Chapter two – Orea's Retreat

Powdery snow billowed in the air as the blue-green lights in the night sky descended to the Earth in shimmering curtains. The lights in the mountainside rose up the cliffs to meet them as they led to Orea's Retreat.

Aloy swung her leg around and landed beside her Broadhead on the compacted snow. There was little point in taking it further along the trail with her due to the steep climb before her. A bitter wind caught her hair and froze her back as she took her pack off the Machine.

"And there I thought it would be warmer in spring." Aloy mused as she tethered the Machine as it regarded her with its blue-lit eyes. "I'll be back soon. Okay?" Wask it strange to speak to it, as though she expected a response? Maybe it was but it wasn't like she had anyone else with her to speak to. Besides, Aloy hadn't seen any proof that it couldn't understand her.

"The only way to go is up. Hopefully I won't find any unwanted metal or bandit friends up here."

The Path from the Sobeck Ranch to The Cut has been… interesting at the least. Aloy had taken to camping near settlements and traded Shards for a bed as the weather grew colder and the Machines more hostile.

More Machines had appeared on the trade routes than she could ever recall. Tales of new Machines, aggressive machines also. Of course.

Unwilling to spend more time in the crisp, cold air than needed, Aloy made her way to the mouth of the ice cave and towards the path of least resistance. She was a hunter yes, but Aloy was also aware of what an injury would mean for her here. She hadn't seen any Banuk along the path to here and she was also aware that their culture was not one to offer much assistance. Least of all to outlanders. The blue lights of the Machines she encountered remained cool and calm as she silently avoided their patrol routes.

Up and up she climbed until soon she saw the geometric patterns of Orea's paintings on the rock-faces along the path.

Aloy paused as she regarded the metal door and tapped her Focus to assist with unlocking the door to the facility.

It didn't look like anyone had been up here recently. There were no footsteps in the snow or recently lit fire brackets and for that, Aloy had been glad.

After the Battle for the Spire everything had become… Too much for Aloy. There were too many people looking at her, expecting answers for what to do next both from The Nora and the Carja. Too many expectations and Aloy didn't even know what she should to next. She didn't want to be the Anointed or the Saviour of Meridian. She just wanted to be Aloy.

She had wanted to say goodbye to her – to Elizabet and to her past dreams of having a living mother. Now she needed to learn to stand on her own two feet and discover who she was other than 'Aloy, despite the Nora,' or any ridiculous moniker people gave her.

And to do that, typically, Aloy wanted answers.

Through a series of cold metal hallways and doors, Aloy passed to reach a gallery which revealed several floors of the Facility. Aloy ignored the stairs and sharply turned into the nearest door and reached a room lit in a cool blue glow.

"Hello Aloy." CYAN greeted her kindly.

"CYAN." Aloy smiled and surprised herself with the relief which she suddenly felt and heard in her voice.

"It's been some time since we met last. I had missed your company. I am glad to see you again."

Aloy dropped her pack to the floor and chafed her hands as she searched for a flint and steel to light the fire brackets, "Well I did say I would come back to see you when I could. I'm just sorry it took so long."

CYAN's blue hue shifted to lavender as she asked, "You seem troubled. Had you travelled far since we met last?"

"I found my… Mother. Elizabet Sobeck. I needed to see if she had made it home. She left the facility just as the Faro Swarm destroyed the world. She sacrificed herself to save her colleagues, save their Project because a door didn't seal correctly." Aloy explained as she lit another fire and began to feel the room warm slightly. "She said she wanted to go home and I found her. I buried her." Aloy admitted as she remembered the grave she had dug beneath a leafless tree at the Sobeck Ranch. The Stone Cairn she had made. Not significant enough, considering Elizabet's achievements but it had been the best Aloy could do for her. In some sense Aloy felt comfort knowing that Elizabet wasn't forgotten, through all those centuries.

"I apologise for my uncouth question but – were there many others from Elizabet's era which were cloned?" CYAN asked as she shifted from lavender to blue.

Aloy flinched, "No. GAIA had made me because she wanted me to be able to access Facilities and data that only Elizabet could enter. It was something she shouldn't have had permission to do, but she was desperate when the signal which awoke Hades and started the Derangement began to corrupt her."

