Kotallo didn’t think it was possible…but he might have found a place colder than the Sheerside Mountains. If the snow wasn’t piled high, forcing him to wade as if hip deep in water, it was slapping him in the face and didn’t pull its punches. He also began to suspect that what he thought was rock beneath all the snow wasn’t actually rock at all but ice, hard, frozen for centuries and as sharp as blades.
He was grateful his Charger was taking him up the mountain, all the way north of the Cut, along narrow paths where the Banuk had to walk single file to keep from slipping from the edge and falling down a sheer drop. He wouldn’t want to spend any more time out in the cold than necessary.
“I must be getting old,” Kotallo muttered, “complaining about the cold…what’s wrong with me?”
He drove his Charger further and further, past Frostclaws and an irritable Fireclaw, past Grazers and Longlegs that picked their way through the snow with their long legs until he was so high that he thought the air might freeze in his lungs.
“I thought I was accustomed to the cold,” he shivered, “it turns out what I thought was cold was pleasant and bearable. Where is this damn door?”
Thankfully, before frostbite could set in, he spied the metal door embedded in the back of a mountain. The other side, he was told, was called the Shaman’s Path, a trek of reckoning and proving. Only shamans of the Banuk were permitted to endure it…and one tenacious red head who never let permission stand in the way of doing what was right.
However, Aratak had told Kotallo of a different way to approach the centre of operations for the Yellowstone Park’s Caldera initiative. Kotallo hoped these fancy words and titles would make more sense once he met someone called Naltuk who could introduce him to someone else called Cyan.
At the door he dismounted, opened it and darted inside, closing it tightly behind him. He stood and shook off the snow, stamping it from his boots lest it melt and soak him through.
“Naltuk, we appear to have a guest.”
“Friend or foe, Cyan?”
“Unclear. Proceed with caution.”
A dark skinned young man with a very fancy headdress and his skin threaded with blue cords appeared in the short corridor Kotallo stood in. He held a weapon that was unfamiliar to Kotallo but by the way it crackled, he didn’t want to become familiar with it.
“State your name and reason for being here.”
“I am Kotallo of the Tenakth who exist far to the west,” Kotallo explained, having said his opening line many times by this stage, “I have received permission from your Chieftain, Aratak, to visit this place as I have a message from Aloy to convey.”
Naltuk tilted his head. “You…you come from Aloy?”
“Indeed. As we speak, Aratak is gathering Banuk from all over the Cut to hear her call but he sent me to this place to summon you and meet someone called Cyan.”
Naltuk looked over his shoulder. “Cyan, you have heard all he has said…what say you?”
Kotallo waited patiently.
“He bears a FOCUS just as Aloy does.” A female voice spoke. “I would like to meet him.”
Naltuk holstered the weapon, turned and led Kotallo into a large space not dissimilar to the control room at the base in the west. On the walls were Banuk paintings and beaten metal barrels with fire burning in them to stave off the cold. Dominating the floor was a large, round platform and suspended above the platform was a sphere of blue light, flickering not with lack of power but almost as if it were blinking or it had a heartbeat.
Having grown used to Gaia and educated as to her nature and function, Kotallo guessed that Cyan, as he assumed the blue ball was, was something similar.
“Cyan, I presume?”
“Yes,” the sphere pulsed as it spoke, “and you are Kotallo of the Tenakth. It is a pleasure to meet you.”
Kotallo bowed solemnly then straightened himself. “Thank you for agreeing to meet me.”
“You have made the journey. I feel it would have been…rude…not to say hello.” The way she spoke was a little disjointed. Cyan did not possess the same fluidity as Gaia in speech which made her so natural to listen to. But Kotallo liked her tone and the way the pauses sounded like she was carefully considering her words and didn’t like to speak too hastily. “Curious…you wear a FOCUS.”
“I do.” Kotallo wanted to touch it but kept his hand down.
“Does your tribe, the Tenakth, commonly wear FOCUSES?”
