Hey all! As promised, a nice lengthy chapter to make up for the tiny ones. Granted, some of the points in here might not make a lot of sense, but if something really slaps you as wrong let me know and I'll fix it. And the "twist of fate" will come into play a little more next chapter. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I own nothing from Halo.
Chapter Seventeen: Twist of Fate Part I
June 22, 2558 0610 hours
Blade's Bunkhouse
UNSC Reserve Base Camp Hayes
North America
She wandered through a clearing, a breeze lifting the ends of her hair off her back. Wait, why was her hair down? At least she was wearing her blacksuit, but her knives were missing. Someone was calling her name, but she couldn't hear them clearly.
I am glad you have come, she heard as a mirror image of herself appeared. Only this reflection wore a flowing green gown, and part of her hair was done in elaborate braids around her head while the rest flowed down her back.
Alaya? What are you doing here? Why am I even here?
I need you to listen, her reflection answered. I need you to help me.
You're dead, your memories are trying to take over my head. How do I know this isn't just your memories all over again?
I showed you the means of control, remember? I mean no harm to you, but I am growing desperate, even in death. You are the only one who can hear my call.
Wait, you're a ghost? And I'm suddenly psychic? This has got to be one of the weirdest dreams I've ever had.
No, you are not 'psychic', not in the sense that you think. It is the memories you hold which allow you to hear me, and allow me to connect with you now. I led you to the shield world, in time to meet the last of us, or did you think it was mere chance you remembered what was there?
I just thought…I don't know. She sighed and raked one hand through her hair. What do you want from me, Alaya?
I need you to listen to my words, young one. Her double began to fade, but she had one last thing to say.
Remember Stronghold.
Laura felt herself waking up, and for a minute wondered why she couldn't move. As the fog slowly cleared from her mind, she registered one arm draped across her body, a solid form against her back, and another arm underneath her head. She felt safe, the kind of safe feeling that only one person gave her, but wondered why she was in John's arms in her bed when she clearly remembered crying herself to sleep in the middle of her floor. Better get moving, as long as I don't wake him up doing so. Shifting carefully, she slowly began to lift his arm…
"Leaving already?" John murmured; Laura shot up like a rocket, whirling around to meet a pair of dark, penetrating eyes. He sat up slowly, still looking at her intently. Laura tried not to notice the fact that his torso was bare, even though the rest of him was still fully clothed.
"Does it matter? I can't really do anything anyway, not with the kids asleep. I just figured I'd get up and find something to occupy my time while you slept." Standing up and getting out of bed, she began rummaging around for a change of clothes. She'd just located one of her workout suits when John grabbed her and yanked her back.
"You're not going anywhere, Laura," he growled, pinning her down; on any other day she would've taken it as a challenge and an invitation, but not this time. The look in her lover's eyes meant he was serious, and that he meant business.
"Lorienna got a hold of us last night, once you collapsed and started yelling at yourself. Had I known you were having trouble I would've been here sooner."
"Had you even been here I wouldn't have collapsed," she hissed—her anger was irrational, and part of her knew it, but she lashed out anyway. "Had you been here I would've been able to maintain some semblance of reality, rather than been hearing voices from someone who's supposed to be dead!"
"Then why didn't you say you needed me?" he shot back. "Why didn't you tell me you were slipping again? That you were in trouble?" She saw the unspoken question in his eyes, the one he couldn't bring himself to ask. Why didn't you trust me enough to tell me? Laura felt herself wilting, knowing he was right but still afraid to admit it.
"You were happy, I had no right to get in the way of that." It was an excuse, they both knew it, but she couldn't tell him the truth. Not when I'm not ready to believe it myself. "Besides, you weren't around to tell."
"That's bullshit and you know it. Now do you want to tell me, or do I call in your mother and General West?" John watched her wince at what he knew was a low blow, but he was bound and determined to get some answers.
"Fine, I'll talk, just get off me," she grumbled. John rolled to the side and let her sit up, but he kept a firm grip on her arm.
