"He's obtained one of our airships," stated Robotnik angrily, pointing at Knuckles on the viewscreen. "Alert all robot-piloted airships in the area at once, Snively."
"Yes, sir," complied Snively. "As you say, sir."
Snively then sauntered out of the room.
Robotnik turned his chair to face another screen, where he saw an army of SWATbots.
"Yes, yes, stage one is going as planned," smiled Robotnik.
Robotnik's laugh seared through the air and burned the sky.
Sonic awoke, tired, not wanting to face the daylight, but reluctantly pulling himself out of bed. He strolled out of his hut, realizing that Caero had left during the night. As he passed Sally's hut, Sonic called out, "I'm heading for Uncle Chuck's, okay?" Hearing an affirmative response, Sonic headed out of Knothole and speeded toward Robotropolis.
Entering Robotropolis, Sonic carefully surveyed the area looking for robots. Sonic rushed towards the compost heap in which Uncle Chuck's hideaway was located. Sonic quickly looked around to make sure no robots could see what he was doing, and then opened the code-lock pad on the wall to his left. Sonic punched in the code, and a hidden door in the garbage heap in front of him opened up. Sonic quickly stepped inside and pressed a button on the wall to close the door behind him.
Sonic looked around in search of his uncle. Sonic clambered down the stairs into the lower level of the hideaway, where he found his uncle.
Before Robotnik had usurped the throne, Chuck had served under the king. He was called Sir Charles. Now he no longer even had his body. It had been transformed, made into metal and electronics, at Robotnik's hand, via the process of roboticization, which was a critical weapon for Robotnik, as the process, originally invented in the hopes of using it to heal the wounded by turning their damaged organics into something immune to disease, had the unfortunate side effect of taking the subject's free will; upon discovering this, the project was scrapped, but Robotnik wouldn't let the schematics be destroyed, and took them when he seized the throne. The roboticizer was the machine that performed the deed. Its inventor: Sir Charles Hedgehog.
"'Sup, Unc?"
Uncle Chuck had, like everybody else, lost his free will when he was robbed of his body. It was returned to him during one of Robotnik's experiments, however. Obviously – or at least intelligently – Charles did not make this known to Robotnik. Thus he continued to be part of Robotnik's service. He acted as a spy for Knothole – a spy from the inside.
"Hey, Sonic," said Uncle Chuck. "I may have found something of interest to you."
Uncle Chuck turned back to the computer, which was connected to Robotnik's network. He typed a few commands, and then pointed at the screen.
"I don't know what this is," said Uncle Chuck.
Sonic leaned over to see what Uncle Chuck was pointing at.
"PROJECT UA," read Sonic aloud.
"Yes," said Uncle Chuck. "I don't have access to it, though. Its level of classified security is too high. I have, however, noticed that some interesting activity is going on."
"What?" asked Sonic.
"It appears an interestingly large number of robots have been deployed on the Floating Island."
Uncle Chuck activated a viewscreen which showed large armies of SWATbots on the Floating Island.
"I don't know what exactly this deployment serves to accomplish, but it certainly intrigues me. I suppose it could be linked with 'Project UA,' although I can't access that information," elaborated Uncle Chuck.
"Hmm," said Sonic. "Well, thanks for the info as usual, Unc. I'll be sure to let the rest of the gang know about it."
"No problem, Sonic," smiled Uncle Chuck. "I hope to see you again soon."
"I hope so too," replied Sonic as walked upstairs; he then opened the door and walked out.
Knothole…
Sonic entered the hidden village of Knothole, and immediately headed for Sally's hut to tell her what he had been told by his uncle. Finding that she wasn't there, Sonic headed for Tails' hut.
"Hey, Tails," called Sonic.
"Hey, Sonic," replied Tails. "What's up?"
"Have you seen Sally?"
"I think she's underground, in Rotor's workshop."
"Alright, thanks, Tails," said Sonic. "Later, bud!"
"Later, Sonic."
Sonic headed for the secret tree-stump, which served as a gateway to the underground portion of the Freedom Fighters' Knothole. Sonic cautiously looked around, and then opened the stump and slid down through it. Sonic, now inside the underground portion of Knothole, headed for Rotor's workshop. He knocked on the door.
"Just a minute," called a voice from inside.
Half a minute or so later, Rotor came to the door and unlocked it. Sonic opened the door.
"Is Sally there?" asked Sonic.
Rotor nodded, and stepped aside, allowing Sonic to enter.
Sally looked up, and said, "Sonic, what are you doing here?"
"I just got some info from Uncle Chuck," replied Sonic.
Sally nodded.
"Apparently, Robotnik has put tons of robots on the Floating Island," explained Sonic, "but that's all we really know right now. Unc doesn't know why, and he can't access any info that may tell us why."
"Hmm," said Sally.
"We should at least check it out," said Sonic.
"I guess we can," replied Sally.
"Soon?"
"Tomorrow, we'll inform everyone, okay?"
"Okay, later, Sal."
"Later, Sonic."
Sonic stepped out and Rotor closed the door behind him.
"I wonder what they're working on, anyway?" thought Sonic.
Sonic shrugged, and strolled toward the exit from the underground.
Topside, Knothole Village…
"Hi, sugah-hog," called Bunnie, as Sonic passed.
"Hey, Bunnie!" grinned Sonic. "Do you know what Rotor and Sally are up to?"
"Nah, I don't know," replied Bunnie. "All I've heard is that it has something to do with 'The Void.'"
"Eh, it's not that important anyway," said Sonic. "I was just wondering."
Sonic looked up into the zenith, the sky now darkened, a cloak of studded black spanning across the firmament.