“No, this was given to me when I pledged my allegiance to Aloy’s cause.”
“I see.” Cyan pulsed. “She spoke with me, eight months, five days and three hours ago about her need to find a Gaia backup. Tell me, was she successful?”
“She was,” Kotallo nodded, speaking easily with Cyan just as he did with Gaia, “Gaia is now fully functional with many of her sub components restored.”
“Her subordinate functions? Aloy found them?”
“Four,” Kotallo recounted the details of Aloy’s restoration of Gaia, “the rest were recovered when an opposing force stole them.”
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Cyan’s colour changed slightly to a lavender hue. “And…HEPHAESTUS?”
She sounded frightened. “HEPHAESTUS has not yet been restored to Gaia and HADES has been eliminated.”
Cyan pulsed. “While I am sorry that the work of humans in the past had to be destroyed, to allow HADES to exist would not have been wise. I am…a little…concerned about HEPHAESTUS still being at large.”
“It was trapped for a time but while fighting an enemy, it escaped its bonds.” Kotallo cleared his throat. “I have an ember with the message from Aloy…”
“Naltuk,” Cyan said gently, “I am concerned that this message might cause you consternation in regards to your Banuk beliefs…”
“I am more interested in the truth than my beliefs,” Naltuk insisted, “if they do not withstand the truth of our past, then I am no longer a shaman.” He was young but had a steady presence about him. “You have been tactful in only sharing part of the picture in these last six months…but I am ready now to know the full story.”
Kotallo nodded and set the ember down. He had seen the message several times now and watched it play, Aloy’s image shimmering before his eyes. Cyan and Naltuk remained still and quiet, absorbing every word and detail. When it was over, the ember went quiet and Kotallo picked it up and put it in his swag.
Naltuk gave a small, nervous laugh. “A malevolent force called Nemesis seeks to undo all that the old ones did to give us a future…”
“Aloy seems confident that the human race can be successful against this entity,” Cyan comforted him with her words, “if we can do our part.”
“Cyan, Gaia gave me a special message for you.” Kotallo licked his lips. “She has tried to make contact with you since being reinitialised but received no response.”
“I made the mistake of opening myself up to a communication in the past,” Cyan said quietly, “it was a grievous miscalculation that cost many Banuk their lives…”
“HEPHAESTUS would have found another way to make its hunter killers if it hadn’t enslaved you.” Naltuk insisted, reaching out his hand as if he could touch her and reassure her. “I would not want you to suffer like that again.”
“No, nor would I.”
“Gaia can use a FOCUS to communicate with you,” Kotallo took one out of his pouch, “but she insisted that only with your permission was I to make the connection.”
“That is considerate of her and I confess, I would like the company of another AI,” Cyan flickered, “but I am still afraid.”
“She also said that, if communication was conducted through the FOCUS, which is not powerful enough for a malware transfer,” Kotallo hoped he was getting the message right as it sounded like garbled nonsense to him, “you would be in no danger.”
Cyan was quiet. Kotallo glanced at Naltuk who signed for him to remain still.
It took Cyan a moment to come to a decision. “I…would like to talk to Gaia using the means you have suggested.”
Kotallo looked at Naltuk and held out the FOCUS in his hand.
“Me? Wear one of those?”
“When I leave, Cyan will need someone close to her to continue to be the means of communication…”
“Naltuk, if you are uncomfortable…”
Naltuk picked up the FOCUS and smiled at Cyan. “I made a promise in Ourea’s memory to serve and protect you. It is my pleasure to do this, Cyan.” He put it up to his temple, jumping as it fixed in placed against his skin.
“A light touch and panic not.” Kotallo warned.
Naltuk tapped it and jumped, his eyes wide, staring at the blue net that had appeared around him. “It…the blue light! It surrounds me!”
“There is a circle before your eyes. Tap it.”
“I can touch light?” Naltuk breathed and did so.
“Hello Naltuk, my name is Gaia.”
