Well... it's certainly been quite a while. Whoops. But that's what happens when the muse is a...
Little Lost Eagle - [Halo SI]
- Thread starter Donk
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INDEX - Arc One - Dirt 1.01
Donk
What a load of Donk.
- Location
- Ohio, U.S.A.
Well... it's certainly been quite a while. Whoops. But that's what happens when the muse is a fickle creature. Either way, I've somehow managed to squeeze a few drops of creativity out of the source and plopped out this strange beast.
Usually people don't think of the Halo series as something easily self-insertable, but I've managed to think of a decent enough way. Anyway, I looked back on one of my old reads and remembered The Fall of Reach. Good book, by the way. Go read that instead of my weird fanfiction. It does the Halo universe much more justice than I. This fic takes place during pre-war times and follows the creation of the SPARTAN II program.
Spoiler alert, Halsey does war crimes and turns a bunch of kids into super soldiers and subjecting them to terrible challenges and injecting them with Space Drugs. And it works. As it turns out, Super Soldiers are pretty good against the Covenant, especially when you give them fancy power armor. The Master Chef is there as well and he's the greatest one. You've all probably played the games and know the ending by now.
But that's probably enough rambling. Hope you enjoy the read.
Little Lost Eagle
Arc One - Dirt - 1.01
UNKNOWN HOURS, UNKNOWN DATE (Military Calendar)
UNKNOWN SYSTEM, UNKNOWN PLANET
The first sign that something was wrong was when I opened my eyes and everything seemed much, much smaller than they had originally been.
Wisps of chilly air floated around me as I rubbed the sleep out of my face. I was in a… pod? Said pod was too large for one of my size, and I barely filled up half of the interior chamber.
Then I froze, staring down at my hands. Tiny, child-like hands. I coughed, shock filling me. A blue goo liquid oozed out of my mouth, tasting like what I imagined dead bugs to taste like. With toothpaste added in. Around me, I could hear a cacophony of coughs, whispers, and fearful voices. I looked out of the tube I was in, staring across at the child in the other pod. They coughed hard, unable to get the stuff out of her system.
A tall man in a camouflage military uniform briskly strode towards her and patted her back firmly. That did it, and she sucked in deep breaths.
Running a hand up the length of the gel-filled bed I was on, I stared down at my prepubescent body. Small and smooth lanky limbs with no trace of the adult hair or rough calluses on my hands. All I was wearing were a pair of briefs with stretchy elastic. What the fuck? How was this even possible? Why were there so many children? And so many scary looking men (and a few women) in military wear? Nothing made sense.
More worrying was the fact that I wasn't wearing glasses. In fact, I appeared to have perfect vision now. So much clarity… it was stunning.
I rubbed my mouth, wiping away a smear of the blue gunk. Eugh.
Slowly, hesitantly, I took a step out of my pod and onto shaky limbs. Nothing felt right. Everything was too small, too slow, too weak. My feet slapped against metal tiles, the cold surface sending a shiver up my spine. The large room had at least fifty pods, probably more. Each occupied with another kid like myself.
"Please follow me." A commanding voice said behind me, making me jump. I spun around to see a very tall man with a stern face staring down at me. His hair was cut to the scalp, and he had no facial hair. He reached out and set a meaty hand on my shoulder, not too softly pushing me along.
"O-okay, okay I'll go…" I muttered, trying to ignore the heavy weight of his palm. The man looked like he could snap my neck with a quick gesture. There was no comment from my handler. Around us, more and more of the children were being escorted like myself. We were lead out of the chamber, through a hall and into what seemed like a smaller room with benches laid perpendicular to the doors.
The man escorting me lead me to a locker and opened it, pulling out a set of clothing. "Hands up." He ordered and I complied, raising my arms as he slid a plain grey but well fitting shirt over my head. 'ZACHARY-033' the tag read. A number, but for what? Was I test subject for some sick experiment? Part of me knew that number from somewhere.
As I pulled on the pants by myself (with a glare from the man), I looked around and saw the other children had similar numbers.
Most of them fussed, obviously concerned and confused. But the handlers didn't listen to their complaints and manually pulled their uniforms on. They didn't care. I shivered, hoping to find a way out of this situation. Near the door, several large men with pistols at their waists watched the crowd. One met my eye and I looked away. Were they willing to shoot kids?!
Once every child was dressed with matching slippers, pants, and shirt, we were once again lead out of the chamber and into the hallway. This trip was much longer, and though a few children complained, we didn't stop. Most of us looked tired and confused and afraid. Only a few like myself were coherent enough to truly understand the situation. All the others were in a haze.
Finally after a few minutes, we came across four pairs of double doors. Our handlers opened them up and lead us inside the… amphitheatre? Rows of slate-grey seats surrounded a raised platform, on which several important looking people stood. Including a holographic projection of… a woman wearing a toga? Something felt eerily familiar about this entire situation.
Once we were forced into our seats, the lab coat wearing woman stepped forwards - a scientist? She cleared her throat and spoke up, shattering my world view completely.
"As per Naval Code 45812, you are hereby conscripted into the UNSC Special Project, codenamed SPARTAN II."
My eyes widened and I almost shouted, barely keeping my stupid mouth shut. Oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck. I was in Halo. We were all subjects being forced into the SPARTAN program. To be turned into super soldiers and thrown at the cultist xenos that were the Covenant.
Above me, Doctor Halsey frowned, staring down at the confused mass of children. Her eyes were startling blue… and held a hint of sheer sadness. She knew what she was doing, sentencing all of these childrens to a future filled with suffering. You bitch.
But deep down I knew that the SPARTAN project was all that kept the UNSC from imploding in the face of the Covies. The Master Chief saved trillions of people by stopping them. I glanced around the room looking for a child with the number One-One-Seven. There.
He was just a kid, like me now. Nothing like the future hero he would grow up to be.
"You have been called upon to serve," Halsey continued with more strength in her voice. "You will be trained… and you will become the best we can make of you. You will be the protectors of Earth and all of her colonies."
Yep. There's the propaganda. These kids had all been raised on the glory of Earth and the UNSC.
"This will be hard to understand, but you can not return to your parents."
Shock, horror, and fear. Most of the children tried to move, but their handlers quickly put a stop to that by holding them firmly in place. "This place will become your home," Halsey said, trying to sooth their fears. "Your fellow trainees will become your family now. The training will be difficult. There will be a great deal of hardship on the road ahead, but I know you will all make it." Patriotic words… but I knew it was a lie. Most of us would fail and die, or be crippled for life.
"Rest now…" she said to us. "We begin tomorrow."
Then, Doctor Halsey turned to the man at her side who I assumed to be Mendez. With a black military dress strung up with ribbons, decorations, and awards, he was quite the sight. Of course, his dark, unblinking eyes certainly did the trick. I shivered. "Have the children…" She paused, correcting herself. "The trainees escorted to their barracks. Feed them and put them to bed."
"Yes ma'am!" Chief Petty Officer Mendez declared with a quick salute. He turned to the soldiers around us and called out, "Fall out!"
As we were lead from the room, I stared up at Doctor Halsey. She flinched but stared back. Something in my look must've gotten to her. I turned away as my handler urged me. Good. She deserved all of the guilt.
Up on the podium, I could just barely hear what Halsey said. "Watch that one. And keep them busy tomorrow. Keep them from thinking about what we've just done to them."
Usually people don't think of the Halo series as something easily self-insertable, but I've managed to think of a decent enough way. Anyway, I looked back on one of my old reads and remembered The Fall of Reach. Good book, by the way. Go read that instead of my weird fanfiction. It does the Halo universe much more justice than I. This fic takes place during pre-war times and follows the creation of the SPARTAN II program.
Spoiler alert, Halsey does war crimes and turns a bunch of kids into super soldiers and subjecting them to terrible challenges and injecting them with Space Drugs. And it works. As it turns out, Super Soldiers are pretty good against the Covenant, especially when you give them fancy power armor. The Master Chef is there as well and he's the greatest one. You've all probably played the games and know the ending by now.
But that's probably enough rambling. Hope you enjoy the read.
Little Lost Eagle
Arc One - Dirt - 1.01
UNKNOWN HOURS, UNKNOWN DATE (Military Calendar)
UNKNOWN SYSTEM, UNKNOWN PLANET
The first sign that something was wrong was when I opened my eyes and everything seemed much, much smaller than they had originally been.
Wisps of chilly air floated around me as I rubbed the sleep out of my face. I was in a… pod? Said pod was too large for one of my size, and I barely filled up half of the interior chamber.
Then I froze, staring down at my hands. Tiny, child-like hands. I coughed, shock filling me. A blue goo liquid oozed out of my mouth, tasting like what I imagined dead bugs to taste like. With toothpaste added in. Around me, I could hear a cacophony of coughs, whispers, and fearful voices. I looked out of the tube I was in, staring across at the child in the other pod. They coughed hard, unable to get the stuff out of her system.
A tall man in a camouflage military uniform briskly strode towards her and patted her back firmly. That did it, and she sucked in deep breaths.
Running a hand up the length of the gel-filled bed I was on, I stared down at my prepubescent body. Small and smooth lanky limbs with no trace of the adult hair or rough calluses on my hands. All I was wearing were a pair of briefs with stretchy elastic. What the fuck? How was this even possible? Why were there so many children? And so many scary looking men (and a few women) in military wear? Nothing made sense.
More worrying was the fact that I wasn't wearing glasses. In fact, I appeared to have perfect vision now. So much clarity… it was stunning.
I rubbed my mouth, wiping away a smear of the blue gunk. Eugh.
Slowly, hesitantly, I took a step out of my pod and onto shaky limbs. Nothing felt right. Everything was too small, too slow, too weak. My feet slapped against metal tiles, the cold surface sending a shiver up my spine. The large room had at least fifty pods, probably more. Each occupied with another kid like myself.
"Please follow me." A commanding voice said behind me, making me jump. I spun around to see a very tall man with a stern face staring down at me. His hair was cut to the scalp, and he had no facial hair. He reached out and set a meaty hand on my shoulder, not too softly pushing me along.
"O-okay, okay I'll go…" I muttered, trying to ignore the heavy weight of his palm. The man looked like he could snap my neck with a quick gesture. There was no comment from my handler. Around us, more and more of the children were being escorted like myself. We were lead out of the chamber, through a hall and into what seemed like a smaller room with benches laid perpendicular to the doors.
The man escorting me lead me to a locker and opened it, pulling out a set of clothing. "Hands up." He ordered and I complied, raising my arms as he slid a plain grey but well fitting shirt over my head. 'ZACHARY-033' the tag read. A number, but for what? Was I test subject for some sick experiment? Part of me knew that number from somewhere.
As I pulled on the pants by myself (with a glare from the man), I looked around and saw the other children had similar numbers.
Most of them fussed, obviously concerned and confused. But the handlers didn't listen to their complaints and manually pulled their uniforms on. They didn't care. I shivered, hoping to find a way out of this situation. Near the door, several large men with pistols at their waists watched the crowd. One met my eye and I looked away. Were they willing to shoot kids?!
Once every child was dressed with matching slippers, pants, and shirt, we were once again lead out of the chamber and into the hallway. This trip was much longer, and though a few children complained, we didn't stop. Most of us looked tired and confused and afraid. Only a few like myself were coherent enough to truly understand the situation. All the others were in a haze.
Finally after a few minutes, we came across four pairs of double doors. Our handlers opened them up and lead us inside the… amphitheatre? Rows of slate-grey seats surrounded a raised platform, on which several important looking people stood. Including a holographic projection of… a woman wearing a toga? Something felt eerily familiar about this entire situation.
Once we were forced into our seats, the lab coat wearing woman stepped forwards - a scientist? She cleared her throat and spoke up, shattering my world view completely.
"As per Naval Code 45812, you are hereby conscripted into the UNSC Special Project, codenamed SPARTAN II."
My eyes widened and I almost shouted, barely keeping my stupid mouth shut. Oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck. I was in Halo. We were all subjects being forced into the SPARTAN program. To be turned into super soldiers and thrown at the cultist xenos that were the Covenant.
Above me, Doctor Halsey frowned, staring down at the confused mass of children. Her eyes were startling blue… and held a hint of sheer sadness. She knew what she was doing, sentencing all of these childrens to a future filled with suffering. You bitch.
But deep down I knew that the SPARTAN project was all that kept the UNSC from imploding in the face of the Covies. The Master Chief saved trillions of people by stopping them. I glanced around the room looking for a child with the number One-One-Seven. There.
