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 crated 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
.  I enjoy hearing from people who can
spell.

	Chaotic Multiverse Tale #3

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Quote for the day:

	 	"Oh, my, . . . "

				-James T. Kirk's last words, ST: Generations
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	CHAOS! - Origins
		by Roland Lowery


	"MY WORD, Snively . . . " breathed Julian.  "Where ARE we?"
	"I . . . I don't know, sir," Snively whispered back.  "It 
definitly isn't Pluto, though.  Not unless it's Halloween!"
	Julian and Snively were hiding in a clump of bushes, looking out 
at a very, very strange sight.  At least a thousand humanoids were out on 
a large field, apparantly moving through military drills.  All of them 
were approximatly four feet tall, except one big bruiser who must have 
stood better than six feet and two inches.  The bruiser appeared to be 
leading the drills.
	The most diconcerting feature about the humanoids, though, was 
that every one of them had animal features.  Julian was able to pick out 
dogs, cats, horses, pigs, even a duck-billed platypus or two.  Their 
bodies were covered with fur, feathers, or whatever else an animal of 
their type had.  Some had tails, some didn't.  Whiskers, beaks, snouts, 
and claws abounded.
	"Maybe we got off course and landed on another planet," suggested 
Snively.  "Who knows how long we've been drifting?"
	Since crawling from their wrecked cryo-stasis beds a few hours 
ago, Julian and Snively had been trying to jury-rig their ship's energy 
supply to the computer in hopes of coaxing the travel log out of it.  All 
of their attempts ended in faliure, however, so they had started walking 
in hopes of finding civilization.
	This was definitly not what they had been expecting.
	"We have to communicate with them," said Julian.
	"WHAT?  But . . . sir!"
	"But nothing, Snively!  We HAVE to, unless you would rather die 
out here in the wilderness!"
	Snively sighed.  "Lead the way, doctor."
	They emerged from the bushes and walked out onto the field.  Very 
few of the animal humanoids took any notice of them, but those that did 
gawked with open mouthed stares.
	"That one looks like the leader," said Julian.  He pointed out 
the six foot humanoid.  They walked up to him and Julian tapped him on 
the shoulder.
	"Ah . . . HELLO!" yelled Julian when the behemoth turned around.  
He, like many people, was working under the common misassumption that if you 
speak loud and slow enough, anyone can understand any language.  "MY . . 
. NAME . . . IS . . . JULIAN.  WHAT . . . IS . . . YOURS?"
	"My name is Kodos, bub.  And ya don't have ta yell at me like an 
idiot, I c'n hear ya just fine."
	Both Julian and Snively jumped when the deep, rumbling voice hit 
their eardrums.
	"You can speak English!" blurted Julian.
	"Nope," said Kodos, "and I never heard of it, neither.  I ain't 
to big on geography.  I'm speakin' Mobian, same as you."
	Julian started to protest, but shook his head and tried a
different tactic.  "Do you think that I and my assisstant might be able to
find shelter hereabouts?"
	"Prob'ly not.  We're right in the middle of a war, and we didn't
exactly plan on having to accomodate aliens, zone-creatures, or whatever
you two are.  Ya might be able to bunk wi't one of m'soldiers."  Kodos
waved a meaty hand at his troops.  "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have more 
important things ta do."
	Kodos walked off, leaving behind two very confused humans.

	They did indeed find soldiers to "bunk" with, after a long drawn 
out afternoon.  It took quite a while to find two soldiers as nonchalant 
about humans as Kodos, and who were accomodating enough to share their
tents.
	The next morning, the army packed up and started to march.
Julian, though still very sleepy from the early wake up, marched alongside
Kodos and pumped the large man for information.
	He found out that he was on the planet Mobius, and that none of
the people there had heard of Earth.  He learned about the Great War,
actually a civil war between the Greater Mobian Continent - where they
were at that point - and the Lesser Mobian Continent in the other
hemisphere, and the religion of the "Ancient Walkers", a religion that
Kodos didn't believe in personally.
	During the informal "interogation", Kodos looked down at Julian 
and suddenly said, "What do you do?"
	Julian was confused.  "What do you mean?"
	"I mean, 'what do you do?'  Where do YOU come from?"
	"Oh."
	Julian told Kodos about Earth, his thesis on robtics and the 
trouble it caused him with the Bio-Purists, his alliance with Dr. Robert 
Post, the attack by the Luan-Tech Terrorists, and his subsequent journey 
to Mobius.
	"Robots, huh?" said Kodos.  "I could use some'a those.  We've 
been takin' too many casualties lately in this damned war."
	Julian had a sudden, wicked thought.
	"My dear Kodos, how would you like to make a deal?"

