Alternate Reality

Chapter 15: "Next Move"

Location: Arctic Ocean: ONI facility

March 14th 22:15 GST 2553(or 3073)

Specter paced his cell's entire five square meter length. It didn't help that they had been captured but at least they had finished placing bugs in every conceivable spot of her office. His team had their armor confiscated and they were now wearing orange jumpsuits that were courtesy of their captors.

The man outside of his cell began again with a cough. "Let's try again." He sounded annoyed, exhausted, and as if he felt it were pointless for him to waste his time there. "Why are you here?"

"I can't tell you, I have no idea if you are safe from their influence." Specter replied, hoping to get the man interested.

"Who are they?" He asked with raised eyebrows.

"The Word of..." He paused. "No I can't trust you."

"Who can you trust, I am the only one you will talk to." The interrogator sighed. "If you don't reveal anything I'm sure your comrades will." He waved over a MP officer and whispered something in his ear. "I suppose that we will have to ask them directly."

He stood and brought his folding metal chair with him as he stepped ominously down the hall to another cell; Falcon's cell.

The interrogator's slithering voice seeped down to Specter's ears.

"Tell me, what were you trying to accomplish? Who are you working for?"

Specter had been pleased he had brought the clanner, now more than ever.

"Back off Freebirth!" She spat. "Stravag, you are lowest of the classes, the very lowest of the stepping stones."

"No need to be so... violent... we have not harmed you in any way have we?"

"Your presence offends me." She cursed.

Specter listened as the interrogator tried over and over to get Falcon to speak, but he might as well have spoken to a wall or statue which might have had some sort of inclination to appear to be listening. The man cursed, he trotted down to Beowulf's cell, but that far away the conversation was inaudible.

It seemed like hours before the man came fast-walking back to the exit of the brig with blood running down his nose, one of the MP's tried to help him but the ONI intelligence officer waved him away. A few more hours of timelessness passed until the leader of the project herself came in looking right serious. She came before Specter with a sneer forming on her face.

"Having trouble?" He asked politely inclining his head. "It was, after-all, you we wanted to speak to... moreover listen to."

"Explain yourself." She ordered.

He nodded. "I'm not from around here, understand that first." He motioned his hands at the walls of the cold metal cell before facing the plexi-glass wall that separated him from the Vice Admiral.

"Go on."

"You see, I am from the year 3073, in a different universe, my ship entered somekind of wormhole I understand that now. But my reason for being here is: I wanted to make sure that our enemies from our universe weren't taking over this one. They are the 'Word of Blake' a quasi-religious group obsessed with technology."

"Why would you think they are here?"

"If they controlled this universe, they could mass armies and take them to the locations they want in this universe and then transport them into my own without being noticed. They could easily take over the galaxy of the place they came from." Specter sighed. "They are a deluded lot, obsessed with controlling people through any means necessary; and it appears they have found it."

"How do you know they are here?"

"They've been here a long time I think." He paused. "They had the power to send people here at any time of history, they could hold any position, own any business, be any soldier, any Spartan."

She raised her eyebrows. "They could not infiltrate the Spartan program."

"Are you sure?" He laughed. "Much of the equipment in your Novgorod labs had their symbol on it... the bloody hand-print." He took a breath. "In New Mombasa I saw Manei Domini, their version of the super-soldier, ordering the aliens to work on tasks and even the large brutes."

"How would they have power in the Covenant?" She was deeply puzzled, that much was obvious.

"Maybe they've always had it, maybe their influence of techno-mania inspired the Covenant, and perhaps they even made the Covenant start the war by convincing them that we were heretics according to their religion just so they could take our power."

"That's absurd..." She sank against the back wall, her old heart beating fast. "Let them out immediately and organize all the staff I want a review of everyone, everyone."

John smiled, he had actually convinced her, not even he would have believed it... but maybe there was something she knew about that he had no idea of. "Thank you." The plexi-glass wall slid back and let him out.

"You might want..." He was about to continue.

"Quiet." The admiral ordered. "Just follow me without another word; you've done quite enough."

"What is she talking about?" Specter trailed after as she led the way through numerous passages and tunnels until they had reached a single elevator.

"Get in." She motioned with her hand for him to enter, which he did readily as he wanted to hear what she knew. Once he had stepped inside, she slipped in and closed shut the door behind her. The elavtor was about ten cubed meters in area, and was made with smooth brushed steel plates and a warm burgundy with silver trim carpet. A polished wooden chair rail went around the entirety of the wall.

Once they had ascended three levels, Parangosky pressed the 'hold' button and the elevator locked. She glanced around and pulled a bright steel pen from her pocket. She twisted the cap and pulled some device from inside it, and pressed a small red button with her thumb. Immediately a buzzing ring resonated throught the car.

"We can talk safely now." She smiled. "It's not like the Odin's Eye, but, it works well enough."

"What's the Odin's Ey..."