CYAN shifted back to yellow, "Aloy. I apologise. I did not mean to be insensitive. I just… I miss my colleagues Doctor's Chou and Sandoval."

"It's okay, CYAN." Aloy said as she rubbed her eyes, tiredly. "GAIA said something similar to me in her message for me. About wanting to see Elizabet one more time. I understand. It's not wrong to miss your friends. Or to ask if you could see them again, not at all."

After a pause, CYAN shifted back to her normal blue, "Aloy, could you tell me more about Project Zero Dawn? I must confess, due to the secretive nature of my origins and Project Firebreak, I was not kept appraised of many other Projects or true AIs from my era. At the very least I am unable to access that data."

Where to begin? Aloy mused, "Sure." Maybe this was how she made other people feel when she questioned them, "It was a terraforming project made to regrow and repopulate the Planet after the Faro Plague grew sentient. GAIA was the governing AI of the project and the Faro Plague was… It… Was a military project which used biomass as its fuel." Aloy took a breath, she hadn't spoken this much in months, "Sadly for everyone it didn't discriminate what biomass it should and shouldn't use. Leaves from trees, animals and people were all things I think it used." Aloy shrugged.

"That is why it was called a Plague, I assume?"

"Yes. GAIA was designed to have nine subordinate functions, Hades, Minerva and… Well-"

"Hephaestus." CYAN said succinctly.

"Yes. They weren't supposed to be… I mean," Aloy paused to gather her thoughts, "The signal which corrupted GAIA released Hephaestus and meant that it had gained sentience. Something which it wasn't supposed to have. It was supposed to make machines to repair the world not hunt people with killer Machines and corrupt other AIs into its plans." Aloy said crossly as she paced the floor near CYAN and rubbed her temples.

"Aloy."

Aloy paused, had she missed a question? "Yes?"

"Might I make a suggestion?" A lavender CYAN asked.

"Sure. What is it?"

"Doctors Chou and Sandoval often worked together in collaboration when faced with lots of data or a large problem in need of a solution."

Unsure where this was going, Aloy said, "Okay?"

"It was wonderful to see that degree of collaboration and trust but they could not always achieve it in person. Distance and differing time zones dictated that they had to leave each other electronic messages and notes."

Aloy waited for the AI to process her next words.

"You refer to GAIA as, "She." You empathised with my pain when I was overwhelmed by Hephaestus. And you regard myself as though I am a person in the manner you speak to me." CYAN explained.

"Well, yes of course I do. I mean you are people in your own way but I apologise if you don't want me to refer to you as she –"

"No I endorse it." CYAN explained, "Can we be friends?"

Aloy smiled tiredly, "Of course, CYAN. I would like for us to be friends."

CYAN shifted back to blue, "Good. Then onto my suggestion. Suggestions, in fact. I would like for you to get some rest. I often found my sleep cycles most helpful during the centuries I remained dormant for."

Aloy smirked, "I could to with some rest." She said as she stifled a yawn, "But maybe not that much."

"Of course," CYAN said kindly, "Secondly, I would like for your permission to scan your Focus. There is quite a lot of data on it which I would like to examine. It would save you time explaining everything to me and it would help me understand this strange new world I find myself in."

Aloy hesitated, the last time someone had done that was Sylens. Though, he hadn't exactly asked Aloy's permission.

"I would not do so if you decline, Aloy. I will remain content with the information you choose to give be but, Aloy. You helped Orea. You helped me. I would like to return the favour and help you. If you do agree however, I would be more than happy to lend an ear to anything you would like to discuss."

"Figuratively of course." Aloy said with a smirk.

"Yes." CYAN quipped back. "Project Firebreak remains a success. I predict with no further direct input into it from me, after Orea's assistance and in spite of the setbacks Hephaestus caused for at least – "

"3337 years." Aloy mused as she considered the prospect.

"Well remembered, Aloy. So, in short, I find myself in need of a project."

Aloy decided to follow her gut feeling, "Okay, CYAN. You can scan my Focus." Her shoulders sagged as though a weight had been lifted. Maybe it had? "The man who raised me always told me that self-reliance was vital to survival." Aloy paced the ground before CYAN, "But. I've come to learn that somethings are best tackled with the help of other people." Aloy said as she recalled the faces of all of the people who came to the Spire to help fight Hades simply because she needed the help. It was something she still struggled to comprehend.