	Julian's plan was simple.  He would use his knowledge of robotics
to create metallic soldiers for use in the Great War, and Kodos would
teach him everything he knew about warfare.
	Kodos thought it would be a good deal.	He saw in Julian
Roboninski a sharp analytical mind, a trait in all good army officers, and
also saw in him a kindred spirit.  He felt the need to mold the human into
another version of himself.
	And so, Kodos took Julian's offer to King Acorn.

	"You're quite right," said the King.  "There have been far too 
many deaths due to this damnable war.  And at the way things are going at 
present, I fear that the tide has turned against us.  I have already had
the city and the castle evacutated of all non-essential personnel and
families who cannot leave for various reasons.
	"This Julian may hold the key to our victory."
	"That is my belief, sire," said Kodos.
	"And all he asks for in return is to learn the art of warfare from
you?"
	"That's right."
	King Acorn tugged on his mustache, a habit that he had when he 
was thinking about something.
	He turned to Kodos and said, "Very well.  If you are willing to
teach him, then tell him to meet with Sir Charles Hedgehog in his
laboratory."
	"Yes, sire.  I'll take him there myself."
	"Good.  You are dismissed."
	Kodos stood up straight, saluted, and left the throne room.
	The King amazed Kodos sometimes.  Even though Acorn was tall for 
a Mobian, especially of the squirrel race, Kodos was tall for just about 
any Mobian.  The Warlord was a lion, a race that generally grew to be 
about five to six feet, and he was larger than most lions.  Still, the 
King was able to make his presence felt over Kodos', something that 
irritated the Warlord almost to no end.
	"This way, Julian," he said when he found the human in the 
courtyard of Acorn Castle.  "The King has given his okay.  I'm s'posed ta 
take you to Chuck Hedgehog's lab.  C'mon."

	Once they were in the lab, Kodos left, mumbling something about 
needing to train some new recruits.
	"Hello," said a blue hedgehog with a bushy white moustache and
eyebrows.  "My name's Charles, but you can call me 'Chuck.'  Everyone else
does."
	Chuck's straight-forwardness and looks reminded Julian of his old 
partner, Robert "Bob" Post.  He shook Chuck's hand and said, "Julian 
Roboninski.  I guess we'll be working together."
	"Yes, the wire just came down from the King.  Said you wanted to 
do some robotics work."
	"Yes.  I would like to make a robot that will help the kingdom in 
the war."
	"Well, you came to the right place!  Right this way, . . ."
	Chuck's laboratory was humungous, and every bit of it was crammed
with equipment and assisstants working on this and that.  The main piece
of equipment seemed to be a large glass tube with large gizmos at both
ends.  When Julian asked about it, Chuck's face lit up.
	"That is my pride and joy," he said.  "I'm calling it a
'cyber-vitalizer' for now.  I'm still working the kinks out, but it's
going to be used to replace an injured body part with a metallic 
counterpart using the body's own metals as well as a dose of metal 
shavings stored in the machine.  I'm still working on finding out how the
metal will be reformed without causing too much pain to the recipitant.
It might be ready for a test run in a few weeks.  Would you like to see it
when it's  ready?"
	"Oh, yes.  It sounds . . . very interesting."  Julian nodded.  In
the back of his head, more ideas were forming.

	Julian spent nights learning from Warlord Kodos, and days working 
with Chuck.  He was able to bring in his new war knowledge to program the 
"brains" of his and Chuck's robots.
	Snively did most of the actual programming, with input coming from
Julian and his warfare lessons.
	The new 'bots were called SWATbots:  Special Weaponry Aligned 
Trooper robots.  Their programming enabled them to pick up an unfamiliar 
weapon and learn how to use it within minutes, be it a laser or projectile
firearm.
	The only problem the SWATbots had was with hand to hand combat.  
Because they had to be mass produced to replace Mobian troops, they had 
very weak structures and could be snapped apart with minimal pressure.
	Fortunately, they didn't need to fight hand to hand.  The SWATbots 
were adept enough at shooting battles to be effective.  Soon, the tide of
the war turned back in favor of the Acorn Kingdom.
	After the mass production of the SWATbots began, Chuck left to 
continue his work on the cyber-vitalizer, and Julian began to learn under 
Warlord Kodos full time.  Snively continued to watch over the SWATbots to 
troubleshoot their software when they broke down in the field.

