Back to Chapter 59

Sonic followed the Emerald Radar for a short distance until it led him to yet another mountain. The radar indicated the sixth and final Chaos Emerald- the one Robotnik had already captured- was inside. Sonic had to admit he was confused. The volcano of the Under Ground Zone, Gimmick Mountain and now this third mountain- what was Robotnik’s interest in mountains all of a sudden? Sonic was certain Robotnik wasn’t likely to change his major from engineering to montology. Well, he would be if he knew montology was the correct word, of course.

At any rate, Sonic found a crack in the mountain that seemed large enough for him to squeeze through. Inside, he found a similar set-up to Gimmick Mountain, though clearly less far along in its development. The mountain was definitely in the process of being hollowed out, though far less work had been done to that end. Robotnik and his minions had barely gone to the trouble of stringing up any artificial lights, with a few glistening strip lights that twinkled from time to time being the only light in the mountain. The mountain itself was slick and wet and natural light from the water reflected well enough off the rocky blue surface, aided by the strip lights that Sonic could see well enough in the relative dark.

Sonic spied a computer panel on the wall and read the display therein. It read:

PROJECT THUNDER STATUS

UNDER GROUND ZONE: Unsuitable for purpose
SKY HIGH ZONE: Meteorological data recorded
AQUA LAKE ZONE: Hydrological data recorded
GREEN HILLS ZONE: Topographical data recorded
GIMMICK MOUNTAIN ZONE: --COMMUNICATION LOST—
SCRAMBLED EGG ZONE: Excavation 35.6% complete
CRYSTAL EGG ZONE: Construction 98.2% complete
LIGHTNING CHAMBER CONSTRUCTION COMPLETE

Sonic had to assume the mountain he was stood in was what Robotnik intended to call the Scrambled Egg Zone. He had no idea what the Crystal Egg Zone was and he certainly didn’t understand what a lightning chamber was, but he didn’t like the sound of it. He did at least understand meteorology was the study of weather and it didn’t take a genius to work out hydrology must be the study of water. Topographical stumped Sonic but he assumed (correctly) it probably had something to do with hills. Each of the Zones listed had a Master Robot on site- what had Robotnik been there to try and find out? And where did the mountains all come into it? It made enough sense that an active volcano might present a problem for Robotnik’s schemes but then why the rest? Sonic couldn’t figure it out.
Sonic tapped a key on the computer’s keyboard and the screen changed:

ORGANIC BATTERY SUPPLY

PRISON CAPSULE 1: --COMMUNICATION LOST—
PRISON CAPSULE 2: --COMMUNICATION LOST—
PRISON CAPSULE 3: --COMMUNICATION LOST—
PRISON CAPSULE 4: --COMMUNICATION LOST—
PRISON CAPSULE 5: --COMMUNICATION LOST—
ACTIVE BADNIK BATTERY RATE: 0%

That was good news at least. Clearly Robotnik had mistimed the launch of his plan, not prepared for Sonic’s return home from West Side Island. As a result, he’d been on the backfoot with regard to preparing his Badniks. That must be why there were so few new designs, Sonic thought, and why the Badniks he had smashed so far had almost entirely been hostage-free. If nothing else, it meant he didn’t have to worry about stopping to fight every Badnik to free any prisoners- there weren’t any left.
Except one.
Sonic couldn’t celebrate until he’d rescued Tails. And finding that sixth Chaos Emerald was going to be a concern too. Even one Chaos Emerald would be enough to power Robotnik’s machines practically indefinitely.
Sonic tapped a key on the keyboard once more and the display changed again:

MASTER ROBOT STATUS

MASTER ROBOT 1: OFFLINE
MASTER ROBOT 2: OFFLINE
MASTER ROBOT 3: OFFLINE
MASTER ROBOT 4: OFFLINE
MASTER ROBOT 5: OFFLINE
ULTIMATE MASTER ROBOT: OPERATIONAL

