11: Symbolism, Beta

Vela and I were close enough, physically, for the AI to set us up for dream sharing. It chose Vela as the subject and thusly her I could be considered an invader of her subconscious. We were in some sort of barracks.

"Samus, what the hell are you doing in here."

"Virginia decided that it would be good to wire us together for dream sharing. Where are we any way?"

"The barracks where Cassandra and I spent our down time. This is my subconscious environment, don't go messing with things in here."

"I know how dream sharing works. The more I mess with stuff, the more attention I draw to myself, and the more violent your projections become."

A tall woman, about our age, with a healthy skin tone, brunette hair, and dressed in armour similar to Vela's, appeared. She had a tri-rocket launcher at her side and a pistol in her hand.

"Who is this Vela?"

"Cassie this is Samus, we're together."

"Oh so I'm the bisexual cunt, aren't I?"

"First off she's a woman Cassie. Secondly, I did not flirt with your brother. Thirdly, we're together because you are dead and just a projection of my subconscious. And lastly, I'm sorry for calling you that. I loved what we had, but you thought it best to start seeing Juno while we were together."

"Projection, than she must be a dream invader. Sorry, Samus Vela and I want some privacy."

She shot six rounds at me, all of which connected, all of which took about one energy unit off my shielding.

"What the hell, I shot you in the head."

"Your little pieces of lead won't damage my suit much, this however will be fatal to you."

I shot a dozen blast at her, all of which she gracefully dodged.

"Acrobatic little bitch, how about a missile."

"Samus, don't."

"Vela she's not real, none of this is real. She'll return next time you fall asleep, although as a more jealous bitch."

Vela dived at my neck and managed to disengage my helmet. Cassie shot at my head while I was stunned. The dream death caused me to snap awake.

"Harem. Just a fucking harem, that Cassie."

That Vela had not snapped awake, told me that Cassie had not yet killed her. If they did not patch things up, Cassie would make life hell for Vela, by preventing her from entering R.E.M. sleep, unless she could hide for 4 'dream days' each night.

"Hyperspace complete. Travel time: two minutes. Location: Daiban."

"Wow it worked. I guess I should wake Vela."

I lifted her so she was sitting on my arm cannon, my free arm supporting her back, than let her fall on to the bed. The jolt of a falling sensation caused her to awake.

"Samus, how were you in my head?"

"It's called dream sharing. Virginia thought it would be good to hook us up while we slept during hyperspace. Did you and Cassie patch things up?"

"Let's just say we fixed things very passionately."

"I don't want to hear about your sex dream."

"Did the warp work? Are we over Daiban?"

"Yes. Apparently fusing our ships fixed the warp coordinates."

I contacted the registration office, requisitioning for a change in ship registration.

"This is Samus Aran, bounty hunter 13576. I would like to register my ship under a new name."

"What is your reason for changing its register?"

"It's appearance has drastically changed and I have obtained an unregistered co-pilot."

"What is your co-pilots name, age, gender, and occupation?"

"Gemini, Vela. 25. Female. Freelance bounty hunter."

"I'm sorry, what's her name?"

"Gemini, Vela. Golf-Echo-Mike-India-November-India, Victor-Echo-Lima-Alpha."

"All right, please have her step forward for ocular, dental, and fingerprint scans and voice recognition."

Vela took my place in the captain's chair.

"Miss. Gemini, please look into the scanner and hold still. Good, vessel pattern recognized, now open your mouth and point it at the scanner. Dental structure complete, now run you dominate hand over the scanner."

"It's immobilized and in a cast."

"Than use your recessive hand. Scans complete, now repeat after me. November-Papa-Romeo 0,5,7,3."

"November-Papa-Romeo 0,5,7,3."

"All right Miss Gemini, your in the system as a co-pilot and professional partner to Samus Aran, number 47269, for the ship?"

"Gemtroid Huntress. Golf-Echo-Mike-Tango-Romeo-Oscar-India-Delta. Hotel-Uniform-November-Tango-Romeo-Echo-Sierra-Sierra."

"Your good to go. Welcome to the Federation, Miss Gemini."

She clicked off the radio and came to sit with me on the med bay's bed.

"Samus, I've been thinking. We've had sex, our ships are now one, you've been in my head, and I'm officially recognized as your professional partner, why not round off all of this officiousness with a marriage license. We love each other and have worked together for the past several months now, and in a few more months, we'll be a common-law couple."

"Vela. Yes, but just through a justice of the peace to keep it simple."

I called the registers board again and applied for a marriage license.

"Samus Aran, 13576 requisitioning for a marriage license to Vela Gemini, 47269."

"We have an open justice, Justice Starling. Please hold while I get her."

"Samus you wish to marry Gemini, Vela? Vela you wish to marry Samus?"

"Yes we do."

"Than by the power vested in me by the Galactic Federation, I pronounce you Mrs. Aran, and Mrs. Gemini. Just sign the e-certificate on your screen and it will be official."

We signed and sent the certificate to the judge.

"Your honour, before you go I must tell you that your son was KIA on Aether."

She started crying, but clicked us off before she got too weepy. I dissolved my suit, placed my hands upon Vela's hips and kissed her.