Date: 06/20/2525

Planet: Reach

Location: Aboard a Pelican Dropship. In transit to Reach FLEETCOM Military Complex.

It had been an hour since they left the spaceport. As soon as they landed they were escorted from Halsey’s ship and into a Pelican dropship. Before leaving the spaceport Halsey’s escort was sent to a different location, replaced by three heavily armed marines. Besides staring at them like hawks; they didn’t bother the Spencers for the most part. Amaranth sat beside Amy and Jon in the Pelican’s Cargo. The soft hum and gentle vibration from the Pelican’s engines radiated from her seat to her body. Nightstalker covered Amaranth’s torso and hands disguised as a hooded jacket and a pair of gloves.

Amy sat by Jon keeping one hand on her stomach while keeping the other on Jon’s hand. Every few minutes she looked at Amaranth with a forced smile. It was clear she was barely holding herself together. She maintained as much of a strong face as she could for her family. Jon was mostly silent throughout the trip, sitting with his back straight and steadfast with an air of dignity and strength much like the three marine escorts sitting across from them. He gave Amy and Amaranth comforting gestures and words every so often. Amaranth had never seen this side of him before in person, only in pictures of him in full uniform. Seeing him like this was inspiring and comforting. Halsey spent most of the trip in the cockpit leaving them with her guards.

Amaranth tapped ‘gloved’ fingers on her knees. She was still on edge though, and ready to pounce at the first sign of trouble. They couldn’t run or hide, ONI and Nightstalker’s captives would just track them down. Halsey said she wanted to help, but Amaranth didn’t believe her. Unfortunately, they had no choice. She frowned and gritted her teeth. There was this mounting pressure in her head that had been building up ever since they landed. It wasn’t unpleasant, just weird, and somehow familiar. She had felt it before on that day- the day she met Daisy. She was on the planet and they were heading towards her. Maybe Halsey was being true to her word after all.

‘Penny for your thoughts?’ asked Nightstalkers.

‘You know what’s wrong.’ retorted Amaranth.

‘I know, but talking about it might help you. Well, at least a little.’ argued Nightstalker.

Amaranth scoffed. ‘I doubt it, but fine. It's just that… I am afraid for Jon and Amy. That they will get hurt. I’m also afraid that once Amy and Jon accept the truth-”

‘That they will reject you as their daughter.’ finished Nightstalker. ‘Amaranth-’

‘I mean, I wouldn’t blame them.’ Amaranth let out a mirthless chuckle. ‘They aren’t my parents and I’m not their daughter. I’m just an imposter, a squatter, and a thief. I’m just some defective thing grown in a test-tube-’

‘Enough!’ Amaranth flinched at Nightstalker’s yell. ‘Amaranth, they’re your parents and you know they are better than that. They will love you no matter your origins; you should know this. And you’re not some defective clone. You’re Amaranth the young girl who despite everything, would selflessly give up her life to protect the ones she loves.’

‘Nightstalker…. I just don’t know.’

‘Amaranth, everything is going to be alright. I promised to protect you and your family and-’

‘You always keep your promises. Thank you, Nightstalker.’ said Amaranth. She looked towards Amy and Jon. She needed to tell them something before they learned the truth.

“Amy, Jon,” started Amaranth.

Jon and Amy turned their attention to Amaranth. Amy placed a comforting hand on hers. “Daisy, what’s wrong?” asked Amy.

“I just want to tell you-” Amaranth choked slightly. “That no matter what you think of me by the end of the day or sooner. You were... are the greatest parents a daughter could ask for. And that I love you and I hope you two can say the same.” she choked out.

Amy looked at Amaranth lightly squeezing her hand. “Daisy, why are you talking like this? Can you tell us something? Help us understand?” she begged.

“Please, Daisy, tell us. We are willing to listen to any explanation with no interruptions,” added Jon.

“Amaranth,” started Amaranth. “I prefer to be called Amaranth.”

“What? The name we were initially going to give you? Why-” asked Amy before being stopped by Jon shaking his head.Jon looked at Amaranth.

“Continue.” he encouraged.

Amaranth took a glance at the guards who were doing nothing but staring, then looked back at Daisy’s parents. She took a deep breath. “I told you before, I’m not your daughter. Your real daughter was kidnapped at six years old for something called the Spartan Program. I’m just a clone made to replace her. Complete with her memories up to that point, and defective genes that would ensure an early death. Tying up all loose ends in a nice package.” she looked at Amy and Jon. Jon shook his head slowly, his mouth agape and staring at her like she grew five heads blinking very slowly. Amy had the same expression except she opened and closed her mouth a few times as if trying to speak, but letting out only a few stammers. Their expressions said it all Amaranth breathed out of her noise. “Of course you don’t believe me; why would you?” she stated.

