Soleanna Castle - Getting an Edge

[The Huggernaut]

The hallway leading to King Stonewall's throne room was quiet, and populated only by the guards at the chamber's doors, and a uniformed bear, who was striding towards those doors.

The guards, seeing the bear approaching, saluted him, a gesture he returned before stopping in front of the doors.

He'd notified the king he was coming, so he would wait until allowed in.

[Stoney]

An old, wrinkly badger wearing a tweed suit, large coke-bottle eyeglasses and uncomfortable-looking dress shoes eventually opened the door from the inside. Her name tag read MRS. LANDINGHAM.

"General Grant? The King will see you now," She announced in a tinny voice, stepping aside to permit him entry.

[The Huggernaut]

The general nodded to the badger, and stepped into the throne room, his hands clasped behind his back as he approached the throne, then stopped about 6 feet away, standing at a parade rest.

To those that knew the general, this would not be odd. The bear had seemed to have forgotten how to relax completely.

[Stoney]

The King was typing furiously on a laptop computer as the bear tromped in. His eyes were glued to the keyboard, not the screen, since he had never really learned how to touch-type...computers weren't a part of the required subjects in his royal teachings as a lad, after all.

After a few moments he paused, reviewed what he'd written, then hit "enter" and waited for some sort of reaction.

".......Oh geez," he facepalmed, laughing helplessly at something on the screen. "Those FREAKS! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA--eh? Oh, hi Grant!"

He typed "BRB" into the chat window before closing the lappy and giving the general his undivided attention. "What's up, man? You try that Preparation H I sent ya? I swear, the stuff is like miracle ambrosia in a tube."

[The Huggernaut]

Grant coughed to himself, then just nodded.

"Yes, sir, I did. But I didn't come here to share my personal hygiene with you."

Grant cleared his throat, pulling a folder from inside his jacket.

"In fact, I wanted to tell you about the results of a project the Border Army's R&D has been working on."

[Stoney]

The King's ears perked up. "Ehwhat now? Something new? I hope this isn't another attempt at that failed toaster cannon idea...Blaze was on my ass all day after I accidentally lit her coattails on fire last time." He rolled his eyes. "I mean, you'd THINK she'd be immune to the flames, right? But nooo, I get read the riot act anyway."

He sighed and shook his head mournfully for a few seconds before perking up again. "Oh, but I ramble. What's this project thingamajigger whatsit hoo-haw you've got going on, here?"

[The Huggernaut]

"Well, sir, it's rather interesting. R&D thought of a way to help fight Eggman Nega."

Grant smiled, a rare sight indeed, as he continued, handing the folder to the king.

"They decided to try fighting fire with fire."

Inside the folder were various images of what appearred to be an android of some kind, in various stages of construction, along with a great many technical terms, including one pair in particular... 'Sol Drive'.

Fortunately, the report had a layman's summary in the back, explaining that the android seen in those photos was designed to fight Eggman Nega, assisting the Border Army when needed, while protecting Soleanna City as well. It also had a general description of the android's abilities, describing an energy blade weapon mounted in each arm, and a motorized skate system using spheres rather than wheels for increased speed.

[Stoney]

With blazing speed, King Stonewall whipped the folder open and began flipping through the pages like he was trying to animate little pictures drawn into their corners. "OoOoOoOo! Neato. Does it slice and dice and make julienne fries, too? Maybe you can turn it on by clapping? Or better yet, it could have a Mute button for when it gets on my nerves." He grinned. "I tell ya, it'd do the world a whole lot more good if each parent could get one of those installed in their kids."

After a moment or two of self-indulgent nostalgia, the King coughed and brought himself back to the present. "But seriously. What's this Sol Drive thing?" He froze his flipping to point squarely at one of the pages. "You're not planning to power this thing with the Emeralds, I hope?" He frowned. "Blaze would never stand for it."

[The Huggernaut]

Grant chuckles softly to himself at the question, having expected it, in fact.

"No, sir. In effect, the Sol Drive is a shard of crystal charged with an artificially similar, but weaker energy, compared to the Sol Emeralds. R&D have a theory that this drive will allow SD-00 to use the power of the Sol Emeralds if necessary."

Grant then shrugged slightly. "Personally, I simply hope we never have to test that theory."

[Stoney]

Stonewall arched an eyebrow, appearing vaguely disturbed by the news. "Holy crap, Grant. Using the emeralds' power without actually possessing them? Do the R&D guys even understand how incredibly dangerous that is? If Eggman Nega got his hands on these..."

