07 /31 /04
Antipode Evangel presents:
Freedom Fighters of Mobius
Year 3240, Day 147
Transition
Disclaimer:
Story (c) 2004 by the author, based on situations and elements created by Service Games (SEGA), DiC Productions, and Archie Publications. Most characters based on personalities originally created by SEGA Interactive, DiC Productions, and/or Archie Comics Publications, and modified by the author. This is a work of fanfiction, meant only to entertain the readers and to contribute to the mythos of the source material. The author in no way benefits financially from this work.
Other characters in this chapter include:
Chip and Cruiser (back by popular demand!), Jewel, Antipode, Zane, (c) Antipode Evangel (Adam Czech)
Joie (c) RamenNoodles518 (Joie), used with permission.
NyteShade (c) Shade, used with permission (wuv you, sweetie! )
Special Thanks:
To Shaddie Dreamweaver (Anastasia) for helping me out with writing. She wrote the scene near the end in Tails' garage. Thankies, little sis! :hugs: Go visit her DA site! [ShaddieDreamweaver . DeviantArt . com]
The B-100 Alpha incident had taught Ivo Robotnik an important lesson. It had been a field test, that was all, and it had performed rather admirably, if he may say so himself, despite the fact that the remaining scrap metal had been melted into oblivion when the Death Orb Dreadnaught had broken apart upon contact with Mobius' atmosphere. After that infernal hedgehog unleashed the energies of the Chaos Emeralds against him, he had barely escaped with his own life. In any case, though, a lesson had been learned.
And so he had returned to the design phase. The prototype had been unsuccessful, and a new prototype must now be designed. The fact that the failure of his machine nearly resulted in his death, and also the near-destruction of his flagship, was unimportant to him; that he still lived was reason enough to build a better, more powerful machine: C-100 Alpha, a new prototype. One powerful enough to deal its master's bidding.
In fact, in the year since the fall of the Dreadnaught, C-Alpha was nearly complete, and Robotnik had been readying several targets to test its effectiveness, before sending it on the main objective, the entire purpose of its creation: the capture and destruction of the freedom fighter called...
-=:=-=:=-=:=-=:=-
"Soooooniiiiiic!"
The Blue Blur raced through the paths of the Great Forest, doing his best to keep one step ahead of his pursuer. She had been doing this nearly every day for the past year. Couldn't she get a clue? He ran faster, trying to lose her by winding his way through the network of paths surrounding Camp Knothole. Unfortunately, though, the girl had quickly learned how to navigate through the forest as well, and she was determined to catch him.
It was only a matter of time, before she caught up with him, launching herself through the air to tackle him to the ground. "Got you!"
"AH! Amy!" Sonic shouted and winced, trying to push her off and get away, but she clung on to his t-shirt so hard he was afraid she'd rip it right off.
"No, Sonic, I've got you, and now you've gotta play with me!" the young hedgehog girl exclaimed triumphantly.
"Who says?"
"Oh, c'mon, Sonic!"
"No!" He gave a hard shove, sending the girl sprawling to the ground.
She got up quickly, brushing the dust off her bright cherry-red dress and giggling. It had been like this for the past year. For some odd reason Amy Rose had an unquenchable fascination with Sonic. When it had first started Sonic had racked his brain trying to figure out what was wrong with her; he concluded it could be a form of hero worship, since she was only 15 -- 6 years Sonic's junior -- and they had first met after he had brought down Doctor Robotnik's Death Orb station. Still, that didn't refute the fact that she just would not leave him alone, and he was getting tired of it.
"Amy, isn't there something -- anything! -- you could be doing besides chasing me around? I have stuff to do, ya know!"
"Aw, but why can't you play with me for a while?"
"Because, I... Gah, Amy! Just go find something to do!"
And with that he took off again. Amy gave him a head-start, then resumed the chase. He's playing hard to get! So cute...
-=:=-=:=-=:=-=:=-
Just a little more...
The micro-screwdriver turned slowly, tightening the tiny screw ever so slightly. When he was sure it was in place, and at the right tension, he pulled the tool back, carefully to avoid hitting any of the sensitive components in the case. When it was cleared he set it down on the workbench, then reached up and lifted the magnification goggles from his eyes.
Twelve-year-old Miles "Tails" Prower surveyed his work on the innards of the computer and decided it quite satisfactory. He set the goggles on the desk beside the screwdriver, then leaned back in the swivel chair and sighed, running a hand through his thick, red-orange hair.
"How's it going, buddy?"
Tails stared at the ceiling as he answered. "All done, Rotor. Come have a look."
The stocky walrus crossed the room and bent down to examine the electronics inside the case. "This is very good stuff," the chief technician replied. "You've been practicing this?"
