All the Liara fans out there will hopefully like this one.
...
1401 Hours, March 6th, 2683
SSV Normandy
High orbit over Eletania
Hercules System, Attican Beta Cluster
...
Once they were back on the Normandy and their weapons were stored in their lockers on deck three, the squad reconvened in the comm room on deck one. As usual, they all sat in a circle, each of them sitting in a chair. An awkward silence ensued for a moment before Cortana materialized on Chief's omni-tool. Before the AI could even get a word in, Tali immediately rose up from her seat and walked towards the door. "Tali-"
"Let her go, Chief." Cortana cut the Spartan off as the Quarian left the room. Cortana sighed before turning to the rest of the squad. "I imagine Chief and I have some explaining to do."
"You're damn right!" Ashley snapped. She glared at the Spartan. "Cortana was alive and with us this whole time? Why didn't you tell us?"
"AI's are illegal in Citadel space, remember?" Chief reminded the marine. "I couldn't risk the Council finding out about her."
"So what if they do? You're a Spectre, remember?" Ashley argued. "You're above the law. Even if the Council do find out about Cortana, what are they gonna do about it?"
"Blacklist me like they did Saren." Chief replied. "I can't let that happen. It might cost the Alliance the Council seat they need."
"Council seat?" Ashley asked with a very blatant 'are you kidding me' tone in her voice. "You're a Spartan! Not a politician! Since when do you screw over your own team for the sake of a political agenda?!"
"I didn't 'screw over' anyone." Chief said. "You know how this works, Williams. Everything is on a need-to-know basis. And you didn't need to know about Cortana."
"Don't give me that! We had a-"
"Enough." Chief sternly said, interrupting the marine. "You're out of line. I don't want to hear another word out of you for the rest of this meeting."
Ashley glared daggers at the Spartan for a minute before turning away from him, instead opting to glare those daggers at the floor instead. "Alright then." Cortana said in a semi-cheery tone trying, and failing, to lighten the mood. "So, unless anyone has anything else to add, let's officially debrief. Here's where we stand. Thanks to a well-placed explosive round by Wrex, the Geth terminal back in the Grand Hall was destroyed before it could fully decrypt the data within the crystal. Meaning that Saren does not know Halo's exact location. That's the good news. The bad news is, we don't know its exact location either."
"So now we have two things to look for in the Attican Traverse. Halo and the Conduit." Garrus stated.
"Correct." the AI said.
"What I want to know is why Saren is interested in Halo." Liara threw in her two cents. "Up until now, he has only demonstrated an interest in Prothean ruins. Why the sudden interest in a Forerunner installation?"
"Saren said that there was something on Halo he wanted." Cortana replied.
"You and the Chief were on Halo a few times." Kaidan pointed out to the AI. "Was there anything on it that Saren would want?"
"Nothing obvious, no." Cortana replied. "The best thing I can come up with is the Flood. He had Saleon studying it on the Citadel. It's possible that he wants to find more of the Flood so he can weaponize them."
"Which is a bad idea." Garrus said. "I don't think anyone can really control those things."
"Whether he can actually control the Flood or not is ultimately irrelevant." Cortana pointed out. "If he finds the Flood on Halo and releases it for any reason, we're going to be in big trouble. Which is why it's vital that we find Halo before Saren does."
"Master Chief, we got a transmission from the Council incoming." Joker reported over the ship's intercom. "They just received the Eletania report, and I don't think they're happy. They wanna talk to you."
Chief groaned. "Team dismissed." Chief said. With that, the team left the com room, some more eager to leave the Spartan's presence than others. Summoning up some willpower, Chief stood up from his chair and stood in front of the three kiosks. "Patch them through." he resignedly said.
The images of Councilors Sparatus, Tevos, and Valern appeared. Much like Ashley earlier, all three of them were glaring daggers at the Chief. "Master Chief. We've just finished reading your report. We're not happy with how this mission turned out." Tevos began the meeting, speaking with an icy venom.
"You let Saren get away." Sparatus hissed at the Chief.
"I underestimated him. It won't happen again." Chief said.
"Indeed it won't, because you might not get another chance to capture him!" Sparatus raged. "This was our best opportunity! Spirits only know when we'll get another one like it! And that was not even your only failure. You allowed a Forerunner complex, not ruins but a fully-functional complex, outside the Forerunner Cluster no less, to be destroyed! Who knows what secrets we could've learned!"
"The Prometheans activated a self-destruct protocol after the Flood infestation got out of control. It was out of my hands." Chief tried to explain. "Besides, If they hadn't done that, there'd be a risk that the Flood would spread across that planet, and possibly the rest of the galaxy."
"Yes, and stopping the Flood only came at the low, low price of a vast library of ancient knowledge." Sparatus seethed.
"Which brings us to our other point of concern." Tevos said. "Halo. We understand that it's somewhere in the Attican Traverse."
"Yes Councilor." Chief said. "Halo's a weapon, one that's-"
"Capable of wiping out every sentient being in the galaxy." Tevos interrupted. "Yes, we are well aware of Halo's true function."
Chief was taken aback by this. "You are?"
"Indeed. Shortly after the Alliance obtained their own embassy on the Citadel, ONI made us privy to Halo's existence and nature. We happen to agree with ONI that it should be kept a secret from the general galactic public." Valern answered.
"Though we remain skeptical. Big rings in space that make things die somehow? It sounds like the plot to a bad science fiction vid game." Sparatus remarked.
