1It was like Vey Hek got off over security.
Every fifty meters—one hundred if they were lucky—was some sort of check, patrol, or trap for the unaware. The base was already massive, but grew into a sprawling labyrinth underground. Most rooms and halls were dark, metallic, and quiet, making every unwanted sound resonate much farther, something that gave even more pressure to the extra patrols. At the very least, the security cameras were easy to avoid. They were wired in blocs, and with as much complexity as one would expect from the Grineer.
Maroo defused her sixth magnetic barrier covering the door, hearing Mor's mechanical fingers behind her unfurl.
"Mor," Maroo said. "You were doing great. Don't touch anything now."
"I'm trying to help," she whispered.
"Thanks, but no thanks. I got this part fine."
So far, she hadn't let anyone move without her permission, and opted to do everything herself. Xarra tried to go rogue, and Mor… was Mor. Each step felt like a fight in itself, trying to make sure no one was spotted or activated some device that they hadn't noticed.
"Okay," Maroo said. "We're clear. On me."
She stood, unholstering her suppressed Lex and treading through the now-safe opening. Xarra and Mor followed, leading to an identical hall as before. Their map-data indicated they were on the right path, but without it, any normal person would get lost in the repetitiveness.
"Maroo," Xarra said. "It wouldn't—"
"Enough, tin suit," she rolled her eyes.
"Listen to me, this could help you too," Xarra muttered. "Lotus is wary of you, some of the Syndicates have a bounty on your head."
"I don't need advice. You can shut it."
"Just one extra vial, for the Lotus—"
"Don't you think you're getting a bit ahead of yourself?" Maroo stopped, turning. "Maybe start worrying about what we do with the stuff after we get it? Or do you want to find a room, maybe discuss it there while we wait patiently to be sent to a prison camp?"
She listened. Not for the inevitable whine from Xarra. But for any patrols.
"We should be thinking about this now." He said.
"No. No 'we' shouldn't. Stay focused. Or did you forget that we can't make any mistakes?"
He scoffed, nodding over his shoulder.
"Mor!" Maroo growled. "Stop!"
The Cephalon was elbow-deep in the wall, grabbing a handful of wires. The bile-yellow panel rested to the side. "I wasn't loud!"
"That's not the problem," Maroo rubbed her temple. "We're moving."
She almost made it to the next door, before the itch at the back of her mind became too much. She was forgetting something. Turning, Maroo realized what it was. "Mor. Put the panel back."
The Cephalon started, looking back at the mess she made. "Why?"
Xarra chuckled.
"Just do it." Maroo said. Ten thousand Plat, she told herself. Ten thousand Plat…
Their path left only two hundred meters to Hek's data-vault. She was noticing a pattern: it was usually an area guarded by some trap, then an area patrolled, repeated. What if things get switched? Or it gets tighter? She thought, before shaking her head. No. We'll cross that bridge as soon as we're off this burning one.
"She's going to ruin everything." Xarra said as the Cephalon walked off.
"We don't have a choice," Maroo spat. "You almost ruined everything, too."
"No, you did. I made sure I was undetected. You came after me."
"Don't you give me that," Maroo jabbed a finger in his chest. Mor returned, ending their conversation. Maroo gave the signal to keep moving, leading the group to silently tread down the next corridor. Alcoves housing lockers were intermittent, making Maroo's paranoid tic want to check each one, as if there would be some hidden camera or turret in place. She wouldn't put it past the Councilor.
"Do you really want to live like this?" Xarra said.
"I told you," Maroo muttered. "Enough."
"I'm going to find a way to get this to the Lotus. No matter what you, or your insane Cephalon pet, do."
"Hey!" Mor snapped as loud as she dared.
"I didn't ask," Maroo said. "Focus, Xarra. I don't have the patience for this."
She listened for footsteps. Steam hissed down an adjacent hall, blocking her. Xarra sighed, covering possible sounds, if there was any, for that much longer.
A patrol was coming. Maroo hand signaled them to wait, but Xarra kept talking.
"Do you not feel guilty?" he said. "Or are you too high off your own greed to care? I'm sick of people like you. Mor I can excuse, but you—"
"Shut it." She hissed, nodding toward the coming echoes of boots.
