- A very reluctant Bradford questioning what he’s about to do.
A really rough sketch of a scene for a prequel fic I’m working on for Find Your Light. So um spoilers, but at this point I’ve stopped caring for several reasons. One being fun stuff will be dropping in the next chapter. Heh.
Nearly done with the fic. Fussing out one part right now. Classic brain hitting a roadblock but I’ve got the chisel for it.
And seriously need to get my tablet monitor set up again. Slowly feeling like I can sit and draw for a bit before my shoulder and stomach TKOs me.
Well, I come bearing another fic! That Geist focused fic I mentioned ages ago. (And yes I know I’m posting late. Lying in bed = semi-comfortable writing time.)
So prequel to the main fic by I have no idea how many years. Him and his Templars heading back to the main XCOM HQ to scavenge some equipment and other stuff. And him searching for some answers.
I guess semi-spoilers for the other fics as usual as I continue make these one off fics and interconnect things. Heh. Need to get to uploading several of these to my Ao3.
Don’t think this one needs any warnings.
------------------
“Hello. Old home.”
Geist hummed as he dragged his hand against the canyon wall. That red, familiar canyon rock slide past his fingers. Dry earth, cool spots, hot spots; every ridge familiar but at the sometime different from the last time he had been there.
He lifted his hand from the rock, bringing his fingers to is face. Particles falling to the wind. He took in a deep whiff.
“Ah,” he savored the earthy smell, “home sweet home.”
“Old home?” A somewhat faint voice questioned. “Home… sweet… home?” They questioned again. This time the voice was closer but almost out of breath as they emerged from a nearby cliff.
What once was a pale face was beet red; black that was once pulled back into a bun was messily splayed on their sweat laden forehead. Once over the edge, they tumbled over and onto their back. Huffing and puffing. “There’s noting but rocks for miles!”
“Stop being so dramatic, Eric.” Someone else said. A rough-looking hand appeared at the edge of the cliff. A second later, an ethereal energy overshadowed their hand — purple veins becoming prominent on their skin — forming a clawed hand that came down with great force, digging firmly into the cliff side. The next second, a short and stocky female with ruddy scared skin effortlessly pulled herself up and over. She didn’t exactly avoid stepping on Eric as she came over. In fact, she purposefully planted her foot against one of his thighs.
“Even the researchers are doing better than you.” She left out a disappointed huff; digging her heel deeper into his thigh as she wiped sweat off of her shaven forehead. “Hell!” She snapped her fingers. “Even Wū is doing better than you!”
“GET OFF ME YOU DWARF!” Eric barked.
“Not fair using me as an example just because I’m blind.” Wū said. He quickly turned to her direction, the tails of the bandana covering his eyes smacked the back of his head. Currently, he was helping pull up the last few that were still climbing.
“Don’t be so harsh on him, Tash.” A female voice said a bit coldly. It was Navla. She was standing near Geist, adjusting the scarf around her neck. But her cold, hazel eyes locked onto Tash. Not too enthused by how she was treating Eric. “He’s still recovering from our training a few days ago.”
“He needs to learn how to adapt, Navla.” Tash snorted. Another dig of her heel, she finally got off his thigh and made her way over to where the others were.”
“I don’t do…!” Eric paused, taking in a deep breath as he finally got up. He patted his abused thigh a few times, shooting Tash a glare with every pat. “This kind of weather, hiking, and climbing!”
“Need to get over that, you snowbird.” Tash crossed her arms.
Geist chuckled, shaking his head at the mess. How his disciples could be something else some days. “Yes, home sweet home, Eric.” He answered, turning his attention back to the canyon wall. Fingers delicately touching another band of rock and compacted soil. “You perceive with your eyes but not with your mind.”
“Seriously?” He had been with Geist’s Templars for a few years, but he still had trouble making heads or tails of some of the things he would say. “My mind perceives a lot of dirt.”
As he continued his walk, dragging his fingers along the canyon wall again, he suddenly stopped. “Ah. Here we are.”
He took a step back before raising his hand forward. His fingers twitched for a moment before his psionics enveloped them. Several wisps went over to the inconspicuous canyon wall. At first, nothing happened. But slowly the wall started to crack and creak, like metal was shifting. A gap slowly opened, followed by the sound of metal screeching. A quick glance at the ap and one could see the familiar shine of metal. It was a hidden door, perfectly blending into the environment.
“Woah.” That changed Eric’s tune.
“One of the many hidden exits. Thankfully, this one survived the assault.” Geist explained. The screeching continued, along with a few crunches as the walls continued to open. A little more concentration until they finally stopped moving, but the opening was large enough for them to enter.
“Follow.” He directed them as he headed through the doors. As soon as all of them were inside, he closed the door behind them.
———————————
Faint psionic orbs and flashlights illuminated the dark, dilapidated hallways. Rubble decorated the halls as well as fallen steel beams and arches. And then bodies… they were everywhere.
Everyone was quiet as they trekked deeper into the forgotten base. Taking in the horrid sights as Geist made comments here and there. He pointed out who each of the fallen was when they came across the mummified remains of a XCOM personnel. Voice laced with sorrow. Seeing that insignia pained him greatly. So many lost that day and he was nearly one of them.