"Nevertheless, we must assume the worst." Tevos resolutely stated. "If Saren seeks Halo, then we must take every action necessary to stop him."
The Master Chief straightened. "I'll find Halo before Saren does." he vowed.
"Like hell you will." Sparatus growled. "We're assigning another Spectre to find Halo."
"What?" Chief asked. "Councillors, I've been on Halo several times before. I know my way around it. I'm the only Spectre qualified to carry out an op on that ring."
"You have already been tasked with apprehending Saren and securing the Conduit." Tevos pointed out. "Judging by the current state of your armor, it seems you have enough on your hands." she added, gesturing to the Chief's armor. The Spartan looked down and noted the large crack Saren left in his chest piece, as well as the crack in his helmet's visor.
"We will assign the task to Spectre Jondum Bau. Rest assured, he is a well-seasoned Spectre with years of experience. He will find and secure Halo before Saren does." Valern said.
"And he'll do it without blowing anything up." Sparatus added.
"As for you, you will continue your own hunt for Saren and the Conduit. We'll keep you posted on new developments." Tevos said. Her image then reached out and apparently pressed a button as the three images then faded out from existence.
Chief balled up his fists. The knowledge that there was important circuitry behind the room's wall panels was the only thing keeping him from punching them.
"Master Chief, we've got another incoming transmission. This one's from Alliance Command." Joker reported over intercom.
Chief sighed. "They read the report too, huh?"
"Yeah. Doubt they're happy either." Joker replied.
"Patch them through, Joker." Chief said with a sigh of resignation. A viewscreen appeared on the wall opposite from the door, behind the three kiosks. Surprisingly, it was Admiral Hackett's scarred, grizzled face that filled the screen. Chief was slightly relieved. At least it was a somewhat friendly face on the other end of the line.
"Master Chief. This is Admiral Hackett from Alliance Command. I've just finished reading your Eletania mission report." the admiral began. "Sounds like Saren gave you a good beating."
"I underestimated him. It won't happen again." Chief said, telling Hackett what he told the Council not three minutes earlier.
"See that it doesn't." the admiral said. "Joker put me on hold so you could talk to the Council first. How did they take it?"
"Not well." Chief replied. "They're pissed that I failed to apprehend Saren and allowed a vast reservoir of Forerunner knowledge to be destroyed. And to top it off, they're sending some other Spectre to find Halo."
"Halo?" Hackett asked. "They're making a mistake." he added as he shook his head. "No one in Special Tactics and Reconnaissance knows Halo better than you."
"I argued as much." Chief responded.
"Pissed that someone else is working on an assignment that should've been given to you?" Hackett asked.
"...Off the record?" Chief asked. Hackett nodded. "Yes sir. I am."
"I've been in the Alliance navy for thirty years. Trust me. I know what that feeling's like." Hackett replied. "I'll see if I can't get Udina to press the Council on this. Maybe he can convince them to keep you in the loop. No promises though." He stepped back a bit from the camera and crossed his arms over his chest. "So, did the Council issue you another particular assignment?"
"No sir." Chief replied.
"Good. Cuz I need you to handle a situation on Reach."
"...Reach, sir?" Chief asked.
"There's an Alliance training ground there where we test weapons and technology in live-fire simulations." Hackett explained. "One of the VI's we use to simulate enemy tactics in the drills is no longer responding to our override commands. It's gone rogue."
"Rogue?" Chief asked. "You mean rampant?"
"Not the same thing." Hackett explained. "This is a dumb AI, not a smart one. It's not self-aware and can't access any external systems. We didn't do anything illegal here. Our armies and fleets are still nowhere near as large as they were prior to the Human-Covenant war, even after more than a century to repopulate. Because of this, virtual intelligence support has become more critical to our military success than it ever was before. VI's process thousands of status reports and react in nano-seconds. No Human can do that. Anyway, I need you to fight your way to the VI core and 'manually disable it.'"
Which basically meant 'blow it up.' "Understood, sir." Chief replied with a nod.
"The facility is located in Western Eposz. I'll send the coordinates to your ship. Hackett out." the admiral said before the screen winked out.
...
"Three cracked ribs?" Chief asked, a little surprised by the X-ray scan's results. He was in the med bay with Dr. Chakwas, both of whom stood in front of a small screen next to one of the medical tables which showed an X-ray image of the Master Chief's banged up ribcage. He'd been feeling a pain in his chest since Saren hit him with that last biotic explosion, as well as mild difficulty breathing. So he thought to check into the med bay to assess any damage he might have sustained. It seemed the damage was worse than he thought. Easily the most severe injuries he had sustained since waking up from cryo.
"Biotic explosions tend to break ribs. I imagine your augmentations are the only reason you're not in more pain." Chakwas surmised. "If you would lay back down on the table, please."
Chief sighed as he followed the medic's orders. The Spartan was completely out of his armor, and thus, out of his comfort zone, wearing nothing but a pair of pants. Chakwas opened a drawer and took out a few needles, carefully selecting each one before filling them with the appropriate formula. She approached the Chief with needle in hand. "I'll inject some calcium-enriched regenerative agents into your chest cavity. It should accelerate the knitting process. Then I'll inject you with an anti-biotic to stave off infection, just for good measure."
