My Personal Art Refs For The Galactic Federation’s Soldiers

Part 4, the penultimate week and the last full week of these. Not really much else to say at this point, so I don’t have excuses to dilly dally, right? Let’s dive straight in!

Day 22: Stalk

Scan of Space Pirate Logs

“Project Shadow has yielded significant results. The MSC-MK3 cloaking device has proven to be a highly effective cloaking unit, able to conceal a soldier from a vast range of visible light spectrums. While certain frequencies of light can still detect a cloaked soldier, they are not within a spectrum that most sapient species can see without ocular enhancements. There are two main downsides to the tech, however. Projectiles being fired while cloaked can completely disrupt the cloaking field, as it will attempt to envelope the projectile, causing a system overload which requires a lengthy factory reset in order to continue functioning. For this reason, troopers equipped with the MSC-MK3 should be instructed to only use melee weapons. More significantly, the energy expenditure for cloaking is immense, requiring near constant upkeep in order to function. For this reason, the MSC-MK3 should only be used by internal security for installations with proper energy dispensaries. Science Teams aboard the Research Frigate Siriacus claim that models with superior energy efficiency shall be made available soon, but with the caveat of being too expensive for mass production.”

Day 23: Savage

Scan of Crashed Civilian Ship

“While various burn marks across the hull indicate small arms fire scorching the exterior, the attack that brought down the vessel was an explosion near the engines, causing them to short out before the ship could approach the atmospheric limit. Several deep gouges are visible on the roof of the hull, with a large chunk being cut out. The molten metal around the cuts indicate a heated blade piercing the plating. Given the blood staining the inside of the vessel, the fate of the occupants bears no thinking about.”

Day 24: Taunt

Scan of Gandrayda’s Power Suit Mimicry

“Although Gandrayda’s shapeshifting capabilities can mimic the form of an individual, it has a great deal of trouble copying the functions of said form. While she may be able to mimic the outer coating of an animal to near perfection, the internals are rarely mimicked with any amount of finesses. However, certain functionalities can be replicated, albeit imperfectly. Energy blasts can be created, though strength and range are hampered greatly. Movement can be achieved, though only through patterns she is already accustomed to. Thus, while her mimicry of the Power Suit does have certain marked similarities in function, such as the Power Beam, Grapple Beam, and Double Jump Boots, other abilities remain beyond her ability to mimic. Unfortunately, this is enough to fool most beings without a thorough biometric scan. Do not get distracted by the recreational uses for her shapeshifting abilities.”

Day 25: Clone

Suit Maintenance Record Playback

“Eres attached to suit. Countermeasures active. Containment Measures active.

Isolation between Suit and Wearer… successful. Suit Immobilization… successful. Visor hue warning… successful. Self immolation… failed.

Multiple components of wearer compromised by Eres Consumption. Emergency tissue surgery commencing… successful.

-Fast forward seven hours

Removal of armor plating detected, further insulation of wearer required.

-Fast forward 27 hours

Warning, breach of suit through all layers detected. Eres consumption of wearer imminent and unavoidable. Attempting detonation of suit’s power core… failed.

Eres assault fought back by unknown pathogen. No information available on pathogen.

What we cannot gain… we take.

Eres presence not detected. Severe damage of Power Suit present. Will remain in stasis until further notice.”

Day 26: Haze

Scan of Space Pirate Logs

“It has been a whole cycle since the planet identified as Aether was discovered. Our operations on the planet have been slower and far more cautious after the Amelioration Incident on Talon IV. It has become apparent that biological manipulation via Phazon will instead be putting them under control of a force outside of our current ability to control. However, the extremely potent energy signature of Phazon still makes it an extremely potent energy resource with boundless combat applications. However, the strange nature of this world has lead to many disappearances from scouting and security groups. Those who survive report the sky suddenly growing dark as a Phazon based mist rolls into the area. They have even reported seeing teammates fade out of existence before their eyes. When such events occur, encounters with hostile entities become increasingly common. Until we can discover the nature of this phenomenon, patrols outside of our bases of operations will be heavily restricted. We have already lost eight whole teams to such incidents.”

