75000 LY - 23.0 KPC
Somewhere outside the Andromeda Galaxy,
Within the quiet void of space, a moment of light emerges from darkness, and two shapes eject from a vortex at immeasurable speeds. The smaller vessel, built for quick turns and fast recovery, pulls up close to the other vessel—a larger, heavier model, attempting to overtake it. The heavier vessel turns, trying to ram the other, as it forces the smaller craft to dive, regaining its bearings at the cost of its thrust.
Righting itself, the larger vessel presses forward, taking back the lead, as both vessels continue their race against a blur of stars.
Inside the smaller craft, alarms blare, as the pilot configures its systems, pushing the craft faster against the forceless void.
The larger craft starts pull away, and the pilot curses, quickly typing a frequency into their computer. A green "CALL" button lights up on the dash, and as the pilot waits for the call to connect, they push the small craft farther beyond its limits, struggling to keep pace with the larger model.
An open channel appears on the screen, and the pilot releases a breath in relief. Keying the correct codes, the pilot begins speaking into their helmet's receiver.
"THUNDERBIRD, this is G.U.N Prison Interceptor XJ-32, requesting immediate emergency backup. Do you read, THUNDERBIRD?"
A few minutes pass, and the pilot double checks the frequency, before attempting again.
"THUNDERBIRD, this is G.U.N Prison Interceptor XJ-32, requesting immediate emergency backup. Please respond, THUNDERBIRD!"
A pause, then—
"THUNDERBIRD here, what's your situation, XJ-32?"
The pilot almost laughs in relief.
"THUNDERBIRD, I am currently in pursuit of escaped criminal X01445-Q3, Dr. Ivo Robotnik."
"Copy that, XJ-32. Can you send us coordinates?"
"Yessir," The pilot replies, "I've last recorded him heading for southern space, just outside the Andromeda galaxy at 68875 LX, 16.4 KPC."
Another pause, and the pilot watches their screen flicker with information, as coordinates transfer to the military flagship.
"Alright XJ-32, the closest enforcers are 40 clicks north, accelerated space—please throttle back and await response at your location. Do you copy?"
"I can't pull out now!" The pilot exclaims, "I have Dr. Robotnik on radar, sir. If I throttle down now, we could lose his position entirely!"
"That's an order, XJ-32!"
"Negative, THUNDERBIRD, I'm not losing him again! Not after Artemis!"
"Dammit XJ-32, You'll get yourself killed! Are you listening? XJ-32—"
The pilot cuts the channel, and keying into their computer, the pilot logs their radar out of discovery mode, switching all systems to stealth pursuit. It was a risky decision, but the pilot knew that by the time backup arrived, Dr. Robotnik would be long gone from this sector of space, and likely undiscoverable by any star-map.
The Doctor was slipperier than an eel, and twice as slimy. The pilot didn't want to risk losing him off radar. If it meant they had to pursue him alone, then so be it.
Throttling their engines, the pilot pushes their craft to the break of its limitations. The force of the artificial gravity pushes against the pilots body as they force every last ounce of their energy into keeping stride with the Doctor.
You can't escape me Robotnik! Not this time!
The pilot pushes harder, but just as their vessel matches pace with the Doctor's, the unthinkable happens.
A star collapses.
The sudden burst of light is blinding, and the pilot turns away from the brilliant terror, as a wave of energy ripples across the void, throwing both crafts with the force of its intensity.
The pilot recognizes a moment of consciousness, where it feels like this is happening in slow motion, and as their vessel tumbles with the ripples of energy, the pilot becomes aware that they were going to die.
"You'll get yourself killed!"
It hadn't been the first time they've heard those words.
A strange weightlessness overtakes the pilot, and feelings of air and displacement wisp past their senses.
"You'll get yourself killed!"
Not before Robotnik.
Farther and Farther, they plunge. The pilot can feel a pressure against their body—a breath of fresh air. Then nothing.
And all feels right with the world.
