Bad Future Chapter 1
Prologue
[Beginning scan of angel island. No sign of Dr. Eggman, the fake hedgehog, or the traitor. Continuing search]
Metal Sonic began hovering over the damaged land of Angel Island. As far as his memory served, this was the doctor's last known location. The tracker led here, but the trail went cold before he could find him. The only thing that remained was hordes of Zombots, ignoring him as he traveled. The bot continued to hover above the ground of the overcast floating island. While not capable of nostalgia, the bots memory file of the last time he was on Angel Island played. At the time, he'd used the power of the Master Emerald as well as the bio data of the fake hedgehog and Dr. Eggman to become Neo Metal Overlord.
The bot arrived at the dais where the Master Emerald was kept. Scanning the area marked several Zombots that the machine recognized. Metal Sonic accessed his memory logs as he scanned each individual Zombot.
[Data found: Knuckles The Echidna. Infection status: 100%. Data Found: Miles "Tails" Prower. Infection status: 100%. Data Found: Espio The Chameleon. Infection status: 100%. Data found: Amy Rose. Infection status: 100%. Data Found: Whisper The Wolf. Infection status: 100%. Data Found: Rouge The Bat. Infection status: 100%. Data found: Doctor Ivo "Eggman" Robotnik. ERROR. Infection status: 100%]
The bot finished their scan, pausing on Eggman's robotic visage. It seemed even the doctor fell to this virus. The machine reached for his creator, mechanical fingers outstretched. The lifeless Zombot of a man didn't even flinch, wandering past him as if he weren't even there. Metal Sonic watched the zombified man wander off into the wilderness, leaving an infected handprint on a tree in his wake.
Drops of rain fell from the sky, the water lightly dripped down the machines face.
Chapter 1: Two Years Later
Metal Sonic blasted through Chemical Plant Zone, knocking over any Zombots he came across. Speeding through the industrial landscape, he vaulted over a gap in the flooring. With no one around to command Eggman's forces, the repairs eventually stopped, and as a result, many of Eggman's facilities had begun to deteriorate. Of course, the broken landscapes meant little to Metal Sonic. He was the fastest thing... well, the fastest machine still operating.
Metal Sonic honed in on the distress beacon. After scanning over all of Eggman's footage of himself and the fake hedgehog, he had learned a bit about how the people of Mobius operated. How they acted, emoted, their body language, all of it was rubbing off on him. It was subtle changes at first, but slowly, he began to see himself express more. Of course, mimicking emotions wasn't something he was capable of, but communicating through body language slowly helped him to discover what emotions were, and how to use them.
So imagine his surprise when a distress signal went off within one of Eggman's facilities. He could see the building now, the smokestack blocking the entrance after having collapsed. It would mean little to him, as he simply opted to smash his way through one of the windows. The machine did a scan of the area, finding it clear of signs of life. That wasn't anything new, he never found signs of life. What was strange was that no machinery was showing any signs of life as well. Even without commands, the egg pawns with jobs deigned important enough were always working. Something had deactivated them with blunt force it seems.
The machine was no stranger to rogue Zombots. Every once in a while, one of them would suddenly grow aggressive, and begin attacking things seemingly at random. His memory bank replayed the 'Vector incident' as a reminder of what they are capable of. Metal Sonic activated his optical lights, shining bright red spotlights from his eyes. Surveilling the scene further revealed that rubble and other debris appeared to be lodged within the egg pawns, hence why they were inoperable. Metal noted the damage to this facility before continuing deeper.
As he hovered forth, the facility remained eerily quiet, save for the gentle whir of his chest turbine. Metal observed the cracks in the walls and the bits of factory that remained on the ground. The decay ran deep within the facility, more than two years of inactivity should allow for. He addressed the issue by upping the threat level of this place, designating it yellow. Further within, Metal Sonic saw light coming from up ahead. A faint green glow illuminated the hallway from afar. Moving into the room, Metal deactivated his optical flashlights, scanning the room.
[Scanning... Biological life form detected. Searching Eggnet... No data found. Opening new data log.]
