Author's Note:
Sorry about the month-long delay. I was on holiday for two weeks, plus a bunch of other stuff meant that I could not focus on writing as much as I wanted to.
Please note that in addition to this new chapter, I have now updated the previous five chapters. I've corrected a re-occurring spelling mistake, plus amended a small part of the prologue chapter. My thanks to enji-benjy for pointing out that 'Cosmodrome' is a Russian term that would not be used to describe somewhere in America. I have therefore amended it so that the Prison is now located to the north of Phoenix, Arizona. Also, I have added to the last few paragraphs in chapter three 'Prison Break-In, going into some detail about the nature of Darkness Zones.
This chapter takes us away from the lead characters and introduces a new character that will become more important as the story unfolds. After this chapter I will be going back to Fireteam Warden, with four planned chapters that cover another mission. After that, a second interlude will follow, then another four-chapter mission. And so-on. My thanks to everyone who has reviewed this story so far: this is my first ever fanfiction, so I was a little nervous about how it would be received. Your reviews have given me the confidence to continue writing this story, which I have already planned out will be roughly 30 chapters in length. Now then, please enjoy the next instalment of Fireteam Warden.
A new Guardian awakens to find the world around her changed forever.
Two months later…
The first thing she registered was the heat. Not a burning, painful heat, but a soft warmth that seemed to come from everywhere around her. It reminded her of a time when she had broken her leg whilst out camping with her family, just after she had turned 14 about six years ago. They had gone back to Venus for three weeks, during which time she and her father had gone caving. She had misjudged the stability of one foothold, resulting in a fall that she was lucky hadn't killed her. The surgeons in the medical bay had reset the bone, then bathed the leg in energy, accelerating the healing process by a factor of 50. She did not know enough about medicine to understand how it all worked; all she DID know was that the technology they had used had been developed based on knowledge gained from the Traveler. This heat reminded her of that occasion, only back then it had been focused solely around her leg, in the area of the brake. THIS heat suffused her from head to toe, as if to suggest that her whole body had been smashed.
The next thing she sensed was a humming sound that – like the heat, seemed to surround her completely. It was a low hum, just within range of her hearing. A part of her mind registered the fact that it sounded artificial in nature. No humming bird or any other wildlife could make that kind of sound. There was also what sounded like a voice somewhere above her, but it was muffed as if it was coming from a great distance away. Like the humming sound this voice sounded artificial, and she felt that it was male, judging from the tone and timber it had. It certainly didn't sound like any voice she recognised, but then it was difficult to make it out, which didn't help matters much. She sensed that she was lying down on her left-hand side, upon something hard and unyielding. Definitely not a bed of some kind, as it felt more like the ground than anything else. Her thoughts flew back to that ill-fated camping trip on Venus. They had been roughing it for three days before her accident, so she knew what sleeping on dirt felt like. This felt the same, albeit without any kind of sleeping bag, which just made things worse.
She began to open her eyes, then shut them tightly at once. The light. Too bright. She waited a moment, then slowly opened them again, this time giving herself a chance to adjust. What first caught her gaze was the grass. It was long and green, coming up from the ground that she was lying on. She was lying on a bed of the stuff. The sky up above was a clear blue, with not a trace of clouds in the sky. All this information led her to realize that she was on Earth, which for some reason troubled her, though she could not remember why. The voice that she had been hearing in the background suddenly came in to sharp focus, as if the speaker had been talking through a wall of cushions that had now been yanked aside.
"Guardian, Guardian! Can you hear me? Can you speak?"
The voice was clearly concerned about something, or someone. There was a nervousness in its voice that did not help calm the young woman as she awoke. She was confused too. Guardian? What was that? Who was the voice talking to? Her? Did it think she was a guardsman of some kind? A small wave of dizziness hit her as she started to raise from the ground. She brought up one hand to her head, only to discover that she was wearing a helmet of some kind. And now that she had brought it up near her face, she noticed that her hand was covered in a tanned brown glove that she didn't recognise. She steadied herself with her other hand, rising into a seated position on the ground. She saw that she was completely covered in a strange and unfamiliar uniform, which looked a little militaristic in design, though it certainly not a uniform that she recognised. As she started to move the voice she could hear suddenly seemed to perk up a bit, its tone conveying a sense of cheerful relief, as opposed to the nervousness it had previously had.
"At last! You're awake! I am so glad that you are moving. I was quite worried when you didn't initially awaken following your restoration. I was concerned that the regeneration process had not been completed properly."
She looked up towards the source of the voice, which she could place now as just above her head. A small object hovered above her as she sat there, its large blue eye at the centre being the most dominating aspect of its appearance. Its exterior was made up of a series of eight sections, each one shaped like a small white pyramid, all pointing outwards from the centre. They seemed to shift and move as the object floated above her, possibly indicating that they were linked somehow to its antigravity generator. As she watched, the curious little thing descended down towards her until it came face to face, its full attention apparently directed at her. She glanced around. No, there was just the two of them. With no one else around it was beginning to look like it had been referring to her when it said 'Guardian'. Steeling herself, she looked into its cool-blue eye and spoke.
