Sonic the Hedgehog: Bunnie Rabbot
by David Pistone
The author of this work will accept questions and comments via E-mail at any
of the following addresses:
67116_at_ef.gc.maricopa.edu bookshire_at_aol.com rotor_at_primenet.com
based on characters created by Service and Games (SEGA) and
on characters created by Archie Comic Publications
NOTE: Tails does not appear in this story because,
according to the way I wrote history, Tails had not joined
the freedom fighters at this point.
Night had settled over The Great Forest. Most creatures were asleep
and dreaming various dreams. The inhabitants of Knothole Village were no
exception. Every freedom fighter was in bed sleeping peacefully, except for
Bookshire.
Sitting in front of his computer, Bookshire sat back and groaned.
For the last two months he had been trying every trick in the book and then
some in order to access the Robotropolis Main Computer Core and he hadn't
been having any luck whatsoever.
Bookshire looked at the computer screen and rubbed his eyes. It
was filled with complex mathematical calculations and at the bottom it said
"ACCESS DENIED". Very early on in the project Bookshire had discovered that
all outside links to the RMCC were protected by complicated data encryption
algorithms.
"This is ridiculous," he said to no one in particular "At this rate
I'll never crack the access code."
He sat back and thought for a moment.
"What I need is a direct terminal."
Of course, that meant actually going into Robotropolis and using one
of the many workstations located throughout the city. Cracking the entry
code for one of the stations wouldn't be a problem, but getting caught would
be, and, with his bad leg, he wouldn't get far if he was discovered.
"Oh well," he said as he turned off the computer "maybe one day..."
He turned out the lights and went to bed.
The morning found the freedom fighters going about their business as
usual. Rotor was sitting at a table next to his hut with both a pitcher and
a mug of hot chocolate and a small pile of papers that he was looking over.
He looked up for a moment to take a sip from his mug when he saw Bookshire
limping by with cane in hand looking rather depressed.
"Hey, Bookshire," called Rotor.
Bookshire looked up.
"Oh, hi Rotor," he said
"Would you like some hot chocolate?" Rotor asked.
"Sure," said Bookshire as he walked over.
Rotor poured another mug as Bookshire sat down opposite him.
"So," said Rotor "Is something bothering you?"
"I guess you could say that," said Bookshire "I've been working on
trying to break into Robotnik's main computer for the last two months and I
haven't been having any luck at all. It wouldn't be so hard if I had access
to a direct terminal, but the only ones are in Robotropolis."
"Yes," replied Rotor "I can see how that would be a problem."
The two sat in silence for a moment or two before Rotor spoke again.
"I have an idea," he said "why don't we send someone into
Robotropolis to try to break in for you."
"I doubt it would work," said Bookshire "so far as I know I'm the
only one in the Village that can't even begin to try to decode Robotnik's
computer network."
"We wouldn't need a computer expert," replied Rotor "wait here a
moment."
Rotor went back into his hut and emerged a few minutes later
carrying a small, flat box which he set down in front of Bookshire.
"What is it?" asked Bookshire.
"Its a mini computer and long range communications set," said Rotor
"All we would have to do is have someone use the computer to tap into the
mainframe while you give them directions through the comm. link from here."
"Yeah, that might just work," said Bookshire brightening up
considerably "why don't we go see what Sally thinks about it."
The two finished their hot chocolate and went over to Princess
Sally's hut. Sally liked the idea and, soon, Sonic and Sally were headed
toward Robotropolis, while Rotor, Bookshire, and Bunnie sat down in front
of Bookshire's computer and waited.
Deep in Robotropolis, Robotnik was standing by a window, gazing out
at the city when Snively entered.
"Did you trace it?" asked Robotnik without turning.
"Well...no, sir," replied Snively "we traced the transmission to a
relay station just north of here and then we lost it."
"I trust, Snively, that you are doing everything in your power to
trace this transmission," said Robotnik, his temper rising "I will not have
rebel freedom fighters breaking into my system!"
Snively just stood there unable to think of anything to say.
After a moment, Robotnik calmed down.
"Did you send for Commander Packbell?" he asked.
"Yes, sir," replied Snively "He should be arriving within the hour,
sir."
"Actually, I should be arriving now."
Snively was grabbed from behind and tossed to one side and a cloaked
figure entered the room. Robotnik turned away from the window to face him.
"Well, well, well," he said "Commander Packbell, and how is my
favorite android today?"
"I'm your only android, sir," Packbell replied.
"Packbell, I have a new assignment for you," said Robotnik "Someone
on the outside has been trying to break into the computer system. You're
job is to track them down."
"That's it?" asked Packbell.
"Yes," replied Robotnik.
"Hum, somehow I expected something challenging from you, sir," said
Packbell.
"Just do it!" snapped Robotnik.
"Very well," answered Packbell.
