FILE_RECOVERY_COMPLETE
PARTIAL_FILE_RETRIEVED
Bloodborne belongs to FromSoftware, Horizon Zero Dawn belongs to Guerrilla Games
Chapter 36: Lingering Pain
LOG: Thinking in the Wrong Direction: Data Corruption Minimal
Dr. Joseph Ozark: One of my colleagues on this project brought an idea to my attention. Despite the impossible energy requirements needed to punch through the fabric of reality, we have continued to work away on the Helheim project.
However, I have been convinced that we've been going about it all wrong. We assumed that when Faro was implying the existence of alternate dimensions, he was talking about the many worlds theory. Essentially, at any intersection of choices, a new world or dimension is created for each possible choice. For analogy, you are at an intersection that stretches north, east, south, and west. There is a new world for each of those directions. We assumed that the idea was we went north, and from the north path we want to get to the east path.
Dr. Rachel Nichols actually brought up a new idea. What if we were still at that intersection but we aren't trying to take one path, then get to another from the path we take. Instead, what if we try going up. What if we tried going in a direction that isn't physically possible? Theoretically, it could work… assuming we've been thinking about alternate dimensions wrong. Higher dimensions do theoretically exist. The math works in fourth, fifth, sixth… infinite dimensions. We know the first, second and third dimensions exist, time is theorized to be the fourth dimension. And Faro gave us evidence for a fifth. Mayhaps, this isn't as impossible as I originally thought…
…/…
Error: Unit MK-mark-7Y design incompatible.
Hmm…
Begin search for a compatible system. Priority status 1.
…
…
…
System found. Error: System not part of Cauldron network.
…/…
The morning light was almost painful. The aching muscles in her body were actually painful. Aloy slowly opened her eyes. She was lying on a mat in a woven hut of sorts. She forced herself to sit up.
"Glad to see that you're awake."
Aloy turned to see Varl at the entrance to the hut.
"Here. You were clutching this like your life depended on it when I found you." Varl held out the GAIA core to her.
"What happened?" Aloy asked.
"I don't know what went on in that facility, but I found you washed up on the shore of a river, half dead." Varl responded.
"How?" Aloy asked.
"Cyrus called Erend and me. Told us to find a water source near his location." Varl said. "We found a river and patrolled along, waiting for you apparently."
"How long?" Aloy asked.
"Three days." Varl said.
Aloy's eyes widen. She tries to stand, but pain and Varl keep her down.
"Aloy-" Varl began.
"No. I found something, I-" Aloy winced as pain rocketed through her body.
"You need to rest." Varl said. "You were almost dead when I found you. If it weren't for Cyrus you would probably be dead."
"Where is he?" Aloy asked.
"I don't know." Varl said. "And he sent a message that you need to stay put until he gets here."
"There's no time." Aloy grunted as she forced herself up despite the pain.
"Yes there is, Aloy." Varl replied. "You are hurt and you're not going anywhere. I will tie you down if I have to."
Aloy glared at Varl. She eventually just sighed and laid down. He was right. Nearly ever muscle in her body was aching. She'd barely be able to walk out of the hut before she collapsed from pain. Varl sighed in relief as Aloy settled back down.
"Well, color me purple and call me impressed." The voice of Cyrus echoed through their focuses.
"Cyrus." Varl greeted as a hologram of the Hunter appeared.
"Varl. Aloy, glad to see that you're conscious again." Cyrus said.
"Where are you?" Aloy asked.
"Erend and I have been combing through the ruins of the proving ground to see if we could find anything." Cyrus answered. "We may have found something."
"Is that why you are calling?" Aloy asked.
"Nope, I was calling to check in on your condition." Cyrus said. "Far Zenith killed me in the proving ground, and I had to ensure that you didn't suffer the same fate."
"Why?" Aloy asked.
"I'll tell you late, when the moon can't hear." Cyrus replied. "Erend and I are on our way to you now. We'll be there soon."
The connection was cut.
"I really wish he'd explain some of the things he says." Varl muttered.
"What do you mean?" Aloy asked.
"That's the second time he's told me that he died to Far Zenith. Yet, he's still alive. And who the heck is Far Zenith?" Varl questioned.
