Chapter Nine- Agony
[UNKNOWN DATE ]
LOCATION UNKNOWN
Agony. Pain at its most primal level, its most refined form. Living beings have relied upon this most basic instinct for uncountable eras, innumerable expanses of time. Simply a warning, an internal alarm. A beacon for hope, or the indicator of destined demise. Its sensation cannot be completely ignored nor completely rendered useless. Eventually, the agony will remind one of its inextinguishable presence, like the morning sunrise. It is delayed, but never forgotten, and never disappears indefinitely. And now, Kai felt more pure agony than even he, a Spartan believed possible. His screams went unanswered, his pleas ignored. "What... where... Cay-"
Kai felt as if broken glass had been crammed into his veins and he screamed once more into the endless black void that surrounded the lone Spartan. It was relentless, whatever the force that did this to him, and more pinpricks of unleashed pain spread like a locust through his body and Kai cried to the heavens. Why haven't I gone into shock? This torment is unlike anything I've experienced. What happened? The Spartan's suffering continued as what seemed like waves of increasing magnitude washed over his body, each more excruciating than the last. Kai chewed into his lip and cried, "What the hell is going on!"
An unbearable pulse of pain seemed to scorch his very mind and the Spartan's eyes welled as his teeth exposed drips of crimson blood that ran harmlessly down his chin. Kai just came to the realization that he was completely naked as another more unbearable impulseof unknown energy shot to his brain then spread throughout his body; Kai's suspended body shook violently as he clenched his teeth. The first droplet of blood dripped down to the blackened floor just as a strange and eccentric voice sounded in the void around Kai, his words seemed to loft in the very air around him. "Yes it appears you have a taste of its peculiar... traits."
The Spartan screamed out into the darkness, "LET ME THE FUCK OUT OF HERE!"
Another jolt of pain paralyzed Kai speechless as the mysterious voice drifted again, "You have quite a temper. I believe your current temperament will simply be fuel for the fire, it feeds off it. You current generation Spartans have a rather, odd mutation to say the least. It is fascinating to see it react so differently with your anatomy than the other complete failures."
What felt like a lightning bolt smacked square in Kai's brain and he once more shrieked into the black to no avail. The beaten Spartan tried to speak, but the words never came out. Instead the devious voice spoke in his stead. "Frontal lobe has been mutated to allow the Gamma Company Spartan-III's access to animal-like reserves of adrenaline and strength. However without proper treatment, it will cause your mind to literally revert to bestial instincts. It truly is quite something to see this firsthand, it's exhilarating response and adaptation to a foreign presence."
His body quaked as more intense pain overtook Kai and once more he yelled into the blackened void. "Why... wh... am I... here?"
The man's voice sounded as close to Kai as the distance from shoulder to shoulder, "Why? Isn't that just ridiculously stupid to say? You know they call me "crazy". Crazy? No I simply enjoy more primal desires and seeing your continued suffering is truly a sight to behold. You must have thought you escaped that world, but alas you are in another hell far worse than you could imagine. If its any consolation know the female Spartan is experiencing the same sheer agony as yourself."
Kai nearly lost his mind just at the thought of Cay feeling this level of pure torture. Is this torture? No this is far worse, not even the Covenant could bring this level of pain. Are my previous injuries healed? As if reading his mind, the now-sadistic voice responded, "It is kind of ironic. Your wounds you sustained while on that dreadful world were completely mended and healed. It is quite hilarious actually but maybe that's my sense of humor! Isn't it funny little Spartan? Isn't it?"
Kai was embraced by the agony once more and his teeth dug into his lip once more. "You didn't laugh? Why not? WHY NOT? Oh well it could have to do with it trying to replace and override your conscience with it's own. Maybe your primal side-effects from that little mutation of yours keeps the cells from dividing completely... yes this is something. It is astonishing how powerful, even when simply cell based, it truly is."
What the hell is this guy talking about? How did I end up here? His head felt like the inside chaos of a Shaw-Fujikawa translight engine and his eyes became glassy. "I'm sorry I forgot you can't see anything in there. Here we go, and they should turn on now."