He also made comments on the fallen aliens. Those left behind once the Elders got what They wanted. He pitied them. Just tools to be used and tossed at the slightest inconvenience.
“We should have taken the Cheyenne Mountain Complex getting hit as a sign sometime after we captured an Ethereal and the artifact on Their ship.” Geist commented as he worked to open another set of security doors.
Screeching metal filled the hallway as his psionics worked to bend them back in place and force them back on their tracks.
“Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!” Eric exclaimed. A story he hadn’t heard yet. “You guys managed to capture an Elder?”
“That had to be a feat.” Isaac, one of the scientists, commented.
“Yes, though They wanted us to catch them.” He shook his head. If only XCOM learned that fact quicker. Its security escort was far too light. “Though, They just were not expecting us, mere humans, to be able to break one of them.” Geist darkly chuckled. “They always underestimate.”
“Break…? You killed one of Them?”
“Yes. Outcome of the interrogation.” He nodded. “Though I was… occupied when the Ethereal’s interrogation was happening.” Though his memories were still somewhat foggy, he remembered that moment all too well. “But I could feel it reaching out. Trying to warn, but also taunt us for our mistake if we killed it.” Sometimes he wondered if he should waited to reenter the sarcophagus. Would things have turned out differently for the main base?
“Wow.”
“There we go.” The last dents in the doors disappeared. Finally ,they creaked open. But there was something on the other side. A towering figure obscured by the shadows. But a flashlight glinted off of something. Somethings metallic.
“Head’s up!” Tash was already on the offensive.
Already lunging forward with a psionic lance forming in her hands, she left at it, thrusting the lance deep into the thing. There was a solid metal crunch as the lance pierced right through it. Hearing metal grinding and growing, and feeling it rock back and forth, she quickly hopped off the thing.
It rocked side to side before finally toppling over and crashing into a heap.
As the other came over, the lights fully illuminated the adversary. It looked to be a robotic unit of some sort. Heavy armored and armed with twin plasma cannons. No wait. There was something in it. It was a mech suit. There was a pilot, but it was long dead. The suit was torn up; burns and melted plating from plasma fire and the dried remains of it’s blood decorated the pieces. Looked like the mummified remains of a Sectoid were still in it. The ones before their genetic upgrades.
“Good work amazon.” Slow clapping came from Eric. “You killed a corpse!”
She wrinkled her nose. “Better to be safe than sorry!”
“Is that a Sectoid in that thing?” Isaac was already prodding the skull with a baton he had.
“Yes. Though we called it a Mechtoid back in the day.” Geist said.
“Mechtoid?” Eric asked, brow raised.
“We had lots of fun names for the aliens.” He chuckled. “Still not sure why the Ethereals chose them as pilots.”
“Hate to see a Muton in one of these things.” Ermis, one of the mechanics, commented as she examined the legs of the thing. Not too banged up. Could be repurposed. “Think me and my boys can strip this thing in 10 minutes or less.” She was already fiddling with her tools belt.
“Go ahead.” He nodded. “The more resources, the merrier. Jun and Jessup stay with them.”
“Yes, sir.” The two acolytes responded.
Though a few were still studying it as Ermis and her team started to tear it apart, Geist continued forward.
“This way. We’re nearly to the hanger.” He said. “Ermis, you and your people meet us there.”
“You got it!”
———————————
“Whoa!”
“Huh, interesting.
“Lots of damage.”
Several voice echoes in the desolated hanger.
The hanger. Well, it wasn’t as grandiose as it once was. There was wreckage everywhere. Interceptors and the Skyrangers sabotaged with explosives or crushed because of the cave-ins, more fallen structural beams. And of course, bodies everywhere.
As a few took in the sights and dug through the mess to find anything useful, Geist and his top acolytes were setting up a gateway of sorts.
Psionic energy swirled between the four of them as they carefully marked two circles — one within the other — on the ground. Burning it into the concrete with their psionics. Once done, strange markings began to appear, connecting the circles.
“Good, still a good amount of residual psionic energy we can tap into.” Geist said, as they were nearly done. The gateway would allow them to teleport out of this place once they were done with their scavenging. They planned on retrieving many things and were not planning on carrying everything out for a long journey back to one of their havens.
“You know, why don’t we just set up shop here? Bring all our gear here?” One engineer commented.
“That actually sounds like a good idea.” Eric chimed in.
“Deep underground and away from those Elders’ eyes, just have to set up barriers so they don’t detect us and—”
“No,” Geist said sternly, “we are not here to set up a base.” “ We have one in the works.We are here to retrieve technology that would be beneficial to us.”
“Okay… okay.” Some times they forgot how scary he could get.
A few more minutes and the gateway was fully working. Slowly pulsating with that purpling energy. Just in time too as Ermis and her crew finally caught up, carrying parts of the fallen Mechtoid. They off loaded the parts into the center of the circle. A moment later, a bright purple glow enveloped the parts then disappeared accompanied by a binging warp.
“Perfect.” Geist smiled, happy to see it working.
“Now.” He snapped his fingers a few times before turning around to look at the group. “Does everyone know their groups? Their escorts?”
“Going to the Foundry and Workshops for us.” Ermis slung a wrench over her shoulder. Her people were ready to go.
