Project: Hedgehog

Chapter 7

Shadow was still trying to figure out the whole mystery of the people in the picture, staring at it from the desk in their Habitation Room. Sonic sat in a bed that was off of the ground by a few feet, much like Shadow's bed. The blue hedgehog was scribbling something on paper and a book sat next to him.

"Sonic," Shadow began.
Sonic's only reply was a hum.

"Do you think we can look these people up on a computer?" the ebony hedgehog asked. Sonic peered at him from over the paper, a questioning look on his face.

"Look it up...? But won't the other scientists know we did so?" he asked. Shadow shrugged, not looking at the hedgehog.

"I was just thinking perhaps..." he trailed off. There was a moment of silence between them. Sonic set his paper down on his lap.

"I mean..." he muttered. "It could work... We can also go back to the cabin and find some more stuff that may tell us more." Shadow hummed in agreement and finally turned to look at him.

"What are you writing, anyway?" Shadow asked. Sonic looked down at his lap where the paper sat, then set the page aside.

"Nothing of importance," Sonic replied. He picked up the book that lay next to him. "I have a question for Dr. Emerson... I'll be back." Shadow turned back to the picture and nodded. Sonic jumped off of his bed and walked out into the hallways, searching for Emerson.

Unsurprisingly, he found the man at the coffee machine in the lounge, by himself, reading a piece of paper.

Sonic walked up to the scientist.

"Dr. Emerson?" he asked. Emerson looked down, surprise on his face.

"Oh. Hello, Sonic. You're not out exploring today?" he asked. Sonic shook his head.

"Not yet. But I do have a question for you," the blue specimen replied. Emerson nodded.

"Ask away," he said. Sonic looked down at the book in his hands.

"While I was reading this book," he began. "I stumbled across a word I didn't recognize... and when I analyzed it, no information opened up." Emerson looked confused and concerned.

"That's impossible. You should be able to understand every bit of it," Emerson stated. "What word was it?"

"I believe it's said as 'love'...?" replied Sonic. Emerson smiled, his face now full of understanding.

"Yes... that word is not one that you are meant to know." Sonic was confused.

"But why not?" the young hedgehog asked.

"Because you will never experience love. You have not been permitted to. Same as Shadow," Emerson answered.

"But we can feel other things," Sonic protested. "Why aren't we allowed to love?"

"It's just not something that we thought should happen..." Emerson muttered, turning back to the paper he was reading previously. Sonic stood for a another moment, debating on what to say. Eventually, he just kept his mouth shut and walked back to the Habitation Room.

Lost in thought, Sonic almost ran into Shadow as the ebony hedgehog was exiting. Both looked at each other.

"Going back out?" Sonic asked.

"Yes," Shadow replied.

"To the cabin?"

"Obviously." Sonic looked at Shadow. Shadow didn't look as if he were heading out, he was facing in Sonic's direction when he exited the room. Sonic smiled.

"You were gonna look for me!" Shadow gave Sonic a look.

"No I wasn't," he denied.

"Yes you were."

"How would you know?"

"Well, you're facing me and where I went. The exit and computer lab are behind you and you don't have the picture with you."

"That still doesn't prove anything." Shadow crossed his arms defiantly. Sonic rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, okay. Whatever. Let's go!" Sonic grabbed Shadow's wrist and began pulling him to the exit, ignoring the older hedgehog's protests, complaints and mutters.

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Sorry for the very late/short chapter and for the whole 'ON HOLD' thing. I had major writer's block, but I'm back. So, I hope you enjoyed this chapter!