AN: Prelude to Tragedy is the name of this whole chapter, really; the title of the first part of each chapter tends to reflect the whole chapter's theme. So, two more parts of 7 before we get to Chapter 8 Tragedy, which you are hopefully dreading if I've done my job right. I'm currently working on chapter 9 (if I catch up I'll have to drop back to once a week posting) which I think will be the last chapter - but then, I'd originally thought it would have 6 chapters. After that, I'm not sure what I'll do, since SEGA seems to be modifying Shadow's past again in the new game - fortunately it's after all of these events.
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iii. The End of the Beginning
Gerald hurried out of the main GUN headquarters towards the waiting taxi. It was done: the Gizoid was officially handed over to the Research Division and would be returned to Kauai. He had ordered the robot to obey Dr. Collins, who would be "escorting" it back to the island ARK, knowing that there were at least two people on Kauai who knew how to form a link with the Gizoid. He was certain that the commands he'd given it to absorb no more weapons and to avoid fighting would soon be countermanded by a new master. Still, as he had told Shadow, he did not see what else he could do. The Space Colony ARK would already be shut down if not for the bribe of the Gizoid; even that would probably not delay the fate by more than a year, and that much only if Gerald was VERY lucky. But the experiments with the rats and Shadow's cell extract were so promising - perhaps a year would be enough. For now, though, he pushed the worry aside and focused on the much more pleasant portion of his trip. Getting into the taxi he asked the driver to take him to "Robotnik Inc."
Arriving at the factory gate, Gerald stepped out of the taxi and was surprised when a guard stepped out of the guardhouse and paid the driver. "Professor Robotnik, sir, Mr. Robotnik asked me to escort you to his office. This way, please."
Gerald followed the guard through a maze of hallways and to a door set into a glass wall. On the other side was a large desk and chair, currently unoccupied. Off to the right Ivan was crouched nearly double with two other men, one clearly an engineer, the other - possibly a client? Ivan and the third man glanced up as Gerald was ushered into the office. "Hi Dad, be with you in two ticks." Turning to the engineer-type, Ivan instructed, "Okay Steve, we've got the dirt collecting subroutines straight, I think. Now we need to fix the problem with the carpet nap recognition. It won't do any good to sell a vacuum cleaner replacement that actually eats your carpet. And thanks for coming in to look at it Joe, I'll let you know when we're ready for some in-home tests." Smiling pleasantly, he saw the two men out of the office.
"So, Dad," he turned back to Gerald. "It's great to see you. Shall we go see Ivo and Katherine?"
"Please," answered Gerald. "Although I'd love a tour of the factory if we have a chance later."
"Count on it. I'd like to get your opinions." Ivan led the way to the underground garage, and grinned as his father realized that many of the cars had no wheels. "You like? It's an extension of the hover technology in my extreme gear. AND the cars are nonpolluting since they run on Chaos drives. Would you believe that the oil lobby has gotten them banned in several regions? They hyped up the 'mysterious and nearly undetectable radiation', leaving out the fact that said radiation has nothing but beneficial effects," Ivan scowled briefly as he pulled out into traffic. "Fortunately, we'd presented the mayor's and governor's offices with some of the first models - very convenient that this is the regional capital and the governor is here - and had already sold more to replace a portion of the city's motor fleet before Big Oil really noticed our 'dangerously experimental' vehicles. Ah well, it does fit the 'City of the Future' slogan to have flying cars." He laughed, and Gerald joined in.
Soon enough they turned into a neighborhood of large but not ostentatious houses and neatly-kept lawns. Ivan pulled into a garage and turned off the car. The two men were greeted at the door into the house by Katherine and the new baby. "Hi, Dad," she laughed, "glad you could make it. Here, dear, you're just in time..."she handed the infant to Ivan with a smirk and vanished into another room.
"In time?" started a bewildered Ivan, " in time for...oh. Um, would you like to see the nursery, Dad?"
Gerald, whose nose had already identified what Ivan was in time for, chuckled and gestured for his son to lead the way. While Ivan worked through the still unfamiliar routine of changing a diaper, Gerald got a good look at his new grandson.
He looks like an egg! was his first thought. The baby's head, though still a bit odd-shaped from birth, was almost completely bald with just the slightest ginger tint hinting at the hair there would be. Ivo's eyes were still that ambiguous newborn shade; whether he'd inherited Mary's blue eyes, his mother's green, or would match his father's and grandfather's color was as yet unknown. His body was rather ovoid, baby-chubby, where Maria had been a slim child even at birth. Like Maria, though, he was fascinated by the bushy white moustache over his head and rather indignant that Gerald kept it out of reach of his clutching fists.
They rejoined Katherine and she took the baby back and dispatched Ivan to get drinks; Gerald pulled out Maria's baby gift and one from himself as well. Once Ivan returned, he opened the presents. They were most delighted, of course, by Maria's hand-decorated set of baby gear.
"But what are they?" asked Katherine, regarding the cross-stitched chao in perplexity. "They're cute, but I've never seen anything like them before."