	"This had better be good, Ixis," Kodos growled.  "I was in the
middle of a training session with Julian when I got'cher message."
	"Oh, it's good alright," said the Minister of Science.  "Very 
good, indeed."  He waddled over to a row of controls on the wall of his 
lab and pushed a button.  "You may want to start squinting."
	A panel slowly slid open in the wall before Kodos.  It revealed a
multicolored swirl of light that was almost unbearable after standing in
the dark laboratory for even a short while.
	"Yeah, so?" said Kodos.  "Looks like just another zone portal ta 
me.  Me and m'troops run into 'em all the time out'n the field."
	Zones were pocket realities that occured naturally on Mobius, 
seemingly from the large amount of magic power that encircled their world.
Portals to these realities appeared all over the planet, sometimes
completely without warning.  While some were known to have stayed open for
centuries, the majority of them would come and go as they pleased.
	Ixis cackled.  "Yes, I know.  We've been able to develop 
artificial ones, too, but they're only temporary - more fleeting than
even their flighty natural cousins. They may last a day or two at the
most, but THIS - THIS is a pinnacle of technology!  A PERMANENT artificial
zone!"
	Kodos raised an eyebrow.  "Alright.  I'm mildly impressed.  What's
it for?"
	Ixis pulled his chimpanzee body from its hunched position to his
full height, almost as tall as Kodos.  "First, I'm going to have to ask
you some questions."
	"Okay, shoot."
	"How strong is your loyalty to the King?"
	"Boy, you get straight to th'point, don't ya, Ix?"  Kodos grunted.
"Huh.  I never really thought about it, so I'm either a mindless fanatic
or just plain don't care.  But that's politics.  Personally, I can hardly
stand the man."
	"That's what I thought," said Ixis as he nodded and hunched over 
again.  "Now, what would you say if I told you we could elevate ourselves 
to the King's level?"
	"Cut the bull, Ix.  Are you proposin' we KILL the King?"
	The Minister of Science chuckled.  The Warlord wasn't as stupid 
as he looked.  "I'm not proposing ANYthing, Kodos.  I'm just asking 
harmless questions.  But if that's the way you wish to take it," he waved 
his hand in the air, "go ahead."
	"Your 'questions' aren't all that harmless, monkey.  You know that
I could run you in for leanings toward treason?"
	" . . . . . Yes."
	Kodos stepped forward with a grimace on his face.  He grabbed 
Ixis' shoulders and -
	- broke out into a huge, snarling grin.
	"You might not be such a waste of skin after all, Ix."

	When Julian walked down the hallways of Acorn Castle, his
prescence was definitely felt by those around him.
	Of all the Mobian races, few were very tall.  Most of them were, 
at most, four feet in height.  Julian, at 5' 6", seemed like a giant to
them.  Also, there was the fact that palace life had spoiled him.  He had
been slightly overweight even before leaving Earth, but now he oozed with 
fat.  His trundling figure could be spotted by a Mobian miles away.
	Today, Julian was walking away from his latest session with Kodos.
The Warlord had seemed rather distracted today, and had been that way ever
since his talk with Ixis the inventor yesterday.  Julian, curious as to
why, was heading for the Minister of Science's lab.
	On the way, he bumped into Snively.
	"Hello, Snively."
	"Hello, doctor."
	"If you're not too busy, 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, anyway.  Maybe now I'll get my chance."
	They walked down the hallway, side by side.
	"How's life been treating you here?" asked Julian.
	"Oh, 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."
	"Good."  Julian noticed that Snively's hair, so thick and 
lustrous before, was thinning.  He felt little sympathy, though, 
considering his own bald plate.
	"I see you had some cybernetic work done," commented Snively.
	Julian's hand went up to his ears.  "Yes, I had my ears and eyes 
replaced with audio and visual transcievers so I can be in contant 
communication with the SWATbot troops."
	"So you know about the problems we've been having."
	"Yes.  I- oh, here we are."  He raised a gloved fist and knocked 
on the door  standing before them.  A thin voice beckoned them in.
	Julian and snively stepped in and closed the door behind them.
Ixis stood in the middle of his dark lab.
	"Why, hello, Julian," he said.  "Welcome to my humble laboratory.
What brings you and your friend down here?"
	"I was wondering," said Julian, "what you and Warlord Kodos talked
about yesterday."
	Ixis smiled.  "I COULD tell you," he said, "but first, I have to
ask you a few questions, . . ."

