Hey all! Look, I'm not dead! i'm so sorry for not posting anything for...three weeks? Something like that. I was fully intending to post sooner, but then...well, halo 5 just had to come out didnt it? So again, I apologise, and hope this nice long chapter makes up for it. I promise to update much sooner from now on.
Hope you enjoy!
Chapter Six: Origins
Samus cursed, kicking the door again. She had first attempted to hack her way through, both using her Scan Visor and Adam, but both had come up fruitless. Angered, she had decided to try brute force, but that was more for her than actually affecting the door.
"It's no use Samus, we need to move on." Adam commented dryly.
"We can't just leave them. What if they're in danger?" Samus shot back, now glaring at the door.
Adam sighed. "John can handle himself. But the Infinity and Lasky are relying on us to take out the Gravity Well."
She paused. He was right. As if to add to his point, Lasky's voice suddenly crackled through her radio, right on queue.
"Chief? Samus? What's the status on that Shield? We're taking fire out here."
She cursed before replying. "This is Samus. Working on it."
She shot the door one last hateful look before turning and sprinting out another doorway. She'd come back if John didn't turn up soon. She'd blow the whole complex up if she had too.
Running through the winding hallways, she soon found her exit, a passage that led back outside. The light blinding at first, she quickly examined her surroundings. The Canyon that the complex had been in now opened up to an open valley, the canyon walls much further apart. On the far side, away from her, was a steep cliff face, leading down into more cracks in the earth.
The major feature of the area was an elevated rock face in the middle, which slanted on one side, making a rocky hill. Samus spotted flashes of purple and blue. Covenant. They must have been using this place as a staging area, or a landing site. She noticed large weapons caches as well as deactivated shield barriers.
An explosion caught her attention. She quickly swiveled right, and immediately spotted the massive shield. It was the same on blocking the Mammoth, which she spotted waiting on the other side. Explosions, both human and Covenant made, could be seen through the shimmer of the Shield.
"This is Samus. Eyes on the shield generator." She reported. The generator was a tiny thing, resting at the base of the massive shield.
"Take it out! We need to move!" Lasky shouted frantically, the sounds of gunfire in the background.
Samus ran for the shield, bringing her cannon to bare. As soon as she could lock on, she fired a missile. The missile soared through the air, smashing into the generator with no resistance. The Shield flickered for a moment, before dying. Lasky wasted no time, ordering the Mammoth to move forward. Samus moved out of the way as the massive vehicle rumbled passed her. She turned to look at the attacking force, a large group of Elites with explosive weapons, as well as several Ghosts and a Wraith.
She readied her cannon.
John stared at this alien, this Librarian, unsure what to do. One the one hand, she was an unknown entity. But on the other, John felt a strange sense of…trust.
She looked at him with sad eyes. "I had always planned to help Humanity attain the Mantle, the rights to Galactic peace. Though sadly…that plan is now under threat."
He remained silent, waiting for her to continue. To him, she had remarkably human features, with the exception of her nose, which lay flat on her face. Different from the Didact, she looked more natural. Again, he didn't know how he knew that, he just…did.
"The Didact plans to leave Requiem. Soon…You must not allow it." She said, urgency in her voice.
"Leaving?" John queried.
She nodded, gesturing with her hand. "He seeks this."
John turned to the object she pointed at, a hologram which hovered behind him. It looked like a massive monolith, with glowing lines of energy moving along it, all arriving at its center, which glared like an angry eye.
"The Composer." She explained. "A device which will allow him to finally contain the greatest threat ever faced by the Forerunners."
She paused, before looking down at him again. "You."
He turned back to face her, but his vison suddenly began to fade to black. Gasping, he fell to his knees as images began to flood his mind. At first they flashed too fast for him to make sense of, but they eventually slowed, showing events and places he couldn't comprehend. One of the images began to play out, a massive battle the likes of which he had never seen. Advanced ships fought for control of the skies, shooting Hardlight and an unknown substance at one another.
Below on the ground, troops in strange armor fought viciously. He recognized some as Forerunner, their armor distinct with its orange glow. But he couldn't recognize the opposing force. They wore bulky gray armor, with glowing blue visors. Their weapons seemed attached to their arms, though John quickly realized they were not, the weapons housing wrapped around the arm up to their elbow joint. The unknown force was slowly being pushed back. One took a round though his chest armor, which shattered like glass. He collapsed into the mud below, back first. Several other troops stopped to try and lift him, but were forced to retreat under the Forerunner attack. John spotted an insignia on the trooper's chest. It was a gold star, resting in a blue swirl. The writing was foreign, but he could somehow understand it.
"Galactic Federation…" He thought, the pieces slowly coming together.
The troopers were human, ancient humans like Samus. He was seeing ancient history, more ancient than anything recorded by man. He had heard about the Federation from Samus, he knew that Adam had once been a commander, before being brought back as an A.I. The Federation were now on the retreat, the Promethean forces advancing at a steady pace. One fired into the chest of the downed trooper, finishing him.
The voice of the Librarian entered his mind, as clear as if she was standing beside him on this battlefield. "Humanity spread into the stars with an unexpected, desperate violence. Entire systems fell before the Didacts Warrior Servants rose to halt the aggression."
