Chapter Two: Enigmas, Enigmas
September 15, 2552 1032 hours
Camp Hayes UNSC Reserve Base Training Facility
North America
Laura was finishing up the first portion of her basic workout when she noticed four people watching her practice. She subtly looked them over and studied them without betraying her sudden interest: they were tall, solidly built, grim, and pale beyond belief. She knew then who and what they were but gave no sign: surprise was often the key to success, and she knew how to turn it to her advantage, having had almost thirty years to learn. They were all good-looking in their own grim way, but one in particular caught her eye: a handsome man, brown hair, with intense dark eyes and giving off an aura of leadership. Laura quickly focused her attention on stowing away her exercise gear before they could notice her studying them; she figured it would be a good idea to get out of there before she said some harsh words.
"You seem to be pretty good at close combat. Feel up to a little sparring?" one of the newcomers asked. Laura looked him over: he wasn't overly noticeable, and had silver-streaked black hair. Recalling the ONI files she'd hacked earlier, Laura remembered he was the close combat specialist of the group. Straightening her black workout suit, which had short sleeves to cover a bullet wound she'd received at their hands a short while ago, she directed a piercing stare at the stranger.
"I think I can handle it. Are you sure you can, though?" she challenged. As the man entered the arena, she sheathed her knives and tossed them to the edge.
At first, they circled each other, waiting for one of them to make the first move. Laura decided it would be her; she feinted left, then attacked from the right only to be blocked. She spun behind him slightly and kicked out as a counter to the block, caught her opponent in the butt, saw him sprawl on the floor, and waited for him to get back up.
"You really want this to continue? I can do this for hours if you want." The stranger came after her, as she guessed he would; she dodged his attack and spun, trying to land him on the ground. He caught her arm as she threw a punch, and she countered by sliding her leg behind his and bringing it forward just enough to make him lose his balance. She pulled free and flipped over his head, kicking him in the butt again as she landed. He lurched forward, and Laura tried to knock the legs out from under him, but he caught her leg and twisted. She moved with the force, spinning and landing on her hands, then flipping herself upright. Blocking a kick, she swung her leg around and caught him in the stomach. He doubled over, and Laura moved in, only to receive a blow to her gut. Yielding to the stroke, she tucked and rolled back, moving through the pain as she resumed the attack. Leaping to her feet, she was in time to block a pair of punches, which eventually resulted in a minor stalemate as both tried to force the other back.
"You're never going to win this," the stranger whispered through gritted teeth.
"Such arrogance is hardly fitting. Reeds bend while oaks fall," she replied calmly. She suddenly bent backwards, sending him tumbling off balance while she slipped free.
They went after each other fiercely after that, almost forgetting it was just an exercise. Both were experts in hand-to-hand combat, but Laura had a few tricks up her sleeve. Having become enamored of martial arts, she had studied as many as she could, which gave her an advantage she called to mind now: since most soldiers were only trained in basic hand-to-hand combat techniques, they never bothered to refine them or learn any others. Sliding into an unusual—but effective--combination of judo and jujitsu combat, she began to use her opponent's attacks against him while delivering nasty blows of her own, eventually slipping behind her opponent. While he was disoriented by her new form of attack, she knocked his legs out from under him, pulled him into a kneeling position, and put her weight on his legs while holding his arms together with one hand; her other hand was positioned on his carotid artery.
"I've got you by the throat, literally. One finger is all I need—a little even pressure here and you're dead." Her voice was soft and dripped with venom as she emphasized her point by pressing lightly on the artery. As she removed her fingertip from the man's neck, she leaned down and whispered in his ear, "I know who you are, so don't try anything funny."
Applause sounded from a corner of the room, coming from a man in a colonel's uniform, whose shoulder patch marked him as belonging to ONI.
"Well done, Blade. Now finish him," the colonel said.
Laura immediately dropped her hands, releasing the man. She turned to the colonel, walked past him as if he weren't there, and gathered up her equipment. As she did so, her voice rang out clear: "Finish him yourself."
