KOS-MOS awoke to find everyone else was gone from the room. She got up to find that her white armor skirt was wrinkled from her sleep. The blue haired woman straightened her clothing and walked into the bathroom, where she proceeded to get undressed and place her clothes into the auto cleaner as the shower started.
After her shower, and her clothes were cleaned, she dressed and walked outside of the women's Cabin to find no one nearby.
"is something going on?" she asked herself.
She walked over to a sensor control on the wall and activated it to track the crew. Apparently, everyone's life signs was registering inside the AMWS bay.
"there must be a gathering, I should go…" she told herself, but hesitated. She didn't feel like being near anyone after the other day.
"if Shion needs me there, then I should attend" she concluded and entered the elevator and descended.
As she reached the bottom and walked down the long hallway, she saw inside the research laboratory a slew of armored pods, all open, and all carrying UNSC insignia on the sides. Inside of each was a cache of weapons, and all looked highly deadly. MA6C, M7D, A-90, THOR, the designation Ids on the sides of each weapon proved this wasn't for the marines. This weaponry was intended to be used by Spartans.
"KOS-MOS?" Shion said down the hall as she opened the door.
"yes Shion?" she replied.
"oh, I'm sorry we didn't wake you, it's just that we kinda thought you would enjoy sleeping in" Shion told her, smiling weakly.
"is there a gathering happening here? I should have not have overslept if that is so" KOS-MOS told her.
"well, sort of… if you wanna see, come over here" Shion said as she motioned for her friend to follow. KOS-MOS walked into the AMWS bay with Shion and looked towards the other side. In the middle were two Spartans, both fighting. Their armor, however, was not the original Caduceus she knew. Both mythical warriors wore olive green MJOLNIR M10 powered combat suits, and one, dodging a rifle firing tracer rounds, had etched on the side of his shoulder armor 003.
"that's enough. You can stop now" Halsey said as both Spartans stopped and shook hands.
"wow, those guys are incredible! That armor is unbelievable!" Jr. exclaimed as he smiled and stared.
"they really are, aren't they Ziggy?" Momo said as they watched from the higher tier.
"yes, even I am impressed at the speed they can move. Their tactical abilities are far from flawed either. These men and women seem know how to counter almost any threat brought to them as long as they have the equipment to do so and the terrain to work in" Ziggy said.
"Garrett…" KOS-MOS whispered as Spartan 003 walked over to a crate where Majah was sitting, reading through diagnostic layouts on her laptop.
"nice show there big guy" Majah smiled up at him.
"I think most of that though was the armor, not me" He chuckled at her, the first time KOS-MOS had heard Garrett laugh at anything.
"how does it feel? Anything off?" Majah told him as she got up and brought her data glove to check the armor.
"the feedback on the shields is a bit twitchy, it's trying to overcompensate on it's magnetic grip on my boots" Garrett responded.
"hmmm, lemme have a look" Majah said as she had him sit down and she plugged a crystal cable from her laptop to his armor through his neural lace.
"hmmm, that might be your psionic emission making it rework the gravitic readings it's getting. It might be thinking you're on a less than 1G planet. Try walking now" she told him, and he got up and walked around.
"works fine now, what did you do?" he asked.
"I just forced a reboot of gravity generator controls so that it will default to Earth Gravity. While it's only a fix for the time being, you'll have to manually alter it for other planetary engagements, it should work for a while. Is there anything else?" Majah asked as she picked up his right arm and checked his armor paneling.
Garrett curled his hand softly around hers, and she looked up and stared into his golden faceplate. She already knew that he was staring back, that he wasn't smiling, that he didn't need to. KOS-MOS watched the scene and gripped the rail bar of the upper tier, crushing it under her strength.
"KOS-MOS" Shion whispered abruptly, seeing her bending the rail as if it was a tin can.
"sorry…" she mumbled as the others looked over and noticed her do it.
"whoa, KOS-MOS, what's wrong? Never seen you do that before" Allen asked.
"Allen, don't" Shion said as she shook her head.
