//------------------------------// // Uncovering // Story: Hope in the burning skies // by Kalimdor //------------------------------// Planet: Halo Year: 2493 If somebody could have hope for finding planet that resemble haven in space it would be Halo. Holidays resort and hub covered with partial management coming from Kahel Combine and no Dominion war assets assistance, terrestrial giant stayed unharmed and pure with over the top flow of transit. It was waiting for unaware fat flies to eat up every single credit and enslave it for good with grim ending like sundew. This was not a place for people with closed mind and stereotypes. Halo owed its name from huge strip of untouched mountain formation coming across whole planet creating gargantuan ring now a bit repurposed and suited for humans and other races. Besides this strap of terrain unfurled vast sea with rare volcanic islands mainly to check and store supplies coming from outer colonies. In neighborhood of such island was floating illusive violet submarine with glassed deck showing its insides. Sun shined brightly and bulky ship resembled half submerged purple tin can with label advertising vegan food, this was very old kind of submarine. Through windows can be seen wide arched swimming pool with fountain in the center, it was surrounded by floating greyish sculptures of birds created with laser light precision. Water shimmered on their stone wings and drops of crystal clear water splashed in air creating perfect conditions for little rainbows. In greater picture birds were flying in opposite directions leaving behind rainbow colored ghostly trail. Shades of nearby palms growing out directly from shiny metallic floor covered woman lying on wooden sunbed. She was wearing expensive orange gala dress, plain fabric folded in many places on fit body. Artificial wind constantly dispelled her long black hair putting curls into horizontal holes of deck chair. In her palms she was holding glass with brown liquid, well cared red nails shined brightly. From the other end of swimming pool double winged doors stylized like paper Japanese ones from former times opened seamlessly. Through newly created way flew little object resembling plain white china teapot with two constantly blinking green and blue lights. It stopped levitating just above woman shaded head. “Incoming message, top priority, consider to view immediately” Electronic piercing voice echoed throughout whole chamber, but there was no response from lying woman, she just waved her hand and enjoyed her drink. Saucer repeated the same information now with slight touch to uncovered right thigh. Feel of cool porcelain casing made no difference, woman just corrected her dress and straightened long legs to take more comfortable position. “Immediately!” little computer changed approach to more harsh by vaporizing remaining brown fluid. “Just kill meeee… choke to death! Erase my blood and make huge ass wrinkles useless vampire!” woman exclaimed and threw empty glass somewhere above saucer. “Command unrecognized” notificator replied to drunken cry and once more repeated initial information. “Identify contact, dimwit!” “Encrypted source, encrypted transmitter, official Dominion expertise call, moderate class” “Give it moderate time to wait!” she stashed her legs and sat down on chair “I go!” With these words she jumped into swimming pool and dive to its very bottom, notificator once more repeated information about no recognition and contact information but boozy recipient couldn’t hear that. Persistent machine didn’t fear water bursting from fountain but hard coded intuition was fully aware that water directly from pool will fry its precious systems after even slightest touch to the surface. Swimming pools and other cavities in wealthy people daily living areas were popular and served other purpose than leisure or decoration. It was perfect place to hide from mech assassin or other electronic predator, common things if you have enough powerful enemies to afford this kind of technology smuggled before Dominion big greedy eyes. Loud sound of spilled water echoed in room when woman placed her naked body on sleek metal. Two other white saucers were floating just before her with long amaranth towel, she grabbed it and wrapped around young body. With one swipe of hand she arranged her hair into single pod and threw it behind. Once more notificator floated just before her yellow eyes, now silently just hung in place, waiting. She grabbed it with left hand and using three fingers from right one, by drawing three complicated shapes, she summoned blurry and jagged head projected from center of the disk. “Ahh… it is you… cunt” she answered with utter despise with obvious boozy accent “I have another code” that one sentence coming from tired flying face kindled small fire in her eyes “Five minutes, my conference room” with one touch connection was cut “prepare fitting outfit, now!” she commanded to now freed machine while other one dried her hair. She got around sunbed and after couple of unsure steps approached tall square pillar with three horizontally arranged buttons. After pressing middle green one with small microphone she commanded to column “Submerge, operative depth!” in seconds elderly woman voice answered “Yep.” Instantly whole ship budged violently and woman fell on her knees and short after was lying flat on metallic surface. Heaving a dose of alcohol anesthesia she felt nothing at all and after lifting a bit pressed next button making whole place started to change its character. Only pillar and small area around it with sitting and resting now woman stayed in place when every other thing hid in the midst of the ship giving space to emerging furniture and accommodation. Now place resembled typical living room with wide light brown leather sofa and round table in the middle both in far old Victorian