Halo: Genetics
Phase 1.0: Authors Notes
This idea has been lurking my head around for a while, so I thought I'd finally try getting it onto paper. Simply put, it's my take on what happens after Halo 3. That said, I won't be trying to replace the upcoming Halo 4, so I'll make every effort to end in such a way that it could fit in the gap between.
Yes, another Halo 3 follow up. This one should be a little different though. At least once it gets going anyway.
I use the UK version of English though, so some minor spelling differences to the USA version of the language may be present.
And finally, for now at least, sorry for the rather odd sense of humour. I'll try to keep it under control.
Glossary:
I'll be regularly referring to the races of the Covenant by their true names. For those not up to date with these, they are as follows:
Grunt: Unggoy
Jackal: Kig-Yar
Elite: Sangheili
Hunter: Lekgolo
Brute: Jiralhanae
Drone: Yanme'e
Prophet: San-Shyuum
Engineer: Huragok
Disclaimer: The plot is mine. Everything else, at least for now, characters, technology, universe, etc. is the property of 343Industries. Well, bar one character at this stage…
Phase 1.1: Awakenings
Space is rarely seen as empty. The awareness has a habit of skipping across the void, of coming to rest – seemingly at random, on some point of note. What this point is may not be immediately apparent. But it is always there.
Take now for example. Looking around, there doesn't seem to be anything worth noting. Black emptiness, distant pinpricks of light that we like to call "stars". Apart from that, and the odd atom invisible to the average naked eye, nothing.
But then the mind starts to notice discrepancies. Little things, seeking to alert you to the fact that, once again, the minds eye has been anything but random. In this case, a large circular area where the stars are… strangely absent.
And then the sun emerges from its edge, showing that said void is in fact, a planet. A circular patchwork of green and grey, laced with streaks of blue. A planet that by all rules of probability shouldn't exist. It orbits alone, around a star that likewise sits in the middle of nowhere, many light-years from the nearest galaxy, swirling overhead. A rogue system shouldn't even have formed, after all, where did the rest of the material go? Unless of course, the laws of probability allowed for exactly the right amount to form everything we see in front of us, and no more.
Suddenly, a weak glimmer of reflected starlight. A ship, incomplete, twisted and distorted. It gradually tumbles inward, heading for an impossible orbit that can only mean a fast and flaming descent to destruction.
And there! Another ship approaches the world, this one in considerably better condition. But nonetheless, the Spirit of Fire has been through troubles just as dire as the all but derelict Forward unto Dawn. It doesn't show so much from here, but the interior is another story altogether. The ship's cryotubes are mostly empty, the vehicle storage bays all but clear of man and machine. And the most critical portion of the ship, the Shaw-Fujikawa Translight Engine, is missing altogether. And that, is why the colony ship turned warship has been coasting under its regular drives, trying to cross the vast distances back to Earth. To say it would be a long haul, is vastly understating the sheer magnitude of the endeavour.
But at least the ship is reasonably intact, unlike the tormented Forward unto Dawn...
It has been a long time since this world saw visitors. And now two ships show up at once. When the ruling intelligence below finally takes notice, it's probably going to be more than a little surprised.
So what will it think when the others arrive?
###
UNSC Stalwart class Frigate, Forward unto Dawn
The ship was wrecked, no doubt about it. Missing its front half, heavy damage to the remainder, it shouldn't even have been in space. Yet, things had improved since the last time anyone living had looked in. In the cryobay, much of the debris had been cleared away. There was an atmosphere, odd considering the lack of hull integrity, or of the hull full stop. Something had been making repairs.
And as we all know, one of the ship's notorious inhabitants had spent the journey in cryosleep, and the other notable persona on board wasn't exactly equipped for manual labour. Which made the Master Chief all the more confused as he started to come round.
"Chief? Wake up."