Day 27: Strike

Scan of Space Pirate Logs

“It appears as though the Galactic Federation has created a special fighting force specifically dedicated to replacing some of their reliance on independent contractors in recent decades. What little information our spies have been able to glean on these soldiers calls this advanced combat element ‘Operation Golem’. These soldiers are far more capable than typical ground troops, utilizing advanced combat exoskeletons with modular weapon hardpoints. These soldiers have already eliminated several of our facilities and outposts with great proficiency. Out of 16 engagements, we count only 1 casualty, occurring only when the team was outnumber 7 to 4 by Metroids. The obvious combat proficiency of this team represents a risk if such technology begins to proliferate in our enemies’ forces. Our spies have identified General Alex Miles as being in charge of Operation Golem. Efforts have begun in order to track him down for assassination.”

Day 28: Vendetta

Space Pirate Revenant logs

“With the command of the God of Death, we go forth, seeking the Hunter clad in metal. She trespasses His domain, challenging His rule over life and its end. Death cannot be stopped. It cannot be halted. To cease the end of living things is to tear the fabric of the universe. To challenge His will is to challenge the rules of nature. As sure as the stars will one day burn out, all things shall perish, save for the God of Death and His chosen. The Hunter challenges the very notion of Death itself. We cannot end her, for that is not our place. Our place is be bring her before Him, so that she maybe shown the futility of struggle against a God, a rule of nature, and a thread in the fabric of reality. He is Death. With each destruction, his thread in the fabric of reality becomes frayed. He can repair this fray, but we must ensure she does not flaunt this desecration to the natural order. We must find the Hunter, for The God of Death commands it.”

Maytroid 2024 is here!

I am so excited to get to work on these new prompts. Last year, my entries for each day were fairly sloppy, and I was new to the series, so I was lacking a fair bit of information. Now, I’m armed with more knowledge and am eager to use it.

For those who haven’t seen what I did for Maytroid last year, what I’m going to be doing instead of art is something more writing focused. These little text entries are mostly styled after the scans from the Metroid Prime series. Matter of fact, this new set of prompts actually lends itself much better than last year’s, as I have a lot more leeway to play to my own strengths than last year (I still don’t know what the fuck I’m gonna do with Gorea). These are all canon to my own Metroid AU currently, though as things change in development, these may become out of date. They will give the vibe my stories are going for, but these shouldn’t be held to as the absolute canon for them. I’ll be posting these week by week, around 7 at a time, starting today.

Day 1: Ridley

Transcript of Security Footage

Several individuals in this footage cannot be identified at this time. They shall be identified as Pirate 1, Pirate 2, and Pirate Major.

Ridley: What I want to know… is why he is not in custody.

Pirate Major: I gave them their orders, they knew he was to be brought in alive, and instead they killed him.

Pirate 1: You told us to take care of him! We thought you meant an execution, not milk and cookies!

Pirate Major: Insolent Wretch! You say such things about your orders in front of our Commander?! You know how we handle that sort of insubordination!

Pirate 2: Cool it, we’re already in hot water.

Pirate 1: We’re in hot water because of the life of some winy little nobody that begged for his life with money he didn’t even have.

Ridley: While your insolence is… aggravating… I am willing to forgive this misstep.

Pirate Major: What?

Ridley: He was an insignificant pawn. We can always find another. As I was saying, I am willing to forgive this on one condition. Did he die in pain?

Pirate 2: Yes. He did suffer before he died.

Ridley: What methods or torture did you employ?

Pirate 1: Waterboarding. Works wonders on humans. I always liked how they sound when they cough and gasp for air.

Ridley:Mmmmm… was blood shed before his end?

Pirate 2: Yeah. My partner here has… quite the way with knives.

Ridley: Do tell.

Pirate 1: Slashed his wrists. Those arteries gush lots of blood from humans. And we started pulling teeth when he lied.

Ridley: Delicious. You have escaped capital punishment, but you will still be serving as guards for the Metroid containment units. For further forgiveness, you will need to be more creative with your implements. I find Revine’s death, by your account, to be quite dull. Your are dismissed, unless you wish to enlighten me further.

Day 2: Fiery

Scan of Pipe System in Norfair

“These pipes appear be delivering superheated magma into the Norfair region. Given the proximity to Ridley’s personal quarters, likely explanations include terraforming the area for Ridley’s own comfortability, additional protective measures, or the intentional destruction of Chozo artifacts not deemed useful. The latter is most likely, as the immediate area was once a Chozo burial tomb. It is now completely submerged in magma, disintegrating much of the artifacts within.”

