As what remained of ZDR faded away into the inky expanse of space, Samus finally allowed herself to relax. Well, as much as she could relax after... everything. Raven Beak, Quiet Robe, the X, her metamorphosis…
She was still trying to understand everything that had happened. Thankfully, the action that had been required of her had been the easiest to perform. Even though she had been surprised to hear Raven Beak refer to her as his daughter, she felt no kinship with him. Much like her human father, Raven Beak had been absent (though she at least had fond memories of him). Eliminating him would not have been her first choice but considering the threat he had posed to not only her, but the rest of the galaxy, she wouldn't have had much of a choice. Well, if it had been her choice. She had lost the ability to make that choice when the X had infected him.
Still, what little interaction there had been between them was enough to lead to some reflection. In her youth, it had never occurred to her that the DNA that the Chozo had used to alter her genetics must have come from somewhere. She had chalked it up to some sort of weird magic and had been content with that. Now, she knew better. Grey Voice and Raven Beak had both donated their genes, considering her their offspring.
And yet, when she heard the word "father," neither of their images appeared in her mind's eye. Instead, it was Old Bird she saw. He was the one who had argued on her behalf, he who had trained her, and he who had gifted her with the powersuit that had saved her life too many times to count. And more than that, he had been a compassionate and guiding force in her life. It could not have been easy for the aged Chozo, but he had always had an open heart and ready ears.
And that was enough to convince her that her Mawkin heritage was of little importance. At least, when it came to her identity. Physically might yet be a different story.
She took a deep breath, forcing her body, which was trying to gear up for another fight, to calm itself. After so long, even the thought of a Metroid was enough to send adrenaline coursing through her.
And then, she felt an unexpected weight on her shoulder as one of the younger Etecoons aboard the ship clambered on her. It chittered gleefully, as it always did when she returned to the ship.
The warrior froze, eyes darting to her hand. Even in the heat of battle, it had not escaped her attention that nearly every part of her body had been siphoning energy and on a massive scale at that. It had been nothing short of a miracle that boarding her ship hadn't drained its power.
"Don't be alarmed." Adam, who had been atypically silent in the wake of their mission's completion, finally said. "It would seem the X mimicking Quiet Robe gave you his Thoha genes, which appears to have led to dormancy in your Metroid DNA. I believe that you will be safe to interact with organic beings for the time being."
The mother Dachora also wandered over, rubbing against Samus's leg. She glanced at her hand one last time before reaching and setting it on the creature's carefully, as though afraid that the Dachora was fragile. When nothing unusual happened, she began to pet the creature fondly, allowing herself a soft sigh of relief. After a few seconds, the Dachora twisted its head around and called softly toward the back of the ship. A few small cheeps sounded as her chicks wandered out of hiding.
It took a few minutes but eventually, the Etecoons and Dachoras were welcoming her back in full force. She patiently allowed the monkey-like creatures to climb on her shoulders and head while the Dachora nuzzled her hand and calves affectionately. Through it all, Samus could feel a charged silence emanating from Adam. Normally, he would speak over the controlled chaos, but this time, he said nothing.
Finally tiring out, the Etecoons and Dachoras made their way back to their corners and curled up, returning to a peaceful slumber.
"In case you are wondering, the X mimicking Quiet Robe was the only one that boarded the ship. It did not reproduce, nor interact with them in any way. Our friends are not infected."
"..." Samus stared at her ship's displays, knowing that he had yet to get to whatever point he was hoping to make.
"Lady... what happened?"
"..." Rather than answer, she uploaded the data from her last few hours on ZDR.
"..." She could almost hear Adam's processors working to digest the information.
"..."
"So that's what happened… as you may have already guessed, I lost contact with you quite some time ago. I was able to collect some information; however, I was prevented from contacting you. Had it not been for the X, I would not have known about your metamorphosis."
Samus's fist clenched.
"Are you alright, Lady?"
"..." Samus wasn't sure how to respond. Adam had always had a strange sort of compassion. At least, strange by the average person's standards. He rarely emoted and more often than not would arrange for time off, a counseling session, or a myriad of other options that he deemed to be more appropriate than his direct involvement. The few times that he would get directly involved, he was more softspoken, however, there had always been an unbreachable distance.
As she expected, Adam remained silent. The silence may have been awkward had one of them not been a machine and the other been so used to uncomfortable social situations that they no longer phased her. That of course didn't make such interactions pleasant, but they didn't wear on her as they would most. In fact, she sometimes wondered if she almost preferred such exchanges.
