Soren-066: Difference between revisions

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Soren was born in early or mid-[[2511]].<ref name="HEPP">''[[Halo: Evolutions]]'', ''[[Pariah]]'', ''Prologue''</ref><ref name="HEP1">''[[Halo: Evolutions]]'', ''[[Pariah]]'', ''Chapter 1''</ref> He was brought to the [[Outer Colony]] of [[Dwarka]], a harsh world still in the process of being [[Terraforming|terraformed]], at a very young age.<ref name="HEPP"/> There he was raised by his mother and her husband (his stepfather), who grew illegal crops on a farm in the middle of a forest preserve around one hundred kilometers from any other settlements.<ref name="HEP1"/>

When Soren was barely six years old his mother succumbed to a [[Dwarka]]n disease for which treatments were readily available.<ref name="HEPP"/> She had not been taken into town to see a doctor, however, because Soren's stepfather had been too worried about going to jail for his illegal farm.<ref name="HEP1"/> The law required that symptoms of the disease be reported to the planetary officials, after all.<ref name="HEPP"/> By the time her husband became convinced he had no other choice but to seek medical attention for her after just a few days of observing her symptoms, she was already dead and he was sick.<ref name="HEPP"/><ref name="HEP1"/> According to official records, both Soren's mother and stepfather had initially dismissed what she was experiencing as nothing more than a [[Wikipedia:Common cold|cold]] and it was thought they may have been unaware of the treatments that existed due to their remote and isolated residence.<ref name="HEPP"/> His stepfather seemingly refused to face the reality of his wife's loss, as he moved her body into their box room and locked the door, telling Soren that it was not possible to see her because she was too sick and needed to be alone to recover.<ref name="HEP1"/> A few days later Soren stole the key to the room late at night after his stepfather had had too much to drink. After creeping slowly through the door he saw the rotting corpse of his mother and cried for a while before sneaking back out and locking the door behind him. He returned the key to his stepfather's bedside table and snuck back to the kitchen, where he sat and brooded. Eventually he came to the conclusion that his stepfather must be responsible for his mother's death and it was this, among other thoughts, which led him to get up from the chair he'd been seated in and grab the sharpest knife from the nearby counter. It was big and heavy from his point of view and he'd even had to stand on his tiptoes just to reach it. He then slowly made his way back to his stepfather's bedroom and pulled a chair closer to the bed so he could stand on it and overlook the sleeping man. He stayed that way for what seemed like hours until light began to seep into the room. He waited a little more after that, but as soon as his stepfather rolled over to expose his neck Soren struck, falling forward and jabbing the blade between the sleeping man's neck and shoulder a little above one of his [[Wikipedia:Clavicle|clavicle]]s. The boy immediately took off running at that moment and vanished into the surrounding forest.<ref name="HEP1"/>

When Soren was barely six years old his mother succumbed to a [[Dwarka]]n disease for which treatments were readily available.<ref name="HEPP"/> She had not been taken into town to see a doctor, however, because Soren's stepfather had been too worried about going to jail for his illegal farm.<ref name="HEP1"/> The law required that symptoms of the disease be reported to the planetary officials, after all.<ref name="HEPP"/> By the time her husband became convinced he had no other choice but to seek medical attention for her after just a few days of observing her symptoms, she was already dead and he was sick.<ref name="HEPP"/><ref name="HEP1"/> According to official records, both Soren's mother and stepfather had initially dismissed what she was experiencing as nothing more than a [[Wikipedia:Common cold|cold]] and it was thought they may have been unaware of the treatments that existed due to their remote and isolated residence.<ref name="HEPP"/> His stepfather seemingly refused to face the reality of his wife's loss, as he moved her body into their box room and locked the door, telling Soren that it was not possible to see her because she was too sick and needed to be alone to recover.<ref name="HEP1"/> A few days later Soren stole the key to the room late at night after his stepfather had had too much to drink. After creeping slowly through the door he saw the rotting corpse of his mother and cried for a while before sneaking back out and locking the door behind him. He returned the key to his stepfather's bedside table and snuck back to the kitchen, where he sat and brooded. Eventually he came to the conclusion that his stepfather must be responsible for his mother's death and it was this, among other thoughts, which led him to get up from the chair he'd been seated in and grab the sharpest knife from the nearby counter. It was big and heavy from his point of view and he'd even had to stand on his tiptoes just to reach it. He then slowly made his way back to his stepfather's bedroom and pulled a chair closer to the bed so he could stand on it and overlook the sleeping man. He stayed that way for what seemed like hours until light began to seep into the room. He waited a little more after that, but as soon as his stepfather rolled over to expose his neck Soren struck, falling forward and jabbing the blade between the sleeping man's neck and shoulder a little above one of his [[Wikipedia:Clavicle|clavicle]]s. The boy immediately took off running at that moment and vanished into the surrounding forest. Well-hidden within a clump of bushes, he watched as his stepfather emerged from their home and called out for him and demanded to know what was wrong with him.<ref name="HEP1"/>

