Mobian Legends Prologue/SatAM Episode 26: The Doomsday Machine, Part II
Story is (c) 2004-2008 John CoonFox, SethLeopard, and SallyGirl
SatAM Sonic characters are (c) 1992-1994 DiC Entertainment
Archie characters are (c) 1993-2008 Archie Comics Publications
Sonic The Hedgehog is (c) Sega/Sonic Team 1990-2007
Snively Fox is (c) "Spug" ("spug at dirtybaka dot com")
Bookshire Stormfire Draftwood is (c) 1994-2008 "Serinthia and Bookshire Draftwood" ("serinthia at foxcoon dot com")
SatAM Research and story: SallyGirl
Chief Writer: MetaLeopard
Writer: John CoonFox
- - - - - -
Timeline: June 14, 3235 - Doomsday
- - - - - -
Prologue - Only One Chance
Note: To fully understand some aspects of this story, the reader should be familiar with Sonic the Hedgehog episode "Sonic and Sally".
The thunder rumbles as the dark storm clouds hang low in the sky, over the polluted city of Robotropolis. A familiar blue streak flies along the desert floor between the city and the Great Forest. The sky is an eerie brown-red as the storm rolls in, shortly after sunset. The air is filled with the stench of pollution and static electricity.
Sonic runs quickly towards the city with Sally in his arms. They both know their planet is dying from Doctor Robotnik's over-pollution and world-conquering techno-terror, and this may be their only chance to finally put an end to him and save it. Robotnik's Doomsday Machine is not just a threat to their way of life, but their very lives. It is mass-producing Destroyer Pods and is sending them all over the planet via subterranean tunnels, creating them on assembly-lines by the thousands.
"We're almost to Robotropolis. I hope we have enough ammo to take that thing out." Sonic says as he runs, passing destroyed smaller buildings in the outer suburbs of their once proud city.
"It should be, and if not, we're in deep trouble, Sonic." The princess replies. Sonic runs through the cluttered and deserted streets of the robot-patrolled city, still a far way off from what is left of Downtown Robotropolis.
"Sonic, we have company!" Sally says to her hero, noticing a swatbot patrol craft hovering towards them. Sonic hides in an alley as it passes. "Too close for comfort." The two furs think to themselves.
"We're almost there. I'd say now is our last chance to turn back and re-think the plan." Sonic says looking around the corner, noticing the coast is clear.
"We can't turn back, Sonic. If we do, then we've doomed the entire planet." Sally tells her friend. Sonic smirks at hearing that, knowing what Sally means.
"Then let's rock and roll." He says, picking her back up, running towards the center of the city, where Robotnik's command center is.
The City looms off in the distance; its gleaming towers are visible against the red-brown-black sky, stormy and distorted from all the pollution as the sun sets low in the skies. Darkness falls as our two heroes run deeper into the city, undetected so far from the spy surveillance camera network, thanks to Sonic's uncle for disabling everything without being spotted.
"This looks way worse than I thought. It kinda stings my lungs to even breathe the air here." he says, coughing a bit.
"I know. The pollution is taking its toll on everything. Even more of a reason to take the Doomsday machine out of commission before the whole planet is wiped out." Sally replies as she holds on tight to Sonic, watching the streets and buildings whip by at over two hundred kilometers per hour.
"All we need to do is find it, and I'll put those bombs in my backpack to use." The blue blur says, making a mental note and reminding the princess of their goal.
They run for a little while through the city streets, strewn with wreckage and rubble, before coming to a "clearing", which was basically a deserted parkland turned into launching pads and landing strips, with a huge building in the center. Sonic stops dead in his tracks as he looks at the building, gently putting Sally on the ground. She stands next to him, in awe.
"Oh... my... god... that can't be it... It's bigger than what our spies thought." She whispers.
"It's incredible... We just need to find a way inside." Sonic agrees.
Princess Sally whips out her hand-held computer assistant "NICOLE".
"NICOLE, is there a way inside without setting off security alarms or being caught?" She asks.
"Processing now, Sally." The handheld computer replies. NICOLE scans the perimeter and building schematics, giving a three-dimensional holographic layout-map, including two dots of where they are. NICOLE then comes to a conclusion to Sally's query.
"Negative. The only way inside is to disable the security consoles." It says.
"Where the heck are they?" An annoyed and impatient Sonic asks.
