Past Prologue

Without any additional conversation—save for the directions Dr. Cain gave—X gathered up the lifeless Reploids and followed Dr. Cain to a separate but adjacent facility where the maintenance beds could be used as repair platforms. They worked on Sigma first, for his absence would be noticed by the community at large if there was undue delay.

Fortunately, reversing the EMP coma was not a troublesome task. Within the hour, Sigma was coming to.

“Commander,” X said as Sigma, while clutching his head, sat up on the bed.

“X, you damned fool,” Sigma replied, lying back down. “Befriending Mavericks. That’s a crime. I ought to boot you right the hell out of the force, but then I would have no means to prevent you from talking about this without killing you. In fact, I have no means either way, so why shouldn’t I send you and your little red friend to the metal grinder right now?”

“Sigma…” Dr. Cain muttered.

“I won’t talk, sir,” X said calmly, though he was stifling a growing anger built from Sigma’s relentless insults he had heaped on him since the afternoon began.

“Good answer,” Sigma said. “For you, anyway. Did you get what you wanted, Doc?”

Dr. Cain sighed. “It’s still unclear exactly how his nanomachines are receiving and translating his neural and chemical inputs, despite the amount of data we collected. No patterns came up whatsoever.”

“If he can’t or won’t reveal his secrets, then he’s useless. Too bad, I suppose, after all my trouble,” Sigma said, looking over to the still-unconscious form of the Maverick. “Scrap him.”

“With all due respect, we can’t just scrap him. I’m convinced, as you were, that he deserves our attention. He doesn’t seem so hostile toward me, so maybe I can work with him if you’ll give both of us a chance,” X said.

“That’s an interesting change of tune coming from you, isn’t it, X? Tell me, what if he turns around one day and murders you, as ruthlessly as he murdered Garma?”

“As far as I can tell, sir, there is only one Reploid here who would like to see me dead.”

Irritation blazed in Sigma’s eyes, but he had no reply to make to X’s words. Instead he said, “I must make ready for duty. Keep that Maverick under until I am able to return.”

Dr. Cain nodded, and Sigma departed swiftly.

“Sigma…” Dr. Cain said as the door closed behind Sigma. “He’s so different now from when he first awoke. He used to call me Father.” The doctor sighed. “Now, it seems as if the world has corrupted him. X, I want you to forgive me. I could never figure out how to program the wonderful quality of humility you possess, and I had hoped that Sigma would learn it instead and…” Dr. Cain trailed off, obviously disheartened by the failure he was admitting.

“Doctor, whoever Sigma is now, it certainly isn’t your fault. You were the first person I ever met, and so I learned from you what’s true and good by your example. No one else,” X said, reaching out to touch the doctor’s arm.

“Thank you, X,” Dr. Cain said, his eyes glistening with tears. “I’m sorry, but would you call me Father? Just sometimes, for I would like to hear it again.”

“Sure, Father,” X said. He then hugged the old man once again, who smiled gratefully.

“You are truly remarkable, X,” Dr. Cain said, releasing from the hug. “Speaking of which, what on Earth are we going to do about him?”

X looked over at the Maverick, resting on the bed and looking as peaceful as he had before they had revived him.

“I don’t know. I want to talk to him, but I’m not sure yet if he even understands,” X said.

“He learned your name easily enough,” Dr. Cain pointed out. “But he may still be dangerous if we reboot him as he is.”

“Is there a way to delete Maverick programming?” X asked.

“If I could answer that, then you’d be out of a job,” Dr. Cain said.

X smiled. “Heh, good point,” he said.

“Maverick programming or not, X, he seems to be a mess no matter how you look at it. All the more reason for me to think that something was removed from him, some important piece of data that was lost or corrupted, and that has scrambled him quite a bit. Perhaps that is why he went Maverick in the first place, but it’s hard to say,” Dr. Cain said.

“How terrible,” X said, his eyes softening upon the Maverick’s face.

Dr. Cain in turn studied X for a moment before saying, “Let’s wake him up. Sigma can take it up with me if he has a problem with it. The EMP emitter should be just about recharged by now, anyway.”

X whipped around to give Dr. Cain an appreciative grin, the first he had felt like giving in months.

“Alright, hand me that soldering needle,” Dr. Cain said, moving to the Maverick’s bedside. “What should we call him, anyway? I’ve been meaning to ask you.”

“Who?” X asked.

“Our Maverick here. Who else?” Dr. Cain said. “We should call him something, no?”

“You didn’t give him a code?”

“He’s supposed to be unofficial, so I saw no reason to make paperwork for myself.”

X glanced down at the “Z” marking on the Maverick’s shoulder. “He’s not supposed to exist, hmm?” he pondered aloud.

Dr. Cain paused from his work to look up at X. X then said, “Zero.”

“Zero?” Dr. Cain repeated.

“We’ll call him that. Zero.” X said.

“Zero. I like it,” Dr. Cain said, resuming his work.

Like with Sigma, it was within the hour that Dr. Cain had successfully reactivated Zero’s electronic systems. As he finished, they waited as Zero’s integrated neural and biological systems slowly reactivated, indicated by his level of consciousness. X hovered over him as he watched his eyes open slowly. X still felt a tinge of fear about what they were doing, but it flew away once Zero’s eyes locked onto his once again. The unbroken gaze embarrassed X a bit this time, but he steeled himself knowing that they could not turn back.

