Chapter Text
In the wake of shocking revelations about Nemesis and the true motives of the Far Zeniths, Aloy finds herself racing against time. Against all odds, she pushes forward—driven by the desperate need to uncover whatever knowledge or technology the Old World might still hold. According to GAIA, Nemesis is drawing near, set to reach Earth in just one year's time, following in the footsteps of the Far Zeniths.
The scars of battle still linger. Though they emerged victorious against the Zeniths, the cost was steep. The loss of countless innocents—and of their trusted friend Varl—casts a shadow over every step forward. Grief clings to the team like a second skin. But despite the sorrow, Aloy and her companions know they cannot afford to slow down. The search for answers must continue, for the fate of the world depends on it.
The battle for Burning Shores had ended, but the waves still carried echoes of everything Aloy had fought for—and everything she hadn’t expected to find. Seyka.
Aloy hadn’t forgotten the kiss. How could she? She remembered the salt on Seyka’s lips, the certainty in her eyes, and how—for the first time in what felt like ages—Aloy hadn’t felt alone. It had caught her off guard, the way Seyka saw through the layers she kept so carefully in place. It made her at peace, just thinking about her.
The wind rushed past Aloy's face as she soared through the sky on her Waterwing, the shimmering waves of the ocean glinting below. She had just left the Grove, another errand completed, her mind busy with thoughts of preparations—GAIA, Nemesis, the next lead. Always the next lead.
The sky was clear, the ride smooth, and for a moment, she allowed herself to breathe.
Then her Focus chimed.
“Aloy! Aloy, are you there?!” Alva’s voice came through, loud and urgent—but also unusually giddy.
Aloy flinched at the sudden noise. “Alva? Yeah, I’m here. What’s—”
“I hope you’re not doing anything too dangerous right now because I just had to tell you—”
“Alva, I’m flying.”
“Oh. Uh—flying? As in… flying-flying? Oh dear.”
Aloy sighed, adjusting her grip on the Waterwing. “Just say it.”
“Okay, okay!” Alva's voice burst with excitement. “Seyka and I are heading to the base! Together! You’ll never guess—Fleet’s End and Landfall have reunited! The Quen are working together again! There was a whole council, and—well, Seyka spoke and it was brilliant—”
Aloy’s mind reeled, not quite believing what she was hearing. “Wait… what?”
“Isn’t it wonderful?! Both sides, cooperating—just like you hoped. And we’re bringing updates and maybe a few ‘small’ surprises.”
“Seyka’s with you? Right now?”
“Yes! She insisted. Said it’s about time she dropped in.”
Aloy blinked, her heart skipping a beat—and her hand slipping just a bit.
Before she could react, a sudden gust of wind threw her off balance. Her Waterwing dipped, and she lost her grip entirely.
“Aloy? Aloy?!”
“I’m fine!” she shouted into the Focus as gravity took hold.
She twisted mid-air, activating her glider just in time, catching the wind like a feather. The sea loomed dangerously close, but with a quick flick of her grapple, she snagged the Waterwing’s harness, pulling herself up in a practiced swing.
The machine gave a sharp screech of protest, but steadied.
“...I said I was flying, Alva,” Aloy muttered breathlessly.
“Yes, well, I thought you meant flying in spirit!” Alva sounded both mortified and impressed.
Aloy couldn’t help but laugh, even as her heart still pounded. “You know what? I needed that.”
“So… see you soon?” Alva asked, tentatively.
Aloy smiled, adjusting course toward the base. “Yeah. Tell Seyka I’ll be there soon. And… I’m looking forward to it.”
She soared on, the sun at her back, a smile tugging at her lips. Unexpected news, a sudden fall, and the promise of seeing Seyka again—
“Wait? Seyka!?” She flushed furiously.
“Has it been a while since Seyka and I talked? Oh.. Wow.. I think I am completely in the zone of whatever I am doing right now..stupid end of the world shit..” She muttered and sighed as she thought of one person that could make her feel emotions that can’t be seen by others.
The base was buzzing—not with activity, but with a weird kind of anticipation. Alva had practically danced through the front doors, talking a mile a minute to Beta about the historic socio-political implications of the Quen uniting, while Seyka... well, Seyka stood calmly near the map table, arms crossed, clearly waiting for one person.
