Routing
"Wha-?"
Jesse's incredulous word broke off as she realized that Draco hadn't moved. At all. Raven moved to stand beside Jesse as Ona moved to the wall. Out of the way. Jesse looked at Raven and her sponsor's head gave a tiny shake. Jesse gave a fractional nod and she relaxed as best she could. But her mind was whirling.
Why had Rachel called Draco that? He wasn't her master. Was he? From what little Jesse knew of Draco's past he had left the Citadel and not gone back after his father had wanted him to ... er... lead the Tenno. Jesse's thoughts slithered to a halt and she knew her face paled a little. Raven gave a fractional nod and returned her gaze to the silent pair of Tenno. Neither the Saryn Prime nor the shrouded bodyguard moved at all.
"Will we stand here all day?" Draco finally said. "I am not your master, Tenno Rachel."
"I know." Rachel nodded. "I am giving respect where it is due, no more." Draco looked at her and she shrugged a little. "Bellina and Richard chose me to lead the rest of us. It is not a burden I would have taken willingly. I much preferred to be a scientist and medic like the First Saryn." Draco nodded at that. "I am not pushing anything. All I am saying is that we all know who you are and we respect your choice."
"Thank you for that." Draco's voice was quiet, reflective. "I never expected to come back to tell you the truth."
"Your quarters have not been touched." Rachel matched his calm. Draco looked at her and she shrugged again. "At first, your parents hoped you would return. Then we didn't need them. Then... it was a memorial." Jesse fought to stay silent. Interjecting here would not help matters.
"Protecting Jesse is why I am here, not the past." Draco said firmly. Rachel nodded.
"And Jesse needs help." Rachel turned to look at Jesse who met her gaze. "The pain will flare until it passes even Cyberlancer control. But the message said that whoever came had to go in alone or nothing will happen."
"I may be able to mask his presence." Jesse frowned in thought. "Maybe. I don't like pain any more than the next person. But I think we do need answers." She glanced at the tiny Nyx, but Ona did not react. "All we have now are questions."
"If you think you can..." Rachel mused. "Then yes. I do not want to put your life in jeopardy, Sister. Ona, report to medical. We will talk after this."
"She may need me." Ona said, not moving.
"Ona." The Saryn Prime said with a snarl. "She doesn't trust you. She won't let you do anything." The tiny Nyx wilted as Jesse shook her head.
"What we did was wrong." Ona said quietly as she rose. "But I fear for you, Jesse. I truly do. Whatever Nikis did... I fear for you, Sister." Jesse did not react and the tiny Nyx moved away, her posture dejected.
"I thought I was getting to know her." Rachel sounded almost as abject as Ona had been. "I like her."
"It was a war, Tenno Rachel." Raven said sadly. Rachel looked at her as Jesse did the same. "War is the single worst things humans ever figured out how to do. I was a pacifist myself, but when it came down to it, live or die. Survive or don't. Simple binary solution set. I chose to survive."
"But taking a human's mind and warping it..." Rachel begged. "That is what the Corpus does." She froze as Jesse did. "No offense, Sister."
"None taken." Jesse replied easily. "I was Corpus. Now? I am Tenno and we need to figure this out." Raven looked at her for a long moment. "Yes?"
"An odd thought." Raven said quietly. "Not really germane to our situation." Jesse looked art Rachel and Draco. Both of them shrugged so she waved for Raven to continue. "The Reverend Mother went to your people. You came to ours." Jesse went still and Raven nodded. "Balance was maintained."
"That doesn't make any sense." Jesse said sourly. "The Clergy had nothing to do with what I did. The Tenno kept trying to keep me from doing it. And the Reverend Mother is still Tenno, is she not?"
"She follows the Code, so I would say... Yes. Odd thoughts don't have to make sense, Jesse." Raven said with a sigh. "They rarely do." Jesse had to snort at the dry humor in the Elder's words. "But for now? Let's get this done."
Jesse nodded and looked to Rachel who sighed but nodded as well. The Saryn started off, careful to keep her speed down to what Jesse could manage without a warframe. The architecture was familiar to Jesse. The Tenno dojo she had spent time in looked lot like this. But the feel...
This place felt old. It felt... Jesse gave a tiny gasp and folded her code into her body as pressure mounted around her. Draco stiffened at her side and a hand was on her shoulder, buffering her from whatever was pressing on her. Rachel paused in midstep and spoke.
"Security override, authorized presence. Class A-modified." The Saryn said loudly and the pressure on Jesse faded. "Sorry about that." Rachel said quickly. "In all the excitement, I should have told you about the security systems."
"No harm done." Jesse swallowed hard. "Tight security. I never sensed anything."
"Considering that the First built it, I would hope you didn't." Rachel said with a small laugh that Jesse shared. The young Cyberlancer patted Draco's hand and the shrouded Tenno withdrew it. "Class A-modified access will get you into every non-secure part of the Citadel. You may need a guide." Draco coughed and Rachel chuckled without humor. "Or not."
