Metroid: Disaster(M)

Disaster takes place within the Metroid universe, but completely outside the continuity of the Metroid games. As such, expect many things from the universe to appear, but expect no references to any actual events, except where they are recreated for the purposes of this story.

This story will serve to jointly tell Samus's origin story and that of Adam Malkovich and several of the Hunters from Metroid Prime: Hunters for the DS. It is a story of self-discovery and of loss. People will grow, learn things, and adapt. Others will decline, give up, and die. Primarily, however, this is a story of right and wrong, examining the merits of war, of religion, and even of science. It is my hope that you, dear readers, will learn something of the world as you immerse yourselves in this tale.

It is also my hope that you enjoy it. Without further digression, I present my Metroid story: Disaster-

Metroid: Disaster
By Lexxi Aileron
All Rights Reserved by Nintendo

Chapter 1- Guinea Pig

The illumination from the lab monitors cast a glare across the lenses of lab goggles and stirred their wearer from his reverie. He and ten others had been sitting in the research trial room staring at workstation screens for nearly eighteen hours and dearly wished for sleep, and often came near to embracing it as they sat amidst the soothing hums and dim blue glow of the computers. Until their division finished the day’s experiments, however, there could be no rest, no pause to their labouring.

Adam Malkovich rose to the helm, as scruffy and drowsy as the rest, yet interminably bound by determination. “All right, ladies and gentlemen,” he said to his teammates, seated in rows to his right and left. “Let us witness the fruits of our labours, shall we? Begin the preparations.”

“Yes, sir,” his fellow techs replied in unison, flipping switches and pressing keys in order to begin the setup process.

He returned to his chair, ran a finger through his long black hair, and activated his own terminal in order to monitor his colleagues’ progress.

To his left sat Asia Pakulski, his fiancée, looking remarkably stunning considering her lack of sleep the last few weeks. The two of them had met on his initial day as a chemical tech for B.S.L. and hit it off almost immediately—in other words they became carnally familiar with one another within the first two hours. He found her positively enthralling to be around, as she had a sharper wit than a Zoomer’s spines. When the day’s madness was finally over he planned to spend a considerable amount of “quality time” exploring the female anatomy—hers was far fairer than that of a bunch of Enoemae, to be sure, and more pleasurable by leaps and bounds to boot.

She smiled at him genially and Adam sent her one of his own before returning his gaze to his workstation. God, I’m a lucky man.

He watched the holoscreen directly facing him as the test subjects descended into the cryogenic solution tanks, only gradually so as not to completely disable the subject’s metabolic processes. Cryo-sedation was a delicate procedure that required the best of timing in order to ensure that the target did not suffer tissue or structural damage during freezing. One error could compromise an organism’s entire system and cost the Federation up to twenty thousand credits, depending on the species. Thankfully, after running several manually-guided cryogenic sequences on Enoemae, Adam and his team had developed a program that could execute the protocol for subjects of that species automatically, even varying the potency of the solutions based on biomass and other variable factors.

Preparations complete, said the lab’s Aurora Unit, AU-406. Subjects ENO-X180–X210 prepped for cryogenic sedation sequence. Initialising sedation. Initialisation complete. All subjects stable.

Project: Kanden was progressing as estimated. Despite the failure of the last thirteen rounds of tests, extensive developments had evolved and they had now further optimised each of the stimulant blends to what Research & Development considered the maximum effectiveness. Now was the definitive moment—if this mixture failed to produce a viable subject who survived long enough to undergo the neural combat encoding sequences, B.S.L. would terminate the program indefinitely, or at least until scouts discovered a new mutagenic substance to work with. As head of the project, success or failure lay squarely on Adam’s shoulders.

Beginning stimulant injection. Adding stimulant formula GB-0X5 at 0.002mg/s. Injection rate at 0.002mg/s and holding. No indications of muscular augmentation detected. Heart and respiratory rates rising slowly but steadily. Metabolism of stimulant substance proceeding within forecasted timeframe. Increasing dosage to 0.004mg/s. Initialising dosage increase. Initialisation complete. Injection rate at 0.004mg/s and holding. Adding stimulant formula GB-3X9 at 0.002mg/s.

