Chapter Two
____________
The Halo
I slowly opened my eyes to see Warren kneeled down beside me. He had his hand on my back, and patted it a few times "Are you awake?" Can ya move?" He tilted his head. I didn't answer. Another soldier who was outside, looked into the pod and turned back around "Sarge, number 8273645 is awake, Sir." I didn't understand. I felt like I had a concussion or something. I looked around, still dazed. I also looked to see if there was anyone else in the pod besides me and Warren. There wasn't. Except the Lieutenant, who's head was layed back in her chair. Her face was inched with large chunks of glass, from her chin to her forehead. Her arms were slumped over the rests and her mouth was wide opened. She was dead. I turned my head back quickly as Warren unbuckled my seat straps and grabbed me at the elbows. "Come on buddy, you gotta get up. We gotta get moving." I looked around, lifting myself up weakly and throwing my arm around his neck. As we both slothed out of the pod, the Sargeant approached me. I dropped my arm and saluted him. He saluted me back. "Good evening, marine." Warrem looked at him then at me. I didn't say anything. I was too afraid. "What's your name, marine?" he ordered, taking a puff from his alluminum pipe. I still didn't answer him. I was too confused and dazed to say anything. I almost didn't understand what he was saying to me. He huffed one big ol' huff, and turned to Warren "Nutt, what's this marine's name?" Warren grabbed me by the soldier before I fell over again. "Larry Williams, sir. He's from our platoon." He sighed again and dropped onto the ground. The ground was stained with blood, and a few med packs. The Sargeant Jones picked up an assault rifle and two grenades and handed them to me. I weakly reached up and took them. Then I took the assault rifle with my other hand, and rested it on my elbow. "Thank you, sir" I said, and saluted "I am sorry for my ignorance sir, It'll take me awhile to get tuned in." I was shaking by now. But I had also learned that Sarge wasn't the mean jerk that he was cut out to be. He could be reasonable. "Alright, Williams, but you better hurry your tuning or your gonna be plasma fire." He turned around. I saluted again, and replied "Sir, yes sir!" He had already walked off. Warren patted me on the shoulder "I'ma go get me something to eat, or something." "Get me something to, willya?" I said after him "Alright" he replied, not turning around. I looked up at the sky. The wind was howling and it seemed dark. It couldn't be any later that 15 hundred hours though. I also didn't bother asking how long they'd been out of the bumblebee. It didn't really matter, as long as everyone was there and acounted for. I think. I took a step forward, looking around. I saw the big ring above us, and how you could almost see it in space. I looked in awe. I had never seen anything like this. Not many of us had. We were ground troops. Sure some of the Naval Officers had, maybe a few petty officers. To UNSC personnel something like this was normal. But not to a recruit in the UNMC.. Nope. This was far beyond normal.
It turns out we had landed just off of a large, glowing structure that stood out in the open and shot large blue beams of light in the air. Now, when we saw this, you couldn't imagine how frightened we were. We thought us, out of all the other pods that landed on the planet, we had to land just outside a covenant base. But, after Sarge sent two officers to check it out, it showed their was no life forms in it. It was just there. Sarge told us that it was probably something the forerunners built, and it's still running. Who knows. Who cares. After that was cleared up, everyone just sort of layed there.
No one had seen a sign of a dropship or anything since we left the Pillar of Autmn. No one even talked Everyone was so bored, and hungrey. Warren had managed to bring back a few black berries he found on a nearby bush, but that was all. He didn't tell anyone but me. That was the good thing about Warren. If he dug up something interesting, he would only share it with those who wanted to know. I had taken a handfull, and he ate two handfulls. It was funny too, how we all just sat there. Bored to death. No one even bothered to keep watch for any covenant activity. Everyone soon regreted that.
I was half asleep with my helmet in my lap, leaning up against a tree and rotting away in the shade when I heard Tim Lagani's accent "Sarge, look! Covenant dropship, 9 o'clock!." I stood up, and looked at the large purple ship coming in. The Sargeant paused and looked behind him at the rest of the platoon, then back up at the dropship. Indeed it was coming for us. It was landing in a small clearing just on the other side of the structure. We all waited for the sarge to say something, but he didn't. After a moments wait, he turned around and jammed a clip into his MA5B Assault Rifle, and got that look on his face, the same look he had on his face when he was giving us the motivation speach on the Pillar of Autumn. He looked frusterated like he was preparing something long and hard, or like he was about to cry. But all he managed to say was "Give em' hell Marines, give em' hell..." With that he turned around. I glanced over to Warren, who was to my right, and to D.J. Pomposini, who was to my far left. They would cover me. I had hoped.
