Sonic.EX3: Chapter 3

It's been some time since finding out my game saves 'people' in it as other characters. Since then, I've been watching how Rick and Annie have been moving around town. I've started to keep notes on how the locations compare to real life. Most places Annie went to was a salon with some friends, shopping at the highland mall, and even passing by the school yard meeting with a possible friend.

Rick was always obvious. Goes to the park to think, hangs around his house with snacks, and one time he even passed by my house once or twice. That part I didn't need the Game Gear for when he'd often wave my way by my house on his way elsewhere.

That is … Until that day when I called him the first time I tested the damn character switch feature. I was minding myself with the game, watching Annie on screen moving about her business. Honestly, I'm either doing this because I'm stalking her, or because I'm worried this game might target her next. I gave up figuring myself out at this point.

I was thankful for the doorbell ringing that time. It helped me snap out of it to check out the window to see who it was. Rick was standing there at the door, tapping at his foot, until he noticed me at the window. His visit must have been about that call I made to him while using the Game Gear.

I can't tell him about the game right now. But, if I don't, then he'll think I'm either nuts or a stalker. Let's face it. I might as well BE a stalker with this thing. But how do I even explain to him the whole situation?

Maybe I would just lie and say I was spying on him. Maybe he'll find it a laugh riot. Though if it was any other normal human being, which it is, they'd find it creepy and out of character. Never the less, I had to bank on it. I couldn't let anyone else know.

It took a while to greet him. He was always a rather eager friend. That backwards cap of his with the Chicago white socks logo was never off his head. I swear I could imagine he actually showers with it or something. But the look on his face was all too prominent to remember then. That look of concern and questions adorned his features quite firmly.

I tried to pass it off as a hoax I pulled. I might have been convincing enough to make it seem that way. He would slap me on the back with a warning about creeping him out like that. He was genuinely worried about me doing something like that. At least he only thinks I was spying on him from relatively close.

He also told me about some people having moved into the neighborhood. The problem was that they were rumored to be those cultists people trying to make their way through. He came over to offer his place for some solitude until they were gone.

Well, with this game that I'm stuck with, those cultists coming around, and the fact that I'm still left clueless as to what I'm suppose to do, I didn't hesitate to take up the offer. Moving elsewhere would be the better idea for the time being.

I started to pack some things away to take with me for the time being. This house is really all I had to my name, among other things, but at least it's hopefully for just a short time. But the worst happens when I hear that tell tale echo of my Game Gear...

“You still have that old Game Gear console?” Rick would respond when hearing it. “I figured it'd get lost like your other junk.”

“Oh trust me...” I responded rather quietly. “This thing is seriously difficult to lose.”

“Yeah I bet.” Rick laughed. “You don't see any other hand held that looks like that anymore. It's too bulky to lose track of.”

“Yeah. You don't.” I murmured back.

I had to take the game out again. Looking at it, I would notice something wrong about the scenery.

The scenery showed the outside of a ruin entrance. Charmy and Ray were seen in a separate room above, a see through kind of wall... I can't explain but it felt like the graphics 'updated' or something. When it looked like something you would see back in the 1990's, it seems more like the updated sprites of the more later years of a hand-held game...

Rick took a look over my shoulder at my game, blinked, and yanked it from my hand. “What the hell?” He commented. “Hey did you hack your Game Gear or something?”

“Rick give it back!” I yank at it fast, pulling it from his hands. I could tell from Ray's facial expression that Rick was getting rather confused.

“...You okay? You've been acting rather weird lately.”

“Rick, I can't explain right now.” I checked again at the game.

The graphics on the Badnik's were there again. But this time, it looked like they were waiting just outside the entrance of the ruins. Now if I was familiar with this game as it is, and me and Rick were represented as Charmy and Ray …

Damn it. Why now!!!!

I check outside my window to make double sure. When I took a look out, I saw a pair of men. One of them was wearing a black jacket with a pair of blue jeans. The other was wearing an overcoat and a narrow brimmed hat. The one with the overcoat looked rather burly. Must be the bruiser kind.

