PART ONE: WELCOME TO THE REAL WORLD
"We've done it, Samus. We've found him."
"...I hope you're right, Gex..."
"There's no need to hope. I KNOW it."
Fox awoke. Slowly. He noted that he was on some type of ship's Medical Bed. He also noted that he was not wearing any clothing, with the exception of a towel draped over his... private area. He looked up. There was Gex and Samus, standing above him. Another thing which he honestly thought was a figmant of his imagination floated opposite Samus.
"Am I dead?"
"Far from it," Gex replied.
Gex then turned to the Cloud-Thing, confirming that it did indeed exist. Fox got a better look at it now. It looked like a Fox, sure... but it was made up of grey whisps of smoke, and it was transparent.
It spoke to Gex. "He still needs a lot of work."
Fox was now getting worried. "What are you doing to me?"
"We're rebuilding your muscles right now, Fox."
"Why do my eyes hurt so much?"
"You haven't used them for over one thousand years."
This was too much. Fox closed his eyes tightly, and tried to block out the paining light that was beaming into his eyes.
Gex saw his discomfort, and put his claw on Fox's forehead. "Rest, Fox. The answers are comming."
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Days passed. Fox only opened his eyes a few times; either Gex or the Ghostly fellow was working on rebuilding his muscles using accurate laser-generators. Neither of them actually touched Fox much. However, on the rare occasion that the Ghostly one would brush him, he'd feel a cold, chilling sensation... however, that feeling would always quickly pass as Fox drifted off to sleep again. This went on for... an amount of time that Fox couldn't remember or count in any way.
...Finally, Fox awoke. He lay on a bed in a small bedchamber, once again, appearing to be on a very large-sized spacecraft of some kind. He also noticed he was clothed... in nothing more than simple rags. How unfashionable, he thought. Soon after he awoke, Gex opened the door to his room and strode in.
"Gex...? ...Where am I?"
"More important than WHAT, is WHEN, Fox."
"...When?"
"You believe it's the year 2003, correct? Well, in actuallity, it's closer to the year 3003. I can't tell you exactly what year it is, because... we honestly don't know.
"There's nothing I can say to you that will explain it for you. Come," he said, wrapping a blanket around Fox. "See for yourself."
Gex lead Fox out of his room, and towards a ladder. Fox passed a few more doors which he could only assume lead to more bedchambers. He followed Gex up the ladder. As Fox reached the top, Gex continued, "I am the captain of this Mothership we are on. It is called the Pheonix."
"A Mothership! Of course! I should've been able to tell before now..."
Gex simply grinned at him. "As you probably know, this is the main deck. This is where we broadcast our Pirate signal, and hack into the Matrix. Now, most of my crew, you already know."
Fox looked around. Various, familiar faces loomed at him from out of the darkness, finally comming to gather around him and Gex.
"See? Here's Samus... Falco... Ganondorf... and Mewtwo. There's Kirby behind you, there. As for the two you don't know, this is Phantom, and that's Zephyr there."
The Phantom he was referring to was the Ghost-Fox that Fox had seen rebuilding him earlier. As for Zephyr, she was a grey, bipedal Cat, with medium-trimmed fur and a pretty face. Fox liked her already.
"Pleasure," he said, shaking both their hands.
"Now, before I continue," Gex said, seing Fox start to speak, "I must tell you that just because you do not see more than these five of your friends, doesn't mean they aren't free as well. Just about every fighter you can name in the Matrix is actually a rebel from the real world. They simply work on other ships; but I am sure that a day will come when you will get to see them all again."
Fox nodded. This made sense.
Gex approached him, and placed his hands on Fox's shoulders. "You wanted to know... What the Matrix is, Fox?"
Fox nodded. Did he ever.
"Come. We'll show you, hm?"
He was escorted to an old, withered seat. It hauntingly reminded him of a dentist's chair. A machine was brought up behind Fox's neck. He sensed it immediately, and started. Samus put her hand on Fox's forhead... Fox wasn't used to her touch without her armor on, and started again.
"Look. It'll be okay, Foxy. Trust me."
He nodded, rather meekly.
Gex brought the machine right up behind Fox's neck again, and Fox let it happen.
"Now... this will feel a little wierd," warned Gex. He gave a thumbs-up sign to Phantom. He typed a few keys. Instantly, a beam shot out from the machine behind Fox and penetrated Fox's neck! It electronically interviened with his brainwaves, and Fox was cut off with the outside world immediately. He let out a silent scream of shock and surprise, but not pain. Gex glanced at Phantom again, who typed in a few more keys and then hit a button labelled "LOAD".
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Fox stopped his "silent scream" and looked around. He was in a white... whiteness. That's all he could describe it as. White in all directions. He spun around a few times, and there was Gex.
"This is a sparring program," he said, gesturing towards the blankness. "Here, we can load anything from vehicles, to weapons, to other gadgetry... anything we need."
"Are you telling me that we are INSIDE a computer program?"
"Is it really so hard to believe? Check out your clothes, they're not the old rags you used to be wearing. I can immediately have a... STUNNER... appear in the middle of the air..." (At this point he glanced meaningfully upwards.)
POP!
There, floating before Fox, was a Stunner!
"Go, try it. PREFERABLY not on me, though. I could have Phantom load a basic enemy training program if you wish..."
"This... this isn't real?" Fox said, examining the instrument and firing its Laser in random directions.
"What IS real?" Gex quizzed. "How do YOU define 'Real'? If you define it as something that you can smell, or taste, or feel, or see, then real is simply a series of electrical impulses interpereted by your brain! But back on topic."
Gex asked for a hovering Plasma Television. He got it in an instant.
"Now..." he said, switching it on. "This is the world you know, just after the turn of the century. The Lylat system, and its surrounding Universe. Now, today, this Universe only exists as a digital simulation that we call the Matrix."
He flipped the T.V. off.
"Simply, you've been living in a dream world, Fox. This is the Universe as it exists today."
The Television flipped back on...
...and a horrifying sight met his eyes.
The Lylat System was GONE! Except for their sun, Solar, all its other planets had completely vanished, leaving only one large field of space rocks behind.
"Gex... what... happened to us?!"
