Meanwhile, outside of the parties...

[chozo_girl]

And while the rest of the Chalice celebrates in loud parties, in the Arboretum, Samus sits, crosslegged and with closed eyes, under the biggest tree. As she usually does, in fact - people may have already started to grow accustomed to seeing her there, really. One wonders when the hell this woman sleeps, given the amount of time she spends there.

She's not really one for parties, and she doesn't really understand this Christmas business (being raised by aliens from another dimension will do that). It seems to be some kind of thanks festival, but the details of it elude the mind of someone operating on Chozo logic, for now.

And so, she never saw a particular reason to participate in any of the festivities. She intends to simply spend the day with her thoughts. Much to think about, after all.

(I figured there would be people that preferred to chat a bit with the weirdo in the Arboretum, or variously chill out around, rather than go to the parties. Hence, here we are!)

Comments

[saikyocivrobo]

I can't argue with that. I don't particularily enjoy crowds stuffing themselves into a small room, being loud and getting drunk either.

[chozo_girl]

[Samus nods]

I am given to understand many humans enjoy alcohol intoxication greatly, so they incorporate it in their celebrations. Different cultures have different standards. [Samus mentions this rather conversationally. Though the way she speaks of humans in sort-of-third person may be a tad telling]

[saikyocivrobo]

You're saying this as if you weren't a human yourself. Not that I disagree.

[chozo_girl]

[Samus looks slightly bothered for a second. She then sighs slightly, laying a bit back and looking upwards]

I am primarily human on a biological level, by virtue of birth, yes. But I was not raised as one. Your culture is as much a mystery to me as it would be to a Cylosian.

[saikyocivrobo]

Primarily?

[chozo_girl]

[Samus nods] A large part of my biological configuration and DNA is Chozo.

[saikyocivrobo]

Huh, does that mean one of your parents was partially Chozo? Not fully, I assume, otherwise it would be half and half.

Not that I really know who Chozo are, mind.

[chozo_girl]

[Samus shakes her head]Both my biological parents were human. Both my adoptive parents were Chozo. Though half and half would not be too far off. 42% of my genetic profile is Chozo.

And the Chozo are just the sapient species I grew up in. But as this is most likely not the dimension I grew up in, I am not surprised to hear they are not known here.

[saikyocivrobo]

Either Chozo genes can pass from parents to children by adoption, or I'd have to ask for more details on how is that possible.

[chozo_girl]

Modification. It was required to allow me to survive in Zebes, the planet where they lived. Its atmosphere was poisonous to humans, as was most of the fauna and flora.

[Samus seems a bit mroe thoughtful than before. The route down memory lane is not pleasant]

[saikyocivrobo]

I see. That didn't come with any... unpleasant side effects, did it?

Could you tell me more about the Chozo? I'm a sponge when it comes to information about alien races.

[chozo_girl]

No. Chozo biological technology was an age more advanced than other races'. I was allowed to keep the best genetic features of both species. It was a blessing, despite the circumstances.

And I could try. I am no historian, however. What do you want to know?

[saikyocivrobo]

Physiology would be a good start. How do they look like, what do they eat, do they have any special abilities in comparison to humans, and such. Are they similar to us, or massively different?

[chozo_girl]

Hm. [Samus stops for a second, to collect her thoughts. She's not really used to talking a lot]

No, they do not look much like humans. They have a roughly humanoid shape, but whereas humans were evolved from apes and keep many of their traits, Chozo were from birds, and keep the beaks and feathers. They are taller than humans, averaging 240 centimetres, but weigh about the same, and have much longer extremities proportional to their body. They are omnivorous, but show a preference for vegetables.

As for special abilities... much greater agility, hand-eye coordination, visual acuity, and reaction times. As well, in the thousands of years since the... I suppose Turning Point would be the most accurate way to translate from Chozo, they unlocked many of the msyteries of the cosmos, and began to develop many senses and capabilities that seem magic to those who do not understand.

[Samus pauses, to see if Werter wants any clarification, and because honestly she's not chained so many words together since forever]

[saikyocivrobo]

Finally a friendly alien race that differs significantly from humans! Not that I have anything against the human-like ones, but doesn't it feel disappointing to find out that a species which evolved on another planet somehow looks extremely similar to us? It's a pity I can't travel between dimensions to meet up with them.

[chozo_girl]

That is unusual. Are there so many sapient species in your dimension that share characteristics with humans? There are not many that do in Galactic Federation space. Almost all of the known species share very little among themselves, humanity included. Cylosians, Phyrgisians, Enoemas, Vhozon, Luminoth... and of course the Space Pirates, though they are less a single species and more a collective of multiple sapient species in a bid for power.

[saikyocivrobo]

Well, all the alien races I knew about until now belonged to one or more of these categories: human-like, robots, human-like robots, or evil rampaging monsters that may or may not be sentient. I guess our universe has a much less imaginative creator than yours.

[chozo_girl]

[Samus seems mildly surprised at that. The idea of human aliens is just weird to her] I would guess there must be some ancient evolutionary relation. It would be the only thing that makes sense for such an improbably occurence.

If there was a species like the Chozo in this dimension, but when they accelerated the evolution of primitive beings they decided to homogenize species instead of staying in strict non-interference...

[saikyocivrobo]

Maybe. I know there is a theory that explains such things, but since it's complex and not really my field I don't know much about it.

The Chozo uplifted other species? Don't tell me they did that with humans.

[chozo_girl]

[Samus nods] I do not know the details. It is ancient history. But I would assume so. Human spacecrafts share too many details with Chozo designs to think otherwise.

[saikyocivrobo]

Now I wonder do we have a Chozo equivalent here. And will I meet them one day or are they extinct already.

So... Does the Chozo DNA have any visible effects on your physiology? You don't look very bird-like.

[chozo_girl]

[Samus nods]Or gone. There were few Chozo left in the galaxy. After Zebes, I doubt there are more than a handful left.

[At the second part, she shrugs slightly]Most of the effects are internal. Tissue, bone structure, organ configuration, metabolism. Some instinctual triggers. But I can reliably pass for a human of above-average height as long as nobody scans me or pays close attention. I assume this was intentional.

[Also, it's hard to put one's finger on what, but Samus's eyes are a bit unnerving - and with this data, it's easy to realize why, as they are slightly birdlike]

[saikyocivrobo]

So that's why you've been using past tense... What happened with the Chozo on Zebes?

[chozo_girl]

[Samus closes her eyes for a moment. These are not pleasant memories. There's a pretty sharp steel in her voice when she speaks again]Most are dead. They were betrayed, trapped, and killed by Space Pirates. Those who were not, escaped beyond.

[saikyocivrobo]

That's really awful. Are you out for vengeance now?