Over the coming days, Elisabet naturally gathered quite a few more trinkets for her machine.
After Zo had weaved a plethora of yellow daffodils into her cables, Alva had thought it fitting to offer Elisabet a gift as well.
In the form of those infamous pearl shell decorations that the Quen so favor.
‘Consider it a thank you for answering all of my questions. I know there’s been a lot.’ Alva smiles while affixing a triangular string of pearl disks onto the crown of Elisabet’s head. ‘Not that I’m finished talking to you, of course! I really enjoy our conversations, and I hope you do too.’
Once the pearls are securely fastened, Alva steps back to admire her work.
‘There we go.’ She beams. ‘For the Quen, depending on where exactly you wear the pearls, the higher the honor.’ She gestures to the disks as Elisabet shakes her head, trying to cross her strawberry pink eyes to look up at them. ‘I only wish that I could give you more, but I assure you there is no higher place of honor for the Living Ancestor that saved our world.’
At this notion, Elisabet looks away, but Alva only smiles, noticing she doesn’t refuse the gift.
Not one to pass up on a growing trend, Erend offers something to Elisabet the very next day.
‘You wear it right here. Over your gut.’ Erend is holding a heavy Oseram circular plate in one hand as he pats stomach with the other. ‘Keeps it safe from arrows and all that. Plus, it sucks in real well after you’ve had a couple of beers, all sturdy and whatnot.’
Elisabet isn’t too keen on that idea, but allows him to strap the belt onto her tail instead.
‘Hey, I like it. Bet you could give someone a real concussion with that thing.’ Erend steps back, watching Elisabet sway her tail. ‘Say, Lis. You ever drink?’ He asks, earning a nod. ‘You know, I heard machines used to serve the Old Ones alcohol back in the day.’ At this, Elisabet tilts her head. ‘And they would just- just cut you off before you drunk yourself under the table!’ He says, sounding offended. ‘Well, where’s the fun in that? You know what I mean, Lis?’ In response, Elisabet only tilts her head in the other direction. ‘Well not here! Once you’re back to your old self, Kotallo and I’ll get you all set up. Hey, we can always use another drinking buddy! My treat!’
Speaking of the Tenakth Marshal, he later approaches Elisabet with an unexpected request.
‘Elisabet, I would ask that you join me in a spar.’ Kotallo says out of the blue. ‘Aloy has told many tales of the rush of battle when fighting alongside machines.’ He informs. ‘There is a flock of Sunwings nearby that are always ready for a fight, should you wish to join me against them.’
Elisabet looks down and flexes her metal claws, appearing hesitant.
‘Eh go with him, Lis.’ Erend vouches. ‘Kotallo’s like a brick wall. Aint no danger there when he’s around.’ He says with a shrug. ‘Unless you know, you piss him off.’
‘It might be good training actually.’ Zo concurs. ‘As I’m sure you’ve noticed, this new world of ours is unlike that of old. It wouldn’t hurt to be somewhat knowledgeable in combat.’
With this notion in mind, although apprehensive, Elisabet joined Kotallo against the pack of Sunwings. Both of them got nicked once or twice but overall, the battle was won without much fuss.
Kotallo was very impressed with her tenacity, too, and offered her a Tenakth gift in thanks.
‘So, this is what it is like to have an ally in a machine.’ Kotallo muses while smearing paint onto her side. ‘Truly, it is an unforgettable experience. Thank you, Elisabet.’
The colors he chose to adorn her with are the traditional blue, yellow and white hues of Tenakth Marshals, and the colors look striking against her machine metal as she watches him work.
‘Aloy herself is considered a Champion, but she does not choose to follow the ways of my tribe. Or any tribe for that matter.’ Kotallo says while painting, his motions steady from years of practice. ‘She is truly an outlier in our world. Beta as well.’ He then looks at Elisabet with an earnest expression. ‘I am glad that they have found each other. And now you.’
Despite Kotallo’s words, Beta is the only one in the base that noticeably doesn’t spend any time with Elisabet. They both are cordial with each other, but it is clear to everyone that Elisabet is giving Beta her space for now. The others have all brought it up in one way or another, but Beta doesn’t feel comfortable talking about all of this with them.
No, the only one she does feel comfortable with is Aloy, but their conversations have been few and far between lately. Her sister has been busy meeting up with Sylens and helping with some unexpected errand for the Lowland Clan near Thornmarsh.
Something to do with choking. And blood? Beta hadn’t the courage to ask any further…
By now, though, Aloy should be on her way back, and Beta couldn’t be happier. Because honestly, she doesn’t have anything to say for herself about why she’s been avoiding Elisabet.
Talking to her is just… difficult.
Maybe a bit scary, even, and she’s secretly hoping that Aloy will help to smooth things over.
Aloy is always so capable in everything that she does, and Beta looks up to her more than she will ever know. The mere presence of her older sister makes Beta feel secure, as if there’s nothing that could stand in their way once they’re together. Not even the little voice inside her head that tends to come out whenever things get bad.
Because it’s been there. Ever since Elisabet called Beta her daughter.
Beta has never… had a mother before.
Was it like having a sister? No, it had to be different. Right? But how?
She doesn’t know, and that’s what bothers her the most.
So, until Aloy returns, Beta is perfectly happy to spend her days alone in her room or upstairs with GAIA. The new workspace is a nice distraction, too. The rhythmic hum of the AI’s processor is therapeutic as she works, her body only calling her to sleep when necessary.
Usually just about when the sun begins to peek over the horizon.
To her credit, GAIA has never commented on her less than stellar sleeping habits, but Beta knows that she must have noticed it by now.
What Beta doesn’t expect, however, is for Elisabet to notice it too…
On the fourth night since Aloy left, Elisabet curiously checks on Beta once everyone else has gone to bed. The two of them don’t exchange words, and the only reason that Beta even noticed she came to visit was because of GAIA greeting her at the door.
