Chapter 11: The Deep Stone Crypt, Part 1
Accessing File: The Deep Stone Crypt
The Deep Stone Crypt is a facility built by Clovis Bray I on one of the Galilean moons of Jupiter, Europa. The facility was where the first Exos were made. During his studies of the Vex, he discovered that exposing Vex radiolarian fluid to the paracausal power he referred to as "Clarity" created a substance which miraculously solved the "loop/billboard/crash" problem that had plagued early exominds. Likening this substance to the mythological "Alkhest" produced by the legendary Sorcerer's Stone, Bray named his Exo-production facility on Europa the "Deep Stone Crypt".
Alkhest was secretly transported from Europa to Earth to create the illusion that Dr. Bray had created the Exos on Earth. After discovering a way to create stable Exominds through Aura Alkhest was no longer needed, and the Deep Stone Crypt was used for the study of Exos and the artifact that brought the power of "Clarity." Dr. Bray gave this artifact the designation "Clarity Control."
It is believed that the Deep Stone Crypt is the location where Dr. Bray's son, Clovis Bray II, had underwent the Exo process, but only to die from Dissociative Exomind Rejection. After this Dr. Bray used his connections to the Grey Agency to have a clone of his son made so the public would not know of his fate.
Close File
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Accessing File: The Wildcard
I am Atraks, the Wildcard, and I have been charged by my Kell to speak to the youth of the Eliksni. Those who, like me, have never known a life that wasn't wandering. Who have no memories of Riis, only tales of glorious cities under glowing green skies passed down from our elders. The very same ones who moan that we have never felt true peace, since the Gems tried and failed to conquer our home.
Well, I, for one, am glad for it! I could not be more grateful the tried Gems to conquer us and sliced the ties before I was entangled too! They told us it was destruction that came for us that day, but what if it was salvation? They called us unlucky to have been born in the dark of deep space to serve as expendable protectors for Riis and her colonies, but we were born free! They say we lack the Light to truly see, but when we first opened our eyes, there was nothing to block our view of the vastness of the universe.
So why do we let the nostalgia-blind point the way? Why do we carry their dead dreams? They have turned their backs on the future! I say, let them! All the easier to strike them down and finish the cleansing started long ago.
Then, you can join us on Riis-reborn.
Close File
Xxx
Eventide Ruins
The raid team of Ana, Elsie-1, Cayde-6, Eris Morn, Banshee-44, and Drifter were going through the ruins of a building in Eventide. They followed Elsie as she led them somewhere in it.
"Eramis found it. The Deep Stone Crypt. The birthplace of the Exo… and a prison for something sinister." Elsie said grimly. "Her followers intend to make use of it. To unleash a chaos they do not understand. Their success means untamed power beyond their wildest dreams. They must be stopped."
Ana, Cayde, and Banshee all looked at each other wondering what sinister force was kept in the facility.
"Any idea Banshee?" Cayde asked the weaponsmith. "I mean you were Clovis Bray I."
"I don't remember Cayde." Banshee said as he scratched the back of his robotic head. "The memories are coming back but not all at the same time."
Flashback
After defeating Eramis the fireteam returned to Elsie's camp where she presented them with Kridis' Splinter of Darkness. Despite being able to use Stasis without their Splinters in their fight against Eramis it was only temporary.
They went up the Ziggurat and placed the Splinter into the last lock and watched it disappear. After it had derezzed the circle they stood in lit up and they found themselves transported into a dark corridor. On their comms Elsie said that they were in the Pyramid and that they had to make their way through it.
They walked through the corridor and found a set of stairs waiting for them to walk up it. Once they reached the top, they found a large statue of a veiled humanoid figure. It had feminine features, was posed with a face turned upward and arms slightly outspread.
Slowly the group approached it and were told by Elsie to place their hands on it. Cautiously they complied with her orders and once they placed their hands on the statue, they felt an invisible energy wash over them. It felt exhilarating and familiar. With a flick of her hand Ana was able to fire a blast of Stasis energy showing that they had the power again but this time permanently.
Flashback ends.