style in quite poor condition. In near neighborhood separated with island sleeve was kitchen full of old furnishing like manual meat grinder or porcelain mortar. From ceiling now was coming wavy light arched by water and colored with natural fashion because of passing over it fauna. Woman take from saucers new orange top and khaki jeans then she ran to the fridge, opened it and draw bottle of expensive red wine. Without command bronze saucer detached itself from the wall and opened bottle while woman was choosing in what kind of glass she should store her red nectar. After short show up of bar tricks she slowly approached sofa and sat with crossed legs. “I am ready” she declaimed and just above round table hologram appeared but this was vastly different than one from before. Light flowed from the surface of table creating fully visible image of a man dressed in gray exercise tracksuit with family crest on his left breast. Little sweaty on forehead boy started conversation “It is really hard to make you answer, is it not? We are both high commissars, yet…” he lifted both hands to show his inability to understand why it took so much time. “Cut to the chase, clown” she replied with clearly annoyed tone “You are drunk, are you?” She risen glass to her lips and took first sip of wine and started glaring expectantly “You know why I am talking with you right now so don’t test my patience or this conversation is over” He folded his arms “You really have huge problems to make ends meet after your father and to your information lady” he ignored loud chucking and continued ”I am still interested in buying Kahel Combine and all its subordinate companies.” That last sentence boiled blood in woman veins. “With this yours father petty target will be fulfilled” she spat in holographic man’s face “Sword, shield and assplate of Dominion. Everything in one! Perfect form!” glass in her hand took role of Hamlets scull “Over my dead body, twat! Nor your grandfather or your father and especially you, will threaten me!” “That was just an offer lady, like any other you receive recently.” He still tried to calm situation. “Only MY combine guard this forgotten galaxy, only I give place to settle and prosper in peace, you pest!” “Don’t get over your head lady.” He changed his stance to be more demanding and powerful “Now back where we started, I have brand new code.” Small smile glimpsed for second. Woman didn’t notice this because of newly refreshed excitation and curiosity which refuted anger “From where? This is particularly exclusive line of special text, it don’t lie just anywhere.” “From a reliable source, I have dispatched party to intercept contact with original scrap. It is threat to Dominion and will be disposed of right after confirmation.” He smiled widely “I will have original picture and picture of his head in one tidy envelope.” As he was saying this data connection was established between two destinations. “No loose ends?” she asked quietly looking at glass surface when automatic script translated received code. “No loose ends.” He agreed “So, what we have got there? This will be the last code, I am certain.” “Useless junk” below holographic man whole table changed to wide oval screen “What the hell is that, old battles reconstruction outfits?” She changed her position to see everything. Whole surface now covered scanned piece of yellow paper full of blueprints. Every single of them like always started with the same beautiful written word: Shield. So much different than other sentences and words on sheets that she believed that it was not written by human. But she also noticed that it abruptly disappeared on three last ones with most sophisticated patterns she had ever seen. Digital paper contained clothes for horses that clearly resembled medieval armors with cutting edge technology, variety of very strange vehicles and explanations how to assimilate unimaginable feats with these small constructions. That was biggest pack of data she ever received with these codes, with formerly provided information she was able to develop shields and cloaking for Dominion starships even immortality essence for few rich ones. With this pack she could see the whole picture, everything she developed had purpose to be a profounder base for this, final pack. Why horses? this question roamed loudly in her head. In former she had big sheet with variety of drugs, but they were not working on anything she tested on, she dropped monstrous and costly project and burrowed deep below others as total failure. I tested them on horses, I am certain. Same information showed in not visible screen on man’s side “Interesting” Woman was torn with uncertainty “I know that you polish freaks love horses but seriously?!” man face flinched with shock with ugly grimace “Yes. I know your little dirty secret, wimp” He regained his power and might attitude “I am not proud of my ancestors faults lady. Also I don’t blame son for father faults” “Yeah, right philosopher, back to useless things: Where do you put rider? Huh? These scripts and designs are brilliant, like always dwarf our tech, but will not work in any battle conditions.” She took another sip of wine “Will not help MY company to repair budget, who would give a single credit for something like this?” another sip changed to big mouthful one nearly emptying glass. Young man took initiative “That matters not. I want you to prepare five top secret factories. By top secret I mean that not a single soul will know about these.” “Impossible” Once more big grin unfurled white well positioned teeth “I managed to grant Grathius full government foundation for my weaponry program, I will write your Combine into costs, tax free” “Now quite possible” she replied with interest Loud snap of clapping hands pierced silence ruling in room “Excellent, we got a deal. I will notice you with further