"I guess I'm a quick learner," the kid smiled.
"You sure are. This is excellent. Great work, Tails."
"Thanks." His smile grew wider.
Rotor checked over the circuitry a second time. "Hey, go get the work binder. I want to record this. This is the best work I've seen anyone do."
The fox hopped off the chair. "Except you."
"Well, this is almost better than some of my stuff, actually. Certainly better than I was at your age."
Tails smiled all the way to the bookshelf. That was where Rotor kept his manuals, his papers, his blueprints, his folders, and his schematics, in more or less proper order. The kid had actually spent an afternoon not too long ago attempting to organize them into something more manageable, but that hadn't lasted long. The camp technician just seemed to have a penchant for tossing things about aimlessly, resulting in a somewhat untidy work environment.
He didn't mind it, though. To him, the workshop was like a second home. It just wouldn't be the same if everything was neat and put away. Tails crouched down and ran his hand along the bindings of the red-colored folders occupying the bottom shelf. Those were Rotor's work binders, where he recorded all the major projects going on in the workshop on any given day. There were at least a dozen of them, all lined up neatly in a row, one of the few areas that had survived Tails' categorization.
"Which one do you want, Rotor?" he called back.
"Um, the hardware log."
"Okay." His fingers brushed against the labels on the backs of the binders, one by one. Which one was the hardware log? The labels were a little hard to read.
"Problem, Tails?"
"Um... no," he replied uneasily. "What happened to the words on these?"
"Huh? What do you mean?"
He squinted. "They're fuzzy."
"Tails, it's the third one from the left. I can see that from here."
Rotor watched warily as the fox took the binder from the shelf and brought it over, setting on the bench carefully, a bewildered look in his eyes. "You okay, buddy?"
"Yeah..." he replied quietly, sitting back in the chair, staring at the floor.
Rotor sat in a chair across the table from him. The book sat untended. "I think we need to get your eyes checked out."
"Y-yeah," the kid nodded quickly.
"Have you ever had trouble seeing before?"
"Not really. But I use those goggles most of the time. That helps a little."
"You told me you've been getting headaches sometimes, too."
"Uh-huh."
"Hey," he reached out to put a hand on Tails' shoulder. "It's nothing to be worried about. We'll see what Doctor Draftwood has to say, all right?"
"Okay..."
-=:=-=:=-=:=-=:=-
The sudden rush of air and subsequent slamming of a door were accompanied by Sonic's frantic cries, "Sal, you've gotta save me!"
Princess Sally Acorn smiled, taking her sweet time arranged the papers on her desk that got disturbed by the hedgehog's entrance into her office space. She slowly folded her hands on the desktop, then looked up to see him, back to the door, wide-eyed, breathing heavily. This wasn't the first time it had happened.
"Calm down, Sonic," she soothed.
"Calm down? CALM DOWN?! That girl's a psycho-stalker!"
The squirrel chuckled and rose from her chair, the modest summer dress she had on hugging her curves wonderfully down to her knees. "She's got a crush on you. I think it's cute."
"That wouldn't be the word I'd use," he growled under his breath.
"Oh, come on, hedgehog," she crossed her arms over her chest and cantered her head to one side. "Roll with the punches once in a while. What could she possibly do to you, anyway?"
"You don't understand, Sal! She's suffocating me!"
She took a step forward. "You know she won't do anything. Besides..." -- Sally wrapped her arms around Sonic's waist and planted a passionate kiss on his lips -- "...she'd never survive the competition."
The hedgehog's body immediately relaxed, his eyelids sliding shut at her touch. "I guess not..." he breathed, his arm hugging her waist beneath her azure vest.
He could feel Sally's hands sliding up beneath his t-shirt to play along the muscles in his back. "Don't worry, dear," she whispered to him, fire dancing in her eyes. "I won't let her have you."
"Good to know," he grinned back at her. "I think you've been cooped up in this office too long, babe."
"You think so?"
"Mm-hmm. And I know just the cure. I'm kidnapping you, let's go."
Sally raised her eyebrows amusedly. "Kidnapping me?"
"Yep. I'm taking you away, far into the woods, and I'm not letting you back until I say."
She laughed. "What about Amy?"
"What about her?"
"Aren't you afraid she'll see you?"
"I'm not afraid of that little-"
"Sooooniiiiic!! Where aaaare yooooou?"
"Oh, CRAP!" he tensed again. "There she is! What do I do?!"
She giggled, reaching up to kiss his neck. "You worry too much."
