Author's Note: Whew! Time for the final assault on the Pirate Frigate! I would like to take this opportunity to ask one last time for any feedback, and to extend my thanks to those who have already given it. Anyway, Recommended Listening this time is the classic Brinstar theme, my favorite from the series. I especially recommend an orchestral remix.
The world spun outside of the cockpit. Samus turned and spun her hijacked vehicle like a dancer, flying between the gunfire that filled the air. The purple Frigate rained down streams of energy onto the city, vaporizing whole buildings. The auto defense cannons fought back with missiles and lasers that struck the Frigate like harpoons. Samus heard an incoming transmission to the Bomber from the Frigate.
"No more games," said Algor. "I want you to stop right now."Samus could almost hear a hint of panic in his monotone voice. Algor continued, "If you are interested in money, feel free to join us. If you are willing to die or the Federation, I'm willing to oblige. I just wanted to warn you about what could happen if they are left unchecked. Do you really trust them after the B.S.L. experiments? You don't know who I really am yet, but trust me, they shouldn't have brought me back. The conspiracies and genocide and experiments will only get worse. If you stand against us, they will only continue to steal from those with true power and poison the societies they control."
Samus cleared her throat in irritation. She whispered directly into the microphone, "I may not be the biggest fan of the Federation after what has happened in the last few days, but nothing, and I mean nothing, will ever make me support the Pirates. Ignoring my personal history, they have endangered the whole galaxy, forced planets into slavery, and just recently unleashed bio-weapons in a populated area." She paused for a second to regain her composure. Barely masking the anger in her voice, she said, "I'm going to stop you and put an end to the Pirate way of life once and for all."
"Come and get me," replied Algor. He spoke each syllable slowly, as if he was frothing with rage, but still remained emotionless as ever. Samus thought he seemed like he was trapped as a computer, brimming with emotion but unable to show it. Algor spewed as succession of obscenities in a variety of languages, bringing a reluctant smile to Samus' face as she switched off the message.
Samus drove into the gaping wound in the Frigate's hull and landed. The bounty hunter stepped out and readied her weapon. Any second now, the Pirates are going to swarm me with everything they've got, she thought. She sped down the halls, glancing over her back as she did so.
Sure enough, the pattering of her feet against the cold metal for was soon amplified by a numerous series of sounds. Samus could hear the troops coming from all directions. She ran forward, but she didn't plan to escape. Instead, she came into a large, open room, and waited.
Space Pirates stormed in, cutting off all exits. The filled the room with an endless flurry of energy blasts. Samus ran into one corner where she was most protected, and began firing Super Missiles. The massive projectiles flew in all directions, leaving her attackers nowhere to go.
Samus stopped firing when she stopped when she saw no more targets. Certain that more would soon be on the way, she raced towards the inner halls of the ship. She came to a long staircase, with two more guards at the bottom. Samus sprung through the air and stood along the rail, sliding down with incredible velocity. She zooming past their shots and returned fire with the Tactical Beam, striking them both in the chest repeatedly. They were dead before she reached the bottom.
Suddenly, a massive explosion rocked the ship. "What was that?" asked Samus.
"The Frigate will not be able to resist the defenses from the colony much longer and will soon explode. If the ship goes down, Algor and his associates will surely escape and make it appear that they died in the crash. We must stop them before they have a chance to gather their strength and strike again."
Samus said, "Alright, where do we think Algor is?"
"Most likely the control bridge," answered Adam. He paused for a second, and then said, "Before you go to the area I have indicated on your map, I would like to address a personal matter. I know our partnership has not always been easy, especially considering my origin, but you have shown great kindness and understanding. Thank you."
The bounty hunter said, "Know problem. Not like I had much of a choice, right." She tried a more care-fee tone of voice than usual to hide her emotions. She never liked awkward emotional situations. She said, "Do you think we can hold off from anymore personal bonding experiences until after I've stopped the imminent terrorist movement that threatens the entire galaxy?" Adam gave no answer. Still no sense of humor, thought Samus.
Samus entered an elevator leading to the control bridge. While ascending, she felt more tremors and heard more thunderous explosions. She didn't have much time. The elevator reached its destination, revealing an amalgam of rubble as the doors slid open. The ceiling of the control bridge had collapsed. Monitors and loose wires sparked as small fires burned in the corners. Samus hopped up onto the top of one of several girders that had fallen, pointing up like pillars. She scanned the room, which had been abandoned except for one armored figure.
Algor looked up at Samus. She got a closer look at the bounty hunter's visor, which glowed green as a stream of holographic symbols and letters swirled inside it.
Algor said, "I don't have time for any jokes right now, Huntress. This is an historic day, in which the revenge against the Federation takes its first step. I can't have you ruining that." He aimed his two pistols at Samus.