"Oh, did I hit a nerve? Maybe that says something."
The steps were getting closer. Too close.
"Xarra. Shush."
Mor beaded between Maroo and the door.
"I could have done this alone, but you wanted to make sure your share was fat so you brought—"
"Mor. Hide." Maroo whispered.
The Cephalon dashed to a closet door. Xarra whipped around, "What?"
Maroo grabbed the Tenno by the waist and yanked him into an alcove, squeezing behind the lockers. Xarra, stunned, turned his head, but Maroo grabbed his chin and put a finger where his mouth would be.
"Shh," she said.
A Grineer Lancer and Gunner strolled past, having a conversation, stopping by the lockers on the opposite side. One opened, and the Lancer grabbed a stash of credits. The metal clicks of their armor died away.
"Maroo," Xarra muttered. "I—"
"Almost threw everything into the Voiddin' incinerator? Yeah, you did. Mor is doing a better job than you. Mor."
"I'm… sorry."
"Don't be sorry. Be quiet. And Focus."
They had got this far, against what Maroo thought would be a suicide mission. No way was she going to let things trip now. She squeezed into the hall, opening the closet on the other side. Mor stepped out, looking over Maroo's shoulder towards Xarra.
"He looks rough," she said.
"Don't worry about him. Good job hiding, Mor. You're getting the hang of this."
"Oh, yay!" she said. "I can blow something up then!"
"No." Maroo said too loud. "No… not yet. Let's get this done first."
"Okay, okay…"
The Tenno had nothing more to say as they trekked onward, bestowing the blessing of silence as Maroo worked. That pattern repeated: she knew when to avoid patrols, when to look for detection tech, and what areas could be safe. But as they passed the one-hundred-meter point, the patrols stopped. The last obstacle, however, was much worse.
"Oh, damn." Maroo said, hearing a sharp purr. As they turned a corner, four laser barriers blocked the only hall forward. Just fifty meters away. A dry heat emanated, trapped by the metal confines. Why am I surprised? Maroo kicked herself. Of course Hek would go crazy right at the end.
A console stood near the wall. She studied it, entered a few keystrokes, but tossed her hands up. "This is too tight for me," she grunted. "I can't hack in."
Xarra had his arms locked at his sides, head bowed. Void, now he's like this? She thought, no chance he can help. "Mor, can you—"
"What?" she snapped. "Can I what?"
"…Hack in."
Her head grew deep in hue. Maroo blurted, "you're the only one that can do it!"
Xarra didn't move.
"Just this once," Maroo said. "For me?"
"I'm no Cephalon!" she grunted. "I don't want to! It's not what I do!"
"Then we're stuck here."
Mor scanned the area. But this was the only hallway. Maroo knew Hek would make sure of that. "There has to be another way…" Mor said.
"There isn't." Maroo said. "Mor, please." She hated that word. But she was desperate.
The Cephalon's fists clenched the longer she thought. "Only to get through this," she muttered. "Never again."
Maroo nodded. If they came across something else… well, she'd find a way. Mor's fingers morphed, jamming into the side of the terminal.
"No mess ups this time," Maroo said. "Vey Hek isn't going to ignore a smoking terminal here."
"Fine." Mor spat. Prompts flashed on the screen in droves, far too fast for Maroo to keep up.
"Only—stop… Only Service…" Mor muttered. "Ugh…"
The lasers dimmed to nothing, the waves of heat vanishing to a cool silence. Mor forcefully ejected her hand, shaking it out like it was covered in vomit.
"Alright… we're close." Maroo sighed. She led them through the now-safe corridor, which opened to a horizontal hall. There were two doors, one at each end, to their right and left. A third door sat on the opposite side. All three were locked.
"It's going to be… that one," Maroo pointed to the center. This time, the lock wasn't as hard to crack. As the hydraulics hissed, the electrical purr of the lasers reared to life behind them. Now they'd have an audio cue if someone was coming.
