At the same moment on the other side of the country, the top members of the U.S. military were sitting down at an emergency joint meeting at the Pentagon.
"Twenty minutes ago," addressed Commander Walters, head of the U.S. Armed Forces. "An energy surge knocked out power across the entire Pacific Northwest. What do we know?"
Addressing this to the rest of the members, the Navy Chief of Staff is the first to pipe up. "Well, our first instinct was that it was an EMP. But electromagnetic pulses don't have that kind of power."
"NASA has ruled out meteor strikes or solar flares," the Air Force Chief of Staff responded.
"The Department of Energy says it's not a power malfunction," replied the Secretary of Homeland Security.
Commander Walters quickly inhaled before flatly stating, "Well, sounds like we're really good at figuring out what it wasn't."
"This could be a prelude to a larger attack," the Army Chief of Staff assumed.
"No, no, no, no," Commander Walters quickly stopped him. "This needs a much more sophisticated mind. Someone who understands technology."
"You want to send in a lab rat?" Awed the Army Chief of Staff.
"Not just any lab rat. A lab rat with teeth."
" You're not suggesting who I think you're suggesting," assumed the Army Chief of Staff.
"I know," Commander Walters admitted. "He's a little... weird."
"Weird?! "
"No. No," the Army Chief of Staff tried to shut down the idea. "No way."
"He's a psychological tire fire!"
"But he's also brilliant," Commander Walters pointed out. "Five Ph.D.s, IQ off the charts. And his drone tech is... revolutionary!"
"You're sure that he can handle this?" Asked the Army Chief of Staff, uncertain.
"He has a perfect operations record. Remember the coup in Pakistan?"
"No."
"Or the uprising in Azerbaijanistan?"
"That's not even a country," stated the Navy Chief of Staff. He clearly caught on to that false exploit.
"Exactly. And you can thank Robotnik for that."
The Air Force Chief of Staff still didn't seem to trust the final decision.
"I can't believe you're bringing that freak into this."
"Neither can I," admitted Commander Walters, glumly. "But... we have no choice."