Chapter 3

Ridley eyed the new scientist with disgust. If this woman as introducing him to him he must be important but why he couldn't even think of. What she expect this man to do with him? Maybe he would conduct some kind of experiments on him seeing as everyone seemed to think he was nothing more than a project.

The scientist was eying him back with a rather odd expression on his face that made Ridley feel uncomfortable. It reminded the space pirate of how predators looked at their prey just before they move in for the kill. Stupid humans, why did they have to look at anything different from them as if they had some kind of right to be judgmental?

So what are you going to do to me? he thought. Plug me into a computer? Dissect me while I'm still alive?

"Dr. Ivory," the man said, after a few moments of studying Ridley. He'd turned his attention away from the space pirate commander. "Would it be of any trouble if we moved him to a different location?"

The woman frowned, looking uncertain. "Why do you want to do that?" she asked him.

He pushed his glasses up his nose. "I believe it would put us all more at ease if we did it," he explained. "and I don't feel comfortable speaking with him like this and I don't think he does either."

Dr. Ivory looked like she was thinking that over. "I don't know if you want to be at ease," she warned him. "He is unpredictable. I am sure you heard about what happened after he'd woken up."

Dr. Arms nodded. "Yes, I am aware of this," he told her. "But I believe if I were given some time to do my own work with things he will be feel less threatened and more open to talk with us."

The woman hesitated for another moment then finally gave in. "Very well," she said, turning to summon two Federation guards who had been stationed in the lab just in case something else happened.

"Just one thing," he said to her as the two guards entered the cell to retrieve the space pirate. "Could you please get him something to wear? I don't feel comfortable speaking with him while he's in the buff."

The woman looked at Ridley then at her fellow scientist. "Very well," she told him. "We can take care of that easily."

She looked at the guards who had come out with a still restrained Ridley and addressed them. "Let's get him something to wear."

Admiral Dane had taken Samus to a small park area near the main Federation building. The female bounty hunter remembered the area well as she'd visited it often when she was in the Federation herself. She'd concluded early she had needed a place to just sit and think without a plethora of distractions. It felt nice to have time alone to just sit and think without taking orders as she really didn't like doing so anyway. It had been one of the reasons she'd gone to be a freelance bounty hunter. No Commanding Officers to bark orders.

The woman and the older man found a bench by a small clump of trees and sat down before they said anything more.

"What have you been doing by the way?" Samus asked the Fleet Admiral.

"Not much," he told her. "Just ensuring that the planets you freed from the Leviathans don't become cesspools for space pirates again."

"I don't think we have to worry about that now, since most if not all, of them are gone or in hiding," she told him, brushing a strand of her long blond hair out of her eyes. "and there will be no phazon contamination now that the home planet no longer exists."

Castor Dane nodded. "That's true," he agreed with her. "But space pirates are the kind who will look for anything to increase their power. If it's not phazon or metroids it'll be something else."

"I agree," she confirmed to him with a nod. "That's just how they are. They are such a stubborn race."

"Not too different from the woman who is intent on ending their existence," he remarked with a smirk. "Now if only we could figure out a way to be rid of them for good."

Samus smield slightly at his remark before esponding to the second part. "I don't think that's possible," she told him. "but with the high commanders all dead they might just disband and spend the rest of their lives doing something more honest."

Dane rose an eyebrow. "Do you really believe that?" he asked.

"No," she answered. "I don't believe that but it can't hurt to hope." she sighed, and rubbed her forehead in an exasperated manner. "I thought we weren't going to talk about this anymore today."

"I guess it's not so easy to let it go, since it is pretty much a large part of who we are." he shot her an apologetic look. "Sorry."

She shrugged. "You have nothing to be sorry about." her eyes then fell on a swing set built across from where they were sitting. There were two kids sitting on them, just enjoying themselves. She stared at the smalle sight for a few moment before saying. "Sometimes I wonder what my life would be like if the space pirates had never killed my parents. What would I be doing right now? Would I be married? Would I have my own family?"

"I don't know," Dane told her, also looking at the swing set and then children. He knew she was looking for anything to change the subject with and the topic she chose was something he himself had asked about his own life. "But I'm sure if you had been given a normal life you would have been a good mother."

She cast her friend a grateful look. "Thanks," she told him. "I'm sure you would have made a great husband and father yourself."

He shrugged. "Maybe but we'll never know now."

"You're right," she agreed, her eyes still on the children playing on the swings. "But it can't hurt to think about it."

"Yeah," he agreed, seeing no real reason to argue with her.

"But if you had the chance would you even want any children?" she questioned.

This topic seemed out of character for someone like Samus. "Why are you suddenly asking such questions?" he wanted to know.

Samus gave another shrug. "Curiosity."

Castor Dane thought otherwise and chose his words wisely when he spoke again. "Is it because of the Metroid Infant?" he asked her carefully.

She turned to him, beginning to say something but just then another Federation officer walked toward them and paused and saluted when he spotted the Fleet Admiral. "Admiral Dane, sir," the man said. "I've been ordered by the high commander to summon you to his office."

Castor looked unhappy about this sudden turn of events. He had really hoped to get an answer to his question. "I'll be right there." Dane said, sighing as he stood up. "My only day off in years and I can't even enjoy it." Samus heard him mutter.

Before leaving he turned to Samus. "I'm sorry," he said. "I guess this is it."

"It's fine," the female bounty hunter told him, though he noticed she seemed to be a little relieved about the interruption. It prevented her from having to say anything about a very sensitive subject. "I completely understand. Business before friends."