"I don't need any more secrets than I have." Jesse said firmly. "I will get more, I know that. But the ones I have are enough."
"Too much information can kill just as surely as too little." Rachel agreed. "Again, I apologize. I didn't think about it. Did you try to sense things?"
"Not consciously." Jesse admitted. "I need to work on control. I didn't send out code, but my mind was pulled to the architecture. The feel is the same as Karl's dojo, but... more." Rachel nodded.
"And a spy would be looking around." Rachel said with a sigh. "Not your fault that we have had some serious betrayals here."
"Nor yours." Jesse said sharply and Rachel stared at her. "What happened was not your fault. The Enemy did it. Not you." Rachel nodded slowly.
"I am angry." Rachel admitted as she started walking again. "I miss Richard and Bellina." She jerked as Jesse reached out and took her hand. "Sister?"
"No one blames you for being angry." Jesse said in a voice that was suddenly husky. "No one at all." She gave the Saryn's hand a squeeze and held it. "All I know is what I was told. But that made me angry." She said with a snarl as she walked.
"Thank you." Rachel carefully returned the squeeze. Warframes enhanced the strength of the operator, so she could do a lot of damage if she squeezed too tight. But she was careful. "I know about my anger. I am working through it. It will take time. I will try to be what Bellina asked me to be. Even if I do not feel worthy of it."
"You are." Came a quiet comment from Draco.
"So what is it like, living here?" Jesse changed the subject. "The feelings of history and of power are intense." She said with a small frown. She did not release Rachel's hand.
"It is home." Rachel did not react to Jesse holding her hand. But she did not push Jesse away either. "It is just where I live." They made their way into an elevator, Raven and Draco following. Raven's face was neutral, but Jesse could see she was excited too.
"You have been here, Raven?" Jesse asked and Raven nodded.
"After the mess, I was one of the Elders who was sent to talk to the residents here." Raven said with a small frown as the elevator started down. "Just a trainee, but I learn fast."
"That you do." Rachel said with a fondness that was heartfelt. "Roger will be happy to see you again."
"Oh geez..." Raven complained, but it was humorous. "He just wants to scan me more." At Jesse's quizzical look, Raven explained. "When I came here, I was still in pain. Minor, but it wouldn't go away. He pushed and pushed and pushed to treat me. I finally gave in and let him." She shrugged. "The pain did go away."
"If you get the chance, talk to him." Rachel said quietly. "You might be surprised." Raven stared at her suspiciously and Rachel lifted the hand that Jesse wasn't holding in a warding gesture. "Not being a busybody younger sister. Just doing my best to keep the peace here. He moped for a week after you left." Raven jerked, staring at the Saryn and Rachel nodded. "He likes you."
"Um..." Jesse treasured the poleaxed look that came over Raven's face for a moment before the Elder's face smoothed back into her habitual neutral mask. "Really?"
"Yeah really." Rachel chuckled. "He will likely hurt me in sparring next time, but I got sick of his moping. We all did." Jesse stared from Rachel to Raven and back. For her part, Rachel chuckled again. "Hey, it is what family is for. Embarrassing each other."
"I wouldn't know. The Clergy kept a lot from me. We were supposed to be a family, but it never really felt that way to me after Mom was hurt and Dad vanished." Jesse said softly. Rachel froze and then pulled the girl into an embrace. "Wha-?"
"I do not know everything that happened to you." Rachel gave Jesse a squeeze and released her. "But I know enough to know it was no fun at all. We are your family now. We may be exasperating. We may be annoying,. We may be overprotective on occasion. But we are your family and never forget that." Raven stepped close and laid a hand on Jesse's shoulder as Jesse fought to get words out past a suddenly tight throat. None would come but it didn't seem to matter.
"You are not alone." Raven affirmed as the elevator door opened. The hallway ahead was empty, for which Jesse was fervently grateful. Raven retreated a step as Rachel released the girl and started off again. Jesse hurried to keep up.
"Thanks." Jesse said in a soft voice as she followed. She came to a stop as Rachel did. The door in front of Rachel looked just like every other door along the hallway. It was locked. "Here?"
"Yes." The Saryn sounded nervous now. "The instructions say you are to enter alone. But Draco will not leave your side."
"I can mask him. Draco?" Jesse held out a hand and the shrouded warframe took hold of her hand. She let a bit of her code out. She could not get any feel of what was under his shroud -odd that- but she could add to his shroud. "This will read as part of me. So don't get too far or whatever security will probably activate."
"And knowing Nikis, it won't be anything good." Draco said with a snort as he moved to stand right behind her. He did not actually tower over her. It just felt like it. "Should I maintain physical contact?" He asked.
"Wouldn't hurt." Jesse said and then paused. "Well.." She swallowed hard. "It might."
Draco chuckled without mirth and laid a hand on her shoulder. Then Jesse nodded to Rachel.