"Don't tell me what to do, Blade! I am your superior officer!" Laura continued walking out the door, but her voice still carried.
"You're FUBAR, Ackerson, and nothing else."
The Spartans looked at Fred, worried in spite of themselves. Will was the first to break the silence.
"Fred, are you alright?"
"I should have won. There's no way I could have lost!"
"I don't know what kind of stunt she pulled, but the results were certainly impressive. She's definitely not a normal Marine," John said with just a hint of bitterness; he was bothered by the fact of someone who seemed nothing more than a mere human taking out a Spartan, even though this human had a few qualities that could easily make her one of them.
"There's something else," Fred muttered, making sure no one except the Spartans heard him. "She knows who we are, and she told me she knew. She also warned me not to try anything funny."
"But how could she know?" Linda asked, her green eyes holding a slightly worried look, or as worried as Spartans ever got. "We aren't in our proper uniforms, and only ONI knows we're on base at the moment. Unless she's one of them?"
"The way she treated that ONI colonel, I'd be inclined to doubt it. It was almost as though she was purposely trying to provoke him." Will mused.
The group fell silent, trying to consider the possibilities. Something's not adding up. John thought. But who can we ask?
Adams Medical Facility 1145 hours
Camp Hayes
The Spartans and Sergeant Avery Johnson had been ordered to report to the medical wing for a physical; ONI was worried by the Master Chief's and Sergeant Johnson's description of the Flood. Upon entering the medical office, they spotted an elderly woman in a white lab coat sitting in an overstuffed chair, idly flipping pages in a small book. The minute she noticed them, she put the book aside and stood up to greet them.
"Good afternoon. I hope you've had a fairly pleasant day so far. I'm Dr. Frances Gedeon." She held out her hand to Johnson and each of the Spartans in turn, and appeared unsurprised with their strength.
"Reporting as ordered for physical examination, ma'am," the Master Chief said.
"I'm aware of that, sir," the doctor replied dryly, a faint smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. "Unfortunately, not all of the data I need to begin the physical has arrived yet. Our wires get crossed over here occasionally. If you'll just wait here, I'll see to your physicals as soon as possible."
A nurse stuck her head through the door. "Dr. Gedeon, they need you in the lab right away. Apparently they're having problems with one of the tests you ordered." Dr. Gedeon shook her head resignedly and left, leaving her book behind.
John picked the book up and examined it curiously: it was too squared off and too thin to be a standard medical manual, and too thick to be any other book. He lifted the cover and looked at the pages.
"Anyone else care to look at what the good doctor left behind?" he asked. The other Spartans clustered around him and looked at the book, while Johnson lounged against a wall and flirted with the on-duty nurse.
It wasn't a regular book at all: it was a photo album, filled with pictures of what appeared to be Dr. Gedeon and her family, complete with tags marking dates, times, places, and an occasional humorous comment. The very first one was of a much younger doctor and a man in a Naval uniform, with an Ensign's rank insignia. The next few were pictures of what was obviously a wedding between the two. Following were various pictures of children growing up and doing normal kid things: seeing a young boy playing sports, another young boy sitting and laughing at some other child stuck in a large chest-freezer (where only the legs were visible), and a young girl hanging out of a tree brought hints of smiles to the Spartans' mouths as they spotted the humor in those seemingly innocent situations.
Towards the end of the album, there began to be less pictures of children and more pictures of adults: a young man graduating from the Naval Academy, a teenage boy showing off a class project, and a young girl carving a wooden bowl. They noticed that Dr. Gedeon had aged fairly well, but was still aging nonetheless: her dark brown hair began to show streaks of gray and silver, but her face was still smooth and young. Towards the last few pages of the album, one picture leaped out at them quite clearly; there was something about it that made it seem more real than any of the others they'd seen. The subject was a young woman lounging against a tree trunk, wearing civilian clothes colored in varying shades of blue. She had long dark hair and intense dark eyes, and seemed intelligent as well as good looking. What caught the Spartans' eyes most was the expression on her face: there was a cool, confident look to it, as though she was saying do your worst, I can handle it no matter what it is. There was something familiar about her face, as if they'd seen it somewhere before. She bore a strong resemblance to Dr. Gedeon, and another few page turns revealed why.
