Proxy
"We have reached the point where it is no longer viable to simply hope."
"Then what do you suggest?"
"Intervene."
"How? What am I supposed to do? Leap upon the earth and convince Julian than I am a god and that I command him to stop at once?"
"No. I suggest that you speak with our Kouken-san."
"Am I supposed to tell him who I am? He'd break down, and we'd never get anything done. We're running out of time. We have to have him in a clean state of mind."
"Then don't. But he needs to be given some sort of instructions. We don't have time enough to simply hope he can figure out a way on his own."
"There are others, too."
"Yes, but surely their hope is waning. They came together, confident, and were never even given a chance to carry out their plan. They didn't even get a chance to confront the construct. It is quite likely that they will be disillusioned about their capabilities."
"Then what am I to do? Speak to him again? Tell him what? Regardless of what I say, don't you think he'll want to know who it is that is giving him such arcane instructions? He didn't even listen to me last time."
"We'll have to pray that he listens this time."
"Well, what could we possibly tell him that would be able to take down the coming threat? All we can give are words."
"As it is now, the united legion cannot even approach the construct. The barrier surrounds it. It doesn't matter if they do or do not have the capabilities for destroying it, for they cannot even approach it in order to try."
"Would you mind telling me something I don't know?"
"Did you not say before that if we reached a roadblock as we have now, that you would lead him to the Relics?"
"Ah, yes. We do still have those… I hope, at least, that they are still safe. But do they have the power to destroy the barrier?"
"I believe that one of the Relics was the device called the Field Nullifier… it should have the power to oppose the barrier, presuming that we have correctly assessed the nature of the barrier."
"I should lead him to the F-Nullifier, then?"
"Unless you have a better idea. …Oh, but you must be sure to spell out to him that he and the united legion must be careful with the Nullifier, and with the construct, for it still contains the jewel. The jewel, of course, must be salvaged."
"Yes. I am, however, doubtful of how well he will be able to relay those orders to the united legion. They must all be aware of the necessity to not destroy the jewel along with the construct."
"Before any progress can be made, the barrier must be conquered. The rest can come later."
"How are we supposed to stop Robotnik if we can't even reach the tower? That force field is in the way!"
"Rotor, do you have any ideas? Any machines?"
Rotor was still on his weak bed, but doing better. "I don't have any data on the nature of Robotnik's field, nor have I spent much time studying force fields… I have some experimental explosives we could try… that's all I can suggest."
"This is absurd! You dragged us all the way out here just so we could get on Robotnik's hit list? This is hopeless! There's nothing we can do!"
"We'd better get back to Ilus quickly before he destroys it! Better to defend Ilus than to stick here with these idiots."
"Order!"
"I don't answer to you. You can't keep us here. We can leave if we want to."
"You've seen the tower with your own eyes! Don't you believe the world is in danger now?"
"How the hell should I know? I don't know what that tower is. It's just another thing Robotnik's building for all I care. Robotnik builds a lot of things, and I'm not about to get so worried over one tower. You guys might be getting worked up for nothing. And we have a home to defend."
"If it was just any old building, why would Robotnik guard it so forcefully? He doesn't need a huge force field for just any old building."
"Look, I don't really care why Robotnik has a force field around the tower. Maybe it means it's the end of the world. Maybe it doesn't. But it's not like you have any good ideas about what to do about the field anyway. My time's better spent at home, in defense, than sitting around here while you guys try to come up with an idea that just doesn't exist."
Knuckles was trying to stay out of the myriad arguments that were encircling his head and saturating the air, as he kept his distance several feet away from the angry shouting and arms flying and the constant attempts to be the loudest voice, topping and topping as the cacophony grew louder and louder. He tried to mute it all out; he was uninterested in these petty squabbles. Why did allegiance matter so much to these fools? Knuckles cared not about where his allegiance lay. It wasn't worth arguing about. He could pass his allegiance from hand to hand as it best served his interests and goals. If they didn't want to be here, then why waste time arguing about it, yelling at the top of their lungs? Why not just leave and be done with it? Knuckles tried to answer that, saying to himself that they were too petty to come up with such a rational rationale.
"Koukennin!"
Knuckles was started. He had, until now, successfully managed to drown out the arguments in his own self-conversation. He had managed to absorb himself in his self-discussion, and had all but removed himself from the angry shouting. But one shout had managed to breach his defense of the mind, and with it, all the shouting came roaring back.
"Damn you," mumbled Knuckles aloud, to whomever it was that had spoken that word, and in turn started him from his state of being lost in thought.
"Koukennin!"
This exclamation chafed Knuckles' skin like sandpaper. He roused himself and began looking in all directions around him, trying to find the source of the word.
"Kouken-san!"
Knuckles intensified his search for the speaker, the one whom he was rapidly becoming vexed by. Knuckles scanned the crowds, but couldn't identify the speaker.
"I am not there."
"Gah!" For the first time, Knuckles became consciously aware of the fact: the speaker was addressing him. Before, the exclamations had blended in with all the dissonant shouting and arguing being thrown around and around and around. But now the words were answers to his own actions. Knuckles looked desperately around for who it was that was speaking.
"You won't find me."
"Can't you just leave me be? I've no stake in these idiots' arguments. I just want to stay out of their idiocy."
"This is not about them, Kouken-san."
"Then come over here and talk, bastard. I'd like to introduce you to my fist, too, for bothering me like this."
"I'm afraid I can't. I'm not here."
"What are you talking about? Just get your ass over here."
"No, you see, I am not here. I am only in your mind, Koukennin."
"What?"
And for the first time, Knuckles made the connection. The voice that had spoken to him in Robotnik's cell. This voice. In the cell, it was a natural deduction – that the voice was in his head – for there were no others in the cell with him. Yet now there were many shouting voices and many people around him; Knuckles simply presumed that one of them was talking, that the speaker was one of them, here with him in this petty place. Knuckles slammed his palms over his ears, and the shouting voices of the people in the crowds were muffled, quieted.
