—Unknown sector, several days after the attack— [spoiler][url=https://youtu.be/BomYIT_jaA8]The Republic Fleet[/url][/spoiler] The walker’s position on its side proved to advantageous to its repairs, as it allowed easy access to the lower compartment. Beside the walker and next to the undercarriage Giant was fiddling with the walker’s suspension matrix and drive motor to get them back online. Thankfully, life support hadn’t been damaged in the blast, which would’ve proven fatal to everyone except for Giant, who, being an Exo, could survive in this marine environment without being tethered to an air pocket. This didn’t stop him from pressurizing his armor, to keep the water out of his joints. “How’s she looking?” Watson radioed from within the walker. “Not too bad. She’ll be upright in no time. Did you get the GPS working?” “Well yes, but actually no. We made quite the flight, now that I’m looking at it. The blast sent us 10 miles away. Only problem is I can’t figure out where we are. The hypermatter wave changed Offtopic’s terrain considerably, so even though I have our coordinates it isn’t registering on any map of Offtopic. We’re lost.” “How far are we from the Capital City-“ Giant paused a moment, “-‘s last location?” “About...100 Miles. We have a long trip ahead of us.” Giant smacked the motor with a wrench, It sputtering and whirring back to life. “Now to set her right.” Giant said as he moved to the other side of the walker. “Brace yourselves.” Giant sat on the ground, put both feet on the hull and started lifting the massive walker with all of his might, the vehicle groaning as it rose from it’s side. Giant gasped as he finally righted the walker, it settling to the ocean floor with a dull clank. “Wow. You never skip leg day, do you?” Titan radioed from within the walker. “It helps to stay fit.” Giant replied. “You need a hobby.” Titan laughed. The airlock whooshed as it admitted Giant into the walker, the Exo climbing up into its interior. “I did a scan of the region, and I found a Republic Military Base a few miles from here.” Watson told Giant from his spot at the terminal. “We could use any supplies we find there.” Giant nodded. “Titan, what’s the walker’s functional status?” “Everything looks good.” He replied from the driver’s seat, “All systems are online, damage has been repaired. The walker is ready to go.” “Let’s get moving then.” The drive motor sprang to life as the legs began articulating, and the walker slowly advanced forward. “So, Giant, I don’t think I’ve ever heard the story of how you came to be in Offtopic,” Watson asked Giant some time later, “would you mind telling me?” Giant laughed. “I think Titan should be the one to tell it to you.” Titan chuckled from the cockpit. “Yep. It’s actually a funny story, well, from a certain point of view.” —The Mountains of Lore, 10 years prior— [spoiler][url=https://youtu.be/ghzmdv5NoDo]Chosen[/url][/spoiler] Titan watched the Scholars and Priests of Lore scurry busily about in a state of hurried excitement as he traveled through the mountain’s many Monasteries and cathedrals. Titan could pick out the words “Savathün” and “curse” from several of their conversations. This new development in their Study had awakened the once-slumbering giant that was the Lore Priesthood, and many of the Priests were occupied studying and formulating hypotheses in light of it. Some even wrote literature, at the annoyance of some of the pharisaical priests who felt that their work was merely to observe and discuss the intricacies of their study. Titan breathed in the fresh air. Although there were some differences in opinion here, it was much better than the rest of the provinces that made up the salt mines of Density. Here, people shared their opinions without fear of being shut down or brigaded; This spawned a healthy group of people united under the same purpose of study and observance. He had come to see his friend, Seth, who maintained the vast Archives of Lore Literature and was a skilled writer himself. Even though he spent most of his days at home, studying, writing, and archiving, that did not stop him from gaining the respect of his peers, even some of the anti-literature priests. He soon reached Seth’s abode, a minimalistic house in the middle of one of the forests that crisscrossed the snowy peaks of Lore. He raised his hand to knock when suddenly... “Come In! Come in, my friend! Don’t just dawdle on the threshold, come in!” The voice said from inside while the door magically swung upon. He stepped in, and took a look around. The place spoke to the easy life of seclusion, the first floor being a prime example with everything in its proper place and nothing left unorganized. A modern but cozy-looking fireplace burned in the center of the room, a large chair to the right of it. On top of the fireplace was a large walking stick inside of a glass case, like the ones that were used to hold firearms. To the left a hallway could be seen leading to several other rooms, each archiving a different subject. To the right were stairs that lead to the second floor. “How did you-“ Titan began. “I could hear your heavy step from a mile away, Doctor.” The voice interrupted from a chair next to the fireplace. “Not many people from around here share your gait.” He swiveled the chair to face his visitor. The man, if he indeed was a man, wore an antique Plague Doctor mask on his face with a tricorner hat completing the look. A dusty brown robe covered his body, similar to what a mage, or even the warrior space monks of a certain Sci-Fi series would wear. His hands were covered in ink and worn out from frequent use, and were constantly fidgeting about, as if eagerly awaiting their next assignment. Titan was taken aback, like he always was at the sight of his mask, so Seth continued the conversation for him. “As for the door, well, I guess we could chalk that up to uncanny coincidence.” Titan gave him a look. He could never tell when he wasn’t telling the truth. Maybe that’s why he wore the mask. “Anyway, do you know why you are here?” Seth continued, changing the subject. “Er....no, not really.” “Good. It’s better if fewer know. You and I will be traveling deeper into the mountains. I trust you are up to it?” “Sure.” The learned man suddenly sprang to his feet and grabbed a walking stick. “Well then, shall we?” It had starting getting dark, but that did not stop the now-energetic Seth from walking along without a care in the world. Titan walked behind him, still a little unsure about the entire thing. “What exactly are you taking me to see?” “You’ll see.” They reached a spot covered with snow, with a few green specks of foliage peeking out from within it. Seth reached his hand into the midst of it and pulled out a orange canister. He opened it, and pulled out a piece of fossilized amber with a strange bug inside it. “This,” Seth explained, “Is Omages Agastes, the only of its kind. I needed a witness to corroborate the fact that I discovered it. This little fella has been [b][i]BUGGING[/i][/b] me for a while.” Titan slapped his palm to his face and kneaded his forehead. “Let me get this straight. You sent for me all the way out here because of a [b][i]BUG?![/b][/i]” “Well, from a certain point of view-“ “Do you know how hard it is to catch a round-trip flight from here to Offtopic?!” Titan fumed, slowly stepping towards Seth. “You dirty, rotten, bug hugger!“ “[i][b]SSHHHH!!!![/i][/b]” Seth took off his mask and covered Titan’s mouth with it, much to his surprise. He looked around, frantically, to see if anyone heard, then took the mask off Titan’s face and said “Don’t...ever...say that again. [i]She[/i] will hear you.” “Who?” “Nevermind. Just don’t say that ever again.” He sheepishly held his mask with both hands at waist level, his face reddened with embarrassment. “That wasn’t the only reason I brought you here.” “Then what is it?” Seth gathered himself, put on the mask and therefore the confidence he had before. He then swung his arm to point at a large fiery object in the distance falling from the sky. “[i]THAT[/i] is why I brought you here.”