Chapter 4: The Right Choice

Fox couldn't move. He could hardly breathe. There he was, James McCloud, standing there in his casual flight suit, the suit Fox had modeled his suit after in the early days of mercenary work. He had his arms folded across his chest as he looked out over the thousands of buildings and factories of the megacity below. Fox realized that his father had not looked at him when he had spoken before. There was a wavering in his voice that informed Fox of his father's struggle to keep his calm demeanor. It was as if James could not look at Fox without crying. Fox couldn't tell for sure, however, because of the dark sunglasses James wore. James was exactly the way Fox remembered him before he died.

"Father! You're-," Fox was cut off by James as he raised his head and spoke.

"Fox, I know you have a difficult decision to make, but be calm, you will make the right choice. You MUST make the right choice," he said in a low voice.

Fox blinked. His father knew what he was struggling with. Krystal was dying and there was nothing he or anyone else could do about it. He could either let her go or prolong her life in agony. Neither seemed like the right choice. Fox opened his mouth to ask which choice James was referring to when his father spoke again.

"You will know it when you see it. Fox, in your darkest time, your choice will be clear," said James and set his jaw, he was through talking. He continued to stare out into the distance.

Fox was still frozen where he stood. "This is crazy!" thought Fox. James was dead, but there he was in the flesh only a meter away. This wasn't the first time that he had mysteriously appeared during Fox's times of greatest stress. After his first appearance in the explosion on Venom, Fox had reasoned that it was just his imagination. But this was completely different. Fox could actually see his father right next to him. This wasn't some simple com transmission and an Arwing in the distance. If he was really there, then where had he been all this time? Fox wanted to ask his father that question now more than any other, even than his questions about Krystal, now realizing that his father's few words had already brought him encouragement.

James finally turned his face towards Fox and smiled, "Say 'hi' to ROB for me," he said, his serious tone temporarily gone.

Fox finally found himself able to move. He prepared to run and embrace his father for the first time in ten years. If not that, he could finally see if his father's appearances were only a figment of his imagination. Fox took his first step towards his father when a familiar voice yelled his name. Fox turned to look.

"Fox! Fox! I figured it out!" Cried Slippy. He was waving his arms in the air, some papers in his hands, as he ran towards Fox.

Fox turned back towards his father, but he was no longer there. Fox once again found himself in an awkward position. Fox straightened up and wiped a tear from his eye as he muttered under his breath, "I should have expected that. Slippy, your timing is impeccable."

"Imagined or not, Father has never told me the wrong thing to do," thought Fox. Part of the burden of the choice he would have to make about Krystal was lightened by his father's words. Fox no longer had to worry about it, the choice would take care of itself ...somehow. Fox's mood was lifted dramatically.

Fox looked back at Slippy as he arrived, huffing and puffing, from his excursion. Slippy held up a hand to indicate that he needed a moment to regain his breath. When he finished, he stood up and asked, "Hey Fox, I know you're really upset and this probably isn't the best time, but remember how I couldn't figure out how the wall exploded?"

"Yeah," Fox answered in his normal upbeat tone. Fox motioned for Slippy to follow him back into the hospital, "what did you find out?"

Slippy was taken aback by Fox's sudden mood change. He shook it off and followed quickly behind Fox, excited to tell him what he had discovered. "Okay, I was looking at the shield readouts before the explosion. You know what I found?" Slippy asked.

"No, what?" Responded Fox.

"Nothing. Absolutely nothing was detected... BEFORE the explosion," Slippy declared.

Fox looked at Slippy quizzically, "Are you saying that whatever caused the explosion originated from inside the shields?"

"Yes and no," Slippy answered, "the key was what happened immediately after the explosion. That's when the sensors indicated the presence of a massive release of neutrinos outward, away from the ship."

The two rounded a corner into the main hallway which spanned the length of the building. The space dock was at one end while the intensive care unit was at the other. Fox stopped Slippy there to finish their conversation, knowing they would soon travel in opposite directions.

"Alright Slippy, you've baffled me. What hit us?" Asked Fox.

"I thought you'd never ask! We got hit with some antimatter! When antimatter touches normal matter, there's a giant explosion and neutrinos are released. Our shields only detect normal matter and energy. The antimatter must have passed right through our shields and hit the outer hull of the ship, where the explosion happened," Slippy finished explaining.

