Chapter Four: Settlement Zero
Trace followed Sylux's ship to the icy planet. He landed right next to the big ship the Pirates assigned Sylux, and shot it with his ship's Imperialist. He then pressed land, and opened his ship. He set his foot on the icy cold surface of the unknown planet, and gained a feeling that which he knew this planet. Trace pondered which icy planets he has been to. Arcterra? No. Phendrana? Definitely not. Trace scanned the area with his infrared sight, and saw no signs of red, which meant no heat, which, of course, meant no life.
"I wonder why he came here," Trace whispered to himself. He jumped off a small cliff, and entered the nearest door. He was in the large valley with the busted hole. Trace opened his scanner, and sought heat signals. His scanner went insane with beeping. He commanded his scanner to identify the organisms, and how long ago they were here.
"Organism A: Homo sapien," the computer said. "There were about thirty of them. Two hours ago. They were dressed in hyper-advanced suits. All wearing the same suit. Possible explanation: they are of an organization."
Trace knew the description well. Those damned Galactic Federation came here as well, likely hunting Sylux. He proceeded the scanner.
"Organism B: Mature life-draining reptilian insectoid," the computer stated. "Genus unknown. Male. Deceased as of half and hour ago. This creature supposedly belongs to a species once thought to be extinct as of six years ago. Possible explanation: Omega Metroid, killed by increased cold temperatures combined with a genetic mutation forcing the creature to age faster. The creature has eaten two of the homo sapiens mentioned."
Trace sighed. So the Metroids aren't dead, after all. Perhaps. He just follows what the scanner says.
"Organism C: Unknown. Resembles a homo sapien, but also carries the blood of avianis sapien," the computer explained. "The organism not only carries foreign blood, but is also equipped with a Chozo Varia Suit, or parts of one. It also has Metroid DNA incorporated into its own. Possible explanation: Samus Aran."
Trace gasped. Samus Aran? That bitch bounty hunter who screwed his chances of obtaining the Ultimate Power? Perhaps the grudge was merely partial; after all, the Ultimate Power was simply a desperate cry for help. But the hatred Trace held towards Samus still stood sturdy.
Wonderful, Trace thought. Now I can eradicate Sylux and Samus from existence.
--
Samus entered a large corridor with mechanical walls that were partially frozen. No machinery seemed to work within these walls, as most of it was frozen solid. It seemed, however, that a few doors would operate correctly, at the least. The corridor was large, and there was a big hole in the left wall. Icy winds gushed into the room at a constant rate. At least now Samus could understand why the place was frozen, but she couldn't help but wonder what could have popped the walls open. Couldn't have been Metroids, could it? After all, Metroids were weak to ice. Then again, Metroids were never known to be bright, either. Whatever caused the large holes, either got frozen solid, or is lurking in the labs now; the creature could have come from the outside. Samus jumped down into the lower floor of the corridor, and entered a door. Beyond the door was a large and long hallway that had some machinery working. There were also stasis tanks, containing dead Metroids, some of them shriveled up. Halfway down the hall, she saw two broken stasis tanks. For a second, Samus panicked, but then remembered that her suit should protect her against Metroid attacks. But that didn't stop the Omega Metroids and their queen from trying to swallow her. Either way, she had to be careful. She entered another door, and heard voices from above in the next room. She looked up, and saw through a metal grate four Galactic Federation troops hanging around. One of them was communicating with their squadron. Samus soon gained the impression that the Federation scattered their troops around the base. She sneaked below the troops, trying her best not to create noise. Soon, she heard a loud crash in the room. The Federation troops started to shout, and then gunshots were heard. Samus watched the fight from below. She tried to make out what attacked them, and soon saw it to be an Alpha Metroid. Soon, the gunshots and shouting stopped. She broke the grate at the far end of the room, and climbed up. Out of surprise, the Alpha Metroid was dead on the ground. No wounds. Just dead. Samus panicked. The Federation troops won the fight. Now they were going to attack her, since she made a sound. The troops turned around.
