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arcaneglitch · 5 years ago

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Axiom in Facsimile

The Vex have always been mysterious. They were here before humanity and now their technology threads through the system in the machinoformed planetoids they leave in their wake. What goal do they pursue? What could drive them to convert world after world? Answers must be found, and when one desires answers about the Vex, where better to go than the Infinite Forest?

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"Are you absolutely sure about this?" asked Prism.

Harley nodded. "The Vex activity has been pretty minimal everywhere else," he said, "This is the one place we haven't tried."

They'd been flying across the system for weeks now, investigating Vex activity. Venus had been quiet since the Chasers had eliminated Atheon. Nessus didn't seem to have much going besides having been transformed by the Vex. It was, however in the process of getting eaten by a massive ship that apparently belonged to the exiled Cabal Emperor. Harley had looked into that a bit out of curiosity but moved on soon afterward.

He'd stopped by Io, which was home to a Vex Pyramidion and was getting machinoformed itself. Harley had run into Asher Mir again. The Awoken Warlock's arm had become that of a Vex due to exposure to radiolaria and he was in a constant battle to stop the converting process. Harley had spent some time on Io being bossed around as Asher's 'assistant.'

Then he heard rumors that Brother Vance, the Disciple of Osiris stationed in the Vestian Outpost, had left the Reef for Mercury. Those rumors brought him to where he currently was: sitting in his ship, trying to decide whether to fly out.

"Harley, I don't want to argue with you. I just was to make sure you know what you're getting into."

He nodded. "I do. And I'm sure it can't be worse than last time." He programmed the course into the nav system. "Five hours with our current positioning… Not too bad."

He launched the ship, setting the controls on autopilot.

"It could still be better," said Prism.

"You sound like you hate the idea of going back to Mercury more than I do," he said, only partially joking.

"I can't say I'm thrilled about it."

"Neither am I. If I never saw that Vex desert again, it would be too soon. But Vance has to be there for a reason and we know it's a Vex planet."

"I suppose… You might want to change cloaks for it, though. It's still just as hot there."

Harley considered her point. It was true, his cloak was less than optimal for Mercury's environment. His green one had become pretty much unsalvageable after an incident on Venus, so he'd given it up for a dark blue one with a deep hood. The Red Legion's attack on the City had destroyed the majority of the old weapons and armor. It wasn't until the City's foundries got up and running again that they were able to begin replacing the gear. Harley had noticed that there seemed to be a greater emphasis on fashion.

He was fortunate to have stored armor on his ship, although it wasn't a set he'd worn in a long time. In fact, it was the very set he had crafted out of Vex parts on Mercury. Its condition was still relatively good and he'd managed to make some upgrades before he'd left the Tower. He was glad to have it, mostly because it meant he wouldn't have to resort to wearing his ceremonial armor. Every Guardian staying in the new Tower after the Red War had received a set of white and gold armor. While it may have looked nice, Harley had thought it stiff and uncomfortable. Even if it hadn't been, he wouldn't wear it into the field. No sense in letting the enemies spot him immediately.

Next to him, Prism was still in her ceremonial shell. It was also white and gold to match the armor. He'd wanted to get her a different shell, seeing as how her old one had been damaged when she fell from Ghaul's ship, but everything had increased in price since the War and Ghost shells had been luxury items before. He'd chosen to gather materials as he traveled, hoping to find time to make one himself. It may not bother Prism all that much, but it bothered him.

"I honestly don't understand why you want to go back," said his Ghost.

"Well, even if I hadn't been poking around everywhere else, Mercury's still the first world that the Vex converted…"

She turned to look at him. "Why am I sensing an 'and' coming?"

"...I also got some more research done when Asher wasn't sending me on errands. The reason why Mercury's so important to the Vex is because its core's been entirely machinoformed. It's basically a giant computer the Vex use to simulate different realities. It was directly referred to as a 'planet-sized prediction engine.'"

"Why wasn't any of this available in the Tower? Even taking the Red War into account, the records were all digitized."

"I'm guessing it might've been restricted access. It's probably why Osiris went to Mercury, right? They wouldn't want other Guardians doing the same thing."

"That makes sense…" She sighed. "We've still got a long flight ahead. Why don't you get some sleep? Traveler knows you probably won't get much on Mercury."

Harley smiled wryly. "You're probably right… Wake me up when we're a couple minutes out."

"Sure thing."

True to her word, she alerted him once they were closing in on Mercury. He sat up in his seat with a yawn just as they came out of warp. The sight in the viewscreen banished all traces of sleep from his mind. Mercury looked as though a massive celestial being had taken a sledgehammer to it. Half of its face looked the same as ever, while the other half was broken up into large chunks that had been partially pulled away from the core.

