Chapter 8: Enter Sandman … To His Death
Mission(s): Two Easy Pieces * Main Mission
Message In A Bottle * Side Mission
DLC: Captain Scarlett and her Pirate's Booty
Since it was late Maya wanted to sleep, but she also really wanted to talk with Zero. Zero had the same idea but since he realized Maya couldn't stay up as late as he could, he suggested sleep was a top priority at the moment. When Zero asks where Maya slept last night she responds, "Captain Scarlett's bed."
Zero leads her there and helps her get in. Zero leaves and goes up to the crow's nest, mainly to get out of the way. When morning comes Zero scales the ladder down and finds Maya standing there, the early morning stripping away her normal expression. Now that Zero sees below the mask, he can't help but wonder, "Is Maya a challenge?"
No time to think further as Captain Scarlett comes up to the pair of them; Maya blinks and asks the obvious question, "What's up with you two?" Referring to the fact that she hadn't seen Zero until boarding the ship. Completely ignoring her however, Captain Scarlett says something that puts petty discussion to an end.
"So, the legend says that whoever gets all four pieces of the mystical compass will find the lost treasure. I've got a piece, because I'm awesome, but Sandman has one too. Head to Hayter's Folly, kill Sandman, and get his piece of the compass sound good?"
Maya and Zero push away from each other mentally, because they feel as if they're about to fall apart, and both of them realize it more then ever. Hurrying now they both hop in the Sandskiff and take off in the direction of the objective marker. They start from the back of Scarlett's ship do a u-turn and head in the opposite direction towards the front of the ship. They keep going, turn left and pass between two rocky cliffs.
The area widens out into sand flats, after crossing the flats and going up a hill Maya and Zero sail straight back through Wurmwater pass and into Oasis.
Captain Scarlett comes on and asks, "Got a minute? I'm trying out some new catchphrases. Lemme know if any of these grab you. Yarr. Avast Maytey. Yo ho ho. Hoist the main sail! Walk the plank! Shiver me timbers! Oh that one didn't work at all."
The brief comic reprieve from Captain Scarlett is enough to get both Maya and Zero in the zone. Both of them are happier to make things simpler and just go with the friendship off the field, and become badass killing machines on it.
As Maya and Zero come out of the pass a cliff containing a pirate village blocks them. Not feeling like killing pirates until they're supposed to – both of them don't know why but they silently agree on it – Zero sails to the left around the giant rocky structure. And then to the right under an archway and straight on wards up a hill.
"If you're wondering why I'm sending you to kill Sandman instead of doing it my self first of all, good question. Nice to see, you've taken he initiative. Second of all, Sandman's pretty strong and you're expendable as hell so good luck!"
After those comforting words from Captain Scarlett Maya and Zero disembark at a place called Coastal Caverns. Nothing much happens as they head down the path, but once they turn the corner and come upon a great drop in the earth. Constructed in that drop is a pirate village, and many pirates come out. Everything seems to be sorting itself out; Zero and Maya stand at the top of the hill and aim down with their sniper rifles picking the pirates off.
Out of nowhere a Corsair stabs Maya twice in the stomach, at the same time with two swords. Zero twists and at point blank range blows the pirate's head off, and the rest of the body goes flying sideways and smacks into the cliff wall. Maya grunts and is forced to phaselock both swords out of her body – Zero couldn't do it since he had to take care of some Pirate gunners (nasty bastards with sniper rifles).
Zero is worried about Maya that she won't survive, Maya says she's fine and just ties a simple brace to stop the blood from flowing. "I'll be fine she says," she says. "It's just that I may not want to get into close combat for a bit, I can still fight but just … from a distance." Maya smiles to try and alleviate the inconvenience.
As soon as the smile came Zero responded with, "Don't worry Maya / I'm just as good with melee / as with the sniper." Indicating his katana, Maya realizes this was true. She sometimes forgot that he was both a master at close and long ranged combat. Now that the situation has been taken down to somewhat of a dull roar, Maya and Zero head down the slope and into the cave.
Shade comes on and says, "…So there is a lot of water under the city of Oasis? What a surprise. Oh, sorry – I hacked into your ECHO device shortly after we meet, so I can see everything you can. I get horrifically bored, and it's fun to watch you kill people."
"And he was right," Maya says. "There is a lot of water down here. And in a cave you know what that means?" Zero looks at her; foolishly Maya takes that as a blank expression and blurts out, "Crysalisks!" Zero does something he doesn't do unless they're alone and not on a mission, speak not in Haiku form, "I know that."
Zero walks down the wooden constructed path, but Maya simply jumps off the railing and lands in the water. Grinning like a fool, Maya fills up the water containers she carries in her bag. Zero looks at her for a moment, and realized that he doesn't have any in his pack.
Regardless Zero realizes he his thirsty and asks Maya for some water, how does he do the asking? By saying something in Maya's native language, the supposedly dead language that existed long ago on Maya's home planet. Maya gives him one of the canteens, and turning around Zero temporarily takes off him helmet. Maya's curious, but right then she spots what looks like a badass pirate sauntering ahead at the mouth of a tunnel and across from the small pond of water.