"Take her out!" one troop shouted, and they started to fire at Samus. Samus side-rolled out of the way, and started to run to the nearest door. She opened it, and ran down another mechanical hall, this one with no signs of being frozen. She stopped to take a breather. The troops opened the door, and started to run down the hall. Samus, worried, rolled into Morph Ball and entered a nearby hole that was torn from something as well. The Fed troops passed her without noticing her, and kept running. Samus decided not to follow them, and rather follow this small hole. She rolled down the hole into a large network of operational pistons and saws. She exited Morph Ball and carefully weaved her way around the obstacles, soon to reach another small hole. She entered it, and fell out onto a mechanical floor. She exited Morph Ball again, and saw a large support beam in the middle of the room. The support beam had fluids and other materials flowing through it. Was this, perhaps, the central dynamo? She soon took note that there were eight Fed troops in the room, starting to shoot at her. Samus entered Morph Ball and hid behind a crate. The Feds started searching the room for her. She left Morph Ball and stayed in a crouched position. Then, she heard another large crash, and heard more gunshots and shouting. She stood up, and saw another Omega Metroid attacking the troops after busting another hole through the wall. The troops shot at the Omega Metroid, and all shots did not do any visible damage. The Omega Metroid spat on the troops, causing them to disintegrate. Soon, all troops but one were gone, and the Omega Metroid ended up stepping on it. Samus emerged from behind the crate, and approached it. Oddly enough, the Omega Metroid readied to spit at Samus. Samus quickly rolled to the side to avoid the attack. The large Metroid soon started to walk towards Samus, about looking hungry for more. She started questioning why it would do this to her. Why was any Metroid this aggressive towards her when she was infused with a Metroid's DNA? Samus decided now was not the time for questions, and started to hit the Metroid with Missiles in the stomach. The Metroid simply pushed the explosives to the side before it impacted. Soon, another Omega Metroid busted a locked door open, leaving another gaping hole in the wall. It started to lunge at the other Metroid. Now Samus was really confused. Why were they fighting? To compete over food? That would be most logical, but it was not the answer. The Omega Metroid that had just busted through the wall avoided a claw swipe from the other, and pushed the other Metroid into the support beam. The corridor shook a little, but the beam held. The Omega Metroid then went in and bit the stunned Metroid on the neck, and started to swallow its energy. The stunned Metroid soon just lay there, with bite marks on its throat. Now Samus had a logical explanation for why the Metroids were attacking her. It wasn't competition, it wasn't territory, but rather the Metroids are cannibals.
She wasn't done here. The second Omega Metroid sniffed the area, and smelled Samus's presence. It started to search the room for her, in which caused Samus to dash towards the door without a second thought. Just as she caught onto Speed Booster, the Omega Metroid jumped right in front of her, and roared. Samus took a small jump, and then flew forward with her shoulder pointing out. In shinespark, she caught the Metroid on its belly, and as such, used it to bust the door down. Samus continued to shinespark forward, pushing the now slightly helpless Omega Metroid ahead of her, as if it were a shield. Soon enough, they flew out a wall, bashing into a thick glacier. The glacier cracked. The Metroid fell to the icy ground, with Samus following it. Samus hit the ground with a hearty thud! and struggled to get herself back up. She felt cold, all of a sudden. It was odd. She had the Varia Suit, so she should be protected. But even so, she felt her energy drain. With a sudden jump, she looked around to see if that feeling was being caused by the Omega Metroid that came with her. She stood up completely, and saw the Omega Metroid struggling as well. But after a few seconds, the large Metroid froze right before Samus's eyes. The cold was too much for it. Samus sighed in relief, until the cold feeling grew stronger. Samus started to shiver, even. Sure, around her, there was a blizzard, but she should be fine. Yet, she wasn't. She slowly crouched to try and get warmth, until a large reptilian creature stomped past her, and picked the frozen Omega Metroid off the ground. Samus took out her Scan Visor to see what it could be, but her suit's functions started to freeze. She looked up herself. Samus was astonished. She could have sworn what had picked up the Omega Metroid was another Metroid, only different. Then again, she could be wrong. A large herd of the mysterious reptilians started stampeding through the valley Samus found herself in. Startled, Samus started to run back towards the large mechanical compound she was in previously. Quickly, she shinesparked upward, bashing her skull on a metallic structure. Samus fell, and quickly grabbed a ledge. She lifted herself up, and entered the nearest door. Shortly after, she heard her suit malfunction. The words appeared on her visor.
