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

[onemorebounty]

Thanks.

*Samus welcomes the assist, gunning her pike's engine as its weapon chews up the minotaur. She follows the Guardian's example, springing clear before it's quite fully stopped.*

Quick question, do we understand how their teleporting works yet?

*Not that she's expecting an answer before the Vex arrive. She'll send a spray of missiles toward where it looks like the densest cloud not guarding the courtyard exit is going to appear.*

[rekindledtitan]

Samus will want to aim for the bridge: besides cutting them off, it looks like their mechanoid foes plan to make full use of all the cover they've left around. The first minotaur is a shattered wreck when Blaze hits the platform, so she wheels and closes in on the second.

//No.// That's the Ghost's short answer, as the Vex materialize and the missiles strike down among the stones. The new units are small, with fan-like heads and glowing white segments on their chests. There are a dozen on the bridge alone- before a missile shreds one and splash damage knocks the head from another couple. They're not particularly tough, moving in lockstep and co-ordinating fire automatically.

The Ghost keeps talking while Blaze charges through a bolt from the minotaur. //I know they're using a conflux nearby. If we shut it down we can stop their reinforcemen-//

With an electronic howl the minotaur vanishes from Blaze's sights, making her waste a fusion burst. It reappears close enough to bludgeon the startled Exo with its weapon.

[onemorebounty]

Alright, Ghost, pinning down that conflux is on you.

*If the newly-arrived Vex want to take cover, Samus will be happy to give them reason, switching to the wave beam and spraying fire quick and wide--even when they aren't fully charged, the oscillating pulses home in on targets, and while they don't tend to stun as much, they still hurt. Keeping them from getting involved in the fight is step one of helping Blaze, and step two is mag-locking her own boots to the ground (she hopes--there ought to be enough ferrous material in there for it to work) and firing a grapple line from her left wrist to catch the minotaur--weapon, arm, back, she's not picky. She'll either pull it off-balance or pull it apart (or, if there's really not that much metal in the ground where she's standing, it'll soon be wearing her for a hat).*

[rekindledtitan]

The Hunter's spray of fire prompts the main reinforcements to hunker behind their cover to minimize damage - except the ones who lose their heads. Those let out scratching, stuttering sounds and charge to find a path toward the first enemy they see, spewing fire as soon as they're in range. At least it makes them easier to hit.

It's only after Blaze hits the minotaur with a fistful of lightning that she realizes it didn't hit her, that its fist is still held in the air with a grapple around it. //Oh- hey, thanks!//

Naturally, she hits the creature again. And again, forcing it back to the edge. Her Ghost lets out a little sound, like a sigh of relief. //Tracing the conflux. Blaze, snipers on the ledges behind you. More Vex coming in from the rear.//

[onemorebounty]

My pleasure.

*When the minotaur looks to be at the edge of its balance, Samus gives a sharp heave on the grapple before letting go, turning her attention to the Vex on the bridge. Curling up into her morph ball, she scoots up the bridge, weaving to avoid fire as much as she can, putting on sudden bursts of speed to bowl through any that try to physically interpose themselves. She'll uncurl again at the top, turning to rain fire down on the Vex--they can have cover from her, or cover from Blaze. Which will they choose?*

[rekindledtitan]

The minotaur topples from the platform with a distorted cry. Blaze plants a boot on the edge and leans over to pump a fusion burst into its sparking frame.

The surviving Vex prioritize the more unfamiliar foe, re-positioning with short teleports in an attempt to flank her. They are exposing themselves to Blaze, but they might think that's covered- a sniper round lances into her back, eliciting a muffled grunt of pained surprise. The Ghost did warn her. Maybe she'll help Samus pin down her new friends. Steal their cover.

//Wait, I see it! Let me out under there!// The Ghost flags a shadowed opening in one corner, tucked into the Citadel's shadow atop one stony ridge.

