A Strong Foundation, Can Birth Legends - Part 6

<Alia's POV>

"Alia?" John asked with a look of astonishment.

"Ma'am" Saluted Mendez. I returned the salute.

"So you finally put on the uniform," said Halsey.

"I did, Halsey." I turned back to John. "It looks good on me, doesn't it, John?"

He snapped out his shock. He hurriedly saluted. "Lieutenant," he said.

I saluted him back. "At ease."

Mendez sat back down and John put his hands behind his back. John looked like he wanted to say something.

"You may speak candidly, John," I say.

"How," he began, "How do you have the rank of a Lieutenant, Ali - ma'am."

"You can just call me Alia or sis," I say. "As for the rank, it's just an emergency rank. It's only valid when we are in times of crisis."

John gives me a look of understanding, "So you're just a normal recruit right now."

I nod my head. "Just think of me as a wildcard." I look at Halsey. "That is what I essentially am."

Halsey rests her head in her hands. "It gives me headaches just thinking about the past."

I smile. "That was a good time." I look at the ceiling, letting out a sigh. "Just the three of us, you, me, and Keyes."

Halsey let out a laugh. "It was." she shakes her head. "Keyes was so easily flustered back then."

"And cute," I say. "So how's your relationship now? I bet you can't fluster him anymore, not after he got used to his antics."

Halsey looked away. "Ooh, so something did happen," I say with a mischievous smirk.

"Don't you have something to do right now," she replies.

"Your right," I turn to John, "Come on, let's go and celebrate your promotion with the others."

I lead him out the door and look over my shoulder. "Hurry and hook up Keyes. I want to hear some juicy details." I wink, before walking toward the barracks with Halsey.

"So you knew Halsey before we got enrolled in this program?" John asked as we walked through the facility.

"Yep, in fact, I met her right after she gave you her coin."

"You knew about that?" he asked, surprised.

"Yea, and I know about many other things as well," I say. "Like how you broke a couple of fingers of the trainers who tried to take the coin from you."

He gave me a questioning look. "I'm your older sister, John," I say with a smile. "Of course I know about these things."

We had arrived at the barracks. I opened the door, "Come on in," it swung open to show a room full of children who were laughing and talking with each other. It was our squad. Our family.

The children all turned and looked at John, "Welcome back Squad leader,"

{1130 Hour, March 09, 2525 / Epsilon Eridani System, In orbit around Planet Reach, Office of Naval Intelligence Medical Facility}

<Halsey POV>

"I want that transmission decoded now," I snapped at Deja.

[The encryption scheme is extremely complex] replied Deja with a hint of irritation.

[I don't even know why they bothered. Who else but Beta-5 Division even has the resources to use this day?]

"Spare me the banter, Deja. I'm not in the mood. Just concentrate on the decryption."

[Yes, Doctor]

I paced across the antiseptic white tile of the Observation Room. One side of the room was filled with floor-to-ceiling terminals that monitored the vital signs of the children - test subjects, I correct myself. They displayed drug uptake rates and winking gree, blue, and red status indicators: EKGs, pulse rates, and a hundred other pieces of medical data

The other side of the observation room overlooked dozens of translucent domes, windows into the surgical bays on the level below. Each bay was a sealed environment, staffed with the best surgeons and bio technicians that the Office of Naval intelligence could drum up. The bays had been scrubbed and irradiated and were in the final preparation stages to receive and hold the special biohazardous materials.

Alia had asked me to hold her surgery for last, so she could help stabilize the children and I had agreed, only after asking Alia what she would do. She told me she would heal the children's injuries, but as a last resort. She also told me that she had put the children through a 'reinforcement' process over the years while they were sleeping, hopefully decreasing the chances of any negative side effects. She was currently pacing between the bays, checking up on the children. She really did look like an older sister.

[Done] Deja announced. [The file awaits your inspection Doctor]

I stopped my pacing and sat down. "Put it on my glasses please, Deja."

My glasses scanned my retinal and brain patterns, and the security barrier of the file lifted. With a blink of my eyes, I opened the file.

