CHAPTER 9
HUNTER LOG 3860
I did it again...I left someone behind. No matter how hard I try, I can't save those that I truly wish to save... All of this power, but it's useless... Why should I fight and win when the casualties are so costly?
I wish I could have at least saved Alan...
Samus out...
"It's not the end of the world, you know," Lita said.
"What?" Samus asked in astoundment.
"He wanted to stay behind. You let him have his last wish. It's not the end of the world. People die every day," Lita continued.
"People die every day, but how many of those can be saved?" Samus asked rhetorically.
"That's beside the point, Samus. There's a difference between permitting someone to die and letting them die. He felt it was his time to go, so we allowed him his right to die," Lita explained.
"He had no right to do that..." Samus trailed off.
"So you're saying that if you get to the point where you've resigned yourself to death, then that isn't your right to choose?" Lita asked.
"He could have made it out! Just like Adam!" Samus burst out, then stopped herself, shocked.
"You still resent him for making you leave, don't you?" Lita probed.
"Yeah, I...I guess I...wait...how do you know about that?" Samus noticed.
"I asked you about it before," Lita returned.
"Are you sure?" Samus asked confused.
"Absolutely. Now look, he let you go because he believed that you could make a difference, more so than himself. He died so that you could live! He gave you the greatest gift you could ever receive!" Lita said.
"But he sent me back out into a world that hated me for leaving him behind! He requested that I become a bounty hunter, but after the incident, I had no choice. Because I "disobeyed protocol" and defied supposed orders that didn't even exist, I would have been dishonorably discharged anyway! That's the difference between him and me! He would have returned a hero, and I came back a traitor and deserter!" Samus exploded.
"Since when did you start caring about what other people think?" Lita asked.
"That's beside the point," Samus replied.
"No it's not! Listen to yourself! Waaah! Waah! Poor me! Why couldn't I be a military hero? Why does life have to be so hard? Waaah! Waah!" Lita mocked.
"Shut up," Samus cringed.
"It sounds stupid, doesn't it? Well that's what you sound like. Why don't you think of the things you've accomplished? You raided SR-388, you smashed Zebes...twice! You saved Tallon, and you helped Aether. Come on, Samus, you haven't exactly sat around while the world was crumbling. You even managed to save my life a few times, you gave me the same gift that Adam gave you," Lita ceased.
"Huh? The same gift? What are you talking about?" Samus asked.
"Look, there's something I've got to tell you. I'm ready to talk, but you're not ready to hear it yet. I promise I'll tell you later, but Samus, for your sake, I can't tell you now," Lita said looking directly into Samus' eyes.
Samus paused, looking back at Lita.
"Okay...I'll trust you. You haven't killed me yet," Samus relented, "by the way, why are we going to SR-388?"
"What if I told you that you could get Adam back?" Lita asked.
"Don't even screw with me about that, that's not funny," Samus said.
"I'm not kidding. You'll see what I'm talking about when we get to the research station," Lita responded.
Samus' temperament had changed drastically in the past few minutes. She went from nearly the lowest of lows to halfway excited. Lita had given her renewed hope and a new outlook, as well as a possible link to Adam, and what was the 'gift' she had mentioned?
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"Samus! I didn't expect you!" Matthew said, running to the ship.
"Frankly, I didn't expect to be here," Samus replied.
"And who is this you have with you?" Matthew asked.
"This is..." Samus started.
"I'm Lita. Hey, where's your prototype C.O.?" Lita asked.
"My...what? How did you..." Matthew looked to Samus confused.
"I've been asking that ever since I met her. Don't look at me," Samus returned with her palms turned up.
"I guess I'll show it to you. It's not ready yet, but it's good enough to show, I suppose," said Matthew.
The trio exited the landing bay of the research facility and entered the hallways. Matthew led them through the corridors.
After a few moments, the group passed a room that had slightly glazed windows and strobing multi-colored lights inside.
"Ooh, what's in there?" Lita asked with childlike fascination.
"Uh...well, that's something we're working on that's not quite as safe as everything else. We'd be best to stay out of the way," Matthew said with beads of sweat forming on his upper lip.
