A/N: I gotta be honest, I'd been on the fence about whether or not I should publish this story. However, I figured it was better to be damned if I did than if I didn't, plus I'd spent so much time on this one, so yeah. Anyways, if the summary didn't dissuade you, then I will: if extreme language and references to disturbing stuff are not your bag, then please close this fanfic right now and read something fluffier. Otherwise, read on for a Sonic outing like no other! P.S., Don't get me wrong; I enjoyed Sonic Forces, but certain other games...not so much.
Also, this story was reprinted with permission from Other Dimensions magazine.
From sea to shining sea, the sun shone down on the Federal Republic of Columbia. With nary a cloud in the sky and the temperature at an average of 72 degrees Fahrenheit, it was the perfect day for families to go to the park, play sports, ride bikes or whatever it is the typical family would do on a day like this. Actually, given the changing ethnographic makeup of the FRC, it's quite hard to tell what counts as a "typical" family.
Getting back to the matter at hand, Sonic the Hedgehog and his friends would not be enjoying any of these activities today. The blue hedgehog and 16 other young people were going to prison. However, before anyone jumps to any conclusions or judgments, the reason they were going to prison was to attend a session of the Juvenile Outreach Instruction and Notification Team. The JOINT Program – better known in the popular parlance as "Scared Straight" – is billed as "an initiative from the inside aimed at keeping kids on the outside".
The JOINT Program was held at the Joseph K. Driscoll Correctional Facility. Located in the northeastern FRC about 30 minutes north of Hancock City, the Joseph K. Driscoll Correctional Facility has the reputation of being one of the toughest prisons in the country. Behind the barbed-wire fencing, the pristine red brick walls and the Victorian-style architecture, there lies a world of chipped paint, cold stone floors and unimaginable horrors committed by its inmates. It is within these walls that some of the prison's toughest inmates run the program. These inmates came in all shapes, colors, species and whatever: White, black, hedgehog, fox, Latino, bear, etc… They were done with ruining peoples' lives, and having been saddled with a collective sentence of over 1,000 years (not including life sentences), they are now trying to save lives by teaching kids about life in prison.
Prior to their visit, I interviewed Sonic and some of his friends about their thoughts on the whole thing:
"So Sonic," I asked, "how do you really feel about your fans?"
"That's easy," replied Sonic. "They're all way past cool! It's great havin' them around!"
"Yeah!" said Miles Prower, an orange fox known as "Tails" because of his two tails, "When I'm with Sonic, I get to know a lot of nice people!"
"Interesting," I said. "So why would you return the favor by giving them games they don't like?"
"Hey, I don't care!" replied Sonic. "I'm havin' a fun time, ya know, and at least somebody thinks I'm boss, right?"
"Yeah, I have fun with Sonic no matter what!" said Tails. "Maybe I do feel a little sad, though."
The other youngsters in Sonic's group expressed similar opinions, some of them coldly:
"I could care less about those peons," said Shadow, a black-and-red hedgehog who bore an odd resemblance to Sonic. "Whatever I do, I do it for me and I do it for her. So far, I have been successful, and I see no reason to change my ways."
"Honestly, I don't know these people," said Knuckles, a red echidna with a crescent mark on his chest, "so I really don't feel too bad for them."
"But I was just doing what I felt was right!" said Silver, a silver (naturally) hedgehog with white chest fur and a distinct plumage on his forehead. "I was just trying to protect the future!"
"I like Froggy," said Big, a large, purple cat with dark purple stripes and large ears.
Many of the prisoners that Sonic and co. were about to meet had begun their criminal careers at a young age. Coincidentally, Sonic and co. had also embarked on their adventures when they were young:
"I don't remember how old I was when I was assigned to protect the Master Emerald," said Knuckles.
"Me? Oh, around 2 years old," said Tails.
Sonic shrugged. "I guess 5, 6…maybe 7."
"I estimate that I was 4 years old," said Espio, a purple chameleon with a yellow horn.
"I dunno. 12?" said Vector the Crocodile, one of the largest in the group. To me, he seemed quite old compared to the others.
