Trying to reason with the chancellor doesn't help, unsurprisingly.

CHANCELLOR: Princess, move away from
that hoodlum!

Cornered with no way out but an unfamiliar time portal, Crono, Marle, and Lucca open the Gate and enter, and the music stops. The chancellor's jaw drops to the ground, not quite literally, when they pass through.

The Gate opens into a small room and roughly flings everyone to the ground before closing. The room seems to be made of some sort of metal, and has an unusual, hi-tech, layout. However, it seems to have been abandoned some time ago, with signs of disrepair everywhere, except on a section of one wall. It looks like a door, and has a peculiar glowing symbol.

Marle: No way can even the
chancellor chase us this far.
But... where are we?

Marle: There's no way the
Chancellor can reach us here.
But, where are we...?

Lucca: The civilization appears
to be highly advanced, but...

Lucca: The civilization here seems
so...advanced...

Marle: It's like we've gone to
another planet.

Crono can take a closer look at the door and try to open it. 2-02 過去の謎 (Enigma of the Past) plays for its several-second duration.

On that note, there have been strange chests elsewhere, sealed with a mysterious energy and bearing what appears to be a smaller version of the same crest.

With nothing else to do, they go outside. The building they just left is labelled バンゴドーム (Bango Dome). 2-1 荒れ果てた世界 (Ruined World) plays on the world map in this time period. The landscape fits the name. Dust blows in the air, nothing grows, and the buildings, which look like they used to be advanced skyscrapers and domes, all lie in ruins. There's a larger dome to the south...

Attempting to return through the Gate will get you nowhere, since the soldiers remain on high alert near Guardia Castle. You won't be able to return to Truce that way until you've secured another route there, and at that point it's more convenient to reach the Gate from the forest than from here.

This dome is in much the same condition as the other. There's even a matching sealed door. The main difference is that a few people huddle here, looking quite wretched.

Apparently "ruins" and "laboratory" got mixed up during translation, somehow...

One man stands next to a strange device.

That was somewhat interesting, but they still don't know what era this is. Since Arris Dome is their only lead, they head northeast. Most of the monsters in the ruins are little trouble. The physical-immune phantoms do exist, but luckily, Crono and Lucca both have non-physical attacks that can kill them. Watch out for thieving rats.

Monsters here include the Ruin Stalker (Octopod), Plantler (Meat Eater), Crater, Silhouette (Shadow), and Mutant. Silhouettes cannot be hit by purely physical attacks, but only have one hit point, so any damage kills them. Wind Scythe, Flamethrower, and Blaze Wheel will all work. Craters are vulnerable to magic but resist Fire, so you might as well just kill them normally since their physical defense is unremarkable. Plantlers have a slight Fire vulnerability, and can also heal other monsters, so kill them first. Ruin Stalkers are weak against Aether, but have high magic defense and low physical defense, so just dice them up. Mutants have high health and a draining attack, and also a weakness to Dark that you can't take advantage of yet.

This dome looks much like the others. More people are huddled inside, in similarly bad condition. 2-4 生きる望みをすてた人々 (People Who Abandoned the Desire to Live) plays. As the party approaches, an old man, the apparent leader, steps forward.

Old Man: Y-you people, where'd
you come from...?

OLD MAN: You there, where're you
from?...

Lucca: Across the western ruins.
Why?

Lucca: We came from the
laboratories to the west.

Old Man: Wh-what?
Hey, there's people who came
across those ruins!

OLD MAN: W, what?!
Hey, we've got people who
crossed the ruins!

This gets everyone's attention. They all start gawking.

Old Man: So there really are people strong
enough to fight the mutants out there...

OLD MAN: So there ARE people who can
beat up those freaky mutants...

The internal storyline progression tracking variable is now 0x34.

Old Man: I'm Don, as I should have said sooner.
I'm descended from the one-time director
of the information center here.
The basement here even has things like a
supercomputer and storage for foodstuffs.
But the guard robot's active even now,
and we can't get anywhere near it.
How ironic...

OLD MAN: Pardon me. I'm Doan.
I'm the descendant of the Director of
this Info center.
In the basement, there's a huge
computer and a storage center for
food.
But we can't get through 'cause of
the robot guards.
It's a pity.

