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Sentient Worm

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Darkphoenixlady said:
A new cult called Narmer is slowly gaining traction through the solar system. However its central message 'The Tenno are monsters, and they massacred thousands of you' is only palatable to the most ignorant or desperate. In large part because both the Lotus and Margulis make frequent irregular appearances at population centres around the solar system. More than one news outlet manages to do an on the spot interview with one or both of them. Additionally, Taylor is persuaded to make the odd appearance in person with Anet in their 'native' forms. Sometimes with the other two, and other times on their own. Slowly, the reasons for the old war unfolds in the news, and the actions of both the Orokin and the Sentients towards the Tenno are made known. This is while the Tenno continue to be mercenaries for hire in order to fund their charitable actions, never knowing that their cephalons are the de facto Lotus, while Anet is the Leader, and maintains Veto over the others.
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Well then, it looks like that New War is gonna get derailed massively
 
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A Lead
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    • A Lead



    "Margulis, I hate you!" Taylor screams as she ducks in a spectre that is configured for her old operator body, with implants, but without void abilities.

    "Taylor, you said yourself that you learn best under pressure. You've been struggling with how all the lessons could apply over the last 2 months."

    "I know, but MOT?"

    "You have everything you need right there to completely take over that tower."

    "Margulis, I don't even have an overlay!"

    "Well make one then."

    "Oh, yeah, I can do that."



    Quickly, Taylor configures a basic map overlay, as well as an FoF system. Finding a door that should connect two sections, but is currently locked, she unlocks it and darts through before locking it behind her. As the computer starts to divert compromised troops her way, she signals the computer to query what crew are active on the tower.

    "Shit, that's a lot of corrupted, please can I use transference?"

    "Nope, we all know you're doing really well in the combat uses of your natural form. Now you have to show you can do the same with only your implants."



    Plotting out a route, Taylor desperately searches for the engineering tube that runs the length of the tower. Sprinting for a closing gap in the coverage of corrupted, she dives through a door and lands on a pressure plate before sliding to stop in front of a death orb. For a couple of breaths she waits to die, then her brain realises that there are lasers spinning overhead. Wait! "Margulis, didn't you once say that death orbs were portable generators?"

    "I did"

    Flexing her will, she makes the orb levitate and jams it into the door she just came through, the laser slicing some of the corrupted in half as a bonus. Quickly reprogramming it, she sets it to disable the lasers that are pointing towards her before searching for any more death orbs. Slapping her head she queries the tower for them and gets them nicely displayed on her overlay. As an afterthought she adds EmMats and gasps at just how many there are in the tower.



    Cursing, as the tower starts to reconfigure to allow the corrupted troops to flank her, she comes up with a plan on the fly. Scurrying off, she locates the nearest death orb that isn't stopping her from dying hideously. Separating the laser plates she set them to spinning slowly around her while the orb itself follows her around like a puppy. At this point her mood does an about face, and her brain starts seeing her implants as tools to be abused, rather than something that just causes her headaches, because she doesn't understand the math she's supposed to know. Slowly and carefully, she makes her way close enough to an EmMat that she can control it directly, and disconnects it from the ship. With an EmMat, one or two death orbs, and a multitude of laser plates, she's able to start to cobble together some basic droids to carry the lasers and handle the aiming.



    After an hour she makes her way into the maintenance room, and closes the door. Leaning heavily against the wall, Taylor authenticates herself to the controlling intelligence. As she does she slaps her face, as she realises that she could have done that at the beginning and avoided all of the fighting. Creating a goblet of water, she quenches her thirst before she goes to work suborning the cephalon in charge.

    ═══════ ೋღ ֍ ღೋ ═══════​

    As Taylor exits the transference pod, Margulis stands there in human form, her hand on one hip, "Well, I don't think we're ever going to make an Engineer out of you. Your instincts are all wrong. But you did well. Could you have done better? Probably not, you could have done it faster by marking yourself as friendly from the beginning. But you wouldn't have learnt anything. At the end you reminded me of Ballas, and the way he could effortlessly make things happen, but always needed help with coming up with something new."

