01-29-2014, 02:48 AM
They left the Dataverse the same way they’d came. Less fanfare this time. No explosive welcome as they stepped out of the uplink terminals.
Soldiers came with a box containing omnilium. Samus regarded it for a moment. Then she took it, opened it, and absorbed the sphere of rainbow like a viscous fluid that became vapour, then simply an intrinsic feeling of being there. That was the end result.
Samus and Blues stepped out of the building and onto the street. The Jubilee was still going on, though the skies were darkening now. The vendors were beginning to close up shop. Kids laughed. The adults hurried into taxis and restaurants and filtered away. An electronic billboard was flashing headlines: Hydra releases new tank engine. A new film by Fadre Aped to star a non-human lead. Dataverse terrorists stopped by a force of Imperial-led Primes.
Dredd’s words rang in the bounty hunter’s mind. “I know you’re angry. But this is a good start. There are always more jobs if you’re free.”
Samus had said nothing.
Now Blues looked at her. There was disgust in his eyes. Samus turned to him.
“Say it,” she said.
“You’re okay with this?!” he shouted. Robotic digits trembled at his outstretched hands as he grasped for words. “The Judge offered you more work and you just … what?”
Samus held a hand up. “I know you’re angry. I’m angry too.” And as she spoke, the truth of her words was evident. “There was a time when I would have thrown down back in that warehouse, kill as many of those imperials as I could. I would’ve gotten pretty far, too.”
“And why didn’t you?” asked Proto Man.
“Because the moment that last soldier died, there was nothing more I could do for them. Nothing more you could do for them.” She placed a hand on the robot’s shoulder for a brief moment before turning away. “You’re a good kid, and you can change things. So don’t throw that away. We can still make a difference.”
“So … what?” asked the boy, caught between curiosity and derision. “You’re gonna change the system from within?” He scoffed.
Samus stared off for a moment in thought. “I don’t think so,” she said. “The system is too corrupt. And I’m not cut out for that kind of thing. But maybe when the right person comes along, someone who can change it … I’ll help them.”
“With guns?”
“Maybe with guns. Maybe not.”
“Really?” Blues snorted.
“Maybe. Maybe the system can’t be saved.”
“And then what?”
Samus shrugged. “I’ll destroy it.”
“Well that’s great. How is that any different from what you were telling me not to do?”
“Because,” said Samus. “Right now we don’t have that kind of power. But someday, maybe we will.” She saw the face of that white silhouette in the darkness. “I think I’m starting to understand the system.”
She turned her shoulder towards the boy. “Let me know if you find any jobs,” she said. Then she walked away.
That night, Samus lay in her apartment. Her armor lay in pieces across the floor, save for her helmet which sat on her lap. It spoke.
“I’m proud of you, you know,” it said.
“Artificial intelligences don’t feel pride,” she drawled.
A chuckle. “Really, Samus.”
“I don’t feel happy.” Her voice sank. “I wanted to kill them all. And I know they can probably hear me. And I know they won’t trust me.”
“And yet you still held back.”
Samus lay back and stared at the ceiling, and spoke as if reciting. “I would only succeed in removing the one obstacle to the galaxy’s ruin. Myself.”
“That’s right.”
“It sounds conceited when I say it.”
Adam laughed a short laugh.
Outside the flying cars of Coruscant rumbled in the night. The neon lights of the city glowed through the blinds, illuminating the pieces of armor on the floor. Samus lay with her neck to the side, staring out through the gaps and listening. She could smell the corruption out there.
“Adam,” she said after a long while.
“Yes?”
“Don’t let me fall.”
“What, Samus?”
“I said, don’t let me fail.”
The computer was silent for a moment. “Understood, lady.”
Samus stood up. One by one the pieces of armor vanished into light, and reappeared on her body. She donned the helmet and stepped out to her ship.
Soldiers came with a box containing omnilium. Samus regarded it for a moment. Then she took it, opened it, and absorbed the sphere of rainbow like a viscous fluid that became vapour, then simply an intrinsic feeling of being there. That was the end result.
Samus and Blues stepped out of the building and onto the street. The Jubilee was still going on, though the skies were darkening now. The vendors were beginning to close up shop. Kids laughed. The adults hurried into taxis and restaurants and filtered away. An electronic billboard was flashing headlines: Hydra releases new tank engine. A new film by Fadre Aped to star a non-human lead. Dataverse terrorists stopped by a force of Imperial-led Primes.
Dredd’s words rang in the bounty hunter’s mind. “I know you’re angry. But this is a good start. There are always more jobs if you’re free.”
Samus had said nothing.
Now Blues looked at her. There was disgust in his eyes. Samus turned to him.
“Say it,” she said.
“You’re okay with this?!” he shouted. Robotic digits trembled at his outstretched hands as he grasped for words. “The Judge offered you more work and you just … what?”
Samus held a hand up. “I know you’re angry. I’m angry too.” And as she spoke, the truth of her words was evident. “There was a time when I would have thrown down back in that warehouse, kill as many of those imperials as I could. I would’ve gotten pretty far, too.”
“And why didn’t you?” asked Proto Man.
“Because the moment that last soldier died, there was nothing more I could do for them. Nothing more you could do for them.” She placed a hand on the robot’s shoulder for a brief moment before turning away. “You’re a good kid, and you can change things. So don’t throw that away. We can still make a difference.”
“So … what?” asked the boy, caught between curiosity and derision. “You’re gonna change the system from within?” He scoffed.
Samus stared off for a moment in thought. “I don’t think so,” she said. “The system is too corrupt. And I’m not cut out for that kind of thing. But maybe when the right person comes along, someone who can change it … I’ll help them.”
“With guns?”
“Maybe with guns. Maybe not.”
“Really?” Blues snorted.
“Maybe. Maybe the system can’t be saved.”
“And then what?”
Samus shrugged. “I’ll destroy it.”
“Well that’s great. How is that any different from what you were telling me not to do?”
“Because,” said Samus. “Right now we don’t have that kind of power. But someday, maybe we will.” She saw the face of that white silhouette in the darkness. “I think I’m starting to understand the system.”
She turned her shoulder towards the boy. “Let me know if you find any jobs,” she said. Then she walked away.
That night, Samus lay in her apartment. Her armor lay in pieces across the floor, save for her helmet which sat on her lap. It spoke.
“I’m proud of you, you know,” it said.
“Artificial intelligences don’t feel pride,” she drawled.
A chuckle. “Really, Samus.”
“I don’t feel happy.” Her voice sank. “I wanted to kill them all. And I know they can probably hear me. And I know they won’t trust me.”
“And yet you still held back.”
Samus lay back and stared at the ceiling, and spoke as if reciting. “I would only succeed in removing the one obstacle to the galaxy’s ruin. Myself.”
“That’s right.”
“It sounds conceited when I say it.”
Adam laughed a short laugh.
Outside the flying cars of Coruscant rumbled in the night. The neon lights of the city glowed through the blinds, illuminating the pieces of armor on the floor. Samus lay with her neck to the side, staring out through the gaps and listening. She could smell the corruption out there.
“Adam,” she said after a long while.
“Yes?”
“Don’t let me fall.”
“What, Samus?”
“I said, don’t let me fail.”
The computer was silent for a moment. “Understood, lady.”
Samus stood up. One by one the pieces of armor vanished into light, and reappeared on her body. She donned the helmet and stepped out to her ship.
![[Image: 0bwAI3j.jpg]](http://i.imgur.com/0bwAI3j.jpg)