Sonic fought hard to enjoy it, but he could hear her footsteps outside the door! He couldn't get away from her, no matter how hard he tried! She was coming closer, closer... soon the door would open and-
With a force that took him completely by surprise, Sally shoved him backwards into the wall. While he was trying to regain his composure, the office door abruptly swung open, hitting him hard in the face.
"Sonic, I know you're... Sonic? Where'd he go?"
"He's not here, Amy," Sally answered casually, straightening some papers on her desk. "And I'd appreciate you knocking before barging into my office again."
Amy swallowed nervously. "Yes, ma'am. Sorry."
"You're forgiven. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have work to do."
"Yes, ma'am," she said meekly, and quickly left, closing the door behind her.
-=:=-=:=-=:=-=:=-
"How bout now?"
"No."
"Now?"
"No."
"Well, when then?"
"Later."
"How much later?"
"Lots of later."
"Like, now later?"
The birds sang in the trees above, the sunlight streaming down through the canopy to fleck shadows on the ground below. The two young canines made their ways along the path, the one in the lead peering through a set of binoculars and the other irritating him to no avail.
"C'mon, why not?"
"Cuz I'm in charge, and I'm usin' em!"
Cruiser growled, crossed his arms over his chest, and glared. Chip always got to be in charge; it wasn't fair. Just because he was older. And more mature. And better skilled. And actually knew what he was doing. Cruiser picked a short stick off the ground and debated over which end was better suited for butt-poking.
Chip led them out of the tree line and to the edge of the lookout cliff, used regularly by guards and recon personnel from Knothole to quickly assess anything happening in the surrounding areas. The leader put his foot on a boulder at the edge of the precipice, raising the binoculars to his eyes again and striking a dramatic pose. Behind him, Cruiser sulked.
"Nothing too out of the ordinary..." Chip mused to himself, but loud enough that the other could hear.
"So... can I have 'em now?"
"Nope."
"Grrr..." Cruiser brandished his stick and moved in for the kill.
"...HOLY COW, WHAT'S THAT?!?!"
"WAHH!" Cruiser fell backwards at the sudden proclamation, and landed on his bum. "What, what is it?"
"I don't know. Something... strange."
"Ooh, dramatic."
"Darn right, dramatic," Chip grinned. Now let's get down there and see what it is!"
"But... it's all the way down the cliff. How are we going to-"
"Don't be a wussy now!" Chip shouted, grabbing Cruiser by both arms and flinging him over the cliff's edge, before jumping down himself.
Cruiser's rolling descent down the rocky incline sounded something like this: "Aaaaaah! Oof! Ow! Owie! This- ow! Wasn't- gah! Your best- Rk! Idea- SPLAT."
Chip slid down next to him with style. "Oh, c'mon, you'll thank me later. It beats having to find a trail, don't it?"
Cruiser groaned in pain. "If I could move my shattered body, I would kill you."
"Glad to hear it! Now, let's go find those whatevers I saw before."
From the base of the slope it was only a dozen meters or so to where Chip had seen the strange objects through the binoculars. When they came to the site, they saw a large number of the trees and been cut down -- or maybe, torn up? -- and oddly-shaped metallic fragments littered the area.
"This looks important," Chip stated. "Let's split up and look for clues of some kind."
"Fine," Cruiser answered shortly and scampered off to the opposite side of the clearing, to get as far away from his cousin as possible. He found a piece of metal sticking out of the ground and kicked it noncommittally. Stupid Chip with his stupid...ness. I'll show him...
He reached down to pluck the razor-sharp edge from the dirt, his highly combat-calculative mind working through logistics. Range to target... seven-point-two-three meters. Elevation difference... negligible. Wind speed and direction... from the north-north-west and three miles an hour. Boo yah, baby.
"CRUISER!"
"AH! What?"
"You're not thinking of throwing that razor-sharp piece of metal at me, are you?"
"Um. No?"
"Good. Now get back to work and look for stuff."
Cruiser slowly lowered himself to the ground, fists pulling at his hair. So close... He was so close... Hey, what's that?
The pup knelt down on all fours to examine the small chunk of steel half-buried in the dirt. There was something on it, a label, maybe? Or a decal? He started digging with his front paws, trying to get as much of the shard uncovered as he could. There was something there, but it was hard to make out...
Roe-something? Robe? It was really faded. Ro, Rob, Robor, Robot, Robie... Robotnik? Yeah, it might say Robotnik. But why would Robotnik's name be on this piece of metal? Hmm... Ooh, Robotnik made metally things; maybe this metal used to be part of something Robotnik made, and that got destroyed, and now the metal is all over the place. But why would...
Cruiser shrugged it off, got up and walked away. Whatever it was, he was sure it didn't have anything to do with anything.
