//------------------------------//
// 5: A New Mission 
// Story: Melody of the Future 
// by Tatsurou 
//------------------------------//

	When X came to, the first sensation he experienced was a tiny form slamming into his chest hard enough to drive him back against the med table he realized he was laying in.  "Hey Octavia," he muttered without bothering to open his eyes or activate any other more advanced sensors.  His hand came up of its own accord to rub her back.  "I take it I've been-"  Another familiar form slammed into him from a different direction, pinning him completely to the med table.  "...hey Alia..." he managed to mumble past the hair in his mouth.

"In answer to the question you both were trying to ask," Lifesaver spoke up, "a week."

X's eyes snapped open.  As he'd thought, Octavia and Alia were clinging to him tightly, and Iris was clinging to Zero just as tightly on the next med table over.  "A week?" X managed to gasp out.

"Guess Sigma planned better than we thought," Zero grumbled, managing to sit up without letting go of Iris.  "So what have we missed?"

"As soon as the ladies will let you go enough for me to give you a full check up, Signas will brief you," Lifesaver growled out, glaring at Iris, Alia, and Octavia.  The two Reploids blushed in embarrassment, pulling back.  Octavia, however, turned and blew a raspberry at the no-nonsense medical Reploid.

"Tavi," Zero chided.

"Alright," Octavia replied, rolling her eyes as she hopped down, letting Lifesaver do his job.





Signas stood boldly before the gathered Hunters, their numbers greatly reduced.  "I'm afraid today is bad news layered atop bad news," he began morosely.  "First off, when Sigma was destroyed, he released enough concentrated Viral Energy to blanket the entire globe."  Turning, he called up a satellite image, showing the entire planet covered in a purple fog.  "The density isn't as bad at ground level, except in certain places, but already several Reploids have been consumed by the clouds, going Maverick and destroying everything in their path.  Thankfully, the Virus Clouds can't penetrate through solid stone, and several pre-End Times underground facilities that had been excavated prior to these events have been rapidly retrofit into shelters, and the vast majority of the population - both human and Reploid - have been evacuated into these shelters before the worst of the viral storm consumed the world."

"Why is it purple?" Octavia asked curiously.

"B-beg pardon?" Signas demanded, confused.

"When Sigma appeared in viral form before this, he was always green," Octavia explained.  "But the clouds are purple.  And how is the virus spreading as clouds, anyway?  That's not how viral programs spread naturally.  Computer programs aren't airborne!"

Signas could only shrug.  "Those are some of the many questions we can't answer about this conflict," he explained.  "Beyond that, this virus somehow is effecting organics as well.  Humans and creatures of various types have also been infected, whether or not they have cybernetic components.  So far, we've only determined four individuals who are unaffected by this Viral Energy: X, Zero, CiCi, and Prometheus."

"Prometheus is here?" X gasped out, surprised.

"He was," Signas clarified.  "He dropped off something for Octavia that he said would protect her from the Viral Energy, then immediately left to scout infected areas.  He's been sending in reports via Gate's lab, which is also protected from the Viral Energy due to one of Gate's more recent experiments.  He isn't entirely sure why it does so, so he can't duplicate it yet."  He turned back to the screen, and the image changed, this time to a view of space.  "On top of that, somehow a Viral Infection of similarly massive proportions made it past the Eurasia Space Colony's viral scanners, and the colony's orbit is now slowly decaying.  It will crash in approximately 16 hours, so we have no time to play it safe.  Every Hunter we can give even the most basic of protections to needs to be on assignment to support one of two countermeasures we've prepared to prevent the colony's crash."  He stepped back.  "I will allow Colonel of Repliforce to explain the two plans we have developed."

Colonel stepped forward, nodding to everyone.  "Repliforce has a great deal of resources at its disposal, which should prove useful in stopping the collision.  The first and safer plan involves upgrading the Enigma Laser Cannon to its maximum operating potential and firing a full power blast at the colony with the intent of vaporizing it.  We have determined four methods we can use to upgrade the Enigma within the time frame.  Unfortunately, there are four Reploids we'll have to deal with in that regard to access the resources we need...and there's high probability that all have gone Maverick."

