Ark Fox Chapter 13

7hanks to all the reviewers to the last chapter; prowerboy, Sierra Zanimalina14, FeathersofMemory, Cheep the Hedgehog

I'll also like to extend another thanks to everyone who's ever reviewed this story, over 50 reviews so far, this story has done better than I expected.

Searching through the Ark's files wasn't the easiest task for the young fox, Gerald had obviously gone to great lengths to encrypt them, and if the Ark's mainframe was anything like this broken down lab computer, it was going to take several weeks to pull up anything on himself.

Tails sighed, scanning the room again, he couldn't help but feel like he was being watched and not just by the blue blur who had somehow managed to find him.

That was another problem, it seemed like Sonic was going to great lengths to be the world's worst lab partner, even Chris was preferable to the fox at the moment.

Every time a new document was opened Sonic would be hovering over his shoulder, every hour Sonic would order him to take a break so he could go off and take a run, every 30 seconds Tails would hear a "what does that word mean?"

He'd spent three days doing this now, and was quite ready to hit Sonic.

The Ark wasn't the friendliest looking place Tails laid his eyes on either; the hallways were so clean and magnificent, so empty and cold. Every second room seemed to scream anger and hatred to him as well.

If it wasn't for the fact Sonic accompanied him everywhere he went, Tails would have screamed his head off, he was thankful for his big bro being here for him.

Shadow was a lot of help in keeping his sanity as well, just knowing he was here was a relief to Tails. Any new area Tails went in he explored with him.

But Tails needed his space to work, he wasn't used to working like this. He trusted Sonic's intentions 100% but needed a silent lab partner.

Shadow and Topaz could both be trusted, but telling this to Sonic wouldn't work in his favour, not like he would agree anyway.

He needed to find a way to study without Sonic... and the only time he was ever left alone was when he needed to use the bathroom or when he was sleeping. (Sonic made him watch when he was running around the Ark.)

So he'll have to do the research at night (or day, in space it doesn't really matter what time it is.) which didn't bother him too much, he was used to staying up for days at a time working on something.

Only problem was, Sonic locked the door behind him every night.

He would have to find a way to break out of the room.

His room.

It was the same room Miles slept in.

Strange really, that room should be almost unbearable to him, why did it feel strangely welcoming? There was no taint of fear in that room, none. It even looked scary, like something out of an insane asylum, padded walls and floor. There wasn't even a bed, just an extra soft part of the floor. So why was it the only place on the Ark Tails truly felt safe? Maybe he was never bothered when he slept.

Opening a draw in the table he was sitting in, Tails pulled out a piece of paper and began writing down some notes, he had just managed to unencrypt a goldmine of info.

"So why am I here again Knuckles?" Metal questioned uncertainty present in his voice; him, Knuckles, Cream and Amy were all standing at the Master Emerald altar. Knuckles briefly thought about how far the tin cans sentience went before answering.

"Because the Master Emerald asked me to bring you here... and if you didn't come I'll smack you!" Knuckles grumped.

"Hey that's no way to speak to Metal, Knuckles!" Amy shouted, summoning her Piko Piko Hammer to her side, Cream got in beside her and started shouting as well, comical flames surrounded them both.

"Yeah Knuckles, Metal is a person, get used to it!"

"Yeah ok, alright... shesh." Knuckles cowered with his hands raised defensively, Amy and Cream backed down at this display. "Still, the Master Emerald wants to see you, it could very well be important."

"How can the gem want to see me? It's not biological..." Metal began, but got interrupted by the echidna.

"Firstly it's not a gem Metal, it's an Emerald... second it's the Master Emerald and contains power even I could never comprehend... thirdly the Master Emerald might not be biological, but it sure as hell is sentient." Knuckles informed before muttering under his breath just loud enough for Metal to hear "if I didn't know any better, it had something to do with your sentience as well!"

Metal took this in but said nothing.

"So what happens now?" Cream questioned.

"We wait and see what happens." Knuckles answered.

"What!" Amy said angrily "Can't you just ask it?"

"Nope." Knuckles answered, sliding down a nearby pillar and falling asleep.

