Disclaimer:

(If you've read any of my previous works I hate these things.) The following story is the sole intellectual property of Aiglon15, Sonic Compromiser Extraordinaire. This does not, however, mean that I own any of the characters in said story, those are the specific property of Yuji Naka-san, Sonic Team, and SEGA. These parties have full right to prosecute any violators to the full extent of Japanese, American, and (various) European civil law. This also includes any and all other forms of International Copyright Law. With lawyers and a multi-national arrangement like the ones these guys have, you're committing suicide, or for you people obsessed with Japanese culture, seppuku, for trying to take them on.

(Man. I still hate sounding like some company-whipped jellyfish.)

Seriously… Enjoy the reading.

"And the Lord said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do."

-God, referring to the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11:6)

Chapter I:

Conception

Holding it.

Cradling it.

He looked down into his palm as if the tiny object were the world itself, ready to be encased within the might of his hand. He fancied himself a titan having just created a whole other world and, as such, daydreamed that he had a divine right to dominate his creation.

Rather typical megalomania, considering it was the grandiose scheming of Dr. Eggman.

The portly savant smiled wickedly down at his most brilliant creation yet: an egg. He chuckled to himself, "Ah, complete. All I need now is a host!"

Gently, Eggman placed the egg down on a pillow. As per his overblown worldview, the red-velvet pillow rested atop a small steel column in the middle of the room. Then, with a noticeably healthy swagger to his step, he proudly strutted over to a nearby door. The doctor didn't even have to break his stride as the door obediently lept out of his way.

Once through the passageway, which just as dutifully closed behind him, Eggman stopped in his tracks. With his arms crossed behind his back, and his feet at a shoulder-distance apart, he reviewed the contents of the room.

What a macabre little chamber it was.

It was dimly lit. Frankly speaking, there was only one form of lighting in the room: a sickly green glow emanating from several pads in the floor. These were arranged in a semi-circular pattern around the room. But, the lighting wasn't Eggman's concern. It was what was suspended over the lights. With a great deal of prudence, he looked from left to right.

In front of him, over the lights, hung several bizarre "creatures." They ranged in variations of appearance, though still retaining some key characteristics.

The doctor hemmed and hummed about which one was most ideally suited to his purposes. The look on his face likened to a voracious child in a Machiavellian candy store. He casually cast his glances about the room, being very selective in his temper. Some were too bulky, some were too slow, and some were just plain obsolete. It seemed that, despite the numerous incarnations, few, if any, were worthy of the privilege of life. The dark blue lenses finally came to rest upon the last "man" in line. Eggman walked over to the stasis-tube on the extreme right of the room.

The most aerodynamic frame; simplest, thus most fundamental, design; and of course, an uncanny development unmatched by the others, a sense of mind… of "self." The choice was made. With but a press or two, the switches deactivated the light, along with its corresponding energy field.

The small frame, while bathed in light had floated in the air, as if it were an angelic creature, occupying its space in the Heavens. But, once the crimson clad doctor had made up his mind, the light faded away, and it gently fell to the floor. The fallen figure, now immersed in darkness, slowly stood upright. Out of the silhouette… the red burst forth. That, wretched red… It came like lightning. Just… two faint flickers from within the shadows really. And then, they burned unflinchingly.

"So, how are you feeling?"

It stepped out of the shadows, "Self-Diagnostics report optimum efficiency."

The unnaturally deep voice boomed in the small chamber, despite the immensely smaller frame of the machine. This didn't faze "The Master" in the least.

"Excellent," said the doctor as he placed a hand on the back of his dedicated servant. Eggman continued speaking, leading his smaller companion out of the room, "Come along Metal, my boy."

True enough, it was one of Dr. Eggman's most terrible creations, a robotic "clone" of his greatest foe, simply codenamed: Metal Sonic. "We've got many things to do, and a few people to eliminate along the way."

The doctor and robot exited the small storage chamber and then entered the main room. It was a rather spacious lab with tremendous computer consoles and monitors, all sorts of spare robot parts neatly piled around the walls, and of course, the steel column and its special item, both of which were located directly in the center of the room. With deliberate steps, the two made their way to this important feature. A few feet short of the column, however, Eggman took his hand from Metal's back, and proceeded alone, among other things to return to his long legged stride, instead of succumbing to Metal's mincing steps.

