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Chapter 29: The Prisoner
June 10th, 3239, 0009 hours
En Route to Dock
The Office of Naval Intelligence
John didn't even feel that much of a change as he moved with a man draped over his shoulder. Within his new armor, he barely even felt the weight. He wasn't heavy either. Possibly only ninety kilos at the heaviest. The Captain was out cold following his outburst. John made sure to secure the man's weapon and zip tied him just in case.
Within the confines of his helmet, John had a silent conversation with Cortana
"Can you imagine what he's going through?" she asked him.
"No." John simply said.
"A direct interaction with Forerunner tech that actually implanted something in his mind is having unbelievable consequences on his reasoning skills."
"Were you studying something like this before?"
"I had an opportunity to sneak some views at some files that were from the Blackgate facility. The soldiers that were tested there though didn't show the sort of reactions that the Captain did."
Cortana sounded confused about the whole ordeal. "Why do you think that is?"
"Bear with me, because we're going into some Forerunner terminology." She warned.
"Alright. Shoot." John waited in the back of the elevator carefully adjusting the unconscious captain. The Princess followed him silently, standing close to the Captain. He glanced at her. "Are you going to use the speakers?"
"No, not yet. I'm still just brainstorming. Alright. The Forerunners had a concept of a task that they could set upon Humanity, one that is woven into our DNA. The closest word that we can use to describe this is one derived from Celtic religion called a 'geas', which is pretty much translated as Thou Shalt Do This. In Celtic, a geas referred to a magical curse. To the Forerunners on the other hand, it's technological; genetic; measurable, whatever term you want to use. It influences choices that an individual makes to reach an ends for the Forerunners or even Humanity. It's mind control ad nauseum until the task is completed."
"So, the Captain has this… geas then."
"No, not exactly."
Sally caressed the Captain's face and whispered something, "What have they done to you? What have you done with yourself?"
John got back to Cortana. "So, what is it then?"
"What our friend is experiencing doesn't follow the rules of a geas. Records from the Bornstellar Relation discovered on Onyx…"
"The what?" John asked, confused.
"It's a testimony written by a Forerunner identified as Bornstellar Makes Eternal Lasting. Stay focused Chief!"
"Continue."
"Anyway, the Relation states that the Humans that have been implanted with a geas started gaining memories of ancient Human ancestors. However, if I'm understanding this correctly, the Captain has been experiencing memories of a Forerunner if what he says is correct. The Didact."
"The Forerunner supreme commander?" John asked, recalling the data that he saw on Installation 00… what seemed like yesterday.
"Yes, the Didact."
John was confused, and rightfully so. According to Cortana, the Forerunners had switched up one of their established rituals. "Why would a Forerunner want to implant their own memories into a geas?"
"See, First of all, the logical conclusion is that the memories would want to be viewed so information could be passed to the recipient. Secondly, this isn't a geas though!"
"Now you're really starting to lose me. Why not?"
"Because if the Didact wanted to pass along simple information of a task, it probably wouldn't be as destructive. What the Captain saw affected him so deeply it's frightened him. He may not even realize it. This may not be a task, but a warning; a plea; a cry for help."
"From the Forerunners?" For some reason, the primal part of his mind started to tingle in fear. If something was so bad that the Forerunners had to call for help, just what was it?
"Like I said, I don't have this 100% figured out. Give me time."
John looked at the unconscious man on his shoulder. Just what were the Forerunners so afraid of? The Flood? Maybe. Maybe not. Maybe this was something else entirely.
The elevator stopped at the top of the shaft a moment later. As before, the hallway was empty.
"Great, more corridors." Roan said, bringing his 1911 to bear but keeping his finger off the trigger.
"Move out." The Spartan commanded. They were on the right floor. The shuttle bay for this facility would have a craft.
"I wish we had the Fox with us." Hera grumbled. "I loved that ship like my own child."
"Well, looks like 'Child Services' has it locked up. You did leave it alone on a frozen plateau." Roan quipped with a slight smile.
"Our evidence was on that ship." Jackson growled. "Our FDRs! Both of them!"
"Well, there was that." The male mercenary said.
Sally stayed behind them all walking alongside the Spartan. She continued to look at Chris silently. She only imagined what he was feeling. She looked at John with a burning anger for essentially strangling the Human. The Spartan could have killed him!
But he wasn't dead. She wondered if he was just as good as dead anyway. Even if he survived all of… this, would he ever recover from this? Would he ever be the person he was before?
No, the man she first met on Mobius was long gone. He was replaced by a new man who now had the weight of the world on his shoulders. She grabbed his hand that was hanging. She found the golden ring on his hand and held it firmly in hers.
"Cortana, do you know what's wrong with him? Why is this happening to him?"
"I'm still working on that, Highness." The AI said.
"Is that the best answer you have for me?!" the Princess said with surprising anger.
"Yes, it is. This is complex Forerunner technology we're dealing with. The original implanter, the Didact or perhaps his wife, the Librarian, could have meant for anyone to receive this. As to why he's reacting to it this strongly… in my experience, I don't think he was strong enough to take it."
Sally stared at John. It was the bests he could do since Cortana wasn't there. "This man…" the Mobian began, "has proven himself to me and his peers many times over! Don't you dare doubt him!"
John turned his head as he walked. "Nobody's doubting his bravery, ma'am."
"It's just… there's still limitations to being Human, if I may." Cortana said. "Perhaps if his mental acuity was increased, he would have fared a bit better."
"And what do you know about being Human?" Sally hissed, teeth gritted tensely.
The AI didn't have an answer for her.
The seemingly endless hallways ended as the pathway ahead opened up. This had to be one of the impound hangers, or perhaps it was a supply dock. In any case, it was a large room with a high ceiling. Cranes hung suspended from the ceiling and cargo containers sat in the corners.
"Big room." Borne said. "Me no like. Lots of places to hide for snipers."
The Lieutenant concurred. "Spread out. Do a quick sweep and regroup here.
Borne and Roan ran ahead, weapons down, but eyes up. They were cautious. If Marshall was the sadistic type, he might hide a 'surprise' for them right at the very end. The intercoms were quiet. Usually a dock like this was constantly getting flight information and schedule updates. There was nothing. It was disturbing.
Jackson and Hera ran to the left and right respectively. Both of the women had their guns up though ready to rumble. The rest of the group was backing up John. It was the Captain that was the objective, and if he took a bullet, there was a good chance it would kill him.
"Augh! Jesus!" Hera called over the radio.
"What?!" John said.
"Ah! Just a robot dolly! Jesus Christ, little guy scared me!"
"It's the arms." Jackson said jokingly. "Keep an eye on that little guy."
"Focus." John said, looking for a ship. These were mostly cargo models, though they were a cut above most commercial models. These ships were also equipped for orbital jaunts, though they wouldn't need to go that far. It would get them to New York in no problem.
"Everyone aboard, now!"
"I'll do a quick security sweep." NICOLE announced. "If there are any recording devices or other little surprises, I'll try to take them offline."
Cortana said, "I was about to suggest the exact same thing."
"Well, guess I beat you to the punch then, blueberry!"
The Spartan hushed the AI. "Now is not the time. Cortana, can you monitor air traffic and see if there's a way to let us slip away?"
"I can do that. Affirmative."
"Konstantinos, Reyes, move into the ship and clear it."
"Aye-aye, sir." The Marines said.
"Jackson, Hera, are you clear?"
"Clear on the left, sir."
"Clear on the right."
John changed his channel. "Konstantinos, Reyes: report on the ship."
It was Reyes who answered. "Ship is secured, Lieutenant. Looks like there's room enough in here for all of us."
John turned to Sally. Actually, he turned to the computer that she had and addressed her. "NICOLE, how's the bomb sweep going?"
"I think we can breathe easier, Lieutenant. Not reading any IR signatures, none of the usual bomb elements in the ship… I can't even see a makeshift device onboard. As for out here… as long as we stay away from the flammable barrels of jet fuel, I think we should be OK."
John didn't crack a smile. Despite her lighthearted nature, she had done her job.
"Only one last thing: someone's gotta get up there and tap the controls that lower the blast doors."
"I'll do it." He said. "Everyone gets aboard the freighter. " John ordered all of the others into a place where they would be safe. "Hera, you're the pilot. Run a pre-flight check and get those engines up and running."
"Aye, sir!" She nodded and ran straight to the freighter, visibly excited to get back behind the yoke.
John started to go to the area that NICOLE had highlighted on his HUD. It was a shielded control box located about fifty feet above the ground. This was the place where techs would go to oversee takeoff and landing of other craft. From there, they could control fuel, electronics, and especially the blast doors.
John jogged up the metal steps as if they were nothing, still keeping his weapon drawn just in case. Sometimes ambushes could come from anywhere, and he had seen more men die in doorways than anywhere else combined. One well placed shotgun blast could take down his shields, and some of the pellets could still rip through his armor.
Though the danger never came. There was no assailant waiting for him in the control box. Instead, an empty room filled with controls greeted him. He had no idea where to start. "Cortana?"
"Oh, now do you want my help?"
"Focus. Where's that switch?"
"You're looking for a small device that looks like a lightswitch, maybe about five to seven centimeters long and painted bright red. Since this is a very important lightswitch, look for anything under glass. Look there."
"Where?"
"Don't move your head, big guy, just look straight ahead."
He saw it right away. There was a glass or plastic cage that was draped over just such a switch. The label said "Door Control". He had to assume this was what they were looking for. He carefully gripped the unconscious Captain and lifted up the cage to press the button.
"Spartan, you will regret taking this action against the government."
John whipped around with gun drawn. He looked for the source of the voice, and concluded that it was coming from the speakers.
"President Marshall?"
"If you lock those gates and seal the escaped prisoners in that ship for incarceration, we can forget any of this unfortunate business with you."
"This far in… that's not happening sir. Why did you leave the doors open up until now?"
"Because I always assumed you would do the honorable thing and commit to your duty."
John took a breath. "Sir, my duty is to the UNSC to protect it and Earth from harm."
