Ch. 9 The Omega

Disclaimer: What a shock, I don't own the HALO franchise or Inception. No, I'm serious, if you ever believed for a single moment, then I guess you're too convinced that fans could own their inspirations.

A/N: I suddenly realized that they were a hand full of characters that I kind of forgotten along the way. I had to look back on so I can successfully give it semi-closure as it closes on the 1st Act. Having them woven together in the end to mean something. In case you were wondering, the reason I put "..." instead of the traditional ruler is to indicate it's the same scene but there was something in between that got 'edited' out. Do I know what was in-between? Honestly, no. Just deliberately say there is more than what I could think of.

I do have one question over what's baffling me. The void of reception. Where is it?

I'm glad to get brief spikes in my hits for a few days, but reviews are more precious than any. Where are they? Don't people think this crossover idea is good enough to just acknowledge it with a simple 'smart idea' in a review? This is not just seeing fandom happen "What if this world met the HALO world?" but putting a high-concept idea that could plausibly be a part of the HALO universe.

After months of gathering men and equipment and weeks of organizing, solidifying the plan as close as we can, given how little we know for sure of the alien minds and whatever plan they have themselves, we see now that we're closer than ever to have this job be the one that will end all wars.

I, Frederick, feel a internal sense of momentum build up inside the team as a whole. Ready to release this one shot at the Covenant that could defy them.

Speaking of release, it feels good to let out your secrets. It's to often that you try to predict a response and think it not necessary. Either you know it already by your subconscious lecturing itself. "If you do this mission, rid of their evil intentions, it'll be as if riding hers." Is what I predict Ann would say in these circumstances. I've spent years on own with this. What can she conjure up that I haven't?

But the mere interaction, just to say aloud in the presence of another being honestly was wondrous. I'm willing to have all my secret chatter with Ann. Never should one fight for humanity as if it's only his own, everyone needs everyone.

I'm ready.

I look outside through the now open sight-seeing window panes, finally opened after the long trip through slip-space. Hard to believe this is in fact the shortest-cut we can take. Comparing to traveling in real space is frightfully daunting traveling from between specks of dust in the infinite void.

To finally come at last to the next planet, actually quite comforting to be next to a big object than in the midst of emptiness, and to see those stars.

Then a question came into mind. How do we come within range without detection?

I took that exact question to the deck the next minute after.

"How do we come within range without detection?" Eyes glanced at Tony. Is he in control or is the captain? I assume the captain, though the AI Ariadne controls all functions and is with Tony. He just brought us together and gave us a goal was the most he did, only thing he has next to do is keep his end of the bargain. That is if we make it out.

"It'll all come up in a second. See that asteroid belt? Well go stone-cold, turning off 93 percent of the power and float over the spot." This mission would take about half a day, so the remaining crew won't be cold for too long. "Well stay in the outer reaches."

...

Entering with the flow of the revolving belt, we slung around, gradually blending our movement from thrust to floating.

Orbiting the perfect sphere, I see another.

A large mountain? No, a dome. It doesn't possible that such a perfect shape would be geographical mountain. Unless it's made by somebody with the fantastic capabilities, like a Forerunner...or a Precursor.

Wait a minute, that didn't show up in satellite photos. Well that was soon after take-off which was few weeks ago, and they photographed the planet nearly a year ago.

More suspicions rise when I see that it actually had streams of blue lights coming around it. Not naturally made, I can say to that. We have come past the circumference and suddenly it recedes to a cone, a base of a mushroom. Now I remember, from Harvest. She came from there...

High Charity.

"Think about it, there are probably as many 500 million inhabiting that thing alone." Aurthur-I491

"And there's a reported estimate of 100 million down on the surface with the High Council." Eames-I528 said. "So where would our dreams take place?"

