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Part 9: Civilization(beginning)
July 17th, 2552 Military Calendar Planet Reach, ONI First Division Personnel BarracksThree days he lay in bed, Scott thought, his mind a pounding maelstrom of different sensations. His hands, he had always felt his hands, but only now could he feel them suddenly returned to him. The first day his eyes had felt like they were going to burst, even the shadows were unbearable to see. The second day he had found his body breathing on its own, his heart beating yet again. This day he was trying to move, his muscles were taught and strong, they were as he had left them before submitting to the tests. For the life of him he couldn't remember what had happened, his neck hurt, his head hurt, but the pain was subsiding.
Around him was the apex of human medicine, machines monitoring, tending to him. Doctors watched him from the observation room, they knew he was awake, listening, waiting, but they hadn't addressed him. He was visited once a day by Vice Admiral Yu, who told him what was happening to him, it was part of the dendrite repair process, his mind would have to restore itself. This was the result of the installation, what they had installed was an input slot that would connect to his armor. Scott hadn't asked why, he hadn't asked for an explanation, he accepted what this was. Another price for his addiction, he was a soldier in the service of the UNSC first, and their will was his.
Yu spoke with him, hovering over him, most of the time it was nonsensical, the man was filling the silence for him, to stave off the isolation the healing process had brought on. Yu was attending to him once a day, each day, and the man spoke of his family, his children, and his daughters now grown. Scott didn't care about the stories, or the man's family, he waited for orders. But all the while Yu was leading to his greater goal, to the point of all this, Scott was patient; he had nothing to do but sit in silence listening to the man. By the third day, he could speak again, that was when Yu had confronted him with the truth.
"What do you think 079," Yu was in the corner with his arms folded, "of what was done to you?"
Scott knew there was no right answer to this question; whatever he was going to say would be recorded, analyzed and used towards someone else's means. He looked at Yu though; this man was simply standing there, talking and listening. Scott coughed and spoke, "I'm glad it was done, I can't imagine any other life." He was too honest in his candor, but his mind was still exhausted, and hints of pain from his limbs returning to his senses were distracting him.
"There's more to life than killing 079," Yu replied, striding over, "there's more to this war than just an enemy to be fought."
"I don't understand," Scott knew where this was going, the same confrontation he denied himself when he forced himself to sleep every night. He looked at Yu's hard nose, his dark eyes and grey streaked hair. That aging face set on tan yellow skin, watching him and speaking to him.
"Of course you don't Scott; you've never seen what we're fighting for." Yu rested his hand on Scott's shoulder.
"Earth, humanity." Scott said looking back to the observation window, anything to distract him from this, his life, the death, the killing, the manipulation that had brought him there.
"Children Scott," Yu looked towards the observation window, following the Spartan's gaze. "We're fighting for our children, for our families." Yu looked back to Scott and then paced away. "Do you remember your family Scott?"
"I remember Dr.Halsey, and my brothers and sisters." Scott replied looking back at Yu, and the blue holo projection the vice admiral was watching. A picture of his cranium from relayed MRI sensors, beneath an eighty three percent complete was displayed. Scott remembered little before those days that defined his life, before he was a boy in a military base hidden away from everyone. The hard lessons of survival etched into his mind defining his character, his very essence. He sneered angrily.
"They're not really your brothers and sisters Scott; they're not your family. You don't even know what a family is. But that's normal, you're just a boy." Yu looked back at Scott, the blue light behind him framing his black uniform.
"I'm hardly a boy anymore sir," Scott hated this sensation, this demeaning failing. "I've been fighting your war for nearly fifteen years now."
"And all this time, you still haven't learned why you're fighting. The strange thing about you Spartans, Scott, soldiers without a cause." Yu approached him again.
"I fight for the UNSC; my cause is to save humanity, to save Earth." Scott replied, in rigorous military cadence.
"For Earth, have you ever been to Earth Scott?" Yu asked simply.
"No sir, never." Scott replied.
"Why is it important to you then?" Yu calmly continued.
"It's the hub of human civilization sir, the center of the UNSC and human government. Without Earth the last remainder..." Scott was interrupted by Yu's quick dulcet tones.
"I am well aware of Earth's grand importance to humanity, but you overlook my meaning Scott. There is no meaning for you in Earth, you are a soldier, and we both know why you fight, why you separated from the others. You're alone Scott, the way you like it, the rest of us, are just how you get from place to place, from battle to battle." Yu looked down at the SPARTAN, Scott met his stare. "It's not your fault Scott, you are the product of Halsey's deranged designs, though well intentioned, have robbed you of your very birth right as a human being."
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