Chapter 4
The massive silver-gilt vessel loomed silently above the thick rings of ice and dust, the intensity of its thrusters flashing and fluctuating at seemingly random intervals. Cautiously, the Dark Hunter floated alongside its shining, unyielding flank, searching for a way inside. She touched the cold, dense armor plates covering its side; eternally grateful for having found the spacecraft.
Just when I thought there was no hope… she mused.
The ship was far larger than she had expected; from a distance it had looked so small… Carefully, meticulously, she explored the hull, hoping to discover an entrance of some kind. Despite her tireless efforts, no such entrance was found. She began to wonder whether one even existed. Was the craft even accessible through physical means? Her question was answered when a small hatch a few feet away sprung open, releasing sizeable chunks of debris, wrecked wires, and shreds of alien tech into the void.
A feeling of relief enveloped her; Perhaps my luck is beginning to turn.
Quickly, she made her way into the opening, just as the door slid shut. For a moment, she was lost in complete darkness, but was met with a faint light when a door at the other end of the small room opened, revealing the interior of what appeared to be a waste disposal bay. She suddenly felt herself tugged towards the floor…gravity. Along with it, came the startling sound of noise; it had been so long since anything had reached her ears. The only possible explanation for sound would be…air? She took a deep breath; oxygen. She recognized its faint signature sweetness. It felt so fresh, so…normal? The Dark Hunter couldn't seem to explain its familiarity, and decided it was best to keep moving.
Upon taking her first steps, she immediately fell to the ground. The many cycles spent floating about in a weightless environment had taken a toll on her body. She wasn't used to the harsh gravitational pull the ship was exerting; it was overwhelming, unrelenting. Slowly, she rose to her feet, latching onto a bar lining the wall as she began to fall a second time. Gradually, the strength in her legs began to build back up as she reacquainted herself with her walking cycle. She took a few wobbly steps, adjusting to the force now holding her down. She followed up with another step, and then another. She soon found herself walking down the pathway, out of the disposal bay, and straight into the mouth of a narrow walkway.
The Dark Hunter strained to pierce the darkness of the lightless hallway, taking a cautious step into the black. Appearing to have triggered a reactive lighting system, the dark grey area was instantly illuminated by tiny glowing lights bolted to the floor, lining the path.
Wary of her surroundings, she continued. The inside of the ship was unsettlingly quiet, the only sounds to be heard being the faint inhale-exhale-like vibrations of an unusual pressure system in the walls, coupled with the faint, haunting rumble of the vessel's enormous engines. Heedless of the ship's sinister character, the negative carried on.
The halls seemed endless; like an eerie labyrinth of dimly lit rooms and strange, alien noises. The atmosphere was lonelier than space itself. The Dark Hunter was surprised to have not yet encountered anyone; with the spacecraft being the size that it was, she was certain that it would have been bustling with activity.
She inspected the walls as she moved alongside them, scrutinizing the tiny details of the strange, foreign tech. Thin wires and tubes sprouted from nearly every corner and crevice, large pipes riding along the dark ceiling above her head. Small, shadowy lights overspread nearly every wall, most emitting a ghostly green hue, adding to the nightmarish ambiance.
Dark Samus moved quietly, too nervous to make any loud noises. At one point she thought she heard a faint mechanical voice, speaking words she didn't understand, but upon inspecting the area, nothing turned up. She couldn't escape the feeling that she was being watched. She had been roaming the ship's interior for well over an hour, yet she still remained alone. Surely, she should have run into someone by now…
The absence of life was driving the Dark Hunter mad. She began wondering whether this was all in her head, or not. It felt as though someone was playing tricks on her, like there was some unseen force messing with her emotions. This ship, this place that was supposed to save her, seemed to be turning into the very thing that would soon tear her consciousness clean of sanity.
Soon, she began down a series of slightly wider hallways, each new passage she stepped into being a little brighter than the former. Had she finally found a way out of the darkness? She crept silently down the many walkways, now more aware than ever. Finally, she arrived at a small grey door, tightly sealed shut. As she moved closer, in one quick, swift motion, the door slid into the wall, a quiet hiss escaping the frame.
Slowly, the negative stepped through the entrance and out into a large corridor, breathing a sigh of relief as she left the darkness behind her. She looked around, expecting to find another being, but was once again greeted by irrefutable solitude.