[onemorebounty]

*With the Vex on the bridge cowering from her (and doesn't that feel good?), Samus takes the opportunity to fire a few rounds at the snipers who just shot Blaze. She expects they'll duck behind cover or their shields, but while they're pinned down, they're not shooting, and she'll be happy to buy her ally a few seconds to make the next move.*

[rekindledtitan]

Blaze tears into the exposed infantry with a will, forcing them back into Samus' line of fire. By now they're too scattered to return the damage effectively, although one or two lift a hand to hit her with a short-range energy pulse.

//All right- we'll finish these, then go for the conflux.//

//They have reinforcements,// the Ghost points out. A small flock of floating drones are following Samus' path up the bridge, apparently hoping to glide in while their foes are preoccupied. //They'll only keep coming until we shut down their access.// There's a barely-detectable pause. //It could be heavily defended.//

//Good point. Let's go!//

[onemorebounty]

*There's a delicious irony in catching the force that had been sent to flank them between Blaze and herself, and Samus scythes down the Vex that her companion drives into her line of fire with a will.*

*While Blaze goes for the conflux, Samus decides to draw fire by making a big, fat target of herself. Or, rather, a fast-moving but exceedingly annoying target, as she leaps at the cloud of drones. She'll be doing her level best to kick off of them, hopping from one to another, kicking or slapping others in passing to change her own trajectory in mid-arc.*

[rekindledtitan]

The floating machines are quick and maneuverable - they're also rather big, with three broad, ridged segments sweeping petal-like from the central eye. For some reason they have tentacle-like filaments coiling out from behind them. They scatter and reform trying to get a fix on Samus. They can't fire while moving, so they only manage to spit the odd hail of rapid-fire energy bolts at her. All the while they squeal and trill like dry gears: it would be an awful sound, except that in context they sound more like a panicky flock of robotic chickens. With laser turrets.

Blaze misses this particular fun, making a thrust-aided hop to the ridge Ghost points out. From there she can charge in to that half-hidden opening, only briefly wondering //Was this here before-?//

She's greeted by the cry of a minotaur. More than one. No stopping to shoot this time: she just lets off a flashbang. //Woah. Kinda crowded in here!//

[onemorebounty]

*If Samus can't kick off of the drones, she'll just kick off of the air itself--her suit's jump-assist jets don't care much whether she's on the ground, and she can keep bouncing back and forth, changing trajectories at a whim, for as long as she cares to keep it up. Or until Blaze needs back-up.*

On my way.

*She reconfigures her arm cannon again, this time to a shortened, stubby-looking setting with a rectangular module projecting up an inch from the top rear; blue-white light illuminates the seams as a hum of power builds. Leaping clear of the cloud of drones and in the conflux's direction, she fires a missile behind her into the midst of the swarm. This one is different from her earlier explosives; larger, heavier, its warhead carries a payload of cryonic gel, and it explodes without impacting on anything (unless she's very lucky), scattering the frigid liquid in a fine mist. It should be an instant icing problem for any drones caught in the cloud, leaving Samus free to charge into the conflux and see what Blaze has found.*

[rekindledtitan]

//No rush.//

The crippled drones can't hope to pursue, and though the snipers far behind take a few potshots Samus has an otherwise unobstructed run. Behind the opening is a rather small room, definitely too small for the three minotaurs inside. They surround a pillar of glowing white lines, interconnecting in a grid-like mesh. The conflux itself - or its visible representation.

It's not visible to anyone but Samus just now. Blaze's flashbang has blinded her as well as the hulking robots. Two are wandering aimlessly as they try to recover their inputs. Blaze has the the third in an armlock and is giving it a new sort of input, via punching its side until she feels armour buckle.

[onemorebounty]

Ghost, does this thing need a controlled shutdown, or can we just wreck it?

