REVEILLE,
CHAPTER 3: ANSWERS
PG
She made her way through the halls of FLEETCOM, her mind wandering and deep in thought. It was absolutely churning with questions. Finally, after taking another elevator and using her key card to get through security locks and walking empty halls, she arrived at office 1182, Hall 0-6, Floor 182. She knocked softly on the door, and then louder. The Commander opened the door.
"Hello, Samus. Come in," he said. She stepped in, and was met with a beautifully decorated office. There were pictures and military awards and decorations on the walls. On the wall behind the beautifully polished oak desk, there was a flawlessly polished and buffed sword with the scabbard next to it.
"Coffee?"
"Sure."
He poured her a cup of steaming coffee in a white glass mug. The aroma of freshly made coffee filled her nostrils. She loved that scent.
"Sugar? Cream?" he asked.
"Sugar, no cream." she replied.
He handed her a couple sugar packets and her coffee. "Not much of a gentleman are you? Can't even fix a lady's coffee?"
"No, I just wouldn't want to screw it up. You might kill me. Remember, I've seen your file."
"I see my reputation precedes me." She said jokingly. The commander laughed.
"Well, we should probably get started," he said as he sat down with his own cup of coffee. "Lets start simple. Do you know where we are?" he asked.
"Earth"
"Good. I'm assuming you want to know what happened to the GF and what the UNSC is?"
"Indulge me," she replied.
"All right then. As you know, the GF was in a State of Revolt when the Metroid Breeding Program was found out about. Well, in 2353, the Galactic Federation was officially dissolved, and the United Nations Space Command was formed. The UNSC. All military and governmental powers of the human race are invested in it. The Army and Air Force only operate on and are governed by the individual planets themselves. However the Navy and Marine Corps are directly tied to the UNSC. The Navy representing the ocean of space."
"So then why wasn't I awoken when the UNSC was formed?"
"They didn't feel it was necessary."
"So why is it necessary now?"
He sighed, and pressed a button on his desk. A view screen came down from the ceiling behind him. A photo of a large alien ship was displayed.
"The Covenant," he said. "In 2517 contact with the Colony Harvest was lost. A battlegroup of 5 cruisers was sent to investigate. This group was lead by Fleet Admiral 057 Preston Cole; who established the Cole Protocol. More on that later. Only one ship, the Endeavor returned. Cole was aboard. He told of an unstoppable alien warship that obliterated the fleet in a matter of minutes. Their Shaw-Fujikawa Translight Engine was destroyed, so they returned only on 30 reactor power. It took 3 months."
There was an awkward silence.
"But of course, that was 35 years ago," he said. "We have much better methods of fighting the covenant now. These are our current vessels." A picture of a UNSC ship flashed on the screen, along with a diagram, diagnostic, and a list of specs. "But, our ships are not our best weapons. This is where the story approaches the current time and place, and where it begins to go downhill."
"This is our best weapon." A picture of a SPARTAN-II clad in MJOLNIR MARK 5 armor appeared. "This is the pinnacle of current Military technology. "This leads to Halo, and recent events which lead to your awakening."
"Is this going to take a while?" she asked.
"Most Certainly."