Relic from the seas
By
Dr Facer
-20-
Nina Cossack grabbed the data pad her sister was returning and after putting it under her arm, she asked. "Well, what do you think?"
"Splash Woman is really more advanced than I expected," Alia said. "No wonder her behavior is so different from what we thought it would be! I would honestly like to study her after this mission is completed; her ability to maintain activation without the Laws of Robotics is perplexing."
"We have yet to figure out how she did that, you know?" Nina mentioned as she distractedly looked at the old Bee Blader she and her sister were standing next to. "And since Viktor already deleted the analysis he got when we installed her new voicebox, we can't get any new data. We're working with the notes he made and the schematics Splash Woman provided, but that's not enough. There are things in her programming that I can't understand no matter how much I try."
"I noticed you marked several paragraphs of the information you showed me," Alia nodded. "From what I saw there's something in her coding that stopped Viktor from analyzing her I.C. beyond a simple glance when you put her into stasis, didn't it?"
"Yes, but we still don't know what it was," the older sister said. "I guess we'll learn eventually, so let's stop talking about Splash Woman for a bit, there are other things I want to discuss."
"If you wish. What do you want to talk about?"
Nina smirked and poked Alia's shoulder. "About you coming here with X; are things better now?"
Alia immediately flushed and had to take a deep breath to help cool her servomotors, something she usually did when her sister mentioned X. "We were sent on a mission together and we're getting along quite well."
"That's not an answer, sister. He gets along well with everybody!" Nina groaned. "C'mon, tell me some good news!"
Alia looked up, sighed and then leaned on the Bee Blader. She wasn't sure if talking to Nina was a good idea but then again, her older sister was the only reploid she could talk about her feelings for the blue hunter. "Yes, things are better. I think they're better."
"Really, how, when?" Nina Cossack asked.
Alia proceeded to tell her sister all about the events in the Orbital Observatory and X's recovery.
"I think we got closer again after that," She smiled. "I may be able to tell him soon, and…"
"I don't think you'll tell him today," Nina interrupted, looking to the left. "Not with her around."
"Maybe Splash Woman wants to see us off," Alia guessed as she saw the marine Robot Master walking at X's side. She couldn't deny that she felt a spark of jealousy ignite inside her, but she managed to hide it perfectly.
"Somehow I think that's not the case," Nina sighed.
=0=
Splash Woman looked out the window and then leaned back on her seat. She had done this several times already and was starting to wonder how long it would take for them to reach their destination. She turned left and saw Alia was busy reading something on her data pad and X was at the front piloting the helicopter. Bored, the Robot Master straightened and looked at the blonde reploid next to her. Alia had been silent since the flight started, and had avoided eye contact with her as much as possible. Splash Woman didn't mind that much, and had decided to let her read, but she hadn't anticipated how tedious the flight would be. Hoping to start a conversation to help kill some time, she cleared her throat and then asked something she had been wondering about for a while now.
"Is there a reason why we can't teleport to where we're going?"
Alia looked up and nodded. "Yes, the area we're visiting is constantly ravaged by electromagnetic storms. It's been like that since a space colony crashed there a few years ago. We estimate it will be that way for at least another sixty years. The interference the storms cause is why we can't beam in."
"I see, too bad," Splash Woman said. "I'm sorry if I interrupted you, I'm honestly a little bored."
"So am I," Alia confided, "but don't worry, we'll be there in about forty five minutes."
"I hope so."
"Splash Woman?" Alia called, taking advantage of her starting a conversation. Alia had been trying to build up the courage to talk to her and ask her something that had been bothering her since she saw X was bringing her with them, a thing he shouldn't have been able to do, but he outranked her and insisted the Robot Master join them as a favor. "Can I ask you a question?"
"Yes, of course."
"Why are you here? This mission could be dangerous."
The Robot Master stared at the navigator as if not understanding the question. "I'm here to help Mega Man X. What other reason could I have?"
