strange rune etched into his endoskeleton that looked oddly like a WIFI symbol began to glow softly. "Hmm... I have a signal, but its a faint one." O'Malley said. "The TV might still work, but five years without maintenance ain't doin' it any favors. I'll show you what I can, but expect the odd technical difficulty here and there. If worst comes to pass, I'll fill in the gaps with verbal explanation as needed." A moment later, the TV switched back on again. This time though, instead of Jackalope Jack, the screen displayed reruns of all the footage O'Malley had found while looking through the cameras so far.

The first segment shows the camera feed over the main gate, showing O'Malley standing there and Loch waving to him from behind.

The second segment then shifts through a significant number of cameras watching the park, revealing all of the eight areas of the park people can enjoy. There are also various clues throughout this segment that hint at the presence of a ninth area, but it seems to be restricted right now. Looking around, the park seems very dilapidated not just with the rubble lying around, but also signs of damage. And a couple of gashes seem to resemble... giant claw marks?

The third segment is drawn back to the main gate to see that the security camera watching them now had O'Malley and the rest of the investigators in the center of its attention.

"So if any of you notice those gash marks scattered about the park in this footage, you ain't alone. Especially if you think they look like giant claw marks." O'Malley commented as the camera footage rolled. "I manage to spot a fair amount o' them meself. Enough to notice that there are two distinct sets o' claw marks on display here. One set were made by four claws, and the other were made by three. Meanin' that at least two fellas with claws wanderin' about the place. So keep on your toes for that."

The fourth segment looks back on previous times the camera was on. The cameras were shut off when the park shut down. They came back on a week ago, along with some of the lights and machinery. A woman with perfect hair and designer clothes had come to this place one week ago. She appears on the camera feed all throughout park, trying to find something. She can even be seen running with something blurry chasing after her.

The fifth segment shows the woman at an area called "Owlicious's Academy". She can be seen looking around, stepping up to a door labeled 'Wilders (and Owlicious's Faculty) Only!' She lifts her phone up to the scanner, and she can be heard muttering, "Please work...Please work..." before looking up and muttering, "Hurry...!" Soon a ding sounds and the door opens. She quickly ducks behind it, and closes the door.

"That woman was Ellora Williams, the reason why I'm here." O'Malley said, a slightly worried tone creeping into his otherwise cheerful voice as he spoke. "Her going into Owlicious's Academy was the last thing any of the cameras I can access saw of her. Needless to say, I'd very much like it if the Academy was our first stop."

The sixth segment displays what had been the Live Feed at the time O'Malley had first viewed it. After switching through the cameras and searching through the different areas, the segment settles on a camera that finally displays a sign of life. It shows another person, someone in a lab coat, moving through the walkways between the different areas of the theme park. The person in the lab coat, a young, bespectacled man looks around warily and shakily as his flashlight trembles in his hand. He mutters himself trembling, "So far, so good. I just need to get out of here, and everything will be fine. I was never part of this damned organization, and I can just...change my name and live a new life. Yeah...Yeah..." He seems to be alone, then the segment dissolves into a mess of buffering and glitches.

"And just as I was beginnin' to think the bad connection would be as bad as I had anticipated." O'Malley laughed with a shake of his head. "Fortunately there wasn't much o' the video left to miss, but there were some important details. That scientist guy? He got snatched up by some sorta pink adhesive whip. This happened near the entrance to Fantasy Forests and whoever it was that snatched the scientist guy was likely responsible for the three lined claw marks we previously saw about the place. From what I can tell, the snatcher was headed away from Fantasy Forests, so we should expect to meet this fella while traversing the wider park. And finally, the scientist dropped a badge when he was snatched. It landed on the ground, but it was pulled into the shadows shortly after by a hand didn't seem fully human to me."

The seventh segment shows something in Fantasy Forests. Ellora was there at some point in the past. She was running from something, and when she seemed to be cornered, she lifted a tire iron towards her pursuer. The video dissolves into buffering and glitches again, but it clears up just enough to show Ellora to fleeing from the area at the end.

"The glitches covered up that it was a bunch o' unicorns what was chasin' her just now." O'Malley explained. "There was one big one, and a pack o' smaller ones around it. And they ran off after Ellora brandished her tire iron at them."

Finally, the eighth segment is nothing but buffering and glitches in its entirety from beginning to end.

"This last one... This last one was a bit more distressin' to watch. And my programming didn't like that I saw it, so don't be surprised if I don't remember it later." O'Malley admitted, a lot of his usual chipper demeanor gone from his voice. "I don't know when or where it happened. The time and location data had been deleted and the place looked nothing like the rest of the park. It was hard to make out much, but I could see a pixie in an iron birdcage and a sickly looking child in a larger cage next to the pixie. A pair o' folks in lab coats then appeared and said it was time for something. The pixie didn't seem to like that. The footage cut out before I could see what that something was though."

---

Even with preparation, William found it hard to witness things that stood out without explanation. He knew of the Animitronics, knew of their twisted natures, even saw it closely with O’Malley, but it is not something one reconciles with easily. That something fundamental with the logic he knew was wrong, further exasperated by the use of some skill that both powered a television that was clearly unplugged and streamed a video to that same screen.

It all makes him itch, physically and with a need to do something.

So he does, stepping up to that window and passport. ”I remember the prototype of this thing going around years ago.” He does not quite touch it yet, merely stepping to the side to look it over. ”Wonder if they ever fixed that battery problem…” He moves on, towards that looming archway towards the rest of the park.

”Well, I had my route planned but seeing as we are working together now that it is moot. The Duck is here to save that person who might be in the Academy, what are you two here for? What are you planning? I would rather finish this up quickly, and knowing a route would expedite a lot of issues.”

Loch followed the rest of the group into the Gift Shop. O'Malley paid for a pass, only to suggest someone else take it. Loch automatically held their hand out for it - not so much because they especially wanted it, but because it would likely be needed and they wanted to feel at least a little more useful. Between the axe-carrying lunatic, the psychic woman and the gangster-turned-animatronic, they were starting to feel a little out of their depth.

However, before O'Malley handed to them, they glanced at Cassidy. "Err, I'll look after it, if that's okay with you," they said. "You know, considering I'm 'squishy' and all." They tried their best not to sound offended at that last bit, as they sensed Cassidy didn't mean it in a cruel way... but it had stung a little, and that probably came out in their tone.

They listened to O'Malley's explanation about what was going on, which was... a lot In fact, they were still unpacking that information when the guy with the axe asked what they and Cassidy were doing here, which Loch a moment as, what with all that had transpired since getting here, their original purpose had escaped their mind. "Errrrrr," Loch stammered, their eyes darting to O'Malley for a second before looking back at the man. "Following a... hunch, I guess." What with everything that O'Malley had just showed them, 'people having their minds uploaded into animatronics' suddenly seemed very unimportant and irrelevant, and they didn't want to muddy the waters too much.

Not to mention, they also weren't sure if O'Malley was aware of who his personality was based on, and if he had no clue, Loch certainly wasn't going to reveal this in front of other people in the middle of an already stressful situation. That seemed like a rather personal matter, one that needed to be handed privately and with tact... which Loch highly doubted Mr Here's Johnny with the axe over there was good with.