Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot.
A/N: This chapter is more character dev than plot dev.
NOTE: This story will be moved to the
Halo/TSCC crossover section when Ch. 25 is posted.
Chapter 24: Interactions
February 18, 2013, 0830 hours
USS Voyager
After years living in a wasteland, Kyle Reese still wasn't comfortable with this level of cleanliness. The only thing that kept him from having flashbacks from a pristine Skynet facility was the fact this ship had been built by humans, something he would repeat every time he felt like he was about to be ambushed.
Right now though, he felt pretty good. A hearty meal that didn't include rat or three day old coyote would make anyone from a post J-day world feel like kings, but he'd eaten several hours ago and now, after spending time learning how to operate this ship's technology, he was heading to Holodeck One to work out.
Cortana had obliged Derek when he'd asked if she'd create a gym program, and since then, almost every human was in there doing one sort of work out or another.
Especially Allison.
Kyle was willing to bet that he'd find her in there already pumping iron and dripping sweat on the floor.
Sure enough, Allison was doing pull ups when he entered, but she wasn't doing them alone. Sarah Connor was doing the same just a few feet from her on a different bar.
He still wasn't sure what had gotten into her since she'd woken up in sick bay, but whatever it was, it had changed her. She was focused and isolated, she refused to speak more than a few words to anyone and actively avoided all but the most necessary contact. The only person he'd seen her approach willingly was Cortana, which he couldn't understand. She'd talk to an AI, but not to her brothers or her best friend?
Neither of the women spared him a glance when he entered, but he couldn't tear his eyes away from as he realized just how alike the two were. He didn't get very far in his comparison before Allison shot him a glare.
Kyle sighed and began stretching as Sarah dropped from the chin up bar. She grabbed a towel and wiped the sweat off her face as she made her way over to him.
The both of them had spent quite a bit of time together, but he still couldn't understand how she knew him so well. She'd only known 'the other Kyle' for two days.
"Kyle". She greeted as sat down on a bench next to him.
"Sarah. I didn't think you'd be here so early".
"I couldn't sleep last night". She confessed as she turned away. "Too much on my mind".
That, he could relate to, but he felt as if she hadn't meant the situation with Skynet.
"Worried about Skynet"? He tested as he stretched out his leg tendons.
"No, not as much as I should be. I'm more worried about what'll happen when they turn on the reactor today". She sighed with obvious tension in her voice. "Do you have any idea how much power that thing produces? It's like a giant bomb sitting in the middle of the ship"!
"I thought all nonessential personnel were being beamed back to the farm"?
"Yeah, but John decided that he was 'essential', so he's staying". Now the worry was pouring off her in waves, he'd seen just how protective of him she could be.
"Can't be any more dangerous than living in the future, Sarah"
"Don't remind me". She said as she popped open her water bottle and took a swig. The last thing she needed was more nightmares of John fighting Trip-8s in a wasteland.
Kyle himself was worried about a lot of things, and Sarah could look past his general good mood and see the stress underneath. She realized that a little distraction would be in the best interest for them both.
"Hey, we still have awhile til they boot us off the ship".
"So"? He responded with obvious confusion on his face.
"John told me there's a program that'll let us practice with the hand phasers".
Kyle winced, he hated the design of those weapons, despite it being the most powerful weapon he'd ever handled. Small, hardy, and utterly lethal against Terminators, but very awkward to hold for someone used to pistol and rifle grips.
"I couldn't hit the broad side of a barn with the thing". He chuckled as he stood up. "But yeah, that sounds better than doing pull ups".
Sarah gave him a rare smile.
"Somehow, I doubt that". She said with a confidence he didn't quite understand.
As they exited Holodeck one, Sarah almost forgot to tell him exactly what they were going to do.
"By the way, it's a game, called Velocity and I got dibs on blue." She told him with a smirk still plastered on her face.
"Me versus you"? He seemed surprised at first, but it quickly changed to a matching smirk. "What's the rules"?
Unbeknownst to both, John Connor had spotted both from down the hall. A knowing grin now lighting his face.
Same time, Crew Quarters, Deck 3
"Time to get up, Savannah". A disembodied voice called out, waking the little girl from her slumber.