"I was 8," said Amy Rose, a pink hedgehog wearing a red dress plus matching shoes and headband.
"12," said Silver.
Every Monday through Friday, juveniles from the tri-state area pay a visit to the Joseph K. Driscoll Correctional facility to take part in the JOINT Program. These juveniles take part in the program for many different reasons. The reason that the Sonic crew was enrolled because a number of their more recent video games were of questionable quality. Whatever the reason, though, juveniles have to cross through a metal detector when they come here. It's fairly common for the machine to detect seemingly innocuous items such as keys or jewelry, but they do get a few positives. Very rarely, however, will anyone even think about defying the guards, let alone actually defy them.
On this particular visit, Shadow tripped the metal detector.
"Empty your pockets, kid!" ordered the guard standing by the metal detector. A white man at least six feet tall, with his hair high and tight, he very much looked the part. He, like all the guards here, wore a dark gray military-style uniform.
"As you wish, sir." I could feel the contempt in Shadow's voice as he did what he was told. He removed a few guns: A Walther P38, a Smith & Wesson Model 29, an MP5, an M16 and an M79, plus ammunition. The guard was very quick to snatch them away.
"All right, get your ass back in the line!" snapped the guard. "You're lucky we don't throw you in prison right now!"
"You can't put me in here," said Shadow, holding a clenched fist over his heart. "I am the Ultimate Life Form!"
"Hey, I said shut up and get back in the goddamn line!" Shadow did as he was told and walked back through the metal detector, and this time, it didn't trigger.
Ordinarily, when it comes to the individuals involved in these articles, I try to remain as neutral and detached as much as possible. However, at that moment, I couldn't help but feel sorry for Shadow. The way he talked, the way he interacted with others, I just felt that there was something really wrong with him and that maybe the JOINT Program would help him.
But all that aside, upon passing through the metal detector, Sonic and friends passed through a small room that served as a staging area. Moving in a single-file line, they proceeded to the cell block area.
"OK, keep going," said another guard, a gray fox. "Follow the sergeant."
As the group went further and further into the cell block area, any smiles that anyone might have been wearing faded away. Judging by the way everyone's eyes darted around, they seemed to be more fearful, except perhaps Shadow and Espio. It was as if the atmosphere was pervaded by a certain sense of hopelessness.
"Hey man, check out this sweet little thang right here!" said one of the prisoners.
"Ooh mama, I want me some of that ass!" said another, who whistled.
"Come on in here!" said another prisoner. "I'm gonna make you my bitch! Mmm-mmm, yeah!" The prisoners kept going with those kinds of comments, as if they were deliberately trying to intensify the aforementioned sense of hopelessness.
Logically, Sonic and his friends should've had nothing to fear. After all, there were steel bars between them and the prisoners, plus some well-armed and well-trained guards watching over them. However, in an environment like this, it was difficult to think about that old adage of "sticks and stones". I even had some trouble with that myself. Nevertheless, I took a deep breath and vowed to carry out my duties as a journalist.
In the meantime, the sergeant, a black guy well over six feet tall, was giving the kids a little tour of the prison, showing them some of the cell blocks, the cafeteria, the various shops, the yard and the door leading to Death Row (although we never went in there).
In Cell Block D, the sergeant escorted the group to an empty cell.
"All right, you first four dudes go in there," ordered the sergeant. Sonic, Tails, Knuckles and Shadow walked in. Another guard pressed a button on a control panel and the door closed behind them. The interior of the cell wasn't exactly cramped, but it was small and uncomfortable for four people. There was a bunk bed, a stainless steel sink and stainless steel toilet. The walls, made of unpainted concrete, had graffiti scratched onto them, with phrases like "1-8-7, RIDE OR DIE" and "ANTHROS SUCK ASS, 14/88". There were also the usual tally marks left by prisoners past.
Inside the cell, Shadow sat down on the bed.
"Hey, get off of that man's bed!" ordered the sergeant. Shadow did so.
"Listen, I don't care how tough y'all think you are," said the sergeant, "but when ya get in here, you ain't goin' nowhere for a long time!"
