Halo: Rapture

Chapter Twenty: Well Enough Alone

Master Chief, Spartan-117________________________________________________________________

"Somewhere beyond the sea

Somewhere waitin' for me

My lover stands on golden sands

And watches the ships that go sailin'.

Somewhere beyond the sea

She's there watchin' for me

If I could fly like birds on high

Then straight to her arms I'd go sailin'.

It's far beyond the stars

It's near beyond the moon

I know beyond a doubt

My heart will lead me there soon.

We'll meet beyond the shore

We'll kiss just as before

Happy we'll be beyond the sea

And never again I'll go sailin'.

I know beyond a doubt

My heart will lead me there soon

We'll… I know we'll meet …beyond the shore

We'll kiss just as before

Happy we'll be beyond sea

And never again I'll go sailin'.

No more sailin'…

So long sailin'…

Bye Bye sailin'…"

As Harvey and Zee' voices die down from the song he just taught her we reached a crossroad that lead to either straight towards Hephaestus or Vulcan's Foundry. Harvey explained the Foundry was the back door to Hephaestus and the more stealthy way inside Ryan's fortress. Opting for the covert way, we took the left tunnel. Harvey radioed ahead and asked for rendezvous and pickup for some equipment he wanted us to have for our assault.

A few more miles down the road we started coming into contact with warning signs telling us we had entered a heavy industrial hazard zone, so I slowed down and proceeded with caution until we at last arrived at some sort of repair bay for the busses or trolleys that came through the area. We all got out of the Hog and took a good look at it. The whole back end was fried, the left rear tire was a hair from falling off, and it was also the first time we noticed the muffler along with other parts from the undercarriage was dragging on the ground.

"Wow… its amazing how you manage to nearly destroy every vehicle you climb into. Even so, you also mange to get out of them without so much as a scratch… you are one lucky bastard, you know that?"

Before I could reply, the Major came wobbling towards us on his Ghost. The minute he got off the Ghost it completely collapsed with a puff of blue smoke. "Damn Red." Harvey whistled as he walked over to the remains of the Ghost. The Major just rubbed the back of his neck as he turned away from the wreckage and looked straight at me.

"Don't you say a fucking word Demon."

"Can I?" Zee' asked mischievously.

"No."

"Drat." The door to a warehouse like building slammed open and Bittermen's hulking form was revealed. Harvey grins and immediately goes over to the Big Daddy.

"Did you get the stuff I need?" Bittermen gave a positive sounding moan and, with a large hand, gestured into the warehouse. We walk in order to see that it is complete chaos. Dead Splicers are everywhere, various machines and boxes lay scattered and broken across the dirty floor.

Harvey ignored all of that and simply went over to a forklift that held a large crate on it. After using a crowbar he dug inside of it for a moment before turning back to us with a grin. "Gather 'round guys I got some goodies for ya." He stuck his head into the crate before turning back to us. "Got some food, some ammo, weapons, and…I have no idea what this stuff is." He tossed some of the stuff onto the floor as he searched through the crate. "We all pulled our resources together and managed to come up with these." After a large tug he yanked a Brute Shot out of the crate and handed it to me.

"That's not all, here." He pulled out some bandoliers of different types of grenades. "We've been…fiddling with 'em." I take them and examine them for a moment. Incendiary, Proximity, Heat Seeker, and Flash Bang…

"Who's bright idea was it to give me Flash Bang. These things are no one's friend." I really don't like Flash Grenades, especially without my helmet to dampen the effects.

"You never know. Red sure found a use for 'em when he was getting his ass kicked by those Specter Splicers." The Major gave a low growl as Zee' giggled at her adopted brother's expense. He ignored 'Red' and looked back into the crate. "These are for you Zee'." He turns back around with twin Brute Plasma Rifles.

Zee' smiled in thanks as she took the crimson Rifles and examined them. "I appreciate this." She removed her almost depleted Needler and Spike Rifle and replaced them with the red Plasma Rifles. Harvey nodded as he dug through the crate again.

"Red, I suppose this giant vacuum is for you. Vic's been working on improving it." He stated as he pulled out a brand new Beam Rifle that the Major happily took after he tossed the Battle Rifle off of is back. It's obvious that the weapon put the Major in a much better mood.

After the weapons and ammo had been dispensed Harvey carelessly knocks the crate down. "The rest is food and medical supplies from Harrison and Anna." He says as he points to the vitamin bars, MREs, water bottles, juice boxes and med-kits.

I pick up a juice box and a MRE, "Who's Anna." Her name sounds familiar, but I can't recall a face.

"You haven't met her but she was Assistant Chief Surgeon…and my girlfriend."