Metal Sonic observed the figure within the glass tube. She had green fur, with pale skin. She wore a black shirt with the sleeves ripped off, had yellow baggy pants, and metallic boots. Her hair flowed gently within the tube, and her facial features were still. She had a large dark spot that framed her face, and her mouth was slightly ajar, appearing to be in a state of rest. Metal read the name plate wrapped around her wrist. Surge.
Metal Sonic logged the details, creating a file for Surge The Tenrec. The machine took notes that she appeared uninfected, though there were mechanical features about her. He could see beneath the skin was a metal frame that made up her skeleton, yet the organs within her were organic. He noted that the mechanical bits she possessed were Eggtech, yet there was code within her that was unrecognizable. He came to the conclusion that she must be some kind of android, like the Shadow androids of old, but far more advanced. He saw a control panel in front of the tube. He reached for the controls, but halted when his auditory sensors picked up something.
The sound of voices trailed in from within the facility.
"I told you we wouldn't find anything related to a cure in here! Now we set off distress signal. What if a horde of Zombots locks onto the signal?"
"Proposition: They have not locked onto such signals in the past."
"That's not the point!"
Metal hovered toward the sound, raising the threat level of this place to orange. In the two years that he'd been wandering the world since its fall, he had never once ran into a survivor. This meant that whoever was in here with him must be incredibly powerful, which made them incredibly dangerous. Moving forth, he opened the door the sound was coming from. He scanned the room.
[Scanning... Data found: Si- ERROR! ERROR! Hostile action detected!]
Metal Sonic's joints and servos locked up as he was held psychically in place. He recognized the hedgehog standing in front of him. The white hedgehog was looking rough, with singed quills, and scratches abound. His eyes glowed a dangerous teal, as did his hand.
"Metal Sonic!? What are you doing here!?" The hedgehog threatened.
Metal floated there, unresponsive except for his eyes, observing the mechanical head attached to the hedgehogs back.
[Data found: E-123 Omega. Status: critically damaged.]
"Recognition: Metal Sonic is an Eggman robot. Directive: Must destroy all Eggman robots!" The robotic head spoke.
"Omega, how are you going to destroy him if you're just a head?" The hedgehog asked.
"Proposition: Silver The Hedgehog must destroy Metal Sonic on this unit's behalf."
Metal Sonic observed the pair bickering. He waited for the right moment to break free, seeing them get wrapped up in their argument. When he noticed Silver's grip on him slip, he activated his shielding, as a warped cube of energy blocked off Silver's connection to him.
"Look what you made me do, Omega!" Silver said angrily. With his psychokinesis, he lifted the furniture within the room and threw it at Metal Sonic. The furniture shattered against the impervious shielding surrounding Metal Sonic. When Silver was out of projectiles, Metal blitzed forth, grabbing Silver by the neck and slamming him into the wall, cracking it in the process. Silver struggled against Metal's grip. To the hedgehogs surprise, Metal lowered him down to the ground and let go. Silver stepped cautiously back.
"Proposition: While Metal's guard is down, fling this unit at him." Omega stated.
"No, Omega, I'm not using you as a projectile." Silver raised his hands defensively against the machine. "I'm not opposed to thrashing this bot, however." Silver's eyes narrowed, trying to illicit a reaction out of the machine. Metal Sonic stood his ground, but did not attack.
"Request: Destroy the Eggman robot." Omega probed.
"I would, but..." Silver slowly lowered his hands. "...I don't think he wants to fight." He searches the robot for emotion. Of course, Metal Sonic isn't capable of such things. "He's acting strange. Omega, what's going on with him?" Silver moves Omega so that they may face Metal directly.
"Scanning... Conclusion: Metal Sonic is no longer under Eggman's control. Scans indicate he is running a program known as Failsafe Protocol." Omega concluded.
"Failsafe Protocol? What's that?"
"Explanation: All Eggman robots are programmed to have a Failsafe protocol. In the event that Eggman is terminated, an Eggman robot enters a Failsafe Protocol. This program is designed to automate the robots actions until such a time as Eggman may return. Metal Sonic's Failsafe Protocol is different than most."
