Gerald Robotnik pinches the bridge of his nose in frustration. He can't give up yet, he just can't. He would never forgive himself if he did, Maria is counting on him.
But what more can he do? The scientific community didn't blame him for using his funding to save his granddaughter, but they couldn't afford to give him any more. He's out of options.
"Grandpa?"
Gerald turns in his chair to see Maria standing there. She is barely six years old as she stares at her near-defeated grandfather. She has some genetic disease that hasn't ever been seen before, and so there is no clear way of treating her, let alone curing her. The world's best doctors had told him that she wasn't likely to see twenty years of age.
"Yes, what is it dear?"
"There's a weird man at the door, and he's got a badge."
Gerald furrows his eyebrows, the police? He hasn't broken any laws, though he supposes he might be at that point soon. He stands up, and follows Maria to the living-room where a red-haired man in a suit stands. He smiles when Gerald walked in, "Ah, Dr. Robotnik, I presume?"
Gerald nods, "Yes, and you are?"
The red-haired man extends a hand, "I'm Michael Huff, it's a pleasure to meet you."
Gerald shakes Michael's hand, and then gestures for him to have a seat. Michael sits on the couch, and Gerald takes a seat in his favorite armchair.
"My granddaughter told me that you showed her a badge?" Gerald raises an eyebrow curiously as Maria climbs into his lap.
"Ah, yes," Michael pulls a badge out of his pocket, and shows it to Gerald.
He inspects it closely, "GUN? I've heard of you, I think."
Michael nods, "I can't say that I'm surprised, what with being a scientist of your standing. We're a top-secret military unit working to keep the world at large a safe place. We also handle some of the greatest scientific developments of our time."
At this Michael leans forward, puts his elbows on his knees, and steeples his fingers. "Dr. Robotnik, I believe you've heard of a recent project that is being planned? It's called, "ARK."
Three Years Later...
"It is done, Doctor." Black Doom hovers behind Gerald, sounding pleased. Gerald is happy as well, in the life-capsule in front of him floats a marvel of modern science. The black hedgehog with red stripes in his quills looks so peaceful in his slumber.
"When will you be able to wake him?" Black Doom crosses his arms.
"I could do it now, but I want to make sure that he is in perfect condition first." Gerald picks up a hand-held scanner, and carefully runs the wide beam over the unconscious hedgehog. A computer in the corner of the room beeps at him. After staring at the screen, and pressing a few quick keys the screen lights up green.
"It is perfectly safe," Gerald announces, walking back over to Black Doom.
"Was that really necessary?" Black Doom narrows his three eyes at the doctor.
"If I hadn't he may have died the moment we opened the pod. Now we know that there is no chance of that." Gerald walks to the side of the life-capsule, hand hovering over a palm-scanner. He, and Black Doom nod to each other, and then Gerald presses his hand to the scanner. There is a loud mechanical whirring sound as the pod is set vertically. The fluid inside slowly drains out, and air pumps into it before the glass is opened.
The ebony hedgehog opens crimson colored eyes, and slowly takes in the scene around him. Gerald helps him to step out of the pod, "Welcome to life, little one."
The hedgehog glances between Black Doom, and Gerald, "Who are you?"
"I'm Dr. Gerald Robotnik, your creator, and this my associate, Black Doom."
Black Doom hovers towards them, and stares down at the smaller figure, "It is a pleasure to meet you at last... Shadow."
Shadow frowns slightly, and then grins, pleased with his name. Black Doom turns to Gerald, "I hope you will remember your promise, doctor."
"I cannot thank you enough, Black Doom."
With a nod, Black Doom fades away. Shadow raises a single eyebrow at the doctor, "Promise?"
"Nothing that you need to concern yourself with just yet, Shadow." Gerald walks to the laboratory door, "Now please follow me, there's someone I would like you to meet."
Shadow follows the doctor to the observation deck, where Maria stands looking out the massive window at the earth below. She turns when she hears their approaching footsteps, and smiles. Now nine years old she's about as tall as Shadow as she she steps up to hug her dad.
"Shadow," he says. "I would like you to meet my granddaughter, Maria."
Four Years Later...
Gerald pounds his fists onto the lab table, making everything on it clatter in protest.
"Impossible..." He had been so sure that it work! The Black Arms were immune to all manner of diseases, and Shadow had proved the same thus far. Gerald had subtly exposed Shadow to all manner of viruses, and bacteria. The result were not even a runny nose, Shadow can't get sick! Yet every cure he has made by using Shadow's DNA has proved useless to Maria's blood samples.
"Where did I go wrong?!" The horrified whisper escapes him as Gerald looks up at the pictures on his desk across the room. One was of him sitting in a chair with Maria standing behind him with a smile. The second was of Gerald, Maria, and Shadow on the observation deck. Shadow has his arms crossed, a small grin on his face. Maria stands behind Shadow, her hands on his shoulders. Gerald stands next to them, hands in his pockets.
"She's counting on me... I can't give up!"
And then it hits him, perhaps he had simply based his research off of the wrong subject. He, and Black Doom had tried so many different species other than humans, but found that only hedgehogs were capable of sustaining the power of the Black Arms. Even then, Shadow still needs to wear inhibitor rings to stop the power from destroying himself. Gerald had been sure that a hybrid that was half human would have proven to have better results, but Black Doom had refused to do that.
Gerald rubs his chin in thought, so if he can't change the species... then what about the gender? It could be possible that Shadow's Y chromosome could be interfering with a cure intended for a girl. It could be worth looking into, but it won't be as easy as simply removing Shadow's Y chromosome from the samples he has on hand. No, he'll need samples from a body like Shadow's that has naturally omitted the Y chromosome. Last time he had needed Black Doom's DNA to create the Ultimate Life-Form, but with the Black Comet still decades away from returning Gerald will have to make do.