"And this is the harm that you have been sworn to protect us from! These terrorists, killers, and the utterly insane man on your shoulder! Let us help them! Rehabilitate them! See what they know!"
John was quiet for a second. "Sir. I've been taught to weigh the odds and look at all the facts. In the end, it looks like the only killer here… is you, sir."
"One last chance, John. I will give you one last chance to come to your senses and carry out your duty."
"Will it bring the people on the Reaper back, Mister President? Or the Jones?"
"How dare you accuse-"
"Goodbye, sir."
"Jamming that for our sanity…" Cortana said. "Well, he had a lot to say. Striking out against the government now? Upsetting the established order?"
"I'm not against Earth. I'm against Marshall."
"And here I thought Marshall was Earth."
John gave the thinnest of smiles. "President's just a figurehead. Remember?"
"You have a beautiful sense of humor, John."
The blast doors started to rise as John tapped the switch. Beyond the bay, darkness and the light from thousands of buildings twinkled like stars in the sky. John didn't stay to admire them though. He began down the steps to head back to the craft. The Spartan could see blue flames coming from the engines. They were ready to go.
"Preflight checks complete. Engines are like angel wings." Hera said, admiring her craft. "I think I'll be keeping this one!"
"You know that's stealing, Major." Jackson said.
"It's not stealing. It's extended period borrowing."
"Are we set to lift off?" John demanded.
"Waiting on you, sir!"
John made his way onto the cargo ship where the others were waiting for him. The Spartan made his way up the steps, feeling as if the compartments around him were incredibly small. His helmet was close to touching the ceiling and his hands felt too big for some of the supports. The area that he entered connected to the main airlock was something of a lounge or recreation room for the freighter staff. A couple of padded couches were on the side of the rooms, probably bolted to the floor. A modest table stood between the two. A small kitchen was to the side with a television on a nearby wall. It was a Spartan-looking room.
John chuckled internally at the irony of that.
The Marines sat in what looked like acceleration chairs on either side of him. They had seat belts fastened and gripped the handholds.
"Wanna seat, sir?" Reyes asked indicating an empty chair.
"I'll manage." The Spartan said gripping part of the ceiling. "Though I think he'll take you up on that." He slowly lowered the unconscious Captain onto the vacant chair, strapping him in. His head lolled to one side and his eyes were still rolled up in his head. At first glance, he seemed almost dead. "Major, we're ready to go." He told Hera.
In the cockpit, Abigail found an ill-fitting helmet and slotted it on her head. She flipped down the HUD visor and allowed data to stream across it. She got readings from the engines, lift information from the ship's computer, and a highlighted route that the ship could take out of the bay.
"Any computer assistant present?" she asked.
"Present." The computer console said in a female voice without any accent. "How may I assist?"
"What is the name of this vessel?" Hera asked getting ready to power up the throttle.
"Vessel is identified as the Alameda, registration number 46-217-09."
"Alameda?" Hera asked, looking to Sally, her copilot. "What's an Alameda?"
"Got me." She shrugged. "Take us up."
Hera activated the internal PA: "This is your captain speaking; we want to inform you we are now taking off! Trays up, seatbelts on, people!" the Major pushed down on the throttle, delivering thrust to the engines. Slowly, the Alameda pulled away from the ground and hovered in the air. Slowly, Hera angled the engines to a point where they would be moving forward but kept their height.
She followed her HUD, which painted a neon green path out of the door and into the darkness.
"Highness, I'm going to be dimming the lights." She said. "Going to activate night flying mode, that is, if the ship has it."
"Be my guest." Sally said, sitting back, staring into the night.
Hera shut down the cabin lights one by one, plunging them in darkness. She then turned on the ship's NV systems. The world beyond the cockpit appeared as greenish color. Buildings were clearly visible in low light conditions. Hera expertly brought the freighter out of the ONI dock and into the sky. "Good riddance." She said under her breath.
"Nice takeoff. Statistically, those are the worst parts of flights."
"I thought it was the landings." Hera cracked a smile.
Sally was happy that she could joke about things, but for how much longer? It was clear that they were approaching some sort of endgame. She could feel it. This problem began on Erath and it was going to end on Earth. In the very planet that Chris was born in. In the very city he was born in. It seemed very fitting that he… they would end it there.
It wasn't about her Human anymore. It was about Mobius, and indeed, Earth.
"Major, can I ask you more questions about your home?"
"Uh, sure. Just try not to distract me too much."
"Back in your home universe, I was in love with Sonic, right?"
"Yeah. Sure you were. All that, and some. He wasn't a commoner anymore. He was a noble. You gave him a title, respect, and the perks that went along with it."
"A title?"
"Ah, I forget what it was. Lord Preator or something like that. It was pretty authoritarian. Please excuse my memory gaps. It has been twenty years after all."
"Was I married to him? Did I have children with him?"
"Married? I think. But it was unofficial. Nobody really knew about it. But then again, everyone knew. It was one of those secrets that was too good to keep, but you didn't dare breathe a word about."
"And children?"
"That is where my memory fails you again, Highness. Hold on."
Hera pulled the stick into a curving climb. The Alameda coasted past a lit skyscraper in the dark. It passed by so fast that it seemed like a blur. Hera seemed incredibly comfortable with city flying. She dipped and dove over highways, and almost seemed to buzz by buildings.
"You need any help, Major?" NICOLE suggested.
"Nope." Abigail said all smiles. "This is where I soar. Pardon the pun."
The door opened behind them. Sally turned expecting to see Chris stumbling through the threshold, but all she saw was the green giant, John. He had his helmet off so they could see his face. Sally could have sworn that he looked even paler than when she last saw him. His eyes were dark and mysterious. It was as if taking off the helmet did little to take away from the man's enigmatic nature.
"How are we up here?"
"Smooth sailing, Spartan." Hera reported. "A bit of turbulence, but you can't beat them all. Once we're clear of the skyline, we can accelerate on the Pacific Skyway towards the United States west coast."
"Actually, don't do that." Cortana said. "They'll be expecting that."
"Well, you wouldn't? It's a hell of a lot shorter than the alternative. Plus, we'll have plenty of fuel left over."
"Yes, but it's what Marshall expects us to do. If we take the Pacific Skyway, there'll be a fleet of ships waiting to intercept us the minute we hit San Francisco."
"So, what's your idea? Basically take the Western Flight Passage instead? Go across the Atlantic instead?"
"That's exactly what I'm suggesting. Take the less-likely alternative. It'll put a dent in our fuel, but we'll get directly to New York."
"You know, at the risk of plunging into the ocean."
"Just fly the ship, Major. I'll keep tabs on our fuel. Also, I'll need NICOLE's help in helping me change this ship's ID signatures."
"Change them?" Sally asked, confused. "Wouldn't they notice something like that?"
"They would, if it weren't being done in-flight in one of the busiest traffic corridors on Earth."
NICOLE piped up, "Cortana's right. With so many ships in transit, it's likely that any watching eyes may misinterpret our signal for another one. By the time we hit New York, the Alameda will be history."
"Well, it has my blessing!" Hera said. "Get the creeps off of me, and I'll get us there."
While the AIs got to work trying to crack the freighter's ID tags, Hera pulled the ship away from the city and up into the sky. Laced just below the clouds was the transit corridor. Earth had 10 major corridors like this all over the skies. Ships often merged in an out of these "Sky lanes" to get from one major part of the planet to another. It was also the safest way. True, ships could just free-drive their way across the land, but that was oftentimes dangerous. Hera was able to get in without a sweat. A heavyset freighter pulled back to make room for her.
"Alright ladies and gentlemen. We're on the highway." Hera announced. "ETA to New York is ten hours, maybe twelve at our current speed." She toggled the autopilot and set it to follow the corridor and obey any transit laws."
"Are we going to be fine?" Sally asked her.
"Oh sure. Usually there's a half mile distance between any two given ships. We're also going at the same speed. There's no danger of hitting anyone. Get up, Highness. Stretch your legs."
Sally did so, unclipping her seat restraints and standing up. She walked back out of the cabin, following John as he made his way back to the lounge.
The others were still sitting in their seats.
"Seatbelt sign is off." She announced. The Marines and her friends sighed in relief and unbuckled themselves.
"That was smooth." Reyes said. "Way better than dropships."
"Remember, this ship was probably designed for civilians." Konstantinos said. "Comfort was a major design goal."
Sally walked up to the two Marines. "How is he?"
"Ahh…" Reyes said. "Not better if that's what you're asking. "Takeoff didn't stir him awake. He just rolled his head. Think I heard him muttering something in his sleep."
"Muttering something?" Sally said, suddenly concerned.
"Sounds like gibberish."
"If only it were that simple." She sat on one of the vacated chairs and looked at Chris. One of his eyes was barely open. His pupils were rolled up into his head and he made no reaction to her being close."
"Christopher. Wake up. Please, wake up!"
Oh God, is it dark.
There was no light. No beacons for him to see. It was just darkness for all eternity. He hoped that there was something that he could use just to gauge some sort of distance, but there was nothing. Just a bleak emptiness.
For a second, Chris wondered if he was truly dead. He wondered that instead of oblivion, he was sitting in a void, completely conscious for the rest of time. The prospect made him want to scream, but the scream would be eaten up by the vacuum around him.
And they were talking to him the whole time. Chris could have sworn that several times out of the corner of his vision, there were flashes of red eyes blinking in the dark. They were out there… waiting for him to crack.
"So… you've spent some time in our home."
The voice belonged to the demonic thing that was once known as Greg Kapplin to him.
"Do you like it? Maybe you want a timeshare here?"
Chris summoned all the composure he could afford. "Not my scene, Lieutenant."
"Then maybe you'll prefer it in the real world. You know… the one where you were attacked by your own friends."
"That wasn't my fault and you know it?"
The eyes returned dead in front of him. Chris was instantly disturbed. "Oh, don't I know it. Who fired that gun? Oh right. It was you. You made the decision. I merely swayed your thinking. Peer pressure."
A click of a jaw came from the night.
"Ain't it beautiful?"
