Chapter 40

On the Far Side of the Universe

Sonic stepped through the portal and Angel Island vanished. Sensation blurred as everything around him seemed to compress and expand all at once creating a pressure unlike anything Sonic had ever experienced before. His body felt like a thick paste being squeezed through a narrow tube. Air left his lungs and the intense weight of gravity swelled, certain to squish him into nothingness.

All at once, Sonic was released and he fell face first into deep grass. The pressure was gone and Sonic was able to breathe easily again. He pushed himself onto his knees and looked around him. He knelt in the center of an ancient grove enclosed by tall hedges. The sky was a mournful blue. The drifting clouds were dark and the air smelled of a recent rain. A large black bird soared above him and let out a loud caw!

Sonic rose to his feet and examined his more immediate surroundings. Weathered stones lay scattered all around him hidden beneath vines and brushes. It appeared as if he were standing in the ruins of a temple that had fallen many centuries ago.

Where am I? He wondered as he delved cautiously deeper into the temple. For his part, Sonic could not distinguish the ruins here from the ones he knew back at the Mystic Ruins. Tails may have been able to decipher the stranger characters and symbols etched onto the old stones but they were too eroded by time for Sonic to make anything of them.

Did it work? Sonic had entered the portal but perhaps it had just transported him to a different part of the earth. Nothing about the temple seemed especially out of the ordinary though he could not deny that a certain somber and reflective air seemed to hang above the place.

Sonic winded his way through the ruins until he reached the center. There seemed to have been a shrine there long ago but now only the base remained as all the walls had been torn down. Sonic could tell by the arches laying in the grass that the place had once been encircled by high windows. Right before the dais leading onto the slab of smooth stone there was a dry fountain. Sonic examined it and saw images etched onto the rims. He did not recognize most of the symbols but some of them were universally obvious; a flame, a bird, some kind of sparkling jewel and the sun.

Something more than curiosity led Sonic away from the fountain and onto the center of the exposed base. The slab was littered with collapsed stone and broken seats. The direction of the chairs directed Sonic to what would have been the far wall of the shrine. There was nothing there now and for some reason Sonic felt immensely sad about that. The grove had a timelessness about it that made even the air seem heavy with memory. In his mind's eye he could easily picture the temple with its foundations restored.

Vrr! Vrr! Sonic was brought out of his reverie by the unmistakable sound of chain saws. He turned and leapt onto one of the hedges. From his new vantage point Sonic could see that the grove was only a small part of a large forest. To his left, a river wound through the midst of trees, carried down the slope of a distant mountain chain. On his right he saw the forest narrow before ending at the line of civilization. Dirt paths rolled upward into well organized tracks of what appeared to be farmland. Hills prevented Sonic from seeing anything more.

Vrr! Vrr! He heard the clatter of machinery again and Sonic tracked the source. He could not see through the dense network of forest but he leapt down and sped off in the general direction.

Sonic came to a halt and hid himself behind a bush. He peered out and saw a squat beaver wearing a tattered white shirt walking around a tree with half of its trunk torn out. A second beaver approached the first. This one wore a metal hat the kind Sonic had seen in museums. The first beaver held up his chainsaw and waved it vigorously in the air.

He said something with great enthusiasm but Sonic had no idea what it was. The language was a complete mystery not resembling anything Sonic had ever heard before. Maybe it did work…Sonic's heart skipped a beat. Excitement and the sense of impending thrill stole upon him.

Vrr! Vrr! The beaver revved his chainsaw and resumed his felling of the tree. The steel blades cut through the wood like paper and a few moments later both beavers were jumping away as the tree fell with a thunderous crash.

Sonic waited and considered his options. Perhaps he should present himself and ask the locals where he was. However, if they did not speak the same language all that would do is cause confusion. It might be faster just to do a few quick laps around the planet and see if I can't find any signs of Eggman. That was his mission after all.