I read:

[United Nations Space Command Priority Transmission

09872H-98

Encryption Code: Red

Public Key: file/excised access Omega/

From: Admiral Ysionris Jeromi, Chief Medical Officer, UNSC Research Station Hopeful

To: Dr. Catherine Elizabeth Halsey M.D., Ph.D., Special civilian consultant (civilian Identification Number: 10141-026-SRB4695)

Subject: Mitigating factors and relative biological risks associated with queried experimental medical procedures.

Classification: RESTRICTED (BGX Directive)

/start file/

Catherine,

I am afraid further analysis has yielded no viable alternatives to mitigate risks in your proposed "hypothetical" experimentation. I have, however, attached the synopsis of my team's findings as well as all relevant case studies. Perhaps you will find them useful.

I hope it is a hypothetical study . . . the use of Binobo chimpanzees in your proposal is troublesome. These animals are expensive and rare now since they are no longer bred in captivity. I would hate to see such valuable specimens wasted in some Section Tree project.

Best,

y.j.

]

I winced at the veiled rebuke in the Admiral's communique. He had never approved of her decision to work with the Office of Naval Intelligence and made his disappointment with his star pupil evident every time she visited Hopeful.

It was hard enough to justify the morality of the course she was about to embark upon. Jermoi's disapproval only made my decision more difficult.

I gritted my teeth and returned to the report.

[Synopsis of chemical/biological risks

WARNING: the following procedures are classified level-3 experimental. Primate test subjects must be cleared through UNSC Quartermaster General Office code: OBF34. Follow gamma code biohazard disposal protocol.

1. Carbide ceramic ossification: advanced material grafting onto skeletal structures to make bones virtually unbreakable. Recommended coverage not to exceed 3 percent total bone mass because of significant white blood cell necrosis. Specific risk for pre - and near-postpubescent adolescents: skeletal growth spurts may cause irreparable bone pulverization. See attached case studies.

2. Muscular enhancement injections: protein complex is injected intramuscularly to increase tissue density and decrease lactase recovery time. Risk: 5 percent of test subjects experience a fatal cardiac volume increase.

3. Catalytic thyroid implant: platinum pellet containing human growth hormone catalyst is implanted in the thyroid to boost the growth of skeletal and muscle tissues. Risk: rare instances of elephantiasis. Suppressed sexual drive.

4. Occipital capillary reversal: submergence and boosted blood flow beneath the rods and cones of the subject's retina. Produces a marked visual perception increase. Risk: Retinal rejection and detachment. Permanent blindness. See attached autopsy reports.

5. Superconducting clarification of neural dendrites: alteration of bioelectrical nerve transduction to shielded electronic transduction. Three hundred percent increase in subject reflexes. Anecdotal evidence of a marked increase in intelligence, memory, and creativity. Risk: significant instances of Parkinson's disease and Fletcher's syndrome

/end file/

Press ENTER to open liked attachments.

I closed the file, erasing all traces of it - sending Deja to track the file pathways all the way back to Hopeful to destroy Admiral Jeromi's notes and files related to this incident.

I removed my glasses and pinched the bridge of my nose.

[I'm sorry. I, too, had hoped there would be some new process to lower the risks]

I sighed. "I have doubts, Deja. I thought the reasons so compelling when we first started project SPARTAN. Now? I . . . I just don't know."

[I have been over the ONI projections of Outer Colony stability three times, Doctor. Their conclusion is correct: massive rebellion within twenty years unless drastic military action is taken. You know the 'drastic military action' the brass would like. The SPARTANS are our only option to avoid overwhelming civilian losses. They will be the perfect pinpoint strike force. They can prevent a civil war.]

"Only if they survive to fulfill that mission," I counter. "We should delay the procedures. More research needs to be done. We could use the time to work on MJOLNIR. We need time to -"

[There is another reason to proceed expeditiously. Although I a loath to bring this to your attention, I must. If ONI detects a delay in their prize project, you will likely be replaced by someone who harbors . . . fewer doubts. And regrettably for the children, most likely someone less qualified]

"I hate this." I got up and strode to the fire exit. "And sometimes, Deja, I hate you too." I left the observation room.

Mendez was waiting for me in the hallway.

"Walk with me, Cheif," I say.

He followed without a word as we took the stairs to the pre-op wing of the hospital.

