Collecting a few broken branches from the forest floor, Chaotix worked together a make shift camouflage net and past it over their ship to hide it. Once they dragged it further up the beach to a place where it wasn't so conspicuous they left it there, semi-confident it would not be disturbed until they got back.
With Espio leading them, they made their way inland from the ocean; climbing over the rocky terrain until they reached the forest floor.
The evergreen wilderness was a perfect place from which to observer the pit without being seen. The bushes and whole mass of canopy was so utterly dense and thick it was impossible to pick anything distinct out even close up, never mind at long range.
"Ok, this could take longer than I thought." Vector admitted sourly.
There had to be over a million slaves here, all toiling on the stone work; all being watched by the comparatively smaller number of guards.
Vanilla could be anywhere amongst them, even on the far side of the pit miles away. The feeling of being both near and far sent angry waves of frustration down his spine.
What kept the slaves from rebelling by use of the shear numbers were the giants, the mutated Fesonian living siege weapons, standing around hear and there.
Vector had seen them in action before. Those monstrosities took out a Mech with their bare hands.
Malnourished slaves didn't stand much of a chance.
From here, he could count about fifty Giants and over two hundred regular foot soldiers.
The slaves were all different races from different planets, all working on the same task. Anyone who stumbled was whipped until they got back up. If they wouldn't, or quite often couldn't get back up one of the Giants would simply step of them.
Vector had the misfortune of being in the right place at the right time when one of the alien slaves, an insect like being, too tired to carry on was crushed by the two massive toes.
The death served as an example to the near exhausted others, who carried on working a little faster.
"And I thought Eggman owned the market of evil." Beck muttered through clenched teeth, staring at the stomach turning scene from the undergrowth. "What I wouldn't give to teach these bastards a thing or two..."
"Keep a lid on it hotshot. We aren't here to start a revolution, remember?" Rei, who was crouching nearby, reminded him. "Now… how are we gonna get down there without being seen?"
"We can't." Espio stated, pointing off towards the side of the cliff face that ran for a good long way along the side of the abyss. Supported by a framework was a tower of some kind, attached to the near vertical surface. A large glass dome at on the top, a Fesonian soldier standing guard inside. "I can see from here, that's an infra red detector.
We go another few meters and we're gonna be picked up no matter what we do."
"Come on guys, this is the last hurdle." Vector told them. "We stole data from one of their stations and escaped. We floated past an Ymir without being noticed and crash landed on a planet inside an asteroid.
Let's not stop now, we're on a roll!"
"We could get in by pretending to be slaves?" Charmy ventured.
"And how would we get out again if something goes wrong?" Espio asked dryly giving him a flat sideways glance.
"Don't put the kid down Esp, that might work." Vector added, tapping the end of his snout with a finger.
"Really?" The bee asked with wide eyes.
"Ok, now take off your shoes." The crocodile said with a grin, earning him bizarre glances from the rest of them. "I'm perfectly serious. Off with them. Tear holes in your shirts and roll in the dirt a little. We're gonna have to look the part if we're going to get away with this."
Eventually complying with the request, Vector had his group looking quite weather beaten. Just to add a few finishing touches, just as messing up Beck's hair and putting Charmy's goggles at a slant and they were ready.
"Right, you all ready?"
"Ready?" Espio repeated with wide eyes. "We're about to go into a heavily guarded site full to the brim with Alien slavers. Of course we're not ready." He relaxed his shoulders. "But we're going to do it anyway so let's just get on with it."
Vector smiled showing off all his teeth.
Instead of creeping down the side of the slope towards the site, they walked out in plain daylight and in sight of the guards.
"What are you slaves doing outside the perimeter?" A fesonian soldiers demanded as they tried to get past him. He was brandishing a large laser rifle like weapon and did not sound like he was in a very good mood.
There was a mark of a jagged encircling shell on his arm.
"We were ordered to check the edges for…er… wild animal's sir." Vector said quickly. "We're reporting back for the work shift now."
The Confederation soldiers looked them over with a skeptical eye.
Vector silently prayed he wouldn't notice they were far better condition than the other slaves down below.
Luckily, the soldier had other places to be and waved them through.
"I don't know what's more scary." Espio muttered under his breath. "The situation we're in, or the fact Vector's actually thinking ahead."
"Bite me."
