Author's Note
This chapter was, in all honesty, started with the intention of it being the last chapter. But then I got to wondering, and realized that if I just up and left it there, I feel like all that buildup would've gone to waste. So I've decided to continue forward from here, and I hope everyone enjoys this story going forward.
I guess you can say that we're onto act 2?
Uploaded
02/14/2024
LEGEND BELOW
"Chief, that's not a good idea..." = Normal speech.
''You're you, don't let it control you...'' = Normal thoughts/Receiving coms.
Chapter 38
The end of act 1/The beginning of act 2
Rated-M
M rating for blood, and language, and violence.
Music of the day
Metroid Prime 3 Corruption - Skytown
"I come before the council today with grave news. The Bounty Hunter known as Samus Aran, is dead." The words echoed throughout the Federation Council chambers like a bomb, blowing all away with the force of the reality they had been posed with.
"How can this be…?"
"I-Impossible!"
"No… This cannot be happening…"
"She was our last bastion… What now?"
"This is terrible…"
The sentiment was shared amongst all those in the council, a sense of dread befalling them all. All those within attendance were responsible for ordering the secret mission to track her down, to learn of this horrific tragedy was soul shattering.
"Are you sure…? What proof do you have of this claim?" It was the coarse voice of one Council chairman Dane, previously Admiral Dane, that spoke up. "She has survived terrible fates before, what has changed this time?" He questioned seriously.
Exeter, the one responsible for bringing the news of her demise remained stoically calm in the face of his question. "Upon arriving at ZDR, we had come to the realization that the entire planet has been destroyed. The only thing that remained was an asteroid field in its place." He explained slowly, bringing up the spacial data of the mission. He transferred it to their pda's for personal analysis.
"And Samus?" Another council member asked.
Exeter shook his head. "Our tracking becon took us to what remained of her ship. Apparently she had attempted to engage her slip space engines in the middle of the explosion. Whatever happened afterwards is unknown, for the front half of her ship is missing entirely. All we were able to salvage was the rear end containing the blackbox."
Following his explanation, he transferred the blackbox data to their records for further analysis. Upon reviewing the last entry, it displayed a strangely Metroid looking Samus entering her ship, engaging the engines, before an explosion engulfed the camera and her entirely, ending the recording.
All biological tracking systems immediately failed, and the ship powered down immediately after.
It was without a doubt, a video displaying Samus Aran's last moments in this universe.
And it was shocking to see firsthand.
A stony silence fell over the Galactic Federation council, the gravity of the situation weighing heavily upon all of their shoulders. It had been their orders that she was sent to ZDR in the first place, and so, they were in some part responsible. They seemed to understand this well, for their next decision was reached immediately.
"Samus Aran is to be designated missing in action."
Although separated from the Federation entirely, and technically only a woman for hire, Samus Aran would be remembered in all of Galactic Federation space as a hero. She would be celebrated for her actions, and placed down in the history books as the single most important figure in their collective history up to that point.
Responsible for not only bringing an end to multiple Space Pirate armies, ending every single plot they had created; she was the one that had brought an end to a parasite that could've brought the galaxy to its knees. Without her intervention on a multitude of missions, peace would have never been an option, and for that she was to be remembered as a Hero.
The Federation council knew this fact all too well.
It was why they were so grieved to hear of her fate…
Exeter, pleased with the outcome of his news, left the council chambers behind…
He had done his task well, he only hoped that this was the outcome Samus had wanted in the end. Stepping outside of the chambers, finding himself on the outer halls of the Federation HQ, he found his gaze drawn skyward out the grand viewing window. Gaze getting lost in the heavens above, he couldn't help but wonder where Samus was now.
Either way, he hoped that she was happy. After everything that she'd been through, he felt like she deserved it.