"They're called chao," explained Gerald. "They live in the south, and the dokan keep them as pets sometimes. At one time they were thought to be messengers from the gods, and were offered gifts as pleas for good fortune." He did not mention his conviction that the mysterious sample from which he had developed so many creations and creatures was actually a sample of chao genes. Instead he told the new parents what he'd learned from Misty about raising chao: how they could take on characteristics of other animals while they were young, resulting in different appearances as they matured, even though all hatched looking the same but for color.
Before long though, Katherine had to excuse herself to put the baby and herself down for a nap. Gerald and Ivan went into the kitchen to sort out supper plans. Gerald found himself assigned to making a salad and roasting frozen french fries, while Ivan took the hamburgers out to the grill. He spent the next two weeks puttering around the house assisting as needed (ah, the nearly forgotten 'joys' of a new infant) and poking his nose around the new Robotnik Inc. Robot Division. The vacuuming robot was adjusted so it no longer tore up the nap of the carpets - it turned out it was a little mouse-like thing that scuttled around empty rooms or at night and collected small trash, dirt and dust. It also sorted out things like pins and coins and put them in its "nest" where they could be recovered; the nest also served as a recharge station. Gerald offered a few suggestions when asked, but mostly managed to remember his manners - it was Ivan's company, after all, not his.
He was sorry to say goodbye at the end of the two weeks, but glad to be going back to Maria and Shadow. He also suspected that even a helpful guest was more of an intrusion than anything with a new baby, but Ivan and Katherine had refused to hear of his staying in a hotel; he'd done as much as he could to help out, including simply staying out of the way at times. At any rate, he boarded the shuttle eagerly anticipating his reunion with his granddaughter.
He was so focused on his expected welcome that James Scott had to actually tap him on the shoulder to get his attention. Gerald blinked at him blankly a few time before his mind returned to the shuttle and recognized his fellow researcher. "James," he said and frowned. Something in the other man's expression made him lower his voice before asking, "What's wrong?"
"You haven't heard." It was a statement, not a question, and equally sotto voce to Gerald's query. "Word is that one of us going back to the ARK is carrying the good old Bellerophontic letter. The ARK's going to be closed down, Ger, it's all over the research quarter but no one knows anything official. That lizard of yours breaking loose - that was the excuse they needed. They're going to evacuate the civilians and lock up all the Project: Shadow members. They say that Shadow's too dangerous to be left to run loose."
"Shadow? The Biolizard was contained, she's in stasis and will stay that way..."
"Not the lizard!" hissed James. "Those idiots in HQ can't tell RNA from DNA. You think they can tell the difference between Project: Shadow the lizard and Project: Shadow the hedgehog? Besides, they don't care; they just want to lock us down somewhere they can use our brains without paying for it. They're just after an excuse to declare the Colony a failure that can be pinned on us!"
"But..." Gerald struggled to comprehend what he was hearing. James Scott was a biochemist, one of the ones who believed that every facet of life could be pinned down and traced to specific chemicals and reactions in the body - but he was not the sort to panic over rumor. In fact, similar rumors had been floating around almost since the ARK's first chamber was completed. And they were supposed to research the Gizoid before they did anything else; that was WHY I turned it over to them! If they shut down the ARK now, before I can finish the experiments...Maria... No, they can't. How he could prevent it he didn't know, but he would not be returned to Earth before he finished his experiments. And Maria could not be returned to Earth and live.
"Ger, do you hear what I'm saying, man?" The other man's intensity proved that he did believe the current rumor.
"Yes, I hear you." He hated that nickname but there were far more important issues at the moment. "How do you know it's true this time? I've heard shut-down rumors before and it hasn't happened yet."
"Before, half the colony hadn't been trashed by a rogue dinosaur and a pack of oversized amoeba. People died Gerald, soldiers died and that's guaranteed to arouse GUN. They're after our heads, all of us working on Project: Shadow, and they aren't going to believe that your little offshoots aren't part of the main program - you're the Project Director."
Gerald had considered the possibility of getting caught running his own projects that weren't exactly what he was supposed to be doing and decided the risks were worth the potential gain, but it had never occurred to him that he might be putting the rest of the researchers at risk. He blew a breath out through his moustache. He certainly hadn't intended to get anyone else into trouble, but he realized that James was right: the military would consider them all culpable, especially if they were in a scapegoat-hunting mood. Which they probably were, since the Artificial Chaos were only still on the ARK at their insistence - Gerald had fought to get them either disassembled or shipped to storage elsewhere, although in truth he hadn't really expected the things to go on a rampage.
"Look," he said finally, "don't panic. Let me talk to some people when we get beck to the ARK and see what I can discover. You and Talia start backing up the Project: Shadow info, but otherwise continue the experiments as normal. I'll let you know what else after I speak to my contacts."
The other man nodded, but said only, "Sounds like a good vacation," in a slightly louder voice as he returned to his seat.
