Chapter 6- BONDS

I found you at last...

It did not matter if this was the Sally she knew. The one with which she shared that unbreakable bond through all those years. It did not matter how the world outside had changed, or it was a different dimension all together. The warmth she felt in her breast was real, and as the two ran down those cold corridors together, it began to feel like old times. She wanted so desperately to tell her of the numerous horrors she experienced, the ones she missed so dearly, but first they needed to find a safe place and it wasn't here...

Coming to a halt near a massive grate, she watched as the chipmunk pulled out a small metal rod, wedging it in the bottom right corner. A small noise emanated from the device as the tiny gears within whined ever so slightly. Suddenly, the sound of bare paws plodding across the floor could be heard from a distance behind them! The fur raised on both of their necks as they stared at each other in disbelief.

No! That barricade was airtight! How did she...?We have to get out of here!

Nicole brought a black furred hand up to that same corner, and it seemed to melt away at the touch. Sally's eyes widened as she cupped her hands over her muzzle, darting her eyes between her and the oncoming presence further down the hall. The Holo-Lynx was all too aware that her abilities might be seen as a little unnerving, but it was nothing compared to their pursuer.

The steps grew ever closer, and she could swear she heard...humming? Motioning her inside, the young red-head was the first to enter, grabbing the rod as she slipped inside. Nicole followed soon after, reshaping the grate back to its original state as she slid it shut without a sound.

Will this be enough? If she got through that barrier, I don't even know if...

She felt herself being yanked backward around a nearby corner, stifling a yelp as Sally pulled out another circular gadget, setting it on the spartan paneling of the ventilation's interior. Dozens of tiny microbes flew up around them, similar to nanites but more robotic in nature, which began to move about like fireflies flitting around a bush. More footsteps could be heard as Nicole took a tentative step backwards, only to feel the cold rush of air and a firm grip on her arm! Looking backward, she saw only blackness as the vent tapered off straight down to the bottom floors.

Peering around the corner, the both of them witnessed a single black-furred hand pass by the grating, slowly followed by the body of NICOLE. Her back-lit eyes scanned around with that disturbing frozen smile, as the pair darted back into their hiding place. She felt Sally rub on her arm for comfort, as she gestured silently around the shaft at those miniature robots, which now began to fly about in a wave like pattern. The pale green glow of that woman's visual receptors traced along the shaft, lingering just mere inches away from their location...

I get it now. They are creating the illusion of dust being filtered through the vents, while also masking our signal. But, will it be enough?

"Hmm... I thought you would be hiding here, little Nicole. Though, in hindsight, that would be far too obvious..." The fact that this one talked to herself seemed off-putting to an extent, but given that this NICOLE had a definite antisocial streak, it made sense that the administrator was her only conversation partner most of the time. Seconds passed for what seemed like an eternity, and the lynx held her hands across her mouth, not wanting to make a single sound. The ray of green light that painted the shaft finally ebbed away, as footsteps slowly fell further and further down the halls. Then, at last—silence...

Nicole felt a sharp pain in her left ear suddenly and she nearly cried out in pain. A pat on the back from Sally kept her emotions in check, but she shot her a death glare nevertheless.

"Can you hear me, Nicole?"

The voice was faint, yet all too familiar and the Holo-Lynx found herself embracing the chipmunk deeply, kissing her on the cheek. She blushed as she pulled back into the darkness of the vents. To say that she felt relief at this point was an understatement. "Wow. I'll take that as a yes. Don't worry, this device allows you to pick up on the vibrations of my vocal cords without actually speaking. Useful for espionage...and the occasional gossip." Sure enough, a similar pain wracked her throat in quick succession, barely stifling a cough before the feeling receded as soon as it had arrived.

"Sally, it's really you isn't it?" Her usual polite demeanor gave way to the familiar candor shared between close friends. Even as a mere handheld, her conversations with Sonic had allowed her to "loosen up".

"No~!" Sally replied curtly, with a trace of mirth in her voice. Nicole did not see the humor in this, and a pang of sadness washed over her briefly, as a knot in her gut began to form. "Just kidding. Yes...it's me, Nicole." The Holo-Lynx reacted by grabbing the tufts on the chipmunk's cheeks and stretching them out ever so slightly. Sally winced in pain as she released her and rubbed them with a smile. "I deserved that."

"Sorry, I had to make sure." Another burst of cold air from the vents interrupted them, and Nicole was made acutely aware that they were still very much in danger. More importantly... "What are you doing here!? If she gets a hold of you, I don't know what I'm going to do..."

Sally's brow knitted in consternation at the Lynx's demeanor, then looked her dead in the eyes with determination. "I'm here to get you out, but first we have to get to that server room. I think you know why..."

The chipmunk continued to surprise the Holo-Lynx with just how much she knew of the situation at hand. The vest she wore also showed a great deal of preparedness on her part, with numerous hidden pockets, each bulging with hidden gadgets and other such equipment. Upon closer inspection, the edge of the shaft leading downward had a alloy grappling hook affixed to it, with a heavily threaded yet impossibly thin rope dangling from the mooring point. However...

