The corridors of the Orokin Tower were lit with eerie, golden radiance, their ornate surfaces of ivory and radiant gold—once the embodiment of Orokin supremacy and hubris— were now fractured, soot-stained, and etched with the scars of a recent battle. Smoke curled lazily through the air like flying serpents, and the once-immaculate marble floors were littered with broken bodies, shattered drones, and pools of still-warm blood.
The grand halls, once echoing with hymns extolling the divine grace of the golden lords, now rang with screams, gunfire, and death, as a Tenno in the form of Excalibur Umbra, carved a path through the defenders of the tower, the Corrupted.
They were an amalgamation of different members of the Origin Systems many factions who had foolishly ventured into these halls without proper protection and had their minds and bodies twisted into slaves by the Orokin Neural Sentry.
Blazing through corridor after corridor with inhuman grace and speed, Umbra struck down all who found themselves in his path. Whether Corpus or Grineer, Infested or machine, no enemy was spared.
Each encounter was swift and brutal. Some enemies barely turned before the warframes blade and gun silenced them. Others were more aware, reacting in time to fight back, some even wounded him—only to be annihilated moments later by the torrent of fire from its Ignis Wraith. But their stealth elimination of the enemie did not last long, the Sentry was onto them.
The Neural Sentry's alert blared across the tower, informing everyone of its pawns of the location of the intruder. A rush of Corrupted soldiers poured into the grand hall, their movements controlled and fluid, the will of the Sentry demanding unity and uniformity in all things as they scrambled up sweeping golden staircases, stepping over charred remains of fallen comrades without care to reach the high balcony overlooking the warzone.
The Corpus elite, equipped with precision energy weapons and exo-suits, took position there, aiming their weapons down at the warframe below.
Meanwhile, from a different entrance, a wave of Corrupted soldiers charged into the chamber. They consisted mostly of Grineer but had an Infested healer paired with a corpus shield drone. They moved in a reckless charge towards the warframe as the Corpus took their shots at Umbra.
Dodging the lasers and plasma with a roll, Umbra turned to the Grineer and leveled his Ignis Wraith to begin immolating them with a roaring torrent of black fire. The weapons heat caused the bodies of the Grineer to writhe in agony before bursting into ash.
More plasma bolts rained down from above, targeting the warframe during the pause. But Umbra's left arm moved in a blur—his Nikana flashed into his hand. Gold and obsidian steel met energy fire with sharp clangs. Deflected shots redirected into the surviving Grineer, slicing through what the flames had missed.
One round punched through a shielding drone, cracking its casing. The machine burst apart in a flash of white, just as the Ancient Healer pulsed with green light. A wave of energy washed over its forces, healing their burned, broken bodies. Scorched flesh peeled away for fresh skin. Burned off limbs regrew. Armor reformed. Some still burned, but the healing dulled the pain enough to let them continue fighting.
Umbra idly deflected more fire from the Corpus on the balcony, sending a few shots back. Most hit shields or cover. But they're annoying cover fire wasn't his focus.
The healed Corrupted were.
In a flash, the warframe summoned his exalted blade and dashed forward, weaving between corrupted like a whirlwind of death as his energy blade carved through flesh and gold gilded armour alike.
When he had gotten close to the Ancient Healer, he parried its sloppy swing and in retaliation, bisected it from hip to shoulder. It let out a gurgling shriek as its body collapsed to the floor. It was still not dead, so before it could regenerate, Umbra leapt into the air with a bullet jump and drew his Ignis.
Black flame surged as the Ancient screamed again before being disintegrated into cinders.
Shots followed from the balcony, catching Umbra in mid-air. His shields flared blue under the impact, absorbing the damage without breaking. He turned his head and saw them reloading.
Still hovering, he swept the Ignis toward them. Screams echoed as fire consumed the balcony, leaving nothing but ashes of the Corpus on it.
Landing on the ground in a crouch among the bodies of the fallen, Umbra stood up tall and unbowed by the meager forces of the tower. .
"Well that's this sector cleared out." The operator within spoke as he surveyed the charred and broken remains surrounding them. The warframe did not show any outward signs of a conversation happening, but in the mindscape of transference a feeling of agreement came. "All that's left is to find some more argon crystals."