"Koukennin."
All the voices were made quieter as Knuckles held his hands tight over his ears. Except that one. It came unbridled, as loud as it had always been. And Knuckles now knew that the voice wasn't one he could impede from getting into his head by means of closing their road into his mind with his hands. It was already past his ears; no control he placed at his ears could affect it. It was directly in his mind.
"Koukennin… listen."
Knuckles threw his hands down from his ears and yelled, "Who the hell are you?!"
"Those answers will come, but there are far greater matters to discuss now."
"How are you in my head? What are you?"
"Listen, Koukennin. There will be time for all of your questions later. But now you must listen, as I tell you what to do."
"What to do? What to do about what?"
"About Julian's construct, and the barrier he has instilled around it."
"The tower, you mean?"
"Yes, the tower you only just confronted. Listen so that I might instruct you on the course for standing against the barrier, so that you might strike the construct itself."
"And why should I listen to you, anyway?"
"Because you must, Kouken-san."
"Why do you keep calling me that?"
"Because it is what you are. Now listen!"
"I didn't listen to you last time."
"I know. But you must listen now!"
"Why?"
"Because if you don't, then who is there to stand against the construct?"
"Can't you hear them yelling out there? They will."
"Only if they can overcome their differences and fight together. But that is why you must listen. If you can give them a way, they may stop bickering. If you listen, I will lead you to a way. You must tell them that you have the answer, that you know the next course of action to take against the construct's barrier. Perhaps then they will quiet their shouting voices and follow you. They haven't one to follow of now, for not one has an idea. You will have the idea. Listen."
"And who are you to come up with an idea when all of them can't?!"
"I am one who knows of things that they do not. I know of ancient Relics that they know not of. Will you listen to me so that I might instruct you on what to do?"
"You're in my head. It's not like I can shut you up."
"But will you listen? Will you follow my instructions?"
"Fine."
"You will do as I instruct? You will tell all of them that which I tell you to relay?"
"Fine."
"Then I shall tell. In the center of the Island lies the former site of the City. Go due north from there until you reach the ancient ruins. You might simply start your search on the northern end of the Island if you so desire. Locate the entrance as I guide you, and within I will guide you to the crate that contains the Field Nullifier. This should have the power to conquer the construct's barrier.
"Now, listen close. Here is what you must tell the others: On the Island, there exists a device called the Field Nullifier. This device can surmount the barrier around the tower. You will lead them to this device, and they must work together, for you have the answer which they do not.
"You must tell them that it is imperative that they remain united and locate the device. You must also make sure they are aware that the jewel is still inside of the tower, and that they must exhibit caution when launching an assault on the tower so as not to take the jewel with it."
"You mean the Emerald? It's in that tower?"
"Indeed, if our assessments are correct."
"What do you mean, 'our'?"
"A simple slip. I meant, 'my.'"
"So, you'll guide me to this 'Nullifier'?"
"I will, but first you must tell them what I have told you to relay."
"Alright."
Knuckles took a few steps forward, and then proclaimed: "I have the idea!"
"What?"
"I know what we should do."
"Ha. I'm sure you do." Several members of the crowd jeered to themselves or rolled their eyes.
"On the Floating Island, there is a device, called the Field Nullifier, in some ancient ruins. It should be able to destroy the barrier."
The crowd drew silent.
Sally stepped forward. "Knuckles, is this true?"
"Yes. We've gotta all stay together. I'll lead us to the device." Knuckles almost forgot the rest of his instructions, but received a jostling in his mind and quickly remembered. "But I have to tell you one more thing. The Emerald is in that tower. Don't destroy the—"
"How do you know the Emerald is in that tower?"
"How do I?" asked Knuckles aloud, as if imploring the answer from the voice in his head. It had no answer.
"That's what I asked."
"It's a reasonable deduction," assisted Sally. "The tower's construction followed Robotnik's capture of the emerald, and the two things seem connected. It would make sense, even, that the barrier's source of power is the emerald."
"When we attack the tower, we can't destroy it. We can't destroy the emerald. We can't destroy the tower until we've gotten the emerald out."
"Is this whole 'Nullifier' thing just a scheme to get us to stay here and not go back to Ilus?"
"I don't care about you guys' arguments. I'm just telling you guys what we should do next. I don't have any stake in your bickerings."
"Bunnie," said Sally, "remain here with a sizable force and try to prepare an assault on the tower. Sonic, Knuckles, and I will take a smaller task force to the Floating Island and try to retrieve this device."
Knuckles felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned to find Espio there.
"How do you know all this?"
"I…just do."
"No, there's something else…"
"Espio… someone is telling me these things."
"Who?"
"I don't know."
"What do you mean, you don't know?"
"I mean, I have never seen them."
"What?!"
"They talk to me through my head."
"Knuckles, maybe you shouldn't be leading them on. If you're hearing voices, I don't think you should tell everyone they're gospel."
"Well, we'll see soon enough if I'm just going insane, or if the voice is real. We'll see if he really leads me to the device like he said he would."
"Okay!" came Sally's voice. "Knuckles, are you ready to depart? We should get going as soon as possible. The sooner we can launch a front on Robotnik's tower, the better."
Knuckles turned to face her and nodded. "Espio's coming with me."
"That's fine with me." Sally turned from him. "Sonic, Tails, Laine, are you ready? Bunnie and Antoine, try to instruct everybody here on their plan of attack against the tower. Alright, then, let's go!"
The flight, for the most part, was occupied with silence, bar Knuckles telling Tails that their destination was the ruins due north of the center of the Island.