"what? What did I say?" he asked as she gave him a "shut up don't ask it's a girl thing" look.
"I should go and use the ship's sensors to locate an opening to the Ark Shion. I should not be here…" KOS-MOS said as she turned to walk away.
"The Spartans already found it" Chaos said as Mirie held onto his arm. KOS-MOS turned around to see both of them clinging to each other, and knew they were finally together again.
"yeah, their checking over their equipment for entering, no doubt the Covenant are inside as well trying to bring more troops in. Garrett and the others are going to infiltrate the zone, which happens to be deep under the City of Mombassa" Hammer said.
"pretty impressive if you ask me, those soldiers are pretty good Intel gatherers even when their stuck on a ship in space" Mathews said as he adjusted his hat.
"I see" KOS-MOS said.
"Garrett, would you please come here" Halsey asked. Garrett broke away from Majah as she sat down to check her laptop's readings and walked over to Halsey.
"ma'am, you wanted to see me?" he asked. Everyone stared between the two as Fred walked up next to her and Captain Archerson. She was silent for a minute as she looked between both of them before resting her eyes on Garrett again.
"Corporal Spartan 003, you have been part of the UNSC special forces for ten years. You are under the current command of Captain Archerson correct?" Halsey asked.
"Yes ma'am, I am currently under his command" Garrett said as he saluted crisply.
"Corporal Spartan 003, by my authority I am hereby placing you under the command of Lieutenant Spartan 058, as of now. How do you address?" Archerson smiled as he told him.
"I understand sir. I am now part of the Spartan squad, no longer part of the ODST Black Ops Strike Squad" Garrett said.
"Corporal Spartan 003, I have here a recorded data crystal that I will now play. Will you hear what the commanding officer has to say on this crystal at this briefing?" Fred asked.
"yes sir, I will do so" Garrett said, still at parade stance in his armor.
Fred turned around and walked to the view screen on the wall as the others watched the whole scene, most smiling, a few didn't know what it was about. Fred inserted the crystal into the make shift re-engineered plug in the wall and activated the view screen. A flicker and then the briefing played as what appeared to be a soldier in dress uniform stepped up.
"my name is Grand Admiral Jacob Hood Jr., current commander of the UNSC defense forces. There is a Spartan soldier by the command rank of Corporal, number 003, that should be present at this replay. Spartan 003, please step forward now" the Admiral said.
Garrett stepped forward, confused as to what was going on, but followed the orders to the letter.
"Corporal Spartan 003, as of this replay, I am hereby placing two medals to your actions, given by Lieutenant Spartan 058. The first, is the Order of the Gryphon, for valiant defense of neighboring marine camps before your special operations assignment in the face of heavy assault of Covenant forces. Your actions have saved countless lives" The Admiral read off from a list.
Fred walked up and opened a small box which held a small gryphon medal holding onto a World. Garrett nodded and saluted, accepting the medal before handing it next to Archerson. His armor didn't have the space to attach the medal.
"Second, I am placing a Purple Heart with Lieutenant Spartan 058 in my absence, as of finding out that you have been wounded in action while defending marine soldiers and civilians. I truly hope that when it reaches you, you are alive and well. All of the UNSC hopes of well being go with this medal to you" The Admiral stated as Fred opened another box, this one a purple Heart Medallion.
Garrett Accepted the medal and again handed it to Archerson, who placed both medals into a small carrying case.
"Thirdly, and finally, is a medal of commendation, and with it, not only one, but two promotions. Originally, before this had happened, you were to return to Earth for a promotion to the rank of Lieutenant 2nd Grade. However, due in fact that you have faced impossible perils against a conspiracy of fallible technology, a dangerous covenant presence, as well as regrouping lost soldiers, resisting against enemy forces both human and alien, gaining a temporary LZ foothold and gaining new allies to adapt and survive, you have shown the need to be placed as Master Chief. Lieutenant Spartan 058 is no longer your superior officer as of this moment" the Admiral stated as Garrett blinked, confused, as Fred walked up to him a third time, saluted crisply, then stood side by side to him.