“Laboratory for us.” Isaac nodded. The scientists should find something useful down there.
“We got the Archives.” Eric said. Hopefully, those data banks were stink intact.
“We got the Armory.” Tash was already gesturing for people to follow her. Chomping at the bit to see what they could recover. Hopefully, it would pack a punch.
“Psionic labs as you told us.”Wū chimed in. Hopefully, they could recover anything to bolster their powers.
“And Esker and I will search for the device in the Gallop Chamber if it still there.” Navla said.
“Good, good.” Geist nodded. “Make haste. I don’t want us to linger too long.”
With that, the groups began to split off and head deeper into the dilapidated base. Though Navla and Esker didn’t leave just yet.
“Geist…” Navla said. There was a hint of hesitation in her voice.
“I will join you down below shortly. First, I have something to investigate.”
“Keep an open line.” Navla said, tapping the side of her head. “If it’s there and active, we will contact you.”
“I always do.” He smiled. “Remember, don’t touch it. Especially if you feel a call.”
“Yes.” She nodded. With that, the two finally left.
“Now,” Geist finally started to leave, “I wonder how well Mission Control survived.”
———————————
Mission Control. The nerve center of the base. It was quite different not seeing that Hologlobe being projected. Nor hearing all the buzzing of the workers monitoring and fielding calls. It was just as wrecked as the rest of the base. Computers and workstations smashed and torn apart.
“Where were you when everything went down that day? Oh, Commander?” Geist was carefully making his way through all the debris. Stepping over the bodies as he looked around.
“Hm.” He paused. Eyes turned purple as he looked around.
“Hm…” Something caught his eye. He headed over to it. A workstation near the set of stairs leading to the Commander’s office.
“Oh course, by Bradford’s station.” He chuckled. “You two were close friends.”
He raised a hand, imbuing it with his power. Slowly, he moved it around. “Hm.” There were faint psionic readings he was picking up. “Let me see.”
Energy began to wisp freely from his hands and towards the station. Quickly it took on a wispy form of the Commander and Central. Both barking out orders and trying to make sense of the madness that day. A fragment of that day.
Suddenly a tremor and explosion separated the two, and before the Commander could get back on her feet, a Muton was right on top of her. The butt of its plasma gun came down on her with a sickening crunch, laying her out. Then it grabbed her by the back of her clothes and quickly slung her over its shoulder.
“So They chose to capture you. Looks like Sanve’s visions are true. As well as what I’ve seen when picking apart a few of the ADVENT Captains brains.” He mumbled as he followed the fragment.
How ADVENT worked never sat well with him. He knew the Elders guided Their armies, but from gleaning the minds of a few Captains, he barely felt the Elders feeding them tactical knowledge. Just further mental brainwashing, propaganda, and the occasional specified directives. Something else was handling the tactical side. And constantly. A non-stop stream of data, changing ever so slightly when called for to quickly change the tide of the battle.
“So you’re Their enslaved, silent guide. Now leading the armies of the Ethereals.”
“But… but.” He followed the trail of where that Muton dragged her away. A half conscious Commander reaching out to Central and the others before her figure disappeared in the crumbling rubble and smoke. But something blue shot out of her.
“They don’t have all of you.” Seeing that blue made him smile. “That power I sensed inside of you. That other being.”
“Replay it.” His eyes glowed brightly as he increased his power. He wanted that moment to reply once more. “Where are you?”
The increase in power made the fragment more clear. More figures took shape as the chaos unfolded once more until it reached what he was looking for. That blue energy shot out of her once more, but much sooner.
“Oh?” His eyes lit up as it grew and took shape. A tall, lanky four-armed being with several bulb-tipped tendrils. So similar to the Elder’s shape, but yet different. It’s skin was translucent, revealing a network of pulsing nerve pathways and a glowing skull at its bulbous head.
“An Ethereal.” He smiled, finally being able to see its true form. He paused the fragment. “So similar to those that call themselves Elders, yet so greatly different.” He walked around it, taking in its form. “I do wonder if you are of the same species? Just have taken different paths in your evolution?”
“Hm?” He noticed something peculiar. How it was posed. Falling back like something had thrown it.
“What is this?” He continued the fragment.
As the memory continued, the Ethereal shook its head, trying to get its bearings. Next, it frantically looked around until it saw her. The Commander. From how frantically its tendrils were moving around, it looked as it was panicking. It reached out to her, quickly trying to move forward, but the rubble cut it off.
“This is… interesting.” Geist mumbled as the fragment dissipated.
“You two split?” He wondered why. “Severing connections, but not by its will but your own?” He could tell the Ethereal didn’t do that due to how panicked it looked. “Curious.”
He wondered if the Commander even knew it was there. Was she reaching out to it or Central and the others?
“Hm…”
She gave no hints when he made his subtle comments here and there. And neither did it.
“But that split may be a boon to us all that you’re not whole. Would make the Ethereals and Their ADVENT nigh unbeatable. Last thing They need is a Mosaic.”
“Though I sense…” He increased his power once more, this time focusing it on the Ethereal. “I sense damage.”
Just after the Ethereal reached for the Commander and she was cut off from it, it soon doubled over. Arms tightly wrapped around its middle as it curled into itself. Those tendrils twitched wildly as it snapped its head up and looked around. It spotted someone, an unconscious worker, and flew over to them, disappearing as soon as it touched them.
