The A.R.K. was much different after the Black Arms invasion and little Maria's episode shortly after. For starters, the entire colony was in overtime; researchers and scientist were scrambling to produce something for their superiors back home, who were demanding results more sternly than before, and their newly acquired "research partner", Black Doom. His dark spaceship was parked right next to the Space Colony A.R.K., clearly visible when anyone looked out of the A.R.K.'s windows. That presence of the dangerous terrifying Black Doom, put everyone on constant edge.

And his impromptu visits to the Project: Shadow research facilities were not helping matters. Every time Black Doom would just materialize in the A.R.K., the surrounding ordinary men and women would quite literally have heart attacks. Gerald himself nearly jumped out of his skin when he suddenly heard Black Doom's voice invading his head without warning.

Which was a most dangerous situation to be in, to be sure. The Eclipse Cannon was always on his mind, the production of which, was going fairly slowly. But to have the weapon specially made to destroy the dark tyrant in his mind constantly was deathly hazardous to the old man, for his mind was no longer a private secure location for information. Black Doom's psychic abilities meant that Gerald would always be in danger of the black creature eventually finding the phrase, Eclipse Cannon floating in his brain. And if Black Doom pulls on that string, he'll unravel the entire ball of yarn before Gerald even has a chance to make the thing.

Not only that, but the colleagues he had working on it were in danger as well, Gerald could barely guard his thoughts from Black Doom, how could he expect all of them to be as quick thinking as himself? And how is he to know Black Doom wouldn't read their minds without warning and kill all of them?

Needless to say, the levels of stress were quite high for the unfortunate workers of the A.R.K. No one was really sleeping well, no one really ate well either, and this left their working... less than perfect. Weeks and weeks of this went by, with Black Doom checking in at the beginning and end of every week. Like a vindictive landlord who had it out for a tenant he knew was not making enough money to pay rent.

And Gerald was unfortunately that poor tenant. It took him these few weeks of absolute hell to get the courage to bargain with the demonic lord of psychic horror. The white mustached man picked a day before the towering black atrocity would pop in. He locked himself in his office, had the newly repaired Gizoid on standby, and prepped his radio to contact the Black Comet looming outside of the A.R.K.

With tentative, almost hyperventilating breaths, the bald senior opened his mouth, pushed the talk button on his desk radio, and spoke.

"B- B- B- Black- D- D- Doom?" Gerald pathetically called out. He grunted in angry displeasure of his inability to speak with the monster. He had managed to speak to him fine when he was literally threatening his and Maria's safety, why couldn't he do it now? Perhaps it was the knowledge of what he could do and how powerless Gerald was to stop him. Maybe it was just his age catching up with him.

Regardless, Gerald settled his wrinkled jaw, clenched his hands on his knees, and tried again.

"B- Black Doom, I know y- you can hear me. We need to talk about this sit-situation that you've put me and the A.R.K. in" he pushed the words out, despite their resistance. After a moment of listening to the white noise on the other end of the radio, Gerald was less than shocked that Black Doom phased right into existence in his office. The colossal creature floated just inches above the ground as he stared into Gerald's soul.

Mustn't think about anything. Mustn't think about anything. Mustn't think about anything at all. He knew he was reading his thoughts. Gerald wanted to have this conversation-

"- out loud" Gerald spoke, staring right back at Black Doom's oddly wrinkled face. Though he was careful not to look the monster directly in his bloodshot eyes. None of the 3. A deep rumble echoed in Gerald's ears. Black Doom was laughing. He found him to be something of a joke. That was the creature's second biggest mistake. The first? Daring to even attempt to touch Maria with those grotesque claw tipped things it called hands.

"Very well, Professor Gerald... We may discuss Project Shadow's progression..." the booming voice of the dark lord reverberated off the walls. Gerald cleared his throat, wiping nervous sweat from his brow before he continued. No matter what he said, the dark alien was petrifying, his power still mysteriously vast to Gerald. He would have to choose his words carefully.

"Well... the progress on Project Shadow has been promising... finally... thanks to you, Black Doom" Black Doom's sinister chuckle echoed in Gerald's brain once more. Hmph, the same as any other tyrant: prideful to a fault. Gerald cleared his throat louder this time before continuing.