Before he could come to a decision, the second beaver approached a tree and revved his chain saw eagerly. He slashed with greedy menace into the trunk but the blade cut quicker than the beaver had expected. Only a few moments later and the tree was wobbling precariously. The beavers let out a cry of fear as there was a terrible crack! "Look out!" Sonic cried but the beavers were petrified by shock.

In a flash, Sonic blasted forward and pushed the two beavers aside just as the tree smashed into the ground. The beavers rolled onto the floor and gawked at Sonic with terrorized and awe struck expressions on their faces. "You should be more careful," Sonic said before remembering that they probably would not understand him. His guess was confirmed a second later when the two beavers exchanged confused glances.

The first rose and hastily brushed the grass and dirt off his shirt. He helped his companion to his feet and then took a step towards Sonic. The beaver offered out his hand, and said some words. Sonic raised an eyebrow and tried to make it clear that he did not understand. The beaver paused and put a hand on his hip. Then as if struck by sudden inspiration, turned and raced over to a different tree where he had laid down a small pack. The beaver delved inside it before coming over to Sonic. He handed over a small blinking device that looked remarkably similar to the comm devices Tails always made Sonic wear. Sonic accepted the present and the beaver mimed for Sonic to place the device in his ear.

Sonic did and was instantly assaulted by a high pitched whining sound. A strange voice drooled on in the mysterious language before switching to a dozen others. Sonic recoiled in pain before suddenly a woman's voice spoke calm and clear. "Language Sync Complete."

"Can ya understand us now lad?" The beaver asked.

Sonic was stunned. "Yes…uh…what is this?"

"Universal translator, isn't it?" The beaver explained. For some reason the device had gifted the beaver with a thick Scottish accent. "My name is Simon and this here is my friend Flip." He added with a nod towards the second beaver. "Mighty quick reactions you got there sonny. We owe you our lives."

Sonic made a humble gesture of scratching the back of his neck. "It's nothing really."

"Well we'd like to buy you a drink at least wouldn't we, Flip?"

Flip did not look nearly as enthused. The second beaver was staring dangerously at Sonic. He looked both angry and afraid at the same time. Sonic noticed he had already retrieved his chain saw. Simon stepped to his side to stand between Sonic and Flip. "Would you come with us to the village? It's just a couple of miles up the way."

Sonic wanted to refuse but Simon had reached out and was gripping him tightly around the wrist. I could learn more by talking to some locals. If he was going to find out what Eggman was up to, perhaps it would be best to mingle. Sonic agreed to go and Simon clapped his hands enthusiastically.

He placed his own chain saw into his pack and drew out a couple of cant hooks. Simon tossed one to Flip and handed one over to Sonic as well. "You wouldn't mind helping us lug one of these trees back to the village would you?"

Sonic held the small tool and cast Simon a doubtful look. To his astonishment however, Simon went over to the fallen tree and gorged it with the hook and with Flip's help the two beavers heaved the massive tree onto their shoulders. "You can just stand by me then." Simon said with barely a hint of struggle.

Unsure of what exactly he could do to help, Sonic got behind Simon and put his hands beneath the tree. The beavers were taller than he was so he did not actually help very much in supporting the weight. As they started off, Sonic looked back towards the second fallen tree. "Will you come back for that one?"

"Hah!" Simon chuckled. "And get our revenge on it? No, let it lie. There are plenty of trees in old Gortorian, it won't miss a few."

Sonic bit back a retort as they made their way out of the forest and towards the dirt path. After a few minutes, the wild forest was stricken away and the ordered farm land began. They soon ascended a tall hill and Sonic saw that the land fell away into a series of valleys and lowlands. Sonic could see a village encircled by tall stone walls just on the edge of his sight but beyond that the land seemed sparsely populated.

"So….Well I didn't actually catch your name?" Simon started.

"It's Sonic. Sonic the Hedgehog."

"So Sonic," Simon said in a low whisper as they walked down the hill. "When we get to the village, I assume there would be no reason to mention that we had these chainsaws, is there?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, the imperials don't need to know how we got the tree do they? All they need to know is that they have the lumber for their tax sheet."

