Chapter Nine: Nightmares or Memories?
October 9, 2552 2330 hours
Gedeon Residence
North America
Laura was due to return to Camp Hayes in two more days. Perhaps it was the stress from what she knew would be waiting for her, perhaps it was something else entirely. Whatever the case, her mother knew something was wrong when a loud yell from Laura's room in the night awakened her. Rushing into the room, Dr. Gedeon noticed Laura sitting bolt-upright in her bed, eyes wide with worry yet seeing nothing.
"Laura, what is it? What's wrong?" The sound of her voice jerked her daughter back to her surroundings, and she cried as if she were four years old again. Something must have scared her, and scared her badly, Dr. Gedeon thought.
"What happened, Laurabeth?" she asked again.
"A nightmare, but it seemed so real, like it wasn't a dream," Laura choked out. "I've had others like it, but they seemed so real, as if I were actually there!" She dimly felt her mother's arms around her, trying to calm her.
"Care to talk about it?" Laura nodded. Taking a deep breath, she began to tell her mother what she'd dreamed.
Thaddeus the Prophet noticed the young human scientist he'd been working with seemed more silent than usual. He could only guess as to why, since he knew so little about her; she never spoke unless it had regards to their work on the new combat armor system. Nevertheless, he felt it his duty to try and help her in some way.
"Alaya, is something troubling you?"
"It's nothing I cannot handle, Thaddeus." Alaya clearly didn't wish to discuss the matter, as she turned her dark head to a display panel.
"If it is truly nothing, why are you so silent?" Thaddeus asked, unwilling to let the young woman suffer in silence.
"I never said that it was nothing, I merely said that it was nothing I could not handle," she replied roughly, dark eyes beginning to shine with tears unwilling to be shed.
"Is it your father?" the old scientist asked, surprising the woman. How did he know?
"Yes, my father. How did…?"
"I have contacts in the medical guild, and when I learned your father was General Petrarch, I contacted them at once. They told me he has the incurable cancer." Thaddeus was surprised to see the tears in Alaya's dark eyes, normally passive and emotionless.
"They say he will pass on soon. He and my brother are all I have left. I dare not look to anyone else; indeed, I cannot." Her face plainly said she didn't wish to continue the subject, and both scientists returned to their work.
Alaya and her younger brother were beside their father's deathbed two nights later. General Petrarch looked carefully at both of them.
"Alaya, Marin, you must look after yourselves now, but that does not mean you are to abandon the other. Marin, as my son, you must promise me you will give aid to Alaya whenever she should require it, whether she asks or not."
"I promise, Father," Marin whispered, a single tear sliding down his face. He never showed much emotion, being both a man and a newly-ordained soldier.
"Alaya, my beloved daughter and firstborn," Petrarch whispered.
"Yes, Father, I am here," Alaya murmured, trying to reassure her father in his final hours; she had inherited a double portion of her mother's caring nature.
"Alaya, you are my eldest child, and now my duties fall to you, as much as can be. Those duties Marin will take as the only son are his, but they may come to weigh heavily on him. Watch over your brother, care for him as best you can, that is my wish."
"Father, I promise I will fulfill your wishes, no matter what it takes." Alaya bowed her head, trying to hide her tears. She needed to be strong, for her brother's sake if nothing else.
"It is well. And now, both of you, I charge you to watch over each other in the years to come, for my heart warns of perils ahead. Be each others' strength, and remember everything you've learned. Farewell, my children, and do not weep, for I have fought the good fight." With those parting words, General Petrarch closed his eyes for the last time.
Most of those dwelling on the ringworlds, indeed throughout the whole of the galaxy, came to Halo-04 for the respected general's funeral. Thaddeus himself stood there beside several other Prophets, who had heard much of the human general's deeds and had come to pay their respects. As most of the galaxy stood there, they saw Petrarch's two children standing beside the grave, silent and still, their tears long spent. The son wore a soldier's garb, while the daughter wore only simple black clothing, her dark hair pulled back from her face in a loose knot. When all was over, the Master of the Passing came and stood before the two children, looking at Petrarch's son in particular.
