Chapter 10 Winds of Change
Six noted that things haven't been the same for Project Freelancer post the heist, first was the arrival of a new "A.I."
Six was with York before the surgery to get the chip in his head to freely communicate with his new A.I. partner. York was nervous not so much for the pain but how it would feel to have a voice in his head other than his own, "Say teach you ever had an A.I. in your head?" Six sadly could not give much, "Sorry but my only interaction with an A.I. was carrying it in a carrier, not in my head."
"What was their name? If they have one?" York was curious since he was unsure if they were given names like how kids are when born, or just given a title they go by like how he's called York and Six, is well Six, "Cortana. She chose me to-" York slapped an arm on the spartan three's shoulder and said, "Wow you gave Chief his key to saving the universe. Must be something you're proud of.
Nathan looked away from York, Six hates to admit but he's a lot likes Carolina, he doesn't like to be a stepping stone to someone else's success. The difference here is at least her name is not one they want to keep from being heard any longer than it needs to. ONI doesn't want the embodiment of their sins to come to light and see in his ugly glory. Soon the door opened and York walked into the room to get injected with his new roommate in his head.
Few minutes later York finally arrived in a room for people post surgery to heal before being let out. York was gently placed on a lounge chair with two chairs, one on each side of it. His helmet was off showing his brown hair and his two eyes thanks to help of the spartan and black armor chick of the project.
Six and Carolina entered the room and took the seats by York's side, "You think York has to play telephone with his A.I. to inform us?" Carolina joked towards the spartan three who responded with, "They should be able to speak for themselves, the real question is will they project a hologram for us to see."
Suddenly a green hologram forms just above York's chest area, "I will be projecting myself just like this." Carolina almost jumps out of her seat seeing a green mark five mjolnir armor person wielding a magnum. "My apologies, Agent Carolina. I assume it would be best to correct you in person and not wait for my partner to wake up."
Carolina collected herself and said to the A.I. "It's fine so what's your name A.I.?" the A.I. gladly answer, "My name is Delta but I am not an actual A.I. I am actually a fragment." Six was curious about the wording but was about to ask about that when York started to move to showing he was back to being awake and notice Delta, "So you're the one taking space in my head?"
"Correct Agent New York. I hope our partnership is a fruitful one." York hoped so and said to his A.I. partner, "Just call me York." Delta responded with a simple answer, "Noted."
Delta looks at Six and when he does the fragment froze in place, like a deer in the headlights and his body glitching out and changing into a light blue color , "Are you okay Delta?" Six asked which snapped Delta out of whatever was going on in his digital mind returning him to his green glowing form,
"Sorry Agent Six, my threat senses were on high alert when seeing you. York's chances at defeating you are less than five percent" Carolina chuckled whileYork rolled his eyes as he sat up as the rest of their friends came in to see the A.I.
Following Delta was Sigma who was given to Carolina at first, but she instead gave it to Maine who needed someone to speak for him, due to him lacking the means to do it himself. During this time Six had another encounter with Agent Texas.
Six's plan required waiting until everyone was asleep or Carolina was grinding herself to the bone even though Six told her to chill for the fourth time this week alone. Once that is complete the plan can finally begin.
This plan was a movie night by himself, the movie Six had in mind was Mortal Kombat ninety five. However when Six reached the room with the tv he liked he saw someone else was in the middle of getting set up to watch a movie.
"The fuck are you doing here?" Texas said to the Ghost of Reach who shot back at her, "Look who's talking. Anyway, what are you going to watch?" Tex wanted to shoot a witty remark, but tonight she felt generous , maybe because Omega was off during this time of the day, "Lionman." She figured he would ask what it is about but to Texas' surprise, "I used to watch that as a kid."
Six took the free spot on Texas' right and both kept a good distance apart. Tex finally quipped back at the spartan "So maybe you can finally explain what the hell is going on with this movie. Since I don't understand Thanksgiving dinner's language." Six chuckled a bit at her delicious jab and returned with, "Yes. But isn't the appeal of turkish movies making up what you think is going on?"
"Can't really argue with that." As the movie begins the two remain silent until the scene with one of the villain's assassins coming out of a rolled out carpet throwing a knife into the king's chest.
Both knew it was ridiculous with Agent Texas thinking it was beyond practicality, "No way that would work in any situation besides this movie." Six nodded in agreement and said, "One assassin tried it on me. I just shot him before he tossed his knife." Tex chuckles at that funny story he shared with her, this causing the female in black to move slightly closer to the spartan.
