"Dead?" She said.
"Yes Sally!" Said Lupine. "Give me your hand."Sally did not respond.
"Sally." Sandra began, seeing no response she continued. "Helooo, anyone in there?"
"Sally is suffering from intense post-stress syndrome." NICOLE began, her voice coming from Sally's boot. "The mental lock will soon subside."Lupine was almost startled having forgotten about Sally's computerized pal.
"Thanks NICOLE!" Lupine said. "Is there any way to speed it up?"Lupine was about to correct NICOLE's inevitable mistake.
"You may be utilize kagama to shock her out of it with a burst of pain. This should return her to normal mental health."Lupine stared at NICOLE with amazement.
"Was I incorrect in my assumption about the meaning of your sentence?" NICOLE asked."NO!" Lupine said. "Not at all, you were right!!!"
Sonic was still trying to persuade Sally out and paid no attention to the conversation that was taking place."C'mon Sal." Sonic said gently.
"I've had enough of this!" Sandra exclaimed and put her face up to Sally's "I'll shock her out of it."Sandra took a deep breath. "IF YOU DON'T GET OUT FROM UNDER THAT LOG RIGHT NOW, I'LL STUFF MY RIFLE IN YOUR EAR AND PUSH, AND I'LL PUSH SO HARD IT'LL COME OUTA THE OTHER SIDE!!!" Sandra increased the volume of her voice near the end of the sentence.
Sally just sat there unaffected. Sandra stood their looking flustered."Always works with Antoine!" She muttered.
"Sandra there are other ways of helping souls than with your aggression." Lupine said. Putting on her wise voice.""Alright miss smarty, know it all, always got some wise-arse saying to perform!" Sandra snapped at Lupine. "If you think ya can do better then use you poxy magic tricks to cure her."
"You should have a little more respect!" Lupine snapped back. "Magic is a powerful thing!""So is my fist!"
Sandra held up her fist near Lupine's face. "C'mon!" She said."I don't want to fight you!'' Lupine turned her head away dismissively although her claws were extended.
"Oh what�s the matter now?" Sandra taunted. "Afraid, you�ll end up like Antoine, friendless, cowardly and without a tail, because I'll cut it off your cold dead body!!!"Lupine's attitude suddenly changed and she turned round.
"Don't speak about him like that!!!" Lupine shouted."Ooooooooooh! I'm really scared, looks like I touched a soft spot!!!"
Lupine somehow managed to resist Sandra's taunts, the product of years of discipline. They both suddenly heard Sally's voice."Sally!?" Both rivaling females turned to face her.
"You have both got a lot of explaining to do!" Said Sally.
"Sandra!" Sally snapped. "Explain yourself."
"She started it!" The black furred vixen insisted. "I hate her poncey attitude!!!""I think your attitude is more poncey than hers!!!" Sally boomed. "Here we are, stuck four million years in the past, with little hope of escape and you still think that it's a good time to fight!!!"
Sandra went quiet.Suddenly Sally looked to her left and saw a massive hulk crash through the trees. She screamed when she realized it was one of the beasts that had tried to kill her earlier. Sally backed away against a log screaming and trembling.
"Sally?" Sonic looked at Sally's trembling body as she looked at some unseen horror. "SALLY!" He yelled , even more concerned."Flash back!" Sandra yelled and rushed over to restrain Sally.
"It's gonna be there." Sally began, heaving with enormous sobs. "Everytime I close my eyes it�ll be there, burned on my vision. It�ll haunt my dreams and torture every lonely night. OH GOD!!!" Sally burst into tears on the last word.Sonic and Lupine held Sally and did their best to calm her down despite Sonic's bewilderment. Sandra watched unaffected.
"NICOLE!" Sandra snapped. "When is this wretched time shift supposed to occur?""In twenty minutes Sandra!" NICOLE stated.
"Where is Robotnick?"
"Sensors indicate he has not moved location."
Sandra looked at the computer and spoke to it very slowly. "NICOLE, is it possible that he is not going use this warp to travel back.""It is very probable Sandra!" NICOLE replied.
