I've decided to write a new story, going for a much more ordinary aspect to Halo. Should make for an interesting read. The Prologue isn't too revealing, but I'll write more soon. Try to guess what the title means.
Prologue
Umbra was what they called him. It
wasn't his real name of course, but it was the only one anyone knew
him as.
Not much was known about the head of
the Office of Naval Intelligence; searches on computers, even the
ones with top level access, would yield no results. If you fed a
composite of his face to the UNSC data banks, there would be no
positive matches.
He gave nothing away when spoke too
,thought Doctor Catherine Halsey as she nervously awaited his verdict
on the files she had given him. A blank face devoid of any emotion.
His hair, usually covered by a plain, navy blue cap, was completely
shaven, as was his face.
His age was near impossible to discern
as well. He had pale white skin, evidence of him spending all of his
time indoors; scouring file after file. From his raspy voice, and a
cold, steely glint to his blue, void like eyes, he could have been as
young as Halsey, or as old as her Grandfather.
Halsey studied his features constantly
throughout the silence as Umbra read, attempting to catch a shift in
his features, perhaps a slight frown as he read. But she saw nothing,
he could have been made of plastic.
As the minutes crept by, and as the
boredom set in, and Halsey found herself glancing around the office
of perhaps the most powerful man in the whole of the United Nations
Space Corps.
He had very few personal affects, she
noted with little surprise. Nothing that would give away any sign he
had a private life. No photographs of a wife or kids, no medals,
nothing. She found it unlikely that a man like this would ever have a
family, but he could be an entirely different person outside of this
room for all she knew.
The thing that caught her eye was the
large motto above Umbra's head, on the far wall. Engraved in a huge
golden plaque were the words "Semper Vigilans." Halsey
sub-consciously translated the Latin – Always Vigilant. The motto
of ONI.
Underneath the motto was an equally
imposing logo, which was also affiliated with ONI. A circle within an
upside down kite, the kite imprisoned within a circle, which was in
turn encased within another circle. Halsey suddenly realised she was
looking at an eye, with the words "Office of Naval Intelligence"
clear on the rim of it. Remembering all the security cameras she had
been exposed to as she journeyed deep into this room under the Reach
CASTLE facility, Halsey deemed the logo apt.
"Well." A hoarse, emotionless
voice stated simply, bringing Halsey's attention back down to him,
Umbra.
"Is everything in order sir?"
Halsey asked of the shadowy man nervously, unable to keep emotion out
of her voice as he managed to.
"It seems sufficient." He
replied slowly. "I do hope you have chosen wisely though Doctor,
this operation is costing the UNSC a lot of money. And if word of it
leaked out to the public, the effect on morale would be appalling.
You will keep everything under control." It was not a question,
or at least Halsey assumed it wasn't. It was difficult to tell.
"I promise I will sir. Permission
to carry on with proposed plan?" She usually wasn't so formal
with high ranking officers, often it was the other way around, with
her being the one respected. But Umbra had a presence which stripped
you of any and all confidence.
"Permission granted." Umbra
rasped, handing Halsey back the papers. "You are dismissed
Doctor."
At his word, two ONI guards came in
through the automatic door, their faces hidden behind reflective
visors. Umbra hadn't called, and so Halsey wondered how the guards
had known when to come in. A button, she assumed.
She knew what was coming, and did not
struggle as they tied a blindfold around her eyes. The location of
Umbra had to remain a secret, after all.
"Oh, and Halsey?" He called
after her as she was led out of the room by the two guards.
"Good luck."
"This one has forgotten whether it's heatsink is over capacity. It wonders whether the criminal scum considers itself fortunate" ~ Blasto, the only Hanar Spectre.