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Return to the Ring2 : Some secrets revealed
Posted By: MasterCD<carleighcat@hotmail.com>
Date: 11 January 2004, 11:16 AM
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A human girl, about 15 years old strolled calmly into the light. At least, she seemed to be human, yet there was something strange about her. Her skin had an almost bluish tinge to it, though that could be the lighting. She was unnaturally tall. And her eyes. They were a pale yellow and glimmered as the torchlight fell upon them. As she raised her hands to show she was unarmed, the Master Chief noticed something else.
Her hands were frighteningly similar to Elite's hands - the same structure, though slightly smaller. Everyone tensed, and raised their weapons. The girl looked startled, then smiled sadly.
"Of course. You will be wary. I assure you I mean no harm. I am not a Covenant - well, not completely." She sighed when no one relaxed. "I can see you will need some convincing. Maybe if I tell you my story, you will trust me." She paused and ran her fingers through her hair. Her hair was amazingly black, but cut quite short.
"I am a compound. Part Elite, part Human. My mother was captured when the colony of Iena fell. I was not yet born, though my mother was pregnant. She died soon after she was taken, but the Covenant extracted my foetus from the womb, and added certain - adjustments.
You see, the Covenant plan to make a race of spies. Covenant warriors that look Human, but are following orders laid down by the Covenant commanders." She smiled grimly. "I am a failure. I look too much like an Elite, and I have too many Human emotions. Elite genes are the preferred type, them being more humanoid than the rest. The Covenant have yet to perfect the procedure, but they are getting closer.
Anyway, to cut a long story shot, they planned to terminate me. I escaped with a few others, and we set up a resistance here. We want to help. As I have just shown you, we know a lot about the way the Covenant function, and their plans for the future. We even have a few pure Covenant followers that have joined us, deciding they don't approve of the casual extermination of the Human race. Will you accept our help?"
The Master Chief didn't answer, his mind reeling with the information he had just absorbed. All around him, looks of disgust and horror registered on the faces of the Marines at the thought of what had been done to innocent children. A few Marines were even looking at the girl with revulsion, as though she was revolting, a contaminated creature.
It was these looks of loathing that spurred him into action. For, as a genetically advanced SPARTAN-11, was he himself not a creature of mixed materials? This thought decided him.
"We will meet your companions, and go from there," he said, then added warningly, "I can make no promises. We will merely see your friends." The girl grinned.
"Excellent! It's a start. This way, stay close please, it gets easier to become lost further on." The Master Chief fell into place beside the girl. She led the way with ease, apparently able to see her way without a light. Abruptly she turned slightly, still moving, and stuck out her hand.
"By the way, I'm EH-518, or Shadow, Phantom Extraordinaire." The Master Chief hesitated, then returned the gesture, shaking her strangely shaped hand.
"SPARTAN-11 C21MC, or the Master Chief." Shadow looked at him with apparent interest.
"One of the cyber-soldiers? Then you and I are somewhat akin, eh?" Her eyes glittered with...curiosity? Satisfaction? Or malice? Cortana cut in, her voice laden with suspicion.
"What do you know about the SPARTAN-11 project?" Shadow looked startled, and looked about her, before realizing where the voice came from.
"Ah, an AI. I don't know much, only rumours of a race of super humans with advanced battle capabilities, that were supposedly all destroyed." She smirked slightly. "This piece of news should cause a bit of disruption, especially after 343-Guilty Spark brought the news of the destruction of Halo 04."
The Master Chief stopped dead. "What did you say?" he said, voice deathly quiet. Shadow looked at him, surprise and alarm etched into her face. "Haven't you heard? It's all over the Covenant stations. Halo 04 was destroyed, by an unknown culprit-" The Chief interrupted. "Yes, I know about that, I destroyed Halo 04. But - did you say 343-Guilty Spark supplied the news?"
Shadow stared at him. "YOU destroyed Halo 04! That's incredible! How did you-" This time Cortana intervened. "Just tell us what you know about 343 already!" The Covenant compound shook her head in silent disbelief. "Guilty Spark has been supplying the Covenant with information for several months now. You speak as though you know of him, but he said he has had no interaction with Humans." She frowned. "I had doubts about that, because he seems to know so much about you and your way of life."
"He did lie." The Master Chief's voice was stunned. "He was on Halo 04, but we thought he was destroyed in the explosion." He turned, eyes bleak behind the mask. "And he knows almost everything."
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