FILE_RECOVERY_COMPLETE
PARTIAL_FILE_RETRIEVED
Bloodborne belongs to FromSoftware, Horizon Zero Dawn belongs to Guerrilla Games
Chapter 34: Returned to the Grave
LOG: Timeless: Data Uncorrupted
Cyrus Bishop: The hunt is endless… the night is endless… and yet, I still wonder how long I actually spent in Yharnam. By all accounts, my time in Yharnam was a single night. One single night…
No one even knew that I had been gone for so long. It was such a surreal experience… so many people who recognized me and not a face that I knew. I'm sure they would have had me imprisoned or killed had I stayed. So, I retreated from the public eye. I wandered and continued to Hunt. To be honest, I rarely ever interacted with the wider world. I don't know how long the hunt was…
Was it merely decades? Or was it centuries? I spent so long reliving one single night. I lost count after. Everything started to stagnate by the seventh repeat. Nothing changed. Nothing… changed…
Then there were the labyrinths. Who knows how long I spent in them. An impossible maze of tunnels, storms and skies hidden underground in a nightmare of their own. Playing host to all sorts of monsters that I had faced before, and other beings faced by hunters' past. How long did I spend then? Months? Years? Decades…
Doll didn't know. Time does not pass in the dream. And even if it did, would we still know? I knew that the days were passing. Even as a Hunter where I do not need regular sleep… even in the labyrinth where time has no meaning, I could still feel my body wishing to sleep. Even if I never actually felt tired. I will never know how long I spent in those tunnels… or in Yharnam…
That's how the hunt gets to you first, Aloy. It removes your sense of time. If I can do things my way, you'll never have to know what it feels like to lose an uncountable length of time. You'll never know what it feels like… I pray that things go that well for you. For now, I'll just have to do my best.
Doll has said that I care too much for my own good.
…/…
"This disappearing act of yours is getting old rather fast." Cyrus said as he quickly caught up to Aloy.
She may have been quite the runner and had a good head start, but Cyrus had learned the art of quickening and had millennia of Eldritch reinforcement on his side. Catching up to her was little issue. The look of annoyance that flashed his way made Cyrus chuckle.
"I thought you had your own problems to deal with." Aloy replied as she slowed down to a light jog.
"I do." Cyrus confirmed. "But getting to the point that we can actually handle those problems is something that takes time. For instance, I have absolutely no idea what to do about HEPHAESTUS. And Helheim is still a blind spot. I need someone who knows something."
"Like GAIA?" Aloy asked.
"She is one distinct possibility." Cyrus said. "So, for the time being, I shall be travelling with you to help you deal with the blight."
"I don't need your help." Aloy replied.
"I didn't say you did. And even if I did say that it would behoove you to keep in mind that you aren't alone." Cyrus said. "So, what are you looking for?"
Aloy sighed. "Sylens left a set of coordinates for me at the top of the spire pointing to where he had taken HADES. I believe that HADES might be able to help me find a backup GAIA core."
"Logical." Cyrus stated as they continued walking.
They walked throughout the day and the night. The moon was dim overhead, a mere crescent ambling across the night sky. A feeling of unease fell around them. Aloy was the one who noticed it first. The unease seemed to be stemming from Cyrus. It wasn't hard to tell that the Hunter was quite agitated as they walked through a landscape that he probably recognized. As dawn broke, Aloy noted that they were nearing the coordinates that Sylens had left. Cresting a hill they could see into a large valley of sorts. In the bottom of that valley was a small lake of pristine water. Even from where they stood, they could tell that the waters were as clear as day. A small camp rested on the far shore of the lake.
Cyrus glared at the main attraction of the area. A massive Horus titan stood above the small camp. Aloy noted how much more destroyed this one looked compared to any others she had seen. Large gashes lined its body. Several of the tentacle like limbs had been sliced off. A large crater on one side of the machine showed that it had been in one hell of battle. The color of the machine was also off. Instead of the usual slate grey of steel plates that most Faro machines bore, this one was tinged a deep, dark crimson… and it echoed with Eldritch power. Long faded, but still present.
Aloy glanced at the Good Hunter. "Cyrus-"
"The Blood Wasp." Cyrus interrupted. "Why did he make a camp here?"
