NOTE: This story is on hiatus currently, as I am busy with real life concerns and with the planning out of another story. Hopefully one day I'll return and finish this, but at this rate... In any case, I've deleted the "prologue" from as it served little purpose with the story not updating currently.
To make those few people who watch this not feel like they've wasted their time looking at this update, I've taken the time to go through this story and fix some grammatical errors, as well as update the prose a bit. When I do return to this story, however, I plan to re-write most of it, as the plot, now, seems a bit amateurish in hindsight. Sorry for the lack of updates, but... life goes on. Enjoy!
Mega Man X
The Viral Legacy
by The Maverick Jester
Mega Man X and all characters within are Copyright © Capcom of Japan
Text and original storyline Extinction is Copyright © The Maverick Jester
All other plot/story is Copyright © Capcom of Japan
Act 1: Legacy
Prologue: 0
- 0 -
Red Sunrise
Auxilary power flow detected.
Backup Generator/Storage Unit at 4 percent capacity ... 6 percent ... 9 percent ... 12 percent ... 15 percent.
Power sufficient to load Boot Protocols. Loading . . .
Boot Protocols loaded. Initiating Boot Protocols . . .
Searching for HardNet system . . .
HardNet system detected. Initiating . . .
HardNet system initiated. Running system diagnostics . . .
Checking HardNet mem . . .
HardNet mem at 92 percent capacity. (2568.3 TB of allotted 2889.5 TB of 30698.7 TB total mem)
Running Boot Protocols . . .
Loading systemic scanners . . . 100 percent
Loading Broad-Range "Eye" Camera system . . . 100 percent
Loading Multi-Purpose Scanner system . . . 100 percent
Loading Vocal Generation systems . . . 100 percent
ERROR: Language files corrupted or inaccessible.
Loading Aural Recognition systems . . . 100 percent
ERROR: Language files corrupted or inaccessible. Miscellaneous aural recognition files loaded 76 percent
Loading Joint-Control systems . . . 100 percent
Loading Acceleration system . . . 100 percent
Running Boot Protocols . . . Scanning for Basic and Advanced NeuralNet systems . . .
Basic and Advanced NeuralNet systems detected. Initiating . . .
ERROR: Power insufficient to initiate Basic and/or Advanced NeuralNet systems. Boot without initating NeuralNet y/n?
...
Power insufficient to initiate Basic and/or Advanced NeuralNet systems. Boot without initating NeuralNet y/n?
...
Power insufficient to initiate Basic and/or Advanced NeuralNet systems. Boot without initating NeuralNet y/n?
...
Power insufficient to initiate Basic and/or
WARNING: Potentially hostile presences detected. Hostiles armed with basic "X-Buster" technology. "SelPreserv" protocols initiating . . .
Scanning for internal weapons systems . . .
ERROR: Primary weapon undetected. Scanning . . .
Auxiliary weapon "Getsurin" detected. Loading . . .
ERROR: Power storage insufficient to load "Getsurin" system/protocols.
Scanning . . .
Variable Weapon System detected. Loading . . .
ERROR: Variable Weapon System inoperable without Primary weapon system. Scanning . . .
Scan Complete. No internal weapon systems available. Loading "UnArm" protocols . . .
"UnArm" Protocols initiating . . . Scanning . . .
"Energy Sap" system detected. Initiating . . .
Transferring power . . .
Power transfer to Main Generator/Storage Unit complete. Main Generator/Storage Unit at 3 percent capacity. Load System y/n?
...Y...YES.
Confirmed. "HardSelPreservUnArm" system status loaded. Booting . . .
- - -
Several minutes ago...
A full-scale sweep had been initiated. They had found the catacombs in what was once south-east Afghanistan, but was now part of the Eastern Egyptian Alliance. Hidden far beneath the desert, half a squad of the most experienced members of the 16th "Frontline Combat" Unit of the Irregular Hunters had entered an underground complex, thinking it a possible Irregular base. The other half of the squad was currently overseeing the camp where the entirety of the Unit was based. Utilizing a standard auxiliary dataport to access the security of the complex and enter it, a margin of the investigating Repliroid's power was transmitted through the the structure's data system, through old land-lines and what remained of the complex's rotted electrical system and arrived, finally, at a dusty capsule resting in the final corner of the complex.
The small half-squad from the 16th began their sweep of the place. It was old and derelict, cracks running up some of the rock walls, rust shining on the metal supports. All the visible consoles in the place were cracked and inoperable, others surely hidden in the rubble. Had they thought to crack them open and break out the harddrives, they would have found them useless with age or, worse, in pieces. The floors groaned under their weight, and the ceilings shuddered with the disturbance but they held, barely. Dust and sand fell through the cracks, added to the piles already littering the floor. They swept every room they could enter, but most of the doors were either inoperable or blocked with wreckage.
They then entered the final room, standard issue X-Busters pointing around, scanning for hostiles. The place was empty. Dead.
Then, one of them saw the capsule.
Now.
The world opened like a flower. It was blurry, and inconsistent. His system was unable to fully process or save the information it was receiving. But it could still interpret the information, disseminate it into a view of his surroundings, however fleeting. And while this was, by his system's standards, unreliable and below-average performance, the "potentially hostile presences" would quickly find out that all things were relative. His eyes flashed green as his scanners swept the area.
Eyes narrowing at the intruders, his fist broke through the glass covering of the capsule, and immediately every buster in the room focused on his outstretched arm. It stuck straight out of the broken glass, a hand from a grave, unharmed, unshaking.
In a blur, the rest of the shattered shattered, and he suddenly was standing outside the capsule, eyes glowing red.
