Hey all! Finally got the chance to sit down and update for ya! Hope this measures up to expectations, if not PLEASE critique! (flames will be used to roast hot dogs/marshmallows). Enjoy!

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Chapter Six: Memorable Headaches

Forerunner Ship Alaya's Hope

Zeta Doradus System

April 3, 2558

They were midway through the tour when the first signs of trouble began.

Fred happened to glance sideways and noticed Laura holding one hand to her forehead, as if she had a headache.

"You alright?" To look at her, one could almost swear she was nervous. Odd, she used to have a really good mask, Fred thought.

"I'm fine, just a slight headache. No need to worry your pretty little head over," she replied with a small smile; she never smiled often, and when she did it was usually the mysterious half-smile that drove people insane, the same smile she had now.

"You're a horrible liar, Laura, you know that?" The voice, surprisingly, was Linda's, and Fred noticed a genuine smile briefly flicker in place of the other one. Linda was one of the few of us she allowed to connect with her, he remembered, her and John.

"I'm fine, guys, really," she protested, dark eyes flicking back and forth across the corridors. It was almost as if she were looking for something, but what? No, she's not looking for anything, Fred realized, that's recognition in her eyes. But she's never been here before—how could she recognize anything here?

--

I feel like I'm coming home.

There was really no other way to describe what she felt, this sense of belonging. Then again, how could she feel like she was coming home, when she'd never been on this ship before? Though it was probably constructed using the old Forerunner schematics from Alaya's time, she mused as she wandered the corridors. The tour had been brief, unsurprisingly, and after she'd been shown to a room she decided to explore on her own. She was taking a risk, wandering about unescorted, but in all honesty she didn't really care at the moment.

Laura paused in front of an unmarked door, and glanced curiously at the controls. No sign of a lock, which means it's likely open to the general population. Touching the control lightly, she smiled as the door opened to reveal what appeared to be a wide grassy expanse. There were any number of Forerunner citizenry nearby, enjoying the "fresh air", but at the moment all Laura wanted was solitude. She needed peace in order to deal with the grief she now carried, grief for those who had died on Onyx, Spartans fallen in battle. Will was the only one she'd known personally, and she mourned for him in her own way, but she felt for all the others that had died whom she hadn't know at all. The emotional burden, as well as the memories she held, was becoming a heavy load.

Skirting the edge of the plain, she moved until she was in relative peace. I wonder how they can have grassy fields on a ship, even one this size, she mused, just before she found herself surrounded by trees, trees of a type she couldn't name for the life of her. What…there was grass here before…She stared in shock, then chuckled quietly when she remembered some of Alaya's work. Cycling holography, of course! The Forerunners had, as she recalled, developed a knack for displaying holographic imagery, in a manner similar to the old (and now extremely obsolete) microfiche reels that had been used on Earth.

A "breeze" stirred the leaves above her head, and Laura calmly brushed a gently-waving branch away from her face. This proved to be a mistake, as the simple action brought to mind a memory long buried.

She ran lightly through the wooded areas, part of her hoping to lose her pursuer, while another part hoped to be caught. The hem of her loose dress—an item of clothing she rarely ever wore—fluttered around her, catching from time to time on branches but never slowing her down. Behind her she could hear the soft sounds of booted feet in the grass, coming closer. This will never do, she thought, slipping behind trees and under hanging strands of creeper. She couldn't outrun him, but perhaps she could outwit him.

"Alaya!" She slipped behind a rather wide tree and waited silently for him to leave, holding her breath so as not to give herself away. There was the sound of boots approaching her tree, then they stopped and moved away. When many moments had passed and still there was no noise, Alaya moved a few steps forward and allowed herself to breathe. He is gone, she thought, right before she was caught and spun around the tree. A dark-haired, dark-eyed young man held her against the tree, his manner rough, but she felt no fear.

"So, I have caught the elusive scientist," he laughed. She knew it was useless to struggle, not that she wanted to. Traitorous heart!, her mind screamed.

"Captain, let me go." Corin held her firmly, and she knew somehow he wouldn't release her so easily.

