The Edge of Infinity
Based on Ti Amo
Chapter One
To The Infinity & The Beyond
"Just look at that horse-"
A click.
"I'm Batman-"
Another click.
"Drivin' down the road goin': 'whoo whoooo!'"
Yet another click.
A Sangheili slouching on a couch rubbed her face, shocked at how bored she was already after being stationed at an Albuquerque UNSC base. And she had thought that was boring. Unsurprisingly, no matter how much praise she had been given during her training at a Sangheili military academy, human UNSC brass was skeptical and stationed her at a base only three hours away from her home, like they were expecting to send her packing eventually, but with little expense paid. A stuffed duffel bag and a bus ticket? Budget saved. But she had performed her menial duties to the letter, and with no gripe. She had even managed to get friendly with a couple of the people there, but they were not really 'friends' like she was with Zuli, who had at least been sent to Washington, DC. Apparently the DC brass had plans to make him some sort of ambassador-like figure, since humans could relate with him more easily due to his upbringing. Sedena had no idea how she couldn't be in the same boat as him. She was raised by Stone of all humans. If he wasn't the epitome of human relatability, she didn't know what was.
But Zuli described his position as 'tour guide,' and 'baby sitter,' among other irate things. Sedena couldn't be that jealous with that being said, but at least he was somewhere new, even if on the same planet.
"It's not that spectacular," Zuli had complained once during leave. Maybe... oh well. Sedena didn't think they'd be treated like this forever. Sooner or later someone would recognize their talents and be annoyed that they weren't being put to good use.
As Sedena flipped through the channels, waiting with bated breath for that day to come, she heard her laptop sound off a mail notification. She heaved herself up and made for her room. Sitting at her desk, she opened her mail client and saw the subject of the email was 'Potential Position Aboard the UNSC Infinity.' She blinked.
Did I read that right? She asked herself as she kept reading it over and over.
"No way," she said aloud, "This has to be a prank." When she saw who the sender was, her heart sank. Office Of Naval Intelligence. Hopefully it was still a prank?
Sedena clicked the email open, and saw to her dismay that this email was very official looking. And it included all of her personal credentials, including her Social Security number and UNSC serial number... even some credentials leftover from her brief life on Sanghelios before High Charity.
"Oh shit..." she murmured.
"Sedena Gossard Hakrenini," it read, "You have been contacted and are to attend a summons at the Albuquerque ONI headquarters to be assessed for a possible stationing aboard the UNSC cruiser Infinity, at 0600 hours on the fifteenth day of June of this year."
"Fucking tomorrow!?" Sedena exclaimed incredulously.
"You will be sent a courier who will collect and deliver you to our office. Upon arrival, you will be escorted to our council room where you will be interviewed by our District Director Garen Goldblum, Senior Executive Officer Natascha Fairwind, and First Officers Mathias Peterson, Latifah Parker, and Rukia Kagome. You will be expected to be in uniform and unarmed..." Sedena scanned through the rest of it, but what it pretty much amounted to was that good ol' ONI wanted to keep tabs on a resident marine alien.
Oh God, I wonder if they're going to do this to Zuli, Sedena wondered as she fell back in her chair, trying to digest this news. But why the Infinity? When she wanted someone to put her where she ought to be... she hadn't envisioned some spooky kooks putting her somewhere where they could keep an eye on her... but if they wanted to keep an eye on her, they could have just kept her at the Albuquerque base and just had some douche physically watch her. Why go through the trouble of transferring her to one of the highest class UNSC cruisers in... well, literally all of human history currently? More importantly, how the hell was Stone going to react?
He read the first few lines over and over again as Sedena sat beside him, watching his eyes scan the screen.
"Oi vey, I should've seen this coming," he grunted, finally sitting back and rubbing the bridge of his nose.
"Should you have...?" She asked, but trailed off when Stone gave her a look. Bashfully she replied, "I guess I should've seen it coming, too."
"But the Infinity?" he said. "If they want to watch you, why not just keep you at Albuquerque?"
"Dunno," she heaved, flopping back on her bed. "But I get to go on a road trip tomorrow morning."
"Heh... you have to be in uniform," Stone snickered. She sat up at that, flushing slightly.
"Shut it."
"Sorry, I can't. ONI or not, you have to look like a doofus in front of a bunch of bigwigs."
Sedena ground her teeth, a sound that was particularly vicious for her since they were all canines not enclosed by lips. For some reason the Albuquerque military base thought it would be a good idea to make a formal khaki marine uniform tailored for a Sangheili body. It may look sharp on a human, but on a Sangheili? She could be mistaken for an extra in a movie spoofing the idea of a Sangheili marine. Thankfully she had only worn it on a few occasions, and not in front of a lot of people.
"You think they'd care if I didn't wear the damn thing?"
"Heheh," Stone chuckled again. He then caught her I'm serious look and his mirth faded. "They would... but... honestly? It's ONI. They'd make note of it, probably slap you on the wrist for it, but I don't think they're really that concerned about your uniform."
"They're just concerned about everything else having to do with me."
