Reach for Halo

Found

3rd P.O.V

Two years have passed since Mutasim was lost after the destruction of the Halo ring and the death of the Gravemind. Every week, the Arbiter would take Cora with her and search the stars for the floating wreckage of the Forward Unto Dawn. But Cora's knowledge was limited. While she knew the exact coordinates where Mutasim would be found at the start of Halo 4, she did not know exactly where to look as he floats through space. 

The Elites, knowing how important the man is to Thelya, followed her commands without question. In Elite traditional customs, there was only ever one true mate for the females. 

Cora assumes her humanoid form and sits on her chip, sighing as she rubs her head. 

Cora: I never thought it'd take this long to find him... 

Thelya: Your knowledge has taken us here. That is good enough. Sooner or later, we will find him. 

Cora: I know, I just... I have all the knowledge of what happens in this future. It was supposed to be Chief and Cortana who were left behind on the Forward Unto Dawn. Mutasim knew that too. 

Thelya: Then maybe he also anticipated someone coming to save him. 

Cora: Maybe... But I'm still worried for him. Chief had Cortana. Right now Mutasim has no one to look out for him. And the only way he would've survived this whole time is if he got into a stasis pod. I hate not knowing what's happened. 

Elite: Arbiter! Our scanners indicate something drifting on the edge. 

Thelya: Investigate it immediately.

The ship draws closer towards the red dot on the scanner. Elites frantically observe and scan the object before a familiar symbol flashes onto the main screen. 

Elite: It's UNSC property! 

Thelya: Finally... We've found you, Mutasim. Take us closer. And have a search team ready to board. 

Cora can't help but breathe a sigh of relief. Thelya picks up the AI and heads down to the hangars to prepare to drop off. A team of Thelya and 5 other Elites climb into a Phantom and fly towards the wreckage. As they do so, Thelya briefs the Elites. 

Thelya: You all know why you are here. We are to search for any sign of the human known as Mutasim. Your orders are to find and secure him. No harm is to come to him. Should I discover any one of you even threaten to harm him, I will have your heads. Is that understood? 

Elites: Yes Arbiter! 

Thelya: Good. 

The Phantom touches down and the Elites depart. Bits of debris and rubble float in the air. Fortunately for the Elites, they were more than prepared for zero gravity. They take extra care to delve deep into the wreckage, watching their corners and being prepared to gun down anything that might be lurking. Despite Cora's attempts at reassuring the Elites no other living thing is on board, the Elites didn't wish to take any chances. 

Cora guides Thelya towards the stasis pods. If Mutasim truly did survive the destruction of Halo, then the stasis pods are where he'd be. He had to be there. If he wasn't... Cora didn't want to imagine the implications. And yet she couldn't resist. Her whole creation, she knew exactly what to expect. But then Mutasim just had to alter things. Now for the first time in her existence, she didn't know anything. And it frustrated her. 

Finally, Thelya enters the room full of stasis pods and approaches the pod at the end of the room. Her hand caresses the glass. 

Thelya: Is this...?

Cora: It has to be. Quick! Open the pod! 

Thelya: Are you sure? 

Cora: Yes! 

Thelya looks around the pod before finding a lever. She pulls it and the glass clears up to reveal a slumbering Mutasim. Her orange eyes widen in recognition. 

Thelya: Mutasim... 

She contacts her team of Elites, ordering them to prepare med bay as a safety precaution. Once the pod was open, Thelya lifts Mutasim up and slings him over her shoulder. 

Cora: We got him... Finally. 

Thelya: Thanks to you, construct. Come. Let us return to the ship. 

The Arbiter turns away and returns to the parked Phantom. To ensure Mutasim didn't suffocate from the harsh vacuum of space, she slipped an oxygen mask onto his face. Once everyone boarded the Phantom, they returned to the Mothership. Finally, Thelya could call it a mission accomplished.

A week has passed since then and Mutasim remains lying on a bed in the med bay. Thelya and Cora had visited him every single day since then, ensuring his recover remains unimpeded. 

Speaking of visits, Thelya enters the room and sees Mutasim deep in slumber, taking deep blissful breaths. An Elite Doctor looms over a monitor scanning Mutasim's vitals. Thelya approaches the doctor. 

Thelya: Doctor. 

Doctor: Arbiter. There have been no new developments with the human. 

Thelya: Why has he not yet awoken? 

The doctor lets out a sigh and points at the screen. 

Doctor: Take a look. 

Thelya does as the doctor says. The screen zooms in to show some of Mutasim's cells. Nothing out of the ordinary. Then... 

Familiar-looking spores appear. Small in number and potency, but dangerous all the same. Thelya's eyes widen in horror. 

Thelya: No... 

Doctor: Somehow, he was compromised. And infected by the Parasite. Stasis slowed the transformation. But it's only a matter of time now. 

Thelya: When... When did you discover this?! 

Doctor: Only recently. Approximately, two hours ago. At first, I thought it was a mere error in the system. A scanning issue since our medical machines don't typically scan human bodies. Arbiter... We must decide what to do. It is another week before we reach our home planet. And Earth is still a long way away. There's no guarantee he will survive the journey. 

Thelya: We have stasis pods onboard this ship... We will leave him in one of them. And then deliver Mutasim to the humans. It is... what he would want. 

The doctor bows his head. 

Doctor: Understood. But... The Flood. What if he infects the humans? 

Thelya: There is one Flood that has changed but not been driven by the Gravemind. And that individual remains living on Earth. I will leave it to her. 

Doctor: Do you trust her? 

Thelya: I have no choice. I will not kill this man. If there is any hope of him retaining his sense of self, I entrust it to the humans. 

Her hand glides across the sleeping human's face, cupping his cheek. A tear spills from her eye and onto the sleeping man's cheek. 

Thelya: I... I am... sorry. 

Shutting her eyes, she walks out of the room. Cora remains silent, a mixture of anger and sorrow battling within her core. 

There was nothing to be done except delay the inevitable...