Chapter 1:
September 17, 2552 (Military Calendar)
Sydney, Australia, Earth
"Damn it no!"
Spartan-122's fist hit the key board. Tears poured down her face and anger manifested its self in her stomach. She sat at her computer watching a video feed from Reach.
Helplessly watching as the last orbital MAC gun falls from orbit; Reach's last defense. Now nothing can stop the Covenant from glassing the planet.
Were the other Spartans on Reach? Is she the last one? The questions she asked herself had no answer. How she wished to be on Reach fighting.
But, now being the last Spartan she had to complete her revenge and destroy the ones that killed her comrades and her home.
She got up from her view screen and silently walked out of the control room. She silently walked down the hall her head only raising to make sure the coast
was clear to slip through a hidden door which lead to a secret interior of the building. Had she looked up she would have seen the many water and electricity
pipes that keep the building running lining the walls and roof of the hallway. But she was too busy contemplating what to do next to notice any of her surroundings.
She reached the end of the hallway and said, "Spark, access code S117T9122."
"Access code accepted," A female voice said back. "Welcome Claire; Spartan-122." What used to be the end of the hallway opened to reveal a large dimly l
it room with computers lining the walls and a large hologram projector projecting Earth.
"No time for formal greetings Spark, we have work to do."
A smaller hologram projector that sat in by the larger one blinked on and revealed a red AI dressed in a kimono with a glowing lightning pattern on it.
"What can I do to assist you ma'am," the AI replied.
"I need a progress evaluation on project 245931."
"
The AI is operational; however brain is not fully operational. I estimate its 87% done."
Hmmm…..only 87% damn. Claire thought "Spark evaluates risk of a shut down if we prematurely activate the AI"
"There is a 25% chance the AI will not survive it."
Can I risk it? Reach is gone the covenant will target Earth first this AI can help he can help us all.
Claire looked at the Hologram of earth. "I can't let them do to Earth what they did to Reach," Claire whispered. She sat down at one of the super computers.
"Spark give me manual control."
"Controls given"
Claire typed codes and a scramble of words that anyone who has no knowledge of AIs would think of as just a string of random letters and numbers.
To her she was prematurely activateing the AI she had no time to lose. She pressed enter sealing the deal; and the dark lab was flooded in a bright purple light.