"Exactly. I honestly don't know what they're after, saying you could be on the Infinity—which, by the way, will be a monolithic point in your career, so I expect you ask how high the Infinity is when they say jump—but: you'd do well to keep your cool and... well, ask how high. You'll never be able to buy their trust, but you'll be able to gain everyone else's trust given time. And that can go a long way, ONI or no ONI." Sedena pondered his words briefly, finding herself in agreement.
"Yeah," she sighed. "I'm just worried... and wary."
"Well, good, you should be. Watch where you step and all that jazz."
"Yeah, speaking of stepping," Sedena grunted, getting to her feet. "I need a walk."
"Alright, see ya later, then," Stone said back, looking at Sedena's computer screen again. Sedena stepped out of her room, out the house, and into the bright New Mexican day. Like any other summer day in the South West, the massive sky above was a deep azure and the sun a white beacon beating down on the land below. Cars sidled by as Sedena followed the sidewalks of the Truth Or Consequences' suburbs, and the tarmac shimmered and warped as it soaked up the heat. To most long-lived New Mexicans it was a bit hot, but not killer if they took their time. Sedena wasn't bothered at all by the heat. Three suns tended to beat one.
Sedena found herself cutting through downtown T or C, and at N'tho's trailer doorstep. The sound of the Rio Grande lapped beyond his backyard, which would soon be cast under the shadow of the Turtle Back Mountains that slumbered beyond the town as the sun steadily climbed down. Sedena knocked. When her former trainer answered he gave her a smile.
"Sedena, hello. What brings you here?"
"Eh," she sighed, giving a weak smile. It made N'tho's falter.
"Something up?" He stepped aside to let her in.
"I got a message. From ONI," she told him. He shut the door, looking at her with concern.
"What did it say?"
"They want me in Albuquerque. Tomorrow. Apparently they're going to assess if I should be sent to the Infinity." N'tho stared at her for a moment, stunned.
"Wow. That's... great?" Sedena gave a humorless chuckle.
"Yeah, pretty much. Stone says I should roll with it."
"Well, I agree," N'tho said, taking a seat on a couch. Sedena took one in a recliner beside the couch. "Usually it would take years for a young recruit to be sent on any massive cruiser. Let alone one like the Infinity. You should pounce on this one, with no mercy. Sink your claws into it like you're lost in the desert and it's your only source of food."
"I'm leaning towards that option, definitely. But it's ONI. Who knows what their real motives are, beyond just keeping track of their former enemies."
"Keep your snout clean and they won't have much reason to harass you," N'tho advised. His smile returned. "In the meantime, you should celebrate."
"I don't think quite yet." She returned a smile. "It's an assessment. Nothing's guaranteed."
"Well, when you get back and they inevitably say 'yes,' given your record at the Sanghelios academy, we should celebrate. Make Zuli jealous. The works."
"I just hope I don't have to babysit anyone on the Infinity. Then Zuli could get me back for teasing him."
"It may happen. But I think you'll be up to far more important things than being a bodyguard for a civilian."
"What if it's an important civilian," Sedena shot back.
"There. When Zuli hears about your babysitting job, but you actually had to defend a delegate from a swarm of Covenant remnant assassins, he can't make fun of you for it. He can only seethe that he didn't get to be in such a grand battle."
After having talked a while with N'tho, Sedena felt better about her predicament. Later she went back home and did her normal routine. Tried and failed to find something on TV, surfed the internet for a bit, read a book, had dinner with Stone, read more, then prepared herself for the next day before going to bed. It took her a while to get to sleep, but somehow she managed despite the turmoil roiling in her belly and head. It hadn't disappeared by the time her alarm awoke her.
What arrived at home first was a silver SUV, pulled parallel to the curb of the driveway. Not the typical black box shady organizations are known for, but what seemed like a regular out-of-the-dealership trailblazer. The spook was too spooky for you, however, clad in the ever-popular black business garb, including shades. Sedena half-expected him to address her as Mr. Anderson, but what he said instead was,
"Private Hakrenini, if you'll follow me." She followed, and Stone watched her climb into the back of the SUV, disappearing behind the door and tinted window. When the truck was gone, he stepped back into the house, plopping on the couch. Now that she was gone, the previous concern kicked in to full-gear dread.
Sedena looked at the clock hanging on the wall overhead. Any minute now she would be called in. She adjusted her clothing. No stupid uniform, of course, but instead a dark green sweatshirt and black satin pants with brown leather shoes. Good enough. The waiting room was silent, gray, and windowless. She couldn't even hear the voices of people in the lobby adjacent to the room, and the lobby had been fairly busy.
She sighed and leaned back in her chair, scratching a mandible absently. At last the door to the meeting room opened. She got to her feet, not too quickly, but in a timely and respectable manner. A man with dark hair and a goatee entered, dressed in a sleeker dark suit and pants, looking more like a mafia kingpin than a military executive.
"We're ready," he told her. She followed him into a dark room, the only lights coming from wall mounted lamps that shined directly downwards, giving a nice view of the gray wall with the ONI insignia painted on. A curved table sat at the end of the room in front of the wall, the figures of several men and women shrouded in shadows. A lot more than the names the letter had given. She didn't doubt the names were real, though. Somewhere among the rabble were directors and executives and so on. The man that had brought her in took a seat in the only empty chair behind the table. Now all that they had to wait for was the Godking's avatar to manifest itself and begin the ritual.