Crono and the others can't just ignore this, and the computer could be useful. They head towards the basement access.

Don: No matter how many attempts we made,
no one could reach the basement.

DOAN: But no one's ever returned from
there.

Don: ......
It's been a while since I've seen
such lively young people as you.
Be careful.
And come back alive.

DOAN: ......
It's nice to see such spirited young
people for a change.
Careful, now.
And come back alive.

The internal storyline progression tracking variable is now 0x35.

The basement isn't much different, but there are a few controls that seem operational.

Lucca: A console to control the passageway.
It looks like it's locked with a password.

Lucca: This console controls the
passageway.
We need a password to get through.

One passage is inaccessible, but the other is still clear. A rat-like statue on a series of narrow beams has a note on it.

Trying to cross the well-lit room beyond sets off alarms, and a giant robot falls from above, knocking them to the ground.

I hate reading "robotese". Japanese is not meant to be written in all katakana. It's sort of like English written in italics, all capital letters, with no spaces. HOWWOULDYOULIKEITIFTHEWHOLEDOCUMENTREADLIKETHIS?? Incidentally, the above line is a command, not a statement.

Marle: Crono!
What happened!?

Marle: Crono!
What's going on?!

Lucca: Marle!
Here we go!

Lucca: Marle!
Let's go!

The robot's the hardest boss battle yet. It has a main body and two side parts. Attacking the main body results in a powerful counterattack unless it's alone. Basically, kill the sides, then hit it with everything you've got, and it's not too bad.

The Bits have no particular resistances or vulnerabilities, and their attacks, though annoying, aren't nearly as bad as the counterattacks. The Guard Machine (Guardian) itself does not act when alone, other than reviving the Bits after a countdown. It's also immune to Fire, so don't attempt Flamethrower or Blaze Wheel.

An alternate strategy is to kill only one Bit. The Guard Machine won't revive it while the other is still intact, and the counterattack is weaker when only one Bit is available. There's still a counter, though, and you'll have to deal with the remaining Bit's other attacks as well.

The music stops after the battle. Crono and the others continue into the next room. Someone is slumped against the far wall, and broken metal crates leak their contents onto the floor. It looks like it might have been food once.

Marle: Wh-what's this SMELL!?

Lucca examines the crates and the spilled contents.

Lucca: How awful, it's all rotten...
The power must have been unstable...

Lucca: Everything's completely
rotten.
The refrigeration must have failed...

Marle: Crono!!
......
......
Looks like he's not breathing any more....
He's clutching something.
What could this be...?

Marle: Crono, look!!
...
...
Passed away long ago, I suppose...
He's holding something.
What do you suppose this is?

Lucca: Looks like some kind of seeds.

Marle: Seeds...?
Could they grow in a place like this?

Upon futher inspection...

They go investigate. "People Who Abandoned the Desire to Live" resumes playing.

Marle: It's here, it's here!
That thing, I mean.

Marle: There!
There it is!

Lucca: Shh!
It might run away.

Lucca: Shhh!
It might run away.

And it does. So Crono runs and catches it.

: Forgive me, squeak.
I'll confess, squeak.
For the passage switch, press A
while holding L and R, squeak!
But if you've changed the button
settings, it's all mixed up, squeak!

チュー (chuu) is a mouse or rat noise, and probably where the chu in "Pikachu" and "Raichu" came from.

The NA version mangles the last line badly. It's supposed to be a warning that the buttons will be different if you've changed the control layout.

The code works on the panel to make the other passage accessible (or to cut off the passage to the food storage, for what it's worth). Continuing on, and passing various hostile robots, giant bugs, rats, and even another sealed door, they reach a room with a large machine and console.

Enemies here include the Bug, Mouse Hunter (Bugger), Version 2.0 (Proto 2), Ratler (Rat), and the Silhouette seen earlier. Mouse Hunters have a slight weakness to Aether, but probably not enough to justify using Wind Scythe. They'll also fire laser beams at any Ratler in the battle, fatally striking their Dark weakness. Version 2.0 also has a Dark weakness, though only a slight one, and you can't take advantage of it yet anyway. The most interesting thing about the Bug is that the game considers it to be a mechanical enemy, though that only matters when using an upcoming weapon.

