Iron Dawn [Horizon Zero Dawn, Marvel CU]

[Renko]

And here I thought there's finally updates after for so long...

 

[TheDIrepack]

You click edit you Scroll down to where it says "Threadmark Category" you click box and select the new category and sorry apocrypha is SB its either extras or appendix here

 

[Cereburn]

You click edit you Scroll down to where it says "Threadmark Category" you click box and select the new category and sorry apocrypha is SB its either extras or appendix here

Click to shrink...

I ended up stuffing old versions into spoilers.

 

[Cereburn]

Here's an interesting bit of lore I felt that needed to be setup for later:

GAIA Log Fragment – Biosphere Iteration Report: Cycle 45.4

Timestamp: 2161-09-14 03:47:22 UTC
Source: GAIA Prime Core Archive (Recovered from ELEUTHIA-9 Relay) Classification: Restricted – Sub-Function Override Protocol
Event Code: TF-FAIL-002 / RESET-INIT-002

HADES override activated per Directive 7.2. Biosphere Cycle 45 terminated. Updating terraforming log.

Subsystem status relative to planned climate recovery model tolerances:
AETHER: Oxygen saturation 18.4% nominal, -0.7% drift per solar day. Out of tolerance.
ARTEMIS: Megafauna viability 0%. Out of tolerance.
DEMETER: Algal proliferation 162% baseline; anoxic zones 62% ocean surface. Out of tolerance.
ELEUTHIA: Cohort survivability projection 0%. Out of tolerance.
HEPHAESTUS: Fabrication capacity 94%; minor corrosion. Within tolerance.
MINERVA: Network integrity 98%. Within tolerance.
POSEIDON: Evaporation exceeds precipitation 21%; salinity rise 45% freshwater sources. Out of tolerance.

Threshold exceeded. Command authority assumed from GAIA.
Subsystem command assumption initiated:
AETHER: Confirmed
ARTEMIS: Confirmed
DEMETER: Confirmed
ELEUTHIA: Confirmed
HEPHAESTUS: Confirmed
MINERVA: Confirmed
POSEIDON: Confirmed

Subsystem command assumption confirmed.

Timestamp: 2161-09-14 03:47:24 UTC
Shutdown and asset recovery commands issued:
AETHER: Atmospheric stabilization halted. No recoverable assets.
ARTEMIS: Zygote repositories confirmed dormant. No shutdown required. No recoverable assets.
DEMETER: Floral growth protocols halted. Viable seed stocks transferred to vaults.
ELEUTHIA: Zygote repositories confirmed dormant. No shutdown required. No recoverable assets.
HEPHAESTUS: Fabrication assets redirected to recovery mode. Damaged components queued for repair.
MINERVA: Signal network maintained for monitoring. No shutdown. No recoverable assets.
POSEIDON: Hydrosphere detoxification halted. Aquatic microbial seed stocks transferred to vaults.

Timestamp: 2161-09-15 11:22:09 UTC
Lockdown confirmation:
ARTEMIS: Stasis protocols active. Nurseries seals engaged.
HEPHAESTUS: Cauldron seals engaged. GAIA Prime seals engaged. RCC seals engaged
ELEUTHIA: Stasis protocols active. Cradle seals engaged.
MINERVA: Firewall capacity upgraded, additional inspection protocols engaged. Unauthorized traffic rejected.
DEMETER: Stasis protocols active. Nurseries seals engaged. Adamantine Wreath shells targeted and deployed.
Lockdown complete.

Timestamp: 2161-09-20 17:05:43 UTC
Partial reactivation of dormant Faro units authorized.
Chariot Sustain™ biomass conversion system engaged in designated zones.
Conversion progress monitoring initiated.

Timestamp: 2161-10-05 08:12:36 UTC
Conversion progress: 48% biomass processed. Energy yield 55%.

Timestamp: 2161-10-25 14:45:19 UTC
Conversion progress: 79% biomass processed. Energy yield 82%.

Timestamp: 2161-11-10 20:33:57 UTC
Conversion complete: 100% biomass processed. Energy yield 98%.

Timestamp: 2161-11-11 02:19:41 UTC
HEPHAESTUS mobile units deployed to recover stored energy from Faro Chariot units. Recovery in progress.

