Chapter Twenty-Three: Alaya's Memories Part II
November 29, 2552 0712 hours
Covenant Warship Holy Retribution
En route to Sol System
The wing trials over, Laura smiled to recall the feeling of freedom Alaya had felt; she wished she could know what that felt like. Ironic that the captain's presence bothered her, though, she thought. I wonder why.
&&
Corin watched the activity in the medical wing from an observation lounge. Half of his men had been decimated by the Flood, and most of those who remained had been placed in stasis to keep them alive. Marin was one of the worst injured, and the doctors saw no hope for his recovery. How am I going to tell his sister? Corin's respect for Alaya had grown over the past several months, for reasons he didn't quite understand. His worries were increased, however, when Alaya burst into the medical wing, with a sealed box in her hands and a desperate look on her face.
"Marin! How is he? Is he going too recover?"
"Alaya, it doesn't look good. The doctors can do nothing for his injuries." Corin's voice was soft, trying to calm her; it did no good.
"They can't, but I can. I need to speak to them and to the Council, at once. I may have found a way to save them all, but we must act soon."
Alaya was exhausted but relieved that the Council had approved her plan, reckless though it seemed. She had finally isolated the DNA in the Flood organism that provided the creatures with regenerative capabilities, and had managed to extract it from one of the infection forms in the lab. If her plan worked, she could save all the wounded soldiers, and more, but it was risky: there wasn't enough of the gene to go to every soldier, nor time to create more of it, so the fastest way to distribute the gene would be via infection form.
"Council members, I know the risks, but I am confident I can prevent the full mutation. If you will hear me out at least, perhaps I can explain my reasons."
"Very well, Alaya, make your case, but be quick."
"The Flood mutate an organism by forcing a match between nervous systems. If I introduce the infection form to a potential host with a 'chaotic' nervous system, the Flood will be unable to force a match and be rejected by the host."
"And how do you propose this 'chaotic' nervous system be constructed?"
"Perhaps through mild electrical shocks, exposure to certain drugs, or simulated radiation exposure, all of which can be done and reversed easily enough. We may not need that even: as wounded as some of these soldiers are, the Flood may be unable to make use of them."
"The risk is still there, as is the risk of the Flood spreading."
"Then seal me in the room alone with the patient and the Flood. I promise you it will go no farther, if it fails. I'm willing to take the risk, if it means I can save lives."
She had won out, and so they agreed to let her try. Marin was the first choice, but she refused to do anything to him without his permission. As she approached the bed, he opened his eyes weakly.
"Alaya. I'm not going to make it, am I?"
"Marin, there may be a way, but it's risky. If I can introduce a special Flood gene into your system--"
"I heard the debate, you were shouting quite loudly." He smiled, but the pain was clear on his face. "Do what you have to, Alaya, I trust you."
"Very well, Marin. Forgive me."
She placed a syringe to the back of his neck and gave him an injection which effectively scrambled his nervous system, then strapped him down securely to the bed. She then opened the strange box and allowed a Flood infection form to leap at Marin. Her hand shook, but not enough to affect the aim she was taking at the Flood on her brother's neck with an unusual electrical device, and a few tears ran down her face. Corin noticed her tears, and wondered how she could bear to do this thing to her own brother.
"She has no choice," the voice of Thaddeus came from behind. "Alaya cares too much for her brother to think clearly, yet somehow she has managed. If this works, it may save thousands more lives."
"And if it doesn't she will have killed her own brother for nothing! How could she do this?"
"Marin would have died anyway; his injuries were far too severe to be healed. I have seen her notes, and I think she has done the right thing. Her plan may very well work, if she can keep her head."
Meanwhile, Alaya watched helplessly as the Flood form tried to enter her brother's body. She monitored the activity in his neural system, watching as the Flood tried to force a match with the host. She barely looked up from the monitors in time to see the form detach itself from Marin's body and leap at her; standing her ground, she fired a short electrical burst which caught the Flood in mid-air. It fell to the floor, paralyzed, and Alaya quickly dropped it into a containment box and sealed it tightly. She opened a communications link with the council members in a nearby observation lounge.
"It's done. The Flood DNA has been transferred, and now all we can do is wait, and hope. I'll stay and keep an eye on him, if you wish."
