"Uh, guys?"
Porker was still holding Shortfuse in place, but it became more of a struggle with each passing second. At a glance he seemed docile, but if one looked carefully, he was making just the slightest of movements. A small shake, a twitch of the finger, a tiny twist of the neck. And they became ever more frequent the longer he was held captive. Either way, something had to give.
In spite of that, Porker was still giving it his all. But he wasn't sure if even that would be enough. "Uh, I'm not sure I'm gonna be able to hold him much longer. It doesn't look like it, but he's trying to break free every second. If Nicole and the others can't break through—"
It all happened before anyone could blink. In one momentous act of sheer willpower, Shortfuse jerked up his hand just enough to aim it at Porker's wrists and fired off one blast from his laser. It wasn't much and didn't do more than stun him, but it was enough to finally cause Porker to lose any scrap of control he had. Shortfuse came crashing down to the ground like a deadweight. But he wasn't down for long.
"Oh crap!" Porker slammed down on the button, sending everyone into action. This time it was for real.
Rotor tried to tackle Shortfuse from behind, but one instance of being blindsided was enough. This time he was ready for him. He listened to Rotor's footsteps, waiting for him to get just close enough to strike. And then backhanded him right in the jaw. He flew through the wall, crashing through it like a truck.
"ROTOR! Not good!" This was bad. Lucky for Tekno, she was ready. She still had her armlets on. She never knew if she would ever need to use them again, but it didn't hurt to be prepared. She lifted two fingers upward and unleashed a small cyclone right underneath Shortfuse's feet, sending him flying towards the ceiling. But not for long. He began jetting out of the cyclone, the jets on his feet carrying him forwards and downward with a sheer speed that he'd never shown before, out of the cyclone's reach. And Tekno was nearly left speechless.
"Not good." She let out a vortex around herself, desperate to keep Shortfuse from getting any closer. He tried to push against it, tried to get in. Until he realized he didn't need to. He lifted up his wrist like a pro and prepared to fire one single blast at Tekno's head.
"TEKNO!" Porker tried to put Shortfuse back into submission, but it wasn't enough. He was already worn out by holding him the first time, and he wasn't up for doing it again. But he had to try. He managed to slow Shortfuse's movements down, but nothing more than that. Shortfuse then raised his fist until it was level with Tekno's head, aimed, and—
Suddenly, something rammed into him like a bullet before bouncing off the same way. It was a bolt of yellow and purple, and it let out a sharp groan as it recoiled off of Shortfuse and tumbled onto the ground. "Owie! That's gonna smart."
"Mina!"
"ATTACK INEFFECTUAL," said Shortfuse. "CB REMEMBERS YOU FROM SHORTFUSE'S MEMORY BANKS. YOU ARE VERY FAST. BUT SPEED IS NOT ENOUGH." He noticed Mina's wrist blades, still strapped around her wrists as tightly as ever. "THOSE MIGHT BE ENOUGH TO DEFEAT THIS UNIT. BUT YOU WOULD ALSO BE KILLING SHORTFUSE IN THE PROCESS. MEMORIES SUGGEST THIS WOULD BE UNTHINKABLE FOR YOU."
Mina looked at their blades. She considered what she might have to do and if she was even capable of doing it. And she wasn't sure if she had an answer. "I don't know. But I can't just let you kill everyone!"
Luckily for Mina, that wasn't something she'd have to worry about. Bunnie burst into the lab through one of the walls, leaving a small Mobian-sized hole. "Stand back, sugar!" She aimed her robotic arm and fired a blast of energy, sending Shortfuse careening through the opposite side of the lab.
"That is coming out of your pay!" shouted Tekno.
"I don't get paid!" said Bunnie. "Sides, we've got bigger fish to fry!" She flew through the wall after Shortfuse, intent on beating the stuffing out of him until they could fix him. Assuming they could.
"Hey! What the hell is this?!"
Nicole wasn't exactly sure how to answer Thunderbolt's question. Not that she didn't know what it was, but rather that she was somewhat baffled that she was seeing this of all things. They found themselves in the middle of a giant chessboard, with all the pieces appropriately arranged. And at the end of it lay a doorway.
