Re-Emergence
With the orb of evil concentrate tucked neatly underneath his arm, Sigma walked into the Ziggurat turning heads with his newest change. The Reploids of the Assassin's Guild could hardly understand nor fathom the newest abilities that he had been granted... In fact, Xephyr almost shot at him as he made his way through the halls. At the last second, however, Xephyr realized what he was doing and stopped himself before doing something stupid... Leaving Sigma alone on his trek to the medical lab, Xephyr turned his attention to some other matters that were needed on the bridge of the floating fortress... Finding his way to the lab, Sigma quickly started his work, but his thoughts kept racing around keeping him from fully focusing on his work... As everything played and replayed inside of his head, Sigma knew above all else how things would go from here on in... For everything was going according to his plans thus far and nothing, it would seem, would get into his way.
Clearing his mind of these thoughts, Sigma shook it off and focused on what he was doing in the lab... Taking a small sample of his own virus, the evil concentrate and the Epsilon Factor, Sigma inspected each of them underneath a microscope at which he made a few notes and continued to work...
"Ahhhh... so it seems that the Epsilon Factor is quite like my own virus... Wonder what the government was thinking when they made this," Sigma mumbled to himself, "Well now... Here's the problem why their Epsilon didn't work... The key protein functions here don't match to the..."
"How the hell?" the scientific Reploid muttered.
"Oh... hello," Sigma delighted, "You're wondering how I know about science? Well... I'm a man of the world... I learn whatever I can so that I may use it to my advantage..."
"Right..." the scientist sputtered.
"And you are?" Sigma prodded, "I didn't know I would have help..."
"I'm Typhus," the scientist bowed, "And I take it you're Sigma... I do have to admit that I'm surprised as to your form... May I inquire as to how you got it?"
"Actually," Sigma yawned, "I got it via a simple twist of fate... Let's just say, a dead man insured I would get this..."
"Alright..." Typhus shook his head, "How far along are you with the integration?"
"Very close," Sigma smiled, "To tell the honest truth, I've never done this much work myself... I always had henchmen do it... Found out the hard way where that winds up! Er right... As I was saying the key proteins of the Epsilon have an error in their codons... No doubt because it was manufactured by man... I swear they pass their imperfections onto whatever they touch..."
"That's why the accident happened then?" Typhus questioned.
"Sure are full of questions," Sigma sighed, "Yes... It was this that caused the Maverick behavior of the Reploid subjects. Their own DNA coded it into their systems and once the error was read... There was a problem and it started to manipulate cells in an unwanted manner... causing the first outbreak of the Epsilon..."
"Uhhh..." Typhus blinked, "We're machines... We don't have DNA... Do we?"
"And you call yourself a scientist," Sigma laughed, "We're not robots persay... We're generations beyond that... We're past android life... Reploids are a new life form... almost capable of being considered human... and I said ALMOST. We're not human and that makes us perfect.... If it were up to those human clowns, we'd all be dead... They hate perfection... because they can never attain it...."
"Right... I'm just not that well versed in that side of the spectrum," Typhus rationalized, "I'm a scientist of other trades... not robotics... er genetics... WHATEVER... I specialize in viral and biological warfare! Not only that but also advanced weapons designs and quantum physics... Now then... What do you specialize in Mr Know-It-All?"
"I can tell I'm going to like you," Sigma grinned, "I'm a Jack of all trades... I dabble in anything that can turn the tides in my favor... I'm well versed in just about every facet of science there is... And if you ever want to talk about quantum physics, I'm your Reploid."
"I'll keep that in mind," Typhus shook his head, "How long do you think it will take you to combine the viruses?"
"When I fix the errors in the Epsilon," Sigma thought a moment, "I'd say I'd be done in less than ten hours. I work fast when I know what I'm doing. Now are you through with interrupting me?"
"Yes," Typhus cackled, "As you were Sigma... I need to report back to Xephyr about the time scheduling of things."
With this, Typhus walked off leaving Sigma to work on the integration of the viruses... Sigma turned back to his work in progress and laughed about his double cross that was soon to come...
