22nd March 2012
I didn't remember how I came to be here for a long time, I just knew things that would happen but it's amazing what comes back to you in the end. First let me start with how I came to be who I am today.
If what I can remember is right then this started when I was 17 and doing an orienteering course with some friends. I had wandered off from the group to look for the next set of markers, when I saw movement off to my left along with a glint of metal. I stopped behind a tree and peaked out the other side and saw something that was familiar but it wasn't something that I ever expected to see outside a halo convention or a TV screen. An ODST was stood there just looking at me. This, probably needless to say, confused the fuck out of me. "Are you lost or something? I didn't think any halo events were going on around here." The ODST just looked at me in obvious confusion.
"Halo events? You don't know half of what would happen if a halo had an event short stuff." I smirked.
"Try me." The ODST laughed and shook his head.
"Alright then. If a halo fired which is also known as a halo event then everything that can think in a 38,000 light year radius is basically dissolved." I yawned – making a big show of it.
"Already know it. Along with a few other things about the Human – Covenant war." This grabbed the ODST's attention.
"What do you know about that?" The smirk that I had before came back.
"As much as any major fan of the halo franchise would, which is almost everything." The ODST was silent for a bit.
"I've just had a crazy idea… what if I can get you put into my timestream – just before the start of the war?" Well… this was unexpected. I was tempted by this but if I was going into a war then I was going into it as the best I could be… the best humanity could be… as a SPARTAN. Time to hammer out details.
"I can see the benefits of that, but I would like to set some conditions for my acceptance." The ODST nodded thoughtfully.
"I can understand that, I bet I could guess a few of them as well. Go ahead – I'll send this to command for eval." Win! Okay time to make this sound like an ok plan, then again all I have to do is play the SPARTAN II program card to remind them that such actions are sometimes necessary.
"Okay instead of listing the conditions how 'bout I outline my plan instead?" The ODST nodded. "Alright, first we 'kill' me in this universe/timeline to avoid awkward questions, and then we take my memories and personality and imprint them onto a child as a genetic memory so that I'm a viable candidate for the SPARTAN II program. At the same time as we're imprinting the memories and personality we alter the child's genes to have the markers Dr Halsey's looking for to make sure that I'm selected. I would appreciate a bit of help in training to ensure I make it – including the augmentations, if you don't mind. If I make it then the memories should start to re-surface, so I can make a few changes for the better and help us end the war quicker and with fewer casualties." I paused to think about the less important details, ones that I'd like rather would need. "This isn't necessary but I would like it to be done to make life a bit easier. I would like to be able to match Kelly in speed." The ODST nodded again, then raised a hand to signal for me to wait. He wandered away for a minute obviously talking to someone on the radio in his helmet. Then he walked back over and held out his hand.
"Welcome to the program Number 122." I struggled not to yell at the top of my voice at the rush of exhilaration that I was feeling, as that would both alert the other four people in my group and probably make me look dumb in front of the person who had helped me to live a dream. And probably his commanders that might be watching through the camera on his helmet, as it was I couldn't stop a grin writing itself all over my face.
"So… how am I going to die?"
"I was thinking something to do with TTRs." My grin got wider. This was perfect.
"And how am I going to know it's you?" He reached into a pouch on his belt and pulled out some sort of headset.
"Here – this is on a secure frequency and I'll talk you through it. So if you come across a group with guns and I tell you it's not us you run, ok?" I nodded.
"Got it."
"Good, now get back to your group and be ready." I decided to tease him just a bit as I fitted the headset onto my right ear. I stood to attention and saluted.
"Aye aye sir!" The ODST obviously rolled his eyes at that even though I couldn't see them.
"I'll see you in a bit kid." We both turned and walked away in different directions. As I got back to the group Nichole looked at me funny.
"Where did you get that headset?" I had already decided on an excuse for this.
"It's for my phone – it was in my bag." This seemed acceptable as they didn't question me further. The day wore on, and nothing much happened aside from Jake falling into a concealed foxhole. When we were two markers away from completing the course the headset the ODST had given me let out a burst of static, then I heard his voice.
"Ok kid, we're all set at the marker your heading to, we've moved it to the other side of a fence that says 'Keep out, Private property'. So when you get to where it's supposed to be look for the fence and be sure you are the one that goes over to get the marker. That's where we come in; when you get there we'll walk out of cover guns pointed and shout a challenge. You stop and raise your hands; we will walk you off then when I give the signal the guy that'll be walking behind you will shoot you in the back of the head with a TTR. Got all that?" Giving no outward sign that I was listening to him I replied.
"Got it, by the way, will you be un-helmeted? And I'm guessing that you won't be in your own armour."
"No we won't and we won't be wearing helmets either."
"All right then, guess I'll see you in a minute."
Nicole's POV
They'd been walking around all day and now they were nearly at the end Nicole decided that she was never going to do orienteering again, it was too tiring. She noticed that Jace was muttering to himself as they entered the woods that the marker they were looking for was in.
A/N for the record Jace is the main guy – I just tried to leave him nameless until the next chapter where he was selected.
They reached the place where the marker was supposed to be and started to spread out to look as they had before, when Jace called out. "I've got it! But there's a problem."
"What sort of problem?" Asked Nicole as she walked over. She stopped when she saw the waist high fence. "Oh that sort of problem." Jace took one look around then jumped over the fence, walking confidently towards the marker 'He is such an arrogant basterd.' She thought 'But he's no worse off for it.' Was another thought as her gaze slipped down his back and came to rest on his ass.
"Stop where you are!" Nicole looked around to see where the shout had come from and froze as men with guns moved out of cover – with all those guns pointed at Jace. Jace backed away from the marker and put up his hands, glancing over to where they were. "Move! That way! NOW!" One of the guys almost screamed. Jace stayed calm, turned his head to where the rest of the group were waiting and winked! How could you wink at a time like that! He had to be ice cold to not be afraid right now.
"Don't worry kiddo's – I'll be right back." Was Jace's comment as he turned to walk away. Just before the group of armed men went out of sight Nicole saw the one to Jace's left make a quick hand signal. A single shot rang out. Nicole saw it hit the back of Jace's head and saw a spray of red come from where the shot had hit. Jace fell, face down. The orienteering group stood there in shocked silence as two of the armed men bent to grab Jace's arms and dragged him away. Nicole heard a helicopter start up and guessed what happened next out of her sight. She didn't know how far off she was.
Jace's POV
"We're gonna need you to fall on your face, so sorry if it hurts you later." I tensed myself in preparation hoping that I was far enough away from the group from collage that they wouldn't notice it. I saw the one on my left give the signal, I'd established that this was the ODST that I had been talking to earlier, he had a nametag on this uniform – Sgt R. Fall. I felt the TTR smash into the back of my head and saw myself start to fall, but I blacked out before I hit the floor.
I woke up in the back of what looked like a pelican's troop bay, but I could hear rotor blades just outside – so this had to be some sort of rotary winged transport craft and not a pelican. "Hey kid you ok?"
"Ugh… well I don't have the headache I expected. And calling me kid all the time is gonna get old fast."
"Alright then Jace, we won't call you kid all the time. That is if you're ok with us calling you Jace." It didn't surprise me that they knew my name, they'd probably done a record search when they'd first come across me it the forest. After all – you don't offer a spot on the SPARTAN II project to anyone unless you know they could handle it. "When you first let me know that we were doing this… why did you call me Number 122?"
"That will be your SPARTAN candidate number. We're going to place you alongside the best Spartan there was – John-117."