“That separation did damage to you…” He mumbled. “And perhaps the Commander as well.” That just piqued his curiosity more. But also troubled him. Just how deeply connected was this Ethereal and the Commander, if a disconnection like that could cause it great pain? Hopefully, both were okay and not in a dire state.
“Something to dwell on later.” He got what he was looking for. “And something to search for.”
———————————
Though he would be on his way to the Gallop Chamber, Geist decided to make a stop by the Psi Labs. One to see how the salvaging was going. And two… reliving the past.
So far, the salvaging was going well. They were able to power up the computers to pull off some data they needed, and some equipment was still usable. A few were already taking things back up to the gateway.
Geist was down where all the magic happened. Those metal sarcophagi. There was still some residual psionic energy in the room. Much stronger than what he felt in the Hanger.
He was standing in front of one sarcophagus in particular. His.
“Should have died that day, but my psionics saved me. Forced me into a stasis.”
He couldn’t recall much about that day. He had already been in there for quite sometime, barely aware of his surroundings as he honed his abilities. But he recalled a sharp pain and his mind leaving him in a deep, deep darkness.
His hand carefully traced the inside of the damaged vessel. Particularly a dented jagged area where ones head would rest. There was a brown crust there. He grimaced as his other hand went to the back of his head and traced a gnarly scar.
“Still have blanks in my memory, but everything is slowly coming back.”
He wasn’t sure when he finally came to, but he was extremely lucky he was able to open his sarcophagus. His eyes glanced around the room to look at the others. A few more were open, but so many of them were closed. And a few were crushed by debris.
“Hm.” He bit his lip. Retracting his hand from the sarcophagus, he walked over to one of the closed ones and raised his hand to it. He grimaced.
“I know you. Sully. Such potential I sensed.”
He did this with each one that was closed.
“Oh…” Another one made him pause. “Her.” Another promising candidate after an mission incident. “When they return… when he returns… he won’t like this.” That sadness in his voice became stronger.
He continued on. Checking each one. Each occupant was deceased.
“You all will have a proper burial in due time.” But he didn’t come to do that. They didn’t have the time. But he knew of someone who would… sometime in the distant future.
“Hm?” He felt a pull on his mind. A familiar one at that.
“Hm…. Yes? Navla?” He answered, partially muttering under his breath. As he listened, he continued to examine the sarcophagi. Until he suddenly stopped.
“Ah, ha!” He grinned. “It’s still there. On my way.”
———————————
“We haven’t approached it like you instructed, Geist.”
In little time, Geist made it to the Gallop Chamber. It was a mess, like the rest of the base, but there was something in the center of the room that shouldn’t have been there.
The Ethereal device recovered from that Ethereal craft. It was broken like everything else, its stand partially collapsed, but that psionic orb was still functioning. Filling the room with a purple glow. But it was no longer perfectly round. It pulsated with jagged distortions jutting out of it.
“I wonder why they never retrieved this?” He spoke to himself as he headed over to it. He gestured for Navla and Esker to stay back. They did so.
“And it’s still active… curious.” Reaching the device, he kept some distance. There was a sicking malice radiating off of it. “How we should have immediately shielded you and that captured Elder so long ago.”
“Now…”
Taking a moment to prepare himself for negative feedback, Geist cautiously approached the device. So far no negative reactions from him getting closer. Once in reach, he brought his hands to it.
“Let me see.”
Peering into it, his face pulled back into a grimace. Barely holding back a snarl as he grinned his teeth. The orb was unstable and biting back as his mind worked through it. But it was a like tangled web. Millions, if not billions, of voices and minds at work on Earth and beyond. All talking. Just a constant stream of information.
So far, seeing nothing of worth, Geist was about to disconnect until something of interest finally came forward. A vision of sorts.
Projects the Elders on Earth were working on. Past, present, and future. Scattered throughout the planet. Continued experimentations and refining the ADVENT troops and other aliens. Secret experimentations on the subjugated populace. The creation of the Chosen.
“The Warlock.” He rolled his eyes, mentioning the name.
Dhay-Vol. Such a torn in the side for the Templars. Geist felt a tinge of sadness for the child he once was. Poor child twisted by the Elders.
Then a vision of some scientists pouring over someone in one of those stasis suits on a surgery table as holographic projections of the Elders watch on. But there was one Elder there in person. Dressed so differently from the rest.
“Hm… who’s that?” His mind focused on the stasis suit more than the Elder. “Looks familiar. From one of my visions?” Just as he was going to focus on that vision, another one came forward. One much more interesting.
“Oh?” The face of an Elder. But orange tinted glass partially obscured it.
“What’s this?”
He focused on it. As he focused, the vision became more clear. The face of an Elder. He hadn’t seen one since they captured one ages ago. But something looked different. They were already deathly thin —skin and bones, one could say— but this one looked far worse. Features more sunken in and degraded.
“Hm.”
As the vision pulled back, he saw it was in a sarcophagus of sorts. Its body barely visible through that obscuring orange glass. And the Elders body matched its degraded face. And then it wasn’t just that Elder there. There were several. All in their own sarcophagus scattered throughout a room.