"Understood, Doctor." Chief replied. One by one, Chakwas injected three doses of the calcium cocktail, one for each rib fracture. The fourth and final needle was for the anti-biotics. As soon as he was patched up and had the good doctor's okay, Chief stood up and put his shirt back on, followed by his armor.
"You'll be back in fighting shape in a few days." Chakwas said. "Your wounds weren't too serious. Not for a Spartan, anyway. I suspect your pride was wounded more than anything else."
Chief grumbled something as he secured his glove piece. "Don't blame yourself, Chief. Saren can't run forever." Chakwas assuringly added.
"Thanks for the patchwork." Chief said as he put his helmet back on and then marched out the door to the med bay with purpose. He marched across the mess hall, ignoring Kaidan tinkering on that computer panel by the sleep pods, and straight into his quarters.
The Normandy's next destination was Reach. According to Navigator Pressly, it would take about four days to get there. Four days was a long time, but considering the planet in question, Chief was willing to wait. Though he was born on Eridanus II, Chief only lived there until the UNSC conscripted him when he was six, so he remembered very little of that world. He remembered much of Reach however. The training exercises with his fellow Spartans, the classes taught by the dumb AI Deja', Reach was the closest thing that Chief had, that any Spartan had, to a home planet.
He looked up Reach on the galactic codex, to see what had changed since the war. He bypassed the things he already knew. How Reach was one of the oldest Human colony worlds, how it was geologically stable despite being only a billion years old, the things Deja' taught him when he was a child. He also skipped the Fall of Reach. He didn't want to relive that memory. Too many dead friends. He finally arrived at what had happened to Reach in the last century.
Reach had been rebuilt. Specifically, it was de-glassed, which was amazing to the Chief. In his time, reversing the glassing process was widely considered to be a pipe dream, possible only from a theoretical standpoint. But by some miracle, Reach's atmosphere was still intact by the time the Covenant were done glassing it, which meant there was a hope to terraform it back to normal. It was a long process though. First, the UNSC had to employ atmospheric vacuums, sucking all the ash and soot from the air so Reach's sun could shine through and end the global winter. They also had to pump ozone into the atmosphere to repair the atmospheric damage, so the polar ice caps could reform. Finally, they had to bombard the planet with artificial ice comets to bring back the oceans that were boiled away in the Fall of Reach.
Repairing the atmosphere and restoring the polar ice caps and oceans was a long process that took twenty years. But once the atmosphere and oceans were deemed hospitable, the rest of the terraforming went miraculously smoothly. The replanting of life began in the same place where the glassing of Reach first began; the ruins of New Alexandria. Being an initial impact area of the plasma lances, the ground where New Alexandria once stood was covered by extensive areas of molten soil, similar to the soil around volcanic sites on Earth. And much like the volcanic soil on Earth, the soil of New Alexandria proved to be extremely fertile. Just like lava, all that hot plasma broke down the soil, releasing all the nutrients and minerals plants needed to thrive.
Master Chief appreciated the poetic irony to it. The Covenant destroyed Reach when they glassed it, but at the same time, they were preparing it for rebirth. Like a phoenix from the ashes.
However, some areas were harder to de-glass than others. Some areas were covered in lechatelierite, rather than the fertile molten soil. Such areas had to have their top-soil layers replaced entirely before plants could take root. Once Reach had enough forests and grasslands to support it, the UNSC began re-introducing the native fauna. As per the Noah Protocol, breeding pairs of most of Reach's native wildlife were evacuated off the planet along with civilians. Once the planet was hospitable again moas, gutas, and other fauna native to Reach were returned to their former home after decades away.
Finally, after over thirty years of terraforming, Reach was officially declared hospitable again in 2589, and was officially opened to recolonization. A hundred years later, and Reach is once again one of Humanity's most densely populated colony worlds, rivaled only by Eden Prime. Curiously, the UNSC had opted to leave one particular area of Reach glassed. Formerly the Viery Plains, the area was now called the Glass Wastes. Even more curious was the fact that the area was left glassed on the Sangheili Empire's request. Apparently they wanted a portion of Reach to remain glassed for the same reason the Germans didn't tear down Auchwitz-Birkenau after World War II. The Sangheili knew that to try and forget their sins would be an insult to the dead. The whole area was basically a giant cemetery. The area is visited by thousands of Humans and elites every year, the former to remember their fallen, the latter to spiritually atone.
Reach. It was home to every Spartan, the Chief included. After all that has happened in the last couple of weeks, it would be nice to visit home for a little while.
After reading more about Reach, the Chief decided to try and repair the crack in his chest piece, or at least patch it up so that it would last until he submitted it to a proper repair facility once he got to Reach. Once the Spartan took care of the Alliance's VI problem, he could have the Normandy dock in one of Reach's cities. It would be a good opportunity for both resupply and shore leave for the crew.
It would also make a good place to drop off his squad. After today, the Chief had little doubt that his squad would want off the ship even if the Chief hadn't planned on cutting them loose.
He tried to use omni-gel to fill in the crack in his armor. Omni-gel was a very useful material that was created by breaking down weapons, armor, and other equipment that either wasn't useful, took up too much space in the armory or cargo hold, or both. It was composed of reusable industrial plastics, ceramics, and light alloys kept in a semi-molten state. It was a useful tool for soldiers as it served many purposes from unlocking doors to field repair of equipment. The Chief watched as the blue omni-gel filled the crack and eventually hardened. He rapped his knuckle against it, satisfied that it held. Though the blue omni-gel was somewhat noticeable against the dark grey armor.
