Chapter 4 - Official Connections
Upon emerging, Anthony concentrated as hard as he could and moved the portal entrance to a back
room in the basement of his house.
"There...WHEW! That should keep it safe from prying eyes."
Suddenly a loud knocking was heard at the front door. Anthony walked up to his front door to
see who it was. When he opened the door, he saw a man in a military officer's uniform looking
at him sternly. Behind him was another military man holding a strange device.
"The signal's coming from this house, Major. From the basement."
"Thank you, Private. Mr. Anthony Bault, I assume?"
Anthony nodded.
"My name is Major Frank Sharpe, United States Military Intelligence. I'm afraid I have to ask
you to vacate the premises as a matter of security."
"Wait," Anthony interrupted. "Does this have to do with some kind of spatial anomaly?"
"I'm afraid that's classified Mr. Bault."
"No matter, I think it is. Come this way, I'll show you the portal and tell you all I know
about it.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Anthony led the major and the private to the portal, telling them the entire story that was
told him by King Arbolet.
"So the king now wants me to go to the Mushroom Kingdom to see what information I can find
about the Descendancy Powers. I was planning to leave tomorrow morning."
"I see...normally I would want to keep civilians out of this...but I won't stop you from
keeping that appointment, since you've already started what sounds like diplomatic relations.
Based on what you told me, we should probably work together, seeing as we appear to be working
on the same project."
"What do you mean, Major?"
Major Sharpe looked at Anthony, looking very stern. "I must ask you to keep what I am about to
say classified, for it may cause a panic if it gets out in the open. Will you do so?"
"Of course, Major."
"Good. I assume you are familiar with the location in New Mexico referred to as Area 51."
Anthony nodded, and then Sharpe continued. "Well, we have been working on a project 200 meters
below its surface. Namely, a strange portal that leads to some world named Mobius. Before you
ask, Mr. Bault, yes. The same Mobius that is the world of Sonic the Hedgehog, and the same
world where they are currently fighting Robotnik. Not too long ago, we even sent one of our
men to check out the planet and he has since joined their fight."
"By any chance was it Lt. Sergio Hernandez, code name T-Bone?" asked Anthony.
The major was taken aback. "How...how did you know this?"
"I'll show you, Major. However, I don't think you will like what you see..."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Let's see...Web Site 9...Sonic fanfics...yes, here it is..."
Anthony pulled up a web site on the screen showing two fanfics called "T-Bone's Saga" and
"Wildcat Alley". The major looked at this and was not too pleased.
"Dammit! How did this fanfic author know about this project?"
"Probably the same way the inventors of the Sonic the Hedgehog game knew about Mobius,"
Anthony explained, "the latent psionic ability that seems to be present in our entire race that
appears to read other realities, however that works. Though I must admit, if this story is
true, I almost afraid to ask which of these other fanfics are true as well. God help us if
Stephen Ratliff was right..."
"OK, assuming you are right, the general populace probably still thinks it's fiction, so we
won't worry about that for now. I'll head back to Washington to get you the clearance needed
to enter Area 51. I will also provide your workplace with reasons why you will be away for a
while."
"Alright...but why are you letting me go if you usually keep civilians out of this? I
mean...you don't consider me expendable, do you?"
"No...right now your new powers and your video game skills are major assets, and give you an
edge we cannot afford to lose. This makes you the best qualified to visit these worlds.
Besides...you might even give us an insight into those latent powers that we apparently all
have, if that story was true, so you are FAR from expendable."
"Alright then...I'll keep you informed of what I find out in Gardenia."
"Very good, Mr. Bault. I'll ready Area 51 for you and send some plainclothes officers to watch
the place."
"Alright, I will see you tomorrow morning then, Major."
Major Sharpe and the private left the house and went off in their Jeep towards the airport.
Anthony then started to make plans...
Upon emerging, Anthony concentrated as hard as he could and moved the portal entrance to a back
room in the basement of his house.
"There...WHEW! That should keep it safe from prying eyes."
Suddenly a loud knocking was heard at the front door. Anthony walked up to his front door to
see who it was. When he opened the door, he saw a man in a military officer's uniform looking
at him sternly. Behind him was another military man holding a strange device.
"The signal's coming from this house, Major. From the basement."
"Thank you, Private. Mr. Anthony Bault, I assume?"
Anthony nodded.
"My name is Major Frank Sharpe, United States Military Intelligence. I'm afraid I have to ask
you to vacate the premises as a matter of security."
"Wait," Anthony interrupted. "Does this have to do with some kind of spatial anomaly?"
"I'm afraid that's classified Mr. Bault."
"No matter, I think it is. Come this way, I'll show you the portal and tell you all I know
about it.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Anthony led the major and the private to the portal, telling them the entire story that was
told him by King Arbolet.
"So the king now wants me to go to the Mushroom Kingdom to see what information I can find
about the Descendancy Powers. I was planning to leave tomorrow morning."
"I see...normally I would want to keep civilians out of this...but I won't stop you from
keeping that appointment, since you've already started what sounds like diplomatic relations.
Based on what you told me, we should probably work together, seeing as we appear to be working
on the same project."
"What do you mean, Major?"
Major Sharpe looked at Anthony, looking very stern. "I must ask you to keep what I am about to
say classified, for it may cause a panic if it gets out in the open. Will you do so?"
"Of course, Major."
"Good. I assume you are familiar with the location in New Mexico referred to as Area 51."
Anthony nodded, and then Sharpe continued. "Well, we have been working on a project 200 meters
below its surface. Namely, a strange portal that leads to some world named Mobius. Before you
ask, Mr. Bault, yes. The same Mobius that is the world of Sonic the Hedgehog, and the same
world where they are currently fighting Robotnik. Not too long ago, we even sent one of our
men to check out the planet and he has since joined their fight."
"By any chance was it Lt. Sergio Hernandez, code name T-Bone?" asked Anthony.
The major was taken aback. "How...how did you know this?"
"I'll show you, Major. However, I don't think you will like what you see..."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Let's see...Web Site 9...Sonic fanfics...yes, here it is..."
Anthony pulled up a web site on the screen showing two fanfics called "T-Bone's Saga" and
"Wildcat Alley". The major looked at this and was not too pleased.
"Dammit! How did this fanfic author know about this project?"
"Probably the same way the inventors of the Sonic the Hedgehog game knew about Mobius,"
Anthony explained, "the latent psionic ability that seems to be present in our entire race that
appears to read other realities, however that works. Though I must admit, if this story is
true, I almost afraid to ask which of these other fanfics are true as well. God help us if
Stephen Ratliff was right..."
"OK, assuming you are right, the general populace probably still thinks it's fiction, so we
won't worry about that for now. I'll head back to Washington to get you the clearance needed
to enter Area 51. I will also provide your workplace with reasons why you will be away for a
while."
"Alright...but why are you letting me go if you usually keep civilians out of this? I
mean...you don't consider me expendable, do you?"
"No...right now your new powers and your video game skills are major assets, and give you an
edge we cannot afford to lose. This makes you the best qualified to visit these worlds.
Besides...you might even give us an insight into those latent powers that we apparently all
have, if that story was true, so you are FAR from expendable."
"Alright then...I'll keep you informed of what I find out in Gardenia."
"Very good, Mr. Bault. I'll ready Area 51 for you and send some plainclothes officers to watch
the place."
"Alright, I will see you tomorrow morning then, Major."
Major Sharpe and the private left the house and went off in their Jeep towards the airport.
Anthony then started to make plans...