A wave of Promethean ships bore down on the fleeing troopers, the combined fire wiping out entire battalions. John had thought he had seen war on a massive scale before, but nothing like this. Injured troopers turned and fired at their pursuers, attempting to buy more time for their comrades. They didn't last long, Hardlight ripping through their armor in moments.
The last of the Troopers ran for dropships close by. More Forerunner ships flew toward them, prepared to wipe them out. But just before they could fire, several of them exploded. A large orange ship flew out of the smoke, firing several missiles at the other ships, forcing them to retreat. John's heart sped up.
"Even in Humanity's darkest hours, hope existed…"
The ship came to stop just above the ground, blocking them off from their attackers. A hatch lowered, and a tall, armored figure stepped out. The Prometheans stopped in their tracks. John recognized her instantly.
"Samus was the hero of this age, just as you are in your time." The Librarian said fondly, the affection in her voice obvious.
At the mere sight of her, the troopers seemed to rally. All shouting war cries, they turned and ran toward the Prometheans, who were now retreating under the massive fire power Samus aimed at them. They advanced, Samus in the front. To John, the scene looked heroic, inspiring.
"But hope can only take you so far…"
The scene shifted. The same world, but the battle was over. The ground was littered with the debris of ships, and many, many bodies, to the point where the earth couldn't be seen. John noticed most of them were human, and that sense of heroism left him.
"With the exception of a few hidden worlds, the Didact exhausted humanity after a millennia. His punishment…was severe."
The scene shifted again, this time john could only see darkness. Then a flash darted past him. And then another. John realized that flashes were human silhouettes, running. Their faces were frozen in terror, mouths open in silent screams.
"We had no way of knowing that the Forerunners were not your only enemy. Humanity hadn't been expanding…they were running."
The figures running increased, until John felt like he was surrounded by hundreds. And then, they all just vanished, leaving him alone in the dark.
The scene shifted again, this time coming back to Samus. She was in a dark place, a cave or a tunnel. She was firing into the Darkness in front of her. The flashes from her arm cannon illuminated her face behind her visor. John could see the fear in her eyes, that frightful determination he'd seen on her before. He knew what caused her that fear. From out of the darkness crawled creatures hardly describable. Claws, teeth and flesh roared and screeched, an endless mass of bodies all fighting to reach her. The scene faded away just as they came within inches of her.
"Weakened from our conflict, we were no match for the Parasite which pursued you. And with humanity serving the Didacts punishment…"
The scene changed to what John recognized as Earth. It was bright, sunny. A beautiful day. He saw children playing in the streets of a small town, their parents going about their day to day business. It looked tranquil. But John recognized what was wrong in an instant. The people wore rags, some wearing nothing at all. They were shorter, thinner. They could hardly speak. The 'buildings' around them were made of crude wood and mud. And then John understood.
"He didn't wipe them out…he made them primitive." He muttered aloud, though without his mouth.
The Librarian sighed. "Yes, he feared humanity could not be trusted, but refused to wipe them out entirely. He was…different back then. I will explain in a moment."
Before John could ask her what she meant, she continued. "Desperate, and knowing that small pockets of humanity had avoided the Didacts wrath, we sent out messages, beacons, calling for aid. The humans had been partially successful in fighting the Flood, and thought we could defeat them together…"
She sighed again. "At first, we received no replies, no messages back. And then…"
They now stood inside a hanger of some kind, it looked Forerunner. John saw a group of Forerunner soldiers, not promethean in design, lined up behind another figure. It was the Librarian, as she was then. In front of her stood Samus, her ship hovering close behind her. The Librarian smiled and offered a hand. Samus glared up at the woman, but she too slowly extended her hand to grasp the Forerunners.
"Samus was a great ally in the fight against the Flood. She was…" The Librarian paused, her voice seeming to crack. "She was much cared for."
"It sounds like she meant more to you than you're letting on." John pointed out.
She appeared before him, joining him in the vison. She looked sad, a single tear rolling down her cheek. "We grew closer as the years went on. She was like the daughter I never had…" She blinked, composing herself before continuing. "Samus accomplished much throughout her life, defeated many evils."
The scenes shifted rapidly now. He saw Samus moving through a dark cavern, dodging and ducking weapons fire from unknown, insect like aliens. He saw her fighting a Giant monster in a room full of a glowing blue liquid. Her armor was black, her visor blood red. The Creature seemed to be oozing the liquid out of its body, the substance warping the air around it.
"Phazon…" He thought.
The Librarian nodded. "Yes. If left unchecked, it could have destroyed the Galaxy in a completely different way. The Forerunners didn't believe it was as dangerous as humanity claimed, but I knew the truth. Fortunately, Samus had the will power to fight. Though, not without cost..."
The scene shifted again, this time they stood in some kind of massive arena, or quarry like area. John saw Samus running for cover, just as a massive shard of ice crashed through the spot she'd been standing. He turned to see another alien standing atop a pillar of ice, creating the ice out of nothing.
"Rundas please! It's me, Samus! Your friend!" He heard her shout. She peeked out of cover, before pulling back, avoiding an ice spear to the head.
'Rundas' didn't reply, instead leaping of his platform and summoning ice under his feet. The Alien then flew through the air, riding this ice. He moved around Samus's cover, hurling more ice at her. Looking closer, John could see a blue liquid moving under the Aliens icy skin. Rundas was corrupted by Phazon.
