Learning to Fly

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Samus Aran, fourteen years old,

This day marked yet another major change for me. It was the end of the chapter of my life that began eleven years before, when I was rescued by the Chozo. And it was the beginning of the chapter that would last for another seven years, which would end when I started working directly for the Federation.

Looking back on my life as a whole, I see it as four distinct parts, the first being when I was a small child and lived with my birth parents. Having little to no clear memories of that time, I don't really consider it that significant. The latest period, being now, working for the federation as a bounty hunter/mercenary, taking on jobs no one else wants or is capable of doing. A time marked by fame, recognition, respect, and even wealth. This time is what most people know me for, and isn't worth retelling here.

Another distinct period is the time I lived with the Chozo. It's ironic, because while it was the most abnormal period of my life, for me it's when I felt the most normal, probably because I didn't know any different way to live. During this time I learned most of what I know today, the skills I use in my missions to earn me all that fame. Under the watch of the Chozo I learned how to fight and wage war, how to use my powersuit and other skills I'd need to survive, such as hunting and foraging, as well as how to use and repair machines. Though, I would come to realize there were many things I wasn't taught, as this chapter of my life ended and the third began.

I was busy training at the time, as I was almost all the time, and had just finished a sort of makeshift obstacle course. Towers of rock, carved out by eons of winds on the surface of Zebes, stood tall in the chasm behind me. I had managed to cross the canyon by leaping from pillar to pillar, alternating between jumps and hand springs. It was a ridiculous and contrived exercise that would have been infinitely easier with my powersuit, but then there would have been no point in it. When I first started doing stunts like that they terrified me. But after nearly eleven years they had become routine, just another blasé part of my life, and they didn’t really bother me anymore.

As I sat there on the edge of the cliff, catching my breath, I was approached from behind; unaware he'd been watching me. I still needed to work on being more attentive to my surroundings.

"That was excellent, Samus. I think you've mastered precise control over your movements."

"Grandpa?"

"You will make a better warrior than any of us ever could."

"Why do you say that?" 

"Our race lacks the ferociousness and tenacity necessary for battle. You humans are a fascinating breed, capable of both great and terrible things."

"Huh?"

"You are a young race compared to most of the galaxy's inhabitants, but you show promise. You only need to be shown the right path."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Samus, walk with me. I have something to discuss with you."

I left my spot by the cliffs and went with him, not understanding what he was talking about. I'm not sure even now what he meant exactly, though I think he was trying to point me in the right direction for the future. Or maybe he was just trying to sound philosophical and introspective. Living among them, I had developed a sense that the Chozo simply liked to hear themselves talk.

We walked across the mostly barren, rocky landscape of Zebes, back towards our settlement, and he was uncommonly quiet for some time. "What did you want to talk about?" I asked. 

"What was the last thing you learned from us?"

"Um, I learned how to jump that gorge..."

"No, that was something you accomplished by practicing. What was the last thing we taught you?"

"I... don't really remember."

"That is because it has been quite a while, has it not?"

"I guess."

"Samus, there is nothing more we have to teach you. However there are a great many things you have yet to learn."

"Like what?"

"That too, you must learn for yourself."

"I don't understand. Is this some kind of test?"

"No, Samus, it is time you left the nest."

"Leave?"

"Yes. You have been taught how to shoot your cannon accurately; you have been taught how to attack and avoid being attacked; you have learned all the ways and tricks of battle; you have learned how to survive and live off the land. You have not only learned these things, but have become a master of them. Now it is time for you to learn to fly."

"Fly? But not even you can do that."

"I do not mean literally. Samus, we Chozo are not long for this world. This group here is the last. And soon we too will have gone on to the next world."

"You're... Are you going to die?"

"No. We will no longer be part of this world, but we will live on. Our society is ancient; for hundreds of millennia we have watched over the galaxy. We have accomplished all there is to accomplish, mastered every science, explored every corner of creation, answered every question. There is nothing left for us here. It is time to let the other races shine, let them have their turn. There are... higher planes of existence, other dimensions for us to explore. Most of our race has migrated there already; it will not be long until we go as well.

"And... and what should I do then?"

"Live. But not here. Rejoin your human brethren. Learn who you are and where you come from. Use what we have taught you to forge your own path. Follow what you know to be right and I have faith that you will become someone truly great."

