Warframe - Chapter 5 - The Drawn Sword

Warframe - Chapter 5 - The Drawn Sword

Prologue

Mikado left the Council hall after failing to gain permission to access the Siege Perilous from his Father. He had painstakingly gathered and argued with all the Council members to let him use the device that interfaced the First with his unique frame, the Caliburn.

The Caliburn was the first frame that the First donned during his fight as Hayden Tenno, and gave way to the creation of its multiple Excalibur copies. Mikado had had the notion to start research on it long ago, but now that Cain has declared war, Mikado thought of finally addressing the issue. Mikado then corrected himself, telling himself that his brother is now dead, and that Baphomet is still out there slowly eating away at their forces.

Hearing several stumbling steps behind him, he realizes that his wife had followed him out from the Council hall. He turns around to scold Lotus about not moving around too much while pregnant, but is stupefied when he turns around only to see his wife sitting down on a pool of blood. Lotus only manages to make a small cry for help.

Section 1

Lotus managed to deliver a healthy baby boy. The attending physicians initially had trouble handling the process as it was a breeched birth and that whoever touched the baby boy got painfully electrified. Lotus was inexplicably unconscious and her vitals were going down, so Mikado had had to intervene himself and held the baby on his own. Having congenital analgesia much like his Father, he pulled out the baby even while his right hand was already being burnt by electricity.

He finally got the baby out and ordered the physcians to attend to Lotus' condition. Although he issued a direct order, the physicians were still looking at him. He finally realized that the baby is not breathing and is as yet to cry. He held the baby with both hands, his right hand still burning, and whispered to it to wake up. After a few moments, the baby cried aloud and Mikado smiled. He then re-ordered the physicians to attend to Lotus as a nurse wheeled up a device to hold and clean the baby.

Mikado slowly placed the baby in place and gave the nurse orders to name the child, "Dahaka" from a tale that his Father told him while he was smaller. After properly setting up the device, the nurse bowed to Mikado and went to process the baby. Mikado then went to Lotus' side and asked the physicians about her status. They merely said that her energy has been drained and that she should be fine afterwards.

Mikado content, nodded and sighed a breathe of relief, then looked at his burnt hand.

Section 2

The children were playing and running around the room when Mikado scolded them to let their Mother and little brother to rest. A voice then came from the main door as it opened telling Mikado to not be too strict on the children. The First then entered the room and the children suddenly ran and jumped up to embrace their grandfather. On one side, the First was stunned a little when Vadjura, the eldest mildly jolted him when the child came into contact. Agni, on the other side, was auspiciously warm, bordering on scalding.

The First then notions to Mikado that it seems he has already installed the new frames on his children. Mikado nods and tells the children to play in the playground for now. The children pouts but the First pats their heads and asks them to listen to their father, promising to play with them later. The children relents and goes out of the room.

The First's sweet smile while waving good bye then changed into a serious look when he turned towards Mikado. Mikado calmly stays on his seat as he already knows what his Father was visiting for. The First wasted no time, locked the door, looked at the sleeping Mother and son, and took a seat directly in front of Mikado. He then told Mikado, that the baby had Cain's DNA.

Mikado merely corrected his Father, and said that his brother is dead and that was not possible. He merely mentioned that what merely was left behind was Baphomet. Father saw that even though Mikado was acting calmly, he was boiling with anger inside. He then proceeded to tell the story of how he found out. The nurse that processed the baby was actually one of the First's attendants and he made sure to keep her silent about the test results. He ordered the nurse to take a blood sample on the baby's left leg and process its DNA markers. It was found to match the markers found in Cain's file.

Mikado apathetically looked at him. He merely told his Father in a flat tone and a straight face that everything about Lotus was and will always be beautiful, and that the baby was his child. The First was defeated, nodded, but sighed a breathe of relief and smiled as now he knows that Mikado will not do anything to harm the innocent child.

He then tried to change the topic as he knows further discussing the current one was now futile, especially knowing Mikado's nature. The First then asked Mikado how he came to know about the Siege Perilous. At this sentiment, Mikado's face changed expression, and he in turn sighed.