Zero hands the canteen back to Maya telling her in her own language thanks. He spies the badass as well, but also sees a second. Splitting up they each take down one and continue on down the tunnel (back side by side of course).
Shade comes on again and says, "It's a good thing no one in Oasis is dying of thirst – otherwise the sight of that enormous spring might fill me with a tragic rage! Hahahahahahahahahahah!"
Maya says, "Aw look at the water … and the crystal monsters, but as I like to call them … WALKING MONEY!"
Maya and zero descend upon the poor crysalisk and blast off the crystals on its legs. Soon after it explodes and now valuable crystals litter the ground. Maya's glad that her back contains a capacity to hold infinite money, she collects half Zero talking the other half.
As they continue along they encounter several skags jumping down from atop rocky pillars, a few more crysalisks, and as they near the end of the long tunnel (occasionally lit by torches, and all the time by the glowing water) they encounter a rock like wall blocking their path. But on and over this wall is a walkway, and several pirates stand on it.
It goes well … both Maya and Zero still being able to pick them off since there's no cover for them. However 3 more crysalisks pop out of the ground out of nowhere, and Maya is forced to use a Nasty Rifle. The trademark Torgue explosive damage makes surprisingly quick work of the crysalisks.
After Zero finishes off the remaining pirates, both him and Maya scale the walkway and go over the top of the rocky divide.
"Way back when Sandman and I were like this. Oh, right you can't see through the radio – I'm crossing my first two fingers. Like this. Best buds, until we stumbled on some of Captain Blade's old notes about the lost treasure that is. Together Sandman and I discovered two pieces of Blade's mystical compass. Then, because I'm an idiot, I tried to stab him in the back, literally. The knife blade snapped, he shot me in the leg and ran…it was pretty embarrassing. But that's when I learned – never betray your friends, until you're sure you've got the upper hand."
Maya and Zero share a brief glance, they Zero makes Maya a promise to slay her when this is all over. For some reason Maya doesn't like that idea, and convinces Zero to hold off and basically forget that idea. After rising over the divide they discover it was merely a cliff, and at the top a tunnel. After walking down the tunnel they come to a walkway/camp/hideaway build on stilts above several pools of green water, and wrapped around the canyon wall on the walkway sits a collection of pirate dwellings.
More fun underground murder commences, but a new enemy encounter has Maya reeling with pain. A buccaneer, bulky pirate carrying two flaming hot swords that loves to get up close and personal. Maya blasts his head off easily enough with Miss Moxxi's Heartbreaker but it costs some of her regeneration when the Buccaneer slices her stomach just a tad. Both wounds are causing intense amounts of pain, and Maya ends up falling on the floor silently writhing.
In her moment of weakness Maya utters to Zero, "Slay every last on of these bastards, I want the water to stain the pools below and their bodies too…" The pain becomes too much and Maya ends up going into what Dr. Zed lovingly refers to as a pain coma.
"I told you to lay off – now I gotta kill you, your friends, AND your family!" Sandman says edgily.
"How would he even know where your family lives? He's – just ignore him, he's talking crap," Captain Scarlett says encouragingly.
Zero smiles under his helmet and a red :D symbol appears above his helmet. Causing his expression to go blank, Zero goes into his concentration mode.
"Where's Maya?" Captain Scarlett asks. "She down and out or something – don't worry, I know for a fact that Sandman has a cure for whatever's ailing her – you'll have to kill him to get it." * 1
Zero is glad now that there are two challenges to take on: 1) killing Sandman plus the remaining sand pirates 2) saving Maya from 3 deadly sword wounds (the first two obviously causing lots of internal bleeding and rupture of the organs the last being a very … hot problem). He continues on wards and comes to a gate that's locked and lowered, Zero's about to slice through it when he hears slow footsteps and labored breathing approaching from behind.
The voice carries the same tone of Zero's dreams – contrary to popular belief Zero can dream … just daydream not actual night dreaming – and he knows right away that it's Maya. "There's a switch up this ladder, I wanna get it. It looks like it goes to the gate." By now Zero would've got the gate 'open' but since Maya looks like she wants to help in order to try and make up for her current uselessness, Zero shuts up and patiently waits while Maya slowly and ever so gingerly climbs the long ladder.
About halfway up Maya stops and calls down desperately for help getting up. Still trying not to upset her too much Zero does as she asks. Zero jams a med syringe into Maya's lower back and depresses the plunger. "Ah HOLY MOTHER OF GOD!" Maya screams, and after a moment says, "Ow, my injuries hurt like hell but I can still move."
Zero climbs back down the ladder and Maya up. Once Maya flips the switch she climbs back swiftly down the ladder again, and lets loose a scream of pain "AAAAAHHHHHHHHH DEAR FLAMING SATAN IT BURNS!" Zero realizes that the syringe did more damage then good, and if he doesn't kill Sandman quick and get the cure Maya will die.
Zero knowing he won't have time for fun and games, pulls out an incendiary Norefleet. Walking forwards Zero discovers Sandman is actually very small, and a big brute covered in armor called the Big Sleep seems to be the brawn of the whole operation.
