Chapter 6 There and Back Again

March 31st, 2014

12:44 PM

Tiwanku, Bolivia

Tiwanku Archeology Site

We follow Commander Riviera down underground where the puzzle Captain Mendoza said it was and where Dr. Hendricks was researching. Once the three of us enter the site underground with Riviera, we are escorted to a place where scientist and archeologist scan the underground site that appeared to some sort of underground shrine of Inca origin.

The shrine in the catacombs was decorated with Inca markings and symbols on the walls. With a distorted sigil of some kind that I assumed was the mystery puzzle Mendoza spoke of. Hendricks was there by a small turning table talking with other research members. Dressed in her archeological gear on. She sees us being escorted by Riviera as he leaves us to her.

"They're all yours, Dr. Hendricks," said Riviera. "Adios."

"If it isn't Captain Cage in the flesh," said Hendricks. "I see you've brought Corporal Foley and Operative Amber with you."

"What have we got, doc?" Cage asked. "Looks to me this isn't digging for dinosaurs."

"No it isn't. It's a sacred Inca shrine is what it is and this puzzle you see here is some kind of sigil that opens an altar. We sent you down here hoping you might have something to help us with it."

"What if I said we might have the password to unlocking it?" I asked Hendricks. "Take a look at this."

I pull out the Inca disc out of my satchel to show it to Hendricks. She raises her eyebrows at what we show her.

"Well I'll be," she said. "Where did you find that?"

"Cayce and I found this in Alvarez's collection in Copacabana. Maybe this oughta help."

Hendricks takes the disc to analyze it for a second. She could see the sigils marked on the disc that symbolized the three Incan emperors. She pressed the center of the disc to see it move around into something else.

"Fascinating," she said. "What is this exactly?"

"According to Alvarez's notes," I begin. "There are sigils marked on this disc that represent the three Incan emperors who took on the great conquest in search of the Elysium forge. Which is what Alvarez is likely after for his war in this country. There could be something in here we can use this as key."

"That can't be coincidental. My team and I have been doing analysis on this turn table here making a likely hypothesis something would fit here as a key. Only one way to find that out."

Hendricks places the disc inside and empty space on the table and disc locks itself inside. Hypothesis confirmed.

"Well that did something," said Cayce.

"Let's see what this can do," I said.

I turn the table leftwards and it turns one piece of the big sigil on the wall leftward. The sigil puzzle appeared to be Pachacuti and his trident. There were four piece to the puzzle to put intact. Three of which needed to be intact in the right place and order.

"Hmm, good thing I packed my thinking cap," I said.

There were also three other pieces to link the puzzle together. The three other pieces were hooked to a chain. I was able to unhook one of the pieces off the chain and attach it to the disassembled sigil, but leaving a gap in the puzzle for only two other smaller pieces to fit in.

I turn the table rightwards for the chained piece to hook the other chain on the right side. Now I saw what I needed to do. In order for some of the pieces to fit in, I would to place a piece or two on the right chain for the right piece from the left side of the correct size to fit inside. I do simply that by turning the puzzle back left for a smaller piece that fit correctly inside the gap. Now we're getting somewhere.

Next, I turn the puzzle back right for the piece I hooked on the right chain to fit in it's correct blank. Then, I turn the puzzle again for the piece to be hooked on the right chain so I could get the smaller piece I put in before on the right chain. And then, I turn the puzzle yet again for the bigger piece to be saved on the right again.

And finally, I get the last pieces in their right spot and position to for the Pachacuti sigil I predicted to be to reveal it's depiction. As a wise old man once said, abra goddamn cadabra. Not only did we get a complete set of the sigil, but it now appeared to be opening something hidden behind.

Everyone skimming the underground site fixed their eyes on the opening sigil that was now opening a hole. Eventually revealing an altar of some sort.

Once the small altar was uncover, there appeared to be a pedestal with a strange piece displayed. Now I knew for sure we were on to something.

"Eerie," said Cayce.

"Okay," said Cage. "We appeared to have opened up a treasure chest. Now what?"

"It's not a treasure chest, Captain," I said. "It's altar holding something on that pedestal."