Sandra exploded. "NICOLE YOU USELESS PIECE OF JUNK!!!!" Sandra paused. "WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL US DAMMIT!!!???" "I made a decision to withhold that information." NICOLE replied. "It is evident now that my advance has many errors!" "I'll say!" Said Sandra, she sat down on a rock and began to swear, rolling words over each other and making curses that even Sally had not heard before. "NnnNNicole!" Stammered Sally who was now just about standing. "Why is this errr warp occurring???" "The most probable reason is to rupture space time enough to allow larger masses to be transported. Robotnick will transport his force to the point in our present when this pre-warp has occurred, otherwise he would not be able to carry enough mass." "NICOLE!" Sally said rapidly regaining control. "Discard all changes to your processor until further notice." "Security clearance required." NICOLE hummed. Sally struggled to remember. "Beta-alpha-mu-upsilon clearance." "Accepted!" NICOLE hummed. "Is there any way of preventing this pre-warp from occurring?" Lupine asked NICOLE. "Yes Lupine!" NICOLE replied. "It is so delicate the slightest distortion in it's vicinity should render it useless." "Can you do it?" Sally asked. "Negative!" NICOLE replied. "Could Lupine do it?" That was Sonics voice and all the others turned to face him. "Affirmative Sonic." NICOLE replied. "However she would require an enormous amount of energy." "Power rings!!!" Sonic exclaimed. "So Lupine, baby, can ya do it?" "I don't know baby!" Lupine replied with just a hint of indigence. "However perhaps Sonic could, if he built up enough speed around the warp he could disrupt it." "That's sounds dangerous!" Sally scratched her head. "I would prefer the control and expertise of Lupine's mind." "Why don't I just shoot it!?" Sandra suddenly broke in. "That would work wouldn't it NICOLE?" "Yes Sandra!" The computer replied. "It would require very accurate timing." "See?" Sandra Said triumphantly "I don't know!" Sally said. "It's got to be one of the three! But which?" "There is an ancient wolf pack saying that I believe I should recite here." Lupine said. "It goes like this in our language." "Citiam pemit lotincilo-Antmit loxontincilo." Lupine recited. "It loosely translates as 'Fear stops progress which in turn stops everything." Authors note: The above phrase does have structure and is not just random. "Wait a minute? How are we going to get back to the present if we destroy this warp?" Asked Sally. "We will have to hijack Robotnicks main complex!" NICOLE replied. "C'mon Sal!" Sonic nudged her. "I can show you all a thing or two about speed baby!!!" Sonic held the EE sound in speed for a while. "Stop it with the baby thing!" Sally snapped. "Ok babe!!" Sonic kissed her. "OHHHHHH!" Sally fumed. "Homicide!" Sandra suddenly said looking at Sally then at Sonic. "SHUT UP!" Sally said. "All right! That's it!" Sandra lept to her feet. "NO more miss nice-weaver! I don't see why I should have to take this from you. If it wasn't for me Sally that beast would had nailed you a long time ago. R-E-S-P-E-C-T! I think I am entitled to some!" Lupine rolled her eyes. "OK Sandra." Sally started. "When we get out of this you can have one thing, anything you wish as long as it is within my power, but only if you will shut up and let us save the planet." "Anything!?" Sandra smiled evilly. "Oh boy, I'll be quiet!" "What should we do then Sal." Sonic asked. "C'mon let me strut my stuff!!!" Should they, let Sonic make the disturbance, use the rifle or allow Lupine to use her magic? The choice is yours."The ones I have just mentioned."
Sally realized the mistake she had made.
"OK, let's try again, how much damage will they do?"
"Interfere with evolutionary patterns and cause mass extinction."
"That son of a............" Sally exclaimed. "He's GONNA WIPE OUT THE WHOLE PLANET!"
"Told you he'd be 'offed" Sandra muttered under her breath.
"Right that's it now I�m mad!!!" Sonic revved up and before Sally could react he had shot off. All three were swept off their feet by the wake. Sandra was the first to pick herself up off the floor.
"Oh great!" Sandra yelled after the hedgehog. "Terrific.""NICOLE!" Sally looked around for the computer. She then looked in the direction Sonic had gone. "If we ever get out of this I'm going to..." She looked at Sandra. "Sandra what could I do to him?"
