The following short story is based on characters created and/or copyrighted by SEGA! Enterprises, DiC Productions, Archie Comic Publishers, Fleetway Comic Publishers, and the Taki Corporation. All other characters were created and copyrighted by Roland Lowery. The author gives permission to distribute this work freely as long as it remains intact and unaltered, and the transfer of monetary units is not involved. Questions, comments, suggestions, complaints? Send them to me at . I enjoy hearing from people who can spell. Chaotic Multiverse Tale #15 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Quote for the day: "Hurrah, boys! We have them now!" -George Armstrong Custer's last recorded words ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CHAOS! - The End by Roland Lowery AFTER A person has lived a long time, they tend to look back on their life and consider the choices they made and the paths they followed. They go over old regrets and wish they had followed some different roads. Snively did this often, and was, as a matter of fact, doing it now. He pushed a bit of his gray hair out of his eyes and looked at his surroundings. He was standing in one of the many hallways in Acorn Castle. Gold inlays etched the marble walls in the airy space. A fourtune on Earth, thought Snively, but gold is always fairly common on Mobius. That abundance was one of the many reasons behind the proliferation of "clean" technology on the planet. The manufacturing of computers and such was cheap when no scarce materials, even when it involved such a small quantity, were used in the process. "Hello, Snively." He jumped at the sound of the voice, a voice he hadn't heard for twenty-four years. He turned and stared into the flabby face of Doctor Ivo Robotnik. "Hello, doctor," he squeaked out. Amazing! A quarter of a century dead, and he could still manage to scare the bejesus out of Snively. The sudden, massive wave of temporal disorentation that accompanied time travel hit Snively, but he was able to hide it thanks to his extensive experience with the sensation. "If you're not too busy," asked Robotni- no, remembered Snively, his name is Julian - "would you mind walking with me? I'm going over to Ixis' lab." "Of course, sir. I've wanted a look at his computers for quite some time now. Maybe I'll get my chance." A lie. The Nicole Matrix system that would be created fifteen years into the future would far surpass anything that Ixis or Robo- Julian would ever see. What Snively really wanted to see had to do with information ON those computers . . . Julian merely nodded as they began to walk down the hall. Walking, for Snively, was like a totally new experience. Every time that he traveled back to a time before the incident that had paralyzed him from the waist down, he had to relearn how to walk. Memories flooded into his head. He, being the seasoned vetran that he was, sorted them quickly and efficiently. Just in time, too. "How's life been treating you?" asked Julian. "Oh," said Snively, "none the worse for wear, sir. The problems with the SWATbots have been running me a little ragged. But, it's nothing I can't handle." He ran a hand through his still thick, but rapidly thinning hair and noticed Robotn- noticed Julian watching. Eat it up, baldie, he thought. "Good," said Julian. Snively put his mind on cruise, letting his past self take over temporarily. "I see you've had some cybernetic work done," he said. Julian's hand jumped up to his ears. They and his eyes had been rplaced with cybernetic systems. "Yes. It's a full audio/visual system. I can constantly be in communication with the SWATbots." Snively remembered that Robotnik rarely used them after the war. "So you know about the problems we've been having?" "Yes. I- oh, here we are." Julian raised a gloved fist and knocked on the door. A thin voice beckoned them in. "Why, hello, Julian," sai Ixis, the kingdom's Minister of Science. "Welcome to my laboratory." The interior was stark and imposing. At first glance, it seemed more like an alchemist's dwelling than a physcicist's lab. It fit well with its owner, the bent over, black haired chimpanzee. "What brings you to my lab?" the Minister continued. "I was wondering," said Julian, "what you and Warlord Kodos talked about yesterday." Ixis flashed his toothy grin. "I COULD tell you," he said, "but first, I have to ask you a few questions . . . " As Julian and Ixis continued talking, Snively experienced a moment of temporal shock. Remembering all of these dead people and realizing that