-=:=-=:=-=:=-=:=-
Amy had given up looking for Sonic after Sally had shooed her out of her office. Eventually she realized that he had somehow vanished, and was no where to be found in the camp. Under normal circumstances this wouldn't stop her, but she had let the game go on for quite some time that morning, and decided to give her darling hedgehog a moment of peace, however small it turned out to be.
She was returning from a short walk out in the forest when she saw Tails coming out of Doctor Draftwood's hut and hurrying over to his workshop in the garage. Of all the people she had gotten to know over the past year, she had to admit that Tails was probably the one she knew the least. Sure, he was always kind and cheerful when she talked to him, but he always seemed so busy with his projects, or whatever it was exactly he did in that workshop of his.
Amy crossed the compound with a mischievous grin on her face. If she couldn't have fun with Sonic, she would have to settle for his little friend. Everyone in Knothole knew how close the two of them were; maybe if she went through Tails she could get some more leverage to use when she located Sonic again.
The girl entered the large warehouse-type building cautiously. She had never been inside it, and really didn't know what to expect. All the overhead lights were off, and the only illumination came from over by the desk/workbench area. She started over, calling out his name meekly.
And first she got no response, but her persistence soon paid off. She heard his young voice calling back, tinged with something like anger. She located him lying on his back under the wing of his plane -- the Tornado or something she remembered it was called -- sticking a wrench into a hatch there with intention.
"Um, hey Tails."
"Hey," he replied shortly and kept working.
"What are you working on?"
The wrench stopped moving. "Amy, is there something you want?"
The sudden force in his voice caused her to take a step back. "I... Well, I just..."
"If this is about Sonic, he's not here, and I don't know where he is."
She found herself flustered for a moment. "Actually, I... came to talk to you..."
He finally sat up to look at her. "What?"
It was now that Amy saw what seemed to be what was making Tails act so strangely. What she had taken at first to be some kind of working goggles when she came in she now saw to be a pair of glasses framing his bright, young eyes. "Oh... you have..."
"Yeah," he answered softly, looking down at the floor. "Glasses, I know, they're dumb."
"They're not dumb," she replied quickly. "Why do you think that?"
"They just are..."
"They're not," Amy shook her head. "I think they look kinda cute."
He looked up at her hesitantly through the lenses. "You think so?"
She nodded and smiled brightly. Amy had the kind of smile that could light up a room, and it did wonders in the darkness of the garage.
Tails smiled weakly. "Thanks."
"No problem. Now, show me what you're working on."
-=:=-=:=-=:=-=:=-
The meeting hut hadn't been used in the past couple weeks, on account of large-scale field missions being unneeded for the moment. Sally wouldn't say she missed standing up in front and addressing an operations team, what with all the other work she had to do; but she was pleased that the camp was still running smoothly enough that she could get a mission plan drawn up and a team assembled in not much time. She took a deep breath and smiled, doing her best to hide her weariness. How long had it been since she'd slept...?
She remembered in years past, a mission didn't need much thought in the way of team planning; it had usually been her, Sonic, Antoine, and Georgia. Now that they had more field agents, however, she could do more in the way of team building, and choosing people whose skills worked well together. The four-person team for this mission was certainly a new experiment, at least for her. But the mission wasn't overly difficult... at least, she hoped that would be the case.
"To summarize," she started, putting on her professionalism for the first time that day, "a recent recon report has discovered traces of vehicle wreckage about a kilometer away from camp; evidence suggests that it belonged to Robotnik. There wasn't nearly enough shrapnel to warrant the vehicle being destroyed, so we need you to asses what damage has been done, whether the craft is salvageable, or if any of the components inside can be recovered."
From her seat up front, Georgia chuckled. "So, we're a lootin' team."
"In a sense."
She grinned. "Sounds like fun."
Sally nodded and smiled. Georgia would be the leader of the team, since she obviously had the most field experience. Stealth was her expertise, which would make the mission easier, if the "mystery craft" was what she hypothesized it to be. There were some details about the plan she didn't feel comfortable telling them all, not until she got confirmation.
"Is there anything else we have to do once we get there? Like rescue survivors or anything?" It was Antipode, 19 years old, been working as a field agent for the past year, but was still a little green. He had met with trouble fitting in when he first came, mostly due to Sonic's being suspicious of him, due to a coincidence and a flawed hunch, but that had been straightened out quickly. He had shown himself to be an exceptional stealth agent, and his inclusion in the team had not been an accident.
"There won't be any," he replied resolutely. "The crash doesn't appear to be recent, and Robotnik doesn't use anything but robots, anyway."
