Chapter 33 PART TWO

Emerl, the Gizoid

Heavy Shinobi and Heavy Rider stood twenty yards apart from one another. Rider had mounted a wheel based badnik and revved its engine as he prepared to zoom forward. The ninja anticipated Rider's advancement by standing sideways. His hand rested on the hilt of his blade but he had not drawn it out of its sheath yet.

Cream watched with muted interest as Rider shot forward. He zig zagged as he approached and waved his deadly morningstar over his head. In one fluid motion, Shinobi drew his blade while making one decisive step to his left. His strike easily parried Rider's attack and caused the biker to lose his balance and fall off his mount.

Laughter rang out in the dim hollow as Rider fell face first into the dirt. Heavy Magician and Heavy Gunner clapped and hollered as Shinobi made a show of spinning in place while returning his sword to his sheath.

Cream was sitting on a stump and had already turned her attention away from the sparring. It had been two days since they had landed in the isolated hollow of dense trees a couple of miles away from Emerald City. In that time, Heavy King had hardly been seen at all while the others assussaged their boredom by fighting each other constantly.

Emerl stood beside Cream but he had not paid much attention to the sparring either. His eyes were locked onto the clouds that curtained the night sky. He had been Cream's shadow over the last few days, silent and ever present. However, Cream noticed that Emerl was rarely completely 'in-the-moment'. His eyes were often glazed and she knew his thoughts had drifted away from his current reality. Cream did not know that a machine was capable of day dreams.

Cheese squirmed out of Cream's grip and floated over to Emerl. "Chao." It said mournfully. Emerl looked down and when he saw Cheese he offered out his hand so it could rest on his palm. "Chao."

"I'm not sure," Emerl told Cheese. "I don't think it will be too much longer though."

Cheese sighed dramatically. "Chao…."

Cream rose from the stump and watched as Cheese yawned and leaned against one of Emerl's fingers. "You're really starting to understand what Cheese is saying. Not many people are able to. It took me a long time."

Emerl turned his head slightly. His blue eyes shimmered and Cream again had the feeling that they were far too alive for comfort. "I don't know why," Emerl admitted. "It was as if the language was rooted in my design but I never had a reason to access it before."

Cheese was already starting to drift to sleep in Emerl's hand. Though she knew only a little about Eggman, Cream was certain that most of his machines were never so gentle. "Why would Eggman want you to be able to understand Chao?"

"The doctor created me but he did not invent my design."

"O…uh…what does that mean?"

Emerl looked in the direction of the Heavies. Magician was preparing to spar against Gunner and none of them were paying them any attention. "Let's go into the woods and see if we cannot find you some food." He started in the direction of the trees while being careful to hold his hand out steady so as not to disturb Cheese. Cream followed after him. Her curiosity was piqued but her stomach was also grumbling.

Once they were in the safety of the trees, Emerl started speaking again. "My creator had stumbled upon the legend of Chaos. He wanted to know everything he could about the monster and the ancient Echidna race that had sealed it within the Master Emerald. In his research he found the designs for a new kind of machine. It was called a Gizoid and whether built by the Echidnas or a civilization even more ancient than them, the doctor was never able to find out."

Emerl paused and knelt down to examine a bush. He considered the small fruits that were growing along its branches but shook his head. "Poisonous." He rose and they started off again.

"So that might explain why you have a connection to Chao then. They are rather ancient as well, though there are only a few of them left," Cream offered.

Emerl said nothing to this. He continued on ahead only stopping occasionally to inspect some fruit or berry. It was dark inside the woods but Emerl's gilded armor glowed softly like a flickering candle. Cream would not usually go wandering into the forest at night but she felt safe with Emerl by her side.

"If you don't mind me asking. Why aren't you with Dr. Eggman now? Why are all of his machines fighting one another?"

"The doctor is gone," Emerl answered. "Once he left it was every machine for itself."

"Gone? What do you mean?"

"I mean he abandoned earth and all of his former creations. He did not intend to return, as far as I am aware."

"But you decided to group up with the Heavies?" Cream tried to keep the sour note out of her voice, but she could not see why Emerl would choose to align himself with mechs who were so different from him and treated him so terribly.

Emerl did not answer for a long while. When he finally spoke his voice sounded strained. "The Heavies have always been there for me. After he made me, Eggman quickly realized I was not everything he had imagined I would be. Eggman prefers control over all other qualities but freedom is intrinsic to the Gizoid design. He could not find a way to command me and even fail safe protocols like the Prime Imperative did not stick. Since I lacked the will to do the evil he had in mind and since he could not force me, he stuck me in the garbage heap, no doubt intending to return to me if ever needed spare parts."

