Collection part 2

Surrounded on all sides by the infested, Taylor and Anet are fighting side by side. Suddenly Anet calls, "Taylor!"

"Yes?"

"Transfer."

"Ugh!"

"Transfer faster!"

"I'm trying! Why are we doing this on a bait mission?"

"Motivation! Transfer again!"

"Gngh, Aaarrgh!"

"Don't worry, I'm reviving you."

"Anet!"

"Yes Taylor?"

"Next time, don't take the challenge mission."

"Are you having trouble without your abilities then?"

"Anet, we're acting as bait, I'm learning how to use transference without dying, and the air supply is running out. What do you think?"

"I think that there's a life support drop on that balcony and you're the only one that can reach it in time."

"What do you mean? I can't jump that."

"Transfer mid jump."

The Lotus pops up, "You have 5 seconds of air remaining."

"Gnnng!"

"Life support activated"

"Well done Taylor. I still can't believe I sounded like that."

"Anet, why did I have to leave my amp at home again?"

"Because you're not used to using your natural weapons."

The Lotus pops up again, "Well done Tenno, look what our operatives found."

"Down! I'm trying that spinny laser thing."

"Taylor, that wasn't a cluster laser, that was just you spinning round firing lasers."

The Lotus pops up yet again, "Tenno, I have detected a transference signature on Jupiter. Navigation has been updated."

Then again, immediately afterwards, "Tenno, life support is at critical levels, evacuation is available."

"Taylor, get back to your warframe!"

"Getting, urk, aarrgh!"

"Don't worry, I'm reviving you again."

"Nnngh, Anet, when we get out of here."

"We're getting out of here, let's go."

"Hey! Wait for me."

The Lotus pops up in their view, "10 seconds remaining, evacuation is your only option"

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As the Lander docks with the orbiter, Taylor turns to Anet, "Anet, I just want to say thank you for pushing me like that. I know that I sounded ungrateful."

"Taylor, you were doing fine until the 25 minute mark, when the main bulk of the infested made their way from the far ends of the ship."

"It didn't feel like I was."

Anet takes Taylor's hands, "Taylor, when we started the mission you couldn't have transferred mid air, and void jumped immediately. Granted, I was expecting you to fly to the balcony, but you still did it."

"I was still disorientated though."

"That's not the important thing. The important thing is that the disorientation didn't stop you from being able to act. You still need to work on the reverse, but you've made astonishing progress."

"Anet," Taylor suddenly feels nervous and unsure of herself.

"Yes?"

"Can we... I mean do you mind if we... I'd like to join with you again."

Anet's body language softens, "Of course, let me end transference and get back to my Chassis. I'll meet you in the living quarters."

"Ordis, take us to Jupiter, and we're having some personal time in the living quarters. Please don't interrupt us."

"Ordis will. Ordis would like to remind Operator Taylor that they still haven't replaced the Mod programming station."

When they join in that endless moment, Taylor tries to send all of the feelings that have been building since the last time, the first time they joined. About how much she loves seeing Anet being able to grow, and start finding out who she is beyond the person that was imprisoned on Lua.

Anet sends back how much Taylors stubborn acceptance means to her, and how it has helped her to grow and become more. In the deep recesses of her mind, something else reacts to the joining.

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As first Taylor, and then Anet exit the lander at a Gas mining plant, that has recently gone silent, Anet says, "Taylor, can't I stay on the orbiter."

Stowing her weapons, Taylor takes her hands, "Anet, is that something you really want to do. I'm sure that Ordis will let you back on. I'll wait here until you and your chassis are back on the Orbiter, and you can direct me from there. Like old times."

"I... no, I can't. Not without taking over the orbiter so that I can interface with the ships scanners. I, can't do that to Ordis."

"Ordis is relieved to hear that, operator."

"How did you do it while you were imprisoned?"

"I owned all of the systems in that part of Lua, it's why it was so far from the Reservoir. I could behave like a cephalon and send my awareness to different systems without compromising them."

"I see, well if you're sure, we need your chassis down here."