Earlier, I had also interviewed Sonic and the others about their attitudes towards life and crime:
"It doesn't matter," replied Silver. "I must protect the future! If anyone tries to harm me, I'll keep going!"
"Hey man, I live life by my own rules!" said Sonic, his smile never faltering. "When I wanna do something, I do it right away and do it when I can! It's the only way to live life without regrets! Sure, I try to be a good guy, but if the fuzz comes after me…well, that's just one of the hazards of my job, ya dig?"
"Yeah, Sonic's the man!" said Tails.
"I try to keep my spirit focused," said Espio. "Discipline is the key to success. Knowledge is also a powerful tool. A true ninja can never be wrong if he has the knowledge that he is doing what's right."
"If you say 'If I commit a crime, how do I feel?'" began Sonic, "Well…that depends. If I know I ain't doin' anything wrong, I'm not gonna feel too bummed out. In fact, I might do it again!"
"I may steal something if given the correct opportunity," said Espio.
"What do you mean by 'the correct opportunity'?" I asked.
"A true ninja must never steal something unless it is for a good reason."
"Such as?"
"For example, I find it perfectly acceptable to steal from somebody like Dr. Robotnik."
"I've killed a few people," said Silver, "but sometimes, I ask myself: To kill someone to save the world…is that really the right thing to do?"
"Is it?" I asked.
Silver rubbed the back of his head. "Well…I…it just depends…"
"Hey, they gotta catch me!" Sonic wagged his index finger at me. "Nobody's gonna catch me, though, 'cause I'm The Fastest Thing Alive, baby!"
Back in the prison cell, Sonic, Tails, Knuckles and Shadow were still checking it out.
"Hey, why don't ya smell the toilet bowl, kids?" said the sergeant.
"Hey, I can already smell it from here!" Sonic was holding his nose.
"You can? Well, just look at it, shorty! It don't matter how long you comin' here for, 'cause we gonna put you in a cell like this, and let me tell ya, we got a good mind to keep y'all in here for the rest of the tour, aight? You guys ain't so tough!"
I had a few more questions for Sonic and his friends:
"Hey, we ain't thieves," began Vector, "but if we had to steal, we'd definitely steal from some egghead like Dr. Robotnik! Heck, he's got all them robots and stuff zippin' around; I'm sure that cue ball can replace 'em!"
"Ya know, the worst thing I ever did was gettin' tricked by Dr. Robotnik into thinkin' that Sonic wanted to steal the Master Emerald," said Knuckles.
"And why did you let that happen?" I asked.
"Hey, he told it to me, so I thought it must have been true!"
"If Sonic's gonna do something, then I would most likely do it too," said Tails. "I mean, Sonic's a good guy and he does awesome things!"
"I wouldn't really rob anybody…" said Silver.
"Would you do it if you could?" I asked.
Silver put his hand up to his chin. "Well…I might rob Mephiles, but definitely not someone like Blaze or a little old lady."
"All right, you three girls go on in!" Amy went into the cell along with Blaze the Cat and Rouge the Bat.
I had also interviewed these young ladies prior to their visit as well:
"Sometimes, I have lost control of myself," said Blaze, a light purple cat wearing a purple robe and rose-colored high-heel shoes. "It is one of the difficulties I have had while living with my curse…my flames. Because of my powers, I have always been alone!"
"Stealing, stealing, oh…and more stealing!" said Rouge, a voluptuous bat wearing a black bodysuit, pink heart-shaped breastplate plus matching white gloves and boots.
"Well, I have committed assault and battery before," said Amy.
"What I steal, I need," said Rouge, "and I need gems! The color, the shine…oh, it's so breathtaking! You should try stealing some for yourself!"
Although I cannot condone such behavior, I should like to note that I found this idea strangely charming at the time. Whatever it is, that girl put a spell on me.
Now anyways, if these ladies and gentlemen look like cute little video game mascots, remember why they're here: Game-breaking glitches, over-reliance on certain gimmicks, awkward controls, eccentric camera systems, artificial difficulty, convoluted plots and other things. The issues with their games are hardly child's play.
Criticism is gold. Negativity and nitpicking are pyrite.