Infiltrations
It wasn't the spies' fault. It wasn't the master's fault. It wasn't anyone's fault really. No one could have predicted just exactly how devious the people who had built the defenses for Iriana's hospital were. Of course, when you think about it… The Grineer and Corpus would have given anything to find and destroy the place. It was a beacon of hope, and any hope diminished the influence of the Grineer and Corpus simply by existing. They would have nuked the entire area if they had been able to pinpoint it close enough for an orbit strike. So… maybe it wasn't so hard to understand why Karl and Jasmina among others had worked so hard to make the place impossible to sneak into. In fact, both spies had entered different caves and wound up falling in two separate tiny dimensional prisons which incidentally cut them off from their hive mind and drove them incurably mad.
"What are they?" The head paramedic of the team asked, her face worried as she stared at the scanner readouts. "They are not human no matter what they look like. These scans… They are not human." She repeated.
"No." Iriana said softly. "No, they are not. We are in trouble, Pat." She had received a message from Karl. One that had… been bad. Very bad. Warning her about what was happening. She hadn't been thinking about anything but her patients. Focus was a good thing, but… This was a Tenno matter.
"What are they, Iri?" Pat asked, scared.
"A horrible relic of the past." Iriana said, staring at the scans of one of the spies. The entrance tunnels had been seeded with dozens of sensor equipment, the better to know their foes. The human shells concealed skeletons laces with exotic compounds, both hands had been modified with energy projectors and the human boys' brains had been replaced with something that Iriana did not even want to contemplate. "How quickly can we evacuate?"
"Evacuate?" Pat stammered. "To where? We have those three critical cases…"
"We will need to put them in cryo." Iriana said softly. "As soon as possible. As to where? Lisa?" She turned to where a young human stood, against the wall, her face sick. "You okay?"
"No." Lisa said with a gulp. "I can… From those… I can feel the tendrils of that thing's mind… They are… they are… Awful…" She gave a gasp and wilted a bit. "The massed mind is shielding me, but they cannot get too close. If they do… They too will be subverted… And if that happens…" Her face was slightly green now and Iriana could relate.
"We can't let that happen." Iriana said sharply, moving to Lisa's side. "Get everyone ready to flee, Pat. Plan Epsilon Alpha. The Tower will take us in if Jasmina's people cannot."
"The Tenno?" Pat asked, still staring at the scans, mesmerized by the sheer evil that exuded from them. "I mean… moving our critical patients may kill them…"
"They tried to stop it." Iriana said softly. "They delayed it. No more." Pat gave a small cry and Iriana nodded. "They haven't given up, but… whatever they are planning now, they didn't tell. Just what the threat was and to be ready to flee. If the critical cases move, they may die. If they stay here, they will die."
"Casualties?" Pat asked and then tore her gaze from the monitors and pulled out a binder marked 'Emergency'. "Epsilon Alpha, got it…"
"Lisa." Iriana said quietly. "Go with them."
"Iriana, I cannot leave you." Lisa replied with a glare. "I won't." She had been studying medicine, but mainly staying close to Iriana. Odd to have a pregnant guard, but Lisa was hardly ordinary at the best of times.
"You are not the only one at risk, Lisa." Iriana said, glancing at Lisa's abdomen. The girl paled and put a hand over it protectively. Then she nodded, manifestly against her will. "I will be right behind you. You know what they will do if they take you, Lisa." She said too quietly for Pat to hear as the paramedic started setting plans in motion. Lisa sighed and nodded. "Please, go."
"I will." Lisa stepped forward and hugged the healer. "But you better be right behind me or we will send in the troops."
"That may be what they want." Iriana said with a sigh as she started for the door. Lots to do and not a lot of time. Luckily, they had possessed enough time to plan for hurried evacuations, even if everyone had hoped it wouldn't be necessary. "I will get Matt, Kim and Julie ready to go into cryo, Pat. You focus on the others."
"Right." Pat said absently as she worked.
To an outside observer, the hubbub that engulfed the small facility would have looked like complete chaos. But Iriana could see the patterns. People were moving as they had trained. Not happily, but then again, she wasn't happy. She reminded herself that things could be replaced. Lives were far harder to replace. The portal flashed and she nodded as she stepped into one patent's room. Jal was getting everything ready. Luckily, Julie wasn't the worst of the cases. She had an autoimmune problem that had been tricky to find and was delicate to fix. But the others were worse off. One had multiple skull fractures, the other a serious heart condition.
"Miss Iri?" The girl in the bed asked, her voice weak. "What is happening? Someone said we were under attack." Iriana glared at Jal who shrugged. Likely it hadn't been him. He was smarter than that.
"We are under attack, Julie." Iriana said quietly. "We want to make sure you are safe. We need to get you and the others somewhere away from here. Somewhere very secure. It will be odd, and a bit frightening. But I will be there. Okay?" She asked, laying her hand on the girl's limp one.
"Okay." Julie said, trying to be brave. "What do I do?"
"You go to sleep." Iriana said kindly. "When you wake, you will be at my home." Julie's eyes went wide.
