Spartan 2445
Location: New Mombasa, Republic of Kenya, Africa, Earth, Secret UNSC Arsenal ten kilometers under Hotel Zanzibar
Date: October 20, 2552
Local Time: 7:35:52 p.m., 30 minutes after slipspace event
Unit: spartan-2445, Experimental Mobile Heavy Armament Platform (MHAP)
Status: Cryochamber power failure, cryo-sleep interrupted, thawing initiated, Alive
The cryo-chamber hissed as it opened. Warm air spilled from the inside as did the inhabitant. The spartan fell out of the chamber coughing and gasping. Immediately, robotic arms grabbed the spartan and began to apply several pieces of weaponry onto his armor. After a few minutes, the spartan stood on his own and looked at himself in a broken mirror.
His helmet looked like a traditional Mark IV helmet, but with extra plating. In fact, all his armor had extra plating, but none of it restricted his mobility. There was a miniaturized version of a Magnetic Accelerator Cannon over his left shoulder. He had a M247H Heavy Machine Gun strapped to his back with three spare boxes of ammo. He had several anti-vehicle grenades on his right and left shoulder pads and three chamber rockets on his right arm.
"Activation code required. Please speak the activation code," came the VI in the spartan's helmet.
The spartan looked at the bright red letters.
Activation Code: DSL-927
"Delta-Sierra-Lima-niner two seven," he said.
The armor powered up and now he could move. He started walking forward when the floor beneath him started to move. He looked up and saw the ceiling open. Light came down on him, but it wasn't bright, happy sunlight. It was dark, dusty, and ominous. The platform stopped short, his head and half of his chest past the street level. He sighed and tried to open the armor.
"Mechanical malfunction, opening servos malfunctioning," the VI said.
[LOCATION/"/NEW MOMBASA/"/REPUBLIC OF KENYA/"/AFRICA/"/EARTH/"/HOTEL/"/ZANZIBAR]
[UNIT/"/AI/"/URBAN INFRASTRUCTURE/"/SUPERINTENDENT]
[STATUS/"/ACTIVE]
The Superintendent scanned several streets, but has only found dead Covenant and UNSC forces. He should have done something, but he was too slow. He continued scanning through the security cameras that were still online. He hoped he would find someone that was still alive so he could lead them to his data core. There was a Covenant asset repairing him and hacking him at the same time. Ever since the slipspace event by the Covenant, he had been trying to regain his previous level of control.
Suddenly, an alarm came on and told him that there was someone alive. He turned to that sector and saw that a part of the street opened. He went into his memory core and remembered what was down there. He also remembered that the asset was under "deep freeze." He deduced that the cryochamber power had failed. He zoomed in and saw the [UNSC/"/ ASSET/"/INFANTRY/"/ELITE/"/SPARTAN/"/ID:2445/"/]. He saw that the platform had stopped short. He knew that he couldn't put all of himself in the helmet, so he took his subroutine and copied him. He explained everything and sent him to the spartan.
Location: New Mombasa, Republic of Kenya, Africa, Earth, Hotel Zanzibar
Date: October 20, 2552
Local Time: 8:54:36, 114 minutes after slipspace event
Unit: spartan-2445, Experimental MHAP
Status: Active, Annoyed
Something came on his HUD: a little blue circle with two eyes. It looked at him and blinked, then it pulled up a screen.
"Vergil: Are you [UNSC/"/UNIT/"/INFANTRY/"/ELITE/"/SPARTAN/"/ID:2445]?" it wrote.
"Yes," he said.
Vergil had a happy face and pulled up reclaimed logs from the Superintendent.
They were stolen Covenant troop deployments in New Mombasa, armaments, ships in the fleet, and plans. They seemed to have found something in New Mombasa and attacked to take it.
"Any idea what it is?" he asked Vergil.
"Vergil: No idea, but the Superintendent says that it is important to them."
He sighed and went back to his problem. He was still stuck on the shallow platform. Vergil went through the armor's systems and pulled up schematics of the boots. He showed that the armor had rockets integrated for increased mobility. They acted like a jump pack. He pulled up the systems and activated his boots.
They warmed up, then he violently went up and forward. It was like an increased jump and he landed on the street. He smiled.
"Ok, lets go see if anyone survived this mess," he said.
Location: New Mombasa, Republic of Kenya, Africa, Earth, Covenant Containment Checkpoint Alpha
Date: October 20, 2552
Local Time: 9:00:02 120 minutes after slipspace event
Unit: Nat'Vadamee, Covenant Minor Domo,
Status: Alive, deployed, ready to move
Minor Domo Nat'Vadamee, unknown sister to Thel'Vadamee, led her grunts on a patrol to the next checkpoint in the human city. Her armor was polished and shiny. She had her Type-51 Carbine on her back, her Type-25 Directed Energy Pistol on her thigh, and her Type-51 Directed Energy Rifle in her hands. She had a Unggoy Major with a Type-33 Guided Munitions Launcher, and three Unggoy Minors with Type-25s. Her mission was to hunt down the rogue Huragok that escaped the Covenant execution team. She led her squad down the street. It was dark in the city, but she didn't mind.
