I felt...
I couldn't really describe it if I tried. It was a sense of weightlessness, of peace.
The feeling was tempting to fall into and never come out of but, with a clear head I could really think.
Up until now I had been gliding upon the sheer surrealism of the situation I had been dropped into. I wasn't thinking, I hadn't even really done anything up until before. In the back of my mind I had known that it would come around to bite me though.
To summarize, I hadn't utilized the power I had been given at all. I was reacting like I didn't have reality bending powers to tap into and that was a problem. I also didn't try to fix anything, my reaction on learning that I was in Halo was to go, 'Hey, I'm going to have a minor panic attack then do nothing.'.
I let out a sigh, fuck me I was a dumbass.
Yes, I let out a sigh. I could breathe, technically anyway.
If I had to describe exactly where I was to anyone else I'd probably have a mental breakdown trying to translate it into regular words.
If I could give a short description, it would only be one word: me. If I had to give a longer explanation, it wasn't really my physical body, it was more like an extra dimensional manifestation of my metaphysical consciousness. Which was both very descriptive and extremely vague to the average person.
I was sort of subconsciously maintaining and expanding a reality which I created inside my 'soul'. The concept was similar to Reality Marbles in the Fate series, it wasn't entirely the same however.
But, I'll take it. This was also a pretty good distraction from the outside world.
...?
Twitches wracked my body for a moment.
I shut my eyes and ran my hands through my hair, the frizzy brown curls comforted me slightly. I immersed myself in the sensations of a physical body, it mixed with the feeling of being in that place. I ignored the niggling feeling in the back of my head until it left. I just needed some time.
Briefly, I let my perception spread across the horizon. One of the few objects that decorated the soulscape was the very earth that I stood upon.
I could feel how the 'planet' was just a mere copy, a facsimile of a true celestial body. The entire thing was covered was covered in a carpet of grass, each blade an exact replica of the ones around it. I let out a bitter smile, it was like a little girl trying to copy the works of her betters. Even if there were additions that I myself knew I hadn't made, even subconsciously.
Throughout my examination of my inner world there was one detail that simultaneously intrigued and terrified me.
The chains of black iron that extended from the void from somewhere and into the core of my soul. They cleaved the earth that I had made and clawed deep. It was almost as if they disregarded the infant constructs to just coil their ancient selves around the only thing that really mattered here. There was the barest hint of rage that welled up in me as I took in the iron, but there was an equal amount of terror and I wasn't sure where either came from.
I let out a sigh, maybe my fear and paranoia was making me a bit poetic. I hadn't the slightest clue what to do or how to proceed from where I was. Maybe I should indulge myself a little? That seemed a little more appealing than just sitting around. Ideas flooded into my mind but each was as unappealing as the last, there was so much I wanted to do and test without any time to actually try each one.
I... had no idea what to actually make. I gazed around me and ran my fingers through the dirt. I was pretty much the god of this world wasn't I? There had to be something that was sufficient enough to be the first creation here.
Ah. That was interesting. Maybe a bit presumptuous, but I though it could make the place a bit more complete.
The barest hint of a smirk crossed my face before I got to work.
Material Listings Incomplete...
Compiling Substitutes...
Fabrication Beginning...
I had barely started work before worries started writhing to forefront of my thoughts.. The small amount of manual labor and exertion of will just let me think more clearly. I've always been able to think better during work, idly doing something just let's me focus.
Mineral Composition...
Structural Integrity Maintained...
Proceeding...
One, I was probably trapped in the system that I found myself in for the foreseeable future. If I was stuck being 'The Gamer' I... actually didn't know what that entailed over time. That wasn't even getting into the psychological effect of just interacting with the world, having everything be overridden with the perception of Stats and Skills.
It was actually kind of frightening to realize that the way I saw reality could be, comprised, for lack of a better word. Over time I could be entirely disconnected from the average human point of view. I already was honestly, being stripped of my body left me without a lot of the human experience. I felt a sliver of cold pierce the warmth that had settled in my chest.
On the other hand all of this wasn't really having any immediate effect on me, so I didn't really need to worry about it at the moment. It was worth keeping in the back of my head though.
Organic Compounds... Not Enough Data.
Inorganic Materials, Imitation Success...
Two, the situation on Reach was completely unsustainable. The massive amount of wounded and mentally incapacitated soldiers was a problem. From the brief glances I was able to get of the residents of the facility they were mostly soldiers, with a few civilians mixed in, and all of them were totally out of their depth in this situation.
I had no idea the stock of supplies a storage facility like this would carry, but it was likely we were massively over capacity too...
Hmph, I had no idea if anyone would even let me help at all. I would assume being an AI of ONI origin would afford me some leeway but, I couldn't be too careful. Did I even have the capacity to help on that large of a scale? It was doubtful, but I had to at least try.
Integrity Checks...
Creation Meets Specifications...
...Standby...
Finalization.
My trance was broken by the command that had left my mind, I snapped my gaze towards the structure that had taken shape with my power. It was a temple, with shining white walls, columns, generally what one would imagine in someplace like ancient Greece or Rome. It had a small amount of 'vines' that were adorning the columns, despite how realistic they looked from the outside they weren't real just imitations like the marble. The whole building shone with a slight sparkle one wouldn't find in marble or any other regular stone. I hadn't actually encountered marble yet, just concrete and the minerals or rocks found on Reach. So I substituted marble for a mineral that was close enough, although I think it was better now that was able to see the sparkle of the material.
