- last post: 01.01.0001 12:00 AM PDT
Chapter Two –The Seven Sacred Rings
Vergan was now an honor guard, the ceremony that had made it official was the day before. He and his squad-mates were praised at their victory over the demon with their rescue of the oracle. They were overjoyed at his promotion, yet they both knew that they would miss working beside him and he them. He was stationed outside the prophet’s door to their inter-sanctum. A position he was confused by, for he knew that most honor guards would give their arm for such a post. He guessed it was because of the great victory and that he had fought with the demon hand to hand. Though he knew that that was not the only thing that made his mind swarm with confusion, it was what the demon spoke to him before he left the control room. The prophets were lying to him…they couldn’t have…but if they were…no! They did not lie!.... He tensed his muscles as a fresh onslaught of questions racked his brain. He did not know what to do, was it just a mind game that the demon was trying to deploy? Should he ask the oracle? The oracle was inside of the prophet’s prayer chamber being questioned by his hierarchs. He couldn’t get permission to go inside, would he sneak in? He would have to, it could be done but if he got caught it would mean the end of his life. He still had his shadow generator at his quarters a souvenir his squad-mates wanted him to have for remembrance of their brotherhood. He could use it when his day shift was over and the guards would change for the night. He decided he had to, but why…he guessed it was calling him, the answer. He guessed that if he did not get the answer the question and fear would eat him up on the inside. He did not know why entirely, he only had the fear. The fear that what the demon said was true, that his whole life had been one huge lie. His training had conditioned him to abolish his fears and to go to any length to destroy the enemy. His fear was the lie, it was also his enemy and he had to go to any length to destroy that lie by questioning the oracle. He waited what seemed hours with growing anticipation for his shift to end. He was a master strategist and he planned his scheme well. He would wait till the lights of High Charity had dimmed and only the night watch, were roaming the streets. Then he would don his shadow generator and proceed stealthily to the prophet’s inter-sanctum. Once he got to the inter-sanctum he would have to slip past the guards without them see or hear the door open, he searched his room for something that he could use…that was it, he could use a hologram. He had a few holograms laying around, they were already recorded. He could set one off in the inter-sanctum, the guards would get suspicious and check it out, then he could slip through the door without notice. Which ones to bring though, he decided that he should bring two just in case, if a night guard sensed him he could set another one off. Holograms were sometimes left around and they would go on at random times. Their owners could set the time when they would go off, just like one of those human…alarm clocks? He wondered He decided which ones to use, he would set off one of a grunt singing, that was one of his comical ones. His squad-mate grunt gave it to him for the ceremony. All the grunts got a kick out of it, but the elites didn’t laugh much. They just thought it was annoying. The next one he chose would be another comical one, it was when his elite friend disabled the generator on one of his grunt teammates plasma pistol. The grunt starts to charge the pistol, but it back fires in his face, knocking out the grunt. That was one of his favorites, he also got that at his ceremony from his elite squad-mate, the same one that rigged the pistol.
It was soon getting dark, and he strapped the shadow generator to his waist, he put the holograms in his belt and departed. He stepped out of his quarters and noticed how quiet it was, he could hear every individual footstep he made. He would have to be as silent as the night was. That wasn’t what he was afraid of though, he had been trained to be quiet. The guards did not sense him, he knew they wouldn’t, but he had his holograms ready for use anyway. He quietly walked up to the inter-sanctum, getting past the honor guards would be the most trying part of this journey. When he was about 100 ft from the guards at the door he placed the hologram down, he set it to go off in 3 minutes that would give him time to get ready to slip in the door. When he got in position, he waited his muscles were tense and his breath was coming and going in quiet wisps. When the three minutes were up, the hologram flicked on and the room filled with the grunt screeching a song. Both honor guards jumped at the noise. “Ahhh! Blasted holograms!”
Said one of the guards “Let’s go check it out.” Replied the other “It was probably left here by one of those janitor grunts.” “He probably set it to wake up and clean the mess hall.” “Yes, you’re probably right.” Agreed the other guard as they walked up to check out the scene. Neither of them noticed the door open, they didn’t even look up.
When Vergan had successfully entered the prayer chamber he breathed a sigh of relief and disabled his shadow generator. Then he approached the Oracle, he was tense and he felt his heart beating quickly as if he had fought a great battle. He was about to discover the truth. The real truth. The oracle saw him approach and introduced himself “Hello, I am 343 Guilty Spark, monitor of installations.” He chimed “Hello, oracle.” Vergan replied
“Do you remember me? I rescued you from the demon.” “O yes, I remember now, although I am not sure why you call the reclaimer a demon.” Guilty Spark beeped
“Never mind that, do you remember what he said?” “About the sacred ring destroying everything, even the most holy?” Vergan questioned “O yes, halo is a weapon of universal strength, the reclaimers built it as a last resort against the flood.” 343 informed “When it is invoked, Halo will destroy every sentient being in its’ path.”
The prophets…what have they done!?!