	"What's this about, Ix?" asked Kodos.  He was standing in the 
lab, impatiently tapping his heavy foot.
	"Oh, nothing, really," said Ixis.  "Just something I want you to 
do, and someone I want you to meet."
	Kodos' eyes narrowed.  He had expected some kind of trap from 
Ixis, but didn't think it would come THIS early in the game.  The two of
them had allied themselves only a few short days ago.  He decided to play
along for the moment, however.
	"What and who?" he asked.
	"First, I want you to stand right there."  He directed Kodos to a 
spot two feet from the inner wall.  "And now, I want you to meet my new 
partner."
	From the shadows stepped a huge, mustached form that Kodos 
recognized immedietly.
	"No, . . . "
	"YES!" exclaimed Julian.  "You were SUCH a good teacher, Kodos.  
But someone else, an old friend of mine back on Earth, taught me a much
more valuable lesson than anything I learned under your tutelage, and
that was to NEVER underestimate the power of a sneak attack!  It WAS you,
however, who taught me to learn from my mistakes.  It's relly too bad," he
continued as he pressed a button on the lab's main control panel, "that
YOU won't learn from this one!"
	The doorway to the "Zone of Silence", as Ixis called his 
permanant zone, opened up.  Kodos, standing right in front of it, was 
rooted to the sopt, unable to get away.  He started cursing, and 
continued to do so until he was sucked into the zone portal.
	His last words before the door closed were, "I'LL GET YOU IF IT'S 
THE LAST THING I- "
	Julian straightened his uniform.  "Well, that was fun," he said.
	"Yes, it was," said Ixis happily.  "Now-"
	"And this is going to be even better," Julian interrupted.  Ixis 
looked quizically at him, then gaped in horror as four SWATbots walked in.
	"You didn't think that these ears were just for decoration, did 
you?" laughed Julian.  He pressed a button.  The Zone of Silence opened, 
then closed again.

	Ixis felt the disorentation he had only read about in zone 
transferance before.  When reality stopped twirling around him, he 
screamed in terror when he saw Kodos' menacing, growling face looming 
over him.
	The last thing the chimpanzee felt was the bones in his neck 
grating their broken ends together.

	"Due to the sudden disappearance of both Warlord Ferris Kodos and 
Minister of Science Ixis Agonisto, we have called a special meeting of 
the Royal Court to appoint their replacements."
	The court reporter finished his short speech sat down as King
Acorn stood up.
	"Doctor Julian Ivan Roboninski and Sir Charles Gregory Hedgehog, 
please step forward," he said.  The human and Mobian stood and looked up
at the King.  "Sir Charles, because you were to become Minister of Science
after Ixis' retirement anyway, I appoint you temporary holder of that
office.  Doctor Julian, because you were learning at a rapid rate under
Kodos' teachings, and were able to show the fruits of your knowledge in
the programming of the SWATbots, I appoint you temporary holder of the
office of Warlord.
	"I expect both of you to uphold these offices in the highest 
possible regard until permanant replacements are found, or until you 
yourselves are named the permanant replacements.
	"Do you accept all of these terms?"
	"Yes, Your Majesty," they said in unison.
	"Thank you.  Now, is there any other business today?  No?  Then I 
call this meeting of the Royal Court adjourned.  Good day, ladies and 
gentlemen."
	As everyone else filed out, Julian caught Chuck's attention.
	"Yes, Julian?"
	"I hear," said the human, "that your cyber-vitalizer is near 
completion.  Is it ready for its test run yet?  I'm quite eager to see it."
	"Oh, not quite yet, Julian.  Maybe in a day or two it will be, but-"
	Just then, a harried messenger ran up to them and whispered 
frantically in Chuck's ear.  Chuck nodded a few times, and Julian watched 
as the hedgehog's face fell.  The messenger left, leaving behind a sad 
looking Mobian.
	"E-excuse me, Julian, but I have some . . . personal business to 
attend to," he said.
	"I understand, Chuck.  We'll talk to you when you're feeling
better."
	"Thank you."
	Julian smiled evilly behind Chuck's back as the hedgehog left.  
His plans were coming to a head.  He knew exactly how far ahead Chuck was 
on his cyber-vitalizer, even knew that it was no longer called that 
anymore, and had personally seen to it that Chuck's "personal business" 
had happened.

	Bill Hedgehog was in no condition to be doing what he was doing, 
which was standing in a glass tube in the middle of the night, waiting 
for his brother Chuck to perform an experimental process on him.
	Bill was a soldier for the Acorn Kingdom army, and had been one 
of the last batch to be called back in for replacement by SWATbots.  
Unfortunatly for Bill, the call back had been too late.  He had been 
involved in a bombing incident that injured him fatally.
	He had a slashed up eye, a broken leg, a broken arm, a plethora 
of cuts and bruises, and massive internal bleeding.
	Chuck had decided to use his new process, called "roboticization" 
now, to try and save his brother.  He had carried the broken and bleeding 
Bill to his laboratory from the hospital in the middle of the night.
	Chuck activated the roboticizer.  There was a thin whine as the 
energies that reformed the metal used in the process filled the glass 
tube.  The energies used Bill's natural metals, like iron and aluminum 
salts in his blood, combined with metal shavings that flooded into the 
chamber, to reform his injured body parts into stronger, healthier 
robotic ones.
	Steam filled the chamber, then it emptied out as Chuck activated 
the tube's sliding mechanism.  When the steam cleared, Chuck gasped in 
shock.
	"For the love of Mobius, NO!"
	His brother was, instead of having prosthetic robotic parts, a 
complete robot.  He ran back down to his insturments and scanned Bill.  
Another gasp escaped Chuck's throat.
	"The roboticization process has worked all too well!" he said to 
himself.  "Now my brother is just a - a MINDLESS MACHINE!"
	Chuck felt a surge of anger pour into him.  His hands opened and 
closed in convulsive movements.  In a pure red haze, he reached over to 
one of the tables in the lab and picked up a wrench.
	The next thing he knew, the control console for the roboticizer 
was nothing but scrap, pounded into junk.  Chuck dropped the wrench and 
stormed out of the lab.
	Bill stared straight ahead, unable to do anything, even think for 
himself.  He continued to stare as a fat figure stepped into his line of 
vision.  The fat figure was dressed in the clothes of a Warlord.
	Slowly, the figure started to laugh.  At first, it was merely a 
chuckle, but it soon degenerated into hysterical, evil, foreboding cackling.

