S1-197
Infinitely unexpected
12:06 PM
12/05/3273
Planet Troy
Colony G22
Music
Destiny 2 - The Farm
Taking a vacation from his studies in the Infinite Forest, Osiris thought it best to relax out on the Frontier. Sagira, of course, strongly encouraged it.
Osiris touched down in Colony G22 on the planet Troy, where he saw Michael talking with Variks. It was almost as if the Pilot completely dismissed Variks being Eliksni instead of human and spoke with him as if they were just two ordinary people.
"And then Rocco went berserk, completely obliterating Reksis Vahn with a few dozen Titan Sentries, all under his control!" Michael was sharing his adventures on the Tangled Shore.
Variks shivered at the mental image. "I would not want to get on his bad side."
Michael chuckled a bit. "Understandable. I had to literally slap him to end that crazy state he was in. Kinda freaked me out."
"Changing subjects... What are you planning to do this Dawning?"
The Pilot stopped in thought. "The Dawning? You mean Christmas? I don't know what to get for you or the other Eliksni."
Osiris spoke up "Would Christmas happen to be the pre-Collapse version of the Dawning?"
Michael nodded. "Yeah. Giving gifts to friends and family in good spirits. It's a time of joy for all. The IMC's network has thoroughly detailed files on Christmas and the traditions associated with it. You can all take a look." The Pilot then stood up, shaking the Warlock's hand. "Welcome to Colony G22, Osiris. This agricultural settlement is home to humans and Eliksni alike."
It was then that Osiris's Ghost, Sagira, made an appearance. "{Oh, I love this place!}" She bounced around in the air. "{This place is beautiful!}"
"I... I must agree with Sagira." Osiris remarked, pulling down his hood and mask. His uncovered face smiled at the sight of Colony G22. "And it is a nice place to relax." He chuckled.
Michael shrugged. "True. But the Haven resort on planet Zaiter is the real vacation location on the Frontier."
Osiris then heard somewhat heavy footsteps, along with some clamoring from the colonists. He turned to see the people and Eliksni making way for an IMC Ion-class Titan, chassis number: XS-9365. "[Hello, Osiris. I wasn't expecting to see you here. How are you?]"
"Good. I've been seeing a few of the Shadow's Echoes around Mercury as of late, but I don't know what he's up to."
This got Michael's attention. "Death's focusing on Mercury? I'll have to ask him about it at some point."
Sagira then perked up. "{OK. Something weird is going on. The Followers are reporting the disappearance of the gate to the Infinite Forest.}"
Music
none
"WHAT!?" Osiris was baffled and wasn't sure he heard his Ghost correctly.
Sagira rephrased herself. "{The door to the Infinite Forest just... vanished. At least, that's what the Followers are saying.}"
12:18 PM
12/05/3273
Planet Mercury - Fields of Glass
The Lighthouse
Music
Minecraft - Warmth
Touching down on Mercury, Michael and Osiris noticed something immediately. The giant triangular Vex structure which serves as the entrance in and out of the Infinite Forest... was simply no longer there. "How could something like this happen!?"
"{Osiris, my scans are showing that the gateway's not the only thing that's missing.}" Sagira stated. "{The Infinite Forest itself is gone.}"
"Osiris! Look!" Michael pointed into the distance. Something was emerging from the horizon. And it looked like... the Dreadnaught?
It was then that Osiris let out a chuckle. "So that's what happened? The Shadow took the Infinite Forest while I was away?"
Michael climbed back into his ship. "Let's go. We can safely dock with the Dreadnaught while it's moving."
12:18 PM
12/05/3273
The Dreadnaught
Ascendant Docks
Music
Kingdom Hearts: Re:Coded - Castle Oblivion
Michael was right. The repurposed Cabal tech integrated into the Dreadnaught enabled safe docking while the whole place was in motion. The two looked around, seeing that the overall look of the Dreadnaught's interior had been altered tremendously. Was the Shadow tidying up the place with metal floors and chitin walls?
