A storm had forced Aloy down from her flight. Though Gaia had better control over the declining weather now that AETHER was part of her heuristic matrix again, it was a work in progress. Aloy had persisted until she had crossed the mountain range and large body of water that had halted any eastern traversal. Not that she couldn’t climb mountains or swim…but the region had been infested with corrupted machines. Even though the corruption was mostly dealt with, the machines still remained.
Easier to fly over the top of the Snapmaws, Tiderippers and other aquatic prone machines.
But as she crossed the lower portion of what was once known as the Midwest of America, she admitted defeat. She was soaked through to the bone, cold to the core and the lightning that started to flash down would only see her Sunwing as a target.
She found a shallow cave and landed her Sunwing at the entrance. As she dismounted, she checked the override module that she and Beta had patched into its systems. It was still functioning.
Stolen story; please report.
“That’s one thing to be thankful for, I suppose.” Aloy muttered, dragging off her sodden clothing, finding a dry tunic and leggings in her swag. Once dressed she tapped her FOCUS, a small triangular piece of metal on her right temple. “Aloy to base? Can anyone hear me through this storm?”
Only silence responded. Aloy wasn’t surprised. She’d been warned that severe weather could interrupt the signal of the tiny FOCUS, even with all the transmission towers recalibrated to their frequency. She assembled a fire and blew on the sparks, raising a flame that would dry her clothes and keep her from freezing. She sat facing the entrance of the cave, the wind howling relentlessly and put her bare feet as close as she dared to the flames. As she wiggled her toes, she felt a slight twinge in her ankle. Aloy leaned to look but couldn’t see a mark or any indication of an injury.
“Tomas said there might be ghost pain,” Aloy murmured, “but if it wasn’t for that rejuvenation capsule, I’d be doing this crossing on crutches.”