ECHO Data Recollection Files
NAME: Carter Shawn Knight PASS CODE: ******Yesterday was a totally new experience for me. I found out who my "mother" was. Well, not exactly, but I did get to know the person of whom I was the basis. It was like having a human brother. That's why I think that if anyone could be my mother, it would be Senator Bradley. It's not that I look like her son (actually I've seen pictures and I really come close), but I act like her son. In fact, I was about to leave and she told me to stay because I was "going to be in danger." Human emotion is so hard to configure sometimes.
End transmission.
[O Satellabs. Sydney's quarters. After fighting all this time, she finally gets a chance to unpack all of her belongings that she salvaged from the blast on Earth. She unrolls a poster of a group of young, attractive boys, possibly singers. While hanging up said poster, she comes across the pendant that Guy gave her. She immediately begins to have flashbacks...]
Guy: Hey Syd.
Sydney: Hi Guy... how are you?
Guy: Fine. Look, a couple of the guys are getting together after school. Do you want to join us?
Sydney: Sure.. I guess....
[She slumps on her bed and begins to cry as Carter walks past.]
Carter: Hey Syd... What's wrong?
Sydney: You remember Guy Hargrove?
Carter: You mean Photox? Didn't we take him out months ago?
Sydney: Yeah. You know, when he wasn't an alien monster, he was a real gentleman.
Carter: Call me crazy, but I think he was a real person.
Sydney: What makes you say that?
Carter: Well, when we defeated Kelberox, we found out that it was actually Richard Hartson. But he wasn't tested positive as having any alien DNA prior to then.
Sydney: How do you figure?
Carter: I don't know; Neil told me. He has a way with these things.
Sydney: So these Galtoids might have been human before?
Carter: It's possible. You know, I should run this by Rob.
----------
Hedgway: Cass Hedgway here.
Raybin (sternly over the phone): Cass, I need to talk to you about something.
Hedgway (afraid): Where are you?
Raybin: Open your door.
[Hedgway gets up toward her door and opens it. Raybin is standing there with his cell phone.]
Cass. The Sonic Five know.
Hedgway: What are you talking about.
Raybin: We had a deal.
Hedgway: You're not actually saying that I told them, are you?
Raybin: I don't know. Why don't you tell me?
[Silence. Raybin edges closer.]
Come with me, please.
Hedgway (more fear than before): What are you doing?
Raybin: Come with me, please.
Hedgway: No!
Raybin: You knew the arrangements of our deal. Now come on. (Hedgway stands frozen in shock) Now we can do this the easy way...
[Raybin takes out a stun-gun-type weapon and shocks Hedgway's neck with it. Hedgway falls to the ground.]
Or we can do this the hard way.
[Raybin takes Hedgway's body in one arm and his tazer in his hand. He uses the tazer to call Argox at the Earthbase.]
Okay. Mission complete. Now get me the hell outta here.
[Raybin teleports away.]
----------
Arachness: Have you gotten the latest test subject?
Raybin: Yes I have.
[Lexicons wheel in an inclined gurney with Cass Hedgway on it.]
Before, it was just a matter of trial and error. But this time, I believe that this human will serve your purpose well.]
Zenos: What makes you so sure?
Raybin: She has a way of stabbing in the back.
[In the distance, Divit listens in on the conversation.]
Divit: Stabs in the back, eh? This gives me an idea for a perfect genome (retires to her lab).
[Back to the central conversation.]
Raybin: We must hurry with the proceedings before more people find out about our "arrangement."
Arachness: Screw your arrangement! Humans may find out about it, but what will they plan on doing about it?
----------
Carter: Hey, Rob. Can I talk to you about something? (feels something bump to his side) Hey!
[Apparently, Pixel also wants to talk to the leader.]
Pixel: Excuse me, Carter. I didn't mean to intrude. If you want to say something to Rob, it's okay...
Carter: Naw, go ahead. I'll just talk to Kevin. (withdraws)
Rob: So what did you want to talk to me about?
Pixel (acting innocent): Well, my birthday's in a couple of days and I was wondering what you could do for me.
