Deviation Actions
Literature Text
Once the hedgehog and child reached the labyrinth of passage ways that made up the GUN garage, the heavy stench of exhaust mingled with the aftermath of a platter of Indian food (as the catering company had arrived earlier than expected for another agent’s celebration).
“I wonder why we weren’t invited to the party this afternoon,” Maria asked absentmindedly.
“Because in case you haven’t noticed, I don’t exactly do parties,” Shadow sighed, his voice dripping with angst.
“They said that it wasn’t a party- it’s an intimate get-together.”
“Same thing.”
The two then began the long trek up to the sixth floor, where all of the agents’ motorcycles and other ridiculously badass forms of transportation were stored. Maria had never seen such machines before- a handful of the scientists on the ARK would ride small, private scooters from place to place, but most everyone else took the colony’s monorail system. Neither the scooters nor the monorail touched the metallic floors of the ARK but instead floated thanks to the ingenious use of electromagnetism. The ride was speedy yet soothing, as if the passengers were riding on a cloud.
***
Maria settled into her seat on the ARKTram and settled the insulated pot of hot water on the vacant spot beside her. She was sorry to have kept Shadow waiting so long- she couldn’t find the right pot at first, and had some difficulty setting up the stove to heat what would soon steep interesting and exotic types of tea leaves. Though Professor Gerald usually wanted her to travel by foot in order to strengthen her lungs, she had taken much too long preparing the water and didn’t want her dear friend to have to worry about where she had wondered off to.
The doors shut silently and the ARKTram began to make its way towards sector SA-2, where Maria’s bedroom was, along with a handful of scientists’ quarters and a half-decent Italian restaurant. She looked out the windows and sighed dreamily when the Earth was visible. Professor Gerald had recently mentioned to her in private that there had been a breakthrough in the research, meaning that there was hope left for Maria to live on Earth someday, to experience the bitter and uncomfortable sensation of going through puberty, to find an area of study that she could feel at home with, to settle down, and to maybe start a family of her own.
“Shadow has been rather peeved with me recently,” the elderly man confided in his granddaughter. “He believes that we had given up on a cure. Perhaps you could share the good news with him over a spot of tea?”
That was the plan. Tea parties were the usual way the girl and genetically modified hedgehog spent their afternoons, so the event itself was unassuming and wouldn’t arouse suspicion. However, she had given some clue that this was no ordinary tea time- Maria picked the good china and chose the finest guests to join them- after all, Miss Chevious Whiskers and Ufflecuddles were elite members of the plushie society. She set up the stereo to play notable hits from various mid- to late- nineties boy bands, which even Shadow had to admit were pretty damn catchy, and asked one of her grandfather’s interns to set up the television so that the two could watch a few movies in good spirits.
Maria snapped out of her dreamy little dreams just in time to realize that the ARKTram had stopped suddenly. Loud sirens sounded off and the once calm and pointless little sayings that used to grace the information ticker at the top of the doors were now declaring EMERGENCY- ALL PERSONELL PLEASE MAKE YOUR WAY TOWARDS THE ESCAPE PODS in a violent, bloody shade of red. Panicking, she knocked over the tea pot as she pushed her way through the frightened scientists and attempted to make her way to the door.
Shadow, on the other side of the colony, immediately knew the cause of the siren and took off to find Maria. That blasted soldier had called his superiors, who were attempting an immediate shut down of the colony. A citizen of the ARK, perhaps one of the more intuitive ones, had probably flipped the switch to alert the others to salvage as much as possible. Shadow’s artificial life was in danger, but the only life he was concerned for was, as was originally intended, that of the sickly little girl known as Robotnik.
An idea hatched in his oversized head- it would take much too long to search for the girl on foot, as fast as his hover-skates could go. There was simply no way to find her without harnessing the power of Chaos itself.
Professor Gerald kept one of the legendary Chaos Emeralds safe in his private study in order to research the monumental energy source. Shadow, when Maria was asleep, would often accompany the Professor when his nighttime walks around the colony led the hedgehog to that door. The Professor was certain that his greatest creation should be able to use the greatest powers, so he would train the Ultimate Life Form in the ways of the Chaos Powers- Spear, Blast, and the one he needed at this moment- Control.
Chaos Control is governed by what is perhaps the sappiest source of power in all fiction concerning multicolored talking hedgehogs and little girls dying of a thinly veiled version of AIDS- the heart. The power to stop time only comes from the goodness of one’s intentions and a promise from the holder of the gem to use the power to help someone that they truly love. However, the office overseeing the power and who it is used for is apparently run by SEGA’s mid-nineties marketing team and has no idea how to run a business, which pretty much gives Shadow the ability to use it whenever he wishes- nowadays he makes any and all promises payable to the order of the memory of little Maria Robotnik, COD. Yes, even the time when he used it to roundhouse kick Silver in the back of the head. It’s what she would have wanted. Shadow did not learn of the Department of Chaos and Calamity’s shortcomings until much later (perhaps around the time Eggman freed him from stasis), but that’s another story. What’s important now is that Shadow’s combined good intentions now stopped the passage of time, pausing the frenzied residents of the colony as if it were all one of Maria’s television programs and he, the viewer, wanted to retreat to the kitchen for a slimy yet satisfying slice of leftover pizza before returning to his regularly scheduled program.
The air which hung around him now had an icy sting to it, like the chilling breath of a freezer. Shivering slightly, he began to search, careful not to disturb those around him, who hung suspended in time with interesting and narmy expressions plastered on their faces like those at Pompeii. An expensive looking touch screen map hung on a wall beside a man who looked as if he was about to topple. Shadow squeezed behind him and took a look. The light from the screen shimmered gently, casting a glow on the needle mouse’s muzzle. He was located in Sector SA-2, which contained, among other things, Maria’s room, a handful of scientists’ quarters, and a half-decent Italian restaurant. Maria mentioned travelling to Sector SA-3, in which was the kitchen that had the stove that Gerald preferred Maria use, a few more scientists’ quarters, and a slightly better Italian restaurant. It wasn’t that far off, but was still quite a trek for the young girl to make for the sake of water for tea time. Shadow pushed onwards.