"Far Zenith are people from the old world who escaped off planet." Aloy answered. "As for him still being alive, he probably isn't lying about dying."
"But then how is he still alive?" Varl asked.
"I don't know." Aloy replied honestly. "He's only ever explained it as being unable to stay dead. A curse from our patron."
"And you believe him?" Varl asked.
"Cyrus is a lot of things. Brutal, secretive, rough, maybe even slightly crazy. But I wouldn't call him a liar." Aloy responded.
"You think highly of him." Varl stated.
"He's done a lot since we met. If it weren't for him, I don't think I'd have learned all that I have. He's been helping me train with a spear. We'd probably all be dead. Who knows…" Aloy explained.
The two lapsed into silence as the day stretched on. The only thing that was of some interest was the Utaru woman who lived in the settlement. Varl introduced her as Zo, and she was tending to a damaged machine in the area. As the sun neared its peak, Aloy heard Cyrus and Erend entering the settlement.
"I told you that the best thing for that machine is to just kill it." She heard Cyrus say.
"And I told you that's not going to happen." Zo responded.
Clearly, a conversation that Cyrus and Zo had had multiple times before. Cyrus appeared in the entrance of the hut.
"Glad to see that you're finally up and around." Erend stated as he stopped next to Cyrus.
"Well… she's awake, not really up and around." Cyrus said with a smirk.
"Don't you have something that can help me?" Aloy asked, half sarcastically.
Cyrus rolled his eyes as he lifted a small bell and rang it. A dull sepulchral tone rang throughout the little settlement. A circle of white ethereal energy sprang up around the four of them. The energy invigorated Aloy and she felt the pain in her muscles nearly vanish. They were still slightly sore, but the ache was mostly gone.
"You couldn't have done a few days ago?" Aloy asked as she stood up.
"He's been doing it for the past three days." Zo said as she approached the group. "And it doesn't seem to do anything but ring such a mournful note."
"I told you; it only works on physical wounds of the flesh." Cyrus replied. "Being unconscious isn't necessarily a physical wound and your 'land god' is not a creature of flesh."
The woman rolled her eyes as she knelt to inspect Aloy. Her cursory glance seemed to show that Aloy was in full health once again. She nodded and returned to the machine she had been tending to.
"You said you found something?" Aloy said.
"Actually, I found it." Erend replied. "A map to a mountain slightly north and west of us."
"How does that help?" Aloy asked.
"Well, this mountain is home to a rather substantial Muspelheim substation. Other files seem to suggest that it is some sort of terraformer operational base." Cyrus said.
"Like GAIA Prime?" Aloy asked.
"Kind of. The actual terraformer was destroyed, but the files imply that we can install GAIA there and begin reconstructing her." Cyrus said.
"Didn't the files also mention that you'd need the uh… subordinate functions?" Erend asked.
"Yes." Cyrus sighed. "We do need at least one subordinate function to reactivate whatever matrix was programmed into the system. Our main problem is that we lack the subordinates."
"At least we have a core." Aloy said.
"True." Cyrus agreed.
"So, do you have any ideas on how to save the world?" Varl asked.
Cyrus shook his head. Aloy looked down in thought. After a minute of silence, she spoke up.
"What if we didn't recreate new subordinate functions but captured the old ones?" Aloy asked.
"That…" Cyrus paused. "That could work…"
"Do you even know where any of them are?" Erend asked.
"We know about three of them." Cyrus said.
"We do?" Aloy asked.
"Yep. HADES is destroyed, APOLLO was deleted, and HEPHEASTUS is probably hiding in the Cauldron network." Cyrus said.
"That doesn't help us." Varl deadpanned.
"I was just pointing out that we know about three of them. There are still six out there." Cyrus replied. "We don't know about MINERVA, AETHER, POSEIDON, DEMETER, ARTEMIS, or ELUTHIA. Though… I may have an idea."
"About their locations?" Aloy said.
"Yes." Cyrus replied. "I believe that they may have retreated into systems that closely resemble what they govern."
"What do you mean?" Varl asked.
"Why would you think that?" Aloy asked.
