Authors notes:
Just a warning, this and the next chapter are designed to introduce all the main characters, and explain why things are the way there are, so if they seem to be boring, please just bare with me, things will get better, i promise!
Chapter 2: A History Lesson
I followed Nite and Shadow for a good few blocks; we had to dodge a large number of patrols along the way though, so it seemed more like we had been walking for about a hundred. Along the way I had been asking a few questions, ones I guess I shouldn't of. But rather than being suspicious like I thought they would, it seemed to make up their minds as to me defiantly having amnesia. I wouldn't have minded so much… if they had actually answered the questions. We had gotten to an underground station which the entrance to seemed have been blasted and collapsed in on itself, leaving no visible way inside. Shadow walked up to the clock which would have been on the entrance archway at some point, I raised my eye questioningly as he first looked round, checking no robots where watching, then he opened the face and span the hands round to read "10:23" o'clock. Suddenly a slate of sidewalk next to the station lifted itself up, revealing a secret passageway. Shadow beckoned us both to it before jumping down, Nite closely followed.
Nothing else for it then but to go underground, I though to myself.
We weren't done walking though, when I had jumped in, the slate repositioned itself, Nite switched something on in his wrist, and a light turned on. I followed them through what seemed a labyrinth of twists and turns, I had no idea where we were now. We eventually came upon a door, it was steel plated and reinforced, you would need nothing short of a mini nuclear device to open it. Shadow stepped closer to it and knocked on it in an odd, cryptic way. The door opened almost instantly and we all stepped inside. Again the way behind closed.
"We're back, mission accomplished" Said Shadow
"About time" came an excruciatingly familiar voice. I knew who it came from before I even saw who was standing there. It was a Pink hedgehog, Amy Rose. However I instantly knew it wasn't the Amy I knew and loathed. She was not wearing the same red too-too thing she usual had, her clothes where more that of a soldier, black and dark blue camo trousers, and black top. Her hammer was roped to her back along with an AK-74u. She was looking at what looked like plans of the city over a war room table. "You would have thought you where taking on Robotnik's forces all by…" She stopped as she looked up and noticed me. I would have been expecting her to half crush me to death with a hug had I not seen what her eyes where like before hand. She had looked at Shadow first, instead of the eyes of a love struck twelve year old, they where more the tactical watchful eyes of some military commander. Then she looked at me… first the expected surprise… but then they seemed to be full of something other than the love I had come to expect from her when she looked at Sonic. If I had to put a word on it... I would have called it… savage untamed hatred.
"YOU!" she spat "So still alive are you?"
"Amy listen… I..." Shadow tried to reason with her but she had already jumped at me with a concealed knife drawn from somewhere.
"What the!" I yelped, I had not expected this.
"Give me one reason I shouldn't stab your eyes out?" she yelled at me.
"Amy get off him!" Said Shadow as he dragged her off me… good thing too or I would of turned that knife on her
"Let go of me Shadow!"
"Not till you calm down… this is uncalled for"
"But he almost killed me!"
What's this? Does she remember who I am? Wait, she hasn't aged ether... maybe Robotnik took over much easier than I though
"You know as well as I do it wasn't his fault…"
…What?
"… and besides he just saved me from Gigacannon."
"Oh sure forgive him just cause he is your brother, well I'm not ready to forget, his over confidence and his unprofessionalism nearly cost me my life!"
Is that even a word?
"Quit it now" Said Nite, and another familiar voice… a purple chameleon was leaning against the wall, Espio…
"Grrrr…" she said reluctantly sheathing her knife
"This is no time for infighting. Shadow, Nite, What is your report?" said Espio
Shadow and Nite explained how the factory thing went out including the bit about "Sonic" and my "amnesia". I just leaned against the wall carefully watching Amy in case she tried anything else.
Just give me a reason little one… and you will be without a throat.
