Chapter 5: Class E to A in One Easy Step.
Note: Yes, this starts out as another blackout with a different character. This will only go on for two more chapters, and then we get to the good stuff. Trust me. And guess how this chapter will end.
Ok . . . Is it just me or did the lights go out? Sean thought to himself. Whatever it is, it seems like it's been going on for an hour. What happened? All lights blinked on. Sean found himself in a large steel-walled room. He he, ok, Ben the prankster. I wonder what he's done this time. Probably called the CIA and got me 'arrested' again. That's probably why he was late home. I wonder what happened to Danielle. Sean felt something weighty on his shoulders. He looked across to them and saw he had on SR-388 Hunter gear. Ok . . . now that's weird. Since when have prisoners been wearing outfits from SR-388? It's just a location in Metroid. Oh, I get it, he he Ben. He's trying to make me believe that I'm ON SR-388. Little does he know I had a surprise waiting for him in the fridge . . . he he he. Wait, that wasn't half as classy as this.
One side of the room had a large steel locked door on it. But to Sean's surprise, it wasn't locked when he tried it. He stepped out into the ensinuing hallway. A passing man in like-like apparel said "Morning, private." As he passed by. Ok, Sean thought, that was weird. How much did Ben go through with this? It's not like he had unlimited resources. Sean looked out a window. Looks like space outside. Hmm, what's that overly huge planet down there? Doesn't look like earth. I wonder what Ben's trying to do. Wait a sec! This can't be Ben's work! This even more elaborate than all of his gags put together. Sean looked at his suit again. "I'm in a hunter's uniform, I'm apparently on a space station circling around an unknown planet, and I'm a private in the Hunter's regiment of SR-388's army. This . . . this is SO COOL!"
"Private, request to lower your voice level." One of the guards said.
"Sorry." Sean said. "I was just caught up in the excitement."
The guard looked around. "I don't see any."
"Never mind then." Sean said.
The speakers turned on. "All Class A, B, C, D, and E Hunters report to the main meeting room in five minutes. Full uniform."
"That doesn't seem very long for a warning." One of the guards said to the other. Another turned to the first and said, "It's on SR extended time." Then he turned to Sean. "You, private, what are you waiting for? With the size of this space station, you won't be able to make it in time if you dawdle."
"Sorry." Sean said, and turned. Ok . . . step two. Find wherever the meeting room is.
Five SR extended minutes later, (Approx. three hours) Sean finally found the meeting room. Oh good. The clocks say I'm on time. Sean walked in and found a place to sit down. There weren't much places left to sit down. The entire auditorium was chalk full of Hunters. A man in a scarlet-blue robe stood up in the center ring to speak.
"As you may have already noticed, There is a gigantic planet outside that just appeared out of nowhere in the last six hours, ten minutes SR extended. To get on the federation's good side again, we have come to the conclusion that we must explore it." There were some cheers in the audience, and some high-fives. "However, since this planet is so gigantic and there may or may not be civilized life on it, we will only send out one regiment-sized unit for exploration, for at least now. We have also been getting reports of Metroids on this planet." There were some gasps in the audience. "I know no-one has wanted to go onto any Metroid mission since Samus Aran went MIA ten years ago, but this has do be done for the sake of the Hunters. Any volunteers?"
Sure, why not? Sean had been playing Super Metroid before he mysteriously appeared here, so he stood up. And he was the only one that apparently volunteered. There were some murmurs from the audience, probably because he was the only one that had. "One volunteer? Is that it? And a Class E, no less. Doesn't anyone, even you class A's, have anything more guts than this man does? This could be the discovery of a lifetime!" The head man said. Another man, with black skin, stood up. I'll go too, sir." He had a Class B pin on his armor.
"And wherever he's going, I'm going." Said another, a woman, standing up right next to him. Class B also.
"I'm the best sharp shooter in all class A." A class A man said as he stood, "I'll go."
"And I." said a very well polished class E. "this may be my only chance to go up in rank for a long while."
"Five volunteers. Is that all?" The headmaster said. "Very well. You, who stood up first, come down here. And the rest of you, too." Sean took a step out to the walkway. He had sat near the top, and it was a very long way to the bottom. But he eventually got there, in what seemed like a minute. SR extended time, anyway.
"What's your name?" The headmaster said to Sean.
"Sean Randy Collins." Sean said to him, standing straight.
"Sean," The headmaster said, "Never in ten years have I seen anyone with such bravery as I saw you have. Therefore . . ." He took out a small key, and put it into a small hole in the battle suit that Sean was wearing. The E on his chest plate became a . . . an A!"
The audience gasped.
"Sean, you are now Captain Sean Collins of the 57th regiment. These are your soldiers. Report to General Hagges in fifteen minutes. Assembly dismissed."
Later, in the room that the Headmaster had sent them to waiting, all five of them were sitting in a waiting room type office. "Why are we here?" Sean asked.
"Well," the black guy said, "I'll take it that you have never been on a real mission before. Do you know how to fly a Blackbird Q-S?"
"No . . . do I need to?" Sean asked.
"As I thought. The Admiral is making rash judgments. He must really be desperate after ten years. The Space Federation of SR-388 almost canned him after he lost Samus Aran. And there went most of the funding, too. We barley kept one tenth of our crew. The Hunters used to be such a good branch too. Anyway, rookie, we're here because we'll need to see the General in fifteen minutes."
"But won't that be . . ."
"He was talking in normal SR time. I couldn't tell which was which when I started. Do you have any experience at all?"
"No."
"Any simulator missions?"
"Sort of."
"Lisa, we have a rookie for a captain. Don't worry, bud. We'll handle it, just because we need to go up in rank too."
"What about me?" The one in high polished armor said in a high nasal voice.
