Sonic Haven
Season 1 – Episode 1
"Foreshadowing"
Author's Note To new readers: Julian Nikolas is Robotnik/Eggman before turning evil. The first three chapters focus almost exclusively on him and his turning into Robotnik.
Also, please know that although loosely based on the SatAm cartoon and the Archie comic series, this is an Original Universe. This means that I'm building the world, lore, and rules basically from the ground up.
On the outskirts of Mobitropolis, the capital city of the Acorn Kingdom, a small black car rolled along the road. It was headed to an out-of-the-way laboratory that sat at the base of a beautiful mountainscape. The car came to a gentle stop outside of the lab and the fog lights cut out as the engine silenced.
As the low hanging clouds crept in around it, the driver's door creaked open revealing an overweight doctor with a bald head and long orange mustache that hung from underneath his pointy nose. He was wearing a dark red coat and a pair of black slacks that hung over long, pointed, black shoes.
He took a step out onto the frosty grass and heard it crunch underfoot as he stood up out of the car. He thought the cold should have been long gone by this time of year, but it was still too early in the spring and the ground had yet to thaw completely.
Ignoring the slightly slick frozen lawn, he walked over to the building and knocked on the rusty green metal door, his knuckles twanging off the hollow object.
He took a moment to reexamine the architecture of this structure that he'd become all too familiar with over the years. It had a perfectly rectangular shape and an embarrassingly notable lack of windows anywhere on its exterior. Honestly, to a more casual observer, it looked more like a bunker than a lab.
He waited for his friend and colleague to open the door for him. There were no other vehicles here, but he knew that his partner was inside nonetheless. After all, he was an early riser and always walked to the lab even in the worst weather.
The door swung open in front of him revealing a light-blue hedgehog with dull red sneakers and a salt and pepper mustache that hung over his lower face like a tattered drape in an old house. The hedgehog's green eyes looked at him with a sense of relief. "Hello, Julian." He said in greeting. "How are you doing this morning?"
Julian shouldered passed and walked down the hall, straightening the wrinkles out of his red coat. "I'll be much better when we finish this project, Charles. Now let's get to work."
Charles' shoulders sagged a bit at his friend's tone. He'd always been a self-motivated, nose to the grindstone kind of man, but he'd been a little tense lately. Then again, who could blame him? Charles simply chalked up the short tone to an urge to finish their work and decided to think nothing more of it. He turned and walked down the long white hallway after Julian, not wanting to miss a second of the next phase of the project.
The elevator at the end of the hall took them down two stories into the basement where the bulk of the lab resided. The old doors slid open revealing a concrete-walled room that hadn't ever been painted. It smelled of dust and grease that paired with the low hum of fluorescent lights coming on to create an old-feeling atmosphere that contrasted heavily with what was actually going on in this room.
All around them were parts of the device that they'd been working on for the last few months. They'd done their best to organize them and put them on shelves, but bits of things still seemed to end up in the most peculiar of places. Off to the right were various computer terminals that housed schematics and programming for their latest project. Off to the left was a set of plywood crates and a small area full of blue plastic storage bins with various materials in them. Right in the center of the room surrounded by floodlights was a test dummy, while sensors and cameras were interspersed with the lamps to capture any pertinent information they could once the test started.
Julian walked over to the ecru-colored lockers on their right, opened them, grabbed a white lab coat, then got to work. He sat down at one of the computer stations and began rapidly pressing keys, filling the screen with codes that would be injected into the device when it was ready to be tested. He continued working on the software while Charles worked on the hardware, collecting pieces from around the room and assembling them into a lump of black metal with a dark red seam that ran from the top to the bottom along its back.
Only an hour in and they were already prepared for their first test. Things were going well today... at least so far.
Julain pressed a key on his keyboard and a robotic arm that hung from the ceiling over the dummy lowered itself down and placed the device on the mannequin's back. It strapped itself to the plastic person and slowly spread out until it had covered every inch of the fake body. A soft red glow filled the room as the device hummed to life.
"Success! A brilliant success!" Julian exclaimed.
Charles wasn't as confident as his friend. "It hasn't finished initializing yet Julian. Let's see how it goes."