"Yes, things are moving forward... however... your presence here has made progress... slow..." Gerald gritted his teeth after speaking, not really knowing how Black Doom would take that bit of information. To his horror, Black Doom was silent for several moments. He no longer found this conversation amusing. Seeing as the black creature wasn't going to break the silence, Gerald did.

"I- I- It's not that we don't welcome you and your people to our humble space colony... it's just..." Gerald put a hand on the back of his neck and rubbed nervously, hoping his life wouldn't be ended when he finished speaking.

"... You scare everyone" the white mustached man choked out. Black Doom remained silent and still for several minutes after Gerald finished his sentence. The poor old man's heart was beating against his ribs like an insane criminal trying to break free of his prison bars. God this was unnerving. Was he about to die? Was he about to be tortured? Was he... was he going to be forced to watch this monster hurt all of the people on the A.R.K.?

... Was he going to be forced to watch Maria die?

Before he could even fully wander down that horrid possible turn of events, Black Doom loomed closer to Gerald. The Gizoid moved between the impending threat and its master, determination clear in its stance. Gerald backed as far as he could from Black Doom, meeting an unforgiving metal wall cutting him short of even the slightest bit of comfort. The demon entered his and the Gizoid's personal space and it seemed like this was the end.

But Black Doom managed to catch him off guard and laughed terribly in his ears, causing the shooting pain of a migraine to manifest in Gerald's brain.

"Yes of course, that explains everything... You humans are unable to comprehend my glorious presence gracing you sporadically... I understand now, Professor Gerald..." he reasoned out loud. Gerald nearly breathed a sigh of relief, but his breath remained hitched in his lungs. He knew he wasn't out of the woods until he could get Black Doom to leave and never come back.

"Y-y- yes... that's exactly... what our problem is. We get so nervous and scared of you and your powerful people that we... we can't function at full capacity. S- So, B- Black Doom... I humbly ask that you... maybe... consider... waiting for my call to come aboard... so that we may... prepare ourselves for your... radiance..?" Gerald groveled weakly to the dark monster, hoping and praying Black Doom's vanity would allow him to diminish the hellish waking nightmare that was Black Doom constantly being in mind reading shot of him and the other A.R.K. scientists.

"Well, since I have been praised by you so highly... I will grant this request, Professor Gerald..."

A loud breath of relief escaped the shaking senior's mouth in a wonderful light type of laugh. He did. He managed to keep the monster at bay, for a long time. Maybe even a year! The thought of a year away from Black Doom's scrutinizing and, frankly, painful gaze was like a prayer was answered. They could work on all of their projects in peace, finally.

"HOWEVER..." the monstrous deep voice rattled the old man's skull, causing him to reel back and nearly hit his head on the wall.

"Know this, Professor Gerald Robotnik..." the dark lord raised his inky black hand, raising the Gizoid to the ceiling quickly, incapacitating the small sliver of protection that the pitifully frightened human had. Black Doom resumed his intrusion of Gerald's personal space.

"This weapon you are developing... This 'Eclipse Cannon' "

OH NO.

PLEASE GOD NO.

How did he know about the Eclipse Cannon?! The panicking Gerald swore he hadn't thought of it once in Black Doom's presence and he ordered his staff to alert him immediately when they so much as ASSUMED they COULD HAVE thought about the Eclipse Cannon during Black Doom's visits. This- this- this was impossible-

"... it can never destroy me..." Gerald was broken out of his spiral of disbelief and despair, his body quivering weakly under the shadow of Black Doom. As far as Gerald was concerned, the shadow of death itself.

"Nothing you create can destroy me... I am Black Doom, Dark Lord of the Black Arms, and Ruler of the Cosmos..." an indescribable pressure pushed Gerald into the metal wall, deeper than normally possible. Almost as if gravity had suddenly changed its direction from pulling down to pushing Gerald's entire body backwards. How could this monster be so powerful?!

"If it makes you feel better, create your Eclipse Cannon... but the Ultimate Lifeform's creation must not be delayed for such a trivial pursuit... do not waste the time and patience I have graced you with, weak human..." As soon as the sinister alien called Gerald a weak human, the pressure was alleviated, allowing the frail and frightened old man to gasp and cough in pain. His knees meet the metal flooring quickly, his entire upper body following suit. Drips of crimson leaked onto the floor with each painful wheeze and cough Gerald uttered. Pain. All he could register was pain right now.

