Chapter Twenty-Two: Alaya's Memories Part I
November 29, 2552 0536 hours
Covenant Warship Holy Retribution
En route to Sol System
Linda took the last watch, and was about to wake the Master Chief when she noticed Laura sit up suddenly, reach for her knives, and remember where she was. Dark eyes stared around her for a moment, wide and unfocused, before she pulled herself together. She got up slowly, grabbed something sitting beside her, and left the bridge. Guessing that something was wrong, Linda woke the Chief.
"Sir, Laura's just left the bridge. From the looks of things, she had another of those dreams."
"Where'd she go?" John looked around the bridge. In spite of his helmeted head, Linda could tell he was worried, too worried for it to be mere concern over a fellow teammate. Something's not quite normal here, she thought. I wonder what he's so worried about.
"No idea. Maybe Cortana knows, but I think it'd be best to give her some time first; she looked pretty upset."
Laura woke up suddenly, reached for her knives, and sat up as soon as she could move; the cold floor of the Covenant bridge brought her back to reality. She'd had another dream, this one too much for her to remember. This is getting too weird, she thought. If I'm not careful, I'll go insane long before Ackerson kills me off. The dream was fading too quickly from her memory, but there was a name that rang clear in her mind, a name she'd shouted in the dream: Marin. That name rang out clearly, but there was another one that was just as clear: the name Corin. For some reason, there were strong feelings attached to both names, but more to the latter than the former. I need to do some serious reconnaissance here. The circlet happened to be next to her, for whatever reason. Picking it up, Laura headed off into a side chamber off the bridge of the captured Covenant warship, making sure she was alone. She pulled out the headset and placed it on her head, waiting to see what memories would be revealed.
&&
The strike group was pinned down in a box canyon, and the Flood were closing in on all sides. Every one of the soldiers was unnerved by the sight, except for the Elite warriors in the platoon: they continued to fire, singing battle hymns as they shot the Flood to pieces. The group leader, a human named Corin, turned to his second in command, a human officer two years younger than him by the name of Marin.
"Did you call for extraction?"
"Sir, we've been told that extraction is too dangerous, it could spread the Flood to safe zones. We've been ordered to remain here."
"Damn! They've abandoned us!" A younger soldier was beginning to panic, which earned him a look of reproach from the others. Corin understood, however: the Flood were spreading too quickly. Any steps to prevent or slow the Flood advance were being taken, and unfortunately this was one of them.
"Marin, how are our supplies?"
"We have enough food to last us for two standard weeks, but our ammunition is low. All odds are we'll be dead in less than a day."
"Then let's make it count. All soldiers, do not fire until they get closer; try to aim for the carriers: when they go up they take several Flood with them. That's an order." One look at the Elites was enough to garner obedience, but they looked quite disappointed to have to wait; they enjoyed battle of any kind, but placed a high value on discipline.
Before they could do anything, however, a rounded bar was thrown down in front of them; seconds later a force field went up that incinerated the Flood that came in contact with it. Marin grinned.
"We haven't been totally abandoned yet. Command sent help." He pointed upward, where a figure in combat armor threw down a rope; a closer look revealed a number of green smears on the otherwise pristine armor. None of the soldiers lost any time in climbing to the top of the canyon, where a dropship waited. Unfortunately, there wasn't enough room for everyone, one person had to stay behind.
"Marin, get in. I'll stick around and deal with the Flood."
Before Marin could protest, their strange rescuer took matters into his own hands. Corin felt himself being shoved roughly into the dropship, and the hatch was sealed behind him. One of the Elites got in the pilot's seat, but the navigational controls had been automated and pre-programmed, in effect needing no pilot. As the ship took off, the stranger strapped on a pair of wings, similar to the new aerospace fighter wings that Marin's scientist friend Alaya had been designing, Corin noticed. He leaped off the cliff and glided next to the dropship, firing downward at Flood forms every now and again.
"Whoever this person is, he's got some contacts, Marin. Notice anything about those wings?"
"I think I know who it is, but I hope I'm wrong. I've never wanted to be this wrong before."