He was faster than anything they had ever seen. In an instant, the red Robot had jumped forward and grabbed one Hunter's left arm, the servos in his elbow collapsing as they struggled against the red Robot's strength, numerous blasts discharging from the attached buster as its owner screamed, one of the shots incapacitating another Hunter. The Repliroid's eyes briefly glowed purple, the red Robot's left hand positioned on the poor Hunter's unarmored neck, holding him in place.
Energy Sap complete. Backup Generator/Storage Unit at 18 percent. Power insufficient to load Basic/Advanced NeuralNet. Transferring power . . .
Main Generator/Storage Unit at 6 percent. Continue y/n?
...YES.
The red Robot swung the lifeless Hunter's body like a bat, slamming a second Hunter into a nearby console, sparks flying as the two connected with a crash and a hum began to fill the room. He let the corpse drop from his hands, the room glowing with the charges building within the remaining three Hunters' busters. The red Robot grinned.
Blue flame bursting from the bottom of his legs, the Robot dove to the right toward one of the three, numerous blasts of plasma scorching the wall behind where he had been standing. Moving behind the Hunter, the Robot grabbed her by neck, and used her as a shield against a flurry of plasma blasts. The Hunter's eyes glowed purple as she struggled against the Robot's grip.
Energy Sap complete. Backup Generator/Storage Unit at 10 percent. Power insufficient to load Basic/Advanced NeuralNet. Transfering power . . .
Main Generator/Storage Unit at 8 percent. Continue y/n?
YES.
Throwing the dead Repliroid to the ground, the red Robot smashed his knee into the exposed "stomach" of the nearer of the two remaining Hunters, causing him to "gag" as his internal systems were crunched. His eyes glowed purple, as his chest burst, the red Robot crushing the Repliroid's throat with one hand.
Energy Sap complete. Backup Generator/Storage Unit at 20 percent. Power insufficient to load Basic/Advanced NeuralNet. Transferring power . . .
Main Generator/Storage Unit at 12 percent. Power level sufficient for "Digamma" level charge of auxiliary weapon system "Getsurin." Charge y/n?
YES!
His right hand contorting and shrinking into his wrist, an opening formed on the arm of the red Robot. The arm flashed white, its structure changing slightly to accommodate full buster systems. The remaining Hunter's eyes widened in terror. The thing had a fucking buster.
The red Robot grinned, and a single blue lance of plasma burst from the buster, flash-melting the head of the the terrified Hunter as he was raising his buster to fire, before he could get off a single shot. The corpse slid to the floor, as the red robot's arm flashed white again, his hand reappearing.
Hostiles terminated. Scanner systems expanding . . .
WorldNet system detected. Downloading WorldMap . . .
WorldMap file downloaded. Scanning . . .
Teleportation Matrix detected. Connecting . . .
ERROR: Teleportation system incompatible with existing matrix.
Scanning . . .
Settlement detected. 3.7 km. Mark on WorldMap y/n?
...YESSSS...
The red Robot slunk through the catacombs, rocks rolling across the floor as the walls shook from the force of the brief battle. He passed the wreckage and debris without a glance in any direction but forward--passed by all that remained of his past without a single glance. Stepping outside and into the light from the rising sun, he raised his arm, to shield his ocular sensors as they acclimated to the light.
Scanning the horizon, his sensors detected the nearby settlement.
He didn't even look back as the hidden stairwell behind him was lost in the sand--as his past was lost. He only grinned at what would come soon. Blue fire ripping from his legs, he leaped into the air. Swiftly traversing the dunes, his long, jet-enhanced steps carried him forward, towards civilization.
Toward life.
Toward battle.
- 1 -
Omega Class Irregular
or
The Death of Gamma
-ZzZT--ALERT! ALL HUNTERS REPORTS TO UNIT SQUARE.
REPEAT, ALL HUNTERS REPORT TO UNIT SQUARE. TARGET IS A LONE, RED IRREGULAR.
WARNING: IRREGULAR HAS BEEN CLASSIFIED AS OMEGA. REPEAT, IRREGULAR CLASSIFIED AS OMEGA.
PROCEED WITH EXTREME CAUTION AND ATTACK WITH EXTREME PREJUDICE--
THIS IS NOT A DRILL, REPEAT, THIS IS NOT A DRILL!--ZZzzZt-
The order crackled across the 16th's burst transmission system, and instantly every Hunter knew something was amiss--even the newbies, who, despite their building apprehension, felt a deep excitement in their cores at the coming battle. They also felt a brief pang of fear--no irregular, omega status or not, had ever made it to the center of a Hunter camp, as far as anyone knew. And all-Hunter calls were only issued in states of battle emergency, so...
What the hell was going on?
Gamma, leader of the 16th "Frontline Combat" Unit of the Irregular Hunters, had been overlooking the battle since he was first alerted of it, and he knew about as much as the Hunters just entering it. A single Irregular infiltrating the center of a Hunter Unit's camp, and then proceeding to incite a battle with the entire Unit? The idea was preposterous--and yet, he was seeing it unfold right before his eyes, to his horror.
The red Robot cut a swath through the Hunters, only occasionally singed by a renegade plasma blast, and it became apparent that the war machine was using the Hunters' considerable weapons systems against each other. Their busters did nothing but kill their comrades, and some Hunters even began to glitch after doing so--only to be cut down a moment later by the unbelievable strength of the red Irregular. Occasionally there was a flash of blue light, incinerating several Repliroids, but the Irregular never seemed to gain enough power to activate his higher processing levels. Perhaps, it was because he seemed to be enjoying the battle more than anything else, almost completely forgoing whatever system had allowed him to siphon energy from the half-squad of Hunters he had slaughtered earlier.
