Till It's Over (A Destiny 2 Story)

Out Finding Trouble

You arrive along with the sun
Where have you been, darlin'? What have you done?
You were out finding trouble again
There's a fire in your eyes and there's blood on your hands

Lullaby – Lord Huron

-

TYPE: Mission Log Transcript
DESCRIPTION: Scouting Mission to Centaur "7066 NESSUS", Outer System, May 23, 2957 1032 TT
PARTIES: Report from Vanguard Scout Azra Jax, ID 2-016384, Ghost Designate 'Spark'
ASSOCIATIONS: Cayde-6; Exodus Black; Fallen; Nessus [Centaur]; Red War; Vex
/VIDEO UNAVAILABLE/
/AUDIO UNAVAILABLE/
/TRANSCRIPT FOLLOWS.../

OUTER SYSTEM, MAY 23 2957, 1032

MISSION OBJECTIVE: LOCATE AND SECURE CAYDE-6

SECONDARY OBJECTIVES: FREE THE TRAVELER, SURVIVE

Azra Jax: Okay, I know this is a really old log format, but we just don't have the bandwidth for full video. Given time for compression and encryption, I'm looking at almost an hour delay for a reply to any message I send to Earth. So we're going with old-school text-based reporting.

Spark: We could, in theory, get faster communication comms times by piggybacking off of the Vex network.

AJ: We could also get faster times by setting up a proper subspace node, but that's a job for another day.

AJ: Alright, for the record, this is Azra Jax, Vanguard Scout, Vexpert, yadda yadda. If you don't know who I am, congratulations, I'll take you out to dinner or something. Back on Earth it is May 23, 2957.

S: And May 24!

AJ: By Tower Time it is...10:30 am. So it is May 24 in parts of the world. The West Pacific is living in tomorrow.

AJ: We are currently on a mission to retrieve the Hunter Vanguard Cayde-6. He's been missing since the City fell. Just two hours ago we received a live transmission from him, originating from a centaur in the outer system named Nessus.

AJ: 'So why you?' you may ask, because you are Commander Zavala and demand thorough mission pre-briefs even on things that not technically official Vanguard operations. My credentials are, one, aforementioned Vexpertness, since Nessus should have at least a few of them based on my scope of the network; two, my long and extensive scouting career; three, my long and extensive Cayde-6 wrangling career; and four, the fact that I am one of only two Guardians alive right now with a connection to the Light.

S: Approaching Nessus orbit right now. Preliminary scans are... wow.

AJ: Whatever survey mission said that Nessus was a ball of ice and rock was... wrong. Very wrong. Yeesh.

S: It was during the Golden Age. Things might have changed.

AJ: Well there's very obviously liquid on the surface. A fairly thick atmosphere, artificial gravity, looking like we're getting an average temp rating of... 19 C. Making this the warmest celestial object this side of Io. Someone's been doing some terraforming, and I don't think it's the Vex.

AJ: Needless to say, I'm not bringing that cold-weather gear.

S: [Addendum to mission objectives: 'Investigate discrepancies in past geographic surveys'. Secondary priority.]

-

1043

AJ: We're in full atmo burn right now. Unfortunately, along with Cayde's signal, we're picking up Fallen transmissions, too.

S: Because that's what we really need to spice up this search-and-rescue mission, fighting off both the Vex and the Fallen.

AJ: Atmosphere should be breathable, but I'm not taking a chance. Approaching the coordinates of Cayde's broadcast. I think we'll start with that spire, get a good lay of the land.