12 Places Call

Ken hid it well, but he was nervous as he entered the cargo bay. It didn't help that Up and Away, the lead Huragok lifeworker, was hovering listlessly beside the modified Cryo chamber. Gone was the vibrant bioluminescent glow of earlier, replaced by a drooping neck and dull luminescence that spoke of his exhaustion. The other Huragok, engineers and lifeworkers were no better, their bodies slumped and movements sluggish.

Still, Ken couldn't help but be moved by their selfless help. These gentle, inquisitive beings had poured their very essence into rebuilding Captain Keyes. They may not be committed to the fight against the Flood, or anything outside their encoded purpose, but they were pure. Untainted by the whims of the universe.

"The physical reconstruction is complete, Ken 17," Echo relayed Up and Away's tired chirp. "They were even able to purge the Flood taint from Captain Keyes' neural pathways."

Ken felt a surge of relief. Restoring Keyes wasn't just about fixing his body; it was about reclaiming the spirit of the man himself.

"However," Echo continued interpreting what Up and Away said, "they cannot guarantee the complete restoration of his memories."

A flicker of disappointment crossed Ken's face. Knowing Keyes, his memories – not just of the Flood, but of a lifetime spent becoming who he was – were a vital part of him.

As if sensing his thoughts, Up and Away sent another chirp through Echo. "There is also… a possibility of unforeseen consequences. The replication process employed…" Echo paused as Up and Away rephrased, bioluminescent glow flickering erratically.

"As you're aware, Huragok exhibit an innate drive to maintain and enhance both technological and biological systems. Consequently, Up and Away posits that the emergence of genetic optimizations within Captain Keyes' makeup is highly probable. It's conceivable that desirable traits from the donor biomass, or even modifications inspired by your very own genetic code, inadvertently found their way into Captain Keyes' genome."

Ken processed this unexpected development. While unforeseen, it wasn't necessarily negative. Any minor enhancements could only benefit Keyes in the fight ahead.

"Don't worry about it. We appreciate your efforts, Up and Away," Ken said, placing a hand on the surface of the modified Cryo chamber containing Keyes. "Rest assured, you've done more than enough."

The Huragok lifeworker chirped weakly in acknowledgement, then drifted off with the other engineers, seeking much-needed rest.

After they'd all gone, Ken took a look at the Captain's readouts. His neural activity in particular was rapidly ramping up, a sure sign of him coming to. All he had to do was wait.

____

A suffocating pressure built in my chest, a cold dread that gnawed at the edges of my consciousness. Images flickered behind my closed eyelids – Miranda, a tiny, freckled face crinkled in a frown. "Daddy, where are you going again?" My heart twisted. How many times had I missed her milestones, sacrificed family dinners for briefings and deployments?

Then, a woman with sharp eyes and a steely gaze. Catherine Halsey. "Lieutenant Keyes, we can't afford sentimentality." I hated it when she called me by my rank. Almost as much as she hated it when I called her Cat. There was a time I longed to bridge the chasm between us, to find again that spark of warmth in her icy blue eyes.

The pressure intensified, morphing into a searing pain in my head. Flashes of Officer Candidate School – the harsh white walls of the infirmary, the investigator's grim expression. "Keyes, fourteen of your fellow ensigns died in that negligent test! You'll be laid up for months! Why won't you testify? You want a dishonourable discharge?" Why was I so stubborn about this? They were fellow candidates, their potential now wasted, but to testify against the instructor…

The pain ebbed, replaced by a sense of weightlessness. I was falling, plummeting towards a vast, green ring. "Brace for impact!" My voice, hoarse and desperate. Then, deafening silence. My stomach lurched as the memories shifted, turning gruesome. Grotesque, pulsing shapes leered at me, their cold touch sending shivers down my spine. "Earth… where is Earth?" Their voices, a cacophony of whispers, clawed at my sanity. My squad, their lifeless eyes staring back as they reanimated, joining the macabre chorus…

A wave of nausea washed over me. I gasped, choking back a primal scream. Disoriented, I blinked against harsh light, the cryo chamber hissing loudly as it cycled open. I was submerged in a viscous blue fluid, the metallic tang heavy in my throat. Coughing violently, I sat up and expelled the liquid over the edge of my pod, the sound of the liquid hitting the cargo bay floor coming into focus as the tinnitus died down.

My body tingled, a dull ache throbbing in my skull. Memories, fragmented and vivid, flooded back. The Flood… the horror… the sacrifices, my desperate gambles to buy us time. But then… darkness.

Panic clawed at my throat. Where was I? The last thing I remembered was the cold embrace of the cryo pod, surrounded by aliens as…

A metallic arm extended, pulling me out of the chamber. A tall figure clad in black armour stood before me.

"Welcome back, sir," his voice sounded, laced with a hint of relief. It was then I truly realised where I was – safe. I was back! Relief washed over me, warm and welcome. The Flood's touch was gone, replaced by a subtle new strength that lurked beneath my fatigue.

I had been given a second chance, and by God, I wouldn't waste it.

___

Captain Keyes was now dressed in a UNSC Navy Working Uniform, taking in his 'restored' form in one of the many empty crew quarters. "Just what… what did they do to me?" His voice cracked, still unused to the sensation of being used for the first time. 

When Ken had proposed this whole thing, Keyes had only dared to hope for a scarred facsimile of his old body, but this... He felt and looked like a new man! 

Ken smiled reassuringly at the man who looked 10 years younger than his well-worn 57. "The Huragok may have gone a little overboard with their intervention, adding improvements to your base genome. You're still you though, just a bit better."

