I am alive, most of you have most likely given up on the second halo fan fiction, but I am still working on it, most of the work is done, and now it just needs to be cleaned up a little and then written. Writing will not take that long once we get into the swing of things. Things are going so great with the planing that my writing partner and I have a 3rd story in the works.
Now I have had this 3 chapter story in my had for a while so I decided to write this out, and it will affect the next halo story.
Cortana finished up a regular report on Infinity's engine and filed it in the computer. Nothing has changed since the Infinity was commissioned 6 years ago. After she did she sipped her coffee, thinking about what she would do after she was off shift. She pulled out her personal data pad and sent a message to John.
-Hey, I am almost done with my shift, did you want to grab a bite to eat afterward?-
She got a immediate response. -Almost done with a war game, will be free in about 45 mikes.-
-OK, I will be at the cafe. Meet you there.-
Her replacement came in and said hello and put her purse in her locker.
"Did I miss anything while I was away?" She asked.
"Nothing out of the ordinary. Just the normal stuff." Cortana said as she streaked her arms over her head.
"Cool, were you doing anything after 0800? We are both off tomorrow and I got passes to that new club that Lasky finally approved on the recreation deck. Besides, I hear Fire team Crimson will be there." She said with a smile while pouring her self some coffee.
"As much as I would enjoy that, I have to pick James up from his baby sitter at 0900." Cortana stood up and got her purse. "Besides you know that Crimson hardly ever comes out into public, what makes you think that they will show up for sure?"
The woman shrugged and sipped her coffee. "Maybe they wont, but maybe they will."
Cortana signed off the computer terminal and said good luck. She made her way up to the bank of elevators near the end off the hall way, with the engine room all the way in the back there was not a lot of traffic through the area, so the elevators were almost always where you left them.
She got on one and rode it up to a level with the transport tubes. She got on to the tube and there were a few people on board. Not that surprising, what was surprising was the man that was sitting across from her.
"Hey Cortana. Its been a while."
"Two Years, what took you?" Cortana
"Been busy, got through college, got married same as you from what I see." He said pointing at Cortanas ring on her hand. "Got a job in robotics and have been working that to support the kid."
"You have a kid? What is her, or his name?"
"Alein, after the kid I pulled out of that bunker. Are we on the Infinity?"
"Yes we are. I am meeting John at a cafe in a few. Did you want to join us?"
"Sure, I did not start this dream on my own so I might as well see where it leads me."
"Yeah, I forgot you were the one normally in charge of this 'dreams'."
"Yep, but I have had a few not in my control before."
The transport stopped and the two got off walking in a hallway with stairs leading up to the recreation deck at the end. After they climbed the stairs they came out onto the deck.
"Things have changed since I was last here. The sky is new." He said while looking around.
"Yeah, Roland suggested that, and he uses a small chunk of his processing power to make it more life like, there are rain simulators now for a small park they put in at the end of the deck. Things are a lot different now we are at peace with the Covenant. Though the sky does shut off when there are battles so Rolland has 100% of his power."
Max nodded thinking back to the time he had spent on the ship with his friends. What a time that was. The two of them went to the cafe and got some coffee while waiting for john to show up.
"So what happened to the teleporter pad after we all left?"
"Mother had it moved along with your body's. I don't know where though."
"OK, If we ever really travel back to this time we will use them again."
They talked for a while about Max's life and what was going on then. After 20 minutes a man approached Cortana. The man was of a spartan build, he had dog tags but it was under his shirt with just the chain showing.
"Excuse me but... Cortana?" The man asked. Max and Cortana tensed up a little. Only ONI, UNSC, and a hand full of people knew that Cortana was human now.
"Who are you?" Cortana asked the man.
"Look a bit closer."
Cortana did, looking the man up and down. Max had his side arm at the ready in its holster. After a moment Cortana's eyes widened. "Oh... Max, this is... This is Noble 6, He carried me on Reach when the Covenant were just about done with the planet."
Max stood up and shook the mans hand. "Not only that, but he has been a major part in winning the war, not just reach."
"What do you mean?" Cortana asked.
"He was on the Spirit of fire, he was a tactics officer. After that the ship was with out a slip space drive, but they had enough parts to build a makeshift one and jumped back after a year to build and test the drive. After that he was made into a Spartan and fought on reach, he would have died if it was not for one of my dreams. The sword missed his heart by centimeters and punctured both lungs, I stopped the bleeding and got one of his lungs re inflated after I sealed it with biofoam. I was pulled from my dream before I could do anything else."
"I was wondering who kept me alive." The man said as he pulled up a chair and sat down.
"This one man has been there for everything hasn't he?" Cortana said
"Yes, and now he is Fire team Crimson."
"A fire team is 4 people." Cortana said.
"John has his luck, He has his skill, a skill I might add that comes from all the players of the video games."
"How do you know all of this?" The man asked.
"ONI has all the records of the halo games." Max said taking a sip of his coffee.
"ONI knew all of this and did not even warn us?" Cortana said anger in her voice.
"Look where we are at now, we are on a ship with hard light capability's, battle armor we would not have had 20 years ago. Technology we have now is because of them." Max waved at a few San 'Shyuum (more commonly known as Prophets) walking down the street."
"But they experimented on the flood." She pointed out.
"To try to get the flood to work for us. I am not saying they are the good guys, but they did try to help."
"How does this man know so much? About ONI, about me?" The man asked.
"I come from a different time." Max said. "Do you mind if I call you 6?"
"Not at all, so what is the future like?"
"The past really."
"If you are from the past... Then how do you know all of this?" 6 asked.
