Axel's Changes - After being shot in the eye by the ODST trainers in one of the earlier training situations of the Spartan III Program, Axel's operational status, capability, and ultimately the final fate of his life was rendered unstable, with an outcome of unknown porportions. In the end, the result was better than it could have been, but worse than it should have been.
Experimental attempts at flash cloning something as complicated as an eye end it complete failure. Replacement was out of the option. During surgery, it was also noticed that several of the optical nerve attactements leading to his cortex were damaged, or simply severed. Drugs designed to accelerate an enhance his healing overcompensated in this regard, and many of the nervers grew back different than they were before. This led to the degration and eventual loss of his other eye.
Some of the severed nerves regrew creating new, or bypassing old connections. A combination of flash cloning and bio-engeneered non-organic implants were created to serve as an "eye", though the ideas were new, so while they worked in a sense, if he opened his eyes while in air, he was put in instant agony. He could see, but barely. The mixture of flash cloning and implants was abandoned as hopeless. Axel is effectively blind.
Due to the damage to his brain, the extended nerve damage, and the further changes made by the augmentations and healing drugs given to him, Axel's life was placed in further jeperodey, and at this point, the UNSC seemed to have lost it's gamble. Instead of recreating Axel a pair of eyes, they feared they would pay the other price. Death.
This however, was not to be. Call him stubborn, or call it a miracle, but Axel simply refused to die in this manner. The accelerated healing properties focused, and repaired all damage done, though like previously, it was different than before. So where some things were improved, others were worsened to the point of complete incompetence. Axel was manufactured a set of "eyes" that are a mixture of mostly non-organic and semi-organic material. These are simply prototypes, and again if he opens his eyes in an area without high moisture, or high amounts of light, he will be put under instant agony, down the optical nerves right to the cortex. As such, while the "eyes" work in a sense, he can't use them. However, he opted to keep them until a better replacement could be made.
Because of the recurring problems, tissue damage, and brain damage, Axel was almost unable to live under normal conditions. As such, he's spent most of his time in the deepest parts of Reach's top seceret medical facilities inside environments created for his re-growth. Most noticabley, a large cylindrical tank filled with a murkey green liquid. Both so he can use his eyes at times, and because of the liquids healing properties.
His unstable status, and low chance of survival let alone operational return led to the UNSC concealment of his survival. He wasn't labelled KIA, but he's been "missing" since the accident, and has had zero contact with his fellow Spartans.
The general isolation, and loss of sense, led to Axel's further reliance on his mind. He often dives deep into thought, and as such as become a pacifist among his people. Having to re-learn how to live, and being forced into a hellish version of existence, his views on violence were changed dramatically, and ironically his sense of kinship with his fellow Spartans developed to one even stronger than it would have been if he'd not been injured, despite the fact that he hasn't seen them since he was 7. At least not directly. He's watched and listen to them through video and audio feeds.
So far, Axel has been taught most of his Spartan training through his mind, often times the same Lieutenant who brought him to Reach has gone into his environments to teach him the skills and atributes he would later need. A few times, Axel has undergone training in sealed rooms, with a normal atmoshpere, though he finds these verly draining. The nature of his exersises and lifestyle have limited his physical experience, though he is in very good shape. Axel spends much of his time exercising underwater martial arts techniques. As such, if he ever does escape his liquid prison, his speciality will most likely be hand to hand combat.
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Present Status Report - Axel's condition has improved greatly over the last year, now to the point of an 87% chance of near total recovery, save for his loss of normal life experience, and most obviously his eyes. The UNSC has decided to publicly announce his continued survival and situation. CPO Mendez will be briefed in private, before the Spartans, and will relay the information by his own means. Directly or indirectly. Axel's room will also be opened for visit, though chances of interaction are low...
He is expected to return to active duty after he recieves hsi genetic enhancements, as these are expected to increase his bodily abilites to allow him to exit his liquid environment, and stand (no pun intended) on par with his teammates.
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Axel opened his eyes, for a split second. The world was a dark, gel like green. He sighed, through the breather attached to his face, and kicked his legs slightly, bobbing up and down inside the glass cylinder, it was nearly ten feet thick and twenty feet tall. He was effectively hidden from the outside world, unless part of him came into a few inches of the glass.
Suddenly his heart rate increased, and he kicked to the side. Drifting toward Ensign Lockheart, the attractive young blonde assigned to monitor his health. That's one good thing that came out this, his senses of direction, equilibrium, and balance. His hands faded into view inches from the glass before they came into contact with the hard surface, pressed tightly against it.
At the console, the young Ensign smiled faintly. "Yes." She said into her communicator, speaking to the child....or...what had been a child who resided inside the tube in front of her. "The Lieutenant said today they were lifting the black marker on your existence."
"Do I get to see my friends?"
The words appeared on her console moments later. Silent and emotioneless. Simpley text on a screen. Still, the young woman couldn't help but feel a note of sandess. "I dont know..." She said quietly. "I can't make any promises, so dont get your hopes up. It depends on how your CO feels about relaying the information. As well as how the other Spartans take it. I'm not even sure if they will remember you..." She trailed off, wishing to take back the last words.
There was a long moment of nothing. The screen was blank. Nearly five minutes later, two simple letters appeared on screen.
"oh"
The Lieutenant looked up to see the hands vanish back into the green gel like liquid. She sighed. It felt like whoever was inside there was crying.
"I dont think they will have forgotten me."
She looked down at the words.
"I wont forget them. Ever."
She smiled. "I dont think they forgot about you either. At least not all of them. Now get some sleep."