Sonic did not answer straight away. He turned his head slightly and saw that Flip was still glaring at him. "I don't suppose they do."

"See," Simon said warmly. "Things can always be worked out between friends."

They did not speak again for a while. The weight of the tree was finally pressing on the two beavers and eventually they did require Sonic to take on more of the burden. As they got closer to the village, Sonic saw smaller and smaller farms occupied by little homes. The houses and farms seemed simple and antiquated compared to what Sonic was used to. They didn't at all match the sophistication of technology present in the translator.

Occasionally, Sonic caught a glimpse of farmers and their families. They all wore common, earth toned clothing. A shrew wearing an old timey dress stopped the work she was doing in her field and gazed over at Sonic. "Heh," Snorted Simon. "Don't mind her lad, she's always trying to catch a man's eye." At that moment the shrew blushed and turned quickly away.

"Imperials up ahead." Flip muttered hoarsely from behind Sonic. Sonic saw Simon shift the load to a better spot on his shoulders. He quickly dropped his head and walked with a slow, passize gait. Flip did the same but Sonic looked ahead to see a group of wolves and foxes walking quickly down the lane. Their clothing was equally antiquated as the farmers. They wore old fashioned armor black capes and rich red belts. Sword's bounced from their hips and all but the leader held long spears.

Despite the ancient armor, the group was joined by three floating machines with sleek black metal exteriors and blinking red irises. Rotating propellers whirred beneath them to keep them airborne and their eyes darted to and fro with menacing vigilance.

The lead wolf walked with his head held high and narrowed eyes just as watchful as his machine companions. When they spotted Simon a faint smile traced the wolf's lips. Simon kept his eyes on the ground and that seemed to amuse the leader. He puffed out his chest in a smug, self satisfied kind of way. Then his eyes flicked over to Sonic. Unlike Simon, Sonic was staring brazenly right at the wolf's face.

Sonic saw the captain's yellow eyes flash with sudden fury. He strode forward with a hand on his sword belt. "Citizen," He said, his voice a low growl. One of the machines darted over and brought the spotlight of its red eye right on Sonic's face.

It was difficult for Sonic to try and match the wolf's aggressive stare while managing the weight of the tree. "Hello?" He said back.

This was obviously the wrong response. The wolf's soldiers all shifted uncomfortably and the leader flashed with fangs. "Who are you? I've never seen your face around here."

"Take it easy, Howl," Simon called from the front of their line. "He's not from around here. I had to let him borrow my translator just so he could understand me."

The wolf captain sneered at Sonic. "Foreign, eh? What brings you to District 13 then?"

Sonic reached for an answer. Somehow he figured that explaining he had crossed the universe to hunt down an egg shaped man wouldn't help the situation. "Just looking for work."

Howl clicked his tongue in annoyance. "I don't know what backwater province you're coming in from, but we do things right here. As soon as you get into town, present yourself to the Conscription Officer. You'll have to pay a fine and report your earnings. Or don't and see if you get lucky. Fair warning though, my Sentinel here won't forget your face." Howl smiled and flashed a set of yellowed fangs as sharp as daggers.

When Sonic was not cowed by the threat, Howl's smile faded and he frowned. "Come on lads, let's go." Howl waved and his men followed him down the road. The Sentinel lingered and continued to watch Sonic. It wasn't until its master whistled did it finally break away and leave.

"That wasn't so bad." Simon said cheerfully when they finally reached their destination. Sonic helped the two beavers deposit the tree down beside a mill just beyond the perimeter walls of the village. A narrow stream flowed gently beside them and Sonic knelt down to wash his hands and face. On the far side of the stream was a green valley which flowed downward into a gorge. Beyond the gorge and obscured by a light fog Sonic thought he could see high turrets and twisting spiral towers.

Before he could ask Simon what it was, the mill door banged open and a strong looking ferret came limping towards them. "This it then?" The ferret asked with a light kick at the tree. "That's the tenth this week Simon. When did you get so industrious?" The ferret peered at Simon suspiciously through his wire rimmed glasses.