We entered the room of 117. John lay in bed, an IV drip attached to his arm. His head had been shaved and incision vectors had been lasered onto his entire body. Despite these indignities, I marveled at what a spectacular physical specimen he had grown into. Fourteen-years-old and he had the body of an eighteen-year-old Olympic athlete, and a mind the equal of any Naval Academy honors graduate.

I forced the best smile I could muster. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine, ma'am," John replied groggily. "Alia came by earlier. She told me the sedation would take effect soon. I'm fighting it to see how long I can stay awake." His eyelids fluttered. "It's not easy."

He spotted Mendez and struggled to sit up and salute, but failed. "I know this is one of the Chief's exercises. But I don't know what the twist is. Can you tell me, Dr. Halsey? Just this time? How do I win?"

Mendez looked away.

I leaned closer to John as his eyes started to close and his breathing got deeper.

"I'll tell you how to win, John," I whispered. "Survive."

<Alia POV>

I was currently lying on a cot in the pre-op part of the hospital. The last 24 hrs had been very exhausting, both mentally and physically. Having to run around the dozens of surgery bays, trying to save as many lives as I could with my hands of nirvana without falling into mana deficiency was just...

I thrash around on my cot and let out a sigh. The frustration that comes from watching family being in extreme pain in front of you without you being able to do much was overwhelming.

'Damn it,' I hit my head with my hand. 'I'm just like Halsey. I got too attached. I guess spending 8 years with a group of innocent children, if you ignored that they could bring down a group of ODST on their own, acting as their older sister would do that to you. Fake it till you make it.' I let out a bitter laugh.

[Its fine to get attached, Alia] Eve comforts me.

[You have to remember, even if your body is technically not human, your mind and soul still is]

'But I'm immortal now.' I say in my head. 'I'll live longer than the other Spartans. They will all die one day. I'll be alone one day.'

[You won't be alone. You never are. I'm always here] Eve hijacked one of the holo projectors before displaying herself.

She was around 8ft tall, a face similar to mine; slim cheekbones, large eyes with a golden iris, small lips. Her hair was a silver color, falling from her scalp to the back of her knees. She wore a plain elegant dress. It was a one-piece that gave off a medieval feel, but without the blooming waist. Her aura was like that of a mother.

She sat on one of the chairs next to me and stroked my cheek.

[I will always be with you] she gave me a smile. [You are never alone]

My eyes teared up slightly.

She let out a little chuckle.

"Shut up" I stutter, my face flushing with embarrassment.

[This is the first time I've seen this side of you] Eve tilted her head in thought. She put a finger on her lower lip.

'Her lower lip.' A single thought emerged from my mind. 'I wish I could touch those little lips of hers,' My hand reached out toward her.

Eve moved closer to me. [You know I can hear your thoughts, right?]

The blush moved down my face and to my neck. "I ... I wasn't thinking about you!" My voice came out an octave higher than normal. "I totally wasn't thinking... of doing things to you," I mutter, face tucked into my chest.

[Tsundere] said, Eve. [Thats what you called Halsey when she acted like this, right?]

"Shut up!" I say into the sheets. "Stop bothering me."

Eve let out a chuckle. [I was just cheering you up. It seems the method was a bit too ... effective] she paused looking at me again.

[Dr. Halsey is coming soon, you might want to fix your expression] She closed in again. [Afterall, I want this cute side of you all to myself] Her hologram flickered once before disappearing.

My face felt like it was going to burst. I could almost see steam coming from my ears. I took a deep breath and tried to focus my mind. 'She called me cute' My blush somehow grew even deeper. It wasn't until Dr. Halsey came into my room that I was able to control myself.

"You ready for the operation," Halsey asked. Her face became concerned. "Your face is a little red, are you okay?"

"Yea," I lie. "I just feel exhausted."

She nods her head at that. "You were running all over the place."

"The doctors were amazed at how you stabilized the children." She said. "That weird energy of yours that you produced from your hands if we could somehow replicate that, it would be a game-changer for the medical field."

"I'm not going to become another test subject," I say. "I'll be too busy on the field."

"That's a shame," said Halsey. "Anyways, you said that you wanted to talk about your operation?"

