Phase III

Log 4,380

The primary shaft has narrowed considerably. Tectonic shifting has collapsed some sections, which I have to blow open with bombs. At other times the way is blocked with soft sand, which has to be painstaking dug through. Frequently I can only proceed in morph ball, clinging to the walls with the spiderball to avoid sudden fissures dropping into pits with flowing magma at the bottom. Fortunately, I discovered another large cavern branching off from the primary shaft. Less fortunately, I've also discovered more hostile life forms.

Designation: Senjoo. Medium-sized flying creature with a single eye and many spikes, as well as two powerful grasping limbs with large talons. It appears to hunt Tsumuri, but will not hesitate to attack any small objects crawling along the cave wall. Grasping limbs are strong enough to overcome the spiderball's grip, but the Senjoo's wings are not powerful enough to carry excessive mass, and will instinctively drop burdens before being dragged down by them.

Designation: Blob Thrower. Carnivorous plant life, capable of sensing nearby movement, though whether by sound, temperature variance, or some other means is still uncertain. It is frequently found beneath Senjoo hunting grounds, feeding off scraps dropped by the flying predators, which suggests it may be borderline ambulatory, laying down roots in one direction and pulling them up from the other in a projected weeks-long process. This straddles the line between flora and fauna. The blob thrower hunts by forcefully ejecting small but very potent globules of acid to finish off Senjoo prey, or any Senjoo foolish enough to pursue dropped food, then retrieves the corpse over the period of several days with creeper vines, applying further acid to break prey down into small enough chunks to drag to its mouth. Interestingly, application of sufficient force and trauma kills it completely – it cannot have a dead limb or branch while remaining alive – which further suggests a limited central nervous system. Its acid significantly depletes power armor reserves. Arm cannon fire is effective. Missile fire more effective. After some investigation, it has been conclusively demonstrated that the Blob Thrower is flammable.

I harbor some concern for the computer's integrity since the energy power shunt while fighting the Alpha Metroids. . . Blob Throwers? Really?

Log 4,381

More of that strange sound. More Chozo ruins? Investigating.

Log 4,382

Threat assessments added.

Designation: Autoad. Mechanical construct designed to emulate the native hornoad species, from appearance to behavior. They wander around the ruins of another large Chozo facility.

I find the existence of this creature troubling. It is clearly a Chozo creation, a weapon designed to fit as seamlessly, as unobtrusively, into a native ecosystem as possible. But . . . why? And why build what I now suspect to be an entire manufacturing plant to produce these artificial creatures? This is a clear escalation from their earlier efforts, closer to the surface, to keep the natural animal life at bay.

I begin to suspect that much of the loose sand and rock I had to blast through was backfill, a deliberate effort to block surface access even as the Chozo buried themselves ever deeper, hollowing out new caverns.

What were they afraid of? What so relentlessly hunted them ever deeper, able to overcome their warriors with ease but clearly held at bay, at least for a time, by primitive animal control and then mid-level predators? I don't know. I wonder how impaired my thoughts are by sleep deprivation.

I will seek shelter in the ruins and try to sleep.

Log 4,383

Threat assessment added.

Designation: Autrack. Entrenched, armored defensive emplacement firing high-powered energy weapons. Just as with the temple Wallfire turrets, they are programmed to attack any sign of movement, not discriminating even for Chozo energy signatures. These weapons remain powered and active, yet proved ultimately ineffective. Unlike the temple above, the factory shows clear signs of violence. A section of the wall has been blown open.

Investigating.

Log 4,384

The factory has been ransacked. It appears that the factory was breached, causing a panicked retreat, yet somehow the factory itself remained running, unimpeded, for some time afterwards. Large numbers of autoads aimlessly roam the hallways, attacking on sight. The upper section appears to remain sealed. I'll exit and try to climb up to the roof. The Chozo, descended from avians, often favored roof access points.

[WARNING: Power Suit energy low.]

[WARNING: Missile reserves low]

[WARNING: Power Suit energy very low.]

[WARNING: Missile reserves critical.]

[WARNING: Missile reserves depleted.]

[WARNING: Bomb reserves low.]

[WARNING: Power Suit energy critical. Multiple suit breaches detected.]

[WARNING: Bomb reserves critical.]

WARNING: Bomb reserves depleted.]

Log 4,385

T-threat . . . assessment added.

Des . . . designation: Arachnus. Apparently I've . . . found . . . the native apex predator. Large. S-surprisingly mobile . . . armored shell. Beams and missiles . . . ineffective. Only bombs could p-penetrate thick hide. Four limbs. Sharp claws.