"Your friend knows better than to risk everything on a hair-brained rescue mission. She's a scientist, and she knows nothing about combat. I met her once, remember?"
"Alaya and I were both taught how to fight back, and I don't doubt she's been keeping up with our training. But if she's desperate, she won't think, she'll act on impulse. You only met her once, Corin, I've known her for years, practically since I was born."
They both lurched to the side as the dropship came down at a steep angle, landing in a valley about twenty kilometers away from the box canyon. Their rescuer landed only a couple of minutes behind them, retracting his wings into a surprisingly compact shape. The only other object in the valley was a transport ship, large enough to contain the dropship and several other ships of the same size or smaller. It was plain that the rescue had been well planned. Corin had his doubts, though. What if the Flood have found this valley? They could be inside the transport right now! The other soldiers came to the same conclusion, bringing their weapons to bear. Shortly after, a familiar voice called out, one that both Corin and Marin recognized as belonging to one of the more prominent scientists, a Prophet by the name of Thaddeus.
"All is safe. We must hurry before the Flood arrive."
No one wasted any time boarding the transport; the mysterious stranger took the pilot's seat behind the dropship. Both vessels cleared the atmosphere, and the dropship was expertly maneuvered into the transport ship's docking bay. Marin headed to the cockpit of the dropship, Corin following behind at a discreet distance. The stranger exited and noticed Marin heading toward him.
"You do realize that coming here was reckless? You could face imprisonment for this, or worse, death!"
"At least my conscience is clear, Marin," a woman's voice replied, clear and cold and sharp. The stranger pulled off the armor's helmet to reveal a young woman, about two years older than Marin. She had a rounded face, dark brown hair pulled back into a tight braid that was coiled once around her head, and intense dark eyes: when she spoke, they reflected what she was really thinking. Corin had met Marin's friend Alaya once before, when she was giving them a briefing on some new weaponry to use against the Flood; he had found her to be too intelligent to be worth much in a combat scenario. Now, though, he wasn't so sure. If she came after us on her own, she must know more than science. Perhaps I was too hasty in my judgments.
"Why did you even come? You're too valuable a scientist to risk losing to the Flood. And how did you talk Thaddeus into it as well?"
"I told the High Council that a rescue was possible, I even showed them how it could be done, but they refused to even consider it. I couldn't bear to leave you behind, Marin: you're all I have left."
"But Thaddeus--"
"Caught me grabbing a transport and insisted on coming along. His arguments were persuasive enough, and I had insurance to protect against the Flood. That forcefield you saw earlier only repels Flood lifeforms. There was one at each entrance of the transport, and they were active until we left the planet's atmosphere. I planned ahead of time before I came after you." She smiled grimly and gestured to the various green smears of Flood blood on her armor, her dark eyes flashing with a fire that Corin never noticed before. "Besides, this gave me the perfect opportunity to test out this prototype combat skin. I must say, it worked better than any of us scientists had predicted."
"The High Council will not be pleased with you."
"I know, but I had to act. I had to do the right thing. Let me worry about the Council, your head will be unscathed by it, as will Thaddeus'. I'll tell them I acted alone, and I'll be the only one punished." Her voice warmed suddenly, giving it a lilting melody that hadn't been there before. "Don't worry, little brother. As you said, I'm too valuable a scientist to risk the death penalty on." She smiled, but Corin noticed worry in her dark eyes. He also noticed the words 'little brother.' So Alaya is his sister? I had no idea, but then again, none of us did. Corin's eyes narrowed in thought. I'll have to ask Marin about this later; for now, we need to concentrate on getting back to Halo.
They returned to the HALO-4 installation in three minutes, where the High Council had established military operations. There were thousands of the ring-worlds spread throughout the galaxy, and thousands of varied races inhabited them. The HALO stations had been designed originally as science outposts, but the Flood outbreak had caused an increased military presence to be on hand. HALO-4 was considered by many to be the primary ringworld, but that was a false assumption: the High Council had merely chosen as a base it because it was out of the way, safe from the Flood.
