EliteCommander

The Cradle

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The Cradle

For the Rothian members of the team, the next few hours were marked almost entirely by discussions and meetings. Rareth personally notified and briefed the necessary individuals remotely, but given the severity of the situation, even they preferred to meet in person. Their ship returned from the excavation site back to dock in Threria: a journey that, at their maximum safe speed, took only minutes once they emerged from the ocean. For those on-board, unless they happened to be looking out of a window, they may have not even noticed until it was announced that they had arrived.

Vreta watched the most important parts of Rareth’s recording on the way back to the city; namely their meeting with this mysterious being. After his own experineces in the Cradle, he was surprised they they had encountered anything willing to be civil with them, let alone helpful. The revelations that had been brought to light by this being could shake the core of their civilization, yet Vreta, strangely, felt almost numb to it by this point. It had been from his own DNA that the hints leading to this had been uncovered. The weeks since had felt like they were leading to this almost as an eventuality.

As a Rahn’Masser agent, Vreta was accustomed to being among the more important individuals in a room at any given time, especially when deployed on a mission, so it did feel somewhat strange to him to be brought into these meetings as what felt like an observer. These developments would certainly impact how his own mission played out, so he was not out of place, but the kinds of people that Rareth met with were far from obscure bureaucrats. The news Rareth was bringing them came with the risk of a potential war against an unknown enemy, and Rothian leadership took that threat exceptionally seriously. By the time their meetings were over, Vreta had ended up exchanging pleasantries with the likes of the High Commissioner Morav’Ki, the administrator who oversaw all of the sector governors of the nation, as well as Grand Admiral Fel’Marazahn, leader of the Rothian military and captain of the flagship Niris’sho’Roth. Vreta even found himself in the presence of Datius Valic’Ans, the Director of the entire Rahn’Masser. He was the Rothian widely considered to be the most powerful individual in their nation, short of the Rahn’Saki.

Ultimately, no one could be sure of how truthfull the being had been with them, but the evidence they had certainly pointed to at least part of its story being true. The notion that Rothian life had not been entirely the product of natural selection was a common point of conversation among the meetings, though Vreta did notice a certain calmness to how the others spoke about it. Even more than he would have expected just out of their professionalism.

The Cradle

Nirann nodded. “Sure. With my processing power, I’d say I can have a proposal written up in- it’s done. I do have to send in the request for approval, but once that’s done, I’ll have it sent to Outremer. Considering how much of a rush we’re in, we can just repurpose two Class 1 gateways from Rothia’s network. They are the smallest, most plentiful gates, intended only for small ships. The network can do without a pair of them.”

“I suggest you watch that recording right away.” Rareth spoke up towards Freyr. “My description may not have fully conveyed the weight of this, but if that being was truthful with us, we do not have much time. It did not seem to be in good condition, and if we delay too long, there may be no healing for it. No healing for your Cradle, and we may all have to face the enemy that defeated them ourselves. You may speak to your leaders, but be sure to tell them that Datius Rareth’Jharn is insisting upon a conversation within the this Outremer day. They should consider it a diplomatic priority.”

Rareth too had her own meetings to attend and people to persuade, so she left Freyr with that request. Though, it was certainly a serious one. Rothian diplomats did not tend to name a “diplomatic priority” lightly, so Freyr’s leadership would know it was not a mere suggestion.

The Cradle

“The being claimed the Cradle is its home.” Rareth answered. “To its knowledge, there are three remaining of these beings, including itself. If we accept what it says as true, then we may need to find the rest as well. Though first, we have to deal with this one. It claims that by returning to the Cradle, its home, it can heal the damage to itself, and possibly the Cradle as well. Currently, based on my description of what your people have experienced in the Cradle, it believes it is damaged as well. Without memory or directives, it is expelling all foreign presence within itself in self-defense.”