"I... I don't want to go. This is my home. I don't want to lose that... not a second time... I... I don't care about being great! I just want to stay here." I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Sending me away from the place I called home, and after what happened to my last one. Didn’t he understand? Didn’t he get how much it would hurt to make me go through that again?

"If you stay you will be all alone. You do not have to become a great person if you don't want to. I only thought it would be something for you to aspire to. It is your life. Live it as you wish, but for your own sake, do not do it here." 

I wanted to push the issue further, and I could have, but I had learned long since that arguing with a Chozo, especially Grandpa, was an exercise in futility. Always, their superior logic and reasoning, and relentless, long winded lectures wore down any resolve I had, no matter how right I thought I was. I'd just given up trying to disagree with them. I sighed in defeat.

"Come child," he said, placing his talon on my shoulder, and guiding me along. We walked for a while longer and came to a landing pad where their one and only ship had been docked. It wasn't even a Chozo ship, just a rundown Federation freighter that my grandpa had acquired some years before.

"Here," he said, handing me its ignition chip. "Do not think I have not noticed you eyeing it for some time now."

"You're giving me this?"

"We will not need it where we are going. In fact, it is impossible to take with us. You know how to pilot it, correct? I have seen you on the simulator."

"Yeah."

"Well off you go then. I wish you the best in whichever path you choose. Farewell."

"What! You want me to leave now? Can't... can't I stay a while longer?" I didn’t expect he meant right then when he said I was to leave.

"As I said, you would be doing it alone."

"Then... can't you stay a while longer too?"

"We have already delayed for a few years now. The few of us have stayed behind only to make sure you were looked after until you were ready to fly on your own."

"But... don't I need supplies?" I said in a flimsy attempt to make excuses.

"The ship has already been stocked; you have every thing you need to reach the heart of the Federation."

"But I just... I... can't I have some time?"

"We are due to depart this world as well very soon. I have other preparations to attend to. There is nothing to be gained by delaying."

"Ugh, Al-alright."

"Samus, there is one thing you should consider before you leave. The powersuit we have given you is a very powerful weapon, use it responsibly. It is a tool, not a crutch, and certainly not a toy; you should not use it unless it is necessary."

"I... I understand." I turned to leave but only got a few steps before I turned back around to face him again. "Grandpa?"

"Yes? What is it?"

"Umm... Uh..." Without thinking I threw my arms around him and hugged him tightly. I'm not sure if he understood; hugging just wasn't something the Chozo did. Nor I for that matter, but it was one of the very few things I remembered from my early childhood, and it just felt like something that I should do. "Thank you..." I said, "For everything."

"I know this appears difficult to you; you are still so very young by human standards. But I know you. You have the strength to overcome any hardship. This will be nothing for you," he said matter-of-factly. 

For the highly intelligent beings that they were, I don’t think the Chozo comprehended human emotions; I never got that sense while living with them. I didn’t realize the deficiency back then because I had nothing to compare to, but it's obvious to me now having had more experience with my own kind. And it's clear to me that it had an affect on me, as I similarly have trouble recognizing emotions in others and even in myself sometimes.

"Yes... you're right, as always," I said as I released him. "Well, I... I should be going now. Uh... goodbye."

"Farewell, Samus."

I nodded and turned, then proceeded up the drop ramp into the ship. As I climbed into the pilot's seat, I wasn't sure how I should feel. I was very conflicted. I wanted to be scared and apprehensive about this sudden change, but that went against all the training I had received; I couldn't allow myself to feel fear. I wanted to be angry with Grandpa for forcing this on me, but I realized he'd been sticking around and putting off what he needed to do solely for my benefit, so I couldn't be mad. I realized that I was losing my only family for the second time and that I would once again be the only survivor. But I also knew I'd take a piece of them with me. In addition to their technology, the powersuit, I held both their teachings and their blood within me; I alone would now carry on their legacy.

The ship started as I inserted its ignition chip and its security code was verified. I took the controls and lifted the ship off the pad, then piloted it up and out of Zebes' atmosphere. Once clear of the planet, I opened the nav-computer and saw the course already laid out by the Chozo that took me to a Federation world called Perata VII, a world in the center of federation space less than a parsec from the capital world, Kortalth. I engaged the warp drive and the ship took off along the preset course. The slow freighter took several days to get there, during which time I mostly slept or did exercises, and just tried to keep my head clear of worrying thoughts.