"Take care, Samus…" He murmured underneath his breath, shoulders slumping lightly. "Maybe we'll tread the same path again some day…"
"Wake up, Samus. We've arrived…"
She awoke to the sound of Adam's voice, slowly stirred from her long uninterrupted sleep. She blinked, eyes slowly widening as she took in the view beyond the cockpit. Her breath left her as she took in the golden world before her very eyes, appearing to be a carbon copy of the very birthplace of the Metroids.
SR-388.
For a long moment she felt like she was still dreaming, but there was certainly no mistaking what she was looking at. She knew she shouldn't be surprised, yet she couldn't help herself. After having personally destroyed it in her own dimension, seeing another one felt surreal.
But still, she had to be sure.
"Adam, check for hospitable atmosphere, shifts in planetary crust below the mountains, the presence of-" Samus asked, but he cut her off.
"Acid below the surface levels?" He asked knowingly. "It is all there, I have already done scans of the planet. It contains the same beta and gamma radiation needed for healthy Metroid propagation, as well as the asteroid field protecting it from outside interstellar objects. For all intents and purposes, it is the same as before."
She stared out beyond the horizon of space, sensing an odd feeling of longing.
Her children had stirred awake beside her, all moving to see what it was she was looking at. Upon seeing the golden planet below, they became eager to explore it.
"Mother, is this…?" Zeta questioned quietly, prodding at her mother's bare thigh.
Samus smiled down at the creature, at her child. She reached out, placing her hand on the crown of her Metroid. "That's right." She hummed softly, turning her attention back to the planet beyond her. "We're home." She murmured lightly, slowly pulling her hand back.
"Adam…?" She called out, gaze tightening slightly.
"Yes, my Lady?" He responded loyally.
"Take us in. Get me somewhere spacious, warm too." She ordered, moving to stand from her command chair.
"Understood. Beginning landing sequences now." His voice faded into the background as she moved towards the rear of the ship, her body beginning to glow a bright white.
In the matter of moments, she was again adorned in her Ultimate Power-Suit, the Metroid-like look to it easily identifying her as the Queen of the species. She flexed her claws, cracking her neck lightly as she prepared to disembark from her ship.
Her tail unfurled from where it had been wrapped around her body, lightly dragging across the floor before the spearhead tip came to rest behind her. Her wings stretched out wide, ready to carry her through the skies of a brand new, yet familiar world.
The ship shook as they descended into atmosphere, before it leveled out.
The floor shook beneath her as the bay doors slid open, revealing a golden colored world all for her.
Mountains dotted the horizon, covered in an ocean of flowing grass that when combined with the strange atmospheric conditions and the planet's location relative its nearest star caused the surface to appear in a soft golden color, almost akin to fields of wheat.
The ship flew over a mountain, a gargantuan forest of purple and blue trees just on the other side.
Her eyes widened silently as she took it all in, a planet so majestic, so similar to the one from her own dimension. The only difference this time around was that it was free from the scars of a war, the world untouched by ships or machines of destruction.
Not even a single temple lined the surface, no hint of Chozo interference anywhere to be seen.
It was, for all intents and purposes, a perfect version of SR-388, untouched by otherworldly forces.
And it was beautiful.
Adam directed her ship to land on a plateau wide enough to rest the ship upon with more than adequate space.
The suspension system hissed as the vessel pressed into the ground, the first manmade object to even touch the world.
She stepped forward, taking her first steps out into the world.
Her world.
The grass gently curled over her green plated boots, as if it in and of itself was sentient.
She bent down to her knees, reaching a claw out to touch the living plant life. The grass recoiled momentarily, before slowly wrapping itself around her green plated digits.
She stared, awestruck by the life found before her.
The grass held her for a long moment, before eventually receding, returning to what it had been doing before she had landed.
Basking in the light of the sun.
She breathed a sound of surprise, slowly standing back up to her full height. Her children all curiously disembarked from the ship behind her, coming to stand beside her.
The living grass parted ways, disappearing into the dirt beneath them as if making way for the much larger creatures.
She found her footsteps guided by the living grass, directing her towards the cliff edge. She found no reason to no go along with it, and found herself standing atop her new world.
