Chapter 5: Chapter (5) Intriguing individuals (2) and Introspection
(3rd Pov)
"Samson Reese" Dr. Naomi Hunter calls out to the crowd of children stuffed into the cargo hold.
In response a caucasian boy with brown hair and steel grey eyes raised his hand confirming that he held the name called out by the Doctor. The boy was dressed in a light blue t-shirt and wearing a dark pair of pants with comfortable running shoes that showed wear and tear, likely from extensive use. If one were to sit and seriously analyze the countenance of the young boy they would notice that unlike anyone in the room he held a sort of 'sharpness' to it. The 'sharpness' as one would call it in his actions gave the feeling that every action of his was with purpose and was carried out with as much efficiency as possible. Though this detail wasn't easy to surmise and not very prevalent it would nonetheless be surprising to see from a near toddler.
The doctor took note of his outward appearance and concluded that the only details about him that stood out was his lack of a depressed expression, like the child she had just treated, and the fact that he looked as if he had just been doing rigorous exercises. Because of her apparent recent success in hopefully finding a "good seed" as Colonel Ackerson would call it she decided she would approach him with a similar strategy, optimistic that she might have 2 good prospects in a row.
"How are you Samson?" she asked while crouching down to prepare the supplies.
"Fine" the boy replied unhesitantly and in a quick fashion while looking in another direction.
"Are you sure? You did just lose your home, and I am sure anyone in your position would be having some negative thoughts. So if you want to vent I am here for you Samson, you don't have to hold it in. That's what I am here for." Doctor Naomi Hunter responds to the boy and questions again in order to get a reply, while mixing in both a truthful statement and a lie at the same time.
It is true that Naomi Hunter would allow the boy to vent and subsequently comfort him if needed. In the same breath, however, that is not the reason she is here. Her job is not to be a therapist nor to help the young child cope. She is a woman that will follow her orders and job to the best of her ability, though deep down she is displeased that she must manipulate a child in order to get a good grasp on their personality. Possibly leading to said child being taken to a top secret government project that would most likely augment them, and if she had to guess the purpose of said project. She would hypothesize that after, or maybe even before augmentations, they would be trained in order to help overturn the war effort. In the end even with all of her emotions and moral compass telling her that what she is doing is wrong, she agrees with Ackerson in the fact that this project is necessary.
Little did she know that her hypothesis, although very accurate, was still missing the true effect and true purpose. The true purpose of the project was in fact to groom child super soldiers for the UNSC that would be sent on suicide missions in order to buy time for humanity. They would in essence be sacrificing lives for time, quite ironic if one were to say it aloud. The effect of the project would lead to countless broken childhoods and living weapons being created, and lets not forget a small hill of corpses, many of which on foreign worlds alone never to even have the proper respect of a common burial. Even though anyone could see that they deserve at least as much, but they will not get that common courtesy. They will be forgotten and no one will mourn their loss, and any semblance of the lives lost will be hidden behind a letter, a dash, and a 3 digit serial number.
"It's fine really, and call me Sam." Sam answered oblivious to the hidden heavy atmosphere of the future.
Deciding to change approaches Naomi says "Ok then Sam. While I am preparing the required materials for the blood test, why don't you tell me about yourself?" secretly applauding herself for her expert conversational skills.
"Like what?" Sam asks while slightly tilting his head to the side with child-like innocence
Becoming slightly annoyed as evident by her twitching left eye Naomi decides to clarify "Like what do you like to do? What's your dream, or what do you want to do when you are older."
Sam takes a minute to consider to himself the answers to the questions that the doctor asks him. At this point Naomi has also stopped preparing the supplies needed for the necessary blood tests and is fully focused on the conversation or rather the conversation that she is attempting to start with the young boy.
"Hmmmmm I like to exercise, and I have no dream. I also don't know what I want to do when I am older." He concludes while closing his eyes and nodding as if he has stated a profound truth.
