Chapter 11
Samus Aran smashed her one good arm down on the table in front of her. Old Bird sat across from her with Houston by his side. Samus had been in rehabilitation at a Galactic Federation Space Station Hospital located just outside Earth's orbit. Samus had been transferred out after the doctors diagnosed her with amnesia. Samus' friends had been trying frantically to try and unlock the doors to her memories that had been blocked off since her last fight with Ridley. Since her arrival two months earlier she had been able to remember little things. She knew now that she had known Old Bird and other Chozo before hand; however, she couldn't remember anything about Houston Armstrong. Houston in the meantime was coping with the fact that Samus might never remember him and that his attempted relationship with Samus was now nothing more then another locked memory.
"Damn it! Why can't I remember?"
"Samus my child, it will take time for you to recuperate from your condition. We just have to find keys that will help you remember events or jog anything in your memory", Old Bird said, "Now again who are you?"
"My name is Samus Aran.I live.I live.", Samus threw her hand into the air, "I've answered this question a thousand times!"
"It's the only way to help you Samus. Now try again", Houston urged.
"NO! I'm through for now, maybe I don't want to remember!" Samus blurted.
Old Bird was taken aback, "This is not the Samus I remember. The Samus I knew would not give up like you are."
"Well that's just it, I DON'T REMEMBER!"
"Come Houston, let us leave Samus to herself for now", Old Bird said rising from his seat and heading out the door. Samus got up and walked over to her bed and sat down. Houston came over to her and sat beside her.
"All I'm asking is for you to try. I want you to remember us", Houston began before Samus interrupted him.
"As far as I know, there was no us. I don't know I just need time to relax I guess", Samus said looking down at the floor.
Houston got up and walked out the door and Samus lay back on the bed looking up at the ceiling.
"What is my purpose", she asked herself. Samus looked back on the memories she did have. She could remember the pirate raid on her home and how Old Bird had taken her in. She remembered her training. She began to have images of Ridley and her in the power suit fighting. "What is the purpose of me using the power suit?" Samus was in deep thought pondering away at her life when a red light and alarm sounded. Samus sat up in the bed and her adrenaline began to rush. The feeling felt right, somehow a part of who she was. Houston ran into the room.
"Sorry to barge in but I had to get my stuff. There has been a Space Pirate raid on the planet SR-388. Ridley and his pirates are up to something and I have to go."
"Be careful Houston."
"I will, Ridley and I have some unfinished business", Houston said.
Houston ran out of the room and Samus laid back against her bed drifting into a restless sleep.
.|.
Three months had passed since Houston left for Planet SR-388. Rumors had it that Ridley and his band of pirates had infiltrated a research station above the planet. They had stolen a life form called "Metroid" and had returned to the planet Zebes. Houston had not been heard from and Old Bird began to wonder about his safety. Samus had also continued her fight training, she didn't know why but she somehow knew that she was going to need it. Old Bird walked into the room.
"Houston has returned Samus. He is making his way here as we speak", Old Bird said to Samus. As if on cue the door slid open and a figure walked in. It was wearing a blue suit of armor like material and Samus immediately recognized it as the type of suit she had in her memories. The helmet hissed and the figure pulled the helmet off. A bearded Houston Armstrong forced a small to Samus.
"It's been a while Samus", Houston said clanking about the room.
"That suit!" Samus said pointing at Houston's armor.
"Yes, quite nice isn't it. I was able to take the schematics of yours and create my own. It's a very useful weapon."
~Well if he wears the same suit I do then what he does has to be what I do~ she thought to herself.
"Where have you been?" Old Bird asked.
"After the Galactic Federation hired me back, they sent me to try and retrieve a bounty, Ridley", he began.
"Bounty?" Samus asked.
"Right, I'm a bounty hunter Samus. I've told you that before. So anyways, after I made it to SR-388, Ridley and his crew had just left the space station and I pursued them to Zebes. Unfortunately I am not trained well enough to take on the hoards of pirates that are now thriving there."
Samus interrupted Houston, "THAT'S IT! I'm a bounty hunter too then right?" She asked excitedly looking at the two who stared back shocked.
"No Samus you are not a bou", Houston began.
"NO! I am a bounty hunter, because I was fighting Ridley too and you..you were there and.oh I can't remember.but I know I was a bounty hunter. I remember telling you, Old Bird, that I wanted to be an adventurer and I am."
"Samus dear, I really think you should relax. This is way too much excitement for you", Old Bird said nodding toward a nearby doctor. The doctor walked over to Samus injecting her with a sleeping solution.
"What the hell are you doing?! I don't want to sleep, I want.to.ge.", Samus began to mumble as the drug kicked in.
