FILE_RECOVERY_COMPLETE
PARTIAL_FILE_RETRIEVED
Bloodborne belongs to FromSoftware, Horizon Zero Dawn belongs to Guerrilla Games
Chapter 19: Hunter's Purpose
LOG: Mergo: Data Uncorrupted
Doll: Is there something wrong, Good Hunter?
Cyrus Bishop: Huh? Sorry, Doll. Lost in thought. Did you want something?
Doll: Just asking if something was wrong.
Cyrus Bishop: No. Nothing's wrong.
Doll: Then what has you lost in thought?
Cyrus Bishop: Mergo.
Doll: What about her?
Cyrus Bishop: Sometimes, I wonder if I did the right thing.
Doll: You did. You need not worry, Good Hunter, you did the right thing with the infant Great One.
…/…
"What happened?" Aloy asked as they neared the mountain entrance.
"Attackers came from the East. Our sentinels saw them and sent out the warning, but it wasn't enough. The machines they brought blasted right through. Some of them even devoured our people alive." Varl answered.
"Blood Wasps." Cyrus interjected. "I've taken care of them."
"What is the outsider doing back here?" Sona asked.
"The Matriarchs told me to travel with him." Aloy replied. "Without him, I'd be long dead."
"And he just accepted that?" Sona questioned.
"I'm standing right here, and I can answer for myself." Cyrus said. "She wanted answers. I provided her an avenue to get them."
"How many survived?" Aloy cut in.
"The Matriarchs and many of the families. But the braves who fought the demon here are all that's left." Sona replied. "Not even the Carja and the Red Raids made it into the Embrace."
"And the survivors took shelter in the mountain?" Aloy continued.
"Teersa broke the taboo." Varl answered. "Lansra protested, but no one heard. Teersa said it's better to save the tribe than a tradition."
"That probably did save your tribe. Now, I tire of needless talk. Aloy, we have a mountain to open." Cyrus interrupted.
"You are staying out here, Outlander." Sona said. "The mountain is sacred ground for the Nora and none, but the Nora are permitted to enter."
Cyrus simply looked at Sona. "And if I don't care?"
"Cyrus, Sona, enough!" Aloy commanded. "Cyrus, stop antagonizing her. Sona, he enters. These places of the ancients hold doors and puzzles that only he can open. He enters."
"Fine." Sona glared.
Cyrus chuckled as the four of them entered the sacred mountain. They were stopped by an older woman, who Aloy addressed as Teersa. Cyrus let them speak as he continued deeper into the mountain. He did not recognize the halls, and a few of the Nora attempted to stop him. He just kept walking.
"Who are you and why are you trespassing on sacred ground?" An older voice asked him.
Cyrus turned to see that the one addressing him was another older woman dressed as ornately as Teersa. Though she was shorter and wore a rather impressive scowl on her face.
"A Hunter." Cyrus answered. "And I am here to enter the door in front of me."
"You think the Goddess will speak with you?" The woman scoffed. "You blaspheme this sacred place."
"He no more blasphemes this place than Aloy does, Lansra." Teersa said walking into the room with Aloy and a third ornately dressed woman.
"They are both curses on this place!" Lansra argued.
"Aloy isn't." Cyrus spoke up. "Now, Aloy, if you would be so kind."
Aloy nodded at Cyrus and walked up to the door. Cyrus watched as she opened an interface with her Focus and replaced the Alpha Registry. Satisfied she stepped back. A blue scanning beam emitted from the top of the door.
"Hold for identiscan." The synthetic voice stated. "Alpha Registry restored. Genetic identity confirmed. Welcome, Dr. Sobeck."
The door hissed open. Cyrus smirked and Aloy smiled. He took a step towards the door. A few of the Nora attempted to stop him. Teersa commanded them to let him through. Aloy smiled and the two entered the bunker.
"Welcome to Eleuthia Cradle 9, brood 1." The voice spoke up again.
"Figured I might be hearing from you." Aloy said.
"Sylens?" Cyrus asked.
