Just gonna post this quietly and hopefully no one will notice that it took me much to long to upload it...
The droning had been going on for a good ten minutes or so, and showed no sign of stopping. I stared up anxiously at the sky, trying to catch a glimpse of… something, I wasn't quite sure what. Jacob was right, the noise, whatever it was, was directly over us, a fact I confirmed with a simple walk around the area. Yet no one could make heads or tails of it. Even when news choppers did a fly by overhead, the most interesting footage they could capture was of a stray bird suddenly dropping from the sky for a moment before flying in the opposite direction. Strange, and slightly hilarious, but of no help to us. I crossed back inside and looked at Ms. Hannigan to see if she had learned something. She was busily tapping and scrolling through her new smartphone, her fingers and eyes moving and twitching at a rapid pace.
"According to Twitter, lots of people are agreeing with Jake on this." She reported, looking up at me briefly. "And #aliens is the trending tag in the city right now."
"You don't really think it's aliens, do you?" I crossed my arms, cocking my eyebrow up at her.
"Of course not!" She replied, shooting me a dirty look. "But until we get any better ideas, this is the working theory."
I sighed a bit and watched a window shake for a moment, allowing my thoughts to wander. "...Jacob said that there were videos of this happening in other places, didn't he?"
"Yeah… that's where things get weirder." She pulled a pair of earbuds from her pocket and began to work on untangling them. "Me and Jacob pulled some up on YouTube. You'll want to hear this…" She swiftly plugged in the earbuds and handed them, along with phone, to me. I took a moment to admire the cutting edge phone, a testament to our tech-savvy caretaker's commitment to electronics and all things digital. The screen already had a video queued up, the frozen preview image depicting a street in a suburban area around twilight. I placed the high-end earbuds into my ears, amazed at how quiet the world became, and pressed play. Immediately, a strange, almost electronic sound filled my ears as the video came to life. A man, sounding to be in his 40s, began talking as best he could over the noise.
"Nope, no plane in sight." He said, his southern voice eaten up by the echoey hum. He kept talking every now and then to one of his neighbors, but it was largely indistinct. All in all, however, the situation seemed very similar, except for one thing: The sound in the video was different from ours. While ours sounded like someone was flying a jet over the home, the video noise sounded more ethereal and surreal. I looked down at the recommended videos and selected a similar looking one, titled "Strange noise over Atlanta." Similar concept, though this time out on a farm with a woman. Same noise as the other one. I looked up at Ms. Hannigan.
"Are all the videos like that?" I asked, yelling a bit accidentally. Ms. Hannigan nodded as I removed the earbuds. "So that proves it then, we're not dealing with what everyone else thought. No aliens, the sounds are completely different."
"Then what is it?"
I was admittedly at a loss for words. My mouth hung open slightly as I tried to come up with any sort of theory or explanation, but the only image I could conjure up were of little green men with large black eyes. I helplessly shrugged my shoulders. "Not aliens…?"
"Well, until we've gotten proof otherwise, we can't discount the crazy."
"But Ms. Hannigan-"
"Sherlock Holmes said 'Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth.'" Ms. Hannigan smiled softly before turning back to her phone. "This whole situation is weird, so there could be a weird solution."
"Okay, but like, weird like a drone hooked up to a loudspeaker, not-"
"No matter how improbable Josh." She looked up over her phone with slightly mischievous eyes. She pushed her hands forward, looking like the guy from the "Aliens" meme for a moment, before heading back into the Twitter-verse or wherever she was looking. I stared at her blankly for a moment before walking back upstairs, listening as the noise got slightly louder. Definitely sounded like jet engines… and yet somehow they didn't. I let my mind scroll through anything I could think of that sounded similar as I pushed open the door to our room. Jacob was resting against the wall, his earbuds plugged in and most likely blasting loud music. I frowned a bit as I crossed the room and gently removed one of the buds.
"You doing ok?" I put my hand on his shoulder and gave it a squeeze. His blue eyes regarded me distractedly for just a moment before looking back out the window.
"That bird on the news wasn't just a weird fluke." He said. "There's been two more in the past five minutes that just-" He smashed a fist into his other hand before letting it drop while whistling.
"Really?" I knelt slightly, looking up into the sky. Jacob pointed to another bird that was flying in our direction. We watched as the avian suddenly stopped and dropped out of the sky a few feet before flying in the opposite direction.