"The tower?" The girl said, stunned. "Really? I… I didn't think they let people in…"
"This is a special case." Iriana said sadly. "Ordinarily, they wouldn't. But this…" She shook her head. "They will. They have a room ready for you. Are you ready to sleep?"
"Yes, Ma'am." Julie lay back on the bed and smiled as Iriana stroked her head. Iriana pulled hypo from a pocket, checked it automatically and deftly injected the girl. Julie sighed once and fell into a deep sleep. Iriana and Jal stepped back as the bed folded up and encompassed the girl's still form. In moments, she was encased in a familiar clear container. A cryo pod. It rose from the floor and hovered.
"That…" Jal shook his head. "How is she?" Iriana perused the readouts on the side of the capsule.
"Stable and in perfect hibernation." Iriana said after a moment. "She will need a lot of help when she wakes. The others?"
"The others went in the first transit." Jal said with a nod. "We need to go."
"Get her clear, Jal. I will get Pat and meet you in the portal chamber." Iriana said sadly. "I had hoped this place would last… but… if they found it so fast… it's a death trap now."
"Who is attacking us?" Jal demanded as Iriana stepped out.
"You do not want to know." Iriana said quietly as she started back for the control room, only to run into Pat who looked terrified. "Pat?"
"Something is coming in through the east entrance!" Pat said with a gulp. "It looks on visual like human female, but the toxicology scanners are all in the ultra red." Iriana blanched. Not good. Not good at all. Ultra red was the worst bio hazard level known. Technocyte infection was one such.
"Bulkheads?" Iriana demanded.
"Sealed, but I don't know if they will hold or for how long." Pat swallowed hard as the two women ran for the portal chamber. As they arrived the portal flashed, leaving only a few people and piles of gear left. "Get on the portal! Now!" Pat commanded. Sensing her urgency, the others bent to gather the gear and step up quickly. Jal had Julie's gurney on the platform now and Iriana took one last, sad look around before stepping up herself.
"Why do you run?" The voice was… odd. Iriana tensed as she looked to where a hole had been eaten in a hatch nearby and a human form stepped through. Her face was kind and her voice likewise. But the claws that dripped green slime were anything but. "We just want to be friends."
"Hit it!" Iriana screamed as she keyed a command she had prayed she never would have to. Self-destruct. Jal keyed the portal and it flashed golden. The female form stopped just short the platform and made a face. Iriana winced at the long, pointed teeth it flashed.
"We will find you." The almost human looking form said with a wide fanged smile. "Until then… a gift…" She threw something at Iriana, but a dark form interposed itself and Jal grunted as he batted whatever it was away with a backpack that he then tossed away. Then he screamed and fell, clutching his hand.
"No!" Pat screamed as Jal fell over. But he was still on the platform. Suddenly, they were elsewhere and Iriana pulled Pat away from her husband before she could touch him.
"Emergency quarantine!" Iriana snapped as the tower systems welcomed her. "Enemy toxins!" Each and every form on the platform was suddenly encased in quarantine force fields. But… only one glowed red. Jal. "Oh no…"
-He is not dead- The Tower reported. -But the toxin is virulent. And there is no known antidote.-
"Jal…" Pat knelt in her tiny quarantine prison and cried.
"We will find one." Iriana promised. "For now, full decontamination." She slumped a bit. "Maybe the self-destruct destroyed that monstrosity. But we cannot bet on it. Pat, I need you." She begged.
"I…" Pat shook herself and then nodded, straightening. "Right. We need to get everyone situated. Then…" She bowed her head as the still form of her husband was whisked away and drones started scouring where he had been with beams of plasma.
-Toxicology has been started. - The tower systems reported. –Lisa has started a series of scans.-
"Tell her to be very careful." Iriana said, probably unnecessarily. "This is only going to get worse."
-We know.-
Earth
"Is it just me… or is this kind of cliché?"
Carlos did not reply to Kori's dry words. Instead, he kept scrutinizing the walls ahead of them. But the Kubrow who did not leave Kori's side for anything spoke.
What do you mean? The canid asked.
"All this…" Kori waved her hands around at the surrounding area. "Seems… a bit overdone." Carlos snorted at that, but went back to searching for traps. The Kubrow had a puzzled look on her face but remained silent.
Their ship had deposited them on a small island in the middle of what had once been called the Pacific Ocean. The tiny strip of land was remote. Far, far away from anything that might draw attention to the sole building on it. A small square structure that had been marked 'No Trespassing'. But of course, Kori and Carlos had ignored that. The door had been locked of course, but had opened when Kori had touched it. She had nearly shrieked when it had clicked open under her hand before she could even try to hack the lock. The door had opened to an Orokin style elevator. The three had entered and taken the elevator down. The door below had opened to Kori's touch too. It was getting surreal.
That was hardly the weirdest thing that was happening to her. She had put on her warframe and the colors had changed! She had kept her warfame color scheme dark, to blend in better with shadows. But the moment she had sealed up the suit, the Kubrow had gone still. Carlos had shown her an image of her warframe now. Instead of dark brown, dark red and grey tones, her suit was all bright reds, oranges and other assorted flame colors. The really odd part was that her warframe systems insisted the colors hadn't changed and when she shifted the colors, trying everything she could think of, even pure white and pure black, the image on the outside remained stubbornly the same. Carlos had just shrugged when she had asked why. Had to be something to do with being the wielder of the Phoenix, but no one had a clue what.
