Halo Doran

Doran Short Fiction by CRV

PRIVATE TRANSMISSION UNSC CAMERON (DDG-4515) DATE: June 17, 3235 FROM: Davenport, J, PO3 (jdaven ) TO: Tang, M, PO1 (mtang ) SUB: Doran

Hey Minnie,

OK, I've been hearing this name tossed around Deck 6 for the past few days now, and I'm wondering to myself just what they're talking about. I know that Deck 3 might be a bit quieter than what we have to deal with down here, but rumors spread like a bad case of the fleas, and soon everyone will want to scratch the itch.

If you didn't hear about it before, one of the Computer Technicians down here, I think Yven or maybe that new guy from Data Processing named Coleridge said it. They mentioned that a few deliveries we've been taking on have been from somebody, or something named 'Doran'. Now, that wouldn't be weird, but we were ordered not to even take a look at the boxes! I'm a loader! Cargo is located on Deck 6, and I've got to inspect the boxes to make sure that the goods aren't damaged in any way - but nope! Master Chief Coppola said to get my grubby claws off it!

I did manage to snap a picture of the identification on the box. They don't seem to match the format of the other cargo containers. You know usually the ID patterns go something like XX-XXX-XXX-X-XX or a similar pattern, but there was only one unbroken line of ID. Something I have never seen on one of our ships. And the other thing... this box looks like it was designed to be a stealth fighter. It's angular, it's black, and it's kinda creepy, especially since the word 'Doran' is painted on one side.

Any insight? I know you frequent the rumor mill around here. Could you give me a hand?

-Jimmy

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PRIVATE TRANSMISSION UNSC CAMERON (DDG-4515) DATE: June 17, 3235 FROM: Tang, M, PO1 (mtang ) TO: Davenport, J, PO3 (jdaven ) SUB: Re: Doran

James,

You should know better than to listen to the jerks from Computer Tech. They have large egos and the rest of the crew knows it.

But Doran... Doran... I feel like I know that name.

Is it really important, James? We get weapon shipments all the time and sometimes they order us not to look into the crates. Maybe you're overreacting over this. Just follow Coppola's instructions and just get on with your work.

Regardless, I just have to look up that name now. I know I heard it somewhere in my life.

-Minnie

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PRIVATE TRANSMISSION UNSC CAMERON (DDG-4515) DATE: June 17, 3235 FROM: Davenport, J, PO3 (jdaven ) TO: Tang, M, PO1 (mtang ) SUB: Re: Re: Doran

Minnie,

Yeah, I'm serious about this! Listen, if you were down here on Deck 6, you'd know all about what's going on here. That box just isn't right! I know I'm prone to watch a couple of horror movies every now and again but something about this rubs me the wrong way. You know... come to think of it, I don't even remember it even COMING ABOARD! We did cross deck with a strange looking cargo schooner. Got a look at the crew too. Creepy looking sons of bitches with shaved heads, a few cybernetics, and turtlenecks that go all the way up to the jaw. These guys are weird, and now I KNOW they never brought it aboard. So... how did it get here then? Do they work for this Doran thing?

Come through for me, sunshine...!

-Jimmy

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PRIVATE TRANSMISSION UNSC CAMERON (DDG-4515) DATE: June 18, 3235 FROM: Tang, M, PO1 (mtang ) TO: Davenport, J, PO3 (jdaven ) SUB: Re: Re: Re: Doran

James,

Calm down, you're going to get indigestion.

I think I caught a glimpse of this ship you were talking about. It was about 1420-ish about two days ago? I saw it from the Starboard Observation Lounge. Not shaped like any of our usual freighters.

I did a bit of digging. There was an Edmund Doran born on Earth around 2420. He was a businessman who basically created a small shipping empire originally through hired third party agencies, but eventually made so much money he could afford his own ships. At last record, he lived to be about 150, but I haven't been able to find a date of death anywhere.

The name on the box is the same, and they're both shipping companies. So... why aren't they mentioned on any publicly traded company lists? No stock market lists them... it's like they don't exist in the first place!

Um, before you get your shorts in a knot, I'm pretty sure there's a logical explanation for that.

Seriously man, it's nothing.