"There's something up there… something physical." He said distractedly, squinting as if he was trying to make out whatever it was. "...This is a little more advanced than what the military have I think…" I paused for a moment, realizing that the aliens theory was suddenly sounding more and more realistic as I squinted as well. There was no shimmer, no glint of light against the sun, nothing to indicate that there was something above us, only the sound of droning.
"Military?" I repeated. "Really?"
"They have cloaking tech, just not at this level I don't think." Jacob shrugged a bit. "Any theories from downstairs?"
"Ms. Hannigan is thinking aliens." I replied, looking back down at Jacob. "Next, someone's gonna tell me that the sky is falling." Jacob chuckled a bit.
"At this point, anything's possible." Jacob replied, moving away from the window. "Still feeling creeped out?" I did a quick check of my body. My palms were still slick, my heart was still thumping just a bit harder than it should. I was still feeling "creepy."
"Do you think it's dangerous?" I asked as quietly as I could over the noise as I crossed back to my bed and sat down. Jacob shrugged.
"Let's ask Ms. Hannigan to get everyone out." He replied. "Just in case." He stared blankly for a few minutes more before going to our shared closet and pulling out his Chaos Emerald. He took it everywhere with him, like a security blanket or a stuffed animal. He couldn't quite explain why it brought him comfort whenever I asked him about it, the best answer I got being it made him "feel powerful." I eyed the large lump that it formed in his pocket, knowing that I would have to help him break the attachment before school started, though, how to do that was beyond me. I told him to go to grief counseling like I was, but he would have none of it. He kept insisting he was fine, he was tough and he could handle it. I didn't quite understand why… but couldn't help but feel like it had to do with me, and how weak and depressed I was after… it happened.
Jacob quickly left the room, to alert Ms. Hannigan, while I stayed for a moment longer, watching a seagull face plant into the invisible wall above our house. I couldn't help but stifle a chuckle as I walked out the door and back down the stairs, passing Ms. Hannigan on the way down.
"Make sure you guys get out to our meeting place, you know where to go." She told me as she passed.
"Of course." I said back as I pressed myself to the wall to allow her a little more room to pass. I made my way to the front door, before I saw Jacob, looking out the window at something. "What's up?
"Dude, there's some guys in giant robot suits out there, it's so cool!" He exclaimed as he crossed from the window on the left to the right side of the door. He opened the door up and yelled to them, waving his hand. I chuckled.
"We're in the middle of an evacuation and you're focusing on a bunch of nerds in costume." I shook my head a bit as I looked out at the robot costumes. I had to admit, they were very well made, almost looking exactly like real metal! Even their movements looked mechanical, each heavy-looking leg stomping down with an appropriate metallic thudding sound. I'd have to ask them how they managed to do that later.
"Why are they here?" Jacob asked, looking up at me. I shrugged.
"They probably want to be on the news." I said, motioning towards the news crews at the end of the street. They were all speaking frantically, almost panicked. I squinted a bit, watching one point towards us. "Why aren't they getting closer?" I mused.
"Um, Josh?" Jacob tugged my arm a bit before pointing down the path leading to the house. The two "robots" were walking up the path, letting us get a good look at their fronts. They stood taller than me, and basically looked like a giant steel ball with a square on top and two glowing red lights for eyes stuck to the square. It's arms and legs looked like two rectangles joined by a hinge, with their big bulky hands and squared feet sprouting out of a hole at the end of their blocky limbs. They were almost completely red, aside from a few various-colored buttons on their chest and some yellow highlights that seemed to be added for decoration. I put on my most winning smile as I walked towards them.
"Hey guys, those are cool costumes but you really aren't allowed to be on property witho-"
"GIVE US THE CHAOS EMERALD!" One of the robots shouted in its strange, tinny, monotone voice. I flinched in surprise before I laughed a bit. The Chaos Emerald huh? I guess they were dressed as Eggman Robots
"That's a nice sound system you got in there!" I replied. Truth be told, my ears were ringing a bit from the loud demand. "You should go show the news crews!"
"GIVE US THE CHAOS EMERALD OR WE WILL USE FORCE!" The other shouted, its voice identical to the first. I flinched back again, this time in fear, as they stepped closer. My brother moved forward, anger evident on his face.
"Ok, this has gone far enough, either you get off the property or I'm calling the police." Jacob yelled. He looked about ready to go on a tirade as he marched forward. Until one of the robots raised their arm to the side. We watched as the hand retracted into the arm, and a small pipe popped out… that proceeded to spew fire, burning a patch in our lawn. Me and Jacob both stumbled back and ran into the house, just as Ms. Hannigan was starting to march everyone to the front door.
