Allam and Aloy were arriving at the entrance of the cavern, Allam noticed that the armored doors of the facility were open, leaving him wondering if they had been open long before Aloy woke him up. Aloy reached the wall and began to climb it to get out, the young soldier watched in amazement as the red-haired girl climbed gracefully and made everything look easier, although the soldier knew that was not true.

Aloy: Hey Al-lam, what are you waiting for? Come up now!-the redhead shouted from the top, already outside the installation.

Allam activated the double jump of his exoskeleton and began to climb the cavern with agility, grabbing small fractures in the walls to avoid falling.

Allam came up in a few seconds and Aloy was looking at him with her eyes wide as saucers and her mouth almost on the floor.

Aloy: H-How did you do that?!- the redhead asked the soldier surprised and confused at the same time.

Allam: It's thanks to my exoskeleton, I can jump longer and higher when I have it on-the soldier explained to the woman, to which she nodded in surprise.

Aloy: Huh?! But how? How does it work?-asked the hunter with curiosity.

Allam: It's thanks to the compressed air servos that the exoskeleton has, when I do a double jump, the air is released and helps me push myself up, and I maintain my balance with the spine of the exo, I don't know if you understood me- The soldier explained to the woman, but Nora just looked at him confused.

Aloy: Yes...sure-she said turning her head to the side and with a lost look, clearly not understanding what he had said.

Aloy: Well, we should continue, right?-said the redhead starting to walk, with Allam behind.

Aloy approached a machine that looked like a horse, she caressed it and climbed on it, the young man looked at the machine strangely. He had never seen one like it, it did not look like a robot from Faro Automated Solutions or Far Zenith, not even from Miriam Technologies.

Allam: What kind of robot is this? Who created it? - the soldier asked the woman curiously.

Aloy: It's a Strider and really and as far as I know, they have always existed-she told me looking at the soldier somewhat confused.

Allam: It's just... we didn't have this kind of robots in the war... that's all-the soldier answered while he kept looking at the machine.

Allam Pov

Aloy held out her hand for me to climb into the Strider with her. I took her hand and got on the metal beast, and she made it move across the field, so sudden it was I almost fell off the metal beast.

As we were riding, I could see the entire landscape, how the world changed, from being black and ashen, to green and lush. I could see old light poles, now rusty and full of vines. In the distance I noticed that there were some snowy mountains, where the corpse of a Horus rested on it.

In the distance I saw a destroyed city, I opened my map in Focus and saw that it was Colorado Springs...my old home...my last battlefield.

The city was in ruins, and it filled me with melancholy and sadness to see it like this. Nature reclaimed almost 90% of the entire city, I doubt I can find my apartment in those ruins...because that's that ancient city...ruins of an ancient and forgotten world.

Me: Hey Aloy, can we go there? - I asked, pointing to Colorado Springs with my hand.

Aloy: Do you want to go to Devil's Thirst? -She asked me surprised by her recent request.

I nodded and she guided the machine to the city, the closer we got, the more ruins and destroyed buildings could be seen.

I could see how the whole place was full of ruins, fallen buildings adorned the landscape. Rivers ran inside the buildings and out through their ancient windows. It was a beautiful thing to see...in a way.

We got to the main street and I saw the Memory of the Riders statue. My building was on the right hand side. I heard heavy footsteps and saw that a gigantic robot was passing through some ruins, it had the shape of a giraffe.

Aloy said something but I didn't pay attention to her. I was looking around remembering how beautiful the area was when I was a child. Aloy asked me something but still in my trance I just nodded.

My building was destroyed, a chunk was missing from the top. There were several trees coming out of the side of my building, hinting at the years that have passed. My apartment was on the third floor of the building, on the outside it looked somewhat intact, perhaps the place was not so destroyed on the inside.

I approached the hole where the doors of the building should be, I observed the reception hallway, full of debris and plants. I approach the stairs and saw that they were destroyed and, it appeared to be that they collapsed to the basement, where I could hear running water below.

I looked up to the third floor and saw an opening, so I took momentum and did a double jump and reached the wall in front of me, before I lose my grip, I did another jump and reached the third floor and started looking for apartment No.15.

I walked through the old hallway, looking at the apartments of my old neighbors, while I reminisce about the old days. When I finally reached my old apartment, I felt my whole body tense up and my hands were shaking, not knowing what I would find behind it. I grabbed the knob and tried to open the door, but there was something heavy blocking it. I backed up and kicked the door, cracking a hole in it and heard something fall behind it.