"But… you're weaker than X and I," Alia observed. "My stats alone are about 15% higher than yours. How could you help him if we encounter trouble?"
"Stats aren't important," the Robot Master countered. "I'm sure that Sigma terrorist who organized the previous rebellions I was told about had stats that surpassed X's, yet he was able to win in the end, wasn't he?"
Alia had to concede Splash Woman had a point. "I guess you are right about that, but X…"
"X is the only other Lightbot alive, and I will help him no matter what," Splash Woman declared with a tone of finality. "I have to help him."
"He must be very important for you, then," the navigator said, suddenly thinking that the Robot Master's response held real emotion behind it, something she never thought possible. Alia blinked in surprise, finally understanding why Nina had so much trouble understanding Splash Woman.
"No one is more important to me than X, but please don't ask me to elaborate on that. I'm still debating if I should…" Splash Woman stopped there and leaned forward, resting her chin on her right hand as she sighed. "Forget it. It's complicated."
"You… you're still processing which relationship you should have with him aren't you?" Alia guessed. "If so, can I help you with that?"
"I'm not sure if 'processing' is the right term for this. I'm simply…" the Robot Master cut her words short as she seemed to consider something and then she turned to stare at Alia with suspicious eyes. "Why are you asking me this?"
"I'm… curious, that's all," the navigator said. "I hope I didn't upset you, it wasn't my intention."
"No, it's alright," Splash Woman sighed again. "It's just something I have to figure out myself."
"Oh, I understand," said Alia.
"I don't think you do, but thanks for the sentiment," the other said and offered her a smile. "You are a good person, Alia… you even remind me of Roll a little."
"X's older sister," Alia said after doing a quick search in her memory files and finding that was the name of the third Robot Master Doctor Light created.
"Yes, she was…" Splash Woman smiled as she remembered Roll. "She was the nicest girl you've ever met, always trying to help Mega Man as best she could…"
"I'm sure she was a great friend," Alia said, finding this information interesting, and betting X would love to hear it, too.
"You know… Roll and Rock were siblings, while you and X aren't, but even then, it seems you share the same bond Roll and Rock had."
"Oh… thank you?" Alia had to strain to smile at that comment. Splash Woman saw her like X's sister? Did the Robot Master say that to keep her out of the way?
"Alia, would you be my friend?" Splash Woman asked then. "Viktor and Nina are good people, but sometimes I think they only see me as a lab project, and X… well, I'm not yet sure about many things. But you… you I think I could trust. What do you say?"
Alia blinked and doubted for a few seconds. She did consider Splash Woman as a rival of sorts, even more so after her recent remark, but she wasn't so petty she would refuse someone her friendship if they asked for it in such an honest manner. She was not heartless.
"I say…" Alia smiled and held Splash Woman's waiting hand. "I say it would be nice being friends with you."
=0=
The place was as desolated as X remembered it, though he had to admit seeing some traces of vegetation growing back again here and there made him feel slightly better. This location was normally off-limits to reploids and was protected exclusively by human soldiers since they wouldn't get infected if traces of the Sigma or Nightmare viruses were still present. The humans were stationed in a small military base, and had access to ride armors and other weapons to help them with their assignment. Five of said soldiers were standing in front of X, Alia and Splash Woman.
"Greetings, Captain X," one of the soldiers said. "Signas called and told us you'd be here today."
"That means no paperwork will be necessary?" the blue hunter asked.
"No, everything has been taken care of," the soldier said. "You and your companions may proceed. You may want to hurry, though. It seems we'll have a storm later today."
"So it seems," X agreed, looking at the sky. His sensors indicated a steady change in moisture levels, and the electromagnetic fields around the area remained unstable. A storm was indeed coming. "Don't worry; we won't be in there any longer than we have to be."
Notes:
Thanks to Adam for beta reading.
Gate's Secret Lab, as I'm sure all of you remember, is located very close to where the Eurasia Space Colony crashed.