Ominously grey, it descended in a sober-soft, passive tempest of its own making. As its gate slipped open, its contents oozed out, and once assorted, didn't look to relish the situation, wearing unhappy faces – not masks. They didn't want to be here, but here they were.
"Our insider at Robotropolis has identified what he believes to be the source of the SWATbot congregation. There are no cameras there – none he could access, anyway – so he couldn't find it the easy way, and largely made inferences from the tracking activity of the SWATbots themselves."
"Let's make this clear at the outset: we don't want to be here." As if their faces weren't enough? They were crying for sympathy.
She cast them a glare, and then continued. "It's behind Robotropolis from our direction. Knothole will split in two, one under Sonic and one under myself. We will launch a front at and through Robotropolis, past the command center, and ideally reach the target site. We may, in going through Robotropolis, meet resistance from the beast general, or perhaps Caero now that he's defected.
"Tarahassas will be deployed, via air, behind Robotropolis, west of the target site. Do you have a commander? If not, I'll install Laine."
Simultaneously, Han replied "No," and Laine cried, "What?"
"I'm supposed to command?" he finished.
Before Sally could answer his concern, Knuckles spoke from the back of the crowd: "What am I doing?"
Sally answered the most recent question first. "I would have you serve under Laine."
"I don't take orders."
"What, then?"
"I'll just command myself and Espio, then."
"So you want to command?"
"I don't want to; I will."
Espio laughed from beside Knuckles. "How could anyone trust you, Knux? You're too crazy; remember?"
Laine commented, "I really don't feel ready to command anyone; I can't take that duty 'cause I haven't the first idea of how to command or strategize. But the echidna put my attack to shame when I was training. Rohan can vouch." The red fox interjected, "yep;" he must have been called Rohan. Laine continued, "Dunno if he can command, but he can probably fight, and I'm sure he can do better than me."
"Alright," sighed Sally. "Knuckles, you can command Tarahassas."
"And Espio comes with me."
Sally nodded. "Ilus, do you have a commander?"
"Name's Brant." He was a well-built coyote with gray fur and a single streak of auburn down his back, then bending and turning beside his left eye. His voice was assertive and resonated with his tough-guy complex.
"Laine, you can work under Brant and Ilus, as second acting commander."
"We don't want ya."
"Too bad," said Laine, unintimidated, "'cause ya got me."
"Ilus, you will skirt the east borders of Robotropolis, behind the insider, and arrive at the target from the east and a bit south."
"So what do we do when we get there?"
"I don't know. Destroy whatever Robotnik's building."
"What if we don't know?"
"Then I don't know."
The sky shimmied and shimmered, as the sunset danced with the billows of smog.
As it descended again – the ominous – and again secreted, he began formulating his nothings. That's what he did best: nothings.
"Alright, I guess we just walk that way."
"No, it's that way."
"Alright."
"Well? I thought you were our commander. Command us." Espio crossed his arms and smirked.
"Fine, march on thattaway."
"That way," Tails corrected again.
"Er, yeah, that way. That's right; you said… okay, well, let's go."
"What are we doing?"
"Marching, I said."
"No duh. But what kind of vague order is that?"
Knuckles stood straight and asserted his authority. "I'll tell you what to do when we get there."
"You might be buff as a fighter, but you're a sorry excuse for a commander. We could have—"
Knuckles stepped up to the dissident and stared his imposingly in the eyes. "Don't front with me, or I'll pound you."
"When we get there, what are ya gonna do? Be all commanderly and say, 'Okay, guys, here's the plan: fight. My order? I just said it: fight; I order ya.'?"
Knuckles fumed, and in an instant, he jutted out his fist into the critic's gut. The censurer stumbled back, clenching his stomach, and moaned, "guess ya… knew I was right…"
"Hrumph," snorted Knuckles. "'Fya don't like me, ya don't have to listen. I'm not planning on listening to any of you, so we'll be even."
"Nice attitude you've got there. A commander who'd be better off without his men. If you want to learn how to be a commander, maybe you should act like one."
"Take it or leave it," grunted Knuckles, turning around and marching off. He had gotten a few feet when Tails called out in correction, "The other way!" Knuckles stopped in his tracks and slowly turned around. "Yeah," was all he said as he started in the other direction. A few members of the group were covering their mouths to stifle their laughter.
But they did follow him.