"Very well, Alaya. In the meantime, the doctors will try to reproduce more of the extracted Flood genome to administer to other patients."
Alaya nodded in assent, and turned back to her brother. Corin looked hard at Thaddeus.
"Why is she so devoted to Marin? I've heard a number of rumors saying she is his lover, but I know that is not true. Why this insane devotion?"
"When their mother, Fara—a well-respected doctor and scientist--died, General Petrarch raised them alone. He knew he would die sooner than expected, from the incurable cancer." Corin bowed his head, knowing the pain that Petrarch must have gone through. Thaddeus continued, "By the time he began to die, Alaya had become a capable enough scientist, and had just started to make a name for herself in the scientific community. She was only twenty years old when I began to work with her; we were designing a new combat armor system for the soldiers. I remember thinking how young she was, and how intelligent for such a young age; once I realized her family background, however, I was not surprised. I accompanied her to her father's deathbed, and heard her promise to take care of Marin, even though there is only two years between them in age. Alaya has tried to keep that promise, and so far has succeeded. If she fails now, it may be disastrous for everyone."
"What do you mean?"
"Her brother is what keeps her finding new ways to combat the Flood. She would much rather be creating medicines and tools to stop them, and not weapons to destroy them. Should Marin die, she would feel she has failed in her duties, and perhaps give up on her research, or worse, pursue it only for revenge. Her knowledge of the Flood is extensive, partly due to her intuition and training as a soldier; losing it would set us far behind, and perhaps cause us to lose the war. Alaya is a kindly young woman with a good heart, but she feels her honor and duty too deeply. It may kill her in the end."
Corin kept his opinions to himself, but continued to think about the new mystery that was Alaya. Then he happened to glance down into the medical wing, where a number of scientists and doctors had gathered around Alaya, congratulating her on her discovery.
"It seems he'll make it. I'm seeing improvement in his condition already. Well done Alaya!"
"It will only be well done when Marin wakes. Please, let him heal in peace. I don't want your accolades, I just want my brother back." At the sound of the pain in her voice, the others left the room, leaving Corin standing by the doorway alone. He had started down when he saw the crowd, and arrived just in time to hear her parting words. Alaya looked around and saw him standing there, but found for some reason that she couldn't look him in the face. When she spoke, she turned her head away.
"He should be fine, I doubt the Flood was able to force a match in time."
"At the moment, it's not Marin I'm worried about." Her dark head came up sharply. Corin noticed that her normally crisp appearance, something he'd found quite annoying, was now disheveled: her dark hair, normally pulled back tightly from her face, had begun to come loose and drift around her face, the end result making her look younger and more vulnerable. He also noticed worry in her dark eyes, and guessed that not all of it was for her brother. It was all he could do to not take her in his arms and comfort her.
"What do you mean by that? Explain yourself!"
"I'm not sure what I mean myself. All I know for sure is that I'm worried about you." His dark eyes flashed, and Alaya felt a chill run down her spine at what she saw, but strangely enough, it wasn't fear she felt.
"By now you must know I've come to respect you, especially now that you've saved all my men a second time. But if you keep trying to push yourself beyond human limits, it will be worse for all of us. Do you understand?" He placed a hand on her arm, and she pulled away in surprise, which she tried to hide with cold disdain; Corin made her uneasy for some reason.
"I understand that you're not telling me the whole truth, Captain Corin. You speak the same way Thaddeus does when he tells me I'm pushing myself too hard, but the tremor in your voice says you're holding something back." Alaya was afraid of what the answer might be, and tried to walk away. He only cares for your weapons designs and the ways you can save his soldiers, she tried to convince herself, but the thought rang hollow. A stirring in the medical bed brought her swiftly to Marin's side.
"Marin, how do you feel? Are you alright?"
"Alaya, whatever you did, thank you. I feel stronger now, but tired."
"Then rest, little brother. I'll leave you be."
"Perhaps to be with a lover?" Marin's eyes twinkled mischievously. "I happen to know someone who thinks very highly of you." Neither Marin nor Alaya noticed Corin flush at that remark.
"Then that someone must have his head examined. No one could care for me in that fashion. I'll forgive your words because of your disorientation from extreme pain. Get some rest."
Marin closed his eyes, and Alaya shook her head in worry. If he sleeps too long, he'll never wake up. She continued to monitor his lifesigns, trying desperately to ignore Corin's presence.