For the next few months he works in secret to clone Shadow, but this time he would create a female hedgehog. At times he can tell that some of the other scientists on the ARK were growing curious about his work, and so he creates the BioLizard to throw them off his trail. When the time comes to renew his contract with GUN, he sets to work building the Eclipse Cannon, claiming it to be weapon for the defense of earth. He had also done this with the intention of destroying the Black Comet, when Black Doom returned to claim the Chaos Emeralds. He won't allow all life on earth to pay for his selfishness.
And so another year passes, Maria is fourteen years old now, and growing up nicely. Shadow has been her constant companion, and has made life aboard the ARK bearable for the both of them. Gerald is growing short on time to find a cure, but he takes some comfort in knowing that Maria is happy. One day Maria, and Gerald are enjoying lunch in the Ark's garden. It resembles more of a small field on the edge of a small forest, but this is one of their favorite places on the ARK. Suddenly Shadow skates through the gates, and up to them, talking fast.
"Doctor, we've got trouble! GUN is here, and they're arresting everybody on the ARK!"
"What?!" Gerald quickly get to his feet with a little help from Maria. "Why?!"
"Someone found out about Black Doom, and they said that you were conspiring with him. I don't know how, but we've got to move, now!"
As they run, Maria looks at her father with fear in her eyes, "Black Doom?! Grandpa, what's going on?"
With labored breathing, Gerald explains as much as he can. He tells Maria about his deal with Black Doom; that in exchange for helping to create Shadow, Gerald would collect all seven Chaos Emeralds for Black Doom. Maria is so scared that she didn't have time to feel betrayed, and so they just keep running. Gerald is old, and well out of shape at that. Before too long he's beginning to fall behind.
"Shadow," the black, and red hedgehog turns his head to look at his creator. "Take Maria, and get to the escape pods as fast as you can. I'm just slowing you down, so hurry! I'll see you two again, I promise!"
After a minute Shadow nods, taking Maria by the hand, and pulling her on ahead. Maria casts a final mournful look at her father, and then disappears around a corner.
"Good," he says to himself. "At least she's being well cared for. Now I have to go look after the rest of our family." Gerald turns, and runs back to his laboratory, where the clone is being kept. He dashes inside, gasping for breath. He slaps a hand on a control panel, sealing the door closed.
"Ai," he calls out. "Move subject to the crash-vault, and seal it there."
"Yes, doctor." The robotic reply comes from unseen speakers as Gerald jogs over to a computer terminal. He opens the files on Project: "Shadow", and moves all information regarding the clone into a hidden terminal, the same terminal where Ai's memory is kept.
"Ai, I want you to listen to me very closely. The care-taking of the subject is your primary function from now on. I don't know what will happen after today, but keep her safe. I don't doubt that in nearly fifty years from now Black Doom will return for the Chaos Emeralds, and I'm hoping that we will be able to stop him. Keep the subject in stasis-sleep until either I return for her, or the Black Arms are dead. Am I understood, Ai?"
"Yes, doctor. Primary function reprogrammed, "Protect the Subject." Doctor, GUN agent are at the door, and attempting to break in. Orders?"
Gerald sighs, "Stand down, Ai, you can't let them know about you, or the subject until she is awakened. She is all that matters to you, understand?"
"Understood, Doctor." And with that, the door is blasted open. GUN agent grab Gerald, and cuff him. Pointing guns at his back, they escort him to their ship, and wait. Minutes later they depart, and head back to earth.
Days pass on Prison Island without indecent. One day, while Gerald is typing in his diary, the door to his cell opens, and Michael Huff comes in. Gerald raises his eyebrows when he sees how downcast Michael’s face looks. "Hello again, Dr. Robotnik," Michael takes a chair, and sits in it with the back in front of him. "You know, when I asked you to join us, this isn't what I had in mind."
Gerald furrows his eyebrows, "What's going on, Mr. Huff? You look like you've seen a ghost."
Michael manages a weak smile, "I'm about at that point, yeah." he closed his eyes, and takes a deep breath, "Gerald, I'm afraid I have some bad news..."
Gerald freezes with fear, "...no..." "It's about your granddaughter, she's-"
"No... It can't be!" Gerald starts shaking his head.
"... She's dead."
"NO!" Gerald shoots up out of his chair, and grabs Michael by his shoulders. "You're lying, you have to be!" Michael puts his hands on the doctor's, and pulls them off gently. "She was seen helping a being suspected of being your "Ultimate Life-Form" escape. She refused to stand down, and one of the agents shot her. The black, and red hedgehog was sent back to earth in an escape pod, but fell unconscious on impact. GUN found him, and kept him sedated long enough to put him in Cryostasis sleep. With what our sources tell us, it's the only thing that will keep him down without killing him."
Gerald can't hear him anymore, he can only see his darling Maria lying on the metal floor of the ARK, surrounded by a pool of her own blood. He can't even move for the longest time. Michael calls in a doctor who diagnoses Gerald with extreme shock.
With there being nothing they can do for him, they leave. Over the next few days Gerald mutely works on various projects with no clear purpose. The walls of his cell are covered with calculations, and he speaks to no one, choosing instead to write in his diary. A few days after that he is found collapsed in a heap in his cell. They take him to a hospital on the mainland, and the news is not good.
They claim the Gerald has simply lost the will to live. That, combined with his refusal to eat, means that in a few hours time Doctor Gerald Robotnik has died.
Shadow was not the only Ultimate Lifeform to be created, nor was the Biolizard. Several more attempts had been made, and after many years another has awoken, falling to Mobius.
