"Hello. Hello? Can you hear me? Hmm, I guess you've been out for a while. However, I must insist. It's time to rise Guardian."
In a forgotten corner of a rundown city, a little voice spoke out. All around it, the remains of what was once a bustling metropolis lay in ruin. Buildings, collapsed and decayed. Plant life previously constricted by concrete and steel, thrived and grew wild. A forest of ever growing life slowly taking back its place on the face of the world. Calls from wildlife, both familiar and not so, burst out from all around.
"Out for a while?" A thought finally cleared through a mental haze. A figure sat, slumped against a section of wall. Legs out before it, hands in lap. A head previously bowed as though dozing, slowly lifted.
"Guardian?" After a pause, it dawned on the figure that it had not just been talking to itself. It looked about, trying to find the party that had awoken it.
"Who's there?" It asked aloud to the greenery around it. It waited for an answer but before there was any response a more self-reflective question jumped into mind. "And… who am I?"
Grabbing onto the wall behind it for support, the figure stood. Preparing to feel the lethargy of sleep, He (this he knew for sure) was surprised to find himself energised and his body alert. No lingering trace of weariness. His perception, like his body, was acute and he was clearly aware of his surroundings. His senses of sight, sound and smell were, in an almost overwhelming fashion, full. He could hear and track the direction of many individual sounds and discern an abundance of different scents. Looking about he could see the blanket of green and almost without effort his eyes darted about seeing past the thick canopy layer and into the undergrowth where he could perceive the movement of small wildlife and insects. He felt more alive than ever.
Alive… He wondered why that word seemed out of place. Not wrong but somehow not entirely appropriate. He took stock of himself and his thoughts, double checking what he felt he knew. Although his body and senses seemed prepared for action, mentally he still had an amount of confusion. He felt his brain trying to clear itself by running through practiced patterns of thought. Number tables, equations, letter sequences flashed through his mind. A trained response to his lack of clarity?
"My name is XC2-RT-756." He said out loud. Although he struggled to recall if that was his first name or surname and then briefly wondered why he felt it mattered. "My rank is..." he paused again. He felt stirrings of a lifestyle. Military, possibly? He was certain it was militant in nature. He could feel his body responding to his surroundings in line with his senses. While he was unsure of his location, he wasn't alarmed or scared but alert and ready to react. More ready to fight than run.
"I am, an EXO." This was a little surprising. Not just what he was, or the fact that he knew what he was. He lifted one of his hands so his hard, metal fingers could touch upon a similarly metal face. He just wasn't certain of what it meant to be what he was. A robotic entity. A machine person. He wasn't able to recall any specific history of his being. Was he created like this or was he changed to this from something else? He didn't feel concerned, he just felt frustrated with his memory. Or lack thereof.
He looked down at his body. He wore a fitted body suit with armoured padding. Heavy boots, padded and plated. The clothing was well worn and carried more than a little damage. He performed a quick assessment (more trained habits) and found the gear to be comfortable and very familiar. It moved smoothly with him and felt almost like a second skin, or as it was perhaps, a first.
Although he wasn't hopeful, a few pat downs and searches confirmed his pockets and pouches were empty.
"Okay, no help there." He thought. He figured since he wasn't carrying any clues to his situation he would need to find some. He looked around and tried to figure out a plan of action.
"I guess this means you're ready to get going." The EXO was caught a little of guard as the small voice piped up from somewhere behind. His body tensed, there wasn't anyone there a second ago and he hadn't heard any movement. He spun about to confront the speaker and quickly realised why he hadn't detected anyone. Floating in the air was a small, geometric probe. A little robot or sensor or, something. It bobbed silently in the air towards him until it was about an arms' length away and level with his face. A small circle of light glowed from its centre, like a small eye. As it spoke the light flickered and changed.
"I'm very glad to meet you XC2-RT-756" It said brightly. The small tips on its surface rotated and spun as the light in its centre moved around. It tipped forward then back, seemingly giving him the once over. "It's been a while. You look well."
"A while? I don't even know who…" The EXOs speech trailed off as did his look of frustration. Whilst this probe was the last thing he expected, there was a feeling of familiarity. Some kind of connection that he couldn't pinpoint. "What are you?" he asked finally.
The probe started turning away then rotated back to face the EXO. "Just a moment." It said before turning again to face towards the ruined city.
For a few seconds it just floated silently, its 'eye' darting to and fro. Then without warning, there was a flash in the EXOs vision and the ruins before him were outlined and illuminated by a scanning light. Small points of data appeared in his view displaying information on various objects within his sight. Most of them ending with '-RUINED' or '-OFFLINE'. After an initial shock, it dawned on him that he was receiving a heads up display directly from the probe. He wondered if this explained the feeling of connection. Maybe this probe was an augmentation of some kind. Possible, but while the theory seemed reasonable, it didn't feel right. It felt like the probe was more than just an extension to his senses. After a few moments, the scan faded out.
"We have a minute, perhaps a few before we have to move." The probe turned and drifted back to eye level with the EXO. "As to who I am, I'm afraid I don't have an actual name. My siblings and I were not granted them by our creator. Instead we were gifted with a purpose. Which as it turns out has, strangely enough, become our identity." The probe tilted slightly to one side and one of its tips extended slightly giving a convincing impression of a raised eyebrow. "Funny how that works isn't it?"
The small voice continued. "I am what most people call a Ghost. My exact function is a little complicated to explain. For now, let's just go with the fact that I'm a friend to provide you with support and guidance at best and at worst, revive you should you die. Again." It drifted in closer. "The chances of which, to be honest Guardian, are becoming more likely the longer we stay out here in the open." It moved past the EXO and seemed to look about before coming back. "It's quite a journey to the Tower and it won't be easy."
The EXO let the Ghosts explanation sink in. It was a little vague and more than a little confusing but his mind had started to clear and he mulled over the words.
"Ghost. Guardian. Tower." The EXO closed his eyes and brought a hand up. His fingers pinched at the bridge of his nose and moved to rub above his eyes. The gentle tapping and sound of metal sliding on metal felt odd and yet somehow satisfying, like an old, comforting habit. He used the action to focus. Lifting his head, he looked curiously at the Ghost. "You said 'die again'?"
"Umm, yes. I've been searching for you for quite some time. Even before I knew it was you I was looking for." Both his voice and light softened. "Unfortunately, during this time you were, well, dead."
A surprised look appeared on the EXOs face and the Ghost continued with a more cheerful tone. "But this is where my creators gift, my purpose, allowed me to share my light with you. To make you whole again." The Ghost came in closer. "I understand that it may be a lot for you to take in but trust me. The Tower is where you'll get an explanation. Are you ready to go?"
The EXO stood silently. "I was dead?" he thought. Did 'made whole again' refer to his metal body? And was this the reason he had felt so confused? Questions buzzed through his mind and he looked to the Ghost, ready to ask some more but it had already moved away, drifting towards a pathway through the undergrowth. He bit back on his curiosity. In the distance he heard hoots and shrieks that were definitely getting closer and instinctively he knew it was right about having to move. If this Tower was where he'd get some answers then yes, he was ready. He starting moving cautiously in the Ghosts direction, flexing his fingers. "I'll need a gun." He advised his new guide.
The Ghost stopped and looked back. It tilted again and nodded.
"I'll see what I can do."