"Ok, just where exactly am I? And on top of that, just what the hell are you?" She knew she was being a little rude to the thing, but considering the fact that she had woken up in a strange place, wearing strange clothing, with no memory of how she got there, she figured she was owed some answers. Hopefully, the little floating blue eye had some. The hovering eye backed off a little, possibly a little put-off by her outburst.
"Please try to calm yourself, Guardian. To answer your first question, you are currently in what was called the Mojave Desert, in the lower part of California. As for your second question, I am a Ghost. Specifically, I am YOU'RE Ghost. I was created by the Traveler, many centuries ago, along with many others like myself. I have been searching for you for a very long time, Guardian. I'm glad to have finally found you, as I was starting to worry that – "
She cut the hovering eye off in mid-sentence, holding up a hand to stall any objections.
"Wow, slow down. First of all, California? Mojave Desert? That's on Earth, right? I've only been to Earth twice so I don't exactly know the layout of the place. And why do you keep calling me Guardian? If you think I am some sort of Terran Guardsman, I'm sorry but you've made a mistake. I'm not even Earth-born! I was born on Venus, although I didn't spend many years there. But I've never lived on Earth, so there's no way I could ever join the Terran Guard."
She began to stand up, dusting off the dirt from the clothes she was wearing. Which made her think to ask another question.
"And by the way, where the hell are my clothes!? What is this that I'm wearing!?"
"Please calm down, Guardian. I can explain everything. Well, not exactly everything. For one, my databanks can only hold so much knowledge and even if that was not the case, it would take too long to do so, though I could condense everything down if you gave me a few days to –"
"ENOUGH! Just please, answer my questions!" She really didn't want the thing to start reeling off all the known facts of the galaxy, not when more important questions needed answering first.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to babble. I guess I'm just a little excited, that's all. I meant what I said. I have been looking for you for a very long time, and until now I've been on my own. But enough of that. First of all, yes, California is on Earth. It's on the west coast of North America, also known as the U.S.A, one of the major landmasses on the planet. The Mojave Desert is a large area of desert terrain, the majority of which mostly resides in California. You are currently in an area that used to be referred to as the Mojave National Preserve. Secondly, as I said before, I am your Ghost. And you are my Guardian. I was created in the final moments before the Traveler sacrificed itself to protect humanity. I was directed to seek out a being who could serve as one of humanity's protectors, one who could wield the Light of the Traveler as a weapon, now that it can no longer do so. I know this may be very difficult for you to accept or even believe, but you have been dead for several centuries. How long exactly, I do not know. What I DO know is that you're my Guardian, and that it is my responsibility to guide you in your new life, as your Ghost."
She stood there for a few moments, as silent as the vacuum of space. What the thing – the Ghost, was telling her was crazy. Impossible. Dead? For centuries? That couldn't be. How could she have been dead? She was here, alive and breathing. Her mind tried to process the concept, failing at the first hurdle.
"Dead? But that's not possible. How can I be alive and speaking to you if I was dead? I don't even… remember… dying?"
But suddenly… she DID remember. She remembered the explosions all around her. She remembered the screams of the other people as they died. Others she remembered dying silently, unable to even voice their fears of what was happening to them. She remembered her mother, eyes wide and mouth open as she was ripped away from her children by the violence. Her brother's body lying limply next to hers, his head covered in blood where a piece of shrapnel had imbedded itself. Then, the edges of her vision began to dim, the colour seeming to leech out of everything around her. She became cold. Very cold. Then… darkness. Darkness, and silence.
The young woman sank to her knees, the full horror of her death rushing back to her, like an avalanche of pain through her mind. She started to topple forwards, only catching herself by planting both hands down onto the ground below her. The weight of memory bore her downwards, threatening to crush her under its foot. She gasped for breath, remembering how hard it had been to so, just before the end. The tears began to flow as she realised that her family – her parents and little brother, were all dead. Had BEEN dead for centuries, judging from what the Ghost was saying. The sacrifice of the Traveler the Ghost spoke of had not yet happened when she had passed on from the realm of the living. Which meant, she had been laying here on the ground – dead, longer than the Ghost had been searching for her. She wanted to scream. She wanted to wail. She wanted to cry and cry until she could not cry anymore, then cry still. In the end, the only thing she could manage was a whisper. A single word, spoken not in defiance of what she was being told, but grief over all that she had apparently lost, so long ago.
"No…"
She knelt there for what seemed only minutes, but also seemed like hours. The Ghost – her Ghost, she corrected herself – said nothing, probably knowing that there was nothing that it could say that could take away the intense pain she was feeling. At some point she must have slid into a sitting position, though she did not remember doing so. The sorrow had blanked out everything else around her, enveloping her in its cold, uncaring grasp. Finally, she looked up towards the only companion she had right now, in a world that had seemingly changed in the blink of an eye, from her perspective at least. She needed comfort. She needed someone to hold her, to tell her that everything was going to be alright. That this was all just a terrible dream, and that she was going to wake up any moment and her family would be there with her. But, as none of that was likely to happen, she settled for something more simple and direct. Guidance.
"So… what happens now?"
The Ghost floated down near her, almost as if it was trying to console her with its mere proximity.