The guards ignored the five of them as they made their way down into the working pit. As far as they were concerned, Chaotix was merely a small collection of slaves heading back in to start working again.
However, there was a very nasty moment when they past close to one of the Giants. It snorted at them as they tried to move past and the way it moved, Vector was half convinced it was preparing to step on them. Instead the thing walked past, the sound of its heavy footstep echoing behind it.
"Let's get in, find the gal and get out. This place is giving me the creeps." Beck muttered.
"We can't just leave all these people here…" Charmy protested looking distraught. Vector signed and missed up his antenna with a hand.
"You've a good heart kid. Believe me, I don't like the idea of leaving them here anymore than you do but even 'IF' by some miracle we did free all these people than what would we do with them?
Our ship only carries so many."
The pained and anxious expression on the young bee's face did not change.
"I know, I know. This stinks but there's nothing we can do about it." He patted him on the shoulder. "We'll get as many out as we can, I promise. But for now let's just find Cream's mom, ok?"
They spilt up, going separate ways hoping to cover more ground. Vector and Charmy heading further down into the pit area where the slaves were pulling the piles of rock and dirt away to make room for construction. This area was sparsely guarded and only appeared to have a single Giant as a rebellion deterrent standing by.
This was because the slaves here were in the worst shape and not considered to be much of a threat. Vector had to press his scaly lips tightly together to stop himself from screaming in rage at the sight of such depravity.
The slaves where thin, clearly not receiving regular feeding and many of them marked with lash wounds from whips.
Carts on rails were being pulled away from the cliff wall where the earth was being cleared to make room. The loaded carts were then taken to the side of a pit some distance away and dumped down into the dark abyss.
Vector noticed one slave, a human; was having trouble pushing one of the carts. He was tired, that was clear just from a single glance and hadn't the necessary strength to keep going.
The slave stumbled suddenly, his cart turning over and hitting the ground with a loud thud with the contents spilling out. The other slaves looked up, expecting to see a Confederate slave driver appearing but the incident had apparently gone unnoticed.
"Watch it, you're gonna do yourself an injury." Vector started, pulling the man up into a sitting position as Charmy cleared off the rocks had had half buried him from the cart.
"Vector, is that you?"
The crocodile blinked at the sound of his name and looked more closely at the man's features.
He was very thin and pale, with middle length black hair running down the back of his head. Despite the new beard and lack of glasses Vector recognized him.
"Tanaka?" He asked. The man nodded.
This was the Thorndyke's butler, or at least he had been. Vector had met him once before, although not under the best of circumstances.
"Good god, what have they done to you?" Vector asked. Tanaka appeared to be half the man he once was. He was much thinner and appeared to have some grey in his hair, along with a few premature wrinkles. He had gashes, old and new on his bare back and arms.
"I had what they called a 'discipline problem'." The butler replied. "I think you can guess how they solve those kind of problems."
"Bastards!" Vector snarled.
"Those on the transport ships weren't great, treated us like goods to sell…" Tanaka continued. "But the Fesonian here are far worse. They treat us like animals, like vermin.
When they're not enough food to go around, they don't hesitate in killing some to make room."
Vector's heart leapt into his throat at that point. Despite how angry he felt as the injustice of it all, he could not help but think about Vanilla.
"I don't remember seeing you on the transports." Tanaka ventured.
"That's because this is a jail break." The crocodile whispered to him. The expression on the butler's face changed dramatically. "Shhh, keep it under your hat. We're here to get as many of you out as we can."
Vector paused to look around to make sure no one else was watching.
"I don't suppose you have some kind of committee here? Some organized element amongst the slaves?"
"Yes… we… we have a community if you will." Tanaka groaned as Charmy and Vector pulled him up to his feet. "This way."
Tanaka directed him to where the slaves were allowed to sleep, eat and rest between the harsh work shifts. It was a pathetic looking collection of huts and buildings, although large enough to be considered a slum.
"No, not in there." Tanaka stated as Vector made a move towards it. "The guards have bugged every room. They spy on us twenty four hours a day." The butler made a sudden gesture off towards a separate path that lead away from the slums and around the back of the area.
Vector followed his directions, where he and Charmy found that tucked behind the buildings was a make shift encampment with dozens of filthy clothe tents where many workers lay, being treated for wounds and infections by their fellows. The scene was like the aftermath of some battle with the wounded all laid out.