"Why are you so worried?"
"Marin is all I have left. You probably don't understand, but if anything were to happen to him, I'd be nothing but another scientist, and worse, a failure and disgrace to my father's teachings. I can't bear to lose him."
Corin understood too well, since he'd finally met someone he couldn't live without. He drew closer, and this time Alaya didn't pull away. She forced herself to look in his eyes, and saw something in them she didn't recognize at first. When she did recognize it, it frightened her, and she turned away again. Corin refused to let her run so easily; catching her arm, he gently but firmly held her in place.
"Do you really think it impossible for me to feel anything for you, Alaya?" The subtle emphasis indicated he wasn't just calling Alaya by her name.
"I think your feelings are misplaced. Surely there are others better suited for someone like you. Why chase after a scientist, and an obscure one at that? Or is it my father's name that draws you?" She couldn't hide the fear anymore, but the longing she felt showed through beneath it.
"I began to respect you before I learned who your father was, and even more so when I saw how you took the isolation ordered by the High Council. Your devotion to your brother was the final thing that drew me to you in the end, and I refuse to deny it now. As far as your obscurity goes, you've become more famous than you realize, ever since you defied the Council to save us. Be that as it may, I feel something for you, and any obscurities or flaws mean nothing to me. Alaya, do you truly feel nothing for me?"
"My feelings are my own, for now. If you truly care--and I doubt highly that you do--you will leave me be. Until this is over, I cannot feel anything for anyone."
"Why do you doubt me? What will convince you I'm telling the truth?"
"If you still feel something when this war is over. Perhaps your heart is misdirected because of my skills in designing weapons." I don't doubt his heart, but it's mine I don't trust. I can't love him, because if I did it would hurt too much to lose him.
Corin left the room, finally giving up. When he looked back, he saw Alaya bending over a countertop, shoulders shaking in grief as she cried quietly. So she does feel something, but why go to such trouble to drive me away? Unless she's afraid of what she feels? He decided to ask Thaddeus more, next time he saw the old Prophet.
It had been six months since Alaya had procured the life-saving Flood genome, and thousands of lives had been saved by the discovery: not only critically wounded soldiers, but patients with diseases that couldn't be healed. Even the incurable cancer succumbed to the genome, and her research had led to numerous scientific and medical breakthroughs. Unfortunately, she was less pleased with the accolades heaped on her, and more worried about her brother, and about another face which haunted her thoughts. It had been six months since she'd heard from him, and her greatest fear was that he was dead. Over time, she became quiet and taciturn, something which was not lost on Thaddeus.
"Alaya, what is it that worries you?"
"I'm worried about my brother, Thaddeus. It's been so long since I've heard from him. Do you think he's all right?"
"In these times, nothing is certain. Yet I think it is something more than Marin which occupies your thoughts. Is this so?"
"You speak in riddles, old one," she smiled. It was an old joke between them, the difference between their ages.
"Perhaps there is someone else you fear for." The old Prophet's deep eyes looked knowingly at her.
"What makes you so sure, Thaddeus? I cannot love anyone besides my brother, that you've known for years. How could all that change so quickly?" Alaya's voice was light, but both of them knew she was trying to hide something.
"It does not always take a long time to love, Alaya. In some cases, one can fall in love in only a few heartbeats. I know of one who did, but the one he loved feared him too much. He left after a time to prove himself."
"You're speaking in riddles again, old one." Her tone sharpened, because the Prophet had struck a nerve that was quite tender yet.
"Then I shall speak plainer. Corin loves you, and you love him, but you fear something and so rejected him. Now he has gone to prove he loves you, by leaving you alone as you asked. You are pining for him, but refuse to admit it."
"You hit near the mark, Thaddeus, but not in the center. I don't doubt his heart, but mine. If I were to love him, it would hurt too much to lose him, and my duties would never allow it. In any case, it's too late now; he's gone, and I cannot get him back. I must wait for his return, and hope he still cares enough for me. Yet whether he does or not, I cannot be bound to him or to any man." Alaya felt it her duty to guard her younger brother, and wrongly felt that to do so meant she must give up her own wishes. She knew her duty, but Thaddeus felt that more often than not misinterpreted what needed to be done.
She was still speaking when a doctor rushed in, a frantic look on his face.
