Chapter Seven: Reach Memories Part 1
October 7, 2552 0845 hours
Gedeon Residence
North America
Laura had managed to wrangle a few days' leave out of ONI and the UNSC, with General West's help. She went to stay at her mother's house, where she'd grown up when she wasn't on base. As she relaxed on a comfortable chair in her mother's living room, she thought back to her first trip off-planet, a trip that changed her life forever.
April 14, 2523 0945 hours
UNSC shuttle Arturius, en route to Epsilon Eridani System
Laura stared out the window at the strange darkness of the different, slightly creepy space—Slipspace, she'd heard someone call it. ONI had actually allowed her mother to take her to Reach when she'd been asked to check on some of the soldiers there. She wondered what was going on when her mom came into the small cabin.
"Nervous, Princess?" Laura smiled at the nickname. Princess, she thought. I am a warrior princess.
"No, Mom. Just a little excited. I hope there are kids my age there."
"Don't worry, I'm sure there'll be someone there you can talk to."
As Laura turned to look out the window, she saw the space was changing; in a few seconds it turned back to normal. We're almost there, she thought with sudden glee. My first big adventure.
When they landed, Laura saw her mom whisked away by people in lab coats; not surprising, given the circumstances. According to her mom, there was an outbreak of some type of flu on the base at Reach, one where they needed her assistance in identification, treatment, and potential quarantine. As soon as she stepped off the ramp, Laura noticed a woman in plain, business-type clothes approach.
"Are you Laura?" When she nodded, the woman smiled warmly. "I'm Dr. Halsey."
"I've heard of you, Dr. Halsey. Every time Mom and Dad's superiors come by, they whisper your name when they think I can't hear. I have good ears, better than they'd think." She grinned mischievously.
"I'm sure you do. Would you like me to show you where you're going to be staying for your visit?"
"I thought I'd be staying with my mom." Her dark eyes narrowed, reminding Dr. Halsey of a suspicious officer given an easy assignment after several difficult ones.
"Wouldn't you rather stay with someone your age?"
"Their parents probably wouldn't like it too much. Besides, I'd rather spend as much time with my mom as I can; sometimes we both get so busy we can't see each other." Dr. Halsey smiled at the cryptic response, especially coming from this particular twelve-year-old.
"Very well, Laura. I'll take you to the quarters we've set up for you and your mom."
Laura noticed a slight movement at the corner of her eye, but gave no sign that anything was unusual; it wouldn't do to spook the spook. She obediently followed Dr. Halsey down the road and to their quarters. On the way, they passed a group of young soldiers drilling on the parade ground. Odd, she thought, for a minute they looked like they were only 12, like me, but now they look almost 20.
April 17, 2523 1030 hours
UNSC Military Complex, Reach
Epsilon Eridani System
Over the next few days, Laura was escorted around the base by what seemed a standard noncom, except for his bearing. This guy screams covert ops, so why is he babysitting me? I can take care of myself. Eventually, they took her to what they called a 'playground': an obstacle course of ropes, bridges, poles, and handholds. She'd overheard radio chatter about 'setting up the most difficult layout for the course' and grinned at what she saw. Is this the best they can do? I'm insulted. Still, she acted like a naïve pre-teenage child.
"Can I go on that? It looks like fun."
"We'll be timing you to see how fast you can run it first, then maybe you can play," the 'noncom' answered. She caught a hint of disgust in his tone: clearly, he thought she was extremely stupid. No time for that now, she thought as she got ready.
"GO!"
For a twelve-year-old, Laura was fast: in a matter of seconds she'd grabbed the nearest rope and pulled herself to the top before she realized it didn't lead to the bridge she needed to cross--it was a dead end. Improvise, adapt, survive, she remembered her father telling her over and over, and she did. Bracing her feet, she swung out from the wall the rope was attached to, let go of the rope, and flipped end over end to the bridge, effectively chopping time off her course. She ran nimbly over and reached a series of hand-holds spaced out on a wooden framework, which she swung easily across. Climbing up one last pole, she rang the bell at the top of it and slid down silently, sprinting easily across the course back to her escort.