The screen began displaying the Reploids as Colonel described them.  "First up is Grizzly Slash."  The computer displayed a massive brown bear Reploid, heavily armored, his left arm completely covered with a massive red clawed gauntlet.  "He's a weapons broker, and he has a focusing crystal we need to improve the Enigma's targeting system.  Someone will have to go and enter negotiations with him for possession of the crystal...or, if he's become too infected, take him down and retrieve it.  Negotiations need to be completed within two hours of dispatch.  If a deal hasn't been brokered by then, whoever takes this mission is authorized to use whatever means necessary to acquire the focusing crystal...whether or not Grizzly Slash has gone Maverick."

Colonel did his best to ignore the stunned murmurs as the screen displayed the next Reploid, a massive blue whale with legs.  "Duff McWhalen has been tending to the Earth's oceans for some time, protecting and preserving them.  In order to properly fuel the Enigma, we'll need a supply of hydrogen, and the ocean is unfortunately the only readily available source, and we'll need to work with - or through - McWhalen in order to set up the hydrogen harvesting machinery.  Unfortunately, due to the amount of time it will take to harvest enough hydrogen, this mission will have to be completed within the hour."

The next displayed Reploid was a blue and white bipedal squid.  "Squid Addler is a retired Maverick Hunter, who specialized in the manipulation of massive amounts of electricity.  One of the devices he utilized for this was an Energy Cart, which we will need to properly power the Enigma.  Unfortunately, he's the one of these four most likely to have suffered heavy exposure to the Virus, and thus most likely to have gone completely Maverick.  Whoever goes after him...will have to be prepared to terminate one of your own brother Hunters."

Dead silence was the only response as Colonel moved to the final Reploid, a red and black humanoid firefly.  "Izzy Glow is a renowned doctor of engineering, and has created any number of useful and advanced devices.  We will need to acquire his Laser Device in order to upgrade the Enigma's firing device to handle the amount of energy we will need to hit the colony with.  While his lab is completely covered in the Viral Clouds, we have no details on the doctor's status."

The screen changed back to a world map, and Colonel spoke up again.  "However, no matter how much we upgrade the Enigma...it is unlikely to be able to handle the stresses of being fired, so we will only get one shot.  While we can hope it will succeed, if it fails...there is a backup plan.  We have an old Space Shuttle that can be used to ram the colony.  There is no guarantees there either...and it is our hope the plan won't even be necessary."

Signas once more stepped up.  "Our best and most skilled hunters will be tackling these missions, alongside Colonel himself, who has volunteered to assist us.  While he doesn't have the same immunities to the Viral Energy, he has been equipped with the Virus Buster program based off the Hikari Antibody the longest, and it has already proven effective at dispersing the Viral Clouds.  And we have a special job for one of our elite.  Octavia Melody!"

Octavia snapped to attention, stunned.  "S-sir?" she began, half afraid she was going to be held back in base to 'protect' her.

"The most vulnerable point of both plans is the construction site where the Enigma and shuttle will be worked on," Signas explained.  "We need one of our best there to guard it for the full 16 hours, or until the colony has been stopped.  As the upgrade Prometheus provided for you will need to be recharged every half hour, sending you into the field is not an option, as you and Varia will be independently vulnerable to the Viral Clouds.  As such, your job will be to guard the construction site with your life against any and all Maverick activity.  If the Enigma or the shuttle is sabotaged before they can be completed, all will be lost."

Nodding, Octavia saluted.  "Understood, sir!" she replied.  She didn't like that she had to remain behind, but she understood why.  And her job was important, arguably the most important in this mission.  She wouldn't let anyone down.

Signas nodded.  "X, Zero, CiCi, the three of you are the only ones we can send out, along with Colonel.  Choose your missions carefully."