EliteCommander

The Cradle

Vreta was not chatting and cheering as was most of the crowd. In fact, he was rather firmly silent. Despite all his training and mental fortitude, the magnitude of this potential revelation was enough to coax some visible reaction out of him, even if it was just a few seconds of a wide-eyed stare with his mouth slightly agape.

It did not take long for Vreta to compose himself externally, though he still did not give much attention to the others in the room. He became stony-faced and remained silent, not even giving a reply to Agent 595 before he calmly moved to the console and began checking and re-checking both the data and the signatures they had been looking for.

When the chattering between Freyr’s team started to soften, Vreta spoke with a strange, unemotional calm to his voice. “I would hesitate to celebrate so quickly. These results still need to be checked, and other explanations eliminated. I am noticing that your methodology for extrapolating our evolutionary history does involve some guesswork to bridge some gaps. Well-educated guesswork, granted, but there is some room for uncertainty. I will make sure to get you more comprehensive data on our genetic history so the test can be run under more ideal conditions. I suggest you keep testing and examining any potential source of error. If this is a conclusion that is going to be presented…we need to make sure it is undeniable. I believe I shall go…take some time to think. Perhaps finish editing those pamphlets. Though before I do…”

Vreta let out a sigh, then looked up from the console towards Freyr. “This test you just performed on my genetic code, this search for Cradle signatures…has it ever been performed on Human DNA?”

Halo: Aegis Team

Vael 'Virisusai

---

Where as the rebels had been surrounding the phantom’s crash site, now they were routed. Many of the Brutes that had been among them were dead, and the Humans that remained were without cover and did not have armor that could last against the weapons arrayed against them from multiple angles.

There were many among the Sangheili who doubted what the strongest of Humanity’s warriors could do. The Spartans were rare, minuscule in number compared to the Sangheili, so most had never seen them in person. For Vael, though, he had known the truth for many years, and now, those serving under him had experienced the truth as well. From the moment they had landed, their foes had been picked apart with haste. Not just the weakly armored Humans, but Jiralhanae warriors were cut down almost as quickly. That was not to say that neither Vael nor those serving under him were fighting effectively, but the roof of the structure would not have been cleared so efficiently without the team of Spartans. The constant sounds of gunfire was like music filling the air, and Vael had to call upon all of his skill just to keep to their bloody tempo.

As fast as he could, Vael fired his carbine at scattered rebels. One, perhaps two shots for each, but he did not have time to shoot many, as the Spartans were doing the same. Vael did not have a quick enough way of dealing with the Brute captain, but fortunately, he did not need to. A round from Aviza’s sniper rifle cut through his shields and his head thereafter in one, clean shot. The momentum was strongly in their favor, with the remaining rebels sprinting down the ramp to retreat down into the structure. Vael sprinted around the side of the tower to try and cut down the stragglers, but the explosion above grabbed his attention. A banshee flying past had taken a shot at Spartan Aviza, and it seemed like it had found its mark. She hit the ground fast and hard near the downed dropship. A Spartan she might be, but a fuel rod blast was still enough to threaten her. Vael allowed the remaining rebels to retreat, instead rushing over to determine Aviza’s condition.

The Cradle

Vreta could easily along with what Freyr was suggesting, though he had a hard time accepting it as anything more than a fantasy. For it to be true would upend their concept of the history of life on their planet. A planet that, as of right now, still did not show any evidence for the presence of intelligent life before themselves. Of course, if there was something related to the Cradle on Rothia, then that alone would rewrite their history.

“That is…well I can’t say that I can outright deny it as a possibility, but for that to be true would require our species to have been manipulated, maybe even formed, by an ancient species that left no trace of themselves on our planet. Our DNA has been thoroughly sequenced and explored, as has the DNA of nearly every living thing on our planet. We have never found anything we would identify as coordinates. Something like that would almost certainly have to be found in junk DNA, as it is highly unlikely that a set of spacial coordinates would just so happen to code for a useful protein. But even our junk DNA has been explored thoroughly. The only way I would imagine that being possible is if the Cradle’s software used a notation for coordinates that would be unfamiliar to us. My people, of course, have not been allowed direct access to Cradle software before, so I would not know how its notations for programming and mathematics would differ.” Vreta admitted.