	The war was over.  The long, drawn out ordeal had finally ended, 
with the Acorn Kingdom the victor, all thanks to the SWATbots.
	The day after the victory, Julian met with King Acorn to talk 
about dismantling the army, both SWATbot and Mobian.  He tried to 
convince the King that it was no longer needed since the entire planet of 
Mobius was once again under his benevolent rule.
	At first, the King seemed resistant to the idea, but he finally 
decided to take the matter to the Royal Court for their descision.
	It was during this talk that Julian "learned" about Chuck's
resignation as temporary Minister of Science, and everything else, as
well.  The poor man, who had been knighted and looked to be the next 
permanant Minister, had quit and become, of all things, a chili dog cook.
Julian had to use all of his acting skills to keep from laughing out loud.
	All of the families, King Acorn had said, were back in
Mobotropolis and the castle.  Chuck's nephew, who was treated like his
son, had been allowed to stay at the castle with the friends he had made
while living there with his uncle.  Acorn smilingly warned Julian to watch
out for blue streaks in the hall.
	This confused Julian until he actually met Sonic T. Hedgehog a 
few days later.

	Julian almost fell over as something ran by his feet.  He couldn't
tell what it was, because it moved far too fast for him to see.  He was
able to catch himself just before toppling over.
	To his complete amazement, a small, blue hedgehog appeared in 
front of him in a blur of speed.
	"Sorry, sir," said the hedgehog.  Then he blasted off in a burst 
of wind.
	"Mymymy," said Julian to himself.  "That could be a problem."  
With dark thoughts on his mind, he continued on his search for the king.

	Sonic T. Hedgehog was fast.
	He had been since birth, and he reveled in it.  His Uncle Chuck 
had tried to explain it to him once - something about an  ultra-
kinetsomething aura that went all around his body - but all he cared 
about was that he could do it.
	"TA-DA!" he yelled when he stopped in front of Sally Acorn, his 
best friend.
	"Ta-da, what?" asked Sally haughtily.
	"Whadda ya mean, 'ta-da, what'?" demanded Sonic.  "'I'm the 
fastest thing alive, ta-da!'"
	"Oh, no you're not!" Sally protested.  "It took you a whole 
twenty seconds to run through the entire castle!"
	"Sez who?"
	"I say!"
	"YOU say?"
	"Yeah!  I DO!"
	Sonic and Sally were startled by hands laying themselves on their 
shoulders.  They jumped and looked up to see Sally's father, King Acorn, 
standing over them.
	"What seems to be the problem, children?" he asked.
	"Nothing important, Daddy!" said Sally.
	"Nossir!  We were just having fun!" said Sonic.
	King Acorn smiled and stood up straight.  He smiled and said, "I see!"
	"I hate to interrupt, King Acorn," said a voice, "but I've 
matters of urgent importance to discuss."
	The King turned towards the voice.  "Ah, Warlord Julian," he 
said.  "I've been looking for you!"  He waved his hand at Sonic and  Sally.  
"Run along, children.  We'll settle this later."
	Sonic and Sally nodded and ran off.  Sonic yelled, "Come on, Sal! 
Last one to the treehouse is a rotten chili dog!"
	Julian watched them go, concentrating on the hedgehog that had
tried to mow him down not but a few minutes ago.  The King had called him
"Sonic" before.  He'd have to remember that name.
	"We've a reception tonight, Julian."
	Julian's concentration was brought back to the King.  "A
reception, sire?"
	"Yes.  I'm announcing your new appointment as the Minister of 
Science, in light of Sir Charles' resigning.  I've also approved your
plans for dismantling the military.  You can begin implementation at once,
your last act as Warlord."
	"Of course, sire."
	"One more thing," the King continued.  "It's important that the 
transition proceed immediately!  I'm confident you're more than up to the 
task, Julian."
	"Better than you know, sire."
	"Very good.  I'll see you tonight, then."
	As soon as King Acorn was gone, Snively stepped up behind Julian.
	"Alert the troops to be ready for my signal, Snively."
	"Just say the word, sir."

