Chapter 5- The Great quest for a ride!
Theal struggled against the chains, his warframe body struggling pointlessly struggling against the chains. He didn't give in as he struggled regardless of the futility of his actions. His act of defiance amused the unknown entity that he was only able to name the man in the wall. It looked at him with its void filled eyes and it started to cast aside its smoky visage. Its body changed and gained a new face, his face. The Man in the took his form but kept the void filled eyes the same. Cracking a smile on Theal's stolen face and spoke. "Well kiddo, were alone now." It said as the chains disappeared into thin air.
Theal immediately got up and swung at the doppelganger. His warframe's fist harmlessly past through the void ghost and again, the man in the wall laughed. It spoke once more. "Sit, we have to talk and then you may go on your way."
Theal stance remained ready to react. "Where is Vulpis, I swear if you did anything to him I'll-" He was cut off by the man in the wall.
"Nothing. There is nothing you can do to me."
The Tenno groaned in frustration. "I do you want so you can bring him back?"
His doubled titled his head. "Maybe but we must talk and then we disgust your friend."
Theal head tipped and then rose again. Theal's sight caught on the crack void key, it leaked void energy that tendriled into the Man in the wall. It watches Theal and a cage of chains wrapped itself around the golden key. Theal relented and gave into the things request.
"I'm proud of you kid because sometime you just gotta admit when your beat." It mocked.
"Just tell me what you want." Theal snapped at the thing.
The creature smiled and decided to get the point. "There someone that owes me just like you but decided to skip on their side of the deal. You're going to find this person and drag them back." It said as if this was a simple request.
Theal body tensed. "You need me because you can't do it yourself. What if I say no." Those words rang hollow in his mouth. A feudal attempt at gaining some leverage.
It decided to play along. "Geez kiddo, your right, I have nothing. You more than willing to stay here, far away from your beloved home and you owe nothing to that perfectly nice Guardian I sent to the void. You really don't need anything from me, even though it's all your fault that's he's gone." He said, putting a smile on its stolen face.
The Tenno's fist clenched together, slowly crushing the fingers of the warframe. He releases before he broke them and gave his answer. "This person, what are you going to do with them?"
The man in the wall was pacing the room and letting his hand slide on the various consoles. Theal didn't notice him get up to do so but with that things reality bending abilities it isn't surprising. "Nothing, I'm going to do nothing. You're going to find this person and drag them back to the Origin System. She will stay with you until I come back whenever I please." It turned its head to see Theal shaking in nearly uncontrollable rage, It smiled. "Don't worry about taking them, they'll end up thanking you for it in the end."
The tenno wanted to lash out, to grab that thing and throw it back from where it came from. He didn't, he couldn't and that frustrated to no end. He hated being helpless and more so to someone so disturbing. "Promise me one thing and I'll do what you say."
The copy stopped in its tracks and leaned against the Computers. "You don't me to hurt anyone, that's fine. It really is me to hurt people, that's more of your department isn't it." It spoke grinding an impossible smile.
Theal didn't know why but that statement made him feel guilty, he knew it shouldn't but for some reason, whatever that things says has an effect on him that always stuck deeply. "Does that mean Vulpis will be fine?" He asked in genuine concern.
"Hmm, He's surviving but not for long. Not many do expose to, what do you call it, the void? It doesn't matter, that light of his is keeping him alive for now but if something doesn't happen. Well, his Oro will return with its greater whole." It said.
Theal step forward but the Man in the wall put up a hand. "No worries kiddo. I already have taken care of it. He's going to fine inside the lost Tower."
"Lost tower?" Theal asked confused at the name.
"An Orokin Tower that is no longer connected to the Origin system. I found it floating around a while back, decided it would be worth keeping around." It explained.
Theal thought of another problem. "He won't get corrupted will he?"
The thing signed out in exasperation. "I said he's going to be fine didn't I and I always keep my part."
Theal drew his Tonbo. He knew it wasn't useful but he needed to make a point. "I need to hear it first." He threatened.
"Your being quite rude Kiddo." It said staring down the helmets three lights that resembled eyes. Theal didn't back down. It just shook its head. "The Towers defenses are shut down and any corrupted still alive are too few in number to threat the Guardian. Are you happy now kiddo."
Theal nodded. It smiled and moved towards the Tenno."Good, no go find that girl, anything you need is already in this room. That skeleton is where you'll find the codes for the consoles and another void Key that will get you to your orbiter." It instructed.
Theal watched the myriad of consoles and the quality they were in. Most of them were fine but other were crude in design. There were no crates or lockers that could hold any gear he could be scavenged but if he could get ahold of his Orbitor then it wouldn't be a problem. He walked up to the skeleton dressed in golden silk robes and turned it over. When he did he found its arm it was laying on elongated. Theal gasped in shock. "An Orokin? But how?" He asked the Man in the wall.
He just shrugged. "There were a lot before you then I tried, Grineer, Corpus, and humans. They all died or never returned. It's what prompted me to use you kiddo."
Theal rose in anger. "You're the one you sent me here!" He said screaming at the man on the wall.
It's form disappeared from reality, chuckling as he did so. "Have fun kiddo." was the last thing it said before fully disappearing and the chains and cracked void key along with it.
It took the Tenno a few solid minutes before calming down but when he did, he went right to work. He interacted with every console and downloaded everything they had in them. Putting them in a Datamass he found already installed in one of them. Then he proceeded to look at every inch this room held in hopes to find something. Nooks, crannies and the odd crack were all carefully looked at. Not a single one of them had anything useful in them. Theal tried tapping on the wall but found out they were was nothing hidden behind a panel, just more nothing. He gave up on finding a miracle stash of weapons and moved on to the skeleton.
The dead Orokin laid there with no visible marks that would have shown how he died. The clothing he wore was made from a fine white silk with gold weaved into the fabric and an ornate plate of gold clothing that was worn around the waist. Theal searches the pockets and found two things, the first was the Orokin void key he needed.
The second was a more curious object. It was a pistol, a blocky thing that seems to be a hybrid of technology. It had Orokin design and pieces of technology that seem familiar but there were the other parts. It's mechanism told of a different weapon design philosophy. It was designed to use ammunition that was entirely different from that the Orokin used. Brass casing and steel jacketed are what his codex told him are what the gun used as ammo. It sort of reminded him of the weapons those strangers used and it most likely not a coincidence. Whoever was stuck here most likely needed to adapt to the new ammo type and weapons for that purpose.
Theal just holster it and grabbed the void key. He needed to get to his Orbitor as soon as possible. There he could better equip himself and review the Data he just collected with Ordis. He also wanted somewhere familiar to feel better about his situation. With a breath, he moved towards the pillar that held the old key and placed the new one in the middle of it.
The void key started to raise without any visible force lifting it and it started to glow. Golden lighting started to arc out of it and white smoke started seeping from its side. Theal took a step back and then another. Until his back hit the wall and the Key was starting to shake the room. The Tenno braced himself when the key exploded, his vision went white and he felt his body hit the floor.
When he came to his head felt like an infested hive was nested in it. He got to a knee and felt his foot hit a grate. The sound of the ocean could be heard and Theal started taking in his surroundings. He was in the middle of the sea, on some sort of a raised metal buildings. It was old, rusted, and seem like it was falling apart. Theal hud gotta a ping and it was a familiar extraction marker, it told him to head inside the building. He looked around for an entrance and spotted one and next to it was a sign. He ran towards the entrance and took a quick glance at the sign. It read Bp's Oil platform. Please do not smoke.
Theal didn't know what it meant but didn't care. As he ran further inside, he heard a familiar roar from one of the natives.