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Shadows of Archon II (part 9) - Desperate Decisions
Posted By: Wado<wyamauchi@msn.com>
Date: 5 September 2002, 6:19 am
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Standing in the aftermath of battle is a golden grunt - Imperius, mighty Supreme Commander of the Covenant forces of Jukan. Viewed as honorable, brave, and more importantly to his grunts, he is known to save grunt lives. He doesn't make mistakes. He is utterly ruthless in battle. He is the greatest Supreme Commander known to these grunts in the last decade.
Second Commander Kohan, a silver clad grunt, looks upon the great leader Imperius. Many battles have they fought side-by-side. In the end though, Kohan knows his soul will pay for all the atrocities they have committed. The slaughtering of innocents, the ravaging of the land, the executions of peaceful Jukan, even the killing of humans. Some day they will leave this hell of a planet and he will spend the rest of eternity making amends for the wrong doings. Things right in war, things wrong in peace, things wrong no matter what. He was only following orders, words heard many times before...
Imperius speaks to Kohan, "Second Commander, are we ready to push on? What is our status?"
"Sir we are nearly ready. The bridge across the pit is completed. We have secured a supply route from the surface to here. We have all the ammo and rations we could need for a month down here. Fresh troops are cycling in. We only wait for the special item you requested. It is in the tunnel and on its way here." Kohan replies, then he says, "Supreme Commander, do you really think it wise to call in all our reserve forces? If the Jukan attack our outposts now, we would not have any troops to counterattack with."
Imperius looks directly into Kohan's eyes and says, "Second Commander, in all the years you've been my second, you have never questioned one of my commands. You know that I ask for your opinion when it is needed; when I don't, keep it to yourself. Now go make sure the package gets here safely."
"Yes sir."
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Desperate Decisions
Further on in the tunnels deep under the surface of Jukan, the group discusses what to do next. John paces around the table, the Lady levitates near by. Valerie sits rubbing her sore feet. On the table sits their only weapon, a Jukan Plasma-tipped spear.
Cortana speaks from John's battle suit, "Chief, you're not considering helping the flood are you? We cannot trust flood, all accounts clearly show that they are do not share the same values as us. They are parasites."
John replies, "What is evil Cortana?"
Cortana begins to reply with a dictionary definition of evil, but John stops her, "No Cortana, what is evil to those that don't share the same values as us? The Archons found their ultimate evil. It was logic without compassion. A machine without feelings is the picture that comes to my mind. What did Cat say, that is what you could become in a few thousand years Cortana if you lose your empathy. To humans the flood is a parasite, they are evil, but the Archonian sleeper in me does not see THESE flood as evil. They have something about them that I cannot put my finger on, but it isn't evil."
Valerie says, "They did save my life. If you ask me what is evil, it is that Covenant leader Imperius. I swear I will kill that murdering son of a..."
The Lady speaks, "Val, stay focused, the decision at hand requires all of our attention. John, pick up the spear. We must proceed with what we do know."
John nods and picks up the spear. Immediately it glows brighter than a flare, illuminating the entire chamber. Nearby, what they thought was a wall has become a window, a huge window. All look through the window.
Unlike a normal window, the light from the spear does not reflect back when the other side is darker, instead the light flows through and illuminates a huge stone city. Thousands of flood move about like ants on an ant hill.
John moves closer to the window to try to get a better view. As he does the window zooms toward the city. John turns his head and the focus moves. Soon it is like the group is walking down the streets of the city with John as their guide. Millions of tubes containing man-sized creatures resembling cockroaches line the streets. The group does not know how they know there are millions of tubes, but somehow they just know.
The Lady speaks, "No, it can't be, John get us out of here, arrgh..."
John steps back and the whole group is once again just looking through a window. John turns to the Lady, "Are you okay, what happened?"
The Lady speaks, "A deep suppressed memory came back. I'm okay now. John, there are many things I choose not to tell you, this I did not tell you because I thought the human side of you would not understand. John, Nomdians, we eat the brains of our old; that is how we pass the knowledge down from generation to generation. Hundreds of generations ago, we saw these things. They are called Omega flood. They are a most fierce evolution of the flood; one of them could defeat an army of forerunner regulars. But that isn't the worst of it..."