"Does my time meet with ONI's approval?" she asked, her question and knowing look sending the officer into a state of extreme astonishment. How in the hell did she know?
"One minute thirty seconds. A new record I think."
"And I think you're nuts: my personal best was 45 seconds. Of course, I knew the backdrop like the back of my hand and could compensate for surprises. Here I'm out of my element." Looking beyond the ONI spook, while still giving the impression that she was looking at him, she noticed motion in the trees behind him: her sharp eyes confirmed the soldiers watching her were her age exactly, and some of them she recognized from passing them on the parade ground.
"Would you prefer to run it again?"
"No, I think I'll take a hike instead. Those woods look like fun," she replied, a slight smirk on her face as she walked off toward the woods, heading in the opposite direction of the kids she'd seen.
Entering the woods behind the base, Laura listened, getting a feel for her environment. She felt dwarfed by the trees around her, even though some of them had branches reaching down to her level. She began to walk deeper in the forest, eyes roving this way and that as if she were looking for something. In fact, she was looking for pinecones for Nana, souvenirs from her first adventure. Stopping under a tall pine, Laura bent down and scanned the ground under it; a noise at her back alerted her to company, and she gave a start to maintain the illusion of ignorance.
The girl facing her was about her age, but her build and keen eyes made her look much older; her brown hair was close-cropped like a Marine's, she had a pistol strapped to her waist, and she wore standard military training coveralls.
"Did you lose something?"
"Actually, I was looking for pinecones for my grandma," Laura replied, still trying to give off an air of innocence, even though she doubted it was working. "She hasn't been feeling well lately, and I thought they would cheer her up. She's always had a thing for pinecones, ever since I could remember; my brother and I used to go on walks and bring some back for her to add to her collection."
"It's not safe for people to wander off alone here, especially civilians. There are wolves in the woods, among other things."
"If I didn't know better, I'd say you were concerned. It's not like military people to get concerned over civilians." She lowered her voice and muttered, "Even though I'm not one." A loud crashing in the underbrush caused both girls to tense. Laura reacted faster than the other girl thought possible for an untrained civilian, swinging the girl behind a tree.
"Probably ONI. Stay put until I get rid of them," she hissed furiously, her demeanor changing quickly from innocence to intensity as she slipped further away. The other girl didn't even get the chance to argue, as four burly Marines tore through. Laura looked up at them with a slightly worried look on her face.
"I think I got a bit lost. Can you show me the way back?" Something about the troopers' faces told her this wasn't what they were expecting. She waited.
"What do we do? Could be a trick," one muttered; Laura's sharp ears heard everything.
"No way any of these freaks could get lost here," the leader snapped. "Grab her." Two Marines came up and gripped her arms, a third patted her down.
"She's unarmed, sir. She doesn't have the flag either." The leader wasn't happy with the report.
"Where are your buddies, and where's our flag?" he growled. Laura was worried. What the hell is going on?
"I don't know what you're talking about. Mom and I just got here a few days ago, and I just came looking for pinecones for my grandma." She knew she was in a bad spot, especially when one of the Marines raised a hand to hit her. Just as she prepared to try and escape, a hail of darts came flying through the trees. Each one was well-aimed: her captors went down at once. Tranquilizer darts, she realized, but from who? The answer came as three figures came out of the underbrush where they'd been hiding and two more dropped out of a nearby tree, four boys and one girl: they were enough like the girl she'd shoved behind the tree that they could have been family, except for their hair, eyes, and skin. How did I not notice them there? The girl and one of the boys were both holding sniper rifles, and seemed to know exactly how to use them. The brown-haired girl she'd 'saved' moved into the open, pistol in hand, and all six of them stared at Laura with amazement. Laura stared at them in horror, as a wave of sick realization broke over her. They lied! ONI lied to me, and I almost got killed for it!
"Are you okay?" The girl she'd 'saved' was asking her if she was hurt, but Laura didn't hear the words. She broke away from the group and ran deeper into the woods, hoping that no one would ever find her, wishing to die.