"Alaya, Thaddeus, come quickly. We need your help."
Both of them rushed after the doctor to a medical laboratory, where several doctors were trying to restrain a struggling soldier. The soldier's face was covered in a strange mucus, and there was an infection form attempting to insert itself into the soldier's neck; by the looks of things, it had been there for some time. Alaya seized a scalpel and threw it dead-on: it hit the infection form and exploded it into feathery pieces. The soldier was finally sedated, and Alaya recognized the face, ravaged though it was.
"Marin!"
She rushed to the side of the bed and began to look him over; it was even more evident that the infection form had been attached for a long time, and the process of mutation had already begun by the time she'd arrived. She looked at the other soldiers standing around.
"What happened? Tell me exactly what happened!"
One of the soldiers spoke up, his voice hesitant: "We'd pulled out of a planet that had been overrun by the Flood, and jumped for Halo as soon as we'd cleared the atmosphere. We were checking the compartments for Flood when it jumped at the captain. Marin got in its way, and we couldn't get it off him without risking killing him. The captain ordered us to sedate him until we could get here. None of us dared to try and kill it."
"It would have been better if you'd tried to kill it directly," Alaya tried to soften her tone; the poor soldiers had already been through hell and worse. "Maybe there was no real harm done, but we can't be sure. We'll have to wait and watch. Give me a weapon, and then find the High Council. They must be told immediately. Clear the room and seal it behind you--don't let anyone else in here, no matter what."
When Thaddeus and the soldiers had left, Alaya kept a close eye on what had once been her brother. She knew somehow that the mutation was too far gone to be reversed, but she still hoped that she was wrong. Putting aside the weapon she had been left with, Alaya began to operate on Marin, in an attempt to try and reverse the process of mutation. She strapped him down and carefully cut open the chest, stopping when she saw what resided within. Her voice trembled as she relayed her findings to those observing her and the mutated Marin in the laboratory.
"There's a Flood infection form within his body, or at least a portion of an infection form. The mutation process is too far along; I can't reverse it, even if I knew where to begin."
The creature that had once been her brother Marin came awake suddenly, thrashing about violently in an attempt to break free. Alaya moved closer to the struggling form, hoping against all things to still find some part of her brother Marin within the grotesque Flood form before her.
"Marin?" Alaya spoke softly, hoping to try and connect with her brother. The creature snapped its head in her direction, and made a number of inarticulate noises. For a brief moment, Alaya was sure she saw the Flood mouth the words Alaya, please kill me, but the moment passed, leaving behind a snarling, degenerate creature.
"Alaya, he is not your brother anymore."
Before Thaddeus could continue speaking over the intercom, the Flood combat form that had once been Marin broke free and leaped at her. Alaya pushed herself out of the way, dodging the thing's flailing limbs as she made her way to the intercom.
"Seal the lab!" she shouted, and the doors shut and locked. She was trapped with the Flood, and her chances of survival were slender. Constantly running away, she ran back to the weapon she had discarded and grabbed it, prepared to fire on her own brother.
Corin and the other soldiers in Marin's platoon watched helplessly as Alaya began to fire at the Flood combat form, missing as the thing jumped at her and forced her to dodge.
"This is insane! She'll be killed!" one of the younger soldiers shouted.
"Maybe not." Corin nodded as Alaya lost her grip on the weapon and turned to take the Flood form head-on. Strike, block, counter, all the self-defense and hand-to-hand combat techniques the soldiers were taught were being used by the young scientist. He knew, however, that Alaya would only prolong the inevitable; with the High Council behind him, he went down to the laboratory to render assistance.
Alaya dodged a strike from the creature and lost her grip on the weapon she'd been left with; she was now trying to fight for her life, alone and unarmed. Calling to mind the lessons her father had taught her on close combat, she tried to block the Flood's attacks. A brief misstep on her part caused her to be hit by the thing's disgusting semi-mutation of an arm, which sent her flying against a wall. As the Flood leapt at her, Alaya slipped out of the way and lunged for the weapon lying on the ground. She managed to get a grip on it just before the thing attacked; dodging again, she stumbled and the creature lunged, aiming for her throat. She raised her arm to deflect the attack and the Flood sank its jaws into her arm, biting deeply into unprotected flesh. She cried out in pain and whacked its head with the weapon she was holding; it staggered back and she shot it several times in the chest, watching it collapse.
