Episode 107 – Setbacks…YAY!

We unloaded our gear from the pelican as soon as we were able to open the loading ramp. It took us having to use a spare Spartan Laser that we found in the emergency supplies storage under the floor. Everything else was, to some extent, damaged. Our personal effects had survived the crash, but we lost some of the weapons that were being stored onboard. I didn't even know why there were weapons onboard. Everyone denied having smuggled them, but Sarge's defense seemed shaky.

"What weapons?" he asked me upon questioning.

"Well," I started. "There are five Battle Rifles, six Assault Rifles, a crate of pistols, two Sniper Rifles, and a goddamn Rocket Launcher shoved in the cargo bay!"

"I don't know what you're talking about." He replied. I decided not to question the matter any further. I didn't think I would win any argument that would take place between Sarge and myself.

Once we were outside of the pelican we inspected the area. It seemed like I was the only one in this little squad that had any military education, since I was the only one actually recognizing the architecture of the bases.

"From what I can see, that wall is of Forerunner architecture. So are the bases on either side." I explained.

"What the hell is a Forerunner?" Tucker asked. Of course it was him who was oblivious as to the race that basically started the Halo Wars.

"You know what Tucker…" I sighed. "Just go with Doc and Sister and scope out a base for us to stay in." They grudgingly went off without another word towards the base closest to the water.

"Where are we?" Grif asked.

"I wonder why we're here." Simmons asked.

"Don't start that up again!" Grif replied. I ignored the duo and turned toward Sarge, who was giving Lopez a tune-up. Lopez was generally unharmed during the crash. We were all worried about his speech component though. We just didn't want Sarge getting his hands on it; none of us wanted to have to learn Spanish.

"Sarge, I'll need yours and Lopez's help when you're done over there."

"I don't take your orders you dirty ship crashing blue!" Oh great, he hates me again. Fantastic!

"Listen, when you're done with Lopez, see if you can get a radio signal anywhere."

"I was thinking of that before you said anything! I don't take you orders! Or didn't you hear me?"

"Alright; first of all, I outrank you now. You're a Sergeant and I'm a Captain. Second, I didn't crash the damn ship, Gary did! Thirdly, the Red and Blue Civil War never existed! Vic played us against each other! We are on the SAME team!" I walked away after that. I swear I heard Sarge whisper something along the lines of 'dirty blue' as I left, but I ignored it. I walked to Donut next.

"Donut, take Simmons and Grif to that other base and check it out. We may be here for a while."

"You got it Captain Church." He said as he saluted me. That upped my self-esteem a bit.

"What do you want me to do Church?" Caboose asked as I passed him on my way back to the Pelican.

"Umm…" I stammered. "You know what, Caboose, what was your rank again?"

"I think I'm still a private."

"Yeah well, you're a Lieutenent now. There, you outrank everyone but me now."

"Really!? Does that mean I get to boss people around!?"

"Whatever, I don't fucking care."

"YAY!" he yelled giddily.

"Now, follow me. I have a gift for you." We both walked up the ramp back into the destroyed Pelican. I never took Sheila or Gary out of the ship's mainframe. They could be helpful. I was taking Caboose because I remembered the old stories Tex told me about the Freelancers. She said that one of the agents went insane because he had more than one AI in his mind at once. Ah…Tex. I shook my head as thoughts of her entered my mind again, dispelling them for at least a little while longer.

"Andy! Sheila! You still in there?" I asked as I tapped on the control panel in the cockpit.

"Hey stop that tappin!" Andy yelled. "I'm still getting used to this moveable AI thing and that tapping sounds like explosions to me!"

"Crybaby." Sheila replied.

"Whadjusay Tank-Girl!?"

"Oh, please, tell me you two aren't fighting too?"

"Sorry Church, you wouldn't believe how big of a jerk this guy is." I hesitated to strike up an argument. It wasn't because I thought I wouldn't win, it just wasn't worth it.

"Whatever. Anyway, I want both of you to transfer to portable drives. We're taking you with us."

"Oh, oh oh!" Caboose interrupted. "I call Sheila, I call Sheila!" I chuckled at his willingness to store Sheila in his mind. Then again, he did harbor Omega for about a year, so he must have some useful experience.

"Give us a second Church." I waited for Sheila to finish for me to take out the two hard drives. I tossed the one with Sheila's programming to Caboose and showed him where to put it on his helmet. He was overjoyed when he heard her voice in his mind. Seeing as how I couldn't really trust anyone else with an AI (not even Donut), I put Andy in my helmet. That did not thrill me.

"Great, I gotta share your head!?" were the first words he spoke in my brain.

"Believe me, I don't like it either."

--

"Guys, where are we?" the Zealot asked his comrades in his head.

"Shut up you buffoon! You need to take out that soldier so we can steal that Pelican on the landing pad and find out where Tex's spirit has gone, providing she hasn't passed on completely."

"You said that already, but where are we?"

"Outpost 09-D, Rat's Nest." Said Gary. "It's one of the last manned SPARTAN Outposts on Earth. We just need to incapacitate that soldier to get his activation key for the Pelican."

"You see? Was that so hard? If you two just kept me in the loop then-"

"Oh just kill the bastard!" O'Malley yelled.

"Fine." The Zealot replied reluctantly. He pulled out the shotgun O'Malley and Gary had supplied him with and slowly tiptoed toward the UNSC soldier guarding the Pelican. The Zealot poked the soldier on his shoulder. As he turned around, the soldier was met with the sight of a shotgun in his face.

"Flag forgive me!" the Zealot praised before pulling the trigger. He was confronted with the sight of the pink mist his old comrades had told him about when the gun went off.

"Hurry you fool! Get the key off his belt and get in the damn bird before his buddies come running!" the Zealot did just that.

"Put my programming in the drive ports." Gary told the Zealot as he got in the pilot's seat. "I can fly one of these things better than either of you can. Trust me."

--

There was sand everywhere. That was all she could see. The Ruins stood before her. From the training she remembered, the best guess she had of where she was had to be somewhere on the Ark. The sandy environment matched that from the Battle of Installation 00 and the Ruins themselves seem to be the oldest of Forerunner architecture. She just hoped she could find a suitable host somewhere. She knew they were hot on her trail. They had her body, but she had escaped before Omega could kill her permanently. Tex ran off into the sands.