It . . it seemed to have . . . absorbed the Chozo power armor upgrade. D-designation: Springball. It's mine now. Allows me to . . . to jump while in morph ball. Worries . . . me. Arachnus doesn't have power armor . . . but can emulate by . . . pulling stubby limbs and head . . . into armored shell . . . Suggests at least . . . some aspect of these . . . suit upgrades are genetic . . . rewriting for compatibility. Possibly the creature is . . . part mechanical . . . as well.

H-how . . . how much of me . . . has been rewritten?

No, can't stop . . . can't think. Multiple suit breaches. Toxic atmosphere. Burning in wounds. Power so low . . . even oxygen scrubbers disabled. Into reserve air supply. Won't last long. Already feel CO2 levels rising. Clouding judgment. Must . . . find power . . .

[Log auto-terminated.]

[Verbal activity detected. No listener present. Auto-recording log entry.]

Log 4,385.1

Talk. Talk through. Help focus.

Yes! Still sealed . . . but no missiles. Need . . . sharp. Heavy.

[log auto-terminated.]

[Verbal activity detected. No listener present. Auto-recording log entry.]

Log 4,385.2

Tsu . . . Tum . . . Smuri spike . . . maybe . . . mph . . . ungh . . . hnnnngya! . . .

. . .

. . .

Yes. Seal broken . . . statue . . . empty? No . . . no . . . look. Find it! Maybe . . . storage. Dig. Find.

Find.

Find.

Find!

[log auto-terminated.]

Log 4,386

When the lower levels were breached, it seems that at least some of the Chozo grabbed what supplies they could and fled. The statute I discovered had had its upgrade removed. Fortunately, they fled in such haste that they were unable to take all of their supplies with them. Half-buried in a storage area behind the statue I found a power armor upgrade. Designation: Varia Armor.

The changes to my armor are substantial. The suit's overall mass has gone up significantly, in part due to the addition of an additional layer of ablative armor, which also sealed the suit's breaches, and greatly expanded shoulder pauldrons, which store both missile and bomb raw materials as well as energy storage capacitors.

With the varia suit's small influx of system power, I was able to curl into morph ball, assuring that no suit breaches remained, and lowering overall energy requirements. This restored partial functionality to onboard medical systems and oxygen scrubbers. I wedged myself into the smallest hold I could find.

I am not sure if I fell asleep or passed out. Once again, running at minimal power means I have no way to tell how much time has past.

Maybe hours . . . days . . . centuries, and the Galactic Federation is nothing but bones. Maybe they thought me dead and nuked the surface, and my ship, to dust. Maybe I'll get out and they won't recognize me, after having my DNA rewritten so many times. Hell, even with the varia suit's added mass, the morph ball functions identically . . . does that mean my mass has been depleted, consumed? What will be left of me if I ever get to remove this armor?

Clearly some traces of delirium remain from exposure to native atmosphere. Regardless, I need to move out soon. Even with the varia suit's added energy, suit power remains very low. And in my . . . mentally uncertain state, it remains possible that I will revert to siege mentality and become paralyzed, unable to complete the mission.

I am not afraid.

I will not be stopped.

I will leave this place and find another energy reserve.

I am the Iron Bitch, and I will kill the Metroids. Every. Last. One.

34 Metroids left to kill.

Log 4,387

Power station found.

An Alpha Metroid penetrated the Chozo facility. Pursuing me or seeking a place to hide. Irrelevant now. 33. If there are more upgrades in this place, they will be on the lower levels, those the Chozo did not have time to clean out before they died.

Investigating.

Log 4,388

I've discovered what finally stopped factory production of autoads. Beneath the main factory floor the coolant pipes have ruptured, leaving standing pools of water. Knowing Chozo technology, it is probably the cleanest water on the planet. May need to return if the suit's water reclamation filters reach capacity. They are rated for three weeks as a completely self-sustained system, but with only a vague idea of how long I've been here, and with no reliable way to know how long it will take to complete the mission, I may require a new source of water.

With the coolant pipes now mostly clear, I was able to fit through in morph ball and gain access to the lower levels beneath the heavy industrial equipment.

I also found another suit upgrade in what seems to have been the engineering department. Designation: High Jump Boots. Improved musculatory actuators in the armor's legs. Effects are self-explanatory.

Log 4,389

More evidence of violence. I found what appears to have been living quarters for factory workers converted into a barracks. The door was blown open by unknown means, though carbon scoring patterns are consistent with Chozo power-armor-produced missiles.

This raises many more questions. The Chozo were physically incapable of civil war. Culturally, philosophically, it would be anathema to them. And yet . . . the evidence mounts. Autrack's set to fire on Chozo energy signatures. Doors blown open with Chozo missiles. Even the Chozo warriors' unwillingness to go out and face the threat directly, they all point to a hostile Chozo force.