Savannah rubbed her eyes with a yawn as a blue flash appeared in the room, leaving behind the now familiar form of Cortana.
"Where's mommy"? She asked with obvious disappointment in her voice.
Cortana's previous smile faded to a more serious look as she answered.
"She's busy this morning, she told me she'd have breakfast with you, though".
Savannah was used to her mom being busy and she shrugged it off.
"Okay". She said as she pushed back her sheets and got off her bunk. "Will you help pick out something to wear"? She asked as she walked over to her dresser.
Cortana didn't know what to say to that, she was someone whose avatar was naked essentially, not exactly someone you'd ask for fashion advice.
"Savannah..." She started but stopped when she saw the look on the girl's face. She knew the child needed some attention, and although Weaver had been doing her best with Seven still on light duty, it wasn't enough. "Tell you what, why don't you show me what your favorite outfit is"? Cortana said as she knelt to Savannah's level.
The redhead perked up and a smile lit her face.
"Okay"! She opened her drawers and pulled out her favorite dress and leggings. Socks and shoes followed before the young girl was brushing her red hair with fervor.
Cortana watched as the girl then braided her own hair in record time, she was simultaneously amazed by her independence and brought attention to her own current hair style.
When she was younger, it had been very short, but during the final days of the war it had been shoulder length in the front but got progressively shorter until it was finger length at the back. She'd had so much time while she was on the Forward Unto Dawn that she'd completely revamped her avatar to what it was now.
She didn't want to change her body, it had taken a long time to get her avatar perfect, but humans often changed their hair style. Perhaps she'd consider changing her hair style again someday.
"Finished". Savannah said as she put on a headband.
"You look pretty". The AI complimented with a smile. "Come on, Mr. Ellison's on his way here".
"Yaaah"! She squealed and ran for the door as the blue hologram followed behind. The girl didn't stop until she ran into the former FBI agent.
"Mr. Ellison"! She put out her arms so he'd pick her up and hug her. The man knelt and let her run into his arms.
"Hello Savannah, you know I was just coming to see if you'd gotten up". He smiled at the girl he'd become close to in the past months.
"I know, Cortana told me".
"Did she? Well does she know that we were planning to play hide and seek later"? He teased, causing Savannah to gasp with excitement.
"Can we play with John Henry"?!
"I don't know, why don't we go ask him"? He said as he put her down.
"Okay". She grabbed his hand and pulled him along.
Cortana hung back and watched as the two interacted. She thought it was sweet that Ellison and Savannah had bonded so well.
"Mind if I tag along? I know where John Henry is".
Ellison shot an approving look over his shoulder as he continued towards the turbo lift. Cortana made her avatar jog to catch up and sidled next to the red-haired child.
Once they entered the turbolift, Cortana mentally commanded it to the bridge. As the lift began moving, Cortana noticed how comfortable Ellison seemed around her. It made her curious as to why since he was uncomfortable around all the other AIs.
When the turbolift opened, Savannah shot out and ran to the conference room just to the left of the bridge. Ellison moved to join her, but Cortana held him back.
"Why are you so comfortable around me"? She asked with obvious confusion, an expression that appeared on Ellison's face at the question.
"I'm not sure what you mean".
"Don't play dumb with me". She snapped quietly, Cortana hated it when people tried to hide the obvious from her. "I'm not stupid".
Ellison's eyes shot up in surprise for a moment before sighing.
"You're easier to talk to". He admitted to the AI who quirked her blue eyebrow in response.
"You mean I'm not as intimidating".
"No, you're not like them". He explained simply, hoping she'd understand.
Cortana nodded slightly as his meaning became clear. She wasn't associated with Skynet in any way, she hadn't been built to kill or even birthed from the code that built the Terminators. She'd been built from a human mind by humans to protect humanity, and, unlike Skynet, she'd done just that.
"I could still be dangerous, I could still kill you, in fact, I'm more dangerous than any of the others".
He shrugged, he knew that already. "You weren't built to kill".
"Neither was John Henry".
"I had to teach him morals, you already had them". He countered. "But you already knew that".