After this Soren lived off the wild and watched his stepfather. One day he saw that his stepfather was sick with the same illness his mother had died of. When his stepfather collapsed on the way to his field Soren finally revealed himself to his stepfather and instead of getting him medicine watched him die. He then buried his mother and stepfather and after staying in the house for a while he trekked 112 kilometers to the nearest human settlement where he was placed in the care of social services. He never told anyone exactly what had happened to him. Instead he simply said that both his parents had died shortly after each other, and after several months living alone he set off to find civilization.

===~~Spartan Training~~===

===SPARTAN=II===

When [[Catherine Halsey|Dr. Halsey]] came to Dwarka to observe Soren she openly gave him the choice of whether or not he wanted to join her "[[SPARTAN-II program|experiment]]" or stay on Dwarka in foster care. Soren chose the first option, and immediately left Dwarka with Halsey and [[Lieutenant]] [[Jacob Keyes]].

On [[2517#September|September 23, 2517]], Soren and seventy-four other children were led into an amphitheater through four sets of double doors, each accompanied by a [[UNSC Navy|naval]] drill instructor.<ref name="HTFOR3"/> There, at around 2300 hours, far below the ground within [[Reach FLEETCOM Military Complex|a FLEETCOM military complex]], Halsey informed them that per [[Naval Code 45812]], they were thereby conscripted into SPARTAN-II. She explained that they had been called upon to serve and that they would be the protectors of Earth and all its colonies. Halsey told them that from this moment on, the complex on Reach would be their home and their fellow trainees would be their family. And though the training that lay ahead of them would be difficult, she expressed her full confidence in their ability to overcome it. With that said, she told them to rest and that they would begin the next day. [[Chief Petty Officer]] [[Franklin Mendez]] had the children escorted to their barracks, fed, and put to bed.<ref name="HTFOR3">''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]'', ''Chapter 3''</ref>

Soren and the other children were awoken by drill instructors at 0530 hours the next morning.<ref name="HTFOR4">''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]'', ''Chapter 4''</ref> Chief Mendez addressed them all, saying they were to shower at the barracks aft and then return to their cots to dress. Soren stripped down and joined the other children on a conveyor to be washed in lukewarm soapy water and then rinsed in an icy cold spray. A trunk at the foot of his cot held underwear, thick socks, combat boots, and a matching set of gray sweats with "SOREN-066" stenciled on the chest. Once everyone was clothed, Mendez marched them outside and had them form five rows of fifteen children each. From there, they were ordered through a series of calisthenics which included one-hundred each of jumping jacks, sit-ups, deep squats, knee bends, and leg lifts. After the leg lifts the kids were finally given a respite in the form of water. Next, Mendez ordered them to join him on a run. They jogged through the military compound, past more barracks, along a river, and over a bridge, finally coming to a stop in the courtyard of a naval officers' academy. There Soren and the others met [[Déjà]], a [[Dumb AI|so-called "dumb" A.I.]] who had been given the job of continuing the trainees' formal education. Within the building, Soren and the others were served crackers and milk and treated to a history lesson concerning the [[Wikipedia:Battle of Thermopylae|Battle of Thermopylae]]. After the lesson the trainees were told they were heading for the playground, but this turned into a two-mile run to a forest of twenty-meter-tall wooden poles, rope cargo nets and bridges, knotted climbing ropes, pulleys, and baskets. Mendez had them form three lines and declared that each row of three would be a team. Chief Mendez explained that they would be playing a game called "[[Ring the Bell]]" in which the objective was for every member of each team to ring a brass bell that hung from a slide pole next to the tallest wooden pole and then make it back to the start. The last team to make it back would go hungry that evening. This punishment ultimately fell on [[Blue Team|Team Three]], of which Soren was not a part.<ref name="HTFOR4"/>

