Colonel Marin sighs as she steps away from the podium, "Doctor, if you please."

The Doctor steps to the podium and loos around, "Yes, perhaps I'd better. Hello, everyone. If, um..."

The Dr. is interrupted as the murmuring in the briefing room continues, it slowly growing louder as thimble goes on.

The Dr. raises his voice a bit in an attempt to get everyones attention, "Okay, if we can compose ourselves. I can explain! If we could all simply, uh..." he then looks at the colonel's robot assistant, who steps forward and places its fingers over its mouth, producing a loud whistle that silenced the room. The soldiers all giving pained grunts and covering their ears as they do, Jaison himself grimaces as he covers one ear and turns his head in a vain attempt dampen the noise. Weller nods to the assistant before he begins speaking again, as he does the ESU logo appears on the screen behind him followed by the words Experimental Science Unit, Dr. Rufus Weller, "Yes, there you go. Deep breaths. Count backwards from 10, all right? Some of you may recognize me. I'm Doctor Weller of the Polity's Experimental Science Unit, the ESU. And what we're about to discuss is... What phrase do you use here? Eyes only, top secret?"

The colonel steps forward and speaks up, "Breathe a word of this and I will kill you myself," after saying this the colonel steps back.

The Dr. chuckles," Well, I was going to talk about what the Union would do to you, but clearly your colonel is the bigger threat. Holding for laugh,"

The room remains silent.

He clears his throat, "No? Well, moving on."

The mechanic that that was standing near Jaison and Yas speaks up, "Chase, is that you?"

Chase takes a step forward raising his arms out the the sides slightly as he speaks up, "Yeah man, it's really me. I'm alive... ish."

Weller turns to Chase and gives him a glair, "Hey! Spoilers!" He says before he begins transitioning between slides in his presentation, "Skip, skip. I prepared an entire speech building up to that. Oh, skipping. Fine, may as well cut to the... Right. Yes, this really is Chase. His MR overlay to be clear, but yes. We recovered him from his crash. He's alive and nearby."

The lead strider pilot speaks up, "How is that possible?"

"We saw the crash," says another soldier.

The mechanic looks at Chase, "Yeah, you sure you're not dead, man?"

Chase chuckles, "Wanna game later? Siege?"

To which the mechanic shrugs, "It's him."

Weller clears his throat, "Focus, please."

Miranda still standing looks at Chase shock still visible on her face, "How? How are you here?"

The Dr. sighs realizing he was probably going to keep getting interrupted st he should probably just try to get his speech out as best he can, "Chase is the very first in a very special R program. Shortly before the war began, we had an extraordinary breakthrough at the ESU. Chase has been identified as one of the few compatible candidates in the entire world. Less than one in a million, really, so we kept an eye on him. When the incident in New York occurred, we rushed to his aid and have since made every effort to help his recovery. In return, he agreed to help us with our secret little experiment."

Seeing the confusion of the people in the room, Chase steps forward, "Okay, this was already gonna be awkward, but come on. Doesn't anyone wanna know why? What we've been up to?"

"The new mechs we just saw..." the lead strider pilot speaks up again.

The screen switches to another slide that has a rotating figure of a Holon as the Dr continues, "The new mechs you just saw, yes. We call them Holons."

"So they're not drones, and they're not RC?" One of the strider pilots asks

"No."

The lead pilot speaks up again, "But there's no place for a cockpit, no pilot. And if Chase is still in recovery..."

Doctor Weller raises his finger, "Oh, there's a pilot. If you wanna be precise, there are no human bodies aboard the Holons, no, but they are piloted, by a decanted human mind."

The mechanic shakes his head in confusion, "Perdoname, what?"

The screen behind Weller transition in response to key words in his explanation, showing different figures, "We are at the dawn of a new age, one where it is possible to digitize the human mind, grab it, and send it across a brain computer interface so it can run on an electronic mainframe, or "mind frame" if you will. Maybe "E-brain". Yeah, all right. I'm still working on it, Weller gives Chase a look, "It's certainly better than "cyber dome."

Chase rolls his eyes, "I'm telling you. It's gonna catch on."

Jaison looks to Yas with a smirk before speaking up, "I still like Robo-Noggin."

Weller looks up at Jaison with a irritated look, "quiet you," he says before sighing, "Chase here is the world's first human to successfully achieve what we refer to as gen:LOCK. Phase one anyhow. Which in this case means he uploaded his mind to the cybernetic brain inside his Holon, allowing him to operate the mech much as though it was his own body," The screen behind Weller shows a human inside a capsule connected to a Holon. Weller gestures toward Yaz And Jaison at the back of the room, "Mr. Helton and Ms. Madrani here represents the second and third such successes. It was them who inhabited the other Holons that aided you earlier. It's obviously a lot to digest. We should leave it here for now."

