Chapter 39 -

Bridge Over Troubled Waters

The Bridge Zone was a Zone that had originally come to be out of necessity. Obviously the geographical location of the Zone had always been there, but it hadn’t been the Bridge Zone until relatively recently. The Green Hill Zone was still fairly well visible on the horizon so historically the two locations had been considered one and the same. However, while the Green Hill Zone enjoyed rushing water flowing from waterfalls and mountaintops, the beautiful, glistening blue waters of the Bridge Zone were always choppy and dangerous. Travel to the neighbouring Jungle Zone proved frankly impossible for most.

It would be Doctor Kintobor himself that led the bridge project some years ago. Mathematically determining the best and safest places to place wooden bridges made from logs sourced responsibly and sustainably from the nearby forests, Kintobor led Mobian construction workers in ensuring the safety of the region for all who wished for safe passage. In no time at all, the area was completely safe and the Jungle Zone and Green Hill Zone enjoyed free passage and trade between their local salesmen. Having slightly overdone it on the number of bridges, there really was only one name available for Kintobor’s tribute to tree-and-rope-related safety.

Unfortunately for Sonic, the Bridge Zone was a tad on the windy side today. Still not particularly inhabited, the Zone lacked housing to break the flow of wind as it rushed down from the mountains. That, coupled with the wooden nature of the bridges in the Zone, meant Sonic knew he’d have to take this one a little more cautiously than he was usually happy with. Ordinarily, he wouldn’t mind this too much, except with Robotnik nearby he really wanted to get a move on.

Sonic came to the first of many of the bridges he’d be looking at today and placed a trepidatious foot on it to test it for strength and sturdiness. It seemed fine, it didn’t sway from side to side at any rate. It’d definitely be able to take his weight. Sonic was, after all, still a relatively small hedgehog, so he wasn’t about to tear the bridge down with his size. Putting one foot in front of the other, Sonic began a brisk jog over the bridge, not wanting to risk much more in case he needed to stop himself in the event of a sidewind kicking up and deciding to fling him into the rapid water below.

About half way across the bridge, Sonic heard a splash below. Stopping just in time, he almost fell on his backside as a Chopper Badnik launched up through the bridge, gnashing through the wood with its powerful hinged jaw.

“When I’ve finished having you for lunch, I’ll use the wood from this bridge as toothpicks, hedgehog!” the Badnik barked.

“Get real, ugly!” Sonic ducked under the mechanical fish and leapt over the hole. He knew he didn’t have much time to stand arguing in case the Chopper’s attack caused the structural integrity of the bridge to be compromised. Though, admittedly, he didn’t think it with those words- Sonic preferred the mental shorthand of “holes in the bridge are bad”.

The Chopper was unrelenting, however, constantly launching itself out of the water with its mighty hydraulic fins, chomping more and more holes in the bridge. Sonic found himself picking up the pace more and more as he ran, eventually diving as he came to the next mass of land.

“Pity,” the Chopper looked Sonic in the eye as it leapt up and down, “I wouldn’t have minded using you as my organic battery”

“Organic—” Sonic clenched his fists and scowled, furious, “Those are people you’re talking about!”

“People are no use to the great Robotnik- only Badniks!”

Sonic watched as the fish bounced up and down, in and out of the water. If there was nobody inside, he could afford to get a little mean. Sonic eyed a sharpened rock on the ground and picked it up, whirling his arm around with hurricane force that would terrify even the most astonishing baseball batter and launched it at the Chopper just as it reached the pinnacle of its jump. The Badnik barely had time to register surprise before it exploded with a pop and its parts fell into the water, never to jump again. Sonic made a mental note to look into whether or not it would be possible to get those machine parts out of the water.

Sonic turned to take in his surroundings. Unlike the Green Hill Zone which was full of trees, the Bridge Zone’s natural hills were usually pretty bare. Sonic looked around at the complicated network of bridges shooting off from where he stood. He decided the one high up above would give him a good vantage point so began the climb up the largest hill on the land mass.

About halfway up, Sonic saw something that caught his eye. Some kind of seesaw contraption left by the construction workers. On one end was a large counter-weight. Sonic had absolutely no idea how on Mobius this factored into building the bridges but assumed it had been used to weigh the felled trees. Kintobor was keen on all that maths business after all.

Sonic had a cheeky idea and couldn’t help himself. Hurling his body weight onto the empty end of the seesaw, he watched as the weight was flung directly upwards- then fell straight back down, hitting the seesaw with tremendous force. Knees bent, Sonic was launched into the air to the top of the hill he was aiming for. It probably only saved him a minute or so of climbing but he’d take whatever time saving tricks he could at the moment.

Sonic walked onto the high bridge and took a look at what he could see. Far in the distance was the exit point of the Zone, the border with the Jungle Zone. It was low down to water level and it seemed like any route he took was going to lead him there, which was probably for the best. No sign of Robotnik, unfortunately. A glimpse of something not far away caught Sonic’s eye, reflecting light against the sun. He couldn’t tell what it was but decided to head towards it.

As Sonic continued over the bridge, he became aware of a shape in the sky approaching him rapidly. It only took a moment for it to almost be upon him, revealing itself to be a Buzz Bomber. Sonic braced himself. The Buzz Bomber dove but stopped at the last moment, knowing all too well if it flew too low it was liable to get hit by a Spin Attack. Instead, it began firing off its fireball projectiles. Sonic was forced to move at speed once more. He didn’t like to admit it but the Badniks were well organised in this Zone.

