A Horrifying, Yet Miraculous, Absolution
Ch. 7
[×]
Gerald, too, ended up being part of his own experiment. Moreso as 'Far and Long.' That Chaos Energy was probably why he was even capable of organizing his thoughts and staying just, well, awake. It was night after night after day after day of endlessly scraping that ore. He wished he had more – wished he didn't have to be perfect in gathering what little remains – wished that he could be faster.
Hours slipped by. Weeks did as well.
At least he was no longer in an emotional panic.
[For now.]
Maria had reassured him.
[For now.]
The molds were almost done. His trio had done their jobs, even though the looks on their faces were beginning to distort from purely analytical. It seemed that even his 'best' beneath him were seeing Shadow as no longer a person, but as an object to devote their lives to. While this only enforced the fact they were to keep absolute silence, as well as proved they were willing to get the various testing procedures clandestinely prepared, it tickled Gerald in all the wrong ways. The other researchers needed to get addressed, but later. Robotnik had his priorities…
He was to receive the prototype of the important cast forms when a G.U.N. member caught him leaving his room en route. It was not someone he had seen before – a brunette middle-aged woman in a blue dress uniform; epaulettes and decorations abounded. Her rank showcased someone with an officer's authority, but it was her words that caught his full attention.
"You are to attend the investigation and final judgment of the Floor 17 Incident from the Court of Criminal Appeals. I will be your guide to help you understand the process ahead of your appointment before the judge in three days."
[x]
Blonde hair shook with the hand that stretched out towards his neck. "Too ugly," Maria muttered as she tossed the tie off towards a nearby bed. Her fingers picked up the next one: a piece of fabric that had the physics formula for energy and mass printed. "Too weapony," the girl chastised the cloth and also placed it into the pile of denials. "O! How about this one, Grandpa?" Her hands lifted to showcase the one she had labeled the 'winner' of the competition.
The tie was of the entire solar system, with the sun at the bottom and the comet cloud at the very top.
He gave her head a rub. "I don't think the brass will be appreciative of such a design."
Blue eyes narrowed briefly. "If I cared what the Commander appreciated, I would have chosen the tie with water pistols."
There it was again – the inflection at the final word and a subtle movement that denoted the lack of comfort. Like always, it was gone quickly. "One day, I hope you can tell me the story."
Her head tilted in confusion. "The story of this tie? It's nothing too much – saw it on a catalogue and knew it would be perfect for you."
She must have known what he truly meant. It stung a little the lack of faith – the lack of trust – but maybe it was something she still needed to gain courage to discuss. "Nevertheless," Gerald played along, "I cannot use this for a hearing. It needs to be black, blue, or brown – and not a mix of all those colors, Maria."
The girl paused before a relenting sound left her mouth. "Fine. Here. This one is the best, then." It was a black tie made with silk. The sheen not loud or over the top, it was the interior red dye that made Gerald's eyebrow rise. Maria took note. "It's Shadow, see?"
"You enjoy playing with fire, don't you?"
"I mean, if you knot it right, no one will know~"
He wondered if she meant both figurative and actual. Possibly. He had already started to see Maria tended to talk in code when it dealt with matters regarding G.U.N. and the Project. Carefully, he brushed back a few locks of her hair. "No one will know."
[x]
A laboratory coat in bleached white was Gerald's preferred clothing. A suit of armor, if you will. Sadly, that was not the uniform of choice today – instead, he wore the same he did during every Congressional hearing he was invited to: a black business top, black pants; black, shined shoes. There was a white silk shirt underneath with Maria's tie right around his neck, and nestled on his left hand was a rather expensive watch. In short, he gave the appearance of Someone Quite Important [and to the minds of G.U.N. and the United Federations, he certainly was].
There was a quick 'click' as he stuffed more papers into his briefcase. He had covered his bases by now, having had read and watched anything he could find from the attack footage before their demise at Shadow's hand. There was nothing to point or suspect Maria and her duo in their crime: the girl was spotted walking away from the room to do her camping trip as she had established a routine for already; there was not a single sign of abnormal movement in the floors that led towards seventeen. There was only the standard evening crawl before the alarms rang and everything disconnected.
Did Gerald hack into the military servers to double check? Of course. It wasn't illegal – the ARK belonged to him, right? Officially, they were here just to ensure safety.
