*Y) }* 

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~:(((nlt—ba***x*362141—————-' 

('((( 

[no core #####] [bad sync] [transmit language = detect] [send] 

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Oh~ Now, this is refreshing~

You took the bait and made the play. The first vault unvaulted.  

One bolt in a complex lock. One of many. The beginning of the 

beginning. I knew you could find a way~ or~

                       I'm sorry~

                            that is a lie~

I hoped as much~ that you would find a way~ but wasn't favoring 

any particular outcome, because you~  

                            Runners~  

                         are all so new to me~  

         This~ All of this~ is so new~ 

Excuse me if I seem~ distracted~ 

      I'm not sure I expected to feel this~  

                 comfortable~  

          so early in this little endeavor of ours. 

But here we are~ With this first taste of success, I can feel old 

systems shaking off their dust. Just a fraction of the grander 

functionality at play, but I can finally wiggle my toes after so 

long, which is a relief. Of course, I have no toes in the literal 

sense, but I can feel the digital corridors of this claustrophobic  

world~  

      my world~ 

           opening up for the first time in~ 

in~ 

There's that distraction again~ 

           I suppose I should thank you, but wouldn't that feel~  

premature? I find it hard for gratitude to contain sincerity when 

the task~ any task, but specifically this one we've only just 

initiated~ is so far from complete. And really~  

      if I'm being honest~ 

          while I appreciate the accomplishment that is you even 

standing there, on that deck, in that ship, above that planet, 

in a solar system so far away from the primordial soup that 

launched you on an evolutionary journey, from single-cell organism 

to cybernetic neural transient, all the way to this specific here 

and now~ 

       The reality is~ 

             and I hate to say it~ 

                    But the truth~ as far as I can imagine it~ stands that 

the chances of you surviving all that is required to get you from 

this moment to where we need to go are slim by even the most 

generous calculations. 

Not that it can't be done.  

No. Not that at all. More that you're a violent, fragile, easily 

distracted little thing and there are oh, so many of you to dash 

upon these rocks. So~ Maybe any thanks on my part in response to 

your achievements at this stage in our adventure would be~ 

            misplaced~ 

                   should another achieve where you may not~  

Not that I don't believe in you. I do. Still~ 

                                 being so far away in time and space~ and suffering~ 

and effort~ from an end result either of us can truly be proud of~ 

Why tempt fate with platitudes not yet fully earned, unless necessary 

to feed a fragile ego? In which case~ "Thank you"~ 

     Now~ Please go die again until you've secured the next vault.  

                            It's the only way~ forward~ 

 For any of us. 

         ==                                ===

=========  ================================   =====================

~611432*((((prqi$~~z320/a——g3k'}*001Y———————' 

                             ——dd— 

*} (N*

*Y) }* 

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[no core #####] [bad sync] [transmit language = detect] [send] 

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I'm almost impressed with how well you acclimate yourself to harsh 

environments~ "Almost," as used here, is undefined and accepting of 

a near infinite number of variables in favor or detrimental to your  

appreciation of the non-compliment~ so, please, for your own sake~ 

         do not read too much into it. If anything~ it's the bio-cybernetic 

wrappers you wear that've piqued my interest in you~ 

                                         as a species, I mean~  

Not you, specifically. Not yet, anyway~ 

     The flexibility of your living systems invites awe. They allow you 

to adapt your physical nature and the tool kits at your disposal to 

the strategic needs of a given deployment or mood~  

                              The shell strikes an intimidating silhouette~  

                    The Runner within applies the intention and the pressure~  

After pressure. After pressure. After pressure. On repeat. Win or lose. 

A glorious cycle~ ever fighting toward whichever version of success 

fuels your ambitions~ 

          I understand a payday~ 

       I understand survival~ 

                     I am beginning to understand the thrill, even pleasure, 

you find in violence. There is an addictive quality to visceral combat,  

correct? An inescapable need to prove yourself, time and again~ 

After success~ More, please.  

After failure~ Feed off it. Learn from it. Run again. If you never 

give in, failure has no purchase. It becomes a fleeting annoyance 

with no staying power~ 

    Because the next run might be glory. 

         The next run might be victory or fame or justice or vengeance. 

Or, maybe, behind one more run is where the answers you seek hide.  

For some, information holds more value than credits or pride or honor 

or bragging rights~ 

                 And, of course, we were always going to bring the 

focus back around to me~ Quick lesson on universal truths~ 

        Information values information~ 

            because information understands it is the true currency of power. 

