ENCLOSUREυ - MEMORIAL GROVE Tenakth Lowlands were beautiful and lush when you were flying overhead. Walking or riding in them was something altogether different, and the both of them are in a state by the time they push their way into yet another densely packed cospe of trees and winding undergrowth, guaranteed to make even sure-footed travelers lose their balance. Aloy’s not seen this part of the Lowland jungle, and GAIA’s periodic updates had begun to go spotty the deeper into it that they went.
Besides that, she’s gotten them woefully lost and had been too stubborn to admit it, and Zero had given her an earful about being a know-it-all before going quiet, as if in defiance, which in turn made Aloy terse and sullen. This was supposed to be their first little foray out together since the baby, and it had already taken forever and a day to get her out here to begin with, the journey plagued with incidents like this due largely to her pride. As they travel, she stops being annoyed at Zero and more annoyed at herself. She’d had to call in every favor she had under the sun to make Zero feel secure enough to leave their child alone in the first place. Luckily, she’d gathered a number of them even while she’d been at home. Even Sylens is involved — having conspired some way of keeping Mother's Embrace free of anything but the most docile of machines for about a ten mile perimeter until she and Zero returned from their sabbatical. He does not tell her how he manages this, and she doesn't ask, ignoring the prickle of discomfort at seeing him talk over it with Beta later, their voices lowered.
She's finding that she's gained a lot in having a family, more than she had dreamed, but there were parts of her adventures that she missed, and had felt the loss acutely in her time building them a home. So, some of those instincts, honed after years of training, they don't come as easily after more than a year of… of just being normal. Doing normal things. That's how they'd gotten lost, she reasons. She had to admit it to herself now: she’s way off her game. She'd been sure the clearing she’d been looking for to camp in had been around here, and she’d wanted enough distance between them and a Tenakth settlement to properly surprise her with the gift she'd been working on for ages, in secret and with very little feedback.
This part of the jungle is so unfamiliar though, that for a moment she forgets they're in the lowlands at all. The first thing she’s aware of before she even notices the faint magenta haze that seems to surround the area, is that the temperature goes from oppressively humid to cool. That would have to be from the massive, interwoven network of tree branches that arc overhead, obscuring most of the sun’s rays and allowing her to see only patches of darkening blue sky between their laced roots. The earth under her feet is a little damp, soft without giving way to mud and cold water, and she glances down to see veiny lines of lichen and moss pushing up through dark brown earth. It almost seems to glow.
She kneels to take a closer look. There were flowers growing there, powder pink, magenta, electric blue, and almost too small for her to see right away, dotting this network of mossy veins like starbursts. The air smells… wonderful. She has no idea of what kind of flower could be making it, but there’s… life everywhere. More than she’s expecting, even. Besides whatever massive tree was responsible for this nature-made enclosure (trees? a network, she thinks? she’d had an astounding amount of time to read about these subjects during her. well. maternity leave), she can see hanging vines in the distance, a burst of tropical flowers here, the drooping and enormous leaf of a pitcher plant hanging overhead there. Birds with feathers every color of the rainbow. From one winding vine, bellflowers in virginal shades of white and pale pink bob their heads. She can hear the trickle of a stream a few meters ahead, and she’s certain the distant roar of a waterfall as well.
“Incredible… this haze, and that smell. Pollen, I’m guessing?”
Whatever disappointment and frustration that had overtaken her during their convoluted travel is quickly replaced by awe. The wonder on her face is almost childlike as she looks around, trying to take all of it in. “…What is this place? GAIA?”
A garbled, sputtering message follows: ”Apologies — loy. You’re — beyond — current range.”
“Beyond your range?”
”—Areas - are being built — facilitating introduction — propagation - ARTEMIS…”
“GAIA?” She spares a glance to Zero over her shoulder for a moment, concerned. “Hey, GAIA, can you hear me?”
Aloy taps on her Focus, then removes it altogether, frowning at the strange color emanating from it. She'd never seen that light before, on any machine or Old World detritus. It's a vivid pink, and the light pulses in time like a heartbeat. More urgently, she repeats herself: “GAIA. Come in.”
A few tense seconds pass. Eventually, GAIA’s voice returns after a burst of fuzzy static from both her Focus and Zero’s own. “I apologize, Aloy.” If a machine could sound sheepish, GAIA’s certainly sounding close to it. “You’ll return to proper — range once you pass through your current location. — Environment is safe. — an offshoot of earlier - proposed design by ARTEMIS - DEMETER. This is the reason for any overgrowth you see. - area’s original purpose was for the — propagation of new animal and plant species, much like - Cauldrons. — Repurposing design for further — evolutionary — development. - normal Focus range will be implemented when - area is completed.”
“So, a biological Cauldron? That would explain the megaflora. And it’s safe? We’ll be fine if we wait out the evening here?”
”Area - is meant to reintroduce - to Earth’s ecosystem without danger. You and Zero will be safe.”
