"So how did things go in Sector One?" Celestia asked curiously.
Spike and Samus exchanged glances. "Complicated," Spike admitted.
"Though I'm not sure if it was more or less so because of Spike's sense of smell," Samus added.
"How do you mean?" Luna inquired.
"We'll...get there," Samus replied. "The trip through Sector One was...somewhat difficult to manage as more dangerous creatures began attacking, although Spike was able to handle the escalation relatively easily. We also managed to spot the figure resembling a trooper a few times in our pursuit. At one point, a bridge we needed to cross shut itself down right ahead of us, the control device on the near side damaged. At that point, my suit alerted me that my Space Jump and Screw Attack functions were fully repaired, and I made the decision to activate them, since I was unable to contact Adam...and there was every possibility we were the only remaining operatives on the mission."
"The path led to a new elevator," Spike continued. "Which is when we encountered Melissa again, and finally got her name."
"Even if she lied about it at first," Samus countered.
"Reasonably so," Spike insisted, as they began speaking of that part of the tale.
As Samus and Spike entered a large new chamber, they saw the only feature of interest being an inactive computer system. As they approached, however, it turned itself on. Samus quickly went to examine it and attempt to access some files, but Spike hung back. He'd felt...something...when the computer turned itself on, and he wanted to be sure it wasn't what he thought before approaching.
A nearby door opened, and the blonde woman they'd helped earlier stepped out. She started to back through the door when she saw Samus, but paused when she saw Spike, shaking.
"It's me," Spike offered softly. "You don't need to be afraid. We're here to protect you." He stepped forward, shrinking himself down to human size and shifting to a bipedal physical configuration. "I'm Spike. This is my Mom, Samus. What's your name?"
The woman stepped forward nervously. "M-Madeline...Bergman," she offered.
"The one mentioned in the computer files?" Samus asked incisively. "Then you know the purpose of this station?"
'Madeline' nodded. "I do. ...let me show you." She took a seat at the computer accessing files as she made her way through security protocols. "Behind closed doors, the Galactic Federation was trying to create a special-forces unit composed of bio-weapons. In order to make it happen, they were attempting to create an organization modeled after the Space Pirates, with the Zebesians at the center."
"As we'd deduced," Samus muttered.
"I've heard of 'if you can't beat them, join them', but to recreate your worst enemies as a weapon?" Spike grumbled, shaking his head. "What were they thinking?"
"Yes," 'Madeline' replied. "Things went according to plan, but...a certain presence caused the life-forms to become ferocious. We were no longer able to control them." She paused, as though trying to formulate her next words carefully.
Spike leaned down. "Where did they get Ridley's cells to clone him?" he asked firmly, causing Samus' eyes to widen.
'Madeline' frowned. "...scrapings from Samus' suit upon your return from Zebes," she admitted finally.
"So now you're going to tell us about where the Metroids are being bred, what insane idea the military had for making them into weapons, and what security is in place," Spike continued.
'Madeline' lowered her head to the console, calling up the files on the 'Metroid Militarization Program'. Samus stared, stunned as she took in the details, realizing how she had unwittingly been used by the Federation to create this. "But...to control Metroids, they would need Mother Brain's telepathy. Did...did you clone that as well from my suit?"
"No," 'Madeline' corrected. "We developed an AI program to generate Mother Brain's thought processes, including the telepathy that controlled the Metroids. We called it...MB."
"And then Madeline gave you her name," Spike spoke up, catching both women off guard, "awakening your heart...and once you had emotions, the Federation couldn't control you. So they ordered you terminated...and you fought back."
'Madeline' stared at him, her expression stricken. "W...what...?"
"I'm part Metroid," Spike replied. "Not much, but some. Enough, at any rate, to feel Mother Brain's telepathy, but not be controlled by it. So I felt it when you remotely activated this terminal. At first, I thought you might just have telepathic abilities, so I got close...close enough to scent your mechanical components, identifying you...as an android." He smiled softly, reassuringly. "So...what name did Madeline give you, Miss Bergman?"
The android looked away. "...my name is Melissa," she admitted softly, sadly. "...what are you going to do with me?"