Amy stammered a few times before crying out. “Of course, what you’re saying is crazy! How did you even come up with such a story!”.

“Because a month ago on the day of the meteor shower-” Amaranth lowered her head. “I met Daisy and discovered I’m a clone. She tried to return home but I was there, and that monster Halsey dragged her back. Then there are the dreams that have plagued me since I was little. Dreams that were actually Daisy’s memories during her time in the Spartan program,” she lifted her head, holding back tears. “I know you don’t believe me, but that’s the truth,” she finished.

The cockpit’s door suddenly opened, drawing everyone’s attention, and out came the monster herself. “Speak of the devil,” muttered Amaranth.

Dr. Halsey adjusted her glasses. “We will be arriving at Reach’s FLEETCOM Military Complex shortly. When we arrive you three will be escorted to an office where all your questions will be answered.”

“We’re heading to the FLEETCOM Complex?” gasped Jon.

“Fleetcomm?” Amy asked Jon.

“It is one of the most secure and fortified military bases on Reach. It’s also home to Reach HIGHCOM and ONI research facilities. But why there?” wondered Jon.

“Destination in sight, eta 5 minutes. Prepare for landing.” said a female voice over the intercom.

“We can talk later; I suggest you brace yourself,” said Halsey as she sat down by the nearest guard, strapping herself in.

Roughly five minutes later Amaranth felt the Pelican descend; the inertia pushing her up as her seat straps tugged lightly against her shoulders. Amaranth slightly bounced in her seat from the sudden stop as the Pelican landed at its destination. The Pelican’s engines slowly went silent and its cargo bay door opened letting sunlight in, blinding Amaranth. After a few moments, Amaranth’s eyes adjusted to the sudden influx of light. The guards, already unstrapped from their seats and with guns in hand, led the Spencers and Halsey outside. The wind blew lightly, pulling at Amaranth’s hair, and the sun was high in the sky meaning likely it was noon or a little after.

Amaranth instinctively took in her surroundings. The first thing she noticed was that instead of landing on an airway they had landed on a helipad. There were almost identical rectangular buildings and airport hangars lined up in neat rows. A few open doors revealed military aircraft and personnel working inside. (Forklifts/small cars) delivered cargo and supplies to various destinations. She also took note of all threats and possible hiding spots. Amaranth’s scouting was interrupted by the sight of an olive green, heavily armored pickup truck with the UNSC symbol on its front passenger door. Amaranth recognized the vehicle; Jon had shown pictures of it from his time in the marines. It was called a Sandcat she believed.

The guards were dismissed and the group went inside the Sandcat with Amy, Jon, and Amaranth sitting in the back while Halsey sat in the front passenger seat. Once buckled the driver accelerated towards a destination unknown. The trip was quiet minus the sound of tires rolling on pavement and the hum of the engine. Amaranth watched as the rugged military green aircraft hangars and other utilitarian buildings were slowly replaced by open fields, barracks, and obstacle courses, then gunmetal grey buildings that radiated an aura of cold efficiency and purpose. Throughout the trip Amaranth felt the pressure in her head continue to build. They were getting closer to Daisy.

After some time the Sandcat stopped at their destination, and the pressure reached its peak. Amaranth looked out the window on Daisy’s parents’ side and saw an office building several stories high that wouldn’t be too out of place in a city. Waiting in front of the building were two armed guards led by a man that carried himself differently from the others. Amaranth focused on the leader, finding him very familiar. He wore an officer uniform lined with pockets and armor placed on vital areas. He was as tall as Jon, and he held himself with a sense of dignity and respect that automatically brought out admiration.

‘He must be an officer,’ she surmised

The group walked towards the Sandcat, the officer in the front walking with grace and purpose. Once they came to the truck the officer opened the front passenger door, helping Dr. Halsey out of her seat while the guards opened the back passenger doors then did the same for the Spencers. Amaranth was the last to get out and once out of the truck was able to get a better look at the officer. Stenciled on his chest was the name Mendez. he had black hair covered by an officer cap, stern brown eyes, a face so stoic that it might as well be made of stone and radiated a strength that would give anyone pause. Amaranth looked towards Jon and Amy. Jon held himself straight and stood at attention like in his old military photos, staying close to Amy his face betrayed no emotion. Amy maintained her composure the best she could and stood close to Amaranth, as if ready to protect her at a moment’s notice.

“Is everything ready for our guests?” asked Halsey.

Mendez nodded. “Yes, Ma’am,” he responded.

“Good,” said Halsey, heading towards the office building followed by Mendez.

