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]

//Nowhere to go. On Earth and Luna the bones are piled in the ruins. Go exploring here, I expect you'll find the same.//

Blaze is far from chipper about that. But playing in these boneyards is all she remembers, not anything of what they used to be. Besides, she's too distracted for grieving.

//What is that you're doing up there? I've never seen fire like that on anyone besides a Warlock.// And she knows how they do it. Kinda. Roughly.

Shinespark, HO!

[onemorebounty]

One of my suit's systems. Well, one of the ways several systems work together. I'm using my weapon's plasma core to feed my jump jets, which help me run faster, and my ablative fields catch the waste plasma and turn it into a shield and build me a low-pressure bubble to move in. If I have to stop, my intakes can pull most of the waste plasma back in and overcharge the jets for one strong jump.

*Or, as the game manuals like to call it, a Shinespark. Normally, Samus would be cagey about her people's tech and her suit's abilities, but she can see what Blaze is fighting. If she inspires a weapon or two against this, she won't regret it.*

My people had some strong ideas about what a lone warrior should be capable of.

[rekindledtitan]

//Clever! Lines up with some of our skills - like channeling Light into a shield or your thrust pack. But we don't link them all together like that.//

Not yet. It's worth some tinkering. Make a few modifications and you could get - if not the same effect - an interesting next step. It'd be very useful for a Striker-type prone to charging into enemy fire. If Blaze isn't taking notes, her Ghost is.

//My people would like yours. ...Wait, 'had'?//

[onemorebounty]

*They're notes worth taking. And worth considering, although they might not know it, is that Samus started with a basic power suit, and has added upgrades piecemeal as she finds them. In the time when the Chozo actually needed armies, every last Warrior had such armor, and the upgrades in which they had learned to be proficient. Multiply Samus by ten, a hundred, a thousand, and you begin to imagine what the Chozo could bring to a fight--and, perhaps, why they have not needed to for so long that the modern galaxy considers them pacifists.*

It's complicated. The simple explanation is that they needed to do things outside conventional space, and their living corporeal forms weren't up to the job, so they had to leave those behind. I wasn't ready to go, so I stayed with the living.

[rekindledtitan]

//Seriously?// She sounds wide-eyed, at that. The hard crack as she bounces off a tree chastises her for letting her attention falter. Still quite a thing to hear.

[onemorebounty]

You alright back there?

*It is, indeed, quite a thing to hear, or to say. And that's the simple explanation.*

[rekindledtitan]

//Back where?// she retorts. Just fine, then. She vaults a mossy boulder and boosts off the far side to make up lost momentum.

//So why'd you stay behind?//

[onemorebounty]

The people who killed my family were still out there. A whole organization built on taking what they could from anyone they caught in a moment of weakness. I needed revenge.

*Occasionally, Samus comes upon an obstacle that she can't simply mow through--for those, she makes quick detours, still scorching her surroundings.*

It's a big organization. I've killed plenty, and taught them to fear me, but they're still going. So I'm not done.

[rekindledtitan]

//Good reason. These your Space Pirates?//

Blaze cuts a straighter path, taking advantage of those obstacles to make up ground while she can. They're running out of forest: soon they'll be into the stunted shrublands around. Meanwhile they're cutting - or burning - an unmissable trail, which might be a factor in the information the Ghost supplies.

//I don't want to interrupt, but I'm picking up a lot of Fallen transmissions. I'm still analyzing the content.//

[onemorebounty]

The same. I'm either going to end them, or myself in trying.

*When Samus bursts from cover, she's bound to draw attention; like a low-flying shooting star, streaking through the scrubland. She tries again to scan the fortress ahead, hoping they might be close enough by now for her visor to pick up on something.*

If it's not some variation of, "what is that thing coming at us," or "the sensors must be broken," I'm going to have to revise my opinion of them downward.

[rekindledtitan]

//You needn't worry about that. They definitely know something's up.// There's a chirp, and the Ghost adds, //Activity over the drop ahead - moving fast. They're going to intercept us.//

There are a few trees out here, but most are dead and stunted, or uprooted by whatever seismic activity buckled the landscape into hills and ravines. The human ruins are behind them: no colonists ever built this close to the Citadel. It blots out much of the sky now, a monumental black column sprouting from the rock. The higher reaches jut out in ways that indicate complete indifference to gravity. Much of it seems to be suspended entirely in the air.