“This is interesting.” Geist couldn’t believe his eyes. “Is your kind dying?”
That explained so much. Answered a few of his visions. Why those Elders had shown great interest in humanity and went through with creating an occupation of the planet. They were looking for something here and within humanity.
“Who is there?” A hissed voice called out to him.
“Oh?” He was surprised to hear a voice. “Still monitoring this thing?”
“Who is there?” Flashes of an Elders helmet filled his vision. “A human? Within Our weave? Impossible.”
“Actually quite possible.”
“Insolent creature!” It hissed. “Tell me who you are at once and perhaps you death will be quick.”
Geist let out a dark chuckle. “Wouldn’t you like to know.” Fingers arching, energy coursing through his hands as his eyes lit up. “This power is ours. Humanity’s. And the world will be ours once again.”
“Insolent creature., how dare you speak to one of Us like—”
“Quiet.”
He tightened his grip on the orb as his energy surrounded it. The orb pulsated quicker, throwing out more and more jagged shapes. But was growing smaller and smaller. No. Geist was crushing it. As it reached the size of a softball, with a flick of his wrist it disappeared, teleporting it above ground and high into the air. Seconds later it erupted into a great explosion, permeating psionic energy throughout the area.
“Grabbed Their attention, but that should cause a bit of a headache for Them.” He chuckled as he power down.
“Geist? Navla called him. “Everything alright?”
“Yes, and no.” He turned to her and headed over. “Found some interesting information, but we need to wrap up our scavenging within the hour or less.”
“Accidental contact with one of the Elders?” Esker asked.
“Yes. So They be mobilizing a few units to come out here, but I turned that orb into a psionic bomb.” He smirked. “So that should disrupt ADVENT connections if any arrive.”
They both nodded.
“I’ll start rounding people up.” Navla said and made her leave.
“I’ll make sure the gateway stays working.” Esker left as well.
“Good, good.” He nodded and watched them go.
He looked back at the device, pondering on what he saw.
“Many things answered, but now I have more questions.” He tapped his lip before he started to leave.
“That suit. I’ve seen it in a dream before. Something to dwell on…” He muttered. But as he was scratching his chin, something clicked in his mind. “That was you wasn’t it? Commander?”
———————————
It didn’t take long to round up everyone back to the Hanger. They were nearly done teleporting equipment and people out of the place.
“I’ll be the last one through. Have to make sure the connection is severed just in case.” Geist told the second to last group that was loading the last set of items into the circle.
“See you on the other side.” One of his acolytes said before being enveloped by the psionic energy.
Now it was just Geist. And an eerie silence.
He looked around the room, taking in his last sights of the base. So much destruction caused in such little time. So many lives lost. Could they have prepared for it?
He shook his head. Like that mattered now.
“I’ll be back one day to see you again.” He smiled. “All of you that are still alive.”
He had seen the future, and it was promising.
With that, he stepped into the circle. Letting his energy loose, he raised his hands to the sky. As the energies enveloped him, a thunderclap reverberated in the chamber as bolts of energy were let loose. They tore up the concrete just as he left. Nothing was left of the gateway.
Geist appeared on the other side. He closed his eyes, taking in a deep breath. Salty air greeted his lungs and crashing waves tickled his ears.
“Back home.” Their seaside haven. A cove somewhere along the West Coast of North America. They had actually found an old XCOM research base they repurposed. Perfectly tucked away from prying eyes and it had the perfect amount of background psionic radiation to keep them hidden from the Elders. Just the right amount of disruption to keep ADVENT patrols far away from them.
“Kinda agreeing with the one guy saying we should turn that place into a base.” Eric spoke his thoughts to some of the others, as he was detangling some of the equipment they brought back. “Yeah, it’s trashed, but think it would be faster fixing that up than starting from scratch and scavenging stuff.”
“Patience my pupil.” Geist came over, over hearing him. “That is not our home. It belongs to someone else.”
“The insects and the dead?” Catch a slight frown from Geist made him backtrack. “No offense to the dead!”
“No. Future allies.” Geist shook his head. “I have seen glimpses of the future and it is bright!” He gave a hearty laugh. “They will be great allies to us and the Resistance that will truly bud.”
“Uh huh.” He didn’t exactly like that laugh of his, but so far most of Geist’s visions had come to pass.
Geist made his rounds, making sure everything was in order and the received equipment was being moved inside as quick as possible. With that, he headed for the cave entrance. He had some things he needed to do, such as checking on reports from their outposts and counting groups.
But his mind drifting back to the old XCOM HQ. And who the future owners would be.
A fiery orange glow caught his eyes. He turned to look. It was the sunset. Always, a calming sight.
“I can’t wait to meet you again.” He chuckled. Gazing off into the distance, that flaming ball of orange surrounded by purple and red tinted clouds caught his eyes. Such a nostalgic sight. He could see the canyons once again.
He closed his eyes, smiling. “Shaojie. Old friend.”
So language as usual. Mentions to trauma/PTSD and alcoholism to a point. Don’t think anything else needs to be mentioned. (But if I’m wrong yell at me in my ask box).
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It was roughly ten minutes later until there was the familiar teleportation ping nearby and a few minutes later Talim re-entered, but someone else was following her. A man clad in yellow armor.