Samus tossed and turned in her hospital bed dreaming about bounty hunting. She saw Ridley and Old Bird. Houston was there too, mocking her because he was better. She was still confused and lost, not know what to do. Something was calling her, it was pulling her mind back into reality and then as quickly as her dreams began they stopped leaving her floating in the darkness of space.
.|.
Samus Aran woke up in the middle of the night with a cold sweat, the sheets were drenched and her arm itched inside the cast. She sat up in the bed holding her head, pulling her wet hair out of her eyes. ~Houston's holding me back. I think he was jealous of me all along. I have to go before they come back. That's the only way~ Samus got up and walked over to the rooms only closet and opened it. Inside were her Power Suit and a purple leotard. She threw the suit on her bed and took a knife to her cast ripping it off. She had waited so long to get a good scratch out of it. She went into the bathroom and turned on the shower and after taking her hospital gown off got in and began washing. As soon as she was done she slipped into her leotard followed by the suit. She locked the helmet into place as well as the canon then stepped outside into the hallway. The lights were dimmed and the minimal staff was behind the nurses' station. She walked down the hallway as quietly as the suit would allow. As can be figured out she did not make it very far. One of the nurses stopped her in her tracks.
"Excuse me", the nurse said walking up to Samus, "Is there anything I can help you with?"
"No I was just on my way out", Samus replied pointing to the exit, her voice coming out deep through the suit.
The nurse noticed the arm canon, "I'm sorry but weapons are not allowed here."
"It's not armed"
"Still that const.", She said before being cut off.
"I can arm it if you like", Samus said bringing the canon up to the nurses face and arming it.
"No.no. that won't.be.necessary", she said backing toward the station.
Samus turned and walked toward the elevator and got in. As soon as the doors opened on the lobby level red lights began flashing and an alarm went off. A computer voice came up, "There is a armed being in the building." Samus ran down the hallway past shocked patients and staff. She made it to the docking bay and the first thing she noticed was her ship along with Houston's. She slowly made her way toward the ships. The hatch on the blue door opened and Houston ran out toward the main entrance. She ducked behind a car to avoid being caught. She climbed aboard her ship and immediately started it up and left, leaving the hospital behind her. She set her course for the Galactic Federation Headquarters. She remembered Houston talking about a Chief Harding. This chief would provide her with a bounty that way she could begin getting back to her normal life. She couldn't wait to begin bounty hunting and little did she realize that her adventures as a bounty hunter were just beginning.
Samus Aran smashed her one good arm down on the table in front of her. Old Bird sat across from her with Houston by his side. Samus had been in rehabilitation at a Galactic Federation Space Station Hospital located just outside Earth's orbit. Samus had been transferred out after the doctors diagnosed her with amnesia. Samus' friends had been trying frantically to try and unlock the doors to her memories that had been blocked off since her last fight with Ridley. Since her arrival two months earlier she had been able to remember little things. She knew now that she had known Old Bird and other Chozo before hand; however, she couldn't remember anything about Houston Armstrong. Houston in the meantime was coping with the fact that Samus might never remember him and that his attempted relationship with Samus was now nothing more then another locked memory.
"Damn it! Why can't I remember?"
"Samus my child, it will take time for you to recuperate from your condition. We just have to find keys that will help you remember events or jog anything in your memory", Old Bird said, "Now again who are you?"
"My name is Samus Aran.I live.I live.", Samus threw her hand into the air, "I've answered this question a thousand times!"
"It's the only way to help you Samus. Now try again", Houston urged.
"NO! I'm through for now, maybe I don't want to remember!" Samus blurted.
Old Bird was taken aback, "This is not the Samus I remember. The Samus I knew would not give up like you are."
"Well that's just it, I DON'T REMEMBER!"
"Come Houston, let us leave Samus to herself for now", Old Bird said rising from his seat and heading out the door. Samus got up and walked over to her bed and sat down. Houston came over to her and sat beside her.
"All I'm asking is for you to try. I want you to remember us", Houston began before Samus interrupted him.
"As far as I know, there was no us. I don't know I just need time to relax I guess", Samus said looking down at the floor.
Houston got up and walked out the door and Samus lay back on the bed looking up at the ceiling.
"What is my purpose", she asked herself. Samus looked back on the memories she did have. She could remember the pirate raid on her home and how Old Bird had taken her in. She remembered her training. She began to have images of Ridley and her in the power suit fighting. "What is the purpose of me using the power suit?" Samus was in deep thought pondering away at her life when a red light and alarm sounded. Samus sat up in the bed and her adrenaline began to rush. The feeling felt right, somehow a part of who she was. Houston ran into the room.
"Sorry to barge in but I had to get my stuff. There has been a Space Pirate raid on the planet SR-388. Ridley and his pirates are up to something and I have to go."
"Be careful Houston."
