Star Fox: The Harmony of the Many

by NamaFox

The Aparoid Wars are over, and the Lylat System is recovering. Team Star Fox receives a distress call from just beyond the edge of the Lylat System. What starts as a rescue mission soon becomes something much more than the team anticipated. Fox McCloud soon finds himself contending with horrors beyond imagination, and it will take all his wits and courage just to survive.

12. Chapter 11 - Return to Medical

Fox knew he was supposed to go to Deck 4 next, but he wanted to make sure Raphael was alright. He didn't like the idea of the injured wolf going alone and getting ambushed. Fox would feel terrible if he unwittingly sent the wolf to his doom, the direct opposite of what Fox had intended in the first place. Of course, he also knew that re-establishing communications with the Great Fox should be his top priority. Many lives might be in the balance.

He believed he could spare a few moments to help Raphael. Perhaps he could get him to some medical supplies, patch him up, and then get out of there. It should be simple enough, and would likely only take a few minutes.

Fox had managed to recharge his weapon at a power station on their way out. The blaster was even more impressive once it was charged. What he had assumed were straight black lines turned out to be something more interesting. With the weapon at full power, a blue glowing light went up the length of the weapon, following the black lines. They were bright and healthy, and he could only assume that it was indicating the level of charge the weapon currently had, how long before he'd need to find another charging station.

It wasn't anything complicated, it was standard on most starships he was familiar with. All energy based weaponry would eventually deplete their batteries. While they didn't need ammunition as other weapons did, thus foregoing the need to reload, infantry and guards still needed to carry spare power packs on the field. Almost every base or ship that contained such weaponry had charging stations scattered throughout that would allow for the immediate recharge of said weapons and energy packs. It was rather convenient, and each battery would last a good while.

At least, they had in the past. On this ship, though, with the way everything seemed to be falling apart, he wouldn't have been surprised if something was wrong with the weapon, or the charging stations. Or both. He didn't know how long the battery would last here, hopefully long enough for Fox to get to another charging station at least. It was certainly better than any weapon he'd had up to this point, save for the blaster he'd come here with, now lost. He still had the maintenance tool. If he ever found any more ammunition for it, it would be a good backup weapon if nothing else.

As they stood in the elevator, Fox glanced at his new companion. The wolf was leaning back against the wall opposite the door, his teeth clenched and his breath coming in and out in a hiss. He was still clutching his side. Fox had yet to get a close look at the wound, but it couldn't be good, whatever it was. The sooner they got it treated, the better. Hopefully it wouldn't take too long.

Fox directed his attention downward to his own feet. He wasn't walking around barefoot anymore, much to his relief. They'd managed to find some good boots about his size on their way out of engineering. Raphael had insisted they stop at one of the abandoned locker rooms on the way out. They didn't stay long, as there was still danger lurking about. Fox got lucky and found some good work boots. They weren't the most comfortable and they weren't his exact size, but they would do.

He just hoped these were the last articles of clothing he'd be losing today.

There was a loud electronic chime as the elevator came to a stop, the doors sliding open. Once again, Fox found himself on the medical / science deck. He didn't like being here. It brought back some very fresh and unpleasant memories. It looked much as he left it the first time. Deserted.

"So..." Fox spoke up before asking Raphael a question. "Where do we need to go?"

"Oh, uh...well, I know a place. This way!"

The wolf didn't go down the corridor that Fox had used before, instead turning to the right and heading to the science ward. At least, that's how it was labeled. Fox couldn't help but question this. "Shouldn't we go the other way for medical attention?"

"Nah, this way is safer. Ever since someone killed that doctor, there's been a lot more of those uh...those things crawling around."

"Ah." Fox didn't bother saying that he was the one responsible for the doctor's death. "How do you know that he's dead?" He asked.

"Got a message from Fara after she left. Told me to steer clear of that wing. Guess those things are doing something down there, I dunno what. They like collecting bodies. I don't know why, but they do. So maybe it has something to do with that? I heard the guy was pretty friggin' crazy."

Fox shuddered as he remembered all of the corpses that he had stumbled into in his desperate bid to escape the doctor's insanity. Apparently he wasn't the only one to notice the lack of bodies in certain sections of the ship. The Many was doing something with them. But what?

Raphael was at a large door, one that appeared to be designed for security. He wasn't sure how they would open it without a code, it was kind of like the ones that held Fox trapped when he first entered this cursed ship. That one had been blown open with explosives before Fox had ever arrived, and he doubted very much that Raphael had anything like that handy. "So how are we getting through here?" Fox asked.

"Easy. I got the magic touch!" Raphael grinned at him, then pressed a series of numbers in the nearby keypad. The door then slid open without protest.

Huh. That was easy.

"The doc gave me some codes if I ever passed this way. As in, our doc, not the crazy one. We should be safe, I don't think any of them have gotten in this wing since it got locked down."

"Yeah, I hope not." Fox followed Raphael in, pistol at the ready. Raphael pressed a button on the other side of the door, causing it to slide shut behind them. That was good, as it meant they wouldn't be followed. "Alright, so where are we going next?"

