NOTE: I realise that the 'cure' in this chapter is just dodgy folklore and not genuine in real life, but I decided to use it anyway. Poetic license, y'see.
Disclaimer: Sonic and all related characters and settings are copyright Sega Corporation. None of it belongs to me, but all property is theft, man. Whatever that means.
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Chapter Six - Sinister Devices.
Sonic and Robotnik trudged through the thickening forest, about a good 5 metres away from each other. They'd fallen out. Or rather, they'd fallen even further out, since they were never really 'in' to begin with.
The walk was taking longer than Sonic would've hoped. He knew Dr Robotnik could walk a lot faster than he currently was, he was just being difficult. He had no desire to see what Sonic wanted to show him, even though the hedgehog was sure he'd be interested to see it. Thus, an argument had started over whether Robotnik was genuinely too sick to walk a little quicker, and whether it was actually worth hurrying to see Sonic's observation.
"Is this fascinating surprise anywhere close?" Robotnik called out indignantly.
"We'd have reached it ages ago if you could pick up the pace!" Sonic snapped irritably. He lashed out with his hands to clear some of the branches that were obstructing his path.
Dr. Robotnik rather less aggressively pulled the branches aside as he advanced. "It's easy for you, you're used to this kind of environment. I'm used to electricity, convenient machines, a perfect temperature, perfect food… different varieties of omelette every night… except for Friday --Indian Take-Away night-- and a McNasty's occasionally for lunch…" Dr Robotnik trailed off and stared into the distance. For once, he didn't seem to be hiding that fact that he was scared, and that was rather unnerving to Sonic. He usually stuck up for the underdog, the frightened victim, but when it was Robotnik...
"Hurry up!" Sonic whined impatiently, adding length to the word 'hurry', "I'd like to make it there before midnight!"
They had both reached a thick area of greenery and had to stop, intensifying an awkward silence.
"Ordering me around," Robotnik said quietly, without even thinking, "you're turning into Me." Sonic swung round to face his nemesis and exploded.
"HOW DARE YOU! I am nothing like you! I am -hahaha!- practically the eggsact opposite of you!" he screamed. Then his face dropped and he signed expressively.
"I'm sorry," he said, not terribly convincingly, "no, I really am. I guess it's not your fault. We're almost there, anyway." Sonic pushed forward, standing up to his knees in a thick bush of unfriendly-looking spiked leaves. He held his hands out and felt his face go bright red.
"I've just stood… in a chuffing great patch of stinging nettles," he reported in a state of controlled panic. "Now, what is it that cures nettle stings, Robotnik?" His eyes fixed on Robotnik with a look of desperation. He would've usually been too proud to blatantly beg for his archenemy's help like this, but the vicious prickling hurt like the Dickens.
"I don't know," Robotnik admitted, leaning forward to deliver his forthcoming words; "but I know someone who does." Bearing a grin that almost seemed to extend to both tips of his wild moustache, he produced the Ultimate Guide to Surviving Against All Odds from his back pocket.
"Let's see… nettle stings," he browsed casually, "ah, here we go. Dock leaf should relieve it, apparently."
"Great! So what does that look like?" Sonic said, bending down amongst a collection of various plants and flowers.
"No idea," Robotnik said, sadistically relishing Sonic's prolonged suffering.
The hedgehog swung his foot around, kicking the nettles in wrathful, vengeful anger. "Why does nature hate me? I'm always sticking up for nature!" He stopped and looked around.
"Hey, I remember this place-- we're dead close! Look at this!" Sonic leapt at a tree and bombed up the side of it into the dense, leafy treetops. Robotnik stood there, completely bewildered, and after a few moments began to wonder if Sonic's plan was to take him into the forest and leave him here. However, before he could shout out something rude, an enchanting metal clanking sound was heard, followed by a horrific stressed creaking. It reminded Robotnik of the robots and machines at home --wonderful home, where there's a full carton of eggs in every fridge and a robot around every corner!-- and this lifted his spirits, no matter what the machine was. With astonishing agility for a man his size, Robotnik hopped through the bushes and ran over to where Sonic was, his face plastered with a huge dumb smile. When he looked up at the machine his smile disappeared, but it was replaced by an expression of sheer surprise rather than disappointment.
"What is it?" Robotnik gasped, pointing up at a large contraption that looked like a vehicle of some sort. It was shaped like a squashed oval --egg-shaped, Dr Robotnik thought-- and had the shiniest plating he'd ever seen. The dazzling reflections of the bright sunlight were almost blinding, but he couldn't help but gaze at it. At the bottom of the contrivance were four chrome legs that were clamped tightly against the burnished body of the machine. The whole thing was tethered to a large steel platform by a thick, twisted metal wire and swung there looking rather undignified for a device of such magnificence. Below it was the water, and Dr Robotnik was observing the scene from a sheer cliff. Sonic stood on the upper platform, eyeing what appeared to be a control panel of sorts.
"Ah, it's not one of yours. I didn't think so," Sonic muttered, not really sounding too convinced at all. "Any idea what it is?"
