The GUN base of operations grew less active as their combing of the Asyowtu region showed no results. The Phantom Ruby's energy signal had faded away after a week and a half, and their priority shifted back to the Anubis lead— though among the foot soldiers, that too seemed like it would be a wild-goose chase.
Shade slipped through their lax perimeter and made her way to the administrative offices. Even though this was only for an archeological excursion, she winced at her effortless infiltration. How easy would it be for her to access their guarded databases and cripple their worldwide operations— if that was her goal.
She entered the head of operation's office and examined the documents splayed on the desk— formal reports concerning budgets, personnel and supplies; a reply from higher up approving contracting a third party for assistance in the search; correspondences with members of the University of Marnebu, namely with the director, the Dean of Archaeology, and a Professor Tombe Canapes. Her eyes focused on one of the letters from Prof. Canapes—
"Colonel Hakim, please forgive my slow progress in narrowing the search area. It has been many years since I have considered finding the tomb of Anubis. I am collaborating with my fellow professors at the university for assistance, though out of all the faculty in the department, I am still the most knowledgeable on Anubis. It is regrettable that this collaboration with the Guardian Unit of Nations did not occur twenty years earlier— progress would be much faster than it is now. Thank you for your patience. With luck, we will have a reasonably sized search area by the month's end."
Shade considered the proposed search area just underneath the letter— all of the desert to the west of Kũrage was considered, but that would waste their resources and time. GUN's impatience explained their pressure on the academics as well. All of this effort and money just to confirm or deny that the Phantom Ruby was the mythical Eye of Set.
Why weren't they looking for its deadliest wielder— or had they given up after seven months of quiet? Travel restrictions to and from the United Federation had been lifted since last week, allowing black jackals to come and go with no extra security precautions. Had they decided he was no longer a threat?
It would make their job simpler, Shade sighed, a stationary object versus a moving target... and if the Phantom Ruby wasn't the Eye of Set, Infinite was just a jackal, not the god-like terror from a year ago. There would be no reason for them to waste their time and resources looking for an ordinary jackal.
But he wasn't an ordinary jackal— records in GUN's own databases showed as much: a perfect operations record even against fully-armed forces, a deadly blade from a rare material— all of this before being employed by Eggman.
Have they already decided that he must have died?
Shade sighed as she replaced the documents before re-entering the ventilation shaft and replacing the grate. There was a possibility that the Ruby could still be in this dimension, she reasoned, but that didn't excuse dismissing the sudden energy surge in Kũrage with a far-fetched theory that someone probably scavenged a defective Phantom Ruby prototype, tried to activate it and destroyed it in the process. How eager were they to sweep all the remains of the war under the rug and move on?
She recalculated her warp belt for the United Federation and vanished, leaving the disturbed layer of dust as the only sign of her infiltration.
The jackal slinked down the stairs into the basement as the sound of buzzing intensified. The metal hedgehog only shielded his eyes from the sparks bouncing from the welding gun. White hot particles left behind imperfections on the blue robot's forehead- but he kept working on the large curved piece of steel. When the gun switched off, small craters dotted the cobalt shape.
"I'm increasing the capacity of this drum roaster and improving the thermometer accuracy," Metal beeped. "The original specs aren't efficient enough."
The jackal approached the Badnik as the blue surface smoldered. It probably didn't hurt him...
"Won't that leave... burns on your head?"
The computer clicked. "Tektite has a high melting point. I can buff them out later."
"D...doz...does- ent... hurt... f-f... fine."
"You're not fine and it does hurt. Pain is normal. It's how your body tells you what's not safe."
He sighed, "Well, it still smells like hot carcasses." The head swivelled around to face him. "So instead of making me think you've got bodies in here, you should wear a welding mask. Besides, chemical fumes burn my nose, so just wear a welding mask."
"...Sorry. I wasn't aware," Metal beeped.
"How long have you been at this?" The canine wondered as he eyed the large steel shape.
"Five hours, but the welding just started."
"Big piece. You want any help?"
"I have to make even and precise welds, otherwise this will be for nothing."
The jackal hummed as he glanced at the other parts scattered around the basement. "Nothing else I can do?"
"...well..." A large ear flicked at the hesitation. "...I was planning on... coercing someone else into this business venture."
"Well, you can't run a coffee shop with just two people," the canine stretched. "Another Badnik rebelling against its creator?"
Metal swivelled his head toward a workbench and extended his arm to grab the bulky welding mask. "No... which is why I'm going to ask you to come with me," he beeped. "He's a bit stubborn and hard to read, so I'd appreciate a second opinion, and for you to get acquainted."
The jackal considered the Badnik's words as his stomach began to wither, bile rising in his throat. Sweat, blood and wet foliage filled his nostrils alongside charred fur and hot metal.
"No."
Metal didn't acknowledge the throaty, instinctive growl as he lowered the mask. He turned on the welding torch and started back up.
