"And the zombies killed everyone. The end."

"Dude, that's the worst story I've ever heard," Steve said.

"But that doesn't mean it's not true," Allen argued. The red emergency lights stayed on, but the annoying evacuation announcement had stopped. Steve and Allen exited the elevator and stepped out into a long corridor. The temperature was considerably colder than the lower levels. Allen wiped his hand across the wall and it came away covered in frost. A small sign on the wall near the elevator read AA25. The air billowed out of the vents like clouds before dispersing. The elevator doors closed behind them.

"I guess there's only one way to go," Steve said and started walking to the far end.

"Why do you suppose it's like this?" Allen asked. They reached the far end and saw a set of heavy metal doors. Steve wiped the frost away and saw a control panel in the middle of the doors. Blinking lights showed the door had power. He pressed the button and a green light flickered on. A seam appeared in the door and sheets of frost fell off the doors as they opened. Allen glanced around inside and said, "Must be some kind of airlock,"

"But for what?" Steve asked. He carefully stepped inside and looked around. The doors on the far side were identical to the door that had just opened. A control panel on the wall showed the condition of the air lock.

"I'm going to activate the airlock. You stay on that side since we know that door opens," Steve said. Allen nodded and stepped back. Steve pressed the button on the control panel and the doors closed. "Can you hear me out there?" Steve asked.

"The signal is a bit fuzzy, but I can hear you okay," Allen said. His voice sounded scratchy and full of static.

"Probably interference from the door," Steve said. "I'm opening the other side now." He pressed the button and stepped to the side, weapon ready as the other doors slowly opened. Steve cautiously poked his head through and took a quick look. "It looks like some kind of laboratory," he said. He closed the doors and opened the other side of the airlock. Allen stepped in and said, "Was there any difference between this side and the other?" Steve shook his head. "Air pressure and temperature remained the same. Something must have happened that turned everything down here into a freezer."

"Well, let's keep going. We might find something useful," Allen said.

"Yeah, like a space-worthy vessel capable of getting us back to Reach?" Steve asked.

"And a hot shower?" Allen suggested.

"And a comfy bed," Steve added but Allen shook his head. "Not going to find that on Reach," he said.

"Yeah, only because we're a couple of peons in the Navy," Steve agreed. He activated the airlock and when the other side was open, they both stepped through.

The inside of the lab was even colder than the corridor outside. A thick layer of frost had built up on all surfaces, making everything look like formless white shapes. The only sound was the crunch of Allen and Steve's footsteps across the frozen floor. Along each side of the center walkway were individual work stations. Allen brushed one off and saw the table top was littered with broken glass and shattered components. Various liquid substances had spilled and frozen in the cold. Behind the work stations, large cylindrical objects lined the outside walls. Allen wiped his hand across one and stepped back in surprise as the face of a Covenant Elite stared back. "Hey Steve, come check this out," Allen called out. Steve walked up behind him and whistled when he saw the Elite. "Wow. That's totally not creepy," he said.

Allen brushed off more of the cylinder and looked closer. "Look at its head. It's all lumpy and covered in scars."

Steve thought for a minute and said, "All that stuff we talked about, that was fake right?"

"Apparently not," Allen said. He checked around the cylinder and found the controls. "There's no power. Whatever this is, it's probably dead," he said, pointing at the Elite.

"Wanna bet on that?" Steve asked.

"No," Allen said. He moved down to the next cylinder and began brushing it off. "This one has a Brute in it," he said. Steve nodded and wandered to the other side of the room. The cylinders on this side weren't as tall as the other side. Frowning, Steve wiped his hand across the glass and peered inside. Something floated into view and Steve shouted, "Oh shit!"

"What?" Allen asked and ran to where Steve was. Steve stepped back and pointed. "There's a person in there?"

"What? Really?" Allen asked and looked inside. Sure enough, a dark haired man bobbed gently in the tank. His eyes were closed and a breathing mask was fitted around his face. Steve checked the controls and saw the life support was barely functioning. "I think he's still alive," he said.

"What about the others?" Allen asked, gesturing to the row of tanks. "I don't know," Steve shook his head in reply. "What do you think? Should we wake him up?"

Allen shrugged. "Might as well. What's the worst that could happen?" Allen went to check the other tanks while Steve activated the control panel and began the reanimation process. Lights in the tank flickered to life as the fluid in the tank slowly brought the man's body temperature back to normal. His eyes flickered and he began to have muscle spasms. The fluid in the tank drained away and left the man curled up on the bottom of the tank. With a hiss, the glass retracted down into the floor and steam billowed out, causing Steve's helmet to fog over. Steve knelt down and reached out to the man, who was shivering uncontrollably. "Sir, are you okay? Do you know where you are?" Steve asked.

"H-h-h-h-h-h-n-n-n-n-n-g-g-g-g-g," the man chattered in reply.

"Hey Allen, we need to find this guy someplace warm, like, right now or he isn't going to make it very long," Steve said.

"I'm on it," Allen replied. He searched the lab until he found a first aid kit bolted to the wall. With a bit of effort, Allen ripped it off the wall and ran back to Steve. He opened the kit and rummaged around until he found a thermal blanket and a hand full of heating packs. Steve placed the blanket around the man and Allen activated the heating packs and placed them on the man's body. Before long, his shivering slowed and color returned to his face.

"Now then, who are you and what is this place?" Steve asked. The man stared up at them, his eyes unfocused and half closed. "What're...robots?" he slurred.

"Robots?" Allen asked and looked at Steve. Steve shrugged in reply. "Sir, we're not robots. Can you tell us who you are?"

"Robots...come...here," the man said and closed his eyes.

"Hey. Hey now, stay with me," Steve said and gently shook the man. He blinked slowly and said, "Hide...from robots."

Allen and Steve looked at each other. "Why were you hiding from the robots?"

Allen asked.

"Robots killed...everyone," the man replied. He sniffed and shook his head, as if trying to clear the cobwebs.

"Why did the robots kill everyone?" Allen asked. "Was it because of the zombies?" Steve slapped him on the head. "Be serious," he hissed.

"I am being serious," Allen whispered angrily in reply. The man shook his head. "Not zombies. Developed a virus...to kill Covenant species," the man explained. His breathing was labored and he began to cough. "Virus designed...to...attack motor skills, cognitive reasoning...higher brain functions...leaving...aliens unable to-" A violent spasm interrupted man's explanation. He began thrashing about and Allen and Steve gently restrained him the best they could. The episode finally stopped, leaving the man sweating and breathless.

"What happened next?" Allen asked, although he probably knew.

"Incident in Section AA23 caused containment breach. Subjects turned violent, began attacking the staff. Virus mutated, began infecting humans," the man said. "Robots began killing the infected, then began killing everyone else to prevent spread of virus." The man's eyes rolled up in the back of his head and he became still.

"Is he dead?" Allen asked. Steve felt for a pulse and shook his head. "Not dead yet, but his pulse is fast and weak."

"What do you want to do?" Allen asked.

"I don't know," Steve replied. "Let's put him back in the tank for now." They placed the man gently in the tank and fixed the breathing mask over his face. Steve pressed a few buttons and the glass rose out of the floor, sealing the man inside once again. When this was done, Allen and Steve stepped back from the tank and looked at each other.

"Alien zombies?" Steve asked.

"I hate being right sometimes," Allen said.

"What? You do not get to claim that," Steve said, pointing at Allen. "We were just making stuff up."

Allen shrugged and held his hands out. "Not my fault it happened to be true."

"Well, whatever," Steve huffed. "Better hope the zombies or robots or whatever don't come after us."

Allen looked around and said, "Let's find the woman and get out of here."