"One thousand years ago, our ever-curious fleet was searching the Universe as they always do, searching for new life, new planets, and new experiences. However, around the year 2003, a new form of life was discovered that appeared unintelligent. However, trusting this new form of life was a huge mistake for our entire civilisation. These aliens were super-intelligent, extremely evolved, and mucho dangerouso, despite the fact that they were running out of energy. It didn't take long. As soon as these things had tracked our civilisation, they snatched every living creature across the System and then put the System itself to ruin. What did they use us for? Simple. Since they were running out of energy which they required to survive, the seemingly found all the energy they would ever need.
"The beings found a way to hook everyone up to a large... "Power Plant", so it's called, where a beam such as the one entering your head right now extracted the creature's energy... bit by bit. This is why we needed to rebuild your muscles when we revived you.
"Since these beings are so small, they need only the tiniest possible fraction of our energy per year. However, their problem was with OUR creature's aging process. Each creature that they had hooked up was injected with an Eternity Sirrum. All of them... that includes you, Fox... will never age, like them. All you require to continue living is food, and of course, natural health. Other than that... these things could feed off our energy for ever.
"The alien's other biggest problem is the control of these creatures. How could they keep them in mental peace while they leeched our energy? Why, create a computer program that works on the same principals as their leeching devices, of course. It intercepts your brainwaves and tricks your entire body into thinking that you're somewhere you're not.
"So... what is the Matrix?" Gex flipped off the Plasma Television. "Control. The Matrix is a program built to keep the sentiant mind under control as the aliens change a living creature..." (Gex held up a battery, therefore promoting the Duracell company.) "...Into this."
Silence. Then...
"WELL! This is certainly a pickle... do these Parasitic Aliens even have a name?"
"We simply call them... the Gluggs."
"The Gluggs?"
"They are an abomonation which currently dominates all life we know of in this Universe. There really is no other name for 'em. Come on. Wouldn't YOU call a great evil "Glugg"?
"Right... hey... if they're so small and pathetic, then how did they overwealm you?"
"Obviously, Fox... their technology. They've built Weapons of Destruction that are beyond your wildest nightmares. For them to dominate OUR Defences was like a baby's candy being snatched away by the incredible hulk."
"Interesting..." Fox scratched his chin. It made sense. It explained... everything. "So, let me guess. You can hack into the Matrix... heck, you could load it up right now around us?"
"Yes. However... you must know. We can't simply be placed anywhere in the Matrix. Eh... allow me to explain elsewhere. Phantom? Load the Dojo."
All too suddenly, walls... pillars... a floor... weapon racks... smaller details, like windows... swords... staves... knives... all flew in from the blankness from random directions. After about 5 seconds, it was finished flying in. Fox noticed how Gex was now wearing a Kung-Fu style clothing.
"This is our training Dojo, where we perfect our fighting skills. It has RULES, similar to the rules of the Matrix. One example of these rules is gravity. Some of these rules can be bent. Others can be broken. Now, the only way to do this is to FREE YOUR MIND, Fox. Do you understand?"
"Slightly..."
"Now. You're trained in basic unarmed combat ONLY?"
"Yes... nothing much more than that, other than... Staffplay... and of course my Weapons training..."
Gex sighed. "Very well, we'll start out with that. Phantom? Load us some staves."
A pair of staves appeared out of nowhere. Fox's looked just like Krystal's staff. He could almost see Samus giving Phantom some pointers out there.
"Okay. Now, strike me down. If ya can."
Fox charged! His staff twirling above his head. He kinda did want to take a piece out of that lizard. Why? Well think about it. Fox had all this new information thrown at him at once, confusing him. And Gex was a symbol of that, sure. So Fox felt like taking it out on him.
Gex was ready for him. He twirled his staff around in a blocking manouver. Then, before Fox could react, he swept Fox down onto his behind, then kicked his back. HARD. Fox slid forwards, uncontrollably, into a pillar, which exploded into an array of splinters. Fox twirled as he got up.
"Wow. You're... really fast..."
"So? Do my being stronger, or faster, have ANYTHING to do with my muscles in this place?"
Fox pondered this. And while he did, Gex rushed Fox this time.
Fox had a new tactic. He ricocheted off another pillar behind him, and thwacked Gex in the head. Poor Gex sailed backwards and bounced off a window. It stretched like a wall-mounted trampoline and hurled Gex back into the room. Fox was ready for him, yet again. He brought his staff up and swung it downwards with ALL his might. It was like him hitting a Home Run in baseball.... except straight down. Gex plunged through the floor.
Fox peered down the hole curiously. He saw only blackness.
"Good!" Said a voice from behind Fox. Fox spun around to face Gex, who had somehow transported behind him.
Now THAT scared Fox.
"Don't DO that!" Fox said, gasping for air.
"Anyways... you're getting the hang of this, Fox! Now... Phantom? Load the Jump Program for us."
The room vanished. A scene rushed at them from below of the top of a building. Before Fox knew it, the pair of them were standing on the tip-top of this building.
"You've got to let it all go, Fox," Gex said. "Fear... doubt... and disbelif. Free Your Mind."
At which point Gex ran at the edge of the building, and without using his tail as aid, jumped.
Soared WAY up high...
And landed on the rooftop of the opposite building.
Fox just stared. "Whoa."
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The Main Deck of the Phoenix was a buzz. Everyone seemed to believe in Star Fox's strength, and thought he would clear the jump on his first attempt.
Some did not. "He's not going to make it. No way," Falco and Mewtwo insisted.
Every single other crew member begged them to believe otherwise. Even those who had only HEARD of Fox's great deeds were cheering for him.
Well, without further ado, let's see if he does, shall we?
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"Ooookiedokey. Free my mind. Free my mind... no problem! Free... mind! Me = Free! Ooookie!"
(The panic was plain on the face of the Pheonix's newest crew member.)
"GUAH!"
Fox took off running. The Phoenix was a silent ship of anticipation right then. Would he make it? Would he fall?!
As he ran towards the ledge, Fox thought about where he was. Inside a computer program! Fox had always prided himself in his Hacking skills... why, if he couldn't hack THIS thing, where would his self-pride go? He focused. His brain went wonderously clear. He felt. He BELIEVED.
And he jumped.