"Slam his back against a wall so hard he spikes stick into his body?" Sandra suggested. "Your the fox!" Sally pointed two fingers at her. Despite that sudden flash of humor Sally was still upset. Lupine, who had been very quiet up until now suddenly spoke! "He know's what he's doing!" She said. "I can feel it, I think we are going to be OK." "Use the force Lupe!" Sandra teased. "I mean, well done!" Authors note. The above would not have the same meaning to a Mobian, but I could not resist it!!! "Once NICOLE has hacked into the mainframe we can get out of this place." Lupine added. "But what about the extinction�s and the evolutionary changes?" Sally asked. "Think back to your history classes Princess." Sandra broke in, she had already got Lupine's point. "What happened 4 million years ago from our present." Lupine pressed. "The..." Sally paused. " There was an unexplained reduction in biomass and...." It dawned on Sally. "And evolution was changed. That's how it happened. Robotnick did it! It wasn't a meteor or a natural disaster. We made our own past!" "Exactly!" Lupine praised. "Robotnick fulfilled the past. He didn't even know. He probably released the toxins when he realized he could not use the warp, in anger. But he was destined to do that!" "Then.." Sally was over the moon with amazement. "That explains the Great Evolutionary Puzzle!!!" ("Great Evolutionary Puzzle" Evolution tends to strip advancing species of unnecessary features. Humans lost their fur, tails and claws as they evolved. They were no longer necessary. Mobians however retained these traits. This was one of the great problems posing the Mobians. Why were they not more like Humans ?.) Lupine nodded. "Our culture began to evolve so quickly our entire evolution was based on it. All of our traits played such an active part in so many rituals and challenges we never lost them. We just became more humanoid, smart, upright." Suddenly there was a massive explosion and whoosh of air and Sonic stood infront of Sally. Sally did not hear him coming because he had traveled back faster than sound. "NICOLE did her stuff!" Sonic stated. "We can go home!" "Sonic you arm!?" Sally looked at Sonic's arm which was cut and red with blood. "Nahhh it's nothin'!" Sonic looked down at it. "I'm so proud of you!" Sally embraced Sonic. She whispered in his ear. "Call me babe any time!" She took her arms off Sonic and took NICOLE from him. "NICOLE, status report.""I will not have control of the complex for much longer Sally." NICOLE stated.
"Let's go!" Sally said. "Oh, wait is there anything we should know about?""Does not compute."
Sally sighed. "Where will we be transported to?"
The great unknown.
"Right back into battle!" Sally exclaimed. "I don't like the sound of that. NICOLE could you perhaps transport all the freedom fighters there, back to Knothole.""That would only be possible if you disabled my back up interface." NICOLE replied. "Only my other half has the fractal patterns already hardwired into it's logarithms."
Sally paused, uncertain of what to do. "If I do, if, will you malfunction again?" "That is a possibility." NICOLE replied. Lupine put a reassuring hand on Sally's shoulder. "We're all behind you Sally." Sandra did the same. "I am too Sally, so I can kick your..." Sandra stopped before the four letter word. Sally rolled her eyes. "I love you Sandra!" She said suddenly and turned around and kissed the unsuspecting vulpine. Sandra swore and jumped back. "What the HELL ARE YOU DOING!!!!???" Sandra demanded rubbing her muzzle furiously with the back of her paw. Sally just smiled "Remember the promise Sandra." "Who gives a..." Sandra stopped. "OK!""Whatever you have to do NICOLE, do it!" Sally began. "Clearance beta,zeta,lambda."
NICOLE hummed into life and all of a sudden Sally was enveloped in a wave of light. The last thing she saw she would remember forever. The last glimpse of a long lost world. Each fern, tree and plant infront of her she remembered with crystal clarity."Too right!" Sandra stepped out of a hedge. "I want something to eat!"
Sally rolled her eyes again. "I love you Sandra.""Stop saying that!" Sandra shouted.
"I love you Sandra!" Sally taunted."That is it you are gonna get....." Sandra was cut of by another voice.
"Vhat has been going on!" It was Antoine. He had walked out from behind a tree in a complete daze."ANTOINE!" Sally yelled and ran up to him and hugged him hard.
Antoine was more surprised than amused. Actually it was not as much fun as he thought it would be, this was to have a profound effect on him.Sally released Antoine.
"Sally!" Sonic stepped out from behind a corner. He had not seen her hug Antoine. "And anthill I almost missed you, LOSER!""Zhutup hedgehog!" He waved his fist at Sonic.
"Sonic!" It was Tails. Sonic turned around to face him and picked the young kit up. "I missed you little bro!""Sonic what happened!" Tails asked.
"Dat's what I wanna know!!!" Bunnie stepped through the trees. Like Antoine she was still dressed in combat gear having just been transported from the great unknown.Bookshire and Rotor soon joined the scene.
"Where's Dulce?" Sonic asked.Suddenly there was an enormous crashing sound in the woods beside them. All the freedom fighters looked at each other. "Ducly." They all said, simultaneously.
After Sally had babbled unsuccessfully for a few minutes without much progress she moved everyone to the war room. The other freedom fighters listened entranced as Sally, Sandra and Sonic told their story. Lupine was quiet and chose not to speak.
After they had finished there was a moment of silence. Then Sandra spoke."Sonic the reason why Sally does not wear a Shock Belt is because she chose not to."