I walked into my old apartment, and everything was the same as when I had left home to battle the Faro Plague. Everything was dirtier and somewhat broken, but they were in their place. The old white walls were faded with lots of greenery coming out of the walls and floor. I looked around the room and saw that what was blocking me was mom's bookcase. The bookcase had vines, lianas, and various flowers on it.

Me: Mom would love to have her bookcase like this-I commented with a smile thinking about how much my mother loved plants.

I activated the helmet flashlight and started to explore the house. I went to the living room, and saw the couch putrid and filled with moss, I remember when we got that couch, it was 5-person couch, marron in color with carbon-colored pillows. I was 5 years old, and my mom just had Sara and Janet, they were a few weeks born. Dad bought it so we could watch TV as a family...if only we would've known that he was going to leave us.

I stopped looking at the living room and went my way to the kitchen. I saw how the old kitchen was destroyed and covered in plants. The counter had holes in it, with some moss inside of it, and the old dining table was broken in half, with a giant chuck of debris in the middle. I opened the fridge a few millimeters and a rotten smell came out of it, forcing me to close it quickly, disgusted to the core.

I walked out of the kitchen and went straight to the other rooms of the house. The first room I recognized pretty fast...the room where I found the most comfort and love, my mother's room. It was a mess and had overgrown vegetation all around it. The window was open, and I could see the dust particles in the air thanks to the sunlight.

I remember the nights I came out here crying because of a nightmare, and me jumping onto my mother's arms, finding comfort and security in her embrace, or the times I've come to wake her up on a weekend so she can make me blueberry waffles.

A nostalgic smile creeps into my face as I left the old room, while I remember simpler times.

I continued walking down the hallway, looking where the old family pictures used to be hanged, now gone after centuries. I saw a broken door, which I opened, revealing the room I heard and created a lot of laughs, my little sisters' room.

The old posters that used to decorate the walls during their teenage years were long gone...the light pink that used to decorate the wall, rotten and faded, with vegetation and flowers of various colors spurting out of the walls, ground and ceiling. 

I remember when I helped those two to pull pranks on our neighbors or to our friends. A smile was plastered on my face...remembering happier days.

I went back to the hallway and walked straight to my old room. Its old walls were discolored and full of vegetation, just like the rest of the house, my bed was unmade and probably stale and moldy, because of the years.

That room was not the same as when I was a child. It used to have a lot of toys and collectible figures, but all that left when I was 16 years old. I remember that I had to sell a lot of my belongings to help pay for rent and school for my sisters for a few months, since mom didn't get much money from her work. She was later contracted by Miriam Technologies...my aunt's company.

I approached my bed and saw that there was a photograph inside of a frame, in wich I was with my family the day I came back from training. My sisters were hugging me around my belly, with huge smiles plastered on their faces, my mother was on my side, having one her arms across my shoulder and the other on my free arm. The photo looked yellowish from antiquity, but it is very well preserved for the centuries that have passed. I took the frame and broke it, taking out the photo and taking it in my hand, several tears escaped from my eyes, numbing my vision a little. I took off my helmet and wiped the tears.

Me: Don't worry, I'm going to do my best to get them out of there as fast as I can...I promise, mom-I said to myself as if I was talking to my mother.

I folded the photo and put it in the back pocket of my cryogenic suit.

I left my room and headed out of the apartment, taking one last look at what had been my home for so many years. I placed two fingers to my lips and blew a kiss to the place, taking its sweet memories in my hearth.

I put on my helmet back on and walked back to the stairs, but I realized that it was going to be not only difficult to get down, but also dangerously stupid to go that way, so I decided to jump out the window of the hallway that overlooked the street.

With Aloy...

Aloy was walking back to where she had parted ways with the ancient soldier. She had discovered that the longnecks could update her map and, at the same time, neutralize nearby machines, but apparently, it didn't affect her Strider for a strange reason, which she herself could not explain.

Aloy reached the human-shaped construction where she separated from the soldier. Not seeing him anywhere, she decided to wait for him, but if he took too long, she'll search for him. The Nora Seeker turned to her next goal, which was to reach the Daytower, a fortress that served as the border between the Sacred Lands and the  Carja territory.

Aloy heard something snap and quickly drew her bow and aimed in the direction the sound came from, but she was surprised when she saw how Allam jumped from one of the floors of the ancient building, landing with ease on the ground, not a scratch in his body.

Aloy: Al-lam, you scare the crap out of me!- Aloy shouted annoyed seeing the soldier, who was surprised to be pointed with an arrow at his face.

Allam: H-Hey Aloy, c-could you lower the bow... please?-Her​​said raising her hands in the air.

Aloy took a deep breath and gave a loud sigh.

Aloy: Well, have you done what you needed? - asked the young redhead with curiosity in her eyes.