Instead of that, one of the spooks shuffled through some papers she no doubt pretended she could read in the dim light. Sedena fought the urge to smirk, all the while trying to convince herself that her bladder wouldn't let go any minute now.
"Private Sedena Gossard Hakrenini, former resident of High Charity, adopted by one Private Stone Gossard. You enrolled in a Sangheilian military academy at the age of sixteen and attended for four years, rising quickly through the academic ranks, fastest in your class. Deemed fit for Special Operations by the staff by the time of your graduation. Very impressive, Miss Hakrenini. But, upon enrolling in the New Mexican UNSC marine division, you were treated like any other grunt fresh out of boot camp, which is a shame, to say the least. I have to admit, I'm ashamed in myself for not noticing you earlier."
"I made do..." she trailed off at the woman, wanting to hear her name.
"Senior Executive Officer Natascha Fairweather," she said.
"I made do, Ms. Fairweather," Sedena said again.
"Truly. I see you're not in uniform. Good. I saw some photographs of you in that hideous thing." Sedena couldn't hold in a laugh. She let it go, but reminded herself not to let them get her into a false sense of security because they were acting nice.
"My dignity is still on the road to recovery, ma'am," Sedena answered. She thought she could see Fairweather smile under the shadows.
"I have no doubt." Fairweather turned another page, "Now," she went on, "Let's get down to business. I want to begin by asking your thoughts on why we chose you to go from Private of a state marine division to a special force aboard the UNSC Infinity." Sedena took a short moment to think of a reply, and answered straight,
"As far as I know, there is no non-human presence aboard the Infinity. My guess would be is that you would like to implement a Sangheili presence on the Infinity to promote relations between our people. As for me personally, I can only assume because you deem my skills acceptable in such an environment." The people suddenly began murmuring to each other, leaning over and covering their mouths (like they even needed to). Sedena waited for them to settle down.
When it seemed the discussions had ended, Fairweather went on, "On the nose, Private Hakrenini. Or should I say Special Forces Corporal Sedena Gossard Hakrenini." Sedena was taken aback. Really? She was promoted already? There had to be no good reason for that. Fairweather stood, as did the rest of the people. Overhead lights faded on, showing the oh-so sincere smiling faces of the ONI officers that shuffled around the table towards Sedena. Thus began a short milling of officers coming to shake Sedena's hand, some of them muttering to each other with shit-eating grins while they awaited their turns. Fairweather was last shake her hand.
"Congratulations, Corporal. You're expected to be ready for duty on the Infinity by the end of this week."
Wow! A whole three days to get prepared! You shouldn't have!
"Thank you, very much. I wasn't expecting an opportunity like this any time soon," she said instead.
Fairweather smiled and said, "June nineteenth will be your pickup day. An escort will arrive at your home and will take you to the doubleport here. One of our personnel will accompany you to the Infinity and brief you on your duties." Fairweather looked at her watch.
"Well, Corporal Hakrenini, it's been a pleasure. I'm glad we could meet at last. Your escort is waiting outside."
Wow. Three fucking hours in a car with Robospook just to be promoted in five minutes. What a joke.
"Thank you again. It's been a pleasure for me as well," Sedena told her. They all cleared out, Sedena receiving a few more slimy farewells from the other spooks. When she stepped outside into the sun she let out a loud grunt, rubbing her forehead.
"Holy shit..." she sighed, feeling like she needed to punch something. The meat bag that drove SUV seemed like a good option as he approached, unsmiling.
"Are you ready, Corporal?"
"Am I required by law to get in that thing?" she asked. He seemed taken aback.
"No, but-"
"Then I won't waste your time: take a hike, I'll get a bus home after I go shopping or something while I'm here." She walked away from him, fuming. Seriously, what in the unholy fuck was that? She had expected a bit more psychological torture and intimidation. Hell, maybe that's what was at work right now. Three days. In three days she'd be on a billion-dollar pillar of human technological advancement, light years away from home. The thought was making her queasy. She quickly hailed a cab. The vehicle hummed over and she climbed in.
"Your destination?" the realistic sounding but still kind-of-obviously fake voice of the automated pilot asked.
"The mall," she demanded.
"Right away, ma'am."
The bar was empty but for one old man at the end and the bar tender. Sedena wedged herself into the ill-fitting seats and the barman approached, eyeing here warily.
"Aye?" he asked.
"Something strong. Strongest, actually."
"Ya sure?"
"Whatever it is, it might as well be Budweiser to me." He scowled at that but brought out an aged bottle of moonshine and poured her half a pint glass. She downed the drink in one swoop and shook the glass at him. He begrudgingly poured her another. Instead of drinking again, she grabbed her phone from her pocket and dialed home. Stone picked up on the first ring.
"Hey, honey. They got you waitin'?"
"Heh, no, it's done," she chuckled humorlessly.
"Wait, what?"
"Yeah! They did their 'we know everything about you' routine, then asked me why they thought I was a good candidate. I gave them a pretty forward answer, and next thing I know: Corporal, get on the Infinity in three days."