Sonic looked at her with disbelief."You never answered that question did you Sally?"
"I didn't, but Sandra!" Sally giggled. "It's hardly relevant, we have just saved the planet.""It is relevant." Sandra insisted somewhat evilly. "You see I remembered that detail even though it was insignificant. I never forgot your promise to do any one thing I asked for if I behaved. It's payback time."
"Now listen here.." Bunnie came to Sally's defense.Sally held up her hand and Bunnie stopped. "Go ahead then Sandra. How bad can it be!!!" Sally laughed. Suddenly she realized she had made a mistake but it was too late.
Bookshire broke the silence. "Lupine I would like to have a look at your leg if you don't mind.""No problem, let's go!" She led Bookshire off to the medical room. An observer would probably have said she was glad to leave.
"Me and little bro are gonna do some juicein'." Sonic proclaimed, and he grabbed Tail's arm and pulled him outside."Wow!" Bunnie exclaimed. "How long did you spend in the past?"
"Half a day!" Sally answered."Didn't seem dat long for us Sally-girl?"
"That's because we warped back to the point in time when we left." Sally explained. "Infact I don't really understand it all myself, time travel really messes you up.""You really think our entire evolution was an accident?" That was Rotor. "That's ironic isn't it! Robotnick was so bent on getting rid of us, yet he was the one that created us in the first place. But if he created the freedom fighters in the past, then there must of been a time before he traveled when we did not exist, then why did he travel in the first place?"
Bunnie nodded in agreement with Rotor and turned round.Sally looked confused, she could answer the question but not in words. Sandra came to her rescue.
"Try this!" Sandra pointed at a vase she had picked up. "Suppose this is a universe, and we are two dimensional beings that live in it.""You mean flat?" Bunnie suggested.
"Yes!" Sandra continued. "The width and base of the vase are what we occupy in each time frame. The entire length of the vase is time. Past to future.""Right I get it, so that's our universe." Rotor said intrigued. "Simplified."
Sandra grinned, she was enjoying this, but in a way she had never know, not a spiteful way."Therefore us looking down on it is like higher beings looking down on us, we, as higher beings can see each time frame from past to future on this universe." She turned the vase around.
"So that means." Rotor started, "That time is only and illusion to us when in reality our universe is a four dimensional vase!""Precisely." Sandra continued. "It's not like we are on some ones bedroom shelf or anything!"
Rotor and Bunnie giggled."The time line is set from start to finish." Sandra continued. "Each event is already there."
"I see." Rotor thought. "That means my question was illegitimate, Robonick was destined to fulfill the past to make his own future.""THATS STUPID!" It was Dulcy from the window. "The time line is not set, I have choices in my life!!!"
"It's just and illusion Dulcy!" Sandra insisted. "You perceive time as linear.""Illusion my foot!" Dulcy protested and stormed off mumbling something about how blasphemous physics was.
Sandra turned to Bunnie. "What do you think?""I don't know, it's all kinda confusing." The cybernetic rabbit paused to think. "I can't decide, you could be wrong ya know."
"I know." Said Sandra."Sandra!" Sally exclaimed. "You admitted you could be wrong!!! Breakthrough."
"My attitude was kinda off wasn't it?" Sandra said to no one in particular. "Sally, here is the one thing I want you to do for me!""Oh god here it comes!!!" Bunnie exclaimed.
"I want you to teach me some manners!!!" Sandra explained. "I want this attitude of mine to change."Sally, Rotor and Bunnie sat there with their mouths open.
After a quick lesson with Sally Sandra retired to her hut. She removed her shock belt, body harness and let them drop to the floor. She threw her rifle onto her bed. Sandra stretched out happy to be in her natural state. She stepped into her shower and turned the water on running it cold. The cold water quickly chilled her to the bone cooling her off and removing any tiredness. She then pressed the thermo control in the shower and was quickly enveloped by hot water. The door bell rang.
Sandra swore loudly and stepped out not bothering to dry herself.She walked to the door remembering what Sally had said.
"Antoine?" Sandra exclaimed after she had opened it."Zank you for zaving Zally's life." Antoine thanked. "Zince it iz being your birthday I made you zis." He revealed a little clay sculpture.
Actually Sandra's birthday was not for another week, but she didn't tell him. "Cheers Antoine!!!" She said.Antoine shrugged shyly and walked away.
"Goodbye handsome!!!" Sandra slammed the door. Mabye Antoine was not so bad after all.
Well done reader, Mobius is safe. This ending leads onto love hurts. Robotnick escaped from the past and continues to experiment with gravity.
THE END