Mega Man X 1.5
Searching the Deeps
by Tremor3258
Disclaimer: Capcom owns pretty much everything in here in its original form, and the work is intended purely for enjoyment, so please don't sue.
X awoke from within his recharge pod, and made the mistake of trying to move. Pain shot down his back, as he had been holding a similar position for several days, and the intricate web of servos didn't take well to have sudden stress placed on them, and they made their displeasure known quickly.
As X rubbed his stiff back in annoyance, he finally opened his eyes to at least another round of activity. X wasn't quite aware of how much time had passed while holding a vigil. However, it was obvious that his next active duty period wasn't going to be very pleasant, as Zero stood over his recharge pod with a data card in one hand and an angry expression on his face.
"Welcome back to the living, X. We've got trouble," Zero quickly gave a run down on everything that had been told by the cats, finishing with, "And this data card has the whole conversation, so you can track it. I also pulled the data from the simulation files that we've managed to recover, though most of it's damaged, to verify what had been said. It checks out so far, but there's something you need to see. Is this computer sealed against outside intrusions?"
X nodded, reminding himself to grab some food later. Younger siblings being at the possible heart of a future Maverick outbreak definitely came first. Zero slammed the data card into the slot, "Computer, bring up program Iris-1. Okay X, on your left will be what we have of the simulator footage. The right are my activities on Final Weapon while you were facing Double." X was curious. What does Iris have to do with what's going on, the Strategic Commander wondered.
When he saw what Zero was aiming at, X bit off a curse word before it could leave his mouth. What Jazz and Bebop had not been aware of at the time was visible even through the blank spots and static on the video image. Both were clearly covered with purple flame-like energy that seemed to almost burn away their usual colors. The same colors that were within the powerful crystal Iris had brought as her weapon against Zero.
"Does anyone else know about this, for that matter, did we ever figure out what that thing was?" X asked, "I know that we haven't tried to touch on the events too much, and we know it probably contained something similar to the Colonel's core program, but this is just weird."
Zero sighed and sat down. He had been operating without sleep for almost eighteen hours now, and could really stand to go through a couple hours in stasis. Zero said, "I told Signas I was following up a possible leader to the Virus's current location. For the other question... no we don't. Iris wasn't technically part of Repliforce's military staff, and most of their civilian Reploids died with the station. I asked around, and all we know is that Iris apparently had it since her activation, but no one knows what it is. Since I saw this, I tried to access Iris and Colonel's blueprint information, but it's classified to the point that only the Director of Cain Labs can access it."
"Which is Isoc," X said grimly, "And we still don't know what's going on with him and that copy. All right, Zero, we've been getting a lot of recruits lately, but I want you to start bringing the command staff in on this. We really need to start doing research on the two we have before we can figure out what's going on, but that means we need to get them cleared, and that'll take a majority of the Unit Commanders, and we have eighteen Units on active duty. Have we made any progress on the analysis-" X cut off. A beeping from the computer caused the two to look back at the monitor. The computer was reporting that its security was broken and all files were being downloaded. Zero quickly tried to snatch the card from the reader slot while X started running a tracer, but the card refused to be expelled for several heart-pounding seconds until the screen suddenly reset as the computer rebooted itself. Zero stumbled backwards as the reader's grip on the card was relinquished.
"What on Earth was that?" Zero asked. He looked grim. As commander, X's private files should have been almost untouchable. Well, technically, so are mine, and I should be able to trace anything coming to my computer, Zero reminded himself.
"We definitely have a serious official problem going on. Zero, go get the commanders, and don't use the communication links at all if you can help it, and warn them to TELL, not message, the Hunters to avoid using the computer until we can figure this out. I'll try and see if I can get anything out of the machine," X ordered.
Zero started to dash out, but paused by the door, "Actually, we may have found someone. One of Alia's tutors in computer programming. He was a designer on the same team that built Alia, and he's supposed to be hot stuff. I ran a search for him in our data banks, and he's on our 'watch' list because he's busy creating Reploid designs with super-advanced programming, on the idea that a truly sentient creature capable of growth shouldn't be able to have its data patterns easily analyzed. Right now, he's working free-lance, but we should be able to get him in for a consultation."