Almost as if the machine could hear them, the hum became louder and louder until both Julian and Charles were covering their ears in pain at its volume. Julian noticed the metal on the dummy start to crack and split all around. "Get down Charles!" He screamed before ducking behind the desk.
Charles tried to get to safety behind some wooden crates but was too slow. The device exploded, showering the room in sharp twisted metal that pierced everything in sight. He raised his head up over the top of the crates to inspect the damages, then stood up, right hand grasping his left arm to slow the bleeding coming from a deep cut the shrapnel had caused.
Julian, upon seeing the damage himself, roared in frustration and threw his keyboard against the wall, breaking it into three pieces and scattering the keys around the floor. "Gah! Another worthless test."
Charles walked over to his friend. "Don't worry Julian. We'll clean up the lab and fix the problems in the prototype. It should only set us back a few days."
"And where are we going to get the money for more parts?" Julian asked as he shook his head. "You know Charles..." His expression soured as he seemed to admit defeat. His tone showed the rampant disbelief of what he was about to say. "I think that maybe we should've taken the grant money from G.U.N. when we had the chance." He was talking about the Guardian Unit of Nations, an international military peace-keeping force that he used to work for.
"Julian, you know what would've happened if we'd taken that grant." Charles said sternly. "They would be breathing down our necks right now and wondering what kind of applications it would have in the field of combat."
"I know." Julian said, waving his hand as if to shoo Charles' words away.
He did know. All too well. He was the leading scientist for G.U.N. as little as four years ago. He developed everything from weapons to explosives to transport, even armor in one instance. But that all changed after he saw the effect of his work.
Due to an international threat, the G.U.N. was left with no choice but to drop one of Julian's bombs on Shamar, devastating the landscape in the process. Normally he would have been far away from such a catastrophe, but this time he was on-site testing his new armor in the Arid Sand desert. He witnessed firsthand the fallout of his own creation. He saw hospitals fill up and the town that was hit lay in ruins for months with no one to fix it.
From that day forward he vowed to never work for the military again. Instead, he put his efforts into building a robotic suit that would protect its inhabitant in dangerous situations so as to keep them from getting injured. If all went according to plan, the suits could also be used by those who were paraplegic, allowing them to walk again. It was a great idea, one that his longtime friend and fellow scientist Charles the Hedgehog had agreed to help him build.
The problem was that word of the project had been spread in the media and footage of old dysfunctional prototypes had been taken and leaked online. Now it seemed that the whole world was waiting for the two of them to finish their work and release it to the public. As the pressure continued to mount, the funds that each of them had put forth for the project had waned, now essentially being completely gone.
It was this time a month ago, right when they'd started having budget issues, that G.U.N. stepped in and offered them a grant to finish the project. At the time both Julian and Charles had agreed to keep the military out of it at all cost. Now though, Julian wasn't so sure that was the best idea. But, whether it was or not, they had more pressing issues at the moment.
Julian rubbed his chin as he thought about the device's explosion and what might have caused it. "We're going to need a more stable power source." At that moment an idea came to him that was, yes, a little far-fetched, but possibly genius. "We need a Chaos Emerald." He turned to face Charles who was looking at him with a puzzled expression. "If we could contain Chaos energy, theoretically we would have more than enough power to complete the initialization process."
Charles shook his head, not believing what he was hearing. "Julian, you know that those things are myths. I don't think we should be relying on things that people aren't even sure exist. What happens if it falls through? We'll be stuck here and even worse off than before."
"Do we have a choice?" Julian asked, raising an eyebrow.
Charles' shoulders sagged a bit. "Probably not." His brow furrowed, understanding what was most likely going to happen. Julian would run off in search of this miraculous solution to their problems only to return in a few days empty-handed and they'd be right back here.
Still, if this was going to work... "If we're going to get one, then there's only one individual who can help us, that quack nephew of yours, William." Charles said with an exhausted huff.
Julian sighed, not wanting to face his nephew whom he'd berated for his belief in such mysterious gems many times before. Still, he was left with no choice. Admitting that it must be done, he said: "Then that's who I'm going to see."