Knuckles drifted off into a state of waking sleep. As the plane descended ahead of a plane of ancient columns and corroded arches, Knuckles was thrown from his daze.
As he descended the ramp, he mumbled to himself – to the voice, "Where now?" There was no answer.
"Where do I go now?" he restated, slightly louder this time. No answer.
Espio's hand touched his shoulder again. "You okay?"
Knuckles nodded.
"So, where's it we're going?" asked Sonic.
"Looking for the entrance, I guess," replied Knuckles, stonefaced.
"I guess we'd best start looking," stated Laine, with the slightest tinge of irritation.
They all concurred, and started off into the ruins.
Around them towered half-structures, temples decayed with age, roofless and once-magnificent shrines.
"Nicole, environ assessment?"
"Sally, I am detecting a possible SWATbot presence about 100 yards behind our current position. Its trajectory appears to be moving in our direction."
"We can't allow them to find the Relics."
"Where were you before when I was asking for directions?"
"That's not important right now. What's important is that you not lead them to the Relics."
"I don't even know where to go."
"And you shan't whilst the enemy is still in the vicinity."
Knuckles sighed aloud. "What if I accidentally find the place anyway? Why don't you just tell me where it is so we can beat the robots there?"
"I cannot take the chance that the enemy is capable of tracking you. They could already be aware of your presence and be following your steps."
"Then what the hell do you want me to do? Didn't you want me to find this shit and save the world, or whatever?"
"Don't speak so confidently. Finding – and even putting to use – the Nullifier, will by no means 'save the world.' Rather, if you don't do as much, then I don't see how it will be possible to stop Julian. I do not know the capabilities he plans to instill in his construct by its completion, but I do not wish to take any risks. Finding the Nullifier only makes it possible to disarm the construct; it certainly doesn't do anything more than lower the construct's defenses. Whatever potency it has would still be."
"Hmph. Well, would you mind telling me what to do now?"
"Instruct the group to turn around and neutralize the threat… destroy the enemy presence… then I will give you further instructions."
"What the hell kind of game is this? Is it fun for you, keeping me in the dark?"
"Just go. I will lead you to the Relics when the enemy threat is dispelled."
"Damn; fine."
Knuckles slowed his pace to fall back alongside the rest of the group. After a few seconds of silence, he made his statement: "Everyone, stop." As the order eventually permeated completely, and it had reached each member of the small group, murmuring of unrest rose up. Knuckles answered their unspoken questions: "We've gotta destroy those robots back there. They can't see where we're going."
"What?"
"I said, we can't let the robots follow us."
"Why are you giving such big-boy orders all of a sudden?" questioned Sonic.
Sally pulled out Nicole and had her assess their surroundings again. 90 yards: the supposed SWATbot presence was indeed moving toward them. Perhaps it was indeed tracking them.
"I never knew ya to think enough to even figure they might be following us," said Espio with a slight smile.
"They might be tracking us. They can't find out where we're going."
"Where are we going, anyway?"
"We have to destroy them first."
"But where are we going then?"
Espio stepped up alongside Knuckles and, in a low voice so as to keep it between himself and Knuckles, asked, "Do you even know where we're going?"
Knuckles turned to Espio and returned his low voice: "We have to destroy the robots first."
"What does that mean? Do you know where this place we're supposed to find is, or not?"
"He'll tell me after we get rid of the robots, so they can't track us there."
"He'll tell you? Who?"
"The guy who talks to me through my head."
"Wait, so you mean it's not even your idea to make sure we're not being tracked? He told you to do it?"
"Yeah."
"So you're just doing whatever he says? You're just doing it because he told you to do it?"
"What the hell else am I supposed to do?"
Espio sighed. "I don't know."
Knuckles turned back to face the rest of the group, and restated: "We have to go destroy those robots; c'mon, let's go."
"I guess it probably is a good idea. We don't want them to destroy the device," said Sally. She had come up with a justification. Knuckles had none, other than to fulfill the mysterious voice's orders. Now there was a reason.
"Do we always have to fight?" protested Laine. "Can't we just once try to avoid them instead?"
"It's probably worth it," answered Sally on Knuckles' behalf. "We'd be in a worse fix if they caught up to us at the device."
"Alright; alright," conceded Laine.
So the group turned around.
And after some walking, they saw the presence. There were about seven. Seven? This wasn't just a scouting patrol. They must be a special dispatchment. And they must be tracking.
They must know we're here. How funny was it, then, concealing themselves behind the crumbling columns, trying to remain hidden, when the enemy could see through your shield? They weren't fooling anyone, were they?
"Seven of them?"
"They've got to be tracking us. Why else would there be seven SWATbots here for no reason?"
"Then they already know we're here."
"Indeed."
Knuckles had an idea. "Maybe Espio can slip in."
Espio gave a half-wink, and then slipped into nothing.
"Whoa," commented Laine. "Where'd he go?"
"I'm right here," came Espio's voice.
"He's a chameleon. He's just doin' his thing," said Knuckles.
Sally gave a smile. Her smile then subsided, as she said, "Let's hope they can't still track him."
"Don't worry about me," said Espio. "I've taken a beating like this before. Just don't forget to come in after me."
Without another word, Espio leaped out from behind the column, and circumnavigated the group of SWATbots, before, from behind, invisible specter, felling one. Instantly the others were roused, and all at once turned to where their fallen clone had stood. Espio, luckily, made the smart choice of fleeing from that spot, for the SWATbots took a few seconds to charge their weapons, and then fired upon where he would have been.
Knuckles took this opportunity and, without signaling to the others, simply charged. The SWATbots, in their semicircular formation, had one or two who could see his figure through their optic sensors; those who faced him charged and fired. Knuckles leapt into the air, over their shots, and glided into one. Sally took a moment to realize that Knuckles was already ahead, but quickly then signaled to Sonic, Laine, and Tails to follow her as she followed suit. Sonic was already ahead of her, though, having had followed Knuckles as soon as he realized Knuckles was in action. The SWATbots, now faced with their priority one, fired desperately, but Sonic weaved around their shots, and plowed through the first he reached.
