Chapter 7: A Timely Reunion

The trio rose early the next morning, as they had a very long trip to take. Clank had set an internal alarm and proceeded to wake up his sleepy organic companions. Ratchet took a moment to stretch and yawn, but Orvus got out of his hammock immediately, though that was due to him falling out of it. 

After a hearty leftover beef stew breakfast, the three did their preparations, mostly including the showers that needed to be taken. When everything was ready, they loaded up into Aphelion who was patiently waiting on the landing platform outside. There was a slight problem as the ship only had to seats. Orvus made a quick fix though, as he took Clank’s seat and merely let the robot sit in his lap, with his arms acting as a seatbelt. Before they left, Clank sent Sigmund a message saying that they were coming for a visit and that they had a surprise for him.

It was a long but nice journey. It had been ages since Orvus had seen the wonders of the cosmos. Some of the planets they passed by he gave either a fun fact about or a story he had about it. Clank found every bit of it fascinating. Ratchet found it to be a bit boring and nerdy, but he was enjoying the fact that Orvus was enjoying himself. The joy didn’t last the whole trip though, as Orvus could feel his emotions getting to him as they came closer to the Clock. Even after all the support, the thought of seeing Sigmund again while he was liked this was freaking him out a bit. 

A few minutes after Orvus’ internal mood shift, Ratchet checked the ship’s map and took note of their current coordinates. He glanced at Orvus. “We’ll be arriving at the Clock in a few minutes. How do you feel?”

“Fine,” Orvus said flatly, tightening his grip on Clank upon hearing that they were mere minutes away from their destination.  

Clank noticed his father’s tense grip and patted him on the arm, “It is alright to be a little nervous, father.”

“I am not a little nervous.” The Zoni looked out the window only to be met with a reflection of himself. He frowned as he looked at his organic face. “I am very nervous.”

“I know you’re worried about seeing Sigmund after all these years, but you just need to relax a little. Just be yourself and I’m sure everything will be fine.”

“Ratchet is right. You have known him longer than either of us. So you should know that your appearance will not matter and he will simply be happy to see you.”

“I do know that...I hope.”

The next few minutes were spent in silence. When they finally reached the Clock, Orvus took a moment to look at his old creation and lifelong commitment. Even after living in it for thousands of years, its beauty still amazed him. It never failed to, really. His large turquoise eyes shined with wonder for one moment, but he immediately looked away the next when he saw a familiar red robot waiting for them at the landing pad. 

Sigmund was waving at them with one hand while holding the Chronoscepter in the other, wondering just what kind of surprise Ratchet & Clank had for him. He hoped that it was a good one. The robot took a few floating paces back as the ship landed. 

“Alright, big moment,” Ratchet muttered to the others, opening the cockpit and hopping out.

“You will do just fine,” Clank said, giving Orvus’ arm one more supportive pat before getting out of the ship himself. He dropped down from the wing and eagerly greeted his old friend. “Hello, Sigmund.” 

“Hey, sir! I got your message. I don’t really get visitors, much less surprises, so I’m curious about what you have for me. Oh, hi, Ratchet,” Sigmund said as Ratchet approached him. 

Ratchet smiled and raised a brow, “What, I don’t get a ‘sir’?” 

“Be a great and powerful Zoni, or said Zoni’s son, then we’ll talk.” 

The Lombax shrugged, “Ah, well…” 

As the three conversed, Orvus slowly got out of the ship. First, he peeked over to see what the three were doing, then he carefully climbed up his seat and onto the wing where he slowly slid down. He then stood nervously in front of the ship, not wanting to make another move. 

After some brief chit-chat, Sigmund finally inquired about what Clank had messaged him about. “So what’s this surprise that you-” 

His words stopped dead in their tracks as he caught sight of the person in the distance. Ratchet and Clank looked at each other then back at Orvus, both excited and nervous about this reunion. Sigmund wasn’t saying anything, though. Orvus had to make the first move.

“Hello, Sigmund…” Orvus said shyly. He offered a sad smile, “Forgive me for being late.”

Sigmund did not respond. Instead, he simply gave the Chronoscepter to Clank and slowly floated forward. Clank looked quizzically at Ratchet before tilting his head. “Sigmund?”

Orvus’ sad smile quickly went away as he felt his anxiety rising. “I...Sigmund, listen, I know that my foolish mistakes led to you being left alone for a long time. But some things happened that I needed to stay away for. I made a promise to always be in the Clock with you, and I broke it, but...but...” The lack of a response from Sigmund was getting to him. He shook his head, grasping his cloak tightly and nearly on the verge of tears. “Sigmund, I...look, I’m sorry-!”

