FILE_RECOVERY_COMPLETE
PARTIAL_FILE_RETRIEVED
Bloodborne belongs to FromSoftware, Horizon Zero Dawn belongs to Guerrilla Games
Chapter 10: Song of Madness
LOG: A Request Fulfilled: Data Corruption Minimal
Travis Tate: Hey, Cyrus, if this ever reaches you, I just wanted you to know that I've found a way to ensure that your end of your deal with your patron will be upheld through the coming apocalypse. I remember the conversation we had about and yes I know, you never asked. I can't reveal any names or anything like that for security purposes. Already had someone try and steal the entire project. With everything that's been happening, Zero Dawn is Earth's best chance. I transcribed everything we know about the Eldritch into a series of increasingly encrypted text files. With the help of some other alphas on the project I have hidden them in a few of the programs that will ensure Zero Dawn succeeds. All I can say is that they are hidden in a library, a self-destruct, and a blacksmith. The files with all of the information are hidden deep within the programs. Not even the central governing authority of Zero Dawn will be able to find it easily. I can only pray that you are right, and that the Yharnam is truly the greatest evil we could face.
…/…
The remains of the United States Robot Command was an imposing picture on the side of the mountain. The limbs of dead Horus's wove into and out of the mountain. The tanks used to repel the swarm stood in all their ruined glory. Bisected Scarabs, hollowed out Khopeshes and countless old-world weapons littered the path into the ruin.
Interestingly, neither of the striders would even begin the climb. They stopped at the base of the path to the ruin, but the striders would move no further. No amount of force or encouragement could move them. Cyrus looked around, a few Glinthawks flew above them. Far above, and even then, they weren't nearing the mountain.
"Something isn't right about this…" Aloy stated.
Cyrus just hummed in agreement as he began walking up the mountain. An eerie silence had fallen over the area. The only sound that could be heard was the crunching of boots on gravel. Not even the caws of the Glinthawks could pierce the silence of the ruin.
"Cyrus, something doesn't feel right about this place." Aloy said.
"I noticed." Cyrus replied.
The Good Hunter readied his pistol and the Burial Blade as they neared a gash in the rocks. Aloy entered the mountain first. Cyrus was just behind her. The sight inside was gruesome. Several old, armored corpses were propped up on the barriers and walls. Aloy was quick to scan them. More worryingly was the sheer amount of blood and dead Eclipse around the room. It appeared they had fought something. From the lack of other bodies, it was clear who the victor was.
Cyrus edged his way around some of the derelict tanks. He smiled as he reached the back of the garage. An old Hunter's Lantern still stood in the same out of sight spot he had installed it so long ago. With a snap over the wrought iron metal, a dime pale light burst forth and four Messengers crawled from the ground around the lantern.
"Cyrus, what was Operation Enduring Victory?" Aloy asked as he rounded the corner to their entrance.
"The name given to the slaughter of millions." Cyrus answered, matter of factly. "It was the attempts of the militaries of the world to hold off the swarms until they could be stopped. It did little more than delay the inevitable."
"How bad was it?" Aloy asked.
"If you could hold a gun, you were on the front." Cyrus said. "Man, woman, young, old, everyone was there. Only the severely disabled, the youngest children and their mothers were spared from the fighting. I think the youngest that people were enlisted was thirteen, twelve… ten."
"You were just throwing bodies at the problem?" Aloy questioned.
"Not my call, but yes. That is essentially what was happening." Cyrus confirmed. "Enough about that. We aren't alone in this ruin."
"Sylens said he can't find any active focus signals here." Aloy said.
"That may be, but what do you think killed these Eclipse? They certainly weren't here a hundred years ago." Cyrus gestured to the recent dead.
"No idea." Aloy replied. "Machines usually aren't this messy."
"If they can even get in here." Cyrus muttered.
"I think the only way we'll find answers is further down." Aloy gestured to a hole in the back of the room.
A Horus tentacle wound up and out of it. Dim lights of machinery that barely function lit the hole. A multitude of footprints could be seen in the snow at the entrance.
Cyrus nodded and the two slid down into hole. The tunnel was cramped, but navigable. There were no bodies or blood along the tunnel. That, though, quickly changed as they exited the other side. The tunnel opened into an old barracks. More dead bodies were scattered around the area. Fortunately, these bodies weren't Eclipse.