"I know this must be difficult for you, but we have to get moving. This area is within Fallen territory, plus the terrain is wide open. It is imperative that we seek out a means of reaching the City. It is that last place of safety on Earth, directly beneath the Traveler. At the edge of the city is the Tower, where the Guardians live. That is our final destination. There is no way that we will reach it by foot, though. We will need to find a working Jumpship in order to get there. There is a town about two days walk from here, towards the south-east. It's located just west of where Route 66 intersects with Interstate 40 and appears to be quite large, built around a refuelling station constructed at the highpoint of the Golden Age. The town was used by the traffic on Interstate 40 as a rest-stop and refuelling place, but it also catered to aerospace craft like Jumpships as well. Unfortunately, it is the nearest town in the local area that we are likely to find a Jumpship in, with the nearest city – Bullhead City, being over 50 miles away to the east."
"Ok. Two questions. First, who are the Fallen. And second, why 'unfortunately'?"
"The Fallen are a race of scavengers that serve The Darkness. You could best describe them as 'space pirates', as they are primarily a nomadic race that plunders whatever technology and riches that are left behind when a civilisation dies out. Even though humanity is not quite dead yet, they have established themselves here on Earth, looting whatever they can get their hands on. As to the 'unfortunate' bit, well as I said, this is Fallen territory. As the town is the only one in the area then there is a good chance that the Fallen have already been there, in which case there may be no longer any functional Jumpships there."
The woman slowly got to her feet again, brushing off the dust for the second time as she spoke.
"I take it that these 'Fallen' are hostile towards humans?"
"Lethally."
"I see. So, I don't want to exactly meet any of them right now, seeing as I have no weapons of which to speak of."
She made a show of patting down her sides to emphasize the point, surprised though when she felt the hilt of a knife, sheathed on her hip. She looked down as she pulled it out, examining it carefully. She held it up for the Ghost to see.
"Apart from this, I mean. No guns, something that I imagine they have an abundance of, considering the lifestyle you described them living."
"Indeed. The Fallen have a considerable grasp of technology, and even the lowest of their ranks is capable of using advanced weaponry. Our first priority when we reach the town is to secure a weapon, preferably before we run into any hostiles. I will scan the area as we move, looking for anything that you can use."
She looked around at the terrain surrounding her. Just desert as far as the eye could see, in every direction. She gestured towards the Ghost.
"So then, I guess we'd better get going then. Which way?"
"Let me show you."
The Ghost started to move towards her, then seemingly dissolved right in front of her, like a sugar cube dropped into a bowl full of acid. Before she could say anything though, the Ghost's voice sounded in her helmet.
"It's ok. I'm still here, just interfaced with your suit. Let me bring up a waypoint for you to follow."
With these words, a head-up-display suddenly appeared over her field of view. A small white marker in the form of a diamond appeared in front of her, at about One O'clock from where she was currently looking. She turned to her right a little, until the marker was directly ahead of her. Her Ghost spoke again.
"Follow this objective marker and it will let you straight to the town. I'll tell you more about what you need to know as we head there. It's approaching midday according to my on-board systems, so it's unfortunately going to be the hottest part of the day soon. Even so, we need to keep moving. Any Fallen that see you will attack on sight, and there may be to be patrols around that we will have to avoid. Considering the distance you need to cross, we will have to find a source of food and water. I can sterilize any water we come across, but food is going to be more difficult to acquire. Have you ever gone hunting before?"
The woman shook her head as she started walking towards the objective marker. She had not spent much time in the wilderness, apart from a few camping trips. Her father and brother had always done the hunting during those trips, so it was never necessary for her to hunt herself.
"Nope. Don't suppose you can teach me how?"
"Don't worry, I can direct you on what to do. I don't know if you are squeamish or not, but you will need to kill whatever animals we find out here. My information does not cover the subject on what exactly lives out here, though I am familiar with all the animals that exist or existed on Earth. I'm also sorry to say that I don't know if there is any eatable plants here either. Fortunately, I CAN tell you if something is eatable or not, once I've scanned it."
She laughed dryly at this last statement as she walked.
"You're assuming that I manage to catch anything. I could be completely rubbish at hunting, you know."
"That is highly unlikely. You are a Hunter, so it is in your nature to be able to live off the land. I am confident that you will catch and even kill your next meal. That, I am sure of."
The woman stopped, confused by what her Ghost had just said.
"What do you mean, 'You are a Hunter'? I told you before, I've never needed to hunt in my life. I have no experience on the matter, so I can hardly qualify for being described as one."
"My apologies. You misunderstand what I mean. There are three kinds of Guardian that exist. One kind are known as Titans. They tend to focus on a strong defence as well as the use of heavy weapons, like machine guns and rocket launchers. Then there are the Warlocks. They have learned to harness the Light of the Traveler and wield it against the servants of The Darkness, which they combine with the use of modern-day weaponry. Finally, there are the Hunters. They are the scouts and infiltrators amongst the Guardians. They can use the Light granted to them by the Traveler to survive out in the wilderness, where others could not do so. I have seen a few Hunters over the recent years, alone sometimes or acting as scouts and snipers for other Guardians. This is what I meant when I said you are a Hunter. This is the kind of Guardian you are."
The woman thought about this for a while, standing to walk again as she did so. Eventually, a question loomed up in her mind.
