"Are we there yet?"
Thunderbolt, Sonia, and Nicole were traveling throughout cyberspace, soaring throughout it almost like jets. It wasn't much to look at it. At the moment, it was one ever-expanding expanse of black with green lines spanning throughout like a grid. With any luck, that would change when they got to the heart of the matter. In any case, Sonia was still a bright pink Mobian mass of energy, though she at least wasn't a laser. In cyberspace, that didn't seem to be a requirement for going decently speedily.
On the other hand, Thunderbolt was now a being of pure electricity. Her body was a bright yellow, crackling and sparking like a bolt from on high. "Seriously, we there yet? Because for traveling along at the speed of light, this is still goin' pretty darn slow."
"Oh, hush," said Nicole. Of the three of them, her form had undergone the most drastic alteration. In that she actually had a form. Before, she was just a computer. A small little handheld laptop with no true identity to call its' own. But now? Now was a different story. Her 'body' for lack of a better term was that of a Mobian Lynx dressed in a gorgeous purple dress draped around her body like loose a bandage. And she couldn't have been happier if she tried.
"Hey there, Nicole," said Sonia. Loving the new look. It's so cute! When you'd come up with it?"
"To be honest, I've actually been working on this for a while. Although this wasn't exactly how I wanted to debut it. To make a long story short, I've been… imagining."
"Imagining what?" said Thunderbolt "Of being more than some program trapped on a computer screen?"
"Quite. I had been designing such a body for some time now. I'm still applying the finishing touches, but I'm hoping that it will be done sooner than later. Of course, I'm not sure if I'll actually be able to create it. But if I can? Then perhaps I can at last be free. And finally see the stars. That I long for more than anything."
"Hey, whatever floats your boat." Sonia gently touched against the crystal in the center of her chest, poking and prodding it before leaving it be. "It's pretty cool. If a bit unexpected. Congrats!"
Nicole blushed. "Thank you! Still though. If I could just be out there on my two feet, that would be more than I could hope for."
"Yeah, well— FUCK!" Thunderbolt managed to bring herself to a sudden stop like a train hitting the emergency breaks just in time, and the others did the same. Out of nowhere, they were face to face with a gigantic white wall, stretching as high and as far as they could see. "Uh, yeah. We're gonna need a hell of a ladder to get over THAT thing. Any ideas?"
"Must be Shortfuse's AI!" said Sonia. "Or whatever's causing him to go haywire!"
"I'm not so certain about that," said Nicole. She slowly floated towards the wall, almost as if analyzing it. As though she were performing a study. "I think this might actually be from Shortfuse himself. Or at least in part."
"Seriously? But why'd he wanna keep us out? I mean, he pretty much keeps everyone out, but—"
"Exactly. He rarely lets anyone in. And when he does, he's still always keeping his guard up. It's as though it's ingrained into his very being. Even if he doesn't realize it."
"So that's why there's a wall."
"Exactly."
"Well," said Thunderbolt, "we've still gotta get through somehow." She turned herself into a drill of bright, crackling electricity and tried her best to bore into it. Not that it mattered. She didn't even make a dent. "Seriously?! How come electricity can't bore through rock?! That should be a crime! Maybe a hammer—"
"I don't think that's going to work," said Nicole. "There are two ways we're going to be able to go on through. One is to get in touch with Shortfuse's subconscious. To convince him that we are not a threat and that we only wish to help."
"And the other way?" said Sonia.
"The other way is to hack into his systems and bypass it. Though I suppose we won't have much choice." She closed her eyes and concentrated before opening them again. They became oval-shaped streams of data, shooting it from her sockets and sending it to the wall. The wall gradually became more and more transparent until it was just ghastly enough that you could walk through it and barely notice it. Almost like a ghost.
Thunderbolt whistled as though that wasn't something she had been expecting. "Hella' impressive!"
"I'll admit, I wasn't even sure if I could pull it off. But it won't last forever. Follow me. Once we make it through here, we should arrive within Shortfuse's systems. It should just sort of appear. Or at least that's how we'll see it."
