Hello anyone who reads this! Feedback would be great, as this is my first story. Please be nice, I will get better if it isn't a good story.
Chapter 1: Launch
Aboard Black Arms Space Station, Science Wing; Year 2505:
"Professor, with respect, do you really intend to send HIM back to that day? What if something goes wrong, or worse; what if it doesn't work?" asked one scientist to another. He had black eyes with greyish-black and red skin with small spikes along his back, shoulders, forearms, knees, and sides of his head. He wore black clothes that were slightly tattered and showed small holes and cuts along the arms and legs of the outfit. On his grey lab coat was a silver nametag that had "Dr. Talon, Subject ID #96858" engraved on it.
"What do you mean by that statement, child?! Are you questioning my genius, or should I remind you why I am the head of the science division? Have you forgotten who taught you what you know today?" exclaimed his colleague. The aggravated man was dressed in the same fashion, although his nametag was gold and had "Prof. Robotnik, Head of Science Division, Subject ID 96847" on it. His skin was a tan peach color with a somewhat large brown mustache and blue eyes; his physique slightly resembled that of an egg. He continued, "Respect the decisions of your superiors if you really want to make something of yourself, my boy. My decision to send him back to before Lord Black Doom was defeated by that accursed hedgehog, Shadow, is the precise reason this project was first created."
Talon looked at Robotnik in the dim light of the lab, thinking about what he just heard. There were three tables with smaller ones to the side of them, each with glistening tools for surgery or experiments, and a large island counter with various tools like microscopes, beakers, burners and such. Robotnik pulled up a nearby chair and sat in it sighing.
"You don't know what I'm talking about, do you boy?" he asked Talon. Seeing him confirm his suspicions with a nod, Robotnik sighed and began with a question. He asked "Do you know how you got here to the Black Arms Science Wing?"
"Now that you mention it Professor," Talon answered, "I don't know." His answer caused him to noticeably begin to worry. "I…I don't remember anything before I first came here!" He began to pant heavily getting scared, until Robotnik injected him with a bluish liquid in his arm and coaxed him to sit down. The shot caused him to instantly calm down and he sat down across from the professor and
"Easy, boy, or you'll burn out like the others," he said to him in a friendly tone.
Burn out? What does he mean by that? That was all on Talon's mind at the moment, so he looked in Robotnik's eyes and asked, "What do you mean 'burn out' and 'like the others'?"
Robotnik sighed again looking down. "Do you ever wonder what our Subject ID mean?"
Talon nodded.
"We were created at this facility, boy; you, me, and every other person in the entire station that has the ID on their nametag. We are experiments. Experiments don the grey metal tags, while special experiments have bronze tags, critically important ones wear silver, and silver-tag experiments that are given positions of importance, like me, have gold tags," Robotnik explained.
"Wait, we were 'created' here? Meaning that scientists here-"
"Made us using the cells of other people, yes," Robotnik interrupted.
"How long ago was a made…?" Talon asked somewhat dejectedly.
Robotnik sat back thinking for a minute, then responded, "I awakened you after you had finished your growing phase six months ago. You've been helping me with the Science Division's largest project ever since, though you didn't know it." Robotnik explained, "The cells that had been used to grow you were cultivated from the leading scientist of the science wing about two-hundred years ago."
Talon had been trying to process all the information that he had received. He thought for a moment, then asked, "Professor, whose cells were used to create you?"
"Hmm…" he thought and lifted his left arm. He tapped the watch and a square hologram appeared. "Search cellular database, codename 'Robotnik'," he said and the hologram showed a picture of a man who looked like the professor wearing a red jacket with black goggles on his head. "Records say that my cells came from a man from five-hundred years ago. His name was Professor 'Eggman' Robotnik, a robotic genius whose grandfather made Shadow with the help of Black Doom," he said. "This said he also is the one who awakened Shadow from stasis four years prior to Doom's downfall," Robotnik finished.
Talon thought long and hard regarding all that he has heard. Finally, he stood still facing the professor and asked the one question that has been on his mind for as long as he can remember. "Professor," he began, "why is this project so important that Black Arms had to clone more scientists to work on it?"
Robotnik tensed up hearing this, and look Talon in the eyes and answered in a dark and serious manner, "We are at war with the planet Earth." He then spoke to his watch again saying, "Search history database, codename Shadow." There was a pause, and then he began to read the reports. "Year 2001; Shadow is awakened by Eggman, who both activate the Space Colony ARK. Year 2005; Black Doom takes over Earth by bringing the Black Comet to Earth's surface and unleashing the Black Arms soldiers. Shadow kills Black Doom and used ARK's cannon to destroy the Black Comet," he finishes. "This project is to get revenge and possible stop the events of Doom's demise. Subject ID #96890, codename 'Razor' is the last of the experiments we intend to make. He is to be sent back in time to before the Black Comet is destroyed and stop Shadow. He is also to kill anyone in his way that attempts to stop him," Robotnik explained with a smile at the end.
