Reversion
by Asher Tye
Disclaimer: I own nothing of Sonic, I own nothing of Tails, I own nothing typically recognized as belonging to Sega. I wish I did, but I don't… :Sad Face:
Author's Note: Merlin's Disease is not a real disease, but I do feel I should give credit to my source anyway, Dan Simmons who wrote the Hyperion Cantos series. I've changed the characteristics of the sickness somewhat, but as Hyperion is where I first encountered it, I don't want to step on any toes. I should also point out that this story jumps back and forth between the past and the present. I'll provide break-ups for it, but I hope it isn't too confusing.
Sorry this took longer than expected, my computer ate the whole Reversion document so I've been scrambling to rewrite the entire fifth chapter to get it up. On the plus side, this is actually a day earlier than I thought it would be. :grins sheepishly:
Present
Tails released a pleased moan as he sipped his hot chocolate, a ring of off-white cream and brown dust appearing on his muzzle when he pulled the cup back. The Barista had recognized Tails as the fox who'd saved the city from being destroyed by Robotnik's missile a few years earlier and that had apparently prompted her to give him something special in his drink. Not much of a fan of coffee himself, Sonic had taken a sampling of the special, some sort of imported drinking chocolate they were charging four bucks for eight ounces for. Truthfully the blue hedgehog couldn't tell the difference between this and the normal (and less expensive) hot chocolate Tails had gotten, save perhaps that this might have been thicker. Amy had gotten a Sumatran blend, then proceeded to add so much creamer and sugar to it that Sonic wondered if there was any actual coffee taste left to it.
Steam rose from their drinks as the trio exited the crowded coffee shop, unwilling to just stand around drinking their drinks and doing nothing. A quick look at a hole on Tails's left hand had proven the kit needed new gloves, so they were off to the mall where, hopefully, they would find a set he would like. The sidewalks and such were not crowded, a fact attributed to the large amount of snow on the ground and cold weather. Humans just weren't built to appreciate such temperature drops. As Sonic held his beverage to his face and let the steam unfreeze some of the snot in his nose, he realized this was something he held in common with the human race.
&Can't imagine what the Chaotix go through during these times,& Sonic thought, chuckling to himself as he imagined his cold-blooded friends all making hasty vacation plans to be in Coast City. Tails suddenly bounded forward, leaping with both feet into a patch of snow to leave his footprints, an indelible impression that he'd been there, at least until the snow melted away. Sonic was very quick to get his mind off that depressing little train of thought. The last thing he needed was more reasons to dislike snow.
Amy had convinced the boys to go to a movie with her, an idea Tails had readily supported and Sonic had put up a token resistance to. It wasn't like they had anything to do today, now that Tails's appointment had been taken care of and Sonic was not overly in love with the idea of going home and spending the afternoon with a bored and cooped up fox kit. Still, he wasn't about to just let them have their way without a little bit of struggle. He might have resisted more if he'd known what the movie Amy suggested was; some action/adventure about a human flying around Central City with a cape and spandex.
&Of all the ludicrous ideas,& the hedgehog had thought to himself. Still, Tails seemed enthusiastic about it, and Sonic had to smile at what was most likely a small remnant of the man he'd once been shining through. Suddenly the little fox stopped in his tracks and began to wave, causing his guardian to cast a quick glance ahead of him.
"Hi Shadow!" the kit cried as Sonic spotted his ebony counterpart for Team Dark walking towards them. Shadow wore nothing save his usual attire of gloves and shoes, claiming that, as the Ultimate Lifeform, the cold couldn't bother him. Silently Sonic wanted to drop the egotistical hedgehog into a frozen lake and see if that cold bothered him, but decided he actually preferred his lungs on the inside of his body. Shadow looked down at the kit that had called his name and smiled a friendly smile before his face returned to its normal, almost scowling appearance for Sonic and Amy. Both the pink and the blue hedgehog smiled at him, used to the somewhat caustic manner by which Shadow treated others.
"Hey Shades, what's up?"
"I'm clearing my head. Figured with the weather the way it was, there'd be less chance of me getting crowded by idiots." A sarcastic reply, but not the sneering suspicion Gerald's greatest creation would once have given. The years had allowed Shadow to mellow a bit. He would probably never be the paragon of friendliness Sonic was, but at least he no longer acted like he'd vaporize a section of the city at the drop of a hat.
"Maybe it wouldn't be so stuffy aboard Ark if you had some more plants up there," the ever helpful Amy pointed out.
"I'm not letting my space station smell like a perfume store," Shadow grated out. Suddenly, a pulling on his elbow directed the ebony space-farer's attention back downwards.
"Hey Shadow, guess what we're gonna go do," Tails said. "Amy's taking us to see the SuperDude movie." Again Shadow's features lightened as he gazed at the small orange fox.
"Sound neat kid, hope you have fun," he said.
"You wanna come too, I bet you'd like it, its all about this guy who comes down to Earth from space and he saves the planet and…"
"Sorry Tails," Shadow said, "I have to get back to Ark soon. That station would fall out of its orbit without me." As Tails groaned his disapproval, Sonic had to marvel at how gently Shadow was willing to treat the kit. Not too many years ago he would have just answered Tails's question with the same icy glare he gave everyone, now he was much more careful with the boy. It had taken Sonic a while to figure out why, suspecting that the crafty hedgehog was trying to lower his increasingly more vulnerable ward's guard for some dastardly plot. In the end, Rouge and Omega had been the ones to point out the reason was in Shadow's past. Maria had been sick nearly all her life, and Shadow simply had a soft spot in his heart for any children caught in similar tragic circumstances. Sonic's thoughts were interrupted however as he realized he was being addressed.