"I assume it's a boat, that's why it's hanging over the water. And the legs, they must be so it can crawl onto land. What's on that panel?"
"Oh, controls. Buttons and levers: Rotate, Raise, Lower, Release… hey, that must be the one to drop it into the water!"
Dr Robotnik said nothing. He was eyeing Sonic intently, presumably waiting for him to press a button. However, for once Sonic was not impulsive and genuinely wondered whether they should rush into the boat. They didn't even know whose it was, and it seemed all too convenient that a means of escape should be just sitting here on an apparently abandoned island.
"Lower it into the water," Robotnik commanded eventually.
Sonic casually leaned forward onto the control panel, supporting himself with one hand, and pulled the 'lower' lever down gently.
The entire platform shook violently, emitting a dreadful metallic whine. Sonic had to tighten his grip on the controls so not to get thrown off.
"Ugh, this thing can't have been used for ages!" he yelled over the side of the platform.
"It -hahaha!- it worked though, look!" Robotnik pointed to the machine in delight. The metal wire had unravelled through a hook where it connected to the upper platform, significantly lowering the boat's height. "Now press the release button."
Sonic shook his head; he wasn't enjoying being ordered about like this. Expecting another jolt like before, he pushed the release button with his gloved finger and braced himself. He needn't have wasted his time, though, because very little happened indeed. The only sound was a slight clicking, and an anguished cry from Dr Robotnik.
"Argh, the clip must be stuck! The boat is still connected to the wire! Sonic, jump down there and try to prise the clip apart."
"What? Listen, you, I don't appreciate being treated like one of your machines!"
"Just do it," Robotnik spat, "unless you've got a better idea."
Sonic hissed at the old doctor, then leapt off the platform. Reaching out with his hands, he gripped the rope and slid down it gracefully. There was a tiny clank as his shoes touched the shiny surface of the boat. Looming over, he inspected the clip.
"This thing must be really old," Sonic observed, "it's all rusted and perished. Oh well, here goes--" He grasped the top of the clip firmly and pulled it up.
The clip fell apart in his hands. The entire left-hand side of the vehicle was unsupported, and it swung around viciously, throwing Sonic off his feet. The hedgehog was hurled though the air, until he managed to grip the mirror-like surface and cling on for dear life. The door to the boat, its locking mechanism clearly not in place, swung open and banged against the side of the ship, narrowly avoiding Sonic and creating a ringing clank that made him wince. When he could open his eyes again, he stared at something on the door.
He lied to me! Sonic thought, That's Robotnik's logo!
Gathering his strength in his arms, Sonic hurled himself up onto the top of the boat. Instead of landing on it, though, he pushed his feet hard against the surface, bouncing off to land beside Robotnik on the island. As he pushed on the boat, the clip broke apart completely and the odd device plummeted a short distance into the water.
Sonic and Robotnik looked at each other briefly. Robotnik was going to say "Well done", but he didn't bother. Both of them just stood there, looking half-mortified, half-devastated.
The 'boat' sank like a rock.
Tails jogged through the forest, his face bleached white and saturated with sweat. The trees that had looked so innocent and beautiful now seemed to be deliberately hindering his passage. He needed to get to Eggor, right now. Tails badly wanted to be as independent as Sonic, but in the face of true fear it was essential to be with somebody. Anybody.
"Eggor!" he shouted to the robot, who was currently clearing the forest floor, "I found something very unusual… I need you to see it."
Eggor regarded the fox. Tails looked like his Master did whenever there was a salmonella scare. "Very well," he said gruffly, "lead me to it."
Tails hopped up into the air and took flight, the hunchbacked robot trundling behind him. Not too far from where the bridge was (it was a small island, after all), he stopped and pointed at an object that was half covered in grass and vines.
It was a large container, about twice Eggor's height, made with thick walls of metal. On the side was a small, round, murky window that displayed a view of the interior of the container. Tails, still floating in the air, breathed heavily.
Eggor trundled over to the box and studied it. "It's not one of Doctor--"
"You don't need to tell me!" Tails blurted, "it's not Dr Robotnik's technology, we don't know whose it is!" Again, fear of the unknown.
"It's empty." Eggor said, gazing through the small window, "it's not important."
Tails threw his hands up in frustration. "Don't you see? Look at the writing on the side!"
It wasn't easy to read the print on the side of the capsule as it had been worn away by bad weather. The general theme was obvious though-- 'Danger!' 'Do not activate until unit is in secure environment!' 'Do not release door in insecure environment even if the unit is deactivated!' Whatever had been in there had been very nasty indeed.
Eggor brushed his hand over the tarnished wall of the container to reveal a small piece of writing that hadn't been worn away as badly as the rest. All it was was the number 63 in a strange font.
"It's here, Eggor, in the forest somewhere. It's what I heard at night, what had got those trees!"
Eggor was silent for a moment. "I think we should go back to the bridge." He said.
The pair turned to head back, but there was something blocking their path.