Black Doom turned his back to the reeling professor and slowly began to fade into the shadows of the room. Gerald weakly looked back up at the powerful black creature, his position on the ground and Black Doom's hovering above him a physical representation of just how elevated the ebony creature was from him. From anything that Gerald had ever encountered. Just before Black Doom faded from sight completely, he turned his head to the side and shot the weak and kneeling professor a soul chilling stare. A stare that poor Gerald looked directly into.

"You will radio in every 1,176 hours to give progress reports and I will promise to give you humans your 'space' to work at maximum capacity. Once Project Shadow is ready to be awakened, you will alert me immediately. DO NOT KEEP ME WAITING LONGER THAN NECESSARY, PROFESSOR GERALD ROBOTNIK..." and with that, he was gone, without a trace. Save the damage to Gerald's body and the Gizoid, who just so happened to drop right in front of the bleeding old man as soon as Black Doom had left completely. It looked at Gerald's face and tenderly tried to get him back on his feet. It took several tries, but Gerald was back on his feet.

Absentmindedly placing his hand on the wall he was just pressed into ruthlessly, he felt his hand going farther back than it should have. Gerald looked up and an indent as deep as 6 or 7 inches stared back at him. Good Lord, that pressure had to have been close to 60 pounds of force. And what's worse, it wasn't in his head, it was real. That was just another sample of Black Doom's power... and Gerald was really glad he wouldn't have to deal with such power for a long stretch of time.

Unfortunately this reprieve was short lived, when another A.R.K. benefactor became impatient with the A.R.K.'s progress. But this threat, unlike the Black Doom and the Black Arms, was not in eyesight. It was lightyears away, and it was a threat Gerald was already familiar with: Earth. The people of Earth were getting restless, after years of excuses and eventual ignoring from the A.R.K., the government was more than ready to take drastic measures.

Fortunately, the A.R.K. employee in charge of communication between Earth and the space colony, went through all of the messages left by their superiors and brought the news of their drastic measures to Gerald directly. It was almost time for the government to make an impromptu visit to the A.R.K., with armed military soldiers as their visiting party.

Gerald went into a panic, scrambling to make up for lost time, taking ideas from anyone who could speak and running with them. Before the military touched down, they had to have something to show. It had been years since Project Shadow was launched and they had next to nothing to show for it. Of course they had a few things: the Artificial Chaos, the Chaos Drives, the Biolizard's giant life support system, he had even made some blueprints of some robotic copies of the Gizoid. But that was it. Four things were the product of 7 years orbiting a planet full of resources and possibilities. That wasn't going to be acceptable for the massive group of gun-toting, angry men coming for him.

So ideas were thrown out and run with, including weapons. Anything that could stave off any punishment would work. The A.R.K. was divided into groups based on the many ideas, there were chemical researchers, medical researchers, robotics researchers, weapon researchers, metallurgy researchers, radioactivity researchers, and many subdivisions of those groups. Gerald had to make it seem like they were a complex, fine-tuned machine working at maximum capacity.

During this small window of opportunity, the A.R.K. scientists and professors really shined. They pulled off very difficult and nearly impossible projects with just enough time left over to actually eat and sleep. It might have been because they were finally free from Black Doom's constant hovering, or it might have been the way Gerald relied on them so heavily for the first time in years. Either way, they were successful in making a lot of "products" for their employers to be distracted with.

The favorite of these products had to be the revolutionary Heal Unit. Gerald worked with the medical scientists directly to produce the incredible invention. It was a portable box-like device that could send out low doses of chaos energy, causing the damaged area's cells to hyper regenerate for a short period of time. It was amazing! Doctors have been trying to make drugs like this for thousands of years with absolutely no success, but Gerald and his scientists managed to throw it together last minute. Indeed, the greatest minds of Earth were aboard the A.R.K.

Within a few days of finishing the Heal Unit, the A.R.K. received an incoming transmission commanding everyone aboard the A.R.K. to prepare to receive them. The Docking Bays 1 through 47 were crammed with military spacecrafts, soldiers pouring out of them like an overturned water bucket. Weapons were aimed at the scientists and Maria, who was securely covered by Gerald's body. The soldiers grunted and yelled while chaotically organizing into two separate forms leaving an opening between them similar to a hallway. This hallway opening led to the door of an Earth spacecraft, which now held the silhouette of a man walking toward the elderly professor.

