Foreword from the author: I have attached a reply to a recent review in the chapter notes here.
Bodies
Adjusting to the training needs of her crew was difficult for Samus at first. She's so used to handling her own routine that assigning one to someone else is alien to her. However, she quickly realized it was more than mere exercise her crew needs. They need direction; they need team drills. Constant practice and vigilance, no different from her.
Every day aboard the Crosshair starts the same. Samus finds a safe spot to park the ship and calls everyone to the cargo bay, Dr. Jha included. She starts everyone off slow with some warm-ups; slow going stretches and gentle calisthenics. Then she excuses Kaia and begins more intensive routines. Full-body exercises, combat drills, target practice with their onboard VR system, team coordination. She's grown to understand the bodies of her team by leading them during these exercises.
Kaia, for her part, shows an appreciation for her inclusion. She still shows up in flowing, colorful attire like robes and long skirts, but Samus has gotten her to stop showing up wearing jewelry. She lets her take her own pace through their warmups. Afterward, Kaia sometimes stays and watches Samus interact with the crew. It unnerves Samus to feel her eyes on her like that, but she knows it's just to gauge her progress.
Arrande takes everything she throws at him in stride. Samus doesn't hesitate to put him through his paces, but there's never a word of complaint from him. At most he'll give a coy grin as though to say 'Is that all you've got?' He moves with a steady confidence that comes from years of these exact drills, well-toned muscles reflecting a hard-coded diligence his independent streak hasn't dulled. While he's occupied focusing on a particularly demanding exercise, Samus often makes passing glances at him, admiring his well-built, attractive physique. Regardless of her irritation with him, he's still pleasant to look at. Watching him exert himself lets her indulge in an animal instinct without risking too much.
Adrian struggled for the first several weeks. She's nowhere near as fit as Arrande or Chowa, though she's far from a doughy, lax civilian. She'd often hit her breaking point midway through each exercise; Samus didn't hold back her expectations, and set the bar high. Ever determined, Adrian would try to push on, to the point Samus would have to tell her to stop before she hurt herself. Now she's able to keep up with the rest of the crew, though still the first to hit her limit. Her motions are still stiff and unsure; Samus notes she needs to take more time in the holding positions of each exercise. But her spirit is admirable.
Yet Samus still has trouble challenging Chowa. They're older and more experienced, and their powerful build makes exercises for humans look like little more than play. Everything she tries - adding worn weights, challenging Chowa to balance free weights during exercises - none of it seems to slow them down. Throughout all of it, Chowa's movements are fluid and smooth, appearing effortless. Samus resigns herself to the inevitability of needing to buy specialty gear for them.
She cycles different drills depending on the day and what she believes needs improvement. Today, that means hand to hand training. They've arranged a series of training mats in a square on the floor and doled out protective padding for the participants; arm, leg, and headgear as appropriate. Samus wears some of her favorite athletic wear today, a high-cut dark blue tank top showcasing her toned abs and a matching set of shorts. She watches from the sidelines as Adrian and Arrande square off, commenting on their stances and occasionally stepping in to demonstrate a hold or strike. Chowa is exempt from these exercises; she knows how that would go down.
Adrian is in the same outfit she wears for every one of these sessions; tight black athletic pants and a plain grey tank top. Samus swears she must own several weeks' worth, because she never comes wearing anything else. Her movements are sluggish from this morning's exercise, and her footwork is terrible. "Adrian, keep moving those feet," Samus calls out. "You're planting yourself again. Arrande is just going to move outside your comfort zone to take the advantage."
The younger woman is cautious, and far too reactive in a fight. She sits and waits for an opportunity to counter instead of pressing her advantage when she has it. Despite that, she has one solid strength. The hits she's gotten on Arrande have been heavy. She doesn't just wait for an opening and flail; she targets joints and key pressure points, trying to take the fight out of her opponent.
"Hey, if she wants to keep making the same mistake, let her. She'll learn eventually," Arrande says casually. His athletic shorts match the black tank top bearing the GFA insignia, hugging tight to his body. Compared to Adrian's fatigued state, Arrande is the picture of composure, moving like a man who has never questioned his place in the galaxy.
Samus can peer through the veneer however - a thin sheen of sweat makes his muscles glisten under the cargo bay lights, betraying his actual exhaustion. He has no problem being aggressive; He favors hit-and-run attacks to wear his opponent down. Samus can see him mapping out his plan of attack before every engagement, and the moment he starts to execute it. However…
"Don't get cocky," Samus chides. "You're moving around too much. You're gassing yourself out. A long fight is a bad one."