"You're not keeping me in here forever."
"You're right. I may not be…"
At those words, thousands of pairs of lights winked into existence. Thousands of them. They were all silent.
"But they might. May I introduce you to every single soul that has died because of your incompetence or command decisions? Some of these people have had the pleasure of dying by your hand as well. And they're hungry for revenge!"
"They're not going to touch me."
"Give up! Give up, you little twerp! Let it all end! For us and for you! Let the memories overflow you! Let the death drown you, and in death, you will find peace."
He didn't want to die. He didn't. There was still more to do. He did the only thing he could do. He thought with all his might of the Librarian. He thought of her to save whatever was left of his life.
When he opened his eyes, the legions of the damned were gone, and the Lifeworker was there. She lit up the area they were in. Chris saw that he was standing in the throne room of Castle Acorn.
"Librarian… thank you."
"You saved yourself, warrior." The fragment of the Lifeworker said in her angelic tone. "I was merely the way." She looked upon him. "Are you ready to receive more memories?"
"You're willing to give them to me?"
"Yes. But your mind is young as is your body. I am not sure what affects it will have on a hamanune. But I may only do so at your own choice, my precious Human."
"Will you return me to consciousness?"
"Yes. But it will not be as easy as it was before. The mind of a Human is easy to break." She didn't mean this as an insult. Rather, it was sadness in her voice.
"If I stay here any longer, I'll die. If I leave, at least I'll have a chance."
"So be it. Prepare yourself, Human. The memories of a Warrior-Servant may be stressful on your mind. But this was your choice." The Librarian clapped her hands and a ball of light expanded Chris screamed as a new pain shot through his skull. This one felt as if I took a flaming sword through his brain. He almost blacked out again, but a new voice came. It was none of the old demons, or the Librarian.
"Get up, boy!"
Chris didn't understand at first. Then it clicked in his head. He wasn't being asked. He was jut given an order.
"I said get up! Don't Humans teach their young to obey their superiors?"
Chris looked up at who was talking. It was the tallest man that he had ever seen in his life. He was a giant. Chris had to crane his neck just to see his face. And what a face he had. It scowled at him with brown eyes and a tuft of hair on his head. Chris guessed he was a Forerunner, but he had expected someone a little more… graceful.
It was clear that the man could read his mind. "Oh, I apologize! Next time I'll take the form of something lower so that I won't frighten you! Perhaps an Engineer!"
"Who are you?"
The program of the Forerunner stood proudly. "I am the Didact, senior military commander of the Ecumene Warrior-Servant Corps."
Chris pointed at him with understanding. "You… you're her husband! The Librarian!"
"She is my wife. Yes." It was clear that the Didact… or rather this recording of him was not willing to talk more about that. That wasn't what he was here for. "I was the commander of the entirety of the Forerunners' military forces. I and my staff laid waste to those who threatened the Ecumene, including the Humans of millennia past. But that is a story for another time."
"The Librarian showed me a memory. The black hole at the center of the galaxy."
"Ah, she did. Did she?" The Didact placed his hands behind his back and stood as if he were a Human military officer. "Yes. That indeed where many lives were foolishly wasted. This was well before the war with the Humans; well before the time when I found the Captive on Charum Hakkor, and well before the Halos were constructed.
The throne room vanished. Once again, he was in the field of stars. Alien numbers and phrases scrolled past his vision. It meant nothing to him though. All that stood in his mind was the stars. In the distance was a hole in space. It was dark. Far darker than the void surrounding him.
"That's the supermassive black hole."
"Tell me, what do you know of such phenomena?" the Didact's program asked.
"They're the remains of supermassive stars. So much matter condensing and dying in one place causes a singularity to form." This was all just regurgitating facts from school. This was pretty much common knowledge.
"Good. You aren't as ignorant as I first suspected."
Chris believed he should take that as a compliment.
"But surely you can see that there is no star in the sky that can produce something this big."
"No. When the galaxy formed, um, it must have been a result of all the stuff that made it being grouped together."
"Observant." The Didact said in an even voice. "In my rate's tongue, we would have called this the Abyss."
The Captain shuddered at the name. Looking at the hole in space, it made him scared.
"There are few things that scare Forerunners, Human. Come." The Didact waved him forward. Every step he took was silent. Chris followed him. He looked down and saw that he had no body. It was just his consciousness in this void. This was all a fantastic display of Forerunner technology on a scale he hadn't seen before. Then again, he hadn't seen much of Forerunner technology at all.
"Tell me, what are Humans afraid of?"
"The only sure things in life: death and taxes!"
The Warrior-Servant glanced at the Captain with reproach. Humor was obviously not a trait of this man.
"I see discipline is not taught to your kind anymore. Perhaps you would wish to take this more seriously?" The Forerunner growled. "Perhaps you would feel better in the dark."
That wasn't fair. Could this Forerunner program do that? Well, it took him out of the dark. Perhaps it could put him back in. Chris decided to shut up and do as he was asked.
"We're afraid of a great many things. Minor phobias to huge terrors. I remember when I was young, I was afraid of… well, of the dark."
"You associate darkness with death."
"Well, no. I didn't, at least. I was afraid because I didn't know what would be waiting for me."
The Didact huffed in what Chris assumed was approval. Or perhaps thankfulness that he didn't tell another bad joke. The Captain wondered in amazement at how much the Forerunners looked like Humanity. As the Didact set his jaw, Chris wondered in the difference between the Librarian and her Husband. They were quite an odd couple.
Kind of like himself and the Princess. Perhaps odder unions have been formed in the past.
"Your answer is satisfactory, boy."
Well gee, thanks.
"And I am quite capable of reading your thoughts as well. We are, after all, tenants in the same cell. Set your tongue. The Humans may have gotten away with testing our restraint, but I can lose patience."
"I apologize… ah… what is your title?"
"You will refer to me only as you would a superior officer. Is that understood?"
"Yes Di… ah, yes sir."
The Didact made what Chris assumed was something approaching a smile. "Good. It seems Humans can learn after all."
The Captain let the remark slide past. Despite only being a programmed, quasi-AI version of himself, the Didact was clearly the one in charge, and unlike the Librarian, could simply turn himself off should he get bored of the little Human.
"Now, follow me, Captain, for this is critical to my objective and yours. Once we get this over with, I believe we will both be happy to part ways."
Chris kept his mouth in check as he followed the Didact through what appeared to be empty space.
"I remember this. So long ago." The program said in such a convincing way that Chris detected the agony in his voice. "So many men. We were there just to check up on it."
"What happened, sir?" Chris asked, standing next to the Warrior-Servant. "What happened that day?"
"Well, we were not obviously welcome." The Didact said. "Something detected us, and did not allow us to travel any further. The Abyss simply pulled my men in." The Didact was suddenly very quiet. For a Forerunner that size, even for a computer program, Chris would have mistaken him for the real deal. "I wish things went differently. I was wrong about the whole thing."
"Sir?"
"I would wish you not to stray from our focus. Pay attention!"
The black hole grew in incredible size. For a moment, Chris believed that he was going to be swallowed by the beast. Starlight bent around the Abyss forming a strange halo. Soon he saw the skeletal flower in orbit against all laws of physics.
"You have seen this station before, have you not, warrior?"
"Yes. I've seen it in a vision before."
"Then you know about as much as we do about it?"
Chris turned to look at the Forerunner. "You don't know anything about it?"
"The device is ancient. Easily hundreds of millions of years old. Perhaps even billions when we consider the age of the galaxy."
"So the Forerunners didn't build this." Chris said. He already came to that conclusion earlier. But perhaps the Didact knew a bit more…
"No. The design of the station doesn't match the Precursors either. Whatever designed this was very old indeed. Far older than the Forerunners. Perhaps even the Precursors. But this was all just speculation among our scientists. When we showed images to the Builders, they were dumbfounded. By all accounts, this thing should have been pulled in to the damned Abyss millennia ago."
"But it hasn't. That means that somehow… it must be suspended in space."
"Yes, we saw that. However none of our devices could withstand something so powerful for so long. And observe Human…" the image increased even further. Chris saw the green beam descend into the black hole. "You see this?"
"Yeah, the green beam. Do you have any idea what it is?"
"No." the Didact's program responded with no shame. "We did not have much time before the first ships were pulled in. From what we could determine, it sits on the very cusp of the event horizon of the Abyss."
"This looks like no bomb I've ever seen."
"Bomb?" the Didact said. "Did you say a bomb?" The massive Forerunner made what the Captain assumed was a smile. "I can assure you boy that this is no bomb. If we're right… it's a prison."
Chris was silenced. The Didact made no emotion. His steel-grey eyes bored into him. "Have you never thought of a more perfect spot for your enemies?" the Forerunner paced and looked at the black hole, admiring the brilliance of it. "Trapped in a place where light itself would never escape. One would surely go mad in a place where the light of millions of years never leaves. The chaos would be unimaginable."
"But that's impossible." Chris said. "Nobody could survive that."
"I pray to the Mantle that you are correct then, Human." The Didact said looking at the skeletal space station. "Because I shudder to think about what… or even who may be lying in the core of that monstrosity, begging to escape."
For some reason, the words sent a spike of fright that Chris had never known before. It was unimaginable. So utterly alien. What could possibly be past the event horizon of that beast? What would you have to do to get thrown in there?"
The Didact sensed this and said, "Ah, so you feel fear indeed, young Human, and in one so young. No Manipular has known the equal of what you have learned just now. Maybe that is the fear that you felt when we learned that it spoke to us."
Chris struggled to find his words. "It… it spoke to you?"
"The prisoner within."
"What did it say?"
The Didact stared at him. For a second, Chris wondered if the program stalled, but then a thunder broke out.
Sleep has been long. I tire of this cage. Prepare.
The voice sounded like one person, yet a chorus of a thousand at the same time. It was neither male nor female, neither high nor low. It was a vibration… a wave… it… simply was. The Captain felt immense dread hearing these words. He couldn't explain it, but just listening to them activated every primal fear reaction that he could think of. His brain was a fireworks display. Images flashed in front of him. Fire, brimstone, hell, aliens that he had never seen before, teeth, and pinpricks of light shining in the blackness. But these were not stars. These did not bring him comfort. Instead, he felt like a child. He wanted his mother.
