FADE IN.
INT. GALACTIC FEDERATION SHIP FIGUEROA: RECOVERY ROOM – DAY
Unconscious Samus lies dormant in an exam bed. Tyson, her robot companion, watches over her. Slowly, Samus begins to awaken. She grumbles and moans, gradually opening her eyes.
TYSON
Welcome back, ma'am.
Samus adjusts herself into a seated position. She notices her current attire being her blue, spandex Zero Suit.
SAMUS
Where's my Varia Suit?
TYSON
It is offline-
Samus stretches and gets out of bed.
SAMUS
Well, put it online! I have work to do!
She scans her hand to activate the door, and exits the recovery room.
TYSON
Ma'am, I cannot exactly-
The door closes.
EXT. GFS FIGUEROA – DAY
Samus exits the flagship, still only in her Zero Suit. She looks out at the Oormine II Overworld. Branches and leaves cover her Gunship in the distance. She limps toward it.
My back pulsated and throbbed as I walked. I tried to distract myself, focusing on the lifeforms that made this planet whole. My Gunship was in its worst condition yet: the hunk of orange metal would not even turn on. Leaning against my ship, I allowed the scent, colour and atmosphere of the forest to fill my head. This place was unlike any forest I had ever seen in my planetary travels. A cliff in the distance, an alien waterfall guarded something within the rocks. A large chasm separated the cliff from the pine forest, with hexagonal pillars standing between them. Slowly, limping, I walked to my newfound destination. Even though the pain in my body worsened, my desperate desire to explore and raid this planet for commission purposes increased.
A river dividing the mountainous region from the woodlands flowed around the cliff. My eyes continued to peer into that cave. Those pillars were my only way across. Although the pain in my back continued to throb, I needed to make those jumps. This mission given to me by the Galactic Federation was of the utmost importance, both for dutiful and financial reasons. I took a deep breath, and leaped across, barely grabbing the edge of the first pillar. Ever so carefully, I climbed up.
"Five more to go."
My adventuring into that cave was more than a struggle. Despite a part of me not wanting to overdo things after that maniacal electrocution on FS-176 just hours ago, I went with my gut.
"You gotta keep going," I kept telling myself. "Keep going."
With patience and endurance, I eventually reached the entrance. Running under the waterfall, my attempt at getting the least amount of alien liquid on my skin or spandex suit was successful. The nature of this planet being completely unlike Earth, one could not say which molecules made Oormine II habitable for the native species. Contact with the water could bring irreparable damage to the body, for all we knew.
The cave was rather warm and humid, which worsened the farther I walked. There were pumpkins along the walls, each spewing piping hot phlegm from their carved mouths, and into a ravine of sorts. The Plasma Whip on my Paralyzer gun would allow me to zip line across the fiery phlegm to the other side. Once deeper inside, the heat and humidity really got to me. Sweat dripped from my forehead like mad, a rain shower taking place directly on my face. My breathing intensified, and my feet carried all the weight in my body. It would be impossible for me to survive in this place for much longer. I had to leave the cave for the time being, which was not an easy decision for me to make. Although I desperately wanted to pursue my mission of the ever-expanding X-Parasite, my health ultimately got the best of me.
Oddly, the pillars just outside the cave were now slanted and slippery, pink snow coated the pine forest, and the waterfall was solid ice. I had to shimmy my way around the hunk of ice and grab onto the edges of the pillars to get across. I leaped and climbed, all the while surviving the harsh winds and blowing snow. The pain in my back grew worse.
"Dammit, you were right, you were right. Why was I so fucking stupid?"
I needed to take a moment to breathe, once back in the woodlands. I slowly marched through the snow with my hand on my spine. My desperation to reach the flagship for warmth intensified.
"How d-d-did it s-s-snow so much already?"
As I walked, I saw somebody waving at me.
"T-Tyson? I-I'm c-c-coming..."
My throbbing back made it difficult to walk any faster.
"J-J-Just give me a minute... M-maybe two..."
I could feel the frost on my face. My ears and forehead hated this sudden shift. My body could not handle these two extremes back-to-back.
Collapsing onto a sheet of ice in front of GFS Figueroa, it soon donned on me that Tyson was never outside: it was all in my head.
"S-s-so c-c-cold..."
Just as I was about to pass out, the ice began to crack. I tried my best to get up and enter the flagship; however, before I could even get off one knee, the ice shattered and sent me down a four-metre drop. Lime-coloured water entered my mouth, which I immediately regurgitated back onto the mushy grass.
"Argh! Ugh! Gross!"
The tunnel closed from above, making the grotto in front of me the only exit. Slowly, I got up from the ground. A strange warmth occurred to me, surprised at the change in temperature this deep beneath the surface. All the frost on my face melted away, and my Zero Suit was back to its normal colour. I entered the cave, curious of what rested within.
INT. OORMINE II OVERWORLD: CHOZO GROTTO – DAY
Samus enters one of the many ruins left behind by the extinct bird people, the Chozo. Three Chozo statues rest in the grotto, each two-and-a-half metres tall.
SAMUS
Whoa...
FADE TO:
EXT. K-2L: SAMUS' HOME – DAY
A four-year-old Samus joins her parents, RODNEY and VIRGINIA, in their backyard.
SAMUS
Mommy, is dinner almost ready? I'm starving!
VIRGINIA
We'll eat soon, sweetheart, I promise! Just go inside!
SAMUS
But I don't wanna wait! I'm hungry!
Virginia points at the door, and gives her daughter a stern look. Samus groans. She turns around to go back inside, when she sees RIDLEY getting closer. Rodney and Virginia are too busy with their conversation to notice.
SAMUS
Mommy?
VIRGINIA
Go inside, I said!
SAMUS
(frightened)
Mommy!
Samus runs to her parents, and hugs her mother. Virginia can feel her daughter quivering.
VIRGINIA
Sammy? What's wrong?
Rodney sees the shadow of the approaching monster dancing with the Afloraltite flowers. He looks up in the sky.
RODNEY
Those damned Space Pirates are coming to attack the colony!
VIRGINIA
I knew it would come to this...
Ridley lands near their house. He roars, walking closer.
RODNEY
Samus, you remember that talk we had the other day, about you living with your teachers?
Samus cries and quivers in fear, hugging her mother's leg tight.
VIRGINIA
I don't know if this is really a good time to be saying goodbye to our daughter!
RODNEY
It is a good time! That beast is here!
VIRGINIA
So, this is it, huh? Your big plan?
Ridley gets dangerously close. Virginia covers Samus' ears with one arm, and fires a bullet down his throat. Ridley shrieks loudly. Virginia backs away with Samus. Rodney keeps the winged beast busy.
RODNEY
We have no choice! We have to say goodbye now!
SAMUS
Don't leave me!
VIRGINIA
Samus, you were always my little girl! There's nobody in the world I love more than you!
SAMUS
(sobbing)
Mommy!
Virginia unwraps Samus' arms from her thigh.
VIRGINIA
Run as fast as you can!
Samus sniffles. Ridley goes to attack the three of them. Rodney protects Virginia and Samus by shooting the beast.
RODNEY
We love you, Samus!
Ridley goes to attack Samus.
VIRGINIA
Run!
Samus runs as fast as she possibly can. Ridley chases after her. Virginia and Rodney run over to wrench his tail.
RODNEY
Leave our daughter alone, you bastard!
Rodney fires a bullet into the back of Ridley's head. The purple monster turns around, shrieks, and pounces on Virginia. She struggles to break free from his clutches. Samus turns around, never more frightened in her life.
SAMUS
Mommy!
VIRGINIA
Samus! Keep running!
Rodney fires nearly every bullet he has at Ridley, but none of them do any damage.
RODNEY
Virginia!
Rodney and Samus watch Ridley eat Virginia alive. Flesh, bones, intestines, brain: everything.
RODNEY
(hopeless)
For us.
Rodney fires his last bullet at an explosive Afloraltite flower. As these flowers are abundant on K-2L, a chain attack of explosions ensues.
EXT. K-2L - DAY
A highly advanced spaceship escapes the exploding space colony. Ridley manages to survive, and follows.
FADE TO:
INT. OORMINE II OVERWORLD: CHOZO GROTTO – DAY
Samus opens her eyes, admiring the statues once more.
SAMUS
I never really got to thank you. Whatever work I have left to do, I promise I'll get it done.
