Aloy felt a great sense of comfort and release talking about what was happening at the base. She knew those that had remained to carry on what she started would do so to the best of their abilities but at the same time, she had felt tremendous anxiety at being so separated from it. What if something required her specific assistance? What if they needed her and she was stuck in the back of beyond without the ability to wear a FOCUS lest she shift into a completely incompetent and helpless alternate personality?
Without focussing on herself, she could leave her frustrations behind for a time.
“So Erend went back to the Claim and Eamon to Meridian?”
“Or what remains of it, yes.” Beta nodded, holding her cup of water. “Eamon and Talanah are working with Avad regarding the transition from the Carja religion of the worship of the sun to being educated but without a Cradle facility, it’s been difficult to explain. Erend is doing what he can to educate the Oseram. He and Delah are working together. All the other Oseram, Silga, Morlund and Abadund, remained at the base.”
“Petra was killed when Nemesis invaded the Daunt, wasn’t she?” Aloy was still trying to piece all the history together. She had heard it in sporadic chunks and sometimes struggled to know that which she guessed and what was real.
“She was. Almost all who were in the Daunt were.” Beta counted on her hand. “You know Ikrie and Naltuk went back to the Cut. Their job has been considerably easier in that Aratak was encouraging Banuk to visit and ‘commune’ with the blue light spirit. Cyan’s been easing them into accepting her as an artificial entity. Their biggest problem was the Cradle the Banuk came from is buried somewhere in the frozen wastelands that they came from but Naltuk and Ikrie have made Ourea’s sanctuary, where Cyan exists, into a learning centre.”
“That’s quite the feat. Are those two getting on any better?”
“Apparently they ‘bonded’ during their coordinated attack on Nemesis.”
Aloy smiled, her eyes sad. “I think they bonded after I brought Hephaestus to the base, after Tunk’s death…after many things.”
“It makes a difference.”
“What about Nil?” Aloy winced. “Has he…adapted? He was one of the last to come into the fold.”
“You would hardly recognise him,” Beta leaned forward, “the knowledge of the past really shook him up and changed his perspective about life. If there’s a difficult tribe or situation, Nil heads up the team that goes in.”
“And kills the protestors?” Aloy groaned.
“No, he’s actually an excellent advocate.” Beta laughed. “He’s very hard but honest and I think that cuts the way through the haze of confusion. Then, when it’s safe to leave the other missionaries there, Nil comes back to base.”
“Missionaries…” Aloy shook her head.
“It’s what we’ve dubbed all those coming in for their training that go out into the world to reach the tribes that are isolated from Cradles, their Cradles are malfunctioning or who still persist in hunting machines.”
“How is Hephaestus taking that?”
Beta pulled a face. “It’s…Gaia has had to talk him back from aggressive action several times. Hephaestus views the machines like its children…or extensions of himself. And he’s still not entirely…social or pleasant. But we’re getting there.” She looked at Aloy, tilting her head as she did so. “You haven’t asked about Aran.”
Aloy swallowed. “I don’t…what do I ask? Is he okay?”
“He’s fine. He’s got a pair of lungs that would put a Thunderjaw to shame,” Beta grinned, “he’s smellier at times than a whole host of Oseram but he’s very sweet.”
“Oh…that’s good.” Aloy sighed. “I really don’t know anything about babies. I mean, I was thrilled that Zo was pregnant and that part of Varl would live on but I’d be terrified to even hold a baby.”
“Zo sat me down and made me,” Beta admitted, “and while it was awkward…it was also kind of lovely. Holding a life…”
Aloy’s eyes softened at Beta’s winsome expression. She looked much more settled and at home despite the natural and primitive surroundings she hadn’t grown up in. Her clothing was certainly more modern than Aloy’s tribal garb but she didn’t look as out of place as she had in her Zenith grey/white suit and sandals. Her hair was growing and she didn’t exude an air of unease as she had in the past.
“So,” Aloy braced herself a little, “how are you and Tomas?”
“Oh,” Beta blushed and Aloy’s heart twisted, “we…we’re okay.”
“Just okay?” Aloy asked, surprised. “When he first arrived, you were kind of…bedazzled.”
Beta sighed. “Tomas…isn’t entirely well. The way the Zenith’s engineered his maturation process…”
“I thought the rejuvenation capsule took care of all that.”
“It can’t rewrite DNA,” Beta explained, “so Tomas needs to spend a little time in it each day to help counter the effects.” She paused, licking her lips. “We…we kissed and it was nice…really nice. But we talked about it and we decided wait.”
“For what?”
“Tomas is only ten years old. I mean, I know he’s physically my age and he’s been forced to adapt so he seems older…”
“I think it’s wise to wait.” Aloy insisted as Beta started to blunder. “I mean, waiting doesn’t mean it won’t happen…but that it still can happen…after other things happen.”