Charles wasn't entirely comfortable with the idea. But Julian was right. If the Chaos Emeralds did exist, then finding one would drastically advance the project. "I'll stay here and clean up the lab. Let me know what you find out." And with that, the two parted ways.
Mobitropolis University was situated across town from the lab with skyscrapers all around it that made the three-story buildings on the campus seem ant-like by comparison. All seven of the buildings on the campus were made out of large stone blocks painted a crisp white that almost seemed to glow in the springtime sunlight.
A dark brown railing sat atop a staircase that meandered back and forth in front of him, leading to the redwood double doors that were the entrance to this grand structure. The weaving stairs were supposed to increase creativity in students or something like that, Julian really couldn't have cared less.
He walked up the stairs and into the building, not wanting to think about the conversation he was about to have. William had been researching Chaos Emeralds for years, receiving lashing comments from many in both the scientific and historical communities for his efforts, comments not too dissimilar from the ones that Julian himself had made. When he'd last spoken to his nephew almost two weeks ago he was close to finding one. At least, that was the story.
Walking down the wide hallway, feet clacking on the shiny finish of the spruce wood floor, he stopped at a door that was old but had recently been painted a lighter shade of red. The sign on it was black and had small white letters that read "Professor William H. Snively." Julian placed his hand on the brass doorknob and turned it slowly.
Inside the small room was a set of bookcases on either side that reached from floor to ceiling, almost completely obscuring the dark blue walls behind them. In the middle of the floor, which had the same stained wood from the hallway outside, was a desk that seemed to split the room in two. And at the far end, staring out of a large oval window was his nephew.
Before Julian could speak, William turned to face him and spouted his own verbal joust. "You never called." He said in an incredibly nasal voice. The sound that carried from him would have been odd from anyone else. But it fit William perfectly. He was short, especially next to Julian, who was a little taller than average. He wore a green jacket with a zipper in the front and a split tail in the back that fell down to his black pants. He was almost completely bald, save for five long hairs that sprouted from his scalp. He also shared Julian's large nose, but his was even larger and more pronounced. "You told me you would show me the device. Instead, I get more information from looking up blog posts than from you."
Julian knew that this was coming, and he was prepared. "I told you that I would call when we had something. Right now all you'd be looking at is a pile of parts and a dysfunctional prototype model that explodes upon initialization. Hardly worth making the trip across town for, don't you think Snively?"
Snively's face fell into a deeper frown than it already had. He hated it when Julian used his last name. "I've already told you not to call me that!" He hated his last name, and the word associated with it that was often applied to him as well because of the connection. He'd nearly had it changed years ago, but he'd already become fairly well known in the field of archaeology and had decided against it. After all, the jokes from his workmates would have persisted regardless.
Julian smirked. "The name suits you so much more so than William." His comment only reinforced what Snively already knew and hated about it.
The smaller man disregarded the statement and tried to change the subject. He pulled the black leather chair away from his desk and sat down with a thump. "Just tell me why you're here."
Julian got right to the point. "I'm here to ask about the Chaos Emeralds."
"You mean the reason you mock my very existence? What about them?" Snively asked with a raised eyebrow. Now he was curious.
"We're at an impasse, Snively. We need a more stable power supply. The fission core isn't safe enough for prolonged use. A Chaos Emerald, or an energy source similar to one, would be perfect." He held his breath and waited for Snively's response.
"So, two desperate scientists trying to prove themselves isn't enough? You want to make it three?" He said sarcastically. Still, if his uncle was asking him about this, then that meant that he was desperate. Maybe desperate enough to strike a deal.
"What do you want, Snively?" Julian asked hesitantly.
He thought it over for a moment before answering. "I want to work on the project as well." He raised his hand and pointed at the larger man across from him. "Including a full third of the credit once it's finished. My contributions and I won't simply be swept under the rug once you have what you want." He pulled back and crossed his arms, waiting for a reply.
"That's too much." Julian waved his hands in denial.
"You need a Chaos Emerald or you're finished. I provide the Chaos Emerald and you're back in business. Sounds to me like you don't have a choice." He said with a cocky attitude. He liked being the one in control of the conversation for once.
"Fine. You can be on the project." Julian said hesitantly. "But I need the Emerald as soon as possible."
