In Infinitum

Chapter 29

Horrors of the present

SSV-Upon Reach, FTL. 0200 Hours.
"We're accepting help from Cerberus now?!"

Shepard watched as Anderson's face twisted with barely contained anger, but his tone was another story. It was livid and about ready to explode. He took a small breath, he had expected this, Anderson hated Cerberus almost as much as he hated Saren.

And that was saying something.

Shepard watched as the holographic shapes of Hackett and Halsey stared at Anderson, only Halsey seemed a bit surprised by the outburst. Then again, she didn't know Anderson like he and Hackett did.

"Anderson, I understand your concern," began Shepard slowly. "But we need their resources, you've seen the videos of their dreadnought on Palavan." He really hoped bringing up the Cerberus super ship that had levelled and repelled the Reaper fleet over Palavan would help.

It didn't.

"My point exactly, if we leave Cerberus alone they'll create more of those ships and try to take us out." Anderson stated with fire, glaring at Shepard. "I thought you cut ties to that organization after the Collector mission, Shepard." he accused, seeming betrayed.

Shepard swallowed, he hadn't. But how could he? Cerberus had given him resources the Alliance wouldn't, Shepard had learned never to look a gift horse in the mouth. No matter how bad the reputation of the horse. "I did," he lied. "I contacted the Illusive Man to confront him about Mars."

"That's another thing, what did Cerberus have to gain for attacking the Mars archives?" Hackett asked from his place, more calm about the situation. Halsey had too regained her composure.

Shepard cleared his throat. "They wanted to capture the data themselves and then destroy the data we had." he replied simply. This was becoming a tiring mission, he was playing politics when he should have been out on the front lines with Theta. Instead he was here in a meeting of the brass.

"Why?"

"Because humanity's future lays with Halsey, Admirals," Shepard didn't bother lying. He may as well have gotten it out there that Cerberus had their eye on the good doctor.

Halsey blinked when both Anderson and Hackett looked to her. She shifted, straightened her shirt and said, "My guess? He means my technology, the technology I have in my head is very advanced, it doesn't rely on eezo, allows FTL drive without relays and has allowed us to deploy many advanced ground troops."

She pushed her glasses up.

"Speaking of the Spartans," Hackett said with a frown. "What's the reports from our companies?"

Shepard stiffened visibly. He was eager to hear about Theta and their exploits on Palavan.

Halsey blinked, her face fell and she sighed loudly. A dread took over Shepard's gut and he almost gulped with worry.

"Reports indicate Omega Company's deployment in Hades Gamma are successful, they've sustained no casualties and are slowly pushing back the Reaper ground troops each day," Halsey explained. "Like our statistics suggested, they're the best." she smiled crookedly before she moved on. "Delta on the other hand has suffered ten deaths, four wounded…" the tone of regret was there for everyone to hear. "They're holding their positions well, but the battle on Illium is taking its toll. We may need to extract them soon."

And now, Shepard thought with tenseness, Theta's turn.

"Theta Company's deployment to Palavan was… brutal, the mission was accomplished and the positions held. But they suffered thirty-seven percent casualties." she paused, looking up to Shepard. "I'm so sorry, John. Your squad… didn't survive."

It took Shepard only a fraction of a second to gather his mind after the shock of the news hit him. His team, the team he had trained with for months until they were near "telepathic" as Mendez has described their S-II trainers. He let their faces stroll across his mind, their faces. Each serious, but relaxed.

"Thank you, ma'am…" Shepard mumbled lowly. He would miss them, but Shepard didn't have the luxury of grief at the moment… or for the last few days. "They were good soldiers."

Halsey's saddened expression disappeared so quickly Mendez would have been proud. "As for Omega Team, their deep infiltration missions are a stunning success, seventeen indoctrination camps on the Batarian homeworld and surrounding systems have been destroyed, severely lowering the enemies capacity to produce ground troops." she reported easily. "They've also begun to train small militia groups of surviving Batarians on each planet they cross."