They were here. The government had finally come to the A.R.K. And boy, did they want their intimidation to be clear. There had to be 500 soldiers, at least, crowding the Docking Bays. It was quite intimidating, but curiously, none of the scientist and researchers were especially scared or uncomfortable. They had already been through so much: the Biolizard, the Gizoid, and more importantly, Black Doom and the Black Arms. Their fallen colleagues hadn't been fortunate enough to survive it all, but they were. Their lives were constantly in danger of threats they could barely understand.

So this group of regular men with regular guns, in comparison... were underwhelming. Unconsciously, the space-fairing men and women of science were relieved by this display of power the self-absorbed humans were so proud of. Gerald worked hard to hold back a chuckle thinking about how quickly Black Doom would humble these men.

But in the midst of his darkly humorous thought, a voice echoed through the Docking Bays. "Nice place ya got here, Professor Robotnik..." the deep, comfortably baritone voice said. The silhouette walked into the bright lights of the hangar and the image of the man was clear. He was a general, or a major, someone of high rank seeing as he had all those bricks of color on his sewed on the chest of his navy blue-gray jacket. His white gloved hands adjusted the black brim of his military cap, the golden stars and stripes on it sparkled slightly as the cap moved. His golden tasseled shoulders were modestly broad, the arms of his jacket were a tad tighter than they should have been, showing a hint of his physical strength hidden under the formal robes.

"Thank you for noticing. We rather like it too, Mister..." suggestively said the bald scientist. The military man's black shoes clacked lowly as he walked up to Gerald, the white and red stripes on his pants legs were more noticeable to Gerald now that he was a bit closer.

"General, actually... General Thompson. Nice to meet you, Professor, I've heard great things" the kind general spoke, lifting his hand to shake Gerald's. Gerald smiled, pleasantly surprised by the General's attitude, and gingerly grabbed the man's hand.

"It's nice to meet you too, General. I'm glad I don't disappoint" the bald old man said happily while they shook hands. The General smiled while maintaining eye contact with Gerald, his caucasian skin wrinkled gently as he smiled, his eyebrows were light brown matching his eyes. The General had to have been 10 or 15 years younger than Gerald, not so young he could be seen as insolent and not so old to be haughty or needlessly abrasive.

"Well, since we made the trip, would it be alright if we got a tour before the business aspect of the trip? Preferably of the Mess Hall? It's been a rather long trip and the boys are just about ready to disappear!" the General half-joked before he laughed heartily, causing Gerald to laugh as well. The little tension in the corridor collapsed when the other scientists laughed under their breath as well.

"Of course, of course, we'll be happy to show you to the food court and anything else you might want to see, this way gentlemen!" Gerald called out to the soldiers standing at attention. As soon as they looked to the General to make sure they were allowed to move, he gave a friendly nod and the soldiers quickly followed after Gerald and the A.R.K. scientist, clearly eager to get some real food.

With some quick movements, the researchers and the soldiers made their way to the dining quarters, while on the way, getting to know each other in a comfortable, natural way. As soon as the group got to the dining quarters, the soldiers attacked the food heartily, like dogs fighting for t-bone steaks. It was quite a hilarious display. Gerald and the General spoke to each other during this impromptu lunch, talking about what else the A.R.K. had in it, how it worked, family, anything that came to mind really.

This was turning out to be a lot more amicable and peaceful than the A.R.K. residents were used to. It was quite refreshing to not have their lives in danger for once. Maria too was very happy things were so lively and peaceful. Her grandfather had never smiled so much when he was around other adults, it was uplifting to see him so happy...

After lunch the tour group moved all across the A.R.K., seeing everything that the General would want to see (except for the massive, planetary-destructive Eclipse Cannon and the small fetus in a secluded incubating chamber, i.e. Project Shadow). And he wanted to see basically everything; Maria was reminded of how she felt when she went exploring just a few months ago. It was very different doing this adventuring with others, it was better. She felt awfully lonely wandering around the space colony with no one else.

But this lively group learning and gazing in wonder at these advanced things they were a bit ignorant to were fantastic to be around. The soldiers weren't bad or rude at all, Maria remarked mentally, they were nice and funny. There was nothing she could find wrong with them. And they loved her, she was her usual sweet self and they just adored her. After explaining that her disease was not contagious to adults, they fawned all over the golden haired girl. While she didn't think she deserved the attention, she humbly basked in it.

