MegaMan NT Warrior (Rockman) Fan Fiction ❯ Between Friends ❯ Episode Seven ( Chapter 7 )
[ A - All Readers ]
By: Corwin Sparrow 
Roll's upgrade is complete and her destination set, while Ruth and Yale banter matter theological...
Anime/Manga: MegaMan NT Warrior (Rockman) Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Sci-fi / Romance / Psychological / Drama / Action | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 05.03.2004 | Updated On: 05.16.2004 | Pages: 2 | Words: 1.7K | Visits: 285 | Status: Completed
Roll's upgrade is complete and her destination set, while Ruth and Yale banter matter theological...
Anime/Manga: MegaMan NT Warrior (Rockman) Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Sci-fi / Romance / Psychological / Drama / Action | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 05.03.2004 | Updated On: 05.16.2004 | Pages: 2 | Words: 1.7K | Visits: 285 | Status: Completed
Between Friends
By Simon Woodington
Previously: Tron and Roll work out their relationship; Alia prepares for revenege,
and Tron's future is provided for...
Episode Seven
"Please Zero."
Zero grimaced, unable to justify his hesitation.
"Surely she's not that type of threat?"
"If what I fear is true, then she will be," she rifled back, unusually emotional. "I have
already adapted the code, I merely require the permission to use it!"
"I cannot ignore your consideration, Alia, but please re-evaluate the situation! I do not
want another life on my head..."
X threw Zero a look, puzzled by the oddity of the statement.
Who? Iris! What could he have done? Her allegiance was fixed. She would not have
turned for him. Is love not enough, or was it not enough for her?
"Zero, is the guilt that comes from the deletion of Iris?" X requested tentatively. Zero
whirled as if to backhand X, eyes wide, heart stricken, though his arm was not raised.
Rapidly he regained control or its appearance looking away from X and speaking in
low tones.
"Never speak again of a matter you do not comprehend," he rumbled heatedly.
"Forgive me Zero, I no desire to offend you..."
Zero looked back over his shoulder with a false grin.
"Of course not, old friend. Alia, yes, you have my permission," he said, flitting from
subject to subject like a ravenous hummingbird. Douglas and Lifesaver nodded, then set
about making the final alterations to allow for this increase in combat prowess.
"A shame, to re-allocate these resources. Thirty percent of your cognitive functions are
required to place you at 'S' rank. This armor will improve that status to 'SA', with room
for four upgrades, two of which are permanent upon first installation."
"Permanent?"
"The Dark Armor is not stable unless supported by two fixed upgrades," Douglas
supplied. "Zero's Master Saber and shock buffer are two examples of this. It is not as
tough as the Falcon Armor, without them."
"I see. Then I will choose these without hesitation. Please install them," Alia
requested, catching them off guard. "Do not delay. I am perfectly certain of this decision."
"Yes Alia, Ma'am," Douglas demurred. "Immediately."
"May I ask why two percent of my resources are marked as archived?"
Lifesaver nodded.
"That is where the unused processes have been stored. We have compressed them
with-"
"Please delete them."
Signas balked, quite prepared to order her to keep them.
"Signas, I accept this fate. If I am to fight, then I must always do it. I cannot trade that
innocence back when this threat has abated," she said, approaching sullen. "I would
refuse your order."
"They would not," Signas replied.
"You are far too empathetic, Signas, to force my hand," she fired back knowingly.
Signas' large face tightened, white hands clasping uselessly. Then his head bowed as he
sighed.
"You know me too well, Alia. We have been friends too long for these petty
arguments. Do as you will. Know that my primary concern is your welfare," he said, eyes
glimmering with emotion.
"I do," she half-smiled. "Douglas, please do it. I will face the regret of it when it
comes."
The room and all present were quiet as the two pressed on, finishing their appointed
task within minutes. Alia had requested that her armor mimic the style of X, with a
rounded two-toned helmet and simplified appearance overall. Alia rose from the table and
examined herself in a nearby mirror.
"Impressive. Contain your regret, for you have both performed a miracle today."
Zero and X were flabbergasted. She sounded so arrogant! A moment later, she turned
and blushed, bowing apologetically.
"Ah! Forgive me! These new combat routines have such high priority! Now... we need
to find and stop Ronne!"
"Yes. We do," Signas confirmed.
I only hope we do not lose Alia and Roll both! X lamented.