Day 3: Winged

Scan of SA-X Mutations

“This X-Parasite copy has suffered some form of destabilization of its copying abilities. Abnormalities include a malformed, beak like structure around the mouth, several atrophied fingers, several hypertrophied fingers, small patches of feathers, and an extraneous structure protruding from its back resembling a Chozo wing bereft of feathers. These unusual deformities could be the result of DNA infusions during childhood complicating the process of anatomical replication within X-Parasite offspring. This individual seems to suffer great stress from its predicament, but it is unsafe to assume that its combat functionality is greatly hampered. Adaptation is this species’s main trait.”

Day 4: Pirate

Scan of Space Pirate Elite

“Subject is a member of an unknown species known only from individuals working within Ridley’s special operations group, The Revenants. This group acts as Ridley’s personal enforcers and assassins, fanatically worshipping their commander as a literal God of Death. They wield melee weapons personalized to their unique fighting styles. Each weapon is charged with electricity, giving them an additional ranged attack capability. They have operated since before the Galactic Federation, making a name for themselves in fighting Chozo warriors. Their endurance, agility, and strength cannot be overstated, in spite of their gaunt appearance.”

Day 5: Mecha

Scan of automaton codenamed Mecha Ridley

“Subject is a battle ready drone, seemingly created by Ridley’s fanatical special forces, the Revenants. Mecha Ridley is heavily weaponized, as there could be no altar to the God of Death without the ability to take a life. Weapons include flamethrowers, guided munition launchers, and superheated claws. Mecha Ridley’s armor is highly durable, but greatly hampers mobility compared to its inspiration. Additionally, as a cult idol of worship, advanced artificial intelligence was not prioritized during production. Mecha Ridley displays average combat intellect for a war drone. Recommend staying moving and outsmarting the automaton.”

Day 6: Fang

Scan of Rundas’s Necklace

“Rundas appears to have begun collecting Metroid Fangs as trophies since last he was approached. Assuming one fang was taken from each Metroid he has eliminated, he has defeated 15 Metroids in the two months since he was last seen. Unfortunately, his ego has grown with his kill count.”

Day 7: Cunning

Scan of Abandoned Home

“Old Bird and Grey Voice’s abandoned home has been left mostly in tact, minus the usual signs of neglect. However, there appear to be a plethora of traps lain around the home. Various grapple snares have been detected, alongside explosive charges, beam emitters, and microphones. Much of these systems appear to be inert, and once reported directly to Mother Brain. It is clear she anticipated you might return here before confronting her. Given her destruction, several trap systems remain completely dormant. Still, any approach must be made with great caution.”

I personally doubt we’ll see Adam in Beyond. Other M is a direct follow-up to Super, which the calendar year listed in the trailer implies took place prior (though, with all the inconsistencies in timelines, that’s not exactly definitive). Adam dies there, and isn’t seen again until his AI recreation in Fusion, after Samus’s suit gets diced up to remove the X parasite attempting to consume her. Given that we see the after effects of that in Dread but not Beyond, it’s safe to assume this game takes place before Fusion, leaving no room for Adam Malkovich to show up save for some obituary or something of the like. It would be nice to see a little Easter egg in Samus’s gunship of Adam’s helmet she retrieved at the end of Other M, though.

Of course, whether we should be adhering to Other M for canon is its whole other debate that I shall not be delving into right now.

Sometimes I wonder if Admiral Dane could’ve been replaced by Adam Malkovich for Corruption, since we already knew about his character’s past with Samus and even got a glimpse of him in the Zero Mission manga. I feel like that would’ve actually endeared the original, human Adam to fans, more than Other M ever did… That said, I wouldn’t be surprised if Sakamoto said no because that’s his character, whom he already had plans and a specific vision + game in mind for. So Retro Studios had to make up Dane, who ended up becoming an actual fan favorite and often compared to Adam as the superior Federation commander to Samus. Maybe Adam can show up in Beyond with a different studio writing him this time.

Your life is nothing! You serve zero goodness! You should kill yourself NOW! And give somebody else a piece of that soul energy that’s here so we can live inside this spinning dust storm galaxy. Cuz what are you here for? To worship the Chozo? Kill yourself! I mean that with 100%, with 1,000%.