Vector had to stop in his tracks and stare at it. He knew the Confederates weren't going to be nice people but this took him completely by surprise.
Given the high security of the area it was clear the Confederate government did not want their population from finding out about this place. Did that mean this level of cruelty was unacceptable even to them? Yet their hierarchy continued on anyway?
The detective in Vector screamed in outrage that this should happen on his watch.
"Tanaka, are you alight?" Someone started, running up to help the crocodile with the man he was supporting. The helper was human with medium length brown hair and tanned skin. His clothes had once been formal wear but had been reduced to little more than rags on his body.
Vector did not know the man but Charmy recognised him.
"Hey look its Chris' dad!" The bee declared and the man froze, nearly dropping the butler.
"Chris?" He repeated. "You know my son?"
"Get the committee together Mr. Thorndyke." Tanaka told him, placing a hand on the man's shoulder. "We can talk there."
To their surprise, Vector and Charmy discovered that the leader of this committee of slaves was none other than the President. Or least, the previous President; known only as Michael.
This was the man who led their planet through the siege of the Eggman Empire, the Black Arms, the insurrection by the Elite and even the assault of the Machine Federation. After he stepped down from his position voluntarily to maintain the democracy he worked so hard to protect, the government had been quickly usurped by the Hexagon organization.
Michael was considered by many to be the last 'legitimate' president of the United States before the world was brought under G.U.N control.
The former President had, like most of the others, thinned and paled considerably.
"It's not exactly the Buckingham Palace but it's the only place they don't bother to bug." Michael replied with a short shrug, gesturing around the small tent where they gathered. It was made of patched together canvas, hole in the fabric sewn together loosely and hung over a thin metal frame.
"Chris… Chris where is he?" A woman cried, bursting into the tent.
It was Lindsey, a former actress abducted from Earth like her husband during the invasion.
"Lindsey, calm down." Nelson said, standing up and holding her back as she rushed towards Vector frantically.
"Chris. I need to know is he alright?" She carried on, nearly pushing Nelson over.
"Take it easy lady." Vector assured her. "When we left him, he was with Sonic and he was fine."
Her eyes were suddenly filled with an intense relief and despite herself she started crying, falling back into her husbands arms for support.
"I can't tell you how happy we are to hear that." Nelson told him. "The fact we didn't know what happened to him hurt more than any whip could."
"Well he's doing fine with his Grandfather and his friends."
"His friends?" Nelson repeated. "Danny, Francis and Helen? We saw them loaded on a transport back on Earth."
Charmy grinned sadistically.
"We paid a visit to the ship and kicked serous butt!"
"We incepted it before it reached Confederation space." Vector ventured. "Saved a lot of others from Earth as well. Some guys called the Combine Federation are looking them now.
"I didn't think Helen would still be alive." Nelson confessed. "Not without her parents."
"Oh that poor girl." Lindsey sniffed. "Her parents… to loose them when so young."
"Just where is Sonic at this moment?" Michael asked Vector trying to get back to the subject. "If there was ever a time we needed his help, now is it."
"He's on a planet called Chimera." The croc repeated. "Or at least he was when we left him. They were working on a way of getting back to Earth."
Michael smiled at that very welcome news.
"Then there is hope for us yet then."
"We're far from licked." Espio stated, stepping into the tent followed by Rei and Beck. "Sorry we're late. Just had a scout of that ring like pit they're building. It's massive."
"I don't know exactly what it is myself." Nelson admitted, still holding Lindsey. "The guards call it the 'Divine Gate'. They don't tell us what it's for, only that if we don't build it they'll kill us."
"That's where we come in. Only problem is, if we get you guys out of here it won't be all of you." Vector stated now looking serious. "Our ship'll only hold so many."
"How many?" Michael asked leaning forward a little.
"Fifty, maybe sixty but no more than that." Vector replied. The human sighed and leaned back, pressing his lips together in an expression of pained anguish.
"Many of those here are too sick, too tired or too injured to work." He began slowly. "Take them, as many as you can manage. Get them somewhere where they might have a chance at survival.
If they stay here, they'll either die working or under the heal of a Giant.
I can tell right now that something warped is going on here." He carried on. "The Confederates aren't necessarily cruel but here, well it speaks for itself. The guards here lust after blood, especially those with the mark."