The Cradle

Vreta had quick access to all of his own records, so it was a simple matter for him to forward his genetic records to the lab on their way through the ship’s halls. They outlined the changes made to his genetic code and included the original sequences, so it would be trivial for them to simply substitute in the originals for the observed sequences.

Though it felt primitive to him, the Human process for sequencing his DNA was at least not too slow, from his understanding. They would have their results soon enough to follow through with Freyr’s train of thought. Though, her explanation did give him pause as he tried to work out where she was going with this line of inquiry. When he approached the console with her, it was with a questioning expression on his face. “That is an interesting question, though…I am not sure how my genetic code will help. I could imagine this being a combination of both scenarios. It may have gained information from me in order to identify me, but there is nothing on my person or in my genetic code that would give it the location of my people’s homeworld. Unless…there was two-way communication with some object on Rothia? Is that what you are getting at? That perhaps the Cradle observed me, and an object on Rothia identified what I was?”

The Cradle

Freyr question was surprising and sudden, though given the context of the conversation, Vreta would not actually consider it strange. If he was right about where he thought Freyr was going with this, it did actually make sense. “I don’t think there would be anything preventing me from helping you with that. I would need to give you my history of genetic modification if you want to learn anything useful from it, but that should be fine. Our technology for how we perform genetic modification is secret, not the actual results.”

Vreta took a moment to look around the room. It was not terribly crowded, but from the people he could see, Freyr did have a noticeably different demeanor from most of the other Humans around them. He had a feeling she was not relaxing quite as effectively as they were, as long as he was correctly interpreting her body language, which, admittedly, was not a guarantee. “Is this something you want to do right away, or can you afford to take some time for yourself without fixating on your work? You do seem stressed.” He said, showing some apparent concern.

The Cradle

Vreta tilted his head curiously. Her words had started him thinking about potential precautions they might need to take to protect from any potential dangers they might find, but her last question caught him off-guard and derailed his thoughts. “Our evolution? We have a reasonably complete fossil record. I would not say there is anything exceptional about it, at least to our knowledge. Though, I’m no paleontologist. If my memory from the last time I went through a university serves me well, I think modern Rothians evolved relatively quickly after life became established on our planet, compared to most other intelligent species out there. That is to say, our planet has been through less cycles of extinction before our people arose, compared to your world.” He answered.

Seeing as Freyr did not seem willing to go any farther out into the pool, Vreta sat himself down in the water alongside her. “Why do you ask? Is my answer helpful, or is there something more specific you want to know?”

The Cradle

Briefly, Vreta observed the nearby Human males. They wore considerably less than Humans usually did, though he did not pretend to understand their social norms for when that was or was not acceptable. Modesty was a Human concept he knew of, but it was still alien to him.

Vreta submerged himself under the water for a few moments, though he made sure his implants modulated the sound waves from Freyr’s voice so he could continue to make out her words from underwater. He emerged somewhat deeper than he had been, though he replied to her without skipping a beat. “Not at all. Our society under the Rahn’Saki have accepted such surveillance since widespread video recording became practical. It has only grown more robust ever since. I personally have never known anything different. I…suppose I might be able to imagine how one who is not accustomed to it might be unsettled, but the benefits are immense. Our safety is all but guaranteed, every transaction guaranteed. You can be assured that any contract can be enforced, even if it is just verbal. Unlike on Outremer, where you have to get everything in writing.”

Standing up straight out of the water, Vreta approached Freyr once more. “Perhaps you are worried about making mistakes accidentally while under surveillance? I seem to recall that being a common worry among visitors. You can rest assured that, especially for outsiders, automated law enforcement is programmed with that concern in mind. For minor crimes, and commonly broken rules that may not be obvious, they will give warnings at first. You can even link your implants to the city network to receive alerts if it appears that you are about to do something against the law. Tourists rarely actually get into any real trouble. Do you think that might calm some worries for your team?”

The Cradle

Vreta took a moment to lower himself deeper into the water. Being that it was already a comfortable temperature, he did not require much adjustment. “What are ‘shorts’? Sorry, you’ll have to forgive me, I’m not too familiar with your clothing customs, so I may not be of much help in that regard. As for the radiation treatment, if you are confident that your labs can perfectly reproduce the treatment, you can choose that option. However, for liability concerns, anyone who does not receive the official treatment will still have to sign a rather extensive waiver. Or…we could just give the official treatment to Human doctors to administer. That would be permissible.”