Sonic led his squad through the baleful city of Robotropolis, marred by Robotnik, once a beacon of light, the landmark gathering of many lands, now twisted in Robotnik's image. Under him was Bunnie, and his crew consisted of many faces he had not seen before. He was decidedly a bit dismayed – well, perhaps not dismayed; maybe just mildly repulsed – at the fact of Antoine being in Sally's squad. He decided not to make anything of it, though; he had a task ahead of him.
"If we're attacked, let me distract 'em; they'll bite into me, I'm sure, and then get the drop on 'em however you can. Use whatever Laine taught ya."
"An' use each other, sugahs; you're the best tools ya've got."
"Why are there no SWATbots?"
"They're all concentrated on building. That's what we have to stop."
"You should have listened," spoke another voice; it was familiar to Sonic. "I tried to help you, but you wouldn't listen."
"Caero!" Sonic lurched around to find the traitor at the head of a triangular formation of about eighteen SWATbots.
"Who the hell are these weaklings, anyway? Not soldiers, for sure. What are ya gonna do? Have 'em punch the SWATbots and break their fingers?"
"Dig yer grave, sugah."
Caero laughed. "So hostile. I guess I can't let ya down, though." Caero raised his arm, and then ducked beneath the SWATbots' line of fire as they fired the first shots. Sonic heard a few scattered screams as some of the shots made contact upon some of Sonic's squad members.
"Work together!" Sonic bellowed in command. He rushed forward, ducking into a ball and shredding through a SWATbot's chest.
Bunnie armed her cannon and took out another with the blast. Caero took note, and rose, tearing toward her from the side. She saw him coming, but he was already too close. He swung his burly arm at her, and she raised her arm to defend herself, but it was the wrong arm, and Caero's strike was unimpeded, bruising her arm and sending her to the ground.
The SWATbots fired their second rounds, and there were a few more cries from Sonic's side. Sonic was trying to create a distraction now. He was running in circles, now creating a small whirlwind. The SWATbots were programmed to hold Sonic's priority in high regard, and most of them turned to face him, randomly firing at the big tornado-shaped mass but he outran their targeting. Those of Sonic's comrades still standing realized what he was doing, and collectively moved to take advantage, trying as best they could to get behind the SWATbots, and then the strong ones swung at the SWATbots. Caero had his knee in Bunnie's gut now, as she lay on her back on the ground, pressing her. Bunnie tried to swing her mechanical arm at him, but he was prepared each time, and he blocked each swing she took. He let her swing futilely, perhaps in a cynical way, knowing he was a step ahead of her; he jutted his knee deeper in her gut and she winced. "Ya know I love you; I don't want ta hurt you; I tried to help you; Robotnik is gonna win the war; if you join him you'll live; I gave you that chance."
Sonic's comrades without the confidence of strength did as Laine had suggested, gathering momentum and charging full-force at the SWATbots; their momentum succeeded in felling their enemy. The rest of the SWATbots quickly turned toward Sonic's comrades in reaction. Sonic dropped from his child tempest, and spun at the closest SWATbot that now had its back to him. The SWATbots were conflicted; some were drawn to the comrades and some to Sonic. Sonic's comrades charged at the ones who had turned their backs again.
Caero heard. He lost his concentration for a moment, tilting his head back; Bunnie felt his knee relax a bit, and this was her cue. She swung at him, delivering a blow to the side of his head and releasing her. Caero staggered, and quickly lurched at her; he grabbed her natural wrist and whirled around, heaving her to the ground; a stone on the ground was her pillow, and she met it jarringly, going stiff. But he was not interested in her anymore. He quickly turned and raced toward Sonic.
The hedgehog was caught by surprise. He failed to see it coming. He had forgotten about Caero, forgotten about Bunnie, forgotten about everything but his enemy and their enemy. Caero gave him a clout at the head, and Sonic was knocked to the ground.
"You're a traitor!" called Sonic from the ground; as Caero took slow steps toward him, he was slipping backward on his hands to counter the advance.
"It's mutual. You betrayed my advice. You'd live to see tomorrow 'fya'd just give in ta Robotnik. Ya can't win! But I'm such a damned nice guy. I'll give ya one more chance. Surrender, and I'll see that ya get a nice life."
"If I give up, there'll be nothing nice about it."
"Well, ya had your chance. But I'll see that ya get a nice afterlife." Caero crouched down and reached for Sonic. Sonic quickly rolled over and Caero reached dirt. Sonic took advantage of his successful evasion, and kicked out his foot to strike Caero. But Caero reacted, grabbing Sonic by his ankle and the lifting him. The blood rushed to Sonic's head and his head swelled with pain, as Caero lifted him by his ankle above the ground. He heard another cry from his comrades as another was hit by the SWATbots.