Shepard could feel approval moving off of the attending officers and Halsey. It was a smart tactical move by Omega team. Arm the survivors, train them to fight and then unleash them on a weak enemy. But what about space transports?

"What about space travel?" Shepard asked.

"The Reapers actually don't occupy the systems themselves, only defend the mass relay," Halsey explained. "Omega reported they only arrive on planet to gather their troops from the camp, then they leave. They assure me the Reapers don't seem to take notice of their destroyed camps…" she paused, unsure. "I would guess drone Reapers. Controlled by a fully sentient one, who hasn't noticed the threat Omega poses."

Hackett hummed lightly, then said. "We'll speak more later, Halsey." he paused to turn towards someone off screen before turning back to them. "I must be going, finish the meeting without me." he disappeared.

Shepard paused, then sighed. "I'll give my report later," he said, snapping off his own com and taking a deep breath. He opened his eyes, glared at the holo-pads and then turned away. Nobody questioned his angered steps towards the elevator, or his silence, as he went to his cabin.

The Reapers had taken more heroes from this war, his team within Theta was now gone and he could feel bitterness stab at his heart. But for now, he save that bitterness until it became the rage to fight.

Hades Gamma, Ageko. 1100 Hours.
"This is Watchdog, Reaper ground forces are in the kill zone, I say again, Reaper forces inside Killzone," "Watchdog" said as he and nine other Spartans sat atop a grassy hillside as they watched the Cannibals, Husks, Marauders and Ravagers march their way across the plains towards their position watching the southeast flank of the mining structure they had been sent to secure.

The plain said enemy forces were crossing was also very flat with little cover sides the small blast craters in the ground creating by crashed ships or debris from the space battle overhead and even then it wasn't much cover to shield such a large force from the ten highly trained marksman with superior position. What were the Reapers playing at trying to use this tactical nightmare?

"What are their numbers?" Came a sharp feminine voice.

"I count forty-Cans, twenty-six Mars, More than a few hundred Husks and thirty support Ravers." Watchdog replied simply, watching them through the scope of his Black Widow AM rifle. "They are currently three hundred and forty-seven meters out, forty-six…" he trailed off with his finger curling around the trigger. "Kill order?"

"Decimate them," Big Boss replied.

"Copy that," Watchdog smiled beneath his visor. "Alright, Tino, Max. I want you two to switch over to Raptor rifles, you're going to keep the Husks numbers down when they charge our position once we start firing. Jack, Blake, Vasilli and Viktor, you guys get the support Ravagers. Everyone else, you're all free game on the Can and Mars." He said.

A set of green lights winked on his Hud. He smiled.

First shot always belongs to lead sniper, he thought.

His finger closed on the trigger and his Black Widow sounded off, alongside him the others fired as well like a ten gun salute, they didn't even wait for the first volley to land before firing again. And through his scope, he saw a Cannibal explode from two shots, one to its gut and another to the chest. It fell.

A Marauder barely realized it was dead before its head exploded like a balloon before the other two Marauders beside it raised their weapons… then fell back when rounds meant for armored vehicles sheared through their kinetic barriers and tore their chests apart only to rip the Cannibals behind them a new breathing hole in the process.

Tino and Max were firing their Raptor rifles more rapidly, hitting the Husks that were already sprinting towards them as the Cannibals and Marauders returned inaccurate fire. They killed the closest Husk first, heads exploded, legs were blown out and crawlers were put down shortly after.

The line of Ravagers took up a loose formation before they began to blanket the hillside with weapons fire, explosive rounds detonating and kicking up dirt and grass into the air. One fell over when its legs were blown our and it comically fired at the backs of is Cannibal and Marauder allies, shredding a few of them.

"Like a turtle when they fall," Blake muttered beside Watchdog.

"Too good," Watchdog agreed. He ejected the Thermal clip and inserted a new one before resighting the Marauder he'd been tracking. "Oh, oh, check my targets, going for one mars and two cans." he said as he tracked a Marauder moving to take cover inside a blast crater.

