Chapter 4
11 July 2554, Time 1543 hours, Outskirts of Glassfield 2, Harvest System, Planet Harvest
John had had enough of walking through the brittle, sharp glass and freezing snow banks, when he came across a road.
It was obviously well maintained, as a power grid ran under it, warming it and melting snow that landed. John, half frozen, could feel the heat radiating out.
Looking down the road, he saw a few buildings - first human contact in a few years - and began to walk down towards them.
As he approached, it became apparent that the buildings were deserted, but only temporarily. The electricity was still on, the doors was unlocked, the truck stop had a few drips that hadn't yet frozen, and the small Hydrogen-Water fuel station stood open. John looked around for a few minutes and continued on.
A slight vibration in the air first notified himself of the lorry on approach. He stepped off the road and waved to gain the driver's attention.
The vehicle slowed as it approached him, and stopped. The driver leaned out.
John knew you could learn a lot from people even by their looks. The driver's hair and beard we unkempt, a cheap cigar hung out of his mouth, and a dirty cap that once may have had a company name on it hung on his head. But he was smiling.
"Afternoon. Looking for a lift?"
John was tongue tied for a second, he hadn't communicated with civilians on broader terms for a while.
"Yeah. Thanks."
The driver swung a grubby hand at the seat next to him. "Hop in. Shove that crate in the back."
John hefted the heavy crate easily and lowered it into the back. He turned, and seeing the driver looking at him oddly, remembered that he had to play a normal person, not a SPARTAN for now.
As he clambered into the cab, the driver looked at him quizzically. "Military man?"
John nodded. "I was part of the UNSC ODST program and left for dead in space."
The older man nodded sympathetically. "Eh, it happens too many times. My son - we used to live in the far Outer Colonies - joined the army. Still MIA."
John winced. The UNSC Defence Force simply marked some people MIA when they had been confirmed dead. To be kinder on devestated families. It didn't help... especially if you knew they were decieving you. All John's SPARTAN brothers and sisters, marked Wounded in Action or Missing in Action, apart from Will, Fred, Linda and Kelly. But John had no clue on their whereabouts.
The gears crunched and the truck lurched into motion.
The truck driver tried to keep up a conversation, and John tried not to respond to it much. He was too preocuppied.
Suddenly, the driver growled something under his breath, threw the brakes on and growled at John, "Get out."
"Pardo - What?"
The man gestured down the road. "Patrol. Hurry. This is illegal."
John bailed out. The last thing he needed was a run-in with civilian police. Grabbing his crate of the back, he extended the handle and began lugging it along the road. With a crash of gears, the lorry rumbled down the road, towards a few buildings in the distance.
With little choice, the SPARTAN began to jog down towards the buildings, crate bumping along. He remembered to slow himself considerably to look like a normal person. Approaching the buildings, he saw a circular carpark like building - except there were two guards and a industrial size elevator.
As John approached the pedestrian entry, a guard stopped him.
"There's a toll."
John was taken aback. UNSC servicemen...
No, he'd pay, on second thoughts. Bashing his ID and details into a holopanel, 300,000 credits became 299,990.
Entering, John noted the absence of motor vehicles - and the traffic arrows leading to the lift. Which went down... Was this some warehouse? But why the bill? It didn't fit together... Like one of Chief Mendez's missions.
He descended into Harvest.
"Kelly?"
No answer.
She could be anywhere, the more agile and smaller SPARTAN could hide anywhere to brood, the last time she'd bunkered herself, it had taken a direct threat of a court-martial from Margaret Parangosky to come out. Not like Dr. Halsey, the they all had... A sort of respectful 'love' for her... No, love was the wrong word. But Halsey always respected their rights and themselves as people, not militaristic automatons. And they respected her back for that.
A whisper of steel, a flash of light, and a SPARTAN in MNJOLNIR armour collided against the wall. Sparks flew from the energy shield.
"Kelly?"
The SPARTAN fully emerged. It was Adriana. Fred looked at her.
"Seen Kelly?"
Adriana depolarized her visor and Fred could see her grim smile. "Yeah. I'm guessing she's on this ship."
Fred shook his head. "Seriously, Aridriana. Where."
It was a statement, not a question. She shrugged. "She entered the Hangar bay, then left when she saw me. On a mood again?"
Fred nodded morosely. "She needs to see a psychologist."
Grim laughter. "You do realize," Kelly's voice came in, "I'm monitoring you're conversation."
The COM link snapped off and Fred grabbed his COM frantically. "Kelly? Kelly? I've lost her!"
The link was gone. Adriana shook her head. "You won't find her that way. Just let her get over it. It's good for her."
Fred was about to contradict her when he remembered Kelly was a girl. Girls' minds worked... differently. He sighed.
Yes, so leaving Kelly alone is what she wanted most. And was it the right thing?
Fred continued searching. For some reason he didn't dare simply scan the ship and pull her out of hiding. Kelly was... taunting him, and he was going to face her challenge.
Entering the engine room, he investigate the niche where she usually holed up. She'd been there a few minutes ago, as a semi-unwrapped MRE and drink still lay on the ground, but no Kelly, or no indication where she'd gone.
Turning on the SQUADCOM so Kelly would hear, he shouted, "I give up!" and moved his hand to his belt to grab the holopanel that connected him to the ship AI.
Thump.
Fred spun around at the light footfall. Kelly had just landed from the roof. Tears, but not of sadness where in her eyes. In her hand, she held a PDA.
"Kelly," he frowned, advancing towards her. This was going too -
"No," she grinned, smile written across her face. A broad grin, she held out the datapad.
Fred gasped.
Mini cliffhanger. Sorry the update took so long. Anyone suprised about Gray Team being rescued? No details, just picked up mid-early 2553.
Please R&R. Kimjel, out.