Laura kept on running until she finally tripped over a tree root. Sprawled on her face, she lay there sobbing; why had they lied to her? How much did her parents know? Could she go back and face them, knowing what she did? Was that why ONI had allowed her to come here with her mom? What would happen next? The questions tore through her mind, causing more tears and more confusion. A soft footfall near her head caused her to turn in surprise. It was the brown-haired girl. Laura had had no idea she had been followed, and guessed the noises were purposely made so as not to startle her overly much.
"Are you all right?"
"I'll survive, I only tripped." Laura stood up slowly, positioning herself with her back to the tree, still scared and suspicious. Fortunately, the sudden appearance of the mysterious girl was enough to stop her tears, and she roughly wiped the rest away. The girl spread her hands out, showing she was unarmed; Laura didn't move.
"You're one of us, aren't you?" the girl asked.
"Can't be. I'm from Earth. Mom came up to check some base personnel for some kind of flu outbreak, and ONI said she could bring me along. I was told there would be kids on base I could hang around with, but they lied. You're not kids, you're assassins."
"We're Spartans," the girl replied. Laura shook her head.
"Why should I believe you? Whatever you and your friends were up to back there almost got me killed! Please, just leave me alone, and stay far away." Laura looked for an escape route, but something in the girl's next words stopped her from moving.
"If you're not one of us, how do you know about ONI?"
"Isn't it enough that I do know?" Laura locked eyes with the strange girl. "I'm not one of you, and nothing will ever change that. I'll always be alone, even among my family."
"You have a family?"
"Don't you? They tried to take them away from me years ago, but I didn't let them. With everything they're teaching me, they can at least let me have my family."
"We were told we could never go home," the girl said baldly. Laura's stomach clenched coldly. What the hell is she saying? And how can she tell I'm a Spartan? And what does she mean when she says 'We're Spartans'? They told me I'm the only one!
The teakettle went off, jerking Laura away from the memories. Going into the kitchen, she poured the hot water into a teapot and steeped a teabag in it; the smell of chamomile filled the room--a soothingly pleasant smell, much like the woods behind Camp Hayes. I wonder if there's chamomile there, she mused as she poured tea into a ceramic mug. Sipping the hot tea, she recalled her next meeting with the strange young girl, the Spartan called Kelly.
April 18, 2552 2300 hours
UNSC Military Complex, Reach
Epsilon Eridani System
She'd slipped out of the base as soon as darkness fell, heading back toward the woods. It had been almost too easy to get by the guards on the perimeter, but then again, she'd been trained for stealth, and when she put her mind to it she could be extremely sneaky. I am smoke upon the wind, she recited mentally as she slipped through. Creeping into the woods, Laura checked to make sure she was alone before going further in. The air was cool but comfortable, and Laura's hiking clothes (which she'd slipped into silently before she left) were more than enough protection. Stopping at a stream to get her bearings, she thought she heard movement nearby. Laura knew it couldn't be anybody from on base, since she'd left no trace when she'd slipped out, but was determined to take no chances on it being the same Marines who'd attacked her before. She turned her back to the tree and waited. As she'd feared, it was them: they seemed too glad to see her, and were clearly bent on revenge.
"Well, now, where's the rest of your freak pack?"
"I don't have a 'pack', as you so crudely put it," Laura replied coolly. "As I told you yesterday, Mom and I only arrived a few days ago, something about a flu outbreak on base. I just went looking for pinecones for my grandma when you attacked me without provocation."
"And how did you escape, Little Miss Prissy? When we got shot up with narq-darts by your freak friends."
"That was just bad timing on your part, since I have no friends here or on Earth. That's the truth, take it or leave it." Her dark eyes swept the area around her, in case she needed to make a break for it. She spotted two branches on the ground near her. If I can get to them, I may have a chance if things get ugly. And things got ugly, because one of the Marines landed a fist in her gut. She doubled over, gasping more to try and catch them off guard than out of real pain, even though it hurt like hell.