"But what if there is?" asked a wide-eyed voice from the front row. "What if it isn't Robotnik?" This was Joie, a tribal fur a couple years younger than she, who had come to Knothole when en route to find the rest of her clan. She had taken use of their communication equipment to contact them, but wasn't sure how long it would take to reach them. She decided to make herself useful while waiting for a reply, and joined their ops team.
Sally did her best not be appear skeptical. "What do you mean?"
"Well, what if it was someone who got attacked by Robotnik? A little bit of metal doesn't mean everything."
"You do have a point. But, that's why you're going. If there are people still there, you know what to do." Sally's gaze wandered the room as she finished up, falling finally on the young woman seating farthest back, directly behind Antipode. She had the sort of distant look in her green eyes that showed she might be listening, but had a lot more on their mind. Her jet-black hair was slightly askew, which was something she had never seen in Jewel before. She looked up momentarily, and her eyes locked with Sally's, for just a moment, and the other was able to see the weariness there, surrounding the usual fire she always had. She questioned for just a moment whether putting her on the team was a bad idea, but quickly dismissed it. Jewel had yet to disappoint.
Sally spouted something as a closing; she didn't really remember what it was, later on, probably one of the generic "good luck, troops" phrases she had used countless times before. There was something about Jewel's eyes that just seemed to haunt her, that sucked her in and made her forget everything for a couple minutes. It was a rather strange experience, one she didn't quite understand.
She could barely recall whether or not she imagined Georgia calling out, "A'right, ya'll, mission's early in the mornin'! Go get yer shut-eye!"
-=:=-=:=-=:=-=:=-
Antipode left the briefing slowly, almost in a daze, himself nearly falling over with exhaustion. He was up early that morning for perimeter patrol; another early morning wasn't going to be easy.
He made his way across the compound and into the hut he shared with Zane. The little blighter was already curled up in his bed, snoring loudly. Antipode threw his jacket to the floor and rolled onto his cot, instantly feeling like passing out. His eyelids grew heavy, and he could feel himself drifting off.
The tingling started in his extremities, as if someone had filled the room with nitrous oxide and he was slowly breathing it in. When his half-awake mind became aware of it, he tried opening his eyes, to marginal success. Not enough moonlight could get to his eyes, so the room was still painted in dark grays and blacks. But there beside his bed was a luminous shape, casting no shadows despite glowing softly. As his eyes adjusted he could guess it was a person, a woman, standing there and smiling down at him.
She was tall and slender, an ethereal beauty seeming to radiate from her. Her fur was dark, but carried with it a sheen that set her apart from the shadows around her. Her eyes were a bright gold, and barely visible on her back were the leathery wings of a bat, or perhaps a demon, though he couldn't imagine a creature of such beauty could be of that sort.
She sat down at the edge of his bed, reaching out to caressing the side of his face with a phantomlike hand. Antipode returned her gaze with confusion in his eyes, trying to think of words to speak, but finding none.
She slid her hand over to gently cover his lips with a single pale finger. "Shh," she whispered quietly, her voice soft and soothing, "I won't hurt you... but I haven't much time..."
He finally found his voice. "Who...?"
She chuckled. "God, I never would have imagined you could look so young. Oh, me? Who am I?" She laughs, a magical sound, like wind chimes caught in a gentle spring breeze. "You'll know me... in time."
"I don't understand..."
"Some things aren't meant to be understood... until they come to pass." He falls silent, understanding neither this strange visit nor what it means.
The woman stared at him for a long while, then an almost guilty grin spread over his face, and she grasped his chin gently, her panther-like tail twitching excitedly. "I suppose... no one would fault me for stealing just one kiss... now, would they?"
Antipode's eyes grew two sizes. "Wh-what?"
She chuckled and lowered her head, pressing her lips firmly against his. His eyelids slid closed, and a strange tingling spread through his body. When she finally released him and he opened his eyes, he found himself on a pier on the ocean, staring up into a star-studded sky.
"Where am I?" he asked nervously.
She answered, her voice without form, surrounding him. "Remember this place well, love... for you must know how to make your escape, when the time comes. Examine what you see before you."
He looked around, and sees a group of beings standing beside a building nearby. He steps forward, noticing that he is looking at merely a frozen snapshot of the world, as there are no waves on the sea, no wind, and none of the figures he saw were moving. He came closer, seeing that it is a man, surrounding by a mob dressed in dark clothing. "I see but... what am I looking at?"
"You must look at everything and nothing at the same time, for you won't remember what you still until it is time."
"What time?" he asked. "What do you mean?"
The woman suddenly appeared beside him, and the scene faded to a white sandy beach. Her wings were draped over her shoulders like a leather cloak. "I mean nothing, yet. But when it happens, it will mean everything to you."
A million questions were running through his mind, and he suddenly felt very alone. "I don't understand... Why show me this?"
