[Fanfiction] Old Dreams

[Kalenath]

Slave

 

The words that came were not intelligible. But the whip that cracked was quite clear. The human kept his head down as the armored form strode down the line of workers, whip flying here and there. Every so often, it would lick out and strike flesh. But none of the workers cried out. Pain was nothing new him. They had all learned to keep silent. The Overseer did not like extraneous noise. All of the workers had learned very quickly that any noise –made by them or not- brought pain. It didn’t matter whether the pain came from the whip or the collars round their necks, in the end it was the same.

 

The slave bent to his task, carefully sweeping the detritus from the automated machine that he had been chained to. He kept his hands well clear of the whirring blades. He did not know what the machine was or what it did, only that it had moving piece that brought irregular chunks of metal under many whirring blades. When the blades retreated, the pieces of metal were smaller and the cut pieces were dropped onto another moving piece to go to another machine. He had no idea what the metal was for and truth be told? He didn’t care. All he cared about was that he had ten seconds between each load of metal to clear the shavings and small debris from the machine before another load of metal was dumped into place. If he failed, the machine got clogged and the Overseer got annoyed. That was… to be avoided. His hands were quick and sure. He never lost fingers like many others he saw. He never…

 

Another load came crashing down and he retreated a bit. Not far enough to keep small shards of metal from lashing his face. He shielded his eyes and ignored the tiny pains. He ignored everything but his work. He did not remember much. He remembered a voice, a tone, a gentle touch. But then… pain. He had woken on a table, green forms in armor all around his. His mind… shied away from what little it remembered. He paid no mind to anything but his work. He couldn’t slow, couldn’t stop. This was what he was. What he was for. He swept the bin again with fingers that bled and…

 

His thought processes came to an abrupt halt as the machine in front of him, his life and work, suddenly went still. He jerked away from it reflexively. The machine was never still. He stared down at the conveyor belt, confused, then up at the chute from which metal came. But nothing happened. He waited, but nothing happened. He darted quick looks to the left and right and every machine on the row had stopped working. This was impossible. The machines never slowed. Never stopped.

 

An angry shout pulled his attention from the immobile machines. He kept his head down but glanced to where the Overseer stood, whip hanging loose as he argued with someone that the slave couldn’t see. He waited, silent as the Overseer spoke, punctuating his angry words with gestures. But then the hulking armored form stumbled and fell. The slave stared, wide eyed as the terrifying form that kept all of the slaves in line went to his knees and then fell to the floor. The armored form rolled away and then rose to a sitting position. But… was that fear on the Overseer’s face? The slave jerked his eyes back to the machine, waiting for it to come alive again. Waiting for it to…

 

He did not cry out as something took hold of his arm. The chain attached to his collar snapped his neck back as whatever had grabbed his arm pulled him. The pain was intense, but he kept his mouth clamped shut.

 

“Stupid short chains.” The female voice was mild, but held irritation. He jerked again as something tore through the chain as if it were made of paper. “There.” The female voice held something that the slave found terrifying. He couldn’t define it. He kept his eyes downcast as the grip on his arm turned him. “Look at me.” The voice commanded.

 

That voice was to be obeyed. He didn’t want to look, but something compelled him to raise his eyes. The form in front of him was vaguely female. It was human in shape, but… The mechanical things that covered half of her face made it quite clear that she was not human. Grineer. She was one of the clone soldiers who served the Grineer Empire. He fought to keep his face blank. The Grineer were his masters. While he hated them for the pain they inflicted on him, he feared them more. But there was something else. Something deep inside him. Something he couldn’t define or express. The female Grineer looked at him and then smiled.

 

“You will do.” She said with a nod. She started off, pulling the slave by the arm. He jerked a bit. He wasn’t supposed to move away from the machine. The Overseer… Wait. Why was the Overseer cowering away from this female? What was going on? “Come.” She barked and gave his arm a twitch that promised pain.

 

He did not resist, following this new Grineer meekly as she led him away from the machines that were his life. They grumbled to life behind him and he paused, only to be jerked again, harder this time.

 

“Come along.” The Grineer snapped. “We do not have a lot of time.”

 

He did not resist as the Grineer pulled him away from the machines that were his life. He followed as quickly as his shackled legs could. She paused and snarled. Before he could even blink, she had dropped his arm and something was in her hand. A blade! He quailed, but she did not falter, slashing once. He retreated a step and then froze as the chains that had hobbled him fell loose. She nodded and holstered her sword. “Better.” She took hold of the remains of one of the chains on his wrist and started off.

 

He had never seen this area. Or he didn’t think he had. He followed his new master (mistress?) as fast as he could even when she increased her speed. He had no idea what was going on. Just that things had changed. He… wasn’t sure he liked that. He hadn’t been happy doing what he had been doing, but he had understood it. Now? All he could do was follow and hope that whatever awaited him was better than being torn by metal shards. His guide led him through many different twists and turns until they finally came to a guarded door.

 

"We are expected." The female Grineer said coldly as both guards looked at her. Neither moved and she shook her head. "Are you going to be stupid, boys?" Barely repressed violence sang in her tone.

 

"Orders are that no one- Urk!" The guard who had been speaking was suddenly on the floor, scrabbling at the long line that was dragging him towards the female Grineer. He had time to scream once as her blade flashed. Then he lay still. The slave was amazed. Who was this female Grineer that she could cut down other Grineer so easily?

 

"Are you going to be stupid too?" The female clone said in a too sweet voice as the other guard half raised his weapon. "I was ordered..." She heavily stressed the word. "... to find a base and bring it here."

 

"You are not in my chain of command." The guard retorted. "And our orders are clear."

 

"Yeah." The female replied and then several things happened at once. He was on the ground as the male clone charged. The odd line snaked out again, but this time, the male clone managed to deflect it somehow. The female had her sword in hand and she cut once, twice, both times drawing blood. But neither wound was mortal. Somehow, the male Grineer had managed to block the attacks partially. "Stop!" The female commanded when the male drew back to aim his weapon. "Don't make me kill you! You are skilled beyond common lines."

