CHAPTER 1: Prologue 1/3

Horizon Zero Dawn, has been one of the most incredible games I've played for quite some time. The story, character design, concept and more. It truly lived up to my expectation to the point where the urge to write my own take regarding a character I imagined and how he may have an impact on the world itself. Now let it be known that this story takes place along side the main storyline but does not however interact with it directly (at least not yet).

Disclaimer

I do not own Horizon Zero Dawn. Any Quotes, Plotlines used (inspiration from other shows or games) within the story will be given credit and as I've said before I do not own any of it.

The purpose of my stories is to entertain those who are willing to read my own take of something I've enjoyed playing or watching's

In the Heart of the wilderness, on the peak of the highest mountain range, the first ray of sunlight began to shimmer across the valley like golden silk, casting a warm glow that illuminated the lush foliage and rugged terrain beneath the towering mountains, animals that lived in the forest rouse from their slumber, humanity waking up from their homes made in a harmonious blend of towering trees, gleaming and rusting metal structures and intricate stonework built upon the ruins of a forgotten city.

Humanities wakes up to greet a new day and so did the…. Machines!

The ground shook as a giant metal foot stomped heavily on the earth, sending tremors throughout the forest. A few small animals scurried away, alarmed by the sudden intrusion. However, what emerged from the unfolding event was not a creature of flesh and blood, but a colossal elephant-shaped machine that was now roaming before their eyes.

The elephant's body was made entirely of gleaming metal, with intricate hydraulic systems visible throughout its frame and weapons one can only imagine the damage it may cause. Its eyes blinked to life, revealing a piercing blue glow that glinted in the sunlight as it surveyed the surrounding forest, and its enormous tusks of metal clearing the path of all that stood in its way leaving behind flattened earth and bent trees in their wake. A smaller pack of worm-like machines scurried around its feet, each one resembling a metallic centipede with one glowing blue eye and two legs that quickly synchronized with the giant machine's movements.

As the giant beast began to move, its metal feet thudding heavily on the ground, the smaller machines followed it like a swarm of loyal followers. Their worm-like appearance looked almost comical in comparison to the massive beast, but they moved through the underbrush with impressive speed and agility.

Together, they roamed across the forest, moving like an unstoppable entourage. The elephant machine trumpeted a great metallic roar that echoed through the valley, signaling to the smaller machines that it was time to move on and to other metallic beasts that they were here.

This was the world that existed now, the world after ruin and the start of something new, A world were its denizens were left with the splendors of creation with beasts of air, water, earth… and steel.

Every great tale starts somewhere, this one starts in the depths of an old ruin….

"Kairos! Kairos, where are you?"

The voice shouted in the distance above, its urgency growing with each passing moment, The person in question didn't seem to care, as his attention lay somewhere else. The scavenger climbed carefully down his hands and feet finding purchase on the rough concrete and rusted metal of an old-world building that had collapsed into the earth, creating a sinkhole and crater where it once stood.

He felt worried, anxiousness coursed through his body as he went down further to reach the darkness underneath it, wondering if the destruction THEY caused was worth it.

"Kairos, dammit, answer me! we've done enough searching for the day let's get you back up!" the voice shouted louder for his companion to hear, and Kairos could tell from the sound of his tone, his friend was clearly about to shit himself.

Kairos chuckled at the thought.

"Yeah, yeah. No need to cry about it. I'll be up in a bit; I just need to investigate abet more down here." Kairos replied, his voice muffled under the scarf that was wrapped around his mouth making sure he didn't inhale any of the dust or black smoke that was coming out of the hole.

Kairos stopped for a moment seeing his reflection on the side of a metal post that was once a part of the building and is now embedded within the ground, making him wonder if he was at least prepared to face whatever challenges laid underneath this rubble. Most of his face was covered by his scarf with the only thing visible being his old greying messy hair and brown eyes with visible wrinkles on his forehead.

The brown leather jacket he was wearing with a few ornate metal pieces stitched intricately on the shoulders, forearms, and back would stop whatever object or machine from hurting him, along with the paneled leather black pants that had some metal plates stitched to his upper and lower thighs and joints. The footwear was brownish like boots made from some animal's hide and had been held together with metal plates and machine wires to protect his sole, bottom sole and heel.

Kairos also had his bow, arrows tucked in the quiver that was strapped to his left and a few closer quarter weapons he stashed away in his pack. He adjusted the cable around his waist, knowing that if things went south all he had to do was call out for help and his companions would pull him back up immediately.

"Alright. No turning back now, Violet did say she wanted a souvenir went I get back" Kairos mumbled to himself thinking about his mate who was waiting for him back home. He took a deep breath and steeled his resolve. Kairos leaped off the edge he was on and started jumping off each ledge he could find in the terrain, allowing him to delve deeper within the ground. Hoping that whatever laid underneath better had some value to sell.