Aloy.
The door whooshed open, and Aloy stepped in, brushing sand and sea spray off her armor. She’d barely had a moment to get her bearings when—
“Aloy,” Seyka said, straightening up with that infuriatingly confident smirk.
“Seyka,” Aloy replied, just a little breathless. Was it the flight? The fall? Or the sight of her?
Alva, still mid-rant to Beta, glanced back. “Oh! She’s here! Great timing! I was just explaining how—”
“Alva,” Beta said gently, “maybe give them a second.”
Alva blinked. “A second? Ohhh… OH. Right. Yes. I’ll… go double-check the timeline entries again.”
Beta, already inching toward the exit, grabbed Alva’s arm and dragged her out. “We’ll be in the data room. Far away. Very, very far.”
Now it was just them.
Seyka walked closer, tilting her head slightly. “You okay? Alva said you nearly fell off your flying fish-bird again.”
“Waterwing,” Aloy corrected, but her grin gave her away. “And yeah. I’m fine. You just… caught me off guard.”
“Well,” Seyka said, stepping even closer, “maybe I’ll start making that a habit.”
Aloy opened her mouth to say something—witty, clever, maybe even heartfelt—but all she managed was a half-laugh and a stunned, “You’re really here.”
Seyka’s expression softened. “Told you I’d find my way back to you.”
Before Aloy could respond, Seyka leaned in and kissed her—slow, sure, and full of everything they hadn’t said through Focus calls and hurried messages. Aloy melted into it, one hand finding Seyka’s waist, the other still covered in bits of seaweed from the earlier fall (which neither of them seemed to care about).
And then—
“Aloy,” GAIA chimed politely through the Focus, almost too perfectly timed.
Aloy groaned against Seyka’s forehead. “No…”
“My apologies for the interruption, but an unidentified signal has made contact. I require your presence upstairs to investigate.”
Seyka raised an eyebrow. “Your AI just cockblocked you.”
“She’s very punctual,” Aloy muttered.
Seyka stepped back with a sigh, her fingers still loosely hooked in Aloy’s belt. “Duty calls?”
Aloy gave a crooked grin. “I promise I’ll make it up to you.”
“Oh, I’m counting on it,” Seyka teased, giving her one last peck on the cheek before turning her toward the stairs with a pat on the back. “Go save the world. Again.”
As Aloy ascended the stairs, she could still feel Seyka’s smile on her skin—and GAIA’s completely oblivious, annoyingly polite voice in her ear.
“Shall I replay the signal once you arrive, Aloy?”
“Yeah,” Aloy muttered. “But next time, give me five minutes, huh?”
“Noted.”
Aloy reached the upper level of the base, boots echoing softly against the metal floor as she approached the console. The monitor already displayed a pulsing blip—an active signal, faint but steady.
“Alright GAIA,” Aloy said, brushing hair out of her eyes. “Let’s hear it.”
The AI’s voice came through smoothly, as always. “This signal was detected less than twenty minutes ago. Origin: the area once designated as Sobeck Ranch. It carries a biometric encryption signature matching the protocol of a Cradle Facility... but one previously unknown to me.”
Aloy froze. “Wait. Cradle Facility? Another one?”
“Affirmative. Designation and internal systems are currently unidentified. However, preliminary analysis suggests a heavily secured structure, buried below Sobeck Ranch.”
Her heart skipped a beat. The ranch—the place where she had found the remains of Elisabet Sobeck. A place she thought had already given up all its secrets.
“It is possible that this facility was intended as a last-ditch genetic storage vault—undocumented even in Zero Dawn records. I recommend immediate investigation.”
Aloy didn’t hesitate. “Prep my flight path to the ranch. I’ll go now.”
Just as she turned to leave, she nearly collided with Seyka, who had crept upstairs at some point and was now leaning against the doorway with a raised eyebrow.
“new crisis already?” she asked, only half-joking.
“You know how it is,” Aloy sighed. “Can’t go ten minutes without the planet throwing something new at us.”
Seyka nodded, falling into step beside her. “So? Where are we going this time?”
