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Chapter 2- Origin of the Human

            The Master Chief stepped into a grand office. There were elegant sofas, beautiful desks and magnificent paintings. In awe, the Master Chief was led to a sofa. Once he was seated, the robed man said his farewell to the tall creature and left.

            "I don't think you know me. I am the emperor of Ezra and leader of the UFC," the tall man explained. His voice was as soft and gentle as Duvall's but he also looked older and wiser. The emperor reminded the MC of the pope he had learned about back in the days. "Do not be nervous," the emperor could clearly tell that the Spartan II was shaking. "You are our guest here."

            "What am I doing here?" the Master Chief asked.

            "That is what I am here to explain human. You see, we have been monitoring your race for many centuries, trying to contact you. However, the time was never right. There was a big decline in our economy and the funding was cut for the research on human society. I thought that I would never see a human in my lifetime."

             Then how did you find us sir? Cortana questioned.

            "Oh, I see you have an AI friend. Well, our scientists were still monitoring the five planets that we created and found humans there. I believe you have met our allies there? They are very intelligent and noble, the Covenant. Truly a worthy ally.

            The Covenant are your allies? Cortana cried in disbelief.

            "I told you we should have never trusted these scumbags," the MC replied. He immediately rose and pulled out his pistol. Without thinking, the trigger was pulled. A loud boom rang out. The super human opened his eyes and to his dismay, the emperor had been unscathed.

            "Now, John 117, there is no need for violence. Please explain to me why you feel anxious at the mention of the Covenant."

            If your scientists have been monitoring us then you should know that the Covenant are our hated enemies. They have been trying to wipe out the human race for many years now.

           

            "How dare they betray us? Why would the Covenant do this?" The emperor screamed in anger. He quickly picked up the phone and screamed into it. "I have just told my foreign relations chief that the peace treaty with the Covenant is done. I still do not believe why they would do this." The tall elegant creature was furious. His long slender neck revealed thick, blue veins bulging, as if they would explode any moment.

            Enough of the Covenant, who are you and why are we here? Cortana asked impatiently. The Emperor soon calmed down, took a few long breaths and started to explain.

            "I am the emperor of Ezra. My people, the Forerunners have lived here for billions of years. My power does not end at the-"

            The Forerunners? You are the Forerunners? I have so many questions about Halo and the other ring planets. Cortana was ecstatic.

            "Patience my friend. All will be sorted out soon. I will explain our past projects with Halo later. First, I would like to explain why you are here. The human race is extremely important to us. John, the Forerunners and you humans are related. We were once the same species. Something went wrong and we were separated." Cortana couldn't believe her ears. The humans were related to the Forerunners? She would have to remember all this and tell it to the people on Earth again. "It all began when a large carrier was on a transport mission…"

*          *          *

            The massive transport ship was headed straight for the ringed planet. It was carrying about five million Flood specimens along with one thousand crew members.

"How much longer before we reach installation four?" Captain Earl questioned. He slowly stepped out of the sleep chamber and was refreshed in no time.

Captain, there are still approximately four more hours until we arrive at our destination The AI Erwin answered. Everything was calm and going routinely. All of a sudden, the alarm blasted. Something was wrong. Soon, two soldiers dashed into the bridge still panting.

"Captain, the Flood have gone rampant. They are running everywhere, massacring our crew," one said, almost running out of breath. The captain's visage was of pure dread and horror. The Flood were dangerous and deadly monsters. The captain was all too familiar with their behavior for he had handled them before.

            "We will have to dispose of them. Erwin, exit Slipspace now. Soldier, your name please," He stuttered as he gave out the orders. The crew was obviously outnumbered, but they had weapons. The Forerunner's solar arsenal should be able to neutralize them. Still, the Flood were crafty, merciless warriors who would stop at nothing to achieve their goals.

"Petty Officer Charles Woods, sir!"

"Petty Officer Woods, you are in charge of disposing these horrendous creatures. Round them up and put them onto an uninhibited planet. Make sure none escape. Both of us know what the Flood can do so I would be careful if I were you.