"Not all of us have superhuman stamina, captain," he playfully shoots back. "Besides, I'm not worried. When are you going to actually throw a punch, civvie?" he taunts Adrian.
His heckling has its intended effect. Adrian grits her teeth and steps in for a hook. Samus sees what's about to happen before it does. Arrande ducks the offending arm, hooks it in his, and steps around Adrian's side. Before she can correct her position, he trips her leading foot while pushing just behind her attacking shoulder, knocking her face-first to the ground. Before she can rise again, his foot stomps down just next to her head.
Adrian glares up at him. "Are you just gonna keep throwing that in my face?"
He chuckles and smirks. "Only when I feel like it. I'm adjusting." He offers her a hand to help her up, which she accepts with a resigned scowl.
"Alright, that's enough for now," Samus calls, her tone falling. "Shower off and suit up. I'll see you two on the bridge." She turns for the main hall, but Arrande calls out to her.
"Wait a minute there, cap-i-tan." He stands straight and approaches the edge of the makeshift ring, wiping sweat from his brow and grinning. Samus meets his eyes, glinting like rubies under the cargo bay lights. "You're awfully full of yourself, standing on the sidelines and barking instructions at our illustrious lieutenant. The most physical thing you've done today is show us stances and footwork! Too good to jump in here and give a live demonstration?" Adrian's eyes go wide and she takes a few precautionary steps away from him as he digs his hole.
Samus stares hard at him over her shoulder for a good long while, then gives a half shrug. "I guess you have a point. Alright, Arrande," she says, meeting his eyes and approaching, "Get in your corner." She flings her towel from around her shoulders, away from the ring.
His face registers shock for a moment, but he plays it off. "W-well I meant against her, but sure, she could probably use a break." He walks over to his corner. This was not what he wanted at all. He was just trying to tease her a bit, not goad her into a match.
"Adrian! Throw me your gloves and helmet," Samus demands, holding an open hand up. Adrian tosses them to her and heads to the doorway to the main hall.
"Wait, you can't leave! I'm doing this for your sake!" Arrande complains.
Adrian, already at the doorway, shakes her head. "I'm not leaving." She turns her head back down the hall and shouts into the common area, "Hey! The Captain is about to kick Arrande's ass!" There's a sudden great shifting and movement from the other side of the ship as Chowa and Kaia scramble to get to the storage bay.
Kaia arrives first, huffing. "Now wait a moment, you two- oh. I thought you meant… hm. I might as well sit in and supervise." Samus catches the look Dr. Jha gives her; worry. She shakes her head subtly, trying to assuage any concerns. Chowa steps around Kaia without a word, curious to see Samus' technique.
Arrande shakes himself loose. He falls back on time-tested assessment techniques to ease himself into things. She's taller and has better reach. I probably have better upper body strength… probably. So if I can get her in a grapple, I'll have the advantage. With the length of her limbs, once I have leverage-
Samus interrupts his interior rambling. "You all done over there, or should I give you more time to psych yourself up?"
He snaps back to and sees her wearing shin, knee, and footpads in addition to the usual gear. "Yeah, I'm… should I be putting those on?"
She shrugs. "Depends. Are you planning on using them?"
That's disconcerting. "… no."
"Then to your mark."
She steps forward and raises her hands into a protective position. Arrande has no choice but to match her. This won't be that hard. She's used to fighting at range in armor. She'll be a pushov-
A sudden left jab toward his face catches him off guard. He barely sways back before her leading foot finds his and sweeps it from under him. Arrande stumbles back, catching himself. If he hadn't been putting his weight on his back foot, he'd be on the ground already.
Her eyes lock on his, that intense blue boring through his confident façade. She holds her position, and he understands what she's saying; that was only a test. He needs to get his mind on the moment. Arrande steps back in with measured caution, eyes locked on hers.
Samus observes his reaction. Good, now he's paying attention. She focuses on him, to the point their bystanders melt away. She analyzes where his eyes move, the tension in his muscles, the strong outline of his clavicle under his sweat-drenched top, the way it clings to his chest- no. Focus.
He ducks low and feints to her right, twisting himself to hide the uppercut he's trying to throw into her ribs. She sidesteps away, chambering her right leg in the same smooth movement. His eyes widen as he scrambles from offense to defense, adjusting his right arm to block his face.