"In the vast sewer network below the city. You can sneak in with just two disabled, but they are located here, and here." NICOLE says as it shows a map of the city's sewer, subway, and tunnel network. One is under the blue egg-shaped building, which is Robotnik's headquarters, and the other is near their current location, just fifty meters to the south at the face of the building. Sonic paces slowly as he thinks.
"I think I can sneak in and disable those two. How long will they be down for once I destroy them?" NICOLE replies, but the news isn't too pleasing.
"Anywhere from two to ten minutes at the most." Princess Sally says as she goes over her plan in her mind. "That doesn't give us much time. It looks like Robotnik's learning from his past mistakes..."
"Yeah, but we don't have time to compliment 'buttnik for having the intelligence of an ant. Let's get moving." He says and then runs off towards the first security console. Some swatbots approach, sensing the two heroes in action. Princess Sally sees the swatbots approaching.
"I'll disable the console. I need you to lure the swatbots away." She tells Sonic, seeing a laser shoot and hit the wall near her. Sonic nods.
"No problem." he replies as he runs off and distracts the security swatbots.
"Hey, heavy metal-heads! Over here!" He shouts, aiming a makeshift sling-shot at them. They turn his way and he launches a bag full of metal-eating acid-powder that Rotor made, right at them. They fall to the ground and short circuit, starting to corrode and rust already, powered down from failure. Princess Sally continues working on the console with NICOLE, disabling it and scrambling its coding. Sonic comes back after he destroys the security robots.
"Think we can get in with just this one down?" Princess Sally shakes her head.
"We need both down, because this one only allows access inside. The second one guards the machine's core. I managed to get this one down, but we need to hurry to the next one." "Say no more." Sonic says as he picks her up and runs off towards the second security console.
They find a sewer cover on the other side of the gates and open it, crawling down as they sneak into the sewer tunnels. They immediately find the second security control system. Sally looks around, and then cautiously walks up to it. She starts to disable the security system for the core.
"I wonder why this one was so unguarded..." She ponders to herself as she and NICOLE work on unscrambling the system.
"Decoy, maybe? Or maybe Robotnik's slipping..." Sonic says, half-joking, half-serious.
"I'm more worried of an ambush." the princess says in reply.
They wait a second, before seeing it work.
"Bingo!" Sally says to herself.
As if triggered by the security shut-down, two swatbots enter the sewers, and immediately fire at Sally and Sonic.
"Priority One: Capture Hedgehog." One of the swatbots says, as it fires at Sonic.
"I'll take care of those butt-bots, Sally." He says, jumping towards the SwatBots.
The blue hedgehog makes quick work of the two robotic soldiers, disabling them with a powerful kick which damages their internal circuitry.
"Problem solved." He says, dusting his hands off as he stands atop the two destroyed robots.
"Alright. Now we're back on track." Sally says as Sonic picks her up.
"Next stop: Doomsday." Sonic says as he runs through the sewers.
The two Freedom Fighters crawl out of the sewer as they arrive at the Doomsday Machine, just a couple of city blocks from Robotnik's Headquarters. The building is like a very tall cone, standing roughly seventy-nine floors tall. It is a huge, multi-layered assembly-line, with some Destroyer Pods flying out into the city, while the rest of them leave the building in underground tunnels, to re-emerge all over the planet.
"Sal, this is it. Do, or die. I just want you to know in case we don't make it out... I love you." Sonic holds Sally's hand with his own, looking at his girlfriend's eyes. Sally looks into Sonic's eyes in return, holding it firmly.
"I love you too, Sonic." She replies to him.
"Sal, maybe you should head back to Knothole. This is too dangerous for you. It's best if I go alone." Sonic says, holding her hands.
"If I'd be anywhere during your finest moment, it's your side." She smiles at him. He smirks.
"Alright! Let's go level that sucker!" Sonic cheers.
"NICOLE? Where are the best places to place the bombs?" Sally asks her computer.
"Those places would be here, Sally." NICOLE shows it another hologram, this time of the Doomsday Machine. Sally places NICOLE back in her pocket as Sonic picks her up, running towards the Doomsday Machine. Sally and Sonic drop bombs off in selected places around the base of the factory and through it at pre-determined places, as NICOLE tells them to.
The two intrepid heroes make it to the top floor of the building, when he is captured with Sally inside a small diamond-glass dome. Sonic hits his head, being stopped suddenly. Sally gets up and helps Sonic as Robotnik enters.
"So, hedgehog. Did you think you slipped in here unseen? I watched your every move." He says to his adversary from the other side of the diamond glass.
