Sonic: REMgaged

Chapter 24

Sage wandered the cold, lonely hallways of the Robo Dome, a broken android, not on the outside, but the inside. No, perhaps as an android he was fine. But as a human, or what was left of his humanity... perhaps that was what was broken.

Robotnik had sent him out of the REMgage lab under threat of wiping his memory for the simple fact that he had spoken out against what they were doing to Alexandra Parker. And now, a few things were becoming quickly apparent to Sage.

One, Robotnik was incorrect in considering that his attempt to revive his progeny through android tech was a failure. Two, there was truly nothing left of the man that was Charles Boddick. And three, Robotnik was completely insane. If Sage continued to follow Robotnik's orders, then the revived Ennis Boddick's soul was in mortal danger. But similarly, if he didn't follow his Master's orders, Ennis Boddick's memories, his consciousness, would be wiped, and he would be nothing more than Sage the Android again. Either way, his time was quickly growing short.

But perhaps he deserved deletion... because he hadn't acted in time to save Alexandra. Because he allowed the girl's life to quite possibly be ended forever by the man he used to call 'Dad.' It was his one chance to prove that he wasn't just a heartless machine... and he wasted it. Therefore, he deserved whatever Robotnik did to him.

As Sage wandered aimlessly through the Robo Dome's corridors, he came across the large chamber which held the preserved but quite lifeless form of Maria Boddick, his mother. Not only that, in a moment of surprise, he found none other than Stark standing in the chamber, gazing up at her. For a moment, Sage simply watched his android counterpart... his brother... staring at the floating, lifeless woman in a manner that, if Sage didn't know better, he'd say was pensive and wistful.

"I'm surprised to find you in here, of all places."

Stark spun around, instantly looking guilty. "W-What's it to you?" he demanded, stammering in a manner that was very unlike him. Then, catching himself, he crossed his arms and muttered. "I'm just bored. That's all. The Master hasn't given me anything to do. It should've been me in there helping him with his experiments. Not you."

"That may be. Not that you would have known the first thing about assisting with that project."

Stark sneered at him. "You're soft on that girl. You've been compromised. You shouldn't be anywhere near her. She's like a..." He considered, then with a nod, he finished, "A virus."

Sage's expression was blank as he strode past his larger counterpart. "Perhaps. The master expelled me from the lab. And he's threatened to wipe my memory. That girl's like a virus, you say?" Sage gazed up at the beautiful woman floating like an ethereal being in the stasis pod. "Or... maybe she's helped rid me of the virus that has been blocking my memories for all these years..."

Stark's tetchy expression became one of surprise. He glanced from Sage to the woman in the tube, whom Sage was staring at in an almost wistful sort of way. "Do you... dream about her, too?" Stark asked softly, as though afraid of being overheard. "It is... something like dreaming, isn't it? When you close your eyes, you see her face? I know we're androids and we can't really dream. But at least from what I understand dreams are like... I think that's been happening to me. When I close my eyes... and sometimes even when I don't... I see her."

Sage turned away from Maria as his surprised gaze fell upon the android who was once his brother. He had not expected that Stark might have lingering remnants of the consciousness that was once Ivan Boddick. Perhaps it wasn't just him, then. Perhaps the Chaos Energy radiating from Alexandra had an effect on Stark – on Ivan – too. More gradual, perhaps. But there nonetheless.