"You? You're the worst Hunter this entire fleet has seen in years. Why did you come along?"
"Well, I've been here for five years without going up in rank once."
"And Sean, how long have you been here?" The black guy asked him.
"Um," Sean said, "Not very long at all."
"That's the problem with you, Tad. You don't have the guts."
"If I may . . ." the sharpshooter butted in, "I don't think Captain Sean knows all of our names."
"I'm Lisa Drixhin." The female said. She had blonde hair.
"Gherez Bennet, everyone calls me Rock." The black man said. The had a beard the looked alot like Mr. T's.
"Tony Helderitt, call me Quickeye." The sharpshooter said. He had dark black hair neatly parted in the middle.
"Tad Tilonius." The geek said. He was the definition of all geekdom. He had blonde hair and taped glasses. Even out in space, no one is safe from nerds.
11:54. Still six minutes to wait. "So," Rock said, "Sean, it appears that you're half birdman. Am I correct?"
"Uh . . . how would you know?"
"Your hair. It's purple. Isn't it obvious?"
Sean looked on one of the highly polished plates on Tad's armor. Yes, he did have purple hair, although his short trim beard was still blonde.
"Well, It could've been spray-painted overnight." Sean said, sizing up.
"Yeah. Whatever." Rock replied, chuckling.
A man stepped out of the general's office. "The general will see you now." He said. Everyone in the room walked in.
"I understand that Admiral Brolin made you Captain." General Hagges said to Sean. "Yes sir," Sean replied, "but I do not have any battlefield experience, sir."
"Amazing what one man will do when he's desperate enough. The headmaster might even crack if this mission isn't successful. Sergeant Bennet, 2nd Lieutenant Helderitt, keep an eye one him. Captain Sean, since you have no battlefield experience, The most you will do is lead the party, choose to engage or retreat, and when to report back to base. Lisa will be in charge of negotiations with whatever civilized life may be on that godforsaken planet. Rock will pilot you're ship and Quickeye will be there if negotiations fail."
"What about me, sir?" Tad asked.
"What about you? You've been here five years and not one good quality had come out of you yet. You haven't even graduated from any of the classes."
"I study hard, sir."
"It takes a lot more than knowledge to be a Hunter. You never get anywhere in any of the simulations."
"But I don't see why . . ."
"You really don't understand, do you?" The general said a bit peeved, "You've been here five years and not one good idea or successful simulated mission had come from that head of yours. I'm starting to wonder why I don't ignore your volunteering right now.
"It's ok, sir." Sean said, "I'll make a man out of him yet."
"Will you, now?" The general asked back.
"Yes sir. I know exactly what it takes to turn a boy into a man."
"And how would you have come upon this knowledge?"
"I . . . grew up without a mother."
"Sounds good." The general said. Tad just looked at him wide-eyed.
"What's the matter?" Sean asked him. "Is big ol' Captain Sean too much for you? Resist me if you can."
"I'm sorry we couldn't get you the Blackbird Q-S" The general said as the team walked to the docking bay.
"Man." Rock said. "That's the best we could've hoped for. What do we have?"
They stopped at the bay doors. "This." The captain said, opening them wide.
Rock and Quickeye just stared in awe. "A Fireball 600-MK?" Rock said in surprise.
The Fireball was certainly massive. It was sixty feet tall, and looked almost like the Millennium Falcon, except that it was painted gray and had a large bubble dome on top, with smoothed features. Otherwise, it looked almost like a replica.
"All aboard." The head mechanic said to the General. Sean and the rest climbed on.
Sean eventually found the pilot's room with some help from Rock. Then he sat down in the co-pilot seat. "Rock, uh, what'll I do while were waiting for us to go down to the planet?"
"I doubt you'll have time to make coffee." Rock said, "but if you go to the war room right now before we take off, you might be able to construct a plan with her."
"Ok." Sean said, "I'll do that." And he got up to go to the room a little ways away.
After they finally took off, Sean turned to Lisa. "So, Liz, What do we know about the planet?"
"All that we really know is that is was positive on the Metroid scan, and a little geography where we are going to land. It took forever to scan it, though, so that's why we're going down there."
"What are our assets?" Sean asked, interested in this mission.
"We have a storeroom chock full of all the equipment we'll need, and some stuff we might not."
"Like what?"
"Like electrical chargers for the laser rifles. As far as we know, this planet doesn't have any electricity."
"Laser rifles?"
"Yeah, Rock and Quickeye like to use the laser rifles and guns instead of the regulation gun-arm in their battle equipment. They say it's too awkward, but I use it because that's what Samus Aran used when she went out on missions. I don't know about Tad."
"Ten seconds to landing." Rock said over the speakers.
"Ok," Sean said, "Everyone'll take an extra laser rife and pistol just in case, gun missiles, and basic supplies."
"Sounds good," Lisa said, "'Captain'."
Sean smiled.
The spacecraft landed on the misty landscape.
"Go now?" Sean asked.
"Sure. We're not getting any younger."
The bay door opened. All five of the Hunters clambered out of the doors, scanning the area for Metroids.
"I don't see any." Rock said over the radio of his helmeted suit."
"Captain," Quickeye said, "I'm getting a readout that the air here is breathable."
"Just as well." Sean said, "This place looks like a young orchard."
Indeed, the landscape looked like several rows of small trees in the mist. They landed in the middle of it, with larger trees parallel to each other on either side, like a forest on either side.
"Take the helmets off. We aren't going to need them now, and we might scare the dickens out of whatever civilizations live here." Sean pressed a button to make his helmet lift back into the shoulder blades of his suit. Everyone else followed suit.
"Now what do we do?" Lisa asked.
"Now, we explore."
Note: Ha ha! The ending wasn't what you expected, was it?
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