The second day of training began just like the first.<ref name="HTFOR4"/> The trainees spent the morning doing calisthenics and in the afternoon reported to Déjà to learn. This day, she taught them about the hunting strategies of [[Wikipedia:Wolf|wolves]] and emphasized the importance of the pack over the individual in accomplishing a challenge, such as taking down a [[Wikipedia:Moose|moose]]. When it came time for the "playground" again, Mendez declared that they were to keep the same teams they had the prior day. The teams had a brief moment to strategize, as the course had been made more complicated as compared to before.<ref name="HTFOR4"/> Three days later, on [[2517#September|September 28]], all the trainees were given haircuts.<ref name="HJ92817">''[[Dr. Halsey's personal journal]]'', ''September 28, 2517''</ref> On [[2518#May|May 24, 2518]], the children were forced at 0920 hours to run through a course while being shot at with [[paint pellet gun]]s.<ref name="HFORBC"/> Each trainee that was hit was made to do an exorbitant amount of push-ups.<ref name="HFORBC">''[[Halo: Fall of Reach]]'', ''[[Halo: Fall of Reach - Boot Camp|Boot Camp]]''</ref>

During Spartan training Soren tried his best to simply "fade in"; to neither excel nor fail, simply to remain in the anonymous middle. Soren also proved himself adept at blending into the forest during training exercises. Dr Halsey watched him closely, and on one occasion told him "Don't let yourself get left behind," words which would resonate deeply with him.

===Augmentation===

Prior to the [[SPARTAN-II augmentation procedures|augmentation procedures]], Dr. Halsey once again asked Soren whether or not he would like to participate. Confused, Soren asked her why he was the one selected to make the choice, to which Halsey replied, it simply turned out that way. Knowing the risks, Soren chose to participate, stating that he "''did not want to be left behind''."<ref>'''[[Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe]]''', "[[Pariah]]", ''page 30''</ref>

~~===Augmentation===~~

During the augmentation process, Soren dreamed of a hulking, deformed creature pursuing him through a forest, occasionally giving out a cry of pain. The creature eventually caught up to him and smashed him. Soren awoke during the augmentation process but fell back asleep into another nightmare. This time, he dreamed of lying on his mother's bed, the same one she died on. His stepfather was in the same room, described as more shadow than man. During this dream another figure, his dead and rotting mother, was in the same bed, when a sudden wash of pain, like broken glass being worked into his veins, woke him up again.

