Chapter 4

With a light gust of air, Kleio-9 touched down on what seemed like a one-hundred foot fall. It was pitch black all around her and looking up showed only a hint of light from where they came from.

"I hope that wasn't the only way in." Kleio muttered to herself.

"My sensors are going crazy down here! I'm surprised we're not surrounded by hive right now!" Ada said in a harsh whisper, spinning around to try and find something she couldn't find. Kleio could faintly see her with her exo vision but only because she was so close to her.

"Using light down here might not work in our favor." Kleio turned on her helmet's night vision but even that hardly gave outlines near her person. "Shit, we might not have a choice the further we get in. Let's hope the hive don't actually live in the darkness."

"The hive are nothing but darkness." Ada responded with ire. Kleio began walking along the edge of the Arcology complex building with her hand placed on it to aid in her in walking.

"Stay focused, Ada. I need you now more than ever." If she didn't know any better, Kleio would have thought she had stepped into the very darkness itself. The one that claws at the mind in the far reaches of the void, a permeating cold that would terrify even the most seasoned veteran.

The ground spiraled downward the further Kleio walked, making the small light even from the area above her begin to slowly fade away. She walked for a few more minutes in complete silence until a faint glow appeared around what seemed like a hole in a wall. Kleio stopped by it and peered inside of it, revealing a gigantic cistern with soft glowing crystals that lined the walls, ceiling, and floor that were similar to the ones that the pair passed on their way down but still intact. The room was surrounded by a pool of liquid methane from the outside that created an eerie blue glow around the chamber. The worst part about it all were the hive dotting every inch of the room. Thralls, acolytes, knights, wizards, ogres, every different type of hive that Kleio had ever seen were filling this room to the brim. A rhythmic, hypnotic humming sound came from inside the room that Kleio could only assume was chanting. She had to stop herself when she realized she had stared agape into the hole for so long that she stopped looking around herself.

She peeled away from the view, her heart pounding in her throat as her mind raced. What should she do? Should she try to radio for help? Would her radio even work all the way down here? Had she been seen yet? She was startled suddenly by Ada bumping her silently, her eye piece blinking rapidly at her in silent communication as if to say, we need to leave! Kleio couldn't explain why but she wanted to venture further down to get a better look. Using the dim light from the hole, the exo shook her head at Kleio and pointed down the steps and continued walking before Ada could protest. Her entire body was tense, making it difficult to step as quietly as possible. Near the bottom of the steps, they opened up in two directions; one went left towards the large open room where the dim blue light came from and another smaller tunnel that forked off to the right at about chest height. They looked like something the thralls would come crawling out of. Maybe it was networked together that could lead her to another vantage point? She looked over her shoulder at the other direction to the open room before deciding to try her hand at the tunnels. No way am I walking anywhere near there.

She crouched down as far as she could and moved slowly through the claustrophobic tunnel. Just stepping inside made her feel queasy, like a force was pressing in from all around her. She'd been in the darkness before but nothing had ever felt quite as strong as now as having it surround you like a heavy blanket. Small trills could be heard inside the tunnels, likely thralls communicating with each other as they scurried about. That would mean that not all of their forces were in that giant chamber. She proceeded cautiously as the tunnel twisted and turned chaotically, using only her hands to feel around where she was. Kleio could feel Ada perched on her shoulder, all of her external lights turned off and what she imagined was her… trembling? She placed a hand against Ada's shell to try and help comfort the ghost. It seemed to quell her slightly as the shaking subsided.

Kleio froze as a sudden, shrill cry could be heard from further inside of the tunnel. She stared wide eyed into the darkness. Her imagination played out fifty different scenarios in her head but they all vanished when she started hearing scratching and scuffling that was getting louder. Something was headed straight towards her. She couldn't rely on a weapon barring the sound giving her away. She inched forward as slowly as she could, gathering energy into her hands. Her breathing stopped, halting just before a turn in the tunnel as the scratching sounded like it was nearly upon her. The head of a thrall jolted out in front of her, clearly not expecting something to be blocking its path. It began to sound a sharp screech but before it could get anything out, Kleio reached out and grabbed its head, cupping its mouth as well. Void energies surged out like tentacles, devouring the thrall in void energies until it completely vanished from existence. Kleio let out a long sigh after she realized she was holding her breath, allowing the void energy surge to wash over her. Even down here in the darkness, the void was a familiar comfort to her. She dropped her palms to the ground as she regained her senses, shaking her head rapidly before continuing on at a more hurried pace. She didn't want to be caught in the tunnels if another thrall came through, or worse, someone actually heard her.

After another minute of creeping through the tunnel, Kleio came out in an area that looked like some kind of odd storage that was dimly lit by orange, glass-like veins that etched around the room. It was filled with giant pale crystals that usually held the void light but these appeared clear and empty. She couldn't feel anything when she laid a hand on top of one. Around her rested what looked like odd crates amongst other things she couldn't identify. Thankfully, no one else seemed to be around. She sincerely nobody in the hive cared about a single thrall to come looking for it when it doesn't come back from whatever mission it was on. The door out seemed to be sealed with hive runes and an unknown destination behind it. She could still hear a soft chanting through the walls in the silence, meaning she didn't stray too far from the main area.