The immediate flash of powerful lights blinded Kai momentarily into a half dazed stare. He couldn't keep count of how many times he blinked but finally the area around him came in a foggy-like focus. The "room" was small and contained, and if it weren't for the massive overhung light fixtures above the place would have stayed pitch-black. Almost everything was black except the harness Kai himself was strapped to, and he was fastened in in place by thick cuffs of titanium-A. The gray colored harness itself sat next to an autosurgeon machine, and Kai gazed in horror as thick rivulets of relatively fresh blood dripped of the sides. The floor was nothing more than black dirt; Kai's suspended feet nearly touched it. It was then he realized that his musculature and physique had drastically changed, and the swift bursts of pain had almost dissipated. The Spartan attempted to move his head as best he could to see the changes his body had undergone and was stunned. Every visible muscle had increased in size two-fold; Kai flexed his massive arms and ripples of muscle tightened and expanded. He made the rough calculations in his head and found he had actually grown a few inches taller as well as he flexed his substantial quadriceps and calf muscles. He cringed in pain as every inch of his body was racked with a lasting soreness, but it was nothing compared to the earlier agony he endured. "As you can see Spartan you have received a pretty significant physical alteration especially compared to the last time I laid eyes on you."
Kai pivoted his head trying to pinpoint where the voice came from; this "room" was part of a cavern. He made out an observation post but it was shielded by thick shatterproof glass and layers of concrete. He had seen that same fortified set-up on Onyx and usually these watching stations had multiple sheets of Titanium-A built into them. The cryptic voice continued to speak, "Now your body has an impressive muscular and cardiovascular system. And your body regenerates wounds at an staggering pace; those broken bones and torn ligaments were healed within minutes of application of the Super Cells."
Super Cells? What exactly happened to me? "Disappointingly however, it seems only to work within acceptable parameters when applied to the Gamma Spartan-III's. All other subjects have failed miserably, though it will be quite interesting to see the long-term effects. Your mutation is the only thing standing in it's path it would appear."
Need to get out of here now. Kai harnessed all of his new-found strength endowed to him and attempted to break free of the titanium shackles that bound him to the harness. He could feel the alloy groan with stress, but it did not break. But he didn't stop. Kai continued his battle with the shackles, his veins were now clearly visible and crisscrossed his struggling muscles until finally, at last the alloy gave under the pressure and snapped; and sent the Spartan unceremoniously tumbling into the dirt. The voice became noticeably annoyed and said, "now I didn't say you could do that you know, right? Didn't I? Right!"
Clearly whoever this guy is, he's got problems. "Well then... I'll just have to put you back on those restraints won't I?"
A previously hidden passage into the cavernous room parted and revealed a dozen Kig-Yar, Jackals, that fanned out into the room. Kai's adrenaline pumped through his veins at the sight of an enemy and he searched for a weapon. Their bird-like faces snapped unintelligible orders at each other and each possessed a bulky stun rod in their hands that popped with electric energy. Kai turned to the autosurgeon and found a suitable weapon; a cruel-looking surgical blade caked with dried blood. The Spartan snatched the blade off the autosurgeon table just as a Kig-Yar thrust a stun rod aimed for his face. The man-sized alien screeched as Kai easily side-stepped it and used the blade in an uppercut motion aimed underneath the Jackal's jaw. In one motion Kai policed the stun rod in his other hand and violently ripped out the surgical tool with the other sending spurts of purple blood onto his chest and face. Three more Kig-Yar lunged at him, their oversized maroon eyes reflected the gore-covered human. Too slow guys, Kai amusingly thought as each attack missed the Spartan. The human, in a whirlwind maneuver decapitated one Jackal and lodged the stun rod deep into another's throat, sending the alien to the ground shaking in spasms. The Spartan used his superior agility to move through the mass of screeching aliens, slicing through throats and crushing heads in showers of purple blood. Before long, only a single Kig-Yar remained and it nervously shook the rod at the blood-splattered human. Unnaturally nimble, Kai reappeared behind the Jackal and smashed the back of it's skull in with a single fist. His balled hand emerged from the alien's forehead with chunks of brain matter and bone stuck on it.
Kai didn't know what changed with him or how, but for better or worse, he liked it. Gone was the frightened confusion and incapacitating agony that gripped him earlier. Now he had a target and an objective and with a lightning fast motion the Spartan was gone, carrying nothing but a bloody blade and a smile on his focused visage.