Chapter 4: The Strange One - The Core Dumps

??? ➟ Cuda's Hovel

The mystery robot from before has Ephraim strapped to an operating table, and Blizz contained in a tube.
He insinuates that he's going to cut Ephraim open, and that he'll likely die.
Eli, Exxor, and Nandy walk into the dissection as it's about to commence, and identifies the mystery robot as Cuda. Eli is very pleased that Ephraim is under the knife.
Cuda thanks Eli for his continued role as benefactor in his experiments.
Exxor is unnerved at the thought of killing another robot. Nandy calls him a baby, and gets upset and leaves.
Eli tells Nandy to go follow him so he doesn't get lost. Nandy begrudgingly obeys.
Eli apologizes for the disturbance, and leaves as well. Cuda wishes him luck on his plans.

Jerrod comes to, and realizes he's even further underneath the city, in a mass graveyard that looks like a landfill.
To his horror, he realizes that most of the robots in this graveyard are still alive, but succumbed to rust death.
In their various physical and psychological states, Jerrod converses with the robots trapped in the Core Dumps to try to find his way.
As Jerrod goes to seek out the person Violet mentioned, but bumps into Exxor. He convinces Exxor to leave Eli and Nandy behind and head back to the village.
Jerrod also bumps into Nandy, and wins a snarking match with her. She gets frustrated and marches away, but ultimately can't find her way around and spends the rest of the level walking in circles.

Jerrod discovers Cuda's lab at the center of the Core Dumps and interrupts the experiment.
Cuda explains that he's been watching the three of them, and that he'd been excited to talk with Jerrod, but was forbidden to by Eli.
Jerrod shoves Cuda aside to inspect Ephraim. He realizes that Cuda isn't just experimenting on him, he has Ephraim safely powered down and is actually trying to fix him, but clearly doesn't know what he's doing yet.
Evidently, Ephraim had been hiding the fact that he, like Violet, had started to rust from the inside out.
Jerrod and Cuda fix Ephraim's rust together, and both connect into Ephraim's mind.

Ephraim is angry with Jerrod at first for letting Cuda into his mind. Jerrod clears up the misunderstanding, but is still confused why Cuda specifically targeted Ephraim and how he knew about the rust.
Cuda explains that experimenting on Ephraim was his benefactor's idea, since the benefactor knew that Ephraim wasn't long for the world and cared more about the findings from the experiments than actually fixing Ephraim. He explains further that the benefactor was convinced letting Ephraim die after the surgery would be a mercy from a life full of miserable mistakes.
Jerrod and Ephraim ask Cuda who his benefactor is. He identifies Eli as his benefactor.
Together, they connect the dots that Eli was in reality hedging his bets that Cuda was not skilled enough to fix Ephraim, and was using Cuda to get Ephraim out of the way permanently.
Cuda explains that Eli had plans to ascend Mt Gigabit and disprove the existence of a Creator.
Back oustide of Ephraim's mind, Jerrod, Ephraim, and Blizz realize this is their best chance to confront Eli and get him back home safely.
Cuda asks if he can accompany them back to the village temporarily to visit a patient of his.

Cuda comes to visit Violet in the village.
Violet convinces Cuda to move to the outskirts of the village.
The Village Chief donates one of the towers by the village entrance to his research.
Cuda asks Violet if she'd like to work with him in his lab.
Violet Character Progression Note:
Violet is now helping Cuda by making anatomical diagrams for him during his research. This is the start of the first medical research book in the village. She feels even more fulfillment from this now that she's not just making maps anymore.

Cuda now lives in the unused Init Tower to the right of the village’s entrance. The tower is converted to look like a repair shop mixed with a doctor's office.
Violet can now be found with Cuda in the right Init Tower.

Cuda comes to visit Violet in the village. He scolds Violet for letting herself get to this state, but is glad to see that she is at least alive and among friends.
Violet laments not being able to go back and fix things.
Cuda wonders if such a thing could be possible, and decides to dedicate his efforts to reversing rust death.
Violet convinces Cuda to move to the outskirts of the village.
The Village Chief donates one of the towers by the village entrance to his research.
Cuda asks if he can move Violet out of the graveyard into his lab.

Cuda now lives in the unused Init Tower to the right of the village’s entrance. The tower is converted to look like a repair shop mixed with a doctor's office.
Violet can now be found with Cuda in the right Init Tower.
You have the option to donate scrap to Cuda's effort to reverse Violet's condition. The first time you donate, you admit to Cuda that you had the chance to fix her but didn't.

Cuda comes to visit Violet in the village.
He notices Violet is distressed and moody. Violet explains that because of Jerrod, she can't draw any more.
Cuda thinks for a moment, then quietly reminds Violet that that's not entirely fair. It was her choice to neglect her health that put her in that situation to begin with.
She admits that she knew that deep down. Jerrod apologizes and wishes that he had could re-do that decision.
Cuda wonders if such a thing could be possible and decides to dedicate his efforts to reversing rust death.
Violet convinces Cuda to move to the outskirts of the village.
The Village Chief donates one of the towers by the village entrance to his research.
Cuda asks if he can move Violet out of the graveyard into his lab.

Cuda now lives in the unused Init Tower to the right of the village’s entrance. The tower is converted to look like a repair shop mixed with a doctor's office.
Violet can now be found with Cuda in the right Init Tower.
You can now get maps from Violet for free again.
You have the option to donate scrap to Cuda's effort to reverse Violet's condition.