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 Soren was born in early or mid-[[2511]].<ref name="HEPP">''[[Halo: Evolutions]]'', ''[[Pariah]]'', ''Prologue''</ref><ref name="HEP1">''[[Halo: Evolutions]]'', ''[[Pariah]]'', ''Chapter 1''</ref> He was brought to the [[Outer Colony]] of [[Dwarka]], a harsh world still in the process of being [[Terraforming|terraformed]], at a very young age.<ref name="HEPP"/> There he was raised by his mother and her husband (his stepfather), who grew illegal crops on a farm in the middle of a forest preserve around one hundred kilometers from any other settlements.<ref name="HEP1"/>
-When Soren was barely six years old his mother succumbed to a [[Dwarka]]n disease for which treatments were readily available.<ref name="HEPP"/> She had not been taken into town to see a doctor, however, because Soren's stepfather had been too worried about going to jail for his illegal farm.<ref name="HEP1"/> The law required that symptoms of the disease be reported to the planetary officials, after all.<ref name="HEPP"/> By the time her husband became convinced he had no other choice but to seek medical attention for her after just a few days of observing her symptoms, she was already dead and he was sick.<ref name="HEPP"/><ref name="HEP1"/> According to official records, both Soren's mother and stepfather had initially dismissed what she was experiencing as nothing more than a [[Wikipedia:Common cold|cold]] and it was thought they may have been unaware of the treatments that existed due to their remote and isolated residence.<ref name="HEPP"/> His stepfather seemingly refused to face the reality of his wife's loss, as he moved her body into their box room and locked the door, telling Soren that it was not possible to see her because she was too sick and needed to be alone to recover.<ref name="HEP1"/> A few days later Soren stole the key to the room late at night after his stepfather had had too much to drink. After creeping slowly through the door he saw the rotting corpse of his mother and cried for a while before sneaking back out and locking the door behind him. He returned the key to his stepfather's bedside table and snuck back to the kitchen, where he sat and brooded. Eventually he came to the conclusion that his stepfather must be responsible for his mother's death and it was this, among other thoughts, which led him to get up from the chair he'd been seated in and grab the sharpest knife from the nearby counter. It was big and heavy from his point of view and he'd even had to stand on his tiptoes just to reach it. He then slowly made his way back to his stepfather's bedroom and pulled a chair closer to the bed so he could stand on it and overlook the sleeping man. He stayed that way for what seemed like hours until light began to seep into the room. He waited a little more after that, but as soon as his stepfather rolled over to expose his neck Soren struck, falling forward and jabbing the blade between the sleeping man's neck and shoulder a little above one of his [[Wikipedia:Clavicle|clavicle]]s. The boy immediately took off running at that moment and vanished into the surrounding forest.<ref name="HEP1"/>
+When Soren was barely six years old his mother succumbed to a [[Dwarka]]n disease for which treatments were readily available.<ref name="HEPP"/> She had not been taken into town to see a doctor, however, because Soren's stepfather had been too worried about going to jail for his illegal farm.<ref name="HEP1"/> The law required that symptoms of the disease be reported to the planetary officials, after all.<ref name="HEPP"/> By the time her husband became convinced he had no other choice but to seek medical attention for her after just a few days of observing her symptoms, she was already dead and he was sick.<ref name="HEPP"/><ref name="HEP1"/> According to official records, both Soren's mother and stepfather had initially dismissed what she was experiencing as nothing more than a [[Wikipedia:Common cold|cold]] and it was thought they may have been unaware of the treatments that existed due to their remote and isolated residence.<ref name="HEPP"/> His stepfather seemingly refused to face the reality of his wife's loss, as he moved her body into their box room and locked the door, telling Soren that it was not possible to see her because she was too sick and needed to be alone to recover.<ref name="HEP1"/> A few days later Soren stole the key to the room late at night after his stepfather had had too much to drink. After creeping slowly through the door he saw the rotting corpse of his mother and cried for a while before sneaking back out and locking the door behind him. He returned the key to his stepfather's bedside table and snuck back to the kitchen, where he sat and brooded. Eventually he came to the conclusion that his stepfather must be responsible for his mother's death and it was this, among other thoughts, which led him to get up from the chair he'd been seated in and grab the sharpest knife from the nearby counter. It was big and heavy from his point of view and he'd even had to stand on his tiptoes just to reach it. He then slowly made his way back to his stepfather's bedroom and pulled a chair closer to the bed so he could stand on it and overlook the sleeping man. He stayed that way for what seemed like hours until light began to seep into the room. He waited a little more after that, but as soon as his stepfather rolled over to expose his neck Soren struck, falling forward and jabbing the blade between the sleeping man's neck and shoulder a little above one of his [[Wikipedia:Clavicle|clavicle]]s. The boy immediately took off running at that moment and vanished into the surrounding forest. Well-hidden within a clump of bushes, he watched as his stepfather emerged from their home and called out for him and demanded to know what was wrong with him.<ref name="HEP1"/>
 {{Expand-Section}}
 After this Soren lived off the wild and watched his stepfather. One day he saw that his stepfather was sick with the same illness his mother had died of. When his stepfather collapsed on the way to his field Soren finally revealed himself to his stepfather and instead of getting him medicine watched him die. He then buried his mother and stepfather and after staying in the house for a while he trekked 112 kilometers to the nearest human settlement where he was placed in the care of social services. He never told anyone exactly what had happened to him. Instead he simply said that both his parents had died shortly after each other, and after several months living alone he set off to find civilization.