Allam nodded and they both continued on their way. Aloy and Allam got into the Strider and began to ride to the location known only to Aloy.

Allam: Hey Aloy, how far is Meridian? -asked the man from the past to the woman.

Aloy: From what people told me, about 4 to 5 nights, but since we are using this Strider, about a day and a half, the woman replied.

Allam Pov

We had been riding for two hours, it was midday and to keep myself entertained, I was checking my focus, to see what data I still had. In addition to documents that were no longer important, my music was still saved, which surprisingly was still intact and still downloaded on the small device.

Aloy: Hey, let's stop in that clearing to take a little break and eat something-said the redhead to which I nodded without any problem.

The metal beast stopped, and we got off it. We walked a bit to the clearing, with the Strider following behind. The redhead began to make a small fire to cook something. I offered to hunt something to eat, since she hunted our last meal. Aloy accepted my offer but looked at me strangely, but I didn't pay attention to it.

I began to walk in silence, while I hid my silhouette. I activated the infrared vision, setting it on daytime and started my hunt. A few moments later, I saw a turkey in the distance, very fat and plump.

Me: Bingo-I said as I got into prone position and took the safety off my gun.

With Aloy...

General Pov

The young redhead had finished building the fire to cook the prey that the Old One would bring. She was refilling her pitcher from the nearby stream when she heard the loudest sound she had ever heard. It sounded like thunder, as if someone had exploded a barrel of flammable liquid.

Hearing that sound, Aloy thought of her companion and stopped collecting water, grabbed her bow and ran in the direction she had heard the sound, yelling her companion's name. (Pronouncing it right without noticing)

Aloy: Allam!-shouted the worried redhead running towards the origin of the sound.

After a few minutes, she saw the man walking towards her with a fat turkey in her hands. Aloy breathed a sigh of relief and walked over to the man.

Aloy: Allam! Are you okay?! Did someone attack you?!-asked the young Nora concerned for the young man, inspecting him for any visible injuries.

Allam: Wait...what?-asked the confused soldier, not understanding why she got so worried.

Allam: At least, you finally said my name correctly Aloy there was no explosion, you most likely heard the shot of my rifle-said the soldier grabbing Aloy by the shoulders to calm her down, while he had a calm smile on his face.

Aloy: Rifle? What is a rifle?-asked the young woman curiously, not understanding what the man meant.

Allam: It's this-he said while he showed her his assault rifle.

Allam: This is an assault rifle, it shoots around 30 bullets in a span of 30 seconds- the man explained to the woman, who looked at the weapon in astonishment.

Aloy: Incredible, a weapon that produces thunder, you Old Ones were incredible-she said while she was fascinated with the weapon.

They both went back to the camp they made and sat down to cook the turkey. While the turkey was cooking, Allam and Aloy discussed how the assault rifle worked and how to reload.

....

Allam Pov

I was sitting on the grass resting, waiting for Aloy to finish checking if the turkey was done, so I decided to play Mötley Crüe's Home Sweet Home for some entertainment. But Aloy got surprised and readied her bow, searching for where the melody was coming from. I noticed that and touched her shoulder to calm her down.

Me: Hey, calm down, it's just my Focus-I told her looking at her, but she looked at me strange and confused.

I connected my Focus with hers and she began to hear the music as well. Aloy looked at her focus strangely and moved her head from side to side as she listened to the music.

Aloy: Is this the music of the Old Ones?-she asked with curiosity and emotion.

Me: Actually, it's one of them. There were many types of music in all languages. What we are listening to now was known as Hard Rock, a subgenre of Rock, which is a musical genre-I explained to her.

Aloy didn't seem to understand me, so I decided to explain to her a bit about music genres and subgenres. When I finished the explanation, I swore that Aloy looked like a computer trying to process all the information I gave her.

Me: Aloy, I think so much curiosity is going to burn your brain-I told her in the form of a joke, but I realized that I didn't know how she would react to the joke, I tried to save the situation and not offend her.

Me: I mean it's not that it's wrong that you are curious, what's more, it's good that you are and that you decide to learn more and not live in ignorance, I mean it's not that you're ignorant but...-I tried to explain to her, but I got more and more entangled in what I was saying, it seemed that I was tripping over myself, making me blush at how bad I am at talking to women and relationships themselves.

I heard Aloy laugh, and I saw that she snorted while she laughed, something like a little pig. Her laugh seemed adorable to me, which made me blush, which didn't go unnoticed by her and realizing she also blushed a little from the embarrassment of someone seeing her laugh like that.

It started to smell burnt to me and when I realized the turkey was burning.

Me: Oh shit, our turkey is burning!-I yelled as I went to get the turkey out the fire.