Breaking into the command tent, the red Robot grinned as Gamma turned, horror stricken at first, then unspeakably angry. A feeling of burning fire rose within his core when he saw the red robot's splattered, crimson-stained armor. There was a burst of light, as Gamma activated the beta "Beam Saber" he had been given, before he dived at the red Irregular. The red Robot launched himself out of the way, grabbing the arms of one of the Navigators in the command tent, who's eyes glowed a brilliant purple for a moment.
Energy Sap complete. Backup Generator/Storage Unit at 40. Power insufficient to load Basic/Advanced NeuralNet. Transferring power . . .
Main Generator/Storage Unit at 20. Sufficient power for "Alpha" level charge of auxiliary weapon "Getsurin." Charge y/n?
YESSSSSSS.
His right arm flashing into buster-form, the red Robot cackled, raising the buster at Gamma as it glowed a magnificent, deadly blue. Hefting his beam-saber into a defensive position, Gamma prepared himself to deflect the blast, as he had been trained. He didn't wait long--the blue mass of energy tore itself from the red Robot's buster, crackling through the air. Gamma's eyes then widened in horror, as the blast literally shattered his saber's beam, before his upper body was incinerated by the blast, the saber's handle flying up into the air.
Much of the blast dissipated after destroying Gamma, but some of it continued on, burning a hole through the command tent. Several Hunters stared in, their busters at the ready, eyes widening as they took in the sight of Gamma's scorched legs. Then, they felt a chill in their cores, as they saw the red Irregular catch the beam saber's handle. They didn't make a sound.
Examining the weapon with intense interest, the red Robot thumbed a barely visible indentation in the underside of the saber's hilt, and on command, it's frizzling white blade erupted into the air. Spinning the blade in his hand, the red robot grinned, as it easily pierced the hard, metal desk of one of the dead Navigators. Then, his scanners finished analyzing the weapon, and an almost forgotten part of his system activated:
Primary weapon system detected.
Turning to face the Hunters outside, the red Robot grinned.
- - -
Twenty Kilometers South-East of Lower Cairo--Irregular Hunter Armory.
They had tracked the red Irregular across the desert for months, learning quickly not to directly attack him, as any and all Hunters they sent out were quickly slaughtered. They did get lucky, once, however, as one Class A Hunter had managed to destroy the saber the Irregular had stolen from Gamma with a single, lucky shot. He was rewarded with Special Class A--posthumously.
Now, they camped outside the warehouse the Irregular had been hiding in, surrounding it on all sides from the many dunes of the desert. Their transmission systems frizzled constantly with news and scans of the building, and broken streams of data from their attempts to scan the Irregular. Unsurprising that they had nothing on him--their field scanners were notoriously low-tech, and he was inside an IH Armory, for god's sake! They'd been armored with scanner-shielding ever since the 8th ("Armored Division") had lost a whole shipment of new metal from CainLabs to an organized Beta-level Irregular attack.
Suddenly, all communicae on-air disappeared--silence for a brief moment. A torrent followed, as behind a dune immediately facing the entrance to the warehouse, a Hunter heli-transport landed. Sand from the surrounding dunes shot into the air, Hunters nearby shielding their eyes as the Transport dropped its passenger and left.
A green repliroid stepped from the dissipating cloud of sand, and approached a soldier stationed on watch duty. A yellow, greek uppercase "sigma" was emblazoned on the green Repliroid's left breast.
"What's our current situation?"
- - - - - -
Something I should point out: every robot's HardNet dialogue is represented differently in the story. Zero's is always flat bold, and no one else will have that representation. The HardNet of other robots will show up differently. I felt like pointing this out as, without this note, a certain point in "2" might be confusing.
- - - - - -
- 2 -
W-Core Transfer
The green Repliroid walked easily through the sand, stopping behind one of the communications officers stationed in the area.
"What's our current situation?" he asked.
"Huh?" The Officer turned, then almost jumped out of his skin at the sight of the Irregular Hunter Commander. "Commander!"
"Where's that red Irregular who wiped out Gamma's unit?"
"In-inside," the Officer stammered. "He's inside the armory."
"You may leave now, then," the Commander said. "I'll take care of this personally."
The Officer looked utterly confused. "By yourself, Commander?"
The Commander stepped over the dune, and walked towards the armory. "I don't want any more of my people being sacrificed..."
The Irregular Hunter Commander, Sigma, approached the Armory without a trace of fear. He felt only a burning hate within his core, which lessened a bit when he knocked in the heavy metal door to the Armory. The dark place was suddenly illuminated by the light from outside, and Sigma saw the red Irregular for the first time.
He looked utterly insane, gibbering to himself and almost cackling under his breath. Sigma found it hard to believe that this Irregular had wiped out an entire Hunter Unit... and yet, the Irregular emitted a faint sense of calmness, down beneath the madness. Sigma saw it, and recognized it for what it represented--disturbingly patient subroutines, running beneath the chaos that was the the Robot's upper-level functions. A war machine, clearly... Sigma hesitated to ponder what would have happened if the red Irregular had access to high-level cognitive functions.
Scanning hostile . . .
Potential "W" host-form recognized. Engaging . . .
Sigma was knocked from his observations as the Robot rushed him, eyes glowing red in the half-light, with a speed that was extraordinary considering the Irregular wasn't utilizing his Acceleration System. The Commander showed his own skill by reacting in stride, despite the sudden attack, knocking the Robot skyward, embedding him head-first in the ceiling. Sigma circled around him, now facing the open door, grabbing and igniting his beam saber. The white blade crackled in the air--he wouldn't take any chances with this Irregular.