He was just a kid, like me now. Nothing like the future hero he would grow up to be.
"You have been called upon to serve," Halsey continued with more strength in her voice. "You will be trained… and you will become the best we can make of you. You will be the protectors of Earth and all of her colonies."
Yep. There's the propaganda. These kids had all been raised on the glory of Earth and the UNSC.
"This will be hard to understand, but you can not return to your parents."
Shock, horror, and fear. Most of the children tried to move, but their handlers quickly put a stop to that by holding them firmly in place. "This place will become your home," Halsey said, trying to sooth their fears. "Your fellow trainees will become your family now. The training will be difficult. There will be a great deal of hardship on the road ahead, but I know you will all make it." Patriotic words… but I knew it was a lie. Most of us would fail and die, or be crippled for life.
"Rest now…" she said to us. "We begin tomorrow."
Then, Doctor Halsey turned to the man at her side who I assumed to be Mendez. With a black military dress strung up with ribbons, decorations, and awards, he was quite the sight. Of course, his dark, unblinking eyes certainly did the trick. I shivered. "Have the children…" She paused, correcting herself. "The trainees escorted to their barracks. Feed them and put them to bed."
"Yes ma'am!" Chief Petty Officer Mendez declared with a quick salute. He turned to the soldiers around us and called out, "Fall out!"
As we were lead from the room, I stared up at Doctor Halsey. She flinched but stared back. Something in my look must've gotten to her. I turned away as my handler urged me. Good. She deserved all of the guilt.
Up on the podium, I could just barely hear what Halsey said. "Watch that one. And keep them busy tomorrow. Keep them from thinking about what we've just done to them."
Last edited:
Dirt 1.02
Donk
What a load of Donk.
- Location
- Ohio, U.S.A.
Gee, Donk. How come your mom lets you have *two* chapters in a row? Blame the muse.
Dirt - 1.02
0530 HOURS, SEPTEMBER 24, 2517 (Military Calendar) /
EPSILON ERIDANI SYSTEM, REACH MILITARY COMPLEX, PLANET REACH
"Wake up trainee!" Was the only warning I needed to bolt awake, eyes darting around me. Fuck, sleep had been horrible, plagued with terrible dreams about the future. Gravemind himself reaching down to consume my tiny body like the morsel it waas.
Above me, the handler paused. The same one as yesterday, more muscle than man. "Good." I got a closer look, eyeing his very short blonde buzz cut. Brown eyes. Same camo uniform as last time. Around us, children screamed as they were roused, forcibly. I eyed the stun baton he was casually hefting. Yeah, no. Following orders like a good little boy. Don't hit me, please.
Across the hall, a loud and authoritative voice shouted out to the entire barracks. "I am Chief Petty Officer Mendez." He said, looking around at everyone. "The rest of these men are your instructors. You will do exactly as we tell you." 'Or else' was left unsaid.
Mendez turned around and pointed to the far end of the cinderblock barracks, where an open set of showers awaited. "Showers are aft. You will all wash and then return here to dress."Then he turned back and opened one of the trunks at the base of their beds. Inside were sets of grey clothing, much like what they had worn yesterday. "No slacking. On the double!" He called out, raising his voice.
"I mean it! Go! Go! GO!" That sent the entire herd of children running, pushed along by their handlers who weren't afraid to use the batons they held. From the pained cries, I imagine it hurt. A lot.
The showers were undignified, cold, and they were barely given enough time to hop onto the conveyer belts and ride along, scrubbing and cleaning. A spray of ice cold water woke us all up completely. Then a blast of air buffeted each of us until we were dry. I shook my head, running back to my bunk before the glare I got from my handler could progress into a beating.
I pulled on the proffered clothing, only stopping momentarily to examine the thick combat boots with metal tips. It was difficult to tie up with my clumsy hands, but I managed to get them on before anything bad happened. Others weren't so lucky. Each piece of clothing fit perfectly.
"Outside, trainees! Triple time… march!" Mendez called out, urging our stampede outside and onto the training grounds. It was still a bit before sunrise, and the edge of the sky was a hazy indigo. Above us, a pair of what I assumed to be Longswords roared over head. Despite there being dozens of concrete and cinder block barracks, nobody else was up and attem. We were the only ones out and about.
"You will make five equal length rows!" Officer Mendez barked. "Fifteen trainees each!" He waited a few seconds as we got into position.
For once I cursed my hastiness. I was first in my row, and stood out because of it. "Straighten those rows, you know how to count to fifteen? You, take three steps back!" He called to one of the misshapen lines.
I took a deep breath, already knowing where this was going. Training. Brutal exercise meant to push us to our limits… it wasn't something that should be forced on kids. I stretched my limbs, trying to limber up. "Jumping jacks!" Mendez ordered. "Count off to a hundred. Ready, go!" We followed his lead, trying to keep up with the devil of a man.
Most of the children complied, myself included as I tried to pace myself. One of the boys refused… and an instructor was on him instantly, sending a stun baton into his gut. Ouch. "Get with the program, boot!" The trainer snarled. The boy got up and complied.
I got to around thirty before the aching started. Fifty and my bones groaned. Eighty and my lungs were giving out. This childish body of mine couldn't handle such a strain. My arms and legs burned, crying out with pain.
"Ninety-eight. Ninety nine. One hundred!" Mendez paused his counting, drawing in a deep breath. It wouldn't stop here. "Sit ups!" He dropped onto the grass. "Count off to one hundred, no slacking!"
I fell backwards in an indignant manner, not caring. "The first crewman who quits," Mendez said, his voice taking on a sharp tone. "Gets to run around the compound twice - and then comes back here and does two hundred sit ups. Ready… count off! One… Two. Three."
This was torture.
Squats followed afterwards, and then knee bends. Several other children threw up, fouling the air with an ungodly smell. Sweat rolled down my back and soaked through my great shirt.
Finally, as if an Angel had descended, Mendez ordered us to stop. "Rest. Trainers: get the water."
Several instructors wheeled out carts laden with bottles of water and I lunged forwards, grabbing one off the rack, forcing myself to slowly down the water. One of the kids choked and threw up again, unable to hold down such an amount of liquid. Several other kids watched me, and followed suit. Pacing ourselves. I needed to not throw up. I needed all the liquid and food my stomach contained.
The salty and warm water eventually was empty and I sat down, panting in the grass. How long had we been doing this? I stared up at the sky, where the sun hovered over us. It didn't seem like it, but suddenly I realized I was on a different planet. Reach. It was mind boggling.
But all too soon, the rest ended and I couldn't think to myself anymore.
"A good start trainees," Mendez said, complimenting us. Dickhead. "Now, we run. On your feet!"
All it took was the trainers brandishing their stun rods again before we stood up and ran. We jogged down a gravel path through the compound. I tried to keep a mental map in my head, but it was too hard to focus. We went past more cinder block barracks… ran alongside a river and over a bridge, leaving the compound. Then we reached the edge of a runway, where a Longsword was in the process of taking off.
It was a massive machine, much more impressive than my own home's aircraft.
Once we were past the runway, Mendez led us along a zigzagging path of stone and through woods. My legs ached from the torture put on them, not meant for such strain. But I knew it would end soon.
Finally we reached a courtyard of smooth flagstones. A pole in the center flew the UNSC colors. A blue field with stars and Earth's marble in the corner. At the end of the courtyard was a round domed building with pillars and dozens of wide steps leading to the entrance.
'NAVAL OFFICER ACADEMY' read the words above us.
A woman stood on the top step and beckoned us, the same one from yesterday that I had noticed with Halsey. She wore a toga of sorts, and looked like a Greek goddess. Motes of light orbited her luminous white hair. In her left hand was stone tablet on which markings moved. Déjà. An artificial intelligence.
"Excellent work, Chief Petty Officer Mendez." She said in a resonant and silky voice. Really hamming it up, wasn't she? The officer saluted her and then Déjà turned to us. "Welcome. My name is Déjà and I will be your teacher. Please come in, class is about to start."
At the words 'class', several students groaned and mumbled. Even after such grueling exercise, they were still kids at heart. "Of course…" Déjà said, a wry smile on her lips. "If you would prefer to skip your lessons, you may continue the morning calisthenics." The offending children double timed it up the steps and I shook my head, one of the first to climb them.
Inside it was cool and refreshing. Air conditioning, even in the future, was still a glorious invention. We were led into a classroom with desks all around a central clearing. Trays of crackers and milk had been left out and I flopped into my randomly chosen seat with a sigh of relief.
The milk was delicious, and the crackers, stale as they may be, were just enough to sate my growling stomach.
As the children settled in, Déjà began to tell us about a battle taken long ago. The story of how three hundred Spartans fought off thousands of Persian infantry.
The holographic technology was stunning, and the brutal reality of war was stunning to a bunch of kids whose hardest confrontations were schoolyard tussles. Blood sprayed, men screamed, and people died. Most of the students couldn't take their eyes off the spectacle, but I was… well, only somewhat impressed.
Déjà seemed to notice my inattentiveness. A small version of her avatar popped up next to me, making me jump. "Cadet 033. Are you not going to watch like your fellow students?"
I looked away, trying to think up an excuse. When I couldn't think up one, I turned to her directly. "Why are you doing this?" I asked, letting my emotions bleed out for once. My frustration and anger evident. "This… you can't do this to us. It's not right."
The AI across from me paused, genuine human sadness in her eyes. Hard to think she was lines of code. "We do this because it is needed. You are needed." She was right, even if she didn't know the real truth behind her statements.
I bit my lower lip, clenching my fists. "You can distract the others with exhaustion and fancy light shows…" I said, staring her down. "But I know what you're doing." For a moment I thought about revealing my true nature and my future knowledge. Then I snuffed that urge down. There was no telling what they would do to me.
Déjà examined me closely. There was no telling what was going through her mind. That she paused for more than a few seconds… for AI, time was a much different beast. "Interesting," she said after a short moment. "Very well, Oh-Three-Three. Please continue to watch the presentation." She blinked out of existence.
Soon enough, the show was over as the Spartans pushed the Persians back, routing their charge. Some of the children cheered. To me, it was all too real. I knew what our future was.
"That's all for today," Déjà said once she deactivated the projectors. "Tomorrow we will continue this and I will show you wolves. Now it's time to go to the playground."
Several children perked up, muttering to themselves. Yeah, sorry kids. It wasn't a real playground.
Dirt - 1.02
0530 HOURS, SEPTEMBER 24, 2517 (Military Calendar) /
EPSILON ERIDANI SYSTEM, REACH MILITARY COMPLEX, PLANET REACH
"Wake up trainee!" Was the only warning I needed to bolt awake, eyes darting around me. Fuck, sleep had been horrible, plagued with terrible dreams about the future. Gravemind himself reaching down to consume my tiny body like the morsel it waas.
Above me, the handler paused. The same one as yesterday, more muscle than man. "Good." I got a closer look, eyeing his very short blonde buzz cut. Brown eyes. Same camo uniform as last time. Around us, children screamed as they were roused, forcibly. I eyed the stun baton he was casually hefting. Yeah, no. Following orders like a good little boy. Don't hit me, please.
Across the hall, a loud and authoritative voice shouted out to the entire barracks. "I am Chief Petty Officer Mendez." He said, looking around at everyone. "The rest of these men are your instructors. You will do exactly as we tell you." 'Or else' was left unsaid.
Mendez turned around and pointed to the far end of the cinderblock barracks, where an open set of showers awaited. "Showers are aft. You will all wash and then return here to dress."Then he turned back and opened one of the trunks at the base of their beds. Inside were sets of grey clothing, much like what they had worn yesterday. "No slacking. On the double!" He called out, raising his voice.
"I mean it! Go! Go! GO!" That sent the entire herd of children running, pushed along by their handlers who weren't afraid to use the batons they held. From the pained cries, I imagine it hurt. A lot.
The showers were undignified, cold, and they were barely given enough time to hop onto the conveyer belts and ride along, scrubbing and cleaning. A spray of ice cold water woke us all up completely. Then a blast of air buffeted each of us until we were dry. I shook my head, running back to my bunk before the glare I got from my handler could progress into a beating.
I pulled on the proffered clothing, only stopping momentarily to examine the thick combat boots with metal tips. It was difficult to tie up with my clumsy hands, but I managed to get them on before anything bad happened. Others weren't so lucky. Each piece of clothing fit perfectly.
