Chapter 131: What is Possible

Adrian rushed to the humans in the canisters, seeing they were covered in a thin layer of frost,

"What's happened to them?" Asked Adrian.

"Cyrosleep," said Thatan. "I heard it was part of helping the humans survive long journeys through space. Yet I don't know why they would have them in cyrosleep here on a planet."

"It's to ensure the survival of humanity,"said a female voice, causing both Adrian and Thatan to raise their weapons and aim them at the stairs they just came from, seeing a holographic woman walking down the stairs; she had shoulder length blue hair, teal skin, dressed in underarmor similar to what Pennie wore when she with Adrian.

"Okay, and who are you?" Asked the Devil Virus.

"I am Minerva, the A.I. of Zion," she answered.

"A.I.?" Adrian murmured,

"Artificial Intelligence," answered Thatan.

"I know what it means, but...why are the humans doing down here like they are? Why are they all in cyrosleep?"

"To ensure the survival of humanity," repeated Minerva, "When the Human-Covenant war ended, the Banished arose, once they were defeated, humanity was at the brink of extinction. So when the Resurgence arose, they decided to hide away here on the planet Yvanola, in the Zion base until someone should come and wake them when all the fighting had ceased."

"So they hid...like cowards..." Thatan muttered, slowly turning away from the holographic woman, and landing a firm punch into the steel wall, denting it.

"So they waited for someone to come and wake them up...who were they expecting?"

"Hopefully another member of the UNSC, or at the very best a Spartan." Adrian blinked,

"A Spartan?" Minerva held her hand up, and in her hand appeared a much shorter version of the armored man Adrian saw in his dream,

"A Spartan. Much like the most noteworthy-."

"John 117!" Adrian gasped.

"Precisely. But considering how many years have passed, I am willing to bet there are no more humans or Spartans out there, is there?" Adrian shook his head,

"Worse. Thatan over there..." Adrian turned to the Elite, who was now resting his head against the wall, "...he is now officially the last Sangheili because he had no help from you bastards." He turned back to Minerva, clearly upset, "Instead of recieving help from those he prayed for, you turned around, ran the other way, and hid inside your damn bunker for three thousand years."

"That's another problem," said Thatan, rejoining Adrian and Minerva, "A.I.s are only supposed to last up to seven years. Those who survive usually get consumed by Rampancy." Adrian turned to Thatan, confused,

"'Rampancy?'"

"Think of it like dimentia for A.I.," Minerva breifly explained, "but the other humans already thought of this before they were put under. So they shut me down, put me in my own version of cyrosleep...it's difficult for me to put into words," she admitted, but however you word it, the fact is this: I may be three thousand years old, but I am still functional like I was when I was only four, the same age I was shut down."

"Okay, but if you were inactive for over three thousand years...who reactivated you now?" Asked Adrian.

"You did. When you entered the passcode for the door it awakened me as well, ready to aide and assist in anyway I can."

"Help in any way you can? Really?" Asked Thatan skeptically, "Can you go back in time and save my people from being slaughtered? Can you?!"

"No," said Minerva, "but I can awaken the humans for you, that way you can have a small army for yourselves to take on the Resurgence."

"That sounds like a good start," said Adrian with a nod. Minerva then turned to the canisters, and to Adrians surprise, several more canisters lit up, revealing at least ten thousand humans in cyrosleep!

"UNSC! It is time!" The canisters then hissed, and they opened, letting steam roll out as groans could be heard from the waking humans.

"Thatan, why don't you go and help them? I need to speak with Minerva some more." The Elite nodded, then strided over to the waking humans, while the Devil Virus approached the A.I. woman, "I need to know more about the Resurgence, if you please."

"I can inform you of what I know up until three thousand years ago."

"Can you tell me who is leading them?"

"Of course. The leader, at least from three thousand years ago, was a San'Shyuum, AKA a Prophet, called the Prophet of Salvation." Minerva then lifted her hand, and in her palm appeared an image of a frail creature in a floating chair of sorts. She let the image float in front of her, then she used her index fingers to enlarge the image for Adrian to get a better look at it; it had light brown skin, with flaps hanging down from it's ear lobes and chin, with graying fur growing on each flap, dressed in purple and silver robes, and a golden crown on top of its' head.

"Yeesh! Handsome fella," Adrian sarcastically commented.

"Definitely not the word I would use, but the current leadership is unknown," Adrian gave her a raised eyebrow in confusion, "reason being that most Prophets only live a little over two hundred years..."

Meanwhile...deep in space...

Inside of a dark cold ship, Pennie was dragged on her knees by a pair of Brutes to the main bridge, where several more Brutes and other alien species were piloting the ship, and inside was a floating chair facing away from her, the one seated staring out into space, staring at a large planet sized metal ring shining against the sun.

"So you must be the last Asari..." said an old voice from the chair, turning around to look at the secured Pennie, and she gasped, seeing an old but still very much alive Prophet of Salvation, "...the last Asari I remember glassing the homeworld of."

"That...tha-that's impossible!" Stammered Pennie, "A typical Prophet should only live to be over two hundred! How did you manage to survive to be over three thousand?!"

"I survived because our god allowed it!" Said the Prophet. Pennie shook her head, being held back by the Brutes as she tried to pull away from them,

"HOW?!"

WHUMP!!

Pennies' head was sent to the side as the Samurai Brute sent a closed backhand to her face, feeling her purple blood trickle out of her mouth,

"You shall speak only when spoken too!" The Brute growled, only to have his wrist gripped by a hand...an almost human hand,

"And you shall not lay a hand on her unless told to do so," said a male voice, one Pennie remembers from Adrians' memories. She saw a tall man, dressed in red and black body armor, with angelic skin and piercing blue eyes. She knew instantly that the man was trying to impersonate a Forerunner, the beings the Covenant worship, and she also knew from his voice who the man truly was,

"You...you're Zeus!" The fake Forerunner released the Samurai Brutes' arm, and knelt down in front of the Asari girl,

"Now where oh where did you hear that name, little one?" He asked her.

"I saw you in Adrians' memories!" Pennie growled, "And I know you are no forerunner...you're a Devil!" Most of the beings in the room gasped, and Zeus stood up, barely containing his laughter,

"A Devil? Honestly child, if I were a Devil, why would I have kept the Prophet of Salvation alive after all these years? If I were a Devil, wouldn't I have simply slain the Covenant eons ago? Or let the Flood creatures simply infect the entire universe? Or best of all, wouldn't I have just simply let the humans wipe out anything and everything in their path like they always do?" Zeus then tilted his head back, "Oh wait a second! The good Resurgence around me already did away with the imps and demons!" All the alien species in the room except for the Prophet cheered, and Zeus lifted his hand, encasing Pennie in a red violet field of electricity, allowing the Brutes to release her. Zeus then used his power to levitate Pennie off the floor, and with the field around her she could only watch as Zeus brought her closer to himself, "Now...I do believe you have something on your mind...something I need."

"I'm never giving you the memories to activate Halo!" Pennie shouted defiantly. Zeus chuckled, and placed an index and middle finger to Pennies' forhead,

"Embrace eternity," he said calmly, making Pennies' eyes widen as his turned black, and she felt him coursing through her mind, finding exactly what he needed.

"THAT'S NOT POSSIBLE!!" She shouted, tears streaming down her face in utter fear.

"Sweetheart you have no idea what is possible," Zeus said with a sneer...