The Stalkers

Aloy sat still in the tall grass. Her breath was flat, and she tried not to make a sound. Only a few yards in front of her, the air was shimmering. She could barely make out the shape of the creature, that had the ability to cloak itself by some magic. Aloy knew that magic wasn’t actually the right word; this was some technology the ancients used, but she had so little clue how it worked, that she might as well call it magic. Aloy was maybe the only Nora who didn’t believe in magic; or in any form of divine intervention. Her own people -after shunning her for 20 years- now perceived her as their saviour. Sent by the All-Mother herself, to free the Nora people! Had she had any interest in political power or wealth, she would be their queen now.

Instead, she had set herself the task to restore Zero Dawn, so the machines could go back to keeping the complex artificial ecosystem alive, that was built around them. Since the same person who had ended the old world, had denied them the knowledge of his world, Aloy had to seek it inside the ancient ruins by herself. Ruins that were guarded by machines.

Very slowly, she raised her bow. Even with only the outline of the creature barely visible, she knew exactly where to shoot. She put an arrow to the string, and carefully aimed. Then suddenly, she heard a hissing noise. Instinctively, she rolled to the side and barely evaded the small projectile.

She rolled to the side, and had a look at her shoulder. Her sleeve was torn and she saw a single drop of blood emerge from the skin on her arm.

“Damn it!” She hissed through gritted teeth. “Another one.”

The creature in front of her had heard her, and uncloaked. She got up and started running. She didn’t run in a straight line, but hopped from side to side, while running because she didn’t want the creatures to take a proper aim. She used bushes and trees to disappear from view, and a few moments later the creatures had lost her track, and started running around in a search pattern, cloaking and de-cloaking. Stalkers are dangerous, but not very bright.

While the first stalker inspected the bush she had been hiding behind a moment ago, she ducked deeper into the red weed, and raised her bow once more. The stalker didn’t move, it seemed to look for her trail.

Suddenly the second stalker de-cloaked to her right, it’s small head just inches from her face. Obviously, it had been hunting her, while she concentrated on the other one.

“Clever girl.” Aloy muttered, expecting the inevitable. But just when the stalker was about to strike, something hit it from the side. Sparks flew and the creature stumbled to the side. Without thinking, she jumped up and made it to the nearest tree. Pulling herself up the low hanging branches, she climbed out of reach from the attacking monster.

“Go, get the other one!” A voice called, and only then she looked down. The creature she had aimed her bow at only a minute earlier had taken pursuit, but now, when she was out of its immediate reach, headed for her rescuer, who was still fighting the second stalker. Aloy knew she needed to act. She reached for her bow only to find that it still was in the red weed below. She grabbed her spear from the strap on her back and dropped from the branch onto the back of the beast. It was a dangerous move, because if she missed the creature, she would be either trampled to death, or in reach of its weapons.

She made it. Her spear split the blue tubes, that connected the devices on the creatures back with its body. Two more slices with the sharp blade, and the arrow launcher and the part on the back, that made the creature invisible where gone. It reared up, and Aloy held onto it for dear life, while using the sharp tip of her spear to cut tube after tube. Blue hydraulic liquid spilled from the machine’s body. After a few seconds, the creature bucked once more and she fell off it’s back into the grass. She raised her spear to defend herself against the creature, but it’s legs had already given in. It collapsed next to her. She got up, looked at it for a moment, and then rammed the spear right through the beasts body. The mechanical sounds faded, and all the lights on the machine went dark.

Aloy turned to the site where her rescuer had fought the other stalker. The second stalker was dead, but there was no one in sight. Aloy picked up her bow, and carefully stepped forward.

“They hunt in packs these days. Always check, if they are more.” The voice suddenly said from behind. It was the voice of a girl, by the sound of it, a young girl. Aloy grabbed her spear a little tighter, not knowing if this stranger might pose any danger. She turned around. Next to the tree, she had just climbed, stood a girl of maybe 17 or 18 years. She looked frail and slender, her skin of a light brown, and her hair as black as coal. When she saw Aloy’s face her eyes went wide in surprise, and her jaw dropped.

“Are you alright?” Aloy asked carefully, stepping towards the girl hesitantly.

It took a few seconds, until the girl had gathered herself enough to speak.

“Doctor Sobek?” She asked. Aloy froze.

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