instructions, take care Miss Megan. ‘K’ out” and vision vanished second after leaving room dark with wavy trail of light. “But who?” this question was not answered, silence ruled once again. Woman once again glanced on table to see what else she might find interesting for her. After couple of minutes of painstaking work she found nothing and agreed to take little nap with hard thinking about what happened this day with this new concern in mind. She was just about to give killing command her sight set on last word in very last sheet. It has the same style of handwriting like word ‘Shield’. Beautiful, freely with mystical touch nearly inhuman or did such an impression. This one was different than main one. Letters didn’t hold line and were separated with bolded last word. “I want to live” without knowing she read it quietly to herself. Suddenly with scratchy noise table hid below floor, woman exclaimed something in fear that maybe someone triggered room change and she will be swallowed into angry machinery. Yet it didn’t happen, idle saucers now calmed her with touchy music hanging behind her. She was amazed because floating pots gathered from every corner of submarine, more than thirty created acoustic shell behind and a little over her head. They were add-ons to submarine which she bought couple years from little crippled grandpa near Sol system, it was grave class viewing and living submarine. She love old things and it was perfect even old man charged her like it was nothing, occasion like never before. Everything she wished for in one place, things that were old like mountains, for nothing. Also it is convenient and more secure to travel under water between headquarters and transit islands. Now other saucers created twin tower speakers and in empty area emerged old kinescope tv with video recorder which normally was standing in her sleeping room. One thing focused her attention, she never realized that in sleeve of recorder was tape now clearly in view waiting to be pressed into old machine. Last floating saucer gave her glass full of water she took it and placed between her legs. “Play it” she said to saucer kindly, knowing that it will recognize her command to the letter. And it done what she was asking, tape loudly placed itself in the socket, saucer floated to tv’s console started it and turned on AV mode with white and black ants. Finally pushed button with green arrow and with couple of moments with black wavy screen woman appeared. She couldn’t believe her own eyes, in the screen she was seeing herself. Immediately she looked around for hidden cameras or floating ones but there was nothing, empty area. She grabbed her glass of water and spilled it with on face to try rousing herself from drunken self. It did nothing the other self in kinescope was still there grinning friendly. “Is it workin’ Kal?” woman in tv asked someone away behind camera, from her perspective he or she would be in the kitchen. In HER kitchen, woman was sitting in her sofa, having the same pictures on the walls and same glassed ceiling, even cuts in leather were identical. “It certainly is” manly, strange familiar voice confirmed the state of recording by shaking a bit camera and he returned to cutting something in kitchen. “Very well then, hello Shield!” now Megan was sitting with widely opened mouth while she was seeing whole recording “I will introduce myself, my name is Megan Page Moske daughter of Martin Boreski. I believe that is a shocker for you and with this everything is accordin’ to my father’s plan.” She grinned even wider “Did you ever question yourself why you built so powerful company under the nose of World United Nations?” she waited for not coming answer ”You always gained information for your development from Sword didn’t you? Now this final clue was given from Faith to you or in bad case from Sword as well” smile on her face disappeared “if first case is true then you know about everything and how important your mission, no, your life is for all of us.” She sighed and looked to right side of the room. In this place of submarine was placed small pedestal with silk coverage for Megan it was useless because she didn’t have any pet and this place was prepared for this kind of inhabitant. “In other case you don’t have a clue what is going on. Sword will protect any kind of information because it can’t trust you, it will guard its interests against everyone it cannot trust or WUN even if it always operate very near highest ranks of WUN, it can’t predict everything. You will need to help it, Shield. Only you can change it now!” her voice changed and now she was pleading to her with sappy eyes she dried them right after. “These blueprints you are giving to Sword are not for horses my dear” for actual Megan it was getting weirder and weirder when listening to herself was becoming more personal “Ekhm, maybe not exactly for them but they are pretty much alike” she now faced in direction of pet resting place and asked quite loud “Sapphire, mind coming here?” After couple of seconds of looking in that direction tv Megan asked man “Could you help her come over here? Please.” Her voice started to tremble a bit. “No can do, I am preparing something for her” man hit harder at something wooden in kitchen. “It is always like this” she told to camera and once more called in former direction “Come on girl, come to Meg” now she twice struck her hands on the knees and after realizing that it will not give the wished outcome she just went there for the thing. After short commotion she returned with most beautiful and cutest thing she had seen in her whole life alive or on picture. It was horse, small with two things that clearly showed she is something out of this universe. Pure white fur shined with own light and with every stroke of woman hand little lights flew into air and looked like short living fireflies. Equine