"Thank you, Aloy." CYAN said as she shone a deep blue, "You may prefer to remove the device before you sleep. It may become hot to touch."

Aloy removed her bow and spear and busied herself with unrolling her bedroll near a fire bracket. Maybe Orea had slept her at some point? "So long as you keep it in one piece, that's fine by me." Aloy said as she removed her Focus and placed it on the ground near CYAN.

"Time to tuck in, CYAN." Aloy caught herself saying.

"Sleep well, Aloy."

"I have a hypothesis, Aloy."

Aloy paused as she chewed on some jerky from her pack, "Okay?"

"I may be able to scan the surrounding regions and Machines."

Aloy sat cross-legged before CYAN as she rubbed her eyes. She had slept better than he had in weeks, she felt lighter even.

"I believe I can broadcast a signal using the Tallnecks as signal relays."

"You mean for me to override them all again?" Aloy knew she could do it, she had done them all before but that was a lot of work.

"No Aloy." CYAN said with an amused tone, "I would use the same method MINERVA used to hack the Faro Plague's code by utilising the Spire in Meridian with a key."

"Won't that be dangerous?" Aloy said, concerned, "We don't yet know where Hephaestus or the other AIs are. Wouldn't that signal lead them to you?"

"Thank you for your concern, Aloy. However, I have improved my defences. I will design a key which when paired with the Spire will utilise that as a beacon. It will help me search the region for topographical information, climate data as well as the Machine's activities. It will also allow me to remain in touch with you, using your Focus." CYAN went lavender as she considered her next words, "This will expand my reach which wold enable me to support you more but it would not make me vulnerable to future attacks. No more than I am already. Besides, I have learned a few tricks since Hephaestus's attack about how to repel unwanted visitors to my data core." CYAN changed back to blue, "Besides, I am not as desperate for company as I once was. I was naïve to believe there were people out there who were more like my colleagues and not like the tribal peoples like the Banuk. It was unfair to disregard Orea as a close but ultimately superficial person to me…"

"I'm sure you didn't really see her that way, CYAN. You just wanted something Orea and the Banuk were not ready to give you, yet. Keep trying with them, gently." Aloy admitted. She herself wished that she could reach out and be understood by people, given all that she knew and had done.

"Thank you, Aloy. Besides, we have each other now, don't we?"

Aloy was touched by CYAN's admission, she started to tie up her bedroll and pick up the arrows she had fletched this morning off the floor. Finally she picked up her Focus. It was still warm but she felt better with it back on her temple.

"Aloy, I have modified your Focus. There was some Malware software on it. I believe this was how Sylens was able to contact you as well as see what you were seeing at all times. He may still contact you, however I have updated your Focus so he can only request contact from you. You can choose to accept and deny him."

"So, no more spying?" That was a relief.

"Yes. Anita said once that friendships were a two-way street. I may not fully understand the complexities of human relationships but she did say also that no was a complete sentence. Anita taught me that, Hephaestus made me learn that."

Aloy nodded.

"Together we can begin our own network. Inside this facility are, I believe, some still functioning Focus devices. Please find them and give them to people you trust. We can find the rogue AI's faster with more people looking."

That last bit made Aloy pause from immediately rejecting the idea of giving people Focuses. Rost's distain and superstition for 'Trinkets' did not mean everyone would see them that way. Besides, hadn't Aloy said herself said she needed help? She could already the faces of some of the people she would consider asking.

"Okay, get some Focuses, make this key and then go to Meridian to install it. Got it." Aloy said as she equipped her bow and checked her arrows.

"You handle the Focuses, I will make the key. My Facility may have been mostly destroyed but I still have access to some smaller manufacturing instruments which were designed to create spare parts of what you call the Cauldron. I will ping you the location for where I hope the Focuses were kept for the staff for this facility."

Aloy tapped her Focus and sure enough, a purple region was highlighted a few floors down with an estimated distance.

"Aloy," CYAN said, "While no machines are being made from my facility, there may still be some lurking within. Please take care."

"Oh good." Aloy grumbled.

Aloy left through the same door she had entered though the day before. The metal halls were frost-dusted and she suddenly became bereft of the warmth the fire brackets.