"Metal furnishings?" Aloy questioned as she ran her hand along one of the benches.
"For the most part." Cyrus confirmed. "They weren't meant to be comfortable, just livable. They served their purpose. Though, there were often fabrics thrown on them to make them more comfortable. Unfortunately, time is not the kindest to fabric."
The two walked through the barracks and a couple empty halls. There was a few dead Eclipse in some of the rooms. Cyrus removed one of their masks. Interestingly enough, the man's face was frozen in pure terror. He stood and looked at the blood splatter around the man. A small niggling of fear had begun to worm its way through his being. There were no obvious wounds on the man and his blood and sprayed out from the body in a near perfect circle.
Added to that was the strange eeriness of the ruin. As they descended deeper into Robot Command, Cyrus could feel the Eldritch power resonating through the walls. Aloy was beginning to feel it too. Unlike Cyrus, she couldn't describe what it was she was feeling.
Through another door they found the main meeting room. A glowing picture of the planet floated above a central circular meeting table. Cyrus noted that all the land had a red tint over it.
"Why would I think that?" Aloy suddenly spoke up. "During eclipses, the shadow cast on the moon is curved. So, our world is a globe? And it looks like this from a distance?"
"Yep. They took pictures of it in 1946. About eleven hundred years ago now." Cyrus said. "Tell Sylens I say hi and am glad he can join us."
"He heard you." Aloy replied. "What is this place?"
"The central meeting location for the military heads of the world during the crisis." Cyrus answered, approaching the door at the back of the room.
Aloy followed and walked through it into another hallway. The door at the end of the hall was hanging open and they could hear sounds echoing from beyond. Cyrus's eyes widened in fear as he immediately recognized the sounds. Aloy was curious about them but thought little of it as she approached the door.
Two main sounds could be heard echoing from the room beyond. One was the familiar beeping of a Khopesh. The other was an ethereal haunting song. It was little more than notes being sung, but Cyrus could recognize the song of the Winter Lanterns anywhere.
He ran forward and tackled Aloy to the side. Cyrus pulled her to the side of the wall, his fist held over her mouth. He peeked around the door and got a quick look around the room beyond. The catwalk immediately outside the door was clear and blocking the sight into the room below.
"Whatever you do, do not look at them and do not let them look at you." Cyrus warned as he removed his hand from Aloy's mouth. "Actually, stay here, I'm going to scout that room and tell you what I see."
He crept out onto the catwalk, being sure to stay low to the ground. Aloy was confused. She had never seen the Good Hunter so frazzled or fearful of anything since they had met. She was equally as confused by how stealthy he was being. Stealth was not his forte, yet now he was acting as if his life depended on it.
He crawled to the solid railing at the end of the catwalk and just barely looked over it. The first things he saw were many dead Eclipse. The familiar blood spears of Frenzy still in their bodies. A single Khopesh was patrolling the area. A Horus unit that had broken into the building let in the light from the outside. A pale red moon shone down into the large room. Eldritch energy flowed through the area at such power that Cyrus struggled to maintain control of his thoughts.
The worst things though were the Winter Lanterns. Four of the marching, humming, Eldritch monsters surveyed the area below them. Their innumerable eyes watching every possible direction. Two of them simply stood, humming, and watching from the sides of the room. One walked directly behind the Khopesh and the fourth was walking behind the debris at the back of the room.
"Shit!" Cyrus growled as he crawled back into the hallway he left Aloy in.
"Cyrus?" Aloy whispered as he stood next to her, out of sight of the room beyond.
"One Khopesh, four Winter Lanterns." Cyrus stated.
"Winter Lanterns?" Aloy questioned.
"One pale blood moon to boot." Cyrus continued, ignoring Aloy.
"Cyrus?" Aloy tried to get his attention.
"Not nearly enough sedatives for this." Cyrus muttered.
"Cyrus!" Aloy snapped.
The Good Hunter's vision turned to the huntress.
"What is going on?" Aloy demanded.
"Can you shoot with your eyes closed?" Cyrus asked.
Aloy just raised an eyebrow. Her expression gave him all the answers he needed.
"Yeah, that was a stupid question." Cyrus muttered.