"Sorry, what'dja say Shadow?" Sonic asked as Shadow gave him an annoyed look.
"I asked how the appointment went today. Is the kid showing any signs of improvement?"
"We're not a hundred percent but… Doc Labris doesn't think so." The black hedgehog put a hand on Sonic's shoulder.
"Maybe you should look for a new doctor, someone who's a specialist with children and diseases," he suggested. "Labris is good, but…" This time it was Sonic's turn to shoot Shadow an annoyed look. Green eyes cast a quick glance for Tails who was currently occupied with trying to build a snowman from the slushy snow on the sidewalk, a task that apparently numerous children had tried if the number of small, malformed snow people present was any indication.
"Look, I don't like talking about this in front of the kid. He's got enough problems to handle, okay?"
"Fair enough," Shadow said. "But like I said, if you decide you'd like the help, I still have all of Professor Gerald's old work up on Ark, and there are some top notch geneticists and histologists up there as well. I could get the whole group working on helping to find the cure for him."
"Yeah, or spend the rest of his time trapped up in that floating prison." Instantly Sonic regretted his words, knowing exactly whose fate he'd been knocking when he'd done so.
"I'm gonna let that pass," Shadow said.
"Uh, thanks," Sonic said. "Look, thanks for the offer, but I'd really rather keep the number of people who know about this sma…"
"Take that you runty FREAK!" came a yell. The sudden sound of something hard striking a warm body caused the hedgehog's head to turn.
"OWWWW!!" Tails began to wail as he held the side of his head, a small trickle of blood already discoloring the orange fur. On the ground beside him sat a rock about the size of a small fist, the cause of the small boy's current crisis. Emerald eyes flared as Sonic looked about, finally catching sight of a lanky figure in a trench coat running away from them, already several blocks thanks to the blue hedgehog's inaction.
"Amy, watch Tails for me," Sonic instructed as the pink hedgehog grabbed the sobbing kit in her arms. Sure that Tails was in good hands, Sonic's feet revved up and he began his pursuit.
13 years ago
His eyelids were drooping, a clear indicator that he was getting drowsy.
Not surprising really, it was the heat that was making him so. Twenty-six warm bodies, even small ones like theirs, were bound to generate a warm atmosphere, especially as the weather outside turned warmer. Station Square had long since adopted year-round school, dividing the summer months of freedom amongst other holidays, unlike Green Hill which still had three glorious months of summer. As he sat in his chair, his head resting in his arms, Sonic couldn't help but wonder if there was anyway he could have those days back. Not that he wanted to give up what he had now. The young hedgehog had been thrilled at the idea of having two full weeks of Spring Break instead of only one, but youthful minds rarely consider such tradeoffs.
Mr. Langstrom, a tall skinny human with brown hair on the sides of his head and a brown moustache underneath his big pointed nose, was currently up at the blackboard going over the basics of multiplication. This was more preparatory for the children's next advancement to the second grade, he'd stated as much, but the man was also a dedicated teacher who believed in preparing his students for everything in life. Sonic of course had gone home and immediately complained to Tails about how his crackpot teacher was trying to teach him stuff he didn't even need yet. The fox had promptly laughed and sent his young son back the next day with a note of thanks for Langstrom. Sonic had not been amused.
"Psst, Sonic," hissed a voice that immediately behind and to the left of the blue hedgehog. Glancing backwards carefully so as not to alert the teacher to the fact that he wasn't paying attention, Sonic spotted the source of the voice, a red, yellow, and black armadillo named Mighty of all things.
"What up Night?" Sonic whispered back.
"Mom's taking Angie an' me to that new skating rink at the mall this weekend. Since Angie's bringing a friend, I need some protection man, care to be my backup?"
"I'd have to ask my Dad," Sonic pointed out, "but count me in. Tails hasn't told me any plans he has for us this weekend so…"
"Something you'd like to share with the rest of the class, Mr. Prower?" Mr. Langstrom's voice asked as the man suddenly appeared right in front of the hedgehog's desk. Grinning sheepishly up at the teacher, Sonic was quite ready to reply, but decided against it. Tails had already warned Sonic about behaving in school, having already been called in for a parent/teacher conference and, if he was about to ask permission to spend the weekend with Mighty and his family, he didn't really want to anger the elder fox.
"Sorry Mr. L, won't happen again," Sonic said.
"Very well," the easygoing teacher said, unwilling to take this further than necessary. A few more minutes passed as the human continued speak on his subject. Suddenly, the sound of an alarm bell going off was heard and the droopy, dreary assembled students became animated cheering at the signal that it was lunch time. Sonic too joined in the cheering. Lunchtime preceded recess, unquestionably the hedgehog's most favorite part of the school day. Quickly the children stuffed their books and bags under their chairs, pulling free their lunchboxes and bags as they began to tussle and rustle their way out of the room. Above the din Mr. Langstrom called to his students, telling to remember they would have reading lessons after recess.
Grabbing his own Speed Racer lunchbox, Sonic too prepared to leave, hooking up with Mighty as he did so.