Mikado then confessed that he had the First's memories. The notion bewildered the First and he asked for Mikado to explain himself. Mikado first asked his Father to lower down his voice as her wife and son were sleeping. The First glanced to his side and nodded after affirming that he did not wake up the mother and child. Mikado stood up and went to the window to look for the children in the playground. He gave a quick smile as he saw Vadjura pushing Agni on a swing.

While still looking at the children, Mikado explains that embedded into his mind were residual memories of his Father's life experiences. If Mikado tries to access them, they appear as flashes of events that he watches somebody else execute, and that he assumes it his Father's. He notes, that his late brother Cain might not have had them as they are fraternal twins, but he was unsure. He kept it a secret up until now, and that only Lotus knows about it, though he suspects Vadjura to have the condition too.

From the playground below, Vadjura looks up to his mother's room and proceeds to look at his father.

Section 3

The First stands up in amazement and anger. He asks why Mikado had kept this secret all this time. Mikado calmly tells his Father to sit down and again lower his voice. He states that he only has his memories up to the time that his Father made advances on his mother, or more specifically, on his conception. He firmly believes that another evolutionary trait has come up that records a Tenno's life moments into his DNA and shares it with its offspring, ensuring further survivability. Though he hypothesizes that the information is carried in the Y chromosome since he only got a Y chromosome from his Father, he is not sure if Agni also has the condition.

Mikado then proceeds to step away from the window and sit back down in front of the First. He further believes that the condition is limited to their bloodline as he has yet to note this condition arise from any other child Tenno. This was his primary reason for keeping it a secret, to test if he was the only with the condition. The other reason was that he did not want to share all the terrible things his Father did as an agent during his time as a human. The First looked down with a serious face and nodded, then afterwards looked at Mikado and asked him since when did this condition start for him.

Mikado answers that the condition merely started out as vivid dreams from time immemorial as a child, but became solid memories as soon as he accidentally touched a Siege Perilous conduit as a pre-adolescent. The First remembers that incident and notes that Mikado was catatonic for a few minutes after touching the chair. The First finally relents and tells Mikado that the Siege Perilous is a unique network access point in the form of a chair. The very same chair that he privately uses every time when he goes under maintenance.

Mikado flat face answers that he already suspected as much, and that if his suspicions were correct, the chair interfaced with the Origin frame. The First nodded in affirmation, and said that he needed to undergo maintenance to keep the seal on the Origin frame, or rather, the Caliburn frame. The Caliburn frame was the predecessor of the Excalibur frame and was the First's initial frame that he used to fight in the Dark Sector. He tells Mikado that the Caliburn is extremely dangerous and that it is constantly evolving as the whole Tenno does.

Mikado confirms that he knows this since he shares his memories with his Father. He mentions that he does not want access to the Siege Perilous itself, but he wants to research on the Caliburn. Baphomet has become overwhelmingly strong himself and Mikado believes he cannot win against his brother in a straight out battle anymore. The only direct way he can reinforce the Tenno as a whole is to research, understand and make discoveries from the Original frame itself.

The first corrects him that although the Caliburn is the Tenno Origin frame, it was not the Original frame. He mentioned that there were three Original frames, and that the Caliburn was only the second. Mikado though only confirms his inherited memories and allows the First to continue. He then repositions himself from his seat and resumes his story.

Section 4

With only a high powered laptop, a modified M1911A1 sporting AP-rounds containing Enferon, and himself, Hayden Tenno went back to the Vosro Research Facility to further investigate the origins of the suit that had meticulously been absorbed into his body for immediate activation and disposal. Instead of going through the ventilation systems like he did last time, he kicked in the front doors of building lobby, knowing that the place was supposedly deserted now.

He looks around the lobby with his handgun drawn, then looks for the fire escape. He slowly descends the fire escape back into the laboratory where he found the exoskeleton suit. Seeing that everything in the area has been decimated or otherwise rendered useless, he goes back to the stairs and ascends instead into the top floors of the building. After hours of having no luck in finding any functional terminal to use, Hayden stumbles upon an administrators office secured with a heavy metal door.

