A Horrifying, Yet Miraculous, Absolution
Ch. 8
[×]
'Results?'
Hard, endless work.
Take care of Maria.
Analyze Shadow.
Work again.
Ask Maria why?
Get no outcomes.
Grind work yet again.
Check on Shadow.
Get no response.
Work into morning.
Tick tock.
The wheels towards October kept turning.
Work into night.
Repeat.
[x]
The term was 'controlled Chaotic radiative absorption.' While keeping Shadow in that state was not his intention, the faux positive results could be extracted in the interim. He needed grounded examples and outcomes to compare the future cure against, because the cure had to be – WILL BE – better than what one could get right now. Data. That's what 'controlled' stood for – despite the disgust in his own throat. [Naturally, not upon Shadow. The Project was innocent. Just like her. The boy was, for all purposes, a child. HIS GOOD -.] Of course, he did not dare to tell his granddaughter the reason why she was allowed to visit the sleeping hedgehog once again.
Maria had spent the morning brushing back the Project's fur and putting a bright red bow on his ear. It made her giggle – a pile of outfits was besides her, all handsewn in the loud proclamation of 'love.' Sometimes Shadow was a police officer from Central City, a movie star at the peak of popularity, a member of a biker gang, a medic, a locksmith dressed in green, Maria's blue dress itself [headband included], and one time was dressed as Gerald – glasses and all.
Her fine motor skills, once dulled, came back so minutely over the weeks that she had no idea of the change.
There was a bright flash. The polaroid camera that hung around her neck [something that had to stay in this secluded area] took a picture of yet another day of victimhood. There was a sparkle in her eyes – as if she knew she had endless years of blackmail. "Ooooo! You're the Ultimate Cutie-Pie, Shadow!" A pause. "Hopefully, we'll be able to play without it being so one sided… Right, Grandpa?"
Gerald couldn't give her his full attention as hands were working on a golden clasp that had just finished cooling down from the forge. He'd been running ragged on two and a half hours of sleep today, and only three and three-quarters last night, trying to finish these things as fast as possible. The other trio of researchers were probably in similar states of exhaustion as they silently gathered the supplies he needed for the next stage, all too aware of what failure entailed. So far, nothing important had overloaded on the civilian side of the ARK, but that deep, hazy feeling of something wrong affected everyone.
Everyone but Maria.
"It will be no later than August 28th, my dear." That was his self-proclaimed deadline. Any later, and there wasn't going to be enough time to plan for all contingencies by G.U.N.'s deadline. He wanted to put all his mental capabilities into figuring out what to DO for 'the first activation,' but dealing with these Inhibitor Rings was such a complex process that he had no set time.
And without proper, clean, and thoughtful planning, that WOULD leave an opening for that Major to extrapolate from.
"What's going on in September?" Curiosity spilled from Maria's mouth as she picked up another bow to place upon Shadow's other ear. "I noticed the other staff members have been complaining of dreams with the word of that month jumping and attacking them."
Gerald didn't know how to respond to that.
What else was he supposed to say?
Utter to her that he, and his lead scientists, believe that Shadow might have been discovered? That while Maria and the Project removed the camera feed during their raid, they had not when Shadow first awakened. Had he not walked around to deliver an unconscious elder towards the medical wing? It was a moment of panic, after all. Gerald had collapsed. He hadn't thought-
That was it.
He had not thought.
Ex-Commander Fortis would not have thought.
But that Major General could have.
The medical region was always under observation to the point it was ignored. The Biolizard attack did not change it. It was critical to ensure no staff got into the drugs without permission – not that the scientists would do so. Yet, there was a chance the military members that were not sophisticated, or wanted a way out of their minds, was the biggest potential problem. Nothing had ever been stolen before, but-
'The Office of Special Investigations.'
Robotnik had looked them up.
A department filled with people who donned masks and understood how to manipulate individuals to squeal on their fellow man. They were meant to go after the bad, the enemy; the wrongdoers – so how did Gerald get in their sights? Who told? Who-?
[He wanted to believe it was that Airman but lacked hard evidence. What if he was related but had been tasked by someone else? Where was the leak? What if there WAS information out, but limited and small in scale. What if the old cameras kept their secrets? They were recycled when the discs filled up every so many days. There was a chance Shadow was still unknown – a chance that all G.U.N. knew was of a PSUL2-series that made it past gestation. What if, what if; what if.]
The silence between them grew.
He heard her move away from Shadow. "Grandpa?"
Gerald kept the ring close to the magnifying lens. "Yes, my dear?"
"Are you… ok?"
He lied.
[x]
Tell them lies.
Tell them all sweet, little lies.
[x]
Gerald's fingers shook. He was beyond bushed. Bags had sunk into his face with what felt would be permanent damage, hidden under his spectacles. Yet, the white coat was still starched and pressed. His mustache groomed correctly. Food consumed for the sake of nourishment at the appropriate schedule. If one considered the crunched timeline, he was in passable shape.
