Author's Note: A few quick words before this story gets started. Firstly
I'll talk about the story. It is split into two stories, the first of which
is this story 'ARK.' The second story, which will be along sometime in the
near and present future, will be called 'Time.' Together they make up what
I would like to be know as the 'Kintobor Saga.'
This story is a bit unlike any Sonic the Hedgehog story on fan fiction as it doesn't entirely star Sonic. Truth be told, it doesn't really star anyone particularly apart from Shadow, Dr Gerald and Maria. It can be classed as a very new look at Shadow's own origin story.
A LOT of credit has to go to Thalia 'Rock Chick' Evan's for the creation of this fic, as all of the 'Sonic' idea's in this story were thought up by her some time ago in 2002, when me and her where really good friends. All I really did was work my magic with her idea and this is the end product.
I expect review's from everyone, S'pecially you Starlet Angel, Max and the rest of the STC-Online and STC2 gangs. I know you've all ready read the story, but I'd really like a review from you as well Thalia.
Anyway, let's get going shall we.
TIMELINE: Set 50+ years ago in the past of Planet Mobius, aboard the space colony ARK. Everybody clear on that? Now lets get on with the story.
~* * * *~
Chapter 1: Conception.
Dr Gerald Kintobor sat at his desk writing away in his personal journals. He found that he'd been writing an awful lot these days, but then he did have an awful lot to write about.
Not to long ago he had been involved in a plan, thought up by some high and mighty green skinned humanoid called Lord Sidewinder.
Sidewinder's plan had involved the Chaos Emeralds, and obtaining them to empower him to the level of a living God. At least metaphorically speaking of course.
The plan had worked, but not know Sidewinder had planned. The power of the Chaos Emerald's fused with him, giving him the power he wanted, but because of the genetics of his body, the power caused him to separate into two separate lifeforms. One humanoid, while the other was some Chaos monstrosity.
The creature went on a vicious rampage, but just when all hope seemed to be lost help came in the form of the Chaos Champion, a creature that had was thought of as nothing but a legend, as it protected Planet Mobius for over 8000 years.
Dr Gerald sat back and smiled to himself as he remembered the Chaos Champion. His name had been Emerald, and surprisingly enough he had been a hedgehog, changed by the Chaos Energy that flowed within him.
Emerald, however, apparently met a demise in his final fight with the Sidewinder Chaos monstrosity, but not before Gerald managed to obtain a sample of his blood.
With the blood sample Gerald intended to continue the line of Chaos Champion's by creating the Ultimate Lifeform. A creature that could continuously benefit mankind with its power. However, it was easier said than done.
His first attempt at creating the Ultimate Lifeform met certain obstacles. Dr Gerald had found an ancient Mobian creature, that lived deep within one of the more unexplored rain forests, that wasn't much unlike a dinosaur (an extinct creature back on his home planet of Earth).
Deciding that nothing would really miss its absence, Gerald brought the giant reptile to ARK where he successfully spliced its own blood with some of Emerald's. Project Shadow had begun. The creature, which his colleagues mockingly called the Bio-Lizard, turned out to be a triumph of science, but it carried a few faults.
Though it showed considerable power, it was to big to be of any real use to mankind. It was slow and not nearly as agile as Emerald had been. But rather than abandon the project entirely, Gerald decided to assign it to sentry duty aboard the ARK.
It would protect the heart of ARK from invaders. And even if somehow Dr Gerald's plan was stopped, the Bio-Lizard would continue it. It would stop at nothing to achieve what Gerald had started.
After placing the 'Bio-Lizard' into suspended animation, where it would stay until needed, Gerald begun again. But this time he had decided to use a creature that was probably more suitable to Emerald's power. This time around, Gerald used a hedgehog.
Finding an abandoned hedgehog had proven no major difficulty and within a week Project Shadow was up and running again. However, Gerald wanted to make sure that everything would turn out perfect with his new creation, so he begun testing everything firsthand on a test subject before applying it to Project Shadow.
One such problem Gerald found in the test-subject was that the Chaos Energy within it was unstable, and Gerald feared that no matter how hard he tried to fix this flaw in his eventual Ultimate Lifeform, it was always going to be there.