"I Just want to do my part, Garth," Simon replied with a relaxed shrug. "These are exciting times for the Empire."

"Hah," The ferret let out a disbelieving snort before bending down to examine the tree more closely. Sonic watched him isolate the chain saw marks still embedded in the trunk. Garth's expression darkened. "Well, I'll cut this up right away and mark you down for it. That's almost three years worth of taxes made up for you now is it?"

"Three years and two months," Simon clarified.

The ferret returned to his mill and after a minute or so returned. He handed both Simon and Flip long scrolls of parchment and bid them to leave. Garth said nothing at all to Sonic and did his best to not even look at him.

When that was done, Simon led Sonic over to the village entrance. A menacing looking bloodhound and a slender cat, both in black and red armor stood guard at the gate. Their eyes were narrowed with suspicion as the three of them approached but Simon smiled genially at them and they entered the village without incident.

"This is Castle Town." Simon announced, moving over to walk beside Sonic. The town appeared very similar to a village set in antiquity. There was a well located in the center, the homes were thatched with straw and the roads were all made of dirt. However, it was not a primitive place. The village was clean, ordered and Sonic saw many villagers using electronic devices. Furthermore, dozens of sentinels hovered through the crowds. Their vigilant eyes darted back and forth constantly watching.

There were no humans that Sonic could see but the clothing was reminiscent of what humans wore in their ancient past. At the same time, no one seemed to think it odd that Sonic only wore shoes.

"The Conscription Office is on the far end of town, but we can go there later. For now let us go over to the Ale and Anvil and get ourselves a drink," Simon said. Sonic allowed himself to be led onward. The people he saw all seemed happy enough, most were too busy with their day to day activities to pay him any mind. A few villagers looked up and watched him with interest.

Beside the well there was a raised platform and set upon it was a marble statue. It depicted a rather fierce looking wolf adorned in heavy battle armor with a sword raised in his hand. There were words etched on the side but Sonic could not read them.

Simon directed Sonic away from the statue and towards a less populated section of the village. "Here we are." The Ale and Anvil proved itself to be a real forge, only one that had gone cold long ago. A fire burned in a heath near the old furnace and the walls of the tavern were made of cold, wet stone. The place had a kind of dreary, dampness to it like the inside of a caven. Sonic wondered how the patrons managed to eat their food in such little light.

Simon urged him forward and picked a table in the furthest corner of the tavern. Sonic saw many people cast furtive glances at them as they walked past. Every conversation was being carried out in hushed whispers as if they feared being overheard. A sole sentinel hovered above the tables. Its eye glowed softly in the gloom but the harsh shadows made it possible to avoid its gaze.

Sonic noted that Simon led to the table that was out of the machine's sight. When they had at last sat down, Simon exhaled. His former confidence and ease washed away and the beaver appeared suddenly anxious. "That was almost too close."

"I told you we shouldn't have brought him," Flip snarled.

"What were we gonna do? Leave him in the forest? He would have blabbed."

"There are other ways of ensuring his silence." Flip was sitting beside Sonic and he shot him a nasty side long look.

Simon chuckled darkly. "O yeah? And how did you plan on doing that? Didn't you notice how fast he was?" This cowed Flip who swallowed back his retort. Simon leaned across the table. "Don't mine him lad. He's just nervous. So am I, if I'm gonna be honest."

This was proved instantly as Simon nearly leapt out of his seat when a waiter materialized out of the shadows behind him. "Good gracious Rayne! Why did you do that?"

Their water was a tall, thin lizard with skin so translucent he appeared almost invisible in the gloom of the tavern. "What will you have Simon? And who's the friend? You know Gregore doesn't like loose entities in the tavern."

"A round of ale for the table and don't worry about him. Gregore can't be bothered by what he doesn't know, now can he?" Simon flashed a few silver coins and forced them into Rayne's hand.

The lizard seemed to weigh them and consider the offer. At last he said, "Very well, I suppose not." Rayne then faded back into the darkness of the tavern.

