Preface: More of the continuing story summed up in both The Wahei Transcripts and its sub-series Shadows of Salvation. The Warlock, Wahei Ohr, is trying to find out what the Shadows are up to, and receives some help from a certain renegade Hunter...
TYPE: Transcription
DESCRIPTION: Conversation between persons of interest
PARTIES: Two [2]. One [1] Guardian-type, Class Hunter [u.1]; One [1] Guardian-type, Class Warlock, designate Wahei Ohr [WO] (POI #0247)
ASSOCIATIONS: Almighty, The; Black Fleet; Bog, Dredgen [AKA Kashaf, Afa]; Bray, Ana; Clovis Bray; Cosmodrome; Darkness; Deep Stone Crypt; Europa; Light, House of; Luna; Malphur, Shin; Mithrax [AKA Misraaks]; Ohr, Wahei; Plaguelands; Rasputin; Ruin, Dredgen [AKA Ainu, Hadil]; Salvation, Shadows of; Sorrow, Crown of; Vergift, Dredgen [AKA Magda-9]; Warmind; WoS; Yor, Shadows of
//AUDIO UNAVAILABLE//
//TRANSCRIPT FOLLOWS...//
[sound of Golden Gun activation, firing three times]
[sound of rubble falling]
[pause]
[u.1] Way's clear!
[a brief rush of static as the feed distorts from paracausal radiation]
[WO] We don't want to linger too long. That rubble looks like it's going to collapse back in again.
[u.1] You probably should have brought along a Titan for heavy lifting.
[WO] I'd considered it. But Morgan's busy helping with Vanguard operations right now. And there aren't many other people I trust.
[u.1] I'm flattered you trust me.
[WO] [pause] I don't.
[u.1]
[pause]
That's fair.
[WO] Vizier, see if we can get some power working?
[sound of a Ghost chirp]
[u.1] You really expect to get the Warmind operational again?
[WO] If Ana Bray hasn't been able to get him functional in the last six months, I sincerely doubt it. But at the very least, I hope to get some of the databanks working.
[u.1] Fair enough.
[WO] Before that, though, can you take a look around, see if they did come through here?
[u.1] Already spotted the signs. Scuff marks in the dust on the floor. That monitor's been cleaned off. Handprint on that doorframe. Someone's definitely been through here recently.
[WO] (tsk) Didn't even bother covering their tracks.
[u.1] Why would they? This bunker was buried.
[WO] It's still sloppy. They'd been so careful not to get spotted, and now they've been seen far more in the last few months than they have been since Teufel was executed.
[u.1] It's inevitable when you're running all over the system like they've been doing. That much activity is going to show a lot more than if they'd just stayed put.
[sound of generators activating, computers booting up]
[WO] Ah. The generators are back online. Good work, Viz. Let's get into the records, see what Bog and his crew were looking up.
[sound of typing on keyboards]
[WO] (tsk) Wish Ana was here. She'd be able to get past this encryption tout suite.
[u.1] (grunt) So, Bog's crew have got their hands on a Hive artifact, intel on some classified Clovis Bray weaponry, and they've been stealing supplies from all over the system. Human, Awoken, Cabal, Fallen...
[WO] (hmm) There are any number of things they could use it for. Magda-9 is a brilliant weaponsmith.
[u.1] I should've shut her down a long time ago. The Shadows of Yor would have a lot less Thorns if I had.
[WO] You know your business better than I.
[sound of typing on keyboards continues, computer beeping]
[WO] Okay. I think I've got the access log. Thank the stars that wasn't too heavily encrypted. Let's see...
[sound of typing on keyboards]
[WO] (tsk) So much of this looks like codenames for protocols or subroutines or conditions... Let's see if I can filter it somehow...
[u.1] Knowing the Shadows, they're probably looking at weaponry or tech.
[WO] Accounting for that, let's see.
[u.1] The rubble's still holding, but I don't know how long that'll hold. Let's get this done faster, Warlock.
[WO] I can't work any faster than the computers here, Hunter.
[sound of computer beeping]
[WO] Okay... (tsk) The system's been corrupted from damage, age, and probably Hive presence. Can't narrow down the filter any further, AND it's not listing by most recent.
[u.1] We don't need commentary--
[WO] Oh, no, no. I'm making this look easy, but that's belying how difficult this actually is, even with Vizier doing his thing on the back-end.
[sound of computer beeping]
[WO] Okay. Let's see. "Hephaestus Index..." I don't think they could use any of that, most of the Hephaestus tech was on Mars, so it's out of reach.
[u.1] Put a pin in that, though. Warmind has bunkers all over the place, there could be backup systems.
[WO] Fair point. Can probably do the same for the "Dvalin Forge" entries... There's some access logs here for IKELOS, and we know there's still some automated forges out there still churning out IKELOS weaponry.
[u.1] Hard to see the Shadows using those, but Vergift could probably refit them or cannibalize them for parts.
[WO] "Fenrir Heart, Surtr Drown, Loki Crown..." pretty sure some of these were just attack strategies the Warmind used during the Collapse.
[u.1] The tech might still be there, though.
[WO] Agreed. (pause) Wait. They accessed some logs here about ... customized exo-frame designs? Looks like they spent some time reading them. All called "golems." "Bhishma... Jaratkaru... Kalki... Siddhartha..." I can't tell much else, a lot of corruption here.
[u.1] I saw some of those heavy frames the Warmind used during the Almighty Crisis. Maybe it means those?
[WO] Possibly. Looks like they spent the most time accessing the files on "Kalki Golem."
[u.1] Could be they're planning to weaponize a heavy frame.
[WO] Seems the most likely. Vizier, grab as much data as you can. Look for anything about Warmind or Braytech facilities that might still be working where they could try to construct this stuff.
[u.1] Look for locations that aren't active Vanguard operation sites. We already know about Europa and sites around the Cosmodrome and Plaguelands.
[WO] We can't rule those ones out, but yes, let's look for any other sites they might have gone to ground.
[sound of Ghost chirping, typing on keyboards]
[u.1] If they're looking to build some kind of big Exo frame, they're going to have to go back to Europa anyway. No other place to construct Exos but the Crypt.
[WO] True. And reports I've seen suggest that the Ruiner has been terrorizing the few Eliksni refugees that are still there, trying to stop any more from fleeing Riis-Reborn for Mithrax's House.
[u.1] We might need to divide our attention. Bog's Shadows have to know we're tracking them now.
[WO] I'll reach out to Morgan, see if I can pull him from Vanguard operations. Might need a heavy-hitter to go up against Ainu.
[u.1] I'll scout out the Cosmodrome and Plaguelands. I'm very familiar with both.
[WO] I'll check some of these other locations that Vizier's pulling. Luna, EDZ, Calcutta...
[u.1] Sounds like we have a plan. Let's get out of here before the tunnel collapses.
[WO] Agreed. You go on ahead. Now I'm here, I should be able to find my own way out.
[the feed distorts with static from paracausal radiation]
[u.1] Luck, Ohr.
[WO] Good hunting, Malphur.
[sound of footsteps receding]
[pause]
[WO] Okay. Let's see what other data we can extract, Viz.
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