	That night, Julian prepared for the reception.  He looked at his 
new suit laying on the bed.
	It was mostly red, with two beige lines - meeting in a circle -
running down the middle of the chest and across the waist.  It had metal
shoulder guards, a high colloar, and a yellow cape.
	After donning it, he located Snively.
	"The word," he said, "is given, Snively.  Commence attack --
	" -- NOW!"

	Sonic and Sally were in bed when they heard the bombing.  He was 
outside her bedroom door by the time she was coming out.
	"Sal!" he exclaimed.  "It's like the war is starting up again!  
But I've never seen soldiers like these!"
	"Like what, Sonic?"
	"C'mon!"  He grabbed her wrist and ran with her to a balcony 
overlooking the castle courtyard.  A squad of robots were swarming in, 
apprehending every Mobian they could find.
	"They're SWATbots," said Sally, breathlessly.  "Dad told me about 
them!  They're supposed to be on OUR side, though!"
	Just then, Julayla, Sally's teacher and mentor, ran up to the two 
children.  She, too, had just woken up, so was dressed in a robe.
	"What do they want, Julayla?" asked Sally, tears in her eyes.
	"I'm at a loss to explain this," said Julayla in her soft voice.  
"I think it better we return to the palace and find Rosie, my dear!"  
They moved off to find the children's nanny.  "I'm sure that King Acorn 
is quite aware of the situation."

	"JULIAN!" roared King Acorn furiously.  "WHAT is going ON here?"
	He and the Royal Court were watching as Julian and a squad of 
SWATbots marched into the ballroom through the hole blown in the wall.
The 'bots quickly and effeciently took the Court members prisoner.
	"You Majesty, members of the Royal Court, . . . I'VE now assumed 
command.  Henceforth, Mobotropolis is ROBOTROPOLIS, the capital of MY 
kingdom!  My army of SWATbots have struck simultaneously at various 
points throughout the kingdom, virtually halting any chance of resistance!"
	Four SWATbots surrounded King Acorn.
	"That COULD change, however," said Julian, "if the subjects were 
to rally around the King and Crown!"

	"Give it up, Julian!  You can't succeed!"
	The King's voice caught Julayla's ear.
	"This way," she whispered to Antoine, the latest child she had found.  
She had been unable to find his father, Xavier, anywhere, though.  The 
two of them emerged onto a balcony that hung over the royal courtroom just 
in time to watch Julian as he started yelling.
	"THE NAME IS NO LONGER JULIAN!" he screamed.  "From this day forward, 
I am ROBOTNIK!"
	He twirled around and pointed at the King.  "As for you, 'King'
Acorn," he said, "I hereby banish you to the Zone of Silence . . . FOREVER!"
	"Oh, my," said Julayla under her breath.  She had heard a little
about that zone, and knew that it was nowhere for anyone to be.  She
grabbed the wide-eyed Antoine and ran through the hallways until she 
finally reached the broom closet where the other children were hiding.
	"Change of plans, children," she said.  "Come with me."  She led
them in search of General Xavier DeCoolette, the only person, other than the
King, who knew the location of the secret village of Knothole.

	Xavier, in the meantime, was busy.
	Just before the war had ended, he had convinced the King that a 
Rebel Underground should be kept up, just in case the Acorn Kingdom was 
attacked again.  After getting permission, he built Knothole Village in
the Great Forest in a location known only by him and the King.  The 
knowledge of the village's existence itself was closely held between King 
Acorn, Xavier, Julayla, Rosie, and the Royal Court.
	Julayla and Rosie had been told because, in the state of an 
emergency, they were to find all the children they could, find Xavier or 
the King and ask them for the location, then take the children there.
	When the SWATbots attacked, Xavier started his search for the 
King, Julayla, or Rosie.  What he found instead was a troop of 'bots.  He 
had put up a good fight, but they still took him prisoner.
	"Let me go, you buckeets of bolts!" he yelled as he thrashed.
	He knew approximately where they were goin by the direction they
were headed, but he couldn't figure out why they were carrying him to the
laboratories.  They took him into Sir Charles Hedgehog's lab, then stood
him up on a platform.
	Julayla and a small group of children burst in at that moment.  
Not wasting a moment, Xavier started yelling out gibberish.
	"Savage cyclids!" he yelled.  "Mockingbirds in the wooden water!  
Atomic green long-range toasters!"
	The SWATbots didn't understand a word he was saying, and ignored
it, but Julayla recognized the code as the directions to Knothole.
	Just then, laser fire came from the hallway.
	The only one who didn't look in that direction was Antoine, who 
watched helplessly as his father threw his general's uniform to him, 
seconds before the glass tube slid down and Xavier DeCoolette was 
roboticized.

