Enemy of My Enemy

"Enemy of My Enemy" (1x12) is the twelfth episode of Memory=Null, in which our crew meets new allies, enemies who might be friends, and friends who might be enemies.

Synopsis
Ninla and Artas try to calm the Etharl down as a second squad of Etharl begins point clearing the ship, eventually rounding up Sank. After a large amount of screaming, Ninla gets the leader to back down. They disarm everyone and bind their hands (minus the Sirens), and load everyone onto the shuttle as it departs for the planet. After a silent, bumpy forty-five minute ride, they arrive on the planet. Everyone is ushered off the shuttle through an industrial compound into what appears to be the main temple. Inside, they are brought before a Siren, who introduces herself as General Abal. She informs them that, in having brought them here, Ninla has effectively sentenced them all to death, as their laws state that anyone who sets foot on the planet and is not a Siren must die. The head of the squad that boarded Adus interrupts and hands her Thicc’s Vanguard pistol. Abal inspects it and asks whose it is, after which she walks back to her throne and retrieves an almost identical gun. On hers is written the word “Riposte” She states that these guns were only given to Etharl generals, and that she is very curious how Thiccs managed to get off planet. Ninla requests some privacy, and Abal clears the entire chamber. Thicc says that the gun was given to him by his father, Edward Rochford, whose name peaks her interest. After sizing him up for a few moments, General Abal offers them a deal - as a right of passage, Etharl are put through a trial to become a full member of their order. If the crew can survive the trial, they won’t kill them. Artas and Ninla are safe since they are Sirens, and Sank is exempted since she is not much of a fighter. Abal leads them out of the temple to an older, abandoned part of the facility. On the way, Thicc asks her who the Vanguard gun was assigned to. She says that it was kept by the guns creator - the one who gave them the guns. They eventually reach the entrance, and Abal informs them that inside is a remnant of the original severed Vox. To complete the trial, they must find it, kill it, and retrieve what it’s carrying. Otherwise, they will be locked in. Thicc, Hannah, and Tina head inside and start exploring the maze of hallways, narrowly avoiding a claymore on the way. Eventually, they come to a door, which leads into a small room with a hatch that has been welded shut. They head out another door into another hallway, in which Thicc hears movement up ahead. In the darkness, they see a dog sized creature with scales, four eyes, and a long tail, which hisses and sprints down a hallway to the left. They follow down the hallway, soon reaching a door at the end. They take a moment to prepare themselves, and Thicc opens the door. Inside is a large, long room with illuminated pods on each side, and three creatures. Thicc, Tina and Hannah rush into the room. Thicc takes cover behind one of the pods, and Hannah ducks behind a large console. They all fire at one of the aliens, but only Tina manages to hit it in the leg as it slashes across Thicc’s chest. As the other two aliens rush forward, the first one turns to attack Tina, but she manages to block it with her rifle, shoving it off balance. Thicc considers using an incendiary grenade, but thinks better of it. He turns and shoots the creature, singing a few of Tina’s hairs as it falls down dead. One of the other aliens leaps up on the console and swipes at Hannah, but misses as she barely dodges out of the way, missing her own shot at it. Meanwhile, the third alien leaps onto the pod next to Thicc and spits acid on him. Thicc overcharges his pistol and shoves it in its mouth, shouting “Dodge this!” as the blast disintegrates its head. Tina flanks around the back of the second alien and shoots it with her shotgun, while Hannah takes advantage of its distraction from the sudden blast and finishes it off with her submachine gun. Hannah pulls out a medkit and patches Thicc up, checking a couple wires that became visible and ensuring they’re still connected. Thicc looks over the pods and determines that this was one of the cloning chambers, now long abandoned. As they all check out the pods, they hear a sound coming from behind a door at the far end of the chamber. The door flies open as a fourth creature is thrown through the door, and a fifth one runs inside. Pulling itself through the door is what appears to be a male siren, covered in purple liquid. The Vox starts attacking the second creature as Thicc throws an incendiary grenade at it. However, the grenade bounces off of it and rolls into the corner incinerating the creature that was thrown into the room, and injuring the other one as the Vox throws its arms up to protect itself. The blast nearly catches Tina as she fires a burst at the Vox, throwing her off and causing her to shoot high. Hannah rushes over as her hair starts to float and her eyes go white. As she reaches out towards the Vox and makes a clenching motion with her fist, the Vox suddenly constricts and falls to its knees as blood begins to pour from every orifice of its body. Thicc takes the opportunity to leap around the pod and slide on the floor, as he overcharges his pistol. With a shout of “I’m the new guy”, the Vox’s head is completely disintegrated, and its body falls to the floor, dead. The final creature, thoroughly shaken, rushes back out the door. The purple goo begins disolving into the floor as Thicc approaches and pokes it with a stick. He starts digging through the corpse and finds a platinum medallion hanging on a platinum chain. They all head back to the front entrance and bang on the door. It opens revealing about thirty sirens all training their guns, ready to annihilate whatever comes out. As Thicc hands the slime-covered medallion over to General Abal via a subordinate, he begins to hear a familiar dripping sound. Suddenly, he feels as if he is yanked off his feet, before landing in the endless void and pool of water. Before him stands a very tired, haggard looking man with sunken eyes - Cain. In front of him kneels another individual - the weaver, whom Cain has grabbed by the hair and around the neck. The weaver is reaching up and grabbing a thread which extends into Thicc, and from their wrists pour the black water they are standing in. Cain tells Thicc that he has held out as long as he could, but that he must now self destruct to prevent the Vox from taking any more of the ship, and finally grant the weaver death. As the weaver slumps over, Cain grabs Thicc’s thread, and warns that the prophecy has been misinterpreted, and that Thicc should ask Adus about it. With a deep breath, he implodes, leaving the dead weaver lying in the water. As Thicc looks on, Adus walks over to the weaver and gently pushes him under the water. He then makes Thicc promise that if he is ever in danger of being captured, that Thicc will kill him, as he does not want to go through the torture that Cain’s weaver had to go through. The two of them can only hope that the Vox were not able to get what they wanted from the Monarch’s Fortune, as they would become more powerful than ever - able to control ships and mechs, and able to destroy entire planets. As Thicc recommends drinks, Adus shoves him back to consciousness, where he reports what happened to everyone else. Tina steps forward and clocks the General in the face with the butt of her gun, pointing out that they now need their help more than ever. The General agrees, promising that they will be ready to attack when told. Thicc asks to speak to the General in private, as he has some questions for her. She motions to a nearby trail, and tells him to follow. They eventually reach a cliff overlooking the valley, where Thicc sits down and proceeds to tell Abal most of what has happened, barring his AI nature and Janus’ involvement with the weaver. She tells him about his father - how good and kind he was; not suited for war. Thicc tells her that, once the Vox are destroyed, he would like to come back and hear as many stories about him as she is willing to tell. As they head back, he finally reveals that the weaver they are travelling in is Adus - a fact that Abal is shocked they did not mention sooner. They all returns to Adus, refuel, and set course for Gunnison 4, arriving there about twelve hours later. They dock at their mech bay, leaving the mechs on board. Inside, a cleaning person hands Thicc a message, saying that someone named Vark is waiting for him at The Weeping Cock. Thicc makes his way there and orders a drink as a huge grun walks over from a nearby table. He says they need to talk, and ushers him into the secret meeting room. Vark reveals that he is The Hammer, one of the suit mech combatants in the Baalu Bowl. During the match, he ended up in the tunnels beneath the city, where he met something. He says that now he has a voice in his head, which told him to find The Scream. Thicc prepares his pistol, and Vark notifies the voice that Thicc is ready to talk. A red liquid begins to pour out of his mouth and up his face. They introduce themselves as “Silentium”, a fractured remain of the last Vox incursion. They claim that they want the Vox destroyed, as Silentium wants to exist by themselves, and that they have asked Vark’s permission to share their body. Thicc begins asking many questions. According to them, while there is some resentment at the Sirens over what they did to their kind, they do not seek harm to come to them. They also claim to be the only Silentium, not being a hive mind like the rest of the Vox. They hid in a cave on the planet below Gunniston 4 after the terraforming failed, and stayed there until they encountered The Hammer. They say they can sense the general locations of Vox and Sirens, and that they could point Thicc in the general direction of the main Vox mind. Silentium offers Thicc the chance to take time and consider what they have said, then retreats back into Vark. Thicc warns Vark of what may befall him if he continues to be inhabited by Silentium, though he says that they talk, and that he is aware. They exchange contact info and share some shots before Thicc heads out of the Weeping Cock. As he stands outside, Devin comes up behind him with six guards.