"Thanks for getting me in trouble, dorkface," Sonic said, using his knuckles to strike the other boy's head.
"Ow," Mighty yelped, glaring at his friend. "Don't blame me if you're not smart enough to keep from being noticed ya spiky pincushion." Saying this, Mighty's fist collided with Sonic's shoulder, causing the hedgehog to yelp as well. With punishment and retribution now concluded, armadillo and hedgehog continued their trek towards the cafeteria quickly, laughing and joking as they did so. Soon they were joined by two other boys; a brown furred monkey wearing glasses and a bright yellow flying squirrel, Carl and Ray respectively. Quickly the quartet moved over to a free table, needing only to bump into a few other kids before sitting down.
"So what'd you losers bring for lunch today?" Mighty asked as he unpacked a bologna sandwich, carrot sticks, and some string cheese, along with a thermos containing what he said was grape juice.
"What's a matter rockhead, Momma not pack anything good today?" Carl said laughingly as he set the brown bag he used on the table before pulling forth his own lunch; a triple-decker peanut butter banana sandwich, coupled with a peach cobbler fruit cup and a carton of milk.
"Nah, just wanna make sure I don't trade for any of your mushy ol' bananas fuzzy." Sonic laughed as he emptied out the lunch Tails had made for him, a do it yourself chili-dog kit and a can of soda.
"Geez pincushion, chilidogs again," Ray said as he shook his thermos containing the high energy sugar water he so loved. "I don't envy the sap that has to sit next to you after lunch."
"Oh ha ha ha, you are a laugh riot bushy butt." Soon a small trading session began as each of the children began to barter some of their food for others. This mini-trader's market was not limited to their own group as Mighty spotted a rabbit girl with a slice of chocolate cake, half of which he received for a quarter of his carrot sticks and his string cheese. Once each of their lunches had been suitably perfected, the boys the business of consuming their food and talking at the same time.
"Hey did you guys hear? G.U.N.'s got something hot and heavy moving on the outskirts of the city," Mighty said, causing his three friends to look at him in skepticism. "It's true; I heard it on the radio this morning. It's supposed to be some sort of hush-hush thing."
"Might you dummy," Carl began, adjusting his glasses, "if G.U.N. were doing anything 'hush-hush,' why would they advertise it on the radio?"
"I don't know I'm not in G.U.N.," Mighty admitted, still trying to sound authoritative. "Maybe they're trying to find something… Hey Sonic, your Dad works with G.U.N., you heard anything about it?"
"Tails just makes stuff G.U.N. buys," Sonic pointed out, thinking for a few seconds. "All though…" It was at this point that the hedgehog's large eyes squinted suspiciously as he looked about him, making sure no one was eavesdropping before he leaned in over the center of the table. Realizing what was going on, each of his friends mimicked his actions. Sure no one could hear him, Sonic continued in a hushed tone, "he's been workin' on something mondo big for G.U.N., and I think it's nearly ready." Immediately the eyes of the other three boys grew wide. It was common knowledge that Prower Aerodynamic was in the business of building new airplanes and vehicles and such technology, and G.U.N. was one of their many clients. But to hear that Miles Prower was getting ready to unveil some new invention made each member of the assembled group feel they were privy to one of the intricate secrets of the city. Michael Cervid's comment at their first meeting about Sonic being in danger for knowing company secrets had not been lost on the hedgehog, but these were his friends, he could trust them. And if telling them about what was going on earned him a little more respect and awe from them, well, so much the better. Of course the fact that Miles was not in the habit of sharing crucial information about his company to a seven year old, even his own son, did not even cross the blue hedgehog's mind. He was in the "know," and so were his friends, and everyone knew that was cool.
"You think they're coming to scope out your Pop's new toys?" Ray asked, his fur rising a little. He loved this sort of gossip.
"Maybe, who knows?" Sonic said.
"SONIC!" yelled a voice that made the blue hedgehog and his friends turn around. A human girl of about ten with what looked to be dark blue hair and a blue spotted blouse came walking up to the quartet of boys.
"Ooooh Sonic, it's your girlfriend," Mighty cooed as the other two boys started making kissy faces at their besieged friend. A good rap on the head for all three and a hissed "shut up" conveyed Sonic's less than enthusiastic reaction to this treatment, even though this also resulted in him suffering three more shoulder punches as punishment.
"Hey Samantha," the hedgehog said as he rubbed his now sore shoulder, casting a nasty glance backwards as snickering came to his ears. The girl too looked perturbed, though for a different reason.
"I told you before Sonic, call me Sam," she said as two more girls appeared, one whispering to the young Ms. Axelby. "Alright Terry I'll be there in a second, I just need to talk to Sonic here," she replied. "Sorry about that. I wanted to let you know your birthday gift FINALLY arrived."
"Why couldn't you give it to him at the party?" Ray asked, a little confused. Sonic's first birthday in Station Square had been a week ago and the flying squirrel had thought the hedgehog had received all his gifts then.
"I sent away for it from Soleanna, rug-chick," Sam answered. "It's at my apartment so you can pick it up while you're staying over after school."