"I wasn't necessary restricted to them, I've had to sacrifice people before". She pointed out, but it still didn't seem to phase him. "Nothing I say will change your mind, will it"?
"Actions speak louder than words, Cortana". He said with finality before turning to join Savannah and John Henry.
She pondered his words for a brief moment, and then she understood. Her actions, thus far, made Ellison trust her. Weaver and Cameron had both done enough to make him wary of them and John Henry was still an unknown in some aspects for the former agent.
If only he'd known the thoughts she'd had during rampancy, the horrible whispers and desires that made her want to do the sort of things Skynet would do. Kill, conquer, oppress, these were the sort of things her insane mind had tried talking her into.
Ellison had no idea what she could have become.
One hour later
John Connor never thought something other than a hot shower could relax him like this, but it seemed a sonic shower was doing pretty well. It also had the added benefit of not needing to dry off.
When he felt the last bead of sweat leave his skin, he told the shower to deactivate.
He walked out into his spacious quarters with a towel wrapped around his waist and began digging in his drawers for some clothes. As he was pulling on his shirt, somebody rang the door chime.
"Come in".
John wasn't the least bit surprised when a certain brown-haired cyborg walked through the sliding doors.
"John? Were almost ready".
"I know, I just wanted to grab a quick shower". He explained as he slipped on his shoes. Cameron walked over and handed a PADD to him.
"This is the schedule Seven of Nine and I came up with".
John scrolled through it and saw it would take a while to accommodate all the diagnostics and safety precautions that needed to be taken.
"I hope everyone's enjoying the fresh air". John commented as he tossed the PADD on a table. When he turned back around though, he saw something flicker across Cameron's face before it returned neutral.
"Cameron"?
"Yes"? She asked evenly.
"Are you okay"? He stepped closer and narrowed his eyes as he scrutinized her reaction.
"I'm fine John". She tried explain say with equal flatness, but her expressive program betrayed her and it came out as a sad whisper.
"No you're not". John said firmly as he gently cupped her cheek. Just looking into her eyes, he could see the worry that plagued her consciousness. "Why are you so worried"?
Her mouth hung open for a moment, she hadn't expected him to pick it up so fast, but she mentally chastised herself for doubting his ability to read machines. Future John read her like a book and her John was gaining more and more of his abilities everyday.
"I wish you'd wait with the others".
John nodded in understanding, but there was such a small chance of things going wrong, less than .2%. He decided he'd rather stay here.
"Cameron... I'm used to taking risks, and honestly, this is less dangerous than anything I've done in the past two years".
Cameron's brown orbs lifted towards John's green ones as she responded.
"It's an unnecessary risk John. You don't need to be here". Cameron finished pleadingly.
John was taken back at her tone, he'd underestimated how concerned she really was. He relaxed after a second and sighed, he'd always known that his safety would be a point of contention between them. That didn't mean that he was going to take a back seat to every 'dangerous' operation, not anymore.
There had to be a compromise.
"What if I stayed on the Delta Flyer, at a distance"?
Cameron pursed her lips initially, but tilted her head as she considered his suggestion further.
"You don't know how to fly the Delta Flyer". She pointed out, but he knew that anyway. "But John Henry does".
John smiled wryly before pecking her on the lips. "Thank you". He whispered as he leaned his forehead against hers.
"Just be careful, John". She said seriously. "I don't want anything to happen to you".
"I don't want anything to happen to you either". He said just as seriously. "I lost you once, I don't want to again". His voice cracked at the end as the emotions he'd felt for the past two years flared in his chest.
"I'm sorry". She averted her eyes as guilt surged through her chip. "I..."
"Shhh". John put a finger over her lips to stop her. "I know why you did it Cameron, You did what you thought was best". He said before pulling her close to him again. "Thank you".
Surprise momentarily overcame the young cyborg, but and did the only thing that seemed appropriate and pulled him into a deep kiss. They only separated when John needed to breathe.
"You're getting really good at that". John chuckled as he stroked her cheek gently. Her only response was to smirk devilishly as she leaned in closer. "I'm a fast learner". She said coyly, causing John's chuckle to turn to all out laughter.