"Staff quarters. A number of the doctors and scientists had their private quarters here, including Aiten." Raphael pointed toward a nearby door that would proceed deeper into the wing. "I've got codes for most of the offices and rooms here, so I should be able to find something to help."

Fox simply raised his new laser pistol, ready to take aim at any threats that might emerge. He was on full alert, and prepared for whatever might await them. "Alright, let's do this."

Raphael approached the door, pressing the switch gently, and he was immediately rewarded with the hiss of the door opening up. He and Fox both stepped inside, Fox's weapon at the ready. The thing had a light attached to it, which proved its use immediately. The lights in the area weren't working properly. Fox turned from left to right, making sure that the area was secured. So far, Raphael was right. The place was quiet as a tomb. Fox didn't find that to be of much comfort.

"Okay, the staff quarters are to the right, down a little corridor. Shouldn't be anything between us and that."

"Right. I've got your back."

As they moved, Fox started to look around. There was all manner of machinery and various hi-tech devices present. They were unlike anything he had ever seen before! "What is this place? What do they do here?"

"Oh, this is one of their research and development areas, I think." The wolf cleared his throat as they kept moving, talking to Fox as they walked. "Never really been in here, but I knew what they did. They've got a couple on the ship, since that's what keeps the place afloat, or so I've heard. They're always developing and refining technology."

"Did you ever work here?" Fox asked.

"Nah. Told you, I was a test pilot. Fara liked to come down here though. Or to one of them, I don't remember which one. Not sure why she found this place so interesting, but she sure liked to visit whenever she could." He shrugged before continuing. "This stuff was supposed to be kind of hush-hush, but word gets around. And I think they cared more about the info not getting off the ship than anything, they didn't care so much if the crew knew about it."

"I see." Fox frowned as he thought about this. "But isn't that one and the same? If too many of the crew know, and eventually they quit or are discharged, wouldn't that mean they'd take that information with them?"

"Nope!" Raphael shook his head, then grinned at Fox as they walked. "They stick a little something in your brain when you finish your term here. You get paid, and you get paid REALLY well. But they take out most of your memories associated with this place. From what I hear, you remember working here, you remember some of the people, like you know they were your coworkers and stuff. But that's about it. Everything else, you lose when you leave."

"Whoa." Fox blinked his eyes before lowering his gaze, studying the floor as they walked and he mused. "Those seem like some strong measures."

The wolf shrugged. "They let you know when you sign up. They don't try to hide anything from you. You sign a contract and everything. The pay is awesome, so it's worth it if you ask me."

"Uh huh." Fox responded, absently mulling over the matter in his mind, then returned his attention to his surroundings. He had no idea exactly what they were testing in here, but it seemed quite extensive. Laboratory equipment everywhere, formulas and mathematical equations scribbled on white boards. Unfamiliar objects that were in various pieces, likely to have been analyzed. Some of them looked like weapons, but not like any weapon he had ever seen before. Prototypes, perhaps. There were other things, too, objects he was not familiar with. There were some things that looked like organic matter. He had no idea what those were or why they were here.

"Heeeyyyy!" The wolf suddenly stopped, then looked at Fox with a grin. "You sure you haven't been here? Check it out!" He pointed at something to the side, and Fox looked to where he indicated. On the other side of some glass, there was a bust of a head. On that bust was a device very similar to the one that had been grafted onto Fox's skull when he woke up here. What was more, the computer terminal was displaying an in-depth image of the object's appearance inside the head. If it was comparable to the one on Fox, he could see how deep it went. It made small connections to the brain at specific points, and it looked incredibly unpleasant. More than that, it caused him no small amount of alarm to contemplate how difficult it might be to remove the thing.

A great wealth of information was on display here, scrolling holographic text alongside the images. There was a moving diagram showing how the thing was implanted inside the head, how it would attach and then feed information to the recipient. According to the examples given, the implant had a number of potential uses. He knew about the lighting one, that had worked earlier. There was also the cloak, a stealth field of sorts. But according to this, it had any number of other functions. He would supposedly be able to tap into information that would otherwise be unavailable to him. It could increase his strength significantly, along with his speed, agility, reflexes. It boasted an experimental feature that gave the user psycho-kinetic powers. There was even one image displayed of a tall ape raising his paw up, some kind of ball of energy forming in his hand. He then released it, which caused a small explosion in front of him. Fox hadn't tried anything like that, and he wasn't quite sure he wanted to either. In part because he wasn't sure it would work, and in part because if it did, he might hurt himself.

There was something else there. Apparently, one of the problems of the device is that it took a while to start working properly. That would explain why Fox hadn't felt most of these things yet. His speed, strength, stamina, all of that felt the same to him. He wasn't entirely pleased by this fact. That meant that as time went on, he might be feeling more effects from this thing, some good and some bad. It certainly seemed to be a sophisticated piece of equipment.

Raphael kept talking. "Guess you got here first, huh? Makes sense, I figure Star Fox would need the latest and greatest tech to..."

"I didn't ask for this." Fox stated flatly.

"Huh?"

"It wasn't my choice. I woke up with this thing attached in surgery."