… He humored that falsehood to himself as he checked his reflection in the bathroom mirror.
The head of Project: SHADOW was currently on floor nineteen. In particular, the region where the headquarters and command centers were tightly located for the military members. No more were there low ranking enlisted folk. Officers were now scattered about everywhere, all in their dress uniforms in a startling deep blue and silver. Even the scenery around was impressive: the large, expansive windows gave more field of view than anywhere in the normal civilian space. The entire tower subset of nineteen was designed to overlook not just the Earth and its Earthrise, but also the stars and planets around. Only Maria's special observation spot had a better view-
His grip tightened around the briefcase.
Now was not the time to be sentimental. He was going into verbal war.
[x]
The atrium where the hearing was to occur was segregated and had blackout curtains pulled over every viewing port. That was one of the telling methods that this certain discussion was one of 'Top Secret' status rather than the norm. The hanging chandelier made of copper and crystal, all in the shape of the United Federation, hung like a specter overlooking its next potential feast. Lives had been destroyed in rooms similar to this one – very few so far in the ARK as there normally shouldn't be anything to have such dark discussions.
Gerald had to ponder at that. The 'Chaos in humanity' experiments might have had this area used for courted debate. Perhaps the slaughter that was to occur today would be nothing new.
Eyes trailed towards the left side of the central podium, where the members of the 'jury' were seated. Like civilian courts, the military had individuals pulled in to provide their opinions. Unlike their Earthen counterparts, these members were more like… advice givers to the real member with all the power: the judge. The jury could think innocent, but if the judge found you guilty, well…
They did need a lot of proper evidence, but evidence was easy to bring up and hide when dealing with anything remotely along the lines of Project: SHADOW. It was a Black Skunk operation.
Towards the right were empty chairs. There was to be no audience here as well due to the security. A rather posh leather seat was reserved with the label 'Dr. Gerald Robotnik,' and next to it sat a jug of water and an empty glass. The ice cubes had yet to start condensation, he noted. Finishing the small nook was a microphone.
It seemed he was not just here to observe the ongoings of what happened.
[Just as he expected.]
His head rang though the list of important names he knew that ran this side of the ARK: Commander Xavier Fortis being the main one. Since the nature had to deal with the Gizoid, he doubted there would be anyone else 'in-the-know' from on station high enough to play as judge. The three-star General was quite eager to get his weapons [the damned man was the reason why the scientist had to give up the robot in the first place], but he was rather predictable when dealing with non-war-like topics.
Based on the evidence he had pre-gathered, this was a rather open and shut case.
The door opened in the back and an announcement was made for everyone to rise in honor of the judge. Gerald shifted his eyes and accomplished the part he needed to play. Commander Fortis did not enjoy pomp and celebration, nor extended paperwork settings, so-
Wait.
Who was this?
Her nametag flashed in the light so he couldn't catch it with his perspective. In her forties to early fifties, platinum blonde hair pulled back into an incredibly tight bun, and green eyes that stabbed anything nearby. Not a strand out of place, to include the skirt and shoes she traversed over the cherry wood with.
Something about her…
"I am to be the judge for today's hearing," calculative voice addressed the small crowd. "I apologize for being slightly late – the shuttle was delayed a week ago from Headquarters. Thunderstorms in the launch window."
Hmm...
She was new. Brought just for this?
Certainly, the Gizoid's demise was a big event, but to bring someone from Earth outside prime orbital mechanics time slots? The trajectory to reach the ARK in its current position was not the best – would be quite expensive. It would make sense if there was no high-ranking officer aboard, but there was.
Her white gloved hand with raised seams along the knuckles waved everyone to sit. "I used to work for the Office of Special Investigations, so I know how these things go. We'll get over and done before EOB, so don't worry about it." Fingers played with the gavel and Gerald recognized a flashed smile that seemed suddenly so familiar. "Professor Robotnik! I am glad to see the legendary man in the flesh. Please let me know if you need anything to comfort you. These military proceedings are a bit different from the Congressional ones you are used to."
And with that, the court begun.
The squadron that Sean Casey belonged to was brought forward and quite harshly pushed against the front to face the judge. The woman kept a blank face at that – all business, no more greetings; no more smiles.