    "Great, now I'm being compared to Ballas. If I become more like him, shoot me please? And make it fatal."

    Margulis laughs, "As long as you don't start mimicking his flaws, you'll be fine."

    "Operators, Ordis has good news. Lotus Cephalons have located Grineer facility with probable location of the Zariman. A new Quest has been created."

    Taylor laughs, "Lotus Cephalons?"

    "With the Lotus back, it didn't feel right referring to ourselves as the Lotus."

    "No, I like it. I was just surprised, and happy that you've chosen it. How's Anet doing on her mission?"

    "She is having fun Tenno."

    "Margulis, what did you have her doing?"

    "Same as you."

    "Ordis, do you have a visual on the inside of her ship?"

    "Displaying in the entertainment quarters."



    While they're sat watching the display, Taylor remarks, "She's absolutely terrifying in a totally oblivious and cute way."

    "I think it's because she's dumped all her responsibilities on you and the Cephalons. So, she's back doing what she loves."

    "I agree, but what she loves is as beautiful as it is terrifying. Last time it was a radioactive landscape, this time… I'm not actually sure what she's done this time."

    "There's a lot of radio interference there. Ordis, could you translate the radio spectrum to visible light please?"

    "Calculating, showing results."

    "It's beautiful, how's it going to survive though?"

    "By the looks of things, by absorbing all higher energy bands of light completely and radiating them as radio waves as the waste product."

    "Ordis," Taylor says suddenly, "Where's Anet's main chassis?"

    "Locating, it is in the Dojo."

    "That cheating bitch."

    "What have you worked out?"

    "I think she's using the systems you set up in her gardens to work out what she needs to do. She is then sending those instructions through the implants to make it happen."

    Margulis laughs, "It's cheating against the spirit of the test, but fully inline with the instructions I gave both of you. Namely, you could only use your implants, no weapons, armour, or other abilities."

    ═══════ ೋღ ֍ ღೋ ═══════​

    6 hours later, Anet exits her pod once she realises that she's just fiddling with the details now. She's not even got to the door before Taylor comes in, while shifting to a human form, and pulls her into a hug. Just as she's getting used to the sensation, Taylor hesitantly places her mouth on her own.

    "Anet love, you are absolutely terrifying. Cute but terrifying."

    "What did I do?"

    "Anet, you've now made two environments that are absolutely inimical to the majority of life in the solar system. For completely different reasons, but that doesn't change the fact that they are. Your only reason for doing it is that they were interesting and beautiful. That and the fact you turn my head every time you walk past means that you're cute and terrifying."

    "Thank you, though I'm not sure what you mean by turn your head."

    Taylor laughs, "Don't worry, it's a human thing. Anyway, they've found a lead on the Zariman."

    "That's great news Taylor. Where is it?"

    "We don't know yet, we were waiting for you. Oh, and you might as well bring your chassis back while we're getting the information."

    "Oh, you noticed."

    "You were working too fast for only using the spectre. Great job on being able to be in both places at once though."

    ═══════ ೋღ ֍ ღೋ ═══════​

    With Anet's chassis back on the orbiter, the three of them make their way to the lander where Ordis starts to brief them.

    "Operators, we have discovered a hidden Grineer facility deep inside Phobos. It has been overlooked before due to the massive amounts of Corpus there, we now believe that the reason for the frequent Grineer invasions is to transfer resources and products from the fleet to the facility, and the reverse. This is further complicated by the fact that the facility is in the dark zone of Phobos, so the infested are in control."

    Margulis asks, "If there's so much infested, how are we getting in?"

    "The Mycona harvesters have found a safe route, however they have also come under threat from Nef again. Part of Neewa's price for their aid is persuading Nef that interfering with that colony is always going to be bad for business."

    Anet looks like she's sucked a lemon, "Neewa? Isn't she the one that is immune to the infested?"

    Taylor touches her and joins briefly, "Yes, she's the one that I let choose her own destiny."

    Margulis looks between the two of them, "I'm missing something here."