Her kick lands like a lightning bolt against his guarding arm, sending him tumbling to the edge of the ring. Adrian hisses and utters a low "Ooh."
Dr. Jha can't hide her concern. "Samus, that is a little excessive."
"He's fine. Aren't you, Arrande?" she asks nonchalantly, beginning to remove the protective pads.
His right ear rings. If it weren't for the padding, he's sure she would have broken his arm. "Yeah, I am. I can keep going."
Samus pauses mid-removal of her arm guard. "… I'm not so sure-"
Arrande smiles and walks back toward her with wide open arms. "You got a lucky shot in. I can take you."
At that, she yanks the bindings of her arm guard tight. "Alright then. Show me."
He puts his guard up and approaches his starting position again. There's a moment of calm as the two lock eyes again. Then, a flurry of movement. A punch, a block, a knee, a dodge. The two trade gambits back and forth, trying to outdo each other. Each of them sees this as more than a mere exercise. Samus wants to put him in his place. Arrande wants to prove his competence as a man.
He baits her into another kick, this time ducking and catching her leg as it sweeps above him. He twists onto the ground, dragging her down with him and rolling her onto her front. Pulling her leg up, he applies torque to her foot to force a submission. His labored breaths blow his hair out of his face. "You give up?"
On anybody else, he'd have a winning position here. On Samus, the way he twists her foot is little more than a stretch; he's being far too gentle. He should know how flexible she is. All he's really doing is setting himself up for her counterattack.
She braces herself against the mat and kicks up with her free leg in a manner similar to a scorpion's sting, striking Arrande in the back of the head. The shock knocks his grip loose enough that she pulls her foot free and rolls upward on the mat. Arrande only just avoids getting caught between her legs, which doubtless would have ended of the match. He rolls back up into a ready position and brings his guard up while Samus cartwheels back onto her feet in a movement so natural it looks effortless.
"That's not going to work," she coolly states. The confidence of her response gives the very clear impression that Arrande can't win.
Yet he's not one to give up.
Arrande breathes hard as he tries to reevaluate his strategy. He realizes his mistake too late. In the fury of their trades, he's exhausted himself. As he watches her even, controlled breathing, he knows she's not even winded. If he's going to win this, and he wants to win this, he's going to have to end it fast.
As though reading his mind, Samus presses her offensive, not content to let him catch his second wind. She'll give him this; he stays mobile, ducking around getting cornered by her. "You can give up any time," she taunts, stoic, not missing a beat in the rhythm of her assault.
Arrande doesn't respond. He doesn't have the air to. He's getting light-headed from all the bobbing and weaving. She lands more and more blows against his guard, whittling down his reserves, and his counterattack attempts grow fewer and fewer in frequency. Bit by bit, he's driven to the edge of the mat.
He throws a lethargic haymaker out, slow enough she's able to catch it and twist his arm into a hold of her own. He can see her other hand already cocked back for a finishing blow. In a desperate move, he wrenches forward and headbutts her in the face. Their onlookers gasp. Samus releases her hold and staggers backward, hand on her nose. Rich iron drowns her sense of smell.
Arrande balks. "Shit… I didn't mean to do that! It was a reflex!"
Samus pulls her hand back and looks at her fingertips. Bright red blood stains them. She grits her teeth, squares her jaw, and stares daggers at Arrande. He falls gravely quiet as he takes in his handiwork. Her perfect, symmetrical nose has been knocked very askew on her face. That, paired with the burning rage in her eyes right now, gives her an uncharacteristically ugly, vicious countenance.
She takes a few steps toward Arrande, fists clenched and trembling. He can feel the world falling out from under him. This is it, this is his one strike. All because he had to run his mouth.
And she passes him. Not a word spoken.
Arrande stands there, slack-armed and stunned. Samus stalks past the others on her way out of the cargo bay, passing Kaia first, who was already midway through interposing herself between them to prevent what she suspected was about to be a very bloody fallout.
Once he's sure she's out of earshot, Arrande turns to the others. "I thought… I thought I was dead…"
Adrian looks like she can't decide what she feels more; relief or anger. "Give it time. The day's still young."
000
Arrande, at the insistence of Dr. Jha, walks to the med bay next to the crew lounge. The double doors loom ahead of him, radiating hostility. Despite knowing what he has to do, he takes his time, hoping every second will cool his boss's fury.
The door opens automatically for him as he gets close. The med bay is what one might expect; pale, sterile, with many wall-mounted, secured and lockable drawers and cupboards filled with all sorts of medical gear. A reclining examination chair and three stationary patient beds take up most of the floor space.
