Subject Carbon

“We’re closing in on Subject Carbon’s last reported location,” said Mik. “Orbital recon shows it to be some sort of farm? It’s a field with small scatterings of buildings. Recon also shows that there’s some sort of dust storm in the area. Wait… we have friendlies already on the ground.”
“Casualties?” I asked.
“Confirmed. Heavy. Subject Carbon is still fighting. Wait, standby… Friendlies have subject surrounded. They’re taking him down.”
“I told them not to kill the subject!”
Mik then turned and shouted to the pilot of the Phantom. “Pick up the pace, pilot!” He then looked back at me. “They’re using lethal force, Kai.”
“Well we should be right on top of them now,” I said. “Stop them, quick!”
The Phantom lowered hastily to a safe height. We disembarked, dropping to the ground at some distance below. Tes, our Kig-Yar markswoman, had to roll to dissipate some energy, while Basab and his other fellow Unggoy landed on their faces. “Oof!” said Basab. “That was a bit too high!”
“Hold your fire!” I shouted, waving my hands. Several dead Sangheili were surrounding Carbon, who had taken off their helmet by now. Three remained before Carbon, attacking the Human supersoldier with plasma daggers and energy swords. One Sangheili had just ignited his, while the other, a Major, had lunged forward with his dagger, seeking to stab Carbon in the neck as the Human lay on the ground, already assailed by one of our Commanders, clad in white armor. “Hold your fire! Cease fire! Stop, stop!!!”
The Major was perilously close to making contact with his weapon, but he stopped, snapping his vision to me. The Human squirmed and writhed as the Commander on top of them held them down. It was Quso.
“Quso,” I started angrily, “I thought I told you all we needed the Subject alive!”
“Wait, now we need them alive?” Quso asked confusedly.
“Orders changed,” I answered. “General ‘Vadamee wants to interrogate one of the supersoldiers.”
“Interrogate? What the Hell for?”
“Our glory-hound supreme commander wants to be the one to capture the Human homeworld,” responded Mik, “and he doesn’t care how many bodies he has to step over to do that.”
“Or he wants to capture the Human homeworld to end this war quickly, and gathering information is a very good way to go about that,” I added. “Now, if you shall excuse me, gentlemen, I have an alien to converse with.” Quso and the other major stepped aside, the latter striking the Human in the face. I moved to Subject Carbon, who was severely wounded and unarmed, lying flat on their back on the ground. Mik was pointing his plasma rifle at the Human.
I took out a holoprojector and displayed an image of Subject Isthmus.
“We saw you give that thing to this Human.” I said in English. No doubt it would have sounded as if a child or a non-native learner was speaking. “Where is Jacob Keyes going to?”
The Human glared at me, and frowned slightly, as if they were startled I knew so much. Oh how terrified they would be if we ever told them how much our knowledge intelligence services had gathered by that time.
“Where?” I asked again, more firmly.
There was a brief pause. Then, the Human said weakly, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”
“You do not want to talk, correct?” I responded. “Do not worry. We know how to get what we want.”
“You boys did a number on this one,” commented Mik.
“The gene warrior was shooting at us,” replied the Major. “What did you expect us to do, offer the alien some sweets?”
“I know that would work for me,” said Mik.
Then, a noise. The sound of cracking and crunching. I looked down at Subject Carbon, who was evidently manipulating something in their mouth. I rushed down to try and open their mouth, but they clamped down shut. I forced their mouth open, where I saw that one of Carbon’s rear teeth was broken open, and some sort of small vial was within. Poison. Subject Carbon died, their eyes shut, muttering something, perhaps a benediction. Carbon appeared as if in a deep slumber rather than the eternal rest of death, and I laid their body back down onto the ground.
Frustration erupted within me as I stomped away quickly.
“That isn’t good,” said Mik.
I kicked Subject Carbon’s helmet, which was heavily damaged. It stopped a short ways away, where it landed upright, facing away from a mountain with an artificial gap inside it, undoubtedly made as a result of the fighting. “You think I don’t know?!” I yelled out. I let out a long breath as the wind died down and the dust settled. A dry heat started to fall onto the valley, a sign that glasslands were being formed not too far from us.
“’Vadamaee will not be pleased,” I said.
“Well, Boss, let’s hope there’s some sort of giant civilization-changing distraction to save you from certain career annihilation,” said Tes, slinging her beam rifle over her shoulder.
“Yeah, sir!” added Basab. “I mean, you could find one of the Sacred Rings or something!”
“Oh come on, Basab,” responded Mik. “Don’t go on making fun of Kai’s situation. Only I can do that.”
“Enough,” I said with a loud, firm voice. It was not a proper shout, but it approached that. There was a hush. Even the wind was silent. Then I said, “Secure a perimeter. I have to call in to command to inform them of this mess.”
“We have orders, brothers, go,” said Mik. He dispersed the group to defensive positions, and left me alone, correctly assuming I wished such.
At this moment in time, I was earnestly hoping that the giant civilization-changing distraction that was discussed before would appear.
Category:The Weekly