In the Machine
by Kellie Fay
Disclaimer: Sonic, Shadow, Metal Sonic, and all connected characters belong to Sega, and 4 Kids, and whoever else owns the games and Sonic X.
Reviews make this insecure author very happy
Chapter 4 Consequences
Metal Sonic returned to the Egg Fortress with his prize in hand. He did not know if it was the magic drive that gave him the sensations of organic beings or input from the cup itself, but he knew that all he had to do was fill the cup with water and Doctor Eggman would fall into a deep sleep, then awaken later healed.
He entered the general living quarters to see all the other AI units. They were doing routine maintenance on each other.
Orbot noticed him first. "Metal Sonic! You're back!"
Metal Sonic nodded a simple greeting and held up the Chalice to show them his success.
"Well, I'll be!" Cubebot said in his high squeaky voice. "He actually found it!"
Now the strange sensations felt rewarding. [of course,] he sent back. [fill the vessel with any liquid. The Doctor will fall asleep, and awaken a few hours later healed.]
"You sound very sure of that," Deco said suspiciously.
[Input I gathered during my mission. In addition, I was also able to consult with Shadow the Hedgehog. He confirmed the effectiveness of the Chalice, and I met the individual the chalice healed.]
"It sounds like you had an interesting time finding it," Boco said sounding curious.
[Report of my mission pending] Metal Sonic answered fulling intending to only give the basics of what he found. He did not want to explain the full story, and he didn't think that the others would believe him.
[Units Deco and Boco I require assistance in maintenance.] he sent causing the two older robots to look at him surprised.
"We are not allowed to do maintenance on you!" Boco exclaimed.
[I will not report the infraction if you do not] Metal Sonic replied.
Deco made the electronic equivalent of a snarl. "We are not going to augment your systems to overthrow Doctor Eggman!"
Metal Sonic shook his head no. [Unit Deco is in error. I do not wish to augment my systems. There is an augmentation to my systems that was needed to locate the chalice. I wish you to remove it.]
Still suspicious Deco and Boco followed Metal Sonic to the maintenance bay where he lay down on the table and instructed the pair of the location of the data drive and how to remove it.
Once the device was no longer attached to his systems, he felt more like he did at the beginning of his mission. Hot and cold were now numbers again and not sensations on his plating. His battle computer now operated perfectly, but he could not forget the feelings that he had on his adventure or the things that Shadow and the other organics said to him.
He thought about purging his memories but couldn't quite bring himself to do so.
The next week Shadow came by. Metal Sonic managed to convince the other five AI robots to not tell the Doctor of the chalice. Deco and Boco argued with him until he explained his deal with Shadow, and his reasons for doing so. He didn't tell them that some of Sonics friends lived nearby, but he did mention seeing one of The Spirits of Chaos. Since they all remembered Chaos, and Dark Gaia they realized that thwarting one would be a bad idea, and if the Doctor found another Chaos spirit, he would try to exploit it. Given his track record with the Spirits of Chaos all the robots agreed to hide the information from their creator.
When Shadow appeared, Metal Sonic presented him with a chest with the chalice inside. He also gave Shadow a smaller box with the data drive from the Spirit of Life inside.
Shadow, with a smaller version of Tails' tablet raised an eyebrow at the contents of the second box. "You took it out?" he asked.
[Data drive from Chaos spirit of Life detrimental to this unit's performance. Logical conclusion device should be removed.]
Shadow frowned as he read Metal's answer.
"I can't say you are wrong, however sometimes feelings are worth the trouble. I shall keep the drive for you but remember what the Spirit of Life said. If you wanted to, you could incorporate the whole thing into your systems and become your own person."
Maybe a small part of the Spirit's power still rested within his circuitry, because for a nanosecond the idea tempted him.
No, he shook his head and sent, [this unit does not require it.]
Shadow eyed Metal Sonic suspiciously, but then shrugged and accepted the boxes. "Very well," he said sounding defeated. Before he left though he turned back to Metal Sonic and added, "If you ever change your mind about the drive, I shall keep it. All you need to do is ask."
[Acknowledged] Metal Sonic turned away, sensing the organic construct's Chaos Control. Turning he noticed Orbot and Bokun watching him.
"What did Shadow mean, when he said that the data drive could make you your own person?" Bokun asked.
[Unimportant] Metal Sonic insisted.
Orbot was not put off so easily. "You encountered the Chaos Spirit of Life. Could the spirit have made you alive?"
[Irrelevant] Metal Sonic answered then glaring at the two he added, [No one is to know of this. Attend to your duties.]
"Yes, Metal Sonic," Orbot said. He and Bokun left Metal Sonic and returned to the Egg Fortress.
Metal Sonic stared out at the horizon. Some part of the data still in his systems from the Spirit of Life whispered to him. Even though he removed the drive over a week ago he still missed it.
[I don't need it,] he told himself. [I am Doctor Eggman's finest creation. I need to be nothing else.]
He turned and left the hill insisting to himself that he was perfect as he was, desperately trying to ignore the feeling of loss deep within his processor.
…
"Wake up Sonic."
Sonic opened his eyes giving first The Master Emerald, then Knuckles a wary glance. Then he noticed that his ever-present headache was missing for the first time in two weeks.
"How do you feel Sonic?" Shadow asked.