Caero laughed. "See what happens when you defy Robotnik? That Ilus guy's right. How many 'fyur weaklings had to die here? All ya had ta do was stop trying to stop Robotnik, and all ya coulda lived."
Sonic heard another cry of his comrades; how many was that now? How many were left? How many SWATbots? Sonic turned his head to try and see. Caero was in the way, but he saw at least four SWATbots left. How many of his guys were left? What about Bunnie?
Caero felt a blunt pain in his back; he quickly turned, still holding Sonic, but lower, to find Bunnie, limping, hobbling, and bruised, weakly holding her weight. "Just can't get enough, eh, sweets?" He whirled and then Sonic was in the air, and then Sonic was headfirst at her chest; she was barely holding her composure enough to be standing, and the wind was easily knocked out of her. Caero wasn't finished. He went for Sonic. Bunnie was beaten, too weak to get up again. Sonic was drained and exhausted. Caero's arm went soaring. All of Sonic's energy was mustered as he raised both of his open palms to meet Caero's swing. And they were a wall. Caero's fist met the wall coming in with full quickness, to be instantaneously, arrestingly halted. The wall closed in on him, and Sonic pushed away all of his strength into Caero, through his hands, channeled into Caero's one fist, knocking Caero backward and to the ground. Sonic was too fatigued now. Caero moved to rise again.
"Robotnik tried to take away everything," murmured Sonic from the ground. "He destroyed so much. I can never join him. Never."
"Your choice. Wrong one, though." Caero stood, and stepped toward Sonic. And then he fell forward. And in his place was one of Sonic's comrades, turned to the side, with his shoulder braced toward where Caero had stood.
The SWATbots were all felled. Five of Sonic's comrades still stood. They were approaching. Caero stood again, and then, without a word, turned and fled.
"Wait!" shouted Sonic hoarsely. "Join us again!"
But Caero only answered with the fading, fleeting sound of his flee.
"Bunnie, are you okay?"
"I'll live," she coughed weakly.
"Is everyone okay?"
"…"
Sonic stood slowly, but exhausted slumped back to his knees. "How is eva…"
"We have casualties," sadly reported a comrade. "And many of us injured."
"But I guess we did pretty well considering our opponent," added another.
"Fuck you."
"It's for the greater—"
"Don't you ever make little of death, you little shit. We don't even know yet. And even if we are saving the world, nothing will ever give her back to me."
"I'm sorry."
"Shut up, you little shit." He lashed out, and the other was thrown to the ground.
"Stop…" pled Sonic.
"It's your fault she's dead. I oughta kill you!"
"You can't. So don't even try."
He started to tear, and his next words, instead of being laced with anger and hate, came as sobbing. "Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! I'm fighting no more! No more!"
"You think you're the only one to have lost someone you love? Then tell me where my parents are."
"Shut up! She's still dead; nothing can change that." The sobbing bled.
"…I won't make you fight. …Go home."
"Insolent bastard," he cried, "when I go home I won't find her there. She's never coming back. I just want to see her again!"
"Well, you can't! Nothing is going to change that! Nothing you say, no tears you cry will ever bring her back. Mourn for her, but don't brood on trying to change something that just can't be changed!"
"You're wrong," he sobbed. "I can see her again; I can be with her again." He reached into his boot pocket. He pulled out a rusted blade, size of a pocketknife. "I love you, baby," he teared. "I'll be with you again soon."
"No!"
But he plunged it into his throat, and dropped, eyes glazed.
"Well, looks like the Princess' stupidity's gonna work in our favor," grunted Brant. "Can't believe, but she was stupid 'nuff ta let Raiyon inta her group, 'cause he wanted ta talk ta her. So he ain't here, and he can't tell us what ta do. So here's the plan: we're gonna walk for a ways, an' then we's gonna turn 'round an' walk back."
"What's your problem?!" snapped Laine. "If you're gonna spit on the Princess, you're gonna have to answer to me first."
Brant grunted a laugh. "You?" Brant flexed. "I'll kick yer ass. Said we didn't want ya here anyway."
"Dude, we never wanted to fight. Just stay out of this," said Arnost.
"You're not just spitting on the Princess; you're spitting on Raiyon too. And I can't stand seeing you disrespect your own leader."