Walking through the hole in the cave, X and Zero went into the dilapidated laboratory to see if they could find the orb containing the evil concentrate. Looking for what seemed like hours, they turned up nothing.... In fact, they could not even find the damaged Sigma that was supposed to be there... Kicking the stuttering form of Dr Wily, Zero and X mumbled obscenities about their lack of clues and their lack of the orb... for they had just missed Sigma and his alter ego... Teleporting away from the scene, X and Zero went to look for answers at the site where X was found... In a blur of white and crimson light, X and Zero found themselves in a sectioned off dig site that was long abandoned... Scanning the area, X placed his hand onto what seemed like a rock wall at which glowed red... A scanning device went over his hand and highlighted his finger prints at which green seals were revealed... With a hiss and a whirl of air, the stone door opened to show its mysteries to all...
"What the hell is this place X?" Zero looked about at the various equipment strewn on the floor.
"This is Dr Light's legacy," X smiled a faint smile, "This was an old bomb shelter that has long since become unearthed due to time... I'm starting to remember the bulk of what my Father hid away... I understand why he hid most of this stuff from me... Er right... What we were here for... I best get her..."
Turning away from Zero, X walked toward a wall at which was a glistening field surrounding a capsule... Touching a few of the buttons on the panel next to it, X deactivated the dampening fields around the capsule and touched the green seals...
"Time for her to wake up," X patted the capsule, "I forgot... Let me introduce you to Dr Cossack's entry into the fold of Reploids... This is Ciel... She was supposed to be hidden away for another hundred years but... I suppose we do need her..."
"Who is this Ciel?" Zero looked at X questioningly.
"Ciel's... well... a scientist..." X shrugged, "Her specialties range from bioterrorism to weapon's designs... She's been here for quite some time... hidden away from Black Talon's sensors..."
"Who is this Dr Cossack and what happened to him?" Zero looked at X even more intently.
"Dr Cossack was one of the foremost geniuses of the Earth. Along with Dr Wily and Dr Light, they each had visions of taking robotics to the next step! In an attempt to use this, Dr Wily kidnapped his daughter and sparked another Wily War... Dr Cossack was cleared of all charges, after his daughter was returned, and Dr Light and him started a partnership that lasted for years... However, in the final years of Dr Light's life, Dr Cossack was able to hide away from the attacks of Black Talon and finished designing this..." X sighed, "The three creations from the three greatest minds of the world... Each working together to combat this new ultimate evil to come... It's almost poetic..."
"What are we waiting for then X?" Zero pried, "I want to meet her! Open that capsule before I hurt you!"
"Right right..." X chuckled, "This should do it..."
The lighting of the room started to sputter as a hiss of air was let out... The pod depressurized as it opened and revealed the gem inside... The blonde haired girl who laid in the capsule looked so peaceful in it as a sudden jolt of electricity arched across her body... Pulling her arms up and over her head, stretching and yawning, Ciel opened her sapphire eyes to see X and Zero...
"Ahhhh," Ciel stretched, "Hmmmm... From your designs, I take it you are a Dr Light and a Dr Wily model... What happened since I've been asleep? Has the Black Talon War ended?"
"Yes it has," X's face sullened, "The year is 2261... You've been asleep for the better part of two hundred years... We lost the first Black Talon War but won the last one... Sadly to say that your creator isn't here to see your reactivation..."
"Oh please," the computer hummed, with a Russian accent, "I might not be here in body but I'm here in spirit."
The computer screen activated in a flash of color and rained a form in front of the stunned faces of X and Zero. The Russian man was not that old but had a smile of welcome marked on his face.
"Welcome Dr Wily and Dr Light models," Dr Cossack grinned, "I've been waiting for you to come after Ciel... I trust you have to combat the Sigmus Virus that is plaguing the world?"
"Sigmus Virus?" Zero's confused look turned even more so.
"It's the classification that our scientists gave it," Dr Cossack laughed, "It didn't effect our machinery which was interesting... We tried our best to purge it from the systems of the robots and the machines infected... Guess we didn't do such a good job. This is the reason why you've awakened Ciel, yes?"