As Rareth finished speaking, the hologram of Nirann’s avatar appeared beside them. Now that he was united with his copy’s memories, he could join in the discussion as well. “I think my original plan for moving this thing may serve us well. We won’t need to excavate much of anything; just some extra rock around the device. From what I had read up on your Cradle, I figured we might have difficulty moving it, if it came to that, so I came up with a plan that doesn’t really require moving it at all. Even if it was somehow locked into its position in space, we could just…push that space somewhere else. All we have to do is assemble a gateway around it, then move another gateway to our destination. The device is fairly small, so it would only take a Class 1 gateway. In this case, we just need to move our destination gateway to Outremer. We could put it under the surface right next to the Cradle, if we wanted to. From there, it’s just a matter of activating the wormhole, and the device will be there in an instant.” Nirann explained, snapping his holographic fingers for effect.

Nirann did take on something of a more worried expression as he added one more comment. “Plus, based on what this being was saying, it seemed like it was hiding out from this Hegemon. If we can transport it without taking it out of hiding, that might be best.”

The Cradle

Rareth was initially surprised to see the reaction of 595’s body, considering Rareth herself had little to no issue exiting the simulation. It could have been luck, or perhaps the nanites already present within Rareth’s body had helped protect her mind? Her own body had nanites in reserve that could be dispensed when needed. Or it could have had something to do with whatever the being had done with her in their last moments before leaving; Rareth did notice that the other Humans, Memnon excepted, seemed to be fine.

In any case, Rareth did not delay in answering Freyr. “We encountered an intelligent being. I believe the others were able to report on that much when we made contact. It first spoke to us through the form of a large worm and directed us to meet it in person. We were able to contact you on the way, once we were able to resolve the issues with our equipment, but we were cut off by an attack from some of the local creatures. One of your soldiers, Memnon, was killed in the battle.”

Rareth gave another glance down at 595. “We did reach the being. It was an…ancient intelligence. It appeared to us in a form of pure energy. It answered some of our questions, and it made a request of us. It claimed to have crashed here on Rothia running from a foe known as the Hegemon. It stabilized Rothia for life, and it modified my people in the hopes that we would one day help it communicate with the Cradle, and the others of its kind. It wants us to return it to the Cradle so that it may heal.” Rareth paused just a moment as she accessed her neural implant. “I have just sent you a copy of my recording of the entire event.”

The Cradle

It seemed that the being had spoken with them for as long as it was able, as the situation deteriorated quite quickly once it seemed like it was losing its strength. Rareth was not sure what to make of the storm outside. She had her neural implant analyze everything her sensors were picking up while she looked for a method of escape. However, before they would be forced to learn the nature of this storm, the team suddenly found themselves ejected from the simulation entirely.

---

Rareth drew in a deep breath the moment her eyes opened. It was very much reassuring to be back in her own body, though at the same time, she did not feel different at all from just a few moments ago. Truly, the simulation did replicate the experience of being alive quite remarkably well, to the point that her implants’ automatic responses did not even kick in automatically when she returned to consciousness. The experiences were similar enough that there was no meaningful shock to her system. She had to activate her diagnostics systems manually to examine her current state.

A Rothian doctor assisted Rareth as well, but once she was out of the harness, she was quick to her feet rather than waiting around for an examination. Her diagnostics could handle the rest. She did stand up cautiously, just in case something was wrong, but after a step or two, she rushed over to 595 as well. Freyr was helping her out of the harness, while Vreta looked on nearby. “What happened to you with the being? Did it answer my final question?”

The only member of the team not to “awaken” immediately was the droid body that had been scanned for NIrann. Although, it was not because anything had gone amiss. As soon as it had returned, the mind of the copy had been transferred a quarantine segment of the base’s central computer. Nirann would analyze his memories and any other changes to ensure they were safe to merge with his own experiences. It would not take too long, but the process was still not immediate.

Halo: Aegis Team

Vael 'Virisusai and Tasuma

---

The detonation of Tasuma’s fuel rod blast was the signal for Vael as well. While Ryker and Grikgar fired from above on the right flank, Vael moved in on the left flank. He initially moved in under the cover of active camouflage. The imperfect invisibility could be spotted at such close range, but in this case, he only needed it to give him a few moments to approach while his enemy was otherwise occupied.

For Vael, he was able to rush in to close the gap on the left pillar while the rebels were hiding from Tasuma’s fuel rod. By the time one of them peered out and spotted the shimmering in the air, he was already upon them. His blade ignited mid-swing, and the body of the Human he was looming over put up no resistance as it cleaved through. The second rebel behind the pillar did manage to land a few SMG rounds on Vael in the second or two he had to react, but it was far from enough to break the Sangheili’s shields before his body too was pierced by the energy sword.