The corridor ahead of them was bare. Puddles shone every so often, so they were likely underwater already. Nothing to get in the way of the various weapons that lined the walls. They had found dozens of traps. Everything from spring loaded blades to gas nozzles, to plasma emitters, the hallway was one big death trap. But… Everything was offline. The pipes that were visible at the floor were either more traps or drains, or… something.
"I have a really bad feeling about this…" Kori said as they stepped forward. "A really, really bad feeling."
I would tell you to leave. The Kubrow commented. But you would not listen.
"No." Kori shook her head. "I wouldn't. We do not have a choice."
There are always choices, Kori. The Kubrow insisted, but trailed off, making grumbling noises. Kori shrugged.
She checked her weapons once more. The Tigris shotgun laid easy in her hands. Not all that great against Grineer armor, but anything else she faced would feel its bite. The Enemy's soldiers had good armor, but it was flesh based instead of metal and the pellets were modified with both cold and heat. Some would react… badly with each other on impact, producing small explosions that would –hopefully- tear through any Enemy they might run into. Toxins and electricity did not work on the Enemy very often. Her choice of pistol had baffled the other Tenno. A Spectra had very limited range and far less power than many other weapons. But she had chosen it for its utility instead of sheer power. If they needed to get past a locked door, the Spectra would do the job nicely. It was a very good weapon for all that, despite its short range. It was the other weapon that she carried that really, really bothered Kori.
She had never been a swordswoman. She had always preferred a Glaive or Kestrel. The utility of a weapon that could be thrown as well as wielded in melee was by and large a no brainer for her. So when Will had held out the Dragon Nikana to her, she had been more than stunned. The Dragon Nikana was a relic, a piece of history. According to legend, the First Nyx had wielded something called a 'Katana'. This type of sword had evolved with the Tenno into the Nikana blade. It was both functional and beautiful. Kori felt…wrong admiring something whose only purpose was to end lives, but she could not help herself. It felt… right on her hip.
"We are committed." Kori said after a moment. "Forward." She started off, Carlos and the Kubrow beside her. The hall stretched on. As they walked, they passed several sets of hatches that stood open. The hatches would have blocked the corridor, but now, they all stood open.
This is too easy. The Kubrow said uneasily. Then she spun. The doors! Behind them the doors had shut silently. The door they had just passed closed a swell before any of them could move. We are trapped! She tensed, staring around wildly, but nothing happened.
Kori pulled out the spectra, but when she pulled the trigger, the beam touched the door and did nothing. "What the…?"
"Shielded." Carlos said, examining the door. He turned to look the way they were going and shook his head. "Doors are open the rest of the length of the hall. I think we have been invited in."
By who? The Kubrow demanded.
"Me." A calm voice sounded from nearby and all three spun to see… nothing. Then one of the puddles on the floor rippled and then coalesced into a humanoid form. Kori inhaled sharply as she recognized the warframe. Hydroid. Water based warframe. But…
"Who are you?" Kori demanded, Spectra up and ready. Carlos had his Lato Prime aimed as well. The Kubrow had no weapons, but she was one.
"My name is Chris." The Hydroid replied evenly. "I have been expecting you."
"Chris?" Carlos said sharply. "Husband of Martya?"
"The same." The Hydroid replied.
"Who?" Kori asked.
"The last Phoenix, my dear." Chris replied sadly. "I know why you are here. I cannot allow it."
"The Enemy has returned, Chris." Kori said quietly. "Humanity is in danger. We need the sword."
"Did they tell you that when you take it up, you will die?" Chris demanded. Kori nodded and he sighed. "I see. So… typical. So noble. So stupid. No." He said flatly. "Leave now. I do not wish to kill Tenno, but I will if I must."
"Chris, please." Kori begged. "What is the Tenno's mission?"
"He is not Tenno." Carlos said sharply. "Not anymore."
"No." Chris agreed. Why was he so calm? Something was very wrong. "Not since you scum killed my wife."
"She chose to take up the sword, Chris!" Carlos retorted calmly. "She was chosen, but there were others. She chose the burden."
"You Tenno took her from me!" Now, Kori could hear something horrifying in the Hydroid's voice. Madness. The man was insane! A fully equipped and powered warfame... insane.
"Chris… Please…" Kori quailed a bit. "My family is in danger! What would she want?"
"What would she want?" The mad Tenno asked slowly. "Why don't you ask her?"
That was the only warning they had as a wave of water slammed into the three of them. Kori grabbed for the Kubrow and Carlos, but a strong current pulled her away and down, down. It wasn't just water. It was cold, dark and… She was freezing!
No! Kori screamed in her mind as she felt her extremities start to go numb. Chris! No!
I won't kill you. Chris' words came easily to her mind. I promised Nikis I wouldn't kill you.
Nikis… That soft, horrified word was the last thing Kori felt for some time.