Prologue

The woman had just finish him, her prized work. Building an Exo within twenty-four hours was no easy feat but she did it. The woman stood there in her small workspace looking down at want she just accomplish. It ash gray body laid flat on her workbench motionless and dead. On any other day she would marvel at him, write his programming, and awaken the human-like machine. But she couldn't, the whole city was evacuating. The Darkness was coming. The woman turned to hear banging on the room door.

Just one more hour, she thought, that all I need!

The room door swung open, a pale-faced woman stare down at her. She knew one of aids would come and drag her out. The woman clicked her teeth.

"Mistress, we have to leave now!"

Just one more hour.

"Just give me few minutes!"

"No! We have to go now!"

She bit her lower lip. She want nothing more than truly finish him, see him move, and watch her precious work come to life. She want to stay. This machine was her child, her precious child. The woman took out a small green computer chip from her pocket. She then insert the chip into the Exo's neck. Maybe, if he survive the Darkness, she'll return and wake her child. The woman then kissed the Exo's forehead.

"Alright, let's go." She said in low tone of voice.

The aid nodded and gesture the woman out the room. The woman turned one last time with a small tear in her eye. She stared at her child for about a minute and closed the door.

We'll meet again, she thought to herself, we'll meet again.

Part 1: Awakening

North-Eastern Dead Zone

Connecticut, North America Empire, Earth

Roho was lone Ghost, searching the ruins of what was once known as the State of Connecticut, particularly it largest city, Bridgeport. Roho knew very little about the place during it pre-Golden Age period, only the fact the city was tripled from its original size. Major factories were build and created but as with all things that happen during the Collapse, these factories now lay in ruin. Forest had reclaim the city in the centuries that it had been abandon. The massive city was only a shell of its former self.

Roho himself was several feet the air, high enough that any Fallen plasma fire would most likely miss if they fired at the Ghost. He was looking for a Guardian, his Guardian. The Ghost was in downtown area of the city, sending out small scanning pulses, when he picked up on the faint Light of a newborn guardian.

"Found you." Roho said.

He send out another scanning pulse to lock in the location of this newborn. Roho began to descend weaving through the broken windows and empty houses. He arrived rather large house with grass filled the cracks in ground and several trees grow within the house. He began to look around the house. Peeking through the many holes that either made by nature or Fallen gunfire.

He enter one room, a workspace. It was mostly covered in vegetation like rest of house. He continued his scan which in turn pointed to a workbench. He scan the workbench and there it was the faint Light of The Traveler.

"Time to wake up Guardian."

In an instant, the workbench was surrounded by blue light, clearing away the vegetation. The ash gray body of an Exo reveal itself to Roho. It eyes flickered open, deep red in color. Seconds later, the Exo stumble onto the ground. Like an infant searching for it mother by clawing with it little fingers, the Exo was clawing at the ground and twisting it body in a wild manner. Roho approach the machine and tried to calm it down.

"Hey, Guardian," Roho spoke in fatherly manner," please relax it's alright."

The Exo stop and stared at the Ghost, it mechanical mouth open and closed repeatedly at the sight of the Ghost. For what whatever reason, the machine finally calmed down and sat still on the floor.

"Good," Roho said then asked," Do you have a name Exo?"

The machine search it databanks, it was registered as "USIKU MODEL NUMBER FOUR".

"Usiku-4." The machine answered after a minute of silence.

"Usiku, Pre-Golden Age African, Swahili. It means night." Roho uttered.

"Usiku-4! Usiku-4! Usiku-4! Usiku-4!" The Exo repeatedly said it name like a child that only knew one word.

"I heard you the first time Usiku,"Roho said jokingly," I'm a Ghost, name Roho."

"Roho…"

"Can you stand?"

"I...believe...so."

"Well stand," Roho said in worrisome voice, "because we're not safe here and it long march to the City."

Usiku stood up, brushing himself off. With Roho floating beside him they walk out of the house and into the main road. The sight of the ruined city was beautiful but sadden to Usiku. It was reminder of how much time has passed since his creation. Usiku looked up and down the main road.

"Where...begin... march?" He asked in a broken sentence and scatter voice.

"Your programming seem to be in a mess but I can't fix it now. Just follow me for now."

Roho floated at speedy pace in front of Usiku with the machine running behind the Ghost. Unaware, the two were being watched. A Fallen dreg scout spotted the Ghost early in the day and had been tracking it ever since. The Fallen was dress in purple armor, an indicator as to which house it belong to. Having seen exactly what the Ghost was doing in the area, the dreg retreated back into a nearby forest.