Samus dodged, rolling to the side. "Rundas! Try to remember!"
The Alien continued to move toward her, coming to a stop just above her. He peered down at her with a cold stare, no recognition in his 'eyes'
She sighed, letting out a raspy breath. "Don't make me do this…"
He raised his arms, summoning a colossal pillar of ice. His intention was clear, he wanted to crash it into her. She looked away, clenching her fist.
Then her armor began to glow. Lines of blue energy rippled across its surface, erupting from within the finer joints and creases of the suit itself. Her visor changed from its usual green to the same blue. The same as the Creature from earlier and Rundas. Samus was also corrupted.
She fired up at him, huge bursts of Phazon blasting into his body. He cried out in pain, falling to the earth. And still she fired. He tried in vain to stand, only to be blasted back down. She continued firing, even after he had stopped moving. She only stopped when her armor ceased its glow, returning to its traditional colors. She lowered her cannon, and dropped to her knees, staring at the now lifeless body of her friend.
Her helmet vanished, exposing her face. John could see the Phazon had been affecting her. One of her eyes was a lighter blue than the other, as well as what looked like light blue veins moving down her brow onto her cheek. She stared at Rundas a while longer, before raising her head to the sky and letting out a raw, animalistic cry of pain.
"Despite all she lost, the suffering she had to endure, she always pulled through. Her will is one of the strongest I've ever seen." The Librarian said softly. "Even corrupted by Phazon, she managed to defeat the other hunters, her friends, and track it down to the source."
They now stood on a new world. The Planet seemed to be entirely composed of Phazon. He saw strange wildlife, aggressive and unnatural. Pools of the stuff lay everywhere. Even the sky was tinged the same light blue. Samus entered the scene from a nearby cave. John mentally gasped.
Her armor was almost completely blue, the Phazon lines of her armor much more prominent and eye gripping. Her visor was a light blue, darker on its edges, with what looked like cracks on its outskirts. The armor itself even seemed to have turned blue under the glowing energy. She entered the circle room they stood in, moving toward its center. As she did so, the floor opened up, blue light emitting from the hole in the floor. A being rose up from within. It wore blue armor, which looked strangely organic, as if it was its skin. It bore an arm cannon, and wore a helmet similar to Samus's. John got a sense that this thing could have been what Samus might have become, had she fallen to corruption.
Samus stopped, staring at the being. She was silent for but a moment.
"You took my friends." She muttered. Her voice was warped, distorted, as if her helmet speaker wasn't working. But he knew it had to be her actual voice. "You turned them against each other…You won't harm another life again. I won't let you."
She charged then, the Dark Samus also rushing toward her. The scene vanished just as the two clashed.
"She defeated her duplicate, and destroyed Phaaze, ending the threat. None of us knew that small pockets of Phazon had survived. Cut off from its main source of renewal, it began to ferment, corrupt itself, until…"
"Until it became the Flood." John finished.
She nodded. "I truly believed with Samus by our side, we could have won the war. But we were growing desperate, the Flood taking entire systems in the blink of an eye. Final plans were made…"
The scene then shifted to inside a small chamber, with several Forerunners gathered around a holo table. A small ring was projected on its surface. A Halo ring.
"The Didact refused to relinquish our mantle of responsibility however. He would save all life in the galaxy…at a cost."
"What cost?" John asked.
She sighed. "The Composer had been intended to help transcend the mortal world, digitizing our minds. It would have made us immortal. But the results were unstable, and any attempts to bring those minds back into organic bodies only created abominations.
Her eyes hardened now, as if the next part made her mad. "Such moral concerns faded from the Didacts attention. The Flood only assimilated living tissue…The Composer would provide the Didact with his solution, and his revenge."
They were now back on Earth, in the same village as before. However, all the villagers' eyes were on the sky. John looked up to see a large Forerunner ship, hovering a short distance away. A compartment opened up on the front of the ship, exposing the Composer. It began to glow, the sounds of it powering up reaching the village. John realized what was about to happen, wanted to warn the primitive humans to run. But of course he couldn't, it was nothing more than a vision, an echo of the past. The scene faded just before it fired.
John slowly opened his eyes, realizing he was back on the platform in the clouds. The Librarian hovered some distance away, looking concerned.
"The Prometheans…They're human." He muttered. He felt sick. The thought that the Didact could do that to people so simple made him shudder.
"They were only the beginning. He would have composed your entire race had we not removed the Composer form his care, and imprisoned him here." She said, moving closer to him.
She looked into his visor, her eyes lighting up with hope. "Reclaimer. When I indexed humanity for repopulation after the Halo's fired, I hid seeds from the Didact. Seeds which would lead to an eventuality…Your physical evolution. Your combat skin. Even your ancilla, Cortana."
John remained still, waiting for her to finish. "You, are part of a plan millennia long. You, and Samus, are the culmination of a thousand lifetimes of planning.
"Planning for what?" he asked. She opened her mouth to answer, but suddenly froze, her eyes widening in fear.
Around them, pillars rose out of the clouds, Knights standing atop them, they roared down at John, weapons powering up.
"Even in death, her meddling continues." The Didacts voice echoed. John whirled around, but couldn't see him. He had to be close by though.