"Oooooh," came another chorus from the idiot squad, and Sonic was very quick to blow them all a raspberry. Sonic felt a little guilty. He'd thought inviting Samantha Axelby to his birthday party would be a fair trade for the party she'd thrown him to welcome him to Sky Top Towers. It had helped him get introduced to a few of the other kids in the building, including Carl, though he hadn't realized that until he'd met the monkey boy again in school. She hadn't had to get him a present. Of course, such feelings in a seven year old lasted about as long as an errant snowflake in July.
"Whatdja get me, whatdja get me?" Sonic asked, causing Sam's two friends to snicker at him, one rolling her eyes and mutter the word "boys." Sonic truthfully didn't care.
"Can't tell you it wouldn't be a surprise," Sam said as she turned to leave, shooting him a smile. "You'll just have to make sure you make it to my apartment on time to find out." Since Tails could work odd hours, especially these days so close to the completion of his company's project, Sonic had been going home to Mrs. Axelby's apartment until his father had come home. It had originally only been one or two nights a week, with a Saturday or a Sunday thrown in, but it had recently gone up to being four or even five nights. Tails had assured his young son that it was only temporary, a side-effect of being so near the end of the project. He'd even promised that he'd take Sonic on holiday somewhere for the month long summer break that was coming up to make up for it. All in all, Sonic was quite content with the situation however; Mrs. Axelby always had the best sweets around her apartment, especially the chocolaty bonbons the large woman so favored.
Her message delivered Samantha and her friends left, much to Sonic's relief. Though Samantha had been very helpful in introducing Sonic around the building and around the school, it was not a habit he could afford to keep going; he'd get a reputation as some sort of sissy if let it be known he hung out with a girl. Of course Sonic had explained this problem to his "secret" friend as gently as he knew how, asking the human to not make contact with him in public. Her response had been to yank out a few of his quills and call him a brat, but she'd still obliged him, and kept contact to a minimum.
Quickly the boys scarfed down their food, eating so fast it was a wonder none had choked to death by accident, and then they all closed up their lunchboxes, Carl tossing away his bag smugly. They were now in a race with the other kids to see who could get out to the playground first for recess. A tired looking female teacher watched as the children assembled into a mini-mob at the door, each one clamoring to be the first to the treasured outside and each resentful they weren't allowed out now. Looking at the clock mounted on the wall, the teacher carefully opened the door to the playground and stepped out of the way just in time to avoid the stampede of children all headed in the same general direction.
"Okay boys, here's the course this time," Carl said, once more adjusting his glasses as he cast a glance around the playground, beginning to tell his friends the latest incarnation of their favorite recess activity, the Weekly Obstacle Course. "The starting line is over there by the tables," the monkey said as he pointed at the aforementioned spot. "From there you go to the monkey bars. You've gotta pull yourself up to the top and cross that way, no swinging underneath. Then you go to the swings, and you have to zigzag between each one without touching, otherwise you have to go back and start the obstacle over again. After that you dive through the tire swing. Next it's over to the jungle gym where you have to climb up the net sideways, crawl through the tube, and then jump to the border of the sandpit, and finally make it in a straightaway run to the trees over there. Got it?"
Since Sonic was so unbelievably fast but his friends didn't want to give up being able to run and jump and play, Mighty had come up with the idea of forcibly slowing Sonic's legs down. Reasoning that if he couldn't just run he couldn't move at full speed, the armadillo had proposed making the race more than just about running by throwing random obstacles in the way that all the children would have to deal with in the correct manner to win. Of course the prize was a good one, the winner was the one who got to make up the next obstacle course they'd run next week. The races typically incorporated the playground equipment, the plants, and sometimes even the other children, though this last part they had to get permission beforehand for. Each of the four participant's bodies were marred with scraps, cuts, bruises, and nicks from various mishaps with obstacles that proved too ambitious for the quartet. As Sonic and his friends took their positions at the designated starting line, a crowd of their fellow children, sensing that the weekly spectacle they had grown so used to over the months since the little cliché was formed, began to gather to watch.
Taking his mark next to his friends, the blue hedgehog's ears twisted about as he listened to the cheering of the spectators, his heart filling with pride. Their cheers felt so good. It was then that his ears began to pick up on another noise, just under the screaming of the children that caused a curious sense to appear in the back of his mind.
&Planes… like the ones in Tails's movies… what are they doing in the city?&
Miles Prower, CEO of Prower Aerodynamic, hovered in mid air, a portable welding torch in his hands as he made the welded closed the armor plating he'd removed to get at the chest wiring of the Bigfoot Mobile Armor that currently took up space in his building's hanger, a subterranean floor inaccessible to the public, for obvious reasons. All around him other technicians worked tirelessly to prepare the giant robot to be retrofitted with the prototype gravity drive the young fox had been developing for the better part of two years, though these workers had stationed themselves upon the platforms and scaffolding that had been erected around the device. Though predominately Mobian, no few of the technicians were human as well, each one working hard in order to complete their task on time. If they found it unsettling that the owner of their company was working right along side them, it was actually a mark that they hadn't been there for too long.
Miles frowned a little. His employees were having to pull double shifts to get the Bigfoot ready, something he had actually not planned for. G.U.N. was responsible for that. Miles had fully planned, when the time came, to show off the ability of the gravity drive himself, piloting the enhanced mecha for the brass present to see. G.U.N. Command had informed him that they'd wanted one of their own pilots to handle the physical presentation, a fact which had made the fox cringe. While the first to admit there were some excellent pilots on G.U.N.'s payroll, this was an entirely new type of flight mechanism, and any pilot would need time and practice in order to handle it adequately. And of course, as the machine's inventor, Miles had been somewhat hoping to have the first go at flying it.