In the computer room, the music stops.

Lucca: This is the information center!
Thank goodness!
This computer is still operational!
If I search for spatial distortions,
maybe I'll find where there's a Gate!

Lucca: So this is the info center!
Good!
The computer's still operational!
If we run a search on time warps,
we might find our Gate!

Lucca: Here!
Got it!

The monitor displays the route from Arris Dome through some ruins to another dome futher east.

Lucca: That would be Proto Dome, I
believe.

Marle: Way to go, Lucca! You even find
out stuff like that with this machine.

Marle: Leave it to Lucca!
I'm beginning to think you could find
anything with this device!

Marle: So, what'll we find out if we
push this?

Marle: Say, what does this button
do?

Marle hits a button. The montior goes fuzzy for a bit before something comes up.

Lucca: A.D. 1999?
"Day of Lavos" recording...?

Lucca: 1999 A.D.?
Visual record of The Day of Lavos...

A video plays back on the screen. The recording appears to be somewhat damaged, and breaks up at times. Despite this, it cleary shows a gigantic spikey ball break though the surface of the earth from underground. 2-5 ラヴォスのテーマ (Lavos's Theme) plays... The spikey ball fires something into the air, which then rains down and explodes all over the world, causing mass destruction. The video breaks up entirely after this.

Marle: Wh...
What IS this...?

Lucca: L-Lavos...? This is the catastrophe
that did this to the world!?

Lucca: Lavos?...
Is that what's destroying our world?!

Past tense! It's past tense! "Destroyed" if you insist on using the word "destroy" in the first place...

Marle: Then this really
is our future!?
Awful! It's awful!
It can't be!
How could this...
be our future...?

Marle: We must truly be in the
future...
No!
NO WAY!
I refuse to believe it!!
This...
...this can't be the way the
world ends...

Marle: Crono...
Hey, that's it!
Let's go ahead and change it!
Like when Crono saved me!
Right, Lucca?
Right, Crono!!

Marle: Crono...
There's only one thing we
can do!
We must change history! Just like
Crono did when he saved me!
Okay, Lucca?
Okay, Crono?!!

Lucca: Yes...
Fortunately, we can cross
over eras using the Gates.
Shall we do it? Crono!

Lucca: I...guess so...
It was a stroke of luck that
we were sent here through that
Gate.
Crono, let's go!

Lucca: ......
You're such an idiot.
You're in front of Marle, right?
At least ACT cool!

Lucca: ......
Come on!
Show Marle what you're made
of!

Crono does his "cool" pose, and everything goes on as if nothing happened.

"Chrono Trigger" starts playing, and continues, even during battles, until the party leaves the basement area.

Marle: All right, let's do it, Crono!
Lucca!!

Marle: Crono!
Lucca!
Together we can do this!

Lucca: Then we'll have to hurry back
to our era and look into Lavos!
Here goes!
To Promethe Dome!

The internal storyline progression tracking variable is now 0x36.

Fairly soon, the party returns to the ground floor of Arris Dome. The music stops.

The locals all crowd around.

DOAN: Well?
What did you discover?

明日 (usually ashita, also asu and, infrequently, myounichi) literally means "tomorrow", but can be used more loosely to mean "future".

Don: ?

Lucca: You don't know how long
the EnerBox will hold out.
Please, try raising these seeds.

Lucca: You don't know how long the
Enertron'll hold out.
Those seeds might be your only hope.

Marle: Anyhow, live!
Strive hard!
'Cause we're trying too!

Marle: You have to stay alive!
And so do we!

2-6 世界最後の日 (The World's Final Day) begins playing.

Don: Hmm...
There's something curious about you.
You're somehow different from us...

DOAN: Huh...
You're strange...
You're different from us...

Marle: I think it's because we're
healthy!

元気 (genki) also means "energetic" or "lively", not just "healthy".

Don: Healthy? I've never heard the word,
but it has a pleasant ring to it...
I don't know what kind of seeds these
are, but we'll try raising them.