The moment he was close enough, Sigmund quickly pulled Orvus into a hug, the tone of his voice indicating that he could not be happier. “Orvus, sir! You’re alive! I can’t believe it!”

The elder Zoni was surprised at this reaction. He had almost certainly expected Sigmund to be upset with him. Honestly, he didn’t know how to react. He was happy, but surprised. “Eh...y-yes...I am alive.”

“Sir, you would not believe everything that’s happened here! But I did my job as a Senior Caretaker and-oh! I’m a Senior Caretaker now, by the way! Clank promoted me! Ah, but who cares about that? You’re home!” 

Orvus wheezed a bit as Sigmund’s hug was getting a little too tight. “Sigmund, not that I am not enjoying this, but you are crushing me…” 

“Oh goodness, I am so, so sorry, sir!” The robot said, taking him out of the hug but still holding him by the torso. He raised a mechanical brow as he observed Orvus’ different clothing. “Hey, wait a minute...where’s your metal suit?” He got even more confused when he started squeezing Orvus’ sides. “And why are you so...squishy?” 

Orvus snorted as Sigmund squeezing his sides induced laughter from him, but he managed to quickly snap out of it and remove Sigmund’s hands from him, “Stop that!” 

Clank hit Ratchet on the leg as the Lombax tried to hold in his own laughter.

Sigmund kept his hands to himself backed up, looking between the trio, finding everything about the situation confusing. “You left to meet a scientist on Zanifar and now you come back five years later like this. What’s going on here?”

Clank stepped forward, “It is a long story. Father, would you like to…?”

All eyes were on Orvus now. He looked between his three friends and sighed while rubbing the back of his neck, mentally preparing himself to retell that horrific tale. “I’m going to need some tea.” 

The four ventured to the only place with actual seating: the Orientation Room. Without his connection to the hivemind, Orvus had to ask Sigmund and Clank to summon some Zoni. He didn’t even know if the Zoni here recognized him. When the Zoni did arrive with a fresh pot of tea and cups, they did look at him like he was a stranger. The looks they gave him when he did reveal who he was, along with Ratchet, Clank and Sigmund’s confirmation, weren’t exactly any better. They were just like the looks he got back in the Zoni Dimension. 

Orvus poured himself and Ratchet a cup of tea, as they were the only ones who could actually drink it. He got comfortable and let the tea calm him before he could bring himself to tell the story of his transformation again. While they had heard the story before, Ratchet and Clank listened closely, as the tale still amazed them. Sigmund reacted mostly with gasps and panicked comments, finding great horror in what his friend had been through. All this time he had thought that Orvus was dead, killed at the hands of Nefarious, but this was something he couldn’t even imagine. Still, Orvus managed to defy death via his own programming skills. The elder Zoni may have been in a different form, but Sigmund still knew that he really was brilliant. 

“I was going about my day as normal when Ratchet and Clank arrived at my hut. They convinced me to leave and...well, here we are,” Orvus said, putting his now empty cup of tea on the little plate he was holding. 

Sigmund fidgeted with his screen, holding it tightly as he thought of everything Orvus had been through for the past five years. “Gosh, that’s...that’s horrible, sir. Like, your program worked, but that’s a heavy price to pay.” 

“Indeed. If Ratchet and Clank hadn’t arrived and convinced me to come back, who knows how long I would have lived the Zoni Dimension out of shame.” 

“Father has been experiencing many conflicting feelings during this time. He was incredibly nervous about coming here and seeing you again,” Clank said to Sigmund.

“You did not have to tell him that!” The Zoni said, his antennae drooping. 

“He totally was, though,” Ratchet added. He got a fierce look from Orvus and he cleared his throat, “I-I mean, um...can I have more tea, please?” 

Orvus narrowed his eyes, “You know where the teapot is.”

Clank decided to put the story on a more positive note as Ratchet poured himself more tea, “But he did have a nice time spending the day on Veldin. Right, father?”

Orvus stopped glaring at Ratchet and put on a more gentle face, “Of course I did. After everything that happened, I needed a good day.” 

“And we wanted to give you one,” Ratchet said, sitting back with his new cup of tea. 

“I know. And I could not be more grateful for what you two have done for me,” the Zoni said, smiling fondly at Ratchet & Clank.

Sigmund noticed something about that smile. He took a moment to think about and then prepared to say something, but it was interrupted by the sound of a communicator going off. Everyone looked around before Ratchet’s ears twitched and he pulled his communicator out of his pocket. He gasped as his eyes went wide. 

“It’s Talwyn. Everyone, hush.” The three nodded and Ratchet took a deep breath before answering his communicator. “Uh, hey Tal, what’s up?”

Talwyn’s voice came from the speaker, the sound of it already putting Ratchet at ease. “Ratchet? Good, I managed to get a hold of you. Is Clank with you?”

