See Ya Space Cowboy

Let’s start with the No Zone itself.

It’s lead by a counsel of faceless leaders who deem it necessary for their residence to forget everything about their past lives to join the conglomerate. 

The No Zone is a cult. A cult that can’t exactly be stopped. Where are any of these people going to go? They don’t have a prime zone or dimension to go to. This has forcibly been made their home. Sure there is an underground resistance set up to overthrow the establishment, but what exactly would they accomplish? They are fighting for the right cause, absolutely. 

But they are fighting for freedoms in an already corrupt society. A society that has forced its will on so many people. Even if the resistance forces succeed things aren’t going to change overnight. It’s going to take years, maybe even decades for people to let go of old beliefs. 

These people have been brainwashed. Many of them don’t remember life before the No Zone, and if they do it’s likely they’ve been forcibly corrupted by the higher powers. Change takes time, especially in a corrupt society.

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Then there’s the Zone Corp. 

From the outset it looks like the corp are the good guys. They protect the prime zones from outside forces. be they space devouring monsters, or just some green douchebag that thinks he can run around and own the place. They are protectors of the peace so no one has to loose their prime zone.

And yet, who’s on the top of the corp? Faceless leaders who answer to the faceless people above them, leading all the way back up to the ones that create and lead the society in the first place. 

Want proof? Look no further than the fact that Zobotnik is the warden of the jail. You thought Eggman was bad? Get a load of this guy. He answers to the faceless people above him and the faceless people above him who answer to the faceless people above them. It’s a never ending cycle.

The cops themselves cause more destruction than they do any good. They frequently put innocent lives at risk, and are trained in destructive ways. Their goal is to catch the fugitive, no matter what the cost. Protect the zone, but don’t fuck around for too long. Be efficient, but be quick. It leads to rash decisions, quick and sloppy work. But does the corp care? So long as you gut the bad guy, no

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And finally. there’s Zonic himself. 

Zonic’s world was destroyed when he was 9. He watched his family and his home be destroyed. He lost everything and was taken away by some cat he didn’t know, brought to a world where society was backwards and he was standing sideways. He was a child, absorbing everything around him, trying to learn and fit in with a society he felt so very alone in. 

Zonic was mentally and emotionally stunted. He was living with a stranger who tried her best, but also wasn’t fit for raising a child. Zarley was gone most of the day, leaving Zonic to his own devices. She works for the corp and is just as corrupt and brainwashed as everyone else. She tried so hard to keep Zonic protected from society. To not corrupt him. To hold on to his time and memories as Sonic. But he learned from observation.

He absorbed everything Zarley did and wanted to become like her. A zone cop. protecting people from the tragedy he had to live. It was an admirable wish caked in corruption and deceit. 

The Zone Academy absolutely broke him. It took everything from him. His once bright eyed, bushy tailed enthusiasm drained. He might not have any of the powers his prime counterpart is known for, but what he lacks in agility and speed he makes up for with a quick wit and sharp reflexes. He was trained to become a machine. A machine with deadly accuracy. 

It’s been pushed so far into him that he’s begun to get overworked. He’s gotten to a point where he frequently turns to violence first, asking questions later, unless he’s directly ordered to do the opposite. (Which is what he was ordered when he met Whisper.) He’s trigger happy, and easily caves under the pressure of tense situations. Most of which can, once again, be attributed to his training. He’s the gunman, not the negotiator.

Zonic is a man that has been mentally and emotionally stunted, has been brainwashed by society, and trained to become lethal. He’s sharp and dedicated, not stopping until he gets the job done. He has a strong sense of justice that’s been put to use by the worst kinds of people. Made to believe what he’s doing is right. Even if he doesn’t know what right or wrong is. 

He copes by drowning himself in coffee and comic books. By taking late night strolls through zones he will never be a part of. By training his skills and sharpening his mind. But what he really needs most is a hand to guide him down the right path. To show him what it’s like on the other side.