Samus has her back turned to the door, staring into a mirror. She spots Arrande lingering, but focuses on resetting her nose. A small pen-sized device with a glowing blue tip shines pale light on the injury. With every minor adjustment, Arrande can hear cartilage popping.
"Captain Aran… Ma'am. I want to formally apologize for injuring you," he mumbles, looking halfway between a guilty dog and a scared child.
With another nerve-wracking snap, Samus finishes setting her nose. She grabs some swabs from a nearby cupboard of medical supplies and wipes the blood from her upper lip. Checking a nearby mirror, it's as though he hadn't brutally marred her beautiful face. She looks no different than she did this morning. "We were sparring. It happens." Despite her dismissal, her tone doesn't set him at ease. She doesn't turn to face him.
"… are you okay? Can I help-"
"I'm fine. It's handled. Get showered off and suited up and be on the bridge in twenty." She continues to face away from him.
"… yes Ma'am." With that, he leaves the med bay, still uneasy.
Samus continues to swab at the blood that runs down her lip. She hears the med bay doors open again and huffs. "Arrande, I just said- oh." Dr. Jha stands in his place, her expression concerned.
"I just wanted to come check on you. That was a nasty hit."
"I'll be fine," Samus deflects. She isn't lying; her nose will be fine. Her pride may have taken a minor hit, though.
Dr. Jha draws closer, examining her face anyway. "I see. And did Arrande earn his ticket off the ship with that headbutt?"
"No. I was screwing around and toying with him. I was trying to get a rise out of him, so it's my fault. I won't blame him for reacting in a panic."
"That is a very measured way to look at the situation. I must say, I am rather proud you've been implementing the techniques we discussed. You managed your anger well back there. Others would have pounced on Arrande after that little accident."
"I had some experience controlling my anger before we met," Samus admits. "I don't have a choice."
Dr. Jha looks concerned. "Did you feel close to having another one of your Metroid episodes?"
Samus sighs and leans back against one of the stationary patient beds. "… not this time, no. I think it takes more than just getting hurt. That, I'm used to. It used to be like an instinct I'd have to bury. Now… I feel like I can call on it when I want to." She smiles self-deprecatingly. "Maybe embracing my feelings with you is helping me find control after all."
"I would caution against using it, nonetheless. You still don't know if repeated use could have long-term side effects."
She gets up and moves to leave the med bay. "I know. I don't want to go tempting fate. But I also know there may come a point where I don't have a choice."
Kaia stops her with a gentle hand on her shoulder. Despite how soft the touch is, it may as well be a solid iron wall when applied by her. "Samus. I mean it. It's going to look like the easy way out when you're in a pinch. But you find yourself in a lot of those. The more permissive you become about that ability in a desperate situation, the easier it becomes to use it in every situation. Just remember what happened the last time you used it back to back repeatedly."
"I was more powerful than I've ever been."
"Yes. And power always has a price."
000
Samus enters her quarter. The moment the door shuts behind her, she lets out a deep sigh, shoulders dropping. Turning on the shower, she gives it time to heat and sits down at her desk. She locks eyes on the disembodied Torizo head taking up most of its space, still trapping Adam within. "Bet you've never gotten into a fistfight with one of your subordinates."
The head offers no consolations.
"Or had to worry about transforming into a monster."
Still no response.
She slumps forward on her desk, crossing her arms and resting her head on them, staring away into nothing. "… I wish I had you here to help me through this. I regret getting mad at you for offering your support. Even if you're not actually Adam… I should have appreciated you."
The head continues to sit there.
Samus leans back in her chair, stares at the head for a few moments, then removes her hair tie and tosses it on the desk. She gets up and sets a clean uniform out on her mattress before stripping down for her shower.
000
Arrande enters the bridge behind Adrian and Chowa. Chowa regards his presence with pleased surprise. "Ah, Crewman Arrande! You live yet! I was concerned. The Lieutenant implied you would meet your end in the med bay."
He chuckles at that. "I expected that myself. She seemed fine letting it go."
"No doubt today's briefing will give you an opportunity to restore your honor."
Arrande cocks an eyebrow. "My honor?"
Chowa nods as though what they've said is sensible. "Yes. It's a terrible thing to outperform your superior in a sparring match. I imagine you are looking for an opportunity to… what is the phrase… fall on your sword?"
Arrande makes a grim face. "No, Chowa. We humans can forgive minor mistakes like that. There doesn't need to be any… sword-falling."
