"This is not good."
Tekno looked at the scan of Marcus' skull sitting in her hands. She had been called to the meeting hall not long ago along with some of the others, and now she was sitting at the end of a long conference table wondering how this could get any worse. Porker was sitting right next to her, and by the way his eyes were widening, he shared the same opinion. Rotor would have been there as well, but even though this was of the utmost importance, he apparently couldn't make it. Something about working on some project or another. Regardless, there wasn't much else they could do.
"You didn't have to tell me that," said Quack, sitting opposite Porker. "What I want to know is, aside from making sure it is what I think it is, what do we do about it?"
"Hard to say," said Porker. "If I were to guess, I'd say that thing's been sitting in Marcus' skull ever since he was tossed in our cell back in Mobotropolis. Which means that whatever Eggman's up to, he's had plenty of time to plan this out."
"Still though, why now?" Tails was sitting next to Porker in a booster seat. This was as humiliating as having to ask someone to get you a box just so you weren't overshadowed by the crowd, but Tails didn't seem to care. Or if he did, he did a commendable job of keeping it close to the vest. In any case, he had run into Tekno and Porker on the way over to pack for a camping trip with Sonic and Johnny. Before he knew it, one thing led to another, and here he was.
"Think about it," he said. "Eggman could have done this any time he wanted. If he wanted to, he could have activated it and crushed us before we even got off the ground. So again, why now? Why not when he had the chance?"
"Perhaps that was just it," said Tekno. "Because he did have the chance. It would have been far too easy."
"Are you saying he's played his trump card right here and now just because it amuses him?" Sally was sitting at the far end of the table, listening carefully to every word before she made any judgment calls.
"It is possible," said Tekno. "That is the only option I can see. And given some of his previous behavior, it would not be unwarranted."
Sally thought back to that night. The night Daddy was sent to the Special Zone. Maybe for good. She had seen Eggman's 'previous behavior', and she knew for a fact that it was completely and utterly wrong. Just another reason to one day take him down.
A high-pitched ring then sounded from Sally's satchel. Everyone else was more than a bit confused, but Sally knew that sound perfectly well. Reaching into the satchel, she brought out a small handheld computer with a bright purple screen. It was Nicole. And one single sigh from Sally like an exasperated older sister was enough to tell that this wasn't the first time something like this had occurred.
"Nicole," said Sally, "what did I say about interrupting me during a meeting?"
"APOLOGIES," said Nicole. "THE IDEA OF REQUIRING SOMEONE TO GIVE YOU PERMISSION TO DO SOMETHING BEFORE YOU ACTUALLY DO SO IS STILL SOMEWHAT FOREIGN TO ME. IT WAS NOT MY INTENTION TO INTRUDE."
"No worries. Everyone makes mistakes. Anyway, like I said, do you think this could wait?"
"SADLY, TO WAIT NOW WOULD MOST LIKELY MEAN THE DEATH SENTENCE FOR ALL PARTIES INVOLVED, OR AT LEAST OURS. I WOULD LIKE TO AVOID THIS IF AT ALL POSSIBLE. AND I BELIEVE I KNOW A WAY."
"Come again?"
Nicole did not miss a beat. "TEKNO AND PORKER, COULD YOU PLEASE GIVE ME THE SPECIFICATIONS OF THAT DEVICE AS SOON AS YOU COULD? I BELIEVE THAT WITH SOME HELP, WE MAY BE ABLE TO SEND EGGMAN RUNNING BACK TO MOBOTROPOLIS, OR AT LEAST FOR THE TIME BEING."
Nearly everyone was shocked. Sally especially. She knew Nicole wasn't like most computers, but this was most unexpected. Nicole offering to help? Would wonders never cease?
"Fascinating." As far as Tekno was concerned, to see an AI moving past her initial limitations was nothing short of a spectacle. Then again, she could relate to having to move beyond what was most expected for most everyone. Still, duty called.
"IT IS QUITE SIMPLE. IF YOU ALL CAN IDENTIFY THE SOURCE OF THE SIGNAL, THEN I SHOULD BE ABLE TO HACK INTO IT. AS FOR THE ACTUAL PLAN, IT IS QUITE SIMPLE. THE TRACKER IS MOST LIKELY SENDING A SIGNAL BACK TO EGGMAN'S COMPUTERS, ALERTING US AS TO WHERE WE ARE. HOWEVER, IF I CAN ASCERTAIN THE FREQUENCY OF THE SIGNAL, I SHOULD BE ABLE TO HACK INTO AND ALTER IT."
