"Recovery Beacon: Agent Unknown. Recovery Beacon: Agent Unknown."

"AH!" Washington jumped as the message came through loud and warbled.

"What is that?!" Tucker spun around, looking Wash up and down.

"It is Mrs. Unknown," Caboose stated logically. "You should probably answer, Agent Washington. She sounds like a very important lady."

"It's not a phone call, Caboose," Wash explained. "It's an incoming distress beacon. I got them when I was recovering AI and armor enhancements for Project Freelancer… But.. I haven't gotten one since…"

"Is it Church?!" Caboose sprinted toward him "He could be in trouble!"

"Epsilon wouldn't be the one who is in trouble," Washington shook his head trying to make out the coordinates of the unknown agent. "But, it could mean that something's happened to Carolina."

"But isn't Church supposedly with Carolina?" Tucker asked.

"Guys!" Caboose was standing by the door. "What are you waiting for? We have to go save Church!"


Elsewhere:

"Recovery Beacon: Agent Unknown. Recovery Beacon: Agent Unknown."

"The fuck is that?" Church appeared in front of Carolina. The message stuttered as it repeated over and over. Carolina and Church hadn't talked much that day, mostly just tracking and walking and walking and then walking some more. The fact that they had been going for hours in silence made the message seem much louder. "How do you shut it up?"

"I have no idea," Carolina frowned. "It sounds like one of the messages the Recovery Teams that worked for Project Freelancer would get. But I don't understand. I don't know who this is. Or where they are for that matter."

"Let me," Church angled himself over Carolina's shoulder to better make out coordinates. "Goddammit."

"What?" she asked. "Can you make it out?"

"Yeah," Church sighed. "It's from the crash site where we left the Reds and Blues… I think something might have happened to Wash."

"We need to go," Carolina pivoted and headed back the direction they had come from at a full sprint. "Now."


Later:

"Hey, look!" Tucker shouted. "It's Carolina!"

Everyone looked to where Tucker was pointed and indeed saw Carolina running toward them.

"Wash!" she shouted. "Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

He jogged to meet her. "Are you okay?" he began looking over her armor for any signs of injury. "I got the Recovery Beacon and got worried."

"Wait," Carolina put up her hands and stepped back. "That wasn't you? I mean… you're fine?"

"Of course he's fine," Tucker scoffed. "Nothing ever happens here."

"Except Wash getting shot at," Simmons added. Tucker elbowed him in the stomach.

"You got what?"

"When?"

Carolina and Church shouted their questions in unison. After a few minutes of explanations, Wash assured them he was fine and pointed out the more pressing matter at hand. They still had no idea what had set off the beacon.

"I don't understand," Washington shook his head. "We thought it was you."

"Well, we thought it was you," Church explained. "Who else is even still alive, let alone could have the ability to set off a recovery beacon?"

"Louise?" Carolina guessed.

"Louisiana?" Washington shook his head. "Not possible. What about one of the triplets?"

"I highly doubt that any of them would have made it this far, Wash." Carolina made a face. "What if one of the AI set off the beacon because someone was trying to steal the armor?"

"No way," Church interjected. "You know all the AI were destroyed in the EMP."

"Emp," they corrected.

"Oh what-fucking-ever," he groaned.

"So," Simmons spoke up sliding away from Tucker ever so slightly. "If it wasn't Carolina and it wasn't Wash, then who was it?"

"Uh, guys?" a cautious voice called from higher up on the canyon walls.

"What is it, numb nuts?" Sarge called up to the orange soldier. "I sent you up there to patrol. Not to flap your yap!"

"I-uh-I think Caboose found something," Grif's voice shook a little. "You might want to come see this."


"I found a tiny human!" Caboose announced cheerily when the others had made it to the upper level of the canyon.

"You what?" Church and Wash asked in unison.

"It's a tiny human!" Caboose shouted again. "He is right over there, but I think that he is sleeping. So we have to be really really quiet."

The group followed to where Caboose pointed and saw a tiny figure lying face down in the dirt, in UNSC armor colored gold with teal trim, the Freelancer logo branded into the shoulder.

"Shit," Tucker whispered. "I didn't know you guys hired midgets. That's fucking sweet!"

"I believe the correct term is tiny human," Caboose said in a quiet matter of fact voice.

"We don't," Carolina breathed as she inched closer to the small body. "Well, I mean, didn't."

"Uh, why are we whispering?" Church asked at a normal volume.

"Is he okay?" Simmons asked, peering over Sarge's shoulder. "I could be wrong, but unless you're Grif, your chest moves when you sleep."

"My chest moves!" Grif retorted. "You know I have trouble breathing! My lungs don't work right."

"One of them is mine!" Simmons looked over at him exasperatedly. "It was in pristine condition when you got it!"

"Please," Washington interjected. "Quiet." He knelt closer to the body, trying not to move it, but looking for any sign of life. "The healing unit is about to overheat. He's probably roasting alive in there."

"Or he's already dead, dead man roasting," Sarge sang, the teal trim on the small set of armor was enough to qualify as Blue.

"Stop that," Carolina scolded. "Church, can you see if you can do anything? If this is Freelancer equipment there should be a way for an AI-"

"Way ahead of you," Church jogged forward and hovered over the body. "Wish me luck. Hrrgh gurgghh."

Church did his best to assess the situation, he could immediately tell there was massive trauma to the face and whatever armor enhancements the suit had were running on empty. He was just about to venture deeper when, in the blink of an eye, he was back on the outside, like he'd gotten booted from the armor. He shook his head in confusion.

"What just happened?" he muttered.

"That was quick," Simmons complimented him. "Did you find out anything?"

"I'm not sure," Church frowned. "I think- I think it's alive but- I think something weird is going on in there."

"Come on," Carolina sighed. "We should at least take him back to camp. Maybe he can tell us something we don't know."

"I'm going to take his helmet off first." Wash put down his battle rifle and walked over to the body.

"I would recommend not doing that if I were you," Church suggested. He knew just from the few seconds he'd been in there that whatever this thing's face looked like, it was not going to be pretty. "Seriously."

"He is probably dying of heat in there." Washington reached out and carefully rolled the body over. "Jesus Christ!"

"Oh my god.."

"Told ya."

As Wash rolled over the mini Freelancer the group collectively gasped. The helmet was completely shattered on the right side, exposing the pale skin underneath, but mostly blood.

"I think I might be sick," Simmons groaned holding his stomach.

"Dude," Grif scooted closer to get a better look. "That is fucking gnarly. What do you think happened?"

"I have no idea," Washington found himself grimacing a bit at the sight. "We should move him though. Very very carefully."