Chapter 7
Pooling Memories
".I then escaped from the exploding tunnels of Zebes, barely making it to my ship. I found no native inhabitant survivors such as the Chozo and if I didn't completely eradicate the Space Pirate legion then I surely must have severely lowered their population."
"Very well Samus Aran", Chief Hardy said to the armored figure standing before him while filling out a check for a mission well done. The chair groaned under Samus' weight as she sat down to sign for the payment. She removed her arm cannon in order to sign her name before she slowly removed her helmet. With a high-pitched hiss and a small puff of hazy oxygen, Samus removed her helmet allowing her green hair to fall along her shoulder. Chief Hardy's mouth dropped in surprise as he saw that a woman hid behind the green visor of the armored bounty hunter.
"Yo.you.you're a.woman!?"
"Last time I checked I was", Samus said grinning at the bewildered chief. She took the check and stored it in one of the suits many compartments.
The chief gathered himself together before smiling back, "Well, I hope to do business with you again Miss Aran."
"In that case, see you next mission", she said shutting the door behind her. She began her trek down the hallway thinking how good it would be to get a shower and some real food. She turned the corner of the hall and rammed into a man.
"So the bounty huntress is making a name for herself", Houston Armstrong commented, catching Samus before she could fall.
"Yes, I would like to think so." she began before realizing who she was talking to, "oh, its you."
"Is that the way to treat an old friend", he said pulling off his most attractive smile.
Samus ignored him and continued down to the elevator and got in, "Houston, just let me be."
"Come on Samus, first you lose you memory, then you run off leaving the people who care for you worried sick, and now you won't even talk to me! At least come and have dinner with me and lets just talk."
The elevator began descending. Samus did miss the companionship of other humans and she thought it probably wouldn't hurt to try and be nice. "I tell you what. Let me go shower and I will meet you in the café at six."
"It's a date!"
"NO, that's not what I said", she said disgusted with the man's train of thought. The doors opened and Samus walked out, "forget about it Houston."
"No no, I'm sorry! Six o'clock? I'll be there." Houston stood still momentarily waiting for Samus to give him a reply as she walked away.
She replied, "Alright then", looking over her shoulder to throw a smile at her fellow bounty hunter.
.|.
Houston and Samus sat in the small café at the Galactic Federation Headquarters waiting for their orders while sipping away at coffee. Samus was actually feeling nicer to Houston even though she still did not trust his intentions. Houston sat back feeling relax glancing occasionally around the café.
"Why do you keep doing that", Samus asked noting the bounty hunters eyes bouncing around the room.
"Doing what?"
"Your eyes."
"Old habit I guess. I really wanted to ask you earlier but you seemed a bit tired after talking with Hardy. Have you had any more memories come back to you?"
"I've had bits and pieces but none of them make any sense", she started noticing Houston lean forward on the table as if interested.
"You know, Old Bird has been traveling around to different tribes and nations to see if there is any way to bring back those memories. I believe he said something about a machine that the Camazotians created that helps to unlock such things."
"Really", Samus replied leaning closer to Houston with her utmost attention. Houston sat back smiling and put his hands behind his head. She could tell he wouldn't say anything else about such a machine until she tried it. Old Bird had been running errands all day and was nowhere to be found.
"I can take you there. If you wish of course."
"What do you mean, "If I wish"", she said beginning to get excited. She had had so many restless nights living memories that had no correlation with what she knew about herself. Houston rose out of his seat extending his hand toward Samus, offering her a helping hand up. She refused and stood up herself following the rejected Houston out of the door.
.|.
In an abandon warehouse outside of the GFP, a machine was setup for Samus' experiment. The machine had a chair with wires running around and through it and small screens on the nearby control panel showed static. Houston gestured Samus toward the chair; she slowly made her way to it realizing just how nervous she was. A door opened on the far side of the warehouse and Old Bird waltz in.
"Samus my dear child, it is so good to see you again", the old Chozo said. Samus ran to the fragile creature embracing him with tears in her eyes.
"I missed you Old Bird."
"As well as I. You being here, I assume Houston here has already told you about this machine. I've been told that it has a ninety percent chance of working. Side effects only deal with minor headaches that subside after a few days."
"I'm not worried about minor side effects, I only want my memory back."
"Very well then Samus, have a seat in the chair."
Samus strolled over to the chair and had a seat. She felt more confident now that she knew Old Bird was there. Houston strapped her arms down and brought a metallic helmet over her head. A pair of shaded glasses covered her eyes and a 3D display appeared.
"Now Samus, this machine is going to probe your mind. What you are about to see is your entire life fold out before you. This could take a good three hours so just sit back and relax." Old Bird typed some commands into the computer and Samus' eyewear came to life. She found herself viewing her childhood just after the attack of her home world.
"We will let her be to herself for now. I continue to check up on her but I do not want to invade her personal memories here. You go and occupy yourself elsewhere and I will call you before I turn the machine off."
"Just give me a call when you're done." Houston walked out of the room nodding to Old Bird on his way out. Old Bird glanced at the screen showing Samus' current memory. It was a tearjerker for him; one with himself teaching a very young Samus how to fend for herself. He turned and walked out of the room dimming the lights as he left.
