Space Colony ARK (Sonic X)

The Space Colony ARK is a location that appears in Sonic X anime series. It is a space station where, under the authority of the government, weapons designed for combat and war were being built by many talented scientists, the most notable of them being Gerald Robotnik.

Description
The Space Colony ARK was initially a spherical, asteroid-like space station. However, with the revelation of the Eclipse Cannon, half of the space station was blasted apart, revealing a design very reminiscent of Gerald Robotnik's face.

Past
The Space Colony ARK was home to government operations that were carried out over fifty years ago. Among the several experiments and research projects conducted aboard the ARK, one stood out i particular, namely, Project Shadow (Sonic X), which was instigated by the government with the intent of achieving immortality for humans, although Gerald Robotnik himself only took on this operation in order to help potentially cure his granddaughter, Maria, from the fatal Neuro-Immune Deficiency Syndrome disease.

A prototype was eventually achieved in the Bio Lizard, but due to its primitive and wild nature, it was deemed a failure and eventually encapsulated. Gerald soon finished the final prototype for Project Shadow, whom he named "Shadow". The government, fearing the threat of creatures like Shadow, forced several soldiers from the Guardian Units of the Nations to take Shadow for themselves and silence everyone on the ARK while doing so. Within this skirmish and chaos, Maria lost her life helping Shadow escape, while Gerald was taken to Prison Island, where the government had him continue his work in a cell.

Shadow Saga
Having remained abandoned for several decades, the Space Colony ARK once again housed visitors.Shadow used Chaos Control to teleport himself and Chris from Prison Island to the abandoned space station, with Eggman already busy preparing his assualt. As the boy gawked in wonder at being in space, Eggman fired the Eclipse Canon, powering it with the Chaos Emeralds at firing it at the Moon, shattering it in half.

Finding and using it, Sonic and his friends eventually made it to the Space Colony ARK via a space shuttle. While Knuckles the Echidna confronted Rouge in order to take back his Emerald Shards, Sonic, Tails, and Amy were confronted by Eggman, who took Amy hostage, demanding Sonic hand over his Chaos Emerald. Agreeing simply due to the fact that said emerald was a fake, Sonic handed it over. However, Eggman was able to see through their plan, and sent Sonic flying into space with the fake emerald.

Meanwhile, Shadow confronted Rouge the Bat about her true nature when he found out she was a government spy, though Rouge retorted back by insisting he was the one who's true nature was a fake, asserting that even his memories could be a fake and that he probably wasn't the real Shadow. However, this conversation was eventually brought to an end with Shadow leaving in order to pursue an enemy that was heading towards the Eclipse Cannon.

As luck would have it, Sonic was that enemy, having managed to escape death by utilizing Chaos Control via the fake emerald. Confronted by Shadow, the two battled aboard the ARK in order to determine the fate of the Eclipse Canon, and in so, the world. While fighting, Gerald's final message appeared on various monitors on the ARK and on Earth. In the recording, the scientist went on to explain his agony and anger at the events he had to live through, and thus would destroy humanity in order to ease his pains. With the world nearing its end, Chris confronted Shadow about his ideals, explaining that what he was doing isn't what Maria would want. This triggered Shadow's memories of Maria; the hedgehog finally remembering her true words to save and help humanity.

Shadow soon confronted Sonic, Knuckles, Decoe, and Bocoe, who were attempting to use the Master Emerald in order to stop the Chaos Emeralds. However, the Bio Lizard showed up to impede their progress. While Shadow went on to buy them time, the Sonic and Knuckles placed the Master Emerald in a structure reminiscent of the Altar of the Emeralds, successfully stopping the Chaos Emeralds.

The Bio Lizard was not finished, however, and went on to become the Final Lizard by merging with the Eclipse Cannon, continuing to send the ARK on its collision course to Earth. Sonic and Shadow then utilized the seven Chaos Emeralds in order to transform into Super Sonic and Super Shadow respectively. As the world looked on in hope and fear, the two hedgehogs annihilated the deranged reptile, and with one final Chaos Control, teleported the Space Colony ARK back into orbit around the planet.

The battle over, Sonic rejoined his friends on the ARK, where he handed Chris one of Shadow's Limiters, causing the boy to tear up. With their work done, the group left the ARK, with Sonic giving one last glance at the planet as he said his good byes to Shadow before leaving.

Homebound Saga
During Project Homebound, energy fired from the Eclipse Cannon was utilized to power the portal that would send Sonic and his friends back home.