Project Gemma
BY: Alessandra Darkstar
CHAPTER 1:
Mary led a normal life. She went to school during the week, slept in on the weekends, and watched TV on spare time. She was in the school play, which was no great achievement, seeing how it was her 5th play. Although she was a great dancer, apparently she was just a fair actress, because she couldn't get past "Dance Ensemble One." Mary wanted a greater task, so she started to practice her acting by going on google and finding random scripts and practicing. Yet, try as she might, she was just too good a dancer to be anything else.
Mary's life had become almost too normal for her. It was fun to be in theatre, with all the crazy people and hilarious mistakes on stage, but some of those random parts of life became predictable. She laughed for the sake of her friends, but in truth, found no humor in someone coming up to her and saying a random "Monty Python" quote…it became old.
Mary was dying for something new, for an adventure. That would not happen at school, since teachers are predictable, and friends were slowly but surely getting predictable, and no boy ever thought more of her other than a bright and fun girl. (Actually most the guys she liked ended up dating her friends…big surprise there!) Mary just wanted something new!
Be careful what you wish for!
On a day that was not much different than others, Mary was sitting upstairs, doing homework, wondering if she could get a date to the next dance, when a light appeared. She looked at it; it was right in front of her eyes and expanding quickly. She dropped her pencil and blocked her eyes, it was so bright! Yet her hand couldn't block out the fact that the light was encircling her, slowly enveloping her. She began to panic and tried to run away, but she could not leave the confines of the light.
The light swirled and swirled around her, and she was too mystified to think, everything was spinning, the room, her computer, the stars…the stars? Where was she? She suddenly freaked out and began struggling wildly at the sight of the stars spinning around her, but as soon as it began, it was over, and she found herself on a cold cement floor. She looked up, but her vision was blurred. She was dizzy, disoriented, and just plain confused. All she saw was a red shape, looking over her, and then blackness came.
CHAPTER 2:
I slowly regained consciousness, which is never a pleasant thing. First your swimming, and cannot feel a thing, and than all of a sudden, the pain comes, and you wish you hadn't woken up! I opened my eyes slowly, painfully. I didn't have the strength to lift my head, I felt so incredibly weak!
I slowly regained consciousness of my surroundings. I found that I was in a lab, and somehow, was suspended in air. I felt pressure all around me, keeping me in place; my arms were stretched out to either side of me. It seemed my head was the only thing free from this invisible prison.
"Ah, you're awake at last Miss Mary." A voice said as if from nowhere. I looked to try and see where it was coming from. My vision was slowly improving, and I saw the outline of a man in a red shirt.
"…wh…who…are…you?" I asked weakly.
"I am of no importance. I am more interested in you Miss Mary. Yet, the name 'Mary' doesn't seem to fit you anymore…lets just call you…Gemma."
"…gem…ma?"
"Yes, you definitely don't look like the strawberry blonde with pacific blue eyes and a dazzling smile you used to be."
"…used…to be?" I asked alarmed, although my voice still sounded as weak as ever, and not at all threatening.
"Oh yes, I forgot, you haven't seen yourself in a mirror lately have you?"
It was then that a large mirror suddenly lowered from the ceiling directly in front of me. Once the figure in the mirror was looking at me square in the face, I thought it was fake, yet when I moved, it moved. What I saw there definitely contrasted what I was.
In the mirror, staring back at me was a white hedgehog. It looked liked something out of the world of Sonic. Her fur was white, and her eyes were still blue, but were covered by painted purple eyelids that sparkled as she blinked, with strong lashes. Although she was a hedgehog her figure still stood out in the purple dress. It was a halter, and came down a bit above her knees. The Purple on white made her stand out and look spectacular and her blue dazzling eyes only added to the effect, yet I was not taken away with how beautiful she looked, I was having trouble just getting over the fact that I was the white hedgehog.
White hedgehog…Sonic…wait…could it be?