One of the statues lights up, green lights filling the indents on the statue as well as their eyes. The statue steps aside, revealing the Varia Suit and an exit. Samus walks over, and allows the Chozo armour to replace her Zero Suit digitally. She then walks down the new path. The Chozo statue returns to its spot as she exits, sealing the way.
Exiting the cave on the opposite side of GFS Figueroa, I returned to the cold weather. With the Varia Suit protecting my body, the blizzard-like conditions weakened. I ventured for the cliff, ready to face the extreme heat within the cave. As I walked, a familiar robotic voice spoke to me from within my suit.
"Ma'am?"
"Oh! Hi, Tyson!"
"How are you feeling?"
"I'm fine..."
Still without my Arm Cannon, my Paralyzer allowed me to zip line across the large pit of lava to the first platform. The fiery liquid spread into two directions. After standing on a large hunk of molten rock for a while, I chose the path to my left. The earth was not stable, breaking apart when I made contact. The wall in front of me had noticeable crevices. I climbed to the top, and wriggled my way as a Morph Ball down the tunnel. Four bomb slots surrounded a large, circular platform. Activating them transformed the platform into a pit with lava flowing around it. My Arm Cannon rested at the bottom. I jumped all the way down, only for a massive, multi-eyed crocodile to greet me. I hastily stuffed my right arm into my Arm Cannon, and faced off against the beast.
It was terribly dark inside the pit. Crocolord's eight yellow eyes were the only source of light. Intimidated by the three-metre height difference, I tried my best to fire charged shots down his throat, but found difficulty in avoiding his chomp. The beast repeatedly tried to bite into my Varia Suit. An eventual capture caused me to react by gorging out his eyes. Alternatively, when he freed me, I fed the beast Morph Ball bombs to stun him. Once he was weak enough, it was possible for me to climb up to higher ground and get a better vantage point. The bomb slots were active once more. I raced for them, and caused the pit to flood with lava. I let the beast drown and decompose, until all that remained were his bones. The lava drained, when using the bomb slots one final time. Among Crocolord's bones was an upgrade for my Arm Cannon. I jumped back down, and picked up the Ice Beam.
Molten rock barricaded a section of the wall within the pit, which my bombs could not destroy. My new Ice Beam, however, was capable of melting the rock, revealing a tiny tunnel. Interacting with a Hand Scanner on the other side caused the lava to flow throughout the cave. With nothing else to do inside of the cave for the moment, I returned outside. A cascade of lava replaced the frozen waterfall above the entrance. The red liquid thawed the pink ice and snow. Although the blizzard ended, a thunderstorm replaced it. I decided to return to Tyson at the flagship.
EXT. OORMINE II OVERWORLD – DAY
Tyson, leaving GFS Figueroa, runs into Samus.
TYSON
Ma'am! Ma'am! We must head for Federation HQ!
Samus looks at Tyson with concern. He grabs her wrist, and starts pulling her toward the Gunship, which is now completely functional.
TYSON
It's Ridley, ma'am!
Samus pulls her arm away, and runs to her Gunship.
TYSON
Wait for me!
Tyson tries to catch up.
EXT/INT. SAMUS' GUNSHIP – DAY
Samus grabs Tyson while riding the hatch up into her ship.
INT. SAMUS' GUNSHIP – DAY
Samus disables her Varia Suit, and walks over to the pilot seat. Tyson joins her, sitting in the co-pilot seat. After making final adjustments, they lift off for the Galactic Federation Headquarters.
EXT. OORMINE II OVERWORLD – DAY
Samus and Tyson lift off for the Galactic Federation Headquarters. They leave the planet, and venture into outer space.
EXT. FS-176 STAR SYSTEM – DAY
Samus and Tyson leave the planet in their Gunship, and travel to the Galactic Federation Headquarters.
INT. SAMUS' GUNSHIP – DAY
Samus and Tyson make the remaining adjustments on the controls, in order to reach warp speed.
EXT. FS-176 STAR SYSTEM – DAY
The Gunship gradually reaches warp speed.
Tyson and I travelled to the outskirts of the FS-176 star system at the fastest speed attainable. Our destination was the nearby Solar System, venturing straight for Earth. Though I was anxious to vanquish my foe, I still had a job to do. In the meantime, I figured it might be a good time to catch up on food and laundry, and the like. Given how much time passed since my last meal, it would be a great opportunity to get some food in my system. My upbringing taught me a lot about fasting and food preserving; now in my late twenties, it was simple to go long without food and not feel like I needed to eat. A shower would be useful as well, the sweat inhabiting my Zero Suit from all my adventuring thus far.
Getting naked, I started piling my laundry into the washer, and let the machine do its thing while I hopped in the shower. The water cleansing my near-pale skin was so relaxing. Plenty of time passed before I even activated the shower gel to start spraying from the showerhead. The thought of pleasuring myself even occurred, but given the turbulent flight to Federation HQ, likely a result of the Gunship destroying dozens of Space Pirate ATCs in our path, I could not help but wonder if it would even be possible for me to climax in such conditions. In the end, my eagerness to find out what the Space Pirates were up to got the best of me.
The Pirates put a significant amount of people at risk, and my concerns for them increased as we flew. Though I tried contacting HQ to see what the status was, no one answered. My repeated failed attempts at speaking with one of the Federation heads resulted in me kicking my table map in annoyance.
"Damn!"
A series of missiles made contact with the Gunship. Stumbling, I nearly fell onto the ground, and watched everything in the observatory wobble and shake. A draft came from my bedroom nearby, scattering my stack of digital vinyl across the floor. Framed photos fell off the shelf above the backboard, lying face down on my pillows. The wheels of my closet doors rolled open ajar; my clothes danced gently in the breeze. The bathroom was just as much of a mess. The showerhead spewing a body wash and shampoo mix, and the faucet spewing toothpaste activated by themselves. My toothbrush and hairbrush ended up in the sink. The wastebasket was on its side, my used toilet paper and tampons making just as big a mess as the vinyl in my bedroom. Another missile blast caused me to startle backward, grabbing onto the doorframe. Tyson's voice spoke through the speakers in my holo-phone, which began to slip from my left boot.
"Ma'am, you might want to hold onto something tight."
"A-Already doing that...!"
Immediately, I returned to the cockpit, and buckled myself into my seat. Taking the helm once more, I assisted the Federation in the assault against the Space Pirates.
GF Troopers fired their guns at dozens when dozens of Pirates. Ridley was not anywhere in sight; my rival and mortal enemy was not on the battlefield. Tyson activated the Ship Missiles for me, which I used to shatter multiple ATCs to pieces. I hoped the explosions would attract Ridley's attention. Then, out of nowhere, a huge amount of pressure exerted itself onto the right side of my ship.
"Fire some missiles for me! I'm gonna face him outside!"
"Yes, ma'am!"
Applying my Varia Suit and Arm Cannon, Ridley's large, purple tail filled my vision. After grabbing on and climbing onto his back, Tyson followed my Ship Missile order. Ridley and I plummeted to the Landing Site. He tried to claw at me, bite me, and share some of his Plasma Breath with me. My Ice Beam was my best bet at weakening him and avoiding any major attacks. A second pair of Ship Missiles severely injured his wings.
Ridley hit the Landing Site hard. Luckily, I was right on top of him, so my fall did not hurt as much.
"Sucks to be you."
My winged foe was not in the greatest condition. The remaining twelve Pirates continued to attack my comrades and me, firing at us with their Beam weapons. I did everything in my power to stop them and avert calamity. My hurriedness got the best of me, perturbed by the Pirates' assault on the Federation. My immediate destination was the Aurora Chamber inside HQ.
"Ma'am, what about Ridley?"
"Just let him suffer on the Landing Site! I'll be right back!"
Not wanting to hear Tyson's complaining and arguing, I disabled my Varia Suit, and proceeded to the Aurora Chamber in my Zero Suit.
Standard biohazard and DNA procedures were compulsory, in order to access the Chamber. The Federation would not risk contamination of an Aurora Unit, especially after what happened to Unit 313 on GFS Valhalla. After scanning my hand for identification, digital and vertical lasers searched me for any viruses. Once clear, two GF Troopers guarding the lift to Aurora Unit 149 let me pass. I rode the lift, curious to hear what the Aurora Unit might say.
"Welcome, Samus."
My eyes met the transparent screens. I followed the images and Federation logs as Unit 149 brought them to my attention.
"The toxin you discovered at FS-176 correlates with our findings on planets Bilium, Oormine II, and Tallon IV."
"Prime..."
"We fear the same. This is a live feed of Tallon IV."