-
"That was, almost... rude," Yale commented, dumbstruck. Ruth nodded earnestly as
they passed through the chamber double-doors toward his office.
"I concur, Sir."
"Ruth..."
"I'm sorry Yale," she apologized. "Signas just put me off. I wrote the majority of that
armor conversion code, but he will not acknowledge that."
"Because no one told him he's never slipped to date, Doc. I've kept track," Yale
parried. "He doesn't have volatile memory, not like us."
She propped hands on hips while he held open the door, made with the dissatisfied
face, and entered the room with an irritated sigh.
"That's no excuse."
"That's just your ruffled ego talking," Yale smirked. "Why would he eject us like
that?"
"'Eject'? You've been hanging out with their crowd too long," she feinted with a grin.
"He's a good person."
"'Person'? Brave supposition."
"I have never worked with anyone as strong or as sensitive before. Weeks before
Zero's breakdown he counciled with him to find an answer."
"It was found. It was called the 'Zero Nightmare'," Ruth replied caustically.
"Anticipation and communication to not equal compassion, my dear sir."
"Now you're mocking me. Enough 'sir'. I will tell you right now that Reploid cares. My
wife and I... we've had our problems. It's to him I owe my marriage. Two years before
Kayla was born-"
"Stop. You're going to tell me a Reploid saved your marriage? It's feasible my friend,
but not his primary function."
"Now you're obfuscating." Yale frowned reproachfully. "It was nothing he could have
known, you see. Unity takes time away from my family, and because of that I was almost
divorced. Nasuni was six months along, and serves in the Relief Core of Hunter/Human
Alliance [before we changed the name to 'Unity']. We had been fighting for months about
my long hours, until one day Signas asked me if Nasuni was well.
"What possessed me to be honest and direct I don't recall, but he listened, wished my
family good health, and took a week of leave. I didn't see him again until four days later
I remember them, they were some of the longest days of my life. He had quit his leave,
and the first day back he apologized to me, not saying why. I thought little of it as we
went about our business.
"That night I met the Doula and Midwife he had assisted Nasuni in hiring during his
absence. Nasuni was ecstatic, crying with joy at my thoughtfulness."
"But..." Ruth faltered for all of an instant, enraptured. "You didn't say... did you?"
"He lied. Signas lied for the benefit of my family to be, and... I owe him a debt I'm not
sure can ever be repaid," Yale finished, clasping hands and pressing his lips.
"Breathtaking, simply ingenious," Ruth admonished, utterly awed. "And clever too.
He is a Master Strategist."
Yale felt as though his jaw had tumbled to the floor. He took several deep breaths,
agape at her perspective.
"You don't believe me."
Ruth smiled smugly.
"I believe Signas detected a potential weakness in his chain of command, and took -
albeit unorthodox steps to resolve the problem. He does have a rudimentary library of
human psychology and historical leadership records. I doubt very much this was more
than the response to a preset of databased memory codes."
"You're irascible! Totally unfathomable! Completely mistaken, too! What do you call
it when I run my my daughter when she scrapes her knee?"
"The same, but you know that you cannot rectify the matter completely. Comfort is not
the measure of the solution. Cleaning and bandaging the wound is insuff-"
"The 'wound'?"
"Knee, scrape, surface abrasion, whatever. These are just words. You know her
feelings, you know the pain, and you know there will be a limit to your ability."
"What is significant about that?"
"It show self-awareness, consciousness. What do you think would have transpired had
Signas' ploy failed?"
Yale shook his head, becoming incredulous.
"I don't know. What does it matter? His plans have failed before, he doesn't get broken
up about loses, not much anyway. It's not his purpose."
"Exactly!" Ruth chimed.
"What? You mean to say he's just a machine because he a clearly defined purpose, and
we do not?" dashing forward verbally.
"I mean to say that it is his only recourse, to fulfill a purpose. A living creature thrives
and grows in their surroundings, using their mistakes to improve."
"What an arrogant statement. Ants do not grow or develop traits beyond those they are
born with -"
"Ants are borne as larvae, of course they do."
"Only physically! Genetically they do not change. Aren't we always seeking after
something greater than what we presently are? Hence the Reploids?"
"Touche."
"Define life within its context, Doctor. Cells are living, Sockeye salmon are living-"
"But not sentient."
Silence, bitter and tangy.
"Damn," Yale grumbled. "So we're back to this, aren't we? Can robots be self-willed.