As if he wasn't trying to already. His skin itched like a swarm of hornets had taken up residence in his armour, which is the typical response of the skin when any form of garment is worn during cryosleep. Wearing a full suit of MJOLNIR armour suddenly didn't seem like such a good idea. He gagged, bringing up a mouthful of bronchial surfactant, then swallowed it straight back down. He didn't need to be told about its nutrient qualities yetagain.
Gradually, his eyes adjusted to the light. They wandered about, noting the discrepancies compared to when he'd gone into cryosleep. And then they focused on the figure in front of him. The slender blue woman of light standing on the holotank.
"Cortana?"
"Chief. You may want to get moving, we've got a problem."
"Brutes?"
"No, no, nothing like that."
The Chief relaxed.
"Just the simple matter of a planet hitting us in the next couple of hours."
And that was it for the relaxing.
"What?" he said, pulling himself out of the cryotube in one smooth motion.
"A planet. Right in our path. I thought that might be something you'd like to be woken for. Are you feeling alright?"
"Yes."
"Is that it? No "thank you" or some oth-"
The Chief held up his hand for silence. As Cortana watched, he re-orientated himself and pushed off the tube, heading for the door.
"Chief-"
He simply made the "kill noise" gesture as he took up position by the door. The tension in the room rose sharply.
And the door slid open...
###
UNSC Phoenix class colony ship (modified) Spirit of Fire
Onboard the Spirit of Fire, a very similar event was taking place.
"Captain, wake up. Something has happened."
Déjà vu was the first thought going through Captain James Gregory Cutter's mind. His eyes focussed on the holotank in front of him. Or more precisely on the hologram of the AI standing on the tank.
"Hmm? Didn't you say that last time Serina?" he said, getting out of the cryotube.
"And how else would you like me to wake you up? Something to do with coffee?"
As usual, the young looking AI always managed to put some sarcastic remark into everything she said. But Cutter wasn't having any of it this time.
"So, what is it this time? Another unexpected course change?"
The first time he'd heard her "something has happened" line, it had resulted in a change in heading, away from Earth. The ships sensors had picked up an odd reading from a location several light years away, outside the galaxy. It had had strangely similar characteristics to the shield world that the Spirit had all so recently left. And considering that said world had been home to a fleet of warships, all of which equipped with FTL drives, maybe the same could be said for wherever the reading was coming from.
Cutter had made his decision. The source of the anonymous readings was a lot closer than Earth. And so, he had ordered Serina to change course, the maintenance crew to go into cryosleep, emerging every six months to check on things, and for Serina to switch to a lower level running mode that would hopefully extend her lifetime.
"No sir. Perhaps you should take at look at this though."
An image appeared next to her on the holotank, her own figure shrinking slightly to give it room. She'd want payment for that later.
The display showed the Spirit, and a planet.
"You'll be pleased to know that there was something waiting for us. Just what that something is, however, could be a lot better."
Now another object entered the display. The shattered corpse of a once proud UNSC vessel. It rolled bow over stern, its course looking dangerously like it included an imminent collision with the battered Spirit. And judging by the speed of the hulk, a collision only a minute or so away at that.
"Don't worry Captain, it won't hit us. You think I'd endanger my survival with such a risky intersection?"
As the AI spoke, there was a distant bang, and the whole ship lurched to one side. For the two yellow suited crewmen who had just entered Cutter's field of view, there was the predictable result of making new acquaintances... with the nearest bulkhead.
"Besides, what else are these emergency manoeuvring thrusters supposed to be used for? Unwanted item disposal?"
And now, judging by the hologram, the wreck of the other ship would pass harmlessly overhead. Hopefully, anyway.
"Serina, as much as I appreciate your attempts to lighten the mood, could we cut to the chase for once?"
Serina frowned. Evidentially the lack of coffee in the captain's bloodstream was making him grouchy. She'd have to rectify that... if she got a chance anyway.
"Yes, captain. That other ship is UNSC. What it is doing out here is anyone's guess, but the transponder reads... Forward unto Dawn? Odd, not in my databanks. And for that matter, judging by what's left of the thing, neither is the ship model. Going by the size, probably a frigate or-"
"Serina..."
