Print 

Author Topic: A Spartan By Any Other Name - Chapter VII - In Spartans We Trust  (Read 1910 times)

Offline jokerman

  • Junior Poster
  • **
  • Posts: 185
  • Connecting.......
A Spartan By Any Other Name - Chapter VII - In Spartans We Trust
« on: September 26, 2009, 06:57:21 PM »
<boring stuff>
The following story is copyrighted material and all rights belong solely to the author.  Any reproduction or republication of any or all of this publication without the explicit and expressed written consent from the author is strictly forbidden.
</boring stuff>
click here for - Chapter VI - Fire!

Chapter VII - In Spartans We Trust


Covering the Brute’s body and standing up, the commander said, “Again, your attitude surprises me.  I don’t like to be surprised, cadet.  I like to do the surprising.  There’s something about you that just doesn’t sit right.”

The commander continued, “We were told that suddenly there is a new Spartan cadet being assigned to us.  There were only a few of us that survived the augmentations but here you are.  How can that be, cadet?  Are Spartans now just spawning out of nowhere?”  The cadet did not answer.  “All my requests on that subject were firewalled.  It’s listed as classified.  You are an enigma, cadet.  You could be anyone or anything.”

The Spartan that had already shot him once before looked at the cadet, getting her hand ready to again pull her weapon.

The commander continued, “What are you?  The sparing showed that you have the speed, strength, and reaction times of a Spartan.  Your sparing partner even said that you had some impressive yet unorthodox moves and listed several that would be beneficial for us all to learn.”  The cadet wondered how and when that seemingly detailed discussion had occurred since there didn’t appear to have been time for one on a private channel since the session.  

The commander continued, “You also survived without your shields on Purgatory, so you must’ve gone through the augmentation but none of us have ever heard of you.  You have knowledge as if you were trained as one of us but you seem to be lacking the experience that we all had together.  According to your records you are younger.  We are all from the same project, cadet.  We are all very close to the same age.  You can’t be one of us!”

The commander’s voice rose, as he demanded answers.  “Where did you come from?!  Did they restart the Spartan project?  Are you some new Spartan-III series?  Are you some kind of Spartan-I stashed away in stasis, brought out and enhanced by as a Spartan-II by some new process?  Why is the information classified?  What are you, cadet?”

The cadet looked at the commander for a few seconds and finally replied, “You are correct, sir.”  The commander waited for an explanation.  The cadet continued, “That information ‘is’ classified.”  The cadet knew that even if he could tell the commander, the commander probably wouldn’t believe him.  And if he did believe him, he most certainly wouldn’t like it.

“I am not amused, cadet!”  The commander again waited for an answer and finally said, “Out here, we don’t make friends with outsiders.  As Spartans, we all know what to expect of each other.  We know each other.  Anyone not a Spartan is a risk and we don’t want to know them or their names, hobbies, family, nothing.  We don’t make friends with them because they don’t last very long.  It’s easier that way.  But here you come, not one of the Spartans that we have known almost all of our lives but some cadet out of nowhere that claims to be a Spartan.”

At this the commander stepped up right into the cadets visor and said, “You may have the strength and abilities and call yourself a Spartan but let me tell you something, cadet; a Spartan by any other name still dies as quick.  And that may cost us all of our lives.”

The commander waited for a reaction but saw none.  He then turned around, took a few steps and turning his head over his shoulder, he said, “A long time ago, I was sent to quell a demonstration.  There was an incident; at least that’s what they called it.  There was a man there, some holy man, a preacher or priest or something.   After some ‘persuading’, the man told me a story.  Something about him and a…”, the commander decided to choose his words carefully and continued, “… a woman.  The man died trying to escape before I was able to confirm his story.  But I suppose he died for his belief, a true martyr to the cause.  I didn’t believe him then.  But now…”

With that, the female Spartan that had been poised ready to again fire her weapon on the cadet, suddenly removed her gaze from him and directed it to the commander.  Her hand relaxed and her shoulders dropped slightly.  Her head then slowly began to point down to the scorching shaded sand below as she quietly said, “It’s true?”  

The guard simply looked at the cadet and did not move.  Both of them felt a wave of realization wash completely through their entire souls.  The cadet stood there, facing the commander, showing no response.

The commander, more distant now, said, “We were sent here as a team because we are different.  You must be too or you wouldn’t be here.  I need one more for this team, for this mission.  I need someone that can take over any position that I need filled.  Someone that can gun as well as they can drive, fly, or fight.  That can fix any piece of equipment, hardware, or software that needs it.  Someone that can see what you just saw and make a joke about it without blinking an eye.  I need a wild card in my deck.  A wild card that I can trust!  Can I trust you, cadet?!”

“Yes sir.  You can trust me”, replied the cadet.

“I hope so, because you see cadet, now I got another problem.  She likes you.  Otherwise, she would have shot you in the head.  So, what’s it going to be, cadet?  You going to be one of us, give your life and limb for us, or do we just mark you as a liability and put you down ourselves, right here, right now!”

The cadet very slowly said, “Whatever I am, where ever I came from, I am here now.  I am here to serve you, the UNSC, Earth, and all humans everywhere, now and forever.  Whatever I am, this is all I have.  And I will give all I have for the good of us all.  If that means that I am to be greased for no reason that I can understand but am ordered to do so, than so be it.  I will not fail you, or you, or you, or anyone one of us, sir”, the cadet said looking at each of them in turn and then back to the commander.

“I told you cadet…”

“Yes sir, I will follow through.  On my life, I will not fail you, sir.”

After a pause, the commander began to slowly shake his head up and down and said, “We’ll see.  But remember this, cadet, if that story was true, or anything like that story was true, then I am not the only one that is barred from vital information.  If I know the UNSC and their lackeys, whoever you think you are, may not be you.  Remember cadet, your memories may not be your own.”

After another pause the commander continued, “Fine, if you are going to be on the team, then you need a call sign, you need a name.  Cadet, do you know any music from Old Earth’s 20th Century?  They used to call it Rock and Roll.”

“Yes sir, I was actually thinking of a Beatles’ song earlier.”

“The Beatles, yeah…”, the commander said reflecting.  “And the King…”, he looked away.  “But there was another artist, one named Bob Dylan.  Have you heard of him?”

“Yes sir.”

The cadet waited listening as the commander continued, paraphrasing:  “You were born with a snake in both fists as a hurricane was blowing.  You are a wise guy, joking around letting nothing bother you.  You just shed off one more layer of skin, keeping one step ahead of the persecutor within.  I imagine you resting in the fields, far from this turbulent space; half asleep near the stars with a small dog licking your face.  You came here cadet but what do you care?  You are a friend of the martyr and a friend to the woman of shame.  And you can dance, cadet.  You can even dance to the Nightingale’s Tune.”

“No way”, thought the cadet.

“You are my wild card, cadet.  My deck is now fully stacked.  Now it’s time to meet the rest of the team.  Spartans, allow me to introduce to you, the…”

Suddenly, there was a familiar hissing sound and a thud as something hit the ground in between all of them but did not bounce.

“GLOW NADE!!!  INCOMING!!!  COVENANT!!!”


« Last Edit: September 27, 2009, 07:03:14 PM by jokerman »

Print