Living Antiquity

~11~

Five hours and several bruises later, I trudged bacj up the ladder lugging a sack of parts, with a Burrower squeaking and hopping up after me, blue lines extending over its neck area as it follows me inside to three astonished Oseram, all of whom were staring at holos of how the city used to be.
"A grand vista of money, light and water... A place of fortune and ill gains, a great spectacle in the desert, reduced ti ruin and flood..." Stemmur breathes, before realizing I was back and perking up, "Ah! The heroine returns, with a new friend in tow..."
I nod, leaning against the doorframe and panting, "And... parts... but believe me... Chasing a Burrower once it has a... set of orders... is really... really... annoying. Fuckers are fast... Never appreciate that til I'm either trying to fire at one that knows where I am, or chasing it... Whew..." I leaned my hands on my knees, still panting, as the Burrower dived down the shaft and swiftly came back up, dragging the wooden compartment along with it almost proudly like a puppy with its first stick.
"Oh..!" Morlund blinks and walks to the 'diving orb', "Amazing!" He grins and digs out a component, walking back to me, "Here, the compressed air capsule!" He grins, handing it to me.
"Ah..." I examined it, "It was probably for newer age divers who didn't want to drag a massive tank down with them. Nice that it survived and can gather more air into itself, I'll have to see about making more sometime," I went to the workbench and got to work, frowning as I work on it, eventually getting everything stable, "There... A rebreather of sorts."
"I was going to call it a diving mask, but that sounds more interesting...!" Morlund perks up.
"A rebreather removes the carbon dioxide you breathe out and recycles the oxygen your body didn't use so that you can stay under longer. A regular diving mask apparatus wastes everything you breathe out," I point out, "Now I just gotta hope I'm gonna be okay breathing down there. I've never dived so deep before..." I pace, trying to psych myself up for it, "Once I find a way to lower the water level, you three can come down and we'll see about getting POSEIDON, and more Embers for your guys to use," I go to the elevator doorway, "Please don't let the water pressure crush me..." I groan, trying the mask on and hopping into the water, looking down the shaft.
The water was so clear... I had been worried I'd have to find a way to cover my eyes in order to see... The only issue was remembering ti breath through my mouth and not my nose...
I swam deeper, feeling the buoyancy of what litte fat I had left trying to drag me up, the Burrower I had overridden squeaking as I used the ping on my Focus to get an idea of what was around.
Eventually I came out onto what used to be one of many floors of the casino this used to be, and could hear other Burrower noises somewhere off in the water, along with a noise I didn't recognize.
Once I swam out toward the street proper, something absolutely fucking massive raced past me faster than the Burrower could react, and I stared at where it went, seeing something that looked like the Loch Ness monster. Oh good. Nessie is gonna try to kill me.
I swam low, sticking to seaweed and watching as I passed one Burrower... Two Burrowers... My new friend was at least smart enough to stay out of sight, swimming high over the other machines and sending data back to my focus as I hone in on a panel that was glowing red.
Emergency systems... Stanley Chen was thorough. Seems he left everything on standby... and the further I went, the more of his data I found left behind. He was reminiscing... Already missing the city he was getting ready to leave behind... ... He was with Far Zenith?... Makes sense I guess. He wasn't selfish, though, he made sure everyone would have a chance to see the city lights glow again.
I pinged Gaia, floating on the surface the water in the switch-room as the system swapped the flow, "Would it be possible to... Rebuild Vegas?... as part of the effort to fix the biosphere?..."
"Eventually, perhaps," Gaia says, sounding curious, "Stanley Chen seems to have loved this city dearly."
"Exactly why I had the thought... What if he's still alive like the rest of them?"
Why was my Focus pinging louder?
Perhaps.
"Who in the holy happy fuckknuckle-"
Hush, I have to be brief. If you don't hurry and subdue it, POSEIDON's activities will give it away to the Zeniths.
"Yes, that is what I'm trying to do, mysterious texter, however, due to circumstances of, oh, I dunno, giant fucking Nessie machine, I have to be slow so's not to get swallowed," I sigh, rubbing my face.
Then I'll point the way. This is my life's best work, after all, can't let it become waterlogged.