"Never mind that, I have a limited battery and I don't want to use it all for your sake." She sighed. "The UEG has been aware of some outside organization that has been infiltrating everything for the past hundred years. We've never been able to pinpoint who it was, most rebels actually attacked us and this infiltration was so long and painstaking that it almost went unnoticed."

"And..." Specter drew the word out as if he were pulling her answers from her throat.

"ONI section III has always been suspect, but it seems they're innocent. The thought that our 'rebels' could have made the Covenant attack us is unsettling indeed. How do these Word of Blake fight?"

"They've actually been known to eradiate worlds." Specter leaned against the wall. "Once or twice."

"They wouldn't care if they allowed the Covenant to glass worlds becuase their interest in the Forrunners." Parangosky surmised. "We need more information Specter, I know you probably have loyalties elsewhere but I need you to do something for me before I can let you chase them."

"What needs to be done?" He grinned. "I am a mercenary after all."

Parangosky choked. "Keep that to yourself, mercs are not a respectable thing here." Once she had regained her composure she answered his first question. "I need you to go to one of the worlds that the Covenant glassed, specifically one that was known to have Forrunner artifacts. This world was near the outer edges of our territory, I just wonder if the Word of Blake had the Covenant attack it because they wanted it for themselves. Go to Harvest and see if there's any activity in the area."

"Am I getting paid?" The jamming device gave off a small 'beep'.

"No time, I'll give you payment when you return." She allowed the elevator to continue upwards and deactivated the jamming device. "The rest of your companions will be released, we called your ship over to our docks, so they'll meet you there."

"Thank you." The elevator came to a stop and the doors opened to the fierce cold winds. He grimaced as the wind bit through his orange jumpsuit. "Do you think I could have that armor back?" He leaned in closer and whispered. "We may need it."

The admiral shook her head and pointed to a crate on one of the docks. "I've taken the liberty of packing your things." His ship was right there, bobbing on the waves even though it was so close to shore.

Falcon, Bullseye, and Beowulf were all waiting for them one the deck, and Specter thought he could see Falcon glaring at some indefinite person. Specter waved behind him and ran onto the deck. "Cast off we have a new assignment!" He yelled, his voice carrying just as far as the ship's Captain's ears.

Once they had sailed for about five hours, Specter saw his Talon class drop ship hovering above the waves in the dim light of dusk. He had contacted his ship and gave them the coordinates for their meeting and he could already feel the warm air flowing from the bay doors. He was one of the first to climb aboard, and he hurried to order of of the technicians to bring aboard crate Parangosky had delivered to him.

It was another ten minutes before he was sure it was all clear that he told the ship to fly into a low orbit. And it was only after five more minutes that Specter had gotten his team to assemble around the crate. He climbed expertly to the top and addressed them all.

"We have another long mission ahead of us, and it will take a while to get to it. But hopefully whatever is inside this crate will help us to succeed on that world if we want to stay alive." He dropped down and started to open the crate.

"So, what is the job?" Hannibal queried.

"We are scouting out a world that was glassed twenty years ago." Specter hummed quietly to himself while he worked. "Our informant thinks that the Word of Blake might have taken the world, that there might still be something of interest."

"So you mean that we have to scout an entire world" Bullseye asked incredulously.

"No, just what's left of it." Specter grinned when at last the crate was ready to open. He popped off the lid and peered inside. "I was good this Christmas wasn't I?" He chuckled and pulled out a suit of SPI armor and other piles of gear for rough terrain. "There's enough for everyone."

"So what do we do when we find the WoB sir?" Beowulf hinted his doubts.

"I suppose we kill them, why?" Specter asked in reply.

"Good enough plan I guess, but there may be something important" Whoever had spoken was beyond Specter, but he still replied.

"Grab your new stuff and get it stowed in your quarters, and tell that Captain of ours to dock with a jump ship."

"Sir, the jump ship left with Victor." Castle reminded him, she smiled from her place in the group. "What, was I not supposed to be here?"

"No..."

"Then I guess you just didn't want to hear of a drawback like that one." Castle grinned. "I think we'll have a fine month stuck on Earth and not in transit."

"Contact those shipyards and see if they'd be willing to try some work on our ship..." Specter paused. "Is our ship too small?"

"Yes Specter." Falcon laughed. "This ship is not large enough for any manner of jump drives."

"Well then, see what ships are on the market and put ours on it. I hope the Captain isn't too attached to the Skippy. I think a thirty-first century ship should go for a lot nowadays shouldn't it?"

"Sir?" Beowulf coughed lightly to get his attention. "What about those labs on Triton, they said they were almost finished with their first real prototype, maybe they'd be willing to trade?"

"Yes!" Specter cheered. "A good plan, Castle go contact the Triton labs. I'm going to get some real food."

Yeah It is just about to get interesting, they need a new ship in order to get to their next mission, but is one ship worth another? Probably not, that Skippy's been through a lot, and it is after all just a Talon class drop ship. Specter wouldn't like it if I made him lose a mech or two huh?

-Tremble Wolf