Chapter 50: Freeze Frame
"This is Scarlett Garcia reporting live from the scene of the latest known occurrence of aliens appearing on Earth."
The red-headed reporter was gesturing down the path of an alleyway in Station Square, with yellow caution tape prohibiting entry.
"Just a few years ago, these words would've been indicative of a conspiracy theory, but since the arrival of Sonic and his friends, more and more of these 'Mobians' have made their way to Earth, raising questions as to why they are appearing here and the impact this uptick will have on public resources."
The live footage cut away to a previous recording of President Michael Kennedy in the Oval Office.
"While we don't know for certain the cause of the Mobians' arrival on Earth," Michael said, "we continue to investigate and are in consultation with top scientists and researchers in hopes we can find an answer and, hopefully, find a way to both return these visitors home and prevent these phenomena from occurring in the future."
"Through our investigations," Garcia said as the feed cut back to her, "we have discovered that all known Mobians have been taken in for interviews before assistance is provided to help them integrate into our society. Presumably these interviews inquire about their untimely visits to establish fact patterns."
Watching this news report through an electronics shop window in the heart of Station Square was Tails the Fox. Peering at his wristwatch communicator, he gasped. "Ah, I'm gonna be late!" Tightening his tie, which was not accompanied by a suit jacket or even a button-down shirt, the orange fox ran several blocks while hauling a black suitcase.
Skidding to a stop in front of an office building, Tails wiped the sweat from his brow before readjusting his tie once more, taking a deep breath, and stepping foot inside. He was met with an empty lobby, a set of stairs, and an elevator.
"Let's see…" He pulled a business card from his namesakes. "25th floor…" Putting the card back, the orange kitsune approached the elevator, tapped the 25 button, and waited patiently as he was brought to the appropriate floor. Stepping out, he was greeted by agents in black suits who led him down a plain, yellow-tinted hall before arriving at a conference room with an uneasy Mobian. The sight of Tails, however, appeared to put the red quokka at ease.
Tails pulled up a seat and opened his suitcase, revealing paperwork documenting the Mobian's arrival to Earth. He cleared his throat.
"First and foremost," Tails began, "I know you must be feeling very confused."
"That's a bit of an understatement," replied the quokka. "One second I was mopping the floors at work, and the next thing I know, I'm in a damp alley in a foreign world."
"So your name is…" The fox peered down at his paperwork. "…Barry?"
"Yep!" The quokka nodded their head.
"And you use they/them pronouns?" Tails asked.
"Yes," Barry replied.
"Species: quokka?"
"Correct."
"Thank you," Tails replied as he set the paperwork down and cupped his hands together on the table. "So believe it or not, your situation isn't so unique."
"Really?" Barry tilted their head. "So that would explain the uptick in disappearances back home…" The quokka itched their chin before refocusing their attention on the orange kitsune. "So this happened to you? And Sonic too?"
"Yes," Tails replied. "In fact, most of my friends found themselves on Earth after a confrontation with Eggman caused Chaos Control."
"Eggman's here too?!" Barry's pupils dilated as they began to shake in their seat.
"Yeah, unfortunately," Tails replied, chuckling as he scratched the back of his head with his gloved hand, "but all the schemes he tried pulling on this planet have failed. You have no cause for concern while Sonic's around!"
"Phew…" Barry wiped the sweat from their brow before leaning back in their chair.
"So as mentioned previously," Tails continued, "you're not the only one to find their way here. In fact, top scientists on Earth are trying to get to the bottom of the situation, especially with the increased frequency of Mobians teleporting to Earth. In the meantime…" The orange fox flipped through his paperwork, pulling out another form. "The government here has established a refuge for us Mobians. They'll provide you with a place to stay and issue proper identification authorizing you to work in the United States. The government will also make efforts to place you in a job based on your skillset and experience…"
"Ah geez…" Barry sighed under their breath.
"What's wrong?" Tails asked, tilting his head in concern.
"I'm not really what you'd call skilled," they replied, making air quotes with their fingers. "I've been coasting between low-paying jobs since I came of age at seven years old."
"I see, I see…" Tails reviewed a list of jobs Barry worked on Mobius: fast food cashier, janitor, car washer, dishwasher, gas station attendant, door-to-door salesman…and the list went on. "Well…what do you want to do?"
"What do I want to do?" Barry asked, placing a gloved hand on their chest.
"Yeah, like…if you could do any job in the world, what would you choose?"
"Well…" Barry placed their hand on their chin in thought as they peered up at the ceiling. "I think it'd be pretty cool to be a train conductor."