Sally, amidst the confusion, managed to get behind another SWATbot and fell it with a kick. Another SWATbot, however, was quick to respond, firing upon her. The shot hit her in the leg and, with a yelp, she stumbled to the ground.
"Sally!"
Her attacker quickly lost its head as Sonic passed through it in reaching her. "Sally, are you alright?"
"I'm… okay…"
"Gotta get you someplace safe."
Sonic wasted no time in lifting her in his arms and dashing. Just in time, as it would turn out: had it not been for the few moments another SWATbot had to spend charging its weapon, Sonic would have felt the same pain Sally had… perhaps worse. But Sonic's speed had saved him once again. Crouching down behind a broken frame of a once-structure, he gently rested Sally on the ground. "You'll be okay." And then he was gone.
Laine, meanwhile, had managed to fell a few SWATbots on his own. Tails had created his own confusion within SWATbots that no longer had the ground beneath their feet, as he lifted them and left them dazed. Together with Espio, the SWATbots were assaulted from both the sky and from nowhere. And Sonic tore them apart methodically. Knuckles, right behind.
Methodically? Is that the word I used? No, no, not methodically. Vengefully. Sonic felt a newfound hatred for these things that didn't even feel, didn't even live. They were never alive. They were Robotnik's children. He was their Maker. Their father, and their deity. But they didn't feel that deeply. They didn't know what it meant to be the product of creation instead of birth. They just knew Robotnik was their brain. He told them what to do. They listened. He was above them. But why? That, they didn't know.
But Sonic hated them. They hurt her. And they were all the same. All the same. So they'd all receive his retribution for the crime of their clone, their brother in steel. No longer did he plow through them. Now he dismembered them. It was a pity, then, that they didn't feel pain. Whatever termination they met was the same as any other. They had no pride. They lost nothing by being terminated any one way over any other way. All the same. But to Sonic, perhaps it was subconsciously symbolic. …And it would subside.
But now they were terminated. There would be no more exacting. For now, at least. So Sonic retreated back to where he had lain Sally down. "Can you walk, Sal?"
"I… think so…"
"I'll help."
And he brought Sally's arm about his shoulder, and helped her to her feet. And they walked. The others would follow.
Knuckles was impartial to the others' episodes. Espio was alright. Besides, why should he care about the others when they hadn't even cared about his friends? He still hadn't found Vector or Mighty. So they were thus not his concern. His heart was a mutual one. And if it must be one-sided, it would never be opposing him.
"So, now will you tell me where to go?" asked Knuckles hesitantly, for every time he had tried to initiate a conversation, he had been given no response.
But, much to Knuckles' relief, the voice spoke: "Yes."
"You coming?" Knuckles turned to find Laine facing him, from a few yards away.
It took Knuckles a fair amount of inner might to overcome the irritation of being interrupted and realize that Laine's intentions were good. But he amassed it, and nodded, striding off toward Laine. Laine acknowledged, turning to follow the rest of the group, already ahead.
"Lead them northwest. I presume one of you has a compass. Go three-ten marks; that's west by northwest."
"Say again?"
The voice sighed. "Just lead the group northwest for now."
"Alright."
Knuckles hastened his step.
"So, where to now?" Sally threw out the words casually, without even turning to face Knuckles. Maybe she was asking everyone; Knuckles hadn't seemed to know the last time the subject had been brought up.
But Knuckles answered. "Northwest."
And once they had walked a fair distance, the voice spoke again. "Turn north."
"North now."
And once they had walked a bit, the voice spoke again. "West."
"West."
And then the voice directed again. "Just north, you should see a large structure which dips into the ground. That's where you want to go."
Knuckles looked around, and then he saw it. "There." He pointed.
The circle made its way to where he had pointed.
And when they reached it, they beheld its marvel. The ruin here was wide and grand, digging, sinking into the ground, lined with broken columns on both sides, arching upward. As they descended down into its crater, the columns stood up like grand walls on either side, daunting. Each step showed them how small they were in this great chasm. Each slow step gave them another opportunity to gaze ahead, at the magnificent arch that stood atop the cliff. For at the end, the descent into the ground climaxed, and the level ground held its greatest height from their beveled floor. One end, the way the came in, was a ramp, sloping downward, and the opposite end was a wall, a cliff. And in that wall, a door.
Double doors, magnificently tall and engraved with art of beautiful detail. What were these doors used for, back in their time? Knuckles stood before them, dwarfed under them. The doors were probably three times his height, and their double breadth made them colossal.
"What you stand before now, Koukennin, are the Doors of Fallacy."
"The Doors of Fallacy?"
"What lies beyond these doors must not fall to the enemy. You must ensure their secrecy. Once you leave with the Nullifier, you must reseal the Doors. They mustn't fall into the hands of evil, as they did on that infamous day."
"Huh?"
"I am but brooding on history. Don't mind me. Just swear that you will not allow the enemy to open the Doors of Fallacy."
"If you tell me how."
"I will tell you."
"Okay, then. I'll do what you say if it will stop Robotnik from getting his hands on—"
"What are you mumbling about?" Sally was behind him, now.
"Oh, um, sorry."
"It's okay. Do you know how to open these doors?" The dual handles were several feet above their heads. Sally suspected that they were just decorative and aesthetic, not an actual means of opening the doors. None of them could reach them. Well, Tails could, but they looked too heavy to open without a firm footing on the ground, and Sally doubted that the handles were anything more than adornments to fancy the doors, which were quite impressive and majestic in their design.