"How exactly do you know that I am a Hunter? I could be a Titan for all I know, or a Warlock. What is it about me that tells you I'm a Hunter?"
"The process I used to restore and revive you automatically selects the clothing and basic weaponry best suited for you. The armour you are currently wearing is what all Hunters start off with when they are first 'reborn'. The knife is a bit of a give-away, too."
"So, that's how I ended up in this. Nice that you finally answered that question. So then, I guess I have only one more question fore you before you start telling me everything else I need to know."
"And that is?"
"What's your name?"
The Ghost didn't answer right away. When it did, there was a note of confusion in its voice.
"I… don't understand. I told you. I am your Ghost. That is who I am."
"No, that's what you are, not who you are. I mean, look at me. I'm a human, but that's not my name. That's not who I am, just what I am. Well?"
"Well, in that case, I guess I don't have a name. It was something that was not considered by the Traveler when I was created. I guess if you want me to have a name, you can give me one if you wish."
"Ok then, I will. It's kind of awkward just calling you 'Ghost' all the time. Though I'll have to think about it for a while. A name isn't something you should just pull out of a hat." She started to wonder about what a good name for her new friend could be, though she couldn't think of anything appropriate there and then. Judging by what her Ghost had said, they were going to be together for a long time.
"Whilst we are on the subject of names, could you tell me yours?"
"Oh, that's easy," the young Guardian said. "It's Cassie. Short for Cassandra actually, but no one calls me… I mean, no one used to call me that. Except for my brother, that is."
"Well then Cassie, I am happy to make your acquaintance. Now then, what topic would you like me to cover first?"
"Not sure to be honest. I've been dead for a long time, so I've a lot to catch up on."
They set off at a walking pace towards the distant waypoint her Ghost had provided for her. Although there was no compass visible on her Head-Up-Display, Cassie knew from what her Ghost had said earlier that they were headed south-east. The terrain was anything but flat, which slowed her progress down more than she would have liked. She wondered if her Ghost had taken the terrain into account when it had given her the two day estimate. The Sun continued to beat down upon her, its heat oppressive and burdensome. As the hours went by it slowly made its way towards the western horizon, which lay behind and to her right. Cassie continued to walk at a steady speed, pacing herself. She couldn't travel in a straight line, which would have been nice; the terrain often caused her to have to deviate around an obstacle, such as a large outcrop of rocks or a vast depression in the ground. This slowed her down more, though she reckoned she was still making good progress.
As they travelled, the Ghost briefed her on the current state of the world, as well as telling her more about being a Guardian, paying particular attention to Hunters. The Ghost explained that each Guardian class had currently two subclasses that they could train in, known as 'Paths' to the Guardians. She learned that once she had enough experience she would be able to start learning the first of the two Paths available to her, the Path of The Gunslinger. As soon as her Ghost told her its name, Cassie couldn't help but imagine an old-fashioned cowboy, wielding a pair of six-shooters like the ones her uncle had possessed in his gun collection. As the little A.I. began to explain about the special ability the Path possessed, she quickly realised that her imagination had not been that far off the mark. The 'Golden Gun' her Ghost described sounded too fantastical to be real. An ethereal revolver, possessing the very power of the sun? Impossible! And yet, the Ghost continued to describe its usage, detailing its strengths and limitations as if it were a real thing. Cassie resolved to try and summon this magical-sounding weapon when the opportunity next presented itself. Though from what the A.I. was telling her it would not be for a while.
After Cassie's Ghost had finished describing the second Path available to her – the Path of The Bladedancer, she decided that out of the two Paths available she preferred the latter. The idea of being able to become invisible, along with the power to change lightning – or 'arc' damage as her Ghost called it, sounded the more fun of the two. She was still coming to terms with having lost her entire family, and Cassie had already vowed to herself to hunt down as many of the Hive as she could and make them pay. The Hive had taken the most important people in her life away, and although she knew that revenge was not considered to be a morally righteous cause, she still felt the need to repay the monsters for what they had done. After her Ghost had told her all it knew about the different Fallen that she was likely to encounter, she had asked it about the Hive, hoping that it would know where she could hunt them down. Its answer however put a damper on her plans.
"According to the latest reports I have, the Hive are still restricted to the Moon, though that could change at some point. Once we get our hands on a Jumpship with a functioning Warp-Drive we will be able to head there and investigate the situation more closely. It would be advisable to remain on Earth to begin with though. The Fallen are much closer to home, having set themselves up all over Earth in order to scavenge what they can."
"So we need to deal with the Fallen first? Dam! Just how many are there?"
"Many thousands, though it's not as if we need to kill them all before going to the moon. Most of our efforts will be focused on disrupting their hold over key locations, places that contain valuable technology that dates back to the Golden Age. Much information has been lost in the intervening centuries, and the recovery of that information is one of the tasks the Guardians are often charged with."