Anet punches Taylor on the arm, "I'm already doing it."

"Ow!"

Once the chassis arrives, the two of them head towards the main doors of the facility. The soft rumble of the lifters keeping the facility in the atmosphere, a reassuring feeling beneath their feet. Shortly after they enter the facility, an apparition attacks them.

"Taylor."

"I see it."

"My chassis can't sense it, but it's taking damage."

Taylor nods grimly, "We're treating this like a rescue mission then. Your chassis is the VIP."

Palladino joins their communications net, "I don't know what you've been doing. But it's been working. However, the disturbances have been getting stronger. Please find the rest of Rell and bring him home, to the temple."

Anet muses, "Is that what Rell is? Did the void preserve him in cryo-sleep?"

"Anet, less thinking, more shooting. If you need to distract yourself, sing a song."

Palladino shakes her head anyway, "No, we didn't have that option. Rell, had to discard his human body."

As Anet starts to freak a little more, Taylor says, "Right, that's it. You've lost your speaking privileges. Anet, it's fine. Look I'll start, sing along once you get the hang of the tune, it's a call and response song.

"Oh, you'll never get to heaven. Oh, you'll never get to heaven. In a girl guides bra. In a girl guides bra. Cos a girl guides bra don't stretch that far. Oh you'll never get to heaven in a girl guides bra cos a girl guides bra don't stretch that far."

"What?"

Taylor just keeps singing until Anet joins in, then they sing together until Taylor runs out of ideas for how to get to heaven. The song seems to help Anet, at least it does until the lights fail.

Anet screams, and Taylor turns to reassure her before she sees the writing on the floor, "It's ok, it's ok."

"No it isn't. I'm looking at the writing and it doesn't exist. Taylor, what's going on, am I malfunctioning?"

"Shh, shh, it's ok. Let me transfer out and see what I sense. Ok?"

"O...Ok."

"It's still there, however it's weird."

"No, Taylor don't touch it."

"Hmm, slimy. Let's call it Ectoplasm. Spengler would have a field day here."

"What? Who?"

"Hmm, I'm just going to smear a bit on your chassis. No wait, it's harmless, trust me."

"Taylor," Anet says in a shaky voice, "it's burning slightly."

"Good, not that it's burning, that it's reacting with your systems. You can start analysing it, and before you know it, it won't be something unknown anymore."

Embarrassed, the feeling you get when everyone looks at you after you've done something silly.

A shrill note enters Anet's voice again, "Taylor!"

"I know, I heard it. Let me transfer back to my frame. I have a feeling our break has just finished."

"Taylor, I've got a transference signature."

"Lead the way, I've got a trap ready. Damn, the Ghost Busters vibe is really strong now."

In order to help calm her nerves, Anet asks, "Taylor, what's Ghost Busters?"

"It's a vid from the 1980's on Earth Bet, Scion was still new on the scene so he didn't have an appearance in the film. Anyway, three scientists find themselves without a job. One of those scientists, Peter someone, studied paranormal activity and persuades the other two to join him on a ghost hunt in a library. They want to object, but it's a paying job. When they make their way through the library, they come across an actual ghost..." Taylor continues the story interspersed with brief periods of applied violence as they make their way through the facility. Where they trap three more parts of Rell's transference energy, before forcing it to return to Rell.

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"Operator, I have Palladino calling for you."

"Ordis, we've just got back and Anet is still freaked, can it wait?"

"I'm sorry Operator, she's quite insistent."

"Fine! Put her through."

"Taylor, Anet, thank you for bringing all of his pieces back together. I have spoken to him, and the strain, it's just getting worse. Both of us feel that it's time to end his vigil."

"I'm honestly sorry to hear that."

"It is of no matter. I am calling because I have one more favour to ask. Would you be able to go to the temple and release him for me. I... have been talking to him since I was a girl, and I don't think I could do it to him."

Anet speaks up, "We would be honoured. He has been suffering, Taylor freed me so I could do no less for Rell."

"Please, when you see him, leave your Warframes behind."