"Well I'll be damned. Dip me in butter and call me lobster fry, hello Mr. Chen," I blink, "Point away."
And hello to you, Ms. L/n- ah, Ms. Tate.
I dove under, seeing a new line appear, leading straight through the rubble, through cavities I was able to squeeze through until I reached the other switch site.
I gagged a bit, the air stale, "You know... I think you'd like Morlund and his crew if you- uuugh-" I grunt as I turn the valve, "-cane down from yon high."
That is my plan, but I do not know how to disappear at this time... I am also trying to discover a way to safely remove Beta, the clone that the others made of Ms. Sobeck. She isn't safe here. I fee terrible for how she has been treated her whole life... Would our APOLLO database copy be a peace offering enough for your group to accept us?
I grip the railing so's not to fall over, eyes wide, before taking a breath, "So much for brief, good sir, but yes, that would be more than... I guess it makes enough sense that you still have the database, since y'all survived. As for a way to escape... Find a way to... Fake your own death, and hide her, then find us and take us to her?"
Blunt, simple, and likely more effective than any of them will consider. I like it... I'll also be stopping my treatments, at that point. I only wish to live long enough to see Vegas and the filtration system be brought back to their former glory.
"I get it... Seeing it like this must hurt... Hey, Aloy..."
"Y/n. What's up?" Aloy frowned.
"What are the chances the containers with the dead HADES can be used as a secondary retrieval unit like the kernel carrier?"
"Slim, they were heavily damaged."
"Shit. Well, whenever you get done with what you're doing... I really need you to come to Vegas. I'm almost to where we can reach POSEIDON," I say, diving back under the water.
"Understood, but I'm trying to obtain AETHER, I'm out by the Tenakth capital,"
Lovely, maybe I'll be able to just talk a Zenith to death.
"You went under again, didn't you?... Don't worry, I should be able to get there within a few days if you hold tight," she says, before hanging up.
Damnit. Lets see...
Checking my map, her ping was three days away by machine ride, and she'd have to go all the way back to the mountain, then take a machine all the way down here... It would take her four days if she didn't sleep, nine if she slept and took potty breaks.
I see your predicament. I'm doing what I can to mask your signals and the signals of the other functions. I'll also ping better masking capabilities to Gaia.
I sighed and headed for where he indicated the central control system to be, reluctantly putting the mask away as the water lowered, and creeping back down the tower.
"Morlund, Abadund, Stemmur, you can come down. I'm checking my systems now, and I might wctually have a way to override the big machine down here, now that I think about it," I pace.
"Big machine?" Morlund asks, clearly panting as he and the others descend.
"It looks to be based off a creature that was believed ti be a myth, and/or a creature that should have already been extinct," I groan and crack my back as I get outside. The constant pressure changes have messed me up...
I take a few deep breaths, sitting down in the sand near the doorway from the casino as they come out.
"Hang on... I'm trying to avoid having my lungs or veins explode, there were a lot of pressure changes really fast, that can medically mess you up..." ai say, rubbing my chest to try and work the aches out. My ribs hurt like hell...
"Ah... What would cause that?" Abadund frowning.
"The nitrogen in your blood tries to decompress and explode your veins if you come out of deep dive too quickly. I think i just barely skirted the edge of getting sick..." I groan, putting my head between my knees and taking deep breaths, "Not even sure if how I'm trying to avoid it is helping, its just what seems to be psychosomatic enough to work..." I wince, before taking a deep, almost woofing breath, and standing up, catching my balance on a doorway, "I also pulled a stupid and forgot to eat today, but that's a me problem..." I groan, rubbing my head, "Alright, time to try and tame Nessie..." I crack my knuckles, and look at them, then the big Nessie.
I creep down into the bigger area, staying hidden and waving them to stay hidden as I sneak up toward the very, very large machine, and begin overriding it, seeing its eyes flicker red before settling back to their calm blue as it lowered its head to look at me.
"A Tideripper!" Morlund gasped.
"I just home the Override is permanent?" I say softly.
"A mistress of machines from an era gone by, charming her way through the ruins under the desert with ease," Stemmur chuckles.
I gulp, looking at what must basically be the only closed door left.