When the dropship touched down, Grunts and Elites jumped off of either side, and immediatly started to fire. We fired back too. Our aim seemed better than before. We were more determined to live now, then before on the ship, I think. The invasion of the Pillar of Autumn had given us a new look on life.
The Sargeant yelled out a battle yell and charged forward, we charged with him. Bullets going from left to right. I stepped back, my Assault rifle infront of me, firing continously. I sunk back with Warren and D.J., Who were both busy firing back at the covenant troops. I looked at Warren and yelled over the buzz of his rifle "You got my back right?" Just then I looked ahead as he shot the gut out of a grunt. He only nodded to me. Then I turned over to D.J. I was about to say something, but I was too late, his head had already been blown away by their needle guns. I closed my eyes tight and looked the other way. The only thing I was taught to do in a heavy combat situation like this. "We can't hold them!" Yelled Tim as he filled his gun with another clip, down on one knee. Everyone just kept shooting.
Then, down from the hill, came the SPARTAN soldier. I put my hand on the bandanna that covered my head, and smiled in relief as the last of the grunts were killed off by the Petty Officer. When the area was clear, Me and Warren walked over to him and stood. I was so amazed. He had shiny green armor, and a helmet with a shining gold face plate. Just like a gladiator. He carried the same grade assault rifle as us ground troops did. But it just seems more deadly in his hands. Yet, he still stood like any other marine, ready to face the next foe. "It's a mess, sir" Warren finally got out, facing the SPARTAN. I nodded and looked him in his golden visor "It's a good thing you made it, Chief, we were afraid no one else got off the Pillar of Autumn." I smiled after I said that. I know I probably didn't look much like a marine to him. I lost my combat suit awhile ago, and my helmet was back at the tree. I only wore a faded shirt, combat pants and boots, and a faded black bandana. Which I always wore under my helmet to absorb sweat. He walked over to me and put his hand on my shoulder, and nodded. I looked up to him in awe, just as I had before, like he was superman. And in a way, he was.
My awe was suddenly interrupted when he turned his gaze to the sky, and started running down the hill. There was another dropship coming. Then, another one came out from behind the mountain. There were two of them. They both landed on the far side of the structure, just left of our landing pod. A few marines were still there. They were blasted away immediatly. They took two grunts with them though. Before me and Warren knew what was going on, Master Chief was already there. Doing his job. "C'mon" I yelled behind me at a dumfounded Warren "We'll take a short cut over the structure!" I yelled. He sort of nodded, like he had gone crazy or something. We both ran down the hill, keeping our feet in front of us so we didn't fall on our faces. We turned the corner and ran up ontop of the structure, where a deck officer in a red jumpsuit had just been shot in the chest and killed.There was another officer up there, in yellow, shooting away at the covenant below who were trying to climb the walls of the structure. Three more marines quickly ran up the ramp on the other side and blasted them away. Then, in the middle of the great battle, another drop ship came behind the structure, then another. "Look, up ahead!" Warren yelled. I just stared. The large purple ship was raining down big pink plasma bolts upon the marines spread around the area."They're trying to flank us!" The sargeant yelled from the the other side of the battle field. It really got serious though when grunts ran up the ramps of the structure and started to fire upon the marines up there. Me and Warren cautiously firing back at them. After all the shooting, we were now low on ammo, and only shot in small groups. This also gave us more accuracy. I shrieked to Warren as the officer in the yellow jumpsuit was blown off the side of the structure and fell to his doom "We have to get off this big cement block for a start!" "I don't know how! Both the ramps are blocked!" He screamed in my ear so I could hear him over the gun fire."Find a way!" I retorted back in an un-assuring deep voice. I threw my clip down and popped in another, and began to fire at the rappidly grown covenant platoon forming up the ramps of the structure. I knew the troops on the ground didn't have it any better though. "He turned his head quick, then turned it back to the approaching Grunts "Follow me this way!" he said, also putting in another clip. He began to run, I ran after him, keeping my aim behind me as I hit a Grunt between the eyes. We ran all the way down to the other side of the structure. Then we turned the corner. "We should be safe here..." Warren said, out of breath. "I don't..uhh...I don't think so..." I retorted to him, wide eyed. The opposite cornered of the wall we were leaning against wall was filled with Jackels and elites. No way would make it. We both just stood there for a moment, and listened to the comotion down below the structure. "Look!" Warren exclaimed out the blue, suddenly pointing to the batallion on the opposite wall "It's Master Chief!" I turned the corner and watched. The SPARTAN was blowing them away yet again. His battle tactics were amazing. He was an army in himself.
