Disclaimer: Samus Aran and Metroid are properties of Nintendo

The Three Bloods

Chapter 5:

As he walked toward his ship, Houston couldn't help but wonder what to feel. On the one hand he had new and very powerful armour that would make his bounty-hunting expeditions a great deal easier, and it was stylish! On the other hand…he left Samus back on that molten rock to die. He had just stood there and watched as that overgrown chicken pecked her into submission and seized the Power Suit from her. It had been an amazing display of force and technique that left Houston very uneasy. Could this needling feeling in the back of his neck be guilt?

"Board the ship, primate."

Houston winced inwardly, but didn't risk a retort. This Power Suit may have been impressive, but Houston now knew what that Chozo was capable of, and he wasn't about to risk a fight. He stepped up the gangplank to his ship, followed closely by the Chozo, and took a seat next to the starboard controls. The Chozo took the controls at the bow.

"Prepare the engines for flight," the Chozo said. Then suddenly, he grimaced and pressed his fingers together at the bridge of his beak. While Houston set the engines he discreetly used his visor to take a reading on the alien. The Chozo's life signs and power readings seemed to be normal. If in fact it were a sign of weakness, perhaps he wouldn't be under the thumb of this being for long after-all.

"Everything alright, mate?" Houston asked casually.

"I have spent too much energy in this form," the Chozo began. "I must admit, the Hatchling put up more of a resistance than I expected. She was aggressive, even for her. I will rest once we've reached light speed." Houston eyed him warily. The Chozo's metallic cape was again draped over his shoulders, and he stared ahead with his small burning eyes. He slumped slightly before saying, "Do not speak to me again," and closing his eyes.

The familiar high-pitched whir of the engines sounded through Houston's audio sensors, and as the ship took off into space Houston could only ponder on the fate Samus had earned. Maybe she deserved it, with her arrogance and her constant string of victories; a reputation that brought the most and highest paying jobs at every moment. Maybe she was destined to attract an enemy she had no hope of defeating, to die alone on some dead out-of-the-way planet without a boo from anyone.

Still, seeing here there without her armour, slight and small…it didn't seem right for her to die like that. When Samus died, it should be something grand. Maybe being swallowed by a space dragon or some bit.

Houston sighed. It was out of his hands now. With a thought, he looked at his left hand, now clothed in Samus' armour. He wondered if he now had access to some of Samus' toys through her Power Suit as well.

Hmm…

They were now at a safe orbit, and Houston worked the control panel deftly to get them to light speed. He would have informed his client, but with the warning to maintain silence, Houston wasn't about to risk it.

With one last look at Gawrs 20, Houston clicked a few controls on his left hand, then punched the engines into light-speed. In the blink of an eye, they were gone.

Initializing Systems.

Systems initialized.

Initiating Upload.

.

.

.

Upload Complete.

Samus' world was nothing but flashes of light, random sounds and aching pain. It was a challenge for her to muster the strength to open her eyes, but she did. She was as weak as a kitten, thirsty, hungry and everything hurt. But she was alive. She was alive!

Her vision cleared, and Samus saw that she was looking up at a tiled ceiling. A lamp hung in the corner of her sight, and she watched it swing slightly before focusing on the strips above. They where of an old that weren't used in the most modern buildings, though she had seen some like it in her lifetime; usually in hospitals.

Was that where she was? A hospital? In which system was it, and on what planet? Wait…all these questions, and she didn't even know how it could be that she was alive. She needed answers. Damn…she needed water.

"Oh my gosh, you're awake!"

Samus managed to turn her head a half-an-inch toward the voice. It was a woman, maybe in her thirties, and she was wearing white. A nurse; definitely a hospital then. Samus opened her mouth and tried to speak, but her throat felt like it would split open at any moment. Thankfully the nurse seemed to understand. She placed a gentle hand over Samus' brow and shushed her quietly.

"Easy now," she whispered. "I'll go and get you some water, so just rest easy." She left and returned quickly with water she had to feed manually to Samus' form. As she did the bounty hunter felt some strength returning…more than should be after a few cups of water, no matter how cool and refreshing. She chuckled in thought; it must've been because of her alien blood.

Samus still found it very difficult to move, but she could at least turn and speak to the other woman. "Where am I?" she asked as she lifted her hand to push away a cup of water, if only for a moment.

The woman smiled, as if she had expected the question. "You're in an Medical Centre in Moltengne province."

"What planet? Which system?"

"Hmm, this is Potip. Not sure about the system, but I know we call our galaxy the "Shining Voyage". I guess by the way they say you arrived you're from quite a ways, aren't you?"

"Shining Voyage?" Samus thought. "That was at least forty thousand light-years from the Gawrs system."

Seventy thousand five hundred and thirty two.

Samus winced painfully. What was that? She saw that the nurse was still looking at her. "How did I get here?" Samus whispered hoarsely.

"Apparently you crash-landed here. Thank goodness that ship of yours was so sturdy, but even so you where in such terrible shape it's a miracle you survived at all."

"Miracle my ass." Samus thought, " I'm just too lucky."

Samus tied to rise, but the weakness in her arms brought her down to the bed again. The nurse placed her hand on Samus' shoulders soothingly. "I said easy, please. Just try to relax. I have some patients to look after but I'll be back soon with a meal for you. I think you should be up to it, you think?"