    Taylor sighs, "The Mycona colony are immune to the infested virus. They achieved this because of the Triuna, who has a genetic immunity that can be passed on. But only to children. A side effect of the immunity is a vastly decreased lifespan, measured in a handful of years. I gave Neewa the choice of what to do, and she chose to return to her people to give them time to adjust to not being farmers."

    "Why does it shorten their lifespan?"

    "It compromises their immune system, leaving them more susceptible to other illnesses."

    "Would we be able to get her into the Orbiter lab? As it's something I might be able to help with, without compromising the immunity."

    "Ordis can ask. However, it's unlikely to change their requirements."

    "I looked after the Tenno because they were children that needed someone to defend them, and nobody else stepped up. Why would that change because this child has a different condition? There's also the fact that if I can unlock the secrets behind her immunity, it could save thousands of lives a month."



    Anet looks at her hands briefly before looking up at the display, "Ordis, suspend all Corpus contracts, and inform them that it's because Nef has reneged on his agreement to leave the colony be. As soon as we hear from the colony that they are no longer being pressured the contracts will resume. In the event that we do not receive word within 10 days, their contracts will be terminated with no refunds. If there is a hostile takeover, or the colony is wiped out, we will no longer take Corpus contracts while the current board of directors is sitting."

    "But Lotus, how will we afford to keep our ships in good repair?"

    "Ordis, have you forgotten who the three of us are? If we have to, we can turn a tower into a maintenance facility."

    "Yes Lotus, Ordis will pass your proclamation to the other Lotus Cephalons."

    "Ordis, remind the Corpus that if we can't trust them to keep to their own agreements, then how can we trust them to keep to ours."
     
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    • Here is a question. Has Taylor reached Fortuna yet? If she thinks Nef is bad as is, her opinion of the money-grubbing prick will drop into oblivion when she finds out what Nef does to them, assuming she doesn't already know.
     
    The story begins at the end of the second dream. So anything that you can do before that has been done to some extent. Including fortuna.
     
    Very interesting concept, I will be Watching this.

    (Wonder what the Narmar will get up to, probably their canon antics)
     
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    Neewa
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    • Neewa

    "My Queen, we have relocated one of the more promising Orokin towers in the void."

    The Worm Queen looks down at the general that so rudely made himself known, "Why did you interrupt the meeting with such prosaic news?"

    The general hunches slightly, "My Queen, we were able to get some footage of the inside of the tower, even though it cost us a company of my brothers."

    "Well, play it then."

    "Yes My Queen."



    The Worm Queen watches with interest as a bleak landscape appears in her view screen. It seems like the film has been taken in black and white, with a few splashes of colour here and there. That's until it pans to a Grineer soldier, who's face has started to bubble and boil, before they collapse. That's when she realises that it's not that the film is without colour, it's the landscape.



    The video pans to the other members of the unit, only to show that the units without heavy armour are all succumbing to the environment.

    Suddenly there is the loud retort of gunfire, as something attacks the squad. As soon as that happens, all of the surviving members of the squad turn on each other, and the last standing survivor limbs back towards the entry point.

    "Bzzzzt, commander down, friendly fire. I repeat…"

    Finally, the camera falls sideways and the film fast forwards to show an unknown animal nuzzling at the camera, and the picture going fuzzier as it does.



    Another Grineer reaches down, and takes the still running camera from the body before moving back to the entrance. This process repeats itself as the film speeds up.



    The Worm Queen looks over to the general, "What, was, that?"

    The general shakes his head, "We don't know. The suit data from the camera shows that radiation levels were increasing steadily as the unit made their way to where they died. Nothing un-survivable until moments before their death, when it spiked to levels seen inside a ship's reactor. The lifeform that we saw was sending those levels even higher."

    The Worm Queen nods, "Write it off, and let the Corpus find the coordinates. Their board of directors will salivate at the idea of discovering why it's like that. Let them spend the resources needed to pacify the ship."

    ═══════ ೋღ ֍ ღೋ ═══════​

    Anet looks surprised when Ordis patches Parvos Granum through to her, "Lotus, thank you for seeing me on such short notice."

