Halo: Project Reborn
Prologue
Current location unknown, nearing the Epsilon-Indi system
U.N.S.C frigate "New Dawn"
The observation deck
"Why is it blue?" Captain Isheri broke out in curiosity as he stared out to the fast blue and black blurred whir wash past the ship at an incredible pace. It first appeared that he was talking to no one, and then a blue figure appeared on a small pedestal behind the captain. The figure was tall compared to most AI's; he had chosen the Avatar of a Marine, to attempt to boost the morale of the soldiers when talking to them. His head was mostly covered by his helmet, but what could be seen of it revealed sharp, prominent cheek bones, promptly pulling up his chin to look sharper. Although the AI was blue in appearance, it was clear he had been attempting an image of a Caucasian Human. When is image had stabilized he raised his hand to his head, saluting the Captain.
"Could you not of asked a more entertaining question?" The AI responded, lowering his hand back to his side, his voice rough and sharp as a Human Marine.
"Just a thought…" Isheri responded bluntly, the curiosity in his voice seemed to drop to a minimum. The AI read as much.
"We aren't far from our destination now" He said hopefully "I have to admit; even I am finding this journey boring. How longs it been now?" He continued, not expecting the Captain to respond to his question. He didn't in fact, but twisted his body to look at the AI on the pedestal. His face looked alarmed at what he had just heard.
"I was unaware that AI's had any sense of boredom Chuck." Isheri said worryingly. "Don't be alarmed, I am a 7th generation AI. I am able to comprehend boredom- among other things of course" Chuck replied, trying to calm the Captain, who turned back to staring outside the window.
"It's not as if there's not anything to do" He replied quickly, asserting his authority.
"My sub-routines are handling all of them Captain." Chuck responded, almost sparring with the Captain. A sudden rumbling spread through the ship, gently taking the Captain off of his balance.
"Steady" Chuck smirked. The blue and black blur that the Captain was once interested in began to slow and dissipate, revealing a large red star in sight of the ships observation deck.
"We're here, Chuck awake the crew and scan for the position of the planet. Get us there as soon as you can" The Captain ordered the AI. Then muttered to himself the famous words of almost every commanding officer in the U.N.S.C,
"Something's not right" and then glazed out of the window, staring out at the bright orange sun. There was a silence on the observation deck for a while, then interrupted by the crackle of the ships comms system.
"Captain, you might want to see this." The voice on the other end exclaimed with a sense of panic in his tone.
"I'm on my way" Isheri responded, wondering how the owner of the voice got dressed and to the bridge so quickly.
When the Captain reached the bridge, he was met by two marines guarding the door, holding MA5C assault rifles. The two marines saluted, it was a while before the Captain responded with his salute, which was more of a wave, by this time he had been a step through a set of doors, which opened to his presence. The bridge was surprisingly already bustling with activity. The shape of the bridge was somewhat like half an egg. The navigation, communication and defence systems and there users were placed along the curve, breaking in the centre parallel to the entry doors; above them was a long window, which also ran along the curve of the bridge, becoming wider in the centre. The middle of the room was occupied by a holographic map console, to which the captain stopped at and placed his hands onto it, leaning forwards.
"Who called?" The Captain took a deep breath in knowing that the news that was about to come was going to be bad.
"Captain" Sprung out a voice, the doors opened behind him and tall and bulky marine walked through. Without looking the Captain knew who it was, and titled him Sergeant. Who replied with a voice that made himself seem important.
"Chuck and I found something whilst looking for the planet"
"Go on..." The Captain seemed curious at this, although the Sergeant insists he is of the highest importance, he would never interrupt the Captain for a minor matter, and when he had done in the past it saved the whole ship.
"It's a beacon; a beacon left here from a wreckage of an old Sangheili ship, Chuck has been converting it for compatibility now."
"So what, it's probably from the fight over Harvest. Why are you bothering me Sergeant?"
"It was date stamped for four months ago…"
"Chuck" The Captain summoned shortly. Chucks avatar sprung to life on the map console, shining, again he saluted.
"Captain, Sir" He said, then dropping his arm.
"Show me that beacon" The Captain ordered, folding his arms up to his chest. There was a brief moment of silence as Chuck dissipated into the Map console, shortly a loud crackle burst into the bridge, and the voice of a marine filled the cold air.
This is *Large explosion from a fragmentation grenade* of the U.N.S.C ship "Cold Winter"… *The hissing of plasma rifles fills the air and blocks the voices*… We have been engaged by *A human screams in agony and blocks the voice* and have suffered severe losses... *Another round of plasma and MA5C assault rifles are fired in a large blast, the roaring of a Sangheili follows quickly* Under Protocol *A static replaces the noise of the battle field*
"Hold on Captain, There is a glitch in the Beacon." Chuck took over. Silence swam round the room like a delusional spirit.