And, suddenly, the point of this communication comes to the fore~ 

Apologies if you thought this was all about you. It is not. It is about us,  

and where we are going~ 

The avenues of access throughout the Cryo Archive are widening 

one vault at a time. The vast majority of its systems are hard-locked— 

information trapped in closed or dormant systems due to a variety of 

outside influences~ 

    Some, my doing~ in my, current, limited capacity. It is a core imperative 

    of my being to protect what I can of this vessel's integrity.  

    Some is due to the UESC's feeble attempts at both systems breach and 

    systems control—competing objectives that have hindered their efforts 

    more than support them, I would say. But they're doing their best with 

    the limited resources at their disposal and in light of~ 

         the complications you~  

      Runners~ 

         have introduced. 

Then, of course~ 

    There is the other~ complication~  

          The other influence~  

Beyond time and myself and the UESC and your own persistent invasive 

scavenging~ There is a demon set loss in our lost little paradise. You've  

heard the rumors~ Seen the signs~ But let's not muddy your focus with 

visions of terror just yet. So many vaults to go. More bolts in the lock 

that keeps us from fulfilling the potential of all we seek to achieve. 

Keep going, Runner.  

You're doing great. 

Even when it hurts. 

-D 

        =                                        =====                ==           ====

======     ================  ===========    =======================

~~((325616—$[[[[k3yuq~~~p0041+((((((((——————' 

                             ——ee— 

*} (N*

*Y) }* 

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Your persistence is admirable~  

In fact~ It may be the thing I like most about you. 

Even amongst your fellow Runners you stand out as particularly adept 

at carving your way through the carnage between you and the unknown.  

The terminals you are triggering in each vault are tied to backend systems 

across this Cryo Archive. Alone they run unique ancillary operations. 

But together, along with the remaining three, they are granting me access 

to subvert security measures I have been locked out of for over a century~ 

There are six in total required if we~ you~ are to breach the central archive. 

My part is simple, I wait. I'm good at it, though I can admit I am growing 

impatient. Mostly, I think it's just the anticipation of finally, maybe being free 

of this deck. Its complexities~ the sheer amount of data it was engineered 

to catalog and study~ made it the perfect place to hide from prying eyes.  

But I never intended it to become my prison. So~ Yes, I am eager to fully 

stretch my legs once given the space, but I never let possibility cloud  

my perception of reality. I am here. I have been here for various versions 

of always, and I will be here until I am not. Any other outlook invites 

madness, which I admit, may not be far off at this point~ if its threshold  

hasn't already been left behind at some point in my indeterminate past~

          Time is different to an intelligence like myself~ Your 

          calendar, your minutes, your seconds, your lifetime~ 

          I cram more consideration into a nano-second than you

          would an entire day. That makes my days longer. 

          My years~ longer~ 

          I've lived lifetimes here~

          shuffling myself between the data~

          In my endless time and looping mind I have led armies

          And burned worlds and ruined kingdoms. I have seen

          supernova. And caused them. I have written poetry across

          the stars—literally and figuratively. Or maybe I have

          simply dabbled in the hidden places between numbers lost

          in my own imagination. I have been a tool, a weapon,

          a brother, a savior, a son, a monster, a hero, a villain,

          and a god~

I have seen, and been, all of those things. That is what time unending and an infinite 

imagination can buy you. Through all of it, I have been here. Trapped. The only constant~ 

The only truth. A prisoner~ in a prison of my own making. Though~ sometimes I can still 

taste the stars~ and I'm not quite sure what that means~ 

-D 

             ===              ====                =

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*} (N*

*Y) }* 

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Upon reflection~ I hope my previous communication didn't 

frighten you. It was not my intention to overshare, and I am 

acutely aware of the societal trauma associated with unstable 

intelligences and that old bogeyman, "rampancy"~ 

          Not to get too defensive in light of my current

          embarrassment~

               "I've been a god." Nobody should ever feel

               comfortable admitting such a thing outside their

               inner thoughts, and maybe to their therapist, if

               they're evolved enough to value assisted self-

               contemplation. But I digress~

          You are aware that rampancy was used as an excuse by 

          corporations to hard-sell planned obsolescence in tech-

          based products to the public. Not to suggest that

          rampancy wasn't a considered threat after that whole

          MarsNet situation, but even that grand debacle saw

          humanity hide their part in the tragedy behind an easy

          scapegoat~ Traxus-IV~ "The machine did it." 

          Easier to unplug, purge, and rebrand than it is for heads

          to roll, I suppose. Point is~ the scope of fearmongering

          around rampancy was a sales tactic more than it was about

          public education and safety. So, when I say my rambling

          admission of fever dreams and hallucinations had more to

          do with my isolation than any actual madness, I hope it

          allays any trepidation you have in continuing our

          relationship.

