- last post: 01.01.0001 12:00 AM PDT
It had only taken a few minutes of walking before the cave he entered had changed. Rocky walls and floors had changed to a metallic surface, and artificial lights lit up the grand corridors. The Unggoy quickly realized that he had discovered a Forerunner structure, and the Sangheili would most likely want to be alerted as soon as possible. Linglen decided against leaving however. Surely the Sangheili would come reconnoiter the area and see the rest of his squad.
The Unggoy were not often allowed access to Forerunner structures, and as such this was the first time Linglen had ever been so deep inside one. Even as he mentally noted the methane levels in his reserve tank were running low, the Unggoy Commander continued onward through the facility.
If I am to travel any further into this structure I may find myself incapable of replenishing my methane tank. As much as this structure amazes me, I do not wish to die here.
He turned to leave, when a loud hissing noise caught his attention. The room he was in had been different than the others he had previously occupied. There were many separate doors that led into other rooms, and he had just been about to enter one when he realized that his methane reserves were running low.
The hissing noise continued, and the lights within the room suddenly dimmed. Linglen waited in confusion for a moment, and then his eyes lit up in surprise when all the remaining doors within the room suddenly opened.
A pervading noise caught his attention once the hissing disappeared. It was a sloshing sound, and he could not place its origin. It seemed as if it was all around him.
Movement in the far corner of the room caught Linglen’s attention and he moved forward to get a closer look. The lights suddenly returned, and Linglen was frozen in his tracks. There, moving just beside one of the many pillars in the chamber, was some kind of creature. It was small, moving on individual tentacles. Linglen could not perceive any kind of face on the creature, but it turned to face him all the same.
Terror flooded the Unggoy for a moment and he turned to flee, only to see that the doors that had been opened were holding even more of the creatures. Hundreds of them flooded out of the adjoining rooms, and Linglen was their destination.
The urge to flee was overwhelming, but the Unggoy pushed it down, knowing that running would only make him run headlong into the creatures. He steeled himself, reached down to his side, and pulled the Plasma Pistol free. With his free hand coming around to steady the weapon, Linglen began firing concentrated waves of plasma into the hordes of creatures.
His shots had more of an affect than he thought they would have, as the creatures seemed to by hyper sensitive, and when one was destroyed, several others nearby would be ripped apart as well, setting off a chain reaction.
Even with this new development, Linglen knew his ammo was about to run out shortly, and he would subsequently be overwhelmed by the superior numbers of the creatures.
Pain washed over Linglen’s arm and he looked down in surprise at the overheating Plasma Pistol. His gaze moved up to the approaching creatures and he stared back with futility.
I will not cower before them. I will meet my death with honor.
A line of the creatures suddenly leapt towards him, and began to descend upon the Unggoy squad leader. Before they could reach him however, a wave of plasma slammed into them.
Linglen watched with confusion as the rows of creatures in front of him were destroyed by wave after wave of plasma.
“Commander!”
The voice belonged to Gagaw, and Linglen turned to see the rest of his squad standing in the doorway of the entrance to the room. They were firing upon the creatures with intensity, even as some of the creatures changed trajectory and were now heading towards them.
With the distraction by the rest of his squad, Linglen was able to move from the end of the room to where his squad waited for him.
“It was not wise to go off on your own Linglen,” Gagaw said as Linglen fought to catch his breath. “We searched a great deal for you.”
“Thank you,” was all Linglen could say as he struggled for his breath. His methane mask wheezed with each breath.
“I have alerted the company of our location, Commander,” Nasuli said as he reloaded his Needler. Linglen nodded in response.
“We had best get out of here for now. This is not the only room that held these vermin,” Gagaw informed him. Linglen nodded once more, his attention diverted from the creatures for a moment.
Together the squad fired one last volley into the room before hightailing it back through the many twisting hallways and chambers. Gagaw’s warning proved to be correct, when they shortly encountered another group of the creatures. With their combined fire the Unggoy squad managed to hold them off, and made it through several more rooms before they were stopped by more of the creatures.