The Lady then huddles closer to the group and speaks without sound. Even Cortana picks up on the thoughts, "John, Val, Cortana, long ago when the Nomdians first started to explore deep hidden places we stumbled upon the Omega flood."
As the telepathic connection continues, images of the past appear in the minds of all. One Omega flood rushes through a tunnel leaving a path of dozens of dead Nomdians in its wake. There is a great battle and finally the Omega flood is stopped by the combined power of a hundred Nomdians. Its brain is devoured by three of the Nomdians while it still lives. The three Nomdians die shortly afterwards, the power of the Omega flood too much for them. Before they die they struggle to pass on just one message, an important message it must be for they expend the last of their energies in its delivery, shortening their own lives significantly to do so.
In the mind the voice of the Lady speaks, "The important message was that with the Omega flood there were Alpha flood, the seeds of the flood. The Alpha flood lie invisible to all senses in their dormant state, they could be anywhere. When they wake, they create the flood and eventually evolve into Omega flood. The Omega flood creates more Alpha flood. The cycle continues until nothing is left but flood. This is not the behavior of a parasite; this is the behavior of a plague."
More images appear. A group of Nomdians approaches the forerunner high council to warn them of this Alpha flood. There is much debate but in the end, there is insufficient proof of the existence of the Alpha flood. Overconfidently the council disregards the Nomdian warnings. They have plans of their own to dispose of the flood.
The Nomdians are left to fend for themselves against the flood. In the end the fight to defeat the Omega flood has weakened the Nomdians who have many enemies among the forerunners. Images of Nomdian worlds under siege appear. The Nomdians are driven deep underground. Their oceans poisoned and their cities in ruin.
One race helps the Nomdians. The Archons find themselves receiving thousands of Nomdian refuges through their Portals of the Old Ones. At first they are great allies only later to become the worst of enemies -- but that is another story.
The Lady breaks telepathic contact and says, "I must rest now, the strain is great."
John looks through the window and whispers, "Millions of them and with them the unseen enemy. The flood are only the symptom of something much worse."
Valerie sighs and says, "John, I don't understand much of what is going on, but this symptom can kill just as real as any Covenant. All I see is the enemy, why worry about the unknown when death is in our faces. I say, let's get out of here before they come back."
The Lady speaks, "Val is right, there is no choice but to escape. I pity the universe when these Omega flood spawn. I must go to the Nomdian Council of Elders with this news. They will decide if the time is right to unleash the planet destroyer weapons."
John gazes through the window, he sees what looks like the human flood figure arguing with the Jukan flood figure. John uses the window to zoom close to them.
Human figure waves his hands around and says, "We must fully combine or we will be destroyed, the enemy is almost upon us."
Jukan figure replies, "Don't lose your head. If we combine we could lose our independent thought. There must be another way."
Demon figure approaches and says, "The only other choice is not a choice we dare take."
Human figure replies, "You mean release some Omega units, remember the last time that happened, it was only two and they almost took control of us all. Only the arrival of an army of Elites saved us and the rest of this planet."
Demon figure stares at a bank of tubes containing Omega flood, "You are right. I remember the first time. The first was the worst. It was before you, the Archons came and pushed back the Omega units. It was close, I could feel the calling of the creators -- we old timers almost gave in. We were but one thought away from releasing all the Omega units."
Boom! Boom! The echoes of explosions are heard. Flares can be seen approaching into the city. In the light of the flares a small army of Covenant grunts marches in.
A fire fight erupts in the streets between well armed grunts and flood forces. The flood having nearly no weapons, resort to throwing rocks and charging the grunts with teeth and claw. The ra pa pa pa pa pa of gas operated mini-guns vibrates the dancing flood. They dance to the beat of a thousand rounds blowing through them.
John turns to the others and says, "This is our chance to get out of here. Let's go."
The group moves back up the tunnels, but it is soon obvious that all escape on those paths is either blocked by Covenant grunts or booby-trapped.