Smiling to himself, Hayden punches through the metal slab with his right hand and slides the debris to the side. Inside he finds a skeleton of what seems to be the remains of an executive that trapped himself away from the Infected and died of starvation. Setting the remains aside, he smiles heartily as he finds a functional unit that had its own energy source. Needing a card key for further access, he scrambles again at the dead body and finds a security card. He uses the card and links the terminal to his laptop for decryption.

Hayden finally pulls up information about the suits and the virus created under the facility. They were twin projects named Mab and Vivian. Project Mab was concerned with creating a deadly virus that would debilitate and mutate victims, turning them into human weapons. On the other hand, Project Vivian was aimed at creating exoskeleton suits that would empower any individual, infected or not, to become capable of resisting infection or further infection and integrate itself permanently into the user.

Project Mab resulted in the creation of the Technocyte Virus while Project Vivian was planned to create three prototype suits. But due to the interference of an American agency, the Technocyte Virus was stolen and the thieves were not apprehended as they escaped via submarine. The first suit was also lost in the commotion and was never found again. Hayden then remembers how he defeated the Nemesis, and what Nadia's last words were. He then turns his memories to his current wife and children, then resumes reading through the files.

The secondary suit was left intact in its airtight chamber, a few days only in completion, and was never used as the Technocyte contamination spread through the building. The slated third suit was never even started due to the Technocyte incursion into the facility. As Hayden further looks into the specifics of the suit technology, he found out that Project Vivian named three prototype suits; Arondight, which became the destroyed Nemesis; Caliburn, which Hayden had now; and the Galatine that was never realized. Thus, only the twins Caliburn and Arondight came into light.

The three suits were made to complement or compete with each other. Arondight was made for defense, allowing for shielding capabilities and long range attacks. Galatine was planned to be a heavy suit made for offense capable of devastating hand to hand combat. And finally, the Caliburn was meant to be a balance between Arondight and Galatine, capable of both offense and defense and also capable of adaptation. The Technocyte virus and the three suits themselves were engineered using nanotechnology, specifically using nanomachines that had their own capacity for evolution. The two projects started as one singular project named Avalon that had been intended to help Russia end the Cold War while not resorting to nuclear devices. But as the nanomachines divided and gave birth to two distinct species of new nanomachines, Project Mab and Project Vivian was set into place. Ever since then, project results often resulted in two products or twins.

Section 5

Mikado calmly stops his Father, telling he knows all of the story already. The First merely acquiesces and nods. Mikado further remarks, that this factor may be the reason that Tenno children are ninety-nine percent born as fraternal twins. The First then factually tells that his own wife is a single child. Mikado then sarcastically rebuffs his Father that his wife is a twin.

The father suddenly leans forward in surprise. Mikado tells him to calm down again and explains further as Mikado rephrases his statement. Mikado then points out that his wives are twins. This sentiment further stuns the First, but Mikado raises a hand to stop him from being loud. Mikado then tells his Father a secret that he is not to share to anyone else. Mikado says to his Father that not everything on Lotus is purple.

The First slightly calms down but still intrigued, keeps his leaning pose. Mikado then tells his Father that he once asked Lotus permission to test her DNA upon this apparently silly realization, but Lotus relents. Mikado took different samples from different locations on Lotus' body and came up with two sets of DNA markers. Simply put, Lotus was a chimaera, further proving that Lotus was originally intended to be born as fraternal twins. Mikado then smiles while jokingly saying he is the luckiest Tenno born for having two beautifully wonderful women as a wife.

Mikado then gets hit by a pillow. Lotus has woken up and is glaring at her husband for telling her secret. The First merely feigned innocence and held his hands up in defense.

