I'll Stay
Ch.9 Prepping (Human?)
Pov: Jorge
Hmmm, they took the shakes. Good. But it will take some time before the anesthetic takes hold.
Currently, I was on my way to the security room for another meeting with John and Cal after finishing up the day of training. The training itself served another purpose, tiring them out for what we set up.
If all goes well, they'll work together to get out of it. If not… Then we'll think of something. This really hinges on how they are placed in it, and I know where to put them! Asking about their interests opened up their psychology profile to me.
That morning, I simply performed my own psych evaluation on the group in the form of a 'get to know each other' kind of situation. And it worked wonderfully. Carter saw through it right away and helped out considerably. In truth, the only reason Carter was being put through this was because he was still a Spartan lll. He hadn't gone through what we Spartan ll's had. Either way, each of us had one key thing in common. We were property of the UNSC. And as such, we were only given information of what we needed to know. We could never know current events or politics of the world outside. The only side we had was humanity, and we would die for it.
So ensuring that we don't form any current consensus with sides or secs, any outside information besides discoveries, battles and technology was limited back 500 years ago. Quite honestly, I personally wasn't disheartened by this. But one might feel chained down. I never really did after my procedure. It was then I finally knew my place, a tool for the UNSC. Halsey's kid. One of many.
As I neared the door, it opened to me to the others. John and Cal were having a heated argument.
"Cal. We agreed that this was the only way."
"No! You said that this was the way! All I'm saying is leaving them with nothing is suicidal! I believe 100 percent that the Three's can do this. But we may lose one or a few of the others!"
"Cal! John! What's going on?"
"It appears she is having second thoughts about all of this."
"No, John! Just- I agree that this test is good. But you raised the stakes!"
I looked at the chief, "What did you do?"
"I took away the guns."
My hand reached up to clear my ears, "I'm sorry, did you say you took away the guns?! That is nearly seven days of wilderness! I know Reach, the wildlife here aren't ones you want to go up against!"
The man said nothing.
"Well?!"
"Trust."
"What?"
"Trust will be all they have. If they had guns, what would they trust more?"
"... Their guns."
"Exactly. I understand your concern, Jorge. I would even put you the most human of us all. But they are not us. They'll never be us. They will never go through what we did… But we aren't trying to make them exactly like us, are we?"
John… I thought I was finally getting along with you after all these years…
"Getting too personal with them was a bad idea, Jorge. That may work for Noble, but this isn't Noble anymore… And you know why."
To think I was even jealous of you…
I looked at Cal, she had a distant look on her face. One defeated. She seemed to really care for this bunch.
I ignored it for now and answered the man I "was" warming up to.
"You're right, John. We'll leave the set up for you. Come on, Cal."
"... Right."
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That had taken place about ten minutes ago, and now I was at the mess hall I had been in earlier that day. Only now with Cal across the table from me. She had a cup of coffee and was staring at it. Though I knew she was seeing something else.
"John hasn't changed a bit, has he?"
It was her who decided to talk first.
"No, guess he hadn't."
She was silent again as she took a sip of her drink.
"Well, you seem to have changed. Going from team to team, I'd figure you'd…I do I put this?..."
"Be less attached? Grown callus?"
Putting it bluntly…
I let silence do the talking. A long sigh escaped her.
"Every time I ask myself that. Why?… I have tried. And I can't. I try my hardest to not care, not to get hurt when I say goodbye to the team I'm with… Even when I don't say a word, I feel its weight. Like I'm missing something, and I know what it is… It's just… I'm afraid what will happen if I push it beyond that."
Everything she said, I understood completely. The team that I'm with now are not the same as the brothers I knew growing up, but I loved them nonetheless. I wouldn't know what I would feel if it was just me that stood in the end. Let alone my home, Reach.
"Alright, you never talked with any of your temporary teams… Then why this one?"
She said nothing. Still, I pressed.
"What changed?"
Only now, she chuckled, "Jealousy."
That was the last thing I expected to hear from her, "For what?"
"No, not me. O'Brien. It was silly looking back. But it was the first time I had seen someone act like a child like that. In the uniform I mean. He was jealous that I was supposed to take a kill in the last mission."
Ah, it's about the ODST kid then…
"And if that wasn't enough, I had to save him constantly. I pulled his pod out of the mud and he still was jealous. He didn't even care that I was a Spartan. This plays out the entire mission, up until the end, and I get a head injury."
I laughed, "That's putting it lightly, Halsey said you were medically dead, last time I spoke with her."
She nodded in agreement, "Even so, I was happy to take that. To take that blow. Only, I wish I wasn't a burden afterwards."
It was quiet for a moment. It was clear she didn't mean to say that last part out. Maybe she still needed some mental recovery before going on a classified mission again.
"You are not a burden."
"Then why do I always leave my team?!"
I was startled by the outburst. It appeared to have started herself as well.
"Sorry, Jorge. You of all people don't deserve that."
I waved it off, "No, I was pushing. Let's leave it at that."
Once more, it was quiet. Though not for long, she pressed on.
"I know what it's like. To be held back, doing something you are so sure you can do. Only to be denied. I wanted to keep quiet, even in death. But I had to, if just once, be part of a team. I let go and broke my rule, for him. Because for the first time, I related…"
Cal then proceeded to pick up her tray, not saying another word. But my mind was different. Trying my best to process everything she said. The words from a woman who would normally be of few words.
It seems John was wrong about one thing, I'm not the most human of us…
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That evening was the start of the first training exercise. Everything was in place, the long range scanners and satellite cameras had eyes on our examinees.
The gritting sound of John's voice filled the air.
"Are all systems green?"
Cal and I gave the all clear nod.
Then we waited for when they would wake up for the game to begin.
End Chapter
A/N: I'm looking for co authors for this story and potentially others. PM me if you are interested.