Their passage through the portal was shaky, but Hinson's Phantom made it anyways. The ship hovered in its spot, with everyone on board unsure of where they were. Seeing they were on a terrestrial world, Gallagher had the bay doors open, so the men could further check where they were outside of the cockpit.
...And they couldn't believe where the portal had lead them... Right on Earth, flying right over the portal of Voi itself...
Hinson and Girov stood at the edge of the bay and looked around, seeing the portal grounds below them, as well as seeing all the UNSC posts stationed around the perimeter of the portal... And this is what immediately got them in trouble.
"Unidentified craft," a UNSC announcer spoke to them over a loudspeaker, "You are trespassing in a restricted area under the protection of the United Nations Space Command... Lower your craft immediately."
Hinson and his men hesitated, still rather confused, but that was when a UNSC Scorpion tank fired a warning shot that went off near the ship. Though not damaging the Phantom, the blast was so forceful that Girov was knocked out of the bay... Luckily, he landed on a higher up piece of ground just very shortly below the Phantom, not too much of a drop to even hurt him... And that was when Virum, who had attempted to get him before he fell, jumped out and landed just near him.
"...Shit," Hinson said, "Set us down!"
"Where?!" Gallagher asked.
"Anywhere, just set us down!"
Gallagher lowered the ship down to the portal floor, and once the Phantom was set on the ground, Hinson had the bay doors open, and he and is men proceeded to step out. They were greeted by UNSC soldiers who pointed their guns at them, while a UNSC commander stepped forward.
"Just what the hell do you think you're doing here?" the commander asked, "Who are you?"
"Captain Eric J. Hinson," Hinson responded, "86th Airborne Shock Battalion."
"How did you get here?"
"I really have no idea," Hinson said, "Something about a lock pad and a key, and I think there was one of those robots that monitor the Halo rings."
"What are you talking about... Did you steal any of this?"
"We didn't steal anything... Look, it's a long story, and we have wounded on board. Can we just get a room to lay down in."
"Yeah I can, in jail."
"What, what do you mean, we're part of your army!"
"Army or not, you're trespassing on restricted government property, and I can only believe that you acquired the equipment to get here through illegal means, so that means you're going away for a while."
"Oh, I don't think so."
"Excuse me?"
As this altercation went on, Girov and Virum hid behind a couple large crates, apparently having avoided being detected. As Girov watched Hinson's argument with the commander, he then looked over and saw a control panel just a few meters away from him... And as he looked closer, he saw what appeared to be a key hole, leading him to take out and look at the Forerunner key.
"...I wonder." Girov said.
Walking quietly and slowly over to the control panel, with Virum cautiously following him. Coming over to the control panel, a scientist standing nearby just noticed them, but before he could alert anyone, Virum knocked out the scientist with one hard punch, allowing Girov to approach the control panel.
Girov looked over the key hole on the control panel with grave interest, then he slowly took the Forerunner key and began placing it into the hole... And what followed was a miraculous sight, for the portal of Voi began to open, and a massive blue circle appeared in the skies, a slip space portal to who knows where... Maybe better than their current situation.
Back on the portal ground, Hinson kept up his argument with the commander, speaking, "Not only will I not be going with you, I say you owe me an apology. One, for you calling me a thief, and two, for you SHOOTING AT ME!"
However, they were interrupted by the suddenly appearance of the portal above them, which threw the UNSC soldiers off guard, and as such, Hinson and the others rushed back into the Phantom as the sight of the portal distracted the UNSC troops. Starting the Phantom back up, and with all others on board, Gallagher and 'Marem began flying the Phantom off the ground and into the skies. On their way up, Hinson had the bay doors open as he spotted Girov and Virum by the control panel.
With Hinson's Phantom coming to get them, Girov looked at the panel and saw a control for how long the portal should stay open. Girov proceeded to type one minute into the panel, then he removed the key and took it back with him as he and Virum began exiting the panel, but found that the UNSC commander who had just previously confronted Hinson made his way to the panel. Girov punched the commander and knocked him out, then one Hinson's Phantom put itself close enough, Girov and Virum rushed and jumped onto the Phantom, with Hinson and Hiller helping them onto the ship.
As Hinson and all of his men were now back on the Phantom, 'Marem had the bay doors close and began flying the ship to the portal, with only a small amount of time remaining before the portal closed... But as 'Marem put the ship at high speed, their Phantom flew right through the portal, entering a new location, while the portal behind them closed just a few seconds after they passed through.
...Hinson's Phantom entered a new area as the slip space portal closed behind them, finding themselves entering space itself, lucky that the bay doors were closed before they entered the portal.
"Okay, where are we now?" Hinson said, a little annoyed.
"Space... Apparently." Gallagher spoke.
"Where?"
"What?"
"Where in space?"
As Gallagher and 'Marem went to check their location, they saw something rather spectacular outside of their cockpit... The sight before them revealing itself to be a very beautiful and majestic looking light green and white planet, which also appeared very isolated and mysterious as well.
