[spoiler]Story 2 Act II Part 1 [url=https://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/242853482/0/0]Archive[/url][/spoiler] Having regrouped with the other half of his team at the merging of the two tunnel sections, Patterson leans forward to brush off the dusty layer of dirt from the metal surface as the other three stand back to eagerly await his assessment. With Eular nor the other two ghosts able to register a Vex presence, Patterson touches the surface and closes his eyes to focus in and open himself to make the connection. After a brief moment, he turns toward the others. "It's definitely Vex construction, but it's not Vex." Lee shakes his head in frustration and confusion, "And what is that supposed mean?" "Exactly what it sounds like," Patterson retorts. "It was made by Vex, but isn't part of a collective mind. It's completely silent." "Think it's trying to pull something?" Be asks. "No," Patterson replies. "You can't understand their thoughts without a conflux, but you can hear their voices from anywhere. Like a constant whisper of unintelligible conversion. This one is silent, completely, like a body without a mind. It's not even trying to expand" Lee crosses his arms and begins to slowly pace a small circle while thinking aloud, "So we couldn't detect it because it gives off no signal, it's not taking new ground because it has no mind, and we have a tunnel of overgrown Hive... stuff. Did you hear anything from the local outpost or get a response to the emergency beacon before getting here?" Patterson sighs and shakes his head, "Nothing. Dead Orbit camps are usually mobile, so they probably just relocated after they were done with the initial scouting. But no one's even tired to check in on the beacon." "Go ahead and leave it running then," Bee says. "Having to get up and come out here would serve the jerks right for not even giving a courtesy call... Wait, you think communications are being jammed again?" "Can't be," Lee responds. "That's how I was able to get you two down here." As the three guardians continue talking, the Onyx Guard quitely pulls back and takes a few steps forward to stand beside Bee's ghost as its light scans further down the tunnel. "[i]Okay, Mr. Wiggles[/i]," the Gear begins. "[i]I've got no idea how to contribute to the discussion over there, so what do you suggest we do?[/i]" "Hmm," the ghost pondered. "I say we destroy this place and get back top. We can let Bee knock down a building and just say the tunnel collapsed." "[i]The old 'junk it' routine. Do we have explosives that can do that?[/i]" "No," the ghost replies as the sides of its shell droop down in disappointment. "Can't even tell how thick the walls are at moment because it's like they aren't there." The ghost's components then jerk back into position as it faces forward at full attention. Picking up on the ghost's sudden change in behavior, the Onyx Guard lifts his rifle to take aim further down the tunnel. The other three see this and quickly move to take up position along side him.