Choose for themselves. Deny their makers."
"X and Zero aren't significant enough examples. Sigma doesn't come close. Rock,
Blues and Forte did no less..."
"But Forte has turned on us!"
"He is Maverick."
"The virus is gone, Ruth."
"Is it?"
Yale was stunned, hand on his mouth, foot inside brushing his tongue. So there it was,
as he had said. What was the truth? Was the virus gone? Where the Reploids really self-
willed?
Now he had to know.
By Simon Woodington
Previously: Tron and Roll work out their relationship; Alia prepares for revenege,
and Tron's future is provided for...
Episode Seven
"Please Zero."
Zero grimaced, unable to justify his hesitation.
"Surely she's not that type of threat?"
"If what I fear is true, then she will be," she rifled back, unusually emotional. "I have
already adapted the code, I merely require the permission to use it!"
"I cannot ignore your consideration, Alia, but please re-evaluate the situation! I do not
want another life on my head..."
X threw Zero a look, puzzled by the oddity of the statement.
Who? Iris! What could he have done? Her allegiance was fixed. She would not have
turned for him. Is love not enough, or was it not enough for her?
"Zero, is the guilt that comes from the deletion of Iris?" X requested tentatively. Zero
whirled as if to backhand X, eyes wide, heart stricken, though his arm was not raised.
Rapidly he regained control or its appearance looking away from X and speaking in
low tones.
"Never speak again of a matter you do not comprehend," he rumbled heatedly.
"Forgive me Zero, I no desire to offend you..."
Zero looked back over his shoulder with a false grin.
"Of course not, old friend. Alia, yes, you have my permission," he said, flitting from
subject to subject like a ravenous hummingbird. Douglas and Lifesaver nodded, then set
about making the final alterations to allow for this increase in combat prowess.
"A shame, to re-allocate these resources. Thirty percent of your cognitive functions are
required to place you at 'S' rank. This armor will improve that status to 'SA', with room
for four upgrades, two of which are permanent upon first installation."
"Permanent?"
"The Dark Armor is not stable unless supported by two fixed upgrades," Douglas
supplied. "Zero's Master Saber and shock buffer are two examples of this. It is not as
tough as the Falcon Armor, without them."
"I see. Then I will choose these without hesitation. Please install them," Alia
requested, catching them off guard. "Do not delay. I am perfectly certain of this decision."
"Yes Alia, Ma'am," Douglas demurred. "Immediately."
"May I ask why two percent of my resources are marked as archived?"
Lifesaver nodded.
"That is where the unused processes have been stored. We have compressed them
with-"
"Please delete them."
Signas balked, quite prepared to order her to keep them.
"Signas, I accept this fate. If I am to fight, then I must always do it. I cannot trade that
innocence back when this threat has abated," she said, approaching sullen. "I would
refuse your order."
"They would not," Signas replied.
"You are far too empathetic, Signas, to force my hand," she fired back knowingly.
Signas' large face tightened, white hands clasping uselessly. Then his head bowed as he
sighed.
"You know me too well, Alia. We have been friends too long for these petty
arguments. Do as you will. Know that my primary concern is your welfare," he said, eyes
glimmering with emotion.
"I do," she half-smiled. "Douglas, please do it. I will face the regret of it when it
comes."
The room and all present were quiet as the two pressed on, finishing their appointed
task within minutes. Alia had requested that her armor mimic the style of X, with a
rounded two-toned helmet and simplified appearance overall. Alia rose from the table and
examined herself in a nearby mirror.
"Impressive. Contain your regret, for you have both performed a miracle today."
Zero and X were flabbergasted. She sounded so arrogant! A moment later, she turned
and blushed, bowing apologetically.
"Ah! Forgive me! These new combat routines have such high priority! Now... we need
to find and stop Ronne!"
"Yes. We do," Signas confirmed.
I only hope we do not lose Alia and Roll both! X lamented.
-
"That was, almost... rude," Yale commented, dumbstruck. Ruth nodded earnestly as
they passed through the chamber double-doors toward his office.
"I concur, Sir."
"Ruth..."
"I'm sorry Yale," she apologized. "Signas just put me off. I wrote the majority of that
armor conversion code, but he will not acknowledge that."
"Because no one told him he's never slipped to date, Doc. I've kept track," Yale
parried. "He doesn't have volatile memory, not like us."
