Sibyl zipped through the space between the trees that made up the jungle of Old Ireland. She stopped by every corpse she came across to peer into who they once were.
"No..." she said to herself after scanning a body. Thin beams emitted from her center eye to investigate each potential guardian.
"No. Not you either... Nope." She emerged from the treeline at the edge of a forgotten city. Her pace slowed as she began to glide above the rusted golden-aged vehicles littered that the overgrown street.
"Huh?" Sibyl said aloud. Segments of her rounded triangular shell, adorned with twisted branch-like decorations, bumped outward for a fleeting moment. A faint, distant signal from a few streets over washed passed her. The ghost shuffled excitedly before quickly floating toward the source. "You're close!"
She passed buildings twenty stories tall, forgotten guard posts established as the collapse began, and landmarks lost to history. Sibyl rose to meet an opening blasted into the side of what would have been a residential building. She felt that signal pulse again, now much stronger than before. Her scans rolled over everyone nearby; complete skeletal remains, Exos with quantum dot batteries damaged beyond repair, and even trace remains of otherwise eviscerated bodies.
"I finally found you..." Sibyl said in disbelief as she completed her scan on an Exo half buried under a collapsed wall. Her shell segments separated and protruded outward from her central core. She summoned all the Light she could into a bright silver ball around herself and funnelled it into the cold, unmoving husk.
The warm yellow light that brightened in the Exo's eyes illuminated the dark space beneath the rubble. The mechanical legs began to flail as frantic fists hammered against the brick blanket.
"It's okay!" Sibyl called out. The Exo paused and slowly allowed his body to relax. The ghost watched the glow flicker, and dim before brightening again as the trapped Exo calmed himself to take in his surroundings. "You're safe."
"Where am I?" his voice croaked out, still hoarse from centuries of no use.
"Someone's home, I think," Sibyl answered, rotating in place to map out the room.
"Mine?" The yellow glow shun brighter as he spoke.
"I have no way of knowing, sorry."
"Who are you? Who am I?" the Exo emphasised. He began to struggle as the fear of the unknown crept in. "What's going on? I think I'm stuck; can you help?"
"Sure! I need you to relax first though. I'm Sibyl," the ghost answered quickly. "I can't really help, but if you brace yourself against the floor, and push with open palms to flip the debris over your side, you should be free."
The Exo's green hands, lined with a grey trim around the joints, pressed flat against the cold stone. His feet planted firmly against the worn concrete, exposed now that the wood had rotten away. With as much strength as he could muster, the Exo pushed the wall away from his chest, twisting as it rose. "You got it!" Sibyl said cheerfully. The Exo's strained grunts grew from a low growl to a pained groan. He huffed heavily once the weight of the wall shifted and fell with a dense thud.
"Okay," he panted as he lay flat looking at the ceiling; the light from the back of his mouth activating as he spoke.
"Siryl?"
"Sibyl," the ghost corrected. "Sibyl... Right. Who am I?"
"I don't know that either," she answered, glancing downward as if to bow in apology. The Exo started to sit up to see who found him.
"Can you at least tell me what's going o-ON?" he asked. "What are you? Some kind of, A.I. rescue drone?"
"In a way," Sibyl chuckled. Her shell shifted to emulate a smiling eye. "I'm a ghost! Well, now I'm your ghost."
"Ghost?" the Exo questioned, adjusting how he sat to better prepare to flee.
"Think of us like, drones, if you'd like. We're extensions of the Traveller sent to find Guardians, like you," she explained. "We bring you the power of the Light to fight the forces of Darkness."
The Exo's jaw hung slack as his eyes darted around the room.
"I know that's a lot at once, but when we get you to The Last City, you'll be able to settle in."
"'Last' City?" the Exo asked.
"A lot's clearly happened since your old life," Sibyl said. She swooped in closer to the Exo, who recoiled in response. He flinched as thin pale blue lasers emitted from the ghost's core. "Let me have a look at you; maybe there's a clue to who you are."
"Anything?" he asked after Sibyl circled several times.
"Maybe," she said. "There's a barcode on your temple that reads 'MRLN-7. Manufactured by Recreational Life-like Networks. Resets needed: 6'."
"Which means?" Sibyl shook and rose for a moment, as if to shrug.
"Not sure what 'Recreational' would constitute, but I'd bet this 'Recreational Life-life Networks' was probably an in-between contractor for the Exo program," she suggested. "Either way, six resets is pretty good, considering some need dozens if they survived the process at all."
"I'll take it as a compliment then... 'M.R.L.N'," he repeated thoughtfully. "What do you think of 'Emerelin,' no, 'Merlin'?"
Sibyl nodded. "I like it," she said. She glided out through the giant hole in the building's side and turned around. "Let's get started on making our way to The Last City."