He turned to leave. As he walked toward the door he grabbed Snively,
who was in his way again, and tossed him over his shoulder.
"Excuse me, please," said Packbell as he passed by.
In another part of the city Sonic and Sally had managed to make it
into an abandoned service crawl way. After a few minutes, the two emerged
into and empty room with a workstation in it.
"Well," said Sonic "we're here. So, what now?"
"Just stand and watch," said Sally. She went over to the workstation
and opened Rotor's computer.
"Stand and watch?!," said Sonic in disbelief "I can't just stand!"
"Try to have some patience," said Sally.
"Hey, patients are for hospitals. We're in Robo-country, and that
makes me edgy," replied Sonic.
Sally sighed as she began to make the connection to Knothole.
Meanwhile, back in Knothole, Bookshire, Rotor, and Bunnie were still
waiting for Sally's signal.
"Tell me again," said Bunnie "How is it that you can get into Robo's
computer without being traced?"
"It's rather simple really," explained Bookshire "My computer has a
random signal path generator. Every time I send a signal to the system it
gets routed though a completely random selection of relay stations and
satilites throughout the planet. Since the path keeps changing with each
signal it's impossible to trace."
Suddenly the speaker crackled to life.
"Knothole, this is Sally, over"
"This is Knothole," replied Bookshire "we read you loud and clear."
"I've located a workstation and I've hooked your computer into it,"
reported Sally.
"Excellent," said Bookshire.
Bookshire leaned forward and turned on his monitor.
"Sally," said Rotor "on the computer is a button marked "screen
transmit", push it."
Suddenly, Bookshire's monitor laid out a menu of options. At the top
of the screen it said: ROBOTROPOLIS MAIN COMPUTER CORE ACCESS STATION
#1245-B.
"Wonderful," said Bookshire "now all we have to do is fine out what
the code is for getting in from the outside."
"Well," said Sally "I suggest that we start with system security.
I'm logging in with Rotor's cryptosmasher software."
Getting in was surprisingly easy and, soon, they believed that they
had found what they were looking for.
"I think I have something," said Sally "It's a code labeled
'global access'."
"Yes," said Bookshire "I see it. I think that that's it. Hang on
one moment."
Bookshire pulled out a blank optical disc and placed it into his
optical recorder and hit the record button.
"Okay, Sally," said Bookshire "transmit the file."
"Transmitting..."
The screen filled up with incomprehensible data all of which they
now had on disc.
"Great," said Rotor "that should do it, so disconnect and come home."
"You got it," said Sally "we're on our way."
"Finally," said Sonic impatiently.
"Oh, come on," said Sally as she disconnected the computer "it wasn't
that bad."
"Wasn't bad! My legs fell asleep!" exclaimed Sonic.
"Well wake them up," she said "we've got to go."
Sonic and Sally tore out of Robotopolis as fast as they could.
When they arrived back at Knothole they immediately went down to
Bookshire computer room.
"Did it work?" asked Sally as they entered.
"You bet it did," replied Bunnie "that ol' genius has a direct link
into the system."
"Excellent," replied Sally.
"Now we should be able to get any info on what ever we need," said
Bookshire.
Rotor yawned.
"Well," he said "I think that it should wait until morning."
The others agreed and they left to go back to their huts. Bookshire
stayed at the terminal and looked through a few files. Interesting, he
thought to himself. He turned off the computer and went to bed.
"What do you mean you lost it!" exclaimed Packbell.
The Swat-bot turned from the computer to face him.
"The signal was traced to a relay station in the Great Swamp and
then it was terminated," it reported.
Packbell grumbled in suppressed anger. He walked over to the wall
where there was a rack of laser rifles.
"You know I don't like failure," he said.
Quickly removing a rifle from its place, he turned and blasted the
bot out of its seat. Replacing the rifle, he walked over to the comm. panel.
"Bot Distribution, could you send me another Swat-bot. The other
one displeased me."
"Acknowledged," came the reply.
Packbell turned towards the computer.
"I swear, when I find the rebels that are doing this, they're going
to be on their knees begging me to robotize them."
The next morning, Bookshire was back again in front of the terminal,
examining Robotnik's system. At one point, he came across a directory
labeled, "CURRENT OFFENSIVE PROJECTS". As he began to read through the
terrible ideas that Robotnik was devising to eliminate the freedom fighters,
he came across a recent entry that stated that an intense acid rain factory
would be on-line in less than one day. After reading enough of the entry,
he leaped out of his chair and ran to warn the freedom fighters.
"I knew that terminal would come in handy," said Sally.
Sally, Bunnie, and Sonic were crouched near a junk heap on the
outskirts of Robotropolis.
"So, what's the plan Sally girl?" asked Bunnie.
"You and I are going to break into the control room and disable the
security devices while Sonic plants the explosives to destroy the factory."