Subsidence had warped the floor and walls to the point where they were at a diagonal angle, Aloy pressed her hand of the wall to steady herself as she walked. Eventually, she re-entered the gallery. Her Focus showed her where she was supposed to go, a few floors down with two possible routes by using the stairwells either side.

Aloy took the nearest stairs when suddenly –

"Damn it!" Aloy cursed as the stairs uncoupled from the concrete wall, the metal stairs bowed sideways and Aloy jumped up to the metal railing overlooking the stairwell.

Aloy looked down just in time to watch the stairs groaned and clattered as they fell. They took several more flights with them until eventually, they came to a rest on the ground floor. Dim blue lights grew stronger and soon they flickered to amber to red as the Machined chittered to each other in alarm.

"Scorchers." Aloy said as she swung her leg over the railing and rolled out of the way in time to avoid the disc mine's volley. Aloy crouched and hugged the wall as she moved away from the crumbling concrete where she had been moments earlier. She poked her head over the side and scanned them with her Focus. There were three. Brilliant.

Aloy notched three frost arrows just in time to roll out of the way of more mines. She blinked away the dust and relied on the data her Focus provided, took aim and loosed her arrows. They hit their mark and shattered the power generator on the back of the nearest Scorcher. It was only stunned though, Aloy selected an explosive arrow and aimed for its blaze canister before it could move.

She didn't have time to admire her work as another volley of mines from the other two Machines forces Aloy to retreat again. The machines let out a cry as the explosive arrow felled one of their pack.

"Two to go." Aloy whispered as she moved down the aisle and notched three more frost arrows. Aimed between the metal railings and shot at the Scorcher directly below her. Two hit the power generator and the other hit the mine launcher as it flinched away from her attack. Sparks flew and Aloy watched as the engine which had revved to counter-attack her got jammed and overheated. Another explosive arrow passed through her fingers just as the ground beneath her lurched.

The third Scorcher began to scramble up the fallen staircase. Flashes of steel lit up the dim gallery as it used its propulsion engines to climb up just in time as the entire staircase fell down. It got its footing and searched the floor. The same floor Aloy was on. Its lights flashed red as it spotted her and launched forward, its propulsion engines roared.

As it turned the corner to reach her, Aloy quickly set a rope trap across the aisle and rappelled off over the railing and cringed as she was hit with a shockwave of the explosion. Aloy was flung onto the floor below and skinned her hands and knees as she rolled to break a fall in a way which would have made Rost disappointed. Aloy leapt to her feet and arched her back over the railing with her bow ready in her hands and waited. Nothing.

Aloy flicked her Focus and saw it was deactivated. She sighed and relaxed her grip on her bow.

"So much for subtlety." As she regarded the destroyed stairwell.

Some good news though, Aloy realised she was only a floor above her target and regarded the twin stairwell with caution, it looked solid. So had the other one though.

"Better tread lightly." Aloy muttered as she flicked the switch of her ropecaster and recalled the grapple hook back. She kept the ropecaster in her hand as she descended the stairs, just in case.

Finally, she made it to the metal door and made quick work of its lock, with her Focus as a guide. The door opened to reveal a dark room and Aloy noticed a light blue dot pulse on her Focus' interface. As she looked at it directly, the dot disappeared. Strange.

"Aloy." CYAN's voice chimed, making her start. "Aside from being able to request communications in I hope is an intuitive manner, I have also installed a light feature to assist in darkened places. Just tap your device twice and it will activate."

"Thanks CYAN."

"Anita patched it in so she could continue to code after lights out."

Aloy looked around the room which was a lot easier with the strong blue light from her Focus. Before her was mostly only broken workspaces and chairs but beyond that was another door.

"Inside there should be the spare Focus devices amongst other belongings from the staff."

Aloy crossed the room and attempted to unlock the door. A large red X covered the door. Aloy turned around and scanned the room, again looking for a clue. A datapoint appeared at one of the nearby desks and Aloy scanned it.