They walked for a few hours, but the Major got them lost in the city. Nat sighed and shook her head and activated her radio to her comrade's channel.
[Major, this is Nat'Vadamee, can you give us your coordinates? My Major got us lost] she asked.
[static]
[Major, respond]
Nat wondered if there was a human jammer nearby and called her squad to formation. They continued walking for a few more minutes before they heard an explosion. It was from a plasma grenade and it was close. Nat led her squad down the street. She arrived at the next checkpoint just in time to see a Jiralhanae Captain execute the Sangheili Major in charge. Nat watched in horror and confusion as she saw sangheili bodies litter the floor. However, she put the pieces together quickly and had her squad fall back.
Suddenly, there was another explosion. It came from a rocket and that meant humans. Nat turned and saw that the Jiralhanae Captain's head was gone. A large human robot landed in front of the body and pushed it aside. It was massive, but Nat could see the familiar helmet of a human elite warrior and the most destructive unit in the the human army: the spartan.
Location: New Mombasa, Republic of Kenya, Africa, Earth, Gregory Street
Date: October 20, 2552
Local Time: 12:36:34, 336 minutes after slipspace event
Unit: spartan-2554, Experimental Mobile Heavy Armament Platform
Status: Alive, engaged in combat
He launched a rocket and watched in delight as the brute's head exploded. He jumped from his perch and landed on the street, cracking the ground under him. He pushed the decapitated brute aside and took out his machine gun, gunning down the Covenant forces. Plasma and needles hit his shield, but nothing broke through. He kept up his bulletstorm until all the brutes were dead. The grunts that were there ran before he could get to them. He checked his ammo in his machine gun.
Hundred one rounds left in the box, he thought.
He put his machine back onto his back and started walking down the street. However, he looked up and saw an elite with its grunts. They stared down at each other for a while, then he looked at the massacre scene. There were dead brutes, elites, and grunts, but no marines or police units. Also, he saw the brute execute the elite. He didn't really care as both species were going to die by his hand, but he thought it weird. he turned back to the elite and found the squad was gone. He frowned and continued walking.
Location: New Mombasa, Republic of Kenya, Africa, Earth, Gregory Street
Date: October 20, 2552
Local Time: 12:42:16, 344 minutes after slipspace event
Unit: spartan-2554, Experimental Mobile Heavy Armament Platform
Status: Alive, tired, annoyed, concerned about UNSC casualties
The spartan walked down Gregory Street, scanning the bodies for anything living. His boots kept hitting the ground hard, so he kept his eyes on his proximity radar. Suddenly, several needles hit his shield near his head, but they didn't break through. He looked up and saw the grunt major from earlier retreat. He started to follow it, then several shots of plasma hit his back. He turned and saw the three grunt minors from earlier. Seeing the old squad from earlier, he turned quickly and grabbed the Sangheili's arm. She had a smaller energy sword in her hand, but he disarmed her. He punched her in the chest, her harness bending, and sent her flying. He took his machine gun and killed the three grunt minors. He turned to the grunt major and saw a plasma grenade being thrown at him. Vergil activated something in his armor and he raised his hand. The grenade almost hit his hand, but a small vacuum held it, like a minispace was in the palm of his hand. He threw the grenade back and blew up the grunt.
He turned to the elite and saw that a brute was standing above it. He activated his jump-pack and flew forward. The brute aimed its spiker at the elite's head. The spartan punched the brute's head, cracked the helmet, and crushed its head. He picked up the brute and threw it into a building. He turned to the elite on the ground and saw that there were three spikes in its arms. He walked up to the elite, who was still alive, and pulled out one of the spikes. The elite roared and jumped up, becoming alert to everything. She held up her energy sword, but then dropped it. Her arms were too injured to do anything. The spartan walked up to her to see if he could help. Then she quickly scooped up her energy sword and stabbed him in the stomach. The energy sword was too small, however, and did not touch him. He grabbed her arm and broke it with a sickening crunch. The elite fell onto its knees with agony, but he wasn't done yet. A massive hand cannon, much bigger than the standard-issue magnum, unhooked from his thigh and he aimed at her head.
"I tried to help, but you elites are too stubborn," he said.
He pulled the trigger and her blood splattered all over him. He holstered his hand cannon and started walking again.