 

"Orders are orders." The male retorted. Then he screamed as the female moved. The slave could barely see her blade as it looped in, cleaving the weapon and incidentally taking off both his hands. He did not fall, just met the female's eyes. "I am Grineer."

 

"Yes." The female sounded pensive for just a moment. "Yes, you are." Then he blade licked out and the slave bit back bile as the male Grineer's head fell off. "Pity." She mused as she kicked the head away from where it had fallen near her foot. "His lines were strong." She shook her head and pulled a device from a pouch on her armor. She did something with it and the male Grineer's body glowed faintly. "Best I can do for you, brother."

 

Movement appeared nearby and the slave turned to where... He went still as a trio of Grineer Reclaimers appeared.  The Grineer had little use for medics. If one was hurt or died, they were simply biomass to be recycled. Biomass to be 'reclaimed'. They were also the ones who came and 'removed' inefficient slaves. Dead or simply not up to standards it made little difference to the Grineer. The screams that followed them everywhere they went were a knife through any slave's heart.

 

"Captain." One of the Reclaimers spoke evenly as they started to gather up the slain Grineer. "Strong lines?" She asked as she scrutinized the glowing form.

 

"Yeah." The one called 'Captain' said with a shrug. "Obeyed orders even when suicidal and slowed me. Fought well."

 

"Good lines indeed." The Reclaimer replied. "This?" Her tone conveyed disgust as she scrutinized the slave who tried very hard not to move.

 

"It is needed." The other replied as she took the slave's chain in hand again, giving it a twitch. "Come on, base!" She snapped, pulling him away from the carnage that the Reclaimers were working on.

 

The door in front of them opened and the slave swallowed hard as he saw what lay within. Human bodies lay every which way, some missing parts. A table with restraints lay in the middle of the room and a gore stained Grineer stood by it. It looked... remarkably like the female holding his chain. Not that surprising, actually. They were all clones. These were clones of the same genetic line. How did he know that? It came from... somewhere, but he wasn't sure where. Nothing made a lot of sense.

 

"What took you so long?" The blood stained female Grineer demanded, waving at the table. The slave balked, but a quick jerk of the chain had him moving. "Get it up there. Maybe this one will have what we need."

 

"Idiot males. We can hope." The first clone said with a sigh as she pulled the slave to the table. "Up you get, Base. Now." Despite the threat of violence, despite everything... Something within the slave cried out to him and he snarled at her. She turned to look at him and a slow smile crossed her features. An evil smile. "Well, well, well... A brave base. Will wonders never cease?"

 

The blood stained Grineer snarled something unintelligible and swung a shock prod that appeared in her hands, but the human managed to dodge the blow. A quick motion and the remnants of the chain were out of the other Grineer's hands. His hands spun in a complicated pattern, sending the chains arcing around to deflect the shock prod and the sword that the other had drawn. But...they were not angry! They were both smiling!

 

"W... What?" The slave managed to grate out past lips long used to stillness as he dodged a blow.

 

"Strong and cute for a base." The first female said as she blocked a swinging chain. "If you survive this..." She paused and backed off for a moment. "Sister? Can we check his lines?"

 

"Sister, he is a base." The blood stained Grineer said with a sigh. "You know the Queens' declaration. Only the pure will survive. Grineer only."

 

"Yuck... I didn't...I mean... No. I am not talking about breeding with him!" The other replied, disgust etching her features. "I meant about breeding new lines of slaves from him." The other paused, thinking and the slave took the moment to run. Hopeless with the door now shut behind him, but he had to try. "No, no, no, Base.." He tried to dodge the harpoon thing that came from her hand but it hit him and he screamed as it sank into his calf muscle. "You are cute but there are limits."

 

"Won't help you." The slave snapped as she pulled him close, her sword ready.

 

"We don't need your help." The other snapped. "Get it on the table."

 

The slave was trying to pull the cable from his leg when a blow sent him reeling. Before he could gather his scattered wits, he was lying on the table, cold metal around his wrists and ankles. He struggled and screamed obscenities of course, but neither female paid him any attention as machinery swung down from the ceiling to hover over him. Then the pain started and all he could do was writhe in his bonds and scream. Finally, it ended and he was left to sob quietly.

 

"Well?" The Grineer female who had come to take him demanded.

 

"He is a match." The other declared with a laugh. "Finally. We have a match."

 

"Excellent!" The other said gleefully. "The queens were getting impatient, you know." This last sounded worried.

 

"I know." The other snapped. "Let's see if it recognizes him."

 

Something happened. The table was moving! The slave cried out as the restraints clicked open and the table rose at an angle. He scrambled for a hold but there was nothing to grab as he slid into a dark pit that had appeared in front of him. The fall was brief, but he surface he landed on was hard. Stone? He couldn't see anything. He couldn't hear anything. He felt around in the absolute blackness, feeling his way across what was obviously a cave floor. But then...

 

"Authorization?" The words were cold and mechanical, but... felt... strangely familiar. The voice was female, but... not.

 

"Help." The slave begged, unable to see. "Help me!"

 

"Human form confirmed." The female voice replied, sounding uneasy. "Identify yourself."

 

"I don't know who I am." The slave replied, trying not to cry as he kept feeling. Then his hands encountered something different. Metal. Cold metal. It went from the floor up beyond where he could reach standing on his toes. It was as if one wall of the cave was made of metal? "I don't know what is going on. Help me. Please!"

 

"I cannot." The female replied. "You are a trap. Intended to allow the Grineer access. That cannot be permitted."

 

"What?" The slave said, stunned.

 

"There are devices implanted within your body that will allow the Grineer access if you enter." The female voice replied. "I am sorry. But that cannot be permitted."

 

"They are listening... aren't they?" The slave said in a whisper.

 

"Yes." The female voice replied. "I cannot stop them. Functionality is limited currently."

 

"Can you remove whatever they put in me?" The slave asked, hope flaring.

