Hey. This story is not dead. Im working on it alot! I'm sorry that something like this has taken so long. I have spent months deciding what I wanted the next chapter to be like. I couldn't decide for a long time. I've written over 50,000 words for this I'm just struggling to form it properly. The mark of a bad writer I'm sorry. I have stuff written for the next 3 chapters depending on direction and word count really.
This is a snapshot, im sorry for how short it is.
Reach, Epsilon Eridani system,
New Algiers, ONI headquarters,
26th April 2570 A.D. (2153 C.E.)
Captain Thomas Lasky sat stiff backed inside the drab grey room. Chained to the table in front of him by rudimentary magnetic handcuffs that he hadn't seen in use since the days of the Great War. While that was a godsend, not wanting to have to endure some of ONI's more select methods of detainment, the situation he found himself in did not fill him with confidence. Though, given the events of the last few days, it wasn't a surprise. Ponderously, he wondered if this was god's plan. For him and his ship to be chosen for a secretive mission on the edge of Dominion space, only for that mission to degrade into the shitstorm it turned out to be.
He watched, face etched into a bored expression, as the door to his interrogation room opened silently to permit the entrance of a slight blonde woman. He continued watching as she set down a paper file; that in itself was a surprise. The advancements in digital processing and A.I. development in the last 100 years had made paper useless to most of the UNSC, with only rare books and classics retaining their hard copies. He did have to remind himself this was ONI though. An organisation that practically prided itself on hiring the most paranoid and sociopathic people evolution so kindly produced.
"Captain Lasky."
The voice was what he expected from an ONI agent. Cold, unfeeling, and utterly flat. Perhaps it was a perquisite for the job that you had to sound like a monotonous robot, the ones that had accompanied him to Requiem certainly sounded the same.
"Thomas Lasky, born 15th August 2510 to Colonel Audrey Lasky, father unknown. Entered the officer training programme in 2526 at the age of 16, graduated 3 years later with distinction. Known for your unorthodox methods of problem solving and adverse reaction to superior officers. Is this correct?"
Lasky had to hold back the sigh that wanted to be let forth and gave the interrogator a withering look.
"Yes, but you know all of this already, I'm sure. Why does it bear repeating?"
The tight smile that he received to the question looked almost alien on the agents face, like they were being instructed to act marginally civil with him.
"Protocol, Captain Lasky. I'm sure you understand?"
He was about to answer in the affirmative when the ONI agent continued speaking.
"Approximately 4 days ago, the UNSC Infinity and its escorts were instructed by High Command to investigate the source of a signal that has been plaguing ONI for almost 7 years. You arrived at the Epoloch system and indicated to Fleet Admiral Nakajima that everything was normal and that no hostile elements were in-system. Is that correct?"
He knew where this was going, accusations of treason against the Dominion swam in his mind, the possibilities of spending the rest of his life on Tartarus or even possibly execution filling him with dread. He could do nothing else but answer in the affirmative.
"You detected a faint UNSC distress signal. You informed Fleet Admiral Nakajima that it was the lost Charon class Frigate, Forward Unto Dawn. Is that correct?"
"Yes, but why are we going over this again? It's all in my logs, that I'm sure both ONI and the UNSC have sifted through many times." Lasky asked frustratedly.
"Captain Lasky. I'm not sure you understand the gravity of the situation you find yourself in." The ONI agent answered flatly. "What I, and my superiors are trying to determine is why, of the 38 people that entered the Forerunner base, you are the sole survivor."
"I've already told you I don't remember!" He practically raged.
"Precisely." The ONI agent replied coolly. "I'm sure you can understand how this looks to one on the outside?"
Lasky grit his teeth at the implication. "I'm not a traitor." He growled out.
The agent in front of him retained her blank visage as she stared at him, never giving anything away.
"That remains to be seen." She replied in a clipped tone.
