[Fanfiction] Downfall

[Omega114]

Downfall

 

Prologue: Sins of a Forgotten Empire

 

 

There it stood, a shimmering token of their dominance. Its slow, graceful orbiting allowed all its curves and gold braces to reflect the spectrums of light that harshly emitted from the local star; Sol if the old records were correct. The Aurora or rather Research Station 228-D by government officials was the apex of the Orokin Empire. Here, orbiting Earth it acted as a HUB for Orokin researchers to explore the planet below and uncover the lost secrets that the planet held. With their war with the Sentients ploughed the Orokin into further chaos and anarchy, perhaps their former ancestors would hold the key to winning the war once and for all.  

 

“How goes your findings, Ko’beth?” Asked a firm, brooding voice as the plated doors opened with a wisp, cooing sound that droned out into a room full of coils of deep blue energy, swirling in glass tubes to unknown ends.

Ko’beth, who was sitting in his arching chair, swivelled to unveil his worked eyes in which dark circles illuminated countless, restless nights of pondering and thinking. His drab cloths has not been cleaned for weeks, his food left untouched by his work table exposed his self-enforced starvation.

 

“My Dread Lord, I have been working tirelessly on what the scouts had located, but I fear that we are searching an empty crypt of a planet.” Ko’beth replied with his dry, husked voice as he stood up, struggling to his walking stick left adjacent to his table.

 

This cruel sight disheartened the High Councillor, he knew the pain Ko’beth was going through and with no viable results of his workings, and he feared that all his pain and suffering would be for nothing. The High Councillor in his crimson ceremonial robes removed his hand from dwelling inside the internal pockets and placed one on Ko’beth’s shoulders.

 

“My friend, do not torture yourself over this, I heard you threw out the entire science team. Have you discovered anything of interest?” The High Councillor inquired in a softening tone as he assisted his aging friend to the holographic station which had been prepared for his arrival.

 

“We did find one thing.” Ko’beth said as he begun typing in keys of riddled symbols. “The scouts located what we believed to be an old military base on one of the super continents.” Ko’beth continued in an excited manner and he punched in more keys. Soon the holographic display lit up in a whitish-blue of a 21^st Century cryo-pod.  

 

“What is that?” The High Councillor questioned with a hint of scepticism in his voice. Soon on the display showed the entire layout of the ancient human’s base, showing a data hive network that led deep into the planet.

 

“It is some form of stasis-pod of some kind. We are currently trying to translate the old one’s work and terminals and have only found one word, Tenno.”

 

Tenno, this name was both cold yet somewhat beautiful to the ears of the High Councillor. Perhaps there was hope for their empire yet against the aggressors. He looked at the display once more with a look of what could only be described as greed.

 

“Better yet, my Lord, the occupant in still alive.” Ko’beth remarked and he gazed up to his superior who began to pace out of the room.

 

“Bring it up here at once!” The High Councillor ordered as he vanished.

 

Chapter One: Relics of the Past

 

 

The cool whipping of ion engines echoed throughout the extensive and over-populated hanger bay as research, merchant and military ships alike departed and arrived in their allocated spots. Magnetically sealed crates, all stacked on top of each other were lined up a little way away from the ships that they were either unloaded from or were to be loaded on, each carrying a different symbol as to best explain what laid within. The dock guards, armed with a single semi-automatic pistol in which the white frame with limited golden ornaments blended together to create the illusion of a ‘beautiful weapon’ patrolled up and down the number of stairwells, inspecting the cargo ships and captains to ensure no illegal activities were taking place. However, the guards themselves were mostly for display purposes as the Aurora held a full military force within its domain and no one would dare upset the balance.       

 

Suddenly, cargo life doors opened with such turbulent force, the entire hanger felt its shockwave. As the life slowly begun the raise itself, men in full biological hazard suits whose identities were hidden from public view, each holding pieces of complex equipment which served a unique purpose rose in a proud stance. A synthetic voice called across the localised broadcast system, advising all those not cleared by the High Councillor to retreat from docking station A-115. Both with curious whisper and annoyed grumbling, dock workers and citizens begun to vacate the area as a mechanised cargo-lifter with its clunking footsteps made its way to the science team and lowered itself down beside them like a loyal pet. - All waiting.

 

A wooing sound signalled that their wait was short lived, as a sleek ship that resembled a amphibious creature, coated black gracefully strafed into the hanger. The ship held no markings, no indication of ownership; that’s because it was intended for stealth reconnaissance.

 

The craft hovered above the science team as if it were held up by string. One of the scientists pushed against their intercom unit, informing the pilot that they were ready. Seconds after, the craft opened its cargo port and slowly began to lower an encapsulated pod. The pod flickered bright yellow lights, most likely caution lights from the time it was created. As it neared the floor, the scientists gathered round it in a circle as if it were some kind of prophet. A few of them started to use the equipment that they had in hand, analysing different aspects of the derelict pod. The viewing glass had been completely frozen over in a thick, snow like substance, meaning that the pod had been active for well over 2000 years and left the occupant concealed from the hopeful gaze of the scientists.