"You're going down, fat man! Just wait and see!" Sonic growls, as he tries to spin-dash his way out.
Princess Sally pounds on the glass a couple of times.
"You are truly despicable, Robotnik." She says, very scornfully. Robotnik takes a step back.
"Thank you, princess. However, I have better accommodations for you." He chuckles as he presses a button, watching them being sucked down a pipe into a containment room. Sonic lands on the floor quite roughly, rubbing his head as he gets up.
"Ow...where are we?" he asks, looking around. Princess Sally looks around the room they are trapped in.
"I don't know..." Sonic says, and then realizes a harsh fact.
"Sally, I just remembered, we only have one of the Power Stones. Where is the other one? Does Tails have it?" he asks. Sally shakes her head.
"I don't think he does. We wouldn't be that lucky. I think Robotnik has it." She says.
"Which means, it would be very heavily guarded." Sonic says to himself. Just as they quiet themselves, some swatbots walk in, lead by Snively.
"Alright, you two. Freeze." he says in his normally nasal voice. The swatbots aim their guns at them. "How do we get out of this one?" Sonic whispers to Sally. Sally walks closely behind Sonic, looking at every possible item and object in the room.
"I'm thinking..." Sonic and Sally start to get a bit nervous as they are lead closer to the roboticizer.
"Doctor Robotnik will be so pleased with this." Snively says as he dials his room on the communication computer. Sally waits a few seconds, "Now!" She shouts as she performs a drop-kick on a swatbot, while Sonic saws one in half. Snively notices the little rebellion, and shouts into the communication microphone.
"Security breach! Sector 4! All swatbots attack!" He presses an alarm as Sonic runs to a vent and opens it, holding out his hand for Sally, pulling her in with him.
"Let's go. I have the feeling we're not welcome here." The blue blur tells Sally in front of Snively, sarcastic as usual. Sonic runs off through the sewer and subway system underneath the ground of Mobotropolis, before hopping out through a vent, and reaching knothole a few minutes later. Once there, they are greeted by their friends. Antoine is the first to approach them.
"Did you two succeed in destroying zee doomsday machine?" He asks. Sonic shakes his head, much to the Freedom Fighters' disbelief.
"We were captured before we could take it down." Princess Sally can only add to the bad news.
"We also discovered that Robotnik has the other power Stone." She says.
"Alors! Can he be stopped?" The French coyote asks.
"I honestly don't know. Without the Power Stones, I doubt we can." Tails walks up with Rotor.
The little kitsune was just full of questions.
"You want me to go and scout the city for the power stones?" Tails asked.
Sonic, while proud of his little "brother's" enthusiasm to help, cannot let Tails venture into harm's way.
"No way, T2. That city is way too dangerous. Especially since the doomsday machine's come online. We barely escaped from being roboticized earlier." He replies.
Princess Sally rummages through their backpacks, finding precious few supplies, along with Sonic's Power Ring almost out of its energy.
"I'll get our power stone, Sonic. You and Rotor get a power ring. We'll need it." She tells them.
"You two went into Robotropolis without a spare power ring or the stone?" Rotor asks, quite surprised.
"We were scouting to see how heavily guarded it was." Sonic replies. Rotor nods his head.
"Hmm." He muses.
They hear Bunnie running in the distance.
"I'll be right back. I'll get you guys a ring." Tails says, as he runs off towards the Power Ring pond.
Tails returns a few minutes later.
"We'll man the fort here." Rotor says, saluting Sally and Sonic.
"And we'll go take out the Doomsday Machine." Sally says. Tails then returns with a golden glowing ring.
"You can't go without a ring." he says, passing it to Sally.
"Thank you, Tails! You've been such a big help!" She congratulates the blushing fox pup. All the Freedom Fighters, Dulcy and Tails included, put all their paws together.
"For Freedom, For Our King, and for our Forest!" They all cheer before parting.
Sally and Sonic return towards Mobotropolis. Sally is a bit quiet as she runs, as if she's concentrating on something.
"Sal... are you alright?" Sonic asks her. "Yeah. I'm fine, Sonic. It's just... well, my Father..." She answers.
"...is going to be freed right after we nail ol' 'Buttnik." He says as he pounds one fist into another. "Sally, I swear on my own life that I will bring your father safe and sound from the Void." He continues, and then kissed her nose softly.
"Thank you, Sonic. That made me feel a lot better." She smiles. He picks her up once more, taking off at near lightning speed across the desert as the storm starts to rage. The two furs' vision blurs as Sonic runs towards the city lights, dodging lightning strikes, rocks, and rubble through the rain, barely able to see from the darkness and their speed.
