DARK AWAKENING
Thag: Look Samus, I'm sorry, this story is fictional. I would never put you through all this on purpose.
Samus Aran: What? You think I'm just some toy for you to do with as you please?
Thag: No Samus, never. I just . . .
Samus Aran: Shut up you pig! Let me tell you something, you don't own me, Metroids or any part of my universe, so GET BENT! (storms off)
Thag: That hurts Samus, it hurts deep. . .
"We're on a starship?!" I squealed with glee.
The man glanced at the window out to infinite space and chuckled, "Not quite, a starbase actually, orbiting the planet Karron II."
I pushed up against the window and looked up to the greenish world above. "Wow, I had no idea . . ."
"Sorry about that, but we were not sure how you'd react. Kids your age tend to cope best." He smiled, but it somehow seemed . . . hollow. "My name is Colonel Glauss, I'm happy to introduce you to TheGaurdian," he rested his palm on the hull before crouching down to my height and looking me in the eye. "Samus, we've been watching you for some time now. It is plain to see you are a very special girl, and we, the Galactic Federation would love to have you with us."
Only two kinds of people fall for empty flattery: Fools and children.
I was both.
"Wow, will I get to shoot bad aliens and stuff?"
He laughed a warm hearty laugh, it still haunts my dreams. "Maybe. What we are going to do today is some assessment testing."
We came to a stop at a large, green door. He palmed a small screen and it opened. Inside was a brightly lit examination room, containing only a small desk, a chair and a chest in front of them. Standing next to the chest was a tall, frail man with frizzled gray hair.
"This is Dr. Kenan, he's just going to give you a few simple tests and games to do." I remembered tests from Joy's schooling and frowned. Glauss laughed, "Don't worry, there is no right or wrong answers, we just want to see what you'd be good at. I'll be back in a few hours to pick you up."
The tests held no challenge for me. I solved puzzles ranging from jigsaws, to tangrams, to image recognition. Then came a quick assessment of my physical skills, running laps around the small room, dodging between poles and pushups.
I remember Dr. Kenan would only describe the challenges, watch me, smile and say "Very good." About midway through the testing, it occurred to me that it was strange that I had only seen the Dr., the Colonel and Joy in this huge station. Of course I had only been outside my room for a few hours now, but it still seemed odd.
Finally Glauss came back. "How's my little space soldier doing?"
Even at that age, I disliked being patronized, but this man only just met me so he didn't know any better. "I'm a bit tired, but I'm okay."
The Colonel led me though another hallway. "Did you have any trouble with the tests?" I shook my head. "Good. Let's get you a REAL room now."
He opened the nearest door and led me inside. It was wonderful. The walls were a light blue, and much farther apart than my gloomy cell had been. The bed was enormous, and covered with various stuffed animals. There was a nice bathroom with a Jacuzzi. It was almost perfect, but something was missing, "Where's Joy?"
Glauss looked out the window, "She has some other work we need her to do." He turned and flashed his empty smile, "Don't worry, if you need anything just push this little button." He waved at a small intercom. "Dinner will be sent in through that small door next to your table in a while. Then get some rest, tomorrow we'll see how you did." And without a simple good-bye, he left.
For the first time since that "dream" that "didn't happen" I was alone. It scared me. For a long time I lay on my bed, straining to hear anything, any sign of life. There was only the dull hum of the lights. What if I didn't do good enough on the tests? That was it. They had locked me in a pretty shuttle and jettisoned me out into the cold of space for being a failure. My eyes began to tear up when a sudden chirp of the computer made me sit up with a start. "Dinner miss Aran" a male voice sounded out of the intercom. A plate of my favorite, Lasagna and mashed potatoes (A/N: don't knock it till you've tried it!) slid onto my table.