"Oh?" It was Tails' turn to itch his chin. "I take it you like trains?"
"Do I!?" Barry's pupils turned into sparkling stars, their face awash with excitement and enthusiasm. "They're about the coolest thing in the world! I've been on every passenger train within a 100-mile radius of home, and I regularly mod my train simulator. Man, I'd kill to be a train conductor…"
"Hmmmm…" Tails pulled out his Miles Electric and scanned a job database. "Well, I can't guarantee anything, but I can put a good word in for ya at the Station Square train station. They're currently hiring train attendants."
"Really!?" Barry exclaimed, slamming their palms on the table in excitement.
"Yep!" Tails replied with a nod. "In fact, they're significantly expanding their staff after a worker strike resulted in a new union contract. Their pay and benefits improved too."
"Score!" Barry jumped on the table and started beatboxing in excitement.
"Easy there…" Tails backed away, placing his palms forward as if to shield himself. "Remember, it's not a guarantee, but the government is really pushing hard to match Mobian immigrants with jobs that are right for them, so I think you have a really good shot. Also, I said train attendant, not conductor, but this would be a good chance to get your foot in the door."
Barry jumped off the table and vigorously shook Tails' hand. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"
All Tails could do was chuckle awkwardly. Once Barry was calm, the fox peered down at his wristwatch communicator. "It looks like our appointment is coming to an end. These agents here will bring you to the apartment complex where you'll be staying with fellow Mobians."
After another parade of thank yous, the red quokka was led out of the conference room, leaving a satisfied fox alone. Organizing his stack of paperwork in his suitcase, the orange kitsune approached the nearest window, jumping out and keeping himself afloat with his rotary namesakes.
"Another job complete," Tails said to himself as he made a beeline back to Angel Island floating in the distance above the Station Square municipal park. "I was surprised at first when the government asked me to interview Mobian refugees, but I think they can really relate to a fellow Mobian who had a similar experience. I just hope we can find a way to get everyone home and stop these incidences from occurring in the first place…"
Several minutes of flight later, the fox planted his feet on the landing strip that ran off the edge of the floating island. He wiped the sweat from his brow and loosened his tie. "Welp, another job well done. Now it's time to get back to the workshop and finish tinkering with the Torna—" The fox froze as he observed a few grounded helicopters parked on his landing strip closer to his workshop. Peering more closely, he spotted a group of military personnel, scientists with white lab coats, Chuck Thorndyke, and…
"…the President?!" Tails exclaimed. "Oh boy, what's going on now?"
"Ah, if it isn't Tails!" Chuck exclaimed as the fox neared the entrance of the workshop. "Long time, no see!"
"Hey Chuck," Tails replied. "You know I don't mind company, but I wasn't expecting an entire party."
"Well, we've got a lot to discuss," replied President Michael K. "In fact, Chuck already called Sonic and everyone else here, and they'll be arriving by helicopter soon. We also have a team of scouts retrieving Knuckles as we speak."
As if on cue, the helicopter transporting Sonic, Cream, Cheese, Bokkun, Vanilla, Amy, Helen, and Rouge touched down on the landing strip. The pilot, Topaz, cut the engine as the party poured out. Knuckles, too, appeared out of the bushes alongside the agents who fetched him.
As the party settled into the living room of Tails' abode, Chuck and a group of scientists prepared their notes. The president was escorted to a reclining chair, guarded on either side by agents, and a few others were stationed at each exit of the workshop.
"So, let's begin with what everyone already knows," Chuck said. "Ever since you all arrived on Earth, we've slowly seen more and more Mobians showing up here as well. The numbers appear to be rising, and those are just the known cases. The entirety of Angel Island, as well as some various structures of Mobian origin, have been discovered as well. It's clear this is becoming an increasingly concerning problem, not just for the displaced Mobians, but for us as well."
"Indeed," Tails replied. "What if humans start teleporting to Mobius, for example?"
"Yeah, for all we know, it's already happening," Chuck said. "Regardless, our research team has come up with some…unsettling conclusions."
Another scientist, a young man with parted hair and thick, rectangular glasses, stood up. "After running some simulations, we believe there's a high likelihood that allowing these phenomena to continue will result in permanent, irreversible consequences for both worlds."
"Such as?" Sonic asked as he rested his chin on his fist held up by his elbow against the sofa's armrest.