I walk up to the pedestal to see the piece laid on top. I had no clue what the piece was at first. I take the piece off the pedestal without an Indiana Jones booby trap set off to examine the piece myself. Then I begin to recognize the shape. A shape of which was only part of the picture. A picture I remembered from Alvarez's journal.

I take the journal out of the bag to get a familiarity of the picture with the piece I was holding. Then I was getting somewhere. I looked at the drawing of the Elysium Forge to make comparisons. And then I was getting somewhere. I was holding an assembly piece to the forge when the shape comparison matched a part of the picture. I had found the first piece to the Elysium Forge.

"Cayce, come take a look at this," I ask him.

"What is it?" He asks walking over.

"Look what I found. It's a piece of the forge. The Elysium Forge. The little McGuffin Alvarez is obsessed about. See for yourself."

Cayce comes next to me to look at both the picture and the part of it to where the piece matches. And he agrees.

"Holy shit, Rachel," he said. "That piece does match part of the picture. You hear that, Doc? You hear that, Captain? Rachel just found a piece of what Alvarez is looking for."

"She did?" Hendricks asked.

"She did not," said Cage.

I show it to the doctor and the captain to prove it to them. The researchers in the room are interested in what I found and murmur a little about my discovery.

I, Rachel Amber, after years becoming Arcadia Bay's idol and after a whole year of my departure, still had the gift that keeps on giving to the people who encircle me. And that gift was brought to the people of this Tiwanaku site within my Mary Sue knowledge cracking the puzzle.

"I'll be damned," said Hendricks. "You really indeed found a fragment of the forge. I love it when you get your hands dirty."

"You keep telling yourself that, Dr. Hendricks," I said. "You'll sound just like the people of Arcadia back home."

"If only my family whom I lost to the storm could see who you are and what you do now," said Cage. "Like what you did then. They'd say the same. I'd say the same too."

"Captain Cage, this is Captain Mendoza. We've finished debriefing our plan. Come back up here when your ready."

"We're ready, Captain," answered Cage on his radio. "We've just finished solving your puzzle thing. Ready when you are."

We walk out of the catacombs and up to the outdoor surface of the Tiwanku dig site to rejoin with Mendoza. We meet him in one of the tents where he just finished debreifing with his team. Now it was time for us to hear his plan.

"Gracias for speaking with the doctor," said Mendoza. "Our assault on El Eterno will be difficult enough as it is."

"I assume that means you've come up with a plan?" Cage asked.

"Our scouts have made reconnaissance of small El Eterno force meeting in Guaqui lead by one of Alvarez's right hand men. One by the name of Ranikov."

"Ranikov, huh?" Cage thought. "Man's a ghost. Intel leaks he's gone into the wild somewhere in the Pilon Lajas. That's nowhere near Guaqui."

"Not Alexei, senior. His first name is identified as Vladimir."

"Daddy's boy," said Cayce.

"Si, and we've confirmed a plan to find him to learn more about Alvarez's diagram. Vladimir Ranikov is the Commander of the insurgent forces in the field. Rotten apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Riviera has got a location on the child."

"And the little punk'll know what Alvarez and Ranikov want with the forge," said Cayce.

"The sins of our fathers," said Cage.

"Ain't it a bitch," thought Cayce.

"So let me get this plain," I said. "You want us go down there, find this Vladimir dude, just so he can spit out what he knows about his comrade daddy and General Loco?"

"That is the plan, senorita. One we're hoping someone as young as you can handle. We sneak into town occupied by the rebels, what for the target's arrival, and ambush him on site. But take him alive if we're to get a word from him."

"You want us to go on foot?" Cayce questioned. "We don't have enough men."

"It does sound risky," said Cage. "Is there no other way?"

"No, but I think we can work around that. I'm going to divide my men into three teams and hit the front of town. While we've got their attention, you can sneak your shadow team in the back."

"It's a good idea," said Cage. "But your people are going to get slaughtered."

"We're tougher than we look, Captain. But it's true, I don't expect it to be easy. And that makes what I'm going to ask even more difficult. I need one of your men to accompany me. To help coordinate the teams."

"We'll need someone with good infiltration skills," said Cage. "Some like Foley or Amber here would make decent fits considered. If they could handle Copacabana, they'll handle Guaqui."

"I volunteer, Captain," said Cayce.

"Not so fast, Cayce," I said. "Captain Mendoza would need you the most. I'll with the rest of the team and the loyalist."

