Trying something new! It'll just be a series of one-shots about Shadows Life on the ARK with Maria and Gerald. Let me know if you like it!
Grandpa was hiding something.
For the last week Maria's grandfather, Gerald Robotnik, had sequestered himself in the Prime Laboratory and hardily spent any time with her. She knew something was going on with his 'Project Shadow', but when she asked her grandfather about it he would just laugh and dismiss her- which irritated her to the point of tantrum. Tantrum wasn't just an emotion, though, she often used tantrums to get something out of her soft-hearted grandfather when other more rational methods weren't working… Alas, though, this secret was apparently too grand and special for him to tell her even after she had thrown herself to the ground in a red-faced fit.
She had to take matters into her own hands… And she planned to do just that.
The little 10 year old blond pattered down the hallways of the Ark Colony, bunny slipper slapping against cold steel and powder blue nightgown billowing around her ankles, in her hands she held a thermos of coffee. She was headed straight for the Prime Laboratory, where the 'Project Shadow' rested. This was, of course, a heavily guarded part of the facility… But it was a little less secure at night since most people were asleep and… Well… Midnight bandits were less of an issue out in space. At night, the security Cameras and a handful of guards were sufficient enough- that is why the little girl Maria chose to strike now. That and she knew the guard who was stationed at the Labs door well enough that she was sure he could be convinced to leave his post.
Maria smiled brightly and waved cheerfully as she approached this guard. "Hi Anthony!" She said brightly, giggling when Anthony expressed shock.
"Miss Robotnik? What are you doing up and about at this hour? Shouldn't you be resting?" He asked, pushing his helmet visor up to give her a concerned expression. Maria 'tsk'ed and shook her head, a little annoyed; Everyone always treated her like a ticking time-bomb… Well she'd show them a ticking Time-bomb.
"Oh, stoppit, I'm fine. Anyway, I brought you some coffee!" She said with an overly sweet smile, bouncing right up to his side and handing him the thermos with both hands. Anthony looked from Maria to the thermos, then smiled wearily.
"I… Thanks. You didn't have to do that- But… Thank you." He said, unsure of what this meant. Maria had a bit of a reputation of being sneaky.
"Sure I did! I heard you talking to grandpa, you said you didn't sleep well. I couldn't sleep so… oh..." Maria said, letting her eyes drift off with her sentence. She suddenly let out a long, drawn sigh, her body drooped and she clutched her chest with her hands. "...Ohh…" She moaned quietly, accompanying the moan with a few pants.
This stirred Anthony to his feet, scrambling around her like an agitated puppy.
"Ah-! Are you okay? You shouldn't have come! I'll carry you to the Medical wing!" The guard said frantically, leaning over to scoop her up. Maria, however, raised a hand to stop him.
"N-no- I'm just dizzy… I'll be alright in-in a minute…" She said with a deep sigh. "C-can I sit in your chair?" She asked meekly, looking up at him with almost tearful eyes. Anthony blinked, then nodded, assisting her to the chair and staring at her fearfully. Maria took a moment just to rest, then turned her eye back to Anthony, an apologetic expression on her face. "Would you… Please… Go get me a glass of water?" She asked in a small voice, clasping her little hands together like a beggar. Anthony had an almost electric reaction, nodding and straightening up.
"Yeah! Of course! I'll- I'll be right back!" He said, then spun around and jogged off down the hall. Maria watched him carefully as he went, face still stretched in exasperation.
However… As soon as the guard disappeared around a corner, Maria sprung up from the chair like a mischievous pixie and scampered over to the large lab door.
Maria smiled to herself as she dug through the pocket of her nightgown, searching for the keycard she stole from her grandpa's labcoat. Everyone always fell for the 'oh dear, I'm suddenly not feeling well!' card… She supposed because half the time it wasn't a trick… But whatever.
Maria reached up with her grandpa's key-card, swiping it in the lock and pulling the door open as she heard the click of admittance. She slipped in quietly, the door swinging closed behind her.
It should have been dark in the Prime Laboratory at this time of night; Only pinpricks of color would shine on the faces of great computing monoliths that stood like pillars throughout the room… But this time there was a great green brightness that filled the room, cutting shadows through the space. Maria blinked at this, feeling a bit more apprehensive than she had before. She stepped around the computing pillars to see a large tube filled to the top with incandescent green liquid- within the liquid she could just make out a form within, blurred by the brightness.
The last time she was here, her grandfather was showing her the little gekko he had made… He insisted it was an Ultimate Life-form, but she knew a gecko when she saw one! Either way… This didn't look like a gecko, and suddenly Maria found herself feeling a bit hesitant.
Perhaps her Grandpa didn't want to tell her what was here… Because he had made a monster? Maybe it was dangerous… She looked back at the door she came from, her little hands pulling at her skirt as she contemplated turning back. It didn't take long for her to decide she had already come too far to turn back- and she would be miserable if she didn't find out what was in that tube.
Gathering her courage, Maria took slow steps toward the tube, squinting in the green brightness. The figure in the tube slowly took shape as she approached- darker and darker, sharp spines reaching upward, strange shapes and inhuman limbs.
She blinked when she finally came close enough to the tube to touch it. It was… a Hedgehog? Maria reached out to touch the tube, bringing her body closer to examine the black and red animal. Wires stretched up from the form, Gold rings glimmered around its 4 extremities… This was grandpa's project? This was the Ultimate Life-form? Maria couldn't help but smile… It was pretty cute for an 'ultimate life-form'.
"Hello?" She said, tapping on the glass tube with her little finger- watching the Project like one would watch fish in an aquarium. The Hedgehog's ear flicked, then its eyes cracked open, bubbles floating up from out of its mouth as it raised its head to look at her.
The blond girl now pressed her nose against the glass, watching with great interest as the animal moved, smiling amusedly at its lazy expression.
"You don't look very smart!" She said with a short, bright laugh. The creature blinked Its eyes open wider, seeming as interested in her as she was in It… Then It smiled along with her, though the smile was tired and vapid. Maria felt a flutter of excitement at this reaction. "Ooh…" She gasping emphatically, sliding to her knees to watch the Project, hands pressed against the glass.
Project Shadow looked at both her little hands, then lifted Its own, pressing them against the inside of the tube to mirror hers, Its hands dwarfing hers by no small measure.
Maria looked from hand to hand, then back up to the hedgehog's face, humming thoughtfully. "Alright… You don't look like you know a lot… So I'll teach you a few things, okay?" She said to it, not even sure it could hear her.
"I'm Maria… And you can be… Shadow."