Now weak and drained, Samus could only hang limply as the pirates nearly dragged her into a corridor branching from the main ballroom. Though lethargic, Samus managed to memorize their route. They quickly found a room, where the two pirates threw her against a wall unnecessarily brutally, then sat by the door, guns in hand.
Groaning softly, Samus exerted the most energy she could muster to sit up against the wall. The chemical was wearing off, but they probably knew that. If she was going to get out of this one, she’d have to try something just before they gave her another dose. Firing a gun didn’t take much energy, she really needed to get her hands on one of those. That wasn’t likely to be easy, however. Not easy at all. At the moment she opted to wait, to see if she could find out anything important.
Time blurred together for her, but some time later Samus heard a noise. Glancing up with only medium effort, she saw Shilo calmly stride into the room, that same smile still on his face. At least by this point she had the strength to chew him out. It was the little things in life that made it enjoyable.
“Comfortable, Miss Aran?â€
Metroid Fanfiction
No can do. But it has been a week, so here is another chapter, with less of a cliffhanger.
-
Chapter 10: Unavoidable Circumstance
The station began to shake, making the room Samus was held in shift about dangerously. She was tossed back and forth against the wall - painful, but it was a relief to move at all - and the guards were nearly thrown from their feet. After the initial blasts faded and the space station began to compensate, however, the shaking stopped and the space pirates again had their guns trained on her. There went that escape opportunity.
Stretching her sore muscles as much as possible without the guards noticing, Samus tried to work the kinks out of her body. If she even had a gun, she could probably shoot both guards, but they had been thorough. Nothing nearby could be used as a weapon.
Seeing that she couldn’t escape, Samus instead set to thinking about what could possibly be happening. Could the Galactic Council fleet have actually attacked the station? No, they wouldn’t be that foolish. If they were to seriously attack, the station would be obliterated entirely, not just shaken. Perhaps they found another way to attack, and they were doing so now.
Things were beginning to heat up, Samus could obviously tell. On occasion men rushed up to speak to the guards not currently aiming at her. She couldn’t hear what they were saying and they were trying not to let her hear, but she got the impression that something was wrong. Whoever was doing something, they were beating the space pirates. A few of the men actually looked scared, which was strange for a space pirate. Blast it... I’m stuck in this stupid room when all the action is happening around us!
If Samus had thought the worst had already arrived, a practice she had long discontinued, she would have had her mind changed. Several minutes later she began to hear screams, a sure sign that the battle was taking place on the station, not outside of it. Typically energy weapons didn’t create screams like that... either the attackers were using ordinary projectile weapons or something else entirely. That, or they were killing the hostages.
It eventually got to the point that Samus was glad to see Shilo walk into the room. Most of his saunter had disappeared, a sure sign that things were going wrong. That made his presence a great deal more bearable.
“What’s going on?â€
-
Chapter 10: Unavoidable Circumstance
The station began to shake, making the room Samus was held in shift about dangerously. She was tossed back and forth against the wall - painful, but it was a relief to move at all - and the guards were nearly thrown from their feet. After the initial blasts faded and the space station began to compensate, however, the shaking stopped and the space pirates again had their guns trained on her. There went that escape opportunity.
Stretching her sore muscles as much as possible without the guards noticing, Samus tried to work the kinks out of her body. If she even had a gun, she could probably shoot both guards, but they had been thorough. Nothing nearby could be used as a weapon.
Seeing that she couldn’t escape, Samus instead set to thinking about what could possibly be happening. Could the Galactic Council fleet have actually attacked the station? No, they wouldn’t be that foolish. If they were to seriously attack, the station would be obliterated entirely, not just shaken. Perhaps they found another way to attack, and they were doing so now.
Things were beginning to heat up, Samus could obviously tell. On occasion men rushed up to speak to the guards not currently aiming at her. She couldn’t hear what they were saying and they were trying not to let her hear, but she got the impression that something was wrong. Whoever was doing something, they were beating the space pirates. A few of the men actually looked scared, which was strange for a space pirate. Blast it... I’m stuck in this stupid room when all the action is happening around us!
If Samus had thought the worst had already arrived, a practice she had long discontinued, she would have had her mind changed. Several minutes later she began to hear screams, a sure sign that the battle was taking place on the station, not outside of it. Typically energy weapons didn’t create screams like that... either the attackers were using ordinary projectile weapons or something else entirely. That, or they were killing the hostages.
It eventually got to the point that Samus was glad to see Shilo walk into the room. Most of his saunter had disappeared, a sure sign that things were going wrong. That made his presence a great deal more bearable.
“What’s going on?â€
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uc pseudonym - Posts: 15506
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Chapter 11: Zero G Revelations
...it seemed like only an instant later when a vibration in her ship’s hull woke her up. Blinking sleep from her eyes, Samus glanced at her suit’s clock... she’d slept almost five hours. She’d never needed a lot of sleep, though, that was probably enough to make her fully capable again. For however long she’d need to be awake, anyway.
The ship vibrated just slightly again, prompting Samus to glance around for the source. She was mildly surprised, though she hid it completely, when she saw Tal clamped onto the front of her ship. He was entirely encased in his armor, but she recognized him easily. By this point his variety of exoskeleton was almost familiar. Again he lightly knocked on the front of the ship with a fist, sending more of those slight vibrations. So that was what he was doing...
Getting to her feet so he knew she was awake, Samus made a motion telling him to wait, then headed to the back of the ship. The airlock sent air compressing away behind her, then deposited her on the side of the ship. Activating her magnet boots, Samus walked her way toward the front of the ship, where Tal remained perched on her cockpit.
Seeing her, he got out of his crouched position. The claws that served as his feet carefully curled around another part of the ship, anchoring him. Effective...
They glanced at each other mutely, neither sure what to say, if they had been capable of actually speaking to each other. Eventually, Samus made a motioning gesture and moved back across the ship to the airlock. Tal followed at a somewhat slower rate.
