Prolouge
In the beginning there was dark. A pitch dark existence engulfed my entire being. Darkness, as far as the eye could see. I was nothing, and yet I felt I was somewhat of a being.
I was completely alone until a voice pierced the darkness.
"Grandpa, what is it?" A female voice said.
"This is the project I told you I've been working on, Maria. He's starting to grow, just like you. Soon enough, he will be able to get out of the pod." This time I could hear a male voice.
"Oh, so it's a boy! Is it human?" The female voice continued.
"No, he's a hedgehog. But he will have a soul, just like yours and mine. He will think and talk like a human, and if everything turns out well, he will be even more intelligent than the average human. He is my life's work concentrated in one being: Project Shadow." I could hear him say this with a twinge of kindness.
"His name's Project Shadow?"
"No, you silly goose, his name is just Shadow, Shadow the Hedgehog. Also known as the Ultimate Life Form."
"Ah, I see. Well, I hope Shadow hurries up and grows so he can get outta there and he can play with me!" The female voice sounded excited.
To play? Playing? What was that? There was a lot to learn for me still, after all, I couldn't even see the beings in front of me, my vision was practically non-existent.
"How old is Shadow, grandpa? He looks big." The female voice asked.
"He might look big but when he is finally fully formed he will have the mind of a child. He will be your age, Maria, around 8 years old. Although, I will say, his brain will be much more developed than that of a child's". The male voice chuckled.
8 years? What was a year? How many years were 8? All of this information was rattling my brain. I tried to grasp it and understand, but all my attempts were useless. I needed someone who could explain all of it to me.
"Grandpa, can I be friends with Shadow once he comes out?" I felt a closeness coming from the female voice. I couldn't physically see its recipient, but for some reason I could feel her approach me.
"You surely can, Maria. I'm sure Shadow will be eager to have a friend like you. He'll be delighted. We need to hurry along now, it's time for your classes."
"Bye, Shadow! Hope we can play soon!" The female voice chirped.
"Goodbye, Shadow," the male voice said.
Goodbye. I thought to myself. I wasn't able to speak to them, but if they could tap into my mind they would see that I was as eager to meet them as they were.
I heard footsteps walking away from me and the silence grew anew. I wondered what these humans looked like, and I wondered the same thing about myself. What did a hedgehog look like? What were humans, what was a hedgehog? So many things running through my mind.
I had never heard a human talk and I still didn't know what a human was. I could just hope that the waiting didn't prolong itself too much. I wanted to see these beings with my very own eyes.