*While she's waiting for an answer, Samus pounces on one of the minotaurs while its back is turned. She's been spending energy fairly freely in this fight, and while her suit's reserves are deep, she's always willing to replenish them given an opportunity. Finding a weak point and tearing into it, the Hunter goes hunting for a power supply to drain.*

[rekindledtitan]

Getting hands-on with a minotaur reveals a few things about Vex anatomy. There's a local power supply, that's simple enough, but it's intertwined with what looks like the comms system (which is nigh indistinguishable from central processing). Nor does the power supply extend out to any recharge ports. Additionally, the milky fluid she might have seen spurting from a few of the broken Vex is here too, around the processors. If Samus is doing any analysis, she'll notice it's not coolant - the stuff's biological. Radiolarian soup.

//We need to shut it down. This is just an access point.// the Ghost responds. Her optics are recovering - faster than the minotaurs', it must be said - but Blaze is working largely by feel as she presses her fusion rifle against the break she's made and holds the trigger.

"Don't worry," she says aloud, shoving the husk aside and lunging for the hazy column of light. Extending a hand, she lets the Ghost out to work on the interface, then looks around to check on Samus.

[onemorebounty]

*That the minotaurs are alive is a bit of a surprise; Samus had taken them for remote mechs of some kind. What she's finding in there, though... that's interesting. She's going to see if she can patch into their comms, get a look at their side of the board--perhaps even talk to them. She's setting up some very good defenses within her suit's systems first, though, to ensure they don't backtrace through her and latch on to Blaze and Ghost.*

It's your show, Ghost.

[rekindledtitan]

The Vex comms are full of activity. The minotaur isn't just communicating with some central command, it's actively linked with every other unit on the field, working with the other surviving minotaur as a local processing unit. What it transmits is more like a partial neural stream than discrete messages. Somewhere, perhaps, lies a superior mind coordinating the entire set of thought processes.

But even on this level, the individual Vex is clearly reacting. Connections are pruned as Samus' intrusion is detected; its influence on the lesser units surrendered. The foreign connection is immediately tested, analyzed, explored aggressively. Samus had best be careful on her own behalf, too - both Vex programs and biological agents are highly infectious. All the data it collects is streamed both to the larger network and into the complex calculations in its own core. The minotaur is doing some of its own thinking, building a new and peculiarly-structured program for itself. It doesn't seem to mind if Samus looks.

Happily focused on matters more concrete, Blaze tackles the remaining minotaur as it finally restores its sensors. The Vex reinforcements, if they're coming, don't seem to be rushing in to save the conflux. She has time to knock its shields down and start testing exactly where its frame is weakest.

[onemorebounty]

*The neural stream is a little bit of a disappointment. She doubts she has time to learn how to speak into it, so her speech will have to wait. Fortunately, her suit is as good at data combat as it is the regular kind, so those aggressive explorations from the Vex are met with false leads and ripostes. If they learn anything, it's likely to be a general impression of the level of technical skill that the Chozo brought to crafting their armor.*

*As much as Samus would like a look at that program, she decides she's learned enough. Besides, she knows bait when she sees it, and putting together something interesting to plant a virus or get her to leave herself open to intrusion would be a good plan. So she'll ruin it by jamming in her plasma beam and slagging the minotaur's interior. That should burn off most of the bio-agents, too, and decontam can take care of the rest later.*

Well, that was interesting. How're we doing out here?

[rekindledtitan]

"Oh, we're just fine!" Blaze reports, knocking aside a swing from the minotaur. There are deep dents in her armor and one elbow's sparking. But so is her opponent, its cranium crushed in and one leg malfunctioning. "Ghost?"

//I've almost got this!// The AI's voice is strained, grappling with opposition of its own. //Something big is coming through - I can't stop it.//

OK, time to break the minotaur's leg and slam it into the paving slabs. "Leave that to us. Just take care of the conflux."

Cue boss fight music?

[onemorebounty]

Can you tell us where it'll land?

*As Blaze seems to have the last minotaur well in hand, Samus edges back toward the entryway. She expects the Vex will have been forming up around it to contain them, waiting for enough reinforcements to storm in and kill them. A quick glance will tell her whether she's right.*

Of course!

