(Here is chapter one. Bold is internal monologue.)
I heard a voice, very distinct and very familiar, but very far away. Where was I? Is it time for my mission? Was it really a thousand years later? Did the Earth survive? My eyes opened and saw faint blue light all around me. This must be the bunker that I went to sleep in. Was the backup power on? I don't remember blue lights when I went to sleep. Everything was blurry, like I was looking under water for the first time. I looked around trying to gain my bearings. There it was, that voice again. I touched my right ear, feeling for my Focus, but it wasn't there. Panic started setting in. Calm down, spaz. You took it off before going to sleep.
I stepped forward, wanting to stretch, get my blood moving and get my vision back in order. That's when I stumbled and felt strong arms catch me.
"Whoa there. Easy now." I heard in that voice. That voice... why does it sound so familiar? I know I've heard it somewhere, but this voice is slightly different, it's slightly gruffy, but gentle. My vision cleared at that moment and then I realized, I was looking at her, Sobeck's clone. Was my mission that simple? Something told me otherwise.
"I'm," cough "okay." I fell into a coughing fit, my voice weak, my throat dry and out of shape. I guess it has been a thousand years since I last spoke.
Sobeck's clone offered what looked like a waterskin, worn leather touched my hands and I eagerly drank the water. I coughed again, my throat, no, my whole body convulsing slightly. Was my body going into shock? She was still holding onto my, supporting me while my body racked with shivers. It was cold, very cold. I started seeing my breath as I started wheezing.
"Warmth. Need warmth." was all I could wheeze out before my vision went black.
"Ember, please stay with me. Spaz, please open your eyes. We're almost to the hospital. Ember, please." I heard someone talking to me, pleading. Oh right. I remember. This was the time when I went hunting and nearly fell face first into a bear trap. I somehow barely made it so my body turned and the trap caught my lower back. The next thing I remember, my girlfriend, no fiancée, was telling me to stay with her as she sped off to the hospital. I remember feeling warm blood seeping into my clothes, seeing red everywhere, on everything. Am I finally going to die?
I heard something moving. A fire was crackling, a piece of wood tossed into the flame, someone cursing quietly. Furs, I felt furs around me. I opened my eyes. Wood, furs, fire, her. Her hair was as red as the flame burning in front of her, braids falling in a mess behind her. She had what looked like very warm and furry leather armor on, her boots sitting by the fire to dry. I noticed a very intricate spear was propped up against the side of the fireplace. A complex and hardy bow as well as its quiver were next to the spear. We made eye contact and for the first time in over a thousand years, I felt something stir deep within me.
"I'm glad to see you're awake. I was really worried about you." She got up and walked over to me. I felt the bed give slightly as she sat down by my feet.
"Do you need more water? Food? I caught a rabbit a few hours ago and the stew should be almost ready." All I could do was nod, my throat feeling very raw.
I grabbed the waterskin that was sitting on the table next to the bed and nearly drank the entire amount in one gulp. Feeling my throat loosen up, I opened my mouth to speak, but only a squeak came out.
"It's okay. Don't push yourself too much. Here, this will help." A bowl was offered to me. I slowly sat up and took the bowl, slowly sipping the hot liquid.
This is exactly how I remember rabbit tasting, but there is a slight bitter taste... As if she could read my thoughts, "I also put some hintergold in there to help with your recovery. That little plant is good for a lot of things despite the bitterness."
I nodded and continued sipping the stew until it was gone. I set the bowl on the table that was sitting next to the bed, the bowl landing next to the almost empty waterskin.
Warmth. I felt it in every part of my body. My muscles, tendons, joints, even my bones. Strength. That's what this is. My body knew it very well. I stretched, feeling muscles in my arms, back, stomach, and legs coil then uncoil. Should I go ahead and delve into my mission? Maybe I should rest more. I silently debated to myself what my next plan of action would be. I looked up, seeing hazel eyes watching my the entire time. My cheeks flush, only just realizing that I wasn't wearing anything underneath these furs. Spaz, you're fine. How many times had you been naked in front of another woman? Too many to count. Get yourself together Spaz.
"Is there something on my face?" I ask, chuckling slightly. I think I see a blush form on her cheeks, but that might be due to the fire.
"N-no you don't. I've never seen an Old One alive before, well you know, in this present moment." She is so cute when flustered. Wait, what? Spaz, seriously. Get it together.
