Run with the Fox
A Sonic the Hedgehog Story
by Kris Kelley
This story is protected by copyright laws. Feel free to distribute this
story, but the author does not allow any unauthorized alteration of the
story or distribution for profit.
Part 5.
"I tell you, I should have gone after him right then!!"
"Sonic, we had to get out of there! With those tankers coming in,
there would not have been any hiding place at all! There was no time!"
"Yeah, but..." Sonic had to finish his sentence with a fist to the
wall. He stood, shaking his head, and finally said, "Well, what's to
stop me from going after him, now? I've got a power ring. All I've got
to do is bust him out of the prison block, right?"
Sally looked at Bookshire, who sat looking at his computer. "It
doesn't look that way, Sonic," he said. "According to this, Tolouse has
yet to be entered as a prisoner."
"What??"
Bookshire explained. "Robotnik has a system for keeping track of
prisoners. Whenever a 'rebel' is captured, he is taken to the prison
block, informed that he has been tried for treason and found guilty, and
then his name is entered into the computer. Some time after that, he is
roboticized and sent to work wherever Robotnik 'needs' him. I'm looking
at those records now. Tolouse's name is nowhere to be seen."
"So what does that mean? He could still be in the prison block,
right, and just not typed in?"
Sally answered. "That is a possibility, but there is no way to
guarantee that, and you would spend too much time looking for him. For
all we know he could have been," she swallowed, "killed right after he
called us."
"Or, he could still be alive hiding somewhere, right?! I want to
go look for him!"
"Sonic, please, listen!" Sally tried to comfort him, but her voice
was cracking as well. "The odds of him being alive and hiding are...not
enough to justify this. Right now there is nothing we can do. But..."
and she turned to look at Bookshire, "as soon as he finds out anything,
we will go find him."
Sonic looked at Sally, but said nothing. Soon after that, he
walked slowly out of Bookshire's dwelling.
Bookshire sighed and said quietly, "Sally, I'll try everywhere. It
may take a while, but there are some other files I can try breaking into
that might help..."
Sally mouthed a quiet "thank you" and turned to follow Sonic.
* * *
Some time earlier...
Packbell paced around Tolouse slowly, calmly repeating his question
one last time. "Now, I'll ask once more, and if you answer politely and
honestly, there may be hope for you. What were you doing near the
coolant treatment plant?"
Tolouse trembled with fear, and he knew that he didn't sound
convincing, but he wasn't going to betray his friends. "J-j-just
walking around."
Packbell glared at him, a stare that bore deep into Tolouse and
threatened to make him faint. "Very well, I guess I will have to---"
"Packbell! How is my favorite android today? I hear we have a new
prisoner!"
Packbell cursed silently, and turned to greet Robotnik. "Good day,
sir. I was conducting interrogation of this prisoner."
"Yes, something that you are quite good at. However, I have
something else in mind today. Take the prisoner to my personal
transport. I wish to...have a little talk with him."
Packbell's basic emotions allowed him to experience surprise and
utter disbelief. "Sir? Perhaps you would be interested in---"
"Not today, Packbell, not today. I am in a rare good mood, and I
intend to make the most of it. And I think this prisoner can help me."
Tolouse wasn't sure if he should feel relieved that he was getting
away from Packbell or even more scared that Robotnik apparently had
special plans for him. He was numbly aware of the Swat-bots releasing
him from the interrogation chair and leading him towards Robotnik's
vehicle.
Packbell continued to regard Robotnik with shock. "Sir, may I ask
what you have in mind?"
Robotnik sighed. "Just a little game I have had in my mind for
quite some time that I wish to play. Today is the perfect day for it.
Well, good day, Commander. Continue the superb work that you do."
Packbell had one last thought concerning Robotnik as he watched him
leave: "That confounded fool is going to make one mistake too many,
some day. I will be there, waiting."
* * *
It was very seldom that Dr. Ivo Robotnik was in a good mood. Most
of the time he was too busy planning some new way to add to the
monoliths of Robotropolis, or he was finding something to destroy in
frustration over a defeat at the hands of the Freedom Fighters. Today,
however, was different. The factories that he had ordered rebuilt were
now finished, a full three days earlier than scheduled, and now it
appeared that some Freedom Fighter plan had been thwarted, for they had
managed to capture one of them, and there had been no negative
consequences. Yes, today was truly a good day. And when Robotnik was
in a good mood, he had the potential to become more evil than even
Packbell dared to hypothesize.