"Mark?" Rei repeated. "What mark?" Nelson rummaged in his tattered pants for a folded piece of paper.
"Here. I sketched it once when I saw it on one of their arms, like a tattoo." He handed it to the squirrel who opened it up and stared at the image sketched there. The mark was like an encircling shell with a jagged outline.
Rei suddenly froze at the sight of it, eyes widening and mouth ajar.
"Rei?" Espio asked but trailed off noting the creeping terror slowly infecting his friend's face.
Taken away from reality, Rei found himself in the middle of creation. The big bang spawned the galaxy that was their home but the universe, and the realties bound even that carried on for infinity.
What kept this vast sea of creation in check was balance. Everything had a polar opposite.
Light had darkness.
Life had death.
Creation had Destruction.
Spawned from the nothingness from which call existence sprang, Rei witness the coming of a terrible enemy. An enemy beyond the concepts good and evil. An enemy of literally omnipotent and unending power.
An enemy like no other.
A force beyond a god.
"And I will be the one to release him." A voice, malicious in intent, stated and Rei glance dup to see three glowing orange eyes staring down at him.
The flying squirrel, trembling, sank down to his knees.
"Rei, what's the matter. What's wrong buddy?" Beck asked, rushing to his side. A single name came to his frantic mind
"Iblis…" Rei gasped out, gripping the side of his arms and shaking. He had to be calmed down and laid out to rest. He couldn't, or wouldn't get up. It was as if he was paralysed with fear, his forehead kept in a cold sweat.
Before anyone could do anything more, another person came into the tent. She had lost weight like the others but there was no mistaking Ella, another of the former staff of the Thorndyke estate.
"There's something going on Mr. President." She announced. "The guards are all meeting, looks like something happening at the gate." Michael made a move to get up but Vector stopped him.
"No. I'll go. Just stay here and look after Rei." He started, standing up. "But before I go, there's something I have to know; did you see Cream's mother, Vanilla here? I need to find her."
"Yes… she was here." Nelson began almost in a mutter.
"'Was' here?" Vector caught on quickly turning to face him, looking suddenly distraught. Had he come this far only to find…
"About two days ago, the guards selected about twenty of us to work down in the pit." Lindsey added, gesturing towards the tent entrance. "We haven't heard back from either the guards or the workers since.
As far was we know; they're still working down there."
"Then I've got to go down there too." Vector snarled, smacking a fist into an open palm. Then without waiting for anyone to say anything he darted from the tent.
Ella showed him where the guards were gathering. It was a secluded place away from the slaves, near the far end where the ring around the abyss was complete. They were meeting in the shadow of one of the giant claw like towers that stood around the outer edge and it was clear from the three Giants they placed to keep watch that they didn't want to be disturbed.
Vector snuck up as close as he dared, hiding between two rocks that hadn't been removed from the grounds yet. He was close enough to see but not close enough to be smelt by those monstrosities.
Through the gaps in the small crowd Vector could see an officer; clearly set apart from the others by the bronze armor he was wearing, drawing something with a finger in the dirt.
"What on…" Vector asked himself.
"What's happening?" Espio asked appearing beside him.
"Schhh."
The officer stepped back from the symbol he had drawn in the ground and raised his arms towards the sky.
The front row of soldiers got down onto one knee and hung their heads low. Instantly there was a spark of right light before them and something… some thing Vector quite see manifested. A transparent body, like a ghost hung in the air; a triad of orange eyes staring out at the world.
"What the hell is that?" Espio asked staring at it. The ghost had two long horns on either side of its head, no legs and wide shoulders. Golden chains and the ragged remains of a purple robe were draped over the bizarre body.
"We near completion of the gate, divinity." The Confederate officer stated as he descended down onto one knee. "I estimate we will be finished with a dozen or so days."
"You do well captain." The image told him. "And so, I reward you for your service." The officer looked up as the transparent being raised its hand. "Hold out your left arm to me." The Fesonian complied and the faded hand gripped the wrist.
The Confederate officer cried out in pain, followed by a loud audible crunch as something bit through the skin. Vector had to flinch at the sound.
"You bare my mark, the holy mark of the Titan, wear it proudly as a symbol of both your status and my favour." The officer was released. He staggered back several steps before gazing in wonder at the mark upon his arm.