Only when they were both inside the ship and the airlock had closed did Tal retract his armor, returning to his fully human appearance. Brushing a bit of dark hair away from his eyes, he glanced at her and shrugged.
“Are we going to Station Emerald now?â€
...it seemed like only an instant later when a vibration in her ship’s hull woke her up. Blinking sleep from her eyes, Samus glanced at her suit’s clock... she’d slept almost five hours. She’d never needed a lot of sleep, though, that was probably enough to make her fully capable again. For however long she’d need to be awake, anyway.
The ship vibrated just slightly again, prompting Samus to glance around for the source. She was mildly surprised, though she hid it completely, when she saw Tal clamped onto the front of her ship. He was entirely encased in his armor, but she recognized him easily. By this point his variety of exoskeleton was almost familiar. Again he lightly knocked on the front of the ship with a fist, sending more of those slight vibrations. So that was what he was doing...
Getting to her feet so he knew she was awake, Samus made a motion telling him to wait, then headed to the back of the ship. The airlock sent air compressing away behind her, then deposited her on the side of the ship. Activating her magnet boots, Samus walked her way toward the front of the ship, where Tal remained perched on her cockpit.
Seeing her, he got out of his crouched position. The claws that served as his feet carefully curled around another part of the ship, anchoring him. Effective...
They glanced at each other mutely, neither sure what to say, if they had been capable of actually speaking to each other. Eventually, Samus made a motioning gesture and moved back across the ship to the airlock. Tal followed at a somewhat slower rate.
Only when they were both inside the ship and the airlock had closed did Tal retract his armor, returning to his fully human appearance. Brushing a bit of dark hair away from his eyes, he glanced at her and shrugged.
“Are we going to Station Emerald now?â€
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uc pseudonym - Posts: 15506
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For a moment Tal paused, running a hand through his dark hair. “My memory blacks out at that point, though I’ve been able to retain some of it. I’m still trying to find the information I need to know what exactly is going on.
“I know one thing for certain, though: My ordinary memory starts with me being like I am now, without control of my abilities. In the beginning, before I got control of them, they would work sporadically. Living was pure agony. One way or another, though, I survived.
“After that?â€
“I know one thing for certain, though: My ordinary memory starts with me being like I am now, without control of my abilities. In the beginning, before I got control of them, they would work sporadically. Living was pure agony. One way or another, though, I survived.
“After that?â€
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uc pseudonym - Posts: 15506
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For a while she just drifted, in the complete silence of a vacuum. Suddenly something launched itself through the air toward her. Immediately activating her jet pack, Samus swept up out of its path. She landed on the ceiling and fired down at the alien, destroying it before she could get a proper look. There were things hiding in here, then...
Aliens launched themselves from a number of places on the ceiling, careening toward her. They took Samus mildly off guard, though not enough to worry her. She didn’t even have to make an effort in this case, as flares of energy shot from where Tal was positioned, frying the creatures.
Emerging from the corridor, Tal flipped himself up to the wall above it. Neither of them believed that there were no more monsters in this room. Both of them were correct. Moments later, knowing their ambush had failed, several groups of aliens launched themselves into the room as well.
Pushing off the ceiling, Samus let herself drift down into the room as she picked off aliens. One of the creatures leapt from the ground to slash at her, but Samus smashed a heavy boot directly into its face. The force sent the creature tumbling back in the direction it had came, and sent Samus rocketing through the room. Several of the creatures dove at her, aiming to take advantage of her moment of weakness.
Unfortunately for them, Samus was a veteran of fighting without gravity. The instant she had an object off which to push, she turned in midair to face them, her guns blazing. Using short bursts of her jet pack, she had a significant advantage over the aliens, which could only predictably drift where their momentum took them.
As she fought, Samus kept an eye on Tal. Not that she expected that he’d need too much help, more out of curiosity. He had changed since she had first met him, and she wasn’t certain what exactly he could do.
His fighting style was somewhat unsteady, as he’d probably never had to fight in zero-gravity before. Mostly he leapt from place to place in the room. Though he didn’t use them often, the flares of energy that he could shoot from his hands always hit their mark. Just from what she could see, she estimated they were about as powerful as a standard plasma cannon, possibly a bit stronger.
One of the creatures attacked from above while Tal was dealing with several others and managed to actually connect. The blow bounced off Tal’s exoskeleton, though it sent him hurtling down toward the floor... or toward the wall, rather, but it was all the same. Somehow landing on his feet, Tal leapt off the surface, destroying the creature before it could reach another object and jump away.
Blinking, Samus found herself distracted enough that a creature actually managed to deal minor damage to one of the legs of her bio suit. Blasting it away with a focused laser, she glanced back at the place where he had pushed off of. The walls of the room were metal and quite strong, but where he had leapt from there were massive claw marks. Quickly she mentally calculated how physically strong someone would have to be to do something like that and raised her eyebrows. Tal would be fine by himself.
At last the aliens had been destroyed, or at least no more felt bold enough to attack them. Activating her magnetic boots again, Samus walked down the side of one wall and toward the corridor that moved on. Tal struck the ground hard, but dug in his claws to prevent himself from bouncing away. Pushing off the floor at an angle, he floated to the airlock as well.
Tapping at the computer, Samus discovered that it was still operational. How fortunate; air would be useful. The airlock opened for them, and they stepped inside. Not long after, they found themselves in a corridor with air once more. Almost subconsciously Samus checked if the air was untainted, then set her suit to run from it and refill its stocks. Who knew the next time she’d have an actual air supply?
“Talking is... convenient,â€
Aliens launched themselves from a number of places on the ceiling, careening toward her. They took Samus mildly off guard, though not enough to worry her. She didn’t even have to make an effort in this case, as flares of energy shot from where Tal was positioned, frying the creatures.