Tucking his back paws beneeth him in a graceful leap, he felt himself soar... up, up, and up. Higher than he'd ever thought possible. But what he was doing didn't seem rediculous at all to HIM, for one reason or another. It seemed as possible as scratching your head. What a wonderful feeling it was!
Finally, Fox landed on the far building. He felt the roof's pavement crumble beneeth his paws as he landed.
"OW!"
A piece of pavement flew up and cut his cheek. He was bleeding. Fox stood up fully and walked over to Gex.
"What WAS that? Why did... why DO I feel so light and fluffy?"
"You've freed your mind, Fox! I can't remember any other creature that let go as fast as you have! That was incredible!"
"Okay... look... I'm getting awfully hungry. If Phantom loaded us some sandwiches, would it satisfy my hunger in the real world?"
"No. The Gluggs's jacks have the ability to transfer vitamins and minerals to its host. Ours do not. You'll have to go back to the real world to grab a bite to eat."
"Damn."
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Fox's head felt slightly woozy after they removed the "Jack" from his head. However, Samus assured him that the feeling was normal, and that it only happened at first.
Fox immediately put his hand to his face... and felt the warm ooze of blood comming from the spot where the digital pavement had cut it.
"You said it wasn't real!"
"Your mind MAKES it real."
"So... if you're killed in the Matrix... you die in real life?"
"Well... the body can't live without the mind, you know. The same applies if someone severs the connection between body and mind when you're plugged in. One can't live without the other. Both die where they are."
Fox groaned, and got out of the chair, only to be swamped by his crew, all of them offering their congratulations at his speedy realisation of the truth. Fox obviously had a very strong mind to be able to let go so quickly.
"All right," Fox said, the ring of animals finally subsiding. "So, let me get this straight... we're basically a team of rebels that combat against these evil parasites in hopes of freeing the Lylat system once again?"
"Precisely."
"Well, surely you don't just go in with THIS ship and start shooting stuff around, hoping to kill them?"
"No, no... of course not. What WE try to do is gain access to... The Source."
"The Source?"
"Where the Gluggs store all the information for their technology. Every single weapon they own that exists both in the Matrix, AND in the real universe, are controlled there. It exists in the real world, but there's a program for this place that exists in the Matrix as well. If one of us ever got into this place, we could shut down all their weaponry and technology, making the Gluggs completely harmless. We'd also see all our people freed from the Matrix, back into the real world."
"Well, surely this Source isn't unprotected..."
"Of course it's not! The key to unlocking The Source is hidden within a fifty-digit code. Each digit of this is stored on a disk, hidden somewhere in the Matrix. Our job is to locate each disk, decipher it, and find out what digit it is. Once we get all fifty digits, we'll stand a chance at getting in."
Fox's face went pale. "Fif... Fifty seperate digits, they could be hidden ANYwhere in the universe, and you don't even know where to look?! How the heck do you even have a prayer at doing this?!?"
"That's where YOU come in, Fox. You see, YOU are the One! A prophecy tells of a certain individual... that's you!... awakening after being connected to the Matrix for one thousand years, with the power to read, and to an extent, manipulate the code of the Matrix. With you inside the Matrix, as the One, you'll be able to know where the disks are hidden in an instant!"
"What? I've never been able to see... CODES back in the real world! This is lunacy! How do you figure that I'M the one this prophecy is talking about?"
"It was prophisised almost exactly, Fox. Predicted with uncanny accuracy."
"By whom?"
"The Oracle. Now, SHE has been with us since the Gluggs took over. She can see the future, Fox. She saw you emerging, and low and behold, here you are, one-hundred-percent emerged. In fact, YOU'RE going to have to go see her, so you can learn about what YOU have to do."
"...Alright. That's a bit confusing, but I understand. When do we leave?"
"Tomorrow, first thing. Now, we cannot distinguish between day and night in the real world, at least when we're on this ship. So you should try and get some rest back in your quarters now, before we arrive at a secure broadcast position. Oh, and as for your training? It seems your combat skills are fine, but we'll need an enemy training program or two loaded up. Find Phantom and Zephyr in a couple of hours, they'll help you out. For now, just get sleep, hm?"
"Yeah... okay, thanks, Gex..."
Fox walked off, feeling a bit woozy, even now.
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Fox's door swung open. He glanced up from his bed to see Mewtwo, floating effortlessly into the room. Fox smiled. It seemed like a long time since he'd heard the now somewhat comforting voice of Mewtwo's that somehow existed only inside his head.
"Good day, Fox. Sleep much?"
Fox shook his head. "I can't... it's all happened too darn fast. Plus, I've apparently been sleeping for one thousand years or so... I just needed a while to collect myself."
"Feeling better now, though, I trust?"
"Yeah... I'll be fine."
Mewtwo glided over to come to rest in a sitting position in the middle of the air.
"Oh, yeah," Fox brought up, "Thanks for the whole... saving my life thing the other day."
"Oh, that? Think nothing of it..."
"But, how did you manage it? It would be impossible to manipulate all those objects at once like that. Even if you're a freemind and all that..."
"Of course not, Fox. When I won the first battle I ever fought with you, I won a generous sum of prize money, correct?"
"Yeah... yeah, what did you do with it?"
"I used it to create a device that enhanced my psychic power. It was certainly worthwhile, too. Really... effective..." Even at the thought of the pain it caused his own head, he started rubbing his forhead.
"But enough of me. Fox, do you know why you're going to see the Oracle?"
"Well, um, to make me into a... er... One?"
"Yes, that's right... hm. That's a lot of pressure riding on your shoulders. The whole saving-the-universe thing..."
"Ah, how hard can it be?"
Mewtwo's expression stiffened. "Just ask Samus, she'll tell you. It took her years to free her own mind, let alone make a building-jump on a first attempt."
"Samus... Samus! Where is she right now? We never really had much time to talk..."
"Never mind that now, Fox. I feel bad for taking up this much time. We have to get going. You need to get your training done."
"Oh, right!" Fox had almost forgotten about it. "I'll see you later!"
He sprinted out of the room. For one that seemed pretty dazed and confused, Fox still seemed to be at least as energetic as Mewtwo remembered him. Better than nothing.
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Phantom spun around as he witnessed Fox sprinting into the room.
"Well! Aren't you the energetic one?"