    "What can I do for you Mr Granum?"

    "Ouch, that was harsh. Anyway, I am calling to ensure that you are aware that I and my faction have nothing to do with the Board of Directors, or their politicking."

    Anet raises her eyebrows under the hastily donned helmet, "Why would I need to know that?"

    "It has come to my attention that certain of my, our, strategic contracts with the Tenno are currently on hold because of something the board or one of their members has done."

    "Indeed, all corpus contracts are on hold for another 8 days. If the Board of Directors has not honoured their own contracts with 3rd parties at the end of that time, then we will be forced to cancel those contracts, and refuse future service until such time as The Corpus prove that they can be trusted again."

    "I feel that this is failing to take into account the subtleties of the situation that The Corpus finds itself in."

    Anet smiles, "Not at all, if we extend an exemption to one faction of The Corpus, what's to say that another faction wouldn't just use that faction's credentials to hire us."

    Parvos frowns, "I assure you that our security is absolutely top notch, especially the communication codes that we…" He trails off as Anet transmits his private keys to his terminal, "How did you get these?"

    "We didn't use Tenno, if that's what you're wondering. Is there anything else you need my attention for?"

    Parvos looks down again, "No, no, it appears that I am going to be busy for the foreseeable future."



    Anet takes the helmet off and turns back to Margulis, "Margulis, are you ready to go?"

    "Just one more minute, I'm just making some changes to this, and then I'll be ready."

    Anet sighs, "Margulis, that call didn't even take 5 minutes, how can you be that busy already? ...Margulis, we're going to see Neewa, whatever you're doing can wait."

    "Just give me a sec, this is almost done."

    "Margulis, do I need to call your other mother in?"

    Margulis snaps her attention to Anet, "No, don't do that, I don't want to do another isolation vault."

    "Then put your work down and get your warframe."

    Margulis sighs, "Yes mum."

    "And don't you forget it."



    With no more distractions, the two of them quickly make their way down to the colony while Taylor keeps the Corpus busy, and distracted, at the surface.

    ═══════ ೋღ ֍ ღೋ ═══════​

    As Anet and Margulis make their way into the colony, and negotiate for a guide. Taylor flits from one Corpus forward base to another, leaving chaos and disabled systems in her wake.



    As she's running through her 10th such base, Nef Anyo appears in her communications window, "What are you doing? You've destroyed months of progress, klicks of claimed territory lost, and for what?"

    Taylor laughs as she jumps over a corpus heavy unit, changing into her fairy form mid jump and firing from mind air, "I'm pushing you back from the Mycona colony. Why what did you think I was doing?"

    "My business dealings with them are none of your concern. And these outposts had nothing to do with that."

    "They are when the colony has hired us to ensure that you honour the agreement, we brokered between you and them last time I was involved."

    "And I have kept to that agreement, I have not taken any hostages or made any threats to them."

    "Uh huh, I suppose that's why the monthly traders have been continuing to turn up. Oh, wait, they haven't. And it's something that started when you began your negotiations."

    "I cannot be held responsible for the actions of independent merchants."

    "Sure, sure, contact the Lotus and sort it out. Once I've got the all clear from her I'll be back in my orbiter before you can drink a glass of scotch."



    Nef Anyo hangs up for an hour while Taylor works her way through this outpost. The first that she's aware of the restoration of negotiations is when a Zanuka Hunter drops onto her head, quite literally. She has maybe a second to transfer out of her warframe before the shields and health crumple.



    As she does, Alad V opens up a communication with her, "My, my, a little birdy told me that you have been a bad little Tenno. Let's see how you get on without your fancy armour."

    Taylor laughs, "Did Nef Anyo put you up to this?"

    "Not at all Tenno, he merely pointed me at the cause of my lost contracts. I've lost some very time sensitive project to Grineer incursions because of that. I think your Titania will be sufficient recompense for that."

    Taylor fires a void blast at the hunter, "You'll have to keep it first."

    Alad laughs, "I don't think I need worry about that, as Anyo promised that he's sending you a present too."