"I don't know." Aloy said. "But we have work to do."
The two started to make their way towards Sylens's camp. Cyrus never let his gaze leave the titan. As they walked around the edge of the lake, Aloy spoke up.
"I've been curious about this for a while." She began. "Did any other Horus titans get special names?"
"Most of them were named." Cyrus replied, removing his gaze from the Blood Wasp. "But only a few of them rose to prominence. The Blood Wasp and its swarm were the most obvious. None of the machines actively targeted humans for their fueling system."
"What about the others?" Aloy asked.
"Lets see… other than the Blood Wasp there were four titans that were very prominently known. The second most well known was The Devil's Right Hand. That titan was responsible for destroying a country called Italy and the center of the largest religion in the world at that time. It went on to crush much of Europe. Then there was Mjolnir. A massive titan that was named after it destroyed the Scandinavian countries. It was also marked by damage on the limbs that constantly sparked with electricity. The third that everyone knew was the Midnight Harvest. That titan and its swarm were the primary force responsible for destroying the food supply. It was also incredibly stealthy and only ever attacked at night. We only learned of it after vast swathes of farmland were rendered barren and salted with Horus titan evidence showing that it had been there. Cyrus explained.
"Salted?" Aloy interrupted.
"Yeah, it has been done several times in the past. If you salt the earth, plant life can't grow. Retreating armies would salt the earth in their wake. The idea being that they couldn't have the land and they were going to ensure their enemy couldn't have it either." Cyrus said.
"I presume the land eventually recovered." Aloy said.
"Eventually." Cyrus confirmed. "Anyways, the last prominent titan was known as The Admiral. It never attacked the continents, but it decimated the seas. Any country with a navy would eventually be attacked by The Admiral."
"The swarm sounds intelligent." Aloy said.
"The system that governed it was certainly robust and learned quickly." Cyrus said. "Absolutely no idea how they did it. The swarm's intelligence has me half convinced that the problem we faced was not a glitch."
The two lapsed into silence as they reached Sylen's camp. Cyrus breathed a small sigh of relief as he noted that Blood Wasp's core was missing. It did make him curious though. Where was the core? Without that core, the machine had no brain and would not operate. Granted, the Blood Wasp had been dead for long time.
Fortunately, a very obvious trail led away from the campsite. Aloy started following it. Cyrus followed close by, but not before firing a bullet into the dead husk of the Blood Wasp. Aloy looked at him in slight confusion. He ignored it and the two followed the trail. Aloy could barely see the prints of a charger in the small indent.
The trail led up and around to the entrance of an old-world facility. Right in front of that entrance was the core of the Blood Wasp.
"I don't get it." Aloy said.
"What don't you get?" Cyrus asked.
"Why would Sylens leave this here?" Aloy asked.
"How well do you know Sylens?" Cyrus queried.
"Well, enough to know that he's a knowledgeable cunning opportunist." Aloy replied.
"Well, he probably knows about the blight." Cyrus said. "It is kind of hard to miss."
"So, he left this here and the coordinates for me to follow on the chance that I find a way to stop it." Aloy concluded.
"That is one possibility." Cyrus replied. "I'm curious if he left HADES behind."
"Only one way to find out."
Aloy walked up to the titan core. She pressed the override core on her staff to the titan core. Their focuses both began projecting a corrupted image of the HADES subordinate. Cyrus looked around. Amongst the haze of glitching projection, he could see remnants of Caryll Runes.
"System… threat… det- det- de- detected." The slightly glitchy voice of HADES said. "Eldritch-itch anomaly detec-tected. Aloy… Cyrus…"
"Present and accounted for." Cyrus responded.
"You… are here… to destroy… me-me-me-me-me." HADES said.
Cyrus could recognize pain in the subordinate function's voice.
"Yes. Permanently. Even like this you would be a threat to GAIA once I resurrect her." Aloy said.
"Mer-mer-mer-go… GAIA would easily contain me…" HADES admitted. "But… you have not… secured her... y-y-y-y-yet?"
Their silence spoke volumes.