She started with the events two months ago, and the memory that had brought them to the Zeta Doradus system, and going through every memory since then: flashes of Alaya's life, strange dream encounters, ending with the dream she had had just that morning. John simply sat there and listened, but she knew that even for her, with her many paranoid thoughts that people were after her (never mind that more often than not she was right) this took the cake as one of the most screwy ideas she'd ever had. Say something, you dim-witted, all brawn no brain…Spartan! She couldn't take it, him just sitting there and looking at her, and turned away—she wasn't very good at admitting when she was wrong, or dealing with personal problems like this.
"Go ahead, say it. You think I'm crazy," she muttered resignedly.
"I would, if it weren't for the fact that you and I have both worn that circlet thing—I know for a fact that we both have memories like that. Plus the Forerunners did have a talent for bending space and time."
"I know—saw the report on that crystal." She found herself smiling a bit when he reacted, even though he knew about her hacking skills. "But this doesn't match up, not really—how can someone be bending time when they're dead? And why me and not one of her own people?"
"The memories," John answered. "You have her memories, so it makes sense you'd get the most contact. And the Forerunners were in another dimension entirely, so any ghost wouldn't have known where to find them."
"Alaya would have," Laura reminded him. "She designed the shield-worlds, with help from a number of other scientists, so she could've found a way." She sighed, raking her hand through her hair, an all-too-common gesture when she was rattled. "None of this makes any sense."
John couldn't say anything; for one thing, he didn't know where to begin, and for another, it was doubtful Laura would listen to him. When it came to solving her own problems, she preferred to do it by herself. Which usually meant she either shoved them aside or repressed them altogether, as he'd learned the hard way over time.
Laura sighed again, giving up on any hope that he'd say anything, and pulled her arm out of his grip. Getting up, she started pacing the room—yet another nervous habit of hers when she was trying to figure something out. She stopped halfway through her fourth round around the room and looked at him.
"Just curious, how did I end up in bed? I seem to recall being curled up in a ball on the floor in the living area." She noticed John shift, an almost subtle motion that said he was nervous.
"As I said, Lorienna got in touch with us; I came as soon as I could without getting caught. She'd unlocked everything beforehand, and when I got in you'd passed out." He looked her in the eye and Laura noticed he was definitely uncomfortable; in fact, he looked almost upset, if such a thing could be said of a Spartan.
"I must've looked pretty messed up, if I scared you that badly," Laura smiled her trademark half-smile, but her eyes were sad. "John, you look rattled, and when even I can see it there's a problem. How bad was I?"
John sighed. "You were shaking and crying, even though you were asleep, and you kept telling someone to get out and leave you alone. I had to carry you to bed." He got up and walked over to her, putting his hands on her shoulders. "I've never seen you like this, like you'd just given up. And in all honesty, it scared the hell out of me; even the Covenant didn't scare me that badly."
Laura really didn't know what to say to that—for once any flippant retorts had left her. She had no reassurance, no smart comments, absolutely nothing. All she could do was whisper, "I'm sorry." Fortunately, an opening door cut off any further conversation.
"Anyone alive in here?" Kelly called jokingly.
"Shit, she's gonna wake the kids," Laura hissed right before bolting…well, attempting to bolt, considering she turned and ran smack-dab into the doorframe. "Ow," she muttered sardonically right before Fred stuck his head in the door.
"Better get out here, before Kelly and the kids destroy your kitchen," he joked. Laura rubbed the fresh sore spot on her right arm before darting to the kitchen.
"She doing okay?" Fred asked; John nodded.
"For now she's fine," he answered. "Later on, though, who knows?"
The two shared a chuckle when Laura's voice interrupted their conversation, yelling:
"How on earth do you plan to make scrambled eggs by using chocolate syrup?"
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June 22, 2558 0932 hours
Blade's Bunkhouse
UNSC Reserve Base Camp Hayes
North America
Bless Nicole's heart, Laura thought as she waved goodbye to her two troublemakers. When Laura had called Nicole and asked for her help, she gladly offered to take Sam and Kelly swimming while Laura explained a few things. Unfortunately, this meant she had one less friendly face to stand by her when she faced Dr. Halsey and the other Spartans. Though in all honesty, I think Nick would've agreed with them more than me—keeping them in the dark was not one of my brighter moves, but what else could I have done, really? Years of being watched and trying to keep one step ahead of ONI had caused her to be really untrustworthy; she really tried to trust other people, but when the shit hit the fan she went back to her old habits.