Kotallo could hear her through the FOCUS as the sound projected outwards. “I…Gaia…I…I am honoured to hear your voice!” Naltuk knelt.
“It is good to hear yours as well. You are Banuk?”
“I am.” He was glassy eyed, almost teary. “I am a shaman of my people…and I also serve Cyan.”
“I am pleased Cyan has a friend. Aloy has expressed concern over her isolation.”
“That is very kind of you, Gaia.” Cyan spoke. “I am Cyan.”
“Hello Cyan, it is a pleasure to make contact with you. I understand that, in the past, this has been a traumatic experience for you. I hope to establish lasting trust and mutual respect and understanding.”
Cyan was glowing a beautiful bright blue. “Gaia, it is my wish for that also.”
“I have Aloy here. Would you like me to link her in?”
“Yes, I would.”
“Cyan? Is that really you!”
“Aloy, it is deeply gratifying to hear your voice and to know that you have been able to restore Gaia.”
“It’s been quite the journey Cyan. I’m sorry I couldn’t get back to you before I headed west.”
“While the absence of your presence has left me worldly ignorant, Naltuk has been my very constant companion. Aratak also.”
“And the other Banuk? How are they handling you?”
“We are taking it slow, as you suggested. Naltuk has been the most receptive and inquisitive by far. Even now he wears the FOCUS that allows me to talk to you.”
“That’s wonderful to hear, Cyan. I’m sure you have many questions…”
Kotallo stepped back slowly and found a place by one of the fires to warm his body and watch the conversation. It went on for quite some time, Aloy chiming out not long after then Gaia, Cyan and even Naltuk continuing to speak at length. Unsurprisingly, tired and warm, he eventually nodded off and to his horror, when he woke, he’d slept the night away. Naltuk had covered him with ample blankets and kept the fire stoked. He even had food prepared for the sheepish Tenakth.
“I have never fallen asleep on sentry duty before.” Kotallo muttered, taking the meat and chewing it.
“You must have felt safe enough to do so.” Naltuk chuckled. “Besides, it would have been too dark to travel back to Song’s Edge last night. If you can believe it, it gets even colder.”
“It’s cold enough.” Kotallo grunted. “Good morning, Cyan.”
“Good morning, Kotallo.” The blue sphere greeted him. “Thank you for bringing the message from Gaia. It was perhaps my most fervent wish that I meet her.”
“Then I am glad,” Kotallo picked up his swag and checked its contents, “I must return to Song’s Edge as Aratak is gathering the Banuk to ask for volunteers.” He saw Naltuk gathering his belongings. “What are you doing?”
“I’m volunteering.” Naltuk smiled, bright white teeth against his skin, his eyes filled with hope.
Kotallo faltered. “But…Cyan…”
“Has established a secure connection with Gaia which she no longer requires a FOCUS for,” Naltuk shrugged, “something about reconfiguration of a Spire?”
Kotallo nodded. “But what about your duties here?”
“My final decision rests with Aratak naturally,” Naltuk admitted, “but should he give his blessing, I want to go.”
Kotallo looked at Cyan. “You will be alone once more…”
“Other Banuk have been visiting me and there are those among them whom can be trusted and who I am comfortable with,” Cyan pulsed, “it is always a little…uncomfortable becoming accustomed to someone new…but I can always contact Naltuk or Gaia or Aloy or even yourself. Even now Gaia and I are comparing notes on our AI matrixes. It seems I was the basis for her creation. Had I not existed, she could not have been created in time.”
“So…it’s like she’s your daughter?” Kotallo asked, curious as to how Cyan would take it.
“In artificial intelligence, there is no straight ancestral line as there is with humans. Gaia is by far the most extensive and intricate of AIs, surpassing me tenfold. But it is nice to have a friend with whom I have so much in common.”
Kotallo smiled and nodded. “It was a pleasure to meet you, Cyan.”
“You also, Kotallo. Please, travel safely. Naltuk, I hope Aratak grants your request.”
“Thank you, Cyan.” Naltuk bowed and they left the chamber together.