Prologue: Derelict Dreams, Part II
Simulation Chambers
Unknown Tenno Dojo, Beyond the Origin System's Heliopause
New blood. New Tenno. It was a relative term, what with the fact that
all of you were in the frontlines of the Old War. They were simply referred to as such given the fact that they had just been recently awakened, their stasis pods recovered from Orokin derelicts scattered throughout the Origin System and reactivated by their fellow Tenno.
You had… training sims. A mental landscape that drip-fed information about the current state of the Origin System, so that they would emerge with all the knowledge and retrain their old skills. It was the Second Dream… yet not, at the same time. You're hesitant to call it the Third Dream. Dreams couldn't –
shouldn't – be coated in the bloodshed of millions of simulated Corpus and Grineer.
Just because it wasn't real, doesn't mean that it was
right. But it was necessary to drip-feed new Tenno the information, lest they were going to be entirely lost once they were thawed out. At least, that was the hope.
The soft footsteps of your Warframe halts at a console, and a wave of your hand brings up the display to life. Out of the seventy New Tenno that were still in stasis, five of them were more than ready to be brought out of the sims and be mentored. Normally, they'd be sequestered off to other, more experienced Tenno.
But you already cleared up some of the paperwork with your clan leader, along with a rough plan of action. If you found a derelict Tenno Dojo located smack dab in the middle of the Origin System, then you sure as hell would exploit it for all that it's worth. A staging ground for Tenno operations relatively far from any major planets, production centers, and Solar Rails.
No chances of civilian casualties as well, unlike the Relays.
To make sure that there were no trails to follow however, you would need New Tenno. Relatively unknown unlike some of the more…
infamous… Tenno out there, and would leave relatively little trace. The fact that you have five New Tenno that could already be taken out of the sims is nothing short of fortuitous.
With a pulse of your will, you Transfer out of your Warframe, feeling the sudden cold of the metallic floor. The warmth of your Warframe was gone, and in its place was… you. A Tenno.
Your hand brings up the console's interface, and you quickly get to work on thawing those five New Tenno that you've seen. One at a time of course – you can't catch them all at once if they chose to do something stupid – and it also means that you get to pick and choose which one to wake first.
It takes you a few moments to decide. And when you do, you hit the button, and the Orokin-era lifepod begins to unfold, revealing another Tenno. A youthful face groggily awakens, their fingers brushing against metallic implants, and they hitch a breath. Their eyes open, minute movements trying to
search for something…
… And then they turn towards you, with a single question on their lips. "Where's Ballas?"
It tells you all you need to know. The rage, the flash of sorrow – it was all too familiar with your own experiences after going through
that event in the sims. But sympathy wasn't what they needed. So you bring out a tablet and toss it towards them, letting them come to their own conclusions instead. It takes them but a few moments to skim through all of the relevant details, and by the time they put the pad down, their hands were shaking.
"What do we do now?"
The question was asked with a trembling voice. Not that you can blame them, given some of the many, many particular events that happened in the last couple of years. But even if the question was meant to be rhetorical, you nonetheless answer their question with conviction.
"Survive. Help the helpless. Continue being a thorn in the side of the Grineer and Corpus. Cull the Infestation." You list off some of the more important objectives, shaking your head and letting out a sigh. "Just because the Lotus is gone doesn't mean we're paralyzed. We have to hire more agents to make up for the lost computing power offered by her, but otherwise? We keep on going as normal."
It wasn't as cut and dry as you told the other Tenno, however. No matter how many agents and bodies you recruited into the Tenno's ranks to stymie the loss in efficiency that came with the Lotus' disappearance, but you're still bleeding operational efficiency. None could delegate and crunch numbers as well as a Sentient can, even with the very best computers that credits can offer.
But you can't exactly just say it to the other Tenno's face. You were supposed to encourage them, not scare them off.
"The Sentients have returned."
"'Normal' is relative." You smoothly reply back, turning to the end of the Simulation Chambers, a large strip of glass allowing you to see into the deep void of space. Here, the Origin System is nothing more than a pinprick of light among other stars. So far, and yet… so close, all the same. "Variables change. What was once Corpus territory might be Grineer by a few shipboard hours."
"I've found something in the belt. A derelict Tenno dojo that could serve as a staging area to strike at the heart of the Origin System." You continue, watching as the other Tenno's reaction shifts from surprise, to grim determination. "This means that we need absolute secrecy until we can get it up and running."
"And that's why you chose to wake up… more of us, in the Third Dream." The other Tenno finishes, staggering towards you with pain written across their face, a hand all but clamping down on the railing as they join you on the spot in front of the console. "Nothing that could be traced… but our Orbiters still need the Solar Rails in order to function."
You smile. "Haven't gone through some of the other sims, I see. I'll give you a tour when the rest of you wake up."
"The rest of us?"
"Four more." You gesture towards the Simulation Room, and in particular, towards four of the Orokin-era lifepods that were now marked with a glyph. "All five of you will be woken up from the sims, then placed under my command for the duration of this mission. I'll teach you a few things along the way as well, if you'll allow me. You in?"
They blink. "What makes you think I'm going to say no?"
