MECHA SONIC: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST                                                                                                            All SEGA Characters copyrighted by SEGA of America. Inc.Seven, Crusher, Mistress and Axl created by C. Gast; Mecha Sonicremade by C. Gast; DREAMTIME concept by C. GastMecha Sonic awoke with a terrible headache. He couldn't move, andhe had to keep his eyes closed because of the bright light rightabove him."Did he lose neural processing capacity?""No, brain functions stabilizing.  Another successful recapture.""Good. Get him in uniform and into processing.  He'll be readyfor the mines by tomorrow."He felt someone take off his rocket packs."What do we do with these? These are obvious contraband for bio-mechs.""Let Mistress have 'em.  Looks like we've got a rebel on ourhands.  No matter.  In a few days that fighting spirit will bebroken anyway."Mecha Sonic was picked up by two beings he couldn't identify. Hetried to stumble along as they drug him from where ever he was,but his body refused to cooperate."Save your strength, bio-mech, you'll need it for the mines."The two beings shoved him into a room and closed the door. Hefell to the ground, his still wobbly legs unable to support him. He crawled over to a bench and pulled himself up onto it."Welcome to the Blue Sky Mines, bio-mechaniod," a soft femininevoice announced.  "I trust you have may questions about what hasjust occurred.""Juss who'dya think yoo aare?" he answered, his speech slurringwith lack of muscle control."I am The Mistress.  I am in control of all bio-mechaniods in theemploy of the mine.""Don' need ajob," he returned."You don't have a choice," she smiled.For the first time, his eyes began to focus and he got a goodlook at the woman in front of him. She was a tiger with long,straight black hair and piercing green eyes; she was wearing somekind of black leather dominatrix outfit.  She had a glowing whipin one hand, a knife in tho other."Perhaps the stunners we used on you fried your memory net a bit.Here in DREAMTIME, all bio-mechaniods are slaves.  We caught youon the OTHER SIDE.  It's obvious you had some how managed toescape from us, but we don't give up such highly expensiveproperty like you very easily."Mecha Sonic began to regain some of his strength. He got to asitting position. "I'm nobody's property, lady!" he snapped.  Her face contorted inblack rage and she struck him across the chest with her whip.Mecha Sonic cried out in agony as the whip struck, welting hismetallic skin and sending bolts of electricity through him at thesame time."YOU WILL CALL ME MISTRESS!" she snarled.  As suddenly as heranger began, it ceased. She took out her knife and startedcutting off his clothing while he laid there, incapacitated.Before long he was totally naked. Mistress stood over him for aminute, examining him like a piece of meat."Very nice.  You're better than most that come in here," shesmiled. She walked over to a shelf nearby and took a small,strange device that looked something like a black metal pyramidfrom it. Mistress pushed it against Mecha Sonic's arm; he roaredin pain as the device seared a number into his flesh. She steppedback and two female attendants, both cats, went over to MechaSonic and began to apply medicine and bandages to his wounds."Get him dressed and in the holding pens.  I'll make my decisiontonight."**************************************The guards locked the cage, and walked on. Mecha Sonic sat downon the small hanging bench in his cage.  This could not be calleda cell; its dimensions were about four feet square and eight feettall.  It was made of some kind of high-strength wire mesh thatleft holes of about four inches square. He was apparently in alarge, dimly-lit underground tunnel; these cages lined the sidesfor about four hundred feet. He looked down at his 'uniform.'  Itwas all black; he had a short tank top with a number on the rightside and shorts that had rectangular sections of fabric removedover his thighs and hips. The rest were knee and elbow pads,leather gloves and calf-high work boots.One of his neighbors spoke up."You're new here, aren't you?"Mecha Sonic glanced over at the person who had spoken to him. Hewas almost as tall as Mecha Sonic; he was a hedgehog too, onlyred. He looked to be about the same age.  