FicWad

Chapter 1 - Brave New World

23XX, Underground lab 3:12 PM

I stared silently at the craft in front of me. It was named Hope II. I had scratched the 'II' in myself. The others, except Zero and Dr. Cain were oblivious to why I had done it, but then no one but Dr. Cain and I had ever seen the original Hope. My thoughts drifted backwards to what only I, Zero, and Dr. Cain knew. I hadn't even told Dr. Cain until just days ago. What I had only confided in Zero. What I had only told Dr. Cain when lives were on the line. What was now reduced from full-motion, full-emotion, memories to simple snap-shots and emotionless words.

20XX 2:49 PM February 5

An eight-year-old boy named Rock is playing ball with his sister, Roll.

20XX 3:22 PM February 5

An ambulance arrives to take the boy, having been hit by a truck, to the hospital. He is thought not to make it, but his uncle proposes a radical solution to his parents. They accept.

20XX 12:00 AM January 1 (the next year)

Main System Booting . . .

Booting Optic Sensors . . . . .Complete
Booting Auditory Sensors . . . Complete
Booting Tactile Sensors . . . .Complete
Booting Hard Drive . . . . . . Complete
Booting Directives . . . . . . Complete
Booting Weapon System . . .
Mega Buster . . . Online
Booting Weapon System . . . . .Complete

Boot Complete

Unit Designation: Mega Man
Unit Name: Rock

Unit Status: Online . . .

21XX 4:26 PM April 14

Main System Booting . . .

Booting Optic Sensors . . . . .Complete
Booting Auditory Sensors . . . Complete
Booting Tactile Sensors . . . .Complete
Booting Hardware . . .
Hard Drives . . . .Online
Emotion Grid . . . Online
Ethics Chip . . . .Online
Booting Hardware . . . . . . . Complete
Booting Weapon System . . .
X Buster . . . . . Online
Booting Weapon System . . . . .Complete

Boot Complete

Unit Designation: Mega Man X
Unit Name: Rock

Unit Status: Online . . .

"Hello, I'm Dr. Cain." These were the first words I ever heard, as I slowly but steadily exited my hibernation capsule, Hope.

23XX, Maverick Hunter HQ (two weeks prior)

"IT'S A GOD DAMN SUICIDE MISSON!" Zero bellowed.

I sighed, Zero and Cain had been arguing for hours now. The mavericks it seemed, had, however briefly, somehow opened up a hole to another dimension. This was two months ago. We had spent weeks just figuring out that it was indeed an inter-dimensional wormhole, which had been open for about thirty seconds, and then promptly shut down, after delivering something, what we didn't know. We were able to duplicate the energy sequence and sent through a probe, proving that there was in fact something to land on on the other side. The question then became, what exactly did the Mavericks send through? The why seemed obvious. The Mavericks were losing, and losing badly. A thirty-second window was not near large enough to be any kind of migration, so what, or who, had they sent back?

Cain's stand was that we should not allow the problems of their dimension to contaminate others. Fine. Great. Looks good on paper. Just one problem. Whoever we sent to investigate was, in all probability, not coming back. The investigator had to be fast enough, strong enough, smart enough, and stable enough to not only find out what the Mavericks had done and stop them, but also be able to blend in and survive as well with a minimal chance of going maverick. These requirements significantly narrowed the possibilities of who could withstand said mission. It left me, and Zero was not giving me up without a fight. He really is a great friend.

Zero and Cain argued endlessly. I, however had made my decision. I was going. Ever since Alia had died, I had been despondent. I don't think either of us had realized it, but we were in love. When we got up in the morning and chatted with each other about small things at the morning fuel up, to when I walked her to her door each night, we simply took pleasure in each other's company. When she died I was devastated. I knew I needed something new. I knew this was my chance.