Naomi is barely keeping her annoyance and frustration inside after hearing Sam's grand answer to her question. She couldn't help but ball her hands into fists and give the boy a slight glare while he is nodding to himself. 'This is getting nowhere. This kid obviously won't open up to me for one reason or another.' She thinks to herself and decides to quickly draw the boy's blood and afterwards immediately move on to the next prospect before she ends up hitting a child.
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(Mc Pov)
As I watch the doctor leave I can't help but release a sigh of relief. I believe that I did a pretty good job of acting like an obstinate child to her questioning. Seeing as she gave up and moved on, I believe that it's safe to assume my acting most likely pissed her off. I giggle to myself as I remember her twitching eye brow as I answered innocently with one of the most infuriating answers to her questions.
'Self-five the ruse goes on. She most likely won't be coming back to me anytime soon. Therefore I am free to work out, eat, and sleep alone and in peace.' I think to myself happily imagining all of the time just to myself.
By this time I notice a shadow looming over me. I do my best to ignore the problem hoping it would go away, but in the end like all the other problems I have had in both of my lives it never does.
Eventually I accept my fate that I must address the owner of the shadow, or otherwise I will never be able to claim that so-called peace that I desired. Looking up to the owner of the shadow I am mildly surprised to find that it is the African-American boy that I had noticed earlier. Confused as to why he is here standing in front of me and literally looking down on me I decide to just stare right back at him. Now it may be childish to say, but there was no way in hell I was going to let a 5 year old boy stare at me in what I can only assume to be some sort of sad way of trying to intimidate me.
The staring contest goes on for multiple minutes with both of us blinking intermittently, but neither deciding to speak up nor turn away. I guess this is a guy thing that no one understands, but we just know that the first one looks away loses. What do they lose? We don't know, we just know they lose. Bearing this in mind, and knowing that I am extremely competitive. I have practically convinced myself that I am a bitch if I look away.
After another however long the kid cracks and decides to say something to ease the silence asking the question he probably wanted the answer to the entire time "What did that doctor talk to you about?" he asks in a firm but also cold voice.
"Nothing important." I answer in an equally discontent tone.
"Really?"
"Really."
"Then why did she walk away angry? What did you say to her?" The boy questions me
"I don't know, maybe she has anger issues." I answer by continuing to blockade any possible conversations to be had.
"What's your name?"
"My dad always said it was rude to ask someone's name without first providing their own."
At this point the boy is showing similar traits of displeasure that the Doctor previously inhibited.
"My name is Jameson Locke. Now what is yours?" he replies somewhat quickly with annoyance laced in his voice.
"You can just call me Sam."
"Ok then Sam. What did she ask you?"
I am confused for a second remembering that I had just answered the same question from him and decide to answer with the same response as earlier "Nothing important."
"Really?"
"Really."
"Really Really?"
"Really Really."
"Really Really Really."
"Really Really Rea-"
Before I finish my statement I give him a sharp glare noticing what he was attempting to do. This brat was trying to annoy the shit out of me so I would eventually get tired and give up. After giving up I would presumably answer whatever question he had originally asked. A full proof plan if I was any ordinary child, however fortunately for me I am not just the average kid anymore.
'This kid is never going to stop until he gets an answer. So I have to give him something else even if I hold out on giving him a real answer today. He will most likely follow me around for however long this voyage is day in day out interrogating me for his answer. Of course I won't give him a real answer so my options are either distract him and hope he forgets the original reason he came over here, or give him an answer that he wants.'
Earlier that kid was shooting glares at the UNSC personnel. He most likely has some type of vendetta against the UNSC. Therefore, if I bash them a bit whether I truly believe such sentiments or not the conversation topic will shift and he will stop annoying the shit out of me.'
"Fine if you must know, she asked me what I think about the UNSC."
"What did you say?"
"I said I am not sure. She kept asking me, but I kept replying with I don't know. Maybe that's why she got so angry."
He seemed to have taken offense to that and sharply replied with "How can you not say that you hate them!? They couldn't protect my mom and dad. They didn't do their jobs."