After that they found themselves transported back to the Ziggurat where they then regrouped with Elsie and the others. Though Banshee couldn't help but feel like he had seen that statue before.
'I must have seen it when I was still human.' Banshee-44 thought to himself. 'Considering what I was like when I was still Clovis Bray I their was no way he that I would've missed something like that.'
"Over here!" Elsie calls out to the group.
They follow her to a hatch of Eliksni design and watch her access it's controls. After typing in a few commands, the hatch opens up and the group goes down the long hallway and enter an ice cavern with buried buildings in it. They make their way through the cavern and come across an Eliksni structure in the ice wall. They enter it and find themselves on a platform in cased in a bubble of energy and possessing six Eliksni speeder bikes.
"Pikes." Cayde says as he examines one. "The Eliksni use these to traverse areas and they are outfitted with two Arc Repeater guns."
"Anyone else feel that?" Drifter asks the group.
"What is it Drifter?" Banshee asked the smuggler.
"Doesn't it feel a lot warmer in here?" The Drifter asked.
"He's right." Eris says as she points to outside of the bubble and the group sees a storm outside of it. "A blizzard is going on and it's a lot stronger than what you would find on a planet with normal weather conditions like Earth."
"They must have set up these heat bubbles to keep themselves safe from blizzards between here and the Crypt." Ana says as she looks around. "Any idea on how many of these they set up?"
"Let me access their battle net." Elsie says as she accesses information on a stolen Eliksni datapad. "Including this platform, they've set up six heat platforms. We can head out on our speeders through this blizzard and use the heat bubbles warm us up from any freezing we might've gotten so we don't get frostbite."
"Remind me again why we didn't just fly to the Crypt?" Cayde asked in annoyance.
"Because they would've seen us if we tried that and prepared themselves for an attack." Ana says to the bounty hunter. "It's the same reason why we didn't fly back to Earth for help after we received interference from Jupiter's magnetic field blocking all of our calls to Sebben for back up."
"Oh, that's right they would've seen us leave the planet and blow us out of the sky." Cayde said upon realization before he glanced at the Pikes. "You'd think they mind if we take their Pikes?"
The group did not object to this idea and instead of summoning their Sparrows to drive they took the Eliksni Pikes. The Pikes may sound like rusted junk, but they moved like sharks, swift and fast, and lightning crackling from within their engines.
"Follow me and repeat everything I do." Elsie says to the group.
Elsie takes point and the group follows her into the storm. The blizzard made it difficult to see put Elsie remembered the road to the Deep Stone Crypt. They drove along a cliff and over ice bridges bringing them to a snow plain. As they went through the storm, they stopped at whatever heat bubbles they found to stop and rest.
"Hey Cayde." The Drifter said to the bounty hunter as they stopped in the fourth heat bubble they found.
"What is it?" Cayde asked.
"You remember that tall Eliksni we met the other day? Namrask?" Drifter asked the Exo.
"Yeah, what about him?"
"That was Akileuks." Drifter said in response.
"That Baron from the House of Devils? What was he doing here on Europa?" Cayde asked. "I thought he be fighting in the Eliksni's ongoing civil war."
"Who's Akileuks?" Ana asked the two Gaia Union members.
"An Eliksni with a tough reputation." Drifter answered. "Apparently he helped make Eliksni society the way it is today after their race fought off the Gems."
"And get this, when him and his crew once boarded an Incursean ship and killed it's crew they were out of food, and they couldn't digest the Incurseans own rations." Cayde said to the young Bray. "So, they ended up eating the dead Incurseans. This became something that Eliksni crews decided to do with the corpses of their slain enemies. Heck it even started a rumor that the Eliksni ate the children of other races. Why someone with a reputation like his would come to Europa to become a weaver of all things is beyond me?"
"Maybe he's finally tired of it all." Ana suggested as the group started up their Pikes again. "Maybe after centuries of warfare since the Eliksni made first contact with the Gems he's finally had it with killing and destruction."
"Maybe." Cayde said as the group drove back into the blizzard.
Elsie maneuvered over gaps in the ground making using of her Pike's booster engine to move quickly, all actions the rest of the fireteam did as well to keep up with her and to avoid any mistakes. After a while they finally made it to the sixth and final heat bubble and right behind it was an Eliksni door.
