The Human/Elite: Chapter 3

Chamberlain and a Promotion

The Covenant cruiser left the High Charity after thirty minutes. An Elite showed Thronir, Zanpami and Zumai to their room, which consisted of three beds and a desk. Pipip stopped by to drop off the Elite's gear and weapons. Before the Grunt left though, Thronir asked him if he could find a portable holoprojector. Zan looked at him with a question.

"What do you need a holoprojector for?" The young Elite asked.

Thronir smiled as he opened his pack and pulled out a metal box. The Elite placed it on the desk and opened it. Inside was a datapad, some wires and a small data chip.

"I need it to help complete a friend of mine; an AI," said Thronir as he placed the datapad and the wiring on the desk.

"You mean, you are making your own personal AI?" asked Zumai as she tried to peek over the edge of the desk.

"Of course, when I was a human, I used to be a computer-tech before becoming a marine, so I had access to all of the technology that we used to make our AI's. What I was and am still doing is considered illegal, but I did it anyway," Thronir said while making a funny face at his new children.

Zumai, giggled and Zan laughed as they both sat down on the bed. Zumai looked at the data chip with curiosity, while the Elite began connecting wires and entering data into the datapad.

"What is this data chip for?" she asked.

Thronir smiled as he picked it up and held it for both of them to see.

"This young ones, is Chamberlain, my personal AI!"

"You mean he is in that small chip?" asked Zan and Thronir chuckled at his son's comment.

"Yep, pretty small ain't he?" he asked them, causing them to laugh again.

A knock on the door got Thronir's attention.

"Come in!" he said and Pipip entered holding a portable holoprojector.

"Here you go Thronir, may I ask what you need it for?" asked the Grunt as he sat it on the desk with a heavy 'Thud'.

The Elite smiled as he plugged the datapad into the holoprojector, and started to upload its data.

"You will see soon, Pipip, very soon," Thronir said as he pushed the data chip into the datapad, then with a few more taps here and there, the projector started to hum.

Suddenly there was a flash of blue light from the projector and the blured form of a man flickered into view. Lines of data crawled all over the foot high avatar, as it flickered into focus and out.

"Ah, Henry…(zwich)...its been…(hiss)...a long…(zwich)...time!" warbled a voice from the flickering figure as its face started to come into focus.

"Its good to hear from you Chamberlain, now hold on I am almost done with you," said Thronir as he made a few more adjustments to the datapad.

"Henry…(zwich)...your voice sounds…(hiss)...different, why is that?" asked the AI as the figure ceased flickering and came into focus.

"Long story, I will give you the short one. I was turned into an Elite," Thronir stated in a serious tone as the AI threw a calculating look at him.

"Hmm, never knew the Covenant had that type of technology," said the blue man who had a thick mustache, neat hair and dressed in an old fashioned soldier's uniform.

Zan and Zumai sat on the bed and stared in awe at the glowing being as he stared at their new father with an interesting expression on his face. Chamberlain's eyebrows came together as his eyes narrowed, his mustache tilted up as he brought a corner of his mouth up; he was thinking.

"Hmm, I can now see what you mean, scanning!" information and data crawled all over his body at a rapid pace, "Ah, so it is you Henry! You are a true Elite in appearance, but my bio scanner shows that your organs are still those of Human, just mutated to some extent. Not to mention that you still bleed red blood, not purple, which is odd I might add," Chamberlain finally concluded.

"Yes, thank you Chamberlain," growled Thronir as he threw the AI a glare, while the other three in the room snickered, "Chamberlain, there are some people I would like you to meet!"

Thronir turned and beckoned both Zan and Zumai to come stand by his side. The two small Elites scrambled off the bed and went to him. When Chamberlain looked down his eyes widened in shock.

"Chamberlain, these are my new son and daughter, Zanpami and Zumai!" said Thronir with pride in his voice.

"Well, I'll be! Elite children! I have never seen any Elites so young," said the AI, who was truly astonished as he stared at the two smaller beings in front of the desk.

"That's because you have never seen any Covenant before, Chamberlain!" chuckled Thronir, "I didn't add the final touches to you till just now."

"Hmm, I suppose you are correct," Chamberlain said as he frowned at the Elite, suddenly he paused, "...an Elite is approaching the door, an Ultra, I believe!"

Thronir looked at the door and called out.

"You can come in Hitili!"