"Three fucking days?!" Stone practically yelled. Sedena shifted the phone farther from her head a little.
"I'm telling you, it's part of their plan to... I dunno, break my spirits or something."
"Where are you now?"
"Shopping."
"For what?"
"Books... music, just browsing Hammond and Sons."
"Sedena, I can smell the booze through your phone."
"I'm only on my second glass!"
"Yeah, don't pretend just because you're a couple of feet taller than me that you won't get smashed after a few half-pints."
"Well, I promise I'll go book shopping after I wash away my blues."
"Bring me back a doggie bag of those Irish nachos at that pub down the street from the mall."
"I'm not going to McCool's just to get one thing."
"Fine, that habernaro fudge from that candy store next to McCool's."
"Ugh, fine. I'll be home pretty soon, though. It sucks shopping alone."
"Suck even more to drink alone. Get outta there!" He was just making a joke, but Sedena knew he was partly serious. She chuckled quietly.
"Okay, see you soon, Dad. Love you."
"Love you, too, Sedena." She hung up, feeling a little better now. She probably should have called him before coming here. She wouldn't have ended up wasting her money on booze. With a heavy sigh she tossed a bill on the counter and walked away, not even waiting for the barman to give her change.
She ended up just going to the candy shop and getting Stone his fudge, while she got herself some peanut brittle. After three hours on the bus, she was home in the afternoon. She walked up to her door and let herself in. She then heard Rose's voice from the kitchen.
"That you, Sedena?" Stone called when she closed the door behind her.
"Yeah," she said back. Sedena walked into the kitchen to see he and Rose leaning on the counter.
"Maybe by next month you'll be a Shipmaster," Rose said with a smirk.
"After that, the entire Sangheilian fleet," Sedena said, handing Stone the box of fudge, "Then, the galaxy."
"ONI made a good call," Stone chuckled as he opened the box.
"They'll all be under my command, and the jokers that were at the C'thulu Cultus Summonus will be sent to the netherspace for their insolence."
"What'd they do exactly?" Rose asked.
"You know," Sedena shrugged, "Acting all polite but obviously mocking me. They don't think I can drive, apparently, so they send Agent Jeeves to secure the package."
"How do they expect you to fly the Infinity, then?" Stone asked.
"Starship Simulator 2573," Rose interjected.
"For dummies," Stone added.
"So you're both going to the netherspace, then," Sedena shot back. Rose's phone made a sound. She picked it up and read the text, causing her to grin.
"Zuli wants to know the news."
"Tell him he should address me as Corporal Hakrenini or ma'am from now on. And that's Spec Forces Corporal, by the way."
"Oh man, he's going to flip his shit," Rose laughed, thumbs flying on the screen of her phone. The message was sent and was answered within moments. Rose read aloud, "Oh so you're not even going to wait to say goodbye to me in person? Think you're queen shit now?"
"I don't have time for peasants like him," Sedena returned coolly. Rose repeated that on her machine and sent it. After a moment the phone booped in reply.
Rose read, "One day the aristocracy will be brought down! But seriously, video chat later. 'Kay bye."
"If only I had my Spec Ops armor now, I'd be wearing it for the chat," said Sedena.
"You could always wear your marine outfit."
"Keep bringing that up, see what happens," Sedena returned dangerously.
"...downward spiral mentally and completely losing it."
"Oh, I thought I already hit rock bottom when I was adopted by some human freak."
"Oh shit, shots fired," Rose said with a grin.
"I don't think I can top that," Stone sighed. "Nicely done."
They talked for a bit more about Sedena's future on the Infinity. Stone made them some dinner of glazed ham and sweet potatoes with boiled string beans sprinkled with seasoned olive oil. After the meal Rose and Stone retired to their room (Sedena wondered if they would officially move in with each other now that she was leaving) and Sedena did the same to her room. She managed to catch Zuli on a voice channel.
"Well if it isn't the deserter," he sneered mockingly as a greeting. "I bet you're ready to leave as soon as possible."
"Actually, that's the thing," Sedena said with a sigh. "I guess it's ONI's way to mess with me, but I'm off in three days."
"Seriously?" he asked, taken aback.
"Seriously. So yeah, I have to prepare for that in three... well, two days technically."
"Yeah, that's kind of a drag. But even with ONI being up to something, just imagine it! You're going up on the freaking Infinity! October sixth, 2573. That's the date Infinity recruits its first Sangheili crew member. Not to sound dramatic, but you're literally making history."
"That makes me wonder... will there be some sort of press thing before I get jettisoned up into space."
"Probably. In fact the ambassador that I've been babysitting asked me about you."
"Oh did he? Well he must be close with certain people. Shit, Zuli, did you ever mention me before and get me into this mess?" she joked.
"You mean did I advertise your talents and how they're being squandered at some boring-ass base in the middle of the desert? It's possible they heard of you through me, sure, but I think we both know they've been watching us since we were officially adopted by humans. We're not like the usual asylum seeking Sangheili that wind up in ghettos."
"Good point." Sedena massaged her cheek, staring at the wall. "I'm just nervous... I mean really nervous. Not just about ONI but the idea that I'm being shipped away from my family so quickly."
