Launch Base Zone

[Rose Fox]

If Rose had been bewildered before, she was now totally lost. But her mind decided early on that this had to be some sort of hoax. She moved over closer to the table, slamming her hands down.

“What, you think we’re stupid?!” Rose started off, looking at Gerald angrily. “Don’t try and act like nothing’s happened!”

Gerald looked at her confusingly. “….I think a sudden shave and growth of hair clearly means –something- has transpired.”

Rose face palmed. That was clearly not what she was talking about.

Gerald scratched the top of his head in confusion. “On top of that, anyone care to explain my strange dolpganger? I don't remember that being apart of the project...”

[Dr. Robotnik]

[Now THIS is more like it XD]

I must say, I'm getting rather exhausted from all of the amazing revelations today...

The doctor actually closed his eyes, removed his glasses, and removed his forehead for a bit. He honestly needed a break from this. With a wave of his hands, he ordered the SWAT bots to leave him alone. This needed further study before he put Gerald away.

"How is this possible? I know I've been telling you about what you'll do in the future, but how do you...as your young self...know what you'll look like when you get older? I haven't told you about that yet."

The doctor rubbed his chin, as he paced about the room and started thinking aloud.

"I wonder if traveling through a dimensional merge can imprint memories and thoughts from other versions of you onto your psyche..."

The doctor wondered if it was happening to him too. He concentrated hard, trying to see if he could recall any strange imagery in his head that didn't seem to come from anywhere, but appeared just spontaneously.

[Gerald Robotnik]

He gave a sigh of relief mentally when the robots went away. But he soon found himself in another strange position. He had no idea where he was, who the man in front of him, or the girl.

“Young self?” Gerald questioned. “But I’m sixty seven.”

As soon as the information slipped out of his mouth he looked down questionable, with his hand up to his chin. Come to think of it, he was slightly taller, and he didn’t nearly feel very weak as he had been. Something was going on that he wasn’t aware of.

“…or…maybe not. This is awfully peculiar…” He remembered for a second something about a ‘dimensional merge’. “Dimensional merge? What do you mean by that?”

[Rose Fox]

Rose looked over to the side dully as she folded her arms. Just how many times was this going to be explained? She was getting tired of it herself, even though she had to be explained too.

“To make a long story short, The emeralds broke, Chaos controlled messed up the entire universe and now we’re sitting on a world that looks like a jig-saw puzzle thrown and glued together by a toddler.”

Something wasn’t right about this. Rose didn’t know why, but the sudden switch didn’t seem quite right. She was starting to think that he wasn’t just possible experiencing memories.

“I’m beginning to think that there’s something seriously wrong with Mr. Robotnik over here.”

“Professor.”

Rose blinked at looked towards Gerald.

“What?”

“It’s Professor Robotnik. Technically speaking.”

[Dr. Robotnik]

That last part really got the doctor's attention. He suddenly snapped out of his thoughts.

"How interesting. Up until now you'd been insisting that you were not a professor. Now you WANT to be called one."

The doctor slid back up to the table and gestured to the food, in case the "old" Gerald were more inclined to eat than his younger self. As he started eating some hot wings, he posed a question that suddenly came to his mind.

"Tell me...what is the last thing you remember before you arrived here?"

[Gerald Robotnik]

Would he lie about this or would he tell the truth? That felt like a stupid question as saying ‘Well, I was just shot by a firing squad for trying to help mankind’ may be a little suspicious. And obviously this man knew at least this part of his history it seemed.

“Well, I was working on some figures for a…project. I’m getting closer to the answer to my problems; even if I’ve been stuck for a while.”

[Rose Fox]

“Project? What…kind of project?” Rose asked questionable. She was pretty sure of the answer, even if he hadn’t said it. The only project she’d known him to be working on is something dealing with a particular black hedgehog. A light switched on in her head. If she wanted to be assured, she had the perfect question to ask.

“Oh, and how has your granddaughter been doing?”

[Dr. Robotnik]

The doctor smiled as he ate a few more bites from his food. He didn't know how the old Gerald's personality had arisen, but this was a marvelous turn of events. Maybe now he could have a true counterpart and partner in his mentor now.

He gave an evil little chuckle as Rose mentioned Maria. That was an excellent question. Robo thought about throwing in one of his own, just to have a little fun toying with him.

"Yes, and what sort of project was that you were working on? Was it called...oh, I don't know...Project Shadow? Surely not. It's such a silly name..."

While he gave a dismissive wave, the doctor kept a close eye on how Gerald would react all the same.

[Gerald Robotnik]

He looked shocked, but thankfully his glasses would downgrade his true expression phenomenally; to where it looked much more mild. He had to keep himself in control, he couldn’t appear to know more than what he was letting on. He doubted any of these two would want to destroy the world. No, no, they didn’t seem the type. Not to mention smart enough to do it.

“Maria? She’s doing fine- wait how do you-?” He started to look a little confused as he stoped in mid-sentence. He looked over towards Dr. Robotnik quizzically “-how do –you- know about it? And who are you people anyways? And how did I get here exactly? I don't -remember- being off the Ark- then again, I remember being old and bald, and that's seemed to change.”

He chuckled nervously at the end a little. This was a little amusing. It was like they were both giggling to themselves at knowing some secret that he didn’t know; not realizing that he did. Though at the same time it was annoying how oblivious they were. These people where truly insane.

[Rose Fox]

Rose gave a somewhat mischievous smile. He seemed so absolutely clueless to everything. But it did beg the question of what was going on with Gerald. Somewhere down the way it looked as though he’d become a completely difference person. Perhaps the doctor had the right idea; but it didn’t explain why he seemed clueless to knowing who they were and where he was.

“That’s what I’d like to be answered,” Rose began, looking over towards the doctor. “How come he suddenly acting so differently and –not- knowing what the hell is going on like just a little while ago?”