The Good, the Bad, and the Didact

Trust

I searched the high and low levels of Mantle's Approach to locate the Didact, but he was nowhere to be found. Where was he? I had not seen him in the longest time ever, and I began to wonder if what happened back there had really affected him, emotionally. The ship seemed to be jumping with the Didact's Promethean minions, but the Didact himself was absent.

I continued to run around the ship looking for him, and it seemed I was doing that for a long time.

"Didact, where are you?" I beckoned too many times to count, until I couldn't call out to him anymore, so I decided to go back to the map room.

The map room on Mantle's Approach took me no time at all to find. I remembered how to get there from the number of gravity lifts and portals taken. I walked inside the map room and found it to be empty. Not even the Didact was there.

I walked up to the console and opened the map. From what I saw the Didact using it, it looked like the map wasn't too hard to use; like a touch screen device. I placed my hand on the map, and suddenly a red light began flashing. Did I do something wrong? I thought as I tried to scroll to one side of the galaxy, but the map did not move. Forerunner technology was more advanced after all.

I moved my hand to the red light and it expanded over the entire map. Then a hologram appeared above it in the shape of some kind of Forerunner weapon. Was this the Composer the Didact was referring to? If yes, the only question remaining was; where was it hidden? I began to wonder if the map was voice commanded, like the terminal containing the Didact's history. The Didact could have just spoken to it to help him locate the Composer, but with me present, I only ended up distracting him, and confusing his feelings.

"Uh......locate the Composer." I said with a nervous tone in my voice. A blue female AI suddenly popped in front of me.

"Greetings Reclaimer, you have asked to locate the Composer," I was shocked and at the same time I knew I'd be right.

"Yeah, what was that red light flashing on the map earlier?"

"That is a signal coming from the Composer. The Didact has placed a tracking device on it, should the Composer ever leave his care, and it will give him the ability to find it,"

"Track the Composer's whereabouts, if you can,"

The red light shrunk to the Northwest part of the galaxy. I touched it and then it zoomed in quickly, the image that came to view was a Halo in the middle of an asteroid field.

"That is Installation 03, still functional. No Flood detected," The AI reported.

"Good, I'll tell the Didact that...." I started to say, but the AI interrupted,

"Negative Reclaimer, the Composer is not located on the installation," I sighed. Well it must be nearby if the signal led me to this Halo. I zoomed in on the map to the left side of the asteroid field. To the left side was something that looked like a station attached to one of the large asteroids.

"Maybe it's on that station?" I asked,

"That is not for me to say Reclaimer, but it is possible." The AI said.

I thought for a moment and looked at the man-made station attached to the asteroid. The Didact thought it was on a Halo but it wasn't.

"Okay, I think I have what I need. Send this information to the Didact, wherever he is," I commanded,

"Negative Reclaimer, I am unable to communicate with the Didact's ancilla,"

I rolled my eyes, "Fine I'll take it to him myself." Then I left the room.