Chapter Three: Ready, Set, Go!

0500 hrs; March 2552, Installation 03

The Pelican vibrated as it passed through the artificial atmosphere of the Halo. The nose of the pelican burned as it entered the ring world making the whole flight to creak like an old pirate ship. The occupants of this pelican, the Alpha squad was led by Sergeant Taylor; who got up and peeked out through the cockpit as he held onto the railing tightly. It was Delta Halo all over again, but at least this time he was not in a blind drop in a pod like last time.

The visions of mutilated flood forms and screams of his marines rang in his ears as he looked at the familiar structures came into the vision as they passed through the first layer of the atmosphere. Those massive shining structures stood there looking back at him with the same daunting looks as he first laid his eyes upon back in the Installation 05.

"ETA in 5," the pilot announced.

"Team, gear up. Check the COMM," Taylor shouted over the roaring sound of the Pelican, which was now cruising between a valley of Forerunner architects. They were followed by the Bravo and Charlie teams on their respective Pelicans, led by Captain Jonah's personal men. Those Pelicans broke the formation and took another route as their landing sites were strategically placed to flank the Alpha landing site.

"This is Alpha 2, check," Handy replied back as he clipped in the magazine on his SRS99-S5 Sniper rifle and pouched the extra magazines on his vest.

"This is Alpha 3, Check," George replied as he readied his Designated Marksman Rifle. Followed by Clara, "This is Alpha 4, Check." And finally Simon, "This is Alpha 5, Check."

Taylor gave a thumb up and he took out a small circular metal disk. From its flat side an Indian Cherokee girl's hologram rose, Abey. She brought out a holographic 3D map and marked a red X at a Forerunner site.

"Team that is our entry point. We will be supported by the Bravo and the Charlie. Its game time," Taylor announced as he moved toward the back of the ship and punched in the controls for the Pelican door, which slowly opened allowing a heavy gush of air into the flight as the ship cruised passed over an abandoned valley. Taylor placed his ODST helmet over his head and secured the AI's disk within his pocket and stood there at the edge with his MA5D Assault rifle ready at his hand once again loathing at the sight before him. He had only one thing on his mind. 'He cannot fail.'

Pelican landed next to a massive UNSC vehicle called as Mammoth. Taylor switched on his VISR on his Heads-Up-Display. The VISR marked the vehicle as the camp site for the ONI scientists. Taylor wondered why the Mammoth was still not moved from the place as he exited out with his team. A week back this place was a sunny wonderland, now it was covered with thick snow. The weather of the Halo ring is still hard to predict.

"Never had a chance to ride in one of them," Simon said arching his head way back trying to get a complete look at the vehicle.

"Team form up," Taylor said and his Alpha squad came to a halt in front of him. "We are going to march into the site. It is eight hundred meters from here. Here onwards all communications are through the secured channel only. Move up," Taylor announced and started his jog toward the entry point followed by his team.

"Why can't the pilot land next to the site?" Simon complained as he loathed jogging over a foot deep snow. It was boot camp all over again.

"The site is located within a deep cave system, you will see," George assured him as he nudged Simon on his back with his M7S Submachine gun to make him to pick up his speed.

Clara who was right behind George, as they were running on a single file formation, had her helmet off. Because it has been a long time since she has breathed fresh air. For the past eight months she has been in the UNSC Infinity, breathing the artificial stale air. Handy who noticed this asked her, "Fancy the cold?"

"It is better than the ship's artificial air," Clara replied back as she took another deep breath in, which cleared her lungs with ease.

"This is artificial too, just a better illusion," Handy commented as he looked at the overarching ring over his head. This was his first mission on a Halo ring and he was not too keen about it either.

Clara who gave back a blank look just replied, "As I said, it is better!"

The Alpha squad reached the foot of a mountain, which opened up into a five hundred foot cave opening. But it was not a natural formation. It had the Forerunner's glyphs all over the walls and the walls were as smooth as marbles. As the squad entered the artificial cave, an eerie silence enveloped them with occasional whistling by the gust of wind entering the cave. Clara got her helmet back on and activated her HUD's Low light target acquisition Vision mode, which lit up the dark cave by lining all the geometry before her with bright lines.

After a ten minute jog the squad came to a complete stop before a colossal door, which stretched five hundred foot from top to bottom, covering the whole area of the cave. There was a small console next to the door, with a modified Warthog next to it. Taylor's VISR pointed the warthog belonged to Dr. Rachel and once again he wondered why the previous search party has not removed the vehicle.

This time George articulated his doubt out loud. Taylor replied, "Secure the keys." George nodded and took the keys from the Warthog and placed it within his vest.

Taylor took out the AI disk and tapped it. Abey rose from the disc. "That took forever," she teased as she turned toward the console. "This will take a minute," she announced as she connected with the Forerunner console which made complicated glyph roll before her.

Taylor placed the disk over the console and pointed at George and Clara, "Three and Four, Secure the entrance. Two and Five on me." George and Clara sprinted back up to the cave entrance as Simon and Handy stood around their leader with their weapons ready.

Taylor moved near the Console which was dancing with blue and green symbols as Abey was moving her virtual hand over it as if she was manipulating those symbols. "How long?" he inquired.

"30 seconds," Abey replied without looking up.

"This is Alpha 1 to Bravo and Charlie 1. We are at the entrance and will enter in 30 seconds," Taylor announced over his COMM. After a brief sound of gun fire, a reply came back, "Damn Sentinels; copy that Alpha. Bravo and Charlie is ready."

"Copy that," Taylor replied. "Guns at ready we got company," he said as he shouldered his rifle toward the gate.

"Damn you 049," Abey muttered. Taylor was least bothered by that, but Handy was somehow curious about that statement. However he kept his curiosity to himself, for now.

"There we go," Abey said with excitement as she placed a marker over a triangle symbol on the console. Taylor moved closer and pressed it. The massive doors slowly opened apart. Simon, who was the rookie on the team shivered slightly at the sight of an ominous door opening apart and the thought of venturing into the unknown.

"Three and Four on us," Taylor announced as Clara and George came back and joined them.

Two Mammoth could have entered this doorway side by side and yet the team entered by foot. Taylor was curious again, so he decided to follow the same trend. He did not want to miss any details by cruising in through a warthog.

"Please tell me again what exactly happened to all the previous rescue team who entered here?" Simon asked with a shaky voice.

However before George, who seems to favor the little kid could reply Taylor said, "This so called 'Death Upon' Structure has been reported as a massive labyrinth. Either the previous team where going on circles or just came back out empty. So keep your hands steady Five," Taylor warned as he gave a 'go' sign and the team moved in.

Deep within the system, Monitor 049 Abject Testament tensed as another intrusion occurred over his system. It was the same ancilla again. He was determined this time to lure her deep within the system and crush her. He was not willing to share the system with her again. Even though the Reclaimers had their rights, this particular site was off limits. He knows that because it was encoded within him by 'Her.' He would take any measures to make sure these Reclaimers were kept off bay, so he was willing to hurt in order to achieve that. This time he activated the 'Guardian' and its Sentinels. This ends here, he thought as once again those doors opened up.

"We have our protocols. And Protocol is everything to us," Abject Testament muttered as he tracked the five Reclaimers who just entered through the 'Keep.'