A few rifles leaned over to see. Watchdog fired and the round sheared through the Marauder's chest, then through the head of the first Cannibal and out its back before blowing out the shoulder of the one behind that.

"Damn!" Watchdog grumbled and finished off the Cannibal.

"Nice try, Watchdog," Tino laughed, shaking his helmeted head. "Too bad you failed!"

"Yeah, yeah, shove it up your-" Watchdog's com beeped to life.

"Omega Company, Major Monroe, How's the fight looking down there?" their commanding officer and captain of the entire fleet overhead asked.

"Sir, City is mostly secured, give us three more hours and we'll have posted an eviction notice," Big Boss' voice came over the com next. Followed by a hail of gunfire in the background along with Cannibal's screaming. She added, "Sorry, neighbourhoods noisy this time of day."

"Damn fine work, Spartans. But I just got orders from Command. A carrier is on its way to come pick you up, you're all being redeployed to another theatre, apparently some things have happened and the brass needs you cracking skulls on another planet." The Major paused, "Over."

Watchdog blinked, that was unexpected, then again. This wasn't a battle anymore for Omega, they took out most of the Reaper ground forces by now, the three Reapers who made it planet side were nothing but smoking piles of scrap thanks to some clever use of FENRIS tacnukes and some ballsy moves by Big Boss. So, the marines would get their chance to finish this fight.

"Sir, understood. Omega will be packed and ready to move out in ten," she didn't need to give the orders to know she meant for them to finish their shit in ten and be back in five. No problem, they didn't need much time to finish off the Reapers in the killing field anyways.

"Alright boys, breaks over, thin them down to nothing." Watchdog said to the others, they tore back into the Reaper marching band. His Black Widow flashing once again.

Hades Gamma, Ageko mining Facility, 1100 Hours.
"Big Boss Cassidy" frowned behind her helmet, resting her Avenger on her shoulder and leaned back against the supply crates that were stacked against the wall. Her MJOLNIR Mark VII armor pretty banged up, this scorched planet. Ageko, what did the Reapers want here? She was curious, they had started mining the planet, and not just mining, but deep, deep mining. They were after something deep inside the planet. But Cassidy wasn't going to chance her Spartans by being curious. They had their orders and were being redeployed wherever.

"Cal!" She barked, standing upright and shouldering her rifle when a heavy Ravager round tore through the air and struck another Spartan, shattering the shields and forcing him to take cover. "Take out that Ravager!" she moved into cover beside another Spartan and peaked over to see the area. Reaper troops were dug in toe defend the mining site. Resistance had been heavy initially, but after the overhead fleet had triple the numbers of the Reaper fleet no transports had been able to reinforce them.

Now Big Boss was sure they were done and by the time the transports arrived to extract Omega this place would be a dead rock as it should be, no Reaper would be mining for whatever they mined for on this planet again.

She looked at their opposition, they were entrenched inside the abandoned facility and using its previous mining gear. Well, that won't do. "Alright boys, gather your clips and shoulder your blades and rifles, we're rushing their position on my signal!" she raised her Avenger. "CHARGE!" She jumped out her window and landed on the ground. Dozens of Spartans followed, leaving their covers and running in a hard sprint to close their distance on the entrenched Reaper forces.

The Marauders, Cannibals and Ravagers targeted them and fired. Shields flared and the Spartans returned a blanket of automatic fire, this was when they took their position once and for all and ended the Reaper occupation here. Boss rolled out of the way as a Ravager fired on her position, exploding the metallic dirt where she had been, but she was too fast for those slow rounds to track effectively.

Others waved left and right, soon… the fastest of their runners reached the facility walls. A few Cannibals and Marauders peaked out of their windows to get at them, but they were soon either killed or forced to take cover when the suppressing fire came from those who hadn't reached the walls of the other facility.

"Breach and clear!" Cass yelled into the com.

