''When 1 became 2'', a Grineer Cautionary Tale

[BWS-1]

Now listen up, this could happen to any of us.

We've seen how the Infestation bends and infects all, in more ways than we can even imagine.

This right here is something else, this is an abomination among abominations!

I know this to be true because it happened to a mate of a mate who met the ''thing'', this... mess of a former Grineer. Though my mate says the ''thing'' is still Grineer - loyal to the Queens - but now roaming in the wilderness of Earth as a lone stalker; a lone stalker with its ''pet'', seeking revenge. I'll retell the tale as he told it to my mate's mate... as it provides a more, shall we say, ''visceral'' exposition.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


So. Here I was, covered in leaves as I usually am being a single special scout unit on the outskirts of the small refineries of Coba, Earth, when something strange happened. I know, I knooow, everyone says that before their entire platoon gets wiped or before they get cut in half. But this is different. Somewhat. It was a sort of distortion in the air and space that messed up my comms and targeting systems. It must have lasted for just over a second, but when it stopped, I had no more comms, and my Buzlok wouldn't lock on anything anymore, but what got revealed as a result proved more priceless than Vor's Prize... though perhaps less eternal. At least that's what I liked to think.

I had been out there for 355 earth-hours when this happened and up until that point I had seen no sign of Tenno threat. This didn't seem too threatening but I couldn't take chances; it was the first time I'd see one with my own eyes: a Tenno landing craft. Judging by the fact that I was still alive despite my relative closeness to the craft after a good minute from it ''uncloaking'', and that the craft itself seemed, from the outside, like it's been there longer than us, I figured it was neutralized and uninhabited.

After just another minute, I figured ''well, surely going in and dying will be more valuable and interesting than missing out the chance of a lifetime sitting here seeing nothing but night and day cycling for the rest of my assigned 10 000 hours, then die of old age''. Augmented - and heavily modified - Viper in hand, Buzlok holstered, I made my approach. This baby could spit enough fiery bullets per seconds to ''pacify'' anything within 3. As I closed in on the now-wide-open landing craft, I felt a rather odd sense of ... I can't describe it, I never felt it before. At that moment I thought it might have been adrenaline working its way into my head, making me more keen and on ''high alert'' while also feeling exhilarated yet at ease and more calm than ever.

Little did I know that only part of it was due to the adrenaline. Little did I know that the moment this Tenno landing craft ''failed'' to remain sealed and invisible, is when my fate had been sealed... ''it'' was already spreading in the air. I couldn't feel it then, but it was already too late. For me. For Coba. Maybe even for Earth. There was no way I could have known this to be a SICK Tenno trap at the time. It had to be, though, only those monsters would dare unleash the Infestation upon us in such a cowardly way.

... If only I had known... I would have probably called in for an orbital strike of the entire quadrant. But I couldn't even if I wanted to. It had to have been planned; they knew then that I couldn't send anything to reach high-command... I couldn't send anything period. They had me cutoff good. But hey, Grineer does what Grineer must: make the most out of nothing even if it appears vain, keep on fighting for the Queens out of principle if it comes to the point of no longer being practical or possible even. Battle without cause is worthless; life without battle is meaningless. GLORY TO THE QUEENS.

I kept repeating all these things over and over again as I ventured into the craft. Was it because I was, ''afraid''? This must have been this thing called ''excitement''. I could see a minimal amount of energy being used to light up the place. No life support active, the air inside appeared just as the air outside. The ship itself didn't even try to ''purge'' the foreign life forms and biomass I threw in there to see if the ship's defenses were still active. No wonder they weren't active, something else had taken over.

 Only a few steps in and this is when time appeared to stop for me and the Void took over. For about... I still can't tell how many cycles.

When I became conscious again, I was in a world of pain unlike anything I've experienced in training... and they set you on fire in training while asking you to shoot straight still, so imagine that! Blood everywhere, bones hurting and joints cracking, as if I had slept in faulty cryostasis for months. The ship was still there, but a ludicrous amount of vegetation had taken over the front part where I had originally entered. My weapons were gone, both of them, I was - and felt - stripped of EVERYTHING. I could feel the breeze and humidity on my skin as though it was acid flames licking me endlessly. I couldn't think straight, I couldn't see straight, or at least, I couldn't see as I used to see. It's like I could see at a better, but slightly distorted field of vision.