The guards nudged the Spencers to move while following close behind. The building’s doors automatically slid open letting them into the lobby. They walked through the lobby passing by a security desk and heading straight for an elevator onto the other side. The elevator’s door opened and the group went inside. Halsey pressed a button on the panel by the door. After a few minutes, the elevator doors opened and they walked down the hall until they came upon a set of double doors at the end. Mendez took a keycard and slid it through the lock. The doors automatically opened and on the other side was an office that was sleek, clean and very spartan with only a desk with a holo-screen, lights running along the sides of the ceiling, and four chairs in front.

“Come take a seat. We have much to discuss,” invited Halsey as she went inside, followed by the rest of the group.

Halsey pulled a seat from behind the desk then sat while the Spencers took seats in front of the desk; Amy in the middle and Jon and Amaranth on either side of her. Mendez simply stood by Halsey at attention. “Have 023 come to my office,” she ordered.

‘023? Why does that sound familiar?’ wondered Amaranth.

The guards gave an acknowledgment and left the room. As soon as they left Nightstalker manifested as a face on the front of Amaranth’s ‘jacket’ like it was part of its design. Mendez, surprisingly, made no reaction. “Now I believe answers are owed.”

Halsey let out a deep breath. “You’re right, it’s time for a full explanation. I owe that much at least.”

“Yes you do, we want to know what hell is going on? How does my daughter know what she knows? And what is this Spartan program?!” Jon borderline yelled.

“And why is my daughter claiming she’s a clone? And how does she know your name?!” added Amy.

Halsey looked at her hands with an unreadable expression before looking back at them more stoically. “To answer your questions I must start from the beginning. What I am about to reveal to you is highly classified and the only reason I am telling you this is that you already know too much due to these unusual circumstances,” she explained, giving a side glance to Amaranth who despite the pit in her stomach, glanced back.

“Please, listen to what I have to say without interruption.” She took a moment to look at them before proceeding to explain, “as you properly know the outer colonies had been troublesome in relatively recent years with the continued rise of the militant aspects of the insurrection movement. Using the Carver findings as a base, projections showed that if the Insurrection wasn’t stopped and the outer colonies weren’t stabilized, preferably with force, then the Government would collapse and civil war would rip human society apart, sending humanity into another dark age. After running my own simulations the possible outcomes were even worse.” She turned her focus onto Jon. “In fact; you were deployed during Operation: TREBUCHET before being assigned back to Sargasso due to an injury, correct? You experienced first hand on how far these radicals are willing to go.”

Jon stiffened and his fist tightened as he got a distant look in his eyes. Amaranth had only seen Jon like this only once when she asked him about it for a history project. “Yes, I do,” he said evenly. “I- I have seen things. Things that I wouldn’t wish on anybody.”

Halsey nodded grimly. “Correct. So in response, the UNSC began many Operations and projects to stop this, the ORION Project being the most important piece. In short, the project was an attempt to make super soldiers. We took 65 volunteer test subjects from our most elite force, biochemical enhanced them, and put them through rigorous training. After completing their training and showing promising results, an additional 100 volunteers were accepted into the program. They were a roaring success and were deployed to take out key targets during 2496 Operation: CHARLEMAGNE, taking only one casualty. In response more ORION soldiers were created and deployed for Operation: TREBUCHET peaking at 300.”

Amy knitted her eyebrows together. “I don’t understand, what does any of this have to do with my daughter?”

“I am getting to it,” she reassured. “Operation: TREBUCHET showed the downsides of the project. The ORION soldiers became less and less effective as the Insurrection movement adapted and became more organized, and flaws in the project started to manifest. Many ORION candidates exhibited post-traumatic stress disorder or repressed insurgent sympathies; some in the latter category refused to participate in the program post-augmentation and were incarcerated.” Halsey let out a tired sigh. “Then side-effects of the augmentations became severe. This caused irreversible genetic fragmentation and degenerative conditions in many of the older ORION personnel, including physical and mental illnesses. In 2506 the Project was shut down by the high brass and 5 years later I was recruited to start a new version of the ORION project renamed the-”

“The Spartan program.” surmised Amaranth.

Halsey nodded and her posture changed. Her shoulders slumped slightly and her eyes became downcast. “Yes, it was originally called ORION 2, but I wanted to distance it from the failures of ORION 1, so I renamed it Spartan 2.” Halsey swallowed as if preparing herself. “After studying the data from the ORION project I came to the conclusion that the failures were the result of the candidates being too old and having too many…. troublesome beliefs and sympathies. For the program to succeed I needed candidates that fit into a certain age range. They also had to possess superior physical and mental attributes. The trainees had to be able to be instilled with military value, and the understanding of war; something that cannot be taught to enlisted soldiers.”

Jon leaned forward. “Wait, are you saying…?” gasped Jon.