"You mean make him think the signal's coming from somewhere else?" said Porker.
"IN A MANNER OF SPEAKING. IF I ONLY FABRICATED THE ORIGIN OF THE SIGNAL, HE WOULD EVENTUALLY FIGURE OUT THE TRUTH AND WOULD LIKELY GO TO THE SOURCE OF THE ORIGINAL SIGNAL. BUT WHAT IF THERE WERE MORE THAN ONE SIGNAL?"
Tails had been drinking a glass of water, but as though a lightbulb came on in his head, he found himself nearly peforming a spittake. "Brilliant!"
"Which means what exactly?" said Quack. "I'm a doctor, not a scientist. Care to explain it for us simple folk?"
Tekno did the honors. "Nicole is correct. One replicated signal would not be enough. If, however, there were a hundred or so…"
"…he wouldn't be able to tell the difference."
"HE WOULD HAVE TO BURN THE WHOLE FOREST DOWN," said Nicole. "AND SEEING AS HE HAS NOT DONE IT SO FAR, I BELIEVE THAT THIS IS SOMETHING HE WILL NOT BE WILLING TO DO."
"You might be right," said Sally. "But there's still a problem, isn't there?"
"CORRECT. UNFORTUNATELY, I WILL NOT BE ABLE TO REPLICATE THE SIGNALS FOREVER. IT WILL CERTAINLY BE AN EFFECTIVE COVER, BUT THE ORIGINAL SIGNAL MUST STILL BE DEALT WITH."
Everyone looked towards a seat far to the rear, just above Sally. Antione had been sitting with his head lowered, his hands shaking, his knees knocking. He had been doing his best to keep himself calm and composed, to be the devoted soldier his father wanted him to be. However…
""OHGAEASACREBLEAUFATHEROHMYFATHERWHATAREWEGoiNGTODOTHEYCOULDBEHEREANYSECONDOHFATHEROHGAEAIWILLSHUTUPNOW."
…he was not his father. As his sudden outburst akin to that of a scared child promptly demonstrated.
"Look, kid," said Quack. "This is bad, both for your father and for us, but that doesn't mean you need to have a tizzy over it. Besides, now that we know for sure, we might be able to help your old man out. And the first thing we've gotta do is get that tracking device out of his skull. But seeing as Marcus can't speak for himself, I'm going to need your consent."
"Look, Doctor," said Tekno. "I do not mean any disrespect, but surely now is not the time to be worrying about niceties."
"It's always a time to be worrying about niceties," said Quack. "I'm not going to operate on some poor kids' father until he gives the okay. Do we understand each other?"
"It is okay, Doctor Quack," said Antione. He had managed to compose himself to some extent. At the very least, he was no longer shaking in his boots like a scaredy-cat. "I appreciate your concern. However, looking after my father is not my only duty. I also have a duty to my princess and this kingdom, and in turn, everyone before you. And as you said, we may be able to save my father after all. In any case, we cannot afford to waste any more time. For all that we know, they could very well be on our doorstep."
"My thoughts exactly," said Sally. "We can't know for sure how close or far Eggman's forces are to Knothole. Just to be on the safe side, we're going to need to buy some time. Porker, are any of those new weapons ready?"
"To an extent, yes," said Porker. "There's a still good number we're working on and some that we haven't even started on yet, but we've managed to get a few finished up. We're still working on something special for Sonia and Manic, but we've got a couple of special-made blasters for them. Antione's got a new blade ready and waiting. Johnny's got a new mace, and it packs a wallop. And I just put the finishing touches on something for yours truly."
"Good. Tell Sonia and Manic to stay near Marcus. Just in case, we need someone looking after him. Meanwhile, everyone who can fight is getting sent a mile out of Knothole. With any luck, they should be able to fend off Eggman long enough for Nicole and Quack to work their magic. As for Tekno, she's staying behind in case Nicole's not enough. And you're staying too, Tails."
Tails nearly began to pout in his chair like the twelve year old he was before remembering that wasn't something he did too often. Instead, he sat up straight, folded his fingers, and like trying to play grown-up made his case. "Seriously? I want to go out too, you know."
"I know, and I do appreciate it. But you're twelve years old. And I am not sending you out into the middle of a battle-field, or at least not until you've proven you can handle it. In fact, I wouldn't send anyone out there unless they could prove they could handle it. Which means, Porker, that unless that new weapon of yours is as powerful as you say it is, you'd be staying here too."