The room appeared identical to every other Grineer data-vault Maroo had 'visited'—cramped, dank, and dim, with the exception of the bile yellow glow from the plethora of screens. Massive cables sprawled the floor, hiding their true lengths in the walls, leaving trails of yellow energy as data flowed.
"It's all here," Maroo said, smiling. "It's under a different name, but it's all here." How in the Void did we get this far? She wanted to laugh, but the tension gripping her stomach stopped her.
"I hate this, Maroo," Mor pouted. "I want to blow this up! Why did you take me?"
"You're the one that wanted to come," Maroo shook her head. She wasn't even annoyed.
"I…" Xarra started. "I still want to hand this over to the Lotus."
"Over my cold corpse, tin suit."
"The Lotus would reward you too."
"Yeah!" She rolled her eyes. "A nice head pat, some credits, and a warm smile. Truly, priceless."
The Tenno clenched his fists so tightly they were shaking. Damn, maybe too far, Maroo thought. I have to keep him in line. Just a little longer.
"We can talk about it when we get back," Maroo said. "Right now isn't—"
"I know your answer. Don't toy with me."
Maroo open and shut her mouth. "I have it." She announced. "Let's go."
They exited, Maroo taking one scrutinizing sweep of the room to make sure nothing was misplaced, before letting the door shut and reinstating the lock. "Alright, there's an elevator that'll take us right to the wall, probably Hek's—"
"Void." Xarra muttered, closing his holographic map and bolting down the hall.
Dammit. Maroo broke into a sprint. But the Tenno was faster. Now what? Don't throw it all away now!
He was running toward a dead end. Reaching the door, his fingers scrambled, a cacophony of clicking bouncing through the air. The door opened just as Maroo and Mor arrived, hitting them with a wave of climate-controlled air.
Canisters and canisters piled atop each other, filled with a glowing red.
"No muckin' way." Maroo uttered. The Orokin Blood was here. She didn't think… the dates were a week away… But this was excess, of course the Queens couldn't hold it. If they could, this wouldn't be a job right now. She should have realized that the Orokin Blood had to be here.
"It wasn't on the map," Xarra said. "This entire block. I knew something was off."
Maroo cautiously put a foot in the room, checking for any security. Nothing. She performed a local scan. Nothing. Despite all the evidence, a sticky hesitance gluing her joints. They had made it this far, they knew exactly when and where to strike. If there would be any room in the compound with some trick, it would be this one.
Still, she pressed, and entered the room. No alarms rang out. No emergency lockdown triggered. In fact, it was almost cozy—the breaths she took were crisp and cool, everything was spotless, and the giant canisters were stacked neatly. The ruby fluid seemed to be alive, twisting and melding with itself within the glass. When she was told there was "excess" and only to get a vial, she'd assumed there wouldn't be much. But there was enough to drown in. What do the Queens need this for? Keeping this much a secret?
"Mor," Xarra said. "Help me carry this one."
"Don't touch it." Maroo barked.
They both started. "Don't?" Xarra asked. "Why not? It's right here!"
"It's too much! We can't sneak out lugging that around! And what if they have trackers? What if its laced with proximity-based explosives? You really think they'd leave something like this unguarded?"
"If this is 'unguarded', then what did we just suffer through?"
"And there are no explosives on here," Mor said. "Though I could put them on if you want me to!"
Maroo cringed.
"Why risk more operations when we don't have to?" Xarra said. "There is more than plenty here. One of these things will be enough for the both of us."
"That's true, but…" Maroo trailed off. They had got what they came for, why get greedy? Why risk what was already a miracle? "No," she said. "We're leaving, and we're not taking it. We're sticking to the plan."
"Maroo—" Xarra said.
"We've already made it this far. We know where it's going to be. We just… we shouldn't." She watched the Blood dance energetically in its confines. There was a part of her, a growing one, that wanted to take it. Xarra had a point, why not grab it while it's right in front of them? No one would expect it.
"You?" Xarra said, as if reading her thoughts. "Playing it safe? That's not like you, Maroo."
"It's Ten Thousand Platinum! I'm not doing this for the thrill! What, you think I'm insane?"
"You're not?" Mor said.
"Oh, shut it, salvage." Maroo said.
