Eleven - Reclaimer
As Sheppard, the Master Chief and the Arbiter rose through the gap in the floor into the spire they were struck by an immediate scene of chaos. Rodney McKay was sprawled face first on the floor with a boot on his back as a large dark skinned human male held him in place. Lorne and Shaler were pinned up against the wall by two more large humans who were armed with firearms while Teyla Emmagan had her P90 raised and pointed at the largest of the four humans a massive man with an appropriately large hairstyle and some sort of energy revolver pointed at Teyla.
"What the hell is this?" Sheppard demanded landing joining Teyla pointing her weapon at the large revolver armed human, immediately the size of the man and his hair reminded Sheppard of a popular character from science-fiction.
"Runner, stand down, these people are friends" the Arbiter boomed trying to bring calm "this is the Master Chief."
"You called him Demon!" The human with his boot on Rodney's back shouted as he did, he leaned forward and the scientist groaned underneath. The large man was armed with a three barrelled rifle which was in common usage by the native humans of the Pegasus Galaxy.
"Do you mind not doing that?" Sheppard asked turning his P90 towards the man while glancing down at Rodney. "We don't want to hurt you, but don't push it."
"Runner, the Demon is a respected warrior..." The Arbiter began but he was cut off by another voice.
"Finally, finally, finally!" The cheerful mechanical voice states as a small silver tubular cube with a lit-up sphere in the centre descended from the roof. "Finally, I have waited so long, the Reclaimers have arrived!"
"Oh shit" the Master Chief stated flatly looking at the Forerunner Artificial Intelligence as it hovered towards them. Everyone stopped paying attention to each other and turned towards the floating box, McKay scrambled to his feet which Lorne and Shaler struggled free during the surprise. "All of you listen to me carefully" the Chief said slowly and carefully "that thing is lethal, do not threaten it in anyway." He warned them all watching the Monitor approach them.
"The Reclaimer is quite right this Monitor is quite capable of self-defence." The Monitor said calmly "although such measures have not been needed in quite some time." It said chuckling to itself "I am Stationary Analysis-677, I am the Monitor of this world." The box stated stopping about six feet from them hovering at head height.
"Honoured Monitor, what is your duty here?" The Arbiter asked he had encountered these Artificial Intelligences before he knew how they liked to be addressed.
"I have overseen the experiment on Species .3273." It explained "as I was directed life was born on this world, then the organism commonly known as the Flood was introduced to the population as per the instructions of the experiment. I was to allow the Flood to continue to multiply until the Forerunners or their Reclaimers arrived and ended the experiment." It explained
"You murdered this entire world!" Teyla exclaimed horrified; she had seen what the Wraith could do to a world but this Flood was something else entirely.
"I DID NOT!" The monitor refuted dismissing her comment briefly glowing red "I simply conducted an experiment. The Forerunners did not return so the experiment was allowed to run its course. During the study I have collected a lot of date on the Flood's reproductive speed and its resilience to the weather of this world." It explained "but you Reclaimer KNOW this..." It said emphasizing the point looking at the Chief, Sheppard and his team.
"Yes, I am familiar with the Halo Array." The Chief stated before the Colonel could speak. For the one hundredth time the Chief wished Cortana was here, she knew how to deal with these Monitors. "Your experiment Stationary Analysis was a success the parasite was wiped from the face of the Galaxy in a successful firing of the Halo Array." He explained "Monitor, why were you placed here in the Pegasus Galaxy?"
"The Forerunners believed that they needed to test the Flood in a contained manner. In this Galaxy there were no previous encounters with the Flood so the we could run the experiment without interruptions extra-planetary Flood. Now you have arrived Reclaimer…"
"You keep calling him that" the large hairy human stated speaking to the Forerunner AI. "We've been here for nine days... Why didn't you show yourself to us?" The Runner demanded
"YOU are not a Reclaimer." The glowing box stated flatly
"Because they are not from Earth" McKay suddenly said bringing scorn from Sheppard for naming their homeworld. "The Reclaimers are humans descended from the Forerunner legacy left on Earth in the Milky Way." He said looking from the Chief to the floating Forerunner AI.
"Correct" the Monitor answered the unasked question "your people were no threat to me so I left you to your fate." It stated looking at Ronin again.
"Five of our friends died on this planet, and you did nothing to help us!" One of Ronin's men shouted angrily snapping turning his three barrelled rifle on the Monitor firing, multiple voices screamed for him to stop but it was too late.
"INSOLENCE, you are working against protocol!" The Monitor screamed in a high pitched, almost angry tone, "I will not tolerate aggression targeting this unit!" It stated before a solid red laser beam emitted from the sphere striking the attacker the laser burned down over his chest killing him instantly. Chaos followed with multiple people turning their weapons on the Monitor.