The last snapshot in the album was plainly a family portrait. Sitting in the foreground was Dr. Gedeon and her husband, now sporting a Colonel's rank insignia on his collar and several medals and campaign ribbons on his uniform; the amount of decorations on his uniform could only be described as astounding for a non-Spartan. Next to them were two children, both about four years old, and a younger woman who could only be their mother. Standing in the background were two young men and the woman from the earlier picture. Both men wore Navy uniforms and were tall and thin, but one was much thinner than the other, and he appeared several years younger than his brother. The older one sported a Commander's collar insignia and several military decorations, while the younger one was a Lieutenant and had fewer campaign ribbons on his jacket. The woman, however, towered a full head higher than her brothers. She wore a plain black dress uniform, with a pair of crossed silver knives embroidered on the front; there were no campaign ribbons or medals, and no rank insignia on her uniform, either. Her face no longer had that cool distant look to it: she was smiling, her eyes were sparkling with laughter and she seemed happy. Her dark hair still hung down her back, but there were two slender braids crossing over the top of her head, keeping the hair back while looking very nice at the same time. One hand rested on her mother's shoulder, and there was a slight tilt to her head, as though she was amused at the whole thing.
The sound of footsteps approaching caused John to quickly replace the photo album just before Dr. Gedeon returned. The Spartans stood up as she entered, and the look she gave them indicated she knew exactly what they had been doing.
"We're ready for you now. Who would like to go first?"
"I will, ma'am," the Chief replied.
"Excellent. Other doctors will no doubt be here shortly, and they'll assist your friends. Don't worry, you're in good hands here." She led him to an examination room and began to check him over.
"I'm not sure I understand what I'm supposed to be looking for, ONI only sent me the bare minimum of information. Perhaps you could explain?"
"Ma'am, it's been declared classified. Even inquiring about it is treasonous."
"Oh, of course. I didn't realize. But perhaps you could give me a vague idea as to why I'm looking for foreign DNA patterns in your bloodstream?" As she said this, Dr. Gedeon removed a scanner from the wall and began running it over the Master Chief, taking diagnostic readings and piping them to a lab.
"No, ma'am, I don't dare. It would be a violation of my orders."
"Of course. Forgive me, I was just curious. I won't press you anymore for details." She turned her attention to the Chief's biosigns, shaking her head in astonishment. "Master Chief, I've never seen injuries this severe before. It's a miracle you're still alive. As it is, you're going to need at least two weeks of bed rest before you're back to full combat status. I'll send my recommendations to your superior officers, and I hope this time they take me seriously. With the war going on, some of my patients have not been allowed to fully recover before being ordered out to the front lines." She picked up a strange-looking syringe and a tourniquet. "I'll just need a sample of blood and we'll be done here." The Chief nodded, and she tied the tourniquet just above his elbow. Swabbing the inner elbow with an alcohol pad and an attitude of practiced ease, Dr. Gedeon inserted the syringe and drew enough blood to fill a small vial. Removing the syringe, she bandaged it quickly and efficiently.
"All right, you're free to go. I'll send the results to the appropriate authorities as soon as I have them." She smiled and escorted the Master Chief back to the waiting room. On the way, she stopped and looked at him.
"So, what did you think of my photo album?" Smiling at his surprised look, she responded, "I have three children, and none of them can hide things from me, plus I noticed that the album wasn't quite where I'd left it. Don't worry, I'm not upset. There are no secrets there, and I was kind of hoping you would view it. Have you seen my husband or my sons?" A look of worry crossed over the doctor's features.
With a genuine tone of regret in his voice, John answered, "No, ma'am, I'm sorry." They reached the waiting room, and Dr. Gedeon left him there and went to drop the blood sample off at the lab.
