Chapter 4: Some New Faces
March 4th, 2314 – 12:00 PM – Erople, Tneicna
Later that day, the Tornado landed in a vacant field outside of the town of Erople. Sonic and Tails had been in such a hurry to hide from Robotnik that they had forgotten to gather up supplies before they left their home. And so, here they found themselves, looking for food, water, and other things they would need to get at this place.
They strolled down the main street of the town, gazing at all of the sights. It looked like they had stepped right into the pages of a history book for Planet Freedom. A lot of the streets were constructed of hard-packed dirt. The ones that were paved were made of rough cobblestone. Nobody was using a car at all. Everyone was either walking, or riding in carts used as taxis. All of the males were dressed in rough-looking shirts and pants, while the females wore beautiful hand-made cloaks of a variety of colors. The place was packed with stands containing various goods, and vendors calling out their wares. All of the buildings were constructed of faded wood or rough stone, and most of them looked very old.
"Hey Sonic..." Tails said. "How come this place is so old looking?"
"Don't you know?" Sonic asked. "We're in Tneicna."
"Yeah...so?"
"You mean you never learned about Tneicna in your history class?"
"No. We never got to Tneicna in there."
"Well, okay, I'll tell you about this place. Did you know that humans have only been on this planet for about 110 years?"
"No," Tails said, surprised. "I thought that humans always lived here with Freedomians."
"That's wrong. Anyway, humans first came to this planet about the year 2205 in spaceships. They came from a planet called Earth. When they found out that we, the Freedomians, lived on this planet, they decided to give their technology to us. And that's why we had most of the machines we had at home."
"What does that have to do with this place?"
"I'll tell you. When the humans first showed up, there were some Freedomians who were scared of them. They didn't want the humans or their technology. So, these anti-human Freedomians made a country around the city of Nedlo, the old capital of our planet, and they built a country without anything human in it. In this way, they could live just like humans had never come to Planet Freedom. And that's why the people around here are still living like it's 2004 or something."
"Oh, I see now. But, it was a lot nicer in Forest Town, when we had stuff like cars, video games, computers, and all those other things...like that white wolf over there has..."
"What wolf?"
"Over there," Tails said, pointing his finger down the street towards a small outdoor restaurant.
There was a white wolf sitting at one of the rickety wooden tables, and she was using a laptop computer. She was also dressed in modern day hiking gear, and had a large backpack on the ground next to her table. Clearly she wasn't a local, and she looked very out of place in this street.
"Maybe we could go talk to her," Sonic said. "She looks lonely out here, and I want to know what she's doing in a place like this."
"Okay," Tails said.
The hedgehog and fox strolled over to where the white wolf was sitting, and stopped next to her table. She was wearing headphones and was watching something on her computer, so she didn't hear the two of them approaching. Sonic looked to see what was on her computer screen, and he saw that she was watching a movie of some kind with the built-in DVD player.
Sonic tapped her on the shoulder. The wolf turned around to look at the two of them. She had a terrified look on her face. However, when she saw that it was just two little kids, the look of fear melted off of her face. She put on a warm smile.
"Oh...thank goodness," the wolf said. "I thought you were somebody else. Anyway...umm...hi! Who are you?"
"My name is Sonic Hedgehog," Sonic said.
"And my name is Miles Prower," Tails said. "But everyone calls me Tails instead."
"I can see why," the wolf said with a grin, her eyes moving to Tails' twin foxtails. She motioned towards the other chairs at her table. "Do you want to...sit down?"
"Okay," Sonic said, as he and Tails sat down.
"My name is Carrie...Carrie Strafer," the wolf said, as she turned off her laptop and put it away in her backpack.
"Carrie Strafer?" Sonic asked. "Well, Carrie, why are you here in the middle of Tneicna? I can tell you're not from around here, because you've got that computer with you."
"Heh heh, yeah, you're right. Anyway, I'm out here because I'm on my way to Nedlo. That's where my new home is going to be."
"Oh, okay," Sonic said. "Why'd you look so scared when I tapped you on the shoulder?"
"Well...uh... I...I thought you were a mugger or something. I shouldn't be using my laptop out in public like this. It attracts thieves."
"What movie were you watching on your computer?" Tails asked.
"That movie? It was Miss Saigon, a musical from Earth," Carrie explained.
"A musical?" Sonic said, as he frowned. "I hate musicals. I can't stand watching people dance around like idiots, singing about names or crime or newspapers or whatever else they were talking about before they started singing."