"Well... I can't say I know the feeling since I'm just a few states away from home... but I'm gonna say it anyway to make you feel better: I know the feeling."
Sedena laughed. "Okay, to your credit, that worked a bit."
Zuli chuckled back. "Glad it did..." he trailed off. Sedena heard some knocking in the background and a voice ask for him.
"Agh. Spontaneous party that the ass-bassador wants to go to, so I've gotta be off."
"'Ass-bassador?' Am I talking with a fully grown Sangheili or some kid playing Duty Calls on PlayBox Live."
"Hardy fucking har. Hey, I'll talk to you again tomorrow night. Goodnight, Sedena."
"Goodnight, Zuli." When he hung up Sedena sighed and closed her laptop's lid. She leaned back in her chair with arms folded over her chest, staring up at the ceiling. Thoughts of ONI, Infinity and what was to come swam in her head. She tapped her foot anxiously and clenched her fists.
"Urgh..." she grunted, heaving herself up. She headed for the kitchen and decided it was time for Rob Roys. She mixed up the concoction of scotch whiskey, sweet vermouth and some cherries then flopped on the couch to watch some TV. The booze combined with the dull drivel on the idiot box eventually led her to fall asleep on the couch.
Later in the night Stone emerged from his room. He went into the living room quietly and turned off the TV. He watched Sedena for a few moments, feeling as apprehensive as she did. He stroked her cheek gingerly and decided it was about time to finish off the bit of Rob Roy she had left in the cocktail mixer.
The two days leading up to her leave were sort of crazy, sort of a grind. As morbid as it seemed, she got her affairs in order. She spoke with a lawyer who helped her write her final will and testament, and how her body was to be treated if she died... if her body could be recovered, that is. After that she decided it was about time she got her own place to live in when she returned on leave. Not being a very high maintenance woman, she picked a simple apartment not far from Stone's house. Stone promised to furnish and watch over it while she was gone, and she told him not to pull a prank by stuffing it full of dudebro sports paraphernalia or something stupid like that. She gave him the death stare when she noticed him grinning at the idea for a moment, but he just laughed her off.
On the eve of Sedena's transfer she, Stone and Rose were resting in the living room (with copious amounts of booze, of course).
"Did you really have to write out your will, Sedena?" Rose asked her.
"Sort of, yeah," Sedena answered. "It's something not just old people should do. I mean let's be real, I could get killed in a traffic accident before I even get to the doubleport tomorrow."
"Doubt it," Stone replied. "Remember that time you got cramered by Zuli the first time he tried to drive? If he had hit me I would've ended up in the hospital. You had some bruised muscle tissue and a few cuts."
"That's not the point," Sedena retorted. "We all die, and usually not when we want to. Even when we're young. So..." she shrugged. "If I do end up... biting the dust, you all know what I wanted and what to do, and not have to get stressed playing guessing games." Neither Stone nor Rose replied, and there was an uncomfortable silence for a while.
Stone decided to break it after a few moments. "I bet... you're going to be an experiment!"
Sedena looked up at him with a perplexed expression. "Say what now?"
"Think about it: you're a Sangheili raised by a human, you're in the 'human' military, but you got all this fancy spec ops training on Sanghelios. And now ONI wants to throw you on the Infinity, known quite well for its Spartan IV squads. You know that Sangheili are as strong as unarmored Spartans... what if... they outfit you with your own Sangheili Mjolnir armor?"
"Ha! Haha!" she laughed. "Cool as that sounds, I doubt those ghouls would want to give me that much power."
"No, no, no, I know these guys, Sedena," Stone argued, sitting up straight to lean towards her, "We all know they consider your people... 'frenemies.' All paranoid about the idea of going back to war with Sangheili. And they want you to be the poster child of... 'integration.'"
"You're... talking about this like it's not a joke," Rose remarked.
"It isn't," Stone shot back. "I mean think about it, what's a Sangheili gonna do on the Infinity? Do menial bullshit along with all the other grunts? Maybe at first, just to test you or inspire discipline, but... well, they said it themselves: you're a spec ops trooper wasting away at some backwater fort, when all the action is up there!" he pointed upwards.
Sedena swirled the drink in her hand thoughtfully, looking down at the ground. Stone leaned back again, looking sure of himself while Rose just watched him with a dubious look. She glanced at Sedena and noticed her contemplation.
"You really entertaining this idea, Sedena?" Rose asked with raised brows.
Stone gave her a mildly offended look. "What's not to entertain?"
"I've gotta admit, Rose, he makes some fair points," Sedena said back. "You know I never told you guys this, but I once saw ONI people hanging around the War Academy on Sanghelios. Political types hanging around the staff... and then... spooks snooping around where they shouldn't have been, I know that for a fact, and they knew it, too."
"Wait... seriously? You mean like they were... spying?" Rose said, starting to look somewhat alarmed. Sedena chuckled humorlessly and took a drink.
"I didn't say anything to anyone, didn't want to start some shit. But I'd be lying if I said it didn't disturb me."
"Jesus, Sedena, that's pretty serious," Stone said. He took a drink himself, followed by Rose.