Perata VII wasn't a terrestrial planet but a gas giant. The inhabitants lived in space colonies; massive orbiting space stations that were self-contained cities with populations in excess of eight hundred thousand each. There were slightly over a thousand stations in total. The only inhabited terrestrial body in the Perata system was Perata IV's largest moon, which was home to a small mining operation. The place I docked was called PC-304, short for Perata Colony number 304, a large cylinder about 8km long and 2.5km in diameter.

I flew my ship through a docking port on the exterior of the station and landed in the docking bay. As the drop ramp lowered I peered out of the ever widening crack until I could see the massive docking bay in its entirety. There must have been several hundred ships parked there. I stood at the foot of the ramp and looked around at my surroundings.

"Ok... What now?"

I was truly at a loss. There I was, alone, in a completely unfamiliar environment, with no idea where to go or what I was supposed to do. Every day for the past eleven years I knew exactly what I was supposed to do, as I was given constant instruction. Now I had to decide for myself, as my grandpa said 'Forge my own path'. I had no idea how I was going to do that. I didn't even have a goal to work towards; if I had that I could at least figure out the means to get there and would have some direction to head in. As it was I felt like a lost little child... which is exactly what I was.

For a long while I sat at the foot of my ship mulling over my situation. Finally deciding action was more my way, I figured I'd just get up and go, and see were I wound up. The first place to go was to leave the docking bay, and when I stepped outside I was surprised by the interior of the station. It almost felt like I was outdoors. The entire thing was completely hollow, and to my surprise had dirt, grass and trees everywhere. The inhabitants of the station lived on the interior surface of the cylinder, so when I looked up half expecting to see sky, only saw the opposite side of the cylinder, which was just more ground. It had the look of an aerial view of the landscape. It was disconcerting to see land above my head, and I couldn't help but feel like it would fall on me, even though I knew that was impossible; the rotation of the station simulated gravity at the surface and if anything fell it would fall outward, away from the station.

Getting over this unusual environment, I continued forward down the road that lead away from the docking bay. I was apparently in a town or city. There were many medium to large size buildings, though I could certainly see larger cities spotting the interior of the station. That was another odd thing about this kind of environment. Because the land curved upward instead of down there was no horizon, and the entire 'globe' was visible from any point on it.

The second unusual thing I became aware of was the people. There were so many of them. On Zebes it was just me and about twenty Chozo on the entire planet. Here there were slightly less than a million people living on what was a relatively small amount of land: sixty four square kilometers, I later learned. There were many humans here as well. Even though they were a fairly recent addition to the federation, which consisted of nearly sixty different races, over thirty percent of its population was human; based on just a cursory glance that percentage was much higher on PC-304. Other than myself, I hadn't seen another living human in over a decade, the majority of my life up to that point.

As I made my way through the busy part of town, I couldn't help but stare at the other humans. They all had parts like me. I was particularly fixated on their faces and hands. I held my own hand in front of me and visually compared it to those of the people I passed on the street. I stopped in front of a window and stared at my reflection in the glass, inspecting the features of my face. I was remarkably human, just like so many of the people there. There was a woman sitting in front of a store near me, I couldn't help but stare at her. I approached and held my hand up to hers, comparing.

"Can I help you?" she said and recoiled from me.

"You're... human."

"Yeah, and...?"

"I'm human too."

"I can see that... what do you want?" She sounded irritated and I found it strange that she responded to me in such a way, as I had never experienced an attitude like that before. Even if they were cold, the Chozo were never rude.

"Oh, n-nothing... never mind." I nervously backed away and left.

As the novelty of seeing other beings of my own species wore off, I found myself with the same problem I had before; having no direction or goal to work towards and feeling completely lost, even if I knew exactly where I was. I decided to return to my ship to think things through and start over. I entered the docking bay, and as I approached my ship I saw a couple of people standing on the drop ramp.

Curious as to what they were doing near my ship, I approached them. But before I could reach them the drop ramp closed, then the ship lifted off, hovered through the air, and then exited through the air lock in the floor. I only stood and watched, not understanding what I was seeing.