She didn't have time to ponder it though, as Adam surprised her by speaking up. "I take it you are feeling conflicted about your new abilities."
Samus's eyes flicked toward the hologram denoting Adam's active state. "..."
"I am conflicted as well. If what Raven Beak said is true, your Mawkin genes may act as a catalyst to reawaken your Metroid abilities."
Her jaw clenched. That had been her thinking as well. She had hoped the thought had been her paranoia but if Adam had come to the same conclusion, then it made the possibility far more concerning.
"We cannot discount the possibility," the machine droned on. "And with Quiet Robe gone, we only have a few leads in which to search for solutions."
She frowned inquisitively. Since when did he have leads? She was aware that there were numerous Chozo settlements across the galaxy, but she wasn't sure that any of them would have even researched someone with her… condition. And among the ones she did know of, she wasn't sure which were even left by the Thoha.
"However, I know that Raven Beak was wrong about one thing. You were a threat to the galaxy long before your metamorphosis.'
She narrowed her eyes, repressing the urge to slam her fist onto the display.
"Those who possess great power and exercise it are threats to the galaxy. This is as true for you as it was Raven Beak, the Chozo, the Metroids, X, and even humanity. All possess the necessary power to cause destruction on a galactic scale."
The explanation did nothing to soothe her anger.
"However, what separates you from the likes of Raven Beak is why you use your power. Rather than seeking galactic conquest, you regularly put yourself at risk to protect those weaker than yourself, and you do so proactively where possible. That is why I believe that even if your Metroid genes awaken and you undergo another metamorphosis, you will find a way to control those powers. And then, it will not be long before you use those powers to help you defend the galaxy."
"..." After another long bout of silence, Samus finally relaxed. Adam wasn't one to offer empty platitudes. If he stated that as his belief, then it was sincere. She had never cared for his militaristic view of the world and it had served to drive a wedge between them as officer and subordinate in the past. Even so, she had to agree with his assessment. Considering her track record, if she wanted to, she could lay waste to the galaxy herself. The only thing truly stopping her was that she had no desire for it. Quite the opposite, in fact.
She leaned back into her seat, allowing her gaze to return to the expanse through which the ship was traveling. She wasn't looking at anything in particular. In fact, there was nothing to see other than the twinkling stars off in the distance, and that was just fine. She wasn't really interested in anything other than allowing herself some time to process everything she had just endured. Most of it had been a blur, passing by far too quickly for her to have committed much to memory. Even so, what she felt was… complicated, to say the least. Ever since her childhood innocence had been shattered, her emotions weren't something she could easily reconcile herself with. It certainly didn't help that much of her training had involved learning to push through emotional distress to finish whatever trial she was undergoing. And, when she hadn't known how to cope, she had opted to use that method to solve the problem.
Of course, the events of the Bottle Ship had made it clear to her that her coping mechanisms hadn't been healthy. So, she had taken making time for moments such as this, where she chose to sit and meditate on her emotional state.
It was almost amusing that the conclusion she reached was that she needed more time. Regardless, she remained in her meditative state. If nothing else, she needed the rest and, perhaps, she would begin finding a measure of peace with the events of ZDR.
Slowly, she came out of her trance to find the ship traveling through hyperspace. Adam had likely determined what their next destination should be while she had taken some time for herself.
"Lady, there is something I wish to discuss with you."
She raised a brow.
"When you confronted Raven Beak, he stated that ordinarily, the transformation into a Metroid would happen faster. This suggests that the Chozo have previously experimented with combining Metroid DNA with other creatures."
Samus frowned thoughtfully. She had been listening closely while Raven Beak had been speaking; however, she hadn't put that statement together as Adam had. Perhaps there was still a chance to find a permanent solution of sorts.
"I cannot confirm this hypothesis, however, as I said earlier, the X mimicking Quiet Robe uploaded information to my database before you arrived. Included were the locations of multiple Chozo labs, including the one where the Metroids were originally created."
Samus's eyes widened.
"I have plotted a course for the nearest site. I know ordinarily, you would take time to recuperate before your next mission, but these are unusual circumstances."
Samus nodded her agreement. She was far from 100%, but Adam's words awakened a restlessness in her.
"Any objections, Lady?"
The huntress smirked as she reached for the ship's thrusters and punched it.