Living Antiquity

~12~

It took several hours of explanation from both myself, and Stanley, especially once we got to the base, and joined APOLLO and POSEIDON with Gaia, Stanley helping Zo with Beta's care as Olin and the others dug into the APOLLO database like children into a pillowcase full of Halloween candy.
"Movies and Holos that even you didn't have! What's anime?" Varl asked, curious, "You said you have some but I don't understand- ah! Hand-drawn?! Frame by frame- it takes so long!"
"Rock and roll? What is this... Metal?... Death metal-!!" Erend says excitedly.
Meanwhile, Olin and Enasha dig through records of Enduring Victory, finding the general's apology for lying to the population, addresses from the Alpha members explaining the many functions of pieces of the database.
By the time Aloy and Kotallo, a one-armed Marshall of the Tenakth clan, arrived, everyone was better versed, conversing easily on many different Old World topics, Stanley holding out until Aloy and Kotallo arrived.
He had, indeed, decided to ditch his Zenith uniform, switching to garments of Oseram make- a simple shirt and pants with sturdy boots, accompanied leathery armor that covered his vital organs.
"Alright..." he holds his hands up in peaceful defense as Aloy eyes him, "I'll tell you everything about Far Zenith."
We all sit around the commons, Zo and Varl at the counter, Kotallo, Erend, Olin, Enasha and Olurr sitting on the benches around the room as we also patch in Petra, Morlund, Stemmur, and Abadund so that they could listen.
"When we reached the edge of the solar system, the others decided it would be best to simply make it appear we died. From there, experimentation began to lengthen out lifespans as much as possible, eventually coming up with the treatments... We extended our lifespans to the point that we are physically immortal, through medicine, and technology. My treatments have officially stopped, but that won't affect me... I'll live on until I get sick of it, or you have no more need of me. I want ti help restore, if nothing else, at least Las Vegas. I miss the lights and seeing the system do its work.
On Sirius B, we did just fine fir centuries, until we made one mistake. Nemesis..." he frowns, pacing, "An amalgamate consciousness made up of the combined consciousness of every single member of Far Zenith. The project was dropped, but never deleted... It was originally an attempt at digital immortality, the ability to download consciousness to any body or machine.
But because it wasn't deleted, it stewed in its data stores. It became sentient, and plotted against us- it eventually hacked its way out, and used its knowledge from all of us to hack out systems and destroy our civilization. The few of us who survived did so through dumb luck, and made out way to Earth..
But it is following us, and it is what sent the signal that fragmented Hades from Gaia, and made the other functions slip from their natural places... Nemesis wanted to make Earth nonviable for us.
The others realized this and chose to steal an old copy of Gaia, retrieve the functions, and abandon Earth, using Beta to turn another planet into our wonderworld... a paradise for fifteen." He frowns, looking at us, "The other Zeniths aren't the only threat. Nemesis is sure to come soon. And I understand that it will take more effort for you lot to catch up... I'm ready to teach, aid, build, or even sit in a cell if that is what you wish of me."
I shook my head, "I vote teach, aid and build. What you left behind in Vegas is proof enough of your character. Let me guess- the second you got ti Sirius and you could, you made a holo of Las Vegas and didn't come back out."
He tenses, but chuckles, and nods, "Yes..." he says sadly, "I missed the old city..."
I nod, "The most pressing worry I have is water for the Desert Tenakth. They have a slow drip from the old cooling system for the solar generator facility to the west, but it isn't enough. Would you be able to build new filtration systems, pumps or a water system?" I ask, looking at him.
"Give me communication with workers capable of forging the parts, the go-ahead from locals to dig and place pipes, the ability to teach them how to use it... I'll connect them to every clean water source within two hundred miles, further if needed," He says, standing up straighter, "Anything to make this world more livable for everyone, bring life back."
Aloy gives me a look that all but screams You win.
I smile as the others nod.
"Get us permission to build and forge out there, and I can send a delving crew out there. Plenty of folkds crazy enough ti go into Tenakth territory already..." Petra offers.
"We could also help with publicity," Abadund points out, "We've been getting delvers from out east looking for good shards. Obviously, we'd have ti charge for fees, publicity, consulting..."
"We get it. Metal shards should be no big deal though. Plenty of machines and salvage, and we can also bring you salvage if we need to. Oh! How're Piglet and Burro doing?" I asked.
"They took off after you before we could stop them." Morlund groaned, "And I wanted to examine how the override worked..."
"Ah! It uses a module from a Corruptor, but altered." I say, leaning against a pillar, "So then I guess they'll be here soon, especially if they were running full tilt."