DOAN: Heal-thy?
Got a nice ring to it!
We'll try growing the seeds...

Don: They may be just the sort
of thing that we need now.

DOAN: They just might be our future...

Don: You're going to Promethe Dome?
If you're crossing the #32 Ruins,
take this with you.

DOAN: Heading for Proto Dome?
Go by way of Laboratory 32, and
take this with ya.

Don: It's the key for the Jet Bike
left in the #32 Ruins.
I rode it when I was young.
I hope it still runs...
Stronger robots are running wild
over there than here. Be "healthy"!

DOAN: It's a key to the Jet Bike in lab
32.
I used to ride it when I was young.
Hope it still works...
They've got more powerful
robots over there.
Take care, and stay...healthy!

The internal storyline progression tracking variable is now 0x37.

Lucca apparently checked on the year, since the world map now displays it as A.D. 2300. Crono, Marle, and Lucca head east.

An optional trip. 2-16 地下水道 (Underground Waterway) plays here, eerie with drippy sound effects.

You'll find the Ratler, Egger (Egder), and Dondrago (Nereid) as enemies in here. All are severely weak against Dark damage, and additionally have low magic defense, slightly elevated physical defense, or both. The boss also has elevated physical defense and a moderate weakness to Dark. It's almost as if you were meant to come here only after recruiting the next character so you could take advantage of his multi-target magic-based Dark attack. Unfortunately, there's another stretch of ruins between here and there, and you'll be busy with other things at that point, so it's unlikely that anyone would think to return here then.

A small winged cyclops flies by as the party enters.

Lookout: Kii! Outsiders!
I have to let lord Crawlie know, quick!
Kii!

A bit further in, the party spots two frogs.

These are monster ID 79, Orphan (Bull Frog), but never actually appear in combat.

Lackey: I saw there was a bridge
here, ribbit, it's the truth, ribbit.
The truth, I'm telling you!!

UNDERLING: There was a bridge here!
I SAW it, rrrribit!

Boss: Don't lie, gribbit!
There's none anywhere, gribbit, geez!

BOSS: Fool!
Grribbit!
There's nothing here!

BOSS: Someone's coming!
Let's scram, grribbit!

It doesn't come through in translation, but "run away" here (nigero) ends with the same sound as the "gribbit" noise (gero) the frog keeps making...

The frogs run away. There's a ladder that goes deeper into the waterway a bit further ahead...

Marle: This is a tad on the spooky
side...

Lucca: Eerie place.
I've got a bad feeling about this...

Lucca: This is an eerie place.
I've got a bad feeling about this...

Robo shakes his head and makes a robot noise.

Frog chuckles. Perhaps he finds it amusing for a frog to head into a cool, dark, damp place?

Ayla: Bad place!
Much danger.

Down the ladder, there's a paper with something written on it...

"I'd rather have my gums scraped" calls back to a scene on the sandship in the NA version of Secret of Mana, in which the girl uses the same expression. Considering that Chrono Trigger reportedly incorporates some of the material cut from Secret of Mana, the reference is strangely approrpriate.

The walkway down here has various things that make noise, which rouses the monsters, which the party then has to fight. Most are fairly easy to avoid, but the sneaky one is the apparent save point near the end, which makes a sound as usual, which rouses the monsters, then vanishes without even being of use. Another ladder leads back up on the far side, and the party sees the frogs again before long.

Lackey: It seems like if you hit this switch,
the bridge spans the gap, ribbit!

UNDERLING: Press the switch, and the
bridge opens, ribbit!

The lackey frog hops a few times, but can't reach the switch.

Lackey: Waah!
The switch is too high to reach, ribbit!

UNDERLING: Riiiiiiiiibit!
It's out of reach, ribbit!

Boss: And you call yourself a frog, gribbit, gribbit!?
Hm? Someone's coming, run away, gribbit!

BOSS: And you call yourself a frog,
ribbit, GRIBBIT!
Someone's coming!
Let's scram, grribbit!

The frogs run away again.

Make sure to collect the Anger Bracelet from a nearby chest. Random counterattacks are fun!