I went up to a person who appeared to be working there and asked him about it. He had a floor plate open and had his head buried in a mess of cables and wires.

"Where did those people take my ship?"

"What people? Who are you?" he said, pulling his head from the hole in the floor. Again, this guy sounded annoyed that I was talking to him.

"I'm Samus. The people who left in my ship."

"Who left in your ship?"

"People. I don't know them."

"People you don't know left in you ship?"

"Yes. When will they come back? I have to get some supplies from there."

"Kid, your ship was stolen, it ain't coming back."

"Stolen?"

"Who the hell would give a child a ship anyway? Serves you right," he muttered as he went back to work, sticking his head back in the hole in the floor. Was being impolite just part of being human?

I hadn't recognized the need to secure my ship, so I had left it open with the ignition chip still in it. I was completely unaware of the concept of crime and that people would just take things that didn't belong to them if they had the opportunity. I knew what the word meant but it never occurred to me that it was something that actually happened and that I needed to protect myself from it. At the time, in my mind the only bad things in the world were the kind that just showed up out of the blue and destroyed homes and killed people's mothers. I wasn't aware of the lesser forms of evil that existed.

Now, with my ship gone, I was more lost than ever. I needed to get it back; I had a weeks worth of food and water in there. Dejected, I left the hanger and walked back into town. With nothing to do and nowhere to go I wandered aimlessly again. For what seemed like a lot longer than it probably was, I walked until I came across a local police station. I stared at the building blankly until it clicked. If this was a crime then I needed to see the police about it. The logic seemed simple to me; I'd go to the police and they would hand me my ship back. That's how it worked.

I entered the lobby of the station and approached a young officer behind a counter. The name on his badge read Peter Ames Jansen.

"My ship was stolen. I want it back now," I told him bluntly.

"I see." He reached under the counter and produced a P.A.D. with a form on its screen. "Tell your parents they need to fill this out, and we can begin to process--"

"I don't have parents."

"Uh! ...Well, whoever your guardian is then."

"What's a guardian?"

"The person who takes care of you, who you live with. Come on, you're a big girl now, you should know these things."

"I don't have anyone like that. I'm by myself."

"By yourself? Oh... Then whose ship are you reporting stolen?"

"I told you it's my ship. Can't I just fill out the form?"

"Why does a little girl like you have her own ship?"

"My grandpa gave it to me. Can I get it back now?" I said flatly, annoyed at his age reference, didn't he just say I was a big girl, I wished he'd make up his mind already.

"Oh so it's your grandfather‘s ship. He's your guardian then."

"No, he gave it to me, then made me leave. I don't have a guardian."

"Made you leave? He kicked you out? Honey, he can't do that, it's illegal; he can't just kick a child out onto the streets. Where does he live?"

"Zebes. But he's not there anymore. He left."

"Zebes! You're not... Are you new on the station?"

"I just got here today."

"And you came here by yourself... Well you should have registered when you arrived. What is your name?"

"Samus Aran. What does this have to do with getting my ship back?"

"Look, I'm sorry kid, but it's not that simple. First fill out that form, and..." he retrieved another P.A.D with a different form and gave it to me. "Fill out this resident registration form as well. Then we can see about investigating the theft of your ship."

"Ok." I took the forms and sat down in the lobby.

The one he gave me to report my ship stolen was easy enough to complete, though it took a wile and was very tedious. The other form however, was near impossible to fill out, filled with questions about personal information and history that someone with a normal background would have little trouble answering, but I was anything but normal. I quickly learned that filling out forms was something I disliked intensely, which is something that hasn’t changed to this day. Several times I found myself getting frustrated and taking a break, stopping to just look around the police station at anything other than the form.

I eventually gave up. The only things I knew were: name, gender, and species. So I gave the forms back to him with just that information.

"I didn't know most of the things on that one," I explained.

He glanced it over. "That's alright. Most people leave some things blank. The computer can search through the database and see if there are any human girls named Samus Aran who are... Hmm you don't know how old you are?"

"I'm fourteen."

"You left 'date of birth' blank."

"I don't remember the date."

"Oh... well ok." He then looked over the theft report.

"When will you get my ship back?"

