Back to Chapter 29

Sonic flipped open the service hatch and leapt through. He was back in the Scrap Brain Zone, in a well lit corridor. Sonic looked around in an attempt to get his bearings. Behind him was a forcefield- and behind the forcefield was a lack of flooring. Sonic had come up on the other side of the forcefield where Robotnik had been standing just a short while ago before sending Sonic hurtling down into the murk below.

Deciding Robotnik had to be in waiting somewhere ahead, Sonic pressed forwards. Passing through a doorway, Sonic entered a darkened room. The surfaces of the walls, floor and ceiling were all smooth grey metal. Sonic became aware of a dull hum. A light flicked on and brightened the surroundings enough for Sonic to see slightly more clearly.

A pair of familiar laughs filled the room. One nasal and high-pitched, the other a booming guffaw.

“Enjoy your little trip around South Island, hedgehog?” Robotnik’s voice emanated from somewhere, though Sonic couldn’t be certain where, “I’m afraid this is where the journey ends!”

“Robotnik,” Sonic acknowledged the presence of his enemy, “Show yourself!”

“He wants us to show ourselves, Snively. What do you think?”

“Oh, yes, doctor, a marvellous idea”

Suddenly, a pair of pillars slid as if from nowhere- one downwards from the ceiling and the other upwards from the floor, slamming with tremendous force into the opposite position with a crushing force that could destroy a car, let alone a hedgehog.

“Here we are! Surprise!” Robotnik stood, sneering at Sonic from inside one of the pillars, protected by its metallic design with only the slightest view window. Behind Sonic, Snively peered through a similar window, though with an element of difficulty as it had clearly been designed with Robotnik’s greater height in mind.

Slowly the pillars began to reset back into their original position. Sonic looked around the room with baited breath. Suddenly, the light that had illuminated the room began to spark- four electrical currents shot out of the bulb into the air, as if taking on a life of their own. Sonic suspected the currents wouldn’t tickle if he touched them and he was really beginning to tire- one false move would probably spell the end for him. The sparks began to sink slowly to the floor. A well-timed jump from Sonic allowed him to remain safe as the currents passed into the floor and dissipated.

Then the pillars slammed down again. This time they were in two different positions. Sonic hurled himself at Robotnik but bounced off the pillar, hitting hard against the metal.

Robotnik bellowed out a laugh, “Throw yourself against my machine all you like, Sonic- no, really, please do! It’ll save me the job of finishing you off if you scramble your brains against the metal”

The pillars withdrew once more and the cycle began anew, with Sonic again having to perform ballet to avoid the sparks of electricity from the bulb. Two pillars slammed out into the room and Sonic only narrowly avoided them. This time he took a flying leap at Snively, who yelped and flinched as Sonic hit the window he was peering through.

“N-nice try, hedgehog!” Snively said, attempting to sound tough, “But you’ll never get through this reinforced steel! In fact, you should give up now! We may even go easy on you if you do!”

“Don’t bank on it though,” Robotnik added as he once again slid from view.

Sonic needed a plan. He couldn’t keep this up all day- eventually, he’d slip or stumble and end up very flat indeed, much too flat to maintain his cool image. But he couldn’t keep throwing himself against reinforced steel, he’d give himself brain damage. As the cycle kept repeating, Sonic began to grow more and more frustrated as the mocking faces of Robotnik and Snively stared at him, laughing, through the windows.

The windows!

He may not be able to cut through steel, but glass? It had to be worth a try.

As the two doctors continued their attempts to mangle him, Sonic, through himself with all his might at the windows. Snively tried to keep his cool- which was relatively simple as he was, after all, a decidedly uncool individual- but Robotnik was the one who managed to not flinch.

SLAM! The pillars smashed down once more.

“Just throw in the towel, Sonic! I can keep this up all day- how about you?”

“I don’t need to keep this up all day, Robotnik,” Sonic responded, “I’ve already decided this ends here… and it ends NOW!”

