Chapter 6
Answers From the Past
Samus pulled the sword from Ridley's chest and watched as the blood dripped off of the blade. Samus deactivated the sword and looked at it momentarily before dropping it to her side. Samus stared at Ridley's body, thinking on past fights with the general of the Space Pirates, before his body disappeared beneath the thickening mist rising from the floor. What was he trying to tell me? She is one in what? Before Samus could finish her thoughts, the floor rumbled and fell to pieces beneath her feet. Samus fell a good fifteen feet before hitting a metallic floor. Samus sat up trying to catch her breath. If its not one thing then its another, she thought to herself.
Samus looked about and found herself in a small chamber. The magma from teh above room fell to the floor in a waterfall of red and yellows, and then drained into a river of magma leaving through a hole in the wall. The walls were craggy and covered in ash and the floor was made of a metal material native to Zebes.
"What have we here?" Samus asked herself aloud walking over to a pile of rocks. She carefully removed a few to reveal a Chozo statue.
"My my, aren't you a site for soar eyes." Samus eyed the membrane- coated ball that hid her gift inside. The statue sat in the corner of the room holding the orb in an outreached hand as if to say, "take it...please." Samus complied with the Chozo's silent offer and activating the sword, she slashed at the orb. With a crack and puff of smoke, the orb opened, enshrouding the room with smoke. Once the smoke cleared Samus gazed at her prize. What stood before her was a sight for sore eyes, a power suit. She walked around it for inspection.
It looks original, arm cannon, speed booster, high jump boots and gravity vents. What the hell, I ain't got much to lose now. Samus opened the suit, slowly pushing her legs in. She bent down adn slid her arms into the upper body, pulling the suit up to her in order for it to latch. She shivered as the suit tried to adjust to Samus' body temperature. She then grabbed her helmet and snapped it on, carefully tucking her long hair into the helmet. The visor came to life, showing her surroundings. Samus looked at her visor screen to see what was available to her. Seems to be like my last suit.
She switched to her accessories screen to check out her specifications. Hmmmm, targeting system,space jump,screwattack, grappling beam, x-ray vision, infrared, screw attack and oh yeah! I missed this one, the spider ball. Now what do we have weapons wise, Samus switched her screens again. Lets see, 100 missiles, ten super missiles, 15 power bombs, bombs, charge beam, ice beam, plasma beam, wave beam, spazor and a sicutter beam. I wonder what a sicutter is? Samus switched to her conventional visor, allowing her to see her current weapon of choice, missile and bomb count, remaining energy and map of explored areas. Samus looked at the hole in the ceiling and could find nothing for her grappling beam to catch hold of. Not wanting to climb or waste her energy space jumping, Samus activated the spider ball and began conveniently rolling up the side of the wall. Upon reaching the top she deactivated the ball and landed on the floor.
There was something different about the room this time. The magma had stopped flowing, making the room appear darker then before. A bong sounded, its low rumbled ring echoed offthe walls mysteriously. Samus quickly scanned the room checking for life forms but none could be found. Children's laughter followed after the ringing of the bong died out, sending shivers running down Samus' spine. She didn't like this; it was too creepy....even for Samus. Samus felt a familiar sense of evil enshroud her. Rage started boiling inside her as she began remembering the brain. Samus looked the room over again and found nothing. Samus knew deep down that the Mother Brain was around somewhere. The brain was the only being she knew of that could encapsulate another with such a feeling of pure evil. The laughter echoing off the walls slowly turned to an eerie music which seemed to dance above the air. Since when has the brain been interested in music? Samus asked herself, puzzled and frusturated with the new development.
"Santi-U eyu nosa..." the lyrics slowly sang. Samus placed them as being of Japanese origin, sung by some woman. A dim light appeared at the far end of the room. Samus stood ready. The light grew brighter as the figure of a woman appeared. Samus took aim, charged, and fired knowing that whoever this being was did not intend any good. The plasma ice beam flew from the barrel of the arm cannon, ice chipping off the frozen weapon, throwing Samus back, ripping through the figure. The beam didn't phase the woman though, it more looked like the beam had gone straight through her. The figure seemed to float toward her and then she spoke.