	Charlie Lynx was the Head Computer Technician, a position
equatable to Warlord or Minister of Science, and proud of his job.  His 
main pride and joy was the NCL-20986 MAT system, informally named
"Nicole."
	Nicole was a massive supercomputer that ran the entire automated 
network in the castle and stored information from all over the world,
including the ultra-confidential Royal Archives.  One of her more
prominent features, however, was her ability to squeeze down into a
palm-sized minicomputer housing without giving up her computing power,
hard drive space, or speed.
	This was what Charlie was busy doing now.  Since it seemed that 
the castle's downfall was imminent, he had the job of making sure Nicole 
didn't fall into enemy hands.
	"C'mon, c'mon, baby, c'mon," he mumbled.  Finally, a green light 
blinked on, prompting Charlie to pull the palmtop Nicole from the now
burnt-out main housing.
	"Nicole?"
	"Working, Charlie," Nicole's pleasant female voice said.
	"Good," he said, then turned and ran.
	He was running down the halls of the castle when five SWATbots 
turned a corner behind him and started firing.  Up ahead, he saw Julayla 
and a group of children at a doorway.
	"Julie!" he yelled.  "Catch!"  He threw Nicole to her just before 
SWATbot lasers tore through his body.
	Charlie Lynx, Head Computer Technician, knew nothing more.

	The bottom of Sonic's mind seemed to drop out.  The death of 
Charlie Lynx was too much for his young mind to handle without lashing
out.  Full instinct took over as he leaped, snarling, at the SWATbots.
Before Julayla was able to shout, the 'bots were only so much scrap metal.
	Sonic returned to the group just as Xavier's roboticization was 
completed.  He trashed the 'bots in there too.
	Julayla, too shocked to do anything else, guided the children out 
towards the secret tunnels to Knothole.  She looked apprehensively at 
Sonic when he returned to the group, and wondered just how strong of a 
warrior he would become as he aged under this new war.
	As they left, they just missed a squad of SWATbots entering the 
lab to clear it for the entrance of Robotnik, King Acorn, and the Royal 
Court.

	"If you would just listen to me, there wouldn't be any of this!"
yelled King Acorn.  "Have you no honor, Julian?  No sense of
responsibility or loyalty?"
	They were standing in Chuck's lab now, for reasons King Acorn 
couldn't fathom.  The Royal Court had been taken somewhere earlier, and he
wondered if this could be it.  It still made no sense, though . . .
	"Oh, but I do, King Acorn!" He said.  "I have a responsibility to 
restore order from chaos!"  He motioned to Snively, who was waiting at a 
curtain, to pull the drapes aside.  Behind them stood the Royal Court 
members standing in line in front of a glass tube on a platform.
	"And with the aid of my greatest discovery, I have the means to 
carry out my plans!"
	The glass tube slid upward and a SWATbot prodded Sir Harold 
Bobcat onto the platform.
	"Behold my roboticizer," said Robotnik as he signaled its activation.
	A few seconds later, a Harold Bobcat shaped robot stepped off of 
the platform.
	"Isn't it wonderful?" Robotnik asked.  "Able to transform any 
living creature into a programmed metal automaton, free to obey MY orders 
only!"
	Two more Court members were put through.  They lined up behind 
the Harold-bot.
	"Look at them!  Lining up in assembly line fashion - emerging as 
the ultimate product of my new world order!"
	King Acorn was flabbergasted.  "This is monstorous!"
	Robotnik twirled around.  "That depends on your point of view!  
In MY version, YOU are the enemy, and must be eliminated for the good of 
all!"
	He walked out of the lab, and the SWATbots dragged the King 
behind him.
	"No matter how long it takes," the King yelled, "Somehow I well 
stop you, Julian!"
	"Courageous words, sir," said Robotnik over his shoulder, "but 
where YOU'RE going, that won't be possible!  Ah, here we are!"
	They had arrived at Ixis' lab, which hadn't been too far from Chuck's.
	"Open the portal!" Robotnik commanded as soon as they were 
inside.  The doors slid open, revealing the multicolor vortez.  "May I 
present," he continued, "the Zone of Silence!  Impressive, isn't it?"  He 
chuckled.  "Be sure to give Ixis, its inventor, and Kodos, your former 
Warlord, my regards!  A safe journey, my once and former King!"
	The SWATbots threw the King in.  His last words before
disappearing were, "I'll get you, Julian!"
	Robotnik merely laughed.
	"Long live the King!"