"Captain. Very well, I'll fill you in on the rest of the situation. For 25 years or so, there isn't much to say though."
Cutter was starting to get annoyed. Had Serina always been this difficult? He decided to interrupt.
"Serina, have you tried contacting them yet?"
Serina broke off her monologue, looking a little confused.
"Uh, why? It is derelict after all, nothing could possibly be alive over there. I mean, if the lack of oxygen didn't get them, the explosive decompression certainly would have. You humans aren't exactly well equipped for dealing with space first hand. Or hadn't you noticed?"
"And," replied Cutter, trying to keep his rising annoyance under control, "What about other AI's?"
"Well, uh..."
For once Serina looked flustered. Or was that just the image flickering?
...
Flickering? And as Cutter watched, it completely dissolved into static.
"Serina?"
Nothing. Just the faint crackling sound. And with his attention diverted, he failed to notice that the source of the problem was very much visible to him. The display of the star, the planet, and the two ships was still functional. And on it, the derelict that was the Dawn was just now passing above the Spirit.
Ten seconds went by, with no improvement from the Spirit's supposedly all powerful AI. And just when Captain Cutter thought she wasn't going to improve...
"Well, I guess I never thought of that."
...She did, with no apparent knowledge of her brief loss of existence. And now Serina was left wondering why the captain had gone silent all of a sudden.
"Uh, Captain?"
...
"Wakey, wakey captain. Come on, you've had enough sleep!"
With a jolt, Cutter dragged himself from his quiet musing. He had at least come up with a partial theory for Serina's momentary lapse of operation. But for now, they had other fish to fry.
"Serina, open a channel to the derelict."
"Aye sir. Activating ghost ship medium service."
###
UNSC Stalwart class Frigate, Forward unto Dawn
Cortana was not amused.
To be fair, this was probably her fault. She should have given John more warning for a start. Even the famed Master Chief could find himself in difficult situations after all...
But this one, took the cake.
The Chief was not amused either. If any of the Covenant, or more precisely the Elites, could see him now, his status as "the demon" would take more than a little beating.
The little Unggoy facing him probably agreed. Fresh out of the cryotube, the Chief was not yet at full strength. Which was why he was currently engaged in a wrestling match with a simple Grunt, and only just managing to hold his own.
Of course, if he'd just listen to his brain instead of his instincts, all this would be unnecessary. The stubborn little alien was chattering away madly, words that were strangely not being translated by his MJOLNIR's onboard translator. Loud it may be, but at least it hadn't yet fired the nasty looking, fully loaded Needler it was carrying. The Needler that the Chief had tried, and failed, to remove.
And now, stalemate. The Unggoy, a mere Major in rank, had somehow managed to manoeuvre him into a position where neither could exert any real pressure. So, how was he going to get out of this one?
"Oh, for heavens sake! Enough, you two!"
Cortana's voice caused a momentary halt to the struggle. But only momentary. In a burst of motion the Chief managed to take his opponent by surprise, grabbing the Needler and flinging it away. The Unggoy responded by whacking his helmet, hard, sending his head spinning. He made a mental note to never voluntarily enter cryosleep again.
"STOP. IT. NOW!" shouted Cortana. And if the Chief had been just a bit quicker looking in her direction, he would have noticed her normal blue colouring momentarily turn a much harsher red. But reluctant as he was to disengage, he failed to spot this.
The Grunt, with better reflexes (at least for now), did.
"Chief, try to keep your animal side under control. Now, very slowly, release the Unggoy and step away."
Slightly perturbed, the Chief did so. And finally, the logical part of his brain had a chance to have its voice heard. For one thing, it said to him, not all Unggoy sided with the Loyalists during the Covenant civil war. For another, this one had entered dragging a small trolley loaded with UNSC equipment too big, or unwieldy, for the diminutive alien to handle. And it, not to mention the trolley, were not floating as the lack of gravity dictated they should. Magnetised shoes and wheels apparently. So, maybe it wasn't here with hostile intent after all...
