"The smoke of the campfire rose up into the branches of the forest like a ghostly apparition. Sonic the Hedgehog leaned into the popping of the burning logs, lifting his hands to make spidery shadows across his friends’ faces."

"The evening became a nightmare in slow motion. Sonic left Tails locked up in the lab and hit the town at top speed, warning anyone and everyone to avoid the sick. But no matter how fast Sonic ran, he was always too late. The people of the city were shambling through the streets. Their heads hung low, and their eyes glowed with sticky green slime. Yet despite their lethargic motions, everyone's strength seemed to have increased tenfold. They tore up street lamps and stop signs and mailboxes. Anything metal was ripped up, crunched together, and carried away by the growing masses."

"In a blur, Sonic was gone again, roaming the streets for answers to whatever had happened to his friends. No matter how fast he ran, no answers came. Then it hit him. The slime! The crash site must hold the answers to what was happening. Within seconds, Sonic was back on the outskirts of town and rushing into the quiet glade. What met him there was another friend. Or was it? Big sat still as a stone in the blackened pit that the saucer had dug. While his back was to Sonic, it was clear the large purple cat was staring up at the dented meteorite that still glowed an eerie shade of green."