Without a machine of flight to travel on, Aloy would have had to use a Quen skiff and chance that, on the open water, a Tideripper wouldn’t take a dislike to her crossing into its territory and destroy her craft and drown her. As it was the Sunwing made excellent time. She waited at Tilda’s residence until morning, speaking with Gaia and Beta about the missing Zenith, attempting to work out who it was that was it could be.
“Fortunately the data you recovered lists Odyssey berth holders,” Gaia had explained, “unfortunately we only know of the Zenith’s who were killed in the battle for the launch tower and their remains, identified and not who survived the destruction of Sirius.”
“And you have no idea if there were any more, Beta?” Aloy asked out of frustration. She knew she shouldn’t have. Beta had been isolated even from her benefactors, as the Zeniths had called themselves.
“No, I’m sorry.” Aloy cringed, wishing she hadn’t demanded something of her sister that she couldn’t give. “The only clue we have is that this missing Zenith went to Los Angeles.”
Aloy nodded, pacing on the balcony. “So…out of the list of Zeniths who travelled on the Odyssey…were there any that had a connection to Los Angeles?”
“Verbena would have been my strongest suspicion as she was a ‘media baby’, a woman famous for being infamous and Hollywood, which is in Los Angeles, was her playground.”
“But she’s definitely dead.” Aloy confirmed, having watched the once immortal Zenith cut down, disarmed by Sylens’ prototype weapon then run through. The expression on her face, the shock that she might actually die had almost been laughable if it hadn’t been so sad. How could someone not ever truly contemplate that they could die?
But that was the Zenith mentality, convinced of their own immortality and superiority…right up until it killed them.
“The only other Zenith on the list with a strong connection to Los Angeles is Walter Londra, a shrewd business man who made billions by isolating any and all meteorites that struck the earth and selling off their limited minerals to the highest bidder. His company, Heaven₵, was based there.”
“Well…it’s a start I guess.” Aloy tried to sound optimistic. “Thanks for your help, Beta. You’ll be alright with Gaia?”
“We’ll be fine. Stay safe.”
“I’ll be in touch.”
The new day started out gloomy with miserable grey clouds and threatening rain. Fortunately for her it was heading north and before long, the sky turned blue and the sun was beaming. Down below the water stretched out with only faint lines on the horizon edges to show where the larger continent ended. And before long, Aloy spied the islands that were the remains of Los Angeles.
What had once been a solid landmass, part of the northern continent, according to Gaia’s original geographical data, was now a scattering of islands, broken shoreline and lava flowing from a single mountain. There were tower ruins all over the islands and some sticking out of the water. Aloy studied the landscape, tapping her FOCUS, overlaying the original map onto the islands and marking where Heaven₵ was situated.
But before she could change the Sunwing’s heading, a ruined tower, between herself and her destination, glowed bright purple and blue, a sparkling orb of power at its apex sending out missiles that whistled through the air.
Aloy’s eyes widened as she realised, a split second too late, that they were screaming towards her.
“Oh sh…”
The Sunwing dove, a missile exploding behind them, knocking them both sideways. Aloy’s grip was shaken and before she could regrip her mount, another missile exploded and threw her off its back completely. She tumbled through the air, faster and faster, heading towards the ground.
She grunted and tried to activate her shieldwing, which was usually used for slower descents. It was a parachute of light and had helped her avoid many a disastrous fall in the past.
“Come on…come on!” She cried until it activated and her descent slowed so dramatically it was like she had hit the ground. Unfortunately she was still falling and her path took her directly into metal letters on a framework decorating the top of a building. “No, no, no, no, no!”
She couldn’t change course and deactivated her shieldwing at the last second, striking the sign, knocking half of it over, falling through the gaps, the ground only a heartbeat away.
She got her shieldwing to work in the last moment, sending her tumbling into the sand, over and over like a violent wave had dumped her upon the shore.
She lay in the sand, wheezing to refill her lungs and coughed at the pain in her chest.
Aloy suspected she might have cracked a rib.
It could have been worse though. She might have cracked her skull open.
As she lay in the sand, a shadow leaned over her. Aloy peered up at the silhouette standing above her.
“Did I just see you fly in on that Sunwing?”
“Crash is more like it.” Aloy grunted. “Not one of my better landings.”
“I’ll say…it was about as graceful as novice getting their sea legs.”
“Oh…charming.” Aloy pushed herself to her feet and brushed the sand off. “I’m fine by the way.”
“Walk it off. That’s what my commander always told me.” The woman who spoke was as tall as Aloy, perhaps an inch taller although with her high, black ponytail it was hard to know for certain. She had full lips and almond shaped eyes and was dressed in style Aloy had seen before. “Looks like your stunt got some attention.”
Aloy grunted and hunkered down in the long beach grasses, seeing three Widemaws and several Watchers approaching.