"Yep. Remember how I can change how my body looks?"

Halsey nods her head.

"I can also manipulate my body to a microscopic scale as well. So if you just give me instructions on how the procedure works and the proper materials, I can manipulate my body to get all of the augmentations perfect."

Halsey's jaw drops at that. She sits down on the chair next to me and begins to massage her forehead. "You really do like breaking people's minds."

I let out a small laugh. "I thought you would be immune to it by now."

"I honestly thought so as well," she replied.

We both laugh a little.

"Well then," she gets up "We should go over your surgery bay. All the materials and personnel are there."

"I think it might be better to keep this a secret," I say. "Even just the healing might cause some of them to feel like kidnapping me."

"True. But how are you going to know how to do the augmentation?"

"I'll just have Eve hack into your notes and get me the needed instructions."

"You do know you could just ask me?" She says.

I shrug. "Just following your footsteps, Mom" I tease.

"I had forgotten about this side of you." She said with a monotone voice. Halsey tapped on her glasses. "Deja, tell the people in bay 76 that they are dismissed."

[Of course, Doctor] Deja's voice rang out from a speaker somewhere in the hallway.

We continued our way to the bay in silence. Halsey opened the door of the room and went over towards one of the terminals. She tapped on it a few times before calling me over. It was the instructions for the procedure.

'Eve, scan the notes. I'll hand over my body's control to you for the operation. Wake me up when you're done.' With that thought, I felt my control being taken away from me as I fell into darkness.

{0000 Hours, March 30, 2525 / UNSC Carrier Atlas en route to the Lambda Serpentis system}

"And so we commit the bodies of our fallen brothers to space."

Mendez solemnly closed his eyes for a moment, completing the ceremony. He pressed a button on a terminal, causing the ash canisters to move slowly into the ejection tubes . . . and into the void beyond.

I stood rigidly at attention. The carrier's missile launch bays - normally cramped, overcrowded, and bustling with activity - were unusually quiet. The Atlas's firing deck had been cleared of munitions and crew. Long, unadorned black banners now hung from the bay's overhead gantries.

"Honors . . . ten, hut!" Mendez barked.

John, I, and the other surviving Spartans saluted in unison.

"Duty," Mendez said. "Honor and self-sacrifice. Death does not diminish these qualities in a soldier. We shall remember."

A series of thumps resounded through the Atlas's hull as the canisters were hurled into space.

The viewscreen flickered and displayed a field of stars. The canisters appeared one by one, quickly falling behind the carrier as it continued on its course.

I watched, the 13 stainless-steel cylinders reminding me of my failure. I had called myself their older sister, but I failed to save 13 of our family. My hand clenched, the fingernails drawing blood from my palm.

I should have done more. There had to be something I could do. I should have given them the full Nirvana treatment. I had only given the Spartans a partial Nirvana treatment. I did it while they were sleeping in the barracks, knocked out from exhaustion from training. I cursed at my luck. My gacha draws had only given me consumables, such as mana potions, stimpacks, special bullets, and the like. No revival items or healing skills.

'Maybe I should have risked using the stimpacks.' I think. 'No, I don't know how they work. All I know is that they increase regeneration. It could have caused the body to reject the materials used in augmentation.' I bite my lip in frustration.

[Calm down, Alia] Eve said soothingly.

[You saved 29 more than the original 33 Spartans]

'I know' I think with a sigh. 'It's just, I wished I could do more.'

[You already did a lot. You saved 62 of the 76 Spartans. Only 3 of those 62 are crippled, and at that, just barely. They all made it, thanks to you. You need to stop moping and focus. You are their older sister. If they see their sister like this, how do you think it's going to affect them? Get yourself together, for the ones who are alive]

My hand slowly unclenches, beads of blood dripping onto the floor.

'Thank you.' I say to Eve. 'You're a good therapist.'

I could feel her smile at that. [Of course, I am your eternal soulmate after all]

I felt a faint smile touch my lips before I hid it behind a facade.

Not as good as Mendez's of course. His face might as well been chiseled from stone, for all the emotion it showed. He finished his protracted salute and then said, "Crewman, dismissed."

