Disclaimer: Both Halo and Fallout are not mine, they belong to their creators. However, this story and the OC's are the only things that are mine. Please give a review of what you think and what might need to be fix or changed. Thank you.
Author Notes: Alright, had revised the first two chapters. The rest will be put up shortly, so don't worry. Once I've finished revising the chapters, then I'll be working on continuing the story. Hope you all enjoy the work I've done to revised these two chapters, be patient with me as I work on the rest.
It was a quiet night at megaton as the town's favorite Vault Dweller Clair Keyes was seated on her chair, looking up to the star-filled sky, Clair look down to find her canine companion Dogmeat eating his dinner of Brahmin Steak. Looking back up at the sky in time to see what she thought was a shooting star, "look at that boy, now ain't that a sight to see?" Clair stated as she receives with a happy sounding bark from the dog as he too look up at it. Clair closes her eyes as she made her wish to it.
"I wish that everything will go back to the way things were, once I find my father," if she hadn't close her eyes to make her wish at that moment she would've seen the shooting star spiting in three segments before descending further into Earth's atmosphere.
Clair open her eyes and saw the star was no longer in sight, then took a look at the screen of her Pip-boy to check on the time and saw that it was now nearing ten o'clock. "Time to head too bed boy, we got a long journey ahead of us tomorrow." Said Clair before getting up from her chair as she went into her little house she gotten a week ago after fulfilling her part of the bargain with Sheriff/Mayor Simms after disarming the nuke that lays in the center of town. Clair was glad that everything went out smoothly when the two of them confronted Burkes after she told Lucas about their conversation, the two of them had and showing him the detonating device Burkes given her.
Clair can recall how it went down, she had kept an eye on the man when Lucas had turn his back on Burkes, thinking he was coming along nicely. But Burkes instead decided on gunning the Sheriff down, only to be stopped by Clair -being skilled with a gun- as she manages to cripple the bastard's right arm. Forcing him to drop his gun, then followed it up with another few shots that went into his head.
Clair could even remember how everyone at the saloon reacted, some had drew their guns while others had coward behind cover. After everything was settle down and the crisis was averted, Lucas thanked her for saving his life before giving Clair the agreed amount of caps along with the deed to this house and everything in it as a bonus.
Although she wished the man had told her about Watsworth before she entered it, because when she did, Clair nearly jump out of her Vault Suit. Along with shooting out the one of the poor Mister Handy optics, thankfully Moira repaired it with a replacement.
Clair entered her home and was given the routine greeting "welcome home, Madam" by Watsworth, she does what she usually do and give the Mister Handy a kind thank you before continuing upstairs. While Dogmeat took his favorite spot to sleep, mainly because Clair told him to stay downstairs as they're not allot of room on the second floor.
Once Clair entered her small bedroom and had removed the shoulder pad, that also acted as a bandoleer for her shotgun shells. Clair slip out of her black leather long coat, that she had made using a coat she bought from a Crow and used the materials from Butch's Tunnel Snake Jacket -the insignia of the Tunnel Snakes is on it back- then she unzipped the front of her Armored Vault suit before sliding out of it. Till she was wearing nothing except her undergarments and folded them up and stuff them into her small dresser -which Moira had provided- next too few other articles of clothing.
Clair then pulled off the hair elastic that hold up her chestnut brown hair, letting it hang loose as it covered her back and chest slightly. Clair then began slipping into her pajamas, which were a reddish-pink pair of pajamas pants and shirt and not the sexy looking kinds for girls, mostly for the warmth and comfort. After getting dressed, she slip into her bed and pull up the blanket over her. But before going to sleep, Clair pressed two fingers on her lips and then press them on the glass of a picture frame that held a group photo of herself with her boyfriend Butch, her best friend Amata, and her father James Keyes.
The picture was taken at a party of her 18th birthday, next to it was another picture frame that had the quoted revelation from the bible -which was her mother favorite- safely inside it. Clair's father had given it to her on the night of her 18th birthday, which turn out be her last as the very next morning she had to escaped from the Vault. Leaving both the people she loved and her only home behind. Clair held back tears as she sniffle a little, then whisper goodnight to the picture frame before going to sleep. Her Pip-boy blinking as she had set and turned on it alarm clock function, wanting to wake at eight in the morning.
:-:Several hours ago in Earth orbit:-:
Drifting gradually towards Earth, the back half of a space frigate with words "Forward Unto Dawn" on it side. Within this ship lies a soldier, a Spartan, who had done many feats to keep the universe safe, stopping ancient constructs from activating. That would leads to a galaxy-wide annihilation of all life, along with destroying a parasite from consuming them.
Right now, he was currently sleeping within an cryo-chamber. While being watched by an small holographic woman. Who was getting the thawing process for the soldier's cryo-chamber, who would soon wake up after it had completed it procedure.
The blue small projected woman began shouting his name, trying to rouse him awake. "Wake up, Chief. I need you to wake up, John!" The woman cried out loudly, receiving a response as John stirred within the chamber.