He nodded. "Maybe some other time." He tipped his hat to her and left.

Samus watched the two officers walk off before she stood up with a sigh. It seemed she wouldn't be getting her mind off things for a little longer. "No point hanging around here," she said to herself. "I should head home."

The female bounty hunter cast one last look at the playing children before heading off toward her apartment.

Before Ridley was taken to Dr . Arms' laboratory he was pushed into an empty room and the magnets on his bonds deactivated. He paused, looking around, wondering what they planned on doing to him. There was nothing in the room, though, no traps or weapons. All that was there was a pile of folded clothing.

He picked up the garments, suspicious. It looked like some kind of uniform. What did they expect him to do with these things?

A voice suddenly spoke out of nowhere, making him jump. "You're supposed to wear it!"

Wear it? He glared at the clothing, disgusted. What need did he have for clothing? It was a pointless hassle and had no real reason for existing. He didn't understand why so many planetary races of alien even wore those things. And besides, why did he have to wear this to meet these Federation people anyway? Surely they wouldn't care if he walked in butt naked.

"Do you need someone to help you?" the voice asked, sounding exasperated.

He growled. What kind of question was that anyway? No, he didn't. He could dress himself!

That was, he thought, turning the clothing over. If he knew how to put it on. His real form hadn't required clothing. He preferred it that way. Just another disadvantage to this cursed body.

"Ridley."

"Shut up!" he snapped at the unseen voice. "I don't need your help!"

"Then hurry up!"

Well he hurried the best he could, pretty sure if he didn't these humans would send someone in to force him into this thing and if he fought them he'd get electrocuted. Those things on his wrists and ankles might not be restraining him but he could tell from the green lights on them they were still active, as was the one around his neck. He put the uniform on, though it was frustrating. It kept bunching up and all those buttons and zippers were just a hassle. By the time he was done the uniform was a wrinkled mess and his shirt was on backwards.

"There, you happy?" he snapped at the unseen voice.

"Good enough," the voice said, sounding exasperated. "Step outside and don't try anything. If you make any kind of aggressive action or try to escape your shackles will send a powerful shock through you."

"Yeah yeah..." he muttered, walking toward the door. Out in the hall was the professor and the Federation guards, Dr arms had gone ahead to prepare for their visit. They allowed him to walk out, their guns trained on him.

He was tempted to make a lunge at them but held it in. No point being unnecessarily aggressive. Not right now anyway. He'd get his chance eventually.

"Now," the female scientist said. "if you cooperate you will be led into the room unfettered. Make any aggressive move and you'll be carried in. Understood?"

He glared at her but nodded.

"Good." she eyed his rumpled uniform but said nothing about it. "Let's go."

With a nudge from one of the Federation rifles they moved on. A moment later they reached the interrogation room and led him inside. He noticed the other scientist was already there, sitting at the table waiting patiently. He smiled when he saw them and waved a hand, inviting them in.

The scientist and her guards led over to the table but did not sit him down in the chair. The woman scientists hit a button and the shackles reactivated, forcing his wrists back together as the guards stood on either side of him.

"Now you don't need to do that," Dr. Arms told them.

Dr. Ivory looked at him with a frown. "It will be safer for you this way."

"I'll be the judge of that,"the man told her. "If he makes any moves that I perceive as dangerous then I will have him restrained but if he behaves himself I don't think that we will have an issue." he smiled at Ridley. "I'm sure he's a reasonable person and would appreciate a little trust on our part."

The female scientist frowned but decided to do things his way. She deactivated the bonds stating. "If anything happens you'll have nobody to blame but yourself for it." she reminded him.

"I'll take full responsibility then," he assured her seemingly downplaying her concerns with a wave of his hand and a disarming smile.

Ridley pulled his arms in front of him and folded them across his chest. Now would be a good chance for him to make these people pay but he could sense that the two guards flanking him and he was pretty sure they were not the only guns in the room and made no attempt on anyone. Instead he stood there, listening to the scientists discussing things.

Dr. Ivory, the female, folded her arms and gave the male scientist a stubborn look. He smiled at her as if to say. "Hey I got this, don't worry." She continued to glare at him for a moment longer then shrugged and turned to leave. "Fine, your funeral." she headed for the door calling to the soldiers. "Come on, we'll wait in the other room."

The two soldiers looked uncertain but Dr. Arms encouraged them to leave as well. "Go on," he told them. "Everything will be fine."

They hesitated a moment longer then turned to follow the other scientist.

Once she and her company were gone the male scientist turned his full attention to Ridley who was standing there, his body tense as if he was expecting something to happen.

"Sit down, Ridley," the man said to him as he himself sat down at the table. "I only want to talk to you."

"About what?" the space pirate demanded.

"How about what's happened to you since you were brought back?" the man suggested to him. "I heard you had a rather rough time since your resurrection."

Ridley rose a brow. "Yeah so?" he asked suspiciously.

The man leaned back in his chair smiling a disarming smile. "Would you like to talk about it?"

No, Ridley would not, especially with this smarmy little weasel. Who did he think he was kidding? He could see right through the human's little charade but maybe he could use this to his advantage somehow?

Why not? This could fun. For Ridley that was, not the snotty human sitting in front of him.

"Okay," he said, sitting down across from the human scientist. "What would you like to know?"

"Just start from the beginning."

Ridley needed no further encouragement." All right then," he said, smirking. "I'll do just that."

The man leaned toward him, all ears.