75000 LY - 23.0 KPC
Planet Mobius - South Island
On the sparkling coast of South Island, a certain blue hedgehog was enjoying the quiet calm of his island paradise.
Stretching his arms over his head, the sleeping hedgehog sighed in contentment. Slowly, green eyes open as they watch the golden colors of twilight dance on the horizon. He yawns deeply, sitting up from his hammock to scratch at his spines.
Smiling, Sonic takes a moment to listen to the music of the forest, as the sounds of nature bathe the hedgehog in a calm serenity.
Growl.
Blinking, Sonic looks down, and stares dumbly at his stomach.
Oh that's right. He hadn't eaten since morning.
Embarrassment coloring his muzzle, the hedgehog chuckles to himself, then turns his attention to the absence of his two-tailed friend. Confused, he checks the coast for the familiar form of the fox-kit.
"Tails, you out there?"
Ears perked, Sonic waits for a response, but receives none.
The hedgehog raises a brow in concern, and tries again. When he receives no reply, the hedgehog shrugs and flops back down on his hammock.
No worries. Sonic was perfectly content to continue his nap while he waits for the pup's return.
Sonic was barely back asleep, when the shaking starts. One green eye cracks open, quickly following the other as the vibrations increase. The blue hedgehog furrows his brow and sits back up again, preparing to yell at whomever was shaking his palm trees.
"Tails, if that's you, I swear—"
A grating scream pierces the sky; jarring the hedgehog mid-sentence.
Looking up, Sonic catches the flash of a bright light—so bright, it turns night to day for a brief second, before exploding into millions of beautiful shards of glass.
Sonic watches helplessly as the pink-hued sky turns a bloody red, and the glittering glass shards suddenly burst into fire, plummeting down like burning stars.
Then—a sudden burst of wind impacts the land, throwing Sonic backwards by the strength of its gale. He hits the base of a tree, and finds himself trapped against its body for several minutes. Slowly, the wind dies down, and with it—the hedgehog feels like he can breathe again.
Pulling himself back up, Sonic winces, as the feeling in his muscles felt like chunks of lead hanging off his skin.
The hedgehog tries to take a step forward, but falls to the ground again. He rolls over in time to see the bottom of a paw, as it nearly impacts his face. Sonic faints to the right and rolls over again, catching the end of a large heard of animals running from the tree line.
"Hey! Wait a minute!" Sonic call backs, but they didn't listen, and as the frenzied and terrified creatures continue to extricate themselves from the forests foliage, Sonic curls into a ball, trying but failing to protect his body from their trampling limbs.
With the last of the animals herding from the forest, Sonic attempts to push his battered body off the ground. Pain radiates his body, but the hedgehog forces himself to stand. Looking to the sky, Sonic stares in wonder as glittering shards of fire rain down upon the land.
What on Mobius is going on?
Momentarily, the hedgehog reminds himself of stories he was told as a child; about skies falling and worlds ending.
Both the brilliance and terror of the spectacle shakes the hedgehog to his core, and with eyes wide he feels true fear begin to bubble deep within him.
No!
Shaking his head, the hedgehog clears his mind, and instead concentrates on a plan of action. With eyes narrowing, the hedgehog looks toward the burning sky again and makes a decision.
Closing his eyes, the hedgehog breathes… once, twice, then crouching low, Sonic braces his body for a sprint.
Above him, a large burning mass plummets to earth, around him, the cries of animals echo through the night; but Sonic does not stir. He concentrates on his breathing—in and out; in and out. As Sonic centers himself, thoughts of Tails surface in his mind, but now was no time to welcome feelings of doubt, so with a heavy heart, Sonic banished his best friend from his mind, welcoming the path of energy as it made itself known to him.
Slowly—Sonic picks up his heels. He feels the flow of energy, as it passes through him. Stepping into its path, the hedgehog thrusts himself forward, swinging with the momentum of his lunge, as the G-forces snap him forward like a slingshot—
—And in the blink of an eye, the speedster rips through the coastline, parting sand and forest in his wake.