Zo perks up and disappears to the room where Beta was being cared for, and soon pokes her head out, "She's awake! Your suggestion of giving her a Focus to help her readjust to reality seems to have helped."
"Ah, good!" Stanley quickly walked ti the doorway, and could be heard apologizing for how suddenly he removed her AR implant, seeming to have destroyed it when he faked their deaths.
I relaxed and walked to the doorway as Aloy followed, the girls seeing each other fir the furst time in their lives. "Liz would lose her mind to know she is a triplet now," I deadpan, seeing Aloy snort and look away, "What? She would."
"Mother of twins, maybe"?" Staney says, "She's been dead a thousand years, after all."
"Fair," I say, seeing Aloy help Beta up, "Welcome to the Base, Beta. Take your time, get used to everyone... There's plenty to learn about the world."
She nods, "How far along are you?..." she asks, frowning.
"We have AETHER, POSEIDON, MIVERVA, and APOLLO thanks to you and Stanley," Aloy explains.
I nod, "That leaves ELEUTHIA, DEMETER, ARTEMIS, and HEPHAESTUS," I say, counting off on my fingers.
"Even without the other functions, I would be strong enough as I am to absorb HEPHAESTUS, but I would caution against doing so so soon. With ARTHER and POSEIDON I am able to clean the rivers and waters, but without DEMETER, I cannot do anything for the contamination of the flora in the local area," Gaia says, offering the information.
"Right..." I pace, frowning.
"We did notice a storm that had been brewing clear away..." Abadund says over the comms.
"This old wordsmith is still catching up..." Stemmur says, clearly frowning.
"No rhymes?" I ask, tilting my head.
"This journey is a bit too serious for rhymes. You tell us what you need to do, and we'll help," Stemmur huffs.
I nod, frowning.
"If you need help from us, just ask." Morlund pipes ip.
"Things to focus on... Sub-functions, particularly DEMETER and HEPHAESTUS. Water for the Desert clan so they aren't dying of thirst. Defeating the Zeniths so that they have no further hold on the Earth. Building up our ranks and making friends and allies, helping people learn what we're up against as we prepare and get ready to eventually fight NEMESIS." i count on my fingers, "And past that... Education. Building. Growing. Turning the Earth into not only a habitable and cherishable biosphere, but one we cohabitate with and enjoy for generations to come."
Aloy and the others nod, Beta even cracking a weak smile as Zo brings her a bow if stew and helps her eat.
--
Several days later, we were preparing a three part expedition: Varl, Erend and Kotallo to the north to accompany Beta to an old engogenics lab that Stanley suspected ELEUTHIA may have settled in.
Myself and Stanley to the Desert Clan to offer up ideas to help them, as well as deliver Focuses to each of the three commanders and Chaplains, nix the Sky commander. An agreement struck between myself, Aloy and Kotallo as soon as they showed me how his pompous ass reacted to Aloy's gentle touch. I saved the holoclip of the bulwark's explosion for my own personal continued amusement. Big brother would approve, after all. I even remixed it with clips of music and made Kotallo finally crack a damn smile.
And Aloy would trek ahead toward the coast with Zo in tow, expecting me to meet up with them within a day or three, as their plan was to scout the area first, and wait. When I asked why they wanted to wait... They simply shook their heads. I guess it would be like a girls' only kinda deal. Makes enough sense, J guess.
"I hate to think what Faro would have thought of the truth of his crimes being discovered anyway..." Olin says as he scrolls through Holodata in the archive room, curiously exploring the many modules of data and learning that APOLLO had given us, in combination with everything it learned from the Zeniths, and everything it cross referenced Aloy's data with...
"He'd be rolling over in his grave with anxiety and shame. Shame that he got caught, not with what he did," I point out.
The others nod.
I check my number of spare Focuses again, frowning, and take a deep breath, pacing as I prep the saddlebags Enasha had made for Piglet and Burro.
For some reason there was a glitch in my override module that allowed for permanent override no matter what machine it was used on... Even Nessie was still chill, back in Vegas, which Morlund and the crew had affectionately dubbed Hidden Ember.
They had made their main objective ti draw in potential workers for the rebuilding efforts, especially once they saw how Vegas used to look.
I look around, "Aloy, did you copy my module's code to yours and the others'?" I ask, worried.
"Yeah. I updated them all to match yours. We're a step ahead of the rebels that way," she nods, "No two part override. Shorter override time... And your machine is your ally until it gets destroyed. Not sure how your code got the corruption, bit it works perfectly in our favor," she says, "I have Chargers waiting for Zo and I, is everyone else ready?"
We all nod, getting ready to set out into the next big unknown.

---
Sorry that this chapter is shorter... Its been a long day and I'm exhausted in more ways than one.
I've been trying to hammer out a chapter a day, while also trying not to rush it. I'm trying to tell the story in a proper timeline fashion- clocking along at the pace they'd actually be trying to go.