An underground tunnel lays before you. You rub your eyes, trying to adjust to the darkness; in the little shape you can make out, you see holes in the shapes of heads, and arms, and limbs,  spreading into any and all directions. You have to watch your step, as you go across. You try to enter one of the holes, and a bone-deep wrongness runs through the back of your spine. You can’t, or won’t, fit through any of them. 

In the center of the tunnel’s corridor, a rusted copper robot lays inside an old bathtub. Its limbs twitch ever slightly, like recent roadkill. You are almost sure it’s dead until you get close enough to inhale the mold nearby; its- or his?- head shoots up to look at you, stare unreadable behind the worn visor.

A truth becomes known to you: it was aware of when you came in, and it’ll know when you leave. Maybe even after that.

You catch a glimpse of their eyes: they’re golden, shot open. “You. You. Wander… wanderer. You’re… one of them.” It delivers the accusation with an unexpected calmness to its cadence. “But it’s not looking for you… and you don’t feel like… the others. Where—“

The visor darkens as you lose the little eye contact you held. The twitching intensifies. “It’s cold. It’s so cold. Where’s dad? Where’s everybody?” They spit out all at once, like it hurts to keep it in.

You stand stock still, staring for an unknowable amount of time.

You KNOW this. You've seen this. Somewhere? Somehow? Not in these corridors. Not in this maze but... Before?

Before this maze?

Does that even make sense? COULD there be a before?

A bathtub and a robot and wrongness and tunnels. 

"Who.  Who are you?" You finally stammer out.

They stare back at you. "I'm... I'm..."

Their head lowers. "I'm what JR is not. Who are you?" 

Makes perfect sense. 
If JR is the Minotaur of this particular branch of Zampanio, then this is NotAMinotaur. 

"Then you're like me. But not like me." 

You peer at their rusted out body and rusted bathtub. 

"I don't think you wander, though."

You pointedly don't even attempt to answer their question as to who you are.  You've learned better.  It's not your family that lines the walls, after all. 

They don't even seem to mind you don't try to.

"Not like you. Can't wander." They try to raise a leg, to prove the point. It hovers over the metal tub for just a second, then it lands with a weak thunk. A shard of their foot breaks off. 

A hand mutters just enough strength to point a finger towards you. "Not like them. Can wander." 

They look off... somewhere. You can't tell where. You should. You can't.

"Not like JR."

You start.

"JR doesn't wander. They've only ever been in that one room."

Are you missing something. Some clue? Some hint? Some layer that would reveal deeper truths?

You aren't sure, but you can feel a look of... unamusement? You don't know from where. It's not from their glare. It's not from that grin. "You can't see it. You can't see it all. You'll never be able to see it all. It's all been done already."

Their visor darkens again, and the words come out in a flood. They have a fuzz to it.

 "I'm sorry. I didn't know. I didn't... didn't mean to! Mean to ruin everything. Please take me back. I'm sorry. I won't do it again. I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

Oh god how do you social again? This has to be something you knew how to do...

You awkward pat at the rusting robot. 

"There there?"

You pull your hand away as a static jolt zaps your hand. They continue to jitter.


This is fine.

"Good. Uh. Good Zap there. Buddy?"

They jitter still. An exhale leaves them, making their shoulder slump. Is this… helping? Somehow? Or are they just dying in front of you?

"Good. Good Zap...."

You are doing it. You are being socially aware.

Maybe you should leave?