Finally, it came time for the General and his troops to handle the business their government ordered them to: checking on the progress of Project Shadow and the entire A.R.K.'s projects and research. With the good mood permeating the air, the scientist were more than happy to present there inventions and innovations. First came the medical researchers Heal Unit, which was surprisingly not a great hit among the soldiers. The scientist tried to explain just how great it was, but the boys weren't impressed.

So the presentation went into another direction, a more weapons demonstration direction. This grabbed the soldiers' attention and immediately they were ooh-ing and aah-ing at the destructive toys.

"Typical" Gerald thought as they gave the weapons to the soldiers and showed them how they worked. "Perhaps if the Heal Unit was something you could shoot out of a gun, they'd be more appreciative of it," Gerald froze on the spot. That wasn't a bad idea actually. That wasn't bad at all. He took out a piece of paper from his white lab coat and a pen from his pants pocket, and scribbled a reminder on the paper.

After several more hours of presenting invention and innovation, one after the other, the General looked pretty satisfied. He wasn't sure if he would have to arrest Gerald or move the massive amount of people off of the A.R.K. had their work load not been up to par with the government's orders, but they just managed to skirt the approximate minimum requirements. So with another firm handshake, the General smiled at Gerald.

"Professor Robotnik, you have so much to be proud of here. You and your team are doing an excellent job. As far as I'm concerned, this was an unnecessary trip, you guys know what you're doing way out here! And I'd be happy to tell the higher ups just that to give you some peace of mind while you're working out here" Hearing these words visibly lifted a massive weight from Gerald. Finally, without leering eyes and impatient calls from home, finally, he could work in peace. All of this stress put on from outside forces was gone.

It was almost over. They were free. Maria... would be free...

"THAT IS... AS SOON AS YOU SHOW ME PROJECT SHADOW"

Pressure increased on Gerald's frail hand before the words slammed the stress and weight back on top of his old body. The General wasn't smiling anymore. He was staring, almost coldly, from under the brim of his military cap. The soldiers also had taken a step back and raised their weapons just a little higher, letting the scientists know that they were ready to fire as soon as the order was given.

The white mustache professor opened his mouth to speak, but the hammering of his heart in his chest and his brain in his skull kept him from forming words. The General let go of his hand and sighed disappointingly.

"Professor... this is upsetting... this would have been a nice civil visit, I would have went home with a good report. No one would have gotten hurt or arrested. The A.R.K. wouldn't have been shut down and abandoned. None of those nasty things would have happened..." the General reached for his side arm, the bald elder in front of him gasped a bit before moving back a step.

"If you would have just shown me what's up with Project Shadow... Now I still want that nice, civil visit, I really do... but my orders were to see progress on everything... especially Project Shadow" the stoic General spoke with authority as he took out his military issued hand gun and held it at his side.

"So I need you to tell me right now... if we're going to have a civil visit... or if things are going to get nasty?" The General looked at Maria when he finished his question, the girl instinctively flinching when he did. Gerald caught this and his options were clear. Whatever it took to keep her safe, that's what he would do.

"Oh silly me, I forgot to mention Project Shadow... I was saving it for last, you see... Thank you for reminding me General" the scientist spoke playfully, hoping to ease some of the tension with his charade. With the silence that hung in the air after his sentence, it didn't seem like it worked. But the General ordered his men to stay with the scientists and he motioned for Gerald to lead him to Project Shadow.

"Right this way, General" was all Gerald said before walking further into the mass of laboratories and workstations in the Project Shadow sector of the A.R.K. A tense silence hung between the two elderly men for the few minutes it took to get to their destination. After typing in a code on the security panel, the metal doors hissed open, revealing an... interesting sight.

The tinted light was the first thing the General noticed, how could he not? It was a weird, alien green, clashing with the muted steel grey and the desaturated olives and powder blues that the rest of the A.R.K. was plastered with. This neon bright lime light was a darn near assault on the military man's eyes. Unbeknownst to him, he had raised his hand to shade his eyes from the brunt of the bright light.

As he walked forward into the room, he looked through the slits in between his fingers to attempt to see anything. And that's when he saw a small, black ball. Floating in a tube of luminescent green liquid, was a simple black ball. Was that... it? The General turned to look at the rest of the room to see if this was the only thing in the room. And other than a couple computers and several tubes and wires sticking out of the ceiling and walls, the black tube was indeed all that was in the room.