"With all due respect, Operative Amber, it's not your place to decide."

"Why is it that whenever someone says 'with all due respect', they really mean 'kiss my ass'?"

"Who would be better suited to the mission?" Cage asked.

"Either of these two will do, Captain," said Mendoza. "Both of them seem willing to give their lives if necessary. Though if we're lucky, such sacrifices won't be required."

CAYCE GOES - X/SQUARE/LM

RACHEL GOES - B/CIRCLE/RM

"Amber, I'm trusting you with the captain," said Cage. "No heroics, understood?"

"Aye, aye, Captain," I reply.

"I'll brief your team on the mission perimeter," said Mendoza. "Do you have any questions before we go, Captain."

"I have a question, Captain Mendoza," I said. "May I?"

"Ask away."

"Have you seen a girl four feet tall? Black hair, about ten years old, and wear a blue dress. I first met her in Copacabana."

"You know her? You met my daughter Nina? At the refuge district in Copacabana? When did you see her? What did you tell her?"

"Yesterday early evening before I entered the war zone in a shopping tent. I swear I didn't tell her my real name considering I'm pretty much a ghost myself. She was seemingly a nice girl. Gave her a few rupees for a small blanket. Tried to lift a souvenir out of me too."

"That's nice to hear. Is there anything more to ask?"

"We're ready when you are, senior," said Cage.

"Excellente. Then if you'll excuse me, I need to prepare my men."

Mendoza left us to gather the loyalist and prepare for the assault on Vladimir Ranikov's meeting in Guaqui. We said a few last words before the mission.

"Well, this is it," I said. "Don't do anything stupid while I'm gone, Cayce. You too, Captain."

"We'll be fine," said Cayce. "You'll see."

"Yeah, I just...good luck."

"Is there something you want to say, Amber?" Cage asked.

"I don't know. It's just weird. Going under someone else's command. I've got used to working with you. All of you."

"Don't worry," said Cayce. "We'll see each other on the other side."

"I know. I, ah...it's been an honor serving with you two."

"It doesn't matter if we're not in the same unit," said Cage. "We're still a team. Watch each other's backs. Keep your eyes open and fight like I know you can. We'll all come out of this in one piece."

"You bet, Captain," I said.

Mendoza and Cage gathered the loyalist around for a speech before the mission. Cayce and I stood behind them with Logos, Newblood, and Heard as their voice turned on. Cage spoke in English as Mendoza translated the speech in Spanish to his men. The Bolivian Chrysalis loyalist stood before them for their pep talk.

"You all know the mission and what is at stake. I have come to trust each of you with my life, but I have also heard murmurs of discontent. I share your concerns."

"Todos conocen la misión y lo que está en juego. He llegado a confiar en cada uno de ustedes mi vida, pero también he escuchado murmullos de descontento. Comparto sus preocupaciones."

"We are trained for espionage. We would be legends, but the records are sealed. Glory in battle is not our way."

"Estamos entrenados para el espionaje. Seríamos leyendas, pero los registros están sellados. Gloria en la batalla no es nuestra manera."

"Think of our heroes: the Silent Step, who defeated a nation with a single shot. Or the Ever Alert, who kept armies at bay with hidden facts."

"Piensa en nuestros héroes: el Paso Silencioso, que derrotó a una nación con un solo disparo. O el Ever Alert, que mantuvo a los ejércitos a raya con hechos ocultos."

"These giants do not seem to give us solace here, but they are not all that we are. Before the network, there was a fleet. Before diplomacy, there were soldiers."

"Estos gigantes no parecen darnos consuelo aquí, pero no son lo único que somos. Antes de la red, había una flota. Antes de la diplomacia, había soldados."

"Our influence stopped quantum terrorism, but before that, we went there and back again. Our influence stopped quantum wars, but before that, we went there and back again!"

"Nuestra influencia detuvo el terrorismo cuántico, pero antes de eso, fuimos y volvimos. Nuestra influencia detuvo las guerras cuánticas, pero antes de eso, fuimos y volvimos!"

"Our influence will stop Alvarez! In the battle today, we will go there and back again!"

"Nuestra influencia detendrá a Álvarez! En la batalla de hoy, iremos y volveremos!"