"Oh." That was all Raphael could say. He seemed to be a little embarrassed by what he had just said. "I uh...sorry about that."

"It's alright. Hopefully I can get it out later. When this is all said and done."

"Yeah." Raphael sighed, running one hand through the mane on the top of his head. "Well, I'm sure you'll find a way. They wouldn't design something like this to be permanent, that wouldn't make sense!" He paused, looking a bit uncertain. "Right?"

"I guess I'll find out." Fox soon changed the subject, not wanting to think about the matter anymore. "Alright, let's refocus here. What are we looking for?"

"Medical supplies. One of the doctors or staff or somebody will have a kit. I'm sure of it! I'll check these ones here." He gestured to the group of rooms in front of him, all of them secured by simple doors, nothing elaborate, standard stuff in a ship. Raphael looked between the rooms for a bit, then reached up and scratched his mane. "Uh...not sure who these are, but worth a look. I know you're in a hurry, so you go on ahead. Check Aiten's room, okay?"

"Sure thing. Anything I'm looking for?"

"Yeah, just a basic medical kit. Every deck has a few littered throughout in key locations, though most of the easy to access ones are gone now, so the few that are left are in offices, crew quarters, and stuff like that. If not a kit, then ,maybe some basic medical equipment? Like a med-hypo. That's all we need."

This area of the deck was fairly straightforward. To the right of them, what Raphael was planning to check, were a number of personal quarters belonging to various doctors and other staff of the ship, all of which appeared to be abandoned. To the left was a break area, dimly lit by flickering lights. Other than some snacks that were scattered about the room, there didn't appear to be anything of interest in there. If they couldn't find anything elsewhere, perhaps they'd check it out.

Leaving Raphael to search the immediate area, Fox followed the corridor to the end, until he reached the last few rooms on the right. Each door had a label on it, indicating the name of the scientist or doctor who worked there, as well as what they were in charge of. Naturally, he didn't recognize any of the names, but it did give him greater insight into the nature of what they did down here. A doctor "Jane Cottontail" was in charge of weapons development. "Steve Hound" was the director of psychokinetic research. Both of their rooms were locked. Whatever secrets they might contain would remain a mystery forevermore.

At last he came to the door he was looking for. Doctor C. Aiten. Head of Artificial Intelligence Research and Design. He hoped the room wasn't locked. He didn't have a keycard or anything.

Fortunately, the door simply slid open as soon as he got close, so he caught a bit of a break there. As he stepped inside, the lights automatically flickered on, illuminating the room.

Something bad had happened here.

The place was an absolute mess. It looked as though someone had ransacked the place, possibly several someones. There was junk scattered all over the room, the desk was overturned. A simple bed built for a single occupant had been ripped to shreds and turned over on its side. There was a holoscreen on the wall for viewing entertainment, but it appeared to have been damaged. There had been a couple of plants in the room in large ornate vases. Not anymore, though. The vases had been shattered, and the soil and what was left of the plants scattered throughout the room. There were several pieces of art on the wall, or rather devices that had projected holographic displays of famous art. Almost all of them were broken, sparks sputtering out of them as they displayed nothing but images of static. There was another room in the back, a bathroom or washroom or something, but the door was irreparably damaged. It was open an inch or so, but would move no further. Fox had no way of accessing anything beyond that point.

Despite the dreadful state of the room, he couldn't see any evidence of weapons fire or blood. Perhaps no one had been injured or killed, but just because he couldn't see any evidence of it didn't mean it hadn't happened. The place had practically been torn apart. While he couldn't say this for an absolute certainty, Fox had a suspicion that this was not a random act of violence. Whoever or whatever had done this had been looking for something. What was it? Did they find it?

For now, he was more interested in finding a first aid kit, though finding one in this mess was going to be more than a little difficult. He started to sift through the junk on the floor, hoping that maybe a med-kit was mixed in there somewhere. There was so much to go through, though.

He didn't know what the "junk" was, exactly. There were all kinds of scrap parts and strange devices he had never before seen. Considering what the guy was in charge of, he assumed they were all somehow related to A.I. Beyond that, he didn't have the faintest idea. There were all manner of devices present, most of them appearing to be broken. Some looked like storage discs, which seemed straightforward enough. Some of it looked like robotic parts that had been stripped away, some of them looked like small computer chips that were to be placed in something, though he had no idea what. A robot, perhaps? Maybe just a computer of some kind. He wasn't an expert on computers or artificial intelligence. Truth was, nobody on his team was, even Slippy. Granted, the frog probably knew considerably more about the matter than anybody else onboard did, but A.I. wasn't his area of expertise either. Slippy wasn't here anyway, so it wouldn't matter even if he did know.

It did remind him of Slippy's room though. The frog tended to keep things in his room that most people wouldn't. Tools he wanted to fix, data he wanted to sift through in his spare time. It seemed that he and Aiten thought alike in that regard.

There was only one place he hadn't checked, and that was the overturned desk itself. As he studied the thing, he took note of its shape and size. It was probably about as long as him, if he were to lay down on the floor. It was made of some kind of metal, he wasn't sure what. Probably something cheap and serviceable. It didn't look too heavy, so maybe he could prop the thing up.

