Reflection

"You seem troubled Lady."

"..."

"Lady?"

Stirring at the speed of a chozo and taking even longer to return to the waking world, Samus Aran wasn't sure whether to be grateful for Adam waking her up or irritated. On one hand, the AI had the courtesy to not wake up the etecoons and dachora's sleeping in the gunship's cargo bay and considering that their bodies weren't aching all over, they had far less of a reason to sleep. On the other hand, sleep brought memories. Sleep brought nightmares. And while the bounty hunter hadn't descended into either, that wasn't to say that it wouldn't have happened.

"What is it Adam?" the human murmured, closing her eyes once more and making sure that the single purple eye that represented the computer system saw it. "I was sleeping."

"And murmuring too," pointed out the AI. "And considering that there is a strong chance that the Federation will be judging your sanity in the near future, I think it would be best to get any issues out in the open."

"They'll be judging you too..." the bounty hunter murmured, too tired to care at this point.

"I'm an AI lady. I deal with logic," stated Adam. "While my actions may have gone against what the powers that be desired, they will at least understand, or rather assume, that I acted in regards to what I decided was the best course of action. You however, are an organic being. Limited by your consciousness. And since I have your full file stored in my databanks, I would not be surprised if that consciousness bears scars in the same manner as your physical form.

Samus winced, and not just from the sudden spike of pain that ran through her chest and stomach, courtesy of the claws of the Omega metroid. Adam had calmed her earlier rage and frustration in the knowledge of what was coming, but it was clear that while his siding with her plan to destroy the X had stemmed from more than just logic, he could still be exceptionally blunt. And while she was able to postpone the physical pain through another shot of painkillers, postponing Adam's queries wasn't an option.

Screw it. If he wants to be blunt, then so can I.

"You were there when I joined the Federation Police," Samus began, meeting the eye's gaze with her own. "You know what I was like."

"And what were you like?" Adam asked rhetorically.

"A child. Always with something to prove, a chip on my shoulder. I may have grown up fast with the chozo, but looking back..."

Samus trailed off. Truth be told, she didn't know why she was bringing up her first proper experiences with the Federation, bar whatever K-2L provided. And if asked, she doubted Adam would either. It was illogical. It was, given the current circumstances of a destroyed space station and a race of parasites, irrelevant. But with the painkillers failing to do their job and a sudden awareness of her hair being drenched in sweat, falling asleep was no longer an option.

"I felt if I let my guard down I would easily be broken," Samus continued, beginning to warm up to the concept of her former commander playing a shrink. "And beyond that...I think I was scared."

"Scared?" Adam asked curiously. "I doubt that."

"You do?"

Adam's eye whirred, in what the bounty hunter supposed passed for a shrug. "I'm no mind reader lady, so I can't say what was exactly going through that thick skull of yours, whether it be on Zebes or even on the Bottle Ship. Still, for what it's worth, I can't really say what was going through my organic brain at that time either."

Samus remained silent. Being treated as an "outsider," even after going through hell on Zebes for a second time wasn't exactly the most pleasant experience in the world. But then again, she'd been young then. Young and naive, at least in her own mind. Once the universe had clearly defined enemies and allies and now, residing from her latest ordeal, Samus couldn't tell which was which.

And maybe that's what bothers you, came the voice that Old Bird had explained was a conscience. You can't tell right from wrong, you can't tell black from white and the revelation that these things probably don't even exist is screwing with your mind in a manner that puts the Nightmare's manipulation of gravity to shame.

Still, there was at least a saving grace that these revelations weren't entirely new to the bounty hunter. Clearly she'd learnt something in the two years after Adam's death that she was at least prepared to disobey orders and send the X, BSL and SR-388 to oblivion. And that Adam himself had seemingly recognised this as well was also a comfort.

"Anyway, the past is the past," declared the AI. "I suppose right now we have to concentrate on the future. If you want, you can start preparing your opening statement as to why this star system is effectively down a planet."

Samus grunted. The painkillers were finally starting to take effect and not just in pain's dilution. "No thanks. I think I'll return to dreaming, thank you."

Part of the bounty hunter expected the AI to berate her, or at least tease her. But in a sense, the silent acquiescence was welcome. Elements of the old command dynamic were back, but there was a key difference. And just before she returned to sleep's calming embrace, Samus realized what it was...

...she was no longer a child.

A/N

Perhaps obvious, perhaps not, but this was taken from Samus's lines in the cinematic trailer for Other M. As far as I can tell, people are split on the issue of Samus actually having a voice and the greater emphasis on story, though for me personally, it's a change I welcome. Regardless, it gave me material for writing.