The next scene for the two viewers to talk shit about was when the king tried to open double doors to escape, the two viewers thought was going on. However the king was stopped when SIX fucking people with sword stab him in the back, TWICE and somehow the king was not dead yet,
"I call bullshit no one could survive something like that." Tex said, in response Six complained about what the villain leader did next, "Why cut his hands? Just go for the head, or throat. Anything would have been more effective than disarming him."
They saw the wife of the king give birth to their son like she was popping the lid of a drink and seeing him being raised by fucking lions. The next scene was the kid turning into a man, a Lion Man if you will. Who was played by Cüneyt Arkın, "Wait, why do I know that face from somewhere?" Six gladly clarified what she was likely thinking, "he was the guy who punched rocks in turkish star wars." Texas' mind became clear, "OH right. I thought he played the murder happy turkish spider man."
The duo kept watching the movie, making jokes at this turkish movie and having a grand old time. Nearing the part where Lion Man comes in for the final battle with his new claw gloves to kick ass, Texas glanced at Six and in his place the redhead boy from the heist appeared,
"Why does Stitch, if he is so smart, not realize destroying everything is meaningless?" since it seems they were watching the disney classic Lilo and Stitch which for the boy was his first time, "Because he was born to be one. Sometimes people forget that our intelligence grants us the ability to question things, not solely to be better at what you're told." The boy took what she said to heart, "Thanks Allison." Texas almost forgot her name and was in this frozen state until,
"Tex, are you alright."
She returned to reality and saw she was out for only eightish minutes, "I'm fine." as the two resumed watching the movie. Once the movie was over the two head to bed knowing in their hearts they will do this once more at a later date.
The next major event to happen was a mission where everyone learned there was a rat in Project Freelancer. The mission was simple: York was sent in ahead with Delta in tow with the hope they will be able to open the leader's hanger for the team to go in and kidnap team consists of Six, Carolina, Wash, the Dakotas, Connie and Four Seven Niner who was their prefered flyer for missions for reason beyond any agent's understanding.
Six was worried for York since he tried to convince the director to have two agents instead of one break in but he was ignored as usual, because surely the guy who has no boots on the ground combat knowledge has better judgement than a MOTHERFUCKING SPARTAN. Eventually the call for the flyers to fly out was given and Four Seven Niner answered swiftly, getting her Pelican's engine roaring.
Six was in the pilot chamber with Carolina in the co-pilot seat and Niner in the pilot seat, "Sometimes I wonder if the Director wants you guys to come back leaving a trail of blood back to base." Six said out loud getting the attention of Carolina who entered defend daddy mode, "Director has his reasons, Though now we got to find a new insertion point. Since York Failed to open the leader's hanger for us" Six rolled his eyes at her excuse for her boss as York yelled through the coms, "It wasn't my fault!" Niner decide to keep on mission and said,
"We'll have to settle for the main hanger." Carolina asks a really dumb question, "Which one is that?" Six answers in the pilot's place, "The one with turrets around and going to try to shoot us." Carolina rolled her eyes and was about to give a sarcastic thanks but Niner barely dodged a shot that would likely have clipped one of the Pelican's wings, "Never a dull moment, huh?"
Niner said to Agent Six and Carolina, "If I were either of you, I would get your team ready, we're going in hot. Not hot tub hot, burning alive hot." Six heads in first giving Carolina room to hop down from the co-pilot seat. Taking command of the team for a bit to inform them of the change in entrance, "You heard Niner, the main hanger is our way in, prepare for hell."
North commented, "So much for a smooth ride."South quipped back at her big bro, "Heh, What's the matter bro? Feeling a bit sick?" North returns South's line with one of his own, "Hey, I'm not the one needing a barf bag for all our family trips."
South shook her head, hating to be reminded of those times.
All the agent's took a seat readying themselves for heading right into the eye of the storm. Six took a seat on Carolina's right with Wash and North Dakota on her left. Wash checking on Carol asked,
"How are you feeling? Are you up to this?" Carolina hates beating around the bush, "Say what you wanna say Washington." Wash was well aware she could snap his neck with her thighs so he obeyed, "It's just giving up your A.I. was a huge deal. I thought maybe-" Carolina caught off the rookie,"I'll be fine, worry about yourself Wash." ending the conversation since it was turning into something Carolina did not want to talk about.