“I think it’s time we finally met in person.” He started to take off his helmet.
“Wait…” Bradford recognized the voice and the armor. “Geist?”
“In the flesh.” He chuckled as he walked over to him, tucking his helmet under his arm. “Pleasure to finally see you face to face. Properly I should say.” Once he reached Bradford, he extended a hand to him.
Bradford raised a brow, eying the smiling man that came back with Talim. That signature yellow armor he had seen before during their comm chats, but never the man behind the mask. What’s so important that he finally came in person?
“So,” he got up and shook his hand, “exactly what did Talim find in my brain that made you finally come out in person?”
“A connection to that being. A very strong one.” Talim spoke.
“It was something Ezra picked up ages ago but from what Talim showed me, not quite this strong.” He added.
“Connection? Strong?” Nothing was making sense. He hadn’t exactly made any connections with any aliens as of late. Well, expect some pesky Sectoids, but that wasn’t something a few bullets to their brains wouldn’t solve.
“What you’ve been experiencing isn’t quite a nightmare nor a vision.” Geist began to explain. “Commander Reeves and this being have managed to call out to you. Connect to you.”
“Exactly how?”
“I can only assume at some point you were once in an area close to either one of them when they reached out.”
“What?” Not something he needed to hear. How many times did they nearly find the Commander only to let her slip through their fingers?
“And now that being is close by once again.”
“Okay.” Bradford raised his hands as he shook his head. There was a lot to process, and nothing made sense. “Okay. What’s so important about this being again?”
“If we are able to find it, they could help us find your Commander.”
“Wh-what?” He didn’t believe him. “How? What can they do that we haven’t been doing for years?”
“Their connection runs deep. Very deep.” Geist chuckled. “But…” There was almost hesitation in his voice. He was looking at Bradford from head to toe. Almost like he was gauging him.
“What’s the catch?” There was usually one.
“It’s imperative we find them quickly. They’re also important for her survival.”
“What do you mean her survival?”
“It would be faster… if I showed you.” Setting his helmet down on the table, he fluttered his fingers; purple wisps sparked from it.
He eyed those hands. He wanted no more probing on his brain, but had a feeling Geist was being truthful with it being faster. A reluctant sigh slipped out. “Get it over with.”
“You may wish to sit back down for this.”
He grumbled, shaking his head, but sat back down. Hopefully, this would be quick.
With him sitting, Geist moved behind him and placed hands to the sides of Bradford’s head. A second later, he began to channel his psionics around him.
“Don’t resist.” He could pick that uneasy feeling inside of him.
“Easier said than done.”
“Now,” Geist took in a deep breath, “let me show you what I found at the Old HQ.”
“What do you meAN—“
Geist’s memories forced their way into his mind. A trek back to the fallen XCOM HQ to recover some equipment and data. Just who was this guy? How did he know the location? But as the memory continued, he saw Geist in Mission Control searching for something else. Using his psionics to bring something forth. Faint echoes of him and the Commander. It was that day. That day all over again, but from a different perspective. And Geist was interested in one thing. Something leaving the Commander just as another quake cut off the Muton carrying the Commander from everyone else. It looked like the being he had been seeing in his dreams and some minutes ago.
Then he heard Geist’s observations. It was an Ethereal. Possibly related to the Elders in some fashion. But this Ethereal had split from the Commander for some reason, and something wasn’t right about the split. Something about damage to it and possibly the same was caused to the Commander.
As it ended, Bradford wrenched himself away from Geist. His body shuddered as the connection was abruptly cut, but he couldn’t take the probing anymore. Breathing heavily, he eyed the man as his mind processed the new perspective.
“What the hell… Who the hell are you?”
“That’s what I saw.” Geist let his psionics recede. “And you’ll find out soon enough.” He grinned.
Bradford didn’t exactly have a response. He didn’t like that grin. Something told him Geist knew more about XCOM than he let on. Just how much did he know? “We,” he took a deep breath, trying to steady himself, “we are talking later.”
“It’s unavoidable now.” Geist chuckled. “But you’re in for a surprise.”
Bradford just wanted to punch him.
“Now,” Geist clasped his hands, “I have a reading on where they are. They are close. I suggest we get moving now.”
“Um.” Bradford’s squad looked at him.
Bradford grumbled. He had little choice after what he just saw. What he was feeling. “Wrap this place up and get your gear, people. And someone inform Archer and Manson.” He told them. “Geist and his Templars will lead the way.”
He hoped he wasn’t making a mistake. But something in his mind, in his heart, told him Geist was right.
—————————————
With Geist and his Templars at the helm, it didn’t take long for them to reach the approximate area he had pinned down the Ethereal. Teleportation made the trek so much quicker. Which was its own interesting experience for XCOM. Body and minds quickly passing through the Void, as the Templars dubbed it, as they headed to their destination. Not something Bradford would want to use frequently.
“Lewis & Clark Caverns State Park.” Leo had stopped to read partially destroyed sign. The wood and metal plaque was scorched, barely handing onto the battered rock it was connected to and tall grass was covering its base. Just another place decimated by the aliens years ago. Slowly being reclaimed by nature.
