Chapter Six: Cartoon Madness

What happened to SATAM-Sonic? Read and find out!

(A/N: Despite what happens in this story, I do like AOSTH; but you have to admit, it does have bad animation.)

Doctor Ivo Robotnik paced across his lab. "So how did this half-baked plan get foiled?" He gave them a look of anger and boredom.
"Grounder got us caught in the net!"
"I did not, you big liar!"
"Yes you did!"
"No!"
"YES!"
"SHUT UP, OR I'LL RECYCLE YOU BOTH INTO TOASTERS!" Robotnik screamed. Both of them fell silent.
"Now, to introduce my greatest creation ever!" Robotnik pressed a button on the console, and a bright red curtain on the other end of the lab rose. Behind it was a metallic blue robot that looked exactly like Sonic.
"Meet my newest creation--Hyper Metal Sonic! He's programmed with the latest technology, not to mention the most advanced guidance system around!"
"Wow--he looks like someone I know," Grounder said, "but I can't figure it out!"
Grounder thought about it for about an hour. Scratch and Robotnik were pulling out magazines to read. "I've got it!" Scratch looked up. "Who do you think it is?" he snapped.
"Coconuts!"
Robotnik gave him a whack across his head. "No! it's SONIC! I can't believe I waited around for this long just for that!"
Robotnik walks over to his computer. "I hope I can trust you boltbrains to carry out this next assignment. All Metal Sonic needs is Sonic's mind data to make him complete."
"Why, your evilness?" Scratch asked.
"Because without Sonic's mind, he'll be as idiotic as YOU!" the doctor screamed, "I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF THAT HEDGEHOG RUINING MY PLANS TIME AND TIME AGAIN BECAUSE OF IMBECILIC JUNKYARD PILES LIKE YOU TWO!"
He grabbed Scratch and Grounder by the neck and proceeded to strangle them. "YOU TWO BETTER NOT FAIL ME OR I WILL HAVE TWO NEW ITEMS FOR THE TRASH COMPACTOR WHEN YOU GET BACK!"
"Why not just take out the trash yourself, sir?" Grounder replied.
"Don't tempt me," Ivo growled before hurling them out the nearest window. "JUST GET SONIC AND BRING HIM BACK!!"
Scratch stood up. "Wow, Dr. Robotnik sure has a good arm!"
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While all this was going on, Sonic (from the SATAM era) was wondering aimlessly through the Casino Night Zone, searching for a clue as to where he was. Unfortunately, nothing looked familiar, because everything was badly drawn.
"Where am I, and why does everything look like it was drawn by a kid?"
After a few minutes, he came across a chili dog stand. "Way past cool!" He dashed over to the counter.
"Two doggies with the works, pal!"
"Aren't you supposed to be at a race, Sonic?" the vendor asked when he gave Sonic his order.
"What race?" Sonic asked, suddenly interested.
"You know, the Casino Night Zone's Track and Field Competition held once every year. You told me you were lookin' forward to it."
Sonic inhaled the chili dogs and stood up. "Nobody's havin' a race without me!" SATAM-Sonic declared. "I'd like to stay, but I gotta juice!"
Sonic zoomed off, leaving a dust cloud in his wake.
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"What did you do to Sonic?" Tails looked Shadow straight in the eye. Since Sonic's disappearance, the stadium erupted into chaos.
"Hey, don't look at me, two-tailed kid," Shadow answered nonchalantly, "He told me he knew a way to win, then he vanished."
"How do I know you're not lying?" Tails accused. Shadow, ignoring Tails, turned around and started to leave. "Where are you going?" Tails inquired.
"You know, you ask too many questions. Sonic disappered during our race, so I'm going to look for the coward myself," Shadow turned around, "You seem to know him well. You would be wise to help me."
Shadow walked out the exit. "Well, are you coming, or not?"
"Sure, OK," Tails said, his voice filled with grim suspicion. Tails flew in the air and followed him.
"So that's what the two Tails are for," Shadow stated, slightly surprised.
"Yeah, what'd you think they were for?"
As they trotted out of the stadium, Shadow steadely went faster, until he was at full speed. After achieving full speed, he slammed into SATAM-Sonic, who was also going full speed.
"Watch where you're juicin, pal!"
"Sonic!?" Tails flew over.
SATAM-Sonic looked up. "Hey, big guy! Am I glad to see you!"
"Where were you, Sonic? You were supposed to be at the race!" Tails almost screamed.
"Forget the race. What are you doin' outside of Knothole? Robuttnik's spy radar could pick you up in a second!"
"Spy radar?" Tails laughed, "Robotnik isn't that smart! Robotnik can't do anything right!"
"Who's Robotnik?" Shadow asked. Nobody really paid any attention to him.