“I’ve got this.” The stranger said without fear.
“Uh…I can help too.” Aloy insisted, wondering if the woman thought her bow and arrows were ornamental.
She looked at Aloy with a sceptical expression. “Let’s see what you can do.” She challenged.
Aloy knew she could take the machines quick and messy…but the challenge of the unknown woman made her want to prove something. She crept close to the nearest Widemaw and overrode it, turning it aggressive. It immediately began to fight the other machines, crushing the surprised Watchers almost instantly and throwing itself at the other two Widemaws.
When it was over, the friendly Widemaw limped away, broken and leaking fluid. Aloy stood up and smiled smugly. “Why fight machines when you can get one to do it for you?”
She had a sudden and unpleasant thought that it was exactly that mentality that had turned FARO robotics, Ted Faro’s once environmental focused company, into the obscenely wealthy and apocalypse triggering harbinger upon the development of its ‘Peacekeeper’ robots that were known to the survivors of the FARO plague as ‘Deathbringers’.
She shook off the notion and studied the woman who was staring at her, her eyes narrowing.
They both came to the same conclusion at the same time.
“You’re wearing a FOCUS!”
The woman put her hand up as if to cover it, looking ashamed.
Aloy frowned. “So you’re Quen…only you’re not like any Diviner I’ve ever known.”
The woman stared at her. “Wait…you know us? Who are you? Where did you come from?”
“It’s complicated…but first,” Aloy pointed at the place she needed to go, “I have to get past that tower to that ruin on the other side.”
“You want to get to Starlight Rise? Well, you can’t. That missile launcher shoots down anything in the air or at sea.” She looked sad. “We lost a lot of good people attempting to do so.”
Aloy could see the grief on her face. “I’m sorry. I’m Aloy, by the way.”
“Seyka.” They smiled at each other, mutual respect established. “So…how do you know the Quen? You’re not of the chosen people.”
“I met some of your people before.”
Seyka’s eyes were sceptical. “That’s a lie. None of my people have ever come this far before.”
“Alright, I can prove it.” Aloy folded her arms. “You were part of a larger fleet seeking answers to flooding and weather problems in your country, right?”
Seyka’s mouth fell open. “How could you…”
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
“I will tell you everything but I have to get past that tower.” Aloy insisted, hoping Seyka would understand the urgency.
Seyka paused and nodded. “Then, perhaps…we can help each other. You see, I need to get past those missiles too…but first…” She knelt by one of the destroyed Widemaws and ripped a component off it. “I have to fix my skiff.” Aloy followed her down to the waterline where a motorised skiff was moored.
“That’s unusual.”
“Me and a gearhead back at the docks cobbled it together. Beats rowing. Hop on.”
Aloy did so, feeling unsteady and awkward. She sank down on the boards and then felt the skiff shift again as Seyka climbed aboard and the engine chugged into life. The skiff pulled away from the island Aloy had made the clumsy descent onto and carved its way through the deeper waters between the islands. She felt a strange sense of unease. It wasn’t that she hadn’t travelled on water before but it was rare that she was out of control, subject to another person’s expertise.
Seyka handled the craft with confidence and they were soon travelling quite quickly.
“It won’t take long before we make Fleet’s End.” She said from behind the wheel.
“Fleet’s End,” Aloy mused, “cheery name.”
“We weren’t exactly in the best spirits when we made landfall.”
Aloy glanced over her shoulder. “How long ago was that?”
“About a year and since then, we’ve only had trouble after setback after disaster.”
As they left the confines of the last island before Fleet’s End, Aloy spied a building made of pieces of Quen ship strapped to an old ruin. Then she realised the entire settlement was constructed the same way. They had disassembled their ships to create structures and shelter, adorned with flags and ramps with only a few skiffs, not unlike the one Aloy was in, remaining intact in the water.
It immediately struck her as a desperate location.
There was no way the Quen could leave Fleet’s End. It was, quite literally, where the ships had met their end, forever doomed to be grounded.
“Such as?” Aloy asked.
“Food and water issues, machine problems, limited resources to go around, Compliance causing all manner of dissention, almost all scouting missions ending in disaster…and then, our biggest scouting party attempting to delve deeper into the ruins disappeared two weeks ago and that blasted tower immediately prevented any rescue.”
“Wait,” Aloy twisted to look at her, “a Quen scouting mission disappeared just before the tower problem?”
Seyka nodded and Aloy was struck at the flicker of despair on her features. Her fingers reached up to touch the FOCUS on the side of her head but she lifted her chin and dropped her hand.
“We’re here.” The skiff slid onto the sand and they both clambered out, Seyka immediately walking ahead. “Follow me…if you dare.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You’ll see.”