Just as he was about to pull the triggers, a bright white light entered the room. It struck Algor head on, flinging him across the room. Once he landed, a small layer of white crystal had encircled and immobilized him. Samus looked in the direction of the shot, and saw the orange figure of the SA-X.
The doppelganger looked directly at Samus. Its white, soulless eyes seemed to follow Samus, despite not actually moving. Samus felt sick. The creature's faces remained blank and lifeless as ever as it raised its arm cannon. A constant flurry of white energy filled the room.
Samus sprung off the girder, which became coated with ice behind her. The SA-X barely turned its body to track her with its flood of cold energy. Samus was already feeling sluggish from the cold air in the room. If the SA-X were to hit her, she had no chance of escaping.
She remembered the Wave Beam was the only weapon that had proved remotely effective against the SA-X, so she started charging the purple weapon. Once fired, the violet cascades of energy spiraled into the SA-X, knocking it back. It stopped shooting for a split second and grunted in anger. The orange armor began to shift and pulsate as the doppelganger continued bombarding Samus.
The SA-X leapt into the air, surrounded by the glowing aura of the Screw Attack. It rammed down into Samus, before bouncing back up into the air. It stopped atop one of the girders, peering down at Samus. It began to rain cold energy upon the room.
The room was now freezing cold, and the floor was slippery with frost. One sot hot Samus in her left arm, immobilizing it and stopping her in her tracks. The SA-X aimed its cannon, neither glee nor remorse showing through its visor. The ice around Samus hand shattered as a Grapple Beam discharged from her palm. The lightning rope latched onto the ceiling and pulled the bounty hunter off her feet. She swung through the air and slammed into the SA-X. It groaned in displeasure as she knocked it off its perch.
Samus dropped down onto the fiend as it struggled to get up, kicking it in the helmet. It swung its knee into her abdomen and the punched her across the visor. Samus recoiled from the pain, her vision now resembling a kaleidoscope. She fired the Wave Beam in all directions, praying she could hit it.
As her vision recalibrated, Samus saw the SA-X had indeed been struck, and was now standing still in the center of the room. Its armor began to expand and stretch as the creature doubled in size. Its helmet ballooned out and separated into a dozen tiny eyes perched above one glass glare. The legs snaked apart and split into tendrils that acted as toes. The arms branched into tentacles, the Arm Cannon gutting uselessly from the elbow.
Samus lost her breath from the sheer disgust she felt looking at this abomination. The creature was a sick combination between her and the parasite's first host, a hornoad. However, it was composed of the most hideous traits of both, and was double the size of Samus. The SA-X gave a sick cackle as it hopped around the room. Samus weaved from side to side to avoid being trampled.
After she finally calmed herself, Samus began firing at the frantic creature. Surprisingly, it had noticeably less endurance than the previous form. Samus fired three purple shots at it, and it collapsed onto the ground. The body melted and distorted into a spiky blue sphere. The Core-X floated toward Samus, firing slow ice blasts at Samus. The shots struck the floor, tripping Samus. She slipped as she tried to get up, but when she rose up the Core-X slammed into her. Its spike breached her armor, letting cold air in.
Samus braced herself. She thought, I may not have much fight left in me, but I didn't come all this way to be stopped by another wretched parasite. She let loose her Missile, hitting the core right in the eye. The jagged shell crunched and shattered, leaving the gelatinous parasite floating helplessly.
Samus sat on the ground panting. I didn't think I could beat it, she thought. She took a few minutes to enjoy the silence, which was cut short by another tremor that shook the ship. She heard a cracking noise, and saw Algor shrugging off his icy restraint. He rolled his head back s his body twitched and jerked. A purple aura emerged from his helmet, composed of digital characters.
It floated into the stranded X, and was absorbed. The parasite pulsated and shimmered into its new form. Red wings with purple highlights stretched out. A purple tail with a dagger-like spike at the end writhed outwards. A skeletal body and a curved, lean head emerged.
"It' good to be back!" shrieked Ridley. The Pirate Lord took a moment to inspect his new body. "You have no idea how good this feels after being cramped inside a hard drive." The dragon then looked at Samus. "How ya' doin' Sammy?" he asked, then cackled to himself. His wings slapped the air, forcing his body upwards.
Samus was petrified. Ridley was back, despite the insurmountable odds and the incredible feats she had accomplished. There was nothing she could do. Algor sprung into action, leaping into the air with his guns blazing. Ridley swung his tail, piercing Algor's armor with the blade at the end. The bounty hunter sped to the ground, landing with a thunderous crash. His lifeless body rolled on the floor, eventually coming to a complete stop.
Ridley laughed and gave a sarcastic salute to Samus and said, "See ya' later, Sammy." He flew off while the ship shook again and rubble tumbled down from the ceiling. Samus just stood there, not knowing what to do, or if what she did mattered anyway.
To Be Continued
Author's Note: Thank you so much for staying with me this far. The next chapter is the last, and I'm ending this story with a bang.