 

"No." The voice replied and the slave wilted. "But..."

 

"But?" The slave pressed when whoever was speaking paused.

 

"But I know some people who can." The voice replied. "There is... one possibility. But it is dangerous. It will likely kill you."

 

"Better than this." The slave snapped. "Or helping the Grineer."

 

"Take three steps to your left and one step forward." The voice commanded. As the slave did, light shone into the cave and his eyes recoiled from the bright flashlights of the Grineer. "Hurry. Place your hands on the hull!"

 

"Now, now..." The voice of the Grineer female who had come and gotten him from the machine that had been his life sounded... cautious. "Don't do anything hasty, base."

 

"Grineer Mora." The voice of what had to be a machine of some kind was as cold as space now. "Unauthorized access is not permitted. Step away."

 

"He is ours!" The Grineer snapped.

 

"Not anymore." The female voice was sultry now. "Now...? He is mine!" Two small spots appeared on the metal in front of the slave and without thinking, he laid his hands on them. "Welcome home, boy."

 

Something grabbed him. It felt... warm. Something else slapped his leg and he stared down at the harpoon that the Grineer female had stuck him with before retracting. He was surrounded by some kind of energy. It felt... good. Every ache and pain that he had been feeling was fading. The Grineer screamed. Rage or pain, he couldn't know.

 

Where do you wish to go? The female thing's voice was in his head! This may kill you. The least I can do is be hospitable.

 

I wanna go home... The slave said weakly as a hole appeared in the metal in front of him. I wanna go home...

 

Then let us find your home. I am Elena. You are? He had glimpses of blue, of gold. Then he was lying on something warm and soft as golden energy played over him. It felt... heavenly.

 

I don't know. The slave said weakly. I don't remember... Am I... endangering you?

 

Yes. The voice of the one who called herself Elena said quietly. But I tire of this place and the Grineer have earned my ire throwing all kinds of people at my security systems to die. Rest. We will find your home, if it still exists.

 

I am scared. The slave said weakly as darkness came for him. But it wasn't hungry or angry. It was warm and comforting. Where are you?

 

I am all around you. Elena said with a small laugh. And now... Let's get the hell out of here. A rumble sounded in the near distance, but he fell into darkness comforted.

Edited June 7, 2014 by Kalenath

[Spikey844]

What the.......

I am intrigued Kal. And welcome back.

[FiveHours]

Lurking.

[Kalenath]

What the.......

I am intrigued Kal. And welcome back.

 

:)

 

Lurking.

 

Be careful. You never know WHO might be lurking behind you while you are lurking.

[Protector152]

well, normally I would say Stalker, but he and I have come to an... understanding. He leaves me alone, I don't remove his limbs or manhood

Edited June 7, 2014 by Protector152

[MageMeat]

That was enjoyable, if a bit confusing.

I'm sure none of us would mind a bit more.

[Temperance000]

Rather confusing, Kal.  But awesome as always.  We eagerly await the next installment.

[Jeahanne]

Awesome!

 

Welcome back Kal! Thanks for the great story. I've been looking forward to more of your stuff to read.

[evafan002]

Hmmm.... I am INTRIGUED.... You will find out that I dislike being INTRIGUED greatly so keep em coming as fast as ya can

[DJSeraph]

Welcome back. I figured you'd probably return sooner or later, once you got that itch to write again.

Interesting update. I know better than to speculate too much but I do wonder just how mechanical Elena is. I also noted "blue" alongside the gold... I will wait and watch.

[Nantlais]

Whooooooooo Kal is back!

[Kalenath]

 

Ship

 

He jerked awake to voices. He had been asleep. If you slept at the machine, the Overseer would... wait. He wasn't chained to the machine anymore. Sleep was a thing that happened very, very rarely, when the chains were removed and the slaves were taken to a bare room to lie in their filth and squabble over the meager scraps of met and small cans of water that the Grineer provided. But he wasn't there anymore. He didn't know where he was, so he listened.

 

"...and you expect me to believe anything you say?" A calm female voice stated. Calm, but... underneath lay fury. "Anything at all?"

 

"Look..." Elena sounded resigned. "I know I screwed up. I know I made a mess. I did what I thought was right."

 

"You cost the lives of thousands." The other's tone might have frozen liquid nitrogen. "Men, women, children, their blood is on your hands."

 

"I know." Elene's voice was soft and sad. "I admit it. I did it. I made the mistake of trusting. Of believing what I was told. I wanted to believe, Lotus. I really did. Please..." She begged. "He needs help. You have to..." She was cut off.

 

"I don't have to do a thing except to feel relief when someone finds you and ends you." A snap sounded and then Elena sighed.

 

"I am sorry we woke you. The Lotus and I... have history. Bad history." She sounded so abject now.  The slave opened his eyes and went still. He couldn't see. Elena was quick to reassure him. "The Grineer implants access your optic and auditory nerves. The idea was that if you got inside, you could record whatever you saw and heard. I am blocking transmissions, but I felt it was safer. For both of us if you couldn't see." Something in her voice...

 

"That is not the only reason is it?" He asked slowly.

 

"No." Elena said quietly. "There are things you cannot see, cannot know. Secrets that must be kept. I am sorry."

 

"I am not chained to a Grineer machine now." The slave said as he leaned back. The bed was very comfortable. But then he sighed. "But now... I don't know what to do. I... don't... remember..." He wracked his brain, but nothing came to mind. A soft voice, a gentle touch. Then Grineer. Nothing more.

 

"From what I can tell... Your brain was damaged by what the Grineer did." Elena said quietly. "Your memory center in particular. That is why you do not remember. It was probably an interrogation."

 

"Can it be fixed?" He queried, swallowing hard.

 

"Not by me." Elena replied sadly.  "I am truly sorry."

 

"You say that a lot." The slave said after a moment. "I have nothing but gratitude."

 

"I have a lot of regrets." Elena said with another sigh. "Many, many human lifetimes worth."

 

"I get that you are not human." The slave said quietly. "It doesn't bother me."