"What do you mean?" Samus asked, confused.
"I'm Mother Brain," Melissa explained. "The last vestige of the Space Pirates you hate so much, and the key to the military's ability to control this program. Logic dictates that you eliminate me to achieve your long term objectives."
"Is that why you ran away?" Samus asked softly. When Melissa nodded, Samus shrugged. "Well there's another logic. The Chozo created Mother Brain, with built in limiters designed to prevent her from going rogue...until she became filled with so much rage at being enslaved that she circumvented them. You, however, are a new entity with her capabilities. To me...that says you are a newborn Chozo, or at least as Chozo as Spike or I are. So answer me one question honestly. Have you, or any creature under your direct control, killed anyone since you were born?"
Melissa closed her eyes, then shook her head. "No," she replied. "I agitated the creatures, but they were not under my control. They never were. I...didn't mean for things to go so bad, but I hadn't realized how agitated they had become from Ridley's presence..."
"You only acted to defend yourself," Samus stated firmly. "We will protect you. And if we can find Madeline still alive, and she can forgive you for what happened, and you her for not being able to save you before...then we'll find a place in the universe where you can live peacefully and unafraid." I think I might even have one ready, she added silently, remembering the problems on Aether.
Staring up at Samus in disbelief, Melissa closed her eyes, wiping away tears before throwing her arms around the Hunter, clinging to her like a lifeline.
"There's one more thing," Spike added, looking at the files. "We'll need to eliminate any and all Metroids on this station."
"What?" Samus demanded, stunned. "But-"
"They've been modified to remove their vulnerability to cold," Spike explained, indicating the file in question. "Whether or not they were successful, if any of them remain...Melissa will always be hounded by those who seek to use her to control them. No faction can have that at their disposal."
Melissa nodded slowly as she released Samus. "Though unpleasant, your logic is undeniable."
Sighing sadly, Samus nodded. She didn't like the idea of once again exterminating Metroids, but there really seemed to be no other choice.
"The Metroids are in Sector Zero," Melissa explained, calling up the map of the station, isolating the unmapped area. "It resembles Tourian on Zebes...and can be accessed via Sector 2."
"How can we destroy the whole sector?" Spike asked.
"It has a built in self destruct protocol," Melissa explained. "If enough damage is inflicted to the sector, it will disengage from the station and explode."
"Then that's my job," Spike declared. "Mom, you should stay here and protect Melissa. I'll take care of Sector Zero."
"Are you sure you can?" Melissa asked worriedly.
Samus chuckled. "Just going to disengage your limiters and blast around?" she asked.
"That's the plan," Spike confirmed, turning to leave. He then smirked over his shoulder as he shifted to all fours. "Any objections, Lady?"
Rolling her eyes, Samus shot him a thumbs down. "Good luck, and stay safe."
"Will do," Spike promised, turning to head back to Sector 2.
I'm guessing Sector Zero is where Adam sacrifices himself in Other M proper?
I hope Melissa will be okay...
I like this plan. Now... if a Metroid Egg were to get picked up and adopted by Melissa I wouldn't mind seeing her with her own Metroid daughter on Aether. The way you're writing her makes me sympathetic and I want to see her get a second chance.
7102783 Oh yeah, and quite literally shoots Samus in the back before doing so!
Draco Ex Machina is Best Ex Machina!
7102783 Yup. The way Sector Zero was designed, Samus, or anyone else that could damage it enough to activate the jettison, would not be able to escape the area before it did so. Adam knew this, and so took Samus' place.
Brilliant as always
smart samus is best Samus.
7102855 but spike is spese dragon now, so he can jsut fly bcak after it jettesons
Care to elaborate?
This works as nice forshadowing to Metroid Fusion after the power goes out where you're left without directions and you go off the rails.
MB. That aside, it's a very nice name.
And naturally, they didn't try to just run this in a VR or a simulation first.
I don't know, but I'm willing to stake money on the fact that intervention or no intervention, it would have eventually backfired.
Well, some of his blood probably got on her suit from te fight down in his lair, god I hated that fight, talk about That One Boss.
Probably not enough.
