Muse
A Halo Story
By Who Is Caligula (2008)
Dedicated to All Heroes
Corinne pressed her tiny palms against the glass, peering through with chocolate eyes at what could easily have been an expensive toy or tempting confection. It was a pleasant fantasy for her grandfather, who preferred to study the girl's eyes without letting his own wander to the abomination that rested quietly behind the glass.
"Big gun", she cooed, jump-slapping a motion sensor that normally required nothing more than the presence of a visitor that stood at least 1.4 meters tall. Chan didn't pay any special attention to the automated narration that followed, though the child seemed riveted.
"…which saw most of its use toward the end of the Covenant War. Due to its heavy battery power consumption and slow rate of fire, the target needed to be tracked for several seconds before firing. This process was guided by a simple scope and targeting mechanism, which painted the enemy with a vibrant beam of crimson light. Although hailed as one of the greatest achievements in anti-vehicle warfare, the so called "Spartan laser" was restricted primarily for combat against large and slow-moving targets, such as Covenant heavy armor. Even the most skilled user of this weapon would be forced to displace in between shots and rely on the support of a light infantry squad, since every shot fired gave away the user's position to enemy forces and-"
"Whoa! Did you get to use one of those, grandpa?"
Corinne's mother had been right. This place really wasn't designed for children. Chan was starting to wonder if it had been a mistake to bring her to this museum in the first place.
"No, honey. I didn't".
Drained of her enthusiasm only briefly, Corinne galloped to the next display piece while the automated tour guide prattled on about the display piece. Chan followed, but studied the room's architecture more than its contents. The exhibit hall was adorned with synthetic wood, warm enough to look real, but too glossy for his tastes. Somber tones of charcoal and navy blue contrasted with the paleness of neutral white walls and beige corridors.
"…leading each shot to compensate for the slow travel time of each rocket", the tour guide spoke with an animated Texan drawl. Chan found it distracting, if a bit irritating.
When he first visited the Museum of Humanity after the war's end, it was hailed as monument to the sacrifices of noble soldiers. Now, just a few decades later, the museum had seen substantial embellishments and upgrades. Instead of one neutral and sober male voice, the tour guides all seemed to be fashioned after a colorful cast of cartoon characters.
Saturday morning cartoons, he thought glumly.
"What about this one?"
"What about it?" Chan asked, struggling to keep pace with his tiny granddaughter.
"Did you ever use this one?" she asked, stubby finger stabbing the glass. "It's huge! Almost as big as me!" Chan ventured a glance at the display, which housed a replica SPNKr and its reddish ammo crate.
"No", came his response, and he watched his granddaughter slump her tiny shoulders. Chan sighed, disappointed by his apparent lack of entertaining information for the child.
Corinne loved museums. There were many near his apartment, but Chan usually only visited them when his granddaughter was staying with him. It was a short shuttle ride from home, and the fares were so cheap nowadays. He wished he could see her more often. Chan never asked for anything from his children. He did not understand why his daughter had been so reluctant to let Corinne visit his grandfather for a few days a month.
The girl rested her forehead against the glass, a blank stare on her round face.
"…explosion, but powerful enough to shatter the hull of most heavy vehicles", the mock drill-sergeant spoke its final line of monologue.
"Corinne", he called her name, and she turned to him instantly. "You want to see what I carried?"
"Yeah", she spoke softly now that the tour guide's speech had concluded. Chan was not about to let his only granddaughter leave the museum unsatisfied.