He dropped to his knees, trying to find a good grip on the thing. He placed one hand on the side of the desk, then wormed his other underneath it. He hissed as it bit into his paw, it was pretty heavy. After securing a grip, he gave a mighty heave, trying to right the thing. He strained and grunted as the desk refused to move. With a low growl and snarl, he put everything he had into it, straining his muscles as he attempted to right the thing. At last, the desk gave a little. It started to move, lifted a bit with his hand. It took almost everything he had, but he managed to slowly lift it and get it upright, letting it crash onto its natural position. It wasn't where it had been when it was overturned, but it was close enough. He panted heavily as he recovered from the rather strenuous effort, then righted the overturned chair behind it, a high-backed gray thing made of synthesized leather that was reasonably comfortable. He just sat there for a bit trying to catch his breath.

Once he had recovered, he started going through the drawers of the desk one by one. There were three small ones to the right, and opening them up revealed nothing of use. There wasn't much of interest.

After checking the three narrow drawers on the right, he reached for the larger cabinet on the left side of the desk. A little involuntary gasp escaped him when he saw what was in it. He was lucky today! There it was, a medical kit! He snatched up the thing, opening it up to see what was inside. Luck continued to be with him! All of the basic supplies necessary for first aid treatment were there. Bandages and gauze, disinfectant, painkillers, even a few medical hypos! That was the good stuff, capable of treating all but the most severe of injuries in a matter of moments.

Well, he had found what he needed here. He was just about to shut the cabinet, but something stopped him. Something was off about that thing. He wasn't sure what, but something in him, some instinct, told him that he was missing something. He opened the cabinet again, staring inside of it. It was barren and had nothing at all inside. Yet the feeling persisted. There was something here that he wasn't seeing.

Then it came to him. The cabinet was too thin, or perhaps too short. Opening the cabinet, the far wall of the drawer was closer to him than it should be. Just to be sure, he got out of the chair and ducked down, looking at the thing from beneath. Sure enough, there was a lot more room in there than what he could see when he opened the drawer. That was weird. Either whoever designed this thing was woefully inefficient and liked wasting space on stuff they built, or...

He stared at the underside of the desk for a bit. He couldn't see anything obvious that stuck out. Maybe if he explored a bit? He started to feel around with his hands, running them across the surface of the underside of the desk, bit by bit, inch by inch. There wasn't anything there. Maybe his hunch was off. Maybe it really was just a poorly designed desk. Well, it wouldn't be the first time he was wrong.

He felt something, something that didn't match the rest of the desk's surface. It was small, barely able to be felt. But it was there. He pressed his finger against it. This spot, whatever it was, looked exactly the same as the rest of the desk, no one would ever know it was there unless they already knew about it. Or if they were clever enough to search like Fox. The object gave a little in response to Fox's touch, and he heard a soft clicking noise coming from the cabinet. Now he was getting somewhere!

Repositioning himself so he had a better view, he pulled the drawer back. There was something different this time. What had once been blocked was now clear, the barrier having folded up and revealing what was on the other side.

There wasn't much there. How could there be? There wasn't a lot of room in the secret compartment. Fox would be rewarded for his efforts nonetheless. There were two objects in there. One of them was some kind of sphere, the other was a small rectangular device. He picked that up first, examining the thing. It looked rather similar to some of the audio logs that other members of the crew had left behind. He'd listen to it in a moment.

He was far more curious about the sphere. What was it? Why had it been hidden away in this secret compartment? What was so important about it? Well, it was time to investigate that!

The small globe-like object was made of a material that was cold and firm, some kind of steel. It was smooth all around, and it was about the size of Fox's fist. He continued to run his fingers along its surface, trying to figure out precisely what it was and if it had an obvious use. He found one of the cracks, circling around the equator. He held the thing up to get a better look. It seemed to be a container of some sort, it looked like it was supposed to open up somehow. He couldn't really see anything, nothing distinct about it or any obvious way to open the thing up. Yet he knew they had to be there. There had to be a way to open the thing. The gap was too small, he couldn't fit his finger or anything else in the space, thus rendering it impossible to pry open. It was a little frustrating.

There had to be more to it. It would be ridiculous if whoever made this thing had designed it in such a way that it was so difficult to open each and every time. He furrowed his eyebrows as he continued, concentrating on finding any way to get the thing open. It had been hard enough just to locate the object in the first place, to find that secret compartment that housed the thing. Now he had to open this strange sphere, yet he couldn't find any obvious method of doing so.

He tried twisting and turning the thing, holding the lower half in place while he tugged on the upper part. Then he tried the reverse, all to no effect. He tried to force the opposing points together, hoping that would unlock it somehow, like that finger-trap Slippy had been stuck in while on leave one time. No matter what he tried, he always got the same results. It simply would not open.