"This isn't so-" his line of thought gets cut as a small slip on the landing caused him to slip off the ledge, his arms flared up holding on to whatever rugged edge of ground and metal he could find for dear life. Suddenly a large tremor occurred underneath and the screeching sound of the building that had been plunged into the hole began to sink.

"Oh shit, Kairos you need to get out of there, now!" another voice shouted this time resembling that of a woman.

"Get the hell out of here before this hole drags you two in here!" Kairos shouted. Hoping they would hear him. With gritted teeth, he took a quick glance at what was happening. Whatever was left of the building was slowly collapsing, and with the sinkhole expanding, he knew going up would be pointless.

"Oh, Old ones"

As rumble began to come crashing dawn, metal scraps flew off the rusted building nearby and the cries of his companions began to fade into the background, all Kairos could see and hear was everything going south.

Suddenly a blinding blue light emerged underneath the darkness of the sinkhole, and the sound of something opening got his attention, Kairos blinked, unsettled by what he had just witnessed but quickly got out of his stupor realizing that whatever that was could be his best chance of survival,

Noticing a strand of wires dangling close to him as it slowly sunk, Kairos took a knife strapped to his side and cut the wire wrapped around him before climbing on top of the ledge he was one, He toes rising to find some manner of footing.

"Come on, come on, come on!" he mumbled patiently, timing his leap.

Adrenaline pumped through his veins and in a daring act, he lunged towards the cable, instinctively using all his strength to hold on to it for dear life, heart racing further and the wind rushing all over him.

Using the momentum of his leap, he swung across multiple cables hoping to get as close to the side of the pit as possible. With one final swing remaining, Kairos flung himself as far as the cable could and managed to crash into the wall of pit.

"Yes! Hopefully the fall won't kill me!" he shouted to himself as he slid down the ground, his gloved hands tried to slow his descent to the center of the hole, feeling the ground began to follow.

Kairos closed his eyes the moment he fell, feeling the wind blow through his felt his entire frame as he braced himself for the inevitable impact that was to occur with only one thing on his mind. "Violet..., I couldn't find anything good to bring back. I'm sorry".

Crashing down and being killed on impact would have been a mercy if you think about it, but what Kairos wasn't expecting, was the sound of a loud splash of ice-cold water, cushioning his fall and thankfully deep enough that they didn't hit the bottom with the force they expected.

"Oh, Old one's shit gotta move, gotta move!" he thought to himself swimming to the side trying to avoid the large chunks of Eartha and metal crashing down piece by piece to the pool.

As he swam under water trying to avoid getting hit on head, something else had been down there waiting to be found. A circular shaped metal door with triangular pattern in the middle that seem to have been damaged causing a tiny gap within its structure to open, Kairos held his breath and swam into the door hoping that there was a way out inside.

"Need to get out of here" he felt his lung began to burn with the intense need to breathe. "There's got be a way- "

His thoughts were cut as he managed to see through the murky water, a blue light shining once again. This time it was even brighter. "There!"

He swam as fast as he could seeing faint glimmers of light run across the strange cave system he was in; he didn't really have much time to think about it given that his lungs felt like they were about to explode, Until finally.

"Oh, Old Ones, Thank you!". He gasped out for breath. Coughing as he struggled to regain his composure while dragging himself out of the water.

Moment's past as his breath gradually returned to normal and laid flat on his back, feeling the adrenaline slowly leave him after this near-death experience.

"This is the last time I do a job for them; shards be damned!" he wheezed out, short of breath.

Kairos slowly collected himself as he took a quick glance around where he was, the exit he managed to swim out of wasn't an exit. But rather an entrance to something else.

"What the hell?... where am I?"

His surroundings were a mixture of earth, metal, lights, and ruins. Tunnels that had stairwells going down deeper into the facility. Through the entire underground layout, faint lights glimmer on and off at every turn and strange machinery attached to the entire base. Kairos's eyes wide with disbelief, he hadn't expected this, walking forward, his head darting in every direction, examining everything. For a while he assumed that this was the "threshold of the anomalous" the Hell, the priest of the High - dwellers kept on preaching about to those who didn't follow their High-laws.

He shook his head "this isn't that time to get distracted, whatever the hell this place is I'll worry about it after I get out". His footsteps could be heard echoing through the halls.

As he continued to find an exist, he could at least conclude to himself that this place. It wasn't some mythical realm, or whatever nonsense that high priests could possibly imagine. It was a type of facility…not unlike the ruins of the old world. Kairos found himself walking up a set of stairs that led to a sealed door, he couldn't really see any glimpse on what laid on the other side since it was took dark and the windows that were made from some sort of solid crystalline shield had them sealed shut with intricate patterns etched on their frames.

