Restricted Laboratory

“	Samus, you shouldn't have done that. You ignored your orders. You may have to pay a price for that quite soon...	„
—Adam

Metroids kept in stasis during various stages of development.

The Restricted Laboratory is a facility located in the Restricted Zone on the Biologic Space Laboratories research station. It is found in a separate area at the bottom of the Main Deck, and is connected to Sector 1 (SRX) and Sector 6 (NOC); the lab is designed to be detached in case of an emergency or a security breach. The Galactic Federation built it to house the captive-bred Metroids that they created from the DNA of the last Metroid.

Some or all Metroids in the lab have been tampered with so they can quickly develop into their advanced stages. According to the computerized Commander Adam Malkovich, a young Metroid larva can become an Omega Metroid in a matter of days, though this assessment proves to be incorrect, as one specimen manages to achieve said form in mere hours or less.

Description

When Samus Aran discovers the entrance to the Restricted Lab in Sector 6, she triggers an alarm that repeats the phrase "Warning: No entry without authorization". Unable to enter, Samus retraces her steps and promptly runs into the Security Robot B.O.X. that she has encountered in Sector 3 (PYR). After defeating it, Samus absorbs the Core-X left behind and regains the Wave Beam ability. With the Wave Beam, she is able to break into the Restricted Lab by opening a shutter from the opposite side of its opening mechanism.

Inside the lab is a massive tube filled with several Infant Metroids floating around; in the next room, a mature Metroid larva, an Alpha Metroid, a Gamma Metroid, and a Zeta Metroid are being kept in large green tubes that resembled the baby's container on the Ceres Space Colony. Upon the discovery of these specimens, Samus realizes that the Galactic Federation has lied to her about its intentions with the Metroids; instead of exterminating them, they are researching and breeding these creatures. By destroying the Space Pirate organization and rendering the Metroids extinct on SR388, Samus has unintentionally assured that only the Federation will be in possession of these dangerous creatures.

“	Fire alert. This sector will soon be locked down.	„
—PA,

“	Sixty seconds to isolation lockdown.	„
—PA,

Samus encounters the SA-X assaulting the laboratory, the latter soon being swarmed by the now released Metroids previously in containment.

As Samus continues to explore the lab, an SA-X that has been tracking her enters the Restricted Laboratory and severely damages it. Her mimic seemingly manages to kill some of the Infant Metroids before they overwhelm her, but it nevertheless accomplishes its goal: the lab's security has been breached, and emergency failsafe measures immediately take effect. A one-minute Countdown to the detachment of the entire Restricted Lab begins. Samus is able to escape before the lab detaches from the B.S.L. research station and self-destructs, killing the SA-X and what are apparently the last living Metroids in existence. However, at least one Metroid escapes the destruction and, as a result of the scientists' unknown tampering, it quickly advances to the Omega Metroid stage, but is later killed by Samus when she is escaping the B.S.L. station.

Incidentally, the only actual Metroids in Metroid Fusion (aside from the escapee and Samus herself) are found in the Restricted Laboratory, and they do not actually damage Samus; they do float around in a frenzy as Samus attempts to escape, and they can interfere with her attempts to Space Jump up the escape shaft. The most likely reason that the Metroids do not attack Samus is because they see her as one of them due to the Metroid DNA in her body, though no explanation is provided to the Omega Metroid's hostility towards her.

Unlike the BOTTLE SHIP's Project Metroid Warriors, which is designed to use the creatures as bioweapons, the Metroid-breeding program on the B.S.L. station is for peaceful purposes only, according to the computerized Adam. Samus is scolded by the computer for being partly responsible for the Restricted Laboratory's destruction.

Onscreen message

"60 seconds to detachment of Restricted Laboratory."

Enemies

With the exception of the Infant Metroids, all Metroids are only seen in stasis. None of these enemies can notice or attack Samus.

• Infant Metroid
• Metroid larva
• Alpha Metroid
• Gamma Metroid
• Zeta Metroid
• SA-X

Trivia

• Parts of Fusion are inspired by the film Alien Resurrection; an example being the female protagonist being reborn as a hybrid of herself and both series' alien species. In Resurrection, Ellen Ripley, the protagonist of the Alien series, mourns when she kills her preceding seven clones by incinerating the lab, and at the end of the film when she flushes the Newborn out into the vacuum of space through a broken window pane. Unlike Ripley, Samus is never seen to mourn the destruction of the Metroids in the Restricted Lab or her killing the Omega Metroid, even though she possesses Metroid DNA at the time.
• The Restricted Laboratory contains several parallels to the prequel's Sector Zero; Metroids are bred, both sections detach via failsafe protocols if they receive enough damage, both are detached by someone other than Samus, and both stations are successfully destroyed.
• It is possible that a Queen Metroid could have been bred in the Restricted Laboratory, as Samus encounters one on another station during the events of Metroid: Other M. However, it is also said that the Federation has never expected a Metroid to grow to such lengths in so little time, and the methods used by MB to grow a Queen outside of the environment of SR388 are never revealed to anyone. Also, when Adam opens up and reveals everything to Samus after the destruction of the Restricted Laboratory, he fails to mention any Queen Metroid onboard the B.S.L. station.
• The sequence where the Restricted Laboratory is undergoing the isolation lockdown and jettisoned into space is technically the only time where the frantic version of the musical theme SA-X Appears plays without the SA-X actually pursuing or even noticing Samus.
• In the second room of the Restricted Laboratory, there are a total of eight stands for the capsules that the Metroids are suspended in, with four in the background and foreground. However, there are only seven capsules, as one of them in the background appears to be missing.
  • This could relate to a possible foreshadowing of the Omega Metroid that Samus battles just before escaping the B.S.L. station, or it could merely be a coincidence.
• The top portion of the main room before the SA-X attacks can only be reached via Debug Menu. Even if reached, the camera will normally always scroll down to the second floor of the room. Interestingly, the top-right door where Samus would normally escape the lab from cannot be opened.
  • Via the Debug Menu, the Speed Booster and the Screw Attack allow Samus to phase through the escaped Infant Metroids without being stunned.
• The number of Infant Metroids present in the first room of the lab is greatly diminished by the time Samus returns to it and stumbles upon the SA-X attacking the creatures. This implies that her mimic successfully kills several Metroids offscreen; although it is never seen using the Ice Beam against the remaining Infant Metroids, the fact that the later Omega Metroid is vulnerable to the weapon suggests that it is also used in the lab to kill the missing specimens.
  • The SA-X deciding to erratically shoot the room instead of killing the remaining Metroids may be intentional, as it possibly wants to sufficiently damage the lab to trigger its detachment and subsequent explosion. Sacrificing itself and taking out all Metroids in the process would ensure the safety of X Parasites elsewhere; a similar plan is attempted by the X that mimics a scientist.
• Since the Metroids as a species are confirmed to be completely extinct by the time of Metroid Dread, it can be purported that all existing Metroid samples are contained in the Restricted Laboratory, except for the Omega Metroid encountered later.

Gallery

The Main Lab where the Metroids are being kept. The top portion where Samus eventually escapes is never seen intact during normal exploration.

Inside the Restricted Laboratory.

Full background of the West Metroid containment room.

The entire main room destroyed by the SA-X's assault.

1 minute detachment sequence.

Video

Metroid Fusion - Restricted Laboratory