-Tails-

I stare at the little screen, willing it to say anything but what it is saying. I've hacked into the main computer network again - I can't stay on it for long, I'll get noticed, so I have to go in every now and then for short periods of time. The screen obstinately refuses to say any different, and I yell into the radio, to anyone who can hear me

"Brace yourselves!"

Our leader cries "What?" and I know what she means.

"Missiles incoming, estimated impact twenty-five seconds! Within five hundred!" That means, within 500 metres - this has happened before, to some of our previous hideouts, so we all know what I'm talking about.

"Brace! No evac! Three within five hundred, twenty seconds!" I yell again into our patchy radio system - no time to evacuate, just find someplace a little safer than anywhere else and get ready for the impact of three missiles hitting within 500 metres of us in about 20 seconds time. Following my own advice, I dive from my chair into a recessed alcove, built for this purpose, counting down in my head as I do so.

Eyes screwed shut, I wait for the inevitable, hoping that this place won't get too badly damaged. One impact shakes the room, then a second, and parts of the ceiling fall in - the computer's gone; I hear it - and finally a third. Then, silence. I smell dust and smoke, and uncurl from my tight little ball to look around. The ceiling's mostly down, but it was quite tough, and there is still a sort of passage through the rubble to the door. The passages above, the ones that are still in use, are made of a stronger and newer material than the old reinforced concrete of our roof, and I can see their metal floors in places, buckled a little but not broken. I worm my way through the wreckage and into the corridor, which hasn't fared any better, but because of the stronger metal construction above it, still has space to crawl through. Beyond this corridor, the other rooms seem relatively intact, though I notice the lights flickering badly - the lights! That must mean the power's fluctuating, and if the power's fluctuating -

"Sonic!" I yell, and race off. I've brought him along with us everywhere we've been, still irrationally hoping that someday he'll wake up again. That hope is part of what keeps me going, through all this hard and ceaseless fighting. Collapsing into bed exhausted for a too-short sleep, the only thing that gets me up on my feet again sometimes is the thought of Sonic. Maybe I'll find a way to wake him up today. Maybe tomorrow. I never have, though I've got pretty good at making medical machines. I dash into his room and run to the wall console.

Power interrupted to life support system. Backup failed.

My back to Sonic, I feverishly press buttons, but I can't re-route it, not in time - he should already be dead now, but I won't face it, I keep on futilely trying things. Then I hear a voice - a voice from behind me, a voice I've almost forgotten.

"Where is this?"

I whirl around, surprised, amazed, disbelieving.

"Sonic?!"

"Where is this? Who are you?"

I don't believe it! He's awake! Then his second question sinks in.

"I'm Tails, Sonic! Don't you remember me?" Shadow's told me how he lost large parts of his memory; I just hope this isn't the same thing; I hope Sonic will remember really soon.

"Tails?" he says. At least he does seem to know the name.

"Yeah, it's me, Sonic." Then I get it - he's expecting me to look the way I was before all this happened. I'm not quite sure what to say, even, it's been so long since we've spoken to each other. I must sound stupid, I think even as I speak.

"Oh yeah, I forgot… I guess I must have changed a bit, huh?" I take off my thick jacket and my helmet, dropping them on the chair so he can see me better.

"What do you mean, you must have changed a bit?!" Of course - he doesn't know what's happened, how much time's passed.

"Well," I begin hesitantly, "it's like this… Do you remember going to rescue that hostage?" He's sitting up now, on the edge of his bed, and he nods, watching me. "The blast from the explosions destroyed most of the nearby buildings. It half-buried you and knocked me out. When I recovered I went looking for you, but you were out cold… and you've been that way for several years now."

He stares at me for a few moments. "No way! This isn't funny, you know!" Then he stands, and sways a little, half closing his eyes like he's suddenly dizzy.

"We've done what we could, but you're nowhere near as fit as you used to be, I'm afraid." I sound strange, like I can hardly believe what's going on - I can't, in fact, I keep thinking I'm dreaming and going to wake up soon.

"Tails… what's going on? So where is this, anyway?" he asks. I don't blame him. I absent-mindedly push the helmet to the floor and sit down atop the discarded jacket.

"This is the hideout of the last free people in the world."

Sonic's mouth drops open and his eyes widen in an expression of shock, horror, and disbelief. I quickly start talking again.

"Well, not quite… there are more of us, in other places, but not many. We're the main group, and the best fighters. Oh, Sonic, I'm so glad you're finally awake!" I can't help saying that. I feel really strange, like everything's gonna be okay now, like a huge weight has suddenly lifted from my mind. Even though I know that Sonic's waking up won't make things right, won't put the world back the way it used to be, I feel as if it will.