Supremacy! That's the key!

With broad flourishes, Eggman spoke in his most dignified voice, "I've got great plans for the coming days ahead Metal."

The sole audience member listened as intently as a robotic devotee could, or for that matter, should.

Eggman continued in his profound manner, "Yes, the greatest triumph of the Eggman Empire is at hand! As we speak, my vast robotic forces and resources are being funneled into an immense assault across the entire planet. With incredible speed, I intend to make precision strikes aimed at all the world's major cities, the entire planet will be overrun and the Eggman Empire will have the foot hold it needs to dominate the entire universe!"

A resolute trooper, Metal was fixated on every syllable of its master's speech. However, despite the uplifting tones, and its worn-out rhetoric, Metal remained stiff and emotionless. In truth it could never show any emotion, since it lacked the basic equipment of a jaw and working eyebrows. As always, it maintained its stone cold expression, a pragmatic one in all its engineered glory. If anything, it could only display a visage of hatred that could last till the Apocalypse. Which was just the effect that Eggman had gone for.

Eggman himself, on the other hand, displayed an instantaneous change in facial expression. From exultant authority, he quickly changed to deep contemplation, "As always, however, there remains a certain 'variable' in my plans."

In another of those fascinating facial transitions, the doctor produced a disdained, hateful, frown. Just as suddenly, he whipped out a small remote control and fired off an electronic signal that hit the large monitor in the room. Metal quickly spun its head to its left and saw the "variable."

That image.

That horrid two-dimensional image!

His mere appearance was enough to cause gears to align, battle protocols to activate, and hydraulics to pressurize. All of this was unseen by the doctor, though he could surmise Metal's… "sentiments." After all, they were tidbits of the soul that Eggman had, gladly, "borrowed" from his archenemy so as to make Metal all the more effective.

"Sonic the Hedgehog!" roared Eggman, "Oh! How I hate him! If anything, he's the most persistent do-gooder I've ever met! Time and time again, he's ruined me!" Eggman stole a curious glance out the corner of his eye, "…and you."

The metallic doppelganger merely stared on, its head turned to the left. Like a private cinema, the video clips played back in Metal's "mind." Different, exotic, locations throughout different times; they were the ever-changing sites of numerous battles. But, the films' endings were all the same: Certain Defeat.

Defeat. De-feat. DEFEAT… what a painful arrangement of Roman alphabetical symbols, indeed. Feat, defined as, to accomplish. Defeat, defined as failure to accomplish.

Enough!

Metal quickly determined that Eggman had resumed his monologue sermon. The doctor formed a crooked smile across his mustachioed lips. That ability, in and of itself, still intrigued Metal.

"However… this pest will finally be exterminated." This statement produced another deliberate gesticulation on the doctor's part. This time, directed toward the column.

"Here! Here it is! The key to certain victory!"

Upon a quick visual inspection of the ovular object nestled at the top, Metal was provoked into an incredible action: questioning the doctor's authority. The slow, pragmatic voice ventured forth, "How is that possible Master? It is merely an egg."

Eggman thundered out a laugh at the ignorant understatement, "Ha-ha! Metal, my dear automaton! The egg is merely a plastic container for a new 'upgrade'!"

As always, the extravagant ego of the Eggman thrived off the role of "Master of Details & Facts." Why, for once, he didn't wait for further questions from Metal, he just snatched the egg up, gently, and held it in front of the older creation.

"Within this egg," the doctor lauded of one project to the other, "I've developed a complete system upgrade that will radically boost the abilities of even the weakest robot." The doctor continued, near whispering, as he leaned toward Metal, the egg still in hand, "And, I think I've got it in my mind as to who will be honored with its installation." Eggman then placed his hand on Metal's shoulder, and stated to it, "As a matter of fact, one of the remaining choices stands before me right now."

The bright red sensors darted from the egg to the doctor. "One," it echoed with no actual hinting of the quizzical surprise in its voice.

"Yes," the doctor resumed knowingly, "as it stands I have two candidates in mind for this upgrade. You're only one of them."

As Metal was absorbing the jab, Eggman followed in with the uppercut, "Truth be told, you just happened to be more readily available to me at the present. Because of that, I activated you first. I will need to have my other choice brought here from a remote storage department elsewhere."