"Snrk. Minor?" Adrian cracks up.
Chowa seems to take this revelation curiously. "Hm. Odder and odder still."
Arrande ignores her. "Is that what they do on Vormini?"
"Oh yes. If a subordinate bests their commander, it's a sign of wanton disrespect. It implies they are unfit to teach those under them."
"I wouldn't say he bested me," Samus answers from the bridge door. The three crewmen stand at attention as she enters and takes position in front of them, fully uniformed. "I think we both know how things would have shaken out if I kept going, don't we, Arrande?"
"Yes, Ma'am!" he responds affirmatively, trying not to stir the pot.
"Onto the business at hand." She grabs a datapad from her terminal and activates the holographic display. Between her and the crew, an image appears of a stylish man in his forties with fine, coiffed hair and an immaculate moustache. "This is Vernon Haught. He's an AI engineer and roboticist, in fact one of the most prevalent and sought-after ones in his field. Roughly one week ago, he received a shipment of norium at his estate on Saleni Beta, a core Federation planet."
That sounds odd to Adrian. "At his estate?"
"I was just about to get to that. Because of his work on AI, Haught has special licenses that allow him to work directly out of his home with restricted AI-relevant materials. That also involved getting direct shipments of norium. Unfortunately, the most recent one came from the Venture." A hologram of the Venture joins the image of Haught. "We must assume that the materials he received are corrupted. It would be very bad news if he integrated it into one of his android creations." Chowa raises their hand. "Yes, Chowa?"
"Captain Aran, I was under the impression Federation law required all androids to be bounded?"
She nods. "That's right. But there's no guarantee a rogue AI in control of a bounded android body wouldn't be able to bypass those limitations. Besides his personal assistant models, Haught also builds bodyguard androids with advanced weapons functionalities and a more lax interpretation of the first law of robotics. To say he's a prodigy at what he does would be an understatement; he's the foremost mind in his field. His creations are custom-built luxuries beyond any competitor models on the market. And while Federation laws regulate certain clear, visible cues must be present in an android revealing their artificial nature, such as skin paneling, inorganic accents, and lighting accessories, a competent enough AI in a passably humanoid body has the potential to be extremely dangerous. Especially if it can enthrall other lifeforms; if this one ends up as powerful as the last one, it could just force Haught to make it look like the real thing."
"So we need to warn him and find out if he's used the corrupted norium in any of his current builds," Arrande notes, his posture more relaxed. Samus glances at him briefly, enough to make him nervous, and he straightens up again.
"Exactly. Which is why I diverted our course to Saleni Beta as soon as I realized who the address in the manifest pertained to. I made the mistake of thinking a Federation planet would intercept the shipment; I didn't anticipate Haught's special privileges. I've already received permission from his assistant to land at his estate, but they've stated we'll have to get permission from the man himself to investigate his creations, citing 'customer privacy'. Now ostensibly we're coming to him under purely investigative terms, but if we find an unbounded AI android, Federation law empowers us to take immediate action, regardless of what Haught wants."
"Meaning we destroy it," Adrian fills in.
"Yes. No matter what. A rogue AI android running around a core Federation world wouldn't just be bad news. It would be a catastrophe."
000
Breaking atmo on Saleni Beta, the crew marvels at the utopian seaside city of Ophidia. It serves as one of the brighter, fair-weather examples of Federation culture; clean, shining, and metropolitan, with a low crime rate and varied population of federated races. It also serves as a hotbed of social elites, from intergalactic superstars to wealthy arms manufacturer executives. As a result, the rolling hills outside of the city are rife with large, extravagant estates that, despite dotting every overlook and scenic view, feel isolated.
Many of them, like Vernon Haught's estate, have their own starship docks, though few are as large and accommodating as his; the Crosshair can land directly on his property, despite its larger class. The landing pad, an ornate disc of polished marble and gold inlay, cradles the ship with the gentleness of a jeweler setting a precious gem.
A short moment later, Samus exits alongside the entire ground team, all of them in uniform, but unarmed as requested. Samus leaves her favorite green jacket behind. She hopes she won't have to armor up, but if she does, she can't replace that particular article.
They're greeted by a straight-backed, smiling woman, who upon closer inspection is one of Haught's androids. She welcomes them with a practiced smile and a bright demeanor. "Welcome to Saleni Beta, Miss Aran! I'm Mr. Haught's personal assistant unit 04, but you may call me Courtney. I've been awaiting your arrival."
