Bottle Ship

Overview

The Bottle Ship is the primary setting of Metroid:  Other M.  Its name comes from the fact that when viewed from the exterior, the ship is shaped like a bottle.  After detecting it as the source of a distress signal, Samus alters course and heads straight for it to begin her latest adventure.
 
The ship is in actuality a research vessel that belongs to the Galactic Federation government.  It contains three research levels, and each is designed to mimic various planetary environments through the use of holographic technology.  Upon accessing files on a computer terminal, Samus and the others learn that the research carried out on the ship prior to the on-board disaster was was intended for the development of bioweapons.  This revelation is particularly disconcerting due to the fact that bioweaponry is illegal under Galactic Federation law.  The files also indicate that the research was carried out under the eyes of a Dr. Madeline Bergman.
 

Major Sectors

The Bottle Ship is divided into a number of sectors, each with its own purpose:

• Main Sector:  The central sector of the ship from which the three primary research sectors and the residential quarters can be accessed.  The central command room is also located in this sector.
• Residential Quarters:  Home to the Bottle Ship's crew.  The residential quarters can only be accessed by Samus during the epilogue chapter.
  
• Sector 1:  A research sector that serves as home to creatures raised in a lush forest/jungle-like environment or a desert environment.
• Sector 2:  Research sector that's home to creatures that live in extreme cold or aquatic environments.
• Sector 3:  Research sector that's home to creatures that live in extremely hot environments similar to Norfair.
• Sector 0:  A top secret sector of the ship accessible only from a special elevator in Sector 2.  The environment is based on the Tourian sector of the space pirate hideout on Zebes and is where the vast majority of the Metroids on board the ship are housed.
• Bioweapons Research Center:  Accessible through Sector 1, the Bioweapons Research Center is host to numerous illegal experiments into the creation of bioweaponry.  It is also the location of the game's climax.