Sonic, Polanzo and his guards went into the office, the place was filled with more marble statues and even, a golden statue of Polanzo himself. There was a table in the exact center of the room, one chair for the guest and one for the president. They sat across from each other while the guards stood behind the president. Polanzo took out his cigars from his pocket and offered Sonic. He refused, Polanzo put one cigar into his mouth and a guard immediately took out a lighter and lit it up for him. He inhaled his cigar, crossed his legs and leaned back into his chair.
“You wanted us to talk, so talk,” Polanzo said.
“I have nothing but respect for you Mr. Polanzo but I think the last session of the board of directors is outrageous”
Polanzo inhaled his cigar “You’re mad cause Shadow is getting his own game”
“Exactly!”
“Why?”
“I am supposed to be the star of my franchise”
“This isn’t the first time a spin-off has nothing to do with you” Polanzo paused for a second to remember “this was before my term as president but didn’t your fox buddy direct and design 'Tails adventure(1995)' and 'Tails Skypatrol(1995)'?”
“It’s not the same”
“Did he direct those games?”
“I am trying to say-“
Polanzo cut him off and raised his index finger, “I asked you a question and you are supposed to answer when I do”
“Yes he did”
“Then I see no issue” Polanzo shrugged and puffed his cigar
“The difference is they were small budget, released on a handheld and no one cared about those games. This will be made with the same budget as 'Sonic Heroes(2003)' and on the mainline consoles. It's insulting for someone else other than me to be directing his own game from my franchise!”
“Let me tell you something Sonic” Polanzo put out his cigarette in an already full ashtray. “It’s not your franchise, it belongs to the company. The board of director’s made a vote and the decision has already been made, even if say you managed to convince me, AND let’s just make it clear you haven’t, but let’s say you did. I as president once a vote is made on a project can’t do anything about it”
“Strange for you to be talking about company legalism”
Polanzo laughed in his face and looked at his guard. “I like this guy, he is funny”
Sonic realized he went too far and became immediately apologetic. Polanzo took out another cigarette, it was lit the same way as before by his guard and he continued to speak.
“I don’t see why are you getting so worked up about, 'Sonic Heroes(2003)' still made millions for the company, you ain’t goin’ away as a star with those numbers. Your colleague is popular and has the money-making potential the same as you and you are just gonna have to learn to share the spotlight with him. It is just business in the end, if he can make us money you bet we are going to use him. However, if you want to remain top dog and the face of the company brand then don’t get these embarrassing 7/10s with your next game”
That last remark felt like a dagger to the stomach for Sonic. He knew Polanzo was right, he had damaged his brand with a game with less-than-stellar reviews. Realizing this meeting is going nowhere and that he can’t stop the project, he gave up. The conversation moved to different topics such as the anticipation of the launch of the PS2 slim, or will Shoko Asahara get the death penalty and the deployment of Japanese troops to Iraq.
Sonic left the office defeated but he had a new determination. I am going to merely wait out this Shadow game and for my next game, I will prove to everyone who is number 1. My game is going to be better than his or any other platformer game. The next game isn’t going to be about expression, art for art's sake, or other dumb ideas I had up until this point. Money and good scores are what are most important. The game is going to fly off the shelves and nothing but 10/10s. The upstarts at Sony, the Italian plumber, everyone is going to be eclipsed by me, I am sure of it. They might be in the lead now but it's only temporary. The video game throne belongs to me.
Polanzo didn’t only have a meeting with Sonic scheduled for today, Knuckles was also furious with the decision and demanded to speak with the president. However Knuckles was angry for a different reason, he was once again getting shortchanged. Him being a hero just like Sonic and not getting the same media treatment was one thing but giving Shadow his own game was unacceptable.
Shadow doesn’t even come from the forest like the rest of them, they only met him on the making of 'Sonic Adventure 2(2001)', Shadow wasn’t a part of the effort to stop Robotnik. He wasn’t even a hero at any point in his life, he was just an actor. No different than the actor that plays the character of doctor Eggman in the games. Why was he getting his own project and all this attention but didn’t do anything to deserve it? Shadow just showed up and everyone loved him. Knuckles never got that even though he had saved the world once.
Knuckles entered the president’s office, and Polanzo was smoking a cigar and talking over the phone. Polanzo snapped his fingers and pointed to Knuckles where to sit, it was completely unnecessary to do that because there was only one chair in the room for a guest to sit. Knuckles sat down and waited for almost 20 minutes for Polanzo to finish his phone call. Once he did he put out his cigarette in the overflowing ashtray, leaned back into his chair, crossed his legs and pulled out another cigarette and it was lit up by the guard once again. He did not offer knuckles one like he did Sonic.