"...What in the Sam Hill?" Gallagher stated.
"...We're coming up on a system," 'Marem stated, "...Name... Unknown."
"What do you mean unknown?" Hinson asked.
"There's no record of this world in the archives." 'Marem responded.
"Great," Hiller stated sarcastically, "We're in the middle of nowhere, coming to a planet in the middle of nowhere."
"...Get closer to it," Hinson ordered to 'Marem, "Prepare to land."
While their ship sailed closer towards the mysterious world in ordered to begin a landing sequence, Girov placed the Forerunner key on a crate of jewels, then he looked over towards Virum and approached the Blue Sangheili.
"You know, jumping out after me was very stupid of you," Girov said as he spoke to Virum, "I could have handled it by myself."
"I wasn't about to just let you get yourself in danger." Virum stated.
"I am prepared to give my life for everyone on this ship, and that includes you. So don't start getting caught up with me, or you'll end up the same as I."
"We don't have to end up a certain way... If you're prepared to die for them, so be it, but you should never do it needlessly... I can tell that you're just as stubborn as my father was... He felt he should have died a certain way too, even with what Vadam gave our world."
"And what's the difference?"
"...My father was wounded at the start of this war," Virum spoke, "...I wanted to take him to a hospital... But, he was... Always an adherent to tradition... He would not leave... He kept believing that he would lose honor if he did... Blood is essence... He wanted to keep his honor, he wanted to die... From a blade... My blade... I refused as much as I did, but a ritual honor killing meant that much to him, and if I refused, he threatened to disown me... Being naive as I was, I listened... And performed... At least our relationship was intact."
Girov looked at Virum with a bit of solace as the Sangheili kept speaking, "...The religion we used to believe in was one of violence, oppression, hatred, and it ingrained itself into my world's society... These primitive traditions and barbarisms need to be abolished... That's why I fight as hard as I can for Vadam." ...Girov placed a sympathetic hand on Virum's shoulder.
"...Fine," Girov said, though a bit stubbornly, "I'll try to be more careful... Only if you do the same."
The ship soared closer to the planet, the key began glowing very brightly, and immediately, a holographic image sprang up from the key, revealing itself to be a hologram of the monitor, 420 Absolute Collector, who began speaking to them through the hologram.
"...You," Absolute Collector spoke, "...You have arrived at my world, and you have the key?"
"...Is... Is he talking to us," McGinley asked, "...Can he hear us?"
"Yes, I am talking to you, idiot," Collector stated indignantly, "Now, do you have the key?!"
"Well, obviously yes." Hinson stated.
"Good," Collector stated, "You will bring it to me... You will help me, now."
"Not yet," Hinson responded, "I have a few questions to ask."
"Rrgh, I don't have time for this, idiot," Collector spoke, "Just bring here, already, and hurry it up!"
Collector's transmission ceased, leaving the men confused, and a bit insulted as well as Kimball stated, "...That guy's a dick."
"Either way, we're gonna find him," Hinson spoke, "He may be our only chance of getting out of here... And I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little curious."
Suddenly, however, that was when a massive, bright glowing orange beam shot out from a part the planet and soared right towards the ship, causing alarm to the men. "Oh shit!" Gallagher vented as he and 'Marem piloted the Phantom to swerve out of the way of the beam.
"Get us out of here!" Hinson ordered.
The massive glowing orange beam kept chasing their ship, but Hinson's Phantom maneuvered and dodged the beam, swerving out of the way as it sailed on closer towards the planet... But that's when the ship started struggling and began being very quickly pulled towards the planet.
"What's going on?!" Kimball demanded.
"Caught in some sort of tractor beam or something," Gallagher stated, "It's pulling us to the planet!"
"Fuck, is this going to be some sort of Death Star bullshit?!" McGinley groaned.
Seeing the beam coming towards the ship, and unable to escape the tractor beam, Gallagher and 'Marem decided to fly the Phantom towards the planet itself, sailing the ship at top speed to escape from orbit, then once it flew to the planet and came out of orbit, it broke through the atmosphere.
Once coming out of orbit, the ship sailed down through the skies in the world and made its way closer to the grounds, which were covered in grasses, jungles and cliffs... And the ship sailed on down until it reached the ground. The ship then landed on the ground, more safely than it could have.
...With the ship having landed on the mysterious world, the bay doors opened, and Hinson stepped and stood on the ground, surveying the area around him, the terrain, and listening to the ambient noise that inhabited it.
As Hinson looked with a somewhat frustrated feeling, suddenly, an object, a live being started to float through the skies in a rather care free manner... This being revealing itself to be a Forerunner Monitor, with a bright blue circular light serving as the face.
