All respective characters belong to SEGA/Sonic Team, with the exception of Tekno the Canary, who belongs to Lew Stringer.
Chapter 1
The bright, angry sun unleashed its passionate heat upon the metallic exterior of a workshop.
This humid, near-scorching heat was something a certain mechanic, who inhabited this building in particular, was accustomed to.
Tekno wiped the sweat off her soft brow with her feathery arm.
"Another day in hell once again. . ." the frustrated apprentice thought, with her eyebrows grimacing.
Her ears caught the music of screeching cicadas, who would sing their songs continuously throughout the summer days.
The cries of cicadas and other insects of the near was yet another little thing young Tekno was used to.
She could feel the embracement of freedom from these small creatures, as well as the joyful people around her. She yearned, perhaps even lusted, for the eternal taste of sweet independence, despite knowing the reality of being not ready to explore life yet.
"You have been working mighty hard for the last few hours."
Tekno detected a warm, fatherly voice, driving her back to reality.
Her eyes snapped back open.
She had merely been day-dreaming, a bad habit that the girl had a tendency of doing.
Her body suddenly felt rigid like a statue. Her mouth began to open, as if unconsciously.
"Y-yes, Mr. Cliff." The mechanic in-training managed to stammer; at that moment, she regained control of her body, and with great impulse, rolled from under the car she was working on. And as if her eyes were the focused lens of a camera, she adjusted her sight on a dusty-furred porcupine, who Tekno referred to as "Cliff".
The elderly old-timer released a small chuckle, with a hint of a smile.
"Even after all these years. . . Anyway, how is the engine-tuning going?" Cliff said with familiar regard to Tekno, who was rubbing her eyes rapidly.
"Things are going great, sir. I was able to do some improvements to the engine, as well as the oil tank." Tekno, somewhat dazed, replied in a blunt manner.
"Fantastic! Now how about you relax yourself a little?"
"Y-yes, thank you. I will be finished with this car by the end of the day."
Suddenly, she felt a wave of dizziness hit her head and eyes with hard impact. Cliff suddenly became blurred and unrecognizable; not only her mentor, but her arms, her short-clad legs, and her oil-stained shirt. For an instant, she felt the world escape her grasp. She felt a moist tear fall from her face, as if she would never be able to experience the pleasures of her venturous heart. A wave of shadows swept over and drowned her, enveloping her vision with darkness.
"Darling, are you okay. . . okay. . . okay. . ." The comforting, compassionate voice of Cliff echoed through her mind. However, Cliff was only distant now.
"Tekno!"
The canary immediately felt someone shaking her body. With a sudden gasp of fresh air, her eyes returned to the beauty of ordinary life. All that filled her vision was the concerned, fearful face of the archeologist.
A slight pain in her head began to throb, however.
"Tekno! Are you alright?!" Tekno felt the anxiety in Cliff's voice. "Should we go to Doc Ginger?" She felt a warm embrace of an arm around her back.
Seething in another breath of air, she managed to speak.
"No-no thank you. My apologies. . . I seemed to have zoned out. . . but now I-I feel much better now." The now-relieved mechanic rubbed her temples with a tender gentleness.
The face of her teacher formed into a stern look.
"Tekno, for the number of years that I have raised and taught you, I can sure tell when you are lying through your teeth. You need a cup of water and a couple of days worth of rest. We will go to Ginger tomorrow morning."
The apprentice could only remain silent.