Metroid: Mission Alpha

Episode 41: Seeking Alpha

Samus and Alpha had been spending time at HQ when they learned of some good news-Eta would soon have two babies. However, Master Silhouite had also been found causing trouble in the building. Everyone kept a close lookout, but no more signs of the villain were detected. Another week passed, and all went peacefully for a while.

Early one morning, before the sun had even risen, Alpha woke and jumped out of bed with excitement. He licked Samus's cheek to gently wake her up; she yawned and looked at him. "Alpha, what is it?" she asked. Alpha jumped up and down making excited vocals in response. Samus wasn't sure what he was up to but she did know he was not going back to sleep.

Samus got up and, once Alpha and she were ready for the day, left the Gunship and went to HQ with him. Michael and Eta were also just beginning their day. "Good morning!" Michael said, and Alpha and Eta licked one another's cheeks in greeting.

"Good morning," Samus replied, "Any news on Master Silhouite?"

"Master Greblai and he have stayed on Lavolca since the surprise visit last week. I just hope he doesn't come back."

Suddenly, rain began to fall heavily against the HQ's walls. Thunder rumbled loudly and lightning flashed brightly outside. Everyone turned toward the window; Eta ran over to it and watched the storm with a whimper. "Don't worry, Eta. It's just a downpour." Samus walked over to her and petted her head. But then when she turned around, she did not see Alpha anywhere. "Where's Alpha?"

Michael looked around but saw no trace of the male Snacanid. "I'll check my map of the building," he said. But the map showed that Alpha was not in HQ. "He's left the building. I guess in our excitement we didn't notice. My map should tell me where he's gone to outside-"

At that moment, there was a loud clap of thunder and the room went dark. "The power's out," Michael sighed, "We'll have to get it back on. But now how will we find Alpha with the computers out?"

"His Thunder ability will protect him from the lightning," Samus remarked, "but it won't protect him from Master Silhouite if he comes back. For that reason it wouldn't be safe for Eta to search for him either. It would be too dangerous for you or I to go out in this weather without our suits. I'll have to look for Alpha once the storm settles down."

Thankfully, the storm was brief and soon Samus was able to head outside to begin her search. Though the rain had stopped, the sky was still dark and thick clouds hung in the air. Samus kept her Paralyzer at a full charge to provide a small amount of light.

Samus first came to a large field past where her Gunship was landed. The thick grass of the field was still moist from the rainfall and sparkled faintly when light shone on it. Once her eyes had adjusted to the darkness completely, Samus could make out the shapes of the trees scattered around the area. She walked through the grass carefully, shining what light she had around to help her navigate.

"Alpha!" Samus called out, but there was no answer, only the stillness of the early morning. Somehow, it felt to the lone adventurer as if everything around her was frozen in time. Not a single movement other than hers could be detected; even the wind sat still and silent.

Samus came to a tall tree atop a hill. Knowing it could possibly lend her a better view of the surroundings, she decided to ascend it. Branch by branch she went, vaulting up the tree until she was standing on the top branch. She stood high above the ground with a view of the vast landscape ahead. Spotting a tunnel close by among the scenery, she decided to check there next. So Samus latched her Paralyzer's beam onto a lower branch and used it to swing down, landing safely on the ground. Then she moved on toward the broad tunnel.

The bounty hunter entered the tunnel, finding that it had the appearance of a cave and was very dark inside. She called Alpha's name again and heard a shuffling sound. It didn't sound like her Snacanid friend, so she quieted, stood still, and listened. Nothing.

Samus became aware of a shadowy figure moving by, and her heart jumped. Was it Master Silhouite? She shone a light on the shadow to discover that it was much too small to be Master Silhouite. Two tiny yellow eyes peered out from the darkness, and then their owner scampered away. It was only a native creature living in the tunnel.

Lowering her guard a bit, Samus continued through the rest of the tunnel, finding nothing else unusual there. When she returned outside upon coming to the tunnel's exit, she found that the sun had begun to rise and the clouds were clearing. Now that some light was provided, even if it was not much just yet, it was easier for the traveler to explore.

Samus passed through another small plain before arriving at a vast region covered with colorful flowers. The dew on the grass glittered in the gradually increasing sunlight. The breeze began to blow gently, causing the abundant flowers to sway slightly in an array of all the colors of the rainbow. It was such a beautiful display, if only Alpha was there to see it too…

"Alpha!" Samus called out once more. Her voice echoed a bit throughout the air, but no other response came. Her heart sank. Where could Alpha have gone to? It wasn't like him to run away, but he seemed to have gone far without notice. He must have had some reason to leave secretly like this, Samus knew.

At that moment a familiar yipping rang out from among the flowers, and in the now bright sunrise Alpha came into view. He bounded eagerly in Samus's direction until he had made a leap into her embrace, his tail wagging rapidly. "There you are!" she said, "We were worried about you! Where were you?"

Alpha pointed his tail forward, showing his friend that he was holding five colorful flowers in his tail. "You wanted to pick some flowers from this field?" Alpha nodded, then took a red flower from his tail in his teeth and gave it to her. "You wanted to give those flowers to your friends?" Alpha nodded again with a big smile on his face. "They're beautiful!" Samus replied, "Thank you, Alpha!" She petted his head.

When Samus and Alpha arrived at HQ again, the power was back on, the sun risen, and the sky clear. Everyone was glad to see that Samus had safely found Alpha, and they loved the flowers the Snacanid gave them. He gave a white flower to Michael, a pink one to Eta, a yellow one to Tim, and a purple one to Carol. The kind gesture filled the rooms with joy and a pleasant scent.

Soon, however, Michael discovered a distress signal on his computer. "There's an unusual energy reading on Lavolca," he said, "Master Greblai and Master Silhouite have been quiet for too long. I bet they're up to something now. Samus, Alpha, your next mission is to go to Lavolca and see what they're doing."

"Will do," Samus answered. So Alpha and she went back to the Gunship, where she placed her new flower in a vase and prepared for the flight. "Time to go back to our work," she said as her ship lifted off. There was no telling what the heroic pair would find on their next mission, but they would never give up as long as the Snacanids were at stake.

(Original story from April 2018)

We're getting close to the climax now! Are you ready? ;)