It was like hearing the language of angels.
His head was splitting apart. He hoped that he would simply die on the spot. But the universe was not so kind.
When he regained his speech, he simply looked at the Didact, struggling to say something. Anything.
"You were not prepared." The Didact said in disappointment.
"What does it want?" the Captain asked. "Huh? The FUCK does it want?!"
"Think." The Forerunner general urged. "What does any prisoner desire?"
"Freedom." The young man said. "Oh Christ. It wants out!" He frantically searched for words. "Why didn't the Forerunners do anything about this? What was stopping you from making sure he didn't get out?"
"Humanity." The Didact simply said. "Your forefathers beat us back to the point of near-defeat and destroyed much of our Fleet. Then the Flood…"
Chris couldn't mentally even begin to process this. But he did say, "The Flood? This thing isn't Flood?"
The Didact shook his head. It only deepened the Human's fright. "So… what do you expect us to do about it?"
"Find a way. If the prisoner finds a way to break free… we don't know what will happen. That's all the information I have."
"NO! That's BULLSHIT! You have more info than you are letting on! TELL ME!"
"It isn't time!" The Didact's program said, getting louder.
"FUCK YOU! TELL ME WHAT YOU KNOW!"
The Didact drew himself up to full height. "YOU INSULANT BRAT! YOU SMALL, PATHETIC HUMAN WORM!" His armor wrapped around him, and a spear of hard light appeared in his hand, ready to smite the man. It was long, barbed, and terminated in three glowing prongs. Lightning sparked around it, and the two outer tips separates to form an amber claw that the Didact gripped in both hands, preparing to thrust. His face was livid. His eyes were wide, nostrils flared, and gums exposed. He was so unimaginably angry by the insolence that veins appeared in his neck and hands. " I GIVE YOU MY MEMORIES AND YOU REPAY ME THIS WAY?!" his voice streamed like a hurricane. It was like angering a god. "YOUR KIND KNOWS NO RESPECT!"
The Captain cowered back as the Forerunner general took steps towards him. No matter how quickly he backed away, the alien's stride was far too great and the Warrior-Servant was quickly upon him, his weapon raised and ready to impale. The Human was reduced to a primal creature that tried to escape, but no matter how quickly he moved, he was matched and superseded. Eventually he shielded his face and prepared for the end, shivering as if freezing.
The Didact had put fear enough into the Human; the weapons and rage melted away. "That… was part of the fury we showered on the Humans of years old. Take care not to summon it again, Human."
Chris didn't know what to say as he took a second to find his voice. "I… apologize."
"And you will apologize a thousand times over before this is through. I have given you knowledge. Go. Learn from this. When it is time… you will learn one last piece of knowledge."
Chris didn't argue. Why bother? Though he did ask one question: "Sir, where did your people go? After you fired the Halos? Where did the Forerunners go?"
The Didact sadly said, "I was not the one who lit the rings. It sadly is a question that I myself will never know the answer to. So here I remain a fragment of my true self. Away with you! You have brought sorrow on this old Promethean. Aya!
Chris woke up screaming.
It was not easy to bring the Captain under control. The usual sedative drugs didn't take effect right away. Reyes and Konstantinos held him down. Sally ran down the hallway from the cabin.
"HOLD HIM DOWN! HOLD HIM DOWN NOW!" she screamed. She rounded the corner and skidded to a halt. Sonic sat in the corner with Bunnie and Rouge next to him. The trio were totally scared out of their minds by the man, who sounded like a demon trying to get loose.
Konstantinos pushed a syringe of sedative fluid into the Captain's arm. "This should calm him down. Not enough to knock him out."
"Please don't hurt him, Alex!" Sally ordered. "Christopher! STOP!"
But he didn't stop. He screamed in a language of gibberish, but it almost sounded as if it had structure to it. She looked around at the others. John stood with his helmet off, face impassive. He was whispering something to Cortana.
Sally pulled out NICOLE. "What can you see?"
"His head is on fire! Brain scans are going nuts! The visual cortex is white hot! Sedatives are working."
"What on Mobius are you seeing, Captain?" Sally whispered.
Then he stopped. Abruptly. It was shocking. His eyes opened at once. "Wha… what?"
Reyes let go. "'What' he says…"
"Welcome back, Captain." Konstantinos said. "How was your latest trip in la-la land?"
That's when Chris began to breathe deeply. "It's not a bomb."
"The hell is he talking about?" Konstantions said. "What's not a bomb?"
Chris unclipped himself from the seat and got up. He noticed that sweat covered a lot of his stolen uniform. He took off the uniform jacket and paced around in a T-shirt and uniform pants. The puddles stretched all around him. "The Galaxy Bomb! But, it's not a bomb! It never was a bomb, and the Forerunners never set it to blow!"
"Wait, it's not?" NICOLE asked. "Well, then, what is it?!"
Chris lowered his voice. "It's a prison. And the prisoner wants out."
There was silence aboard the ship. Nobody said anything. Sally tried to say something, but simply couldn't.
Borne, Jackson and Roan entered the room. "Is it safe to come in now?" the Mobian German Shepard asked. "Sounds like hell itself was breaking loose."
"That just may happen. All of you sit the hell down. This is going to be one weird story.
Chris spent the better part of an hour retelling his experience with the Didact's computer recording, his revisting of the black hole, and most importantly, the Didact telling him about the prisoner.
"It said to prepare." He said at its conclusion.
"Jesus." Roan said.
That was accepted as the reaction of the whole group.
Sonic was the first to answer after a period of silence. "Well, it looks like we have our work cut out for us."
That was an understatement. With their combined strength, they wouldn't even be an iota of the amount needed to meet this thing head-on, and everyone knew it.
"So, what do we do?" the hedgehog asked, who couldn't find anything snappy to say about this.
"I don't know. I don't fucking know." Chris said rubbing his temples. "Why don't you think of something. You always wanted to be the leader." He got up and walked towards the cockpit leaving the group to wonder about just what sort of chances they thought they had, and the mad prophet that led them.
John as in the doorway, slightly blocking his path. "Out of my way, John." The Captain said. The Spartan looked him in the face and saw a man who seemed older than he was. He didn't say a word against it, but nodded and moved. "Thank you." He heard the Captain say though. "Thank you for stopping things before they go worse."
"Sir." His eyes met the Captain's. "Thank her Highness. Not me. She was the one that really looked out for you."
"Regardless. Thanks for the neck massage." He tapped the Chief's shoulder, but met the armor's shield. The Spartan appreciated the gesture though.
The cockpit dim in the slowly approaching daybreak. Chris knocked on the bulkhead. The Mobian rabbit turned around. Hera tried to smile, but couldn't. "I… heard you screaming."
"Yeah." Chris growled, sinking into the copilot seat. "There's an unwritten code in the military that says commanders who show pain in front of their troops are considered weak. Though I defy you to show me anybody who could withstand this."
"How's the pain?" Abigail asked, checking the ship's attitude controls.
"Constant. I feel it all the time now. Sometimes I see something that isn't there, hear something that doesn't exist, and sometimes I swear my breathing just stops."
"I'm sorry, Chris."
"Last thing I want right now is pity, Major. Just give me that." Chris looked out the window. "Where are we?"
"25,000 feet. Somewhere over Germany."
"Germany…?" Chris said, confused. "Why Germany? I thought we were heading to New York."
"We are, Chris. We're taking the Western Corridor."
"The long way?" he smiled. "Jesus, nice plan!"
"It was the blue lady's idea." Hera said smirking.
Cortana's hologram came up as if on demand. "I simply gave her the idea."
"She likes to hear that she's right!" the pilot whispered to the Captain.
Cortana decided to brief the man. "We're about four hours into our flight. Traffic is a bit slow, so we're going to be cruising for about another eight hours. You are now a passenger aboard the Camilla, formerly the Alameda."
"Had to change the ID signatures so that ONI might not track us so easily."
"Camilla?" Chris asked.
Hera looked hesitant at first. "That was my mother's name."
"I'm sorry. Truly."
Hera shrugged. "I remember her in my own way."
Cortana continued. "Once we get to New York, we're going to be facing plenty of scrutiny. We need to go to ground somehow. Perhaps hide in the underlevels somewhere. Perhaps street level even. I know that some of the subway systems are rather spacious."
"Nah, we're not going to live like rats. A friend of mine has an establishment down here somewhere. Loaded up nice on hardware too."
Cortana raised a holographic eyebrow. "Very well. That could indeed help our plans immensely."
"Then some, sister. Keep us on autopilot and keep monitoring, Major. Cortana, keep me updated with new information."
"Of course, Captain." The AI said.
"No problem!" the major said, getting back down to business.
The young man stood up to leave. Waiting for him in the hallway was Sally. She was visibly determined to speak to him. "What's up?"
"We have to talk."
"Now?"
"Please…" she whispered. "It's important."
He could see she wasn't playing around. The Captain nodded. "Alright. Let's go somewhere quiet."
She led the way through the lounge. Towards the end of the ship, bunkrooms lined the walls. They stepped inside one of them. Sally closed the door and locked it, making sure nobody was near.
"What's the matter?" he asked.
"What's the matter? What's the matter?! I can't take it anymore!" she shouted. "I can't take not telling you anymore! I'm going to lose you before I know it!"
He said, "That's not going to happen and you know it."
"Do I?" She said, tears in her eyes. "Do you? You are slowly dying in front of me! Every time you close your eyes I don't know if you're ever going to open them again! I just can't take it anymore!"
His heart softened for her. It always did. When she was sad, he was sad. The young man couldn't stand to see her upset like this. It was something important. It couldn't be anything less.
"Love, what's wrong? Please tell me."
She met his eyes. They were welling with tears and he wiped them away. She was angelic even when she was sad. "My beautiful Human… My love… I…"
"What?" He held his breath.