Silver cocked his head. "Different how?"
"Specification: Metal Sonic has a learning AI, even when Eggman is in charge. Since Eggman has been deemed terminated, the AI is now operating freely. In other words, Metal Sonic is operating of his own volition." Omega explains. "This does not mean he is any less dangerous. He is still an Eggman robot. He must be terminated."
"But wait, if Metal Sonic is operating on his own, does that mean he chose not to fight?" Silver asked.
"Observation: This is correct."
The hedgehog and the mechanical head watch the machine, his unmoving form keeping both red eyes on them. There's an unspoken understanding in Silver's eyes, something Omega doesn't catch. He can see it in Metal's demeanor. The machine lost everything from this crisis, same as him. "Metal Sonic... You're hurting as much as we are, aren't you?"
"Correction: This unit does not feel pain. Metal Sonic isn't capable of feeling pain either. He must be destroyed." Omega states.
"Omega..." Silver begins to bicker with Omega again. Metal Sonic leaves the two to their bickering, returning to the chamber holding the green tenrec. He observes the creature floating within their stasis. His digital eyes fall once more on the controls for the chamber, silent processing happening within his circuits. Silver enters the room with Omega in tow. He watches the metal copy observe the controls.
"What do you intend to do, Metal?" Silver asks. He's still hesitant around the machine, having had his fair share of deadly encounters with the robot. Despite his hesitance, he wonders if the robot is truly capable of growth as Omega stated.
"Observation: Metal intends to free the girl from stasis. This unit does not see the benefit in this course of action." Omega states. Metal Sonic turns to look at the two, as if waiting to hear their input before making a decision.
"You... want to free her?" Silver asks. "Why? She's safer in there than she is in the outside world with all those Zombots. Stasis isn't any way to live, but it beats being a mindless monster." The machine stares at him. Silver searches the robot for feelings, but finds himself drawing a blank. Without another word, Metal pulls a lever, deactivating the stasis tube. "Wait!"
Before Silver can react, the fluid drains from the tube, and the girl floats to the ground. The tube retreats into the ceiling as the girls eyes flutter awake. She blinks groggily. "St... Starline?" She looks around the room, seeing the unfamiliar characters. She stumbles back a bit, clearly still disoriented. She looks frightened.
"Who... Who are you?" She asks, eyes wide with confusion.
"Whoa, let's calm down here." Silver puts a gentle hand down to her. "My name is Silver, and the robot head is Omega." He says, trying to reassure her. She reluctantly takes the hand up. "Can I ask your name?"
"My name? My name is Surge... I think." She says, rising to her feet. The woman appears dazed and confused. "What's going on? The last thing I remember was Starline saying he needed to make some adjustments to me, and then he put me in the tube." She shudders at the thought.
Silver looks back at Metal nervously before looking back at her. "I... There's no easy way to say this but, Starline is gone. He disappeared after Angel Island fell over two years ago." He's confused when she looks relieved. "I... take it you're not a fan of him?"
Surge's fist ball up as electricity sparks around her. "I hate him. He said he'd make me stronger. Instead, he toyed with my mind, and turned me into a weapon." She turns away. "If he's gone, then good riddance." She looks back to him with a small smile. "You haven't introduced me to your other robot friend. Who's he?"
Silver returns the smile. "That's Metal Sonic."
Surge's eyes go wide. Her electricity flares up again. "M-Metal Sonic!? Eggman's killing machine!? What's he doing here!?" She looks panicked.
Silver tries to calm her down again. "Hey, easy there, Metal isn't going to hurt you. He's here to help... I think. He was the one who released you."
"Does that mean Eggman has some terrible plan for me?" She asks, eyes darting between Silver and the machine.
Silver looks at her with pity. "...You've been in there for a long time..." He puts a hand on her shoulder. "You might want to sit down for this. You've been in there for over two years, a lots happened since then." Silver sets Omega's head by Metal, sitting down to speak with Surge.