-Minnie

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PRIVATE TRANSMISSION UNSC CAMERON (DDG-4515) DATE: June 17, 3235 FROM: Davenport, J, PO3 (jdaven ) TO: Tang, M, PO1 (mtang ) SUB: Re: Re: Re: Re: Doran

Minnie,

Bull-SHIT it's nothing! You can't go about just saying that there's a man who potentially HASN'T DIED YET, and think that it doesn't coincide with this weird package that we've gotten from this ship that has gone and disappeared into the night. I checked! There's no shipping order on this crate! So, we're not allowed to see what's inside, not allowed to question on its origins and contents, and officially, this crate doesn't even exist despite the fact that I was looking straight at it thirty minutes ago.

Yes, it's just a crate, but big things come in small packages!

You don't think that we're doing something for... the other side, do you?

-Jimmy

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PRIVATE TRANSMISSION UNSC CAMERON (DDG-4515) DATE: June 18, 3235 FROM: Tang, M, PO1 (mtang ) TO: Davenport, J, PO3 (jdaven ) SUB: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Doran

James,

Don't be ridiculous! Why would we ever do something like that?!

As for Doran... Well, I'm sure he's dead though. He has to be! It's been almost 800 years since he was born! I mean, there's no way, not even with good flash-cloned body parts can you live that long! Maybe if you had a brain transplant or something but... ugh! See what you've done? You've turned me into a conspiracy theorist like you!

But... Deck 3's been talking about this as well. No doubt you or some other crewmen on Deck 6 couldn't keep their mouths shut about this crate. Give it a few more days and the whole ship will be talking about it!

I'll settle this once and for all. I know someone who can get me in touch with the NAV officer on the bridge. This is breaking the rules like all hell, but if it'll shut you up, it'll serve my purposes well.

In the meantime, sit down, shut up and wait for me to get back to you on this.

-Minnie

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PRIVATE TRANSMISSION UNSC CAMERON (DDG-4515) DATE: June 19, 3235 FROM: Tang, M, PO1 (mtang ) TO: Davenport, J, PO3 (jdaven ) SUB: Yikes

James,

I just got my response a minute ago. Quite frankly... now I'm concerned.

I was able to use my friend to get me in contact with the NAV Officer on the bridge. I found a note taped to my door, and I knew right away what it was - galactic coordinates. If anything, it would be able to tell us where this ship was coming from, but right away I could see that we already knew.

So, I pulled up a map, plugged in the coordinates and...

Well, they were not in UNSC Space.

They were far, faaar outside our space in a cluster I'd never even heard of. The name?

The Doran Supercluster.

Now, twice is a coincidence. Three times is a trend. So, I looked up the Doran Supercluster. Nada. I went through many national catalogues of stellar clusters, and still nothing came up. So then I tried something different and checked conspiracy theorist websites - there was still nothing! The military on the other hand seems to know where this is, and knows that it operates out of our space by a margin of 20,000 lightyears.

I hate to say it... but whatever's sitting down on Deck 6... it's been a long trip for this crate.

Jesus I got chills.

-Minnie-

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PRIVATE TRANSMISSION UNSC CAMERON (DDG-4515) DATE: June 19, 3235 FROM: Davenport, J, PO3 (jdaven ) TO: Tang, M, PO1 (mtang ) SUB: Yikes Yikes

Minnie,

OK, now I'm scared. A crate pops up that comes from a place so far away it might as well not be human. It's accompanied by strange guys who are clearly Human, but at the same times are different. The company is run by a man that for all we know, is over 800 years old. Nothing exists on this company on the Net. The worst part is that we *don't know what's inside this crate*!

You know what, let the guys chat and spread rumors on this crate. Rumors are better than what we found out. There's SOMETHING inside that cluster. There's SOMETHING that made these crates, and whatever's inside them, and they're going somewhere. I don't eve want to be on the same ship as it. There's bad juju about that crate. You know it and I know it!

-Jimmy

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PRIVATE TRANSMISSION UNSC CAMERON (DDG-4515) DATE: June 19, 3235 FROM: Tang, M, PO1 (mtang ) TO: Davenport, J, PO3 (jdaven ) SUB: Re: Yikes Yikes

James,

I agree, the best thing we can do right now is keep our mouths shut. No good ever comes from poking into this cryptic murk. Nothing ever does. After the research that I did, how can there NOT be more to find out? Something is in that cluster, and something about this does not seem right. I mean, at all.

I could find out more... but frankly, I might not like the answers I find.

James, we need to forget we ever saw this crate. Believe me, it will be good for both of us - no, good for the whole crew.

Good night.

-Minnie


End file.

Halo, Sci-Fi, Suspense