Chapter 7 War, War never changes part 9

(Jason)
=I smiled grimly=

From what I know about these ships, they could burn whole systems to cinders, if they ever fell into the wrong hands. And it's not just these ships; the planet itself has god knows what else, locked away inside. And it just so happens, that I'm the only key.

(Dormii)
=i stop the pushups and relax on the floor=
Okay...so, you are the only way of turning on the strongest force ever encountered. What happens if you were to use them?

(Jason)
Well, considering the type of person I am? If I could, hell, i'd use them for good. I mean, Haven's monitor called me an Inheritor. That means that, however indirectly, I have inherited the mantle of being a Forerunner. The only problem is, this is too much power, for any one man. And I'm not exactly the greatest of people here. But, I'm not prepared to destroy all this. This world, was the last hope of it's maker. All their history, is stored here. It's not my place, to destroy it.

(Dormii)
I'd take it up with you. But, before we make any choices, what does it mean to be a Forerunner?

(Jason)
I don't think I can give you a good answer.

=I gestured at myself=

I mean, hell, I'm neither Human, or Forerunner. I'm, an outcast.

=I remembered though, the Mantle=

But, a Forerunner, is a protector. We protect life, and diversity in the galaxy. If keeping Haven intact, and playing caretaker helps in anyway to that goal, then I have no right, in destroying it.

(Dormii)
That sounds like a good thing. I'm up taking up the Mantle.

(Jason)
Then, I guess that's what I'll do. I suppose we can start, with whatever it is zeru has us heading into.

(Dormii)
=i smile=
Is there a ceremony or something I go through? Maybe a new arm?

(Jason)
Not to my knowledge. Hey if you want, we can go back to Haven, and you can go though the same therapy I went through. I mean, it'll feel like you balls are being put into a blender......

(Dormii)
What the hell, why not? It's not like I've any shortage of pain right now.

(Jason)
Yeah, just one problem: I'm the only one with Forerunner DNA. The therapy that happened to me, works only on me. I mean, we can probably get you a better prosthetic. Though, I'm not sure if Haven has any. They may be able to build one.

(Dormii)
That'd be just fine. When do you want to go down again?

(Jason)
Well, we still need to know where the Trophaeum is going. Should we ask first, then leave?

(Dormii)
Probably should comm Zeru.

=i tap my comm bead and raise Zeru=
Hey, Z, when is the Troph leaving the system?

(Dormii)
=i look at Jason and sit up=
And there you have it, in the morning.

(Jason)
Okay then. Let's get to my ship, and we'll fly down to Haven. Follow me.

=I started walking back to my ship=

(Dormii)
=i get up and follow=
So, meet anyone cool while you were down there?

(Jason)
Yeah, this one A.I. called Silver Light. I just call him Silver. He's not bad.

(Dormii)
Does he happen to look like a metal soccer ball with a glowing eye?

(Jason)
Yup.
=We had reached my ship, and a minute later, we were aboard=

(Dormii)
I met someone similar to that. Said he was a monitor of a Halo or something. Anyway, this should be ineresting.

(Jason)
=I sat down in the pilots' chair, and Argo appeared=

(Argo)
Are we going somewhere?

(Jason)
We're going down to Haven for a small little tour.

=I opened a comm line on the ship, and addressed everyone on board=

*hiss noise* Attention, this is your captain speaking. We are currently leaving the Trophaeum and are about to make way to the planet below. Please fasten all seat belts, and in the event of an emergency......there's nothing I can do.

(Dormii)
=i chuckle at his message and sit down, strapping in=

(Gabby)
=Kenny and I were in the engine room, working when of all things, this played=

Jason wrote:

*hiss noise* Attention, this is your captain speaking. We are currently leaving the Trophaeum and are about to make way to the planet below. Please fasten all seat belts, and in the event of an emergency......there's nothing I can do.

Uh, isn't he supposed to be dead?

(Kenny)
=I panicked=
His ghost has come back from the grave! He's taking us all to hell!

(Dormii)
Hey, have you told anyone else about this? About you not being dead?

(Jason)
Ummm, other than Miri, Zeru, Argo, and you? ..........not really.

(Dormii)
So...what about your engineering crew?

(Jason)
Oh, crap.

(Gabby)
Okay, let's just shut down the engines. That way, we don't go anywhere.

(Kenny)
=I couldn't hear her. I just pressed buttons, and began shutting down the engines=

(Jason)
Umm, excuse me.