"Y'know, stalling like this isn't going to help matters," Lorienna interrupted her musings. The AI sounded upset, and Laura couldn't blame her.
"I know, but you of all people should know why I'm stalling," she replied. She sighed, fiddling with the ends of her brown hair. "I'm really not looking forward to this."
"No, but you've got to get it over with," Lorienna pointed out.
"I know that too." Sighing again, Laura turned to the living area, and the eleven people waiting for answers. Thirteen, if you count Lorienna and Cortana, but I don't know if Cortana is listening. Wouldn't surprise me if she was though.
She walked into the living area, noticing the various faces and their expressions: curiosity from the SPARTAN-IIIs, concern from Dr. Halsey, borderlined-hostility from Mendez, and grim looks from the SPARTAN-IIs. John in particular looked uneasy, though she could see he'd calmed down somewhat.
"I'm not going to defend myself—I screwed up, and I don't doubt your opinions of me have dropped considerably because of it." Best to get this over as quickly as possible, she thought. "I'm sure you have a ton of questions, so go ahead and ask them—it'll be easier that me trying to explain everything all at once."
"We know you've been losing it," Ash opened; Laura winced but didn't throw back an answer. "You had to've known something was going on, so why didn't you say anything?"
Laura shifted, not entirely sure how to answer it. Figures they'd ask the hardest question first. "Well, first off, would you admit to anyone if you were starting to lose your mind? I've had ONI after me since I turned 14 and the SPARTAN project started being successful—any hint that I can't hold my own anymore and I'm dead, which is one risk I can't afford to take. Second, I wasn't sure I wanted to admit it to myself. Some truths you don't want to accept, no matter how many times they come back to haunt you. Third, I'm not exactly the type to ask for help, in case you haven't noticed."
"And fourth?" Lorienna prodded. "I know you aren't telling us everything—hell, I know you."
"Then if you know me so well, you'll know why I'm stopping at three and let it be," Laura growled. She really doesn't want us to know something, Kelly thought.
"Tough shit," Lorienna shot back. "Either you tell them, or I will. They deserve to know, they need to know, and I think they've earned the right to know." Laura scowled at the AI, but she met the glare without flinching.
"Fine, but that means no upgrades for the next month," she grumbled, but everyone knew it was an empty threat; she couldn't afford to not keep Lorienna ahead of everything else. "Fourth…" she swallowed, and everyone in the room could tell this was one thing she didn't want them to hear.
"I'm…I'm afraid," Laura finally whispered. She closed her eyes, as if by doing that she could pretend they weren't there, that they weren't judging her. "I'm scared half to death by all this, by the thought that one of these days I'll wake up and not be me anymore. I guess I thought if I kept quiet things could go on as usual, just for a little longer. Thought I could pretend nothing was wrong." There, now it's out, nothing I can do anymore. She waited for the condemnation, for movement, for anything.
"And you can't show fear?" Tom asked. She nodded, but it was Lorienna who explained.
"By showing any emotion besides anger or carelessness, she gives ONI a potential weapon. They've studied her for years, they know how they could get to her, and they've tried just about every tactic they could. It got to the point where Laura had to wear a mask just so no one could read her; it became a shield of sorts."
Laura still didn't look at any of them; in fact, she looked down and opened her eyes rather than look at them. Pretty sad that I'm too ashamed to even look John in the face. A pair of boots came toward her, and she felt a heavy hand on her left shoulder; she winced instinctively as the old scar flared up.
"Fear's normal, this situation isn't," Kelly reminded her; Laura saw another pair of boots approach and heard Linda add, "We just want to know, so we can help."
Laura shrugged. "I doubt there's anything any of us can do. There's a lot more going on here, more than I can even understand."