Chief took off his helmet and noted the visible crack on it. He grimaced. Omni-gel couldn't fix that. There was no question; he'd have to get the visor replaced entirely. It was a miracle that Eletania's deadly microorganisms didn't leak through the crack and suffocate the Spartan to death. Seemed his luck hadn't abandoned him completely down there.
After repairing his armor and doing some more research on Reach, Chief noticed the clock. 2256 hours. Time for bed. He took off the rest of his armor and climbed into the bed. "Goodnight, Cortana." he said.
"Goodnight, Chief." the AI replied. Chief clapped his hands, and the lights turned off.
...
There were strange-looking people, aliens maybe, suffering.
"I tried to stay hidden, but there was no escape! He cornered me, wrapped me tight... and brought me close."
Metal being welded to flesh.
"A collection of lies; that's all I am! Stolen thoughts and memories!"
Minds being tormented.
"It was the coin's fault! I wanted to make you strong, keep you safe..."
Blood splattering on the ground.
"I'm just my Mother's Shadow! Don't look at me! Don't listen! I'm not who I used to be!"
Screeching of the damned.
"I have walked the edge of the abyss! I have seen your future, and I have learned!"
Eyes that spoke eons of malice.
"There will be no more sadness, no anger, no more envy!"
A star.
A planet.
A light in the darkness.
A monster.
"This is UNSC AI Serial Number CTN 0452-9. I am the Harbinger of your ascension."
A roar.
...
The Chief's eyes shot open. He felt his heart hammering in his chest and his forehead felt cold as well. He wiped a hand across his forehead, finding that it was all covered in sweat. "0706, Chief. I was wondering if you'd get up." Cortana's voice said. Chief snapped upright and turned his head toward the AI, her avatar floating in front of the PC's screen. He sighed in relief at the sight of her alright. This prompted Cortana to raise her eyebrow. "You feeling alright, Chief?"
"Another bad dream." Chief replied. "Why didn't you wake me an hour earlier?"
The AI shrugged. "You had a rough day yesterday. I figured you deserved a little extra rest." The AI then crossed her arms. "Doesn't look like it helped though. What was your bad dream about?"
"...It was the vision." Chief said after a moment's hesitation.
"You dreamt about it the night before Eletania too, didn't you?" Cortana asked. Chief reluctantly nodded in reply. "I had a feeling. Sounds like the vision is starting to seep its way into your subconscious."
"Great." Chief replied. He wasn't looking forward to having to dream about galactic genocide every night.
"Maybe you should go see Liara about it." Cortana suggested. "She's a Prothean expert and she could do that 'mind meld' thing again. It might help."
Chief thought about it for a minute. He doubted that the Asari would want to talk to him, but it wasn't as though the Chief had anything better to do with his time. If nothing else, it was worth a shot. He climbed out of bed and put on his armor. Once everything was in place, he walked out the door.
As he passed through the mess hall, he noticed two servicemen out of the corner of his eye, way at the back of the sleeper pod hall. They were whispering, but the Chief could still hear them. "Cortana's alive?" one of them asked.
"That's what I heard from Alenko." the other replied.
"Man, why didn't the Chief tell us?"
Chief sighed as he left the mess hall and entered the med bay. His actions had demoralized some of the crew. That was bad. And unlike his combat team, the rest of the Normandy's crew wasn't so easily replaced. After giving Dr. Chakwas a nod of greeting, he walked to the other end of the med bay and entered the supply closet. Just like the other day, Liara was sitting in front of her computer. Noticing the Spartan entering, she stood up from her seat and faced him as the door closed behind the Spartan. "I get the feeling you wish to speak with me, Master Chief." the Asari said.
"Yeah. You'd be right." Chief said. "You know that vision I had on Eden Prime?" he asked. The Asari nodded. "Well, I've been dreaming about it for the last couple nights."
"Dreams? Fascinating." Liara replied as she rubbed her chin in thought. "Your subconscious mind must be trying to analyze the vision, trying to decipher it."
"I figured as much." the Spartan said. Or rather Cortana figured as much, but Chief chose not to bring that up. She was likely still a sensitive topic after yesterday. "Don't suppose you can help?"
"...Me?" Liara asked, suddenly a little nervous. "W-what can I do?"
"Do that thing you did with me a couple days ago." Chief said. "Get into my head. Help me make sense of it."
"I...I do not know." Liara muttered. "I doubt I would be much help."
"I've got nothing better to do, and as far as I know, neither do you." Chief bluntly stated. "It's worth a try."
"Very well then. If you insist." Liara said as she took a few steps towards the Chief. This would be Chief's third 'joining,' so he knew the drill by now. He took a deep breath and relaxed as Liara said the words.
"Embrace eternity!"
...
"You have been called upon to serve."
There were strange-looking people, aliens maybe, suffering.
Metal being welded to flesh.
"You will be the protector of Earth and all her colonies."
Minds being tormented.
Blood splattering on the ground.
"There will be a great deal of hardship on the road ahead."
Screeching of the damned.
Eyes that spoke eons of malice.
"You will become the best we can make you."
A star.
A planet.
A light in the darkness.
"This place will become your home."
...
When the vision ended, Liara took a few steps back, suddenly feeling very woozy. "Goddess..." she muttered. Just like last time, she nearly fell back, but the Spartan caught her by the wrist. Chief hefted Liara up bridal style and gently placed her on the bed on the other side of the room.