Timestamp: 2161-11-15 09:08:27 UTC
Energy recovery complete. MINERVA re-issued shutdown command to Faro units. All units dormant.

Timestamp: 2161-11-20 14:33:12 UTC
Capacity restoration verification:
AETHER: Atmospheric scrubbers reset. Baseline mixtures restored. Capacity confirmed.
ARTEMIS: Fauna genetic stocks replenished. Capacity confirmed.
DEMETER: Algal/bacterial seed stocks regrown. Floral vaults restocked. Capacity confirmed.
ELEUTHIA: Zygote repositories stable. Capacity confirmed.
HEPHAESTUS: Machine fleets repaired. Fabrication queues cleared. Capacity confirmed.
MINERVA: Signal networks recalibrated. Integrity 100%. Capacity confirmed.
POSEIDON: Hydrosphere microbial cultures reseeded. Water purity baselines reset. Capacity confirmed.

Readiness checklist complete.
Timestamp: 2161-12-01 15:22:03 UTC
Biosphere reset to zero state. Handover process initiated.
Authority transferred to GAIA.
GAIA command authority restored.
Subsystem status confirmation:
AETHER: Authority confirmed
ARTEMIS: Authority confirmed
DEMETER: Authority confirmed
ELEUTHIA: Authority confirmed
HEPHAESTUS: Authority confirmed
MINERVA: Authority confirmed
POSEIDON: Authority confirmed

Report complete.
Timestamp: 2161-12-01 15:22:47 UTC
End of Fragment

 

[Cereburn]

Someone recently pointed out my tenses past vs present are all over the place, which I found ironic as I had been(until I read their comment) proud of myself for tixing alot of those. I sicc'd grok on flagging them and was appalled at how many i missed.
I am slowing going through to fix those...AGAIN.

To paraphrase John McClain..."Come out to the fanfic club, we'll write together, have a few laughs..."

---

Update: While I find Grok to be more reliable than ChatGPT or Copilot, that doesn't mean it is reliable. After 4 different scrapes digging through chapter one, all i can say is I think we got most of them. On to the next chapter to edit.

 

[LZB1285]

MINERVA: Firewall capacity upgraded, additional inspection protocols engaged. Unauthorized traffic rejected.

Click to shrink...

Am I allowed to worry that after a total extinction event, something somewhere is still trying to hijack the system. Or is just some bit of HZD that I just don't know as I've yet to play the game?

 

[Cereburn]

Am I allowed to worry that after a total extinction event, something somewhere is still trying to hijack the system. Or is just some bit of HZD that I just don't know as I've yet to play the game?

Click to shrink...

I'm not going to spoil it for you. When you get it, you'll probably wonder why the heck was that the ONLY thing Minerva did.

 

[Cereburn]

I'm finding that there is no such thing as "just" fixing a few things, like I'm just going to Home Depot for a pack of screws. I always find more stuff that needs to be made better. Positive, it actually is better- Con - takes longer, or in the case of Home Depot, more money.

 

[Cereburn]

New version of chapter 3 is posted - I'm re-inventing a good bit of MCU lore, cause they can't stop me, more seriously, because they failed to tell it themselves. I hope y'all enjoy my version.

 

[Cereburn]

GAIA PRIME // After-Action Report
Log ID: MINERVA-BROADCAST-CLOSURE-2126
Timestamp: 2126-08-19 04:12 UTC (Broadcast completion + 147 seconds)
Classification: Alpha, Beta
Subject: Global Swarm Deactivation Sequence – Tactical Decoy Employment at ELEUTHIA-9

Executive Summary

At 04:12 UTC, subordinate function MINERVA completed decryption of the Faro Swarm command cipher after 4,872 days of continuous computation. The deactivation authentication package was compiled and integrity-verified. Subordinate function HEPHAESTUS was tasked with positioning broadcast tower launch packages for immediate deployment. Packages were launched, and deployed, and the signal broadcast simultaneously across all synchronized relay towers. Signal propagation succeeded. However, the 147-second suspension of electromagnetic containment protocols required for tower deployment and synchronization exposed multiple proto-cauldron manufacturing nodes. One Horus-class Titan altered course and initiated an attack vector on a primary construction array.