Section 6

Lotus was cleaning up for the day when the three children entered the laboratory. Lotus suddenly want into panic as Dahaka, now fifteen years old and barely walking, started to go for an energy outlet. She quickly picked up the toddler and scolded Vadjura for not minding his little brother. Vadjura pouted and as Agni started giggling Lotus scolded her too. Before she could finish though, the First entered the room and told her not to be too harsh on the children just like Mikado. Lotus rolls her eyes and comments that the First is spoiling his grandchildren.

The First laughs at the comment and responds that spoiling their grandchildren are what grandparents are for. He then approaches Agni, pulls her up and puts her on his shoulders. Agni giggles at the gesture and invites Vadjura to join her. Vadjura smilingly declines and the First comments that he is just like his prim and proper father, Mikado. Lotus then scolds the whole group for making a ruckus in her lab and tells them to get out while she closes down the laboratory for the day.

Lotus puts down Dahaka and motioned for Vadjura to hold his hand while exiting while the First let down Agni and motioned her to help Vadjura get Dahaka outside. After the children exited the main doors, the First then put on a serious face and asked Lotus several questions about Mikado. Lotus merely said that Mikado is actually at the front lines and that she is frantically worrying about her husband while she was here stuck with research. The First then placed a hand on her head and told her that Mikado will be fine, and that what she was doing here will eventually help Mikado better than being there beside him in battle.

Lotus snaps and brushes away the hand, yelling that she is not going to be a burden even if her frame has been torn off. She will fight to her last just to be beside her husband. Her adoptive Father then smiles, telling her he understands and that he did not mean to make her feel disabled, he only meant that the children needed her too and that her research is really important.

Lotus apologizes for her outburst and mentions that she just misses her husband. She believes the First that her current research will one day be helpful to Mikado, but she still does not understand the First's intention in assigning her this particular research. Genetics were not her particular field of study and that she does not know if she will succeed in creating results. The First simply says that he has a plan and that he has faith in her.

Lotus further reiterates that rapid genetic restructuring is a very volatile process very much akin to the process that the Technocyte virus implements. She was not confident in implementing the intended results that First had initially discussed with her, and worse, the subject for the genetic restructuring was her husband Mikado himself. The first merely pointed out that Mikado would pretty much accept anything that Lotus would give him, and with a smiling face with it. He also told Lotus that the First came up with the idea when they were discussing Lotus' condition fifteen years ago when Lotus threw a pillow at Mikado. Lotus simply shook her head and sighed as she proceeded to close her lab and call the children.

Section 7

Mikado had barely come back from a long drawn defense battle to evacuate a Tenno settlement on Ganymede, when an officer suddenly approached him with a message. Mikado told the officer to stand down at ease while he stepped into a scrub room for decontamination. While he was in his Rhino Prime suit, the decontamination chamber thoroughly cleansed him for possible infectious materials. After decontamination, Mikado stepped out of the cubicle and rescinded his frame.

Although he was happily awaiting some news of his family in his mind, he was mildly surprised that a Trade Union executive had come out all the way to his ship to seek an audience with him. Mikado then entertained the question of what the Trade Union might be selling this time around. He merely told the officer to accept the Trade Union executive into the civilian docking bay, scan the ship for the infections first and then escort them to a meeting room if they were clean. He then went directly to his personal quarters to change into formal clothing.

Mikado saw the Trade Union executive chatting away with Medea as he entered the meeting room. Psyche was standing behind her sister's chair while Medea was running her fingers across the chest of the yellow robed man indicative of a Trade Union executive. The Trade Union executive was obviously sweating profusely as Medea played with her fingers.

Mikado then draws her attention with a cough and Medea suddenly stands in proper attention. She whispers a curse to her twin sister as Psyche did not inform her of Mikado's arrival. Psyche tried to defend herself, but before she could, Mikado had already scolded Medea for toying with their esteemed guest. Mikado bows in apology and the Trade Union executive stands up and humbles himself, telling Mikado that it was of no concern.