"I believe it's a chessboard," she said.
"I know that! But what the hell is it doing here?"
"Maybe they're just trying to mess with us," said Sonia. She turned to Nicole. "Unless you know something we don't?"
"Possibly," said Nicole. "But I'm still not sure of anything just yet. For now, all we can do is try to make our way through. But I have a sinking suspicion it won't be as easy as it appears."
"Oh, come on!" said Thunderbolt. "It's not like the chess pieces are gonna come alive and kill us or something. Are they?"
As if on cue, the chesspieces suddenly started to move. They came alive, all turning towards Thunderbolt and the others.
Sonia slapped Thunderbolt on the head. Not that she could, but it was the thought that counted. She initially thought she had gotten shocked, but given her current situation, that wasn't something she had to worry about. "Just had to open your big mouth, didn't you?!"
But the chess pieces weren't done. They rose high into the air and began to fly towards the others. And then they crashed down like one thousand ton anvils.
"EVERYONE," said Nicole, "RUN!" Nicole managed to zip away in time, and Sonia and Thunderbolt flew straight away. But the chess pieces just kept coming. "Everyone, get to the exit! Hurry!" They all sped towards the exit with the chess pieces right on their heels, crashing on the board and trying to squash them all the while. They never halted and never slowed, only stopping when all three of them were safely through the door. And even then, only by a thread. Nicole just made it when the King decided it was his turn and nearly squished her to paste. She didn't want to think of it.
Everyone almost started to hyperventilate, but they quickly remembered that in their current states they weren't even capable of it. Not that it had been any less terrifying. "The hell was that?!" said Thunderbolt. "We could've been crushed! I mean, not that electrify can be crushed, but still! Besides, anything goes in here!"
"You're right," said Sonia. "Anything goes. So you shouldn't let something like this surprise you." She turned to Nicole. "That said, WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?! I've mostly kept my mouth shut until now, but don't tell me you didn't know anything about this! That thing knows you and it chose those chess pieces for a reason! So what I wanna know is why!"
Nicole sighed. Or at least made an attempt. Not that she could sigh, but it was the thought that mattered. In any event, she wanted to tell them. Wanted to tell the truth. But could she? Or should she? She just didn't know. So she told her as much. "So do I. Sonia, I would be lying if I said I didn't have my suspicions. Or if there weren't things I've kept close to the vest. But until I know for sure, I can't be certain of anything. Do you understand?"
"Come on, Nicole. That thing knows you! It knows you like I know what pizza Manic had for dinner by the splotches on his vest! And it wants you dead. So don't tell us you aren't sure."
Suddenly, Thunderbolt turned to Sonia and crackled like a storm. Even if only for a moment. "Hey, lay off! Look, I know this is gonna sound strange coming for me! Hell, any other day of the week, I'd probably say the same things as you. But I know what it's like to have things you don't really wanna talk about, you know? Things you'd rather forget. So cut her some slack."
"Oy, whatever! Arguing about it isn't going to get us anywhere." She turned to Nicole. "Just say you'll tell us about it when you're ready, alright?"
"I promise," said Nicole. "As soon as I know for certain, I'll tell you everything. But I need to know more before I am."
"That's all I wanted to hear. Still a bit miffed, but what can you do?"
"Right. Come on, everyone!" The lot of them flew up the next set of stairs, wondering what awaited them next. For better or worse.
Shortfuse crashed like a sack of bricks into the nearest was, sending it tumbling down atop him like a house of cards. Bunnie came rushing in after him like a jet, tackling him and savaging him with both fists before he could get his bearings. If this had a been a month ago, only her robot hand would've been able to phase him. But now? Now she was packing a punch in BOTH arms. She supposed being a freak of nature had its' perks.
"Shortfuse!" she said. "You in there?! Come on! I know you're an SOB, but you're still stubborn as all hell! And I know you wouldn't let some soulless thingamabob take you down! FIGHT IT!"
Shortfuse's eyes suddenly glowed a bright ruby red, even more dazzling than before. One of its' fists sprung up from his side, blocking Bunnie's punch with ease. Or at least that was how it appeared. Bunnie could see right through it. He'd managed to stop it, but his hand was still shaking ever so slightly. As if it were taking all he had to keep her from pounding him into oblivion. But wasn't all it had in store.