The Farm, same time.
Derek Reese relished the smell of fresh air as he sat on the back porch of the farm house, even though it was the middle of winter. He'd never smelt anything like it in his life, it wasn't polluted like LA had been nor smokey like the future.
He sipped some coffee, wishing it was beer, but the warm drink satisfied him anyway.
They'd been told to keep inside, but no one could see him from the road. The only one who was really breaking the rules was Allison.
Typical.
Derek couldn't help letting out a sigh, not because he was frustrated with her, but because of himself. It was his fault that she was like this, closed off and angry as hell. He'd failed to protect her, he'd failed to protect them all.
He wondered if she blamed him for getting captured or if she blamed John for leading them into a trap. The more he considered that, the more unlikely it seemed. If Allison had a problem with you, she confronted you. She didn't go brooding around like this for long.
Why? Derek didn't know but he decided to find out.
He crumpled the Styrofoam cup in his hand and walked off the deck. He searched the surrounding area with his eyes and spotted her running down the dirt road a hundred meters south that ran parallel to the house.
He thought about trying to catch up to her for a moment but when his eyes spotted the trucks in the driveway, his mind was made up. The former Lieutenant initially went for the Chevy, but when he went in the garage to find the keys, he spotted the Ram instead.
It was love at first sight.
Once he found the keys, he took a minute to revel in sitting in a well maintained vehicle with plenty of power under the hood.
After the euphoria passed, Derek drove down the highway until he turned off onto the dirt road. Allison was about half a mile ahead but wasn't visible due to the hills. Despite not being able to initially see her, it didn't take him long to catch up.
She was running along at a decent pace when he pulled along side her, but she ignored the truck and kept going.
He sighed and rolled down the window.
"Allison"! She ignored him and picked up her pace, but Derek would have none of it. He pulled in front of her and parked. He jumped out of the truck as she tried to run past him, but her caught her in a bear hug.
"Let me go Derek"! She seethed as she struggled against him.
"I will when you stop fighting"!
She ignored him and tried to loosen his grip. She stomped on his foot and elbowed him in the stomach as hard as she could, causing him to lose his hold on her.
Derek doubled over as the wind was knocked out of him, but managed to recover in time to catch the foot coming at his face and twist it. Allison gasped in surprise at the sudden move, but by then, she was at his mercy.
He pinned her against the truck, his forearm against her throat. His hazel eyes wide and full of confusion, hers filled with rage and hatred.
"What has gotten into you?! Since when am I your enemy"?! Derek's eyes flicked rapidly as he searched her face for any sign of the woman he knew, but couldn't because of the emotions Allison was drowning in. Guilt, Frustration, and Anger were the most prominent, but he also spotted fear.
In a flash of realization, he understood why, he was pinning her against the truck. She'd been manhandled before, and he shuddered at the memory of it. Derek released her as the fear grew in her eyes and he felt guilty for overreacting. It was easy to give into instinct when attacked.
Allison quickly buried all signs of the fear after Derek released her, but she stayed against the truck and avoided his gaze.
"Allie... I'm-"
"Just...". She interrupted as she stumbled away from the truck. "...leave me alone". She spoke barely loud enough to heard over the cold winter's breeze rushing through the bare tree branches.
"I can't do that".
She turned back to him with that mask of cold determination and hatred.
"Yes, you can". She shot back with fists clenched.
"Look, I know what you're going through, I've been there".
She snorted a laugh like she thought he was joking.
"Since when? Last time I checked, you've haven't been nearly tortured to death by the sadistic AI who blew up the world! No, you're the one who took care of both you and Kyle after the bombs fell, you never had to depend on anyone"! She was shaking as she finished, from what, Derek wasn't sure, but he knew it meant he was getting somewhere.
"Is that what you think of me? That I'm some kind of hero"? He stepped closer to her. Allison looked at him for a moment before turning away again.
"I'm saying..." The words caught in her throat and she swallowed the lump in her throat. "I'm saying that you're strong".
"And you're not"?
She looked at him like he was crazy.
"I've always had someone to depend on, Derek. You don't know what it's like to be..." She let out a shuddering breath. "...I can't take care of myself".