"Dr. Eggman," I said, all weakness gone at the sudden realization that I had been snatched away into one of my favorite Video Games.
"I knew you would figure it out! You are very intelligent!"
"…How?"
"Quite simply, I used the chaos emeralds to create a space rift, and transported you from your world into mine."
"Why? Why do you want me in your world? Why am I a white hedgehog?"
"O little Gemma, use your imagination. Ever noticed how the animals in this world have special powers? Ever wondered what your power would be if you were one?"
I suddenly realized why I had been kidnapped by Dr. Eggman. Somehow in the journey to this world she had transformed into a white hedgehog with a power that Eggman wanted. What that power was exactly, I had no idea.
"I'm guessing I fit in some weird bizarre scheme to try and conquer something in order to gain something. Am I right?"
"Correct! You really are a smart girl!"
"Smart is Right!" said a voice I was so grateful to hear! The look on Eggman's face was priceless and comical with surprise, for standing on top of a cupboard near a small vent opening was Sonic the hedgehog!
"Sonic! How did you get in here?"
"Same old way!" he replied just as casual as always.
"Well you won't escape me now!"
I looked up at him in hope, and he smiled at me, just as Shadow rushed out behind him. I'm guessing he was using Chaos Control, because Eggman didn't' see him, but somehow my eyes had become insanely sharp. He went to a computer, entered something, and I felt wind rustle my fur. I fell from the airtight confinement and was very disoriented. I didn't know exactly where to turn or where to go, this was Sonic and Shadow's show, not mine.
Shadow answered the question by quickly catching me up in his arms.
"Chaos Control" he said while holding a green emerald. We were suddenly racing out of the base, and once outside, we stopped in a forest. Shadow than put me down, but I at once fell again in his arms.
"Try not to move" he said. I laid in the grass, grateful for the way it felt.
"What about Sonic?" I asked.
"He can handle it."
As if in answer a blue streak was seen racing the fields toward us, and Sonic ran up to us.
"Not a bad rescue, eh Gemma?"
"No, as a mater of fact it was perfect! Yet, why did you come to rescue me?"
"No special reason" he said even more casually.
"I believe there is a special reason." I looked at them both, Shadow kept his knowing frown that made him look so mysterious and wondrous at the same time.
"Shadow? Will you tell me"
"We rescued you to keep Eggman from using your power."
"See Sonic, that's all the answer I need."
I was still lying on the grass, still feeling too weak to move. I tried to rise but soon wish I hadn't, for as soon as I did my head began to pound like it would never stop and I fell back down.
"Don't try to move" Shadow said, "You are still too weak."
"I hope you boys weren't planning on going anywhere soon, because it might be a while for me."
"Don't worry about it!" Sonic said, and then started to run.
"Where is he going?" I asked Shadow.
"Where I am going to take you," he said, and then picked me up again. He began to run, and soon we even caught up to Sonic. As we ran I was overtaken by the gently "wum wum" from Shadow's shoes, and the rock of his run, and fell asleep in his arms.
CHAPTER 3:
I awoke feeling almost more weak than I did when I awoke in Eggman's base, if that was possible. My eyes felt heavy, and I slowly and painfully opened them. I looked around to find that I was on a bed in a small room, and sitting next to me was a character I've only seen in Video Games. It was awesome!
"You're awake!" Tails said excited, and hurriedly rushed to the door and shouted, "Hey guys! She's awake!" In walked my favorite group of fictional characters! I saw Sonic, Knuckles, Shadow, and Rouge enter the room. The excitement of seeing them gave me strength to sit up and lean against the wall.
"Well look who's finally up!" Sonic said.
"Are you all right?" Shadow said with concern.
"…water…" I said weakly, still not having much strength. Tails got up and gwent to a pitcher and a cup on the desk, and Rouge walks up to the bed.
"Well, its not like she was imprisoned for a week without any food, now is it Shadow? Of course not! She's fine." Rouge said with her usually sarcasm. Shadow just continues to frown like always.