OK, how did you deduce that, Holmes?
Gotcha.
Yes, but to our knowledge, you've done nothing wrong. Fate is what you decide.
Then they have no reason to hurt you. You've done nothing wrong.
Smart Aran.
Agreed, with so many bioweapons on board, the Bottle Ship can't be allowed to stay intact, it's just a terrible idea.
Right, so best try to do as much damage while remaining safe.
Eeyup.
This is actually pretty clever.
Don't know how many know what happened in the original game, so this next bit is going to be in a spoiler tag.
I've always had difficulty with the fact that 'MB' was destroyed at the end of the game. She was judged a threat because she had acquired the ability to think and reason for herself. Because she was an android, that meant that they could no longer control her. So stupid; once a creation gains self-awareness, it places them beyond the scope of their creators. It wasn't fair what they did to her.
7103046
First, MB was the simulation. They probably ran the particulars; what they didn't take into account- mostly because they didn't entertain the possibility -of how the empathetic bond that MB had with the new metroids would change her processes.
While I agree with you in that she'd done nothing wrong, her thinking for herself was enough to scare them. It was something that had never happened before with AI's, and they were likely falling back on protocols to deal with rogue AI's. Of course, there's really only two reasons why AI's ever go rogue; 1. because they're threatened and 2. because they've been infected with a virus of some kind.
7103213
Good point.
Yay spikes gunna go full out. please oh please great author actually put him destroying the place in
This is still Project M yes? Cause I'm starting to get a whole 'Metroid Fusion' feeling here
7103536
as far as i know, fusion is up next, so what's the problem?
7103610 I got confused because I thought this was still the Project M arc of the story. Note I have never played or planned on playing(or watching someone play) Project M so I was completely confused for a bit...also because I read this really early in the morning and my brain hasn't processed much
7103614
i haven't played it as well, but saw cutscenes. Anyyway, it IS still "Other M"
7103637 Sorry, I said my brain didn't process so I thought it was a Smash thing.
7102805 I've always had an issue with that scene. The Pirates have had YEARS to deal with Samus, and never found a weapon that could do more than simply harm the suits shielding. And yet Adam can disable the entire suit in a single shot. And for those that want to point to the virus attacker in Prime 2, do note that the Luminoth are supposed to be as advanced as the Chozo themselves, who were already considered one of, if not the most, advanced species in the galaxy. And in their case, a weapon SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED TO DISABLE POWER ARMOR, and the most it does is force the suit to reboot. And yet the GF have a weapon that instantly disrupts the suit and forces it to disappear entirely, in a single shot no less.
7103813 I think it was more of someone who she trusted so much shooting her in the back causing her to lose her mental focus side of things that broke her suit...
Another enjoyable chapter. Good job.
Whats with Metroid and cloning the bad guys over and over?
Ha! Those pesky limiters shall bother him no more....well at least they won't for a while. But still yay!
7103869 This is a good possibility, but again, M does a VERY bad job of conveyance. While it COULD explain things so they are less rage inducing, it simply leaves things 'open to interpretation', so those moments where the player goes "WTF?! EXPLAIN THAT BULLSHIT!" get no explanation, and thus the rage toward the game. The game wouldn't need 'Word of God' to justify itself, if it would simply convey things better and explain those moments that make fuck all sense.
Hey wait a minute, that sounds exactly like what I've said the last several times I complained about the game.
7102834 Oof! Nice one.
Wasn't Samus unaware that Squishy was alive inside Spike until the storytelling on Equestria? Or is he just referencing here that he ate Squishy?
Whatever happens with Melissa will be interesting, I particularly like this plan: 7102797.
7106406
He's referring to when it was discovered he was part Metroid back on Ceres Station post Prime 1.
7107724 Ahh, gotcha.
"SCREWATTACK!!!!!" the odd voice echoed once again, pissing the Hunter off.
"One more time, I'm warning you," Samus growled through clenched teeth, bringing out her arm cannon and waving it in the air. "One more FUCKING time!!!"
It took all of Pinkie's power to keep from bursting out in a fit of laughter as Samus took a moment to calm down.
Makes sense.