As they approached the ring, the ship was hailed.
"Identify for landing clearance."
"Transport vessel TR-07951 requesting permission to dock."
"Transport vessel TR-07951, can you verify no Flood presence aboard?"
"Confirmed, no Flood onboard."
"Transport vessel TR-07951, you are cleared for docking. Stand by for control transfer."
Alaya looked at her friend and fellow scientist. "Thaddeus, I don't want you to be seen. There's no need for you to take the blame for my actions. Keep your head down until the docking bay empties out, then leave quietly. I'll take full responsibility."
"I will not let you fall alone, Alaya. We have both broken the laws, and we shall both bear the penalties. I stand firm in what I have done, as you do."
"There's no sense in both of us taking the blame. If one of us can still do research on the Flood, it'll be worth it. I'll fall alone, and you can find a way to save all of us from the Flood. Besides, it was my idea to save my brother in the first place, so I should be the one to take the fall. No sense in your getting in trouble for my rash behavior."
"The gods have blessed us with intelligence, Alaya my friend, and they will bless us again for the nobility of our actions. I will take the blame beside you, no matter what." The old Prophet's words were meant to be comforting, but Alaya wasn't reassured.
When the ship docked, Alaya disembarked into the waiting arms of several security guards sent by the High Council. Without even taking notice of Thaddeus or the other soldiers, they whisked her off to a prison cell. Corin noticed that she held her head high even as she was arrested. She has no fear. Why did I never notice before? The answer came just as quickly. I thought she was beneath my notice when I met her.
Alaya's trial took place fairly quickly; the Council was displeased by her actions, but since she had taken appropriate precautions, and because she was one of their chief scientists and experts on the Flood, the death sentence was commuted. She was sentenced to six months of isolation: no one was to speak or communicate with her in any way, nor could she contact anyone. As she was being led away, Thaddeus rose and addressed the High Council, floating toward them on his antigravity seat. While the scene appeared comical, the old Prophet's voice was quite solemn.
"Council Members, I ask to share in Alaya's punishment, for I too went with her to rescue those soldiers from the Flood. If you punish one, you must punish all."
"Thaddeus, don't do this!" Alaya shouted, but no one heard her above the murmur of astonished voices. Everyone was shocked that a Prophet would step in voluntarily for a human; they were known to be disdainful to races they considered inferior to them, and humans were near the bottom of their list.
"Why do you ask to share in isolation with a human?" One of the Council members, a Prophet himself, directed the question at Thaddeus.
"Because Alaya is one of the greatest humans I have ever known. She has been blessed by the gods with courage and wisdom, and I have been honored to be considered her friend, and would be honored to share in her punishment, though her only crime was compassion."
"Alaya will suffer her punishment alone, Thaddeus," the Council Master, a rule-happy Elite who had risen to the top by his own efforts, declared. He glared at the young woman before him.
"You should be ashamed for sullying your father's honorable name. Who now will speak of him with honor?"
"I will, if no one else. I have held to what he taught me about honor and decency. When I went after those soldiers you callously abandoned to die, I did exactly as he would have done, for that is what he taught us to do: the right thing. At least I suffer in clear conscience." Head high, she walked out of the council chambers to her cell, not looking back at the astonished faces behind her or at the admiring glances of soldiers and some of the council members. Corin heard hushed whispers as he left the council chamber, and listened.
"What did he mean by disgracing her father's name?"
"Who was her father?"
"Our father was General Petrarch, one of the greatest military heroes that ever lived," came Marin's voice, clear and cold. Corin turned to see him leaving the council chamber, heading for the whisperers. Most of these were surprised, as Corin had been, to learn that Marin and Alaya were siblings; Marin was a well-known and highly decorated soldier, while Alaya was a fairly obscure scientist whose prominence was only just growing. Now that he knew the truth, Corin noticed a resemblance in the dark eyes, dark hair, and slender build. Corin watched as Marin began to speak, his voice cold and his eyes flashing.