"What's wrong with the stairs?" Merlin asked sarcastically as he stood. He brushed off dust from his dark pocket lined pants and beige linen shirt.
"Likely structural damage, but this way is quicker anyway."
"You want me to fall to my death?"
"You're a Guardian now, Merlin," Sibyl stressed. "You can use the Light to glide or jump mid-air. Even if you don't, I can just bring you back again!"
"I'm, immortal?"
"Nearly. There are still some ways a Guardian can die their final death. It's unlikely that'll happen before you've got some experience and training anyway, so there's nothing to worry about there!"
Merlin made his way to the cracked edge of the floor. Part of the room beneath him was visible, but the Exo's gaze was fixed on the street nine stories below.
"So how do I, not, die?" he asked half seriously.
"Based on who you are fundamentally, you're most likely a Warlock, so you'll glide. When you do, you'll carry momentum forward, or stop briefly when falling," Sibyl said.
"Wouldn't my ankles break stopping like that?"
"Definitely a Warlock," the ghost laughed to herself. "The Light will protect you against that. It'll be no more impact than a shallow step down."
"But how do I do that?" Merlin asked, growing a little impatient.
"I assume you'll know how to instinctually; like walking or breathing."
"People learn how to walk, Sibyl."
"Ah," Sibyl said quickly. She took a quick look downward before returning to Merlin. She flew closer and slowly backed up, gesturing for her Guardian to follow. He breathed deeply and took a long step off the edge. Merlin's arms gradually raised as he plummeted toward the ground.
"Glide!" he thought to himself. "Stop! Levitate! Float!" Merlin crashed into the fragile and rusted car that was parked below, skewered by fragmenting shards.
"Merlin!" Sibyl exclaimed as she descended to him. "Are you alive?"
The warlock laid motionless with no light emitting from his eyes or his mouth.
"Okay, we'll work on that." Sibyl expanded her shell, to frame the ball of pure Light. She transported Merlin's body to beside the ancient vehicle and she funnelled the Light into him. His consciousness snapped into focus as he materialised, unharmed and standing.
"Huh?" Merlin grunted. He rolled his shoulders and twisted about his waist, limbering his body. "How do I remember before falling, but not before up there?" Sibyl mimicked a shrug.
"My best guess is that the Traveller either thinks knowing it is detrimental for Guardians or it's unnecessary," she answered. "Practically no one remembers their old life, and the Vanguard strongly discourages digging into it."
Merlin scanned the street. Bangs and crashes following animalistic screeches echoed along the concrete corridors. "Is The Last City in better shape than here?" he asked.
"Very much so," Sibyl said quickly. "Safer too. We need to find you a weapon; fast."
"What was that? Some kind of animal?" The warlock skipped over to the collapsed blockade. Broken skeletons lay scattered across the tarmac. Seeing no gun among the bodies, Merlin climbed the steep staircase that led to the watchtower precariously standing at the corner of the crossroads.
"In a sense," Sibyl said following closely behind. Her Guardian peaked his head through the opening in the hip high wall and recoiled when he was met with a fractured skull inches from his face. "More 'insect-like' than anything else."
"Did the 'Traveller' make giant bugs too?" Merlin asked sarcastically as he made his way off the final step. Through the lightly veiled ribs, the muzzle of a rifle showed itself. The warlock tried to roll the body over to reach the gun but was forced to scoop bones across in piles as they fell apart from each other. "I found a gun!"
Sibyl flew up to meet him.
"Oh! A Khovostov," she noted. The distant primal shrieks range out again, closer than before. "Those auto rifles were everywhere just before the collapse. Grab it, and let's move. You're far from ready to face the Hive."
"The 'Hive' - fitting for 'insect-like'," Merlin said. "How far are we from The Last City then? Could you fix up a vehicle for us like you brought me back?"
"A little over eleven thousand kilometres," Sibyl answered.
"Eleven thous-," Merlin began to exclaim, catching himself mid word. "How are we supposed to get there?"
"We find a ship."
"As in, a jumpship, or do you plan on us sailing that distance?"
"Of course a jumpship," Sibyl said. "It doesn't have to break orbit, just fly. There are outposts of Guardians all over Earth, so if it would only need to reach that far at worst."
Merlin released the magazine from the auto rifle and inspected the munitions.
"Doesn't look like we have a whole lot of ammo, Sibyl," he noted.
"I'll take care of your reserves," she said. "Just hit your shots."
"More Traveller magic?"
"Traveller magic." Merlin nodded, slid the magazine back into the weapon, and pulled the bolt back to load the first shot into the chamber. He could now spot occasional distant figures clambering over the wreckages hundreds of feet down the road. "Where do you suppose we find a ship then?"