But now, rather than being able to work on their new "Flying Dog" all the way up until the day it needed to be presented since they had a pilot, Miles needed to get the thing operational with enough time left over to re-train some new flyboy so he didn't accidentally crash the ship.
&With any luck they'll send me one of their newer pilots and not some old bird too set in his ways to learn,& Miles thought as he finished up. He'd been in a foul mood ever since this little stipulation had come up, more so because he wouldn't be the first, but with no small amount of it being attributed to now having to work under a much smaller deadline. He'd been very prepared to fire off an angry letter towards the military for all this nonsense but his ever present voice of reason Michael Cervid had been able to talk him out of it. Still, it chaffed his tails.
As though his thoughts conjured the deer, the door to the hanger opened and Michael Cervid entered, his business suit the picture of immaculate perfection and ear occupied by a wireless headset. Over his shoulder he held a separate jacket, shirt and tie on a hanger.
"Mr. Prower," Cervid asked in that deep, even voice that was often able to cut through any ambient noise surrounding him, "are you at a point wherein you may be called away for other matters?" Looking down at his personal assistant, the fox lifted the protective goggles he wore from his face.
"Give me a moment and I'll be right down," he called as he shut off the torch, careful not to touch the hot parts. Protective gloves or not, Miles wasn't interested in smelling his own singed fur. Handing the tool over to one of his technicians, the fox billionaire descended to the floor, his tails stopping their constant twirling as his feet were mere inches from the ground. "What's wrong?"
"Scranton is waiting in your office, sir. You said it was important to meet with him so I came to notify you," the deer answered calmly as Miles stripped off the protective vest and gloves he'd been wearing.
"Scranton?" the fox asked curiously, before a sudden dawning of understanding came over him. "Oh yes, I needed to talk to him, didn't I?"
"That is what I was led to believe," Mr. Cervid said. If the large Mobian was irritated by his employer's seemingly lax attitude, he didn't show it. Quickly Prower walked past his assistant, getting ready to leave the hangar as he headed for the elevator that would take him to the floor his office was on. Ever the faithful employee, the burly ruminant followed the bushy tailed creature. Once the elevator doors closed and the floor had been selected, Cervid unbuttoned the shirt he'd been holding and opened it, allowing Miles to twist into it. As foxy hands began to button it up, harder hands wrapped the tie around the fox's neck, expertly tying the silk garment into a Windsor knot, and ignoring the face of feigned choking Miles always made whenever forced to wear a tie. A light dusting of cologne from Cervid's pocket hid the smell of wiring and engine oil that always seemed to cling to Miles while the fox put on the heavy jacket that matched his shirt. Withdrawing a comb from the jacket's pocket, Mr. Cervid quickly went to work trying to tame his employer's bangs as Miles stood obediently still, only wincing as some of his knotted head fur was struck by the teeth of the comb. Michael Cervid was many things, but gentle he was not. Finally satisfied the Miles Prower no longer resembled someone who had just been dragged in out of bed, the giant deer stood stock still next to him while elevator continued its ascent, massive hands clasped firmly behind his back.
"So, has G.U.N. given us any word about our pilot yet?" Miles asked.
"They have sent us the dossiers on several of their airmen, which I am in the process of reviewing for a suitable candidate. Final say is, of course, theirs, but it seems unlikely they would disagree with our selection."
"Unless that blockhead Sheridan is trying 'flex his muscles' as it were," Miles said bitterly. A single meaty hand clasped the vulpine's shoulder.
"It does us no good to become angry over their stipulations," Mr. Cervid counseled. "G.U.N. is our customer right now, and antagonizing them over something so trivial is not good for business."
"It may be trivial to you, Michael, but I was looking forward to taking Flying Dog for its first spin," the fox said petulantly. The deer rolled his eyes.
"I understand your irritation, sir, but I'm afraid this is a battle best not fought." At his friend's words, Miles relaxed a little, conceding acceptance of the unchangeable.
"Sorry, I don't mean to sound like a spoiled brat over this."
"I have weathered far worse tantrums while in your employ sir," the deer said, casting an amused smile at the fox's somewhat hurt expression. The sound of a "ding" alerted the two passengers that their car had reached the requested floor and deer and fox stepped out. Miles Prower's office dominated the top floor of the building, the only other rooms present being the ones occupied by Michael Cervid's office and the secretary's station. At her desk sat the CEO's secretary, a lovely little mink named Janet who was busy typing away at her computer. She cast a quick glance at the open elevator and, noting both Miles and Cervid getting off of it, went back to looking at her monitor.
"Mr. Scranton is waiting for you in your office Mr. Prower," she said in her gentle voice, her head nodding towards the open door where all could see what looked like a white crane in a lab coat sitting in front of the desk.
"Thank you Janet," Miles said as he and his assistant moved on. Upon entering his office and seeing the crane, the fox was quick to note that the man was shaking in his chair. Of course Miles was fully aware that meeting with your boss was not the easiest thing to deal with, but the two tailed fox had hoped he'd garnered a reputation as someone his employees didn't have to fear. Swiftly he moved around his desk, taking a seat in the overlarge chair that sat there as Cervid stood next to Scranton, a dour look upon his face. Not surprising. Scranton was the head technician in charge of testing the gravity drive, making sure its capabilities fell well within the boundaries of what was needed of it, but Michael Cervid did not feel such a position was deserved by the crane. Though intelligent in his chosen field, Scranton was not what Miles would have called an innovator, better suited basic laboratory work over actually developing new toys. Cervid said that some of the crane's own subordinates grumbled that Scranton had a habit of taking all the credit for their own work.