"One of the most important lessons we learned from him was never to leave a friend or fellow soldier behind. She came after us because the Council refused to, risking everything to bring us home, and now she is locked up and disgraced for doing the right thing, as our father taught us. If you are to whisper in the shadows, at least know the truth first." There was anger in his eyes that Corin had never seen before. Of course, with the Council Master condemning her and accusing her of disgracing their father's good name, he has good reason to be angry. They treated her poorly in there, and he had to see that.
"Marin, I'm sorry you had to see that."
"Sir, request permission to speak with Thaddeus the Prophet."
"You can try, but why would he talk to you?"
"For my sister's sake, he may; he's looked after us ever since our father died. Alaya had just started working with him when he came to stand beside us at the funeral; he's advised us ever since, and he may be able to help now. There has to be a way to reduce the severity of her sentence, if only because of her research on the Flood. He may be able to find a way to help her. I have to try."
"If there's anything I can do to help, Marin, let me know. She definitely would have made a good soldier, if she wasn't so smart."
"She actually wanted to be a soldier, but Father wouldn't hear of it. He wanted Alaya to be a scientist. It was also our mother's last wish before she died: she couldn't refuse that. Despite what any of them said, my sister is an honorable person, even if she's a bit reckless at times."
"Well, then, let's go talk to Thaddeus. Count me in."
"Sir?"
"Your sister impressed me in there with her bearing, especially when she told off the Council. Besides, she saved all our lives, the least I can do is try and help to reduce her sentence." She's definitely a more interesting person than I had assumed, he thought to himself. I must get to know her better.
Alaya kept her isolation as ordered, not communicating with anyone, and not receiving communications from the many people thanking her for bringing friends and family members home to them. She did feel disappointed that she couldn't at least continue her research on the Flood. I don't even need to do the lab work, I could just do equations! Why won't they at least let me do that? She was fuming about that one day when one of the Council members came to her cell.
"The High Council has been contacted by several members of the scientific community, asking that we commute your sentence of isolation. Their requests have been based on your extensive knowledge of the Flood."
"I have been studying the Flood for some time, yes. Shortly before I went to save those soldiers, I had discovered the presence of regenerative genes in the Flood's physiology. I'd been trying to synthesize them in the hopes of improving medical technologies, but had been as yet unsuccessful. I'd also made extensive notes on their body structure, and on what could be effective at stopping them; unfortunately, I haven't been able to continue my research of late. I'd be glad to do some of the research during my isolation. Even if I could just do 'primitive' long-hand paper equations, I could at least do something useful rather than sit here and stagnate."
"Several of the council members are in favor of commuting your sentence in order for you to continue your research."
"No. That is out of the question. It would be dishonorable to use my status as a scientist to evade punishment. There is another option that the council may consider, however. Have one scientist leave research materials, plain equations and the like, and I will occupy myself with them. He need not even speak to me; thus I could still continue my sentence and be of some benefit in the research on the Flood."
"Most people would simply accept the commutation."
"I am not most people. My father taught me to be honorable, remember? To use my skills to evade punishment is less than dishonorable." Her dark eyes flashed. "If I can even tie loose ends together, it will be enough. No one need ever speak to me, and I can still do some good while honoring the wishes of the High Council."
"I will see what can be done." On his way out, the council member looked hard at Alaya. He had been one in favor of her death for her transgressions, but now wondered why he had been: there was a kind of nobility about the young scientist he had missed before. Still, there was one thing on his mind, a question that needed to be answered.
"Alaya, why did you go after those soldiers?"
"To save my brother. He's all I have left, now that both my father and mother have passed beyond. I promised to take care of him, just as he promised to take care of me. I couldn't abandon him to the Flood as callously as you would have, because that would have meant breaking a promise made to a dying man."
&&
Laura shook her head after the memory faded, trying to clear it a little. Whoa, that was unexpected. I wonder where she got those wings. No sooner had the though passed through her head than a new memory surfaced.