Ordis' voice crackled through the comms, laced with static. "Operator! My scanners have picked up signs of a Void storm forming nearby and it's -FUCKING HUGE- quite powerful!"
The Operator nearly dismissed it to continue the extermination mission. This orokin tower was in pristine condition according to the Tenno network, the Void shields would hold through the storm and the Orbiter should be more than capable of riding out the storm or leaving it range entirely until he needed extraction.
But then, another voice spoke. Calm, yet urgent and filled with motherly love and worry in equal measure. The Lotus. "My child, you must evacuate the tower immediately. I sense Him. I hear the knocking on the wall."
A shiver ran through both Warframe and operator at the warning. They both knew what that meant, The Man in the Wall was coming. That thing had been silent after Drifter disrupted its machinations in Höllvania. What was it here for now? Them?
The tower shook and if not for a warframes unique ability to stand steady on nearly any surface, Umbra might have stumbled.
"Operator, you need to hurry. The shock nearly knocked out the tower's void shields and it's only getting stronger!" Ordis shouted into the communications.
"We're on our way Ordis. Thanks for the warning Lotus," The tenno replied. That was easier said than done though. Even if the storm was the bigger problem, this place was crawling with corrupted and they couldn't exactly stealth their way out and move at max speed at the same time.
The operator prepared to simply make a wild dash for the exit when through their bond, Umbra reminded them of a tactic they had used only a handful of times before. The Dax turned frame would stay behind and draw attention of the corrupted to him while the Operator made for extraction alone. There was no argument after the plan was given, no second thoughts or discussions of what if's, only understanding.
With a shimmer of void energy, the Operator dashed out of Umbra's body, becoming an invisible and intangible specter. The momentary disconnection did nothing to slow Umbra, who let out a guttural, inhuman howl as corrupted began pouring into the room. Electricity arced of his form as the ability blinded and stunned the new wave of enemies, allowing Umbra to begin the massacre at an advantage.
The Operator did not look back, they warped through the tower from one place to another, void-dashing past Corrupted, weaving between and through collapsing walls, shattered bridges and automatic doors that either did not sense the Tenno was there because of void mode or were too damaged to open.
Far behind them, Umbra was a force of nature, drawing every eye to him as he massacred the tower's inhabitants. When the Operator reached the extraction point, they reached through the transference link connecting them to Umbra. The connection flared, and in an instant, Umbra vanished from the battlefield on the other side of the tower and materialized on them.
The Operator had already transferred back into him so it was a simple matter for Umbra to magnetize to the belly of the waiting Liset Landing Craft. The second they were aboard, the ship broke off and the tower shuddered again, broke apart, and collapsed into nothingness.
"Ordis, punch it!" The operator ordered in slight panic. If that happened to the tower with its powerful void shields, it was a miracle the landing craft was intact.
In response, the Liset flew fast and away from the eye of the ever growing void storm. Waiting for them at the edge of the storm was the Orbiter. It's bulk still as a mountain despite the storm raging near it, allowing for a rapid docking sequence. With everyone on board, Ordis wasted no time pouring power into the engine and taking off at near light speed to the nearest Solar Rail.
Abroad, the operator breathed a sigh of relief, everything was going to be fine. Even though the storm kept growing in range and intensity, gaining on them until it was shaking the orbitor like a boat in a sea storm, they maintained a constant high speed away from it. The operator even helped Ordis out by using transference on the ship and pouring his own power into the void shields to stave off any damage.
Then, like the Lotus had foretold, It came.
This time, not as the eerily grinning doppelgänger but as something far more disturbing. In the storm's heart, the unknowable appeared, a mysterious, indifferent entity tied to the Void.
Humanoid, eyeless, with four arms and legs embedded in a white wall. Its head was a half missing thing that resembled a human man. But what made it so unnerving and inhuman to the Operator was the smile. An expression that should have been used to put people at ease was somehow twisted into a wide, creepy, malevolent thing that made fear shiver down their spine. Atop its head, the familiar doppelgänger perched, laughing. The sound pierced through the Void storm to reach their ears.
It moved, no, the void shifted.
Distance became nothing. Time became nothing. All of the universe's laws as mere mortals understood them ceased to exist as the void entity manipulated its domain to suit its desire.
One moment it was behind them and the next they were flying into its grinning black maw.