"Perhaps this will help her regain her strength" Shadow said, and he pushed a Purple Chaos emerald in my hand. Instantly I felt energy sweep through me, and my eyes snapped open, and I got up. Everyone was staring at me in surprise, except Shadow who had a knowing half-smile.
"Never mind Tails, I'm not thirsty or hungry."
"What the-? A second ago you were half dead!" Knuckles said shocked.
"You know more than you told Shadow." Sonic said with a quick glance at Shadow.
"You forget that when we were infiltrating the base, I went to disable a door."
"You learned something in that computer didn't ya?"
"Wait, I'm confused. Why did you come after me at all?" I said.
"Well, we didn't initially start out to rescue you." Tails said.
"What?"
"Several weeks ago, we came across some information stolen from Eggman's base." Shadow said. "It referred to something called 'Project Gemma'. It was not very clear exactly what 'Gemma' was, but from the sounds of it, Eggman was planning to make a weapon powerful enough to destroy a country in a blink of an eye." Shadow looked at me. I suddenly felt guilty, as if I had already destroyed the whole world. Gemma he had called me. Was I this weapon, with this special power he alluded to?
"We couldn't allow him to have a weapon that powerful. I was sent to find and destroy it." Shadow continued.
"Destroy me," I corrected.
"…Yes." Shadow said looking down.
"Yet we couldn't do that," Rouge chirped in.
"We overheard Dr. Eggman call you Gemma, and realized you were the weapon." Shadow said.
"So I convinced Shadow to just blast Eggman's base and rescue you." Sonic said.
"Well, if I really am dangerous, maybe you should have destroyed me." I said, completely calm. Everyone looked at me with surprise, even Shadow looked surprised.
"'The needs of the many, outweigh the needs of the few, or the one'" I said, quoting Spock from Star Trek.
"Wise words," Shadow said, "but your destruction is not necessary. As long as we keep you from Eggman you would not be a threat."
"But lets suppose Eggman captures me and uses my power? Whatever my power could be."
"Your power is too intense to be harnessed as he believes." Shadow said calmly.
"Oh come on Shadow! Stop being so mysterious and tell us what you learned on that computer in Eggman's base!" Knuckles said, getting impatient.
"You're power is greater than the 7 chaos emeralds put together." He said, I was shocked, as was everyone else. How could someone as weak and normal as me have that much power?
"Explain please" Rouge said.
"If you come into contact with a chaos emerald, it will automatically download its power into you. That power will be stored inside you, and will only come out when needed or when you exert yourself." Shadow said, "If you come into contact with all 7 of the chaos emeralds, a power will be stored inside you so great that you will not be able to contain it, and it will be exerted itself in a terrible way from you."
"So if I come into contact with the 7 chaos emeralds all at once, I'll blow up everything around me?" I said, suddenly realizing how dangerous a power like that could be, and I put down the purple emerald. "What could Eggman gain from that?"
"He could gain nothing, if he does not harness the energy for himself. He was searching for a way to channel the energy. He was planning on putting the energy into a weapon, and use that to threaten countries to give him whatever he wanted." Shadow said.
"He just never gives up does he?" Tails said.
"No villain ever gives up the want of world domination." Rouge said.
"And you would know all about that wouldn't you, Miss Treasure-hunter?" Knuckles said accusingly. Why couldn't those two get along? Rouge just straighten her wings and looked unaffected. Knuckles looked annoyed.
"What if he finishes his research and does make the weapon?" I said, feeling guilty for some reason.
"He won't, we are going to make sure of it." Shadow said determined.
"Sounds like fun! Let's wreck Eggman's plans one more time!" Sonic said excited.
"All right!" Tails said, both of his tails were spinning and he was hovering above my head, excited as well.
"I'll stick around a bit longer" Rouge said.
"Don't stay on my account!" Knuckles said.