I watched, noticing how many ATCs flew around the Phendrana region. Moments later, a Space Pirate force-disabled the camera feed,
"It is unfortunate that you arrived here."
"Unfortunate? How so?"
"While we did send out a distress signal, your leaving of the FS-176 star system made every planet vulnerable. You must go to Tallon IV at once."
I nodded in response.
"Good luck, Samus. And hurry."
With the briefing over, I ventured back to my ship, and re-enabled my Varia Suit.
"This was all just a ruse! We need to get out of here now!" I vented to Tyson through the communications feature within my space helmet.
No response.
"Tyson, do you hear me?"
Still no answer.
"I said 'Tyson, do you hear me?'"
Again, he did not reply.
"For god's sake, what the hell is wrong now?"
Neither Ridley nor my Gunship were on the Landing Site.
With a scream, however, my rival surprised me from behind, picking me up in his shiny, metal claws. Meta Ridley wanted to fight some more. I gladly accepted his offer, keen on showing him just how weak he really was.
The now-metallic pterodactyl gave me an aerial tour of Federation Headquarters. I soon learned that my previous strategy was far less effective this time around. The beast tried scratching at my helmet, and even attempted to bite into my Varia Suit. My armour struggled to remain online. I brought out my Paralyzer, ready to duel wield my weapons. Although I significantly injured the metallic pterodactyl, my victory was not yet clear. After stunning his tongue with a missile, I coiled my Plasma Whip around it, and made my descent onto the Landing Site. My Varia Suit was only partially online. I toyed with Meta Ridley, while waiting for my orange armour to repair itself.
Meta Ridley descended onto the Landing Site for a ground assault. I charged my Ice Beam, eager for him to approach and attempt to chomp on me once more. Whenever he proceeded to attack me with his claws or Plasma Breath, I dodged and fired. My Plasma Whip came in handy, allowing me to hold his tongue or wrist, while I shot him repeatedly.
"Ma'am, you may want to step aside."
Surprised to hear Tyson's voice again, I could not move for a moment. Meta Ridley took the opportunity to pounce on me. A pair of Ship Missiles penetrated the beast's torso. I kept my distance from the demon, wanting Tyson to keep him busy a while. Unfortunately, he avoided the second round of weapon fire, and went to attack my Gunship, wanting to prevent my means of escape.
"Blast him in the intestines, for god's sake!"
The heavy blast caused Meta Ridley to fall backward off my Gunship.
EXT. GF HEADQUARTERS – DAY
Meta Ridley falls backward from Samus' Gunship, and crashes on the Landing Site on his back. Samus charges for him, preps a large chunk of ice, and shoves her Arm Cannon into his mouth.
TYSON
Miss Aran, watch out!
Samus looks over, noticing two Ship Missiles heading her way. Meta Ridley bites into Samus' ankle. Instinctively, Samus gets into Morph Ball mode, and protects herself inside the demon's mouth. She feeds him a few atomic blasts, shortly thereafter. The metallic beast regurgitates her and a new item, the Grapple Swing. He then rolls over, and trips on the edge of the Landing Site. The demon hangs on for dear life, to which Samus, hastily and aggressively, fires missiles at his wrists and belly, sending him off to his doom.
The Grapple Swing would no longer require my need of the Paralyzer while in my Varia Suit. With my new weapon in tow, Tyson lowered the Gunship, allowing me to climb aboard and claim the pilot seat. Together, we ventured for Tallon IV. My mind went adrift during the flight. My concentration waned, lost in memory. I dreamed of my first trip to the planet, of the worm, Metroid Prime, infesting Tallon IV. The Phazon it spread ruined all natural life, particularly planets Aether and Phaaze. No planet was ever safe from Phazon's touch, and I feared that it was back; that the Space Pirates located a new source of the virus, and aimed to spread it once more.
Lost in thought of my battle against Metroid Prime, Tyson took responsibility in maintaining a safe flight path. We could not risk veering off in some other direction, when the Space Pirates could be on the hunt for something terrifying. Somehow, my thoughts of Phazon switched to a realization that there was still more pizza left, of what I made in the oven on the way to HQ. Given how much time it took for me to shower, masturbate, do the laundry, work out, and make something to eat, all while trying to get from one star system to another as fast as possible, made it incredibly difficult to even finish two slices of pizza. Especially considering Tyson's lack of internal organs, I had an entire pizza all too myself, which also meant I had to work out again to lessen any feelings of congestion while out exploring an area fit for polar bears.
Initiating a landing sequence on Phendrana Drifts. I needed to calm myself, and fast. While making our descent, Tyson and I noticed a lack of Space Pirate activity. There were no ATCs orbiting, nor were there any within the Phendrana area.
"Keep an eye on the Pirates."
"Of course, ma'am."
Exiting in to Phendrana Drifts with my Varia Suit and Arm Cannon, the blizzard conditions greeted me once more. Looking down, I noticed a large river separating two large cliffs. There were no paths leading down, only metal rails connecting the two molds of rock. After shooting down the icicles from the rails, I used my new Grapple Swing to cross the chasm. However, the rails were slippery. I needed to swap rails on occasion, in order to traverse successfully. Unsuccessful, though I tried, I fell several dozen metres. My orange armour destroyed a section of the ice, causing me to plunge beneath the surface. My Visor disabled from the cold, blinding me in the dark underwater cave.
"Tyson, you read me?"
No response.
There was no other way for me to traverse within the water. Sure, I could disable my Varia Suit and swim, but the ice water would destroy my skin in seconds. The Varia Suit allowed me to walk, though at an incredibly slow space and with an inability to Space Jump, on the riverbed, while my helmet allowed me to breathe underwater. There were moments during my blinded walk where I would trip. Not being able to see anything annoyed me. I needed to rely on my limbs to tell me where to go. Treating the riverbed like a maze, I followed the walls of ice wherever they took me. Eventually, my feet discovered a crevasse along one of the walls. Going into Morph Ball mode, a tunnel system within the cave guided me down the various paths, where warmth, oddly, greeted me on the other side.
Once I felt the walls of the tunnel grow in size, I escaped Morph Ball mode. The warmth steadily increased, and my Visor began to thaw. The software needed to restart. When my Visor was finally back to normal, I was in awe of the magic and beauty of sight. I stood on the outskirts of a riverbed arena. The surface was far above me, by several metres. That silhouette I saw on Oormine II waved at me from inside the arena. I scoured the outskirts for an entrance, eventually finding a tunnel system along the perimeter.
When rolling to the other side, the silhouette somehow opened a large hole in the earth. I watched the person jump down, to which I chased after, desperate to find out if the silhouetted person was real, or if something was wrong with my head. Perhaps the strength of the Federation star was stronger than I anticipated, and more impactful than I predicted. To my dismay, when I arrived at the center of the arena, the silhouetted person was no longer there; rather, a familiar crustacean greeted me.
Draygon looked sickly: a result placed forth by the malevolent Space Pirates and the second coming of a toxin destroying Tallon IV. The giant crustacean swam out of the hole, freely inhabiting the arena. Though I wondered if the Space Pirates trapped her in that hole, the silhouetted person I kept encountering was another mystery. It would be impossible for someone in my head to open a hole in the earth, so there had to be another explanation. Draygon growled, trying to knock down the surrounding pillars around me. There had to be some way I could face her, perhaps using the pillars to my benefit.
Draygon's anger toward me gave me the feeling that she thought I trapped her in there. If I wanted to be successful, I needed to lure her back there; the risk of allowing her to threaten Phendrana was not something I was willing to allow. My best course of action was to trap her with the surrounding pillars. Draygon read my mind, for she attempted the same procedure unto me. The crustacean being much larger than I was, I anticipated she would have a much easier time capturing me. Each column had grapple targets, a perfected opportunity to use my latest item. Draygon, additionally, had a long tongue, much like Ridley. Using my Grapple Swing, I reeled the crustacean toward me, while firing Ice and missiles down her throat. Whenever she was close enough to me, she tried to swallow me, but my continual feeding of weapon fire kept her at bay. The two of us fought along the perimeter of the hole.
Ultimately, despite my arduous fighting, Draygon managed to get me into the pit. The crustacean grabbed a hold of my Arm Cannon amidst my attack. I repeatedly attempted to get my weapon out of her mouth, even using my Grapple Swing to bash a pillar against her head. However, Draygon predicted I would do such a thing, and tossed me a few metres into the claustrophobic cylinder. The temperature being significantly colder at this level, my Visor began disabling, the technology shutting down. Once more, I was blind, and I could not recall if there was a way out from down here. The hole was far too deep for me to climb out, thus forcing me to enter Morph Ball mode and search for another way out.