"Just. Be careful, okay? The NICOLE that lives here has persisted for centuries and is capable of untold cruelty. I don't want—" A finger rushed up to meet her lips, and the chipmunk shook her head with a smile that attempted to soothe, but an unknown pain stifled it somewhat. Up close, Nicole could see how exhausted she was, despite that strong front that the Holo-Lynx had come to expect from her.

What she didn't expect was the small breaks in eye contact during their conversations, much more noticeable now that things had calmed down. Nicole began to edge back towards the walls of the ventilation chamber, slowing looking over her own features as the reason for this behavior dawned on the Holo-Lynx. "Sally...I look so much like her, don't I?" Tears began to force their way down her cheeks once more. She finally found the root of what had been tearing at her subconscious this entire time. "The people who were afraid of me. Is this a world where they were right to fear me? Are you...afraid of me!?"

"You're not...you're not like her!"

Sally cupped her hands over mouth immediately, then hurriedly clasped herself to Nicole as she began to silently sob. "Don't...you ever...forget that." She sputtered out those words as she choked back the tears, and the Holo-Lynx gripped her tightly in response. Silently, they held each other for an unknowable time, unwilling to let go for even a second.

I won't forget... I promise.

Leaving the vents behind for the time being, the pair slowly made their way further towards the central server room. The walls pulsed with a familiar green light, much like how they were around the nanite pools. It was a stark reminder of the peril they were still immersed in.

As Sally pulled out her handheld, the Holo-Lynx felt an acute sense of nostalgia seeing the familiar gray block. However, it made no vocalization upon being opened, nor any attempt at a greeting. Her friend caught her staring at the device and flashed her an amused grin. "Okay Nicole, here's the plan. The map shows that we are extremely close to where the server is held, however the door barring it has multiple steps of verification. As far as your administrator status is concerned, that will get us through roughly 90% of the way."

"I assume it has a physical code to be entered in as well." Sally nodded in agreement at the lynx's suggestion and touched the handheld's screen, adding a satisfying red dot on the map.

"There's a bypass there I can get into, provided..." The chipmunk gulped aloud and gave Nicole a concerned look. One that she recognized almost immediately. "I know it's asking too much considering, but..."

Nicole placed her left hand firmly on the other's shoulder. "I would be the one most capable of distracting her. I am the one she's hunting right now." She paused for a moment as she rubbed around the base of Sally's neck where the muscles had tensed up. "I'll make sure we both get out of here alive, no matter what it takes."

"I'm sorry Nicole, it's the only way. Don't worry. When we get out of here..." It was her turn to shush the beleaguered chipmunk with a finger.

"We'll talk about that later. Go...Sally." She watched her best friend round the corner quickly, taking a second to glance back with a frown and quick nod. Then she was gone. The Holo-Lynx looked at her hands once more and balled them into fists, much like she did when first regaining her memories. Now was the time to secure their future.

Making a tentative step forward, she felt something slick on the ground which made her leap into the air! Turning around, she saw a slightly ajar water faucet, which was beginning to fall into disrepair. Grasping at her heart, she quickly darted her head back and forth for any movement. Any sound... Nothing.

This base is clearly uninhabitable for normal life...more proof that your connection to the outside world is tenuous at best. Furthermore, I need to control my emotions if we are going to have any hope of leaving here. It is only going to get worse.

Catching her breath, she passed into another hallway as the sliding doors continued to let her pass without issue. Thankfully, she remembered to give a simulacrum of the nanite signature that gave her "administrator" access to Sally. She even went through the effort of using the plating from the vent, shaping it into a helpful little key card. There was a great many questions she wanted to ask her, but it would have to wait for now.

Entering a much larger room, Nicole could immediately tell that the vents placed above emitted a much warmer gust of air than the others. She even began to sweat a little, which matted her fur slightly. Taking a moment to feel the wind between her fingers, she began to ruminate on the task ahead.

Probably serving double duty as circulation for the central server... I wonder how immense this database is. If she is with G.U.N., then...

Drip Drip

Nicole whipped around to locate where the noise had been coming from only to see a curious green ooze expelling from one of the ceiling vents, hitting the ground with a sickening thud. A gripping terror held her to the spot as it began to rise and shape itself slowly before the lynx.

You...

The form before her rose slowly, twisting and morphing, as a tail and long ears pushed their way out of the mass. Color flushed through in browns and blacks, as a chilling realization left Nicole speechless. A fine black nose attached to a smiling muzzle took shape, and a familiar purple dress slid down its torso, coming to rest at clawed black feet. The hum of green glowing eyes was the final touch, as NICOLE's aqueous body solidified at last. The Holo-Lynx struggled to think, to even breathe, as that creature once again drew ever closer, with a white fanged grin between her lips...