A few of the Omega demolitions experts pulled small circular explosives from their thighs, tapped a button and planted them on the wall. Took five steps back and with that, a series of explosions followed as the charges blew the wall inward, killing and severely wounding any of the Reapers behind them.

By the time she reached the wall, more than two dozen of her Company moved into the building that was soon filled with weapons fire and grenade detonations.

"Boss, we're securing the main facility!" One of her Spartans informed her over the com.

"Great, the rest of us will move around and clear the courtyard," She replied, frowning when she and the others moved along the wall to the main gate entrance that had been torn open. They moved into the courtyard, coming under Ravager and sniper fire from the other side of the facility. She raised her weapon and sighted a Marauder on the roof, she fired and forced it back into cover.

Missiles streak forward and struck the groundside Ravagers. They exploded with nice shows of organic and metallic bits mixed with searing hot flames. One of her Spartans primed a grenade, held it and tossed it in almost perfect timing for it to detonate as it peaked over the roof edge, killing two Marauder snipers stationed up above.

In moments, the facility was cleared and the remaining Reaper ground forces were in full retreat into the rocky fields of the planet.

And while a few stationed snipers kept the area clear, the rest of Omega were planting demolitions charges to level this facility as a going away present to any Reapers who might return and try to finish their mining operation. She was a very generous person considering how much explosives they were going to use too.

"Nobody said I wasn't a saint." She grinned to herself as she tapped a few keys on the charge she planted on the facilities main power generator. It was ancient, but it would do for a very big bang when the charge went off inside the main chamber.

"Boss, charges planted and the Major says our ride is here," Watchdog informed her.

"God it, thanks Watchdog," she lowered her hand and glanced around, opening the com. "All Omega Spartans, gather up in the courtyard, I'll set the timers." she ordered, receiving quick replies of affirmatives before she closed the com and moved off towards the exit. Pausing when she felt as if she was being watched, glancing over her shoulder with a narrowed eye.

She saw nothing, scoffing she turned and left, pulling the detonator out and smiled. "Life is a bang," she mumbled lowly, watching this place burn from orbit would be great. The feeling of being watched returned and she glanced over her shoulder again, this time staring at a particular shadow intently.

Slowly, she swore it shifted. She turned and raised her Avenger to it, frowning. She fired a burst into the darkness, revealing nothing but a rusted wall of metal sporting four new holes. "I must be losing it," she muttered softly.

"Loss… one cannot lose what it never possessed…" A voice rang out around her, but it was also inside her helmet. Her com channel opened, no one was broadcasting. The ancient, almost sagely voice continued. "Your species has always been madness, hungry and basic… even in this… other world I can sense so much activity, so much… life…" the building seemingly rumbled.

Big Boss glanced around, where was this voice coming from? "Where are you?" she growled.

"Everywhere, Nowhere. Outside, inside. I simply… am, but you are here, connected to my thoughts in due to this ancient machine, this Reaper buried deep beneath the Earth," The voice gave a drawn out hiss, "Even now, it hisses, growls and try to subvert me, but its meaningless efforts, its…" the voice grew unimpressed, "Indoctrination is useless to me."

"Wait," Big Boss said, tilting her head and staring at… whoever. "You're talking to me through a Reaper's Indoctrination method?"

There was a rumble, "Yes and no. I am using its method of persuasion to amplify my voice, I am… connecting, to your mind, telepathy is what your species call it."

She really had no idea what this voice was telling her, but she knew a few things now, A, a Reaper was buried here, and B, something was using it to send voices to her mind. She could frowned, was she becoming indoctrinated?

"No, You are not," the voice knew her thoughts. "I see your mind, your past, your present… I see your plight, A war of extinction and genocide," the voice almost sounded sad, it was odd. "If I may… offer a gift to aid in your effort?"

Cassidy blinked, raising her rifle again and gritting her teeth. "What gift? I was taught never to accept gifts from strangers." she fingered her trigger.

The rumble of the voice was clearly a chuckle, again the building appeared to rumble with it. "And I know humans are also told not to turn away aid if it presents itself. Do not worry, it is a simple gift, one that will benefit you greatly."