Pooling Memories
".I then escaped from the exploding tunnels of Zebes, barely making it to my ship. I found no native inhabitant survivors such as the Chozo and if I didn't completely eradicate the Space Pirate legion then I surely must have severely lowered their population."
"Very well Samus Aran", Chief Hardy said to the armored figure standing before him while filling out a check for a mission well done. The chair groaned under Samus' weight as she sat down to sign for the payment. She removed her arm cannon in order to sign her name before she slowly removed her helmet. With a high-pitched hiss and a small puff of hazy oxygen, Samus removed her helmet allowing her green hair to fall along her shoulder. Chief Hardy's mouth dropped in surprise as he saw that a woman hid behind the green visor of the armored bounty hunter.
"Yo.you.you're a.woman!?"
"Last time I checked I was", Samus said grinning at the bewildered chief. She took the check and stored it in one of the suits many compartments.
The chief gathered himself together before smiling back, "Well, I hope to do business with you again Miss Aran."
"In that case, see you next mission", she said shutting the door behind her. She began her trek down the hallway thinking how good it would be to get a shower and some real food. She turned the corner of the hall and rammed into a man.
"So the bounty huntress is making a name for herself", Houston Armstrong commented, catching Samus before she could fall.
"Yes, I would like to think so." she began before realizing who she was talking to, "oh, its you."
"Is that the way to treat an old friend", he said pulling off his most attractive smile.
Samus ignored him and continued down to the elevator and got in, "Houston, just let me be."
"Come on Samus, first you lose you memory, then you run off leaving the people who care for you worried sick, and now you won't even talk to me! At least come and have dinner with me and lets just talk."
The elevator began descending. Samus did miss the companionship of other humans and she thought it probably wouldn't hurt to try and be nice. "I tell you what. Let me go shower and I will meet you in the café at six."
"It's a date!"
"NO, that's not what I said", she said disgusted with the man's train of thought. The doors opened and Samus walked out, "forget about it Houston."
"No no, I'm sorry! Six o'clock? I'll be there." Houston stood still momentarily waiting for Samus to give him a reply as she walked away.
She replied, "Alright then", looking over her shoulder to throw a smile at her fellow bounty hunter.
.|.
Houston and Samus sat in the small café at the Galactic Federation Headquarters waiting for their orders while sipping away at coffee. Samus was actually feeling nicer to Houston even though she still did not trust his intentions. Houston sat back feeling relax glancing occasionally around the café.
"Why do you keep doing that", Samus asked noting the bounty hunters eyes bouncing around the room.
"Doing what?"
"Your eyes."
"Old habit I guess. I really wanted to ask you earlier but you seemed a bit tired after talking with Hardy. Have you had any more memories come back to you?"
"I've had bits and pieces but none of them make any sense", she started noticing Houston lean forward on the table as if interested.
"You know, Old Bird has been traveling around to different tribes and nations to see if there is any way to bring back those memories. I believe he said something about a machine that the Camazotians created that helps to unlock such things."
"Really", Samus replied leaning closer to Houston with her utmost attention. Houston sat back smiling and put his hands behind his head. She could tell he wouldn't say anything else about such a machine until she tried it. Old Bird had been running errands all day and was nowhere to be found.
"I can take you there. If you wish of course."
"What do you mean, "If I wish"", she said beginning to get excited. She had had so many restless nights living memories that had no correlation with what she knew about herself. Houston rose out of his seat extending his hand toward Samus, offering her a helping hand up. She refused and stood up herself following the rejected Houston out of the door.
.|.
In an abandon warehouse outside of the GFP, a machine was setup for Samus' experiment. The machine had a chair with wires running around and through it and small screens on the nearby control panel showed static. Houston gestured Samus toward the chair; she slowly made her way to it realizing just how nervous she was. A door opened on the far side of the warehouse and Old Bird waltz in.
"Samus my dear child, it is so good to see you again", the old Chozo said. Samus ran to the fragile creature embracing him with tears in her eyes.
"I missed you Old Bird."
"As well as I. You being here, I assume Houston here has already told you about this machine. I've been told that it has a ninety percent chance of working. Side effects only deal with minor headaches that subside after a few days."
"I'm not worried about minor side effects, I only want my memory back."
"Very well then Samus, have a seat in the chair."
Samus strolled over to the chair and had a seat. She felt more confident now that she knew Old Bird was there. Houston strapped her arms down and brought a metallic helmet over her head. A pair of shaded glasses covered her eyes and a 3D display appeared.
"Now Samus, this machine is going to probe your mind. What you are about to see is your entire life fold out before you. This could take a good three hours so just sit back and relax." Old Bird typed some commands into the computer and Samus' eyewear came to life. She found herself viewing her childhood just after the attack of her home world.
"We will let her be to herself for now. I continue to check up on her but I do not want to invade her personal memories here. You go and occupy yourself elsewhere and I will call you before I turn the machine off."
"Just give me a call when you're done." Houston walked out of the room nodding to Old Bird on his way out. Old Bird glanced at the screen showing Samus' current memory. It was a tearjerker for him; one with himself teaching a very young Samus how to fend for herself. He turned and walked out of the room dimming the lights as he left.