Disclaimer: this is fanfiction; I do not own the Halo brand.
/11 DEC 2552
/ 0459H
/Location: exit trajectory from installation 00
/ Longsword XA-443
/ERROR: FFG-201 not located
Insufficient fuel for return to UNSC controlled space
Recommend Spartan James-390 enter Cryo immediately
James-390, a Spartan II turned ONI spook, glanced angrily at the console. At 41, he stood at a towering 7'5, and weighed 258 Lbs. without his armor; he was a perfect example of a super soldier. Finely tuned muscles rippled over unbreakable bones, piercing gray eyes and light brown hair adorned a head that held one of the smartest minds of the Spartan II program. ONI deemed him too smart for common Op's however, and quickly took advantage of his brain planning infiltration and S&D missions on high value targets. The MK IV Tacitus armor was similar to the MJOLNIR in Design, but the shields were three times as powerful.
Next to him in the pilots console, a hologram pad warmed and Serena, his personal 'smart' AI given to him by ONI, chose the form of a simple ball of light, pulsing in and out as her processors constantly worked. "James, I suggest you enter Cryo immed-"
"I've read the report, Serena" James replies, cutting her off "what do you think our chances of actually being found are?"
"Too small to calculate, I'm afraid" her avatar shrinking to the size of a gumball, a twitch she's developed when she's nervous
"We'll make it, we always do" As he stood, James walked towards the back of the Longsword. It was the standard hull of the GA-TL1 gutted, and added a fairly large armory for one man, an en suite jamming and a 'theoretical' Dark-Matter reactor that technically doesn't exist. Just like him. He walked over to the Cryo tube, entered the code, and as it opened he said "How long until we run out of food, fuel, and oxygen?" James asked Serena, knowing instantly replied "Food will be fine as long as you stay in cryo, 150 days, two meals a day once you exit. Fuel, we have a limited amount, about three hours of half thrust. The reactor could last indefinitely with proper maintenance, but we don't have that. It will last about 50 years. After that, we can run it till it detonates, of shut it down indefinitely. Oxygen is the same situation as food, however only 15 hours of breathable O2." "Serena, as soon as I'm out, shut everything down except the systems needed for cryo and your Main systems. Also, wake me when you find a planet I have a decent chance of living on, or we make contact with a ship" "Yes sir" He climbed into the Cryo pod, and the last thing he saw on the view screen as the pod closed and he fell into the oblivion that was cryo-stasis was the Milky Way, slowly revolving as it always has and always will./ 24 NOV 2554
/2158H (Approx)
/Location: unknown
/Longsword XA-443
/Warning: Main reactor malfunction
Auxiliary reactor engaging
Time until depletion: 912.5 days
/ALERT: Main reactor ejected
Time until reactor implosion: 15 Days
Distance thrusters active
/28 DEC 2554
/1403H (Approx)
/Location: Unknown
/Longsword XA-443
/Warning: Long range scanner failure
Scan range reduced to .1 AU
/Warning: Auxiliary reactor shutdown in: 880.7 days
/15 FEB 2555
/0026H (Approx)
/Location: Un-explored Binary star system
/Longsword XA-443
/WARNING: On collision course with unknown planet
/Warning: Auxiliary Reactor shutdown in: 830.9 Days
"James! James! Come on Spartan, you need to wake up!"
James, still in a half comatose state from improper Cryo recovery slowly starts to wake up. The first thing he notices is a large planet looming nearby, with large oceans, rolling greens and browns, and what looks like a hurricane about to hit the edge of a continent. The red emergency lights are going off, giving everything an eerie red glow. "Serena, what the hell is going on?" James asks, still groggy.
"We're on a collision course with that planet; I cannot access the flight controls, or the cryo pod release. I need you to pull the emergency lever to get out of the pod and manually fly this ship in."Serena yells, a hint of urgency in her artificial voice, her avatar turning a violent red.
"What's the status of our planetary scanners?" James asks, all tiredness forgotten. He pulls the lever and kicking the hatch open, allowing him to exit.
"Operable, would you like me to scan the planet?" Serena asks, already scanning
"That would be nice, so yes" James, as he sat in the pilot's seat, he couldn't help but feel a little uneasy about plunging into the unknown, no backup, no way out, and no runway for this Longsword.
/PLANETARY SCAN REPORT
Temperature: ~86.4 F
Gravitational force: ~1.06 G
Atmosphere: Earth like, with variations in CO2 (-5.38%)
Breathable atmosphere: Yes
Native plant and animal life detected
Large heat signatures detected: possible civilization centers
No advanced technology detected
End report
Archive Y/N?
"Any large flat areas on this side of the planet where I can land safely, Serena? I'd prefer to be as far away from any civilization as possible before I learn more."James, with a little unease asks
"Unfortunately, the only area I can find that is large enough to safely land in is near a heat signature, though not as large as some of the others, I suggest you start maneuvering immediately to land at this way point." As Serena said this, a waypoint appeared on James's HUD, along with a flight plan outlined by small red circles. "Well, this isn't going to be fun