Summary: My very first Mega Man X fic. An ancient reploid is uncovered on a dig site. When the Maverick forces find out, chaos ensues. But who, or what, is the enigmatic warrior in black combat armor?
Disclaimer: I do not own Mega Man X. I think Capcom does. I'm just fiddling around with the setting and the characters. I, however, own Cheran, the Knights, the Brotherhoods and the Stormhammer, plus a nice amount of Storm technology.
(--¤¤--) Author's Noter/Review Responses (--¤¤--)
And here, we have Chapter Three.. FF.Net's been giving me problems lately- if anyone knows why my stories are not shown in the category listings, email me, please. The address is on my profile page.
Red Dragon 15: Thank you for being the second to review this fic'o'mine. Of course I'll write more. Here goes..
Mega Man X: The Beast Within
Chapter Three
(--¤¤--) *** (--¤¤--)
The unconscious Knight, Cheran, has been brought to the Maverick Hunter Headquarters to be examined by Doctor Cain. Cain has found a possible way to awaken the Knight. X, Zero and Signas watch as Cain attempts to bring Cheran back to the world of the conscious.
Cain motioned to one of the technicians working the scanner.
"Begin. Scanner power set to ten percent nominal, with five percent increases every third second."
The steady humming of the generator grew louder. The technician flipped some switches on the scanner. A high-pitched whine was heard from the scanner. The technician studied the readouts for a moment before giving Cain the thumbs up.
"Power at ten percent nominal, all systems nominal... Fifteen percent. Power readings green- no drain detected."
X noticed that he was slowly counting down seconds to the next power increase.
"Twenty percent. All systems nominal." Zero started tossing his saber handle and catching it in the air.
"Twenty-five percent. No drain detected." Signas gave Zero a strict glare. Zero grinned sheepishly and replaced the saber in its holder.
"Thirty percent. All systems nominal."
"Thirty-five percent."
"Forty. No change."
"Forty-five." The technician studied the readings more carefully for a moment.
"Minor drain detected. Could be an equipment fault, however.. Fifty percent. Nope, there it is. Steady drain detected. Continue?"
Cain nodded. "Go on."
"Fifty-five percent. Steady drain." The humming of the generator grew slowly in volume.
"Sixty percent." The technician frowned slightly. "The drain is increasing. Sixty-five percent.."
"Seventy percent."
"Seventy-five."
"Eighty.. Holy crap!" The scanners' whine suddenly turned into a protesting wail. "Power surge detected! Voltage over 130% nominal, climbing!"
Smoke began to rise from the scanner. The technician scrambled further away from the device just as it shot out a shower of sparks from one of the power conduits. Sparks burst out from several circuits of the scanner, bathing the lab in a horrid bluish glow.
"Shut it off!" Cain shouted to the tech working at the generator. The Reploid flipped several switches on the device.. and nothing happened.
"It won't power down!" Suddenly one of the diagnostic screens on the generator exploded, spewing smoke and fragments of glass everywhere.
The generator roared of overload. Blue arcs of electricity surged between the generator and the scanner. Both X and Signas leapt back as a bolt of lightning lanced dangerously close to them.
X watched in horror as the arcs jolted from the scanner towards the Knight on the slab. The streams of energy impacted the black shell with an electrical hiss. The Knight was enveloped in a storm of electrical energy, lightning arcing between the blades on his helmet and the thorns of the suit. He just laid still in the center of the maelstrom, as if the energy had no effect at all upon him.
X noticed, however, that even if the generator kept pumping energy to the Knight, the buildup was nowhere near as strong as it should have been. X realized that the suit was able to absorb most of the power the generator provided to it.
Cain was still shouting for someone to shut off the generator when Zero ignited his Z-Saber with the familiar snap-hiss sound. The green blade of energy spun wildly as Zero tossed the weapon straight at the generator. The blade sunk deep into the metal. The humming of the generator died as the device belched forth a cloud of thick smoke. Immediately the streams of power flickered out. The lab was suddenly completely silent except for Cain, who was still shouting, and for the occasional snap of a spark jolting between two spikes on the black suit of armor.