"There must be someone else here…" she paused, shocked at the sound of her own voice. It was so gentle, so smooth. How long had it been since she was able to perceive her own utterances? Far too long, for certain.
She continued down the elongated stretch, running her hands along the walls, listening for any signs of life. She passed many locked doors and dark windows, as well as countless thin walkway entrances. The muted hum of the outside thrusters resonated softly throughout the ship, the eerie atmosphere not letting up for a second.
All of a sudden, there came the faint sound of metal clangs, appearing to be coming from just beyond the ceiling. Dark Samus froze dead in her tracks. Then, without warning, a hatch in the ceiling opened, revealing a large, hexagonal machine as it descended on a thick steel beam. The bot dropped down in front of the Dark Hunter, its single red eye fixated menacingly on her. Four arms unfolded from its sides, each producing a lengthily stun gun-like weapon.
"Unidentified intruder," the machine's deep, guttural voice rasped, "you are aboard the Suros Void Angel without official admittance. State your business."
Dark Samus attempted to respond, but words failed her. What could she possibly say?
As she stood motionless, struggling to answer the monitor's question, a door to her right slid open, and out walked a tall figure, clad in a tight, white overcoat, spotted with many brown details. A slender, lengthy sword hung at his side, along with an odd, gold-encrusted revolver. The negative looked the being up and down, realising it to be human.
The man stretched his arms, yawning, "Good morning Steven…"
He turned and jumped at the sight of the Dark Hunter, drawing his sword defensively. Bright, electrical sparks danced along the weapon's blade as it left the sheath.
"Whoa! Who are you? What are you doing on my ship?"
The negative chuckled, amused, "A little frightened, are we?"
The human narrowed his eyes slightly, turning to the robot, "Steven, would you mind running a maintenance check for me?"
The machine almost seemed to do a double take, "But sir, the intruder-"
"I'll handle it." The man reassured.
Reluctantly, the bot retracted into the ceiling, the hatch shutting behind it.
The human looked back to the Dark Hunter, carefully sheathing his Katana-like blade.
He approached her cautiously, "What, might I ask, are you doing here? The rings of Saturn are a very dangerous and desolate place, not to mention, unforgiving…what reason could you possibly have for venturing out this far out into our solar system? Oh, I'm sorry; you're not from this solar system, are you? No… No human has naturally occurring blue hair and red eyes. Though beautiful as you may be, I know you are not one of us. Still…you have a certain familiarity about you…"
The man chuckled.
Dark Samus eyed the mysterious human, "You speak with a sinister and condescending tone. What do you know that you're not telling me?"
The man shot her a curious look, as though he did not believe her, "You don't even recognise me, do you?"
The Dark Hunter blinked, "Recognise you? I have never seen you before in my life."
"Oh the contrary; we have, in fact, met before…my sweet, blue haired angel."
For some unexplained reason, those last few syllables caused something inside of Dark Samus to snap. In one quick motion, she reached out and slapped the man across the face. For a split second, he stood still as if in shock, before breaking out into an almost maniacal laughter.
"You haven't changed a bit, have you?" he roared, "Still just as violent as ever, but of course, do I have any reason to expect anything less of you…Dark Hunter?"
Time seemed to stand still. Dark Samus stared into the man's eyes, letting his words sink in.
"Kel?" she said, in complete disbelief.
"At your service, my lady." he bowed in a mockingly sarcastic manner, "Oh, and, I go by Kelly now; it is my full first name after all. You see, I'm not the same insecure teenager you once fell in love with- Oh, pardon me, I'm not the same teenager you once deceived. I've changed, and all for the better. You see, I realized a long time ago that relationships and other things of the sort weren't necessarily for me, so, if your plan is to corrupt me once again, I'd highly suggest that you deviate from the seductive approach, because it won't work…not this time at least."
The Dark Hunter looked up at the young man inquisitively, "You really have changed haven't you?"
"Indeed…" he replied, "and I could not be happier with the man I turned out to be. Now, answer my question. How are you alive? I watched Samus deal the final blow, I watched your body disintegrate into the ground, I laughed as Phaaze crumbled and collapsed behind us, by all means, you should be dead! But here we are…no different than the last time we met. But it doesn't matter…you won't live long enough to tell anyone about this."
Without skipping a beat, he drew his revolver, aiming it directly at the negative's forehead. Dark Samus gasped.