He sighed, frustrated, massaging his forehead with one paw while he grumbled to himself. He was about ready to give up. There were other ways he could think of to try and open the thing, but most of them involved more force, perhaps weapons fire. He couldn't do that, though. If there was anything of importance in there, he didn't want to risk damaging it. And -somebody- had thought this was important enough to hide and lock in a secret compartment, and presumably the same person had put it in the seemingly impenetrable sphere. Someone wouldn't go through all that trouble for a grocery list.

Fox decided to set it aside for now. Placing the orb on the surface of the desk, he turned his attention to the other time that he had uncovered, the audio log. He held the log to his wrist, its stored information immediately downloaded upon close proximity, at least after Fox had pressed the proper button. Once it was done, Fox set the log back where he found it before pressing his finger against his own PDA. He was immediately rewarded with a voice. A very familiar voice.

Doctor Aiten.

"I...I don't know who to turn to this at point." Though the voice did sound like Aiten, it also sounded very different. It was in a tone Fox had never once heard from the man as he guided Fox along on his mission. It was much more uncertain, hesitant. Strange, Fox thought to himself. Still, it was quite clearly his voice. There was no doubt in Fox's mind. Perhaps he was more pleasant to converse with before whatever it was that happened here. "Ever since Evan brought me that sphere from the wrecked spacecraft on one of the moons of the planet we've been orbiting, Cetau V, I've been examining it. I don't know what it's made of. I've never seen anything like it before. Yet from the description he gave of the eggs around it, well...I'm not entirely sure what the connection is. Not yet."

Eggs? What eggs? Fox had no idea what he was talking about. He didn't have much time to wonder before Aiten moved on. "I've managed to open the thing. It had something inside, something I've not seen before. At first I thought it was a mere data disk, something for storing information and nothing more. I analyzed it, of course. On closer examination, I realized that it doesn't just contain information, it's...some kind of artificial intelligence. It even speaks Cornerian. I managed to dig this out of the code."

What followed was a stream of almost unintelligible gibberish and other loud noises. There was a fluctuating electronic squeal, combined with the sound of static that made Fox wince. It seemed to be nothing, but every so often, a word would come through, a word which Fox actually understood. Only one word, over and over again. The voice was far too distorted to give Fox any indication of whether he had heard it before or not. "Insolence...insolence! Insolence!"

The sound abruptly ended, and Aiten continued. "It gets worse. Someone ransacked my quarters earlier today. I think they were looking for this. I don't know who did this, and I don't know who to trust. Everyone's acting strange. I hear that violence has erupted in several key sectors across the ship. No one knows what's going on. Just conjecture and rumor."

"The science ward is being temporarily sealed in compliance with company protocol, to ensure none of the more sensitive research is compromised. I've tried to file a protest, but so far I have received no response. I don't know what's happening on the bridge. We've heard nothing from the captain or anyone else up there during this time. Now I no longer feel safe in my own quarters."

"On top of everything else, DARIUS is behaving strangely. I would take care of that myself, it's my field after all, but I'm not even allowed to go to the central core. I'm convinced that someone has hacked into it, but DARIUS won't even talk to me anymore. Every day new restrictions are placed. Hydroponics is sealed off, the AI core is guarded by heavy security bots." The voice faded out for a while. All Fox could hear was the man's breathing, in and out. Perhaps he had been trying to calm his nerves. Eventually he resumed. "I'm going to my personal office on Deck 4. It's more secure than down here. I'm going to lock the door until I figure out what the heck is going on and what to do. I've got to learn more about this thing. I'm going to run some tests, see just what we're dealing with. It's all connected, I know it. The eggs. The strange behavior on board . This AI. Whatever is going on here, this is at the center of it. I know it."

There was an audible click as the transmission came to an end. There was nothing more.

This didn't really answer any of his questions. If anything, they simply made more. So there were eggs somewhere aboard ship. Where were they? When were they brought aboard and why? In addition, who was it that ransacked this room? It could have been someone under the influence of the Many. Perhaps it was a member of the crew with their own agenda?

There was no way to know, not for a certainty. Apparently the doctor had been successful at least in getting to Deck 4. Perhaps he had gotten to his office and assumed control, maybe armed with the new knowledge at his disposal. If Aiten had managed to barricade himself somewhere safe, had others done so as well? Perhaps there were other survivors elsewhere on the ship, maybe there would be more to rescue. Fox hoped that he could find them before anyone else did, assuming there were any to be found of course.

He had the med-kit, now he just had to find Raphael and get him treated before moving on. He left the audio log where he found it, having no further use for the thing, as he had already downloaded it into his PDA. He had momentarily forgotten about the sphere, only reminded of it when he brushed his arm against it, accidentally sending it toppling to the floor. It landed with a loud thump, bouncing a couple of times before coming to rest.

Much to Fox's shock, the thing had popped open. He wasn't sure if the fall had jostled it or if in some bizarre coincidence it had landed in a precise manner in which it needed to be opened. Either way, the device popped open for him, revealing...

Nothing.

Fox groaned, grumbling to himself about what a waste of time this had been. He'd spent all that time trying to open it and there wasn't even anything inside! It was likely that Aiten had it, whatever it was. What a waste. Before exiting, Fox kicked the thing across the floor, which bounced off the wall and nearly hit him on its way back. Deciding to cut his losses, he just left the thing behind in Aiten's quarters.