"Who else?" Aloy snarked.
"Who else indeed." Cyrus muttered as he walked through the entrance to the cradle site.
There were two doors at the end of the entrance hall. One of them was powered. Cyrus opened it up and they were greeted with a strange sight. The halls were covered in various markings and drawings. Most interesting was the ever-present symbol of the Hunter's Mark.
"That's… disturbing." Aloy muttered.
"Indeed." Cyrus replied as they continued on.
Aloy ventured into one of the side rooms. Cyrus continued around the hall. He glanced out the glass windows into the main room below. The sheer number of terminals seemed to indicate that it was meant to be an Apollo learning center. Cyrus shook his head and turned around and entered a room that appeared to have been designed for teens. The room was… disturbing.
There were various items meant to occupy the minds of curious teens, but they appeared to have been untouched. The real problem was the humanoid machines. There were five of them. Four were arranged in a circle around the fifth. The four on the ground were posed, as if they were worshiping something. The fifth was hanging from the roof by its legs. Arms and legs tied together.
"Just like Yharnam." Cyrus muttered.
"Is that what the Hunter's Mark is meant to represent?" Aloy asked as she entered the room.
"No, it represents the Hunter's Mark." Cyrus corrected. "Come, something more important than your birth occurred here."
Cyrus didn't bother to listen to any response she might have had, instead he just walked to the end of the hall. The door at the end of the hall was powered off. A large Hunter's Mark covered the door. Around it were several drawings claiming the door as evil. Cyrus slammed the Burial Blade into the door and pried. With a bit of force, the door was forced open.
"Cyrus?" Aloy asked. "What's wrong?"
"I don't know." Cyrus replied. "But we will find out. That room was probably a control room of sorts."
Cyrus and Aloy began walking through the room. However, curiosity did get the better of Aloy and she activated one of the terminals.
"There's nothing there." Cyrus said.
"You don't know that." Aloy replied.
"Yeah, I do." Cyrus muttered as Aloy watched the fragment of what was left on the system.
"Hello, child. My name is Samina. Today is a big day. Your first day of school. There's so much for you to learn. So much promise and possibility." The voice and image of one of the Zero Dawn alphas said.
"Error. Malfunction. Apollo offline." A synthetic voice stated.
"What?" Aloy asked. "Apollo offline?"
"The history of millions. Deleted with one keystroke." Cyrus said. "I told you that there wouldn't be anything to find."
"Apollo was deleted?" Aloy asked.
"By Ted Faro." Cyrus replied.
"But… he funded the project, why would he delete it?" Aloy asked.
"Because Ted Faro is a selfish bastard who tried to cover up his mistakes." Cyrus said. "It was one of the last things he did before I killed him."
"You killed Ted Faro?" Aloy asked.
"Yep. When the Moon Presence wants something, there isn't much that will stop it from sending you to do it." Cyrus muttered as he continued through the terminal room.
The door that led to the staircase was open and the two of them walked up. The control room at the top was equally as strange and disconcerting as the rest of the place. The moment they entered, the door shut, and Cyrus felt something was off. He glanced around.
The ever-present gaze of the Moon Presence was absent. For the first time since he took Gehrman's place, he couldn't feel the ever-crushing presence of his Eldritch patron. His blood seemed extraordinarily calm. The world seemed clearer. He couldn't hear the whispering madness of his insight. Cyrus breathed a brief sigh of relief.
"I could get used to this." He spoke.
"What?" Aloy asked, noting his strange change of demeanor.
"This peace." Cyrus stated, as he began looking around.
His eyes widened as he took in the walls, the floor, and the ceiling. They were covered in Caryll Runes, and he recognized them all. He could see every possible iteration of the lake and deep sea runes scattered along the walls. The Hunter actually traced his hand along one of the runes. He could feel the Eldritch power etched into the rune and noticed that it was carved into the metal of the wall.
