Aloy had not rushed to meet up with Seyka at the bridge. She suspected the young woman needed plenty of time to cool down and Aloy had made sure to find out all she could about the Quen before heading out. They were unsurprisingly tight lipped around a ‘barbarian’ but there had been one, a woman called Theoa, who had reached out to her for help.
Aloy doubted she would have risked it at all except for her observations of Rheng as he interrogated a random Quen sailor who just happened to pass by the arrogant Compliance Officer.
“Compliance likes to throw its weight around…” She had said while standing next to Theoa. The young woman immediately told her to meet her at a campfire near the burial site for the settlement.
Curious and knowing she could handle herself if it was a trap, Aloy had gone to the campfire and, at length, Theoa came, surprised but pleased by Aloy’s presence.
She had explained to Aloy that she was part of an underground resistance movement that was trying to free the Quen from the oppression if the imperial family.
“Which is impossible to do so as all knowledge from the Legacy is reserved only for those the imperial family deem worthy.”
“You mean, loyal to the imperial family?” Aloy had asked dryly.
“Exactly,” Theoa nodded, her tone hushed and urgent, “most of our movement is made up of laymen like myself, labourers and tradesmen…but Diviner Enki was sympathetic to our cause. He volunteered for this voyage because he hoped he could find something to help…and he did.”
“What?”
“A scrap of data pointing to a large cache of FOCUSES.” Theoa’s eyes were wide with thrill. “Could you imagine if we could hand them out and give our people, the commoner and the labourer, the same access that Diviners have?”
“Even more so, as you won’t have the imperial family restricting what you can and can’t read.” Aloy nodded. “So…where is Diviner Enki?”
Theoa’s eyes grew sad. “That’s just it…he and a small team of Quen went out on a data search on an island to the south…and never returned.”
“And Gerrit won’t…”
“He refuses to send anyone out to look,” Theoa huffed angrily, “but you can come and go…you could find out if Enki lives!”
“And if he doesn’t?”
Theoa’s eyes dropped to the ground. “If…if he is dead and hasn’t found the cache, his FOCUS would still possess the geographical location of them. He was so…passionate about our people being free from the tyranny of the imperial family…”
Aloy had held up her hand. “I’ll look into it.”
Theoa grasped her hand. “Thank you, Aloy.”
It had been a bit of a saga, keeping south of the tower’s reach, staying on the safe side of the buoys that littered the water but, with Seyka’s skiff, Aloy had been able to track down the missing party. They were all dead except for one soldier. From the evidence Aloy found after examining the body of Diviner Enki, she realised Enki had been killed by the soldier, not machines as the rest of the party had.
It seemed the soldier had been under orders from Rheng to spy on Enki and when the situation had turned bad, the soldier had made the decision to kill Enki based on Rheng’s directives.
When Aloy returned the soldier to Fleet’s End, Admiral Gerrit took a personal interest in it…and an extreme dislike to Rheng for putting the soldier in the position of judge and executioner.
“You don’t understand!” Rheng had protested. “Order must be maintained!”
“The Imperial Family’s order…” Theoa had whispered angrily behind Aloy.
“You think to lecture a naval man about the importance of order?” Gerrit had glowered at Rheng. “Who do you think you are?”
“I represent the Imperial Family!”
“And for that reason alone I am not going to throw you in the brig,” Gerrit leaned towards him, “but mark my words, if you abuse your authority one more time, I’ll not only throw you in the brig…I’ll leave you in it when we finally head for home.”
Aloy had trouble suppressing her smirk as Rheng stormed away and Gerrit returned to his cabin. She turned to Theoa who bit her bottom lip.
“You found something, didn’t you?”
“His FOCUS was intact.” Aloy held it out to her. “I can confirm it has the location of a cache on it. With this you’ll be able to find it.”
Theoa took the FOCUS and clutched it at her breast. “I don’t know if you realise just what it is you’ve done…the freedom you have given us.”
“It’s just the location,” Aloy insisted, “you’ll need to find it.”
“I will.” Theoa looked over her shoulder at Rheng’s back that was disappearing through Fleet’s End. “He doesn’t realise it but with every enemy he makes, the cause grows stronger. Thank you Aloy.”