Gerald new that without some sort of control mechanism his creation's power would still be a little unstable and too much Chaos energy would undoubtedly have the effect of magnifying it's negative emotions such as hate and anger, causing it to become uncontrollable.
The scientist knew that this would not do so he had started work on some sort of 'Control Ring' that could be worn by his creation. As of yet, however, he had no such luck building such a device.
Of course, if everything did ultimately go wrong with Project Shadow, he could always revert all his concentration to his test-subject. It had undergone every procedure that had been used on Project Shadow and had survived. It had the potential to be as powerful as Project Shadow was. Its only problem was whereas Project Shadow had only a small chance of becoming uncontrollable, the test-subject had 'No Control' written all over it. Its power level, though dormant, was dangerous and if it ever was used for evil, then almost nothing could stop it.
Dr Gerald sighed as he put his pen down on the table. What could be done with the test-subject. He couldn't just release it back onto Mobius, that could turn out to be disastrous. But he couldn't just leave it in suspended animation, it had to much potential to just bung it away somewhere.
Dr Gerald put the pen up to his mouth as he thought on what to do. "I suppose." He begun, moving the pen away from his mouth. "I suppose I could- !"
Just then a small tennis ball entered the scientist's room. It flew through the air and collided with a cup of tea that had been on his desk. The cup was knocked clean over and tea gushed all over the desk.
Gerald stood up as the tea stain steamed on his white shirt. "What in the- ?" He begun. He looked up and saw his granddaughter, Maria Kintobor. "Maria!" He growled.
Gerald stood tall and was stick-thin compared to his grandson, Ovi Kintobor, who seemed to have a little more meat on his bones. The elderly scientist wore a white lab coat, now stained by his spilt drink, and a bristling mustache that was a steel grey.
"Don't you take that tone with me, grandfather." Maria said. "You haven't spent anytime with me for at least the last three weeks. I believe you deserve that. All you've cared about is your precious 'Project Shadow.' I bet you were just writing about it again weren't you?"
Gerald looked down at his journal and gasped. The tea had seeped into it and had completely soaked the last couple of pages he had written. That wasn't as bad as it sounded though. He could write it all up again, but that wasn't what bothered him.
He looked up at his granddaughter and sighed out loud. She was right, of course. He had hardly spent anytime with her at all. And he was all she had aboard this Space Colony. Especially since Gerald had sent her brother, Ovi Kintobor, to one of the finest science school's on Mobius.
Maria had no Mother or Father as they had both met an untimely death after contracting a fatal disease. He had had no chance in saving his son, our daughter-in-law, and had been grieved by his loss. What made matters worse was Maria had also caught the disease, but Gerald had been content in not losing her to. He had worked hard to keep her alive at first, but finally he had come up with a cure. But it hadn't left her entirely healed.
The disease crippled her, severely weakening her physical body. But even with this Maria was still a young, loving girl. She was still filled with many hopes and dreams.
Gerald met his granddaughters gaze and smiled softly. "I'm sorry, my dear. I admit I have been wrapped up far to much in my work lately."
Maria nodded approvingly. "And?" She said, crossing her arms.
Gerald's smile widened. "And today I am not going to work at all. I'm totally yours."
Maria smiled. "You mean it?"
"Would I ever lie to you?" He said, putting his hands behind his back.
Maria grinned and ran forwards. She then jumped up and hugged her grandfather.
He chuckled and hugged her back. "Now! Now, don't get to excited. Your a lot more fragile than you used to be."
Maria smiled warmly up at her grandfather. "Grandfather."
"Yes, my dear."
"Can I see it?"
"See what?" Gerald asked, a little lost.
"Your Project Shadow, grandfather. Can I see what all the fuss is about?" She said.
Gerald looked down into her warm blue eyes and smiled. "Of course you can, my dear. Infact, I'll show you something else as well." He then looked down at his tea stained cloths. "But first I think I should get changed." He muttered.
* * * *
Far below the ARK colony on Planet Mobius, within a building that belonged to a military organization called G.U.N, the future was being discussed. And more importantly, the Kintobor families lack of place in it.
Generals, Major's even Captains sat at a long rounded table, in a dimly lit room. It was lit enough so that they could see where everyone else was sitting, but they could not see each other's faces.
"We cannot allow him to finish his Project." Said one man, as he banged his fist down on the table.