"Out the back, now!" I shouted, blocking the exit. Ms. Hannigan only gave me a worried look before hurrying everyone in the opposite direction, towards the backyard. Jacob and I heard the clanking metal footsteps get closer and closer to the door as we looked out the window… we only had a few minutes before they would be right on top of us.
"What do we do now?" Jacob asked, worry evident in his voice. "They might try and get Ms. Hannigan and the kids…" The thought had crossed my mind as well, as I began to think of a solution. I looked back at Jacob.
"...They said they wanted the Chaos Emerald…" I said slowly, my mind racing. "...the one in your pocket?" I asked, looking at the lump. Jacob quickly brought the gem out of his pocket, taking a moment to stare at the green gem. "...why?" I finally asked, speaking quietly as we ducked out of sight of the robots.
"Does it matter?" Jacob hissed. "It's just a bunch of crazy cosplayers wanting to roleplay, we have bigger problems!" Jacob pointed to the back door. "We have to keep those things away from everyone else!" I turned my head back to the window… the robot's were nearly at our door.
"...We could totally outrun them, right?" I asked, looking at Jacob out of the corner of my eye. Jacob gave an affirmative nod.
"Those suits don't let them move very fast… I think we'll be ok." He moved towards the door. "They just want this, right?" He looked at me, holding the gem up.
"Yup." I affirmed. "...now, you seriously just got this from a knick knack store, right?" I stared my brother down, looking for any of his tells. I had gotten really good at knowing when he was lying.
"Yeah… I mean, the garbage can in the back of the knick knack store, but yeah." Jacob shrugged. I shook my head in disgust. He was unbelievable sometimes… but he wasn't lying. Explains how he was able to get that thing while he didn't have a job.
"Ok… here we go…"
Time slowed to a crawl as we burst out the front door, shoving past the two robots… but just like we planned, we made it past them, putting considerable distance between them and us.
What we hadn't planned on was that they were much faster than they looked. Sure, on foot, they were about as fast as a fat lady on a jazzy at Wal-Mart… but then you have to factor in that they had jet packs. We heard the whine of the engines starting up before we turned to look back. The heavy, bulky things suddenly lifted off the ground. They started slowly flying towards us, but picking up speed as momentum began to carry them forward. We both reacted immediately, sprinting forward as fear pumped adrenaline through our systems.
"Turn a corner!" Jacob shouted, pointing to a cross street. "Maybe they'll slow down!" We both rounded the corner and, sure enough, we saw the robot's relentless pace slow… but not by much. They were picking up speed again, getting closer and closer to grabbing us.
"Call the police!" I yell as we turn yet another corner.
"My phone's at home!" He yelled back. I groaned and reached into my pocket, pulling my own cell phone out. I punched in 911 and put the phone to my ear. It rang for what felt like eternity.
"911, please state your emergency!"
"Two guys are chasing us, we need help now!"
The operator seemed a bit startled for a moment before speaking again. "Are they chasing you right now?!"
"Yes, they are literally on our tail, they are using jet packs!"
"J-Jet… hold on, can you tell me your location?"
I look around, unfamiliar with the area. I finally spot a road sign. "Turning left onto Hartford Drive."
"They don't know which way is left, we're heading East!" Jacob yelled as we rounded yet another corner. The robots were getting closer… and I didn't know if I could keep running.
"Ok, listen to me!" The operator spoke calmly. "Take a left at the next crossing and see if you can hide behind the small convenience store on the corner."
I nod. "Left buddy, go!" We sprint left, trying to go as quickly as we can. We see it, the small store, with a tiny alley next to it that we can squeeze into, a space too small for the robots. I grab Jacob's hand and pull him towards the little store, as we shimmy our way through the small alley. I turn and look back in time to see the robots fly past… I let out a soft sigh… I bring the phone up to my ear as we come out of the alley to the back of the building. We rest against the wall, panting.
"...t-they're gone." I say quietly to the operator.
"Good, ok… we're sending dispatch to you now. What did they look like?
"Um… you're not gonna believe me-"
"Josh?" Jacob tugged on my arm a bit. I politely pushed his arm away.
"Hold on buddy, um… they're dressed up in these big robot costumes-"
"Josh!"
"I'm talking to the police! So, the costumes are bulky and-"
"Josh look!"
