Stage 8: Mad Matrix
Player: Vector; Espio; Charmy
Goal: Access 4 Terminals
Blue Zone
Team Chaotix has jumped from cyber line.
- Charmy: That was awesome! Let's do it again!
- Espio: We need to access all 4 terminals to complete the mission. So let's remain focused.
Vector turn on his wrist device, opening the cyber map - "Bingo! We're on the Terminal Mainframe. Our current position is around the Blue Tower on South--" - Charmy interrupts - "Guys?! Where is Shadow? He couldn't go that far."
The detectives look around.
- Vector: It seems we ended up in different landing spots around VR.
- Espio: Lead us for the terminals, Vector. If I know Shadow as I should, he can handle himself.
The trio go North, where they encounter laser gates. Charmy gleams at the problem's solution - "Hey! We can play the game. See what happens when the platforms flash one color simultaneously."
The order of colors: Green; Blue; Red; Yellow.
3 platform flashed Yellow, yet nothing happened. Vector deduced - "It seems we need to make it one specific light, based on the tower's color, which is blue. Let's try that." - Detectives triggred green, then blue and the gates has finally dispersed.
Through corridor, Team Chaotix encounter the wall barrier blocking the passage. Vector cracked his fists - "Leave this to me, boys." - and hits the barrier multiple times, successfully breaking it.
The next obstacle was a rising cyber pole. Detectives grab it and go onto tower's next floor.
Charmy sees the laser gates, with colorful tiles attached to it - "I'm on it!" - the bee hits the tiles until they both flash blue, dipersing the gates, and lowering down the cube platform.
On the void's other side, Vector's GPS beebps.
- Vector: This must be the terminal, Rouge told us about!
- Espio: All right, let's see what's inside.
Charmy voiced his floating excitement, once he longide trio stepped into terminal - "Wheeee!" - The others were slightly alarmed by their surroundings flashing white.
Once Team Chaotix regain their bearings, Vector's wrist device beeps. The crocodile looks at it, seeing 25% on the screen - "It seems those terminals are fragmented. We need to access the rest individually."
Charmy beams at surroundings - "Check it out!" - and flies onto red circle - "I wanna play balloons!" - alarmed Vector follows - "Get back here, you idiot!" - Espio shook his head at his colleagues' shenanigans - "They'd better not derail our mission." - and gets to chases them through mainframe lines.
Yellow Zone
Excited Charmy errupts from Red Point - "Awesome! I want to do that again!" - The bee gets caught, by his big green and mean - "Finally caught up to you! These "ballons" look like those aliens' poisonus fruits!" - Vector takes a short breath and asks calmly - "Are you injured?"
Charmy feels himself from inside out - "Nope, I'm good." - then the bee squints - "You mean these alien balloons are bad?" - Espio emerged - "Indeed. Look."
The trio glance on the pathways, leading to Blue Tower, flicker sinisnter purple.
- Espio: Triggring these bomb will corrupt the mainframe's paths. When the virus spreads around the whole matrix, it will erase everything within its range.
Vector and Charmy gasp in horror. Chameleon goes towards Yellow Tower - "The entrance must be somewhere around here. Let's go."
Before entering the portals, Espio signals the group - "Camouflage!" - and throws a kunai getting the attention of cyber patrol. While programms aren't looking Espio and Vector destroy them simultaneously. With identifiers out of the way, detectives jump into the portal.
Inside Yellow Tower
Team Chaotix walk through thin corridors until they reach a slightly wider one. Espio signals the team to stop and throws his kunai in the room's centre, where GUN beetles appear.
Once robots looked away Vector and Espio ran at them and destroyed.
- Vector: According to that bat girl, GUN are aware of system's breach. We have to stay out of their sight. Stick close with us, Charmy and remain quiet.
- Charmy: Alright, alright... *what a buzzkill*.
- Espio: Hurry! There is no time to waste!
Team Chaotix jump into a color platform made by 9 tiles. Flashing each one yellow, they rise up to the next floor.
Throughout next room, Charmy sees a pillar, surrounded by 1 layered tiles - "Let's make a flying formation, so no one falls." - elders followed kid's cue and the trio gets jumping onto colorful tiles, until they flash yellow.
At the pillar's top the group gets behind Espio to do a ring dash for the red point.
On point's other side Team finds and activates 2nd terminal and float to their exit.
Having got out, Vector examines the wrist map - "2 down, 2 to go. Remember no going through purple frames, or we'll get infected." - Charmy asks - "Vector do you have a map or detector for these things?" - Crocodile turns on his map, Espio quickly examines it - "I've memorised safe routes for our target. Stricktly follow my lead. We start from the right point."
Espio jumps in first leading his teammates throughout cyber maze. Whenever there were branching turns, Chameleon commands where to go.
Green Zone
Vector's detector beeps once he stepped onto yellow barred platform - "This must be the underground exit with terminal. We need to find the entrance." - Team sees a cyber wall, blocking their path. Espio finds another tile-set - "And yet another color puzzle..." - Detectives step onto tiles until they flash green. Trio goes through the portal.
Inside Green Tower
Team Chaotix repeats their stealth procedure to reach one-lined bridge of tiles. Charmy takes the lead for the fying formation and safely guides his teammates to activate the line for the rise.
Going through the next room, Team Chaotix finds another platform. When they activted it moved to the cyber wall.
- Vector: Obstacle incoming! Charmy, fly for the attached tiles and use them to to get rid of the wall!
- Charmy: Yes sir!
The Bee constantly hits the tiles, until they turn the apropriate color. Wall #1 dispersed.
On the next room's left, team sees the next platform, but...
- Espio: There is another wall!
- Vector: Right... Charmy, why don't you fly over there and disperse all of obstacles? When you reach the safe land, call us and wait for our arrival.
- Charmy: I'm on it!
Charmy the Bee got his part done and gave his teammates a go. Once arrived, they jump onto giant cube, which lifts them up for the 3rd terminal.
Activation process repeats, leading Team Chaotix to the exit.
- Charmy: So, does that make only one terminal remaining?
- Vector: Let us hurry for the Red Tower!
- Espio: Follow me.
Red Zone
Landing trio approach the line of rings. As speedster, Espio goes front leading the rest to another part.
- Charmy: Wow.
- Espio: This is a complicated color-coded device.
- Vector: Then we'll keep doing what we do best!
Inside Red Tower
Team Chaotix activted their Camouflage, before going through the most spread patrol unit
- Espio: Definitely spared no expense on security around here, did they?
On each of 2 pillars sideways, team sees one guard standing. Espio throws his kunais simultaneously and disposes of both enemys.
Vector and Charmy meanwhile turned on the lifting platform. The third member jumps in.
The team gets between the walls.
- Vector: Espio, you can go by these walls, using your Triangle Jump. That should save Charmy's strengths for transportation.
Chameleon and Bee follow through Crocodile's plan and it pays.
Another Point transports the trio to some strange void emitting a wind holding the detectives in the air, floating. Vector grabs his teammates and blows out his gum ballon.
Team Chaotix float higher under Vector's gum balloon as he maintains its direction. They land onto purple cubes floating around last terminal.
Detectives jump closer and closer. Once step in the centre GPS reports 100%. Vector prays - "Please, make these risks worth." - Charmy beams - "I'd like to do these adventures again, when we won't have entire world at stake." - Espio concludes - "This case will be categorised as "Classified". And we'd better have a very good reason to take on something like this again!"
AN: (To Team Chaotix) Don't worry guys, Rouge won't extradite your involvement. But you'll get a job of getting yourself out of here in the next Chapter.
