Twelve – Monitors and Humanity
While the Sentinels continued to clear up the flood Sheppard and his team took a few moments to reconcile their thoughts. "Of all the planets why would you come here? You must have heard the stories of Alcyone?" Teyla asked Ronin as a native of the Pegasus Galaxy he should have heard the stories.
"We heard the legends, but it was worth the chance." Ronin admitted glancing around his four human companions "we..." He said pointing to the Arbiter "can kill any Wraith that comes out after us, but they keep coming" he explained "because I have this tracker in my back." He said turning around pulling his white top up over his head revealing his well-toned muscles turning around he showed them the scars on his back. Near his spine there was a small silver circular device with a red solid light.
"Quite a mess you got there" Sheppard said having a squint at the scarring "that caused by a doctor or a butcher?" He half joked his back was covered in various scars Sheppard fought the urge to look at the Arbiter, the alien was like nothing he'd seen before Sheppard had no idea what he was capable.
"Some doctors, some myself with a mirror" he admitted
"Ok, you can put the girls away" Sheppard said indicating towards Ronin's bare chest "you'll embarrass people. We have a doc back where we come from he should be able to pop that out."
"Sir, we can't take him home not with a tracker" Major Lorne warned seeing Ronin's annoyed look "we value our privacy, we don't need the Wraith visiting unannounced."
"It's fine, that's what the Wraith use us for to find settlements of humans" Ronin admitted glancing at the Arbiter.
"We hoped to find help here, but all we found is this monitor" once upon a time the Arbiter would have treated the monitor with reverence a voice from the Forerunners but those days were long gone, he had learned all he needed to about them during the Halo Crisis.
"Stationary Analysis, can you answer why this facility has a reputation for medical care?" The Master Chief asked stepping away from the wall towards the floating box of light.
"Why, yes Reclaimer, as you are well aware the Forerunners were locked in a conflict with humanity and the Flood in our home galaxy?" It asked the circular core blinking rapidly as it spoke.
"Yes, a galaxy spanning conflict" the Chief said he knew about the Flood conflict but the human against forerunner conflict was newer information for the one hundredth time he wished Cortana was here, he had been more interested in keeping them and their allies alive.
"Quite, in an effort to avoid the conflict and conduct research, some of the first humans came to this galaxy with the Forerunners..."
"I thought you said they were in conflict..." Teyla asked interrupting
"They were some humans travelled as assistants, others as fellow warriors..."
"And others?" Teyla probed further
"Others were prisoners used to study the effects of the flood on human physiology." The AI answered without emotion or remorse.
"They experimented on them!" Sgt Shaler snapped from further away. The AI crossed the room rapidly to her.
"This was a Galaxy spanning war for survival, those used in experiments were criminals, murderers, war criminals" it said
"I'm sure that was plenty relief for the victims" she said keeping a handle on her anger.
"Times past" Sheppard pointed out, they needed to keep moving not get bogged down "Monitor, can you help Ronin?" He asked the monitored abandoned Shaler and quickly moved to Ronin a blue beam emanated from the Monitor as it slowly rotated around Ronin, Sheppard could see the man's fingers tensing near his energy pistol.
Stationary Analysis moved around him it stopped directly behind the Runner for a moment then it moved quickly to a large open space a blue holographic wireframe of Ronin's body appeared in space. For a moment it reminded the Master Chief of UNSC AI holograms. He was reminded of Cortana once more.
"Ah yes!" the Monitor mused to itself moments later a gold cylinder shaped object appeared on Ronin's back.
"Can you do anything Monitor?" the Chief asked
"Of course, it will be a simple procedure" the Monitor answered "however there is a more pressing concern..."
"What is it Monitor?" The Arbiter boomed the hologram changed to one of the Galaxy.
"Sensors suggest this ship has changed course and is heading here" the Monitor reported highlighting a red dot. There were dozens of red dots across the galaxy along with several purple markers.
"Are all those red dots ships?" Sheppard asked looking at various moving dots some were in close proximity to each other while several indicated they might be on planets.
"Ships that are not using Hyperspace." The monitor said the display changed and it showed a class of ship Sheppard was not familiar with it had abulbous cockpit with a fanged lower section. The image changed to show a Wraith Hive ship followed by a second Hive ship in another image.
"This is incredible" said watching as images continued to change "which one is coming here?" An image of a Wraith Hive ship appeared "of course it is"
"The ship is a 90% match to other ships of this configuration" Stationary Analysis explained hovering it turned occasionally to face another person as it was a glowing box and had no face it was difficult to know where to address. "It has now entered Hyperspace."
"The Wraith use organic technology so the ships won't be identical" McKay quipped as if he needed to correct the AI which blinked once but remained silent.