Rob: Sorry, but with all the work going on around the Satellab, I haven't an idea of what you might like.
Pixel: Oh... I understand. (withdraws sadly when Sydney comes up)
Sydney (sternly): What was that about? I mean, as much as I know about interhuman relationships...
Rob: Ssshh!! Relax, Sydney. I'm working on a surprise. But you've got to help me with it.
Sydney: Oh. I getcha. So do you know where to start?
Rob: Unfortunately, no.
Sydney (sighs): Come on, lover boy... Let's get started.
----------
Carter: Kevin!
Kevin: Mind knocking first?
Carter: Sorry, but I had to tell this to someone.
Kevin: What about Rob?
Carter: He's busy with...
Kevin: Oh. So what do you have to tell me?
Carter: Well, I was talking to Syd just a while ago and... Well, do you think that the creatures that we've fought against are actually human?
Kevin: Does this have anything to do with that Hartson guy?
Carter: That's what Sydney tells me.
Kevin: Well, it might've been just an isolated incident.
Carter: I doubt it. I think we should investigate.
Kevin: You think we should tell Dr. O?
Carter: We gotta.
----------
Rob: So what should I do for her?
Sydney: How about a...
[Carter comes barging in.]
Carter: Sorry, guys, but I have to ask Syd for a favor.
Sydney: What is it? What's wrong?
Carter: First, Rob, Dr. O wants to see you in his lab. Something about an upgrade to your system chips. (Rob leaves) Now, Syd. I know it's too late now, but when you get to school tomorrow, can you research these names? (hands Sydney a list)
Sydney (reading a list): Ummm.. "Guy Hargrove, Ashton McKenneth, Raymond Lewis, Rebecca Lewis, Cory Weigand, Ron Myrick..." Okay I recognize some of these names, but who are these?
Carter: Dr. O, Neil, and I ran a search on all the DNA of the Galtoids that we've fought thus far. We took the human DNA listings and identified these beings.
Sydney: So you're saying that they're actually human? Forget school, I'm doing something now.
[That night, shortly before recharging in her new syrobed in her room, Sydney goes to her laptop and runs a search on a search engine:]
PLEASE ENTER OPTION: Cross-reference. PLEASE ENTER CROSS REFERENCE SEARCH: > Guy Hargrove > Ashton McKenneth > Raymond Lewis > Rebecca Lewis |
[Echo comes up with a solution.]
Echo: One site found.
[Echo prints the web site on screen. Sydney then clicks on the URL. What comes up is an article from the Vancouver World. Sydney reads off of it.]
Sydney: "December 17, 2000. Vancouver. Four local teenagers were taken into custody by the local authorities yesterday. The arrest was warranted by Ontario Senator William Raybin. While the four teens contested that they did nothing wrong, the official charge against Guy Hargrove, 18; Ashton McKenneth, 16; and Raymond and Rebecca Lewis, both 17; were crimes against the state."
Echo: Would you like me to print this article?
Sydney: Yeah. Go ahead, Echo.
[Echo prints the article. Sydney lays it on her desk and she goes to her syrobed.]
----------
Arachness: What is the result of the experiment?
Divit: The Orphicon gene was successfully implanted. now she has full control of her transformation, unlike Mr. Hartson and Kelberox.
Synchron: ... we shall reintroduce her to her environment soon.
Zenos: She is awfully pale.
Synchron: Just a side effect of the experiment. Unless there is a flaw with the genetic structure, and there is serious doubt of that, she will be fine.
Raybin: I shall escort her to the INN Headquarers in New York. She will remember nothing of the procedure, and she will live life like she did before.
Arachness: Then proceed with the plan.
[Everyone except Argox leaves.]
Argox: What do we do now?
Arachness: Nothing. At least, for now. Now we wait until the Sonic Five play into the puzzle.
----------
"So far, it's been a weak of silence. Rob hasn't told me what he has planned for my birthday, although he swears by Dr. O that he has nothing planned. I'm sure he's up to something. And speaking of which, the good doctor still isn't speaking up about who that guy I saw was. I'm not going to rest until this thing is either revealed to me or is blown up in his face."