"So Gigacannon has gone down? That's a mighty big blow, well done Sonic" said Espio
I shuffled uneasily; I didn't really want him calling me that but what else could I do?
"Hmph" said Amy
"But this amnesia thing… hmmm" said Espio "well we can only do what we can for now, Sonic I suggest you go to your quarters and try to study the computer, maybe that will help?"
"Uh…?" I said, I of course had no idea where his room was…
"Shade"
"Yes sir?" came another voice, it was behind me, and was unfamiliar. I turned to see a female wasp standing in the door way behind me, she was wearing a purple top with net sleeves and a purple skirt, and with a purple mask across her mouth. Her gloves where similar design to Espio's except purple rather than white. Same with her shoes except they where fully black. She also had a couple of odd daggers in her belt and a bandana… also purple. She seemed to have a thing for purple, even her eyes where that colour.
How the heck did she get there without me hearing her?
"Remind Sonic where his room is will you? And please stop calling me "sir""
"Yes Sir" she snidely joked, Espio sighed. "This way blue boy"
Again with this blue boy stuff…
I followed her through an exit on the far side of the war room. There where four corridors splitting off from it, she took a first left, where there where 5 doors, I noticed there where five doors on the one to the left too.
"These first two branches are the general's living quarters, yours is this one, number 2 on the west side." She said calmly.
I saluted as I went in, closing the door behind me. I looked around, it was pretty small, one bed against the wall to the left of me, and a desk with a computer on it opposite the bed. Nothing else. I went to the computer, it probably had the answers I needed. The screen saver was a map of this base; the second two corridors seemed to house technical stuff, laboratory, communications, weapons and weapons development rooms. At the end of the corridor was a stair case leading to the troop quarters and mess hall below. I tapped the mouse to view the desktop. There was an information folder, I guess it was in case this kind of thing happened, that or they just wanted to keep a record. The first file held profile database for all the generals. I opened it just to check who was who as I may have to face these guys later. Quite a few had a big red or black stamp on them, there was a key below showing that black was dead… and red was… robotosized what ever the heck that was. The first on them was Sonic… but the picture was of me! Red eyes and black cuffs compared to his green and white.
What the?
It described the person in the picture… his attitude, weaknesses, strengths, all described Sonic to a tea. But the picture was defiantly me. However the weirdest part… it showed the age as being only 3!
Again, what the? I'm 45! Or… there abouts
Next was Shadow, again it had a picture however this time no surprises everything was exactly as it should be
An so it continued… with Nite, however Nite had surprises too… first his age was also only 3, but more interesting… it read that he was also an ultimate life form! It did say he was only a by-product but still.
Well it explains how he could Chaos Control…
Amy was in same clothing as I saw her in back in that room. Apart from that there was nothing important about her or with Espio for that matter. The wasp from before was called Shade, however nothing else really mattered there. She's a Ninja and a wasp, what's else to know?
And there it ended. Only six generals, very small army they had. But I had yet to find anything to explain any of this… Amy was the same age from when I left, as was Espio, it says I'm three, and Nite is an ultimate? He was barely known before I came around… there was another file… it was marked log. I opened it, it looked like a diary… looked like it was my master's Diary. Gerald's Diary. It started back fifty years ago. When Shadow was born.
"April 30:
I finally finished the main project Shadow program… the result is a black…"
Yada yada yada… I know this part already… skip to something I don't know. Hello, what's this?
"July 10th:
… It seems I have no reason to be worried anymore; President Black was voted out of office. He was getting angry at my results; I think he found out why I was truly up here, to find a cure for my granddaughter rather than making him the ultimate super weapon. The new president, President Lei, actually showed interest in my work, for finding something to cure any illness."
… That didn't happen… Black was re-elected and sent GUN up to ARK…
"I have been allowed to continue my work; I'm so close to making a vaccine and I only need a millilitre of Shadow's blood, and from it we can make more, once I have made the first, Shadow can go on to lead a normal… if infinite… life."