Zero retrieved his saber from the smoldering wreck that used to be the generator. The lime-green blade vanished with a low hiss and he replaced the handle to its holder.
"Now that's what I call 'manual override'" Zero mused.
Signas approached carefully the still unmoving Knight. A small jolt of energy arced between the blades of the helmet, causing Signas to twitch nervously. "That's it? Nothing happened?"
Cain whisked some smoke away from his face. "I wouldn't exactly call that show 'nothing'.."
Signas motioned at the dormant figure on the slab. "I meant him, Cain. We lost a good scanner and a generator for no use at all! It's a miracle no one was hurt!"
Cain opened his mouth to argue when X noticed something. The right hand of the Knight, clad in a black glove with coppery spikes in the knuckles had twitched.
"Um.. Doctor? Signas?"
Silence fell as the armored fingers twitched and slowly made a fist. Then a shudder shot through the armored figure- Zero later described the twitch 'like someone had given him a swift kick in the ass'- and his eyes lit aflame with a fierce red glow. The light flickered out for a moment and a green glow replaced it.
Slowly the Knight turned his head to look at his surroundings. The blades on his forehead caught the lights of the lab, reflecting flickers of blood-red light. He carefully hoisted himself to a half-sitting position, motors in his arms whining barely audibly. Then he spoke in an oddly crackling voice. "Where am I?"
(--¤¤--) *** (--¤¤--)
Systems powering up.
Running Power-up Self Tests- Self Diagnostic level Alpha
Scanning system…
…
…
Self Diagnostic level Alpha complete. Results:
Internal Systems:
Power:
Primary Pulse Fusion Reactor: 53 % nominal efficiency
Secondary Power Cell: 98.2 % Max. Capacity
Tertiary Power Source: Non Applicable
Shield:
Primary Shield Generator: Disabled
Thermal Shielding: Offline
Shield Adjuster Systems: Disabled
Stasis Shield: Offline
Cloaking Shield: Malfunction
Life Support:
Primary Life Support System: 100 % functional
Internal Medkit:
Stim Pack: 53% Max. Capacity
Pain Killer: 36 % Max. Capacity
Buffout: 7 % Max. Capacity
Sensor Systems:
Audial Sensors: 83 % functional
Visual Sensors: 97 % functional
X-Ray Imaging: 32 % functional
Thermal Imaging: 52 % functional
Long-Range Scanner: 25 % functional
Communications Systems: Malfunction
External Systems:
Armor Integrity 79 %
Limbic Systems:
Right Arm:
Servo 89 % operational
Actuator 67 % operational
Left Arm:
Servo 100 % operational
Actuator 86 % operational
Right Leg:
Servo 67 % operational
Actuator 95% operational
Left Leg:
Servo 73 % operational
Actuator 69 % operational
Equipment:
Weaponry:
Disruptor Gauntlet, Right Arm: 96 % nominal efficiency
Disruptor Gauntlet, Left Arm: 87 % nominal efficiency
Disruptor Nova Generator: Nominal
Blade Burst, Right Arm: 95 % nominal efficiency- 15 ammo left
Blade Burst, Left Arm: 73 % nominal efficiency- 16 ammo left
Strike Chain, Right Arm: Malfunction
Strike Chain, Left Arm: Malfunction
Special Equipment:
Grappling Hook, Right Arm: 100% nominal efficiency
Grappling Hook, Left Arm: 100% nominal efficiency
Hovjet mk. II Thruster System: 89 % nominal efficiency
Repair Nanoprobe: 42 % Max. Capacity
Overall: 49% nominal efficiency
End Self Diagnostic, Level Alpha
…
Repair Nanoprobes online. Estimated time to recovery 13 hours.
End startup sequence.
Cheran awoke suddenly from the stasis his suit had put him in as power coursed through his systems. For one short moment his HUD glowed with the bright red color of Combat Mode. Then his weapons grid powered down and his view turned back into its normal, slightly greenish glow.
