Halo: Relevance Part II

Prologue: Remember Who You Are
In orbit, Earth, 2541
UNSC Advent
Med bay 7

Corpsman Elizabeth Andrews reached over and tapped a few keys on her desk station. The small screen flashed as it changed programs. She pressed a few more keys and her personal AI appeared on the holo-display next to the console. She smiled at him, “Hello Nikolas, any change in the subject?”

The AI shook his head. “Not yet Lizzy, the Alpha IV subject is still unconscious. I will inform you when his condition changes.” He nodded slightly and dissipated into the stand. She thought for a moment about the AI’s use of her informal name, the shrugged it away.

Lizzy leaned back into an office chair sighing deeply, her curly orange hair falling back behind the head rest. She frowned, wondering why the man she had devoted the last three years to had not awoken yet. She stood and walked over to the medical bed occupying the far side of the room, separated by a glass median. Lying in the bed was a man in his mid-fifties; he had graying hair and a strong face, half of which was scarred with severe burns long healed over.

Lizzy leaned her arms on the bed railing. “Why don’t you wake up, don’t you know that we need you.” She sighed again. The man knew things, things that were dreadfully important to the UNSC. If he didn’t wake up within the next year, ONI would begin some more ‘drastic’ measures to extract the information. She reached out and grabbed the man’s hand, squeezing hard.

She almost screamed when he squeezed back. Her medical console suddenly light up with alerts and warnings. She moved quickly to the computer and brought up the man’s bio-signs. His mental activity sky-rocketed and his heartbeat quickened.

Nikolas appeared at the display again. “I believe your subject is waking, shall I alert the admiral?”

Lizzy shook her head, “Not yet, I don’t want anyone coming down on him the instant he’s awake. I’ll contact the admiral when I feel he needs to be contacted.” Nikolas nodded, disappearing again as Lizzy walked back over to the bed.

Moments later the man stirred for the first time. He mumbled something, and it took Lizzy a few minutes to recognize the word “water.” She grabbed a water bottle from one of the medical shelves and put the straw to the man’s mouth as he drank. He sat for a moment more before saying anything.

“Where am I?” he grunted, trying to sit up.

Lizzy gently pushed him back down, “Stay lying, you need to rest. You’re aboard the UNSC Advent, do you remember anything before you blacked out?”

The man shook his head slowly, trying to remember. Then he nodded. “Yes, I remember a battle, and shouting. I was on the bridge, giving orders I think.” He closed his eyes as the memories came back to him. “I… I was the Captain…”

“Do you remember your name?” Lizzy interrupted.

He nodded slightly. “My name is James Adam Cane, Captain of the UNSC Relevance. Now let me ask you something doctor, how the hell did I get here?”

“Well Captain, that will take a while to explain…”

Nice keep one writing man ;)

Should I go with this instead?


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Prologue

The moon shone brightly over rolling fields of grass. Two figures, a man and a woman, stood alone in the barren place, together. The image was familiar, tranquil almost. They stood hand in hand, just staring out across the waving grasses. She leaned closer to the man, head lying on his shoulder. Her hair was a soft brown, eyes sparkling emerald against the night sky.

She turned, brushing her lips against the man’s cheek before whispering, “I don’t blame you, for what you did.”

The man sighed slightly, “You don’t, but I do. I can never forgive myself.” He sighed again.

“You shouldn’t beat yourself up, it was an accident, nothing more. I forgave you, is that not enough reassurance?”

He shook his head, “No, it doesn’t excuse what I did. I’ll never forget what I did to you.” He paused for a moment, staring into her eyes. “I’ll never forget you, Susan.”

She smiled contently, “I want you to…” With that, she leaned over and kissed the man passionately, absorbing the touch of their lips. Then she vanished.

The man leaned over, sobbing slightly. He looked up just as a blinding light came down from somewhere near the horizon. The horizon burned, slowly moving towards him. Instinct urged him to run, to hide somewhere, but he didn’t. He stood and began walking toward the oncoming inferno. He laughed deeply as the flames surrounded him, burning. He laughed, and cried out for the one he lost… the one he must forget…

And the world continued to burn…