From: ISitInA.ERROR DATA UNAVAILABLE
Origin: ERROR DATA UNAVAILABLE
Received:
Sent: ERROR DATA UNAVAILABLE
Classifications: Captain's Eyes Only, Message Archival Allowed, Neural Net Upload Permissions Denied
Attachments: 2 (UEM-F484-U.MP.S-227634-A, UEM-F484-U.MP.S-227635-D, 28 Mb total)
Subject: Not ignoring you
Captain,
I just wanted to specify something. I'm not ignoring your earlier question. Far from it. I don't want to give you that impression for a moment. I'll give you the answer, but I know you won't like it.
There are no humans currently aboard the Halo.
That's the answer. The reason why, however, is infinitely more complicated. It's part of the reason why I'm telling you all of this. In fact, in a strange way, it's the reason why I've been telling you this story from the very start. The reason why there are no humans on the ring is tied heavily with the fate of F484. A fate that we were never 100% certain of. A fate that the trials and tribulations that you and your crew are going through are actually going a long way in solving.
So please, bear with me a little longer. We're getting there, I promise. You just need to hear the full story to understand and appreciate the position that we're in. Telling you that information about F484 is a tier-one priority, and has been for decades now... That tells you little. Telling you that he's MIA and possibly the most dangerous human alive is another. Explaining to you why while not getting myself in front of a firing squad, that takes time.
Now, back to what must be annoying to you.
The first encounter with Myung and F484 didn't go so well. Believing that this was some sort of Insurrectionist ploy to destabilize him or otherwise distract him, F484 returned to Delta Site and filed his report. He then proceeded to drink an entire bottle of mouthwash. Upon seeing this, the only Orion-I to make it onto Halo gave him a direct order to sleep. After an hour of restlessly laying in the cot, he received a shot to force him to sleep.
For the first time in months, he slept. For one whole day, he slept.
Upon awaking, he discovered that during each encounter with Park, his video data was corrupted. But only for the duration of the encounter. With that in mind, he began to do something that he hadn't done since he joined the Orion Program. He drew.
That bears mentioning for two reasons. Firstly, his drawings are the only data we currently have on what she looked like under her helmet. He made a plethora of notes as well. All of which were promptly ignored and listed as being the product of a delusional mind caused by a lack of sleep.
The other reason it bears mention is because it was, and still is, incredibly rare for an Orion-IV to display such “frivolous” pre-recruitment skills.
Reportedly, he rested for four days before going back into the field. During this time, however, he reviewed as many logs as he could without making use of a cram pack. The information gained about Halo was immense, but still had very little applicable information. There were theories and conjecture, but Orions are trained to have great distrust of such things. They prefer certainties, things they can plan based off of. That was why the Science Corps were created, to give them the ability to have such certainties in the field.
It was a frustrating, foreign, alien world to them. Quite possibly hell – Orions were never used for garrison duty.
Perhaps this week-long rest helped to forge his destiny. Reading reports, reading theories, analyzing data. Being bored out of his skull. Suffering from having his adopted home of Reach being destroyed.
And, perhaps most importantly, giving Myung time to make her own decisions.
Sincerely,
Chair
P.S. I wish I could give you the image, but that's so insanely protected it isn't even funny. He never was a great artist to begin with, though, and the Kavacha armor didn't improve matters any. Still, the impression that it gives...
*************
Note by Hive: Captain, I have encountered additional encrypted data within this message. The encryption keys are old enough to be added to my own databanks upon my creation due to our frequent status in the outer regions of humanity's occupied zone, in case we encountered any of the number of missing ships from the war. It utilizes a third, new set of encryption protocols. Below is the unencrypted message.
*************
All these years we've been preparing for this contingency. How does that make you feel? Are you capable of feeling? Or just response?
*************
UEM-F484-U.MP.S-227634-A wrote: F484: (QUIETLY, TO HIMSELF) And there goes video. Let's try this.
F484: (LOUDLY) Olly Olly Oxen Free! (PAUSE, 5.3 SECONDS) Come out, come out, wherever you are!
(PAUSE, 19.5 SECONDS)
Myung: I should have known.
F484: (BLANDLY) I'll take that as a compliment.
Myung: You're book smart and handy with a gun. I wanted to see if you were useful in other ways.
F484: My IQ was listed as two-one-zero and my AQ was listed at two-one-niner. Several years ago, and both have gone up since. Why? What is it that you want from me?
UEM-F484-U.MP.S-227635-D wrote: Myung: (SADLY) I lied earlier.
F484: (FLATLY) You don't say.
Myung: No, before that. (PAUSE, 2.3 SECONDS) It wasn't a solar monitoring station.
(PAUSE, 9.4 SECONDS)
F484: (UNCOMFORTABLY) What was it?
Myung: It was a behavioral analysis and configuration center.
F484: (CURIOUSLY) For what purpose?
Myung: This makers of this facility knew that some day the Reclaimers would come here. But they had no idea what the Reclaimers would be like. So they... (PAUSE, 1.6 SECONDS) Analyze and configure. The Monitor was supposed to help from afar until a Guide could be crafted.
(PAUSE, 6.5 SECONDS)
Myung: (REGRETFULLY) I was... exploring. On my own. You noted the facility due to the amount of interference it was creating. So did I. I came to investigate it when our blue friend showed up. Unlike you, I didn't have anybody to help me escape.
(PAUSE, 8.1 SECONDS)
F484: (UNCOMFORTABLY) How did you escape?
Myung: (SADLY) I didn't. (PAUSE, 2.7 SECONDS) The armor's good, I played dead after he stabbed me and dumped me into the pit. I barely survived that – the hydrostatic gel was barely working. But I'd figured out how to interact with equipment here, better than you guys have. Biofoam wasn't helping much, and I knew that I didn't have long. I... (PAUSE, 1.2 SECONDS) I didn't want to die, so I did the only thing I could think of to stay alive.
F484: You became this guide thing.
Myung: (BITTERLY) Instead of crafting an AI to assist you, I had it use my own brain to create an AI, with all my personality, memories... everything. I hope.
F484: (CURIOUSLY) Like a smart AI?
Myung: (DARKLY) I hope not.