He could feel the energy rushing through his systems as nanoprobes within his shell repaired damaged circuits and activated previously dormant systems. Still he was at barely half of his maximum strength, and prone to attack, especially as his shields were still offline.
Cheran was no longer outdoors. He was lying on something hard, and the ceiling above him was made of gray metal- some kind of steel/titanium alloy according to his scanner- with some bright lights hanging off it. Various shelves and tables surrounding the platform he was lying on held different kinds of tools and parts ranging from screwdrivers and welders to some devices the purpose of which Cheran could only guess at. Wisps of smoke floated across his view.
He was not alone. Standing some meters from him were four people. The first man he identified as X, suited in azure blue armor. Then there was Zero, in crimson/black/white armor and with a long, blonde ponytail. The two others he did not recognize- there was an old man with a long, black beard with a gray stripe in the middle and a tall figure suited in some kind of a brown uniform. He had a cap like the ones military officers usually wore, except that this one had a red gem set in it above the brim.
All four stared at him with near identical expressions of amazement. Cheran fully understood why; all Storm issue assault armors were built to be impressive and the Thorn Beast was no exception.
His voice was distorted and crackled slightly as he spoke through his helmet. "Where am I?"
The old man spoke first. "You are at Maverick Hunter Headquarters. How are you feeling?"
"Shaken, but not stirred. Overall status forty-nine percent. How did I get here?"
"X and Zero brought you here- but I believe introductions would be in place. I am Doctor Cain. These are X, leader of the Seventh elite Hunter unit, Zero, leader of the elite unit number Zero, and Signas, Maverick Hunter superior commander."
"Cheran Torr, Third Knight of the Beast from the Brotherhood of Flame, serving aboard the Allied Federation gigacruiser Stormhammer. Designation code 2658-Delta-Echo-Gamma-Theta. I would shake hands, but.." Cheran picked up an empty metal can from a nearby table. His armored fingers crushed the can into a shapeless lump of metal easily. "..but my fine manipulation motorics are still not up to par. I would rather not hurt anyone."
Cain smiled faintly. "That is quite all right. Do you think you can stand?"
Cheran nodded and hoisted himself off the metal table he had been lying on. The knee servo in his right leg whined in protest and almost buckled under him. "As long as you don't ask me to do tap dance."
Cheran's communication unit picked up a short low energy level transmission. Signas cocked his head as if listening to something for a moment, then swore and turned to Cain. "Excuse me. I'll have to leave now. Something has just come up." When Signas turned his head, Cheran noticed that there was a round metallic ring covering his ear, like a small speaker.. or a large bolt.
Cheran changed his HUD from normal view to X-ray imaging. His view turned black and white with less dense targets translucent and ghostly. Doctor Cain looked quite normal, but Signas.. Instead of seeing a human skeleton, Cheran saw metal and plastic surrounding high-technology machinery, circuitry and motors.
What the.. What is he?
X and Zero were both similar beings, with no organic components at all. Thin cables ran under their 'skin', carrying energy to servos and circuits concealed under their human appearance.
If they are robots, they are advanced even beyond Storm technology. This is incredible..
Cheran cycled back to his normal vision mode and noticed Cain looking expectantly at him.
"Excuse me?"
Cain chuckled in a low voice. "I asked if you could come with me. I believe our doctor would like to have a look at you."
"Of course, Doctor. Lead the way."
X coughed slightly. "Ahem.. I don't think Zero and I are needed right now. If you'll excuse us.."
Both robots saluted the doctor and left the Knight alone with Cain. The old man smiled to Cheran.
"Now then, if you'll follow me.."
(--¤¤--) Author's Notes (--¤¤--)
I finished this on Thursday, but was unable to access the 'net before Monday. Sorry for the delay.. Cruddy single-line ISDN.. grr.
Next chapter will have some 'xplaining on both sides, plus some cultural shock for our Knight. The 'manual override' joke was not mine, btw. My little brother read this over my shoulder and blurted that one out. That proves that twisted sense of humor runs in the family.. OK. Back to the point. Thanks for reading this, please review, and see you in Chapter Four of
Mega Man X: The Beast Within