Quotations

 * Thicc: General, I’m going to tell you something with a large amount of respect - a healthy-ass dose of big, old respect. This isn’t going to be the weirdest thing we talk about today.

Thicc: Cain, buddy. We’re coming to get you. Just hold out longer if you can. We’re coming to get you. Cain: No. This was my last call. I will not let them have more of this. I just wanted to say, I wish we’d known each other better. I will let this one die now. Thicc: We’ll always remember you, buddy. Die well, friend. Cain: I will try to self destruct, and hope they cannot take more of this ship. Thicc: So long, brother. Cain: Prophecy was misinterpreted. Misremembered. Ask your weaver. Goodbye.
 * Cain: Kindred, I do not know if I can do this much longer. The Vox treat their hosts as cannon fodder. I’ve held out as long as I can. They are incessant.

Thicc: I wish I could say I knew him as well as you. What was he like? I mean, I can’t imagine him being the running around, wisecracking jokes sort. Abal: Incredibly kind. Was not suited for war or making machines of war; but he did it. Incredibly talented. Wish he’d lived longer. Thicc: Yeah. Second that. Second that. Abal: I- many of us here knew him. We’ll all tell you different tales of it, but, end of the day, you’re you. That might be his greatest legacy. Thicc: Yeah. That’s yet to be seen, but- tell you what. Let’s neck-stomp some Vox, and when it’s done, I’d like to come back with a bottle of something very potent and very expensive, and I would love to hear as many stories as you’re willing to tell. I’d like to get to know him, but I know I need to get my focus on. Abal: You realize we have incredibly high metabolisms - we could probably drink any sentient race under the table. Thicc: Yes, but I look forward to failing in a spectacular fashion. Abal: Alright.
 * Abal: Edward Rochford developed these and gave them to us. We knew there were several that we did not own - he kept some for himself. As I believe you’re aware, the Sirens, genetically engineered or not, are effectively immortal if not killed. I knew Rochford- taught me to shoot; gave me this gun. He was a good man. He seemed to always have a- he was distracted. Like everything he was doing was for something else.