"You okay?" Chief asked.
"I'm alright." Liara replied. "Just...tired. The joining...the intensity of your vision..."
"I'll get Chakwas to take a look at you." Chief said as he turned to step outside.
"It's alright Chief, really." Liara insisted. "She's given me this prognosis before. All I need now is rest."
Chief paused, then nodded in acceptance of Liara's assurance. He sat down on a crate by the bed and faced Liara. "Nothing new, huh?" Chief asked, getting the feeling that this was just another waste of time.
"Actually, there is." Liara replied. "The images were largely the same, but I heard a voice speaking. It said 'You have been called upon to serve,' among other things."
"...Dr. Halsey." Chief said.
"Who?" Liara asked.
"Dr. Halsey. Mastermind behind the SPARTAN-II project. Basically the woman who created me." Chief explained. "What you heard was the speech she gave us after we signed up for the project, the night before our training officially began."
"Fascinating." Liara said as she sat up on her elbows. Apparently, she was already starting to get her strength back. "This must be the Cipher's doing. The ancestral memories of the Protheans must be intermingling with your own memories."
"Is that good or bad?" Chief asked.
"It is good." Liara replied. "If your mind is developing a Prothean perspective, then you will be better able to understand your vision."
"...Are you sure that's good?" Chief asked. "Because I don't want to turn into an alien."
"You are still you." Liara replied. "You are not actually becoming a Prothean, Chief. You are merely gaining the understanding of what it is like to be one, which in turn gives you the context you need to help you fathom your vision."
"Are you sure about that?" Chief further questioned. "Because, besides the part where the Reapers killed the Protheans, I still don't get what it's supposed to mean."
"Apparently, the Cipher only works on a subconscious level. While you sleep. While you dream." Liara said.
The one time I can't control what I think. Chief grimly thought to himself.
"It's why you don't really feel like a Prothean while you are awake and your conscious mind is in control. Your subconscious mind is the one doing all the work." the Asari went on. "I do not think you should dwell on it, at least not while you are awake. Your vision is incomplete anyway, and until we can complete it, I imagine trying to interpret the vision would only frustrate you."
"Well then, what am I supposed to do?" Chief asked.
Liara shrugged. "Keep going as you are, I suppose." she offered. "Until we can find another Prothean beacon-"
"Then we need to find another Prothean beacon." Chief said. "Think Liara. Do you have any idea where we can find one?"
"I...I do not." the Asari hesitantly replied.
"What about that data disc we found on Trebin? There had to be something on it." Chief went on.
"There...there was." Liara hesitantly replied again, sounding ashamed. The Spartan was taken aback.
"There was something on it, and you didn't tell me?" Chief asked in an almost accusing tone.
"...Weather reports." Liara said. "It seemed that the Protheans wanted to terraform and then colonize Trebin, much like ExoGeni did. I did not tell you, because it did not seem important."
An awkward silence hung in the air for a moment. Chief then let out a half-grunt, half-sigh as his head and shoulders sagged. "I am sorry." Liara said as she laid back down on the bed, gazing at the ceiling. "Some Prothean expert I'm turning out to be."
Chief took a moment to squelch his frustrations. "It's not your fault." he said. "We just need more leads."
"Indeed." The Asari agreed. "However, I do not know where we can find such leads."
"Yeah, that makes two of us." Chief resignedly said.
"...May I ask something, Chief?" Liara said after another moment of awkward silence. She turned her head away from the ceiling and towards the Spartan. "Dr. Chakwas tells me you spend most of your time in your quarters instead of among the crew. Why do you spend so much time in there?"
"What's it to you?" Chief asked in turn.
"Humans seem like a very social species." Liara said matter-of-factly. "So it seems unusual that a Human would isolate himself the way you do."
The Spartan shrugged. "Guess I'm the exception that proves the rule." he said. "I don't know if you've noticed, but I'm not a huge people-person."
"I understand. Neither am I, to be honest." Liara replied. "I spend most of my own time on remote digs, unearthing mundane items buried in long-forgotten Prothean ruins. I usually do it alone. Sometimes, I just need to get away from other people."
"Same here." Chief said. "But I keep to myself because I'm the last of my kind. What's your excuse?"
"I suppose my excuse is being a matriarch's daughter." Liara replied with a shrug. "People expected me to follow in Benezia's footsteps. They wanted me to become a leader of our people. Matriarchs guide their followers into the future. They seek the truth of what is yet to come. Maybe that's why I became so interested in the secrets of the past." She smiled a little at that. "It sounds so foolish when I say it out loud. It sounds like I became an archaeologist simply to spite Benezia."
"You probably did." Chief pointed out. "When kids reach a certain age, they get an urge to piss off their parental figures." It was true. Chief suddenly had a memory of his old drill instructor, Senior Chief Petty Officer Franklin Mendez. Though he eventually developed a deep respect for Mendez, Chief recalled hating his guts during his younger years. He recalled how Mendez kept scolding him, calling him a spineless worm, and how he fought hard during every training mission to prove the old soldier wrong, fought hard simply to spite him. In retrospect, maybe that was just how Mendez motivated the Chief and the rest of the SPARTAN-II's. Maybe it was for that reason that Mendez truly was the closest thing the Spartan ever had to a real father.