Emerging from the corridor, Tal flipped himself up to the wall above it. Neither of them believed that there were no more monsters in this room. Both of them were correct. Moments later, knowing their ambush had failed, several groups of aliens launched themselves into the room as well.
Pushing off the ceiling, Samus let herself drift down into the room as she picked off aliens. One of the creatures leapt from the ground to slash at her, but Samus smashed a heavy boot directly into its face. The force sent the creature tumbling back in the direction it had came, and sent Samus rocketing through the room. Several of the creatures dove at her, aiming to take advantage of her moment of weakness.
Unfortunately for them, Samus was a veteran of fighting without gravity. The instant she had an object off which to push, she turned in midair to face them, her guns blazing. Using short bursts of her jet pack, she had a significant advantage over the aliens, which could only predictably drift where their momentum took them.
As she fought, Samus kept an eye on Tal. Not that she expected that he’d need too much help, more out of curiosity. He had changed since she had first met him, and she wasn’t certain what exactly he could do.
His fighting style was somewhat unsteady, as he’d probably never had to fight in zero-gravity before. Mostly he leapt from place to place in the room. Though he didn’t use them often, the flares of energy that he could shoot from his hands always hit their mark. Just from what she could see, she estimated they were about as powerful as a standard plasma cannon, possibly a bit stronger.
One of the creatures attacked from above while Tal was dealing with several others and managed to actually connect. The blow bounced off Tal’s exoskeleton, though it sent him hurtling down toward the floor... or toward the wall, rather, but it was all the same. Somehow landing on his feet, Tal leapt off the surface, destroying the creature before it could reach another object and jump away.
Blinking, Samus found herself distracted enough that a creature actually managed to deal minor damage to one of the legs of her bio suit. Blasting it away with a focused laser, she glanced back at the place where he had pushed off of. The walls of the room were metal and quite strong, but where he had leapt from there were massive claw marks. Quickly she mentally calculated how physically strong someone would have to be to do something like that and raised her eyebrows. Tal would be fine by himself.
At last the aliens had been destroyed, or at least no more felt bold enough to attack them. Activating her magnetic boots again, Samus walked down the side of one wall and toward the corridor that moved on. Tal struck the ground hard, but dug in his claws to prevent himself from bouncing away. Pushing off the floor at an angle, he floated to the airlock as well.
Tapping at the computer, Samus discovered that it was still operational. How fortunate; air would be useful. The airlock opened for them, and they stepped inside. Not long after, they found themselves in a corridor with air once more. Almost subconsciously Samus checked if the air was untainted, then set her suit to run from it and refill its stocks. Who knew the next time she’d have an actual air supply?
“Talking is... convenient,â€
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uc pseudonym - Posts: 15506
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Unless you can get two other people in this thread, you'll have to deal with it, too.
Sorry for being trite...
Sorry for being trite...
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uc pseudonym - Posts: 15506
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I call this "the chapter in which stuff gets explained."
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Chapter 12: Genesis
Cooly Tal’s gaze flickered over the information on the screen before him. He had long ago learned the only proper method of speed reading, and he had been forced to use it many times. Samus would give him ten minutes, but that was all he had. In that time, he’d have to have determined which information was important and which was trash.
It had taken a few minutes to find a proper computer terminal. There were many, but he was sure most of them were well guarded. Eventually he’d discovered a computer with complete access, though he’d been forced to melt his way through a thick wall to get to it.
Streams of information moved past his eyes as he scrolled down the list calmly. Getting power running to this terminal hadn’t been easy either, but fortunately the station still had a fair amount of power left. It would do for now; he could look over the files more carefully back at Samus’ ship.
Abruptly Tal halted, his eyes tightening. This folder... he recognized the name of the project it referred to. Briefly images flashed through his mind, but he drove them away. There was no time for flashbacks, he had to get this information as soon as possible. Downloading it into the portable drive he had carried, Tal opened one of the files within the folder, curious as to what it would say.
As he watched, listened and read, Tal found himself growing slowly number and number. One of the most human parts of his mind screamed in denial, but it was ignored. After all this searching... at last he had the truth.
“I would have been happy being normal,â€
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Chapter 12: Genesis
Cooly Tal’s gaze flickered over the information on the screen before him. He had long ago learned the only proper method of speed reading, and he had been forced to use it many times. Samus would give him ten minutes, but that was all he had. In that time, he’d have to have determined which information was important and which was trash.
It had taken a few minutes to find a proper computer terminal. There were many, but he was sure most of them were well guarded. Eventually he’d discovered a computer with complete access, though he’d been forced to melt his way through a thick wall to get to it.
Streams of information moved past his eyes as he scrolled down the list calmly. Getting power running to this terminal hadn’t been easy either, but fortunately the station still had a fair amount of power left. It would do for now; he could look over the files more carefully back at Samus’ ship.
Abruptly Tal halted, his eyes tightening. This folder... he recognized the name of the project it referred to. Briefly images flashed through his mind, but he drove them away. There was no time for flashbacks, he had to get this information as soon as possible. Downloading it into the portable drive he had carried, Tal opened one of the files within the folder, curious as to what it would say.
As he watched, listened and read, Tal found himself growing slowly number and number. One of the most human parts of his mind screamed in denial, but it was ignored. After all this searching... at last he had the truth.
“I would have been happy being normal,â€
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uc pseudonym - Posts: 15506
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On the wall above the creature, Samus calmly jabbed the muzzles of both her cannons into the alien’s back and fired. These shots tore through its body, sending the monster falling down below, finally dead. After ensuring that it wasn’t going to come back, Samus flew herself back up to the highest level and glanced at the time again. Still two minutes. Tal had definitely underestimated her.
Now that the fight was over, Samus realized that she had never switched out of Darklight Mode. Just as she was about to, she saw something bright coming in her direction. Whatever it was seemed to be fluctuating wildly about the visible spectrum. Relatively often it would shift beyond visible light, temporarily appearing black before changing again.