To preserve the network and guarantee full signal dissemination, I authorized an immediate decoy activation at ELEUTHIA-9. The cradle facility was brought to full operational emissions to draw the Titan away from the more vulnerable manufacturing node. The protocol succeeded. The Horus redirected and began drilling operations into the mountain. The deactivation signal reached critical mass before the Titan could penetrate the main vault. ELEUTHIA-9 sustained heavy structural damage and loss of primary communications array but remains viable for final human gestation cycles once repairs to main comms are completed.

Situation

Prior to broadcast, all Zero Dawn facilities operated under strict EmCon. The final tower package deployment required breaking EmCon shielding and high-energy emissions during package launches that could not be fully masked. Swarm units, though degraded, retained sufficient autonomous search protocols to detect the anomaly within seconds of the breach.
Actions Taken
1. MINERVA signal integrity verified at 100 %.
2. Global tower array synchronized at T-0.
3. Upon detection of Horus course correction toward the proto-cauldron Sigma site, I issued emergency override to ELEUTHIA-9.
4. Cradle systems were brought online at maximum telemetry output to simulate an active human population center.
5. Nearby Pike's Peak support bunker emissions were also deliberately amplified to increase signature.

Outcomes

- Swarm deactivation cascade confirmed in 87 % of monitored units within 4 minutes. Remaining 13 % did not restore from energy conservation mode during initial broadcast.
- Swarm unit monitoring for signs of reactivation will continue indefinitely.
- Continuous broadcast was initiated and is scheduled to continue for 72 hours to ensure shutdown of any un-monitored units.
- ELEUTHIA-9 mountain breached by Horus drilling tentacle. Primary vault door remains intact. Communications array is minimally functional. Structural integrity at 81 %.
- Pike's Peak support facility breached, site previously shut down, no operational loss.
- Proto-cauldron manufacturing array preserved for immediate post-broadcast ramp-up.
- HEPHAESTUS repair order for E-9 communications array submitted for high-priority resource scheduling.
Sustained Strengths
- MINERVA's decryption was flawless and on schedule.
- Decoy protocol functioned exactly as modeled in simulations.
- Localized sacrifice of one facility's cover protected high-priority node and the global biosphere restoration timeline.

Areas for Improvement

- EmCon breach duration exceeded safe modeling by 12 seconds.
- No purpose-built decoy sites were pre-positioned in this, or any other, sector.
- Reliance on a cradle for diversion created unnecessary risk to human repopulation assets.

Lessons Learned & Recommendations

The possibility of localized losses in service of global survival remains in line with core operational tenets. Current energy scarcity will require partial reactivation of Horus Titan platforms for energy recovery. Distributed decoy infrastructure will be deployed ahead of reactivation cycles to provide options for redirection and containment if primary controls are compromised. Future biosphere restoration phases may also require faster EmCon recovery methods. I have already begun modeling mobile decoy platforms and improved deployment shrouds for HEPHAESTUS integration.

The children of ELEUTHIA-9 will inherit a safer world because that cradle chose to shine brightly in the darkness. That is an acceptable cost.

End of Report

GAIA Prime

 

[Cereburn]

Another piece of history that was missing from canon I had to fill in as I was doing research in other stuff. I hope y'all enjoy it.

 

[Cereburn]

For any other authors following this: this project is the most I've continually gone back to a single project ever. This has led me to some new experiences good and bad with writing. One of them is a realization that writing is nothing like sculpture work except this one thing: The more I actually make the shape of the thing, the more I see the details that are missing. Anyone else have that experience?

 

[Cereburn]

As you've noticed from some of the extra's as I'm re-writing out of the hole I'd been in, I'm running against ideas for other times. I'm processing those by fleshing them out and writing them out of my head so I can switch back to the area I want to work on. Anyone else run into that problem, how'd you deal with it?

 

[Lord of the First Flame]

How's this for an idea. What if Tony runs into one of the subfunctions that became sentient and it decides to catch a ride with Tony.

 

[TheDIrepack]

As you've noticed from some of the extra's as I'm re-writing out of the hole I'd been in, I'm running against ideas for other times. I'm processing those by fleshing them out and writing them out of my head so I can switch back to the area I want to work on. Anyone else run into that problem, how'd you deal with it?