Mikado then dismisses the sisters and proceeds to shake hands with the executive. He invites him to sit with him and motions for refreshments. The Trade Union executive accepts and then compliments the design of the ship. Mikado comments that his wife often made the designs, but is more concerned about the purpose of the unexpected visit. The Trade Union executive names himself as Gylan Vidar, and notes the promptness of Master Mikado.

Vidar then wastes no time and tells Mikado of a deal to reinforce his army. Mikado sincerely expresses his doubts, and says with all due respect that the Trade Union cannot fight the Infested threat themselves. Gylan politely corrected Mikado, saying that they have recently stumbled upon a forgotten technology when they were salvaging a laboratory on their borders on Earth. Mikado then tries to remember the territories included in the Trade Union Body and remebers that they barely own the Middle East and some other properties that border the old Soviet properties.

Gylan compliments Mikado's good schooling and notes that they have come upon the laboratory when they were clearing out border territories for more living space. They have stumbled upon an old research facility that seems to date to the time of the youth of the First. Mikado suddenly shifts his seating position and takes a refreshment from a Neural Sentry servant. Gylan, sensing Mikado's interest, takes a refreshment too, and gently says the word 'Galatine'. Mikado spits out his drink in surprise and Gylan smiles, knowing he was assured to get a customer.

Section 9

Galatine's blueprints were all sprawled over Mikado's desk with the First and Lotus pouring over them. Other Council members were reading the written documents and were murmuring to themselves. The First's eyes were wide open in trying to absorb the realization of the truth in the blueprints while Lotus was immersed in taking notes.

The Council meeting was being held on Yamata on Earth, and all of the Council members who were still alive at the time were present. Though a sizable number of Council members were researchers and diplomats, most of the Tenno Council were actually battle hardened veterans, and these veterans was what comprised most of the surviving Council today. Mikado looked at the smaller number of Council members and remembered the time when he was reporting the results of his first research. The Council Hall back then was resounding with laughter from the numerous assembly before him, but now it has grown darkened from the great losses from the war.

The Great War, as it was commonly called, was also dubbed the Brother's War, in reference to the twin brothers leading each army. Mikado merely shrugged the thought as he considered his brother already dead. He then stood up to finally address the Council. He motioned to his Father and his wife to wrap up as he was going to start deliberating the plans for the war reinforcements. Lotus nodded and escorted the First back to their respective seats. The rest of the Council members also started to seat themselves afterwards.

Mikado started the discussion by noting their current losses. The Tenno population have already gone down by half since the start of the war, and that the war itself is nearing a century in length. Children who were born around the start of the war were already fighting in the front lines. He also noted that his own children were leading incursions into infested settlements. The sentiment made Lotus clutch her chest, and Mikado painfully nodded towards her. He continued by saying that this must stop, and that now they had a new deterrent.

He continued the story of the Galatine system. After telling the story of the First's reinvestigation of the Vosro Research Facility, he then turned to the story that Gylan Vidar told him. The Galatine system was supposed to balance out the offensive capabilities of the Arondight system. Although the suit never made it into production, the technology is valid and can be implemented.

A Council member then asked why not produce Galatine based frames. Mikado then rebuffed the idea citing that all Tenno are descended from the Caliburn system. A Tenno cannot directly don a Galatine frame since the two systems would go into conflict. He also cited that the Arondight system cannot be used due to the same reason. Finally, he pointed out that re-creating the Arondight or Galatine frames would be impossible now due to the lack of the original nanomachine materials from the Avalon Project. Also, the blueprints for the Arondight systems itself are still unaccounted for as per the First's testimony, Mikado noting to himself that it was actually a memory and not a testimony.

Another Council member then asks what would be the point of this Council meeting if the Galatine frame was impossible to recreate, much less be equipped. Mikado then points out that although the Galatine frame cannot be recreated, he pointed out the Galatine systems were still viable. This would mean that they can create Galatine based machinations that would reject the infection of any Technocyte virus strain, no matter the source.

Since the Galatine frame and systems was designed for offense, it was designed for assault functions outright, and this meant that any Galatine derived technology would have minimal focus on defense. This in turn was complimented by a matter transfiguration and absorption system that inadvertently eats anything that it cannot destroy. Thus in essence, the Galatine system was a true sibling and rival to the Technocyte virus.

