Star Posts/Pre-SGW

Star Posts are a technology invented by Miles "Tails" Prower and Rotor Walrus to allow travel to other Zones. A set of them was first constructed in Freedom HQ, an another in the New Mobotropolis Science Lab, and they were designed only to cross dimensions into the Special Zone. They appear as twin golden star-emblazoned posts that generated portals in the center, and are activated and deactivated by remote control.

History
The Star Posts were rigged up originally so that Sonic the Hedgehog and Tails could enter the Special Zone and retrieve a Chaos Emerald to power a machine built to bring former-King Maximillian Acorn out of his coma. After successfully doing so, they remained idle, until one day Tails noticed the Posts had turned on by themselves, and sent for Rotor to come over and look at them. Both had no idea why they were online for no apparent purpose, until it was found that the Suppression Squad, utilizing a pair of stolen Globe Posts, had created a link to the Star Posts to access and invade Freedom HQ itself. Later, the Freedom Fighters reconstructed the Star Posts in the Science Lab for reversing Scourge's invasion. (StH: #170, #189, #192, #193)

Background Information

 * The Star Posts are based on an element from the Sonic video games, where they typically served as checkpoints in levels. The game versions could also open portals to the Special Zone.