"'FIGHT IT?' MOST CURIOUS."
"What you goin' on about?! Come on, Shortfuse!"
"OPPONENT DOES NOT SEEM TO KNOW HOW CB TOOK CONTROL OF SHORTFUSE'S SYSTEMS."
"Again, what in blazes are you goin' on about? That virus or whatever did it! Or at least that's what Tekno said!"
"ONLY PARTIALLY TRUE. IT IS A FACT THAT WHAT YOU DESCRIBED AS A VIRUS DID ALLOW FOR THIS UNIT TO ASSERT ITSELF. BUT THAT WAS ONLY POSSIBLE DUE TO SHORTFUSE REFUSING TO FIGHT AT ALL."
"What now?" That couldn't have been right. Shortfuse was a lot of things, but if nothing else, he was a fighter. Wasn't he?
Not that she could afford to overthink it for much longer. 'Shortfuses' statement had done its' job. It socked Bunnie in the jaw, sending her flying. The only reason she didn't slam through a wall was due to her jet boosters. She turned them back on, correcting and balancing herself until she was floating in mid-air like a buoy.
Still, it appeared CB wasn't done with mind games. It got up like a zombie, staggering but still with plenty of gusto. "UNIT WAS ABLE TO TAKE OVER SHORTFUSE BECAUSE SHORTFUSE REFUSED TO FIGHT. REFUSED TO FIGHT FOR HIMSELF. SUBJECT PUT UP WALLS AROUND SELF. DID NOT WANT OTHERS IN. REFUSED TO GROW. REFUSED TO GET TO KNOW OTHERS BEFORE THEY COULD POSSIBLY BETRAY HIM. OR BEFORE HE COULD BECOME HURT. OR HURT OTHERS. BECAUSE SHORTFUSE BELIEVED THAT WAS ALL HE WAS CAPABLE OF. HOWEVER, SHORTFUSE WAS SO FOCUSED ON ENEMIES FROM WITHOUT THAT HE DID NOT FOCUS ON WITHIN. LEFT HIMSELF VULNERABLE TO ATTACKS. TO ME."
"Shut your piehole!" Bunnie fired off another blast, but CB dodged it like child's play.
"SUBJECT BUNNIE RABBOT IS UPSET. HYPOTHESIS: BUNNIE RABBOT KNOWS THAT CB IS TELLING TRUTH."
The truth was, he may have been right. Shortfuse was never exactly a team player. Never opened up. Never let others in. He followed orders well enough, but it was clear it was never something he was comfortable with. So perhaps there was some truth to it after all.
But that was neither here nor there. She needed to stay focused. Case in point. CB suddenly began spiraling towards like Bunnie like a torpedo while firing his laser, intent on eviscerating her like a drill. Bunnie held out her robot arm and unleashed a bright blue forcefield, but even that might not have been enough. It managed to stop CB for a moment, but it kept on powering through, never stopping for an instant. It kept on drilling against the field, soon creating a heck of a dent. If it kept up, she'd have to think of something else. Providing she wasn't shredded apart like paper.
Lucky for her, some things couldn't be shredded so easily.
A wall of stone shot out of the earth, separating the two cyborgs. Three more walls rose up in rapid succession, and a fourth flew up and fell atop the tops of the other four like closing a box, trapping Shortfuse in the center. Not that it would last for long.
Chirps stood away from the remains of the terrace, fiddling with his collar as he did. "Look at that. Boxed in. Ain't that a hoot?"
Bunnie flew over to Chirps, not hesitating to give herself some breathing room now that she had the chance. "Thanks, Chirps. Where's everyone else?"
"They're comin'. Bein' put back on standby after getting the red alert threw a lot of them off, but they're comin'. That said, Mina should have been here by now. You see her?"
"Uh, yeah. She tried to help, bless her soul, but there wasn't much she could do. Not without slicing him apart."
"Might have to do just that. We can try and hold him off until Nicole does her thing, but if she can't? Then there might not be much we can do 'cept turn him into sushi."
"Oh come on! There's gotta be somethin'! We can't just let Eggman take him over like this!"