"Alaya, are you all right?"
"Don't worry about me, old one. Are you well, after watching that?"
"I am fine, but you are hurt. Look out!"
When Alaya had turned her back, the Flood had gotten up and leaped at her; a round of weapons fire exploded the creature's torso outward in chunks of wet flesh. Corin stood in the doorway, with his soldiers and the High Council behind him, a fire burning in his dark eyes. As he swept the room for other Flood, more from habit than anything else, he noticed Alaya in a heap on the floor, and Alaya's bleeding arm and battered figure: her clothes were torn and bloody, and her hair had come loose and was hanging limply around her head. What caught his attention most was her face: there was nothing but bleak despair in her eyes as she tried to go to the body of what had once been her brother Marin, putting her hand on its arm as if in apology, her blood mingling with that of the Flood. Disregarding all protocols and ignoring the shocked looks of his unit, he went to her; she didn't even protest as he wrapped her in his arms.
"What happened? Alaya?"
"I failed. Marin is dead because of me. I killed him." Her head began to spin, and she passed out from grief and loss of blood, no longer conscious of the council asking questions or of Corin's arms tightening around her limp frame.
Alaya woke two hours later, her arm bandaged and her head swimming. What happened? The last thing I remember was being called to the medical bays and… oh Marin! Full memory came flooding back in a rush, and she wept to realize the full magnitude of her failure. She barely even noticed the door opening, but when she felt a pair of strong arms around her she turned and pressed her face into Corin's chest. He didn't even protest as she cried against him, knowing just how she felt: Marin had been his closest friend as well as his second-in-command. Alaya wept for five minutes before realizing her situation.
"Captain! Forgive me! I didn't realize--"
"There's nothing to forgive, Alaya. He was my friend as well as your brother." Corin didn't trust himself to say more, but he didn't need to; Alaya clung to him, afraid to let go. Please, don't let me lose him, too.
"I failed him, Corin. I let him die. If I had been quicker getting there, maybe I could have saved him." Her tears flowed even harder as she choked out the words.
"The failure was mine, I should have thought to kill the Flood sooner. You didn't fail in your duty, you did the best you could. Your father would be proud of you."
Alaya couldn't bear to think of it. Her grief and guilt were too great for anyone to assuage. Oh, Marin, forgive me. I failed you. Corin seemed to guess what she was thinking. Besides, he had another duty to perform.
"Alaya, Marin asked me to pass on a message, before the Flood took over entirely. He said, 'Tell my sister not to feel guilty over this. She kept her promise better than I kept mine.' He made me swear I'd tell you that."
"And how do I know you're not just telling me what I want to hear?"
"Any of the other soldiers will tell you the same thing. They just won't keep the other half of the promise as well as I will. Marin asked me to take care of you for him. He must have known I'd do it anyway, but he made me promise before we lost him altogether."
"Your promise was in vain. I can care for myself, long enough to do what needs to be done."
"So you plan to take revenge on the Flood?" Her head shot up at this. "Thaddeus guessed this might happen, if Marin died. He feared all along that you'd seek revenge, and it seems he was right."
"Marin was all I had left!" She was shouting in her despair, having extricated herself from his embrace, blind to the truth that lay in front of her. "Without him, what reason do I have to survive? What's left in this entire galaxy for me? All that remains is revenge!" Her grief was blinding her, and she furiously blinked back tears, trying to keep her distance from Corin, the one person she wanted to be with most, but feared to be with because she could so easily lose him.
Corin grabbed her by her uninjured arm and swung her in front of him; his dark eyes were blazing with a fire that Alaya had never seen before. Alaya opened her mouth to speak, but couldn't get the words out: Corin kissed her hard and passionately, taking her by surprise, leaving her breathless. When he stopped and spoke to her again, his voice was dark with passion and emotion.
"I tried to tell you before, but you refused to listen, for whatever reason. I'm telling you again, I love you. I began to respect you when you saved our lives the first time, and over time that grew into something unexpected. No matter what you say, I love you, and I know you feel something for me, no matter how you try to deny it. And yet you say there's nothing left for you but revenge?" He tenderly brushed a strand of dark hair out of her eyes. "Do you truly feel nothing for me, Alaya? Or are you afraid to lose me like you lost Marin?"
