What Occurred After the Last Scene

(Author's note) This is a continuation of the last cutscene of Halo: Combat Evolved.

...

"Did anyone else make it?" the Master Chief asked.

"Scanning," Cortana replied "…just dust and echoes…we're all that's left."

John let out a slow sigh as he turned his head down from the Longsword fighter's window. Outside, the cloud of debris that was Halo's remains was quickly receding into the distance. He started walking back to the pilot's seat as the AI continued. "We did what we had to, for earth. An entire Covenant armada destroyed, and the Flood… we had no choice." The Chief eased into his seat as she said "Halo… it's finished." "No," he replied "I think we're just getting started."

There was a slight hiss as John removed his helmet and leaned back into the seat. "Plug me into the fighter's terminal," Cortana told him. "I should be able to put us onto a course for home." "Got it." John pulled her AI chip out of the slot in the back of his helmet and slid it into the corresponding slot in the control panel. A moment later her figure flickered onto the hologram display. "Okay Chief, once the engines cool down I'll get them going and we can get out of this place." "Good." John leaned his head back and closed his eyes. As his lungs let out a deep breath, the tension in his body slowly faded. Looking over at him, Cortana asked "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. I guess I just didn't realize how tired I was."

"And I thought you didn't get tired."

John allowed himself a little smile at the joke. "No, they never trained us not to be tired. Just to keep going anyway"

"…When was the last time you ate?"

"I'll eat something later. I'm not hungry right now…"

"Okay then, you just rest a while."

They stayed that way in silence for some time. Cortana kept working on her tasks, and John lay back unmoving. But he didn't sleep. His mind couldn't stop thinking. After a while he took to staring out the window at the stars outside. As the ship moved away from Soell, the nearby sun, the outside lighting faded, and the lights inside the cockpit brightened to compensate. John just kept gazing out the window, thinking.

Minutes ticked by, until finally Cortana asked "Chief, what's bothering you?"

It was a moment before he replied. "We've lost so much, we've worked so hard, but the Covenant keeps winning."

"We're still going, aren't we?"

"Yeah, but for how long? So many sacrifices have been made. Keyes, Johnson, the Spartans… the Spartans. When this war started there were thirty-three of us, and now I'm the only one left. Everyone I care about is dying or dead, and I can't save them." At this point John leaned forward and rested his forehead on his arm on the control panel. His voice was weary, tired. "Oh Cortana, I want this war to be over. "

"I do too, Chief."

"I know, but it's not just that. I've been fighting this war for twenty-seven years, but I can't end it. No matter how hard I try we keep losing. Soon humanity will be destroyed, and I can't stop it."

"Chief, listen to yourself! You just saved all of mankind from extinction on that ring! You've fought more bravely, worked harder, and done more than anybody in existence. If anybody should be satisfied with what they've done, it's you! Yet here you are going on about how you can't do everything! Well guess what, you can't do everything, and you've got to accept that!"

The Master Chief was sitting upright again. After pausing for a moment, he slowly shook his head while saying "You're right… I'm not sure what came over me. I guess I just want to know when it's all going to end. The war's worn on me more than I've wanted to admit."

"You don't have to worry about when it will end, that's not our call. We just have do what is our duty now. That's the life of a soldier."

John thought about that for a minute before finally saying "Yes… we'll just have to keep going no matter what happens. Thank you, Cortana."

"You're welcome. I can't have you despairing on me, can I? Now unless you want to sit there for the entire ride, you should go into one of the cryo-chambers. It'll be a few weeks before we reach the nearest UNSC outpost."

"Alright, I'll do that." John got out of his seat, seemingly with more energy than he had before, and walked over to the fighter's cryo-chambers. As he lay down in one, ready for sleep, Cortana said one last thing.

"Good night, Chief"

He genuinely smiled this time. "Good night, Cortana."

...

(Author's note) Please let me know what you think of my story, I'd love feedback so I can improve my writing.