"Vergil: You spartans are cold," Vergil said.
He just ignored Vergil and walked down the road. Then he saw a plasma line in the distance and immediately knew what was going on: New Mombasa was being glassed.
Location: New Mombasa, Republic of Kenya, Africa, Earth, 1200 feet over New Mombasa Square
Date: October 21, 2552
Local Time: 1:46:12, 406 minutes after slipspace event
Unit: Orbital Drop Shock Trooper, SN:11282-31220-JD, Lance Corporal "Rookie" UNSCMC
Rookie looked over the city as it was being glassed and was glad that it was evacuated. Still, the city, or what was left of it, would have to be terraformed and repopulated. Everything would have to be rebuilt and that would not be an easy job. The five Covenant ships in the sky actually impressed Rookie. The Covenant had a lot of firepower behind them. Rookie grinned under his helmet.
I hope we meet again, he thought.
Suddenly, he got a connection on his helmet. He turned on his radio.
"Hello?" he asked.
"This Sierra-2554 requesting immediate evac. We are still in the city, repeat we are still in the city," came a voice from the other side.
"Sir, I have a spartan on the line calling for evac," the Rookie said to Buck.
Buck turned to him and then to Vergil.
"Negative, we can't put our asset at risk," Buck said.
The Rookie nodded and turned off his radio.
Location: New Mombasa, Republic of Kenya, Africa, Earth, Gregory Street
Date: October 21, 2552
Local Time: 3:10:04, 490 minutes after slipspace event
Unit: spartan-2554, Experimental MHAP,
Status: Active, Running from Covenant Glassing beam
This was the fourth plasma beam he had to run from. He kept running, the plasma seemed to chase him. He used his jump pack and bolted into an alley. he landed wrong and ended up on his back. The plasma beam went past him, but not before heating up the suit almost a hundred degrees. It started glowing and cooled down just as fast. He got up and looked at the molten ground. It was black and liquid-like. He shook his head and started walking down the alley. He came out the otherside to be overshadowed by a Covenant Assault Carrier. He sighed and ran down the street. This time, three phantoms followed him from the carrier. They fired at him, but kept missing. He shot both rockets and destroyed two phantoms. The last one flew in front of him and dropped off its troops. He took out his machine gun, but then it was covered in liquid plasma. He dropped his gun and took his miniature MAC. He fired and destroyed the phantom. He jumped over there and landed on two grunts. The elites fired at him, but his shield held. He took out his magnum and fired at them. The .70mm calibre bullet tore through the elite's shield and armor. He kept firing until they were all dead. He reloaded and continued walking. Then a brute chieftain smashed him with a gravity hammer. He skidded against the road until he stopped himself. His shield was half way down, but recharged. He fired his magnum and killed the brute in three shots.
Then he heard something behind him. He turned and saw another plasma beam. He turned and ran away. He used his jump pack when he could, but it wasn't enough. The plasma beam slowly, but surely caught up to him. He used his jump pack and went to the side. It went past him, but heated the armor a lot. Wires inside the armor popped and the armor died. He couldn't move.
"V-Vergil…" he said.
The little AI looked at him and had a worried face.
"Vergil: Are you alright?"
He coughed.
"Armor's dead and I can't get out. Send out distress signal," he said.
Vergil did that and tried to get the armor's systems back online.
"Don't bother, several wires are disconnected. Servos are shot and the hydraulics are done," he said.
He moved his arm out of the sleeve and onto his stomach. He took his other arm and pulled it out. He could raise his head and move his helmet. He looked up and saw the breaking dawn. He sighed and dropped his head.
Location: New Mombasa, Republic of Kenya, Africa, Earth, Residential Building 294
Date: October 21, 2552
Local Time: 5:00:00, 600 minutes after slipspace event
Unit: spartan-2554, Experimental MHAP
Status: [ARMOR: Severe electrical damage, right elbow joint damaged, left knee joint damaged, backup systems unresponsive, communications intact] [PILOT: Active, hopelessness setting in, hungry, dehydrated, uncomfortable, mentally stable]
He sat there, rusting with his destroyed armor. All he had was Vergil to keep him company. He was hungry, dehydrated, and tired. The Covenant have left New Mombasa. No doubt Master Chief is chasing them to the edge of space. He chuckled, thinking of John and the rest of Blue Team. Suddenly, he felt something grab his helmet. It came off and he looked up and the familiar visor of John.
"Speak of the Devil," he said.
"Hello Miranda, lets get you home," John said.
Miranda-2445, abducted by Dr. Halsey to be the first one woman spartan Army, smiled at John. John stood her up and tore the armor off of her. They walked off to the pelican. Miranda held her helmet in the crook of her arm, Vergil safely inside.
9