Feeling as though she had done her bit to end the oppression of the imperial family, Aloy had gone to the bridge and spied Seyka waiting on the other side.
“Ready to go?” She asked calmly, all traces of her anger gone.
“Ready.” Aloy nodded.
“It’s along this path,” Seyka led her through the rainforest, following the trail that led deeper and deeper into one of the larger islands, “So…you know a lot about me…”
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“Just that you’re a midshipman with integrity that doesn’t settle for the rules of society.”
Seyka sighed. “I’ve been rebellious and wilful…”
Aloy put her hand out and stopped her. “You’ve been strong and courageous. No one else had the guts to do what you did in order to save your people.”
“And I’ll end up in a Compliance interrogation cell because of it.” Seyka muttered, continuing on.
Aloy followed, frustrated by the oppression. “Then maybe this isn’t the tribe for you.”
Seyka turned and glared at her. “I am of the chosen people!” She declared strongly. “I don’t just jump ship when the seas get a little rough!”
Aloy was taken aback by the strength of her resolve and the heat of her words. “I…I’m sorry. I just…want to help.” She felt an affinity for this young woman who was being condemned because she was doing the right thing.
Seyka closed her eyes. “No, I’m sorry…” She paused and sighed. “My sister…is one of the missing Quen.”
“I see…” Aloy murmured, immediately recalling the time the Zeniths had recaptured Beta and how helpless Aloy had felt at the time. “What’s her name?”
“Kina,” Seyka looked up at the sky that was beginning to sparkle with stars, “she is a navigator…but she didn’t need a gyrocompass to find her way,” she smiled sadly, “she followed the stars…and her brilliance earned her special recognition to the imperial family and a place on this voyage…even though she is so young…”
Aloy could feel the grief wicking from Seyka and stepped closer, her hand on her shoulder.
“We’ll find Kina. I promise.”
Seyka nodded, swallowing down her emotion. She turned her head and pointed. “It’s that way.”
They climbed up a short rise and over into a machine egg infested valley at the base of the ruins the missile launcher was atop of. A Bilegut, a giant frog like machine, was guarding its base but between the two of them, it wasn’t enough to stop them from reaching the ruins and climbing inside.
“So, as I was saying…I know very little about you.”
Aloy sighed. “What do you want to know?”
“Oh…everything I guess.”
Aloy felt her cheeks hum with a little blush at the attention. She was surprised by how Seyka’s inquiry made her feel.
“There’s a lot to tell. Can we start with something simpler?” She asked, trying to ignore the rapidity of her heart.
“Alright,” they began to climb up the ruins, “why are you here? On these islands?”
Aloy climbed up several levels, crossing the broken floors carefully, feeling rubble shift and slide.
“I’m…looking for something.”
“Like I’m looking for Kina?”
“No…a fugitive.”
“A fugitive?”
“A dangerous individual that needs to be stopped.”
“A single person isn’t going to be much of a danger.”
Aloy turned to help Seyka up but found she was already behind her, barely out of breath and able to keep up.
“You know that missile launcher? Pretty sure it’s his doing.”
Seyka nodded. “Okay…so he’s dangerous. What’s his name?”
Aloy paused. “Walter Londra?” Seyka looked puzzled. “Do you know the name?”
“Of course. He’s one of the founders of the Legacy,” Seyka huffed as if Aloy’s ignorance was amusing, “his name is listed amongst those credited alongside others like Ted Faro, saviour of the earth and Elisabet Sobeck…although she was just his assistant.”
Aloy bristled and reminded herself that Seyka was the recipient of poor information and didn’t deserve Aloy’s ire.
“Have you ever seen pictures of them?”
“Pictures? Of the Legacy founders?” Seyka frowned. “No…why?”
“I’m guessing only Diviners do…” Aloy pointed to another place they could climb and they continued their ascent. “Walter Londra is here…and he built that tower.”
“That’s impossible. Londra lived hundreds of years ago in the time of the old ones, as the primitives say.”
“He’s managed to extend his life…a lot.” Aloy wondered if Seyka would demand the full knowledge of the Zeniths but she let it slide.
“And you think he built the tower?”
“Yes.”
“Why? It only serves to hurt the Quen, the chosen people.”