I ate in silence, my mind too busy thinking to even consider crying. They wouldn't do that. They wouldn't just discard me if I failed the tests, besides, I thought I did pretty good. And what about Joy? For the eleven years we were together she had never, not once left me. What else could she have to do? I sighed, realizing I was being selfish, but I missed her. It is true, you don't know what you've got till it's gone.
I pushed the empty plate and silverware through the door and sat on my bed to meditate. Once when I woke up from my sleep, I had seen Joy sitting in lotus position with her eyes closed but as soon as I awoke they snapped open. "What were you doing Joy?"
She smiled, oh how I missed that smile already, "I was meditating. My people firmly believe that there is a, a force that flows through all things in the universe. Whenever we have a spare moment, we relax, breathe deeply and clear our minds. Sometimes we can feel this force, and through it feel and discover many things in the universe, and in ourselves."
I mimicked her pose. "I don't feel anything." I had said.
"You're trying too hard. Just relax and let your mind be at peace. Practice and someday you will."
I shifted back to the present. "Joy," I whispered "What . . . what am I supposed to do? What will I do without you?"
As if in response, a memory suddenly came to me. "Joy," I had said, "How can I tell what's right and wrong? If everything one person does affects another, how do I do the right thing?"
She was silent for some time, then walked over and embraced me. "Samus," she whispered, "you are a wonderful person, and have a beautiful heart." She clasped my head and looked into my eyes. "Listen to it. Have faith in yourself and all that you do with all your heart, and you shall do no wrong."
A knock on my door startled me awake. I must've dozed off. "Samus? Good morning!" Glauss. The door slid open and he walked in and set a package on the bed. "Get changed Samus, we have much to do today." And without waiting for me to speak, he left.
I opened the white plastic to reveal a suit like his. A pair of black boots, green pants and a red vest bearing the words Galactic Federation Army on the shoulder.
The truth? The truth is that I am just a lone bounty hunter, not some soldier in the army. So what happened? What changed my life so much to become a mere civilian after being a prodigy soldier at the age of sixteen? That one, simple force that gives life, takes it and shifts the cosmos to it's will.
Fate.
Thag: Look Samus, I'm sorry, this story is fictional. I would never put you through all this on purpose.
Samus Aran: What? You think I'm just some toy for you to do with as you please?
Thag: No Samus, never. I just . . .
Samus Aran: Shut up you pig! Let me tell you something, you don't own me, Metroids or any part of my universe, so GET BENT! (storms off)
Thag: That hurts Samus, it hurts deep. . .
"We're on a starship?!" I squealed with glee.
The man glanced at the window out to infinite space and chuckled, "Not quite, a starbase actually, orbiting the planet Karron II."
I pushed up against the window and looked up to the greenish world above. "Wow, I had no idea . . ."
"Sorry about that, but we were not sure how you'd react. Kids your age tend to cope best." He smiled, but it somehow seemed . . . hollow. "My name is Colonel Glauss, I'm happy to introduce you to TheGaurdian," he rested his palm on the hull before crouching down to my height and looking me in the eye. "Samus, we've been watching you for some time now. It is plain to see you are a very special girl, and we, the Galactic Federation would love to have you with us."
Only two kinds of people fall for empty flattery: Fools and children.
I was both.
"Wow, will I get to shoot bad aliens and stuff?"
He laughed a warm hearty laugh, it still haunts my dreams. "Maybe. What we are going to do today is some assessment testing."
We came to a stop at a large, green door. He palmed a small screen and it opened. Inside was a brightly lit examination room, containing only a small desk, a chair and a chest in front of them. Standing next to the chest was a tall, frail man with frizzled gray hair.
"This is Dr. Kenan, he's just going to give you a few simple tests and games to do." I remembered tests from Joy's schooling and frowned. Glauss laughed, "Don't worry, there is no right or wrong answers, we just want to see what you'd be good at. I'll be back in a few hours to pick you up."
The tests held no challenge for me. I solved puzzles ranging from jigsaws, to tangrams, to image recognition. Then came a quick assessment of my physical skills, running laps around the small room, dodging between poles and pushups.