There was light snow fall as they finally reached part of their destination. Mountainous terrain, the vegetation was sparse. Though far off towards some hills were densely packed. As they trekked through, there were deep gouges in the earth running up and down the hills and remnants of broken trees. Looked like a UFO or two were shot down back in the day.
“We have to continue on foot. I don’t want to spook them.” Geist said.
“Think they’ll teleport if they sense you?” Bradford asked.
“In their current state, no. But they will try to run from us.”
“Hopefully, they’ll be friendly when we find them.”
“Heads up! Picking up signals and chatter. Some ADVENT dropships will be passing through soon.” Manson spoke up.
“I don’t like that.” Bradford wondered if they were on their way here.
“We need to make haste.” Geist gestured for them to follow. “Move.”
As the first set of dropships passed overhead, they were able to use the dense forest as cover.
“Looks like they’re passing through.” Warren stated
“That could easily change.” Talim said, keeping a sharp eye overhead.
“Let’s not get our hopes up.” Bradford still didn’t like how many were passing overhead. “Geist, how much further do we have to go?”
“Still a ways to go.” Geist answered. “There should be enough trees to cover us until we reach the cave entrance.”
“Cave entrance?” Raven questioned.
“They’re underground.”
“Oh, joy…” Sounded like someone didn’t like caves.
They continued to move through the trees, keeping a careful eye on the dropships overhead. Just the ever-growing unease a thermoscan would spot them, made them double their haste. A growing pillar of smoke reaching the sky didn’t help. Before they knew it, they were at the entrance of the cave.
“We’ve got lights.” Bradford noticed Geist hesitate with activating his psionics. He flipped the flashlight mounted on his gun and took point. “Just tell me where to go.”
Geist nodded. “We’ll be headed down.”
“Alright.” He nodded and headed in. Catching a whiff of the must-ridden dampness made him shake his head. “Watch you step, floor may be slippery.”
The rest of Bradford’s squad flipped on their lights and helped lead the other Templars in.
The cave was pitch black and damp. Only their flashlights illuminating the eroded limestone wall and many stalactites and stalagmites. A few patches of ice here and there in the beginning, but as they headed deeper, there were more wet spots. So far, the path ahead was clear. As they moved, they noticed cut up wires running up and down the wall and bolts in the ground. Looked like someone had come along and harvested the lights that were once there. But as they headed deeper, a few of those lights were on.
“Someone’s definitely down here.” Manson said, pausing for a moment to look at his datapad. “Daedalus is picking up a few life signs just below.”
“How many?” Bradford asked.
“About ten or fifteen. Got a few overlaps.”
“Eyes sharp, stay quiet, and lights off.” Bradford ordered everyone.
As they reached the first set of lights, he raised his hand. Everyone. He then raised a finger to lips and made a “shh” gesture with his lips.
“Somebody’s ahead.”
He could hear someone speaking. People talking. And one had that flanging voice. Had to be an ADVENT Hybrid. The others sounded relatively human.
“I can eavesdrop.” Manson whispered. With a few taps on his data pad, he had his Gremlin stay close to the ceiling of the cave, weaving through the stalactites. Once close, and found adequate cover, Daedalus started listening in. Sharing what it heard with the rest of the squad.
“We should be good in here for about a day or so. The rocks and temperature will throw scanners from the dropships off. We are deep enough.” The hybrid spoke. Sounded female. But there was an odd clicking though followed her speech. Insect like. “There should be an opening for us to move during the night again.”
“Geez.” A female voice nervously laughed. Sounded human. “They’ve been relentless since the slip up a few months ago.”
“From what he and the others have told us, the Elders won’t stop until they have him.” She snorted. Several aggressive clicks followed. “Turn him into another one of their Kracsads.”
“Speaking of him.” A low, scratchy male voice interjected. Sounded human too. “Seems like he needs to swap. Well, been needed to swap for the past few days”
“Really? Already?” The human female asked. “Burning through hosts faster? That’s not good.”
“Yes.” The hybrid sighed. “I’ve noticed… a few others have too.”
“Geez… Should we try the Zudjari next?” She asked. “Or the Kra’Seous? The little elerium remedies she’s been fixing seem to be helping him and she’s got a lot of that stuff in her system.”
“He and the Zudjari are hesitant to form a union, though the bond may last longer than most in the group.” The hybrid explained. “And for the Kra’Seous—“
“Too risky, too risky.” The male interrupted. “She’s still mostly a Kra'tulcim, so very incompatible with his kind. Extra psionic resistant. Feedback would eventually kill them both.” They sighed. “Maybe if she was full Os’seous... but even that part of her species has limited bonding time with one of them.”
“Right… Forgot.”
“Though she should keep up the elerium treatments.” The hybrid nodded to that. “I know a few outposts we may be able to hit to get some fresh elerium for her to consume and feed to him. I, Va’pör, and Chiss could do the raids with minimum disturbances.”
“The quieter the better.”
The conversation continued on to nearby outposts that would be best to hit and then where they would be moving to. Still heading to the west coast for now. Manson recalled his Gremlin.
“Ah, they are here.” Geist said. He was smiling under that helmet. “Now to make contact.”
“How do you plan on doing that?.” Bradford questioned. His mind was calculating ways for them to contact these people without provoking a fight. Their chances were slim.