"I'm game!" I said, not wanting to be left out, I grabbed the Purple Chaos emerald and felt its power surge through me, and headed for the door, following Sonic.
"Try not to fall behind!" Sonic said, and he began to run.
CHAPTER 4:
I followed him, and kept an easy pace to meet his. I knew he was slowing me down so I dashed ahead and ran up and around a circular arch with rings on it. At the end was a ramp, and I did a flip in the air and landed perfectly. That would've gotten me a "Perfect" rating on the video game, I thought. I paused, waiting for everyone to catch up. Sonic and Shadow ran ahead, and Rouge and Knuckles was running behind them, Tails was in the air.
"Whoa, that's fast!" Sonic said, "I think Eggman will have a rough time holding you down."
"I've never run so fast before!" I said excited and exhilarated. "This is totally the best surprise and most awesome thing that's happened to my life in a while!" I said, remembering the life of dull old predictable Mary, and loving the exciting life of Gemma.
"What do you mean by that?" Tails said surprised. "How could you not know your own strength?"
I debated on whether telling them I was from another universe where I was a normal person. I didn't know if they would freak out, or just accept that Eggman was capable of anything. I decided truth was better than lies and I told them all about my life before Eggman captured and transformed me. I even told them about my passion for drama and all the plays I had been in. Tails, Shadow and Rouge listened patiently but Sonic and Knuckles was anxious to get going again, although they got very interested when I told them about my transformation into Gemma.
"So to answer your initial question Tails," I said, suddenly remember why I was telling them all this, "I have no idea what I'm capable of as Gemma."
"Well, it looks like you'll learn as you go!" Sonic said.
"Fine with me, now lets get moving!" I said, and began to run ahead. As I ran, I thought back to all the games I ever played for Sonic. I played "Sonic Adventures 2: Battle", "Sonic Heros", and half of that one made in 2006 for xbox 360, (only half of it because I played it on my cousins xbox, because I didn't have one). I remember how it was all set into stages and in between two or three there was always a random boss. I wondered if this adventure would be like those. Probably, I thought, I wonder what bosses I will have to defeat, and if I will have learned enough of my power to defeat them.
All this I thought, while running through a forest, following the trail of rings, just as I did in the games. Then I saw in front of me Eggman's robots, and I stopped, waiting for everyone else. I had no idea how I would defeat them, unless I ran past them. Sonic ran up.
"Why you slowing down?" he asked.
"I don't know how to defeat those robots" I said, pointing at them.
"Of that's nothing, just try to copy what I do!" he said, and than ran ahead. He did a homing attack, and took them out in a few seconds. With my new sharp eyes, I finally realized everything he did in a Homing attack. He jumped in a flip, but at the top of his jump, he suddenly straightens out and located an enemy and shot forward towards it once again a ball, hitting the enemy. This somehow killed robots…who knew?
He killed all of them except one, he paused and looked at me. I copied his motions, yet when I projected myself forward, I didn't scrunch into a ball, and when I hit the robot, all of my rings disappeared from wherever I store them, (maybe in that invisible backpack my chaos emerald is in, not sure). I fell, stunned. Sonic took out the last one. At this point everyone else had caught up, and I was stunned for a moment after failing at a homing attack. As soon as I realized what was going on I grabbed one ring before it disappeared.
"Guess my tactics won't help you much." Sonic said, "here, see if this helps." He tossed me a blue chaos emerald, the buzz of energy through me terrified and fascinated me at the same time.
"Let's go!" I said, and ran ahead. I came to more enemies, and I calmly jumped into the air, and froze in midair for a moment, I drew all my strength up, and swung my hand toward the first enemy, energy shot from my hand and struck the enemy down. It didn't take to long to eliminate the others.
"It helped!" I said to Sonic. I began to hand the chaos emerald back to him, but he shoved it back to me and said, "You need it more than I do." His hands brushed mine, and mine were on the chaos emerald. The emerald flashed and gave off a strange light. I retreated, and dropped it in fear.