"I will, Ridley and I have some unfinished business", Houston said.
Houston ran out of the room and Samus laid back against her bed drifting into a restless sleep.
.|.
Three months had passed since Houston left for Planet SR-388. Rumors had it that Ridley and his band of pirates had infiltrated a research station above the planet. They had stolen a life form called "Metroid" and had returned to the planet Zebes. Houston had not been heard from and Old Bird began to wonder about his safety. Samus had also continued her fight training, she didn't know why but she somehow knew that she was going to need it. Old Bird walked into the room.
"Houston has returned Samus. He is making his way here as we speak", Old Bird said to Samus. As if on cue the door slid open and a figure walked in. It was wearing a blue suit of armor like material and Samus immediately recognized it as the type of suit she had in her memories. The helmet hissed and the figure pulled the helmet off. A bearded Houston Armstrong forced a small to Samus.
"It's been a while Samus", Houston said clanking about the room.
"That suit!" Samus said pointing at Houston's armor.
"Yes, quite nice isn't it. I was able to take the schematics of yours and create my own. It's a very useful weapon."
~Well if he wears the same suit I do then what he does has to be what I do~ she thought to herself.
"Where have you been?" Old Bird asked.
"After the Galactic Federation hired me back, they sent me to try and retrieve a bounty, Ridley", he began.
"Bounty?" Samus asked.
"Right, I'm a bounty hunter Samus. I've told you that before. So anyways, after I made it to SR-388, Ridley and his crew had just left the space station and I pursued them to Zebes. Unfortunately I am not trained well enough to take on the hoards of pirates that are now thriving there."
Samus interrupted Houston, "THAT'S IT! I'm a bounty hunter too then right?" She asked excitedly looking at the two who stared back shocked.
"No Samus you are not a bou", Houston began.
"NO! I am a bounty hunter, because I was fighting Ridley too and you..you were there and.oh I can't remember.but I know I was a bounty hunter. I remember telling you, Old Bird, that I wanted to be an adventurer and I am."
"Samus dear, I really think you should relax. This is way too much excitement for you", Old Bird said nodding toward a nearby doctor. The doctor walked over to Samus injecting her with a sleeping solution.
"What the hell are you doing?! I don't want to sleep, I want.to.ge.", Samus began to mumble as the drug kicked in.
Samus tossed and turned in her hospital bed dreaming about bounty hunting. She saw Ridley and Old Bird. Houston was there too, mocking her because he was better. She was still confused and lost, not know what to do. Something was calling her, it was pulling her mind back into reality and then as quickly as her dreams began they stopped leaving her floating in the darkness of space.
.|.
Samus Aran woke up in the middle of the night with a cold sweat, the sheets were drenched and her arm itched inside the cast. She sat up in the bed holding her head, pulling her wet hair out of her eyes. ~Houston's holding me back. I think he was jealous of me all along. I have to go before they come back. That's the only way~ Samus got up and walked over to the rooms only closet and opened it. Inside were her Power Suit and a purple leotard. She threw the suit on her bed and took a knife to her cast ripping it off. She had waited so long to get a good scratch out of it. She went into the bathroom and turned on the shower and after taking her hospital gown off got in and began washing. As soon as she was done she slipped into her leotard followed by the suit. She locked the helmet into place as well as the canon then stepped outside into the hallway. The lights were dimmed and the minimal staff was behind the nurses' station. She walked down the hallway as quietly as the suit would allow. As can be figured out she did not make it very far. One of the nurses stopped her in her tracks.
"Excuse me", the nurse said walking up to Samus, "Is there anything I can help you with?"
"No I was just on my way out", Samus replied pointing to the exit, her voice coming out deep through the suit.
The nurse noticed the arm canon, "I'm sorry but weapons are not allowed here."
"It's not armed"
"Still that const.", She said before being cut off.
"I can arm it if you like", Samus said bringing the canon up to the nurses face and arming it.
"No.no. that won't.be.necessary", she said backing toward the station.
Samus turned and walked toward the elevator and got in. As soon as the doors opened on the lobby level red lights began flashing and an alarm went off. A computer voice came up, "There is a armed being in the building." Samus ran down the hallway past shocked patients and staff. She made it to the docking bay and the first thing she noticed was her ship along with Houston's. She slowly made her way toward the ships. The hatch on the blue door opened and Houston ran out toward the main entrance. She ducked behind a car to avoid being caught. She climbed aboard her ship and immediately started it up and left, leaving the hospital behind her. She set her course for the Galactic Federation Headquarters. She remembered Houston talking about a Chief Harding. This chief would provide her with a bounty that way she could begin getting back to her normal life. She couldn't wait to begin bounty hunting and little did she realize that her adventures as a bounty hunter were just beginning.