After the events of Fusion, Noxus learned that Samus had Metroid DNA (I have different ideas as to how), and realized it was destiny; He is a Judicator-wielding Vhozon who helped slay Metroids, and came into conflict with Samus Aran multiple times, believing during one incident that the Federation could not be trusted with an ultimate power she was attempting to secure. Noxus believed it was his duty to slay the last Metroid, and bring peace to the galaxy; Its DNA could not be trusted to fall into anyone's hands, least of all the Federation's after Adam helped leak its corruption. The Metroid must be destroyed completely.

Cue a confrontation in which Noxus is more of a threat than before because of Samus' new Metroid-inherited weakness to ice. And when murdering her himself isn’t quite working, Noxus remembers that Samus is still someone with a strong sense of justice that often overlaps with the Vhozon codex, in many ways he sees her as simply misguided. And thus someone whose sense of justice he can appeal to…

So Noxus suggests to Samus that she should just let herself die right here, right now, to save the galaxy; She understands the threat the Metroid poses, and she would sacrifice herself in a more conventional mission to save everyone. Why risk it, except to let herself enjoy a selfishly dangerous existence??? Adam tells Samus within her helmet not to listen to Noxus; You deserve to live too.

And in the end this episodic arc is meant to reiterate, it’s meant to be Samus practicing, a lesson she’s trying to internalize for herself after the events of Fusion, after the guilt and self-loathing she’s accumulated after so many loved ones’ deaths. Because damn Noxus is almost like the devil on her shoulder (ironic given his Holier than Thou personality; And Vhozon parallels to Christian extremism and the belief that suicide is a sin) making it sound real tempting to Samus to just kill herself.

She doesn’t even have to do it herself, someone will do it for her! Insisting it’s actually better for people Samus cares about if she’s dead, so this isn’t selfish but selfless, and vice-versa!!! So once again Samus is grappling with continuing to apply this lesson of self-worth because that’s the exhausting truth; You will relapse and you will have to constantly remind yourself and relearn that same lesson over and over again. That’s life, that’s the banal truth behind living, but there’s also a deep wonder behind it as well.

But in contrast to this, Noxus is essentially telling Samus:

Thank you so much @coldgoldlazarus!

1. 3 Ships: Samantha Maxis x Elizabeth Grey, Gwen x Miles, (hot take) Samus Aran x Gandrayda

2. First Ship Ever:… I don’t even know what I was into back when I started finding relationships appealing so… maybe Glorybringer?

3. Last Song: Stone Cold (Super Smash Bros Ultimate version by A_A_RonHD)

4. Last Movie: Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse

5. Currently Reading: Nothing atm by just finished reading The Downfall of Ashkar Behek (a Metroid fanfic by Acayl on AO3)

6. Currently Watching: Journey’s Ahead by Tspro on YouTube

7. Currently Consuming: Bagel

8. Currently Craving: Dairy Queen ice cream

9. Oh jeez, I don’t even have 9 names to tag on here… @fanaticastrid @z-reblogs55 … I haven’t actually spoken to anyone else on here… at all

So…yeah

9 people you would like to get to know better

I rarely reblog stuff but… I suppose I can start somewhere, yeah?

REBLOG if you have amazing, talented WRITER friends.

Because I certainly do, and I love every single one of them and their work.

Maytroid… sort of… part 4!

So this will be the last time I explain the premise here. In this little series, instead of drawing images for Maytroid, I will be writing scan visor entries that Samus might have come across regarding each topic, based on my own AU. For the current state of the story, these will all be canon, but some of the characters that have either not fleshed out yet, or am simply unfamiliar with, things may change in the future. As for the final week, since it won’t be a clean seven days, I will be releasing the last of these on the 31st. But without any further delay, onto the scans.

Day 20: Meta Ridley

Space Pirate Journal Entry

“I would never be so foolish to voice any of these concerns out loud, but I cannot help but feel that our cunning leader has fallen victim to his own lust for vengeance. We may all feel the same way. After all, the Hunter destroyed our primary base of operations. But his vengeance has dipped into obsession.