"Well," the scientist replied, "we know these phenomena all but proves the existence of parallel universes, but we believe the convergence of these two worlds will not only impact our planet, but the entire universe as well. As more matter from Mobius comes to Earth, and possibly vice versa, the two universes will completely conjoin, resulting in potentially untold destruction, including the merging of our planets."
"That's right," Chuck added. "We're currently on Earth, but as this phenomenon continues at an exponentially faster pace, the planet will no longer be considered Earth nor Mobius. No…it'll be some sort of amalgamation of both. The environmental impact alone would be astronomical, not even considering the human and Mobian toll and the difficulties of adjusting to life in such a totally new world, as well as a shift in the planet's alignment with the sun. Plus, in a worst case scenario, time could stop."
"Stop?" Cream questioned. "How can time stop?"
"Chao, chao," Cheese added.
"Well, if the theory is accurate, we would continue our existence," Chuck replied, "but whatever time it was when time stops would be frozen forever. If it was nine in the morning, for example, it would always be nine in the morning. If it was overcast, it would always be overcast. The worst part is that we wouldn't age…"
"Not aging?" Amy placed a gloved hand on her chin in thought. "Wouldn't that be a good thing?"
"Perhaps in the short term," Chuck replied as a smirk crossed his face. "But take myself for example: it should be no surprise that I'm getting old. I'm not as nimble as I used to be, and the passage of time will only cause me to grow older and frailer until I eventually die." The elderly scientist peered down at the young fox before him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "It would mean the world to me if we could continue working in the lab indefinitely, without fear of aging, and bringing about new discoveries and having all the time in the world to improve the Tornado…but what would be the point? Without new life, and without the passage of time, then life would become boring and meaningless. We extract meaning and purpose, in part, based on the limited time we have on this planet, but if we were given unlimited life, then what? What would be the point in getting up every day, in a world where each day is the same as the next? Quite frankly…" Chuck paused, closing his eyes as he gave a long sigh. "…I'd rather be dead."
The party was quiet for several moments, allowing them time to collect their thoughts.
"As much as I'd also love to work with you forever," Tails replied, "I ultimately agree with your conclusions. If there's any way we can stop this convergence, and possible time stoppage, we must act now." The fox peered up at Chuck once more. "How long do we have?"
"Assuming our theory is correct," Chuck replied, "we are predicting it'll happen in a matter of months, although it could be sooner."
"Oh no…" Amy said under her breath. The rest of the party was unsettled as well.
"Thankfully," the young scientist continued, "we believe we have a solution." He pulled out his laptop and projected it to a blank wall in the living room. "This here is a teleportation gate our team has been working on for months using energy readings previously recorded from both the Chaos Emeralds and the Master Emerald."
"It was Chaos Control that brought you guys here in the first place," Chuck added, "and since your arrival, others have followed suit. Our working theory is that if we can send the original visitors home, and return the Chaos Emeralds back to Mobius, then the merger will cease, and both our worlds will be safe once more."
"How do we know if this teleportation device works anyway?" Rouge asked, crossing one leg over the other. "I'd rather not fry my wings off, if I do say so myself."
"The energy readings we picked up when Angel Island was brought to Earth have been emulated nearly flawlessly," replied Chuck, "and with help from Tails here, we believe we can have the mechanism working to ensure a safe return for everyone here. Knuckles, too, can provide guidance to ensure we are using the emeralds properly, without risk of damage or other negative side effects."
"That's all fine and good," Knuckles said, "but if the portal can't fit Angel Island, then count me out."
"Don't worry," Chuck replied, "the portal is expandable to cover the entire width of the floating island. As long as you can guide it in, we should have no problem getting Angel Island back to Mobius." Knuckles simply nodded in response, closing his eyes as he crossed his arms. The red echidna seemed content with this answer; while he didn't enjoy coupling the mystical gems with modern technology, it seemed to be the only way to get them home and save both planets, so in his mind, it was a necessary evil.
"I must say…" Chuck turned to the orange fox, a frown across his face. "…this will, unfortunately, be a one-way trip."
"What?" Helen asked, peering up at her grandfather in concern.
"The Chaos Emeralds and the Master Emeralds will be used to power the teleporter, and once everyone is through, the energy reserves should have just enough power to deliver the mystical gems before it shuts down. After that, the bridge between our worlds will be severed permanently."
"No…this can't be," Helen said softly, but just enough for the party to hear.
"I know it's not the best news," Chuck replied, "but it's the only way we can safely return our friends home while ensuring the safety of everyone here and on Mobius."
A set of tears started to trickle down Helen's face. "But…will we ever see each other again?"