“You wanted us to speak, so speak Knuckles,” Polanzo said and puffed on his cigarette.
“How can this company keep disrespecting me like this”
“Let me guess the 'Shadow the hedgehog' game”
“Why does he an actor get more than me?” Knuckles' voice started to raise “After everything I did for this country and this world I get treated worse than an actor, I want my own game”
“You a funny guy, now this was before my time as president but didn’t you get to direct your own game back in '95? Was it called 'Kncuckles Chaotix' or something like that?”
“That doesn’t count”
“Why”
“That wasn’t a true chance, that game was released on the SEGA 32x a console no one owned and a game nobody could buy, Shadow is releasing on the main consoles!”
Polanzo put out his cigarette and leaned forward and he put his hands together. “You guys are all so funny. Why do you feel so entitled to think this company owes you a chance to make a game”
“Cause I saved the world!”
“Well you ain’t working for the red cross my guy, you are working for a corporation and a corporation has to make money. Let me lay it down on you. Knuckles you are not moneymaking potential. You don’t have the star power of Shadow, hero or not and you don’t got the pull to stand even close to Sonic. You are not important. The fact that you were able to muscle the company to give you that Chaotix mess, or whatever it's called, is crazy. It's even crazier that you think you ought to make another game after that game’s financial loss”
“I never got a true chance, if it was on the main console I could have been successful” knuckles muttered to himself.
“Whatever console, you are just not popular enough to be the star and that’s the truth. A company should never finance a project that won’t make them money. Why should every hero get a game? What about our boys in Iraq doing humanitarian work, does every JSDF soldier deserve now to direct his own game?”
Polanzo’s secretary entered the office with a giant plate of food, it was time for lunch, Polanzo accepted the plate and took out of his drawer a golden fork and knife. He started eating looking like he had enough of this conversation and the topic of Shadow. Polanzo attempted to move the conversation to something else.
“Anyways do you think they are going to execute that bastard Shoko Asahara, his 8-year trial is close to ending?” Polanzo said his mouth half full.
“I think I’ve had enough of this. I quit, I don’t want anything to do with this company anymore!” Knuckles said furiously and stood up from his chair
“You can’t quit”
“You bet I will”
“I know the previous president was very nice to all of you and he would always very calmly convince you to stay without forcing you but I am going to lay it on you how it is. You legally can’t quit”, Polanzo took a napkin to wipe his face and continued, “You signed a contract back in ’93. You and the name Knuckles are intellectual property of SEGA media group, you can’t leave unless we sell you or turn you into public domain”
Knuckles remembered the contract and his face turned pale. It was true, he can’t quit. He felt an intense sickness overcoming him. “Didn’t you say I’m not money-making potential why not just let me go?” Knuckles asked sounding desperate.
“I said you ain’t worth to be director or star but that doesn’t mean you don’t got fans or no sales worth. Be a good boy, do what you’re told and get back to work.”
“This is unfair”
“Excuse me, you were the one who chose this life, you chose to commercialize and monetize your heroics. You signed the contract no one forced you to so deal with it” Polanzo continued to eat and he waved his hand to signify the conversation is over and for Knuckles to leave.
Knuckles left utterly broken. Was it wrong for him to have signed the contract and like Polanzo said ‘monetize’ his good deeds? When he faced off against Robotnik money was the last thing on his mind. When he saw how rich Sonic became he also wanted to be rewarded and he wanted a better life. He felt insulted that no one ever called him or anyone else from the forest they just called Sonic. He was the only one who SEGA saw as having star potential.
He felt humiliated that he was in 'Sonic 3 and knuckles(1994)' only cause Sonic made it so. Sonic’s charity is the only reason he has a career and Sonic never made him forget that, every argument he would rub that wound with salt. The only chance he got was 'Knuckles Chaotix (1995)' which was for a system no one owned. He felt like it was doomed from the beginning he believed the game failed cause it was on the wrong game console. However, he would never get another chance. The company was doubly not fond of Knuckles cause of his aggressive nature.
Now he was left to forever be in the shadow of others more popular than him, never getting to make his art, never receiving the recognition nor thanks he thought he deserved. A prisoner of the machine he willingly signed to be a part of that he could never escape. His life became miserable.