"You have a girlfriend?"

"I'm going to ignore the surprise in your voice and simply answer: yes." He states evenly as he pulls a radio off of his tool belt. "Here since you lost your helmet, I was asked to give you this." Harvey hands the radio to me. "Atlas has been chewing Conviction's ear off because he hasn't been able to locate you."

"That's hardly my fault."

"Doesn't stop him from complaining. You better contact him, it's set to his frequency." I nod and walk a little away from the group and sit on a sealed crate.

I turn the radio on and almost immediately Atlas's voice comes through, "Where the hell have you been?! I've been tryin' to raise you for a dog's age! Oh, just forget it. Where are you?"

I glance around at the large warehouse, "A warehouse somewhere in Hephaestus."

"Good." A momentary pause. "Your just outside the R&D department, AKA Vulcan's Foundry. It's Ryan's factory floor where he makes everything from his security systems to Big Daddy maintenance. You have to head through there to get to the offices."

"Alright-"

"Hold it! I've got to tell you that getting around this place is no picnic."

"I didn't think it would be easy."

"Well, yes but the thing is that Ryan's office has the strongest shield you've ever seen. Only Ryan can deactivate it. But don't worry, I've been thinking about this since you got here. A man named Kyburz was working with Bill and Victor a while ago in a plan to assassinate Ryan. He was found out and got nailed to his trophy wall, but he was working on a way to get around the shield. I think he almost finished too."

"So, you want me to find his office and get a hold of his project…assuming it's still there."

"That's the gist of it, yes."

"I'm on it." I cut the transmission and make my way back over to the group. The Major is busy piling snacks and med-kits into his duffle bag while Zee' is cuddling a purring Hecate. Harvey seems to be talking to Bittermen.

"Hey, Chief we gotta split. I'll be seeing ya 'round. Here, you might want this." Before turning to leave, he hands me a genetic key. "It's Pablo Navarro's, he was an engineer here before he was killed by Atlas's gang during a raid." I take the key and nod my thanks before making sure, I have everything I need and check my weapons.

"Let's get going."

Vulcan's Foundry, Hephaestus_____________________________________________________________

The Major and I are pushing with all our strength against a heavy, metal, barricaded door just outside of the R&D Department. Zee' is watching us with amusement as she pets a dozing Hecate. We pull back and slammed our shoulders against the door. It dents but it holds true.

Ryan really has this place locked down. Five minutes into the building and we hit a wall.

We grit our teeth as the frustration and pain in our sides began to rise to dangerous levels. That's it, this is ridiculous. I growl in anger and gesture for the Major to move. I pull away from the door and kick it as hard as I possibly can. It buckles and holds but I give another kick, and it comes off it's hinges and the metal door bends over the barricade.

I grab the metal and throw it away from the entrance. There's a ton of junk piled near the entrance, and I begin tossing it away recklessly. When it's all gone, I take several deep breathes and calm myself down. There.

Turning I'm quite surprised by the scene behind me. Zee' is slightly turned away from me using her body to shield a panicking Hecate and the Major is ducked around the corner. The debris that had been barricading the door was scattered around and some of the walls were dented from the force, I had used to throw them.

"Oops."

"Oops!" I shrug and turn away with a groan as I rub my eyes. The light is bothering me and my head has started pounding.

"Spartan…"

"What?"

"Sit down and get some rest." I squint my eyes open at Zee' to see her pointing to the ground. I swallow when a hint of nausea passes over me. Sounds like a good idea. I lean against the wall and slide down to the floor. "Ardy, do you have a flashlight?" My eyes are closed, but I can hear the Major unzip the duffle bag and him search through it.

"I'm going to scout the R&D Department." I hear the Major comment distantly. I want to tell him not to go alone, but I really don't feel well.

"Alright but keep your radio on and BE careful." The Major doesn't reply, but I can hear his footsteps fade away. "Open your eyes Spartan." I squint them open, and she quickly grabs my chin to force me to look up and shines a light into my eyes. Ouch! If my head wasn't killing me before it is now.

She examines both of my eyes before letting her hand drop. "What's wrong with me?" She makes a humming noise before grabbing my wrist and checking my pulse.

"I'm not sure but judging by the fact that your skin is more pale than usual, and I can see a lot of your veins, which have taken an interesting color of green, by the way, and your pulse is considerably slower than I would like. I would say that your body is fighting off Flood mutations." I feel nothing but cold dread at these words. "Relax, your body is winning. I think you'll only really mutate if you were killed."

"Then why do I feel this way?"