I growl a bit and turn to look at Jacob, ready to yell and sock him in the arm. He stared back at me, a bit wide eyed, before looking down at something glowing green in his hands.
"...i-is that… the emerald?"
"Sir, are you still there?"
I put the phone up to my ear again. "Y-Yeah yeah, just… one sec…" I slowly lowered the phone again. "...How are you making it do that?" My voice was a hushed whisper… I felt almost too afraid to speak, though I wasn't sure why…
"I-I didn't do anything…" Jacob replied, his voice much the same as mine. "...feel it…!" I carefully reached my hand out. No sooner did my fingers brush the gem did I feel a sudden surge of… something within me. I can't explain what. It was like my entire body was suddenly on high alert. My heart rate sped up, my breathing quickened, and the whole world seemed like a possible threat. I drew my hand back hastily, the feeling quickly going away.
"D-Drop that thing, now!" I ordered quietly, rubbing my hand.
"...do you think this is the real deal?" Jacob asked, looking up at me again.
"No… no way. Sonic isn't real." I said firmly. I stared down at the gem again, glowing in Jacob's hands. "...it… it isn't…" Hesitantly, I reached my hand out again. My fingers trembled as they gently touched down on the Emerald's top. Immediately, that same intense feeling rocketed through my system. I couldn't think of anything that could give that kind of sensation, save maybe a drug. "...so what if it is? Can it help us?" I asked as I pulled my hand away. Jacob slowly nodded.
"Chaos Control." His voice sounded almost reverent as he spoke. "It can teleport us anywhere we want… usually Sonic needs all seven Chaos Emeralds, but I know it's possible to go short range with just one."
Our heads snapped up as we heard a familiar whirring coming our way again.
"...ok, sure, let's give it a shot!" I said quickly. I placed my entire hand on top of the Emerald. "What do you do?"
"Think of a place where we could be safe, then we both gotta say Chaos Control." He instructed.
"Ok, let's… think of our old house." I reply, checking behind him. The driveway across from us had two shadows now… two big, bulky shadows, slowly clunking closer to us. Jacob nods and closes his eyes. I do the same.
"On three." He says quietly. I picture our old white house in my mind, with the tree in the front yard that would always drop its leaves too early. "One." Our door with faded crayon stains. The garage with a dent from when Dad accidentally pushed the gas instead of the brake. "Two." Dad… I missed him… my eyes opened slightly as my mind wandered, bittersweet memories coming to me. I looked up in time to gaze down the barrel of a large gun. Time froze as Jacob slowly said "three" and began to yell "Chaos Control!" at the same time the gun began to whirr. I yelled and pushed him to the side as a bright flash blinded me. I felt something hit me and wrap around my body, constricting my movement as I fell to the ground. The flash died as quickly as it came, revealing me wrapped in a net, the Emerald laying inches from my face, my phone close to it, and my brother gone… My eyes scanned the area frantically as I struggled against the net. He couldn't have gotten far! He had to still be here! I panicked more as I felt a cold hand wrap around me and pick me up, bringing me face to face with a pair of cold, red eyes.
"TARGET NEUTRALIZED." It said in a loud voice. "CHAOS EMERALD RETRIEVED." I turned to watch the other robot pick up the Emerald and store it into a chest cavity. Their jet packs whirred again, before I felt a blast of intense heat as fire shot out from their ports. I felt us rise into the air, slowly getting faster and faster. I watched as we started to move back towards the home, moving higher and higher into the sky.
And just as I started thinking to myself the day couldn't get any worse… I watched in a mix of awe and horror as a gigantic red airship started to materialize into view, whatever cloaking technology it was hiding behind slowly disappearing. I saw the tiny bodies of the media people having a panic attack as their cameras all shot up, the reporters flapping their arms and probably trying to describe the impossible scene unfolding before them. I was having a hard time wrapping my head around the situation myself as we drew closer and closer to the behemoth craft. As my eyes frantically scanned the airship, they locked onto one thing, a white logo that stood out proudly along the side of the ship. A round face, two white, empty eyes, a wide, toothy smile, and a large mustache jutting out from either side of the slightly pointed nose. I shook my head, my own brain refusing to accept what my eyes could clearly see, logic still trying to parse a possible explanation. But as we entered the dark shadow of the red ship, moving upwards to the landing platform of the larger than life aircraft, I started to accept the impossible, ridiculous, and almost hilarious truth…
I was being kidnapped by a guy named after my breakfast yesterday.