"Talking about numbers? About the occupation force and invasion force?" AI Ariadne joined in. "There will be 50 of us launching the assualt. Usually you'd wish that the small number would be warships to combat the countless infantry, but sadly it's not the case, just person-against-person combat. So if we times that by the 10 dreams we'll put the 200 targets in before we start selecting. We could deal with 5 billion projections alone on the first level alone."

Aurthur giving a nervous smile. "Nothing has been quite like that."

50 men versus a security force of 5 billion; that has got to be the worst odds ever given for a tactical engagement in real life. For the dream is real.

I take a look at the surface as well. A lot of activity. Looks to me that those estimated 100 million have been busy, seeing seven new objects standing reconstructed.

The entire infiltration team has gathered into the main haul. I think the idea is to try to muffle this concentration of energy as much as possible. It's going to be a bit of a burst to reach that far and to put to sleep deep enough. Wonder if it's going to be big enough to catch their attention or take it as some combustive impact from two colliding asteroids.

Not since the beginning have I with such intent looked at the faces and their characters. All corners of the mankind's reach in the galaxy, coming from ethnic groups as young as the colonies or as old as human history on Earth, all with one objective. Ages 15 youngest to 64. Still haven't met the squirt or the veteran to know them. I see them now as I seen them then, wondering if their up to the job.

"The form and strength that we are adjusted to will not go away, so don't do anything extra laboring to give it away." Cobb reminds them again. Never break the illusion, especially in front of 5 billion projections.

Exchangers. We could make it anybody, but seeing that our involvement in this it's best we keep it all as consistent as possible.

"Speaking of timing, we got to pin-point when to do it. I suggest we do it after their ceremony and do it when they sleep, so our penetration making them fall into a coma wouldn't look suspicious."

With last-minute-most-vital-information, I knew exactly when. "Do it when they turn it on. Since we are defying them by changing their views of the Forerunners, it would be a plus if we do it in front of everybody. Wouldn't a coma and sudden awakening appear to be a sign, an act of divine intervention?"

"So instead of having the tradition one going under per level, we could do multiple, right?" Karl asked.

"Yes, it'd be better than separate dreams for each, be more of a hassle on the exchanges."

"Can it work if go down different mind, say a prophet and elite?"

Haven't we gone over this already? Doesn't he know this? "Yes." I clarified.

"Having all these dream boxes around, is there a probablity that they may be found by the projections?"

Oh, dear haven't thought about that. "I don't think a projection's nature is about the other layers of dream but it's own. Since it can't access there anyway, it just do it's job here. But I see where you are going, that they could destroy them still."

I feel dirty all of sudden talking of this. I shared this with others and not feel the same, though he hasn't been the same. What has gotten over his head? He started being total repellent of the idea of working for the other side, now just is fine with it. Never has he been calm until he got things his way. "I figured he especially has loyalties beyond just his profession." I thank Tony for saying that from the beginning.

We have the bunks brought into the main haul. All neatly placed to form a circle to have all 50 in our party hooked up within a 30 foot radius. You would know the modifications would make it an even bigger Dream Machine, thanks to Yohan and Sid.

"What has Cobb decided for you two to be?"

"What do you think? A scientist."

"I figured we go in as twins." Sid added.

"Well it seems a bit un-stereotypical for a warrior culture to have it's geniuses than it's knights."

"Generalizations are kind of correct and easy but is not the whole spectrum. You can try to round up words say like...love into a simple definition by that ain't all that love is." Yohan explains. Funny out of all words he choosed 'love.'

"Twins are just going to make all the more unlikely. Don't you think that exceptional group, even more divergent by twins, is going to make you the center of attention."

Sid spoke for Yohan. "Putting us in their labs and research center, figuring out how much they know about these Forerunners and about us further." I was about to say a word till he continues. "We know that even their access is limited, total control lies in the hands of the Prophets, but their amount of control expresses their paranoia, therefore we can articulate inception more accurate than ever."

Amazing by how they were antagonized that one is the brilliant chemist compared to the other. This could work, even if we counter them face-to-face sounds good.