"This is Project Shadow, General..." a serious voice grabbed the wondering soldier's attention. The professor was standing a couple of inches away from the bright cylinder holding the strange round object.

"And what, pray tell, is 'this', exactly?" the confused man squinted from behind his gloved fingers.

"This is a growing being that will, as far as I've been able to hypothesize, be immortal" the professor explained without taking his eyes off of the black ball incubating. "Once it has formed completely, it will not age, it will not get sick, and it will be sentient. This General, is the result of all the hardship, all the adversity and all the tragedy that all of us have had to go through since we've been out here..." Gerald put his hand on the glass of the cylinder.

"This... is Project Shadow..."

"This is all you have to show for years of being in this Space Colony?" The General spoke bluntly. A heat rose in Gerald's gut at how judgmental the General sounded. He turned to the gruff military man, his mustache flaring up slightly as he scowled at him a little.

"Do you have any idea how many people died, good people, to get this project to where it is right now? Do you?" Gerald gritted through his teeth.

"And who's fault is it that all those good people died? It couldn't have been my fault, so don't try to point a finger at me, Professor" the younger man said, raising his other hand to point at Gerald.

"It wasn't my fault, unforeseen, no, impossible things happened since the beginning of this project. Obstacles that unfortunately, some of my colleagues didn't make it through..." a distant look flashed across the bald scientist's visage when he said this. The many faces of those who had lost their lives aboard the arc scrolled through Gerald's mind. They would always surface once every blue moon in Gerald's memory, but this time, the sting of guilt was especially sharp.

"Well, that's sad and all, but that's not why I was sent here" the General, now more used to the light, lowered his hand from the brim of his hat and walked closer to the dramatic researcher.

"My orders were to check on your progress out here and determine if your success outweighs your attempts to ignore your benefactors. Who, I might add, have been more than patient with you until this point," the General's voice was getting more harsh than Gerald expected. He was not pleased with these turn of events.

"So since you've been gone for 7 years, let me educate you on the stance our government has taken on the A.R.K.: You've been here too long with no results. The money, the time, and the effort our country has spent on you and this floating ball, has been wasted. They told me that I am your last chance. If I can't find something worth letting you stay here, you and all your friends are coming back to Earth with me and punishments will be enforced without prejudice" Gerald was backing away slowly now, getting closer to the stasis container the black ball was in.

"And the worst part of it is they were counting on your team and your research to help the country- no, the world! And all you have to show for it, is a bunch of nicknacks and this?!" a rough gesture had the General's hand pointing toward Project Shadow. Gerald fixed his lips to say something in response but the General continued his rant.

"They told me you were a screwball, but come on, man! 7 years and all you have is a black ball in a jar! What have you been doing up here this whole time, that makes you think that this is acceptable-"

"I'VE BEEN FIGHTING FOR MY LIFE!" Gerald blurted out loud enough to make his voice reverberate off the metal plated walls. The General jumped in surprise at his outburst, so Gerald took this advantage to push back.

"Do you even know how many people are dead because of this stupid project?! Do you have the slightest idea how hard we have worked, how little rest we have gotten, how far we have pushed our sanity and our resources, just to see what we create spontaneously combust in our faces and take our friends away?!" the skinny old man was throwing his emotional weight around as he took bold steps toward the General, causing him to back up just as Gerald did mere moments ago.

"How about I educated YOU on something, General?! You see this?!" shouted the man of science as he approached a computer and roughly turned the screen in the military man's direction. The images on the screen were that of the Biolizard... and it's destructive capabilities.

"THIS is the result of the government's precious quest for immortality! THIS is what happens when men try to tread where only God can! THIS is what happens when I try my best to comply to my 'gracious' benefactors back home! A gigantic, horrendous monster is the closest we have gotten to the Ultimate Lifeform, before the 'little black ball' growing in that tank!" The General, visibly disgusted and horrified at the images of the Biolizard, stayed uncomfortably silent. Gerald ran his hand across his head, taking a moment to regain his composure. He never liked talking about that nightmarish creature, brought back too many negative feelings. The professor slowly walked away from the computer, toward the container again, noticeably more calm.