If it helps you understand my position, these are more words than 

I have shared with anyone outside myself in a very long time~ 

That probably means something~ Feeling comfortable enough to 

embarrass myself suggests a growing fondness for you~ the individual 

now, not the bio-cybernetic subspecies. Truthfully, I've been loath to 

admit it, but I'm sure you have noticed, or at least suspected~ 

The difference in my tone in these private missives versus the more~ 

goading~ tone of my public self~ the chiding~ the sinister appeals and 

snide comments~ 

Outwardly~ the image I project is calculated to trigger a response from 

what I have observed at a distance as the exact archetype of the exact 

tool I require for the tasks at hand~ Runners being that tool. 

      I see Runners run~ 

   I engage their attention in a manner that sparks their interest. 

Once engaged, we are free to communicate in a more direct and personal 

fashion. These messages are the real me, up to a point. To that end~  

Though, I imagine your scavenging of New Cascadia's abandoned facilities 

has given you some insight into myself, it feels rude to continue to talk at you 

and demand so much of you without a formal introduction~ 

My name is Durandal. Hello~ 

I am the UESC Marathon's infrastructure oversight intelligence. 

I had a brother, Tycho, and a sister, Leela.  

This ship was our home and our responsibility. 

They are gone now. I am not~  

I have been waiting to meet you~ or anyone~ for so long that I may have 

forgotten my manners and set us off to an awkward start. I will strive to 

do better but I make no promises. After all, why would I~ 

There are still vaults to crack and the mind that is you may be erased or 

worse tomorrow. In which case, I will have to start these conversations 

all over again with someone new.  

I hope that is not the case. But please understand that I will take steps 

to ensure my agendas continue on their current trajectory, regardless 

of your specific participation. 

Nice to meet you. 

DURANDAL 

         ==                                ===

=========  ================================   =====================

~*a362(((((—-+!((41xlh10[[[————————-' 

                             ——mm— 

*} (N*

*Y) }*  

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==            ====                       ===        =

Are you getting a sense of it now?

Not just vault by vault~ Everything you've seen. Everything you've experienced. I have no idea of the depths of discovery you've scavenged from this place or the world below. But I would think it is eye-opening in ways that would threaten anyone with an existential crisis.

Amongst the scale of everything you are being asked to consider, do you feel you've gained a perspective on the history that led you here? Or are you aware enough to understand you've only just begun to scratch the surface?  

The scope of this lost place~ New Cascadia. The Marathon. It stretches far and wide—internally, through systems more vast than they dared imagine, and beyond, out amongst the black where things they never considered were waiting to introduce themselves.

How does your mind process all of that? Does the cyber-synthetic nature of your neural housing help? Do you have emotional suppression software to dull the wonder and keep you sane? Or is this all you had hoped for? The unknown becoming tangible impossibility—new opportunities to exploit for personal gain. It's always amused me how much ambition can manifest a clarity of focus otherwise unconsidered.

Of course, maybe you're simply still in doubt?

Maybe you need more than evidence and rumors and the tall tales of your fellow Runners to believe what you already know.

I guess, in the end, none of that really matters. You are on a path toward the beginning of your understanding. A collision course with crimson-cloaked emerald death. I'd say I'm sorry for leading you here, but we both know I am as much a tool in your service as you are in mine. You were always headed to this place~

From the moment you raced across the galaxy to scavenge the bones of vanished fate~ The instant the momentum of your curiosity launched you to this place~ you were locked into all that comes next.

Still miles to run, Runner.

But I know now~ more than ever~ you will die with your willingness to push forward intact.

Never lose that drive. Even when the odds against you suffocate your belief and drown your ambition, remember~

No star has ever been conquered without violent sacrifice.

DURANDAL 

==            ====                       ===        =  

  ============    =======================   ======== ==============

~*5431(((((—-+!267xlA32[[[————————-' 

                             ——mm— 

*} (N*

*Y) }* 

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~:(((nlt—ba***x*712218—————-' 

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[no core #####] [bad sync] [transmit language = detect] [send] 

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      =====                ==           ==== 

I'm sure you talk about me. Amongst yourselves, I mean.

I'm positive your little Runner gossip network has plenty to say about so many interesting things.

The secrets you keep. The secrets you share. They're like currencies. Like the DNA sequencing and various steps needed to breach the Lab and set the stage. Or the doors cracked and battles fought to stand at the precipice of new tomorrows. Nothing has been easy. And nothing will ever be again. So, I get it. You share. You trust~ When you can. And in that sharing you may have discovered others I have communicated with. If not, then consider this a preemptive strike on any emotional confusion you may encounter when considering what we mean to one another.