I had also made up his mind about another matter. Several years ago, we had found Dr. Light's last gift to me. It was a capsule, not just any capsule though. This was it, the final one. It would mean that Dr. Light, so many years after his death, would keep his promise to my parents. I would be restored to being fully human, almost. The capsule would have multiple effects. While my human flesh would be reborn from the genetic material I still carried, I would also be a cyborg. Each cell in my body would have a mechanical and biological element. In addition, my skeletal structure would be composed of Titanium X, making me tougher than an ordinary human. As a human I could eat, and systems in my stomach would convert some of the proteins to energy to charge my technological side. My immune system had nano-machines added to not only repair my half metallic nature, but to improve and shorten the general healing process. Not wanting the future to be defenseless however, at a moment's thought, I would be able to emphasize the technological portion of my cells, causing me to once again become X, and vice-versa. It also improved my X-buster to have variable modes, the standard charged shot, the piercing laser, and, in dire need, I could use the nova strike, which would use all but the vital energy in my body to power a single burst, but such an action would cause me to revert to my human form, leaving me nearly defenseless. I knew now, six months after her death that Alia was the only thing that had kept me from using the capsule sooner.

"I'm going." I said quietly. Amazingly the two verbal combatants heard me.

"What? You can't be serious..." Said Zero, trailing off as he looked forlornly at me.

"I am serious Zero, I'm going to use Light's last capsule and then I'm going to go. I'm going to go stop whatever it is that the Mavericks have planned and then I'm going to retire. You know full well my heart's not in this anymore, I need a break. This is just a longer one than I'd originally planned on."

"X, you have no..." Zero trailed off once more, sighed then said "Why do I try, you never change your mind." He slumped into a seat. "When does he leave?" This was directed at Cain who responded with a shrug.

"Whenever he feels adjusted to his new body, I guess."

23XX, Underground lab 3:14 PM

I was adjusted now. As Rock I could, if clumsily, pass myself as a socially inept human who was shy and had little contact with others. As X I could switch between buster modes at a moments notice, and was switching between forms in instants now. What was initially a lengthy and horrific looking sequence of mutations to change was now a quick, slightly revolting, melting look that was down to about a second between forms.

I looked at the capsule, Hope II. I walked slowly and entered as my fellow hunters whispered 'be careful's and 'be safe's at me. Cain had said 'good luck' to me. Zero, artificial tears growing in his eyes, had clapped a hand on my shoulder and whispered, "Be happy."I nodded, too full of emotion to trust myself to speak.

It's the last time I'll ever see them again...

I entered the pod, and with a final goodbye from the hunters, Zero closed the lid and readied the gear I was taking with me, then, in a brilliant flash of color, the wormhole opened and swallowed Hope II, me inside, closing the pre-specified thirty seconds later.

2010, Tokyo (Sailor Moon Dimension) 3:15

Hope II appeared in a small back alley, and I, opening my eyes, knew instinctively that this was where I was supposed to be. As my eyes adjusted to the light, I shook himself clear of thoughts and pod alike, and got to work.

The probe had done its work well in the window it was allowed. It had recorded human life, identified the language used, and guessed the approximate technology level. Two hours later Hope II was reconstructed to convert from regular motorcycle to my custom land chaser and teleport to me at a thought. I shifted to Rock, and rode the bike to a nearby lot where I picked up a phone.

To most the phone would have been useless, as the receiver was torn off; but it was advantageous to me, I shifted his left-forearm, connected the appropriate cables, hacked my way into the government's file system, and got down to the business of creating myself a life. I soon realized I would need funds. Enough funds to not have to worry about such things as a job for a while, I figured that it was not quite an abuse of my powers, as when I was hunting down the mavericks, I did not want to worry about paying the rent. A slight shift in my optical sensors, and I was reading the newspaper in side the stand next to me, reading the names of several crime bosses, the transferred money from their accounts to mive, reasoning that I was most likely putting the money to better use. I got myself a room at a fairly nice hotel for the evening, to give me an address to ship the things I would need for more permanent residence. I gave myself a Masters degree in computers.

After all, I /am a computer, how hard could it be to program the ones here?/

I settled on a midtown apartment that wasn't too expensive, but showed that I was moderately well off. At last, my work done, I went to my hotel, and after a brief chat with the clerks went up to my room to await my driver's license, credit cards, and apartment key. I didn't sleep much that night.