they were still alive here was disorienting, but he overcame it by clamly running through his plan in his head again. The two scientists would talk for another fifteen minutes, and would pay no attnetion to the whiney assisstant in the background. As unobtrusively as possible, Snively's older self reasserted himself and started tapping away at a computer beside him. After he had the information he needed, he slipped his consciousness into the timestream and leaped forward to 3234, Acorn Dominion, approximately two hours before the end of the world. After a person has lived for ten years with no Mobian contact, then is unobtrusively thrust into a group of people, then is put through skin flaying pain that would drive a normal man stark raving psychotic, that person begins to reasses his priorities. First on Jim's list was to find whoever had forced this on him and reduce them to random patterns of hydrogen and other free floating atoms. With a scream that only rivaled that of the temporal breach he leaped out of, he re-emerged into normal time. He was followed by Knuckles T. Echidna, Archimedes Fire Ant, Mighty Mighty Armadillo, Charmy Albert Bee, Espio Carlos Chameleon, Vector Tangent Gator, Sonic T. Hedgehog, an older Knuckles T. Echidna, Sally Alicia Acorn, Bunnie Elizabeth Rabbot, Samantha, and four Chaotic Collective robots. The temporal breach closed and ceased its wailing, but Jim continued to scream. Over this, one of the collective said "**Collective designate: Freedom Fighters, surrender and-**" "*DIE!!!*" Yelled Jim. Pinkish-purple light shot from his hands, disintegrating the robots. "Y-y-y-you!", stuttered Samantha. "You just KILLED four Mobians!" "They didn't seem so hot on sparin' us, lady," said the older Knuckles. "An' whadda ya mean 'Mobians'? Those were robots, looked like." "THAT was the Chaotic Collective! Must I remind you that they were symbiotically attached to four organics . . . MOBIANS! That- that MAN just killed them!" She glared accusingly at Jim. Jim, for his part, glared hatefully at a point somewhere beyond the horizon. He was covered by his purple glow, and it seemed to be all that was holding him together. He was thin as a rail and had cuts and bruises all over his body. "Miss," he said in a thin voice, "I . . . don't care . . . whether the goddamn Ancient Walkers themselves had been . . . in there. Those bastards are gonna . . . pay for what they've done . . . ta me and everyone else." "Sir," said Samantha, matching Jim's semi-polite tone, "there are ways to do that without blowing them to pieces." "Guys . . . " said Sonic. "Do I . . . look like I care?" "You'd better start, or I'll be forced to-" "GUYS!" Sonic yelled. "We have company!" All of them looked where Sonic pointed. Three huge, glowing masks hung in space, staring down at them. Below the masks, a small dark spot expanded, then solidified into- "Athair!" both Knuckles said in unison. "And the Ancient Walkers," added Archimedes. "It's true, then. I was hoping it was some sort of elaborate and nasty hoax . . . " Athair Echidna, Knuckles' great grandfather and the only one of his line to decline the position of Guardian of the Floating Island, looked at them with his ancient eyes. He spoke to them in a dark voice that fit his still young body. "I'm afraid not, fire ant. The coming of the Chaotic Collective is here, the beginning of the end. For eons, the Ancient Walkers had blocked them, but they - and I - have failed. They cracked the barrier and are now trickling through. They must be stopped now, or they never will be. "Hear wisdom- "-and learn from its guidance." The voice was heard around the world. Sally, St. John, and Nack paused in their trek to look up at the sky. Rotor and Antoine looked away from the Bunniebot. In Knothole Village, the rebel camp, and all across the globe, the voices of the three Ancient Walkers reverberated. <> <<>> <> <<>> <> <<>> <> <<>> <> <<>> <<<>>> <> <<>> The Ancient Walkers were gone. Ahair still stood before the Mobians, and he beckoned the two Knuckles to him. As the young Knuckles walked past Jim, he noticed that the deer was eating handful after handful of peanuts from his backpack. "Yes?" said both Knuckles. "You both know about Haven?" asked Athair. Old Knuckles nodded. "I found it after the island crashed. Completely trashed, and my father dead amidst the rubble." "And I saw it when I jumped ahead in time," said young Knuckles. "And yet you have not gone to join your father?" asked Athair, one eyebrow raised. "Not until I am ready to do