Around an hour later, Elisabet came back. Then again another hour later, and another, and another. Until eventually she comes to stand next to the desk. Beta herself is so engrossed in whatever program she’s researching, that she only looks up once the focus display turns off.
‘What?’ She startles as the Clawstrider nudges her rolling chair away from the desk. ‘Elisabet? What’s wrong? Are you okay?’ Beta pulls the chair back to look her over with concern.
Her chair is only pushed away once more in response.
‘Beta.’ GAIA catches her attention. ‘I believe that Elisabet is trying to tell you that it has grown quite late, and that you should retire for the evening.’
‘But it’s not late? What time is it?’ Beta stands up, confused. Even with limited facial expressions, she can clearly tell that Elisabet is quite firm in this stance for some reason.
‘It is currently 2:05 in the morning.’ GAIA supplies.
‘Oh…’ To her, that hour is not outrageous at all, but to a normal person she can maybe understand the sentiment. ‘I… okay?’ Beta says after a moment, not understanding why Elisabet would care so much about this but not wanting to upset her all the same. ‘I’ll go to bed now, then.’
Beta says goodnight to GAIA, and Elisabet ends up following her down into the sever room.
This is the first time that Elisabet has been downstairs, and Beta shyly watches her look around the circle of blinking servers. Elisabet even ventures into the side room to curiously look at the vent that Aloy had gone through ages ago. Beta had noticed it before, too, but never asked what it was that Aloy had found on the other side. Maybe she should ask about it now, once Aloy returns. Especially since Elisabet seems just as curious it as she does.
Though, her Clawstrider is comically unable to venture any further into it than the length of her nose.
When Elisabet eventually leaves the poor vent alone, and makes to continue exploring, Beta holds up her hands in alarm as the Clawstrider innocently wanders into her private room.
‘Um, wait…!’ Beta says, suddenly remembering the hologram over her bed.
Aloy had asked about it once. Why Beta chose to have a projection of Elisabet watching over her as she slept. At the time, Beta said it was a reminder of why she needed to help everyone fight back against the Zeniths. To protect not only the world but Elisabet’s dream as well.
But that wasn’t the entire truth.
Beta had kept the projection there, because…
All her life, all her training, has centered around Elisabet. The name Elisabet Sobeck was forever engrained into Beta’s mind from the moment she was born. She saw that name every single day, either directly in the pieces of data she was allowed to read, or conceptually through other forms of media or logic simulations she was thoroughly trained on.
The truth is that Elisabet is the only familiar, constant thing that Beta has ever had in her life.
The only thing that’s safe, when so many other things aren’t.
So… she can’t get rid of that projection. It hurt too much to even think about.
But now, looking at the real Elisabet, Beta freezes. Her efforts to hide the projection don’t seem to matter, either. Elisabet is clearly able to see the purple outline of her own hologram standing over Beta’s bed through the server boxes.
For a long, tense moment, neither one of them reacts.
Slowly, Elisabet tilts her head with puzzlement, and Beta hurriedly dismisses the hologram.
‘I…’ Beta starts, feeling a lump form in her throat when Elisabet turns to her. ‘You… uh…’
Beta looks down, unable to look Elisabet in the eye as shame overwhelms her.
How could she ever begin to explain this?
Elisabet backs up out of Beta’s room. She waits there for a minute or two, giving Beta a chance to speak, before turning to leave and intrude in her space no longer.
‘Wait!’ Beta calls out suddenly, causing Elisabet to startle and pause.
She said it on instinct, on impulse, from a fear that if Elisabet left now, she would regret it forever. Beta has done something like this once already, with Aloy. She pushed her sister away for a long time, only to regret it horribly when the two of them were separated. The threat of never being able to see Aloy again… it broke her spirit in more ways than the Zeniths ever could.
She never wanted to go through something like that again.
‘Elisabet, um, how much…’ Beta gathers her courage, carefully walking around the Clawstrider to take a seat on the floor. The action is familiar and safe, as she’s done this dozens of times when talking with her sister. ‘How much do you know about me?’
Elisabet tilts her head for a moment, before shaking it.
‘Nothing?’ Beta leans forward. ‘I’m sure Sylens said something? Anything?’
Again, Elisabet only shakes her head, causing Beta to raise a red eyebrow.
Wait. That’s right. Elisabet… had told Aloy that she’d only found out about Beta recently.
So, she really knew nothing about her at all?
And yet Elisabet still chose to call Beta her daughter?
That’s…
‘Okay well. Um, I was born in space. On the Zenith ship, and…’
Beta goes into her story, the words leaving her much easier than she thought they would.
She talks of her time with the Zeniths, about how stifling it was to be brought up without any connection to the outside world. How she was taken to Earth to complete the mission of capturing GAIA. About how she met Aloy, and made her escape. Then coming here, making friends, only to be the Zenith’s slave again, and Cauldron GEMINI…
Then the fight at the Zenith base, all leading up to this current moment.
While Beta was telling her tale, Elisabet had moved to sit across from her on the floor, her taloned feet splayed out comedically and her tail askew in the cramped space.
Even so, Elisabet stayed and listened to every single word.
‘I put that projection there, as a reminder of you.’ Beta admits, gesturing to her room. ‘It brought me strength, when I needed it.’ She looks down, fidgeting with her hands. ‘And now, knowing that you’re actually here, it’s… I…’ She pauses, daring to look up at Elisabet. ‘I really hope you’re… not upset… with me.’
How can Beta put into words everything that she’s been feeling these past few days?
How truly happy she is that Elisabet is alive?
Yet how overwhelming it feels to know that the one person she’s looked up to all her life is suddenly so close by?
Beta is terrified of not being good enough for the title of Elisabet’s daughter.
That somehow Elisabet will take one look into her soul and find nothing there but disappointment, just like Tilda and the rest of the Zeniths did.
Beta knows nothing of family. Or even thought of yearning for one until Aloy came along.
Is it okay to yearn for one now?