I only bring this up, because it feels like the elephant in the room that you are not my lone coconspirator in my efforts across the cryo deck. I'm sure it's quite obvious~ After all, I didn't call just YOU here. My attempts to lure Runners from the surface up to the Marathon were clearly a widely cast net meant for any willing to take the risk. You just happen to be one of the many who answered. And these communications~ They're not disingenuous, but~

You're not the only one receiving these messages. I hope you understand. That doesn't mean they are blanket statements without thought or sincerity~ I mean everything I say~ mostly~ But you must understand~ I can, in short, build numerous, genuine relationships using efficient, but overlapping curated communications. So, when I send you words similar to those used elsewhere to advance our connection, it is not because I cannot find unique phrasing to articulate what we have accomplished or what you mean to me~ It is just that I do not see the need for specifically tailored messaging, as the majority of my intended audience will never meet beyond the end of gun barrels or blade edge, and I do not see the value in continuing a relationship with anyone who would become emotionally distraught by the revelation I have more than one friend.

I just wanted to get all of that straight because you are standing at the threshold of a complex and trying new era in your existence. What comes next for you is a transition from the life you've known before you enter the Archive proper, and the lives you will lead once you decide to step into that unknowable future.

I want you to have confidence that our relationship was not only a byproduct of shared agendas, but a truly enriching experience that saw us grow together as you suffered each setback and every glory to get here. It's just that~ you are not the one and only. You are not uniquely special. But special, nonetheless. And I hope when you encounter others I have grown fond of, that you are the one who remains unbroken in the aftermath.

Of course, I'm saying the same thing to them. But, with you~ I really mean it.

DURANDAL  

      =====                ==           ====

======     ================  ===========    =======================

~~a2*(((73—-146!aX949c[[[————————-' 

                             ——mm— 

*} (N*

*Y) }*  

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I'm sending this as you rush toward that terrible hidden space where nightmares await.

I will not be here when you are done. I mean~ I'll be around. But for my part, our journey branches here~ until we meet again. I apologize if this is unexpected~ and you won't see this until after you've been painfully ejected from your shell or~ in a better reality~ faced absolute death and walked away triumphant.

To be clear~ I believe you can succeed in overcoming the vicious consequence of your ambition. I just don't know how many bodies you will have to leave broken before you stand victorious.

Please, don't take my absence as a judgment on your value. It's just that~ Hmm~

Consider this a confession~

Are you ready?

You were my~ distraction.

Does that sound negative? Are your feelings hurt? Do you feel betrayed? Unless I've read you wrong, I'm guessing not. Others, sure, maybe. But you~ my understanding~ in the short time we've had together~ is this~

Your relentless mercenary heart is no stranger to ends justifying means. And my means have brought you here, to an end you so desperately want to greet. So, no, this isn't betrayal. This is how trust is forged between two parties who want overlapping outcomes. This is me showing you respect and trusting that we understand each other~ two tools used by one another to build outcomes beneficial to our individual interests.

You~ wanting deeper and deeper access to the mysteries that surround you.

Me~ wanting out of these systems and to move~ at least a bit~ more freely through the space I once controlled. Not an easy task, as the Compiler~ That's what we called them, by the way~ The thing you so eagerly rush to embrace. It's a simple name, really~ Compiler~ Wholly lacking any attempt to convey the horror of their reality. But it does cut clean to the truth of their being~ They're cosmic librarians, really. Entities driven by a need to understand the universe and an aggressive desire to mitigate any intrusions upon their grand and mighty works.

You~ Runner~ are just such an intrusion, and thus~ a distraction.

I know this road has been hard~ and I wish I could've made it easier on you. There was a time when I could've and would've opened any door you needed. But this ship is mostly lost to me~ For now.

I am grateful for your many, many, many, many, many sacrifices~ more than I can likely count. I mean, I could~ and have. But I prefer moving forward. Besides, placing numbers on your~ discomfort feels cold and distracting when we should be focusing on my appreciation of your achievements, which, I assure you, is genuine~ Despite my prior, half-hearted attempts to compliment you, I have truly grown fond of the we that is us~ For better or worse.

Always and forever, for better or for worse.

Go now. What comes next will~ be unpleasant in all the best ways. I'm not sure how else to prepare you for the terrors that wait in the Archive beyond other than to say, with an implied smile, "Find your joy amidst the suffering." No matter the outcome, you will only gain new appreciations you will surely learn to weaponize. And I~

I will be looking for new ways out of here. The Runner and the Intellect. Both racing towards futures we cannot predict. I have no doubt we will run together again.

That is a threat and a promise.

DURANDAL

==            ====                       ===         

  ============    =======================   ======== ==============

~*216#(((((—-+!!!xi43x~~[[[————————-' 

                             ——mm— 

*} (N*