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Update 20: The Prototype
Inner Mines
Looks like this is as far as the tracks go...
So... where are we?
[One of the old observation rooms.]
[Looks like it's still mostly intact.]
[What...?]
Huh?
[The terminal just reactivated!]
[But the power was cut off so long ago...]
Weird!
Maybe... it runs on battery?
[No... that's not it.]
[Whatever it is, I need to investigate.]
Okay...
[Will you be okay by yourself for a bit?]
Don't worry! The Goons are with me!
[Alright. Stay safe.]
We're out of the mine cart and now have access to all cardinal directions again. Let's take advantage of this new found power by exploring this... not creepy at all computer area.
It's not a very big area... and all the computers here are busted so there's nothing else we can do. It does look like there's a battery but let's talk to Silver before we check that out.
[Not ideal.]
[Looks like these terminals are running on a completely separate power source. I can't really recognize any of the data formats on this terminal, either. This is all... new...]
[...or at least, encrypted.]
[I will need to analyze it through my own system. Might take some time, so you don't need to stay.]
We've got permission from Silver to continue exploring this small area. Hmm, it does seem like there's a door in the upper right corner - just behind that battery. Let's investigate the battery first then check out the room.
I wonder what it does?
I can feel my hair standing up a little...
The other batteries we've seen has had words scribbled on the side for who it's for... I wonder why that's not the case for this one? Also, I guess Niko doesn't remember these are batteries, but luckily we do. Unless you've forgotten... it has been a while since the base game updates...
Uh... maybe... we should go get Silver first, Niko?
SILENCE
Vestige
[I... recognize the light in your eyes... You are the person I am destined to meet.]
[...What is your name?]
I'm Niko...
[Do you know who sent you?]
Oh... um... n......o....?
Wait, do you mean who sent me to this world?
There was a robot a while back who told me about how I'm the messiah and stuff... So I'm guessing the Goons sent me!
With them being gods and all...
[...]
Maybe you... know each other?
[I cannot say.]
Oh?
[A lot of my memories have been removed for safety reasons.]
Your memories were removed?!
That's terrible!!
I don't know, if I could selectively remove memories that would be pretty cool. Middle school? Didn't happen!
Wait...
I'm... guessing that's less of a big deal for a robot...
[...]
[I am going to assume you do not know who sent you.]
[How did you get here, then?]
[How did you reach this room?]
Oh! We got here in a minecart!
[But the minecart wasn't there when you entered the mines, was it?]
Oh yeah...
[So... how did you find it?]
Jeez dude, you can lay off Niko a bit with this third degree questioning. They don't even remember saving the world!
I didn't really find it...
The robot lady thinks it was just the minecart coming to us, but...
I remember looking at the journal when it happened.
And when I looked up again, the cart was just... there!
Poof. Just like that.
Okay...
[...]
[... Then it has already begun.]
Uh, excuse me?
Um...
[Here.]
What... IS that?
[I am entrusting you with my main memory disk.]
[You have passed the first test by showing me the book. Now, you will need to find a way to install the backup.]
Install the...
[Before you do that, though...]
[... Someone else is with you, right?]
[Someone aside from the Goons. A resident of this world.]
Yeah!
The robot lady with the red hair. She's in the computer room right now.
[Then... please do not tell her you found me.]
[At least, not yet. I can't be seen like this.]
Um... okay...
[Please help me restore my memory. Bring the disk back once you have the backup.]
O...kay. A bit of a strange encounter with uh... we still don't know this bot's name yet! Granted, since we need to fix their memory, I guess they don't know their name either. To fix the bot's memory, we will need to head to that terminal in the corner.
Yup, that's a computer.
And that's a floppy disk. Let's pop it in and see what this bad boy can do.
Alright...
What?
[DORMITORY ASSIGNMENTS ARE NOT UP TO DATE. PLEASE CONFIGURE THE RESIDENTIAL TRACKING MACHINE TO CONTINUE.]
Okay then.
What kind of security access is this? This is like some kid refusing to show you their new pokemon until you do their homework for them.
Argh, anyway... those glowing blue squares we've been ignoring is the "Residential Tracking Machine", there's also a note next to it that explains what's going on here.
quote:
cross: Medical Units are assigned to this building.
Robot: A robot is assigned to this building.
Electricity: A power cell is assigned to this building.
