Chapter II : The cube

The UNSC forces boarded ´´the New Order ´´ and separated into 4 groups , each with 2 Spartans ,10 marines and 3 engineers , meanwhile the covenant prisoners were put in the ships brig guarded by a few marines .

´´Okay listen up , our mission is to scramble this ships interior in order to find some useful information against these squid heads that we can use , and if you find any hostile just kill it and ask him later ,understood ´´ the sarge yelled

´´Yes sir´´ , and so they split up into different parts of the ship to search.

Team 3 included the chief and 133 , they went into a lot of rooms but didn't find anything useful.

´´ According to my analysis this appears to be the barracks ´´

´´ are you sure Cortana ,there are no bed or places to sleep here ´´ .

´´ That's because the covenant are always active and when they sleep they do it on the floor to save space ´´.

´´Well there's no need to search here , unless you want some damn grunt playboy magazines ´´

´´No thanks sarge , I prefer a chick taller than a chair ´´ the marine said .

As they searched the corridors 143 contacted the chief by the comm:

´´Master chief , we found what it seems like the ships data core room on deck 15, why don't you come here to take a look with Cortana´´

´´ Alright then ,133 remain with the marines and continue with the search ,ill go with Cortana to check it out´´

´´ You heard him lets continue´´ 133 said and so they continued ahead . They went trough some passages finding only empty rooms and finally they hit a dead end .

´´Crap all this way for nothing ´´ ,a marine said ,´´ after I wanted to let loose some steam ´´ .

´´Be careful what you wish for Jenkins , it might come true ´´ the sarge said

As they were going back , private Mendelson heard a strange voice :

´´ Here … come… I'm waiting… for you … ´´

Mendelson stood there without moving an inch only to be awakened by a slap in his head .

´´ Didn't you hear me Mendelson , I said move your fat ass back to doc bay 4´´

´´ Sorry sarge its just that I was thinking what's on that room over there , did we went in there ´´

´´Hell I know , I don't recall seeing it neither , okay ladies lets check it out ´´ ,the sarge ordered .

´´Alright , but don't call me lady ´´ 133 replied .

The team entered what it seem like a storage bay with a lot of things taken from earth, the covenant had taken them to study the human technology , but they only brought junk with them.

´´Look over here ´´ , a marine said ,´´ it's a 2523 firebird in good shape , I doubt the damn grunts can drive it ,Can I take it sarge ´´

´´ Shut up and stay focus ´´ , the sarge said , ´´ besides I saw it first ´´

the marines searched trough the stuff there , lots of TV's , some clothes and other things from earth , Mendelson and Torres went up ahead in the room while the others got distracted ,

´´ hey Mendelson wait up , the sarge told us not to get separated ´´ .

´´just wait here Torres I want to check something out ´´ .

As both of them went farter away , Mendelson keep hearing that voice closer:

´´In here … come closer … to me …´´

Both of them entered a room behind some storage boxes and inside they found what it seems like a strange cube with some gold parts inside some kind of stasis cell. Mendelson got closer to get it out but he was stopped by Torres:

´´Hey hold it , you don't know what's that strange thing in there or what's it does , we better tell sarge ´´

´´Don't worry its just a small cube , it s not like it's a giant ring though´´

and so Mendelson put his hand on the cube and got it out of the field . ´´Whatever it is its ok to hold it for a while , don't you think´´

´´Okay just be careful ´´, Torres said.

´Hey you two ,lets go ´´ ,133 said

´´Alright , we re on our way ´´ ,Mendelson said and hide the cube in his armor.

Meanwhile the chief and Cortana were at the data room:

´´What did you find out Cortana ´´

´´Nothing useful captain , it appears that all covenant ships have a stellar cartography of space they explore , but the capital planet s location is not recorded on it , probably it's a safe mechanism to avoid invasion of their planet , what I did find out its that a local covenant base in a nearby planet received the distress signal of the location of earth, the base does not have a command ship to reach their home planet , I guess they were waiting for The New Order to pick them up´´

´´That's bad news , if they receive reinforcements they might escape with that info , we must not let that happen ,Cortana interface with the ships computer and set a course to that planet ´´

´´Alright Captain , setting course for planet Tarsonis , time of arrival 2 hours 27 minutes ´´.

´´Let me know if you find out anything new , Stukov out ´´

And so the 4 ships went to the planet to take out the base , but inside The New Order another threat was unfolding …

Open … me…. release…. me…….

A voice inside Mendelson head repeated , forcing him to play with the cube , the cube itself was a strange puzzle and any mistake in resolving it would result in blood lost to the player ,as the cube released secret blades if a mistake was

made , but that didn't stop him , he was determined to open the cube at all cost.

The 2 hours passed by unnoticed by the marines , they were too busy looking at the captured covenant, wondering why they hadn't kill them already , the covenant were also very disturbed waiting for a chance to escape and reclaim the ship , the grunts , by the other hand , were asleep or with their minds in blank , the brig was in silence .

´´Were approaching the planet , get ready for the covenant ship's landing procedures ´´ , Cortana said by the comm. ´´Captain , I'm going to activate the ships gravity lift to ferry the troops to the ground ´´.

´´Very well Cortana , eco 521 to 532 descend into the planet and begin with the base deployment , the rest will follow when ready. ´´

´´Affirmative captain , eco 525 inbound´´

The last pelicans were loading troops and supplies to deliver to the planet , as well as a number of M 12 warthogs and M808B Scorpions , their time of departure was around 5 to 10 minutes.

´´Alright you heard the captain , suit up and get onboard ´´, all the marines got onboard and got ready for drop of .

Open… Me… and you … Will be... rewarded…

´´Hey Mendelson didn't you heard the sarge , lets go ´´.

´´Sorry , I was distracted for a minute´´ .

Mendelson was too distracted with the cube to hear the sarge.


Later in the planet:

The pelicans descended upon the planet and established a base , the soldiers meanwhile were organizing their forces for defense of any enemy attack, the Spartans were all resting of their previous battles , but the chief rarely rested in a mission :

´´ don't you ever rest ´´ 147 said to him approaching with a cup of coffee.

´´thanks ´´

´´You know , you should relax a while , after all , the enemy still doesn't knows were here so they wont attack this night´´

´´You can ever be sure ´´ , the chief said looking at the horizon.

Meanwhile in the west part of the base:

´´God damn it , where s Mendelson his turn to patrol started 20 minutes ago´´

´´ we haven't seen him since we got here sarge´´ ,the marines said while playing poker.

´´Open… Me… NOW…´´

Mendelson was playing with the cube for almost 5 hours strait and was almost ready to solve it , the clouds began to cover the night sky almost like a storm was about to start , then finally the cube opened in a strange way leading Mendelson to a dark hall…


Probably no one reads this but just in case, REVIEW THIS STORY, 0 reviews and 2 chapters up, whats wrong, by the way read also HALO THE SACRED MARCH; see ya