February 4, 2531 / 15:46 (surface time)/ Spirit of Fire Captain's Log / Harvest
Captain's Log, February 4th, 2531. Five years. Five long years. That's how long it took us to get Harvest back. At first it was going well. But then setback after setback. Loss after loss. It made what was going to be a quick and decisive win into five years of Hell. Of course that's all Harvest is today; it's Hell down there. But now it's ours again.
Our own personal Hell.
Sometimes I wonder if it's worth the fight. After the Covenant glassed our planet, Harvest became a frozen wasteland over much of the northern hemisphere. The Covenant continued to scour the surface, setting up dig sites here and there. We don't know what for, but it keeps them busy. My reason says that Harvest is lost. But my conscience…
I find myself determined to fully retake Harvest, and I find that I'm not alone. The UNSC has sent me a civilian scientist, Professor Ellen Anders. She is apparently exceptionally bright, and studied under the guidance of Dr. Catherine Halsey. ONI sent her on board the Spirit of Fire to help us determine what the Covenant has found on Harvest.
A relatively large concentration of Covenant has been detected, which includes a high-ranked Covenant soldier; something akin to a General in the UNSCDF from what we're able to tell.
And so we will fight. Find out what this Covenant concentration is all about, and neutralize a threat to Humanity in the process. Time will tell if our efforts here are worth it.
Ellen Anders woke from her sleep as the roar of Titan-class heavy drop-ships thundered through the hull of the Spirit of Fire. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes, groaning. That can't be good for hull integrity, Ellen thought to herself as she got up from her bed, if they could be called that. The Phoenix-class colony ship was outfitted with cots that were more comfortable than a steel slab, but not by much.
"Professor Anders, your presence is needed on the Bridge," the ship's AI Serina informed her. The AI's British-accented voice carried the tell-tale warble of Artificial Intelligence, something that did nothing to hide her haughty, know-it-all attitude. "Do try to hurry; the Sergeant has almost arrived at Alpha Base."
Ellen rolled her eyes as she put her hair up into a bun. She held it with two mahogany chopsticks, which served to accent her Arcadian heritage. They were gifts from her father, and something she had fought to bring on board the Spirit.
She glanced out the four-foot thick windows of her room, watching the Titan drop-ships drift slowly towards the surface of Harvest. The ships had been fitted with ample supplies to continue the war; supplies that not only included a direct comm-channel to the Spirit, but an inside factory to produce UNSC authorized vehicles, a barracks for troops to live in while not in combat, and an advanced excavation system that accessed pre-placed make-shift bases set up during the First Battle of Harvest.
Ellen left the view and headed towards the door to her quarters. The door automatically slid open as the professor grabbed her coat. She slipped it on over her casual wear as she walked towards the Bridge, paying little to no attention to the Marines that shared the corridors with her.
She soon arrived at the Bridge, passing through the doors as they opened to her clearance. She glanced to the ship's Captain, James Cutter, before turning her attention to the holo-map table in the center of the room. Her gaze was met by a projected image of Serina, bringing a silent groan from Anders. The AI was displayed as wearing casual lab dress; black slacks and a white blouse, though the colors were varying shades of blue.
"Sergeant Forge, report," Cutter said, giving the Professor a friendly nod as a greeting before turning to face the Communications Display.
A monitor on the adjacent wall updated to a broadcasted view of Sergeant John Forge, currently on his way towards the most recent concentration of Covenant activity.
"Definitely plenty of bad guys down here, Captain," Forge said, his voice muted through the camera's microphone. "And they found something under the ice."
"Dammit," Cutter swore under his breath, "that complicates our mission." He addressed the Professor. "Anders, what have you got?"
"Captain, scans of the northern polar regions shows some interesting Covenant activity on the surface," Ellen said as she gestured to the displayed topography, "There's some kind of structure down there." The holo-table displayed an accurate, constantly updated map of the area. The structure was highlighted in red.
"What do you think they're looking for?" Serina asked, before the Captain was able to.
The Captain leaned on the table, studying the area carefully. "That's what we're here to find out. We're to bring Alpha Base up to operational status and take control of that site." He pointed to the outlined area on the map for emphasis.
Anders nodded eagerly. "I'll get my equipment ready, Captain." As she turned to the door, she was stopped by Forge's objection.
"Lady, there's no way you're coming down here on the first bird!" he said, a hint of concern in his stern voice.
Anders smiled at the screen, though she rolled her eyes as she exited the door. It annoyed her to no end when Forge patronized her, and he did it quite often. She made her way back to her room with every intention to head planet-side as she tossed her lab-coat on her bed. To prepare for such an excursion, she reviewed notes on the Covenant's dig site, as well as related intel of the surrounding area and other known prehistoric alien ruins. It fascinated her that so many linked and similar structures were found on many UNSC colony worlds. They all seemed to belong to the same long-extinct alien society, and they all seemed to have contributed in some way to humankind's technologic progression. Because of this, the UNSC had named them "Forerunner." Ellen wished that she could have had the chance to have known at least one; there was so much they could learn from one another!
"Professor Anders," Serina interrupted her thoughts, "A Pelican dropship will be available to transport you to the planet surface; Pelican Bravo two-nine. Forge has encountered Covenant forces at what remains of Alpha Base, and is currently cleaning house. I recommend you postpone your little adventure until the area has been cleared of alien resistance."
Anders looked up from her notes, giving a stern glare though the AI wasn't physically present. "Thank you, Serina. Duly noted." She replied with cold pleasantry. "I will wait if it is absolutely necessary, though my moral may be drastically impacted to pick through meaningless observations of rubble."
"Most excellent, Professor." The AI replied with a frustrating level of impartiality, "I will relay your decision to Captain Cutter and Bravo 29."
Anders sighed and returned to her notes. Well, she thought to herself, At least I'm able to get off the ship.