"I'm pregnant."
June 10th, 3239, 0009 hours
En Route to Dock
The Office of Naval Intelligence
John didn't even feel that much of a change as he moved with a man draped over his shoulder. Within his new armor, he barely even felt the weight. He wasn't heavy either. Possibly only ninety kilos at the heaviest. The Captain was out cold following his outburst. John made sure to secure the man's weapon and zip tied him just in case.
Within the confines of his helmet, John had a silent conversation with Cortana
"Can you imagine what he's going through?" she asked him.
"No." John simply said.
"A direct interaction with Forerunner tech that actually implanted something in his mind is having unbelievable consequences on his reasoning skills."
"Were you studying something like this before?"
"I had an opportunity to sneak some views at some files that were from the Blackgate facility. The soldiers that were tested there though didn't show the sort of reactions that the Captain did."
Cortana sounded confused about the whole ordeal. "Why do you think that is?"
"Bear with me, because we're going into some Forerunner terminology." She warned.
"Alright. Shoot." John waited in the back of the elevator carefully adjusting the unconscious captain. The Princess followed him silently, standing close to the Captain. He glanced at her. "Are you going to use the speakers?"
"No, not yet. I'm still just brainstorming. Alright. The Forerunners had a concept of a task that they could set upon Humanity, one that is woven into our DNA. The closest word that we can use to describe this is one derived from Celtic religion called a 'geas', which is pretty much translated as Thou Shalt Do This. In Celtic, a geas referred to a magical curse. To the Forerunners on the other hand, it's technological; genetic; measurable, whatever term you want to use. It influences choices that an individual makes to reach an ends for the Forerunners or even Humanity. It's mind control ad nauseum until the task is completed."
"So, the Captain has this… geas then."
"No, not exactly."
Sally caressed the Captain's face and whispered something, "What have they done to you? What have you done with yourself?"
John got back to Cortana. "So, what is it then?"
"What our friend is experiencing doesn't follow the rules of a geas. Records from the Bornstellar Relation discovered on Onyx…"
"The what?" John asked, confused.
"It's a testimony written by a Forerunner identified as Bornstellar Makes Eternal Lasting. Stay focused Chief!"
"Continue."
"Anyway, the Relation states that the Humans that have been implanted with a geas started gaining memories of ancient Human ancestors. However, if I'm understanding this correctly, the Captain has been experiencing memories of a Forerunner if what he says is correct. The Didact."
"The Forerunner supreme commander?" John asked, recalling the data that he saw on Installation 00… what seemed like yesterday.
"Yes, the Didact."
John was confused, and rightfully so. According to Cortana, the Forerunners had switched up one of their established rituals. "Why would a Forerunner want to implant their own memories into a geas?"
"See, First of all, the logical conclusion is that the memories would want to be viewed so information could be passed to the recipient. Secondly, this isn't a geas though!"
"Now you're really starting to lose me. Why not?"
"Because if the Didact wanted to pass along simple information of a task, it probably wouldn't be as destructive. What the Captain saw affected him so deeply it's frightened him. He may not even realize it. This may not be a task, but a warning; a plea; a cry for help."
"From the Forerunners?" For some reason, the primal part of his mind started to tingle in fear. If something was so bad that the Forerunners had to call for help, just what was it?
"Like I said, I don't have this 100% figured out. Give me time."
John looked at the unconscious man on his shoulder. Just what were the Forerunners so afraid of? The Flood? Maybe. Maybe not. Maybe this was something else entirely.
The elevator stopped at the top of the shaft a moment later. As before, the hallway was empty.
"Great, more corridors." Roan said, bringing his 1911 to bear but keeping his finger off the trigger.
"Move out." The Spartan commanded. They were on the right floor. The shuttle bay for this facility would have a craft.
"I wish we had the Fox with us." Hera grumbled. "I loved that ship like my own child."
"Well, looks like 'Child Services' has it locked up. You did leave it alone on a frozen plateau." Roan quipped with a slight smile.
"Our evidence was on that ship." Jackson growled. "Our FDRs! Both of them!"
"Well, there was that." The male mercenary said.
Sally stayed behind them all walking alongside the Spartan. She continued to look at Chris silently. She only imagined what he was feeling. She looked at John with a burning anger for essentially strangling the Human. The Spartan could have killed him!
But he wasn't dead. She wondered if he was just as good as dead anyway. Even if he survived all of… this, would he ever recover from this? Would he ever be the person he was before?
No, the man she first met on Mobius was long gone. He was replaced by a new man who now had the weight of the world on his shoulders. She grabbed his hand that was hanging. She found the golden ring on his hand and held it firmly in hers.
"Cortana, do you know what's wrong with him? Why is this happening to him?"
"I'm still working on that, Highness." The AI said.
"Is that the best answer you have for me?!" the Princess said with surprising anger.
"Yes, it is. This is complex Forerunner technology we're dealing with. The original implanter, the Didact or perhaps his wife, the Librarian, could have meant for anyone to receive this. As to why he's reacting to it this strongly… in my experience, I don't think he was strong enough to take it."
Sally stared at John. It was the bests he could do since Cortana wasn't there. "This man…" the Mobian began, "has proven himself to me and his peers many times over! Don't you dare doubt him!"
John turned his head as he walked. "Nobody's doubting his bravery, ma'am."
"It's just… there's still limitations to being Human, if I may." Cortana said. "Perhaps if his mental acuity was increased, he would have fared a bit better."
"And what do you know about being Human?" Sally hissed, teeth gritted tensely.
The AI didn't have an answer for her.
The seemingly endless hallways ended as the pathway ahead opened up. This had to be one of the impound hangers, or perhaps it was a supply dock. In any case, it was a large room with a high ceiling. Cranes hung suspended from the ceiling and cargo containers sat in the corners.
"Big room." Borne said. "Me no like. Lots of places to hide for snipers."
The Lieutenant concurred. "Spread out. Do a quick sweep and regroup here.
Borne and Roan ran ahead, weapons down, but eyes up. They were cautious. If Marshall was the sadistic type, he might hide a 'surprise' for them right at the very end. The intercoms were quiet. Usually a dock like this was constantly getting flight information and schedule updates. There was nothing. It was disturbing.
Jackson and Hera ran to the left and right respectively. Both of the women had their guns up though ready to rumble. The rest of the group was backing up John. It was the Captain that was the objective, and if he took a bullet, there was a good chance it would kill him.
"Augh! Jesus!" Hera called over the radio.
"What?!" John said.
"Ah! Just a robot dolly! Jesus Christ, little guy scared me!"
"It's the arms." Jackson said jokingly. "Keep an eye on that little guy."
"Focus." John said, looking for a ship. These were mostly cargo models, though they were a cut above most commercial models. These ships were also equipped for orbital jaunts, though they wouldn't need to go that far. It would get them to New York in no problem.
"Everyone aboard, now!"
"I'll do a quick security sweep." NICOLE announced. "If there are any recording devices or other little surprises, I'll try to take them offline."
Cortana said, "I was about to suggest the exact same thing."
"Well, guess I beat you to the punch then, blueberry!"
The Spartan hushed the AI. "Now is not the time. Cortana, can you monitor air traffic and see if there's a way to let us slip away?"
"I can do that. Affirmative."
"Konstantinos, Reyes, move into the ship and clear it."
"Aye-aye, sir." The Marines said.
"Jackson, Hera, are you clear?"
"Clear on the left, sir."
"Clear on the right."
John changed his channel. "Konstantinos, Reyes: report on the ship."
It was Reyes who answered. "Ship is secured, Lieutenant. Looks like there's room enough in here for all of us."
John turned to Sally. Actually, he turned to the computer that she had and addressed her. "NICOLE, how's the bomb sweep going?"
"I think we can breathe easier, Lieutenant. Not reading any IR signatures, none of the usual bomb elements in the ship… I can't even see a makeshift device onboard. As for out here… as long as we stay away from the flammable barrels of jet fuel, I think we should be OK."
John didn't crack a smile. Despite her lighthearted nature, she had done her job.
"Only one last thing: someone's gotta get up there and tap the controls that lower the blast doors."
"I'll do it." He said. "Everyone gets aboard the freighter. " John ordered all of the others into a place where they would be safe. "Hera, you're the pilot. Run a pre-flight check and get those engines up and running."
"Aye, sir!" She nodded and ran straight to the freighter, visibly excited to get back behind the yoke.
John started to go to the area that NICOLE had highlighted on his HUD. It was a shielded control box located about fifty feet above the ground. This was the place where techs would go to oversee takeoff and landing of other craft. From there, they could control fuel, electronics, and especially the blast doors.
John jogged up the metal steps as if they were nothing, still keeping his weapon drawn just in case. Sometimes ambushes could come from anywhere, and he had seen more men die in doorways than anywhere else combined. One well placed shotgun blast could take down his shields, and some of the pellets could still rip through his armor.
Though the danger never came. There was no assailant waiting for him in the control box. Instead, an empty room filled with controls greeted him. He had no idea where to start. "Cortana?"
"Oh, now do you want my help?"
"Focus. Where's that switch?"
"You're looking for a small device that looks like a lightswitch, maybe about five to seven centimeters long and painted bright red. Since this is a very important lightswitch, look for anything under glass. Look there."
"Where?"
"Don't move your head, big guy, just look straight ahead."
He saw it right away. There was a glass or plastic cage that was draped over just such a switch. The label said "Door Control". He had to assume this was what they were looking for. He carefully gripped the unconscious Captain and lifted up the cage to press the button.
"Spartan, you will regret taking this action against the government."
John whipped around with gun drawn. He looked for the source of the voice, and concluded that it was coming from the speakers.
"President Marshall?"
"If you lock those gates and seal the escaped prisoners in that ship for incarceration, we can forget any of this unfortunate business with you."
"This far in… that's not happening sir. Why did you leave the doors open up until now?"
"Because I always assumed you would do the honorable thing and commit to your duty."
John took a breath. "Sir, my duty is to the UNSC to protect it and Earth from harm."