"Sir yes sir!" Woods ran out of the bridge along with the other soldier. He quickly ran to the intercom and shouted into it. "All military personnel, be alert for rampant Flood creatures. I repeat be alert for rampant Flood creatures. Use any force necessary to bring them under control. Take these creatures to the launch pad where other personnel will send them down to an uninhabited planet named Earth." Just seconds after the announcement, hundreds of soldiers began to run around the ship, searching for the Flood. Most of them were in the back where they were contained so most of the soldiers headed there, weapons in hand. Woods separated from the other soldier and ran towards the launch pad.

A door hissed open and several combat Floods ran in. They soon surrounded a mechanic who was cowering in fear. It was over for the poor man. One combat form leapt into the air and jumped onto the mechanic. However, the combat form lay motionless on top of the petrified man. The other combat forms were confused. Standing in the doorway was the Petty Officer, solar pistol aimed at the Flood. Woods rushed in, pulled out his solar pistol and fired like hell. The rays blasted through the grotesque figures before they could react and immediately shredded them to pieces. Still scared shitless, the mechanic quickly thanked Woods and dashed out the door screaming and crying. The Petty Officer headed out the door as well and started again to the launch pad. Along the way, there many panicked crew members as well as soldiers trying to calm them. Although he wanted to help these helpless friends and acquaintances, there was no time. He had to get to the launch pad and tell the crew members what to do. The Forerunner was already near the back of the ship. He had to go way back to the end of the ship to the launch pad. The weary soldier carried on.

Out of nowhere came a large explosion. Some started to scream while others cried in terror. Nevertheless, everyone was frightened. As Woods walked toward the back of the ship, things became worse and worse. There were dead Forerunners and Flood everywhere, their blood spewed along the walls and ceilings. A young soldier ran by and Woods grabbed him.

"What was that explosion son?" The Petty Officer asked urgently.

"You haven't heard? The Flood got to the fuel reserves. We're running low and we gotta land so the captain is suggesting we land on that planet called Earth." The Flood were more intelligent than Woods had thought. These bile monsters could probably start their own civilization by consuming other life forms. Woods had been against the creation of the Flood ever since the beginning of Project Clone but he had no say in it whatsoever. After all, he was only a Petty Officer. Now, what was supposed to be a leap in Forerunner technology turned out to be a crisis. Woods quickly ran onward, ignoring the pleas and cries for assistance.

The door to the holding cells opened and Woods stared in awe. The Flood were massacring his fellow comrades. He quickly whipped out his solar pistol and blasted away. The young officer was quite an accurate shooter. He took down five immediately. Soon, the other aliens noticed Woods shooting. They all turned to face him, their menacing appendages dangling from different parts of the body. All of a sudden, they rushed. Woods dodged one, then the other, but there were too many. He was outnumbered six to one and his solar batteries were low. In no time, he was surrounded. In his last desperate chance to escape, the officer fired crazily. Three were killed in the sea of solar beams but still three were left. The remaining three tightened the circle and started clawing. While this happened, another wounded soldier watched in horror and disbelief from a corner. When the Flood backed away, all the soldier could see were severed limbs and a pool of blood.

"This is getting out of control!" the captain screamed.

           

            We're going to have to crash land on Earth if we don't do something sir.

           

            "Erwin, get the emergency escape pods ready. The bridge crew and I will use those," he said hopelessly

            Sir, what about the others?

           

            "We have no choice Erwin… they have to stay." The AI had no choice but to listen. She heated the pods up in no time, and the crew began filing out to the emergency pods. The selfish captain retrieved Erwin from the mainframe and he too entered a pod.

*          *          *

            "That is how the Human race began. To this day, we still aren't certain how the rest of the Forerunners survived and lost their memory but we are certain that they killed the Flood and began a new life. All of the millions of years changed the physical appearance of the Forerunners and soon, they were no longer us. They were human."

            Cortana and the MC were in disbelief. It was too strange and awkward but the Emperor told the story with such certainty. All the bible stories, the ape theory, everything the Master Chief had learned, they were all false. So this was the true origin of the Human. Cortana couldn't believe the selfishness and the cowardice of the captain. However, if it weren't for him, there would be no human race.

            A device rang. It seemed like a phone except there was nothing there. The emperor pressed a button on his desk and the room rang with sound.

            "Emperor, the peace treaty has been canceled and the Covenant are waging war," the voice boomed.

            "Just as I predicted," The emperor said with the least bit of nervousness, as if he was not afraid of the Covenant. "John, prepare for battle."