Halsey’s shoulder slumped even further. “Yes, 75 children, all-around six years old and of both sexes, were kidnapped. In order to preserve the program's secrecy, the children were replaced by flash clones implanted with the original’s memories, which would die within the year due to numerous medical complications associated with flash-cloning an entire human being. Or that was the plan, but six lived far longer than expected with one becoming fully healthy.” Halsey made eye contact with Amy and Jon. “Your daughter is part of that 75,” stated Halsey before pausing to let the information sink in.

Amy and Jon just stared at Halsey frozen. Amy was the first to react, jumping up and shaking her head. “No…. NO! This is crazy! You’re lying! I would know if my daughter was replaced.” She turned towards Jon, “She must be lying!”

Jon was dead silent, and his eyes were glazed over. He then suddenly got up and hugged Amy comforting her. “Amy, I-I don’t want to believe it, but think about it. Her disappearance and sudden reappearance, the sudden sickness after the kidnapping. And before the kidnapping, our daughter was a bit of a troublemaker, but when we got her back she was the most well-behaved child. It was almost like she was a different person. Maybe she’s-”

Amy shook her head. “NO! NO! NO! It can’t be! It just can’t!” she sobbed into his chest.

Amaranth was a maelstrom of emotions at the moment. To the point she didn’t hear anything nor notice the pressure in her head growing. Her body trembled and her fists clenched threatening to draw blood. Out of the things Halsey said, she couldn’t help but focus on one aspect: 75 children mean 75 clones. That was the answer to the question she’d wondered since Joseph’s death. 75 clones like her and Joseph, clones that didn’t make it past a year. And to make matters worse, she and five others were the lucky ones of the group. Amaranth then imagined those clones dying in their beds as their parents despaired, doing everything to save them. Then a memory of Joseph’s mother crying for her dying son and of Amy crying outside her room when she thought Amaranth was asleep. Her nostrils flared as her breathing became rapid and tears fell down her face. A part of her hoped that she and the other clone’s sickness were an unintended byproduct of the plan, but no, it was the plan!

Amaranth at that moment wanted to let it all of it out, and tear everything apart. She wanted to rip Halsey and whoever else was involved apart. She wanted every single one of them to feel her rage and sorrow. Didn’t she know how much pain she caused? To know what it was like to wake up one day to find out everything you knew was a lie?!

‘Amaranth, I understand how you feel, but please avoid doing anything rash. They need you.’ reasoned Nightstalker.

‘I know,’ Amaranth got up from her seat and looked at the monster before her straight in the eyes. “They know, so where is Daisy?! And don’t try to lie, I know she’s here!”

‘Doctor, I am sorry to interrupt, but 023 is at the door.’ informed a voice coming from an intercom.

“Let her in, Déjà.” ordered Halsey.

‘Yes, doctor, At that moment the doors opened grabbing everyone’s attention, and who came through silenced everyone.

It was a young woman with short blond hair and blue eyes wearing olive military cargo pants and a black shirt with black combat boots. It was Daisy, and she had changed a lot. She was as tall as Jon - maybe an inch or two taller - with a muscular physique that would put most guys to shame. Amaranth could see faint scars on her arms too precise to be from an accident. What did they do to her?

Daisy stood her with wide eyes and mouth agape. After a few moments she gasped, “Mom? Dad?” her eyes then landed on Amaranth and Nightstalker and she gasped. “You.” the pressure in Amaranth's head reached its peak..Halsey got up from her desk and walked towards the door.

“I will give you some time to talk. Then we have other matters to discuss,” she said. Mendez joined her, giving the Spencers their much-needed privacy.

The door closed then locked behind them. Halsey let out a sigh and pinched the bridge of her nose. “Mendez, give me your honest opinion. Did I do the right thing? They knew more than enough that knowing about what happened to their daughter wouldn’t make a difference with ONI, but was it right for me to place this burden of truth on them? Especially if the main reason was to alleviate my guilt a little.”

“Doctor, I believe you did the best course of action given the situation. It’s better to tell the ugly truth rather than a comforting lie. The only thing I am worried about is how it will affect 023 if your plan doesn’t work.” Mendez answered, his face betraying no emotion.

Halsey lifted her head. “Thank you, Mendez.” She then looked down thoughtfully. “Mendez, the Spartans are ahead of schedule with their training, correct?”

Mendez nodded. “Yes, Doctor, most of the trainees have adjusted to their new bodies, and their performance is better than expected.”

“Do you think we can afford to give a couple of days of free time,” asked Halsey.

“Considering current circumstances, I believe so,” answered Mendez.

Halsey nodded and walked down the hall. “Make the arrangement as soon as possible and have temporary quarters set up for our guests. And if Daisy wishes it she can sleep with her family for the next couple of days.”

“Yes, Ma’am,” answered Mendez as he followed Halsey.

Halsey let out a tired sigh. ‘Now, I have to send a report to Stanford then wait for his response.’ she thought heading towards the elevator. She had a lot of explaining to do and favors to pull.