The Project had been underway for a year-and-a-half, ever since the Urtragian Space Pirate raids on Aliehs III left the Federation Marine Corps stripped of four of her highest-caliber battlecruisers and two-thirds of an entire series of fleets. After analysing the datacam footage of the raids, Aurora Unit 028 determined that a new anti-air defense system and enhanced ground soldier technology were necessary to protect the Federation’s assets, particularly military technology, from capture by Space Pirates. The implementation of a new defense system took little to no time at all, as the development of a new security grid had already been in progress at the time of the invasion, so the primary concern was to ensure that the second phase of AU-028’s suggestion proceeded as quickly as possible.

At first Congress had insisted on enhanced armoursuits and weapons for Marines, but the Corps had just updated to a previous prototype within the past three months, and so additional spending on suit development fell aside as being superfluous. Instead, B.S.L. decided to attempt to bioengineer supersoldiers who were much more robust than the typical hominid Marine, starting with sub-intelligent alien life forms with the eventual goal of developing a process capable of enhancing humanoids in the same manner.

Adam had still been working in Chem. at the time, but when he and Asia managed together to tap into the mutagenic potential of the compounds harvested from the moons of Gal Bronn they quickly received promotions to top positions in the Kanden assignment. Their team started testing GB combat enhancement stimulants on Ithraks gathered from Alinos, but after physical augmentation failed they moved on to the insectoid Enoemae from the Gaflar system, with which they enjoyed exceedingly greater successes.

In the meantime, however, the F.P.S.B. was content to employ Hunters to serve at various outposts throughout the key Federation systems. The Hunters would probably prove more efficient than the anti-air guns and the supersoldiers combined, but the F.P.S.B. was not exactly comfortable with keeping them on the Federation payroll, especially given the sums they usually expected for their assistance.

Increasing dosages of both stimulant formulae by 0.002mg/s. Initialising dosage increase. Initialisation complete. Injection rates at 0.006mg/s for formula GB-0X5 and 0.004mg/s for formula GB-3X9. Muscular augmentation detected in abdominal and thoracic tissues. Augmentation stable.

Adam frankly would have rather worked on the new armoursuits—while his biotech proficiency was about on par with that of his suit tech, he had a few reservations about engineering anything stronger and more cunning than the bulk of Corps troopers. While he was certainly tolerant of alien life-forms, and indeed friendly with many back on Daiban, the thought of having a number of subjects whose allegiance he could not confirm fighting alongside Federation Marines made him uneasy, even given the combat encoding. After all, combat imprints only really served to implant skills. They could influence the loyalties of those who received them to a minimal extent by invoking a tendency to follow orders, but even that process could not utterly dampen their free-thinking.

After spending a year in the Corps, however, he had grown used to fulfilling duties even when he found them uncomfortable, and this translated to his B.S.L. obligations as well.

Augmentation levels at 20% of target stages and continue to remain stable. Increasing dosages of both stimulant formulae by 0.004mg/s. Initialising dosage increase. Subject stability and physical reinforcement levels holding. Initialisation complete. Injection rates at 0.01mg/s for formula GB-0X5 and 0.008mg/s for formula GB-3X9. Rapid muscular generation persists in already-enhanced tissues. Significant growth detected in deltoid and anterior/posterior compartments of the arms and forearms. Augmentation levels at 30% of target stages. Augmentation stable.

Most subjects introduced to the formula since the fourth testing period had responded well to the GB-series of stimulants up to 42-56% of growth targets. After undergoing the augmentation process for that long, however, their nervous systems began to deteriorate to the point that they either lost sentience or could no longer maintain central vital processes. Alien organisms displaying minimal levels of sentience suffered less drastic mental decline, but aside from displaying the efficacy of the stimulants themselves tests conducted on such individuals were worthless, as no being with such low mental capacity could possibly absorb the combat neural imprints.

Such was the value in the Enoemae—they were sub-intelligent and thus capable of incorporating the neural encoding, but their nervous systems remained simple enough to avoid compromise from the GB stimulation. They also happened to carry promising physical power even without augmentation. If B.S.L. could produce viable subjects that reached at least 84% of their projected capacity, the consequent result would be at least as powerful as an Urtragian Berserker. Unless the Pirates had soldiers more potent than the Berserkers, any Kanden-engineered Enoemae force would be sufficient to prevent a repeat of the Aliehs III raids.