"Okay so I understand everything now, but back to my concerns from earlier; what if it doesn't work? If it does work, then shouldn't Doom be alive today or at least lived beyond his encounter with Shadow?" Talon questioned.
"Time is a very complicated thing, son. For all we know, our time is the first to send him back with a message to do as we have done in this time zone, just to repeat our actions and send him again to that the loop continues," Robotnik explained as though it was simple.
"Well, is he ready? I'm just a clone after all; I might as well comply and finish what I was made for."
"Yes, he is ready, and your right. Let's finish this and send him to Doom for aid," Robotnik said somewhat downheartedly. "Onward to the other lab then, son; once we send Razor to Year 2005, we have to make preparations for plan B in case it is a failure, as you say."
Talon nodded and put his chair up along with the professor. "Of course, Professor Robotnik," he said smiling. "Lead the way."
Robotnik took the lead as they left the lab and head down the hall, passing other scientists and experiments on their way to the Technology and Robotics Wing. After a few minutes of walking, they came to a sealed metal door that had a hand scanner and keypad on the right. Above the door was a metal plate with the words "Project Razor" carved on it. Robotnik placed his hand on the scanner, and then typed something into the keypad. The door opened slowly with the loud sound of the door's hydraulics as it was responding to the open command given.
"Talon, this is your first time seeing him if I'm not mistaken, right?" Robotnik asked while facing him before walking inside.
"Yeah," he answered
Robotnik smiled and walked inside motioning for Talon to follow. "Welcome to Project Razor, Talon!" he loudly proclaimed with outstretched arms and a large smile.
The room was bright white with grey machines and computers covering the walls from corner to corner in the large square room. The computers were littered with different colors on the monitors that had several different kinds of equations on them. In the center of the room was a large glass cylinder and a metal pod inside it that had a black glass lid on it.
"Is that him…?" Talon asked in wonder. He was awestruck from the technology in the room, as well as the twenty or so scientists all hard at work preparing for the project to commence.
"That he is Talon; Subject ID #96890, Razor the Hedgehog. He is an artificial life form we created, much like Gerald and Black Doom made Shadow," the professor said smiling. He walked over to the nearest scientist and asked, "Are we ready to begin?"
"Yes professor, final calculations have been entered into the machine. All we need is your permission," answered the scientist.
"Good job, son," he told the scientist, who in turn smiled and went back to his work. He then turned and exclaimed loudly to the rest of the staff in the room, "Excellent work everyone! Five-hundred years ago, Shadow killed our beloved leader. However, he did not kill all of the Black Hand, and we rebuilt our forces in secrecy for all of these years. We even mastered the science of cloning and used it to recreate the greatest minds of history to work for our cause!"
At this, the scientists cheered loudly, which caught Talon off guard. He continued to watch Robotnik give his speech. "Today is the day that our hard work is rewarded! Today, we send Razor to our Lord so that he may retain his leadership of the many worlds he had before his untimely demise!" Another cheer, then the professor concluded his speech, "Now, RESTRAIN HIM!" he shouted pointing at Talon.
At this, Talon was instantly terrified and tried to run. He turned and dashed for the exit only to find that the door was already closed. Three scientists came up to him and grabbed him by the waist and arms. He tried with all his strength to kick and punch his way out, but was ultimately stopped and strapped on a table that is inside the glass cylinder to the right of Razor's pod with his arms and legs clamped down at the wrists and ankles along with a clamp around his waist and neck to that he could not move at all. A nearby scientist then cut his shirt open to expose his chest and stomach.
"WHAT IS GOING ON?!" Talon demanded, in which the professor walked up to his left side.
"Quiet now, boy. It will all be over soon," he said calmly to the boy strapped to the table.
"Why, Robotnik? What are you doing?" Talon asked with tears in his eyes as his mind began to reel with possible outcomes. "I thought we were friends."
Robotnik looked at the floor with a grim expression. "We are, Talon," he said, "however, we are just clones. Therefore, we are expendable. And you," he pressed the index finger of his right hand against Talon's chest, "are the most important clone in the room, with the exception of Razor."
Talon was on the verge of crying and was trying to think of a way to buy some time before what the other scientists were planning on doing could commence. He asked, "What do you mean 'I'm the most important'? And I thought Razor was an artificial life form, like Shadow, that's what you said right?"
Robotnik smiled again and answered, "Your right, I did say that. However, his cells were cultivated from three heroes from five-hundred years ago. Their names are Sonic, Silver, and Shadow the Hedgehog." After learning this, Talon was completely shocked. "That's right, boy. Razor has the powers of all three of these heroes, and none of their weaknesses. Speed, Chaos, immortality, and Telekinesis; Shadow was the ultimate life form, but Razor is the PERFECT life form!" Robotnik then began to laugh and loud and diabolic laugh that chilled Talon's bones.
"You still didn't answer my other question; what do I have to do with this?" Talon asked still stalling, hoping the professor would decide to release him; and hopefully to learn why he was strapped to the table in the first place.