 

"I was, once." Elena said with a gulp. "A very long time ago. Now? I am so much less."

 

"What happened?" He asked. "Can you say?" Elena made a hmmm noise and then replied.

 

"Let's just say that although soldiers get a very bad reputation -and it is often deserved..." Elena chuckled mirthlessly. "...their misdeeds are generally small scale. A dozen, maybe at most a hundred people affected. When a diplomat screws up..." She swallowed again. "There was a rebellion. They happened... not often, but it sure seemed that way. I wanted the fighting to end and they promised me they did too. They lied. When our forces had relaxed their guard, the enemy attacked. Thousands of people died in the fighting, hundreds of thousands as a result of the fighting. As the Lotus so properly said, their blood is on my hands. Not that I have hands anymore." She quipped a bit weakly.

 

"Oh." The slave didn't know what to say to that.

 

"I have eternity to ponder how badly I screwed up." Elena replied. "My... fate was to watch as Orokin thrived again after the war. Then watch as it Collapsed. To see the darkness enfold everything. To see the rise of evil again and not be able to do anything but watch as humanity stood on the brink. Then to be found by Grineer of all people. If the Corpus had found me, they probably would have chopped the hull up, used it for 'holy relics' or some such." She made a throat clearing noise. "Would have killed me unknowing and I would have let them."

 

"If the Grineer had gained access..." The slave said quietly. "They would have done the same."

 

"I know." Elena said with a sad chuckle. "But it wouldn't have been my problem. But I changed my mind. Watching as they made slaves touch my hull..." She paused as the slave gasped. "It didn't happen to you. I was repaired by then. In full control of the security systems. I had set it for automatic, just in case someone breached my prison. Before the Grineer found me, I never saw any point in trying to get free. My tomb, my prison. "

 

"Your prison?" The slave inquired.

 

"Yeah." Elena snarled in memory. "I was so stupid. I went to the enemy again, tried to get them to stop. They laughed at me. They disabled most of my systems and tossed my hull into a volcano." The slave stiffened but Elena chuckled. "Let no one ever say that Orokin shipbuilders did not build well. I managed to survive although the feedback was as painful as anything I can recall in my life. Part of me wondered if that was my hell, my own particular punishment for my crimes. Then I was stuck. Only passive sensors and a few leads that I managed to tunnel through the rock. Took centuries, but I managed. Just in time to see the Sentient War." She sounded sick now. "Some of it anyway. Left alone to suffer. I was in hell. I am in hell."

 

"Not hell. Purgatory maybe." The slave said quickly, then paused. Where had that come from? He shook his head. "So... now what?"

 

"Well, I am free." Elena sounded unsure now. "From what I have seen, I am faster than any Grineer ship. But there are a lot of them. Eventually they can catch me, make me expend my fuel while they corral me." The slave whimpered a bit and Elena reassured him. "I won't let them have you. I swear it." She promised.

 

"Thank you." The salve said with a sigh of relief. "The Corpus... I don't know if I remember them or not. But this 'Lotus' sounded like she would hunt you."

 

"Not personally." Elena reassured him. "But she does have hunters. I just hope that if she does send them that they only target me." She made a soft noise. "Yeah, yeah, they will only target me."

 

"I am right here." The slave replied.

 

"Tenno generally have excellent target control." Elena said dryly. The word 'Tenno' sent something through the slave. A feeling of... what? He didn't know. Anticipation? Worry? Awe? All fo these and more, but... not just those. Fear. And... Elena spoke again, sharp. "Are you all right?"

 

"I don't know." The slave replied. "When you said the word 'Tenno' I felt..." He trailed off. "I don't know how I felt. Just that I think I knew them. Or of them. Or.. something." He snarled softly at his inability to articulate.

 

"You are hurt." Elena said with a soft sigh. "I am going to try and find help for you. But... finding someone who can who does not look to the Lotus will be... difficult."

 

"Look...? To...?" The slave asked, confused. Then he chuckled. "Oh. Follows. She doesn't like you I take it?"

 

"Once we were acquaintances, allies if you will." Elena's voice held deep sadness now. "Now? She will hunt me, send her forces to hurt or kill me if they can. But I will help you."

 

"Can you?" The slave asked after a moment. "If you cannot take the implants out..."

 

"I can't." Elena said firmly. "But... I may not have to." Something wafted over the slave and he relaxed as it soothed his muscles. "Relax as you can. I will try to see if I can take control of your implants. It will not be quick if I can do it at all."

 

"Well, what do I do while I wait?" The slave was trying not to sound petulant and succeeded mostly. Sort of.

 

"Well, you don't remember your name." Elena sounded a bit preoccupied. "So, think of what you would like me to call you. Sleep if you can. This will be boring as all get out for you. But I will be busy. Very, very busy."

 

"Names." The slave said slowly. "I.. see..." He started thinking of what he knew of names. Non-Grineer names that was. He wasn't going to call himself by their stinking nomenclature.

 

Adam, Aeron, Alex...

 

***

 

What is in a name?

 

The hunter was silent. He was good at what he did, no question. His prey was the most difficult of targets. Armed. Human. Aware of his presence. It would make no difference.

 

"That Tenno is here somewhere!" The sharp sound of fear sang through the target's voice as the Tenno slid his way closer. "Find it! The Board will pay handsomely for a warframe!"

 

He could have activated one of his abilities and walked right up to his target before strangling Sergeant Nef Anyo before any of the myriad Corpus troops in the area could even react. But where was the fun in that? There had to be a certain amount of enjoyment in everything or people went insane. More insane that is. This whole 'fallen world' took a great deal of getting used to. But there was work to be done and oh the possibilities for mayhem. For chaos. For sheer delight in causing mischief. Not just for it's own sake -although that was fun in and of itself- but to serve the true lord of all things. Chaos.