As we caught our gaze of the last Elite being shot to the ground with a painful howl, we came out from around the corner and met the Sarge and the five other marines remaining at the bottom of the ramp. The Sargeant saluted us both "Good job, men! " He also turned to the other marines and saluted them as well "Foe-Hammer'll be here in five for extraction. Sattle up." At that we all cheered. Marines jumped up and gave each other high fives, others hugged eachother, or shook eachother's hands. We were all happy to be alive. And we were gonna make it off of this ring. We wouldn't be anywhere without Master Chief though. He saved us all just in time. Now, I am sure he is the only hope for the human people. And we all need that. Someday My grandchildren will look back to this day, and know that their grandfather had the chance to meet one of the greatest heroes of all time. It was good feeling. Warren put his arm around my shoulder and started walking. "C'mon, Foe-Hammer's here." I looked to him nodded. We started walking behind the Sarge to the dropship. The Pelican had brought a M12 LRV Warthog with it, and dropped it on the ground, the landed softly behind it.. Master Chief jumped in, and Tim Lagoni got at the gun in the back. They were both crazy to stay here. But what ever Master Chief had to do, was fine by me. I know I wasn't going to question it. They drove off, and off, and off until they dissapeared into a riverbed. I actually didn't think I'd ever see Tim Lagoni again.
When everyone was safely seated and strapped into the Pelican, Foe-Hammer took off. "Where to boys?" The cheerful woman laughed through the loudspeaker. "Anywhere but right here, Foe-Hammer, would be best." Sargeant Jones snickered. I laughed at their conversation. So did Warren. "How bout I take you to where Master Chief is going, Sargeant?" She said laughing even harder now. "Don't make me come in there, Foe-Hammer!" Screeched the sargeant, now to a good laugh. Foe-Hammer was cracking up in the cock pit though. I tilted my head closer to Warren so he could hear me over the roar of the engines "Where do you think we're going?" He shrugged and removed his hat, running his hand through his hair, and shaking off the sweat "I don't know, Larry. Hopefully somewhere far away from here.Hopefully to another cruiser." He put his hat back on, with that. I looked out the window as we zoomed off from the battle field. Now I could see alot of those big structures with the blue beams shooting out, all over the area. I also got a good glance at how big the ring really was. Soon, we would find more about it, and more about it's terrible but true purpose. It was only a matter of time.
____________
The Halo
I slowly opened my eyes to see Warren kneeled down beside me. He had his hand on my back, and patted it a few times "Are you awake?" Can ya move?" He tilted his head. I didn't answer. Another soldier who was outside, looked into the pod and turned back around "Sarge, number 8273645 is awake, Sir." I didn't understand. I felt like I had a concussion or something. I looked around, still dazed. I also looked to see if there was anyone else in the pod besides me and Warren. There wasn't. Except the Lieutenant, who's head was layed back in her chair. Her face was inched with large chunks of glass, from her chin to her forehead. Her arms were slumped over the rests and her mouth was wide opened. She was dead. I turned my head back quickly as Warren unbuckled my seat straps and grabbed me at the elbows. "Come on buddy, you gotta get up. We gotta get moving." I looked around, lifting myself up weakly and throwing my arm around his neck. As we both slothed out of the pod, the Sargeant approached me. I dropped my arm and saluted him. He saluted me back. "Good evening, marine." Warrem looked at him then at me. I didn't say anything. I was too afraid. "What's your name, marine?" he ordered, taking a puff from his alluminum pipe. I still didn't answer him. I was too confused and dazed to say anything. I almost didn't understand what he was saying to me. He huffed one big ol' huff, and turned to Warren "Nutt, what's this marine's name?" Warren grabbed me by the soldier before I fell over again. "Larry Williams, sir. He's from our platoon." He sighed again and dropped onto the ground. The ground was stained with blood, and a few med packs. The Sargeant Jones picked up an assault rifle and two grenades and handed them to me. I weakly reached up and took them. Then I took the assault rifle with my other hand, and rested it on my elbow. "Thank you, sir" I said, and saluted "I am sorry for my ignorance sir, It'll take me awhile to get tuned in." I was shaking by now. But I had also learned that Sarge wasn't the mean jerk that he was cut out to be. He could be reasonable. "Alright, Williams, but you better hurry your tuning or your gonna be plasma fire." He turned around. I saluted again, and replied "Sir, yes sir!" He had already walked off. Warren patted me on the shoulder "I'ma go get me something to eat, or something." "Get me something to, willya?" I said after him "Alright" he replied, not turning around. I looked up at the sky. The wind was howling and it seemed dark. It couldn't be any later that 15 hundred hours though. I also didn't bother asking how long they'd been out of the bumblebee. It didn't really matter, as long as everyone was there and acounted for. I think. I took a step forward, looking around. I saw the big ring above us, and how you could almost see it in space. I looked in awe. I had never seen anything like this. Not many of us had. We were ground troops. Sure some of the Naval Officers had, maybe a few petty officers. To UNSC personnel something like this was normal. But not to a recruit in the UNMC.. Nope. This was far beyond normal.