Flipping out of Darklight Mode, Samus glanced in the direction of the anomaly in time to see Tal leaping through the air. His armor had been entirely retracted, but it gave him no semblance of normalcy. He shot up through the air, landing on a nearby catwalk and leaping to the point beside her.
“I’m done,â€
Now that the fight was over, Samus realized that she had never switched out of Darklight Mode. Just as she was about to, she saw something bright coming in her direction. Whatever it was seemed to be fluctuating wildly about the visible spectrum. Relatively often it would shift beyond visible light, temporarily appearing black before changing again.
Flipping out of Darklight Mode, Samus glanced in the direction of the anomaly in time to see Tal leaping through the air. His armor had been entirely retracted, but it gave him no semblance of normalcy. He shot up through the air, landing on a nearby catwalk and leaping to the point beside her.
“I’m done,â€
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uc pseudonym - Posts: 15506
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As I mentioned earlier, these various capacities seem to conflict with each other. Indicated in Experiment TIV, this is a reaction similar to the antigens in the blood. It appears that different species of aliens have different methods of utilizing nega photons, and these methods are not necessarily compatible.
However, there may yet be hope for this phase of the project. Only yesterday we have obtained the Metroid specimen. It was assigned us to ship it to Station Ruby in a week’s time, but I would formally request that this period be lengthened for an indeterminate amount of time. Preliminary tests have shown that the qualities of Metroid genes appear capable of wiping genes of antigens without destroying their other properties. Our estimation is that this is necessary for the creature’s life draining abilities.
In addition, we have come into the next portion of the-
Metroid again. Narrowing her eyes, Samus rapped her spoon on the edge of her armrest as she thought about that one. Not only was someone going to get the book thrown at them for all these infringements, the Metroid issue made it personal. In some odd way, Samus felt responsible for anything done to the surviving specimen. Everything about this issue felt very, very wrong.
Closing that report and opening the next, Samus scanned until she found information relevant to the TA1 project again.
-and the Metroid specimen has been the missing key for our entire experiment. My assumptions before were basically correct, though Dr. Rutger was able to provide a very interesting application of the syndrome that helped the final model become complete. Regardless of the method, Metroid genes allow for the compilation of others.
Our results are as of yet unknown, though I may assure you we will eventually find success. Test specimens appear to be failing... it will take DNA of human complexity to properly incorporate the process. Fortunately, the unit we mentioned earlier will probably be ready within a few day’s time.
The only problem remaining is the Metroid specimen itself. It has resisted our efforts to use stem cells to replicate it, and we fear the project may require vast numbers of cells. While the process could prove quite successful, it would mean the termination of the specimen. We will not make any attempts until we are absolutely certain of success.
I have been told by Dr.-
Seeing that the report devolved into internal politics, Samus closed it and moved to the next file. This was had the promising title “TA1: Final Preparation.â€
However, there may yet be hope for this phase of the project. Only yesterday we have obtained the Metroid specimen. It was assigned us to ship it to Station Ruby in a week’s time, but I would formally request that this period be lengthened for an indeterminate amount of time. Preliminary tests have shown that the qualities of Metroid genes appear capable of wiping genes of antigens without destroying their other properties. Our estimation is that this is necessary for the creature’s life draining abilities.
In addition, we have come into the next portion of the-
Metroid again. Narrowing her eyes, Samus rapped her spoon on the edge of her armrest as she thought about that one. Not only was someone going to get the book thrown at them for all these infringements, the Metroid issue made it personal. In some odd way, Samus felt responsible for anything done to the surviving specimen. Everything about this issue felt very, very wrong.
Closing that report and opening the next, Samus scanned until she found information relevant to the TA1 project again.
-and the Metroid specimen has been the missing key for our entire experiment. My assumptions before were basically correct, though Dr. Rutger was able to provide a very interesting application of the syndrome that helped the final model become complete. Regardless of the method, Metroid genes allow for the compilation of others.
Our results are as of yet unknown, though I may assure you we will eventually find success. Test specimens appear to be failing... it will take DNA of human complexity to properly incorporate the process. Fortunately, the unit we mentioned earlier will probably be ready within a few day’s time.
The only problem remaining is the Metroid specimen itself. It has resisted our efforts to use stem cells to replicate it, and we fear the project may require vast numbers of cells. While the process could prove quite successful, it would mean the termination of the specimen. We will not make any attempts until we are absolutely certain of success.
I have been told by Dr.-
Seeing that the report devolved into internal politics, Samus closed it and moved to the next file. This was had the promising title “TA1: Final Preparation.â€
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uc pseudonym - Posts: 15506
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Growing bored, Samus quickly sped up the video to the part where they raised the box. Tal lay on the table, looking almost as he had before. His skin was all together once more, thanks to the wonders of modern technology, and the only signs of the operation were white lines covering his body where the wounds had been closed.
While they moved Tal into the tube of blue liquid, the scientist again appeared on screen. As a disinterested observer, Samus noted that her gut level reaction was to want to kill him. Indirectly, he was responsible for taking something away from Tal. Taking away his humanity.
“There will be no visible differences for some time,â€
While they moved Tal into the tube of blue liquid, the scientist again appeared on screen. As a disinterested observer, Samus noted that her gut level reaction was to want to kill him. Indirectly, he was responsible for taking something away from Tal. Taking away his humanity.
“There will be no visible differences for some time,â€
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uc pseudonym - Posts: 15506
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Nice, I've been looking forward to the next segment.
I got 2 questions.
1. How much more of the story is left?
2. Are you working on any more Metroid fanfics? You're good at these...
I got 2 questions.
1. How much more of the story is left?
2. Are you working on any more Metroid fanfics? You're good at these...
I am the Reaper of Souls... and it's harvest time.