"The trouble is I'm not so sure I should've kept quiet," Sedena told them. They didn't reply, which had to mean they didn't know what to think either. She breathed out and leaned back on the couch, putting a foot on the coffee table. "I mean... they could've been bugging the place... but it's a school. A military training facility, sure, but just a school for... and Spartan IVs have been training there, too, so it's... I don't know..." She rubbed her forehead. Stone and Rose still couldn't think of anything to say.
As much as they wanted her—and themselves—to believe this was a golden opportunity, it was more along the lines if the gold still belonged to the person who laid it out... and possibly meant she'd become the property by taking it.
"I'm going to punch one of them if they start asking stupid questions."
"Like... what?"
"I dunno! Just! Something stupid!"
"Yeah, yeah... yeah..."
Sedena, Stone and Rose sat in the car as they watched the entrance to the Albuquerque doubleport. A small crowd had gathered around a host of local and national news networks armed with cameras and primly trimmed reporters. Even a BBC van was present among the gathering. The reporters surrounded one of the ONI execs she recognized from the Cthulu Convention, the goatee guy that looked like a Mafia don. Today dressed in a dark suit with red pinstripes, a crimson undershirt with a black tie, spit-shined black shoes with gold buckles, and pricey looking dark aviators also trimmed with gold. Maybe real gold, even. Garen... Goldblum, that was his name.
"Guy looks like he should own a casino," Rose commented as they watched him fill the reporter's cameras and notepads with sweet nothings.
"A casino with a meth lab under it," Stone added.
"But he's really the chosen sperm donor for the anti-Christ's jackal mother," Sedena finished.
"Ahhh," Stone and Rose said together, nodding.
"Well, ready for your fifteen minutes of fame?" Stone said to Sedena with a smirk.
"It better only be five minutes at the most," she muttered as she pulled the door's leaver, pushed it open and stepped into the sunlight of the wide open parking lot. Behind the terminal an airliner whined off into the sky, its solar wings glistening in the desert sun. Beyond the tarmac a UNSC frigate hovered with a deep hum that made her bones rattle and teeth ache somewhat. That was probably her ride to the prized turkey beyond the sky. Stone and Rose followed her out. Sedena's duffel bag hung at her side as she gripped it tightly, bracing herself.
"Don't sweat it, hon." Stone gave her a pat on the back. "Just tell them about those spies you saw at the aca- oof!" Stone grunted when Rose elbowed him in the stomach a little harder than she intended.
"Yeah, jet fuel can't melt steel beams, Dad."
"That meme is dusty and dead just like the Covenant, sweetie, get on my level."
"Never mind, I'm glad I'm going now. Thanks for the kick in the ass."
"That's what dads do best."
The family walked together to the throng of babbling spectators and inquiring journalists.
"Ah, speak of the devil!" Goldblum proclaimed with a grin and a gesture towards Sedena. Heads turned in her direction and the reporters started shouting questions like a pack of laughing hyenas. The other civilians watched her with either puzzled or interested looks, or judging scowls.
One guy stepped forward from the spectators, dressed in a dirty wifebeater, worn jeans and work boots and tattoos of half-naked chicks and Mom hearts—a winning combination.
"What's a space nigger doing with the corps anyway!" he shouted between crooked teeth. Some of the reporters and spectators gasped.
"We'll edit that out in post..." Sedena heard a voice mutter. All eyes were on her as they tensely awaited her response. Sedena turned to him, opened her mouth, then got stuck. She took in a sharp breath, another, then...
"Ahhchaagh!" she sneezed right at him. She politely covered her mouth, of course, but a bit of spray got in the air despite it.
"The fuck, man!" he hissed, stepping back.
Sedena cleared her throat. "Oh, I'm sorry, I'm allergic to assholes," she told him. Laughter, a few cheers, and couple of grumbles rolled out of the crowds. Grinning article journalists typed furiously on their e-pads.
"Never mind, don't edit that out, that was gold," she heard that one voice murmur.
"Corporal, please, join me," Goldblum called from behind the podium of microphones. All the big name news outlets had their logos plastered on the mics, while the smaller channels and independent news people thrust their mics and held booms over his head. Sedena did her best to not look reluctant as she stepped through a part on the crowd. Goldblum had a greasy smile as he gestured for her. The little ass wrapped his arm around her back like they were best chums.
Oh I'm gonna hurl.
"She, ladies and gentlemen, is going to be our future: a better future."
No seriously.
"She killed our people!" that guy in the dirty tanktop bellowed. If he had had a bottle of liquor (which he might have earlier) he probably would've thrown it.
"Eggh, can someone remo-" Goldblum again, but Sedena interrupted him with another sneeze.
"Oh, sorry," she sniffed, "You should be careful, if Sangheili are exposed to allergens long enough we start sneezing acid, like xenomorph blood." The crowd had a laugh again, even Goldblum seemed to be legitimately enjoying the joke.
"Fuckin' traitors!" the guy shouted as he backed away. Apparently ballsy enough to heckle but not ballsy enough to stay. "I didn't watch my buddies die face down in the muck to see this happen!"
"So anyway," Goldblum said loudly, "We hope to put sentiments like that in the past-" Goldblum tried to comment, but a reporter interrupted him.