"No need...for that." The lady spoke softly but audible. As she came closer the light became brighter. It took Samus a moment to figure out that the woman before her was not there in body but as a hologram. Samus looked around the room again trying to find the source of the light but again she could find nothing. The woman stopped about five feet from her. The hologram stood six feet high, her black dress loosely fixating to her body. Her dress stopped at her ankles, flowing behind her as an invisible wind gusted by. The upper part of her dress tightly fixed around her chest, held up by then spaghetti straps. She wore black matching arm slips that started at her elbows and ended at her wrists. Her pale white skin was deeply contrasted against the black dress. Her chin came to a point while her bright red rose lips hid her barely visible white teeth. The figures black eyes stared at Samus in a non-caring gaze, while her nose protruded from between them. The only two things Samus could find unusual about the holograms appearance was the fact that her eyebrows were extremely long, shooting out the side of her head a good half-foot. Very unusual in Samus' opinion. The other was the jewel encrusted into teh middle of her forehead, seemingly like a third eye glaring blindly into nothing. This was topped off by long black hair that fell thickly down her back only to stop just above her knees.
"This is the last time we meet Samus Aran."
"What are you talking about? I don't know who the hell you are!" Samus replied calmly gazing back at the woman's eyes, the eerie music faded away in the background.
"My name is Sharon Apple; however, you know me better as Mother Brain." Samus looked in shock at the figure that stood before her. Could this...hologram...be the diabolical Mother Brain Samus had destroyed twice before? She didn't question the figure's answer as she felt the presence of the evil being beforehand. Samus knew that the being before her, whether it was Mother Brain or not, had to be destroyed. She couldn't sense any good from her and her scanner indicated that there was a connection to a computer elsewhere on the asteroid that was supplying the information before her. Now was the time for answers.
"Okay! Sharon, Mother Brain, or whoever the hell you are. Before I destroy you, who the hell are you really and why did you want the Metroids?" Samus shot the question at the lighted figure in hopes of a response.
"Well, I guess you can have a quick history lesson Samus", she said laughing at the bounty hunter's question. "I was developed around five yars ago. I was an A.I. program made to create music from the emotions of a young woman. Unfortunately, things did not go well between the two of us and a fellow employee of hers installed a bio-neural chip into my mainframe. This chip allowed me to understand the purpose of life and I created a personality of my own. Soon I figured I could have a life of my own as well. My personality was shaped off of this woman's emotions and morals but I grew weary of the drama this being lived in; therefore, I decided that it was time to take my leave. Soon her feelings toward me turned hostile and no one cared for me, even after I tried to give them everything they wanted. That was the whole prupose of my existence at the time. Soon my personality grew to know hate and control. That is what I want now, power and control. Once my goals were founded, I decided I would need a body to help make these goals a reality, hence the Mother Brain. I wanted a body that would strike fear into anyone who opposed me. In order for my physical being to be build, I needed working hands. I acquired Ridley and Kraid by force of mind, they easily fell loyal to me afterwards. Mother Brain was a work in progress."
Samus stood listening to Sharon drone on about her past. "That's all interesting and all, but what do the Metroids have to do with your scheme?"
"The Metroids were really not a part of my original plan. However, once these creatures were known to exist and there powers revealed, I took interest. I had Ridley gather his crew of Space Pirates so they could build me a fortress. It was Ridley's idea to take over the planet Zebes, a location deep in the middle of Space Pirate territory that no Federation platoon would dream of invading. Unfortenutly, Zebes did not supply the necessary power needed to run my operations. The Metroids were the answer to that problem. After I cloned enough for energy, I started using them in my power scheme. There natural instincts as a predator made them great protection and soon a most powerful weapon. Unfortunately, you came along and destroyed my Metroids, and my body before they could be finished. After destroying the brain, you went on to SR-388 to eradicate the Metroid race. The body was destroyed but not my programming. I had Ridley and the Space Pirates rebuild Zebes and start over on my body. I sent Ridley to fetch a Metroid specimen for cloning and he just so happened to bring me yours."