Cassie had remained silent for a while after that, walking onwards towards the horizon line, heading for the waypoint displayed on her HUD. Her Ghost had gone over the Head-Up-Display with her a couple of times, in order to make sure she was familiar enough with it. As she walked she continued to check her motion tracker, trying to get into the habit of keeping at least one eye on it, most of the time. So far, she had yet to see any of the 'directional indicators' that her Ghost had stated would denote the presence of hostiles in the area. Apparently, the tracker could differentiate between friendly, hostile and neutral forces, indicating the first in blue, the second in red, whilst the third wasn't shown at all. That last bit was annoying, as it would have proven useful when tracking any wildlife she was hunting.
After a while, Cassie resolved herself to the fact that she would have to put her hunt for the Hive on hold – at least for a while, and focus on the more immediate threat of the Fallen on Earth. She knew that once she had gotten a few kills under her belt, she would be in a better place to take on what had become her personal nemesis. She wondered if the other Guardians had feelings about the different enemies they fought against, which led her to realise that she knew very little about how she would be received, once she finally got to the Tower. Thinking of the Tower, she asked her Ghost to tell her more about it, as well as the people that were there.
"The Tower serves as the home for all the Guardians, though there are other people who work there besides them. The Tower Hanger for example will be run by a Shipwright, who acts as both a mechanic as well as a seller. They fix and sell vehicles and ships – both new and old that are available. There are also many other staff who help keep the Tower running –"
"Wait a moment," Cassie interrupted. "What do you mean, 'will be run'? You mean 'is run', surely? I mean, when was the last time you were at the Tower?"
Her Ghost seemed to pause for a moment, as if thinking about how to best answer her question. When it did answer, it confirmed what she had first suspected.
"It has been three decades since I last checked in at the Tower. All Ghosts who have yet to find their Guardian are required to periodically return and report on the state of their search, as well as upload any useful information that they have come across in their travels. The data I have on the town ahead of us for example was brought to the Tower by a fellow Ghost some 42 years ago, at which time it reported that there were still 3 working Jumpships stationed there. There were also reports of light Fallen activity near the town provided by the same Ghost, though a later report from a different Ghost indicated that there were signs of increased movement some 12 years ago. That Ghost did not however get near enough to the town in order to determine the status of the Jumpships."
"So, your information about the town itself is over four decades old!? You DO realise that a lot could have changed in that time. All 3 ships may have been taken by now, or taken to pieces by the Fallen. They ARE scavengers!"
The A.I. clearly picked up on the worried tone in her voice, as its next words were spoken in a clam and reassuring manner.
"I know. It's unfortunate, but it's the best led I have, given the data that's available. There is one good piece of news however. The Ghost's report states that the town also has a functioning Comlink Tower, which we could use is all else fails, in order to call for help. The report stated it was fully functional, with no signs that the Fallen were even aware of its purpose."
"So, our backup plan is to send out an S.O.S. and hope someone hears us? Great." Cassie couldn't prevent the sarcasm from bleeding into her voice. The info on the Comlink Tower was just as old as her Ghost's data on the Jumpships. If one could have been lost over the years then so could the other too. She needed to come up with a Plan C, Plans A and B not providing her with much reassurance. Realising that she had gone off-topic, Cassie endeavoured to get back to the matter she had originally asked about, if only to distract her from her current concerns.
"So, back to the Tower. Who else is there?"
"As well as the Shipwright and the people working in the Hanger, there is the Speaker, who speaks on behalf of the Traveler. As well as numerous merchants, there are also representatives from different factions that have a presence at the Tower. When you first arrive you will be reporting to the Vanguard; a trio of Guardians considered to be the best of their respective classes. Cayde-6 was the Vanguard of the Hunters the last time I reported to the tower, 32 years ago. An Exo renowned for his skills with a sniper rifle, he mentors new Hunters when they first arrive at the Tower, and continues to guide them for as long as they wish. The Vanguard provides the wargear used by their respective classes, as well as a few extras here and there."
"And the other factions?"
"Each of the other factions has their own agenda and is represented by someone in the Tower. A faction known as New Monarchy strives to recover and rebuild what was lost during the Collapse. They believe that the future of humanity is tied to the Earth, and that the knowledge recovered from the Golden Age can help restore all that was taken from us."
"I thought that was what all Guardians sought."
"Not all. A faction known as Dead Orbit believes that our future lies beyond the solar system, amongst the stars. They feel that the Guardians destiny is not tied to the Traveler, and so they seek to leave behind Earth in order to settle elsewhere in the galaxy. There is a third faction, one that does not care whether we stay on Earth or leave for the stars, but simply prepares for what they see as the inevitable future for all Guardians: war. Known as the Future War Cult, their tenants dictate that conflict is not only a foregone conclusion, but is in fact necessary. Thus, they provide the means to wage war, regardless of where we eventually end up."
Cassie digested this information silently, wondering how three radically different groups could have sprung up since the Collapse. She found the division amongst the survivors of this era to be offensive. She hoped that there would be no in-fighting amongst the factions, or amongst the Guardians that followed them. She figured things would be difficult enough, what with the Guardians having to fight off the Fallen AND the Hive, plus whatever else was out there seeking to crush them underfoot. She asked her Ghost if there were any other factions besides the ones it had already mentioned.
"There is one final faction, known as The Iron Banner. Led by a Guardian called Lord Saladin, they preside over the Crucible matches that take place. They use these matches to seek out and identify the best fighters from amongst the Guardians, then support them in their battle against the Darkness."