Aloy followed only half a step behind as Seyka led her up the sand and across a platform where two Quen soldiers and another Quen, a person of some authority going by his inked markings, standing between them were interrogating a young woman. Aloy could hear her insisting that she didn’t know anything else and begged to leave.
“You will stay until the traitor returns.” The middle officer snarled and Aloy’s hackles immediately went up at his arrogant tone. “Oh…look. Here she is…”
“And here we go…” Seyka muttered.
“Sorry…” The Quen woman whispered before darting away.
Aloy caught Seyka’s eye roll before she glared at the officer who eyed her darkly.
“Is there no end to your insolence, midshipman?” He demanded. “First you have the treasonous audacity to steal a Diviner’s FOCUS and then you bring this…barbarian…into our midst?”
“Exile, savage, now barbarian…” Aloy grumbled.
“Arrest her!”
“Admiral Gerrit is waiting to hear my report.” Seyka barked sharply and the soldiers hesitated. “I refuse to be arrested before I deliver it.”
Aloy saw the officer hesitate. “Very well,” he conceded at last, “but I will accompany you.”
“By all means.” Seyka strode ahead and Aloy darted to keep up, their swift pace putting distance between them and the soldiers and officer.
“He seems charming.” Aloy’s tone was brittle with sarcasm.
“Compliance Officer Rheng,” Seyka muttered, “he can go hang.”
They strode up numerous ramps, around and around a building until they reached the upper platform where a man with a fancy Quen headdress and a face aged by salt water and sunshine looked up, surprised by their presence.
“Admiral Gerrit,” Seyka said strongly, bowing her head, “I bring news of our lost scouting party.”
There was a pause and Aloy could almost see the wheels of the Admiral’s head turning.
“Admiral Gerrit,” Rheng’s voice was ugly with derision, “Midshipman Seyka would have me believe that you gave her permission to wear a Diviner’s FOCUS and leave Fleet’s End without authorisation.”
Gerrit lifted his chin. “Seyka is operating with my authority.”
Rheng’s mouth fell open as Aloy swore Seyka’s shoulders sagged in relief.
“With all due respect, Admiral, this is highly out of order! She is a common sailor and has not been given permission to view the Legacy, let alone wear a FOCUS!”
“I am giving her permission,” Admiral Gerrit replied calmly and a muscle in Rheng’s cheek twitched, “as we have no Diviners left to whom the Legacy can be entrusted. Desperate times and all that…”
Rheng drew himself up to his full height. “As long as you are aware, Admiral, that I will make a full and detailed report of all activities in Fleet’s End, including yours, to the Quen Imperial Family when we return.”
“I am aware.” Gerrit nodded and Rheng huffed, turned on his heel and left, the two soldiers following him. Aloy watched them going then turned back to Admiral Gerrit and Seyka. The Admiral sighed and shook his head. “Seyka…you are going to be the death of me. Stealing a FOCUS? Running off on your own? Are you trying to get yourself killed?”
“Sir, I’m sorry,” Seyka insisted, stepping forward, “but the information I discovered on Okra’s FOCUS leads me to believe that the scouting party that went missing are alive and on the other side of the missile tower.”
“And what has your treasonous actions wrought you with this information?” Gerrit demanded. “Nothing! There is no getting past that tower!”
“Uh,” Aloy put up her hand, interjecting between the two Quen, “that’s something I know I can help with.”
Admiral Gerrit looked at her, age and weariness in his pale eyes. “And who are you?”
“This is Aloy,” Seyka hastened to explained, “and she has expertise that no other Quen has ever demonstrated. If anyone can get us past the tower…”
“Get you past the tower,” Gerrit said sternly and Seyka clamped her lips shut, “I’ll not send any more of my men to die. If you volunteer for this, know that I won’t risk scouts looking for your corpse.”
Seyka bowed her head. “I understand, Admiral.” She jerked her head at Aloy who took the hint and followed Seyka off the Admiral’s perch. Her fingers tightened into fists and she grunted and shook her head, frustration leaking out in hisses from between her clenched teeth.
“Hey…calm down…”
“Don’t tell me to calm down!” Seyka snapped but Aloy held firm. Seyka closed her eyes and sighed. “No, you’re right…I know you’re right…I just…I need…”
“Why don’t you walk it off and I’ll meet you somewhere?”
Seyka nodded and pointed. “There’s a bridge on the far side of the settlement. I’ll wait there for you…once I’ve cooled off.”
Aloy nodded and watched her go, her heart aching for the young woman. She paused then turned on her heel, intending to return to the Admiral to demand some answers…but found the aged man behind her.
“A word, Aloy, before you set out.”
“Uh…sure.” She followed him back to what she guessed had once been his cabin on the ship, now his quarters strapped to a ruin on dry land.
Admiral Gerrit picked up a board with a parchment pinned to it, filled with glyphs.