"Not sure," Sibyl answered. She dissipated in a wisp of Light and continued speaking to Merlin from within his mind.
"Let's get to the top of that building and have a look around."
The warlock cautiously dropped down from the watchtower, stopping himself inches into the air where he expected to feel the ground.
"I stopped!" he said excitedly.
"Good job, try to use whatever you did to carry momentum from jumping so you glide upward," Sibyl suggested.
"Shoot out that window and go in through the second floor."
Merlin trusted the Ghost's insight and followed her instruction. Six hastily placed shots shattered the dusty glass. He hopped onto the hood of a vehicle and leaped upward, the Light carrying him gently through the fifteen feet of air. He glanced over his left shoulder to see a dark wave of creatures rolling through the street, forcing tonnes of rusted metal into the lowest levels of adjacent buildings.
"That's a lot of bugs," he said to himself. With the handguard of his Khvostov held in his left hand, Merlin latched onto the windowsill with his right. He hoisted himself into the room and rushed through to find the exit. The gun was left to the side once he came to the door that led into the core of the building. Despite his efforts, the debris piled against the corner and door held it shut.
"Try to force it open into the hall. Use your palm to direct the Light as a focused force," Sibyl said, her words beginning to be muffled under the approaching screeches. Merlin picked the Khvostov back up in his right hand and lurched his left at the exit. A wave of energy blew out, knocking the door off its hinges.
He climbed over the rubble and wood before he slingshot himself up the first few steps using the steel railing. He sprinted the first couple of flights of stairs before gliding up to save energy.
"You're getting the hand of it!" Sibyl celebrated. An explosive bang echoed up the stairwell as the Hive burst through the front door. "But keep going; faster if you can."
"Anything we can do to slow them down?" Merlin asked as he reached the seventh floor. "Drop a grenade on them?"
"Did you pick some up when I wasn't looking?" the warlock asked sarcastically.
"Use the Light, smartass," Sibyl said, the sound of a smile coming through in her answer. "Visualize something high powered, or explosive, manifest it in your hand, and drop it down the centre."
Merlin stopped gliding and resumed his sprint as he focused on his left hand now held palm side up. A micro-sized sun flickered into existence. He felt no pain or even a hint of warmth from it until it fell from his hand. Immediately the heat radiated from the solar energy, like a roaring fire but an arm's reach away. The grenade fell a few stories before it impacted the railing the Hive were passing. A small blast reverberated up the stairs and hungry screeching quickly turned to pained cries.
"That should hold them off a few seconds," Sibyl said. "You should be close to the roof now."
The Exo returned to gliding up the last few sets of stairs. The single warped door at the top of the stairs was easily shoved open with a hefty shoulder.
"Now where?" Merlin asked, frantically turning to scan the rooftops around them. Sibyl materialized and flew up high to get a better look.
"There's a pretty beat up ship that crashed just a few roofs over!" she said. "Head north."
"Away from where the bugs came from, I like it," Merlin said rushing passed the corroded exit. He vaulted off the low-lying wall that lined the roof, clearing the narrow alley that separated the buildings. As he reached the next roof, the Hive began to pour out of the first.
"Hive. Seven o' clock," Sibyl warned. Merlin landed, turned, and conjured another fist sized ball of fire. He hurled it toward the insectoids before jumping to the next building. His instincts forced him to stop when the next gap before him was a new street.
Merlin stepped back a few feet, built momentum forward, and launched himself into the air. The Light enveloped up to his knees, carrying him across to safety.
"One more, Merlin," the Ghost said reassuringly. As the Guardian landed on the roof used as an emergency landing pad, Sibyl materialised and made her way over to the jumpship.
"Will it fly?" Merlin asked. An array of lasers from her bright blue eye scanned the outside of the standard issue Odyssey-class jumpship. She vanished from Merlin's sight. The grimy engines whirred to life, growing to a low roar as it lifted away from the clutter around it.
"It doesn't look pretty, but it'll get us to The Last City!" Sibyl said. "I'll get you inside. Transmat firing."
"Transm-" Merlin barely managed to say before his surroundings instantaneously changed to that of the inside of the ship. "-at?"
"It's what we use to shift things around; weapons, armour, people," Sibyl explained. "You'll learn more as we head home. I'll drive this time."
The green-grey ship sluggishly pivoted away from the roofs left to ruin, Merlin peered through dusty glass. He watched hundreds, perhaps thousands, of gaunt chitinous bodies scrambled across the roofs and scaling the outsides of buildings that lined the east side of the street. As the pair flew further and further away, the dark figures blended together into a seemingly singular mass, shifting and pulsating around the buildings.
"So," Merlin said, breaking the silence. "Tell me about the Vanguard..."