It didn't take him long to find Raphael. He wasn't far from the room Fox had seen him last. He only had to check a couple more doors before he found the wolf. He must have searched the quarters, as he was now poking around some of the offices that apparently were part of their "Bio-science division", whatever that was. Fortunately, Fox could see inside, as it had a large window by the door. The lights were bright, and Fox could see some strange plants growing in neat little rows by the door. Fox had never seen most of them before. Not that he would know all the plants on every world he had visited, but these still looked quite alien to him. They certainly didn't come from Corneria.

Raphael could be seen in the back, rummaging around through a couple of desks and drawers. Fox watched for a moment, then walked to the door, which slid open as soon as he approached. He could hear the wolf moving around before growing quiet, then Fox heard him call out, "Fox? Is that you?"

"Yeah, it's me." Fox affirmed. "I found a med-kit."

"Oh, you're a lifesaver!" The wolf stood up from where he had been crouched, then limped over to Fox, extending his paw. Fox immediately handed him the kit, and the wolf opened it up before withdrawing a medical hypo. He applied it to his arm, grunting as it emitted a hissing sound. Fox wasn't entirely sure how the things worked, he just knew they did their job well. He believed it involved some kind of medical enzyme that entered the blood stream, repairing damage from the inside out. It worked fast, could cure moderate wounds adequately, but was not intended to replace treatment for more severe injuries. There were also some downsides. They were very expensive, for one. The healing also didn't last long. Seconds, maybe a few minutes. Long enough to do some healing before dissolving into nothingness or being absorbed into the body.

Of course, the wound didn't entirely close up, but in a matter of moments, it looked remarkably better than it had previous. The wolf breathed a heavy sigh of relief, dropping the now empty hypo to the floor. He looked like he was about to sink down himself, his tongue hanging out of his mouth and a much, much more pleased expression on his face. "Ohhhh...that's better. That's a lot better."

Fox nodded. "I'm glad you're okay. Now I've got to get to Deck 4, Doctor Aiten is going to help me communicate with my team." He patted his pocket, which housed the component needed to repair the communications relay. "Once I'm contact with them, maybe I can get any survivors out of this mess."

"Oh yeah!" The wolf smiled. "That sounds great. I'll join you! You might could use a helping paw. It's the least I can do. You saved my life, after all." The wolf's expression momentarily turned more somber, the mirthful smile fading somewhat as he stared at Fox before offering a bow of his head. His next words were delivered without even a hint of humor, perhaps wishing to convey just how sincere he was. "Thank you, Fox. I owe you a debt that I can never repay."

The change in his demeanor surprised Fox. He hadn't known the wolf for very long, but it was long enough to get the impression that Raphael tended to look at life with a sense of humor. Fox was quiet for a moment before answering, shrugging his shoulders as he did so. "Just doing my job. Now let's get out of here."

The two proceeded down the path they came from, leaving the personnel quarters and the science ward behind them. It should be a strait trek from where they were to the elevator. They'd just have to get through the door that led here, then take a quick turn to the elevator and get out. It should be easy enough.

The door had closed behind them when they went off to explore the ward. Raphael went up to the panel on the side, putting in the same number combination they had used to get in before.

The only response they got was a low-pitched blaring sound The door did not move.

"Huh." Raphael narrowed his eyes, then typed in the passcode again. The door didn't budge, and that same error sound could be heard again. Raphael growled quietly, giving it another try. Before he could finish, Fox and Raphael heard a low mechanical voice speaking. A voice which Fox had come to hate. The voice was all but emotionless, speaking in that same faint accent that it always did, an accent that reminded Fox vaguely of Krystal's.

"Attention. This is DARIUS. Unauthorized access detected in Deck 2, Sector 4. A security detail is en route to this position. Intruder, please remain where you are. Attempting to escape will result in immediate termination of employment. We thank you for your cooperation."

A trap!

It didn't take long for a follow-up. He could hear footsteps on the other side of the door. And Fox knew exactly what was coming next. "Raphael, get back!" He shouted, quickly backpedaling. He watched the wolf try to enter the pass code one last time, but before he could even finish, the door started to open on its own accord.

Or rather, it opened for whoever was on the other side.

Thankfully, the large door was slow to move, giving Fox and Raphael time to reposition. Fox was the first into place, rounding a corner that would head to the lab, then pressing himself against the wall, turning his head so that he could peer at the door as it opened. Fox reached for his blaster, removing it from its holster, holding it parallel to his head. He checked the charge on it. Still full. That was good. He had absolutely no idea what was on the other side of that door, and he didn't know how well they were armed.

"What do we do?" Raphael asked, his voice low and filled with worry.

"Is there another way out of here?" Fox asked. "I don't think we should..."

He wasn't able to finish that sentence. The door was open just enough for one of those things to crawl through. It was a bird, one with green feathers. Tall and strong looking. He was holding an iron pipe, quickly rising to his knees and charging forward. Fox wasn't sure if he knew they were there or not, but either way, it would simpler to just drop him. Fox rounded the corner and took careful aim at the attacker.