Farther ahead, Crono and the others spot the mini winged cyclops again. It's talking to a big ugly larva-like creature.

Lookout: Kii!
A group of three will come by any time now!
Kii!

Lord Crawlie: Coming into this underground
waterway, they're an awfully reckless bunch.
I'll make them realize the terror of this place.

SIR KRAWLIE: Coming through the
sewer like they own it!
They must have a death wish!
We shall teach them a lesson!

Lookout: Kii!
Let's make them realize.
Ki ki ki ki kii!

GUARD: Let's show 'em.
HEE HEE!

Lord Crawlie: 'Cause if they dare to come,
I'll do this, and that, and break them into
little pieces!
Gya ha ha ha ha!

SIR KRAWLIE: Just let them come
through here!
They'll be chopped liver!
Hahahahahaha!

The lookout, having finally noticed their arrival, flies away.

It's just as well; that exchange seems to have devolved into a "who can laugh the most awkwardly" competition.

It's battle time. Lord Crawlie (Krawlie) doesn't even get boss music, although he does die like a boss.

He has an attack that can lower one ally's hit points to exactly 1, but he's so slow that healing is no problem, and doesn't have very much health either. Lord Crawlie has slightly higher than usual physical defense, but not enough to matter much. He's also weak against Dark, but unless you come here later, you can't take advantage of that, and if you don't fight him until the game requires it, then the battle will be easy enough to make any weakness redundant.

Anyway, after the battle, continue on and collect the Thunderclap Sword for Crono, one of the reasons to come here now rather than later. There's also the bridge switch, which provides a shortcut between the two ends of the waterway. Finally, there's an exit to a small other continent...

3-7 封印の扉 (Sealed Door) plays here. The occupants are an old man in an unusual outfit and a strange blue creature, but it's otherwise not much different from the other domes, including having yet another sealed door in the back.

Enigmatic Object: WHEEE, I VERY MUCH
LOOK FORWARD TO HOW THE WISE
ONE WILL PROGRAM ME.
RIGHT, WISE ONE?

STRANGE CREATURE: I am pleased you
think me worthy, O wise one!
I await your final program code!

Old Man: If you're looking forward to it so
much, that's rewarding for me too.
How's this? It's starting to shape up
a bit, isn't it...?

OLD MAN: Now, don't go getting all
emotional on me, critter!
Back to work, now!

Much of what the old man says is fairly incoherent, though.

Old Man: You mustn't!
You mustn't go!
You mustn't go, not to Death Mountain!
Though actually it's set up so you can't
go to Death Mountain unless it's that
time and you're those people, hya hya.

OLD MAN: NO!
You MUST NOT climb Death Peak!
Wouldn't make it very far, anyway!
It has to be the right time...
...and...THEY...have to show you the
way!

Old Man: But never mind that!
Have you all seen them? The Abyssal
Temple and Blackbird that I made?
They're quite something, hya hya.

OLD MAN: Say!
Did you see my masterpieces?
The Ocean Palace and the Blackbird?
I designed and built them both.

Fierce winds on nearby Death Mountain prevent access to more than a small area near the base, but that's enough to reach a Power Capsule to the northeast. Regardless, better go look into that jet bike...

2-3 １６号廃虚 (#16 Ruins) plays, as it did in the #16 Ruins. The jet bike is here and appears to be in good condition. It sits on a roadway that seems to be relatively undamaged. Crono tries the bike key, and the bike starts, but an alarm goes off and several robots approach. The party readies for combat and "Battle" starts playing, but the robots take no action, and the music fades out. 2-7 暴走ロボ軍団ジョニー (Robo Gang Johnny) starts to play.

Incidentally, they do attack if you come here before getting the Bike Key, and attempting to cross the ruins at that point just brings more of them.

A figure that resembles a cross between a human and a motorized tricycle drives up.

He's monster ID 244, MONSTER (Johnny), but never actually appears in combat.

Robots: AH!
BOSS!

ROBOTS: Hey it's...!
...the MAN!

THE MAN: Like, thanks for the intro,
babe!