She turned when another sound drew her attention, from a hole in the wall a tentacle slithered inside the building towards, it looked organic, completely made up of muscle. It had a sharp boned tip, like a needle. "A simple prick and you will gain an ability that your species will find invaluable. The ability to heal vastly greater then your species knows."

Big Boss watched the tentacle wearily, how could it be alive? This planet wasn't exactly organic life form friendly. "I don't believe you," how could she? This thing was offering a good gift for seemingly free, but she didn't know anything about it and it was apparently using Reaper tech. "How do I know you're on the level?"

"You do not, Only way to learn is to experience." the tentacle raised itself, then present the needle. Something inside her told her to accept the gift, if it could help her win this war, despite she and her Spartan's efforts, she knew they needed every edge they could get, if this thing was on the level a faster healing rate would benefit her greatly, les medigel usage for wounds, this deal sounded better all the time.

She nodded finally. "On my wrist, a medical injection port," she said, raising her arm to the tentacle.

"Excellent, I knew you would see the value of this offer," the tentacle wrapped around her wrist, then the needle found the port and slid into it, it hissed when it was firmly locked and the atmosphere wouldn't hiss out of the armor, then the needle entered her veins and then it was gone. "It is done. Now, go, destroy this site and seek me out if you should ever require more."

Cassidy absently nodded, turning and leaving the building, her wrist ached a moment before it dulled back to its normal feeling. She felt… better, in a way, almost good. She moved to the shuttle extraction point for her and her Spartans to leave the planet as the shuttles descended to the surface.

Watchdog saw her and waved, "Took you long enough, Boss, what kept you?" he asked.

"Just double checking the timers," she lied easily, no point in telling them she was hearing voices and a tentacle had stabbed her with something. Why raise suspicion, right? "Now, are we set to pull out?" she asked.

"Yeah," Watchdog nodded.

"Go, lets see where Command sends us next, eh?" she punched his shoulder lightly.

"Hoo-ah, boss, Hooo, ah." Watchdog laughed as the shuttles landed and waited for the Spartans.

Meanwhile, while the Spartans filtered into their shuttles, the Gravemind, buried within the depths of the "wounded" Reaper beneath the surface of the planet, "watched" the Alliance Spartans gather up and leave his temporary haven. His mist gathered thickly inside the Reaper's passages, tentacles shifted here and there, he wasn't as massive as he should have been, he had only gained the mass needed thanks to the Reaper's own organic material that ran through its "veins" so to speak.

It had been pure good fortune that he had stumbled upon this planet with that UNSC pod with several of his infection forms and a couple of combat forms. He had taken great pains with such a small force to penetrate the cracks, slither through crevices and find the powerful voice that called to him the moment he touched the metallic stone surface of this world.

He found it, this Reaper, this machine of genocide and order, a truly valuable goal indeed, but this being knew nothing of how to truly attain peace, no. Gravemind would show its kind the real meaning of unity, of peace and kinship. The entirety of this galaxy will be blessed with eternal unity in due time, all in due time. He just needed to be patient and… how did humans put it? Play his cards right?

The Gravemind chuckled. Then hissed and growled, "Silence, you sad creature…" the walls rumbled, as if the Reaper were aware of this… perversion of its indoctrination methods that the Gravemind had borrowed to convince the young female Spartan that his gift was real, and it was, when the time was right she would be the first of many to embrace his unity and paradise. Oh yes.

End of chapter 29

There it is, sorry for the loooooong wait, but I've slowly adding, deleting, editing and re writing this chapter for what feels like years now, so many ideas to what to do for it, I knew I wanted to reveal something huge, but everything seemed so cliché… so, I revealed the single greatest threat to the ME verse… the Flood!

Now, thanks to all those who have been patient, I am truly sorry it took so long and that if this chapter disappoints, but do not worry, I assure you the next chapter probably won't take as long. Hopefully… I make no promises. But I'm trying! *pout*