From here Vector could see it. A shell like shape, with a jagged spiky outline. It was the same mark that had set off another of Rei's visions.
"Continue diligently in your task and you and others may expect more rewards. Rewards hardly symbolic in nature."
"I live to spread your divine word."
"You please me captain." Then the strange ghost like being turned to face the two hidden reptiles. "Of course you could please me more by keeping my holy sights clear of spies." The officer glanced upon, sighting the crocodile and shouting loudly. The other Confederates turned and saw the two reptiles watching them.
"Ah shit." Vector snarled, grabbing Espio and making a run for it.
The ghost vanished, fading away to nothing as alarms began blaring out across the entire construction sight.
A giant lumbered into his way, its massive arms sweeping down to make a grab. With Espio tucked underneath one arm the crocodile dodged the large arms, darting around the startled workers while all the time evading the laser blasts fired by the guards. Unfortunately he wasn't able to dodge another of the mutated giants that seemed to lunge at him from out of nowhere, slamming into him and sending both reptiles flying until they crashed into the side of the pit with a loud cracking sound.
"Vector!" Charmy shouted, flying out to meet him. Both reptiles were unconscious. "Vector, Espio get up!" The young bee started, trying to rock them awake as the massive shadow of a Giant loomed over all three of them.
"Wake up, you filth." Espio was sharply thrown away when something hit him hard in the stomach. Gagging out, his eyes flew open to see the face of the recently branded Fesonian officer.
Beside him, both Vector and Charmy were each being detain by one of the giants. Vector was already awake and snowing every tooth in his mouth.
"You are no slaves." The captain spat at the chameleon. "Who are you? Who sent you?"
"We're the drag queens and we were sent by Santa Claus." Espio muttered in utter defiance. The Fesonian swung his long tail around, smacking it hard across the Chameleon's face with a slap.
"I suppose it really doesn't matter." The captain admired. "Line them up and shoot them."
Standing side by side, the original Chaotix were forced to stand up against the side of a wall as two rows of soldiers organized themselves into a firing squad before them.
Watching from the side lines were dozens of workers and slaves. Nelson and Beck were there in amongst the crowd. He was, understandably, keeping his head down but even from there Vector could see the pained expression on his face.
.A dozen crazy plans of escape flew through the croc's mind in an instant but deep down he knew this was the end, there was no way out.
There was a sharp tugging on his glove. The crocodile looked down to see Charmy looking up at him. The young bee's expression feigned bravery but the fear was more than clear in his eyes.
"Vector… regardless of what I may have said about you…" Espio started but the crocodile cut him off.
"If it's all the same to you Espio, the last thing I wish to do with my time is listen to cliché goodbyes." He gave the chameleon a side glance. "Just thanks for the good times Esp."
"Front row, kneel!" The captain declared and the first few Confederates got down onto one knee. "Present rifles!" The guns were brought up and cocked.
Everything in that moment went deadly quiet as if one might hear a pin drop. The commanding officer held his hand up high and once it was dropped they would fire.
Lindsey and Ella had to look away.
Before the word; 'fire', would be uttered a loud bleeping sound interrupted the captain. The Fesonian officer frowned and reached for the small communicator at his belt.
"What is it?" He asked.
"Sir, orbital drop coming in! Ground to orbit guns useless, estimate impact in ten seconds!" A voice shouted at him over the communicator.
"What in Black Doom's name are you talking about?"
A moment later, the ground shook in the prelude of an almighty thud as some heavy object smashed into the cliff top.
Giant fragments of rock broke off from the surface, hailing down towards the construction site.
The firing squad looked up with shouts of frightened alarm as chaos began to grip the site.
"What the hell?" Espio asked, glaring up at the cliff top as some massive object began moving.
With a loud churning of gears, eight metal legs unfurled themselves from the main body, followed by an armored abdomen and a narrow head with giant pincers.
"A Spider-Mech!" Beck declared in the crowds as the giant shape lumbered into view. The machine had been updated and given a slight re-design and twice and large but it was undoubtedly the same combat-mech, a battle device created by Metal Sonic's army.
Even the robotic hedgehog's emblem, the robotic hand in a tight fist was printed on the top of the head.
It screeched its loud call, before spreading out its legs and scuttling down the side of the cliff face towards the work site. Its metallic jaws pried open and a precise laser lanced forward, cutting through the flesh of the Fesonian giants cleaving their arms and legs from their bodies.