Robotnik, still smiling, took from a table near by a gun-shaped tool with a needle and vial on it. "You see, Talon, the energy of Chaos is like a battery. If it is not used after a certain period of time, it begins to die and will eventually go out. Razor's natural Chaos energy is like a drained battery; he has been in stasis for so long that the energy has depleted. At the moment, he is a normal hedgehog with great potential," he explained to all present, as he was the only one who knows anything about the power of Chaos. "You, my boy, have the power of Chaos inside of you, whether or not you know it. The scientist who you were cloned after had a connection to Chaos and could utilize it like Shadow. He could summon the ability 'Chaos Control' on a whim without the need of a Chaos Emerald. You too have this ability, since you are him in a sense. The liquid I injected you with earlier was to make all of your Chaos energy that is scattered evenly throughout your body accumulate near the bottom of your rib cage, which is where your main Chaos reserves are."
At the mention of this, a small bump appeared in the location described. Talon began to put two and two together and asked, "Is that my…my Chaos reserves?"
The scientists gathered around the glass walls observing in awe at the scene, and Robotnik laughed again and answered, "Yes, and now it will go into this vial I have. But first, I need to take some safety precautions." He then pressed a button on the table Talon was strapped to and three needles on the wrist and ankle braces stabbed into him down to the bone. "The needles are down to the bone. They are for in case you somehow call upon the Chaos reserves before I can extract it. It will redirect whatever you try to do into a tank on the other side of Razor's pod. It will then be used to fuel him even more," the professor explained.
Talon did not hear him though, as he was screaming at the pain he was experiencing with all his lungs might, and the professor stood unshaken as though nothing had happened. His hands and feet trembled from the excruciating pain, which made it hurt all the more. Tears ran down his face as blood began to pour slowly from the wounds.
"Stop your wining, kid; it's only going get worse from here," the professor stated coldly. "You see, everyone who is touched with Chaos needs it to survive; like a drug addict feels the need to take more and more of whatever their addicted to. The difference here is that unlike drug addicts, those with Chaos actually NEED it to live; without it, they die on the spot." He then injects the needle into the now two inch wide lump and pulled the trigger on the tool. The vial then filled to the brim with bluish-black liquid as it was forcefully pulled from Talon's reserves. Robotnik pulled the needle out and detached the vial and held it up for all to see. "Behold, the power of Chaos!" he shouted as the scientists began to cheer and applaud the professor for his work.
However, there was still a small amount of Chaos still inside of Talon. He was barely conscious, but somehow called upon the energy and whispered one little phrase; "C…Chaos…Control…"
Robotnik heard him, but it was too late. Talon lit up from his reserve to the rest of his body slowly to the point that everyone present had to look away. The professor shouted, "NOOOOOO!" as he slammed his fist towards Talon's chest to try and stop him, but instead hit the empty table. Robotnik stormed around to find that the tube that was to cable that was to connect the table to the pod and redirect the Chaos energy was not plugged up. Furious, he turned to the glass and roared, "WHO DID NOT CONNECT THE TABLE TO THE POD?!"
Not a soul responded, as they were all a mix of scared towards the professor and surprised that Talon escaped. Robotnik chose to ignore their silence and demanded, "Well don't just stand there like you have nothing better to do, find him and kill him! I want every person in this room to go and look for him; meanwhile I will send Razor back before something else could go wrong."
The scientists scrambled out of the lab more out of fear than determination to find the escaped prisoner. "So Talon, you think you can escape so easily from me?" Robotnik said to himself as he was typing on the keyboard. He hit a green button and the vial of Chaos began to empty into Razor's pod where it began entering his body through needles placed on his wrists and chest, sparking his own Chaos reserves back to life. "I have the blood of an evil genius coursing through my veins," he continued while looking at a monitor that showed Razor's Chaos flow spreading evenly as it should, "and now my greatest creation is showing signs of life as well. Now is the time for me to do as I intended to do with Razor from the beginning."
Robotnik opened the programming file used to give Razor all of his knowledge such as how to use his powers along with a list of his allies and enemies. He also changed the date of when Razor is to teleport from 2005 to 2013. "There, right after Eggman's most recent failure. You think having time at your fingertips would have made him unstoppable; but instead he chose to let the annoying hedgehog Sonic live rather than kill him from the start. Sometimes I just don't understand that man, but I can't talk seeing as I am him cloned," he shrugged and began typing again. "I will make the friends of Sonic his enemies and make Sonic, Shadow, and Silver his greatest nemeses. I will also make the group known back then as G.U.N. an enemy and make Eggman his only ally. Hopefully with this powerful ally, Eggman can finally succeed; I wouldn't want myself to lose again, now would I?" he asked himself, in which he responded with another laugh and pressed a red button.
Razor's pod then began to glow green; dim at first but slowly became brighter to where Robotnik had to look away. There was a loud warping sound as the pod vanished in a flash of green light. "Have a good future, Dr. Eggman," Robotnik said with an evil smile.