Orderlies pushed Fhajad, Kirk, and Reen toward the elevator. Their whole entire nervous was crippled, except for the brain and parts of the spine. They were unable to move without shaking and the nerves couldn't be fixed. They were stuck like that unless they got a whole new body.

<John POVs>

I strode toward them and stopped, blocking their path.

"Stand fast, Crewman," I demanded. "Where are you taking my men?"

The orderly halted and his eyes widened. He swallowed and then said, "I, sir . . . I have my orders, sir."

"Squad Leader," Mendez called out. "A moment."

"Stay," I told the orderly, and marched to face Cheif Mendez. "Yes, sir"

"Let them go," Mendez said quietly. "They can't fight anymore. They don't belong here."

I inadvertently glanced at the viewscreen, seeing the long line of canisters as they shrank in the distance. "What will happen to my men?"

"The Navy takes care of its own," Mendez replied and lifted his chin a little higher. "They may no longer be the fastest or the strongest soldiers - but they still have sharp minds. They can still plan missions, analyze data, trouble-shoot ops . . ."

I exhaled a sigh of relief. "That's all any of us ask for, sir. A chance to serve." I turned to face Fhajad and the others. Then snapped to attention and saluted. They managed to raise a shaking arm and returned the salute.

The orderlies wheel them away.

I looked at what remained of our squad. None of them had moved since the memorial ceremony. They were waiting for their next mission.

"Our orders, sir?" I ask.

"Two days of full bed rest, Squad Leader. Then microgravity physical therapy aboard the Atlas until you recover from the side effects of your augmentation."

Side effects. I flexed my hand. I was clumsy now. Sometimes I could barely walk without falling. Dr. Halsey had assured him that these "side effects" were a good sign.

"Your brain must relearn how to move your body with faster reflexes and stronger muscles," she told me. But my eyes hurt, they bled a little in the morning, too. I had constant headaches. Every bone in my body ached. But somehow sis was completely fine. She walked around like normal, but she was constantly taking care of the rest of us while we stumbled around.

Sam, Kellly, I, and the rest of the Spartans had asked her to slow down, that she was already doing enough. She had given us a small smile, before turning around saying, "I'm fine. After all, I hadn't been giving my all before. And that let 13 of us die." I remember how her voice was shaking in the end. She had taken off before we could say anything. It was the first time I had sis like this. She was always smiling before.

I turned to look at her. She looked me in the eye, before giving me a small smile. Her left hand was tucked behind her back. There were drops of blood on the floor next to her.

I returned her smile and looked back at Mendez.

I didn't understand any of this. I only knew that I had a duty to perform - and now I feared I wouldn't be able to. A duty to the UNSC, and a duty to my squad. My family. And Sis.

"Is that all, sir?" I asked Mendez.

"No," the Cheif replied. "Deja will be running your squad through the drop ship pilot simulator as soon as they are up to it. And," he added, "if they are up for the challenge, she wanted to cover some more organic chemistry and complex algebra."

"Yes, sir," I reply, "we're up to the challenge."

"Good."

I continue to stand fast.

"Was there something else, Squad Leader?"

I furrowed my brow, hesitated, and finally said, "I was Squad Leader. The last mission was, therefore, my responsibility . . . and members of my squad died. What did I do wrong?"

Mendez stared at me with his impenetrable black eyes. He glanced at the squad, then back to me. "Walk with me."

He led me to the viewscreen. He stood and watched as the last of the canisters vanished into the darkness.

"A leader must be ready to send the soldiers under his command to their deaths," Mendez said without turning to face me. "You do this because your duty to the UNSC supersedes your duty to yourself or even your crew."

I looked away from the viewscreen. I couldn't look at the emptiness anymore. I didn't want to think of my teammates - friends who were like brothers and sisters, no, they were brothers and sisters to me - who were lost forever.

"It is acceptable," Mendez said, "to spend their lives if necessary," He finally turned and meet my gaze. "It is not acceptable, however, to waste those lives. Do you understand the difference?"

"I . . . believe I understand, sir," I say. "But which was it on this last mission? Lives spent? Or lives wasted?"

Mendez turned back toward the blackness of space and didn't answer.