"{Huh. My scans are returning the same signature as the gateway to the Infinite Forest onboard the Dreadnaught. That's strange.}"
It was then that the Shadow entered the sector to meet up with his guests. "Michael. Osiris. Welcome to the Dreadnaught."
"Good to see you again, buddy." Michael and the Shadow shook hands.
Osiris spoke up. "What has become of the Infinite Forest?"
The Shadow chuckled. "Oh, nothing much. I just pulled it out of Mercury and stuffed it into an Ascendant Plane pocket bound to the Dreadnaught. Door's in the Mausoleum. I've easily managed to keep the Vex contained. All that's left is to clear them out. But you should be safe for the most part."
12:22 PM
12/05/3273
Ascendant Plane
Infinite Forest
Music
Tron: Legacy - Sea of Simulation
Death was right. The gateway into the Infinite Forest was in the Mausoleum. And the Infinite Forest was still connected to it, despite now being in the Ascendant Realm.
"Huh." Michael chuckled. "Well I'll be..."
Osiris nodded. "The Infinite Forest, displayed in all its majesty, yet stolen from the Vex."
The Shadow entered behind them. "And you remain free to use it however you see fit, Osiris. I'll be installing a software patch to help the Infinite Forest handle paracausality at some point. I just need to figure out how to code paracausality into simulated reality." The Shadow then walked ahead of them, heading off into the Forest. "Maybe I can get some temporal telemetry from the World Gate... Hmm..."
Osiris took a moment to look over the Infinite Forest. Titan-sized Transfer Gates linked the entrance to the three pillars; the Simulant Past, the Simulant Present, and the Simulant Future. "To take the Infinite Forest away from the Vex. To take it out of Mercury itself." He chuckled briefly. "I suppose I should be thankful that the Shadow thinks in advance."
"He's a smart King. He knows what he's doing." Michael remarked. "It's possible he saw something happening to Mercury in the future, so he relocated the Infinite Forest while he still had the chance."
"Thus enabling indefinite access to it should whatever the Shadow saw come to pass." Osiris caught on quickly.
"{Now that the Infinite Forest has been cut off from the Vex network, and is now one with the Ascendant Plane pocket bound to the Dreadnaught, I guess that means you don't have to travel nearly half as far to get to it.}" Sagira added.
Osiris chuckled. "That'll save me a lot of fuel. And I won't have to contest with the Vex over control of the Forest anymore."
"There you go. The Shadow's the 'man' with the plan." Michael looked over the Forest. "Unending combinations of constants and variables in an unlimited number of simulated realities. Rigid structures in movement and dynamism in engagement within strict frameworks. Amazing."
"Many simulations I've seen have already begun to undo themselves. I've seen a future where Rasputin turns its back on humanity. That simulation has already corrected itself, as if to say that it will never happen."
Sagira was then surrounded in Vex pixels. "{I'm already getting new data from the Forest. Hmm... Misraaks becoming the Kell of a new 'House of Light'... Eliksni in the IMC's ranks...}"
"Seems like everything is to your liking, Osiris. Sagira." Michael turned to leave. "I know you'll be quite busy here in the Forest, so I'll leave you to it."
2:47 PM
12/05/3273
Ascendant Plane
Infinity's Crown
Acclimatizing to the new location and condition of the Infinite Forest has been a pleasant relief to the old Warlock. "{Not a single Vex in sight.}"
"Apart from those the Shadow has Taken."
"{Do you think the Shadow may discover how you recreated Dendron?}"
Osiris scoffed. "What's he going to do? Use that data to recreate Panoptes?" Suddenly, a loud Vex noise was heard behind him.
"{Does that answer your question?}"
The Warlock turned around, seeing the familiar form of a gigantic Vex Hydra with arms and wings. But it was Taken.
New developments. New place for the Infinite Forest. Things are getting interesting again.
See you all next time.