The Librarian whirled to face him, her voice urgent. "Reclaimer, the gene song I placed within you contains many gifts, including an immunity to the composer. But it must be unlocked."
John didn't like the sound of that. "Can I defeat the Didact without it?"
She shook her head slowly.
"Then do it." He said. He was willing to undergo anything to stop this madman.
She nodded, eyes never leaving him. "Then prepare yourself…"
She raised a hand to his chest. "You must not mention me to Samus. I will reveal myself to her…in time."
John wanted to ask why this was, but then his vison went white, and a searing pain spread throughout his body. He wanted to cry out, but his breath left him. He could faintly hear his suits systems going haywire, but he hardly cared. He just wanted the pain to stop.
Suddenly, it vanished as quickly as it had come, and he collapsed onto a hard floor. He looked around, realizing he was back in the room he had entered originally. A screech caught his attention. He got up quickly, happy to see his weapon had been returned to him. A group of crawlers had barged in through the doorway opposite him, and had begun to run at him. He opened fire, his weapons rounds tearing through the Crawlers low armor.
"Chief! Can you hear me?" Cortana cried out, sounding panicked.
"I'm here." He said, barreling through another Crawler, crushing it under foot.
"What happened back there? You walked into the light and then I lost you. And your bio reading as all over the place." Cortana asked, concerned.
"It's a long story, but I know what the Didacts after." He grunted, running out of the room and into a hallway.
"I know that part, the Librarian filled me in while you were gone…" She said quietly, before static filled his ears. "What I want to know is what she did to you?"
John ignored her for the moment, turning down another hallway. Behind him, he could hear the cries of more Prometheans, and the sounds were growing closer. "We need an exit."
"There is a teleporter just down this corridor. I can get us close to the others if you hurry." Cortana said, already hard at work.
John rounded a bend and spotted the teleporter, which sprung to life shortly after. He raced through, just as the roars came from the corner he'd just run past. A brief moment of disorientation and he suddenly found himself in the middle of all-out war. He leapt to the side as a warthog sped pass, a Ghost hot on its tail. Above them, the Infinity hovered close by, blasting away at any ships that got too close.
"Chief? Is that you?" He heard Lasky say, surprise in his voice. John turned and spotted the Mammoth close behind him, its turrets on top providing supports for the troops ahead. Several Wraiths close by turned and aimed their mortars at the huge vehicle, but were taken out by Scorpion tanks.
"Affirmative sir." John said. "What's the situation with the gravity well?"
"Well it's nice to see you too." He heard Samus grumble. He looked around the battlefield until he spotted her, in the vanguard with other Spartans and Warthogs. She was blowing up any vehicles that got too close, providing cover for the Spartan forces to advance. "Where the heck have you been?"
"I'll explain later." He said. He remembered the Librarians words, and would remain silent about her to Samus. But he still needed to tell her and Infinity about the Didacts plan. But first, they needed to destroy the gravity well. "What's the situation?"
"The Covenant have been trying to slow our advance to the gravity well, and so far their succeeding." Lasky said. John jumped into the side seat of a passing hog, which advanced to the front lines. "We need to get past these guys so Samus can target the well. Infinity can destroy it after that."
"Understood." He said to Lasky, before turning to the driver. "Get me to the front."
"Yes sir!" The marine said, racing to join the others at the head of the battle. John snatched a Carbine from an Elite they passed, turning the weapon against its own. The Jeep slowed, turning to allow the marine on the turret to open fire.
John jumped out, crashing down on a Jackal beneath him. Sprinting, he made his way to the group of Spartans, blasting the Enemy with his Carbine. He slammed his fist into the back of a Grunts head, killing it instantly. The Grunt had carried a Fuel Rod cannon, which John snatched before it hit the ground. Holstering his Carbine, he aimed the cannon at advancing Ghosts. The large green bursts of energy tore the hovering vehicles apart like they were paper.
"Nice shot." He heard Samus say. "But can you beat this?"
He spotted her, running ahead of the Spartans. She was racing toward a Phantom, which was in the process of dropping off more troops. As if reacting to her presence, the Phantom began to move as she neared, troops still on board. Stopping just under the dropship, she knelt down and aimed her cannon at its belly, charging it. A moment later, she fired, a massive yellow explosion piercing through its center. The Phantom hovered a moment longer, before lurching to the side and crashing down behind her, crushing the troops it had just dropped off.
She got back up, placing her hand on her hip. John knew she was being cocky. He spotted an Elite emerge from the wreckage, drawing an energy sword. It began to advance slowly, clearly injured, but none the less willing to fight the Hunter. John retrieved the Carbine from his back and fired, his one shot passing clean through the aliens head. Samus turned, just in time to watch the now dead Elite drop to the floor.
"You missed one." He joked, running to catch up to her.
She scoffed. "Oh, my hero. Now hurry up, the gravity wells just around this bend."
"Hurry Samus, we'll distract the rest of the Covenant." Lasky radioed. Behind them, the battle raged on. The group of Spartans had now turned around, stopping any more enemies from reaching their location. It was just Samus and himself now.
"We're on it." John replied. They moved into a narrow ravine, which was full of whines and bends.
"So, mind telling me where you ran off to earlier?" She asked him off handedly.