It turns out we had landed just off of a large, glowing structure that stood out in the open and shot large blue beams of light in the air. Now, when we saw this, you couldn't imagine how frightened we were. We thought us, out of all the other pods that landed on the planet, we had to land just outside a covenant base. But, after Sarge sent two officers to check it out, it showed their was no life forms in it. It was just there. Sarge told us that it was probably something the forerunners built, and it's still running. Who knows. Who cares. After that was cleared up, everyone just sort of layed there.
No one had seen a sign of a dropship or anything since we left the Pillar of Autmn. No one even talked Everyone was so bored, and hungrey. Warren had managed to bring back a few black berries he found on a nearby bush, but that was all. He didn't tell anyone but me. That was the good thing about Warren. If he dug up something interesting, he would only share it with those who wanted to know. I had taken a handfull, and he ate two handfulls. It was funny too, how we all just sat there. Bored to death. No one even bothered to keep watch for any covenant activity. Everyone soon regreted that.
I was half asleep with my helmet in my lap, leaning up against a tree and rotting away in the shade when I heard Tim Lagani's accent "Sarge, look! Covenant dropship, 9 o'clock!." I stood up, and looked at the large purple ship coming in. The Sargeant paused and looked behind him at the rest of the platoon, then back up at the dropship. Indeed it was coming for us. It was landing in a small clearing just on the other side of the structure. We all waited for the sarge to say something, but he didn't. After a moments wait, he turned around and jammed a clip into his MA5B Assault Rifle, and got that look on his face, the same look he had on his face when he was giving us the motivation speach on the Pillar of Autumn. He looked frusterated like he was preparing something long and hard, or like he was about to cry. But all he managed to say was "Give em' hell Marines, give em' hell..." With that he turned around. I glanced over to Warren, who was to my right, and to D.J. Pomposini, who was to my far left. They would cover me. I had hoped.
When the dropship touched down, Grunts and Elites jumped off of either side, and immediatly started to fire. We fired back too. Our aim seemed better than before. We were more determined to live now, then before on the ship, I think. The invasion of the Pillar of Autumn had given us a new look on life.
The Sargeant yelled out a battle yell and charged forward, we charged with him. Bullets going from left to right. I stepped back, my Assault rifle infront of me, firing continously. I sunk back with Warren and D.J., Who were both busy firing back at the covenant troops. I looked at Warren and yelled over the buzz of his rifle "You got my back right?" Just then I looked ahead as he shot the gut out of a grunt. He only nodded to me. Then I turned over to D.J. I was about to say something, but I was too late, his head had already been blown away by their needle guns. I closed my eyes tight and looked the other way. The only thing I was taught to do in a heavy combat situation like this. "We can't hold them!" Yelled Tim as he filled his gun with another clip, down on one knee. Everyone just kept shooting.
Then, down from the hill, came the SPARTAN soldier. I put my hand on the bandanna that covered my head, and smiled in relief as the last of the grunts were killed off by the Petty Officer. When the area was clear, Me and Warren walked over to him and stood. I was so amazed. He had shiny green armor, and a helmet with a shining gold face plate. Just like a gladiator. He carried the same grade assault rifle as us ground troops did. But it just seems more deadly in his hands. Yet, he still stood like any other marine, ready to face the next foe. "It's a mess, sir" Warren finally got out, facing the SPARTAN. I nodded and looked him in his golden visor "It's a good thing you made it, Chief, we were afraid no one else got off the Pillar of Autumn." I smiled after I said that. I know I probably didn't look much like a marine to him. I lost my combat suit awhile ago, and my helmet was back at the tree. I only wore a faded shirt, combat pants and boots, and a faded black bandana. Which I always wore under my helmet to absorb sweat. He walked over to me and put his hand on my shoulder, and nodded. I looked up to him in awe, just as I had before, like he was superman. And in a way, he was.
