RUNNING HOME - A 'ZONERUNNERS' STORY

By Richard Morgan

It was a clear, moonlit night as they ran along the ridge of the hill, soft shadows being cast on the long grass around them, silhouettes with a white outline, the closest of the bright Mobian moons against a deep purple starry sky as their backdrop.

The sound of their paws brushing quickly through the long grass as the soft night wind swirled around them was all that could be heard. They knew not where they were running to; all that mattered was to keep on the move, to avoid detection. A Runner needs to be constantly moving to be safe, they were told, and they never questioned why. They made their way down the gentle slopes of the exposed hill quickly, saying nothing to each other, but instead concentrating on reaching the still unknown target.

The appointed leader of this group was a young female, strong willed and dedicated, with a natural sense of authority. She seemed to move effortlessly, without even the slightest sign of exhaustion, despite running now for almost two hours. As she progressed through the green fields, her experienced eyes searched for a landmark, a tell-tale sign that confirmed their location. Finding none, the girl continued, her colleagues following, to the edge of a forest about half a mile to their front that had risen from the seemingly never-changing horizon.

Behind her, she could sense one of her companions breathing heavily. They had to rest soon. Even she was becoming weary of this aimless travelling, and the cover of this forest was adequate for having a short rest for the remainder of the night. It was unlikely that they would encounter any hostile activity in such a remote area of Mobius anyway. Making sure they had come in far enough from the forest's edge, she slowed down and came to rest against a fallen tree. The two others also stopped, one slumping against a large evergreen, catching his breath, both looking at their group leader for the next instruction.

"So what now, Dee?" Questioned one of them. Dee looked back at the young girl who had asked the question.

"We'll stay here for tonight. The cover of the trees will be fine, and there's no Badnik patrol routes for miles. We can even get some food down us, too. I'm going for a wander to fetch some dry wood we can light a fire with. Get some rest, yous."

"Ohh.. food. I haven't eaten in two days, at least.." Said the tired cat who had propped himself up against a tree.

"Well, use this chance, Jools. You'll need something in you if we get attacked tomorrow. Can't fight on an empty stomach."

"Can't run, either.." Jools muttered under his breath. Dee heard him.

"Look, we had to leave the Marble Zone in a hurry. And we had to get far enough away for Robotnik's cronies to give up the chase - We didn't have time for a three course meal with side orders and seconds!" Snapped Dee. She hated it when Jools didn't approve of her decision making. "Now's your chance to eat. I'll be back soon." With that, the young squirrel disappeared into the dark maze of trees.

The small cat crossed his legs and rested his head in his hands. Sighing loudly, he looked at the other Runner who was standing there, looking at the spot where Dee had just been.

"Don't ever question her, she hates it. I've known her long enough to know that." Jools said, with just the tiniest hint of frustration, in the direction of his companion. The moonlight through the trees enabled them to see each other reasonably well, bathing them in a soft white light.

The girl brushed her long, curly red hair away from her eyes. Jools looked at her. She didn't seem properly dressed for the conditions. She had a large, blue heavy coat which was probably about two sizes too big. The baggy trousers and large boots she was wearing were probably the most normal items of her attire, as far a being a Runner was concerned. Most intrestingly of all though, her hands were covered with huge yellow mittens, making operating a firearm impossible. It was then that Jools realised with surprise that she had no weapon. Come to think of it, he thought, not once did he see her return fire when they stumbled upon that Badnik artillery unit in the Marble Zone. This intrigued him.

"Er... where's your gun? Or weapon?" He blurted out, unable to hide his curiosity. "Did you lose it when we scattered?"

"No. I don't have a weapon." She said softly.

"D'you need one? I got a spare knife if you-"

"No thanks. I don't carry weapons."

"Well, with all respects, Miss, what's the point zonerunning if you can't attack the enemy?" Jools hoped that he hadn't sounded too rude, but he had never known anyone not to place their faith in fighting. The girl walked closer and sat in front of him. He could see her quite innocent looking face clearly now. The young opossum's reply seemed somewhat rehearsed, as if she had said it a hundred times before.

"I'm what you might call a 'scout' Runner. I choose not to fight directly, because I don't think i'll be any good at it. I use my Microputer if I see trouble brewing, and people like yourself or Dee will pick up the call and sort it out. I'm comfortable with that as my role." She smiled.

Jools felt awkward that he had been so inquisitive and insistent without even a proper introduction. They had met up with her by chance in the last engagement, and all three of them had been travelling ever since then. He tried to put his mind at ease, desperately searching for the right thing to say. His companion sensed this, and spared him.

"My name is Hope, by the way."

"Jools, here." He replied with a smile. "Well, it's not my real name, but everyone calls me that." he said, extending a paw in her direction. Hope shook his hand as he wanted, and smiled at him. Instantly he became more confident.

"So, can I ask where you're from?" Asked the curious young Runner.

"The Frozen Zone, on South Island," replied Hope. "I don't usually venture out of the colder zones of Mobius..."

That explains the choice of clothing, Jools thought.

"It must have felt really hot in the Marble zone, then. Y'know, all that boiling lava and all."

"I wouldn't be able to tell you. I was so caught up in what was going on I didn't think about it."

That's true, thought Jools. Once a badnik patrol is upon you, there's precious little time to think of anything but your own survival. His mind wandered, thinking of similar scenarios that he had been placed into over the last few months. He noticed that Hope was looking at him again.

"Thank you... for helping me, by the way." She said quietly, smiling at him.

"No problem, it's what we're here for. You said it yourself, you put out the message and we answer the call."