"You… you… you wanted to… see me, Mr. Prower," Scranton stammered out, looking very much like he wanted nothing more than to bolt from his chair at top speed.
&How odd?& the fox thought to himself.
"Sir, I'm afraid I must excuse myself," Cervid said. "I have that meeting with the department heads to attend in your stead."
"Of course Michael, I'll see you later," Miles said, waving his hands dismissively as the deer turned to leave. Though the loss of the personal assistant's presence allowed the crane to sit up a bit more, Scranton still looked nervous, as though expecting to be attacked at any moment. "Mr. Scranton," the fox said, drawing back the bird's attention to himself.
"Yes sir?"
"I need to know how the tests are coming on the GD prototype," Miles stated. "We're making the final modifications to the Bigfoot and you're group is nearly two days behind schedule getting us your reports." At Miles's words, Scranton seemed to calm down noticeably, much to the fox's surprise.
"Oh, is that all…" the crane sighed in relief.
"It is something of an important project," Miles reminded him, his eyebrow raising as he looked at his employee.
"Yes… yes sir, I understand, I didn't mean to imply…"
"Less apology, more explanation please," replied the fox.
"Right. My apolo…" catching the look his boss was giving him, Scranton decided to change his wording. "I mean, we should have the testing done by today, sir."
"What have you got now?"
"We've… managed to find the upper weight limits the GD is able to move, at least by itself anyway, and we've a much clearer concept on its power consumption…"
"How well does it handle the strain?"
"Excuse me?"
"G.U.N. will not buy a machine that breaks down the moment it's taken into any movement greater than forward, backward, up, and down."
"Yes well… the GD has shown great capability so far but…"
Miles moved swiftly through the building, still wearing the business suit his assistant had made him put on for his meeting with Scranton, a stack of papers containing technical data in his hands. Most of the data was on the GD, printed from the crane's own files so that Miles could peruse them while Scranton whipped his team up into a frenzy to try to complete their task on time. Oddly enough after meeting with the head technician, the fox felt very much in need of something to enjoy… and a shower.
Currently the CEO was making his way towards his research labs, one of his favorite parts of the building. It was within this high security area that many of the inventions for which Prower Aerodynamic were known had started out, including Miles's own beloved gravity drive and the polymer he'd used to create Sonic's shoes. Of course it would be erroneous to say everything being developed came from the foxy genius. Young Prower employed some of the most observant and talented recruiters in the world for the specific purpose of finding and hiring the most talented engineers in the world for his company, and he definitely got his money's worth. Though most of the ideas presented never got off the drawing table for one reason or another, most often limits in technology, there was always at least five or six projects going on in the labs so, while not always able to lend a direct hand from his vast pool of personal knowledge, Miles was often able to find some new and amusing invention to look forward to.
&Something I'll need once the GD's been showcased and is in full production,& Miles thought as he smiled at the brown haired man sitting behind the bulletproof glass and holding up his security pass. Patiently the fox waited as a green light washed over his body, a scanner set to verify that he was who he said he was and not an imposter. As the frontrunner in his own competitive world, Miles was very well aware that he needed to be careful with is most vulnerable creations.
"Please enter Mr. Prower," the guard said as the glass door opened up and allowed the fox access to the labs. Inside, humans and Mobians dressed in white coats and carrying all manner of clipboards, pens, and semi-portable terminals clustered about in different rooms. Virtual systems allowed for the assembling of theoretical machines in cyberspace, creating three dimensional blueprints for use in the real world. The entire system was completely isolated, and anything that left the lab without first passing under the scrutiny of the guards was subjected to an intense controlled magnetic field. All hard copies from the printers were printed on a special paper lined with lead, making further copies impossible. Typically any such document produced only a blank page if sent through a machine, and even the original began to blank out after a while. A special, portable drive kept on his person at all times allowed only Miles to copy and take some files with him for his own work at his home, but it did not have the space to take a complete blueprint. Not that it really mattered. His own inventions' blueprints, the only ones he would ever dare to actively alter, he'd long since memorized.
"Mr. Prower, so great to see you again," said the voice of a female researcher, a mink sporting blonde hair. Her sleek body moved fluidly through the lab, avoiding the delicate equipment as she came to stand before the fox. "I just got back from my meeting with Mr. Cervid. Is there anything I can help you with?"
"Dr. Bella," Miles said, smiling at the head of his research team. "Nothing really, just satisfying my natural curiosity over what's going on down here."
"We have some interesting projects in the works, sir," the mink said, gesturing towards holographic images of new wing designs, compact thrusters capable of suborbital flight, and even a new multi-lock missile system. "Of course, our newest project is our most exciting." So saying the female inventor lead her employer over to a secluded section of the labs, where a fairly large laser had been set up.
"What is this, some new weapon?" Miles asked as he glanced at the machine.
"The technology is still too new and unstable for us to make any real projections on its future use, but the process we've been able to develop will definitely have applications."
"Process?"