It was kind of surreal, the structure itself and how accurate it was to the template I had assembled in my head. I knew that The Index and Creation would let me be incredibly precise, but I think it was amplified by being in my Inner World, I didn't need to be have contact to know everything happening and exactly how to make my temple.
I paused a bit at the thought, It was a bit arrogant wasn't it? Making a place of worship for myself and there was even a shrine inside...
My fingers drummed on the jeans I had Created as I let the thought roll around. Eventually I settled on an answer, no. It wasn't like anyone else was going to be here and I was effectively the god of this place.
I nodded to myself with a small smile and walked up the steps, stopping for a second at the top and placing my hand on one of the columns next to the stairs. It was strange, being back to one of these places. I had taken a few trips to countries like Greece, seen the sights, tasted the food, but the things like really interested me was the architecture and the people. New cultures are always interesting, every time you go somewhere you can observe the subtle nuances of how people operate.
I suppose I've always been predisposed to picking on those little details though, perhaps it was my upbringing.
I shrugged and continued up the steps huffing in irritation at the scale at the scale of the place, I was the one that had made it after all.
As soon as I had breached the top of the steps it took my breath away. I had taken partial inspiration from a lot of places but, I hadn't expected it to turn out so wonderfully. Light just barely touched the inside, an archway framing the entrance, the stone was dark for the most part except for the sparkling specks I had seen glimmering outside. They almost captured the light, shining brightly compared to dull background.
It looked like stars shining in a night sky.
I stopped for a minute, maybe two, before resuming walking forward.
I had lined the walls with statues of imagery I had found interesting. To left I had put humans, both images of conflict and hopes standing in equal measure. A soldier standing upon a pile bodies a banner held aloft, a man on his knees in prayer even as an executioner's sword descended on him, two important looking figures clasping each other's arms in solidarity, and on it went.
To the right I had put nature, symbols of strength and survival. A bear swatting at an eagle as it flew downwards claws outstretched, a collection of ravens sitting in the branches of a tree over the bodies of men piled below, two large cats cleaning their offspring, and so on.
I had highlighted the details of each piece with that dark iron I had encountered in the tutorial. Even if the metal made my skin crawl and mind flicker in rage, it was an excellent accent material to the glittering stone.
At the other end of the temple sat a depiction of me holding a model of a world. I strode towards it, frowning at the inadequacy. It was almost haughty, there was nothing humble about it, it showed control and dominance. It wasn't what I wanted.
I was stumped however, I didn't really know how to remove it. Surely, if I could create something I could remove it as well? Creation must be balanced with Destruction, or so philosophy has taught me over the years.
Wasn't Creation an act of Destruction, a removal of what was there before and a birth of something new?
I smiled at the thought, maybe I was getting a little too poetic.
Perhaps...
Maybe that was exactly what I needed. A different perspective.
Destruction was an act of Creation after all, and vice versa. The forces that orchestrated Destruction were Created for that very purpose, Creations to obliterate the old and let the new be extracted from that act.
I settled my hand on the sculpture and let my senses bleed through it, every piece of it's make up was ingrained into the front of my mind. The only thing I needed to do now was actually figure out how to take it apart.
The physical bonds in the structure maybe? Perhaps a controlled forces to collapse it in an organized manner? Possibilities stretched out before me, I knew enough about physics to take things apart at least I believed so...
Was I overthinking this?
Couldn't I just will it to happen, I didn't need to be calculating about this. Faith alone probably wasn't enough but, again, maybe it was.
Whatever.
I flexed that invisible muscle again putting all of my thought into Destroying that ugly thing.
It needed to be Obliterated.
Then it was. For a split second it was like nothing happened at all. Then it crumbled, folding in on itself as it seemed to churn into dust and then from dust into nothing at all.
I blinked once and frowned, I guess mindset was all I needed. What to put in the new space though?
My lips quirked up as an idea came to mind, it fit my theme for this place too.
Material Listings Sufficient...
Fabrication- Ah, fuck it. I'm being artsy anyway.
I didn't need my mental processes for this, I had everything I needed it just had to be realized.
I weaved it all together, out of the twinkling stone and the titanium I had sampled from Six's armor.
Done.
I stepped back and evaluated what I made. I was still holding the model this time close to my chest almost guarding it, the larger difference from the previous one was the massive wolf. It was facing away on all fours, it's eyes vigilant and protective. The lupine's eyes and small parts of its fur were made from titanium. It was strong and ready to protect if need be.
I gave a soft smile to the wolf. I didn't have the chance before to really have an animal companion, too much travel and dangerous work to keep one. But this one would stay here, eternally standing vigilant and protecting me, immortalized within my soul as an equal and perhaps the guardian of this realm.
Devas, I decided both his name and station, would be my tutela. Perhaps until the end of my days.
I turned away to leave, unfocusing and concentrating on exiting my Inner World. I needed to deal with problems outside of myself now that I had my second to breathe.
Although, it would have been easy to turn around and notice the changes that were taking place outside of my notice.