"You really shoulda died when I told you to. Now you're gonna learn that big pain … comes from small packages!" Sandman yells in challenge.
The Norefleet makes short work of both of them.
Captain Scarlett says, "Sandman's dead? Wonderful, now find his piece of the compass. I'd be there to help you but I'm currently reading the latest issue of Crime Fighter Frog … it's about a frog who fights crime." * 1
Zero loots Sandman's corpse and finds a syringe filled with purple liquid. Rushing back Zero desperately searches for Maya. Not finding her Zero spies a trail of frightening blood leading up to the water, listening Zero hears an odd splashing noise. Finding the source of it and pulling Maya from the water Zero sticks the needle under her left breast past her rib cage and straight into her heart. Maya's eyes widened and she sits up slightly dazed. Zero tells her that Sandman and his henchman is dead, and Maya is reinvigorated. Still very sore and in pain from her injuries, Maya is still able to get up however.
She puts a arm around Zero's shoulders and leans on him as he leads her to the chest looking most suspicious, opening it Maya and Zero find the piece of the compass and an audio diary belonging to Sandman.
"Dear diary: I know where the third compass piece is – Hyperions got it! Judging by what they've been saying over the radio they think it's just some trinket. They're gonna ship it out on a caravan out in Wurmwater. I've just gotta – Aw great. That jackass from Oasis is comin' after me. B-R-B diary."
"Well that's lucky. Come on back to Wurmwater so we can get the third compass piece and be that much closer to finding the treasure," Captain Scarlett says.
Zero checks his map and sees a shorter way to get back to the fast travel station at the beginning of the area. Zero know Maya shied away from Fast Travel stations because they reminded her too much of Gaige. But he knew she had to get rest as soon as possible. As they approached a lift system, and Zero hit the switch to activate it Maya looks to her left and down. "Oh my god, a message in a bottle!"
Maya after taking another syringe from Zero, jumps down a few ledges and snags the message in the bottle, which is stuck among some small pieces of junk. After grabbing it Maya jumps back in the water, and takes the lift back up to Zero. Zero then snags the map from Maya and leads her back through Sandman's place, along a ledge attached to the rock wall, under a waterfall and to another empty bottle.
Maya smashes it and an entire section of the rock wall falls away to reveal a hidden cave. Zero sees an x marked on the ground at the back of the cave, and as Maya goes in he sees a crysalisk rise from the ground, Maya just takes Captain Blade's Orphan maker and makes quick work of its leg crystals. After divvying up the money crystals, Zero and Maya dig up the treasure and listen to Captain Blade's log together.
"The crew are going to mutiny. The cook I pretended to kill? They found him sittin' around in Oasis while I was guarding the boat. After they strung him up they got to talkin'. Found out I'd never killed another soul in my life. My guess is they'll raid the treasure room for guns and shoot me while my back is turned. Might as well let 'em do it – I'd rather be killed then wipe out my own men. This 'ill be my last log entry, Captain Blade signing off."
After finding the message in a bottle, Zero leads Maya back to the fast travel station and they're digistructed back on Captain Scarlett's ship. "No time to waste," Maya says. And grudgingly Zero helps Maya over to the catch-a-ride station built into the lower rear of the ship (how in god's name Scooter managed to get Captain Scarlett to install a catch-a-ride station, Zero will probably never know) and Zero summons their Sandskiff.
Zero gets in the more versatile gunner position behind Maya who grabs the driver's seat. It takes a while and almost comes to nighttime, but after scouring the desert Maya finally finds the Hyperion caravan hidden away in a remote part of Wurmwater. 3 badass loaders guard the three-hover flatbed trolleys carrying three chests.
After whipping out the three badass loaders with Maya's corrosive smg, Zero hands the weapon back to Maya and opens the two gun chests. He gives Maya a better corrosive smg, and takes a slag Vladof E-tech sniper rifle for himself. Zero stands at Maya's side as she opens the middle chest containing the compass piece.
"You're—you're awesome. We're probably going to kill each other later, but for now I just want to say: well done. We only need one more compass piece before we can find the lost treasure, come on back!" Captain Scarlett says.
Maya and Zero climb back on the Sandskiff. Zero guides her and eventually Maya finds her way back to Captain Scarlett's ship. Zero doesn't have the heart at the moment to tell Maya that her ECHO device is broken, it would remind her too much of Gaige.
Maya and Zero both climb back up through the ship and to Captain Scarlett. She says something in conclusion of the long mission and the really long day.
"Three down one to go. Once we find the last compass piece we'll be able to discover where the lost treasure is buried."
* 1 (I made this dialog up completely, please forgive me and it won't happen again … probably)
* 2 (this dialog may not be 100% accurate – when I say that I mean maybe one or two words I got wrong)
A/N: Apologies for such a long chapter. This'll happen with all the main missions from now on, so … yeah don't know what to say. Hope you enjoyed regardless, and if you've found any, ANY grammar errors PLEASE let me know. Thanks! (^_^)