The Missing | A Horizon: Forbidden West Fanfiction

Chapter 1

"And Beta? How is she?"

"She's fine. She's working with GAIA—running diagnostics on the subordinate functions while they reintegrate."

"Great!" Alva's voice over the Focus call went quiet for a moment. This time, her usual optimism was subdued, and her voice was quieter, as though she didn't want anyone in the vicinity to hear her. "Have you found any new data on Nemesis?"

Aloy tried to hide the disappointment in her own voice. Londra's musings about the 2050s and 2060s corporations possibly having something they could use had been a much-needed lead, but it was the only one they had. Sylens had departed the Base weeks ago to scour the old FAS headquarters in Maker's End for any ideas or prototypes intended to stop the Faro Plague that they might use against Nemesis. Aloy had barely heard from him since, aside from a few minor updates. "Nothing yet, but Sylens is looking into it. We'll find something, Alva."

"I know we will. What?" Alva seemed to be speaking to one of the other Quen. "No, leave them by the dock. We'll take care of it later. Sorry, Aloy," she said. "Still sorting through a lot after we finally got the fleet back together."

"It's okay. How is that going? How is...everyone?" What Aloy really wanted to ask was how Seyka was doing but she wasn't quite ready to talk about that with Alva yet.

"We're all doing well! It's been so amazing having everyone back together again." As Alva went on about the progress the Quen had made reuniting the fleets Aloy couldn't stop her mind from wandering back to Seyka. She knew Alva and Admiral Gerrit wouldn't let anything happen to her, but also recalled how harsh and unforgiving many of the Quen could be to anyone who went outside their nonsensically draconian tribal laws, even if Seyka had saved their lives. But Seyka wasn't one to flinch when someone called her names, and Aloy knew she was as tough as a Thunderjaw. So why am I even worried?

"...and it won't take us very long—maybe a few days. It'll be like old times! What do you think?"

Aloy blinked. "I'm sorry, I didn't get the first part of what you said. A few days to what?"

"To get to the Base!" Alva laughed. "I was saying that the fleet is trying to make a lot of repairs to the remaining ships that we don't really have the equipment or means to make right now. I was wondering if I could have a look at the data and work with GAIA to see if maybe there's something there that could help. You need the Quen—at least the ones here—at their full strength and we're getting there but our ships need to be in better shape for that to happen."

"Yeah, of course." It would be nice having Alva around again. The Base had been quiet what with it only being herself, Beta, and GAIA since Sylens had left. She never thought she would feel this way, but Aloy found herself missing the company of her friends—the study sessions, the training, even the loud mealtimes where Erend and Zo would get into arguments over basically nothing while Kotallo taught Beta Machine Strike only to be rendered speechless when Beta defeated him in a few moves not long after. "Your old room is the same as you left it."

"Glad to hear it. And I imagine there's space for Seyka near my bunk as well?"

What? "What?"

"Oh, unless you and Beta have discovered even more rooms since I left. The Base is huge though—I'm sure we'll have a place for her."

"I'm...sure it'll be fine." Here. She's coming here? "There's um, plenty of space." She scolded herself for stumbling over her words like an idiot, but Alva must have either not noticed or didn't make any connection. Why would she? Unless Seyka told her about...us. Seyka didn't seem like the type to share every detail of her personal life with others, though.