so. I know I have learned much under the teaching of Archimedes, but I don't think I'm ready to leave the island just yet. Besides, I'm going to need a child of my own to take my place when I leave." Old Knuckles scanned the darkening horizon with is good eye. "We might not make it to that, kid," he said. "If the Collective is as bad as I've heard, and all as ugly as we've seen, we might all be in a heap o' trouble." "That is why I'm here to help," said Athair. "And what can an old man do for us?" asked young Knuckles. "Watch yer mouth, kid," said old Knuckles. "Enough. It appears that your friends are becoming restless." The ancient echidna pointed at the others. Jim was standing straight again, once again covered with muscles. Samantha and Sonic were both tapping their feet impatiently. Only Sally, Bunnie, and Espio looked like they were patiently waiting. "There," said Athair as he pointed at the burning shell of Robotropolis in the distance, "is our destination. Are all of you ready to follow me into the depths?" "Hardly, old man," said Jim. "I haven't needed help for years, and I don't need any now. I just need to take care of a few things, and then after I'm through with those bastards, you can go in and pick up any pieces I may have accidentally missed." He disappeared in a flicker of light. "He has made his choice," said Athair. "What of the rest of you?" "Unfortunatly, wise one, I cannot join you," said Archimedes. "Other business to attend to." He bowed and dissapeared in a puff of blue smoke. "I go where ever Red goes," said Vector. The rest of the Chaotix threw in their agreement. Samantha, Sally, Bunnie, and Sonic were talking amongst themselves in hushed tones. Finally, Samantha stepped forward and said, "I and the other out of timers have decided to hold back until we get a better idea of what we are facing. Also, we are going to find their younger selves and enlist them." "You comin', patch?" Sonic asked. Old Knuckles shook his head. "While I don't entirely trust Athair, I do feel a sense o' duty in followin' him. Plus, I've already found MY younger self." "I will teleport you to where ever you plan to begin your search then," said Athair. "Knothole Village would be appropriate," said Samantha. "Sonic and Tails were in Robotropolis at the time of the explosion, but if we hurry, we might be able to catch the rest while they're still in Knothole." Athair nodded and waved his hand at them, causing them to teleport away. "It would appear," he said, "that our army is considerably smaller than before. No matter. Let us go." They disappeared, leaving the plain empty once again. "Aren't they cute?" asked the Bunniebot after the last of the Walkers' words faded away. Rotor Boome Walrus and Antoine Guy DeCoolette's attention snapped back to her. Rotor yelled for Antoine to run, then pushed the coyote through the warehouse door. After they had run almost a block, the warehouse exploded. Two Collective robots flew out of the wreckage, easily passed the two Mobians, and landed a bit ahead of them. Rotor and Antoine tried an about face, but found themselves wrapped up in cables that had extended from the Bunnie 'bot's hands. "Ah, ah, ah," she chided. "I didn't say you could go anywhere!" Nack T. Weasel found himself on the recieving end of a series of punches and kicks. As quickly as he could, he raised his gas gun and fired. The gun had been set to fire an entire cannister. The disk shaped container flew out and hit one of Nack's attackers, who grunted then cursed. Tear gas poured out, enveloping all of them, even Nack. After the gas cleared, the weasel found himself pinned to the ground face down, with Geoffry St. John on top of him. Princess Sally was leaning against a boulder, holding her stomach. "Yer alright, luv?" asked St. John. Sally coughed. "Damn . . . gas cans're . . . hard. Be alright'n . . . a minute." Her voice was wavery. "Now," St. John snarled at Nack. "What do yer say to joining forces fer now, mate?" "What are you talking about?" spat Nack. "Yer have to've heard those voices! There's something out there, and I'd bet credits to microchips that they're the ones that blew up Robotropolis! If we're going ter do something about them, we don't need ter be fighting with the likes of yer, too!" "You people are no fun at- ARK!" Nack was cut short as St. John applied more pressure to his back with a knee. "Of course," the skunk said, "we COULD just tie yer down out here and let the wild animals have yer, mate." Nack ran the situation through his mind. From his