"I honestly can't say," Chuck replied, "but given our current understanding of the situation, it's an objective reality that billions of people, humans and Mobians, are in danger. Whether there would be a way to allow a permanent, safe bridge between our worlds in the future is an entirely different question that, quite frankly, should not even be considered until we resolve our current dilemma."
"No…" All Helen could do was turn around and roll to the exit, tears trickling down her face.
"Helen, wait!" Tails exclaimed, reaching his hand out toward the door as the young girl left the workshop. He drooped his arm as soon as she left, his namesakes between his legs. After several seconds of silence, Tails turned his attention to the party. "I know this is important, and I'll do my very best to get this plan to work, but for now…" The young fox approached the door. "…Helen needs me."
"Very well," Chuck replied. "I think if there's anyone here who can provide comfort in her time of need, it's you." The elderly scientist slapped his knees and he pulled himself out of his chair. "Welp, time for an intermission anyway. Hey, Bert…" Chuck pointed at one of the other younger scientists. "Can you prepare me a cup o' coffee? Black, no creamer, no sugar." The colleague simply gave Chuck a half-hearted nod, begrudgingly preparing his senior a beverage despite holding a PhD.
Tails stepped out of the workshop and peered up at the suited guard above. "Excuse me, mister. Can you tell me where the young girl went?"
"Yeah, she went toward the landing strip," he replied.
"Thanks!" Tails waved back as he walked around the perimeter of the workshop until he made it to the other side. He found Helen near the edge of the island, sniffling as more tears rolled down her face.
"Hey, Helen…" Tails said as he approached the young girl from her side. "Do you wanna talk it out?"
"What's there to talk about?" Helen asked, her eyes red from crying. "It seems perfectly clear what needs to be done. I just…" The young girl clenched her fists and closed her eyes, a new stream of tears running down her cheeks. "I… don't want to lose you guys. I…can't say that I didn't have friends before you showed up, but…" Helen backed up and turned toward Tails. "…when my friends see me and hang out with me, I know they feel limited based on my condition. I know they opt not to play soccer or go ice skating because they don't wanna make me feel bad. I feel I drag everyone else down…but…" The young girl peered into Tails' eyes. "You've been…different. You've never viewed me as an inconvenience. You've just viewed me as a friend. I can feel it."
"Well yeah, that's what friends are for," Tails replied, scratching the back of his head.
"Like…I know my human friends try really hard not to show it, but deep down, I know that, while they care about me, they feel like I handicap them."
"I've met some of your friends," Tails replied, "and I don't think that's true."
"Tails, I'm going to need you to trust me on this one," Helen replied, wiping the tears from her face. "Until you've lived this experience and see how people react to you every single day, you can't really tell me how to feel."
"Yeah, I'm…sorry…" Tails closed his eyes and sighed. "I really wish I could do more to help."
"But that's the thing," Helen replied, grabbing hold of Tails' gloved hands. "You have. Instead of judging me or viewing me as an inconvenience, you've let me join you on your adventures. Hell, you even built me the Helengelion!" Tears started to pour from her eyes once more. "I've never had a friend as caring as you and the rest of the Mobians, and I…I…" The young girl slapped Tails' hands away. "I don't want to lose you!" It was at this point where she became inconsolable; the young girl started crying into her palms, her head facing down.
"Helen…I…" The fox was speechless; there was nothing the orange kitsune could say to cheer her up, so he did the only thing he could do to help; he approached the young girl, slightly bent his knees, and reached in for a hug, wrapping his furry arms around her back. Helen lifted her head from her palms, allowing her tears to dry into Tails' fur, but the fox's warmth and comfort only made her cry more, serving as a reminder of exactly what she'd lose once he returns to Mobius, never to see her again.
"I just…I can't think of a world without you and your friends," Helen said as Tails loosened his embrace. "I know grandpa thinks life wouldn't be worth living if time stopped…but I'd rather have that than you guys leaving me. I just…" The young girl turned toward the edge of the island, peering down at the community park far below. "I'm…scared." Tails placed a palm on Helen's shoulder. "I've tried to be upbeat and positive, but it's so hard. My parents work way too much to support my medical needs, my friends would rather not be with me, and now the only friends I've ever had who treat me as an equal are about to leave forever." The young girl peered over at Tails, who was now observing her from her side. "I don't know if I can deal with that loss." Helen peered down at the expanses below the edge of the floating island once more.