As he says this several eyes begin to turn to them to which Yas visibility shrinks back and Jaison begins adjusting the straps on his armor, Jaison gives a quick glance towards Chase who was beginning to get surrounded by soldiers all of which were asking him questions, he also see a few others start hedding towards him and Yas, deciding to give getting questioned a hard pass Jaison quickly slips out of the room. he begins wandering the base for a while until finally coming across the mess hall, grabbing a steel tray and a random MRE (which they served when it wasn't mealtime) he walks over to a table and sits down, he reads the name on the bag and scrunches his face in disgust at the words Cheese and Veggie omelet, opening it he removed the contained smaller packages and began preparing the meal. he had learned shortly after his arrival that the military foodstuffs of the past were actually better than the disgusting nutrient paste of his time... most of the time, the MRE he was currently preparing himself to eat was one such exception. Menu item number 43 (originally number 4) the cheese and veggie omelet, rightfully nicknamed the vomlet, it had been discontinued around 70 years ago but had been recently reinstated due to the demand for more menu items by the troops. With a sigh he looked at the foodstuffs in front of him and set to eating them. Or he would have if someone didn't place their hand on the table in front of him, one of the strider pilots from earlier, the name patch on his uniform said Jodie, who was being flanked by about three other soldiers.

"Can I help you," jaison asks as he bites into the bland apple pop tart.

"Who are you?" Jodie asks looking down at him.

"I'm one of the Gen:Lock pilots, I'm sure you reme..."

"That's not what I meant," Jodie interrupts him, "I'm asking who were you before that, your armor suggests some form black ops but it's clearly not vanguard," Jodie says eyeing the UNSC ONI emblem on Jaison's shoulder armor.

"As far as you know." Was all Jaison said as he takes a sip of the coffee that tasted like liquid shit, "hmm, needs sugar," he says under his breath.

"What did you say?" Jodie asks his brow furrowing his brow.

Jaison looks at him with a sideways glance, "what I said, Was my armor isn't vanguard, as far as you know," he opens the package for the yellowish brown block that posed as an omelet which he had been warming up in the flameless meal heater, and after thoroughly covering it in hot sauce and salt that he kept in one of the pouches of his armor begins to eat it, "with all due respect, you are a field grunt, someone on a need to know bases, the vanguard probably has many groups and teams that you know nothing about, and that being said what I was before coming here is classified," he eats another spoonful of the veggie, cheese, and egg substitute, "you have a problem with that take it up with the colonel, I'm eating." He flexes his free left hand which hadn't moved from its place next to his tray the Kevlar Chrystal composite that made up his glove groaning as it rubbed against itself, "unless that is a problem sir?"

Jodie glares at Jaison before he and the other three walk off, leaving Jaison to eat his meal.

Jaison gave a sigh, his hand relaxing he wasn't one to get into confrontations with other soldiers, back in the UNSC most rank and file left him alone because he was ODST, the only reason he acted that way to Jodie was because he knew how to deal with that kind of confrontation, Jodie was spooked and confused with everything that was brought up in the briefing a lot of it was probably still tough for him and some of the other soldiers to understand, so he stuck with what he knew, Jaison was a soldier and his armor wasn't vanguard, any soldier faced with that would have gotten defensive the same way, Jaison knew he would have if faced with a similar situation, "this tastes like mud and cardboard."


The next day

Jaison stood with his helmet under his arm next to the Mixed in Chase and Yaz behind Dr. Weller and a Vanguard soldier as the door of the Razor opens, and the new recruits exit the Razor while carrying light luggage, Cameron MacCloud a small blonde girl with green robotic bunny ear accessory and a small robot animal on her shoulder Kazu Iida, a taller Japanese man who dressed in a punk fashion and carried a guitar case. Valentina Romanyszyn, a lean woman with a goth aesthetic who looked like she didn't want to be there. and ending with Robert Sinclair a middle height blonde man dressed in the base uniform of a vanguard ranger and with an attitude that was pure military, Jaison had met several vanguard rangers during the last two years while doing recon missions outside his holon they had reminded him greatly of his fellow ODSTs back home. the Dr. quickly begins naming them off, "Ms. MacCloud. Iida-san. Ms. Roma-, Roman-is it?" He groans, "Valentina," he chuckles, "Specialist Sinclair. Welcome to the Anvil. So good to finally meet you all in person."

The Vanguard soldier walks toward Cammie, and he uses a device that releases a flash on her face with a beep. Causing Cameron flinch.

She blinks a few times before rubbing her eyes, "That's a hell of a way to say hello."

The Vanguard soldier continues to use the device on the others recruits.

Chase speaks up, "That's nothing. Wait till you see what he does to you next."

Cameron gives chase a side eyed look, "I was joking."

Yaz crosses her arms, "He wasn't. Caliban will stow your gear in the hangar."

Caliban steps forward and carries the recruits' luggage. He snatches Kazu's guitar case last.

Kazu is a bit reluctant to give up the instrument before he finally lets go, "Hey, careful!"

Sinclair looks at them confused, "The hangar? Don't we get bunks?"

Yaz looks at him with a bored expression, "Not if you're not staying."

Cameron gives a sigh, "Okay, everyone who cannot keep what's up with the mad scientist here, say aye."

Kazu and Valentina raise their hands

"Aye."

"Yeah."

Cameron, Valentina, and Kazu turn their head toward Sinclair and stare at him for not answering before he catches on and awkwardly raises his hand. "Yes. Uh, aye."