"When I come from, this." He waved his hands around them. "This is all a video game, mostly for older teens and adults. After certain things started lining up with the lore of the game, ONI was formed and all the games, books and movies were kept from the public and only ONI's higher ups were the ones with the knowledge of what was to come. Any one that knew anything was dismissed as crazy, I did my self when I was was on earth to retrieve a A.I. when the flood broke out of the bunker. One of the ODST's had a grandfather that knew what planets would be attacked and in what order by the Convenient. At first I dismissed it, but now I know differently."
"So whats in the future for us?" 6 asked.
"Yeah, if ONI knows, then so do you right?" Cortana asked.
"Sadly, no. There were two more games, but the kicker is me. I have changed history, another reason I have not dreamed to much. You remember the planet requiem?" Max asked.
"Yeah, there was a Forerunner there, we took him down and he is locked up in a cell right now, but I don't know where."
"Right, now, the game had Captain Del Rio in charge of infinity back in 2556 right?"
"Yeah, he went insane and Lasky was second in command at the time, UNSC was happy with his performance as acting captain, so they made him full captain of the Infinity."
"During 2556 the fourth halo game in line that followed John, you were on the spirit of fire and came across the planet Requiem. The planet scanned what was left of the ship, you woke John up." Max said starting to explain.
"I had a dream that was like that." Cortana said. "It was more like a nightmare."
"Right and after John woke up on the surface, you had an episode right?" Max asked.
Cortana nodded.
"Now John stopped the Didact, but you died saving him at the end of Halo 4. Del Rio left John behind on the planet because John protected you from being deactivated after another episode. Fleet com was unhappy with that and made Lasky Captain."
"So some things are lining up." 6 said.
"Right." Max said. "Now I was with the Elites in another 'dream' that were looking for you and John after the civil war in there species happened. I have no idea why Requiem did not find you first, but I helped plot the search pattern. I helped find you guys. That is when everything changed." Max looked up from the two and saw John. "And speaking of change." Max stood up and shook Johns hand. "its been a long time John."
"Yes it has Max, aw hell come here." John pulled him into a hug. Johns hair was starting to catch up with his real age and not the younger cryo age. But he was still a active spartan, and has not slowed down one bit.
"I think I know why I am here now." Max said after he was let go.
"For John?" Cortana asked as she got a hug from John after he shook 6's hand.
"Yeah, I have been working on my dreams and I can normally tell how long I have, I have a few days and I need to get John somewhere."
"Is there a fight?" John asked with slight concern in his voice.
"Not on a battlefield, I cant explain right now. Cortana, do you mind if I borrow him for a few days?"
"I requested a few days off anyway, if Lasky sees you, he will know its important and let John go." She said.
"Where are we going?" John asked. "And what gear should I bring?"
"Just bring a suit with you. I will handle everything else." Max said right before downing the last of his coffee. "6 it was nice meeting you in person, stay safe."
"6? as in noble 6?" John said.
"Yep, but I don't have much time right now."
"Yeah, I was told 6 was on Crimson Team. And they have the war games room for the next few days for regular training." John said.
"Yep, see you around." He said as he walked off.
John said his good byes to Cortana and he and max walked off towards the bridge. After they got there, they found out Lasky was in his ready room. So after walking some more, they knocked on the door and it opened. "Come in." Lasky shouted out. John and Max walked in.
"Damn, I was hoping for a easy day." He said when he saw Max.
"Well its good to see you too Captain." Max said with a slight chuckle.
Lasky stood up and shook his hand and then offered them a seat. "So are you really here or..?"
"Just 'dreaming' sir, but I know what I am doing. I am here for John and was hoping to borrow him for a few days." Max said as he and John sat down.
"I'm sure its important if you are here in a 'dream'. Where are you going?"
"New Eden, I was hoping we might be somewhere close."
"close enough for a quick jump, but the Infinity is on a time sensitive mission. So I am not going to be driving her there if that's what you are thinking. But its not all bad news, I do have some cargo for New Eden and my frigates are slip space ready. So why don't I kill two birds with one stone?"
"That easy?" John said.
"That easy, normally I would not, but this is not normal if he is here." He said pointing at Max.
"Alright, when do we leave?"
"I'll have her loaded in a hour, ships name is the Macao." Lasky said shuffling some papers.
"OK, anything we need to do in between now and then?" Max asked.
"Not really, Palmer might like to see you Max."
"Me?" he said kinda surprised."
"Yeah, she should still be on S deck." He said has he signed a document.
"OK, See you next time I come around."
Lasky looked up. "Next time?"
"Yeah, I am only here for a few days remember?" Max said standing up, he shook Laskys hand and the pair left.
They made their way to S deck and found Palmer among the ciaos. "Commander Palmer" John called out to her when they saw her.
"Chief, what are you doing back- Max?" She said with surprise in her voice.
"Long time no see." Max shook her hand.
"Two years more like." Palmer crossed her arms.
"Yeah, so I noticed." He looked past her. "What is Alein doing on the Spartan deck?" He asked as Alein was a few sections down disassembling one of the older MA5B rifles. He was taller now, and in good shape. His hair was crew cut, no longer the tangled mess that Max had remembered.
"He wants to be a Spartan, some of the older Spartans are helping teach him until he is old enough to do some real training. Remember that old saying 'It takes a village'?" Palmer said as she picked up a tablet and pulled up some records. She handed it to Max. "His testing shows that he is a great learner and will possibly make squad leader right after basic. His future is bright if he wants to really join up."
Max let out a small sigh. "Personally I was hoping he would not go into the military. But if that is his wish, who am I to stop him?" He handed the data pad back to Palmer. "Just make sure that he does not hurt himself would you?"
Palmer paused for a second. "... Will do."
"Well we should get going, we are going to New Eden on the Macao." John said.
"See you next time around." Max said.