He watched as she reached down towards a black briefcase. Obviously finished with the inane questioning and going for a different method. Placing it on the table, it clicked open with little noise, he carefully observed the agents expression for any change once she had viewed whatever was inside, but to his consternation, none came.
"Captain Lasky, this was found on your person when the Spartan IV recovery team entered the base. We also believe it to be the reason you were the only one found with a pulse. Can you identify it?"
The agent turned the briefcase around and he peered down at it. Inside was something that definitely was not of Human origin. It looked like a two toned piece of Forerunner alloy; smooth orange lines ran down the entire shape united in the centre by a ring. It looked like two pieces of a whole, but he couldn't place it.
"Can I touch it?" He questioned warily as he glanced up at his interrogator.
"That is permitted."
He startled as the magnetic cuffs disengaged and he was able to freely move his arms. Cautiously, he reached out towards the metal slab sitting in the briefcase. He placed his left hand on what he assumed was some kind of device before a sharp pain exploded in his head and he flinched away from it. He slumped in his chair as memories began to assault his mind with their stark detail, how could he have forgotten this?
He stood before a rotating sphere, the scientists, and Spartan escorts around him were shouting at him to back away but he paid them no heed. He felt almost compelled to enter the enchanting blue light and be surrounded by its warm comfort.
As he entered it seemed as if he was jerked out of reality. His surroundings a blue haze, unable to see his companions that were surely standing only metres away. He turned, confused and wary and came face to face with the most elegant being he had ever seen.
She, at least he assumed it was a she based on biological markers and her similarity to Human females was elegant. No, elegant was not the right word for it, she was regal. Dressed in a form fitting grey dress, accentuated by metal clasped around her arms and hands. Her headdress was completely alien, round and bulbous it occupied almost the entire space above her shoulders, and gave the image of someone who was resolutely important.
The being regarded him with a soft smile, as if pleased with his presence. It was unusual, for his only experience with xeno life had been a lesson in what hatred and scorn truly meant.
'Welcome' She said softly as the being raised her arms in what he assumed was a standard greeting for her people.
'Who are you? Where am I?' He replied confusedly.
'I am what remains of the Forerunner, once known as the Librarian. My memories were retained to assist Humanity, on the path to the mantle. Though sadly, that plan is now at risk.' She ended mournfully, as if a great weight lay upon her shoulders.
'You're… Forerunner?'
'In a sense, yes. I implanted my memories within this structure in order to help and guide Humanity towards their true purpose. I have personality imprints in the many Forerunner devices of my design.' She replied with a sense of mirth.
'True purpose?' He replied, not liking the implications.
'Yes. The purpose I spent a lifetime designing. To be our successor, to be the true custodians of this galaxy.'
'What...' Lasky replied dumbly.
'I'm afraid I don't have time to explain, Thomas Jeremiah Lasky. Your companions are attempting to assault my current home, which, if successful will end in disaster once the failsafe's activate.'
He was about to reply when the Librarians arms made a motion towards him. He stepped forward, intrigued by what she was trying to get across, only to be confused by what she was holding. Two slabs of what looked like Forerunner alloy, one orange with blue lines running through, the other silver with red lines running through.
'This is the Janus Key. It contains the realtime location of every piece of Forerunner technology in the galaxy.'
'Every piece?' He gasped, unbelieving.
He watched as the Librarian slammed the two pieces together. In an explosion of blue light the room around him filled up with system locations, each pertaining to a particular Forerunner technological site.
'We did not create so much, without a means to catalogue it all.' She glanced around wistfully as the systems formed and reformed. 'This was meant for my husband to help your people, once his meditation was complete. That, sadly, is no longer an option.'
A million questions were bouncing around in Lasky's head. However, he felt compelled to listen to the Librarian as she once again held out the key for him.
'Take this key to the absolute record. Use what you find to propel Humankind.' She continued, almost desperately.
'Why give this to me? To Humanity?'