Porker tugged his collar, sweat starting to bead down his brow as though the reality of the situation was beginning to dawn on him. "Honestly, I wouldn't have had a problem with that. Almost makes me wish I hadn't even bothered with it."
Tails couldn't help but sulk. At times, he seemed wise beyond his years, but then there were these sorts of moments that put things into perspective. Much to his displeasure. "But I've already proven myself, haven't I? If I hadn't been there in Green Hill, Johnny and Hershey might not have made it!"
"I know, hon," said Sally. "But if I had known someone like Maw was in Green Hill, I wouldn't have sent you out there either."
"Oh, come on!
"Actually," said Tekno, "with Porker out in the field, we are going to be short an extra hand, and Rotor is likely going to be sent out as well once he is finished with whatever it is he is working on. And besides, you were the one who came up with the idea of hiding Cream's energy trace. In fact, the only reason why you haven't been made a full member of the lab is because you are so young. And because Sally has seen fit to object for reasons that are unfathomable."
"He's twelve years old!"
All Tekno could do was scoff. "A very capable twelve years old. Besides, if he doesn't start now, how is ever going to learn?"
"I'd have to agree," said Porker. "Regardless of how young he is, he's a natural. I understand how you feel, but shoving aside that kind of talent just because he's a kid, well, I'd say it's not exactly queenly, but I know how you feel about that sort of thing, so…"
Sally clenched her fist and gritted her teeth, as though she was suddenly eager to rip SOMETHING a new one. Porker had just come close to losing his spleen, and as he began to tug at this collar, he was only grateful that Sally was as intelligent and reasonable as she was. Because if she hadn't been, he would have been in for a world of hurt.
"Look," she said. "We are not discussing this now. But maybe you have a point. Tails?"
Tails managed to curb his enthusiasm. He would love for this to go where he thought it was going to go, but he knew that things often didn't turn out the way you'd expect them to. "Yeah, Sally?"
"Go with Tekno and the others for now. We'll talk again after all of this has been dealt with. Assuming we can deal with it at all."
Now this, Tails had not been expecting. "Seriously? Thanks, Sally! I won't let you down."
"Just try to stay out of trouble. And then we'll see about keeping you on when you all get back. Understood?"
"Sure thing, Sally!"
"Not a problem." She walked over to Tails and placed a hand on his head, rubbing it back and forth and mussing up Tails' head of fur in the process. "Look, honey. Maybe I worry about you more than I should, but as smart as you are, you're still twelve years old. I'm just worried that you're going to get hurt."
At this point, like a dutiful sibling, Nicole felt it was best to get things back on track. "I DO NOT WISH TO INTERRUPT, BUT THERE IS STILL A TRACKER SITTING WITHIN MARCUS' CRANIUM, AND WE MAY NOT HAVE MUCH TIME TO GET IT OUT."
"Thanks, Nicole," said Sally.
Tails then turned back to Sally, looking at her as though while he could understand where she was coming from, he still could not accept it. Who could accept being sent to the sidelines because you weren't tall enough to ride this ride? Or so on and forth.
"Sally, look. I appreciate you looking out for me. I really do. But I can't be sitting on the sidelines forever. I'm more useful out there than I am in here. And I want to do more."
"I know, honey," said Sally. "I just don't know."
Meanwhile, Nicole was still making sure everyone knew that there was quite possibly an invasion force headed their way. "PEOPLE. PRIORITIES. I DID NOT THINK I WOULD HAVE TO SAY THIS, BUT I BELIEVE I MUST MAKE SURE THAT WE ALL POSSESS THEM. IT IS JUST A THOUGHT."
As much as Sally hated it, she knew Nicole was right. "Tails, we'll talk about this later. Right now, we have work to do."
Just then, Harvey barged into the room, his bathrobe blowing as though a heavy gust of wind were running straight through it. And as his sharp eyes pierced straight through Sally's own, one thing was clear: He wasn't happy.
"Harvey?" said Sally. "What—"
Harvey cut to the chase. "Hershey and Geoffrey just sent word. They're on their way here."
"Hershey and Geoffery?" said Antione.
"No, Humphrey Hoggart. Who do you think?" And as though a chill had run throughout the room, Sally knew just who Harvey was referring to.
"Eggman."
"Hey, Scratch?"