Our campaign here was going extraordinarily well. Communications from the target planet had been jammed to prevent Galactic Federation intervention. The planetary defense fleet had sustained significant losses. They were not yet beaten, but they were weak. And their flagship was already being overrun by our boarding groups. Commander Ridley’s plan was working perfectly. The Fuel Gel shipment would have been our’s for the taking. The Commander’s toothy grin brought us all satisfaction, that there was nothing that could go wrong. Then we received our first report about the Hunter’s arrival. As soon as the report sounded across the command deck, Ridley’s smile disappeared. He stared off into space for several seconds, his expression blank. Then, without a word, he turned and strode out of the command deck. Incoming transmissions requesting orders from the commander were left unanswered, and his combat genius was left out. Even with him personally engaging Samus in combat, our own forces slowly began to be thwarted.

I believe this battle to be lost, but I cannot hold a candle to Ridley’s own battlefield wisdom. If he has not ordered a retreat, we will stay and fight. Though I fear it will be to the death.”

Day 21: Omega Metroid

Incomplete Chozo Script

“Our Ultimate Warriors have grown rampant. In our haste to create something that would subdue a great evil, we created another one, one that was just as ravenous. They have begun to feed on the native life of The Agar Planet, something our empath shamans have forbade of them. Where we had control”-illegible-“worse. Instead of the gelatinous bodies that could even be soothing to the touch, they have developed hardened carapaces, sharp claws, and unchecked aggression. One of our empathy, Light Hand, attempted to stop one of the greatest of these creatures from attacking a Moheek. She naively believed that her physical presence would convince the beast to follow her commands. The creature grabbed”-illegible-“six warriors in order to defeat it with our most powerful weapons. This”-illegible-“Quiet Robe believes that this may be a side effect of the Agar energy. However,”-illegible-“could be a result of their rushed creation. In his own words, ‘we are shepherds of life, not”-illegible-“may have to request aid from the Mawkin Hasana. The Ultimate Warriors are growing move dangerous by the days.”

Day 22: Sylux

Blood Skies computer scan

“Our attempts to hire the Bounty Hunter known as Sylux have failed. Previous reports indicated an intense hatred of the Galactic Federation, though the reasons for this animosity have been fairly unclear. What is clear to see is his penchant for disrupting Galactic Federation military supply lines.

Our own agent met Sylux at a bar he had frequented for three months. The agent asked him about the possibility of both a big score, and to twist the knife in the side of the Galactic Federation. Sylux initially showed interest, and the pair left the bar. Contact with the agent was subsequently lost. Further investigation uncovered an unfortunate discovery. The body of our agent was brutally maimed, and Sylux, presumably, scrawled a message in the agent’s own bodily fluids.

‘You’re no better.’

Further attempts to recruit Sylux have been deemed a waste of resources. Recommend search for other possible contractors.”

Day 23: Arachnus

Incomplete Chozo scrypt

“One of the more corrupted Ultimate Warriors was seen attacking an adult Arachnus. Our”-illegible-“creature was drained of its essence in a matter of seconds. After such a display of force against what was once the dominant natural predator of The Agar Planet, the problem can no longer be sidestepped or responded to a slow and delicate manor. A formal request to the Tanumar of the Mawkin Hasana has been”-illegible-“have been asked to remain indoors for their own safety. Still, the Ultimate Warriors continue to attack us. We can only hope that”-illegible

Day 24: Thardus

Orpheon computer scan

“Project Titan is proceeding with passable results. While creating a living weapon with no genetic signature has been deemed impossible, there has been success. The most successful subject has been nicknamed Thardus by security. Large rock structures have been successfully implemented, meaning that it is only a matter of time before we have a creature that can fit into a rock wall and strike when the enemy least expects it. This will make it perfectly camouflageed and difficult for enemies to detect, and with little to no maintenance, unlike costly sentries. To test safe parameters of subject growth, Thardus is to been transported planetside with the next two days.”

Day 25: Chozo Warrior

Intel Scan

“Artifact appears to be a Chozo spear. Carbon dating appears to place this weapon at being left in the dirt for around nine months. Due to the presence of long abandoned Chozo ruins on the planet, it is likely that one or more Chozo returned to this planet within the last six months. All scans of SR-388 report no non-pirate activity above the planet any sooner.”

Day 26: Gandrayda

Paper Note left on Gate

“Congratulations on Zebes! Always nice to see another Hunter hit it big. After all, you are a hunter, right? I don’t mean to pry or demean. I mean, I’d lose my license if it was known I attacked another Bounty Hunter. And how could I face down a bounty Hunter that fought a terror attack on the capitol of the Federation, captured a pirate king, and left a space pirate stronghold in shambles? I mean, that sort of thing is just unbelievable, don’t you think? I mean, it’s a really tough notion to believe. Ya know, tons of fakers claim these sorts of things all the time. But you’re the real deal. Right?