It was breathtaking, stretching on for thousands of miles in each direction, a plethora of differing flora and fauna in every direction.
This time around, there was no Space Pirates, no Covenant, no Forerunners, no Humans, Galactic Federation, no war.
Nothing…
Just her, her children, her starship, and her planet.
She wouldn't have it any other way.
She slid down until she was sitting on the very edge, legs dangling over a thousand foot drop. Directly below her was a green tinted ocean that trailed on for hundreds of miles, the teal colored waves that crashed against the crags below repeating in a gentle, natural rhythm.
She could see the fins of what had to have been giant Serris swimming about the depths of the seas, unhindered by the X parasites. Unlike the demon spawn she'd faced aboard the B.S.L., these creatures were not wreaking havoc and destruction, but seemed to live in peace within the seas. A trio of smaller, younger Serris trailed behind the first, children following their mother.
Rolling across the fields of grass and mountainous hills in the other direction, she saw what must have been a pack of Arachnus. Like her morph-ball, they curled into orbs before rolling throughout the land at high speeds, only stopping to inspect their surroundings.
Then, she made out what appeared to be a flock of Shriekbats, hanging from the highest branches of gargantuan trees that towered over the rest of the entire world.
Staring at the cacophony of familiar creatures before her, she found her kind drawn to the potential existence of other creatures from her universe.
If all these creatures still existed in some manner or form here, could the Space Pirates exist as well?
It hadn't been something she'd dwelled on, or even given a second thought before now. Her mind had been so occupied with helping the Master Chief, stopping the Didact and the war against the Covenant.
The UNSC had never spoken of any sort of Space Pirate menace, so she'd out-ruled the idea that they too could be members of this universe.
And if they were…
If Space Pirates existed here too…
Then where had they gone? It wasn't something that she found herself stressing over then, but, she couldn't help her curiosity. If they existed in this universe, they were sure to eventually follow into the same role that they took in her own. Evolving into an intergalactic menace that would stop at nothing in search of power.
Thinking about it now, the only time she could ever remember the Space Pirates ever being collected under one singular rule was under the control of her Phazon clone.
She wondered if her dark twin had the right idea in the end. The Space Pirates, if left unchecked, will allow their lust for power and control to fester until they've devolved into heartless monsters of science and war.
But…
If they all bent to the will of one ruler…?
She could potentially prevent that future from ever occurring.
She sighed, shaking her head. Never in a million years had she considered the idea of taking up the role of intergalactic overlord. But, in a sick sense of irony, it would be quite amusing to see what had once been her greatest enemy serving her every beck and call.
Her time as the protector of the galaxy had come and gone, and she'd left her home dimension in a state of peace and prosperity. It was in a state that she could entrust its continued safety to those she trusted there. It didn't need her anymore.
And…
Perhaps it was time to take up a new role?
This universe seemed to be in a state of war with itself, yet that war had seemingly dwindled before she'd ever arrived in it.
Perhaps, instead of taking up the role of galactic protector, she would dawn the role of ruler?
Space Pirates, despite their wits and their minds, were primal beasts that lived in matriarchal societies. If she proved that she was worthy of their eternal loyalty, that would be the end of it.
She blew out a sigh, shoulders slumping in exhaustion. There was so much to do, a new civilization to start, a world for her to truly make into her own.
But for now…?
All she wanted to do was sit back, and watch the world around her. It was something she almost never had the chance to experience before, and she was going to take her time now.
Because, if she was honest with herself, all she had was time.
And there was so much of it.
Metroids were not effected by age the same way humanity was. She placed a claw on her belly, feeling the ghostly pangs of life within her body. This time around, she didn't even need the x-ray visor to confirm it. She was pregnant again.
If anything, it only made her long for him to be by her side that much more.
"John… I wonder… Will you still be here…? Hundreds of years from now?" The words slipped past her lips unconsciously, her gaze settling on the endless ocean set before her. It was only when the tears clouding her vision became noticeable that she realized she'd been crying.