[As Pixel writes, Sydney comes in with her printout.]
Sydney: Pix, I need to see everyone in the conference room, now.
Pixel: Hey Syd... Umm.. Shouldn't you be at school now?
Sydney: Called in sick. This is important.
[Everyone meets in the conference room. Sydney brings in the list of people that she brought up. Syd begins by reading off of that list.]
Guy Hargrove. Ron Myrick. Brad Briggs. Ashton McKenneth. Ray and Becca Lewis. Cory Weigand. Two animals missing from the Bronx Zoo. And now, Richard Hartson. What do these people have in common?
Neil: Knowing my biology, they're probably all mammals.
Rob: I know. They are all Galtoids. Galtoids that we defeated. What's your point?
Sydney: My point is this. Look at what I found yesterday.
[Sydney passes out copies of the article that she downloaded yesterday.]
Rob: It talks about the Galtoid teenagers. But didn't they go to your school?
Sydney: That's what they wanted us to think. Actually, they went to a school in Vancouver, but were arrested for crimes against the state. What I'm thinking is...
Pixel: ... that they took them to a lab to be turned into Galtoids. I saw them do that when I was held there. They were working on Canix.
Kevin: Then when we killed those Galtoids... we were killing actual people.
Rob: Not quite. I did a little research upon hearing of Hartson's "death." I found out that Galtization is an irreversible process. The only way to reverse it is... to destroy the monster.
Dr. O: This is an interesting development. How far can you go into developing this theory?
Sydney: I can get into it as soon as ... (alarm goes off) It's another attack.
Rob: Where?
Echo: Galtoid attack in Chinatown. Galtoid is identified as Orphicon.
Kevin: Better move out.
Rob: Let's get the Speeders.
----------
SonicRed: Syd, do you think your theory has any validity this time?
SonicWhite: Let me look into its eyes first.
SonicYellow: We'll hold'em down, right, Kev?
SonicBlack: Let's do it, Neil!
[The two flip into the air and land on each of Orphicon's arms, pinning the beast's blades to the ground.]
SonicYellow: I'd say we had the guy pinned!
SonicBlack: Man, Neil, you made absolutely no sense!
[SonicWhite rushes to the monster.]
SonicWhite: All right, Neil. Let me see this guy.
[SonicWhite gazes into her eyes. Her computerized brain calculates a value for the DNA and eventually comes to a startling conclusion.]
Guys... This is Cass Hedgway!
SonicBlue: No way!
SonicYellow: That's impossible! I was just talking to her the other day!
SonicBlue: My guess is that Raybin took her to get Galtized after you did.
SonicWhite: This can't be. I have to take another look.
[SonicWhite gets up close as Orphicon breaks loose. She gets up and holds SonicWhite in her grasp.]
SonicBlack: I don't believe this! What the hell!
SonicWhite: Help! She's too strong!
SonicRed: We have got to attack her from behind!
SonicBlack: I'll stay here and take her with the SonicCannon (holds SonicCannon at the ready).
SonicRed: Then let's go. TomaHatch, activated!
SonicBlue: SonicDaggers, activated!
SonicYellow: SonicBlade, activated!
[The three flip into the air and take one swipe at the monster.]
Orphicon: What was that for? (lets go of SonicWhite)
SonicRed: You will realize soon enough, Cass, that we're doing this for your own benefit.
Orphicon: Are you kidding? With my new powers, I have endless control over you.
[She takes a swipe at each Sonic Soldier. Sparks fly all over the place. SonicBlack then takes a shot at Orphicon with his SonicCannon. She tumbles to the ground.]
SonicBlue: We don't have a choice. We need the FiveCannon.
SonicRed: Then let's do it. Forming FiveCannon!
[The five SonicWeapons come together to form the FiveCannon.]
Sonic Five: FiveCannon, fire!
[A huge beam of light comes out of the cannon and pierces the Orphicon. She falls to the ground. Suddenly, her human intuition kicks in.]
