Out of all of the Freedom Fighters in the cramped little cabin, only Knuckles realized that the healing energy that Xelphene had used was Chaos energy, the same kind of energy that the Emeralds on the Island used. Suddenly, he had a very strange feeling that he knew what "Beryl" was.
Before he could open his mouth, however, Sally was at the black hedgehog’s side. "Xelphene," she said, "Could you do that again? For the others?"
"Y-yeah," she said, and her gloves flashed white again. This time, Knuckles was sure that she was using Emerald energy, but not from his Emeralds. Definitely not from his Emeralds. But from where?
"H-how did I do that?" asked Xelphene, "Beryl’s gone. He took it from me. But I can’t do nuthin’ without Beryl!"
Sally got an odd look on her face. "Rotor," she said, "Do you have surveillance cameras around your hut?"
"Yes I do." Said Rotor, confused, "But why do you ask?"
"I’d like to see the footage from them."
"Woah, woah, woah." Said Sonic, who had been swept into the hut with them, "Would somebody please explain? In plain Mobian?"
"She has a Chaos Emerald." Said Knuckles before Sally could say anything. "I’m sure of it. It would explain how she was able to heal Daniel."
"Wait a second," said Sonic. "Aren’t all of the Chaos Emeralds on your Island?"
"The Greater Chaos Emeralds are on my Island." Replied Knuckles. "There are at least six lesser Chaos Emeralds scattered around. There are also a few other, weaker power stones as well, but they have less power then one of your Power Rings."
"So you’re saying that she," Sonic indicated the black hedgehog who was following the conversation intently, "Has a Chaos Emerald? Where could she hide it?"
"She could have one of those invisible interdimentional portal-backpacks that those Th-Varians had," said Rotor, "But I think that there is a simpler explanation. She was a robot, you know."
Knuckles gasped. "He couldn’t,"
Sally’s eyes widened. "No way."
Sonic groaned. "What now?"
In answer, Knuckles tapped Xelphene’s chest. "Right here."
"Wait a minute," said Xelphene, absently batting Knuckles’ hand away, "What do you guys mean? I wasn’t a robot."
The FF’s glanced at one another. "That’s funny," said Rotor, "None of the others who were deroboticized showed any amnesia."
Sally narrowed her eyes at something. "Let’s see those tapes, Rotor. I want to check something out."
Rotor nodded and they followed him into the main room, leaving the unconscious Daniel on the bed.
Rotor guided them over to one of his workbenches and sat them down, and started setting up a slide projector-like object that had lots of wires running from it. He flicked the lights and turned it on, and a projection of the outside of the hut appeared on the wall.
"I’m not sure where the stuff you want to see is on the tape, so I’ll just fast-forward it until it comes up." Sally nodded in agreement and he started up the machine.
The first few minutes were boring. The film got lighter. Rotor came out of the hut. Rotor went back into the hut. Sally went to the hut, and went away. Then, nothing happened for a long time.
After a minute more, there was a disturbance, and Sally asked Rotor to stop the tape and rewind it, in slow motion. As he did so, the tape showed Knuckles, Sonic, and the black robot running backwards at what would be a normal pace for most mobians.
"Stop," said Sally, as they got out of sight, "and play it at normal speed."
Rotor did so, and the blurs streaked by, the black one coming to a halt in front of the hut. It punched a few buttons on its wrist, and then covered its ears. Sonic streaked out, and the two fought. As Aris hurled a glob of the stuff termed "Deroboticizing Solution", Sally motioned for Rotor to stop the tape. He did so, but his reflexes stopped it at the part where Sonic had screamed.
Sally frowned, then turned to Sonic. "Here," she said, "Why did you scream? What happened?"
Sonic shrugged, but it came out as a shudder. "It hurt." He said finally, "like someone was pulling my fur out, one piece at a time, in fast-forward." He shuddered again.
Sally ‘hmm’ed for a few seconds, then stopped. "Sonic," she said, "If I’m right about this Robotnik is a bigger monster than we all realized."
"Right about what?" Sonic asked.
"Yes, princess, what is ‘this’?" Echoed Knuckles.
"I’ll tell you in a few seconds." Said Sally as she pulled Nicole out of her boot. "Nicole," she said to the computer, "Can you take genetic samples?"
"Yes I can, Sally." Said the computer. A small slide-like thing slid out of one side of the AI. "Just place a blood sample into the small well."
Sally nodded absently. "Xelphene," she said to the black hedgehog, "Will you allow me to take a blood sample from you?"
"Sure," said Xelphene cautiously. She held out her arm and Sally looked around for some kind of needle.
"I think there’s one in the closet, Sally." Said Rotor as he noticed her search.
"Oh, no." said Sonic. "Not the closet!"
Sally sighed. "Do you have anything more accessible?" She asked.
"I’m afraid not, Sally." Said Rotor.
"Sonic, go and get a clean needle for me, will you?" Said Sally resignedly.
"Awww!" Said Sonic. He slowly walked off towards Rotor’s closet, whistling the funeral march.
Xelphene looked up at Sally, confused. "What was that all about?" She asked.
Sally ‘shhh’ed Xelphene and smiled. After a few seconds, there was a yelp followed by a large crash. Sonic reappeared a few moments later, microchips stuck to every bit of fur.
"I hope you’re satisfied." He said. It was all the Freedom Fighters could do to keep from bursting out laughing. Sonic handed the needle to Sally.
Sally gently inserted the needle and drew a small sampling of blood. Nicole opened up the slot again, and Sally squeezed a drop of the red liquid onto the slide. Nicole closed the slot and started scanning the mixture.
"I’ll beep when I’m done, Sal." Said Nicole.
Sally nodded and set Nicole on a fairly empty bit of table. A few minutes went by, the conversation winding through various topics, before Nicole beeped the signal.
Sally picked Nicole up. "What of interest did you find?" She asked the AI.
"I found that except for a few small differences, the chromosomes are exact copies of chromosomes of Sonic Hedgehog."