It was a lovely day in the Tower. A day that a Guardian like Theron rarely got to see. There was rarely a reason to stay after all, aside from managing equipment and checking the mail periodically. Yet here he still was, relaxing on the steps of the main plaza. Originally, he planned to be in and out after a quick errand, but for some reason he felt compelled to stick around this time. A few clouds lazily drifted by, crowning the big, white, gumball thing in the distance everyone called the Traveler. Though it doesn't travel much these days. Or at all. Theron wondered if it was even still alive. As Guardians, they are bound to protect its light at all costs. But with casualties rising by the day and enemies soon to be knocking on their front door, Theron had his doubts.
'If this thing is on our side, why isn't it helping us?' He thought. 'How much longer do we have to keep this up?' Theron was so absorbed in this inquiry that he failed to hear the footsteps approaching.
"I still think it's secretly the Death Star." A cheery feminine voice came from behind him. Theron didn't have to look around to know whose it was.
"And what in the hell is the Death Star, Chal?" His deep baritone voice sounded out, artificial mouth pulsing purple with each syllable. She giggled audibly as she bounced down a few steps to sit beside him. Her white cloak may have made her small frame seem bigger, but she looked like a snowball compared to a Titan like Theron.
"Hmm," Chal leaned back and got comfortable before she began. "Well in Human culture, we have a genre of story-telling called science-fiction. If you ever read up on it, you'll find out it's pretty amazing how much of our imagination in the tech world actually came true nowadays." Her feet tapped on the floor impatiently as she spoke. Always moving. She hated staying idle.
"Human's were cultured? Color me shocked." Theron continued to stare at the Traveler, trying hard to imagine it as a weapon of 'death.' He failed.
"Yeah it's pretty crazy." She paused to jab him in the ribs, which prompted no reaction whatsoever. She clutched her elbow and bit back a groan of pain, shamefully regretting doing that. With a huff, she rubbed her arm and added, "We even made these sarcastic robot assholes."
Theron ignored the rebuttal. In fact, he may have not actually heard her, since he was absorbed in his thoughts. After a moment of silence, he decided to bring Chal into it. "Do you think the Traveler is on our side?"
"Huh? Where'd that come from?" She said. He shrugged, still watching the Traveler. He hadn't taken his eyes off of it this entire time.
Chal pushed her auburn hair back to gaze up at the orb. For a brief moment, the Tower was eerily silent. Then she replied, "What makes you think it isn't?"
"I asked you first."
"Well, The Speaker always tol-" Theron stopped her there.
"I'm not asking the Speaker, I'm asking you Chal." He said. She blinked in surprise at him. He usually wasn't this introspective. Theron was always the strong, silent type. As a Titan, he was always on point, taking the hits for everyone else. He rarely talked strategy before the firefights. Taking orders and crushing skulls was all she thought he was good at. She grinned at him. 'I guess he's got more going on in that cybernetic noggin of his than I originally believed.'
With a big sigh, she took a moment to think back over his question, and all the while Theron patiently waited. It was quiet for so long that her voice actually surprised him when she gave her answer.
"I think it's important to believe in something. Something that we can protect, and have faith in." She said while fiddling with a small hole in her cloak she acquired in a shootout with the Fallen some days ago. Theron watched her run a pale finger across the blackened burn mark on her cloak, as though she was caressing someone precious. He also noticed her feet had stopped tapping, and her voice had started to turn soft, "We are inherently selfish and greedy creatures, but I think a shared belief in something will always bring us together. Without that, we start to turn on each other. After all, protecting ourselves and our own comes first right?" Her smile faded and her usually strong expression seemed to melt away, revealing the young girl beneath. "The Traveler may or may not be our ally. These powers we use to fight the darkness may be as much a burden as it is a gift, but it's a necessary thing in these dark times. Protecting it is what brings us together. It empowers us to do so." As she finished, Theron watched as her hand moved from the hole in her cloak to a burn scar that swept down her left wrist. She sucked in a breath.
"So then its something akin to what Humans used to call God right?" His voice pulled her suddenly out of her trance. She looked up at him surprised, as though she didn't realize he was still sitting there. For a brief second, he could have sworn he saw green eyes turn glassy with tears, but she turned her head away too quickly. There was a brief, awkward silence as she wiped her face. When she spoke again, her voice was back its bright and cheery self.
"No no, not like that," she shook her head, and smiled up at the Traveler. "If you know anything about religion, it's that it's caused more conflict than it's stopped." She resumed her foot tapping.
"Then what does it represent?" He asked. She watched the glowing orb in silence for a brief moment before responding.
"Hope." She said simply. "Hope that one day, the next generation can live happily without having to know how to reload an assault rifle." She stood up and stretched, taking a few steps forward until she was silhouetted by the Traveler. Then she turned to face him with a sly grin on her face, "Or where the weak point on some disgusting Hive abomination is." Theron stood as well, nodding in agreement.
"I see. I think I understand now. Thank you Chal." He said. Chal giggled out of embarrassment, raising her hands.
"No need for all that. I just gave my opinion is all. Now come on," she grabbed him by the hand, pulling him towards the Cryptarch, "let's go watch Rahool shatter some hopes and dreams."