"That's not the specimen, is it?" Samus asked.
"Err...no. Not your specimen, at least. We've done wonders with the metroid you brought us. We've effectively harvested functional DNA from the sample and have learned much about the energy siphoning properties of the species. But let's stay on task here and get to the C.O." Matthew skirted.
"You brought them a live metroid?" Lita exclaimed.
"No, no, no, young lady, I assure you it was quite dead...and very difficult to reassemble, if I might add," Matthew responded.
"That's not good...that's so not good," Lita said.
"It's dead, Lita. It's not coming back," Samus reasoned.
"You still don't get it..." Lita shook her head.
"Ladies, if you don't mind, the lab is just around the corner," Matthew motioned.
Samus grabbed Lina's arm and drug her around the corner and into the lab.
"This, my friends, is one of my greatest accomplishments," Matthew said as he pointed toward a small cube.
"That?" Samus asked.
"Yeah. Haven't you ever seen one, Samus?" Lita asked.
Matthew and Samus both looked at Lita, extremely puzzled.
"What? Just show her," Lita insisted.
"Well, here goes," Matthew said as he touched the cube.
At first, the cube flickered with a light blue hue, then it buzzed like a radio searching for a station.
"Hello?"
"Identify yourself, soldier," Matthew ordered.
"Galactic Federation Commanding Officer Adam Malkovich, sir."
"Very good, soldier," Matthew returned as he smiled with glee and accomplishment at Samus and Lita.
"Permission to speak freely, sir."
"Uh...by all means, go ahead," Matthew responded.
"Who are our guests?"
"This is Samus Aran, and her partner, Lita," Matthew explained.
"She's not my partner," Samus stated.
"Ah, now that's the Samus I remember,"
Samus' hand shot to her mouth as a reflex.
"Adam..." she squeaked.
"Now, if I remember correctly, you aren't exactly the crying type,"
"Oh...God..." Samus said as her hand trembled.
"Don't go thinking I'm back from the dead, Samus,"
"I...but how?" Samus sputtered.
"This is the product of the Federation trying to preserve my military abilities. It's really kind of boring. The scientists brought me in and recorded my knowledge and behaviors, even my thinking patterns. This little cube is the result. I really think they could have done better,"
"Hey!" Matthew yelled.
"Don't worry, don't worry, you did fine, professor. Anyway, Samus, I know about what happened during "Shattered Ice". Don't you regret for one second what you did, and don't you let anyone fool you into thinking that you did wrong by me. Keep protecting people, that's what you do,"
"But Adam...I couldn't protect you...and now...Alan..." Samus started.
"Samus, you have to let things go. If you can't let things go, then life is going to be a miserable existence. You have to be able to let some people die, it's a part of life,"
Samus stood silent, her face a porcelain white.
"It...zzzzzzzz...stupid cube...zzzzzzz...take care, Samus...zzzz...Lita..."
"Err...sorry about that. Like I said, it's still a prototype. One of these days I'll have it on a completely self-sufficient energy drive," Matthew apologized.
"That is incredible..." Samus uttered.
"It is far more advanced than your ship's A.I., Grady, isn't it? That's no more than a personalized computer with voice data. This, though, this is a complete virtual human being. Aware of its surroundings and the acquaintances of its owner or subject," Matthew lectured.
"Matthew, uh, when you're done with it...can I...or, do you mind if I..." Samus stuttered.
"It'll be wrapped with your name on it," Matthew said.
"Thank you...Matthew," Samus said.
"It's nothing, Samus. Just a courtesy you would have extended to me likewise," Matthew assured.
"Are you okay?" Lita asked Samus.
"Yeah...yeah, I'll be fine in a while. I just...need to recover from that. It's like talking to a ghost..." Samus said, wiping her forehead and face.
"That's fine. We'd be best to rest a while, but we need to get some supplies and head out soon. That way those things don't come here, too," Lita cautioned.
"Okay, I'll see you in the quarters. Matthew, could you show Lita the supply cache?" Samus responded.
"Sure, but why would she need those supplies?" Matthew asked.
"Trust me, she's not looking for food," Samus returned.