Courtney is a slender and elegant machine; deep blue, sharply styled hair matches her pristine blue jacket, skirt, and heels. A vibrant red tie breaks up the monotone color of her outfit, tucked into a blue vest. Beneath that, she completes the look with a ruffled white blouse. Besides her friendly yet artificial tone, what sets her apart as an android are the apparent lines that run up her face, segmenting the panels of her synthetic skin, along with her clear hand paneling, exposing intricate robotics beneath. There's a faint glow to her irises as well.
She gestures to the walkway leading to the rest of the estate. "Please, follow me to Mr. Haught."
As they're led through the property, Adrian, Arrande and Chowa can't help but gawk at the grandeur of the sprawling estate. Perfect, well maintained green grass and several tiered levels of outdoor space teem with trimmed shrubbery and ferns. The air carries the perfume of flowers engineered to bloom eternal, providing a silent testament to a level of wealth that can bend nature to its will. Amidst the natural décor, shining statues and sculptures, varying between abstract and realistic, line the pristine, white-stone pathways throughout, leering from plinths of exotic stone. The materials they're made from could believably ransom entire planets. Those that are clear enough to understand at a glance seem to reflect on the relationship between man and machine.
"He's not concerned about flaunting his wealth," Arrande mumbles under his breath, scoping out the labyrinthine walkways about the property.
"It's a little gaudy," Adrian adds.
Chowa is mystified. "Is Vernon Haught royalty? This extravagance seems iconographic in nature."
"Power is power," Arrande chuffs. "Make enough money and the difference between a businessman, artist, and king gets real blurry."
Samus overhears her subordinates, but doesn't speak a word. She doesn't want to taint their impression of someone they need to parley with by blabbing her opinion. However, she was afraid Haught would be this kind of man. Living above everyone he can see below, submerged in lavish excess, and repeatedly reminded his services are irreplaceable and necessary. She can only imagine the ego he must possess. She dreads their inevitable meeting with him. Each extravagant detail lays bare the mentality of a man who lives insulated from the galaxy's throes, buffered by affluence that crosses the threshold of obscene with shameless pride.
She studies the surrounding area; Courtney leads them to an expansive, ostentatious building that must be the main residence, but there's another branching path that ramps down into an underground section built into the hill the property sits on. She suspects either a garage or his workshop. She makes a mental note of it; even if they don't get permission to search the property, she can still monitor the area from orbit and wait to see if something suspicious happens. She doesn't see any security… but there are plenty of people walking about the grounds dressed just like Courtney. She assumes they must also be androids. More than that, they're likely the security she doesn't see. While not visibly armed, each one of them is potentially a deadly weapon given an unassuming guise.
The inside of his home is even worse, condensing the tacky ostentation on display outside. Glittering black tile covers the expansive foyer, leading directly to a floating glass staircase headed by a tall, illuminated false window. Two gilded statues flank the stairs; a naked man of statuesque physique, with facial features mirroring Haught's, reaching out to the statue on the other side, a stripped-down android with inner mechanics exposed reaching back.
"Why does that look familiar?" Adrian asks.
Arrande answers, his tone reflecting his distaste for the works. "It's a mimicry of 'Creating Adam'. He apparently has a high opinion of himself."
Samus feels her stomach sink. It's worse than she feared. Courtney, unaware or uncaring of what the house's guests have to say, gives them a cheery, "Please wait here for Mr. Haught," then walks upstairs.
Samus is quick to prepare her team. "Listen up. Haught may not like the idea of us rooting through his work. No matter what he says, let me do the talking."
Suddenly, the false window at the top of the stairs flares with blinding light, forcing the crew to shield their eyes. A man appears at the top of the stairs, obnoxiously backlit by the brightness. It shines through a sheer gold sash slung around his neck and shoulders, enveloping a shiny black robe tied loose enough it exposes his chest hair. He ties his hair up in a neat knot on top of his head, and a thick black beard, fastidiously groomed, accentuates the cut of his rounded jaw. The light fades to a reasonable level as he comes down the stairs at a melodramatic pace, only slowing as he sees Samus. He saunters forward, pauses in front of her, looks her up and down, then stares right into her eyes.
"Hm. A bit more of a niche market, but you could have appeal. You're certainly built right."
She squints at the man she can only assume is Vernon Haught. "Excuse me?"