"Outside, trainees! Triple time… march!" Mendez called out, urging our stampede outside and onto the training grounds. It was still a bit before sunrise, and the edge of the sky was a hazy indigo. Above us, a pair of what I assumed to be Longswords roared over head. Despite there being dozens of concrete and cinder block barracks, nobody else was up and attem. We were the only ones out and about.
"You will make five equal length rows!" Officer Mendez barked. "Fifteen trainees each!" He waited a few seconds as we got into position.
For once I cursed my hastiness. I was first in my row, and stood out because of it. "Straighten those rows, you know how to count to fifteen? You, take three steps back!" He called to one of the misshapen lines.
I took a deep breath, already knowing where this was going. Training. Brutal exercise meant to push us to our limits… it wasn't something that should be forced on kids. I stretched my limbs, trying to limber up. "Jumping jacks!" Mendez ordered. "Count off to a hundred. Ready, go!" We followed his lead, trying to keep up with the devil of a man.
Most of the children complied, myself included as I tried to pace myself. One of the boys refused… and an instructor was on him instantly, sending a stun baton into his gut. Ouch. "Get with the program, boot!" The trainer snarled. The boy got up and complied.
I got to around thirty before the aching started. Fifty and my bones groaned. Eighty and my lungs were giving out. This childish body of mine couldn't handle such a strain. My arms and legs burned, crying out with pain.
"Ninety-eight. Ninety nine. One hundred!" Mendez paused his counting, drawing in a deep breath. It wouldn't stop here. "Sit ups!" He dropped onto the grass. "Count off to one hundred, no slacking!"
I fell backwards in an indignant manner, not caring. "The first crewman who quits," Mendez said, his voice taking on a sharp tone. "Gets to run around the compound twice - and then comes back here and does two hundred sit ups. Ready… count off! One… Two. Three."
This was torture.
Squats followed afterwards, and then knee bends. Several other children threw up, fouling the air with an ungodly smell. Sweat rolled down my back and soaked through my great shirt.
Finally, as if an Angel had descended, Mendez ordered us to stop. "Rest. Trainers: get the water."
Several instructors wheeled out carts laden with bottles of water and I lunged forwards, grabbing one off the rack, forcing myself to slowly down the water. One of the kids choked and threw up again, unable to hold down such an amount of liquid. Several other kids watched me, and followed suit. Pacing ourselves. I needed to not throw up. I needed all the liquid and food my stomach contained.
The salty and warm water eventually was empty and I sat down, panting in the grass. How long had we been doing this? I stared up at the sky, where the sun hovered over us. It didn't seem like it, but suddenly I realized I was on a different planet. Reach. It was mind boggling.
But all too soon, the rest ended and I couldn't think to myself anymore.
"A good start trainees," Mendez said, complimenting us. Dickhead. "Now, we run. On your feet!"
All it took was the trainers brandishing their stun rods again before we stood up and ran. We jogged down a gravel path through the compound. I tried to keep a mental map in my head, but it was too hard to focus. We went past more cinder block barracks… ran alongside a river and over a bridge, leaving the compound. Then we reached the edge of a runway, where a Longsword was in the process of taking off.
It was a massive machine, much more impressive than my own home's aircraft.
Once we were past the runway, Mendez led us along a zigzagging path of stone and through woods. My legs ached from the torture put on them, not meant for such strain. But I knew it would end soon.
Finally we reached a courtyard of smooth flagstones. A pole in the center flew the UNSC colors. A blue field with stars and Earth's marble in the corner. At the end of the courtyard was a round domed building with pillars and dozens of wide steps leading to the entrance.
'NAVAL OFFICER ACADEMY' read the words above us.
A woman stood on the top step and beckoned us, the same one from yesterday that I had noticed with Halsey. She wore a toga of sorts, and looked like a Greek goddess. Motes of light orbited her luminous white hair. In her left hand was stone tablet on which markings moved. Déjà. An artificial intelligence.
"Excellent work, Chief Petty Officer Mendez." She said in a resonant and silky voice. Really hamming it up, wasn't she? The officer saluted her and then Déjà turned to us. "Welcome. My name is Déjà and I will be your teacher. Please come in, class is about to start."
At the words 'class', several students groaned and mumbled. Even after such grueling exercise, they were still kids at heart. "Of course…" Déjà said, a wry smile on her lips. "If you would prefer to skip your lessons, you may continue the morning calisthenics." The offending children double timed it up the steps and I shook my head, one of the first to climb them.
Inside it was cool and refreshing. Air conditioning, even in the future, was still a glorious invention. We were led into a classroom with desks all around a central clearing. Trays of crackers and milk had been left out and I flopped into my randomly chosen seat with a sigh of relief.
The milk was delicious, and the crackers, stale as they may be, were just enough to sate my growling stomach.
As the children settled in, Déjà began to tell us about a battle taken long ago. The story of how three hundred Spartans fought off thousands of Persian infantry.
The holographic technology was stunning, and the brutal reality of war was stunning to a bunch of kids whose hardest confrontations were schoolyard tussles. Blood sprayed, men screamed, and people died. Most of the students couldn't take their eyes off the spectacle, but I was… well, only somewhat impressed.
Déjà seemed to notice my inattentiveness. A small version of her avatar popped up next to me, making me jump. "Cadet 033. Are you not going to watch like your fellow students?"
I looked away, trying to think up an excuse. When I couldn't think up one, I turned to her directly. "Why are you doing this?" I asked, letting my emotions bleed out for once. My frustration and anger evident. "This… you can't do this to us. It's not right."
The AI across from me paused, genuine human sadness in her eyes. Hard to think she was lines of code. "We do this because it is needed. You are needed." She was right, even if she didn't know the real truth behind her statements.
I bit my lower lip, clenching my fists. "You can distract the others with exhaustion and fancy light shows…" I said, staring her down. "But I know what you're doing." For a moment I thought about revealing my true nature and my future knowledge. Then I snuffed that urge down. There was no telling what they would do to me.
Déjà examined me closely. There was no telling what was going through her mind. That she paused for more than a few seconds… for AI, time was a much different beast. "Interesting," she said after a short moment. "Very well, Oh-Three-Three. Please continue to watch the presentation." She blinked out of existence.
Soon enough, the show was over as the Spartans pushed the Persians back, routing their charge. Some of the children cheered. To me, it was all too real. I knew what our future was.
"That's all for today," Déjà said once she deactivated the projectors. "Tomorrow we will continue this and I will show you wolves. Now it's time to go to the playground."
Several children perked up, muttering to themselves. Yeah, sorry kids. It wasn't a real playground.
Dirt 1.03
Donk
What a load of Donk.
- Location
- Ohio, U.S.A.
OOH BABY A TRIPLE. But that's it for my prepared writings. Expect more... whenever. Point out any mistakes if you see any, that would be very helpful indeed.
Dirt - 1.03
1430 HOURS, SEPTEMBER 24, 2517 (Military Calendar) /
EPSILON ERIDANI SYSTEM, REACH MILITARY COMPLEX, PLANET REACH
We were all lead several miles down and away from the Academy, a 'short run' in Mendez' words.
The aching feeling in my limbs barely detracted from the sight of our new Playground. Reading about it hadn't quite set the picture, not truly.
Someone had taken the base idea of a jungle gym, been given a huge budget, and also was incredibly sadistic. Every inch of it was designed to test the ranges of movement a human body could make. There were rope cargo nets, rickety wooden bridges, sliding poles, and knotted climbing ropes. A few walls held colorful handholds to climb up and I saw a few swinging challenges as well.
Riddled in with said obstacles were traps. I doubt many others noticed them, but I could see here and there where things didn't fit. Beneath the entire forest of poles were pits filled with water and mud with only a few cushioned spots. Still wouldn't be fun to fall.
My eyes flickered over the provided challenge as I tried to find a way through it. Despite my advantage, it was very difficult to make sense of the literal maze of paths that intersected, looped, and criss-crossed. Fuck. Maybe I would just wing it?
Idly, I followed orders as Mendez ordered us to form three lines. "The first person in every row will be team number one," he said. "The second person in each row will be team number two and so on. If you do not understand this, speak up now."
Naturally, nobody spoke up.
I appeared to be in the fifth row, now wary of making myself front and center. To my right were two children. One was a slightly younger and much shorter girl with brown pigtails and strangely enough pink eyes. Future genetics? I'd noticed a wide variety of color amongst our group, much more varied than my own home. 'ALEXA-054' her tag read.
To her right was a boy taller than me and certainly more stockier. Ginger hair, it seemed, and a pasty skin tone. 'JACK-110' I read. He gave me a tired little grin. I gave a nod back, turning my attention to our teacher.
Today's game," Mendez explained, "is called 'Ring the Bell.'" He pointed to the tallest pole on the playground. It towered above us, an additional ten meters or so above the others and had a steel slide pole next to it with cushions near the bottom. Hung at the very top of that pole was a brass bell.
"There are many ways to get to the bell," he told us. "I leave it up to each team to find their own way. When every member of your team has rung the bell, you are to get groundside double time and run back here across this finish line."
Mendez then took his baton and drew a finish line in the dirty sand at our feet.
A familiar face raised their hand. John. Mendez glared at John, staring him down for a few moments. "A question, Trainee?"
"What do we win?" John asked, expectedly.
Mendez cocked one eyebrow and appraised him. "You win dinner, Number 117. Tonight, dinner is roast turkey, gravy and mashed potatoes, corn on the cob, brownies, and ice cream."
Around us, murmurs of approval swept through the gathered children. Admittedly, I was hankering for such a meal myself. My mouth watered at the thought of food. Crackers were not a fitting lunch.
"But," Mendez added, "for there to be winners, there must be a loser. The last team to finish goes without food." Just like that, everyone fell silent and stared at the others with caution. With a single sentence, Mendez had turned us all into enemies. So easy. A few moments passed before Mendez continued. "Make ready." We all prepared ourselves.
I sent a glance to the two on my right. "Follow my lead," I muttered in a barely audible whisper. Alexa gave me a curious look, but Jack just smirked. "We need to work together," I added. "Unless you'd rather go hungry?" That got their attention.
"Go!"
Instantly, the pack took off. John, predictably, took the lead, his longer legs eating up the ground as he went. Let him learn his mistakes… I wouldn't be interfering for now. He may have been a lone wolf, but not all of us had luck on our sides.
Our trio was slower than most, I made sure to keep pace with the other two. But I was leading them down the path of least resistance instead of fighting the tide of bodies that got stuck at obvious choke points.
It was more difficult and left me panting and my limbs screaming. At one point I was almost caught by a net launcher, barely managing to avoid it as Jack grabbed my shirt. I gave a quick thumbs up, glad he had listened to my statement. The favor was returned in kind as we crossed a dropping bridge and he was just a bit too slow to cross. My hand caught his and I grunted with the effort.
"Thanks," he muttered, equally out of breath as I pulled him up as fast as I could.
With no time for chit chat, we dashed, jumped, ran, leaped, and climbed our way through the Playground. Then we were faced with a bare sheet of concrete wall with no handholds in sight. "Agh, you screwed us!" Jack groaned, not seeing my ploy.
I took up a spot at the base of the wall, crouching and holding my hands as a platform. "Jump on, quick! Alexa!" I jerked my head back. She took a second to realise what I was thinking. This wouldn't have worked with someone bigger, I doubted my ability to lift anyone above a certain size.
"Okay…" She said with hesitation, before steel showed itself in her pink eyes. She ran towards me and I lifted with all my strength as she landed on my hands. Her steel toed boots dug into them, but regardless I threw her upwards. She collided with the top, scrambling for a handhold. For a second it seemed like Alexa was going to fall, but she managed to grab hold of a rope and pull herself up.
Seconds later, the rope was dropped down for us and I was already pulling myself up.
Alexa nodded to me as I crested the top, and I returned the favor by pushing her onwards. "Go, go!" I called, turning back for a second to reach down and grab Jack and heave him up. The pain in my limbs had been replaced by a flood of adrenaline I didn't know I had left.
This challenge had me hooked.
Above us, John was the first to ring the bell and drop down, a victorious grin on his face. We weren't too far behind, with this route being significantly quicker. Another group managed to reach the bell before us though, riding atop a large bucket they heaved on to ride upwards. Below us, people floundered in the water and mud, while others fought for the right to be first. Forcibly, in some cases. Ouch. I winced upon seeing someone's tooth go flying with a vicious punch.