To yearn for Elisabet specifically? As her mother?
The anxiety must be clear on Beta’s face, as Elisabet gets up and comes closer. Beta forces herself to keep still, but is unable to stop from flinching as the Clawstrider leans in. Elisabet pauses for only a moment or two, before proceeding to gently press her nose against Beta’s cheek.
The action is affectionate and soft, almost shy even.
Beta leans into the touch and closes her eyes, her face scrunching up as she reaches out a hand to grasp onto Elisabet’s cables.
Two days later finds Erend and Kotallo in a stale mate. Both men are sitting on the couch in the common room, the air around them tense as they loom over a board of Machine Strike.
Elisabet is innocently standing next to them, watching Erend take his turn.
When he reaches for one of his pieces, Elisabet shifts, and he puts the piece down.
Erend then reaches for another figurine. Elisabet opens her mouth wide in a yawn, displaying razor-sharp teeth. He puts that one down too.
As Erend reaches for his last piece, Elisabet doesn’t react at all.
He makes his move and knocks one of Kotallo’s pieces off the board.
‘You are cheating.’ Kotallo suddenly accuses.
‘I’m not cheating.’ Erend asks incredulously. ‘What are you talkin’ about?’
‘Elisabet is helping you.’ Kotallo says matter of factly.
‘Hey, she is standing there, mindin’ her own business.’ Erend protests, gesturing to the Clawstrider at his side. ‘Besides, I don’t need her help to win this game!’
‘Oh really?’ Kotallo frowns.
‘Yea. I got this one in the bag.’ Erend brags while taking a swig of his beer.
Kotallo hums with suspicion, before looking critically at his options.
As if in petty response to Erend’s words, Elisabet silently comes over to Kotallo’s side of the board. When he reaches for one of his pieces, she blatantly shakes her head, causing him to pause. He instead moves his second machine, a choice that captures one of Erend’s and puts Kotallo in a perfect position to win the game.
‘Wha-?!’ Erend gapes. ‘Wait a minute, you can’t do that!’
‘I just did.’ Kotallo says smugly.
‘Lis.’ Erend looks to her, betrayed. ‘How could you do this to me, huh? Leavin’ me out to dry like that.’
‘So you admit it.’ Kotallo glares.
‘I admit nothing!’ Erend protests loudly. ‘You got nothin’ on me!’
This argument is the scene that greets Aloy when she finally returns to the base. She raises an eyebrow, watching with a perplexed gaze as the two grown men squabble over their board game.
‘Aloy.’ Zo is the first one to notice her return. ‘Welcome back.’
‘Hey Zo.’ Aloy greets. ‘Uh, what’s going on over there?’
‘Typical shenanigans, I’m afraid.’ Zo says, unimpressed. ‘Erend has been trying to use Elisabet to cheat at Machine Strike, but I’ve noticed she has secretly been leading him astray the whole game.’
‘Has she now?’ Aloy puts her hands on her hips, amused, as she turns to look at Elisabet.
The Clawstrider is innocently standing next to Kotallo and Erend, who are now not only bickering about Machine Strike, but also something to do with a keg of ale that Erend misplaced.
‘Listen, I know it was you.’ Erend accuses. ‘You can’t hide it forever.’
‘Why would I take your ale when I have my own?’ Kotallo replies rationally.
‘Oh yea? Cuz mine’s clearly better, that’s why.’ Erend slams his mug down for emphasis.
At that moment, Elisabet finally notices Aloy, and she immediately abandons the two grown men to their squabbling.
The Clawstrider stops a few steps away from her, waving a claw in hello.
‘Hey, Elisabet.’ Aloy greets her, catching sight of her trinkets for the first time. ‘You look… decorated.’
At this, Elisabet looks down at herself, moving a bit to the side to humbly show them off.
‘Elisabet has been fitting in just fine.’ Zo assures Aloy. ‘She and I have redecorated the base, as you can see.’ She gestures to the new layout and multitude of plants and shelves in the room. ‘We have all spent time together with her while you were away.’ She hums. ‘As Erend likes to say, ‘Lis is a nice old gal’. Though we both know he does not have to use that particular descriptor.’
Elisabet huffs at this alongside Zo, allowing Aloy to clearly pick up on their shared camaraderie already. But before she can comment on it, Aloy notices that a panel of armor is suspiciously missing from Elisabet’s side.
‘What happened here?’ She asks, moving closer to get a better look.
Elisabet lets her approach, but takes a step back before Aloy can touch her.
‘Kotallo and Elisabet have been sparring against the flock of Sunwings at the top of the mountain.’ Zo says, causing Aloy to whip her head towards her. ‘The two of them make quite a formidable team, though from what I’ve been told the scuffle got a bit out of hand yesterday.’
‘Sparring?’ Aloy asks, her tone skeptical. ‘Why?’
‘To test our prowess. Why else would one spar?’ Kotallo joins their circle, having apparently shaken Erend off for now. ‘I asked Elisabet to join me, and she accepted.’
His response has Aloy turning to Elisabet incredulously. The Clawstrider doesn’t return her gaze, instead wandering off towards the stairs as Alva and Beta enter the room.
‘I thought I heard Aloy down here.’ Alva grins. ‘Welcome back!’
‘Hi Aloy.’ Beta greets with a small smile, but it falls upon noticing her sister’s less than pleased expression.
‘Did you know about this? The sparring?’ Aloy asks, gesturing to Elisabet’s injury.
‘I did.’ Beta says. ‘And I’ve even tried to fix that panel, but well…’ She reaches for Elisabet’s side, but her hand ends up on the Clawstrider’s nose instead as she twists around to purposefully block the touch.
‘Well, I can certainly see where you both get your stubbornness from.’ Zo comments lightly, causing everyone to chuckle.
Aloy doesn’t find this funny, though, and reaches again to look at Elisabet’s side. Her brow furrows when her fingers touch Elisabet’s tail rather than her injury as the Clawstrider turns away from her to resolutely walk up the stairs.