Linglen was fighting for his breath, as the rest of the squad fought.
I have endangered my team, and because of that they will die here, Linglen thought as he took one final breath, only to receive no methane from the mask on his face. Without a sound the Unggoy crumpled to the ground, his arms weakly trying to paw at the air, as if he could somehow grasp whatever it was he needed.
“Linglen!” Gagaw called out, seeing his commander fall. His diverted attention allowed on of the creatures to get through, and it leapt upon him, stabbing a pincer-like needle into his chest.
It was only a moment before Nasuli and Rowmep were overwhelmed.
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Kinlumee nearly cried out with surprise when his vision suddenly returned, and shortly thereafter his body seemed to reappear around him. The disorientation brought on by whatever the Oracle had done quickly passed, and he glanced around.
He was standing inside the council chamber aboard the Corinphi, and by the surprised stares he was getting from the other Sangheili and some of the lower Prophets, they must have had the same amount of warning as he had. His attention was diverted when he heard the familiar hum of the Oracle. It was directly beside him, and now was staring at the collected groups of Sangheili and Prophets.
“Will you show me where these wise Prophets, who can tell me where to find a Reclaimer are?” Atoning Deviant requested to Kinlumee. The Sangheili Commander was shortly confused for a moment, before he remembered his previous conversation with the oracle. He was about to speak up when another voice caught his attention.
“What are you doing here Commander Kinlumee? Your last transmission had placed you inside the Forerunner structure on the Sacred Ring,” the Prophet of Grief said. “What is this creature you are with?”
Again Kinlumee opened his mouth to speak but was cut off once more.
“That, Prophet of Grief, is the Oracle of the Sacred Ring.”
The new speaker was another Prophet, and it was one Kinlumee did not recognize. Judging by its appearance though, the Prophet was not of the High Council, as he was young.
“Will this creature be able to tell me where a Reclaimer is?” Atoning Deviant asked again. The Prophet that had spoken gazed over at the Oracle.
“I am the Prophet of Truth, protégé of the Grand Prophet of Law. Holy Oracle, I am the one you seek.”
Kinlumee felt his eyes bulge when he heard the Prophet’s words. The Prophet of Truth was rumored to be the next leader of the Covenant, and was being personally educated by the Grand High Prophet of Law. For him to bestow his presence aboard Kinlumee’s ship was a great honor.
“You are not a Reclaimer, and unless you can tell me where to find one, I have no use for you. The Flood have been released, and this Installation must be activated at once,” Atoning Deviant spoke.
Many of the Sangheili and Lower Prophets in the chamber were taken aback by the Oracle’s words, as they were not used to hearing anyone speak with such disregard to a High Prophet before.
“The Parasite have been released?” the Prophet of Truth asked, his voice tight, either from the Oracle’s words or from the insult he had received.
“Yes, and I have recorded documentation of your kind being taken by them,” Atoning Deviant explained. Without another word the Oracle moved to a set of controls along the wall of the chamber and activated them. Several screens appeared, and a recorded video was shown.
On the screens several Unggoy were fighting inside a Forerunner structure, against several small unidentifiable creatures. They were holding their own for a moment before the creatures eventually overwhelmed them. The scene then shifted to several pairs of Lekgolo. They put up a far greater fight than the Unggoy, but they too eventually fell to the creature’s onslaught inside one of the Forerunner structures. Gasps and cries of outrage came from the assembled Sangheili and Prophets. The Prophet of Truth and Grief watched with grim faces as the recordings played, and Kinlumee merely watched in shock.
Suddenly the recording faded, and the Oracle floated back to the middle of the chamber.
“If a Reclaimer is not found, and the Installation activated, then you shall all be destroyed. Because of this creature,” Atoning Deviant said, indicating Kinlumee, “and your ignorance the Flood have been released. I would recommend taking your primitive ships and fleeing for now. When a Reclaimer is found then you shall be eliminated along with the rest of the life in these galaxies.”