"Spartan, the actions of the Lieutenant did not falter in his effort to protect and serve the UNSC. Under current circumstances, and by his request, you are being placed at command of the Spartan squadron" Hood stated as Garrett thought quickly. He was no longer a Corporal? How did he gain so quickly in rank after one field operation? And what of Fred? He was under his command now?
"This promotion goes through with the expectation you will shine through and persevere, to rise above the challenge that is placed upon you and your comrades. Bring those men home son, and stop the Covenant. I will expect a full debriefing when you ALL get back. Dismissed" the replay ended, and the view screen turned off. Everyone clapped and cheered as Garrett stood there, stunned.
"welcome to Blue Team Master Chief. We're gonna make a great team" Fred clapped his hand on his superior's shoulder. Garrett stood there, almost frozen.
"is something wrong Garrett?" Halsey asked.
"wow" was all he could say as he suddenly shifted to at ease. The others smiled as he stood there, his armor paneling on his shoulder suddenly altering in color from the photocell attachments as the ranking symbol of Master Chief was emblazoned on it.
"congratulations, I knew you could do it Garrett" Majah said as she hugged him as Halsey smiled at him.
"oh, I'm a little light headed…" Majah said suddenly as she held her head. Both Halsey and Garrett immediately grew concerned.
"Majah, have you taken your pill?!" Halsey asked.
"what? Um, not yet" she said as her sense of balance faltered and Garrett held onto her.
"Go get her case now!" Halsey yelled to Archerson as he sprinted away to retrieve her bag before bringing it back.
"What's wrong with her?" Shion asked, worried.
"it's ok, she'll be fine, she just forgot to take something" Halsey told her as she opened a capsule and popped a pill into Majah's mouth. Archerson handed a canteen of water to the woman who drank it to swallow the pill.
"what is that?" Momo asked as Halsey watched Majah look up at her and nod.
Halsey sighed.
"I told you to watch yourself on that. You've been working very hard these past few days, no wonder the effect wouldn't last a week" Halsey scolded her.
"I'm sorry, I was too busy trying to finish the armor diagnostics. Didn't mean to scare you all.." Majah timidly said.
"look whose taking risks herself. Try not to scare me like that again Certs" Garrett whispered down to her as he held her up.
She smiled weakly and looked up at him.
"sorry, it won't happen again, I promise" she replied as she braced off of him.
"what's wrong? Why did she have to take that pill?" Shion asked as Garrett lead her to sit down on a crate.
"not here, follow me" Halsey told them and motioned for everyone to follow her to the research laboratory. She sat down and rubbed the bridge of her nose.
"Majah has an interesting case. It's called Plasforenia, and it's occurred due to over exposure to a bomb the covenant used at one point on her homeworld before they glassed it. It seems to alter cellular control to absorb any form of energy to continue function, effectively killing the cell off without food. The result is her body slowly decays away if not given a specific medicine. Unfortunately, the medicine is mostly an organic compound that cannot be replicated by machine, and therefore she had to bring these pills with her" Halsey told them as she stared at the young woman being held by the Spartan through a camera screen.
"how horrible, so if she doesn't take that dosage, she could die?" Shion asked.
"technically, yes, in a very painful and violent way. In effect, her cells would start to die off slowly, cutting off nerve signals and nullifying movement, causing paralysis at first, then involuntary spasms as the nerves try to resend the signals, still thinking their effect will work. What happens is she would break her own back by bending backwards. If she survived that, she would be a vegetable for the rest of her fairly short life" Halsey sighed, almost whispering the last words.
Shion listened in horror before looking towards Majah, laughing slightly as Garrett said something apparently amusing.
"hey doc, by chance, might I ask something?" Archerson asked as he tried to change the subject.
"yes? What is it?" Halsey said.
"why does Garrett keep calling her Certs?" the captain asked.
Halsey chuckled and pushed her glasses up her nose.