[The Huggernaut]

Grant nodded gravely.

"Yes sir, they accounted for that. The SD-00 has been programmed to destroy its core if it's ever captured."

[Stoney]

"Hmm, well that's good." Stonewall shuffled through some more of the pages, looking at the information about the robot's structure, power source, and internal mechanics. He looked particularly interested in the blueprints for the head components. "What kind of CPU and mental capacities will this guy have? All this firepower won't be much use if he's as smart as a toaster."

[The Huggernaut]

Grant let out a quiet chuckle, motioning to the appropriate section of the sheet the king was examining.

"We reverse-engineered one of Nega's own more advanced CPUs, and made advancements to it, while removing any remote failsafe that Nega could use."

Grant then motioned to another portion of the page, and continued.

"He's been given limited free will, and is about average in intelligence, allowing him to come up with plans on the fly, without being so intelligent he simply reprograms himself."

[Stoney]

"You used Nega's technology?!" Stonewall halted his reading so he could look up and give Grant a stunned expression. "Centepedes? In MY Kimberly?"

He returned to the classified document after a moment of shocked staring. There was an element of fear in his gaze now as he examined even the portions of the technical jargon that made no sense to him. "Are you sure that's a wise idea, considering he'd know such a device backwards and forwards on the fundamental level?"

Stonewall was no expert at technology, but he knew that a box with a new coat of paint was still the exact same box underneath. And the person who built that box...well, they'd be familiar with pretty much every detail of its inner workings, wouldn't they? Who says Nega couldn't easily hack something he crafted with his own hands?

Stonewall's frown became more pronounced.

"I don't like the idea of these things being mass-produced all over the city if Nega could just take control of them on a whim. It'd be the Coup all over again." He halted his reading and gave Grant his full, undivided attention. "Tell me about the security systems in this thing."

[The Huggernaut]

Grant nodded, motioning to the appropriate section of the page Stonewall was examining as he responded.

"Well, having these mass-produced won't be anything to worry about, sir. The SD project is intended to create at max ten of these androids."

The bear then clasped his hands behind his back, continuing in response to the king's second question.

"On the matter of security, for one, the SD unit has a hardwired set of commands, linked directly to its central CPU. A set of... Laws if you will, that it is compelled to obey, which cannot be reprogrammed. These laws command it to never harm an organic being, to obey any order given to it by the Soleanna Royal Family, or myself, and to protect its own existence, unless this would contradict the first two laws."

The bear's expression became serious, and he glanced down, considering whether to continue, before deciding to do such.

"And if he were to break any of these laws, his CPU would be frozen up by a built in failsafe as part of the laws. However, any attempt to break the FIRST law would result in his CPU being destroyed by a precise electrical surge."

[Stoney]

After a couple more cursory flips through the pages, Stonewall closed the folder and stood up.

"All righty then, that's good enough for me. I've only got one question left: how long will it take to build these things?"

[The Huggernaut]

The bear seemed... hesitant. Odd for the usually decisive general, until he responded. "Actually, sir, we had already built a prototype."

Grant smiled slightly, wondering what the king's response to his next question would be.

"Perhaps Your Highness would like to witness it's activation?"

[Stoney]

The king STARED at Grant, face expressionless.

"Hold on a second. Let me see if I've got this straight. You authorized the building of a dangerous and expensive war machine without my knowledge, and without my approval, and are only just now finally telling me about it? Is that right? Am I interpreting what you've said correctly?"

His eyes narrowed. "Because that sounds like a severe overstepping of your own authority, General! Hell, that sounds like a coup d'état! How long ago did you give the go order?! What other operations have you approved behind my back??"

He slammed a fist onto his desk. "I did not appoint you to your position so you could go over my head on military matters! I am still Commander-In-Chief, and you, my friend, could very well face a court-marshal over this!"

[The Huggernaut]

Grant remained silent as the king spoke, his head down as he considered his response.

"The order was given during the first Dimensional Gate incident. I felt that action needed to be taken, and at the time, you were worried about your daughter, if I remember correctly. I would have notified you before this, except the project slipped my mind until I was notified of the prototype's completion."

The bear then looked Stonewall in the eyes, his expression still calm as he continued. "This was the only project I've authorized behind your back, and it will be the last... However, in any action you choose to take, I will obey." A subtle acknowledgment of the gravity of his actions, and a willingness to, if the king so chose, even retire quietly, a very possible result in his mind.