previous experiences with St. John, he knew that the skunk wouldn't hesitate to follow up on the threat. He looked up and noticed that Sally had recovered from the gas cannister and was standing beside him and St. John. She was holding both of Nack's guns. "I guess," the bounty hunter finally said, "that I don't have much of a choice." St. John let him up. They both dusted themselves off. "Do I get my guns back?" asked Nack. Sally shook her head. "I think I'll keep them for a while," she said. "I'm sure you have enough tricks on you to use for now. I'll give these back to you when you need them." "Alrighty then. What do we do now, fearless leaders?" "Go to Robotropolis and find out what's going on." "Lovely." "What?!" "I'm sorry, but that's all I know," said the Freedom Fighter. He looked to his side nervously. "Now, if you'll excuse me . . . " "Of course," said Samantha. The two of them walked off in opposite directions, and she rejoined the other out-of-timers in the forest. "Well?" said Sonic. Sam changed her holo-body back from the disguise she had been using before answering the question. "It's just as I suspected," she said. "Sonic and Tails have been missing since the explosion. Sally, too, has been unseen for quite a while and under mysterious circumstances. If I remember correctly, Nack Weasel took her and Geoffry St. John hostage. I know where we can find them. "Rotor, Antoine, and Bunnie are in Robotropolis. Unfortunately, this is the mission that Rotor and Antoine die on, and Bunnie disappears, presumably absorbed into the Collective as their leader. Whether this has happened yet or not is to be determined." "Don' sound too good f'our side," said Bunnie sadly. "We should track down Nack, Geoffry, and my past self first, then," said Sally. "After that, we might be able to make it in time for the others." "Then let's do it to it!" yelled Sonic as he sped off. The other three followed him, each propelled by their own mechanical speed. "This is NUTS!" Charmy whispered. "You got a better idea, bee?" Vector whispered back. "Yah! We go back, get a tactical nuke, and blow this place away!" Vector shook his head. "Normally, I'd agree, bee, but Red said to do this instead!" "Very poetic, Vector," Espio's voice said from the darkness. "It's time. Let's go." Collective robots were roaming the streets of the Robotropolis Sprawl, or what was left of it, anyway. The three Chaotix moved through the shadows, attempting to avoid detection. Within minutes, they found what they were looking for. Vector smiled at Charmy and pointed at the building. "You wanted a missle, huh?" he whispered. "How's 'bout an explosive or two instead?" Charmy rolled his eyes. "It'll hafta do." "I'm going in," said Espio. "Watch my back." "Can't see your back, Esp!" laughed Vector. "You're invisible!" Espio sighed. "Just do it, okay?" A few minutes later, Espio reappeared beside them. "Move out!" he said. STATUS: STANDBY SCAN MODE EXPLOSION DETECTED|GRID SECTOR: ROBO 7B-3C-4D ORDERS INCOMING|ORDERS: INVESTIGATE, FULLY ARMED LOADING X-TRO ROUNDS ------------------------------------------------------------------ SCAN|SCAN|SCAN NO INTRUDERS FOUND|ZERO COLLECTIVE CASUALTIES ORDERS INCOMING|ORDERS: GUARD AND SCAN RUBBLE SCAN|SCAN|SCAN "That would be the distraction," said old Knuckles. "And it look like it's workin', too. Collective 'bots are headin' there in scores to check it out." He handed the laser binoculars that they found to young Knuckles, who handed them to Mighty. "They probably didn't think that anyone would be able to get in that far to do damage," said yound Knuckles. "Of course, they didn't expect the work of one slippery gator, a tiny bee, and an invisible chameleon!" "It is time for us to move on," said Athair. He pointed his walking stick at the center of the city. From their vantage point at the top of a building and with the aid of the binoculars, they could see everything. The portal to the Zone of Silence had expanded to a full fourty feet across. Chaotic Collective robots were walking in and out of it, carrying boxes or driving vehicles. They seemed to be concerned mostly with getting things into the zone rather than out to Robotropolis. Within 2,000 feet of the zone protal, there wasn't that much to get. Proof that Robotnik's control tower had ever been there had been erased. The ground was nothing but melted metal and chunks of concrete. Here and there were patches of melted glass. As the echidnas and armadillo stood up from their lookout, young Knuckles asked, "What do you supopse