A short, green, roundish robot on tractor wheels with two drills for hands and another for a nose was sitting in the back of a giant red and yellow truck. The truck just one small part of a convoy that was rolling across the Wood Zone. It was filled with a large squad of SWATbots, troopers, and various other assorted baddies that were all set on bringing the Freedom Fighters to their knees. The question was whether they were capable of doing so.
"Oh, shut up, Grounder. I'm thinking." A tall lanky robot with a head almost like that of a chicken's and a voice that lived up to his name sat right next to him, sulking almost as if he didn't want anything to do with him. Though to be the fair, by the way the other robots were giving the two of them a wide berth, they didn't seem to be wanting anything to do with them. Fair was fair.
"Thinking about what?"
"About how to solve world peace, numbut! Obviously, I'm thinking about how I'm going to capture the other Freedom Fighters and become Doctor Eggman's #1 bot! He'll be so proud of me!"
"Nu-huh! I'm the one he's gonna be proud of!" Grounder pointed to himself, convinced that if nothing else, he was Gaea's gift to robot-kind. Not that a green hunk of metal that might as well have been a cannibalized half of a tank was all that attractive, but what could you do? "You're just gonna have to settle for being second best!"
"Oh yeah?!"
"Yeah!"
"Well, we'll see about that!" Scratch then got ready to lunge for Grounder with every intent of strangling him until his neck (or whatever passed for it,) was mincemeat. Just as he was about to do so, a small red robotic monkey with a lightbulb sticking out of his head then leaped down from the ceiling and plopped himself right between the two. Not because he believed it was the right thing to do, but more because he had better things to do than listen to two yahoos.
"Hold up now, hold up! HOLD UP!"
This was new. In fact, it was so new that Scratch and Grounder couldn't help but stop what they were doing just on account of Coconuts of all people trying to stop a fight. "Seriously?" said Scratch. "What gives, Coconuts? I was gonna show that hunk of metal a thing or two!"
"Same here!" said Grounder. "That bucket of bolts might as well be put back in storage! If there's anyone who's gonna take down the Freedom Fighters, it's me!"
"Look," said Coconuts, "none of you are gonna get it because none of you are keepin' your lids on! Tearing each other apart ain't gonna do us any good! We wanna prove ourselves to Robotnik, right?"
"Of course I do!" said Scratch. "Why wouldn't I?"
"Course!" said Grounder. "Although, with just a bit of drilling, Scratch's leg might be a heck of a backscratcher."
"Over my dead body!"
Coconuts couldn't help but slide his palm over his short metal face. "I'm surrounded by idjits. Look, Grounder, it's a nice thought, but it just ain't doable. Not when said backscratcher ALREADY HAS SOMEONE ATTACHED TO IT!"
"Hey now!" said Scratch. "I resemble that remark."
"And never mind that none of you ain't even alive! What the hell are you gonna need a backscratcher for?!"
Grounder looked down at the metal floor. If he could blush, his face would have been redder than a beat. "Well, just because I can't get itchy doesn't mean I don't think I can. I think I can do lots of things! That's what matters."
"Yeah, well, why don't you think yourself into an exploding sun for all I care?" said Scratch.
Coconuts almost wished he hadn't already performed a face palm. He had done one it too soon. "Okay, look. We know where they are and there's probably not gonna be any way for them to get out of this, so rather than keep acting like braindead ninnies, howzabout we try to wrack our brain cells together and figure out a way to take them on ourselves?"
"That would be most wise." Scratch, Grounder, and Coconuts all jumped up before slowly turning around. Sitting in the corner with a bright-red cape draped over his back was a tall brute of a robot, and he appeared to be doing everything in his power to be as subtlety cool as possible. His build was somewhat similar to the SWATbots. He was tall, brawny, and black, but there were still enough differences to tell them apart. As the pink fuzzy fur on his shoulders began to blow on the air conditioner's currents, all he could think about was how he had come to consorting with such simpletons.
"And who the hell are you?" said Coconuts.
Meanwhile, Grounder couldn't help but be frightened out of his hard drive, zipping behind Coconuts and doing his best to get himself ready for a second salvo. "Uh-oh! I think he means business."
"The name is Sir Logik. And I always mean business." The robot began to lift his up his head. It was almost like a knight's helmet, with two bright glowing half-moons in place of eyes and with a pink ponytail shooting up in the back. "And so should you. We are not mere ruffians free to do whatever we please. Our duty is to serve our lord and master, so I would suggest we spend our copious free time on how to do that rather than engage in petty conflicts and arguments. Or risk tasting the steel of my blade!" He then lifted up a sharp and rather nasty three-pronged trident and aimed it right at the three numbnuts.