There was no other human here.
Didn't mean he had to not look his best.
Clenched in fists were the results of his blood, sweat, and tears. They gleamed into a dazzling white in the direct rays of light, scattering their luster upon the onlooker. They were actually quite beautiful, and damn near ethereal to behold: it brought back memories of a trip to that floating land when archeology was at the forefront.
Maria's copied notes resided still beneath him. Gerald had accomplished one last round of triple-checking the complex formulas. Each angle of the edge; the indent where Chaos was to be funneled within its banded core; the perfect radius to keep them upon wrists and ankles while pushing the mythical energy away from the Project's 'mind.'
… Her result at the end was a harsh scribble: NOT ENOUGH :( BUT IT'LL DO. :)
The words 'I hope…' written in a much smaller font at the bottom of the last page. They weren't hers.
The lead scientist had wanted Maria do the honors of 'bedazzling' the Project – she was the most visually excited of the bunch to give the golden gifts. It was not to be. The potential of something going wrong with Shadow was just too...
Immense.
If the Inhibitor Rings failed to work…
There was a reason why he had two folders. One was thin and labeled 'Success.' In there was a watercolor painting Maria made of Gerald, her, and Shadow standing by one of the ARK's viewing windows to gaze upon the Earth below. She had completed the image over the course of many days with a sad, but gentle, smile. Oddly enough, the wings upon the Project's back were added after she had 'finished' the artwork, before a sheepish 'Oops' came flying from her mouth.
Eyes moved under his spectacles towards the other folder. It was distinctly fattened with too many pieces of paper. 'Impasse.'
He did not want to ruse on that.
"Alright, Shadow," Gerald spoke aloud while closing the gap. "We'll start with your ankles and work our way up from there. It might feel cold to the touch, but based on Maria's math, they'll get warm rather quickly." He tried to think about what to say next – knew that it didn't really matter deep inside. "If everything goes well, you'll wake up."
Carefully, the scientist lifted the foot that was covered in a white sock. Fingers slid the opened clasp around that first limb. The golden ring simmered and hummed upon reaching contact with the Project's skin, as if it was fighting against the black mist. Gerald adjusted his gaze: it was taking in and consuming that miasma!
Good. This emboldened his decision.
Another movement of the elder man's hands. The right ankle sported a new color.
Two down. Time to take note and progress: the ones furthest away from Shadow's 'core' were to have the least effect. There was too much Chaos Energy gathered, filtered, and absorbed through said dark and jeweled-tipped appendages for these to have enough remediation. Basically, they were catalysts, building blocks for the ones to bind around the hedgehog's wrists.
He was correct. The black haze had completely vanished, now. Only the golden aura remained – still painful against Gerald's nervous system; still exhilarating.
"Today is August 11th," the scientist found himself whispering as the third ring slid into its new, hopefully permanent, position. Nothing changed. "So, it's alright if you don't wake up immediately."
The last Inhibitor Ring rested in Gerald's palm. He could see his reflection – that tired look of determination. If this didn't work…
'Impasse's' plans roared back into the forefront. It was a gruesome series and chain of thoughts that Dr. Robotnik shoved deep in the locked recesses of his mind.
He felt his blood drip. The hand that wasn't carrying the Inhibitor had cut its own palm in his musing.
A shake of the head as he banished those thoughts.
Limbs reached down.
The last of the set joined the humming chorus of the other three.
One certain head of Project: SHADOW awaited in a sudden, dark, and lightless silence.
The only source of illumination were the children's playthings scattered on the floor.
[x]
It felt like eternity.
The change was actually quick.
There was a twitch from white gloved hands. Singular. Reflex? A self test? Gerald was uncertain as they could be both or neither. He wasn't going to allow negative fallout, however, and brought his hands closer to Shadow's form. As expected, the Inhibitor Rings burned to the touch – screamed to all they were at the limits of what they could hope to contain. Fortunately, the heat left no damage upon his hand when grazed with, and strangely enough, the Project's fur right underneath the gloves were cool and comforting. After some time, Gerald's own body got used to that heat and it dulled into an acceptable level.
"-ic…, you naïve fool," were whispered mumbles of a deep, soft waft. "I… can't…"
Shadow was awakening!
This was working!
"Don't… touch them…," came a moan as those hands reached towards wrists. The Project's fingers clenched tightly upon realizing there was something hard on top of the fabric. "Not a… stable power, anymore. I can't… help with them… all gone…" There was anguish and turmoil and fear jumbled in words of delirium. "-will break me…"
['Paradise!?' his associate believed? This was clearly a recovery from a nightmare!]
There was another stretch of silence as Gerald moved Shadow closer.
Outside viewers would call it an embrace.
One of comfort.
"… another way. Has to be… another…" Desperation.