“Calmly.” With that, Geist took point again, moving past Bradford.
Bradford shook his head. If this man gets us killed. He gestured for the others to follow.
Just as they were reaching the bottom of the stairs and could see some people in the adjacent cavern…
“Whoa!”
Just as they were about to clear the last step, the damp floor caused one Templar to slip. They tried their best to not shout. Luckily, someone caught them before they hit the ground.
“What the hell was that?” But the hybrid heard.
“Let me check.” The male voice said.
Crap.
Before they had a chance to react, the person rounded the corner. The man was thin. An oddly thin looking human. A dark tan, ruddy skin with messy dark hair pinned to their thin face. Clothes were ADVENT. A slick black and white suit with red trim, but tattered and torn. Looks like they had been on the run for a while. And for some reason, they had sunglasses on.
“Huh.” He seemed barely fazed by what he saw.
Though his lack of reaction didn’t stop Bradford’s squad from pointing their weapons at him. The Templars had their hands hovering over their autopistols.
“Fuckin’ snake!” Especially Leo. Already he was jumpier than usual.
“Warlord!” Bradford raised his hand. He knew exactly what he meant by his tone, but wasn’t so sure from a quick glance.
“That’s a fuckin’ snake!” He stated again. “Those damn clothes! Their neck!”
Still, the man was calm as ever. Processing the scene, one could say. These people didn’t look ADVENT, though they were heavily armored. He didn’t seem disturbed by all the guns pointed at him.
With the man still not reacting to them, Bradford took a good look at him. His form reminded him of those Thin Men from back in the day. Annoying things. There had been reports some had been repurposed after the war. Upgraded to look ever more human to continue infiltrating havens and resistance cells. And then a few acted as ambassadors. And looking at his neck — Adam’s apple twitching — there was some definite discoloration like that Speaker. Scales. Lots of reports said that long tongue liar was an upgraded Thin Men.
“No one do anything stupid.” Bradford said through his teeth, looking at his people. Last thing he wanted was a venom cloud heading their way.
“Weapons down.” He gestured to his squad.
“But—“
“Weapons down. Now.” He stressed. Leo mumbled under his breath, saying ‘he better be right’. He then looked back at the man. “We’re friendlies. Enemies of ADVENT.”
“Zuke! Respond!” The hybrid called out. Heavy footfalls echoed in the cavern.
“I’m fine, Izavrer. We have company… though not ADVENT.” He said calmly. “Enemies of ADVENT they say.”
“Company?” A few seconds later, she appeared from the corner, armed and two other hybrids with her. Standard looking Troopers.
“Friendlies.” He said, gesturing for them not to raise their weapons.
This hybrid, she still wearing the red and gold-ish yellow armor of General. But they had defaced every piece that had the symbol of ADVENT on it. She also looked quite different from the usual hybrid. Helmet off, there was purple discoloration on her face. A gray-ish purple chitinous plating formed her head crest and also grew on neck. And her face, near her mouth. Mandibles. Bright orange and white mandibles like those upgraded Chryssalids extended from the sides of her face and below her chin. Explained the clicking.
Her orange eyes locked onto them, scanning them. Mandibles clicking aggressively. Who were these people? Then she spotted something.
“XCOM? Templars?” She recognized the insignias on both. She gestured for her men to stand down. “What are the chances we run into your kind here?”
“Well we—“ Before Bradford knew it, Geist was walking over to them.
“We were actually looking for you all.” Geist interrupted. “Specifically, one of you. The Ascended One. That Silent Guide. The Ethereal.”
Her eyes widened, fingers tightening on her rifle. “How do you—“
He tapped the side of his head and then gestured with his shoulder to Bradford. He didn’t like that. “He’s been calling out.”
Izavrer narrowed her eyes at them. Was he telling the truth? It could be a trap. Mind controlled puppets disguised as ones of the resistance to make them lower their guard as they needed friends. And they really needed friends. She glanced over to Zuke.
“Not picking up the subtle mannerisms of the brainwashed.” He rubbed his throat, clearing it. “Your call.”
“Hm.” She looked back over at them. Risk it? She closed her eyes and snorted. “Were you followed?”
“No, but there’s a heavy ADVENT presence in the area.” Bradford said.
“Lots of dropships moving about.” Manson added. “And still going.”
Her mandibles snapped a few times. Lovely. “Follow.” She gestured for them to follow her as she headed back into the adjacent cavern.
Manson’s scans were off by about five heads. There were about 20 of them hiding out in the caves. It was a mix of humans, ADVENT, and then some aliens. None were the usual ones the resistance faced. The “Inner City” aliens is what some dubbed them. Brought over from other worlds, the Elders conquered to do work ambassadors and keep humanity pacified with future promises of further integration into the galactic empire. More lies. Though even a few didn’t look like those aliens. Perhaps they were workers. Deemed fit only for slave labor.
“You two.” Izavrer stopped just before the opening of another cavern. She then pointed at Geist and Bradford. “Continue to follow, the others stay.”
“Understandable.” Geist nodded. He looked over his shoulder. “Wait here.”
Bradford was more reluctant, but did the same. “Behave.” A warning was aimed at Leo. Leo grumbled in response.