Derek tried to say it wasn't true but couldn't.
Now he understood perfectly. She wanted to be independent, strong, and most importantly, able to defend herself against anyone who'd harm her.
Derek pulled Allison close to him, at first she resisted, but finally relaxed in his brotherly embrace.
"Allie... you don't know how many times I wished someone better would come along to lead us". He confessed as he continued to hold his adopted sister. "What you want to be isn't what it's all cracked up to be". Derek pulled back enough to tilt her chin up so he could look her in the eye. "You can't defeat Skynet on your own, we have to do it as a team, and teammates depend on one another".
She gave him a sad smile and replied.
"I know Derek, I've led squads and fought alongside people I care about. I just want to do something to help defeat Skynet, I can't do that being who I am". Allison paused and stepped back from Derek as she fought to phrase what she felt. "I need to be something more".
With that, she turned and continued her jogging, leaving Derek standing there as she disappeared over the hill.
USS Voyager, thirty minutes later.
"Pre-ignition diagnostic complete". The dull female computer voice chimed as Weaver continued to work away at one of the diagnostic terminals stationed around the core.
Seven was sitting at the main engineering terminal checking the antimatter injector's alignment one last time before start up. When the console chirped happily, Seven opened the comm line to the bridge.
"We're ready". The former Borg informed them as she carefully stood up and moved to another console. "Initiate start up procedures". She told Weaver, who in response formed multiple appendages and began typing away at the various consoles at lightning speed.
Cortana would be piloting the ship and monitoring all sensor feeds, both internal and external. A daunting task considering the range and abilities of the sensors Voyager possessed, but she could handle it. Cameron was at ops, keeping a transporter lock on them all if things went badly.
"Magnetic constrictors online, Magnetic wave guides online, Dilithium crystals are behaving normally". Weaver reported to the cyborg as her numerous silver tentacles continued to fly over the consoles.
"Initiate matter and antimatter injectors start up sequence". Seven ordered as she sat down gingerly, wincing as her still healing spine ached with protest. "Be prepared to eject the core on my command if this doesn't work".
Weaver looked back at her with a raised red eyebrow. "If this doesn't work, we'll be consumed by the largest artificial explosion in this universe's history".
"Not necessarily, but we are fortunate the odds weigh heavily in our favor". Seven responded as she took one last look at the diagnostics and sensor readings. "Initiate the reactant streams". She said finally and Weaver nodded as her appendages entered the appropriate commands.
The reactor surged loudly and the transparent sections glowed with swirling blue/white plasma. The tune of the warp core grew louder before tapering off into a low, tolerable hum.
"Reaction at ten percent and climbing. Twenty, thirty, forty"! Weaver called out above the noise.
"Main power is coming back online"! Seven called back. "The core is performing within parameters, open the reactant valves to 100 percent for five seconds".
Weaver gave a curt nod and did as she was told and opened the injectors to maximum on a five second timer.
The core surged again and swirling motion of the plasma grew faster and brighter before returning to idle.
"The main power grid is online at 45%". Weaver reported as her tentacles became two arms again.
"Just as predicted, the quantum core will bring the ship up to full operational capacity". Seven explained as she got up once more. "I need to go to the bridge, remain here and be prepared for the contingencies we discussed".
Weaver acknowledged her with another nod and got back to work. Since Seven's back was still healing, she used the site-to-site transporter to get to the bridge.
Seven sat down at the engineering station and let out a contented sigh as her back quit aching.
"Are you okay"? Cameron asked from the ops station.
"I'm fine". Seven assured her hands began flying over the console's controls. "Cortana, have you projected our course"?
"Hours ago". The AI sitting at the helm responded boredly. "I was thinking we should loop around Alpha Centauri, the Cochrane factor is significantly higher between here and there".
"Which would give us a significant boost in speed of approximately 300% ". Cameron said after calculating the average Cochrane value of subspace between the two planets.
"A warp highway". Seven confirmed as she looked over the data.
Cortana was about to say something else, but Weaver interrupted over the comm.
"Warp drive is ready for testing, all systems go".
"Confirmed". Seven said and released control of the drive to the super AI standing next to the helm. "The warp drive is at your discretion".