The halls were then flooded with voices as the Council members discussed amongst themselves. As Lotus looked around the Council Hall, she wished that Mikado's friend, Mordecai was here with them, so that she can thank him for bringing her back to her family. She was looking at an empty seat with Mordecai's name on it. Mordecai was given a posthumous award of Prime and Council membership for his brave efforts. She saw Mikado was looking at the same empty seat also, and when their sad eyes met he nodded to her. She nodded back with teary eyes, and they smiled to each other in turn.

Mikado's attention was brought back to the Council when the First himself raised his hand. Mikado acknowledged his father properly and waited for his question. The First sighed heavily before talking, then pointed out that in his knowledge, all of the resultant suits of the Vivian Project needed sentient control. That would mean that each suit needed sapient wearers for it to function. He paused before asking his question, then proceeded asking how Mikado plans to control anything produced with the Galatine system.

Mikado knew the heavy question would come, and that he even anticipated that his Father would ask the question. He had the answer ready, but the answer weighed heavily on his heart. Even Lotus was intently watching her husband while she was waiting for an answer since she already understood much of the Galatine system. Mikado looked down first, breathes a few long breaths, then looked towards the council.

He slowly states that each Galatine system product would need to incorporate into itself a sapient pilot. The Galatine system is unique in that it takes on the consciousness of the first sapient object it eats. Mikado, painfully, then asks for volunteers.

Epilogue

The Golems, as the products of the Galatine system were called, proved effective against the Infested. They were larger and stronger than any of the Infested Ancients and were impervious to Technocyte infection. The golems unerringly mowed down the Infested on battlefields, unstoppable naught for commands from Tenno commanders.

Mikado watched from afar as a defense line composed of N-series Golems merely held their own ground against a swarm of infested. Supported by Neural Sentry artillery, the Golems merely marched forward, swatting down any and all infested who was unlucky enough to be on their path. After just a few hours, the Infested were driven away and the civilians from below his command center balcony celebrated.

Mikado was content that there were no civilian casualties this time, but he himself was ridden with guilt with having to use the Golems. He remembered the day he proposed the idea to the Council. He was met with utter criticism from many of the Council members, but he only looked at his Father rub his face and his wife sadly look down.

The loud outbursts were only silenced with the action of one Council member in particular. One of the older veterans, Lephantis Mensik, the son of the First's comrade Yargo Mensik, volunteered himself. Mikado pointed out that he was not asking the Council members themselves to volunteer, but he was asking for volunteers to be sent to him. Lephantis claimed he knew what Mikado meant, but he wanted to volunteer either way. Lephantis said he wanted to finally end the war.

He then said aloud that ending the war and saving more lives was more important than just being guarded like children by the Royal Guards. The non-combatant Council members reeled back at these words. The other battle worn Council members then stood up one by one to volunteer. Mikado had no choice but to nod in acknowledgement.

Mikado's eyes widened as the First himself stood up. Before Mikado could talk, the First told him that it was his obligation as the progenitor of the race and as the Father of Cain to stop this war himself. Lotus was about to stand up, when Mikado then motioned her to sit down. He then approached his father and told him straight out that the First cannot. Before the First could make an argument, Mikado asked him about the whereabouts of Caliburn. The First was then stopped in his tracks and hesitated to answer.

Mikado followed through with his disapproval, saying that wherever the Caliburn was, with his Father being the true owner of it, the Galatine system would outright reject the First and destroy him instead. The First then stared at his son's eyes, looking for lies. Sensing sincerity and truth, the First looked away and walked past Lotus, towards the main doors in frustration and defeat.

But before the First could reach the doors, they burst open with a Royal Guard trying to catch his breath. The First tried to calm down the soldier and ordered him to take his time. The soldier did as he was told, and when he was ready, he stood up in attention and delivered his report.

Baphomet was finally sighted again, in the Dark Sector.