"Yeah... I guess. Heck, I LOOK energetic, but the heart's really not there. I just want to be... ME again, you know?"
"Well... I guess I kind of understand how you feel. See, me and Zephyr? We both escaped from the Gluggs as they tore our System apart. And watching what was your home get blasted to smitherines is something that kinda sticks with you, right? Especially since my parents were directly in the line of fire."
Seeing Fox's facial expression, he said "No, it's okay. It was one thousand years ago, right? I'm over it by now. But the feeling back then was... really shocking. I swore I'd get revenge on their entire race for what they did to my family."
"...And did you?"
"Oh, hell yes! I was the one who led a team of rebels against their forces. We got into one of their research labs, and found out how to halt a creature's aging process. However, we didn't get the formula QUITE right, and that modification has made us quite weak... to the point where sending US into the Matrix could easily kill us. So, we stay out and operate on this ship instead, it's much safer. But... oh, listen to me ramble. You need to be trained. Sit on down, I'll take care of EVERYTHING."
"All right... I've never done this before, though, you know. What's going to happen?"
"Remember the other constructs you were in? It's just like that. Just watch..."
With that, he activated the beam. But before he loaded the program, he faltered. Fox's head was already fluttering, so he barely heard when he called out for assistance."
"Hey, Ganondorf! Come help me train Fox on the baddie program!"
...But to Fox, it sounded more like...
"Humph, Fafork! Mon mo tron Focks onhe baaagrm!"
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So he was quite surprised when he awoke in the sparring program to find Ganondorf standing opposite him.
"Hey! Ganondorf! How was the..."
"Please, Fox, not now. Believe it or not, I'd rather you take me seriously, at least for now, all right? We can get all social-like once we're finished here. Now, let's get right to the chewy caramel centre of this topic... what are we up against?"
"..........Okay."
"Well, there are a number of different PROGRAMS within the Matrix that are designed to keep rebels like us OUT. Now, we have to evade and run from these programs as much as possible, because unarmed we really don't stand too much of a chance against them, they're just too strong. Now, the first enemy on our list... okay. Turn around."
Fox obeyed. Behind him stood a big, burly, bipedal dog in a very formal suit. He also sported sunglasses, like many people he'd been seeing recently.
"WHA... what the heck is this?!"
"This is an Agent. They're probably the fastest, most dangerous programs that you could possibly come across in the Matrix. They can move in and out of any creature still hardwired to the Matrix. They can dodge laser fire, punch through walls, and leap incredible distances. They're more deadly than you could ever imagine."
Fox shuddered. The once strange-looking dog suddenly looked quite ferocious.
"However, you must remember that ANY enemy we encounter is always based on a world built on rules. Rules like gravity. What you must understand is that you can break these rules. Soon, you will be able to break them. Understand?"
Fox nodded.
"All right. Onwards."
The Agent disappeared. In its place stood a pair of wolves. Again, bipedal; again, wearing shades. They wore long, sweeping white garments.
"Oooookay... explain to me what these are?"
"These two are known only as the Twins. Now, although they're not exactly... LEGAL... they are still quite dangerous. They serve an exile called The Merovingian, but I'll tell you about him when the time comes. The point is, these two are his prime thuggies. He basically sends them after us when he wants something. And he always, ALWAYS wants something. So always keep an eye out for 'em. Not really hard to miss, though, are they?"
"Well... are they dangerous? What can they do?"
"Well, they can become transparent and pass through ANYthing... except explosives, that is. But they've always been too clever to be nailed with any of those... even if they were, they could be reprogrammed. But that's not the point. They're still extremely dangerous. They've got rapid-fire lasers, they can wield a pen-knife with a vengance, and one is never seen without the other. And you never refer to them individually; you always say 'you guys,' or 'Twins,' or 'yo what's up mah homie dawgs.' Okay, not as much that last one."
".....Right. I understand that. Anything else?"
"Well, there's always the customary vampires and werewolves. I can't really give you an example, since any creature could potentially be one. You'd notice their bent-over fighting style, and rough martial arts skills. What you must remember is that the Werewolf can only be harmed by a silver bullet or weapon of some kind, that's the only thing that'll disrupt their code. The vampires can only be killed with a wooden stake to their heart."
"All right. I understand. Now, what of this Merovingian character?"
"Well, he's an exiled program, one of the oldest of us. He basically saves any unwanted programs and keeps them either imprisoned, or he uses them as bodyguards or what have you. He's filthy rich too; owns a Chateau in the Mountains AND a Restraunt in the city of Corneria. They're linked through doorcoding, so you can always access one location through the other. Pretty spiffy. But anyway, I digress."
"Wait... what DOES the Merovingian want, anyway?"
"What do all men with power want? More power. When that oppertunity arises from us, keep an eye out for Twins, Vampires, Werewolves... just about anything he can get his hands on, figuratively speaking.
"And that's about it. Just remember: explosives greatly hurt, if not kill any enemy you will come across in the Matrix. Use them accurately, but carefully. Understand?"
"Yes. I solemnly swear to blow lots of stuff up."
" 'Atta boy. Now, let's get back to the ship. It's probably almost time to leave."
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Sure enough, when they arrived back in the Main Deck, there was Gex, standing over them with a sour look and an attitude.
"Well, THAT certainly took WAY longer than it should have," he said, his eyes burning into Ganondorf's.
"Ah, shut it up, you. I want Fox to understand our opposition as well as possible."
"That doesn't include telling Fox an Agent's favourite food..."
"LOOK! Just LAY OFF!"
Fox grinned. It had been so long since he'd seen Ganondorf angry.
Before he knew it, Kirby, Mewtwo, Samus, Phantom and Zephyr had found their way into the Main Deck, and were preparing to jack the entire team into the Matrix to take Fox to the Oracle.
Gex turned to Fox, who was still in his chair. "All set? We'll meet you in the Construct, and we'll load up."
"Load up with what?"
"Weaponry."
This was sounding better and better. Fox closed his eyes and smiled as the beam found its way into his head for the fourth time in his life. It was time to get funky.
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(*What will happen next? Will Fox meet the Oracle? Will they encounter any opposition? Will Fox wake up to his existance as an anomoly? More importantly, WILL HE GET EXPLOSIVES?! All these questions and more answered on next week's chapter!*)
"We've done it, Samus. We've found him."