"Kinda," X confessed, "It's worse than you realize... The Sigmus Virus as you call it is the Sigma Virus in our time period... It infected the machines that were of our advanced design... Me and Zero's design took into account the virus which gave us remarkable attributes... The "clones" so to speak, or Reploids as they have been named, didn't take into account this... The Sigma Virus fed upon this and used it to find its physical embodiment... which is now reborn..."
"Right," Dr Cossack looked grimily at X, "Please continue."
"Sigma, as we call him now in his physical form," X frowned, "has recently stolen the last fraction of the evil concentrate that Dr Wily had stored in his lab. What he's trying to do is merge the evil concentrate, his virus and a substance called the Epsilon Factor... The Epsilon Factor led to uncharted Maverick behavior that caused the deaths of thousands of scientists and the destruction of their lab... It was something created to control the Reploids... Something done by the government..."
"Well then," Dr Cossack shook his head, "Sounds like you have quite a bit of problems upon you young man. If they succeed in combining these substances, I fear the worst for everyone on Earth. Ciel, you must go with these young men and find a way to stop this from happening... It is time for my creation's re-emergence into this after your work with the Sigmus Virus... Are the last traces of it out of your system?"
"Yes Daddy," Ciel smiled sweetly, "I would love to help these two! However, they haven't introduced themselves to us yet... which is kinda rude."
"Sorry," X chortled, "I am known as Mega Man X and this is my faithful companion Zero."
"X!" Zero's confused look was replaced by a look of scorn, "Faithful companion? Are you trying to fit me into that side kick role?"
"Nope," X forced out trying not to laugh, "Most people call me, X."
"X and Zero," Dr Cossack bowed, "Welcome to my secret lab. You can come here and work on the anti-virus if you need. This equipment may be out of date to your standards but it may just give you enough to work with to find a cure in time... However... I'm afraid I forgot to mention something..."
X, Zero and Ciel all looked at Dr Cossack for he had just warmed up about what he knew about the "Sigmus Virus"... For what was to come would be the revelation that would shatter everything that both flesh and mechanics once knew.... for the worst....
With the orb of evil concentrate tucked neatly underneath his arm, Sigma walked into the Ziggurat turning heads with his newest change. The Reploids of the Assassin's Guild could hardly understand nor fathom the newest abilities that he had been granted... In fact, Xephyr almost shot at him as he made his way through the halls. At the last second, however, Xephyr realized what he was doing and stopped himself before doing something stupid... Leaving Sigma alone on his trek to the medical lab, Xephyr turned his attention to some other matters that were needed on the bridge of the floating fortress... Finding his way to the lab, Sigma quickly started his work, but his thoughts kept racing around keeping him from fully focusing on his work... As everything played and replayed inside of his head, Sigma knew above all else how things would go from here on in... For everything was going according to his plans thus far and nothing, it would seem, would get into his way.
Clearing his mind of these thoughts, Sigma shook it off and focused on what he was doing in the lab... Taking a small sample of his own virus, the evil concentrate and the Epsilon Factor, Sigma inspected each of them underneath a microscope at which he made a few notes and continued to work...
"Ahhhh... so it seems that the Epsilon Factor is quite like my own virus... Wonder what the government was thinking when they made this," Sigma mumbled to himself, "Well now... Here's the problem why their Epsilon didn't work... The key protein functions here don't match to the..."
"How the hell?" the scientific Reploid muttered.
"Oh... hello," Sigma delighted, "You're wondering how I know about science? Well... I'm a man of the world... I learn whatever I can so that I may use it to my advantage..."
"Right..." the scientist sputtered.
"And you are?" Sigma prodded, "I didn't know I would have help..."
"I'm Typhus," the scientist bowed, "And I take it you're Sigma... I do have to admit that I'm surprised as to your form... May I inquire as to how you got it?"
"Actually," Sigma yawned, "I got it via a simple twist of fate... Let's just say, a dead man insured I would get this..."
"Alright..." Typhus shook his head, "How far along are you with the integration?"