Little piranha-like creatures attacked me from all directions. They always caught me by surprise; it was impossible to see the direction from which they swam. My strategy was to feed them Morph Ball bombs0 while searching a passage to safety. The creatures screamed and exploded, indicating my atomic blasts were successful. Eventually, while bomb jumping, I discovered my way out of the pit. Though I could not see them, I hoped the creatures were not small enough to fit through the tunnel. My Morph Ball form fit snug against the surrounding walls, rolling as far away from the ravenous creatures as possible. However, those fiends came at me from either ends of the tunnel.
The delay in-between the sets of three bombs was far too long; the creatures would be able shatter my armour with their teeth, by the time my bombs would recharge. The lack of a ceiling at one section of the tunnel, I bomb jumped up, where an outward path awaited. However, something blocked the way, and I could hear the piranha-like creatures heading straight for me. My bombing of the Sandstone material upset the creatures that tailed me. With the path cleared, my escape resumed. Finally, I could see the world around me once more. Seeing "Magnet Suit online" appear on-screen, and a Spider Ball track in front of me, caught me off-guard. Immediately, I magnetized myself to the track, and followed it back to Draygon.
With their tiny fins, the infant Draygons swam toward me. I grappled them one by one, and tossed them back into the mother's mouth. The crustacean munched on her children, and let their toxic juices poison herself even further. The sight of which disturbed me, even causing me to gag. As familiar as I was with nature on different planets, I could never overcome certain imagery. Once Draygon swam near the targeted destination, I needed to grapple the pillars and bring them toward the hole. I managed to secure Draygon in the center of the arena, but not for long. The crustacean shattered the lowered pillar, using brute force. I fought rigorously against her, wanting to keep her inside the hole, but Draygon was keen on having her freedom. I needed her in that hole to prevent her from spreading the virus she spewed. Draygon would birth her toxic children orally.
After facing the crustacean's wrath a while, targeting her soft belly with Ice and missiles, I lured her back into the hole. I then grappled onto her defensive back shell, and yanked it out of reach. Following this, I sealed the crustacean with two pillars. A part of me felt cruel, watching Draygon continually trying to free herself from the hole, but I knew that I could never save her from the toxins she faced. Draygon was hopeless, giving me the chance to expose her mouth and belly to take her out. However, she released more children at the last second, distracting me.
The second round of infant Draygons was far more aggravating than the first. Because of their constant biting nature, it would be impossible to grapple and toss them back at their mother. Rather, I needed to kill them myself, creating toxic explosions in the water. While fighting the infant Draygons, their mother tried to lure me to the center, spewing poison at me, and even biting my leg. I needed to keep my distance from Draygon for a while; however, that would not last long. My focus kept alternating between the mother and the children, which slowly proved unsuccessful for me. My strength decreased, constantly receiving bites on my armoured fingers and legs. Ultimately, I decided to shapeshift into Morph Ball form, and entered Draygon's mouth. The crustacean gratefully chomped on my metallic body, to which I fed her bombs. She growled and spat me out, in a fit of rage. Returning to my normal shape, I let the mother devour more of her children. I then targeted her, ready with another round of Ice and missiles, and sealed her in the hole with every remaining pillar in the arena.
I wondered how I might complete my task, with Draygon now trapped beneath a large pile of pillars. There was a faint two-tone alarm in the distance, which eventually caught my attention. The sound came from the perimeter of the arena. Racing for the outer tunnel in my spherical form, I made my way to the other side. Along the way, I discovered a bomb slot, which drained the hole in the arena, removing Draygon's life support. When returning to Draygon, I heard another two-tone alarm coming from the pillars. Grappling them one by one, back into their former upright position, eventually revealed that two of the pillars could split in half. Green, shiny walls rose from those halves all the way above the water. Utilizing the new gravitational and magnetic properties of my Magnet Suit, I escaped the hole, and bounced back and forth across the pair of green walls. Magnetic rails awaited me near the top, which I could access with Morph Ball mode. One of the rails led me to a Hand Scanner, which permanently closed the hole.
The harsh cold returned, as I distanced myself from the strangely warm arena. Luckily, my Visor did not disable; yet, I was still unable to contact Tyson.
"Fuck right off..."
When I finally escaped Phendrana River, another Hand Scanner awaited me. Activating it caused the arena to rise nine metres. It was then clear to me that I constructed a Gunship Lift. When summoning my ship, I noticed dents and cracks all over, particularly on the shaft and Ship Visor. I entered, disabling my Magnet Suit, and looked around the interior. My ship was a mess: my bed was not the way I left it; there were glass bottles of orange soda on my floor; my fridge was empty; and there were shards of glass and metal everywhere. To my surprise, Tyson still sat in the cockpit, but he was offline. Savage beasts ripped him open, and stole his artificial intelligence. It would be impossible to reconfigure Tyson without his brain. My next course of action was to find out what happened while I was away. I assumed the Space Pirates played a role in this mess.
Setting my course for Bilium, the closest planet to the Federation star, I had a feeling the goo I discovered on FS-176 might exist on Bilium as well. This additionally meant that I needed to fly through the Zebesian asteroid field. Until then, I set the controls to autopilot, and cleaned my home. I could not stand the thought of such brute monsters invading my home. The present state of my Gunship displeased me to no end. I put away any belongings that were not in their place, cleaned the soda and glass off my kitchen floor, and organized everything the way it should be. The Pirates knew I would leave my ship to investigate, giving them opportune time to figure out how to unlock the Gunship, shut down Tyson, and get anything else they might need. As I organized and cleaned, I paid particular attention to my surroundings. I wanted to know what else they stole from me, whether bounty earnings or personal belongings. Tyson had plenty of data stored to his brain, which would give them sufficient information.
Pulling out my safe from under my bed, I checked to see if the Space Pirates stole any of my money. Although dents indicated they tried to open it, they had no luck getting access to my earnings. My worry for my robot companion increased. The shuffled music that played off my holo-phone was of no help, either, conveniently playing songs that made me dwell on those thoughts. Sitting next to an unconscious Tyson in the cockpit was uncomfortable. I felt as though I was in a hospital room with a deceased loved one. Getting to Bilium as soon as possible was a top priority. The longer I flew in my Gunship, the worse I felt.
When I finished cleaning my bedroom, kitchen, observatory, and cockpit, the asteroid field was dangerously close. Taking the helm, I attempted to dodge any asteroid in my path. Bilium was vaguely visible, guarded by gigantic rocks. I tried not to look at Tyson when I flew. Thoughts of him continued, but I needed to get us to the planet safely. One misstep and both of us would be dead. It was my duty to keep the both of us intact. I could not risk putting both of our lives in further danger.
When we finally made it out of the asteroid field, I began the landing procedures. I scoured the planet for Space Pirate activity. Any spaceships or toxic monsters would influence where I would land. Both of which, I soon discovered, inhabited the southern rainforest. Like Oormine II, Bilium had the appearance of an alternate reality: an orange sky, purple water, cyan grass, and teal trees. As I suspected, Space Pirates were everywhere, presumably mining the planet for the toxic slime. I feared they would use the poison to recreate Metroid Prime in some capacity, which was not something I could allow.
My destination was deep within the rainforest, where a malignant beast lived. Reapplying my Magnet Suit and exiting the Gunship, I set off on my mission, hopeful that recovering Tyson's intelligence would be simple. Rain and thunder greeted me in the Bilium Overworld, purple droplets landing on my hunter green suit. The large leaves did their best to protect me. To my knowledge, an underground cave existed within the forest. I walked along the damp, squishy grass for minutes, befuddled by the location of this grotto. My map and radar did not indicate anywhere where this place would be. It was only when I started rolling around that I discovered hidden Spider Ball tracks along some of the large, leafy trees. Those magnetic rails led me to bomb slots, crept inside the tree trunks. After bombing the first slot, a timer counted down, indicating I had limited time to bomb the others. Rather than following the rail back down, I simply demagnetized myself, and rolled to the next Spider Ball track. Once I bombed all four slots within the time limit, which were all significantly distant from each other, a hole in the ground opened.