Ordis tried to evade, to stop, but the Void surged and they were plunged into the abyss.
The Operator tumbled from the Transference Pod, landing hard on the cold deck of the Orbiter. The jarring disconnection left their senses reeling—vision blurred, limbs momentarily numb, the distinct ache of a transference stream overload burning behind their eyes.
A shadow moved toward them.
Umbra.
The last memory they had with him placed him near the Navigation console—how much time had passed?
Now, he knelt beside them, offering a steadying hand. The Operator reached up, gripping Umbra's thick, armored wrist. The transference stream flared briefly, then settled, their pain dulling as Umbra instinctively shared the burden through the link.
The Operator gritted their teeth. " Thanks Umbra. Ordis… report."
There was static, a glitching burst of sound, before the Cephalon's voice resolved into coherence.
"Operator, Ordis is so glad you're okay! We are still within the Void. However, I've lost contact with the Lotus. I am unable to reach any Tenno relays, Cy, Syndicates, or even external data nodes. The only thing i'm detecting is… an anomaly. A breach within the Void wall."
"A tear?" the Operator asked, steadying themselves as they rose to one knee.
"Correct. A small rupture, large enough to admit a Landing Craft, but not the Orbiter. Ordis would strongly advise against approaching it, given our recent—TRAUMA—experience."
The Operator exhaled through their nose. "Scan it Ordis, maybe it's our way out of here."
There was a brief pause. One second. Two. Five.
Far too long for Ordis. The Cephalon could scan and render an entire planetary biosignature in a blink. The hesitation wasn't due to malfunction—it was shock.
Finally, Ordis spoke, quieter now.
"Im detecting signals Operator… ancient signals. Far older than even the early Orokin. And this may sound unbelievable but on the other side of the breach is a planetary body that predates terraforming—it appears to be… Lua. Pre-construction. Uncolonized."
The Operator's stomach dropped. "So it's not the Origin System?"
"I do not believe so," Ordis replied. "Or at least, not our Origin System."
The Operator clenched their jaw. 'Dammit.'
It would be a lie to say they were surprised, not after everything they've been through and The Man in the Wall's personal hand in transporting them here. But why now? Why this place? Did he need them out of the way to do something?
All good questions but none of which they could answer. Besides, now wasn't the time to dwell. With all lines of communication to the origin system severed, one possibility remained: Drifter.
The link between them still existed, the Operator could feel it and unless a far more substantial amount of time had passed since they were sent here, Drifter should still be in Höllvania and so could contact the Lotus.
So if anyone could reestablish contact with the origin system for them—it was him.
The Operator moved to the center of the chamber and sank into a meditative position. Fingers to the deck, head bowed, they reached inward—through the bond and into that intangible corridor that linked their split selves across timelines and experiences.
The connection latched and the Operators consciousness surged through the Void—through time, space, and memory.
Through the Drifter's eyes, they saw…
'Aoi?' Eyes closed. Lips puckered. Leaning in.
The Operator recoiled violently, tearing themselves from the link. Their stomach turned with instinctual disgust. "NOPE. Not dealing with that today."
Umbra stirred behind them. Though he did not speak, the amusement was unmistakable through transference—warm, teasing.
The Operator groaned, rubbing their face. "Not a word."
The Warframe's mirth only deepened.
So with no way to contact anyone in the Origin System that didn't involve witnessing their other timeline self getting busy, the Operator turned their attention to the anomaly. Despite the excuse used, it wasn't just the awkward glimpse of Aoi that pushed them into action.
They realized if the Lotus could track them wherever they ended up, she would have sent his siblings with Cephalon Cy to their location immediately after losing contact. And considering the railjacks FTL void travel capabilities, it should have been here within minutes of their disappearance. All this combined meant that even if they contacted Drifter and he informed the Lotus of his status, actually finding their way home would mostly have to rely on himself.
And currently, the anomaly was their only lead. Not just to return to the Origin System, but to understand why the Man in the Wall had sent them here, and what it wanted. The tear in the Void wasn't a natural phenomenon, no break in the wall of Lohk was.
So it was likely bait put here by it, waiting for the Operator to nudge the snare, and he would, but he wouldn't go recklessly. Not without a plan and not with Umbra.