Simon wiped the sweat from his brow and sighed heavily again. Sonic seized his chance to ask a question. "Why are you so nervous? I mean…what did you think I was going to say?"

"Don't play a fool now lad. We're…getting a bit of a jump on the new emperor's tax policy and we're doing it with tools we stole from his new offices. If the Imperials found out what we had then they would surely increase our allotment. Do you know how valuable three years of tax free living is?"

"Uh…" Sonic replied. "The empire?"

Simon gave Sonic a look of utter disbelief. "Did you hit your head or something?"

"Let's just say that I did. What empire?"

"The bloody Tralagian Empire of course," Simon hissed.

The two beavers watched Sonic intently for the next few minutes. Sonic wondered how much he could get away with asking. He did not want to stir up any trouble. Eventually, Rayne returned with their drinks. The ale was a bit watered down but passable. Drinks seemed to distract Simon and Flip, so Sonic used the time to think up a story.

"So I'm obviously not from around here," Sonic started. Simon coughed out a bit of ale as a form of amused acknowledgement. "I've come from a far away place to look for someone. I know they are…uh…here…uh…" Sonic waved his hands to try and make a motion of a globe. "I know they are on uh…they are on…"

"The planet?" Simon offered. He chortled. "That's not very specific."

Sonic wasn't sure they would even know what a planet was. It was very difficult to tell how advanced the civilization was. "They may even be inside the empire somewhere. Will this translator allow me to speak to everyone? I may need to travel around the whole world."

"What's the difference?" Simon replied.

"The difference?"

"The difference between being somewhere in the empire and being somewhere on the planet? That's all the same thing isn't it?"

Sonic frowned. "O…"

Simon raised an eyebrow. "Are you meaning to say you're not from Arvana?"

"Arvana?"

"This!" Simon made the same circular gestures Sonic had made before.

"Uh…." Sonic couldn't think of anything else to say. If it causes a stir I'll just run out of here. "No..I'm from a planet called earth." To Sonic's surprise, neither Simon nor Flip reacted in alarm.

"Earth…" Simon munched on the word. "An uncouth name for a planet."

"Wait..so..that doesn't freak you out?"

"Maybe it would've done a few months ago. But everything has changed now, hasn't it? Granted, there are more than a few that would still be distrubed. I wouldn't go heralding that information if I were you. The Imperials won't care much as long as you pay your taxes. The proventials might stay away from ya, but they try to keep to themselves anyway. If anything it's the Sol-"

"Thirteens!" Interjected Flip.

"Thirteens." Breathed Simon.

"Filthy peasants they all are. They've got no name, or have you forgotten, Simon?"

Simon's face twitched, but he ignored Flip. "They are the locals of the district. Most of em have woken up to the way of things and act no different than a provincial, though of course, don't go around saying that. But there are a few that have stayed stubborn. They hate outsiders as much as they hate the empire. If a group of em found out you were an alien they'd probably string you up and offer on a pyre to their flame god."

"Ungrateful wretches!" Flip said as he took a hearty swig from his mug and slammed it on the table. "Their country was a revolving door for other powers to take and control. They never experienced any period of prolonged peace and security before the empire." Flip put a hand around Sonic's shoulder. For some reason, bashing the thirteens seemed to make Flip warm up to Sonic. "Just avoid them," Flip instructed Sonic. "You can identify most by their clothes and their eyes. I've never seen such dead and hateful eyes."

Sonic pushed Flip away. "You said that everything changed a few months ago, why is that?"

"That's when we got our new Emperor," Simon answered. "He came out of nowhere and in weeks had the entire empire torn in two and embroiled in a bitter civil war…then just as quickly as it started it was over. The twelve hundred year reign of the Traligains was over. He's the one that extended the border of the empire to encompass the entire planet. He is the one that stripped unloyal peoples of their names." Simon's voice dropped to a whisper. "Like you, he came to Arvana from another world. He dubs himself the Sun Monarch, King of the Cosmos, Lord Robotnik."