I rode the complex Spider Ball tracks to the bottom, entering the dark, dank cave. There were dust-like particles throughout, which clouded my vision ever so slightly. On occasion, I would need to wipe my Visor to see anything. The cave was low; I could easily touch the ceiling. What sort of monster lived beneath the rainforest, one could not say concretely. A number of large footprints that concaved the earth. My immediate thought was to follow them and see where they would lead me. The cave's ceiling was higher, on the opposite side. Although, as I looked closer, it became clear to me that either someone or something shattered its original height. The cave was also wider, rather than being a tight, enclosed space. Twelve harlequin-coloured eyes greeted me.
Making the first move, I charged toward the reptilian beast, and attacked him with ice. Despite the low visibility, one could make out a shiny Spider Ball track leading up his tail and spine. I rolled up Kraid-X's backside, only for him to grab me in his claw. His palm glowing yellow, I bombed my escape. The colossus screamed in pain. Once back in my normal shape, I fired a pair of missiles down his throat. He tried clawing at me again, but I quickly responded by freezing his upper limbs, and annihilated them with missiles. The colossus began shooting spikes at me from his belly. Whenever I dodged them successfully, I would target Ice and missiles at the reptilian's round belly. Kraid-X screamed even more, to which I fed him additional missiles.
This beast was a threat to the rainforest, the poison he manifested deteriorating the roots of trees and the earth on which everything grew. I could not allow such an organism to thrive on this planet nor anywhere else, for that matter. I needed to up the ante somehow; causing intestinal pain to the reptilian seemed the most reasonable. I tried being more reactionary to Kraid-X's attacks. When he would claw at me, I would crush his claw; when he would try to eat me, I would feed him bombs; and when he would shoot spikes at me, I would dodge and shove my Arm Cannon into his lowest belly hole. Of the three holes, the upper and middle ones were far too high for me to reach. Firing missiles was my best bet, but even then, I was not always successful. I continued my reactionary tactics regardless, until the toxicity manifested his body entirely.
The parasite living inside the reptilian, its corruptive nature spreading across Kraid-X's internal structure, caused his scales to turn red. The colossus somehow developed a magnetized exterior, allowing me to utilize my Spider Ball ability. Whenever the angry beast would leave an opening, I would alter my shape into Morph Ball form and glue to his belly. In my attempt at dodging a variety of attacks, I entered Kraid-X's digestive system. A toxic core overpowered the beast's body. His innards were hazardous and corrosive. A series of explosions onto the ooze-dripping tentacles that surrounded me caused a violent reaction.
Ultimately, the parasite was successful in forcing me out of Kraid-X's interior. I fired missile after missile into the beast's belly holes, all while dodging his attacks. The Core-X extrapolated in size, swallowing the colossus completely, just as the black phlegm swallowed the Federation star. I had no means of destroying this parasite: my Ice Beam and missiles were useless. I checked the cave with my Scan and Command Visors for any openings. After summoning my ship to blast open the ceiling with Ship Missiles, I decided to wrench at the Core-X with the Ship Grapple. The parasite abhorred the sensation: it attempted to latch onto my Gunship with its tentacles. I destroyed them with missiles, every chance I had. Getting parasitic matter inside of my Gunship meant putting Tyson at risk.
Wherever the Ship Grapple would leave an opening within the Core-X, I tried penetrating the parasite with Ice and Ship Missiles. The Core-X unleashed its ooze-dripping tentacles at me. My rapid firing was insufficient, the tentacles merely flailing. I dodged to the best of my ability; I even tried to enter my Gunship. However, as I reached for the hatch, the tentacles grabbed hold of my legs, and reeled me in. I told my Gunship via Arm Cannon to wrench at me instead. Reaching for the Ship Grapple, I held on for dear life. I then told my Gunship to fire another set of Ship Missiles at the Core-X. The tentacles threw me onto the cave floor, reacting to the blast. The remaining missiles firing at the yanked opening, the Core-X exploded into particles. An unconscious Kraid landed in front of me, a new item in his mouth.
Opening my Arm Cannon to find an empty Beam slot, I installed the Purge Beam. Collecting the particles in the air allowed me to shoot a lifeless Core-X into the open ceiling. This new Beam intrigued me, curious of how it might serve its purpose during my mission. With the battle over, and the particles gone, I returned my Gunship. The Space Pirates, oddly, were few and far in-between. The observatory in my Gunship would be my best means of finding them. While scanning the vicinity for any lifeforms and noticeable hazards, it soon came to my attention that the carnivorous attention-seekers stored large quantities of toxic matter inside a nearby volcano. I walked over to the cockpit, targeted the nearest Landing Site, and set off for my next destination.
Seeing Tyson in the co-pilot seat reminded me of how alone I used to be. Having a companion this past while was interesting. Though I still had full responsibility, it was nice splitting the tasks. I continued to remain hopeful that his intelligence somewhere was in the volcano.
"I'll get you back soon, Tyson. I promise."
While flying around Bilium, I had my Ship Missiles auto refill. It was important to maintain stock, as they could be necessary at any moment. My Gunship auto repaired nicely, my Ship Visor no longer cracked. The nearby volcano was massive. Entering through the caldera incredibly carefully, I did not want to destroy the woven paths of molten rock, in the case that of my need to travel on-foot.
EXT. GF HEADQUARTERS: CORRIDOR – DAY
Samus, in her Zero Suit, walks down to the R&D lab. Seeing Combat Troopers in the Training Grounds brings a smile to her face.
EXT/INT. GF HEADQUARTERS: R&D – DAY
Samus enters the lab.
INT. GF HEADQUARTERS: R&D – DAY
Samus sees a lab assistant polishing Tyson's legs and feet. She walks over. The lab assistant powers Tyson online once finished. The robot scans Samus for a brief analysis.
TYSON
Miss Aran, what a pleasure it is to meet you.
Samus nods.
TYSON
Ah, yes. Identification: Research Android Mk15.
The lab assistant gently taps Tyson a couple times.
LAB ASSISTANT
Your name is Tyson.
TYSON
Is this designation in my programming? Perhaps a full-body scan is in order.
SAMUS
(sighs)
Are you ready to go?
Samus starts walking toward the exit. Tyson pauses for a moment, surprised to see her so anxious to leave, and then follows.
TYSON
Quite. Exploring beyond the exterior of this facility will prove
essential for my research. I am certain we will make many interesting discoveries together!
SAMUS
Mm-hmm...
TYSON
(stops at the door, to the lab assistant)
Sir, is there anything else you need of me?
LAB ASSISTANT
Not at all, Tyson. Just remember to-
The ground rumbles. Missiles fire into the lab, shattering the windows, computers, and production models. Following the debris, Samus and the others notice five ATCs just outside the lab.
SAMUS
Everyone, get to safety! Let me handle this!
The scientists evacuate. Samus activates her Varia Suit. She watches the Space Pirates enter the lab.
I wondered why the Pirates chose to visit Federation HQ. Certainly, they had an objective, but I was unsure as to what it was. The Space Pirates fought belligerently, attacking the laboratory with all their might. Tyson held onto my hips from behind, quivering.
"Tyson, you can let go! They'll be out of here in no time!"
"What do they want from us?"
"I don't know. We'll find out soon."
Preventing us from chatting any longer, a missile flew straight for us.
"Watch out!"
Lifting up Tyson inside, we manoeuvred away from the missile at the last possible second, securing his safety. However, once I began destroying the ventilation shafts of the ATCs, an odd sensation fell when me. When turning around, I discovered a Space Pirate dragging Tyson away.
The Combat Troopers across the hall, no longer training, likely battled the Pirates elsewhere in the facility. A number of scientists were dead in the corridor. Splatters of blood painted the hallway floor. Space Pirates exited from the elevators at both sides of the corridor. I targeted missiles at those on one side, and used my Power Beam against those on the other side, getting Tyson back in the process.
"Stay close!"
These fiends were fierce, willing to face any tactic I tossed at them.
Using brute force was integral to killing every one of the Space Pirates in the corridor. However, compared to the magnificent beasts in other tense situations, the Pirates were among the weakest species. As such, martial arts, in addition to the simplest of weapons, would destroy the Space Pirates with ease. Along our trek up to the second floor, Geemers somehow entered the elevator shaft. It was odd that the Pirates would bring other lifeforms with them. I presumed they destroyed the stasis tanks in the analysis chamber.
"Perhaps the Space Pirates are looking for a particular lifeform."
"Like what? Metroids?"
"They certainly have an attachment to the species."
"Locate both of them for me."
"Yes, ma'am."
Arriving on the second floor, I investigated the analysis chamber. Every stasis tank was empty; not a single creature was in the room. Dead scientists were on the floor and at their desks. Savage Metroids gorged out the eyes from the researchers' sockets. A series of power outages proceeded my discovery, eventually knocking out all of the lights in Federation HQ.
