SkyTown's Spire Dock (also called the Spire Pod and the Spire) is initially a room of SkyTown, Elysia in Metroid Prime 3: Corruption. This room is also the location that holds the Theronian bomb after the completion of the weapon.
Description
The Spire Dock is a large floating pod that has three engines. The Spire appears to have been designed to be separated from SkyTown for construction. A holding chamber at the top of the Spire can host large items and ships, and is controlled by Aurora Unit 217 from the Aurora Chamber. Three ziplines on the side of the Spire connect to three portions of the city, so the Dock is also a sort of crossroads. After the Theronian Bomb is used on the Leviathan's shield, the Spire Dock is permanently destroyed, with no signs of being rebuilt, and Samus has to cross using Kinetic Orb Cannons instead, while sacrificing the use of traveling to the Aurora Unit Chamber.
Role
Firstly, Ghor's Armorsuit is seen here but with no Ghor. Samus just passes by while searching for the Boost Ball. Currently it serves as a three-way split.
When Samus is asked to hunt Ghor, she finds the armorsuit missing. Her Gunship then immediately gives a report on an "unknown entity" attacking it.
Later, 217 requests that the completed Theronian Bomb is placed in the Spire's hold. During the next discussion, he tells Samus that he plans on sacrificing the Spire hover above the Leviathan while having Samus to manually set it off, and then use the Escape Pod to return to SkyTown.
The AU releases the cables on the Spire, separating it from the rest of SkyTown with Samus staying on the Spire. The Spire then moves toward the Leviathan, until the Space Pirates detect Samus' movement towards the Seed, and send large forces of Pirate Troopers and Space Pirate Assault Skiffs to destroy the Spire's structure. After fending off the enemy units, Samus deactivates the three thrusters, which drops the Spire onto the Seed Shield, causing a thermonuclear explosion that destroys the shield itself.
Ben Sprout render of the maintenance area below the Escape Pod.
Samus escapes using an Escape Pod just in time to escape the detonation, having been slightly hindered by a malfunctioning Escape Pod mechanism, which she needed to fix. Samus's Escape Pod then docked back in Skytown, in a previously unused (but not inaccessible) room containing an Escape Pod cradle. The Elysia Seed was thus exposed, allowing Samus to pilot her ship to land inside.
For the remainder of the game, the Spire Dock is permanently destroyed, leaving a huge gap of where it once was. Also, two Kinetic Orb Cannons will be unlocked, but eliminates the one connected to the AU Chamber.
Connecting rooms
- Maintenance Shaft AU (via Blue Door)
- Security Station (via Blue Door)
- Junction (via Blue Door)
- Podworks (via tunnel)
Inhabitants
- Aerial Repair Drones (Until the Spire moves toward the Seed)
- Repair Drone (Until the Spire moves toward the Seed)
- Pirate Troopers (During movement of Spire)
- "Jolly Roger" Drones (During movement of Spire)
- Pirate Aerotroopers (During movement of Spire)
- Space Pirate Assault Skiffs (During movement of Spire)
- Space Pirate ATCs (During movement of Spire)
- Swarmbots (After defeat of Pirates, but before pod falls into shield)
- Steamspiders (below the escape pod)
Scans
- Retractable doors
- "Retractable doors are closed and covering a large cargo bay capable of storing massive objects."
- Hand Scanner
- "Escape pod trajectory has been determined. Operate to begin launch sequence."
- Hand Scanner (2)
- "Escape pod unable to launch. Track malfunction detected. Exit and restore track operations."
Trivia
- The Spire Dock may be a kind of storage unit for SkyTown. The large chamber that is used to hold the Theronian Bomb may originally have been intended to be used to store supplies due to it's large size. The open area where Ghor's armorsuit is initially located may also be an area for storing and/or receiving supplies.
- The Spire's name is confusing, as the pod has more of a domed shape, although "Spire" may refer to the pod's engine - an upturned spire.
Gallery
