Aurora Unit

For other uses, see Aurora Unit (Disambiguation).

“	"Ah, an organic supercomputer. Fascinating. It is my understanding that the Galactic Federation's core network is comprised of such units." "That is correct, Ghor. And we serve as the network's master control."	„
—Ghor and Aurora Unit 242

Aurora
Aurora Unit design.
Species	Organic super computer
Homeworld	Various
Affiliation	Created by the Galactic Federation

Aurora is the name of an organic supercomputer created twenty years prior to the events of Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, by a team of Galactic Federation scientists. Since that historical date, thousands of Aurora Units have been built and installed. Originally designed for scientific purposes, the Auroras are now used in government, business, and military roles as well. They are assigned male, female, or gender-neutral personas, based on the needs and desires of the staff at the facility they are to serve in. A vast network links all existing Auroras, allowing them access to a tremendous database without peer.

During the events of Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, the Federation's Aurora Units have been corrupted by a Phazon-based corruption virus, with the Federation believing the Space Pirates are to blame. An Aurora Unit, Aurora Unit 313, has also been stolen by Space Pirates from the GF ship Valhalla. Samus encounters three of these in the game. They are Aurora Unit 242, Aurora Unit 313, and Aurora Unit 217. Aurora Unit 486 is also mentioned in a Logbook entry as the designer of the terraforming project on Norion, because the planet was previously uninhabitable. Aurora Units always speak in collective first-person, much like the Borg in Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Voyager.

Concept art

Notable Units

• Aurora Unit 217 (stationed on Elysia in SkyTown, originally on Demeter)
• Aurora Unit 242 (stationed on G.F.S. Olympus)
• Aurora Unit 313 (stationed on G.F.S. Valhalla, later sent to Phaaze by Dark Samus)
• Aurora Unit 486 (unknown location, stationed on Norion)

Similar supercomputers

The Aurora Units bear a striking resemblance to Mother Brain, though Auroras have a more mechanical appearance compared to the mostly organic Mother Brain. Mother Brain was built by the Chozo many years before the AUs' creation, though the manga indicates that the Federation had some part in this as well, as she was designed to link the Federation and Chozo information databases, similar to the function of the Aurora Units. AUs can control nearby weapon systems like Halberd-class turrets and other mechanisms, akin to Mother Brain using Cannons and Rinkas. Additionally, a trailer for Corruption shows blueprints made by the Federation for a "Future Aurora Complex" nearly identical to the Zebesian Command Center built by Space Pirates in Super Metroid. Beyond this, there is no concrete evidence as to how the supercomputers are related.

The Master Brain is an entity used by the Space Pirates as a Force Field generator for their Doomseye ship in Metroid Prime: Federation Force. It also controls other functions within the ship, such as deploying the Amplification beam and Grim-Class Turrets. Despite its name being an obvious reference to Mother Brain, its mechanical appearance gives it a stronger similarity to an AU.

In Metroid: Other M, it is revealed that the Galactic Federation has created another type of organic AI resembling a large featureless brain in a container; this is known as MB's first form. This entity possesses a copy of Mother Brain's mind.

The Central Units in Metroid Dread are also large cyclopean brains that not only share the same naming convention as Aurora Units, but also feature metal plating that encase the vulnerable neural tissue. Their location on a planet inhabited by the Chozo, however, suggests a stronger link to Mother Brain.

There are a few additional, though minor instances of brain-like entities wired to machinery. The Security Robot B.O.X. consists of a large brain controlling an otherwise fully machine body. The exposed head of theQuadraxis appears to be a metallic brain. The Alimbic Cortex Chamber features wired brain tissue suspended in tanks.

Official data

Information terminal (Docking Bay 4)

"Aurora Unit - GF DF AU068"
"20 years ago, a team of Federation scientists announced the birth of an organic supercomputer. Its name was...Aurora. Since that historic date, thousands of Auroras have been built and installed. Originally designed for scientific purposes, the Auroras are now used in government, business, and military roles as well. They are given male, female, or gender neutral personas, based on the needs and desires of the staff in the facility they are to serve in. A vast network links all existing Auroras, allowing them access to a tremendous database without peer."

Unused Logbook entries

"What's the matter? All I said was that Komaytos look like little Metr-"

---

Non-canon warning: This article or section contains information that may not be considered an official part of the Metroid series in the overall storyline by Nintendo.

