Delta B1 Ch16: The Intelligence

The metallic door flew off its hinges as Delta barreled through shoulder first. The door clattered to the ground loudly, dispersing the dust that had blanketed the entire room for centuries. Delta stepped through the doorway as his ghost appeared, shining a heavy beam of light into the room. Before them stretched a large base of operations, full of crumbling panels and computer monitors. “Hang tight,” said the ghost. “I’ll find the power.” The little machine moseyed off to the back of the room, leaving Delta alone in the dark. He walked further into the musty space, activating his night vision as he began to explore. Most of the monitors that remained were unusable. They may have encountered another dead end. His fists clenched at the thought. There was a loud crack as Delta’s foot landed on something old and brittle. He looked down to find he had stepped on the arm of a skeleton. The body was clearly damaged and unrecognizable, but the clothes were still somewhat intact. The Warlock knelt to get a better look, hoping to find what he was looking for. Sure enough, he discovered a shield emblem on the top left of the jacket. Echo’s intel proved reliable. There was a series of buzzing as the lights flickered to life. “Found it,” said Delta’s ghost as it returned to him. “Are we in the right place?” “We are,” Delta confirmed. He quickly searched the room for a working monitor. It wasn’t long before he found a mounted screen and panel that was in decent shape. “Use this one,” he told his ghost. It obeyed and went to work on the computer, bringing it back to life. In seconds the machine began to hum and the screen was revived. “Tell me what you find,” pried Delta. “There’s not much. Just some operational programs and some strange backup files.” Delta frowned. “What kind of backup files?” The ghost meddled with the computer a little more before answering. “It’s just millions of lines of code, packed into installation files. But, these are copies. The originals must be elsewhere.” “Could you find the originals?” “Sure, if the World Net was operational, but that would require extensive repairs to the nearest com tower, assuming it’s even still connected via satellite.” Delta sighed. “We might as well get started. Where can I find the most plausible com tower?” The ghost took another moment to search. “There is one just over the ridge. It’s a steep climb.” “Place a waypoint. I’ll worry about the climb.” With that, Delta exited the station. Outside was a sprawling courtyard with weathered paths that split off in different directions. Outside that, a lush jungle spread as far as the eye could see. The exo stared at the expanse, then looked into the yellowish sky. Venus was a gorgeous planet, but he couldn’t waste any time sightseeing. Delta turned his gaze to the tall ridge to his left, on top of which rose a single metallic tower with an array of radio dishes. Having acquired his target, the exo began jogging towards the face of the cliff he would have to climb. Aside from his ghost, Delta was without company on this expedition. Though he appreciated the presence of people he trusted, he was grateful for the time he had to himself. It allowed him to sort his thoughts and maintain priorities. For such a technical being, his mind was very complex and chaotic. It took time to focus. Delta could see no better time to straighten out his goals as he reached his obstacle. He leapt onto the rocks without hesitation, placing his right foot on a sturdy ledge and grasping at other smaller ones with his hands. Then he began to climb. He reached for a pointed outcropping. He was built for a singular purpose. His foot successfully found a new ledge. He was repurposed. He pulled himself up to a better holding position. He had a job to do. He grabbed another rock. He had people to protect. Continuing to climb, Delta’s mind began to race. The Defense had no hold on him, so why did he desire such deep vengeance? Alex. But she did not want her actions to cloud his judgement. That much was clear. Yet the person responsible is still at large and likely planning another world ending scheme. Sayyed. Merely thinking the name filled Delta with anger, but he had to keep his cool. For Alex. The exo finally focused back into the world around him and nearly lost his grip as he realized he was now at the top of the com tower. “Oh…” he whispered to himself. He was so consumed in thought, he had zoned out of the entire climb. Delta held tightly to the metal bars as he lowered himself into the control perch, in which he found a chaotic mess of wires and panels. “Fantastic,” he muttered grudgingly. “Ghost. I need assistance.” His handy companion materialized next to him. “Oh dear. This will take some time.” Delta grunted in frustration. He turned to look out over the ridge while his ghost began to sort things out. There was a series of complexes built into the grooves of the jungle, only visible by their flat rooves and landing pads. Delta scanned over the new scenery and was about to turn back to his ghost, when something caught his optics. He scrambled for his sniper rifle and rested it on the railing of the perch, looking through at the nearest complex. There, painted boldly on the roof, was a large emblem depicting a shield. Excited at the prospect of a new lead, Delta put away his rifle and nudged his ghost away from the hopelessly damaged construct. “Hey!” it complained. “I was just about to rewire this thing!” “No need,” said Delta, pointing down at the partially hidden complex. “Our destination is there.” The ghost squinted, as if it were pouting. “And here I thought I would finally be good for something other than opening doors.” “I knocked the last one down.” “I know. You don’t even need me for that anymore.” “I’ll let you open the next one.” The ghost squirmed in annoyance. “Fine.” … Delta emerged from the dense jungle into a massive clearing where the facility laid concealed to the rest of the world. He evaluated the structure as he approached a small door with several locking mechanisms on it. “I believe it’s your turn,” he told his companion. The ghost appeared, bobbing through the air towards the door. It spent a few seconds beaming into the locking mechanisms, demagnetizing the contraptions that held the door shut. There were several loud clicks as the ghost backed away, satisfied with his work. Delta stepped forward and gave his ghost a gentle pat as he moved to open the door. “Good job buddy.” The ghost’s shell contorted into a glare of disapproval, but Delta didn’t see it. “I’m a ghost, not your pet.” Delta shrugged, placing his hands firmly on the thick, industrial handle. “I’m just trying to boost your confidence,” he said, then yanked hard on the handle. The door swung open, revealing a dark hallway leading inside. “After all, a happy ghost makes a happy guardian.” There was a sly twinkle in Delta’s optics as he stepped into the facility. His ghost was fuming but he paid it no attention. His focus was now on the musty hallway leading into the darkness. The exo made his way steadily forward, deeper into the complex, pausing only to poke his MIDA into any open doorways. Most of the rooms were hidden in shadow, but empty. This area appeared to be set aside for various offices and storage rooms. The bulk of the facility would likely be found at the end of the hall. Following his hunches, Delta wasted no time working his way to the end where a set of double doors masked a much larger space behind. He pushed on the doors, but they didn’t budge. Confused, he strained his eyes in the dim light to find a metal bar woven through the handles. Delta scoffed at the inferior obstacle. With one swift kick, the bar snapped and the doors flew open to reveal a massive industrial chamber that was shrouded in darkness. Delta’s ghost took its place beside him, an irritable look in its eye. The exo glanced at his ghost, then back at the door he had smashed open, then back at the ghost. “Sorry.” The ghost made an upward bobbing motion, as if rolling its eye. “No, no. It was your turn,” it said, flying off into the pitch black room. “Where are you going?” “To do something useful.” [url=https://www.bungie.net/en/Groups/Post?groupId=1371758&postId=230331876&sort=0&page=0]Part 2[/url] [url=https://www.bungie.net/en/Forums/Post/224417569?page=0&sort=0&showBanned=0&path=1]The Hub[/url]