Fox had heard about matter-antimatter reactions in his technological history classes back at the Academy. Researchers studied the reactions hundreds of years ago as a possible new energy source. Funding had ceased when a technique to harness gravity itself was discovered. Those techniques were the basis of the G-Diffusion engines in all space-faring ships, including his own Arwings. Antimatter existed in nature, but rarely, and in small amounts. Fox wondered whether this explosion was accidental or intentional.

"So what do you think, Slippy? Were we hit by some antimatter beam or maybe some naturally occurring antimatter?" Fox asked.

"I don't know," said Slippy, "an explosion of the size we saw would take a fist size chunk of antimatter. As far as I know, naturally occurring antimatter only exists in chunks of a few atoms at a time. Then again, those energy scientists studying antimatter centuries ago only managed to create about one gram over the course of fifty years."

Fox nodded, "I guess that will just have to remain a mystery for now. Listen, I have to get back to Krystal. Can you make preparations for our ship's repair?"

"Sure, Fox," Slippy turned to leave, but quickly turned back, a sympathetic look on his face, "Fox, I'm... really sorry about Krystal. I know that this is hitting you the hardest, as the leader and her personal friend. Krystal was always so kind to me..." Slippy became teary-eyed, "Just... whatever choice you make, I... we will be behind you, 100 percent!"

Fox placed his hand on his comrade's shoulder reassuringly, "Don't worry, Slippy. I don't yet know how, but this will all work out. I'll make the right choice."

"Alright, Fox. I'll be back as soon as I can," Slippy said as he wiped his eyes and turned towards the space dock.

Fox watched him go for a moment before sighing and turning towards the intensive care unit. There were fewer people in the hallway now that noon had passed. Fox took his time making his way back. "I'll have to make my choice soon," thought Fox, "and I still don't know which one is the right one." Fox walked down the hall, head down, deep in thought. He pondered the information he had just learned, his father had told him that there was a correct choice and that he would recognize it when he saw it. Fox wondered which it was, playing through multiple scenarios in his mind. None seemed to work out any better than another. Krystal was still going to die in a short time, never to be revived. And then there was the intel Slippy had found. A premeditated attack seemed functionally impossible, what with the amount of antimatter needed. Plus, why would an attacker use such an obscure weapon and on such a non-critical area of the ship? Then again, a freak natural occurrence of antimatter seemed even less likely.

Fox was still deep in thought when he reached the door of the intensive care unit. He stopped and looked up to see a grey wolf in military dress standing in the doorway, blocking his path. The wolf met his gaze and extended a hand in greeting.

"Captain McCloud! It's a honor to meet you. My name is Colonel Lee," said the wolf.

Fox took the colonel's hand and gave it a firm shake, "Nice to meet you. I apologize, I really need to get back to my teammate. Please excuse me."

The grey wolf held up his other hand, indicating his desire for Fox's attention. Fox, unable to get through the blocked door gave the colonel his full attention.

"Fox, I have been sent by my superiors to express our condolences to you and your team for this most unfortunate accident," Lee apologized.

"What are you saying? Do you know the cause of the explosion?" Fox asked.

"Yes, I'm afraid we know very well. You see, it's our fault that your teammate Krystal ended up this way. It was a mistake in an experiment we were running," the Wolf lowered his head in sadness. He frowned, but kept his eyes on Fox.

For a moment nothing happened. Fox's eyes widened. He could sense something was happening, but he couldn't quite place it. He noticed that the colonel's face began to show signs of confusion, and then apprehension.

Fox blinked. When he opened his eyes he found his hands strangling the wolf's throat. Fox's fingers reached deep into the colonel's fur and skin, crushing down on the windpipe. Fox had backed Lee against the wall and was hoisting the wolf into the air by his neck. Unnatural strength flowed through Fox in his anger.

"A mistake in an experiment?" thought Fox, "you killed my teammate."

"You will pay for your mistake!" Fox said to the Wolf now clawing at his throat for air.

"Please... you don't under-urk!" Lee tried to explain, but Fox wasn't listening.

Fox continued to tighten his grip on the colonel's throat. Fox now had a guilty party to give his pent-up stress, anger, and confusion from the day's events. Fox could hear hasting footsteps behind him. Another set of hands tried to pry Fox's grip from the colonel's throat to no avail. Fox could tell from their shape and color that it was Falco trying to stop him. Nevertheless, Fox kept his deathgrip on the wolf.