“Do you know what I hold here?”
Aloy shook her head. “I can’t imagine.”
“A list of all the names of the seamen, officers, soldiers, Diviners and civilians lost under my command on this disastrous voyage…” He paused and shook his head. “I…have yet to add the names of the missing scouting party to it.”
Aloy heard the crack in his voice, the bottled up grief and responsibility. “If they’re alive, I will do everything in my power to help them get back to you,” she saw the disbelief on his craggy countenance, “and you should have more faith in Seyka.”
“Do not misunderstand my gruffness when it comes to her.” Gerrit explained, sinking onto a chair. “Seyka…was only ever an exemplary midshipman, nothing more, before this journey. But since we lost half the fleet, since we were marooned here…she has become my right hand. I’d be lost without her.”
Aloy studied him. “Is that why you lied to Rheng about sending Seyka out with the FOCUS?”
Gerrit rubbed the wrinkles from his face before they settled back in as he groaned. “If I hadn’t, Rheng would have arrested her on the spot and for her crimes against the Imperial dictates, he would have been within his power to execute her.”
Aloy’s mouth turned down. “He has that much authority?”
Gerrit looked up at her. “You may know of us but you don’t know about us. Compliance Officers are the eyes and ears of the Imperial Family and they operate with almost complete autonomy.” The Admiral looked down at his hands. “If I hadn’t been an admiral…just a lowly captain, Rheng could have easily overruled me here. As it is, if we ever return to our country, Rheng’s testimony will be enough to defame my illustrious career,” he huffed and cast his eye over Fleet’s End, “as if I hadn’t done enough to ruin it already.”
Aloy sank onto a crate and gazed at Gerrit. “Your people took a huge risk crossing the ocean. You knew there would be storms. You can’t be held accountable…”
“There was some estimated risk,” Gerrit admitted, “losses predicted in an acceptable margin…but half the fleet?”
Aloy wanted to tell him about the Quen she had met, the others who made landfall in San Francisco and who survived the storm…but she held the news in reserve. Of all things she had to do while on the Broken Shores, reuniting Quen was not one of them.
She had to get to Starlight Rise which was beyond the tower spewing out target seeking missiles.
And in order to do so, she had to work with Seyka.
“What can you tell me about Seyka?”
“Like I said, she’s an excellent midshipman,” Gerrit shook his head, “and she is unerringly stubborn and possesses integrity that I have come to trust…possibly too much. If she keeps going the way she is, Seyka could end up with enough rope to hang herself with Compliance.”
Aloy sat up, indignant. “Because she believes the lives of the scouting party are worth the risk, she could be condemned?”
“To don a FOCUS without earning the right,” Aloy bristled but knew now was not the time for a debate, “and to act with autonomy outside of her training…” Gerrit leaned forward, his gravelly voice becoming deep and serious. “If Seyka can locate the missing Quen and return even just a handful of them, it would be enough to placate Compliance. She would lose her place as a seaman but she would not lose her life.”
Aloy growled, shaking her head as she stood up. “That’s Quen gratitude for you.” She huffed and looked at the dilapidated settlement. It would only be a matter of time before Fleet’s End would become a graveyard. Broken Shores didn’t have the resources for them to rebuild their ships, machines were constantly being built and the tower would shoot anything out of the sky or water trying to leave. “I’ll help Seyka get past the tower and then find whatever and whoever remains of your people.”
Admiral Gerrit stood up. “Then you have my gratitude. I will make it known that you are permitted to come and go in Fleet’s End and make use of our merchants.”
“Thanks.” Aloy nodded. “I’ll stock up and have a look around before I meet up with Seyka.” She turned and left, striding down the salt soaked boards, hearing them creak with every step as she descended into the settlement proper. “Damn restrictions imposed by a self important imperial hierarchy that demands capitulation over freedom…”
The Quen weren’t Aloy’s favourite people. Knowledge was attainable by only an elite few and it was heavily edited before shared, if at all, to the masses. Alva’s own ignorance about elements of history was enough for Aloy to seriously doubt the integrity of the imperial family. And her own experience with the CEO, a Quen male and cousin of the imperial family who believed himself to be Ted Faro reincarnated, had not helped.
In the minds of the Quen, Elisabet Sobeck was the assistant and Ted Faro was the saviour of the world. In fact, all Zeniths were held up as paragons of virtue.
“Even Walter Londra,” Aloy heard a pulse of power and looked up to see the tower flashing brightly, missiles launching from its apex, laying into a passing Stormbird until it shattered into dozens of pieces, “I wonder how the Quen would feel knowing that a Zenith is the cause behind the tower and, more than likely, the loss of their scouting party?”
She closed her eyes and sighed then turned her attention to the settlement. “Perhaps I should ask around a little…and see just how deeply ingrained this ignorance goes…”