"It's good to see you, Kleio." A voice suddenly came from the shadowed corner. Kleio instinctively grabbed her Zhalo and whipped around, aiming at the direction of the voice. Out of the shadows, three glowing green orbs drifted forward culminating into the shape of a robed humanoid. Kleio's eyes went wide and lowered her gun. "Eris!" Kleio gasped, taking her helmet off. Ada spun around in the air, her lens contracting and opening repeatedly in shock. "What are you doing here?" exclaimed Ada.

"I am the silent vigil against the hive." She said, stopping in front of the exo. Kleio wanted to jump up and hug her but she knew how much she hated it. "I regret that it was you who Ikora chose."

Ada blinked twice. "Wait, what do you mean?"

"I requested Ikora send me one of her hidden, knowing that they would not return." Her words were quick and succinct.

Ada froze. "What do you mean 'not return'?"

"You expect to die down here." Kleio filled in with dread.

"Hang on, that means that Ikora knew you were alive." Kleio interrupted herself. "Eris, everyone thought you were dead already! What happened to you after the Red Legion attacked the tower?"

"I was not there when the cabal attacked. I was far away, beyond communication sans a few individuals who knew." Eris clasped her hands in front of her, ending her words without explanation. It irritated Kleio that she did not elaborate on her words. She always knew Eris to be rather cryptic but she had so many questions.

"Eris…" Kleio whimpered, reaching out a hand to the shrouded woman.

Eris raised her palm up, blocking Kleio's advances. "We don't have time, Kleio. The ritual outside must be disrupted or our solar system will face another hive god. One that I fear to be worse than Oryx."

Kleio was saddened that she finally ran into her friend but was already scared to lose her again. It didn't help that Eris just dropped this damning revelation on her suddenly.

"We're here for you, Eris." Ada responded, glancing over at Kleio when she didn't respond immediately. "Just tell us what to do."

"Follow me." Eris motioned to a wall where she waved a darkened hand to reveal hive locks that were hidden. "I will need you to create a diversion for me. I cannot fight like I used to but I know how to interrupt the summoning." She clenched a fist over the locks as her eyes glowed a sickly green just as the hive locks shattered and fell to the ground. Leave it to Eris to know the ins and outs of anything hive, Kleio thought to herself.

"You want me to wreak havoc in that room filled with hive." Kleio stated matter of factly.

"Precisely." Eris said, pressing against the wall that was previously locked, revealing a hidden crease that swung the wall open to reveal a dark hallway.

"Have you seen that room?!" Ada nearly shouted out. "There must have been hundreds of hive all clustered in there!"

"They're all sacrifices to be made. Any that you can reduce can potentially halt their advancement."

"And what will you be doing?" Kleio asked as the three started walking slowly into the darkness.

"Absorbing the void energies in the crystals. They've been amassing them here for a long time but I had no idea of their intentions until recently."

"If this is such a big problem, why didn't you tell Zavala to send a force down here to stop it?" Eris asked.

"They would halt the ritual if they knew they would be found out. I needed to sabotage it in the act." The longer they walked, the louder the chanting grew around them. It was giving Kleio chills hearing the horrible hive dialect. "Besides, Zavala is already weary of me. He believed me to be… unbalanced when I warned him there was still danger after Oryx was defeated."

"This is bad, Eris. I don't think we're enough to stop them!" Kleio pleaded in a harsh whisper.

"Ikora even began to doubt me." Eris admitted, seemingly ignoring Kleio. "She was the only one I trusted after I had left… Even she only granted me you as one small favor." Eris looked at Kleio over her shoulder, only those dark emerald eyes looking at her. It disturbed her greatly, both that her friend was fighting all of this alone and that even the ones she thought she could trust were doubting the only person who was making sense about the hive.

Kleio hesitated. "I believe you, my friend. Even if I hadn't seen the army of hive outside, I still would have heard you out."

Eris did not respond immediately. "Thank you, Kleio…" Her voice sounded forlorn. "You were always a good companion to me, even before Hellmouth."

Kleio and Ada both looked at each other with downcast looks. Eris' usual downtrodden voice sounded even more despairing. Maybe this was how she felt all the time? Kleio's chest ached for her.

"We are here." Eris whispered, placing a hand against a section-offed wall in the darkened hallway. Kleio reached her own hand out and placed it on Eris' shoulder.

"We're making it out alive, Eris. I promise you that. Do not give yourself up already." Eris did not respond but Kleio thought she caught a ghost of a grin on her face.

"Prepare yourself Kleio, Ada." The wall started to glow green as hive runes appeared, cracking under her invisible force. "We alone stand against a great evil from returning to this world." The final rune lock broke, the wall swinging open to reveal the blue light of the cistern. All of the hive were facing away from them but they quickly noticed their intrusion and started to turn towards them.

"Let your light shine through their darkness." Eris said as she took a hand cannon out from her robes and dashed off to the side where a stash of crystals were laid out. Kleio clicked her helmet back on, raising her Zhalo up, and flicking the safety off. Electricity crackled all around her as she walked slowly into the chamber. The once quiet chamber erupted in roars that promised pain and suffering followed by bullets flying from her gun at every target she could see.