FicWad

Disclaimer: Sonic and related characters (c) Sega, Tekno and related characters (c) Fleetway/Sega, Kharis Starfire and the spirit (c) Aura Starfire - do not use without permission.

Authors note: The first fic in my series [not cronologically] and my answer as to what happened after the SA adaptation ended - I didn't think Sonic would be completly back to normal so soon, and this is what happened afterwards.


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- After the Battle

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"I'm leaving."

Sonic's words echoed in the uncomfortable silence. Amy turned to him, opening her mouth to protest... but Sonic didn't let her.

He looked haunted, dark circles under his eyes from sleepless nights, nightmares having plagued any sleep snatched. His quills hung down, the normally bright eyes dulled with depression and fatigue. No trace of his normally cheerful personality was there anymore.

Sonic was a shell of what he used to be.

"I'll be back....." He paused, fingers rubbing at his eyes in frustrated weariness. "I think..."

"You think?"

Sonic's eyes flashed, the emerald green colour that had been given to them on the day that Chaos had come.....the day Sonic would hate for all his life.

"I don't know!" he snapped. "I need to get this outta my system... I'm no good to the team if I'm like this.....I need to be alone!"

"Sonic....Robotnik might not come back.....we can help you here..." Amy's frantic protests hung in the air.

"No." Colbalt spines swayed as Sonic stood in the open doorway, one hand resting on the frame, the other lying at his side. "I need to be alone....Robotnik won't give up, I know he won't... but you guys can't help me...and how can I help you if I can't help myself?" he whispered.

Clear droplets dripped onto the floor. Amy glanced up, tears in her eyes. As a gloved hand came upwards, she was startled then Amy let it brush the tears away. Sonic gave a small smile.

"When I figure out what I need to do Amy... I'll come back." His expression turned sober again "But I can't come back until I do."

Amy nodded. "I understand Sonic.....but please come back..."

He said nothing, giving the slightest nod in return. Then, with the backpack secure on his shoulders, tailor-made to withstand friction from his spines, Sonic concentrated on the one thing that lifted his spirits all his life.

He ran.

- -

Two days later, Sonic had not returned. Life on Mobius was slowly returning to normal. Many thought Robotnik was gone forever, and would no longer be a threat. Some thought it would be only a matter of time before he appeared again.

The Freedom Fighters hoped for the first, but knew the second was more likely. Robotnik seemed so much like Sonic in that respect: both never gave up, even when it seemed utterly hopeless.

Except, now, it was Sonic who seemed to have given up.

When the other Freedom Fighters had heard the news, it had been met with sadness and regret. They had all known Johnny Lightfoot, but it had been Sonic who had known him the best. They knew Johnny and Sonic had met before Robotnik took over, but even now, they didn't know the full story behind it.

Soon the truth would come out. It would shock them more than anything else they had known.

They tried to get on with life as normal, as normal as it could be. They respected Sonic's wishes, to be left alone. In their minds was the constant belief that he would return, just as he had in the middle of the battle with Chaos.

But there was no danger, nothing that could make him return.

That was what scared them.

- - - - -

Somewhere on Mobius.

Sonic didn't know his exact location, but he didn't care. In the days since he had left the Emerald Hill Zone, he had travelled aimlessly, running little and his mind clouded by thoughts of the past. Images that, much like the nightmares, would not leave him alone. Day and night, his mind was in turmoil; alone, he had no-one to talk to, which was what he had wanted, but at the same time he wished for the embrace Amy had given him at the funeral. She was so full of comfort now, a far cry from the lovesick girl he had met all those years ago.

Every morning his face had been streaked with tears, waking up from a nightmare which he could only recall snippets of, scaring him more than anything Robotnik could throw at him.

More than when he had almost drowned.

More than anything he could ever recall.

How he had managed not to break down in the entire battle with Chaos, after Johnny's death, Sonic didn't know. Even when he had left in the middle, he had not cried.

Yes, there had been times when he had let down his guard. Tears glinting in his eyes when Amy told him Johnny was gone. His anger and frustration when he had been told it was not his fault....though he knew it was. His fear when Tails had been hit by the Chaos monster, the fear of losing another because he wasn't strong enough.

But those had been small lapses, he wanted to keep up the strong visage of 'the hero' as much as he wanted to throw it all away.