"And why not?" Said a second. His voice considerably calmer than the first man's.
"Why not! WHY NOT! Are you being serious man?" The first man replied. "Dr Gerald Kintobor is a serious risk to Mobius. This 'Ultimate Lifeform' he has been perfecting that he claims could benefit mankind, could easily be used against us. Who knows what it could be capable of!"
"I agree." A third voice in the dark said. "Though Gerald claims that his actions are pure, how do we know what he is really capable of? What his Space Colony can really do."
Something was flung onto the table. It was a blue folder. Everyone's attention turned to it. "This." A new voice begun. "This is proof of Gerald's intentions. I have found out that the ARK harvest's a weapon of mass destruction. A device called the 'Eclipse Cannon.' With this weapon Gerald has the potential to destroy every city on this planet, a blast at a time, until no one is left alive. I'm telling you gentlemen, the man is clearly evil."
There was a volley of whispers as the unseen faces begun to talk amongst themselves. But one voice spoke up above there others.
"He is not evil." The first voice said again.
"And what would you define as evil, Captain?" Asked a forth voice.
The appointed Captain sighed. "This meeting was called so we could asses the situation of ARK. How do we know that this really is a weapon? Why hold these meetings if no one listens to each other's opinion, General?" He asked slowly.
"We have listened and we agree." The second voice said.
"But I do not." The captain rallied.
There was short silence. Then.
"Your words have been noted, Captain. But our discussion stands." Said the General. His voice was calm, almost without emotion. It was the kind of voice that you didn't want to lead you into war.
"I will appeal!" The Captain said.
"And you will fail." Said the third voice. "Our discussion is made. The time to move is now. Dismissed."
With that the people that were present got up and left.
The Captain sat there.
"I'm sorry." The General begun. "But we must do what we feel has to be done."
The Captain looked up, anger in his eyes. "Then so must I." With that he got up and walked off into the darkness.
* * * *
Dr Gerald walked into a dimly lit room, holding the hand of his granddaughter, who trailed behind him.
Though the room wasn't to well lit, it wasn't dark either. Enough light was in the room so that you could see what you were doing. Of course, there was also another reason why the room was how it was.
"Why is it so dark?" Maria asked.
"Well, there are many reason's for it being dark. But the reason I'll give you." Gerald said, crouching down beside his granddaughter. He then looked away from her. "Is because it helps him to sleep."
Maria followed her grandfather's gaze all the way to a giant capsule. And inside it, amongst the darkness, Maria could just make out a floating, almost lifeless, body. "Wow!" She said, walking forward.
"I admit." Gerald said, standing back up and walking behind her. "That he isn't as magnificent as 'Project Shadow' but I thought he might get more than a 'Wow' from you."
"This isn't Shadow?" Maria said, staring up at the test subject.
"Shadow!? Oh you mean 'Project Shadow.' No. This isn't." Gerald paused, then smiled. "Shadow." Gerald made a mental note of the name. Children. He thought. What smart and helpful people they are.
"Then what is this hedgehog called? And what is he used for?" Maria asked, placing a warm hand on the cold exterior of the capsule.
"He - he doesn't have a name. I never saw any need to give him one. As for what he's used for, well - he's a test subject. I try everything on him before applying it to Shadow." Gerald then realized how bad that sounded. "But - he isn't in any pain or anything." He begun again. "If anything he's far from it. He's almost as perfect as-!"
"Sonic." Maria muttered, cutting off her Grandfather.
"Err. What?" Dr Gerald stuttered.
"Sonic." Maria repeated. "His name is Sonic."
Dr Gerald Kintobor stood there for a long period of time. He crossed one arm across his chest, and thoughtfully rubbed his chin. After a little longer he smiled. "Why Sonic?"
"Because it feels right, and what feels right must be good. Right, Grandpa?"
Gerald nodded to himself as he stared at the hedgehog in the capsule. Unlike Project Shadow, 'Sonic' still looked much like a hedgehog. His spines were arguably a golden brown, while his fur was a lighter brown. He wasn't that big either. If Gerald had to give him an age he'd have to say he was about 9. His features where still that of a child.
Gerald smiled at the sleeping hedgehog. "Hello Sonic." He said.