‘Ah, leave her be Aloy. She’s fine.’ Erend protests as he comes to stand next to her. ‘Besides, how’d you make out with that whatchamacallit anyway?’
Aloy frowns and stands up straighter as she watches Elisabet walk away from her.
That panel is very small in the grand scheme of things. It would take seconds for her to fix it.
So why is Elisabet rejecting her help?
‘Yea, I got it.’ Aloy says, deciding to reluctantly drop the subject for now as she hooks a thumb behind her towards the west exit. ‘I’ll need some help bringing it in.’
The ectogenic chamber is huge. It’s heavy and awkwardly shaped, too, requiring all hands on deck to help bring it upstairs and properly install it into the projection room. Once completed, GAIA sets to work analyzing the data found from when the machine was last used, and they all crowd around to gawk as the new fancy piece of Zenith technology is turned on.
‘How long will it take exactly?’ Aloy asks her curiously. ‘This entire process?’
‘Given the samples that Elisabet recovered, it will take at least thirty-six hours for the ectogenic chamber to finish its printing process.’ GAIA says. ‘From there, it will take several days of constant monitoring and adjusting as Elisabet’s mind is transferred into her new human vessel.’ She then gestures to the Clawstrider. ‘However the overall completion time will depend on Elisabet herself and how well she handles the merge.’
‘This “merge”.’ Zo parrots. ‘It’s been done before? To others?’
‘It has.’ GAIA nods. ‘Before the project failed, there were multiple records of individuals undergoing the Nemesis program to transfer their minds into digital form. Then later returning those same minds into their original body or one of a new making.’ She says. ‘It is only when the program was expanded to copy and house the minds of multiple individuals, and used for more advanced purposes, that it was abandoned, creating the threat known today.’
‘All of it sounds so complicated.’ Alva says. ‘The Zeniths really knew their technology.’
Kotallo hums with acknowledgement.
‘To undergo such a feat of exchanging one’s body… It would no doubt be difficult.’ He concurs. ‘Are all of these ‘merges’ successful?’
In response to that question, GAIA suddenly grows silent. For an AI with vastly unlimited processing power, the fact that she has to pause is not lost on anyone in the room.
‘GAIA?’ Aloy asks apprehensively.
‘No, they are not.’ GAIA finally says, turning to look at her creator. ‘Elisabet. You and I had previously predicted a significant survival rate, but as I am analyzing now, that number is severely incorrect. One moment, reconfirming.’ She goes silent for a moment more, then her tone turns serious. ‘Elisabet, there is an eighty percent chance that you will not survive this merge.’
‘What?’ Zo asks in disbelief.
‘Oh no!’ Alva gasps.
‘Those odds…’ Kotallo mumbles.
‘The hell?! What’s that supposed to mean?’ Erend demands.
Everyone in the room has mixed reactions, but Beta’s voice catches Aloy’s ear the most.
‘But… but you never mentioned that!?’ Beta asks, her usually soft-spoken voice shrill.
‘Truthfully, all previous logs hinted toward a much higher success rate.’ GAIA laments. ‘Realistically speaking, those logs were taken in the Sirius star system, with ample technology available. Today, we are working with foreign technology without the foreign bodies present, so the percentage has been adjusted following the data transcribed from the chamber itself.’
GAIA pauses for a few moments, allowing everyone to digest this information.
‘These are the calculated odds as they stand.’ She continues, gazing towards her creator. ‘Elisabet, do you still wish to proceed?’
At this, the room abruptly grows quiet as everyone expectantly turns to look at her.
Elisabet is silent for only a moment, before she nods with her consent.
‘What? No.’ Aloy shakes her head, not willing to accept this at face value. ‘There has to be some other way. Some other program or code we can use. We have the chamber, right? We just-‘
‘Aloy.’ GAIA cuts her off. ‘I have run the theoretical, and both Elisabet and I have already analyzed all data. There is no other logical solution that will produce the same results in the amount of time available.’ She looks to Aloy and Beta. ‘Especially not when the threat of Nemesis still looms in the ever-closer distance and should be our main priority.’
For a moment, no one says anything at all.
Aloy pauses to think, shaking her head and looking down towards the floor as her forehead furrows with concertation.
An 80% death rate? Those odds are awful.
There must be something else.
Aloy’s attention is ultimately caught, however, at the sudden sound of her sister taking in a shuddering breath. Beta approaches Elisabet and takes the Clawstrider’s face in her hands, pressing their foreheads together.
‘No…’ Beta says, her hands and voice trembling as she squeezes her eyes shut. ‘Please…’
Aloy frowns, her face instantly losing all harsh edges. She places a hand onto Beta’s back, hoping to offer some comfort as Zo takes this opportunity to silently usher everyone out of the room and offer the three of them some privacy.
No… this can’t be how it ends.
‘GAIA, send me a copy of the Nemesis program anyway, and the logs from all the previous participants.’ Aloy’s face hardens as she taps her focus. ‘I want to look through it all.’
There has to be something that GAIA and Elisabet are missing.
There has to be.
‘Me too, GAIA.’ Beta suddenly speaks up. ‘I’ll look through them, too.’
When Aloy looks at her, both of them have mirror expressions of each other, and it brings Aloy strength knowing that she and her sister are united in this.
Aloy and Beta spend the rest of that day researching. It ends up working in their favor, actually, as the merge offers a lot of insight into Nemesis that Aloy hadn’t previously thought to look through until now.
Elisabet does not leave their sides the entire time they work, simply watching in silence.
The fact that she does not offer any guidance, or some form of resistance to their efforts, really any input at all is very… concerning, to say the least.
As if… Elisabet already knows that there’s no point in trying to find another way.
Elisabet Sobeck, who is the most intelligent scientist of her era. The last Old One to exist in their world. The living embodiment of a savior who can always find a solution.
If she thinks there’s no other choice, then…
No.
