Her senses flared to life as she gasped for air, but all she got was sand. Coughing up grains and shoveling her way out of her gritty tomb, she sat up straight. She looked around, in an unfamiliar setting. The mound of sand she had been in was fed through a long broken window, which was the only source of light to the room she was in. No, it wasn’t a room, it was part of a stairwell. Stairs leading up to a closed door were to her left, and the stairs to her right led to a dark abyss. Trying to figure out where she was, she realized that she didn’t know who she was either. It was an odd feeling, knowing everything about the world but her own self. Just as suddenly as she woke up, a hollow voice spoke into her ear. “Hey.” She looked up. Over her head was an orb with a blue eye, surrounded by pyramids. “You’re probably very confused right now, but let’s start with me,” it continued, its blue eye flashing as it spoke, “I’m what they call a ghost, and my name is Crucis.” “Why don’t I know anything about myself? What happened to me?” She replied, noticing that light armor had begun to materialize itself on her. “You are a dead thing, brought back to life by a dead god’s power. I was born by the Traveler, who gave humanity a golden age many centuries ago, who brought unto us the aliens who continue to terrorize humanity to this day, who gave its dying breaths to create ghosts like me, to seek out wielders of its power.” She looked around her again. “That doesn’t answer my question.” “I know it’s a lot to take in. And about your memories, I’m sorry, I have no idea what happens to them when you’re revived. I’ll stay here while you process it all.” “No, I think I get it now. Does humanity have a base of operations?” “Yes, the last safe city on Earth, where the tower is, the hub of all guardians like you.” “Okay, can we go there?” “Yes, I have a jumpship, but we should find you a weapon should we get into trouble on the way there. Besides, I should stay by you, I wouldn’t feel comfortable leaving you here to get the ship.” “Why would we need a jumpship to travel there?” “Because we’re not on Earth, we’re on Mars, in the Meridian Bay.” “Okay, let’s go then.” Jolt dropped down the shredded stairs to her right, into another mound of sand. She walked out of the building she was in to see a city of buried towers and buildings. An array of monolithic ships dotted the sky above her, Phobos spun in the distance beyond. “You said there were aliens that terrorized humanity?” She said to her ghost. “Yes. The Cabal occupy this area of Mars. They are a warfaring species, with heavy armor and heavy weaponry.” “You mean like that?” She said, pointing to a green armored brute walking out the door of a sinking skyscraper. “Yes. Let’s kill it, he may have scavenged gear that you can use. Also, don’t worry about dying. I can revive you.” She nodded, sneaking around the side of the building. As she approached the Legionary, she clenched her fist, and, surprisingly to herself, her fist crackled with electricity. “Good,” she thought, “I was wondering how I’d take this beast down.” She crept up behind the legionary, who had begun speaking an unknown language into the device on its arm. She sent her fist flying into its side as hard as she could. She felt a surge of power travel down her arm into the legionary, sending it stumbling to the side as it roared in pain. Ripples of bright blue flashed around its armor. It turned its head to her, raising its triangular rifle above its head. It swung forward, catching her unprepared. As it struck her chest armor, she was sent flying into the sand. The legionary marched toward her, pointing the barrel of its rifle at her head. She rolled to the side, clutching a handful of sand. She launched herself up, reaching for the collar of the legionary’s armor and gripping it tight. She pulled herself toward the legionary, stuffing sand into the slot shaped gap in its helmet and punching it again. The legionary reared back, unable to see. It shook its head, ridding its helmet of the sand that seeped into the cameras on it. Before it could regain its composure, though, Jolt had sent another arc charged fist into its head, sending it flying into the air as it disintegrated into arc energy. As the sand settled, she heard an object hit the sand in front of her. Crucis flashed into view beside her. “Great job, you’ve taken another legionary out of the ranks.” It said. “And, I was lucky enough to find a weapon.” She added, reaching for the weathered shotgun in the ground. She dusted the sand off of it, and loaded it with shells that Crucis had transmatted from the legionary’s remaining materials. As she held it in her hands, she sensed something familiar. Was it the gun itself, or the feeling of holding a gun? She didn’t think about it long. She had work to do She continued into the sand as Crucis told her of old battles and legends both long dead and rising.