"What're you talkin' about, Tails? You lose your memory or somethin'? The hoverbots could be here any minute!"
Tails was rolling on the ground, laughing by now. "Right . . . spy camera? Hoverbot?" Tails laughed, tears coming from his eyes. Shadow watched the scene, bewildered.
Shadow closed his eyes. "You people scare me," he muttered.
Tails got up, wiping his eyes. "All right, Sonic, enough jokes. So where'd you go during the race? And how'd you do it?"
"I didn't go anywhere! I was waitin' outside a robo-factory for Sal and Bunnie to juice here, but I couldn't wait anymore, so I tried the ol' Sonic spin, then I was here!"
Shadow: "Robo-factory?"
Tails: "Sal? Bunnie?"
Shadow: "Juice?"
Sonic noticed Shadow for the first time. "Who's this guy?"
Shadow was really getting pissed now. "DON'T FAKE LIKE YOU DON'T REMEMBER, BLUE BOY! YOU CHICKENED OUT IN OUR RACE USING THE CHAOS CONTROL I'VE BEEN PERFECTING ALL MY LIFE, THEN WHEN WE FINALLY FOUND YOU, YOU BLOW ME OFF! WHAT KIND OF A HEDGEHOG ARE YOU!?"
"Say wha!?"
"Chaos Control?" Now Tails was bewildered, "You never told me you could do that!"
"You didn't ask." Shadow replied.
"I'm gettin' confused," Sonic said while pulling out a chili dog out of his bookbag. "Yeah, I was hopin' there was one left!"
"Sonic! You don't have a bookbag," Tails exclaimed.
"Uh . . . Tails? I've always had this," Sonic finished off his snack.
"Can I see that for a second, Sonic?" Tails looked inside his bookbag.
"Why?"
"I just wanna see something. Whoa, this bag looks like it's been used for years!"
"That's what I've been tryin' to say!"
Tails started naming off the contents.
"A half eaten chili dog, five chili dog wrappers, and--what's this?" Tails pulled out a power ring.
"That's a power ring, Tails!" Sonic was getting impatient.
"Well, then what's this?" Tails pulled out a mini computer.
"NICOLE!?" Sonic grabbed it, "How'd you get in here?"
"I accidentely dropped in here when we were in Robotropolis, Hedgehog, my man," Nicole replied.
"Oh, man! Sal's gonna freak when she can't find you!"
"Who's 'Sal' again?" Shadow asked, frustrated.
"So Nicole, where are we?"
"According to traditional coordinates, we are at the center of Robotropolis," Nicole said.
"Say wha!?"
"O . . .K," Tails next pulled out pictures. "Who're they?"
"That's Sal, that's Bunnie, and that's Uncle Chuck," Sonic continued to point out the rest of the pictures. Sonic spent the next few minutes trying to get Tails caught up. That's about when Shadow noticed something different about Sonic.
"Sonic! Bring up information on 'dimensions'."
"Why?"
"You say Robotnik has a lot of power, and has done great damage."
"So?"
"So, our Robotnik hasn't done any of that," Shadow explained.
"Well Nicole, you heard 'em," Sonic ordered.
"Searching . . ." Nicole's internal machinery hummed softly. After a few moments, Nicole said, " Accessing files from Ministry of Science . . . File Found."
"Tell us everything," Shadow said.
"Now processing . . ." Nicole's voice was replaced with that of a young Uncle Chuck. "After hours of research, study, and tests, we have dicovered many so-called 'Dimensions.' Each dimension contains a different 'version' of ourselves, like, say for instance . . . (Uncle Cuck sounded like he was trying to stifle a laugh) my brother, Jules, with purple fur!"
You could hear Jules in the back yelling, "Hey!" After a few seconds of laughing, Chuck calmed down and continued. "Anyway, our data suggests that while these "versions" may be different politically and physically, they will always keep the same basic personality. We also have reason to believe that, because the time-space continuum is so fragile, if two or more of the "Versions" were to be doing one thing at the exact same time, then it would affect all the others as well."
"Hold it!" Shadow cried, "Give us more information on that last sentence."
The voice switched to Uncle Chuck. "If two of the versions were to be doing one thing at the exact same time, then it would affect all of the other versions in some way. They could all be transported to one dimesion, switched, or cease to exist altogether."
Everyone hushed when they heard that last part.
"Way uncool," Sonic said, a little edgy.
"Yeah," Tails agreed.
"Well, we have our answer," Shadow looked at Sonic.
"I gotta get back to Knothole, the others are gonna need me," Sonic said.
"We need to find a dimensional portal," Shadow explained, " but we're going to need someone with a lot of technology. Do you know anyone like that, Tails?"
"I was afraid you'd ask that," Tails said.
"The only person I know who'd have that is . . ."
"Who?"
Tails looked Shadow straight in the eyes. "Robotnik."