"What is the Crucible?" Cassie asked. Her Ghost had not mentioned it before, so she was curious as to what it entailed.
"The Crucible is a series of arranged matches between the Guardians, who fight one another to prove they are the best there is. As a Guardian's Ghost can revive them from the dead, these matches allow the Guardians to sharpen their skills against one another, without having to worry about being in a Darkness Zone."
"A what?"
"A Darkness Zone. It is an area where the power of the Darkness has grown strong enough to disrupt the Light of the Traveler. In those places, the resurrection powers a Ghost possesses cannot function, so if a Guardian falls in combat whilst inside one, they stay dead."
"Well, I've already died once, and I can tell you from first-hand experience that it isn't anything to write home about. I don't intend to ever go through that again, be it in a Darkness Zone or not."
Cassie could remember her death in vivid, chilling detail, and therefore had no intention of going through that again. Even if she was to know that it would only be temporary, the pain and emptiness it brought was enough to dissuade her from ever taking her life for granted again. She had lived a fairly clean and carefree life until the Darkness had come, along with its minions. As a result, she had never entertained the idea that she would die young. There had been no wars amongst the colonies of mankind for a couple of centuries, so it had never occurred to her that she might die a horrible, violent death at the hands of an invading force. Especially not an alien one. As she made her way down an embankment, her thoughts began to turn to those final days with her family at home, before the Darkness had swept in and wiped away all trace of her former life.
She could remember the frantic voices of her parents when the first signs of attack had come. Her father had been on duty at the time, so when the first enemy ships were detected he had been among those mobilized to mount a defence. Even so, he had taken a few minutes to contact them and let them know what was happening. She and her brother had tried following what their father had been trying to tell their mother over the communications channel, but he had been speaking too quickly for even their mother to completely follow him. The truth soon became all too clear however when the orders to evacuate were issued. What had come next was a brief but frantic period where their mother started gathering up supplies from around their home, telling her children to do the same. She told them to only pack essentials, a few changes of clothes, their IDs and com-links, as well as the food their mother packed. Cassie and her brother had been too stunned over what was happening to fully understand what was going on, but as they quickly packed and headed out the door after their mother, they could see that the same was happening everywhere around them. Whole families, workers and even a few off-duty guardsmen were hastily gathering up everything that was essential and evacuating.
Some people had taken longer than others, foolishly trying to pack unnecessary items of comfort, like books, vids and expensive jewellery. One young man she spied had even taken the time to pack up his games console and was lugging it along on his back in a carry-bag. She could understand why he had done it. If he was one of those game-freaks who lived through their consoles then losing it would be like losing your friend. Still, he should have realised that between the console and his life, the latter was the one that could not be replaced. Unless you happen to become a Guardian, that is," she thought bitterly. She was admittedly not the most religiously devote, but even so she liked to believe that when you died, the most important part of you went some place where it could join those nearest and dearest to you. Cassie couldn't remember any shinning white lights, trumpeting horns or halo-bearing beings between her death and rebirth though. No familiar faces of her family or friends welcoming her with open arms. No one. Nothing. Just… darkness and the cold.
Cassie resigned herself to the fact that as far as she knew based upon the known evidence, there was no afterlife, no reincarnation. At least, not that she had experienced. Perhaps because she was going to come back to life, she might not have been 'admitted' to heaven, she joked silently to herself. "Do not pass go, do not ascend into the heavenly here-after, go straight back to the living," she thought, remembering her brother asking their mother about whether he could bring his game pack with him. It was only a small thing, able to store and project hundreds of different board games via its holographic-projector. Their mother had said no however, as it would take up room in his pack better served by storing food and water. The essentials for survival. Her father had drilled into both his children the importance of the essentials for survival, back when they were just twelve years old. Being a solider, he had learned all about survival out in the wild, living off the terrain until one could make it back to civilisation. True, he'd needed the training just in case he was ever trapped behind enemy lines, but the lessons were certainly useful to their family during the evacuation.
"Like I am trapped behind enemy lines right now. Dad would have taken all this in his stride. He wouldn't have let the circumstances get to him. He would have pushed all those difficult thoughts and feelings down inside himself, until the time was right to go through them. He would have made a far better Guardian then me." Thinking about her father, Cassie resolved to do her best to survive in this new galaxy she had found herself in, to make him proud.
As night fell, her Ghost began searching for a good place for her to stop and sleep. She had rested a couple of times over the last few hours, having covered a third of the way to the town. It was definitely going to take at least three days to get there, more if she hit any unexpected holdups. Her Ghost had led her earlier to a small waterhole that she had drank from, once the little A.I. had sterilized it. It had also materialised a couple of water flasks – empty, which she had taken and filled to the top with the now-drinkable water in the hole. At least she wasn't going to die of thirst, although she was a little worried about dying of hunger. The Ghost reassured her that the Light within her would keep her going long enough for her to reach the Tower, though it admitted that it wouldn't hurt to find a source of protein somewhere.