"HOLD YOUR FIRE!" Sheppard ordered in a deep voice "we don't need to start a fight with this thing!"
"It killed Eanger!" One of them replied angrily keeping the weapon aimed at the Monitor.
"Arbiter, Runner, keep them in check!" Sheppard commanded "I don't know how much will be needed to take this thing down." He warned them.
"Monitor, these people do not know about the protocols. They came to this world in search for assistance against an alien threat and for a way back to the Milky Way Galaxy." The Master Chief explained "they did not have knowledge of the Flood."
"I have no way to facilitate that" Stationary Analysis replied "Reclaimer, this facility was created for one experiment and one experiment only."
"I understand" the Master Chief responded "it is time to end the experiment" thinking quickly.
"To end the experiment, you must activate this facilities defences." Stationary Analysis explained "step forward Reclaimer" it said calmly, the Chief stepped forward but several weapons were turned in his direction.
"Chief, you sure about this?" Sheppard asked glancing at the armoured giant
"The Forerunner weapons available to this facility are quite potent. They were designed to destroy the Flood." He explained "we will not have enough ammunition to take on an entire planet's worth of Flood." The Colonel took a moment and then nodded allowing the Chief to step forwards as he did.
"Place your palm on the command console and verbally submit the command." Stationary Analysis commanded the Master Chief. The Chief had dealt with Monitors before but each time Cortana had been at his side helping him deal with the AI's which commonly were quite unstable, he really wished Cortana was here to help him deal with it. Unfortunately, the Flood needed to be dealt with and he didn't have another option.
Placing his armoured glove on the console the display lit up surrounding his had in several holographic light blue and purple style blocks. McKay watched in awe from the Chief's left hand side as the blocks moved slowly around the Master Chief's armour. Stationary Analysis took up a position to the right of the Master Chief and spoke once more. "Reclaimer, what is your command?"
"Direct defences to wipe the Flood off the face of this planet." The Master Chief commanded "leave the occupants in this facility alone. They are all under the protection of me." He said trying to make sure that the Monitor did not turn the weapons against them.
From the surface of the triangular building dozens and then hundreds of triangular drones detached rising in formation away from the building. Each of the drones had three triangular sections which were equally spaced around the solid centre, two weapon/utility arms extended from the two upper triangular sections. Immediately the drones swung away from the building and began engaging the Flood with solid energy beam weapons.
"Monitor display Sentinel forms" the Chief commanded, in the centre of the room a schematic of the Sentinel Drone appeared "this is the Forerunner's Sentinels" he explained "they are designed to control the Flood infection."
"Unfortunately, we do not have a Halo weapon on hand as it could wipe out the Flood in a matter of minutes." Stationary Analysis replied
As the Sentinels expanded over the city and out with it the stargate activated and out exited five Wraith warriors hunting Ronin the Runner. Four were of the drone type while one was an established warrior. They ran out of the cave to the bleak wilderness of Alcyone; the Wraith hunters were dedicated to hunting the Runners at all costs.
"The Runner is still here" he said indicating in a direction the four figures ran out of the cave into the early morning sun. Wraith did not need sustenance other than human life force to survive and they made quick progress. As they cleared one hill, they sighted a city like those constructed by the ancients, how it had survived until today did not matter now it was for the Wraith.
"This Runner has led us to this new feeding ground!" The lead wraith said "we must investigate and see just how far these humans have spread!" He ordered but before they advanced further movement from their right surprised the Wraith.
Turning they say twenty or more small bulbous yellow forms flying through the air at the Wraith their small extending limbs grabbing and tearing at the Wraith. One by one the Wrath swatted down the bulbous forms before them, their stunner weapons were entirely ineffective so they resorted to daggers and swatting their rifles.
Turning their attention back to the city the lead wraith had one small scratch with healed immediately. "We continue" he growled at the others. They advanced together but as they did they encountered more and more infection forms and one by one the Wraith began to stagger and fall. Ahead in the city they could see flashing lights but the sheer numbers of these life forms were making progress impossible.
As they tried to advance forward several of the forms flooded onto two of the wraith warrior drones bringing them to the ground in heaps. Once down the drones were covered by more lifeforms which appeared from every crevice like a flood covering low land by the seaside.
The lead Wraith scowled at the city ahead of him and the surviving two drones "retreat!" He ordered we will bring the hive into range and flatten them from orbit. The three Wraith ran being attacked all the way, one of the drones stopped to attack them with its rifle only to be brought down by the lifeforms. The last two Wraith charged through a near wall of the lifeforms to get to the Stargate with the last drone staggering to a fall before getting into the cave while the wraith leader battled to the Stargate and escaped through it before the lifeforms could follow.