"Your father's spirit has yet to cross to paradise," he intoned, "and needs one to help him on his way. Who will guide your father's spirit?" The answer that came surprised all onlookers: it was the daughter who spoke.
"I will take the silent vigil. It is my right as elder child." Her brother looked at her once, then nodded assent. She stepped forward to her father's grave, seated herself, and began to watch. For three days she would sit, neglecting all other duties in favor of this most sacred tradition: the three day watch for those newly dead, so they could journey in peace to the paradise that awaited them. Most were surprised that Petrarch's son did not take the vigil, but Marin silenced the doubts with a single sentence:
"She is the elder, it is her right, and I will support her in that."
"And you don't know why you dreamed it?"
"No, Mom, I don't know. I don't know who they are, what they are, I just don't know! I've had other dreams like this, and I can't explain it! Am I going mad, Mom? Is it some symptom from my augmentations?"
"Without knowing exactly what your augmentations were, I couldn't say. However, you seem physically and mentally sound, so I wouldn't worry on that count."
"But what does it mean?" Laura sobbed.
"I don't know, Laurabeth, I don't know."
After her mother left, Laura sat with her head in her hands. Am I going insane? She had no answers, but answers were what she needed most. As she turned over the strange dream in her mind, since it was still so clear even after this long, she remembered the strange thought that had passed through her mind when she'd found the Flood genome in Sergeant Johnson's bloodwork. The thought had been just as clear, and just as…well…random as this dream had been. There's got to be a connection, even if it's vague, she thought. The dreams, my recognizing that genome without knowing what it was, there has to be a connection. A soft voice interrupted her musings.
"Another of those nightmares of yours?"
"Shut up, Lorienna. Not in the mood right now."
Lorienna chuckled softly. "Yep, must've been another of those weird dreams of yours. You always get cranky after one of those. This makes what, ten screwball dreams so far?"
"You're keeping count?"
"Always. So, any theories on where they're coming from, or should I throw out a suggestion or two?"
"How about you shut up so I can go back to sleep?"
October 10, 2552 0900 hours
Gedeon Residence
Laura walked into the living room, intent on searching out some breakfast, and instead found her mother sitting in the living room.
"I hope I'm not the reason you're still here," Laura mused as she dropped a quick kiss on her mother's head.
"No, today's one of my few days off. Would you like breakfast?"
"Not just yet," she smiled as she sat down opposite Dr. Gedeon. The smile dimmed as a thought occurred to her. "I hope ONI didn't see me last night."
A low, melodious chuckle reverberated through the room.
"Don't worry, Miss Fearful, once I saw you weren't doing so hot I spliced their recordings. As far as their concerned you woke up, rolled over, and went back to sleep."
"Thanks, Lorienna." Laura shook her dark head, loose strands of hair falling in front of her eyes. "I just wish I knew what was going on."
"I can ask around the hospital, if you'd like," Dr. Gedeon offered, one slender hand holding her daughter's. "Someone there might know what's going on?"
"If I may, Doctor," Lorienna interjected, "perhaps we are being a bit too assuming. I have a theory, if I may propose it."
"Go ahead," the doctor replied.
"Well, for starters, Laura says the woman looked exactly like her. I know what you think about genetic memory, but isn't it possible in this case? How else do you explain the vivid dreams, dream that seem more like memories?"
"Makes sense," Laura mused, getting up and pacing the room. "But surely there's a more logical explanation?"
"At this point, no. If you like, I can check for other symptoms from your augmentation procedures, but it's a safe bet there'll be nothing on that route."
"In any case, worrying about it won't help," Dr. Gedeon pointed out. "We have other things to think about at this point, like getting Laura ready to head back tomorrow."
"You just had to remind me," Laura grumbled.