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skynes - Posts: 742
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Conveniently, I have two answers.
1) There are twenty eight chapters and an epilogue. Most of them are similarly sized.
2) No. I apologize, but I do not have more to say in this field, at least for the moment.
1) There are twenty eight chapters and an epilogue. Most of them are similarly sized.
2) No. I apologize, but I do not have more to say in this field, at least for the moment.
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uc pseudonym - Posts: 15506
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uc pseudonym wrote:A pretty uncreative pseudonym, I know
Once again your subtle humor is too hilarious for words. KEEP UP T3H GOOD WORK
Luke was here.
There are 10 types of people in the world, people who can read bianary, and people who can't.
I II III IV V VI VII VIII IX X XI XII XIII XIV XV XVI XVII XVIII XIX XX XXI XXII XXIII XXIV XXV XXVI XXVII XXVIII XXIX XXX XXXI XXXII....
TTA: [B]The TTA Acronym
[/b]
There are 10 types of people in the world, people who can read bianary, and people who can't.
I II III IV V VI VII VIII IX X XI XII XIII XIV XV XVI XVII XVIII XIX XX XXI XXII XXIII XXIV XXV XXVI XXVII XXVIII XXIX XXX XXXI XXXII....
TTA: [B]The TTA Acronym
[/b]
- The_Marauding_Maniac
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- Location: Gone...
Indeed, three it is. Glad that someone noticed the ever so intentional reference.
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Chapter 13: Tautological Destiny
Lights blurred around Samus’s ship as it glided through space. There was no sound, of course, but the hot flaring of her engines made it obvious they were roaring. Very few times did a bounty hunter, especially one of the caliber of Samus, utilize the full engines on one of their ships. When they did, almost everyone knew it was better to just stay out of their way.
Nothing interfered with the bounty hunter as she blazed her way back to Headquarters. Perhaps sensing something of her urgency, the station immediately allowed her access to one of the docks. As the ship moved into autopilot and settled into the station’s gravitational field, Samus flipped down her visor with a loud snap.
A small crowd of people was waiting for her, as usual. David was in the first row of those waiting outside the primary airlock, impatiently waiting for his love to step through the door. The group waited nervously for nearly a minute, becoming more and more restless as time went on. Hydraulic pumps hissed as the airlock opened, and the crowd surged forward...
Blinking, a small man with a mustache stepped from the airlock, the helm of his bio suit in one hand. There was a long, uncomfortable pause as both groups just looked at each other. Both seemed moderately annoyed.
“Where’s Samus?â€
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Chapter 13: Tautological Destiny
Lights blurred around Samus’s ship as it glided through space. There was no sound, of course, but the hot flaring of her engines made it obvious they were roaring. Very few times did a bounty hunter, especially one of the caliber of Samus, utilize the full engines on one of their ships. When they did, almost everyone knew it was better to just stay out of their way.
Nothing interfered with the bounty hunter as she blazed her way back to Headquarters. Perhaps sensing something of her urgency, the station immediately allowed her access to one of the docks. As the ship moved into autopilot and settled into the station’s gravitational field, Samus flipped down her visor with a loud snap.
A small crowd of people was waiting for her, as usual. David was in the first row of those waiting outside the primary airlock, impatiently waiting for his love to step through the door. The group waited nervously for nearly a minute, becoming more and more restless as time went on. Hydraulic pumps hissed as the airlock opened, and the crowd surged forward...
Blinking, a small man with a mustache stepped from the airlock, the helm of his bio suit in one hand. There was a long, uncomfortable pause as both groups just looked at each other. Both seemed moderately annoyed.
“Where’s Samus?â€
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uc pseudonym - Posts: 15506
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Tapping a code into a door, Veronica ceremoniously stepped aside and gestured for Samus to enter. Storming through the door, Samus glanced about the dark room. Moments later Veronica entered and raised the lights.
No emotion came close to straying across Samus’ face. Briefly her gaze flickered over the situation, but it did no more. Veronica was watching closely and seemed slightly disappointed, as if she had expected to wow or shock her.
Tal hung in a tube on the opposite side of the room, floating in a blue preserving liquid. His body floated limply, as if dead. Not allowing herself to reveal anything, Samus flipped to Darklight Mode.
Instantly Tal lit up, glowing brightly in the darkness of the room. Just as she had expected. Resisting the urge to smile, Samus acknowledged that he was still alive. Though his body systems seemed to be in some sort of shut down mode, the currents of nega photons running through his body hadn’t slowed in the slightest. Most likely the poison had merely administered a heavy shock to his system and put him in this state.
But she had very little time to consider his. Veronica was leaning against the wall, her arms folded impatiently. Best to feign apathy for now. After all, what did she have to do with some dead intruder?
“I should care why?â€
No emotion came close to straying across Samus’ face. Briefly her gaze flickered over the situation, but it did no more. Veronica was watching closely and seemed slightly disappointed, as if she had expected to wow or shock her.
Tal hung in a tube on the opposite side of the room, floating in a blue preserving liquid. His body floated limply, as if dead. Not allowing herself to reveal anything, Samus flipped to Darklight Mode.
Instantly Tal lit up, glowing brightly in the darkness of the room. Just as she had expected. Resisting the urge to smile, Samus acknowledged that he was still alive. Though his body systems seemed to be in some sort of shut down mode, the currents of nega photons running through his body hadn’t slowed in the slightest. Most likely the poison had merely administered a heavy shock to his system and put him in this state.
But she had very little time to consider his. Veronica was leaning against the wall, her arms folded impatiently. Best to feign apathy for now. After all, what did she have to do with some dead intruder?
“I should care why?â€
-
uc pseudonym - Posts: 15506
- Joined: Tue Jun 10, 2003 4:00 am
- Location: Tanzania
I will warn you that after a certain point the chapters become shorter (though by the end they have lengthened once again). A certain event happens that temporarily reduced my interest in the story, and when that occurrs my chapters generally becomes shorter.