By this point, Vreta was about waist-deep in the water. His tail, by itself, was still buoyant, so it naturally wanted to float on the surface. As for the matter of discussion, he did feel that the physical concerns of the crew were the most obvious, but he was sure their leaders had already prepared to take care of their crew. It would be more important for Vreta to spend time addressing cultural and behavioral issues. “Honestly, I do think the ship’s crew will be well-prepared to ensure their physical health. If I was the captain, it would be my first priority going into this. For your team, though, you will be working much more closely with us than the soldiers will. I do want to make sure you and your people are comfortable with that. I think I want to emphasize in the pamphlet that they will be safe on Rothia. Crime, well…crime has not been erased, no matter what some Rothians might want to claim, but it is exceptionally rare. Not just in terms of violent acts, but unresolved cases of fraud, robbery, and other forms of crime against tourists are in the single digits across decades. People and transactions are simply watched too closely for it to go unnoticed. However, there are visitors to our world that take exception to that surveillance itself. There is no point, in any Rothian ship, city, or town, where you will not be watched. That is simply how we live our lives, and I do hope to convey that it will keep your people safe just as much as ours.”

The Cradle

“Well, I didn’t say I was ‘worried’, exactly.” Vreta remarked as he stepped out further into the water. He first moved up next to her, then walked out a bit farther into the water until it came up above his knees. The depth grew at an increasing rate the farther out he walked, but it did not look like it ever became deeper than his own height.

“One moment. I’ll send you the unedited pamphlet.” Vreta answered, sending the file to her with but a thought. “The first thing that your team will need to get accustomed to is the planet itself, naturally. As I mentioned before, it is a warm planet. Nothing dangerous for your species, but from my understanding of your biology, you will probably end up frequently perspiring. There is also the matter of radiation, as Rothia receives much higher doses than Outremer. Fortunately, I think your team, being scientists, will understand the need for preventative treatment. Some visitors to our world are resistant to the idea of mandatory medical treatments.”

The Cradle

Vreta canceled the simulation he had queued in the firing range once Freyr decided to move on. Target shooting was a nice diversion, but he did need to get some work done for the day, at any rate. The agent seemed like she would be staying regardless, so he bade her farewell as Freyr did, then followed her lead out of the combat simulator.

---

Vreta had come into this room the previous evening, though it had been late enough that it was even less crowded than it was now, and he had only stayed for a short time. Perhaps now, he would get to relax in the heat for a bit longer. He did not seem to have quite as much energy as Freyr, as he was slower to step out onto the sand and take in his surroundings. There was at least a thin layer of genuine sand under his feet, collecting between his toes; not enough to become disruptive or annoying, but enough to help sell the illusion. The sky was, obviously, simulated, but it was a convincing one. The heat even felt like it was coming properly from the star shining down on them from above, which was always a pleasant feeling on his scales. These aspects of the simulation were indistinguishable from reality, so for all intents and purposes, its quality was equal to what one could find on Rothia.

“The sky might look a bit different, but this pleasant heat certainly reminds me of home.” Vreta commented as Freyr left behind some of her clothing to wade out into the water. It had primarily been the heat he had wanted to enjoy, but he did not mind water as well. He just had his belt to remove, which had a few pouches and, for this outing, an integrated personal shield unit. The shield emitter was waterproof, but he did not feel that he was in enough danger to warrant wearing it at all times.

Vreta tested the water slowly at first with his feet, then waded out alongside Freyr once he felt that the water was sufficiently warm. “I am…mostly comfortable with water. My scales are waterproof, so it is comfortable as long as it is warm.” He said, though he soon gave something of an embarrassed grin and rubbed the back of his neck. “Although, I will say I, um…can’t actually swim. Not anymore. It’s the metal skeleton. I’m not, uh, buoyant, really. In fact, I sink like a rock. My lungs do allow me to hold my breath for quite a long time, though, so if I ever need to cross a lake, or something, I suppose I could just walk along the bottom.” He chuckled.