Chapter 7
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0536 Hours, February 13, 2580 (Military Calendar) /
New Delphi, Artic Research Station, Iceland
As dawn broke through the smoke-filled sky, Mitchell could see the full extent of the damage and casualties. He saw hunter-seeker groups, as they screened the field for any remnants of the invading aliens. He watched as some engineers squabbled over how to repair the base, scientists dissected the aliens, and mechanics repaired some ships. They had nearly recovered all of the bodies, some ravaged beyond physical identification by the acid. With his amplified hearing, something caught his attention from all this action. A faint roar sounded above him, and he looked. A bright fireball was burning a gash in the early morning sky. It hurtled toward the ground with amazing speed. It hit the ground, roughly some seventy miles away, behind a mountain range. Suddenly, a roar, as loud as a thunderclap, rumbled across the blood-stained, snow-topped field, penetrating every nook and cranny and stuffing it's self into one's ear.
The loud roar was soon followed by the largest mushroom-shaped cloud he had ever seen, exactly like the explosions that he saw in old videos of the 20th century, when they had experimented with nuclear weapons. The cloud seemed to reach up straight into the heavens, laced with traces of pink and crimson, as well as metallic-grey. A shockwave streamed in from the impact site, and pummeled the temporary shield they had set up, and vaporized and wreckage or bodies outside of the shield. They simply vanished in little tiny wisps of dust.
As soon as it began, it ended. The struggling shield's tension was alleviated in multi-colored rainbows in the thin film of a shield. The soldiers unplugged their ears, and listened to the silence. A sudden hush, like that of the absolute silence in space, appeared, like that of when you know that you're doomed to die. Minutes went by, then hours, and…nothing happened. Mitchell continued to ponder as the rest of the camp slowly returned to their work. As time went on, a scientist had walked up onto the bulkhead and stopped next to Mitchell.
"Excuse me, but I believe that my AI had sent you a message," casually mentioned the scientist. "My name is Dr. Alexander Smith. I believe that you know about the oracle, am I right?"
"Huh? Yes, doctor. I was just thinking about it. So I guess that you want me to go to the site with you?"
"Yes, an archaeological find like that is astounding. As much as that we learned about the ark, and , well…we would just like to find where it is. If there had ever been a time we need to have a haven, it's now. With the assaults, the invasions, and rebellions, it's amazing that we aren't dead yet."
"When should we leave?"
"Right now, I don't want keep my AI waiting."
"It's still functional?"
"Yes, I made sure that there was enough shielding around the work site to ward off a direct blast from any EMP-generating object. I'm pretty sure that it's still safe."
"Alright, I'll go. We'll take the Warthog."
Minutes later, the scientist found him in the driver's side cabin, holding on for his life. They sped across the wide open plain, enjoying their freedom. Off in the distance, unknown to the pair, an alien watched them. It was roughly five foot, two inches. As it dropped its binoculars, a pair of glowing red eyes was visible in its gaunt, skull-like face.
"So, doctor. I have found you. Now I shall keep you from leading humanity to its haven. For everything you have done, you will pay…ten times worse."
1106 Hours, February 13, 2580 (Military Calendar) /
Archaeological Dig-site, Sector 9-A, Iceland
"Ah, hello Dr. Smith, I'm very glad that you're here. I had instructed for some of AI's in the equipment to begin deep scans of the object and…wait…I'm detecting an energy spike as soon as the spartan walked in. It's emanating from the object!" As the AI finished speaking, an orange glow, almost like smoke, drifted out from the hole. As it drifted closer and closer to Mitchell, its glow intensified, until it was so bright nothing could be seen. Mitchell had never encountered anything like this. His Mjolnir suit couldn't compensate for the glow. It was so bright, that he had to close his eyes and then…the glow disappeared.
He opened his eyes. He could tell that he was somewhere else, because there were trees, grass, and some ruins some distance to the left of him. His suit was gone, leaving only his Com-set, and his weapon. He picked up his weapon and stood up. He glanced around, finally walking only when he got a good look of his original position. No one else was around, when suddenly a probe, much like that of 343 Guilty Spark, and 2401 Penitent Tangent, recorded by the Master Chief's encounters, appeared. It hummed with an almost human quality to it, as it glowed orange and floated around, as if waiting for something.
"Oh, hello, I am 807 Sentient Keeper, monitor of the Ark. I am here to test you, to see if you will be the one to lead the Forerunner's descendants out of danger and to the Ark. The first test will be a test of patience and determination. You will have to retrieve the orb at the top of this course. There are a number of levels, which makes you have to jump, climb, and run, all the way to the top. Keep in mind, you will be timed." As the monitor was speaking, a number of blocks floated up into the air, creating a three-dimensional maze of platforms, ladders, and other things needed in a maze.
"I will release traps to test your alertness. There will be pits filled with acid. This acid is not dangerous, merely acting more like a tickle than a burning sensation associated with acid. You will be allowed to use any means necessary to complete this test. You will begin in five seconds." Running, he made his way to the starting platform, which rose him up.
"You will have ten minutes to finish the test." Just ten minutes? Way too long, thought Mitchell, I'll be finished long before that. He progressed his way through the 10 kilometers that made up the course, running whenever he could. Throughout the course, traps would spring when he least expected it. As he ran he noticed that there was more than one thing watching him. It was almost as if he was a completer at a global event. Suddenly, there was a sudden hum next to him. There, floating in the sky was a gigantic Enforcer. Tracking the human, the Enforcer suddenly fired pink projectiles. Mitchell ran, maneuvering around to avoid the projectiles. Quickly glancing at his mission timer, he realized that he had to hurry. As it counted down, he ran he looked for ways of outsmarting the machine.