Cortana started talking again.
"Right, now that you've stopped trying to kill each other, some instructions. Chief, this is Patab."
She put quite a lot of emphasis on the "B", to the point where a third "A" almost materialised.
"Patab, this is the "demon". But you know that already, don't you?"
Patab made some kind of barking noise. Apparently the translator was still out for lunch.
"Yes, I know you had plenty of time to look in the freezer when you were tidying up. Speaking of which, you'd better go get your gear. We want to be off this thing in the next twenty minutes. You do remember the way to the Pelican, don't you?"
The Unggoy made another indecipherable sound. But judging by the way it turned and left, it must have been a yes.
The Chief waited a moment, then ensured his MJOLNIR's boots were touching the floor. A slight tweak to the programs overseeing MJOLNIR operations, and they slightly magnetised. Having the artificial gravity on would have been better, but you had to take what you had. Without complaining.
He clomped over to the holotank.
"Where did he come from?" he asked.
"To be perfectly honest, I'm not sure. I assume he ran out of ammo and retreated on board during your fight on the Ark. I only spotted him after you went into cryosleep. Strange, but UNSC sensors have a huge problem picking up his lifesigns, which is why it took the motion tracker embedded in the wall near where he'd been sleeping. After I got a new translator program running to deal with his rather odd dialect, I got him to make a few repairs – note the atmosphere in here – and put him in another cryotube. Enough details yet?"
The Master Chief nodded. It had been dangerously close to too many details.
"So, beyond the planet and the stowaway, what's the situation?"
"Well, we've been in transit for about four years. I happened to recheck the maintenance probes and find out that all of our remaining fuel, emergency thrusters tanks included, has somehow managed to leak out. Which, considering we've been grabbed by the gravitational field of this inconveniently placed planet, means our options are limited. Simply put, we grab the Pelican down in the hangar and abandon ship. It isn't a particularly attractive option, but it beats staying on board right through the screaming death dive."
"And once we're off?"
"Head down to the surface at a somewhat more manageable rate than the speed the Dawn will be trying. The planet is Terra-compatible, but beyond that I can't tell very much. Most of our sensors were up front, and we all know what happened to them. At least the Pelican survived and is flight re-
"Hold on, we're picking up a transmission. It's an old frequency, not used much now. Let's see..."
She looked distant for a moment, before another voice started blaring through the cryobay PA.
"...ire to UNSC Forward unto Dawn, do you read me? I repeat, this is UNSC Spirit of Fire to UNSC Forward unto Dawn, are you receiving me?"
There was a minor pause, before the voice started talking again, this time to someone on her end of the link.
"Look, no-one's going to answer. That ship's deader than a Grunt at a SPARTAN party. I did tell you."
"Just keep trying Serina."
"Yes Sir... UNSC Spirit of Fi-"
"UNSC Spirit of Fire, this is Cortana, currently ship's AI for the UNSC Forward unto Dawn. Um, please hold for a second while I deal with a minor issue."
She cut the outgoing connection, allowing her to speak to the Chief.
"Spirit of Fire? Last I heard, that ship was lost after the Covenant attacked Arcadia in the early stages of the war. It jumped out system without any warning or explaination, and was never seen again."
"Until now."
"Until now. By the way, we're going to need to get out of here pretty soon, get yourself ready," she gestured at the trolley Patab had left behind "and I'll deal with the Spirit."
Seeing no flaw in Cortana's argument, the Chief stomped over to the trolley.
"Spirit, this is Cortana. To whom am I speaking?"
The trolley contained a number of spare parts for the MJOLNIR, apparently Cortana had got Patab raiding the Dawn's spare equipment lockers. He grunted, then began the fiddly task of swapping out the burnt out... or nearly burnt out... components of his armour, with fresh ones from the trolley.
"This is Serina, shipboard AI of the UNSC Spirit of Fire. And the lovely gentleman you're about to speak to is our esteemed captain, James Gregory Cutter."