=I unstrapped from my chair, and got on the elevator=

(Miranda)
=I heard Jason's message, and was waiting for the elevator when the doors opened. Jason was inside=

Jason, what the hell was that message all about? You realize th--

(Jason)
You never told Kenny or Gabby that I was alive. Got it. i'm heading down there now.

(Dormii)
=i can't help but start laughing in my chair=

(Jason)
=The elevator opened onto the engine room, and I had a brief glimpse of Gabby standing at a terminal, before Kenny tried to take my head off with a wrench=

(Kenny)
Back, you undead freak!

(Jason)
JESUS CHRIST MAN!!! I'm not dead!
=I ducked under the swipe, and grabbed his arm. I grabbed the wrench with my other hand, and took it away from him=

Now, can we please, cal--

=My world turned black=

(Gabby)
=while he was distracted, I grabbed a fire extinguisher, and hit Jason over the head. In my defense, I thought he was a zombie at the time=

(Dormii)
=i keep laughing, and slowly start to calm down=

(Miranda)
Gabby! Put, the extinguisher, down.

(Gabby)
He's supposed to be dead!

(Miranda)
Yeah well, he's not. Look, it's a long story. All you need to know, is that he's not a zombie.

(Jason)
=I slowly regained consciousness=

Ohhhh.....

=I rubbed my head, and felt a bump=

Mommy, I don't want to go to school.....

=I got up, and I regained my senses=

Okay, who used the extinguisher?

(Gabby)
Uhh, me?

(Jason)
Ah. Okay. Let me guess: you thought I was a zombie?

(Dormii)
=i calm down enough to the point of being able to see clearly. i go over to the elevator and ring it up. i step in and start heading down to see what was going on=

(Gabby)
Umm, yes.

(Jason)
Okay.
=I stood up, slowly. I took one look around, to make sure all eyes were on me. Then, I did he most unlikely thing possible, for a guy who got hit over the head: I burst out laughing=

(Dormii)
=i start heading down towards the crew deck=

(Jason)
=I think everyone started laughing too. It lasted for a few minutes, but we finally calmed down=

Okay, Gabby, Kenny, turn the engines back on. We have somewhere we need to be.

(Kenny & Gabby)
Aye aye captain.

=They both started working=

(Jason)
=I motioned to Miri=
Okay, let's head back up to the bridge.

(Dormii)
=the elevator stopped=
Don't tell me I missed the party.

=i grin=

(Jason)
Hey, next time you can be the one who gets hit over the head with a fire extinguisher.

=I pressed the button for the bridge=

(Dormii)
=i start to laugh again=
Did they really?

(Jason)
=We got off on the bridge. I was still rubbing the bump=

They thought I was a zombie.

=I sat back down=

Okay Argo, let's try this again.

(Argo)
Sure thing Jason.

=I took control of the ship, and piloted the ship towards the planet below=

(Dormii)
=i had sat down again, fighting off another round of laughter=
A Zombie? Oh, these are my new favorite people now.

(Jason)
=I tried to ignore him, but couldn't. I burst out laughing=

(Miranda)
Hey, next time Dormii, we can fake your death. Then we'll see how much you like these guys.

(Dormii)
=i smile=
Fine by me, I've been dead for a while now.

(Jason)
=I let Miri and Dormii spar, verbally of course. I saw Haven come into view, and we pulled in closer to the surface. I opened a line to Silver Light=

Hey Silver, I'm back. Listen, I need to get back inside, this ship included. Can you direct me to an entrance?

(Silver Light)
Certainly. Simply have your construct follow this route.

(Jason)
Got it, thanks. Will see you in a bit.

(Dormii)
No, seriously, as far as I'm concerned, I'm dead, or should be. I've been shot multiple times in the chest and arms and legs. I've taken burns, stabs, extremely long falls, and even, once, had my throat cut.

=i lean my head back to show my scar=
With all that I've been through, I should be dead.

(Jason)
=We followed the route, and found ourselves gazing into a massive hole in the ground=

(Argo)
This hole is not a natural formation.

(Jason)
=I saw the metallic structures around the edge of the hole=

Really, what gave it away?

(Dormii)
=i lower my head=
So...yea. I consider myself killed....about a month or two ago when i had my throat cut.

(Jason)
=I turned to face Dormii=

Really? What the hell happened?

(Argo)
=As they spoke, I guided the ship through the tunnel, and towards the center=

(Dormii)
=i look over at Jason=
The love of my life cut it so I wouldn't be shot on sight or something like that when the UNSC showed up.