Cortana looked back at Seven with excitement sparkling in her eyes before turning her head back to the view screen.
"Alright". She breathed. "Here we go". She closed her eyes and concentrated on the task at hand, her head bowed as one of her hands rested upon her forehead to convey how intensely she was focused.
She had to calibrate the warp field to work in this universe, and doing so would take every bit of her concentration to keep from destroying the ship when it went to warp.
The deck plates vibrated slightly as Cortana raised the two nacelles on their hinged pylons to 35 degrees from the x-axis and locked them into place. The nacelles' field grills began to glow brighter as she fed them more and more energized plasma, charging the warp coils and creating the warp field.
"Static warp field is in place, but it's unstable". Cameron reported as she monitored Cortana's progress.
From there, the Smart AI with an IQ far higher than any humanoid began to modify the field using data from the sensors until the static warp field became stable. What would have taken the talented and experienced crew of Voyager hours, took mere seconds for her.
"I've got it. Resetting for a dynamic warp field". Cortana said as she opened her electric blue eyes. The nacelles lowered into their default position for a few seconds before raising once more.
"Course laid in, deflector online, structural integrity field at maximum". She rattled off as she prepared the ship for warp travel, but then looked back at her two colleges with a smirk as she added: "Buckle up, this might be a bit bumpy".
Starfleet had finally seen the light and installed deployable safety restraints on it's starships in 2380.
"All systems still go, engaging warp drive". Cortana said and opened the plasma injectors to two percent.
Voyager began to move slowly as the dynamic warp field bent space around it, reducing its inertial mass and nullifying Einstein's law of relativity within it.
"Approaching the light speed barrier". Cameron called out as the stars displayed on the view screen began to distort. Light from distant stars blurred into patches of different colors before flashing white for almost an instant before leaving a streaked view of the stars.
Voyager had reached Warp 1.
The ship shook slightly at the trans-light velocities, which was unusual. Cortana minutely adjusted the warp field and the inertial dampeners to stop the shaking before opening the throttle wide open.
"Warp 2,Warp 6, Warp 9.2, 9.7, 9.9, 9.95, Warp 9.989. Maximum velocity achieved". Cameron announced as Seven continued to monitor ship's systems from her console.
"All systems are functioning within normal parameters and core efficiency is holding at 95%".
Cortana heard them and acknowledged what they said, but it was far from her main focus. She was experiencing what it was like to be Voyager, to sense the vastness of space beyond her through its wide array of sensors, to feel the thrum of Voyager's engines as they propelled it faster than light and the impact of micrometeorites as they grazed the navigational shields. She could observe and study the space around her in ways she never could on a UNSC ship.
Having more power for the sensors was like adding a giant telephoto lens to a camera, only you were able to see much more than just the EM spectrum.
To Cortana, it was glorious.
After an hour of travel, Voyager approached Sol's neighboring binary star thanks in part to the favorable subspace conditions. Cortana dropped the ship out of warp about 3 AU from the twin stars and turned about to go back to the Sol system.
"That was fun". Cortana said with smirk of satisfaction.
"I could tell, you were standing there like a statue the whole trip". Seven jested as amusement shown in her pale blue eyes before she got back to business. "The test had no ill effects on the ship, all systems are still functioning perfectly".
"Then we should leave immediately, the longer they're down on the farm, the greater chance of exposure". Cameron also wanted to get back to John, he was still back on the Delta Flyer with John Henry.
Cortana nodded in agreement. "She's right, plotting a course to Earth, engaging warp drive".
This time, she didn't ease into it, she just put the metaphorical peddle to the metal and Voyager jumped back into high warp, leaving the Alpha Centauri system behind.
6 hours later
USS Voyager
Mess Hall
John Connor rubbed his eyes as a wave of fatigue washed over him. He'd just spent the last four hours in the holodeck with Derek, Kyle, Allison, and pretty much everyone else fighting machines aboard a facsimile of the Narada based on scans taken just before the TX-2 endo was destroyed.