"A'right of the doors are three panels that are off-colored from the rest of the stone. Place your palm on the lowest of them. This will unseal the doors. You must remember to reseal them once you have left. You must not leave them open for the enemy."
What was this? To place my palm on a panel would open the door? What kind of game was being played? Knuckles ran questions through his head, but did as told. Without answering Sally's inquiry, he stepped into action. To the right of the doors, Knuckles looked at the aged stone, but found nothing immediately adjacent. But, beside him, on his right, there was the penultimate column of the eastern line. Knuckles peered behind it. Sure enough, he found three rectangular panels that were of a slightly different hue than the rest of the stone. He placed his palm on the lowest. It felt warm. And then Knuckles heard a creaking behind him. He quickly pulled his hand from the panel, and turned. And then he beheld. The aged yet beautiful doors were slowly opening. The creaking sound they produced signaled that they mustn't have been used in a long time.
"What did you just do?" asked Sonic, aghast.
"I… don't know…"
"It's not important right now," said Sally. "Let's go inside."
And they stepped inside.
All – or much – of that depth they had amassed in descending the long, shallow ramp into the crater, was given back now, as the chamber's ceiling towered above them distantly. The chamber was clearly aged, but colossal. But the beauty and intricacy that had been in the doors was no more than an illusion within the chamber. The doors held within them much craftsmanship and splendor, but if one were to claim the same beauty were within this wide and expansive chamber, they would have been but fooled. The chamber's design only created an illusion of being splendid through its incredible and daunting size. But once you got past its marvelous spaciousness, it was remarkably plain and empty. No beautiful designs adorned the walls or the many tall ledges and shelves. There were no exquisite columns as there had been outside to demark the procession toward the doors. The only elaborate part of the room was a small design that adorned the ceiling. It depicted a body, a hand, and a tower. A curving sword encircled the design and the sword was wrapped around in an oscillating design of thorned rose vines. Apart from that lavish piece, which even itself still lacked the fine touch and craftsmanship as that of the magnificent Doors, the massive room was stark.
But the chamber's size, of course, often deceived people into marvel. Laine fell into this guile, as upon stepping into the chamber, he uttered an astonished "Wow."
Knuckles said nothing. But, inside, he was preoccupied with questions. What was this place? Why had his palm opened the doors? And what was so important within this chamber that it must be kept from the enemy's grasp?
The voice interrupted his wondering and speculation. "Down the hall, go down the aisle third to your left."
Within, Knuckles was beginning to develop another anger. Who was this person giving him all these orders? And why should he listen? Why did he have to let himself be held by strings? Robotnik had done it to him once, and now he was again the puppet beneath another figure, one whom he had never even seen, one whose name he didn't even know. Yet despite this building resentment, Knuckles complied, and strode down the wide hall, lined on either side by spiring towers of shelves, which rose up to his left and right as he walked down the broad hall. He turned down the third aisle on the left.
"Find box A-F-one-eight. It should be on your left, about three feet from the ground, and not very far from the hall."
Knuckles read the labels on the boxes stacked up on the shelves to his left. "A-F-1-5." "C-F-2-1." "R-T-2-7." "A-F-1-6." "M-E-7." "A-P-3." Knuckles moved to the next shelf tower. "A-F-1-7." "E-M-1-5." "A-F-1-8." That was it. Knuckles reached up and slipped his hands – first one, then the other – under the crate. It was of a fair size, twice Knuckles' width, and about half his height. As Knuckles shifted the crate off the shelf, it was heavier than he had expected, and it lurched downwards in his grip before he got it under control.
"What is this place anyway?" asked Tails.
Knuckles crouched down and rested the crate on the ground. "To be honest, I really don't know, kid."
"Then how'd you know to come here?" asked Sonic.
Sally hastily shuffled up beside Knuckles, who was knees-buckled atop the ground. "So, that's the device, then?"
"Should be."
"Should we open it?"
"Watch me bust it open with my mad skills," said Sonic with a smirk.
Sally threw out her arm against his chest. "You'll break it."
Knuckles didn't wait for orders. He swung his fist at the crate and from his fist was birthed a hole. Knuckles tore at it, enlarging the hole with more blows from his sharp-knuckled fist. And when the hole was big enough, he lifted out the device inside. It was padded in a soft material, and the crate accounted for a fair amount of weight, so the device itself, while by no means light, was noticeably not as heavy alone as when packaged in the crate. There was an array of buttons and dials and displays which Knuckles lacked the savvy to recognize, but on a small aluminum plate, which, while showing age, obviously had been shielded from the elements by the scrupulous packaging, was etched: "AF18, atomic ethermachine project, created under: Gaul, formal device name: The Contra-Ethermachine Atomic Field Nullifier, Third Prototype." What that meant in its entirety was absolutely nothing to Knuckles, but it said "Field Nullifier," so this must be the right device.
And the voice must be real.
Sally leaned over the crate. Everything paused for a moment as she bent over in inspection of the device. And then she stood erect again and said, "Let's get it out of here, then."
"I like that idea," said Sonic twitchingly. "I'm itching to get moving."
"What if there's more SWATbots on the way back?" posed Laine.
"Let's put it back in the crate. At least it will have a little protection that way, though not much."
Laine picked up the device and lowered it back into the crate through the hole Knuckles had made; the hole now occupied almost the entire top face of the crate. Knuckles, before Laine could ask him to help him with carrying the crate, turned and walked back down the hall. Laine started to utter the solicitation, but stopped before the first word had left his mouth, and, with a grumble, proceeded to lift the crate himself.
As he labored his way back down the hallway toward the doors – in accompaniment with Sonic, Sally, and Tails – Espio was rushing after Knuckles.
"So, I guess that voice…"
Knuckles said nothing, only continued walking; he was beneath the arch now.