Gerald then looked down at Maria. He then went over to a computer terminal and pressed a button. Almost instantly the wall just behind Sonic's capsule raised, revealing a second room almost identical to the one he was in now. But this room was brighter than the first.
Maria peered in and almost instantly her eyes where drawn to the capsule that rose out of the ground almost in the dead center of the room. Purple metal girders rose out of the ground to hold it in place. A giant purple cylinder stretched down from the ceiling and attached to the top of the capsule as they were venting any air that rose from the bottom out through the top.
Inside the capsule green water bubbled softly as it worked to comfort the hedgehog that slept within. Wires reached down from inside the capsule and where attached to the hedgehog in various places, sending signals back to the computers that constantly monitored him all day and night.
"Maria." Gerald said, walking forwards. "I'd like to introduce you to Shadow."
Maria took a final look up at the sleeping Sonic and smiled. "See you again soon, I hope." She whispered. She then walked over to Shadow. Dr Gerald came up behind her.
"He's amazing, Grandpa."
"I know." Gerald agreed. "The Ultimate Lifeform." He mumbled.
"Pardon?" Maria said, turning to face him.
"Oh. Nothing dear." Gerald said in response. "Shadow here is almost ready."
"Ready for what?"
"Ready to be born." Gerald said simply. "Only a few more days and then he can protect the people of Planet Mobius once again, just as other hero's have done before him."
Maria stood there staring at Shadow. "Is he a hero, Granddad?" She asked.
"He will be." Gerald said, checking Shadow's vital signs on a computer.
She then looked behind her, back into the darker first room. "Then what is Sonic?"
Dr Gerald went to open his mouth, then closed it again. He had no answer. He had never really thought about that before. Shadow was being created to be the Ultimate Lifeform. A brand new hero in an ancient line of Chaos Champion's. But Sonic was just, well - he was just Sonic.
Gerald sighed. "I don't know, my dear. I just don't know."
"Isn't he going to be a hero too granddad?"
Gerald gave Sonic one last glance, then turned back to Shadow. He then looked down at Maria. "Come." He said, taking her hand. "Lets let them sleep." He said. He then walked with her out of the room. As they walked out of the main door, Gerald smiled. "Want to see a dinosaur, my dear?" He said. The door then closed behind them.
This story is a bit unlike any Sonic the Hedgehog story on fan fiction as it doesn't entirely star Sonic. Truth be told, it doesn't really star anyone particularly apart from Shadow, Dr Gerald and Maria. It can be classed as a very new look at Shadow's own origin story.
A LOT of credit has to go to Thalia 'Rock Chick' Evan's for the creation of this fic, as all of the 'Sonic' idea's in this story were thought up by her some time ago in 2002, when me and her where really good friends. All I really did was work my magic with her idea and this is the end product.
I expect review's from everyone, S'pecially you Starlet Angel, Max and the rest of the STC-Online and STC2 gangs. I know you've all ready read the story, but I'd really like a review from you as well Thalia.
Anyway, let's get going shall we.
TIMELINE: Set 50+ years ago in the past of Planet Mobius, aboard the space colony ARK. Everybody clear on that? Now lets get on with the story.
~* * * *~
Chapter 1: Conception.
Dr Gerald Kintobor sat at his desk writing away in his personal journals. He found that he'd been writing an awful lot these days, but then he did have an awful lot to write about.
Not to long ago he had been involved in a plan, thought up by some high and mighty green skinned humanoid called Lord Sidewinder.
Sidewinder's plan had involved the Chaos Emeralds, and obtaining them to empower him to the level of a living God. At least metaphorically speaking of course.
The plan had worked, but not know Sidewinder had planned. The power of the Chaos Emerald's fused with him, giving him the power he wanted, but because of the genetics of his body, the power caused him to separate into two separate lifeforms. One humanoid, while the other was some Chaos monstrosity.
The creature went on a vicious rampage, but just when all hope seemed to be lost help came in the form of the Chaos Champion, a creature that had was thought of as nothing but a legend, as it protected Planet Mobius for over 8000 years.
Dr Gerald sat back and smiled to himself as he remembered the Chaos Champion. His name had been Emerald, and surprisingly enough he had been a hedgehog, changed by the Chaos Energy that flowed within him.