"Give me his name and I'll do it myself," X said, "I'm not sure we can trust any of our computer records right now, and I'm not sure about our engineers either. Someone just blatantly said they have access to our entire network."
"Right. I've been getting some bizarre e-mails," Zero shook himself, "I'll tell you later. Right now, get the Unit Commanders in on what's going on before someone starts putting your diary up on the Net," Zero ran out the door.
"Zero! Name!" reminded X as he stood up.
Zero slapped his forehead, "Sorry. His name's Gate. I think he's living in Asia right now." X nodded and Zero ran off through the maze of Hunter Headquarters.
"I don't keep a diary," muttered X as he stomped off in the opposite direction. He would contact Gate from the outside, as the original sentient machine figured that a random phone was less likely to be tapped than his personnel quarters at this point. If this guy's any good, we'll put him on our security issues next, thought X, he can't do any worse.
Far away from the brightly lit corridors of Maverick Hunter Headquarters, a meeting was taking place in an area so secure, it made the deepest hole of the Hunter's dome look like open air in comparison. The meeting was taking place by remote link, but the three meeting together today would bet their lives on their electronic security, as the meeting was taking place over special land lines laid in secret. In fact, several of the people's lives in the room would be forfeit if the Hunters even knew of the possibility of such a meeting. Still, the figure within the fortress remained cloaked, as he firmly believed no measure was sufficient security. Still, the rewards for this meeting were worth even the risks in his paranoid mind.
The three all saw the same things on the screen, the video snatched from X's private quarters of the simulator, as Iris powered up on the right side of the split screen. "The Ancients are now all aware of the existence of that great power," said a heavily modulated voice, with a slight trace of an accent, probably somewhere in Europe, "and may very well uncover what our plans have been with Cain Labs."
"It does not matter," said the second voice (the group was not willing to risk having their faces go out), "they cannot come forward with this data to the public. Repliforce has already been castigated, and connecting them would lead to the cats' death. For that matter, I have been careful enough to keep the Hunters unaware of what the Labs do, besides the trickles of new equipment heading their way. With Cain removed, the Hunters and Cain Labs lose their umbrella overseer, and so the Hunters have no reason to poke around. They can't move right now or make wild accusations, the public hates them enough. Besides, they remain unaware of our true goal"
"Agreed. How do go our plans involving our favored Reploid?" asked the figure in the room. He smiled beneath the cloak. Neither of the two had questioned where he had acquired the images of Iris, but accepted them at face value. HIS trump card remained as the final torment, if necessary.
"Hunter computer security is riddled," said the second voice with satisfaction, "Unfortunately, our automatic programs tipped our hand, as information on Iris is copied from anywhere in Headquarters. Zero using her name as a password made the Hunters aware of at least some of our efforts. A positive effect of this is the continued paranoia on X and Zero, which can only serve to further weaken the Hunter's position."
"Fool! First your failure with Rock, and now this. Not even the dumbest Hunter will fail to see something is up! If they could backtrack you, all our plans are in peril!" hissed the first voice who had spoken.
"Nonsense!" said the figure in the room calmly, "Everything is under our complete control. In this heavily computerized age, any attempt by Hunter engineers to unravel our control can be detected the moment it begins, and their efforts thwarted. For that matter, we control most of their engineers, as they come from Cain Labs."
"True, however it bothers me that most of their support staff has yet to run around," said the second voice, "When may I begin the plans to fold the rest of the non-military Hunter staff into my own control and authority?"
"Not for quite a while, as your effort to move ahead and show your control resulted in a massive public relations failure! Cain Labs is looked poorly upon for bringing a false copy of Mega Man back to life, and if you move to quickly now, the Labs will be associated with the Hunters when time comes for the final blow!" raved the first voice.