"...I hope you're right, Gex..."
"There's no need to hope. I KNOW it."
Fox awoke. Slowly. He noted that he was on some type of ship's Medical Bed. He also noted that he was not wearing any clothing, with the exception of a towel draped over his... private area. He looked up. There was Gex and Samus, standing above him. Another thing which he honestly thought was a figmant of his imagination floated opposite Samus.
"Am I dead?"
"Far from it," Gex replied.
Gex then turned to the Cloud-Thing, confirming that it did indeed exist. Fox got a better look at it now. It looked like a Fox, sure... but it was made up of grey whisps of smoke, and it was transparent.
It spoke to Gex. "He still needs a lot of work."
Fox was now getting worried. "What are you doing to me?"
"We're rebuilding your muscles right now, Fox."
"Why do my eyes hurt so much?"
"You haven't used them for over one thousand years."
This was too much. Fox closed his eyes tightly, and tried to block out the paining light that was beaming into his eyes.
Gex saw his discomfort, and put his claw on Fox's forehead. "Rest, Fox. The answers are comming."
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Days passed. Fox only opened his eyes a few times; either Gex or the Ghostly fellow was working on rebuilding his muscles using accurate laser-generators. Neither of them actually touched Fox much. However, on the rare occasion that the Ghostly one would brush him, he'd feel a cold, chilling sensation... however, that feeling would always quickly pass as Fox drifted off to sleep again. This went on for... an amount of time that Fox couldn't remember or count in any way.
...Finally, Fox awoke. He lay on a bed in a small bedchamber, once again, appearing to be on a very large-sized spacecraft of some kind. He also noticed he was clothed... in nothing more than simple rags. How unfashionable, he thought. Soon after he awoke, Gex opened the door to his room and strode in.
"Gex...? ...Where am I?"
"More important than WHAT, is WHEN, Fox."
"...When?"
"You believe it's the year 2003, correct? Well, in actuallity, it's closer to the year 3003. I can't tell you exactly what year it is, because... we honestly don't know.
"There's nothing I can say to you that will explain it for you. Come," he said, wrapping a blanket around Fox. "See for yourself."
Gex lead Fox out of his room, and towards a ladder. Fox passed a few more doors which he could only assume lead to more bedchambers. He followed Gex up the ladder. As Fox reached the top, Gex continued, "I am the captain of this Mothership we are on. It is called the Pheonix."
"A Mothership! Of course! I should've been able to tell before now..."
Gex simply grinned at him. "As you probably know, this is the main deck. This is where we broadcast our Pirate signal, and hack into the Matrix. Now, most of my crew, you already know."
Fox looked around. Various, familiar faces loomed at him from out of the darkness, finally comming to gather around him and Gex.
"See? Here's Samus... Falco... Ganondorf... and Mewtwo. There's Kirby behind you, there. As for the two you don't know, this is Phantom, and that's Zephyr there."
The Phantom he was referring to was the Ghost-Fox that Fox had seen rebuilding him earlier. As for Zephyr, she was a grey, bipedal Cat, with medium-trimmed fur and a pretty face. Fox liked her already.
"Pleasure," he said, shaking both their hands.
"Now, before I continue," Gex said, seing Fox start to speak, "I must tell you that just because you do not see more than these five of your friends, doesn't mean they aren't free as well. Just about every fighter you can name in the Matrix is actually a rebel from the real world. They simply work on other ships; but I am sure that a day will come when you will get to see them all again."
Fox nodded. This made sense.
Gex approached him, and placed his hands on Fox's shoulders. "You wanted to know... What the Matrix is, Fox?"
Fox nodded. Did he ever.
"Come. We'll show you, hm?"
He was escorted to an old, withered seat. It hauntingly reminded him of a dentist's chair. A machine was brought up behind Fox's neck. He sensed it immediately, and started. Samus put her hand on Fox's forhead... Fox wasn't used to her touch without her armor on, and started again.
"Look. It'll be okay, Foxy. Trust me."
He nodded, rather meekly.
Gex brought the machine right up behind Fox's neck again, and Fox let it happen.
"Now... this will feel a little wierd," warned Gex. He gave a thumbs-up sign to Phantom. He typed a few keys. Instantly, a beam shot out from the machine behind Fox and penetrated Fox's neck! It electronically interviened with his brainwaves, and Fox was cut off with the outside world immediately. He let out a silent scream of shock and surprise, but not pain. Gex glanced at Phantom again, who typed in a few more keys and then hit a button labelled "LOAD".
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Fox stopped his "silent scream" and looked around. He was in a white... whiteness. That's all he could describe it as. White in all directions. He spun around a few times, and there was Gex.
"This is a sparring program," he said, gesturing towards the blankness. "Here, we can load anything from vehicles, to weapons, to other gadgetry... anything we need."
"Are you telling me that we are INSIDE a computer program?"
"Is it really so hard to believe? Check out your clothes, they're not the old rags you used to be wearing. I can immediately have a... STUNNER... appear in the middle of the air..." (At this point he glanced meaningfully upwards.)
POP!
There, floating before Fox, was a Stunner!
"Go, try it. PREFERABLY not on me, though. I could have Phantom load a basic enemy training program if you wish..."
"This... this isn't real?" Fox said, examining the instrument and firing its Laser in random directions.
"What IS real?" Gex quizzed. "How do YOU define 'Real'? If you define it as something that you can smell, or taste, or feel, or see, then real is simply a series of electrical impulses interpereted by your brain! But back on topic."
Gex asked for a hovering Plasma Television. He got it in an instant.
"Now..." he said, switching it on. "This is the world you know, just after the turn of the century. The Lylat system, and its surrounding Universe. Now, today, this Universe only exists as a digital simulation that we call the Matrix."
He flipped the T.V. off.
"Simply, you've been living in a dream world, Fox. This is the Universe as it exists today."
The Television flipped back on...
...and a horrifying sight met his eyes.
The Lylat System was GONE! Except for their sun, Solar, all its other planets had completely vanished, leaving only one large field of space rocks behind.
"Gex... what... happened to us?!"