To the eye it's silent and still, but on sensors it shimmers with the interference of cast-off emissions. Samus might be able to detect how space warps and coils about the glossy walls, dragging the clouds with it. More interesting is the fact that the Citadel seen by eye does not entirely match up to the Citadel as seen through other sensors, and different portions are missing in each. The pall that hangs over the planet builds into an oppressive air as they draw closer.

To Blaze that's anything but discouragement. On the open ground she's started lagging again, and the promise of combat draws a renewed burst of speed from her. //Hah! We're not the only ones out for trouble. They have thrust bikes?//

//At least three.// Which means the riders will be mere dregs, out to scout and scavenge as close to Vex ground as they dare. Just a little light fun on the way in, Blaze figures.

[onemorebounty]

"Engage with prejudice" is the order of the day?

*That sits just fine with Samus; she uses the drop ahead as a jumping-off point, sending herself on a high arc, twisting in midair to bring her arm cannon to bear against the targets. Beams of plasma lance down toward these first encounters, even as she sets her visor to scanning one.*

If the citadel sent these out to see what we're capable of, they're going to get a show.

[rekindledtitan]

//Always.//

Their opponents are hardly imposing: slightly smaller than the average human, two-armed bipeds with light armour and shock pistols at their sides. They're organic, certainly, four eyes glowing over their breathing masks and a stiff mohawk of hair poking from their heads. Depending on how thorough her scan is, Samus might pick up on the remaining skeletal joints where each has lost a second, lower pair of arms.

What they have are heavy thrust bikes, plated in solid-looking blue armor. The engines crackle with tormented electricity, but the vehicles skate over the ground with ease. They yell to one another in gravelly voices as Samus launches herself from the high ground, trying to turn and target her with the twin nose cannons.

It's immediately obvious this doesn't work with an airborne target. Samus' fire rips into a wheeling Pike, gutting the engine. The rider accelerates desperately, then throws himself off as the controls fail.

Another goes skidding sideways to evade - and no sooner does it succeed than Blaze comes skidding down the slope to crash right into it. To the Titan's surprise, this only slams it away from her instead of exploding the engine. Weird. Without thinking, she moves to close on it again. Meanwhile, the third Pike's rider is smart enough to bolt clear, planning to turn and target the 'humans' properly.

//Huh? Oh- they will. Didn't send these dregs though. Fallen aren't friends with the Vex in there.//

//Our enemies hate one another as much as they hate us. But it's a safe assumption the Citadel is watching.//

[onemorebounty]

*That third one may have evaded Samus' initial burst of plasma fire, but as she arcs toward a landing, she gets a signal lock and sends a missile its way.*

I'll be certain to keep a few tricks in reserve, then.

*Since they're employing vehicle-mounted weapons that don't tilt up very effectively, Samus leaps after her missile, keeping the advantage of altitude whenever possible.*

Am I seeing joints for amputated limbs on these things?

[rekindledtitan]

Blaze's dreg swerves in panic, but she catches up and throws a fist loaded with arc energy into its chest. However sturdy the Pike, its rider is still a weak point. Another couple of blows makes sure it stays down. She looks up to see the missile strike home on the remaining Pike just as it turns. //Hah! Nice catch!//

That leaves one survivor getting to his feet, pistol in one hand and crackling knife in the other. He might be a little cutthroat, but he'll fight to the last.

//Correct. These are dregs, the lowest rung of their society. The docking is an initiation rite. The ones who prove themselves are allowed to regrow their arms.//

[onemorebounty]

I'll admit, I respect anyone who can do their job while they're short a couple limbs.

*Samus' arm cannon changes configuration, shortening and widening, the red-glowing seams closing and the seams that open shedding a faint purple. She levels the weapon at the remaining dreg, and fires off a shot. The shot takes the form of three motes of light oscillating through a common central line, along which they are radially equidistantly spaced--the wave beam. It doesn't hit hard, but the strong electrical charge it carries tends to make its targets seize up for a moment. More to the point, the motes track on their target, following even if the creature has some bright idea of jumping aside at the last moment.*

Of course, that doesn't include these three...