"Well, you aren't one of us, so how about you stay out of things you have no business in?" retorted Arnost.
"'Cause I've got a basic level of principles to uphold, and I'm not gonna let you step on everything they've said just 'cause they've got their backs turned."
"You want a piece of me?" growled Brant, flexing again.
"If that's what it takes." Laine, if he was intimidated, didn't let them see as much.
Brant stepped toward Laine and took a big, slow, heavy swing. Laine ducked under the laborious strike, and tried to deliver a sucker punch in return. His counterattack failed, though, as Brant didn't appear to be harmed much by Laine's fist in his gut. Brant raised his arm and swung it down at Laine from above. Laine rolled out of the way; Brant's fist grazed him and he winced in pain, but he had at least avoided suffering the fist at his skull. Laine didn't let the injury slow his counterattack, however, as he quickly rolled into position behind Brant and threw his momentum at Brant's back, felling Brant to the ground with his elbow and shoulder and arm.
"Is fighting the only thing you know, lug?"
Brant growled, and quickly tried to get up again, but Laine stepped upon Brant's back with his right foot, and pinned him back to the ground on his stomach.
"Just think of me as Raiyon's voice. Don't you have any respect for him?"
"We respect the hell out of him," said Arnost. "And maybe that's why we're so mad: 'cause even he is on their side."
"Whose side?"
"Your side. Anyone who wants to send us into battle."
Another face spoke – a new face. "We just want to stay out of this war, and Raiyon's always been right there with us on that. But now even he's turned around. He was always right there with us, saying how the only smart thing to do was stay out of the conflict until it came to us. And now he's turned."
"You were in this conflict from the day Robotnik took the throne. Robotnik attacked you on that day."
Brant grunted from under Laine's pinning foot. "Argh, can I get up now? I'll do what Raiyon wants; just let me up."
Laine let him up.
"So are we going?"
"Fine, we're going."
"We've been trying to stay out of the conflict for a long time now. We rebelled at first, but when it didn't seem like we were really making any difference, like our victories didn't really equate to any progress, we stopped, and I started preaching isolationism."
"So when did Tarahassas find you?"
"One of their men was on a pilgrimage of some sort, and we happened upon them not far from our home. Say, why is it that you guys have kept fighting? Have your efforts really changed anything?"
Sally frowned. "Well, I guess it depends on how you look at it, but I'll be honest: We really haven't gained any footing against Robotnik. If the fight was a tug-of-war match, we'd probably be pulling about the same. But, that means we have made a difference; if we just cowered in fear, he'd have knocked us all down and wrenched the rope from our hands. He hasn't gained much footing, either. And before he burned Knothole, we had given a lot of people a place to live. If we hadn't fought, we'd never have found them. And we found Sonic's uncle… and we were at least working on others…"
"I've been starting to change my mind lately, about our place in all of this. I think I've always known… that we should take the offensive against Robotnik, that that's the only way we'll ever be able to realize any change for the better. But every time that voice speaks, I would stifle it and shove it to the back of my mind. Because it tells me to fight, and I tried fighting; it felt so… futile. Throwing lives away. If we hid… if Robotnik couldn't find us, he couldn't kill us. So I kept silencing that voice and kept preaching isolationism. But when you guys came to us, it started to lift that voice. And I'm still not sure what it is I want to do; I don't know if I'm ready yet to listen to that voice, to let that voice speak. But I'm starting to move in that direction, starting slowly to be convinced – by you, and by myself – that maybe it's not all in vain, and maybe it's not all futile."
Sally started crying, from nowhere and asudden.
"What; did I say something?"
"It's just that… I was thinking… and it does all seem… so futile…"
"I didn't mean to— I didn't want to go backwards…"
"No, no, it's okay. I'm okay now." Sally wiped her eyes. "If we work together, we are stronger than Robotnik; just gotta keep telling myself that!"
"You don't have to tell yourself that. You just have to do it, and see if it works for yourself. And if it doesn't, you tried the best you could, and that's all you can do."
"Will… will you fight with us, then? I don't mean today; I mean… forever. It's the only way I can do it, and try the best I can…"
"I… I'd like to say yes, but I need more time to decide… I'm sorry…"
"Don't apologize; you haven't said 'no' yet."
The huge silver – if silver was so dull as this, so… devoid – pylon, tall, behemothic, and… incomplete, was ahead. Its mindless makers were but dwarves in its long shadow from this distance, but they were many, a swarm, a festering infection that swarmed its foot. It was headless, ending at the neck; it was not yet born and its head was the last part to be formed. The Grand Tower. To be.