"The door to the data centers for the filtration system," a voice I now recognized called out, and I nearly jump from my skin, turning to see Stanley Chen in the flesh, dressed in white, fugly ornate clothes, accompanied by the clone from the videos of the proving lab, holding the other GAIA kernel's compartment, but... loaded with something else?...
"Mr. Chen...! Isn't... isn't it a bit soon?" I frowned, worried, "They'll notice you left, and that you took her."
"I made it look like a malfunction in the base's shield killed us both, destroyed the sentries we were taking with us. You needed us here. Ah! Hello." He turns and bows to Morlund's crew, a soft smile on his face, "I saw your predicament through recordings on Y/n's focus... My name is Stanley Chen, I built the filtration system in the city that houses the water, cleans and redistributes it... It has always been my dream to come back, and after what happened... I found it prudent to abandon the others... I hope to rebuild Vegas back to its old glory... Clear the sand away and let people from this era see how it used to be. But first..." he turns to me and holds up an empty kernel, "I built it in the hopes that it would come in handy... Beta, I know everything is sudden, but would you please accompany us? POSEIDON is just down this way..." he says gently, "We'll then be staying with Y/n, the other clone and their allies, I hope."
"N-No more being stuck in the training interface?" She says, her eyes wide.
So skittish...
"Never again. Never. I promise. You will not be a slave, an underling, nor a pet," He shook his head, "We need to help them retrieve POSEIDON so that it doesn't flood these men out again," he points out.
I lead the way, Morlund and the others awestruck by the machinery around us as J stayed between everyone and the front, in case of any unknown machines, until finally, we reached the data room.
"Sparks to steel, look at all of this," Morlund says softly, looking through what little his Focus could read.
"I'm afraid much of it will likely be unreadable, but you're welcome to anything removing POSEIDON unlocked," Stanley offers, "I'm also more than happy to tell you anything about Old World technology that I can." He offers, seeing Mprlund light up with glee as I gently leads the other clo-... Beta, to the console.
"POSEIDON, we're here to take you home to GAIA. No more hurting. I know being separate hurts. No more, now, promise," I say gently as Beta slides the kernel in."
"Where all waters return to... Mother..." POSEIDON rasped.
"Elisabet Sobeck, Alpha Prime..." Beta says softly, watching the flow of holographic turtles and fish dive down into the console, filling the kernel drive... before promptly collapsing.
"Shit- Mr. Chen!" I yell.
"No! Nonono! I should have seen this coming, removing the implant was a terrible idea! We need to get her to a doctor before something worse happens to her!" Stanley ran over, helping me lift her.
"None of us are medically inclined...!" Morlund says, afraid, as I tuck the kernel away in my bags and help rush Beta back to the surface.
"She needs a doctor, and she'll need a Focus when she awakens, to help stabilize her senses- she spent her whole life living in the holos, her nervous system and senses will go into a downward spiral otherwise...!"
"How did you get here so fast?" I say worriedly.
"My suit is equipped with fast-flight hover capability... I can carry you both, just lead the way-" he says, holding Beta.
"I'll be back in a few days, you three, watch Piglet and Burro for me ok?" I wave to Morlund and the others before hopping on Stanley's back and pointing at the mountain, "Zo, I have Zenith's Sobeck, APOLLO, POSEIDON, and Stanley Chen. The clone, Beta, needs medical help. Stanley will know more. Aloy, how is progress?"
"The Tenakth will have to rebuild the Arena where they hold their Kulruts, and I made a new friend, but he'll take a few days to get to the mountain, if you or Zo will have time to lead him- know what, no, Kotallo, I'll lead the way, there's a situation at the base," she says.
"We'll be arriving at your location within an hour. After that, I would like to shed my Zenith uniform... I'm nonplussed with the design at this moment. I stand out like a sore thumb," Stanley frowns.
"Butterfly in the skyyy-" I shrill.
"No." Aloy says.
"Buzzkill."
"You have some explaining ti do." Aloy frowns.
"So, get this..."

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I had found articles describing how Stanley Chen would have helped Aloy and the others- and I agree! This will be my interpretation of how he would have handled events.
Plus, I feel he would have enjoyed being able to come back and rebuild the real Vegas instead of dying in a simulation of it.