"SCREW ATTACK MALFUNCTION. ICE MISSILE MALFUNCTION. SEVERE BEAM MALFUNCTION. SPACE JUMP MALFUNCTION. SUPER MISSILE MALFUNCTION. POWER BOMB MALFUNCTION. THE POWER-UPS LISTED HAVE BEEN FROZEN SEVERELY. THEY CANNOT BE USED UNTIL SPECIFIC CIRCUMSTANCES ARE MET. THE FOLLOWING ITEMS REMAIN INTACT AND UNFROZEN: SPEED BOOSTER, MORPH BALL, VARIA SUIT, GRAVITY SUIT, ICE BEAM, SCAN VISOR, MISSILES, DIFFUSION MISSILES, MORPH BALL BOMBS, X-FUSION SUIT, HI-JUMP BOOTS, AND JUMPBALL. EXTRA ENERGY TANKS HAVE ALSO BEEN FROZEN AND ARE NOW OBSOLETE. MOST MISSILES HAVE ALSO BEEN FROZEN, EXCEPT FOR A FEW. SINCE THESE ITEMS ARE NOW OBSOLETE, IT IS ADVISED THAT YOU REMOVE THEM FROM YOUR PERSON."
Samus did as the computer said. She removed all frozen items as well as Energy Tanks and excessive Missile Expansions. And once again, Samus found herself with only a few items left over. At least it wasn't as bad as it was before; when the Galactic Federation surgically removed Samus's Chozo Varia Suit, she had literally lost everything except for her beam. But this was still pretty serious.
The room she had entered was, as expected, icy. Not as cold as outside, because the Varia Suit could handle this temperature. It was about as large as the first corridor she had went through in this place, only it lacked a hole, and everything was literally frozen solid, no exceptions. Samus examined the area, and saw mechanoids. They were all frozen in their place. Samus scanned them, and gathered that they were worker robots, who unless their creators were frozen here as well, were obviously abandoned. She stepped past them into the next room, which was a very high and wide hall that had busted glass on the dome ceiling. She checked her map, and learned the name of this hall: Combat Drone Hangar. So, it wasn't a hall. On the side, she saw three frozen mechanoids sitting in a curve in the wall, seemingly dedicated to them. Must have been the hangars. She scanned the first one.
"SP-M #0-70, a.k.a. 'Protos'. Protos was the first drone built in Project 7, a program only administered within this facility. When the Space Pirates designed it and it turned out successful, they held parties and celebrations, as it was a very useful piece of work. It was built primarily for defense, however it does have an offensive instrument built into its cranial area. The Pirates seemed to have planned to create more of this model, however, they stopped trying when they realized it was useless against cold temperatures. It had frozen within two weeks after completion, and became obsolete. Project 7 was suspended due to the failure of this drone."
Samus stared at the box-shaped drone, that which had its arms retracted, and powered off. Icicles hung from its body in all sorts of places. And overall, it was tiny. Samus pondered how the Space Pirates could even think this robot would have been useful in the first place. She even wondered: was she in an old Space Pirate facility? Samus tried not to worry, and reverted her attention to the second drone. She scanned it.