Boss: My name IS... JOHNNY.
I'M THESE GUYS' boss...
YOU WANNA get THROUGH TO THE OTHER
SIDE OF THE continent, YOU GOTTA RACE
me ON THE HIGHWAY ruins ahead...
I'LL LET YOU use THE JET BIKE THERE....
DON'T CHICKEN OUT!
SCREEEECH! BABY!

THE MAN: You lowlifes can call me
Johnny.
Now listen up. Part of an old highway
leads through these ruins.
Think you can beat me in a bike
race?
Use that "Jet Bike" and... don't
chicken out, babe!

Johnny's a bit easier to understand than the other robots... at least he adds a smattering of kanji here and there.

The party gets in the jet bike, and Crono gets ready to race. 2-8 バイクチェイス (Bike Chase) plays during the race. It's not too hard to win... just keep from getting stuck behind him, and use a turbo boost right before the goal.

Johnny: I lost, TO YOU guys...
Come AGAIN ANY TIME.
LET'S BE THE wind TOGETHER!
BABY!

JOHNNY: YOU beat me?
I don't get it!
You can challenge me anytime.
We'll ride the wind, babe!

Alternately, once you've tried racing at least once, the robots will let you cross the ruins on foot, though it's densely populated with monsters like those in the #16 Ruins. The ruins also contain a Recorder, which enables high score tracking for the race and adds the option of switching race modes. Activating the high score list additionally enables prizes for reaching certain scores, most of which can be earned repeatedly. If you're good at racing... which mostly means cutting off Johnny repeatedly so he hits your bike in the back for score boosts... you can stock up on supplies here. Just note that not all the prize messages are accurate; in particular, the 1300+ prize is five Middle Potions (the English version incorrectly says Mid Ethers), and a near-perfect run of 2300+ pays out five High Ethers (both versions claim ordinary Ethers, re-using the 2000+ message). Try to at least beat 1500 for a one-time prize of a Power Capsule.

It looks a lot like the other domes, with a few groups of Mouse Hunters along the way in. The party soon comes to a closed door that won't open but isn't magically sealed, and in front of it sits a beige, more humanoid robot. This robot isn't moving.

Lucca: It looks like it's broken.
But... incredible...
A complete humanoid robot...

Lucca: It's in bad shape...
...but it appears to be a humanoid
robot!
Incredible!

She takes a closer look at the robot. The music fades out.

Lucca: ......
I might be able to fix it.

Lucca: ...
I think I can fix it.

"At the Bottom of Night" fades in.

Marle: Huh? Fix it...?
It's just going to attack us like
all the other robots!

Marle: What?!
It might attack us!

Lucca: I'll fix it to not do that.
Robots don't come and attack
us of their own will...
Humans made them like that.
The robots' hearts.

Lucca: I'll make sure it won't.
Machines aren't capable of evil...
...humans make them that way.

Marle: ...Lucca, you understand
how the robots feel...

Marle: Lucca, you...pity them
don't you.

Lucca: Let me get to work now,
okay?

She works on the robot for a long time. Meanwhile, Marle tries the door.

Some time later...

Lucca: That should do it...!
I'll start it up!

Lucca: Right, that does it!
I'm going to give it some juice!

The robot starts moving, erratically at first, then seems to regain control. 2-9 ロボのテーマ (Robo's Theme) fades in.

Robot: G...
Good MORNING, master.
Your orders?

Robot: Mo...
Good morning, mistress.
What is your command?

Wow, robot talk that looks almost normal. It's about time. I'll try to make the English look funny in a way that relates to the way the Japanese looks funny. He basically talks normally, but tends to have some trouble with pronouns and conjugated endings. I imagine it as being something like those automated messages that splice prerecorded pieces together and can't get the intonations to match up. "The time is now... One. Thirty. Seven. P.M."

Also, he makes audible robot noises just about every time he says anything.

Marle: I'm not "master", I'm Marle!
And that's Crono...
And Lucca, who fixed you!

Marle: I'm not your "mistress."
　I'm Marle!
　...and this is Crono...
　...and Lucca, here, fixed you!

Robot: UNDERSTOOD.
The one who graciously repaired
ME IS mistress Lucca.

ROBOT: Understood.
Madam Lucca fixed me.