With every ounce of strength in his body, Sonic threw himself in a mighty Spin Attack at Robotnik’s window, shattering it and sending glass flying. The machine fizzled as wires were sliced by the shards of glass and the system overloaded. Panic spread over Robotnik’s face as the pillars retracted somewhat slowly into their starting positions and the bulb went out.

“What do we do now?!” Snively screeched, terrified.

Robotnik retorted, “Shut up, you idiot, just run!”

The two mad scientists were dropped out of an escape tube just ahead of Sonic. Leaping over a bank of computers, Sonic gave chase.

“Oh no you don’t!” Sonic called out, “I’m sick of this! You’re going down!”

Robotnik and Snively rushed towards a nearby Egg-O-Matic. The two doctors awkwardly piled in and Robotnik elbowed Snively in the face as he frantically reached for the activation button. The landing legs of the hovercraft retracted and slowly it took off.

“Not today, Sonic! We’re getting out of here!”

Robotnik and Snively began to make their escape but the Egg-O-Matic was clearly struggling to cope with their combined weight, keeping it fairly low to the ground. Sonic realised the two were about to fly over a balcony and out into the city of the Scrap Brain Zone.

A determined look spread over Sonic’s face. With one final leap, Sonic aimed a perfect Spin Attack at the base of the Egg-O-Matic. The exhaust began to splutter. A series of explosions rocked the craft. And it began to descend down over the balcony… and towards the abyss below.

Robotnik and Snively fell.

Sonic took a deep breath and flopped to a seated position. Robotnik had been stopped. Mobius was safe- at least for now.

After a moment’s silence, Sonic became aware of a dull thumping sound coming from down a nearby corridor. The sound of someone trying to get his attention? The sound of someone trying to get free? Or perhaps both?

Sonic rushed down the corridor, his shoes slapping hard against the steel beneath his feet. The thumping grew louder as he approached it. Behind a door, Sonic saw the source of the noise: a Prison Egg Capsule. And, inside it, banging on the window, was Bernadette.

Bernadette locked eyes with Sonic and gasped. A momentary confusion registered on her face, followed by a smile and tears of delight.

Sonic had grown up not knowing who his real mother was. Now he had a mother he could make proud. He was going to make this moment count.

With a determined leap, Sonic bounded atop the capsule and stomped on the release catch, causing the walls to give way and free its captives.

“S-Sonic…!” Bernadette managed to utter.

Sonic clambered down, “That’s my name!”

There was a pause. Bernadette hugged Sonic tight.

Another voice spoke up- that of Uncle Chuck, “Good work, Sonic”

Sonic turned to see the remaining captives previously held in the capsule. Uncle Chuck gave him a smile and Ben waved at him.

Then Sonic spotted the other former captive.

Jules was in a bad way. If Bunnie had been injured, Jules seemed near death. His breathing was shallow and he’d been badly hurt, with broken bones.

Sonic rushed to Jules’ side, “Wh-what happened?”

“Badniks,” Chuck noted, sadly, “He’s hurt really badly, Sonic. We need to get him to a hospital”

“Then we’d better get moving. I wouldn’t ordinarily suggest this, Sonic, but speed may be of the essence. Any chance we could put him—”

“On my back? Of course”

Slowly, Chuck helped Jules onto Sonic’s back. It wasn’t easy and Jules winced in pain as his screaming injuries roared at him. Tentatively, the group began to move towards the exit.

Ben jogged up level with Sonic, “Did you beat Robotnik, Sonic?”

“Yeah. Maybe. I don’t know. He went careening down an abyss. But, then again, he made this Zone. I’m sure he’s placed a million failsafes in case he ever needed them. We’ve taken down so many different variations of that Egg-O-Matic of his, the fact he even has all of them says he’s probably not only got a Plan B but plans for any combination of letters you like”

“Sonic, I’m so proud of you,” Bernadette interjected, “So young and yet so brave”

Sonic didn’t respond. In truth, he felt awkward. Besides, for all he knew, the rest of South Island was on fire as a result of the Badniks- it may not have been time to rest just yet.