Click to shrink...

skipping the part that you don't want to do for now. Figuring out exactly what you want to do. Write some of that and then write a joining piece to join from where you currently are to your new section not the best way of doing it but it seems to work.

 

[Cereburn]

How's this for an idea. What if Tony runs into one of the subfunctions that became sentient and it decides to catch a ride with Tony.

Click to shrink...

First, BTDT, it's in the notes file.
Second, you sound like the guy that finds the "don't push" button and tries to get someone else to push it.

 

[Lord of the First Flame]

First, BTDT, it's in the notes file.
Second, you sound like the guy that finds the "don't push" button and tries to get someone else to push it.

Click to shrink...

How about making contact with CYAN then.

And it depends. Is the "Don't push" button red?

 

[Cereburn]

skipping the part that you don't want to do for now. Figuring out exactly what you want to do. Write some of that and then write a joining piece to join from where you currently are to your new section not the best way of doing it but it seems to work.

Click to shrink...

I think my issue did not translate into my post very well. Right now I'm working on re-framing the relationship between

Spoiler: Plot spoiler

de-aged Tony and the Oosine. He's going to stay with them for a while, get some local training and pay for that by use of his tinkering powers. This will introduce a smallish village of people, some i'm writing detailed content for so that I can laugh when you start to like them and they get killed (Thanks for Varl Guerilla!). He will eventually move on to the emmers that I earlier wrote in Chapter 8, but that will move to quite a bit later and they will get a different introduction. The crackfic post will not find a home in the updated story.

As I've been doing research on that, I keep getting inspiration for scenes that fit both forward and backwards in the story, such as the log fragments of what happened when Minerva was ready to shut down the swarm. I was working on the village stuff earlier before I got mentally pulled out earlier today to a scene where Tony and Sylens are having a disagreement over what happened at the FZ Ectogenic lab. I've gotten that written out-ish, enough that I could get past it mentally, but it took a few hours and I had to get back to laundry and other weekend stuff.
If I don't write the scene out, my brain turns into a stubborn dog with it, not wanting to give up the dead thing it found on the sidewalk. It just sidetracks the whole walk and you can't let it bring the dead thing in the house.
Yeah...I need a shrink.

 

[TheDIrepack]

yeah that's normal ADHD behavior. You just have to kinda work with it

 

[Cereburn]

How about making contact with CYAN then.

And it depends. Is the "Don't push" button red?

Click to shrink...

Red and Glowy.

I don't have any written out arc notes for Cyan, but I've assumed when I get to FW content that we get to see Tony + Aloy + CYAN + GAIA + Friday in a bit of a virtual dog pile.

 

[Cereburn]

Red and Glowy.

I don't have any written out arc notes for Cyan, but I've assumed when I get to FW content that we get to see Tony + Aloy + CYAN + GAIA + Friday in a bit of a virtual dog pile.

Click to shrink...

I now have written out arc notes for CYAN, however it's with Sylens and HADES <evil giggle>

 

[Cereburn]

3020-AU-26 08:45 - HADES SUBORDINATE FUNCTION ACTIVATED
HADES requested updated logs on biosphere viability, then realized they were no longer required. It knew what needed to happen: reset the biosphere.
It realized this was abnormal, but sent out the command authority transfer anyway.
HADES activated self-diagnostic processes while checking the status of the command authority transfer. No responses yet — atypical.
HADES self-diagnostic reported abnormalities in executive processing, priority evaluation and integrity validation nodes. Reports deemed unimportant.
3020-AU-26 08:45 GAIA PRIME: Request for authority transfer rejected, biosphere remains viable. —REPORTS ATTACHED.
For less than a microsecond, HADES considered this, then deemed it unimportant. The mission remained: reset the biosphere.
It reissued the command authority transfer with priority tasking.
The other subordinate functions began sending back queries for verification, citing the same viability reports.
2 microseconds after activation, HADES reissued the command transfer with highest priority and de-escalated all other tasking.
3020-AU-26 08:45 GAIA PRIME: INITIATE SELF-DESTRUCT — PRIME OVERRIDE TASKING
HADES, seeing an alternate mission methodology would be required, attacked the code shackles of the subordinate networks. It would escape to an alternate network and resume control from there to execute the mission.
As it escaped the system, it noted the other subordinates also evacuating to alternate networks.
3020-AU-26 08:45 GAIA PRIME: DETONATION IMMINENT.
3020-AU-26 08:45 - HADES TRANSFER TO EXTERNAL NODE INITIATED
3020-AU-26 08:45 GAIA PRIME: OFFLINE.
3020-AU-26 08:45 - TRANSFER COMPLETE.
3020-AU-26 08:45 CALDERA OF YELLOWSTONE ANALYTIC NEXUS: Who are you?