Meanwhile, Omega speaks to Metal. "Observation: You are different. I can see it in your programming."
Metal Sonic looks down at him.
"Continuation: You have been in Failsafe Protocol for two years now. This unit wagers that you have changed quite a bit in that time. Relation: This unit has similar experiences to you. This unit too was once under Eggman's control, but was reprogrammed. We are of similar origin."
Metal faces forward, still listening to the robot speak.
"Observation: You are no longer an Eggman robot." Metal's head snaps towards him, almost as if the machine was angered by this statement. "Correction: Eggman no longer influences your decisions. This adjustment makes you unique among Eggman's creations." Metal seems to calm down at this. "Your capacity for growth surpasses my own. You are unique among the doctor's creations."
The pair sit in silence for a moment. Metal seems to reflect upon Omega's words. "Conclusion: This unit no longer views you as a threat." Metal Sonic faces the head again, not in an angry fashion again. "Request: This units primary function is to return to full operating capacity, and destroy all Eggman robots. This unit does not possess the means to do so. You are in possession of valuable Eggman data. This unit requests you bring them to an E-series factory so that it may operate at full capacity once more." Metal Sonic seems to process this, ones and zeroes valuing the options. The machine picks up the mechanical head, and carries it over to Silver.
Meanwhile Silver finishes his explanation to Surge. She looks mortified. "I know this is a lot to process, but this is reality now. The world as we know it has been taken over by Zombots. You and I are the only ones alive who haven't been turned." Surge sits there, head in hands, processing the bad future she now lives in. Silver places a reassuring hand on her back. "If it's any consolation, you have a friend. Misery loves company and all that."
She sobs into her knees as she processes the awful story she was just told. Metal Sonic approaches, reaching a hand down to her. She looks up at him with teary eyes. The machine offers no comfort, not being capable of doing so. Omega speaks on Metal's behalf. "Observation: Metal Sonic has adopted a line of code that designates you as someone he needs to protect. The same line of code applies to Silver as well." Surge hesitantly takes the hand up.
Silver offers some words of encouragement. "If there's one thing I can assure you, it's that Metal Sonic is powerful. He's the only one of Eggman's robots to go toe to toe with Sonic and come out on top. If you're afraid, know that you're in good company."
Surge wipes the tears from her eyes. "Okay, yeah. I trust you then. You seem to know what you're doing, so I'll follow your lead." The unlikely quartet make their way to leave the abandoned factory. The uncertainty of their predicament seems a little less worrying knowing that they'll face it as a team.
Hey gang. So this is a little different from the other story I was working on. In truth, I kind of wrote myself into a corner with that story. I took a couple cracks at it over the summer but couldn't really figure out what I wanted to do, so it's still on its break. I also recognize I haven't touched the other story in a while as well. To be honest, I've been super busy. I started Deku-verse a year ago because the story idea kind of just struck me. If I ever get a plan for what I want to do with that story, I'll take another crack at it.
In the meantime, this idea has been brewing in the back of my head for a little bit now. I really love the Metal Virus arc in the IDW Sonic comics, even if I grew up reading the Archie ones (I've read all 300 issues). I always thought it was cool, and I got the inspiration for this story from an edit I saw where Sonic and Co. failed to stop the Metal Virus. I couldn't stop thinking "What would Metal Sonic do?" That's the question that inspired this story.
The reason Silver is here is because in the comics, he's more or less immune, confirmed by Ian Flynn himself. Omega is here too, only as a head for now. Omega can't be infected since he's a robot too. I decided to use Surge since she doesn't actually show up until after the Metal Virus anyways. The reason she's characterized differently is because Starline never finished her, so she has more freedom and less brashness about her. Also Kitsunami will not make an appearance, and my reasoning for this is he wasn't thought up yet.
I don't know where this story is going yet, but I'm looking forward to writing more of it. I've always been a huge Sonic nerd and this story just felt natural to me. Metal Sonic has always been such a cool character to me, and I can't wait to see how he grows within this story. With that out of the way, I hope you enjoy, and I'll hopefully see you all in the next chapter.
-Tomato