Adams Medical Facility 1300 hours
Camp Hayes
Dr. Frances Gedeon was taking a brief rest in the middle of a difficult day. There were a number of patients in need of surgery and other forms of medical help. The physicals for the Spartans had taken longer than anticipated, which had backed things up considerably. It's going to be a very long day, she though to herself. Behind her a cheery voice began talking to her.
"Rough day, Mom?"
Dr. Gedeon turned to see a tall young woman standing behind her, holding a brown paper bag in one hand. In spite of her fatigue, she smiled.
"Laura, I wasn't expecting to see you here. What's going on?"
"I finished my workout early today, so I figured I'd drop in and visit. I brought lunch, too."
"I don't think I'll be able to eat today, we're just that busy. I just stopped for a brief rest when you came in. I didn't even hear you."
"After years of training in stealth operations, I guess I move quietly out of habit. Any way I can give you a hand?"
"I think we can find something for you to do. You don't mind getting your hands dirty?" Laura smiled at her mother's humor: Dr. Gedeon knew full well that Laura didn't mind in the least.
"Just show me what to do, Mom."
Laura was busy for the rest of the day helping her mother with her patients. She inserted biofoam, applied adhesive dressings, stitched up large wounds, and in some cases helped with actual operations. They were just finishing up when another patient was rushed in, followed by three companions. This particular patient appeared to have a serious tear in his Achilles tendon, and Dr. Gedeon noticed a large amount of swelling. What shocked her was the man's face: he didn't seem to notice the obvious pain, and the only clues to his condition were his biomonitors and the tight lines around his mouth. As she monitored his condition, Dr. Gedeon recognized the man as being one of the Spartans her staff had examined earlier. That explains his reaction to the pain, she realized. She looked at Laura.
"Find me some ice, and prep for more stitches. We've got a sprain, possibly a torn tendon, and this one looks really bad."
"Yes, ma'am. I think we have some ice left."
She was back quickly with the required materials, as well as a topical anesthetic. Dr. Gedeon worked quickly, and mended the injury. Meanwhile, the injured man's companions waited nearby. A young woman with red hair looked at Laura when she exited the operating room.
"How's Fred?"
"He'll be fine, the good doctor knows her stuff. How did this happen?"
"He twisted his ankle on the parade grounds. Someone dug a hole near the woods." An iron-hard voice answered from the woman's left. Laura sized him up quickly. Strong, handsome, but too serious, she thought, realizing how he'd caught her eye earlier. Probably doesn't get much shore leave. Then a chill went up her spine. That's where I walk in the evenings! I'll bet anything that trap was meant for me! And what were they doing walking along my path in the first place? She passed it off quickly, and turned back toward the operating room.
"I'll have to inform Dr. Gedeon, just for formalities' sake. Your friend should be fine." As she left, Laura reflected on how the Spartans pretended not to recognize her. Definitely not stupid, she mused. I'll have to be careful around them. Especially if I'm right in guessing Ackerson's sent them after me.
As Laura walked away, Linda turned to John.
"She doesn't seem like a soldier, does she?"
"I wouldn't be so sure. When we saw her earlier she'd nearly killed Fred, remember?"
An opening door caused the conversation to cease, as Dr. Gedeon and Laura escorted Fred out. He was leaning heavily on Laura, but she seemed not to notice, any more than she seemed to notice the traces of loathing on the Spartan's face. Most normal humans can't support a Spartan, thought the Master Chief. This is unusual. Dr. Gedeon turned to face the group.
"He'll be fine, but he should stay off his feet for a few days so the swelling can go down."
"Yes, ma'am."
As the four Spartans left, they heard the strange girl's musical voice behind them:
"I guess I'd better ship out. See you tomorrow, Mom."
"Good. I'll need your help with some bloodwork; it should be ready by then."
"Gotcha. I'll pop in if I have nothing better to do."
"Right." The doctor's voice held no small amount of amusement.
Adams Medical Facility 1534 hours
Camp Hayes
The Master Chief and his three friends, as soon as they left the surgical wing, headed for the first computer terminal they could find. Making sure the area was deserted, the Chief slotted a data chip into a data port. A female figure appeared onscreen.