Sonic runs like the wind; like air moving between space and time. Effortlessly, the blue blur shifts between matter and dimension. His speed increases, and Sonic feels apathy consume him, as his interest in realty melts with the bleeding of colors surrounding him. Here, he exists beyond shape or depth—where only the feeling of boundlessness lay before him.
Sonic follows the path of falling stars, leading him through ruined forests and burning fields. He recognizes the mountain before him, and when the burning mass makes impact, he braces against the aftershock as it blows both rock and ash down the cliff-face.
Excitement ripples through the hedgehog as he nears the summit. Running has always had a profound influence on him, and likewise Sonic is quick to temper his emotions, as he focused on the biological protocols needed to decelerate safely.
Slowing to a stop, Sonic hacks and covers his mouth. Around him, fire and smoke choke the atmosphere, burning the land and covering it in a black veil of ash.
Sonic tries to walk past the smoldering ground and immediately stops—before him, the structure looms—dwarfing the smaller hedgehog in a shadow of smelting metal.
Cautiously, Sonic nears, and notices strange designs decorating the exterior of the mass. Curious, he steps closer, raising a gloved hand to its surface.
For a brief moment, the contact felt cool, pleasant even, and then—
Sonic screams, ripping his hand from the wall.
He examines his palm, and discovers the fabric is partially burnt off, and the skin beneath is both red and swollen.
Smart move, blue wonder.
Rolling his eyes, the hedgehog bends down, and rips a piece of cloth from his socks. He ties it around his hand. Afterword, Sonic curls his fingers, and grits his teeth at the sting of the burn.
"Well it ain't perfect," he muses, "—but it'll have to do."
A strange sound emerges from within structure, and Sonic jumps, watching as the wall where he placed his hand slowly splits in two, revealing a dark corridor within.
"Well hey, if they're gonna open the door for me—" Sonic jokes, and tucks his arms behind his head, smiling, and walks through the corridor.
Once inside, Sonic fumbles, and blindly feels around the dark space for leverage. As he moves about the room, something trips the hedgehog, and scrambling for purchase, Sonic grabs onto the first thing he can feel—and pulls. A loud screeching noise rips through darkness a second later.
"What's going on!" Sonic screams, clamping his hands over his ears. "—And how do I make it stop!"
Behind him, a screen flickers to life, scrolling with code. A beeping can be heard in the distance, following a release of gears, as a second doorway opens before the blue hedgehog.
Sonic watches as strips of blue light illuminate the floor, leading deeper into the strange structure.
The hedgehog hesitates a moment, considering his options, then runs through the doorway, escaping the obnoxious noise. He crosses the threshold, and jumps when the doorway closes on him, nearly chopping off his tail in the process.
Inside, the room is oddly silent, and breathing in relief, Sonic releases his ears.
A large dome shaped object sits at the center of the room; a network of black corded tubing stretches out from the dome, covering the floor and ceiling.
Taking hesitant steps toward the dome-like structure, Sonic peers inside . A thick glass panel obscures the interior from the hedgehog's intrusive gaze, preventing Sonic from making out any details.
Curious, Sonic places a hand upon the glass, feeling a low hum ripple from the object to his palm.
"What is this place?" the hedgehog whispers, and turns his gaze next to the dome. Beside it sits a large panel, and at its center, a red light flashes; casting an crimson glow against his blue face.
Curiosity guiding his hand, Sonic presses the glowing panel—then, quickly jumps back when the cords beneath his feet begin to rumble.
A vacuous noise penetrates the room, as one by one, the cords disconnect from the dome.
The last cord falls to the ground, and Sonic watches as a white smoke emerges from the dome as the glass-top begins to open. When it passes, Sonic walks closer, trepidation rising with the beat of his heart.
Slowly, Sonic bends over, peers inside, and screams.