He stared listlessly down into the golden image of himself, momentarily finding himself lost in thought, before the shaking of the world around him brought him back to the present. Heaving a hefty sigh, he spun the helmet around, the familiar green painting his new, unscarred armor.
Within a moment, it was back on his head, the familiar space of his Mjolnir bringing with it both a sense of comfort and familiarity. Nothing felt right with it off anymore, not now.
Lost within the rebooting process of his suit systems, he almost didn't even hear her speak up.
"Something on your mind, Chief?"
He debated avoiding the subject, but thought better than to try and hide anything from the blue woman that called the inner chamber of his mind her home. So he settled for setting the matter aside for the time being. "It's nothing, Cortana." He murmured, his gruff voice reverting gently off of the interior of his helmet.
"Don't play that game with me…" She sighed, crossing her arms as he attempted to avoid the subject once again.
The Spartan didn't say anything, spacing out once more. He turned to stare at the man working the armor bay, the soldier giving him a thumbs up in affirmation. He nodded, stepping down from the platform as he began to make his way out from the Infinity's Spartan armory.
"You miss her." Cortana finally stated, deciding that enough was enough with the silence. He didn't flinch, but the sigh that followed was enough of a giveaway.
"I'm bound by duty. I don't have time to hunt her down for something as frivolous as seeing her again." He responded firmly, eyes staring holes into the wall of an elevator system.
She smirked. "You didn't say no." She pointed out.
He wanted to role his eyes, but felt the action beneath him.
It would only egg her on if he did, but seeing as she could read his every thought, she already knew that.
"It's been six months since she left. No one has seen or heard from her since." He muttered, feet propelling him forward as the elevator slowed to a stop, giant doors opening.
"Well you know she's not dead." She pointed out. "She's just… Out there somewhere."
True to her words, he'd begun to experience a strange phenomenon ever since she first brought him back to life. It was subtle, no mutation or anything of the like.
It was, for all intents and purposes, psychic in nature. He'd never really the chance to experiment with it, and hadn't noticed till she was gone, but…
He could sense her, just like how she explained that her children could sense her and communicate with her via their minds, he felt that connection too.
But, once she disappeared into slip space, that connection was weakened.
Despite the great vastness of space between him and her, millions of billions of light years perhaps, he could still feel her.
He was sure command would call him crazy if he told them, so he'd kept the ability to himself. That said, his ability was to sense her was not strong enough to communicate with her. Or, that's what he assumed.
In the six months since she left, he'd not once really tried to communicate with her. She was so far off the grid that conventional communication systems couldn't reach her where she lived, far outside of both UNSC and even Covenant space.
He wasn't sure how to do it either, if he could at all. But when he closed his eyes, and thought of her, he could see her. Those ghostly red eyes staring right through him, as if not looking at him at all. Occasionally he felt as if they looked at him, but he was sure he was imagining it.
Now though?
He wondered if it was wise to give it another shot.
"Chief. There you are, was worried you wouldn't show up to the party." A sassy voice pulled him from his thoughts, his eye gazing down to find himself standing before Commander Palmer.
"Commander Palmer." He greeted blankly.
She rolled her eyes. "Come on, enough with that formal jargon. You're making me feel old." She sighed, rolling her eyes. "Come on, Lasky wants us in landing bay four. Got some rookies coming in that he wants you to meet." She explained, motioning towards the landing bay. "Well, one's seen his fair share, the others are still wet behind the ears." She felt the need to add.
"What is the mission parameters, Palmer?" He asked, falling into step beside her. His armor echoed thunderously compared to her soft, more gentle footsteps seeing as he was the only on in armor. "Commander Lasky told me we are returning to Requiem, but he seemed shaky on the details." He added after a moment.
"The Infinity's objective, which although we deviated to fight that Forerunner freak, is still to study Forerunner artifacts like the Halo rings for final decommission. We've got bases set up on three other Halo's, but because of the importance of Requiem, command is sending us to oversee its operation's." She explained lengthily.