"What's going on?" Aloy asked.
Cyrus sighed. "I didn't want to do this, but we have to speed up your tutelage in my world. Before we continue, I must offer you a choice. You can back out now and return to the entrance of the ruin. I wouldn't blame you. I will continue forward and tell you what I learned. Or you can continue with me, learn of the Eldritch world that I am a part of and condemn yourself to the existence of being a Hunter, accept the consequences of insanity, and see nightmarish entities beyond your understanding."
Aloy hesitated. She glanced towards the door from which she could hear the ethereal humming.
"You don't want me to learn more, do you?" Aloy asked.
"No. I don't want you to be saddled with the same cursed existence I live." Cyrus answered.
Aloy turned back to the Good Hunter and thought over the options. A short silence stretched between them.
"I feel that I need to know for myself. I will continue." Aloy finally answered.
"Very well, for what it is worth, I am sorry." Cyrus responded.
"Don't be." Aloy said.
"Alright, crash course." Cyrus began. "I am part of a world that is full of cosmic and Eldritch horror. I will explain more of it later, but for now, there are a few things you need to know. The more you learn of this world, the more the veil separating the natural from the supernatural is lifted. Only you or I will see it. All others will think you've lost your mind… unless they've seen it too. So, the most important thing for you to ever do. Don't lose yourself. No matter what, do not lose who you are."
"Ok." Aloy said. "And the things in there?"
"Winter Lanterns." Cyrus answered. "Arguably one of the worst aspects of this world. For now, know this. Their gaze will build up a frenzy in your mind. They literally drive you insane by looking at them. The Frenzy has adverse effects on your blood. All of the Eclipse we saw on the way in here were killed by their gaze. Spears of your own blood will burst through your body, and you will die a painful death. Sedatives are the only reliable way to keep your mind calm, but I have very few and even then, you would still be in their gaze."
"So how do you deal with them?" Aloy asked.
"You don't." Cyrus replied. "Every time I've encountered the haunting song of a Winter Lantern, I've snuck past them. They can't kill you if they can't see you. Admittedly, that is easier said than done. And on top of that, we have a live Khopesh down there, so that needs to be destroyed."
"I could probably destroy the Khopesh from up here." Aloy said.
"Probably wouldn't be a bad idea." Cyrus agreed. "Then we'd just have to contend with four Winter Lanterns. We can try, but I have no doubts that the Khopesh will notice us almost immediately once it starts taking damage."
"Ok, if it does notice, we hide until it loses interest." Aloy said. "Then blast it again."
"And if it destroys the catwalk?" Cyrus gestured out the door. "The only chance of destroying that thing without the Winter Lanterns seeing you is up here. If we end up in that arena, hide and do not let them see you. You'll know where they are by the song."
"Let's get to it then." Aloy said.
The duo crept out onto the catwalk. The Winter Lanterns and the Khopesh still patrolled in the same patterns as before. Aloy pulled out a blast sling. She took careful aim and launched a few bombs down at the Khopesh. The first explosion hit and drew the attention of the monsters in the room. Their singing didn't stop, but they watched as another explosion landed on the Khopesh. The third hit true as well and the Khopesh began a scan of the catwalk above.
Cyrus and Aloy crawled along the catwalk. Cyrus kept watch on the Lanterns. The two that had been stationary earlier were now approaching the one in the middle. The one in the back of the room just continued its patrol. Cyrus saw an opportunity.
"Stay low." He whispered. "I think I might be able to start killing the Lanterns. There's enough cover down there to remain hidden."
Aloy nodded and peaked over the railing. The Khopesh had begun marching again, though it did not appear to be removing its gaze from the catwalk. She launched another bomb as Cyrus leapt to the ground below. The explosion wasn't enough to silence the sound of his landing. Fortunately, only one Winter Lantern turned towards where he was. The Lantern didn't see anything, but that didn't stop it from approaching the Good Hunter's hiding place.
Cyrus breathed deeply as he prepared for pain. The Burial Blade was in its scythe form and held tense across his back. The Lantern's song grew louder as it approached the hiding hunter. The moment the Lantern was in his sight, Cyrus swung the blade forward. The Lantern's eyes all glowed for a brief moment before it was stuck by the blade and thrown backwards.