"To save you."
"Save me? From what?"
"It is not yet time for you to know."
"Then why... why tell me at all?"
"Because it must be known at the time it will be needed to be known."
He perked an eyebrow. "That doesn't... make any sense..."
"Things seldom make sense when one doesn't have the experiences to understand them."
Antipode was getting tired of arguing over riddles. "Yeah... I guess not."
"My time is up... I must go."
"Wait, go? Who are you? You never answered my question..."
She looked up at him again, smiling gently as her golden eyes flared slightly. "I am but a shade of your future... and the night of your past..."
"None of this makes sense..."
"It will eventually, love."
"Why do you keep calling me that?"
She stepped forward with another wind chime laugh, taking him and kissing him again on the lips. He couldn't help but let out a soft moan and close his eyes. It felt so wonderful... Her touch slowly faded, a deep calm coming over him, he imagined a scent like rose petals...
"Antipode! You slacker, get outta bed!"
"Wha?"
"You're gonna be late for the mission, ya moron!" Zane chittered ecstatically. "Get goin'!"
He sat bolt upright, amazed that sunlight was already coming through the window. Was that a dream? Had he really been that out of it to not notice that morning came? Pushing the thoughts aside, he forced himself to get out of bed, snatching his jacket from the floor and running to the equipment shed.
-=:=-=:=-=:=-=:=-
The journey through the forest to the crash site was long and uneventful, giving Antipode plenty of time to think. He still didn't understand what his dream last night had meant -- if in fact a dream it was -- or if it meant nothing at all. And the woman baffled him as well; it didn't seem anything like a fantasy, or a product of his own mind, but what it was exactly, he wasn't sure.
"You have weariness in your eyes," Jewel spoke quietly from beside him.
He sighed, staring at the ground as he walked. "I haven't been getting any sleep. Weird dreams last night, too."
"Weird dream?" she echoed, looking at him quizzically.
"I dunno... things that just don't make sense, ya know?"
"I understand what that's like."
"Ya do?"
"Mm-hmm. I often have dreams like that. I usually don't realise the meaning until I meditate on what I saw."
"And what is it usually?"
"A Glimpse," she answered cryptically.
"Of what, exactly?"
"The future... or the past."
"Yeah, that's what she said, that it would help me later."
She stared at him. "Who said?"
"This woman... in my dream."
"An entity gave you specific information?"
"Uh, yeah, I guess so."
Jewel nodded sagely. "Then it was most certainly a premonition."
He raised his eyebrows. "What? Why?"
"Why what?"
"Why would I get some... premonition?"
She shook her head. "Don't ask 'why'! Just do what the entity told you and use the information you got!"
"But I didn't understand the information I got..."
"That's why you have to remember it, so when the time is right it will make sense to you."
"Ugh... paranormal crap like this makes my head hurt..."
Jewel chuckled. "You'll get used to it."
"What do you mean, 'used to it'?"
"Well, if it happened once... odds are, it'll happen again."
"So I'm going to get more of these crazy things? Great."
She chuckled again and smiled. As far as Antipode knew, he was the only one she would smile around. "I said it was possible, not definite. Just don't bugger out if you do."
He could do nothing but let out a long sigh.
They had taken the long way to the base of the slope, and were now standing in the field littered with metallic debris. Georgia and Joie set about in a short examination of the site, but Antipode could do little but stand and stare at the ground. Jewel pretended to work, while still keeping a mental eye on him.
It didn't take long for Georgia to figure out that the metal shards were not part of a debris trail, at least not from the craft impacting the ground. They were merely parts that had broken off, and had fallen to the ground as the craft descended. Just like Sally-girl said, the rabbit mused to herself. Some simple field tests let them extrapolate some rough coordinates, and they set off again into the forest.
It was some time later before they even realized the trees changing subtlety around them. They were gradually growing more burnt and charred, as if a great heat source had passed through them and gently scorched their trunks. The group kept going, and were able make out the scoring along the ground that marked where the vehicle had run aground. The grooves became deeper, until they became a distinct trench leading to...
"There it is, y'all..."
Georgia was in front, so she saw it first: the massive personnel carrier slammed into the face of a cliff ahead. Nearly half of the starboard bulkhead was sheared away, leaving spots where the inner decks were clearly visible. It was a gigantic metallic structure, that contrasted sharply with the lush foliage of the forest around it. The rest of the team came up behind her and examined the sight before them.
"This is the transport?" Joie asked, with wonder in her voice.
"The monster transport," Georgia replied. This is the Fortress, Robotnik's main flagship..."
Antipode blinked. "Didn't Sonic bring it down last year?"