Then we reached the bell and I stopped, waiting for the others. Jack pulled himself up first and slapped the bell hard. Alexa was after him, slightly slower due to her shorter limbs. Still, she didn't weigh much and had an advantage in that factor. She let out a wheeze and rung the bell herself, trying to suck in air.
With a smile, I rung the bell myself and jumped for the pole, sliding down the thing with a rush of exhilaration. My team-mates weren't far behind, and we each ran for the finish line.
Mendez looked at us with a neutral expression, but I could see a hint of calculation in his eyes. He knew we had gotten the point of this exercise. Without saying anything, he checked off on a clipboard and resumed watching the others.
Panting and gasping, the three of us pretty much flopped to the grass and waited as the others finished up. My arms screamed with pain, very angry at my rough treatment thus far. But I ignored that, happy that I wouldn't go hungry tonight.
Recovered somewhat, I cast my glance towards the final contestants as they crossed the finish line last. Kelly-087 and Samuel-034. Two very important future SPARTANS. John had left them behind in his effort to win… which left them alone and stuck, unable to get past the procession of other children. So they were last and John had lost in reality.
"Good work, Trainees," Mendez said with a rare smile, beaming at them all. There was something else to it, but I couldn't quite tell. "Let's get back to the barracks and chow down."
All of the children cheered, despite their sheer exhaustion and dirtiness. I let myself relax for a moment, letting my tensed body unwind and try to repair the damage I had caused it.
"All except team three." Our teacher said, staring down John, Kelly, and Sam.
"But I won," John said, confused. "I was first." The shock on his face was evident.
"Yes you were first," Mendez explained, "but your team came in last." Then he looked towards all of us, taking on an authoritative tone. "Remember this: you don't win unless your team wins. One person winning at the expense of the group means you lose." Wise words, ones that we would need in the coming future if we wanted to survive.
I stared at John, watching emotions run over his face. Confusion, anger, sadness, exhaustion. Sorry kid, but you needed to learn it.
Dirt - 1.03
1430 HOURS, SEPTEMBER 24, 2517 (Military Calendar) /
EPSILON ERIDANI SYSTEM, REACH MILITARY COMPLEX, PLANET REACH
We were all lead several miles down and away from the Academy, a 'short run' in Mendez' words.
The aching feeling in my limbs barely detracted from the sight of our new Playground. Reading about it hadn't quite set the picture, not truly.
Someone had taken the base idea of a jungle gym, been given a huge budget, and also was incredibly sadistic. Every inch of it was designed to test the ranges of movement a human body could make. There were rope cargo nets, rickety wooden bridges, sliding poles, and knotted climbing ropes. A few walls held colorful handholds to climb up and I saw a few swinging challenges as well.
Riddled in with said obstacles were traps. I doubt many others noticed them, but I could see here and there where things didn't fit. Beneath the entire forest of poles were pits filled with water and mud with only a few cushioned spots. Still wouldn't be fun to fall.
My eyes flickered over the provided challenge as I tried to find a way through it. Despite my advantage, it was very difficult to make sense of the literal maze of paths that intersected, looped, and criss-crossed. Fuck. Maybe I would just wing it?
Idly, I followed orders as Mendez ordered us to form three lines. "The first person in every row will be team number one," he said. "The second person in each row will be team number two and so on. If you do not understand this, speak up now."
Naturally, nobody spoke up.
I appeared to be in the fifth row, now wary of making myself front and center. To my right were two children. One was a slightly younger and much shorter girl with brown pigtails and strangely enough pink eyes. Future genetics? I'd noticed a wide variety of color amongst our group, much more varied than my own home. 'ALEXA-054' her tag read.
To her right was a boy taller than me and certainly more stockier. Ginger hair, it seemed, and a pasty skin tone. 'JACK-110' I read. He gave me a tired little grin. I gave a nod back, turning my attention to our teacher.
Today's game," Mendez explained, "is called 'Ring the Bell.'" He pointed to the tallest pole on the playground. It towered above us, an additional ten meters or so above the others and had a steel slide pole next to it with cushions near the bottom. Hung at the very top of that pole was a brass bell.
"There are many ways to get to the bell," he told us. "I leave it up to each team to find their own way. When every member of your team has rung the bell, you are to get groundside double time and run back here across this finish line."
Mendez then took his baton and drew a finish line in the dirty sand at our feet.
A familiar face raised their hand. John. Mendez glared at John, staring him down for a few moments. "A question, Trainee?"
"What do we win?" John asked, expectedly.
Mendez cocked one eyebrow and appraised him. "You win dinner, Number 117. Tonight, dinner is roast turkey, gravy and mashed potatoes, corn on the cob, brownies, and ice cream."
Around us, murmurs of approval swept through the gathered children. Admittedly, I was hankering for such a meal myself. My mouth watered at the thought of food. Crackers were not a fitting lunch.
"But," Mendez added, "for there to be winners, there must be a loser. The last team to finish goes without food." Just like that, everyone fell silent and stared at the others with caution. With a single sentence, Mendez had turned us all into enemies. So easy. A few moments passed before Mendez continued. "Make ready." We all prepared ourselves.
I sent a glance to the two on my right. "Follow my lead," I muttered in a barely audible whisper. Alexa gave me a curious look, but Jack just smirked. "We need to work together," I added. "Unless you'd rather go hungry?" That got their attention.
"Go!"
Instantly, the pack took off. John, predictably, took the lead, his longer legs eating up the ground as he went. Let him learn his mistakes… I wouldn't be interfering for now. He may have been a lone wolf, but not all of us had luck on our sides.
Our trio was slower than most, I made sure to keep pace with the other two. But I was leading them down the path of least resistance instead of fighting the tide of bodies that got stuck at obvious choke points.
It was more difficult and left me panting and my limbs screaming. At one point I was almost caught by a net launcher, barely managing to avoid it as Jack grabbed my shirt. I gave a quick thumbs up, glad he had listened to my statement. The favor was returned in kind as we crossed a dropping bridge and he was just a bit too slow to cross. My hand caught his and I grunted with the effort.
"Thanks," he muttered, equally out of breath as I pulled him up as fast as I could.
With no time for chit chat, we dashed, jumped, ran, leaped, and climbed our way through the Playground. Then we were faced with a bare sheet of concrete wall with no handholds in sight. "Agh, you screwed us!" Jack groaned, not seeing my ploy.
I took up a spot at the base of the wall, crouching and holding my hands as a platform. "Jump on, quick! Alexa!" I jerked my head back. She took a second to realise what I was thinking. This wouldn't have worked with someone bigger, I doubted my ability to lift anyone above a certain size.
"Okay…" She said with hesitation, before steel showed itself in her pink eyes. She ran towards me and I lifted with all my strength as she landed on my hands. Her steel toed boots dug into them, but regardless I threw her upwards. She collided with the top, scrambling for a handhold. For a second it seemed like Alexa was going to fall, but she managed to grab hold of a rope and pull herself up.
Seconds later, the rope was dropped down for us and I was already pulling myself up.
Alexa nodded to me as I crested the top, and I returned the favor by pushing her onwards. "Go, go!" I called, turning back for a second to reach down and grab Jack and heave him up. The pain in my limbs had been replaced by a flood of adrenaline I didn't know I had left.
This challenge had me hooked.
Above us, John was the first to ring the bell and drop down, a victorious grin on his face. We weren't too far behind, with this route being significantly quicker. Another group managed to reach the bell before us though, riding atop a large bucket they heaved on to ride upwards. Below us, people floundered in the water and mud, while others fought for the right to be first. Forcibly, in some cases. Ouch. I winced upon seeing someone's tooth go flying with a vicious punch.
Then we reached the bell and I stopped, waiting for the others. Jack pulled himself up first and slapped the bell hard. Alexa was after him, slightly slower due to her shorter limbs. Still, she didn't weigh much and had an advantage in that factor. She let out a wheeze and rung the bell herself, trying to suck in air.
With a smile, I rung the bell myself and jumped for the pole, sliding down the thing with a rush of exhilaration. My team-mates weren't far behind, and we each ran for the finish line.
Mendez looked at us with a neutral expression, but I could see a hint of calculation in his eyes. He knew we had gotten the point of this exercise. Without saying anything, he checked off on a clipboard and resumed watching the others.
Panting and gasping, the three of us pretty much flopped to the grass and waited as the others finished up. My arms screamed with pain, very angry at my rough treatment thus far. But I ignored that, happy that I wouldn't go hungry tonight.
Recovered somewhat, I cast my glance towards the final contestants as they crossed the finish line last. Kelly-087 and Samuel-034. Two very important future SPARTANS. John had left them behind in his effort to win… which left them alone and stuck, unable to get past the procession of other children. So they were last and John had lost in reality.
"Good work, Trainees," Mendez said with a rare smile, beaming at them all. There was something else to it, but I couldn't quite tell. "Let's get back to the barracks and chow down."
All of the children cheered, despite their sheer exhaustion and dirtiness. I let myself relax for a moment, letting my tensed body unwind and try to repair the damage I had caused it.
"All except team three." Our teacher said, staring down John, Kelly, and Sam.
"But I won," John said, confused. "I was first." The shock on his face was evident.
"Yes you were first," Mendez explained, "but your team came in last." Then he looked towards all of us, taking on an authoritative tone. "Remember this: you don't win unless your team wins. One person winning at the expense of the group means you lose." Wise words, ones that we would need in the coming future if we wanted to survive.
I stared at John, watching emotions run over his face. Confusion, anger, sadness, exhaustion. Sorry kid, but you needed to learn it.
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Dirt 1.04
Donk
What a load of Donk.
- Location
- Ohio, U.S.A.
Actually, there is quite a bit of difference between IIIs and IIs. Twos are the real deal, and had the most augmentations and strongest physical training available. They were also the most expensive to make, and had a relatively high failure chance.
Threes, on the other hand, are expendable and not as good as Twos. Yes they got augmentations, but considerably less than the Twos had. It's why Jorge is so much taller and bulkier than his squadmates. He was a Spartan II. He's stronger and faster than Noble Team. Part of why he carries around such a big gun with no effort. Threes are the expendable problem solvers and were sent on suicide missions because they were much cheaper than Twos. They also didn't get as good armor, relying on SPI and active camo for the most part until they got their own shielding.
Anyway, next chapter is donezo and ready for readering. Hope y'all enjoy.
Dirt - 1.04
1800 HOURS, SEPTEMBER 24, 2517 (Military Calendar) /
EPSILON ERIDANI SYSTEM, REACH MILITARY COMPLEX, PLANET REACH
Supper was… the best food I have ever tasted in my entire life. The turkey was fatty and rich, the gravy filled with chunks of juicy meat. The corn-on-the-cob was drenched in butter and roasted to perfection. The mashed potatoes had just the right texture and taste, mashed from fine potatoes. The brownies were absolute chocolatey goodness. The ice cream came in many flavors.
I had to hand it to them… they didn't skimp out on the food. I tried to eat healthy, not overloading my plate with ice cream or brownies like many of the other children did. Several threw up… it wasn't a very nice sight. Or good smelling. But at least nobody was beaten for it!
Of course, my sweet tooth got the hold of me and I couldn't help but have some. I'd burn off the stuff halfway through tomorrow morning anyways.
My pained body detracted from some of the enjoyment, but I mostly ignored it. Sorta. It's a bit difficult to stand when your legs physically refuse to move.
When my stomach was full (the only part of me not hurting), I sat back and let out a relieved sigh. First day of this shit… and it would only get harder from here as we were forced into more and more challenges.
Parts of my mind wandered. Escape seemed impossible. I knew nothing of our surroundings, we were in the middle of the most fortified planet under UNSC control, and trapped on the planet unless I somehow figured out how to pilot a spaceship. I wondered if I should reveal my future knowledge… but I instantly knew that wasn't going to work ever. Worst case scenario I would be turned into a test subject and probably have all of my knowledge tortured out of me and maybe possibly vivisected.
Best case scenario… well, I didn't see a best case scenario. It probably didn't exist.
"My tummy hurts," Alexa muttered, cringing in on herself as she pushed away a bowl of ice cream. Your fault, kiddo. I shook my head, pushing my glass of water towards her.
"Slow sips, try not to gorge yourself next time," I said, taking on the role of responsible adult in this party of three. "And don't think I see you trying to sneak another turkey leg, Jack."