Cyrus leapt around the corner and buried the blade into the chest of the Winter Lantern. With a great heave, the head of the monster was cleanly bisected, blood coating everything around him. The pressure of a Lantern's gaze began building in his mind. He looked up and saw one of the Lantern's rushing at him. He downed one of the few sedatives he had as he heard another explosion rock the Khopesh.
The large machine staggered, and another explosion landed on it. The Winter Lantern that had him in its sights ran at him. Two large arm-like appendages erupted from its side as its head rose to reveal numerous mouths all chomping to bite him. Cyrus stepped back to avoid the grab and downed another sedative. The pressure in his mind eased once more as he brought the Burial Blade down on the Winter Lantern. It did go flying like the first one did, but Cyrus didn't care. He rushed in, switching the scythe back to a scimitar and began slashing. The Winter Lantern fell dead a few seconds later.
He was obscured from the view of the last Lantern by the machine. Something that Cyrus smirked at, he planned to use that to his advantage. The Khopesh braced itself as another bomb landed on its from. It aimed at the catwalk and opened fire. Cyrus ran and climbed up the machine as the missiles flew towards the catwalk above. The Good Hunter ran the length of the Khopesh and leapt off it towards the last Winter Lantern.
He could feel the effects of the Lantern once more as he descended on the entity. His blade bit into the flesh of the monster's engorged head and continued down. The monster fell dead in a burst of blood. Another explosion rocked the Khopesh. Cyrus turned to see Aloy thrown another bomb. The Khopesh tanked it like the rest, but Cyrus could see it beginning to tremble. The loud beeping of the machine signified overheating as various cooling rods deployed. Aloy immediately fired arrows at the rods. As the third arrow hit and subsequently blew up the cooling rod, the Khopesh fell dead.
Aloy turned to the Good Hunter. Before she could do anything else, Cyrus heard the Lantern's song once more, and Aloy fell to the ground grasping at her head. Cyrus turned and realized he had forgotten the Lantern that had been patrolling the back of the area. It simply stood and stared at Aloy; its eyes alight with the Eldritch glow from its gaze.
Cyrus turned and aimed his pistol and fired at the Winter Lantern. He downed another sedative as its gaze turned to him. The pressure he could feel in his mind was immense as he ran at the Eldritch abomination. He grunted in pain as he could feel the spears of blood erupting from his body. He slammed a blood vial into his thigh as he neared the Winter Lantern. The monster suddenly stepped forward and prepared to grab him as the second one had.
The Good Hunter fired his pistol and staggered the monster. Its gaze still bored into him, but Cyrus recognized the slight glint of fear in its many eyes as he plunged his fist into the beast. With a yank, he pulled out the monster's heart in a spurt of blood. The glow and overwhelming presence left his mind as the last Winter Lantern fell dead. Their song went silent once more.
Cyrus ran towards Aloy. She was knelt in the snow, clutching at her head. Even with the Lantern's gone, their presence could still be felt. The Frenzy was leaving his mind quickly, but Cyrus had long grown used to the familiar madness of dealing with the Eldritch.
"Aloy, look at me." Cyrus commanded.
Through the haze, Aloy looked in the general direction of his voice. Her eyes were unfocused and bloodshot. Cyrus could see the pain within them.
"Drink." He commanded, handing her his last sedative.
Aloy tried to grasp at the small vial, but her state left her uncoordinated. Cyrus gently grabbed her hand and closed it around the sedative. He removed the cork and helped her get it to her mouth. She managed to drink it down after that.
Her eyes began to close. Cyrus gently picked her up and carried her into the room beyond. It was another hallway. An old sign pointed towards another barracks down another hall. Cyrus carried Aloy down the hall to the barracks. It wasn't the most comfortable, but it was better than the snow.
The Good Hunter lay Aloy down on one of the old bunks and draped his tattered cloak over her. He sat in a chair next to her and allowed himself to drift off to sleep. His last thoughts revolving around how a Nightmare had managed to intersect with the Waking World.
ERROR-DATA_CORRUPTION-BEGIN_FILE_RECOVERY…/…
Data Log TEH-010
Thank you to all who read this, your feedback and views are much appreciated.
Goodbye viewer; Fare thee well.
End Log S.T.K.