"Not before I claim my reward," he murmured as he pressed his lips against hers.

Laura brought her hand to her head, trying to clear away the images crowding around her. Being on this ship was going to drive her insane; the memories were crowding worse than they had since the last time she'd worn the circlet. How soon before I go insane? She dropped to her knees, crouching in a fetal position as she willed the memories away, hoping the echoes of her past self would leave her be.

--

"The stranger is missing." The voice was using a halting version of standard, but the words were audible.

"Stranger?" It took Fred and Dr. Halsey a moment to realize Arnyris was referring to Laura. Or is her name Blade? Dr. Halsey wondered.

"Missing? I doubt she'll have gone far, Arnyris," she smiled. "Laura probably doesn't know where she's going, let alone how to find her way to the more vulnerable areas of the ship."

John glanced up, a concerned look on his face. "I wouldn't be so sure, Dr. Halsey. Laura's…a bit different. She probably knows more than enough to navigate the ship's corridors." He glanced meaningfully at Fred and Linda, who winced in turn.

"Holy Retribution," Fred groaned.

John nodded. "At the very least she's exploring the ship."

Dr. Halsey, Chief Mendez, and the rest of the Spartans looked puzzled. "Care to explain what's going on?" Mendez asked.

"I wouldn't know where to begin," John shook his head. Turning to Arnyris, and ignoring the look the younger man was giving him, he asked, "Is there anyplace she could possibly go where she could be alone, besides her room?"

--

"Laura?"

She sat up, not knowing when she'd lain down on her stomach or how long she'd been like that. The scenery had changed: the woods had been replaced by a cliff overlooking a beach, and John was standing over her with a slightly concerned look on his face.

"I'll be fine, John. It's nothing." She stood up, studying the landscape around her with interest. How often have I pictured something like this? And here it is, as real as real can be.

"You're not fine, Laura, even I can see that." He paused, regarding her with a long look. "It's the memories, isn't it?"

Laura sighed heavily, and when she replied her voice was barely audible. "I knew there was a risk, but I didn't think it would be this bad. Though if I had known, I probably would've come anyway." She shrugged. "It's going to be a rough road, between these memories and the Forerunners' distrust. Though the boy had it coming—he's too arrogant for his own good, I think. Still, I doubt they'll be too keen on making friends for a while."

"Speaking of which," John interrupted, "you may want to keep your wanderings to a minimum. After that little incident earlier in the docking bays, I don't think it would be smart for you to wander around on your own."

A broad grin spread across the other Spartan's features. "You're probably right. I just wanted a bit more of a tour than we were given, as if I really needed it in the first place. I'll head back to my room post-haste." Laura grinned even more when John rolled his eyes, a gesture she swore he'd picked up from her; she loved using older, more archaic words and phrases just to throw people off, and more often than not it evoked annoyance and the aforementioned rolling eyes.

"I'm going with you, just to make sure you head where you're supposed to."

"If I didn't know better, I'd say you didn't trust me in the least."

Looking around to make sure no one was listening John spoke softly, "I love you, but there are times I don't trust you."

Laughter bubbled out of Laura's mouth, and it was a few minutes before she could reply in between giggles. "Okay, I'm going, I'm going."

--

Fred and Arnyris watched the two walk away before following at a discreet distance. Arnyris coughed slightly, then voiced something that had been bothering him about the newcomers, specifically the woman.

"How did she find her way here?"

"There's more to Laura than you think. Some of it I'm not even sure on. You'd have to ask her yourself." Fred smirked. "If you ask her politely, she's actually pretty nice about explaining herself."

--

John walked with Laura until they were outside her quarters, noticing her unusual silence. It was quite unusual for them to walk without even saying a word, but he knew that she'd open up when she was ready; besides, if he tried to pry at whatever was bothering her, it would likely be fatal for all parties involved. She'll tell me when she's ready, he reminded himself.

"Make sure you stay in here, at least until they decide it's safe to let you out." She actually grinned at this.

"They're not going to warm up to me for a while, John, you know that. Besides, once we hit Earth I'll be a bit too busy to worry about what they think." Both of them shared a smile at that.