Eggman then spun on his heels and walked toward the exit doors, his voice floating back, "Now, be a good robot and hang around while I arrange for my other choice to be brought here for proper inspection. After reviewing you both, I'll then install the upgrade."

Metal remained on the very spot it had been left it in, like an unused hammer. The directive, though the Master had put it in layman's terms, was simple enough in its meaning: the Master had simply expressed the desire for Metal to remain within the area the Master had previously occupied, while, of course, maintaining a disciplined behavioral pattern. Yes, easy orders to follow, indeed.

Yes, how simple.

Simple for a pure drone!

But, Metal was more than that. Quite apparently, the "Master" had forgotten this when he had left the room.

The visual sensors deliberately meandered from their original focus, the door Eggman had gone through. The lenses were directed to the pedestal and its special item on top.

Metal Sonic… Not Dr. Eggman's specially selected candidate already? Others had to be considered first! Illogical! Irrational! A die-hard pragmatist would shriek in horror! Wasn't Metal Sonic the truest of all mechanized Sonic projects? Wasn't its design the most advanced, despite its operating systems being somewhat obsolete?

Inconceivable! Metal was NOT the prime candidate? Why it defied all logical protocols, it was beyond rational thought! What better robot in the Eggman Empire's arsenal could be found beyond the very embodiment of its greatest enemy?

Oh, these questions and thoughts ricocheted off Metal's Main CPU. Its artificial intelligence was "dumbstruck" to "think" of such things. But, these so-called "thoughts" pervaded its so-called "mind" all the same. The more it stared at the pedestal, the more it "thought" about the egg. The more it "thought" about the absurdity of Dr. Eggman's choice. However, another thing began to pervade these "thoughts."

Metal had been built to reason and think as closely to Sonic as possible. It had been designed to stay one step ahead of Sonic. It had to logically assess all of Sonic's supposed moves. It had to counter any and all preconceived notions. Any closer to Sonic's mind, and Metal could be declared a conjoined twin of the psyche!

Upgrade Denied… Logic Error.

Priority One: Hedgehog Elimination…

Secondary Objectives: None…

Artificial Intelligence Sequence 5789:

Sonic Statement 0025: "Gotta win… No matter what it takes!"

According to protocol… That was one of Sonic's maxims…

Upgrade Priority: High Level.

…

…

It remained motionless.

OS Error: Directive Conflict: Obedience to Dr. Eggman. Hedgehog Elimination…

How insipid! How utterly comical that such a thing could even be conceived! Dr. Eggman had created… a… a… a cybernetic "conscience!"

Attempting Conflict Resolution…

Attempting…

Attempting…

Conflict Resolution Successful: Hedgehog Elimination: PRIORITY ONE.

One can imagine the pride a cybernetics expert would have in such rapid-fire decision-making! Why it paralleled the creation of the naturally occurring mind… of the soul. Of course, Eggman wouldn't dream of referring to the latter.

Though any emotional, illogical, creature would pause, tremble, or at least quiver at the certain commission of an act against its Creator's will, Metal did not. With but a perfectly fluid, mechanically precise, movement of the left arm and hand, the egg was in its palm. It was at this point in time that a "serious problem" made itself all to clear.

Accessing…

…

…

…How was one to get the upgrade?

Subject found: Egg.

Standard Access Procedure: Breech outer container.

Ah yes, how simply put.

Simple enough that Metal, in a precise fashion took the egg and squeezed until the faint cracking of the minute barrier could be heard. With but a brief diagnostically oriented pause, Metal then opened its hand…

Processing…

…

…

Material: Unknown.

…

Energy Readings: Nonexistent.

…

Potential Usages: Indiscernible.

…

Upgrade Function: Unidentifiable.

So, the egg was cracked. But, nothing could be told about the contents within. How disappointing, to an organic being. To Metal it proved nothing more than a mere series of illogical and useless readings. Apparently the egg was nothing. The contents seemed to behave like the innards of an egg, though brief and thorough scans revealed that nothing here could go into replicating a chicken. As a matter fact, the yolk, which had no differentiations between "yellow" and "white," was itself all the same color, silver gray. At first, the material wanted to register as quicksilver, or mercury. But, the metallic composition proved otherwise. As far as it went, the silver/metallic fluid that had so easily slid out of the shell was some unidentifiable material. Metal put it best with its internal readouts…

Egg Content Analysis: Useless.