"Hey!" shouted Scratch. "Watch where you point that thing! You're gonna poke your eye out, kid!"
"Yeah!" said Grounder. "Besides, those things are supposed to be used to cook hotdogs! Not that I can eat hotdogs but it's the thought that counts."
And all Coconuts could do was cover his face with his palms and wonder why he seemed to be the only one of this particular trio blessed with so much as a smidgen of brain power. To be fair, Sir Logik seemed to be wondering this as well. All he could do was squint his eyes as he wondered if the same man who have made his own glorious self could possibly have built those three dumdums. "Out of curiosity, were your processors dropped on their way from the Scrapbrain Zone? Or were you simply blessed with sheer incompetence?"
"Maybe?" Grounder scratched the closest thing he had to a neck with this right drill. "Actually, the way the boss tells it, we were cooked up when Eggman was watching a cooking show after a, uh, what did he call it?"
"Late night bender," said Scratch.
"Ah yeah, that's right. Anyway, he was having one of those when he saw a cooking show about how to make ground coconuts from scratch. And, well, here we are!"
Sir Logik was having a rather hard time of comprehending a single shred of, well, logic in that sentence, as evidenced by his eyes twitching ever so subtly. "You cannot be serious."
"Afraid so," said Coconuts. "I'll be honest, I'm just as confuzzled as you are, but like it or not, that's the only reason we're even here."
"I see." Logik at last saw the logic to the situation. Even if was rather stupid logic. He lowered his trident, not that he let up his gaze any. "To think that our master would create no less than three creations as imbecilic as you. If I were not programmed to serve him until his dying days, I would seriously consider looking for a new master."
"Hey!" said Grounder. "We ain't stupid! We're just computer-chip challenged! Right, Scratch?"
"Uh, yeah! Right! You're the stupid one!" said Scratch.
"Yeah! Stupid! Stupid! Stupid stupid stupid!"
"Uh, guys, ix-nay on the upid-stay!" Out of the three insults to robotkind, only Coconuts seemed to have enough megabits to realize insulting the large robot with the pointy three-pronged stick was probably a bad move. And with anyone else, it might have been. But Sir Logik was not anyone else.
"Bah! You are not even worthy to taste my blade."
"Ha!" said Scratch. "Joke's on you! We can't even taste anything!" He then let out a loud, pompous laugh, almost as though he were giving a cockle-doodle-do.
Cue more eye-twitching. "IT WAS A METAPHOR!"
"ENOUGH!" An elongated furry foot slammed open the door to the driver's seat as a small yellow chinchilla stood in the doorway, staring down all in her wake. The only thing that kept them from quaking in their boots was the fact that, no matter how you sliced it, she just wasn't very intimidating. How could one be at 3'6?
"What the hell is going on!? I had to put this thing on autopilot to deal with you simpletons, so this had better be good!"
"It was nothing, lady Thunderbolt." Sir Logic gave a gracious bow. He was none too eager to please, but being a knight meant one was polite as possible to their masters, if nothing else. "Merely a misunderstanding between two groups of servants of wildly different calibers. I assure you, this will not happen again."
"See that it doesn't. We need to be at Knothole Forest on the double, and I don't want to have to deal with anything that could stop us from reaching our goal! Understood?!"
"Perfectly, milady."
"Good." She then turned to the three deadweights, ready to tear them a new one. "And that goes triple for the three of you! Understand?!"
"Ay-yi, milady! Sir! Whatever!" All three of them stood tall, (or straightened themselves as much as possible in Grounder's case,) giving Thunderbolt salutes worthy of a modern major general. Not that Thunderbolt was one, but it was the thought that counted.
"Well now, that's more like it! Just as long as we understand each other. Because if you don't, you're headed back to the Scrapbrain Zone!"
She then hopped back to the doorway, though before she did so, she reached into a wide pocket in her yellow and orange suit and pulled out a pristine photo of Eggman, the only blemishes being that it was covered with more than a few red sloppy kisses. She gazed at the photo as though she were looking at a star-crossed lover, their paths forever intertwined. "Oh, Eggy-poo!" She then gave it a big wet kiss before stuffing it back in her pocket and slammed the door behind her.
And in that moment, there was one thing all four of them could agree on.
"YUCK!"