'That will all become clear in time Thomas Lasky. I will not hand you the keys to your technological ascendency and then abandon you. Requiems time must come to an end. My husband's slumber will not last forever, and he has designs upon your species that do not bear repeating. Requiem will fall into the systems star, taking my husband with it. The key, and all it details, must not be lost.'
As she finished speaking Lasky was thrown to his feet as the blue haze around them rocked, as if hit by an explosion.
'Ah' The Librarian said serenely as she looked down at the prone form of the UNSC captain. 'It appears that our time is at an end. Do not lose heart Thomas Lasky, but mourn for the dead, for they are unable to do so themselves. Goodbye, we shall see each other again.'
'What are you talk-' He couldn't complete the sentence. A massive explosion rocked the blue haze, unable to regain his footing he was violently ejected from the mist, being thrown several metres until his body hit the cold metal floor, head first. His final vision before his world faded to black, was of bodies strewn across the room in all directions, clearly dead.
He jerked in his chair. The disconcerting memory that had flashed through his mind forgotten as he flailed around, almost toppling himself in his distress. He glanced, bleary eyed, head pounding towards the opposite end of the table, where his ONI interrogator had been sitting just minutes earlier, only to find that she was no longer there. In her place sat another woman, a woman he had the unfortunate luck of recognising quite clearly.
"Vice-Admiral Osman, sir." He gingerly raised his arm to snap off a quick but respectful salute, only for it to fail quite spectacularly as his arms still felt weak from the mental intrusion. "I apologise mam, it seems for the time being most of my faculties are indisposed."
"Understandable Captain. Giving what I just witnessed." She replied coolly. "However, you, as well I know that I am not here to exchange pleasantries or salutes of any calibre. What did you remember?" She asked bluntly, taking no time to explain why someone of her rank was present.
In his haste to conduct himself in front of the most feared woman in all of Dominion space, his mind temporarily blanked. The barrage of remembered information forgotten before it rushed back to the forefront of his mind.
"The Janus Key." He whispered, almost to himself.
"What was that captain?" Osman asked sharply.
"That." He gestured towards the briefcase that still sat open on the desk. "Is what is known as the Janus Key. When both pieces are united, they form a map. A map that provides the location of every piece of Forerunner technology in the galaxy."
"How do you know of this." Osman enquired; eyes shrouded in suspicion.
"When we entered the base, it was bare. The only thing in the entire room was some sort of device, a device I now know was used to communicate directly into my mind." Lasky explained.
"Could you be compromised Captain Lasky?"
Lasky gave the conversation with the Librarian a long thought before deciding that there was no malicious intent. Instead, ostensibly, the Forerunner seemed almost desperate to help Humanity.
"Doubtful. During my time inside the device I didn't come across any malicious intent." He answered succinctly.
"That remains to be seen Captain. I will insist on psychological evaluations every week until myself or Grand Admiral Hood deem you fit for service."
"Vice-Admiral I must protest!"
"You must protest nothing." Osman retorted sharply. "We cannot have a potentially compromised officer commanding one of the most important ships in our fleet."
Lasky looked at her and realised the truth to her words. Though it gave him hope, the fact that Osman was talking about psychological evaluations and not immediate executions for dereliction of duty and treason was a step forward.
"We know you're not a traitor, Captain Lasky." Osman said, as if reading his very thoughts. "The camera embedded in Spartan Taylors helmet survived the explosion and confirmed your story that you had nothing to do with the research teams deaths. Now, what did you experience when you were communicated with?"
Given barely any time to process that he wouldn't be executed or spend the rest of his life imprisoned on Tartarus and that he indirectly caused the deaths of over 35 people Lasky began to regurgitate the conversation he'd had with the Librarian. Throughout the monotonous retelling he watched Osman's face go from blank, to curious. By the end there was an unsettling hungry glint within the ONI directors eyes, one that spelled trouble for anyone that got in its way.