Tails couldn't believe the info he was pulling up, neither could Sonic.

Test records, research goals, anything he wanted to know about his time here. Tails had unknowingly stumbled across the very computer station he used to hack Space Colony Ark. Hundreds upon hundreds of files all on him were in the palm of his hands.

A file quickly stole the foxes attention, SUB-B_DNA.

Opening it quickly, he discovered where these 'Black Arms' had acquired two thirds of his DNA, Mobius. That much didn't come as a surprise, he had cross referenced his DNA with that of Mobian foxes and it came up as the same.

What came up as a surprise was the fact two donor profiles came up, Rosemary and Amadeus Prower. There pictures came up on the screen and Tails quickly printed a copy. Rushing back to the desk and returning to his reading, he saw that they were both infertile.

According to the Data, their DNA was taken over two centuries ago. When the Black Arms came and promised to help them create a child with their DNA, they both jumped at the chance. Tails started to cry heavily, they were the same faces he saw in his nightmares when he was younger, and from this quick glance at their personality, they acted the same.

"Miles really did a good job at my memory's Sonic." Tails sobbed, latching onto his shoulder.

The other third of his DNA came from a Black Arms leader, named Black Doom. Tails didn't think much about that, he thought he was just an egomaniac who requested having his DNA in the tests since he was technically the benefactor. Besides he'll have plenty of time to look at his files later.

Grabbing his external hard drive (RotorTech, not the one Eggman gave him, they might be allies at the moment but Tails didn't trust him as far as he could lift him.) he started transferring all the data on the console onto it, before ordering Sonic to not touch anything and went off to find Shadow and Topaz. They both needed to see the files as well.

Fluffy didn't like this place, and for good reason.

He couldn't use his Chaos ability to discern what Eggman's robots were thinking, they were mechanised programs not thinking machines.

He could only read the feelings of the robots named Bocoe, Docoe and Bokkun, and of course Eggman himself.

But being in Eggman's base, Fluffy was surrounded by hundreds of mechanised machines with no will, invisible to his mind's eye.

But he had to push forward, the universe was potentially at stake here. Eggman had the Key.

Finding Shadow and Topaz was easy, they were both sitting and having a coffee in one of the many lounges. Not even wasting time, Tails simply said he'd found the goldmine and Chaos Controlled them back into the room. "Chaos Control, that's how I can get in here without Sonic noticing!"

Unfortunately Sonic was in here and saw how he entered, and pulled a knowing face, he understood exactly what Tails was thinking.

"Damn!" Tails internally cursed himself "Come on guys, over here!"

Pushing Sonic off the seat (Literally!) Tails returned to his work; Shadow, Topaz and a swearing Sonic all stood by watching on.

Scrolling down to the bottom of the files list, another file stole Tails attention. Sub-B Test 24, the test responsible for his yellow fur and extra tail.

"Oh my god!" Topaz said out loud what everyone was thinking.

Gerald's goal was to use the Chaos Engraver in order to change Miles into a form similar to Bio Lizard, demonstrating the power of the Chaos Emeralds to G.U.N. for a new type of weapon. Countless subjects had all been used beforehand, anything from simple rats and cockroaches to sentient beings like Miles and Poison Croc.

Unfortunately for Gerald however, Chaos Emeralds were unpredictable, and the Emerald in the machine used Positive energy instead of Gerald's desired negative energy.

The test was deemed a failure, and G.U.N pulled its support from the Ark.

Two weeks later G.U.N. stormed the Ark, killing Maria and most of the scientists onboard. Gerald was executed two weeks later, but not before reprogramming the Ark to crash into Earth.

Something about the fact it was the last file accessed on the console, combined with the fact it detailed Maria and Gerald's death along with Gerald's plan in great detail, set off alarm bells in everyone's head.

Opening up the consoles access logs, Tails discovered that this particular file was last accessed 54 years ago, it had been 66 years since the Ark incident.

"This just keeps getting weirder and weirder!" Sonic stated.

Alright ya floppers, you know the drill, Rate and Review... You!