Chapter VI - The End Of Bass?
Zero was waiting by the battle simulator. Cain had just contacted him via his transmitter and told him that Bass was coming.
"Hey, Bass," he called as the black and orange Reploid turned the corner. "Doc told me you were on your way over."
"Yeah, hi," Bass responded. Zero could tell something was bothering the new Hunter.
"Care for a match?" Zero offered, indicating the simulator with a wave of his hand.
"Sure, anything to get my mind off him."
"Off who?"
"Wily."
Zero recoiled a bit at the sound of the name. It still brought chills when he thought about what had happened before Cain reprogrammed him. Zero could remember the fight with Sigma all too clearly as he put a hand on his Z-Saber, which once belonged to Sigma. He still had nightmares about it, and about the man with the odd hair. It had gotten worse after the revelation about his creator. The only thing that seemed to help was the simulator, which was why he and Bass were there right now.
"After you," Bass said.
Dr. Cain had set up this program as a training session for new Maverick Hunters. You would make your way through a Maverick revolt and be graded on how much damage you caused and how many people you could save. 'Real-Life Training' and Cain put it. Get used to it in a simulator and the actual thing would be easier. The only downside was that it gave you a sense of power, something that the Hunter's shouldn't get used too.
"Zero, behind you!" Bass shouted as a Ball de Voux came spinning down the road.
"I got it!" Zero yelled back as he let out a few shots from his Z-Buster. The Ball de Voux exploded in a pile of shrapnel. Bass looked down at it's remains and frowned.
"Zero, come over here," he told the red Reploid.
"What is it?"
There's something I can't get over. I don't like doing this. Even if it's not real, I don't like destroying robots. Anything for that matter," Bass said quietly. "Yet something in me is telling me that I must, even if I don't want to, and it can't be good. There's no reason that I have to do this, but. . ." he trailed off.
"Cain, shut down the program," Zero said to nothing in particular, but the wrecked robot and buildings disappeared. They were out of the simulator and the doctor was hurrying down the hall.
"I'm getting to old for this," said Cain, out of breath. "What's the matter, Zero?"
Zero looked dead serious. "I don't know how to say this, but I think Bass needs to be shut down."
"What!?!" exclaimed Bass and Cain.
"Why?" asked Bass.
"There's no reason," Cain said.
"I believe," continued Zero, "that X may be right about Bass. We need to at least rub a diagnostic to see if he's still a carrier of the Sigma Virus. I want to make sure."
"Fine, there's no harm in that. I think," Bass said.
"I'll get Doppler's opinion," Cain said quickly, "He's an expert at this, considering he was infected."
Zero seemed slightly relieved. "Good, I don't want to take any risks, what with everything that's happened recently."
Cain looked at the black hunter and said, "Bass, come with me."
Zero watched them walk down the hall. Did I do the right thing? Maybe Bass should've decided on his own to get tested again. Don't' try to fool yourself, Zero. Bass has done all he can. He needs all of the help he can get now.
Zero was waiting by the battle simulator. Cain had just contacted him via his transmitter and told him that Bass was coming.
"Hey, Bass," he called as the black and orange Reploid turned the corner. "Doc told me you were on your way over."
"Yeah, hi," Bass responded. Zero could tell something was bothering the new Hunter.
"Care for a match?" Zero offered, indicating the simulator with a wave of his hand.
"Sure, anything to get my mind off him."
"Off who?"
"Wily."
Zero recoiled a bit at the sound of the name. It still brought chills when he thought about what had happened before Cain reprogrammed him. Zero could remember the fight with Sigma all too clearly as he put a hand on his Z-Saber, which once belonged to Sigma. He still had nightmares about it, and about the man with the odd hair. It had gotten worse after the revelation about his creator. The only thing that seemed to help was the simulator, which was why he and Bass were there right now.
"After you," Bass said.
Dr. Cain had set up this program as a training session for new Maverick Hunters. You would make your way through a Maverick revolt and be graded on how much damage you caused and how many people you could save. 'Real-Life Training' and Cain put it. Get used to it in a simulator and the actual thing would be easier. The only downside was that it gave you a sense of power, something that the Hunter's shouldn't get used too.
"Zero, behind you!" Bass shouted as a Ball de Voux came spinning down the road.
"I got it!" Zero yelled back as he let out a few shots from his Z-Buster. The Ball de Voux exploded in a pile of shrapnel. Bass looked down at it's remains and frowned.
"Zero, come over here," he told the red Reploid.
"What is it?"
There's something I can't get over. I don't like doing this. Even if it's not real, I don't like destroying robots. Anything for that matter," Bass said quietly. "Yet something in me is telling me that I must, even if I don't want to, and it can't be good. There's no reason that I have to do this, but. . ." he trailed off.
"Cain, shut down the program," Zero said to nothing in particular, but the wrecked robot and buildings disappeared. They were out of the simulator and the doctor was hurrying down the hall.
"I'm getting to old for this," said Cain, out of breath. "What's the matter, Zero?"
Zero looked dead serious. "I don't know how to say this, but I think Bass needs to be shut down."
"What!?!" exclaimed Bass and Cain.
"Why?" asked Bass.
"There's no reason," Cain said.
"I believe," continued Zero, "that X may be right about Bass. We need to at least rub a diagnostic to see if he's still a carrier of the Sigma Virus. I want to make sure."
"Fine, there's no harm in that. I think," Bass said.
"I'll get Doppler's opinion," Cain said quickly, "He's an expert at this, considering he was infected."
Zero seemed slightly relieved. "Good, I don't want to take any risks, what with everything that's happened recently."
Cain looked at the black hunter and said, "Bass, come with me."
Zero watched them walk down the hall. Did I do the right thing? Maybe Bass should've decided on his own to get tested again. Don't' try to fool yourself, Zero. Bass has done all he can. He needs all of the help he can get now.