&&
Alaya watched the skies, scanning the clouds for wind direction and possible changes in weather; nearby, several scientists were monitoring wind currents, temperatures, and weather conditions. The condensed wings on her back felt heavy, but it was nothing she couldn't handle. Thaddeus noticed her fidgeting impatiently and floated over, his antigravity harness causing him to bob up and down and bringing a smile to Alaya's face.
"I see you are eager to begin the test on the new wing design."
"Of course I am. How soon can I go?"
"As soon as we receive permission and clearance, you may begin." There was a bit of worry in the old Prophet's dark eyes. "Alaya, are you sure this is wise? If the mechanisms fail, there would be no way to stop your descent."
"You worry too much, old one. I've planned ahead on this." She indicated a web-like harness around the bodysuit she was wearing—an antigravity belt, one specially designed to keep heavy objects airborne for transport. Thaddeus nodded and turned to the rest of the scientists. As he did so, Alaya heard a voice call her name, and turned to see Marin and his captain, and most of his squad, approaching the cliff where they waited.
"Marin, I wasn't expecting you. Come to see the show?"
"Actually I came to keep an eye on my sister, and make sure she doesn't get into trouble."
"So you even brought armed guards just in case? How thoughtful," she teased lightly, hiding the rapidly building nerves which she attributed to the day's activities. It's just a test flight, how bad can it be? At that moment, one of the scientists shouted that they were ready to begin.
"So, what exactly are you going to be doing?" Corin asked.
Alaya looked at him shrewdly, a sly smile on her face. "Defying gravity."
Getting up a good running start, she leaped off the edge of the cliff face, fell for five seconds, and activated the wings; they slid out of their condensed, boxy form, elongated to full length, and Alaya felt herself soaring as they caught the wind. Oh, it's so wonderful, so magical. At that moment, she felt free, like she could do anything.
"Data sensors recording. Begin testing when ready." The voice from the wireless transceiver jarred Alaya back to her task, and she began the test runs in earnest. She started with simple turns, banking left and right to see how well the airfoils handled.
"Turning and banking seems a little slow, but overall it looks good. Let's see how the new design handles climbing," Alaya spoke into the transceiver, her voice quivering with excitement. "Can you find me a thermal air current anywhere?"
"Turn and head twelve units to your right." Alaya did as instructed, and found herself climbing upwards. She quickly put the wings into a climbing position, and began to climb upward on the thermal.
"Unfortunately, we cannot properly simulate a climb without putting an engine on the wings," Thaddeus's voice broke in.
"No, but a thermal is good enough for the moment," Alaya pointed out with a slight smile on her face; Thaddeus rarely did much besides complain, and she sometimes wondered if he enjoyed complaining. "I'll more than make up for it in a moment." As soon as she said this, she went into a steep dive.
Alaya felt the thrill of the dive almost as soon as she began it. She skimmed over a beach, allowing the surf to mist her face as she glided over the water. This is what freedom feels like, she thought just before she came out of the dive.
"All right, the new design handles dives quite nicely," she shouted over the sound of the waves. "I need another thermal."
Heading in the direction the scientists indicated, Alaya felt the rising air currents and decided to put the wings through their paces as she had wanted to before. She put her well-learned flight skills to task, and did a number of barrel rolls and tight turns before Thaddeus came back on the transceiver.
"The data you have acquired is most excellent, Alaya. Please return to the cliff so we can depart and run through the results."
"Must I?" Alaya murmured, more than a hint of regret lacing her voice.
"Yes, Alaya. Never fear, there will be other opportunities."
With a sigh of regret that could be heard by the other scientists, Alaya banked towards the cliff and landed gracefully, retracting the wings as she did so.
Corin had felt his heart leap into his throat for inexplicable reasons when Alaya had jumped, until he saw her fly upward with the wings outstretched. Moving closer to the scientists, he caught snatches of conversation as Alaya ran through various tests to determine the effectiveness of the new design. She handles flight well, he thought. Of course, I should have known that when she flew that dropship after she rescued us from the Flood. A few rolls and dives later, Alaya landed back on the cliff and the wings condensed to their compacted form; what caught Corin's eyes more than the wings was the expression of pure delight on her normally solemn face.