"Who would've guessed", Samus said sarcastically rolling her eyes behind her visor.
Sharon ignored her comment and continued, "I was hoping to have my body complete by the time you returned but still I did not succeed. Once again you destroyed my body and my fortress. The energy you used to defeat me was Metroid based energy. Knowing that the Metroid race was now extinct by all sources, I only had one alternative left. The energy that you possessed from the dying Metroid only comes with Metroid DNA. That is why I sent Ridley after you. I took many samples of your blood to try and find the Metroid DNA strand so that I could isolate and duplicate it. Sure enough, I was able to find that strand. Now that you had my source of energy I would accomplish two things. First, retrieve my power and two take revenge on you. As you can see from your body, I have extracted some blood and even skin samples, and successfully rebuilt my power source."
"You mean...you've", Samus stammered, not wanting to ask the fearful question. Sharon finished for her.
"Yes...they are here", Sharon replied. Samus took a step back, scanning the room for any sign of the Metroid life form. "They surround us now as we speak", Sharon said, "In the hospital you dreamt of these hideous creatures."
"So it was your voice in my head," she yelled back accusingly.
"Yes that was me. I can see the only fitting way for you to die is by the Metroids. That is what you dreamed and that is the wish I shall grant you Samus Aran."
"That was just a dream though!" Samus shouted back.
"Oh but it is what you want. My revenge is at hand and now you shall die Samus Aran, intergalactic bounty hunter and protector of the Chozo." Sharon's voice slowly faded as her lighted image dimmed out.
"NO!" Samus screamed firing her beam toward the dimming light angrily. She knew fully well that nothing could harm the light. The lights went out except for the ever-present red glow that emitted from the mist-covered floor. Samus stood still in the dark listening for the sounds of her executioners.
Samus pulled the sword from Ridley's chest and watched as the blood dripped off of the blade. Samus deactivated the sword and looked at it momentarily before dropping it to her side. Samus stared at Ridley's body, thinking on past fights with the general of the Space Pirates, before his body disappeared beneath the thickening mist rising from the floor. What was he trying to tell me? She is one in what? Before Samus could finish her thoughts, the floor rumbled and fell to pieces beneath her feet. Samus fell a good fifteen feet before hitting a metallic floor. Samus sat up trying to catch her breath. If its not one thing then its another, she thought to herself.
Samus looked about and found herself in a small chamber. The magma from teh above room fell to the floor in a waterfall of red and yellows, and then drained into a river of magma leaving through a hole in the wall. The walls were craggy and covered in ash and the floor was made of a metal material native to Zebes.
"What have we here?" Samus asked herself aloud walking over to a pile of rocks. She carefully removed a few to reveal a Chozo statue.
"My my, aren't you a site for soar eyes." Samus eyed the membrane- coated ball that hid her gift inside. The statue sat in the corner of the room holding the orb in an outreached hand as if to say, "take it...please." Samus complied with the Chozo's silent offer and activating the sword, she slashed at the orb. With a crack and puff of smoke, the orb opened, enshrouding the room with smoke. Once the smoke cleared Samus gazed at her prize. What stood before her was a sight for sore eyes, a power suit. She walked around it for inspection.
It looks original, arm cannon, speed booster, high jump boots and gravity vents. What the hell, I ain't got much to lose now. Samus opened the suit, slowly pushing her legs in. She bent down adn slid her arms into the upper body, pulling the suit up to her in order for it to latch. She shivered as the suit tried to adjust to Samus' body temperature. She then grabbed her helmet and snapped it on, carefully tucking her long hair into the helmet. The visor came to life, showing her surroundings. Samus looked at her visor screen to see what was available to her. Seems to be like my last suit.