I remember Dr. Kenan would only describe the challenges, watch me, smile and say "Very good." About midway through the testing, it occurred to me that it was strange that I had only seen the Dr., the Colonel and Joy in this huge station. Of course I had only been outside my room for a few hours now, but it still seemed odd.
Finally Glauss came back. "How's my little space soldier doing?"
Even at that age, I disliked being patronized, but this man only just met me so he didn't know any better. "I'm a bit tired, but I'm okay."
The Colonel led me though another hallway. "Did you have any trouble with the tests?" I shook my head. "Good. Let's get you a REAL room now."
He opened the nearest door and led me inside. It was wonderful. The walls were a light blue, and much farther apart than my gloomy cell had been. The bed was enormous, and covered with various stuffed animals. There was a nice bathroom with a Jacuzzi. It was almost perfect, but something was missing, "Where's Joy?"
Glauss looked out the window, "She has some other work we need her to do." He turned and flashed his empty smile, "Don't worry, if you need anything just push this little button." He waved at a small intercom. "Dinner will be sent in through that small door next to your table in a while. Then get some rest, tomorrow we'll see how you did." And without a simple good-bye, he left.
For the first time since that "dream" that "didn't happen" I was alone. It scared me. For a long time I lay on my bed, straining to hear anything, any sign of life. There was only the dull hum of the lights. What if I didn't do good enough on the tests? That was it. They had locked me in a pretty shuttle and jettisoned me out into the cold of space for being a failure. My eyes began to tear up when a sudden chirp of the computer made me sit up with a start. "Dinner miss Aran" a male voice sounded out of the intercom. A plate of my favorite, Lasagna and mashed potatoes (A/N: don't knock it till you've tried it!) slid onto my table.
I ate in silence, my mind too busy thinking to even consider crying. They wouldn't do that. They wouldn't just discard me if I failed the tests, besides, I thought I did pretty good. And what about Joy? For the eleven years we were together she had never, not once left me. What else could she have to do? I sighed, realizing I was being selfish, but I missed her. It is true, you don't know what you've got till it's gone.
I pushed the empty plate and silverware through the door and sat on my bed to meditate. Once when I woke up from my sleep, I had seen Joy sitting in lotus position with her eyes closed but as soon as I awoke they snapped open. "What were you doing Joy?"
She smiled, oh how I missed that smile already, "I was meditating. My people firmly believe that there is a, a force that flows through all things in the universe. Whenever we have a spare moment, we relax, breathe deeply and clear our minds. Sometimes we can feel this force, and through it feel and discover many things in the universe, and in ourselves."
I mimicked her pose. "I don't feel anything." I had said.
"You're trying too hard. Just relax and let your mind be at peace. Practice and someday you will."
I shifted back to the present. "Joy," I whispered "What . . . what am I supposed to do? What will I do without you?"
As if in response, a memory suddenly came to me. "Joy," I had said, "How can I tell what's right and wrong? If everything one person does affects another, how do I do the right thing?"
She was silent for some time, then walked over and embraced me. "Samus," she whispered, "you are a wonderful person, and have a beautiful heart." She clasped my head and looked into my eyes. "Listen to it. Have faith in yourself and all that you do with all your heart, and you shall do no wrong."
A knock on my door startled me awake. I must've dozed off. "Samus? Good morning!" Glauss. The door slid open and he walked in and set a package on the bed. "Get changed Samus, we have much to do today." And without waiting for me to speak, he left.
I opened the white plastic to reveal a suit like his. A pair of black boots, green pants and a red vest bearing the words Galactic Federation Army on the shoulder.
The truth? The truth is that I am just a lone bounty hunter, not some soldier in the army. So what happened? What changed my life so much to become a mere civilian after being a prodigy soldier at the age of sixteen? That one, simple force that gives life, takes it and shifts the cosmos to it's will.
Fate.