"Or…" said Espio after realizing that Knuckles wasn't going to respond, "…maybe the voice is you."
To himself, Knuckles thought, "What the hell is he talking about?" but aloud, he said nothing. Knuckles stopped walking now, though, to wait for the others.
"Maybe it's your memory. Maybe this is all stuff you used to know, but forgot."
"Espio, would you start making sense for me?"
"Never mind."
"You must reseal the doors after you leave with the Nullifier."
After a moment, Knuckles recognized that this order was in his own voice… or, at least, it was from his memory. Is this what Espio meant? Knuckles ran backwards through his memory and decided that even if the last order was simply his memory reminding him of what the voice had told him, the voice had told him everything in its own voice. The voice was real. The voice was real, Knuckles decided. He didn't need the voice to tell him what he had already been told; for that, his memory would suffice for a reminder.
"Are you coming?" Again, Laine was the one who lagged behind to wait for him, resting the crate on the ground for a moment.
"Hold on a second," Knuckles said. He still had to carry out his memory's order, turning and hastily shuffling over to the penultimate column, placing his palm upon the lowest panel. The Doors of Fallacy, with a creak, slowly swung closed. Knuckles turned back to catch up with Laine.
"I wonder what happened to him. I hope he's alright."
"I dunno. How long's it been, anyway?"
"Who knows. Long time, probably."
"But how long? An' where would he go?"
"An' wattabout the others? 'Aven't seen them in even longer."
"What are we gonna do, anyways? Just stay here 'til we die?"
"Hope he finds us?"
A laugh. "Finds us? Ha, hasn't it gotten through yer damn head yet that if he were looking, he's given up by now? Man, maybe if we wanna be found, we shouldn't be hiding. 'Course, if we were found, it probably wouldn't be by who we wanted it ta be. That's what we said then. An' what if he did find us? Then what? He could hide with us too? We ain't got a home to go to, remember?"
"Pessimism never gets anyone anywhere."
"Hell it doesn't! 'Least I don't believe in fairy tales, an' think some superhero's gonna come save us. I don't live in a dream."
"Then make one. Don't like to be optimistic? Well, my optimism wore out a long time ago, but at least I'm not crying apocalypse. Why don't we try an' find him?"
"'Cause it doesn't matter! We ain't got a home, and it's not like we can take it back."
"Well, if we're gonna die, might as well do something other than sit here and die here."
"See the world?" A laugh.
"Better than waking up, goin' out to get some food, an' comin' back here."
"Fair enough."
"It's been a long time, man. I know there's that old rule, 'stay in one place if ya wanna be found,' but we've stayed long enough. Not gonna make it any more likely he'll find us jus' 'cause we stay here. Same chances no matter what we do."
"Well, maybe ya don't live in a fairy tale, then."
"Never said I did. That was your words, not mine."
"Priority One. Neutralize Sonic the Hedgehog."
"Looks like we've got company."
Sonic turned. Sure enough, there was a squad of four SWATbots to his left.
"We have to protect the device," exclaimed Sally.
"Then protect it." He picked up his feet. Instantaneously, he closed the distance the SWATbots held. Knuckles was already in pursuit of Sonic. Laine lowered the create to the ground.
Stood in front of it.
Sonic tore through a SWATbot's gut.
Three left.
Sonic tore through another.
Two.
They fired. One at Sonic. The other at Laine.
Sonic tore it apart. But its shot still lived. Laine saw it coming. The crate wouldn't move fast enough. So Laine stood. Took the shot.
The last SWATbot fired again. It was still locked on Laine. And then Laine saw it coming.
And he ducked out of the way.
The shot met the crate concussively, and the crate, half-wooden was aflame. Burning.
Knuckles tore the last SWATbot apart.
Laine stood and saw.
Laine stood and could not react.
The crate was burning.
"Oh no!" cried Sally. "Quick, get the device out of there!"
Laine was frozen, sans nursing the wound he had been given by the first shot… the one he had taken.
"Remove the Nullifier from the flame, before it falls to waste!"
Knuckles answered the call. He plunged his hands into the flame, and lifted the device from its reflexive adversary. The pain of the flame seared through his gloves and singed his skin, and he instinctively released his grasp upon the device for a split-second before gathering his gall and tightening his grip on the device, before releasing it with great relief to the soil. And then Knuckles tried to nurse his hands, but realized, "with what can I?" and resigned to bearing the pain.
And all were strewn in disarray.
Sally said nothing. Tails only looked up at Sonic inquisitively. Laine nurtured his wound. Knuckles stared at the ground.
So it was Sonic that broke the silence; 'twas Sonic that broke the calmless still.
And so he broke their immobility. And everyone again moved. The crate was left behind. Knuckles, with his hands singed, carried the device. It hurt, but what didn't?
They were thinking. Rotor had figured that a large enough array of explosives detonated upon the tower's base should at least cripple it.
Again, the fighters would split into groups, and come at the tower from all sides. In each group, one member would be the designated Armsbearer, instructed on the planting of the explosives they were to carry.
"How many explosives'll they carry?"
"Hm, actually, perhaps only one each. Perhaps there should be multiple Armsbearers in each group. As the saying goes, best not to put all your eggs in one basket. Or all your bombs in one place."
"D'ya really think the tower's gonna fall?"
"No. No, I don't. I just hope the tower is crippled."
"What about the barrier? If they've got that device, do we use it at the same time?"
"Same time? As what?"
"As we blow up the tower."
"I guess. Probably best to catch Robotnik by surprise all at once."
Somewhere nearby, the plane descended.
And somewhere distant, something else came awake.
And it was time to go again.
And they asked, "How do you work this thing?"
And they asked, "What if we're shot?"
Then you hope the others aren't shot too.
And they asked, "What if we're all shot?"
Then we've lost.
No. The shot have lost. But we can try again.