“Beta, I hate to interrupt,” Kotallo appeared in the doorway where the sky was starting to turn the hues of sunset, “but it’s at least an hour walk to Mother’s Watch and…Aloy?”
“It’s me.” Aloy nodded, standing and looking slightly defensive.
Kotallo took a step into the cabin, frowning. “The signal booster?”
“Just the connection signal,” Beta explained, “I should have realised…I was standing too close to Ally and it triggered a shift.” She held out the FOCUS. “What were you saying about Mother’s Watch?”
Kotallo took the FOCUS but didn’t attach it. “Just that it’s a bit of a walk to get there, especially before it becomes too dark for someone who doesn’t know the path very well. Unless you wish to stay the night?”
“We only have two beds.” Aloy pointed out.
“I can sleep outside.” Kotallo argued.
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“I’ll go to Mother’s Watch.” Beta blurted before they could start fighting as she sensed they were about to. “Teb and Nakoa are expecting me. And in the Cradle there’s plenty of light for me to work and space to sleep.” She walked out onto the veranda. “So I go down the slope and back around to the right?”
“And follow the signs.”
“Kotallo, I think you should go with Beta.” Aloy said, leaning against the wall of the cabin. “I don’t want her trying to find her way in the dark. Besides, the Nora trust you,” Kotallo snorted, “more than they’ve ever trusted any outsider at least…and Beta needs you to introduce her to the tribe, dispel any concerns they have about her looking like their ‘Anointed’ and take her to the Cradle, not just drop her at the gates.”
Kotallo frowned. “That’s over two hours away…unless you come with us?”
Aloy’s sigh was exasperated. “You know I can’t. The Cradle is constantly sending out signals. I don’t want to go through that again. It’s a nightmare.”
“But two hours…”
“I’m fine.” Aloy insisted. “I’m me and I can take care of myself. The chance of my shifting personalities is slim and even if I did, Ally would just wait for you. She’s not going to go anywhere.” She folded her arms. “I’ll stay and prepare meat for supper.” She held up her hands in defeat. “I promise not to cook. It’s not my gift, apparently.”
Beta sensed Aloy was trying to give Kotallo a push out the door.
Kotallo nodded. “Very well. I will return in time for supper.”
“And I’ll visit again before I leave the Embrace.” Beta promised.
Aloy gave Beta a quick, tight hug before heading back inside without saying anything in reply. Beta followed Kotallo down the steps, past the blazing campfire, out the fence line and down to where the Striders were standing, waiting for their human riders, still carrying the cargo parcels needed to fix the Cradle’s technical problems.
“How did you know?” Beta asked and Kotallo turned to her. “Ally…Aloy…I didn’t pick up on it.”
“I know them both very well,” Kotallo glanced over his shoulder, “Aloy has a presence about her, isolated with the intention of being so while Ally is vulnerable and needy. Their stance, their tone…even the way they look at me changes.” He cleared his throat, putting the FOCUS on his temple. “We should head out before I’m climbing back up this in the dark.”
Aloy went to the kitchen where there was a cool box Kotallo had been given when he’d left the base with her. It was useful to store things that needed to stay cold or else they’d spoil. She picked out a piece of meat and began to carve it up, striking it with a heavy hand. After a minute she glanced out the window, unable to sight Beta and Kotallo.
She dropped what she was doing and went to the door, going up on tiptoe to see as far as she could. The tops of their heads were just disappearing from sight, going down the steep path. The moment they disappeared, Aloy turned and went to her bed. She pulled her satchel out from beneath it, strapping her swag onto the top. She picked out some fruit and vegetables and a piece of bread, wrapping it in cloth and cramming them all in her satchel.
As she opened a box, looking for her flintstone, she saw her FOCUS. For a moment her fingers reached for it but they withdrew, withering from that which she had worn for most of her life. It was a hard thing to turn her back on it.
After she grabbed her bow and strapped her quiver around her waist, Aloy looped her satchel over her shoulder and headed out the door, closing it behind herself. She didn’t look to the left or the right, leaving the property that had once been Rost’s and left to her upon his death. She didn’t even look at his grave. She had to move if she wanted to put as much distance as she could between herself and Kotallo.
Aloy had been so quick to go, already half prepared in her mind, that she could still see Beta and Kotallo just before they disappeared to the right, heading for Mother’s Watch. She made sure she did nothing to attract attention, hurrying to the base of the slope then across the river to the far side. She knew where all the settlements were and avoided all the major paths, keeping out of sight of everyone and everything she could. There was no room for thought, survival instinct kicking in as she kept to the shadows, even out of sight of the machine herds though they no longer posed a threat.