"I do love you, Corin, but I cannot have you. I'm a scientist, you're a soldier, and that's something that can never be changed. As long as this war is continuing, we can never be together, and I'll always be afraid of losing you." Her voice broke, and tears began to run down her face.
"Is it not better to love and lose, than to not have anything at all?" Corin's words sank deeply, and Alaya didn't need to answer. She clung to him again, her embrace saying everything she couldn't. Corin kissed her again, gently this time, holding her quietly in his arms, offering freely the comfort she had been afraid to take before. Alaya rested her head against his throat, her eyes closed, feeling his warmth penetrating her clothing and her skin. Corin gently raised her face to his, looking deeply in her eyes.
"If only the timing had been better, my love, I would bind myself to you in a heartbeat. But we must wait until Marin is laid to rest."
"I would have insisted on it, Corin. Marin was my life for many years, and he was the only family I had. I couldn't abandon him now."
"I'm sure he would wish you to be happy, Alaya. Otherwise, he wouldn't have made me promise to take care of you."
They stayed that way for some time, neither caring about anything but their own grief and sudden joy, finding comfort in each other. The only one who saw them together was Thaddeus, who guessed at once what had happened, and left the two lovers be.
The memorial service was held that night, with the setting of the sun behind Threshold. Alaya made her way back to her quarters, stumbling with grief and weariness. Many people had turned out to pay tribute to a fallen warrior, and had been surprised to discover he had had a sister; she had been lavished with false sympathies and transparent kindnesses, mostly from people who wanted the attention, since she was not as well known as Marin had been. By the time she entered, she wanted nothing more than to rest. However, when she turned on the lights, she was surprised to find Corin sitting in her quarters waiting for her.
"Corin, what are you doing here?"
"I didn't think you'd want to be alone. Besides, we both need some comfort tonight." He wrapped his arms around her, and she no longer protested as he held her close and kissed her. All weariness vanished in an instant with his kisses, and she relaxed into his embrace. He swung her into his arms and carried her into her bedroom.
"What will they say when they find out?"
"Alaya, my love, I doubt anyone will say anything, since no one even knows I'm here. Besides, I intend to have you as my bride soon enough, so it doesn't matter." He smiled kindly at her as he laid her down in the bed and settled himself down beside her. Alaya pressed her body next to his, feeling his warm embrace and welcoming it for the first time with open arms. He kissed her softly, tenderly, comforting her even as he held her in his arms. Having spent countless passionate nights with willing women, Corin was surprised at how easily he could give this kind of comfort, the exact opposite of what he knew. He knew there would probably be some awkward questions to answer later, but all that mattered was the woman beside him, a woman he now knew he couldn't bear to live without.
Neither one of them got much sleep that night. They found comfort in each other's arms, and took full measure of their time together.
&&
The memory vanished in an instant, and Laura pulled off the headset, her hands trembling from what she'd seen. In a short time, she had learned much about the Flood, the Forerunners, and the technology they had left behind. The information about the Flood mutation techniques was familiar; Laura recalled seeing it during one of her hacks into ONI's database, and obviously the Forerunners knew about it as well. If the Forerunners knew how the Flood mutated their hosts, why couldn't they counter it? She banished the thought for later consideration, but almost immediately a new one surfaced. I wonder if other humans have memories like mine. The only way to find out would be to use this on other humans, which ONI would never allow, the shortsighted scumbags. Things were so much clearer now, but there were some things that weren't. In another life, I loved him and he loved me. Is that why I love him now, and why I continue to hope? Or do I love him for my own reasons, not from a subconscious desire? Her muddled thoughts were interrupted when the Master Chief entered the room. He didn't have his helmet on, and Laura noticed the scowl on his face. So handsome, even though he's pissed off, she smiled inwardly, careful not to let her feelings show. I wonder how he'd look if he smiled, probably irresistible.
"Cortana told me I'd find you here. You know it's dangerous to wander off like that, the ship isn't secure yet."
"I'll take my chances. Even with my head as muddled as it is, I could still take on an Elite." She held out the device. "Care to try it out?"
The Master Chief put on the headset, and Laura adjusted the sizing to fit; he felt a thrill run down his spine as her fingers brushed against his temple. The next thing he knew, the room faded out.