Our target is trapped within the next building, so we got time. Hopefully we can ‘chat’.

See ya, Sammy

Lady Gandrayda”

Given how much we roll with Samus having a ton of self-loathing due to the deaths of so many loved ones by the time of Fusion... Let's do even more with that.

The SA-X is terrifying, and part of that comes from it being a soulless, unspeaking, automaton; Samus without any of the soul. But we also know the X can copy memories, and granted it's possible the X never got to access Samus' brain, and wouldn't have those as the SA-X.

But what if they still somehow did? We know there's more than one SA-X; About ten, Adam calculates. So maybe one of them is cold and unfeeling... But what if another is Samus' own self-loathing personified, externalized?

The X are clever; What if this SA-X voices all of Samus' doubts towards her. Tortures her psychologically to throw Samus off her game, because the X know that self-doubt can cause more intelligent creatures to underperform. What if we have an SA-X that asks aloud all the questions that Samus hates about herself; If she's such a hero, why are so many of her friends and family dead? Why does she destroy everything she touches?

This plays into Samus' self-destructive action in blowing up the BSL with herself aboard, because she's convinced herself she can't do anything right, so it doesn't matter if this doesn't actually eradicate the X on SR388. And then Adam, this computerized copy who is supposed to be cold logic, actually speaks through to Samus by acting more objective and reminding her; There are other ways to do this, and you don't need to die. And then he begins to rediscover himself.

And it's like a parallel because computer Adam is also a clone copying the memories and personality of an original, albeit a manmade, digital mimic. And Adam and the SA-X start off as cold and unfeeling, but then rediscover emotions; In the SA-X's case, they're cruel and ultimately meant more as a parroted echo of Samus' self-hatred, for an ulterior, practical motive of defeating the enemy at any cost. For Adam, it's him learning to live and love again, and save a friend from the fate he technically already went through, and can't truly come back from.

But yeah, imagine the SA-X constantly guilt-tripping Samus... Bringing up her parents, and then Gray Voice. Not to mention Rundas, Ghor, and Gandrayda. The Metroids, especially the Infant. Zebes. Adam Malkovich. Belittling, dismissing, undermining Samus' achievements, insisting those she did help and save, like the Luminoth or Old Bird, will follow suit eventually. She became Ridley when she eradicated the Ing, who just wanted to survive, and left only one baby Metroid alive.

It gaslights Samus, which adds to the paranoia of not knowing what to believe, what's real, with the X mimicking things and the Federation lying to Samus; Plus her projecting Adam onto what she believed was just a computer. She's really going through it, and for a while it's actually working in throwing Samus off of her game, and she already lost all her upgrades!

It's basically Samus fighting her inner demons; Not just this caricature of her as something that is only a weapon and destroyer, but her own feelings of inadequacy, the guilt, the loneliness, the tendency to push others away for fear of hurting them too. And the suicidal ideation. And eventually she conquers both of these takes on her that actually go hand in hand, and comes out stronger with her identity rediscovered and reclaimed, hence the removal of the helmet to reveal Samus within, and her Fusion suit resembling the classic Varia color scheme now.

Had this sped up audio of my friend ranting about Lunchly for a while now. Someone brought up the idea of this being Uzi ranting about JCJenson and I just had to draw it. She went a little obsessive in the bunker. Also N likes his oil drippy, brah.

Damn.

my job in the pirate base is to climb up and down the walls

Maytroid… sort of… part 5!

Now, we come to the end of my little Maytroid series. If you want to understand what’s going on with these, I’d recommend glancing at the previous posts in this little series in order to understand what’s going on with this. In hindsight, I sort of wish I had put a little more time and effort into these, but I suppose it cannot be helped now. I do still enjoy the world building these have allowed me to do, and in many case have laid out the groundwork for some very interesting storytelling going forward, from the cult like worship of Phaaze, to the mysteries of SR-388. I hope to flesh these things out in future stories, but something I’ve learned from some prior experiences is to hold myself to a standard of passion over consistency. I can’t give any promises on when any of these story arcs will be properly written and posted. For now, though, onto the finale of his little series.

