Purpose Of Existence Chapter 39: Evil Within
The screeching was ear shattering. The Control room was divided in four sections, all identical to one another. Even the advanced systems of Mjolnir or Bias could locate where it exactly came from.
Yet Chief did not need confirmation what it was, or where it came from. He had heard it so many times before. In so many places and battles. The voice didn't come from a single point, that was why no one could pinpoint it.
It came from everywhere.
And its numbers where overwhelming.
They came like a wildfire, burning everything in their path, leaving nothing behind. If it touched you, it burned the very skin that protected your body. The pain would be enormous and the after effects merciless.
After the pain subsided, nothing would be left behind. An animated rotting corpse, controlled by something far more terrifying than any mortal could ever hope to understand.
ooOOoo
I am The Gatekeeper. It was my duty to guard the gates of our vast Promethean empire. An unstoppable advanced technical race, who sadly after all its advancements, all its discoveries, after everything we did to make this galaxy a better place... lost its way.
It was once said, by a traitor, a promethean male, great commander and tactician, who betrayed his brethren for his own gains and believes, that one day… one day the promethean would crumble beneath their own might. That our very society and bride would cause our destruction…
We laughed at his face, sealed him inside a cryptum and left him there to rot.
Quite ironic. Isn't it? That he was the last of our race. The last hope for forerunners and he used all his knowledge and power trying to wipe out the very people we fought to protect from our fate. So they wouldn't suffer like we did.
And here I am, watching as the last descendant of our once mighty race, fights against the same threat that forced us to cause a galaxy wide genocide. Yet it is the only way, if he is to survive this one last struggle, the galaxy shall be saved and humanity will be set in their rightful place as the bearers of the galactic mantle.
But for now, my it is my duty to observe and guide this bearer of light. The last hope of humanity to face his future and when the time is right, finally end his long path of war and destruction.
ooOOoo
Immediately after Chief heard the all too familiar screeching sound he whipped around and faced the door, directly behind them. He raised his assault rifle, the rest of the party following suit.
The room was eerily quiet. The spartans enchanted hearing could pick up each others breathing. They could also pickup the closing footsteps, probably caused by a infected human or elite, since they were too heavy to be caused by a Jiralhanae.
The footsteps were closing in fast and for a moment the room seemed to freeze and everyone's breathing stopped.
Then there was a slam. Something hit the door and even caused a small dent. Chief was expecting another slam to force the door open…
...but nothing came. Utter dead silence. The silence lasted so long that Chief and Kelly actually exchanged a look and was about to drop their weapons to relaxed position when the door buckled in and instead of a horde of flood, in ran a very sweaty and out of breath Buck, followed by a panting spartan Vale.
"Wha…" Was all that was said in the room as the two spartan teams took in the view layed out in front of them.
And even Chief had to admit, it was quite a surprising scene.
After a few moments of panthing, Bucks gaze mover from his face to Chief's helmet and despite his state, he still managed to pull of that Buck certified shit eating grin. "So Master Chief, this is supposed to be your rescue."
John's eyebrows shot up at this. "Rescue, spartan?"
Buck was about to answer but heavy, running footsteps and gunfire interrupted their short conversation. Commander palmer and Locke came ran, turning from the U-shaped corridors and focusing their gaze on the gathered group.
Palmer nearly crashed into Chief, dodging him at the least minute, yet never slowing down her pace. She whipped her head quickly around and yelled "Spartans, now would be very goddamn good time to move!"
The Osiris members complied without a thought but the spartan II's were left there standing confused.
Then the screeching sound came again closer this time, Chief could already see the first spores peeking from behind the corridor. Thinking quickly he lodged his remaining grenades at the running abomination and started following the younger spartans, trusting they had some type of idea where they were going. His augmentations allowed him to quickly catch up with Palmer. She didn't know about the gate guardian and running away from her would not solve their problem of leaving The Ark.
"Commander"
It took a while for her to answer, even with her augmentations, they were very deep inside the High Charity and they had to be running for a while. It also didn't help that their augmentations were lighter than the spartan II's.
"We need to find a alternative route back and seal that champer. We found a way to reopen the gateway, but we need that champer secure".
Dodging another pile of rubble, Palmer quickly turned her gaze to Chief and back. "How much time do you need? We don't have the manpower to hold these things and I am not losing a spartan today, do you hear me Chief?"
"Yes Ma'am. I am not aware of the procedure but we found someone who could potentially help".
Now Palmers gaze turned and stayed on Chief. "You found the recon team?"
This time it was Chief's turn to remove his gaze from her. "Yes ma'am, mutilated and eaten. We don't have confirmation which one did it, The Banished or The Flood".
"If not them...Then who?"
Chief was about to answer, but the sight of a upcoming door console cut his thought. He ran to the console and waited for the rest of the team to run through the door. After that, he slammed the console and the door shut, cutting of the floods, for now, only way to access them.
Chief mind was already racing however, trying to find a solution for their newest predicament and the unlikely appearance of Fireteam Osiris. "Bias, explain the gatekeeper".
The AI was clearly expecting this and answered quickly and efficiently. "Once upon a time, she was one of the most respected forerunners to have ever existed". A image of a woman once again clad in a blue form hugging gown emerged on Chief's faceplate. This time she was younger tho, and the lines on her face nonexistent. "A offspring of a respected pacifist leader, her name, or the closest translation I can think off is "Seeker Of Eternal Stars". She was smart, brilliant, an ideal forerunner…
...In fact she was so brilliant that, she was entrusted with the care of Forerunners secret emergency teleport project, made as a backup plan for situations where forerunners were facing a intergalactic crisis". As the images continued to scroll past his face. Chief could see a small glimpse into the past of one of the mightiest races to ever live in their galaxy…
And goddamn was it sad. The gatekeepers job was a great honour, but it slowly ate away her, who she truly were and now she exist only between planes. Between one world and another. Not really here but not there either. She is a ghost, a reminder of people long gone.
Shaking his head to clear the unwelcome thoughts, Chief once again focused on the AI currently inhabiting his suit. "We need a way back to that champer, she told us there was a way to get to Earth and we are going to take it. No matter the cost".
Biases face suddenly turned into a expression of...pity? No sadness would be the right emotion. Strange, would have been the best term to describe it. It felt like the AI knew of what was about to come.
"Chief, still waiting…"
If he hadn't had his helmet on Chief would have massaged his tired eyes. He was getting sloppy and he knew that.
Probably reading Chief's stress Bias decided to take control.
"If I may, I believe I have located a suitable route with minimal danger for the group. We should make haste, The Flood will surely find a alternative path and we cannot hold them back in our current location".
By now Chief had managed to gather himself and put on his typical impassive mask. He turned to the group and started giving instructions. "Agreed, uploading the map now".
ooooOOOOoooo
And this will mark the beginning of my weekly uploads again. This time I have hired a friend of mine to kick my ass if I try to slip :P.