Nodding her agreement, Samus pushed herself up her pillow while the nurse went off to do her rounds. "A nice woman," she thought with a grunt. "I never got her name. Well I suppose there'll be time for that later." Sighing, she fell back onto her pillow and stared up at the ceiling. "I have to found out how I got here, and why I'm still alive…unless this is all some dream or something."

"You are not dreaming."

Samus blinked and tried to rise, but a shot of pain down her midsection prevented that. What was that voice? It sounded like…she was thinking it. She winced and held her hand against her head. She wasn't losing it now, was she?

"Negative. This is not a figment of your imagination."

Her head shot up and she glanced around alertly. "Adam?" she whispered.

"Yes, Samus?"

Exhaling a laugh, Samus held her hand to her chest and looked around again. "Wh-What are you – where are you – Adam, explain!"

"Where would you like me to begin, Samus?"

Samus held her head again. It was so strange, having another voice in her head like this. It wasn't like how she normally heard Adam: between her ears in full stereo. This was…this was frightening. "How is it you can talk to me?" she said in a quiet voice.

"I have established a temporary cortical interface between the Varia nodule and your cerebral cortex. It allows me to communicate with you for brief periods of time."

Cortical Interface? Samus looked at her right hand, where the nodule that usually contained her digitized Power Suit rested inside the flesh. "How- no, when did you do this?"

"After your defeat at Gawrs 20."

Samus was starting to get frustrated. If Adam was really in her head, he should have known what she wanted to hear about. Apparently, Adam realized this as well.

"I downloaded the totality of my program into the Varia Nodule before your Power Suit was lost. After integrating my systems, I proceeded to download your higher brain functions into the Nodule as well. The Varia Nodule possesses data storage capabilities of one hundred of the most powerful X series Super Computers used in Command Science Headquarters, more than enough to contain your consciousness. I theorized that at the least, your body would have been put into a state of suspended animation and the damage done by the toxic environment would be slowed. At the most, there would be an over 80% chance to recover your consciousness into the body of an android if your body was to be destroyed in the Gawrs system."

Samus breathed in wonderment. Did Adam really go to that length to ensure that she survived? Or was it looking to preserve itself? Samus didn't know what to think, and that moment she realized that Adam could, well… hear …all of these thoughts. She gulped. "I'm sorry. I'm a little confused after…I'm sorry." She sighed. "You rescued me, I shouldn't be second-guessing your motives."

"Samus, I have no motives. I would have survived whether you died or not. As well, I did not rescue you. My efforts would have been in vain where you not able to escape Gawrs 20."

Samus pouted; he didn't have to put it quite like that. Still he had a point. "How did I get here?" she mumbled.

"A matter-energy conversion was recorded to take place ten minutes after the download. It transported you to the Hunter-craft. At that moment the vehicle was operated by remote. Unfortunately I could not establish an interface with the ship's systems without the Power Suit. I could not control its destination."

Adam couldn't, but her Power Suit could have. Samus was recalling now. Just before she lost consciousness, Houston Armstrong had acquired her Power Suit. Then that means Houston…

Chuckling, Samus shook her head ruefully. "Now I'm conflicted. I'll guess I'll have to figure out what to do with him when I seem him again, and I will see him again Adam. I'm going to get my Suit ba-"

"NURSE! NURSE!"

What the? An older woman in a bed next to hers was gesturing to Samus wildly. It never occurred to Samus that she may not be the only patient at this hospital, and no doubt she must've looked crazy, talking to herself like that. "Shh!" whispered.

"This mad woman keeps talking to herself!"

"Quiet! Shh!" Samus whispered harshly, and she was considering silencing the woman when the nurse hurried up to them.

She went up to the gesticulating woman and quieted her down gently. "Please be kind, Gwen," she said soothingly. "She's just a child, and she's been through a lot."

"But-but she keeps on talking!"

"I'll tell her to be a little quieter. Is that okay?"

The woman mumbled and turned her back to the both of them. Samus could see that both of her legs where bandaged up. Looking around she noticed that there where a number of patients with injuries around their torsos and limbs lined up in her room. It looked a little like a triage centre. She turned to the nurse and frowned. "I'm sorry. I was thinking aloud…I do that sometimes."

"That's quite alright," the nurse said with that eternal sunny smile of hers. Then she shielded her mouth and whispered, "Don't mind Gwen, she gets a little worked up sometimes." She then started to straighten Samus' sheets. "Are you ready for some dinner now?"

Samus nodded. "Thank you. I never got your name."

"It's Grace. Nurse Grace, or Gracie or just Grace, it's all fine. And do you remember yours? I'd like to stop calling you 'Doe' all the time if I can."

"Samus."

Grace closed her eyes and smiled at her. "Well Samus, you sit tight and I'll get your dinner for you."

"Wait," the bounty huntress blurted as Grace turned to leave. She stopped and turned to her. "Do you know what happened to my ship? The one you all found me in?"

Sadly, Grace frowned and shrugged her shoulders. "I'm afraid the soldiers kept it. Compensation they say, for saving your life. I don't think it was right, they took almost everything…but these are rough times."

They took it? What the… Samus glanced around, feeling lost, and finally turned to face Grace evenly. "Why…what's going happening on this planet?"

"Oh Samus," Grace said solemnly, shaking her head. "I'm afraid you crashed-landed in the middle of a war."

Dither Bikky says:

What can I say? School and blah blah blah. Sorry about that. It's summer and I haven't decided on whether I'm taking summer es again or not. If I'm not then expect a lot more updates for all of my fics. If I am…well…you know the drill. In any case, enjoy!