She nodded. "I guess this's where it landed. All right, here's what we're doin'..."
-=:=-=:=-=:=-=:=-
Antipode's fingers flew over the keys at the console, accessing the main database records and winding his virtual paths through the system. They had gotten into the Fortress easy enough -- they didn't keep Rotor's old fireweed bombs as standard field equipment for nothing, after all -- and had found the place virtually deserted. They had made their way unhindered to what they found to be a data control room, where the echidna swiftly set to work.
Oddly enough, they had found that he was the member of the team that possessed to greatest skill with computers, which meant that it was he who would have to hack into the craft's memory and get details on what happened after the Death Orb incinerated. They had brought along a portable data store; this he had already plugged into the computer and prepped for download. He entered the command to start the transfer process, then sat back in the chair and stretched.
"That should do it. Our part of the job is done."
There was no reply, and he swiveled in his chair to see Jewel seated on the decking with her eyes closed, legs crossed and hands on her knees. The glow from the lamp beside her cast half of her face in shadow.
"What are you doing?"
Her mouth moved slowly. "Meditating."
"Oh. Sorry."
"Don't be sorry. I don't need complete silence. Talk away."
"Um, okay... Why do you meditate? Is it like sleeping?"
"In a way. But, while sleeping helps recover your physical energy, meditating recovers your mental energy. Watch." The lantern beside her slowly lifted off the floor, about a meter, then back down.
Antipode blinked. "Wow. You can do then while you're meditating?"
She smiled. "I can do that all the time. But that's what uses energy. This helps fight that."
"Oh, cool," he chuckled. "Maybe I should learn how to do that."
-=:=-=:=-=:=-=:=-
The other half of the team had set off into the craft to see if the extent of the damage had spared any salvageable components. The power was off, so they navigated by means of small wrist-mounted spotlights from their field kits.
"It's quiet," Joie commented as she looked around.
"Let's hope it stays that way," Georgia replied.
They reached an intersection, the corridor splitting off into three other directions into the darkness. The rabbit sighed. "You stay here, I'll scout ahead, a'right?"
"Fine with me," the tigress answered neutrally. "I can handle myself."
Georgia smirked, then started cautiously down the middle passage. It kept going for a good distance, ending at two large double doors, labeled as a storage room. She took some firebombs out of her pack, tossing one at the door with enough force to melt away the metal, allowing her entry.
The chamber was completely dark, as well as the rest of the ship. She shone her light into the room, the spot of light shining on generic overturned computer equipment, most ripped from the wall and all destroyed. There was barely enough room between the piles to walk.
Georgia stepped cautiously into the room, casting her light about to get a decent view of her surroundings. There was something strange about the room, something that made the fur on the back of her neck stand on end.
"Well, well... if it isn't the cyborg..."
She turned quickly, angling her lamp into a corner of the room. There was a chair, almost built like a throne, though no where near as ornate. And seated there, large a dark red-eyed shadow, was the one man she prayed would never cross her path. At the sight of him a deep primal anger welled up within her, and her brow lowered into a dangerous scowl. "You..."
He didn't rise, but seemed to grow larger just the same, filling her field of vision. "Yes. Me. It's been so long..."
Iciness filled her voice. "What do you want now, Robotnik?"
"I should be asking you the same thing, invading my fortress like you have."
"It's no business t'you!" she clenched her fist. "We should be able to go wherever we want, not be afraid b'cause of some overweight dictator who sits in a chair all day and destroys people's lives!"
"My, what harsh words. Certainly you can't be referring to anything specific now, could you?" His moustache curled upwards as he grinned in the darkness.
"Seven years..." she spoke quietly, her fist trembling in quiet rage. "Seven years, Robotnik! That's what you stole from me with your damned Roboticizor!"
"Only seven? I would have sworn our time together was longer..."
"Stop makin' it sound like we were workin' together! I hated you... I despised you with every fiber of my being. My organic being! The thing you tried to steal from me!"
"Oh, but we were working together... Thanks to you, I had all the information I needed regarding your secret operation..."
"Wha... what're you talkin' about?"
Her mind raced back to two years ago, under Doctor Draftwood's monitoring devices. It had been just a routine check-up, until Rotor came in... "We detected some signals, electrical signals, being sent when I was doing the scan... I found a transmitter..."
"You... you made me a spy?"
"A rather effective one at that, I might add," he gesticulated with his robotic left arm. "Complete audio/visual transmission. I myself was impressed at what I had done, at first."
Any inflammatory remark she might have made was swallowed in pure disbelief.
"I had been keeping my eye on you for some time. I can't tell you how disappointed I was when I stopping getting telemetry from you."
Her rampant shock now gave way again to unbridled anger. "Damn you, Robotnik... Damn you!"