"We're almost there." Elsie said as the group got off the Pikes. "I can't believe how much has changed since I was last here."
"We didn't think anyone else would find this place and decide to set up shop." Banshee reasoned as the group made their way through an airlock that brought them to an ice cave where they summon their Sparrows and made their way through the cave on them.
As they reached the end of the cave, they entered a crevice and found that the blizzard had ended. They found a large pipeline in the crevice and followed it. Eventually they found themselves driving along a cliff and finally they found themselves outside of a human building.
"This is it." Elsie said as she stopped her Sparrow, and everyone else followed suit. "The Deep Stone Crypt."
"I sense the Darkness within it." Eris said as she and everyone else dismounted from their Sparrows. "Like a beacon it speaks out to all who would listen to it."
"Let's the legacy the old me was trying to make." Banshee said as the group walked through the doors.
The lobby of the facility looked like something you'd expect to see in shows set in the future. Sleek, smooth, and plenty of it was painted white but Eliksni banners and crates were placed in the room clashing with its design.
"So where do we go now?" Drifter asked.
"This way." Elsie said as walked up two small flights of stairs with the rest of the group following her.
They entered hallways and other different rooms all the while not encountering any of the House Salvation Eliksni.
"Why haven't we encountered any security?" Cayde asked.
"Maybe it's because they didn't see us approach the facility." Ana suggested. "Remember this is why we didn't fly to facility. They would've seen us make our approach and scramble their defenses."
"She's right Cayde." Banshee said in agreement. "We have the element of surprise on our side."
"And we have the access codes." Elsie interjected into the conversation as she typed in a command into a door console.
The door opened and the group made their way through the door, but a voice spoke on the intercoms.
"Crypt power systems compromised.
Initiating emergency backup system.
Crypt status: Active.
Orbital status: Standby.
Humanoid lifeforms detected approaching Clarity Control.
Exo lifeforms present. Welcome home.
Threat determined: Crypt compromised.
Nuclear descent protocol recommended."
"Was that-" Ana asked recognizing the voice but was cut off by Elsie.
"That would be the Crypt AI." Elsie explained before turning her head to Banshee. "Do you remember what it is, or should I remind you?"
"No, I remember now." Banshee said as he looked at one of the white walls and saw his reflection. "It's an AI copy of myself that I made when I was still human, when I was still Clovis Bray I."
"That explains why it still sounds like the old you." Ana said.
"Right now, its higher intelligence functions aren't active so it's not acting like the old me." Banshee explained. "We should be fine, until they turn on as we make our way through the Crypt."
"And I don't like dealing with grandfather." Elsie said as she shook her head.
"Uh, can we get an explanation on some of what the AI said?" Cayde asked. "Like I don't know orbital status and nuclear descent protocol?!"
"The Deep Stone Crypt is divided into two locations." Banshee explained. "The facility on the ground and the Morningstar Station above it."
"Wait there's a space station above? Why didn't we see it when we came to Europa?" Cayde asked.
"The Morningstar is cloaked so it's hidden from all sensors. Heck it's even what's cloaking the entire Eventide colony which is why no one could see it before." Banshee explained. "The nuclear descent protocol is a failsafe I put in case Europa was ever invaded by those who would steal by work in the Crypt. By using the Vex portal I was able to draw in an energy from the universe that the Pyramid came from. The natural antithesis to its Darkness a 'Light.' I merged that light with six nuclear cores that were to be armed and then the Morningstar would fall onto the Crypt releasing a chaotic surge of Light that would destroy the Pyramid and Europa."
"That's crazy!" Cayde exclaimed.
"Of course, it is the old me was a megalomaniac." Banshee says calmly. "But now we need to stop Atraks."
"He's right we need to keep moving." Ana said.
"Then follow me." Elsie said and the group made their way through the hallway.
After making their way through a few doors and corners they made it through another door and found themselves in a large room. And standing in its center was something that shocked Ana and Cayde.
"Now I know why that statue in the Pyramid looked familiar." Banshee said.