'Ahhh I see he is still hung up on his parents. Understandable back in my past life I was pretty torn to learn they died and I was a teenager. While he is barely even five and has already lost everyone close to him.'
Perhaps due to the similarity of circumstances between me and the boy. I decided to drop my hostile attitude and adopt a more elder brotherly approach to the boy. God knows it is the least I can do to make his suffering even a little less.
"Yes they didn't do their jobs, but I do not hate them for that. Rather I will not hate them for that. Hating them would take too much energy and that's not how my dad wanted me to live. It is also not how I want to live either."
He seemed surprised to hear and see my change in attitudes if the expression on his face was anything to go by. He stood silently as if contemplating something and his previous hatred and contempt was nowhere to be seen in the next question he asked.
"How did your dad want you to live?" he asked innocently and was completely focused on whatever answer I may give.
I paused for a second and pondered what I would say and what I remembered about my dad. My dad taught me how to be a man, he taught me to honor my commitments, follow the golden rule, and asked me to do only one thing in life.
"He wanted me to live a life that at the end of it, I could look back on and be proud. He told me to make good decisions and try to hold onto as few regrets as possible. To give mercy to others when I could, but thoroughly destroy my enemies when I could not. He taught me to treat others the same way as I would want to be treated and to not hold grudges."
After I concluded my speech I could see him in shock. I would nearly say that I saw the gears turning in his head as he digested what I had just said.
"O-k then. I will see you later." he said as he walked away quickly. Probably to consider what I said more and question his own action, at least I hope he would.
During the third world war I had seen many who had cultivated his mindset through childhood into adulthood. For them it usually became an unhealthy obsession and fighting the ones that had wronged them was similar to a drug for them. They would always go further than needed and hurt innocents even when they had no part in their suffering.
I did not enjoy watching them self-destruct on the battlefield and in harsh environments, but no matter what I said to them. No matter how much I tried to help them let go and forget about revenge they simply couldn't. At that point revenge had been practically all they thought about for at least over a decade so how could I hope to alleviate such a long period of hate with some long conversations and a couple of beers. Some will call me naïve or stupid for even attempting to fix their mindset, and I know that in the end they most likely would not change.
But
I must try
Even if there is no hope for them, even if they don't see any hope for their actions. I must try and help them because that is what I would ask of others if the roles were switched.
Revenge while being a good motivator in the end usually just leads to emptiness. Most people whose lives are built upon finally paying back their enemy have no idea what would happen afterward. They don't think about what effects their actions might have on those around them. Including their loved ones. They usually don't know what would happen to themselves even if they accomplished such an action. Revenge more often than not is a poison and I would rather not see it if possible.
(Pov end)
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Yo guys it's ya boi memes here dropping another chapter. This chapter is a bit longer than the others mostly do to the bit added at the end.
So this chapter was a bit weird I would say it had 3 total moods throughout it. At the beginning it had a very depressing mood when talking in depth about the scenery and effects of the Spartan-III project. Then it became a bit more comedic I wanted to try and make it more upbeat to move away from the more depressing connotations lurking in the back ground. Finally it became more philosophical at the end with Sam and Locke's conversation and the subsequent rant of Sam's ideology on revenge.
About the rant I know it might sound a bit cheesy, but I wanted the character to really show his mindset. Sam throughout this fic is practically going to be the only Spartan that shows emotion and utters more than a couple words in response to any question asked. That is why the stories name is "Be human" it not only pays homage to Halo Legends but also tells you what Sam will strive to be.
He will be human. As simple as, he won't allow himself to give up and accept his role as a cog in the machine of war. He will fight to simply stay the way he is or at least as much as he can be when he is later on a hulking super soldier.
Anyway this section of the story probably only has a few more chapters before we move on to the first real arc and I think everyone will enjoy it. There won't be a double chapter today because I kinda need to stockpile a couple chapters because I have tests this week and don't know how much free time I actually will be able to write, but I compensated with a XL chapter so be happy!
That's about it so have a wonderful day dear reader and I will See You Starside.
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