"Yes. Time is most definitely on our side. My forces continue to grow and move into position, and my research on our target at Headquarters continues to bear fruit. The longer we wait, the more destabilized the Hunters will become in eyes of the public. For now, I suggest we simply continue with current plans. Besides, I doubt that certain individuals involved in this conversation can retain their unknown whereabouts for much longer without raising suspicion. I move we adjourn for now and return next week for another update." The two voices raised murmurs of accent and the communication was cut.
The cloaked figure remained for a few seconds, before snorting, "I don't know which of the two are more a fool. One attempting to be the master of forces far beyond their control, the other blinded by madness, and a hairbreadth from true power. Idiots, the two of them. Still, one has to admit that even I had been unaware of exactly what Cain Labs had been working on. Hypocrites, stomping out individual research that could lead to greatness, while working on far more dangerous toys themselves." The cloaked figure walked away from his communication room and into the corridors of his fortress. With a thought, the area he was passing through would bristle with death traps. Though the cloaked figure doubted it would be for a while. He stopped before a door, and opened it, addressing the figure within.
"Still, if it hadn't been for that portion of myself left behind in their computers, my little alliance would have never gotten off the ground, right my dear?" A Reploid, girl-type, dressed in pinks and blues, with long brown hair struggled futilely. The bonds holding her in place were several magnitudes in strength stronger than those the Hunters employed in their quarantine bay. Though this room served a similar purpose, though its intention was to keep as much of the Virus away from the subject as possible.
Iris looked with burning anger at the figure who had destroyed her life, her family, and her love. "Sigma, still playing reaper I see?" Iris was not the same person she had been before the station, Sigma reflected, but death did that to a person, as he knew all too well.
"If you're trying to enrage me, it won't work. I have far better control over the Virus than your foolish lover ever did, or the others. You will not be infected, my dear, and that wonderfully delightful battle armor of yours will not be lost. Still, just as I prod and push Zero, your mind will be lost to madness of its own creation, and then you two will be the perfect complimentary pair: utterly ruthless killers, destroying any who gets in your path."
Iris shook her head, "Sigma, you're so wrong about me." So much had happened before because she had lacked the strength of will to risk hurting her brother or her boyfriend. Sigma had managed to get her control chip evacuated by Double before that wonderful servant lost his life trying to delay X stopping the station from firing upon the planet. Now, with a second chance at life, Iris vowed she wouldn't sit idly by, instead trying to change things actively for the better, rather than passive support.
Lot of good those sentiments do me now, thought Iris in dismay. Her track record wasn't doing much better, trapped here. Still, she knew how important it was to retain her wits. Before, she had sat by until the loss of so much of her world, and then in her fury, she had done something so terrible to her soulmate, that even months later, it brought tears to her eyes, forcing Zero to kill her.
Sigma noticed the wetness at the corner's of the former spotter's eyes, and said gleefully, "Oh, Iris, I know more about you than you do yourself, much like my advantage over Zero. I know you were the first portion of the attempt at the perfect soldier, not Colonel, and I know exactly why that project failed initially, and how you led inadvertently to its success. You will be mine, and through you, I'll grab Zero. Besides, my dear, the more you struggle, the easier it will be to snap your mind in the end. Have a good day," Sigma laughed as he left the room, making sure to seal it against the Virus that was his true form and pervaded so much of the base. Iris's mental patterns had to go haywire of her own accord to activate Cain Lab's little secret add-on in her systems. And things, so far, were shaping up nicely.
Back in sunnier areas, Zero had gathered all the Unit Commanders together with X, and the Crimson Hunter and Commander quickly explained all they believed going on, and their plan to counteract it. It was a tribute to their record and reputation that what they were saying didn't get them shot out of hand. That, and these Reploids had all been around for awhile, and were sick of the killing. They had months now to meet people from Repliforce, and were dismayed to find they were honorable and good to a hilt, but the Hunters had killed so many of them.