"Yes, yes, Serina, enough of that. Cortana, this is captain Cutter. To say this is a surprise would be understating the situation."
"The feeling's mutual, captain. I would ask what you're doing out here, but we're a little pressed for time over here."
"We?"
"Myself, one SPARTAN, and... one other. You may not have noticed, but this ship is about to enter the planet's atmosphere, and I have no options to prevent this. We're abandoning ship in about twelve minutes."
"If that's the case, you're welcome over here. Red team in particular would be pleased to meet your SPARTAN."
"Thank you captain. We were planning to head down to the planet's surface, but you've just given us an infinitely more appealing choice."
The lights flickered slightly. Cortana frowned. "That's odd, our reactor seems to be on the blink."
She said it purely for the Chief's benefit, but Cutter heard the comment as well.
"Hold on, did I hear that right? You're having a little power problem?"
"Well, yes. With the ship in this condition, it doesn't really come as a surprise. Apart from the fact my diagnostics program shows all green."
"Interesting. It may surprise you to learn that out power supply is playing up as well. And I know our reactors are in perfect working order. I thought it might just be surges from shutting down all the cryotubes at once, but-"
"Captain!" Serina suddenly interrupted, "Reactor output falling at a critical rate! I estimate total power failure of essential systems, including life support, in approximately 25 minutes!"
"What? Serina, run diagnostics. Pinpoint the problem now!"
"Already doing so captain, I am a smart AI you know."
...
"Internal scans show no problems beyond the actual power loss. Judging by this, and the Dawn, I'd say the problem has an external source. According to sensors... Confirmed! Crazy unknown readings emanating from the planet below!"
"Any way you can stop it?"
"No captain. Not with the resources we have, or the time."
"Dammit! All right, Serina, issue evacuation warnings, get everyone off this ship, any way you can. I assume we can still abandon ship?"
"Umm... Yes sir, Pelicans, ODST drop pods and other coward's ways out all still working. Whatever this interference is, it only seems to affect larger ships. There's probably something nastier waiting for us small fry."
"One bit of good news at least. Forward unto Dawn, looks like we'll have to reschedule that rendezvous for planetside after all."
"Roger captain, we'll meet you groundside. Cortana out."
The Master Chief, having finished his business with the trolley by hauling out a trio of weapons, came over to the holotank once more.
"Time to leave?" he asked, adjusting the position of the late Sergeant Johnson's SPARTAN Laser resting on his back, then strapping the Sangheili plasma rifle and M6 magnum to his hips. Not the usual places to store them, but he had little choice.
"Yes, I think so. Unless I've forgotten something crucial. No, don't think so.
"You know the drill. Yank me."
###
UNSC Pelican dropship Gamma 91, Orbit of unknown planet
The somewhat patched looking Pelican dropship burst from the doomed frigate's hangar, and just in time. As the once proud Forward unto Dawn tumbled ever downward, it's surface began to glow from the heat of re-entry.
Inside the Pelican, the ambient temperature was somewhat cooler. The Chief sat in the pilot's chair, Cortana plugged in to the controls. As for Patab, the not happy at all Unggoy was further back, sitting solo in the troop bay. Apparently, it hated the sight of space, so the cockpit was a definite no-no.
Some distance in front, the vast one and a half mile long Spirit of Fire was clearly visible, a large quantity of lights leaving its dark hull. Some were heading straight down, relying on nothing more than simple gravity to drag them planetward.
"Spirit is launching drop pods and Pelicans," stated Cortana, quite un-necessarily. "And some old Hawks and Hornets if I'm not mistaken."
Never one for un-necessary chatter, the Chief simply angled the nose of own Pelican downwards, heading on a rough intercept course for the Spirit's own dropships.
As they descended, gradually getting closer and closer to the planet's surface, he peered below, through the gaps in the cloud. There wasn't much to see at this altitude, just forests, a lake or two, and mountains. Grey splotches were also visible, but before he could do much theorising on what they were, there was a shrill yammering from the cabin behind.
