Aliens! Multi-pup post.

[helpful_squid]

Sometimes the Bar's demographics skew just the tiniest bit away from the usual human-heavy distribution. Today, for instance, there is a glowing purple-pink squidlike creature drifting through the rafters, fiddling aimlessly with a number of machine parts it's found. It secreted a few of them away at Cubefall to work on later and found them looking

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[a1enzo]

"Hey, W.F.!" calls a sprite from below.

[a1enzo]

Enzo does not send any words, but his gut clenches, and his thoughts, before he can suppress them, are an explosion of light and sound and shattered polygons.

[helpful_squid]

< Halo, was, artificial, world, > Vergil notes quietly. < Built, by, Forerunners. Not, meant, as, real, world. All, seven, Halo, rings, meant, as, weapons. World, part, came, later. >

[a1enzo]

Enzo tries to gain control of his emotions. Breathe steadily... 1, 0, 1, 0, 1, 0...

A... world in a weapon?

[helpful_squid]

< Yes. >

Vergil considers how to convey this properly.

< Forerunners, not, only, ancient, race, > it finally sends. < There, was, the, Flood. Flood, devours, all, sentient, life. Controls, first, then, destroys. Forerunners, feared, Flood, destroy, all, life, in, universe. >

[a1enzo]

A virus.

It is not a question.

[helpful_squid]

Vergil dips its head in acknowledgment.

< Forerunners, could, not, destroy, Flood, > it sends. < Tried. Failed. Flood, still, existed. Could, not, let, Flood, win. >

< Forerunners, built, Halo, Array. Forerunners, built, Ark. Stored, data, of, all, species, possible, in, Index. Stored, living, samples, on, Ark. Activated, Halo, Array. Destroyed, all, intelligent, life, not, on, Ark, within, three, galactic, radii. >

< Could, not, destroy, Flood. Could, destroy, Flood, food, supply. Keep, Flood, from, killing, other, galaxies. >

[a1enzo]

"Do you know what the Guardian protocol is for finding a Webcreature in a system like Mainframe?"

Enzo draws his hand back, breaking the link. His attempt to keep his expression blank obscures the emotions underneath, but does not hide them entirely.

[helpful_squid]

Six black eyes blink in rapid succession before Vergil retrieves its forward tentacle.

There was more left to the story than that, but it knows better than to press.

[a1enzo]

"Sorry," mumbles Enzo. "Just... gimme a nano, okay?"

[helpful_squid]

Another dip of the head. Vergil can wait. Huragok are quite good at not communicating if they don't have to.

[a1enzo]

After a minute or two of controlled breathing and visualizing jetball, Enzo nods and gives Vergil a weak smile. "Sorry. Some of that was a little close to the home directory."

He extends his hand again.

[helpful_squid]

Vergil reaches out with the tentacle.

< Understood. Continue (y/n)? >

[a1enzo]

y

[helpful_squid]

< Halo, Array, activated, one, hundred, thousand, years, ago, > Vergil says. < No, Forerunners, survived. >

A pause.

< My, people, survived. >

[a1enzo]

On the Ark?