[Off the Rail]
Railjack Designation: '
HMS Babysitter', formerly '
SSV Don't Stop Me Now'
Unknown Tenno Dojo, Beyond the Origin System's Heliopause
"I should've said no."
"Too late to back out now." You mutter back in response, leaning back and wincing as your head bangs against a crate. You and the rest of the New Tenno were currently using the cargo hold of your Railjack as a meeting place, and it was somewhat cramped as of the moment. "The next batch of New Tenno would still take around three more years before they can be woken up from the sims. You're
all in this now, whether you like it or not."
Nonetheless, your thoughts were the same as the leader of Fireteam Ikkala. Why the hell did paperwork exist in the future?
You are Tenno. Soldiers. Operators. Meant to be right in the thick of action, not… lounging around and sorting through resumes of people that could best help the Tenno in their operations. Support staff, in essence. Unlike Cephalons however, these were flesh and blood.
Lives that wanted to sign up to make the Origin System a better place.
Sadly, while they had the drive, they didn't have the skills that you were actually looking for.
Being a Tenno was a dangerous job. Being part of the Tenno's support staff was even
more dangerous, mostly due to a number of different factors. Skills were one thing. Living under the two superpowers of the Origin System was another. And retaliation strikes against the common populace were… standard and enforced policy whenever the Tenno came knocking.
And sadly, desk jobs were hilariously in short supply for Tenno operations. After all, the Cephalons could sift through data and plan out operations faster than any organic mind could, all of it without pause. What could say… an Ostron apprentice do against that?
"Let's take it from the top." You pipe up, snapping your fingers to draw the attention of Fireteam Ikkala, "First things we need are engineers, both to help keep the Railjack in tip-top shape and to survey the damage. But who to recruit it from…"
You trail off, glancing down at the list of applicants once more, before nodding to yourself and settling on a solution.
"Let's recruit from–"
[] [AGENTS]
"–rail agents." While they don't have most of the skills necessary to make for great Tenno agents, they could be trained for such purposes. What they
are good at however, is discretion and speed, key in yourline of work. Harboring what's commonly seen as smugglers and criminals might pose some problems with the other factions in the Origin system however. (Gain 5 agents. -2 Relations to all factions.)
[] [AGENTS]
"–whoever chooses to join." Idealistic perhaps. And riskier than what you would otherwise like. But there were many in the Origin System who needed help. And if you could shoulder the risk… Perhaps it might just be the first step out of many to make Sol a better place. (Gain 15 agents. +10 to Risk on
all actions until remanded.)
[] [AGENTS]
"–a Syndicate." Trained, and ready to do what is required of them, even if it might be suicidal. But their cause is beholden to another faction, and while they might be glad to sponsor you, their allies, rivals, and opponents might not see it in the same way. While Syndicate relationships are simple to figure out at first glance, actually
dealing with their politics is another matter. (Gain 10 agents.)
- []
Recruit from the Arbiters of Hexis. While they believe that the Tenno are more than just soldiers, they still have an arm dedicated to supporting Tenno in more direct endeavors. Recruit them, and they would be more than happy to provide. (+2 Relations to Arbiters of Hexis, +1 Relations to Cephalon Suda, -1 Relations to Perrin Sequence. -2 Relations to Red Veil.)
- []
Recruit from Cephalon Suda. Whimsical in their thirst for knowledge, they are… off, even to the standards of most Cephalons. Perhaps it would be best to recruit from her ranks. After all, trying to fight a Cephalon would just be asking for trouble. (+2 Relations to Cephalon Suda, +1 Relations to Arbiters of Hexis, -1 Relations to Red Veil, -2 Relations to New Loka.)
- []
Recruit from Steel Meridian. Grineer deserters trying to protect the innocent and shelter them from the bloodshed all around the Origin System. While they didn't have your skills, your objectives certainly align with one another. (+2 Relations to Steel Meridia, +1 Relations to Red Veil, -1 Relations to New Loka, -2 Relations to Perrin Sequence.)
- []
Recruit from New Loka. Seeking to reseed the Origin System with life is one thing. Burning down the lives of those they find unworthy is another. While you don't like them, their skills is biotechnology could prove fruitful in future endeavors. (+2 Relations to New Loka, +1 Relations to Perrin Sequence, -1 Relations to Steel Meridian, -2 Relations to Cephalon Suda.)
- []
Recruit from Red Veil. Zealots and assassins are hard to work with, especially when you're fighting for peace and justice. Once, they were a noble force to safeguard the Origin System, but they had been twisted into what they are now. Perhaps you can use them, maybe even fix their faults. (+2 Relations to Red Veil, +1 Relations to Steel Meridian, -1 Relations to Cephalon Suda, -2 Relations to Arbiters of Hexis.)
- []
Recruit from Perrin Sequence. Not all Corpus are willing to drain their constituents of their credits and lives. Deserters from the Corpus prefer a more mercantile solution to the problems of the Origin System, preferring everyone to work together. Still, they were once Corpus, and it shows. (+2 Relations to Perrin Sequence, +1 Relations to New Loka, -1 Relations to Arbiters of Hexis, -2 Relations to Steel Meridian.)
rest assured I will be a continous reader and voter on this as long as it goes!