As new questions swirled in the Captain's head, Ken interjected, a hint of urgency in his voice. "Unfortunately, we don't have time to go over all the possibilities right now. I fear Chief, Cortana and the rest of the survivors may believe you to be in the hands of the Flood still. Plus, I have a hunch Cortana is in particular need of you and your command codes right now. We need to get you in touch with her ASAP."

Keyes eyed Ken for a moment before nodding. "You're right. Can I get a channel through to them?"

"Already on it Captain Keyes. Please stand by," Ellen said over the comms. In a moment, Cortana's voice rang out over the comms.

"This is a UNSC priority channel. Please identify yourself." Her voice was, crisp and uncharacteristically devoid of inflection. She was all business.

Keyes cleared his throat, his voice better but still a bit raspy. "Cortana, it's me. Captain Keyes. We have quite a bit to catch up on."

A tone rang out as Cortana attempted a digitized handshake confirmation code.

"Negative identification," Cortana said, a hint of steel creeping into her voice. "Complete the challenge-response authentication: CADET"

Keyes reached for the memory, luckily finding recall smoother than when he first emerged from his procedure. "Right: Plasma Burn - Alpha-Tango, Beta-Echo, Gamma-Whiskey…"

A sigh, human in its weariness, escaped the speaker. "Confirmed. Captain Keyes. We thought you were… compromised. Recon reported your last position, the Truth and Reconciliation, destroyed."

"Well, thanks to the one everyone has been calling the 'Dark Night' and his friends, I'm still kicking," Keyes said, a touch of humour returning to his voice.

A different voice filled the room, deep and gravelly. John-117. "Captain. Glad to see you're in one piece."

"Likewise, Chief. Now, before you start…"

"Sorry, sir," Cortana interrupted, "we need to talk strategy. This ring isn't what it seems. Long story short, it's an ancient weapon designed to wipe out all sentient life within a radius of 25,000 light-years to starve the Flood."

Keyes felt a wave of nausea roll through him. A weapon of ultimate destruction? "Great. Just what we need."

Master Chief continued his voice a steady drone. "The ring's AI, a Forerunner construct called Guilty Spark, intends to activate it. Cortana has delayed it – she took the activation index."

"Good girl, Cortana," Keyes rasped. He could almost picture the AI's smug satisfaction. "But what now?"

"We're sabotaging the installation's pulse generators, a critical component to the firing sequence, buying us more time," Cortana said. "But ultimately, my plan is to destroy the ring using the Pillar of Autumn's reactors. Especially now, with the Flood converging on it."

A pang of sadness pricked at Keyes. The Autumn. His flagship. another loss in the face of this galactic war. "The Autumn huh? So be it. What do you need?"

"Your command codes. With them, we can initiate a reactor overload by using the scuttling protocols." Cortana said.

Keyes closed his eyes, concentrating for a few moments. "There you go, Cortana. Do what you need to."

Master Chief asked with the slightest hesitation. "Captain, what of our men?"

Ken stepped in at this point. "My ship is prepped for the evacuation. She can take just over 200 so no one will be left behind. We also have several salvaged Pelicans strategically placed within reach of UNSC personnel. Between them and your current flight of Pelicans, We can get everyone clear ASAP. Ellen, give Cortana the necessary access to help coordinate things on the ground"

In a couple of seconds, Ellen had granted Cortana access to everything she would need. Cortana's voice crackled over the speakers. "Interesting. Bow-Class Corvette? I have no records of matching development projects in the UNSC, yet it has certain hallmarks of UNSC shipbuilding doctrine except… different. Almost… as if it came from a parallel future."

"Ah," Ken, a hint of amusement in his tone cut in, "What matters is this ship can handle what needs handling. Inform the survivors, Cortana. We'll be waiting on your mark."

Cortana, ever curious, pressed a little further. "You're another mystery too, Dark Knight. Your voiceprint isn't in my database either."

Ken just chuckled, his voice warm and amused. "Just call me Ken. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have my own preparations to make. Captain, I'll leave the rest to you and Ellen"

As Ken left the quarters for his own, Cortana directly interfaced with Captain Keyes now that she had access through the Nyota's Electronic Counter Measures, a frown creasing her digital interface, "Captain, I'm all for taking a necessary risk or two, but ..."

Keyes shrugged. "I know. But in a situation like this, even a choosing beggar couldn't ask for more. They brought me back from a dark place Cortana. Trusting them over committing mass suicide is the smallest leap of faith I've had to make today."

Master Chief, who'd been silent for most of the conversation couldn't help but nod. After all he'd done for them so far, trusting Ken with the evacuation wasn't even a question to him.

___

Echo had kept a low profile so far, but it was time to get to work. "Are you ready for the Quickening, Ken 17?"

Ken was in his quarters, sitting cross-legged on his bed. "Hit me."

The quickening was surprisingly short. The torture of days past was now on the level of a bad headache, barely getting a flinch out of him. In less than a minute, Ken gasped in surprise, eyes opening wide! "Is it already here?" he asked Echo.

"It is in the G77S right now," Echo said.

Ken ignored the slightly smug feeling he detected from Echo as he sprinted to the docking bay. He just had to see it!

As he slid to a stop before the Pelican ramp, it began to open, light spilling into its dark innards, slowly revealing a massive, crouched form Ken had only seen once before.

"Holy shit Echo! What kind of death flag is this?!" Ken said incredulously as he eyed the hulking figure.

Ellen's projection popped up to take in the sight, a wistful look on her face as she said "Reminds me of my days in commercial logistics"

Ken ignored her, thinking to himself "What the heck am I about to get into..."