Excerpt 001: Enquiring Minds

[rekindledtitan]

TYPE: Patrol log

LOCATION: Ishtar Sink, Venus

PARTIES: Three [3]. One [1] Ghost-type, [1] Guardian-type, designate Blaze-37, Class Titan [

rekindledtitan ], One [1] Unconfirmed, designate Aran, Samus [onemorebounty ]

 

ASSOCIATIONS: Multiversal Nexus; Samus Aran; Chozo; Ishtar Sink; Hezen Protective; Pelsor; House of Winter; Drevis; Blaze-37; Ishtar Academy



They land in a clearing on the city outskirts with grass under their boots and a heavy overcast above. The breeze that greets them is hot and humid, a little acidic. Around them is a densely-grown treeline, with broad leaves that are near-luminescent shades of green. Their rustle is echoed by the distant wash of waves from beyond the ruins.

Blaze turns to scan the area, hopeful of opposition even though her Ghost already checked the site. The broken towers and city blocks are quiet within the overgrowth. But then it’s not the human ruins which really stand out. To the north a massive volcano takes up much of the sky, belching out a noxious plume of ash and gas. Small wonder that each shift in the breeze makes the scent of the air waver between sulfurous and salty. Over the hills to both south and east loom dark geometric structures. Look at them with anything other than the optical spectrum, and they emit some very peculiar readings.

“At last,” the Exo remarks, feeling a thrill that doesn’t break her readiness. Her head’s turned up to check the skyline as she speaks. Then she's moving for the buildings. “We’re in Guardian territory, more or less. Doesn’t stretch too far yet. Won’t take long to find some trouble.”

Comments

[rekindledtitan]

//Delicious? What're you doing with them?//

Blaze has finally drawn her pulse rifle, and the rapid three-round bursts sound out as she picks off the Vex from the high ground. What's left of them. Her grenades might emphasize the flash and bang, but the explosive component is pretty strong too.

//Just some target practice. Going to run out pretty soon. But that conduit's staying down: looks like we'll have time for a clear run at the door.//

[onemorebounty]

Pulling power from their systems. And wherever they're getting it, apparently plenty to share.

*A flick of the grapple line flings a sniper down into the courtyard; if the fall doesn't kill it, Blaze surely will.*

I'm back to a full charge, up here.

*There's something to be said for the simple pleasures in life, like mopping up a thoroughly-won fight.*

[rekindledtitan]

Blaze makes an understanding noise and puts a burst into the twitching sniper, just to make sure. //We just salvage the materials. Haven't dug into the ammunition much yet, but my Ghost can pull some programmable matter out of them.//

[onemorebounty]

Not sure if you'll want the ammo--these guns lock up on me after just a few shots.

*Samus catches the last sniper with her grapple line, draining them as quickly as she can while sending a missile their way--the energy stolen replenishes what the missile cost her, and hopefully her draining keeps it from putting up a stasis shield in time.*

Then this isn't just a fact-finding mission, it's a shopping trip. Excellent! Is there anything left of the hydra's head? Those beams it had were interesting.

[rekindledtitan]

//Not theirs - we take the material and a Ghost can synthesize our own supplies.//

With the last sniper getting torn apart above her, Blaze hops onto her cover to take a look at the the hydra's remains.

//Well, you're in luck! Its internals are good and slagged, but looks like the beam mounts are safe.//

[onemorebounty]

In that case...

*She heaves the sniper's remains down into the courtyard, before going back to do the same for the rest.*

...eat up, while I have a look at that hydra.

*She follows, her landing light as a cat's, and prowls over to the hydra. She plans to dismantle the beams with care, in the hope of finding some parts she can integrate into her own weapons. She'd very much enjoy being able to fire the Vex's own weapons back at them. The catch will be finding parts that give her what she wants without giving the Vex access to her suit.*

[rekindledtitan]

//Heh, thanks.//

Blaze thumps onto the courtyard floor to check everyone's dead. Her Ghost materializes when reasonably sure it's safe, though it still uses her for cover as it zips between dead Vex. Blaze cracks open a few and their weapons, just to get a better look.

Back with the hydra, the twin beams carry neither ammunition nor a link to the Vex's main power source. In themselves, they're terminals, drawing particle or energy beams from some other point in space-time. The weapon itself houses systems for aiming and modulating the output, mainly using distortions of space-time and some unusual energy fields. They're complex and very flexible; though their last setting channels them to fire those great bolts of exotic matter (what Guardians call void fire) it looks like that's only one of many configurations.

The easiest way to find out what they are would be to take some of the data cached in the mounts, but even that means some contact with the Vex software...

[onemorebounty]

*It's interesting, and tempting. But also dangerous--Samus remembers last time. So she'll take some precautions. Fresh attack barriers for her interface ports, and a favor asked of Blaze.*

Blaze, could you keep an eye on me? I'm about to try interfacing with this thing. If I ask for it, or do something weird, could you hit me with an EMP?

[rekindledtitan]

//Hmm?//

Ghost rejoining her, she stows the gun and heads back up toward the bridge. She's flexing her shoulders as she rejoins Samus, as if to test how much power is waiting.

"Emergency shutdown?" She looks around, estimating where she'd want to hit to catch Samus in the EMP effect without inflicting too much damage. Then nods. "I can do that. How weird are we talking?"

[onemorebounty]

*She nods.*

Moving jerkily, shooting at you, anything that makes it seem like I've been subverted. I don't want the Vex getting in here with me.