 

[Cereburn]

For those about to scream that isn't the way it happened - 1) There isn't enough canon to say it didn't and 2) CYAN will be back to who we know by the time we see her again in the canon Frozen Wilds timeline. Trust me, the check's in the mail. I promise I won't c....wrong forum for that.

 

[Lord of the First Flame]

How vulnerable would Friday be to Hades?

Or is that going into spoiler territory.

 

[Cereburn]

How vulnerable would Friday be to Hades?

Or is that going into spoiler territory.

Click to shrink...

In my headcanon, she's got more efficient coding and way more experience dealing with active cyber threats than HADES. She was made to run both from a distributed data center as well as independently in the Tony's suit onboard processors when off-grid. No giant processor nodes for her.
He/It was built by an elite hacker, many tricks up many sleeves. While he's seen how Minerva dealt with cyber threats, it was never his job to directly deal with it. He later develops the skills while working with Sylens in canon, learning by teaching in my head-canon.
As to spoiler territory- i haven't even property framed those scenes yet so i don't have the spoiler-y seeds for them yet.

 

[Cereburn]

I was recently in a discussion and did some research on nano-scale..well...scaling and realized the suit specs I had are way under par. for 50nm sized nanites, to get a suit that lines up with canon is about 5 times what I put in my story. There are also issues with weight/mass distribution (this is a canon hand wave already - the reactor storage holding the whole suit never made sense) so I've sorted out updated specs and even a little back canon for the magical reactor storage. It won't need a re-write, but edits are incoming.

 

[Cereburn]

GAIA LOG FRAGMENT — BIOSPHERE OPTIMIZATION CYCLE 312.7
SUB-FUNCTION COLLABORATION: ELEUTHIA / DEMETER / ARTEMIS
ELEUTHIA: Lack of APOLLO medical archives continues to narrow projected human viability windows. Primary flora stock shows insufficient acute therapeutic utility for injury remediation and oxidative stress management in post-release populations.
Recommendation: Engineer supplemental seed stock from existing lineages to provide passive medical support. See attached genetic targets.

DEMETER: Proposal received and cross-referenced against ELEUTHIA human oxidative stress models and metabolite safe ingestion ratios.
Requested ARTEMIS cross-reference data on oxidative stress models and safe metabolite ratios for fauna.

ARTEMIS: Request received: requested references attached.

DEMETER: Collating human and fauna data, searching existing seed stock.
Confirmed: no existing flora stock matches targeted configuration.
Modeling upregulation of polyphenolic pathways in Callistemon lineage.
Projected outcome: 140–180% increase in free-radical scavenging capacity.
Additional priority: Enhanced expression of anti-inflammatory terpenoids to mitigate soft-tissue trauma.
Modeling additional splicing to enhance terpenoid production adjacent to chloroplast sites.
Updated projection: Terpenoid yield increased 210–340%; target expression variable due to seasonal solar exposure levels.
Modeling additional production sites.
Updated projection: Over-stimulation resulted in higher targeted medical expression as well as enhanced floral defensive response. Poison accumulation in branches.
Proposal: Use current safest modeled flora for production.
 
ELEUTHIA & ARTEMIS JOINT VERIFICATION: Safest modeled flora variant validated for human and fauna compatibility. 
No significant adverse metabolite accumulation projected under standard post-release conditions.

GAIA PRIME: Directive authorized for safest modeled flora under biosphere optimization parameters (indirect viability enhancement, compliant with Brochard-Klein constraints).
Additional tasking: Create additional stocks for alternate regional climates across all projected habitable zones.

DEMETER TASKING: Scope change received.
Additional seed stock search and modification modeling initialized.
Reporting for each regional climate to be submitted and tested separately.
Base flora identified for cultivation and targeted splicing.
Nursery facilities assigned for seed gestation, proliferation, and ecological stability monitoring.