CHAPTER 11
MAY 1st, 2525, 0900 HOURS, OFFICE OF NAVAL INTELLIGENCE, CASTLE BASE, REACH
Halsey looked around from within the bowels of one of the most secure ONI facilities of existence, buried in the training wilderness on Reach, protected by a a defence fleet consisting of hundreds of ships and the powerful orbital MAC Cannons that projected above her. Yet she still felt unsafe, as if she was being watched.
The Spartans had faced the most dangerous "mission" in their training, their augmentation procedures that would physically make them better than any human, a body to match their minds.
The thirty out of seventy-five trainees "washed out" had died during the procedures. 12 others were however, rendered unable to be soldiers and would be salvaged to a desk-job at ONI, likely planning operations, it was the least they could do for them, they still wished to serve the UNSC in any way they could.
She rubbed her eyes as she viewed the individual reports of the Spartan washouts. Viewing the skeletal conditions as she studied Kirk and Rene's diagnosis. She had assigned Deja to studying any potential therapies to restore the washouts, possibly as functioning Spartans. Turning to her monitor, opening a file on her screen, and opened a folder "WASHOUT" it read. It contained a list of possible therapies for recovering from fletchers and Parkinson's disease, she had Deja study possible solutions to bone restructuring grafts.
"Deja" she called out, as if she were behind her, her Greek goddess form appeared a moment later.
"Yes, Doctor Halsey?"
"Would you happen to have any potential therapies we could use to restore the washouts?"
"Yes, Doctor"
A.I's could process thoughts and research at a hundredth of a fraction that a human can, a second later, Deja spoke again.
"One particular therapy that may be of interest to your research include the complete bone restructure and manographs. She pulled an image of Kirk and reassembled the grisly, twisted mess of his skeleton structure. She could see the usefulness of this particular method to restore the likes of Kirk and Rene."
"Sounds favourable, Deja" she smiled
"I am working to develop other theories to attempt to counter the various effects from augmentation malformities. Doctor"
"Thank you, Deja
Her blue avatar smiled at her, closed her eyes and vanished from the holotank display.
The twelve washouts who were crippled from the augmentation procedure, were put into means to accommodate. Kirk 018 and Rene 081 had such horrific malformities, their bones twisted so badly they no longer looked human, they had to be placed in neutral buoyancy tanks in order to survive. Fhajad 084, another instance had contracted Parkinson's Disease, she'd done diagraphs to realign his bones, particularly his femurs that were twisted from augmentation. She then sent her diagram to Vice Admiral Ysionris Jeromi. Her former teacher had always made it clear to her his disappointment in regards to her role at ONI. And now the children that had vanished or rendered no longer capable to fight had been the subject.
Deja had said it was a dangerous but nessacary step in the program. Nessacary to the survival and prosperity of mankind across the stars. She had seen the destruction caused by the insurrection and the millions of lives lost. She convinced herself as she tried to convince Mendez that this was all for the greater good.
As a scientist, Halsey had been trained to use her failures and mistakes as a point for newer data, create a solution and learn her lessons. However, she fathomed that every mistake and failure lead to a horrific malformation or an agonising death of a child no older than fourteen years old, 8 years of training and building their bodies and minds, promising to make the very best of simple children, now all wasted on her mistakes.
She had recently began work on a new project focused on rehabilitation, surgical and therapy onto on roughly eighty percent of the Spartan II washouts, Deja, and other Artificial Intelligence's like her, had informed her that it would have a fifty percent success rate amongst the washouts, though the sheer will of the Spartans would bolster their chances, and she would be able to re-train, re-enhance and then re-deploy the washouts, crippled or possibly even deceased.
It was what she had owed to all of them, ever since SPARTAN II began, and she had no intention on giving up on them.
Questions would still need answers. How would the others react to their sudden appearance?
Halsey kept pondering to questions she herself could not answer. Until Deja came up again.
"Doctor Halsey. Chief Mendez" she said, before vanishing again
Mendez followed his announcement as the automatic metal doors slid open, he stood in full dress uniform as he stood straight. His hair was whiter and he had freshly shaved.
"They offered you a new position in a luxury corner suite in the Olympic Tower." He said, as he came through.
"I'm aware, and I refused."
He raised an eyebrow "If I may ask, what are you planning to do with those who didn't make it?"
The dead had been given a closed casket funeral. To the other Spartans, they were dead. Only a very small number of people knew there were plans to restore them.
"We-, I owe it to them, it's what I promised to them since the start, I see to do whatever I can to keep that promise. I've been told that I won't "let go" by numerous officials at ONI, quite frankly, they can go to hell."
Mendez sighed. "Catherine, there's not much we can do."
She ignored him and continued "I've decided to move my work to CASTLE Base, it's fitting for my work, more isolated and less public."
"ONI thinks your going too far here, that your expertise would be better suited in helping humanity..." he paused, sighed and finally said, "fight whatever there is at Harvest."
"You know well I'm trying to do that, not much has changed from before, aside the stakes, these Spartans will still be the soldiers humanity will need." He turned to Mendez
The new enemy had showed up at Harvest, and had managed to disable all communications with the other colonies. UNSC FLEETCOM (Fleet Command) had speculated the colony had suffered complete destruction. The Colonial Authority's scout ship, Argo had confirmed the colony little more than a fireball. No further reports had came in. Now the Authority was mobilising a battlegroup. And now more than ever, her Spartans would likely be the only thing that can face the new threat. There was still much to do for those that were left. And much to do in regards to project: MJOLNIR.