(The time is 9:35 PM on a December night in the year 2000. Deep within the downtown district of Manhattan, New York, a lone warrior dressed in red is fighting alone in the dark night. He fights a clad of blue and gold warriors called Lexicons. The Lexicons, footmen of the Galtean colony, have the young fighter pinned to a corner, when suddenly...)
SonicRed: (jumping into the air) Kiyah! SoniKick!
(With this move, he manages to take out three of the Lexicons. They retreat, except for one Lexicon and his master, a warrior prince of the Galteans known as Argox.)
Argox: Leave me, Lexicon! This warrior is mine!
SonicRed: No! You'll never corrupt this place with your evils as long as I am fully-functional!
Argox: I'll take you up on that offer!
(Argox pulls out his sword and takes one swipe. In an instant, the "SV" decal on SonicRed's chest falls off.)
Hmmm... maybe I should have done THIS!
(He takes another swipe. This time, he rips a hole in SonicRed's bioarmor. Sparks start shooting all over the place, as SonicRed winces in pain. Then the rest of the Lexicons return to finish him off.)
Lexicon: Ha ha ha...
SonicRed: Sonic... Bioblaster...
(He pulls out a pistol from his holster and fires the pistol at the Lexicons. They begin to scatter out again.)
Argox: This isn't over yet, boy. There will be a next time. (disappears with the Lexicons)
(Meanwhile, SonicRed, barely alive, gets up on his feet and calls for assistance.)
SonicRed: Red... Speeder... activate!
(A red motorcycle appears on the street and heads for the injured fighter. Meanwhile, the motorcycle shoots the rest of Lexicons that didn't make it with Argox. He climbs aboard.)
Time is of the essence. Get me to Oppenheimer Labs, immediately!
(Oppenhiemer Labs, Manhattan. Inside what is apparantly a large laboratory of sorts, Cyberneticist Watson "Dr. O" Oppenhiemer works intensely on the modifications to his equipment.)
Echo: Maybe the retrogressor?
Dr. O: Maybe, Echo. I'll check it out in a little while. Now I have to add some more digital components to...
(Suddenly the door opens and SonicRed steps through it, with some difficulty.)
SonicRed: Father...
(SonicRed suddenly glows, then his armor "snaps off" and he turns back into a black-shirted individual. His formerly-blondish-brown hair is messed up and he's having trouble focusing his eyes.)
Dr. O: Robin, are you OK?
Rob(in): Negative, intense battle damage. Mectronic stability at 23 percent.
Echo: Neurostability of SV-001 is at 45.8 percent.
Dr. O: Get on the diagnostic table.
(Rob gets on and Dr. O begins going through the diagnostic scans.)
Rob: What's the prognosis, doc?
Dr. O: I can't tell this early. I'm going to deactivate you temporarily.
Rob: Yes, father...
(Dr. O spreads his hand past his eyes and they close, and Dr. O begins working.)
Dr. O: Father... I guess he has been like a son to me... How could I have done this? How did this situation ever arise? Oh yes...
---
[[Begin flashback.]]
---
(A December 31, 1999, news report on INN - Intercontinental News Network - shows a reporter at a conference of New America Senators Sandra Bradley of the US and William Raybin of Canada. Also present is the head of the Galtean colony, Arachness. The three superpowers are meeting at a table when INN reporter Cass Hedgway begins to report.)
Hedgway: This is Cass Hedgway reporting for INN at Toronto, Ontario, in what will soon be known as New America. That's right. After weeks of dispute on both sides, the United States and Canada will be united with the Galtean colony under one flag. (shows a visual) The flag of New America. We take you now live to the signing of the fourth Treaty of Paris. Witness include longtime senatorial advisor, author, cyberneticist, and freelance professor of biochemistry, Dr. Watson Oppenheimer. Dr. Oppenheimer? Can we get a question?
(Dr. O steps in.)
Do you know what will be the outcome of this alliance?
