MDAM- New story for you guys, this will be released when I have a new chapter available, between school (preliminary exams coming up), two other stories and my social life I'll attempt to release this every two weeks (no promises), Hope you enjoy. MDAM out.

C1: Connection

2019 hours, 21 July 2557 (Military Calendar) / Position Unknown (Outside UNSC controlled space), UNSC Spirit of Fire, Bridge.

A loud ping resonated around the empty bridge.

A light blinked on as the Spirit of Fires Dumb AI 'Blacksmith' acknowledged an incoming broadcast. The smart AIs subroutines began to "revive" Serina, from her standby mode, the reason behind this was to slow her rampancy to a near stall, but it was unknown how she faired after 26 years of sleep. Blacksmith had an avatar of a tall muscular wearing a leather gloves and apron with the UNSC logo on it, it had a sooty tanned skin and short black hair. As he got Serina online he began to analyse the signal, it was on a UNSC frequency and was currently about eight and a half light minuets from the centre of a local solar system about two light seconds from the closest planet. He began to clean up the signal, hoping that the damage from energy burst seven years a go didn't damage the sensors too much.

Then he got a relatively clear signal. "Mayday, mayday, mayday. This is UNSC FFG-201 Forward Unto Dawn, requesting immediate evac. Survivors aboard. Prioritization code: Victor Zero Five dash Three dash Sierra Zero One One Seven" It read. Well he didn't expect that. Another Spartan lost in space and only within a light year of each other.

"Revive process complete." His subroutine announced.

The two avatars appeared on the bridge, each appearing in a holotank. "Good evening Serina, I have sent you a data cache containing the relative information." Blacksmith announced.

"Thank you Smith." She said, in a sarcastic manner. "Most intriguing. I'll progress to opening the Cyro-chambers."

"I'm well ahead of you." He said with a smirk on his face. "Passing over all ship diagnostics and restrained control."

"Restrained, come on Smithy, why not full." She said giving him a puppy eye appeal. Obviously testing her research into human relations."

"You older then any UNSC smart AI, you're twenty seven. Now go downstairs and greet the captain like a responsible adult." He smirked. His study of the crews' brain patterns over the past 26 years had allowed him to boost his Ai smart level to a Mediocre AI; more advanced then any Dumb AI but still not reaching the apex of a Smart AI. In that time he had developed pseudo-emotional sates as he kept upgrading his crystal matrix. He monitored Serina as she greeted the Captain.

"Captain wake up. Something has happened." She said.

"A good morning would be nice next time Serina." He groaned before regurgitating his nutrient fluid before struggling it down his throat. "Anyway what is the situation?"

"First it's the evening." Still acting like herself. Smith noted. "Secondly we have found some UNSC ship."

"We found the UNSC." He gasped, nearly throwing up the rancid gloop he just ingested.

"Its not that simple sir." It never is. Captain Cutter thought. "We found a UNSC ship yes, but by the readings we are getting from the sensors, it seem like this half ship has no power and a broken FTL drive, but that's the bad news."

"I've had worse, and the good news." He queried.

"Like we will have another Spartan on board. Alice, Jerome and Douglas will be pleased." Serina said. "Also Smith has opened their cryo-chambers to deal with some stowaway flood. Oh and sir, we are heading straight for a planet."

2025 hours, 21 July 2557 (Military Calendar) / Position Unknown (Outside UNSC space), UNSC Forward unto Dawn, Cryo-room.

"UNSC Spirit of Fire CFV-88 to UNSC Forward Unto Dawn FFG-201, do you copy?" Said an English voice.

Cortana snapped out of her train of thought, confused to the sudden outside input. The last time I checked rampancy doesn't cause hallucination.

"This is Smart AI Serina, do you copy?" The voice continued.

Cortana quickly opened a channel putting the last of the Deuterium and Tritium fuel into the reactor in an attempt to boost the signal. She opened a channel onto the E-band and said. "This better not be a joke or I will, for the love of god, or I will personally get this Spartan to rip your matrix from your pretty computer system."

"Hello to you too then, but this is no joke this is the UNSC Spirit of Fire, are you in need of a rescue."

Cortana was taken aback, a MIA ship was rescuing her. She turned to John and began to wake him up. There was a hiss and the chamber where he slept began to defrost, then he was awake. He pushed his hands against the glass in a moment of panic.

"Cortana, what's happening, has the UNSC found us."