"To be frank, he has something of a point," the woman stated. "We allied with the Elites out of necessity, what makes you think-"
"I know where you're going," Sedena interrupted her instead, "and I get it, I really do. My biological father was a zealot in both the sense of a high commander of the Covenant and a religious extremist, and for the early years of my life I was told genocide upon humans was the will of the Forerunners." Sedena pushed on before the murmuring drowned her out, "But, that all changed when I was adopted by a human, and raised by him, fed by him, and taught English. He became my true father. As corny and PR-safe as mister Goldblum wants to make this—no offense," she said to him sideways. He just smiled and gave a thumbs up, "The fact is that I was born at a time and in an environment responsible for the deaths of billions of human. But I was a child, I had no control over it, and my father's hateful ravings... well, I can't say they didn't leave an imprint, but I can tell you that even as a dumb child I could see how vile the entire campaign against humanity was. Of course I couldn't voice such concerns lest I be deemed a heretic and have my entire family slaughtered." The crowd glanced among each other and whispered.
Sedena thought for a moment as the speech stirred up old unhappy memories. Telling her brother Samos her true feelings, and he telling her that such thoughts could get them all executed. Only Samos and her mother ever knew what she thought.
"It's true," she told them. "I would have been executed for heresy... my brother and mother would suffer the same fate, simply being guilty of association. Father would have done it himself to prove he was truly devout to the Covenant." Sedena chuckled sardonically and shook her head. "Not that it would have been hard for him. Hell, he would've ratted us out himself not just to cushion the scandal, but because he..." she shook her head. "Well, you get the idea."
A slew of questions were shouted at them. Goldblum pointed to someone from CNN.
"Corporal Hakrenini," the man started, "You mentioned being adopted by a human man. How did that come about?"
"That's a story, alright," Sedena sighed, drumming her fingers on the podium. "I lived on High Charity with my family. It was more than just the center of the Covenant's military force, it was a complete city. And it was ravaged by the Flood near the end of the war, as you all know. I was still aboard. As was Stone, my father, as a prisoner." She huffed and rubbed her temple, almost hearing the howls of the Flood and the mutilated screams of their victims as they were mutated for the Gravemind's army. "Long story short: my birth parents and brother died, I discovered Stone while I was running from danger... he took me under his wing, and still is today."
"Is that him there?" one person asked. "He got out of the car with you!" The reporters all turned, making Stone roll his eyes.
"Shit, here we go," he muttered.
"What, that guy?" Sedena asked quizzically, making the press hesitate. "I just snuck into his backseat to get a free ride here. I think he's deaf."
"Ah, don't brush me off, sweetie pie," Stone said to her, stepping through the crowd to the podium. "You wanna scoop on me? Sure, I'll oblige. Anything to make myself look like an idiot on TV and embarrass my kid." That prompted a chorus of laughs.
"Stone Gossard, is it?" a man from the BBC asked.
"Yeah, that's it."
"It's true you were a POW on High Charity? And you survived the Flood?"
"Yes and yes."
"How in the world did that happen?"
"When the Flood used the vessel to attack Earth, we simply snagged a dropship and got the eff outta Dodge."
"Simply, huh?" the BBC reporter joked, eliciting some laughs.
"Well, you don't need to know the details, uh..." Stone bit the inside of his cheek. "Seeing what the Flood can do with your own eyes? Well, it was a long road to recovery for both Sedena and I."
"Do you have any mental instabilities, Corporal?" a reporter asked out of the blue. Goldblum glanced nervously at her, but she just rolled her eyes.
"No. Yes, it was terrifying and the ordeal will never leave my mind, but it hasn't gotten in the way of my day-to-day life or my duties to the UNSC."
"You are part of the UNSC," another reporter brought up, "and yet you trained exclusively at a Sangheili military academy on your home planet. How can you be trained by one military force and join another?"
"First of all: Earth is my home planet. I live here, so..." Stone smirked and Goldblum just put on his best PR face. "But in answer to your question: yes, the training style was far different from UNSC boot camps, but service is ultimately the same. It wasn't a difficult adjustment to make at the Albuquerque base." Goldblum glanced at his watch, smiled (not with too much delight) and stepped before the podium again.
"I'm sorry, folks, but I'm afraid that's all the time we have for questions." Typically the horde of journalists shouted more frantic last minute questions, but to no avail, Goldblum was already leading Sedena's family into the doubleport.
"Well, that went great," he stated happily. "I got a little nervous at some of those questions, but you handled it... exceptionally well."
"Thanks," Stone said before Sedena could reply.
"Funny," she said to Stone, kicking him lightly in the shin.
"Well, Corporal," said Goldblum, stepping before her and clapping his hands together. "This is where I leave you..." he gestured to another man that approached. He was young, about 6'9" with blonde hair and blue eyes. He regarded Sedena with a cocky yet friendly smile. He nodded up at her.
"Yo what's up?"
"This is Frankie Irons," Goldblum introduced him, "he'll be showing you around your ward of the Infinity."
"Good ta meet ya," he said to Sedena with a thick Bostonian accent. He reached out his hand and she took it.
"You too, Irons."
"Ah, please, call me Frankie," he insisted with a sly grin and a wink.