Said person froze, turning around with a sheepish look on their face as they held up a turkey leg. "Sorry Zach. It's just so tasty… almost as good as my Mom's coo-" He stopped, flinching.
"It's okay to eat, but you need to make sure you don't eat too much." Damn puppy dog eyes. "You can eat that one, but take it slow. And no more after that." He grinned, biting into the meat with fervor.
The three of us had an end of the table to ourselves, respectively left alone. Likewise, many of the children in this mess hall stuck to groups of three, the people they had bonded with. Some had formed larger blotches as they mingled and ate. Talk was sparse, most too afraid to speak of home for fear of sadness. I wouldn't be pushing my team mates and they would do the same.
Admittedly, coming up with an excuse about my 'family' would be hard.
Did I have a family in this universe? They had to have picked me up somewhere. Ugh, more and more questions yet still no answers. A hint of panic still lie beneath the surface. Fear and apprehension building up beneath my facade. Worries and worries and worries.
I let out a deep breath, shaking my head to rid some of the worry. Then I glanced across the hall and towards the empty part. Except it wasn't so empty.
John, Kelly, and Sam sat at an empty table, spaced as far apart as they could get. Each were trying their hardest to simultaneously glare at each other and the gluttonous children at the same time. In losing the test, they were going hungry.
I squinted my eyes and saw they had been given large bottles of water… thankfully our teachers wouldn't be completely depriving them. But that still didn't make up for the fact that each of them looked completely miserable. Alone, hungry, and exhausted with no hope of ever seeing their family again.
It made me sick.
I stood up suddenly, causing both Alex and Jack to stare at me. "Stay here," I said, grabbing a tray of food and shoving things on it. Then I briskly strode across the cafeteria and towards John.
For a moment he didn't notice me, but then jumped as he saw me and my tray of food. His mouth watered and hunger was visible in his eyes.
The table was set on the table when something hard and fast clocked me in the cheek.
ZZZZT!
Graagh! My body spasmed, pain radiating from my face where my cheekbone smarted heavily. That had almost broken my damn face! Some of the responsiveness came back to my limbs and I turned around, staring upwards at a heavily muscled trainer. He had the shock stick raised to bring it down again when a voice stopped him.
"Sergeant Black, cease your administering of punishment," Petty Officer Mendez' voice called. Instantly the man froze, spun on a dime, and sent a salute the officer's way.
Slowly, painstakingly, Mendez made his way across the hall. By this point, all chatter had stopped and heads were turned our way and watching the show.
Mendez' dark eyes stared down at me as he stopped. I grunted, pushing myself to my feet and holding a hand to the wound. Fuck. Ow. I grit my teeth, jaw aching now. My fingertips were stained with blood.
"Oh-Three-Three." Mendez declared. "Why have you brought food to the losers of our little game? They were strictly ordered to not be given food for the evening, because they lost." He raised an eyebrow, expecting me to run away like the small child I was.
Standing my ground, I looked back up at Mendez with all the effort I could muster. "Sir. You said it yourself. We don't win unless our team wins. Three people going hungry at the expense of us… they're members of our team. We eat together, we fight together." I gave a vicious little grin. "Besides, sir. You said you wouldn't be giving them any food… not that we couldn't give them food."
For a moment, it seemed like Mendez was going to beat the shit out of me… then a small smile showed on his face. Just the faintest hint of one. "This trainee is correct. He has taken my words to heart, and thus understood my lesson." He sent a glance over to the other children, mouths encrusted chocolate. He shook his head and then turned back.
Mendez got down on one knee, looking me in the eye. Did he know what I knew? "Very well," he said suddenly, straightening up and returning to his prodigious height. "I will allow you to feed them, Oh-Three-Three. This is the only time I will do so. Next time when I say the losers go hungry they will go hungry." I gulped, hearing the Truth in his words.
I'd gotten incredibly lucky, here. Lucky that Mendez had a soft side, lucky that I hadn't been pummeled by a handler, lucky that my audacity wouldn't get me killed.
"Carry on, recruit." Mendez said, swiftly turning around and gesturing for the handler to follow him. When they were far enough away, I collapsed, grimacing in pain. My face hurt… so much. But a smile formed, even as I willed the tears to not come.
"So… who's hungry?" I asked, turning to John, Kelly, and Sam. The faces they had made the pain hurt just a little less.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
The start of day two was significantly harder than day one.
Oh, the exercises and calisthenics were the same, but no thought had been made for our bodies. One night's rest wasn't completely enough to get rid of the aching and pain, so we were left stiff-legged and clumsy because our limbs just weren't capable of doing this two days in a row.
Though, we did it anyways instead of getting our shit kicked in. Seriously, those stun sticks hurt like a bitch. The right side of my face had puffed up into an ugly black and blue bruise, and oozed blood from the wound occasionally. Of course, no medicine had been given and I was forced to do the same exercise as everyone else.
Déjà's classroom this time around was centered around Wolves and their packs. In great detail we went over their habits and methods, and they way they worked together to bring down prey much larger than them.
Part of me was rather interested and amazed by the holographic technology. It felt like a part of the woods was in the middle of our classroom and the wolves fur was incredibly detailed and realistic. Each of them worked together… and I could see many other classmates listening closely, especially John.
Good. They would need all the knowledge they could get their hands on.
After class there was more running, until we finally reached the Playground once again. This time it was much different and more challenging. There were fewer bridges and more complicated rope-and-pulley systems. More traps as well. Above us, the bell pole was considerably higher now.
"Same teams as yesterday," Mendez ordered, herding us all into the line once again. "Today's rules, are a little different this time. 033's actions yesterday led me to change things up a little bit."
His eyes glanced over to me. I'd do it again, dickhead. "This time, instead of the last team going hungry… the first team that wins gets the privilege of eating tonight. Everyone else goes hungry." Everyone froze. He'd calculated this, hadn't he? All of my effort into bringing everyone together had fallen apart with just a few words.
"There is an alternative, however. One of you can sacrifice yourself and spend the rest of the day running laps. If they stop even once within the allotted time, the rest of the group goes hungry and doesn't get dinner."
Mendez stared at me and I stared back, considering things. Then with weak steps, I walked forwards. "I'll volunteer." He narrowed his eyes, before gesturing to the nearby track.
"Get running, recruit."
Last edited:
Dirt 1.05
Donk
What a load of Donk.
- Location
- Ohio, U.S.A.
1.05 is done and ready for readering. Thanks for the good discussion, it really means a lot to me to see people discuss my weird messes. Another thank should be had for the support you're all giving. Seriously, that shit keeps me going.
As always, hope you enjoy.
Dirt - 1.05
1700 HOURS, SEPTEMBER 25, 2517 (Military Calendar) /
EPSILON ERIDANI SYSTEM, REACH MILITARY COMPLEX, PLANET REACH
I am going to die.
No matter how hard I suck in air, it does nothing to assuage the sheer burning sensation filling my lungs as they desperately try to keep up.
Every part of my body screams with every step as I continue running, futilely trying to keep going. At first I had tried to pace myself but alas, my young body was not meant for long distance running. Ever lap I sped around the track just compounded on itself, until I was barely able to keep moving.
Yet I didn't stop.
This was sheer and utter torture… but I did it willingly, despite myself. Part of my wanted to give up, part of me wanted to die, part of me wanted to slug Mendez in the fucking face. But I knew none of those things would work. I had to keep running. I was now a Shark. If I ever stopped, I died.
So I kept going, even though my lungs felt like someone had tossed in campfire embers, even though my legs and feet sent jagged lines of pain running up my spine every time I took a step. How many times had I run in a circle? Idly, I noted that I had at one point thrown up, chunks of half digested turkey covering my shirt. The acidic taste filled my dry mouth and made me choke with every breath.
"Thirty minutes left, recruit!" Mendez called.
My eyes glanced over to the herd of children, barely able to make out their faces. Mendez had forced them all to watch my exercise in futility. And watch they did. Most were horrified. Alexa's face streamed with tears as she wept for me. I didn't have the liquid left to spare. Jack was visibly furious, his hands clenched and digging into his palms. Did he wanna punch Mendez in the face too?
Most of all, I saw John staring directly at me and not taking his eyes away for a second. He understood my sacrifice very well, for all that he was young and immature.
I kept running.
"Fifteen minutes!" Mendez' barely audible voice said.
I kept running.
"Five minutes!" A voice called… who was speaking?
I kept running.
"Five… four… three… two… one, zero! Stop running, recruit!"
I kept running. It was only when a hand grabbed my shoulder that I collapsed, limbs weakly trying to move forward even though they had nothing left in them. I couldn't speak, only capable of making incoherent wheezing sounds.
Mendez grabbed me forcibly, making me stop. A tight frown was on his face as he narrowed his dark eyes at me. "Kee….eep… runninng... " I muttered, barely capable of saying even that. "Gotta…"
"Well done, Oh-Three-Three." Mendez said, picking me up easily. "You've done your part. Rest now, and know your team made it through." I did it? Oh… good…
Blackness swallowed me up.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"I didn't say you could put them in the damn hospital!" A feminine voice called, anger obvious in her tone. "You went too far, Mendez. They're not ready for that type of training yet.
Mendez' familiar voice spoke back, calm and collected. "The trainee volunteered. He was capable of doing it in the end. This one… is promising."
"He won't be promising if he dies of exhaustion before he can get there!"
Ugh… everything hurts. Why must everything hurt. My chapped lips weakly let out a breath of air as my crusted eyes looked around. Mendez stood at attention in one corner of the small hospital room. A heartbeat monitor softly chimed nearby. At least the bed was comfortable.
At the foot of the bed stood Doctor Halsey, fury evident on her face. "We don't have the resources to throw away all of our subjects like you almost did, Mendez. That boy almost died." She stared him down, but Mendez made no obvious emotions.
"The boy succeeded in his mission. He made it." Then his eyes glanced over to me. "If he hadn't been capable, I would've put a stop to it. Good morning, recruit."
Morning? Had I been asleep that long?
Halsey turned suddenly, looking over me with concern. She pursed her lips before walked closer. "Good morning, Oh-Three-Three. I'm glad to see you're awake."
I shrugged, lips too dry to say anything coherent. Turning my head away, I stared at the holographic display and watched the monitor go up and down as my heart beat.
"We have you hooked up to a solution of IV. It was a bit touch and go last night, but you're looking much better. I'm glad." She said with a lie. She wasn't glad for my well-being, merely at my ability to continue the program. "You'll be able to join the others for Déjà's classroom later."
What, only half a day of rest? Cheapskates. I put blood, sweat, and tears into that run. Mostly sweat. Surprisingly though, I didn't smell bad. Had they washed me? I was in a hospital gown. Looking down, my cheek was bandaged and didn't hurt quite as much. Huh, I had forgotten about the injury.
Silence washed over the hospital room and I collected my thoughts. Well… this was as good a place as any if I was willing to speak up about my future knowledge. Dare I?
No. Not yet.
"You'll be awoken when it's time to go, Trainee." Halsey said, walking up to the monitor and inputting a few commands. "For the time being, rest. You'll need it." A warm sensation filled my body as something was injected into my system via the tubes running up my arms. Oh, wow. That was the good stuff.
Moments later, I passed out.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
It only felt like I had been asleep for a few minutes, but as I was led outside I noticed the sun outside was much higher in the sky.
Was it noon now? I shook my head, shaking away the fuzzy feelings of whatever space drug they had pumped me up with. This time I hadn't deigned a visit from anyone important, merely being led by yet another nameless handler who wasn't very considerate of my half asleep state.
At least the asshole didn't taze me.
My limbs felt like soggy gelatin, but strength was slowly beginning to return to them. Seriously, space drugs were great. I felt much better than I should have, considering I had run… for however long I had run. Too long.
As I was led into the classroom, everyone stopped and silenced themselves. Apprehensive faces looked at me, with quite a few turning away as soon as I looked them in the eye. Then I sighed, shaking my head and taking a seat.
Déjà spoke up quickly. "Glad to see you are feeling better, Subject 033. We were discussing the makeup of Spartan society. Thank you for joining us."
I nodded my head, keeping quiet as she returned to the lecture. It was relaxing in its own way, a break from all of the exhausting torture we had been put through. Almost normal in its routine.
But the comfortable lessons were done with all too soon, and Mendez led us on a run back to the Playground.
"This is the last time we will be doing this little game," Mendez said, addressing us all once again. "As Oh-Three-Three has put it, you have passed your first real trial. I expect you will take my lesson dear to heart… you will need it from now on and always." He sent a glance my way and I looked him dead in the eye. He nodded back.