The Wraith staggered out the other side watching the portal close behind him, suddenly he realised that there was a lifeform attached to him its jaws dug into his skin. He quickly swung his dagger slicing it to pieces, his skin quickly healing as the lifeform fell away. The world was a grey world with purple structures nearby above them there was a pink atmosphere it was a Wraith held world. There were several Wraith drone warriors which ignored him while four triangular Wraith fighter craft waited nearby. He quickly vaulted up onto the side of the dark purple coloured Dart fighters sinking into the open cockpit. The chrome canopy closed over and the fighter leapt into the air.
The angular craft quickly lifted through the pink atmosphere heading into the blackness of space beyond. Just outside orbit a purple-blue Wraith Hive ship hovered the ship like the dart was roughly a triangle in shape but it was thousands times the size of the small fighter in front and flanking on both sides were smaller Wraith Cruisers they were the same general shape as the other two ships but we're longer triangles all three ship designs had rounded hulls instead of sharp angles and organic shapes. It took years for the wraith to grow a hive ship and they acted as mobile bases for the race.
Steering the fighter, he brought the Dart into the vessel's large midships hanger docking with the Hive. Immediately after docking the Dart linked with the Hive and the canopy withdrew allowing the Wraith to exit, he half jogged through the vessel to its heart where the Queen waited.
The only female on the vessel the Queen had the same pale grey skin of the males but unlike their grey uniforms she wore a pure white dress and in stark contrast to the male wraiths white hair she wore her long hair a blood red colour.
"My Queen" he said announcing his presence dropping to one knee.
"You returned without the Runner" she barked accusingly not turning to face him.
"We were confronted by a large human settlement, one in far greater numbers than our number could overcome" he reported intentionally omitting the parasite that had stopped his team. "The city appeared to rival one that was constructed by the ancients."
"How is that possible?" She demanded spinning towards him seeing his torn uniform. "No human settlement has been allowed to grow so vast; it must be an abandoned settlement."
"We encountered thick foliage and many animal lifeforms which impeded our progress. But there were signs of activity in the city" he said he'd seen something moving in the city just not humans.
"You encountered far more" a deep voice growled within him.
"Perhaps the Runner has led us to a rich feeding ground" the Queen said stepping towards him placing her hand on his forehead. You have done well to report this to us we will take this entire Hive to that world and we will feed." She announced removing her hand from his forehead sensing weakness. "Go to the feeding chambers and regain your strength she commander him."
"Yes, my Queen, thank you" he said quickly standing and leaving the queen alone.
"Rich is in the eye of the beholder" the voice growled again "you were but one now you are with us." The voice continued through the ship. Not far from the Queen's chambers there were dozens of feeding cubicles filled with humans who had been culled by the Wraith from target worlds for later feeding. The Wraith plungedhis arm through the organic skin-like barrier holding the human inside connecting with his food's chest.
"Such an inefficient method" the voice continued he had expected a rush of energy as the life force from the being was transferred from one being to the other, he felt nothing. He pulled his arm back looking at his palm seeing a yellow tendril stretching over his palm it reminded him of the parasite's legs. For a moment he panicked and tried to pull it from his palm feeling it attached to him extending from his forearm. "NOW MY TURN!" The voice bellowed
Even as the Wraith stood there another tentacle extended from his midsection connecting with the human in the feeding chamber the pain was like none he had ever felt as he felt his entire body beginning to change.
Hours later two Wraith drone warriors walked into the feeding chamber finding what appeared to be the mutilated corpse of a fallen Wraith. It appeared the Wraith warrior had been splayed open and was attached to several of the feeding chambers. As they closed on the body tendrils lashed out piercing both Wraith through the chest pinning them against the walls as they did small bulbous flood infection forms exploded from the original Wraith flying across the room into the feeding cubicles infecting the humans inside.
Within minutes the humans now converted into full combat forms with powerful tentacles replacing their arms, their bodies mutilated beyond recognition, began tearing their way from the feeding chambers into the corridors of the Hive engaging the Wraith warriors who found their stunner weapons were completely ineffective.
In the Queen's chambers she felt wrong, she tried to raise from her chair but felt she could not. Instead, she felt a presence in her mind he had not known before.
"What are you?" She demanded aloud looking to get right and left distracted she hadn't noticed the flood tendrils which had wrapped around her arms and legs.
"I am yooooou" the voice growled in her mind "when once you were alone among the chaos, now you and I are one, we are richer beyond your desires."
"I am the Queen of this Hive!" She snapped aloud but she still had no power to move "we are the rulers here!"
"Rules change, and leaders fall" the voice growled "now the time of the Gravemind is here... We will do great things together with my queen, arise my brethren" it said mockingly as tendrils completely consumed the Queen's body and control over the hive was completed.