iv. The Red and the Black
Gerald was in the lab, monitoring the progress of the new Shadow. The Gizoid was stationed next to the unit, as it was at all times that it was not actually with Maria. Whether due to the Chaos Emerald, the Black Arms' "device" (which looked more grown than constructed) or a combination of the two, the embryo had already progressed well into fetal stage. That same alien device had provided some interesting study for Gerald, including showing him better ways to both detect and access the Comet - for it seemed to be in constantly communicating with the alien craft.
What he had managed to discover was rather alarming and supported the Gizoid's information; in response he had made a few adjustments to the embryo, although externally it looked perfectly normal. With the lights low, Gerald was looking through the window, noting that the first spines were starting to show through and pigment was appearing under the skin - and nearly jumped out of his own skin as Maria jumped up next to him!
"What's in there, Grandfather?" She asked, jumping up and down a few more times, trying to see in the window. Gerald caught her before she knocked into the unit and picked her up so she could look.
"It's going to be a hedgehog, a dokan like Rafe. He's going to be a very special and important person, and I'll need you to help me take care of him."
"Of course I'll help!" Maria loved to help people. "But why is he so important Grandfather?"
"Because..." He still could not bring himself to tell her that it might help him cure her. "Because he will have the ability to make a lot of people happy, and make life better for everyone." Stretching a point perhaps, but the ability to cure diseases and save lives would certainly do the first; although the second would rather depend on subsequent control of the birth rates. But he could hardly explain that to an eight-year-old.
"Grandfather?" Maria interrupted his thoughts. "Do you think he'll let me help? I want to make people happy too."
"I'm sure he will," Gerald smiled at her as he lowered her back to the floor, "you make plenty of people here on the ARK happy."
Maria flashed him that dazzling grin and skipped across the room - then stopped. "Oh. Dr. Jansen asked me to ask you if you could look at the Biolizard. She's acting weird, or something. Bye!" She ran on out of the room.
Gerald frowned. He had taken some of the blood that Black Doom had poured into the dish and added it to the Biolizard's life-support unit. He was trying to determine what effect it might have on the new Shadow, although there was no evidence that the already-modified genes had been further altered by the exposure to it. (He'd also run some other studies on the blood, making a few discoveries that had caused him to make an additional couple of quick changes in the embryo to forestall future problems.) The Biolizard's newest life support unit consisted of a specially-enlarged chaos generator strapped to her back and a pipe that ran up towards her mouth. She had not appeared to respond to the introduction of the green blood into the unit, unless her temper was worse; but that had always been erratic. He'd go down in a few minutes.
First he entered the notes on the current incarnation of Shadow, and sent off a carefully worded proposal for a major weapon to be constructed on and hidden within the ARK. Playing on the military's standard paranoia, he hoped to get permission to construct a defense against the Comet's return, without actually bringing aliens into the picture. The media had recently been panic-mongering about "near-miss" asteroids and comets again, which actually aided his plans, as it gave him a plausible reason to offer a solution. Having sent that on to HQ, he went down to see the Biolizard.
He honestly couldn't tell much difference in her behavior as he monitored her over the next few months. Maria turned nine and had a party with all her classmates, although she still had only Mokie who could really be called a "friend". Occasionally that worried Gerald, but she always seemed perfectly happy with him and Mokie, and got on with everyone on the ARK. Anyway, everyone had a good time as far as Gerald could tell - especially Maria, who chattered on about the party constantly as they monitored the progress of the infant hedgehog.
In spite of Gerald's expectation, the hedgehog had turned out to be black, with red stripes on his head quills, arms and legs. The quills however appeared to be conforming to his intended design, perhaps the alien blood had affected the color somehow. Maria had named the little creature Shadow "because the red streaks make him like the shadows cast by a fire." Gerald didn't quite follow the logic to that, but it simplified things that she'd named him the same as the project codename. As with the Biolizard, Maria knew that Shadow was to be kept strictly secret; not even Mokie knew of the two creatures' existence. It was very exciting to share such an important secret.
As the hedgehog grew, Gerald had activated the "sleep-learning" system. Once the infant's eyes were open, a visor was fitted. Not exactly asleep, but not awake either, the little hedgehog absorbed knowledge through sight and sound - he would be "born" in three months time with a full education but no experience. Meanwhile he grew apace. Gerald had designed, at Maria's instigation, hover shoes that were similar to her own hoverskates. Instead of being powered by chaos engines though, he had pulled out an old design of Mary's to power them by some of the strange golden rings they had researched so long ago.Over the years the rings had appeared in other places, all over the world - although they did mostly concentrate in the Southern hemisphere. They had even turned up on the ARK, although GUN tried to remove them whenever they appeared.Gerald had managed to collect a few, dropping them over plants as Mary had discovered so long ago to keep them from vanishing.
The end of the four months arrived. Maria was asked to collect a bouquet from the hydroponics lab after school - which Gerald knew could take an hour or more, since she'd want to get it just right to welcome Shadow. Black Doom arrived and Gerald keyed in the release sequence to the unit containing the new hedgehog. He'd removed the visor and dressed Shadow in gloves and hover shoes earlier that day. The pod swung upright, and Gerald felt a thrill run through him as the black and red hedgehog opened his scarlet eyes and awoke for the first time. No one inside the lab heard the gasp outside the door, as a boy with mis-matched eyes peeked in through the window and took in the alien and the hedgehog. Nor were they aware as Mokie fled in terror.
Now Black Doom made his anticipated demand, that Gerald have Shadow bring him the seven Chaos Emeralds in 50 years time when the comet returned. Gerald worded his reply carefully. "As you have kept your part of the bargain, so Shadow will keep ours." Black Doom then repeated his demand to the new hedgehog, who was still looking rather bemused, and left. Gerald wasn't certain that Shadow had even heard the alien, or registered his presence. He intended Shadow to bring the Emeralds as promised, but as Black Doom had been deceitful about his own plans, so the instructions Gerald would leave Shadow would modify their end of the deal - not repayment but destruction.
"Shadow," he called gently, "look at me, my son."
The hedgehog stood a moment or two longer, staring around the lab, then turned towards Gerald. The eyes, the same color as the stripes on his quills, looked at Gerald blankly, then suddenly cleared. "You are...Professor Gerald Robotnik." The voice unusually deep for a dokan hedgehog. The identities of Gerald and Maria had been part of the sleep-training.
"Yes. I am Professor Gerald, your father." They both turned towards the door as it opened to let Maria skip through, her arms full of flowers. She stopped dead at the sight of the hedgehog standing there, her momentary surprise shifting to absolute delight as her usual smile lit up her face.
Shadow involuntarily smiled back as Gerald added, "And this is Maria, your sister."