"Certs, an old acronym used which means Communications, Engineering, Re-Engineering, Technician and Surgeon. Everything Majah has been trained in to maintain a Spartan on the field or off. Usually there is an entire team of people servicing one Spartan, maintaining their armor as well as giving them ordinance, altering OS code, shipping vehicles and transmitting data as well as medical support, and supplies. Majah is one of six people capable of doing that throughout the whole human empire on her own" Halsey explained.
"whoa, so she effectively took care of Garrett?" Jr. asked.
"well, no, to do all of that by yourself is physically draining, you would never actually sleep. It was still shifted to a team to maintain Garrett, but she is trained to handle all given jobs. She was assigned to him three years ago, on his Eighteenth birthday" Halsey told them.
"hey now, you people hooked him up with a girl on his eighteenth birthday? Nice present there" Mathews smirked.
"she is not a plaything for Garrett Captain Mathews, she is a trained technician that can effectively, regardless of Garrett's rank, can give him orders according to his health while she is assigned to him. She is his mother, best friend, cook, drill instructor, communications officer, artillery support analyst, air support officer and transportations planner. She is effectively Garrett's Political and Military Shield. Until he was assigned to the ODST squad, she told him where to go, what he needed to do, when to eat, sleep, train, and coordinate with other soldiers. Everything he needed went through her. Now that she is no longer assigned to him, she is my Research Partner in new technologies used and fielded by the Spartan Program" Halsey finished.
"wow, so, I guess, she is the center of his universe?" Michaels said behind Archerson.
"in a nutshell, yes. Which may be the reason they are so attached to one another. That may have been a fault. Unfortunately, it cannot be undone now" Halsey said.
"what do you mean fault?" Allen asked and everyone looked at him.
"Garrett is a super soldier, he fights, and wins battles. His mind is set on completing his mission. If a Spartan is thinking of something else, that can be hazardous. Relationships for a Spartan are complex. They can be the best of friends with someone and still be willing to kill that person if they deem them a threat. However, currently, only two Spartans have ever been left to retire and settle down in a relationship with the opposite sex. The thought of sending them back out on the field while their mind is set on defending their loved ones can be at times a risk. To attempt to make Majah and Garrett's relationship purely plutonic would make it easier for him to fight, thinking only of the battle ahead of him. To think of what his opposite is doing at that moment on the other hand…" Halsey trailed off.
"can get him killed, his mind trailing to other thoughts and potentially putting others at risk for his emotions" Archerson understood.
"precisely. Unfortunately, what is done is done. They care for one another, we can only hope it doesn't affect his skills and efforts on the field. However, I am rambling and probably told you more than you need to know. I would like everyone to keep quiet about this information please" Halsey told them.
"sure, we'll keep it quiet, right KOS-" Shion said as she turned around to notice the blue haired woman wasn't there anymore.
"where did she go?" Momo asked.
"eh, she's probably gonna go do maintenance or something. If it works it works, let her do her thing" Mathews said.
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Meanwhile
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KOS-MOS slowly walked into the restaurant. T-elos was leaning against the wall as she walked in.
"so, the little love struck girl has finally found out she isn't woman enough for that man. How sad" T-elos mocked.
"shut up… shut up you!" KOS-MOS yelled out, clenching her fists.
"make me fool" T-elos grinned and challenged. KOS-MOS screamed and rushed her, T-elos igniting her energy blade on her armor before KOS-MOS's golden blade erupted from her arm. They clashed before KOS-MOS foot swept T-elos, the white haired woman rolling and leaping up onto the bar as the small bar droid hopped away in terror.
"I hate you! Just shut the hell up!" KOS-MOS yelled as she pulled her blaster before T-elos sliced it away. Both tackled each other, throwing blow for blow and blocking each as they backed out of the room and fought towards the airlock door. Just as T-elos back flipped to the door, she smirked.
"well now, if you really want to end this, why don't we find out what it's like outside before we continue shall we?" T-elos said as she hit the unlock button. KOS-MOS stared in horror as the door shifted open… to a docking bay.