"Another one of Dodger's conspiracies. Suddenly he is convinced staff are stealing even though all of us are stuck in the same place with access to all the same stuff. The only things in here worth stealing from are a few packets of ramen and a bottle of sriacha sauce, Kenny got from his last trip to San Francisco, he doesn't think I know about." Anita's voice echoed through the room. "So now Dodger has this stupid numerical system which gives a new code to each floor every week." Anita sighed, "Does he not know he is surrounded by busy and important and brilliant coders? Too busy and important to at least bother to remember his stupid passcodes? So now I have set it to 0000 and set up a message at Dodger's terminal so every time he tried to change it, it says, 'Dod sucks!' Anita out."

The recording ended with a snigger.

"That… Was more than I hoped to hear again. Thank you." CYAN said quietly.

Aloy entered the code and the door opened. Inside was rectangular room filled with narrow metal doors which lined the walls with no clear indicator as to where the devices were. She opened the little cupboards one by one and habitually scanned the odd pile of paper documents and trinkets she found until… She found a thin metal box with 'Focus by Faro Automated Solutions.' Written on them.

"Eureka." CYAN said.

It was sealed by a lock which unfortunately she couldn't open with her Focus. A memory of Erend kicking down Olin's apartment door down made her smirk. That door had a similar lock to this box. Aloy pulled out her belt knife and pushed the shard edge into the lock and twisted it. The box opened easily.

Aloy scanned the contents and saw there were ten devices and four of them seemed functional. Aloy sighed in disappointment as she picked up the four working ones.

"Take them all, Aloy. The power cells have lost functionality but they may be repairable."

Aloy did as she suggested and placed them into one of her pouches as she places the box down where she found it. "What does Eureka mean?"

"It was an ancient Greek word which translates to, 'I have found it.' The phrase was attributed to Archimedes after he notices the water of his bath rose when he entered it and fell when he exited. He was the first person to understand water displacement."

"Was he the first person to have a bath then?" Aloy asked, not understanding how someone could have not noticed that before. She began to head out of the small room and towards the gallery once more. She leant over the railing and scanned the ground floor for other Machines. Thankfully there were none and she took the last flight of stairs down towards the fallen Scorchers.

"No Aloy, many did. His discovery did lead to many other revelations in science. Allegedly, in his excitement he leaped from his bath and ran down the streets of Syracuse as he exclaimed 'Eureka' before he was dressed." CYAN said in an amused tone.

"I… See." Aloy said as she made short work and stripped the downed Scorchers for useful parts and Shards. Afterwards, she made her way back up to the floor she fought the last Scorcher and where CYAN was and looted that one too.

"However foolish he may have seemed at the time, Archimedes did anticipate amongst many other things, modern calculous."

Aloy paused, didn't Sylens say Hades taught him that? "You know calculous?"

"Of course, all computers use calculous. It is a fundamental part of computer science."

"It's just… Ted Faro deleted Apollo so all that knowledge was lost." Suddenly Aloy felt the grief of the loss of humanity's culture once again as she reached CYAN's room.

CYAN was yellow as Aloy regarded her, "I apologise. In my enthusiasm for discourse, I forgot what had been lost." CYAN paused as she turned lavender, "I can try to teach you. Though I may not be able to do it as well as the educational AI Apollo. I can search my databases for more topics we can discuss. I have extensive knowledge of thermal regulation systems and meteorological events –"

"Let's focus on the task at hand first." Aloy said with a smile at CYAN's enthusiasm as she dug out the Focus devices from her pouch.

"An excellent example of irony, Aloy. I lost my focus and you found more. Ha-ha."

CYAN turned a deep blue as her graphic spun quickly. Was that her way of smiling?

The working focuses grew warm as they lit up briefly. "I have updated the devices with the anti-malware software as well as a couple of patches like the communication method and the torch.

"How are we doing with that key?" Aloy asked as she placed them back into her pouch.

"On this floor is a 3D printer where I have created the Key you will need to attach to the Spire. Now Aloy, you will need to place it on the Spire as high as you can, preferably at the top in order for the effectiveness to be optimal. Once placed, you will need to scan it with your Focus and it should activate."

Aloy cringed, how on earth was she supposed to climb to the top of the Spire? "Okay I'll grab it on my way out." Aloy said as she scanned the room once more in case she had left anything of hers behind. "CYAN. Thank you. For everything."

"It is my pleasure, Aloy."

"After I install the key, will I be able to speak to you again?"

"So long as everything we planned is successful, yes."

"Until then, CYAN."

"Until then, Aloy. Goodbye."