"Helen…I don't know what to say…" His eyes started to glisten. "Honestly…you're scaring me…"
"I…" The young girl froze as she witnessed a single tear fall from Tails' eyes. She knew the implication of her words, and she knew the thoughts that were running through the fox's mind.
"Oh Tails…" She buried her palms in her hands once more. "I'm so sorry. The fate of the world's at stake, and here I am being a selfish brat."
"No, please don't say that!" Tails replied, his eyes watery and red. "You're being honest. I appreciate it." The fox gently pulled her palms from her face and gripped them tight with his own gloved hands. "No matter what happens, I know you'll be alright, and even if we don't see each other again, I'll always be in your heart." As if to demonstrate, the orange fox pointed to his furry chest. "Just promise me that you will find someone, anyone, to talk these feelings out with, okay? A therapist, Chuck, anyone."
"Yes, I promise…" Helen replied with a small nod. "I'll…be okay." She wiped her nose with a single finger. "I must be strong, just like you and your friends. I'll help you with the transporter and do whatever else as I can…at least, given my condition."
"I'm sure you'll be of the utmost help," Tails replied with a smile, taking his turn to wipe the tears from his muzzle. "And between you and me…I wouldn't be so pessimistic as Chuck about never seeing us again."
"What do you mean?" Helen asked, tilting her head in confusion.
"We know our arrival here is related to these events," Tails explained, "but was it due to the presence of Mobians, or was it the Chaos Emeralds that came along for the ride? Or was it the Master Emerald? A combination of the three? We only started noticing this trend of Mobians arriving here after the Master Emerald's arrival later on, after all. Plus, Gerald Robotnik at one point used the Chaos Emeralds and the Master Emerald in his experiments, and all evidence points to the fact that he must've ventured to Mobius at some point in his life, and yet none of these phenomena occurred back then to our knowledge."
"So what you're saying is…"
"That maybe…just maybe, we may still build a new bridge between our worlds," Tails replied. "One that doesn't cause any risk to anyone on Earth or Mobius…one that's permanent." Tails nodded his head. "No promises, of course, but never say never, am I right?"
Helen simply smiled and nodded in response.
"Now let's say we get you back inside, huh?" Tails stepped toward the workshop, turned back to the young girl, and gestured forward. "It's getting chilly, and I'm sure you wanna hear the rest of the plan?"
"Yes, of course," Helen replied.
With a smile, Tails turned around once more, leading the trip back to the workshop. Helen's smile, however, quickly dissolved, the pessimism shared by Chuck overpowering Tails' optimism. She knew, deep down, that Tails' words of reassurances were just that: words. No…she needed to emotionally brace herself for the almost certain possibility that, once Tails and company went back to their home world, they would never see her again.
Helen fought the urge to cry. This time, though, she simply shook her head, raised her head up high, and followed the orange fox back to the workshop.
As the young girl returned to Tails' abode, a small, fly-sized drone landed on the tarmac to preserve energy. Its job was now complete: providing a feed of the conversation to the drone's owner.
The owner was sitting at a computer desk with several monitors in the command center of his floating base in the ocean. An evil grin appeared across his face.
"Wooahhooohoohooo, this is eggcellent!" Eggman clapped his hands to summon his robotic assistant. "Oh Chris, fetch me another bottle of Baja Blast. I've got a little scheme cooking in my noodle."
"Right away, sir," Metal Chris replied in a digital, monotone voice, walking to the fridge to fetch the evil doctor the requested soda. He was now completely and 100 percent under his command, losing the sentience that was temporarily restored by Tails prior to the showdown on the Space Colony Ark.
Grabbing the bottle from Chris' metallic hands, Eggman chugged half of it and wiped his mouth. Peering at the metallic boy before him, the grin across the scientist's face grew even wider. "And I know just what to do with you! Oh yes, you'll be instrumental in my latest scheme!" Eggman studied the paused footage of Helen peering out over the horizon before pulling the green Chaos Emerald from his jacket. "A little bit of emotional manipulation should let me rule this planet forever! With time frozen, I will be immortal!"
"Wooahhooohoohooo!"
Eggman's bellowing laughter filled the Egg Carrier, lasting for several minutes before the evil doctor plotted out the details of his scheme.
"Oh yes…this is sure to work. No more giant space lasers or heavy mechs. This time, I will use the boy to take advantage of Helen's emotionally fragile state. Not my usual forte, but they'll never see it coming!"
And so the evil doctor programmed specific instructions into Metal Chris, allowing the robotic servant to begin Phase 1 of Dr. Eggman's master plan.