Author's note: …Wow, those were some lengthy reviews from both Nail Strafer and Deltoran Merchant. The latter addressed several of the former's points, so I'll just back off and continue the story.
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Chapter 19: Alyer (AHL-yur) Base
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Tails and I emerged from the tunnel. The base was a lot bigger on the inside than on the outside. "That secret tunnel was pretty well hidden," Tails commented. "It's a lucky thing for us, too; Kitty couldn't find it to guard it."
"You can say that again," I agreed. "So, what kind of base is this?"
Looking around, we both spotted a plaque on the wall. It read:
No visitors!
"Alyer Base?" I muttered. "That has got to be the worst pun in the world." Tails didn't respond.
As we progressed, the sounds of machinery filled the air. I suggested that this base might belong to Dr. Eggman, but Tails denied it; the architecture just wasn't his style. Besides, Dr. Egghead would never fit through that tunnel. It had to be someone else.
"Who?" I asked. "You're the only other one I know who has the kind of mechanical know-how to design something like this."
"I just don't know," Tails replied. "It looks a little old, but something has to keep it powered. Let's try to find a generator or something."
I nodded, and we proceeded.
As we explored the base, the various machines that kept it running clunked, grinded, and hissed in an intricate rhythm. It was as if they were all part of an orchestra of mechanical parts, and we were searching for the conductor.
(For some reason, I'm very delighted with the use of the metaphor in that last line. I think it's some of my better work. -Author)
Tails pushed open a door that had been carelessly left ajar, revealing a room filled with large rotating gears. Some turned clockwise, and some turned counterclockwise. It was all quite intimidating, to say the least.
"The door to the next room is all the way over there," I pointed out. "Problem is, all these gears form a pretty big maze. Come on; we should be able to cross by flying."
I started my wings, Tails spun his twin tails, and we both lifted off. The trek was a little harder than it appeared at first, since we had to avoid getting caught in and minced by the numerous gears, but we began to make good time.
Tragedy struck, however, when Tails got too close to a gear. His tails got caught in it, and he was about to get killed. I jammed the gears with an Ice Feather and pulled him loose just in time.
"Thanks a lot," Tails told me.
"Anytime," I assured the fox. "Let's get going. The door's right over there."
Kicking the door open, I proceeded with Tails following. The base's halls were not sufficiently long and straight for racing down at coast speed, but it was tempting sometimes. The sounds of machinery had gotten louder, which meant that we were getting closer to the generator.
The journey stopped abruptly in front of a large door marked "ELECTRICAL ROOM". It wasn't locked, so Tails and I pushed it open.
Beyond the door was a huge room, in which we saw a large device. It looked like it stored power that was inputted from … somewhere … before using it to power the various machinery in the base.
Other aspects of the room included the far wall, which was completely grated over, a skylight at the top, which was controlled by a panel in the corner of the room, and a platform high up in the back which hosted the main control panel. Someone was there.
The platform was out of reach by normal means, but that was no problem for flight-capable adventurers such as Tails and myself. As I approached the platform, I shut my wings and landed squarely on it. Tails landed in a similar fashion.
Taking a look myself, I noted that the figure at the control panel was a yellow-and-black-striped tiger. The yellow stripes looked just like lightning bolts. Every so often he paused to take something out of a small bag and gulp it down. "Who are you?" Tails shouted at this figure.
Slowly, the figure turned to face us. "Me? I'm Lightning Tiger. You can call me Lightning for short. Ever since I discovered this base, I've been keeping it running out of boredom."
"Well, it's something to do," I commented. "What keeps this place powered?" I glanced over at a small television that Lightning had set up; it was showing a news report.
Taking a deep breath, Lightning explained. "I do. My powers of electricity and lightning are unlimited, but every so often I gulp down one of these electric capsules to keep myself energized. Here, try a few if you want."
Lightning took a few of the things he'd been eating out of his bag and tossed them to us. I tried one, and got an immediate electric shock. It didn't taste bad, though. Tails put one in his mouth as well, and got the same result.
After recovering, Tails snapped his fingers. "Wait a minute, Leo. I think one of these things would be exactly what I need for my last feather project. I'll keep this last one. Could you hold on to it for me, Leo?"
I took the capsule and pocketed it in my wing as Lightning spoke again. "By the way, did you happen to notice what was written on the plaque in front of the entrance tunnel?"
"Yes," Tails replied. "It said 'Alyer Base'. Which is a lousy name for a base."
"And after that?"
"Er, 'No Visitors'."
"Exactly. And I have an obligation to 'punish' those who disobey that rule."
Just as I was about to interject, a voice from the entrance startled all three of us. "Who's in there?"
Tails and I both recognized the source of the voice: "Kitty O'Brien!"
Kitty approached the grated wall and used her claws to scale it. "A red bird and a two-tailed fox … I recognize the two of you. You were the guys I tried to turn away back outside earlier! I am going to take you down, right now!"
Lightning rubbed his hands together. "I was just about to do the same thing! Let's do it together." Kitty nodded.
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Whoa, extra-long chapter here, isn't it? Sorry, but that really tired me out, so I'll skip the Quote of the Chapter. By the way, did you know that W.T. is Tails' … no, better not mention it. That'd only support one of Nail's arguments.