Snively stood up from his chair and started toward the door. "Then let's go. The closest possible location is outside of the Emerald Hills."
Julian was surprised. The excitement and anticipation were nearly liquid as they dripped through in his words. "Is there really one that close?" He asked, double-checking what he was hearing.
"It could quite possibly be there. Though we won't know for sure until we check it out." He decided to explain. "A group of archaeologists in the area recently discovered some old echidna tribe ruins that reference the Emeralds. The ruins supposedly have been fully explored and contained nothing, but nobody is as versed in ancient echidna architecture as I am. So it is possible that there could be one deep inside, somewhere."
"Well, what are we waiting for?" He asked, stepping aside and gesturing to the door he'd been standing in front of. "Lead the way, Snively."
Later that afternoon, Charles returned home from the lab exhausted and a little bit worried about Julian's plan. The small, white, one-story house had an old roof that needed to be replaced soon, and windows that were just a tad on the dusty side. At least his lawn was well kept and his small garden, though only having a couple of flowers, wasn't overgrown with weeds.
As he walked in through his brown front door, rubbing the dirt off of his shoes on the small rug inside, he noticed that he wasn't alone. On the far end of the room, feet resting over the back of his old green sofa and head hanging inches above the tan carpet, upside down and without a care in the world, was his nephew.
A darker shade of blue than Charles himself, Sonic was wearing the same red sneakers he'd worn every day since he'd gotten them from his uncle.
Pointing at the couch, He said with a smile: "They invented those things for sitting, you know."
The younger hedgehog just smirked, staring back at the older hedgehog with an intense stare that only his pair of dark green eyes could muster. "Hello to you too, Uncle Chuck." He rolled off of the sofa and stood up, stroking the six long spines on the back of his head to straighten them while walking with his uncle over to the kitchen. He pointed to the bandage wrapped around Chuck's arm and looked a bit concerned. "Something happen at the lab today?"
Charles shook his head, the device's explosion still fresh in his mind as if it had happened seconds ago. He opened one of the cupboard doors over the kitchen sink and pulled out a bag of tea and a kettle. "The latest prototype didn't pan out like we'd hoped."
Sonic watched his uncle fill the kettle with water and place it on the stove. "Sounds like you guys haven't had much luck lately."
"No, not really." The older hedgehog said with a grim smile. "At least Julian thinks he has a plan."
Sonic had never met his uncle's lab partner, but he'd heard many stories of just how brilliant of a scientist he was, and how he matched his intelligence with an equal amount of intensity.
"You guys'll get through this, I know you will." Sonic said with a smile, trying to stay as positive as he could. "And just think of the good that will come once this project is done."
Charles let out a small sigh and a grin slowly crept across his face. His nephew certainly had a contagious personality. "Yeah, I suppose you're right." He said as he pulled a mug out of the cabinet and set it on the table next to him. "Why are you always the positive one?" He asked sarcastically.
Sonic shrugged, the larger size of his white-gloved hands making the gesture feel nearly weightless. "Well, somebody's gotta stay in good spirits."
Charles shook his head. "You remind me of your mother so much." The kettle started to whistle, and Charles took it, filled his cup, and placed it carefully on a light blue pad on the table. "So how long will you be back in town?" He asked his overly energetic nephew.
"Dunno," Sonic said lackadaisically, "for a bit at least. I'm gonna stay with Tails for a while. He says there's enough space in his apartment for both of us no problem."
"Then I suppose you'll be stopping by from time to time." Charles said with a smirk. "Won't you."
Sonic chuckled and walked over to the cupboard himself, grabbing a small white mug and tossing it back and forth from one hand to the other absent-mindedly. "You make it sound like that's a bad thing. Am I really that much of a pain?"
Charles shook his head. "You know that's not true. You're welcome here any time."
Sonic gave him a thumbs up and sat down at the table across from his uncle, pouring himself his own cup of hot water and grabbing a teabag. "You know I'm gonna hold you to that."
Charles let out a small chuckle. "Of course you will."
As He sipped his tea and reflected on the day's events, he only wished that he shared his nephew's endless optimism. After all, if things didn't turn out well with Julian and Snively, he was certainly going to need that kind of positivity, even if just to keep sane.