He had blue-on-blackeyes, a metallic face disk and two small horns on opposite sidesof his forehead."I don't belong here," Mecha Sonic stated almost coldly."I know.  You're not from DREAMTIME."Mecha Sonic looked him straight in the eyes."How did you know?" he interrogated."There is no such thing as a bio-mech hedgehog with black eye-whites in DREAMTIME," the red hedgehog answered."What about you?""I'm a half-breed. What's your name, blue?" the red hedgehogasked."Mecha Sonic, but my friends call me Mech for short," heanswered. "What's yours?""You can call me Seven.""What are we doing here, Seven?" Mecha Sonic asked, noticing thelarge crowd of guards gathering at the entrance to the tunnel."Mistress is going to choose one of us to 'reward' for goodwork," Seven said with a mocking smile."Pray tell what is this 'reward'?" Mecha Sonic asked."Simple.  She chooses one of us that hasn't gotten in troublethis week and sleeps with them."Mecha Sonic was repulsed at the thought."How does one avoid this 'reward'?" Mecha Sonic asked."Heh, you're different than most.  After a few months in the mineone can get pretty desperate for female companionship," Sevensaid. "But, if you do want to avoid her, just get in trouble--butnot too much, or you'll end up taking a dirt nap, or even worse--being relieved of your male characteristics.""What do you think of her?" Mecha Sonic asked, attempting tojudge Seven's character."I don't like her, same as everyone else.  If I can avoid beingrewarded, I will, but if I am chosen, I don't have much of achoice as to what happens to me.  She has all kinds of devicesthat MAKE you do as she wishes.""Shhhh, quiet! Here she comes!" the giant bear on Mecha Sonic'sother side warned.Mistress sauntered up to Mecha Sonic's cage."Since you are new here, I will ignore the fact that you did notstand up in my presence," she purred. Mecha Sonic remained seated.Mistress' expression grew cold."RISE!" she commanded angrily."Sorry, but you just can't get a rise out of me," Mecha Sonicsmiled sarcastically.  "Man, are you pushing it!" Seven whispered.Mistress managed a cold smile. "My, my, what a magnificent spirit you have!" she sneered throughslitted eyes. "I shall take great pleasure in breaking you.""Good luck, *Mistress*," he retorted."Take him out of there and to my chambers!" she snapped. Sheturned and stared at him with burning emerald eyes. "I have manyways of breaking a man.  You will be enjoying one of themtonight."*****************************************One of the cat-attendants fastened the last chain around hiswrist."Ooh, he's got such a nice butt!" one giggled."I'd rather see what's on the other side!" the other giggledback.Mecha Sonic, naked once again, laid face down on the silk sheets.Shackles confined his legs and arms; his ultimate degradation wasin the collar and leash on his neck."Me and my big mouth," he groaned to himself.He heard the door open."Go on, you two. I don't need your help now.""Could I have my clothes back?" Mecha Sonic asked, his voicemuffled a little by the bed. "It's freezing in here.""Good," he heard Mistress reply. "Cold will aid my work.""Look, lady, I don't want anything from you, got it?!" MechaSonic growled.Mecha Sonic was surprised when she didn't become angry.  Rather,she began to smile."You don't like me, do you?" she asked softly."Need you *ask*?" Mecha Sonic spat."You're very different that the others," she said, reclining onthe bed next to Mecha Sonic. "Most of the time men just submit totheir hunger for a pretty female willing to mate with them.""I've got someone else to think about," he said."She must be an extraordinary woman.....or do you like men?" shegrinned, teasing him."*She* is more of a woman than you'll ever be.""I hope her memory can keep you going," Mistress said, gettingup. "You'll be here a LONG time."  With that, she left the roomand turned of the lights."Sleep well."