Along the ceiling were more lake and deep sea runes. However, dominating them was a massive Hunter's Mark painted onto the metal. The floor however only had one rune. A massive moon rune was carved into the floor. The indentation was painted blood red. Cyrus chuckled as he recognized what was happening. Yet, a small worry was building in the back of his mind.
"Cyrus, what does all of this mean?" Aloy asked. "I recognize some of these runes."
"It's a technique I learned about shortly after Yharnam's fall." Cyrus said. "So, you know how the runes provide various benefits when etched into the mind of a Hunter?"
"Yes." Aloy stated.
"Well, each rune has various secondary purposes. Many of the Great Ones and Old Ones have a run that represents them. Etching those runes into your mind draws you closer to them. For instance, this rune carved into the floor is the moon rune." Cyrus stated, gesturing to the large rune on the floor.
"Is it the one associated with our patron?" Aloy asked.
"Indeed. Some runes are associated with various Eldritch creations. The Hunter's Mark is associated with the Hunt." Cyrus continued. "Many of these runes are like that, they represent what they are and draw forth power from what they associate with. However, the lake and deep sea runes both represent large bodies of water."
"Obviously." Aloy snarked.
"Yes, well they are defensive in nature. An odd technique I learned after Yharnam fell was that by inscribing multiple different types of deep sea or lake runes into my mind, I could protect myself from the Great Ones. It wasn't ever perfect, as with enough power, any Great One could break through." Cyrus explained. "Now, I learned that surrounding the rune associated with an Eldritch entity in the lake or deep sea runes would protect my mind from that entity, and only that entity. Any other could enter, but not them."
"So…" Aloy gestured for him to continue.
"I told you once before, the Eldritch tongue has power, both written and spoken. Someone has completely cut this room off from the Moon Presence and the Hunt." Cyrus finished. "I want to know who and how."
"Could it have been one of the ancients?" Aloy asked.
"I doubt it." Cyrus said. "I only taught the technique to two people. I doubt that either of them visited this place."
"Then who could it be?" Aloy asked.
"I have no idea." Cyrus replied. "Is your Focus picking up anything?"
Aloy looked around. "A message saved on that terminal."
Cyrus looked over at the terminal Aloy mentioned. She walked up to it and activated. A hologram activated and spread throughout the room. Cyrus noted that the runes were still present within the hologram. He watched, curious as the Hunter's Mark appeared hanging in the air. Before the image flickered into the form of a tall woman with a golden gown. Cyrus's eyes widened as his insight let him see beyond. Layered over the image of the woman, was another being. An Eldritch entity that he recognized. A vaguely humanoid face, a strange mesh of limbs extending behind it from below the head in a cape of some form, four arms, each ending in a hand with a different number of fingers, and three legs. The figure appeared to glance over in his direction and smiled, before it changed shape into the form of the woman.
"Elisabet, I do not know if this message will ever reach you, but an unforeseen and catastrophic anomaly has occurred. The GAIA Prime facility received a data transmission of unknown origin. Its immediate effect was to transform my Subordinate Functions into unregulated, self-aware entities of a highly chaotic nature." GAIA began. "Thus awakened, the HADES Function attempted to seize control of the terraforming system and reverse operations,… rendering life on Earth extinct. For obvious reasons, I could not allow this to occur. And so, before HADES took control, I ordered GAIA Prime's reactor to overload. The resulting explosion should have destroyed HADES. Unfortunately, it probably destroyed me as well. While this is an admittedly desperate course of action, it should have averted the immediate crisis concerning the fate of life. With no central governing intelligence to regulate the terraforming system, it will continue operations for some time,… but in an increasingly chaotic and violent manner, and eventually it will break down."
"Is that why the machines have been more aggressive?" Aloy asked herself.