"Didn't say we couldn't try. But the fact is, this could get real bad real fast. If he comes close to actually killing someone? Then we might have to kill him first. Sides, he's kind of an ass."
Bunnie wanted so badly to sock Chirps in the jaw. To tell him that under no circumstances would she kill Shortfuse or let anyone else kill him. But for whatever reason, she couldn't bring herself to. And she was terrified of why. "Look. I know Shortfuse ain't exactly the nicest of guys. That's for sure. But maybe he's got a reason for that. Not a good reason, but a reason. So maybe we shouldn't be too hard on him. But we darn well can't if he's dead!"
As Bunnie was trying to keep Chirps from skewering Shortfuse on a stone stick, a loud noise like pounding on solid rock resounded from the stone walls. It repeated itself again and again, and large cracks started to rapidly form upon the wall's surfaces."
"Well, that's ominous," said Chirps. He turned to Bunny. "And also proves I've got a point. Hold on a sec." Before Bunnie could blink, the front wall burst open, revealing CB with one fist stretched outward and specks of rubble adorning it. But whatever amount of progress he may have achieved wouldn't last for long. A sinkhole opened up right underneath CB, threating to swallow him into the Earth. He turned on his jet boosters and tried to fly his way out, but the ceiling of the stone box fell right on top of him and the remaining walls followed suit, keeping him busy as the sinkhole continued to grow and expand in a manner that would usually take hours. The walls and ceiling entirely collapsed and he fell into the earth as it closed around him at Shortfuse's command.
Bunnie gaped as though she just saw a homicide before nearly tearing Chirp's red comb off his head. "What did I just say?!"
"Hey, relax. That ain't gonna kill him. Or did you forget he's stuck in a suit that makes him tough as all get out?"
She hadn't thought about that. Most would be crushed to feel the weight of the earth closing in on them. Literally. She was one of the few she thought might be able to survive, and that was only after her entire body had become a freak show. But from what Rotor and the others said, she and Shortfuse were mostly on the same level. So if she could survive, then so could he.
"Oy, fine. Guess it gives us some breathing room. Still though. Shortfuse ain't someone you can just bully around. I know that much. Even without CB or whatever in charge, he's driven as all get out."
Suddenly, a rumbling sounded from beneath the earth. If one listened carefully, it was almost like a drill.
"Watch out!" Bunnie got the word out just in time. She flew away to safety and took Chirps with her, grabbing him by the arms as they flew out before she dropped him. Like a drill, it burrowed out of the Earth, only stopping to gloat.
"INGENIOUS," said CB. "UNFORTUNATELY, INGENUITY IS NOT ENOUGH. SUBJECT CB WILL DECIMATE YOU NOW."
"Well," said Chirps, "looks like we've got his attention!"
"You think?!
CB's eyes flashed, intent on taking things to the next level. It soared forward, intent on beating the crap out of anyone that got in his way. Bunnie grumbled and did the same, matching his fist with hers. Their collision caused a violent shockwave to erupt throughout the area, with Chirps' red comb fluttering in the breeze. "Talk about nearly gone with the wind!"
Bunnie and CB proceeded to throw out fist after fist, each one landing on the other in rapid succession. But what was at first mere reaction suddenly turned into a grand stratagem. Because Bunnie knew something CB didn't. CB may have been little more than a bargain bin AI, but despite that suit of armor surrounding him, Shortfuse was still flesh and blood. Maybe it wouldn't be seen, perhaps it wouldn't be for a while, but he'd eventually tire out. But thanks to Bunnie's recent… developments, she never would. Or if she did, it wouldn't be for a very long time. All she had to do was outlast CB. Keep him punching, keep matching or evading or guarding his blows, and wait until he started to lose his touch. Assuming nothing happened before then, it was foolproof.
Famous last words.
"GET ME OFF THIS CRAZY THING!"
For once, Nicole agreed with Sonia wholeheartedly. One minute they were walking up the steps, the next, they had been squeezed into a glorified fighter jet and found themselves in a dogfight. In space. The sad thing was, she didn't know what was worse. That they might end up blasted to atoms by star cruisers, or that Thunderbolt was at the helm.