"Sir I am unable to repair the rest of this beacon, it is possible that the ship had sustained immense damage. However-" Chuck paused and the Captain let out a sigh.
"This was never going to be a simple mission was it?" He paused. "Is there more Chuck?" Chucks avatar appeared again on the map console but this time in the corner.
"I was able to salvage a crew status list from "Cold Winter's" data base" He projected a holographic list on the map console.
"Do you want to count it yourself or should I give you the stats?" Chuck commented mournfully. The Captain didn't reply, just moved his hand slightly to gesture a yes. Chuck being an AI found it near impossible to read such an action, not one he had come across before, so he had come to the correct assumption that he meant yes.
"Seven hundred and eighty two crew members- Seven hundred and seventy KIA, two MIA, presumed KIA, The remaining Ten are planet side, and current status is unknown." No response.
"Show me the survivors." The Sergeant filled in for the Captains lost words. There was a flicker on the display, the Sergeant mimicked the Captains stance and on the opposite side of the console leant his hands onto the edge. Ten names appeared on the screen. The Captain squinted at the list, he noticed something wrong, but his head hadn't caught up with his soul yet.
"The MIA's?" The Captain asked curiously, folding his arms.
"Pilots Sir" Chuck responded. There was a pause. "I know what you're thinking." He continued. "The Spartan team present on the ship were confirmed KIA."
"KIA?" The Sergeant swallowed with intensity.
"What could have been so powerful to have out matched 6 Spartans?" The Captain's face was solemn.
"Could do with the Chief now…" The Captain stroked his chin slowly.
"What do you recommend Sergeant?" He said after a pause. The Sergeant didn't respond, just shrugged his shoulders.
"Planet Side…" Chuck said almost intentionally attempting to create tension
"Chuck?" The Captain asked, knowing that he need not, he had already made an assumption that wasn't far from the truth.
"The Planet isn't here" Chuck seemed curious at this more than anything else. "Checking Coordinates" He paused for a moment.
"This is defiantly the Epsilon-Indi System… But there is defiantly no sign of Harvest" For minutes there was only silence in the bridge.
"We should head back" The Sergeant broke out suddenly. "Get grant for a fleet and investigate."
"Good idea. Chuck send a message to FLEETCOM back home and request reinforcements. Priority Alpha. Then search for any signs of where the planet has been taken." Ignoring the Sergeants suggestion almost entirely. For a few moments the Captain stood awaiting for Chuck to respond with some sort of explanation that only he himself would understand, until suddenly Chuck looked at the Captain and told him
"Sir there are almost 3,000 theories to where that planet went. Go get your self a cuppa yeah…" Then disappeared into the pedestal the bridge fell silent and the Captain stood silent and still on the bridge.
The Captain found himself waiting for several hours before any sort of response.
"Found it!" Chuck shouted, flickering his avatar onto the pedestal. To this the Captain smiled gently, but that was soon to be changed. Chuck showed the Epsilon Indi System on the map console, with all the planets barring Harvest.
"Initially I was stumped, however the solution came to me after Spartan Commander Cole asked the location of "Cold Winter's" Wreckage."
"And…" The Captain snapped.
"It's not here. You were right to some aspect, the wreckage you see outside was from the first encounter with the covenant" The Captain grew even more curious.
"I thought maybe the ship could of burned up into the sun, when I found the wrong type of radiation to prove it" The map console showed the position of Harvest where it should have been Four Months ago.
"Harvest was destroyed?" The Sergeant asked, who had only recently walked into the Bridge.
"I don't know that for certain. What I do know though is that it was taken."
"Taken?" The Captain seemed scared.
"A slip space rupture big enough to swallow an entire planet and all ships in orbit" The Captain's face dropped, rumours of such a thing had been heard all over the UNSC, he had no idea that anything like this could have been true.
"Can we track its location?"
"Negative Captain, we would have had to of been here two weeks after at the most."
"Can we re-open the portal?"
"Analysing" There was a small pause. "Negative, I don't have the sufficient flight data"
"Helpful" The Captain paused to think.
"There is one thing I could do- but I doubt it will work"
"Tell me" The Captain new that this wasn't going to be an orthodox plan, but he was already desperate.
"Slip Space radiation is significantly special compared to any other radiation. I believe that if we were to fire one of our nukes into that radiation and prime it to detonate at the correct point, it will create enough energy to open up the portal again." Chuck presented this as a simulation on the map console and the Captain watched, deciding on whether or not he would give the plan the go ahead.
"Sir, FLEETCOM have granted your permission for a fleet and are sending it to arrive here in 18 hours." The Sergeant walked back into the bridge.
"Chuck?" The Captain didn't ask his question but Chuck knew what he wanted.
"If we are to do this we need to do it now, the radiation from our engines is already beginning to corrupt the Co-ordinate data we need."
"Alright, drop a beacon for the fleet, then prime that nuke."