The thought of taking him into the unknown twisted a knot of unease in the Operator's gut. Umbra wasn't like most Warframes. He wasn't just a biological machine, having maintained a sense of self after his transformation into a warframe. Even if rebuilding him was possible because of his Oro they didn't want to risk stranding him on the other side if the tear closed suddenly.
Umbra, having sensed his thoughts, made his disagreement known immediately through their link. He loomed at their side, posture rigid with defiance. But he didn't argue. He understood, even if he didn't like it, that the Operators mind was made up and he would not be coming with him.
They shared a final glance. Then the Operator turned toward the transference pod.
"Ordis," they called, voice sharpening with command. "I'm going out there. Open the Arsenal."
"Operator," Ordis fretted, "Are you certain this is the wisest course of action? We should wait for contact! Or at least further analysis. Entering a dimensional rupture made by THAT THING. It could be dangerous!"
"Noted. But there is nothing else to do even if we reestablish contact right now. We're lost in an unknown section of the Void and our only way out is a portal to the past. They can't exactly send a tow ship out here." The Operator explained. "It's better to go out and investigate the other side so when we do establish contact we have useful intel about our situation."
A few more protests, a handful of glitched syllables, and Ordis finally relented when the words "please" left their mouth. The cephalon adored its operator too much not to give in after that.
The transference pod flickered to life, bathing the chamber in pale light as the Operator stepped back into it. The neural link flared. Awareness folded inward, into that familiar stream of transference—mind reaching out into the ship's systems, the Arsenal interface blooming into view before them.
Loki Prime was their choice—stealthy, agile, deadly. No weapons loaded yet. The plan was to transfer Umbra's loadout over to Loki.
They initiated the transfer…
And found themselves in Atlas Prime.
"…This is not Loki," the Operator muttered while moving the new, yet familiar body. "Ordis?"
The Cephalon's response was riddled with static. "Ordis could have sworn… Apologies, Operator. Trying again."
Another transfer. Ivara Prime.
Another. Excalibur Prime.
Only these three would appear no matter which frame he tried to use unless he selected them specifically.
Frustration bubbled. The Arsenal was glitched—no, compromised. Only certain Warframes and weapons would manifest, as if the Man in the Wall were playing curator. Thankfully, mods, gears, and companions were still fully available to choose from.
The Operator growled under their breath, cursing the presence they knew was responsible. "Bastard."
Eventually, they settled on Ivara Prime. Stealth would be their ally in exploring the unknown, and they ensured they were adequately armed: Burston Prime (Incarnon), a Lex Prime pistol, and Hate, the Stalkers signature scythe. He also brought along his Helios Sentinel for scanning and analysis. Not exactly an ideal line up for a stealth mission, but it would suffice.
Fully equipped, they walked to the entrance to the Landing Craft. Umbra accompanied them before stopping at the entrance.. The Operator knew he would return to the Transference Pod once they departed—a habit he adopted after the second Stalker intrusion.
A faint smirk touched the Operator's features, their voice carrying the expression. "Hold down the ship for me."
Umbra offered a silent nod, a gesture of trust and understanding. With that, Ivara ascended the ramp to Navigation, the hatch sealing shut behind them. The internal systems of the Landing Craft engaged but only Navigation was working. Alone now, in the hush of the pilot chamber, the Operator let out a breath they hadn't realized they were holding.
They stared into the anomaly, now visible through the window of the liset. Through this rift, the Operator could see a celestial body bathed in pale light—a moon, unscarred and whole. Unlike the fragmented Lua they knew, this version bore no signs of Orokin terraforming or the ravages of the Old War.
Seeing it in person confirmed that whatever lay beyond, was not the Origin System. But diving into the unknown, the eldritch, and the dangerous was not something alien to a Tenno.
And so, they launched.
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Author's Note
Thanks for reading Warframe: Earth-Bet Protocol. If you're enjoying the story and want to support my work, you can do so at ko-fi.com/Inhumanman. Every bit helps and goes directly into giving me more time to write and update consistently.
Huge thanks to @_R3FRAIN on Twitter for the incredible cover art. He absolutely nailed the tone and look I wanted for this fic—go check them out and show some love. I plan to commission more art from him so Kofi donation will also help on that front.
This is all for now but there is more to come soon. This story's just getting started