    Just as she's lining up for another shot at the Hunter, Taylor's sensors detect a Lynx running over the terrain towards her position. With a change of plan, she instead leaps over the Hunter, touching down just long enough to leave a little of herself behind. Then she turns to face the new threat as the Hunter disengages from the battle and starts heading into Corpus controlled territory.



    The battle against the Lynx is long and hard, primarily as Taylor doesn't want to reveal her Sentient status to the galaxy at large. Instead, she relies on her ability to hide in the void, her amp, and the abilities from the Unairu focus school she's using. Eventually, the Lynx lies on the floor, in need of severe repair to even become operation again. With that done, she leaves the base into infested controlled land, heading after the escaping Hunter, before it reaches a safe location that it can be picked up from. A journey that is unhindered by the need to keep her abilities secret. Unfortunately, the Hunter has too much of a lead for her to catch up, before it is recovered.

    ═══════ ೋღ ֍ ღೋ ═══════​

    Neewa looks around curiously, at the featureless landing craft, as she's invited up to a Tenno Orbiter. The secretive ships that they use to travel around the solar system. Oh, she's heard stories from traders who used to work on Tenno Railjacks, but almost nobody, who isn't employed by the Tenno as a whole, has ever seen the inside of the orbiter. It's also only the 2nd time she's been in space where she could see what was happening. Having seen enough of the blank surfaces, she turns to the window and plasters her face against it, trying to see as much as she can.



    As the landing craft starts to turn away from the orbiter she reluctantly turns away from the window to face the entrance to the craft. As she does, the warframe standing statue still by one of the flat surfaces makes her jump as she'd forgotten it was there. After the ramp has lowered, and the warframe still hasn't moved, she gingerly walks down the ramp into the orbiter proper. There, she's greeted with the same featureless décor.



    As she's wondering where she should go, a woman she'd recognise anywhere, from the holovids that are still doing the rounds, comes from deeper in the ship.

    Margulis smiles at the girl, "Hello Neewa, I'm Margulis."

    "Hello. Um, they said that you wanted to have a look at me?"

    Margulis crouches down, "I do indeed child, as I maybe able to help where The Lotus couldn't."

    Neewa steps backwards sharply, "No, don't touch me! I don't want to infect you."

    Margulis laughs, "Child, you need not fear for my health. I am an Orokin, one of two that are still alive and uncorrupted by the years that passed since the war."

    Neewa nods, but doesn't step forward again, "Um, what do you need me to do? And I'd rather die young than give up the immunity that I give my colony."

    Margulis nods gravely, "Indeed, that's what I was told you had chosen. Before I went to sleep, I would have done whatever was best for you, regardless of your desires. Fortunately, I have a mot… Tenno who is teaching me their way as well as the ways of the current era. I promise you that you will leave with your immunity intact. I just hope to be able to help you the same way I helped the children who became the Tenno. Now, if you want me to see what I can do, follow me. Otherwise, Ordis will take you back to your colony."



    Neewa looks at Margulis' retreating back, and then back at the lander. Then up, through the window in the ceiling, at the Railjack tethered to the Orbiter. Making up her mind, she runs after Margulis, "Can we look around the ship while I'm here?"

    Margulis laughs, "Certainly, you remind me of Lotho, one of the children from the Ten Zero. Come on, let's get your investigation out the way."

    After they've passed another featureless room, that's filled with plushies, Neewa asks, "Where's all the displays? As I can't see how anyone could navigate in here."

    "They're all virtual, I'll make you a pair of glasses once we get to my lab."

    "Oh, ok."

    "Speaking of which, here we are." Margulis leads Neewa into a featureless grey room.

    Neewa looks around, "Uh, really?"

    Margulis nods, and holds out her hand as she forms a set of glasses that can see the virtual interfaces, "Really. Put these on and you'll see."

    Neewa gapes at the glasses that are handed to her, looking between them and the space they came from. Reverently, she puts them on, and gasps as the previously grey room becomes well decorated, and covered in different displays.