The Project was shifting in place. Those wings wanted to move, but Shadow was too weak to physical push back. His Chaos Energy was trying to reestablish balance and clearly left him in a negative state. It was as if he was fighting something[?]. A spark of golden lightning, covered at the base with black ink, formed in the sky – Gerald froze in sudden stillness – but instead of being forged into a spear, it fizzled despite the hedgehog's fingers moving as if it was thrown. The physical action repeated over and over again as the boy struggled against a ghost.
It was like that for what felt an hour. Could have been more. Or less. The scientist wasn't keeping track of time.
Shadow went still.
"-nothing is…"
Hands went back to wrists in shock as the Project stiffened in Gerald's arms. The spines on the back rose in defense, but whatever was attacking Shadow in his mind was thought of as too fast. It was betrayal. A surprise. "Stop!"
The Project flinched. Stuck frozen in time. Seemed to wait.
After some period came a sob of acceptance, and yet, no tears fell. What had the child been suffering from these past two months?
A gloved hand with a ring stretched towards the sky.
Reaching for something that didn't exist.
Wings suddenly morphed from limped to flexed into full volume, as if to gather ever more and more and more Chaos that had already been bridled under Maria's invention. If not for that-!
A million sounds.
All uncanny.
Voices of the dead.
A mind shackled in Nirvana.
"It hurts.
"Can't fail.
"Tired…
"Have to.. go on…!
"Los… ing… fo… cus…
"I. WON'T. FAIL!"
Gasping, Shadow opened his eyes.
Glass. Empty. Irises with dark burgundy at the top that lightened to the rivers of murder at the bottom. Gold in the very middle, like a star or circlet, before it faded into crimson. It was the only sign of the trauma that was hidden under the color of blood. A clever disguise. A self-imposed one. Even Gerald was fooled.
The voice changed immediately, as if that weakness had never been experienced: deep, controlled, and careful. Confused, too, but that was an expected emotion. No, the difference of it was clear: fully aware of 'self.' "Professor?" A short pause as he realized the bare and piped surroundings. Those oculars roamed as bearings gathered; head tilted to address the adult straight on; quills splayed out like a dark star.
He didn't allow Shadow to ask or think anymore than that. Human arms constricted like a boa as Gerald buried the boy.
The Ultimate Lifeform stiffened again. Except this time, those hands reached to the doctor's back and returned the gesture, before relaxing utterly in his arms.
[x]
"Shaaaadowww!" The Project was assaulted by pets, pats, and rubs in quick succession – hadn't even managed to make it through the sliding doorway completely. "You're ok! I mean, of course you were! Grandpa was taking care of you-! He wouldn't let anything bad happen! Oh, Shadow! I missed you! It's hard to do our proclamation of protection without my partner in crime!" Another squeal. Her feet shook in excitement as the shoes reflected the yellow-green natural light.
Shadow took it in stride; his face flickered with not just emotions, but also recollection of his past actions that he was aware of. "Did… I buy you your time?"
Her face sobered at that. Then softened. "You did."
"Then you don't need to apologize."
Guilt. Gerald felt that for a different reason than Maria was.
Her hands held onto white gloves with golden rings around wrists. "I… hadn't even started yet. I did a terrible, terrible thing to you."
Those fingers of a Mobian held onto her thin ones a little tighter. "So long as you and Professor are safe-"
It made the blonde cry. "D-Don't be so q-quick to sacrifice yourself."
Black, cat-like ears swept back. "Maria. It was… important. Besides, I trusted you and Professor to..." The voice trailed off.
"Y-Yeah… B-But... Still. I didn't think it would- I mean, I… It's just…"
"Complicated?" Shadow offered.
Robotnik mused darkly in reflection as Maria barked at that – a wail of relief that morphed into wet giggles and sniffles as she led Shadow by the hand to the empty region that was isolated and alone. Not too far from her relative, she pulled out a box that was stuffed in a bag she had been carrying. "A-Anyways, I stole Grandpa's notes and made you your Air Shoes for a wake-up gift," she snotted, trying to control her face. "H-Here!"
Shadow ignored the wrapped package and reached to rub her remaining tears on his fur. "You just want me to play with you gymnastics again." He was soft. Gentle.
"Like the- -future days," Maria didn't deny as she tightened her grip around the red metal soles. "The ones to come."
Robotnik felt like he was watching a hidden world. One he was allowed to partake in ever so slightly.
The two argued about shoes – simple chatter Gerald could process as he kept to his thoughts. The Project didn't want to talk about what had happened to him, and neither did the elder want to tell. Simple diversion and deflection tactics. Despite having the urge to need to know more, there were other events in his agenda that had to be addressed at a sadly higher priority.
He breathed through chapped lips as the day's events flooded. What Gerald had seen was… haunting.
[x]
Night passed.
The station hung in orbit like a dying star.
Three related creatures decided to play 'normal' – if just before the curtains rolled into the next act.