Dr. O Right now, it's too early to tell, but I'm quite optimistic. This will truly be a blessing for all citizens of not only New America, but the world as well.
Hedgway: All right. I'm getting word that the signing is about to begin. We take you now live to the table.
(The table.)
Raybin: I wonder why Bill isn't here.
Bradley: Let's just say that he's busy with other things.
Raybin: Nevertheless, this treaty one for the ages. (signs)
Bradley: I agree. How about you, Arachness? (signs)
Arachness: Let's just say that you won't live to regret this... (mentally signs the treaty)
(The three parties sign the treaty as the clock in the hall strikes midnight. The three powers shake hands and walk away together.)
--[[Three months later]]--
(A hallway in Oppenheimer labs, Dr. O strides through one of the halls.)
Dr. O: D'angelo.
(A technician joins him.)
Technician: Aye, sir?
Dr. O: Where's Robin? I have his next upgrade.
Technician: Break room.
(The two head into the large break room, where Rob is playing the guitar and singing while a group of technicians listen.)
Rob (singing): Psycho killer... run run, run run run awayyy!! Oh oh oh owhhhhhhh...
(The technicians clap.)
Rob: Thank you. This all would not be capable without the power of advanced silicon technology. Any requests?
Dr. O: I have one, Robin.
Rob (standing up): Father.
Dr. O: At ease, Rob. I have your next upgrade ready.
Technician: Alright, let's lock and upload. (walks off to the lab).
Dr. O: Where do you get phrases like that?
(The two head into the downlab.)
You know what to do, Rob.
(Rob gets onto the biobed.)
OK, I'm accessing his neural net and uploading the files from Masterfile 316.
(Rob begins to flinch as electricity flows into his head.)
Technician: He looks like he's in pain.
Dr. O: He IS in pain. I don't understand this. You better turn the system off.
(The technician deactivates the downcoupler and Rob is left whimpering.)
Rob: Eh eh... sneh... heh...
Dr. O (rushing to his side): ROB! Are you OK?
Rob (whimpering): I don't know. Pain receptors on overload.
Dr. O: D'angelo, scan him. (The technician pulls out a tricorder and begins getting readings.)
Technician: You won't believe this.
Dr. O: What?
Technician: I'm... not getting anything.
Dr. O: Could it just be a flawed chip then?
Technician: Might be. Open up his hard drive.
(The technicians remove the top of Rob's head and discover the flawed chip. Dr. O quickly replaces it with a Pentium 900X chip.)
Dr. O: That should do it. (putting Rob's head back together) Now commence with the upgrade installation, but run a continuous data boost though his cortex. I don't want to take anymore chances.
(The technicians open up Rob's chest and bypass the life control systems to install the upgrade. The technicians place upgraded chips into all of his integrated functional "organs.")
Wake up, Robin. I have not finished yet, but the rest of the changes are cosmetic.
Rob: I don't understand. Why have you given me an upgrade three months before schedule?
Dr. O: Rob, we have to talk. Will you excuse us?
(The technicians leave the room.)
(disturbed) Yesterday, Senator Bradley called.
Rob: What's wrong?
Dr. O: The Galteans have overthrown the governments of three Canadian states: New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and the Northwest Territories. They've started the overthrow of Canada. They're going from smallest to largest. We speculate that they will take over Canada and move southward anywhere from six months to a year.
Rob: What function do I serve in this?
Dr. O: The upgrade I gave you was actually a defense program. For the next six months, you will be trained in the art of defending yourself and others. I've already started your training with the martial-arts defense protocol I just installed. But it won't do us any good unless you know how to use it. In six months, you will receive the second part of your upgrade.
(For the next few months, Rob begins training in fighting and firearms, all the while knowing fairly well that the Galteans were coming. In the lab, Dr. O plans the blueprints for four others that would eventually join Rob in his battle. Six months later...)
Rob: Father? Is it time yet?
Dr. O: Yes. As I stated before, this is fairly cosmetic.
(Rob comes closer as Dr. O places a silver and red box on his belt.)