Gerald's disembarked as quickly as he could when the shuttle landed and headed for his lab. Maria wasn't there to greet him, of course, because of the crowds but he realized halfway to his wing that he'd picked up a Shadow. He glanced back at the dark figure skating silently behind him as he strode rapidly through the corridors. "Is everything all right here, Shadow? How's Maria?"
"Fine. Very tired of being stuck in the wing, but otherwise fine. Did you have a good visit with Ivan and his family?"
"Oh yes, it was wonderful. Oh, Ivan and Katherine both say 'Hi' and Ivo says 'gyaa'." Gerald almost smiled at Shadow's snort. "Well at his age they don't say a lot more than that. Listen, Shadow," he gestured for the hedgehog to move alongside, "have you heard anything about an evacuation?"
Shadow frowned in thought a moment, then shook his head. "Nothing like that. Speculations on where the Biolizard came from - Maria liked best the one about the 'alien' blob monsters that regenerated a dinosaur and unleashed it on the space colony - most people seem to agree that it was a research project that got out of hand. How can this be a secret research facility if everyone knows about it?"
"It's secret because no one officially knows. People guess, but as long as the government and military don't admit to it, it's still unofficial knowledge and therefore officially a secret." Catching Shadow's perplexed look, Gerald shook his head. "Humans aren't always logical people, or sensible. Look, I have something I need to do immediately; can you tell Maria I'm very sorry but I'll see her for dinner? I learned something on the shuttle - I hope its not true..." He didn't hear if Shadow acknowledged the request as he ducked on through the door to his lab, locking it behind him. His mind was already sorting through who he knew that might know something about the possible shut-down rumor, namely if it was real or fiction.
Ninety minutes later, he pushed back from his desk, rubbing his moustache thoughtfully. His contacts - he was still amazed that he'd gotten hold of them so quickly - all insisted that the plans were on hold until the Gizoid was evaluated; there were no plans currently to evacuate the ARK in the near future. Since one of said contacts was in charge of the shuttlecraft that would be required to effect such an evacuation and only one of the shuttles was currently prepped... either she was lying or there truly was nothing afoot. Gerald didn't think she was lying. But there were certain preparations he should go on and make.
He quickly set his computer up for recording, grabbing a clean lab coat and affixing his ID badge before he pulled it on. Facing the computer's lens, he hit the 'record' button and began to speak.:
"Shadow, my son...If you're listening to this, then the worst has happened; you need to know the truth. The government plans to shut down this research facility, within the year certainly, possibly in the next few weeks. The Biolizard's rampage is their excuse; they have declared Project: Shadow a danger to public welfare.
"The government plans to cease all of our research, and imprison all who know about you. I made a terrible mistake, Shadow... It's all my fault...making contact with that Comet," Technically the Black Arms had made contact with Gerald, but even on a tape that would not run until after he died, he could not bring himself to admit to his treasonous bargain, even if he had not KNOWN it was treason at the time. "Now listen very carefully:
"In fifty years the Black Comet will return, but it's not a comet. It's the habitation of an alien race called the Black Arms. Their leader Black Doom helped me in exchange for a pledge to deliver him some 'crystals' - I swear I did not know at the time that they were the Chaos Emeralds. He intends to utilize them somehow to enhance the power of the comet, then they plan to harness its powers to destroy this planet! The only way to stop them...was to develop a way to use the very power THEY intended to use AGAINST them. I managed to find out what Doom had done - he didn't alter your DNA, Shadow, but added a sort of virus - and nullified it. I think he intended to be able to control you, perhaps read your mind. I left a fraction of it, which seemed to enhance your ability to manage the chaos energies, but you should be able to resist him if you try. And you MUST try!
"Shadow...it's up to you and only you can stop them! I developed the Eclipse Cannon - it's the only weapon that can destroy that Black Comet. Shadow, you are the only hope to save mankind as we know it; the future of this planet depends on...you!"
Gerald nearly jumped out of his skin as Maria suddenly draped herself over his shoulders. "Don't worry, Grandfather. Shadow and I will protect this planet. Right, Shadow?"
Gerald clicked off the recorder and gave Maria a questioning look.
She blushed slightly as she stepped back, "I'm sorry, Grandfather, but you sounded so serious - Shadow won't let anything bad happen to the planet, I'll make sure of it.
"I wanted to tell you we've got dinner all ready, and ask when you'd be done."
"I'm done now, my dear," replied Gerald, standing up himself. "Just let me..." - a few button-clicks saved the recording and buried it deep in the computer's most protected regions - "...there! "'We've' got dinner all ready? You taught Shadow to cook in two weeks, when he hasn't learned in three years?"
Maria giggled and hugged him. "Noooo Grandfather. I've got dinner ready and Shadow's set the table. And you have to come eat and tell us all about your trip. I missed you terribly. Shadow missed you too but he won't say so..." She continued chattering all the way back to their quarters. Gerald followed along, pushing the future to the back of his mind temporarily. It was good to be home again.