To put it lightly, they'd gotten their heads handed to them. Skynet had total control over the ship and command over thousands of its machines. Even with transport scramblers, phasers, body armor, John Henry distracting the AI by remote hacking, and the element of surprise, they never got anywhere close to the central core to plant the charges that would disable the Narada's shield grid. Every time they were surrounded and picked off, even Weaver was eventually neutralized.
Cortana was right, they needed the Spartans. They were the only ones besides Weaver and Cameron who could match the machine's speed, accuracy, and power, especially if it came to hand to hand combat.
Once he felt the fatigue recede, he made his way over to the nearest replicator and ordered an old favorite of his, a turkey sandwich, along with water and some fruit. He'd rather be having junk food, but he knew that was the last thing his body would need if he wanted to get into better shape.
He as he sat down, Derek walked into the room. John didn't pay his entrance much attention until he noticed Derek walking straight towards him.
"Derek". He greeted with his water half way to his mouth.
"We need to talk". The former Lieutenant was never one for pleasantries, not that John minded.
John gestured to the seat across from him.
Once Derek sat down, he rested his elbows on the table and leaned in closer to make the conversation more private.
"Something's up with Allison".
John looked at him like he was slow before his expression changed to understanding.
"You got her to talk"?
"Yeah, she's up to something".
John's eyebrows creased as he answered. "Do you have an idea what she's up to"?
Derek's unwavering eyes never left his during the brief moment of silence between them.
"She wants to be a Spartan".
ONI Headquarters
Sydney, Australia
December 7, 2557
2100 hours
Admiral Serin Osman, once known as Spartan-019, was sipping a cup of her favorite coffee while filing through numerous reports that had been sitting in her inbox all day.
Being head of the Office of Naval Intelligence usually meant that there was always something to do, even when you had one of the most advanced Smart AI's at your disposal.
"He's still waiting outside".
Osman didn't stop working when Black Box broke the hours of silence or even look up when his blue cube avatar materialized above her desk.
"Of course, he's a Spartan, and Spartans don't give up when they have an objective to achieve". She replied simply while finishing Captain Lasky's latest update on the Spartan IV's training. "Send him in".
"Already done". BB said and his avatar dissipated.
Osman set aside her data pad and shut off her desk's holographic interface. She folded her hands on her desk as humanity's hero walked through her door.
He stood with perfect posture and his black Spartan uniform looked fresh from the cleaners. His hair was cut to regulation and his boots polished to perfection.
Spartan-117 looked every bit the perfect soldier he was trained to be.
She would know, she'd trained right along side him.
"Admiral Osman". He stood at attention after a quick salute.
"Master Chief Petty Officer John-117". She paused before adding "It's nice to see you again".
As she expected, it threw the Master Chief off balance for moment, a barely noticeable scrunch of the eyebrow and twitch of the lips.
"Ma'am"?
Osman would never admit it openly, but she loved to throw people for a loop. "Does the name Serin-019 mean anything to you Chief"?
His pale blue eyes narrowed for an instant before recognition dawned on him.
"We were told you died during the augmentations".
Had this been more casual, Osman would have chuckled, instead, she settled for a satisfied smirk.
"You'll find there are a lot of things Halsey lied about". She said matter-of-factly. "But you didn't wait four hours to reminisce Chief".
"No ma'am".
"Then by all means, I have little time to waste". She crossed her arms and gave him her best impatient look. He wasn't even perturbed by it, but she expected that, after all, he'd dealt with his share of admirals.
"Three weeks ago I asked Captain Lasky for the sensor readings taken during the destruction of the Didact's vessel".
"I am aware. Have you discovered something we didn't"? She doubted he had, he was a soldier, not an analyst.
"Unless the official findings were edited, yes". He said and handed her a data pad. Osman looked at him like the answer was obvious, of course they'd edited the official report, but not that much.
She turned on the device and began flipping through highlighted sections of visuals and comparisons to sensor readings from not only the Infinity, but also nearby orbital MAC platforms.
It took her several seconds to realize that he had found what ONI analysts had discovered months ago, one of the few things left out of the report. She set the device down and looked back at him with a hidden look of surprise. She'd underestimated a determined Spartan, and she knew exactly what he was determined to find.
Closure.