The Robot pulled his head out of the ceiling, grinning maniacally. Ripping two hand-holds from the ceiling, he threw them with deadly accuracy at the Hunter Commander, who deflected them easily with his saber. Dropping down to the ground, the red Robot picked up a pipe off the floor, and, screaming, rushed Sigma again.
Sigma easily parried the attack, slicing the Irregular's weapon in half. Yet, as he was pulling back from the swing, the Irregular moved with his characteristic, amazing speed, embedding the severed half of his weapon in Sigma's arm. Then, with a swift motion, he severed the Commander's arm, the saber flying off into the darkness as Sigma cried out. The red Robot tossed the severed arm away. It was dead--uninteresting.
With a rather futile punch, Sigma knocked the Robot back a few feet. Grinning still, the Robot turned to face Sigma. The servos in his neck groaned and whirred as he did, and Sigma's face almost revealed terror as he saw the red Robot's insane, grinning face. In a matter of moments, Sigma had been taken out of control of the battle--and both of them knew it.
The Robot advanced slowly, a perverse pleasure rising within his core...
- - -
The "battle" went on for hours, the red Robot picking Sigma apart slowly and methodically; piece by piece by piece. The only reason Sigma was still alive was the perverse enjoyment the red Irregular was taking form this. He was backing the Commander further and further into the Armory, until finally they began to reach its core, where weapons were made and processed, and melted down, if necessary.
Knocking Sigma back to the ground, the red Robot began cackling incessantly, until his eye caught something. The giant "W" on a warning sign, attached to a structure, far above.
Something tripped within his system, and the red Robot gripped his head, screaming, as a glowing "W" appeared within the blue crystal there. Seizing the moment, Sigma sprung to his feet, and with one final punch, shattered the red Robot's head crystal, the sudden jolt--combined with his system going on the fritz--knocking him unconscious.
Host potentiality confirmed. Transferring . . .
Data surged from the red Robot. Sigma was breathing hard from the battle, his respiratory systems trying to gather as much energy from the air as possible. The red crystal on his head shined out with red light, as the data reached its destination. Sigma's eyes glowed red as deep, hidden parts of his NeuralNet were overwritten and filled...
Shaking his head, the glow and the shining light receded, and a confused Sigma ran a diagnostic on his system.
All systemsread NORMAL. Main Generatoroperating at 48 percent, DataCore running on 16 percent power. Recommend immediate system recharge.
Sigma sighed, and began walking towards the exit to report the status of the battle (his chronometer told him more than six hours had passed; he was a bit surprised--and angry--that no one had been sent in after him). Passing the red Robot, Sigma stopped, and looked down at him. Sigma's eyes glowed red, for a moment...
Slinging the red Irregular over his shoulder, the Hunter Commander made his way out of the Armory.
- - -
The Communications Officer waited outside the Armory with bated breath, until the Commander's form became clear as he exited. "Look! It's Commander Sigma!"
Another Hunter, who had been guarding the area, stood next to the Officer. "Incredible... Now I'm certain there's no one who can match the Commander."
The Hunter almost retracts his statement, however, when he sees the numerous injuries the Commander has sustained. A missing arm, cuts and dents all over his armor, and the two massive scars over Sigma's eyes. "What?!"
Sigma tosses the unconscious form of the red Irregular to the feet of the two Hunters. "Get that red Irregular... to the repair center... and--and call Dr. Cain. I wish to have that Irregular studied!"
The Hunter stared at Sigma, "Commander... are you okay?"
Sigma sneers, pushing past the Hunter, heading towards a nearby heli-transport. "Silence!"
- 3 -
Crimson Awakening
or
The Beginning
"...Amazing...simply amazing..."
Dr. Cain--the father of the Repliroid Age--stared in awe at red Irregular, currently housed within a reinforced medical capsule. Cain himself stood before a console connected to the capsule, its machines scanning the Irregular's system and saving whatever data they found to an external system. The mysterious crimson machine's NeuralNet was being run in a state roughly analogous to a safe mode in order to protect the Irregular... and Cain himself.
"...Doctor?"
The android known as Mega Man X stood behind the Doctor, who seemed to be oblivious to the blue Android's presence.
"Doctor...? What do you see?"
X himself felt a building curiosity at the nature of this Irregular--so powerful that Sigma himself barely bested him. Such a strange thing that Sigma had decided to bring him in for study rather than simply melt him down like all the irregulars before him.
"It's... it's amazing, X, quite simply amazing... I feel... I feel like I am back in the ruins, looking upon you within your capsule, for the first time."
X smiled. It had been almost a decade since that day. Cain was beginning to show his age, his brown hair turning white around his ears.
"His NeuralNet is unlike any I've ever seen... almost completely different from yours, X." The blue Android's eyes widened at that. "It's built in almost spherical layers... even his HardNet built upon something that I can't seem to accurately scan...
"He's outfitted with buster technology, but... it seems to be able to output much more power than anything we've mass-produced. It may even rival your buster's full potential. Yet... his buster is listed as an auxiliary weapon... 'Getsurin...'"
X stepped back, and looked upon this red machine anew. A unique system... There was no way this robot was a repliroid--no way, then, that he could be an irregular.
Could it be true? Another, like him, stranded in this unfamiliar world? A machine from another time, another age, awakened maybe even a century after his creation, like X... He felt a deep sadness for this red Android's predicament, but also felt a great relief... For unlike X, this machine would have a companion, a friend. Someone who, despite Cain's best efforts to sympathize with the blue Android, could truly understand his situation. X knew, deep within his core, within his self, that he was meant, no, destined to help this machine find his place in the world.