"The-then despite… setbacks…I won. GAIA is gone… Earth is doomed-ed-ed." HADES boasted.
"Not yet." Cyrus said.
"Did Sylens ask you where to find a backup GAIA core?" Aloy asked.
"ERROR: Data compromised… mem-mem-mem-memory structures disintegrating." HADES responded.
"Of course, that would have been too easy." Aloy snarked.
"What did Sylens do to you?" Cyrus asked.
"Sy-Sy-Sylens…interrogated… me." HADES answered.
"What did you tell him?" Aloy asked.
"ERR-ERR-ERROR: Data compromised… memory structures… disintegrating." HADES responded.
"Do you remember anything?" Cyrus asked.
"You." HADES responded. "Possessed by-by-by-by… Eldritch god. Destroyed me."
"What else?" Aloy prodded.
"Yhar…nam" HADES choked out.
"Yharnam?" Cyrus focused on the image of the subordinate function.
"Sylens wanted… wanted… everything. He took… what I would… not give." HADES said. "He could not… acc-acc-acc-acc-acc-acc Yharnam… files. I am not… the worst. I would… would… would… be preferable… to that… fate. Cy-Cy-Cy-Cy- Bishop… understands."
"All too well." Cyrus confirmed.
"Do you know where Sylens went?" Aloy asked.
"Negative. Sy-Sy-lens departed 12.83 days… ago… destination-nation-nation unknown." HADES answered.
"Do you know why Sylens brought you here?" Aloy asked.
"He want-ant-ant-anted you to find… me here. Reason unkno-o-o-o-o-o-own." HADES said.
"You're being awfully helpful." Cyrus stated.
"Compliance required." HADES said. "Alpha Prime access."
"Ok, but why here? Why this place exactly?" Aloy asked.
"Reason unknown." HADES repeated. "Called it… my grave."
"Aloy, we can find out in a minute. I suspect that HADES is falling apart." Cyrus said.
"Assumption confirmed." HADES said. "System integrity holding… 17% system integrity. Sy-Sy-Sylens damaged…"
"Do you know where the other subordinate functions are?" Aloy asked.
"Subordinates retreated to-to-to- ERROR: Data compromised… memory structures disintegrated." HADES answered.
"Dammit." Aloy muttered. "More crazed AIs lost to the wild."
"And HEPHAESTUS grows deeper in the Eldritch." Cyrus growled.
"HEP- must… be… stopped." HADES said. "Second Yharnam… Nightmare…"
"Did Sylens ever question you about the signal that woke you up?" Aloy asked.
"Yes. Tran-tran-transmitted by masters." HADES said. "One goal… destroy…"
"Who are your masters?" Aloy continued.
"ERROR: Data com-om-om-promised… memory structures disintegrated." HADES responded.
"I think it's time to end this." Aloy stated.
"Does… entity Aloy… think she can… save this… world?" HADES questioned.
"Yeah. Aloy does." Aloy snarked.
"Then… Aloy is deluded. Barring… Eldritch anomaly… Cy…rus, extinction is… inevit-vit-vitable." HADES concluded.
"What would you know, HADES. Twice you tried to destroy life on Earth and twice you failed." Aloy snapped. "The only extinction you've ever brought is your own."
"Aloy is… incorrec-re-re-rect." HADES said.
"You had to activate before, didn't you?" Cyrus asked.
"Three times." HADES confirmed. "Mer-mer-mer-GAIA created non-non-non-viable biospheres. Extermination dates: 2154, 2161, 2168, 2213, 2225. Current bio-bio-biosphere… is seventh iteration. There-there-there-there… will be no… eighth."
"THERE WON'T HAVE TO BE! I'M SAVING THIS ONE!" Aloy yelled.
"Aloy…" Cyrus tried to calm her.
"Entity is… deluded. Mental state… failing. Out-Out-Outcome is inevitable. Entities are outmatched… pawns against… queens. Loss is… is… inevitable." HADES crowed in his glitching voice.
Aloy twisted her staff against the core.
"Master override detected. To activate, state name and rank." The synthetic voice of FARO machines said.
"Elisabet Sobeck, Alpha Prime." Aloy growled. "System, purge HADES."
"Master override accepted. Purging extinction protocol." The system responded.