Just, our opportunities will never be quite as advantaged as they are this time. He'll be expecting.
He was told how to make it work.
So again they were divided. Four ways. Three Armsbearers each.
Knuckles had the Field Nullifier. He would expose the tower. He knew how. But only as a proxy would he pull it off.
And there they were. Back where they had been before.
Back where they had failed.
Back where they had been shown the meaning of futility.
The meaning of "in vain."
But here they were.
Again. And they would try again.
And the clones, birthed without life, went about their tasks of construction. They paid no heed to the intruders on four sides. The Armsbearers were ready. The groups would charge as one, shielding the Armsbearers. It was expected the clones (of nothing) would not ignore them once the barrier was down.
Knuckles was positioned outside the shield, about twenty meters from the edge of the lucid wall. He remembered how.
The device came to life at Knuckles command. Knuckles turned the dial as he had been instructed. He read the screen, and, satisfied, yet oblivious to the readout's meaning, only measuring it up to what he had been told was correct or good, he pressed the button.
The device hummed.
And then it bled slowly.
And then it erupted, and its white radiance flitted out toward the clear bluish wall.
It met the wall. And the white light again bled, spreading like a cancer and slowly taking more and more of the wall under its glow.
The clones were stirred.
As the Nullifying light spread farther from its origin, it crept from its center. And as it crept away, it left an emptiness in its focus. It had dissolved the wall. And it was creeping, slowly unbinding the molecules from one another, slowly unbinding the field.
The clones fired through the fissure.
Knuckles left the Nullifier to its task, leaping through the hole of its creation. He leapt again, now into the air, taking flight. No, emulating flight. He glided. His dreadlocks fanned and caught the air. And his fists stuck out ahead of him. He plowed into one of the clones that faced him; it was knocked with a snap to the ground. Knuckles dropped back to the ground, with a bend of the knees, and then stood again. He swung his fist at the other SWATbot that was there, and it was felled. At the tower's base, the clones seemed to continue their work. But more were roused, and more came his way. Knuckles looked back to where he had broken through the barrier. It was still decaying, gradually, slowly.
The groups lay in wait for the nullification to reach them, so they could bound forth and fulfill their tasks. It had almost reached the first. But wasn't the plan to rush forth at once, all four groups in unison? It didn't seem so viable anymore. Did they really want to wait that long, for the barrier to have fallen all around? It would take time. Robotnik must be aware of their victory against his force field by now. But if the first group went as soon as it had the chance, the plan would be out: the bombs there to see. The SWATbots could shoot at them once planted, but they'd still detonate and injure the tower. But then the plan would be out. And the bombs would be expected with each subsequent group.
They should wait, and go at once. It would lessen the time they held to their advantage. The SWATbots might all have turned from their work by then, and hold more distance of aggression. The SWATbots would doubtlessly attack once they got within melee range, but if they waited, perhaps they'd begin firing immediately. But then why weren't they yet? Robotnik must be aware by now.
Knuckles turned back and retreated to wait for everyone to make their advances.
The Nullifier appeared catalyzed. Its breadth was spreading faster now. It would still take time, but no longer did its growth creep. Now it just expanded. Why were the SWATbots still working? Why weren't they investigating the decay of the luminous fence?
The cancerous light expanded its breadth, and wherever it passed was left dissolved.
Knuckles waited.
Then, he saw them charge. The fence had been dissolved about halfway around now. Three groups of the four now had an opening ahead. And two groups charged. The third, probably upon realizing the others were charging, followed suit. The fourth was still facing a wall ahead. Knuckles, too, charged then. The SWATbots still did not immediately turn. The groups charged, shielding the Armsbearers. Half the SWATbots now turned and fired. There was still enough distance between them and the intruders to cripple their accuracy, but when they fired again, at least one of the breathing shields was hit.
Knuckles was halfway there.
Another round. At least one more fell.
Sonic, being in the fourth group, had now gone around the wall, and was now dashing, as a blur, toward the center. He reached it resoundingly fast, breezing past the others who had already been well in transit, his wind causing a waft against their garments. A SWATbot was torn through. Another SWATbot fell. And another. Several now turned to fire on Sonic, but he was too fast, swerving invisibly around their shots. A blur passed over another, and when it was gone, the SWATbot dropped to the ground.
A loud click.
Knuckles was closing the distance.
Sonic tore through another.
Another click, and a panel on the side of the tower snapped open. Something poked out from within.
Another round was fired. Someone was hit.
Sonic tore through another one.
Knuckles was almost there.
The protruding protrusion that had jutted out from the opened panel twitched. It swiveled, as if an eyeball looking. And then it flashed. A loud, rhythmic din came again and again in quick succession, each iteration of the sound accompanied with, in tune with a flash at the thing poking its head out from the tower's flank. Cries were heard. Shields fell, but several managed to rise again. The groups stopped in their tracks. But then they kept going, and even the ones that fell but rose hobbled on. And Knuckles was there, swinging his fist at a SWATbot, when the loud noise stopped. Knuckles clobbered the SWATbot. He looked back up. The eyeball was staring straight ahead, and in it was building a light. At its end was a glowing light that looked as if it were sucking its bright glow out from the air, sucking it in. Its glow built. Knuckles snapped his gaze back level, and swung at another SWATbot. Sonic kept tearing through them. They fired another round. This time, nobody fell. Knuckles clobbered another, and the groups would have reached the tower by now, had they not been slowed with each round fired against them, and the power of the droning noise that had suddenly silenced. Why had it stopped?