What made me worry was the fact that this game was just screaming out to me 'DON'T go outside'. I've learned that 'badniks are BAD news' back when that truck nearly hit me. There's more questions I need to ask though about the whole thing, but they have to wait.

“Rick...You know those guys?”

Rick took a look over at the window when he was asked. When he saw those two figures out front, he gave a bit of pause.

“...Oh fuck. They're already walking around.” He responded.

“What? You mean these guys are - “ I was interrupted when Rick was way ahead of me in explaining.

“Yeah. Those were the guys I was hearing about. They moved in just recently like I said. Looks like they're already looking for poor saps to preach about the whole Sonic.EXE thing...”

I didn't believe it for a second. They were just around to 'preach'? Unlikely. I don't think they know about me or this game yet, but I'd rather not risk going out there now. “I don't think we should head out right now...”

“Yeah. Damn it...” Rick groans as he rubs his eyebrows. He walked on past the door of my room to the second floor walkway. “I'm gonna get a hot dog... Maybe we can wait them out!”

“How can you think of food at a time like this?” I responded back. Sure Rick was capable of keeping calm, but it always made me feel awkward with how he can be like this. Of course, he didn't ask before checking the fridge.

“Hey. It's not like we got anywhere else to go right now.” He responded. I came down after him for a bit, keeping my eyes on the Game Gear. The graphics still look rather 'newish' since the last time I checked. But the badniks seem to hover closer around the front entrance. I take a look up at the front door when I came down. Sure enough, I felt a sickening feeling in the pit of my stomach.

I thought I heard footsteps on pavement walking up to the front door …

I REALLY didn't like where this was going. What if all they were doing was coming to preach? What if they might try to force the actual game on me? What do I do?

Rick comes along from the kitchen with a hotdog bun and a pack of hot dogs. “Seriously... no chilli?” Rick responded in the usual relaxed manner.

I grab him close and held him there a bit. “SHH..” I try to shush him while those footsteps get closer... and closer.

I had to think of something. Though my time was limited when there came a knock on the door.

Damn it... out of all the other houses they could go up to, WHY MINE?!

I had to keep silent for the moment. The thought of them being at the door, and me with this damn game, was already making my skin crawl. Rick was obviously worried even more about me when I acted this way.

“... what's going on?” He asked rather perplexingly.

Again, I didn't have any way to answer him. I just kept as quiet as I could while walking backwards from the front door.

Obviously, they weren't stupid. I could actually hear their conversation through the door in muffled tones. But I had to take a guess...

“Fuck. Another house full of fucking chickens.”

...That … didn't come from the door.

When I took another look at my Game Gear, I saw it was starting to show text along with actual verbal sounds! The vocalization sounded like what you would expect from a Game Gear back then. However, the vocalization sounded much more clear than before. What's going on here?

“It's not like it wasn't expected. People get bat shit crazy about us after a few chosen ones were taken by the game.” One of the badniks responded to the other. This one looked like one of those mechanical wasps.

The other, a burly looking lady bug thing, simply shuffled. “I still don't like being told to lay low. I say we pick our own victims and give them to the game itself.”

The wasp would hover in an agitated manner. “You idiot! You want the police to come down on our asses and ruin everything our group worked hard for?”

The lady bug badnik would only chuckle before heading off. As it did, I heard those footsteps from the front door walking away. “Oh I don't think we have to worry about that. Just leave one of our pamphlets on the front door – like we were told to.” Though the latter response sounded rather put off.

I heard the noise of paper being unfolded and forced onto the handle of the front door. Then... silence.

The badniks in the game had left. That must mean they were gone too. I had to rush to the door to check, waiting a bit longer. My hand was sweating at the palm, nervous about opening the door, as they might still be there if I open the door.

I couldn't. My hand lowers away from the door nervously afterwords. But what bothered me was my friend staring blankly back at me.

“... What the hell is going on?” Rick asked. His voice was shaking, I could tell, considering he was actually beside me when the game pulled that trick.

I suppose now would have to be a better time than any to try and explain. But god … was this going to be quite the explanation.

“Rick..” I responded, walking over and putting a hand on his shoulder. “...I think you're going to need to sit down for this.”