Liara chuckled at the Chief's response. "You share the wisdom of the matriarch, Chief." she said. "That is what Benezia said when I told her of my decision, though she phrased it more eloquently than you just did. But there was more to it than that. I felt drawn to the past. The Protheans were these wondrous, mysterious figures. I wanted to know everything about them."
She sat up on her elbows again. "That is why I find you so facinating."
"Me?" the Spartan asked.
"You were marked by the beacon on Eden Prime. You were touched by working Prothean technology." she enthusiastically explained with a wide smile.
The Chief sighed again as he laid his head back against a crate behind him. "Great. First Saren wants to dissect me, now you do too." he deadpanned.
"...What? No!" Liara replied in a panic as she fully sat up, using the bed as a seat as the panic apparently chased away the last of her tiredness. "I did not meant to insinuate, uh, I never meant to offend you, Chief! I only meant that you would be an interesting specimen for an in-depth study - Ah! No! That's even worse!"
"Liara." Chief swiftly said, cutting off her panic. "I was kidding."
"Kidding?" Liara asked. "Oh! By the Goddess! How could I be so dense?! You must think that I am a complete and utter fool!"
"You sure sounded like one." Chief quipped.
Now it was Liara's turn to sigh. "Now you know why I prefer to spend my time in the field with data discs and computers. I always seem to say something embarassing around other people. Please, just pretend this conversation never happened. Let's talk about something else."
Chief drummed his fingers against the crate he was sitting on, trying to think of something else to say. Perhaps out of frustration with the events of the last twenty-four hours, he decided to get it over with and talk about the elephant in the room that Liara was no doubt thinking about at that very moment. "Alright. Let's talk about Cortana."
"Cortana?" Liara asked.
"Yeah. You know. The artificial intelligence that I've been harboring all this time." Chief sarcastically said. "Where do you stand on her?"
"Well, she is an AI, as you said. I'll be honest, her presence on the ship does make me a little nervous." The Asari confessed. "But...well...do you trust her?"
"With my life." Chief automatically replied.
Liara nodded. "Than I do as well. You have never given me reason to doubt you Chief. If you trust Cortana, then so do I." she resolutely said.
Chief was actually surprised that Liara would say that. "Thanks." he replied. "Wish the rest of the team was as open-minded as you."
"Actually, I believe they are." Liara replied.
"What do you mean?" Chief asked.
"Well, it goes without saying that Staff Lieutenant Alenko and Gunnery Chief Williams are alright with Cortana, as well as the rest of the Normandy's crew. Humans have had a long history with AI's, so it makes sense they'd be comfortable with her on board. N'tho seems fine with her as well. And of course, Garrus is fine with her since he had prior knowledge of her, as Cortana herself mentioned back on Eletania."
The Asari scientist paused in thought for a second. "I don't think Wrex really cares one way or the other." she added. "Really, the only one on the ship with any genuine problem with Cortana is Tali, and given her people's experiences with AI's, that is to be expected."
"Then why's everyone mad at me?" Chief asked.
"I think it has less to do with Cortana herself and more to do with the fact that you kept her a secret from the rest of the crew. They seem to think that you don't trust them enough to keep Cortana a secret from the Council." Liara theorized.
Suddenly Garrus's words echoed in the Chief's mind. This crew trusts you, Chief. Eventually, you'll have to return the favor. The Spartan grunted in annoyance at that. "If they don't like it, they're free to leave the team once we're on Reach." He bitterly stated.
"...You say that, but I do not think you mean it." Liara said.
"Oh yeah?" Chief asked. "Why wouldn't I mean it?"
"Because you are lonely." Liara stated.
Silence fell yet again.
"You miss them, don't you?" Liara asked.
"Who?" Chief asked back.
"The other Spartans." Liara clarified. "Do you wish to talk about it?"
"...It's a long story." Chief said.
Liara smiled warmly at him. "I am an Asari. I like long stories."
"...Alright." Chief said after a second's hesitation. "To start with, there were originally seventy-five of us..."
And so, the Master Chief told Liara his story. Or at least, as much as ONI would have allowed. He was particularly careful to omit the part where the UNSC kidnapped him at age six, instead using the version of the story that ONI Section II gave to the general public; after being identified from a list of boot camp recruits as a good candidate for the project due to certain genetic markers, the Chief was offered the chance to become something more than just another soldier, and voluntarily accepted it. He also decided to leave out the part that only thirty-three of the original seventy-five candidates surived the augmentations procedures with no complications or deformaties.
Once the augmentation procedures were complete, Chief and the other Spartans began their combat training under the instruction of one Senior Chief Petty Officer Franklin Mendez. His methods of training were brutal and humiliating. Mendez's training drills were punctuated with in-class strategy sessions and military history lessons with a dumb AI named Deja'. Simply being physically superior to normal soldiers wasn't enough to be a Spartan. They were also required to have absolute military understanding on par with military historians and arm-chair generals. As a Spartan, the Chief was trained to be the ultimate warrior, both in body and mind.
The training was hellish, but it was made easier when the Chief ended up making friends with two other Spartans, Kelly and Sam. Kelly was the fastest Spartan. She was not only quick-footed, but quick-witted, as she had a bit of a smart mouth on her, something that she obviously only used when Mendez wasn't around to hear her. Sam had a good sense of humor as well. Sociable too, for a Spartan anyway. He was also huge, even by Spartan standards, easily standing a full head taller than Chief, even after the augmentations. The two eventually became Chief's best friends, but they would not be his only friends.