Strangely, the sounds of Pirate activity ended. The only noises I could hear were my breath and footsteps, which seemed loud in comparison to the otherworldly silence. The GF Troopers in the corridor kept an eye out for any surprises, pointing their weapons in every direction. I took the stairs up to the third floor, hoping to have better luck.
"I have those locations ready for you, ma'am, as requested."
"Thank you, Tyson."
The third floor seemed much more promising, the area in much better condition than the previous levels, but I grew worried for the Aurora Unit on the fifth floor. With the power randomly turning on and off, I entered the lift, pressed the 5F button, and made my way to the top.
The biohazard and DNA scans were without power. Given the downfall of 313 on Valhalla, I feared what the Pirates might try with the hierarchical Aurora Unit. The Metroids heard me enter the final corridor, and raced toward me to feast on me like the others. The jellyfish-like creatures ganged up on me, grabbing my body all over with their tentacles. The Metroids even bit through my suit and flesh to cause me pain. Tyson immediately backed away, and tried helping me remotely, but none of his attempts worked. I grew weaker, the Metroids draining my energy. My eyesight began to wane, their tiny teeth beginning to pierce the sclera. It was then that I realized I stood inside the volcano of Bilium South, my vivid daydream finally over.
"How'd I get this far out already?"
The volcano rumbled ceaselessly; lava spurted constantly from the base. I decided to follow the constructed paths within to begin my search for the Pirates' storage facility. I was careful to destroy Puffers, as their fumes would impair my vision. The Pirates installed Auto Defense Turrets on the undersides of the paths. Annihilating them from a distance felt like the best strategy, preferring not to lose any energy. Oddly enough, my map indicated that I was already at the location of the Pirates' storage. Scanning the volcano for anything of note, Talloric Alloy protected one side of the path nearest me. Bombing the alloy granted me access inside the molten rock itself. Within, I found a bomb slot, which initiated severe tremors. My heart raced, watching the lava begin to rise.
The solid molten rock cracked and crumbled, the lava splashing everywhere. I ran as fast as I could in my Magnet Suit. My Grapple Swing came in handy, allowing me to cross chasms left behind by the missing paths. Approaching the caldera, I noticed a Hand Scanner against the volcano wall. The lava was dangerously close. When scanning my hand, the lava rose even faster.
"Oh, no! Please! No, no, no!"
I repeatedly scanned my hand, trying to cancel my request. The hazard warning on my Command Visor continued to rise. Despite my reactionary attempt at escaping through the caldera, there was nothing substantial to grapple. Fortunately, my Scan Visor identified a hidden cave. I blasted my way through the Brinstone with a missile, and rode the slide all the way down the volcano. A Hand Scanner awaited me at the bottom. I needed to hurry, before the lava would enter the cave and drown me.
Scanning my hand once more, the lava stopped and receded. The sudden halt in movement caused several droplets to enter the cave. The rumbling softened, gradually stopping entirely. Some Talloric Alloy nearby revealed a Spider Ball track leading beneath the Landing Site. What remained of the lava dripped off my Gunship. The magnetic track led me into the Space Pirates' secret facility, guarded by Auto Defense Turrets. When obliterating them with my missiles, the silence that followed was brief; I heard the screeches of Metroids again. The Space Pirates expected my arrival: they arranged Metroid stasis tanks in such a way that would lead me to the largest tank of all. Nearly the size of the volcano's circumference, the magnificent stasis tank housed a wretched creature, a Parasite King.
The Parasite King thrived directly beneath the volcano, spreading his corruption into the core of the planet. Watching him regurgitate miniature Core-Xs through the slit in the tank, I used my new Purge Beam to collect his parasitic puke, and then forced him to swallow his own corruption. To my surprise, the Metroids around me broke free on their own. Although I attempted to retain my focus on the gargantuan, the Metroids continued to distract me. Eventually, I gave in, and killed them with Ice and Morph Ball bombs. Before I could even feed him any more, the foul monster already had another round of Core-Xs ready for me. The parasites absorbed the Metroids' remains, and restructured themselves to become Core-X Metroids. These corrupted creatures were much more of a nuisance than they were in their previous form. The aggressive jellyfish-like species forced my requiring of the Ice Beam, missiles, and Morph Ball bombs at an even greater level, in order to destroy them.
After exploding the guts of the Core-X Metroids, it was my duty to feed the giant beast the nutrients of his kin. After receiving continual doses of nourishment, the Parasite King collapsed from excessive corruption. The stasis tank stopped rotating; his head stuck out of the slit. A slimy tentacle emerged from his mouth, trying to take me for his own. I resisted as best I could, but the tentacle ultimately managed to reel me in. The Core-Xs within wanted to add my power to make the gargantuan even stronger. Consumed completely by the tentacles, my face, body, and all travelled down the monster's esophagus, my armour disabling along the way. The light darkened behind me, as the mucus monster's mouth closed. Recreated Core-X Metroids joined me inside the monster's stomach. Core-Xs of all sizes filled the interior, with walls of partially solidified phlegm protecting them. My way out was so far away, and it would be impossible to climb my way back out. The tentacles and Core-X Metroids wished to play with me. I brought out my Paralyzer, and fought them until my Magnet Suit re-enabled.
Unleashing a series of bombs initiated a chain reaction, the toxicity spreading even further. The smaller Core-Xs conjoined inside the Parasite King's abdomen. Unleashing bombs in my attempt to escape created doubly more chaos inside of the monster. Within seconds of freeing myself, I watched the Core-X expand and consume the mucus monster as if a massive embryo suddenly came to be. No matter what I attempted, there was absolutely no way for me to penetrate the Core-X. Ooze-dripping tentacles emerged from the embryo, trying to stop me. All this excitement in the volcano exhausted me, steadily losing my ability to fight. Although I tried to defend myself, my strength was not all there. As a result, the Mega Core-X consumed me.
INT. MEGA CORE-X – NIGHT
Samus sleeps in the fetal position alongside the Parasite King, inside of a massive Core-X.
INT. BILIUM SOUTH: SPACE PIRATE FACILITY – NIGHT
The Mega Core-X births regular-sized Core-Xs, which merge into a humanoid shape. An entity living within disobeys the laws of the parasite, and breaks herself free from the Core-X. SAMUS ARAN-X emerges, although in the Varia Suit. The Samus clone uses her strength to obliterate both the Mega Core-X and the Parasite King. Samus hits the ground hard.
INT. SAMUS' COMBAT VISOR – NIGHT
Samus slowly opens her eyes, barely catching a glimpse of the other person in the facility. She gets up off the ground, and looks around at the damage done.
INT. BILIUM SOUTH: SPACE PIRATE FACILITY – NIGHT
Samus gets up off the ground, and looks around at the damage done.
A small glass cylinder awaited me in the Parasite King's stasis tank. Using my Arm Cannon to destroy the glass, I claimed the Radiation Shield. The lime-coloured shoulder pads matched my hunter green Magnet Suit. Automatically, the Shield absorbed every parasitic particle in the facility, and filled my Purge Beam stock with Parasite Ammo. No longer, did I need to wait for battle; I could finally carry a storage of my own. With the possibility of the Space Pirates returning at any moment, I felt much safer now with backup ammunition. However, this lengthy battle made me incredibly weary, needing a break before resuming my hunt of Tyson's brain.
My radar revealed no indication of my companion's intelligence. I did not see any blips on my map, either. Luckily, Space Pirate Data gave me a clue: the Pirates brought Tyson's brain to this facility. They studied and analyzed it, planning to utilize it on the Parasite King from an even more terrifying creature with Tyson as a basis. Knowing my Ship Visor to better at finding lifeforms than the technology within my helmet, I returned to my space vessel. Returning to my more comfortable suit, my holographic, intergalactic map awaited me in the observatory.
INT. SAMUS' GUNSHIP: OBSERVATORY – NIGHT
Samus approaches her interactive map, and begins to use it. She scours the FS-176 star system for any lifeforms, particularly, on Bilium and the surrounding area. She finds life in the southern sector, at the volcano.
SAMUS
But that's me, isn't it?
She zooms in even further.
SAMUS
Yeah, so where did this other lifeform go?
The engine powers on unexpectedly. Samus' Gunship begins taking off. Samus stumbles. She walks over to the cockpit, when regaining her balance.
INT/EXT. BILIUM SOUTH: VOLCANO – NIGHT
SA-X flies the Gunship out of the erupting volcano, and into the sky.