"Please explain, then," Dr. Halsey requested. Laura, for the second time in one morning, launched into her unusual dream from the night before. She also pointed out the strange voice that had been asking if there was anyone listening to her.
"I don't get it," she finished. "There's no possible reason for this to be happening, no trigger, and no way a ghost could reach this far and affect me. And why just me, rather than one of the other Forerunners?"
"Hard to say," Dr. Halsey mused. "But I know someone we'll be able to ask in a few days." Laura's head shot up. "Arisaya and her friend Arnyris will be arriving to discuss an upcoming assignment; we can ask them then."
"Joy, more people who get to fret about my mental state," Laura muttered, holding one hand to her forehead. "Bad enough that Mom worries about my physical health 24/7. Dammital, when's it going to end?"
"When you stop hiding things?" Lorienna quipped.
"Not helping," she growled. Turning to an eastern window, Laura found herself facing the ruins of the old camp—you could see them well from this window, and more often than not she felt guilt when she looked at them. Now, though, she felt indifference.
"'Remember Stronghold,' she said," she muttered. "What in hell's half acre is that supposed to mean?"
"Stronghold?" Laura turned to see Lorienna eyeing her with interest, but it had been Dr. Halsey who had spoken.
"In the dream, the last thing Alaya said to me was 'Remember Stronghold'. I'm assuming it's something important, but it could be anything."
"Well, let's let it be for now," the doctor decided. "Right now I think you and John have some talking to do—and you need to relax a bit before you do snap." Her expression softening, she added: "You can come to me, if you need to."
"Mom keeps saying the same thing," Laura smiled. "But thanks anyway."
"You're welcome." Goodbyes were said and everyone departed…well, almost everyone. Lorienna never left, and John had stayed near one of the chairs. Once Laura had closed the door he grabbed one arm and dragged her to her bedroom.
"Promise me you'll never do something stupid like that again," he growled, yanking her against him; the look on Laura's face was a combination of annoyance and resignation.
"You know better than to ask me to make promises like that," she replied, half-heartedly pushing at his chest. "I don't make promises I can't keep."
"Not even when your safety is on the line?" he yelled; Laura winced as his grip tightened. "You're so concerned about protecting everyone, well now it's time to protect yourself too! It's not just you that's affected anymore—what happens when Sam and Kelly find out their mother's been hurt, or worse? They can't lose you, I can't lose you!"
Laura opened her mouth to reply, but shut it immediately: John wasn't in the mood to argue, and in any case he was right. Still, though, he wasn't acting himself.
"What's gotten into you, John? You're about as nuts as I am at the moment."
"Gee, maybe the fact that you didn't tell anyone you were slipping, and I almost lost you?" He lowered his head and kissed her fiercely; Laura could tell he was as scared as she had been, if not more so. "I can't lose you," he whispered into her mouth, kissing her again.
"I'm not planning on being lost," she answered. John pulled her down onto the bed, and for awhile the two of them drew comfort from each other.
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"You take too many risks, Alaya!"
The young scientist flinched at hearing the captain's tone, but outwardly she maintained her cool composure.
"Are you concerned for the well-being of the ringworld's citizenry, Captain, or simply worried that the new weapon modifications will not be finished?" she answered tartly. "Either way, your concerns are unfounded. I am more than capable of holding my own." Her younger brother's commanding officer scowled.
"Were you under my command, I would have you disciplined for insubordination," he began, but she interrupted him.
"Then it is good that I am not, Captain. Now if you would be so kind as to depart, I can finish these upgrades all the more quickly." Turning back to her work, she thought that was the end of the matter. Corin, however, seemed to have other ideas: grabbing her upper arm, he swung her around, and he was suddenly much too close for her liking.
"First you fight the Flood alone, then lock yourself in a room with one to save your brother Marin, now you propose to test a toxin against them alone? When does it end, Alaya? When do you stop putting yourself at risk?"
"When Marin is safe, as I promised my father on his deathbed," she answered, trying to free herself from his grasp; Corin held firm.
"And what about your own safety, alaya?" he whispered. Pulling her close, he kissed her fiercely, a kiss that set her mind reeling and nearly brought her to her knees. Pulling away, he softly brushed the side of her face with his free hand.