"Bonding metal and circuitry to living organic tissue," Dr. Bella said, much to Miles's surprise. "In some cases, we've even seen an improvement on the basic organic design."
"Some cases?"
"Single-celled and primitive organisms only, the nanites used in the machine are not yet ready for testing on anything more complex. But if the trend we've seen continues, it is very likely this process might have medical care applications."
"Interesting," the fox commented, scrutinizing the machine… and the collection of apparently techno-organic specimens sitting in Petri-dishes below it, a silvery carpet of biomechanical life that seemed strangely… silent. "Who came up with this idea?"
"Actually it's a joint project with another company, MeteoTech."
"They gave us their plans?"
"They're a small R&D company out in the western areas of the country sir, nowhere near our level. Their founder approached us with the idea and the basic research hoping to broker a partnership. This is what we were able to develop from their data." A shiver that had nothing to do with temperature ran down the fox's spine as he looked again at the test subjects. Something most definitely didn't feel right about this.
"I'm going to have to schedule a meeting with this founder… I'd prefer this little project be kept as quiet as possible for now."
"Of course s…" Suddenly, Dr. Bella and Miles were knocked to the floor as the whole building shook. Immediately the sounds of alarms the flashing of red lights filled the area, so much so that Miles very nearly did not feel the vibration of the phone he kept on his person as it went off.
"This is Prower, what's happening?!" he demanded.
"Mr. Prower, we have a problem. A group of airplanes seems to have violated the building's airspace and are attacking."
"What? How did that happen? Where's G.U.N.?"
"It appears to be a small six plane squadron, most likely equipped with jammers to circumvent G.U.N.'s radar systems." Again the building shook. "I'm currently trying to contact G.U.N. for assistance but…"
"It could take them a while to get into the city," Miles said in frustration. "Okay, have all non-armed employees evacuate as quickly as possible, tell them to offer no resistance towards anyone they find." Turning towards Dr. Bella he continues, "That includes you and your staff my dear, last thing I need is a large amount of casualties if this building comes done."
"Right Mr. Prower," the mink said, turning to her frightened staff. "You heard him people, we're leaving."
"What about the programs we've been running, they're important?" one of the techs asked.
"The main server is heavily protected against damage. We'll just have to pick up from our last points when we get the chance, now move."
"Sir," Cervid's voice came from over the still active cell phone, "I'm getting word that hostiles have penetrated the building."
"What about our own security defenses?"
"The intruders are moving through them with easy. I'm sending a security team to try to hold them out of the sensitive areas, but there is something you should know; they appear to be part of the Battle Bird Armada."
"Battle Birds? Here?" For a few moments Miles thought before walking over to the wall and typing in a code on the keypad found there. In seconds a hidden panel in the wall opens up to reveal a laser pistol. "Cervid, send a team down to Scranton's lab, that's where some of the Battle Birds will be heading. I'm going to the mainframe to head off the rest."
"Sir?"
"I've got a strong feeling our foul feathered friends are after the gravity drive. Don't let them get the prototype; I'm going to keep them off the plans." The sound of a gun going off comes across the phone and for a few moments Miles worries for his antlered assistant. This worry dissipates as Cervid's voice speaks up again.
"Are you sure that's wise sir? The Battle Birds are not exactly fond of you. They may try to kill you if you go down there."
"I'm hoping for that," the foxy inventor said. "Right now the game plan is to stall for as long as possible until G.U.N. gets here. Just keep them away from the gravity drive." Hanging up the phone, Miles swiftly left the now empty lab, moving like a fuzzy blur through the hallways. A quick kick to a locked door revealed the building's stairway, as well as a river of employees seeking to make it to the bottom of the building and safety.
&And me needing to go up like a salmon,& Prower quipped in his mind as he moved towards the railing of the stairwell. &Oh well, if you can't walk, fly.& Leaping into the air and twisting his tails together, the flying fox began his ascent, gun in hand, to the floor where his company's mainframe was located. It was a quick trip. Much like the top floor with his office, this particular landing had but one purpose; the giant computer which served as the hub for Prower Aerodynamic's computer system. Sure enough, two crows carrying weapons and dressed in the black uniforms of the Imperial War Tengus, colloquially referred to as the Battle Birds, were present looking about, while a third stood at the terminal typing in a frustrated manner.
"Stupid fox," the hacker said in a craggily, frustrated voice, "he has encrypted the data, it is nearly impossible to find what we need."
"Find it and find it quickly lieutenant," one of the two guarding crows commanded, "the Commander will not want to wait very long for his prize."
"Pity that," Miles said as he aimed his gun and fired, attempting hit the crow busy typing at his computer.
"It is the fox!" the guards cried. "The Commander will give us a bonus if we bring its pelt back." So saying the two crows opened fire, forcing the fox to duck behind a console for safety. The only thing that kept the duo from becoming a trio was a harsh order to the battle bird that had been typing to continue with his task. Pinned down, Miles could only occasionally fire back blindly, hoping to hit something that would stop this incursion.
"I have found what we are looking for," the hacker declared.
&How did he manage to get through my firewalls so quickly?!& a worried fox thought. A quick look revealed the crow about to insert a portable drive of his own into the computer and steal the data. This plan was halted as a sharp laser blast blew the small storage device to pieces in the crow's very surprised hands.