One more Master Robot to smash, then. The ultra-Badniks, such as they were, hadn’t given Sonic too much more grief than a regular one might, but he wasn’t exactly comforted by the use of “Ultimate” in that name.
As opposed to his strategy in Gimmick Mountain, Sonic tried to stay out of sight this time. The few Badniks he spotted were generally Crabmeats or Game-games. He did see the occasional Bomb but they were mostly stood minding their own business. Sonic got the impression this mountain lacked a foreman Badnik. Given he knew none of the Badniks held a hostage, he had no reason to go charging in and risk getting hurt. There was heroism and there was self-destruction and Sonic knew which he’d rather be known for.
Hiding out of view of a nearby Crabmeat, Sonic felt a breeze up above. He looked and saw a glass tube built into the ceiling. The breeze seemed to come from it, as if some kind of suction was drawing through from the other side. Sonic remembered the old-fashioned pod tubes in shops and banks that let them transport money or internal mail to other rooms quickly and couldn’t help but think this tube might serve the same purpose, allowing the Badniks ease of access or transportation- not unlike the service hatch he’d found in the Labyrinth Zone underneath the Scrap Brain Zone when Robotnik had dropped him down there.
Sonic squinted for a closer look. The tube definitely looked the right size for a young hedgehog. There was obviously something on the other side and it almost certainly bore checking out. Sonic figured it was better than skulking around in the dark and decided to give it a shot.
Climbing up the craggy surface of the interior wall of the mountain allowed Sonic to reach the tube in no time at all. Alternating handholds and footholds and left and right, Sonic scaled the rocks in no time. It all went back to that same climbing training with Sally that had helped him so many times today.
Sally! Sonic had barely given her a moment’s thought since he dashed off. He hoped Ben had spread the word to everyone that Robotnik has taken Tails. Sonic didn’t like the thought of everyone being on high alert but given the alternative was them not being prepared at all, that didn’t exactly make him feel any better.
In short order, Sonic managed to climb up towards the tube. The suction felt much stronger up here. He hoped he’d be able to breathe inside the tube without feeling as though the air was being pulled out of his body. With some effort, Sonic swing his body upwards towards the tube and was sucked inside by the rush of air.
Sonic’s hypothesis that this tube was to transport Badniks and supplies at ease was supported by two things. Firstly, it was two narrow by far for Robotnik or his Egg-O-Matic to use. Secondly, it was so unbelievably uncomfortable that no living thing- man or hedgehog included- could possibly want to choose this method of travel unless absolutely no alternative presented itself. Sonic curled himself into a ball instinctively and allowed himself to be pulled through the tube. He could barely keep his eyes open under the rush of air.
This way and that, up and down, left and right, back and forth, in and out, zigging and zagging and spiralling round, the tube hurled Sonic at blistering speed that he probably wouldn’t have minded if he could get more than a gasp of air at a time. Robotnik had to have had a surplus of glass tubing lying around, there was no other reason for this level of excess.
Eventually, Sonic was shot out of the tube with a “POP!” and landed in a small room. He scrunched his eyes up and opened his mouth wide in an attempt to get his ears to pop in response to the change in air pressure.
Sonic turned and looked across the room. He was startled to see something looking back at him. Rather, he was startled at the form it took.
“I’m going to guess you’re the ‘Ultimate Master Robot’,” Sonic told the machine staring back at him. It was a pretty good guess, and accurate at that. After all, if Robotnik was going to be build the “ultimate” Badnik to destroy his foe, why not one that looked like the foe in question?
Sonic found himself staring at the smirking face of a robotic version of himself. This wasn’t like the Sonic Eraser, though, a visually identical copy. No, this robot almost seemed like a parody of Sonic. Instead of the peachy colour of Sonic’s muzzle and stomach, this robot bore a striking yellow. Instead of red Power Sneakers, the mechanical hedgehog had blue jet rockets for feet. It had a visor in place of its eyes and a crushing pincer-like claws instead of hands. On its back was what looked like another jet booster. But most striking of all was instead of Sonic’s cobalt blue, this robot was a polished silver.
“Silver Sonic online,” the Badnik commented to nobody in particular, “Engaging enemy. Mission: total destruction of Sonic the Hedgehog”
“You wish,” Sonic shot back.