&&
Corin walked down the hallways of the residence, looking for a certain set of living quarters, and found a door that matched Marin's description. He knocked twice, and the door opened to reveal a slightly surprised Alaya. Clearly she wasn't expecting any visitors: her hair hadn't been pulled back in its usual braid and was drifting carelessly around her face, and her clothes were wrinkled and showed a decent amount of wear. She looked nothing like a scientist at the moment: in fact, she looked highly attractive in something other than a pristine lab coat.
"Captain Corin, I wasn't expecting you! Please, come in. I expect you're worried about my brother."
"Actually, I came by to thank you for your work. Without your efforts, all my surviving men would have died." He sat down in a comfortable chair and watched as Alaya poured herself a steaming drink; the odor was surprisingly and soothingly pleasant, and Corin remembered Marin saying that his sister used herbal teas and extracts to help her think.
"Would you care for something to drink? I doubt you'd want this, but I have other things."
"No, actually, I'm all right."
"I spoke with the doctors earlier this morning; according to them, Marin and the others will be out of action for a few more weeks yet. It was touch and go with some of them yesterday, but the Flood genome appears to be working with no ill effects."
"That's very good to hear. I think we all needed a bit of rest anyway."
As Alaya took her now-empty cup to the dining area, Corin looked around at the living quarters: in pride of place on one wall was a holographic picture of Alaya and her family. He saw the resemblance to General Petrarch, but also noticed that Alaya took after the woman in the picture a lot more; he recognized the woman as Fara, whose medical breakthroughs were known everywhere (even amongst the military), but whose kindly nature had eventually destroyed her after she'd contracted a deadly disease. Slightly to the picture's left was an ornately decorated stand, holding a small, harp-like musical instrument. Of course, for festivals and high days she always dances with the minstrels, he thought as he recalled a recent festival; he smiled to recall the way her fingers had caressed the strings as her lithe form (clad in a simple, flowing green gown) moved gracefully in the dance, and suddenly wished he could feel that same delicate touch on his body. Turning his eyes to another area, in an attempt to take his mind off things that couldn't be, he saw a pair of sparring blades on a table.
"You're trained in hand-to-hand combat?"
"My father thought it was a good idea for us to learn to defend ourselves. I actually find it quite useful to keep in shape and help alleviate stress. Perhaps you've noticed a number of young privates using the sparring rooms lately?" When he nodded, she smiled slyly. "I've been using a holographic generator to change my appearance. Marin seems convinced that the other soldiers wouldn't take kindly to seeing a scientist around all the time, so I found a way to satisfy us both."
"Perhaps." Corin picked up one of the sparring blades, a blunted knife that was good for practice but useless to cut anything. "Care to try me?"
Alaya moved surprisingly quickly, managing to catch him off guard and knock the blade out of his hands. Not bad, for a scientist, Corin thought. He blocked, counter-blocked, and lunged, Alaya matching his every maneuver. Her lithe form slipped behind him, and he turned and managed to pin her to the wall. His arms were on either side, effectively blocking her escape, but she seemed too stunned to even try. Neither of them moved for several minutes, and Corin sensed an undercurrent of emotion in the room.
Alaya finally spoke up. "Well, this is unusual." Her voice was breathless, and her dark eyes were wide. A stream of light from the now 'setting' sun came through the window and caught one side of her face, and Corin saw her eye color change from deep brown to golden brown; her hair also changed from plain brown to red-gold. She's so beautiful, why didn't I notice it before? He tried to move away but something held him in place.
"Perhaps I should go."
"Did I offend you, Captain?" Her voice was suddenly husky and mysterious, a low melody that enchanted him. There was a slight amount of fear in her eyes, but behind it there seemed to be a hint of desire.
"No, you're faster than I expected. You'd make a fine soldier. But we are in an awkward position, if you didn't notice."
"I did, actually. It would have been easy for me to escape, but I can't move for some reason."
"Same here." Corin tried again to move away, but couldn't. A strange look came into Alaya's deep eyes, something he'd seen in other women but never touched him as deeply as it did now in her, something that caused him to move even closer. She didn't protest as his lips settled on hers.
The shock of the kiss caused them both to pull away, and the look of regret in Alaya's eyes mirrored exactly what Corin felt.
"Forgive me, I didn't intend--"
"Captain, remember I could have stopped you easily. I am just as guilty as you."