They return to Robotropolis, hiding under some debris.
"Where do you think Robotnik has his power stone?" Sonic asks, looking over the rubble for any swatbots.
"Probably somewhere heavily guarded." Sally replies.
"That gives me an idea. Follow me." The blue-furred hedgehog says as he crawls into a vent on the side of a building. They run through basement passageways, and ventilation duct systems, all the way into Robotnik's command center, dodging the cameras and swatbots. They arrive in a secret room, holding the power stone. Sonic goes to crawl out of the vent, when he's told.
"Be careful, Sonic!" Sally calls after him. She takes out an aerosol can and sprays around the area, the dust and mist causing lasers to light up. This surprises Sonic, who looks back up at her.
"I will!" he says, as he walks up carefully, swiping the stone with a rock of equal size, walking back.
"That was almost too easy." He laughs, until the room goes from dark and unlighted, to glowing with red light alarms.
Sirens and alarms go off. Robotnik is sitting at his command center, when he sees them on camera.
"What are those two doing...? What? The Power Stone! But how? All swatbots report to the power stone chamber! The hedgehog has the stone!" He yells, ordering all swatbots towards the basement chamber of his building that houses the Power Stone. The two heroes hear this on the speaker system.
"Oh, great. Let's get out of here!" Sonic says, pulling Sally into a ventilation duct, crawling with her.
"I'm right behind you!" She says. Sonic runs through the halls with Sally close behind, and out of the building, before hiding out near the previously demolished swatbot factory.
Sonic and Sally take out their power stones. Sonic holds a power ring and one power stone, while Sally holds the other stone.
"Well, it's now or never. We have one shot, Sally." He says to her.
"Sonic, we have to be careful. What if this destroys more than the Doomsday Machine?" Sally asks, considering the titanic risks involved in pulling this stunt off.
"What do you mean?" Sonic asks, not entirely aware of the consequences.
"What if it destroys the entire planet? Remember how that thing has tunnels leading all over Mobius?" She reminds him.
"Not cool. Still, we have no options, Sally. If we let that thing stay up, the planet will be destroyed." He replies.
"I guess that's a risk we have to take." She says.
"Sonic, hide!" She says as she pulls him further behind the rubble as a swatbot craft hovers by. They run behind the building and into a dark alleyway. Sonic holds his stone up, close to Sally's.
"Are you sure you want to go through with this?"
"There's no turning back now." Sally replies, recalling "Enormous destruction, or great power... Sonic, we must use the stones for power." She says.
"Enough power to stop Doomsday!" Sonic adds. They put the power stones together for great power, and they are given the gift of great speed with a huge flash, their bodies sparkling with a diamond-like radiance. Sally looks at her hands, noticing the sparkles, and the energy flowing through their bodies.
"Wow...Sonic...This must be what using Power Rings feels like..." She exclaims.
"Let's do it to it!" They yell out, holding hands as they run towards the building, holding the Power Stones as they are covered in a sparkling invincible shield. They shoot holes into the Doomsday Machine and damage it beyond repair. As they make their final retreat, it explodes into a giant fireball seen, and felt, all the way to Knothole Village, where the furries taking refuge erupt into cheer and celebration.
The Freedom Fighters come out cheering, some chanting "Freedom! Freedom!" while still others throw confetti in joy. Even Uncle Chuck and Muttski are there to join the party. He lets Sonic and Sally know that he and Rotor have restored the robians' will.
"It's too bad..." Sonic says, casually. "'Too bad'? Why's that?" Sally asks, somewhat confused.
"Without a villain, what are heroes for?" The hedgehog says, feeling like he's out of a job now.
"You'll always be my hero, Sonic Hedgehog. She hugs and kisses him. Fireworks appear from the Power Stones, in the exact shape of Sonic and Sally kissing, as if projected from their bodies into the skies above Knothole Village.
In the rubble of the Doomsday Machine, an elevator opens up and Snively steps out, wearing an emperor's suit, laughing.
"Well, the big round guy finally let Sonic defeat him." He laughs.
"Well, it's my turn now... and I am not alone!" He cackles.
Ixis Naugus follows out of the elevator, surveying the land from behind Snively for the first time in ages since being cast into The Void, known as the Zone of Silence.
A regally-clothed body is lying silently on the ground in the middle of the forest, near a meadow with a stream. Who is this stranger? How did he get here? What is his true rank?