Colonel Lee began to grow faint from the lack of air. He slowed, and then stopped, his clawing at Fox's tight grip. As his left hand fell away to his side, Fox followed it with his eyes, getting some animalistic satisfaction from his victory. However, when his eyes reached the wolf's chest, Fox froze, seeing for the first time the colonel's name-tag.

It read, "Colonel Write Lee, Special Operations."

Fox stared at the name and mused to himself, "So this is the 'right choice' huh?"

Fox released his grip on the wolf who slid to the floor, crouching on one knee and rubbing his throat. Moments before Colonel Lee had been fearing for his life, but when he looked up, he was surprised to see Fox McCloud standing at attention a meter away giving him a salute.

Sound finally re-entered Fox's world and he heard the voice of his teammate, "Fox! What was that all about?" Falco asked.

"Quiet," Fox said, "I'll explain later."

The colonel recovered quickly and stood up to face Fox, a little apprehension and confusion still on his face.

"I apologize for my unprofessional behavior. I have been under immense stress as of late," Fox explained.

The wolf nodded, "I see! -cough- Your behavior is understandable in such a situation. I probably would have done the same in your shoes, no harm done."

"This might sound strange coming from someone who just tried to strangle you, but do you have something else to tell me other than your role in the accident?" Fox pressed.

Colonel Lee looked surprised, "Yes, as a matter of fact there is something." He laughed, "I guess security isn't what it used to be. I assume that you will take full responsibility for your teammates' health in situations when they can't make their own decisions?" the colonel asked.

"That's right," Fox answered.

"Excellent. My superiors have decided to do what they can to help rectify the situation since it is ultimately our fault that Krystal ended up here. They have decided to make some of the most high level top secret technology available to you. Krystal could potentially recover completely," the wolf said with a small smile on his face.

Falco was surprised, but not as much as Fox who nearly jumped out of his skin, "If there's anything you can do for her, do it!"

The colonel shook his head, "Wait, there are a couple of problems. We will have to remove her from stasis and operate with virtually untested technology. If it doesn't work on the very first try, there will be no second chances, she will die."

"She's going to die as it is right now, the doctors here can't do anything. They want me to just pull the plug. Any chance is better than none at all," Fox reasoned.

"I thought you might say that," said the wolf, "but there is one other problem, one that you will have a harder time accepting."

"What would that be?" Fox asked.

"It's about the technology itself. It's not exactly untested, just untested by us. You've seen it before, the devastation it caused, not just to you, but to everyone..." Colonel Lee was having a difficult time bringing himself to admit the secret to Fox. He stammered and looked at the floor.

Fox reached in close, lowering his head so that he could see the wolf's eyes, "what is it, colonel?"

Colonel Lee looked up at Falco, then at Fox. His gaze intensified as he spoke in a low voice, "the technology to revive your teammate is... Andross Biotech."

Note To Readers:
Merry Christmas faithful readers!
I really wanted to have several chapters ready for you today, but it didn't happen. However, I did get a lot of exteral stuff straightened out, so I will have more time for this in the near future.
Edit (12/26/06): In response to reviews about the shortness and lack of detail in my fic (particularly this chapter), I will be reworking this chapter whenever I get some time (maybe a week or two) to be much more detailed and longer. Know that the story won't change, and what you've seen here will happen in the new version, but it will be more detailed, when I do get around to it. Following chapters will be longer and more detailed too. Thank you all for your reviews and interest!
Edit (4/16/07): I'm not dead! The fic is not dead! I've just been really, really busy. You can read more about my busy-ness elsewhere, point is, I've finally gotten around to rewriting this chapter with a lot more detail and explanation. It is now over twice the original length, and hopefully a lot less confusing. Writing about emotions is hard, writing about emotional rollercoasters is even harder, and that's what this chapter was about. Hopefully future chapters will be more straightforward. I look forward to getting to the really interesting parts soon. Don't kill me if it takes some time for the next chapter to come out, it's my last semester of college before I graduate after all. Then it's off to Digipen, the video game school, to get a Masters in game programming.
Edit (8/16/07): Another four months and I've discovered a pretty major plothole. Namely, where did Peppy come from? Wasn't he off being the General and stuff? So why was he suddenly in the hospital with Falco? The reason is that when it's so long between writing chapters, you forget some things. I thought I had Peppy still on the team. So this version removes all references to Peppy and fills the holes that creates. (It's unfortunate too, because I had a really good idea for Peppy's dialog in chapter 5, but looks like I'm going to have to change it.