Our Playground had gone through a radical change overnight. Everything had been stripped away and tossed out… leaving only a thirty-five meter tall wooden pole with a bell barely visible at its top.
I grimaced, unsure of our chances this time. I doubted even a fully grown man would be capable of getting all the way up there, let alone a bunch of tired children.
"Now, there will be no teams of three. You are all a team now. Each and every one of you has to make it up that pole and ring the bell. If even one of you fails, there will be no dinner tonight." He nodded and stepped away, leaving us to our own challenge. "Begin."
Dozens of children surrounded me, most filled with dread and despair. There was no way we'd be able to get up that pole.
"Listen!" I said, raising my voice. "I won't mince words. We will make it up there and ring that bell. Each and every one of us." I declared this confidently, even though I wasn't so confident myself.
"He's right," John said, stepping forwards. "We can do this."
Jack raised an eyebrow, before walking up and slapping me on the back. "If you think it's possible… well, we owe you one at least. Let's hop to it."
As always, hope you enjoy.
Dirt - 1.05
1700 HOURS, SEPTEMBER 25, 2517 (Military Calendar) /
EPSILON ERIDANI SYSTEM, REACH MILITARY COMPLEX, PLANET REACH
I am going to die.
No matter how hard I suck in air, it does nothing to assuage the sheer burning sensation filling my lungs as they desperately try to keep up.
Every part of my body screams with every step as I continue running, futilely trying to keep going. At first I had tried to pace myself but alas, my young body was not meant for long distance running. Ever lap I sped around the track just compounded on itself, until I was barely able to keep moving.
Yet I didn't stop.
This was sheer and utter torture… but I did it willingly, despite myself. Part of my wanted to give up, part of me wanted to die, part of me wanted to slug Mendez in the fucking face. But I knew none of those things would work. I had to keep running. I was now a Shark. If I ever stopped, I died.
So I kept going, even though my lungs felt like someone had tossed in campfire embers, even though my legs and feet sent jagged lines of pain running up my spine every time I took a step. How many times had I run in a circle? Idly, I noted that I had at one point thrown up, chunks of half digested turkey covering my shirt. The acidic taste filled my dry mouth and made me choke with every breath.
"Thirty minutes left, recruit!" Mendez called.
My eyes glanced over to the herd of children, barely able to make out their faces. Mendez had forced them all to watch my exercise in futility. And watch they did. Most were horrified. Alexa's face streamed with tears as she wept for me. I didn't have the liquid left to spare. Jack was visibly furious, his hands clenched and digging into his palms. Did he wanna punch Mendez in the face too?
Most of all, I saw John staring directly at me and not taking his eyes away for a second. He understood my sacrifice very well, for all that he was young and immature.
I kept running.
"Fifteen minutes!" Mendez' barely audible voice said.
I kept running.
"Five minutes!" A voice called… who was speaking?
I kept running.
"Five… four… three… two… one, zero! Stop running, recruit!"
I kept running. It was only when a hand grabbed my shoulder that I collapsed, limbs weakly trying to move forward even though they had nothing left in them. I couldn't speak, only capable of making incoherent wheezing sounds.
Mendez grabbed me forcibly, making me stop. A tight frown was on his face as he narrowed his dark eyes at me. "Kee….eep… runninng... " I muttered, barely capable of saying even that. "Gotta…"
"Well done, Oh-Three-Three." Mendez said, picking me up easily. "You've done your part. Rest now, and know your team made it through." I did it? Oh… good…
Blackness swallowed me up.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"I didn't say you could put them in the damn hospital!" A feminine voice called, anger obvious in her tone. "You went too far, Mendez. They're not ready for that type of training yet.
Mendez' familiar voice spoke back, calm and collected. "The trainee volunteered. He was capable of doing it in the end. This one… is promising."
"He won't be promising if he dies of exhaustion before he can get there!"
Ugh… everything hurts. Why must everything hurt. My chapped lips weakly let out a breath of air as my crusted eyes looked around. Mendez stood at attention in one corner of the small hospital room. A heartbeat monitor softly chimed nearby. At least the bed was comfortable.
At the foot of the bed stood Doctor Halsey, fury evident on her face. "We don't have the resources to throw away all of our subjects like you almost did, Mendez. That boy almost died." She stared him down, but Mendez made no obvious emotions.
"The boy succeeded in his mission. He made it." Then his eyes glanced over to me. "If he hadn't been capable, I would've put a stop to it. Good morning, recruit."
Morning? Had I been asleep that long?
Halsey turned suddenly, looking over me with concern. She pursed her lips before walked closer. "Good morning, Oh-Three-Three. I'm glad to see you're awake."
I shrugged, lips too dry to say anything coherent. Turning my head away, I stared at the holographic display and watched the monitor go up and down as my heart beat.
"We have you hooked up to a solution of IV. It was a bit touch and go last night, but you're looking much better. I'm glad." She said with a lie. She wasn't glad for my well-being, merely at my ability to continue the program. "You'll be able to join the others for Déjà's classroom later."
What, only half a day of rest? Cheapskates. I put blood, sweat, and tears into that run. Mostly sweat. Surprisingly though, I didn't smell bad. Had they washed me? I was in a hospital gown. Looking down, my cheek was bandaged and didn't hurt quite as much. Huh, I had forgotten about the injury.
Silence washed over the hospital room and I collected my thoughts. Well… this was as good a place as any if I was willing to speak up about my future knowledge. Dare I?
No. Not yet.
"You'll be awoken when it's time to go, Trainee." Halsey said, walking up to the monitor and inputting a few commands. "For the time being, rest. You'll need it." A warm sensation filled my body as something was injected into my system via the tubes running up my arms. Oh, wow. That was the good stuff.
Moments later, I passed out.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
It only felt like I had been asleep for a few minutes, but as I was led outside I noticed the sun outside was much higher in the sky.
Was it noon now? I shook my head, shaking away the fuzzy feelings of whatever space drug they had pumped me up with. This time I hadn't deigned a visit from anyone important, merely being led by yet another nameless handler who wasn't very considerate of my half asleep state.
At least the asshole didn't taze me.
My limbs felt like soggy gelatin, but strength was slowly beginning to return to them. Seriously, space drugs were great. I felt much better than I should have, considering I had run… for however long I had run. Too long.
As I was led into the classroom, everyone stopped and silenced themselves. Apprehensive faces looked at me, with quite a few turning away as soon as I looked them in the eye. Then I sighed, shaking my head and taking a seat.
Déjà spoke up quickly. "Glad to see you are feeling better, Subject 033. We were discussing the makeup of Spartan society. Thank you for joining us."
I nodded my head, keeping quiet as she returned to the lecture. It was relaxing in its own way, a break from all of the exhausting torture we had been put through. Almost normal in its routine.
But the comfortable lessons were done with all too soon, and Mendez led us on a run back to the Playground.
"This is the last time we will be doing this little game," Mendez said, addressing us all once again. "As Oh-Three-Three has put it, you have passed your first real trial. I expect you will take my lesson dear to heart… you will need it from now on and always." He sent a glance my way and I looked him dead in the eye. He nodded back.
Our Playground had gone through a radical change overnight. Everything had been stripped away and tossed out… leaving only a thirty-five meter tall wooden pole with a bell barely visible at its top.
I grimaced, unsure of our chances this time. I doubted even a fully grown man would be capable of getting all the way up there, let alone a bunch of tired children.
"Now, there will be no teams of three. You are all a team now. Each and every one of you has to make it up that pole and ring the bell. If even one of you fails, there will be no dinner tonight." He nodded and stepped away, leaving us to our own challenge. "Begin."
Dozens of children surrounded me, most filled with dread and despair. There was no way we'd be able to get up that pole.
"Listen!" I said, raising my voice. "I won't mince words. We will make it up there and ring that bell. Each and every one of us." I declared this confidently, even though I wasn't so confident myself.
"He's right," John said, stepping forwards. "We can do this."
Jack raised an eyebrow, before walking up and slapping me on the back. "If you think it's possible… well, we owe you one at least. Let's hop to it."
Last edited:
Dirt 1.06
Donk
What a load of Donk.
- Location
- Ohio, U.S.A.
One point six is done and ready for readering and with it, then end of Arc One. Thanks for reading and giving your support, everyone. You can expect the start of the next arc tomorrow and an interlude with it. Probably. The muse has been rather pliable of late, but there's no telling when she'll give up and go out the door.
Either way, hope y'all enjoy.
Dirt - 1.06
1735 HOURS, SEPTEMBER 25, 2517 (Military Calendar) /
EPSILON ERIDANI SYSTEM, REACH MILITARY COMPLEX, PLANET REACH
Despite my bravery in facing the future, I knew this would be no easy task.
Slowly I walked up to the large pole and placed a hand on its wooden surface. It loomed over me like a gigantic titan's leg. Ready to stomp on me and my kin for our irrational decision.
My mind whirled, seeking answers. I knew it would be impossible for us to climb it by hand, no matter how hard we tried. We were too tired, too young, and it was too tall. Looking up, I could see that the top shuddered in the breeze, bending and bowing with each passing gust.
Sighing, I took a step back and looked to the others. Now that I was really looking, some of them were more familiar with the book names that I had read about. Not just John, either. I could see Fred, Kelly, Jorge, Fhajad, and even Daisy. The nametags helped.
Their futures were a conundrum. Daisy and her fellow runaways were especially concerning. Fhajad and many others would be condemned to a crippled life when the augmentation process didn't work. Serin would be unofficially 'killed' and then swept away to be taken by ONI.
Strange that my memories were so much clearer when I was fighting to save all of them.
But I knew I wouldn't be able to spare them their fates. The best I could do was managing to keep as many alive as I could… hell, who knew if I would be able to survive the augmentation myself?
Thirty of us would die merely getting our augments. Thirty. Christ, that was a forty percent death ratio. Let alone the other dozen or so who wouldn't be capable of living a good life afterwards. I shut my eyes tight, grimacing. And even if they did manage to survive… there was nothing I could do for their future deaths in combat.
"Any ideas?" I asked, opening my eyes again with confidence. "There's no time limit. We need to work smarter, not harder. We won't be able to get up that through brute force alone. Remember the wolves."
A few nods were given, a few mumblings were had. Several minutes passed as we put our thoughts to it. A few ideas were brought up, discussed, tossed away.
"We could uh… use our shoelaces!" Naomi said, already reaching down to unlace hers. She nodded her head, shaking golden locks of long hair. I raised an eyebrow. "If we use them as handholds and tie them together, we could uhh.. Pull back to give us the leverage we need." Not a bad idea. I turned back to look up at the pole. Did we have the strength, though?
"I might be able to get up there… but not many of us could do it," John added, rubbing at his muscles.
Jorge took a step forward. Despite his young age, he was easily the tallest among us and there was already a strength in his bones. "Mmm… maybe a rope? No, not enough material." He tugged at his own shirt. "Not strong enough material either."
A boy named Isaac, who I didn't remember, pinched the bridge of his upper nose. "You think we're allowed to leave this area and 'acquire' some rope?"
I turned my head back to Mendez. "No… that's pushing the CPO too much. He won't allow that, and I'd rather not get a stun rod up my bum." Jack was the only one who chuckled. Thanks for the backup.
Taking a deep breath, I walked back up to the pole and knelt down at the base. A thought came to my mind… Going off to find rope would bend the challenge too much… but Mendez had said we only had to ring the bell, not climb the pole.
With a grin, I dropped to the dirt and started pawing at it with my hands. "Help me out!"
Several others looked around confusedly, not understanding my idea. John was the first to understand, his eyes widening when he realized my ploy. He joined me in the dirt as we started digging.
Not long after that, the rest of the children joined us. It was difficult work, the hard-caked Reach soil not pliable or easily dug. We made sure to point our digging away from any buildings or people. Wouldn't do to drop a pole on someone.
Mendez stared at us. For a minute he seemed almost shocked, or at least as shocked as the man could get. Then he gave a small grin, letting us do our work.
Half an hour passed before we managed to go far enough and dig deep enough. The tall wooden pole leaned at an angle, moving inches at a time as we dragged handfuls of dirt away. It caked our fatigues and hands, but we kept at it. It was exhausting, but our fervor kept our spirits up.
Finally, after a dreadfully long time, the supporting ground around the pole wasn't enough to keep it up. "Back away!" I screamed, grabbing two handfuls of child and flailing to get away from the creaking wooden pole. Everyone else followed suit, eager to get away.
