Despite the blinking sound of the lit console echoing around the cockpit, the silence turned so still you could drop a needle onto the floor, and it'd be the only thing you would hear. The moment I heard the words "Outer Rim" come out of Adam's virtual mouth, it was as if time began to slow down.
Holy hell. We didn't just cross a single galaxy. Hell, not even a single universe. We crossed over the entire, fucking multiverse!
And here I was. I was actually looking forward to setting off as Samus Aran, this new life of mine to a lowly space pirate base so I could test the waters to see what it's like to be an intergalactic bounty hunter. But no. Adam just had to speak those words to me.
[You have visible doubt in your eyes, Samus. Do these words hold meaning to you? I do not have a single record of this "Outer Rim" in my database. And I hold a copy of the Federation's records. I have every detail of what transpires in your visor, your adventures, your hunts of those space pirates. And not a single record of that describes this place. Yet, you seem to know it.] Adam said, voice remaining calm. Then again, he has shown quite a range of emotions through the short interactions I've held with him, despite being artificial intelligence.
"I do know of this place called the Outer Rim. Space pirates are now the least of our worries. We're going to have to change our plans. We can't wander aimlessly around here. The Outer Rim is far more wide than the galaxy you might be used to. It spans across the entire core of the universe. It contains tens of thousands of star systems, let alone the few we've encountered. Trillions upon Trillions upon Trillions of lifeforms, aliens, you name it. So like I said, we can't wander around aimlessly. I will ask you this instead, Adam. Do you have the ability to map out a planet's life? We might be able to pinpoint where exactly we landed. And if not, I'll have to set off and gather intel the old fashioned way.", I decided to ask while confirming Adam's doubt. I simply saw him shake his head.
[I do not have that luxury, unfortunately. Treading uncharted waters is your specialty, isn't it, Samus?], Adam asked me.
"If you mean the original Samus, then yes, this sounds right up her alley. Sadly, that isn't the case here.", I said, scoffing back at Adam.
[You keep bringing that up, but it sounds like you've already come to terms with what has happened to you. No matter what tale you spin, it is Samus who is seated in front of me. Because of that, I will give you your first mission. While I do not have the ability to reward you because I was cut off from the Galactic Federation, I can still assign you missions.] Adam said, providing one of his key functions to me.
"You're something else, aren't you, Adam? But very well. Lay it on me.", I said, musing to Adam's words. Samus often received missions from Adam to help progress her adventures across the galaxy. I will be no less to that. I could do things my own way, but if I knew I had a mission to tackle, it'll help keep up that mentality. Especially once I start receiving bounty assignments of my own. If this really is Star Wars, I can definitely become a bounty hunter here.
And here's my reason why.
If you become a Jedi, you're screwed. If you join the Sith, you're even more screwed. And what's worse is that every single action is either controlled or monitored, and no way do I want to live a life like that. That also means joining the Republic, the Senate, or the Separatists are also out of the question. They're bound by rules set in stone, and always seem to have conflict, whether it's internal or external. A universal, unified government is just a fleeting dream for them when they have the power of the Force compelling them to one side or the other. Then, you have organizations like the Trade Federation and the Techno Union. They have much more freedom, and I could potentially join an organization like that. Hell, I could even pay a visit to Planet Mandalore, as they're a society based on warriors and tradition. That place sounds right up Samus's alley.
But at the end of the day, I think becoming an independent bounty hunter where you can easily switch sides depending on where the money goes is the best way to go. It'll be a good way to test all the abilities that came with this Power Suit. Do I have Super Missiles? Do I have Power Bombs? Can I even go into Morph Ball mode? How many beams came with me? So many things to test out.
Adam saw a resolute look in my eyes, waiting to hear my first assignment.
[You are hereby assigned to scout the moon we've arrived to. I have scanned a total of three celestial bodies within our proximity. One moon, one planet and one star. Once you have stepped onto the surface, I will begin scanning and documenting your surroundings. I also have the ability to hack into any known databases that don't have higher security levels than mine and not leave any trace behind. While you do your recon, I will attempt to locate the moon's history.] Adam said, giving me my directive.
"So we've arrived at a moon, got it. We'll be doing this the old fashioned way.", I replied, smiling.
[Unfortunately. To supplement that, I have detected some life forms on this moon. There are thin layers of oxygen in the atmosphere surrounding it, allowing breathable air. It is infused with several unknown minerals that I do not have a record of, so I will advise you to proceed with caution.] Adam said, shaking his head again.
"Understood. I will be careful, as first contact is likely inevitable. How's the Power Suit?", I asked.
[Fully functional. Power is at 75%. It should only take a couple more days to fully charge. Some abilities remain offline, but it should be sufficient to perform your first reconnaissance mission. Your directive is clear. Please report back to me before the day is over. Any objections, lady?] Adam questioned, dropping his iconic line on me.
"Excellent. I have no objections.", I answered, smiling. Now there's what sets Adam different from your other types of artificial intelligence. He would always end his briefings with that last sentence. It looks like this AI carried Adam's personality. Just how far did those Federation guys go when they made this AI?
I wasn't sure, but it looks like I'll be stuck with this version of Adam for the time being. I don't mind it. It's much better than being alone here in the gigantic Star Wars universe. I can actively engage in conversation like this.
I stood up from the cockpit's chair. There was one thing still lingering on my mind. The descent.
"Actually, I do have one more thing, Adam. During our space travels, can you give a full flight course of flying this gunship?", I asked. I may have Samus's memories and her body, but muscle memory can only go so far. I was never a pilot in my previous life. I would likely see my body move on its own, tapping button after button and panel and panel, but I wouldn't know what they do. I'd have to dig into Samus's memories every time I wanted to maneuver around in this cockpit, and I'd rather not rely on that. If I can learn to fly this baby on my own, that'd be amazing.
[Very well. I can see sincerity in your eyes. You are not lying. I shall give you flight lessons during our downtime. I take it you want me to handle the descent into this moon?] Adam requested.
"Please.", I replied, nodding with a sincere nod. I had nothing else to speak with Adam for now, and he said he can handle the descent, so I left the cockpit after getting out of my chair. I was still in some pretty loose clothing, there's no way I could head down into an unknown moon dressed like this. Enough time had passed to let another machine do its job, sewing the zero suit jumpsuit back up to its pristine condition. Adam just observed my fleeting figure vanish from sight in silence.
[Just who are you, really? It would go against protocol trying to dig up more information about you. So until you feel like it's time to speak about it, I will refrain from doing so. It's been nice having chats like this. We will arrive on the moon's surface within the hour.] Adam said, wondering who the Samus was before him. It was clear it was Samus, but that wasn't all there is to the story. He knew he couldn't look into further, so Adam simply focused on his new task at hand.
While I readied myself by putting on the jumpsuit, and then the mostly charged Power Suit. The visor turned on, and the view that you would see in the Prime games became my new view. It's going to take some time getting used to this.
[Initiating descent. Expect minor turbulence. I will notify you once we have landed.] Adam spoke to me while I was in the Engineering Bay getting ready.
"Understood.", I said with a nod.
My heartbeat started to thump. I was about to see what it would be like exploring Star Wars for the very first time. How could I not be excited!?