"Well, I love them so much that I have many musicals on DVD!" Carrie said with a broad grin. "I have others with me, like Phantom of the Opera and Beauty and the Beast. Well, since I told you why I'm here, can you tell me why you're here? Those flashy red and white sneakers of yours sure don't look Tneicnan, so you must be from somewhere else."
"We're looking for a new home, like you are," Sonic said. "Our parents...they..."
Carrie's smile faded. Apparently, she knew what Sonic was going to say next.
"They died?" she said, trying to finish Sonic's sentence.
Sonic nodded sadly. Tails turned his head down, a few tears dropping from his eyes.
"That's terrible!" Carrie said. "How did they die?"
Sonic and Tails told Carrie the whole sad tale, from the first missile attack in the lab, through finding Kyle burned to death, up to getting to Erople.
"I thought your last names sounded familiar," Carrie said. "So you're the sons of Swift Hedgehog and Kyle 'Kilometers' Prower, the heroes of the Robotnik War?"
"That's right..." Sonic said. "That's why Robotnik wanted to kill Tails' parents. Robotnik also said that he was ready to try to take over the planet again."
"I'd never thought I'd meet somebody like you two out here," Carrie said. "And you aren't even carrying any food or supplies with you?"
"No...we were so scared that all we could think about was running away. We didn't think about getting ready to leave."
"You poor kids," Carrie said. "You've been through so much! Maybe I could travel with you. It would be good for both of us. You could fly me in your plane to Nedlo much faster than I could walk there, and I could share my food and supplies with you as my payment for the ride. I'd also have someone to talk to on the way."
"That sounds like a great idea!" Sonic said, standing up from the table. "What do you say we get going now?"
"Sure, let's get going," Carrie said as she got out of her chair. "I can't wait to—"
Carrie suddenly stopped in mid sentence. A look of horror crossed her face. She looked around the busy city street, what exactly she was trying to see was unclear.
"Get as far away from me as you can, right now," Carrie said, the tone in her voice suddenly fearful. "Or they'll kill you too."
"What are you talking about, Carrie?" Tails asked.
"They're getting closer," Carrie said. She stepped backwards, accidentally knocking over her chair.
"Is this a joke or something Carrie?" Sonic said in an annoyed tone. He crossed his arms.
"It's no joke," Carrie said as she put on her backpack and walked out of the restaurant. "I have to get out of here now, before they find me!"
"Before who finds you?" Sonic asked.
"Leave me alone, or they'll kill you with me!"
After saying that, Carrie sprinted full tilt down the street, and was quickly out of sight.
"What's wrong with her?" Tails asked.
"I don't know Tails," Sonic said. "I think we should follow her."
He started to walk out down the street to follow her. Suddenly, Tails grabbed his arm.
"Let me go Tails!" Sonic said.
"Wait a second Sonic," Tails whispered. "Listen..."
Sonic stood still and listened. He didn't hear anything that sounded out of the ordinary. He heard the footsteps of dozens of people walking up and down the street, the rattling of the carts as their wheels rolled over the bumps, the people chatting over whatever was on their minds, the vendors calling out what they were selling. But nothing that caused him any sort of surprise.
"What am I listening for?" Sonic said.
"I can hear a car's horn from here," Tails said. "What's a car doing out here in this little ancient town?"
"Really?" Sonic said, surprised. "But I don't hear anything like that at all."
"I can probably hear it better than you because I have bigger ears. Just listen a little longer."
"Okay..."
Sonic stood still and focused all of his attention on listening for that car. He didn't hear the car at first, but after a few moments he finally heard it. The noise of the loud horn was weak at first, but it gradually got stronger as the car got nearer. Finally, the car emerged into view on the street. It was a big SUV, painted a sinister black.
The two Freedomians riding in the car were a tiger and a cheetah, both of them dressed in suits. Sonic was pretty sure that that these were the people Carrie had been referring to when she had said "they". The SUV had to move slowly through the street, since it was so crowded. The driver of the car, the tiger, honked at everyone that got in his way. He was also shouting and cursing at everyone as well.
"Get out of my damn way, or I'll run all of you over!" the tiger screamed in an English accent.
"He means it! He's run down people before!" the cheetah next to him said. He too had an English accent, and was waving a handgun around. "You'd do well to listen to him!"