"I'm sure the twins will be glad to see you when you get back," he replied. "Speaking of getting back…" She knew him all too well; an understanding look flickered in her eyes, only to be replaced by amusement.

"Go on then," she smiled and shooed him off.

He had just reached the end of the corridor when she asked, her voice sounding a little worried, "How long before I lose it?"

Turning, he answered, "I don't know, but we're here if you need us."

Laura nodded, and he turned and went back to the command deck where he'd left Dr. Halsey and Chief Mendez.

--

"How long before I lose it?"

She couldn't answer that for sure herself, not really. She could only recall two previous occasions when her subconscious memories had taken hold, and each time it had been difficult for her to return to her one mind. Maybe that's how schizophrenia feels, only less so, she mused. The last time, though, she hadn't started spouting off in another language or lost her focus completely; it was more like she was walking in a dream, as if her own life was a dream and the dream was reality.

She could feel them, pushing against her consciousness. It was only a matter of time before the memories took hold and she was gone. Her control had gotten stronger, but the stimuli here were more powerful than anything she'd experienced previously. Alaya must have actually been here, she thought at the back of her mind.

"Alaya, child! I was not expecting you! Had I known you would be coming—"

"You would have prepared a reception that I did not desire, which is why I didn't tell you," the young woman replied with a smile. She pulled an older human woman into a strong hug. "I missed you, Myrnia."

"And I you, little one. You have grown since I saw you last. You look more like your dear mother every day." Myrnia stopped and regarded her with a keen look. "Your mother's grace and your father's will. You have a great future ahead of you, and are well on your way already."

"No, Myrnia, I don't desire a great destiny. Marin is the one destined for glory, not I."

"Be that as it may, you have the power to do great things, little one. After all, it is a rare thing when love and war mate, but when they do their offspring are limitless in their power." The older woman smiled, a faint glimmer of tears in her eyes. "But come, child, let me show you all we have accomplished since your last visit."

"Laura?" The low, gravelly voice brought her back to reality; looking to her left, she saw an armored head inclined quizzically in her direction. Opening a private COM channel, she replied to his unspoken question.

"I'll be fine, just give me a moment or two."

"What is it?" If I didn't know better, I'd say he was concerned, she mused.

"Memories. Alaya used to walk these corridors constantly, she had friends here, very dear friends. She came to visit whenever she could, and helped with whatever happened to be going on here." She sighed heavily. "I wasn't expecting this. Keep an eye on me, I don't know how long I'll be able to stay grounded."

"Explain yourself, Spartan." The sharp order earned him a glare he couldn't see, not through her helmet, but it gave her something to focus on; the memories were pulling her every which way.

"I'm not really sure myself, Chief. But from the looks of things, just being in a Forerunner structure is acting as a sort of stimulant for all these memories. It's going to get harder to keep focused, especially when we get in the science labs."

"Wait, did you say science labs?"

Laura nodded. "ONI is going to have a field day. This was a Forerunner science facility at one point, abandoned long before Halo was armed. I don't…Alaya didn't know why, she just knew it had been."

Two hours later, ONI gave them the go-ahead to leave the facility, and she breathed a sigh of relief. John noticed and commented on it.

"Care to explain what happened down there?" She looked down at her boots, and when she answered her voice was uncharacteristically quiet.

"Alaya's memories were beginning to take hold. It was as if I were wearing the circlet again, only stronger, more chaotic. So many memories, trying to pull me in so many directions…if we'd stayed longer I might've gone crazy." Laura fixed him with a strange look, one that seemed almost desperate. "If it ever happens again, promise me you'll deal with it before something happens. If I lose my mind…"

"You won't. Odds are we won't be going back anyway." John placed a comforting hand on her arm, and she allowed herself to doze off.

Laura shook herself free of the flashback, but continued to ponder the problem at hand. The longer she stayed onboard this ship, and in the company of these beings, the more risk there was of her losing herself to Alaya's memories. I should've stayed on the Aquilae, she thought.

With that bitter thought in mind, she plopped down on the bed and fell asleep.