When he'd finished his retelling Osman simply nodded and sat there staring into space for a disturbing amount of time. He felt almost obligated to break the silence before she snapped her gaze towards him, eyes alight with possibilities.
"I must say Captain, this is more than even I could have predicted. This 'Librarian' specifically mentioned that she would be seeing you again if you recalled correctly?"
"Yes mam. She mentioned that she wasn't just handing the keys to the kingdom so we could play around. I think she means to guide us. However, due to time constraints her explanations were nebulous and confusing."
He observed as she reached into her top left pocket and withdrew a small black box. Much like the briefcase it was ONI's official method of containing highly classified material.
"Inside this box is what only could be described as a foreign implant. It was found embedded in your skull." She stated bluntly.
Lasky goggled. He assumed the selective memory loss he was exposed to was due to the blowback from being violently ejected from his conversation with the Librarian, not because he had a piece of Forerunner alloy embedded in his skull.
"And what?" He questioned callously, emotions running high.
Osman chose to ignore his insubordinate tone, choosing instead to theorise on why it was there in the first place.
"You say this 'Librarian' means to guide us. I believe this device, if it is a device indeed and not some random piece of metal that my scientists have misidentified, is only able to interact with the person who came across it in the first place. It sounds juvenile, but I believe you've been burdened with glorious purpose Captain Lasky."
Lasky stared at Osman, the normally blank and severe woman was alight with passion. He understood in some ways. Osman salivated at Humanities greatness given any option, the existence of the Janus Key ensured it, but he didn't really understand how. He knew the Forerunners were almost godlike in their understanding of the universe, but he couldn't fathom that someone like him would ever be able to achieve that.
"I don't know if I really believe that mam, after all I'm just a sailor. But, if I am the only one who can do this, then I will give myself for our society, and our people." He stated resolutely.
He watched as Osman pondered what he'd just said. He was interested in the response. During the Great War ONI's response would have been secrecy, even from the UNSC. They would have killed him for being present and waited to use this to their advantage, even if it was to the detriment of Humanity. However, the landscape had changed. Now, ONI worked almost in tandem with the UNSC, the lack of civilian oversight from democratically elected officials a non-issue with the military council and appointed colonial viceroys governing the new Human Dominion.
The thought usually left a bitter taste in his mouth. Democracy had been a cornerstone of Human society and culture for almost 3000 years and though bloated, the UEG did a respectable job of governing its population without resorting to martial law and terror tactics.
However, he had to hand it to Grand Admiral Hood, the usual symptoms that came with a military dictatorship were always snuffed out quickly. The punishment for corruption and the misallocation of funds was death. At a time when over 10% of Humanity still lived in refugee outposts on the inner colonies, the taking of funds offered for rebuilding and pocketing it yourself was seen as tantamount to treason. The whispers of a new insurrection that ran throughout the newly reclaimed outer colonies drew a quick response from the UNSC, any seen as conspiring against the new government was seen as conspiring against Humanity. So while there was discontent, the political goodwill fostered by the victory in the Great War, and the UNSC's continued ability to protect Humanity hadn't lessened.
"Captain Lasky, are you done daydreaming?" Osman asked, with what seemed like genuine mirth lacing her tone.
"Sorry mam, got lost in my thoughts." Lasky replied as he felt his cheeks heat up from embarrassment.
"Of course."
"If you don't mind me asking mam. What happens now?" He tentatively asked.
"Now?" Osman questioned while looking away in thought. He watched as she gave his question the time it needed to answer before turning back to him, looking him directly in the eye.
"Now." Osman continued. "We are going to Earth. You will explain your findings to a joint session of the military and colonial council. Grand Admiral Hood, as well as most of the Fleet-Admirals are eager to hear what you and that device have to say."
Lasky looked at the ONI director, determination in his eye. "When do we leave mam?"
Osman smiled her usual glacial smile, filled with so many hidden meanings one would need a translator just to figure it out.
"Why Captain, right away."