Is this guy trying to get into my pants?
"Corporal Irons here is a Spartan-IV, the latest recruit of a whole team you'll be meeting soon enough," Goldblum explained. Sedena glanced at Stone and Rose. Rose looked surprised, as did Stone a little, but with a hint of "I told you so."
"This'll be interesting," she said.
"Oh you's gonna love deh guys, Sedeens," he told her with vast body language. "We got dis Russian dude who's bigger than dudes from your race, this crazy German docta, some Aussie or Kiwi guy or somethin' who's our sharpshoota. Oh yeah! Our commanda is Jennifer Elaine, I think you know her..."
"Wait, what?!" Sedena exclaimed.
"Ahem!" Goldblum grunted. "Corporal, I thought you were going to keep that a... surprise."
"What? I didn't say dat," Frankie told him. "You did."
"Well, you ruined it," Goldblum sighed, scratching behind his ear. Sedena gave him an icy look then turned back to Frankie.
"So, you're friends with Jen, huh?"
"Oh yeh, best of pals! Love each otha! Yeah, she's been leadin' us for almost a year, so far. But I'm her favorite," he bragged, rubbing his finger nails on the chest of his shirt and examining them. Sedena smiled down at him.
"Hmm... mister Goldblum, I think you mistook this special needs child with a Spartan IV."
"Ha! Hahaha! Oh man, Jen said you was a wise ass, like me! I think we gonna be fast friends, toots."
"'Toots?' What are you, a black-and-white movie star?"
"Yeh, worked with Hitchcock. Dat guy in Vertigo that fell of tha buildin' tryin' ta save dat otha guy? Well, not me, he weren't handsome enough to be me."
"Wow, we've got a winner, Sedena," Stone remarked, grinning at Frankie. "Should I start calling you 'son' now?"
"Sure. But she can call me any time."
"Great, I'll call you when I need to know who the hottest chicks are on the Infinity." Frankie snickered while bobbing his head. Then he stopped and his smile fell.
"Wait, ya serious?"
"Anyway," Goldblum snapped. He gave a visibly strained smile to Sedena. "Well, welcome to a new day, Corporal. We've all got high expectations of you. There's a lot going to be happening, but stick with your team, and you can't go wrong." He gave her an almost friendly pat on her arm and departed, adjusting his tie as he went.
"What's his problem?" Frankie asked.
"He's ONI, duh," Sedena answered. He raised his brows and puckered his lips in agreement.
"Well anyway, I'll let ya guys say your goodbyes," Frankie told the family. "I'll be waiting by gate six, we'll take a pelican up to the frigate and get the fuck outta Dodge." He gave a short wave and swaggered away, swinging his arms and clapping them together rhythmically to a song he murmured under his breath. When he was gone Sedena turned to Stone and Rose.
"Oh Sedena," Rose whispered. Sedena smiled warmly, got on a knee and took Rose into her arms. "Please for the love of God be careful up there."
"I'll come back you guys, honest," Sedena assured her. Rose loosened her hold reluctantly. She squeezed Sedena's hands before letting go, sniffing some tears back. Stone let out a shaky breath and squeezed Sedena next.
"Hon, I couldn't be more proud of you," he told her, touching his forehead to her neck while resting his hand on the other side of it. "You're gonna be beside Jennifer and a team of Spartan IV's! ONI or not, you earned this. Deserve it." He backed out a bit, but they still had their arms around each other. Sedena did her best to hide tears welling in her eyes.
"Thank you for everything, Stone..." she spoke softly. "You didn't have to save me... and you definitely didn't have to put up with me growing up." Stone choked on a laugh and Sedena chuckled too.
"Don't talk outta your ass, Sedena, 'course I had to save you. Didn't have to raise you, sure, but save you? Of course." The two of them snickered and reluctantly let go. Sedena got to her feet and took a deep breath. Stone was barely keeping it together himself. Rose took him by the shoulders and squeezed. Sedena raised her duffel bag and slung it across her shoulder. She turned to gate six to see Frankie waiting beside it, looking down at his phone as he texted someone. Sedena turned back to Stone and Rose.
"Give Zuli my love when he comes back on leave, alright?"
"Will do," Stone said.
Sedena lingered for a moment. "Alright," she said, stretching her fingers. "I love to the two of you." They nodded, Rose wiping away some tears.
"We love you too, Sedena," Stone said back. Sedena nodded stiffly, then slowly made for gate six. Stone watched as Frankie noticed her, put his phone away, then lead her to the gate's doorway. Sedena turned around to give them a final goodbye smile, then turned back and was gone.
Stone felt like part of his soul had gone with her... and that wasn't really a bad thing.
The Edge of Infinity is a sequel/soft reboot of the original Ti Amo, wherein not all characters and events that happened in the original story are "cannon" in this one. In other words, no dead weight and a more focused plot that will actually go somewhere.
If you want to chat with Spog on Discord or follow his thoughts, head over to Tumblr and search the name "elspoggerino" and follow his Blog!
Also on his Tumblr page is a link leading to a Spotify playlist for the "Edge Of Infinity Soundtrack!" Head over and jam to the theme songs of this new and exciting story!
Merry Christmahankwanzika!