Spire Dock

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 stores 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 present. 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 that his armorsuit is missing. Her Gunship's Chozo biotech computer 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 by having it hover above the Leviathan while having Samus manually turn its thrusters off, and then use the Dock's 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. 
Samus escapes the Spire's destruction just in time using its Escape Pod, having been slightly hindered by a malfunctioning mechanism in the podworks that she was required to fix. After Samus activates the pod, it docks 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 Gunship to the seed and kill its guardian once 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 Aurora Chamber.
Should Samus be killed during the Spire defense sequence, the game will resume from a checkpoint at the start of her last conversation with 217 in its 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)
==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."
;Terminal (before activation)
:"Terminal controls Spire engine and evacuation systems. Operate to shut down Spire."
;Terminal (after activation)
:"This panel indicates the time remaining until engine shutdown."
;Escape Pod
:"Escape pod is used for emergency evacuations. Enter to launch pod."
;Thruster controls
:"Escape pod thruster controls are now online. Engage thrusters to launch the escape pod."
==Development notes==
Several internal names are used to handle the Spire and its Dock:
* The internal name 05_skytown_droppod handles the initial state of the Spire housed at the Dock.
* The internal name 05_skytown_droppodempty handles the final state of the Dock after the Spire had already been dropped onto the Seed.
* The internal name 14_skytown_spire handles the Spire after its release from the Dock, while Samus defends it from the Pirate assault on its way to the Seed.
The keyword skytown indicates Skytown, Elysia. The prefix 05 indicates that the Spire Dock is the fifth of 15 main rooms throughout the planet, and the prefix 14 indicates that the launched Spire is the 14th of 15 main rooms throughout the planet.
==Trivia==
*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.
*During the mission to escort and protect the Spire Pod; should Samus fail to protect the Spire, a cutscene will show the Spire exploding before the traditional Game Over sequence occurs.
*There is a small dot above the Spire Dock that can be viewed sometimes when looking at the room on the map a certain way. This could either be a mistake or the Spire Dock was planned to be fully modeled on the map at one point; similar to the Hall of Honored Dead from Prime 2 which showed the Great Temple above it.
*If Samus fails to enter and repair the Escape Pod in time, a cutscene will play with the camera facing the timer monitor at 0:00:0, then a message from the on-board computer will be spoken, followed by the usual Game Over sequence. (It is believed Samus falls along with the explosive Spire Pod in this Game Over).
**Why Samus does not attempt to call her Gunship in this situation is unclear and unexplained. It is possible that it may be too far away to reach her commands in time, or more likely because there isn't a place to land the Gunship.
==Gallery==
Spire_Cargo_Hold.png|Samus commands her ship to place the Theronian Bomb in the Cargo Hold of the Spire.
Spire_pod_moves.jpg|The Spire moves towards the seed.
Spire Dock Landing Site A building.png|The facility housing Landing Site A seen from the Spire.
Ben_Sprout_wireframe_render_elysia_spire_dock_maintenance_shaft.gif|Ben Sprout wireframe render of the maintenance area below the Escape Pod.
Spire Dock Map.png|Room seen on the Map.
ru:Док Шпора
Category:Rooms
Category:SkyTown
Category:Destroyed Locations
Category:Ben Sprout