At that moment, a rock came through the trees and nailed one of her attackers in the head; when they turned, Laura dove for the branches, and had them up and ready when they turned back.
"I don't know who the hell threw that, but it seems I owe them a favor. I'm no cold-blooded attacker, but you threw the first punch."
"And what are you going to do, beat us into submission with sticks?" the leader laughed incredulously.
"Only if you force me to. I'd rather not have to do that," she replied.
The lead Marine charged, only to have Laura slip aside quickly and bring her branches into his head and ribs--hard. He doubled over in pain, even though all Laura could have done was bruise him a little. Sliding into a jujitsu stance, she twirled the branches to a new position, and watched as the other Marines grabbed their buddy and bolted. Hearing movement behind her, she turned to see her acquaintance from the previous day.
"I guess I owe you one, for throwing that rock. How did you even find me?"
"We were playing capture the flag with those assholes yesterday, which was when you got caught in the crossfire. Today we were hiding out, just because we could."
"How'd you find me, though? And why expose yourself to save my hide? No one else would have."
"I followed you once you got in the woods, and figured you could use the assist. Besides, you're the same as we are, that much is clear, even if you're from Earth." Laura shook her head, her dark hair falling in front of her eyes.
"No, I'm nothing like you. You know when to fight back, and when to attack. I just defend." She turned and tossed the branches aside, preparing to leave. "I should go, before Mom wakes up and notices I'm gone."
"You snuck out of the base?"
"Pretty much, yeah. I wanted to see the woods in the night, but I think I've seen enough to last me for a while."
Laura turned to head out of the woods, but stopped when the girl asked, "What's your name?"
"Laura."
She broke into a smooth sprint, taking the broken terrain with almost no difficulty: it was like being at home on a cross-country hike, and the familiarity brought a smile to her face. When she approached the base perimeter, she slowed and clambered up a tree, a tree whose branches hung over the fence surrounding the base. Swinging across, she dropped noiselessly and slipped in through the guards. Finding the window of the quarters she and her mother shared, Laura slipped in and quickly changed out of her hiking clothes and into her pajamas.
When she woke up the next morning, her mom had already left, and there was a small bag sitting next to her head. Inside were about ten different pinecones and a small note: From Kelly. Laura smiled, realizing she must have been followed once again, and that nothing else had happened to her.
Shortly after she got dressed, the door opened and Dr. Halsey entered the room, followed by a strongly built man in military uniform, and the Marines that had attacked her in the night. Laura took one look and decided to try and run. Definitely not the best place to be right now, she thought as she started backing toward the window.
"Well, Laura, you've certainly put these Marines in a very bad mood." Dr. Halsey's tone was even, but Laura didn't trust it one bit. She has to know where I was last night. Laura decided that since the good doctor was obviously in the know, it was safest to tell the truth.
"They had it coming, attacking me without provocation. Besides, why should I care how they feel, when no one here has even given a thought to my feelings? Since I came here I've only had one person besides my mom tell me the truth: everyone else has been lying to me from Day One, and I've had enough!" She was angry, and she had every right to be angry, but they just stared at her.
"You say they attacked you first?" the man in uniform asked.
"Yes, twice. Once two days ago, and once last night. Both times I had done nothing to warrant such treatment, and both times I tried to tell the truth and was rebuffed. Now, could someone please explain to me why this kind of behavior is allowed, especially when directed at visitors?" The adults were still not listening to her, it seemed, and Laura was getting fed up with the whole charade. Suddenly, Dr. Halsey noticed the bag of pinecones on the floor next to Laura's sleeping bag.
"Where did these come from?" she asked, picking them up and noticing the note.
"Why do you ask?" Laura countered, snatching the bag back, spilling some of the pinecones on the floor in the process.
"Just curious. I imagine these took you a while to collect."
"It didn't help that these guys decided to use me as a punching bag while I was collecting them last night in the woods," Laura snapped. She was still suspicious, and decided to protect the girl who'd saved her bacon last night, the girl called Kelly, by leaving her out of the conversation. Fortunately, she was saved from further questions by her mother walking through the door.
