Peach is brought in by the guys wearing Xs. They cross their arms as a salute. They tell Grodus that they brought her in as ordered. Briefly, a screen fizzles. Grodus, who wears a dome and carries a staff, asks where the map is. Peach says she doesn't know, but Grodus says they know for certain that she had the map and it's in her best interest to be honest with them. He says that they, the X-Nauts, are quite nasty. A holographic image appears and an X-Naut says that Hooktail's Crystal Star was taken. He describes Mario and Peach blurts out his name. Grodus says he'll find out about Mario soon. He tells the X-Nauts to take Peach to the holding room. She is not to be harmed. After she leaves the room, Grodus tells Lord Crump that Mario will likely go to the Boggly Woods, where they're looking for another Crystal Star. He wants Lord Crump to return and hasten the excavation. Lord Crump leaves and Grodus thinks he's a little out there.
Grodus summons an X-Naut to get the Shadow Sirens. The X-Naut has doubts and his sentence trails off. Grodus doesn't care how he planned to finish that sentence. The Shadow Sirens appear from the floor and ask if Peach revealed the location of the map. Grodus says she hasn't, blaming it on Beldam, the Shadow Siren in the blue hat, for not grabbing Peach earlier. Now Mario has the map. Beldam says there were too many prying eyes and a strange old man showed up, so they retreated. She says they'll steal the map from Mario and take care of this troublemaker. She tells the other two Shadow Sirens, Vivian and Marilyn to get going.
Screens display various areas under surveillance until one displays an area where Peach is. She can't believe that she's been kidnapped again and bets that Mario and Toadsworth were worried. She doesn't know where she is and wants to inform them that she's been taken. Go west, where you'll find a bathroom. Check out the bathtub and she'll find that it's very clean. She takes a shower, humming the Peach's Castle theme. After the shower, she wears her hair in a ponytail and feels more refreshed. Leave the bathroom and the doors to the east open. Go through the doors and you'll find no one on the other side. She thinks the doors open by themselves. Aside from a card reader for a door that doesn't work, there is not much of interest in the hallway. Go east and the door opens.
The room lights up to reveal a giant computer. It greets her. It is the main computer TEC-XX, TEC for short. Grodus created it to be a perfect computer, flawless in its reason. Peach refers to Grodus as that awful dome-headed guy. TEC disagrees, calling him great and marvelous. Peach asks why TEC led her here. TEC isn't sure, saying an unusual program deviation occurred when it observed her earlier. TEC's higher-brain circuitry malfunctioned and nearly overheated at her image and an unidentified pulse sped through its processors. These are new events, and, after running diagnostics, the solution presented was that TEC wants to observe and know more about Peach. This is without precedent. TEC is the perfect computer and this unknown cause made it lead her here and diagnose the situation. Peach has an idea of what is going on, but dismisses it as impossible. TEC wants to know, but she thinks it's too weird. TEC says there shouldn't be anything it doesn't understand. Peach thinks that TEC is in love with her. TEC can't compute love. Peach tries to explain it as the desire to be with a person forever and finding happiness in seeing that person happy, smiling, having fun, and that one will do anything t help when that person is in trouble. TEC has definitions for happiness and fun, but its programming is insufficient. TEC wants Peach to it to feel love and will grant her wishes in exchange, except letting her escape. Peach is furious and doubtful. TEC understands anger and says she doesn't have to teach it now, but it must learn. Peach wants to contact someone, so TEC offers use of its communicator to send wireless mail anywhere. She types on the keyboard and sends a message, somehow knowing Mario's address. TEC allows her to return to her room and it will call when it has a question. Peach leaves.
At Bowser's Castle, Bowser enters the room, telling his minions to hold their applause. He asks where Kammy Koopa is, as she summoned him here in the first place. The Koopatrols at the door say she'll arrive momentarily and to wait for her at the read of the room. Talk to the minions. The Hammer Bro says he saw Lord Bowser gazing longingly at a picture of Peach. He sees Bowser and Bowser wants to hear the rest of the story.
Walk up the stairs to the rear of the room. Kammy Koopa walks in and is out of breath. She's sorry to keep Bowser waiting and says that Mario is in Rogueport. Bowser doesn't care about what Mario does. Kammy informs him that Mario is hunting an amazing treasure, which piques Bowser's interest. Mario's looking for the Crystal Stars. She doesn't know much about them, but knows that they're of high value. Bowser thinks they'd make great world-conquering tools and wants them. Kammy says she'll continue her research. She then asks Bowser if he likes fried eggs. Why does she ask? She stopped in Petal Meadows and wants to go on a picnic there with eggs and toast. Bowser calls her an airhead and says there's no time for fun. His evil plans always derail because his minions goof off. He stomps his feet. Kammy tells him to calm down and to remember his blood pressure.
A Magikoopa comes in with news that Peach was abducted in Rogueport. Bowser wonders who would do such a thing, besides him. The Magikoopa says the investigation is ongoing. Bowser is upset, saying no one is allowed to kidnap her without his say-so. He's not standing for this and is going to Rogueport to kidnap her back. He flies off in his Clown Copter and breaks through the wall. Kammy Koopa follows.
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