The Ultra Elite entered with a surprised look on his face.

"How did…" he paused when he saw the AI on the holoprojector, "Ah! I take it this AI is yours Thronir?"

The Elite nodded.

"Yes Hitili, this is my personal AI, Chamberlain, he is based off of a colonel from Earth in the year 1861. He had fought in the American Civil War," Thronir explained.

Htili nodded his head as a look of understanding appeared on his face.

"I see. I remember reading about that in one of your antique human books, I had found it in the ruins of a human home on one of your planets," He looked at Thronir apologetically, but the Elite waved it off.

Hitili then turned back to the human AI.

"It is an honor to meet you, Colonel Chamberlain!" he said as he bowed.

Chamberlain smiled and returned the bow.

"Pleasure is all mine, Excellency! And please, don't call me by my predecessors full name, I am only a copy of him."

Hitili smiled and then turned to Thronir.

"We are getting ready to go into Slipspace, if we are going to find Earth we need its coordinates," the Elite said.

Thronir nodded and turned to the AI.

"Chamberlain, I know you know the exact coordinates to Earth, will you…" he began.

"I am sorry Henry, but that goes against all protocol!" said Chamberlain as he shook his head.

Thronir glared at the AI and let out a menacing growl.

"Screw protocol! If we don't get to Earth, we won't be there in time to help fight off the Covenant! These Elites and there men are on our side now, we need Earth's location, Now!"

Chamberlain swallowed as his eyes widened slightly. He tugged on his collar as he turned to Hitili.

"Plug me into the ship, Excellency, and I will give you the coordinates," said the AI and his avatar vanished from the projector.

Thronir pulled Chamberlain's data chip out of the datapad and handed it to Hitili, who nodded his thanks and started to leave the room. As the door slid open, the Ultra Elite turned to face Thronir once again.

"I didn't come to see you just so I could get us the coordinates, I also came to inform you Thronir, that you have been promoted to Veteran Spec. Ops. Elite. It is similar to your human rank of Sergeant Major, I believe. I came to ask if you do me the honor of being my second in command," said Hitili with a smirk.

Thronir's mandible's dropped, he couldn't speak, all he could do was nod his head dumbly and try to keep a goofy grin from appearing. While he couldn't say anything, the others in the room let out cheers and smiles. What broke the Elite from his stupor was feeling a small hand placed in his big one. Thronir looked down to see Zumai staring back up at him with tears trailing down her cheeks.

Thronir couldn't fight it any longer and he smiled the biggest he could, causing her to giggle as she hugged him. Thronir then turned to look at Hitili, who had an amused look on his face, he was waiting for a vocal response.

"Y-yes Excellency! T-thank you your Excellency!" he stuttered as he threw his superior a sloppy salute.

Hitili's smile deepened as he returned it.

"Good, I shall now remove my presence from your cabin, I bid you good day!" and with that the Ultra left and the door hissed closed behind him.

Pipip looked up at Thronir and chuckled when he still saw the shocked look on his friend's face.

"Congratulations my friend, you earned this! Though I would try and change my facial expression if I were you, wouldn't want it to get stuck like that!" the Grunt laughed.

Thronir shook his head and then sent a small glare at Pipip, but the smile still on his face showed it wasn't real.

"You know, I could easily make you eat those words you little cretin! Now leave before I do!" Pipip quickly scurried out of the room laughing a storm, while Thronir let out a chuckle.

Zan and Zumai both yawned and Thronir smiled as he turned to face them.

"Go to bed you two and get some sleep, we will be at Earth sooner than you know it," he said.

Zan nodded and mumbled his goodnight then collapsed on his bed in exhaustion. Zumai went up to her father and hugged him, Thronir wrapped his arms around her little body and gave her an Elites equivalent to a kiss on her head.

"Goodnight, father," she said sleepily.

Thronir smiled and hugged her a bit more.

"Goodnight, Zumai, sleep well," and then the little Elite went to her bed.

Thronir tucked her under a thick blanket and gave her another kiss, he then went to his son's bed. Zanpami was already snoring softly when he reached the bed. Thronir chuckled softly, kissed his son's head and began removing his armor, till all he was left wearing was his under armor.

Thronir laid down on his bed and pulled up his blankets, designed specially to ward off the chills of space.

"What a day," he mumbled silently to himself as he turned onto his side and shortly succumbed to slumber.