Rather than use the main gate out of the Embrace, Aloy climbed a steep section of mountain, skidding as she grasped shallow ledges and dragging herself to the top before sliding down the other side, out of the Embrace. It had not been an easy or a quick climb. Aloy suspected she had used up over an hour since leaving the cabin. But now, in the open world of the Sacred Lands where there were less settlements and people about, she could put more effort into running.
It occurred to her, not without a sense of irony, that Aloy had only been able to leave the Embrace for the past year. It astonished her that within so short a time, she had become used to travelling. Staying still for over two months in the Embrace had frustrated her to no end.
Although, the journey from the base to the Sacred Lands was something Aloy desperately wanted to forget.
She didn’t remember the re-entry to earth in the escape pod or even how Beta had saved her from the Nemesis possessed Sylens. Her last memory was of her getting into the pod, the self destruct counting down as she reached for the release mechanism.
The next she knew she was standing in the base, staring at Beta, Zo, Alva, Kotallo and Erend, the expressions of their faces ranging from confusion and concern to fear and horror. In between shifts as Ally, Aloy had learned that Heph had sacrificed machines to save the lives of herself and Beta. Beta had landed mostly uninjured but Aloy’s pod had been damaged. Kotallo had pulled her from the pod and they’d flown her back to the base to go in the rejuvenation capsule. The process would take days but every time she shifted, Ally became conscious and hysterical in the capsule.
A single shift was unsettling but the dozens she’d experienced had taken its toll on Aloy like nothing else she had ever experienced.
She could shift going from room to room and didn’t have a single, whole conversation with anyone while she was there. Many times Aloy opened her eyes and she was in the basement with all the servers, where Beta had hidden when she first arrived at the base. Aloy would have scratches on her arms and her scalp stung, her fingers threaded through with clumps of her red hair. She would have the pain but none of the emotion.
Since they didn’t know that it was the digitals signals which triggered shifts at the time, Aloy suspected she was removed from the base with Kotallo as her carer, because she was freaking everyone out. The lift which allowed access into the Daunt hadn’t been repaired and Ally wouldn’t have survived the frozen mountain pass so they’d risked a Stormbird flight over the range and as far as Kotallo dared. He couldn’t rest, holding tightly to Aloy in case she shifted into Ally and her panic caused her to fall.
When they could, they landed and rode on Striders across the Sundom. Aloy had still been struggling with the notion that she was sharing her body with another personality and had resisted and even resented Kotallo’s suffocating presence. Every time she turned around, he was there.
Not for her. For Ally.
Because she was so incredibly, completely and utterly incompetent!
In her heart, Aloy knew it wasn’t Kotallo’s fault or even Ally’s. It was Nemesis for messing with her head and memories.
But Aloy was angry and as Nemesis was destroyed and she couldn’t rage at Ally, Kotallo had borne the brunt of her fury and frustration.
Aloy shook her head as she skirted around the mountain curve, Mother’s Rise way up high on a precipice to her left.
She couldn’t understand why Kotallo hadn’t abandoned her weeks ago.
She doubted she would have his fortitude.
It was close to night when she crossed the river, down a sharp embankment which had the broken remains of an old world road still scattered about in large chunks. On the other side was forest, thickly covering the ruins of Devil’s Thirst.
Aloy slipped through the ruins, going for a campfire she knew was nearby. It wouldn’t be lit but with her flintstone, she could light it and be warm. If she had been able to wear her FOCUS, she could have continued further in the dark but she didn’t and there were clouds blocking out the stars and moonlight.
A few cold splats of rain struck her and she sighed.
“Oh good…I was feeling too dry.”
The loud thump of a Tallneck’s feet shuddered the ground. Aloy could see its large bulk tracing its steps over and over and over around a large building ruin, its disc like head glowing in the darkness. The rain was starting to fall in earnest now, a heavy summer downpour.
Aloy wiped the rain from her eyes then froze, hearing something in the undergrowth.
She held her bow, sliding an arrow into the cradle and peered into the darkness. Leaves and bushes rustled, something shuffling closer and closer.
“Can’t be a machine,” Aloy whispered, “Hephaestus has those under control…it can’t be anything aggressive…unless it’s a bandit…I can’t see what it is…”
Deeply ingrained instinct took over as she pressed up against a piece of broken wall and her fingers lifted to touch her FOCUS which wasn’t there…
…and Ally jolted, shocked into a statue state.
She had been standing on the mountain with Beta and the signal booster.
Where was Beta?
Where was the booster?
Where was the mountain!
She was in the dark, rain pouring on her, a bow in her hands and something was coming towards her. Something big. Something grunting as it pushed through the brush.
Ally let out a small scream, dropped the bow and bolted.