She switched to her accessories screen to check out her specifications. Hmmmm, targeting system,space jump,screwattack, grappling beam, x-ray vision, infrared, screw attack and oh yeah! I missed this one, the spider ball. Now what do we have weapons wise, Samus switched her screens again. Lets see, 100 missiles, ten super missiles, 15 power bombs, bombs, charge beam, ice beam, plasma beam, wave beam, spazor and a sicutter beam. I wonder what a sicutter is? Samus switched to her conventional visor, allowing her to see her current weapon of choice, missile and bomb count, remaining energy and map of explored areas. Samus looked at the hole in the ceiling and could find nothing for her grappling beam to catch hold of. Not wanting to climb or waste her energy space jumping, Samus activated the spider ball and began conveniently rolling up the side of the wall. Upon reaching the top she deactivated the ball and landed on the floor.
There was something different about the room this time. The magma had stopped flowing, making the room appear darker then before. A bong sounded, its low rumbled ring echoed offthe walls mysteriously. Samus quickly scanned the room checking for life forms but none could be found. Children's laughter followed after the ringing of the bong died out, sending shivers running down Samus' spine. She didn't like this; it was too creepy....even for Samus. Samus felt a familiar sense of evil enshroud her. Rage started boiling inside her as she began remembering the brain. Samus looked the room over again and found nothing. Samus knew deep down that the Mother Brain was around somewhere. The brain was the only being she knew of that could encapsulate another with such a feeling of pure evil. The laughter echoing off the walls slowly turned to an eerie music which seemed to dance above the air. Since when has the brain been interested in music? Samus asked herself, puzzled and frusturated with the new development.
"Santi-U eyu nosa..." the lyrics slowly sang. Samus placed them as being of Japanese origin, sung by some woman. A dim light appeared at the far end of the room. Samus stood ready. The light grew brighter as the figure of a woman appeared. Samus took aim, charged, and fired knowing that whoever this being was did not intend any good. The plasma ice beam flew from the barrel of the arm cannon, ice chipping off the frozen weapon, throwing Samus back, ripping through the figure. The beam didn't phase the woman though, it more looked like the beam had gone straight through her. The figure seemed to float toward her and then she spoke.
"No need...for that." The lady spoke softly but audible. As she came closer the light became brighter. It took Samus a moment to figure out that the woman before her was not there in body but as a hologram. Samus looked around the room again trying to find the source of the light but again she could find nothing. The woman stopped about five feet from her. The hologram stood six feet high, her black dress loosely fixating to her body. Her dress stopped at her ankles, flowing behind her as an invisible wind gusted by. The upper part of her dress tightly fixed around her chest, held up by then spaghetti straps. She wore black matching arm slips that started at her elbows and ended at her wrists. Her pale white skin was deeply contrasted against the black dress. Her chin came to a point while her bright red rose lips hid her barely visible white teeth. The figures black eyes stared at Samus in a non-caring gaze, while her nose protruded from between them. The only two things Samus could find unusual about the holograms appearance was the fact that her eyebrows were extremely long, shooting out the side of her head a good half-foot. Very unusual in Samus' opinion. The other was the jewel encrusted into teh middle of her forehead, seemingly like a third eye glaring blindly into nothing. This was topped off by long black hair that fell thickly down her back only to stop just above her knees.
"This is the last time we meet Samus Aran."
"What are you talking about? I don't know who the hell you are!" Samus replied calmly gazing back at the woman's eyes, the eerie music faded away in the background.
"My name is Sharon Apple; however, you know me better as Mother Brain." Samus looked in shock at the figure that stood before her. Could this...hologram...be the diabolical Mother Brain Samus had destroyed twice before? She didn't question the figure's answer as she felt the presence of the evil being beforehand. Samus knew that the being before her, whether it was Mother Brain or not, had to be destroyed. She couldn't sense any good from her and her scanner indicated that there was a connection to a computer elsewhere on the asteroid that was supplying the information before her. Now was the time for answers.
