[Opening theme music. Ominous horns over driving percussive rhythms giving the impression of things to come.]
[SFX: Dripping echoes off of cave walls and wet steps.]
WARLOCK VO: My investigation led me through the maze of passages and hidden openings to this open room and, more specifically, to this massive wall. It screamed of all the energy readings a Vex gate would possess…
[SFX: Her datapad pulses with readings.]
WARLOCK VO: …yet I was staring at a blank stone wall. Was my data lying to me? As I was formulating a hypothesis, I began to hear the distinct explosions of Vex dying in the passages behind me.
[SFX: Distant sounds of fighting, laser shots going off, guttural shouts.]
WARLOCK VO: Sounds like my Titan “bodyguard” had resurrected himself and figured out where I ended up.
[SFX: Distance booms and thuds.]
WARLOCK VO: It takes a special kind of thick-headed idiocy to blow oneself up on a towering barricade. Apparently, I was on a fireteam with such a specimen. Still, I cannot deny his observations. He noticed the strange flow of the radiolaria outlet into the waterfall, and he did craft a useful rudimentary way to help my analysis.
[SFX: Footsteps approach in the cave. Titan collapses his weapon.]
WARLOCK VO: His lumbering steps announced his approach. I didn’t look up from my pad as he spoke.
TITAN: Hi there. What do we have?”
WARLOCK: (annoyed) A wall. We have a wall.
TITAN: Pretty big wall, too.
WARLOCK: (huff) I don’t even know why you followed me here! There aren’t any threats here for you to blow yourself up for.
TITAN: So, how did you get past the Vex on the way here?
WARLOCK: Stealth is a vastly underrated skill and one you’d do well to learn.
TITAN: I’m not a Hunter, so… nah.
WARLOCK: Ugh! This makes absolutely zero sense. All the readings point to this wall in this room, and all we have is a wall!
WARLOCK VO: I wanted to throw my datapad into the radiolarian pool out of frustration.
[SFX: Warlock turns off her datapad.]
WARLOCK VO: I turned to see him staring intently at the opposite wall from us.
Titan: Seems like there hasn’t been any flow into this room in a while. Those outlets usually have some kind of-
[SFX: Footsteps as Warlock paces the area.]
WARLOCK: I already noticed that, and the fluid levels in this room are several feet below normal. Something is siphoning off the radiolaria, but who and why? And where is it going? (frustrated) I should be able to figure this out!
[SFX: Mechanical sound.]
WARLOCK: What is wrong with me?!
WARLOCK VO: I expected my bull-headed companion to reply with something snarky. Instead, I turned to see him closely examining the massive wall. He started running his hands along the rocks like he was feeling for something. I partially hoped he had some idea of what he was doing.
WARLOCK: (calling over) What are you doing? (pause) What the hell are you doing?
WARLOCK VO: The lunk didn’t respond. Instead, he glided up to a platform…
[SFX: Titan’s equipment activates.]
WARLOCK VO: …and then further up the wall to its highest point. I was getting more frustrated by the second.
TITAN: Stand back.
WARLOCK: (mocking) What are you going to do? Bash your head into the wall?
TITAN: Of course. Stand back. (beat) Please?
WARLOCK: By all means, then. Bash away.
[SFX: She steps back.]
WARLOCK VO: I took several steps back as he ignited his Thundercrash…
[SFX: A few shots pulse out.]
WARLOCK VO: …and shot across the room. In an arc-filled fury, he smashed into the wall with all the power he could muster.
[SFX: Rock crashes away, a high pitched tone sounds for a moment.]
WARLOCK VO: Probably not on the same level as my Chaos Reach, but impressive nonetheless.
[SFX: Fuzzy buzzing from the datapad sensor.]
WARLOCK VO: As the smoke and hissing cleared, my datapad began buzzing. The energy readings were spiking again.
[SFX: Titan steps on the clacking rocks.]
TITAN: (grunting) Well, what do ya know? A Vex gate.
WARLOCK VO: I stood there in stunned amazement. That stupid Titan had actually found the gate by bashing his head into a wall.
WARLOCK: Oh my god, you’re right! How did they build something like that here?
[SFX: Warlock turns off her datapad, then boosts herself up to the gate. Wet footsteps as she approaches it.]
WARLOCK VO: I quickly glided up to it for closer examination. It had all the hallmarks of the gate Ikora built in the Tower. The power core was slightly modified to siphon the radiolaria into a tank…
[SFX: Her datapad buzzes as she analyzes it.]
WARLOCK VO: …and separate the weaker energy form into a usable fuel to power the device.
WARLOCK: Can you believe this? A Vex gate was built right under our noses. It’s not quite fully functional, but–
TITAN: You’re welcome. Now, let’s report back to Ikora.
WARLOCK: Wait a minute.
[SFX: She paces again.]
WARLOCK VO: I had my doubts about the efficacy of this gate. It could be a prop to distract us. Why would the Vex build a gate here? What’s the strategic importance? Anyone with a little technical knowledge could fake these energy readings. I reached around the base and found a few cables disconnected from the tank.
[SFX: A crackling buzz as the gate powers up.]
WARLOCK VO: I plugged them into the base and waited. If this was a functional gate, that should kickstart the process. Suddenly, the air filled with bright geometric shapes and rushing air.
[SFX: A distant metallic growling, movement.]
WARLOCK VO: Portals began flashing all over the room. The gate was functional, and the Vex were really, really pissed off.
[Ending theme music. Deep toned strings and horns over driving percussives again. The music moves, building and building until it ends on a final echo.]
Credits
Titan: James Marinari
Warlock: Giselle Marbello
Sound Engineer: Matias Torraca
Chapter Art: Zion Zeta
Chapter music: From available Destiny 2 playlists on Youtube
Transcripts: Eli Barraza