South was sitting next to Connie and noticed she hadn't said anything, "You're being awfully quiet." This snapped the brown armor agent out of her train of thought, "Oh, just trying to prepare myself for what's going to happen." South Dakota likes C.T. since she is the only other girl that doesn't make her feel inferior. "Hey, Worse comes to worst we'll both get kicked off the leaderboard, at least us ladies will be sticking together right?" Connie did not respond back, which would have been a red flag to anyone with knowledge beyond anyone present in the pelican.C.T. looked at Six and had one chance, and this chance alone to ask the spartan three, "Say Six. I heard this rumor that you and your sister-"
"My sister died a long time ago." Six was quick to answer Connie's random question which told her a lot of useful information. Connie pushed in hopes this does not push him to far, "yeah long time ago like 20 years-" Six rose to his feat scaring the shits out of everyone present, specially Connie, but to her fortune a shot hit the side of Niner's pelican getting a cuss word out of her lips along with,
"Opening rear bay." All the agents rose to their feet like Six was with jetpacks attached waiting for the bay door to open to let them fly off. Six walks to C.T. "Talk after the mission." Connie nodded knowing she won't be coming back, didn't make his tone any less scary. Carolina said to everyone, "Remember use your packs sparingly, source corrections only. Six's upgrades help with fuel consumption; it's still possible to end up like Georgia."
Wash was worried and out of the loop, "Wait, what happened to Georgia?" South answered by saying, "Nobody knows, they never found him." This did not lower Washington's worry level, "Six, are you sure these jetpacks are safe?" Before Six could answer Wash's question, Carolina shouted, "NOW!"
As Niner did a three hundred and sixty degree turn with that momentum launching the agents out so they could soar quickly towards the enemy station with their jetpacks to course correct the best they can. All the agents had their weapon of choice drawn, North his sniper, South a commando rifle, Wash and Six their battle rifles, with Carolina she lacked any weapon in hand but had Plasma rifles on the side of her legs and a gravity hammer on her back.
The enemy units were not fully prepared and had to make a barricade with Warthogs as they began to fire at the flying intruders
North and South Dakota landed and unload their rifles hitting enemies through the many holes in their crappy walls.
Carolina flew right into the heart of their group while in midair she tossed the hammer down knocking many of the guards away. The red headed agent landed grabbing the brute hammer and began to and Six did not waste time fighting much, though Six did kill a few as he flew by them to lower the risk of Carolina getting hurt.
Wash and Six landed in front of a control panel for the hanger and Six let Wash handle it, mostly to keep him distracted while Six plugs a thumb drive in to get information this station has on Project Freelancer. Wash was having trouble at his role,
"Where's that dam security override?" Six was about to help the gray and yellow agent but, "Dammit." Washington smashed his fist on the control system for the hanger and noticed he deactivated the artificial gravity, "Uh oh, that's probably not good." Six shook his head and said to the rest, "Prepare for low gravity, activate your grav boots."
North and South saw the hogs and enemy units floating and headed into the thick of it, standing on warthogs so they could have an easier time shooting the bad guys, like shooting fish in a barrel.
Carolina feeling stylish or being a try hard whichever one you prefer by using her gravity hammer to launch a warthog through the air smashing into floating troopers before crashing into a different hog. Carolina flew towards her launched warthog to jump off into a higher floating hog and began to unload her plasma rifles into her victims, it was elegant and Six admitelly had a sense of joy for his student, like a father seeing his boy hit a home run in baseball.
Wash finally got the gravity to be activated again just in time to duck a car launched by the former number one agent, "Why do cars hate me." Wash comment would have been on watch mojos top ten moments of foreshadowing for sure.
Once all agents had their boots on the ground Carolina ordered, "They know we are inside the station. Wash North secure that hallway" pointing at the hall in question before moving to her next orders, "South, see if you can access the leader's location. We won't leave without him."
South nodded, "Got it, I am already on it." Carolina turned to give C.T. her orders but, "Where the hell is C.T.?!" Six notices as well guessing she left while the team was heading towards the hanger, lucky for the spartan three he thought ahead and had added into many of Project Freelancer helmets a device allowing him to hear whatever they hear or say.
When he tuned into the Connie channel he heard a voice say, "I Was worried about you, Didn't think you would be able to get away." Six then heard Connie speak, "You don't know the half of it, they stepped up production. Here."
Connie was likely talking about the A.I. fragments, that is what Six is assuming. Connie spoke once more, "This ship was captured by the enemy, I'm surprised there is anything left in the data banks." laziness is a terrible weakness, the other person spoke again, "Heh, not everyone follows protocol. You of all people should know this better than anyone."