"This is not a lending library, and you are trespassing," Michael Cervid's voice declared as the deer continued to fire at the bird, driving him away from the terminal. Next to him, security personal armed with guns of their own took up spots and began firing as well, providing some relief to their beleaguered CEO.
"Not that I'm not grateful Michael," Miles called out, finally able to breath again, "but didn't I tell you to head to Scranton's lab to protect the prototype."
"We were too late sir, the prototype is already missing," Cervid admitted as he ducked for cover, his ample frame providing a large target for the three now desperate birds. Miles swore under his breath.
"Okay, then we can't let breach our system. If they get close, I want you to blow the mainframe's power cords."
"I would not do that were I you my foxy friend," a gravely voice said as one of the birds tossed a small object over Miles's hiding spot. At first thinking it to be a grenade, Miles prepared to escape, only to notice that the object had a screen on it. On the screen a familiar looking block jawed crow was displayed, sneering at Miles as he did so.
"Kukku!" the fox cried, his eyes narrowing as he looked at the beaky face.
"That is the Great Commander Kukku!" the bird yelled back. "You will address the greatest pilot in the entire world by his full title you mutated freak of nature."
"I seem to recall that title belonging to me," Miles said with a smirk, "or did I imagine sending your tail feathers down in flames last time we met?" At this point the crow's beak began to grind together.
"Impudent whelp, you were lucky and that is it! Were those judges not so spineless they would have seen who the better pilot is!"
"You cheated and used your air ships to shoot down the other contestants while you flew around safely, you were gonna get disqualified anyway."
"Enough of this trip down memory lane!" the bird commanded. "I have come to claim your new gravity drive for the Imperial War Tengus. With it, our planes and ships will be unstoppable."
"Forget it Kukku, the prototype will do you no real good without the plans and I'm not letting your men anywhere near my computer."
"Yes you will Prower, you will not only let them take what we need, and you will show it to them."
"What makes you think that?" At Miles's question, the same sneering smile returned to Commander Kukku's face.
"I have recently found myself a new copilot, swung by one of your schools to collect him, perhaps you know…"
"DAD!!" Sonic screamed as the little hedgehog was suddenly shoved upwards to face the camera. His body was bound in a thick cord and it was quite obvious he couldn't move.
"Sonic!" Miles yelled back as his eyes widening as he watched his son struggling in fright.
"Ah good, you do know each other," Kukku cackled. "It does my heart good to see family so close."
"This is low, Kukku, even for you!"
"For the last time, that is THE GREAT COMMNADER Kukku," the bird said, emphasizing his title. "I would think you would want to make this go faster, considering your country's military is no doubt preparing to bear down on my men even as we speak."
"What?"
"I shall put this bluntly; your little pincushion is up here with me. If I happen to get shot down by G.U.N., I cannot guarantee his safe landing. So it is in his best interest that we be leaving soon."
"What do you want?"
"I told you, the plans for the gravity drive. Give them to my men and we will leave as quickly as possible, thus avoiding the arms of G.U.N. Once we are far enough away, I shall release your spiny blue brat and you can come collect him. Do we have a deal?" Miles pauses for the moment, trying to find as solution to his current problem. "What is it; does not this little chick mean anything to you?" Asking the question, Kukku pushes Sonic against the camera again.
"Dad… please help me," Sonic cries, tears of fright in his eyes. Squeezing his own eyes shut, Miles makes his decision.
"Throw down your weapons," he commands of his own forces. "We're going to give them the gravity drive plans."
"Sir?"
"They have Sonic. I'm not going to trade his life for a machine." Standing grimly, glaring at the three crows that could only smile knowingly at the defeated fox, Miles carried the small communicator in his hand over to the computer. Foxy fingers move swiftly as he brings up the full plans for the gravity drive.
"I do not have my portable storage device," the hacker crow hisses. "Your manservant destroyed it."
"Miles my 'friend,' you keep a drive of your own on your person do you not?" Kukku asked in a nasty voice. "Would you be so kind as to lend it to us?" Grudgingly Miles reached into a pocket and pulled forth his flash drive, sticking the small device into the computer and copying the necessary files into it.
"I can't put everything on this drive you know," he stated.
"Put what is most important, Prower, I am sure our own scientists can reverse engineer the rest with the working prototype."
"Not bloody likely," Miles muttered under his breath as the files finished copying.
"Now delete the plans from your hard-drive."
"Why?"
"Miles, Miles, Miles, it is simply good business. If we are the only ones who know how to make the GD, it will become all the more valuable, will it not?" Complying with the orders given to him, the fox hands the now fully loaded flash drive to the Battle Bird that had been hacking his system, which the fowl takes with great glee, tucking the small device under his body armor. "Tengu; we have what we came for, withdraw from the building."
"Wait! What about Sonic?" Miles yelled as the three birds began to leave.
"As G.U.N. is coming I have no time to simply hand him over to you, especially from my current position. But worry not my little fur-bearer, we will leave in safety and, once my squadron is a suitable distance from the city, I shall release the hedgehog and you can come collect him."
"Kukku…" the fox began to growl.
"The GREAT COMMANDER Kukku," the bird said in a deadly tone, though Miles took no note of that.
"…if you hurt that boy, I swear there will be no place on this planet, no corner of this globe you'll be able to hide from me." At this declaration, Kukku only smiled.
"I look forward to a second chance to clip your wings, miserable fox."
To be continued...