"What is going on here?" Laura took advantage of the opportunity and slipped out the door, stealthily making her way to the edge of the base. She saw movement at the obstacle course (the 'playground') and stopped to watch. The kids she'd met in the woods, as well as several others like them, were running the course in teams of three—twenty-five teams in all. When they'd finished, they gathered in a group around the bell. Kelly looked up, nudged the two boys beside her, and the red-haired girl nearby, and they saw her. Laura held their eyes for a long moment, and slipped away into the woods. I hope we'll be going home soon, she thought. I don't like it here anymore. This isn't an adventure, it's a test.
October 7, 2552 0910 hours
Gedeon Residence
North America
Laura put down her tea, frowning at what happened after. After she and her mother had returned from Reach, Laura had made her first serious foray into ONI's records. It wasn't exactly a milk run, but it wasn't difficult either, and she had learned that she wasn't the only Spartan as they'd told her for so long. At the time, the scope of what ONI had done was unclear, but that tiny bit of knowledge had sparked the hatred and bitter betrayals that pursued her even today. As her snooping got more advanced, and she got older, she'd learned the truth: everything that they'd done to her was done to the Spartans on Reach as well. They'd taken her at four, which proved to be too young, so the next candidates were taken at six. They'd allowed her to visit her family, which hampered her training, so they'd kidnapped the children and replaced them with poorly made clones. She'd nearly died during the augmentation, but since she'd survived, they'd done it to the others (thinking their 'better' training would improve their odds of survival), and thirty had died in the process, while twelve others were permanently disabled. I had been nothing but a human guinea pig! Now that I'm no longer useful, they're trying to destroy me and hide my existence. She was certain of it, and even more certain that none of the other Spartans remembered her brief visit at all. ONI she could handle, but the other Spartans…well, it hurt that they had forgotten her. No time for that now, though, she thought. I need to start thinking about capturing a ship. In order to do that, I need to clear my head. Setting down her now empty mug, she went to the hall closet for a light jacket.
UNSC Reserve Base Camp Hayes 0910 hours
Back at Camp Hayes, meanwhile, West's words about the other Spartan being on Reach came to mind as the four surviving Spartans recalled a young girl they'd accidentally saved from Tango Company when she'd wandered into the woods. Remembering her face, and the look of horror on it, they noticed at last a strange resemblance to the mysterious Spartan General West and Colonel Ackerson had called Blade. John suddenly had a flashback to a photo album the Spartans had examined before their physical: a picture of a young woman in blue lounging against a tree trunk. He turned to the others.
"Remember that photo album of Dr. Gedeon's?"
"Yeah, what of it?" Fred replied.
"Remember that picture of the civilian, the one in blue? I think that was Blade."
Will thought about it. "There's almost an exact resemblance. But that woman was a civilian."
"Maybe not," Linda broke in thoughtfully. "The family shot had her in a dress uniform, and remember the insignia? Two crossed knives."
"Blade? Blade is related to Dr. Gedeon? It's still hard to believe," Fred countered.
"General West said she was related to her, and to Colonel Morisson, remember?" John pointed out. "Now that we've seen the resemblance, and now that we know she was on Reach, we can't just dismiss her as unimportant."
"One thing, though: if Blade really was the civilian in the picture, then why did it take so long for us to recognize her?" Will asked.
"Apparently, wearing civilian clothes and letting her hair down makes a big impact on her appearance," John mused. "Every time we've seen her she's been in a workout suit with her hair pulled back, and she's never been in the best of moods. In those pictures she was either calm or happy, which we've never really seen either."
"Amazing how little things can make a big difference," Linda commented.
"Where is she, anyway? I don't like it when she's not visible," Fred muttered, still upset with the whole martial-arts fiasco. He was one of the few Spartans who could even come close to holding a grudge.
"West got her some time off; she and Dr. Gedeon left this afternoon," Will replied.
None of the others needed to say a word, a look was all they needed. As one, they stood up and moved out, heading in the general direction of Dr. Gedeon's home.