As the car moved out of sight, Tails asked, "Are those the people who are after Carrie?"
"I bet they are," Sonic said. "Let's follow them. Don't let them notice that we're following them though."
Tails nodded. The two of them walked down the street, quietly following the truck as it continued through the town.
---
Carrie sprinted out of Erople as fast as she could, accidentally knocking over a few people in the process. However, she was in such a hurry that she didn't care at all. The men in the suits were near. She could feel their presence. Carrie didn't exactly know how she sensed the people who chased her, but she didn't really care. She had to get as far away from them as possible, before they found her again. At long last, she found her way to the city gate, and ran through it.
Carrie was now sprinting down a narrow dirt road leading away from the town. It looked like she was home free now. Soon, Erople's city gate vanished from view as the dirt road curved away into the forest. Carrie also felt the presence of her stalkers lessening. She could relax a little now, because she seemed to have given them the slip. Carrie slowed down from a run to a brisk walk.
Boy, am I glad I got away again. It's hard to run like that with this heavy backpack. Too bad I had to run away from Sonic and Tails like that. All of us could have really used each other's help...
As she walked down the road, she passed a few people. However, for the most part, she had the path all to herself. After a few more minutes of walking, the path went into a narrow passageway that was about one car length wide. High cliffs stretched up into the air on either side of the path. However, long vines with flowers on them stretched down from above, covering the rough rock walls. That made this part of the road rather pleasant to walk down. Carrie slowed down to a more relaxed walk, and breathed deeply, inhaling the sweet scents of the flowers around her.
While it stinks that I wasn't able to get a flight straight to Nedlo, at least I can still stop and smell the roses while I walk. I don't have a ride, but I'll take what I can get.
Suddenly, Carrie felt a cold prickling on the back of her neck, the same feeling she got whenever the assassins were close. She turned around to look back down the road. In the distance, she could hear the rumble of a car's engine...
It's them! I have to hide, but where?
Carrie was still inside the little canyon the road was traveling through. She looked down the path in the other direction, but couldn't see the end of the passageway from where she was. She couldn't get off the little path and hide somewhere, because these high rock walls bordered both sides of the road. The cliffs were way too high to climb up as well. She'd probably only get about halfway up before the car caught up with her.
Run. It's my only choice.
Carrie sprinted down the dirt road through the small canyon. She could feel the presence of the killers growing ever stronger. Adding to her fear was the increasing growl of the car's motor. It was like the growl of a monster chasing after her, stalking her and thirsting for her blood. She took a glance behind her as she ran down a straightaway. She could finally see the car behind her as it rounded the bend. It was a big black truck, with two people inside.
A cheetah inside leaned out the window and pointed at her. The driver pressed down on the accelerator, and the truck shot forward. Carrie ran harder than she ever had in her entire life, already knowing she wouldn't be able to outrun that truck and yet trying to do it anyway. The path widened up to about two car lengths as she continued to run. The sound of the motor increased to a screaming howl, as it bore down on her. It was just like a horror movie, where the monster was chasing the girl and was finally about to catch her. Only this time, there would be no hero stepping in to save the day.
The truck blew past Carrie, and the driver applied the brake. The truck went into a skid on the dirt path, and came to a halt facing sideways on the road. While Carrie was grateful she hadn't become road kill, the people in the truck were about to get out and kill her anyway. She turned around and sprinted back down the road, away from the stopped vehicle. Behind her, she heard the click of the doors opening. The men getting out of the truck were yelling something, but she was so scared she didn't hear what they were saying.
There was a big rock that Carrie didn't notice in her path, and she tripped headlong over it. She collapsed to the ground in a heap, her clothes covered with dirt and mud from hitting the ground. She started to stand up, but the shadows of two men covered her. She turned around and looked up. It was a tiger and a cheetah, both of them dressed in black suits. They were the most recent killers who had been chasing Carrie. She'd managed to elude these suits three times before, but it looked like her luck had finally run out.
"Hello, girl," the tiger said in an English accent, a devilish grin on his face. "You're Carrie Strafer, correct? We finally meet face to face."
"Get up!" the cheetah said, also with an English accent. He roughly grabbed her arm and pulled her up off of the ground. The cheetah then painfully grabbed Carrie by her hair, pulling her head up. He put another arm around her lower chest, so that she couldn't run away.
"Don't worry, luv," the tiger said in a soothing tone. "We only want one thing from you: your life."