He waves his hand and one of his assistants approaches, up to this point unseen by the crew. This one isn't Courtney; it's a male model, wearing a similar style as Courtney, but all in white, matched to his unnatural eye and hair color. This one offers Haught a bottle of swirling silver liquid and a piece of wheat toast piled with fresh greens and berries. He takes a large bite out of it, sending some berries tumbling to the ground.
He ignores the lost fruit, turning back to Samus, and his assistant kneels down to gather them up. "Tall, muscular, pretty. Perhaps one of my bodyguard models for clients who prefer status over intimidation. Maybe a few here and there for those clients into something more exotic, more, ehhhhh..." His expression twists up as he searches for the right word. "Amazonian."
Her squint becomes a glare. "Excuse you?"
He takes another bite of his toast, then forces it back into the chest of his assistant, who scrambles to catch it all before it falls. He paces around Samus nonchalantly, licking his fingers clean, giving her another up-and-down look before meeting her eyes once more. "Hell of a gaze, too. Very stern, threatening. People pay a lot for that. They like to be broken, or do the breaking. Alright." Haught snaps his fingers and his assistant steps up behind him, handing him a long, thin screen device over his shoulder. "I'll give you three million credits for your mold."
"My what?" Her tone grows sharp. By this point, the other members of her crew feel the tension in the air. They glance back and forth between each other in fearful apprehension.
However, Haught seems unperturbed. "Your mold. Of your body. You're a model, yes? Here to sell the rights to your body for use in my androids?"
Arrande can see Samus clenching her fists the same way she did earlier today when he broke her nose. She stares icy death down at the man. His particular phrasing is unfortunate. "No," she coolly replies.
He ignores the implied threat aimed down at him and makes a disgusted face. "Then why are you even here? Wasting my morning." He tosses the small device over his shoulder with reckless abandon, and his assistant scrambles to catch it. He sweeps around and ambles off.
Regardless of his attitude, Samus reminds herself that there are greater stakes at hand. She calls after him, burying her rising sense of frustration. "I'm here because you could be in danger. My name is Samus Aran, and I'm-"
He freezes the moment he hears her name. Before she can finish her sentence, he swoops back around and marches up to her, wide eyed and openmouthed, standing uncomfortably close. She takes a cautious step back. He gives her yet another look up and down. "What did you say?"
"I said you could be-"
"Not that! Your name."
"Samus Aran-"
Haught snaps his head to his assistant. "Is that verified?" The android nods, and his head locks back on Samus. "I'll give you one billion credits for your mold."
Her crew balks. There's retirement money and then there's living like a king for the rest of your life.
"Captain-" Arrande starts.
A single look from her silences him. He holds his tongue, despite fighting himself on it. That kind of money could do a lot.
Samus focuses back on Haught. "No." She doesn't need to know how he'd use it; without a doubt, he would broadcast her connection to any creations made in her image. He wouldn't offer so much otherwise.
He doesn't give up. "Two billion."
"No," she repeats more firmly.
"Five billion!"
Arrande looks exasperated. "Samus!"
"No!" she snarls, locking eyes on him. "Straighten up and act like a professional! Speak out of turn one more time and you're done!"
He grits his teeth and stares hard at the ground. Samus turns her attention back to Haught. "I don't care what you offer. The answer is no. That's not how I make my money."
Mr. Haught stares at her as though she just asked him what the color of grass is. He shakes his head and tosses up his hands. "Whatever. I don't know why you're here then." He turns to walk off again.
She's sorely tempted to lift him off the ground by that gaudy robe of his and shake him, but she settles for getting to the point. "If you've built any androids with norium sourced from the planet Giran, they're likely tainted with malicious programming."
And in an instant, he swoops around once more, holding up a panicked, shaky finger to his lips. "Shhhhshhhsh! Don't even joke about that! You'll invite that energy into my workshop!"
"Glad I finally have your attention. I suppose I'll have to settle for that." Samus holds up a datapad for him to see. "This is the manifest for the Venture. It dropped off a shipment recently. One of the other locations it's been to had their AI supersystem compromised. It started mind-controlling animals and people in the facility."
He rapidly reads through the datapad before shoving it back into her arms. "Nonono, that doesn't happen to my work. My AI-powered androids are state-of-the-art, my work is flawless! I would notice if my materials were poor quality!"
She strives to keep him on track. "Did you use any of the norium in that shipment?"
"No! Possibly… I'm not sure! No! Oooooh… damn it, my entire day is ruined!" he wails as he paces back and forth, muttering aloud to no one in particular. "This can't happen. I can't let a customer take home a rogue AI, my reputation will take a nosedive!" He bows over and screams aloud, startling the rest of the crew. "How am I supposed to accomplish anything today with this hanging over my head?!"