Ryker was correct that the remainder of the rebels were trying to move into the hall. They no longer had much of a defensive position, and those that were left were willing to retreat. The volume of plasma bolts from Grik, couples with accurate DMR fire from Ryker, put on them a great deal of pressure. Three made a run for the door while firing blindly back at the pair, and two went down before they could make it into the hall. For the few that remained pinned behind the right pillar, another fuel rod from Tasuma landed directly beside them.

When there were no more left to retreat, the rebels closed and locked down the door to the hallway. It would only delay their team for a short time if they decided to pursue, but it would let the rebels put some distance between them. However, Vael had other priorities than ordering a chase. As soon as the room was cleared, he ran back to the center to the nearest crate. Their objective had been to find the armory, so using his strength to simply pry open the lock, Vael pulled open one of the crates to see its contents. Unfortunately, it was not weapons within, but rather sealed, packaged foodstuffs. He let out an irritated growl and flared his mandibles. “This is not the armory. Fall back, and we will rejoin the others.”

The Cradle

The Cradle being damaged was among the possibilities Rareth had considered, though several other possibilities had also been plausible. Still, if it could be repaired, as this being was suggesting, then it was not the worst case scenario. If the consciousness of the Cradle could be healed, then it would likely cease its hostilities. That was a satisfactory outcome to the Rothians, though that did not necessarily mean the Humans would end up satisfied. Even if the Cradle was healed and the Hegemon was evaded or defeated, there was no guarantee that Outremer would be able to retain use of the Cradle afterwards. That was a possibility that needed to be prepared for, In any event, the Rahn’Saki had already made the decision that they would not allow a mass-death event to occur, if there was a way to prevent it.

“Even if you do not know where they are yourself, it may not be impossible to find them.” Rareth remarked. She crossed her arms and looked ahead at nothing in particular as she started to brainstorm aloud. “The coordinates to this place were in our own DNA. If I understood you correctly, you helped us survive and made such changes to us in the hope that we could help you communicate with the others. Perhaps we could check the genetics of other known species to see if any other beings had the same idea? Granted, that may be a long-shot. Still, if there is any other evidence of intelligent tampering with a species’ genetics, that would give us places to search. Otherwise, we do know that one of your kind’s goals is to spread life, so starting our search in places with an abundance of life could at least narrow our search area.”

If the being had any input on Rareth’s ideas, she would welcome it, but ultimately she stopped herself to avoid getting too sidetracked. Now, it was most prudent to use the time they had for important questions. Rareth did notice the hints of the changes going on outside the building as they spoke, and though she did not know the importance of them precisely, she suspected their time was not limitless. “In any case, as I said, we may well be able to help you reach the Cradle. Unfortunately, my people cannot make that decision unilaterally. Outremer is not our world. And no offense to those present, but I know some of the Human leadership to be….stubborn. Do you know of any evidence we could show them to convince them that what you say is true?” Rareth asked the being.

The Cradle

Rareth made a note of a few revelations from what the being was sharing with her. They were synthetics, both this being and these mysterious “Hegemon”. That itself opened up more questions, but Rareth still had to choose what was the most pressing. She really did not know how much time they had to speak.

“I believe my people may have a way to move you to Outremer. Whether you mean just your mind, or this whole place.” Rareth answered. “But, I do still have questions about the Cradle. Most prominently, what we have encountered here, with you, is far from what I was expecting given what has been happening in the Cradle.” She quickly gestured to her Human associates. “The reason the Humans have allowed my people to assist them is because the Cradle has become a hostile place for them. When the Humans discovered the Cradle centuries ago, they began using it and have organized much of their planet’s administration through it. They created places within the simulation for themselves, but they never encountered any intelligent life within until recently. This intelligence has sent creatures to abduct and kill Humans within the simulation, and the reports I have seen have implied that some Human minds have been taken and incorporated into this being, or beings. Do you have any idea what might be happening? Is this something you might expect, or could something have gone wrong?”