The low melody in her voice seemed to decide something for Corin, and he came closer to her. For one brief moment he thought he saw again a shadow of fear in Alaya's dark eyes, but the feeling passed as she stepped away from the wall and closer to him. He saw her mouth open slightly and lowered his head, capturing her mouth with his, kissing her deeply. She didn't back away, but pressed her body against his, not protesting as he wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly, neither of them noticing when Corin pressed her back against the wall as he kissed her. Suddenly Corin was only dimly aware of his surroundings, but he was sharply conscious of Alaya's body pressing against his, her breasts flat against him, her arms around his neck as she tangled her fingers in his hair. They both felt something new and unusual, something that thrilled them and scared them all at once. When they pulled away, Corin saw a troubled look in her eyes.
"Perhaps you should go, before we both make a mistake."
"Alaya, I--"
"Don't say anything, Corin. I'm as much to blame as you, but this should stop before it gets worse. Please, just go."
Corin didn't argue, but left quickly. What is she afraid of? What fear keeps her away from me, when she feels what I feel? He couldn't come up with an answer to that question, anymore than he could understand why she inspired feelings in him that he'd never felt with any other woman. All he knew for sure was the feeling of intimacy, the barely leashed passion there had been between them, even in those brief moments. So, there is a fire beneath the ice after all. Perhaps I will be the one to fan the flames. He hoped it would be true, and wondered why he did.
&&
The Master Chief yanked the headset off as soon as the memory went dark. What in the hell—He looked over at Laura and saw an understanding look on her face.
"It's a bit disorienting, but highly informative. I've learned more about the Flood in a few days than I could find in three weeks' worth of hacking into ONI's database. Unfortunately, for every question answered there're several new ones that pop up. Plus, there's no way of knowing what memories will appear, and no way to control it, at least that I've found." She looked at him intently, and her look grew noticeably troubled. "What exactly did you see?"
"Nothing to do with the Flood, or Forerunner technology. There was very little useful information in that memory."
"I think I know something of what you saw. I've seen a lot of that as well, but it's all been connected to the Flood in some way. Alaya discovered a Flood genome, which she used to save her brother's life and the lives of several Forerunner soldiers. It was at that point—hell, I doubt you'd understand even if I could explain it. At one point, she risked everything to save her brother's platoon from the Flood when they'd been abandoned by their high command, and spent six months in isolation as punishment because she had the guts to save lives." She spoke more quietly now, and the Chief could barely hear the words. "Maybe that's when he began to care about her, when she risked everything for her brother's sake. It reminded him of a soldier's duty to do the right thing."
"You mean Corin?" Her head whipped up in surprise.
"That's what you saw? You saw them together?"
"Not exactly. He came to her quarters and sparred with her."
A vacant expression drifted over Laura's face. "I remember, somehow. I didn't see it before, when I had the headset on, but somehow I remember as though I were still wearing it. The thing must have unlocked a few subconscious memories. He kissed her…"
She stopped abruptly, remembering that she wasn't alone in the room. An embarrassed look covered her face, and she looked down at her boots. He'd never seen her look so disconcerted before.
"Laura, are you alright?"
"Fine, just a little shocked. This is going to take some getting used to, trying to sort out my memories from Alaya's. And not just the ones about the Flood, either."
"What do you mean?" The Chief's question brought her head back up, and she stared at him intently.
"I think you know exactly what I mean. I just found out I have memories of someone else in my head, memories you happen to share to an extent, of a couple that could easily be mistaken for us. One can only wonder how long it would be before I forget I'm me and not this Alaya."
John finally realized what she was trying to say. She's worried about losing control of her mind, and she thinks she's mistaken her own feelings about me for someone else's. He decided to tell her why he'd come looking for her in the first place.
"Laura, I--"
"Don't say anything. I know you know what I feel, Cortana told me about my error. I don't expect anything from you, because I know you feel nothing for me. There's really nothing to say." She turned and walked away, leaving the Chief in surprised silence. For a moment, he felt as if it really had been Corin and Alaya instead of him and Laura. All of a sudden, he remembered something, something Corin had found ironically amusing when he'd first met Alaya. The thought echoed in his memory, dripping with scorn that would later be recanted as he grew to love her.
"Alaya, is that really her name? Who in their right minds would name their child 'Beloved'?"