Orphicon: This... will make headlines...
SonicBlack: Wait! She's talking like Cass!
SonicYellow: And your point is?
SonicWhite: I think I know. Remember how we reversed Primax's transformation?
SonicBlue: Yeah, but this is a human, not a monkey!
SonicWhite: But if we can extract some of her DNA, reverse the polarities of the serum, and inject it back into her...
SonicRed: Do you think it is possible?
SonicWhite: Hey, if it worked on a monkey!
SonicBlack: Wait a second. I have to make sure of one thing. Cass, are you still in there?
Orphicon: I... think so... but... not for... longer....
[Sonic Five gather around the monster while Zenos steps in.]
Zenos: I was planning to use this GalteaEgg on Orphicon, but it looks like I will have to take this my way.
[Zenos takes a bite out of the egg and begins to grow. His humanoid face also mutates into a hideous creature.]
Sonic Five!
[The team turn around to see a giant version of Zenos.]
Now you will pay dearly for my sister's failure!
SonicBlue: Heh, not bloody likely! Sonic Mechatrons, activate!
[The Sonic Mechatrons are activated and are coming towards the battle scene, as the Sonic Five head for their cockpits. Each one shoots at Zenos.]
SonicBlack: I'm taking CarrierSonic to the lab with Orphicon to see if your idea will work.
SonicRed: Good idea. Meanwhile, we'll take care of this problem.
[CarrierSonic begins to fly off. Zenos wants to catch it, so he runs off towards it. Macrosonic's arm, while attaching to the rest of the formed body, catches hold of the soldier.]
SonicBlue: Aww, no ya don't!
[The Macrosonic arms draw Zenos nearer and nearer to the Macrosonic as the arms fasten into place. Meanwhile, aboard the CarrierSonic...]
SonicBlack: Sonic Thrusters engage!
[By the time Zenos breaks free of the Macrosonic's grasp, the CarrierSonic is clear out of sight.]
Zenos: NOOOO!!!! My sister will catch wind of this defeat and when she does...
SonicYellow: You'll be beaten by her giant whupping stick!
Zenos (infuriated by this remark): I will return for your heads, Sonic Five (teleports out).
----------
Kevin: Any progress?
Dr. O: Not yet. But since apes are our closest relative biologically, I'm expecting a good prognosis.
[Orphicon reverts to an ashen Cass Hedgway. Cass lies there with her eyes slightly opened and her lips slightly cracked, but with no motion or emotion.]
Just as I feared. Sonething in the human DNA structure that makes reversion impossible. I'm afraid this is the end result, Kevin.
Kevin: You mean... we killed her?
D'angelo: No you didn't. (everyone turns to D'angelo) While you were talking about end results, I did a rapid carbon dating on Cass Hedgway. Apparently, she was dead before she transformed into Orphicon.
Kevin: How so?
D'angelo: I'm guessing she was a Galtoid monster for about 30 minutes before Dr. O reverted her. And judging by this carbon sample, she has been dead for about four hours.
Kevin: So that's it. Arachness kills her victims. How?
Dr. O: Something in the genetic structure of her monsters. It makes the human DNA just give up on the host body. Soon, the parasitic DNA destroys all human cells completely. You wouldn't know it now, but Cass was one of the lucky ones.
Kevin: And the worst part about it is that Arachness will keep killing unless she gets what she wants.
Dr. O: I'm afraid so. Kevin, get this body to the withholding chamber. I have something to do now.
[Dr. O heads to his desk and gets his V-Pager. The doctor contacts Pixel.]
Pixel's voice: Pixel here.
Dr. O: Pixel, look. I just got the strangest epiphany after this experience with what Sydney told me.
Pixel: What are you getting at?
Dr. O: You wanted to know about that picture? Well, I don't want to feel like Raybin. I don't want to feel like I'm holding anything from you. I'll tell you everything. But only you...
SONIC V STAND BY...
Questions and comments should be addressed to either Chris or myself.
NEXT WEEK:
The son also rises...
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