"And this is the harm that you have been sworn to protect us from! These terrorists, killers, and the utterly insane man on your shoulder! Let us help them! Rehabilitate them! See what they know!"
John was quiet for a second. "Sir. I've been taught to weigh the odds and look at all the facts. In the end, it looks like the only killer here… is you, sir."
"One last chance, John. I will give you one last chance to come to your senses and carry out your duty."
"Will it bring the people on the Reaper back, Mister President? Or the Jones?"
"How dare you accuse-"
"Goodbye, sir."
"Jamming that for our sanity…" Cortana said. "Well, he had a lot to say. Striking out against the government now? Upsetting the established order?"
"I'm not against Earth. I'm against Marshall."
"And here I thought Marshall was Earth."
John gave the thinnest of smiles. "President's just a figurehead. Remember?"
"You have a beautiful sense of humor, John."
The blast doors started to rise as John tapped the switch. Beyond the bay, darkness and the light from thousands of buildings twinkled like stars in the sky. John didn't stay to admire them though. He began down the steps to head back to the craft. The Spartan could see blue flames coming from the engines. They were ready to go.
"Preflight checks complete. Engines are like angel wings." Hera said, admiring her craft. "I think I'll be keeping this one!"
"You know that's stealing, Major." Jackson said.
"It's not stealing. It's extended period borrowing."
"Are we set to lift off?" John demanded.
"Waiting on you, sir!"
John made his way onto the cargo ship where the others were waiting for him. The Spartan made his way up the steps, feeling as if the compartments around him were incredibly small. His helmet was close to touching the ceiling and his hands felt too big for some of the supports. The area that he entered connected to the main airlock was something of a lounge or recreation room for the freighter staff. A couple of padded couches were on the side of the rooms, probably bolted to the floor. A modest table stood between the two. A small kitchen was to the side with a television on a nearby wall. It was a Spartan-looking room.
John chuckled internally at the irony of that.
The Marines sat in what looked like acceleration chairs on either side of him. They had seat belts fastened and gripped the handholds.
"Wanna seat, sir?" Reyes asked indicating an empty chair.
"I'll manage." The Spartan said gripping part of the ceiling. "Though I think he'll take you up on that." He slowly lowered the unconscious Captain onto the vacant chair, strapping him in. His head lolled to one side and his eyes were still rolled up in his head. At first glance, he seemed almost dead. "Major, we're ready to go." He told Hera.
In the cockpit, Abigail found an ill-fitting helmet and slotted it on her head. She flipped down the HUD visor and allowed data to stream across it. She got readings from the engines, lift information from the ship's computer, and a highlighted route that the ship could take out of the bay.
"Any computer assistant present?" she asked.
"Present." The computer console said in a female voice without any accent. "How may I assist?"
"What is the name of this vessel?" Hera asked getting ready to power up the throttle.
"Vessel is identified as the Alameda, registration number 46-217-09."
"Alameda?" Hera asked, looking to Sally, her copilot. "What's an Alameda?"
"Got me." She shrugged. "Take us up."
Hera activated the internal PA: "This is your captain speaking; we want to inform you we are now taking off! Trays up, seatbelts on, people!" the Major pushed down on the throttle, delivering thrust to the engines. Slowly, the Alameda pulled away from the ground and hovered in the air. Slowly, Hera angled the engines to a point where they would be moving forward but kept their height.
She followed her HUD, which painted a neon green path out of the door and into the darkness.
"Highness, I'm going to be dimming the lights." She said. "Going to activate night flying mode, that is, if the ship has it."
"Be my guest." Sally said, sitting back, staring into the night.
Hera shut down the cabin lights one by one, plunging them in darkness. She then turned on the ship's NV systems. The world beyond the cockpit appeared as greenish color. Buildings were clearly visible in low light conditions. Hera expertly brought the freighter out of the ONI dock and into the sky. "Good riddance." She said under her breath.
"Nice takeoff. Statistically, those are the worst parts of flights."
"I thought it was the landings." Hera cracked a smile.
Sally was happy that she could joke about things, but for how much longer? It was clear that they were approaching some sort of endgame. She could feel it. This problem began on Erath and it was going to end on Earth. In the very planet that Chris was born in. In the very city he was born in. It seemed very fitting that he… they would end it there.
It wasn't about her Human anymore. It was about Mobius, and indeed, Earth.
"Major, can I ask you more questions about your home?"
"Uh, sure. Just try not to distract me too much."
"Back in your home universe, I was in love with Sonic, right?"
"Yeah. Sure you were. All that, and some. He wasn't a commoner anymore. He was a noble. You gave him a title, respect, and the perks that went along with it."
"A title?"
"Ah, I forget what it was. Lord Preator or something like that. It was pretty authoritarian. Please excuse my memory gaps. It has been twenty years after all."
"Was I married to him? Did I have children with him?"
"Married? I think. But it was unofficial. Nobody really knew about it. But then again, everyone knew. It was one of those secrets that was too good to keep, but you didn't dare breathe a word about."
"And children?"
"That is where my memory fails you again, Highness. Hold on."
Hera pulled the stick into a curving climb. The Alameda coasted past a lit skyscraper in the dark. It passed by so fast that it seemed like a blur. Hera seemed incredibly comfortable with city flying. She dipped and dove over highways, and almost seemed to buzz by buildings.
"You need any help, Major?" NICOLE suggested.
"Nope." Abigail said all smiles. "This is where I soar. Pardon the pun."
The door opened behind them. Sally turned expecting to see Chris stumbling through the threshold, but all she saw was the green giant, John. He had his helmet off so they could see his face. Sally could have sworn that he looked even paler than when she last saw him. His eyes were dark and mysterious. It was as if taking off the helmet did little to take away from the man's enigmatic nature.
"How are we up here?"
"Smooth sailing, Spartan." Hera reported. "A bit of turbulence, but you can't beat them all. Once we're clear of the skyline, we can accelerate on the Pacific Skyway towards the United States west coast."
"Actually, don't do that." Cortana said. "They'll be expecting that."
"Well, you wouldn't? It's a hell of a lot shorter than the alternative. Plus, we'll have plenty of fuel left over."
"Yes, but it's what Marshall expects us to do. If we take the Pacific Skyway, there'll be a fleet of ships waiting to intercept us the minute we hit San Francisco."
"So, what's your idea? Basically take the Western Flight Passage instead? Go across the Atlantic instead?"
"That's exactly what I'm suggesting. Take the less-likely alternative. It'll put a dent in our fuel, but we'll get directly to New York."
"You know, at the risk of plunging into the ocean."
"Just fly the ship, Major. I'll keep tabs on our fuel. Also, I'll need NICOLE's help in helping me change this ship's ID signatures."
"Change them?" Sally asked, confused. "Wouldn't they notice something like that?"
"They would, if it weren't being done in-flight in one of the busiest traffic corridors on Earth."
NICOLE piped up, "Cortana's right. With so many ships in transit, it's likely that any watching eyes may misinterpret our signal for another one. By the time we hit New York, the Alameda will be history."
"Well, it has my blessing!" Hera said. "Get the creeps off of me, and I'll get us there."
While the AIs got to work trying to crack the freighter's ID tags, Hera pulled the ship away from the city and up into the sky. Laced just below the clouds was the transit corridor. Earth had 10 major corridors like this all over the skies. Ships often merged in an out of these "Sky lanes" to get from one major part of the planet to another. It was also the safest way. True, ships could just free-drive their way across the land, but that was oftentimes dangerous. Hera was able to get in without a sweat. A heavyset freighter pulled back to make room for her.
"Alright ladies and gentlemen. We're on the highway." Hera announced. "ETA to New York is ten hours, maybe twelve at our current speed." She toggled the autopilot and set it to follow the corridor and obey any transit laws."
"Are we going to be fine?" Sally asked her.
"Oh sure. Usually there's a half mile distance between any two given ships. We're also going at the same speed. There's no danger of hitting anyone. Get up, Highness. Stretch your legs."
Sally did so, unclipping her seat restraints and standing up. She walked back out of the cabin, following John as he made his way back to the lounge.
The others were still sitting in their seats.
"Seatbelt sign is off." She announced. The Marines and her friends sighed in relief and unbuckled themselves.
"That was smooth." Reyes said. "Way better than dropships."
"Remember, this ship was probably designed for civilians." Konstantinos said. "Comfort was a major design goal."
Sally walked up to the two Marines. "How is he?"
"Ahh…" Reyes said. "Not better if that's what you're asking. "Takeoff didn't stir him awake. He just rolled his head. Think I heard him muttering something in his sleep."
"Muttering something?" Sally said, suddenly concerned.
"Sounds like gibberish."
"If only it were that simple." She sat on one of the vacated chairs and looked at Chris. One of his eyes was barely open. His pupils were rolled up into his head and he made no reaction to her being close."
"Christopher. Wake up. Please, wake up!"
Oh God, is it dark.
There was no light. No beacons for him to see. It was just darkness for all eternity. He hoped that there was something that he could use just to gauge some sort of distance, but there was nothing. Just a bleak emptiness.
For a second, Chris wondered if he was truly dead. He wondered that instead of oblivion, he was sitting in a void, completely conscious for the rest of time. The prospect made him want to scream, but the scream would be eaten up by the vacuum around him.
And they were talking to him the whole time. Chris could have sworn that several times out of the corner of his vision, there were flashes of red eyes blinking in the dark. They were out there… waiting for him to crack.
"So… you've spent some time in our home."
The voice belonged to the demonic thing that was once known as Greg Kapplin to him.
"Do you like it? Maybe you want a timeshare here?"
Chris summoned all the composure he could afford. "Not my scene, Lieutenant."
"Then maybe you'll prefer it in the real world. You know… the one where you were attacked by your own friends."
"That wasn't my fault and you know it?"
The eyes returned dead in front of him. Chris was instantly disturbed. "Oh, don't I know it. Who fired that gun? Oh right. It was you. You made the decision. I merely swayed your thinking. Peer pressure."
A click of a jaw came from the night.
"Ain't it beautiful?"
"You're not keeping me in here forever."