“When it looks impossible, look deeper. Then fight like you can win.”
Aloy only pushes herself harder as a result.
The two sisters work tirelessly throughout all of the next day, collaborating with each other and spit balling ideas, but nothing seems to stick. Time moves very quickly, too, and soon enough night arrives before the morning when Elisabet will undergo the merge.
The dim light of Aloy’s focus eats away at her eyes as she sifts through data. They’ve spent all this time looking for answers, yet they are still no closer to a solution than when they started. At some point during the night, though, her attention is caught away from her focus screen when Elisabet stands for the first time in hours.
Elisabet nudges her sister’s chair away from her desk, causing Beta to startle.
She looks at the Clawstrider, then back towards the screen, quickly shaking her head.
‘It’s not time yet. I… I still have a few parameters to search through and…’
‘Beta.’ GAIA calls. ‘It is nearing two o’clock in the morning.’ She gestures to Elisabet, who is now coaxing the chair closer towards the door. ‘Last night, you and Aloy did not rest at all.’ She points out. ‘You both are human, and you both are young. You should both retire for the night.’
‘But…’ Beta’s face scrunches up with a frown.
‘In this situation, those of the Old World had a particular saying.’ GAIA supplies, looking between Aloy and Beta purposefully. ‘” Mother knows best.” Please, listen to Elisabet.’
Aloy immediately tenses at this notion, but Beta’s face only falls even more.
She casts Aloy a look, before reluctantly leaving the room without further protest. Aloy silently watches her sister go, before looking up as Elisabet then approaches her next.
When Elisabet goes to nudge Aloy’s chair, the huntress gets up as if she’s been burned.
Without a word, Aloy also leaves the room, trying not to dwell on the eyes that she can feel watching her back.
Sleep does not come for Aloy that night.
She spends a lot of time tossing and turning while researching on her focus. Like she used to do as a small girl, back when she still lived in the Sacred Lands.
Although, this time, Rost isn’t here to tell her to stop.
“Aloy, a hunter knows when it’s time to hunt and when it’s time to rest.”
Aloy sighs, surrendering the thought of sleep entirely as she gets up to leave her room.
The base is quiet, only the hum of the running servers and the boom of Erend’s snores filling the empty space. Elisabet is not here, and Aloy casts a glance towards the projection room, before throwing her boots on haphazardly and turning to walk out the east exit door.
As if on instinct, she finds herself sitting with Varl, desperately wishing that she could talk to him right about now.
‘What would you say about all of this, Varl?’ She asks, her voice a whisper among the frigid mountain wind. ‘What even is there to say? Everything is… falling apart.’ She sighs, closing her eyes and lowering her head.
Aloy just got back to base, and now Elisabet might not survive tomorrow?
What is she supposed to do with that knowledge?
Aloy’s so engrossed in her own head, that she startles when something soft touches her shoulder. She quickly turns to find Elisabet standing over her with a blanket in her mouth.
They stare at each other for a moment or two, before Elisabet finishes draping the blanket over Aloy. The huntress only blinks, surprised that she didn’t notice her approach at all.
Elisabet sits down, the two of them saying nothing as they watch the snow drift in the fading candlelight.
The sunrise is not peeking over the horizon yet, but the threat of it is there all the same.
‘There’s really… no other way. Is there?’ Aloy eventually admits, her voice a whisper.
She’s seen it all, having gone over all of the merge logs, recordings, data points, journals, and codes what must have been hundreds of times by now.
There’s nothing.
Nothing at all that can change the odds, and they don’t have time to find another solution.
Besides that, Aloy has reluctantly come to understand that this is something completely out of her depth for once. Zenith technology is not something she’s equipped to work with in the slightest, and even Beta, who has the most knowledge of the two of them, has been at a complete loss this entire time.
This is truly… the first thing that Aloy’s ever found that she can’t figure out.
The first time there is no other path to take. No other angle to find.
And it hurts, because this…
Elisabet doesn’t respond, and Aloy takes in a breath of frigid air, stealing a glance at her.
The one and only consolation in all of this is that Elisabet does not seem concerned about the merge. These past few days there hasn’t been any hint of distress or anxiety in her at all.
Maybe that’s a good thing?
Or… it could be the complete opposite. That Elisabet is willing to march to her death once more, just as she had when she took that first step outside of GAIA Prime all those years ago.
Either way, Aloy feels nothing but exhaustion now as she looks over Elisabet’s form, wondering what outcome tomorrow will bring for the both of them. As she turns to look back at the snow, that missing panel catches her eye, and without thinking, Aloy reaches out to touch it.
Instantly, her fingers are singed with electricity.
Aloy flinches and pulls her fingers back as Elisabet startles and turns to her. She immediately stands and nudges Aloy’s hand, wanting to look at the injury. Aloy lets her do so, her reaction to the pain delayed as Elisabet noticeably fusses over her.
Aloy then watches, dazed, as the Clawstrider quickly leaves to go inside.
Elisabet returns not a minute later with one of the small boxes stationed around the base for first aid. Aloy takes the box silently, absentmindedly applying ointment to her electrical burn as Elisabet watches her like a hawk. Aloy in turn looks again at that panel, now clearly able to see the sparks of overcharged electricity that had been nearly invisible during the day.
So, this was the reason why Elisabet didn’t want Aloy or Beta to touch that panel.
She was trying to protect them.
Somehow… that hurts even worse.
Because…
A memory of Rost flutters into her head.
Aloy was about 6 or 7 years old at the time. She was training to hunt Grazers, a new machine for her to track instead of the usual Watchers that Rost had been teaching her to take down. She hid in the grass as he had taught her, and took her time watching the machine’s movements.
But as she was lining up her shot, another machine silently flanked her in the tall grass.
It was a Scrapper, and Aloy froze in fear as she turned and saw the large machine prepared to strike her down.
She was ultimately pushed out of the way before it could touch her.