Cain, meanwhile, felt ecstatic. He had thought his achievements in the field of robotics long since finished after he had finished Sigma two years ago. Finally, a repliroid who could resist the glitch that led to omega-level irregular activity, without the 30-year test period that X went through. Sigma was truly Cain's crowning achievement... but not his last, it would seem.
Sigma himself stood in the doorway to the med-bay, watching. He had taken it upon himself to keep an eye on the red Robot--Android--after he had brought him in a month or so ago. The head Hunter raised a hand to his face, feeling the new scars over his eyes. He could have had the "skin" replaced, but, much to the surprise and confusion of the Lifesavers, he had chosen to keep them as reminders of that battle...
Sigma's eyes then glowed red, as he watched Cain reactivate the red Android's higher-level cognitive systems, X examining a holographic projection of the Android's systems to monitor them as they activated.
- - -
Direct power flow detected.
Backup Generator/Storage Unit at 27 percent capacity ... 55 percent ... 79 percent ... 93 percent ... 100 percent.
Main Generator/Storage Unit at 13 percent capacity ... 34 percent ... 59 percent ... 73 percent ... 89 percent ... 100 percent.
Power sufficient to load Boot Protocols. Loading . . .
Boot Protocols loaded. Initiating Boot Protocols . . .
Searching for HardNet system . . .
HardNet system detected. Initiating . . .
HardNet system initiated. Running system diagnostics . . .
Checking HardNet mem . . .
HardNet mem at 94 percent capacity. (2716.13 TB of allotted 2889.5 TB of total 30698.7 TB mem)
Running Boot Protocols . . .
Loading systemic scanners . . . 100 percent
Loading Broad-Range "Eye" Camera system . . . 100 percent
Loading Multi-Purpose Scanner system . . . 100 percent
Loading Vocal Generation systems . . . 100 percent
Loading Aural Recognition systems . . . 100 percent
Loading Joint-Control systems . . . 100 percent
Loading Acceleration system . . . 100 percent
Running Boot Protocols . . . Scanning for Basic and Advanced NeuralNet systems . . .
Basic and Advanced NeuralNet systems detected. Initiating . . .
Basic NeuralNet initiated. Running system diagnostics . . .
Checking Basic NeuralNet mem . . .
Basic NeuralNet mem at 55 percent capacity. (4290.11 TB of alloted 7800.2 TB of total 30698.7 TB mem)
Scanning Basic NeuralNet. . .
Battle Protocols detected. Loading . . .
Battle Protocols loaded. Scanning . . .
Loading "Hand-To-Hand" Protocols ... 100 percent.
Loading "Close-Range Weapon" Protocols ... 100 percent.
Loading "Long-Range Weapon" Protocols ... 100 percent.
W-Core Protocols detected. Scanning . . .
"W-Core Protocols" is empty data. Deleting . . .
Deleted. Loading General Weapon Protocols . . .
Scanning for internal weapons systems . . .
ERROR: Primary weapon undetected. Scanning . . .
Auxiliary weapon "Getsurin" detected. Loading ... 100 percent.
Scanning . . .
Variable Weapon System detected.
ERROR: Variable Weapon System inoperable without Primary Weapon system. Scanning . . .
Scan Complete. Initiating . . .
Advanced NeuralNet initiated. Running system diagnostics . . .
Checking Basic NeuralNet mem . . .
Advanced NeuralNet mem at 0.23 percent capacity (46.0207 TB of alloted 20009.0 TB of total 30698.7 TB mem)
Scanning . . .
ERROR: No Memory Partition detected. Create y/n?
...Yes?
Creating Memory Partition . . .
Created. Scanning . . .
ERROR: Personality routines are unformatted. Format y/n?
...Yes.
Formatting Personality routines . . .
Formatted. Formatting memory files . . .
Formatted. Format cycle complete. Scanning . . .
Scan completed. Boot system y/n?
I... what?
Boot system y/n?
...Yes...
Confirmed. Loading . . .
- - -
His eyes opened to the world, ocular scanners adjusting. The solid green glass in front of him became sharp with clarity. Flexing his fingers, he listened to the sound of the servos in his joints activating, beginning to work. To the sound of his liquid-fuel system pumping throughout his armored body. To the soft whirr-thump of his data core, processing and saving all the information his scanners were sending it. Tentatively, he pressed his hand against the layer of green glass that seemed to be separating him from whatever world existed beyond. In response, the entire frame of the capsule he was in shuddered, and the seal broke on the glass cover. The cool air of the outside world seeped in, the glass rising away.
Stepping from the capsule, the red Android's first sight was of the small team of Hunters lining the room, and their charging weapons pointing at him.
Hostiles detected. Initiating Battle Protocols . . .
The Android's forearm flashed into buster form. Lowering into a crouch, his leg servos tensed, and a blue glow began to encase his buster. But, before he could act...
"Wait!
"...Lower your weapons."
Instantly, ever Hunter complied, the violet Repliroid to Sigma's right folding his arms. The gun on the Repliroid's shoulder rose into a neutral position.
The door the the room slid open with a slam. "SIGMA!"
Instantly, every Hunter stood at attention, except for Sigma and the violet Repliroid to his right.
"What are you doing?! Get out!" the blue Android ordered. X was seething, furious that Sigma would flout Cain's directive to let the Android awaken on his own--and with X present.
As all the Hunters filed out, X pulled the Hunter Commander to the side. "What was the meaning of this, Sigma?!"
Sigma, however, saw no reason to reply, and simply wrested his arm from X's grip, before leaving the room.
"Security," a deep voice growled behind X. The violet Repliroid did his best to glare at X as he walked out of the room, the single glowing red dot of an eye shining at the Android from behind the black cover on his helmet.
