In the earliest years of the Space Pirate War, Adam Malkovich had wanted nothing more but the simple glory and dignified pride of the military life. As a young private, he was deployed to the first official reconnaissance mission to Planet Zebes. It was a high risk mission, although it didn't involve any combat. They were meant to simply pass by close enough to get a scan of its surface, but if their vessel was detected, it would violate a condition of a trade agreement with the planets inhabitants.
Zebes was a world known to be inhabited by the Chozo, but the Galactic Federation had agreed to have zero contact with it, in turn receiving technology that was far more advanced than what humans could come up with on their own. The Chozo also eagerly accepted trades of the mineral afloraltite, and the Federation was just as eager to get their hands on more of their scientific and intellectual wonders. It was a decent agreement, but with the destruction of a major star colony, K2-L, just a few galaxies away, the Federation was nervous. They had tabs on nearly every planet nearby, except for Zebes. Paranoid, they sent out the 4th Platoon of the Recon and Infantry Corps, headed then by a less-wrinkled and less tenured Commander Dane.
Only eight members of 4 Platoon's thirty-seven soldiers were chosen, Adam amongst them. In a sleekly designed Rogue-class starship, they drifted close enough to do a bio-scan on a portion of the surface. They found the entrance to a vast cave network beneath a jungle, a few easily identified Chozodian bio-signs, and... the bio-signs of a human girl.
"Sir..." Adam began, turning toward the raised platform at the rear of the ship.
Commander Dane glanced at him, then back to his own screens, which displayed each of his subordinates monitors. He flicked over to Adam's scans and selected the section that showed the abnormality.
He stood up, tense with disbelief. "Yes, I... see that."
The other seven people were still fervently documenting never-before-seen plant forms and creatures as fast as they could process it, but they slowed when Dane remained standing, staring at his console.
"Something wrong, sir?" a female corporal asked.
"Have a look," he said gruffly, showing the scan over the transparent hull at the front of the ship. It showed the bio-signature of a human toddler, and an elderly Chozo nearby. They appeared to be playing hide-and-seek at the edge of the jungle.
The crew was stunned, observing it quietly for a few minutes.
"Sir, if I may," Adam broke the silence, clearing his throat. "We should get the hell out of here before they see us."
The commander sat down again, his brows knotted tightly. "You're right, Private. I've been standing here slack jawed like a damn fool. Finish your last scans and strap yourselves in."
They did as they were told. In the center of the ship were two rows of four seats, back to back, with some serious-looking harnesses dangling off the top. One was empty when they were all settled; the lieutenant was at the control console, prepared to ignite the power thrusters as soon as Dane gave word.
"We inched our way in, now we gotta inch our way out," he said, carefully guiding the ship away from Zebes' orbit without any extraordinary fire power.
4 Platoon only nodded, with a few quiet and affirmative 'sirs'. He made the call a few long minutes later, and they flashed out of the vicinity, nervous that they'd seen something they maybe shouldn't have.
Adam, now a commander himself, let out a chuff at the vivid recall of his first memorable mission. He was nervous now, too, but for a different reason. A tall, slender woman wearing a long white coat walked brusquely at his side, mostly in silence. Dr. Holden wasn't much for words and that suited him just fine. He was lost in his vast library of military memories anyway, and he knew why, but mentally couldn't stop it. He'd been down this hallway many times in the past few weeks, but now, with its dark grey aesthetic and dim white lights, it seemed sinister.
"This way, sir," Dr. Holden took a sharp left turn, then abruptly stopped in front of a sliding door. A grid in the top half offered a glimpse of what was inside - a brightly lit and sterile labratory. She flashed a card at a reader, and the door beeped happily and let them inside. "We relocated from downstairs since last week."
"You guys are quick," he remarked dryly.
Inside, there was an impressive and sleek-looking computer set up against a glass window, which connected to a dentist-like chair in the room beyond. A pudgy black man was seated on a rolling stool near the computer, but he turned as the pair entered.
"Commander Malkovich," Dr. Ackerly smiled widely, bracing his hands between his knees. "I'm glad you could make it today. I know you expressed some anxiety last time you were here."
Adam straightened as Dr. Holden went over to the counter lining the wall to the left. She began preparing a few syringes, and he knew there was no backing out now. "Yes. I suppose I'm worried that whatever you record will also be wiped from my organic memory."
"Well, we can give you something to relax, if you like," he offered as he started the necessary preliminary processes on the console.
Adam shook his head. "No, that won't be necessary."
"Alright. Anything else we can do to put you at ease?"
"Just tell me what the hell you're putting in me this time. I see an extra syringe over there," he looked over at the counter, where Dr. Holden had just finished making up the drugs.
"20mg of Hilaprophen, the exact formula and batch we tested with you successfully last time, sir," she said, trying to comfort him. "50mg of standard dimehydrinate if you happen to feel nauseated, and a very slow, gradual dose of fospropofol to sedate you. The fospropofol will relax the neural pathways that need to be relaxed, and the Hilaprophen will 'activate' others. It will also put you right to sleep, like last time, and we'll monitor you for side effects afterward. The computer itself needs minimal attention after the initial connections to your brain. We will be focused on your physical condition."
His shoulders dropped in relief. "So the only new one is that anti-nausea drug."
"Yes, and only if you feel sick after the hilaprophen and fospropofol together."
Adam took off the jacket of his formal wear, leaving him in white slacks and a white button up shirt. "Alright, let's do it."