"Okay, guys, so… here's the plan: fight."
Everybody stared blankly, their eyes blinking, fluttering as wings on a butterfly.
"Just kidding." Knuckles smirked wryly. "Espio, infiltrate 'em under cloak, and bash 'em up. Then we'll charge."
"That's not much more to go on than if you had just said to 'fight'."
Knuckles ignored him.
"On the day of usurping, I was quickly ushered out of the castle; I didn't have any idea then of what was happening; they wouldn't tell me. Once I was out, I was then left alone, to learn for myself; eventually, I found out, and we banded together – the ones I found, or that found me – and vowed to take back the throne."
"It's so sad."
"Who's that?"
"If I must give a name," the voice sighed sardonically, "you may call me K." The beast revealed himself, and ten SWATbots filed out behind him. "I, General of our Lord, Robotnik, am the ender of your rebellion. It ends here."
"Ay, zut alors!" Antoine drew his sword in fury. "Zoo will not be speaking such words of threason!"
"Treason? You're the treasonists now. Now Robotnik is the one true lord. Your lineage is over, once-princess."
"Stand forth!" Her comrades lined up.
"Sharge!" Antoine dropped his formerly-to-the-sky blade, holding the hilt firmly in his hand. He rushed forward, cutting through a SWATbot with his blade.
"Fire!" boomed the beast.
Cries of anguish echoed from Sally's side of the battlefield as the SWATbots opened fire.
Raiyon pulled a long stick from a sheath on his belt; it looked like bamboo, yet was more firm. Sally was shouting orders; Raiyon was already in motion. He spun the long stick, clotheslining two SWATbots. Antoine, with his foil, impaled another. The staff felled another pair before the beast was upon him. Just as the beast clobbered Raiyon with a heavy blow, sending him to the soil, Antoine swung his blade at the beast from behind. The beast's eye twitched as he foresaw the attack, raising his arm in anticipation, to deflect Antoine's strike. The sword pierced the flesh of his arm; it was bloodied. It did not see much blood in this mechanical war, and it relished the taste now. The beast's arm bore the scarlet scar, oozing life. How alive? The beast growled in anger, and then pummeled Antoine with his other arm, plowing it across his face and knocking him violently down.
The comrades, meanwhile, were engaging the SWATbots, many using their momentum as Laine had taught; every so often, one of their screams would sound.
The beast hovered in poise over his prey, a smug look upon his face. And then. Lurched, fell. The Princess had made her move, planted her boot in the small of his back. The beast broke his fall with his hands, but pain surged through their palms and surged up into his wrists; the pain started him to the ground for a moment before he made a move to rise again. Rise he did. Those same palms threw Sally to the ground in repercussion.
But now another was restanding. Raiyon was up and in motion. The staff slugged the beast and the beast winced, but quickly turned to repay the staffbearer.
"Zhou will be surrendering now." Antoine stood, sword pointed at the beast. In stark reaction, the beast laughed. "As you wish." What? "I could crush you and your vigor… but I enjoy watching minds and spirits so… alive. And with Anselan now awake, I've no need to stop you."
Rise again. Back turned. Stride away.
"There." Laine gestured with his arm. The Grand Tower. to be. A product of the infection that festered around it.
Brant grunted.
The tower's collar was a half-ring. Perhaps the full ring was yet unfinished.
"Well, let's go."
Brant crossed his arms.
"I said: let's go."
Brant grunted again. "Fine."
Stride away.
"That's gotta be it." Sonic pointed. The place here, beyond the city, stretched arid. The metal spire rose up from the dust. Its makers congregated around it like fermenting yeast.
"This must be it." Sally pointed to the grand spire that grew from the ground.
Charge.
This place had almost a desert quality about it, yet possessed a gray air in imbuement. It was an empty aridity, a sere plain of cracked clay and stone and dust, here behind Robotnik's projection of ego. And amidst the nothing, the dull gray tower that rose into the heavens, breaking through the gray clouds that drifted here from Robotnik's factories. And its makers massed around it.
There was, aerially, this needle in God's eye, and a jittering, fidgeting circle that bounded it. But it was unfinished. Ended at the neck. Decapitated, executed… or unborn? In all cases, headless. An abomination, a monster. Yet, not at all. Just a spire. Spire with a frilly metallic collar at its pinnacle. Machina, non nefas. Non vivus; non nefas. Tantummodo machina. Tantummodo chalybeius. Chalybs.