There is a simple way to remedy the two post situation, of course...
There is a simple way to remedy the two post situation, of course...
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uc pseudonym - Posts: 15506
- Joined: Tue Jun 10, 2003 4:00 am
- Location: Tanzania
It happened again, and I forgot.
Of course.
I mourn for those who never knew you
Click here for kick booty music!!
American by birth, Texan by the grace of God
This is where you can find me if I'm not on for a while
-
Rachel - Posts: 1056
- Joined: Tue Nov 18, 2003 10:00 am
- Location: Wichita Falls, Texas
Indeed it does. This is one of the most important chapters in the entire story.
-
Chapter 14: Dissolution
Before he became aware of anything else, he was aware of the change in temperature. He had been encased in a chilling liquid that lapped at his skin, but then he no longer felt the cold from it. Soon after, he realized that the liquid was draining down, and the glass covering that bound him was pulling away.
A blast of heat came next, evaporating the liquid over his body and sucking it back into the machine. Most definitely, they were opening him again. It would probably be best to continue to pretend to be dead, wait until whoever this was got into close range. Weak as he was, he didn’t want to take an energy attack. If they got into his striking range, however...
Opening his eyes a mere fraction, Tal looked into the room, prepared to face any attack. He didn’t expect his clothes to hit him in the face. Reflexively catching them before they hit the ground, he pulled himself to his feet by the edge of the container that had held him.
He looked up just in time to see Samus fire rapidly into the corridor, dropping three unarmored thugs. She glanced over her shoulder at him briefly, then turned back, training both her guns toward the door. A slight smirk appearing on his face, Tal stepped from his former prison.
“What’s going on?â€
-
Chapter 14: Dissolution
Before he became aware of anything else, he was aware of the change in temperature. He had been encased in a chilling liquid that lapped at his skin, but then he no longer felt the cold from it. Soon after, he realized that the liquid was draining down, and the glass covering that bound him was pulling away.
A blast of heat came next, evaporating the liquid over his body and sucking it back into the machine. Most definitely, they were opening him again. It would probably be best to continue to pretend to be dead, wait until whoever this was got into close range. Weak as he was, he didn’t want to take an energy attack. If they got into his striking range, however...
Opening his eyes a mere fraction, Tal looked into the room, prepared to face any attack. He didn’t expect his clothes to hit him in the face. Reflexively catching them before they hit the ground, he pulled himself to his feet by the edge of the container that had held him.
He looked up just in time to see Samus fire rapidly into the corridor, dropping three unarmored thugs. She glanced over her shoulder at him briefly, then turned back, training both her guns toward the door. A slight smirk appearing on his face, Tal stepped from his former prison.
“What’s going on?â€
-
uc pseudonym - Posts: 15506
- Joined: Tue Jun 10, 2003 4:00 am
- Location: Tanzania
Of course, the group of bounty hunters wearing Galactic Council insignias had a good bit to do with her sudden revelation. She and Tal realized something was wrong at the same instant and backpedaled as fast as they possibly could. None of the bounty hunters seemed to be watching for them in particular, so they managed to get around a corner before heavy fire rained down after them.
“What now?â€
“What now?â€
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uc pseudonym - Posts: 15506
- Joined: Tue Jun 10, 2003 4:00 am
- Location: Tanzania
Taking cover behind a large beam, Samus fired below. Amid her plasma fire she launched a rocket, which created enough smoke for her to slip away from her position. As she found a new location in the shadows, she noticed the rafter where she had been was now no more than a pile of twisted metal.
While the others glanced about for her, she calmly charged up a shot. There was a bounty hunter down below, one apparently beginning to use heat sensing vision. Not good. The instant Samus had a full powered shot ready, she focused on the back of his head and fired. Such a focused shot ripped through his already damaged armor, immediately dropping the bounty hunter.
Another of her opponents threw something toward the metal girders, and Samus wisely leapt away from them. She was dropping toward the ground, firing, when a massive burst of electricity blazed over all the metal in the ceiling. On the ground, she dodged several bolts and then noticed a grappling hook streaking toward her head.
Catching it inches from her visor, Samus jerked it hard, pulling its owner from his feet. After firing a rocket in his direction, Samus switched to pulse cannons and sent a barrage of minor fire over the amassed bounty hunters. It managed to throw off their aim enough that only a few weak shots struck her.
Flipping back and behind cover, Samus realized her true plight. The danger was not in the battle itself, though these bounty hunters were certainly dangerous, but that she would run out of resources before her opponents did. As long as she was armed, she was a match for all of them, but if she ran dry...
Guessing that someone would have thrown a grenade at her, Samus broke away from the lab table that had protected her from fire. It exploded in a massive fireball; she was already turning and firing. While under cover, she had used her time to charge up a fully powered shot, and now that blast roared from the explosion into the fray.
One bounty hunter was caught and annihilated by the blast, but that wasn’t enough. Samus dodged back, but still took a heavy shot to the shoulder that sent her skidding across the floor. Even as she rolled up the side of the wall, Samus considered her situation. Many of the bounty hunters were dead, but she was running a bit low. Anything could happen.
Across the chamber, the bounty hunters continued to fire from their cover in the corridor. They’d quickly learned that moving out into the room was a request to be annihilated. Those that had tried had been ripped apart in the shifting shadows. Realizing their opponent was primarily a close fighter, they stayed bunched as a group, keeping him on the run.
Smirking, one of the bounty hunters reloaded her gun and glanced through the room again. It was a matter of finding where he was hiding and blowing it away. By this point he was getting tired and soon he would be too slow to dodge any longer. This was really more of a game of cat and mouse than an actual battle.
Behind her a scream broke into her thoughts. Whirling, she took in the scene in an instant. A massive hole had been ripped in the wall, apparently from within. Around it the bounty hunters at her back lay dead, armor ripped through. She had an instant in which she looked at an monstrous exoskeleton-clad face before it rushed at her and she fired.