*Since Blaze looks ready, and Samus' defenses are as prepared as they can be, she makes contact with the downed Hydra.*

[rekindledtitan]

"Got it." Blaze settles down to watch, one optic on her HUD's trackers.

There's much less of the hydra left than the minotaur; instead of a full mind there are only the remnants tasked to handle the beams' operation. None of the aggressive probing from before: the subroutines here are much subtler, willing to share information once their security protocols have been dealt with. There are models for thousands of different configurations, many with uses that Samus might guess: an infantry weapon becomes a signal transmitter becomes an excavation tool becomes any kind of network relay.

The problem is, every data packet on how the weapon (instrument?) handles those configurations - and all records of their previous use - are themselves Vex data. They look harmless, but trying to take one is just inviting it to quietly multiply in your own system.

Void Beam acquired! (Press A for details.)

[onemorebounty]

*Samus recognizes the problem, and after scrutinizing the subroutines decides not to risk copying any of them over. That doesn't mean, however, that she doesn't have plans for salvage. She finds the configuration file for the nasty beam the hydra had used on her. Rather than transcribing the perilous files, she reads the configuration settings relevant for the setting she wants and the parts she'll be taking, copying those into a new configuration for her suit's systems. She can supply her own exotic matter.*

Cue the triumphant music!

[rekindledtitan]

That should work fine, though Samus had best be careful to check each component she's taking for local circuitry and scrub out any last bits of Vex data.

Behind her, Blaze is keeping up watch, though all seems to be going well. An idle scan of the heights catches a hint of shimmer against the sky, and she gives it a hard look for a minute. "Hmm."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zXXdUC4NX4

[onemorebounty]

*Samus is being quite careful in that regard--each component she takes is sterilized, both digitally and literally. Blaze's vocalization does catch a bit of her attention, however.*

What is it?

That is both neat and terribly cute.

[rekindledtitan]

"Not sure. Thought we might have a cloaked Fallen. Could be distortion from the Citadel's fields, but I don't see it now." She peers around the rocks and half-buried structures. Come out, come out, little scouts. "Maybe they want to know where their bikes went."

It very much is. Like something out of "Baby Samus: the Littlest Hunter"

[onemorebounty]

Airborne, on the ground?

*Samus glances up from her work, cycling her visor through a variety of wavelengths.*

Is there somewhere I can vote for this game?

[rekindledtitan]

"Ground. You know the way a stealth cloak can ripple? Easier to spot them against the skyline but Fallen climb like geckos."

And they also shield themselves from more wavelengths than a human - or Exo - optical range. The cloaks are imperfect, still: look very carefully, and among the broken outlines of the rocks and the odd energies of the Citadel Samus might spot a hunched outline. A spot where the infrared radiation from the sun-warmed stones bends in a suspicious way...

Sure. Write to Nintendo and demand some love for their most-abused franchise.

[onemorebounty]

I've seen some therm-optic cloaks, yeah. This one's new.

*Still, Samus is a hunter--patient, and attentive to detail. When she's spotted the likely culprit, she takes aim and gives her new void beam a test-shot.*

Finally a worthy use for all that speechcraft grinding!

[rekindledtitan]

She gives Blaze quite a start when that weapon starts up behind her. The bolts it fires are on the slow side, but they make a nice steady boom when they explode on the rocks, splashing fire everywhere.

The scout above must be very surprised: it doesn't even manage to cry out before he's blown back against the cliffs. There's just a tumbling, burning outline: roughly human size, four-armed, a short cape fluttering to ash behind it.

"Hah! You picked that up fast!" Blaze glances at the cannon, but quickly her focus is back on scouring the cliffs. "Wonder if that'll scare her friends off." They're not attacking, anyway...

It's nice to be able to use one's degree.

[onemorebounty]

Thank you.

*Samus gives a fiercely pleased smile inside her helmet; some of it is audible in her voice.*

It's given them something to think about, at least. Let's see about getting the door open, and park the pikes inside. I've got an idea about securing our exit.

[rekindledtitan]

Blaze is, at this point, very well-disposed toward Samus' ideas. She eyes the rocks a little more, just in case she can catch any retreating cloaks, but nothing stirs and she marches over to the entrance. At least, there's an indented segment in the wall which might indicate an entrance. It fits seamlessly to the walls around it, but when she lets her Ghost out to look it claims it's found an accessible point in the network.

Leaving it to work, she gives Samus a thumbs-up and drops back off the platform to retrieve her stashed Pike.

//They didn't touch my Pike at all. I guess once we dismounted they didn'tconider the vehicles a threat.//

[onemorebounty]

The more fools, they.

*Samus, too, is retrieving her pike, coaxing it through the debris of battle with care.*

I propose we leave a remote charge on the pikes, to secure our exit. When we're ready to leave, we blow the charge and everything goes up with it; the fuel, the mines, all of it.

[rekindledtitan]

//I like it. When we're clear of the Citadel again we can hit the transmat.// She fires up the engine, driving up as far as the bridge before swinging off again. With a grunt, she hefts the bike onto her shoulder and carries it through the debris.

"I don't know if you brought any charges, but I've got some rockets we can convert."

[onemorebounty]

Transmat?

*Samus pats her arm cannon fondly.*

I've got micro-factories in here. They can quick-build missiles, or a few other things I've got the specs for, including remote demo charges.

[rekindledtitan]

"Matter-transport system. How we usually get things in and out of our ships. My Ghost linked that PINpoint you gave me to it so we can get between there and the Nexus."

The cannon gets a nod. "Heh, it's not as friendly as a Ghost, but I'm starting to see the charm. I'll leave the charges to you.//