Rost took the hit that was meant for Aloy, and killed the machine soon after. She remembers seeing blood on his arm that day, which later healed and became a new scar.
He never once complained about it and instead used it as a lesson.
“Aloy. The key to survival is to always take notice of your surroundings. Be more careful next time.”
He was willing to protect her. To suffer an injury in exchange for Aloy’s safety and wellbeing.
The same as Elisabet had done just now…
Aloy finishes the task of wrapping her small injury in a distracted haze. Elisabet stops her fussing and sits down soon after, satisfied that the burn has been taken care of for now. Aloy doesn’t know how long the two of them sit there after that, but when she starts to shiver from the cold, Elisabet stands up.
Unlike last time, Aloy doesn’t have the energy to keep the distance between them, and instead she curiously watches as Elisabet comes closer. The Clawstrider presses her forehead against Aloy’s, and the huntress doesn’t move, allowing herself to feel the full weight of that touch and what it means.
Aloy doesn’t protest when Elisabet ushers her back inside, merely following her guidance like a duckling following its mother.
Her mother…
Sleep forces itself upon Aloy once her head hits her pillow, the last thing she sees being the faded pink of Elisabet’s eyes watching over her.
Morning comes without ceremony, the sun rising high just as it would on any other day.
Aloy tries not to think about the bitterness of it all as GAIA primes the ectogenic chamber. By now, Elisabet’s new body is waiting inside, her familiar face that Aloy has seen so many times in holograms and in mirrors appearing lifeless and waiting.
Their friends are also here waiting, doing what they can to pass the time.
Because like Aloy, there’s simply nothing for them to do.
Zo has been obsessively weaving Utaru mats these past two days with no clear purpose for them in mind. Alva is sitting with her, sewing the blanket that she’s been working on ever since her tribe settled in Legacy’s Landfall. Across the room, Kotallo is working on carving something small out of wood with a knife, and Erend, surprisingly, is the quietest of them all. His silence is heavy and unnatural, but Aloy knows by now that he’s bracing himself for the trials ahead.
The source of their collective anxiety, though, isn’t in the room right now.
Elisabet is still outside watching the sunrise with Varl.
For what might be the last time.
Aloy tries not to think about that, too.
‘Were you able to sleep?’ Beta nudges her gently as she installs the final touches to the chamber.
Aloy looks at Beta, noticing the deep bags underneath her younger sister’s eyes.
‘No.’ Aloy sighs as she connects a few wires that GAIA had asked her to help with.
Once done, both she and Beta step back and look over the chamber.
That… should do it.
There’s nothing else to do now but… wait.
Around an hour later, everyone looks up at the sound of approaching metal talons.
Elisabet enters the room without any fanfare, looking over each of them silently. GAIA nods to her, and Elisabet returns it before walking off to speak with everyone around the room.
Zo and Alva both talk with Elisabet in hushed tones, saying their well wishes. Aloy has to look away, though, when she sees Alva’s usually cheerful face scrunch up with tears. Kotallo is next to receive a visit, and his voice is low and quiet as he encourages her resolve to persevere. Erend, despite his earlier silence, is the most vocal, and Aloy tries not to dwell on the tone of his voice as he tells her that she better not leave Aloy and Beta alone like this.
It feels like forever, though at the same time not nearly long enough, until Elisabet finally comes to stand next to the chamber with her and Beta.
‘It’s time?’ Beta asks, her voice small. Her brows upturn as she wrings her hands together.
Aloy’s expression is the same, though her gaze is turned away as she recalls what exactly will happen from here on out.
The merge will take multiple stages to complete, each working to slowly acclimate Elisabet’s digital mind back into the world of the living. The first step is simply resting for a twenty-four-hour period to grow accustomed to her new body. The sensation of touch will then be instated, followed by hearing, then sight, smell, and finally taste. Once all five senses have been restored, Elisabet will go into a medically induced coma for another twenty-four hours to finalize the process.
Once she awakens, the merge will be complete, and she will be guaranteed to survive.
The most dangerous stage, however, is ironically the first; the sense of touch. From the logs of people that have survived it, this will be the… most excruciating pain that a person can endure. Some of the tales recorded by past Zenith participants are not for the faint of heart, and this is the stage where Elisabet is most likely to die. But if she can overcome it, her chances of survival will double. As is the case with each step to follow. However, there will be no stage that is completely safe, and no room to let their guard down until they receive the all clear.
GAIA will be monitoring it all very closely, with strict orders to inform Aloy and Beta at the first sign of any trouble.
To… say goodbye if need be.
Because if things go south, if this starts to fail, there will be absolutely nothing that anyone can do to stop it.
It all comes down to Elisabet. She will be on her own.
The thought of it reminds Aloy of Rost’s final lesson.
“This hunt if yours to make, Aloy – yours alone. No matter what happens, I will not intervene. Do you understand? You are on your own.”
But this hunt. It isn’t Aloy’s to make.
Really, what lesson could there possibly be for her at the end of this?
Aloy comes back to herself at the gentlest touch of a metal nose against her arm.
Aloy instinctively places a hand onto Elisabet’s neck, before gazing at her sister. Beta doesn’t meet her eye, instead looking away towards the ground.
‘I…’ Aloy looks at Elisabet, feeling like there is a frog wedged in her throat.
Part of her wants to run away in this moment, keep distance between her and Elisabet.
In case something goes wrong.
But somehow Varl’s voice is inside her head, and she now knows exactly what he would say.
Aloy takes in a deep, shaky breath and moves closer, grabbing hold of the Clawstrider’s cables like a lifeline. Elisabet leans into her, showing no hesitation to reciprocate the touch. Together, the two of them stand like that for some time, before Aloy feels Elisabet shift, and Beta slots into the embrace as well.
The three of them are silent, simply existing and relishing in the miracle that allowed them all to be here, together, in this moment.
At some point, though, it has to end.