"Hold for Identiscan" a voice spoke with a metallic voice resembling a woman as suddenly a red light emitted from the frame,

"What the Hell!"

He jumped back, startled by what occurred, and raised his arm blocking the red light as it seemed to run its rays all over his frame.

"Genetic Identity unknown, Entry Denied" the metallic women's voice replied.

Kairos lowered his arms as the red light slowly vanished within and looked around to see if something had changed. He didn't understand what the voice did, but he knew what 'entry denied' meant. He has heard that his entire life.

"Oh God how the hell am I going to get out of here… she must be worried sick" he muttered letting his body slide against the door, until he sat on the ground. His back leaning against the metal.

"Huh… After all the wars, the troubles we've faced this is how I die? Slowly starving while stuck in this… whatever this place is called. Wow, what a way to go out… ay Violet?" he thought to himself slowly, closing his eyes. Accepting that this might be it. This is how he dies.

"You giving up lug head? Come on get your ass up!" a voice echoed in his mind, it was the voice of someone who's seen him at his best and worse.

What would she think of him simply giving up after everything they've been through?

"No…"

A spark emerged but from the depths of his being, one he thought had slowly faded away as time passed by.

"No, no, no. I haven't come this far to die now!"

His anger rose and as his fists tightened, he refused to give up now. He wasn't going to die because of a job They told him to do. He would rather-.

"You are not Alone."

Kairos immediately stood up.

A new voice emitted this time, this was different. It sounded human or at least, something like it. It wasn't the same metallic voice as before, suddenly the red light emitted from the door again.

"Unauthorized En-" the metallic voice seemed to glitch out… almost as if it's being taken over.

"Entry Authorized. You are clear to proceed." The doors that were sealed shut opened revealing another facility of mystery.

It was a type of circular facility that went up, with strange machines and small curved metal plates attached to their side, each one was separated with a singular metal seat placed Infront. That meant people were supposed to sit and stare at these machines.

"Welcome to Lyceum, a place of learning." The metallic voice introduced it.

Kairos couldn't believe what had just happened. Taking cautious steps, he surveyed the new surroundings he found himself in.

"Was this place some sort of educational facility?" he thought to himself, the idea of being stuck on a chair and forced to stare at some… things, sounded oddly familiar and unpleasant. He noticed a small metal post attached to the side of the strange machines and thought that something might come out or play if he tapped it… but nothing did.

"Huh, I guess not everything is working here" he mused. As he slowly made way up, following the stairwell's direction, he couldn't help but notice the metal and crystalline platform, placed at the very top. From the direction it was in, it could've led to a way out.

Kairos sprinted to the very top, feeling adrenaline course through him, as he climbed up the stairwell leading up to the platform, he noticed that this entire facility was built to go down. When he finally reached the platform, the door to the room was broken and thankfully could be pried open.

Checking whatever was left on him since he got here, most of his gear wear lost during the fall and escape. He made a mental note to stop by Bimbo's to acquire some new ones. Kairos took out his knife and placed it in the middle of the metal door. The door itself had already created a small gap for his blade which made things easier.

Gritting his teeth, he leaned forward, adding more pressure. The blade bending to the side until finally the door opened and slid inside the frame. He took a moment to examine his knife, he needed to make a new one.

Entering the platform there was a curved desk located near the center of the room. The room itself seemed quite dead with no lights flickering.

"Is this place some… office?" He wondered.

He'd heard the High - dwellers often gave special treatment those who are claimed to be the higher ups in the military or politics. He guessed this might have been some chief personal room and from the direction it was pointed, whoever was supposed to be here oversee what was going down the downstairs. Kairos scanned the desk hoping to see if anything would give him some answers, but the entire thing was dead and unresponsive. He decided to leave since there wasn't much here but as he looked at the door from the other side of the room, he noticed that.

It was already unlocked.

"Ok, that thing from before… it is definitely watching me" he thought, the door wasn't broken or damaged. Which meant that whatever it was that gave him access to the upper layout of the facility was… aiding him in finding a way out. But why?

What did it want?... why was it aiding him?

Kairos's placed his hand on his waist and took a moment to gather his thoughts. He was given a job by the high - dwellers, went down a hole, fell into the hole, found an old ruin, and now is being followed by some spirit.

"….."

Wow. He thought he would've at least had a few more years before his mind had gone off the deep end.

Walking past the door, Kairos followed the trail of stairwells and ruins upward hoping that this would finally lead him to an exist or at least a chance to find a way up to the surface. As he climbed up the stairs one last time, it had led to another facility. One where there was a round platform built in the middle of the bottom floor and expanded upward connecting with the rampart and its platforms above it. Inside the round platform, the contents within it were a mix of colors, and toys scattered across its floor.

