[A news report, as seen in Ch. 5: Day 3, reproduced here for convenience and reference for those who do not necessarily read the thread. Don't bother reading this if you're already following the thread.]

While it was once thought that the end of Dr. Eggman's iron-fist regime would bring about a return to life as usual, many are questioning whether or not this may only be the beginning of much greater problems to come. Following the fragmentation of the Eggman Empire caused by mystery-organization Chimera's successful coup, conflict has exploded into a three-way struggle for power. Attempts made by remaining G.U.N. cells to rebuild facilities and armed forces have been largely suppressed by near-continuous aerial bombardment from Chimera fleets, while Eggmanland, still firmly rooted in what was once the heart of Central City, has expanded its footprint largely unchecked except for by the resistance efforts of a small, but dedicated few, including Sonic the Hedgehog himself.

"The waves of this conflict reach well beyond the shores of the United Federation. For the first time in nearly a century, the Glastonian nation of Cape Norden has reached out to the international community with a plea for assistance following the theft of what the Nordenian government calls 'a unique and potentially hazardous weapon.' Though nondescript in any public forum about the weapon's precise form or function, the call for help from the legendarily isolationist nation is in itself enough to seize the global community's attention and cement the seriousness of the claim.