Then I heard noises coming from the depths of that accursed landing craft... a kind of growl or snore...

Whatever that was, it matched the now-returning memory of what we were taught about Infested units. This was an Infested Charger for sure. Another Grineer had fallen for the Tenno trap, I thought. Now it was nothing more than a mindless drone for an old mindless war-machine. I knew I couldn't take it out, and even if my weapons could, I knew it wouldn't stop the Infestation from spreading. I'd become one of those monstrosities for sure...

... ''life without battle is meaningless'' ...

The hell with certain failure and death! I can't live on like this much longer anyway, and since I can't find a Tenno to punch in the teeth, I might as well lash out against the hound that awaits within this soon-to-be sepulcher of mine!

As I rushed in and quickly spotted the ''beast'', with its deformed glowing tendrils and eyes, I saw ''it'' look at me and then turn away only to sleep like a Drahk.

The moment it looked at me I froze dead in my tracks and fell limp on my aching bleeding knees.

That beast...

That ''thing''...

It was... it was ME!

Spoiler

I couldn't... it didn't... then what... what was I? If THAT was me... than what AM I?

I snuck up to the disfigured mess of a Charger and it just stayed there, clearly acknowledging me and aware of my presence but also, not thinking me a threat. I recovered my weapons... or what was left of them. The passage of time didn't sit well with them. Rusty, mossy. Functional? Doesn't matter... they remain, in their decrepit states, closer to what they were than I will ever be from now on. I decided to keep them as mementos. I even poked the creature with my bloody hand in what seemed to be its maw - as at the time, I felt so disconnected with myself and with reality that I had lost all sense of self-preservation - and it did nothing, not even lick the blood dripping from my hand into its lower jaw.

Then I turned around only to see a gate loaded with Infested spore and pods.

The Tenno... they have never been this bold in the past. The rage, the hatred. It's as-though I glowed from it so much it overtook me! If it didn't take my sanity, something else did...

As I walked to the Infested door, I saw in the reflection of the floor that I, whatever I was, was still myself; the ''husk'' from my former-self became the Charger, overtaken by the Infestation yet now following me... I had been spared - I had been spit out - of my own body only to become a twisted pile of still-functioning internals. Twisted by the Infestation physically, but feeling Grineer psychologically. This ''husk'' seemed friendly even... yet empty. Would it serve me to teach the Tenno a lesson?

The depravity of it all just... made my blood boil for vengeance!

Spoiler

 

Once outside the ship, I.. or ''we''? ... I realized more had happened and many MANY moons had gone by since my collapse.

The forest was alive with the Infestation... it could be seen easily in the dead of the night through the foliage and jungle. No sign of Grineer activities. I could hear the Coba refineries still, but they seemed to be in ''sleep-mode'', idling. As if they hadn't been maintained or used in a decade. Staying active without anyone to tend to them...

Going towards the former Grineer settlement, it was obvious to assess that this area would no longer attract Tenno for Grineer-related reasons... perhaps it would no longer attract Tenno at all.

The Infestation is everywhere now. If only there was a way I could bait the Tenno to come back.

If only there was a way for me to trap them as they trapped me.

Only then would I have a semblance of a chance of getting my revenge.

In the meantime, I stalk the jungle. No longer shooting, barely remembering my Grineer dialect... biding my time...

I'll find something to get them back to Coba somehow... someday. I'll tear them inside-out as well...

Someday...

... I'll get my revenge!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

...

How demented is THAT, right??

It stands to reason that I know what you are going to say; if my mate's mate talked to this ''Grineer'', my mate's mate is now likely the host of tons of Infested spores and whatnot. But see, this guy, that ''thing'', he isn't like the others. He said to my mate's mate all you have to do to prevent the awakening of the infestation within you is to retell that story to 10 of your mates within 7 days! And you should be fine forever then... just... you know... spread the word! For your own sake. Just in case.

Anyway, time to sleep! Enjoy stasis, brother!
 

Edited January 10, 2017 by BWS-1
*cough*proofreading*cough*