[x]
He paid attention to the important parts of Casey's testimony, as if to peel it. Dissect it. Tear it apart limb from limb to hear if that man had truly found anything in his lab-!
"What did you see?"
Smoke. Fire. Ash. The head of a body.
"When you went through the rest of the floors, why did you keep Dr. Robotnik besides you?"
I thought it was espionage! The doctor-
"-Is our greatest asset and you put him in a position to be potentially killed."
If someone had hacked into our-!
"Your assumption of the potential cause, and movement to alleviate such, is noted. You were wrong and had abandoned your primary objectives. As punishment, you'll be serving as point to restore the seventeenth floor into serviceable function. Upon completion, you will return to sentry duty at double shifts until the concept of 'safety' is engrained in your head. Be glad we're being lenient, and you so new, that we can say 'you acted where your heart was.'"
So, the problem was to be sent away for the short-term.
"I am very disappointed in you, Airman."
Maria… would like that outcome.
[He sighed in relief.]
The members of the squadron that dragged the head of Project: SHADOW were next. Each one asked the same starting question, but none had given results the judge wanted, and as such, were quickly dismissed. Their sentences were strange and varied – some were punished with orders to home station on Earth; others were stuck doing clean up on floor seventeen.
Following them were female secretaries of both contractor and military like. Similar questions with similar results. Their only noteworthy comment was that the lights flickered an hour before the 'explosion.' Unaware of the Gizoid, they were escorted out before the next target of questioning would start.
Which was Gerald.
He stood up and looked right at the judge in the eyes. The elder was caught off-guard slightly – where was her emotion? Even Shadow carried something in his facial appearance, and his oculars were enough to send his researchers into a ditz. Quickly, he thought of what the 'Office of Special Investigations' was, but came up blank. His lack of knowledge dealing with G.U.N.'s internal organization was coming to haunt him. [This was fine, though. He had seen himself there was nothing to be worried about. Just treat her as Commander Fortis: a person that didn't understand the complexities of higher-end experiments. He was fine.]
"What did you see?"
Red alarms. Power failures. The head of the Gizoid.
"Our Chaos engineers took down records of this." A harsh light from the ceiling burned brighter into existence. It scattered its rays upon a roll of paper – something that Gerald knew exactly how to read. It was output from the Chaos Drives in the 'Reactor Room.' The beating heart of the ARK for both sections carried such recording devices. They had to. Fluctuations in an individual Drive meant one needed to get recharged and replaced with a fresh one. It was simple management. "What do you make of it?"
In his mouth were shards of glass. His blood pressure spiked.
She knew something!
It appears to be an overloaded system affected to the point of a near collapse. Certain lines did indeed fail. Those too sensitive to deal with the change.
White hands crossed underneath her chin; the shadows from the chandelier made her face become hidden in a veil. "You never mentioned the robot could turn on us like this. I was under the belief that Chaos Energy could only be controlled by an 'Ultimate Lifeform.'"
WHAT DOES SHE KNOW?
I wrote in my letters of advice that the machine would be willing to work underneath those it deemed stronger. To a point. It ran off of Chaos and my findings were unfinished before I could confirm if it could control it as well.
"We have lost years of weapons research. Research, I might add, that was already put on hold because of where the funding allotment went to onboard this very station."
Where is my Project: SHADOW? the whispers questioned.
I clarified the dangers of an active and knowledge absorbing Gizoid. It was G.U.N. that refused to listen to me. I specifically stated that a programmed 'heart' was not a cure-all. I will admit, however, that it going after more Chaos to feed itself was a surprise, as was that such an act eventually led to its accidental self-explosion. The ancient writings described this as the 'ultimate weapon.' It must have gone fragile over the eons, just as the ruins of where it was discovered had, in hindsight.
A member of whatever sub-organization the military legal department held took the cue to deliver the copies of each letter Gerald had written over the timetable. They reached the judge's desk with a thud; the Major General's fingers flipped through them, but didn't read any. A proper figure of authority, one with access to such clearance in the first place, would have already been briefed on such easily recorded tidings.
"How convenient."
Too convenient, Gerald. Tsk. Tsk.