"One thousand years ago, our ever-curious fleet was searching the Universe as they always do, searching for new life, new planets, and new experiences. However, around the year 2003, a new form of life was discovered that appeared unintelligent. However, trusting this new form of life was a huge mistake for our entire civilisation. These aliens were super-intelligent, extremely evolved, and mucho dangerouso, despite the fact that they were running out of energy. It didn't take long. As soon as these things had tracked our civilisation, they snatched every living creature across the System and then put the System itself to ruin. What did they use us for? Simple. Since they were running out of energy which they required to survive, the seemingly found all the energy they would ever need.
"The beings found a way to hook everyone up to a large... "Power Plant", so it's called, where a beam such as the one entering your head right now extracted the creature's energy... bit by bit. This is why we needed to rebuild your muscles when we revived you.
"Since these beings are so small, they need only the tiniest possible fraction of our energy per year. However, their problem was with OUR creature's aging process. Each creature that they had hooked up was injected with an Eternity Sirrum. All of them... that includes you, Fox... will never age, like them. All you require to continue living is food, and of course, natural health. Other than that... these things could feed off our energy for ever.
"The alien's other biggest problem is the control of these creatures. How could they keep them in mental peace while they leeched our energy? Why, create a computer program that works on the same principals as their leeching devices, of course. It intercepts your brainwaves and tricks your entire body into thinking that you're somewhere you're not.
"So... what is the Matrix?" Gex flipped off the Plasma Television. "Control. The Matrix is a program built to keep the sentiant mind under control as the aliens change a living creature..." (Gex held up a battery, therefore promoting the Duracell company.) "...Into this."
Silence. Then...
"WELL! This is certainly a pickle... do these Parasitic Aliens even have a name?"
"We simply call them... the Gluggs."
"The Gluggs?"
"They are an abomonation which currently dominates all life we know of in this Universe. There really is no other name for 'em. Come on. Wouldn't YOU call a great evil "Glugg"?
"Right... hey... if they're so small and pathetic, then how did they overwealm you?"
"Obviously, Fox... their technology. They've built Weapons of Destruction that are beyond your wildest nightmares. For them to dominate OUR Defences was like a baby's candy being snatched away by the incredible hulk."
"Interesting..." Fox scratched his chin. It made sense. It explained... everything. "So, let me guess. You can hack into the Matrix... heck, you could load it up right now around us?"
"Yes. However... you must know. We can't simply be placed anywhere in the Matrix. Eh... allow me to explain elsewhere. Phantom? Load the Dojo."
All too suddenly, walls... pillars... a floor... weapon racks... smaller details, like windows... swords... staves... knives... all flew in from the blankness from random directions. After about 5 seconds, it was finished flying in. Fox noticed how Gex was now wearing a Kung-Fu style clothing.
"This is our training Dojo, where we perfect our fighting skills. It has RULES, similar to the rules of the Matrix. One example of these rules is gravity. Some of these rules can be bent. Others can be broken. Now, the only way to do this is to FREE YOUR MIND, Fox. Do you understand?"
"Slightly..."
"Now. You're trained in basic unarmed combat ONLY?"
"Yes... nothing much more than that, other than... Staffplay... and of course my Weapons training..."
Gex sighed. "Very well, we'll start out with that. Phantom? Load us some staves."
A pair of staves appeared out of nowhere. Fox's looked just like Krystal's staff. He could almost see Samus giving Phantom some pointers out there.
"Okay. Now, strike me down. If ya can."
Fox charged! His staff twirling above his head. He kinda did want to take a piece out of that lizard. Why? Well think about it. Fox had all this new information thrown at him at once, confusing him. And Gex was a symbol of that, sure. So Fox felt like taking it out on him.
Gex was ready for him. He twirled his staff around in a blocking manouver. Then, before Fox could react, he swept Fox down onto his behind, then kicked his back. HARD. Fox slid forwards, uncontrollably, into a pillar, which exploded into an array of splinters. Fox twirled as he got up.
"Wow. You're... really fast..."
"So? Do my being stronger, or faster, have ANYTHING to do with my muscles in this place?"
Fox pondered this. And while he did, Gex rushed Fox this time.
Fox had a new tactic. He ricocheted off another pillar behind him, and thwacked Gex in the head. Poor Gex sailed backwards and bounced off a window. It stretched like a wall-mounted trampoline and hurled Gex back into the room. Fox was ready for him, yet again. He brought his staff up and swung it downwards with ALL his might. It was like him hitting a Home Run in baseball.... except straight down. Gex plunged through the floor.
Fox peered down the hole curiously. He saw only blackness.
"Good!" Said a voice from behind Fox. Fox spun around to face Gex, who had somehow transported behind him.
Now THAT scared Fox.
"Don't DO that!" Fox said, gasping for air.
"Anyways... you're getting the hang of this, Fox! Now... Phantom? Load the Jump Program for us."
The room vanished. A scene rushed at them from below of the top of a building. Before Fox knew it, the pair of them were standing on the tip-top of this building.
"You've got to let it all go, Fox," Gex said. "Fear... doubt... and disbelif. Free Your Mind."
At which point Gex ran at the edge of the building, and without using his tail as aid, jumped.
Soared WAY up high...
And landed on the rooftop of the opposite building.
Fox just stared. "Whoa."
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The Main Deck of the Phoenix was a buzz. Everyone seemed to believe in Star Fox's strength, and thought he would clear the jump on his first attempt.
Some did not. "He's not going to make it. No way," Falco and Mewtwo insisted.
Every single other crew member begged them to believe otherwise. Even those who had only HEARD of Fox's great deeds were cheering for him.
Well, without further ado, let's see if he does, shall we?
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"Ooookiedokey. Free my mind. Free my mind... no problem! Free... mind! Me = Free! Ooookie!"
(The panic was plain on the face of the Pheonix's newest crew member.)
"GUAH!"
Fox took off running. The Phoenix was a silent ship of anticipation right then. Would he make it? Would he fall?!
As he ran towards the ledge, Fox thought about where he was. Inside a computer program! Fox had always prided himself in his Hacking skills... why, if he couldn't hack THIS thing, where would his self-pride go? He focused. His brain went wonderously clear. He felt. He BELIEVED.
And he jumped.