Their assailant was clearly infected by whatever had claimed this ship. His chest cavity was open, revealing his organs as he moved. A thick worm was wrapped around his neck, its lower half embedded directly into his nervous system. His eyes were empty, yet still he spoke, his voice twisted, rising and falling in an unnatural manner, inflection and tone changing with each utterance, sometimes sounding as though there were more than one speaker. "We do not welcome you! Die, die, DIE!"

Well, that was all Fox needed to hear. He squeezed the trigger, letting loose a blaster bolt that penetrated the bird's skull. The attacker staggered. Perhaps he would have fallen there, but Fox remembered all the times he had underestimated these things before. Not this time. He squeezed the trigger again and again, firing a series of bolts directly into the now reeling crew-member. He crumpled up with a scream, then went still.

One down.

The others wouldn't be so easy. Fox looked up just in time to see more of them. The door was open now, and they were stepping through. He wasn't sure just how many there were, half a dozen at least. Worse yet, they were armed with a lot more than pipes and wrenches. He ducked his head back down just before the booming echo of a shotgun filled his ears. They could not stay here.

He turned to Raphael. The wolf's eyes were wide, and he seemed to be near a state of panic. Fox had to snap him out of it! He gave the wolf a nudge. "Get us to another exit! Now!"

The wolf blinked, then rapidly shook his head before taking off, running down the corridor they had just explored earlier. Fox quickly followed him, keeping his sight on where the enemy would soon emerge. He only managed to get a few steps before one of them rounded the corner at a full sprint, firing another round with his shotgun. Thankfully, his aim was poor, moving too fast to get a good shot at Fox.

Fox didn't have such a problem. He aimed and fired a handful of rounds at the enemy. He missed with his first shot, but the other two connected, and the thing roared in pain, its shotgun clattering to the floor. Fox wasn't sure if he had killed it, but at least he had stopped it from shooting at them for the moment.

He wouldn't have long to celebrate that victory though. Two more rounded the corner, and he could hear others behind them. He fired a couple of shots in their direction, then turned tail and fled, racing behind Raphael as fast as he could. He heard more gunshots, one of the bullets whizzing right past his head. "Lucky..." He mumbled to himself.

He wondered if Raphael knew where he was going. They were making a mad dash to what he hoped would be safety. Fortunately, they weren't running in a straight line. They rounded a corner, then shortly afterward, rounded another. That was the only thing that prevented their pursuers a clear shot. Fox and Raphael did everything they could to slow their pursuers down. Raphael grabbed hold of a vending machine as they ran past the break room, straining and heaving the thing to the side as soon as they had cleared it, letting it fall with a heavy crash. Fox wasn't sure how effective it would be, but perhaps it would buy them a moment or two.

"How much farther?" Fox asked.

"Not far." Raphael was panting, perhaps from the strain of their run, or perhaps due to still recovering from his injuries. "We're...we're close! Just...a bit further!"

Fox glanced over his shoulder, only to see even more of the hybrids barreling around the corner. He quickly fired a few shots, though he didn't have time to aim properly. Most of them went wild as he ran, though one of them managed to catch a target in the side, some sort of feline. He didn't even have time to check how damaged she was. He just kept running, focused on Raphael.

At last they came to a long corridor, and Raphael slowed down. Though the corridor continued on towards the private quarters of the staff, there was a door on the immediate right. Fox had no idea where it went, but apparently that was where they were supposed to go, as Raphael stopped there. The door appeared to be quite secure, similar in make to the one they had used to enter this wing of the medical ward. It would be almost impossible to break through the thing. They'd be in serious trouble if the door wouldn't open.

Raphael immediately reached for his keycard, hastily bringing it up to the scanner. "You gotta buy me some time Fox! Even if I get this door open, it ain't a fast one!"

Fox nodded in response. Thankfully, the two of them had a little cover. The door was in an alcove, allowing Fox to duck behind the wall as Raphael worked. The wolf used his keycard, swiping it over the thing. The light turned green, but the door didn't move.

"Ah shoot, it's not working! I'm gonna try a few codes!"

"Hurry up!" Fox growled, peeking around the corner. The heavy footfalls and unsettling voices were getting closer. They'd be rounding the corner any moment. They did not have time for this! There were too many for Fox to take on alone. Far too many.

The hybrids didn't all charge around the corner at once, instead moving at varying speeds. They may have separated somewhat in the maze of corridors while looking for Fox and Raphael. It wouldn't be long before they converged. For now, only two rounded the corner, yelling at the top of their lungs. "Your song is not ours! We do not welcome you!" Fox had time to squeeze off one round from his pistol before having to duck, a hail of gunfire embedding into the wall opposite of him. That was close, they almost took his head off with that attack.

The two enemies were armed with a shotgun and pistol respectively. The closer they got, the more difficult it would be for Fox to win this engagement, especially if the shotgunner closed the distance. He took a deep breath. Alright Fox, you've got this. This is what you're trained for. That was only half true, he was a pilot first and foremost, but he needed the confidence boost. Besides, he was skilled in the use of firearms.