	King Acorn stood up and shook his head.
	"Wh-where am I?"
	He found himself on a chunk of floating rock, amidst a plethora 
of similar rocks.  The "sky" appeared to be multi-colored space, like a 
brightly lit night sky filled with polluting gases.
	"Nowhere you wanna be," said a voice behind him.  He turned to see-
	"Warlord Kodos!"
	"Yes, indeed, sire," Kodos answered as he tightened his grip on
the huge axe he held, "and as you can see, I'm in one MEAN mood!"
	Kodos raised the axe and bore down on the King.  Acorn barely 
dodged out of the way as Kodos split the rock he had previously been 
standing on in half.
	"You're quite a swinger!" exclaimed the King.  "Why don't we-"
	>>WHO DARES DISTURB FEIST IN HIS DEN?<<
	The two looked up to where the voice had come from.  There floated
a gigantic black and white bear-like creature.  Its eyes glowed bright
yellow, and it definitely did not appear happy.
	"I think," whispered Kodos, "we ought to table our disagreement 
for now, sire."
	King Acorn nodded, then turned to the enormous Feist.  "Now, see here-"
	>>SILENCE!<< boomed Feist.  >>YOU WILL SPEAK ONLY WHEN SPOKEN TO!<<
	Kodos suddenly sprang forward and yelled, "And YOU would do well 
to respect that which could hurt you!"
	Acorn yelled Kodos' name, but it was too late.  Feist evaporated 
the Warlord with a blast from his five foot wide eyes.
	>>NOW,<< said Feist, >>TO GET RID OF THAT *OTHER* GNAT!<<
	King Acorn tensed and closed his eyes, preparing for the blast 
that would strike him down.  After a few seconds of nothing, he looked up 
to a stranger sight than Feist himself.
	Out of Feist's left eye, an arm was protruding.  Feist did not 
appear to be in pain, but had a comical looking expression of suprise on 
his face, instead.  He rose a hand up to his face, but just before it got 
there, two feet smashed out of the roof of his mouth and tore the 
gargantuan's lower jaw off.
	Feist's expression - what was left of it - changed from one of 
suprise back to one of anger.  His hand continued its journey.
	Another arm came out of Feist's right eye and grabbed his hand, 
pulling it into the brain case.
	Acorn stood disbelievingly.  "What in hell just-"
	Feist's head exploded.  King Acorn turned his head.  When he 
looked back, a gray humanoid robot covered with blades, projectile 
weapons, and lasers was floating there.
	"**Designate:  Feist Adrexalephanpathon neutralized.  Objective 
9C realized.**"  The robot looked down at the King.  "**Designate:  James 
Milton Acorn, surrender and you shall not be harmed.**"
	"What-What assurance do I have that you won't KILL me instead of 
hurting me?"
	The robot cocked its head to the side, then said, "**There is
none.**"
	"That's what I thought."
	King Acorn started jumping from rock to rock, trying to get away.

	TARGET:  DESIGNATE:  JAMES MILTON ACORN ESCAPING.
	CONNECTING:  MAIN COLLECTIVE|CONNECTED.
	ORDERS:  ELIMINATE DESIGNATE:  J.M.A.
	TARGETING [RANGE: ?X2 M|(X,Y,Z),(X,Y,Z)]
	UNABLE TO MAKE CLEAR SHOT|DESIGNATE:  J.M.A. SKILLED IN EVASIVE 
MANEUVERS.
	COMPENSATION:  TAKE BEST SHOT.
	TARGETING [?]
	FIRING.
	TARGET STRUCK|NON-LETHAL|GLANCING HEAD SHOT.
	DESIGNATE:  J.M.A. UNCONSCIOUS.
	INITIATING BRAIN WAVE SCAN.
	SCAN COMPLETE|BRAIN WAVES MATCH AMNESIA CASES.
	ORDERS:  IGNORE DESIGNATE:  J.M.A.|NO LONGER POSES A THREAT.
	OBJECTIVE A10 REALIZED.
	ATTEMPTING EXIT OF AREA DESIGNATE:  ZONE OF SILENCE TO AREA 
DESIGNATE:  MOBIUS.
	-------------------------------------------------------------
	ERROR|ERROR|ERROR.
	UNABLE TO OPEN ZONE PORAL AT IMMEDIATE TIME.
	ORDERS:  KEEP TRYING.
	ESTIMATED TIME TO BREAK THROUGH:  10 STANDARD MOBIAN YEARS.

	Ten years later, the Chaotic Collective, destructive killer 
"robots", resurfaced in Robotnik's command tower.

	THE ORIGIN

		Roland Lowery
			

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