My awe was suddenly interrupted when he turned his gaze to the sky, and started running down the hill. There was another dropship coming. Then, another one came out from behind the mountain. There were two of them. They both landed on the far side of the structure, just left of our landing pod. A few marines were still there. They were blasted away immediatly. They took two grunts with them though. Before me and Warren knew what was going on, Master Chief was already there. Doing his job. "C'mon" I yelled behind me at a dumfounded Warren "We'll take a short cut over the structure!" I yelled. He sort of nodded, like he had gone crazy or something. We both ran down the hill, keeping our feet in front of us so we didn't fall on our faces. We turned the corner and ran up ontop of the structure, where a deck officer in a red jumpsuit had just been shot in the chest and killed.There was another officer up there, in yellow, shooting away at the covenant below who were trying to climb the walls of the structure. Three more marines quickly ran up the ramp on the other side and blasted them away. Then, in the middle of the great battle, another drop ship came behind the structure, then another. "Look, up ahead!" Warren yelled. I just stared. The large purple ship was raining down big pink plasma bolts upon the marines spread around the area."They're trying to flank us!" The sargeant yelled from the the other side of the battle field. It really got serious though when grunts ran up the ramps of the structure and started to fire upon the marines up there. Me and Warren cautiously firing back at them. After all the shooting, we were now low on ammo, and only shot in small groups. This also gave us more accuracy. I shrieked to Warren as the officer in the yellow jumpsuit was blown off the side of the structure and fell to his doom "We have to get off this big cement block for a start!" "I don't know how! Both the ramps are blocked!" He screamed in my ear so I could hear him over the gun fire."Find a way!" I retorted back in an un-assuring deep voice. I threw my clip down and popped in another, and began to fire at the rappidly grown covenant platoon forming up the ramps of the structure. I knew the troops on the ground didn't have it any better though. "He turned his head quick, then turned it back to the approaching Grunts "Follow me this way!" he said, also putting in another clip. He began to run, I ran after him, keeping my aim behind me as I hit a Grunt between the eyes. We ran all the way down to the other side of the structure. Then we turned the corner. "We should be safe here..." Warren said, out of breath. "I don't..uhh...I don't think so..." I retorted to him, wide eyed. The opposite cornered of the wall we were leaning against wall was filled with Jackels and elites. No way would make it. We both just stood there for a moment, and listened to the comotion down below the structure. "Look!" Warren exclaimed out the blue, suddenly pointing to the batallion on the opposite wall "It's Master Chief!" I turned the corner and watched. The SPARTAN was blowing them away yet again. His battle tactics were amazing. He was an army in himself.
As we caught our gaze of the last Elite being shot to the ground with a painful howl, we came out from around the corner and met the Sarge and the five other marines remaining at the bottom of the ramp. The Sargeant saluted us both "Good job, men! " He also turned to the other marines and saluted them as well "Foe-Hammer'll be here in five for extraction. Sattle up." At that we all cheered. Marines jumped up and gave each other high fives, others hugged eachother, or shook eachother's hands. We were all happy to be alive. And we were gonna make it off of this ring. We wouldn't be anywhere without Master Chief though. He saved us all just in time. Now, I am sure he is the only hope for the human people. And we all need that. Someday My grandchildren will look back to this day, and know that their grandfather had the chance to meet one of the greatest heroes of all time. It was good feeling. Warren put his arm around my shoulder and started walking. "C'mon, Foe-Hammer's here." I looked to him nodded. We started walking behind the Sarge to the dropship. The Pelican had brought a M12 LRV Warthog with it, and dropped it on the ground, the landed softly behind it.. Master Chief jumped in, and Tim Lagoni got at the gun in the back. They were both crazy to stay here. But what ever Master Chief had to do, was fine by me. I know I wasn't going to question it. They drove off, and off, and off until they dissapeared into a riverbed. I actually didn't think I'd ever see Tim Lagoni again.
When everyone was safely seated and strapped into the Pelican, Foe-Hammer took off. "Where to boys?" The cheerful woman laughed through the loudspeaker. "Anywhere but right here, Foe-Hammer, would be best." Sargeant Jones snickered. I laughed at their conversation. So did Warren. "How bout I take you to where Master Chief is going, Sargeant?" She said laughing even harder now. "Don't make me come in there, Foe-Hammer!" Screeched the sargeant, now to a good laugh. Foe-Hammer was cracking up in the cock pit though. I tilted my head closer to Warren so he could hear me over the roar of the engines "Where do you think we're going?" He shrugged and removed his hat, running his hand through his hair, and shaking off the sweat "I don't know, Larry. Hopefully somewhere far away from here.Hopefully to another cruiser." He put his hat back on, with that. I looked out the window as we zoomed off from the battle field. Now I could see alot of those big structures with the blue beams shooting out, all over the area. I also got a good glance at how big the ring really was. Soon, we would find more about it, and more about it's terrible but true purpose. It was only a matter of time.