Augmentation levels at 40%. Increasing dosages of both stimulant formulae by 0.008mg/s. Initialising dosage increase. Subject stability and physical reinforcement levels holding steadily. Initialisation complete. Injection rates at 0.018mg/s for formula GB-0X5 and 0.016mg/s for formula GB-3X9. Tissue degeneration detected in subjects ENO-X184, X186, X189, X190, X192, X195-8, and X203. Decreasing stimulant formulae dosages back to previous levels. Initialising dosage decrease. Strengthening cryogenic sedation formulae in order to induce total stasis in afflicted subjects to prevent further biosystem collapse. Initialising introduction of stasis formulae. Initialisation complete. Subjects stable but no longer viable for muscular augmentation. Augmentation levels at 50% in remaining subjects. Tissue degeneration detected in subjects ENO-X180-3, X185, X188, X191, X200, X202, and X204-5.

Five hundred years before the L.S.O.R. would have been up in arms at the first sign of any mature sub-intelligent life-form undergoing any kind of experimental testing without its consent. “Society has advanced far beyond needing to use the underprivileged and unenfranchised as guinea pigs,” the activists would say. Never mind that once the C.L.E. first made contact with alien planets they had been quick to round up every living thing they could, whether intelligent, sub-intelligent, or utterly unintelligent. Never mind that the cures for cancer and the HIV virus—the latter of which turned out to be alien in origin—came from experiments conducted on Norions. Never mind that this restriction hampered medical progress for all of the years in which it was effective.

Adam had stood in firm opposition to the anti alien testing ideology for years, more than likely in large part due to his family history with in the Corps and in B.S.L.’s operations. The Corps had a “conservativising” effect on most who enlisted, and B.S.L.’s members were notorious for their bias towards hominids. After graduating from the top scientific institution on Daiban with top marks at the age of eighteen, he had enlisted in the Corps and started as a lab tech at Biologic. He had joined both only to protect and serve the Federation and all who lived in it, whether that meant armed conflict or dissecting Bryyonians in a laboratory in efforts to find immunities for alien diseases. Membership had only reinforced his worldviews, at least while he had been on active duty in the Corps.

Now that he spent the bulk of his time in the lab and had watched two-hundred-one Enoemae and several hundred more Ithraks die in testing, he could begin to understand the ethical outcries. Recently, after he and Asia made love, they would talk at length about his newfound moral concerns. She shared his negative experiences while working on Kanden—the only reason she had continued work herself was so that they could finish the project together. Luckily this was the last round of tests—if none of these trials succeeded, no more Enoemae would lose their lives, at least not on their watch.

Augmentation levels at 70%. Tissue degeneration detected in all subjects except ENO-X201. Sending all degenerative subjects into total stasis hibernation. Remaining subject’s stability and physical reinforcement levels holding steadily. Muscular stimulation detected in all skeletal muscle tissue. Neural stimulation also detected and under strict monitoring to ensure retained sentience and intelligence so as not to compromise combat encoding. Reducing dosages of GB stimulants by 0.005mg/s every minute for the remainder of augmentation to avoid overstimulation. Initialisation complete. Adding sedative formula IN-1X2 at 0.004mg/s in order to reduce neural stimulation and avoid nervous collapse. Augmentation levels at 80%. Preparing to initialize neural combat encoding sequence.

“This is it, Adam,” Asia said. “I think we’ve found our winning genome.”

“Don’t call it just yet,” Adam replied. “Command wants us to be able to produce subjects at 100% of target capacities. Wait a little longer before the victory party.”

Even if the subject survived to reach the target mass, there was still a chance that the combat encoding would fail to be compatible with Enoemae nervous processes. R&D had been able to successfully implement the neural imprints without damaging subjects, but those had been tests on larval and unstimulated Enoemae, not a fully-grown one pumped up by GB juice.

Augmentation levels at 90%.

“Shall I begin the encoding sequence?” Asia asked.

“Might as well—just stand by in case something goes sour,” Adam replied, with an affirmative from Asia and the rest of his crew.