"Monitor, what are the purple markers?" Lorne asked stepping forward the young major noticing there were far fewer and they appeared to be far more spread out.
"These are Forerunner installations..."
"Halos?" The Master Chief asked suddenly more interested, he hadn't known the Forerunners were here but now he did he was concerned about the most powerful weapon he'd ever encountered.
"There are no active Halo installations in this galaxy."
"Halos?" Ronin asked curious
"Superweapons Chewie" Sheppard said to the larger man
"The Forerunners brought the Flood to this Galaxy but not the Halo..."
"The Flood were limited to labs when the Forerunners were in this Galaxy." The monitor explained "the Flood were released following an accident but as there was no way off planet this facility continued to gather data as they eradicated the human population..."
"You allowed them to die?" Teyla asked angrily
"None were designed as Reclaimers; their protection was beyond the remit of this facility." The AI explained
"You had the weapons to stop them, why didn't you?" Ronin growled accusingly unfortunately there was no way to see if the expressionless box cared or understood.
"It's ones and zeros" McKay answered as if that was enough "it's binary, one thing is right and one thing is wrong. This guy was programmed specifically to do one thing, it's not an adaptive AI"
"Adaptive AI matrix's were against Forerunner directives" Stationary Analysis confirmed blinking rapidly looking between the two people off to the side the Chief watched silently remembering his dealings with 343 Guilty Spark the AI which ran the first Halo installation he had visited.
"Monitor, what is this?" The Arbiter growled seeing yellow and green markers originating from one or the installation.
"They appear to be non-Forerunner transmissions" the monitor said with what sounded surprise.
"Can you tell us who made them?" The Chief asked concerned there may be another threat.
"One appears to be using Sanghelli technology the other appears to be using human technology from of Earth..."
"That's not possible" both the Arbiter and Sheppard stayed simultaneously immediately both glanced at each other.
"Jinx" Sheppard said instantly looking at the massive alien who blinked at him but remained silent. "We are the only people from Earth in this Galaxy."
"Not quite" the Chief countered "the Forward Unto Dawn was coming apart as we crashed maybe some of our tech was salvaged."
"Demon, you may be correct but none of the technology on the human vessel originated with the Sanghelli."
"Maybe someone took souvenirs?" Sheppard suggested from his position between them. In the presence of these two giant soldiers, he suddenly felt quite small.
"While not impossible highly unlikely the crew if the Dawn were killed by the Covenant or consumer by the flood."
"Yuck" McKay remarked the thought alone turned his stomach.
"Regarding the Flood all infection spores have been eliminated." The Forerunner AI announced from his position over Ronin's back. While the others had been talking the large man had laid down on a table which appeared to have appeared out of nowhere and the AI has gotten to work removing the tracker. "Several non-flood lifeforms were briefly detected but the last of them have retreated through the alien portal."
"Non-Flood? Why didn't you mention them Ronin asked from his position on the table.
"No-one asked" the AI answered "do not move" the AI warned him, Ronin was face down on the table "there done!" The AI shouted laughing "I am a genius!" It said triumphantly "the tracker is gone.
Ronin raised from the table flexing his arms but he didn't feel any pain or anything different. "You do good work" he growled at the floating AI.
"Of course" Stationary Analysis answered floating off back towards the Master Chief. "Reclaimer, further instructions?" It asked the armoured warrior.
"Colonel Sheppard, could the people of this galaxy use a shelter?" He asked knowing the answer.
"Somewhere free of the Wraith? He glanced at Ronin and Teyla both nodded "yeah, I think so."
"Stationary Analysis, I want you to protect this world and shelter a human population." The Master Chief ordered the AI blinked rapidly as if trying to comprehend. "Ronin, you and your team will find groups who are interested in a safe have and won't cause trouble." The Chief warned, unlike most other humans he wasn't dwarfed by the Chief in his Mjolnir armour.
"With respect to um... What you wanna do here... I'm more a fighter than an organiser." He said being honest with the Master Chief. "But Cavet here he could do the job, he's an organiser" Ronin said grabbing a bald-headed dark-skinned man.
"Trustworthy people" the Chief repeated to the man who smiled in response even the Chief could tell he was nervous. "Stationary Analysis will protect this city if your people are hostile or if the wraith find you."
"I... I... I understand"
"Where we heading?" Ronin then asked the others smiling.
Sheppard glanced between Ronin, the Chief and then the Arbiter. "Chief you got a second?"
The Master Chief and Sheppard stepped to the side. "You trust this AI?"
"The Forerunner AIs protect their facilities as their main directive. This city..."
"Was overrun with parasitic alien bugs..." Sheppard pointed out "adding humans to the mix could be..."