She propped hands on hips while he held open the door, made with the dissatisfied
face, and entered the room with an irritated sigh.
"That's no excuse."
"That's just your ruffled ego talking," Yale smirked. "Why would he eject us like
that?"
"'Eject'? You've been hanging out with their crowd too long," she feinted with a grin.
"He's a good person."
"'Person'? Brave supposition."
"I have never worked with anyone as strong or as sensitive before. Weeks before
Zero's breakdown he counciled with him to find an answer."
"It was found. It was called the 'Zero Nightmare'," Ruth replied caustically.
"Anticipation and communication to not equal compassion, my dear sir."
"Now you're mocking me. Enough 'sir'. I will tell you right now that Reploid cares. My
wife and I... we've had our problems. It's to him I owe my marriage. Two years before
Kayla was born-"
"Stop. You're going to tell me a Reploid saved your marriage? It's feasible my friend,
but not his primary function."
"Now you're obfuscating." Yale frowned reproachfully. "It was nothing he could have
known, you see. Unity takes time away from my family, and because of that I was almost
divorced. Nasuni was six months along, and serves in the Relief Core of Hunter/Human
Alliance [before we changed the name to 'Unity']. We had been fighting for months about
my long hours, until one day Signas asked me if Nasuni was well.
"What possessed me to be honest and direct I don't recall, but he listened, wished my
family good health, and took a week of leave. I didn't see him again until four days later
I remember them, they were some of the longest days of my life. He had quit his leave,
and the first day back he apologized to me, not saying why. I thought little of it as we
went about our business.
"That night I met the Doula and Midwife he had assisted Nasuni in hiring during his
absence. Nasuni was ecstatic, crying with joy at my thoughtfulness."
"But..." Ruth faltered for all of an instant, enraptured. "You didn't say... did you?"
"He lied. Signas lied for the benefit of my family to be, and... I owe him a debt I'm not
sure can ever be repaid," Yale finished, clasping hands and pressing his lips.
"Breathtaking, simply ingenious," Ruth admonished, utterly awed. "And clever too.
He is a Master Strategist."
Yale felt as though his jaw had tumbled to the floor. He took several deep breaths,
agape at her perspective.
"You don't believe me."
Ruth smiled smugly.
"I believe Signas detected a potential weakness in his chain of command, and took -
albeit unorthodox steps to resolve the problem. He does have a rudimentary library of
human psychology and historical leadership records. I doubt very much this was more
than the response to a preset of databased memory codes."
"You're irascible! Totally unfathomable! Completely mistaken, too! What do you call
it when I run my my daughter when she scrapes her knee?"
"The same, but you know that you cannot rectify the matter completely. Comfort is not
the measure of the solution. Cleaning and bandaging the wound is insuff-"
"The 'wound'?"
"Knee, scrape, surface abrasion, whatever. These are just words. You know her
feelings, you know the pain, and you know there will be a limit to your ability."
"What is significant about that?"
"It show self-awareness, consciousness. What do you think would have transpired had
Signas' ploy failed?"
Yale shook his head, becoming incredulous.
"I don't know. What does it matter? His plans have failed before, he doesn't get broken
up about loses, not much anyway. It's not his purpose."
"Exactly!" Ruth chimed.
"What? You mean to say he's just a machine because he a clearly defined purpose, and
we do not?" dashing forward verbally.
"I mean to say that it is his only recourse, to fulfill a purpose. A living creature thrives
and grows in their surroundings, using their mistakes to improve."
"What an arrogant statement. Ants do not grow or develop traits beyond those they are
born with -"
"Ants are borne as larvae, of course they do."
"Only physically! Genetically they do not change. Aren't we always seeking after
something greater than what we presently are? Hence the Reploids?"
"Touche."
"Define life within its context, Doctor. Cells are living, Sockeye salmon are living-"
"But not sentient."
Silence, bitter and tangy.
"Damn," Yale grumbled. "So we're back to this, aren't we? Can robots be self-willed.
Choose for themselves. Deny their makers."
"X and Zero aren't significant enough examples. Sigma doesn't come close. Rock,
Blues and Forte did no less..."
"But Forte has turned on us!"
"He is Maverick."
"The virus is gone, Ruth."
"Is it?"
Yale was stunned, hand on his mouth, foot inside brushing his tongue. So there it was,
as he had said. What was the truth? Was the virus gone? Where the Reploids really self-
willed?
Now he had to know.