they're taking into the zone?" Old Knuckles grabbed Mighty under the arms and glided off the building. Young Knuckles followed him as Athair flew along on currents of magic. "Who knows, young one?" said Athair. "The Collective should need nothing of our world. They are completely self-sufficient." Mighty, who still had the binoculars, was watching the Collective. A worried look flashed over his face as he refocused and looked again. "Hey," he said, "hey, hey, hey, HEY! We got some action going on down there! A 'bot shaped like a rabbit is coming in from the outer city, and she's carrying two people! One's a coyote, the other's a walrus. I . . . I think I recognize 'em!" He refocused again. "If I'm right, that's Antoine and Rotor . . . Freedom Fighters!" "If they got the Freedom Fighters," rasped the old Knuckles, "what chance do WE got?" "You are making a premature supposition, Knuckles," said Athair. "They only have TWO of th-" "Three," interrupted young Knuckles. "The rabbit shaped 'bot is Bunnie Rabbot. They must've assimilated her." Still high in the air, they crossed the line where the buildings that were still standing was replaced by melted metal. Though their distraction earlier had caught a lot of attention, many Collective 'bots were still hard at work beneath them. The four Mobians were riding on pure luck now. If any of the 'bots happened to look up . . . they were toast. "Miss, ah, . . . Miss . . . " said Rotor. "Please," said the Bunnie 'bot. "Call me 'Rabbot'." "Ah, Rabbot, then, what are you going to do with us?" "DO?" Rabbot laughed. "I don't want to DO anything with you, organic! All I want from you is for you to watch." "And what ees eet we are to be wrist-watching?" asked Antoine. She held the two of them out, straight-armed, as they approached the portal to the Zone of Silence and said, "The end of your world, or its salvation. It all depends on the choice that you make." "What choice?!" yelped Rotor. Rabbot help them before the portal. Multicolored swirls and screaming energy patterns filled their senses, making them dizzy. "You two have been chosen as . . . ambassadors for your planet," Rabbot said. "You must make the choice of whether we take the emeralds peacefully, thereby saving you and us a lot of trouble, or if we must take them by force. Let me assure you that in any confrontation, the Collective will win. If you decide to hand them over, then you and a few others we have collected will be used as hostages in return for the emeralds. In this case, you will live, as will all the others. "However, if you choose that we must take them by force, then you will die in the Zone of Silence and nothing can save your world. We will wage war on it and destroy everything, and we still get the emeralds. "You have five seconds to decide." "How DARE vous?!" screamed Antoine. "I am telleng vous, zat eef zis ees be-eng ze case, I say to vous, VISSIE VOUS!" Rabbot merely nodded at the insult. She then turned to Rotor and asked "Et toi?" Rotor screwed up all the courage he could. "Bite me." The 'bot shook her head sadly. "That's most unfortunate," she said. "Now, good-by- URK?!" A loud clang sounded on Rabbot's back as Mighty Armadillo slammed into her, cannonball style. As she fell forward, her arms flew wide and she released Antoine and Rotor, who fell to the sides. Behind Mighty landed Knuckles, Athair, and . . . ANOTHER Knuckles? The two Freedom Fighters shook their heads and looked again. Meanwhile, Athair was busy spinning a magical web over Rabbot's prone body. "Worry not with what you see, friends," he said to Rotor and Antoine. "Just help us and all will come out right. I have erected a shield between us and the Collective, but it will not last long." Just that moment, it sounded as if the Great War was happening all over again right next to them, all of it compressed into one second and all at the same spot. The Mobians watched dumbfoundedly as the Collective fired volley after volley of firepower that exploded or richocheted off of Athair's shield without any effect. "I have a feeling," said young Knuckles, "that Vector and the others aren't going to be following behind us anytime soon!" "They will," said Athair, "they will." "Hallo," said Nack, "what's this?" "What's what, weasel?" asked St. John. "That," Nack replied, pointing off in a seemingly random direction back towards the Great Forest. St. John and Sally strained their eyes, but saw nothing. "I think yer eyes are playing tricks on yer, mate," said St. John. He and Sally turned back towards the