"I see. And the reason the entire contingent of Spartan IV's are being sent at the same time?" He asked lowly, noticing the heavy force command seemed willing to throw around.
Palmer frowned. "Covenant remnants have decided to make Requiem their home. And with the potential of what that planet contains within, well, let's just say that they aren't pulling their punches anymore." She smirked, giving him an intense look. "Besides, now you have an excuse to break in that new suit."
A handful of pelicans were seen pulling in, landing gear flaring out to support them as they hit the ground. Not a few moments after they landed the bay door opened, squads of unarmored Spartans taking their first steps into the Infinity.
She grinned at the hotshot that stepped out, the man sending a confident smirk her way. "I'll handle the introductions. You just stand there and look pretty." She added.
"He is really good at doing that." Cortana added, eliciting a playful smirk from the Commander.
The Spartan in question shook his head, finding out that Cortana got along well with the Spartan commander was a realization he'd not been prepared for when it originally happened.
"He's going to be a casualty." He pointed out dryly.
Cortana sighed. "Let her have some fun. Don't lie and tell me you don't think it's going to be funny." She raised an eyebrow at him.
He cracked a little, yet equally genuine smirk.
She grinned. "That's what I thought." She added triumphantly.
Palmer approached the young soldier, the man wearing his most cocksure grin possible. Laying on the charms, he greeted her. "Hi there." He intoned, the pretty boy attitude surely enough to have any girl at the pub at his beck and call.
Unfortunately for him, reality wasn't a kind mistress, and she wasn't happy with him. Hitting on a woman like Palmer had only two outcomes.
She either makes you regret every life decision you've made up until that point, or you find yourself in her bed pinned beneath her.
For the green armored Spartan, he'd only ever heard of two outcomes, and most of the time, it's the first one. He pitied the man…
"Why, hello. Spartan…?" Palmer returned his introduction, pretending to be the pretty air-headed soldier she was great at playing.
It worked wonders on the man, something that his allies seemed to pick up on too late to save him from embarrassment. "Paul DeMarco. I lead Fireteam Majestic." The man in question properly introduced, radiating that confident energy that was soon to be his downfall.
And Palmer played right into it, slowly stepping into his personal space. "Wow. A whole fireteam, huh…?" She pretended to be stunned.
He flushed underneath her close proximity, her breath tickling his chin. "I didn't… catch your name?" He said, losing some of that confidence.
She grinned. "Sarah Palmer. Commander, Sarah Palmer. I lead all fireteams aboard Infinity." The teasing was suddenly dropped with a speed that gave the man whiplash.
Paul stumbled backwards, throwing his hand up in a salute. "Fireteam Majesty, Commander on deck!"
The rest of the Spartans fell into salute alongside him, yet some failed to hide their amusement.
Palmer frowned, putting on her toughest commander look, before turning away. "At ease Spartans. Follow me, S-Deck is this way." She stated, turning to walk away. "This here is Master Chief Petty Officer John 117. He'll be your guide once we've got boots on the ground." She added last minute, motioning towards the seven foot two murder machine in green.
He blinked.
"I don't remember signing up to a daycare." He muttered, turning a pointed glare towards the brunette.
Palmer tossed him a grin over her shoulder. "What? You're telling me that it's too much for you to handle? You handled Samus, is taking care of a couple newbies too much of an ask?" She teased.
"I think Samus handled him, if I'm being honest…" Cortana mused aloud.
He frowned. "You aren't helping…" He sighed, shaking his head.
Palmer snorted, seeing the green man arguing with the voice in his head was the funniest thing she'd seen all day. She had to wonder how much the crazy alien woman had changed him from the man he used to be. Seeing him like this now, he barely resembled his file's description at all.
"Spartan Edward Buck, pleasure to meet you sir!"
"Likewise." Chief muttered, nodding to the other man, before moving to keep pace with the brunette.
"I think he likes me." Buck muttered to himself, an amused expression plastered over his face.
Chapter
38
End