Now he was a mere shadow of the hero... tear stained face, shaking hands, walking to an unknown desination... all the signs of someone heroic were now buried on the spot where Johnny had died. Shivering, Sonic finally looked up at his surroundings, a flicker of recognition in his eyes. Although he had been wandering with no clear place to go, his heart and soul had taken him to the place where his memories began.

He fingered the pendant around his neck. It was silver-plated and possessed writing on the back, the only link to his true origin... not the blue spines, but the true beginning.

Sonic continued, walking through the frozen landscape. Perhaps, here, he would find what he was looking for...

He had not been there for many years, and he had been very young when he had, so to remember so many details... it seemed strange. The icy wind whipped around his small frame, and he shivered... he'd been so very cold and so very lonely. Walking for an eternity until a voice came through the falling snow, then a warm blanket and a loving embrace.

Sonic shook his head. He was already depressed; he did not want to think of that day, despite the fact that it had ended happily. He tried thinking of happier times. Fairgrounds, swings, games... even learning, all took his mind back to happier days and the faintest trace of a smile came to him. Suddenly, the air did not seem to feel as frigid at it had been just a second before.

This warm feeling remained, until the memories of happier times were pushed out once again by the overwhelming guilt. Sonic cursed. Why couldn't he forget, just for a minute? But then, he gave himself a mental slap. Why should he be allowed to forget? It was by his lack of action Johnny had died, and by that fact he told himself that he would never deserve to be free of that heavy feeling.

Lost in thoughts, he did not take notice of the tall mountains that were in every direction, majestic peaks covered with the same shade of snow that crunched under his sneakers.

The first he noticed of the danger was the loud rushing sound behind him. He ignored it for as long as he could, still lost in his world of blame for mistakes he wished he could change, and it was only when the noise persisted that he irritatedly turned his head around...

And was met with the sight of thousands of square feet of snow, coming down the mountain in the distance at a speed that even he feared. His frame shivering from the cold, his frantic running did not speed up as quickly as it usually did and the snow made it even harder to run in.

He managed to keep running, the snow remaining a good distance behind him, and for a moment he believed he could make it... but then his foot came down and the snow collapsed under it. He fell, snow quickly rushing over the hole and his head. He caught on something as he descended, falling into unconsciousness.

- - - - -

A shrill noise shocked Tekno from her work. She stretched from the long hours she had been sitting, and she took a deep breath. Her muscles loosened somewhat, and she rose up from the chair, remembering to be thankful for the soft back. She made her way to the other side of the room.

She performed a quick check of the system, and seconds later she was racing out of the room.

"Amy!"

A head snapped upwards, and gloved hands placed the book down, a deep sigh coming from her mouth. She had not been reading the book. Would find it impossible to recall anything if asked. It had merely been a distraction, something to take her mind off all the recent devastating news.

"In here." Her words were full of poorly disguised sadness, a hand going to her face to wipe away a solitary tear. Moments later, Tekno rushed into the room, worry written on her face, out of breath and gasping.

She panted for a few moments, her words appearing between her deep breaths. "Sonic's com link... the signal just..." Her face screwed up for a moment, looking for the right word. "It just... went!"

Amy's mind rushed with many scenarios. The com links were an invention of Tekno's; based on an earlier idea by Porker Lewis, small enough to strap onto a wrist or bag, they provided the Freedom Fighters with an easy way to get in touch with each other.

"Maybe.....maybe he took it off?"

Tekno's head shook, her green hair swaying from side to side. "No.....the signal I got was sudden, as if something just hit it or was crushed...." Her voice grew quiet and trailed off.

A million possibities went through Amy's head at the word no... when she heard 'crushed' she felt ill, her guilt increasing ten-fold. She wished she had stopped Sonic from running off... why hadn't she stopped him?

But no, she had just stood there as her friend had left, making no move at all. Mentally she was kicking herself, while at the same time trying not to burst into tears.

Amy prided herself on not being one to cry at any moment. It had started because she believed Sonic disliked emotional girls...she had then done it for herself. This inner strength was her weapon, much like the crossbow she wielded.

Now, in the aftermath of Johnny's death by Chaos and Sonic's departure, she eagerly let go of that strength, taking solace in the warmth and comfort of her friends.