To dispose of this mess, Metal turned its hand upside down to allow the liquid metal to fall to the floor. But, despite a precise 180° rotation of the wrist, the material refused to conform to the laws of gravity. It just… "Hung there."

Suddenly, before Metal could manually slide the material off its hand, the liquid metal began to quiver and vibrate. Now Metal detected energy readings.

Before anything else could be detected, or reacted against for that matter, the liquid metal sprouted tiny spindles from its sides that instantly glommed onto Metal's hand! Within split seconds the spindles grew and enveloped all of Metal's hand!

At this point Metal's protocols for personal protection activated. In a robotic activity that mirrored the organic reaction of "panic," Metal began violently swinging its arm up and down, left and right! Despite all the attempts made by the cybernetic Sonic clone, the liquid metal clung to the exterior like a new layer of paint! Adding lower body zigzagging to Metal's efforts didn't change the situation either! The frantic attempt to pry off the intrusive material from its hand seemed like a complete rout of all bodily functions!

As Metal continued its clanging-clattering-ringing "dance," the foreign material began deploying more spindles, and even thicker tentacles, from the palm of its victim's hand! Metal attempted to parry the thrusts by the various threads with its free hand, but merely aided the threads in binding it as well! Soon dozens upon dozens of spindles were spreading across Metal's entire frame!

Chest, ears, feet, eyes! Nothing was safe from this liquefied hydra!

Soon the ever-expanding metallic gel seemed to engulf Metal entirely! Desperately, Metal continued its struggle from within the enveloping sheet, but it was useless! Soon, the tight fitting material paralyzed Metal! Had it a sense of touch, Metal would have soon detected that the overwhelming force was not stopping at the outer frame!

The quicksilver quickly began to seep through at Metal's various joints and the minor openings in its shell and began attaching itself to the inside as well! Wires, servomotors, hydraulics, circuits, everything! The silent assailant was attacking indiscriminately! The last thing Metal could detect was that its power cells were being attacked and, to its programmable horror, all systems were being shut down!

Soon, Metal… stopped moving altogether.

Had a person been present they would look at the frozen image of Metal, wrapped in this silvery material and they would have noticed a most disturbing feature to the frozen husk. By all appearances, Metal seemed to have been solidified into a terrified stance, as if a gorgon had rendered him powerless.

When its systems shut down, the servomotors and complex system of hydraulics left the body with arms raised in a defensive position. The legs were bent, as if it were about to collapse to the ground. Indeed, Metal had the pose reminiscent of a victim from Pompeii about to feel the full force of Mt. Vesuvius' wrath. It was a kind of…

Silenced death.

For some few minutes, the room remained still and deathly quiet.

Metal had been reduced to a mere ornament. Really, one could admit, despite the horrid pose, that it was quite lovely thanks to its silver appearance. Suddenly, the quiet of the room was interrupted, ever so slightly by a kind of sloshing, quivering sound.

It began at the ear. It twitched ever so slightly. Then it drooped. It sagged little by little until it had collapsed onto the skull. This wasn't so bad. The really shocking thing that happened, concerned the right arm. It sagged like the ear. The limb stretched and stretched, growing longer and longer, and thinner and thinner. With a sickeningly squishy thump, the arm hit the floor and broke off at the elbow. Metal was… melting.

To add to the unsettling aspects of this bizarre form of decay, the left arm, which had been held over the forehead, sagged into the face. Because of Metal's newfound condition, the hand continued to slide down the face leaving an enormous gash in Metal's head. Metal's muzzle was the only thing that kept the hand from sliding further. At least for a few seconds it stopped moving. Soon even the miniscule weight of the hand dragged the head with it. Together the hand and head slipped down and onto Metal's chest. Little by little the head and hand slid down Metal's front. Eventually, the combined pile of metallic clay leaned forward and collapsed to the floor. The awful display continued.

Soon, Metal Sonic… was only present in name. Its framework, circuits, operating systems, pumps, fluids, everything… had been reduced… to a… silver… puddle.