“Okay.” Aloy breathes out slowly, and then with more assurance repeats: “Okay.” Finally she turns to Zero again, her expression sheepish and apologetic. “Shadows are getting long. This is as good of a place as any to stay ‘til morning. And GAIA says it’s safe. She’s been working a lot since we’ve been gone.”
making up hzd lore for [redacted]
Tenakth Lowlands were beautiful and lush when you were flying overhead. Walking or riding in them was something altogether different, and the both of them are in a state by the time they push their way into yet another densely packed cospe of trees and winding undergrowth, guaranteed to make even sure-footed travelers lose their balance. Aloy’s not seen this part of the Lowland jungle, and GAIA’s periodic updates had begun to go spotty the deeper into it that they went.
Besides that, she’s gotten them woefully lost and had been too stubborn to admit it, and Zero had given her an earful about being a know-it-all before going quiet, as if in defiance, which in turn made Aloy terse and sullen. This was supposed to be their first little foray out together since the baby, and it had already taken forever and a day to get her out here to begin with, the journey plagued with incidents like this due largely to her pride. As they travel, she stops being annoyed at Zero and more annoyed at herself. She’d had to call in every favor she had under the sun to make Zero feel secure enough to leave their child alone in the first place. Luckily, she’d gathered a number of them even while she’d been at home. Even Sylens is involved — having conspired some way of keeping Mother's Embrace free of anything but the most docile of machines for about a ten mile perimeter until she and Zero returned from their sabbatical. He does not tell her how he manages this, and she doesn't ask, ignoring the prickle of discomfort at seeing him talk over it with Beta later, their voices lowered.
She's finding that she's gained a lot in having a family, more than she had dreamed, but there were parts of her adventures that she missed, and had felt the loss acutely in her time building them a home. So, some of those instincts, honed after years of training, they don't come as easily after more than a year of… of just being normal. Doing normal things. That's how they'd gotten lost, she reasons. She had to admit it to herself now: she’s way off her game. She'd been sure the clearing she’d been looking for to camp in had been around here, and she’d wanted enough distance between them and a Tenakth settlement to properly surprise her with the gift she'd been working on for ages, in secret and with very little feedback.
This part of the jungle is so unfamiliar though, that for a moment she forgets they're in the lowlands at all. The first thing she’s aware of before she even notices the faint magenta haze that seems to surround the area, is that the temperature goes from oppressively humid to cool. That would have to be from the massive, interwoven network of tree branches that arc overhead, obscuring most of the sun’s rays and allowing her to see only patches of darkening blue sky between their laced roots. The earth under her feet is a little damp, soft without giving way to mud and cold water, and she glances down to see veiny lines of lichen and moss pushing up through dark brown earth. It almost seems to glow.
She kneels to take a closer look. There were flowers growing there, powder pink, magenta, electric blue, and almost too small for her to see right away, dotting this network of mossy veins like starbursts. The air smells… wonderful. She has no idea of what kind of flower could be making it, but there’s… life everywhere. More than she’s expecting, even. Besides whatever massive tree was responsible for this nature-made enclosure (trees? a network, she thinks? she’d had an astounding amount of time to read about these subjects during her. well. maternity leave), she can see hanging vines in the distance, a burst of tropical flowers here, the drooping and enormous leaf of a pitcher plant hanging overhead there. Birds with feathers every color of the rainbow. From one winding vine, bellflowers in virginal shades of white and pale pink bob their heads. She can hear the trickle of a stream a few meters ahead, and she’s certain the distant roar of a waterfall as well.
“Incredible… this haze, and that smell. Pollen, I’m guessing?”
Whatever disappointment and frustration that had overtaken her during their convoluted travel is quickly replaced by awe. The wonder on her face is almost childlike as she looks around, trying to take all of it in. “…What is this place? GAIA?”
A garbled, sputtering message follows: ”Apologies — loy. You’re — beyond — current range.”
“Beyond your range?”
”—Areas - are being built — facilitating introduction — propagation - ARTEMIS…”
“GAIA?” She spares a glance to Zero over her shoulder for a moment, concerned. “Hey, GAIA, can you hear me?”
Aloy taps on her Focus, then removes it altogether, frowning at the strange color emanating from it. She'd never seen that light before, on any machine or Old World detritus. It's a vivid pink, and the light pulses in time like a heartbeat. More urgently, she repeats herself: “GAIA. Come in.”
A few tense seconds pass. Eventually, GAIA’s voice returns after a burst of fuzzy static from both her Focus and Zero’s own. “I apologize, Aloy.” If a machine could sound sheepish, GAIA’s certainly sounding close to it. “You’ll return to proper — range once you pass through your current location. — Environment is safe. — an offshoot of earlier - proposed design by ARTEMIS - DEMETER. This is the reason for any overgrowth you see. - area’s original purpose was for the — propagation of new animal and plant species, much like - Cauldrons. — Repurposing design for further — evolutionary — development. - normal Focus range will be implemented when - area is completed.”
“So, a biological Cauldron? That would explain the megaflora. And it’s safe? We’ll be fine if we wait out the evening here?”
”Area - is meant to reintroduce - to Earth’s ecosystem without danger. You and Zero will be safe.”
“Okay.” Aloy breathes out slowly, and then with more assurance repeats: “Okay.” Finally she turns to Zero again, her expression sheepish and apologetic. “Shadows are getting long. This is as good of a place as any to stay ‘til morning. And GAIA says it’s safe. She’s been working a lot since we’ve been gone.”
She’s working her way up to apologizing.