Replication (Star-4 x Atraks-1)
Crypt AI: Clarity Control breached. A single unregistered Exo and a single life form of unknown biology detected in the Crypt Laboratory. Status: Disastrous. Notice: Vacate the premises immediately. This will be your only warning.
Star-4: Not today. We have a mission to finish.
Featuring cameos from the fireteams of @nevermore-selfship, @cozyships, and yours truly! Small spoilers from the DSC raid!
Our fireteam has just triggered Atraks-1's encounter within the Deep Stone Crypt and half of the Guardians were already on their way upstairs to the space station, known as Morning Star, to eliminated the Servitors blocking from using our terminals, as that was the only way we were to be able to beat Atraks and her replications upstairs and downstairs. Calling it upstairs and downstairs was easier for our fireteam and we rolled with it. As Xerna killed the specific Vandal, she became the Operator and hopped into the pod, ascending towards the Morning Star, the game was to begin. I wasn't sure if it was a good thing or a bad thing, but I was certain that I was the only Guardian on the fireteam who knew Atraks, but also knew her personally. I've introduced myself to the House of Salvation previously and have grown to love the Kell and her commanders, due to my fixation on the Eliksni that grew on me after the Red War. Unfortunately, it couldn't be all that safe and I sometimes regret fighting Eramis, seeing her become frozen in Stasis after our encounter. Maybe, in another timeline, we could've been associates. In another, I join the House. For now, a job was needed to be done. Me, Rabbit, and Xerna were on "base team" while Angel, Finn, and Enoch were on "space team". Enoch and I were the dedicated "Scanners" on space and base respectively while Xerna was "Operator" for space team. Minutes into the encounter, base team and I eliminate our set of Servitors and inform space team that we've done so, and therefore, it triggers a new voice through my comms. "Ah, the Guardian. Star-4." It was the voice of Atraks. She recognized me. She's familiar of my time spent with House Salvation. The death threats that the Kell sent my way, but fortunately, they always went into one ear and out the other. With me being one of the dedicated Scanners, I had a set task and I didn't want to be the reason that we failed to journey further into the crypt. Switching quickly to a private communication channel temporarily to speak with the Eliksni Exo, and to not mix the comms with my teammates, I continued to act relaxed, waiting by the terminal for Atraks' Extinction Protocol to begin. "Hey, Atraks. Lovely seeing you again." I replied, focusing on the Shanks and Vandals trying to fire at me. "Eramis informed me about you. Told me much about you. I won't harm you. But the others..." She said with a chitter. At first, I was relieved, but then that content feeling subsided and was replaced with fear.
After many rounds of endurance, lots of switching back and forth of communicating with my fireteam and the Eliksni Exo we were combataning, who was attempting to flirt with me and distract me from my goal, we were doing damage towards Atraks, despite my inner request to not do so, but my fireteam needed me and I didn't plan on letting them down anytime soon. "I will be seeing you soon, Star-4," she replied, activating her final Extinction Protocol, therefore, requiring everyone from base team to rush towards the pods and head towards the Morning Star as fast as possible. I passed Scanner upstairs for Enoch and yelled at Rabbit and Xerna to get to the pods ASAP. "Or should I say...Elijah?" Atraks finished with a chuckle, her replicants disappearing from downstairs. Technology after the Golden Age was definitely something else. Fear struck my body as she said my name, the title of the individual I was in my past life. The past life I knew nothing about. How did she know my name? Rushing towards Morning Star by getting into the pod, I concentrated on finishing the encounter, following my Guardian teammates and waiting for Enoch to pinpoint the correct replication of Atraks. Whipping out the Lament and impatiently waiting for him to choose the right one. There was very little time as Atraks was halfway through her protocol and upon completion, wiping the team. "On me, on me!" The five Guardians pushed onto Enoch's position and began shooting and slashing the replication, successfully eliminating Atraks, or so I thought. "Multiple hostile intruders detected within the orbital platform. Orbital confinement protocol initiating. Status: Pathway to nuclear cores obscured. You have no warnings left. Nuclear descent protocol: Initiated." The doors were open and our next job was to prevent the destruction of Europa. A fireteam of six trying to stop Europa from, simply, blowing the hell up. What could go wrong?
Me, however, I wasn't done with this room just yet. "This way!" Xerna called out, everyone following suit to the open door while I remained, watching Europa behind glass, looking down out at Europa, miles away. "How high are we?" I thought to myself, seeing how beautiful space was, the stars dancing along the sky and around Europa, followed by a Fallen Ketch or two. "Eli, you coming?" My Hunter friend, Angel, questioned, the rest of the team heading towards the next encounter, most likely to take care of Taniks. "Y'all go ahead without me, I'll catch up. Just...just give me a sec, yeah?" After convincing the rest of the fireteam to move forward, I remained and waited until the rest of the Guardians were out of the room, standing in place for a few seconds and admiring the view before finally hearing the familiar sound of Atraks-1's replication. Fear struck me once again and I turned around, spotting it, sitting in the corner of the room, a heavy feeling surging in my circuits. Making my way towards the back of the room, eyeing the replication, I began reaching towards it and hearing Atraks' voice emit from it as well. In case shit went sideways, I had ricochet bullets to hit the replication off of my head if need be. Fortunately for me, that wasn't the case. Touching the replication spawned Atraks and in front of me was the Baron of House Salvation herself, standing at an incredible 12 feet. Maybe Kells and Barons were always this tall as I recall a long time ago that Skolas, Wolf Kell, or self-proclaimed Kell of the House of Wolves, was around the same height, but to be honest, seeing one right in front of you, standing inches away from your face, not attacking but instead watching and examining you, it made my circuits' temperature rise, causing my Exo self to feel warm. I may have been Exo, just like Atraks, but I still had Human attributes. I informed my Ghost, Comet, to keep quiet as much as possible and to ignore the current interaction I was to have with Atraks because if I was trusting my instincts, I knew where this would be leading. "Elijah. We finally meet again." She greeted me, her bright pink eyes shining down on me, a soft chitter filling my ears. Weapons away, I raised my hands in an act of non-hostility, showing that I meant no harm towards the Exo Eliksni in any way, shape, or fashion. "Yeah, didn't think I would be seeing you again honestly," I replied the nervousness slowly fading away, replaced with confidence. "Your team isn't with you?" She questioned and therefore, I informed her that I would join them, needing to take care of this first. "This won't take long, right?" Atraks' chitters clouded my head. No answer. My confidence disappeared.