Tucking his back paws beneeth him in a graceful leap, he felt himself soar... up, up, and up. Higher than he'd ever thought possible. But what he was doing didn't seem rediculous at all to HIM, for one reason or another. It seemed as possible as scratching your head. What a wonderful feeling it was!
Finally, Fox landed on the far building. He felt the roof's pavement crumble beneeth his paws as he landed.
"OW!"
A piece of pavement flew up and cut his cheek. He was bleeding. Fox stood up fully and walked over to Gex.
"What WAS that? Why did... why DO I feel so light and fluffy?"
"You've freed your mind, Fox! I can't remember any other creature that let go as fast as you have! That was incredible!"
"Okay... look... I'm getting awfully hungry. If Phantom loaded us some sandwiches, would it satisfy my hunger in the real world?"
"No. The Gluggs's jacks have the ability to transfer vitamins and minerals to its host. Ours do not. You'll have to go back to the real world to grab a bite to eat."
"Damn."
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Fox's head felt slightly woozy after they removed the "Jack" from his head. However, Samus assured him that the feeling was normal, and that it only happened at first.
Fox immediately put his hand to his face... and felt the warm ooze of blood comming from the spot where the digital pavement had cut it.
"You said it wasn't real!"
"Your mind MAKES it real."
"So... if you're killed in the Matrix... you die in real life?"
"Well... the body can't live without the mind, you know. The same applies if someone severs the connection between body and mind when you're plugged in. One can't live without the other. Both die where they are."
Fox groaned, and got out of the chair, only to be swamped by his crew, all of them offering their congratulations at his speedy realisation of the truth. Fox obviously had a very strong mind to be able to let go so quickly.
"All right," Fox said, the ring of animals finally subsiding. "So, let me get this straight... we're basically a team of rebels that combat against these evil parasites in hopes of freeing the Lylat system once again?"
"Precisely."
"Well, surely you don't just go in with THIS ship and start shooting stuff around, hoping to kill them?"
"No, no... of course not. What WE try to do is gain access to... The Source."
"The Source?"
"Where the Gluggs store all the information for their technology. Every single weapon they own that exists both in the Matrix, AND in the real universe, are controlled there. It exists in the real world, but there's a program for this place that exists in the Matrix as well. If one of us ever got into this place, we could shut down all their weaponry and technology, making the Gluggs completely harmless. We'd also see all our people freed from the Matrix, back into the real world."
"Well, surely this Source isn't unprotected..."
"Of course it's not! The key to unlocking The Source is hidden within a fifty-digit code. Each digit of this is stored on a disk, hidden somewhere in the Matrix. Our job is to locate each disk, decipher it, and find out what digit it is. Once we get all fifty digits, we'll stand a chance at getting in."
Fox's face went pale. "Fif... Fifty seperate digits, they could be hidden ANYwhere in the universe, and you don't even know where to look?! How the heck do you even have a prayer at doing this?!?"
"That's where YOU come in, Fox. You see, YOU are the One! A prophecy tells of a certain individual... that's you!... awakening after being connected to the Matrix for one thousand years, with the power to read, and to an extent, manipulate the code of the Matrix. With you inside the Matrix, as the One, you'll be able to know where the disks are hidden in an instant!"
"What? I've never been able to see... CODES back in the real world! This is lunacy! How do you figure that I'M the one this prophecy is talking about?"
"It was prophisised almost exactly, Fox. Predicted with uncanny accuracy."
"By whom?"
"The Oracle. Now, SHE has been with us since the Gluggs took over. She can see the future, Fox. She saw you emerging, and low and behold, here you are, one-hundred-percent emerged. In fact, YOU'RE going to have to go see her, so you can learn about what YOU have to do."
"...Alright. That's a bit confusing, but I understand. When do we leave?"
"Tomorrow, first thing. Now, we cannot distinguish between day and night in the real world, at least when we're on this ship. So you should try and get some rest back in your quarters now, before we arrive at a secure broadcast position. Oh, and as for your training? It seems your combat skills are fine, but we'll need an enemy training program or two loaded up. Find Phantom and Zephyr in a couple of hours, they'll help you out. For now, just get sleep, hm?"
"Yeah... okay, thanks, Gex..."
Fox walked off, feeling a bit woozy, even now.
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Fox's door swung open. He glanced up from his bed to see Mewtwo, floating effortlessly into the room. Fox smiled. It seemed like a long time since he'd heard the now somewhat comforting voice of Mewtwo's that somehow existed only inside his head.
"Good day, Fox. Sleep much?"
Fox shook his head. "I can't... it's all happened too darn fast. Plus, I've apparently been sleeping for one thousand years or so... I just needed a while to collect myself."
"Feeling better now, though, I trust?"
"Yeah... I'll be fine."
Mewtwo glided over to come to rest in a sitting position in the middle of the air.
"Oh, yeah," Fox brought up, "Thanks for the whole... saving my life thing the other day."
"Oh, that? Think nothing of it..."
"But, how did you manage it? It would be impossible to manipulate all those objects at once like that. Even if you're a freemind and all that..."
"Of course not, Fox. When I won the first battle I ever fought with you, I won a generous sum of prize money, correct?"
"Yeah... yeah, what did you do with it?"
"I used it to create a device that enhanced my psychic power. It was certainly worthwhile, too. Really... effective..." Even at the thought of the pain it caused his own head, he started rubbing his forhead.
"But enough of me. Fox, do you know why you're going to see the Oracle?"
"Well, um, to make me into a... er... One?"
"Yes, that's right... hm. That's a lot of pressure riding on your shoulders. The whole saving-the-universe thing..."
"Ah, how hard can it be?"
Mewtwo's expression stiffened. "Just ask Samus, she'll tell you. It took her years to free her own mind, let alone make a building-jump on a first attempt."
"Samus... Samus! Where is she right now? We never really had much time to talk..."
"Never mind that now, Fox. I feel bad for taking up this much time. We have to get going. You need to get your training done."
"Oh, right!" Fox had almost forgotten about it. "I'll see you later!"
He sprinted out of the room. For one that seemed pretty dazed and confused, Fox still seemed to be at least as energetic as Mewtwo remembered him. Better than nothing.
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Phantom spun around as he witnessed Fox sprinting into the room.
"Well! Aren't you the energetic one?"