With a crashing boom, the pole fell to the ground with a loud crunch. Silence reigned over the clearing as we stood shocked.
Then the bell was rung, as John approached the end of the pole and rang it. He looked back to us and gestured for us to do the same. One at a time, we each walked up and rung the brass bell.
I took my place at the end of the line and smiled when it was my turn.
For once, it felt like I had truly won in the face of overwhelming odds. Maybe John wasn't the only one with a little luck on his side?
As a group, we returned to Mendez and addressed him, waiting for our orders. The smirk still sat on his face, even though several of the handlers looked angry for our problem solving methods.
"Congratulations, trainees. You have succeeded." He said, raising his voice to talk to all of us. "This is your first step to becoming true soldiers. May you serve Earth and her colonies well." With that, he turned around. "Forward march, recruits! Back to mess, ASAP."
We obliged, gladly running behind the man despite the miles of ground between our bunks and here.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
That night, we ate like kings and queens.
This time around, we had been treated to roast beef so juicy and succulent that it parted with naught but a touch of the knife. We had roasted potatoes smeared with so much butter I hoped our arteries wouldn't be clogged up to death. Chocolate and vanilla pudding flowed endlessly and left our mouths stained by the end.
I made sure everyone ate their greens, despite their aversion to such 'yucky' foods.
Instead of sticking to small groups of three, each of us sat at the largest table together in a show of camaraderie and friendship. The conversations were smoother and relations were high. No longer did we distrust each other quite so much.
For the most part, I kept to myself at the end of the table and watched the others converse. They seemed happy enough and that was good enough for me. I wasn't one for social gatherings, not really.
Really, the only reason I was here was because I was forced to. I didn't belong with them.
Mostly because they were children and from a mental standpoint I was an adult. Yeah we had been forced to mature, but most of their topics were about the latest tv-shows and whatever video games they had these days. Hmm. I wondered if virtual reality had progressed enough to be viable.
Of course, I doubted it. Halo was a rather hard sci fi universe when compared to most. Hell, the UNSC still used ballistic weaponry and only later did they start getting into laser and energy-based stuff. They didn't have replicators or holodecks. No phasers or antimatter torpedos either.
At least the MAC cannons were badass. Mass times acceleration is the only way to go.
With a sigh, I turned to watch the others go about their business. This was the only start to a long and difficult future that many likely wouldn't survive, myself included.
"Why the long face, boss?" Jack asked me, turning and raising an eyebrow.
I smiled and shook my head. "Nothing, Jack. Just glad I have a new family now."
His eyes widened before he grinned in return. "Family, huh?" He said, voice taking on a hint of melancholy. "Family, then. I'm glad I go to meet you. We all are." He turned around and grinned wider, grabbing his glass of milk. "Hey, everyone! Give our new brother here a toast! My dad does that all the time!"
Most of the others were reciprocative despite my apprehension. Then I gave up and sighed again, raising my own glass to them. We were family now, in all but blood. But how many of my new family would I lose in the future? I already knew the answer.
Too many.
End of Arc One.
Either way, hope y'all enjoy.
Dirt - 1.06
1735 HOURS, SEPTEMBER 25, 2517 (Military Calendar) /
EPSILON ERIDANI SYSTEM, REACH MILITARY COMPLEX, PLANET REACH
Despite my bravery in facing the future, I knew this would be no easy task.
Slowly I walked up to the large pole and placed a hand on its wooden surface. It loomed over me like a gigantic titan's leg. Ready to stomp on me and my kin for our irrational decision.
My mind whirled, seeking answers. I knew it would be impossible for us to climb it by hand, no matter how hard we tried. We were too tired, too young, and it was too tall. Looking up, I could see that the top shuddered in the breeze, bending and bowing with each passing gust.
Sighing, I took a step back and looked to the others. Now that I was really looking, some of them were more familiar with the book names that I had read about. Not just John, either. I could see Fred, Kelly, Jorge, Fhajad, and even Daisy. The nametags helped.
Their futures were a conundrum. Daisy and her fellow runaways were especially concerning. Fhajad and many others would be condemned to a crippled life when the augmentation process didn't work. Serin would be unofficially 'killed' and then swept away to be taken by ONI.
Strange that my memories were so much clearer when I was fighting to save all of them.
But I knew I wouldn't be able to spare them their fates. The best I could do was managing to keep as many alive as I could… hell, who knew if I would be able to survive the augmentation myself?
Thirty of us would die merely getting our augments. Thirty. Christ, that was a forty percent death ratio. Let alone the other dozen or so who wouldn't be capable of living a good life afterwards. I shut my eyes tight, grimacing. And even if they did manage to survive… there was nothing I could do for their future deaths in combat.
"Any ideas?" I asked, opening my eyes again with confidence. "There's no time limit. We need to work smarter, not harder. We won't be able to get up that through brute force alone. Remember the wolves."
A few nods were given, a few mumblings were had. Several minutes passed as we put our thoughts to it. A few ideas were brought up, discussed, tossed away.
"We could uh… use our shoelaces!" Naomi said, already reaching down to unlace hers. She nodded her head, shaking golden locks of long hair. I raised an eyebrow. "If we use them as handholds and tie them together, we could uhh.. Pull back to give us the leverage we need." Not a bad idea. I turned back to look up at the pole. Did we have the strength, though?
"I might be able to get up there… but not many of us could do it," John added, rubbing at his muscles.
Jorge took a step forward. Despite his young age, he was easily the tallest among us and there was already a strength in his bones. "Mmm… maybe a rope? No, not enough material." He tugged at his own shirt. "Not strong enough material either."
A boy named Isaac, who I didn't remember, pinched the bridge of his upper nose. "You think we're allowed to leave this area and 'acquire' some rope?"
I turned my head back to Mendez. "No… that's pushing the CPO too much. He won't allow that, and I'd rather not get a stun rod up my bum." Jack was the only one who chuckled. Thanks for the backup.
Taking a deep breath, I walked back up to the pole and knelt down at the base. A thought came to my mind… Going off to find rope would bend the challenge too much… but Mendez had said we only had to ring the bell, not climb the pole.
With a grin, I dropped to the dirt and started pawing at it with my hands. "Help me out!"
Several others looked around confusedly, not understanding my idea. John was the first to understand, his eyes widening when he realized my ploy. He joined me in the dirt as we started digging.
Not long after that, the rest of the children joined us. It was difficult work, the hard-caked Reach soil not pliable or easily dug. We made sure to point our digging away from any buildings or people. Wouldn't do to drop a pole on someone.
Mendez stared at us. For a minute he seemed almost shocked, or at least as shocked as the man could get. Then he gave a small grin, letting us do our work.
Half an hour passed before we managed to go far enough and dig deep enough. The tall wooden pole leaned at an angle, moving inches at a time as we dragged handfuls of dirt away. It caked our fatigues and hands, but we kept at it. It was exhausting, but our fervor kept our spirits up.
Finally, after a dreadfully long time, the supporting ground around the pole wasn't enough to keep it up. "Back away!" I screamed, grabbing two handfuls of child and flailing to get away from the creaking wooden pole. Everyone else followed suit, eager to get away.
With a crashing boom, the pole fell to the ground with a loud crunch. Silence reigned over the clearing as we stood shocked.
Then the bell was rung, as John approached the end of the pole and rang it. He looked back to us and gestured for us to do the same. One at a time, we each walked up and rung the brass bell.
I took my place at the end of the line and smiled when it was my turn.
For once, it felt like I had truly won in the face of overwhelming odds. Maybe John wasn't the only one with a little luck on his side?
As a group, we returned to Mendez and addressed him, waiting for our orders. The smirk still sat on his face, even though several of the handlers looked angry for our problem solving methods.
"Congratulations, trainees. You have succeeded." He said, raising his voice to talk to all of us. "This is your first step to becoming true soldiers. May you serve Earth and her colonies well." With that, he turned around. "Forward march, recruits! Back to mess, ASAP."
We obliged, gladly running behind the man despite the miles of ground between our bunks and here.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
That night, we ate like kings and queens.
This time around, we had been treated to roast beef so juicy and succulent that it parted with naught but a touch of the knife. We had roasted potatoes smeared with so much butter I hoped our arteries wouldn't be clogged up to death. Chocolate and vanilla pudding flowed endlessly and left our mouths stained by the end.
I made sure everyone ate their greens, despite their aversion to such 'yucky' foods.
Instead of sticking to small groups of three, each of us sat at the largest table together in a show of camaraderie and friendship. The conversations were smoother and relations were high. No longer did we distrust each other quite so much.
For the most part, I kept to myself at the end of the table and watched the others converse. They seemed happy enough and that was good enough for me. I wasn't one for social gatherings, not really.
Really, the only reason I was here was because I was forced to. I didn't belong with them.
Mostly because they were children and from a mental standpoint I was an adult. Yeah we had been forced to mature, but most of their topics were about the latest tv-shows and whatever video games they had these days. Hmm. I wondered if virtual reality had progressed enough to be viable.
Of course, I doubted it. Halo was a rather hard sci fi universe when compared to most. Hell, the UNSC still used ballistic weaponry and only later did they start getting into laser and energy-based stuff. They didn't have replicators or holodecks. No phasers or antimatter torpedos either.
At least the MAC cannons were badass. Mass times acceleration is the only way to go.
With a sigh, I turned to watch the others go about their business. This was the only start to a long and difficult future that many likely wouldn't survive, myself included.
"Why the long face, boss?" Jack asked me, turning and raising an eyebrow.
I smiled and shook my head. "Nothing, Jack. Just glad I have a new family now."
His eyes widened before he grinned in return. "Family, huh?" He said, voice taking on a hint of melancholy. "Family, then. I'm glad I go to meet you. We all are." He turned around and grinned wider, grabbing his glass of milk. "Hey, everyone! Give our new brother here a toast! My dad does that all the time!"
Most of the others were reciprocative despite my apprehension. Then I gave up and sighed again, raising my own glass to them. We were family now, in all but blood. But how many of my new family would I lose in the future? I already knew the answer.
Too many.
End of Arc One.
Interlude Alpha
Donk
What a load of Donk.
- Location
- Ohio, U.S.A.
Short interlude, but I think it shines a bright enough light.
Interlude Alpha
1400 HOURS, OCTOBER 05, 2517 (Military Calendar) /
EPSILON ERIDANI SYSTEM, OFFICE OF NAVAL INTELLIGENCE, PLANET REACH
Doctor Catherine Halsey stared at the gathered information sitting on her datapad.
Her office was an exercise in duality: both incredibly messy and expertly organized. She didn't use the place often, but when she did it was often subject to long nights of study and concentration. Discarded meal wrappers were left everywhere and crushed cans of aluminum littered her desk.
On the other hand, every single scrap of paper or information was rigorously tucked away where it belonged and organized by small markings. Nothing was a centimeter off and each bookshelf was placed to maximise space efficiency.
Around her, the holographic displays held a collection of the trainees' files. Their backgrounds, parental figures, even their previous daily routines.
Each of them matched up, except for one.
Subject 033. One curiosity was that the boy was Earth-born, even though every other test subject was pulled from the colonies. His parents were nothing special, just another pair of laborers amongst the billions on Earth. They were neither poor nor rich, merely middle class. His family had no previous military ties, even going back over a dozen generations.
Yet why was Oh-Three-Three so different? At first glance, the boy was incredibly mature for his age. There was no childlike wonder or glee in his eyes, merely an adult's calculating glance. He didn't talk about children's activities or revel in play. (Not that the children had any chance for playtime with their strict routine.)
And for some reason, the boy was willing to sacrifice himself for others, despite it all.
"What are you thoughts, Déjà?" Halsey asked, leaning back in her chair (the only luxury item she owned) with a sigh.
The artificial intelligence flickered into view, her avatar gleaming in the low-light of Halsey's office. "Inconclusive, Doctor. It is almost as if they are two seperate children. Perhaps the boy had an unknown split personality disorder?" She shook her head. "That, however, is very unlikely."
"Unlikely, but not impossible," Halsey muttered, scrolling past text as she read.
"Perhaps the boy merely has reacted and changed much quicker than his fellow students? The AI asked, hovering behind Halsey's shoulder. "His flight or fight instinct has chosen fight. That is the meaning of this experiment. To make them into soldiers. He merely was predisposed to becoming one."