John thought a moment before replying. "The short version is a Forerunner A.I informed Cortana and I that the Didact has a way to wipe out Humanity. I'll explain fully on the Infinity."
She nodded slowly, but John got the sense that she didn't fully believe him. He didn't have time to dwell on that however, as they soon found the gravity well. As they walked around another bend, they spotted it. In the distance, far down on the ground below them, sat the well. The well itself was massive, easily rising above them and into the clouds. It looked like a massive sphere, which seemed to have a ring of rocks hovering around it.
"Gravity well sighted." John informed the Infinity.
"Well, laser the target so we can leave already!" Del Rio shouted, clearly annoyed. John had momentarily forgotten about him, wondering how he would perceive the Didacts plan.
"Targeting now." Samus said through gritted teeth, obviously annoyed at the Captain. She stared down at the base of the well, her visor flashing for a moment. "Transmitting data."
"Data received." Del Rio confirmed. "Infinity, fire at will!"
The Infinity moved closer to the well, bearing down on the large object below it. Streaks of missiles rained down onto the structures base. The ship turned to face the structure, one of its massive MAC cannons charging up. The explosion that followed rocked John even from the distance he stood at, and the well collapsed in a loud shriek of metal. The rocks that floated around it fell to the ground, adding to the debris.
"Good work everyone! Lasky, I'm sending Pelicans to retrieve your forces. Let's go home everyone."
"That might not be such a good idea…" John muttered.
"What do you mean?" Samus asked him, her head slightly tilted. When he didn't answer, she deactivated her helmet and rolled her eyes at him.
"When we get on the ship right?"
She strolled past him, and after surveying the now settling wreckage of the gravity well, John followed after her.
"Infinity cannot handle that kind of punishment! Not again!" Del Rio shouted.
"This isn't about us! Or this ship!" Cortana shouted back just as loud.
Samus had to admit, the argument could be swung in both ways. Since they had been brought back to Infinity, John had finally spilled the beans on what had happened to him when they were separated. After everyone gathered on the bridge, John had explained that a Forerunner A.I had informed them that the Didact planned to use something called the Composer to wipe out humanity, and create a massive army of Promethean warriors, who were created from ancient humans.
To Samus, this made sense. She had known about the fate of ancient humanity, of course she had. But she had no idea the Didact had…twisted them into the Prometheans they had been fighting. If he got the chance to compose the entire human race…she shuddered at the thought.
This also explained Ridley, and why he seemed both familiar, and different. Clearly, the Didact had tested the Composer on him, warping him until he became another Promethean monster. Still, Ridley was a cut above the average Knight. He needed to be dealt with, and soon. Her attention was soon pulled back into the argument.
"Sir. We've seen what the Didact is capable of. If we let him leave this world, humanity will be at risk."
The Captain sighed, moving around they holo desk they stood before to face John. "Look, I understand what you think you saw-"
"Think?" Cortana shouted, outraged.
"Sir, with all do respect. I know what I saw." John said, his voice lacking any emotion. Samus now knew him well enough to know this meant he was suppressing an emotion.
"Three guesses which…" She thought to herself.
The Captain bristled, marching right up to John. Being only at his chest height, Del Rio was not very intimidating. "And with all respect to you, soldier, I'm not willing to jeopardize my ship because of the hallucinations of an aging Spartan, and his malfunctioning A.I."
Samus clenched her fist. If there was one thing John deserved after years of fighting for the UNSC, it was respect. Del Rio was dismissing his claim because of age? She tried to contain her anger, but was sure she wore a dark expression. Still, she hadn't hit him yet, which she supposed was a point in her favor.
Lasky then spoke up. "Sir? What if he's right?"
The Captain turned to his second in command, contemplating. "As soon as we know we're air tight, I want a course laid to the nearest station available. I want a warning beacon prepared."
Suddenly, the lights began to flicker. Samus glanced around, trying to find the source. The holo table began to glow brighter, becoming the only light in the bridge. Cortana began flickering red, her expression one of utter rage.
"I. Will. Not. Allow. You. To. Leave. This. Planet!"
A blast of electricity shot out of the table. Samus's shield flickered just slightly, the damage negligible, but she was shocked none the less. She knew Cortana could get emotional, but…nothing like this. The lights turned back on, leaving a shocked Cortana looking around at them all.
"I didn't mean…I didn't mean to do that…"
She continued talking, as if to herself. Del Rio marched up to Lasky, his expression one of business. "Commander Lasky, under UNSC article 12/11572, I am ordering you to remove that A.I's data chip and retire it for final dispensation."
Lasky hesitated, looking down at Cortana, as shocked as the rest of them. Cortana continued to talk to herself, looking on the verge of tears now. The Captain grew impatient.
"Remove the chip now, commander."
Lasky gave her a look that said sorry, before slowly reaching for her data chip in the holo table. Before he could however, a large gauntleted hand reached it first. John withdrew Cortana and held her in his closed fist, staring down at the Captain. Del Rio glared up into his visor, taking another step closer.
"Give. Me. That. Chip." He said through his teeth.
John moved his hand up to his helmet, inserting her chip into the back of his head. "The Didact has to be stopped. If you won't do that, I will."
The Captain looked on the verge of exploding, his face red and eyes furious. "I, am ordering you, to surrender that A.I!"