[rekindledtitan]

(( The game says this but my brain assumes something like this. ))

A dozen of the smaller infantry units have moved up on the ridge opposite the entrance, ready to open fire as soon as she moves into view. On top of that, there's a quick gliding motion to the left as a couple of harpies take up the wing position.

//Central courtyard- defending the Citadel gate.// If Samus can snatch a glance, there's another black mist forming up on that platform. keen to see what's out there, Blaze drops the minotaur and heads straight for the door.

Excellent choices, both.

[onemorebounty]

((The inside of my head sounds like this, or will once the action starts.))

*Samus holds out a cautioning hand--she doesn't want Blaze to step into the line of fire just yet.*

I'd like to say something to them, first. Ghost, you've got their teleports down? No more reinforcements after this, for a while?

*While she waits on an answer, she programs her suit's holographic projector, creating an obviously-projected image of herself standing in sight of the enemy. She's set her suit's audio output to overlay her words with as much of the Vex's language as the translator's been able to figure out; it should come out sounding like both.

This might be loud. [[Attention: you are trespassing on this planet. As a representative of its rightful owners, I order you to either surrender or depart. Any who leave will be allowed to do so unharmed. Any who disarm and surrender will be taken into custody, and may speak in their own defense at trial. If you have not left, or disarmed, by the time I find you... it will be taken as given that you decline this offer, and there will be no mercy, no defense, no escape. Think carefully.]]

*The projection flickers and fades.*

Nice! Very fitting.

[rekindledtitan]

Blaze comes very close to brushing straight past before checking herself. Samus gets a startled look, even through the reflective visor.

"Talk to them-?" After a moment, the Titan settles her weight back, head lifted to listen and fusion rifle lowered by her side. The promise of action holds her there, ready to move every moment.

//Done. It should take them a while to restore access.// Anticipating trouble, the Ghost leaves the dimmed conflux. It returns to Blaze, glancing aside at the fallen minotaurs it passes before vanishing.

"...Huh." The message finished, Blaze looks at Samus. "So are you planning something, or actually hoping they'll listen?"

The Vex hold their position, analyzing the message. There's no immediate response - but they don't lower their weapons, either. They remain perfectly still, waiting.

Thank you.

[onemorebounty]

I didn't think it would work, but I had to give them the chance. I do have a plan, though. Can you set a longer fuse on one of your flash-bangs? Say, twelve seconds or so?

*Having picked up some shiny piece of metal, Samus holds it at the edge of cover in such a way as to see the arrangement of the Vex outside.*

They've seen you use them a couple times this fight. They probably know by now to shield their sensors. When it doesn't go off, though, they'll relax. And then, flash! They're blind, and we take our opportunity. Still, they have us bottled up in here, so when the lights go out, they'll probably open fire and hope to catch us as we charge. Which is why we're going to flank them with a PINpoint portal, instead. Thoughts?

*Ms. Nice Samus has just clocked out. This time belongs to Space Bitch.*

[rekindledtitan]

The infantry outside are in two neat lines, one staggered behind the other to give clear lines of fire. It's harder to see the floating units, but they seem to have adopted a similar formation off to the left flank. On top of that, the rest of the drones are up on the central platform, arrayed to fire down at the entrance. Behind them drifts something big, veiled by a glimmering shield.

"It's a sound maneuver." Blaze is bemused, not used to having such a tactically-inclined partner along. "I could break their line, no problem, but that's a smart move. Only thing is, my grenade-"

She turns her left hand over, fingers half curled around a bright orb of energy. "It's not mechanical. I'll try making it slower, but I can't make any promise on the timing."

[onemorebounty]

You're already sparking, and we have a lot of citadel left to break. Besides, the harder we hit them now, just the two of us, the more they have to consider when they start counting how many of your people there are.

*The revelation about the flash-bang is a little disappointing, but informative.*

Ah. Alright, we'll make the best of it, then. Even if they aren't blinded, they'll expect us to charge out after it pops.