Emerald, however, apparently met a demise in his final fight with the Sidewinder Chaos monstrosity, but not before Gerald managed to obtain a sample of his blood.
With the blood sample Gerald intended to continue the line of Chaos Champion's by creating the Ultimate Lifeform. A creature that could continuously benefit mankind with its power. However, it was easier said than done.
His first attempt at creating the Ultimate Lifeform met certain obstacles. Dr Gerald had found an ancient Mobian creature, that lived deep within one of the more unexplored rain forests, that wasn't much unlike a dinosaur (an extinct creature back on his home planet of Earth).
Deciding that nothing would really miss its absence, Gerald brought the giant reptile to ARK where he successfully spliced its own blood with some of Emerald's. Project Shadow had begun. The creature, which his colleagues mockingly called the Bio-Lizard, turned out to be a triumph of science, but it carried a few faults.
Though it showed considerable power, it was to big to be of any real use to mankind. It was slow and not nearly as agile as Emerald had been. But rather than abandon the project entirely, Gerald decided to assign it to sentry duty aboard the ARK.
It would protect the heart of ARK from invaders. And even if somehow Dr Gerald's plan was stopped, the Bio-Lizard would continue it. It would stop at nothing to achieve what Gerald had started.
After placing the 'Bio-Lizard' into suspended animation, where it would stay until needed, Gerald begun again. But this time he had decided to use a creature that was probably more suitable to Emerald's power. This time around, Gerald used a hedgehog.
Finding an abandoned hedgehog had proven no major difficulty and within a week Project Shadow was up and running again. However, Gerald wanted to make sure that everything would turn out perfect with his new creation, so he begun testing everything firsthand on a test subject before applying it to Project Shadow.
One such problem Gerald found in the test-subject was that the Chaos Energy within it was unstable, and Gerald feared that no matter how hard he tried to fix this flaw in his eventual Ultimate Lifeform, it was always going to be there.
Gerald new that without some sort of control mechanism his creation's power would still be a little unstable and too much Chaos energy would undoubtedly have the effect of magnifying it's negative emotions such as hate and anger, causing it to become uncontrollable.
The scientist knew that this would not do so he had started work on some sort of 'Control Ring' that could be worn by his creation. As of yet, however, he had no such luck building such a device.
Of course, if everything did ultimately go wrong with Project Shadow, he could always revert all his concentration to his test-subject. It had undergone every procedure that had been used on Project Shadow and had survived. It had the potential to be as powerful as Project Shadow was. Its only problem was whereas Project Shadow had only a small chance of becoming uncontrollable, the test-subject had 'No Control' written all over it. Its power level, though dormant, was dangerous and if it ever was used for evil, then almost nothing could stop it.
Dr Gerald sighed as he put his pen down on the table. What could be done with the test-subject. He couldn't just release it back onto Mobius, that could turn out to be disastrous. But he couldn't just leave it in suspended animation, it had to much potential to just bung it away somewhere.
Dr Gerald put the pen up to his mouth as he thought on what to do. "I suppose." He begun, moving the pen away from his mouth. "I suppose I could- !"
Just then a small tennis ball entered the scientist's room. It flew through the air and collided with a cup of tea that had been on his desk. The cup was knocked clean over and tea gushed all over the desk.
Gerald stood up as the tea stain steamed on his white shirt. "What in the- ?" He begun. He looked up and saw his granddaughter, Maria Kintobor. "Maria!" He growled.
Gerald stood tall and was stick-thin compared to his grandson, Ovi Kintobor, who seemed to have a little more meat on his bones. The elderly scientist wore a white lab coat, now stained by his spilt drink, and a bristling mustache that was a steel grey.
"Don't you take that tone with me, grandfather." Maria said. "You haven't spent anytime with me for at least the last three weeks. I believe you deserve that. All you've cared about is your precious 'Project Shadow.' I bet you were just writing about it again weren't you?"
Gerald looked down at his journal and gasped. The tea had seeped into it and had completely soaked the last couple of pages he had written. That wasn't as bad as it sounded though. He could write it all up again, but that wasn't what bothered him.
He looked up at his granddaughter and sighed out loud. She was right, of course. He had hardly spent anytime with her at all. And he was all she had aboard this Space Colony. Especially since Gerald had sent her brother, Ovi Kintobor, to one of the finest science school's on Mobius.