"Marin is not the only one who cares for you," Corin whispered before he turned and left the laboratory. She stood and watched him go, her mind still reeling from his kiss.
"He is right, young one," Thaddeus's voice interrupted her musings. "You put yourself at risk far to often. There is no reason for it."
"I know, Thaddeus," she replied, her voice shaking. "But if I am forced to fight for my life, then I need not think of all I could lose."
Laura shot bolt upright, waking from a nap she never intended to take; to her left, John sat up with concern.
"Laura, what happened?"
"I…I had a dream, or was it a memory? I don't know anymore," she sighed. Seeing the question already on his face, she volunteered, "Alaya was planning another test, some sort of poison. She was going to go in alone and introduce it to Flood specimens, and Corin was arguing about it with her. He…he was trying to convince her not to go, or at least not to go alone." Tears began to gather in the corners of her eyes, and she turned away; she hated it when people saw her cry.
"Sounds like Corin and I have a few things in common," John commented. "Both you and Alaya seem too stubborn for your own good."
"Thanks for the reminder," she grumbled. Leaning forward, she rested her head in her hands. "I don't know how much more of this I can take."
"Arisaya will be here in a few days," John reminded her. "You can ask her advice then."
"I may not have a few days, John. For all we know it could be tomorrow that I snap for good."
"Don't give up yet. Besides, from the sounds of things this ghost or spirit or whatever it is had no idea what it was doing. Maybe it'll scale things back now that it realizes what it's doing to you."
"Maybe, but I'm not holding out much hope," Laura finished, shaking her head. In her mind, though, the beginnings of a plan were forming. Crazy, but she said she meant no danger. And besides, I put it on and she showed me how to control the memories, so it should work.
John noticed the change in her expression; when she started staring off into space you could practically see the wheels turning in her head.
"Laura, please tell me you're not planning something crazy."
"Crazy or not, it may be my only shot. You weren't there, but I know you heard about how I finally managed to get control. And you're right, Alaya doesn't mean any harm."
"If you put that thing on…" John began, but Laura cut him off.
"Then I run the risk of losing it altogether, I know. But I have to do something, John. 'Sides, I have the feeling that this is the right course." She smirked wryly. "You're not gonna talk me out of this one, hotshot."
"I know," John sighed. "But I'm going with you. Someone needs to be there to keep you grounded. And you should at least tell Lorienna and Dr. Halsey."
"Lorienna already knows, considering she's been listening the whole time. As far as Dr. Halsey…" Laura paused, turning so she could look him dead in the eye. "Can we trust her?"
"I'd trust her with my life."
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June 23, 2558 0012 hours
Spartan Barracks
UNSC Reserve Base Camp Hayes
North America
Laura slipped in the door, a small silver circlet clutched tightly in her hands. Lucy shut the door behind her before taking up a position near one window. The other windows were manned by Fred, Tom, Ash, and Kelly. Linda and John were waiting with Dr. Halsey.
"I can't believe I let you talk me into this," Laura muttered, surrendering the circlet to Dr. Halsey.
"It's safer for you if we do this here," the doctor answered. "Besides, I for one would like to see the effect of this for myself."
"Sorry to disappoint then, Doc, but you won't see much. I don't start muttering or anything, just stare off into space."
"We're taking no chances," Mendez growled. "If this sends you insane, we need people who can handle you."
Laura scowled, but couldn't argue the point. "Let's just get this over with," she sighed. She lay down on one of the beds, and Dr. Halsey slid the circlet on her head. Feeling the tug at the back of her mind, she closed her eyes:
"Alaya, why do you hide yourself like this?" The question came from her brother's wife, Eilinn, now heavy with Marin's child.
"What do you mean, Eilinn? I do not hide myself," she replied.
"You do not fool me, Alaya. I can see the hurt, and the fear. You hide yourself in your work, but I do not understand why."
"Naryse put you up to this, didn't she?" Alaya frowned.
"Actually, I am doing this on my own. Now will you tell me?"