"Because you need to learn to keep calm and relax. You've been running on nothing but adrenalin and sheer pigheaded determination since you got here. So, while Ardy goes sleuthing we are going to practice some meditative techniques…"

Major Ar'Deeth, Sangheili Air Force________________________________________________________

The R&D Department's lay out was easy enough to determine. The building is made up of two levels. The top story is dedicated to research and the bottom is the development part. So, computers above me and the actual projects around me.

The building (for it cannot be called a room) is at least two times bigger than the warehouse area, and it seems as if this is only one of many such departments in Hephaestus. This one seems to be for maintenance and upgrades only. I can see Big Daddy and security system parts scattered throughout the area.

There are other projects here as well but some, I cannot identify and others are covered by tarps with the Ryan Industries emblem on them.

I don't get to finish my inspection because a noise alerts me from one of the labs on the upper floor. From where I am I can just see through the catwalk and slightly into the room where the noise is coming from. Frowning, I locate the stairs up and follow the catwalk to the beeping nuisance.

I have my Energy Sword in my hand just in case but the lab is completely empty and in relatively decent condition too. I holster my weapon and look around. The room is sterile white like most human labs with desks and computers stuffed into the slightly cramped area. On the door reads: Office of Nicolas Jones and Pablo Navarro.

Didn't Harvey give the Spartan Navarro's Genetic Key? Curious, I step into the room and head to the beeping computer. I press a button and a holographic display lights up to show a representation of (what

I'm assuming) the planet that Rapture is located on. There is a flashing light just above the planet's atmosphere.

"What the hell….?" I jerk in surprise at Atlas's voice. "Sorry, didn't mean to frighten ya boyo." It's coming from my radio that's clipped at my hip to my pilot harness.

"What is it?"

"The display it's-"

"How can you see the display?"

"I hacked the cameras in the R&D department. There's one right behind you." I turn to see that there is indeed a camera perched just above the doorway to the lab. Damn! I need to be more careful.

"What about the display?'

"It's showing a distress signal coming from a small craft in orbit. Give me moment to think." I keep the channel open and wait patiently as I begin to search the rest of the office. Three minutes later he's back over the radio. "Alright, I've been searching through different logs and security footage looking for something useful. Would you mind looking out the window and onto the development floor?" I do as I am asked but don't see what he's getting at. "Okay, great. Now, just direct your attention up." I refocus my attention and nearly freeze when I recognize the shape docked just under the ceiling. No! It can't be!

"You mind taking that to check out the distress signal?" I nod numbly. I can't believe it. I never thought I'd see it again. "See ya later." He cuts the transmission.

Master Chief, Spartan-117________________________________________________________________

I'm sitting with my legs crossed in a Zen position, and I'm taking slow, deep calming breathes just as Zee' is instructing. All this is doing is making me sleepy, but I do feel better. Much better. Zee' tells me that my skin tone and pulse are back to normal. That's good.

"Zee' if the Demon is better get over here. We have a complication." I crack a single eye open and watch Zee' take her radio off of her harness.

"What do you mean?" I open my other eye and tear the wrapper off of a nutrition bar. The meditation techniques worked better than I thought, I am completely calm.

"It would be easier to explain in person. Don't worry the area's clear. In case you're wondering whether you have to baby the Demon." I roll my eyes and take a sip from my canteen.

"We'll be right there, Ardy." She sighs in annoyance and stows the radio. "Let's go Spartan." I nod and stand up. Together we walk into the large area, and we see the Major on the catwalk above us. He gestures for us to come to him and disappears into an office.

"Zee' look out the window and up at the ceiling." She does just that, and I copy her. Docked hanging from the ceiling is a Covenant aircraft, I only really saw during the first stages of the war, though I caught glimpses of them on the Ark. A Vampire. It was painted green like most Sangheili vehicles after the schism, but it had red stripes along the sides and red script in Sangheili.

"Is that…"

"Yes." There's genuine happiness in the Major's voice.

"What's so special about the Vampire?" Confusion is dripping from my voice as I look between a surprised Zee' and an ecstatic Ar'Deeth.

"It's Ardy's personnel Vampire that his Uncle gave to him shortly after you jacked his Banshee back on the first ring." Oh.

"I thought I'd never see it again." The Major states as he looks out fondly on the aircraft like a father to their child.

"Congratulations."

"Don't be so hasty Spartan. When Ardy received the Vampire, he swore revenge against you and vowed to shoot you down himself. Which is why that vehicle is named: Demon's Demise." Charming.

The Major's grinning and Zee' is shaking her head. "Don't worry that was until we found out about the Prophet's lies. Anyway, Atlas and I have discovered a distress beacon in orbit around the planet. He wants us to take Demon's Demise and go investigate. Apparently, it's been modified to be able to traverse underwater. Who modified it, I have no idea, but it hardly matters."

