Round House

"This message is sent out in regard to the United Federation's petition for peace." Robotnik stood behind a podium as he gave his speech in his usual eccentric manner. "You are in no position to make demands nor negotiate. You will depose your current president and instate me as emperor. Once I'm in power, my first order of business would be to increase spending on the space program by thirty-five percent so they can develop a faster means of traveling to and from Earth." The mad doctor motioned his hand over a computer console embedded in the podium, producing a series of holograms. "These blueprints that I will so generously include with this transmission will be used to construct the space shuttle, to exact specifications may I add, which will then be sent out to take me home." He flipped through some different blueprints until landing on the ship's power supply, its central reactor having seven gemstone-shaped indentations in it. "As you can see here, such a powerful yet elegant design requires all seven of the Chaos Emeralds to function properly, which is why the second order of business is for all military and special intelligence to search for and secure them. Those mystical gems have been kept from me for far too long and if you find that… he is still holding on to them…"

The doctor's rotund form began to shake as bitter hatred filled his voice. "If that petulant, neanderthal Sonic still possesses the Chaos Emeralds, you must stop at nothing, and I mean NOTHING until the Emeralds are secure and that blue tramp and his pathetic sidekick are dead! YOU HEAR ME SONIC!?" He began to leap up and down like a child having a tantrum. "YOUR DAYS ARE NUMBERED! YOU SHALL FALL TO MY WILL AND THE WORLD WILL BE MINE!" As his voice reached a fever pitch, he began to go pale and lightheaded. He hunched over the computer podium hybrid that was displaying the hologram and pressed a few buttons. "C-cut that last part out, they can't see me as weak."

"I fail to see how a man on the verge of world domination can be seen as weak, Doctor." A robotic voice chimed in response to Robotnik's concerns.

"Don't patronize me, Sage." Robotnik snapped back, his body still recovering from his sudden outburst. "Just send out the message and blueprints. And remind them that they now have twenty-one hours to comply."

"As you wish, Doctor." Sage obediently responded. "Incoming transmission from G.U.N., they seem to be attempting to hijack our systems."

"THEY'RE DOING WHAT?!" Robotnik shouted out in disbelief. "I SHOW THEM THE POWER I HOLD OVER THEM ALL AND THEY RESPOND LIKE THIS!?" He slammed his fist into the console and his body began to quake once more.

"It is of no concern; I have already traced the transmission to one of their headquarters and am initiating counter measures." Sage coolly declared.

"Show me on the central display."

Robotnik steadied himself and began to walk from the pressroom and into a large command center. Rows and rows of computers filled the large chamber, each with a series of buzzes and beeps emanating from them accompanied by various lights. On the left side of the command center, a massive screen that filled the entire wall sprung to life and displayed a map of the Earth. Sage soon called out from the intercoms. "I have triangulated their hacking efforts to this location outside Westopolis." The map then zoomed into a heavily forested peninsula, the grand city of Westopolis just across the bay from it. "It is highly likely this is G.U.N. 's central command base." The artificial intelligence continued as the camera slowly pulled in closer to the forest.

"Fine. If they haven't realized the War Egg's capabilities, then maybe they need a live demonstration." Robotnik walked up to the highest point of the command center where he plopped down into a large chair, his hands rubbing together in the typical evil genius manner. "Prepare the energy cannon for a concentrated blast on that exact spot. The fine citizens of Westopolis should get a nice view of the light show."

"Acknowledged, initiating charging sequence. Cannon will be ready to fire in one hour." Sage announced unfeelingly, placing a timer on the side of the screen.

"Oh, and in the meantime, Sage." Robotnik said like he was trying to get a waiter's attention. "Could you perhaps get me some steak, medium rare? It's almost lunchtime after all."

"Of course, Doctor. I will have one of the serverbots bring it to you once it is finished."

Robotnik continued to monitor the screen for a while, already proud of his gambit for world domination. I never would have imagined getting marooned on another planet would still lead to my triumph, but it makes sense now. With my base far out of their reach and many of their most advanced weapons still with me, how couldn't I succeed? The scientist began to swivel around in his chair as he fantasized about his soon to be empire. Maybe I should have them find a way to capture Sonic and Tails instead, that way I would be able to finally execute those persistent troglodytes myself. He began to giggle at the thought of this. To finally end the lives of my biggest adversaries on live television would be a marvelous way to start off my empire.

Suddenly a series of alarms sounded that pulled Robotnik from his twisted daydream. "Alert! Alert! Exotic matter surge detected!" Sage cried out with just a bit more passion than usual.

"What?" Robotnik spun his chair back to face the massive monitor. "Show me." The monitor soon switched to a satellite image of Mars, the War Egg resting on the bottom left corner of the screen. A brief burst of light erupted near the center of the video feed. "What are the readings, Sage?"

"Readings from Satellite Array Deimos suggest it to be an Einstein Rosen bridge fifty kilometers north-east of here." The camera began to zoom in on the light.

"But that's impossible, the only things remotely capable of doing that would be ring gates and the Ch-" The bright flash soon dissipated, revealing the worst-case scenario for the Doctor's plans. "SONIC THE HEDGEHOG!?"

"Yes Doctor, it does appear to be So-" Sage tried answering before Robotnik interrupted.

"GET THE PLASMA SHIELDS ONLINE NOW! HE CAN'T GET IN HERE!" Robotnik scrambled to his feet and wildly typed on a nearby computer.

"But Doctor." Sage responded. "The plasma shields require three gigawatt hours... and the energy cannon is already using up five of the seven."

"FORGET THE CANNON, WE NEED PLASMA SHIELDS! THAT FREAK WILL RUIN EVERYTHING!"

"Sonic has begun his approach to the War Egg, Doctor." The screen showed just that, the blue blur darting off camera, leaving behind a large cloud of dust. Robotnik screamed some more. "Readjusting video feed." The camera began to zoom out and pan until a clearer view of both the initial site of Sonic's arrival and the outer edge of the War Egg were visible. "He is currently moving at one-hundred-forty kilometers an hour but seems to be having trouble accelerating further. Likely due to his unfamiliarity with Mars' gravity." A secondary image appeared on screen showing a closer view of Sonic, his trajectory faltering as he struggled to run.

Robotnik began to calm down a little by this turn of events. "Good, that means we have twenty minutes until he gets here… When will the plasma shields be ready for activation?"

"Thirty-five minutes."

Robotnik repeatedly slammed his fists into the computer, screaming out an assortment of curses in different languages. "This does not seem like the time for such expletives, Doctor." Sage remarked.

"FINE! Plan B it is!" The increasingly agitated wreck that was Robotnik declared. "Get all the Anti-Sonic weaponry we have from deep storage, map a route through the War Egg where that pest can do the least damage then open it, station all combat ready robots in that route and order them to kill on sight, and finally, fire all the short-range ballistics we've got ready until Sonic is either reduced to dust or has been forced into that open route." He took a quick breath after quickly laying out his plan to Sage. "Do you have any further questions or concerns?"

The AI quickly retorted. "Do you still want your steak?"

"Of course I still want my steak, you overgrown calculator! We're in a war not a famine!"