"Cortana…what is it, what wrong?" asked the concern Spartan as he instantly pulled a lever, making the cryo-chamber to open. Then floated toward the terminal where Cortana was currently loaded. Knowing something was up if she had to wake him, what it is exactly, John don't have a clue.
"Well…I have good news and bad news, what you want to hear first?" the AI-construct asks before getting a silent stare, then just tell him as she explained the situation. "Well the good news is that we're heading towards Earth, but the bad news is that we're going to burn up upon entering it atmosphere." Cortana explained and just in time for the ship to shake with a groan, a clear sign that they were being pulled by the planet gravity. "So yeah, we need to get out of here before that happens."
Chief gives her a nod before he pushed himself towards a larger terminal, activating while his A.I companion tries to warn him. Only to be late as the Spartan looked at a hole-projection of a partially brown Earth. "How?" John asks as he continue to stare at the projection.
"I don't quite know, but I scanned the surface and got strong readings of radiation. Along with some life signs, but not as much as they're should be." Cortana explain with a hint of sadness in her tone, joining Chief in staring at the projection.
Another session of shaking draw the two from the projection, urging them to get ready in evacuating from Forward Unto Dawn. John jacked Cortana out of the terminal before heading toward ship's armory, all the while listening to Cortana explain her plausible theories. "A parallel world from ours, you can't be serious?" John questioned before grabbing a few military-issues duffel bags.
"I didn't think it possible either, but seeing how we got trap within that wormhole. It the only other way why Earth looked almost dead, and why I barely can barely detect any UNSC facilities that should be orbiting near us. Look...we can discuss further after we're safe on solid land." Cortana stated as she urge the issue of getting off the soon-to-be-crashing ship. Getting a nod from the Spartan before jacking her into another terminal, which would give her more direct control of the drop pods nearby them.
"I calculated our trajectory of where we're might crash down, if I'm right we'll most likely be landing somewhere near Washington D.C. and from my scans the ship won't be crashing at any highly populated areas." Explained the feminine A.I. then look toward Chief, whose was still busy packing ammunition and some of UNSC issued weaponry.
An MA5D Assault Rifle -his most favored automatic rifle- along with a M45D Tactical Shotgun and a M6-series handgun. Chief made sure to load up of their ammunition -and some Frag Grenades to boot- for them along with a good amount of military rations into the bags in case food is scarce on the surface.
John then began loading up one of drop pods, fitting the first one with a few weapons for himself. Then started stuffing the second one with the filled duffel bags, "Alright, you ready?" John asked looking to the terminal Cortana was projecting over.
"I was ready several minutes ago…you were taking your swell time with the packing, you got everything you needed or do you need to pack a Rocket Launcher and Spartan Laser before we leave?" she replied with a smile as the last bit was rhetorical.
Chief closes the drop pod shut as it began vacuum sealing with an audible hiss, then John walk over to the terminal and pulled Cortana's storage drive from it. Then slip her into the slot on the back of his helmet before seated himself into the drop pod he'd prepared for himself. The countdown of launching them being already under way as Chief's pod hisses from sealing up, then with a "hang on" from Cortana. The two pods were launched down to the Earth surface while the remainder of the Forward Unto Dawn continue on it course to the most northwestern area of the Capital.
:-:Far Off From Megaton:-:
A group of raiders were enjoying themselves with their stash of newly acquired chems, one of them injecting a dose of psycho into his arm. "Hey...hey! Look up there, what is that?" One of them shouted to get the other attention while he pointed a large object flying downward till it crashed down a few miles from them. They look at each other for a moment before the one pent up with psycho screamed wildly and started running toward it, flailing his R91 Assault Rifle around over his head. The rest soon suit after grabbing their weapons and screaming insanely while following the leading raider.
Once they reach the site where the falling object had landed, they slow to a jog as they approached a large cratered made from it. The leading raider slid down the crater to take a closer look and found some sort of metal pod with an insignia across the front, after looking it over the raider tries to open as he bash it with the but of his rifle. The psycho-induced raider flinched as he aimed his gun at it when it started emitting clicking and hissing sounds, the lid to the pod flew off and crashed into him as it send the raider flying along with it. Both flying out of the crater about a half mile away from the crater edge. Before crashing down to the ground, already dead after the impact from the metal lid that had shattered his ribs and skull instantly.
The other raiders look to where their crushed companion had landed with gaping mouths, then slowly turned their heads back down to the crater in time to see a tall armored figure climbing out of the pod. The light from the full moon reflecting off the giant man armor and golden visor giving him a frightening appearance. The armored man looked up to the ridge of the crater, looking at the remaining raiders as if waiting for them to do something.
The raiders stood there either scared to move or wondering if it was just the chems messing with their heads, one of them brought up his gun and aimed at the giant angrily. "Big or not that bastard going to pay for killing Vinny," shouted the angry raider before firing down at the giant man with his 10mm SMG. Soon the others follow suit as they fire along with him as they shouted. The giant's armor started flashing when their bullets hit him and falling to the ground leaving him unscratched, in response to their hostility the armored figure brought out an oddly shape rifle from his back and return fire as two of the raiders went down.