 

“Let’s get it to Ko’beth asap!” One of them called out as the cargo-lifter’s arms whined under the pressure of taking the weight of the cryo-pod. After the firm sound of pressure locks clumping into position, the lifter turned its upper torso 180 degrees and began to reverse to the elevator. The scientists followed behind, all buzzing with excitement like egger children asking too many questions.    

 

It took two and a half hours for the pod to be taken to Ko’beth’s lab who had thrown out the scientists once again.

This was HIS discovery, HIS legacy and he would be damned if one of those younger scientists would take glory for his hard work. He placed his hand on the biological containment capsule in which the subject and been placed in, his nude body hidden by an electronic modesty barrier that hummed genteelly. Circler scanners moved up and down the capsule – mapping the full biological structure of the ancient human. But something wasn’t right, a compound, likely biological was growing on the right side of his body.

 

Ko’beth walked in an unbalanced fashion to one of the many work stations, waiting for a full analysis to come through. He swiped his hand across the different displays that flashed all shades of blues and reds until a close-up display of the compound was revealed. As he was about to start a new process the lab doors opened; as they were sealed only one person could have unlocked them.

 

“Good news I take it, Ko’beth?” The High Councillor cried out in an overzealous joy and he spaced down the steps and greeted Ko’beth with a firm handshake. The entire floor was soaked in cryogenic fluids and rolled like mountain mist. Once their small exchange was complete, the High Councillor’s Attention fixed upon the specimen. “This is him? This is Tenno?” He continued, his voice drenched in disbelieve and uncertainty. Ko’beth’s crackled chuckle upset the quite rhythm of the purring room.

 

“It is indeed, my Lord.” Ko’beth answered, looking between both his friend and the pod. “We have found our ancestor. Unfortunately he may not be able to tell us much.” Ko’beth remarked regretfully. Both knew the answer as to why, prolonged stasis sleep can lead to amnesia and further still could lead to permanent brain damage.

 

The High Councillor focused in on the growth that had infected the human and turned to Ko’beth whilst pointing at it.

“What’s that?” He asked fearing the answer that he would receive.

 

Ko’beth hobbled towards his terminal, relocating the files he had previously been looking at.

“It’s a parasite of some form, unknown origin.” Ko’beth replied.

 

“Pathogenic?”

 

“Of sorts.”

 

The answer was quite disturbing and the High Councillor and a breeze of cold panic ran down his back. Allowing a potential containment on the station would destroy all his chances to become Supreme Councillor. He glanced at Ko’beth who did not share the same concern.

 

“What do you mean ‘of sorts’?” The High Councillor questioned. But Ko’beth merely clicked his fingers and the doom darkened so a 3D projection could be seen clearly in the centre of the lab. It first displayed the ancient human’s neural scan – showing clear signs of cryo damage. It then zoomed in on the actual growth, breaking it down to its genetic structure of carbonates and atoms; all of which meant nothing to the High Councillor.

 

“The parasitic life-form IS feeding on him, but…” Ko’beth tapped a few more keys which than moved the display over to the human in the pod, wrapping him in an orange light. The High Councillor walked up to it and Ko’beth followed. “But it is also enhancing his entire biological structure by roughly 135.9%.”

 

“So parasite and host working with each other in a unique bond? Were the ancient humans aware of this?” The High Councillor asked as he made his way back to the main workstation, the room quickly returning back to its normal state of blue under-lighting.

“I believe they did indeed, hence why he was placed in a cryo-pod, the parasite will eventually consume him but they wanted to utilise it while they could.” Ko’beth explained as The High Councillor went into a trance like state, thinking of the military possibilities of using this ‘virus’ against the Sentients. “We also found his Warframe intact, frozen along with him.” Ko’beth pressed on, grabbing the unshakable attention of the High Councillor.

 

“Warframe? This human had such a weapon?” He inquired, attempting to gather his thoughts. Ko’beth, with his walking stick in hand moved towards a workbench in which a Warframe been stripped down to its base components, all suspended in a gravity field.

 

“Better yet, My Lord. Look at this?” Ko’beth replied as he pointed out the grey, weathered helmet in which a small flat horn was attached to the forehead of it. The High Councillor’s face dropped and in almost a gallop he ran towards it.

“That’s… that’s impossible.” He stuttered; attempting to compose a sentence in such shock was near impossible.

 

“My Lord, allow me to show you the ancestor of our Excalibur Warframe.”     

 

Edited May 11, 2014 by Omega114

[FiveHours]

For a start of a story, this is incredibly good writing. Concise descriptions, good visual imaging, interesting characters and generally good story-telling. Please continue, this ought to be a good read :)

[Omega114]

For a start of a story, this is incredibly good writing. Concise descriptions, good visual imaging, interesting characters and generally good story-telling. Please continue, this ought to be a good read :)

 

Thank you ^^

 

The first few chapters will be a bit slow to build up the story, as well as little hints as to what actually happened to the Orokin but around chapter 4-5 is when things should pick up a bit of pace.

 

Also Chapter 2 has been added, but unfortunately I had to cut it shorter than I like otherwise it would have dragged on too far.