John took a step forward. The movement itself wasn't threatening, but the intent was clear. Del Rio quickly took several steps back, momentarily afraid. In what might have been his first and only act of defiance, he spoke.
"No sir."
The Captains anger overwhelmed him. He snarled, whirling to face Palmer, who had been quietly observing. "Arrest him! Arrest that man!"
Palmer took a reluctant step forward, but Samus beat her to it. She stepped right into her path, glaring at the Spartan IV. "I don't think so."
Both woman glared at each other, both waiting for the first to make a move. Lasky moved to try and separate them. Samus moved first, striding over to stand beside John. Palmer didn't move, aware that she couldn't win this fight.
John turned to Lasky. "Get word to Earth that trouble is coming. We'll do what we can from here."
He then turned and strolled out. Samus gave one final look to each person in the room. Del Rio glared at her.
"You're committing treason." He said quietly to her. She snarled at him.
"I'm not UNSC, remember?" She pointed out, turning to follow John out.
"Don't think you'll be safe forever, Miss Aran." He said. She stopped in the door way. She looked over her shoulder to glare at the Captain one last time, before moving down the hallway after John.
John stared out of the window at the world outside. Infinity was hovering high in Requiems 'sky', preparing to leave the planet. A small, fake sun hung in the sky, floating a little ways off from the ships position. It had begun fading, giving the illusion of night settling in. The idea of this planet still confused him, but he didn't dwell on it. He turned to prepare an Assault Rifle, checking the weapons magazine and stocking up on ammo.
Cortana looked out the window as well, from a small holo pedestal nearby. "I can give you over forty thousand reasons why I know that sun isn't real. But for all that, I will never know if it looks real…if it feels real."
She turned to look at him, her eyes sad. "Before this is all over, promise me you'll figure out which one of us is the machine?"
John didn't reply, unsure how to answer. The sound of approaching footsteps on the metal floor saved him from a reply. He subconsciously gripped his gun a little tighter.
Samus sped around the corner, her stride quick. John relaxed slightly. She stopped in front of them, expression serious.
"We need to leave, now." She said, glancing around. "I'm sure the Captain has been thinking of a way to detain us, so we need to go before Infinity is ready."
"How?" He asked her.
She rolled her eyes. "We leave in my ship. We can bunker down for the night, and plan our strategy to deal with the Didact. But we need to go now."
John nodded. He'd never disobeyed a direct order before his confrontation with the Captain, but this was bigger than the UNSC, or chain of command. Samus understood that, she always had. John finally understood her point of view, though he could never live the life she did. He'd deal with the consequences after they defeated the Didact.
They marched toward the hanger bay, marines and navy personal moving aside for the two huge armored individuals. Upon entering the hanger, John immediately spotted Samus's ship, as bright orange as her armor. He also saw the line of Spartan IV's that stood in their way, led by Commander Palmer.
"You two are not leaving this ship." She commanded. "Samus Aran is a civilian, and does not have any authority here."
"Civilian?" Samus remarked, raising a brow. She took a step toward the Spartan line. "You know, you might play at being a Spartan like my friend here, but in comparison, not very impressive."
Palmer's expression darkened. John imagined the other Spartans did as well, but Samus wasn't done yet. "Now, why don't you stand aside so the real heroes can go do what needs to be done, while you run along and pretend to be 'real' heroes?"
Palmer moved fast, surprisingly fast. She launched a punch right into Samus's unprotected face. She cried out in surprise, but recovered quick. Grabbing Palmers gauntleted hand with her own, Samus swung the Spartan over her shoulder, bringing her crashing into the ground. She then went to pin Palmer, but the Spartan lashed out with a quick kick to the head. Samus jumped back, out of reach. Her lip was bleeding, a bright crimson trail moving down her chin and neck.
Palmer got back up, moving into a combat stance. The two glared at each other, analyzing. The Spartans didn't move, unsure how to act. John also remained still, feeling this was something that Samus wanted to do on her own. He saw navy personal running out of the hanger, and knew they had little time left.
Palmer lunged again, but this time Samus was ready. With murder in her eyes, she twisted her body to the side, avoiding the punch. She then lashed out with a kick of her own, the sounds of their armor colliding creating a loud bang, which echoed throughout the hanger. Palmer cried out, clutching her side. The Armor had dented from the force of Samus's blow. But she wasn't done yet. She moved to slam her fist into Palmers chest, but the Spartan dodged. Palmer tried to counter with a fist of her own, but Samus grabbed her arm and pulled her closer. Palmer lost her balance for one second, but it was all Samus needed. She swung her cannon toward the Spartans head, knocking her onto her back.
Palmer seemed to struggle concentrating, John guessed she had a concussion. Samus then stepped on her chest, pinning her to the floor. She then raised her cannon, the weapon charging up. The Spartans now looked anxious, all of them looking at one another.
"No…" John thought. Palmer might have been annoying, but this was wrong, even he knew that.
As if she could hear his thoughts, she looked up at him, her weapon aimed at Palmers chest. Her eyes looked dull, as if there was no thought behind them. Then slowly, she blinked, and life returned to her eyes. She looked back down at Palmer, who was still struggling to regain consciousness.