"Traveler above...what happened to it?"

"It's safe to assume that this was the work of the Almighty," said Prism.

"The Almighty did that?"

"The Red Legion was using Mercury as fuel for its weapon."

Harley eyed the destruction with a shiver. The Almighty had nearly torn the planet apart completely. He didn't want to think about what would've happened had Kai not disabled it. Taking over control, he directed the ship toward the planet's surface, steering in the direction of the Lighthouse.

"I guess the Lighthouse wasn't destroyed."

"Apparently not."

They flew over colossal sections that had been carved by the Vex, swiftly approaching a triangular structure. Once they were close enough, Prism transmatted them out onto a circular platform that jutted out from the Lighthouse tower. Harley looked around at the stone pillars and sand with distaste. In front of them sat a Vex gate.

"...Do we go in?"

"I think so," his Ghost said, "It probably goes into the Lighthouse."

"And if it doesn't?"

"Then we'll probably end up stranded in the Vex network."

"...Fun."

He stepped through the portal. They emerged into a large circular room. A large window made up a big section of the opposite wall, providing a view of the horizon, though the Sun took up most of it. Harley could make out the Almighty against its glare - the Red Legion's star destroying weapon made small against the looming fiery orb of the Sun. Bookshelves lined the walls on both sides. To Harley's right were several workstations, attended by members of the Cult. To his left, the portion of the wall without bookshelves was taken up by a circle of small plates. Lines shot from each one, connecting to the others in a geometric crisscrossing pattern. On the floor in front of the display was a cylinder pillar of stone. A large gap sat at waist-level in it, bridged only by a spire of energy emanating from machinery that capped both sides of the stone.

The center of the room held several desks and tables. Brother Vance stood in the middle of these, seemingly pouring over a large tome on a stand. Harley noticed that despite the light emanating from the Sun outside, the chamber was filled with candles. They sat in bowls as well as on desks and tables. Clumps of them lined the walkway, their wax dripping down the stone. Harley walked toward Vance, noticing that none of the followers had stopped what they were doing or even looked at him once. He was a few steps away from Vance when the man turned. Harley's pace stuttered for a second before he closed the remaining distance. For a blind man, it was unsettling how Vance seemed to be looking right at him.

"Harley Hayden."

The other followers in the room all simultaneously stopped what they were doing to look at him. At that moment, absolute silence pressed upon Harley's ears. He felt a prickly sensation on the back of his neck as he looked around at them. Then, all at once, they turned back to their work. Harley let out a breath he wasn't aware of holding as the room was once again filled with the faint rustling and shuffling noises of the followers at work.

"Brother Vance," he greeted.

"Welcome to the Lighthouse," said Vance, "It is an honor to have you among us."

His tone gave Harley pause. He sounded genuine, yes, but almost too much so.

"Uh, thanks… You're probably wondering why I'm here."

"Indeed. Unless it's to join us in our work, of course."

Harley almost wanted to laugh, but something told him that Vance wasn't joking.

"Oh...sorry, but no."

"A pity."

"I'm actually here to look into the Vex."

Vance perked up at that. "Ah! You seek the Infinite Forest as Osiris did?"

"Yes, actually. Do you know where the entrance is?"

"Certainly! There is a gate across from the Lighthouse. In fact, it's why we're here."

"Great! Do you know how to get inside?"

"Unfortunately, that is a secret known only to Osiris. It took him years of study to learn how to open the gate."

Harley stifled a groan. He couldn't afford to spend years on Mercury trying to figure out how to get into the Forest. Even if he didn't have bad memories associated with the planet, spending so long among Vance and the other followers wouldn't do his sanity any favors.

"Are there any books here about the Gate? Or anything that would help me figure out how to open it?"

"Certainly," said Vance. He spread his arms. "Our repository is open to you."

"Thank you," said Harley.

Vance nodded. "Of course. And remember, we welcome you should you ever consider joining us. You would be a valuable addition to our order."

"...Thanks." He gestured at the bookshelves. "I'm gonna go take a look."

Vance nodded again, turning back to the book on the stand. Harley moved about the room, selecting books that looked like they'd be helpful. Eventually, he paused in front of the strange machine he had noticed earlier and paused to inspect some of the symbols, wondering what meaning they held.

"The Infinite Forge," said Vance.

Harley flinched, nearly dropping the books, and turned around to find the man standing right behind him. He hated how he didn't hear him sneak up. How could Vance be that quiet?