"This way," says the grunt flood figure as he appears out of a nearby tunnel.
The group follows him through the tunnels to a well-lit area. Along the walls are hundreds of generators. The grunt figure says, "This is a neutral area where we are still protected from the calling of the creators but the energy drain is small enough we can generate a surplus of energy. I cannot go any further. Go on, there is a way out ahead if you know how to use it."
Ahead looks like sunlight, but on closer examination it is light not from the sun but from a wondrous glow with no light source. At the edge of the tunnel into the glowing room lie crushed bones and machinery in piles over a meter tall. A path cleared through the middle. On the far end of the room about 20 meters away is what looks like a dead Portal of the Old Ones, only smaller. Just to the side of the dark portal are piles of rectangular items neatly stacked.
John takes a cautious step into the room. As he takes the second step a figure materializes before him. The figure a 3 meter tall giant metallic reptile walking on its hind legs. It has the features of an armored gecko but it is clearly a machine. In its claws it hold a mighty two-handed sword.
The creature speaks, "asterix accaba..." I speaks many more words.
Cortana speaks, "Chief, it is switching from language to language, got a match I think. Something about a password, no it's a password and his name. Say his name." Cortana then tries a string of many names.
The creature turns red and raises its sword.
------------
Back in the city of the flood, Imperius and troops mop up the flood. Imperius says, "Second Commander, I'd say we have about a 100 to 1 kill ratio in our favor. At this rate I might be where I want to be by lunch time."
"Where is that sir?" Asks Second Commander Kohan.
For the first time Kohan sees what the mysterious package contains. Imperious pulls out a scroll of paper.
Imperius says, "Second Commander this is a map acquired from these tunnel dwellers long ago by the Jukan. It has been passed down from Supreme Commander to Supreme Commander ever since it was discovered in the Jukan treasure vaults. To think that the previous Supreme Commanders all died and never got to even see this city and I'm here is full force. Oh, bye the way Second Commander, signal the troops to be careful around those tubes, they contain an army of invincible warriors. We don't want to wake them."
"Yes sir." Replies Kohan.
"Now let's see, this way to the ultimate treasure. Yes that is correct. I am a genius."
------------
John sidesteps out the way of the creature's attack. The creature's sword sparks across the ground as it whips around again tracking John's movements.
Cortana is out of names to speak, "Chief maybe you have to say the name, try..." As she instructs John how to say guardian in several old languages.
"It's not working Cortana."
The creature's two-handed sword splits into two identical but opposite swords. It swirls them around cutting at John.
John finds it too hard to dodge the attacks and ends up parrying with his Jukan spear. Slowing moving backwards into the center of the room.
The Lady speaks from a distance, "My mental powers have no affect on this automaton. Shoot some plasma bolts at it. Try to find a weak spot on it to attack."
John fires plasma bolts at the creature with his spear. The bolts are absorbed with no noticeable affect to the creature. Then the creature flashes green for a second and the bolts fly back at John. Frizzle! One hits him hard, taking down his shields.
John stumbles back, "Anymore bright ideas? I'm game."
Valerie shouts, "Try stabbing it with the spear and kicking it in the crotch."
"What the heck." John says as he ducks under the sword swings and stabs under a layer of armor.
The spear explodes, knocking back John and again taking his shields down. Nothing is left of the spear but a piece of the handle. The creature is unaffected.
Cortana says, "Chief, this isn't forerunner technology, this is Old One technology. The God Emperor on Medusa has some reference to this, accessing memory..."
The creature's swords now lengthen five times as if they were made of chain links. The swords become bladed whips. Whack! John in entangled by the swords.
John in a panicked voice, "Cortana, no time, do something."
"Chief, the translation is not his name, it's your name. What is thy name? That is the question." Cortana replies.
The creature steps on John's knee, pinning him to the ground. Slowly raises the swords that have combined back into one enormous two-handed sword and points the tip of the sword down ready to thrust into John.
"John, Spartan, Jim, Bob, crap!" Nothing John says stops the creature, the sword thrusts down. In the instant before impact, the sleeper in John wakes for a moment, John whispers, "Reclaimer."