Cream put a hand to her mouth in surprise and horror. "O…I'm terribly sorry..mister Emerl."

Emerl's eyes flashed. "Mister Emerl?"

Cream blushed. "I'm sorry…I just thought…

"No, it's okay. I…I've just never been addressed that way before." Emerl stopped before a short tree growing in an exposed pocket of the forest canopy. Ripe red fruits were hanging from its branches. He reached out and took hold of one of the fruits. "It is a strange thing to be abandoned by your creator. Many of the other machines went mad as a result, but I felt strangely indifferent. Though Eggman had brought me to life, he did not seem to understand the intent of those who had designed the Gizoid."

He plucked the fruit free from the branch and inspected it. "My indifference made me an outcast even among outcasts. Many machines desired to destroy me and add my parts to their own failing bodies. Though they had been cast out, I was always surprised by their desire to live and their yearning to win the approval of their master." Emerl did not seem to find anything wrong with the fruit because he handed it over to Cream.

She gave it a cautious sniff but the rumble in her stomach would not allow her to deny the fruit no matter its smell. Cream risked a bite and though the fruit was slightly bitter it tasted fresh and wholesome.

Emerl was watching her closely. "Is it the same for all creatures? Do they feel the same pull to please their maker?" A yearning that he could not fully suppress lingered in his voice.

"I…I don't know," Cream admitted shyly. "I'm only a child after all…"

Emerl held up his hand to stop her. "It's alright. I understand. For you these concepts live in the clouds behind an ethereal veil. For us machines, however, they are ever present. There is no mystery to our origin. While many races embrace the notion of a vigilant creator who always sees them, we machines are cursed with the reverse in that the face our maker is ever before us. In him we see the flaws, and the ceiling of what is and what we can be."

Cream frowned. She did not feel that she understood what Emerl was saying, but she knew that it made her sad. Emerl perceived her confusion and continued. "That is why I align myself with the Heavies. They protected me from the mass of failed mechs who had gone mad with grief. For them, Eggman had selected a crueler punishment than abandonment; selection. They were once simple badniks that Eggman chose at random from the herd. He experimented with them, twisted and mutilated their design until the animals inside them fused with the experimental A.I chips Eggman was attempting to integrate into their hardware."

"This…caused their coding to change and liberated them from the Prime Imperative. They were able to lie, to trick their own maker. Eggman thought they were broken so he threw them away with the rest of the garbage. They tried to lead an uprising but it was no use. No one else wanted to join them and no one else could. No one, but me."

Understanding continued to elude Cream. "Is that what you wanted then? To rise up against Eggman?"

Emerl did not answer. He continued to stare at Cream as if she were something incredibly interesting. "What I wanted?" He whispered. He looked as if he were about to say something when they heard voices behind them. Emerl took a hasty step away from Cream just as Heavy Gunner and Heavy Shinobi appeared behind a set of tall trees.

"There you are, Emerl," Gunner spat. "We've been looking all over for you."

"The prisoner needed food," Emerl explained, gesturing to the fruit in Cream's hand.

"And she's got some. Time to return to the ship."

Cowed, Emerl lowered his head. "Lead the way." Without looking at her, Emerl held out Cheese and Cream took the snoozing Chao.

The two Heavies that had come to fetch them walked briskly with Emerl several strides in front of Cream. She stowed Cheese into the pocket of her dress and followed meekly. No one was paying her any attention. She could try and slip into the darkness of the forest and escape, but fear held her back. However, it was not fear for her own safety, but that if she did escape, the Heavies would blame Emerl and he would be punished.

Heavy Shinobi was whispering furtively to Emerl up ahead. Unfortunately, he had neglected the size of Cream's ears who was easily able to pick up what was said. "What are you doin, sneaking off into the woods? You aren't thinking of running are you? I hate to remind you that it would be a waste of time. You can't escape."

Emerl replied in an equally quiet and icy whisper. "I don't need reminding."

"Good. Because we can't afford any mistakes now. Things are much too hectic already."

"What do you mean?"

"The battle's begun. Metal is engaging Aurora at Red Mountain as we speak. But that's not all, the king doesn't know why yet, but Aurora has unleashed a massive armada on dozens of major cities all around the world. There is a battle going on right now at Emerald City between Aurora and G.U.N."

Cream felt something heavy drop into her gut. Emerald City wasn't all that far from her village. She quickened her pace so she could hear more. "King wants us to secure that emerald as soon as possible," Shinobi continued. "Aurora has forced all our hands. By attacking the humans she has ensured that whoever wins will have another war to fight right after."