"Oh yeah! This is more like it!" Thunderbolt took firm hold of the steering handle and squeezed it tight, handling it like a pro. Dozens of laser blasts and missiles were coming straight for her, but she dodged each of them with ease. All while shooting down enough planes to make a seasoned pilot blush.
"Okay," said Sonia, "on the one hand, I am completely scared to death. On the other hand, THAT WAS AWESOME! Where'd you learn to do that?!"
"Easy! Back where I lived, we had an arcade! Played Space Conquerers all the time! And this isn't any different from that!"
"On the one hand," said Nicole, "I am quite grateful that you are saving our lives. On the other, do you think you could try and steer us closer to the exit? Sooner than later?" She pointed at a large doorway hanging between a small piece of wreckage in the distance. "If you don't mind."
"Oh, right. Off we go!" Thunderbolt spun the controls and the whole ship made an about-face, blasting towards the exit with the remaining fighters on their tails every step of the way. Nicole and Sonia were screaming at the top of their lungs, but as far as Thunderbolt was concerned, this was what she had been born for. Well, one of the things she was born for at any rate. "YEAH, BABY! WHOO!"
Though perhaps she had been a bit too confident for her own good. Just as she was about to reach the door, one of the fighters hit Thunderbolt's craft right in the thrusters. "Crap!" A large garage door shut behind it, keeping any and all leftover fighters out as the plane skidded to a screeching halt. The trio sat in the cockpit for more than a minute, silent as the grave. Until Sonia couldn't help but break it.
"Are we alive?"
"I believe so," said Nicole. "Though to be honest, if I weren't a computer program, I would probably be shaking in my boots."
As for Thunderbolt, all she could do was shout to the heavens in victory. "HELL YEAH! WE DID IT! WOOT!" She hopped out of the ship and pumped her fist to the air, crowing in triumph. "TAKE THAT!"
Sonia did the same, only slightly dizzy from the whole affair. "Remind me never to go on an airplane with you aboard. EVER." She turned to Nicole. "So. Chess, then bad sci-fi. What's next? Lord of the Dingalings?"
Nicole hovered out of the plane, gracefully stepping on the ground. Though not without coming just short of stumbling first. "Actually, if my guess is correct, I believe we are nearly at our destination." She gestured behind Sonia. At the end of the runway was a humongous golden door, open just slightly ajar. Almost as if daring anyone to step in. "Once we enter it, we should be there. And she should be waiting."
"And just who's she? Less you wanna have us go in blind. We need to know who we're dealing with! And if you know, then you've gotta tell us. No more games."
Nicole sighed or at least imitated the action as much as she could. "I suppose you're right. I didn't want to tell you this because I wasn't sure who it was myself. Not completely. In fact, the very possibility seemed unthinkable. But more and more, it's becoming clear as day.
"What is?"
"In due time. For now, let us start from the beginning. Have any of you ever heard of ?"
"Nope!" said Thunderbolt.
"Same here," said Nicole.
"Yes, well. In some circles, he's had quite a reputation. Some have even hailed him as the father of modern AI. Though he didn't develop it for the most altruistic of reasons. You see, Elidy had a daughter. A real daughter. Her name was Phoebe, and he was quite fond of her. She was quite bright and shared many of the same interests he did. Such as chess. Or science fiction."
At once the wheels began turning in Thunderbolt's head, her form sparking like a lightbulb. "Wait, you don't mean—"
In spite of Thunderbolt's realization, Nicole continued on as though she had been uninterrupted. "However, she also didn't have much of a constitution. Eventually she was struck by a deadly disease. She held on as best she could, but it wasn't enough. And she passed away not long after." Sonia's eyes began to fill with a purple mist, almost as if tearing up. "Are you alright, Sonia?"
"It's, it's alright. Just, thinking about that, it makes me think about Chuck, you know?"
"Oh. I'm sorry."
"That's alright." Sonia wiped her eyes, only to remember that was something of an impossibility at the moment. Instead she tried her best to 'wish' them away. After a second or two, it seemed to do the trick. "So. Not to sound like a total douchebag, but what does this have to do with us?"