Project: SHADOW will have none of those errors. It will be exactly what I promised: immortal, undefeatable, with infinite potential, and submissive to what it is loyal to. I will deliver.
"For the sake of your ARK, doctor, we hope so."
The woman… had let him go.
He felt his body turn into goo as he was allowed to sit down. He… had done it? Or had he been spared? Gerald allowed himself to dig his fingers into a fist once. It wouldn't remove that dangerously high levels of stress, but for a moment…
He daydreamed – briefly – of Maria on Earth and having a picnic with her loved ones. Him. His sons. His granddaughters. A family brought back together. Oddly, there was a dark curtain behind them all that he couldn't see clearly due to the sun blinding him.
It calmed him back to reality to play the game of lies, nevertheless.
The hearing continued. Unlike the others interrogated and excused prior, the scientist was too much 'in the know' to be kicked out.
Or, the better reason was soon ousted.
The judge had a present.
In came the next to be heard at the trial. Gerald's eyes widened behind his spectacles at the sight. It was none other than Lieutenant General Xavier Fortis – the de facto 'ruler' of the military side of the ARK. The man who ultimately oversaw Gerald's purse strings. There was something wrong about him, however. Hair was out of place, skin was gaunt, eyes were hollowed, uniform was put on by someone else as it carried none of the straight lines Fortis was known for, and he was surrounded by nurses with medical equipment.
"What did you see?"
The Devil!
Robotnik froze.
"The 'Devil?'"
Gold in its eyes! Burning red all around! The fires of retribution! Dark mass of hate attached to its back! The color of sin! Of murder!
A nurse spoke up. Shy. Upset. "Your honor, we're sorry. He's been seeing his nightmare behind every hallway. General Fortis has a history of sleep apnea and was hiding the fact he was dependent on pills. We found them in his room and believed he had overdosed the night of the-"
Hidden in the walls! Waiting for us to think it's gentle! It has already claimed an angel to fall! The Devil will drown in its anger and kill us!
Gerald kept still.
"How sad." [She wasn't.] "Can he talk about anything else?"
I SAW IT! IT SAW ME! I'M NEXT!
"No, your honor. He has permanent brain damage from the overdose."
"Then get him off the ARK on the next shipment and submit him to an asylum. Get him help. Don't you agree, Professor? A place for him to get cured-?"
BAM!
The Commander collapsed and started to shake; foam at the mouth.
[x]
The evidence they collected was exactly what Maria wanted for the final judgment. [Planned? Executed?]
'The mechanized machine self-destructed in an overload of Chaos.'
Just a freak accident from trying to control the uncontrollable.
A stack of papers. The thud of the gavel. The resolution and new safety procedures planned to protect the ARK from potential future Chaos snafus. The judge proclaiming she was now the new Commander of the militant section of his home. Gerald saw each action in snippets of time. It was as if… He rubbed his neck and his chest where phantom pains appeared momentarily.
The judge's serene attitude cut like a blade, as if the seizure from earlier left no remorse in her conscious. "Dr. Gerald Robotnik. Since it's now apparent you're the only researcher who has a head capable of understanding their experiments, I do hope you can give us some news sooner rather than later. We've been keenly aware of your division's resolute silence recently and hope it's only because you're awaiting to tell us good tidings in the coming months." The Major General moved the piece of wood that held her back in the center of the desk and walked onto the space across from the scientist. "As a side note, the proposal for the new fiscal year is in the early process of being discussed. Earnestly. Congress is starting to wonder why the bill for nationwide infrastructure has exploded outside even normal pork levels. We have a meeting at the end of summer with them to discuss why building bridges in the arctic are so… critical."
He could feel himself being squeezed on all sides.
A tunnel of black surrounded his vision.
She couldn't know. She was FISHING. There was little to nothing. This was a HUNCH. A GUESS. Everything is something you can control, Gerald! CALM YOURSELF!
He wondered if his voice was steady. "The ARK is critical for all of humanity. The wonders accomplished here should never be threatened."
The woman ignored him. "I would dare say a showcase of the next trial attempt for the 'Ultimate Lifeform' would be the right thing to do by the September 30th fiscal deadline. It should be its first activation. If I am not correct, you'll be sure to let me know if it happens sooner, right, Professor? Remember, Congress does love their…"
That knowing grin returned. "… results."