The Unnamed, Unsung Hero

Erika was sleeping, and I of course was outside. The night was cool, and the breeze made it relaxing. I vaguely remembered when I was dragged here by ONI, this is the exact spot where they wanted us to lay, and pick out the undesirables. I was typing in battle maneuvers into my issued data pad on my left forearm.

“Is there anything specific you would want me to search One, I would be happy to do it.” My AI, Hex said in her voice.

“Honestly, I just want to know my real name.” I told her.

“I’m not really allowed to show signs of emotion, but I feel sad. I could be able to trace you to your family roots.” She said like it was any old sentence. It took me about a minute to decode her meaning.

“So you would have a D.N.A. sample of me and trace it?” I asked, more intrigued in anything. I felt a little prick in my finger, and then a mechanical sound.

“Your roots shall be found in about two weeks. The only reason why so long is there are over ten-billion humans in all of our explored galaxies.”

“Thanks Hex.” I lay back on the grass, the wind whipping through my hair. Thoughts rushed into my head like a flood. Remembering all of my drops, thinking one day, I would be a real Spartan III. Being dispatched into area that really no ODST would have clearance for. I heard footsteps in the thick grass nearing me. I knew it wasn’t anything; the base was a remote place where not even a worm could get through without a full check.

“Eh One.” My lead officer greeted as he lit a cigar, and leaned himself on a tree.

“Hey General. Sorry I’m out to late. I just ne---.” He interrupted me,

“Its fine.” He puffed, releasing toxins into the night air, somewhere possibly killing an animal.

“I know your whole life is basically a blur up until the age of nine.” He read my mind.

“How’d you know that sir?” I questioned, waiting for an answer.

“I was the one who was in charge of you when ONI took you in. They took you because they thought you had great potential.” He informed, taking one more puff on his cigar. “What
grade are you now for an ODST like yourself?” He asked, not know that ODSTs had ranks.

“We don’t have ranks sir.” I answered. “I was just thinking what it would be like to be a real Spartan III. Their life is so much more action packed than ours.” I said, sighing with every word.

“Well, you just may have a shot at that kid.” He said, trying to hold a smile from his face.

“What do you mean sir?” I asked, picking myself up off the grass. I turned around to look at him. He was wearing standard UNSC soldier armor--- green armor, a helmet with an interior data pad, and a Magnum at his left thigh.

“Two of our field Spartans are--- well --- MIA.”

“Are they dead?” I asked, trying to not get too involved with this.

“Spartans never die One. They’re just missing in action--- always missing in action.” He said.

“So what’s the mission?” I said as I rose from the ground.

“Predator squad heads into hostile territory on a reconnaissance mission. Standard issue sniper rifles, ‘nd an Assault Rifle. We need eyes in that canyon. Our field teams have lost comms. They’ve been out for at least two weeks. We need you and Erika to go see what’s up.” This was my chance.

“Predator squad graciously accepts the mission. What will our call signs be?” I asked, brushing the dirt from my armor.

“Apex One and Apex Two.” He answered. “Report time is at Oh Five Hundred. Ops base. Goodnight One.”

“Have a good one sir.” I said, and walked back to my dorm, where Erika was still sleeping. I went into the bathroom, and pressed a button that gave off all the armor. As the chunks of metal and other materials came off, I wondered what our armor would look like. The armor remover created a large amount of large noises, waking Erika. She strolled into the small bathroom, and saw me brushing my teeth, in my shorts and tank top.

“Did you just get inside?” She asked removing the yellow crust that was in her eyes.

“Yes,” I said, with the brush in my teeth, it made my pronunciation of Yes become Gus. I spit the paste out of my mouth, and gargled mouthwash. “We have a big day ahead of us. Get some sleep.” I said, motioning her to get into her small cot. I brushed my scraggly yellow hair.

“What’s up?” She asked, leaning herself up against the sink, then walking over to the
hamper to throw our clothes in the washer.

“General is considering us being Spartan IIIs, forever. We have our intro mission tomorrow at five a.m.”

“But I wanted to watch cartoons!” She joked; after all, it was almost twenty-six hundred, basically early Saturday morning.

“Oh well. Ha!” I said. I shut off the light, and walked into our main room, and flopped on the couch. I grabbed a blanket, and attempted to fall asleep. Erika jumped on me, and took her comforter with her. She looked at me. Those same eyes I came to love back when I was thirteen. Now, I’m nineteen, and I still come to love them. We laughed, and she nested herself on my arm, almost asleep.

“One, ya’ wanna’ know somethin’?” She asked, a yawn tied into that sentence.

“What?” I replied, looking at the ceiling.

“I think I am in love with you.” I smiled on the inside and outside.

“Me too.”