Metroid Processing



Metroid Processing is a room in the Research Facility of the Space Pirate Homeworld.

Description
Metroid Processing features a central specimen tank containing a lump of crystallised Phazon, similar to the one found in the central tank of the Main Reactor in Metroid Prime 2: Echoes where Dark Samus is fought for the first time. Various smaller stasis tubes can be found around the perimeter of the room. This room was home to most of the Space Pirates' experimentation on the evolution of Metroids with regards to their environments. While most of the tanks are vacated by the time Samus arrives, an unidentified but newly discovered strain of Metroid from SR388, an unmodified Tallon Metroid, and a Zebesian Metroid were on display at some point, and their tanks can still be scanned. The Zebes specimen is labeled as the most vicious, while the SR388 one seems to have evolved into one of the forms from Metroid II: Return of Samus. A few larger containment tanks can be seen in the wall, housing many Metroid eggs, along with a Missile Expansion. These containment units also house Phazon Metroids, and they are kept docile by a high-frequency noise emitted by the force field over the tank's glass.

There are also several dissected Metroids, whose scans state that the Pirates are unsure of how the energy siphoned by the parasites is utilized, and that the Homeworld's atmosphere has also enacted some (unspecified) changes upon Metroids raised there.

A balcony accessible via Spider Ball Track features two holograms depicting a Tallon Metroid and Infant Tallon Metroid from Metroid Prime 2: Echoes in wireframe form.

There is an Energy Cell in the basement area of the room, as well. Removing it is neccessary to gain the Missile Expansion behind the view-screens, but also releases the Metroids. It is also required if Samus is to fully explore the G.F.S. Valhalla.

Finally, the room is home to the controversial Metroid Dread scan.

First visit

 * Pirate Troopers
 * Pirate Commandos
 * Phazon Metroids

Later

 * Phazon Metroids

Items

 * Energy Cell: Samus must first use the X-Ray Visor to decipher a puzzle utilising the Arm Cannon at a control terminal. After this, a shutter to the right of the terminal will open, allowing access to a Lift. Samus can then travel down the lift to the lower ground floor. The path forks to the left and right. The left path leads to the Energy Cell.
 * Missile Expansion: After Samus has removed the Energy Cell, the room will lose its primary power, and the Metroid containment fields will go offline. Samus can travel back up the lift to the main floor, where the Phazon Metroids will escape from their tanks. After disposing of them, Samus can smash one of the tanks that did not contain any Metroids to reveal a Missile Expansion.

Connecting Rooms

 * Processing Access
 * Airshaft
 * Creche Transit

Design Notes
From Matt Manchester:

''"This room was a lot of fun too. I always considered the Metroids themselves to be one of the most interesting aspects of the series, and easily one of the most original creatures in gaming. I wanted this room to feel something like a metroid museum of sorts. I thought about the ways the pirates would test and analyze the metroids, and different experiments they would put them through. Like the statuary room in Bryyo, I wrote many notes to correspond with some of the different things I put into the room. Many of these made it into the game actually, although they had to be edited due to text size resrictions. I made the metroid eggs specific for this room. I watched the intro to Super Metroid again, and noticed that the fluid inside the egg dries almost instantly when exposed to the air. I created some "hatched" eggs similar to this, with the embryonic fluids hardened immediately in their dripping state. I'll include the notes I made as well, for those interested in the fiction I created personally for the room.''

''When I first started working on this room, I envisioned all different types of Metroids being housed here, as if this was the main research facility where all different variations of the creature were brought and studied. Due to a number of reasons, many of these variations did not make it into the final game, but some of the write-ups mention them."''

"FAILED EXPERIMENT"
"Metroids exposed to the Dark Aetherian atmosphere displayed significant changes to their physiology and behaviorial patterns. Exposure resulted in altered cutaneous pigmentation, solidified carapace with superficial dermal striation, emergence of multiple luminescent ocular organs, and two additional cuspidate teeth. Advanced physical durability was observed, as well as more instinctual and aggresive behavioral tendencies. Subsequently nocturnal, Dark Metroid developed a fatally acute sensitivity to solar light. All attempts to recreate this atmospheric transformation have met with utter failure. Test specimens yield a 100% mortality rate. Experiments rarely live more than a few hours after artificial transformation is achieved. Of these rare instances, specimens require complete artificial sustainment. No sentient behavior has been observed in any instances. Failure attributed to unknown variables."

"MACHINE DISSECTED METROIDS"
"Side by side observation of metroids native to different planets show subtle variations in dietary cycles, energy consumption abilities, and aggressive tendencies. Theoritical analysis suggests that the Metroid's environmental versatility is due in part to it's adaptness to survive in differing atmospheric conditions, marked changes in gravitational influence, and varying levels of gamma type radiation. Specimens native to SR-388 still display most consistent growth and energy consumption maturation."

"Working off the older metroid models from the first two primes, I created these virtual wireframes for the testing facility."

"EGGS CHAMBER"
"Exposure of unhatched metroids to alien sustentative chemicals and levels of radiation has been insightful as to the adaptability and survivability of the organism, even at this early latent state. Specimens that survive have been observed with greater scrutiny as to their cumulative behavioral augmentations, as well as any affect exposure has to their ability to drain life energy."

"BABY METROIDS"
"Metroids derive from a parthenogenetic birthing process. Amniotic egg fluid provides both nutrients and phsyical protection of the developing larva. Once hatched, this fluid experiences rapid desiccation, hardening completely in several seconds. Hatched Metroid larva still retain a full coelenterate body structure. larval tentacles harden to become cuspidate teeth in adults. Energy draining abilities in this form are primitive, but still very fatal."

"Here are the remaining notes for various contained metroid specimens:"

"INDIVIDUAL METROIDS"
"Tallon IV specimen - One of a small batch of Metroid native to Tallon IV. This was the only group transferred from local research laboratories on the planet before their subsequent attack and destruction.

SR388 Specimen - Metroid recovered from Ruined structures excavated below the surface. The frequent presence of Chozodian architecture wherever Metroids are found to habitate naturally leads to theories of possible connections between the two species.

Zebes Specimen - Research laboratories located below the surface of Zebes consistently yield the most relevant data on Metroid developmental cycles, and physiological composition. This could be due to the vast changes of climate on the planet. Observations and tests may be performed in a multitude of naturally-occuring native environments. Progress of research on this site has led to Expansion of the labs, as well as a stronger security presence. The Zebes station remains our primary Metroid research station."

"In one chamber, I wanted to put a fat giant metroid, like in the end of Super, and then tie in an explanation as to why some metroids (like the one in super) get really big in their larval state, but others evolve into more adult forms. Again, none of this is canon by any means, but just the fiction I wrote for myself when making the room."

"BIG METROID"
"Observations of captive Metroids display a rare anomaly in their developmental growth. Approximately .08% of contained specimens never reach the biological process that leads to their otherwise natural metamorphic stages of maturity. While developmental stages are stunted, physical growth continues at a congruent rate. Efficiency of energy consumption increases steadily as well. During behavioral analyses, greater intelligence and problem solving skills are observed. Heightened abilities of energy consumption make this anomaly a potential key in isolating and duplicating their feeding process artificially."

Trivia

 * After the initial Pirate encounter in this room, Samus can trigger more to appear and then release the Metroids. They will ignore the Pirates unlike in the other Prime games. The reason for this is possibly that they were never meant to meet in game, so they are not scripted to fight one another.