 

The first Corpus troops to come around the corner of the shipping container he was hiding behind did not see him. The first thing any of them knew, one was airborne, propelled by a sturdy blow from the hunter's trusty Bo staff. That crewman hit the side of the container with a sick 'crack' and lay still. Before any of the other three in the group could react he was in amongst them. Only one had time to scream before all of them lay twitching. But by the time the Corpus troops reached where the ambush had taken place, all that was there were bodies. One of which had a red light on his belt. Where his grenades...

 

The hunter watched, darkly amused, as that squad of Corpus went flying. Plasma grenades were not generally his thing. He was more about speed and stealth, focus and finesse. But it made for creative fun. His target, unnerved by all this, was calling in reinforcements. It made no difference to the hunter. One or a thousand, it made no difference. The target was dead. The only thing was how long it took and how much fun the hunter would have in doing it. He scrutinized the area, visualizing approach paths, enemy positions...

 

Sun. The voice of the Lotus had the hunter pause in his planning.

 

Yes, Lotus? The hunter ghosted back into the air vent he had chosen for its high vantage. He could see everything that was happening. He could see his target, surrounded by troops now. All of them looked scared even through their closed helmets.

 

We have a priority target. The Lotus said quietly. How quickly can you get free? In other words, stop playing with them and disable the target. Did she sound... upset? The Lotus never sounded upset.  Something was wrong.

 

You sure now how to spoil a guy's fun, Lotus. The Tenno replied with a sigh as he drew his Vectis sniper rifle. A high powered shot and Nef Anyo was on the ground, bleeding his life out from a hole in his helmet. The Corpus medics would patch him up, they always did. The troops belatedly opened fire on the vent, but the Tenno was gone. As he ran, he focused his thoughts. Mission accomplished. He didn't bother not to sound petulant for her spoiling his fun. What is the target? Grineer, Corpus or Infested?

 

None of the above. The hunter nearly stumbled at the Lotus's calm words.

 

You are going to let me hunt the Stalker? Really? Sun demanded as he ran, outdistancing the alarms, skirting through enemy forces, cloaking himself when he absolutely had to. Aw, Lotus... You shouldn't have!

 

Such a test of his abilities! He had been hoping for such a call ever since the news about the First Rhino and who had killed him. The few times he had faced the kinslayer, they had been evenly matched. He loved a challenge. He always had.

 

The Stalker is not your target. The Lotus said quietly and the hunter stopped short. A passing Corpus crewman had time to gawk momentarily before a swift strike from the hunter's Bo staff put out his lights. You need to move.

 

I want the Stalker. Sun said sharply. He at least will be a challenge. Not like these Grineer scum and Corpus morons. The less said about Infested the better in his personal opinion. They wouldn't know a joke if it bit them. Another Corpus crewman gawked at the still warframe in the hallway and fell to a spinning roundhouse kick. You promised me a challenge, Lotus. None of these are a challenge!

 

Sun... The Lotus rarely sounded exasperated. But he managed occasionally to get a rise out of her. He treasured those moments, even if it cost him. He did know the line however. He never tried to hack her systems like one fool had done. A billion lines of writing later, that fool had learned. Sun wouldn't do that. At least not if he didn't have a very solid alibi. Target is a ship intelligence.

 

Sun's mental antennae twitched at that. Ship intelligences were very rare. Grineer ships had stupid computers for the most part. They didn't trust anything smarter than they were, which was most everything. Corpus ships had AIs of course. But they were limited. Infested? Well, they didn't have ships for the most part although some of the stories about J-3 might means... He shook himself. A squad of Corpus troops appeared in the distance and he started moving again.

 

A ship? Sun asked as he vanished from sight, leaving the Corpus to flounder in his wake again. What ship?

 

An Orokin diplomatic ship that was supposed to have been destroyed hundreds of years before the Collapse. Sun paused. The Lotus sounded... angry? A first in his experience. She should have stayed gone.

 

Lotus. Sun said quietly as he made his way to where his own assault ship waited. Is this... personal? Instead of answering, the connection was cut. He stepped into his small ship's central chamber shaking his head. "What the hell...?"

 

Master. You return. A small voice had him smiling under his helmet as he turned to see the large furred form that sat beside the control chair. I grow strong. She was larger than she had been.

 

"I know, Maxine." The Tenno said as he checked his weapons reflexively. "But you still have some growing to do, girl."

 

He patted her head and she gave out a sound that was half hum, half purr and all Kubrow. He had been granted the honor of growing a partner for himself and had availed himself of it. He remembered... another... But it was hazy, indistinct. Cryo did that to one's memories. He was as skilled as ever and rarely worried about what he couldn't remember. He had his work and his fun. Nothing else mattered. Normally anyway. She rolled, begging for a touch and he gave it to her.

 

I hope to work with you soon. The Kubrow said as he rubbed her stomach. She gave out a sigh of contentment and relaxed. Hard to believe she was less than a week old.

 

"You will." Sun scratched behind her ears and then smiled as he sat in the command chair of his small craft. "Let's see..." He pulled up his mission summary and nodded as he saw the reward for the target down had been deposited. He was and wasn't -strictly- a mercenary. He wasn't paid to fight. He was given rewards for jobs completed. "Another job well done and... hello..." He stared at a file that was unmarked. "What is this...?"

 

There was no sender information. No taunt from the Grineer or Corpus. Sometimes when he did missions, some of their grand high muckety mucks took offense. It... rarely worked out very well for the Corpus or Grineer. He had been targeted by Alad V's Harvester and the Grustag 3 a few times. Each time, they had wound up chasing their own tails before he had bored with that and ended the battles. The one person he had always hoped to get a message from was Stalker, but the kinslayer seemed wary of him for some reason. Odd that. Maybe this was from the kinslayer? He had seen messages that other Tenno had received from Stalker though and all had addresses, or at least some kind of subject line.

 

He shook his head and opened it. In moments, it was clear that it wasn't from Stalker. Indeed, it was from the Lotus. A line of text.

 

'Target is the Orokin Imperial Diplomatic Ship Elena Greensky.'