Maria had no Mother or Father as they had both met an untimely death after contracting a fatal disease. He had had no chance in saving his son, our daughter-in-law, and had been grieved by his loss. What made matters worse was Maria had also caught the disease, but Gerald had been content in not losing her to. He had worked hard to keep her alive at first, but finally he had come up with a cure. But it hadn't left her entirely healed.
The disease crippled her, severely weakening her physical body. But even with this Maria was still a young, loving girl. She was still filled with many hopes and dreams.
Gerald met his granddaughters gaze and smiled softly. "I'm sorry, my dear. I admit I have been wrapped up far to much in my work lately."
Maria nodded approvingly. "And?" She said, crossing her arms.
Gerald's smile widened. "And today I am not going to work at all. I'm totally yours."
Maria smiled. "You mean it?"
"Would I ever lie to you?" He said, putting his hands behind his back.
Maria grinned and ran forwards. She then jumped up and hugged her grandfather.
He chuckled and hugged her back. "Now! Now, don't get to excited. Your a lot more fragile than you used to be."
Maria smiled warmly up at her grandfather. "Grandfather."
"Yes, my dear."
"Can I see it?"
"See what?" Gerald asked, a little lost.
"Your Project Shadow, grandfather. Can I see what all the fuss is about?" She said.
Gerald looked down into her warm blue eyes and smiled. "Of course you can, my dear. Infact, I'll show you something else as well." He then looked down at his tea stained cloths. "But first I think I should get changed." He muttered.
* * * *
Far below the ARK colony on Planet Mobius, within a building that belonged to a military organization called G.U.N, the future was being discussed. And more importantly, the Kintobor families lack of place in it.
Generals, Major's even Captains sat at a long rounded table, in a dimly lit room. It was lit enough so that they could see where everyone else was sitting, but they could not see each other's faces.
"We cannot allow him to finish his Project." Said one man, as he banged his fist down on the table.
"And why not?" Said a second. His voice considerably calmer than the first man's.
"Why not! WHY NOT! Are you being serious man?" The first man replied. "Dr Gerald Kintobor is a serious risk to Mobius. This 'Ultimate Lifeform' he has been perfecting that he claims could benefit mankind, could easily be used against us. Who knows what it could be capable of!"
"I agree." A third voice in the dark said. "Though Gerald claims that his actions are pure, how do we know what he is really capable of? What his Space Colony can really do."
Something was flung onto the table. It was a blue folder. Everyone's attention turned to it. "This." A new voice begun. "This is proof of Gerald's intentions. I have found out that the ARK harvest's a weapon of mass destruction. A device called the 'Eclipse Cannon.' With this weapon Gerald has the potential to destroy every city on this planet, a blast at a time, until no one is left alive. I'm telling you gentlemen, the man is clearly evil."
There was a volley of whispers as the unseen faces begun to talk amongst themselves. But one voice spoke up above there others.
"He is not evil." The first voice said again.
"And what would you define as evil, Captain?" Asked a forth voice.
The appointed Captain sighed. "This meeting was called so we could asses the situation of ARK. How do we know that this really is a weapon? Why hold these meetings if no one listens to each other's opinion, General?" He asked slowly.
"We have listened and we agree." The second voice said.
"But I do not." The captain rallied.
There was short silence. Then.
"Your words have been noted, Captain. But our discussion stands." Said the General. His voice was calm, almost without emotion. It was the kind of voice that you didn't want to lead you into war.
"I will appeal!" The Captain said.
"And you will fail." Said the third voice. "Our discussion is made. The time to move is now. Dismissed."
With that the people that were present got up and left.
The Captain sat there.
"I'm sorry." The General begun. "But we must do what we feel has to be done."
The Captain looked up, anger in his eyes. "Then so must I." With that he got up and walked off into the darkness.
* * * *
Dr Gerald walked into a dimly lit room, holding the hand of his granddaughter, who trailed behind him.
Though the room wasn't to well lit, it wasn't dark either. Enough light was in the room so that you could see what you were doing. Of course, there was also another reason why the room was how it was.
"Why is it so dark?" Maria asked.