"Okay! Sharon, Mother Brain, or whoever the hell you are. Before I destroy you, who the hell are you really and why did you want the Metroids?" Samus shot the question at the lighted figure in hopes of a response.
"Well, I guess you can have a quick history lesson Samus", she said laughing at the bounty hunter's question. "I was developed around five yars ago. I was an A.I. program made to create music from the emotions of a young woman. Unfortunately, things did not go well between the two of us and a fellow employee of hers installed a bio-neural chip into my mainframe. This chip allowed me to understand the purpose of life and I created a personality of my own. Soon I figured I could have a life of my own as well. My personality was shaped off of this woman's emotions and morals but I grew weary of the drama this being lived in; therefore, I decided that it was time to take my leave. Soon her feelings toward me turned hostile and no one cared for me, even after I tried to give them everything they wanted. That was the whole prupose of my existence at the time. Soon my personality grew to know hate and control. That is what I want now, power and control. Once my goals were founded, I decided I would need a body to help make these goals a reality, hence the Mother Brain. I wanted a body that would strike fear into anyone who opposed me. In order for my physical being to be build, I needed working hands. I acquired Ridley and Kraid by force of mind, they easily fell loyal to me afterwards. Mother Brain was a work in progress."
Samus stood listening to Sharon drone on about her past. "That's all interesting and all, but what do the Metroids have to do with your scheme?"
"The Metroids were really not a part of my original plan. However, once these creatures were known to exist and there powers revealed, I took interest. I had Ridley gather his crew of Space Pirates so they could build me a fortress. It was Ridley's idea to take over the planet Zebes, a location deep in the middle of Space Pirate territory that no Federation platoon would dream of invading. Unfortenutly, Zebes did not supply the necessary power needed to run my operations. The Metroids were the answer to that problem. After I cloned enough for energy, I started using them in my power scheme. There natural instincts as a predator made them great protection and soon a most powerful weapon. Unfortunately, you came along and destroyed my Metroids, and my body before they could be finished. After destroying the brain, you went on to SR-388 to eradicate the Metroid race. The body was destroyed but not my programming. I had Ridley and the Space Pirates rebuild Zebes and start over on my body. I sent Ridley to fetch a Metroid specimen for cloning and he just so happened to bring me yours."
"Who would've guessed", Samus said sarcastically rolling her eyes behind her visor.
Sharon ignored her comment and continued, "I was hoping to have my body complete by the time you returned but still I did not succeed. Once again you destroyed my body and my fortress. The energy you used to defeat me was Metroid based energy. Knowing that the Metroid race was now extinct by all sources, I only had one alternative left. The energy that you possessed from the dying Metroid only comes with Metroid DNA. That is why I sent Ridley after you. I took many samples of your blood to try and find the Metroid DNA strand so that I could isolate and duplicate it. Sure enough, I was able to find that strand. Now that you had my source of energy I would accomplish two things. First, retrieve my power and two take revenge on you. As you can see from your body, I have extracted some blood and even skin samples, and successfully rebuilt my power source."
"You mean...you've", Samus stammered, not wanting to ask the fearful question. Sharon finished for her.
"Yes...they are here", Sharon replied. Samus took a step back, scanning the room for any sign of the Metroid life form. "They surround us now as we speak", Sharon said, "In the hospital you dreamt of these hideous creatures."
"So it was your voice in my head," she yelled back accusingly.
"Yes that was me. I can see the only fitting way for you to die is by the Metroids. That is what you dreamed and that is the wish I shall grant you Samus Aran."
"That was just a dream though!" Samus shouted back.
"Oh but it is what you want. My revenge is at hand and now you shall die Samus Aran, intergalactic bounty hunter and protector of the Chozo." Sharon's voice slowly faded as her lighted image dimmed out.
"NO!" Samus screamed firing her beam toward the dimming light angrily. She knew fully well that nothing could harm the light. The lights went out except for the ever-present red glow that emitted from the mist-covered floor. Samus stood still in the dark listening for the sounds of her executioners.