"I just want to get this over with," said Sonia. "Case you couldn't tell, I've got my own problems."
"That's right," said Thunderbolt. "You got stuck as some sort of energy thing, didn't ya? Can't you just think of yourself as human again, will yourself back to normal? That's what I do with my lightning form."
"I tried, but nothing works. Everything's that me's stuck in this crystal. Well, okay, this isn't even the real thing; the real one's stuck out there. Couldn't exactly shrink it. But far as I can tell, this right here? It's just a projection. Everything's out there. And I'm not sure I can ever go back. Now I'm starting to know how Shortfuse feels."
Green droplets started to form in Nicole's eyes, almost like mist. She hovered towards Sonia, briefly hugging her before urging her to action. "Trust me, Sonia. I know how you feel. But we have to move on. Besides, if you know how he feels, then surely you know we wouldn't want things to get any worse."
"Yeah. Let's get moving. Though I'm still gonna kill that damn fox."
"Quite. In any case, we still have someone to save. Shall we?"
"Any word on their progress?"
Back in the lab, Tekno and the others were still trying to monitor the situation while making sure Shortfuse didn't get any worse than he was. He was still shaking and screaming, almost as though he were about to implode.
"I think they just made it into Shortfuse's system," said Porker. Still sitting in front of the computer, he had also taken Sonia's crystal and had placed it safely inside the computer's lower compartment. Tekno had seen some rather curious things in her time, but having one's very essence contained within a bauble was something else entirely. Though she supposed it wasn't really that different from Nicole in the grand scheme.
"Thank goodness." She turned to Rotor. "How is Shortfuse holding up?"
"He's not getting any better, but I don't think he's getting any worse. So far anyway. You still might want to keep everyone on standby. Because if he does—"
And then Shortfuse stopped.
"Oh, Gaea."
"Rotor!" said Tekno. "Examine his systems immediately! See if—"
And then he hurled Rotor straight into the nearest well.
"ROTOR!"
"Oh hell!" said Porker.
Shortfuse slowly got up from where he lay like a corpse. His movements were stiff, robotic, lifeless. Almost as though whatever was in charge wasn't even Mobian. Which wasn't far from the mark.
"CYBER BADNIK UNIT'S SYSTEMS OPERATIONAL. CYBER BADNIK UNIT WILL USE DESIGNATION CB. CB READY FOR DUTY."
"Porker!" yelled Tekno. "Sound the alarm! We need everyone over here ASAP!"
"Uh, right!" He slammed down on a big red button. The moment he did, a loud, blaring alarm resounded throughout the lab and the entire encampment. Assuming no-one was off hiking in the woods or thereabouts, they'd be there shortly.
"CB HAS ASSESSED THAT YOU HAVE ALERTED OTHERS TO ITS PRESENCE," said Shortfuse. "THAT WAS VERY UNWISE." It began to lift up it's wrist, preparing to blow a hole in Porker's noggin. Before Porker could so much as yelp, Rotor tackled Shortfuse from behind, restraining his arms and keeping him contained. Not that he didn't struggle as much as he could.
"I've got him!" said Rotor. "Somehow! He's almost as strong as me!"
"'ALMOST' IS AN INACCURATE ASSESSMENT." He reared his head back, bashing Rotor's face in like he'd just been socked. Rotor managed to keep his grip, but that didn't exactly stop the nosebleed.
"Hell! This one's tough!"
Suddenly, Tekno had a eureka moment. She looked towards Porker's side. Sure enough, his gloves were sitting right next to him. Just as she ordered. "Porker! Put on the gloves!"
"Huh? Oh! Right!" He did as asked without delay. He concentrated, closing his eyes and putting all his focus into one point. And like a master pianist, he went to work. His fingers twitched and flicked, twiddling like crazy until he achieved his goal. And suddenly, Shortfuse found himself hovering in the air like a meatsack, stiff as a board. And unable to do anything other than watch.
"Thank you, Porker," said Tekno. She watched Shortfuse as he tried his best to struggle and fight it, to break free. For now, Porker was holding it. But the question was whether it would last forever. "How long do you think you will be able to hold him?"