Something wasn't right… my master never got close to making the vaccine, yet somehow history seems to have been changed… I had no idea how… then it had hit me, the implosion didn't make me travel through time… it was space I was transported through, to a world where GUN didn't attack. But that didn't explain what happened to the world and why Ivo was now in charge… intrigued I continued to read.
"July 20th
I have done it! I made the vaccine! If this works not only will I have saved Maria but the president says he will make sure I'm recognised for the advancements I have made in both genetics and medicine… I may even get a Nobel peace prize! However it has been untested yet, I have to make sure it won't just make Maria worse; I can't use this on the other researchers ether, even those fools who are working on this "Eclipse cannon" project I keep hearing about. I only have one course of action; I will test it on myself. Even if it kills me, at least Maria will live a little longer, and who knows? One of my fellows may even perfect it before Maria dies…"
This was not the Master I knew, he would never put himself before others… and didn't he work on the eclipse cannon?
"…One thing that worries me though, Shadow seems to think that I have something to do with that cannon, I'm going to have to explain to him why I wouldn't work on such a project… before I go through with this test, I will talk to him tomorrow"
Ah
"July 30
I injected the vaccine into me yesterday, and it worked! As I had said before I was getting the beginning symptoms of arthritis but now it has cleared up in the space of an hour! I already made a second vaccine; I will be waiting a month to administer it to Maria in case any negative side effects occur in that time. But apart from that the outlook is promising. The one downside I already know of at this time is that it gives the subject eternal life unless killed by unnatural means. This side effect may look to be good at first, however everyone would want to die eventually, I will have to work on this to write this particular side effect out, however I won't have enough time to do this before the disease kills Maria as it would probably take years to work on that. Once I know its safe to administer this original one to Maria I will work on it, after all I have plenty of time after that."
Wait, does that mean he became immortal?
"August 10
Shadow is beginning to show his eagerness, he wishes to go down to the planet, I told him we will once the project is finished, I still have to wait so I can view any side effects of the vaccine and try to counter them. I admit I am eager to get home too, but I still have 20 days left before the set time to administer the vaccine to Maria, then we can head back down. According to the president, I'm well up for the peace prize nomination, but that doesn't bother me to much."
"August 20
nothing new to report, I'm afraid, apart from our eagerness to get home, its been pretty routine, no side effects with the vaccine ether."
"August 30
1 month and no side effect on the vaccine so the scheduled administration to Maria went as planed, and we have packed up ready to head home. Shadow is having the time of his life as the vaccine seemed to have an immediate effect; Maria is totally cured and playing with him! Though of course due to his unnatural speed she is having a hard time catching him… heh it nice to see the young play like this. I did say the vaccine had no other side effects, that also means when its administered, if the subject is of age they stop aging if my projections are correct, meaning I will be stuck in my 80 for eternity or unless I'm killed by unnatural means. But its worth it to see these two play together, even though Shadow is of different species I feel he is like a son to me, and I'm sure he feels the same way."
The following logs where simply put down to an amazing success of his life, he did get the peace prize, and was able to remake the vaccine so that it didn't effect the aging process. The vaccine became a mandatory jab, administered to young they way the TB jab was, however as it was only one needed per life, no further vaccines where needed, nor where any others as it cured everything from the common cold to killers such as Aids or Pneumonia. Hospitals where only used for such things as broken arms or sprained muscles. Everything else was normal, until around 30 years ago
"December 20
My grandson Ivo has decided to follow in my footsteps! He has become quite the talented physicist, he seems to heal the part of life I could not. He came up with a machine called a "Robotosizer". It seems designed to turn any part of the body mechanical, to allow mechanical repair, then can be used to reverse the effect, making the part healed in that form. A lot of things can go wrong with this, but the VR simulations look promising, and who knows, he may even get a prize of his own"
For some reason the next log was six months after, it was clear why when opened.
"June 10
Something terrible has happened…"
Hello…