"Even if they catch us, we'll have it." Xarra said.
Maroo had nothing; Xarra was right. But still, something was holding her back. One mess up, one mistake, and my whole life could be over, the thought made her buckle internally. She didn't have a backup plan. She didn't have a plan in the first place, and that could only go 'well' for so long.
"No… we just can't. We're set to get it. I'm not going to—"
"Uh oh…" Mor said. "I don't hear it."
"Hear what?" Maroo said. And then, a punch to her gut.
The lasers.
Vey Hek didn't make footsteps. But the levitation engines whined through the narrow hall, bottlenecked by the tight metal. She ducked, compacting herself to hide behind an array of containers. There wasn't time to tell the others. Hek would check the room. No way he wouldn't. Thankfully, the door whistled shut, metallic shuffling dancing in the air, Xarra and Mor following her example.
Within a few heartbeats—which were coming faster—the door hissed open again. She controlled her body, fighting the rising adrenaline. Keeping her breathing slow, quiet. No movement. Whirrs came from behind. Hek's sensors were searching the room, for her. For them. What could have been a few seconds or a few hours, the door plates collided together. Maroo looked in the reflection of one of the glass vials, only providing a muddy hue of black and grey. No bright yellow. Hek was gone.
She shuffled to her feet, seeing Mor and Xarra doing the same.
"We are leaving, now." She muttered. The councilor would probably be in his study, giving them a window to escape.
The others gave hurried nods.
Senior Councilor and Head General of the Earth Conquest Frontier Vey Hek was a very busy man. As he hovered into his quarters, he promptly locked into his commanding seat, heavy bolts satisfyingly clicking into place. Too much to do. Too little time. As always.
There was the next Ghoul launch, the Fomorian construction, but those fell to the sides. For his Queens had given him a task, which meant it must be addressed before anything else. He had done his customary check of the Kuva (his subordinates had called it 'Orokin Blood', a crude term), and found the only thing out of routine was the door being unlocked.
And in Vey Hek's policy of operation, that meant something was wrong.
He wouldn't have forgot to lock it. Perhaps one of his commanders—of which he only trusted two—neglected to lock the door. He would have to find the one that did it and execute them. Publicly. Or perhaps it was something worse, a possibility that Hek did not want to consider.
One of his holo-screens flashed. A report from one of his troops. How dare they think they can report directly to me?
As he read, however, he stopped. Something was wrong. The latches hissed open, letting him speed away. The laser barrier turned off automatically at his presence, and in moments was at his elevator.
Why was it on its way back down? Had someone used it? Without his permission? The news was getting more and more disturbing, leeching his insides as he rode to the surface.
The sweet scents of oil, sweat, and burnt fuel hit his nostrils—the smells of Grineer strength. Little time was afforded to its indulgence, Hek rushed to the site discussed in the report, sending dirt up behind him. Soldiers and workers stopped what they were doing, snapping to crisp salutes.
The aroma of smoke grew stronger, tainted by electrical shorts. He rounded the corner of a dry storage block, sending the reporting guards into alert and seeing what they described. What had made him so hasty.
A lock console had been blown from the inside, leaving burn marks around the edges of the ferrite case.
Computers do not just explode, Hek thought, grinding his teeth. The worst possible scenario…
Someone knows.
If they, whoever they were, managed to get into his compound, they could have found the Kuva. But the volume was correct, I checked not five minutes ago, he realized. Maybe they couldn't transport it? Even if its existence was leaked and found by some maggot, they wouldn't know what it was held in. They might not have been prepared.
But they would know when it would be moved. And they'd be prepared next time.
As if on cue, a sleek spacecraft jetted into the air in the distance, far enough to look no bigger than a Crondoc. A design that resembled nothing of Grineer beauty.
"Let the word be known." He announced. "I shall double the patrols, triple the security. And send for Commander Grahn and Yurik."
The soldiers scrambled to complete their orders. Eager to serve, he watched with pride. Just like he was. He wouldn't shift the transport date, why would he? For it would be a wonderful day.
His Queens would not only get their Kuva, but the heads of whoever thought they could tread on their power.