"I'm just working off of the two living ones we know about. HADES was found in a HORUS Titan core, and HEPHEASTUS has been operating within the Cauldron network. Both of those systems align with the individual purposes of the functions. The Titan for destruction, the cauldrons for machine creation." Cyrus explained.
"So, we just need to find something closely related to our remaining functions." Aloy said. "Like the Spire for Minerva?"
"Good thought, but the Spire in Meridian is pretty much toast." Cyrus reminded her.
"We could just try to make it to the mountain base." Varl suggested. "Maybe work on finding the subordinates from their?"
"Not a bad plan." Aloy agreed.
"Then it seems like we are going to head to the mountain." Cyrus said as he stood up.
"Perhaps we should ask Zo about it." Varl said.
"Why?" Cyrus asked.
"That mountain range is close to the main settlement of Utaru." Erend said.
"Plainsong." Zo interjected as she approached the group. "You're talking about the mountains west of Plainsong."
"Possibly." Cyrus said.
"Do you know something about those mountains?" Aloy asked.
"Our land-gods would regularly make a pilgrimage to those mountains. They would be gone for a few days, then return, brightened and in better working order." Zo explained. "Three months ago, one of them went there and never returned. Since then, none of them have ventured to the mountains and the blight has been spreading to our fields. But to get into them, you'll need the blessing from the chorus to enter the mountain."
"Then let's go." Aloy said as she took a step, only for pain to bring her to her knees.
"You may be healed but you still need rest." Zo said.
"Perhaps you can gather the Chorus." Cyrus spoke up. "I'll bring her along when she's better."
Zo nodded. She stood and left the hut. She stopped, turned around and pointed at Cyrus.
"Don't kill the land-god." She commanded, glaring at him.
"I won't, Hunter's honor." Cyrus replied, raising his hands in surrender.
Zo left the settlement for Plainsong.
"I think… I think I'm going to go with her." Varl said.
He quickly left. Cyrus rolled his eyes.
"Did you want to go too, Erend?" Cyrus asked.
"I'm good." He said. "I'll stick around here."
Cyrus sat down next to Aloy.
"Land-gods?" She asked.
"Focus calls them Plowhorns." Cyrus replied. "Agricultural machine GAIA designed to help with food producing crops. The Utaru seem to worship them as gods."
Aloy nodded. "What about Varl?"
"What about him?" Cyrus asked.
"I think she wants to know why he seemed rather eager to follow Zo." Erend spoke up. "And to answer that question, its because he's quite attracted to her."
"Really?" Aloy asked.
"Yeah." Erend said. "You, Varl and her have been the only people in this settlement for the past three days, and you haven't exactly been one for talking recently. Makes sense when you think about it."
Cyrus just nodded. The three lapsed into silence.
"How do you do it?" Aloy asked eventually.
"Do what?" Cyrus asked.
"Manage to walk off death so easily. Take massive hits then continue in top form." Aloy clarified.
Cyrus pondered the question for a moment.
"Time." Cyrus said. "It's something you just have to learn to live with. My life is far from painless, and my deaths usually contain a lingering pain to them. No amount of supernatural healing will stop the pain. But I can't stop. Got to keep hunting through the pain. I'm a Hunter and a Hunter must hunt. You should rest, we'll head out tomorrow."
"Why don't you just use the bell again?" Aloy asked.
"That'll only repair the damage." Cyrus replied. "It won't stop the pain. Rest, we'll leave tomorrow morning."
Cyrus left Aloy to rest. She lay back and slowly, sleep took her. The rest of the day and the following night were consumed with dreams of indeterminate origin. She saw a city of spires and death that she couldn't recognize. Creatures of maddening designs. Cyrus standing on a pile of burning corpses, a ghastly smile on his face.
Everything burning. The last thing she saw was a blade swinging towards her neck. A familiar scythe blade. She woke with a start.
The early morning sun filtered gently through the entrance of the hut. Cyrus and Erend were sitting next to a small fire. Erend was cooking something over the flames while Cyrus was quietly sharpening the Burial Blade. Aloy stood and felt no pain. She sighed in relief as she exited the hut. Erend served her some breakfast and after a quick meal they were on their way to Plainsong.
ERROR-DATA_CORRUPTION-BEGIN_FILE_RECOVERY…/…
Data Log TEH-036
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.