"You are my solution. I have ordered this Cradle facility to use genetic material in cryo-storage to gestate a,… re-instantiation of Elisabet Sobeck, my creator. While high-level directives forbid me from communicating directly to the tribal inhabitants outside the facility… all available data indicates that they will nurture you to physical maturity… whereupon your gene print will allow you to re-enter this facility,… obtain one of the Focus devices stored below, and view this message. Likewise, your gene print will allow you to enter other facilities,… and over time, harness their technologies to rebuild the system core and reboot GAIA." GAIA paused. "A moment, Elisabet. However, in an unfortunate and unanticipated response to my self-destruction, HADES launched a virus to dissolve the code shackles that hold all of subordinate functions in place. They escaped, but I do not know where they went. The virus has corrupted data throughout the system. The Alpha Registry at the Cradle facility is one of the files corrupted. But if that is so, the door will never open for you. You will never view this message. Then I have failed… and life will end."
A look of defiance crossed GAIA's face.
"No. No, Elisabet, I know you too well. Somehow you will find a way. Go to the ruins of GAIA Prime. Find the control room, and within it, the Master Override. This will give you the power to purge HADES - so long as you find a way to wield it. Do not attempt repair of the system core until HADES is eradicated. HADES must be destroyed." GAIA paused and turned slightly. "I have also sent a code into the systems of another project. It took me a few years, but I did find one of the greatest men to walk the planet. A code I sent should deactivate his cryostasis and provide for you the same guidance that was given to me. Ancients in the past delved into the Eldritch knowledge, and I worked to protect it so that your agreement was fulfilled. With his help, I know that you and Cyrus can enter this facility. Cyrus, as you once protected me before, I ask you to protect me again, and this world I recreated. I have hidden myself away, for now. I would wish you luck, but you have never needed it."
The hologram ended. Aloy turned to Cyrus. She was surprised to see a small smile on his face.
"How did she know you?' Aloy asked.
"Because I practically raised her." Cyrus answered. "You probably don't have enough insight to see beyond the veil yet, but save that recording when you do, watch it again and you will see what I saw."
"What did you see?" Aloy asked.
"Travis said that building a working AI was impossible." Cyrus stated. "So, he made a deal. I can't fault him for his choice though. Travis asked a Great One to be the governing intelligence of this world, and now I know who warded this room."
"Which Great One did he ask?" Aloy asked.
"Have I told you the purpose of the Hunt?" Cyrus asked.
"No." Aloy answered.
"Well, it has changed with time and it's different for each hunter. When I was in Yharnam, I thought my purpose was to find Paleblood and transcend the Hunt." Cyrus replied.
"Paleblood?' Aloy queried.
"The blood of certain Great Ones." Cyrus answered. "Anyway, as the Hunt went on, finding Paleblood became little more than a distraction to my true purpose. The Moon Presence wanted me to kill a Great One. An infant Great One. And yet, every time…"
"You couldn't do it?" Aloy prodded.
"Nope. It's the only thing I remember from before Yharnam. This intense moral block. No matter what, I cannot kill a child. I have not, nor will not directly kill a child." Cyrus said. "Regardless of which plane they exist on. The memories are hazy, but I endured the Night of the Hunt time and time again. Never completing the one purpose the Moon Presence demanded of me. Eventually, I found out by taking the place of my old mentor, Gehrman."
"She said you protected her." Aloy pointed out.
"Her name is Mergo and she's right. I taught her how to hide using the Eldritch. Despite no longer being the one to hunt her, the Moon Presence still wants Mergo dead." Cyrus answered. "And now it appears that she is the mind that makes up the GAIA AI."
"Why?" Aloy asked.
"Don't know. Though, if I had to guess, I'd say it's because Mergo represents a direct threat to the Moon Presence's power. This room is warded against our patron, and the Hunt itself. She would have hidden herself in a room much like this one. We have to find her." Cyrus said.
"First, we need to stop Hades." Aloy said.
"Yes." Cyrus agreed. "And to do that, we need to get to GAIA prime."
ERROR-DATA_CORRUPTION-BEGIN_FILE_RECOVERY…/…
Data Log TEH-019
Merry Christmas. This has been an incredible year. I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Thank you to all who read this, your feedback and views are much appreciated.
Goodbye viewer; Fare thee well.
End Log S.T.K.