Surprised at the sudden movement, Tekno allowed her friend to embrace her. She returned it, knowing after many years of friendship with the firey pink hedgehog, she was one that not only wanted, but needed, friendship, much like a flower needs light and water.

Tekno smiled; it seemed appropriate... Amy's last name was Rose, and she shared the kindness of that flower.

Amy poured out frantically how she had not tried to stop Sonic, anything short of protesting, about lack of action and how she had just watched him as he ran away.

Calming her down, Tekno reassured Amy that they would try and find Sonic. This cheered up her friend, but both were still worried.

Because Tekno had not been monitoring the com link, they did not know where Sonic would be, and taking in the size of Mobius, it would be a big task to locate him.

It would also be just the two of them searching. Knuckles and Porker were still hard at work trying to raise the Floating Island after it had sunk into the sea when the emeralds had been ejected in the battle. Tails had given a vague answer when he had also left a day earlier, Amy had a feeling he was hiding something, but at the time, had not wanted to press it.

Shorty, previously known as Shortfuse, without the armour, would not be much help. He had conveyed to Tekno a week before that he would be interested in having the armour redesigned and rebuilt, stressing in a teasing tone that he would prefer to be able to get out of it this time.

- - - - -

"What about Kintobor?" Amy mentioned. They were sitting in the small kitchen, quelling their pangs of hunger... Neither had felt hungry after the funeral and had eaten little since the battle itself.

Tekno looked confused. "Kintobor's scanning equipment is as useless as mine if the comm link has been destroyed..."

Amy shook her head. "No..." she breathed, hope swelling inside her once more. She attempted to quell it, but could not disguise from her voice "Sonic stayed with him, before he changed into Robotnik... he helped Kintobor search for the emeralds."

When they had formed the Freedom Fighters, Sonic had given vague details about his past... not that his friends demanded to know. Details that had been fed into Kintobor's computer... information such as birthdate, medical history, and other general information.

Amy didn't recall Sonic providing such information, but she had joined some time after the group had been created, so it was probable that he had given it back then.

Amy had once tried to access Sonic's personal information, but there had been password protection. After several guesses, Amy had given up.

Under ordinary circumstances, she would not have tried to pry into his file... but in the highly uncontrollable state known as Super Sonic, he had gone missing.

The file would have been needed to see if there was any way to get through to him. Perhaps he was vulnerable to something. It would have been a long shot, considering Super Sonic's unpredictability, but at the time, it had been their only lead. Thankfully they had managed to restrain him and the chaotic energy had once again dissapated; the information was no longer needed.

But Amy still wondered why the information was hidden. She had once approached Sonic on the subject... she got an irritated reply from him that it wasn't important.

The story he had given them was quite vague... he had stayed with Kintobor for a while, helping him discover the emeralds. After Kintobor's transformation, Sonic fled to Green Hill, where he'd met Johnny. Sonic's expression when he told them was one of sadness, and a tinge of regret, not meeting their eyes during it.

Lost in her thoughts, Amy slowly became aware of somebody tapping her on the shoulder. Blinking, she turned to meet Tekno's concerned gaze and gave a weak smile.

Tekno asked her if she was all right. For a few long moments, she didn't respond, and a heavy quiet set about the room. "Let's go see Kintobor," she finally responded.

Tekno could see the glimmer of hope in her friend's eyes. She was feeling the same thing herself. Hope was a crucial part of their existence... at times, it was the only thing they had left.

They exited the room.

Tense moments later, they entered the main control room. There was a wide variety of sophisticated technology here, but the piece they were most concerned with at the moment was the nearby table-like structure. It actually wasn't a table, but a pedestal with a holographic projector set within. Hovering over the projector was an image of the head of Sonic's former mentor and caretaker... Dr. Ovi Kintobor.

Considering that Kintobor had changed into Robotnik, it would seem surprising that both existed. Even more so that they did so at the same time. This holograph was the essense of Ovi Kintobor before the transformation with the emeralds; he had all the memories and knowledge of Kintobor, but without anything after the change.

This version of the projector was fairly recent. It had originally come about shortly after Sonic's second confrontation with Robotnik, during the time he was organizing the Freedom Fighters. He and his friends Johnny Lightfoot, Porker Lewis, and Miles "Tails" Prower had been looking for a suitable place to use as a base of operations, so that they might be better equipped to oppose the evil tyrant.