She made camp in the shadow of a large rock the size of a two-story house, using its shadow to help conceal her presence. Ok, 'make camp' was stretching things a bit. She just sat down to rest, then laid down when she was ready to sleep. The Ghost told her it would act as a lookout, alerting her if anything happened. Cassie dreamed that first night of her new life, though the dream quickly turned into a nightmare. Reliving the last moments she had with her family caused her to wake with a start more than once during the night, a cold sweat covering her all over. She had tried getting back to sleep, but only two hours later – according to her Ghost, she bolted upright again, a scream on the tip of her tongue. She held it in, half concerned that anything out here that was hostile might hear her, but mostly in order to keep the promise she had made earlier, about making her farther proud. She managed to get back to sleep again, getting another four hours in before she woke in the morning. She bid her Ghost 'good morning', went to relieve herself behind a rock, then signalled that she was ready to get underway.
About an hour later, she saw breakfast. Well, she saw what was going to become breakfast, once she had caught it. It was a rabbit – a black-tailed jackrabbit according to her Ghost. It had just popped up out of its burrow ahead of her, its nose twitching as it took in the morning scents. Cassie was downwind from the creature, plus it hadn't looked in her direction yet. She lowered herself down behind a sandbank just to her right, watching for any sign that it had sensed her presence. The rabbit took a couple of hops outwards from its burrow, still searching from any threats. Cassie spoke quietly to her Ghost, keen not to alert the little fur-ball.
"Ok, Ghost. Tell me again how this works?" Her Ghost had told her that the Light of the Traveler could be focused through her, forming it into an attack that could stun and potentially kill small animals. It had said that the method was similar to the way a Hunter channelled the Light through them when they struck out at an enemy physically, though not as strong. Her Ghost went over the instructions again with her, then indicated that she should approach from behind the target, in order to maximise her chances of catching it unawares. She slowly began to flank round behind the rabbit, then she started closing the distance. As she did so, her mind went back to the Ghost's other teachings, specifically the ones focusing on the use of stealth. Picking her way carefully, she got within range, extending her hand outwards to point at the animal. She took a few slow breaths, trying to get the jackhammer that her heart was beating like under control. Then, she let the power flow through her hand and out towards the tiny creature.
The energy hit the rabbit square in the back of the head, killing it before it even had time to register that it was under attack. It collapsed onto its side as Cassie let out a breath she hadn't realised she had been holding. She walked out towards her catch, a feeling of success sweeping through her. As she knelt down and scooped up the dead animal, her Ghost spoke.
"Well done. And on your first try too. You're a nature at this, just like I figured. Now all you have to do is skin it, cook it and then eat it. As you said that you've never been hunting before, I suspect you would be unlikely to have any experience doing at least the first of those three things. Fortunately, I can guide you."
"Thanks. I have to say, it was a bit nerve-racking there for a moment, right before I made my shot. Still, I imagine it will get easier the more times I do it. Oh, I just thought of something. Can you tell if this critter has any diseases or anything else I should be worried about? I don't want my first meal of my new life to come back to haunt me."
"You needn't worry about it. I already scanned the rabbit and it appears to be in the best of health, otherwise I would have alerted you to it before you attacked. In any event, I can eradicate any harmful bacteria within an animal's body, be it alive or dead. In fact, I am capable of doing the same for you, should you contract something that would impede you in your duties as a Guardian."
"You mean if I get sick, you can make me all better? Nice! I've only gotten seriously ill once in my live, when I was about nine. Although I've had my fair share of stomach bugs over the years, that particular time was the worst. I'm glad that's one thing I wouldn't have to worry about going through again."
Cassie stood up with rabbit in hand as she looked towards the direction she had been heading, prior to spotting the animal. As far as she could see, there wasn't any place where she could settle down to skin and cook her breakfast directly ahead of her, although there was some rocks that looked like they would provide some shelter, off to her left. She asked her Ghost if that was the best place to eat.
"I do believe it is. There are a number of small stones that you can use to create the basis of a campfire there, plus I am detecting a pair of trees on the other side. A few twigs should be enough to use as fuel, although I could manufacture some flammable materials to use if you prefer."
"No, twigs will do fine. I know how to make a campfire, easily. My family and I went camping a few times when we went back to Venus. I helped my mother collect some branches and stones to build an old-fashioned campfire, whilst my father and brother went out looking for dinner." Cassie stopped talking as she realised that this was the first time she had actually mentioned out loud her family to the Ghost. They had been on her mind ever since she had learned she had been dead, but she had never actually spoken about them to the A.I. before now. "Perhaps because it was still too difficult to voice until now," she reasoned. She knew that she would have to talk about them eventually, she had seen what bottling things up inside you could do. Her father had once taken her and her brother on a tour around the base where he was stationed at, about two years before the attack. She had happened to arrive just as a fellow guardsman of her father's had lost it and drawn his weapon, threatening to shoot anyone who tried to take his personal Com-pad away.
It was a civilian model, not authorised to be brought along whilst on active duty because they posed a security risk. Anything could be loaded on to the little computer, then transmitted wirelessly to any main computer on the base. It had emerged later-on that his fiancé had died about two months beforehand, a victim of a robbery gone wrong. The guardsman hadn't told anyone, keeping the pain of loss and despair all inside, where they'd eaten away at him like acid. The Com-pad had contained the last message his fiancé had sent him, just hours before she had been killed, along with a host of photos of the two of them together. He had kept it close to him in order to keep his memory of her alive, but a commanding officer had spotted it and tried to confiscate it, leading to the confrontation. The guardsman had eventually been talked down by Cassie's father, along with some of the others in the unit. It had left a strong impression on Cassie about the need for someone to be there for you, when you were down at your lowest point in life. Her Ghost regained her attention, asking about her previous statement.
