[url=https://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/250301867/0/0]Table of Contents[/url] "I see something…" Keis' Ghost pondered. Its gaze pierced through the foliage around them, focused on whatever had caught its attention. "Something green?” It finished, then groaned, “Ugh, this isn't working. Everything's the same. Plants, plants, clouds, plants. Oh, look, a rock! More plants…It’s too easy for you to guess. This is definitely the worst game so far." Keis shrugged, and the Ghost retorted, "Yes, but I'd rather come up with new ones than repeat the old ones. They get boring after awhile." Keis walked between trees, stepping over roots, and his Ghost continued sarcastically, "I know, you're more inclined to stimulating intellectual conversation. You’re such a blabbermouth. What do you want to talk about now?" "Earth," Keis requested. "What state they're in?" The Ghost guessed, and Keis nodded, "Okay. I’ve already told you practically everything I know. It's a mess. They're calling it the Dark Age. Scattered settlements, though that's a generous word for a speckling of tents and huts. Bandits, the occasional Risen wandering around, the Fallen pillaging. Sneaking onto that Ketch was the scariest thing I've ever done, by the way. You're welcome. Imagine if I had stayed on Earth. I'd still be searching around the…oh no." The two of them stopped, staring at the abnormality that had come into view through the vegetation ahead of them. A wall of metal could be seen between the trees. Keis looked at his Ghost. "No," it urged, "Please no." Keis turned back to the wall. "I don't care if you're curious!" The Ghost snapped, but gave up with a sigh, "Fine, we'll check it out. But carefully. Don't touch anything." Keis crept closer and the Ghost dissolved in a haze of blue particles, transmatting into his armor matrix. Their view became clearer as Keis weaved through the obstructing trees, revealing many more walls. All were made of sleek metal and covered with webs of glowing white lines. The walls had no apparent purpose, but simply sprouted from the ground and spread through the surrounding jungle. Keis walked around the first one and examined it. "The Vex ruins here are older than Humanity itself," his Ghost informed, "They're trying to make Venus a part of their system. Can we go now?" Keis meandered through the array of ruins, making his way to the other side. "They can teleport, by the way," the Ghost added, "I probably should have told you that sooner. Teleporting death-bots." That spurred Keis into motion. Tense seconds passed until Keis reached the other side. He slipped into the forest, checking over his shoulder even after the ruins had disappeared behind the plant life. "I think we're safe…" the Ghost speculated nervously after they had put some distance between themselves and the Vex structures, though it remained in the shelter of Keis' armor, "When I said I wanted a change of scenery, that was not what I had in mind." • • • Chunks of moss fell to the ground when Keis grabbed the lock. A pair of massive steel doors towered above him. His Ghost's spotlight pierced the dark of night and glinted dully off of the rusted surface. The lock broke apart with one sharp tug, crumbling and spilling brittle pieces over his feet. Keis slid his hands into the crack between the doors and planted his feet, then pushed them apart. The ancient gate grated noisily, resisting his strength and carving new marks in the paved ground beneath them. They only moved several inches before locking in place. "That's a problem," the Ghost analyzed, "I could fit, but not you. Maybe there's another way in?" Keis gripped the side of one of the doors, checking the thick metal and trying to bend it. "Probably not," his Ghost decided, "A warehouse like this would only have one gate. Maybe there's windows? Would they be big enough to fit through?" Stepping back, Keis focused on the sliver of space between the doors, then surged forward and vanished in a swirl of Light. He reappeared in the pitch black interior of the warehouse. "Or you could do that," the Ghost approved, gliding in through the crack, "I told you teleportation was great." It shone its beam across the floor, illuminating an assortment of crates and rusted equipment. They explored the space, seeing nothing useful. "Looks like it's just storage, again," the Ghost sighed, then looked to the back. A section of the roof had collapsed, creating an opening that displayed the rustling branches of trees. The Ghost turned to Keis, who was already moving back to the entrance. "This is it," it notified gloomily, "There's nowhere else where they could have kept a jumpship." The two travelers exited the warehouse and looked at the scene before them. It was too dark to make out more than hazy silhouettes, but the forms of the skyscrapers towering in front of them weren’t hard to make out. "We could stay here a little longer," the Ghost suggested, "See if there's anything useful in the more domestic sectors." Keis gazed past the warehouse and into the forest that had advanced into the outskirts of the city. "I know," his Ghost agreed, "There's nothing here. Let's at least get to the top of one of those skyscrapers. Maybe we can see something from there." • • • "Okay, this is my fault," Keis' Ghost admitted sheepishly, sinking in front of the Risen's face, "I take full responsibility." They were on the roof of a skyscraper, overlooking the entire city and the terrain beyond. But they were barely able to identify anything more than the shapes of the nearest buildings under Venus' cloudy and moonless twilight. "This is just embarrassing," the Ghost blushed, "We can't see a thing! Why didn't I think of this?" Keis watched it flutter in front of him until it regained its composure. "What?" The Ghost asked, noticing him, and he averted his eyes. When he didn't answer it repeated itself, "What?" The Ghost inspected him, hovering closer, then shifted its shell as if narrowing its eye, "You didn't tell me?!" "I-" Keis started, but his Ghost didn't let him finish. "You knew!" It accused snippily, whirling its shell, "Why didn't you tell me?" "I-" Keis tried again, but the Ghost interrupted him. "I don't want to hear it," it declared, turning away, then turned back and inquired, "Okay, why?" Keis opened his mouth to reply, but the Ghost interjected with a softened voice, "Because you knew I was looking forward to being up here?" Keis nodded, and it perked up and stated proudly, "I can read you like an open book. That's very sweet of you, Keis." The Ghost floated over the edge of the roof and regarded the surrounding structures, "It's sad. The state everything's in. That we're so happy to have found a city that's barely more than rubble and skeletons." It surveyed the shadows of the city a little longer, then resumed, "But we've wasted enough time. I think this could be a good opportunity to see how well that gliding thing you do works." Keis stepped up to the brink. "I can always revive you if it doesn't work," his Ghost assured. Keis didn't hesitate, jumping off the ledge and plummeting to the ground.