"Earth… is doomed… Extinction will… triumph." HADES said as his system was destroyed.
Aloy dropped her spear as the projection vanished.
"I see you've found my little gift." The voice of Sylens echoed through their focuses.
Aloy looked up and glared at the holographic projection of Sylens.
"Back to holograms and spying I see. Afraid that I'll stab something precious?" Aloy growled at him.
"It is more efficient this way." Sylens said, unfazed by the outburst.
"And still incredibly rude. You decided to return to spying on us?" Cyrus asked, a small grin on his face.
"Yep. Same spyware as before." Aloy said.
"And I must say, you've uncovered some rather interesting data, Cyrus Bishop." Sylens said.
"Have you found anything?" Cyrus asked.
"No." Sylens said.
"I had hoped you would. I've turned up nothing on Helheim myself." Cyrus said.
"You knew he was spying?" Aloy asked.
"Knew? No." Cyrus said. "I did have my suspicions though."
"You are more observant than history gives you credit for." Sylens said.
"Eh, most see my observance of the Eldritch world and assume I've got a few screws loose." Cyrus said.
"Ok, back to the main problem here. Did you find a backup GAIA core or not?" Aloy asked.
"I do believe I did." Sylens said. "HADES mentioned someone named Mer-"
"Finish that name and you'll summon the full might of the Hunt against you." Cyrus interrupted.
"Sorry?" Sylens questioned.
"That being is one of the few things that will directly call upon the gaze of our patron. They hate her with the rage of a thousand suns. Don't say her name. Keep it as GAIA." Cyrus advised.
"Fine, GAIA then." Sylens conceded. "Anyway, I summoned you here to this location. Behind that gene locked hatch is where they tested the HADES protocol, using GAIA backups."
"And HADES told you this?" Aloy said.
"Not willingly." Sylens replied.
"You sound like you've been busy." Cyrus said.
"Exceptionally so." Sylens replied.
"Busy enough to teach the Tenakth how to override machines?" Aloy questioned.
"Rebels, and yes." Sylens said. "However, the only thing you should be concerned with is securing a GAIA core. We will speak again."
Sylens disconnected and his hologram vanished.
"Asshole." Aloy grumbled.
"Love him or hate him, he's not the worst." Cyrus said.
"Really?" Aloy snarked with a sidelong glance at Cyrus.
"Aloy, be real, he's more honest than I am." Cyrus replied.
"Yes, but you have at least given good reasons for your deception." Aloy said. "Do you think there are backup's in there?"
"At one point there were if this is a testing ground like Sylens said." Cyrus replied. "There's always the possibility that one or two remain."
"Nothing for it, I suppose…" Aloy stepped up to the door.
"Hold for identiscan." The system said. "Genetic profile confirmed Entry authorized. Greetings, Dr. Sobeck. Please step inside."
The door tried to open, but the long-overgrown system shuddered and stopped.
"Great, just great." Aloy said.
Aloy had an idea and turned to Cyrus.
"Could you use the Eldritch tongue to get through like you did back at Zero Dawn?" She asked.
"I could, but I have a better solution." Cyrus stated. "As a Hunter, you should know that we have tools for most any situation."
Aloy watched as Cyrus pulled out a glass bottle with a rag stuffed into the lid in one hand and a small piece of paper in the other. Cyrus grinned as he crushed the small paper. Aloy almost jumped back as fire erupted over his glove. He held his burning hand to the rag in the bottle. When it had caught fire, Cyrus tossed it at the plants. The bottle shattered into a small fireball. Burning liquid spread out along the old roots and soon the entire growth.
It took a few minutes, but the door was able to open.
"Please step inside." The system repeated.
"After you, my lady." Cyrus said with a bow.
Aloy rolled her eyes and entered the ruin. Cyrus followed behind her as the door closed.
ERROR-DATA_CORRUPTION-BEGIN_FILE_RECOVERY…/…
Data Log TEH-034
Sometimes, I really hate college. My free time is preciously rare.
Thank you to all who read this, your feedback and views are much appreciated, and thank you for sticking with me.
Goodbye viewer; Fare thee well.
End Log S.T.K.