As Sonic got to the end of one bridge, he spotted the next one he needed to traverse- and almost missed the Spikes Badnik with its back to him. Leaping at the last minute to avoid impalement, Sonic did a forward dive in mid-air and rolled upon landing, ending up seated on the next bridge.

Unfortunately, the Spikes gave him no moment’s respite, cutting away at the rope on the end of the bridge with its claw. As one rope snapped, Sonic’s heart skipped a beat and he couldn’t help but let out a tiny gasp. The Spikes looked at Sonic, its google eyes somehow threatening now, and cut through the other rope.

The bridge gave way in spectacular fashion as the ropes binding it completely undid themselves and the logs began to cascade down in a wooden rain. From this height, if Sonic hit the ground it would do more than just smart. If he hit the fierce water, he’d be carried away and drowned before he could do anything about it. The only option was for Sonic to leap from log to log as they fell, hoping to make it to safety.

The light that had been reflecting off the sun caught Sonic’s eyes once more. Now on the other side of the former bridge, Sonic decided to make the light his goal.

As he hopped from felled tree to felled tree- now not just felled but actively falling- Sonic hoped he didn’t look too silly as if he was going to end up smashed below he’d rather go out dramatically than comically.

With one final hurl as he neared the end of what used to be a very nice bridge, Sonic leapt to the ledge where the light was emanating from- fortunately sticking the landing, though someone uncomfortably. It was then that Sonic saw what had been shining off the sun: another clear Chaos Emerald.

Sonic dreaded to think what would have happened if he’d been just a touch slower- would the Spikes have crossed the bridge and located the emerald? Could the Buzz Bomber have swooped in to capture it for Robotnik? Maybe running to avoid the Chopper made all the difference.

Sonic picked up the emerald and watched as it blinked away, giving him that familiar energising feeling. Why were the emeralds just out in the open instead of in the Special Zone? None of this sat right with Sonic. If Robotnik found even one of the Chaos Emeralds, he could cause untold trouble with it. Sonic had to hope he could locate the remainder of them and keep them out of Robotnik’s egg-stained hands.

Sonic made his way back down to the lowest point of the Zone, traversing the network of bridges. To be honest, he’d actually gotten a little sick of bridges at this stage and thought if he ever saw one on a scenic postcard again it’d be too soon.

As he reached the Zone border, Sonic spotted a familiar structure- a Prison Egg Capsule. If he could just make it over the two last small bridges…

“Surprise, hedgehog!” a familiar whining voice called out as Doctor Snively burst from the water in a capsule of sorts, a modification made to the Egg-O-Matic to keep him dry.

Sonic barely had time to dodge as Snively thrust the machine into the underside of the bridge he was on.

“I see you survived the fall in the Scrap Brain Zone too, Snively,” Sonic frowned, “Two mad scientists for the price of one, I really must have hit the jackpot”

“We’ll see who’s mad when I burn this Zone to the ground, you blue pest!” Snively screeched, pressing a button on his control pad. A pair of vents atop the capsule spat out fireballs in opposing directions.

They weren’t the biggest projectiles Sonic had ever had to dodge but he suddenly became acutely aware of just how flammable a Zone so full of wood was. Fortunately, these bridges were so close to the water they were getting splashed enough that the fire wouldn’t catch and ignite anything. Still, Sonic could hardly risk leaving Snively unchecked to burn whatever he pleased.

“And where’s lard-gut?” Sonic asked, dodging another barrage of fire.

“If you must know, Doctor Robotnik is in the Jungle Zone. He’s heard there’s something very interesting worth searching for!”

Another Chaos Emerald? It had to be. What else would Robotnik be interested in in a jungle? Sonic had to deal with Snively and fast.

“Hey, Sniv-nose,” Sonic taunted, leaping to the second small bridge, what good is attacking me from down there? Come and get me!”

“It would be my pleasure, you hideous beast!”

Snively submerged the Egg-O-Matic, repositioned it beneath the second bridge then launched out of the water with intense force, shattering through the bridge.

“Now, I can handle you calling me a pest,” Sonic shook his head, “but hideous? That’s just unkind. And untrue. And you’re an idiot”

“And idiot? You dare to call me an idiot?!” Snively pounded his fist on the dashboard.

“’Fraid so, big-nose. You’re stuck”

“St—” Snively looked at the bridge. Sonic wasn’t wrong. Snively had got himself wedged in the bridge.

“Well, you can’t stay there all day. I’ll do my heroic duty and set you free, don’t you worry!”

As Snively protested fearfully, Sonic curled himself into a spiked ball and rolled around the outside of the capsule, picking up astonishing speed and becoming almost a buzzsaw. Eventually, the capsule cracked open like an egg and Sonic kicked the top off.

“There! How’s that? Wow, Triple Spin speed! Not bad, if I do say so myself!”

Snively, terrified, shuddered nervously, “Now, S-Sonic, let’s not do anything t-too hasty”

“’Course not. I’m here to help! Let’s get you free!”

Sonic leapt high into the air in a Spin Attack. As Snively screamed the loudest, longest “no” he’d ever uttered, Sonic slammed down into the balding scientist’s head with enough force to knock the Egg-O-Matic loose and push it into the water. Landing safely on what remained of the bridge, Sonic turned just in time to hear Snively shouting a series of words unfit to be repeated as the diminutive doctor was carried downstream by the rushing waters.

Sonic rushed over to the Prison Egg Capsule and opened it with his usual style. Dozens of Mobini made their escape, leaving one Mobian.

“Sharps! You’re alright!” Sonic smiled, happy to see his friend.