CHAPTER 5
QUESTIONS
Deka looked at the recordings and the images of Josh and Hailey's mission. She sighed seeing the same woman again. Her image was nothing but a ghost.
"Well? Deka I want answers"said Josh
Deka looked down at the floor. Ares entered into the room. He stood noticing the image of the woman. He remembered who that was. Someone close to him.
Josh looked back at Ares. Knowing what he would tell him was something like Hailey's answer.
"Adela Mushra, an Ex-Exile, worked with us for sometime, great sniper and silent assassin"said Ares
Josh looked towards him as Deka stared down at her feet still. Thinking why now and what's so important.
"Why?"asked Josh
"She left after the disappearance of your father, our last mission didn't go well"said Ares
"Adela and I were there for support, one of our allies at that time had abandoned our code, since he did he aimed to bring back what was once sealed"said Ares
"Halo"said Deka
Josh's eyes looked back at Deka. Thinking of what Hailey had told him before. Not pushing others.
"Holy ancient rings as my people call them, Samuel didn't want them to be brought back, so we went on pursuing our traitor and were able to locate him"said Ares
"What went wrong?"asked Josh
"The mission of attaining him, and during that we lost your father in the process"said Ares
"Just like that?!"yelled Josh
Deka turned around looking towards him. She noticed his anger and rage. The answers he was getting.
"None of us liked this but this wasn't something we could just ignore, your father wanted closure to this mess"said Deka
"Your father was lost within an ancient Forerunner location within the outskirts of our Systems, out of UNSC or Elite Space"said Ares
"Josh the halo rings will kill us all if they're reactivated again"said Deka
"I understand that, was there anything else? I doubt anyone would want to kill themselves like that"said Josh
Ares looked at him. Crossing his arms. Deka shoved her right arm forward. Holograms popped up showing signs of life. Beeping signs of a dying person's vitals.
Josh looked at it. He didn't understand at all. Looking towards Deka she stood crossing her arms.
"Your Father's ally the one we ended up capturing is still alive, if you want more you can either ask him or your Syo Sphere your father left you"said Deka
CHANGE OF VIEW
Doors slid open. Josh entered into the sealed room named "Delta Level". Noticing the extra white ODST soldiers holding shotguns and energy swords.
He walked inside. His Spartan IV helmet was still on. 3 of them blocked his path from entering the door.
They stood aside as Josh noticed the slide doors slide open. Walking into the cold refrigerated room.
He stared at the many tubes of flowing life support flowing into one capsule. The large capsule lifted itself up. Moving into a standing position.
The glass was clear he could see the image of a man. Inside yet he was old and tired. Filled with small life left in him. The man's eyes opened.
They were yellow. Josh walked up towards him and stopped. Standing away by 4 feet. The old tired man smiled and chuckled at him.
"Your not...Ares"said The Old Man
"What do you know of what happened to my Father?"asked Josh
"Hahaha...Samuel Voltera...you must be his only Son...what a shame"said The Old Man
"I want Answers"said Josh
Coughing went off. The old man smiled and looked away. He sighed thinking of what to say. Josh stood looking at him. His helmet scanned the vitals.
The organic body and blood flow of this old ancient person.
"He's dead,why?-Why do you think they called and exiled you since your childhood?! Why do-do you think you never even had a life to live?!"said The Old Man
"Your so Called Life was premade to be what you are now, a Soldier, just another tool like your father, why do you believe the "EXILES" exist?! To bring order?! Haha no child they exist only to be free with there own meaning"said The Old Man
"My Father is known as a Hero to all in the UNSC"said Josh
Coughing went on again. The Old Man looked at him. Seeing the reaction of Josh.
"You want my answers? Let me ask you kid, why risk you life to live in this?"asked The Old Man
Josh looked away and back. Remembering all the hatred that he had for his father. All the times he had felt abandoned.
All the many times he was given something like a mission. Yet he ended up doing what his father always was. He had never had a life to live.
Only a life of hiding and running. Nothing besides the few friends he ever had.
"I'm tired of hiding from the Truth, I want to know the answers and reasons of why I was brought here, I want to know who I am"said Josh
"There you go child, finding the answers you will inside the Syo Sphere"said The Old Man
"What was so important with the Halo ring?"asked Josh
"You ask yet you have no idea of what your asking"said The Old Man
"The ones who lived before us were the more ideal ones, they could have guided us into the new Generation of Life"said The Old Man
"Your belief is the Forerunners?"asked Josh
"You ask things you just simply cannot comprehend at all"said The Old Man
CHANGE OF VIEW
He stared at the Syo Sphere that he had placed inside his room. He stared at it's glowing core. Josh grabbed ahold of it and looked at it.
He had taken off his helmet. His gloves and decided to see what was inside of it. The glowing sphere glowed brightly as it sent images rushing into Josh's mind.
MEMORY STARTS
Images of what Samuel Voltera's early life was like. A small Child surviving the early parts of war. War between Humans and Elites.
Buildings were tore and shattered apart. The clouded black and grey clouds covered the skies.
Soldiers went off fighting struggling to hold something close and dear to them.
Crumbling buildings fell all round Josh. He stood behind the Child.
Josh looked forward seeing the massive Scarab Tank looking down towards the small infant child. He screamed in fear.
Yet Josh looked back seeing the UNSC Pelicans dropping off ODST's and Marines. They rushed into combat running past the child.
Medics and support grabbed ahold of the child. Josh looked back at the child. Seeing fear and fright. Yet Josh looked forward again. Seeing his old allies.
His old friends from before. Past him was a Hailey and her brother Victor. Josh stared shocked. He could see another ally a rookie named "Donald".
Then he noticed Hameln yelling with a spartan laser. Behind him was the last a fully prepped SPARTAN IV soldier named "Samuel "Halen" Voltera".
(Characters introduced in ECHOES: ORIGINS, ECHOES 2: SHADOWS LIGHT)
Halen was wearing his traditional SPARTAN IV Gungir armor. His chest plate was soldier chest plate with extra ammo pockets.
His shoulder pads were light weight Recon. Josh stared shocked seeing his father again in this memory. Seeing him being who he was.
Firing his spartan Laser and ordering his team. The Scarab Tank continued attacking. Josh could see the utter struggle of these men.
MEMORY JUMPS AHEAD
Josh notices the memory scrambling as it changed. He reached out towards his father's image as it faded away.
Another form it took as it went into a lab like facility. Large in size. Josh noticed around the images of bone fractures and broken muscles.
Screaming and agonizing pain came from his wounded father. Seeing him on a medical bed. Struggling.
"No..."said Josh
"Samuel! Stop!"yelled Deka
"Arghhhaaa!"yelled Samuel
"Samuel! you must listen she's gone! there was nothing you could have done!"yelled Deka
"No! I have to go back there now!"yelled Samuel
"She's gone!"yelled Deka staring back towards Samuel
He calmed down and lied on his back. Closing his eyes and opening them again. Deka took blood samples of Samuel. He looked at her. Thinking.
"What am I supposed to do now?"he asked
"My son...she was pregnant Deka"said Samuel
Deka stopped as she stared at Josh. Yet he stared back at her. Listening to what Samuel had said.
"What?! My mother!? No! She was? I'm alive?!"said Josh shocked