"Oh, you animals, and your illogical behavior. I gave you strength beyond that of any of your peers. I made you a higher form of life."
"You violated me!"
"Of course I did. I had to; you never would have done it willingly. How else would I have executed my experiment?"
"Experiment? Experiment?!"
"Yes," he replied calmly, which did more to excite her anger than any yelling he could have done. "If it would have continued, I would have had further use for you, of course, but you inevitably chose against that."
She hit the breaking point. How dare this devil do this, to her, to everyone she knew. She took a step back, her eyes burning with anger and hot tears. "Let's get one thing straight, Robotnik," she sneered, cocking her arm back, "I ain't yer bitch."
She threw, the fireweed grenade lobbing in a graceful arc toward the throne. It exploded as it landed neatly in Robotnik's lap, the orange cloud of acidic gas slowly spreading. She watched for a moment, then turned and left back out into the hall. It was only a moment before she heard his anguished screaming, and she smiled.
-=:=-=:=-=:=-=:=-
"So that's what this does," Amy turned the small gadget over in her hands.
"Yeah, kind of surprising, for something that small," Tails replied, pushing his glasses up onto his nose. "But it gets the job done!"
"And that's how you're always able to find them?"
Tails was about to answer, but was interrupted by a rather loud entry from the side door. "Hey, little bro, where y'at?"
"Oh, hey Sonic, over here!" Tails waved him over.
"What's goin' on in her? You've been boarded up in this place all day!"
"Heh, yeah. I was just showing Amy all the stuff in here. She likes the Geiger counter."
"Oh...Wait, Amy?! Um, I gotta go... do something," Sonic looked as if he were about to bolt.
"I'm not going to chase you, Sonic," Amy replied casually, still playing with the device.
"You...what?" Sonic raised an eyebrow.
She shook her head slightly. "I've given up on you, Sonic. Besides, it's more fun hanging out with Tails than chasing you around, anyway."
"Oh...kay," Sonic looked relieved, yet somehow he was disappointed. Had he gotten used to Amy chasing after him day after day? Was he enjoying it? No, he dismissed it and went back to being relieved.
"Okay, then, I'll see you guys later, I guess," Sonic left the garage, in disbelief and relief.
Amy looked over at the fox, smiling sweetly. "Now, Tails, what were you saying?"
And they continued talking again as if Sonic had never interrupted.
-=:=-=:=-=:=-=:=-
MRU-27 slowly rolled through the darkened corridors of the Fortress, holding a small disk in its retractable pincer. It had been 'sent' by the central command unit to retrieve the data, since an anomaly in the data network prevented the information from being transmitted electronically. Robots had no sense of urgency, of course, but the CCU had designated this a maximum threat, and several of 27's peers were out on similar missions at the moment, as well.
The medical unit slid quietly through the large double doors of the starboard storage facility, joining another group of robots huddled around an examination table. There was only one organic being they were programmed to instantly recognize, and this his him, though 27's recognition routines almost didn't. When the medical units were notified due to an irregularity in the Master's bio-rhythms, they had found him in a damaged state, and instantly queried the CCU for a course of action.
There was little they could do, though, for as robots their powers were limited, and didn't include the capacity to reattach prosthetics and internal organics. What they found, however, was utterly illogical. His flesh was already regenerating. They constantly examined him, sending data to the CCU, but there was inconclusive information on which to base any hypothesis.
MRU-01 reached down with a claw to take 27's data disc, feeding it into an uplink terminal. It was a bio-scan comparing the Master's life-signatures before and after he disappeared into the Void. The records showed that when he returned, his genetic makeup was somehow altered. At the time there didn't seem to be any effects from this mutation, but now it was becoming clear, as his body was gradually re-growing.
If it were capable of it, MRU-27 would have been overjoyed. The Master would soon return to them.
::END OF CHAPTER::
MESSAGE FROM THE MAN: Insert Header
Hopefully no one's setting their clocks by how often I update.
I'm gonna level with ya, because I feel like it. Writing is getting hard for me. Really hard, like I have to sit down and force myself to put the words into the computer and finally finish chapters. Add to that two jobs, and school, and you start to understand why it takes two-plus months for me to finish a chapter, especially when it's not my top priority most of the time. Stack on top of that people like "Spawn of 84" who derives joy from spamming my review box with pointless messages, and some days I don't want to write anything.
Next chapter I'm going to try something different, a different style that I like more, that's easier to write, and that will hopefully get the chapter out easier. Pray for me, guys. I don't feel good about this series anymore. But I'm not going to stop, that wouldn't be fair to all of you. Or to myself. I need to finish this. I will, I promise.
::AE::