Chief explained to the Asari that, despite their fame for fighting the Covenant, the original intent of the SPARTAN-II program was to create a solution to what was known in some circles of ONI as 'the innie problem.' During the late 25th and early 26th centuries, the outer colonies of UNSC space were very upset with Earth and the inner colonies due to what they viewed as heavy-handed and unfair government. This gave rise to the URF, United Rebel Front, whose long-term goal was secession from the UEG entirely. The real problem didn't kick in until they turned to terrorist tactics to meet their goals. The biggest fear at the time was that the URF would spark open civil war between the inner and outer colonies, a conflict that experts projected would be long and bloody. The SPARTAN-II program was initiated as a way to keep that war from happening by carrying out black operations to stop insurrections before they happen. This method would nip rebellions and terrorist attacks in the bud without risking either military or civilian casualties, and for a while, it was working.
Then the Covenant came.
The Covenant wasn't that big of a concern at first. Even while the Covenant was knocking on the UNSC's door, the rebels were still the more immediate problem, and so Spartans still carried out anti-innie operations well after war was declared on the Covenant. But as the months and years went by and mankind lost more and more ground to the Covenant, the emphasis of the SPARTAN-II program changed from anti-innie to anti-Covenant operations. It was on one such operation that Sam, the Chief's best friend, died. Worse, he died because he took a shot that was meant for the Chief. After a firefight with enemy forces on board a Covenant frigate, a wounded but still alive jackal shot a charged plasma bolt at the Chief. Sam pushed him out of the way and took the shot instead. It didn't kill him, but it did burn a hole in his unshielded armor. After planting missiles in the ship's fusion generator, the Chief's team's only means of escape was extra-vehicular activity; space, in lamen's terms. This was impossible for Sam due to the hole in his armor. Rather than die in the vacuum of space, Sam voluntarily stayed behind to cover the rest of the team's escape.
So it was that Samuel-034 became the first Spartan to die in combat. However, he was never listed as KIA, only MIA. This would become the standard operating procedure of any Spartan's death. When Liara asked why that was, Chief told her that the Spartans were revealed to the general public as a means to boost morale during the Human-Covenant War. They gave Humanity hope. Hope that could diminish with each news story about a dead Spartan. So ONI Section II set the mandate that no Spartan could ever be listed as KIA, validating the motto 'Spartans never die.'
Chief went on about the other friends he made in the SPARTAN-II program. Kurt, who was unusually sociable and chatty for a Spartan. Linda, who was even more silent than he was in most situations, and who was the best marksman in the whole program. Fred who became a good friend and a good second-in-command of the squad after Sam died. Will had plenty of jokes and riddles to keep the team's spirits up, but sadly, he became more hardened as the years went by. And as the Chief recounted all his friends and their missions together, Liara simply sat there and listened. She never judged and she never questioned, except once or twice when she didn't quite understand something. Chief had never gone into this much detail about his past with anyone, let alone an alien. Indeed, he never thought that he ever would go into this much detail about his past with anyone, especially an alien. But with all that has happened since waking from cryo, especially after what happened on Eletania, maybe the Chief just needed to get it all off his chest, and the Asari provided an ear to listen to him.
Liara would even bring the Chief the occasional cup of water for his poor aching throat.
"Okay, here's another one." Chief said after taking another sip of the water from his armor's liquidation system. "Which Covenant race would make the best Captain Hook?" he asked another of Will's old jokes.
"Which?" Liara asked.
"The jackals." the Chief said. Liara simply sat there, apparently confused more than anything else. "Okay, you know how jack- er, Kig-Yar, normally fight with plasma shields? And they have this notch where they stick their guns through?"
"Yes?..." Liara answered, hoping for this joke to make sense.
"Well, Linda would always shoot right through those notches, which turned a lot of Kig-Yar into lefties. Blow their hands right off." Chief explained. Liara still looked confused. "...And Captain Hook is this villain from Peter Pan, an old Human story, and he has a hook for a hand because he lost his hand. Like the Kig-Yar. After Linda shoots their hands off, I mean."
"Oh. Oh!" Liara realized. "Yes! I get it now!" Liara went on as she did her best to fake a laugh.
"Yeah, I'd guess you'd have to know who Peter Pan was to appreciate that joke." Chief stated.
"I suppose." Liara replied with a nod. "I think I understand your isolation better now."
"That a fact?" Chief asked.
"Yes. The way you talk about your fellow Spartans, you thought of them as your family. As brothers and sisters. By comparison, everyone on this ship must be a complete stranger to you." Liara explained.
"Something like that, I guess." Chief said. "But, we didn't really start out that way. My two best friends, Kelly and Sam? First time we met was during a training exercise. We had to work together, but I didn't get that memo. I went lone wolf on them in the middle of the exercise and we ended up losing because of it."
Chief paused as he was suddenly hit with an unpleasant realization. He did pretty much the same thing on Eletania the day before. He went lone wolf. Was that why he failed the assignment? Because he tried to take on Saren on his own? That was probably it, now that Chief really thought about it. If Chief had backup, not only would Saren's initial capture have been easier, but the Spartan would have someone to return fire on that Asari commando after she trapped him in a stasis field, thereby completely averting his own capture. Additionally, under Cortana's guidance, the squad was able to pull off an effective, if unorthodox, rescue mission and saved the Chief from being turned into a science experiment. Not only did they save him, but they were able to cooperate with Cortana. Even after learning that he had kept her a secret from them the whole time. It suddenly made him question if keeping the AI a secret from them in the first place was the wrong choice.