"Move." She growled at the other Spartans. They all complied, moving out of her way. She looked down at Palmer one last time before lowering her cannon, the weapon powering down. She turned and marched to her ship, not looking back. John moved to follow her, looking down at Palmer as he did. She was in bad shape, and would need medical attention, but she was alive.
John moved onto the ships lift with Samus. She didn't look at him. They rose into the belly of her gunship, the lights and systems springing to life as they entered. She immediately moved toward a holo table in the center of the ship. John did a quick look around, noting the ship had three rooms. One seemed to be a bathroom, another a small bunk. The main room served as both her bridge, cockpit and seemingly kitchen, as John noticed something similar to a fridge.
"Adam, prep for launch. We need to go yesterday." She said, entering a few keys on the keypad alongside the holo table. Adam sprung to life, looking as sharp and crisp as when John saw him last.
"Already done, we'll be out of here in a few moments." He informed her. John hadn't even felt the ship lift off, but looking through the cockpits window, he could see them rushing out of the Infinity's hold.
Soon they were in the open sky, the ship slowing to a halt. Samus leant on the table, sighing. She touched her lip, where Palmer had struck her. Her hand came away sticky from dried blood.
"Find us a suitable landing zone for the night Adam." She said quietly. Adam didn't reply, already working on it. She suddenly looked up at John, as if she'd forgotten he was there. "Sorry, this is your first time on board isn't it?"
He nodded, still standing inside the lift. She laughed, gesturing him to come out. He slowly moved out of the lift, aware that his head was just short of touching the ceiling.
"Sorry, forgot how tall you were." She laughed. "Well, I'd give you the grand tour, but it's not terribly grand. Still…its home."
"It's…nice." John tried. Samus smirked at his attempt of a compliment.
"The Infinity had just left Requiem, we're one our own now." Adam informed them. "I've also found a suitable landing sight, hidden from prying eyes. Already setting a course."
Samus nodded. "Good." She said, taking a step back from the table.
John couldn't help but notice the dried blood on her chin and neck. "Do you have a medical cabinet?"
She blinked. "Yeah, under my bunk. Why?"
He turned without explaining, moving into the tiny bedroom and retrieving a large box with a medical insignia on it. Opening it up, John was relieved to find most of the medical supplies were UNSC standard, though he spotted a few unknown objects.
Moving back into the main room with a small canister of Biofoam and a cloth, he come to stand in front of her. "This will help with the cut."
"John its fine."
He raised an arm to tilt her head toward him. He tried to find the point where Palmer had struck her lip, but couldn't find it. He used the cloth to wipe away most of the Blood, but he still couldn't find the wound. It was like…it was just gone.
"How…" he asked.
She took a step back, smirking slightly. "It's healed already. Humans used to be a lot more durable, remember?"
He didn't know what to say, so he looked down at the now blooded cloth. "Sorry."
"It's alright, thanks anyway." She said, glancing around the small cabin. "Well, I'm going to go freshen up. I'll be back out in a moment."
Her armor vanishing, leaving her in her Zero Suit, she moved toward the bathroom, closing the door behind her. John could hear the faint sounds of a shower turning on from behind it. He hadn't had a shower in a long time…
Adam appeared, as if reading his thoughts. "The hot water is self-replicating, you can have one too after if you wish sir."
John nodded, before Cortana spoke up. "Good, I imagine this guy stinks something fierce."
Adam chuckled. "You can plug Cortana into the holo table if you wish, might be nice to share the ship for a while."
"I promise not to break anything." Cortana joked. John removed her from his head and placed the chip into the table, Cortana appearing beside Adam. "Oh wow, this ship's design is so advanced! This might be even more advanced then the tech the Forerunners had."
"It was a joint project." Adam explained. "Designed by both Humanity and the Chozo people."
John paused at that. He was sure Samus had mentioned them before. "The Chozo?"
Adam nodded. "Yes, an ancient race that predates both Human and Forerunner. They chose a simplistic life, though were capable of technological wonders. It was them who took Samus in when she was orphaned as a child."
John knew how that felt. "What happened to her parents?"
Adam didn't reply at first. "I'm not sure I'm at liberty to say."
"Save it for later." Samus said.
John turned to find her exiting the bathroom door, along with a lot of steam. She wore a baggy singlet and very short, tight pants. John felt vaguely uncomfortable, but reminded himself that this was her home. Her hair, usually done up in her iconic ponytail, was down, droplets of water trickling down. She padded barefoot toward them. John remembered that without her armor, she was rather short. Her head was level with his shoulders.
"Well, we might as well get some shut eye. We can wake up early and make our plan." She said, looking up at the Spartan. "You can have the bunk, I'm ok with sleeping in the pilot's chair. I typically do anyway."
He nodded, looking over at the bathroom. "May I use the shower?" He asked slowly. He wasn't used to this…normality. But, he didn't want to just stand around like a stone all night. Might as well enjoy the luxury while it lasted.
"Sure. I'm sure by now Adam went ahead and explained about the hot water, he loves to for some reason." She said. "I'm gonna get some shut eye."
And with that, she moved passed him to collapse in her large pilots chair, swiveling it around to face the cockpit. John hesitated a moment, before moving over to a corner of the ship that remained bare. With a sigh, he began to slowly remove his armor. It usually took a team of technicians to remove the suit safely, but all Spartan II personal were trained in its removal, to ensure it remained in top condition for extended time in the field.