Arrande scowls but holds his tongue. He wants to throttle this man.
Samus, however, has regained her cool by now, getting a small level of satisfaction from flipping the script of this conversation. She presses her advantage. "You know my name, so you know what I do. I can keep those things from happening. Let me and my crew go through whatever you've recently created and we'll figure out what's at risk."
He looks up at her, and his baleful expression shifts to hopeful. He smiles wide. "Yes… yes! You killed Mother Brain, that hideous Chozo monstrosity! You'd know what to look for. That's a brilliant idea! I'm glad I thought of it!" He grabs her by the shoulders with naked excitement, making her recoil in his grip. "You do that! Alonzo! Take them to my workshop, show them my most recent works, anything created with that last shipment! Give them whatever they need!"
The white-clad assistant gives a cordial bow. "At once, Mr. Haught. Ms. Aran, if you and your crew would please follow me this way?" Alonzo politely motions down a connecting hallway.
Haught releases Samus and sweeps back up the stairs in dramatic fashion. "I need to take something to help deal with this stress. God! Just what I needed to start my day, a panic attack!" He pays no further attention to Samus or her crew.
Samus ignores him and turns to the others. "Adrian, Chowa, you two go on ahead. I'll be along shortly. Arrande. You stay."
Adrian glances at Arrande briefly before following Alonzo and Chowa out of the foyer.
Arrande tries to get ahead of what he knows is coming. It can't be that bad, he reasons. She didn't kick me out for breaking her nose! But as he meets her gaze, he understands how bad the situation is. She looks furious.
"Where the hell do you get off?" Samus growls at him.
He looks down, unable to meet her fierce glare. "Captain, I didn't mean to-"
Samus's ire is palpable, a storm just contained within the confines of her discipline. "The first words out of your mouth should be 'I'm sorry, Ma'am!' Do you have any idea how hard I've worked to build my reputation?! I will not compromise my self image so egregiously, no matter what's offered! The respect of my clients is a key part of doing my job. If any rich jagoff can buy a playbot of me to do whatever they want with, what kind of message do you think that sends? How do you think future clients will look at me?!"
Isolated as they are, Arrande lets his mask slip, retorting too familiarly. "Oh, come on! Like you give a crap what people think about you! For that much money, who cares what anyone thinks?!"
He sees her expression twitch with rage and shrinks back, realizing his mistake all too late. She crosses her arms and closes the distance between them, looming above him, her voice lowering to a hissing whisper. "People's opinions of my personal life don't matter to me. They can call me cold, call me bloodthirsty, rude, they can call me evil if they want. But professionally? I have a reputation people respect, and I work hard to maintain it. There are very few things worth compromising that for, and money is not my first concern. I'm not just going to take any wad of cash someone throws my way for any job. I'm a bounty hunter, not a whore. If that's what you are, you don't belong on this crew."
Her words strike like a blow across his very soul. He's left slackened and empty, unable to respond.
Samus sweeps past him, following the direction the others went. She shoots over her shoulder, "Fall in line, Santino. You still have a job to do. For now."
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Chapter notes
Author's note - if you'd prefer to avoid spoilers for the story past this point, skip to the next bolded text for review questions!
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I've gotten a particular review I want to address here. Since this one was posted anonymously, I can't directly message the individual in question.
I understand what you want from this story, and I appreciate your readership. I would ask that you extend a little patience as the story develops. The first story took its time establishing its relationships and its emotions. This one must as well.
As for whether or not a particular character returns... yes. Not for a while still, but yes, you haven't seen the last of him. Him going unmentioned is deliberate; I didn't want the entire sequel to revolve around him. Samus still has a life, and as a fully fleshed out person, she still has her own desires and goals. She remembers him, mourns him, but she's still here and has to keep going. This story is, after all, her attempt to move on and make positive change in her life because of his example. He showed her she didn't have to fight the good fight alone; she took that lesson and formed her crew in his memory. The events here happen in part because of her relationship with him.
But rest assured that I have a plan regarding where this story heads... in fact, I have eight more chapters ready to go with another eight in the works, and more planned beyond that. Give it... three weeks from this chapter's posting. You might just see something that will draw you back in.
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If you have a moment, please consider answering one or both of these questions for me in a comment!
1. Are the settings established well in this chapter?
2. Do Samus' expressions of frustration in this chapter feel true to her character?