"You're right. I may not be…"
At those words, thousands of pairs of lights winked into existence. Thousands of them. They were all silent.
"But they might. May I introduce you to every single soul that has died because of your incompetence or command decisions? Some of these people have had the pleasure of dying by your hand as well. And they're hungry for revenge!"
"They're not going to touch me."
"Give up! Give up, you little twerp! Let it all end! For us and for you! Let the memories overflow you! Let the death drown you, and in death, you will find peace."
He didn't want to die. He didn't. There was still more to do. He did the only thing he could do. He thought with all his might of the Librarian. He thought of her to save whatever was left of his life.
When he opened his eyes, the legions of the damned were gone, and the Lifeworker was there. She lit up the area they were in. Chris saw that he was standing in the throne room of Castle Acorn.
"Librarian… thank you."
"You saved yourself, warrior." The fragment of the Lifeworker said in her angelic tone. "I was merely the way." She looked upon him. "Are you ready to receive more memories?"
"You're willing to give them to me?"
"Yes. But your mind is young as is your body. I am not sure what affects it will have on a hamanune. But I may only do so at your own choice, my precious Human."
"Will you return me to consciousness?"
"Yes. But it will not be as easy as it was before. The mind of a Human is easy to break." She didn't mean this as an insult. Rather, it was sadness in her voice.
"If I stay here any longer, I'll die. If I leave, at least I'll have a chance."
"So be it. Prepare yourself, Human. The memories of a Warrior-Servant may be stressful on your mind. But this was your choice." The Librarian clapped her hands and a ball of light expanded Chris screamed as a new pain shot through his skull. This one felt as if I took a flaming sword through his brain. He almost blacked out again, but a new voice came. It was none of the old demons, or the Librarian.
"Get up, boy!"
Chris didn't understand at first. Then it clicked in his head. He wasn't being asked. He was jut given an order.
"I said get up! Don't Humans teach their young to obey their superiors?"
Chris looked up at who was talking. It was the tallest man that he had ever seen in his life. He was a giant. Chris had to crane his neck just to see his face. And what a face he had. It scowled at him with brown eyes and a tuft of hair on his head. Chris guessed he was a Forerunner, but he had expected someone a little more… graceful.
It was clear that the man could read his mind. "Oh, I apologize! Next time I'll take the form of something lower so that I won't frighten you! Perhaps an Engineer!"
"Who are you?"
The program of the Forerunner stood proudly. "I am the Didact, senior military commander of the Ecumene Warrior-Servant Corps."
Chris pointed at him with understanding. "You… you're her husband! The Librarian!"
"She is my wife. Yes." It was clear that the Didact… or rather this recording of him was not willing to talk more about that. That wasn't what he was here for. "I was the commander of the entirety of the Forerunners' military forces. I and my staff laid waste to those who threatened the Ecumene, including the Humans of millennia past. But that is a story for another time."
"The Librarian showed me a memory. The black hole at the center of the galaxy."
"Ah, she did. Did she?" The Didact placed his hands behind his back and stood as if he were a Human military officer. "Yes. That indeed where many lives were foolishly wasted. This was well before the war with the Humans; well before the time when I found the Captive on Charum Hakkor, and well before the Halos were constructed.
The throne room vanished. Once again, he was in the field of stars. Alien numbers and phrases scrolled past his vision. It meant nothing to him though. All that stood in his mind was the stars. In the distance was a hole in space. It was dark. Far darker than the void surrounding him.
"That's the supermassive black hole."
"Tell me, what do you know of such phenomena?" the Didact's program asked.
"They're the remains of supermassive stars. So much matter condensing and dying in one place causes a singularity to form." This was all just regurgitating facts from school. This was pretty much common knowledge.
"Good. You aren't as ignorant as I first suspected."
Chris believed he should take that as a compliment.
"But surely you can see that there is no star in the sky that can produce something this big."
"No. When the galaxy formed, um, it must have been a result of all the stuff that made it being grouped together."
"Observant." The Didact said in an even voice. "In my rate's tongue, we would have called this the Abyss."
The Captain shuddered at the name. Looking at the hole in space, it made him scared.
"There are few things that scare Forerunners, Human. Come." The Didact waved him forward. Every step he took was silent. Chris followed him. He looked down and saw that he had no body. It was just his consciousness in this void. This was all a fantastic display of Forerunner technology on a scale he hadn't seen before. Then again, he hadn't seen much of Forerunner technology at all.
"Tell me, what are Humans afraid of?"
"The only sure things in life: death and taxes!"
The Warrior-Servant glanced at the Captain with reproach. Humor was obviously not a trait of this man.
"I see discipline is not taught to your kind anymore. Perhaps you would wish to take this more seriously?" The Forerunner growled. "Perhaps you would feel better in the dark."
That wasn't fair. Could this Forerunner program do that? Well, it took him out of the dark. Perhaps it could put him back in. Chris decided to shut up and do as he was asked.
"We're afraid of a great many things. Minor phobias to huge terrors. I remember when I was young, I was afraid of… well, of the dark."
"You associate darkness with death."
"Well, no. I didn't, at least. I was afraid because I didn't know what would be waiting for me."
The Didact huffed in what Chris assumed was approval. Or perhaps thankfulness that he didn't tell another bad joke. The Captain wondered in amazement at how much the Forerunners looked like Humanity. As the Didact set his jaw, Chris wondered in the difference between the Librarian and her Husband. They were quite an odd couple.
Kind of like himself and the Princess. Perhaps odder unions have been formed in the past.
"Your answer is satisfactory, boy."
Well gee, thanks.
"And I am quite capable of reading your thoughts as well. We are, after all, tenants in the same cell. Set your tongue. The Humans may have gotten away with testing our restraint, but I can lose patience."
"I apologize… ah… what is your title?"
"You will refer to me only as you would a superior officer. Is that understood?"
"Yes Di… ah, yes sir."
The Didact made what Chris assumed was something approaching a smile. "Good. It seems Humans can learn after all."
The Captain let the remark slide past. Despite only being a programmed, quasi-AI version of himself, the Didact was clearly the one in charge, and unlike the Librarian, could simply turn himself off should he get bored of the little Human.
"Now, follow me, Captain, for this is critical to my objective and yours. Once we get this over with, I believe we will both be happy to part ways."
Chris kept his mouth in check as he followed the Didact through what appeared to be empty space.
"I remember this. So long ago." The program said in such a convincing way that Chris detected the agony in his voice. "So many men. We were there just to check up on it."
"What happened, sir?" Chris asked, standing next to the Warrior-Servant. "What happened that day?"
"Well, we were not obviously welcome." The Didact said. "Something detected us, and did not allow us to travel any further. The Abyss simply pulled my men in." The Didact was suddenly very quiet. For a Forerunner that size, even for a computer program, Chris would have mistaken him for the real deal. "I wish things went differently. I was wrong about the whole thing."
"Sir?"
"I would wish you not to stray from our focus. Pay attention!"
The black hole grew in incredible size. For a moment, Chris believed that he was going to be swallowed by the beast. Starlight bent around the Abyss forming a strange halo. Soon he saw the skeletal flower in orbit against all laws of physics.
"You have seen this station before, have you not, warrior?"
"Yes. I've seen it in a vision before."
"Then you know about as much as we do about it?"
Chris turned to look at the Forerunner. "You don't know anything about it?"
"The device is ancient. Easily hundreds of millions of years old. Perhaps even billions when we consider the age of the galaxy."
"So the Forerunners didn't build this." Chris said. He already came to that conclusion earlier. But perhaps the Didact knew a bit more…
"No. The design of the station doesn't match the Precursors either. Whatever designed this was very old indeed. Far older than the Forerunners. Perhaps even the Precursors. But this was all just speculation among our scientists. When we showed images to the Builders, they were dumbfounded. By all accounts, this thing should have been pulled in to the damned Abyss millennia ago."
"But it hasn't. That means that somehow… it must be suspended in space."
"Yes, we saw that. However none of our devices could withstand something so powerful for so long. And observe Human…" the image increased even further. Chris saw the green beam descend into the black hole. "You see this?"
"Yeah, the green beam. Do you have any idea what it is?"
"No." the Didact's program responded with no shame. "We did not have much time before the first ships were pulled in. From what we could determine, it sits on the very cusp of the event horizon of the Abyss."
"This looks like no bomb I've ever seen."
"Bomb?" the Didact said. "Did you say a bomb?" The massive Forerunner made what the Captain assumed was a smile. "I can assure you boy that this is no bomb. If we're right… it's a prison."
Chris was silenced. The Didact made no emotion. His steel-grey eyes bored into him. "Have you never thought of a more perfect spot for your enemies?" the Forerunner paced and looked at the black hole, admiring the brilliance of it. "Trapped in a place where light itself would never escape. One would surely go mad in a place where the light of millions of years never leaves. The chaos would be unimaginable."
"But that's impossible." Chris said. "Nobody could survive that."
"I pray to the Mantle that you are correct then, Human." The Didact said looking at the skeletal space station. "Because I shudder to think about what… or even who may be lying in the core of that monstrosity, begging to escape."
For some reason, the words sent a spike of fright that Chris had never known before. It was unimaginable. So utterly alien. What could possibly be past the event horizon of that beast? What would you have to do to get thrown in there?"
The Didact sensed this and said, "Ah, so you feel fear indeed, young Human, and in one so young. No Manipular has known the equal of what you have learned just now. Maybe that is the fear that you felt when we learned that it spoke to us."
Chris struggled to find his words. "It… it spoke to you?"
"The prisoner within."
"What did it say?"
The Didact stared at him. For a second, Chris wondered if the program stalled, but then a thunder broke out.
Sleep has been long. I tire of this cage. Prepare.
The voice sounded like one person, yet a chorus of a thousand at the same time. It was neither male nor female, neither high nor low. It was a vibration… a wave… it… simply was. The Captain felt immense dread hearing these words. He couldn't explain it, but just listening to them activated every primal fear reaction that he could think of. His brain was a fireworks display. Images flashed in front of him. Fire, brimstone, hell, aliens that he had never seen before, teeth, and pinpricks of light shining in the blackness. But these were not stars. These did not bring him comfort. Instead, he felt like a child. He wanted his mother.
