Sonic Boom (episode)


 * This is for the SatAM episode. For the main theme of Sonic CD, see Sonic Boom (song)

"Sonic Boom" is the second episode of the first season of the Sonic the Hedgehog television series. However, it was the first publically aired episode, first shown on September 18, 1993. While on a mission in Robotropolis for information, Sally Acorn discovers a lead that King Acorn was still alive. However, as Sally, Sonic the Hedgehog, Antoine Depardieu, and Cat attempt to leave, Cat is captured. The Knothole Freedom Fighters attempt to both find King Acorn and rescue Cat.

Plot
In Robotropolis, a green security SWAT-bot is carried by floating platform to one of the industrial building's elevators. The elevator takes the transport downward in the elevator, the floor indicator counting upwards until it shows "51." The doors open and the transport enters a large room, where it faces a yellow security bot that transmits the message "Hall secure." In an air duct, undetected the robots, Sonic the Hedgehog speeds through until he stopped at a vent, calling for Antoine and Cat to hurry up as they pant down the duct after their friend. When they arrive, Sonic checks the room, only to come face to face with the green security bot. The three Freedom Fighters jump back against the wall as the transport removes the vent and points a light into the duct. The security bot's windshield opens to reveal that Princess Sally was commanding it. Greeting her fellow Freedom Fighters, she jumps from the transport and, accompanied by Sonic, enters a robotic plane. Using NICOLE, Sally aims to hack into Robotnik's mainframe computer in order to reprogram the plane's launch data. While working, however, she receives a message addressed to "Bean". Sally's father used to call her Bean when she was little, and she immediately starts tracking down the source of the signal, believing that he may still be alive! The signal apparently originates from the Dark Swamp.

Back in the air vent, a nervous Antoine leans against the grill, toppling out of the duct and straight in front of a security SWATbot! Ant dives back into the duct. Realising that their cover is blown, Sonic goes to distract the SWATbots while Sally makes a dash for the duct. When she is safe, Sonic makes his own escape. However, a single SWATbot follows Sally, Ant and Cat into a duct. Cat, who is bringing up the rear, spots it and decides to lead it away from the others. Only when Sonic meets up with Sally and Antoine at their pre-set rendezvous point do they realise that Cat is gone. Sonic realises he must have been captured, and wants to go back to save him. Sally, convinced that the signal was from however, says that she is going to go to the Dark Swamp to find him, and she'll take Antoine with her. Sonic says he'll catch up once he's rescued Cat, and speeds back to Robotropolis.

Meanwhile, Snively reports back to Doctor Robotnik, who orders the air ducts sealed up. Snively does have some good news. They have captured a Freedom Fighter: Cat! Robotnik wants Cat to tell him the location of Knothole, but Cat refuses to talk.

Some time later, when Sonic arrives back in Robotropolis, he sees Cat being taken by a SWATbot to a detention center. Although Sonic breaks in and reaches Cat's cell, Cat tells him that Robotnik's surveillance detected Sally heading for the Dark Swamp, and that Sonic has to go save her. Sonic doesn't want to leave Cat, but Cat says it doesn't matter. As guards show up, Sonic escapes, promising he'll be back.

A floating camera follows Sally and Antoine through the Dark Swamp. Antoine is terrified, but tries to dismiss his trembling as shivering from a cold he as caught. He wants to go back to Knothole, but Sally isn't willing to give up. She asks NICOLE about whether there are any structures in the Dark Swamp, and NICOLE identifies only one: Ironlock Prison. When Sonic arrives at the swamp, he is also detected by a camera, leading Robotnik to launch a Stealthbot. However, it is easily defeated by Sonic, who turns its own missile against it.

Sally and Antoine arrive at Ironlock Prison and try to cross the rickity drawbridge over a deep chasm. Although they make it to the other side, the bridge collapses, leaving them stranded. They explore the prison, finding a scrap of King Acorn's cloak - Sally now has proof he was there! At this point, Sonic catches up to them, having been following their footprints in the swamp mud. He leaps over the chasm and finds Sally and Antoine walking through the prison cells. Sally shows him what they've found: an ancient computer. Sally realises that her father must have sent her the message from this computer. When she accesses it, using "Bean" as the access code, she receives a message: "Bean, Check Sub-ter file. Impossi--" The message is incomplete, but at least Sally now knows he is alive. When she checks the computer's Sub-Ter file, she finds it contains schematics of the underground tunnel network throughout the whole of Robotropolis! As she tries to get NICOLE to transfer the data to a holographic disk, the walls start to crumble and all three heroes are sent through a trapdoor into the sewer system below. They are attacked by a giant one-eyed monster, but Sonic manages to defeat it by using a Power Ring, revealing that it is merely a robot.

With one obstacle out of the way, Antoine brings up another: how are they supposed to get out of this place? Brining up the holographic map on NICOLE, Sally gets a great idea. She leads the others down one particular tunnel, straight into Robotropolis. Using the secret tunnels, they access the Stealthbot hangar bay, and Sally reprograms every single one. While Sally and Antoine head back to the usual rendezvous point, Sonic has one last job to do: rescue Cat. But when he gets to Cat's prison cell, Cat has gone! Saddened by the loss of his friend, Sonic makes his escape. He is detected by Robotnik's surveillance, leading the dictator to launch all of his Stealthbots.

Back at the rendezvous point, Sonic and the others see the Stealthbots launching. Taking out a floating spy camera from his backpack, Sonic points it at the Stealthbots. When Robotnik sees the feed, he is confused and orders the Stealthbots to be recalled. However, as Snively presses the recall button, the Stealthbots all self-destruct! Turning the camera on himself, Sonic gives Robotnik one last message: "That was for Cat!"

Appearances

 * Sonic the Hedgehog
 * Antoine Depardieu
 * Cat
 * Sally Acorn
 * NICOLE
 * Doctor Robotnik
 * Snively
 * Cluck
 * Floating cameras
 * Trackbots (yellow and green)
 * Stealthbots

Continuity

 * Sally's father, King Acorn, is mentioned for the first time.
 * It is implied that King Acorn recently sent Sally a message from the ancient computer in Ironlock, but this is contradicted by later episodes of the series that reveal Robotnik had him banished to the Void.

Quotes

 * Cat: I'm tellin' you nothin' about nothin', Robotnik!
 * Robotnik: Oh, oh I wouldn't be too sure about that, old boy. I have machines of all kinds. Marvelous machines! They can do things you would not believe!

Trivia

 * According to NICOLE, the signal that Sally receives originated from area 12, sector 9, quadrant 32. These coordinates apparently indicate somewhere within the Dark Swamp.