Day 27: Golden Torizo

Zebes Rebuilt Archive Scan

“The process to control the Torizo guardians has been a long and arduous process, with much trial and error. The Torizo are sentient, containing the souls of long deceased warriors of the Chozo. Many of my archives on Chozo spiritual studies have been lost due to the destruction of the initial archive made by my creators, so I am unable to ascertain the exact process of imbuing the soul into one of these guardian statues. Current efforts to convert the Torizo to our side have centered around continuous logic routines and straining the mental faculties of the guardians. Their on control over themselves is absolute, and they will never make a move to harm a member of the Thoha Hasana. This has had no hope of change. However, this should not pose an issue.

Ridley has personally taken one of the Torizo to convert by way of immense emotional trauma. He has regularly destroyed artifacts of great spiritual significance to the Chozo in front of the Torizo. Once a week, he has commissioned for me to create a biologically perfect Chozo egg, which he proceeds to consume in front of the Torizo. The fact that the egg is infertile has not been acknowledged. Other acts to emotionally torment the Torizo include footage of violence against animals and civilians during his raids on Galactic Federation Space and during recreational hunts, and playing footage of the massacre of the Chozo during his attack on Zebes. Such methods have shown only minor success in breaking the Torizo’s will. However, I believe he simply seeking personal pleasure from the guardian’s suffering.”

Day 28: Metroid Prime

Promise to the Entrusted One

“We have failed. While the great poison has been sealed away at its source, our population is all but dead. Only seven of us remain. We cannot hope to finish this, nor rebuild the society we once knew. Our creations are insufficient to end this. We are scientists, not the great warriors who fell to protect our world. Still, we toil, in hopes that you, the entrusted one that greatest of us foresaw, can succeed where we have not. We gift to you the armor perfected for your use, utilizing the one organism the Phazon does not infect. Go forth, hatchling of the Chozo, and save this world. You cannot save us, but this world of beautiful creatures can live on. From the trees to the fish to the very fungus that protects you in this armor, you can save this vast, wonderful world. Go forth, and free this world.”

Day 29: EMMI

Report from GFS Sunset Homage

“EMMI unit S-11 has infiltrated SR-166. Preliminary readings show minimum atmospheric Phazon contamination in general planetary range. However, creatures around the crash site have already undergone Phazon induced transfiguration. Several carcasses within a 45 mile radius of the crash sight have been found with no signs of predation and have shown definitive signs of Phazon Induced Cell Death (PICD). While exacerbating preexisting ailments has not been ruled out, current evidence points to death due solely to PICD. One herbivorous creature seen displaying erratic behavior was euthanized by S-11, and was found to have PICD in several areas of the brain.

It is this researcher’s opinion that the entire north western continent of SR-166 be put under strict quarantine. We have seen in other cases how the Phazon infestation of a planet can begin slowly but escalate exponentially. We cannot risk the Phazon crisis reach the Galactic Federation’s proverbial flank.”

Day 30: Mother Brain

Secret Agreement

“Your purpose will not be to enforce order. You will not bend the Galactic Federation to my will or push politics from the shadows. You are not an agent of peace. You are my monster. You will have your fill of blood and sadism. You will be my agent of evil to sic on those who fall astray from cooperation. You will be nothing more or less than yourself, but only where I choose. This war will last forever, and you will be the wolf for the sheep to fear. You will be the enemy.”

Day 31: Mission Completed

Mission Report

“Mission was successful. Metroid presence on SR-388 has been eradicated. Signal coming from the cavern was created by highly mutated Metroid, which was put down as well. However, I have saved and catalogued data on all Metroid permutations encountered for future reference. Glaxamore presence on the planet was low, but I did face a brief encounter with Ridley. He was beaten, but due to the arrival of the planetary super storm, I cannot confirm the kill. Additionally, I have disobeyed orders slightly. I discovered a Metroid hatchling during its hatching process. It has since imprinted on me, and has shown no signs of aggression. I have taken in the Metroid for study by the Galactic Federation. I already have drafted paperwork to ensure that it will not be tampered with for purposes of bioweapons research, and hope that the energy they metabolize can be used for something positive. Against my better judgement, I have given the hatchling a name. It’s the name of a pet I used to have before the Chozo took me in, Pyonchi… Computer, strike the last two sentences from the record.”