"Very close," Sigma smiled, "To tell the honest truth, I've never done this much work myself... I always had henchmen do it... Found out the hard way where that winds up! Er right... As I was saying the key proteins of the Epsilon have an error in their codons... No doubt because it was manufactured by man... I swear they pass their imperfections onto whatever they touch..."
"That's why the accident happened then?" Typhus questioned.
"Sure are full of questions," Sigma sighed, "Yes... It was this that caused the Maverick behavior of the Reploid subjects. Their own DNA coded it into their systems and once the error was read... There was a problem and it started to manipulate cells in an unwanted manner... causing the first outbreak of the Epsilon..."
"Uhhh..." Typhus blinked, "We're machines... We don't have DNA... Do we?"
"And you call yourself a scientist," Sigma laughed, "We're not robots persay... We're generations beyond that... We're past android life... Reploids are a new life form... almost capable of being considered human... and I said ALMOST. We're not human and that makes us perfect.... If it were up to those human clowns, we'd all be dead... They hate perfection... because they can never attain it...."
"Right... I'm just not that well versed in that side of the spectrum," Typhus rationalized, "I'm a scientist of other trades... not robotics... er genetics... WHATEVER... I specialize in viral and biological warfare! Not only that but also advanced weapons designs and quantum physics... Now then... What do you specialize in Mr Know-It-All?"
"I can tell I'm going to like you," Sigma grinned, "I'm a Jack of all trades... I dabble in anything that can turn the tides in my favor... I'm well versed in just about every facet of science there is... And if you ever want to talk about quantum physics, I'm your Reploid."
"I'll keep that in mind," Typhus shook his head, "How long do you think it will take you to combine the viruses?"
"When I fix the errors in the Epsilon," Sigma thought a moment, "I'd say I'd be done in less than ten hours. I work fast when I know what I'm doing. Now are you through with interrupting me?"
"Yes," Typhus cackled, "As you were Sigma... I need to report back to Xephyr about the time scheduling of things."
With this, Typhus walked off leaving Sigma to work on the integration of the viruses... Sigma turned back to his work in progress and laughed about his double cross that was soon to come...
Walking through the hole in the cave, X and Zero went into the dilapidated laboratory to see if they could find the orb containing the evil concentrate. Looking for what seemed like hours, they turned up nothing.... In fact, they could not even find the damaged Sigma that was supposed to be there... Kicking the stuttering form of Dr Wily, Zero and X mumbled obscenities about their lack of clues and their lack of the orb... for they had just missed Sigma and his alter ego... Teleporting away from the scene, X and Zero went to look for answers at the site where X was found... In a blur of white and crimson light, X and Zero found themselves in a sectioned off dig site that was long abandoned... Scanning the area, X placed his hand onto what seemed like a rock wall at which glowed red... A scanning device went over his hand and highlighted his finger prints at which green seals were revealed... With a hiss and a whirl of air, the stone door opened to show its mysteries to all...
"What the hell is this place X?" Zero looked about at the various equipment strewn on the floor.
"This is Dr Light's legacy," X smiled a faint smile, "This was an old bomb shelter that has long since become unearthed due to time... I'm starting to remember the bulk of what my Father hid away... I understand why he hid most of this stuff from me... Er right... What we were here for... I best get her..."
Turning away from Zero, X walked toward a wall at which was a glistening field surrounding a capsule... Touching a few of the buttons on the panel next to it, X deactivated the dampening fields around the capsule and touched the green seals...
"Time for her to wake up," X patted the capsule, "I forgot... Let me introduce you to Dr Cossack's entry into the fold of Reploids... This is Ciel... She was supposed to be hidden away for another hundred years but... I suppose we do need her..."
"Who is this Ciel?" Zero looked at X questioningly.
"Ciel's... well... a scientist..." X shrugged, "Her specialties range from bioterrorism to weapon's designs... She's been here for quite some time... hidden away from Black Talon's sensors..."
"Who is this Dr Cossack and what happened to him?" Zero looked at X even more intently.