Aurora Unit

Temporary scan

Galactic Federation Datafile AU-068.
(Aurora Unit)
Data moved to Logbook for review.

Logbook entry

GFDF AU-068

20 years ago, a team of Federation scientists announced the birth of an organic supercomputer. Its name was Aurora. Since that historic date, thousands of Auroras have been built and installed. Originally designed for scientific purposes, the Auroras are now used in government, business, and military roles as well. They are given male, female, or gender-neutral personas, based on the needs and desires of the staff in the facility they are to serve in. A vast network links all existing Auroras, allowing them access to a tremendous database without peer.

Aurora Unit 313

Temporary scan

Galactic Federation Datafile AU-313.
(Aurora Unit 313)
Data moved to Logbook for review.

Logbook entry

GFDF AU-313

Before its abduction from the G.F.S Valhalla, Aurora Unit 313 was in service for twelve years. Available data indicates that the unit is out of order, and was possibly involved in the corruption of the Aurora network.

313 has always shown a satisfactory performance during its career, however, there were concerns about its unusually high aggression potential. As one of the few AUs, 313 was awarded the medal of honor. After the bridge crew fell during the Battle of Horus IV, it assumed command of the Valhalla. Without this fast action, the battleship would have been lost.

Aurora Unit 242

Temporary scan

Morphology: Aurora Unit 242
One of many Galactic Federation organic supercomputers.

Logbook entry

Aurora Unit 242 has been in service for 18 years, built in tandem with the battleship G.F.S. Olympus. As the AU for the flagship of the 7th Fleet, 242 has had a distinguished career. 242 maintains a positive relationship with many personnel on board the G.F.S. Olympus. Veteran crew members often refer to 242 as "Other Brain," a practice frowned upon by Admiral Dane.

Non-canon warning: Non-canonical information ends here.

Trivia

• Although Aurora Units and MB are both creations of the Federation, MB is seemingly more organic and is programmed to think like Mother Brain, which eventually leads to it also manifesting a rebellious nature and a superiority complex. It cannot be said for certain that AUs are completely benevolent: an unused Logbook entry mentions AU 313's strange, aggressive behavior long before it is ever corrupted by Phazon.

• MB lacks any semblance of an eye in her original form. Regular AUs have what appear to be multiple ocular devices arranged vertically at their front while the rogue 313 had a single large one.
• Their resemblance to Mother Brain is referenced in a cut version of Aurora 242's Logbook entry, where it mentioned that the crew members of the Olympus gave her the nickname of "Other Brain", a practice that Fleet Admiral Castor Dane disapproves of.

• The Galactic Federation has been known to reverse-engineer many of the Chozo's advanced technology. The AUs may be reversed-engineered versions of Mother Brain.

• AU's somewhat resemble Mother Brain's original appearance in Metroid, since they also seem to possess long cables connected to an orifice in front, just like the original Mother Brain.
• AU 313 showed that its kind can be installed on structures that enable combat applications, much like Mother Brain being connected to her mobile body in Super Metroid.

• Strangely, the AUs refer to themselves as "we", "our", or "us", suggesting that the entire network shares a collective consciousness or speaks for the entire Federation. There are some points, however, when 242 says "I".

• If one looks very closely at the communications terminals in front of Aurora Units (as well as nearly every Galactic Federation-owned screen), one will find that some of the lines of text read "What Will You Do?" and "You Can't Do That On Television!", both of which were early '90s Nickelodeon shows.
• After "curing" AU 217, it takes Samus around a minute and a half to get out of the maintenance level and interface with it. In that short time, 217 is able to: reboot itself, reestablish communication with the AU network, download and analyze the information of the last five months, use the Leviathan and SkyTown's data to devise a plan to destroy the shield, and use both Ghor and Samus's abilities and weaknesses to further develop the plan. Because 217 has been infected and isolated from the network five months prior to Samus's arrival, it is unlikely it could have done all the calculations and planning before being restored.

Gallery

Aurora Unit 242 concept art.

Danny Richardson render

A unit in an Aurora Unit tank.

Blueprints for a Future Aurora Complex that looks similar to the Zebesian Command Center in Tourian.

Aurora Unit 217.

Samus battles Aurora Unit 313.