city in the distance and resumed their walk. "No," said Nack, stopping them. "I can HEAR 'em, too." He cocked one ear in the air. "Four of 'em. All of 'em are runnin' pretty fast. One keeps droppin' over and under the speed of sound . . . " His voice was nearly a whisper now. He pulled a cigarette from his vest pocket and lit it with a match before continuing. "My guess, that would be Sonic the Hedgehog." Sally gasped, but neither Nack nor St. John was paying attention to her. Seemingly, the skunk's ears had picked up on the sound, too. "One tread is metallic," Nack said. "I'd say . . . Bunnie Rabbot. The third I don't recognize. It's very heavy, but padded by . . . skin, is all I can guess. They're running barefoot. The fourth tread is very interesting . . . " "Yes," breathed St. John. "I hear it now. The fourth sounds like they're running on air, almost. Slight hum of electricity. Repulsor jets?" "Maybe. Maybe." Sally looked back and forth between the two. "How- How can you tell?" she asked incrdulously. Nack looked back at her. "I'm a bounty hunter. He's a rebel leader. Rouges like us may not like each other, but we still have some things in common. One of those things is heightened senses." Sally frowned to herself. Her hacking, martial arts, and leadership skills were beyond average, but her rouge skills would have to be worked on. "How close?" she asked. "They'll be here in two minutes," said St. John. "Then I suggest we wait for them. If Sonic is with them, we'll need his help." "Sensors reading three organic life forms ahead," reported Samantha. "Reading Nack Weasel, Geoffry St. John, and Princess Sally Acorn." "Good!" said Sonic. "I'm juicin' ahead to 'em!" A Sonic Boom sounded as he broke past the sound barrier again. Five seconds later, he was standing before three very suprised Mobians. "Considerably less than two minutes, Geof," said Nack. "SONIC!" cried Sally. She jumped forward and embraced the hedgehog. "I thought you were dead! And, I . . . what happened to you?!" She stepped back as she noticed the black eye, worn shoes, torn clothes and backpack, and beard stubble. "Step back, Princess!" Nack yelled suddenly. "It's an imposter!" He placed himself between Sonic and Sally, reached back, grabbed his guns from Sally's hands, and pointed them at Sonic's forehead. "You have until the end of the sentence to tell me who you ar-" He jumped back, bumping into Sally, as Sonic grabbed for the guns. "I am Sonic T. Hedgehog!" Sonic yelled. "I am from the year 3257! Don't shoot!" "Yah, right," said Nack. He fired a gas cannister at Sonic and blasted it open with a stream of charged particles from his ion pistol. Tear gas poured into the air. Sally recovered and grabbed Nack from behind. They and Sonic were enveloped in the gas. "MORE visitors," mumbled St. John as Samantha, Bunnie, and another Sally ran up a few seconds later. He loaded his glove crossbow. Suddenly, the tear gas whirled up into a tornado, then disipated. Sally, the younger Sally, was still holding Nack. Sonic was spinning like a top, throwing off the last of the gas. "Lemme GO, dammit!" Nack yelled. "Not until you agree to find out what's going on first!" young Sally yelled back. Nack stopped struggling, then nodded slowly. When Sally let him go, he holstered his pistols and glared at Sonic and the other out-of-timers. Holding his hand-bow at his side, St. John said, "Now, do yer people mind telling us who yer are, what yer doing, and where yer headed?" Samantha stepped forward. "It's a long story," she said. "We got all day, luv." "Your magiks are strong, sorceror," said Rabbot, "and so are your warriors . . . " "Yes," said Athair matter of factly, not faltering in his spell casting. "They are all quite up to the task." "Yesssss . . . " Rabbot hissed. "But is your ARMY? I and the Collective hold three of your warriors, the greatest of them, within the Zone! I myself hold Bunnie Rabbot within me!" "A tenuous hold at best. I feel it through the web I am putting you under. As soon as I am sure you will not be able to follow us, we shall head into the Zone of Silence and free the others. Bunnie, I trust, can work her own way free, and the others that are still outside the zone will find a way in." Rabbot hissed again and strained at the green, glowing web that surrounded her. "Yo, Aith!" yelled Mighty. "Your shield is lookin' a little shaky! What do we do?" Athair glanced back. "It would appear that Rabbot is held securely enough," he said. "I think it is time for us to enter the portal." The others looked