Blank Slate Ch.23: Blueprints (Part 2)

Table of Contents https://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/225386550/0/0 "I was made to kill," Echo began. "No you weren't," I interrupted, "All Exos were made for exploration. They only fought when the Collapse started." Echo blinked, "I...... We were? How do you know that?" "Keis is a thanatonaut," I answered, "He saw memories." "I...." Echo puzzled, then shook his head sadly, "Well, I'm sorry to say I wasn't an explorer. As an Exo who isn't a Guardian, I've obviously been alive since the Golden Age. And I only have four mind wipes, so I remember some things. Even if it's hazy after all these years." "You remember the Golden Age and the Collapse?" I inquired, floating up in excitement. That information would be priceless. Echo shook his head again, "I don't know about that stuff. I was kept in isolation. The people who made me trained me as an assassin. They're an extremist group called the Defense, and they want to destroy the Traveler." "What?!" I shouted, "Why would anyone e-" I looked at Keis. The knife and branch hung limply in his hands. He had blanked again. I flew into the side of his helmet with a dull thunk, waking him from his stupor. "Doctor Yazan Sayyed," Keis said as he resumed carving. "What?" I asked. "What?!" Echo echoed, standing up suddenly, "You know him?!" "What?" I repeated, confused. "Doctor Yazan Sayyed," Keis elaborated, "He was in my memories. The son of Doctor Fahri Sayyed, who was one of the founders of the Exos and the head of my facility. Yazan stole blueprints and data for the Defense, then became the head of their cult." "And made me," Echo added, his mood becoming dark and sad, as if reliving his time as an assassin. I looked back and forth between the two of them. "Well," Echo said, sitting back down, "Guess that makes us cousins or somethin'. Anyway. The Defense survived the collapse. Locked 'emselves up with me in one o' their bunkers. Eventually, I escaped. Spent the rest o' my days wanderin' about. But the Defense wants me back. And the Sayyed family was still in charge when I got out." He paused thoughtfully, then continued, "Not really sure how they all ended up with kids. Guess even the Sayyeds can fall in love with people as twisted as 'emselves." "Not important," I interjected, "So the-" "Either that," Echo hypothesized, "Or they were grown in test tubes. Seem like the kind o' people who would do that." "Seriously, not important," I reiterated, "You said the-" "I don't believe humans can be grown in test tubes." Keis corrected. "Really?" Echo inquired, "Can't say they educated me well enough to-" "HEY!" I yelled. They both looked at me. I calmed down and addressed Echo, "You said the Defense is still around. Should we be worried?" Echo waved a hand dismissively, "The Collapse took care of 'em. When I got out, all that was left was a few deserted bunkers and the last o' them fanatics. And a handful o' the other Exos, like Alpha. We were named after military letters or somethin'. He was their puppet. Then there was Foxtrot. Good guy. He probably didn't even know what the Defense does, they isolated him so much. He always had guard duty. Poor Delta tried gettin' out before the Collapse. They shut him down.... Point is, the Defense ain't dangerous anymore." I let out a relieved sigh, "Good. Keis and I should go report to the Vanguard. Are you done with that, Keis?" The branch in Keis' hand was almost completely carved. He was staring into the distance. "I can finish it," Echo offered, "No need for me to impede y'all. Go on." I signaled our ship to fly to us, then bumped Keis, "Time to go. Give those to Echo." Keis stood and handed the branch and knife to Echo, "It was a pleasure, Echo-4." "Is there any way we can message you?" I asked Echo, "Just in case we need information." Echo shook his head, "Afraid not. But if you need to find me, I've been walkin' the same grid back n' forth for decades. I'll be between the Cosmodrome and Old Kazakhstan." I bobbed down then up, as if nodding, "That'll work. Nice meeting you." Our ship glided into sight above the bluff, slowing down as it came closer. "Nice meetin' ya, too," Echo farewelled. The ship hovered over us, and we transmatted.