"SP-M #0-71, a.k.a. 'Pinaclus'. Pinaclus was the second drone built under Project 7, and took years to finalize, as the Pirates tested it privately in every way possible until they were sure it would work. And just like Protos, it did, at first. The drone was originally made for combat, and held AI that commanded it to behave precisely like a Space Pirate. The Pirates developed a wire extension device, which they had installed into the neck of the drone. This extension device revolutionized Space Pirate technology, and enabled larger and more capable drones. In Pinaclus's case, this device enabled it to be larger than Protos, and even allowed an artificial Space Pirate claw to be installed. The device also regulated heat throughout the drone, making it less susceptible to the freezing temperatures that surrounded Settlement Zero. However, even with this, the drone froze within six months after completion, and, just as Protos, became obsolete. Project 7 was suspended yet again, this time even longer."
Samus looked at the drone. It did resemble a Space Pirate, somewhat. Though it seemed that its right claw was improvised heavily, whereas its left was the same old lobster claw Space Pirates had. She continued walking, and scanned the third drone.
"SP-M #0-72, a.k.a. 'Novap'. Novap was the third drone built under Project 7 after its long time of being suspended. Novap's name derives from nova, however the 'p' at the end of it is an abbreviation of the word 'pirate', or, more specifically, Space Pirates. The large drone has two wire extension devices installed into its neck, enabling an even more massive body structure and two hyper-advanced Pirate claws to be installed. The drone has also come with a laser that causes concussive impacts installed into its back. With a final cheer, the Pirates were satisfied that the drone was lasting. A second Novap was in the making, when this one became frozen and obsolete within two years after completion. The Pirates, infuriated, destroyed the Novap in the making, and cancelled Project 7 altogether. Since then, even mentioning the failed Project 7 among the Space Pirates could cost you your life."
Samus saw the large drone. It resembled an elite Space Pirate, or something of that sort. She ignored what was no more, and walked on. However, as she passed Novap, she heard a buzz. She looked at Novap, and saw that its eyes were glowing. Suddenly, the robot stood up tall, and the icicles on its body melted off. Novap roared at Samus and started shooting at her. Samus quickly side-stepped out of the way.
"THREAT DETECTED," Novap spat. "BACKUP SYSTEMS ONLINE."
Samus freaked. The thing had a backup system? What next? She scanned it quickly for thermal status.
"Thermal Status: Operational. Temperature: 51 degrees Fahrenheit. The wire extension devices are heating Novap enough to last it for a short while."
"Damn," Samus swore. Novap opened its claws, and shot a heated plasma shot the Pirates commonly used. Samus quickly sidestepped, and shot at Novap with a missile. She started to charge a missile, readying the diffusion effect. Novap attempted to stop her by opening the secondary laser that the scanner mentioned. Samus was ready to dodge, however, the laser zipped through the air at a ridiculous rate, and slammed her directly in the stomach. Samus flew back and hit the wall, hoping another Omega Metroid would save her one last time. Novap continued to step closer to Samus, and it readied its concussive laser once more. Just then, a loud crash surged through the room, and Samus was relieved. Yet another Omega Metroid. Only, Samus was wrong. This time, there was the static sound of electricity latching onto Novap. It started to moan mechanically, and fell over. Ahead of the machine, Samus saw her savior. Sylux said nothing, and ran through the other door. Samus stood up.
"Bzzt! Sa..I..you..nee..to..pa..rob..Bzt!" a random transmission occurred. Samus tried to clear out the signal.
"Grah! Samus! You must act quickly! They are approaching!" the computer continued. "Hurry! Step over Novap and obtain an item crucial to your survival!"
Samus recognized the voice from anywhere. She was a bit surprised as well.
"Adam?! Are you okay? I thought you were gone when my ship crash landed!" she said.
"Negative. While that may be true, remember that my mind continued to exist in the Galactic Federation database. They kept a backup disk for if something happened," Adam explained.
"Well, how are you managing to speak to me from here?" Samus asked.