The footsteps were louder. They were getting close, very close. If he was going to do something, now was the time.

Here we go.

Fox dove to the side, rolling in the hallway as he attempted to reposition. Another discharge of the shotgun, another couple of rounds from the pistol. All of them missed. He got up to his knees, aimed at the two charging hybrids, a lizard and dog, then simply unloaded. He alternated between each shot, striking each of them squarely in the upper body. Even though the shots would be lethal to a normal person, it didn't kill them. Fortunately, though they didn't die easily, they were still able to be stunned and wounded. Neither of them fired back, staggering as they bore the brunt of Fox's assault. He didn't let up. Once they were both staggered, he aimed at the one bearing the shotgun and unloaded a barrage of fire into him, the blasts catching his chest and even his head. He screamed in agony, then crumpled to the floor, twitching violently. Fox turned to the other, shifting to the side as it fired its pistol at him. It missed Fox. Fox didn't. He fired into its chest, then aimed for the head, squeezing off two more shots. He did hit the head once, which was probably enough to kill it, but he also managed to hit that thick, disgusting worm wrapped around the monster's neck. There was a high pitched grating squeal as the hybrid fell to its knees. The worm was vibrating, and an ungodly shriek emanated from the thing. Blood pooled around it as the hybrid's eyes rolled up. It fell backwards, sprawled out on the floor. It was done.

Something happened that surprised Fox. The hybrid raised its head, and for the first time since he had ever seen these things, its eyes seemed to have focus, clarity that they didn't normally possess. He looked directly at Fox, blood trickling from his mouth. He raised his hand, and for a moment Fox thought he was going to shoot at him. But the gun clattered to the floor, and it left the hybrid merely pointing at him. He spoke only two words, words that Fox would never be able to put out of his mind.

"Thank...you..."

The hybrid's head fell back, his grip loosened on his pistol. And the thing...no, the person, was dead, his final breath expelled in a strained, torturous manner.

It was only now that Fox began to truly comprehend what he was facing in these things. He had hoped that whatever had taken control of them had more or less killed the host, or at least kept it dormant or subdued to an extent that they were not aware of what was happening around them.

This was not true.

They were aware. It now began to seem to Fox that they knew what they were doing and they were powerless to stop. Just like what the Aparoids had done to General Pepper.

Closing his eyes for a moment, he clenched his fist. So many people lost to this...thing. This entity. The Many, as it called itself. How many more would it destroy? How many more would it claim, taking their minds and making them helpless witnesses and participants to such atrocities?

He was soon stirred out of his thoughts by other footsteps. Raphael was shouting at him now. "Come on! We've got to go! It's opening!"

More of those things rounded the corner, brandishing weapons and screaming. He wasn't sure how many, far too many for him to handle alone. He scrambled to his feet and rushed toward the wolf, gunshots echoing behind them.

The door was sliding open, and the gap was now just barely big enough for them to squeeze through. As soon as Fox and Raphael were both clear, the wolf slammed his fist on the panel, trying to get the door to close. And while it did attempt to, the hybrids were already there. They couldn't fit through, but they were throwing themselves against the door, blocking it from shutting with their arms and limbs. The door must have had some safety to prevent it from crushing them. It would not hold them back for long. Already the door seemed to be giving way.

The creatures were growling and snarling, all of them desperate to get to the other side, to tear the fox and the wolf to shreds.

The two were not far from the elevator. "Come on!" Raphael beckoned to Fox, then took off down the corridor toward the way out. Fox nodded, but didn't leave just yet. He aimed at the mass of bodies trying to squeeze through the door. Then he just started firing. Over and over and over again, launching one laser blast after another from his pistol. There were shrieks of pain and agony as he did so. He couldn't tell if he got any kills or not, but at the very least, he did some damage to them. The door started to give way, being forced open by the mass. He couldn't stay here. Time to go.

He made a dash down the corridor toward Raphael, trusting and following the wolf to what he hoped would be safety. He recognized where they were, this was somewhere in the wing where he had met the doctor. The door that they just emerged from had been locked, so Fox had no way to access it before. They weren't far now. Just a little bit further.

Fox half expected them to round the corner and be face to face with another army of those things, and he was never happier to be proven wrong. They had a clear path to the elevator. They heard the groan of metal and and a roar behind them. The door must have given way. Fox and Raphael had no time to lose. They made it to the elevator, Raphael smacking the button with his fist over and over again until it finally opened. The two got inside, just in time for more of the Hybrids to round the corner from where they had just come from. As Raphael hit the switch to go to Deck 4. Fox fired a few rounds into the onrushing crowd. They fired back. Fox scored a few hits, nothing fatal. And the enemy somehow missed entirely as the elevator doors drew to a close. They could hear them beating on the elevator door for a brief moment, then the elevator started to move. The noise of the hostile hybrids faded away, and then was gone. Raphael slumped down, sliding his back against the wall until he was on his haunches, trying to catch his breath. While Fox didn't give any indication of his own fear, his heart was hammering in his chest, so loud that he was certain the wolf should hear it. They both thanked their lucky stars that they were still alive.