“Clank? Yeah, he’s right here.” 

Clank smiled and waved, “Hello, Miss Apogee.”

Ratchet smiled as Orvus chuckled at that. “Clank says hi.”

“Alright, perfect. Look, I got your message about being willing to help us with the missing people’s case. We’re going to take you up on that offer.”

The Lombax’s eyes went a bit wide as he sat up straight. “Wha-really? It’s gotten that bad?”

“Yes, really. You know I wouldn’t be doing this if it wasn’t necessary. And I know that the trek from Solana to Polaris is long, but-”

“Oh no no, we’re actually near Polaris right now.”

Talwyn was rather surprised at hearing this fact. “Wait, what? I thought you were taking time off back in Solana? What are doing so close to Polaris?”

“Eh, it’s uhhh…” Ratchet looked between the three people he was sitting with, not quite sure how to briefly describe what was happening. “Family stuff.” 

“Family stuff?” 

“I’ll tell you about it later. When do you want us there?”

“Well, if you’re that close to Polaris, as soon as possible.”

The Lombax’s ears dropped. He glanced at Orvus, who wasn’t liking the look on his face. “As...soon as possible?” 

“Yes. We’re going to be holding a briefing on our latest leads and it would be best if you were there for it.” 

He paused before restraining a sigh and agreeing. “Yeah, okay...we can do that. We’ll be there.”

“Great. I’ll send you the Nebulox Eight’s coordinates. Thank you, Ratchet, really. Not just for doing this, but for, you know...checking in with me. Oh, I have something I need to go take care of. I’ll see you soon. And tell Clank I said hi back,” Talwyn said softly. 

“Yeah...see you soon…” 

Ratchet hung up on the communicator and put his hands on his lap. Clank tilted his head, “Ratchet? What was that about?”

The Lombax put his cup of tea down and got off the futon. “Talwyn says hi back. And...we need to go.”

“Go?” Clank and Orvus said in unison. 

“She says that she needs us to come to the Nebulox Eight.”

Clank couldn’t understand the urgency, as Talwyn was the most supportive of them going back to Solana to rest. “But Miss Apogee knows that we are taking time off.”

“The case with all those missing people is getting worse, apparently. They need us. And they’re having a briefing soon that Tal wants us to be at.”

“Missing people? I heard about it, but I didn’t think it was getting that bad,” Sigmund said, showing worry. 

Orvus had a look of shock on his face, his antennae drooping more. He felt a small pain in his chest, “So, you are leaving right now?”

Ratchet frowned at the Zoni’s face and shrugged, “I’m sorry, Orvus, but we have to. Duty calls.” 

Clank got down onto the floor and looked up at his father, his eyes narrowing into a sad position. He opened his arms slightly for a hug, “So...I suppose that this is goodbye for now.”

Orvus didn’t move. He just had a distraught look on his face. He didn’t do anything until Sigmund’s voice snapped him out of it. “Orvus, sir?” 

The Zoni shook his head and looked at Sigmund before looking down at his son, who was trying to say goodbye. He nodded, “R-Right, of course…”  

Orvus got down onto the floor and took Clank into his arms, holding him close. The robot embraced him, “So long, father.”

“So long…” 

The two separated and Orvus stood back up. Ratchet walked over to him and patted him on the back before placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder. “We’ll visit. I promise.” 

“Yes. I hope you do.” 

Ratchet nodded, removing his hand from Orvus and signalling Clank to come with him. “Come on, pal. See you, Sigmund.”

“See you later. Be safe!” Sigmund said, waving to the two before they left the Orientation Room.  

Orvus stayed still, standing in the same spot without moving or speaking. He watched Ratchet and Clank through the glass doors, walking away until they were no longer visible. Something was stirring inside of him. Something painful and depressing. There was something about watching those two leave that upset him. It was natural to be upset when friends leave, but he didn’t expect to be this upset. Orvus couldn’t explain it, but when he was around Ratchet and Clank, he felt something very special. He felt..happy? No, that word didn’t even begin to describe it. Spending time with them gave him the same feeling as when he had stepped into the sun and felt the breeze for the first time. 

Orvus looked around the room, at the all too familiar Great Clock that had been his duty for most of his life. He had put every bit of heart and soul he had into this place. Why then...why wasn’t he happy to be here? Why wasn’t he ready to go back to being a caretaker? His destiny and life were tied to this place whether he liked it or not. Why was every ounce of him screaming at him to loosen or even cut those ties? Why did he want to leave?