"X, need I say if we go with this plan, we could get all killed out of hands, and that would be the end of humanity," said Lancer. X nodded grimly. If the public learned the Hunters were actively going to start going after the Virus, rather than infected Mavericks, there was a chance that people would assume the Hunters had been infected. If the Hunters were to be wiped out, no one could stop the next inevitable Uprising from taking out all humans.
X said, "I know we're going to be taking risks, but we do that every time we go out and face Mavericks anyway. If we could stop Sigma once and for all, it would be the end of a lot of our problems. Unfortunately, we can't do anything for a couple of days, since we'll need guidance on our part if we want a successful infiltration. Bring in as many people as you can trust on this, we'll need the help."
All the Commanders saluted and wandered off. Zero murmured, "Do you think this will work?" X shrugged helplessly. The plan put together was rather complex. Various Cain Lab installations all over the world would be receiving Hunter guests in the next few days as clues were combed for. Right now, the Hunters were working on putting the base's integrity back together. The plan was going to be forwarded to Isoc as a way to get the Hunters out more into the community.
This was all cover. X and Zero would shortly be making a trip to the final Skull Fortress in an attempt to find the original Virus code. Possession of such, in Reploid eyes, was equivalent to having several small nuclear bombs attached to your person, with all the timers ticking down. If the Hunters could analyze the source code, there was a chance they could develop either a counter-virus, or at least a vaccine that would reduce the Virus's effects to that on Jazz or Bebop's level.
It was possible it wouldn't work, and with nothing to show for it, the knowledge getting out that the Hunters had been after the Virus to work on its code would probably mean the retirement of all high-ranking Hunters. Even if it did, with the Hunter's reputation, there was little that could be done to help the public for several years, but maybe the Hunters themselves could be vaccinated. Baby steps, thought X to himself with amusement.
Zero yawned, a reflex programmed into him for when he needed some downtime for his systems, and blinked. "Okay, I've been up to long, X. I'm going to need my sleep if this is going to work. I'll see you tomorrow, as you'll still be up. No one's touched the paperwork on your desk for three days." X mock-groaned as Zero headed off to bed.
When Zero got into his room, he froze. His terminal was blinking that it had received a message. Zero wasn't exactly sure of any message received right now. Especially since most e-mail was sent to his office, and then forwarded to his private terminal if he desired. Cautiously, Zero tapped the on-button.
Lines of text scrolled up the screen, "Greetings Zero. I see you've been a very good day at following my messages. Well, I thought you'd like to know that if you're very careful, you might be able to see Iris in a few days. In the meantime, here's a little clue to help you out on your little endeavor: Isoc started Mega Man before Cain Labs hired him. I know you've been busy, but checking on Mr. Isoc's past associates would be very beneficial. Signed, a friend."
The message flashed twice on the screen and vanished. Now I'm just confused, thought Zero, how bad is our security anyway?
To be continued.
Author's Notes:
I'm starting to think the Maverick Hunter root password was 'password', judging by the number of people digging through their systems.
Sigma's back, but he's content to wait, as the Hunter's aren't very popular. I'll go into more detail on that theme next time.
Iris is back, and evidently Cain Labs was up to some dirty work when they slapped her together.
I like Star Chambers, they're such a cool toy for shadow cabals to have. Of course, Star Chambers are more Star Chat Rooms in the Information Age.
I thought Iris could use a little character development, and she deserved to actually show up after about FIVE chapters of references. She's not quite the same person she was, and I just hope Zero will recognize her when Sigma's through. Mind you, that battle armor's unmistakable.
Oh yeah, Gate's back, but he's near the start of his career, pre-embitterment. Probably some minor spoilers about the creation of some of the Investigators from X6 in the next few chapters.
And, as usual:
Next time:
Battle lines are starting to be drawn as our heroes split up, some by land and some by cyberspace. Attempts are needed to make sure of the darkness lurking at various heart's really is passive, but will any Reploid take the risks involved? Boxed in at every turn, the Hunters' are running out of time before they're the ones being 'retired'.