“How are you feeling?” X asked, taking a swing at communication. He even reached out to rest his palm on Zero’s forehead. Truly, X felt sorry for what this Maverick had to go through.

“X,” Zero stated after a pregnant pause. He then blinked dumbly. Progress, X supposed. X glanced up briefly at Dr. Cain who he noted was observing in unmasked awe.

“I’m X, that’s right,” X said, leaving his hand on Zero. “Nice to meet you.”

Zero appeared to lose focus, as if trying to recall something, but it kept slipping out of his grasp.

“X,” Zero repeated, again seeming like he was trying to remember something. After having an internal struggle, Zero’s face fell, indicating he had given up. X petted him, the act seeming to relax both Reploids.

“Don’t worry, Zero. We’ll take care of you,” X assured. He still wasn’t sure if he understood, but he hoped the tone of voice sufficiently communicated his peaceful intentions. In reply, Zero reached up and took X’s hand, bringing it to his side. To X’s astonishment, Zero smiled. It was a pure, gentle, handsome smile, and it convinced X beyond a doubt that this was the one Maverick who deserved a chance to get better.

X cleared his throat and said, “Can you move?”

Zero squinted as if concentrating, and he let go of X’s hand and attempted to sit up. X thought to stop him, for Dr. Cain hadn’t yet checked if Sigma had inflicted any major internal damage. Instead, he held his hands out to steady him in case Zero lost his balance. After some wobbling, Zero sat up straight and looked around, noticing Dr. Cain for the first time as well. Hostility crossed his features, making the old man gasp.

“No, Zero,” X admonished, moving to the opposite side of the bed to come between them. “It’s okay. He wants to help you, too.” Zero glanced at X as he spoke, then his features relaxed. Though he did relax, X noticed that his rage had transformed rapidly into great sadness. X could not see it clearly, but he felt it, and thought about what it was like to come into strange world without purpose or memory. X had been through it, and it had felt powerfully lonely, to the point where reason did not matter sometimes. X thought he might have lashed out at the world too if Dr. Cain had not been there to hold him at the times when he needed to cry.

X, moved by his empathy and his memories, gingerly put his arms around Zero. Zero tensed at the unfamiliar contact, but X said, “I know what this is like. I don’t know who I am supposed to be either, nor do I remember a thing about where I came from. It makes you confused, angry, and alone. But you’re still alive, and as long as you remain alive, things will get better. Endure it, and we’ll figure everything out someday.”

X felt Zero settle and lean into his chest, and X smiled.

“It must have been fate,” Dr. Cain said, watching the scene unfold. “For you two to meet.”

Still smiling, X patted Zero gently.

“X,” Zero said again, but this time a powerful tremor wracked his body. Alarmed, X released Zero and saw that his eyes were slightly glazed over. “Doctor?” X said worriedly as another tremor shook Zero. Dr. Cain immediately rushed to assess him, visually and by analyzing the maintenance bed’s readouts. X gently pushed for Zero to lie down in order to get an accurate scan.

“It appears the internal damage to him was worse than it appeared,” Dr. Cain said. “But according to these readouts, he is not critical. We just need to give him time to rest.”

Despite the assessment, Zero convulsed again, and X could tell by his rigidity that his involuntary spasms were causing him some panic. X returned his hand to his forehead with soothing strokes.

“Should we put him back under?” X asked, though he did not like the thought of having to knock him out yet again. But for Zero’s peace of mind while the bed and his self-repair function went to work, it sounded like a good prescription.

“You seem to have his trust, X. So I would say it’s your call,” Dr. Cain said. “But he may be in pain.”

X watched as Zero convulsed again. His head pivoted towards X, but his eyes were wide and unblinking. The sight was pathetic, and it caused X to struggle to contain his tears. He had no idea what to do to make it better.

“Let’s do it,” X then said softly. “Just for a little while.”

Dr. Cain nodded, and went to fetch the sedative. X brought his hand down to one of Zero’s and held it, but was surprised when he felt Zero’s grip tighten over his hand.

“Don’t worry,” X said. “I’ll be here when you wake up again.”

A moment later, Dr. Cain returned with a cartridge containing a dose of tranquilizer and installed it into the maintenance bed. Zero’s grip on X loosened as the drug gradually took effect, and the lids of his eyes fell closed.

“I hope he thanks you if and when he is able,” Dr. Cain said. X glanced up at Dr. Cain with a somber smile. “I have a bit more work to do on the data we gathered,” the doctor continued. “What are you going to do?”

“I’d like to stay with him,” X said.

Dr. Cain smiled. “Do as you wish,” he said, then took his leave.

He was a Maverick. He killed Lieutenant Garma, and nearly killed Sigma. He was unpredictable and violent. X refused to think about those things, though refusing made his self-doubt more acute. The more he worried about his own actions that day and in the past weeks, however, the more sure he became that he was doing the right thing, and did not care if Sigma or the authorities thought otherwise. That conviction comforted him, and he smiled to himself as he rested his head next to Zero’s sleeping body. Sleep soon claimed him as well—restful, and without nightmares.

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((I should probably make a note here and say that I am not 100% sure Sigma said "Garma" in the cutscene with the Zero vs Sigma fight, but whoever it was Zero wrecked before Sigma came to fight is who I am referring to.))