‘Elisabet. Are you ready?’ GAIA eventually calls in a gentle voice. ‘At this time I will ask to confirm your wishes once more.’ Aloy perks up a bit at this, confused. ‘That in the event this attempted merge is not successful, we are not to reinstate your mind under any circumstances.’
Elisabet noticeably pauses before nodding in response, making her wishes clear.
‘Wait… what?’ Aloy asks, this news coming out of nowhere.
‘Before Elisabet was administered the code modified from Miriam Technologies, she, Sylens and I had prior discussion regarding her current state of being.’ GAIA surmises. ‘In her own words, Elisabet stated that this digital existence is not something she would have wished for herself, if given the choice. Her wishes reflect this, should the merge be unsuccessful.’
‘No… but that’s…’ Aloy is speechless.
Aloy looks at Beta, and the surprise in her sister’s eyes confirms that she had no idea about this either. Her fingers tighten on Elisabet’s cables, unwilling to let go, as the reality of that notion sets in.
So, this merge. It really is Elisabet’s one and only shot…
Aloy startles when she feels cold metal against her forehead once more. She looks up, and feels something loosen in her chest as Elisabet looks at her. Aloy doesn’t understand exactly what Elisabet is trying to say in that moment, but… somehow, it helps, and she’s able to let go of Elisabet when she gently pulls away.
‘When you are ready then, Elisabet.’ GAIA gestures to the chamber.
The room grows heavy with silence as Elisabet approaches it. There is a slot along the side of the capsule that Beta has modified for Elisabet to insert her tail into, to begin the process.
Before she does so, though, Elisabet looks back, her eyes landing on Aloy and Beta.
She only lifts up a clawed hand, and waves it back and forth in goodbye.
Aloy and Beta do not leave Elisabet’s side, both of them silent and standing guard as the chamber glows a steady green color around the glass. The body inside has started to breathe, but nothing else has happened yet, and nothing will for the next twenty-four hours at least.
The others have slowly filtered out of the room at some point, and the lights of the projection room have dimmed, signaling that night has silently fallen outside.
‘Aloy. Beta.’ GAIA eventually says. Her face looks complicated as Aloy turns to her. ‘I have something that I need to share with you both.’
‘What is it, GAIA?’ Aloy asks.
‘I have been searching for the right time to share this with you. Originally, I had planned to show Aloy after the collection of AETHER, POSEIDON and DEMETER.’ GAIA says. ‘Once Beta was found, I had waited further.’ She shakes her head. ‘Currently, however, I have assessed, and I do not believe there will ever be a perfect time.’ She looks at them both, her expression bittersweet. ‘I wish to show you now, while Elisabet is still confirmed to be here with us. Will you listen?’
‘Yes.’ Beta says immediately. ‘But… what is it? Bad news? Something to do with Elisabet?’
‘This datapoint was recorded after the alphas of Project Zero Dawn relocated to GAIA Prime,’ GAIA recounts, loading a projection into the room, ‘and shortly before Elisabet’s death.’
Beta shifts closer to Aloy, standing side by side to watch it together.
‘I believe Elisabet would have wanted you both to see this.’
A past projection of Elisabet walks into the room.
She is looking towards a desk, where a past version of GAIA rests. A frown is upon her face, and her eyes look distracted. She lets out a breath, turning to pace back and forth while fiddling with the focus bracelet on her wrist.
‘Elisabet, I am sensing that you are… distressed?’
‘Not distressed. Just…’ Elisabet says dismissively. ‘I’ve been thinking lately. About the lightkeeper protocol.’
‘The lightkeeper protocol has been purged per your instruction.’ GAIA confirms. ‘All previous remnants of alpha DNA stored have been accurately disposed of.’
‘Right.’ Elisabet puts a hand on her hip, her mouth crooked with thought. ‘The idea wasn’t sustainable. Though…’ She pauses, then takes a seat. ‘I have a story to tell you, GAIA.’
‘Please proceed, Elisabet.’ GAIA encourages. ‘I am always happy to listen to your stories.’
Elisabet puts her fingers together and leans back in her chair.
‘This story isn’t like the others.’ She admits. ‘I’ve told you ones before about me, and about my mother. Even a few about my brother and his family.’
‘Yes. Stories of your brother James’s endeavors in the military were most interesting, given the contrast to the more recent efforts of Project Enduring Victory.’ GAIA supplies. ‘And the tale of your niece Vivian’s birth is forever saved in my databanks. To hear of human life being born, being nurtured. It is very inspiring, and I will treasure it always.’
At this, Elisabet’s expression softens.
‘Vivian is definitely a treasure. I’m glad she and her mother are safe, at least.’ She sighs, a shadow passing over her eyes. ‘You know, I… wanted a treasure of my own like that someday.’
‘Query: You are referring to a baby?’ GAIA inquires curiously.
Elisabet takes a deep breath and sits up.
‘GAIA, the story I have to tell you, I haven’t shared with anyone in a long time.’ She says, her tone suddenly serious. ‘It has to do with my father… and my wife.’
‘You have never spoken of your father.’ GAIA points out. ‘Nor mentioned having a current marital status.’
‘There’s a reason for that.’ Elisabet runs her thumb over the absent spot on her ring finger. She closes her eyes, as if gathering strength. ‘They both… died. About fifteen years ago.’
‘Query: how did they pass away?’
‘It was uh… a few years after I started Miriam Technologies.’ Elisabet shakes her head, leaning her elbow on the desk. ‘We had just flown in for the holidays, and my father picked us up from the airport.’ She sits back, her expression complicated. ‘We got into an accident.’ She says, her words heavy. ‘There was a… a drunk driver. That hit us.’
‘Query: And this accident proved to be fatal for them both?’
‘From APOLLO’s database of human anatomy and pharmaceuticals during that time period, the sudden removal of such a potent medication would severely impact future fertility.’
Elisabet takes a deep breath and stands up, turning away from GAIA.