"Dr Cossack was one of the foremost geniuses of the Earth. Along with Dr Wily and Dr Light, they each had visions of taking robotics to the next step! In an attempt to use this, Dr Wily kidnapped his daughter and sparked another Wily War... Dr Cossack was cleared of all charges, after his daughter was returned, and Dr Light and him started a partnership that lasted for years... However, in the final years of Dr Light's life, Dr Cossack was able to hide away from the attacks of Black Talon and finished designing this..." X sighed, "The three creations from the three greatest minds of the world... Each working together to combat this new ultimate evil to come... It's almost poetic..."
"What are we waiting for then X?" Zero pried, "I want to meet her! Open that capsule before I hurt you!"
"Right right..." X chuckled, "This should do it..."
The lighting of the room started to sputter as a hiss of air was let out... The pod depressurized as it opened and revealed the gem inside... The blonde haired girl who laid in the capsule looked so peaceful in it as a sudden jolt of electricity arched across her body... Pulling her arms up and over her head, stretching and yawning, Ciel opened her sapphire eyes to see X and Zero...
"Ahhhh," Ciel stretched, "Hmmmm... From your designs, I take it you are a Dr Light and a Dr Wily model... What happened since I've been asleep? Has the Black Talon War ended?"
"Yes it has," X's face sullened, "The year is 2261... You've been asleep for the better part of two hundred years... We lost the first Black Talon War but won the last one... Sadly to say that your creator isn't here to see your reactivation..."
"Oh please," the computer hummed, with a Russian accent, "I might not be here in body but I'm here in spirit."
The computer screen activated in a flash of color and rained a form in front of the stunned faces of X and Zero. The Russian man was not that old but had a smile of welcome marked on his face.
"Welcome Dr Wily and Dr Light models," Dr Cossack grinned, "I've been waiting for you to come after Ciel... I trust you have to combat the Sigmus Virus that is plaguing the world?"
"Sigmus Virus?" Zero's confused look turned even more so.
"It's the classification that our scientists gave it," Dr Cossack laughed, "It didn't effect our machinery which was interesting... We tried our best to purge it from the systems of the robots and the machines infected... Guess we didn't do such a good job. This is the reason why you've awakened Ciel, yes?"
"Kinda," X confessed, "It's worse than you realize... The Sigmus Virus as you call it is the Sigma Virus in our time period... It infected the machines that were of our advanced design... Me and Zero's design took into account the virus which gave us remarkable attributes... The "clones" so to speak, or Reploids as they have been named, didn't take into account this... The Sigma Virus fed upon this and used it to find its physical embodiment... which is now reborn..."
"Right," Dr Cossack looked grimily at X, "Please continue."
"Sigma, as we call him now in his physical form," X frowned, "has recently stolen the last fraction of the evil concentrate that Dr Wily had stored in his lab. What he's trying to do is merge the evil concentrate, his virus and a substance called the Epsilon Factor... The Epsilon Factor led to uncharted Maverick behavior that caused the deaths of thousands of scientists and the destruction of their lab... It was something created to control the Reploids... Something done by the government..."
"Well then," Dr Cossack shook his head, "Sounds like you have quite a bit of problems upon you young man. If they succeed in combining these substances, I fear the worst for everyone on Earth. Ciel, you must go with these young men and find a way to stop this from happening... It is time for my creation's re-emergence into this after your work with the Sigmus Virus... Are the last traces of it out of your system?"
"Yes Daddy," Ciel smiled sweetly, "I would love to help these two! However, they haven't introduced themselves to us yet... which is kinda rude."
"Sorry," X chortled, "I am known as Mega Man X and this is my faithful companion Zero."
"X!" Zero's confused look was replaced by a look of scorn, "Faithful companion? Are you trying to fit me into that side kick role?"
"Nope," X forced out trying not to laugh, "Most people call me, X."
"X and Zero," Dr Cossack bowed, "Welcome to my secret lab. You can come here and work on the anti-virus if you need. This equipment may be out of date to your standards but it may just give you enough to work with to find a cure in time... However... I'm afraid I forgot to mention something..."
X, Zero and Ciel all looked at Dr Cossack for he had just warmed up about what he knew about the "Sigmus Virus"... For what was to come would be the revelation that would shatter everything that both flesh and mechanics once knew.... for the worst....