"When you say 'back to Venus', then that implies that you had been there before, right?"
"Yes, I have. In fact, both my brother and I were born on Venus, though I only spent the first five years of my life living there. We later moved off-world so that we could be closer to my father, at the base where he was stationed. He was in the military and had met my mother whilst he was on leave on Venus. My parents fell in love and got married the next year, shortly before my mother discovered she was pregnant with me. I was born about eight months after that, then two years later my brother was born."
"What was your brother's name?"
"Kyle. His name was Kyle. You see, our mother had a younger brother called Kyle, but he had died when he was about nineteen, four years before I was born. He worked as a building surveyor and there was an accident. Two other people died, as well as another who was hurt. Mum never went into details. 'Too painful to discuss', she'd say."
Cassie had made it to the rocks by this point, from which she could just see the trees. She looked down at the ground, spotting a number of decently-sized stones to build a fire ring to contain the campfire in. She set the rabbit down and began to collect the stones, marking out a circle in which she could build the fire in. She then headed for the trees, searching their bases first for any fallen branches she could use. She found a few, though not quite enough to build a decent fire with, so she drew her Hunter's Knife and cut a couple more branches down. Bringing them to the fire ring, she piled the timber in the middle, then – using the Light as directed by her Ghost, she set it on fire. Whilst the fire got going, she turned her attention to the task she was least looking forward to: skinning the Rabbit.
After breakfast, Cassie rested for a few minutes to let her meal go down, taking in the view from where she sat. There was mostly sand as far as the eye could see, punctuated by the odd rocky outcropping like the one she was currently in the shade of. The horizon line before her showed no sign of the town she was heading towards, though the town's location was still marked by the waypoint that her Ghost had created the previous day. Apart from that, the only other thing in view was the sky itself, which was blue and clear of any clouds. She found that oddly comforting, despite the fact that she had only seen the Terran sky twice before, when she had visited the world that was referred to by many as 'the cradle of humanity'. "USED to refer," she chided herself. For all she knew, that term had not been used in centuries, though she felt the description of Earth was still as accurate as ever. The people in the Last City where a mystery to her, having grown up in a totally different time period to her. The Ghost had given her a few basic facts about the city, but had focused more on the Tower and the Guardians that lived there.
A sudden movement caught her eye. It was a bird of some kind, flying high in the sky overhead. It looked to be a bird of prey, though she couldn't identify it. Cassie had studied a number of wild animals in biology class, though this was the first time she had actually seen a flying creature. Her Ghost evidently noticed her interest. It materialised in front of her, looking upwards towards the soaring creature.
"A Golden Eagle, a big one at that. They are birds of prey, meaning that they feed upon a variety of small animals, including hares and rabbits. It's quite possible that we just stole his lunch from him, or rather, you stole it."
Cassie laughed out loud. She had started to notice that her Ghost had a sense of humor, judging from some of the comments that it – or he, had made. She guessed he was trying to lighten her mood a little, possibly having noticed how quiet she was. Looking over at the smoldering remains of the fire, she suddenly wondered if the eagle had seen the smoke and wondered what it was. It was doubtful that another human had been here recently, and even less likely one who would have set a fire burning. The little column of smoke therefore was probably something new and interesting. She decided to join in on the joke, at least enough to get one back at her hovering companion.
"More likely he was just trying to figure out if the floating white object with me was a tasty enough snack to make a meal out of. He was probably scared off though because I'm here."
"Ha, ha, ha. Very funny. I suppose if he had decided to try it you would have jumped up to defend me right?"
Cassie smiled.
"Of course I would have. After all that's the meaning of being a Guardian. To guard, to defend. To protect." She started to rise from her seated position, brushing off the dirt as she got up.
"In all honestly though, I was thinking that he was most likely checking out the fire. I bet he hasn't seen anything like it out here before, or the smoke it produced. I mean, I bet he saw it from afar, way up there."
Her Ghost was suddenly very still, as if frozen in time. He said nothing as he just floated there. Then, he turned slowly towards her, the sections that made up his exterior shifting away from his one, blue eye, as if they were DESPERATE to get away from it. It gave Cassie the impression that the Ghost was looking 'eyes-wide' at her, almost conferring a look of… what exactly? Surprise? Shock? Fear? She was about to ask what was wrong when the A.I. spoke, its voice loaded with panic.
"You wouldn't have to be' way up there' to see the smoke. It must be visible for miles, which means that if there are any Fallen in the area then they'll notice it too. They will come and investigate! We need to get moving! If the Fallen realize that there's lone, unarmed Guardian out here then they will descend upon us like a pack of wolves. We have to go, now!"
Cassie glanced around her, imagining a horde of enemies surrounding them, weapons firing. Without any further prompting she jumped to her feet and took off towards the waypoint, running as fast as she was able to.