#halleyatfacetroid

[motheratfacetroid]

*Engrael stood by an operating table, vial of Chozo blood at his side. Mother's empty chamber was silent save for the clinking of glass and test tubes as Engrael made an attempt to analyze the substance. Graj entered the room, prompting a disapproving stare from Engrael.*

Engrael: Hemoalchemy is no easy feat. I told you, no interruptions.

Graj: Urgent status reports.

Engrael: Go on.

Graj: Data has successfully been retrieved from Drelion.

Engrael: Have it sent to the Brain Spires. We still need researchers to incorporate the plans into the spires. Right now they're only amplifying Mother's brainwaves.

Graj: Zebetite transport shuttles have successfully been delivered via the established rift on Zebes. Rift formation on Bryyo and Norion are as of yet unstable and nonfunctional.

Engrael: Good, Mother's connection to Zebes must be maintaining the portal. When Mother completes her objective on Final Destination, she should be powerful enough to maintain more portals, then we can bring in fuel gel from Bryyo and biomatter from Norion.

Graj: Sub-Tourian Overseer wishes to advise that unauthorized pirates have made their way to Phaaze via the Zebes rift.

Engrael: Acknowledged. Unimportant.

Graj: Katie and the Maridian Marines have successfully apprehended Samus Aran and Blujay Aramada.

Engrael: Acknowledged. Send a corpse-retrieval request to Katie for both of them. Preferably with the parts identifiable.

Graj: Last status report. Subject Aftershock has fled the facility and has caused unrest among some of the personnel.

Engrael: It's fine, leave her be. She'll be back. Tourian is a difficult place to be for a long period. We can eliminate Svychx without her assistance, if need be. What's the status on Halley's weapon shipment?

Graj: Still awaiting confirmation.

Engrael: Escalate priority.

*Engrael went back to his work, pouring a compound onto a single drop of Chozo blood. The ensuing reaction steamed and hissed, the blood fizzling away. He looked up in anger, Graj still within the room.*

Engrael: What is it?

Graj: Have you slept?

Engrael: I have not.

*Graj stood there, with patience and concern. Engrael's attention returned to his chemistry.*

Engrael: Leave.

[halleyatfacetroid]

*Halley stands at the helm of the Luxor, merely looking at a zoomed-in image of the screen before him showing the metallic core of Tourian surrounded by pink growths, stretching out toward massive spikes that surround the structure. Ezekiel stands beside him, staring along with him in silence. Finally, Limaçon breaks the silence in the semi crowded room.*

Limaçon: Haven’t we been here before?

*Halley and Ezekiel look over at him.*

Halley: Hm? Limaçon: Phaaze being corrupted by stuff? Doesn’t this seem familiar? Halley: Yeah, but... this is different. This isn’t just another strain of phazon, and this is all Mother Brain’s doing. Which means Dark Samus gave her permission to do this. Limaçon: So that alliance really is becoming official. Halley: No, that’s the thing. Mother Brain is eating her planet, and she’s okay with it. I’m... I’m watching Dark Samus relinquish power to Mother, and I have to say, I’ve been waiting for this for years. Ezekiel: ... What? You hesitated to place yourself under Mother Brain’s command. Halley: No no, that came out wrong. It’s just... Dark Samus could be her own downfall. Her obsession with Mother Brain might just lead her to forfeit all her power. And I don’t like Mother, but I’m much happier to work under her than to work under Svychx. Mother Brain is at least rational and focused, but Dark Samus is like a... crazy, self-obsessed pretend god. Limaçon: You’re really starting to like Mother Brain, aren’t you?

*Halley merely mutters in response*

Halley: ... Shut it.

[motheratfacetroid]

Engrael: Mother isn't in Tourian. She's feeding off Phaaze. Things are getting tense here with Svychx, which is why she's put you in a supervising role. If things go awry, we need a contingency plan.

*He was silent after that, deep in contemplation.*

[halleyatfacetroid]

I’d have to ask Ezekiel where he got his, because I have no idea how he came across it. But he loves that gun, and he makes a lot of his own shells, he showed me some of them. I was already going to authorize further research on his system. ... Dare I ask why you’d be looking into this?

[motheratfacetroid]

Engrael: An old shotgun? Odd, but it's been proven to work. Any chance Tourian could come into possession of such weapons? I fear we may need it.

[halleyatfacetroid]

Oh, yeah. That was Ezekiel’s creation. He has this practically ancient shotgun, and uses different kinds of shells with it. He files it all under an experimental weaponry license, but I’ve been interested in that ingstorm one too, ever since he used it to subdue Dark Samus. He said it was a genetically modified version that was contained and couldn’t spread, but the fact that he didn’t even tell me about it was sort of frightening. Although, to be fair... He is pretty frightening. He served under Cathxra, after all. ... Rambling again. I do that a lot.

[motheratfacetroid]

Engrael: I see. We scientists are pulled into these sorts of politics far too often. I'm sure Mother would find you a fine caretaker, given the chance. This work is getting stressful, not sure how long I can put up with this. Anyway, I'll try not to bother you too much with authorizations.

*Engrael sighed, making half-hearted effort to push his furniture back in place before giving up.*

Engrael: Onto my request. I've come across the knowledge that you have some sort of ingstorm weapon on board your ship. Could you be so kind as to send a couple of those down here?

[halleyatfacetroid]

*Halley takes the call an his personal communicator and steps out of the bridge as he answers.*

Your authorizations shouldn’t have changed since the shift. Now I think it’s just another level of oversight. Speaking of which, I think that whole thing is just Svychx trying to get back at me by forcing me to help her and Mother Brain. I’m just glad I have a Vice Admiral who understands this crap, because I sure don’t. I’m a scientist, first and foremost. ... Sorry, what was it you needed?