"I hate to do this to you Dark Hunter, I really do." he went on, his expression one of faint sympathy, "You see, I don't believe in killing anymore. The Ten Commandments were very clear: Thou shalt not kill. Of course, in the midst of strife, when I know that it is either my life, or the enemy's, I'll make a small exception…but right here, and right now, I simply feel as though it is in my best interests to spare my race another near extinction event."
He chuckled, "Good bye, Dark Hunter."
"Wait!"
Kelly's face quickly contorted into a frown, "Give me one good reason why I should."
Dark Samus hesitated for a moment, hoping he would believe what she was about to tell him.
"I mean you no harm." She finally said.
"I don't believe that for one second." the young man replied, priming the revolver, "Now hold still so I can make this quick and painless."
"Come to your senses!" the negative cried out in protest, "If my original intent was to hurt you, I would have done so already! Why would I wait this long to strike?"
"Well the answer is quite obvious, is it not? You wish to lure me in with a false sense of security." Kelly explained, lowering his weapon, slowly circling the unwanted guest, "That way, the second my back is turned, you'll take me out quick and easy. I wouldn't even know what hit me. I'll admit, your strategy is cleverly thought out, but in no way, shape, or form does it have me fooled. I know what you're all about, and it's nothing good."
"You've got it all wrong…"
The man shot the Dark Hunter a dirty look, "Excuse me?"
"I have been deprived of a Phazon source far too long for you to justify viewing me as a threat." Dark Samus went on, "I barely cling to life as we speak. I am literally dying on the spot."
Kelly raised an eyebrow disdainfully, "Are you, now?"
"Yes."
The man's facial expression seemed to soften up, "Well, I guess that saves me the ammo…and the trouble of killing you."
A deep sigh of relief escaped his lips, "My conscience will remain clear."
The negative stared at her captor, disgusted by what she had just heard.
"You sicken me."
"Hmm?"
"Here I am, a living, breathing creature that is losing her life before your eyes and…you don't even care!"
"You, my friend, are no creature worthy of my pity!" Kelly snarled, flaring with anger, "You may look human, but you are far from it! For underneath that perfectly clear skin of yours is none other than the very blue poison we've been at war with since day one. You take on the form of a human, but at the end of the day, you'll never be anything more than a metroid; a cold, heartless, life-sucking parasite with no other desire than to corrupt all life in the known universe. You say that I sicken you?"
He raised the revolver once more, "I sicken you?! I have every right to shoot you dead…and to be honest; I don't know why I haven't already."
Dark Samus looked down at the floor, and for the first time in her existence, felt ashamed.
"Please…" she said, her voice nearly a whisper, "just give me one chance. Give me an energy source of any kind to feed off of, allow me to nurse myself back to health and I will show you that I am not the monster that you think I am."
Cautiously, she took a step forward, "Please…just one chance."
Kelly stood silently for a minute, contemplating her proposal. Finally, he let out a long sigh, leaning over and hitting a button on a nearby console.
"Steven, come down here." He spoke into a nearby com.
"Yes, sir." Came Steven's robotic voice from the other end.
"One chance…" the man began, looking back to the Dark Hunter, "that's it. But if you try anything, and I mean, anything…you'll be dead before you hit the ground, got it?"
Dark Samus nodded, just as the hatch above their heads reopened, allowing the bot to descend.
Kelly glanced over at the monitor, "Steven, could you scan our, um, friend for me?"
"Certainly."
Thin beams of light emitted from the machine's singular eye, washing over Dark Samus like luminous antennae.
Seconds later, the beams retracted, "Scan complete."
"Huh, that was quick." Kelly murmured.
"Subject's body is composed of approximately 73.2% Phazon. Heart, brain, and skeletal structure are among the only bodily components found within. It is strongly recommended that you avoid direct contact with the subject."
The young man looked suspiciously at the dark angel, "She's that dangerous, is she?"
"Not entirely." Steven clarified, "Those living with Phazon corruption often possess the ability to control it, to some extent. Any action made by the subject resulting in terminal corruption on your behalf, would be of the subject's doing."
Kelly nodded, rubbing his chin, "Good to know. Thank you Steven, that'll be all."
With that, the monitor quickly retracted into the ceiling, once again leaving the two alone in the deadness of the hallway.
"Well Dark Hunter, it seems as though you will live to see another day." said Kelly, quietly.
A sweet smile took a hold of Dark Samus's soft face, "Thank you."
"Yeah…" the young man replied, a hint of uneasiness in his tone, "don't mention it."