"Barely. The area you're in blocks much signal. But otherwise, I came through your Scan Visor, when you were scanning Novap. I did so by hacking into the data files of the database and found you scanning. When you scan something, not only does it come from Chozo intelligence, but some also comes from the Galactic Federation database, respectively. When you scan something, the Galactic Federation can pinpoint your location and track you down, which is why I want you to hurry. They are tracking you as we speak. However, when I found data being extracted, I quickly implanted myself into the transfer and came with Novap's data. To be accurate, I am now a logbook entry in your suit. And as such, you can now speak to me anytime, even where there is no signal. I was going to inform the Galactic Federation about the SA-X's deeds and why you stopped their plans of attempting to harness the X for the good of society. But the Federation is a hard bunch to please. I decided I'd rather be here, so I could watch you," Adam explained. "From my knowledge of how fast the Federation works, I would suggest immediate evacuation of this planet."
"But I can't, Adam," Samus said. "My ship crash landed, remember? I have no method of transportation!"
"Hm. I do see. Most unfortunate. All I have to say about this is find civilization as quickly as possible, and see if they can supply you with a ship," Adam said.
"I would if I could," Samus replied. "But the only way to anything outside from here is too cold. Not even my Varia Suit can withstand it!"
"What? That doesn't make any sense. Your Varia Suit upgrade was meant entirely to protect you from extreme temperatures," Adam said. "And last time I reviewed on it, it was made for any temperature."
"Which did you look at? The Chozo Varia Suit, or the Federation's model?" Samus asked.
"Ah. I see where you are coming from. I'm guessing the Chozo Varia Suit was capable of such, but as expected, the Federation could not mimic the Chozo intelligence," Adam explained. "The Varia Suit you are equipped with now, apparently, cannot withstand temperatures beyond too extreme."
"So what do you suppose I do?" Samus asked, stressed.
"Simple. Stay around wherever you are, and try to find something that will protect you. That's all I can say on the matter, unfortunately…" Adam said. "In the meantime, Novap has left something that will help you with ice that obstructs your path. I suggest that you grab it."
Samus nodded. This was starting to get a little confusing. But she tried to isolate that thought, and stepped onto Novap's now-useless structure. Suddenly, she felt her gun upgrade. Her arm felt slightly heated, and she shot it to test. A large stream of plasma shot from her Arm Cannon, and shortly after, her suit notified her.
--Plasma Beam upgrade acquired. Melt ice and other weak obstructions.--
So Samus got the Plasma Beam back, very soon. Only it wasn't the one she was used to. She was used to a powerful beam that could pierce enemies, and when put together with the Wave Beam, made it a deadly equation. The one she had just obtained was the same as the beam she had gotten way back when she visited Tallon IV, and she also obtained it from the robotic bounty hunter Ghor on Elysia. Nevertheless, she felt warmer. At least it was a start. Suddenly, Adam popped up on her visor.
"Samus, the Federation is starting to infiltrate this section of the settlement. Start running. Now," Adam said. Samus nodded, and quickly ran through the same door Sylux left through.
-
Ridley sat in his large chair, with the usual screens in front of him. He used one to monitor Sylux. But recently, the signal was static-y. When the signal came back online, Ridley pulled open the communicator.
"Everything fine? The signal blacked out for a while," Ridley said.
"Yes, it's all good. I killed Novap so Samus could get the Plasma Beam," Sylux replied. "I didn't say a word, as instructed. Just left. Now, mind me asking the cause of the sudden change in plans?"
"You aren't required to understand that aspect at the moment. Be patient," Ridley responded.
Sylux nodded, and closed the communicator. He continued to walk through Settlement Zero.
"He doesn't know what's coming," Weavel said, behind Ridley. "He's in for a rude awakening."
"Correct, Weavel," Ridley replied to the comment. "Now, prepare for landing. We are approaching the planet as we speak."
"Yes sir," Weavel responded, and left the room silently. Ridley laid back in his chair.
"Oh, this is working perfectly," he said to himself. "I doubt even Samus will stand in the way this time around."