X watched as the Hunters left, before turning back to the red Android, whose buster had disappeared. The red Android looked hopelessly confused, but despite this felt an immediate... dislike? for the violet Repliroid.
The blue Android smiled, and extended his hand to the newly-awakened machine.
"I'm X. And you must be...?"
The red Android clasped X's hand, his memory and mind struggling for a moment.
This unit is designated "0". Auxiliary designation has been set as "0 Alpha".
The Android opened his mouth, processors in his data core whirring, before closing it and opening it again. "I...
"I'm... Zero. Call me Zero."
- 4 -
To Retire a Repliroid
Eight Months Later...
"NO! Attack to retire, not to disable!"
Zero crouched in a battle stance, his left hand holding up his right, which was in buster form. He was panting, his armor scarred and scorched, one of the four spikes on his head cut off near the tip. He said nothing.
"Irregulars will not hold back against you. They will attack without mercy," Sigma continued. "They see the Hunters as extensions of a fascist government--or worse, they're just insane. They do not see us as the peacekeepers we are, but as warmongers."
Zero thought of his conversations with X on this very subject. An image of Vile, Sigma's... well, not second in command, but right-hand was appropriate enough. Even at his low standing in the Hunters (a classless trainee), Zero had heard of the violet Repliroid's notorious penchant for violence and mercilessness in battle.
"And are they wrong?" Zero asked, X's words coming out of his mouth. "Are we truly peacekeepers? How can you say we are, and then tell me to be merciless in battle? If we were truly 'peacekeepers,' we would focus on just that--peacekeeping. Not total annihilation of the enemy!"
Sigma was silent, and raised himself to a standing position, his glowing-green saber humming at his side.
The Hunter Commander stared down at Zero, who was beginning to get a second wind. His breathing slowed down as his generator began to cool and run at normal levels again. His data-core stopped "beating" so furiously, as his data-processing levels returned to a more normal level.
Sigma's face hardened, and then he practically snarled, "Come at me again, and this time, do not hold back."
Zero frowned, his buster glowing brighter as it gathered energy. With a yell, his boosters flared out blue fire, propelling him into the air, above and toward Sigma.
- - -
"You know, I just don't think I'll ever get over how beautiful a sunrise is."
The two Androids were on the roof of the West Wing of Irregular Hunter Central HQ (devoted to Hunter Quarters 4-through-7, Ground Transportation, and the Level 1 Armory), facing east. Zero, as a classless Hunter, didn't have access (currently he was living in the same capsule they had placed him in in med-sector in the North Wing, which had been moved to the Central sector of the HQ, in one of the free rooms on Level 1), but thanks to his status and notoriety, X essentially had free reign of the entire complex. There were only a few classified sectors that the blue Android, technically a civilian, didn't have access to.
X sat on the lip of the roof, one leg hanging off the edge. Zero stood a foot to X's left, facing away from the rising Sun, leaning against the lip of the roof.
Zero smirked. "At this rate you're going to have nothing but recordings in your head X. You need to get out more."
X shook his head, and smiled. "This isn't going to turn into another 'join the Hunters' thing, is it?"
"Come on, X. The majority of the Hunters are nothing like Sigma and... Vile. Most of us genuinely believe in protecting humans from these 'Irregulars.'"
X stared at the sun, for a moment... then turned and looked at Zero with a deep, pitying sadness in his eyes. He also chose not to mention that Zero wasn't technically a Hunter yet.
The blue Android looked at Zero for a moment more, then turned back to the rising sun. "I'll think about it."
- - -
"Input designation for entry."
"Zero."
Zero stood in front of the door to his quarters, his arms folded. He wished he pass the examinations soon, get an official Hunter Class, so he wouldn't have to do this... every... time he wanted to get into his room.
"Unrecognized designation. Please re-input."
"Still can't quite get it right, eh, Red?"
Zero rolled his eyes, turning to look at his mocker over his shoulder. "Still can't pull yourself away from me to get some actual work done, eh, Layer?" He turned completely to face her.
The Navigator-in-training frowned under the wall of purple hair that obscured her eyes. Then she smirked. "What can I say," she replied, "I must be attracted to effeminate men."
Rapping a hand against Zero's chest, between the two green class orbs embedded in the metal plate, she grinned as he rolled his eyes.
Zero forcibly removed Layer's hand from his chest, reaching with the other to thumb the keypad to the left of the door still in front of him.
"You, of all people should know that it isn't the design of some old scientist that matters in a repliroid..."
His hand glowed green for a moment, data surging through the door's systems--Zero Alpha--before it swooshed open. Zero smirked, as Layer's face softened. The two Hunters embraced, and their lips met, as they pushed themselves into Zero's quarters.
"...but their own spirit."
They fell into the darkness, and the metal door swooshed shut behind them.
- 5 -
Digital Love
It's hard to describe a repliroid (or as the case may be, android/repliroid) coupling in terminology a human would be able to... properly associate with.
First it's necessary to understand the fundamental differences between any relationships that repliroids have when compared to humans. Repliroids tend to create more lasting relationships than humans, as repliroids only feel a mental attraction between each other. They do not get caught up over physical appearance--especially with entire lines of repliroids looking exactly the same. Appearance doesn't have the significance in the "mating" rituals between repliroids that it does between humans.
Secondly, there's the differences in communication. Because of their advanced data retrieval, processing, and transferring systems, repliroids can speak entirely in what are essentially emotional aggregates--single packets of expression representing entire strings of thought, knowledge, emotion, and experience. This is not to say that repliroids can almost instantly learn anything (Irregular Hunter trainees spend a minimum of a calendar year in training), but by their very nature they learn much, much more quickly than humans are able to.