was looking now in the floor showing big pointy horn able to easily pierce a foot thick rock, white wings folded now had gorgeously sharp edged feathers that could embarrass every single bird she knew of. But even all this miraculous things were nothing compared to her mane, it was living its own life. She could not believe that this dazzling sapphire blue sea was hair and she could touch it with her fingers, smell them and embrace. “Sap! Look up here, girl!” equine just started to more thoughtfully analyze floor “Up!” with this woman put her hand below filly’s mouth and lifted without problem to make her look at the camera. In first sight it was quite normal, real Megan seen couple of times a cow or a horse but after looking at these two faces she realized what is wrong. That was terrifying to just imagine what kind of monstrosity filly saw to get these big eyes in ultimate end. Two wells without bottom, utterly black, without a single glimpse of light, dead. If old saying was real then inside beautiful body was nothing, just echo of former glory. “No more eyes for you” tv Megan told to camera and turned alicorn filly head to lie secure on her right leg “She is sick but constantly getting better. We have found this miracle on famous mountain in Australia…” she continued to brush coat with her hand. Against woman declaration equine yelled silently and started to kick everywhere with her hooves but she clutched her in trained grip. You cannot fight against all odds alone swift thought roamed inside real Megan’s head as she was watching miserable struggle. “Kal! She has seizures!” she screamed wildly with tears in eyes “Catch this” man threw a wooden stick over the counter and she deftly caught it in air still holding little horse now puling softly from pain inflicting by couple times bigger and heavier human “and this!” he threw drug injector with same outcome. “What about recording?” “We will make another take, I will erase this. Maybe she will get better tomorrow.” Man catch up to the camera and turned it off. Vision changed to pure black with white falling straps. Nothing more she thought and began to understand what did she just watched. It was true that they used a lot of ‘outsourcing’ information but that was not everything they done so far. In the answer tv showed again a picture. Now same equine lay in comfy silk bed, breathing calmly slept in security. After five minutes, somewhere within the room alarm clock ringed with one loud sound, pony foreleg shuddered in the surprise and lifted her eyelid uncovering lively green and curious eye. She smiled softly directly to camera’s lenses and did another feat by saying “Hi, Megan”. Real Megan expected this but it was still astonishing view. She also could not define when this was taken, before or after previous clip. “Hi, Sappie. We are going inland today” Pony lifted her head and opened mouth in awe “Really? Like for real? I-I-I-I need to prepare!” probably after tv Megan nod, she dropped from couch and swiftly slid on floor with her hooves in direction of wooden doors with attitude of overhyped child. Now that’s why this floor is like that real Megan had awful selfish thought that this submarine was constructed for this creature exclusively. View disappeared once again to make place for known stripes. After realizing that she was holding glass all the time she was watching video, woman placed it on the floor to give a rest for her fingers. The overwhelming unknown feeling was stronger than her bitchy self and she moved in direction of tape recorder to rewind and see once again clip of filly. Tv showed picture once again. Now it was in not known place and camera trembled with every step of cameraman wielding it. Surroundings resembled small village after attack of hurricane, everything was destroyed or pummeled. Flakes from multicolored flowers covered path. In front of camera showed a tired face of worn man “There will not be another take.” He told directly to lenses to turn it forward in next second. He showed the wide site from where he was running. From corner of nearby red brick building pepped dog. Big, bulky monster with froth all over its jaws filled with sharp teeth, two more crept on the other side hissing wildly. Each one of them wore dark blue vest with red circle on it. First dog make his run to the center of path and prepared for jump. “Die!” with this words he shoot to hound with big white pistol and missed a hair from head, click of empty energy slot echoed through space. Not distracted creature changed position to make sure it will get runner with a single jump. Other ones took place on both sides of their leader in the safe distance ripping ground with armed claws. It gave man time to reload and he not missed again when dog leaped on him. With short kick he thrown flying corpse to side and get instantly clear view for next targets. Two other shoots made short work with remaining ones and he continued to run further. “Meg passed away, they took Sapie. I-I couldn’t protect them” camera now only recorded fast passing ground and he started to lose confidence “If I will sell you Archives I will admit that her father was a genius and I am an utter moron. Everything you need is in there” now she realized from where she know this man. On screen once again showed face of destroyed human, physically and psychologically with begging tone “Now everything is up to you Remnants, save them and save us! I count on you!” “About what are you blabbering there?! Hop on!” another voice coming from vehicle sounded in space. “Nothing! Just get us out of …” answered man and transmission cut right before he could end the sentence. Tape emerged from recorder leaving snow on TV. She repeated whole recording once more and more after that. It did nothing to silence small voice in her head. This voice poured only one question to her head What now?