Aloy hesitated, then looked at her. “You sure you’re up for more of my chaos?”
Seyka smirked. “You kissed me during a volcanic sky-fight with a jetpack-wearing immortal. I’m not here for the boring parts.”
Fair point.
In the dim glow of the Server Room, Beta adjusted her focus, her mind buzzing with curiosity. She and Alva had just climbed the winding stairs to the upper level, where the air felt lighter, tinged with the hum of ancient ruin. As they stepped into the open, Beta’s eyes caught a familiar figure—Aloy, her sister, leaning close to a woman with a confident stance and a warm smile. The two were lost in soft murmurs, their words sweet and private, until Beta’s approach broke the spell.
“Sis, I heard GAIA called you upstairs. What’s going on?” Beta asked, her voice cutting through the moment. She positioned herself deliberately, making sure Aloy and the stranger noticed her presence. She was eager to know more about this woman who seemed so close to her sister.
The stranger turned, her eyes widening as they met Beta’s. “I know you have a sister, Aloy,” she said, a hint of awe in her voice, “but by the Ancestors, she looks just like you. Maybe a touch younger?”
Aloy’s cheeks flushed slightly, a rare sight. “Seyka, this is my sister, Beta. Beta, meet Seyka,” she said, her tone soft but hesitant, as if guarding a secret. Beta knew Aloy hadn’t shared much about Seyka—not the kiss they’d shared after the Burning Shores, nor the bond that had grown between them.
Beta couldn’t contain her excitement. “I’m so happy to finally meet you, Seyka! Aloy told me all about your adventures on the way to Londra’s. Taking down a Horus? That’s unreal! And thank you—for saving her life.” Her words tumbled out in a rush, her enthusiasm betraying her usual awkwardness with strangers.
Seyka’s smile was warm, her eyes kind. “Nice to meet you too, Beta,” she said, her gaze lingering as if piecing together Aloy’s world. So this is Aloy’s family, she thought, a quiet realization settling in.
Aloy shifted, bringing the conversation back to the matter at hand. “GAIA picked up a signal under Sobeck Ranch. I need to head there to check it out. It could be a lead on Nemesis.”
Beta tilted her head, catching the hesitation in Aloy’s voice. “But… what?” she prompted.
Aloy sighed, her brow furrowing. “The last time I was at the ranch, I saw Elisabet’s well, her suit on the bench by the house. My Focus couldn’t pick up anything unusual nearby, which was strange. And now, out of nowhere, GAIA detects a signal? It doesn’t add up.”
Beta’s heart quickened, her mind already racing with possibilities. But Aloy’s next words stopped her cold. “I know what you’re thinking, Beta, but you’re not coming. Please, stay with Alva. I can’t risk losing you again.”
The plea in Aloy’s eyes was raw, and Beta felt the weight of it. She nodded, swallowing her protests. “Just… be safe, Aloy.”
Aloy gave a small smile, glancing at Seyka. “I will. Seyka’s coming with me.”
Seyka met Aloy’s gaze, her nod steady and sure. Together, they turned toward the unknown, leaving Beta behind with a mix of worry and trust, knowing her sister was in good hands.
They prepped quickly, climbing back onto the Waterwing together. As they took off, wind whipping through their hair, Aloy tried to focus on the mission. But Seyka’s presence behind her—close, steady, familiar—made it difficult.
“I’m just saying,” Seyka said over the rush of air, “if this ‘unknown facility’ ends up being haunted or full of murder-bots, I expect a proper date afterward.”
Aloy laughed. “You think I know how to do dates?”
“Guess we’ll both find out.”
Still reeling from the revelations about Nemesis and the Far Zenith's true intentions, Aloy races against time to uncover any remaining weapons or technologies from the Old World. Her search leads her to a dormant signal—originating from beneath the ruins of Elisabet Sobeck’s mountain ranch.
Hidden below layers of collapsed earth and automated defense systems, Aloy discovers a lost Cradle Facility unlike any she’s seen before. Unlike the birthing chambers of GAIA’s known facilities, this one is sealed by quantum-locked access and surrounded by aggressive dormant security constructs that begin activating the moment she steps inside.