-===Spartan Training===
+===SPARTAN=II===
 When [[Catherine Halsey|Dr. Halsey]] came to Dwarka to observe Soren she openly gave him the choice of whether or not he wanted to join her "[[SPARTAN-II program|experiment]]" or stay on Dwarka in foster care. Soren chose the first option, and immediately left Dwarka with Halsey and [[Lieutenant]] [[Jacob Keyes]].
+On [[2517#September|September 23, 2517]], Soren and seventy-four other children were led into an amphitheater through four sets of double doors, each accompanied by a [[UNSC Navy|naval]] drill instructor.<ref name="HTFOR3"/> There, at around 2300 hours, far below the ground within [[Reach FLEETCOM Military Complex|a FLEETCOM military complex]], Halsey informed them that per [[Naval Code 45812]], they were thereby conscripted into SPARTAN-II. She explained that they had been called upon to serve and that they would be the protectors of Earth and all its colonies. Halsey told them that from this moment on, the complex on Reach would be their home and their fellow trainees would be their family. And though the training that lay ahead of them would be difficult, she expressed her full confidence in their ability to overcome it. With that said, she told them to rest and that they would begin the next day. [[Chief Petty Officer]] [[Franklin Mendez]] had the children escorted to their barracks, fed, and put to bed.<ref name="HTFOR3">''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]'', ''Chapter 3''</ref>
+Soren and the other children were awoken by drill instructors at 0530 hours the next morning.<ref name="HTFOR4">''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]'', ''Chapter 4''</ref> Chief Mendez addressed them all, saying they were to shower at the barracks aft and then return to their cots to dress. Soren stripped down and joined the other children on a conveyor to be washed in lukewarm soapy water and then rinsed in an icy cold spray. A trunk at the foot of his cot held underwear, thick socks, combat boots, and a matching set of gray sweats with "SOREN-066" stenciled on the chest. Once everyone was clothed, Mendez marched them outside and had them form five rows of fifteen children each. From there, they were ordered through a series of calisthenics which included one-hundred each of jumping jacks, sit-ups, deep squats, knee bends, and leg lifts. After the leg lifts the kids were finally given a respite in the form of water. Next, Mendez ordered them to join him on a run. They jogged through the military compound, past more barracks, along a river, and over a bridge, finally coming to a stop in the courtyard of a naval officers' academy. There Soren and the others met [[Déjà]], a [[Dumb AI|so-called "dumb" A.I.]] who had been given the job of continuing the trainees' formal education. Within the building, Soren and the others were served crackers and milk and treated to a history lesson concerning the [[Wikipedia:Battle of Thermopylae|Battle of Thermopylae]]. After the lesson the trainees were told they were heading for the playground, but this turned into a two-mile run to a forest of twenty-meter-tall wooden poles, rope cargo nets and bridges, knotted climbing ropes, pulleys, and baskets. Mendez had them form three lines and declared that each row of three would be a team. Chief Mendez explained that they would be playing a game called "[[Ring the Bell]]" in which the objective was for every member of each team to ring a brass bell that hung from a slide pole next to the tallest wooden pole and then make it back to the start. The last team to make it back would go hungry that evening. This punishment ultimately fell on [[Blue Team|Team Three]], of which Soren was not a part.<ref name="HTFOR4"/>
+The second day of training began just like the first.<ref name="HTFOR4"/> The trainees spent the morning doing calisthenics and in the afternoon reported to Déjà to learn. This day, she taught them about the hunting strategies of [[Wikipedia:Wolf|wolves]] and emphasized the importance of the pack over the individual in accomplishing a challenge, such as taking down a [[Wikipedia:Moose|moose]]. When it came time for the "playground" again, Mendez declared that they were to keep the same teams they had the prior day. The teams had a brief moment to strategize, as the course had been made more complicated as compared to before.<ref name="HTFOR4"/> Three days later, on [[2517#September|September 28]], all the trainees were given haircuts.<ref name="HJ92817">''[[Dr. Halsey's personal journal]]'', ''September 28, 2517''</ref> On [[2518#May|May 24, 2518]], the children were forced at 0920 hours to run through a course while being shot at with [[paint pellet gun]]s.<ref name="HFORBC"/> Each trainee that was hit was made to do an exorbitant amount of push-ups.<ref name="HFORBC">''[[Halo: Fall of Reach]]'', ''[[Halo: Fall of Reach - Boot Camp|Boot Camp]]''</ref>
 During Spartan training Soren tried his best to simply "fade in"; to neither excel nor fail, simply to remain in the anonymous middle. Soren also proved himself adept at blending into the forest during training exercises. Dr Halsey watched him closely, and on one occasion told him "Don't let yourself get left behind," words which would resonate deeply with him.
+===Augmentation===
 Prior to the [[SPARTAN-II augmentation procedures|augmentation procedures]], Dr. Halsey once again asked Soren whether or not he would like to participate. Confused, Soren asked her why he was the one selected to make the choice, to which Halsey replied, it simply turned out that way. Knowing the risks, Soren chose to participate, stating that he "''did not want to be left behind''."<ref>'''[[Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe]]''', "[[Pariah]]", ''page 30''</ref>
-===Augmentation===
 During the augmentation process, Soren dreamed of a hulking, deformed creature pursuing him through a forest, occasionally giving out a cry of pain. The creature eventually caught up to him and smashed him. Soren awoke during the augmentation process but fell back asleep into another nightmare. This time, he dreamed of lying on his mother's bed, the same one she died on. His stepfather was in the same room, described as more shadow than man. During this dream another figure, his dead and rotting mother, was in the same bed, when a sudden wash of pain, like broken glass being worked into his veins, woke him up again.