"I know... that this might not seem like much... but this, right here, is exactly what the government asked for. That monster was a weapon, but it was dangerous to itself and others, and it was mindless. This isn't mindless. What's more... it will be even more powerful than that beast..." the bald scientist said confidently as he placed his hand on the glass without reflexively.

"More powerful..? How?" the General inquired, finding his voice again.

"It... has a biological advantage... But it's not ready yet..." Gerald spoke, after pausing for a moment. Black Doom and his massive power present in the front of his mind. But he couldn't mention the dark lord to the simple General. That was on a need to know basis. A military man could understand that.

"... Then what is it I'm supposed to do, Professor Robotnik? The government ordered- demanded that I bring their weapon back with me... If I don't..." the military officer stopped, knowing Gerald understood the rest of his sentence already. And Gerald did know.

If the General didn't bring something back to show to the government, they would cut the A.R.K. projects indefinitely and the researchers and scientists would be arrested as soon as they stepped on Earth's familiar soil.

Meaning, Maria... would never be cured... She would die... all because of the government's impatience. The grandfather thought hard in that moment, he searched his mind for an out; a lifeline, some sort of way to stave off the hounds that were the government. He just needed a chunk of beef jerky that he could distract the dogs with, so he could finish the massive steak that would ultimately save him from being mauled by them.

What was his beef jerky? What could he sacrifice for just a little more time to finish up Project Shadow? Gerald thought as hard as he possibly could, the veins in his head nearly bursting from the pressure. The General, still standing in silence, figured that Professor Robotnik had nothing else to offer. The man sighed deeply, disappointment and regret on his countenance, as he adjusted his cap and moved to walk out of the room.

"I'm sorry, Professor Robotnik... it looks like this is the end for the Space Colony A.R.K." he solemnly said as he pushed a button on the wall and the door lifted revealing the rooms connected to Project Shadow's room. But just as the General took a step to leave the room, he let out a slight yelp. And when the professor turned to see what caused that reaction, he froze.

The light bulb went off. Professor Gerald Robotnik's beef jerky was right there waiting for him.

It was the Gizoid. The government wanted an immortal, artificial-living weapon? That was the Gizoid to a T. Without a second thought, Gerald ran to the General, a grin stretched its way on his face.

"Don't be startled by little old Gizoid, General! It's not a threat. On the contrary, it's our protector!" Gerald boasted. The Gizoid look between the two of them, almost like it was confused. The General slowly calmed down, drinking in Gerald's words.

"What do you mean by, 'protector'?" the General asked, a little interested.

"I mean, it is the answer to my dilemma, it is your take home prize from the A.R.K. Give it to the higher ups, tell them to do what they want with it" Gerald offered, a lighter tone was noticeable in his demeanor and the conversation as a whole.

"This... robot? I- I don't know if this will be acceptable either-" unsurely said the General before Gerald slightly cut him off.

"Did you happen to notice the size of those asteroids floating around in space?" Gerald asked coyly.

"Yes, they're pretty big. What's your point?" asked the slightly annoyed General.

"The Gizoid can go outside of the A.R.K., right now, and crush those city-large asteroids into pebbles. It's done it hundreds of times" Gerald said looking down at the Gizoid, the General following suit with a more skeptical look.

"I don't know, Professor, I'd have to see that to believe it..."

Gerald's grin got even wider. He slung his arm around the General's shoulders before walking them both out of the room, the Gizoid following behind them.

"I was hoping you'd say that..."

Heya! Just got a foothold on this site and made an account on ArchiveOfOurOwn! I'm all caught up on here, but I just started on AO3. So if you know someone that has an account on either of these, point them this way! Kaythanksbye XDDDD

Nah, I'll say a few other things, uh, the big idea with this first part was: how to get rid of Black Doom long enough to make the visit with the military General the center of this story? Answer: have him realize he's kind of smothering (more like choking the life out of) the A.R.K. researchers. His absence will get him closer to his desire faster. Also, yeah, I needed him to find out about the Eclipse Cannon, specifically because in Shadow's game, he already knows about it when he is introduced in the game. So that would have been another plot hole for that game. XDDD (Note: 1,176 hours = 49 days = 7 weeks. I know how to math XDDDD)

For the second part, the General is actually a good guy. He's not "the next villain" for Gerald and Maria to overcome or escape from. He actually wants to be on good terms with the A.R.K. and him getting angry in the room is for a very legitimate reason. To be revealed in Part 11. w