    While Neewa looks around the room, Margulis raises a table in the middle of the room, "Neewa, would you be able to jump on this table for me please?" Once Neewa is sitting down, Margulis smiles at her, "Great, now lie back."

    Margulis taps at the table a couple of times, before throwing her hand up in disgust, "Well that's the problem then." Stabbing a finger at a floating display, she continues, "See you're not actually immune to the infestation, you're compatible with it. That blood sample you shared has a very cleverly engineered virus in it that modifies the cells in your body here, here and here. A side effect of this, is that it kills off your own immune system."

    Neewa groans, "We know. The Lotus said as much before."

    "Well, what she didn't know is that I can just do this and print you out an artificial immune system."



    Margulis stabs a virtual button and Neewa panics as she loses feeling in her body and is unable to move. A moment later, she stares wide eyed as her ribcage opens like a demented flower. At the same time, Margulis lifts a small golden sausage off of the corner of the table, where it just formed, and places it into a cavity in her chest beside her heart. Once it's fitted, Neewa's chest closes as easily as it opened, until it's as though it never happened.



    Smiling down at Neewa, Margulis, "There we go, that will monitor your own immune system for a while, then start to produce complementary antibodies and t-cells. It should also handle the normal bio-signalling for inflammation, fever, and the other methods your body uses to fight off infections. If you have any trouble with your immunity to the infestation, do let me know and I'll tweak the device."

    Neewa, who has been patting her chest with wild eyes, mumbles, "Um, thanks?"

    "Well, what are you waiting for. We're done, you can go and explore the ship now."



    Neewa scrambles off the table and flees the room.

    ═══════ ೋღ ֍ ღೋ ═══════​

    "Taylor, let me go back to the orbiter please?"

    Taylor shakes her head as she guns down another wave of infested, "No, and you know why."

    "But it's been days, it wasn't that bad."

    "Margulis, we had to give Neewa implants just to deal with the trauma you caused. That means that someone needs to teach her how to use those implants. All because you didn't think to anesthetise her."

    "But I've never had to do that before."

    "And that's why you are spending a week down here, with me, helping the colony harvest the materials they sell while Natah is teaching her how to use her implants."

    Margulis throws her glaive at an Ancient Healer that's supporting the front line, "But… but…"

    "No buts, it's something you should have been doing as standard practice. Unless you absolutely need them awake, like when you're modifying or installing implants. At that point, you should tell them what you're going to do and why."

    "I never had any other complaints."

    "Margulis, how many people did you work with who didn't have implants, and also had the authority to complain?"

    Margulis stops for a precious few seconds while she thinks, only to have her back taken out by a juggernaut. Once Taylor has revived her, she responds, "Uh, one?"

    Taylor laughs, "Let me guess, Neewa?"

    "Um, yes."

    "Remember, prevention is better than cure. How much time will be spent rectifying the trauma you caused by not spending a few seconds knocking Neewa out?"

    "Um, probably a year, maybe. Over her lifetime."

    "And that's why you are going to be banned from any research every time one of us has to come back here to look after her implants, and train her in their usage."

    "But that's not fair."

    "Neither's what happened to Neewa, or what Natah's having to do to teach her, or what will need to be done in the future. But this way you will remember it, and maybe, just maybe, think about how you can prevent a similar thing from happening again in the future."

    Margulis grouches, "Yes Mum." As she resumes shooting at the infested, while the hunters and gatherers in the background are able to harvest far faster than they could when they need to be aware of the wildlife around them.
     
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    [x] New War

    Mainly to get things rolling for eventual Duviri Paradox, and to ensure the emergence of a Drifter for Taylor
     
    [x] Zariman

    Even though NW would be cool, it doesn't make sense. The inciting incident, the whole impetus of the Tenno intervening, was Space Mom being kidnapped and whammied by Erra. That's already been butterflied away.

    Hell, the Narmer Cult wouldn't even be able to form as they did, because we have Margulis; the Veils aren't Sentient tech, just modified Orokin Neural Sentries. We have explicitly seen Taylor & Co. deal with that tech before.
     
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