Yet contradictory evidence remains. The wallfire turrets at the upper temple were effective enough to allow an orderly evacuation, which would not be possible against Chozo power armor. The autoads manufactured here would be likewise as ineffective against Chozo as they would be against Metroids.

It is also disturbing that the evidence suggests this factory was evacuated of all civilians and run by a small military detachment, which converted the factory to produce a weapon, however environmentally friendly.

This was, effectively, a makeshift weapons factory. A Chozo weapons factory.

What could have driven them to this?

Log 4,390

Bits and pieces of power armor remain, but there are no bodies. Though in line with Chozo customs, it is very unlikely that they managed to return and bury their dead. No, the bodies were either removed, or consumed. Once again, the evidence is inconsistent with a hostile Chozo force, which would have reclaimed all power armor for reuse, and with the Metroids, which drain all life but have no interest in the resulting carcass. Even after decay, bones would remain.

There is something more down here.

Designation: X.

Chozo defenders appear to have been guarding a passage back towards some sort of control room.

Investigating.

Log 4,391

Just before the control room was another Alpha Metroid. 32. Beyond was the factory's control center, now totally dysfunctional. It also contained a Chozo statue, offering a weapon none of the warriors below had the opportunity to use in their defense.

Designation: Wave Beam. Like most Chozo technology, it is elegantly simple in design and function, but so far in advance of Federation technology as to be beyond understanding, much less duplicating. It emits huge bursts of energy invisible to the naked eye that propagate as a sine wave, ignoring intervening inanimate matter, like walls or even armor, and continuing until it encounters organic material, where it slows dramatically and dumps excess, usually lethal, energy. It is no surprise that such an awesome, terrible weapon was not a standard power armor feature, whose arm cannon they generally regarded as a self-defense weapon.

Though it can be used otherwise.

The Metroid's presence was, conceivably, to prevent the wave beam from being discovered and used. Further, if limited, evidence of at least pseudo-intelligence. The evidence remains . . . unconvincing.

I have cleared the factory, yet Metroid life signs readings remain strong. Returning to the cave.

Log 4,392

After considerable exploration, I found a small crevice tucked away near the very top of the cavern. Inside, a single Alpha Metroid hugged the innermost wall. 31.

Was it hiding from me?

Log 4,393

Beyond the factory ruins is a side tunnel that drops downwards dramatically. Metroid life signs are strong

Investigating.

Log 4,394

Encountered two Alpha Metroids. Both fled immediately, emitting audible tones. Primitive communication?

Pursuing.

[WARNING: Major power suit damage detected.]

[WARNING: Missile reserves low.]

Log 4,395

Threat assessment added.

Designation: Gamma Metroid. The Two Alpha's fled to a third Alpha which had encased itself in a molting husk. As I approached it tore itself free, though in response to my presence, the other two Alpha's, or their cries remains uncertain.

Significantly larger than Alphas, its small beak has expanded into a larger jaw. The two lower fangs are now large enough to be considered tusks, while the upper fang has become a curved horn. Armor plates are significantly expanded, covering more of the vulnerable membrane-wrapped core in its belly. The Alpha's stubby legs are likewise expanded into four, spike-tipped legs, though they remain too short to effectively maneuver on the ground. The Gamma Metroid struggles to remain airborne, even more powerful, and more ponderous, than the Alphas.

The gammas also possess a new attack, demonstrating instinctive control over some sort of internal bio-electrical reaction, somewhat similar to an electric eel. Emitted shocks do heavy damage to power armor systems. Like the Alphas, Gammas maintain their effective immunity to beam weapons, even the wave beam. Missiles remain the most effective option, though the hardened membrane requires up to ten missiles to crack.

The Alphas at first held back, then attempted to aid the Gamma. Once it fell, they again attempted to flee. In vain. 28 Metroids remain.

The computer is definitely damaged. This should be designated Beta Metroid. It is not allowing me to override the designation.

[WARNING: Power Armor levels critical.]

[WARNING: Missile reserves depleted.]

Log 4,396

There was another Gamma in a passage I bypassed earlier, with an Alpha hiding behind it. Ambushed me on the way out. I suspect it deliberately laid in wait, instead of helping the others, in the hope of catching me off guard. It rammed me off the edge, then tried to crush me beneath its weight. Without the Varia armor, it would have succeeded.

I am forced to this conclusion because as the Gamma died, the Metroid life signs in this area faded, and once more a tremor hit almost immediately thereafter. If the acid pools in the primary shaft have lowered again, my theory on the Metroid's control over and use of the acid as a defensive measure will be confirmed.

Heading back to the ruins to recharge. Can't risk fighting another Metroid without a high missile count.

26.

Log 4,397

Theory confirmed. They are, at least after a fashion, intelligent.

Mission priorities unchanged.

Descending.