The three freedom fighters made their way toward the factory. They
split up just outside the factory.
"Good luck you two," said Sonic " as he raced off.
For some reason, Sally and Bunnie found it surprisingly easy to get
inside the factory. While carefully avoiding the security devices, the two
made their way to the control room. When they arrived, they were somewhat
surprised to find that there weren't any bots manning it.
"That's odd," Sally remarked as she began to look for the security
override switches "We shouldn't have gotten in here this easily."
"Do you think it's a trap?" asked Bunnie.
"I'm not sure," Sally replied.
"I found the security switches," said Bunnie.
"Excellent," said Sally. She examined the switches and panels.
"Wait a minute," she said "According to this display, there's more
than one set of security overrides. The two sets have to be deactivated at
the same time."
"So," said Bunnie "Where's the other set?"
"It's on the other side of the factory," Sally replied. She handed
Bunnie a comm. link "Take this. I'll go over to the other set and we'll
shut them off at the same time."
"I'll be waiting," said Bunnie "Good luck."
"You too," said Sally as she walked out of the room.
After a few minutes, Bunnie examined the panels again. She knew a
bit about computers, not as much as Sally or Bookshire, but the knowledge
she did have had been helpful in the rebellion. As she began to look at
one of the panels, the door to the room slammed shut. She turned in alarm as
a previously unnoticed door slid open and a dozen Swat-bots came in.
"FREEZE PRISONER," declared the leader. Each bot had a laser rifle
aimed directly at her. Bunnie froze where she was, too startled by their
sudden appearance to react in any other way.
Sally made it to the extra set of overrides and turned on her
comm. link.
"Bunnie, this is Sally, do you read," she said.
No answer,
"Bunnie?" she asked again, slightly alarmed.
Still no answer.
She ran back to the other room to find it completely abandoned.
A transport docked at the main prison block on the other side of
Robotropolis. A group of Swat-bots escorted their prisoner into a large
meeting room where Commander Packbell was eagerly waiting.
"Well, well, well," he remarked as Bunnie was escorted in "whom do
we have here?"
He walked up to her and glared.
"You know, I may not have been able to trace that transmission, but
the false info about the acid rain factory did the job equally well," he said
"Only a group of freedom fighters that had access to the system could have
known it was there. You shall be an example to the rest of the rebellion.
I'll show all of them what can happen when they try to break into Robotnik's
computer system. First however, if you are willing to tell me about your
friends and how they broke in, I might go easy on you."
"In your dreams, commander," Bunnie replied.
"Oh well," said Packbell. He signalled to the bots.
"We'll see what some of my devices do to change your mind."
The Swat-bots escorted her from the room.
Soon, Bunnie was beginning to wish she hadn't come on this mission.
Packbell had strapped her into a machine that delivers controlled bursts
of intense electricity to the victim. Bunnie was only half conscious and
her breathing was short and shallow.
"Still not talking, huh," said Packbell "Oh well. It looks like
I'm not going to get anywhere with you."
He turned to one of the Swat-bots.
"Revive her fully and take her to the robotizizer," he said "I'll
be there shortly."
Meanwhile, Sally had located Sonic and told him that Bunnie had
most likely been captured. They decided that Sally would wait there while
Sonic charged off towards the prison block.
Bunnie had been encased in the giant glass cylinder in the massive
robotizizer.
"During these last few moments of your natural life, I might be
convinced to stop the procedure if only you would tell me what I want to
know," Packbell was saying.
"Then I guess that's the end of my natural life," said Bunnie
defiantly "I'm taking their secrets with me."
"Very well," said Packbell.
He turned to the control bot.
"Is this thing charged yet?" he asked.
"Five minutes to full operational charge," the bot reported.
Suddenly the comm. panel sprang to life.
"Urgent! Commander Packbell, report to the dragon robotizizer
immediately. Prisoner escape attempt under way."
"Well," he said to Bunnie "As much as I hate missing a rebel
robotization, I hate missing a dragon more."
He turned to the bot.
"Take over. Use standard procedures," he said.
As he walked from the room, Bunnie called after him.
"You may get me, and you may get a hundred more, but one day the
freedom fighters are going to beat Robotnik!"
Packbell paused at the door and said "I doubt that."
Then, under his breath he said "because I'll get to him first."
Suddenly, the machine indicated that it was ready to begin. The
bot turned it on.
Bunnie was enveloped in a yellow beam of energy. A sudden pain
shot through her as the machine began to alter her body on the molecular
level. The feelings and sensations moving through her body were intense.
After a few moments she passed out.
Then, without warning, Sonic the Hedgehog shot into the room and
slammed into the control bot, tearing it to peaces. He shut off the
robotizizer as fast as he could. Running over to the cylinder, he opened
it. Bunnie's limp form fell out onto the floor. Sonic gasped in shock.
