The Archon Arc

Third Death

A million tiny needles stabbed her mind. In and out, in and out. Pain and white light flashed behind her eyes. Ryder shuddered as she staggered forward. "SAM...," Ryder cried as she tried steady her wavering legs. "What's going on?"

Silence.

A rush of fear filled Ryder. "SAM!" she shouted.

A whine of white noise filled her ears suddenly as she arched her back in agony. Underneath the whine she could make out Peebee and Drack's voices. Panic was clear in their shouts but it sounded all so far away. Ryder felt utterly disconnected from her body, as if it was all happening to someone else. Then a voice blared in her head.

"I believed you were a fitting rival but you are a false thing. A lie."

No... That voice... Get out of my head! Shadows threatened at the edge of her vision. Her arms braced against the console, the only thing that was keeping her from falling to the ground. "I left you a present the last time I saw you. Did you enjoyed it? I have."

What did the fucking Archon do to me! "Argh!" she screamed as another wave of excruciating pain swept through her body. Memories of their last meeting flashed into her mind. The needle, sharp and wicked, a quick plunge down the back of her neck. Darkness and death that swallowed her whole. A jolt slammed into her heart, pulling her back to the present

"I let you find Meridian. Thank you for doing the hard work for me."

Fuck! Pain radiated through her chest. No, not when we are so close.

All of Heleus will be exalted starting with Eos.

No way in hell am I allowing that to happen. Ryder gritted her teeth, her hands made fists as she tried to ride out the wave of torment. She felt fragile as if she was made of glass. One wrong move she would just shatter into a million pieces and never be put back again.

All I need to start is an implant like yours and thanks to your memories I know just where to get one.

Scott! Shit, Scott has to be warned. Another jolt slammed against her chest and drove her to her knees. I don't think I can take much more of this. It's just... And thought fled her, there was nothing but pain. Pain in her head, pain in her chest. There was a war being waged inside her, destined to rip her apart from within. It took all her effort to just keep breathing.

Fall to darkness, Pathfinder.

The darkness at the edges of her vision took over and Ryder didn't even feel her head slamming onto the cold hard floor. "Ryder!" Peebee yelled as she frantically tapped at her omni tool. "Come in Tempest the Pathfinder is down. I repeat the Pathfinder is down."

----

"Ryder." A synthetic voice cackled from his omni tool.

Who's that? I have no time for this. Alarms were blaring, klaxons were screaming and the Hyperion was shaking like a bone in a dog's mouth. His hands worked quickly to put on a standard issue Initiative hard shell armour.

"Scott Ryder."

Oh. It's talking to me. Scott had been recovering from his coma for months. Then, he past even more time completing his course of physical therapy. In the med bay, which had continued to be his home, he was always Scott, never Ryder. When Ryder was used, it was always refering to Sara, the Pathfinder. "Yes?" Scott replied tentatively out loud at his omni tool.

"Scott, this is SAM," the synthetic voice said. "I need your help."

"Me? What do you need me for? Is Sara all right?" Scott asked as he scrambled out of the med bay, buckling the last couple of clasps of his chest piece. "Do you know what's happening?"