Ben peered into one of the many laboratories the Scrap Brain Zone housed, “So much weird machinery. It’s like Robotnik retained Kintobor’s mind for innovation but used it to make… I dunno, nasty weirdness. Hey, Uncle Chuck, that one looks like one of yours”

Chuck paused in his tracks and looked at the machine Ben was talking about, “That’s… but that’s…”

Sonic turned his head and peered at the machine, “That’s the Roboticizer”

The group walked into the lab and took a closer look. Sure enough, the machine had the exact same physical design as Chuck’s Roboticizer.

“What do you suppose Robotnik would want with the Roboticizer, Uncle Chuck?” Ben asked.

“I don’t know. I suppose in case of injury, it might be useful for him to heal himself with”

“Injury?” Bernadette noted, “Charles, are you saying this machine can heal injuries? We ought to tend to Jules as soon as we can!”

“Yes, I…” Chuck seemed unsure. He took a look at his brother, “You’re right. Sonic- place Jules on the platform. We’re going to fix this”

Sonic did as instructed then stood back as Chuck walked over to the control panel of the machine. Pressing the activation button, Chuck brought the Roboticizer to life and the hollow ceiling column descended, obscuring Jules.

The machine whirred.

Loudly.

Sonic glanced at Chuck, “I don’t remember yours making this much noise”

Chuck was nervous, “Something’s wrong”

“Charles, what is it?” Bernadette asked, fear in her voice.

“I… I don’t know,” Chuck had to admit.

After a moment, the machine became silent.

Everyone watched, their hearts beating with worry.

The column rose.

Bernadette let out a squeak and clapped her hands to her mouth.

Before the group stood Jules. Or, rather, it looked just like Jules. More specifically, it looked just like Jules if he were made of polished, strengthened metal. His eyes were replaced with a black screen with red LEDs denoting pupils.

“Jules… no…” Bernadette gasped.

Chuck was practically catatonic, “I’m… Jules, I’m so, so sorry…”

Jules looked at the group. After a pause, he spoke coldly, robotically, “Scanning. Muttski, Benjamin. Citizen presents no threat. Hedgehog, Bernadette. Citizen presents no threat. Hedgehog, Sir Charles. Citizen threat level priority three. Hedgehog, Sonic the. Threat level… PRIORITY ONE”

“Everyone, get behind me!” Sonic stood forward.

“You will die here today, Sonic the Hedgehog,” the robotic Jules responded, ignoring Sonic entirely, “All hail the glory of Doctor Robotnik!”

Without warning, Jules swivelled and mashed a button on the wall. Red lights flashed and sirens blared. A computerised voice spoke out, “Warning. Laboratory detonation sequence initiated. All non-mechanical lifeforms are advised to evacuate. T-minus thirty seconds”

“Thirty seconds!!” Ben exploded, terrified.

“Guys, I need you to go as limp as you can,” Sonic said, “I’m going to have to move faster than ever before and I don’t want to turn you into paste”

“B—” Bernadette began. But Sonic had already rushed him to the perimeter of the Scrap Brain Zone. Chuck was next, followed by Ben.

“Sorry, Mutt, someone’s gotta be last,” Sonic apologised to his friend as everyone got their bearings.

“N-no worries… I think we have at least twenty-six seconds left before the bomb goes off…”

“Hopefully out here you’re far enough away from the laboratory,” Sonic answered, “Back in a moment”

“W—” Ben started. And Sonic was gone.

Back in the laboratory, Sonic stared down the robo-Jules.

“Jules, please, I know you’re still in there… you have to fight this!”

“Eleven seconds to go and still you waste your time. My mechanical shell will protect me from the explosion. How about yourself, hedgehog?”

Jules, or what used to be Jules, stomped off deeper into the laboratory.

“Detonation in T-minus five seconds,” the computer announced.

Sonic gritted his teeth and furrowed his brow in frustration, “I’ll find you”

With no alternative, he ran for the exit as the laboratory exploded behind him.

Chapter 31 coming soon