Her gun arm was batted to the side as it went off, and the blast harmlessly struck the ceiling. Before she could react again she felt a claw rip through the front of her arm. Her legs were swept out from under her, and then a claw bit into her other arm, slamming her to the ground. With both of her gun arms offline, she was helpless and quickly finished.
Though Tal’s surprise attack had taken out many of the bounty hunters, those near the front and with the quickest reflexes had escaped into the room. They were now hovering with jet packs, shooting in his direction, and a few were going to join the fight against Samus. Tal had intended to escape through the corridor... but that was no longer an option.
Leaping into the chamber, Tal activated his wings in midair. They bore him higher up, over several missiles. Ramming a bounty hunter in midair, Tal slammed him into a nearby wall, then leapt off the wall. His action proved wise, as several laser beams intended for him now cut through the bounty hunter on the wall.
Suspended in midair, Tal hammered an elbow into the back of a bounty hunter’s head. This momentarily threw the unfortunate man’s jet pack off balance, and he crashed below into an acidic pool. The fatality was instant. Abruptly Tal realized that two people at one edge of the pool were charging cannons for a maximum power shot... not at him, but at Samus. In horror he realized that they intended to take out her entire half of the room, both her and the other bounty hunters.
His momentary distraction was too long. Diving from above, another bounty hunter got him in a viselike grip and sent him hurtling down. Unable to use his wings, Tal found himself falling directly for the acid. On the way down he grabbed the gun arms of both of the charging bounty hunters, pulling them down with him.
For a moment time seemed to slow, and he saw Samus across the room. She had been entirely focused on her own fight, but now she saw what was happening. In an instant she understood the bounty hunter’s kamikaze attack, and what the other had intended to do. Before Tal struck the liquid’s surface, he smiled slightly; a slow, sad smile.
Then Tal fell through the acid, the three bounty hunters dragged in with him. Dodging a missile, Samus burst across the room, wasting jet fuel but not caring. She dropped beside the pool of acid, which was still rippling from its additional context. On her knees, Samus found herself watching the water, beyond all reason. For some reason, the other bounty hunters hadn’t managed to react to her movements yet and weren’t attacking.
Bones briefly came to the surface of the acid and were quickly dissolved. Samus’ eyes grew slightly moist, despite her best efforts. He was dead. That sad smile would haunt her for years, she was certain of it. Abruptly she knew that there was no way she would die in this fight, no way her life would end on the same day. She had made a promise, if an impromptu one, and she would keep it.
Blinking the tears out of her eyes, Samus abruptly realized that something had changed. She almost never cried, not for years. Even at her most afraid, at some of her saddest moments, she hadn’t cried. Yet now she was. And now, she realized that it was because she had actually cared about him. Truly, honestly cared as she hadn’t ever let herself do before.
Why could she only recognize this now? While he had been alive it was far too much to utter the word love, to let such a thing cross her mind. Now that such knowledge was worthless, now that he was gone, now she could admit it to herself. Again and again Samus cursed herself for whatever made it come to be. Why?
If he’d stayed alive, she would have told him. It didn’t matter if he wasn’t completely human, or even if he wasn’t human at all. She knew what human was. These bureaucrats, these scientists, these bounty hunters... they were human and she wanted no part in it.
Both of Samus’ fists tightened at the same instant her eyes did. The past could only consume you. All one could do for a memory was honor it in the present. Rising to her feet, Samus turned to the others with bitter, tearless eyes.
Grief drives some men mad. Some ignore it, some work through it, some focus upon it. Others will never grieve, suffering in their own private way. Many times this process takes years, though for some it can pass very quickly.
Almost every time, sorrow hinders the mourner. They become sluggish, unresponsive, handicapped by their emotions. Once they could attack once more, these were the tendencies that the bounty hunters were counting upon.
Not so with Samus. When she rose, her spirit had already hardened. It had crystallized, becoming unbreakable and sharp. Her shots were fired with a vicious precision, her movements fueled by carefully channeled emotions. Never before had the bounty hunters faced anything like what Samus had become.
Never again would they face anything at all.
While the others glanced about for her, she calmly charged up a shot. There was a bounty hunter down below, one apparently beginning to use heat sensing vision. Not good. The instant Samus had a full powered shot ready, she focused on the back of his head and fired. Such a focused shot ripped through his already damaged armor, immediately dropping the bounty hunter.
Another of her opponents threw something toward the metal girders, and Samus wisely leapt away from them. She was dropping toward the ground, firing, when a massive burst of electricity blazed over all the metal in the ceiling. On the ground, she dodged several bolts and then noticed a grappling hook streaking toward her head.
Catching it inches from her visor, Samus jerked it hard, pulling its owner from his feet. After firing a rocket in his direction, Samus switched to pulse cannons and sent a barrage of minor fire over the amassed bounty hunters. It managed to throw off their aim enough that only a few weak shots struck her.
Flipping back and behind cover, Samus realized her true plight. The danger was not in the battle itself, though these bounty hunters were certainly dangerous, but that she would run out of resources before her opponents did. As long as she was armed, she was a match for all of them, but if she ran dry...
Guessing that someone would have thrown a grenade at her, Samus broke away from the lab table that had protected her from fire. It exploded in a massive fireball; she was already turning and firing. While under cover, she had used her time to charge up a fully powered shot, and now that blast roared from the explosion into the fray.
One bounty hunter was caught and annihilated by the blast, but that wasn’t enough. Samus dodged back, but still took a heavy shot to the shoulder that sent her skidding across the floor. Even as she rolled up the side of the wall, Samus considered her situation. Many of the bounty hunters were dead, but she was running a bit low. Anything could happen.