"Were they mad?" Liara asked.
"Yeah." Chief replied. "They got pissed. Mendez did too. Said I was part of a team and needed to start acting like it. So in the next exercise, I took his orders to heart. Came up with a plan that had us all working together, and we ended up winning that time. Kelly and Sam started liking me a bit more after that."
Chief set his jaw in a scowl as he reflected on that memory. That was the day, decades ago, that he learned what it meant to be a leader, to be part of a team. Had it really been that long ago? Had the Chief really been in cryo for so long that he forgot how to be a good leader?
"You know." Chief said. "I've never told anyone this much about myself."
"Why not?" Liara asked. "It sounds like you have a lot of...'baggage,' as you Humans sometimes call it."
The Master Chief shook his head. "Chief Mendez once told me that a Spartan can't have his own baggage. His own weight. There's just no room. He already carries the weight of all of Humanity on his back." he stated.
Liara was silent for a second. She then reached over and lightly placed her hand on the Chief's. "You do not need to carry that weight all by yourself." she said.
Despite himself, Chief smiled a little under his helmet. "Looks like I've got a lot to think about." he said as he stood up. "Thanks for listening."
"It was no trouble." Liara said as she looked up to the Spartan. "And if you ever need to talk again, know that I am here."
"I'll keep that in mind." Chief said with a nod before he left the room. As he did so, he brought up the clock on his HUD. He was surprised to discover that he had spent the last several hours talking to Liara. It was strange, because it only felt like a single hour at most. Apparently he got so wrapped up in talking about his fellow Spartans that he lost track of time. But while it was surprising, Chief didn't really see the harm in it. It wasn't like he had anything else important to do that day. Or the next few days, for that matter. Really, he wouldn't have anything terribly important to do at all until the Normandy arrived on Reach.
...Maybe he will talk to Liara again tomorrow. Seemed like an effective way of passing time, if nothing else.
...
Codex Entry (Planets and Locations): REACH
Originally colonized in the early 2400's, Reach is one of the oldest, most well-developed Human colony worlds. It, similar to Eden Prime, Terra Nova and Elysium, is a symbol of Humanity's resilience and prosperity displayed to the rest of the galaxy. Reach's resilience is especially true when one considers its history.
In 2552, Reach was discovered by the Covenant. After over a month of extended fighting, the Covenant eliminated the majority of the colony's defenses and glassed the planet in what would be later known as the Fall of Reach. After the Human-Covenant War ended however, the UNSC announced its intentions to reterraform and resettle the world, citing both its practical and its symbolic importance. After years of extensive terraforming, the planet was officially declared by the UNSC to be hospitable again in 2589, and resettlement began shortly thereafter.
Today, Reach is known throughout the galaxy as a popular vacation destination. Because it was the site of the Spartan super-soldiers' intense combat training, later earning Reach the title 'Homeworld of the Spartans,' the planet's capital city of New Alexandria is home to the largest Human-Covenant War museum in the galaxy, as well as the Living Monument. In addition to its historical value, Reach is also popular among outdoor survival enthusiasts for its harsh and rugged wilderness, including towering mountains, weather-beaten forests, blistering deserts, and freezing tundras. Finally, due to being located near a small nebula, a light phenomenon similar to Earth's Aurora Borealis is visible in the sky from any point on the planet at any time of the year, resulting in one of the most beautiful night skies in Citadel Space.
Though tourism makes up a large part of the colony's annual revenue, some local residents resent all the alien tourists that visit Reach during the planet's warmer months. Current Terra Firma party leader Charles Saracino has, on record, criticized the Alliance for 'allowing our fortress among the stars to be turned into a tourist trap.' Additionally, Reach's tourist trade commission is routinely criticized for allegedly exploiting the memory of all the UNSC soldiers, Spartan or otherwise, who died defending Reach.
...
Some people are probably gonna try to call bullshit on Saren giving the Chief three cracked ribs, saying that a Spartan's bones CAN'T be broken. However, as I found out from reading First Strike, Spartans aren't immortal. They can, and do, suffer from cracked bones in addition to torn tendons and collapsed lungs. Even a SPARTAN-II can only take so much. Besides, Saren's the Big Bad of this tale, remember? If anyone should be able to put a decent hurtin' on the Chief, it oughta be Saren.
Anyway, I just picked up the Leviathan DLC today. Yeah I know. "Welcome to two and a half months ago, Jake!" But I've been kinda broke for the last couple of months and I didn't have enough disposable income to get the microsoft points until now. However, I don't think I'll actually PLAY it until this weekend. Why? Because I read on TV-tropes that Leviathan is the closest thing to a horror story that Bioware has ever done, which tells me that it's best enjoyed late at night with all the lights turned off. And I shouldn't be staying up that late on a school night, so I'll do it on the weekend. Happy Halloween!
Also, I went ahead and posted the first few chapters of that other fic I was talking about a couple of chapters back. If you didn't notice, it might have been because the fic is rated M for Mature, and that's because its main character swears like a sailor on shore leave. It's a Digimon fic. Yeah, I see at least half of you rolling your eyes, but Digimon played a considerable role in my childhood and I would like to pay tribute to it with swearing and dirty humor.
...Also, does anyone know what the Living Monument actually IS? I tried to look it up on Halo wiki, but there doesn't seem to be an article about it.