"Yeah... I guess. Heck, I LOOK energetic, but the heart's really not there. I just want to be... ME again, you know?"
"Well... I guess I kind of understand how you feel. See, me and Zephyr? We both escaped from the Gluggs as they tore our System apart. And watching what was your home get blasted to smitherines is something that kinda sticks with you, right? Especially since my parents were directly in the line of fire."
Seeing Fox's facial expression, he said "No, it's okay. It was one thousand years ago, right? I'm over it by now. But the feeling back then was... really shocking. I swore I'd get revenge on their entire race for what they did to my family."
"...And did you?"
"Oh, hell yes! I was the one who led a team of rebels against their forces. We got into one of their research labs, and found out how to halt a creature's aging process. However, we didn't get the formula QUITE right, and that modification has made us quite weak... to the point where sending US into the Matrix could easily kill us. So, we stay out and operate on this ship instead, it's much safer. But... oh, listen to me ramble. You need to be trained. Sit on down, I'll take care of EVERYTHING."
"All right... I've never done this before, though, you know. What's going to happen?"
"Remember the other constructs you were in? It's just like that. Just watch..."
With that, he activated the beam. But before he loaded the program, he faltered. Fox's head was already fluttering, so he barely heard when he called out for assistance."
"Hey, Ganondorf! Come help me train Fox on the baddie program!"
...But to Fox, it sounded more like...
"Humph, Fafork! Mon mo tron Focks onhe baaagrm!"
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So he was quite surprised when he awoke in the sparring program to find Ganondorf standing opposite him.
"Hey! Ganondorf! How was the..."
"Please, Fox, not now. Believe it or not, I'd rather you take me seriously, at least for now, all right? We can get all social-like once we're finished here. Now, let's get right to the chewy caramel centre of this topic... what are we up against?"
"..........Okay."
"Well, there are a number of different PROGRAMS within the Matrix that are designed to keep rebels like us OUT. Now, we have to evade and run from these programs as much as possible, because unarmed we really don't stand too much of a chance against them, they're just too strong. Now, the first enemy on our list... okay. Turn around."
Fox obeyed. Behind him stood a big, burly, bipedal dog in a very formal suit. He also sported sunglasses, like many people he'd been seeing recently.
"WHA... what the heck is this?!"
"This is an Agent. They're probably the fastest, most dangerous programs that you could possibly come across in the Matrix. They can move in and out of any creature still hardwired to the Matrix. They can dodge laser fire, punch through walls, and leap incredible distances. They're more deadly than you could ever imagine."
Fox shuddered. The once strange-looking dog suddenly looked quite ferocious.
"However, you must remember that ANY enemy we encounter is always based on a world built on rules. Rules like gravity. What you must understand is that you can break these rules. Soon, you will be able to break them. Understand?"
Fox nodded.
"All right. Onwards."
The Agent disappeared. In its place stood a pair of wolves. Again, bipedal; again, wearing shades. They wore long, sweeping white garments.
"Oooookay... explain to me what these are?"
"These two are known only as the Twins. Now, although they're not exactly... LEGAL... they are still quite dangerous. They serve an exile called The Merovingian, but I'll tell you about him when the time comes. The point is, these two are his prime thuggies. He basically sends them after us when he wants something. And he always, ALWAYS wants something. So always keep an eye out for 'em. Not really hard to miss, though, are they?"
"Well... are they dangerous? What can they do?"
"Well, they can become transparent and pass through ANYthing... except explosives, that is. But they've always been too clever to be nailed with any of those... even if they were, they could be reprogrammed. But that's not the point. They're still extremely dangerous. They've got rapid-fire lasers, they can wield a pen-knife with a vengance, and one is never seen without the other. And you never refer to them individually; you always say 'you guys,' or 'Twins,' or 'yo what's up mah homie dawgs.' Okay, not as much that last one."
".....Right. I understand that. Anything else?"
"Well, there's always the customary vampires and werewolves. I can't really give you an example, since any creature could potentially be one. You'd notice their bent-over fighting style, and rough martial arts skills. What you must remember is that the Werewolf can only be harmed by a silver bullet or weapon of some kind, that's the only thing that'll disrupt their code. The vampires can only be killed with a wooden stake to their heart."
"All right. I understand. Now, what of this Merovingian character?"
"Well, he's an exiled program, one of the oldest of us. He basically saves any unwanted programs and keeps them either imprisoned, or he uses them as bodyguards or what have you. He's filthy rich too; owns a Chateau in the Mountains AND a Restraunt in the city of Corneria. They're linked through doorcoding, so you can always access one location through the other. Pretty spiffy. But anyway, I digress."
"Wait... what DOES the Merovingian want, anyway?"
"What do all men with power want? More power. When that oppertunity arises from us, keep an eye out for Twins, Vampires, Werewolves... just about anything he can get his hands on, figuratively speaking.
"And that's about it. Just remember: explosives greatly hurt, if not kill any enemy you will come across in the Matrix. Use them accurately, but carefully. Understand?"
"Yes. I solemnly swear to blow lots of stuff up."
" 'Atta boy. Now, let's get back to the ship. It's probably almost time to leave."
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Sure enough, when they arrived back in the Main Deck, there was Gex, standing over them with a sour look and an attitude.
"Well, THAT certainly took WAY longer than it should have," he said, his eyes burning into Ganondorf's.
"Ah, shut it up, you. I want Fox to understand our opposition as well as possible."
"That doesn't include telling Fox an Agent's favourite food..."
"LOOK! Just LAY OFF!"
Fox grinned. It had been so long since he'd seen Ganondorf angry.
Before he knew it, Kirby, Mewtwo, Samus, Phantom and Zephyr had found their way into the Main Deck, and were preparing to jack the entire team into the Matrix to take Fox to the Oracle.
Gex turned to Fox, who was still in his chair. "All set? We'll meet you in the Construct, and we'll load up."
"Load up with what?"
"Weaponry."
This was sounding better and better. Fox closed his eyes and smiled as the beam found its way into his head for the fourth time in his life. It was time to get funky.
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(*What will happen next? Will Fox meet the Oracle? Will they encounter any opposition? Will Fox wake up to his existance as an anomoly? More importantly, WILL HE GET EXPLOSIVES?! All these questions and more answered on next week's chapter!*)