Boredom: February 15th 2012
Location: Great Britain, Earth
As he sat there, listening to his english teacher drone on and on about poetic analysis and other, even more dull things, all Steven Richards knew was that he was bored. The lesson was just going on and on, the minutes dragging by painfully slowly. "Sir?" he asked, raising his hand, "I just realise I left my… text book in my locker, can I go and get it?"
Mr Drake rolled his eyes, "Yes, but any dawdling and you're staying in at break time."
Steven sighed internally, that was what Drake said every time anyone wanted to leave the room and he never went through with it. He stood up from his chair and left the room, being careful not to slam the door and irritate Drake further. He strolled down the corridor, looking out the windows to the side as he went, taking in the views of the forests outside.
Although he liked living out in the countryside with his ex-military father, his mother had died while he was still young and he had been brought up by his single father, sometimes Steven yearned for the chance to go to a city and just run wild. His father would never have allowed that though, it would interrupt their routine life. Wake up at six thirty for an hour run, get home, shower, have breakfast and then rush not to be late for the school bus.
While he sometime disliked the early morning exercise he had to admit one thing, it had got him in good shape, good enough to be in the school athletics team for the 100 metres, 1500 metres and the javelin. He didn't know why he'd asked to leave the classroom, he hadn't forgotten any of his books, he hadn't needed to go to the toilet. He decided it would be best to just go outside for moment, get some fresh air and try to get rid of his throbbing headache, courtesy of an overheated classroom.
As he rounded the corner he could see the exit ahead, a glimpse of freedom from the daily rigmarole of school. He pushed open the door and took a breath of fresh air, it was cold but that just made it all the more refreshing. He looked left and right, just to check that no teachers were going to question what he was doing out of lessons.
It was then that something caught his eye, a faint glowing from just around the corner of the building. His interest piqued, he went down the steps and made for the corner to investigate. As he rounded the corner he saw something he never thought possible, it was almost like a window, but not quite, it seemed warped around the edges and sounds unlike any he had heard before could be heard through it.
He reached forward with one hand to touch whatever it was. Whatever he had expected it to feel like, it wasn't what he got. It didn't feel as if it was there at all, his hand just passed through with no change in feeling. Slowly, carefully, he moved more of his arm into it until it was up to his shoulder. "Weird" he thought to himself as he moved his hand around, suddenly he heard a shout from behind him, "Hey, what are you doing out of lessons?", Steven turned around, striding over from the car park was Mr Garson, the one teacher at the school everyone feared.
Panic came over him at the sight of the teacher and Steven took as step forward, his shin knocking into the bottom edge of the thing and he stumbled, falling through and into a heap on the other side. He coughed and wiped his eyes trying to clear the dust from them.
He looked around him, he was in a dark alleyway, a building towered up next to him. He rolled over to look back at where he had come from and he got the shock of his life, the thing was gone.
Where am I?: Date Unknown
Location: Unknown
The first thing Steven noticed as he awoke was that his headache was finally gone. As he opened his eyes they were greeted by a harsh light, he lifted his arm to cover his eyes, the action agonizing. He groaned slightly as his eyes slowly got used to the light. He looked around him, everything was white, the walls, the ceiling, the floor. It reminded him of the hospital room he had stayed in when he had his appendix removed.
He heard footsteps coming over to his and he looked to see who it was. The man looked around 50, greying and he had dark bags under his eyes. "Stay where you are son, you had a nasty fall." he said, the voice was as kindly the man's eyes.
"Where am I?" groaned Steven, trying to find a window to look through, to no avail.
"You're onboard the UNSC Hopeful, you were found unconscious in an alleyway back on Biko, you're lucky to be alive. If a few Marines hadn't gotten lost and come across you, you'd be burnt to a cinder." It took several moments for Steven's brain to process what he had been told and then it ground to a halt. "What?", he yelled, "The UNSC? What the fuck, no way am I in the Halo universe, this has to be some kind of joke, did someone put you up to this? Who are you?" his words came out rushed and panicked, how could he be on the UNSC Hopeful? That ship was fictional just like everything in Halo, it was just a game.
"Calm down." the doctor said slowly, taking a step back, "You had a nasty fall and you clearly aren't thinking straight, I'm Doctor Gorman, Chief Medical officer on the Hopeful, what's your name?"
Steven gulped, "Stev-Steven Richards." he gasped out.
"Well then Steven, you just lie back and get some rest, it's for the best. Doctor's orders." the older man smiled and turned to leave.
Steven's brain was running in overload, how could this be real? He must have fallen asleep in class and this was all a dream, he forcefully pinched himself and winced, nope not a dream. He rolled over and lay there facing the wall, just thinking about what he could do, he was after all only thirteen years old.
From behind him he could hear more footsteps, much quieter than the doctor had been. He turned over again to face the source, stood before him was another boy, slightly younger than him. Steven smiled at him, he didn't smile back.
"Hi, my name's Steven, what's yours?" he asked, he felt like and idiot, he had no idea who this guy was and he was talking to him like an idiot. "My name's Carter, I heard you yelling, did you lose your parents on Biko too?" the boy's voice was strong, despite the fact that he must have just lost his parents. "No", Steven replied, "my mum died a long time ago and I don't know when I'll see my dad again, he's a long way away." It felt strange to say those words but it was true, he may never see his father again if he was stuck in the Halo universe, would he even survive?
Suddenly, for the second time in a few minutes, his brain ground to a halt again. "Wait, did you say your name was Carter?" he asked, and the other boy nodded, "Oh my god", thought Steven, "Could this be the Carter?" he remembered the legendary leader of Noble Team had come from Biko.
The two boys had been placed in a double room, maybe since they were fairly young they didn't want them to be kept around the more critically injured passengers. Then, there was a knock at the door and it slid open, revealing the tall frame of a man with light brown short cut hair and dark eyes and the silver eagle insignia of a Colonel on his green uniform. He stepped into the room, an ODST to either side of him. Steven suddenly felt very small next to these six foot soldiers in battle armour. "Hello there, my name is Colonel Ackerson", he paused and turned to the ODSTs and motioned for them to exit, once they had done so he continued, "I gather neither of you have any parents to speak of?" he asked.
Both children shook their heads. "And did you both lose them to the Covenant?" he asked, only Carter nodded his head. Ackerson looked to Steven, "How did your parents die then?" he asked, his voice frosty, "My mother died a long time ago after she got sick, my father is a soldier, still alive but I don't know where he is."
Ackerson smiled slightly, a cruel smile, "Well young man, I regret to inform you that your father was killed during combat against the Covenant not long ago. Now since you have both lost family to them, would I be right to think that maybe you want some payback?"
Carter nodded and smiled grimly, Steven knew Ackerson was a lier bit if he called his bluff it would raised some serious questions. The Colonel smiled "I thought so, if you come with me, I will take you, and others like you and mould you mould you into the best soldiers over seen and then give you the chance to avenge the death of you families. Assuming you agree to come."
Carter stood up straighter and said "I want to come, the Covenant will pay for what the did."
The Colonel smiled again, he looked like a predator whenever he did that, Steven thought. Ackerson the turned his attention back to Steven, "And you, will you come too and become the best we can make you?"
Then Steven realised what this way, Ackerson was trying to recruit him to become a Spartan III, one of the sacrificial Spartans, but then he thought, if I don't join, what happens? I drift from planet to planet as a refugee always running for the Covenant.
He raised his head to look Ackerson in the face, "I'll do it."