Rob: What is this?
Dr. O: I figured that, even with your new protocol, you won't be able to fight the Galteans alone. This is your Sonic Charger. It will aid you by boosting your strength, speed, and structural integrity. However, it will also alter your form somewhat. This alteration is normal and intended. You see, it will change you so that no one will know who you are when you fight.
Rob: Alter my form? Into what, though?
Dr. O: Into this. (brings up computer visual) You will be known as SonicRed.
Rob: Amazing.
Dr. O: This is only the beginning. To aid you in battle, I've created an AI motorcycle out of your old one. (brings up another visual) This is Red Speeder. It has an onboard computer and navigational system. It is a perfect compliment to your new powers.
Rob: How do I call on these new powers?
Dr. O: With this. (Gives Rob a cartridge with a "s" on it) Your Sonic Pentium Cartridge, or SPC for short. It goes into your Sonic Charger.
(A news window interrupts the two.)
Hedgway: This is Cass Hedgway with a breaking news report. The entire government of Canada has been crushed by Galtean forces that reside there. They seem to be heading south toward the United States. Their first target will most likely be New York City and all of its major boroughs.
Rob: It is worse than you thought, doc. They are coming here!
Dr. O: Then you have to go fight them. Listen to me, Robin. I activated a voice ID chip in your Sonic Charger. When you put the SPC into it, call out "Sonic Charge Red" as an identifier. Quickly, Robin!
Rob: All right. (puts the SPC into the Charger) SONIC CHARGE RED!
(Rob steps back and suddenly a burst of energy surges from the belt buckle and puts his S-Red costume on. Suddenly sirens start blaring. SonicRed slides down a pole and reaches the Loading bay.)
Technician 2 (behind a console): Red Speeder all prepped and ready to go. Speedway cleared and coordinates locked into the main control systems.
(SonicRed gets onto Red Speeder, and it responds by flashing it's headlights.)
SonicRed: Alright, full accel blast.
(Red Speeder heads through the speedway, out of Dr. O's sight.)
Dr. O (thinking): And that's the last time I saw him... until now.
-- [[ End flashback ]] --
(The job is done. Rob awakens and gets off the diagnostic table.)
Dr. O: Well Rob, how do you feel?
Rob: I've been better, but I'm ready to go back.
Dr. O: Oh no you don't. You're not fighting this battle alone.
Rob: What do you mean? Humans can't transform, and there's only one... OH NO. No no no noo.
Dr. O: YES.
(Dr. O spreads a couple of large blueprints accross the table. The sketches are ridden with notes and calculations.)
Dr. O: You are going to help me with these biodroids.
(The monitor begins showing the four fighters in simulated Lexicon battles, one after the other.)
This is Kevin, SonicBlack. His SonicCannon can blast walls of titanium a foot in thickness!
(SonicBlack uses a bazooka-like cannon to blasts through the simulations.)
Behold Carter, SonicBlue. Armed with twin SonicDaggers, he can blaze through his opponents with speed and endurance.
(SonicBlue cuts a few Lexicons with the SonicDaggers.)
This is Neil, SonicYellow. His SonicBlade functions not only as a hand-to-hand tool, but one for far distances as well.
(SonicYellow throws the giant boomerang at his targets.)
And finally, Sydney, SonicWhite. Her skill with the SonicPoles is only coupled by her heart and conscience.
(SonicWhite uses two fighting sticks to fight the Lexicons.)
Together, you will be siblings at home and teammates abroad. On the side of peace, you will become... the Android Task Force Sonic Five.
Rob: This is all too exceptional for me to comprehend, but whatever it takes to defend Manhattan and New America, I will do it. (turns around) When do we begin?
(And so, the story of Rob, Dr. O, and Sonic Five begins. What will be the outcome of this long battle? What will Dr. O and Rob learn about being a family? And does the Sonic V team have what it takes to be heroes?)
Questions and comments should be addressed to either Chris or myself.
NEXT WEEK:
One becomes three...
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