"Bad" the Chief answered turning towards Stationary Analysis "monitor, confirm the ALL samples of the organism known as the Flood have been eradicated?"
"As previously stated by this unit..." The monitor said rapidly before the Chief interrupted it.
"Think carefully. I've fought and beaten the Flood before." The Chief warned his tone firm and almost threatening behind Sheppard looked surprised but the Arbiter knowing what the monitors could be like tensed his grip around his Carbine. "Have all Flood organisms on the planet been eliminated?"
"As far as can be detected... Yes." It confirmed
"If the flood re-emerge, will you defend this city from their return" he said it was a statement of fact not a question.
"Infestation control, and defence of a human population, was not part of original parameters Reclaimer." The hovering AI responded, it recognised the Master Chief as an inheritor of the Forerunner legacy.
"Well, I'm modifying those parameters. Monitor defend this planet and city. Protect any human population that is invited here by these people. Otherwise leave the humans to live their lives." He commanded "I will be watching."
"Yes, Reclaimer"
"And then what?" Ronin asked
"We go there" the Arbiter with almost a reverence pointing at the facility with the with human and Sanghelli transmissions. He had gone from thinking he was perhaps the only Sanghelli in this Galaxy to the possibility that there were others of his race that were reachable.
"First, we head home" Sheppard said looking at the large alien, glancing at the three men who had travelled with Ronin and the Arbiter "you men, we'll give you a lift to the Stargate you can go wherever you want from and use this world as a safe world." All three nodded. "You, Lightbulb, look after the humans that come here. Everyone move out."
A short time later the two Warthogs were heading back towards the Stargate. McKay was sat in the front passenger seat of the machine gun equipped vehicle looking down at his computer screen "oh no" he remarked Sheppard glanced at him. "I linked to planetary sensors before we left…" he said before trailing off. Behind them Sgt Shaler and Ronin's three men were sat in the gunwell of the mounted machine gun holding onto floor handles.
"Spit it McKay!" Sheppard said, moments later hundreds of Sentinels rose out of the city and headed straight upwards.
"That Wraith ship arrived" McKay reported, in the thin atmosphere they could see the light show begin as Sentinels and Wraith engaged.
"Sheppard! Wraith incoming!" Lorne called through the radio ahead of them two of the triangular Dart fighters appeared in the lower atmosphere. Both fighters opened fire on them with their forward mounted cannons.
"Hand on!" Sheppard threw the Warthog to the right to avoid the weapons fire the two Darts flew past one activated its transportation beam. The beam caught the rear section of Sheppard's Warthog scooping up the four people sat in the gunwell. "Shaler!" Sheppard shouted but they were gone "McKay get on the gun!" Sheppard commanded but the scientist was too shocked to move suddenly from out of nowhere the Arbiter leapt onto the back of the Warthog taking charge of the gun.
"I have the gun human!" the Sanghelli growled spinning the turret to face into the rear opening fire on the Darts. On the other Warthog the Master Chief had a rocket launcher raised he engaged the Darts firing two rockets at one of the craft. The first rocket flew past the rear of the dart missing its target, the second rocket slammed into the front of the triangular craft the blast crumpled the nose of the ship sending it into a spiral to the ground exploding on impact. "Here it comes!" Arbiter shouted the warning; more fighter bolts flew at the Warthogs one shot slamming into the front right of the cargo warthog.
The blast flipped the Warthog through the air rolling it onto its side, of the people riding onboard the Master Chief was the only person able to jump clear from it. Sheppard's Warthog circled around the Arbiter continuing to fire the machine gun into the second dart which bore down on them. The heavy machine gun fire cut into the second dart shredding the craft causing it to spiral out of control slamming into the ground only thirty feet from the crashed Warthog.
Sheppard and the Arbiter leapt from their vehicle over to the stricken vehicle to try and help the people onboard it who were crawling clear. Despite the blast damage the vehicle looked mostly intact. In the distance they could see orbital weapons fire being turned on the city with Darts swarming "they are looking for food" McKay said still in his seat on the vehicle. "When they don't find any, they are going to come looking for us!" He warned
As the other continued to crawl and exit the Warthog a single pistol round was heard everyone's attention was turned towards Teyla who's battle vest was covered in Flood goo. They then looked to see the Master Chief picking himself up "the Flood have infected these Wraith"
"Oh man, we're so screwed" McKay whispered as orbital fire flattened a tall building in the city. Two Darts could be seen turning towards them both the Chief and the Arbiter moved faster than anyone else to weapons with the Artbiter leaping back on the turreted machine gun and the Chief grabbing a SAW, while others ducked behind the overturned Warthog intent on using it as cover. Their chances of surviving in the open were not high.