Her legs and left arm had been completely transformed into robotic limbs.
After he recovered from the shock, he examined her. She was still breathing,
but her pulse was weak. He picked her up and ran from the room. After
meeting Sally at the outskirts of the city, they raced back to Knothole at
top speed.
Bunnie lay still as death in her bed. The only indications that she
was still alive were the soft beeps of Rotor's pulse monitor and Bookshire's
brain wave scanner.
"Is she going to be alright?" Sally finally asked.
Rotor and Bookshire looked up from the numerous books they were
reading.
"We don't know," Rotor admitted.
"There isn't anything in any of these books on a person being
partially robotizized," said Bookshire.
"This is totally new stuff," said Rotor "Bunnie is the planet's
first cybernetic life form, possessing both organic and artificial parts.
No one knows how to deal with such a concept."
Can't you at least give me a best and worst case scenario?" pressed
Sally.
The two hesitated for a moment.
"Well," began Bookshire "the worst that could happen is her brain
never recovers from the shock, the brain waves break down, and she dies."
"Or," continued Rotor "the best that could happen is her body makes
the adjustments and she fully recovers. Of course, any of a hundred of
things in between those two could happen."
"Well," said Sally "let me know if her condition changes."
"You can count on it," said Bookshire.
Sally left and went for a walk.
As she walked down by the power ring pool, she saw Sonic sitting
by himself on a log. She walked up and sat down next to him.
"How are you?" she asked.
Sonic looked up as if noticing her for the first time.
"Okay I guess," he replied.
"What's wrong?" Sally asked, her voice filled with concern.
Sonic sat there without answering.
"Come on, Sonic. You know you can talk to me," she continued.
"I was too slow," answered Sonic, quietly.
"What?"
"I wasn't fast enough to save her," he continued.
"Sonic, it wasn't your fault," she said.
"Yes it was," Sonic insisted "If only I had been faster."
"Look, I know no one blames you for what happened," said Sally.
"How do you know Bunnie won't," said Sonic.
"If anything Bunnie will probably be thankful that you saved her at
all," Sally said "If it hadn't been for you, she'd be getting shipped off
to some factory by now."
"Maybe you're right, "admitted Sonic "but I'll have to think about
it for a while."
"I understand," Sally said. she stood up and left him to his
thoughts.
After she finished her walk, Sally returned to Bunnie's hut where
a surprising site met her eyes. Bunnie was conscious and crying into
Bookshire's arms.
"She regained consciousness a few minutes ago," explained Rotor
"When we broke the news to her she burst out in tears."
After a few minutes, Bunnie calmed down a little and laid back in
bed. Sally sat down next to the bed.
"It's not as bad as you think," said Bookshire.
"And how's that?" demanded Bunnie "Look at me! I'm a freak!"
"No you're not," said Sally.
"Then what would you call me," Bunnie insisted.
The three hesitated for a moment.
"You're just who you always have been," said Sally "a kind, loving
creature who's dedicated, smart, and great to be around. You may have
changed physically, but you're still the same person we all know, and love."
"It will take time for you to adjust to those changes," said Rotor
"but it can happen. You'll be back to your old self in no time."
"Perhaps," said Bunnie.
One month later, Bunnie had progressed at a surprising pace, and
she was learning to use her new arm and legs to her advantage. Bookshire,
Rotor, and Bunnie were thrilled as were the rest of the freedom fighters.
Bunnie was thrilled that she was getting back to normal and that her name
would be recorded in history as the first cybernetic life form, and Rotor
and Bookshire were thrilled because they would be known for perfecting
cybernetic therapy. One day, Bunnie was relaxing by the power ring pool
when Sonic, who had been somewhat distant, approached her.
"Bunnie," he said "I have a question."
"What is it," she asked.
"Do you blame me?"
"For what?"
"For not saving you in time."
"Well now what ever prompted an idea like that," asked Bunnie "If
anything, you saved me in the nick of time. If you had been any longer,
the process would have completed and I'd be a robotic slave in Robotnik's
work force."
"Really?" asked Sonic.
"Really," confirmed Bunnie "and hopefully, one day, we'll find a
way to reverse this."
"Yes," said Sonic, turning to gaze at the setting sun in the west.
"One day..."
THE END
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ZAPHOD:"I'm a pretty dangerous dude when I'm cornered."
FORD:"Yeah, you go to pieces so fast people get hit by the schrapnel."
--The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy TV series
David M. Pistone -- rotor_at_primenet.com __ __ ____ ___ ___ ____
ftp.primenet.com/users/r/rotor /__)/__) / / / / /_ /\ / /_ /
http://www.primenet.com/~rotor / / \ / / / / /__ / \/ /___ /
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Received on Sun Feb 12 1995 - 21:05:36 PST