14. The EX World Grand Prix: Preliminaries
It was, of course, not quite as simple as Eggman had implied. To enter the Grand Prix 'cold', as it were, the way Sonic and his team planned to do, did in fact require a Chaos Emerald. However, applying such an entrance fee to all competitors would have made for a very small race, since Chaos Emeralds were: a) extremely rare, with only seven known to exist; and b) difficult for the average person to get hold of. Therefore, many entrants were invitees who needed no Emerald to enter; others paid an entry fee for one of the first round races and were invited (or not) to enter the next round. The first round was over and Sonic didn't have an invitation, but the Emeralds were no particular problem for him; with Tails' little detector machine, they were able to locate a second Emerald without too much trouble. Conveniently, it was also in Future City. (Although they theoretically had the entire planet to scatter across, Sonic had noticed long since that when you found one Chaos Emerald, the others were rarely too far away.) Getting to the Emerald was a bit more of a challenge. This particular gem had somehow become lodged in an intricate mosaic band that ran around a skyscraper at about the sixtieth floor, and the building itself had repulsors installed above and below the band that prevented vandals from steering hover cars close enough to damage the artwork. This meant Sonic had to manage a running start with enough of a lead to run right up the face of the building; far from impossible, but even for a heroic, super-speed hedgehog not the simplest feat in the book. Especially considering the crowds thronging the city. Still, by mid-afternoon he was leading his team into the main offices of Robotnik Inc.
"May I help you?" The speaker behind the desk was an elegantly formed, humanoid robot, a far cry from the bulk of Omega or the rotund Egg Pawns. Two of the older E-series Guard Robos stood motionless on either side of an elevator. An assortment of other guard-type robots stood on low pedestals along the right side of the lobby, while the left-hand pedestals displayed the popular household robots. Except for the E-series guards, nothing looked at all like the robots Sonic was used to battling.
"We'd like to enter the World Grand Prix," said Sonic firmly. He plunked the yellow Chaos Emerald down on the desk, but didn't let go of it.
The receptionist was momentarily motionless, then nodded. "Ah, yes. If you would step through that door, please," a polished hand indicated a green door to the left of the elevator, "Dr. Robotnik will get you registered."
"Thanks," replied Sonic, and headed for the indicated door. Knuckles followed, steering the little fox, who was staring around at the displayed robots. "It's not polite to take a screwdriver to the samples, Tails," Sonic said softly over his shoulder.
Tails started, and ducked his head. "Sorry, Sonic. But I'd love to see the insides of some of these!" He skipped forward a step or two, pulling free of the echidna. "I'll be good. I promise," he added with a grin at his friend.
Sonic grinned back, and opened the door - and stopped short, the grin freezing on his face. Tails and Knuckles walked into him, and he stumbled forward, catching himself quickly. "Hello, Eggman, I didn't expect to see you here." The robot had said 'Dr. Robotnik', but he hadn't expected his enemy to be so brash, personally signing people up for the races.
"Eggman?" The eyebrows rose high above the man's spectacles. "You must have mistaken me for someone else. My name is Robotnik; Doctor Ivo Robotnik, owner and CEO of Robotnik Inc. I recognize you, of course; I should think everyone on the planet knows Sonic the Hedgehog when they see him. I'm afraid I don't know your friends, though."
Knuckles snorted and folded his arms, which didn't quite hide the fact that he'd clenched his spiked fists. Tails was staring at the large, moustached human curiously. Sonic didn't answer, trying to figure out what game Eggman was playing. After a moment Tails stepped up to the desk and offered his hand to the man behind it. "Hello, sir. My name is Miles Prower, but everyone calls me Tails. You've got some fascinating robots on display in the lobby."
Eggman solemnly shook the cub's hand. Sonic wasn't certain whether to laugh or scream, but apparently the Doctor was going to play his role to the hilt. "How do you do, Master Prower? Actually, I believe I do recall your name in the news; didn't you save the people of Station Square from a bomb, or rocket of some sort? A most remarkable - not to say brave - feat."
Tails' tails curled with pleasure. "Um, yes, sir. That was me - I mean, I."
Sonic decided he'd played this silly game long enough and cleared his throat pointedly. "Oops," said Tails, catching his stare. "We're a bit short of time, sir, so could we sign up for the Grand Prix, please?"
"Ah, certainly, my boy, certainly!" The man beamed as if Tails' request was a dream come true. "You've missed the first-round qualifying races, but I see your friend there has a Chaos Emerald; that fee will allow you up to a four-person entry in the second round. I assume the three of you will enter as a team? Just sign your names here," he pushed a registration form across the desk, then picked a pen from the cup by the blotter and handed it to Tails.
"And hand over the Emerald?" said Sonic skeptically. Keeping a firm grip on the gem, he raised his hand so the light caught in the pale gold facets, sparking yellow gleams in the human's glasses.