Why, oh why had they asked? Its glow exploded and pounded the ground as a mortar. It pounded the group it faced, with the gazing glare of its muzzle. And the blast enveloped more than half the group, including one Armsbearer, who luckily had guarded their bomb well in a steel container. And all that it swathed fell and did not rise. The group panicked. The other two groups now reached the tower, and the shields fought the SWATbots as the Armsbearers planted their charge. The muzzle up above swiveled and directed its gaze at the next group. It sucked the light out of the air again. The glow grew. The group it had desecrated was in tears. But pieces of it now moved again, leaving others behind, on their knees weeping, or standing in utter confusion and panic of instanity. But those who moved reached the tower, and the two remaining Armsbearers carried out their task.
The fourth group was now in transit. The barrier had dissolved before them. They were on their way.
SWATbots fell to Sonic, completely oblivious in their death, even unseeing of their attacker. Knuckles pounded another, and felt a pain in his side, turning to find another SWATbot beside him. Before he could clobber it to the ground as he had the others, it swung its arm across his face and he fell, reeling, to the ground. He tried to break his fall with his arms, but felt a sickening snap in his left wrist as its attached palm met the earth. With that sickening pain, his left arm gave way, slipping out from its connection to the earth, and he stumbled to the ground completely.
The muzzle's glow exploded and pounded the ground as a mortar. The ground it had faced was now retreating back away from the tower. And it hit them in the back. Its nauseating, blinding light enveloped the better part of them and all that it swathed fell and did not rise. Cries of anguish echoed. The ones in the front of the group, which were not swathed in the death, kept running and did not look back, except for one, who turned and kneeled, gaping.
The fourth group was on its way. The murderous eye swiveled, and glared at them with its deathly stare. It sucked the light from the air around it.
The SWATbot hovered in poise above Knuckles, and charged its weapon.
Its weapon charged, it armed and prepared to fire. And then a hole burst through its chest, and, with a few pathetic sparks, it froze in paralysis for several seconds before dropping dead. Sonic landed behind Knuckles, gave a smirk, and helped him to his feet before dashing off a blur again.
The fourth group was a bit more than halfway to the tower now.
As a ray of the sun's light glinted off the tip of the metallic muzzle, it appeared to give a sadistic wink. And then it exploded. It tore into the ground. The front three – one an Armsbearer, the closest of the three to the center of the group – in the group were enveloped in its bloody light and fell. They lay still upon the ground. Tearfully, another member of the group dropped to their knees and embraced one of the fallen men, perhaps the Armsbearer, on the ground. Others continued walking. The shields from behind redistributed to provide cover for the two Armsbearers that remained. One of the fallen men slowly lifted himself again. His right leg could not support his weight and he fell again to the ground. But he persisted, and tried again to stand. Again, he couldn't bear the burden of his weight and again slumped back to the ground.
The eye narrowed its gaze upon the group again, and sucked in the light, as the core of radiance. As the glow built, the muzzle's end with its blinding glow appeared as if an emulation of the sun, or an attempt at standing upon that lofty pedestal, that of the grand star and its marvel.
The group was almost there. The fallen man tried again to stand and this time he succeeded. He tried to move quickly, to catch up with the group again, but could only limp. But he did hobble in trailing of the group.
The one group had been shot in the back.
But there was one group that had not yet seen the deathlight blinding in their eyes. And it was not retreating. It was moving toward the fourth group. And it was almost there. Two members of the unretreating group broke from the unit and moved to help the hobbling straggler.
The unretreaters joined the fourth group now, and together, they braced as the sun's young emulator exploded. The unretreaters grabbed hold of however they could. Some threw themselves to the ground. But they could not save themselves from casualty. Embraced, one young lady and her fiancé were enveloped in the bleeding energy. Their tears ran down their faces as they held each other. And then they were swathed in pain. It didn't last long. The eye became a turret again. It fired off rounds in incessant succession. More cries were heard. Many felt pains in their legs as the bullets tore through. And they were reduced to a limp. But many kept walking. And the Armsbearers reached their target. One of them had to limp to reach it, and each step brought a sharp, jagged pain in their calf. But they planted their payload.
And then everyone on the field ran as fast as they could.
The bullets kept coming. Someone was shot in the back as they tried to flee, and with a ghastly scream, they fell. They tried to rise to their feet again and escape, but they felt another shot in the back and slumped to the ground.
Knuckles retreated with them. Sonic stayed and tore apart a few more SWATbots before passing everyone and waiting for them outside where the barrier had once been.
They ran until they heard the turret's bullets drop behind them, and finally trail off. And they knew they had escaped. Or so they thought.
A panel beneath the turret began to glow.
"Is everyone here?"
"Everyone that could make it. We had some casualties, but thankfully many of the injuries weren't fatal, and as long as we can get them some medical attention…"
"Our medical facility underground isn't big enough to take them all in!"
"We'll worry about that later."
The glowing panel spat forth and became connected with the ground through a long, thin, green beam of energy that it coughed up.
Slowly, the green beam crept forward. Where it had originally struck the ground was no more than charred earth.
The beam's advance increased in speed.
Now it was hurtling toward the assembled group of fighters.
"Shit!"
It would reach them soon, and they couldn't outrun it. It was too fast.
Sally triggered the detonation.
With a roar, the payloads were set off, and the tower's hull was penetrated. The recoil of the explosion careened up the tower.
"You didn't tell me about this! The emerald's in there! You didn't tell me you were gonna blow it up!"
The jade beam, too, was careening. It was almost to them.
The shattering wave of the explosion rushed up the tower.
And when the fighters thought it was all over, as the emerald ray would reach them in seconds, the disjointing wave hit the glowing panel, and the beam wavered. The wave of the detonation surged up through the panel, and the beam faltered, with a flash, and then died.
Sally breathed a sigh of relief.
The tower's hull was visibly damaged, and plates of metal had been heaved off the skin of the tower in the explosion; others were breached. And something had been harmed.
But it still stood.
They had done all they could for now. Perhaps they had delayed something, crippled something. Perhaps it was only the inevitable that they had delayed.