Aloy could feel the building thrumming and knew they were getting close.
“Uh…I don’t think Londra is as…benevolent as the edited version of the Legacy lets you believe.” She ducked her head through a break in the wall and climbed up the outside of the tower, coming to the broken top where a machine, that resembled something from the Zenith island base, sent out a pulse of purple energy to a sharp panelled object suspended above their heads. “That’s high…”
“How are we going to reach it?” Seyka demanded.
Before Aloy could speak, a voice, hard and mocking, began to speak in a metallic tone.
“Aloy…I knew you would come. You couldn’t help but chase me down and so, I built this sentry tower for you.”
Aloy’s mouth turned down. “Londra…a recording of him at least.”
“Truly…a founder of the Legacy?”
“The other Zeniths underestimated you…but I did not and so I fully expect you to beat my tower…and if you die in the process, well…at least you won’t be around when Nemesis gets here…”
“Nemesis? What does he…”
“Look out!” The object above descended rapidly, sending shafts of skin blistering, bone carving lasers out of its core. They leapt apart as the lasers came down and then began to seek them out. Aloy peered out from behind the broken wall she cowered behind. “I’ve got to hit its core from behind!”
Seyka nodded. “Then I’ll keep its attention on me!” Without hesitating she leapt in front of the tower and fired an arrow at it then dove from the path of the laser.
Aloy used the distracted momentum to clamber up more of the broken ruin until she could work her way around to the back side of the machine and sent an arrow into its core, rupturing its power source and causing it to explode. She was thrown backwards by the force of the explosion and out of the path of the flying shrapnel. When the violence subsided she looked down and saw the base of the machine was quiet and dull. Seyka was standing by it and, thankfully, unharmed. She looked up at Aloy, understandable questions in her eyes.
“How is it a barbarian, a stranger to the shores of the Quen, is known by a founder of the Legacy?” She asked hollowly. “Who are you?”
Aloy licked her lips and jumped down. “I…have met your people before.” Seyka said nothing, waiting for Aloy to explained. “The half a fleet that you think was lost…they made Landfall in San Francisco.”
Seyka’s eyes widened and she staggered backwards. “They survived!”
“Yes,” Aloy nodded, “funnily enough they think your half of the fleet are the ones that didn’t make it.”
Seyka pushed her hands into her hair. “I don’t believe it. They’re alive! I…I’ve got to tell Admiral Gerrit…”
“And then he’ll do what?” Aloy demanded softly but strongly. “Seyka…the other Quen survivors have a working gyroscope…they won’t need your sister.”
Seyka paused and gazed at Aloy. “You think they’d abandon Kina?”
“I think…our focus has to be finding Walter Londra…because I’m certain he’s behind the disappearance of your people…” Aloy wanted to continue, to tell Seyka about the dangers that Londra posed…and about the one that was hurtling through deep space with the intent on wiping them out. But she could see Seyka was in no state to receive it…and in the light of her joy at finding out others in the fleet had survived, Aloy didn’t want to crush her with Nemesis…and the truth behind the Quen’s belief of their founding fathers.
“Yes…you’re right.” Seyka nodded, licking her full lips. “We have to find my missing people…not that I doubt the Admiral’s metal. He wouldn’t willingly abandon his sailors…” She frowned. “But the CEO,” Seyka shuddered, “I never liked him…and I think he wouldn’t hesitate to leave people behind.”
“You don’t have to worry about him,” Aloy recalled the moment when the worshipped effigy of Ted Faro had killed the CEO as Thebes had collapsed around them and shuddered, “but there is another Diviner in the party and I imagine his authority…”
“It’s absolute.” Seyka agreed. “So…I won’t tell Gerrit about the survivors…for now. But I do need to let him know that the sentry tower is destroyed. He might even allow us to have more Quen to help with the search…”
Aloy only just refrained from commenting that she would prefer if it was just her and Seyka. “I’ll meet you back at Fleet’s End then. I’d like to poke around and see if Londra left any other clues as to what he’s doing.”
“Okay,” Seyka gazed at Aloy, her face brightening, “I’m glad you dropped out of the sky on me.”
Aloy smiled as she left. “I’m glad you were there when I landed.”