"What? Oh, no no no!" The man chortled like a beardless Santa Claus. (He certainly sounded like Eggman!) "You get to hold the Emerald until you lose, or until the Grand Prix itself. The Emeralds will be presented at start of the final race; there are three races in the second round, you see, with only the first- and second-place finalists from each racing in the last race. And that one, as the rules state, is winner-take-all: whoever wins the race takes all seven Chaos Emeralds home! Mind you, this may mean that an invitee from the first round, who didn't enter with an Emerald ends up with the set, but that's the excitement of the race, isn't it? Seeing who can overcome all challenges the fastest?"
"Challenges?" queried Knuckles. He was carefully printing his name on the sheet below Tails' neat signature. Sonic was momentarily thrown by his old enemy's waving away of a treasure they'd battled for so many times. He'd been certain the human would snatch the Emeralds and run. Maybe it really isn't Eggman? Nah, he can't have had a twin all these years and me not know it - he's got some sort of plan. The hedgehog shook his head sharply, telling himself to pay attention to what the man was saying to the echidna. He reached past Knuckles to scrawl his own name on the form as he listened.
"– and since each area has only a narrow track area, with shortcuts that may be more appealing to certain racers over others, there is also the challenge of staying on the track, you see? And it is a no-holds-barred race - the other racers may try to knock you off your board, and you can do the same to them. No life-threatening attacks, mind you, there are going to be children in the audience, but you can certainly try to knock competitors off their boards or off the track. There will be safeguards below, but a fall could well cost you enough ground that you'll lose the race. Here, take this copy of the rules, and we shall see you tomorrow at Red Canyon for the first race. All competitors must be present at 8 a.m. so that your boards must be inspected to be certain there are no lethal modifications. Weapons aside, feel free to alter your boards any way you desire. Good luck!"
The man pulled the form back and swivelled his chair to one side, where he began typing away on his computer as if he'd already forgotten the trio was in the room. Sonic frowned and glanced at Tails and Knuckles. The echidna was also frowning, but jerked his head toward the door. Tails just shrugged and headed back to the lobby. Sonic followed, looking down at the Chaos Emerald as if to make sure it hadn't been somehow switched while he was holding it. It gleamed calmly back, as visible to that strange other sense he shared with Shadow as it was to his eyes. He still couldn't believe that Eggman hadn't tried to grab it. I wonder what he's after if not the Emeralds? He followed Tails and Knuckles back to their hotel, where the fox cub began tinkering with the hoverboards in earnest. A small robot shaped like a black cube arrived on a miniature hoverboard, carrying the details of the races' assigned entrants.
"Looks like we're all in different races," announced Knuckles, after frowning at the papers for a few minutes. "Tails first, then me, then Sonic. Like Dr. Robotnik said, the first race is in Red Canyon, specifically the Splash Canyon complex. We'll have to leave pretty early, if you want to check the course out before the race, Tails."
Tails had emphasized the desirability of doing just that, so he made a hasty last adjustment and slapped the access panel to Knuckles' board closed. He could refine it between races if he needed to. "In that case, let's get to bed. G'night Sonic, Knuckles."
Tails hauled the other two out of bed before dawn, but it was only a short drive to the race location. Red Canyon was a small national park located almost within the bounds of Future City, but the area around it had been carefully developed to minimize distraction from its natural beauty. The 'Splash Canyon' area was named for the number of waterfalls that spilled over its edges, from pencil-thin trickles that disappeared in summer, to a great, crashing beast that never fully froze in the worst winters. Although development was restricted in most of the park, Splash Canyon boasted waterwheels that generated a fair portion of Future City's power needs, as well as having an established race track and scenic walking trails. In the pale dawn light, the waterfalls flashed trails of pearl and silver down the shadowy cliffs, and mists shrouded the lower reaches of the canyon. Tails and Knuckles stared around in awe, and even Sonic, who had seen most of the acclaimed 'natural wonders' of the planet, was impressed. He hopped out of the car and jogged to the high point of a nearby bridge, gazing down at the rushing water.
"Yeah, but what exactly is Eggman really after?" said Knuckles, coming up behind him. Sonic flicked an ear in annoyance; he'd hoped the echidna would be distracted enough by their arrival to forget the conversation they'd been having in the car. Knuckles was convinced that the whole race thing was a distraction of some sort, with Eggman waving the Emeralds as obvious bait while covertly scheming to steal something else, or launch a secret coup, or something along those lines.
"Aw, it can't be too important," Sonic said. He'd decided on the trip that Eggman was either actually after the Chaos Emeralds, but biding his time - perhaps to throw people off the scent - or the Doctor was after something else, but it wouldn't be anything very major. Eggman liked people to notice his grand schemes. He wouldn't do anything important sub rosa, because then people wouldn't know it was HE who had done it. The hedgehog was relieved when Knuckles went off with Tails to walk the course, leaving him to watch the light strengthen and turn gold in peace. Several small, domed buildings appeared as the mist faded, reflecting sunlight from their glass roofs.
"Hey Sonic!" The excited voice was all too familiar. Sonic flinched involuntarily and turned around.