"Which is perfect for us," Heavy Gunner interjected. "Whether it be Aurora or Metal, they will be weakened by this battle and the humans will surely come sniffing for revenge. Meanwhile, we will hang back and make ourselves even stronger by comparison."

"But none of that matters if your head isn't on straight," Shinobi hissed at Emerl. "Stay focused on the prize and stop wandering."

They had reached the hollow in the woods where they had parked the ship. The landing bay was open and the Heavy King stood atop it waiting for them. He motioned for everyone to return to the ship. Cream followed submissivly but as she was passing Heavy King, she paused. "Please mister…do you know if my village is okay?"

Emerl stopped as well to watch the exchange. The Heavy King shrugged. "The battle seems to be isolated to just Emerald City. But we aren't going to wait on that. We will head to your village straight away."

Cream's anxiety was not assuaged. Her gut rumbled uncomfortably and she could taste bile in her throat. She felt strangely dizzy all of a sudden, but then she felt someone take her by the hand. "I'm sure your village is fine," Emerl assured her. "Come aboard, you will be back there soon." Cream allowed Emerl to lead her back onto the ship.

Minutes later, she was sitting in the bunker as the Heavy Brigadir rumbled as it readied for takeoff. Emerl sat across from her with his hands folded together. Her nervous energy was mirrored by Emerl who could not seem to stop himself tapping his foot incessantly on the ground. Cream could not say why she was so spooked. Her village was not large and would probably not attract the attention of Eggman's rogue A.I. However, Cream could not shake the sense of imposing doom that weighed heavily on her heart. Even Cheese seemed to feel her disquiet. The Chao was cradled in Cream's hands and was trembling.

Cream closed her eyes and tried to drown out her fear laden thoughts. Though she had failed in her mission, at least Cream was returning home. After the business with the Chaos Emerald was over, she would be able to seek comfort in her mother's arms and right now that seemed like the most impregnable fortress in the world. If only she could return to it.

The bunker doors opened with a hiss and the Hard Boiled Heavies entered. Heavy King held his golden scepter over his broad shoulders and appeared to be in a hopeful mood. "Things are progressing, and while different than our expectations, they are certainly in our favor. It seems Metal will overcome Aurora."

Heavy Magician scoffed. "How?"

"I cannot confirm it yet, but our spies in Metal's camp have said that Metal has aligned himself with…Sonic."

Cream's eyes lit up, but she was the only one to receive this name with anything other than abject disgust and hatred. Shinboi's rage was so intense he drew out his sword. "Traitor…" He growled. "Has Metal forgotten all sense of pride?"

"It appears his desire for victory has overcome his basic sense of identity. However repulsive we may find Metal's actions, in the end, I think we benefit."

"Benefit?" Gunner repeated doubtfully. "How are we supposed to take down Metal if he has Sonic working for him?"

"I never said Sonic was working for Metal, only that they seem to have made an alliance for this battle against Aurora. That does not mean that Sonic will help Metal again. What it does mean is that the weaker army will emerge victorious which will only make it easier for us to take them down when it is all over."

When his minions still appeared conflicted, Heavy King raised his voice. "Listen to me. Our day has come. We cannot afford to doubt. Metal Overlord, Aurora, G.U.N, even Sonic himself, they will all fall." King raised his scepter and pointed it at each heavy in turn. "We know what it means to be powerless, to be completely at someone's mercy. NEVER AGAIN. Power will set us free, power will complete all our suffering, power is all, and it shall be ours."

The eyes of the heavies hardened and Cream could see their resolves stiffen. Only Emerl continued to look doubtful, even slightly afraid. "By the time the sun rises again," King continued. "One great power will have fallen and we will emerge to take their place. Now lets-"

FLASH! There was no sound. Light so bright it shone through the windowless hull of ship blinded Cream. The Heavy Brigadir came to a complete stop and hovered in suspended animation. Cream felt herself falling out of her seat. Hard metal bodies fell on top of her. A cage filled with butterflies was set loose in her stomach. She was falling. Cream lost all sense of herself. Her vision was still obscured by the streak of white light.

Cream tried to extend her ears in order to fly but they were pinned down by the mass of bodies all around her. She was vaguely aware of Cheese fidgeting by her side. The force of gravity pushed Cream's head back. She could not resist the pull any longer. As a last effort, Cream raised her hand for someone to save her. Something golden obstructed the white light. A hand squeezed hers and held her tightly. It was Tails, it had to be. He was hovering in the air holding onto her. The light blocked his face. Cream blinked and Tails vanished. Her hand slipped through the air and she continued to descend.