"Better," he said finally glad to say it. "The headache is gone. Did you guys figure out what caused it?"
Knuckles looked apprehensive, but Shadow snapped out, "you did, faker."
Sonic frowned, but he could tell from Shadow's tone that he was in no mood to debate the issue.
Right after Sonic recovered from the Fever Beetles, he found himself plagued by horrible headaches. He couldn't figure out why until during a fight with Metal Sonic Sonic's headache got so bad it brought him to his knees. He thought for sure that this was his end, but then Tails activated a failsafe on the geis Cobbler placed on him. Instantly the pain vanished, and Sonic drove Metal Sonic back.
The fact that Tails could use the geis to stop the headache signaled to Sonic that the problem lay within himself. After consulting with Pie, then the echidna ancestors Sonic decided that his best option was for Knuckles and Eli to get into his head and find out what was going on in there.
It took a little persuading and a lot of arguing on Sonic's, Shadow's, and Sliver's part for Knuckles to agree to it. He still felt bad that he tried to influence Sonic before and didn't want to hypnotize him again.
It took Silver reminding Knuckles that Sonic was willing, and that he Shadow, Amy, and Tails would be there that persuaded Knuckles to try.
The last thing Sonic remembered was Knuckles telling him to focus on the Master Emerald, the Chaos Spirit of Stone. How stone was solid, quiet still. The next thing he knew Knuckles was telling him to wake up.
"So, what am I doing that's making my head want to explode?" Sonic asked.
"Exactly what I thought you were doing," Shadow answered. "You sent me to South Island because you saw Metal Sonic by your parents' house."
Sonic didn't remember that either. He did remember waking up worried about them. Shadow surprised that Sonic didn't remember sending hm out there, reassured him that he had seen his and Amy's parents. Sonic woke up with the headache then, and only faded a bit after Shadow and Tails told him what happened.
"So, I can get into Metal Sonic's head or CPU or whatever if I want to?" Sonic asked.
"You could but you shouldn't Sonic," Silver said quietly. "You just said it yourself, Metal Sonic doesn't have a brain or a spirit. He's a machine. You are doing the spiritual equivalent of sticking your hand into an electrical socket."
Sonic frowned. Okay he knew trying to tap electricity directly was too dangerous, but if he could gain access to Metal Sonic's mind it could be worth it. Then again if the pain could cripple him… "So, what am I doing wrong and how can I keep it from hurting me?"
Now Knuckles sighed. and looked at Sonic sternly. "The times when your headache paralyzed you were fighting Metal Sonic directly. You were trying to read his mind even though it was hurting you."
"Knowing what he's thinking would be an advantage," Sonic pointed out.
Knuckles groaned and shook his head, his ruby quills swaying with him. "Silver already said it. You're giving your mind and spirit third degree burns. That's why it hurts, and if you keep trying, you're going to burn out the connections you have to Shadow and Amy.
Suddenly a wave of deja vu washed over Sonic, and he realized why he didn't have a headache when he came out of the spell or whatever it was, they did to him. "We had this same talk while I was under, didn't we?" he asked.
Knuckles nodded, still looking uneasy.
"For the record, Knuckles didn't tell you anything while you were under," Tails said gently, "All he did was ask you questions. We just guided the questions so you would see what you were doing to yourself.
Sonic nodded now he understood why the failsafe on the guise worked. Tails had told him in kitsune This thing you are doing you must stop, by the High Kubi I command you! His subconscious reacted to the command, and he stopped trying to read Metal Sonic, but hours later the headache came back.
"So is the headache going to come back or what?" Sonic asked.
Knuckles shrugged. "It's your subconscious," he reminded him then added, "Shadow and Silver are going to teach you a few exercises that will help you gain more control of it. If you do get that headache again remind yourself why it's happening and why you need to stop. Both Shadow and Silver know techniques to help you with that.
"Thanks Knuckles," Sonic said.
Later Knuckles found Shadow still on Angel Island staring out towards the horizon a deep worried frown etched on his face. "Do you think that solved the problem?" Knuckles asked Shadow.
"For now," Shadow said not taking his eyes off the hills below. "If any of us notice Sonic in pain we will need to remind him that this is under his control."
Shadow's expression didn't change though. "Is something else bothering you?"
Shadow gave Knuckles a glare, but then with a sigh turned back to the view. "I was thinking of Metal Sonic. Can he feel what Sonic is doing? And could that data drive enhance the connection?"
Knuckles thought about that. "Sonic sensed Metal Sonic before he installed the drive, so I'm thinking that it's that accidental magic thing Tails mentioned. We have enough problems dealing with the original, I am not going to worry about his copy."
Shadow nodded in agreement but privately he disagreed. That the accidental magic Tails explained connected Sonic to his robotic doppelganger worried him. If Metal Sonic was now having difficulties, it might resonate down that link to Sonic, and then from Sonic to the rest of them.
Shadow resolved to speak to Deco and Boco the next day. They were the oldest of Doctor Eggman's creations after Metal Sonic. They didn't exactly trust Metal and would give Shadow the information he required. Shadow couldn't shake the feeling that Metal Sonic was now slightly out of balance after his encounter with the Spirit of Life.
I cannot allow Metal Sonic to remain out of balance. Sonic out of balance was bad enough, I don't want to find out what could happen if the robot designed to best Sonic is.