***************************************The next morning (or at least that's what the clock said; theirwas no sunlight to judge by) Mecha Sonic was dressed and taken tothe mines. They took him to the main mine shaft, gave him a pick-axe and put him in a work group. He was pleasantly surprised tosee Seven in his work group, which consisted of four men."So what happened last night?" Seven queried."She came in, talked to me, then left me naked and in chains in afreezing cold room to sleep," Mecha Sonic answered."That's not like her," the grizzly Mecha Sonic remembered havingseen next to him replied.  "She usually demands performance.""Let me get you acquainted with our pack," Seven said, landing ablow on the rocks with his pick. "Our bear friend's name isCrusher, and the black potto is Axl. Everybody, this is Mech.""It is good to have you in our pack, tovarich," the grizzlysmiled."Welcome to hell," Axl said bitterly. Mecha Sonic wondered howlong Axl had been in these mines. He'd never seen a potto before;Axl had black fur and black hair that turned bright green at thetips, and most surprisingly, spine-like horns that started on hisforehead and traveled vertically down his spine. As they began to work, a group opposite them began to sing."If I work all day in the Blue Sky MineThere'll be food on the table tonight!"Next, Mecha Sonic's group began to sing a return."If I work all day in the Blue Sky MineThere'll be pay in my pocket tonight!""What's that for?" Mecha Sonic whispered to Seven."It's a way of communicating. That particular song means theguards are coming," Seven answered."Blue Sky Mine!" Axl sneered. "Ha! What a joke! We never see anysky down here!""Sad but true," Crusher sighed.*****************************************Two weeks had passed.Once again, Mecha Sonic was in the holding pen, with Seven on hisright and Crusher on his left.  Mistress was going to chooseanother 'lucky' miner to reward.This time she chose Axl."I feel sorry for him," Mecha Sonic remarked, remorseful."Don't worry about him.  Unlike you, he has no one to rememberfondly; he likes these opportunities.  It allows him to hurtMistress as much as possible," Seven consoled. "Weird thing is, Ithink she *likes* it.""What do you do when she chooses you?" Mecha Sonic asked Sevenquietly."So far she hasn't," Seven answered.All got quiet again, then Seven signalled to Mecha Sonic to getcloser."We're planning a break out," he whispered. "No one but Axl,Crusher and I know this, but Mistress has been stockpiling allthe contraband bio-mech weapons right here in the mine! If we canfind a way to get these to everyone, the guards and everyone elserunning this place will be totally helpless!"Mecha Sonic's eyes shone with anticipation."I've still got some weapons on me," he whispered with atriumphant smile."HOW?" Seven's eyes widened.Making sure none of the guards were looking, Mecha Sonic began toform three long cylindrical tubes out of his right forearm."These are built-in. I've got Lightning Shot, Pyro Shot, andVenom Shot.""You mean you can activate those things??" Seven askedincredulously. "I've got the same kind of metal tubes in my arms,but I can't activate them!""If there's a way to link up to you, I could run a systemsdiagnostic on you and try to activate your weapons for you,"Mecha Sonic suggested."Everyone of us must have these dormant weapons on us!" Crushersurmised. "Every bio-mech I've ever talked to has wondered aboutthe metal tubes in his arms!""Who needs the contraband weapons?" Mecha Sonic smiled. "We justneed to be able to get everybody's systems activated, one at atime."Crusher stuck his hand through the cage."Can you access mine?" he asked. Mecha Sonic connected, thenbegan running a system check on Crusher.<You've got a virus!> Mecha Sonic exclaimed in thought. <It'sspecifically designed to prevent weapon access!> Mecha Sonic ran his anti-virus program through Crusher, anderased the virus from his weapons systems. They disconnected, andno sooner had Crusher pulled his hand back through the cage whenthree metal tubes grew out of his arms."Boshe Moi!" he said in delight. Mecha Sonic turned to Seven."Your turn!" "Umm, ah, I can't...Here come the guards, see?" Seven said,quickly pointing out the approaching enemy. Mecha Sonic andCrusher retracted their weapons before the guards arrived. (I wonder why he didn't want me to access him?) Mecha Sonicthought, now suspicious of Seven.