"Hello, Chief. What do you need?"
"Cortana, I have a challenge for you. There's a soldier on base called Blade, and I want to know more about her. Her CSV is classified under the highest levels, though."
"Say no more, Master Chief. I'll get right on it."
As Cortana entered the ONI database, John turned to his friends.
"If anyone can find out about this soldier, Cortana can."
Fred was skeptical. "Why do we need to know? She's not a Spartan."
"She could be a threat. Remember when we passed her in the hall? The look on her face stopped a Marine in his tracks. Besides, when she was helping you out of the operating room, she took your weight easily. Didn't you see that?"
"No, I didn't. Oops."
Will shook his head. "Do you think she's a Spartan, John?"
"I don't know."
Cortana's figure shimmered back onscreen.
"Her CSV is almost blank, but there are a number of strong encryption schemes and several ONI blackouts. It's going to take more time to crack, but I did find something."
"What is it?"
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."
"Then show me."
A piece of data scrolled onscreen, containing a name and serial number. The Spartans stared at it in shock: MORISSON, LAURA E SPARTAN-000 CODENAME: BLADE CLASSIFIED LEVEL X-RAY
John looked at his teammates, but it was Will who put everyone's shock into words, "Command lied to us. We're not the last of the Spartans. Blade is one of us."
Cortana rematerialized onscreen, with a troubled look on her face. The Chief had seen this before on the ringworld Halo, when Cortana first realized the danger on the ring.
"There's a lot on her file that I haven't been able to crack, but apparently we're not the only ones trying to read her file. I found an AI routing code here that I don't recognize; it doesn't conform to any known UNSC protocols. Someone's definitely curious about this soldier, but who?"
While the group was trying to absorb this new information, a new voice came from the terminal speaker. It sounded like Blade's voice, but slightly distorted, as though it were the synthesized voice of an AI.
"Welcome to Laura Morisson's CSV. This program will now be shut down and all record of your access will be reported to the proper authorities immediately. Have a nice day." With that, a countdown timer appeared on the data terminal, staring at five seconds. The voice counted down, "Five, four, three, two, one… Program terminated." Blade's CSV (what there was of it) disappeared, and Cortana reappeared with a puzzled look on her face.
"That was an AI, but nothing like I've ever seen before. It used an outside terminal and bypassed the security protocols as well as I could have done. It also appears to operate independently of ONI or the UNSC."
Fred was skeptical. "If it was an outside AI, why did it mention notifying 'the proper authorities immediately'? Something's not right."
"We'll have to ask Blade ourselves, as soon as we can." John's voice was steady and firm, belying his confusion. What the hell is going on here?
September 16, 2552 1037 hours
Adams Medical Facility
Camp Hayes
As promised, Laura was in the labs the next day, helping her mother with the blood samples she'd taken during the physicals. Heart was playing in the background: both women liked oldies, although this group could be considered ancient, since they were popular in the 1970's. Dr. Gedeon was running the Master Chief's sample through a slide when Laura interrupted.
"Mom, there's something unusual here."
"What've we got?"
"I don't know, but it's definitely not normal." She pushed away from the high-powered microscope she was working at so her mother could see.
"Looks like gene fragments of some type," Dr. Gedeon mused. "Can you extract one?"
"Way ahead of you," Laura smiled as she maneuvered a small needle into the sample. Said needle, attached to a specialized machine, extracted the foreign DNA and ran it through the computer for analysis.
"I've never seen anything like this before," the doctor muttered. "Whose sample was this?"
Laura checked the test tube. "Sgt. A. Johnson."
"Ok, I'm putting him in quarantine until we know what this thing is. If it's infectious, we have to find a way to contain it. I don't want an epidemic running rampant, the Covenant are bad enough."
It's an epidemic all right, Laura thought silently, then realized what she'd been thinking. How can I know that? I don't even know what we're dealing with! I think it's time for a little more hacking. ONI had to have known something, so she'd 'check' with them. The thought of hacking into their database didn't bother her as much as the one about the epidemic: how did she know?