Rareth paused just a moment as she overlayed a relevant document onto her HUD. “If it helps, I have the report of a Rothian who spoke to one of these creatures. It spoke like a child at first, claiming to have lost its ‘toys’ far away. Then it changed its voice and said it remembered little of what it was, but it did recall the Rothians.”

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Meesei, in the time that she had been holding off the Daedra on her flank, had done as much damage as she could. She had become a veritable storm of lightning to control the area in front of her and spread as much damage as she could deep into their ranks. She had charged the ground itself with what seemed like pools of lightning to block off angles of approach, followed by powerful bursts of chain lightning into any Daedra brave enough to approach. She had chosen an offensive strategy as she felt that, against such numbers, keeping up such heavy pressure would help her last longer than a purely defensive approach. It was successful for as long as it lasted, though with less focus on her wards, she did take hits herself. Arrows did not break her armor, but spells that got through her ward had their effects. Enchantments could reduce, but did not eliminate the burns she received from both flame and lightning.

Meesei was surprised to see Fendros approach beside her, but she did not second-guess his decision. She knew what he could do, and she trusted him to succeed where many others would fail. With a silent nod, she backed away and allowed him to take over. He was right that the others needed help, and her power could deal with a horde like none other. Although, before she could commit to another attack, she had to back away into the middle of their formation and take just a moment to heal herself. Her burns did not show through her armor, but the wounds would get worse if she did nothing to treat them.

For Ahnasha, every moment the others gave her was valuable. The power she focused through herself rivaled that of the spell she had used to command the titan. It was exhausting, both mentally and physically. Even with potions to help, the exertion of casting such powerful spells one after another was pushing her to her limits. Still, there was no option for failure here. She had to cast her spell, and it had to work.

The dark blue tendrils of conjuration energy surrounded Ahnasha, then, once they reached a critical point, she pushed them outwards. It was a reanimation spell, but not one that targetted a single body. Rather, it was a reanimation field that spread out along the ground in every direction around her. Each body it encountered gathered the energy, which swirled around and penetrated its form to give life to the dead flesh. Ahnasha did not, and indeed could not discriminate on which bodies her magic resurrected, so everything from Skaafin to Dremora, from the smallest Spider Daedra to the largest Daedroth, and even some of the pack’s Elven and Lycan allies that had fallen within range of the spell, rose from where their corpses lay to rejoin the battle.

Ahnasha could not even count how many she had reanimated, but her pack soon found themselves with a small army of the undead fighting beside them. No longer were Janius and Kaleeth taking wounds from the opportunistic Daedra surrounding them, as the very Daedra they had been killing were now rising up from within their ranks to sow chaos among them. Leaps was frightened by the sudden resurrections of the foes he had been fighting, but Lorag stayed near and calmed him to allow Ahnasha’s thralls to take over as his frontline. And Fendros, having created a wall from his ward, was no longer fighting alone. With so many thralls to command, Ahnasha could not individually control any of them, but plenty enough of them joined in alongside him on their own.

As might have been expected, there were no words that would influence Arinette’s resolve. “Your souls belong to my lord, except yours…your life is mine!” The Breton screamed as she lunged forward with unmatched, burning hatred in her eyes. Every ounce of her willpower was devoted to slaying Sabine, to the point that she did not seem to care at all if she died in the process. In life, her zeal had been focused on serving Vile, but now, she was a spirit of vengeance towards the one she blamed for her death.

Ultimately, however, Lorag’s teachings had guided Sabine well. Particularly as Arinette had charged without regard for her own safety, Sabine was able to strike her before her sword could reach her. Arinette would have gladly traded fatal blows, but Sabine’s choice of attack quite literally froze her in place. The tip of Arinette’s blade stopped just inches short of Sabine’s throat as her legs were no longer able to carry her forward. Frost quickly spread across her skin up and down her torso, near the point of impact, while the thermal shock spread far deeper across the rest of her body. She gasped and struggled for breath, but the one thing about her that did not diminish was the fury in her eyes.

Even as her body finally started to fail, the crystal started to glow red once more as vines surged forth from the ground to try and ensnare Sabine and rend her flesh with their thorns. Using the crystal meant yet more pain and damage to Arinette’s body, but she would gladly give her last breath to spread as much pain and suffering as she could to Sabine.