Halsey shook her head. "No, we would have noticed otherwise. Or perhaps we just didn't test the right things before choosing them?" She thought back to the candidate known as John-117. Already the boy was a natural born leader, though definitely not as mature as 033 was.
It didn't make sense. Children do not spontaneously change like that.
So far they had done nothing overt or special to address 033's demeanor. He was merely put through the same challenges as the others after their final 'playground' test.
Perhaps they should take more drastic measures… but that would be corrupting their project too much and they couldn't afford meaningless failures after so much effort had been spent getting the damn thing running. Funding didn't go forever.
"How are the children reacting to the supplements in their food?" Halsey asked, changing the subject. "Testing showed it was completely fine for adults but we haven't done much for growing bodies."
Their discussion went well into the night, as it always did.
Interlude Alpha
1400 HOURS, OCTOBER 05, 2517 (Military Calendar) /
EPSILON ERIDANI SYSTEM, OFFICE OF NAVAL INTELLIGENCE, PLANET REACH
Doctor Catherine Halsey stared at the gathered information sitting on her datapad.
Her office was an exercise in duality: both incredibly messy and expertly organized. She didn't use the place often, but when she did it was often subject to long nights of study and concentration. Discarded meal wrappers were left everywhere and crushed cans of aluminum littered her desk.
On the other hand, every single scrap of paper or information was rigorously tucked away where it belonged and organized by small markings. Nothing was a centimeter off and each bookshelf was placed to maximise space efficiency.
Around her, the holographic displays held a collection of the trainees' files. Their backgrounds, parental figures, even their previous daily routines.
Each of them matched up, except for one.
Subject 033. One curiosity was that the boy was Earth-born, even though every other test subject was pulled from the colonies. His parents were nothing special, just another pair of laborers amongst the billions on Earth. They were neither poor nor rich, merely middle class. His family had no previous military ties, even going back over a dozen generations.
Yet why was Oh-Three-Three so different? At first glance, the boy was incredibly mature for his age. There was no childlike wonder or glee in his eyes, merely an adult's calculating glance. He didn't talk about children's activities or revel in play. (Not that the children had any chance for playtime with their strict routine.)
And for some reason, the boy was willing to sacrifice himself for others, despite it all.
"What are you thoughts, Déjà?" Halsey asked, leaning back in her chair (the only luxury item she owned) with a sigh.
The artificial intelligence flickered into view, her avatar gleaming in the low-light of Halsey's office. "Inconclusive, Doctor. It is almost as if they are two seperate children. Perhaps the boy had an unknown split personality disorder?" She shook her head. "That, however, is very unlikely."
"Unlikely, but not impossible," Halsey muttered, scrolling past text as she read.
"Perhaps the boy merely has reacted and changed much quicker than his fellow students? The AI asked, hovering behind Halsey's shoulder. "His flight or fight instinct has chosen fight. That is the meaning of this experiment. To make them into soldiers. He merely was predisposed to becoming one."
Halsey shook her head. "No, we would have noticed otherwise. Or perhaps we just didn't test the right things before choosing them?" She thought back to the candidate known as John-117. Already the boy was a natural born leader, though definitely not as mature as 033 was.
It didn't make sense. Children do not spontaneously change like that.
So far they had done nothing overt or special to address 033's demeanor. He was merely put through the same challenges as the others after their final 'playground' test.
Perhaps they should take more drastic measures… but that would be corrupting their project too much and they couldn't afford meaningless failures after so much effort had been spent getting the damn thing running. Funding didn't go forever.
"How are the children reacting to the supplements in their food?" Halsey asked, changing the subject. "Testing showed it was completely fine for adults but we haven't done much for growing bodies."
Their discussion went well into the night, as it always did.
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Arc Two - Clay - 2.01
Donk
What a load of Donk.
- Location
- Ohio, U.S.A.
And with it comes the start of Arc Two - Clay. Something to note is that I probably won't be able to post another chapter until after this weekend, what with all the christmas cheer going around.
On the plus side, it'll give me plenty of time to think up material so that's nice. And as always, hope y'all enjoy. Happy Holidays!
Arc Two - Clay - 2.01
1232 HOURS, APRIL 14, 2520 (Military Calendar)
EPSILON ERIDANI SYSTEM, URBAN MILITARY TESTING FACILITY, REACH
It's strange how quickly you get used to things.
Normally lying in an incredibly uncomfortable pile of rubble would make me complain but for the moment I merely grit my teeth and bore with it.
My gray and slightly darker gray pattern fatigues blended in well enough with the concrete and girder rubble that made up this destroyed building. I wouldn't trust it up close, but my prey was over a hundred meters away and not even looking in my direction.
With the slowest of movements, I painstakingly brought up my SRS99 rifle and extended the bipod so I could bring it around to look at my target.
The Sniper Rifle System 99 Anti-Matériel was a bulky sonuvabitch and a bit simplistic compared to some of the other options out there, but it was my baby now.
Three years had passed since I unwillingly joined the SPARTAN project through unknown methods. As far as I knew, I was ten years old now. Probably. Birthdays weren't celebrated here and I don't know my real age. Much had happened over these three years.
While the challenges didn't get easier, they didn't get harder and despite myself I was beginning to almost enjoy it and willingly take them head on. It was almost addicting the way I had to exercise every morning, a habit that reared its ugly head everytime I went without it.
Whatever they put in the water worked, and our bodies were significantly more prepared for the challenge now. We had gone through so many growth spurts that I had lost count of the times I needed new fatigues. No longer did I ache every morning after a long day. Of course, that just meant we had to do more and more exercise to keep training our bodies.
That wasn't the only thing we had gained in three years. Knowledge had come with it, in many fields too. We learned how to survive in the wilderness, how to catch a fish, how to snare a rabbit, how to treat a broken limb. We learned the intricacies of tactical combat and what not to do on the battlefield. We learned how to strip a gun down and clean it in a minute.
By now, I knew my SRS by heart.
It had called to me one day when we were introduced to long-ranged weaponry. The gun is as tall as I was, and despite it being a bitch to carry I stuck with it. The games just didn't hold a candle to just how badass the gun was in real life. Every part of it was cool.
Though I could do without the vapor trail. That part was certainly a bitch.
With measured movements, I zoomed in with the rectangular Oracle scope and got a bead on my targets. Today, our suffering was finally going to pay off.
Mendez had gathered the seventy five of us together and loaded us up into a Pelican and flew us here to the 'Urban Military Testing Facility' for some on-the-job experience.
There, he had given us one order: defeat him and the eleven other handlers at his disposal.
This was our chance to give some payback for all the pain and misery he had inflicted on us. With a savage grin, I keyed the radio in my helmet. "This is Eagle-Actual. Come in, Eagle squadron. Do you read me?"
There was a bit of interference before Linda's voice came in. She, too, had gone under the path of the Sniper. "Eagle-Two reads you. You find something?"
"Well of course he found something," Alexa muttered over the radio. She was Eagle-Three and while not a true sniper, her small size let her get in and out of sticky situations through stealth. "I thought we said no useless chatter?"
"Now now, Alexa, don't be hasty." A male voice cut in. Arthur, and the fourth member of our reconnaissance crew. "Everything is important information when it comes to Mendez. You never know when he's messing with us."
With a sigh, I tripped the button that would send a loud beep through their comms. Normally it was used for confirmation when unable to speak, but I used it to tell 'em to stop blabbering. "Found some of our handlers. Five of them on grid C-11. No idea why they're there, though. And I doubt they're just standing around for no reason."
Our chain of command was laid out with five platoons of fifteen, each with a small fireteam of four that specializes in something. In our case, Eagle was for recon. Amusingly enough, John had named his platoon Arrow. Nobody else got the reference, sadly, and I couldn't just tell him outright.
Each member of my family had grown up during these three hard years.
With each passing month, they more and more resembled the Spartans I imagined them to be. John most of all. But with that metamorphosis, they lost a bit more of their childish joy. They laughed less, made fewer jokes, didn't ask as many questions. It was still there, but I wished they didn't have to change.
I had grown to love them all and wanted to protect them.
But I knew I couldn't, not really.
"Well," I said, a bit of sarcasm in my voice. "This is obviously a trap. What say we spring it anyways?"
On the plus side, it'll give me plenty of time to think up material so that's nice. And as always, hope y'all enjoy. Happy Holidays!
Arc Two - Clay - 2.01
1232 HOURS, APRIL 14, 2520 (Military Calendar)
EPSILON ERIDANI SYSTEM, URBAN MILITARY TESTING FACILITY, REACH
It's strange how quickly you get used to things.
Normally lying in an incredibly uncomfortable pile of rubble would make me complain but for the moment I merely grit my teeth and bore with it.
My gray and slightly darker gray pattern fatigues blended in well enough with the concrete and girder rubble that made up this destroyed building. I wouldn't trust it up close, but my prey was over a hundred meters away and not even looking in my direction.
With the slowest of movements, I painstakingly brought up my SRS99 rifle and extended the bipod so I could bring it around to look at my target.
The Sniper Rifle System 99 Anti-Matériel was a bulky sonuvabitch and a bit simplistic compared to some of the other options out there, but it was my baby now.
Three years had passed since I unwillingly joined the SPARTAN project through unknown methods. As far as I knew, I was ten years old now. Probably. Birthdays weren't celebrated here and I don't know my real age. Much had happened over these three years.
While the challenges didn't get easier, they didn't get harder and despite myself I was beginning to almost enjoy it and willingly take them head on. It was almost addicting the way I had to exercise every morning, a habit that reared its ugly head everytime I went without it.
Whatever they put in the water worked, and our bodies were significantly more prepared for the challenge now. We had gone through so many growth spurts that I had lost count of the times I needed new fatigues. No longer did I ache every morning after a long day. Of course, that just meant we had to do more and more exercise to keep training our bodies.
That wasn't the only thing we had gained in three years. Knowledge had come with it, in many fields too. We learned how to survive in the wilderness, how to catch a fish, how to snare a rabbit, how to treat a broken limb. We learned the intricacies of tactical combat and what not to do on the battlefield. We learned how to strip a gun down and clean it in a minute.
By now, I knew my SRS by heart.
It had called to me one day when we were introduced to long-ranged weaponry. The gun is as tall as I was, and despite it being a bitch to carry I stuck with it. The games just didn't hold a candle to just how badass the gun was in real life. Every part of it was cool.
Though I could do without the vapor trail. That part was certainly a bitch.
With measured movements, I zoomed in with the rectangular Oracle scope and got a bead on my targets. Today, our suffering was finally going to pay off.
Mendez had gathered the seventy five of us together and loaded us up into a Pelican and flew us here to the 'Urban Military Testing Facility' for some on-the-job experience.
There, he had given us one order: defeat him and the eleven other handlers at his disposal.
This was our chance to give some payback for all the pain and misery he had inflicted on us. With a savage grin, I keyed the radio in my helmet. "This is Eagle-Actual. Come in, Eagle squadron. Do you read me?"
There was a bit of interference before Linda's voice came in. She, too, had gone under the path of the Sniper. "Eagle-Two reads you. You find something?"
"Well of course he found something," Alexa muttered over the radio. She was Eagle-Three and while not a true sniper, her small size let her get in and out of sticky situations through stealth. "I thought we said no useless chatter?"
"Now now, Alexa, don't be hasty." A male voice cut in. Arthur, and the fourth member of our reconnaissance crew. "Everything is important information when it comes to Mendez. You never know when he's messing with us."
With a sigh, I tripped the button that would send a loud beep through their comms. Normally it was used for confirmation when unable to speak, but I used it to tell 'em to stop blabbering. "Found some of our handlers. Five of them on grid C-11. No idea why they're there, though. And I doubt they're just standing around for no reason."
Our chain of command was laid out with five platoons of fifteen, each with a small fireteam of four that specializes in something. In our case, Eagle was for recon. Amusingly enough, John had named his platoon Arrow. Nobody else got the reference, sadly, and I couldn't just tell him outright.
Each member of my family had grown up during these three hard years.
With each passing month, they more and more resembled the Spartans I imagined them to be. John most of all. But with that metamorphosis, they lost a bit more of their childish joy. They laughed less, made fewer jokes, didn't ask as many questions. It was still there, but I wished they didn't have to change.
I had grown to love them all and wanted to protect them.
But I knew I couldn't, not really.
"Well," I said, a bit of sarcasm in my voice. "This is obviously a trap. What say we spring it anyways?"
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