"Old One? You mean someone before all of this?" A nod. That's a good sign.
"I'm Ember. What may I call you?"
"Aloy." Aloy, what a beautiful name.
"Okay Aloy, can I ask a few questions?" Another nod and a hand placed on my knee.
"Do you know about GAIA, the Faro Plague, and Zero Dawn?" My voice is a little shaky, not knowing where this might go.
"Yes I do. I stopped HADES about a month ago. I'm still trying to understand everything."
"Then you know about Elisabet Sobeck? What she did, and where her body is now?" A nod and a sharp intake of breath.
"Did you know her, you know, in your time?" A question that was asked so quietly that I almost missed it. That's when I notice that she has a Focus. I look around for mine.
"It might be easier if I showed you. Did you happen to see my Focus?"
Aloy gets up and goes over to her pack, retrieving the device.
Before she hands it to me, I say, "You can go ahead and put it on. I'm sure I would just make things even more complicated."
I watch her sit back down, open the menus and watched all the transmissions in my log. Hours have gone by and I'm still watching Aloy go through all of the files, even looking at my classified records. She stops there, stopping at the line that reads Spouse: Renae Stormbrook: deceased.
I reach for the chain that is still hanging around my neck after all this time, loud clinking noises following me taking off the chain. Aloy is watching me the entire time, an expression that I can't describe on her face.
"She-she... she died making sure that I got to the bunker safely. She stood there, shooting at that thing, being the one person that stopped my death over and over again, for the last time. She yelled and screamed the whole damn time, her rage fueling her despair. We looked at each other for the last time, her smile gone. She was crying, her eyes bloodshot from days of no sleep. She didn't even get to finish saying those wonderful three words before that-that machine pierced her chest. She crumpled to the ground just feet away from me, blood pooling everywhere. The bunker door closed and sealed then, leaving me scarred and alone." I finish, tears silently falling down my cheeks.
"Was she your mate?" Aloy asks very quietly.
"Almost. We got matching rings. We were going to get married the spring after I proposed to her… then the Plague happened." I hold the ring to my chest, tears falling harder.
"I'm sorry… I-I can leave you alone," Aloy stutters out, hastily getting up. I reach for her wrist, accidentally grabbing her hand.
"Please don't go Aloy. May I show you what she looked like?" I ask timidly, blushing ever so slightly. This reminds me of when Renae and I first started talking. A nod and Aloy sits back down beside me. I notice she hasn't removed her hand from mine. Does she mind or is she just being kind? I direct Aloy to the place in my Focus where I keep all of Renae's files. Everything is there for Aloy to see, every picture, video, news article that had Renae in it.
"She is-was very pretty." I hear Aloy correct herself.
Renae was the definition of beauty. She had cocoa brown skin that was soft as silk, brown eyes that changed to either lighter or darker hues depending on her mood, dark brown hair that appeared black, and a smile that could brighten even the cloudiest of days.
"She was. She saved me every time death came to visit me. That's actually how we met. She talked me out of taking my life. I don't know how she did it. She broke through every wall, every boundary, just to tell me that my life was worth living. She told me that if I thought no one would miss me, that she would. That the beautiful stranger she just met meant the world to her. And she meant that." I sharply take in a breath, shaking slightly. "So when I enlisted myself in Operation Enduring Victory, she understood and stood by me every step of the way. She said no matter what happened to either of us, no matter where we went, she would always follow." I take in another breath, feeling Aloy tighten her hand around mine.
"I had someone like that too. Not a mate, I don't have one if ever, but someone who was a father to me. He took care of me, trained me to hunt, trained me to live, and sacrificed his life to save mine. His name was Rost" Aloy sighs, getting up and letting go of my hand. "I'm going to go hunting for dinner. I'll be back soon." she says as she grabs her pack, bow, quiver, and spear.
"Aloy?" I call her name as she opens the door. She looks back, our eyes meet and I nearly lose my breath. The setting sun frames her face with the perfect amount of light, her hazel eyes appearing brighter in the sun. "Was that too much?" She smiles, no, smirks. "If you're afraid of scaring me off, it will take more than that Ember." With that, she closes the door behind her, snow crunching under her feet as she walks away.
Renae, looks like you did follow me.