Johnny's suggestion had been to use the old lab of Kintobor's, at least at first. Sonic had felt reluctant to do so, reasoning that Robotnik may know of it, but had agreed, stating that they would attempt to find somewhere else if possible.

The chaos from the transformation had left the laboratory in a gigantic mess, but there was no structural damage done, and it had enough living space. First, however, they'd had to clear up.

This was where they found it.

The way Sonic had spoken of the incident was still freshly etched in their minds. Sonic had seen an object poking out of the rubble... it had been golden in color. Sonic had pulled it out, recognizing it at once.

A Mobius ring.

Found mainly in the warps of confusion, he had managed to bring one back through when he and Kintobor had been gathering the emeralds. Kintobor had run extensive tests on it between stints of emerald research, but he had never been able to explain anything about it.

Holding the ring had always given Sonic a small burst of energy, like an adrenaline rush, except on a much smaller scale. This time he felt nothing like that; it almost felt like there was something inside the golden ring... and, concentrating, Sonic was shocked to hear Kintobor's voice... faint, but definitely there. He had dropped the ring in shock, but had quickly bent down and held it again, delving much deeper... and then he knew, without a doubt, that Kintobor was somehow inside it.

Since Sonic always seemed to get irritated with technical jargon, Porker Lewis explained in simpler terms that the most probable explanation was that when the ROCC had changed Kintobor into Robotnik, the Mobius ring had absorbed his memories... which made sense of the fact that Robotnik did not recall Sonic, and that he only resembled Kintobor in certain features.

Also, if this was true, Robotnik wouldn't know where the lab was... therefore, it was safe for them to use.

With the connection he'd made to the emeralds, Sonic delved time and time again into the strange energy of the ring, gathering information... he could tell that Kintobor was aware of him, but neither spoke to the other.

Porker had solved this problem with the creation of the Kintobor computer, connecting the consciousness stored within the ring to an advanced extrapolation machine. He had tried explaining it to others, but even he couldn't explain it exactly.

The computer was soon proved successful, and the Freedom Fighters added one more to their ranks. Sonic appeared extremely happy to see his friend again, and they could often be seen discussing things together.

The Kintobor computer had become a huge asset to the Freedom Fighters.

Amy's hopes soared... maybe Kintobor could help them this time.

- - - -

Sonic slowly came back to consciousness. The first thing he felt was the numbing cold, the frozenness of the air around him... and as he tried to move, pain seared hroughout his body.

Sonic forced himself to stay still, taking deep breaths, trying to dull the feeling of the painful pins and needles all over his body. With a few moments, they lessened to a calmer ache that he could at least cope with, although he didn't think he'd be getting to his feet anytime soon.

He opened his eyes slowly, warily... and his vision was met with walls of brilliant, shining white.

Beneath him, there was nothing but white.

Above him, there was nothing but white, but there was something different about what was above him. A seemingly endless tunnel stretched upwards, a beam of light shining down on him, but at a low enough intensity so that he could see.

Blood dripped down onto his gloves, staining them. He noticed this, and gingerly brought one arm up and across his forehead. His arm came back within his vision tainted with red fluid. He felt dizzy, and he put it down to the combination of the light and the injury he'd suffered.

"Stupid..." he muttered to himself, trying to move slightly. "You fall into a hole in the snow... running away from a freaking AVALANCHE!"

The last word, spoken at a louder volume, carried with it a tone of disgust. Sonic turned back to checking himself for injuries. Upon lifting his other arm, a lance of pain shot through it. He was unsure of whether it was broken or sprained, but he imagined that just from the pain, it was more likely to be broken. Still, he was no doctor.

Similar, burning pain occurred when gingerly moving one leg, but the other one seemed unharmed. Most of him, as far as he could see, was covered with scratches and scrapes, the red of his blood contrasting with the blue of his fused spines.

Sonic felt himself sink into the depths of depression... he began to think of himself as just a cold corpse, lying there where no one would find him... he couldn't imagine he'd be able to get out of this alive, not in this condition. He would lie there, freeze, and die, and leave it all behind. It would be much like the way he had left his friends. He thought that if they'd truly cared, they would have come after him the same day, the same minute, the same second that he'd left.

But they had not.