What stood within the center of the room was another veiled statue. And unlike the one in the Pyramid, it floated a few feet off the ground. There was a lot of ice in the room but none of it was on the statue because any ice near it seemed to be on an invisible bubble around it.
"The Pyramid must have given this to me to help me with my research in making the Exos." Banshee said as the group approached the statue.
The group approaches the statue, Ana and Cayde notice a difference between it and the statue they saw in the Pyramid. The one in Pyramid seemed to be inanimate but this one seemed to exhibit slight movement: the lower folds of its cloak moved slowly, and its chest region rose and fell in a way that suggested that it was breathing.
"Clarity Control breached.
A single unregistered Exo and a single lifeform of unknown biology detected in the Crypt Laboratory.
Status: Disastrous.
Notice: Vacate the premises immediately.
This will be your only warning."
"Wait, 'a single unregistered Exo'?" Banshee said as if he didn't hear the AI right.
"Sounds like Atraks cracked your Exo secrets brother." Drifter said as he pulled out his revolver. "We better put a bullet in her head and whoever is with her."
"He's right." Ana said in agreement with he smuggler. "It's time we put a stop to her."
"The lab is through that doorway." Elsie said as she pointed at the doorway. "Let's double time it!"
Quickly they make it to the doorway and entered the lab. The room they had entered had two glass doors, one on the left and another on the right. On the ceiling was a screen showing Exo schematics. In front of the room was a glass wall that showed the lab. In it was Atraks now an Exo and pod of Eliksni design hooked up to the room's machinery.
"This was where he died." Banshee said with his eyes wide open.
"Who?" Ana asked.
"Our father Ana." Elsie answered. "The real Clovis Bray II."
Banshee-44 (Clovis Bray I) Memory Flashback
During Banshee's time as the human Clovis Bray I he stands before a pod with a few scientists. The pod opens up and an Exo steps out of it, he seems a little disoriented, but the scientists help him correct his bearings.
"Son, are you alright?" Clovis I asked.
The Exo Clovis II looks at his body and begins to breath heavily before he screams and tears himself apart despite the attempts of his father and the other scientist to make him stop. In the end Clovis successfully rips himself apart ending his own life.
Clovis I remains stoic at the sight while the scientists were completely shocked at what they saw.
"My god, what have we done?" One of the scientists says in shock.
Memory Ends
"And looks like Atraks became that 'unregistered Exo' the AI was talking about." Cayde said as the group turned their attention to the Eliksni Exo in the lab.
Atraks turns her head over her shoulder and takes notice of the gathered humans and Exos behind the glass of the observation room. She says something in Eliksni and turns her attention to the console in front of her. She types in a few commands and turns her attention to the Eliksni pod in the lab. It opens up and a mist is released from it, covering whatever was inside of it. Everyone looks to it and sees a small glow of light come from it as a shadow appeared in the pod. Four mechanical hands reach out and grab onto the edges of the open pod and a 12 ft tall Eliksni emerges from the pod.
"Oh no," Cayde says in shock. "Not him."
"Cayde, who is that?" Ana asked.
"Taniks, the Scarred." Cayde responded.
Taniks was a 12 ft tall Eliksni, he had four mechanical arms, a brown jumpsuit, cobalt colored shoulder and leg guards, an orange cloak and chest piece, and an orange helmet with eight glowing yellow eye optics. His attention is at Atraks and he says something to her in Eliksni.
Atraks herself says something in Eliksni with her head turned toward the raid team and points at them. Taniks looks at the group, their was one among them that caught his attention, a machine in a cloak that he knew was once human, after all this person had killed him multiple times.
"CAYDE!" Taniks yells out and lunges at the glass.
The raid steps back and Taniks punches the glass three times. On the third punch the area of the glass he was punching cracks. He stops and then howls in anger at the group before him.
"And he's still mad about me killing him several times." Cayde says as he loads up his hand cannon.
Taniks looks around and then climbs up the observation glass like a spider and disappears into the rafters. Atraks meanwhile teleports away in a flash of light and electricity.
"Hope you all brought an extra gun." Drifter says to the group. "Cause we're going to need them.