‘Yes. That plus the injury on top of it… if I were ever to try again, it would…’ Elisabet sighs, her voice resigned. ‘I’ve lived with it ever since. I’ve told people, that I… never had the time. Because it’s easier that way.’ She crosses her arms. ‘But I’ve been thinking about it lately. Ever since we decided to roll back the lightkeeper protocol.’ She looks at GAIA. ‘I won’t speak for the others. But GAIA, no one knows what the future holds. What if something happens, and you need one of us?’
‘You would allow a clone of yourself to be made?’ GAIA smartly reads between the lines.
‘Not now.’ Elisabet shakes her head. ‘I agree that raising them ourselves would be outlandish. The thought of Travis raising another Travis…’ She makes a face. ‘Besides, bringing new life into this dying world right now goes against everything we’ve been trying to do with Zero Dawn.’ Elisabet crosses her arms, thinking. ‘I’m talking about in the future.’
‘Would such a need arise?’ GAIA questions.
‘It could. And so, GAIA…’ Elisabet reaches into her pocket, taking out a vial with whisps of red hair inside. ‘If you need my help. If you need my daughter’s help… I don’t want you to hesitate.’
‘Query; your daughter?’
‘Yes. My daughter.’ Elisabet nods, looking down at the small tube. ‘I’ve… always wanted one. What my mother and I had, there was nothing like it.’ She cradles the vial in her hands. ‘She was everything to me, and I once dreamed of what it would be like to have a daughter of my own. Before the accident.’ She gently twists the tube back and forth. ‘She will be a clone of mine, yes, but I’ve thought a lot about it. And I’ve realized that, her being a clone doesn’t change the fact that, to me, I would consider her to be my daughter in every way.’
‘You have spoken before of what you would have wished your child to be like, Elisabet.’ GAIA recounts. ‘Curious, willful, unstoppable, and compassionate.’
‘Yes, but above that…’ Elisabet looks at the AI, her face holding deep emotion. A wish for the future. ‘I just want her to be happy, GAIA. Maybe have a family, or a mother of her own already.’ She shakes her head. ‘I don’t want her to think that she’s some… some lesser version of me. I want her to be herself, not me.’ She says, placing a hand to her chest. ‘And I want her to know, that even if she can’t fix whatever problem you need her help with, the fact that she tries would be more than I could ever ask of her.’ Her face smiles then as she huffs with laughter. ‘And she will. If she’s anything like me, she will be incredibly stubborn and won’t give up so easily.’ She then pauses, her expression turning serious. ‘Just… GAIA?’
‘Yes, Elisabet?’
‘Watch over her for me. Keep her safe. Please.’ Elisabet pleads. ‘And if she comes to you someday, asking about me. Wanting answers.’ She takes a breath, her expression pained. ‘Tell her that I love her already. More than she’ll ever know.’
‘I will, Elisabet.’ GAIA promises without hesitation.
Elisabet nods and smiles sadly, holding onto the vial. After a moment of thought, she brings it to her lips in a kiss, before slotting it into place within GAIA’s processor.
‘Thank you for listening, GAIA. Time to tuck in.’
When the projection comes to an end, and Elisabet fades from the room, Aloy is brought back to reality with the sound of her sister sobbing. Beta crumbles to the floor, her arms wrapped arounder herself as the reality of what they just witnessed sinks in.
Aloy puts a comforting hand onto her back, surprised to find her own vision blurry.
Aloy has never been religious. The thought of the sun that the Carja worship, or the Land Gods that the Utaru adore, or of All Mother herself; they are all foreign concepts to her.
Mere figments of imagination that hold no truth in her world.
Even so, Aloy silently prays to something, anything, that will listen.
Please. Please, let Elisabet survive this.
Bonus Scene:
Sand quickly shifts, rubbing up against metal and crackling against wire as Elisabet pushes onward. The machine she inhabits is big, much bigger than the others she’s controlled before. The people seem to fear her more deeply as well, running away as she makes her way past.
A Slitherfang, that’s what they called it. A fitting name for a snake, she supposes.
The people of this new world are fascinating, and she would happily indulge in their company, if given the choice. But most of them seem to fear machines, and those that don’t have met her with weapons. A startling reality she found herself in upon waking up. So different from the dream she had for Project Zero Dawn where humans and machines could coexist in peace.
That first week was a blurry haze. There was only a deep voice, limbs that felt all wrong, and a nothingness that threatened to swallow her whole.
There is no time as a machine. No cold. Nor warmth. Nor rest.
No. She does not feel… anything. Nothing at all. Always.
Nothing but an existence of humming wire and cables.
The closest thing she’s ever been able to relate it to is the sensation of pain.
Constant, never-ending pain.
Elisabet huffs as she slithers in the sand, catching sight of a FAS-BOR7 Horus in the distance. By the second week since her revival, she had recognized that the deep voice had a name. Sylens. And that the two of them had a mission to accomplish together.
But that’s not all she had recognized…
Elisabet remembers the horror that passed over her wires upon seeing a Horus up close for the first time. Upon realizing the shelter Sylens had constructed was right underneath one. She must have stood there for hours, her Strider hooves locked into the wet sand of the marshland nearby as she looked up at the towering machine, lost in horrible memories.
Until Sylens had shaken her back to awareness.
Sylens was an enigma, even back then. He would talk to her a lot, about words she didn’t understand. They worked together to make a weapon like no other, and her new existence grew easier over time. Yet somehow harder all the same.
This life…
She used to think that anything, even death once more, would be better than this…
Until yesterday.
“So meet me, at my base. Mountains west of Plainsong. Time to submit to the inevitable, Sylens, and follow the person who actually knows what she’s doing. Don’t be late.”
Something in Elisabet came alive ever since.
She spurs her Slitherfang faster, which turns into a hyena-like machine, then a boar, then an eagle as she soars through storms toward a white spire off the coast.
Each transformation is more painful than the last, but still Elisabet continues onwards.
All the while with one name in her mind.
Aloy…
Dream Eater Allyphant Creations 
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