It was quite fortunate, he thought to himself now, as he looked
over the files that he had read and reread so much, that the prisoner
was a fox. This made the game that he was about to play that much more
enjoyable. "Swat-bots, bring the prisoner in."
Tolouse was brought into the room, and ordered to take a seat next
to Robotnik's workstation.
"Greetings, prisoner. You know, I think we are going to get to
know each other very well today, and I would prefer to have something
else to call you. What should that be?"
Tolouse looked at him in fright, but didn't know what else he could
say. "T-Tolouse," he stammered.
"Tolouse. Pleased to have you in my company...if only for a short
while." Robotnik chuckled evilly. Then, he looked at the text that
filled the workstation's monitor. "Tolouse, how familiar are you with
Mobian history?"
"I-I'm not...I..."
"Oh do not worry, I would not kill you simply for that. Here.
Allow me to enrich your mind. Did you know that, according to most
research, foxes were the first species on Mobius to evolve into sentient
beings?"
Tolouse was too scared even to shake his head. What was going on
here?
Robotnik continued. "This, according to theory, occured nearly 3
and a half million years ago. I could go into the fascinating details
that these files provide for each stage of evolution, but I do not see
any need to fill your head with such useless information. However, one
could begin to think that this is possibly the reason why foxes are the
most populous of all the species on this planet, don't you think?
Perhaps this is also why one got to be king of all civilization...if
only for a few short months." Robotnik chuckled again, then continued
with his lecture. "Now, what I will tell you next intrigues me even
more. This same research that says foxes were Mobius's first
intellegent animals, also says that humans were the last. Foxes became
sentient 3 and a half million years ago, and humans only 2 million years
ago. Well, that does not seem the fairest thing in the world, now does
it? We poor humans seem to have gotten the short end of the
evolutionary stick! Perhaps that is why humans like me intend to...make
up for it, hmm?" Robotnik laughed and looked at Tolouse, who by now sat
still with a dazed expression on his face, continuing to prepare for the
worst, and continuing to see the worst put off by events he could not
begin to comprehend.
Robotnik was enjoying himself. But, he thought to himself, the
best is yet to come. He typed in a command, and a new page of text
appeared on the monitor. "Now, here is where it gets even more
fascinating. During that time when your ancestors were apparently
intelligent, but mine were not, there was an interesting practice that
many ancient foxes took part in. It seems that when a group of foxes
got together and decided they all wanted some excitement, they would
find some poor unsuspecting animal, force it to run around while they
chased it, and then finally corner and kill it. This was known simply
as, The Hunt. And you know what? More often than not, the animals they
hunted like this were the direct ancestors of humans!
"Well, you can imagine how...unfair I thought all this was when I
first read it. Imagine, a gang of foxes attacking a single, defenseless
human. It makes me want to find some way to justify it all, to avenge
those ancestors of mine who were wrongfully killed in this manner. And
so, Tolouse, with your help, I plan on doing just that. You will
represent your ancestors, and I will represent mine, in a new twist on
the Hunt, which I shall call the Fox-Hunt. You will be the hunted, and
I will be the hunter. Tell me, does this not sound like a great game to
play, for not only does it pass the time, it also corrects the wrongs
that out ancestors experienced so long ago. And..." Robotnik leaned
forward and gave Tolouse a deep look that Packbell would have been
impressed with. "I am sure that you find this much more appealing
than...the roboticizer."
Robotnik searched Tolouse's dazed face for a reaction, and finally
got one.
Tolouse fainted dead away.
to be continued
--
*******Robin Hood (Kris Kelley) gt6005a_at_prism.gatech.edu*****************
* fnord-42-froinlaven-cowabunga-the truth is out there-get out-spin dash *
* are you pondering what I'm pondering?-welcome to the next level-yars!! *
* finish him!-i hope i've shown you how to treat a lady-i'm a character! *
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* "Don't care what people say / Just follow your own way." - Enigma *
* "I'm not sure that the world would be ready for 2 of me!" - P. O'Toole *
* "Life: Am I taking this too personally?" - me *
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Received on Mon Apr 24 1995 - 00:05:45 PDT
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: Thu Mar 19 2015 - 12:17:03 PDT