It was like hearing the language of angels.
His head was splitting apart. He hoped that he would simply die on the spot. But the universe was not so kind.
When he regained his speech, he simply looked at the Didact, struggling to say something. Anything.
"You were not prepared." The Didact said in disappointment.
"What does it want?" the Captain asked. "Huh? The FUCK does it want?!"
"Think." The Forerunner general urged. "What does any prisoner desire?"
"Freedom." The young man said. "Oh Christ. It wants out!" He frantically searched for words. "Why didn't the Forerunners do anything about this? What was stopping you from making sure he didn't get out?"
"Humanity." The Didact simply said. "Your forefathers beat us back to the point of near-defeat and destroyed much of our Fleet. Then the Flood…"
Chris couldn't mentally even begin to process this. But he did say, "The Flood? This thing isn't Flood?"
The Didact shook his head. It only deepened the Human's fright. "So… what do you expect us to do about it?"
"Find a way. If the prisoner finds a way to break free… we don't know what will happen. That's all the information I have."
"NO! That's BULLSHIT! You have more info than you are letting on! TELL ME!"
"It isn't time!" The Didact's program said, getting louder.
"FUCK YOU! TELL ME WHAT YOU KNOW!"
The Didact drew himself up to full height. "YOU INSULANT BRAT! YOU SMALL, PATHETIC HUMAN WORM!" His armor wrapped around him, and a spear of hard light appeared in his hand, ready to smite the man. It was long, barbed, and terminated in three glowing prongs. Lightning sparked around it, and the two outer tips separates to form an amber claw that the Didact gripped in both hands, preparing to thrust. His face was livid. His eyes were wide, nostrils flared, and gums exposed. He was so unimaginably angry by the insolence that veins appeared in his neck and hands. " I GIVE YOU MY MEMORIES AND YOU REPAY ME THIS WAY?!" his voice streamed like a hurricane. It was like angering a god. "YOUR KIND KNOWS NO RESPECT!"
The Captain cowered back as the Forerunner general took steps towards him. No matter how quickly he backed away, the alien's stride was far too great and the Warrior-Servant was quickly upon him, his weapon raised and ready to impale. The Human was reduced to a primal creature that tried to escape, but no matter how quickly he moved, he was matched and superseded. Eventually he shielded his face and prepared for the end, shivering as if freezing.
The Didact had put fear enough into the Human; the weapons and rage melted away. "That… was part of the fury we showered on the Humans of years old. Take care not to summon it again, Human."
Chris didn't know what to say as he took a second to find his voice. "I… apologize."
"And you will apologize a thousand times over before this is through. I have given you knowledge. Go. Learn from this. When it is time… you will learn one last piece of knowledge."
Chris didn't argue. Why bother? Though he did ask one question: "Sir, where did your people go? After you fired the Halos? Where did the Forerunners go?"
The Didact sadly said, "I was not the one who lit the rings. It sadly is a question that I myself will never know the answer to. So here I remain a fragment of my true self. Away with you! You have brought sorrow on this old Promethean. Aya!
Chris woke up screaming.
It was not easy to bring the Captain under control. The usual sedative drugs didn't take effect right away. Reyes and Konstantinos held him down. Sally ran down the hallway from the cabin.
"HOLD HIM DOWN! HOLD HIM DOWN NOW!" she screamed. She rounded the corner and skidded to a halt. Sonic sat in the corner with Bunnie and Rouge next to him. The trio were totally scared out of their minds by the man, who sounded like a demon trying to get loose.
Konstantinos pushed a syringe of sedative fluid into the Captain's arm. "This should calm him down. Not enough to knock him out."
"Please don't hurt him, Alex!" Sally ordered. "Christopher! STOP!"
But he didn't stop. He screamed in a language of gibberish, but it almost sounded as if it had structure to it. She looked around at the others. John stood with his helmet off, face impassive. He was whispering something to Cortana.
Sally pulled out NICOLE. "What can you see?"
"His head is on fire! Brain scans are going nuts! The visual cortex is white hot! Sedatives are working."
"What on Mobius are you seeing, Captain?" Sally whispered.
Then he stopped. Abruptly. It was shocking. His eyes opened at once. "Wha… what?"
Reyes let go. "'What' he says…"
"Welcome back, Captain." Konstantinos said. "How was your latest trip in la-la land?"
That's when Chris began to breathe deeply. "It's not a bomb."
"The hell is he talking about?" Konstantions said. "What's not a bomb?"
Chris unclipped himself from the seat and got up. He noticed that sweat covered a lot of his stolen uniform. He took off the uniform jacket and paced around in a T-shirt and uniform pants. The puddles stretched all around him. "The Galaxy Bomb! But, it's not a bomb! It never was a bomb, and the Forerunners never set it to blow!"
"Wait, it's not?" NICOLE asked. "Well, then, what is it?!"
Chris lowered his voice. "It's a prison. And the prisoner wants out."
There was silence aboard the ship. Nobody said anything. Sally tried to say something, but simply couldn't.
Borne, Jackson and Roan entered the room. "Is it safe to come in now?" the Mobian German Shepard asked. "Sounds like hell itself was breaking loose."
"That just may happen. All of you sit the hell down. This is going to be one weird story.
Chris spent the better part of an hour retelling his experience with the Didact's computer recording, his revisting of the black hole, and most importantly, the Didact telling him about the prisoner.
"It said to prepare." He said at its conclusion.
"Jesus." Roan said.
That was accepted as the reaction of the whole group.
Sonic was the first to answer after a period of silence. "Well, it looks like we have our work cut out for us."
That was an understatement. With their combined strength, they wouldn't even be an iota of the amount needed to meet this thing head-on, and everyone knew it.
"So, what do we do?" the hedgehog asked, who couldn't find anything snappy to say about this.
"I don't know. I don't fucking know." Chris said rubbing his temples. "Why don't you think of something. You always wanted to be the leader." He got up and walked towards the cockpit leaving the group to wonder about just what sort of chances they thought they had, and the mad prophet that led them.
John as in the doorway, slightly blocking his path. "Out of my way, John." The Captain said. The Spartan looked him in the face and saw a man who seemed older than he was. He didn't say a word against it, but nodded and moved. "Thank you." He heard the Captain say though. "Thank you for stopping things before they go worse."
"Sir." His eyes met the Captain's. "Thank her Highness. Not me. She was the one that really looked out for you."
"Regardless. Thanks for the neck massage." He tapped the Chief's shoulder, but met the armor's shield. The Spartan appreciated the gesture though.
The cockpit dim in the slowly approaching daybreak. Chris knocked on the bulkhead. The Mobian rabbit turned around. Hera tried to smile, but couldn't. "I… heard you screaming."
"Yeah." Chris growled, sinking into the copilot seat. "There's an unwritten code in the military that says commanders who show pain in front of their troops are considered weak. Though I defy you to show me anybody who could withstand this."
"How's the pain?" Abigail asked, checking the ship's attitude controls.
"Constant. I feel it all the time now. Sometimes I see something that isn't there, hear something that doesn't exist, and sometimes I swear my breathing just stops."
"I'm sorry, Chris."
"Last thing I want right now is pity, Major. Just give me that." Chris looked out the window. "Where are we?"
"25,000 feet. Somewhere over Germany."
"Germany…?" Chris said, confused. "Why Germany? I thought we were heading to New York."
"We are, Chris. We're taking the Western Corridor."
"The long way?" he smiled. "Jesus, nice plan!"
"It was the blue lady's idea." Hera said smirking.
Cortana's hologram came up as if on demand. "I simply gave her the idea."
"She likes to hear that she's right!" the pilot whispered to the Captain.
Cortana decided to brief the man. "We're about four hours into our flight. Traffic is a bit slow, so we're going to be cruising for about another eight hours. You are now a passenger aboard the Camilla, formerly the Alameda."
"Had to change the ID signatures so that ONI might not track us so easily."
"Camilla?" Chris asked.
Hera looked hesitant at first. "That was my mother's name."
"I'm sorry. Truly."
Hera shrugged. "I remember her in my own way."
Cortana continued. "Once we get to New York, we're going to be facing plenty of scrutiny. We need to go to ground somehow. Perhaps hide in the underlevels somewhere. Perhaps street level even. I know that some of the subway systems are rather spacious."
"Nah, we're not going to live like rats. A friend of mine has an establishment down here somewhere. Loaded up nice on hardware too."
Cortana raised a holographic eyebrow. "Very well. That could indeed help our plans immensely."
"Then some, sister. Keep us on autopilot and keep monitoring, Major. Cortana, keep me updated with new information."
"Of course, Captain." The AI said.
"No problem!" the major said, getting back down to business.
The young man stood up to leave. Waiting for him in the hallway was Sally. She was visibly determined to speak to him. "What's up?"
"We have to talk."
"Now?"
"Please…" she whispered. "It's important."
He could see she wasn't playing around. The Captain nodded. "Alright. Let's go somewhere quiet."
She led the way through the lounge. Towards the end of the ship, bunkrooms lined the walls. They stepped inside one of them. Sally closed the door and locked it, making sure nobody was near.
"What's the matter?" he asked.
"What's the matter? What's the matter?! I can't take it anymore!" she shouted. "I can't take not telling you anymore! I'm going to lose you before I know it!"
He said, "That's not going to happen and you know it."
"Do I?" She said, tears in her eyes. "Do you? You are slowly dying in front of me! Every time you close your eyes I don't know if you're ever going to open them again! I just can't take it anymore!"
His heart softened for her. It always did. When she was sad, he was sad. The young man couldn't stand to see her upset like this. It was something important. It couldn't be anything less.
"Love, what's wrong? Please tell me."
She met his eyes. They were welling with tears and he wiped them away. She was angelic even when she was sad. "My beautiful Human… My love… I…"
"What?" He held his breath.
"I'm pregnant."
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