- CRYPTO 200
- |
- Noble Member
some ask for recon, some ask to be unbanhammered, i on the other hand, just play.
Prologue
The year is 2557, 5 years after the master-chief and the arbiter completely eradicated the flood from earth. Though the prophet of truth is dead, the covenant holds a strong grudge on the earth and humans for destroying their religious leader. However, they are not life threatening, the covenant is, fortunately, small in numbers after the attack on earth.
With the elites back on their home planet and the humans rebuilding their homes and lives on earth, everything seems peaceful. But not for long.
Chapter 1: mad scientist
Doc, its what everyone calls him. His name was unknown to everyone, even himself, after being a prisoner of the covenant doing the prophets bidding for so long. Some say it drove him insane, some just believe he is just shy after what he had been through. After the elites finally broke away from the covenant, he was released from his imprisonment. And after the master chief and the arbiter destroyed the halo ring, the threat of the flood was only a nightmarish memory, for the most part.
Being the doctor that he was, Doc took a sample of the flood, but it was not small, it was an entire infected form of a brute ultra. At first the shipmaster objected to the proposal of taking even one spore of the flood back home, dead or alive. However, Doc knew how to talk to people, it was how he got out most of the beatings that most prisoners of the covenant received. And because of these usual beatings, there were not that many prisoners. So after persuading the shipmaster that it was the only sure fire way of finding a weapon that could destroy the flood with out destroying everything else in existence, he had no choice but to accept.
For precautionary reasons, and personal reasons known only to the shipmaster himself, he built Doc his own laboratory for the experimentation of the flood-infected form. When Doc requested assistants for the project, the shipmaster forced no one to the task and merely explained to a trusted few, so as to not let the public know of any experiments with the flood, the requirements of their job.
So as to avoid any outbreaks of the flood, they must report to the shipmaster himself three times a day, once in the morning, once in the afternoon, and once at night. They will work in twenty-four shifts, except for Doc because he has no home and will practically live there, and when the shifts are over the lab will be unlocked so as to let the assistants leave and go home until the next shift. As soon as the next assistant is in the lab, the lab will be locked up to avoid the flood getting out if an outbreak were to occur.
These conditions were very dangerous considering if there was an outbreak, no one could escape. Nevertheless, the elites are a very courageous race and there were plenty of elites willing to give up their lives so that if the flood were ever to come back, they would be ready.
So after getting his assistants, Doc went straight to work. His assistants helped out when ever he asked, but he never really explained what they were doing or what they were accomplishing. Doc mostly kept the most important information to himself and the shipmaster, or so they would guess. The Lab was, at first, the most hi-tech lab the elites could build, it was buried deep underground in the desert.
The lab was soon called, by Doc’s assistants, cold storage because of the cold temperatures to keep the flood fresh and because they were stored in lab for long periods of time. Because of these conditions, the lab eventually became old and decrepit. Also installed in the lab was a oracle much like guilty-spark 343, only it was connected to the ceiling in room next to lab with no weapons and no metal issues, to give any information the forerunners might have and answer any questions the elites have for it. It was merely called the oracle.
The main part of the lab was a room with three tubes running all the way from the floor to the ceiling ten feet above. Over the years of wear and tear, only one tube remains with the original infected form still intact, with only a few nicks here and there from the samples taken for study and experimentation. It was time to change shifts for the assistants and for Doc, break time.
During the changing of shifts, no one was allowed to work for, again, precautionary reasons. During this time, Doc would just stand still and marvel at the tube with the flood infection form. Because he was so focused upon what was now, his life’s work, he did not here the footsteps of an unexpected guest.
“Hello, Doc. How are you today?”
Doc jerked his head around not expecting anybody for another few units, especially not the voice he heard.
“Why hello, shipmaster, what a pleasant surprise.” Doc said very sincerely.
“Yes well I figured, I have never really been here in person for awhile so I thought I would drop by.”
Doc knew there had to be more purpose than just a kind visit for a few minutes, the shipmaster was a very important elite, and he had to have a more important agenda.
“Well, as you can see, everything is fine.”
“What about the broken test tubes?
Doc was not completely shocked by the question, he knew that was an obvious part of the room even a dumb grunt could not miss.
“Actually, we still have the one.” As soon as he had said it, Doc knew it would sound like he was mocking the shipmaster so he quickly added, “Which is all we need.”
The shipmaster took no note of the comment, and if he did, he sure did not show it. He just started to massage the left side of his face where he lost half of, what a human would call a mouth, in battle and said, “I give you a funding, a big funding, which you always take every piece of currency. Yet you can’t get this lab equipment running properly.” He paused as if to think how to string together his words. “You have been down here for almost five years, with the best equipment currency can purchase. I even let you pick it out yourself, and yet you haven’t made any progress, or so you tell me.”
Doc knew this would happen, he was expecting it sooner but the time had come, he would really have to talk his way out of this.
“I uh-”
“Your time to speak is over, I am shutting the experiments down. All samples, including that,” he was gesturing towards the tube, “will be terminated.”
Doc was horrified, his work was not yet done, but he did not show it.
“Shipmaster, if you would be so kind as to give me more time, I truly believe I am on the verge of a break through.”
“Really,” the shipmaster sounded intrigued, as if someone was telling a juicy secret, “can you show me some results?”
“Not exactly, I-”
“Then, unfortunately, I can not waste anymore time or money on these experiments.”
Doc used his math skills along with the experiment he was doing, and came up with a number.
“Give me a month, two at the most.” He did not mean to but he sounded a little desperate. The shipmaster mulled it over, rubbing the side of his face which, as Doc noticed, did while he thought.
“Six weeks.”
“Thank you.”
“If you have something by then, you will get to keep the lab. If not, it will be over.”
At that, he turned around and left the same way he came, up the ramp, around the corner, and then he was gone.Doc watched the shipmaster until he was sure he was gone. He was sure He had only a few more units until his next assistants would come in. He had to move quickly. He took a deep breath and then, he himself left the room. But not to the teleporter that lead to the surface, no, he was heading to the room with the oracle.
As soon as he got through the doorway, he headed to the ramp. Where he would be able to talk to the oracle without raising his voice. Once he was at the top of the ramp, he faced the oracle who had been looking at him ever since he came into the room.
“Hello oracle.”
“Greetings, doctor, how are you doing?” the oracle had such optimism in his voice it was very unsettling.
“Fine, password delta.” It was a password to a secret section of the oracle that only Doc knew about, because he was the one who programmed it.
“Password accepted, what is your command Doctor?”
Doc sighed, “The shipmaster has limited our time on project flood-117, I need you to go to the surface, unseen, and keep an eye on the experiment.”
“As you wish, Doctor.” And with that the oracle released it self from its cocoon on the ceiling, floating in mid-air for a few units, and flew all the way to the teleporter leaving blue lines from its flashing body to streak in the air. Along the way, camouflaging itself so as not to be seen.Doc stood there thinking about what had happened and what will have to happen if he will be able to keep his job and home. He also thought of the possibility that he could be called crazy and be killed. He pushed those thoughts from his mind, he had to prepare before his assistants arrived.
Thanks for reading-Crypto