3:31
He saw his opportunity, a large pillar close to the machine. Standing near it, just long enough for the machine to target and fire, Mitchell waited.
2:43
As soon as he saw the pink projectiles close in, he ran toward the final leg of the course. Closing in on the gap between him and the blue orb, he heard an explosion as the machine exploded in a ball of fire.
1:48
Knowing that the foremost danger was gone, he ran with renewed strength and sprinted straight past all the remaining traps, and grabbed the orb.
0:34…timer stop…mission complete…
As he finished, the Sentient Keeper floated up and stated simply, "Well done." Reaching for the monitor, Mitchell was surrounded by the same orange light as before near the Betgora Oracle.
1232 Hours, February 13, 2580 (Military Calendar) /
Archaeological Dig-site, Sector 9-A, Iceland
He suddenly reappeared in the artic archaeological site. As he reappeared, the doctor ran toward him, asking different questions. Mitchell could barely answer one question without suddenly being interrupted. Unknown to them, Juno was monitoring the oracle, when she detected another AI…in the oracle!
"Doctor, I'm detecting another AI residing within the object. I suspect that it will activate when the 'tests', as mentioned in the inscriptions, are completed." reported Juno; "It seems to be activating some sort of holographic panel on the object. It should be appearing in a few minutes…" After a few minutes, the object showed a scratchy green mist above a flat screen on the object. As time elapsed, a ghostly figure appeared. It was human-like, with five appendages off the main body, two eyes, ears, a nose, a mouth, and hair. What was different, were the spikes in the back. As the figure became clearer, the spikes moved around, as if by their own free will. It had scaly skin, and dark green eyes. It wore an outfit similar to an extremely thin version of his Mjolnir Mk. VI suit. In a matter of minutes, the image began to speak.
"Greetings human, I am Fafnir, guardian of the Oracle. I have waited long for one to be worthy of leading humanity to safety. I am in the form of my creators, the 'Forerunner', as you call them. I have been in constant contact with the other monitors on other oracles, before one by one, each one 'dying' in a sudden explosion.
As of now, only I and another guardian exist, whose existence is found only on a planet long dead, but still inhabited by the Forerunner's guards, the Sangheili. In your language, they are called the 'Elites.' It's a pity that so many of them have been misguided by the false prophets. The 'Prophets' used to be our blood, our flesh, before many of them had undergone a tremendous mutation. A few crazed Forerunner scientists wanted to live forever, and tried to find the one thing that could allow them to do it. However that is a topic for a later time. Right now, my sensors on the system of Halos are detecting the Flood gathering on multiple makeshift ships that have been pieced together from ancient ships which have crashed into the fortress worlds. You should begin preparation to leave Earth."
"What are you talking about?" objected Dr. Smith, "Our navy barely has enough ships to keep our planet from falling into the Covenant hands, let alone carry the entire human population to the Ark! What you're talking about is impossible, even if we were able to get a ship large enough to ferry our race!"
"A good argument, sir, but we are not talking about actually moving the population. I might have misstated about leaving Earth. Instead, what I meant was to prepare to move this planet to the Ark."
"Moving the…the planet! That is impossible, let alone probable. Think of the energy required, and the speed! There is nothing in existence that can generate enough power--"
"Enough! What you have to say is entirely valid, but remember this; some of your warriors have discovered the gravity-bending crystal on your planet, REACH. We have used that technology to move planets to form habitats for our grand-children to live, such as you. Do not doubt us, or our skill."
"Alright, but I have yet to see proof." countered the doctor, wandering off toward the warthog. As he was walking over, Mitchell saw a shadow of someone hiding near one of the mounds of dirt, and shouted,
"Doctor, stop!" The words had barely exited his mouth, when a humanoid creature leapt out and grabbed the doctor by the neck. He had scaly-green skin, scars, thin, muscular arms, legs, and fingers, and had evil, glowing red eyes.
"So, doctor, doing more 'digs' huh? I knew what you were always after, riches and fame! Ever since you heard that story of the 'glowing orb', you were fascinated and wanted to find it. So, look what we have here! A Spartan and an AI; How touching. Ready to meet the demise of the renowned 'doctor', or do you want to beg?" coughed the man, while his lungs quivered at each breath, as if the atmosphere was too thick for him.
"So, Doc, do you remember what you did to me at our dig site on Io? No? Than perhaps let me refresh your memory. You were younger then, perhaps more naïve. Your knowledge at the most basic guidelines was perhaps second to your massive ego. Your rush to find something that would pay off, led us to the center of one of the more volcanic areas. In your recklessness, a gush of heat from an active vent destabilized my flyer, and you let me fall into the vent. So, doctor, you probably left me to die, huh? Well guess what? A group of rebels found me; half charred and covered with third-degree burns. They healed me to the best of their abilities, but my lungs became used to the thin atmosphere of Io, which helped my scarred lungs to heal faster. I'm here to have my revenge, and see you suffer ten times worse than what I have endured." The man smiled an evil smile as he whipped out a rusty but sharp blade, lifting it up to his neck, playing it around like a six-year old waving his hand in water, grazing his skin. A trickle of ruby-red blood flowed off his skin. He made a sudden motion to slit his throat, when he stopped, and sheathed it back in a pouch.
"However, I am willing to spare you, on one condition, that you bring me to this, 'crystal'. I have special plans for it. Prepare to leave in an hour."
END PART ONE!
Hope you enjoyed this, but his ends the first part. ONWARD TO THE SECOND ONE!