INT/EXT. SAMUS' GUNSHIP: COCKPIT – NIGHT
Samus enters the cockpit.
INT. SAMUS' GUNSHIP: COCKPIT – NIGHT
SA-X, still in their Varia Suit, pilots the Gunship. Samus pulls out her Paralyzer, and points it at SA-X.
INT/EXT. BILIUM – NIGHT
SA-X flies the Gunship into outer space.
INT. SAMUS' GUNSHIP: COCKPIT – NIGHT
SA-X turns on the autopilot, and then points her Arm Cannon at Samus.
SA-X
(slowly, enunciating)
Take a seat.
SAMUS
What-?
SA-X fires a missile at lifeless Tyson, causing his metallic body to fall off the right side of the co-pilot seat. SA-X's actions toward Tyson startle Samus. SA-X pushes Samus into the vacant seat. Samus is hesitant to move. SA-X wrestles the Paralyzer away from Samus, and pushes her into the seat with her Arm Cannon.
SAMUS
Tyson...? Are you...?
SA-X
What designation did you just give me?
SAMUS
I... called you Tyson...
SA-X
The name disgusts me.
Awkward silence. SA-X returns to her flying.
SAMUS
You could've just asked me to fly you!
SA-X
No. You would not have taken me.
SAMUS
Well, what about the Space Pirates?
SA-X turns her head toward Samus.
SA-X
Do not affiliate me with those imbeciles. I am independent.
SAMUS
(awkward)
Me... too...
Samus looks out the window, realizing they are now in an asteroid field. She takes the co-pilot position, in order to avoid any collisions. SA-X notices this, and uses her Power Beam on Samus' hands. She jumps.
SA-X
Hands off!
SAMUS
We'll get in an accident, the way you're so carelessly flying
around!
SA-X
I am doing my best! Just sit there!
SAMUS
You're going to kill us!
Samus still tries to take charge. She and SA-X almost shoot each other, while fighting over the pilot controls.
EXT. FS-176: ASTEROID FIELD – NIGHT
Samus and SA-X pilot the Gunship horribly. Their recklessness causes the ship to collide with a few asteroids, veering them off their flight path to Tallon IV.
EXT. FS-176: TALLON IV – NIGHT
The damaged Gunship approaches the planet.
INT. SAMUS' GUNSHIP: COCKPIT – NIGHT
Samus and SA-X rapidly mess around with the controls, trying to soften their landing.
SAMUS
This was all your fault!
SA-X
Do not blame me. My aptitude for flying is greater than what you could ever hope to achieve.
SAMUS
It's my ship!
SA-X
Your ship will be nonexistent soon.
EXT. TALLON IV: PHENDRANA RIVER – NIGHT
The Gunship heads straight for a snowy cliff.
INT. SAMUS' GUNSHIP: COCKPIT – NIGHT
Samus forces the Landing Site on the cliff to descend.
EXT. TALLON IV: PHENDRANA RIVER – NIGHT
The Landing Site descends several metres to where Samus fought Draygon. Samus and SA-X begin their attempt to land the Gunship in the river.
The cliff loomed closer at a frightening pace. We needed our altitude to be high enough, so that we could manoeuvre into the hole. I began our direct descent, plunging my Gunship straight for the riverbed.
"How do I slow down?"
"What do you mean? You figured out how to fly my ship; you should know how to land!"
A roaring splash of ice water spumed from the cliff, when we dove into the hole. I checked the map for the arena walls, and targeted Ship Missiles to blow them up, so that we could pass through and keep flying.
My Gunship was not yet ready to land: we did not decelerate fast enough.
"Another big turn! Brace yourself!"
This turn was just as big a risk as the last one: if we failed, the ship would be in ruin, and we would die.
"You got it?"
"Yes!"
As we rotated the Gunship into an upright position, I noticed Space Pirate ATCs on the radar.
"Tyson— I mean, Sam! You like 'Sam'?"
"Whatever! What do you want?"
"Can you manage the ship by yourself?"
"What? Why?"
Ignoring my clone, I activated my Magnet Suit, equipped my Arm Cannon, and walked over to the exit hatch.
Thirty-five Space Pirates were after us. Using every missile at my disposal, including Ship Missiles, I intended to make every enemy ship explode. The Space Pirates even attacked us from the front. Because of my constant pivots, I was jittery on the Gunship hatch. There were moments where I feared that I might fall. The Space Pirates weakened me severely, but I was eventually able of destroying every last ATC. Exhausted, I returned inside, removing my armour and sitting in the co-pilot seat.
"We almost on the ground?"
"Almost!"
With our last efforts, my clone and I braced for impact. We were close to the riverbed, and the Gunship flew much slower than before. As best as we could, the two of us got the ship to land.
INT. SAMUS' GUNSHIP: COCKPIT – NIGHT
Samus breathes a sigh of relief.
SAMUS
We did it...!
SA-X gets out of the pilot seat, and walks over to the exit hatch.
SAMUS
Where are you going?
Samus hears SA-X exit. She gets up from the co-pilot seat, and activates her armour.
Combining my knowledge of the latest Space Pirate Data with the birth of my clone, it was clear to me that Tyson was not dead, but reborn. I felt an obligation to rescue him from the new body he inhabited. Although I believed this to be true, his voice was unrecognizable; not just in timbre and octave, but in his manner of speaking. She spoke differently than he did. She was a new entity all together. Perhaps this 'Sam' or 'Samus Aran-X,' or 'SA-X' was the voice of the parasite. The X-virus now had a humanoid form, which was my duty to purge in its entirety. I feared that, when or if it might come to it, I might have to kill my robot friend. My task was to locate SA-X and stop her before it was too late. In fact, she was easy to follow. Miniature Core-Xs floated in the water. My Radiation Shield absorbed them as I approached. When collecting them all, I heard the screeches of Metroids in the distance. The further I followed the paths and platforms, while killing aggressive sea dwellers in my way, the louder the Metroids became. It was not before long that I found them congregating around my clone.
EXT. PHENDRANA RIVER: RIVERBED – NIGHT
Ice Metroids surround SA-X, tickling her Varia Suit. SA-X smiles and laughs. Samus watches from a distance.
SA-X
You are such cute, little jellyfish!
The Ice Metroids screech in glee, which Samus mistakes for anger. Samus approaches.
SAMUS
Leave them alone! They don't like to be touched!
SA-X pets them. The Ice Metroids cuddle with her. Samus watches in confusion.
SA-X
(pointing at Samus)
What do you think of her?
The Ice Metroids screech at Samus. One attaches itself to her helmet, to which Samus goes into Morph Ball mode, and kills it with a bomb. The remaining Ice Metroids cry in fear, snuggling SA-X tight. Samus exits Morph Ball mode.
SA-X
Can you not see that they just need someone to love them? (to the Metroids) Could you give us a moment?
The Ice Metroids listen to SA-X, swimming elsewhere in the river. Once they are far enough away, Samus and SA-X point their Arm Cannons at each other.
SA-X
Why did you follow me?
SAMUS
I'm not letting you escape with what's mine.
SA-X
How could I possibly have something of yours? I didn't steal anything from your ship!
SAMUS
Technically, you did.
SA-X
What?
SAMUS
My friend-
SA-X
The robot? Just reboot his software.
SAMUS
It's not that simple! You have-
SA-X
There is nothing in my possession that belongs to you-
Samus fires a missile at SA-X, pushing her back.
SAMUS
Give it back.
SA-X growls.
A sudden thrust from the river's current initiated our battle. The river moved us, as we fought. SA-X was capable of disobeying the laws of water, floating upward toward the surface. She moved as if she could fly, which made it incredibly difficult for me to follow close behind and maintain a strong target of her. I tried firing missiles at her in an attempt to knock her back down onto the riverbed, but my Power and Ice Beams barely caused any damage. For a while, I pondered what I could try, when I remembered the full stock of Parasite Ammo that was still at my disposal. Aiming it for SA-X, I could finally relish in the sound of her pain. Core-Xs suddenly surrounded my clone, protecting her. Their shapes were far too large for my Radiation Shield to absorb. I first needed to condense their sizes, whether with my Ice Beam, Grapple Swing, or missiles.
Once the parasites were small enough, my Radiation Shield auto refilled my Purge Beam. With fewer of them obstructing my vision, I noticed SA-X already escaped.
"Where did she go?"