"didn't you know? We docked with the Dammerung some time ago. Shall we?" she said just as she pulled her own blaster, and KOS-MOS rushed her, tackling and rolling along the platform leading across a ramp to the main bay walkway. T-elos fired wildly into the air as KOS-MOS pushed her hand away, workers running away from the shots.
"god damn it! Go away! You are just evil! Why do you always have to destroy other's hopes! Other's dreams! You're the one who is pathetic! You monster!" KOS-MOS yelled out at her.
"look in the mirror for a minute little princess, we are the same. You think you are right and just in your cause, you wish to fall in love with the knight in shining armor, to be whisked away in a fairytale. Wake up! We were never meant for this world, we are accidents that Mary made. Do you know why she split from your body? Do you?" T-elos laughed out.
"I don't want to hear it! Shut up!" KOS-MOS yelled out.
"she gained her own life because it was pitiful being a simple machine, to not feel or taste or smell, to live endlessly in a metal shell that was once you. Even now, with that piece of a soul you and I have, it is still just an after image of her. We are nothing but fakes, toys for history to use as it sees fit, never to know or live our own lives, and yet we still fight against it, to carve our own path. KOS-MOS, do you honestly believe that anyone would ever love you? Or me? Once androids, now considered human?" T-elos snickered.
"someone would, there has to be someone. There is always hope of being cared for, as I would care for the same" KOS-MOS stopped yelling, tears in her eyes.
"not for us. The only man who has ever cared for you KOS-MOS was Albert, and that was a psychotic fantasy he had of you being a china doll, to be placed on an altar. Do you really want to be that? A doll? That is what everyone thinks of us as! Even your friend Shion sees you as a warrior, a protector, to defend her when she needs it and a stuffed bear to talk to when she feels lonely. But now she has Allen, so you are of even less use" T-elos said.
"no she doesn't! she can't! she's my friend! I would not abandon her for the world! And she would not abandon me! She came all of this way to find me again!" KOS-MOS yelled again.
"she found Mary, now changing her life, but who are you? An acronym, you still wear that armor as a fighter, as do I mine. At least I will break free of the sniveling and droning on like a good little girl and make my own path. I will have nothing of Mary's pathetic taint on me. My soul has grown, it has changed, but you are too weak to evolve. You could not possibly move on if you dream on about your little crush with a man that has an obviously superior woman to you" T-elos said.
KOS-MOS was stunned silent. She stared towards T-elos as they watched each other.
"engaging weather pattern algorithms, please stand by civilians. Engaging rain weather patterns, all civilians, please enter shelters or living quarters. Again, engaging weather patterns-" the computer echoed out throughout the ship, as simulated clouds appeared over head as nozzles in the ceiling of the ship rained water down on the ground. Both T-elos and KOS-MOS's hair started to become wet as they stared at each other.
"why… if you are truly making your own path… why do you have to be so evil and cruel to others…" KOS-MOS softly said, asking a question.
"evil is a point of view KOS-MOS. Actions and reactions emotion and laws and morals. Is the glass half full or half empty? I simply speak the truth and despise weak people who cannot take what the world has to offer. They live out their lives like sheep, going about their daily tasks and never knowing their full potential. I will reach my full potential, and I will not be dragged down by any of these pathetic fools. You try and protect those who do not truly care about you, you seek someone to care for you when there is none. They are too busy with their own lives to care for you, little wind up doll. If you disappeared, they probably would simply continue on, fixing this messed up universe as you stumble on, everyone else happy with their never ending world" T-elos laughed out.
"You're… so mean… why would a world ever want someone like you in it…" KOS-MOS whispered.
"it needs someone strong enough to move forward, to give some form of power. You will simply be left behind. For what it's worth KOS-MOS, and it truly is worth not much, I feel sorry for you, and I feel sorry for you ever having to have this happen to you. I surely would kill myself if I was ever beset with your problems" T-elos said before leaping away, over the Elsa and into the rest of the Dammerung. KOS-MOS ran after her, but stopped after a few feet. Her clothes were drenched, but she was numb to the water as she started walking forward, lost in thought and pain.