Shadow: Awakening

Shadow: Quarantined

I gulp as the Professor undoes the shackles from around my right wrist; simultaneously slipping on the glowing metal clips connected by glowing blue lights. He continues onto my other limbs, finally freeing my completely from the table.

"Alright, Shadow. Up off the table with you." Gerald commands, and I start to rise. I feel my back straining as I sit up for the first time in my life. As soon as I am upright, my head starts to rush, and I feel really dizzy. I mentally shake off my dizziness, and hop off the table. Yikes! I feel one of my heart chambers skip a beat as I realize the floor is farther below then I took it to be. I land fine, but as soon as I stop falling, my ankle turns out from under me.

"Wha--!" I exclaim involuntarily, my weight listing dangerously off to the side. My arms windmill instinctively in vain, and my veins tingle as blood rushes to my fingertips.

"Woah there!" Gerald laughs, grabbing my arm just in time. "Looks like you need some time to adjust to your limbs! Worry not, Shadow, balance and coordination will come with practice. In the meantime, how about I help you along so you don't fall again?" Just great, I groan inwardly, Why doesn't he just carry me and save me the embarrassment? Working his hand down to mine, he grasps my unsteady wrist and steadies me further. I never realized just how TALL Gerald is! I gasp, I'm barely waist height next to him! I'm preoccupied by this observation for a good few seconds, and then I cast a glance around to the rest of the room. Galaxies above, I shudder, I'm by far the shortest person here! I don't even reach chest height on the shortest scientists!

"Come along, Shadow, we don't have time for this." Gerald sighs, and apparently I don't turn around fast enough, because he bends down and scoops me up like a child! What the--hey! I complain, in my surprise I forget how to speak and end up only thinking my reply. Gerald walks through a door, down a long corridor, gets onto an elevator and finally arrives in front of a large wall panel labeled "Quarantine Entry Gate 3." Setting me down, my eyes blinking in delayed shock, he turns toward a screen set into the wall.

"Access code Six-Delta-Three*. Open first of quarantine doors." Gerald orders, addressing the screen. I watch in a mix of awe and horror as the wall hisses and slides apart to form and opening. Gerald's really going through with his plan! I think nervously, Now is my only chance to help Maria! A determined air sets over me as I declare that fact, and any fear I may have had washed away before the flood of emotion that follows it. Suddenly, I have a terrifying thought. What exactly am I supposed to DO to cure Maria? Catch a deadly disease from her and then just mosey on out? How is Gerald going to get the cure from me if I'm in quarantine?! Isn't the rule something along the lines of "those in quarantine don't leave quarantine?" As though sensing my distress, Gerald turns toward me.

"Do not worry Shadow; all you have to do is catch the disease, and then let the medical droids examine you. They will observe how you fight off the disease, and with that information I will devise a cure for NIDS!" Well, when he puts it like THAT it sounds almost easy! I think, feeling slightly more confident.

"Well, through the door with you. When this one closes, another will open, then you go through that and it will close behind you. I'm sure you and Maria will get along well. Wait! I almost forgot!" Gerald leans down to me and deftly removes all of my extra restrainers he had made such a big deal to put on earlier. Why is he taking them off now? I wonder, puzzled. "You're going to need all of your strength that's available to recover from NIDS. Now through you go!" With that, Gerald pushed me right through the door, and I stumble without his support. I wheel around as fast as I can; I still have questions, but I am too slow. The door closes behind me with a whoosh and a "beep." 

*Sonic X reference to episode 73 English Dub with the access (bypass) code "Six-Delta-Three" for all of those Sonic X fans (including myself) out there!