In the end however, all of this has but one bearing on our tale: repliroids and their technological bases, due to their natures, either have very long, meaningful, passionate inter-relationships...
...or very short, explosive ones.
- - -
Love
0
Love
L
Love
Touch
Love
- - -
In the vast colorless sphere that made up their digital connection, 0 and L stood out brilliantly, novas in a starless sky.
0 shined out with pure righteous red fury. Shining spires of red flame and gold light made up his form, leaving a faint series of after-images in his wake.
L floated in the colorless sky, ensconced in layered waves of purple light and white clouds, like satin clothes draped across her body. Her movement trailed purple mist 'up' through space.
And yet their individual lights were nothing to the shining explosion of data that was their embrace. They came together swiftly, and their touch shined out so brilliantly that none could stay blind to it.
And yet... just like that, the light was gone, nothing but a faint electric charge left in the air, the only sign left of the magnificent presence that was once there.
And yet... to the two lovers, it was as if that explosion of light was always there when they were together, charging, ready and waiting to be caressed to the surface, and released...
- - -
Zero and Layer simply laid together for the next few hours, Zero's blue head-gem and the golden triangular gem embedded in Layer's collar both glowing in tandem, like slow breathing. Zero had another training session with Sigma in six hours... but neither of them really cared. He would get there soon enough.
- - -
Six Months Later...
Zero walked into Hunter Command, in the top level of Hunter HQ's central wing. He was a full-fledged Hunter now; only Class B, but for a Hunter of his inexperience, it was quite a testament to his ability. Sigma had kept him nearby, assigning Zero to the 17th "Elite" Unit, despite how green he was.
Sigma stood facing one of the holo-screens that floated near the walls of the room. The screen was flashing between numerous feeds, all showing sections of lower Tokyo.2 in various states of disrepair and destruction. Zero appeared, and stood at attention behind the Commander. He didn't say anything--he knew that Sigma knew he was there.
Sigma turned and glared at Zero for a moment, before turning back to the holo-screens.
"Vile has gone irregular," the Commander said simply.
Zero's eyes widened an in equally simple reaction: "What?!"
"It happened several hours ago," Sigma said, not missing a beat. "We only got confirmation just recently.
"You'll be going in to retrieve him. We can't send a Unit out within Tokyo."
Zero's eyes were wide with shock and terror, going through the appropriate series of emotions: Oh shit. "Y-yes, sir."
Sigma turned to face Zero, still glaring, the scars over his eyes making him all the more intimidating. "Understand me, Zero. This is a retrieval mission. You are not to destroy Vile. He's too valuable to be allowed to be turned into scrap."
Zero nodded, face now a bit more set in determination than a moment before.
"Good? Good.
"Dismissed."
- - -
It was hours later when Zero finally returned to the base. Walking through the corridors of Hunter Quarters, he ignored the eyes that were following him. Numerous curious Hunters watched him walk by, confused as to why someone with such clear battle damage was in Hunter Quarters, and not med-sector...
"Zero?"
The red Hunter lifted his battle-scarred head to find Layer in front of him. Her hair was swept out of her face, for once, concern shining in her eyes.
"You can't change what you are, Zero!"
Zero, grudgingly...
"You're worse than me, understand?!"
...looked back into her eyes...
"You are an irregular!"
...and sighed...
"A killer!"
"Zero..."
"One even more dangerous..."
"...I'm sorry," he said, barely acknowledging what she said.
"...than ME!"
"...What? Sorry for what? What're you--ZERO!
"ZERO!"
And then he just... walked away.
- 6 -
An Irregular By Any Other Name...
"I'm afraid my worst fear has come true, Zero."
The red Android stood before the desk of Dr. Cain, who has been buried in much more paperwork than usual, leaving no time for any research. A year had passed since Vile was locked up and deactivated. It was June, 2114.
"My worst fear... Sigma has gone irregular."
Zero paled, but he also wondered how (and why) he hadn't heard of this. "What?! But--sir, Sigma can't go irregular." His naiveté showed just how much faith the Hunters had in their Commander.
Cain nodded. "No, you're right. Sigma, and all recent repliroids, are immune to the glitch that causes omega-level irregular behavior. But, that was not my fear. No... Sigma has left the Hunters of his own free will. I'm told he left through the North Wing, med-sector specifically... and almost killed half the day-staff when he did so...
"Though... even if he's rebelled of his own will, that doesn't sound like something he'd do," Cain said to himself.
Zero nodded absentmindedly, not really paying attention. Now he understood what had Cain so upset--though he didn't show it, Zero knew him better than that. Sigma could be protected from the glitch... but as a repliroid, nothing could stop him from rebelling of his own free will.
"In any case, as Sigma is now an irregular, I'm promoting you to head of the 17th, effective immediately."
Zero nodded, his face stern. He thanked the Doctor, then saluted, and stepped out.
And now he understood the piles of paper that covered the Doctor's desk..
- - -
"Irregular?"
"Yeah. I don't understand it either... Sigma had no reason to leave."
"No... but he had been acting odd recently."
"...What do you mean?"
"Well, you wouldn't have noticed, I gue--"
"What? And why not?"
"...As I was about to say, Zero: before Sigma... found you, and brought you in, he was the finest example of a well-liked Commander. A fantastic tactician, benevolent, always with the troops--the Hunters loved him. But after you arried, he became... different. More single-minded. More militaristic.
"We'd just assumed something happened between him and Cain--you know, father-son tiff, but..."
"But?"
"...According to Cain, nothing had happened. He just... changed. No explanation.