So now we'll need to change those squares to fit the description above, if applicable. Hmm? How do we figure out what buildings we are going to be using? Well, waaaaay back in Update 5, we found a residential area filled with a bunch of bots... that would in fact be the buildings we need to line up with this security system. Thankfully, I was prepared for this eventuality and took careful screenshots at the time. Feel free to solve this on your own just using Update 5, but here's the results.
The trickiest one is 110 - which has a decaying robot in there. Now that we have done someone's job for them unlocked the security system, we are able to put the backup disk into the computer.
[26% COMPLETE... 34% COMPLETE... 40% COMPLETE... 100% COMPLETE.]
Thankfully, this computer runs on windows 98 and jumps to 100% complete quickly after acting like it would keep us here awhile.
I guess we should give this back to the bot and learn whats on here (like their name for one) but... we should go check in on Silver. It's been a bit since we left her alone.
[This observation room... isn't for the mines... I've actually never been into this particular one.]
Really?
You recognized it at first, though...
[They all look the same.]
Fair enough.
[I did find something interesting, though.]
[All the databases seem to encode video feeds.]
[Right now, I can see various places in the Barrens. The outpost... the residential areas...]
[Even my own house.]
[They're all shot from a top-down perspective, too.]
A uh, top-down perspective? Like say... the way we are viewing the game right now?
[...which means the cameras would have to be in the air.]
[But... I have never seen any cameras around.]
That's kind of spooky!
[I might go investigate later, yeah.]
This is getting a bit strange. We really need to go back to that bot and get some answers about what's going on here. Their memory banks better hold some good stuff!
[You were in there for a while.]
Yeah! We...
...found...
...a...a dead end?
[I see.]
Real smooth Niko, she doesn't suspect a thing. That's all for Silver, we can explore this room but there's nothing left to discover. As well, we can use the minecart at any time to leave - and that includes before solving the puzzle earlier. You can then head to the residential area and search the area by hand to figure out which button is what. That's what I did my first run which... sucks. Just look it up and save like 20 minutes. Solstice update starting with an 0-1 on puzzles! I hope it gets better!
...Anyway, let's head back to the bot and give its memory back.
[Let's see...]
[Inserting Disk...]
[Rebooting...]
That looks like someone who just got their memory back! Also, that memory contained dark secrets that most living creatures should not be aware of! Buckle up, grab a drink and some food because we are gonna be here for a WHILE.
[Ah.]
Are you okay?
[...Sure.]
So... I guess it worked?
[Yes.]
[I believe a proper introduction is in order.]
[I was built to greet the savior of the old world.]
...wait.
A prophet robot... like that one I met?
Hey! I was right about you guys looking alike.
[Well, the Prophetbot out there now is a gross simplification of my design.]
Prototype, also known as Proto, is our first major new character of Solstice. And boy is he one of the best characters in the game.
Hey, he seemed alright to me...
[You don't understand.]
[Not only is he not tamed...]
[He was tailor-made for this much smaller, simpler world to begin with. I was not.]
SILENCE
[I was built before the real world ended.]
The..... real world?
[...Oh, right.]
[You don't know...]
Sonder
[Niko... Do you... remember the ending?]
...excuse me?
[The fact that you've found me at all... means this is not your first time in this world.]
...
[You have already been summoned to this world once before.]
[In fact, you've already traversed the entire world and went through the Tower already.]
[And, in the ending... you either put in the sun... or didn't.]
[What matters is that you are here now.]
...
[The Goons have successfully bypassed the "one shot" restriction and brought you back again.]
I......
oh...
[...Hm?]
...I...THOUGHT something was weird... when I woke up at the house, I called out a name...
It turned out to be the Goons...
And then I... back at the other robot...
I even asked the Goons if we met before. Felt like such a dumb question at the time!
[...to some extent.]
It's... just this weird feeling, okay?
I don't... actually remember going through the world...
I just remember the Goons...
It's... really starting to freak me out.
[Calm down.]
[Look, just like how my memories were locked away, yours are too.]
...but.
[You're a living being. You don't even need extra hardware to remember.]
[Just... close your eyes and focus.]
...focus on what?
[... try to picture a big room made entirely of glass.]
[No matter what you saw in the Tower, the top room never changes.]
Alright.
...
...no way... I was... THERE, wasn't I?
At... the Tower...
I've been through... the Tower...
[There we go.]
Niko is having a breakdown about the fact that they just had memories of a past life literally come back to them and Proto is just "oh, glad you're caught up, less work for me."
I... can't remember all that much, but...
The room with the sun...
It feels like... such a long time ago.