He began with the outer, bulky armor pieces, placing them neatly on the floor. He then worked on removing the under armor, less thing pieces of metal that protected his vulnerable areas. He then took off his helmet, feeling the recycled air on his face. The feeling was odd, and he felt strangely vulnerable without his armor. He glanced over at Samus, but she was hidden by her large chair, probably asleep.
Clad in only his under mesh, a tough black material, he moved for the bathroom, shutting the door quietly behind him. The room was more spacious than he first thought, complete with a shower, sink and a toilet. He noticed a dry towel hung on the rack nearby. Had Samus guessed he'd want a shower?
Removing his under suit, he now stood fully exposed for the first time in a long time. He caught his reflection in the mirror. His skin was white, nearly never seeing the light of day. His body, thickly muscled, was covered in scars and marks from his alterations. His brown hair was cropped short, a UNSC standard. He didn't think his face was remarkable, seemingly average.
Turning away from the mirror, he moved into the shower. Turning the hot tap, he was blasted with what felt like to him the best feeling he'd ever felt. All of his aches, and pains, just seemed to wash away with the water. For a few minutes he simply stood there, the soothing feeling of the heat and steam giving him bliss. He looked around the shower to try and find soap, and was amused to discover that she had both soap and shampoo, both UNSC issued.
"How much stuff does she get from the UNSC?" He thought to himself.
Reaching for the shampoo, he used a little amount and scrubbed his hair, the feeling of contact on his head both strange and enjoyable. He rinsed off, before quickly scrubbing himself with the soap. After he washed, he reluctantly turned the shower off. Stepping out, he grabbed the dry towel and began drying himself off. The Fabric was some of scratchy, probably UNSC as well, but he didn't mind. After drying off, he started putting his under suit on, the only clothing he had.
Satisfied with his shower, he opened the bathroom door. He stepped out, making his way to the small bunkroom when a noise caught his attention. It had sounded like a murmur. John instantly became alert. He heard it again, louder this time, and realized it was Samus's voice. He looked at the chair she rested in, though he couldn't see her. She spoke again, this time muttering a word. John's curiosity got the better of him, and he slowly padded toward the chair.
Moving into the cockpit, he found Samus curled up in her seat, in an almost fetal position. Her eye brows creased. She must have been dreaming, John realized.
"Ridley…" She muttered.
John frowned. She was dreaming about that Dragon creature? He knew that she had seen it before, but she wouldn't answer him before when he asked. Her breathing began to grow more frantic, her fingers twitching into little fists.
"Not again…" He heard Adam say quietly.
John turned to find him on the table, the only source of light in the room. "Adam?"
"She's been having nightmares recently. She won't talk to me about them…" He said sadly.
Samus's breathing continued to speed up, to the point where she was hyperventilating. John knelt down beside her, unsure of what to do. Suddenly she screamed, and shot up out of her chair, looking around frightfully. She didn't even notice him at first. After a few seconds she blinked a few time, her breathing slowing down. She clutched her forehead, sounding on the verge of tears.
"Are you alright?" He asked quietly. She looked down sharply, noticing him.
"John? Is that you? What are…?" She began, before her eyes widened in understanding. A ghost of a smile touched her lips. "I'd almost forgotten what you look like without your armor."
"Same here." He joked. "But seriously, you ok?"
She nodded, thought he could tell she was far from ok. "I'm fine, just need a minute."
"Was it about Ridley?" John asked.
She narrowed her eyes. "I said I'm fine, John."
That felt like a dismissal, so John rose and moved away from the chair. He heard Samus sigh, and then the sounds of the chair swiveling around. "Ok wait…I was…I was dreaming about my parents."
This caught John's attention. "You mentioned they were killed by the Forerunners, back on Earth."
She looked surprised he had remembered. "That's right, though I left a detail of two out. The Forerunners did destroy my world, along with its populace. But they were led by a horrible being, one who still haunts my dreams after all this time…"
"Ridley." John finished. She nodded.
"Ridley back then…he was evil. There is no other word to describe him. He killed my parents, in front of me. He would have done the same to me…had it not been for Old Bird."
John took a stab at who Old Bird might be. "A Chozo?"
"Yeah. He saved me, smuggled me off world and away from Ridley. He raised me to be the warrior I am today. Without him…I wouldn't be here."
She hugged herself, looking miserable. It was clear she had been needing to talk about this for a while.
"You know, if anyone can relate to you, it's me." He told her. She peered at him for a moment, before understanding. That faint smile returned to her lips.
"Here's to the orphans then." She said quietly, looking back at her chair. "You can go get some shut eye if you want, I'll stay up and prepare a few things."
He shook his head. "Sorry, but your bed looks too comfy, won't be able to sleep."
He moved toward the holo table. "Why don't we plan our attack now? No point wasting time on sleep anyway."
She slowly moved to the table too, that smile still lingering. "Adam, do you have the Didacts location?"
"Yes, he is located not too far from Infinity's initial departure site. I'll mark it on the map."
A large map of Requiem appeared, with a small red dot popping up. A blue dot showed their location. Samus frowned. "Well, any ideas?"
John smiled, leaning down on the table and analyzing the surrounding area.
"Alright, here's the plan…"