[rekindledtitan]

It's a good choice. The dreg does spring aside nimbly. He gets off a couple rapid shots at Samus before he realizes her fire's still tracking his way. Down he goes with a painful squawk.

//That's a fair assessment.//

//It's too bad: with rides like these-// Blaze cuts off, looking over curiously. //Your weapon's reconfigurable?//

[onemorebounty]

It is. And my people designed it to incorporate new weapon types as it encounters them.

*She is pardonably pleased about her ever-growing bag of tricks.*

Basic loadouts are a kinetic charge, an electrical pulse, live-capture cryonic gel, a plasma particle beam, and missiles.

*So pleased.*

You were saying, about their rides?

[rekindledtitan]

//Impressive! I'm starting to understand why you don't want anyone scanning your gear. It's funny, though - that pulse you used tracked just like the rifles their friends use.// She gestures at the corpse in front of her. //That'll set them wondering. You know, if any of them get away next time.//

It's a pretty large 'if', but there are always sentries. As for the vehicles...

//Yeah- these heavy Pikes, they're new. Much tougher than the little scrap-buckets I've seen before. Could have put up a nice fight if the drivers knew how to use them. It's a shame. Have you seen these, Ghost?//

//I have some data on them. I should warn you, they... don't belong to the Winter forces. If there's an outside pack hunting in this area, they're much quieter. I can't detect any unidentified communications, but I'll keep monitoring.//

[onemorebounty]

Did it? Well, it's good to know they can do that before I find out the hard way.

*Her grim smile may be hidden by her helmet, but it's audible on the comm line.*

Let them wonder. Let them look at each other and think, 'who's the traitor?'

*As Blaze explains about the bikes, Samus takes the time to scan one properly.*

Winter forces? And who do they belong to?

[rekindledtitan]

//...Oh. Right.// Blaze sounds a bit sheepish, because she's just remembered that 'the hard way' is liable to mean something different for a non-Guardian. Confused and panicking enemies cheer her up, however. //Heh, they want to break their own line, who're we to stop them?//

The Pikes are solidly armored, though in a mishmash of recycled alloys layered over components built for durability and heavily worn. The twin cannons Samus is acquainted with, but there are mounts on each side for deploying bouncing explosives. Where the engines still function they spark and crackle alarmingly beneath the housing. These are cobbled-together and lovingly patched antiques, but with a bit of nerve and skill their drivers could get away with a lot.

//The Fallen House of Winter is dominant on this planet. I believe these three were from the rival House of Wolves. To summarize a long story, right now both groups are leaderless. The Wolf packs are scattered, less numerous... and very heavily armed. No pun intended.//

Which means there are no less than three enemy factions about, and all of them hate each other. Blaze makes a very happy 'hmmmh' on hearing this. //Long story shorter: more targets for us.//

//And significantly more explosives, yes.//

[onemorebounty]

*There are two schools of thought about being surrounded. The first recognizes the lack of options for escape, and despairs. The second observes the nature of circular firing squads, and rejoices. When surrounded by three enemies equally likely to shoot at each other as the target in the middle... well, it comes in somewhere between "target-rich environment" and "early Kitmas" on the Hunter's list. Wrestling one of the pikes upright, she looks to Blaze and Ghost.*

Well, they've come such a long way, we ought to be neighborly. I can think of no better service than stress-testing these pikes against the gates or wall of that citadel. Can you?

[rekindledtitan]

Laughing, Blaze prods at the controls of the one she's investigating, and then slings herself easily onto the seat. //That's a fine idea! There's just one thing - looks like these things have some extra armament-//

//Arc mines.//

//Right. We'd better make sure to try them out while we're at it. You know - check they still deploy properly.//

[onemorebounty]

Well, naturally.

*Samus' grin is audible, even across the comm, as she settles onto the bike, taking a moment to scan its interface and hoping her suit can find some sort of port to work with.*

It wouldn't be much of a stress test if we didn't try everything, right?

[rekindledtitan]

She might need to look closely, but there is an interface port for accessing the limited onboard circuitry.

//Gotta be thorough with this stuff,// Blaze agrees happily.

Even hidden in her systems, the Ghost is more mindful of their companion. //Would you like any information on the vehicle's controls?//