Hopestar : cp9 : What we Wish
Posted By: sam_fisha<sam_fisha@yahoo.com>
Date: 7 April 2005, 7:23 PM
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The Prophet of Honor sat patiently on a large stool, watching the Sangheili across the table from him discuss his proposal. "Have you reached a decision?" He inquired.
The Sangheili turned to him. "We have. . ." One said. "And we cannot allow it" He said.
"You just don't comprehend what I'm telling you." Honor said, rising from his chair and hobbling to a holographic screen at the far end of the large room. It activated at his approach with a happy beep and bathed the dark room in its glow. "A horde of thoughtless soldiers, more powerful than the army of the old Covenant, marching upon any foe we command it to." Honor said, flipping through picture after picture of Flood combat forms.
"Once released upon a planet they would destroy anything and everything, even their own kind."
"We will not bring the infection into one of our colonies! And we don't have the manpower to destroy the existing parasites as it is! To create more would be insanity, and they themselves could capture a ship!" One of the Sangheili yelled, smacking his fist on the table in a vain attempt of accentuation.
"Normally, but you'll see I have something to take care of that." Honor stroked his claw across a small keypad and a new picture leapt to life on the screen. The Sangheili were beyond speechless as they gazed in wonder.
The officer walked quickly down the corridors of the ship, his eyes locked on the large steal doors growing closer to him. They were plain doors save for one mark on their center. 1. He stopped before them and held still, his eyes open. A white flash appeared, temporarily blinding him. As his vision returned the doors slid open, granting him access to the dark room. They slid closed behind him, the squeaky clean, brightly lit corridor forgotten.
Finding a single chair Goldman sat down and promptly spoke. "You called for me."
"Yes." Answered a plain, commanding voice that sent a shiver down his spine. Goldman waited for several seconds before speaking.
"What do you require?" He asked, wincing as he spoke.
"Information."
"Is this about the shard?" Goldman asked, looking around for the source of the voice, certain that it was in front of him.
"Yes, and the civilian you took." The voice said.
Goldman turned in his chair, now certain the voice was from behind him. "I only told the Captain it existed, nothing more."
"Very well. And what of the civilian?" The voice said strongly, making the officer feel extremely uneasy.
"He overheard some of my people." Goldman looked at his feet, feeling the voice was coming from the ground.
"How much does he know?"
"I'm not sure he knows whether or not he knows anything, but they might be able to retrieve it from him." Goldman continued to look for the source of the voice, always wondering where it came from but secretly knowing he'd never find it.
"Yes, they are being quite troublesome of late. You may go, retrieve your orders from Silvaria." The voice instructed, referring to the ship's AI, Silvaria.
Hillers was abruptly awoken by the clang of metal instruments. His eyes snapped open and found themselves staring at a perfect metal ceiling. It shined brightly but reflecting no images. He tried to lift one of his arms but found it refused to move. One by one he checked his other limbs, all of them secured down in some way.
"You're awake." Said a calm voice, like that of a poetry reader. He attempted to turn his head to see the person, but found even it was secured somehow. Straining his eyes he managed to see a faint silhouette of the person's head. I'm on a table.
"Where am I?"
"You are here." Answered the person, who he could see was wearing a white lab coat.
"Where is here?" Hillers asked, trying to loosen whatever was holding his arms.
"Here is where you are." Said the person, turning his back to Hillers. Somehow he managed to make the childish answer sound very professional.
"Why am I here?" He began to feel very uncomfortable.
"Because we wish it." The man answered without turning in the slightest.
"Let me out. You have no right to restrain me." Thought raced through his mind. Am I in the brig? Who is he? How do I get off this damned table.
"There is no right." The man turned from whatever he was doing outside of his vision and leaved over Hillers, a white surgeon's mask concealing the lower half of his face.
"Why am I here?" He asked again, hoping to get a half decent answer.
"Because we wish it." The man answered in the exact same tone as before. "Stop struggling, you'll only make it worse."
Hillers was about to ask where he was again when he was hit with a spiking pain in his chest. He exclaimed in plain and began wriggling in a vain attempt of escape.
"What are you doing?" He screamed as the pain began to grow, encompassing his entire torso.
"What we wish."
Goldman watched as the two officers took their seats at the large black table. "What do you recommend?" He asked as soon as they had touched the chairs.
"A full number four, make him believe anything we tell him. But it won't be overnight." Said the first, a tall thin man wearing a glossy black suit, his thin mustache accentuating everything he said as it bobbed up and down.
"Are you sure you won't damage him?" Asked the other, a short woman in the same attire, her blonde hair worn in a tight bun.
"Of course not, he's had more than enough training. Apparently he used to be on the Defiant Arrow project." Answered the first, setting a red folder on the desk.
"Very well, I'll inform One." Goldman handed each of them a small data pad. "Get to work."
"It's already begun."
The Captain sat for almost an hour, watching the planet grow large in the viewscreen. "We're entering orbit Captain."
"Good, prepare ground teams to set up temporary structures, we won't be here long."
Yes, there it is. Suddenly Gravemind's attention was called for by several of his minions. They were being disturbed from their slumber by a new presence. A dangerous presence. An edible presence.
Yes...Let them come...Wait for them. Yes.
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