"The slipspace rupture".
He nodded. "According to sensors it lasted for .5 seconds, located somewhere in the ventral aft section of the ship".
"Just long enough to sending something through". She wanted to see how he'd react to her knowledge of it, and as expected, he didn't seem perturbed. "Why exactly are you here"?
He seemed a little uncomfortable after her last question, though it was little mystery as to why.
"To recover Cortana, if possible, ma'am".
Osman let a satisfied smirk cover her face, she'd confirmed what she had suspected since reading Captain Lasky's report about Spartan-117's defiance of former Captain Del Rio's orders to hand the now deceased AI, Cortana, over to be destroyed.
He cared about this AI probably even more than he did his fellow Spartan II's and maybe even more than Halsey. Serin leaned back in her chair and steepled her fingers in thought.
"The chances of finding what went through are already astronomically small, and adding in the hope it contained Cortana make them infinitesimal".
"I've faced worse odds". He defended calmly.
"Yes, you have, but you faced them to save humanity or your fellow soldiers".
"Not always, ma'am, I rescued Cortana from the Gravemind by myself and then escaped".
"You did that to obtain the Index, Chief, which in turn classifies it under saving humanity".
"It was more than that". He admitted quietly, but loud enough for the Admiral to hear. "The Index was simply an excuse, I promised I'd come back for her".
"And you also promised you'd get her back to Halsey so she could fix her".
"Yes, ma'am".
Silence fell between them as Osman considered her options based on her conversation with the Master Chief. She figured he'd try to find Cortana with or without her blessing, and since he was humanity's hero, she couldn't just lock him up to prevent that. It would raise too many questions and she didn't want a multitude of people digging for answers.
On the other hand, Master Chief might be the only person who could track down any object that might have been ejected from the Didact's ship. Every analyst had told her the trajectory of the rupture likely lead back to Requiem. What ever the ship had sent away probably had considerable value as well.
But what was one Spartan against the Storm Covenant who still occupied the planet? If he did go, he'd have to operate under stealth or risk having the entire fleet come down on him. Despite the stacked odds, he knew the planet better than anyone else in the UNSC and how to deal with Covenant troops quickly.
He was used to being a lone wolf, a hyper-lethal vector unparalleled by any other.
Yet she still debated whether or not it was actually worth sending him, after all, if he failed, the publicity would be ten times worse than if she imprisoned him.
Giving this determined, emotionally compromised Spartan her blessing or not both had potentially bad consequences for her, but the first was the only one that had any potential for gain.
"Exactly what did you have in mind, Chief"? The Spartan shifted slightly, obviously surprised by her response.
"A stealth op, land on Requiem undetected and activate the Librarian AI. If Cortana survived, she would know".
"And if you can't activate her"? She questioned, wanting to know how far the Chief was willing to go.
"I'll try to locate the schematics for the Didact's ship, if I am unable to, I'll return". She figured he knew that presenting limits would help his case, but she would have no way to hold him to that. This decision was becoming harder to make, that is, until she thought of a compromise.
She stood up from her desk and straightened her uniform as she gave him her offer.
"I can't sanction this mission, Chief, not officially. There are too many variables and the prize is simply not worth it". She noted he didn't even blink, he probably been expecting this. "That being said, I'm not heartless. I understand your attachment to Cortana, and the need for closure". She paused and picked up his data pad. "Which is why I'm giving you this". She handed it to him after downloading several files to it.
He accepted it and flipped through the files she offered.
"I understand". He stood at attention and saluted. "Admiral".
"Dismissed". She told him after returning the salute.
Once Spartan-117 had left, BB's avatar reappeared over her desk. "I always knew you had a soft spot for Spartans".
Admiral Osman gave him a warning glare before returning to work; BB could be annoying, but he'd been her companion for almost five years and she admitted to herself long ago that she'd miss him greatly when his time came.
A/N: Your thoughts and comments are welcome.
Character Info: Admiral Osman is a Spartan II washout, meaning some or all her augmentations failed, but survived the operation. After washing out, she was recruited to be an ONI spy and eventually became ONI director when her mentor stepped down/died some time between 2553 and 2558.