As soon as we entered the ship, my two, large kidnappers handed me to two, smaller "wardens," I guess. I'd seen these models of robots many times when Jacob played his games, they seemed to be the standard "easy-to-beat" baddie, like those little brown Goombas in Mario. These lackies were only about chest height to me, round red balls essentially, with a slightly more curved dome to make a head. Two glowing blue eyes, and a row of glowing blue "teeth" were separated by a sharp yellow spike, making a sort of "nose." Their shoulders, hands, and feet were all made from the same, bulky red material as their bodies, but were attached by what looked like rubber hosing or some kind of black, bendable material. They wouldn't have even registered as a threat, were it not for the comically large red and yellow guns they held in their hands. I felt one poke me in the back with the point of the gun, urging me forward. I quickly obeyed. We walked down cold, dimly lit corridors, the tinny sound of metal feet on metal flooring and the whirring of servos the only sounds made.
"...where are you taking me?" I tried my best to sound tough, authoritative. The robots simply pushed me forward again. "...so what, you aren't going to talk to me?" The two ignored my question once again. They either couldn't or wouldn't talk, which did nothing to calm my nerves. My heart was beating so hard I could almost hear it, I felt myself sweating through my shirt. I was in big trouble.
We walked for ages down corridor after corridor. We'd occasionally go up or down some stairs, turn through a door or around a corner, but beyond that, there was no real way to tell where we were on the ship, where we were going, how far we were. I guess it made sense… no need for signs if the robots could just download a map into their CPU or whatever you call it.
I suddenly became aware that mine were the only footsteps echoing in the hall. I turned to see my two robotic escorts kneeling on the ground, almost locking themselves down. I barely had time to register any confusion before I heard a loud whirring coming from somewhere beneath us. A moment later and the whole ship suddenly lurched, sending me stumbling backwards and falling on my rear, skidding a few feet back. I rubbed my sore behind as I tried to regain my balance. It took me a couple of seconds to realize what was going on… the ship was moving, and it was moving quickly. I looked back at the guards, who were still crouched, strange whirring sounds coming from their bodies… maybe they were recalibrating. My eyes went a bit wide. It was my chance to run…
I took off down the hall as quickly as I could, hearing the guards panic behind me. I could feel the ship's momentum working against me, slowing my movement some as I sprinted forward. I risked a look over my shoulder to see the two red robots gaining on me, their feet pounding the floor. I ducked my head and pushed harder, quickly turning a corner. I clipped the wall as I turned, making me stumble somewhat, but I kept running… it was all I could do. But I slowed as I realized there was no way to get off the ship, Jacob was probably not here, and I knew this ship about as well as I knew my way around Area 51… which, for all intents and purposes, this might as well have been. I shook my head a bit and turned another corner, putting on the gas again. It didn't matter. If they were going to take me, I would sure as heck make sure it wasn't easy for them.
Unfortunately, it had been a while since I had gone running… I already felt my lungs burn. I faltered a bit and slowed my sprint to a more lenient jog… hoping that, maybe the bots weren't any faster than a moderate shamble or a brisk walk. I looked behind me. No sign of them. I couldn't quite hear them either, which, for my sake, meant they were either far behind me, or had given up. I slowed more to a quiet, stealthy walk and started to look around for something that could be of use. A phone, an escape pod, an undo button, anything. Every door I came to, I peeked inside. Sometimes I would arrive at some kind of control room or security room (though I couldn't access anything, all of the buttons were locked under glass…). Other times it looked like a workshop with dozens of parts scattered about. Once, I even found a weapons locker room type thing… but all the guns were in cages. Mostly, the doors just contained janitors closets. I guess with all those robots, you get a lot of oil leaks or something… I considered arming myself with a broom… but quickly realized that was dumb. There was no way a simple broom would do anything against a steel robot. Only an idiot would even try.
It felt like hours had passed as I continued to sneak my way around the large airship. It could have been much more, I had no way of knowing. The only light came from industrial bulbs strung along the ceiling, and if there was a clock, I missed all 52 of them that I'd imagine would be in every big room I checked. I was getting tired, I was cold, and, since I had some time to think, I was getting more and more anxious about what had happened to my little brother. If everything had gone well, he should be back at our old house… but some little feeling in the pit of my stomach told me that something had screwed up. "Or someone…" I found myself thinking. I probably wasn't all that wrong. If I had been paying closer attention, then maybe I could have seen the bots in time and had us hurry and hide. Or maybe if I had pulled him away.