"Amy . . . ?" Apparently she'd won one of the qualifying races and earned an invitation, because he knew she didn't have a Chaos Emerald. Secretly, he was impressed, but he wasn't about to let her know that, especially in front of Tails and Knuckles, who were just returning. "Don't tell me you've signed up too?"
"Of course," she grinned. "It looks really exciting and fun. Why wouldn't I join?" The grin became more mischievous. "Besides, this way I'll be able to keep my eyes on you." She winked and Sonic groaned, hearing smothered laughter from Knuckles. Tails, however was silent, and Sonic turned towards his buddy, grateful for the support. And frowned. The fox cub was staring at Sonic's hoverboard with a faraway look in his eyes.
"Tails?"
The cub shook his head slightly. "That mark . . ." he murmured, still worlds away.
Sonic raised his board and inspected it; had it gotten damaged somehow? But he didn't see anything wrong with it. "Mark?" he asked, raising his voice slightly.
Tails blinked and looked at Sonic properly. "Uh huh," he nodded, "I think it was on the boards of the guys we ran into in Future City. Babylon . . ."
"Babylon?" Sonic heard Amy's and Knuckles' voices echoing his. What did an ancient, near-mythical city have to do with a hoverboard race OR Chaos Emerald-stealing thieves?
"Yes, the mark of the Babylon Rogues." Tails looked around at his friends' puzzled faces and expounded, "A long time ago, there was a floating island known as Babylon Garden. Supposedly, robbers lived there. According to rumors . . . this legendary band, the Babylon Rogues, were great thieves. Legend also says that the Babylon Rogues incurred the wrath of the gods because of their crimes, and that the island was cast into the depths of the Earth. After that, supposedly, the Babylonians were scattered for all time, never to be found. But they say that the Babylon Rogues' treasure still remains on the island, waiting to be discovered. There are also rumors that the Babylon Rogues were Extreme Gear specialists."
Sonic realized Tails was attempting to link the avian thieves to these ancient Babylonians, as if any number of gangs didn't latch on to symbols they found significant or suggestive. Even Knuckles looked skeptical. "So they had all this technology all that many years ago?" he scoffed. Then something flickered in his expression, and Sonic wondered if he'd remembered Emerl, who was probably about as old as the Babylonian legends and certainly high-tech. "Still," he blustered, trying to cover his error, "how can a plank like that just float?"
Wrong question, Knux, thought Sonic, as Tails brightened. The cub took Sonic's board started to explain - in great detail - just how it worked. The hedgehog didn't bother to listen, although he caught random words like 'Kutta-Jankowski' and 'kinetics'. He was not at all surprised when the echidna hollered, "STOP! I get it, okay! It just floats and that's good enough for me!"
He was surprised by the outburst of laughter nearby. A violet-feathered dokan in white clothing sashayed up to them. (Sonic was impressed, he'd never seen anyone actually sashay before. He was also clearly aware of Amy bristling beside him and tried not to cringe. Someone's about to get hurt. I hope it's not me.)
But Amy held her temper - for the moment - and the purple swallow ignored her and the older males, pausing beside Tails. "Sorry, but it's just too funny! –Huh? That Gear's unusual," she said, half to herself.
Tails held Sonic's hoverboard up proudly. "Customized it myself!"
The swallow took the board, turning it in her hands and examining it closely. Sonic wasn't certain if her initial interest was real or as fake as her laughter, but he got the impression that she was impressed in spite of herself, and trying not to show it. Finally she gave a slight shrug and pushed it back at Tails with a snort. "Well! I never imagined anyone would enter the race with such a piece of junk!" The fox cub looked shocked, then insulted, as she laughed. He snatched the board back. "Thanks though, it was good for a laugh. See ya, shorty!" She sashayed away, the her long tailfeathers emphasizing the sway of her hips. If she was trying to distract the hedgehog, it was a wasted effort; Sonic was too outraged on his friend's behalf to notice.
"Oh, that girl!" Amy exploded. She kept her voice down, but her fists were clenched and Sonic expected a PikoPiko hammer to appear any moment. "Who does she think she is?"
"Yeah! How can she just walk in and diss Tails?" Sonic clapped a hand on the cub's shoulder as he spoke, trying to project confidence in his friend's abilities.
Unfortunately Knuckles opened his mouth before Sonic could phrase a suitably confident and reassuring next statement. "I know! And tinkering's all he's really good at, too." Amy's glare switched from the arrogant swallow to Knuckles, who belatedly realized that his phrasing was not exactly tactful. Sonic felt an urge to swat the echidna himself.
They were all interrupted by the tannoy, as the shrill voice of Robotnik Inc's most popular toy robot, Omochao, announced the start of the race. "Please come to the gate, participants!" Forgetting the swallow, Sonic clapped Tails on the shoulder again and started steering him toward the gate, offering encouragement and good wishes for the race. Amy pulled her board out, and Knuckles bulled his way in front, clearing a path through the gathering crowd for the small cub. Leaving Amy and Tails at the gate, the other two hurried to find a good vantage to watch the race.