Halo: Glassing Halo
Prologue
The Covenant cruiser Avenger of Truth loomed ominously over the ring known as one of the Halos.
In the bridge, the Spartan, Ricoh-119, turned to his friend, the Sangheili (Elite) Zealot Zorro' Zamamee.
"This is it, eh?"
"Yes, this is the place. Installation 07. We have arrived."
Ricoh gazed out into space, staring long and hard at the installation. He was struck by the peacefulness. So tranquil, so quiet, so inviting. But they knew better.
Ricoh turned to another Spartan at the controls.
"Is it safe?" he asked.
The Spartan tapped furiously on the controls, effortlessly reading the Covenant glyphs that blurred across the screen.
"Yes," she finally answered. Calling up a scan on the screen, she pointed to the installation. "The installation is deactivated. No Flood activity detected either."
"Thanks, Juliet," Ricoh said. He turned to the controls. "Call all forces.. We're going in."
The Avenger of Truth turned and slid smoothly toward the ring.
Installation 07
Flood Containment Facility
In the facility, the dormant Gravemind awoke.
It had been long. Too long, in fact, when the Halos had been fired and he, along with other Flood, had been forced into indefinite hibernation.
Until now.
Arise, my brothers! Arise! The Flood shall rise again! he commanded.
And it did.
One by one, each door of the cells in the facility imploded as the Flood pummeled its way through. Scores of Infection Forms surged through in a seeming tidal wave. A handful of Combat Forms leaped through the doors. Carrier Forms waddled clumsily through.
And two Tank Forms lumbered through.
Gravemind surveyed the gathering of the Flood. Not bad, for a start.
But not good enough.
Mobilize all forces on this installation. Gravemind boomed. There must be more Flood here. Go!
The Flood forces surged into the facility, smashing everything in their sight, obtaining weapons, finding a way out.
Gravemind cackled.
The Universe is ours! He cried with pure joy in his voice.
He rethought his last sentence.
No, he corrected. The Universe is MINE!
Gravemind's rumbling, maniacal laughter echoed around the Flood containment facility as he too broke free of his cell.
He could feel it. The Flood around the galaxy was still alive. He called out to them to arise and escape.
The Flood has risen again, he snarled to no one in particular. The Forerunners were fools to think that they could stop us! No one can stop the Flood! No one!