"What does it do?" he asked.

"It can forge items of incredible power," said Vance.

"Weapons?"

"Yes, but its abilities are not limited to weapons alone. The only limitations are materials and willpower."

"Willpower?"

"To use the Forge requires a strong force of will. For that reason, as well as its...obscure location, it isn't used often. But the objects it produces can be truly legendary."

"Objects like what?"

"Have you heard of the mighty Titan, Saint-14?" asked Vance.

Harley nodded. He'd first heard of the Titan mentioned by Prism and then encountered him in his own research later. The Titan Vanguard before Zavala, Saint-14 had been the reason for Osiris' appointment as the Warlock Vanguard. After famously defeating the Kell of the House of Devils, the Exo had departed for Mercury to search for Osiris.

"Then perhaps you have heard of the Perfect Paradox?"

"Yeah. It was his shotgun."

Vance nodded. "Perfect Paradox was created here, in the Infinite Forge."

Harley's mouth fell open. Legendary indeed.

"I had no idea."

"Many are unaware of the weapon's history. Osiris foretold of its making in one of his Lost Prophecies. 'A tale that's different from the rest: the thread unfurls against the clocks. The one the Speaker loved the best must have a perfect paradox.'"

"...So with the Forge, I can make something just as powerful as Perfect Paradox?"

"Perhaps… Did you find the information you were searching for?"

"I'll find out soon. Is there somewhere I can read these?"

"Of course. Follow me." Harley trailed Vance over to an empty desk. "You're more than welcome to work here," the Osirian said, "We will have quarters prepared for you. Feel free to stay as long as you'd like."

Harley nodded, placing the stack of books on the desk. "Thank you. I'll let you know if I find anything."

Vance inclined his head. "Please do."

With that, he returned to his study in the center, leaving Harley to start looking through the tomes he had gathered.

"How long do you think this is going to take us?" Prism asked.

"No idea," Harley replied, "I'm just hoping it doesn't take years. I don't think I could stay here that long."

"That makes two of us… I wonder what brought the Cult back to the Lighthouse?"

"Maybe Vex activity decreased enough for them to take it back."

He shut one of the books after skimming through it. The most he'd gotten out of it was information that he already knew: the Infinite Forest was a giant reality engine, constantly running endless simulations. Unfortunately, there was nothing on how he could get into the Forest, nor about how it worked. He picked up another book. It was a bit smaller and mostly waxed poetic about Osiris' genius.

"According to this, Osiris created a device that allows him to manipulate the pathways of the Forest and even control simulations."

"No wonder it took him so long to develop. Something with that much control over the Vex network couldn't have been easy to fabricate."

Harley read for a few more hours, getting through two more books. They weren't particularly helpful with the Forest problem, but they did have some interesting information about the Vex.

"It's getting late," Prism informed him.

"Yeah… I'll put back the ones we've looked at and then find out where our quarters are."

He got up, carrying the books back to where he'd found them, but left the books he hadn't read on the desk to return to the next day. Once the other books were back on their shelves, he turned to Brother Vance.

"Your quarters are on the floor below," said Vance, "There is a staircase underneath the walkway."

"Thanks."

Harley located it, descending the cramped stone steps until he came to a door. Upon opening it, he found a room slightly smaller than the one above. There were no windows, leaving the room to be lit by the flickering candles that stood in recesses in the wall. The bed was decently sized but sat in the center of the room on top of a circular black rug with a gold band. The blanket was bright yellow, emblazoned with the symbol of the Cult of Osiris.

"I guess it's hard to have the bed next to the wall in a rounded room," he said.

Prism appeared next to him. "At least there is a bed. I was expecting we'd have to sleep on the Star."

"I might have preferred that."

Harley was only partially joking.

"It could be worse," said his Ghost, "At least you don't have to sleep in the open like when you were revived."

"True."

He removed his cloak, hanging it on a hook next to the door. Then he took off the rest of his armor and climbed into the bed. Prism landed on one of the pillows.

"You're not going to put out the candles?" Harley shrugged. "I'll take that as a no."

"I'd just have to light them all again anyway," he said, "What time is it?"

"In Earth time? Just past 11:30."

"Not that late, then."

"Maybe not by your standards, but I'd like to keep you on a decent schedule."

He was silent for a moment. "I'd like to take a look at the Gate tomorrow."

"What for?"

He shrugged. "Maybe it'll help me figure out what to look for."

"If you say so… I'm going to go to sleep. Goodnight, Harley."

"'Night, Prism."

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