"Well, there are many reason's for it being dark. But the reason I'll give you." Gerald said, crouching down beside his granddaughter. He then looked away from her. "Is because it helps him to sleep."
Maria followed her grandfather's gaze all the way to a giant capsule. And inside it, amongst the darkness, Maria could just make out a floating, almost lifeless, body. "Wow!" She said, walking forward.
"I admit." Gerald said, standing back up and walking behind her. "That he isn't as magnificent as 'Project Shadow' but I thought he might get more than a 'Wow' from you."
"This isn't Shadow?" Maria said, staring up at the test subject.
"Shadow!? Oh you mean 'Project Shadow.' No. This isn't." Gerald paused, then smiled. "Shadow." Gerald made a mental note of the name. Children. He thought. What smart and helpful people they are.
"Then what is this hedgehog called? And what is he used for?" Maria asked, placing a warm hand on the cold exterior of the capsule.
"He - he doesn't have a name. I never saw any need to give him one. As for what he's used for, well - he's a test subject. I try everything on him before applying it to Shadow." Gerald then realized how bad that sounded. "But - he isn't in any pain or anything." He begun again. "If anything he's far from it. He's almost as perfect as-!"
"Sonic." Maria muttered, cutting off her Grandfather.
"Err. What?" Dr Gerald stuttered.
"Sonic." Maria repeated. "His name is Sonic."
Dr Gerald Kintobor stood there for a long period of time. He crossed one arm across his chest, and thoughtfully rubbed his chin. After a little longer he smiled. "Why Sonic?"
"Because it feels right, and what feels right must be good. Right, Grandpa?"
Gerald nodded to himself as he stared at the hedgehog in the capsule. Unlike Project Shadow, 'Sonic' still looked much like a hedgehog. His spines were arguably a golden brown, while his fur was a lighter brown. He wasn't that big either. If Gerald had to give him an age he'd have to say he was about 9. His features where still that of a child.
Gerald smiled at the sleeping hedgehog. "Hello Sonic." He said.
Gerald then looked down at Maria. He then went over to a computer terminal and pressed a button. Almost instantly the wall just behind Sonic's capsule raised, revealing a second room almost identical to the one he was in now. But this room was brighter than the first.
Maria peered in and almost instantly her eyes where drawn to the capsule that rose out of the ground almost in the dead center of the room. Purple metal girders rose out of the ground to hold it in place. A giant purple cylinder stretched down from the ceiling and attached to the top of the capsule as they were venting any air that rose from the bottom out through the top.
Inside the capsule green water bubbled softly as it worked to comfort the hedgehog that slept within. Wires reached down from inside the capsule and where attached to the hedgehog in various places, sending signals back to the computers that constantly monitored him all day and night.
"Maria." Gerald said, walking forwards. "I'd like to introduce you to Shadow."
Maria took a final look up at the sleeping Sonic and smiled. "See you again soon, I hope." She whispered. She then walked over to Shadow. Dr Gerald came up behind her.
"He's amazing, Grandpa."
"I know." Gerald agreed. "The Ultimate Lifeform." He mumbled.
"Pardon?" Maria said, turning to face him.
"Oh. Nothing dear." Gerald said in response. "Shadow here is almost ready."
"Ready for what?"
"Ready to be born." Gerald said simply. "Only a few more days and then he can protect the people of Planet Mobius once again, just as other hero's have done before him."
Maria stood there staring at Shadow. "Is he a hero, Granddad?" She asked.
"He will be." Gerald said, checking Shadow's vital signs on a computer.
She then looked behind her, back into the darker first room. "Then what is Sonic?"
Dr Gerald went to open his mouth, then closed it again. He had no answer. He had never really thought about that before. Shadow was being created to be the Ultimate Lifeform. A brand new hero in an ancient line of Chaos Champion's. But Sonic was just, well - he was just Sonic.
Gerald sighed. "I don't know, my dear. I just don't know."
"Isn't he going to be a hero too granddad?"
Gerald gave Sonic one last glance, then turned back to Shadow. He then looked down at Maria. "Come." He said, taking her hand. "Lets let them sleep." He said. He then walked with her out of the room. As they walked out of the main door, Gerald smiled. "Want to see a dinosaur, my dear?" He said. The door then closed behind them.