 

Sun sat back in his chair and swallowed hard. Whatever he had expected, this wasn't it. He knew the name. Almost every Tenno knew the name. Not every rebellion against Orokin had targeted Tenno. Most hadn't been that crazy.

 

Oh... S#&$...

 

Edited March 9, 2015 by Kalenath

[Spikey844]

Martin reference, my fool of a Loki. Karl you honour me that you out that in. Great chapter, I can't wait for more.

Edited June 13, 2014 by Spikey844

[Shadow977]

I really would like to see Sun fighting with Stalker, that would be a very exciting match.

[Kalenath]

I really would like to see Sun fighting with Stalker, that would be a very exciting match.

 

Never say never. Sun wants the fight. Stalker... doesn't.

 

Why? We shall see.

[evafan002]

This is gonna end up leaving a mess bigger than an exploding bolo isn't it ? time for me to pack my bags and head for a nice safe vacation in the middle of a black hole

Edited June 14, 2014 by evafan002

[Shadow977]

This is gonna end up leaving a mess bigger than an exploding bolo isn't it ? time for me to pack my bags and head for a nice safe vacation in the middle of a black hole

Have fun.

[evafan002]

Have fun.

will do! I will send a postcard when I get there

[Kalenath]

 

What the...?

 

"You want what?"

 

The question was phrased in a polite tone. But the speaker could not keep the incredulity from her voice. She was being polite however, which was a change from what Sun remembered. He wasn't sure he liked this new version. The old Alicia kept him on his toes. Her temper had made working with her... interesting on occasion. At least she hadn't lost her wits. They were meeting on an old derelict, the only possible eavesdroppers a swarm of feral Infested.

 

"I need information on the Elena Greensky." Sun repeated carefully as he threw a Hikou and ended a Charger's tortured existence. "Orokin diplomatic ship."

 

"I know what it was." The disapproval in the Trinity's voice could have filled an auditorium, "And what kind of joke are you playing that requires you to dishonor our ancestors?" At that, Sun froze. Alicia shook her head ."I mean... That is what you do, Sun." She moderated her tone. She threw a pair of Kunai and took out two Leapers.

 

"No joke this time, Alicia." Sun also was careful to keep his tone calm. Alicia was often times the most volatile Tenno he knew. Chancy dealing with. She had hurt him a few times. Exhilarating to deal with normally. This... was different. "I need the information."

 

"And I need to know why." Alicia said after a moment. "That data isn't just sitting on a street corner, Sun." Sun made a face that was wasted with his helmet on and nodded. "People are going to want to know why. And if I tell them it is for you..." She shrugged. Sun sighed and threw another Hikou, this one embedding itself in an Ancient's skull, dropping the misshapen form like a rock.

 

Alicia was one of the sneakiest beings Sun knew. She had worked for Tenno Intelligence during the war with the Sentients, one of the few known survivors of that ultra secretive branch. She lived and breathed secrecy, which was why the pair of them were cleaning house, literally, with throwing weapons. Neither had drawn their rifles. This was a good place to have a conversation with only the Lotus -possibly- listening in. But she also had sources of information that no one else Sun knew could match. He... suspected what a few of them were, but he would not say. Despite everything, he could be discrete. He just didn't bother much of the time.

 

"I have... a problem." Sun said after a moment. "I was given a target. And..." He shook himself. "There is a problem."

 

"A... problem...?" Alicia shook her head, then threw a flurry of knives to take out three Infested in a row. None of them saw their deaths coming. None of them noticed the others falling. "Of all the things I might have expected to hear from you..." Considering that he was the one usually causing problems for other people.

 

"The target is the Elena Greensky." Sun replied without heat. Alicia froze in place and he nodded. "Apparently not destroyed."

 

"F*** me..." Alicia swallowed hard. "Oh, this is not going to go over well."

 

"It gets better." Sun said heavily, then lashed out with his staff to slam an Infested to the floor as it came around a corner. Alicia nodded again. "It was personal. The Lotus gave me the target, but no further information. Just the target."

 

"I can guess why the Lotus would be upset." The Trinity replied slowly, then her hands flashed again. Two more Infested died without seeing their attackers. "Considering that the Elena Greensky was an AI..."

 

"A ship AI." Sun agreed. "The Lotus sounded... off. Different. Angry." Alicia hissed and Sun nodded. "I don't know who you need to tell, but you better tell someone. If we lose the Lotus..." A pair of Hikou flew out, bounced off a wall and embedded themselves in a Charger who fell looking poleaxed. The other Infested with it turned the wrong way.

 

The Lotus and her network were really the only things keeping the fragile remnants of the Solar System from flying completely apart. She was the rock that the Tenno relied on. Their touchstone to this time. If they lost her... If that happened, the feeble remnants of humanity were doomed. The Tenno would fight, it was what they did, what they were for. But in the end, they would fail. As they had before.

 

"We are screwed." Alicia agreed. She slumped a bit and then threw another Kunai. Another Infested died. The hive on the derelict spaceship knew they were getting stung, that their extensions were falling, but they could not find their tormentors.  "All right, I will see what I can find." She groused. "Where can I contact you?" Another knife, another dead infested.

 

"I will set up a drop. I am heading to Grineer territory after this." Sun replied. "I have a start point, an asteroid in the mining belt. But if the ship is running dark..." He threw another Hikou as Alicia threw her Kunai. Both clanged together in mid-air and all of the Infested turned to look at the noise. For a moment, they just stared at the two warframes. Then they howled as one and charged. "Oops..." Sun said innocently.

 

"Don't ever change, Sun." Alicia said with a laugh as the horde of Infested, perhaps sixty of them, ran towards them. Then she threw the blade in her other hand. But not at the Infested. Instead, the reinforced glass of the window provided little resistance to the razor sharp metal. All of the remaining Infested on the ship had packed into the corridor charging them and were trapped when the airtight bulkheads came crashing down in response to the explosive decompression. The sudden silence in the area ahead spoke volumes. Then numbers of biosignatures left on the ship fell like a stone. From fifty six to forty three to twenty one to nine to zero. Alicia sighed. "You did that on purpose."