Millimeters from piercing through his chest armor, the sword stops. The creature steps aside and stands down, unmoving.
John lays on the ground with a smile on his face, "Yes, Reclaimer is thy name."
In the background, the grunt flood figure says, "Please, before you go, may I once gaze upon the treasures of this room?"
With the protection of the Lady's mental shielding, the grunt figure approaches the stacks of rectangular items. He says, "Wonderful."
That turned out to be the last words of the grunt figure. He is shredded by sniper fire soon after. Dying with a smile on his face.
At the entrance to the room stands several grunt snipers backed by many more well armed grunts, including Imperius and Kohan.
Imperius says, "That nasty abomination of a grunt; make sure every piece of it is burned Second Commander."
"Yes sir." Kohan replies as he signals flamers forward.
Imperius says, "Hold that order, make sure the treasure is secured first." Imperius and troops approach the stacks of rectangular items as John, the Lady, and Val back away with their hands up.
"What is this treasure," Imperius says as he fiddles with one of the objects. "Perhaps the plans for a super weapon?"
Sounds start to play from the item. Beautiful sounds.
Cortana says to John, "Chief the treasure is music, art, humor. I'm able to interface with some of it over the communication channels. It's like a library of arts. The arts from civilizations long gone.
"Of course it is," John says. "Here is your treasure commander. We take independent thought for granted. These flood do not, to them it is the greatest gift. Their ultimate treasure is creativity. Things they only can strive for. You'll find no ultimate weapons here."
"Arrgh!" Imperius throws down the item, breaking it in two. Then in an icy voice he replies, "What do we have here a fake hero, a pretender? Well we will see just how heroic you really are when you start to melt. You will beg me to finish you. Yes I have studied your armor type. Very effective protection, but once your shields are down you are susceptible to extreme heat, it causes your armor to become brittle, crack in places, mainly around the joints."
Imperius and his grunts back away as he instructs them to first knock the Spartan's shields down and then burn him with the flamers.
As they back away, Imperius walks near the guardian creature that stands motionless. Just at that moment Valerie charges forward.
"Die you asshole!" She screams as she flies up and drop kicks into the guardian.
Imperius stands frozen for a moment, looking up at the guardian. He is caught completely be surprise by this move. The guardian teeters for a moment and almost looks like it might fall on Imperius and crush him, but alas, Valerie does not generate enough force to knock it over.
Valerie sits on the ground in pain, her ankle visibly broken from the impact.
Second Commander Kohan goes to her; he looks at the ankle. Valerie starts to shiver from the cold and shock. Kohan hands Valerie a cloak to put on from a survival kit and then applies a healing solution to the ankle.
Imperius stands in amazement of what he sees, "Second Commander what are you doing? That's the enemy."
Kohan replies, "Sir maybe there's been enough killing."
As Kohan speaks his words, Valerie grabs his side arm weapon and arms it quickly in one motion. She then places the weapon to Kohan's head while holding him between the grunts and the group. Valerie says, "Don't try anything or I'll let him have it."
The group backs away towards the portal. The Lady starts up the portal and retrieves the flux key. John stands by making sure no one can get a clear shot at the Lady or Valerie.
The Lady says, "We need to hold hands as we enter the portal."
As the group momentarily shifts to hold hands and jump through the portal, Imperius grabs a sniper rifle and shoots right through the center of Kohan. The shoot easily penetrates through his armor and out the other side into Valerie.
Valerie drops her weapon and falls back into John's arms, her left lung collapsed.
Before Imperius can get a second shot off, the group is through the portal. Into its mystical energies they travel -- destination unknown.
Kohan lies on the ground, taking his last breaths. He looks up to Imperius and utters, "Stupid sir..."
Imperius realizes the errors in his ways. Just like the grunt snipers on duty behind enemy lines, the commanders have a no surrender clause. On Kohan's belt a red light blinks, triggered by Kohan's low vital signs. 3, 2, 1... BOOM!
-- Next, Shadow Flux --
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