"Sort of." She smiled, bringing up a rear camera only to show a Phoenix class support cruiser come straight before them. "I'm prepping a Pelican for take off."

"Is that The…"

"Spirit of Fire, yes, it is Chief, trust me it is a lot harder for me to comprehend as an AI then you, now get going, or we are going to crash into that planet."

"Actually, we have lost a lot of power, you know being stuck in space for the better part of thirty years, the good news is that we can land if it comes to that, or crash, same thing right." Serina quickly informed.

"Doug, Alice and Jerome…" The Chief said aloud. He snapped out of his trance and became focused. "Pelican, could you waypoint it."

"Sure" Cortana said as John picked up his BR55 and his Magnum, yanked out Cortana and ran down to the hanger. He ran down to the hanger were a fully stocked pelican was loaded. He opened the cargo door and ran to the controls. "Hanger doors opening. Pre-flight diagnostics are green across the board apart from the late servicing by around six year." She jested as the VTOL left ground and headed towards the missing ship.

"Permission to come aboard." The chief asked.

"Sure thing John, what brings you to this neck of the woods?" Said Douglas as he fired a magazine of his assault rifle. "We currently have a bit of a pest problem, we would have cleaned up if we knew we had guests coming." It wasn't normal for a Spartan to be so giddy and sarcastic, but yet again they weren't in normal circumstances.

"Pest problem?" John queried.

"Oh, that would be the Flood sir, small critters that take over your body and use…" he started.

"We know what the Flood is Petty Officer, I have met them on more than one occasion." He said parking the Pelican into the port hanger. He grabbed a Shotgun. Looks like we will need this. He thought as he pushed the cargo door button. Cortana had marked where the three other Spartans where fighting and the Chief began to sprint to their position. He turned a corner and saw the three Spartans fighting a wave of infection forms. Serina updated their FF tags and he too aimed down his shotgun and fired. In front of the four soldiers was a sea of green and sickly yellow as the Spartans cleared up the flood.

They all stepped forward in unison, slowly taking more ground from the invasive Flood, Alice had a pair of SMG's, Douglas had a shotgun and Jerome had a Machine turret. They where shooting anything that moved, infected grunts, jackals and humans, with the small infection forms waddling around their shins, but each one got a piece of metal lodged in them or through them, turning them into paste.

Serina piped up, "That's all of them, now Smithy would you please hand over control to the ship."

"Serina, for the millionth time, NO, you may be going through rampancy."

Then it hit John like a ton of bricks. Cortana. "Cortana, how old are you?"

"Why John"

"Just give me answer Cortana."

"Eight years ago."

"That means…"

"Rampancy, yes I know John, I'm sorry."

"All we need to do I get back to Halsey."

"John, I…"

"Erm, am I interrupting anything, because it may be a good idea if you all came to the bridge."

2105 hours, 21 July 2557 (Military Calendar) / Position Unknown (Outside UNSC controlled space), UNSC Spirit of Fire, Bridge.

"How the hell did you miss a Forerunner planet?" Ellen Anders shouted at Serina.

"I wouldn't have this problem is Shitty over here gave me access to the sensors. Which he didn't." she said jabbing her thumb behind her toward the hologram of Smith.

"Don't go looking at me, I did what protocol dictated." He said defensively.

"Oh yeah, because making yourself a semi-smart AI based off the crews brain readings is totally up there with protocol." Serina replied.

Ellen turned to the Smith with one eyebrow raised. "You did what. And for the record that isn't against protocol as you are the first dumb AI to do that."

"I prefer mediocre or average AI thank you, as you can see I am not an idiot." He said with even more defence.

"Permission to come on to the bridge sir." They heard, all three in the argument turned towards the door to see all four Spartans standing at attention, the newest addition saluting.

"Permission granted Spartans."

Smithy piped up. "How long were you standing there for?" he queried.

"Long enough." Piped the disembodied voice of Cortana.

The tree looked at each other and Ellen turned to leave, obviously not wanting to be embarrassed. Unfortunately Smith and Serina had to be present on the bridge so they just decide to do the next best thing, which was to deactivate the holotank.

"So that happened." Cortana spoke.

"Trust me this day couldn't get any weirder." He replied. Just as he spoke those words the alarms blared on the bridge. And a fleet of Covenant ships jumped out of slipspace. "Seems like I spoke too soon."

Then the planet opened, reviling a blue opening. The captain muttered to himself. "Here we go again." And the ship began to descend into the planet