Connie then asked, "You really think they discovered another artifact? How could nobody have discovered that when they were processing the wreckage." The other guy speaking to Connie said, "They didn't know where to look and they didn't have what you have Connie." Six decided to end it there as the download was complete.
After the thumbdrive was remove Six noticed South was back and was talking to Carolina, whatever it was it clearly was not making Carolina happier as she toss her gravity hammer aside,
"What do you mean the leader is not here?" South was getting annoyed with the red head, "It's exactly what I said. His last check in is upstairs on the main deck, but his call sign just appeared in their internal 's broadcasting from out in the Bone Valley." Carolina was about to say he's not here but Six caught her off,
"Yes Carol he is not here. Alright men get over here we're heading into the junkyard." Everyone lines up with Carolina saying to herself quietly, "This is beginning to feel more and more like a set up." all of them got into place for an epic shot, only for York to come crashing into the hanger killing the epic mood.
"You would not believe the time I had getting back. It's nuts out there." Carolina wasted no time and launched out of the hangar with south in toe, "What? No welcome back?" North decided to tease his friend a bit but also give him what he asked for, "Alright, welcome back." flying off to join his sis and Carol leaving York hanging confused, "Where are they off to in such a hurry." Six helps York up as Wash said to his friend, "Found the leader. He's hiding in the Bone Valley."
York comments, "We're going all the way over there? After what happened to Georgia." Wash's freak out meter had broken and he shouted, "Would someone please tell me what happened to Georgia!?" York's response was simply, "Dude, you do not want to know." as York left Six and Wash alone in the hanger, "I really do though!"
Six sighs and finally answer Wash's question, "his jetpack went haywire and Georgia was lost in the vast vacuum of space. Now come or we will be left behind." Wash appreciates Six explaining it to him and he follows the spartan through space to catch up to the rest of the team. The team flew through the junkyard seeing no ships or any signs of activity.
Carolina said out loud, "I don't get it. Everything's stopped." With North Dakota throwing his two cents, "Maybe they're retreating." with agent York chiming in, "Nothing left out here but a shit ton of junk." Six finally spoke, "They're likely some pretending to be dead or left." This made them more on high alert in case of an ambush.
Out of left field came a large spacecraft rivaling the Mother of Invention in size called the Staff of Charon shaking off the junk that was used to camouflage itself. Staff of Charon began to unloads a massive amount of shots into Project Freelancer's ship before high tailing it out of their, leaving a nuclear surprise
Niner saw the warning on one of her monitors and shouted over the comms, "GUYS! Get out of there! They've outfitted that piece of junk with nukes." This got the jetpack agents into high gear to get out of there Niner got closer to the jetpack squad and opened the bay door so they could hop in. However Wash did not follow which got them worried, namely York,
"Wash, what are you doing!? Get in here now! Use your jetpack." Wash said nervously, "I don't wanna share the same fate as Georgia."
Carolina was sick of this crap, "oh for God's sake." as she pulled out her grappling gun and shot it at Washington's crouch plate and attempted to drag him into the pelican. She was having trouble pulling Wash in so Six grabbed the gun, "allow me." Six's tug was a bit too hard as he launched Wash right inside,
hitting the wall of the Pelican so hard that it left a dent and a daze Washington
"Thanks Six." though not happy with the pain he was in, it was better than being exploded.
The nuke hit some junk and exploded leaving a spherical area in the junkyard free of junk for a while. Niner while piloting the pelican back to the Mother of Invention,"Beside Wash are you all alright?" York responded sarcastically, "Never better, thanks for asking Niner." Director came over the radio asking,
"What the HELL just happened, people? TELL ME you accomplished your mission." Carolina hated what she had to say next, "Negative, sir. Their leader escaped." North said to the group, "Well, it appears that the enemy lives to fight us another day." South adding to what her brother says, "Again."
the director over the radio still says, "This is most unfortunate. Are all agents accounted for?" Carolina was about to answer her father's question when,
"Yes we are all on Niner's Pelican while C.T. is back with the enemy team." Director nodded and said, "That is great- WHAT the hell did you just say B312!" Six knew he pissed him off royally but the salt was very delicious, "It is the only logical explanation, she has been an agent that tends to ask a lot of questions." Making Six put as a priority to get to her before the others, whatever caused her to leave now of all times is something Six needs to know. What skeletons does the Director have in his closet?