Section III

Delta Halo

Interception

The sudden shift back into real space sent me flying into the bulkhead. Rubbing the side of my head, I pushed open the door and stepped into the empty corridor. I blinked and glanced around, listening for Commander Keyes' voice over the intercom, but none came.

Sighing, I began walking down the hallway as the In Amber Clad began to accelerate. As I passed a doorway, something hit me in the back of the head with a clang.

"Ouch!" I jumped around, just as a heavy black suit was thrust in my face. A muffled voice with a fake Australian accent shouted, "Aye, you! Yer the guy who brang in Georgie! Well, y'know what, you gotta replace 'im 'cause o' that!"

"Whut?" I muttered groggily, and something even heavier was thrust into my arms. "There's yer flippin' helmet, corporal! Git it on, and meet us by the HEV pods!"

I heard the sound of boots walking away, and I pulled the black material from my face. It was an ODST suit, and the helmet. A pair of clunky black boots had been set at my feet. "I didn't volunteer for this," I yelled at the guy, who disappeared around a corner without a further word. The Orbital Drop Shock Troops was a volunteer corps, known for bringing in the craziest soldiers on the Earth.

With a muttered "Why not?" to the air, I walked back to my bunk and exchanged my burnt, bloody, and blackened fatigues for the crisp new suit, which fit me perfectly. The visor within the mask was similar to the HUD on the Pillar of Autumn's Marine's helmet, which I had worn on a previous occasion. It showed a pulsing life reading in the bottom left corner, and the suit's condition above it. The bottom right hand corner listed the ODST squad's names, with a three small green blocks that probably represented their life readings. My weapon's ammunition was shown at the top right hand corner, empty now. The whole thing was like something from a video game. I laughed, and headed out into the corner again.

Suddenly, a female voice came over the intercom: "Marine companies Achilles through Charlie, report to Pelican bay . . . Longsword flights A-1 through B-3, launch now . . . Orbital Drop Shock Troopers, companies Aria through Baltimore, report to HEV launchers . . ."

The Australian guy's voice crackled from my helmet. "That's us, mates, I'll meet you there. New guy - " he told me the directions to the HEV pods. I followed his orders and ended up in a dark hallway, where several ODSTs were clunking about, some preparing their pods, others chatting like they did this every day. One of the troopers strolled up and punched me in the arm and guffawed stupidly. Another one of my faceless cohorts appeared at my shoulder; it turned out to be Australia. "'Kay, new mate, I'm Chips Dubbo. I'll be leadin' this liddle operation." He lead me to an empty HEV pod with the an iron plate bearing the name "SERGEANT MAJOR GEORGIE" and instructed me on its use. I was feeling increasingly nervous, now.

Finally finishing the crash course in HEV pod usage, Dubbo pushed me in and explained the mission. "We're landin' on this ring thingey, and we're gonna secure an LZ for the Pelican flights. Know, now, that there is a large chance that you will be blown off course, hit the ground too fast, miss the sight and plunge into the ocean, get shot down, and/or land in enemy territory. So have fun, mate." Chips closed the HEV pod door. I was now shaking visibly.

A few minutes later, Dubbo said over the comm, "'Kay, mates, we're about to launch. The other companies are ready, so finish up your final flight checks, and prepare for drop." There was a chorus of aye-ayes from the other squadmembers. I sat there trying to remember the first time I ate a candy bar when the floor dropped out beneath me.

The HEV pod was thrust into space. I yelped as my head was thrown back, the g-forces crushing my skin against my skull. The HUD on the helmet flickered, and I closed my eyes asmy last meal threatened to come up. I tried to push that particular picture to the back of my mind.

After a few more minutes, we entered the "ringworld"'s atmosphere. At this thought, I struggled to remember where I first heard this term, as the increasing g-forces and heat fogged my brain. As we plunged towards a ground I couldn't see, Chips Dubbo came over the comm again: "Cross your fingers, mates, we're comin' under fire from the Covenant. New guy, you might want to straighten up your course, you're headin' is way off."

Panic exploded inside me.I looked around and began tapping buttons. Something crunched within the HEV pod, and I stopped. Sweat was now dripping down my face and stinging my eyes within the helmet; I wondered whether I would feel pain when I hit the ground.

Suddenly, a button flashed red. I punched it, and another ominous creaking broke out from within the pod, and then a ripping from the outside. I began praying under my breath . . . The pod began to slow . . .

CRUNCH. What little I could see within my small space went dark. A moment later, I blinked back into awakening. Two of names on the HUD were flashing red (G. McMillan, R. Hoff), and all three of the green boxes on each were dark red. C. Dubbo was fine; also were two others.

Experimentally, I moved my limbs, making sure I was as intact as the HUD told me. I punched another flashing button, and the HEV pod's doorway popped open with a hiss. I grabbed the BR55 the ODSTs provided me and crawled into the open.

I was lying near a copse of twisted trees. Several rocks had been blown to pieces from my crash; they were laying amongst the grass. Apparently, I landed near a lake; Icould hear the sound of water splashing against a cliffside. Standing up, I saw the pod had landed very close to acliff edge. I saw a firefight going on at the other side of the lake; I could see a few dark HEV pods and a few human figures, including a tall green one. I suppose I have landed off-course, I thought, sighing inwardly. Turning from the lake, I looked up; I was standing at the foot of a winding path between the trees, heading upwards. I began trudging upwards.