Across the chamber, the bounty hunters continued to fire from their cover in the corridor. They’d quickly learned that moving out into the room was a request to be annihilated. Those that had tried had been ripped apart in the shifting shadows. Realizing their opponent was primarily a close fighter, they stayed bunched as a group, keeping him on the run.
Smirking, one of the bounty hunters reloaded her gun and glanced through the room again. It was a matter of finding where he was hiding and blowing it away. By this point he was getting tired and soon he would be too slow to dodge any longer. This was really more of a game of cat and mouse than an actual battle.
Behind her a scream broke into her thoughts. Whirling, she took in the scene in an instant. A massive hole had been ripped in the wall, apparently from within. Around it the bounty hunters at her back lay dead, armor ripped through. She had an instant in which she looked at an monstrous exoskeleton-clad face before it rushed at her and she fired.
Her gun arm was batted to the side as it went off, and the blast harmlessly struck the ceiling. Before she could react again she felt a claw rip through the front of her arm. Her legs were swept out from under her, and then a claw bit into her other arm, slamming her to the ground. With both of her gun arms offline, she was helpless and quickly finished.
Though Tal’s surprise attack had taken out many of the bounty hunters, those near the front and with the quickest reflexes had escaped into the room. They were now hovering with jet packs, shooting in his direction, and a few were going to join the fight against Samus. Tal had intended to escape through the corridor... but that was no longer an option.
Leaping into the chamber, Tal activated his wings in midair. They bore him higher up, over several missiles. Ramming a bounty hunter in midair, Tal slammed him into a nearby wall, then leapt off the wall. His action proved wise, as several laser beams intended for him now cut through the bounty hunter on the wall.
Suspended in midair, Tal hammered an elbow into the back of a bounty hunter’s head. This momentarily threw the unfortunate man’s jet pack off balance, and he crashed below into an acidic pool. The fatality was instant. Abruptly Tal realized that two people at one edge of the pool were charging cannons for a maximum power shot... not at him, but at Samus. In horror he realized that they intended to take out her entire half of the room, both her and the other bounty hunters.
His momentary distraction was too long. Diving from above, another bounty hunter got him in a viselike grip and sent him hurtling down. Unable to use his wings, Tal found himself falling directly for the acid. On the way down he grabbed the gun arms of both of the charging bounty hunters, pulling them down with him.
For a moment time seemed to slow, and he saw Samus across the room. She had been entirely focused on her own fight, but now she saw what was happening. In an instant she understood the bounty hunter’s kamikaze attack, and what the other had intended to do. Before Tal struck the liquid’s surface, he smiled slightly; a slow, sad smile.
Then Tal fell through the acid, the three bounty hunters dragged in with him. Dodging a missile, Samus burst across the room, wasting jet fuel but not caring. She dropped beside the pool of acid, which was still rippling from its additional context. On her knees, Samus found herself watching the water, beyond all reason. For some reason, the other bounty hunters hadn’t managed to react to her movements yet and weren’t attacking.
Bones briefly came to the surface of the acid and were quickly dissolved. Samus’ eyes grew slightly moist, despite her best efforts. He was dead. That sad smile would haunt her for years, she was certain of it. Abruptly she knew that there was no way she would die in this fight, no way her life would end on the same day. She had made a promise, if an impromptu one, and she would keep it.
Blinking the tears out of her eyes, Samus abruptly realized that something had changed. She almost never cried, not for years. Even at her most afraid, at some of her saddest moments, she hadn’t cried. Yet now she was. And now, she realized that it was because she had actually cared about him. Truly, honestly cared as she hadn’t ever let herself do before.
Why could she only recognize this now? While he had been alive it was far too much to utter the word love, to let such a thing cross her mind. Now that such knowledge was worthless, now that he was gone, now she could admit it to herself. Again and again Samus cursed herself for whatever made it come to be. Why?
If he’d stayed alive, she would have told him. It didn’t matter if he wasn’t completely human, or even if he wasn’t human at all. She knew what human was. These bureaucrats, these scientists, these bounty hunters... they were human and she wanted no part in it.
Both of Samus’ fists tightened at the same instant her eyes did. The past could only consume you. All one could do for a memory was honor it in the present. Rising to her feet, Samus turned to the others with bitter, tearless eyes.
Grief drives some men mad. Some ignore it, some work through it, some focus upon it. Others will never grieve, suffering in their own private way. Many times this process takes years, though for some it can pass very quickly.
Almost every time, sorrow hinders the mourner. They become sluggish, unresponsive, handicapped by their emotions. Once they could attack once more, these were the tendencies that the bounty hunters were counting upon.
Not so with Samus. When she rose, her spirit had already hardened. It had crystallized, becoming unbreakable and sharp. Her shots were fired with a vicious precision, her movements fueled by carefully channeled emotions. Never before had the bounty hunters faced anything like what Samus had become.
Never again would they face anything at all.
-
uc pseudonym - Posts: 15506
- Joined: Tue Jun 10, 2003 4:00 am
- Location: Tanzania
AUGH! A SAD PART!
*sniffle*
*sniffle*
Luke was here.
There are 10 types of people in the world, people who can read bianary, and people who can't.
I II III IV V VI VII VIII IX X XI XII XIII XIV XV XVI XVII XVIII XIX XX XXI XXII XXIII XXIV XXV XXVI XXVII XXVIII XXIX XXX XXXI XXXII....
TTA: [B]The TTA Acronym
[/b]
There are 10 types of people in the world, people who can read bianary, and people who can't.
I II III IV V VI VII VIII IX X XI XII XIII XIV XV XVI XVII XVIII XIX XX XXI XXII XXIII XXIV XXV XXVI XXVII XXVIII XXIX XXX XXXI XXXII....
TTA: [B]The TTA Acronym
[/b]
- The_Marauding_Maniac
- Posts: 247
- Joined: Tue Oct 07, 2003 4:00 am
- Location: Gone...
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