The walls around it were painted with drawings of people, animals, plants and even the sun. From the way it was drew. Kairos knew it was made by children. Lots of children, this place… was where children were kept? His heart ached at the thought. But why underground? How could anyone want to spend the rest of their lives underground. Denying the children kept here to see what the land above could offer.

Kairos brow's furrowed in puzzlement as he tried to make sense of this bewildering situation.

"Open… ELUTHIA 15 Chamber B5 – 009" the metallic voice from before. The one that aided him in reaching this far. Its voice came out of nowhere. Kairos eye's widened in surprise as he looked around, wondering where this being is and what was it saying.

"Open...…. Chamber BB5 – 009 …Comprehensive health examination has been… initiated, Patient 009… Vital Signs scanning… Normal range."

The way it was communicating seemed to have changed. Before the voice sounded… synthetic now it almost sounds human. Even if he didn't understand what it was saying.

"Open chamber…Vital signs, patient 9-what? What's are you talking about?" he shouted at the voice.

It didn't respond.

Kairos didn't bother shouting at it again, he could tell that whatever was happening was beyond his own understanding and finding a way out was his only concern. Slowly he made his way up the rampart to the second platform of the facility, finding the same drawings and colored walls as before, metal crates and all sorts of machinery were scattered across the floor. Another thing that stood out was the odd giant machine built in the middle of the platform. Pod like machinery were attached to the floors and walls and were built deeper into the facilities corners and sides.

Kairos took a few steps leaning at the edge of the railing. Realizing how far deep he'd climbed out off; this entire structure was built into the very depths of the earth. Whatever this place was, it was meant for a lot of people.

"Assessing Blood Pressure…, Blood Pressure Within…Normal Levels. No Immediate Concerns Detected."

The Spirits Voice filled the facility, he didn't know why but he couldn't help but feel as though a sense relief was found within its tone as it was doing whatever it was checking.

"Continuing Assessment, Checking Temperature…"

Kairos's face scrunched up in confusion, ever since he had made his way up to this place it's been reporting these strange topics and telling him to open something?

"What do you want...Why are you following me? why are you helping me?" He shouted at the voice hopping for some confirmation only to be ignored. He wasn't sure what it was doing, but whatever it was must have been more important than him getting answers.

"Temperature … within Normal Range at 98.6F. No Signs of Fever Detected…Examining Oxygen Saturation Levels…"

Kairos took that as his cue to stop wasting time, continuing to investigate each layout of this new facility. He noticed an array of strange equipment and machinery within this facility, it was different from the ones he had just climbed out off.

"What is this place? What were these Pods for?" Kairos wondered out of curiosity.

"Oxygen Saturation Examination Complete, Normal at 98%. No Immediate Concerns Detected. Comprehensive Health Examination Complete"

"Ok...?"

"Ok… this thing is starting to creep me out" he thought to himself meticulously checking every corner available in this part of facility to investigate and hopefully find some answers.

"I Require Your Assistance…"

Kairos' hand paused from touching something as his eyes widened in surprise, the spirit was talking to him.

"Huh... Here I thought you were ignoring me…What do you want from me?" he asked carefully, the last thing he wanted was to make another powerful enemy. He already had plenty of Those.

"Assistance…"

"Assistance...Assistance with what? "Kairos asked the spirit and for a moment there was no reply, nothing but the sound of his breathing.

"Opening…Chamber BB5 – 009" the spirits voice echoed through the facility and suddenly an alarming sound went off, its noise was ringing from the around the left corner of the facility before going quiet. Kairos slowly made his way to the corner, his heart pumping with adrenaline as he braced himself on what to expect. An enemy? a machine, some monstrosities let louse because of him?

The sound of air being released was heard along with metal clings and clangs. Like locks suddenly going off. When Kairos finally arrived, he noticed the same sealed po, similar to the ones he had just passed by. But this was different. This pod was… working!

"What in the Under- "his speech gets cut off as suddenly the sealed doors on the pod open up, smoke coming out of it and for a moment Kairos froze as his eyes stared directly at the pod or rather what was inside it.

"I require Assistance regarding Him…"

The Spirits voice echoed through the hall and if anyone else was there they would have heard it, but it seemed Kairos didn't. His ears were catching the sound of something else. It was a distant and delicate sound, it's a faint cry almost imperceptible at first, but steadily growing louder with each passing second.

It was the heart – wrenching cry of a BABY.

Hope you enjoyed the first chapter. Still figuring out how I intend to move this story along but I'll let you know soon. Until then please feel free to leave comments and suggestions in the review's and...

I'll see you in the next chapter!