With a loud crash it struck the site ground bringing two of its front legs up jabbed them down crushing the Confederate soldiers that rushed to meet it.
"Fire, FIRE!" The ranking officer declared and the turrets around the outside of the perimeter rotated around to face the mech, all of them opening fire at once. The laser and plasma projectiles simply bounced off an invisible shield around the machine and it kept coming, tearing its way through the defenses and crushing the unsuspecting Confederates underfoot.
"Run for it!" Espio shouted and Charmy and Vector needed no encouragement. Following his lead they made a break for it, running as fast as they could while the firing squad was still distracted.
Another object as falling out of the sky, coming down directly towards the working site. It was smaller than the mech currently kicking the Confederate's ass but it fell like a falling star anyway, a brilliantly bright blazing orange object hurtling down screaming as it went.
With a tremendous boom it impacted the ground just outside the ring, sending dust and fragments of rock flying into the air.
At first it looked like little more than a jagged lump of smoldering metal. But changed however when it unfurled itself, its shape transforming; twisting around until it became humanoid.
Skeletal arms and legs fitted with blue armor slotted into place before a head rose up with long blue spikes with white marks down each one. A pair of blood red eyes glared out of the visor as the cape, bearing the symbol of Metal X rolled out behind the android.
None of the slaves from the Earth did not know Metal Sonic.
Seeing the new intruder, several of the Giants roared before charging straight at the robotic hedgehog.
Metal Sonic let his eyes glow blood red, before he crossed his arms in front of himself. The yellow ring in the middle of his chest sparked with energy before he unleashed a powerful energy blast that tore the first Giant apart, carrying on through him to send dozens of Confederate soldiers flying.
A second Giant tried to charge him, but whipping around with his cape flying out behind him Metal Sonic drove his fingers through the mutant's chest with a sickening crunch. The giant stopped in mid stride, before staggering back as the robotic hedgehog tore its heart out.
It coughed up blood before toppled back and crashing to the ground.
Metal Sonic dropped the now still organ and turned to face the ring. He had spent months now learning everything he could about Nexus, hoping the information might take him to Dark Oak.
Dozens of civilizations knew of that separate dimension. Some called in Tartarus, others called it purgatory and a few called it Hell. All references in the texts he had examined had pointed to this… the fabled Miracle planet. A world dislodged from its rightful place by the ancient war of the gods and only kept in place by a tether, a chain linking it to a more stable planet.
Metal Sonic wasn't surprised to find the Confederates here, or this ring for that matter. His research had almost taught him to expect it.
The Spider mech, the only one he had rebuilt, would keep the Confederates occupied with its new upgrades while he explored the ring. Metal Sonic was not sure weather it would lead him to that treacherous general of his, but he felt it was worth a try.
"Man, am I glad to see you guys." Beck stated, catching up with Vector and the others in the Chaos. "That mech's giving them hell."
"Yeah, trust a giant robot spider falling out of the sky to get somebody's complete attention." Espio replied dryly.
"Perfect distraction guys." Vector added, turning to look at the pit which now was unguarded. "I don't know what's down there but I'm going.
"But Rei's still out of it." Beck told them.
"When you guys stay here and look after him." Vector replied and his voice gained a steely edge to it. "I'm not leaving here without Vanilla."
"I'm coming along too." Espio told him sternly.
"So am I." Charmy added.
"We've not traveled half a galaxy just to be left behind." The chameleon told the croc. "Now come on, let's get your girl back."
Beck simply gave them a thumbs up.
"Go on. I'll tale care of things up here." He told them. Vector grinned wildly.
"Ok, let's go!"
(In Chris' voice)
The Galactic Grand Prix draws to an end on Planet Roc. Sonic searches for the mysterious Prometheus for information about the Black Doom and the Iblis Trigger but before he knows it he's facing Jet on the Babylon Rogue's home turf, the scorching deserts below the city of Bablyon; capital of the Falcon Admiralty.
Whoever wins get's six of the seven Chaos Emeralds. But why dose the Hawk want them?
What does his key unlock?
Events of a dramatic history unload with the emergence of the White hedgehog next time as the Sonic Rider's story concludes with Sonic Riders; Final chapter saga, don't miss it!