Deep down, Orvus knew exactly what he was thinking. He knew exactly what he wanted to do. It was clawing its way out of his subconscious like a Terratrope. After everything he had told himself, after everything he promised, the thing that he wanted most had nothing to do with the Great Clock. The complete and honest truth was he didn’t want to be here. He wanted to be with Ratchet & Clank. In the short amount of time he spent with them, they made him feel like the most normal yet special Zoni in the universe. Now that they were leaving, it was like he was back in the Zoni Dimension. Despite everything he believed in and everything he vowed to do, he had to get out of there. He had to go be with them again. 

“I...I can’t do this…” Orvus said, putting his hands on his head, fighting with every emotion he was feeling. His breathing got fast as he turned to Sigmund and shook his head. “Sigmund, I-this is going to be very selfish of me, but I need-I have to...Sigmund-”

Without warning, Sigmund grabbed Orvus’ shoulders and shook him slightly, “What are you standing around for?! If you don’t hurry, they’re going to leave without you!” 

Orvus’ eyes went wide. Did Sigmund really just say that? “Wha...you...you want me to leave?” 

“Yes-I mean, no! Not like that! Not like the kind of ‘I want you to leave’ in which I don’t want to see you. I mean I want you to go with Ratchet & Clank because you want to.”

“How do you know that?”

“Sir, I have known you for over a thousand years. And when you were talking with those two, you had a look of happiness that I’ve never seen on you before. You don’t want to be here, you want to be with them and spend time with them. And I think you should!” He took his hands off of Orvus and decided to be honest with the situation, “Plus, if we’re gonna be honest, this place was not meant to house an organic like yourself.” 

“Hmph.” Orvus crossed his arms and huffed at that comment. 

Sigmund put his hands partially in the air, “Not that being an organic is a bad thing! Anyway, this is mainly about your happiness. You’ve spent thousands of years with me and only one day with them. I think it’s their turn now. You know, just to be fair.”

“Sigmund…” Orvus muttered, hi antennae lowering again. This time he was the one who pulled the robot into a hug. “Thank you. Please take care.” 

“Ah, don’t mention it,” Sigmund said, giving Orvus a pat on the back. But he quickly separated them and pointed towards the door. “Now go on, you have a ship to catch! Run! RUN!”  

“O-Okay!” Orvus said, stumbling before getting into a good run. He looked over his shoulder as he ran out the door. “Farewell, Sigmund!” 

“Farewell, sir. Be safe,” the robot said, holding the Chronoscepter close.

In the Aphelion, Ratchet and Clank got into their seats as Ratchet turned the engine on and the ship whirred to life. He checked the ship’s message log and saw the promised coordinates of the Polaris Defense Force’s starship. 

“Tal sent us the coordinates. Looks like the Nebulox Eight is stationed over Igliak right now.” Ratchet looked over at Clank, who was looking slightly downward. He frowned and got his attention. “Hey. You don’t have to come with me if you don’t want to, you know.”

Clank shook his head. “Miss Apogee asked for both of us. I cannot stay behind.”

“Alright. But we’ll come back here soon. I promised that to Orvus, after all. Now let’s hurry up to Igliak before the briefing starts.”

The cockpit of the Aphelion closed as it got ready for take off. Orvus was running as fast as his legs possibly could, getting onto the docking platform right as the Aphelion started to take off. It was already several feet off the ground. Orvus’ eyes went wide as he realized that he might be too late. As he ran, he looked for anything to help him. His savior came in the form of a cylindrical railing post. It was short but it was big enough for him to work with. 

With all of his might, Orvus ran over to the fence post and used it as a springboard, leaping off of it and just barely managing to land and grab onto the Aphelion’s wing. “Wait!” 

Clank jumped as he stood up in his seat,“Father?!” 

Ratchet was dumbfounded at what exactly he was witnessing. “Orvus, what are you doing?!” 

Orvus was borderline hyperventilating as his impulsive running and jumping took everything he had out of him. He placed his shake hands onto the wing as he looked up at the duo. “I...I want to go with you!”

“You do?” Clank asked, his eyes lighting up. 

Ratchet, while pleasantly surprised, had some concerns.“But what about the Clock? What about Sigmund?”

The Zoni shook his head, “Sigmund is the one who convinced me to do this. The Clock has waited for me for five years. If it can wait that long, then it can wait a bit longer.” 

Clank looked at Ratchet, who looked back at him and at Orvus. It didn’t take him long before smiling and opening the cockpit. “Clank, send a message to Talwyn. Tell her that we’re bringing a friend.”

“With pleasure,” the robot said, moving aside as Orvus eagerly climbed into his seat and put him in his lap. 

The trio took off in the direction of Igliak, leaving the Great Clock and a proud Sigmund behind. 

Author’s Notes

Yeah sure Chapter 7 and all but Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart tho.

There’s inter-dimensional travel, so hopefully we’ll see Orvus! Oh, and the new Lombax girl is pretty cool, too.