Entry #4 – Seattle, Washington ruins. --- Rendaus, Aaron. ENTRY READS: [quote]It’s been a while since I wrote a journal, but I need to vent a bit. For the past few nights I've been stationed in the “Seattle ruins”, as the Vanguard calls it, I keep having the same nightmare. In this dream I find myself back at the Black Garden, surrounded by the flowers and eerie feeling once again. The flowers do not smell of pollen, but of death and at their base are thousands of guardians. Stems penetrate armor, bone, and whatever flesh is left. I am terrified, and yet I am unable to move. A sense of urgency pushes me forward and as I move onward past the heart of the Garden I hear the voices. They do not speak towards me, but rather towards one another and I can never clearly understand them. As I move closer and closer the voices amplify until they are all I can hear. Finally, I reach a chamber far past any mapped sector in the Garden and am then on a platform. In front of me are three dark figures that are seemingly bickering with one another. I approach them, but I am then caught and they then turn their attention towards me. At this point I can no longer move and now the voices are clear; they speak to me. “You violate this garden with your light. From you, ‘guardian’, we will extract this light, leaving only darkness.” they say to me. Then I am surrounded and I feel blades penetrate my flesh and I scream, then I wake up in a cold sweat. Stranger yet, I feel the presence around me still. I have since I left that place and, even more concerning, Ghost detects it as well. We are no longer alone on our patrols; something came back with us. Although these thoughts invade my mind, I must focus on my patrols. They are my number one priority, I suppose. This place is beautiful, in an odd sense. It rains a lot in this area and the forest seems to have reclaimed the landscape. There are giant trees penetrating buildings, lakes have engulfed the “highways”, and the slopes of this city are now covered completely in grass. How much time has passed since this city became a ghost town, I wonder. Having traveled the solar system I have witnessed many sights like this. To me, it’s interesting that there will always be one certainty: even if there is no life to inhabit great cities or giant planets, nature will continue on without us. Nature doesn't seem to need us as much as we seem to rely on it. Hmm. I sometimes wonder if these places will ever see life again and if our population on Earth will reach the stars once again…or if we are doomed to hide in that city until we can no longer fend off the darkness. After the events that took place in the Black Garden, I know the Darkness isn't anywhere near dead. We may have just scratched the flesh of a giant beast we cannot hope to defeat. Will our last city and the tower be reclaimed by nature as well? Either way, I know we will not go quietly. I now understand why I am to patrol places like this; I am searching for traces of the darkness. I need to ensure that no traces of it can be found on our home fronts throughout the solar system. I have reached the final day of my patrol here in these Seattle ruins and tomorrow I set course for the Tower to report my findings which, luckily, have been nothing so far. Well, nothing threatening us anyways; I did encounter another strange guardian today. While exploring the rooftops I noticed a strange spear-like building, Ghost informed me was the “Space Needle”, began to rotate, ripping ancient vines apart and grinding rather loudly. I made my way for the building, found a way to the top, and there I encountered a very strange, young warlock. Apparently he had repaired the motors that made the building run, the electricity, and the system speakers. He was blaring some sort of music that had a very nasally-sounding man speaking in a rhythmic pattern about being a “gangster” and something that has to do with the letter “G”. I have never been more confused in my life…this one at least. This music bothered me so much that I shot the speaker out with my rifle and the young warlock began to yell at me. I quickly apologized and began to explain who I was, and then we sat down for a while and spoke with one another. “The name is Richard”, he told me. I began questioning him about why he was here in this building, as it seemed very hazardous due to the age of the structure, and he explained that he used to live in this city in a time before the golden age. Richard was another guardian whom held his memories from his past life and so, naturally, my curiosity got the better of me and I began asking him about his story. As this young man told me of his previous journey, rain crashed down on the glass remaining on the structure…almost perfectly suited for his somber tale. Richard informed me that he had been a social outcast in his life for being what he described an individual who enjoyed science, literature, “anime”, and lacking of physical strength. He described to me an institution of learning where he was tormented on a daily basis, both verbally and physically. Although his mother and father were supportive of him, they did not understand him and soon he even became an outcast in his own home. Eventually, he said that he took his own life at the age of sixteen. He then sort of chuckled, which made me feel a bit uneasy. I felt this was no laughing matter and I actually felt quite sympathetic for him. “It’s funny, isn't it? I took my own life and was actually granted a new one where my tormentors are long gone and now I’m like some super-powerful space night with badass powers! I’m the freakin’ man now!” he gleefully said to me. I couldn't help but let out a laugh as he said that. Previously, the guardians whom had recollection of their past had some kind of regrets, but here was this young man who was offered a second chance in his life and was thrilled that everyone he was knew was long gone. It was a strange situation to say the least, but as we spoke more about his misadventures exploring the solar system I began to grow fond of this young man. Richard told me of his resurrection and how it felt as though he had simply awoken from a long dream and how scared he was until his Ghost brought him to see the Speaker. He calmed Richard, informed him of his situation (as he does with all new guardians), and sent him to Ikora Rey to hone his skills. He told me that Rey recognized his intelligence and soon after he was deemed fit for combat and held an understanding of Golden Age tech, she sent him on a quest to recover tech from the ruins of cities, like this one, throughout the system. His track record for combat impressed me, to say the least. Richard showed me markings on his helm which stood for commanders he had eliminated single-handedly: green for Fallen, blue for Cabal, and red for Hive. In total, there were fourteen markings on there. This young man, who had suffered in his previous life as an outcast, was quickly becoming a legend among his peers. Not only had he slain notable enemies, he had even found a few relics from the Golden Age such as an AR called the “SUROS Regime”, which Rey allowed him to keep, blueprints for an ancient interplanetary warship appropriately named the “S.S. Cosmos” which scholars are attempting to gather parts for, and even schematics for a machine that will allow the terraforming of uninhabitable areas here on Earth as well as other planets. This young man may just pave the way for a new Golden Age. I am in awe of him. After a few hours in each other’s company, it was time for both of us to go our separate ways. Before I descended down the needle, he tossed me something: a Golden Age handcannon he had reformed and named “Liberator”. He told me it was a bit heavy for him, but was a great weapon to have on the field. Customized to have fourteen rounds per magazine, counterbalances to make the stability perfect, and over-sized rounds to penetrate shields it seems to pack quite the punch. Handcannons aren't really my style, but I think I might make an exception for my brand new toy. I thanked him for the gift, shook his hand, and returned to my base camp. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ashes…ashes everywhere. As pleasant as my day had been with a newly found friend, I had returned to my camp site to discover it burnt to the ground just like my site in the Garden. The scent of Pollen filled the error. I had let my guard down and now I knew that something returned with me. I had Ghost snap photographs and as I readied to leave, I was approached by someone. A fellow Titan who wrecked of pollen and decay. I readied my weapon, but they simply laughed. It was a female, tall, and heavily-armored. “Do not fear, ‘guardian’, I have not come to take your life…not yet, anyways.” She said to me. The next moment she simply walked up to Ghost, touched him, and walked away. I demanded answers, but she continued to walk away. “Aaron…she left a message for the Speaker. We need to go to the tower immediately” Ghost informed me. I don’t have a clue what the hell just happened, but I feel the cold sweat on my brow and the scent of pollen has gone and left only the scent of decaying flesh in my nostrils. I threw off my helmet to vomit, and then Ghost and I head for the Tower. Something is happening. [/quote] ENTRY ENDS [spoiler][url=https://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/100445320/0/0]#1[/url] [url=https://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/102558801/0/0]#2[/url] [url=https://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/106643831/0/0]#3[/url][/spoiler]