According to my time stamps that was back in December so yeah, 3 months ago is quite a bit of time.
...it doesn't make sense!!!
If I already finished the mission... Why didn't anything change?
And... why doesn't anyone know me?
The other Prophetbot... the robot lady... None of them remember who I am...
[Of course not. The residents do not have that capacity.]
[NPC memories do not last beyond the scope of a session.]
A game bringing up NPC's means you likely know where this twist is going. Which is a shame, because it's a decent enough twist that's impact is only lessened because I feel like it's been done to death by now. But back in 2016/2017 this was still a bit fresh.
N...PC?
[You know, the characters... the world's residents.]
[All their "past" memories are built into their code, but... The characters themselves don't... really exist until the Goons will it. Same story for the world itself.]
[Doesn't really exist unless the Goons initiate the program.]
...
[The World Machine. A universe simulator that runs on a Goon's computer.]
[We are all in it right now.]
.......
[Oh, you are.]
[...Which is why you're so important.]
[The biggest flaw of the program is that it cannot be run independently.]
[It requires the mental processing abilities of a real person from another universe.]
[Think of it like... one of your dreams.]
[When you wake up, it's gone.]
[But unlike a dream, this world has a physical location inside a computer, which a Goon operates.]
[For this world to continue existing around you, the Goons have to be in constant contact with you.]
[If the Goons end the program, the world will go into a stasis.]
Do... do the Goons know this?
[Of course.]
[From the Goon's perspective, The World Machine isn't all that special.]
[They can also regenerate the world as many times as they'd like, now that the restriction is nullified.]
[...All of that is consistent with their concept of what a computer game looks like.]
...
I feel uh, like we're on the spot here... just a little bit.
So why am I even here!!!
What am I even supposed to save if everything is just...
[... "Fake" is a harsh word, but...]
And... why did the Goons... never tell me anything about.... any of this...
[...I cannot speak for them.]
Well, look our dialogue options are limited! It's not like we're sitting here laughing at you doing dumb things like riding on a roomba or talking like a robot or... I'm not helping my case right now, am I?
I... just want to go home...
But... every time a Goon runs the program, I come back???
[...Correct.]
Is this why... I feel like... Is this why it feels like I haven't been home for so long?
....Feeling kind of bad about that extended break I took.
[Maybe.]
[Once you've established a mental link with the world, you cannot break it unless the world is saved.]
[But at this point, the world can never be truly saved.]
That's...
...
[Wait, what?]
Why would you make a world that's doomed from the beginning?
...why do you keep bringing me back to it?
Goons... aren't you all supposed to be a kind god?
[...oh.]
[It appears that we have some confusion here.]
[The Goons did not build the world, Niko.]
Oh...
[A goon only owns a machine that is able to generate the world from preexisting code.]
[They actually have fairly limited control of the events.]
[The world was built by someone else altogether.]
[Someone you cannot begin to fathom.]
[It was also not designed to be the futile quest that it is now, but...]
[There's... a type of signal disruption that he never expected.]
[It's eating away at the world, slowly rendering it into an unrecognizable mess.]
[Even if you bring back the sun, it will not go away.]
The square stuff, isn't it?
I remember those from before...
[Then you know what to watch out for.]
[The creator knows what might be causing it, but there is nothing that he could do...]
[You managed to find me, after all.]
...?
[You being here was due to his help.]
Oh... I guess it has something to do with the journal?
[Correct.]
[Looks like he wants to have one final attempt at fixing it.]
[...and he might need to do it through you.]
[Niko, do you remember how to get to the Glen?]
[Whatever you did in your last session, you should stick with it for now.]
I...
I remember a boat...
More specifically, fixing a robot that drives the boat.]
[Alright, then go do that.]
...
Sigh...
[...That was sarcasm.]
I LOVE proto. 
Knowing everything isn't real... really does make it feel pointless...
[But you DO want to go home, right?]
Yeah, but...
How will I know that this isn't just another...
...?
[The creator is mobilizing things, throwing everything into this one last shot.]
[There might not be enough internal resources left for the Goons to be able to generate another session after this.]
...
[Just go fix the rowbot for now.]
[But please, be careful.]
What about you?
[I will meet you at the docks later.]
[...Need to take care of something first.]
And with that, Proto releases us from their death grip of plot dump to head back into the world and... continue on like we didn't just get told that nothing matters and nothing is real. Hard to believe that Proto did not last long as a therapist. Regardless, we must continue on with our journey... though what our destination is now... who knows.