"Calm down Patab, we'll be down soon."
If anything, Cortana's comment made Patab's noise making even more frenzied.
"Chief? I'll take over piloting for a moment, you go and see what's agitating him."
"Are you sure? I might just scare him even more."
"Just don't do anything to upset him and you'll be fine."
Back in the marine compartment, Patab had a very good reason to be upset. He'd first noticed the problem when a faint, unwanted smell had somehow managed to penetrate its way into his methane rebreather. A quick tour of the cabin, courtesy of his nose, a loosened access panel later, and...
Yes, there was a problem.
"Cortana? Our friend has a point."
Like a fire in the wires! And as the Chief watched, the portside engine stuttered. Ignoring the Unggoy's ever increasing panic, he dashed back to the cockpit.
"Let me guess," queried Cortana, "Patab picked the wrong Pelican to patch? Or just didn't read the manual?"
She didn't get a reply, apart from another stutter from the rear. Both engines this time. The Chief pushed the control stick as far forward as it would go, sending the Pelican into a nosedive.
The portside engine stuttered one last time, then died altogether.
"Chief, the Pelican won't be able to level out without its engines, these things aren't exactly aerodynamic! Pull up!"
The Chief did no such thing. "We can't glide without them either," he growled, mouth struggling with the G-forces, "I know what I'm doing."
The wispy layers of Stratus clouds approached, filled the windscreen, and were left behind. Below, a jagged hole in the towering Cumulus clouds was being torn by the falling star that was the Dawn.
"But at this rate, we'll…" Cortana paused as her thought routines finally gave her a prediction that might allow for continued existence. She calmed down slightly.
"Oh. So that's what you're up to. It's risky, but… you've got the luck."
And now the Cumulus clouds were looming in the windscreen. The Chief made a slight heading adjustment, aiming for the hole the Dawn had cleared. He needed to see what was below after all, no need to ram into a mountain lurking in the clouds. But as he did so, three of the Pelican's manoeuvring thrusters failed as well.
Below, the patchy green began to resolve itself into individual trees.
The comm. unit chirped, the Pelicans off the Spirit finally noticing something was up. Cortana quelled it, knowing the Chief hardly needed more distractions at this time. Good thing Patab had finally shut up then, the little alien had probably passed through fear into calm acceptance, acceptance of imminent demise.
But the Chief was hopefully going to prove that acceptance unnecessary. He began to fire all remaining thrusters, trying to level out.
He almost made horizontal before the starboard engine died.
And with the Pelican still travelling at mind boggling speeds, there was little left he could do but try and minimise the size of the crater they were going to make.
The landscape flashed by. A great sea, a pair of islands. Foothills, then a massive escarpment that the Pelican only just managed to clear. Fields, mountains in the distance. Woods, a river. Trees, branches, and…
Nothing.
The Pelican ploughed into the ground, tearing a horrific scar through the forest as its momentum allowed it to break through spindly trees with ease. Then gradually, friction got the upper hand. The dropship slowed, and finally ground to a halt.
And there was silence.
…
The interior of the Pelican was, to put it bluntly, a shambles. No human could have lived through that!
…
Well, no ordinary human. And as the sensors embedded in the MJOLNIR showed stabilising lifesigns, Cortana let out a sigh.
"Well, that could have gone better…"
###
Authors notes:
Well, that's it for chapter one. It was a long one for my first chapter ever, but things should go quicker from now.
I've already set up a few Chekhov's guns here, see if you can find them all. Some are fairly obvious, others you'll need to be versed in Halo backstory to find, for example, Cortana did forget something.
Oh, and Serina's lapse of operation will be covered later. If you've read Halo: The Fall of Reach, you may already know the answer.
Finally, I've only actually played Halo's 1 and 2, so anything referring to the other games comes from the Halo wiki, or the official Halo encyclopaedia. And I'll be referring to the books too.
Please read and review, feel free to offer criticism if it's constructive, and point out any errors.
Next phase: The Demon Falls to Heaven