"I said no," the canine snarled.
"You don't get a choice, Tiny," a voice laughed in the back of his skull. "You're just a runty jackal- you do as I say."
"I don't have any other choice," the modulated voice buzzed from inside the welding mask. "You said it yourself— you can't run a coffee shop with two people. And you certainly can't when one of them isn't even a person. The only other person I know of who would be free and willing to help would be—"
Infinite quaked as his hackles stood on end— "You don't get it."
The torch flicked off and the robotic hedgehog's head swiveled towards him. "I'm sure I get it," came a low metallic rumble. "Don't think just because I don't bleed or breathe that I don't feel pain or that I'm incapable of understanding what it feels like to lose."
Static rippled across Infinite's fur and his throat tightened— but...
"I... I wasn't aware you felt pain."
"Most assume I don't."
The jackal sat down on the floor as the android lifted up the welding mask. "It would be like not installing a gas indicator or temperature gauge in a car— An autonomous weapon needs to know when it's being damaged, otherwise it could destroy itself... sensors along the limbs and armor, connected to a central processor— it's a synthetic nervous system. I can feel quite a lot— temperature, pressure, texture... but even still, I guess it's easier to believe that I don't feel pain."
The illusions don't feel anything. Perfect! I won't have to waste my time building incompetent robots when I have this!
Incompetent... or reactive to pain?
"And when you give something that isn't alive the ability to feel pain... well..." Solemn clicks resonated through the basement.
Infinite's tail curled in front of his feet. "You may not be alive in the technical sense," he hummed, "but you are alive."
"Without pain, you're no different than that rifle in your hands— or this rock." The jackal hurled the stone into the wall, cleaving it into three pieces. "If it could feel pain, it would fear being broken. Killed. That's why it's important. That's why it's normal."
A small speckled face considered the rock fragments, then, glanced back up at him. "F...fe...ear... norm...normal?"
The scarred adult's stomach turned. He swallowed the bile and knelt down to meet the sharp, golden eyes.
"Fear... is like pain," he explained. "They go hand in hand— if you feel pain, you'll remember it, and if you don't want to feel pain again, you'll feel fear when you see danger. Fear keeps you... alert of your surroundings. So pain is how our body knows what's wrong with us, what's hurt... and fear is how we stay safe."
"I suppose," the hedgehog acknowledged as his processor hummed. "You were only told it was one hedgehog," Metal diverted with a beep. "Which was only... fifty-two percent true."
The canine's ears twitched. The computer beneath the blue shell whirred, "Well, fifty-three-point-seven percent, but it's still significant."
Blue and yellow eyes narrowed, and the android turned away. "You were misled into thinking you could take him. It wouldn't surprise me if that was intentional on Eggman's part. He was engineered to be an unstoppable living weapon."
His blood began bubbling as Metal continued, "Enhanced strength and durability, Chaos powers and a ruthless fighting technique... I was impressed that you managed to survive all that and get back to the base."
The jackal's tail flicked as his skull throbbed. Not unscathed...
"But... for better or worse... that encounter led to the partial assimilation with the prototype... I wonder if you remember."
Infinite looked away as his hackles began to rise again, "So, you're going to try and convince one of the good guys to play nice with us," he grumbled.
"...I wouldn't say it like that," Metal beeped as the welding torch flared. "I'm not sure if you were ever familiar with a group called Team Dark— they're freelancers; do anything for anyone, as long as the money's good."
Team Dark, the jackal coughed. Sounds like the kind of name he'd come up with... "Regardless, I'm sure he's not going to jump for joy when he finds out who his coworker will be— And who's to say he won't turn around and blow the whistle on both of us?"
"I won't let him," came an authoritative beep. "All I ask is for you to be as neutral as possible if you're coming along."
The jackal grumbled as he narrowed his eyes. His fur prickled and his ribs quivered.
"...I'll think about it."
"Sorry to disturb you, I realize this is an ungodly hour where you are."
A heavy sigh, "It's fine..." Wasn't getting enough sleep anyway— at least this wasn't a video call, she thought as she examined the dark bags under her eyes and grumbled when she heard the familiar racket from downstairs.
"I'm contacting you regarding a job opportunity in the Asyowtu region. We're conducting an excavation alongside the University of Marnebu in the northeast desert."
And why was GUN involved with a university's excavation? She hummed, but answered instead with, "And why do you need our services?"
"Not your team— just you. We need your expertise. You have knowledge of Dr. Eggman's pyramid bases and knowledge of his most recent... weapon."
She tried to hold back a laugh. Don't tell me they really think..."I think I understand— you need someone who can keep a secret and knows where Eggman's desert bases are, but also an exceptional thief, do I have that right?"
"...Yes. It's imperative—"
"I know the drill..." She smirked, at least it would get her away from the troll in her basement for a little while. "Let's just talk about payment."