Leaving only two left to fight, though one of them decide to flee before being shot down by the other who shouted at him angrily. "Don't you dare run away you cowards" after he finish talking and turn to see the armored man was now standing a foot from him which made the raider gasped in shock and fall back dropping his gun at the process.
The giant pick the man up by his ragged shirt, whose started whimpering as he began begging helplessly.
"P-please…don't kill me, don't kill me please. I'm sorry...I'm sorry for attacking you, just please don't kill me." He look straight at his own reflection on the giant's visor and see how scared he looked, seeing himself shaking as tears run down along his cheeks.
The raider flinched when he heard a deep voice coming from the man holding him up in the air. "If you agreed to answer my questions, I just might do that." The raider instantly nodded his head in agreement, then waited for the giant man questions."Do you know what exactly happen to this planet?" The giant man finally asked as he looking around their surroundings, looking at the barren wasteland.
"N-not exactly sure how it started, but a big war broke out that ended with nukes being fired from all over. W-which caused all this to happen." The raider answered after processing what the giant had asked, then watch his captor hang his head before sighing while he shook his head.
"Is there any settlement near this location…with people who are friendlier than you and your friends?" The man asked his captive, adding that last bit as well.
"Um…your best bet would be Megaton, it the closest town from here." Answered the raider and he was finish, his captor released him. Dropping the raider back on to the ground on his ass and then slide back down the crater, leaving the scared Raider to flee for his life not wanting to take any chances of the giant changing his mind.
The armored man took out a duffel bag from the pod as he drop it to the ground then open it, checking the ammunition and the rest of its content. Not wanting to chance a stray bullet had damaged anything within it. "Chief…I pin point the location of that town the man told us, also located where the other drop pod had landed. Although I couldn't pinpoint the Forward Unto Dawn crash site, the radiation messing up my scanners. Oh and by the way, you made that man wet himself I think…if you hadn't notice?" said a woman voice that emitted from the man helmet.
"We'll find it, I did from the sound of trickling water…or urine. Let's hope that someone there can give us more detail on what happen…and what going on." Chief responded as he grab hold of the duffel bag strap and hang it over his left shoulder, then place his rifle onto his back that magnetically lock itself on it.
"John, you okay?" Cortana asked with a worried tone noticing that something was bothering him, having been with him long enough to know his tells.
"I'm fine Cortana, it just…knowing that this was cause by humanity actions makes it hard to take in." John replied before starting the climb out of the crater. The Cortana didn't say anymore as they soon headed toward NAV-point that marked where Megaton is located, deciding it would be best to start there first before doing anything else.
:-:Six in the morning at Megaton:-:
Clair awoke after hearing the loud beeping of her Pipboy alarm, she then turned it off before rubbing her eyes for a bit. Then drag herself out of bed and began changing from her pajamas to slightly clean clothing. After she slipped her arms into the sleeves of her coat and making sure the belt was adjusted around her waist properly, Clair headed down stairs to find Dogmeat already up as he was wagging his tail happily.
Waiting for his new owner to come down from upstairs, Dogmeat barked after seeing her going down the steps. Clair pet the top of Dogmeat's head softly before she walk up to Watsworth and retrieved her bag and her other belt with two holsters that held her 10mm Pistol and Sawn-off Shotgun. The backpack has two improvise holsters for her Hunting Rifle -though the other one was empty- which Clair had sewed on to it so she could have her rifle in reach.
"Here your things madam, have a wonderful day." spoke the Robo-Butler which she politely thank him for handing her backpack and said her good byes, then exit her house after letting Dogmeat go through first.
Clair had paln to go down and get something to eat from the Stahl's little restaurant 'the Brass Lantern' at the center of town first, before heading off on her quest to Galaxy News Radio Studio. But while she started heading down to the direct path to the place, Clair saw Lucas having a discussion with a very tall man in a strange-looking green armor.
Curious of what was going on, Clair decided to walk up to them -besides the fact she was heading there anyway- "Hey there Sheriff, who your tall friend?" The Vault-Girl asked looking up at the man in question, gazing at his reflective golden visor.
"Morning Clair, this here is John and a strange fellow at that…no offense." the Sheriff finished looking to John who respond with a soft nod.
"None taken, and we were actually talking about you...if I'm correct." John replied looking down at a surprised Clair as he watch her look to the Sheriff with her 'explain' face.
"He was asking for some information about wasteland and what going on now, told him that his best chance would be Arlington Public Library and that Radio Studio you're going too." Lucas shrug a bit after he finished explaining and Clair began to ponder.
Then give the Spartan a look over before speaking, "I don't know…I like to get there quickly and I don't want to be slowed down, at least you look like you can handle yourself with that get up you're in and your equipment." Clair explained before she pointed those out. while looking up at John face…or visor.
"The Sheriff told me about your search for your father, I'll won't slow you down…you can count on it." he added as the Spartan reach out his right hand, awaiting for the young Vault-Girl to take hold of it.
"Alright…it a deal then," Clair smile as she grasped John's offered hand and shook it lightly. "Now how bout we get something to eat before heading out," Clair stated as she began heading down deeper into town with Dogmeat trotting beside her, "you coming or what?" Chair yelled up to John, whose started following her down the makeshift stairs.