And they converged from all sides. Convergence on all sides.
"Raise arms!"
Sally glanced around. And then, on the other side, she caught Laine's familiar face, ready. And off in the distance to her left, Sonic's reassuring countenance. A red figure across the aridity. We are all here. We are together. And we will fight together. Win together. Feed together; pay together. She raised her arm with a twisted smile. And they saw. Raised their arms. Together.
Go.
And they charged. From the four sides of the arena, the small lines of unique bodies started converging toward the clones in the center. They moved together, from their different loci, toward their singular target: the grand tower to be. Its makers dissolved from their holy magnet in reaction. But they did not stray far from the magnetic force. They turned and looked upon its assailants but did not advance; the invisible magnet of reverence, of holiness, held them.
"Why aren't they attacking?!" Sonic yelled at the top of his lungs.
"I don't know! Destroy them anyway!"
A hidden loudspeaker came booming. It laughed. "They aren't attacking," the voice was unmistakably Robotnik's, "because they don't have to."
"'Buttnik!" shouted Sonic. "Then I guess I'm'a hafta tear 'em all apart!"
"Always the outspoken one, eh, miserable hedgehog? I see you've found some new friends."
"Robotnik!" shouted Sally from the other side of the tower. "We are here as one. And we will destroy you!"
"Princess, I'm glad you've come," Robotnik spoke, his voice laced with cruel laughter. "You'll be able to witness the power of Anselan! Once you've seen it, you can die knowing you've witnessed genius at least once in your life."
"Robotnik, I've witnessed all the genius I'll ever need from my father!"
The loudspeaker chuckled quietly. "So, how many of you are here today? This is becoming quite an event. Gather round, petty fools, for the revelation is about to be unveiled!"
"Shut your mouth, Robuttnik! If you're just gonna have these bots sit here, I'm'a hafta do some dismantlin'!"
"Be my guest, worthless rodent! Anselan will protect them! …Or, perhaps, destroy them for you, but I can always build more. …Wait… is that the guardian I see?"
"You bastard!"
"So hostile? I kept my promise, didn't I? I saved your friends' worthless lives."
Knuckles could find no words.
"Alas, you could have stayed out of this, but you had to throw your life away. Rebels die like scum, my friend. Rebels die like the scum they are."
"Your speech is putting me to sleep; it's time to juice and cut it loose!"
As Sonic picked up his feet to rush into battle with the motionless SWATbots, a blue glow appeared around the base of the tower. As it increased in intensity, Sonic stopped in his tracks. "Oh shit!" he exclaimed. "This thing's gonna fire!"
The loudspeaker laughed malevolently.
The torus grew brighter and brighter until it reached a blinding white instensity.
And then it exploded.
It radiated outward with forceful speed, its radius mounting and mounting as its reach broadened, and its invisible hands stretched further and further, as it took more and more under its blinding wing. And as it reached out, it also grew taller and taller.
When Sonic felt it hit him, it dragged him back; it pushed him with its mass, yet it had no mass. But as it moved, everything it touched met a wall; it was a wall, and it heaved everything back with it; it was barrier. Over it all, the echoing laughter.
"Behold Anselan! You've come all this way, and I most sincerely hope it was not for naught. Was that not a marvelous show?"
The barrier was now a quarter the height of what was yet built of the tower, and it held a wide radius. The bright blue aura shone around the base of the tower, looming, and was a wall.
And Anselan stood.
"What is this, Nicole?"
"It appears to be some variety of force field, a synthetic barrier."
"But what is it?"
"Details on this device are unknown, less the name by which Robotnik identified it: 'Anselan'."
"But what is the source of its power?"
"That information is unknown, Sally. Insufficient data."
They tried to plow into it, but the brilliant azure barrier was unbreachable. The drones turned back to their work.
"No!"
Powerless, left standing in the store window staring at the toy or dress they wanted so badly, pawing at the window without the means to purchase.
"So what the hell do we do now?"
"I don't know!"
"Well, you damn well better figure it out! You brought us into this!"
"This is what we get…"
"Calm down!"
"You're right. Let's calm down. After all, this is the end of our involvement. We can go home now."
"Shut the hell up and think of something."
"Why the hell should I think of anything? I never wanted to be here."
"Just shut the hell up and think."
"Touch that thing. It's not going anywhere. There's nothing we can do."
And then came the loudspeaker, in her head: "That's the spirit!"