I shook my head, gently slapping my cheeks. Of course he was fine. He teleported, which means he went back to our house. Maybe. Most likely. Possibly. Probably. ...right?
I caught myself twisting my shirt in my hands. I needed to find him. To see him. To know he's ok. We had been separate loads of times before, but… this was truly the first time I actually felt apart from him. I started to tear up as a dark, eerie, and very familiar feeling start to creep into me.
I quickly wiped my eyes. "He's not dead." I whispered to myself. It became a montra as I snuck this way and that way down the halls. What was I even looking for…? An escape pod, best case scenario… or an unlocked control room… or something… I peeked around what felt like the thousandth corner today, and finally saw something different… stairs. I felt my heart skip a beat, this was progress! I carefully made my way up the metal stairs, listening for any footsteps that weren't my own. The top didn't bring much as far as changes in sceneries went, but I was thrilled to find another flight leading up right next to me. I turned and continued up, finally feeling a bit more confident that maybe I could make it out of here. The second flight of stairs led to a third, then a fourth, and if my legs weren't burning before, they certainly were now. It wasn't until a fifth flight that I finally noticed a change in surroundings. The walls had turned from a dingy grey to a cherry red, the rather dull floor turned to white tiling, and I could swear that there were a couple of couches or chairs in the distance off to my right. I shook my head a bit before turning and marching up yet another flight of stairs. I was gasping for air now, actually needing to pull myself up with the railing. The only reason I didn't stop for a break was the thought of my little brother alone in the big bad world. Standing outside our old house, or maybe someplace worse, and wondering where I was, what I was doing.
Sixth… seventh… My mouth was dry, I was tasting metal for some reason, and I swear I was starting to see stars. There was no way I was going to last much longer. I grunted and finally let myself sit down on the top of the steps, softly gasping for air… Jacob could wait for just a few seconds while I caught my breath. I needed to be in top form if I wanted to avoid getting caught again. I took a look down the hallway, keeping my head on a swivel, listening for anything suspicious. As I gazed down at the seemingly unending row of doors, a burning curiosity began to grow inside me… what made this place so different? I slowly stood and made my way to the first door I could find. Locked. As was the next one, and the one after that.
I sat down on a cherry red chair, giving my "slightly" aching legs a chance to rest. The corridor still stretched forward, almost endlessly it seemed. I sighed softly and looked down at my knees. "...hold on buddy…" I whispered quietly. "...I'm coming… just hang on for a second more…" I shook my head a bit and stood back up, continuing my trek down the hall.
I had to have gone up at least 5 more floors, and nothing changed between any of them. Every door I tried locked, either by a deadbolt or electronically. I had spent hours searching, with nothing to show for my labors. Whatever Eggman was hiding, he was insistent that no one discovered it. I sank into another chair, holding my head in my hands. At this rate, I would never make it back to Jacob, let alone make it off the ship.
"No," I lightly smacked my cheeks and stood back up, bouncing a bit. I started to dance a bit, hyping myself up by singing what could barely be considered a song. "You can't think like that, you are getting out of here, you're gonna find Jakie, cuz you can do anything you set your mind t-"
The sound of metal on tile cut me off as I scurried behind a chair, looking down the hall. The stomping got louder before I saw what was making the noise… more of those round robots from earlier. They were running, which honestly looked a bit goofy, more like they were constantly tripping on something, as they took off down the hall. Except for one, one robot in the front that looked different than all the others. It was a monkey, if monkeys had robot arms and a yellow sirens on their heads. But beyond that, it looked relatively not robotic, healthy brown fur, lively eyes (albeit beady looking ones), it even wore a little yellow jumpsuit.
"There he is!" The monkey shrieked in a slightly high-pitched voice. There was a slightly tinny echo to it that reminded me that, yes, this little monkey was in fact a robot. I quickly jumped up from my hiding spot and started to run in the opposite direction, only to run into into another small army of robots, this one consisting of just the round red ones. I stopped, my eyes darting around for any escape route, any way I could shove past them and bolt out of there. I must have hesitated for a bit too long though… I felt two hands grab my wrists and pull them together behind me before snapping something on both of them. I struggled to pull my wrists apart, to find them clasped firmly together. I felt something else, something that felt suspiciously like a gun barrel, poke into my back. "Alright intruder," the monkey pressed the barrel harder into my skin. "Start walking."