Of course, the robot does a lot of bowing during all this, to match the highly polite speech.

Robot: I could NOT do such an
impolite thing.

ROBOT: Impossible.
That would be rude.

Lucca: Calling us by fancy titles
would be just as impolite.
Wouldn't it, Marle.

Lucca: Look, I hate formal titles!
Don't you, Marle?

Lucca: All right.
So, what's your name?

Lucca: All right!
Now, what's your name?

Robot: Name? You MUST mean my
development code. It IS R66-Y.

ROBOT: Name?
Ah, my serial number.
It is R66-Y.

Not quite the same thing as a serial number, though the concepts are related.

Lucca: R66-Y...?
Isn't that cool!

Lucca: R66-Y?
Cool!

Marle: Whaaat?
No way, too unappealing!
Hey, Crono.
Let's give him a better name!
I wonder what would be good.

Guess what happens now. That's right, you pick a name. By deafult, it's...

Marle: Robo...
So Robo then! Not bad!
Okay? Your name is Robo!

Marle: Robo...
Robo...that's perfect!
Your new name is Robo,
okay?

Robot: Robo... it IS.
Memory input complete.

ROBOT: I am... Robo.
Data storage complete.

Lucca: Hey, Robo.
We'd like to ask you a little something...

Lucca: Hey Robo, why aren't
there any people here?

In the original, Lucca doesn't finish her question. She was likely going to ask about the Gate or the door. Crono, Marle, and Lucca have already seen the recording of Lavos destroying the world, so it seems odd that she would ask what happened to the people.

Robo: ......
THIS...
What COULD have happened?
There OUGHT to have been many
humans and those of MY kind here
in Promethe Dome...

Robo: ......
What...
What has happened here?
There WERE many humans
and others of my kind in this dome.

Lucca: This is hard to say, but...
Robo, while you were broken down,
the people here probably...

Lucca: I think something awful
happened here...

Robo: ......
I SEE...
Then, why are YOU HERE?

Robo: ....
It would appear so...
But how is it that you
survived?

Lucca: We passed through a space-time
distortion called a Gate from Royal
Year 1000, and wound up here.

Lucca: We came through a time
warp from the year 1000.

Marle: We came since we found out at
Arris Dome there's a Gate here too.

Marle: While exploring Arris Dome
we learned that there was a Gate here.

Lucca: And when we did, here you were,
broken down.

Lucca: We found you when we
came looking for the Gate!

Marle: But the door won't move, so we
can't go any farther.

Marle: But the door to the inner
chambers is locked, so we're out of
luck...

Robo walks over to and examines the door.

Robo: It SEEMS that the power
HERE is completely dead.
There IS emergency power that connects
to here if we go to the factory to the north.
IF I go, I CAN call off the factory's security.

Robo: The power is off.
If we go to the factory up
north, I can pass through security
and activate this dome's generator.

Come to think of it, what does Robo run on?

Robo: You graciously fixed me.
This time, I SHALL be of help.
However, I do NOT know how long the
emergency power will last...
Someone must remain HERE to open the
door at once when the power comes on...

Marle: Got it!
Be careful, Crono!

Marle: Okay!
Please be careful, Crono!

Lucca: Okay, got it.
Leave this end of things to me.

Lucca: Right!
I'll handle things here!

Either way, Robo has to go to get past security, and Crono can't leave the active party, or even the lead position, at all until otherwise noted.

The internal storyline progression tracking variable is now 0x3C, starting the next chapter.

And by the way, Robo's Laser Whirl, learned after just five TP, does indeed slaughter all the normal enemies in the underwater passage and take large chunks out of Lord Crawlie. Why the game doesn't send you there after getting Robo is a mystery.

The only particularly significant event in this chapter occurred when Lucca fixed Robo, but any impact from that has yet to be felt. The information about Lavos, though important, has affected only the party's plans, not history itself. Retrieving the seeds may arguably have helped, but keep in mind that the planet is still a barren wasteland dominated by hostile robots, and in any case, the plan is to prevent this future from ever coming to pass in the first place, so success means wiping out anything accomplished here anyway. It's safe to say that nothing in this chapter has had any historical impact so far.