He felt himself getting feverish, and he began telling himself that they would probably be better off without him... they could live without him, and not have to worry about screwing anything up. He had just as good as killed Johnny, having been too scared to help his friend out when he needed it the most... then there were the times he'd been rude and moody to those he considered friends... then there was Super Sonic...

That, Sonic thought, would be enough to show that Mobius would be much better off without him.

Do you really think that?

Sonic had been falling into an uneasy sleep, but now his eyes jerked open and he almost sat bolt upright. He looked around for the source of the voice, and he came face-to-face with a ghostly figure, sitting almost right beside him.

At any other time, Sonic might have quipped about it not being Costume Day, but now, he said nothing.

The figure stared at him for a few moments, looking him over, a contemplative expression on its see-through face. Sonic simply stared back, unsure of what to make of this strange being.

Do you truly feel that the lives of those around you would be better if you did not exist?

Sonic's mouth hung open. The figure's mouth both seemed to move and not to move, though it couldn't possibly be both at the same time... could it?

After a moment, Sonic nodded. "Yes."

There was no trace of doubt in his mind. As far as he was concerned, if he hadn't been born in the first place...

The ghostly figure seemed to hear what Sonic was thinking, and that made the encounter all the more eerie.

The life of one person can greatly impact the lives of others/, it said. Its voice seemed to reach forever, as if it were gliding across an endless wind. /Good or bad... your life does make an impact on those of others.

Sonic frowned, and for the first time, he realized that he was now standing. There was no pain, at all... in fact, he couldn't feel anything. Not even the cold snow at his back, nor the chilly air across his face.

He moved his arms and legs, amazed to see that they seemed to have been mended fully. He looked up, and he saw what seemed to be an amused smile across the figure's face.

There are no injuries in this place.

"Where are we, then?" Sonic tapped his foot impatiently, ignoring for the moment the fact that there didn't seem to be any definitive ground beneath them.

The spirit chuckled for a moment, then floated closer to Sonic. Sonic stepped back once, but then decided to stand his ground... after all, what could a spirit do to harm him?

This is where your fate is decided. I have watched you for your entire life, hero... and I am willing to show you what a Mobius without you would be like.

Sonic was hopelessly lost now. "Huh?"

You feel the lives of your friends, and those of the planet, would be better off if you never existed. Therefore, I shall show you what such an existence would have been like without you. I shall show you what life would have become if you had never been born. And then, I will allow you to make the decision.

Sonic nodded "I guess so....I wouldn't mind seeing their lives without me....I know it'll be perfect..." he trailed off "...so....do whatever you have to do and lets get on with it!"

The spirit could sense Sonic's uncertainty, but did not say anything, simply motioning with his cloaked hand for him to come forward, hesitating for a split second, Sonic then stepped towards the figure, placing his hand on it's arm, not feeling anything at all.

They dissapeared.

- - - - -

Even as a hologram, Kintobor was able to express his feelings. If he could have held his head in his hands, he would most certainly have done so... but, being restricted to just a head, he simply imitated a heavy sigh and a worried expression. His long moustache drooped, and his eyelids did the same.

He had known Sonic had left, as had all the other Freedom Fighters known... but he had put his efforts into monitoring the Emerald Hill Zone using the sensor arrays and performing computer checks. But these, as Amy's book had been, were just done to provide a distraction. And, as with Amy's book, it hadn't worked.

"Can you help us...?" Amy began, trailing off. Kintobor sighed heavily once more. Tekno, concerned, put her hand on her friend's shoulder. Both had felt the strain of the last few days. Tekno wished Kintobor could help them... but it sounded, fom the sighs, as though he couldn't.

"Amy..."

The pink-quilled hedgehog's head snapped up at a speed that would have rivaled Sonic, the small glimmer of hope in her eyes once more. She said nothing, and Kintobor spoke again.

"I believe I can help," he said slowly, "but I have to tell you something both Sonic and I have been very reluctant to ever speak of to anyone else..."

Amy, confused, looked to Tekno. Tekno was likewise confused. "Oh?"

The hologram nodded. "You recall that Sonic helped me search for the emeralds many years ago, before my transformation... or, should I say," he chuckled glibly, "my body's transformation to Robotnik."

A pair of nods answered him, and he asked them, "What else do you know of Sonic's past?"