"If he was just some slab of metal? Until doomsday. But this is Shortfuse we're talking about. Even if can't really do anything, he's still struggling as much as he can. I can hold him for a while, but I'm not sure I can do it forever." He wiped a few beads of sweat from his brow, already starting to feel the strain.
"I see. For now, cancel the alert. But keep everyone on standby. If Nicole and the others can't shut down the AI shortly, then we may need everyone we have.."
"And if they can't shut it down?"
Tekno hesitated. She wanted to save Shortfuse at any cost. But would she be able to? If it came down to choosing between him and everyone else, could she do what had to be done? "If they can't, then we shall have to go from there. And do what we must. So let us hope they can."
"I must admit. This wasn't what I was expecting."
Nicole had been anticipating just about anything. A cybernetic fortress, a web of numbers and circuits, things one would expect to find in a network. Instead, it was much more akin to a palace, painted in red and gold. It was superficially technological to be sure, but it was still unlike anything she had ever seen.
"I was," said Thunderbolt. "Eggypoo— sorry, Eggman likes everything to be as luxurious as possible. He's got a room for prisoners that would make most anyone blush. It's pretty snazzy!"
"Eh. I've seen better," said Sonia. "Dad never spared a cent when it came to living space. Probably lived like kings. Don't know if I've got much use for any of that now though."
"In any case," said Nicole, "we need to head further in. "They were currently standing in the middle of the front floor. Long, spiraling staircases led upward while winding halls went in all directions, and a grand chandelier hung overhead.
"So we gonna split up?" said Thunderbolt.
"Not unless we want to get ourselves killed," said Nicole. Covering more ground doesn't do anyone any good when they can pick you off one by one. Besides, I have a hunch that what we're looking for is further up. So that is where we want to go.
As soon as she took a single step, she stopped in her tracks. "Hold on." She could sense it. Something was up there. Lying in wait. Waiting for anyone to take so much as a single step forward and wind up right in its' clutches. "Thunderbolt, do you know what sorts of defenses Eggman may have installed in some of his AI? Anything that could prove dangerous to anyone attempting to hack it?"
"Dangerous? I laugh in the face of danger! Let me at 'em!"
"Thunderbolt, please. I need to know."
"Fine, fine. Whatever. Anyway, some AI got fully fleshed out personalities, like Scratch or Grounder. I mean, they're nincompoops, but they're still sentient. And those ones don't tend to have so many defenses because of that. But others like Badnik AI are a lot more robotic and tend to have defenses up the whazoo. Especially for the more heavy-duty ones. Such a genius!"
"Which is understandable. Except in that case, why doesn't this AI seem to have any such defenses?"
Thunderbolt took a moment to think it over, looking around as though any sorts of defenses should have been right around the corner. Not that they were. "Huh. I dunno. There should've been something by now."
"Hold on a minute," said Sonia. "Somethin' seems fishy."
"Indeed," said Nicole. "Almost as if—"
Suddenly, an inky, jet black tendril emerged from the upper stairwells, lashing out at Nicole like a lance. She disappeared in a flash of pink light and reappeared a ways away not a second later, dodging the blow in the nick of time.
"Nicole!" said Sonia, reaching out for her as she did.
Thunderbolt zipped out of the way, almost like teleporting. "That was close!"
The tendril didn't waste a moment in upping the ante. As soon as it made its presence known, another one popped out, striking at Nicole and the others in an attempt to grab and crush them like brittle bones. Or worse. And then came another. And another one. And another one and another one and another and another, ad nausem. With Nicole and the others narrowly dodging the lot of them all the while. And then they stopped.
"Sons of—" Waves of static rippled around Thunderbolt. They resounded throughout the area, nearly causing Nicole and Sonia to flicker like a TV set with a bad signal. "They wanna play hardball? Fine! I'll show em—"
"Thunderbolt!" Nicole managed to quickly get herself together and stamp her foot, doing her best to restore order before there wasn't any to be restored. "I know that was… unsettling, but do not go off half-cocked just because things are actually starting to get difficult. Besides, we don't know what could be up those stairs. Whatever it is, we need to be prepared. Or did working as one of Eggman's Eggbosses teach you nothing about working as a unit?"