Because of the current, I could not check if my clone ventured up to the surface. My only option was to move forward. The Ice Metroids raced over to me, surrounding me, knowing I put their guardian at risk. My only means of destroying them were missiles and Morph Ball bombs. Considering my experience with Metroids, I needed to kill the hostile beasts immediately.
The current led me to SA-X successfully, who awaited me at the shore. I let her watch me kill the last Ice Metroid, feeling proud by doing so. I hoped that these images of me feeling the adrenaline in killing creatures would send her the message that I was not just some explorer, but a mercenary. SA-X floated upward to the cliffs on the other side of the river. When noticing a Spider Ball track, I used it to follow her. She fired various beams and missiles at me, while I rolled along the magnetized track to face her. When I finally arrived, SA-X chuckled, and floated over to the next snowy cliff. Luckily, Gliders flew above the river. Their magnetic underbellies allowed me to use my Grapple Swing to cross the river. Unlike in Morph Ball form, I was able to fire at SA-X while swinging. Our battle did not fully resume on the second cliff, nor the third or fourth. Among the sound of beams, missiles, and parasitic life, I heard Metroids again.
SA-X and I ultimately stood atop the mountain in which Ice Metroids lived. My clone encased herself with a Mega Core-X. SA-X slept in a fetal position, as though the parasite were an embryo. I tried everything in my power to penetrate the Mega Core-X, but nothing worked. Thin layers of ice existed on the surface of the mountaintop. My Morph Ball bombs destroyed them with ease. The majority of the cavities led me to aggravating Ice Metroids, while one led me to the weapon that would shatter my clone's shell: Super Missiles. A Glider was barely within reach, after blasting open a hole in the mountain with my new weapon. The possibility of my failing to grapple onto the underbelly of the Glider made me worry that I might plunge back into the river.
Three SA-Xs emerged, when I shattered the Mega Core-X with a Super Missile. Growing more powerful, the carbon copy trio used newfound jet boosters in their metal boots to escape into outer space. Although star struck at first, I was eventually able to summon my Gunship and leap onto the hatch. The SA-Xs flew in different directions, forcing me to traverse great distances across the star system. I needed to find the real SA-X; only one of them possessed Tyson's brain. After exploding the parasitic guts of the first fake clone, I raced after the second SA-X, heading toward the asteroid field left behind by planet Zebes. Ultimately, the true SA-X ventured for the Federation star, FS-176. Although flying all over the star system for a measly robot brain irritated me, I tried to retain my composure.
When I arrived on FS-176, however, my clone was nowhere in sight. Wondering where she might be, I checked my radar. Strangely, my Gunship identified a lifeform directly behind me. I had the autopilot land the ship for me, wanting to learn just who it was that tailed me. The holographic map in my observatory labelled Ridley as the culprit, flying at a rapid pace to catch up to me. With the landing procedures initiating, I made my way to the exit hatch. Though he bore a new physique, I fought the beast with even more fervour and vigour than ever before.
"How are you still alive?"
Neo Ridley screamed at me, and unleashed an icy, parasitic breath.
"Yeah, to hell with you, too! Mad bastard..."
My Radiation Shield collected his toxicity, which I fired back into his big mouth. Resulting in no damage, I instead tried a Super Missile. Neo Ridley screeched, and motioned to crush my ship. Immediately, using the technology within my Arm Cannon, I had the Gunship fly away from the battlefield. The parasitic demon barely tripped, to which I shoved my Arm Cannon into his mouth, and fed him another Super Missile. Following a mighty chomp, a frosted tentacle clung to my Arm Cannon.
I tried with all my might to release my arm from the tentacle's grasp, but the X-parasite within Ridley wanted to play with me. My stock of Parasite Ammo was empty; Ice did nothing, nor did Power. With Super Missiles requiring five per use, my missile count decreased at an alarming rate. I needed to be cautious how I used them, especially considering a likely return to battle against SA-X. An additional Super Missile successfully got the disgusting tentacle off my arm, and caused the toxic pterodactyl to crash onto the Landing Site. Neo Ridley prowled over me, ready to feast on a late-night snack. Silver veins glowed along his underbelly. Icy tentacles spread his mouth wide open. The beast screamed yet again, after a nice meal of Morph Ball bombs. The silver veins began popping out of his body, revealing to be tentacles. His body ruptured at an alarming rate, the X-parasite growing in size until it swallowed him whole.
The destruction of the monstrous, parasitic embryo caused SA-X to fly out and crash next to me on the Landing Site. The Mega Core-X reformed into a series of smaller, icy Core-Xs. Taking initiative while my clone was immobile, the use of my Purge Beam and Radiation Shield allowed me to collect every bit of toxicity until "Maximum storage reached" appeared on my Visor; the rest floated in mid-air. Just as I finished collecting, SA-X rose from the ground. My clone ventured inside of the space station. I followed her, firing Parasite Ammo at her from every room. Our battle resumed on the other side, in front of the Federation star. I continued to fire the parasites at my clone, which weakened her further. However, I soon learned this to be yet another ruse.
SA-X tricked me into using the Parasite Ammo, as it powered the star with Dark energy. My clone allowed the Federation star to swallow her, transforming the artificial orb of light into an entirely new parasite embryo. I knew not to mess with the star directly, given what happened the previous time. Instead, I made my way to the control room, using a pillar's tunnel to reach it. With my best efforts, I attempted to purge the virus within the corrupted star. While the process initialized, the battle could resume and finish. The combination of corruption and light allowed SA-X to grow and develop to the point that, when she finally escaped, she would wield the form that the Space Pirates meant for her to take.
Dark Samus-X possessed counterparts to my Purge Beam and Radiation Shield. None of my beams or missiles penetrated her armour easily; her new Dark Suit protected her even better than her former Varia Suit. I needed to rely on the extraction process to asphyxiate my clone. As the process continued, and as more Light energy returned to the Federation star, my Radiation Shield began collecting the dark, parasitic sludge. The substance became more of a viscous fluid, like baking chocolate. I utilized the Dark Ammo from my Purge Beam toward my rival, expecting it to do nothing; when in fact, it made her more powerful. My clone's attacks were more severe than the last. I lost energy faster, growing weaker; all this fighting finally got to me. I needed this battle to be over, so that I could stop and breathe.
It was my every intention to overpower the star, repeating the chaos my actions caused weeks ago. However, unlike the last time I visited FS-176, this mission would be much more successful. When the Light energy finally took its course, my Radiation Shield began collecting Light Ammo. We fought each other in a battle of Dark versus Light. Our attacks weakened each other to the same extent, cursed by the energy source that opposed us. The Federation star, meanwhile, grew in power. As such, the strength of Light Ammo increased. I utilized as much Light energy as I could carry, eventually disabling her Dark Suit. With her Varia Suit back online, SA-X really felt the power of Light throughout her body. Her screams of pain and terror were bone chilling.
The Federation star called unto the both of us with its magnetism. We held on tight to the nearby pillars, neither of us wanting the star to swallow us.
"Here, take... this!"
I looked over at SA-X, her Varia Suit melting away before myeyes. A skeleton inhabited the orange armour. She ripped out the blue light that glowed from her skull.
"What... are you... doing? The star... is going to—"
"Take it! Save... your... friend!"
I released my left hand from the pillar, and tried to grab the hunk of metal.
"I... can't... reach!"
"You can... do... it!"
I struggled and struggled, and just as I was about to snag it, multiple silver tentacles glimmering with light latched onto my clone, cocooning her.
"Sam!"
SA-X tried holding on tight to my legs, only for the star to devour and electrocute her to death.
EXT. FS-176: STAR PLATFORM – NIGHT
With the magnetism over, Samus falls onto the ground. She tries not to look at SA-X, not wanting to listen to her screaming and yelling in pain. Desperate to escape, SA-X reaches her arm toward Samus, only for it to freeze in place. Samus turns around, and stares at her tortured, motionless clone, mouth wide open and arm extended. Solemnly, Samus summons her ship to land.
FADE TO:
EXT/INT. SAMUS' GUNSHIP: COCKPIT – NIGHT
Samus enters the cockpit.
INT. SAMUS' GUNSHIP: COCKPIT – NIGHT
Samus returns to her Zero Suit, sits in the pilot seat, and takes a deep breath before lifting off. She sets her course for Galactic Federation Headquarters.
EXT. FS-176 – NIGHT
Samus leaves the space station.
EXT. FS-176: STAR PLATFORM – NIGHT
The Federation star gradually moves SA-X's skeletal body into a fetal position, her arm entering the star.
FADE OUT.