Halo: The Search

Chapter 2

September 2nd, 2551

Anger.  Out of all the emotions felt for what's been like a year, it was my prime emotion.  The abduction became a one day trip, beneath the bloodied corpse of a brute.

I had arrived at what seemed to be a developing camp.  Grunts, Jackals, Brutes, all inhabited the area.  I expected to be shot or tortured after being removed, but it never happened.

The driver spoke little English that day, saying something about encountering a commander to another Chieftain; obviously my Dad.

They didn't feed me for a day and when I was, it wasn't a lot.  Other kids had suffered from abduction, having been here for a month at longest.

They handled my grief with their own mutual feelings, giving me people to relate to.  The worst of my emotions lasted for only a week as I quickly discovered why we'd been rounded up.

Kids, day and night, would be put in front of alien machinery.  A Brute or Grunt would growl or yell to handle parts our small hands could reach.

This was all I did. I'd walk around all day, being scolded until nightfall.

At first they greatly mistreated us.  There was barely any food and just work. When kids started to die off, they exercised more care so that we'd remain capable of fixing precious machinery, but that was it.  Our only other purpose was probably being used as leverage against humans.

I recalled back to when I played with my toy figures and how it was always the Covenant against the UNSC.  Whenever my mom and I went shopping, she would offer to buy me new figures, like the Brutes.  I'd always refuse because I thought they looked nasty, and she'd just buy me another human or Elite.

Seeing and slaving for them now, it was more clear than ever why I hated those figures.

Being Denver's son earned me slightly more food, which I dispersed discreetly amongst friends.  Everyday was one where we'd dream of escape.  Keeping up with peers kept me in the loop of ideas or opportunities. 

That's how currently, we were working on a plan.  Up until my arrival, a dark-skinned kid named Kalim had helped me acclimate to things the best he could.  He also informed me that before my arrival, they were always getting moved around between areas.

If they ceased being dodgy, it probably meant they were hiding, afraid to move.  Maybe my Dad had heavy eyes everywhere and they were jamming this area from view? 

While working on something that looked explosive, Kalim lugged an antennae near me so that he could whisper.  The Grunts 'observing' us were screwing around with their plasma pistols or watching Brutes work.

"Victor..." Kalim whispered cautiously.  I delivered a glance so he'd know I was listening.

He continued to toy with the antennae but randomly pointed in a direction that I looked.  I saw what looked to be human equipment in a messy pile.  Initially, it looked like something that would be a nuisance to repair, but that's not what caught my interest.

There was communication equipment. 

I stopped what I was doing, looking fully at Kalim.  I also flinched from my actions, expecting to be smacked for not working.  However, the Grunts were still screwing around.

"I can use it."  His voice was certain.  He looked at me with hope.  I stared at the ground and my lips thinned while I thought.

We needed a distraction. 

I looked at the explosive, speculating how everything worked.  It was time to put on an act and I nodded at him.

"Shit!"  I stood and threw my hands up, quickly grabbing the Grunt's attention.  An Unggoy walked to me angrily.