Warframe Zero - Redux 01 - The Lost War TEASER

Warframe Zero – Redux 01 – The Lost War

"The Sentients had won. They had turned our weapons, our technology, against us. The more advanced we became, the greater our losses. The war was over unless we found a new way. In our desperation we turned to the Void. The blinding night, the hellspace where our science and reason failed.

We took the twisted few that had returned from that place. We built a frame around them, a conduit of their affliction. Gave them the weapons of the old ways. Gun and blade. A new warrior, a new code was born. These rejects, these Tenno, became our saviors. Warrior-Gods cast in steel and fury striking our enemies in a way they could never comprehend.

Excalibur was the first”

-Orokin “Warframe” Archives

“Some have walked these desolate worlds while you slept. Some like me. I remember what you did. I remember the day.

The Tenno appeared at the Terminus, gleaming and victorious. Our cold and gold Emperors, breathless, bathed you in savior's silk. Then came the sound. Across all our worlds, all at once, the ceremonial Naga drums. A royal salute to the honored Tenno. Ten solemn beats to declare the suffering was over. I watched from a distance, with the rest of the low Guardians. With each beat terror began to crush my throat. The Tenno were not stoic and silent, They were waiting. They were poised. I tried to call out but only a strangled whisper escaped.

When the ninth beat rang a torrent of blood filled the stadium, loosed by Tenno blades. The drums, the Empire, fell silent forever.

Now I hunt, dividing your numbers. Watching from that dark place, cataloging your sins, I am the ghost of retribution. You may forget but you are not innocent."

-Stalker Lore

Prologue

Rei Newman hardly had any rest these days. Although he was genuinely happy to be promoted at such an early age to such a prestigious title, he never had the time or the energy to celebrate. He did not want to celebrate. His predecessor, Yargo Mensik VIII, suddenly went missing, leading to his promotion as he was his assistant.

Rei was hard at work on a prototype gateway that he and his mentor started working on, so he brushed off his worry for his mentor. His mentor had always cautioned him to never stop working, as their work saved lives for every achievement. The old man, a father figure to him, brought him up with such a mentality. Again, he had to wipe his eyes as he worked on the gateway apparatus.

The Grineers guarding the door were ever vigilant for any signs of enemy activity. After space flight became commonplace, the Army, Marines and Navy were consolidated to be called Grineer. And now, Rei had to deal with jarheads while he was working. It would have been fine for them to guard the door from outside, but they also had to guard him while he worked. The stench of the squad leader Sergeant Gregori Kargadan distracted Rei as the soldier was breathing down his neck.

“Would you stop that? I can’t work here with you all sticking in my personal space.” Yelled Rei.

“Orders are orders, Mr. Newman. We are here to escort you and ensure you deliver us to the other side of the gate.”

“It’s Doctor Newman. And yes, your job is to get to the other side, but not to smell my neck. Your incessant prodding isn’t going to help us move along.” Rei retorted.

And with that statement, the sergeant backed off and muttered an unintelligible curse. The Grineer have developed their own efficient language for their operations so that infidels cannot intercept messages. Still, to Rei it just sounded like dog barking.

Having the soldier off his back made things less stressful, but then gunshots were heard outside the laboratory. Newman’s eyes widened at the realization of what was happening outside, but the large frame of Kargadan returned and immediately turned his head back to his work. The stress was back, but this time, it was no longer coming from the large beefy man at his back, but was from the screeching noises from outside the laboratory.

When he was already sweating profusely, he had suddenly managed somehow to connect the last few conduits on the gateway. He stood back to watch the engine come to life, but only saw several flickers of light and electricity come from the archway. Disappointed and at a loss, Kargadan suddenly pushed Newman aside and kicked the archway of the machine. Suddenly, a humming sound echoed through the room, and Kargadan helped Newman up with a chuckle.

Newman, at first sighing at the barbarism of the soldier, was now distracted by the increasing brightness of the archway of the machine. The archway had begun humming more and more violent and with a higher pitch as the archway was being filled with a sheet of light. As Newman, Kargadan and the other soldiers and technicians wondered at the growing gateway, explosions suddenly rocked the building.

“The eggheads are coming, Doctor. Can you make this thing go faster?” yelled Kargadan, in the midst of the noise around them.

“I don’t know Sergeant. This is the first time we’ve succeeded in opening a gate. We haven’t even made tests yet. Are you sure you want to go in this thing?” replied Rei.

“Orders are orders, Doctor. We have express orders to send the best fighters inside and make our way. We have to bring the war to them.” Shouted Kargadan.

“I know! The Sentients-” Rei paused as a piece of paper slaped his face, as apparently, the gate has completely formed. Resuming his statement “Again, the Sentients are energy beings, we don’t exactly what’s beyond that gate. We don’t know how hostile or arid their habitat is. At least let me send a probe first.”

Kargadan was signalling his men to form up while he shouted a reply in the mist of the noise, “No time, Doctor. We have to change the way this war goes. I have no time and clearance to explain to you our mission, and you have done your job, so let us do ours.”

Amidst violently flying papers and lab materials, Rei found it hard to get his bearings straight. Though he wore the latest protective exoskeleton suit, his suit was by no means a match for the heavy suits worn by Grineer soldiers. Rei watched only as the soldiers lined up before the gateway, and then motioned for his colleagues to make way.  As he walked past the soldiers, a pair of hands suddenly pulled him from the last ranks of the Grineer, only to be put around his neck. It was Psyche Hemlocke, the only elite Grineer female combat instructor, classified spy, and his ex-fiancé.

“Oh dear, I’m gonna miss ya.” Said Psyche as she stroked his hair.

“Well, I won’t.” retorted Rei.

“Oh, you’re still mad about that. Don’t worry, let me mak-“ She was cut off by Kargadan.

“Captain Hemlocke, though you outrank me, this team was commissioned and assigned to me. I would appreciate it if you were to focus at the task at hand.” And Kargadan pulled Rei away.

Rei swiftly walked away while his ex and the commanding officer bickered. For once, he was thankful to the belligerent man. He then continued his walk towards the back end of the room, near the doors. Non-Grineer personnel were instructed to evacuate once the gate was opened, and Rei intended to follow that order.

He already mentioned the other technicians to evacuate while he was “held” by Psyche, and now he was the only scientist in the laboratory. Though he hid the fact that he had combat expertise and could actually participate in the incursion, he only wanted to go back to his wife, Nelumbi.

As Rei was about to reach for the door, he stopped himself as he heard screeching sounds mingled with death throes from beyond the metal slabs. He then turned to warn the soldiers inside, but then the door exploded from behind him. In the blink of an eye, he was off his feet and was flung into the air. The explosion did minimal damage as he had protective gear, but Rei was more concerned that he was heading head first into the Void Gate.