The two hedgehogs leapt at one another in a Spin Attack. Neither one was able to gain any ground on the attack and the two merely bounced off one another. Landing on opposite sides of the room, the two combatants stared one another down. Then the Silver Sonic did something which surprised the real deal- his claw arm shot forward on an extendable cable and Sonic only narrowly dodged. The claw slammed into the rock surface behind Sonic before the robot’s arm retracted, almost whipping Sonic on the return journey.
Sonic leapt up and kicked off the wall towards the Silver Sonic, catching it off-guard momentarily and allowing the flesh and blood hedgehog to punch the robot in the face. It hurt Sonic’s fist rather more than he’d admit but he knew it would prove necessary to keep fighting through the pain. Sonic threw a kick at the side of his opponent’s head, which connected with a clang. The blue hedgehog barely had time to wince before being thrown across the room by his metal doppelganger.
Sonic got to his feet just in time to see the Silver Sonic throw itself at him in a Spin Attack. He forced himself out of the way.
“You just don’t stop, do you?” Sonic quipped.
“Negative. Chaos Emerald power cell provides limitless energy”
“Chaos--?!”
Sonic hadn’t even noticed until now due to the distraction of the battle but the Emerald Radar had been beeping fairly constantly. The sixth Chaos Emerald wasn’t just nearby- it was powering the robot staring him down and threatening to pound him to mush!
Sonic realised he’d have to push himself not just to his limits but through them, surpassing any and all exhaustion in the name of winning this fight. If he let up for even a moment, his robotic duplicate would take advantage and smash him to bits.
But how do you fight an opponent who never tires?
Sonic had to find away. Every movement the machine made seemed perfect- there was no pause between motions. If it wasn’t launching a claw, it was launching its entire body. The jet boosters on the Silver Sonic’s feet burst into life and it rocketed across the room at Sonic, who was beginning to get out of breath.
Sonic attempted to leap over his mechanical mirror image, but one of the claws grabbed him by the ankle. The Silver Sonic swung the original over its head in a circle then slammed him to the floor. Sonic shouted out in pain but found he had to force himself up to avoid a Spin Attack.
He jumped forward, fist extended and caught the Badnik under its chin, rocking its head backwards. Suddenly, he found himself stuck in the robot’s grasp, the metallic bear hug of the pincer claws squeezing the life out o
“Breathe your last, hedgehog,” the robot intoned, “My systems never run out of energy”
Sonic had one last hope, “Maybe not…”
With as much energy as he could muster, Sonic forced himself backwards, pushing off the Silver Sonic’s torso with his feet. Naturally, the cable-like arms extended to keep Sonic at arm’s length, no matter the length of the arms. Perfect.
His feet now sufficiently free, Sonic took aim and rained down blow after blow on the Silver Sonic’s face and head. It was as if he was tap-dancing, his feet were moving so quickly on the same spot.
The face of the robot began to buckle beneath Sonic’s foot. Seeing this was working, Sonic kept up the pressure. He thought of everything at stake even as his ribs ached from being crushed so hard.
With a final WHACK, the robot’s head snapped off its neck. The circuitry inside the Badnik sparked and fizzed and the claws, mercifully, flopped to the floor, lifeless. The Silver Sonic was done in.
“Doesn’t matter how much energy you have…” Sonic croaked and wheezed, “…if it doesn’t make you any tougher”
He pulled the torso panels of the defeated robot apart. There inside was the sixth Chaos Emerald. He reached in and felt that familiar energising sensation flow through him as it dematerialised, as if he’d not just been beaten senselessly by an evil robot double at all.
With all sixth of the known Chaos Emeralds in his possession, to be called upon from the ether when he needed, Sonic now had to track down Robotnik and rescue Tails. Sonic remembered the screen downstairs- what exactly was the Crystal Egg Zone? It didn’t sound like anything good and it certainly wasn’t on any map Sonic had ever seen. He wondered if it had anything to do with Project Thunder.
With a loud beeping noise, a panel in the wall slid away, revealing a tunnel out of the mountain. From a speaker system in the ceiling, a familiar and very angry voice snarled, “So, you blue pain in the neck, you’ve defeated my final Master Robot. Well, you shan’t defeat what I have in store for you at my new humble home. Come on now, Sonic. Don’t keep me- or your little friend- waiting. The doctor is in!”
Robotnik’s voice trailed off with a laugh before the speaker cut out. Sonic furrowed his brow in anger. This had gone on long enough. It was time to take the fight to Robotnik. He stepped into the tunnel and headed off towards his enemy- and, hopefully, his friend.

On to Chapter 61