B.S.L. had experimented with muscular augmentation and neural imprinting before, but had never successfully combined the two on anything remotely in the range of the scale of Project: Kanden. Usually they employed stimulants in order to make hardier beasts of burden or to moderately enhance the physical performance of Marines. These stimulant mixes, however, were far more potent than any ever before used on hominids—they evoked a complete transformation rather than basic reinforcement. Neural imprinting had so far remained limited to cybernetic mechanoids such as the B.O.X. series of security drones in order to prevent the obstacles posed by complex organisms’ nervous systems.

Within only a year-and-a-half, however, Adam’s team had made leaps and bounds in the field. It happened, of course, that captured records of combat enhancement projects conducted by the Space Pirates had aided the efforts tremendously, but their progress was still an extraordinary feat unto itself.

Adam took in a breath and held it as he watched the progress bar creep slowly towards the target line.

Augmentation levels exceeding 100% of target range. Stimulant injections terminated. Increasing dosage of sedative compound by 0.004mg/s to curb overstimulation. Subject remains stable.

He exhaled. So far so good—now for the dangerous part.

Asia hastily began punching buttons on the screen in front of her and a pair of massive syringes containing a reddish fluid—the encoding serum—descended into the cryogenic tank, extended their needles, and took their positions just below the subject’s brainstem. Another button press and they jabbed into the subject’s neck and began to inject the serum into its neural network.

Initialising combat encoding sequence. Stand by for neural imprint. Subject could regain consciousness during the encoding sequence. In the event that this should occur, the subject will immediately be subjected to the stasis compound. Use caution: current levels of augmentation may render the subject resistant to stasis.

Adam watched the syringe capsules closely, stared as they slowly expelled their reddish contents into the massive Enoema floating lifelessly in the cryo-chamber before him. A holoscreen off to the side displayed the creature’s brain activity, and small red flashes indicated areas of the brain that had successfully accepted the imprints. So far only the posterior regions were red, but he could see that the cerebral cortex was about to receive the encoding signals.

As soon as the edge of the cortex turned red, nervous activity spiked and the Enoema’s eyes burst open.

The computer screens reverted from blue to red in the next instant, and the emergency alarm sounded.

“Damn!”

WARNING—subject has regained consciousness. Initializing stasis sequence. Increasing dosage of sedative formula IN-1X2 by 4mg/s in order to pacify subject.

“Get out, before it breaches the tank!” he shouted to all present as they scrambled in a rioting rage for the door.

“What about you, Adam?” Asia asked frantically.

“I’ll try to buy you some time,” he said resolutely as he snatched a Federation-issue pistol from underneath his desk and brandished it before her. At this point photon pulses would do very little to stop the Enoema, but at least they would slow it down, hopefully long enough for Asia and his other colleagues to reach safety. An augmented insectoid fist crashed against the bendezium tank wall and the entire laboratory shook at the force of the impact. “You’d best quit this place—don’t wait around for me.”

He seized Asia by the arm and stared into her eyes to ensure that she understood. She took one last look at the cryo-chamber, then at Adam, before nodding and turning to run for the door with the others.

She stopped at the door and rushed back to his side for a moment to plant a desperate kiss upon his mouth that seemed to make all else melt away. But when her lips left his, the buzzing of the evacuation signal reminded him of the danger.

“Go,” he said, calmly. “I’ll catch up.” Although, when he thought it over, he wasn’t altogether sure that he would.

Asia’s eyes spoke the hopelessness that her tongue could not, but she did nothing to protest. “I love you,” she said, kissing him again on the lips.

“I love you, too,” Adam said. “Be careful.”

He watched her exit through the door, watched the hatch close behind her, and within moments the room stood empty, save for himself, the artificial presence of AU-406, and subject ENO-X201.

Subject’s cells rejecting stasis compound. Subject now possesses full awareness. Aggression levels rising. Within moments subject will breach the bendezium tank.

“I can see that, you damned A.U.!” shouted Adam. “You don’t suppose you could place this sector under lockdown once my people are clear of the building, do you? That might actually be useful.”

Affirmative, sir—security lockdown procedures will commence once the lab crew has left the lockdown area. Engaging protective containment field around cryogenic tank to subdue subject.

Somehow Adam suspected that the field would not hold.

He dug his heel into the floor and took aim for the Enoema’s insectoid skull, its eyes glowing with fury, its fists fracturing the bendezium that surrounded it.

So much for getting lucky that night.