[Perhaps Shadow leaving as quickly as he did was almost symbolic. He wanted to leave it behind or even... throw it all away, so to speak. And yet there it would be, constantly following him and something he couldn't shake off. But that was just it too. No, he couldn't forget and shouldn't. He had to lead the way and look ahead, not let it hold him back.

The sound of the machines working, processing commands, displaying numbers and symbols and statistics signaled activity, but it wasn't life. It wasn't alive. It's also what made being in the space station that much more empty or inhospitable now since... it used to be. It used to hold life, contain life, be full of life and even create life.

Sonic stood next to the black hedgehog, again his eyes looking out over the Earth.]

I said I wouldn't let you do this alone, so I'm not.

What're you thinking about? ... If you need to leave, then we should.