"I'm getting to that. In any case, Edily loved his daughter. So much so that he wasn't going to let her go so easily. He decided to put his research of AI to the test. You see, before his daughter's death, he had a stroke of genius. If he could copy his daughter's brainwaves onto an artificial intelligence, he might have been able to save her. Except he needed to create a suitable AI first. A blank slate. Because anything else would cause complications with his daughters existing personality. Which is where I come in."
"Wait. You don't mean—"
"I do. I was created to be the framework for a copy of her personality. Though I suppose it would have been more accurate to call me a host. Something to house her data in. If it had worked, I would have been her. Which is something I still have mixed feelings about."
"But it didn't work, did it?"
Nicole slowly shook her head as if acknowledging the inevitable. "Edily had good intentions, but he acted in haste. If he had more time to prepare, if he had tried to do something sooner, than maybe it would've worked. But it didn't. To this day we still aren't sure what happened, but for one reason or another, the transfer was never completed. Her data was lost, scattered to the four winds of the internet. An incomplete whole. And I was left as little more than an emotionless computer program."
"Yeesh," said Thunderbolt. "What a way to go."
"But that isn't the end of the story. With his daughter gone for good, there wasn't much of a reason for him to keep me around. Instead, he gave me to King Acorn on one of his visits to the Acorn kingdom. The king and Elidy were old friends, and seeing as he didn't have another use for me, he gave me to him. And then he tried to pass me onto Sally as a birthday present. Something to let her know he still cared. And the rest is history."
"But wait. You said the whole transfer thing didn't work, right? So how come you're not an emotionless robot?"
"To be honest, I'm surprised myself. Though that is how I started out. I wasn't that much different from Shortfuse's AI to be honest. But spending time with Sally and the rest of you, well, I suppose something started to rub off. I began to see things differently than I used to. Started to grow beyond the parameters originally set out for me. And here I am."
Sonia stepped forward. "And we wouldn't have you any other way. That said, how does any of this tie into any the crap we just went through?"
"I was just getting to that. Do you remember when I said that Phoebe's data had scattered across the internet?"
"Yup. So what?"
"Well. This is purely speculation on my part, but what if it wasn't as scattered as we thought? What it all of the different pieces still had a connection to one another? And if using that connection, they were able to reconstitute themselves into one single whole?"
Thunderbolt almost jumped out of her static. "So it IS her?!"
"I can't be certain of that. Not just yet. But it makes too much sense. The chess game, the space battle, her familiarity with me. It's too much to ignore."
"So," said Sonia, "assuming it is her, why would she want to kill you? Or destroy or erase you or whatever? She managed to get herself together, right? Why'd she want to hold a grudge?"
"Of that I'm not sure. We still don't know enough. And the only way we'll learn more is if we head through the front door."
"YOU GOT THAT RIGHT!"
The voice from before had returned, echoing throughout the entire runway. The door swung wide as though a mighty gust had blown it open, and only darkness seemed to reside within. "STEP INTO MY PARLOR, WILL YOU? A BIT CLICHED, I KNOW! BUT I INSIST."
"Decided to show yourself, huh?" said Sonia. "So what, you just want us to walk in? I mean, it'd basically be like lambs to the slaughter!"
"TRUE THAT. WHICH IS WHY I'M GIVING YOU A LITTLE INCENTIVE." As if it had been waiting to be given the cue, a giant laser cannon suddenly appeared where the entrance to the hanger had been. And as its' center began to glow bright blue, it was clear it was charging up.
"FUCK!" Thunderbolt literally bolted down the corridor through the open doorway. "C'MON C'MON C'MON!"
"Crap!" said Sonia. "Not much else we can do! I am SO gonna regret this later!" She then turned herself into a laser in kind and shot off towards the hallway, right behind Shortfuse.
"I suppose there isn't much else we CAN do." Nicole briefly looked up at the ceiling. If it was her, why was she doing this? Why was she trying to get the AI to take over Shortfuse? Why was she doing ANY of this? But as she looked at the cannon getting ready to charge, she supposed any answers would have to wait. And as she disappeared, leaving nothing but a glow of pink in her wake, it was clear that there was only one way for her to find them.
By stepping into the lion's den.