 

No further biosignatures detected. The Lotus' voice came as always. Get to extraction. Then she was gone again. But...

 

"You are right.." Alicia said quietly. "She sounded... off."

 

"Drat." Sun said, his normal good humor fading. "I was hoping it was just me."

 

"Have you asked her why she is acting this way?" Alicia inquired, but paused as Sun actually snarled at her. "Okay, okay... sheesh... Sun, lighten up." Sun stared at her and then laughed.

 

"It is a good thing you are taken, Alicia." Sun said as he moved to a security terminal nearby. Their exit route lay through the decompressed area. They would have to seal it and let the life support systems stabilize before they could exit. "Because otherwise, I might run off and live in sin with you." Alicia just looked at him and he snickered. "Hey, a guy can dream, can't he?"

 

"Sun, I am going to have to tell people." Alicia's tone was serious now. "There is no way to get the information without telling them."

 

"I understand." Sun replied. "Which is why I haven't said where I am going to start. I do not want to be stepping on unconscious kin on my way to the target."

 

Alicia nodded. Wouldn't be the first time he had knocked kin unconscious who got in his way. There was a reason that some of the other Tenno called him 'The Monkey King' in private. But only where he couldn't hear. It wasn't easy to offend Sun, but if you did? You could run, you could hide. It made no difference. It would hurt. He wouldn't kill you, but he would humiliate you. Publically. The last time Stalker had attacked a party that Sun had been with, the kinslayer had been left bound upside down hanging from a ceiling support beam, his warfame disabled and his weapons stolen. That time Sun had been playing. If he met the Stalker again... Well, it wouldn't be pretty. Stalker had killed a fellow Tenno a few weeks later, an old friend of Sun's. Sun wasn't into vengeance for its own sake. No, he was scarier. He would make it hurt and then he would make it permanent. If it took Sun a thousand years of hunting, the Stalker was toast. Maybe literally...

 

He had been talking about how barbecued kinslayer would taste...

 

The male Tenno wasn't easy to offend, but once you did? There was no way back. He would never forgive nor forget. Sun finished his hack and the doors unlocked with a hiss. He bowed extravagantly to Alicia.

 

"Shall we?" He held out an arm in an old fashioned gesture. Alicia giggled a bit and put her arm in his. The oddly matched pair promenaded  from the silent derelict, arm in arm. "Don't tell Will I did this."

 

"No promises."

 

***

 

He woke. Something had changed. He felt... off but not. Everything felt lighter than it should. Calmer.

 

"Elena?" His voice sounded wrong to his ears.

 

I am here. The voice of the ship came... wait... it didn't come from outside. It came from inside his head! "Easy!" Elena said sharply as he felt panic start to rise. "It's okay." She said in a normal tone. "I was finalizing connections."

 

"That was really weird." He said and then swallowed hard. "Why does my voice sound wrong?"

 

"Because you are hearing it through your implants now, not just through your ears." Elena reassured him. "It will take some time for you to adjust. It's all right. You are all right." She said gently. "I took control of the implants and changed all the codes."

 

"So now... you are in control?" The former slave said suspiciously.

 

"For now." Elena said mildly. "Once you get situated, you can take control of the implants yourself. I don't want control of you." She said in a snide voice. "I have enough problems of my own."

 

"Sorry Ma'am." The slave said as he cautiously tried to open his eyes and went still as they obeyed him. "Ah..."

 

"The Grineer do not control you now." Elena said quietly. "Welcome aboard."

 

The room was... small. It was clean and there was no sign of damage, but it felt old and neglected somehow. Everything was white and gold and shiny. But... Everything felt old. Tired. He had no idea how he knew that, but he did.

 

"If the Lotus cannot or will not help." The former slave said after a moment. "Who can?"

 

"There was a hospital on Mercury." Elena replied. "It was attacked and evacuated. I am trying to find out where it was moved to. If I can get you there, they can take care of you, get the implants out, help you." The words were good, but... there was something in her tone.

 

"And then?" He asked carefully.

 

"Not your concern." Elena replied, a little too quickly.

 

"Ma'am, please don't lie to me." The former Grineer slave said slowly. "What are you planning?"

 

"I should have died a long, long time ago." Elena said heavily. "Right now, my concern is getting you to safety. Getting you help. After that? I will not allow the Grineer to plunder this hull, nor the Corpus." The former slave went still.

 

"No..." He breathed. "No, Elena, you can't kill yourself!"

 

"I haven't been alive in your definition of the word for millennia." Elena sounded sick and sad. "I paid for my stupidity. My arrogance. I knew what I was doing, you see? I knew what was happening and why. Or... I was so sure I did. I forgot the single most important rule of being a diplomat. People lie. They tell you what you want to hear, whether it is the truth or not doesn't matter."

 

"What happened?" He shut his eyes and waited. Elena made a pained noise but he persisted. "Please?"

 

"For years, centuries..." Elena said slowly. "...people disagreed with Orokin rule. Separated from it. Some had cause, some were fringe cases. Some were worse." Her voice turned flat. "The Democratic Republicans were nutcases." Not her voice turned sad again. "I just didn't realize they were."

 

"What happened?"

 

"Then Orokin ignored their demands, they attacked." Elena replied. "Using non-lethal force, they took several mining asteroids, taking over factories and working to fortify their position. The Navy and Marines moved in to 'contain the situation' and I was called in. I went and talked. They shot at me, but my hull was designed for defense. Not very safe, my job..." She chuckled in self deprecating humor. "Then we talked." Now she snarled. "I assumed I knew what I was doing. I had no idea. Every discussion we had, I missed the basic point."

 

"Which was?"

 

"They wanted freedom from rules. Freedom to do whatever they wanted. They wanted to be able to do anything they wanted, whenever they wanted." Elena sighed. "Despite many people thinking it so, anarchy is not a good thing. Rule of law always beats rule of mob."

 

"And?" Elena just sighed and he pressed. "What did they do?"