"All sorts of theories have been tossed around in the lower ranks. From girl trouble to a virus--"
"I thought repliroids were immune to computer viruses?"
"They are... so who knows? Nothing makes any sense."
- - -
On July 3rd, Sigma put out a broadcast. It overtook everything--holo-signals, television signals, even the few radio signals that were still bouncing around the world. Everyone heard it, and everyone soon understood what was happening to the peace that existed in the world.
"...we are not simple abnormalities! We are REBELS! We will change the world--bring about a TRUE Age of Repliroids! We... we are MAVERICKS!"
Zero only caught a piece of it, too disgusted to watch the whole thing. X had been watching it since it came over the air, confused and distraught at seeing someone who was once his mentor and friend, now a monster... and yet transfixed by this change in world events, this new reality. They could all feel it--something terrible was coming.
Leaving Hunter Command, where Sigma's broadcast was overwriting all of their holo and security feeds, Zero snorted, especially when he saw that no one was in the halls of the base. Everyone was watching.
Hmph. "Maverick." An irregular is still an irregular, Sigma... no matter what fancy righteous bullshit you think up to justify yourself.
- - -
The very next day, Zero was overlooking Hunter Command again, when suddenly screams overtook all the feeds. Every navigator seemed tuned into the same crisis.
"The hell is going on?!" Zero yelled after a few minutes of mass confusion over the rising crisis, snarling. "Get me a feed here, somebody! What is going on?!"
A few moments later, he knew. Sigma had attacked Tokyo.2 directly... the main highway running down the middle of the city had been leveled. Hundreds of people were already reported dead. "Maverick" mechaniloids were tearing the highway up, reprogrammed military drones and redesigned general-use robots just annihilating the landscape, repliroids and humans trying to escape as fast as they could.
Zero turned to X, who was staring breathless at a console nearby. "X! Get down there! Find out who the hell is doing this!"
X looked up at Zero, for a moment terrified at his first field mission, but then nodded, face set. He may have only become an official Hunter a few weeks ago, but he knew his duty. He was out of the room moments later, heading to the teleportation stations.
Zero stood up and watched his people at work, thinking...
- - -
It was only maybe fifteen minutes later that Zero followed X into the field, much the chagrin of his subordinates, the beam of condensed matter pulling off the teleportation matrix over Tokyo.2 and speeding down below.
Sprinting through the wreckage of the highway, blue fire ripped from the bottom of his feet. Zero couldn't help but feel a bit proud, looking over the scattered scrap of "Maverick" mechaniloids strewn all about the leveled highway.
X may not like to fight... but he knew what he was doing, on some level. Despite the blue Android's reservations, Zero knew X would be a great Hunter. Zero's pride swelled, until he came near the end of the highway. Seeing the Death Rogumer in the sky caused him to quicken his pace, his right hand flashing into buster form. A blue glow soon encased it. The fire from the red Hunter's feet grew larger, until he was traveling so fast he seemed to really be "dashing" across the ground.
- - -
"You worthless piece of scrap... you thought you could beat ME?!
"You only live once, X... maybe you should've used your time on Earth for something more important!"
- - -
Approaching what sounded like a massive battle at the end of the road, Zero's face paled, hearing a loud scream that could have only come from the blue Android.
Dropping down to the level the battle was taking place on, Zero made sure his buster was charged, rushing forward. He recognized the black ride-armor that was holding X in the air immediately.
Vile.
Sigma must have released him before he left. Or as he did--that explained why half of med-sector was murdered during his... departure.
Blue light streaming from his buster, the Hunter's aim was true, and the shoulder of the arm of Vile's ride-armor holding X in the air was destroyed, the arm falling to the pavement. X dropped out of the air and to the ground, and then to his knees, facing the now retreating ex-Hunter.
Zero slid to a stop next to X, firing another shot at Vile, which missed as the violet, laughing ex-Irregular Hunter jumped aboard the Death Rogumer above, and was gone.
"D... dammit," X said, through gritted teeth, sparks flying from the damaged parts of his armor. "I'm just--just not strong enough to fight them, am I...?"
Zero turned to X, who was crouched on the ground, and laid a hand on his shoulder. "X, as you are now, you don't stand much of a chance against them--no, against Sigma. But, remember, he and Vile were designed for war. It's the air they breath.
"But, you'll gain abilities and power with experience... remember, you haven't reached full power yet--you should expect a lot from yourself.
"If you use all the abilities you're designed with, even I wouldn't know the result--you may even surpass me in power.
"I'll go scout ahead, and gather intel on Sigma's fortress. Your orders are to fulfill your duties as a Hunter--I'll meet up with you when you get to the fortress."
Zero started down the road after the Rogumer, but then turned back, and faced X.
"X...
"...don't die."
- - - - -
For those wondering, the dialogue in the last section with Vile, X, and Zero is an amalgamation of a translation I found of the original japanese dialogue from RMX and the official english dialogue from MMX, both of which I found via an X1 script on GameFAQs. Yay for the internet!
Thanks for reading, and I apologize for the fact that it will likely be a while before any updates to this story appear.
Also: an anonymous reviewer (I wish you had left your name so I could respond directly) asked why I put "multiple chapters" on one page. The answer is that, in terms of the story as a whole, I planned to divide each chapter into several sections, as "0" is here, and have each chapter be self-contained. I figured it'd be better to have a short series of 8k word self-contained chapters than to have a long series of several-hundred word chapters, you know?
Going forward with this story, I'm considering uploading each chapter as a separate story (since they're self-contained) and putting them all under the bracket of "The Viral Legacy." We'll see what happens, I suppose.