"Raven." The Saryn said firmly as she keyed the door and stepped back. The room beyond was not illuminated. Raven nodded and moved to join the warframe.
Jesse took a deep breath and stepped into the dark room. Draco stayed with her. She jerked to a halt as a light came on, illuminating a chair. It looked ordinary. But it couldn't be. Was this an illusion? A trap? Jesse swept the room with both her sight and her code, but nothing seemed out of place. In the dimness, she could see a bed, a couch and a dresser of some kind. But... This was wrong. It had to be wrong. She opened her mouth to ask Draco what he thought, but a sudden squeeze on her shoulder kept her quiet. The hand on her shoulder urged her forward and she sighed but did as instructed.
She eyed the chair as she moved towards it. But nothing jumped out at her. A fairly standard looking chair. Then it hit her. It wasn't a Tenno style piece of furniture. It looked Corpus. But that made no sense. Not in an ancient Tenno facility that predated the Collapse. So...
This isn't real... Jesse said in her mind. She was not expecting an answer.
-Smart kid- The words were not human. There were not Tenno. They were... -This was a low order probability, but planned for. Implementing.-
"Wait!" Jesse begged, but power flared and she was falling. She fought as she felt Draco start to resist, but his hand was yanked away from her as she... She found herself sitting on something that wasn't a chair as power flared around her brighter and brighter. Her barriers held under the onslaught but she could do nothing but cry out as the physical things grabbed hold of her. Something settled over her nose and mouth and she smelled something that made her woozy. Gas. She couldn't stop such an ancient method of sedation with code. She had to... She tried to struggle and couldn't.
-Sleep now.-Was that aloud or in her mind? -Dream of peace and light.-
She thought she heard a battle cry from far, far away as oblivion reached up for her and took her.
"Let! HER! GO!" Draco roared as he fought the currents of power that had torn him from his protectee. She lay on what was now revealed to be a medical couch, machinery whirring around her. A mask had settled over her nose and mouth and her face had relaxed from its fearful expression into sleep. The things that held her to the couch were padded, as was the couch. She did not seem hurt. But he was blocked from her by an energy barrier. He couldn't get to her!
-She is hurt.- The other voice replied calmly. -She needs care that you cannot give her. We will not harm her.-
"And what you are doing right now is not harming her?" Draco demanded, lashing out with his swords at the energy, deflecting some of it. As if in answer, a schematic appeared on one wall, a diagram of a body. Jesse's body! A small organ in her abdomen was highlighted and flashing.
-No.- The voice replied calmly. -We are not. -
"You are an AI." Draco said as he retreated a step. The energy that had been flaring faded as he did.
-No.- The other replied calmly.
"Then what are you?" Draco demanded. He took a step forward, trying the energy and it flared as he sought weaknesses, fluctuations. There was no reply. "What are you? You are hurting one I am sworn to protect!"
-We are not hurting her.- The other's voice was still that calm. Maddeningly so. -We will not hurt her. Repairs will be made and she will have no impairment.-
"How do I know you won't rip her mind from her body?" Draco snapped, pressing forward, his swords crossed and diverting the energy as it slammed at him.
-Because she is Tenno and that would not stop her.- The voice was focused. So focused. As if... Draco were merely an impendence.
"It would make her mad." Draco said with a snarl. "And you are making me mad. If you are serious... If you are helping her... Let me touch her."
-You will attempt to remove her.- The other replied evenly. -If you do so before the procedure is finished, you will cause her harm. We cannot allow this.-
"What procedure?" Draco demanded. There was no reply and he snarled. "Fine!" He dropped his shroud and the room was suddenly lit with golden light. It gleamed... oddly dark. "I am taking her one way or another!"
-We cannot allow that, Tenno.- Was the other worried now? If not, he wasn't sane. -You do not understand. We are repairing what was done. We can aid her. She carries the future and she can seal the lock once more.-
"You make no sense!" Draco screamed. "And I have had enough of-" He broke off as one wall came alive. Or... sort of alive. He froze as a golden and black form stepped out into his light. Was that a Nekros Prime warframe? "What the hell?"
-This was not anticipated.- The voice sounded truly worried now. -Tenno Draco. Your presence destabilizes everything. She is in no danger. We will not harm her. We cannot.-
"Draco." The voice from the other warframe was familiar. Nikis! But... "This is a recording I made. Just in case. Didn't know if you would show up again or not. Doubt it, but there is too much at stake now to leave anything to chance. Whoever you are protecting, the Medicine Man is not hurting them."
"Medicine...? Man...?" Draco asked, stunned. "You have got to be kidding. Nikis, if this was planned for, you know I cannot stop protecting the one I am sworn to."
"Yes." Nikis' voice sounded rueful as his hand came up and golden-orange energy flew from it. "I did."
Draco never felt the wall he flew into.
Damn. Get her into preop. See if we have anything that might have a chance of restraining the other until we can explain.
Yes, doctor!
I hope he lets us explain...