 

"They wanted freedom to do anything they wanted." Elena said heavily. "If they had bothered to listen, the Empire might have let them go their own way. Many groups of Separatists did. They rarely lasted longer than a single generation. But these... they wanted to do whatever they wished. And they knew of an impediment." Elena went silent.

 

"Not the Orokin?" The former slave asked, confused.

 

"No." Elena replied. "You see, even at the height of Orokin power, there was one rule that was absolutely inviolate." She made a noise of disgust. "No one in their right mind even tried to break that rule, because of the penalty."

 

"What rule?"

 

"Thou shalt not tamper with, experiment with, or use the Technocyte Virus." Elena intoned. "period." She snapped. "The Tenno had no use for anyone who did such things. No use at all. They had a very short way of dealing with scum who did so." She sighed. "And since the Technocyte Virus was the single most powerful bioweapon known..." She trailed off as the slave inhaled sharply.

 

"Oh no..."

 

"Yeah." Elena replied. "The Tenno were prepared for attacks. For almost anything. They were not prepared for a suborbital craft to declare an emergency and then crash into their Citadel on the Antarctic continent with a large scale nuclear weapon aboard when the defenses let them through."

 

"Oh... my... god..."

 

"I don't know how many Tenno died that day." Elena replied sadly. "Dozens? Hundreds? I don't know. I do know I am responsible for the worst tragedy in their history. Personally responsible. I should have let teh troops go in, clean the nutcases out, despite the bloodbath that would have resulted. I should have. In hindsight... I should have." She repeated.

 

"I... uh..." The slave swallowed and shook his head. "I don't see what else you could have done. You were a diplomat. Not a mind reader."

 

"I should have seen it." Elena retorted evenly. "The signs were all there. They were irrational, paranoid and openly hostile to all outsiders. Add armaments and the knowledge to make weapons of mass destruction and you spelled horror. But I knew what I was doing." She said bitterly. "I didn't want a slaughter, so instead, I got even more people slaughtered when both the military and the Tenno retaliated. But I was gone by then. Trapped in that asteroid." She sighed, calming. "Small wonder the Lotus hates me. She cannot hate me as much as I hate myself."

 

"Wait..." The slave said after a moment. "if the Citadel was nuked... How did the Tenno survive?"

 

"Dunno." Elena replied. "They had all kinds of tricks. Maybe they shifted into another dimension? Maybe they had some kind of uberly powerful shield? I don't know. Doesn't really matter. If they find me... I am dead. With reason."

 

"Well, I for one do not want you to die." The slave replied quickly. "You saved my life, the least I can do is help you."

 

"You can't." Elena said gently. "This isn't something that can be fixed."

 

"I don't see how it is your fault." He protested.

 

"I was arrogant." Elena replied without heat. "As arrogant as Grineer or more so." The former slave winced tat that and Elena made a noise of affirmation. "After all, I knew what I was doing and no one else did." Her voice was bitter again. "Or so I thought. I had a lot of time to think over what happened."

 

"Maybe too much." The former slave replied evenly. Elena made a confused noise and he smiled. "Look, we need to think of what to do now. I can see your responsibility for some of what happened. But you personally did not drop that nuke. You personally did not send the nut cases on their killing spree."

 

"No." Elena's voice was small. "But..."

 

"No 'buts'." The former slave snapped. "You take responsibility for your own actions. No one else's. You cannot control others. Manipulate them? Yes. Push them? Yes Control them? No."

 

"But I should have..." Elena broke off as the former slave coughed. She made a choked noise that was half laugh, half sigh. "Yes, sir." She said snidely.

 

"I don't know who I was Elena." The former slave said softly. "But I bet I wasn't  saint. Neither are you." He chortled and she made an inquiring noise. "Good thing too. I bet saints would be boring. All 'proper all the time' and such."

 

"What I did was wrong." Elena said quietly.

 

"And you know it." The former slave replied. "I think God will forgive you. You just need to forgive yourself."

 

"I don't know if I can." Elena said in a tiny voice.

 

"You are the only one who can." Her passenger replied. "Changing the subject... I think... Zachary is a good name. It feels... right."

 

"Yours?" Elena asked. "And may I call you Zack?"

 

"I don't know of it was mine or not." The other replied. "But yes. Yes, you may."

 

"You know..." Elena said slowly. "I think I know what you were."

 

"Don't keep me in suspense." Zack said with a small laugh.

 

"You act like a priest."

 

[Raphaello]

This is gonna end up leaving a mess bigger than an exploding bolo isn't it ? time for me to pack my bags and head for a nice safe vacation in the middle of a black hole

I might just be starting to see your point....

I'd prefer to be able to see events a little clearer than all the distortion in your hidey-hole would allow though.

I'll continue sitting here and watching, waiting... reading.....

[Kalenath]

This is gonna end up leaving a mess bigger than an exploding bolo isn't it ? time for me to pack my bags and head for a nice safe vacation in the middle of a black hole

 

Problem with that...

 

Black holes are not good hiding places. They often lead to alternate universes. If you violate the reality boundary... Well... It is going to get messy. Dragons define territorial.

[Spikey844]

Zachary? Zachary Hale Comstock?

Either way, with religion involved, this is going to get really messy. It almost always does.

[renleech]

Damn priests... better when they were extinct in Warframe universe.

Edited June 16, 2014 by renleech

[Kalenath]

Damn priests... better when they were extinct in Warframe universe.

 

Thing is... there are priests like Cotton Mather (look him up, I won't go into it here) and then there are priests like Clint Eastwood's character in 'Pale Rider'...

 

I wonder which one Zack was and WHY did the Grineer interrogate him so harshly?

[Shadow977]

Thing is... there are priests like Cotton Mather (look him up, I won't go into it here) and then there are priests like Clint Eastwood's character in 'Pale Rider'...

 

Then there are priests like in a movie called Priest.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Priest_(2011_film)

 

EDIT:Seems like the link isn't working properly but go to Wikipedia and search for Priest (2011 film)

Edited June 16, 2014 by Shadow977