[Stoney]

King Stonewall didn't know what to do. On the one hand, Grant had been a loyal and reliable military leader up until now. His advice was sage and usually correct, and it was due to the virtue of his knowledge that Stonewall had avoided many a war in the past. In fact, from what the king knew, this was Grant's first act of insubordination.

But on the other hand...

Images of the attempted coup by Stonewall's first Border General flashed through his mind. Julian had seemed loyal and reliable as well...but then he'd begun building robotic soldiers in secret, and eventually tried to overthrow the kingdom with them. If it hadn't been for Blaze...

The king collapsed back into his chair, looking devastated. He felt deeply betrayed, unable to halt the destructive line of reasoning that his mind was processing.

One couldn't simply forget something as important as a series of death machines being built in secret, especially if the funding was coming out of taxpayers' pockets. It could mean the end of a person's career if they did not inform the proper people about it in a timely manner, so obviously there was an ulterior motive at work here.

Did Grant not want him to know about it? Possibly. Why? Maybe because he planned to use them for unsavory purposes. So why tell him, the king, about it now? Well, perhaps it was too late to stop him. Perhaps it was only a matter of time before --

STOP IT, Stonewall yelled at himself mentally. He was overreacting. Grant was a longtime friend and an honorable man. There couldn't be any sort of hidden agenda being perpetrated here. Obviously he was just being paranoid and letting his fears cloud his judgment.

As the two warring factions of his mind battled out their argument, a memory struck Stonewall with vivid detail.

It had been just another day of business at first...he'd been going over the latest trade agreement with Arabia in a conference call with King Sharyhar, haggling over something to do with import taxes. The doors to the throne room had suddenly opened to admit Julian, who was surrounded by a ring of robotic bodyguards armed with the latest in laser technology.

The expression on the human's face at that time was burned into Stonewall's mind: a horrific smile, smugly triumphant with the knowledge of certain victory, and topped by a set of beady little eyes that, for the first time in the King's memory, did not have that air of humility and respect that the man had previously exuded while in Stonewall's presence. Instead they were cold, calculating, and merciless.

Rix's father, God rest his soul, had been in the room at the time, leading the top knights of the Royal Guard in their daily protection of the crown. They'd tried to halt Julian's advance, with little success. One of the robots carelessly tossed the bodies out of the way while Stonewall looked on in horror...and then Julian had announced Soleanna's non-negotiable terms of surrender.

Full control of the kingdom was to be handed over to him, no questions asked. Stonewall and Blaze were to be sent into exile on the open ocean and shot to death if sighted near the continent ever again. Julian's robots were to replace both branches of the Soleanna army, and all military funds were to be devoted to their full-time production. The citizens' freedoms would be revoked, and they would be drafted into indentured servitude under Julian's command.

Stonewall had been outraged; furious; he leaped out of his throne, demanding to know what the Border General could possibly be thinking to pull such a stunt. He called for the rest of the palace guards to come extract Julian from the throne room in the most expeditious manner possible.

The guards never came. And Julian kept on smiling. He was utterly confidence in his control over the situation, Stonewall realized. The man had planned this very thoroughly.

Stonewall had felt like a fool. Julian had manipulated their puppet strings with masterful ease so he could strike from the shadows at the opportune moment. He should have seen the warning signs coming a mile away, but he chose to ignore them due to the general's usefulness in his current position...

King Stonewall blinked rapidly, his mind returning to the present. Grant was still in front of him, awaiting his answer.

Stonewall closed his eyes and covered his face with both hands. His mind had realized one important fact: he had a right to be paranoid.

"...I need to be alone for a bit. To deliberate." He said at last, refusing to look in Grant's direction. He pressed a button on his desk. "Mrs. Landingham, please call Palace Security and tell them to report to the throne room at once."

He released the button and stared at some random spot on the room's carpet. He stayed that way for several moments before taking a deep breath and speaking.

"You may go for now Grant, but you are no longer allowed to leave the building until I figure out what to do. Am I making myself clear?"

[The Huggernaut]

The bear nodded slowly, then bowed. "As you wish, my king."

And the general turned, leaving the throne room, as his own mind dwelt on his possible fate. He had overstepped his bounds. He should have told the king immediately, regardless of what was going on.

But whatever the king's decision, Grant would obey.