Alaya sighed and turned to face Eilinn, making no effort to hide her grief. "When our father died I promised him that I would watch over Marin and protect him. I have devoted my entire life to this task, even with my many accomplishments in the sciences. But now…now I want more."
"Corin?" Eilinn smiled. "Naryse and I can see how he looks at you, and Marin has told me many times that you are both well-suited for each other."
"I cannot bind to him, Eilinn, not if I would keep my word. If I am to protect Marin I cannot allow myself any distractions. The only luxury I allow myself is dancing for the festivals, which serves more to clear my head than anything."
"I do not think your father meant for you to waste your life, Alaya." Eilinn murmured. "But it does not answer my question. Why do you hide yourself? Are you afraid of Corin?"
"Of Corin, no, at least no more than any other man," she answered. "I am afraid of my heart—I cannot allow myself to feel, and yet I fear I am already too late. I also fear for him, as much as you fear for Marin when he is away."
"To love is to risk, Alaya, and I would not trade my time for Marin for the world."
Laura felt herself smiling briefly; young Eilinn was wiser than her years. Then the memory changed:
"Alaya, child, I must speak with you." The elderly San 'Shyuum hobbled into the lab; an accident had left him with an injured leg.
"I am here, Thaddeus," she called, moving closer. Setting down a vial of viscous green liquid, she moved to help him to a chair. "I thought the healers said you should stay off your leg."
"This is more important than my wound, young one," Thaddeus insisted. He handed her a small data chip. "Listen to this."
Alaya frowned, but saw the seriousness in the old scientist's expression. Sliding the chip into a data receptacle, she played the transmission. An elderly human woman appeared on the projector, wavering in a static-filled transmission.
"This is…research facility…Stronghold…emergency situation…we are under attack! Request deployment…evacuation…" The broadcast broke for a moment, ending with a frantic cry:
"Please help us!"
"This was received minutes ago, from one of our research outposts on the Outer Rim," Thaddeus muttered. "The High Council has ordered the military to mobilize."
"Do we know what happened there, old one?" Alaya asked.
"No, as you saw the transmission was weak. But by now there is little hope that anyone is still alive." Thaddeus noticed her pale face, and that her hand shook when she reached to turn off the holo projector. "Are you well, young one?"
"The woman…the woman who sent this…she was an old friend, and a dear one," ALaya murmured.
Laura opened her eyes and sat up, rubbing her temples; a headache was beginning to set in. That was informative, she thought.
"Did you learn anything?" Dr. Halsey asked.
"A few things, but I'll wait until I have all the pieces before I jump in headfirst," she answered. "Stronghold was a Forerunner world, there were Forerunners there, but beyond that I couldn't say much more."
"Then we had better hope Arisaya can help to fill in the blanks," John interjected, resting one hand on her shoulder; Laura was glad for the support, but refrained from showing it.
"Let's hope so."
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June 25, 2558 1221 hours
UNSC Reserve Base Camp Hayes
North America
Laura was waiting near the landing pads as the Pelican came in from Sydney; she had volunteered to escort the ONI group to a conference area for debriefing. Right on time, as only ONI can be, she thought. Still, she had to admit it would be good to see Arisaya again.
The dropship landed smoothly, and an ONI lieutenant led the way down the ramp. Behind him were a Sangheili, a Jiralhanae, a San 'Shyuum, and a human: judging by their fancy robes these were members of the High Council. Behind them were two young humans, both of whom she recognized.
"Arisaya!" she called, and the young scientist turned and hurried forward.
"I am glad to see you are well, Laura," the young scientist greeted.
"And I you, young one. ONI hasn't hurt you yet, and you appear to have grown a little more." Her dark eyes flicked over to the Council members nearby, who looked both shocked and disgusted. "I seem to have irritated the Council, though why they're here is beyond me. From what I remember most Council members prefer to issue orders rather than deliver them personally."
"They insisted on coming, once ONI revealed the mission. It…it is a scouting mission on a world we had long forgotten."
Laura noticed Arisaya seemed uncomfortable. "Which world?"
The young scientist hesitated a moment before replying, "Stronghold."