at each other with a tinge of fear in their eyes. If they entered the Zone of Silence, would they be able to get back out? One by one, though, they jumped into the portal. Athair was the only one left outside. He pointed at Rabbot, said "Stay," and jumped in after the others. Sally was torn. Ever since Robotropolis exploded, she had convinced herself that Sonic was dead, something that, as a Princess, she had to do. When Nack had mentioned the hedgehog's name, and then when she saw him alive again, her heart had leapt for joy . . . . . . but only momentarily. The rise up had only made the following disappointment worse, to find out that this Sonic had come from a future timeline, and a dead one at that. That in the future they saw, Sonic was in a coma with no chance for revival. Sure, Sonic was alive, but it was a waking death all the same, for him and for her. Sally knew that according to the laws of temporal mechanics as Mobian science knew them, with the out-of-timers here it was possible to change that future, but it was also possible that it would come to pass anyway. She didn't know if she could live with that. The Princess looked up to see Robotropolis looming closeby and getting closer by the second. When things had all been sorted out, Samantha had used the tractor beams that allowed her holo-body to "touch" to create a "flying carpet", as Sonic called it. The others were able to sit on it while Sam hovered along the ground at tremendous speed. When they reached the city, Sam turned to flight mode, and took them high above the buildings. As they watched from high above, the Collective robots were rushing into the zone portal. A few of them stopped at a point just outside the portal and seemed to bend over something, but they soon joined the others as well. As soon as the robots were gone, Samantha and the Mobians could see that there was a mound of green cords holding down another of the 'bots. "Whadda we do now?" Sonic asked. "Well, we didn't make it in time to save Bunnie, Antoine, or Rotor," said Samantha. "Whether they truly survived or not is in the hands of thw Walkers. So, it would seem that our next move is to be determined by the highest ranking among us." Sam turned her head to the Princesses. "Which of you-" she began. "This is not my world," the older Sally interrupted. "Not anymore, at least." She placed her hand on her younger self's shoulder. "I'm afraid it's up to you." The younger Sally nodded and closed her eyes. The image of Sonic in a hospital bed, unable to move or perform any of the more basic functions of life without a machine, came unbidden to her mind. She knew that if they went into the Zone of Silence, there could be no guarantee that Sonic or, indeed, any of them would make it out alive. However, from what she had been told by the out-of-timers, she knew that she could guarantee the total destruction of everything if they DIDN'T go in. She opened her eyes. "Let's go," she finally said. Samantha carried them into the portal, but not before Nack was able to squeak out the only bit of defiance he could think of. "Hey! Don't we get to vote on this?!" "Man, we almost didn't make it to the party!" Vector said. He, Charmy, and Espio had just made it to the zone portal in time to see Samantha and her passengers fly in. "Yah," Espio said. "Well, better late than never!" With only a perfunctory glance at the 'bot trapped in the green webbing, they jumped through the portal. A lone figure entered the clearing in the center of the burnt out city. His destination was clear. He was walking through the slagged inner city to the Zone of Silence. When the figure reached the portal, he noticed the Collective 'bot trapped in the green web. He felt something special about this 'bot, so he decided not to destroy it. Instead, inch by inch, he nudged the Mobian that was trapped inside to her freedom. She was naked and shivering, but she was safe. She crouched down, clinging to something that hung about her neck. The Collective 'bot, now un-anchored without its host, screamed and bubbled away into the ground. The figure offered his hand to the newly released woman, and she took it. "H-who are you?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper. The figure smiled slightly. "Call me Jim," he said. Together, they stepped through the portal. The Zone of Silence exploded, enveloping Mobius. Snively awakes after the time jump. He is floating, and a voice is asking him if he'd like to wield super human power . . . Infinity. TO BE CONTINUED Roland Lowery