"Us, as in the three of us. Won't this slow us down?" I can't help but ask. Not another delay, I'm getting sick of this.

"Which is why only Zee' and myself will be going. You will continue and we'll hopefully meet up again soon."

"Say again?" Zee' asks as she directs her attention to the Major.

"Because the Vampire requires two pilots and the Demon is unfamiliar with Sangheili machinery. Plus, I consider him in my Vampire sacrilegious." I hold up my hands in a surrender gesture and don't press the issue.

"Spartan, will you be fine on your own?"

I look at her in vague amusement and say, "I think I can handle myself for a few hours." She nods and I watch the two of them climb up to the Vampire, and I leave the office to find the control room.

The control room is smaller than Navarro's office and has screens on the walls that show camera footage of the ground floor. It reminded me somewhat of the control room back in the Smuggler's Hideout. I locate the correct controls and use the cranes to maneuver the Vampire to an adjacent room that once again reminded me of the Smuggler's Hideout.

I manipulate the crane controls until I had lowered Demon's Demise into the pool of water that occupied the expanse of the launch bay. "Okay, we're ready to go. You're on your own henceforth until we get back Spartan."

"Good luck."

"You as well." The transmission ends and I watch the Vampire disappear below the water. It looks like I'm on my own again. I turn and walk away from the control room and search for the exit of the R&D Department.

"Chief…" Atlas. He sounds edgy.

"Yes?"

"Get. Out. Now." I blink in bewilderment, and I don't have time for much else because alarms start blaring and the lights bathe the room in a red glow.

"Parasite! How dare you dirty this place with your steps!" This new voice roars over the building's speaker system.

"I turn my back for one second and this cockroach crawls in. Forge, back off!" Atlas calls over the radio channel.

"Atlas! Rebel! Liar! Criminal! Parasite! Code breaker!" Security bots come flooding into the room and I quickly ready my Assault Rifle. I duck behind a broken Big Daddy and take aim at the ungainly Security Bots.

"For God's sake, Forge!"

"God? There is no God! Only man and those created by man!" I fire a quick burst from my Rifle and destroy one, the explosion catches and injures another. I pull my head back and get down low before making a dash for another piece of cover.

"Chief, I'm tracking Splicers coming in your direction. Forge is flooding the place with pheromones. So would you kindly get out of there!" I don't bother to comment and search for my way out. I duck down when the Sentinels locate me and begin to try and turn me into a corpse.

I unleash some counter fire while I locate a door. A 'BANG' suddenly echoes throughout the building and multitudes of Splicers pour out of a set of double doors. I summon my Electro Bolt and shoot as many Splicers and Sentinels as I can as I run for the door, hopping over any obstacle that presents itself.

I get out the doors and slam them shut behind me. The Splicers are all too shocked to attempt to follow me for a moment which gives me the opportunity to weld to doors shut with my Incinerate. When that task is done I take off down the hall. Better safe than sorry.

"I don't hear any gun fire. You still alive Chief?"

"For the moment."

"That's good. Listen, when I was preoccupied trying to figure out what was causing the distress signal, Forge weaseled himself back into the network and kicked me out. I'm trying to get back in but Forge is smart enough not to fall for the same trick twice, so I don't think I'll be able to help you with security anymore."

"Who is Forge?"

"Ryan's personal AI with supped up security protocols."

"He didn't seem…right."

"Yeah. He was made on the fly after Ryan's…other AI was decompiled. Forge was piled together quickly and was never actually completed. He has no pet like the others and was manufactured rampant. I doubt you'll be able to avoid him forever. Just watch your back."

-END OF CHAPTER TWENTY-

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Co-Author's Notes:

Standard song disclaimer: "Somewhere beyond the sea" Is owned by Bobby Darin.

I would like to say that I came up with that last chapter which we are ALL going to pretend never happened. By the way, writing at three in the morning leads to deeply psychotic behavior. Oh, and thank you for all your kind reviews!

Authors Notes:

Hi everyone,

I apologize for the delay but as Sander Cohen would say, 'Our muse is a fickle bitch with a very short attention span.' And writer's block is a feral dog with rabies. I kick it once and it comes to bite me in the ass.

Uh, if you didn't get my lame dog analogy, I was on a roll with this chapter and the next one when I hit a wall. Luckily Mortified Mind helped me out, and I was back on track. I was also dragging my heels with checking everything over. Not to mention I'm nervous about how everyone will react to the last chapter.

I hope you enjoyed this and thank you for being patient!

-KTHM