"He said he stayed with you for a while... helped you search for the emeralds... then when the transformation happened, he started fighting Robotnik," said Tekno.

"True." Kintobor nodded appreciatively. "But do you not know of anything that hapened before the emerald hunt?"

Amy and Tekno exchanged glances. "No..."

Kintobor sighed. "Well, then, I'll start at the beginning. The first thing you need to know is that Sonic was not born with that name, and that I sheltered him for many years before our hunt began."

At their shocked and surprised looks, he smiled to himself.

"It was many years ago, some time after I arrived here on Mobius from my home world of Earth." Tekno and Amy, as well at the entirety of Mobius, were aware that Kintobor was an alien, and that he came from a different dimension altogether. He'd come here by way of a portal generator.

"I had settled in fairly well, helping a Mobian scientist with experiments. The technology was amazing and it intrigued me greatly."

Tekno smiled. "We found your ideas interesting as well."

Kintobor smiled back and nodded briefly, but was more aware than any of them that time was of the essence. He continued.

"I had been taking a vacation and was near the northern continents of Mobius. A snowstorm was gathering whilst I was walking. I was nowhere near my starting point, nor any town for adequate shelter. I searched for other shelter and soon found a cave. I was only there for a few minutes when I heard a noise outside, amidst the snow and sleet. I ventured out to find the source."

A fond, almost fatherly smile flitted across his face as he continued. "I came across a small figure walking in the snow. Because of the storm, I couldn't see what it was... but I wrapped my blanket around it and took it back to the cave. I found it was a small, brown hedgehog. Its quills were straightforwardly brown, but its eyes were the brightest blue I had ever seen in my life."

"No way..." Amy breathed. "That was... Sonic?"

Kintobor nodded. "I took him home with me after the storm passed, and I gave him the name Takashi. I gave him this name because of a silver pendant he had been wearing, the only object he carried. I adopted him and took care of him. I soon discovered his incredible speed, and it was through the treadmill I designed that his brown spines changed to the blue coloration you see today. I never did find out what his fastest speed was..." He smiled. "I then created his sneakers, and we both decided that 'Sonic' would be a more appropriate name."

Sonic had told them of the treadmill and his sneakers, but all the other information was more shocking to Tekno and Amy than anything else they'd ever known.

"Then he helped me on my quest to find the emeralds. A year or two after, I became Robotnik." Kintobor sighed. "I do apologize for Sonic, but he felt that if you know, you would blame him for Robotnik, since he had a hand in Robotnik's creation..." Kintobor trailed off for a moment, but found his tongue again. "Sonic also feels that showing emotion is not the sign of a hero, like in so many comic books..."

Amy growled in frustration. "We don't think he's to blame... and a hero should show emotion... otherwise he's a lot less believable."

All three of them lapsed into silence. The only sounds that could be heard for a few tense moments were the different beeps emitting from the console in the corner, as well as Amy and Tekno's breathing. It seemed as if time itself was standing still. The two Mobians were trying to get their heads around the concept... trying to figure out why Sonic would keep this from them. Neither could fully understand why... they both knew that if it had been either of them in his position, they would have told the entire story, and would have been done with it.

But, Amy reflected, how could they hope to understand fully? As easy as it was for them to imagine being in that final position, it would never be the same thing. Many times, people claimed that they would do the right thing in any given situation... but when the situation actually arises, the events could cause them to change their mind.

None of which mattered to either of them now... not really. All that they knew now was that they had to find Sonic before it was too late to find him at all.

Kintobor explained to them that Sonic might have gone back to where they had first met each other, since he could really remember nothing before then. Really, it was where his life had first begun. Without the cummunicator, it would be immeasurably more difficult to find him. The plains where he had been found were of an amazing size. However, Kintobor recalled the rough location of the cave where he had taken shelter, and if they took him with them in the portable computer, he would be much more able to direct them to it.

Amy and Tekno spent the next few minutes wrapping themselves up in thick winter gear. The weather here was cold, and in the northern continents, it would be even more so. They uploaded Kintobor into the portable computer and left a message behind for Tails, in case he returned... the pedestal was now without a hologram, but still useful in many other aspects.

Moments later, the Freedom Fighter base was completely empty... the only light emanating from the various consoles... the only sounds emitting from the intermittent sensor reports.