Once the Monitor spotted Hinson and his ship, it started becoming very joyful and sailed excitedly over to him and floated before him. Unlike Absolute Collector, this Monitor revealed itself to be female as she spoke in a cheerful voice, "Oh boy, humans," the Monitor stated, "Oh boy, oh boy. Did you have a nice trip, do you like my world?"
"Are you kidding, what's going on?" Hinson asked.
"Am I kidding?" the Monitor spoke, "No, silly, I'm Exhilarant Witness."
"What the hell is all this?" Hiller asked as he and the others stepped out of the ship.
"...Whoa, whoa, wait, you mean you're the Monitor that Osiris found," Hinson said, "...So this must be Genesis."
"Osiris? Oh, I've heard of them from my sister," Exhilerant Witness spoke, "No silly, that was the original Genesis, monitored by 031 Exuberant Witness... I am her sister, 029 Exhilarant Witness, and I'd like to welcome you to my home, Genesis Installation Two."
"...Real creative gods you guys have." McGinley remarked sarcastically toward Virum.
"So, there's other humans here, and oh, Sangheili as well," Witness said, "Anyone care to introduce me?"
"Introduce you," Hiller spoke, a bit aggravated, "Someone just shot at us!"
"Well, okay," Witness said, "...Everyone's a little tense right now."
"A beam shot at us as we came to the planet." Hinson stated.
"Is that so?" Witness spoke in her chipper mood, "...Oh, sorry if the implication is that I had anything with that... This Composer isn't as bad, but when it hits is where it gets a little tricky."
"Composer?" Hinson spoke.
"Oh yes, the Composer beam," Witness stated, "Very deadly... And pretty... I'm really sorry for the planetary defensive system. I just fix things when they break. I hope it didn't damage your ship."
"That's the thing that wiped out New Phoenix, isn't it?" Hiller spoke.
"...Yes... Tragic, I know," Witness said with some sense of sorrow, "Oh, it's a very uninteresting life here on Genesis, but an eternity in isolation can have that effect, especially if your head is filled with little wires and chips... It's become so Boring, actually... Well, actually, I have one companion here... He's so grouchy, though."
"That must be Absolute Collector." Girov stated.
"Sorry that I'm a little late to this conversation," Witness spoke, "Who?"
"We're looking for another Monitor, named 420 Absolute Collector," Hinson said, "This one has male programming and a red eye... Is he your companion?"
"Oh, yes, yes he is," Witness said, "...You must also know what he's like, too... So sorry. I promise the rest of us aren't like that... Well, except for that one time."
"I don't know if we can leave yet," Hinson said, "We have wounded."
"Oh, well let me see then." Witness said, and she proceeded to float into the ship and see 'Marem, who was still sitting on the floor of the ship. Seeing the Sangheili's leg wound, beginning to bleed through the bandages, Witness approached 'Marem's wounded leg and said, "Now, hold still, pretty please." and then emitted a blue laser through her eye that cauterized and healed the leg wound, eliminating the bleeding problem.
"...Hm... Thank you... You did well." 'Marem spoke.
"Oh stop, I'm not that great," Witness replied, "I'm sure it'll be fine with a regular checkup, then you'll be shipping off." Witness then floated out of the ship as Virum checked on 'Marem.
"How's your leg?" Virum asked 'Marem.
"Better now," 'Marem said, then she picked up her Storm rifle and handed it to Virum, "You should take this, it'll see much better use with you."
Taking the rifle, Virum went back outside to find Hinson discussing with Witness. "So there's two Monitors here... I thought it was just one Monitor per installation."
"Now I think I get what you're going for," Witness spoke, then faced a temple in the far off distance, "I thought so too, but he was, how you say, thrown in my lap, or something like that... He usually lives in that temple over there."
"Can you take us too him?" Hinson asked.
"Oh, well why didn't you say so?" Witness said, "I've been meaning to check on things over there anyways. I'm sure we'll have so much time to catch up on the way."
"Can't we just fly over there?" Hiller wondered.
"Now what fun is that, sweetie," Witness said, "There's places we should see first before we get to the temple."
"Is your sightseeing really that important?" Hinson asked of Witness.
"Conducting research in the field, I just knew it was going to be a great day," Witness said, excitedly cheery, "I've never been so excited! ...But If I'm to see their primary motives, I'll require an escort... So, who's up for coming on a field trip?"
"...I guess most of us will come," Hinson spoke, then turned to Gallagher, "Milo, you and 'Marem stay with the ship."
"Understood, Captain." Gallagher responded.
"I guess we're all ready, then." Hinson said as he turned to Witness.
"Well, that's just wonderful," Witness stated, "Aren't you so happy we're such close friends? Compared to my regular life, it'll be such fun... Right then, let's begin." Witness then turned to Hinson and spoke rather sensually, "After you, handsome."
Staring at the exuberant Monitor, Hinson looked back at his men, who were all ready to move out, then looked back at the Cheery Exhilarant Witness before Hinson faced the terrain before him and said, "...This will be a long day."