The cold wind rustled the trees as it swirled icily through the forest around them. They fell silent, and looked around them. Clouds passed across the night sky above, cutting into the bright moon's light and leaving shadows randomly around them. Both hoped that Dee would return shortly, to confirm that she was alright, and also to break the silence that had followed their brief conversation. Suddenly, the snapping of a branch behind Jools made the two Runner's ears prick up in alert. Realising the direction of where the sound came from, Jools spun around, pulling a knife from his pocket and holding it as fiercely as he could. Neither of them said a word, just staring into the ominous blackness in front of them. As if that was her cue, Dee stepped out into the moonlit clearing.

"Hey... it's me. You would already be dead if Badniks had come that close to you. Besides, the snapping twig would be far too cliched. Now c'mon, let's get this fire going."

As Dee proceeded to set fire to the generous pile of wood she had collected, Jools slowly slipped the knife back into his trouser pocket and sat against his tree. He looked at Hope. She was staring at the pile of wood as Dee held a match to it. Slowly but surely, the dry wood began to burn, emitting a miniscule flame which burned brightly, instantly lighting up the space around the three young freedom fighters.

"Owww-ww..!" exclaimed Dee, throwing the small stick into the dark behind her and flapping her wrist in pain. "Dammit. I hate matches. That one's singed my fur."

"Can we have something to eat now?" asked Jools.

"I thought you would've already had something by now, the way you were whining about your empty stomach." Dee said to him.

"No, I like to see what i'm eating." He replied quickly.

"Why? All we've got is food supplement pills. They're white, and round. What's to see?"

"Not so, Dee. I've got some bread here, and-"

"Bread? Really? How much?"

"Enough to go around. I need light to check if it was mouldy. See, what would you do without me?" Jools said, with a grin.

"I have some proper food too, Dee." Hope said, turning to Dee and producing a few apples and an earthy potato.

"Brilliant! Real food. That'll make a change. Let's share this stuff out. Er, where did you get all this, yous two?"

"Just on our travels, Dee. Deserted farms and the like. Plus Runners will always trade food for ammo."

"And information," added Hope. Dee grinned at the supplies that had been put down in front of them, and looked at her fellow Runners.

"Gie's your knife, Jools... thanks. Ok, there you go, folks." The three creatures took their portions of the welcomed food and ate contentedly, letting only the sound of crackling flames hold back the silence of the isolated forest.

"Mmm... Where are we now, anyway?" Jools said through a mouthful of food. Hope looked blankly at him - she knew as much as he did. Dee swallowed and answered his question.

"Green Hill Zone. Thought you'd have recognised it..."

"Green Hill?" Jools said loudly, eyes wide.

"Welcome home, Jools. It'll be good to see it again, won't it?"

"Tell me about it!" Jools sounded considerably uplifted at the new information. "It's been, what... how long now?"

"Dunno how long for you, but I last passed through Littletree village about eight months ago. It's definately been a while."

Jools looked down at the floor. His next sentence came out with an unusual quietness that even Dee found unusual.

"I can't remember how long it's been since I saw the village. Or Momma and Poppa."

"You'll get your chance to see them again, I promise."

Dee smiled at her long-time companion. Jools ran his fingers through the dirt on the floor, deep in thought. The long minutes passed by in silence once more as the three Runners lay motionless around the small fire. Hope sat quietly, with nothing to contribute to break this peaceful state. She felt her eyes becoming heavy, her senses drifting. She was finally feeling the aftermath of their excessive travelling.

"Hope... Hope." Hope's eyes opened again, glancing tiredly in the direction of the voice. Dee leaned over to her and spoke quietly. "Get some sleep. We'll be travelling again in the morning, get some rest while y'can." Hope moved around and layed down on the floor, resting her head in her hand as she closed her eyes and slowly passed into a light sleep. Dee turned to Jools.

"Time to sleep. You need it. An' so do I." She said.

"I don't think i'll be able to sleep. I'm too excited... or nervous."

"Because of your Momma and Poppa?"

"Why else, Dee? I'm gonna be able to see them tomorrow, and i'll be able to tell them all about our adventures. We're heroes now, aren't we? Poppa's gonna be so proud..."

"Then you should sleep, so you won't be grouchy in the morning when you meet them." Dee yawned. "I'm getting some shut eye while I still can. Night, Jools."

Dee placed her satchel on the floor and rested her head on it. She sighed as she looked at the clear sky. The skies above the Green Hill were always so beautiful. Dee closed her eyes and remembered childhood visions of laying on the ground at night, looking up at the heavens with her own father - it seemed strange now, to Dee, that this world was such a tranquil place at one time. Slowly she drifted into a reminiscent sleep, which temporarily returned her freedom, and her lost loving family. A tear ran down the side of he face as she began to dream.

Jools was still resting against his tree. He watched the others as they slept, here in this place, in his home zone. His mind was a complicated mass of thought. He longed for daylight, so that he had an excuse to carry on to Littletree village, his home for so many years. He wondered how his parents were, and hoped that they were still there. He also wondered how much the village had changed since his last visit. Jools was now bright-eyed and fully awake, his excitement giving him a somewhat unwanted extra boost of energy. He sat and watched the flames as they slowly faded to a red glow, and then died away. Jools moved his head to see the starry sky, watching the horizon becoming slowly lighter as a new day gradually crept upon them. He knew that soon he would be able to put his mind at ease. As he watched his visible breath escape him in the cold air, he smiled to himself.

"Momma, Poppa, i'm coming home."

'GREEN HILL ZONE', 'MARBLE ZONE', 'BADNIK' (c) SEGA ENTERPRISES.

'Zonerunners', (c) Mark Eyles, Egmont Fleetway Editions.

'Hope' (c) Richard Elson, Egmont Fleetway Productions - adapted by Richard Morgan

'Dee, Jools' (c) Richard Morgan.