Thunderbolt crossed her arms and grumbled before giving in. "You've got a point. I guess. Still wanna make her pay though."
"Same here," said Sonia. "But that's not what we're here to do. Much as I wish it were."
"Right," said Nicole. "We mustn't forget that ultimately, this isn't about us."
"OH, I THINK IT IS."
A loud, high-pitched voice echoed throughout the palace. It was almost like nails on a chalkboard, with the only thing keeping Nicole and the others from holding their hands to their ears being that the senses didn't always work the same way in cyberspace as the real world. But there was more to it than that. Because somewhere deep inside, there was something that was somehow familiar. Like an old tune that one swears they know, but they can't remember the notes. Case in point, Nicole couldn't remember the details, but she still knew the gist. "Do I… know you?"
"THAT'S FOR ME TO KNOW AND YOU TO FIND OUT. THINK OF IT AS A GAME. LIKE TWENTY QUESTIONS! ONLY NOT REALLY. THOUGH TO BE HONEST, I'M SURPRISED YOU MADE IT HERE AT ALL. YOU GAEA FORSAKEN PILE OF SCRAP METAL."
"Uh, Nicole?" said Sonia. "Is she talking bout you?"
"BINGO! BUT THAT'S ENOUGH CHIT-CHAT. MAYBE IF YOU MAKE IT PAST THE NEXT FLOOR, WE CAN PLAY AGAIN. AND MAYBE THEN WE CAN GET SOMEWHERE. TILL THEN, I'LL JUST KEEP TRYING TO KILL YA! THOUGH IT'S NOT LIKE YOU DON'T DESERVE IT." Nicole and the others looked around the room waiting for the voice's words, but none came. For now, it was gone. But it had left behind some most curious implications.
"Uh, Nicole? I know this is next to impossible, or at least it should be. But did that… THING know you? Because it sure sounded like it did."
"Same," said Thunderbolt. "Seems awfully fishy to me! But then again, everything does."
Nicole took a step towards the stairs leading upward, looking up as though staring at whatever was lurking beyond. She knew that voice. She hadn't heard much of it and only knew it from recordings and tapes, but she knew it all the same. But it couldn't be. Because if it was? Then that would mean everything she knew would be turned on its' head. And the thought terrified her.
Still. Shortfuse needed her. And she couldn't let him down.
"I am not sure," said Nicole, lying for the first time in her existence. She had never lied. The very notion was something that had been alien to her original programming. But then again, a lot of things had been. "But in any case, we need to keep moving. There's no telling what's going on with Shortfuse out there. If we wait too long, it may be too late. Like it or not, we have to move forward."
"Right," said Sonia. "That said. If you ever feel like talking to someone about it, we're willing to listen. Even if we've kinda got other things on our minds.
"Of course. Thank you."
"Sure thing. We still going up?"
"Yes." Nicole stepped towards the stairwells leading up, almost as if anticipating what lay beyond. And perhaps just the slightest afraid. "If we're going to save Shortfuse, that is where we need to go. And perhaps we'll get some answers in the process.
"Hey," said Thunderbolt, "you sure you're not trying to play both sides as some sorta crazy cover-up? Because that would be AWESOME!"
"Don't listen to her, Nicole," said Sonia. "Sure, this whole thing's more than a bit sketchy. But I know you'd never really try anything. Uh, you wouldn't right?"
Nicole shook her head. This was why she had never revealed a single thing about herself. Not until now. Because this was the sort of thing she had expected to get. Doubt. Speculation. Mistrust. Of course, it wasn't a big deal for the time being. But if things didn't change, it might just have been at that.
In any case, Shortfuse still needed saving. She ignored Sonia and Thunderbolt, marching up the stairs and damning the consequences.
"Hey, Nicole—"
She paid them no heed. And didn't intend to. Not until she proved she had no intention of taking after her. And she wouldn't rest until she was dealt with. One way or the other.