************************************Three days had passed now, and nearly all the bio-mechs had beencured of their viral inhibitors. Now all that was left was to setthe time of the uprising.Mistress walked up to Mecha Sonic and his friends, who did notstop their work to look at her. She stopped Mecha Sonic andturned him around."What do you want, Mistress?" he stated coldly."You, Mecha Sonic," she purred. "You're the only bio-mech that'shad the balls to stand up to me.  I like that."She ran her hands across his chest. He'd bulked up a bit since hebegan work in the mines."Come on, Mech.  What's the harm in giving into me just once?"She vocally caressed."If I give in to you once, I'll be giving in to you every timeyou ask."She frowned, then continued. "It doesn't matter.  I've got all ofyour life to wait for you." She then walked on."Great going Da--I mean Mech!" Seven stammered.Mecha Sonic looked at him carefully, then resumed working.(What did he almost call me?) Mecha Sonic wondered.************************************"Today's the day when they open the mine to the outside to sendthe shipment of ore," Seven said to everyone in the shower room."When the doors open at three o'clock, that's when we open fireon all the guards. My pack will make their way to the controlcenter and deal with Mistress and her flunkies. It is theresponsibility of every other pack to get themselves out alive."The room was filled with the low grumbling of bio-mechs inconversation.They dispersed in a few minutes, passing the news of theirsalvation along.*************************************Three o'clock came sooner than anyone expected.A battle cry went up throughout the mine as bio-mechs turned ontheir surprised captors with weapons long thought useless. Mecha Sonic, Seven, Crusher and Axl made their way through thebrawl and rapidly piling bodies to Mistress' chambers. Crushertore down the door with on mighty blow, and inside were Mistress,her two cat attendants, A tall blue eagle and two hawks."What is the meaning of this, Tigress?" the eagle bellowed."I'll tell you what the meaning of this is!" Seven shouted. "Thiswoman has been running Blue Sky Mines on slave labor!""You told me these bio-mechs worked here of their own free will!"the eagle growled, his feathers ruffling. "Tigress, you are hearby placed under arrest for the keeping of Bio-Mechaniods asslaves!" The two hawks bound her and lead her out of the room.The eagle turned to Mecha Sonic and his pack."I am truly sorry for this offense against your race!" the eaglesaid sadly. "Ever since we of Light City declared Bio-Mechaniodsa separate species unto themselves, all those who disagreed withthis ruling have continued to abuse them in secret all overDREAMTIME.  Tell your fellow Bio-Mechs to desist in their attacksan I will guarantee safe passage out of the mine."Seven and Mecha Sonic ran to the control room. As Mecha Sonicbegan to open the door, a dying guard tossed a pick-axe athis back. Seven pushed Mecha Sonic out of the way, only to berewarded with the sharp metal blade piercing him straightthrough. He landed on the metal catwalk, and mustering hisstrength, he pushed the pick-axe out of his body. Mecha Sonicdropped to his knees beside the dying Seven."It's all....complete now....timeline......has been repaired,"Seven gasped in pain."What do you mean?" Mecha Sonic said, both full of sorrow andconfusion."I had to stop you from being killed by the pick-axe. If Ididn't...the future....would have changed....""What future?!" Mecha Sonic cried, wondering what could have beenworth this."With out you, we couldn't have stopped....the massdestruction....and I would have never been born.....you are myfather, Mecha Sonic!""no...!" Mecha Sonic gasped under his breath; he felt his heartbeing crushed with the knowledge that his son had just died forhim."Don't cry over me.....I had to do it.........formom.....for.....my brother........I.........loveyou........fa......ther........."Seven closed his eyes forever.The eagle stepped out onto the catwalk, wondering what was takingso long. He lowered his head as he saw Mecha Sonic weepingsilently over the dead body of a young hedgehog."Was he...a friend?" The eagle softly asked."You might say......he was my best friend."                                     *******************************************