...

Some attractive woman from the Bridge, approaches to me specifically. Leading Communications Officer, whom I swear is being sick of being nicknamed Uhura, not getting the joke.

"Sir, before you go. I need to tell you, there's someone extra they're bringing in."

"Don't worry. The Councilors and the Prophets will have the Honor Gaurd, but we are not gonna put them under."

"They brought another for…a demonstration of sorts. I thought it'd be necessary to mention her as being part of the scheme."

Demonstration? I never figured they bring a subject for a demonstration. They know exactly what they plan to do. Although the populace of the Covenant is always shrouded from a lot sensitive convictions and dogmas, they must be acting like it is something else.

"Alright I'll see."

Her!

"What's it for?"

"The Prophets are mentioning this individual is a mental case unlike any other and this relic is going to cleanse her mind from what the humans did."

She's being dragged around, put up in front of thousands. Should I feel sorry, like back in the time we weirdly tried to become acquainted with each other on Reach? Should I feel avenged, that once the hierarchies announced our fate she blindly followed and forgets everything?

She was my love in the short time we had, later my enemy, now their enemy. Do I do this in hopes of riding her manifestation or now do I save her? Why save her? Was that really love, or just the thrill of interacting sentience in a different form, in those few weeks between contact and war?

"Ladies and Gentlemen, beings of humanity..." Tony pauses. "Alright saying 'beings of humanity' made it cheesy. I don't like taking things serious and make it melodrama, but it's true, we are all here; just a hand full of people trekking the most perilous territory, infiltrating through infinite minds filled with countless occupants, to save billions. Impossible to win it sounds, we probably know all along." Gazes at Frederick. "But we must try everything when we will lose everything if we don't."

I'm hardly paying attention to this but discussing with Ann that she's back and she'll be in with us.

Tony continues. "The Covenant call this operation OMEGA, Latin for 'end.' We'll make this an end, alright."

All of us lay on our circle-formatted beds. None of us need any bags, supplies, weapons or armor. We just fall asleep and *poof* it'll all be there.

"You know you don't need your armor or weapons on here. Your mind is going, but not your body." Sid says to our Spartans.

"And you do know that us Spartans are trained to be alert as if any second could be the opening bang to combat." Eames-I528 says while still struggling to get comfortable with his MJOLNIR as if they were his PJs. "So, Omega they call it? You mean like Alpha and Omega?"

"Yeah, 'The End,' I know that." Aurthur-I491 replies.

A.I. Ariadne appears in her explanatory attitude, most prominent in A.I.s. "'Alpha and Omega' coming from old Christian text that God and his son Jesus are the 'beginning and the end' of the universe."

"They are not seriously going to put an end to the universe, are they?" Spoke Yohan as he puts the sedative into the Box.

"No." Ann says, only so I would hear next to her. "But with that power they can infiltrate all the sentient mind and have the power to destroy a whole star system."

Sid and Yohan have the Box set, are the last ones to get into bed. Tony has the honors to push the button.

This is it. Who the Hell knows what is in store?

The feeling of both the end and her…no possible word.

….Sleep.

Dream…

END ACT ONE

A/N: I'm sorry, but this is all you'll ever get. Want more, see problems that need fixing, plot holes that need to be explained? No, I've got too many things in my mind. And I can't waste time on the next idea that randomly pops in my mind. Inception just played inception on me.

I've gone through too much trouble to make it really that well readable as it is. I thought I get it done in just a month, not four. I wanted to get through quick enough to get it out of my mind with minimum detail, but since this is it, I made myself cherish it and go the whole way in depth this final chapter.

Anybody want to take over even? Be my guest. PM me and I'll aid you in what ever way, just so long as I'm credited original writer.

I say again, I'm frustrated by the lack of reception that this gotten, but I wouldn't call it a total waste. At least I get to exercise a bit.