"Check again tomorrow. But you should know stolen ships are rarely recovered, intact at least. I'm sorry, we just don't have the resources to go looking for every stolen item."

"Oh... then... I'll go look myself!" I said and left abruptly, running from the police station in an attempt to track down my ship. I think I heard Jansen telling me to wait but I didn't listen.

It didn't take me long to realize the futility of my search however, and my growing hunger helped in that regard. All my supplies were on the ship so I would have to find some other source of food. On Zebes the Chozo grew everything in gardens, and if you wanted meat you would have to hunt for it. I saw no gardens here; the only vegetation on PC-304 was grass and fruitless trees. And after a short time I realized there was no wildlife either. It was a rather sterile and mechanical environment; the plants were there only to produce oxygen. I really missed Zebes.

I knew there had to be food, however, because these people needed to eat. I returned to the denser part of town and looked around but to no avail. I walked up to one man on the street. "Where can I get food?" I asked him. He just shrugged and went on his way, obviously not wanting to bother with a complete stranger. Dejected, I continued on and asked a couple more people. I got similarly evasive responses, and was getting frustrated at how uncooperative everyone on this station seemed to be.

It then hit me, the smell of food. It came from the building I was passing. The front of this place was mostly glass windows, and inside I could see people sitting down to eat. With much haste, I entered the diner and went up to the counter. On the wall above the counter were the pictures and names of different dishes. I went through the entire list reading the names of each. My mouth watered at the combined sight of them and the smell of food that hung heavy in the place. I finally decided on something called steak. I'd never heard of it before but from the image it looked like meat. I got the attention of the clerk, a green skinned, large eyed alien with a wide toothless mouth; he reminded me of a frog. Calling him over, I ordered the steak from him.

"One twenty nine," the clerk said in a boorish tone, and stared expectantly at me.

"Hmm? One twenty nine what?" I said truly confused.

"It's a hundred and twenty nine credits."

"What is?"

"Your food. You have to pay for it, you ignorant little whelp." Apparently it wasn’t just humans, everyone here was irritable.

"Pay? With... credits? I don't understand."

"You don't under-- Kid, if you don't have any money, then get the hell out."

"Money?" I looked to the board again I see the number 129, and a strange character I'd never seen before, listed next to the dish I ordered. "Oh..." was all I could say.

"Out," he repeated, his arm extended to the door.

I walked out again. Depressed and hungry, I leaned against the wall right outside the diner, arms folded and eyes closed. 'This isn't going too well,' I thought. 'Grandpa, what am I supposed to do?'

As I left the diner, I noticed the sign above its door, and upon closer inspection realized that a lot of the buildings were labeled similarly. It then clicked that these signs indicated what kind of place the building was.

I continued walking, aimlessly. It was all I could do. It was better than sitting still and doing nothing. At least I didn't feel sedentary. It must have been hours that I walked; I ended up on the other side of the station. It was getting dark now, which I thought odd considering this was an artificial environment, but I guessed it made sense to simulate a day/night cycle. I began to feel tired now as well.

Using what I learned from the diner and the signs, I located a building called a hotel, I only knew it was some place to sleep because it had an icon of a bed on its sign. I entered the lobby of the tall building and went up to the desk. Before I even spoke to the clerk I noticed a sign that said rooms were eight hundred credits a night. I left.

Walking more, I found myself on a busy street with many people passing by even though it was so late and dark. I was weary, lost, and hungry, and I found it increasingly difficult to continue walking. The secluded alleyway I had just passed now looked quite inviting. I sat down against the wall and pulled my knees up in front of me.

'I've sure made a mess of this situation.' I cursed myself for being so careless with the ship, and I cursed myself for failing so miserably at this task, the last task my grandpa had given me. I closed my eyes and tried to sleep, and prayed I didn't dream. I didn't need to deal with that on top of everything else.

I awoke in the middle of the night, shivering; I was terribly cold. Apparently at night they let the temperature drop by nearly fifteen degrees Celsius, to save on energy consumption. I was tempted to activate my armor. My hand slid into the pocket of my simple off-white jumpsuit, clutching the powersuit's storage unit. But then I remembered grandpa's words: the powersuit is a tool, not a crutch. I instead wrapped myself in discarded newspapers and tried to fall back asleep.

To be continued...