Weller walks closer to the recruits, "ah I do get ahead of myself. Apologies. On behalf of the ESU, thank you for all your time thus far, testing for our program. But you're not done. Not quite yet."

Sinclair speaks up, "But we passed."

Weller raises a finger, "You advanced to the finals, but there are some things we can only know if we deal with each other eye to eye. If it doesn't work out, you'll be on your way home on the next transport."

Cameron scoffs, "Home, says he."

Kazu gives an irritated glare, "To be here, some of us were sent halfway 'round the world."

Valentina places one hand on her hip, "And we just got off the plane. Mind if we refresh first?"

Weller spins hi finger as he raises it higher into the air, "Each minute we waste here is another minute before you meet your future. Go! Suit up and I'll collect you shortly," he says as he turns and walks away.

Cameron looks around confused, "Did he say suit up?"

Sinclair looks at the Dr. with a face of similar confusion, "He's like a kid on Christmas morning."

Valentina turns to him, "Which makes us what? His new puppies?"

Yaz gestures for the recruits to follow and walks in the opposite direction, "You're the new lab rats. Come on."

Chase flickers away and reappears behind the recruits, "It's cool. Once you get to know her she's... Ah, she's pretty much the same."

Jaison gives a chuckle, "yeah she can be a real pain in the..." he looks at Cameron, "butt?"


Jaison walked down the hallway after changing from his normal under a suit to his dark gray ESU armored bodysuit needed for gen: LOCK, the only part of his outer armor he wasn't wearing was his helmet which was left in his locker, he just arrived at the rec. the room where Yaz and the recruits were waiting only for Sinclair to try to run past him, thinking fast he grabs him by the arm only to get a fist in the face, feeling the first touch his skin he releases Sinclair's arm as he steps away with the strike, turning toward Yaz she looks at him and nods giving him the go-ahead to pursue as he heads after Sinclair, he could hear the faint "Cammie make yourself useful," come from the room. It didn't take long for him to catch up with Sinclair who had just taken out four guards, grabbing him by the shoulder only to release it to duck an elbow strike, Jaison quickly retaliates with three hits to the gut which Sinclair tanks using his new bodysuit to its full extent before hitting Jaison in the back of the head with both his fists dropping him and causing Jaison to have to roll out of the way to avoid getting stomped on. Spinning on his shoulders and swinging out his legs Jaison trips Sinclair before getting on top of him and hitting him repeatedly in the face and arms only to get thrown off when Sinclair delivers a hard right hook. Now unrestrained by Jaison being on top of him he gets up and kicks the now prone Jaison causing him to slide across the floor. Jaison slowly gets up and cracks his neck before reaching down to his calves and drawing the two concealed knives he had there, tossing one to Sinclair before getting into a defensive stance with the blade held in a reverse grip in his right hand.

"You just handed me a weapon, you're not bright are you," Sinclair says before darting forward and stabbing the knife at Jaison who expertly deflects the blade with his own before kneeing Sinclair in the gut and following up with a slash across the face, forcing Sinclair to step back reaching up to touch the bleeding cut just under his left eye.

"Not stupid, I just prefer a far fight," Jaison says as he expertly twirls the knife in his right hand, "your war has been going on for what, a couple of years?" He charges forward slashing at Sinclair's chest, the laser-cut and sharpened titanium-A coated carbon alloy blade leaving the faintest cuts in the bodysuit, before giving Sinclair time to retaliate by stabbing at Jaison's face only for Jaison to drop his knife from his right hand catching it in his left and grabbing Sinclair's wrist and giving it a hard twist causing him to drop his knife and slamming the pommel of his knife into Sinclair's exposed armpit upsetting the nerve cluster there, causing him to drop to his knees and grab his side, "well I was bred for war, and let me tell you something, I probably have more combat experience in my right arm then you have in your entire body," Jaison leans down to be eye level with Sinclair only for Sinclair to rise suddenly head butting Jaison in the face causing him to take a step back and grab his now bloodied nose, before landing a haymaker that sends Jaison into the far wall.

"You talk too much," Sinclair says as he walks past an unconscious guard and picking up a dropped pistol from the ground as he speaks, "you know you're a bit of an enigma, we have information on almost all of the important soldiers that are part of the vanguard, but you, you we have almost nothing on, you're a blank, a complete mystery, ah well that doesn't matter much now," he aims the gun at Jaison only for the chase to mix in behind him and get his attention with a "hey," causing Sinclair to turn and fire at the hologram.

Jaison taking the opening created by Chase's distraction he draws his M6-C/SOCOM magnum pistol, one of the only things he had left from before besides his armor, and fires a round into Sinclair's side, unlike the 45. AP rounds used by both the vanguard and the union which were fine on normal armor, the M228 SAP-HP rounds that Jaison's M6-C used was made to fight more heavily armored foes and had to be custom made for the gun, the round hit Sinclair's side and the steal coated tungsten round bores a hole through the reactionary armor bodysuit and launching the round through to the other side where it impacts the wall as Jaison takes a moment to drop a one-liner, "now who talking too much."

"SON OF A BITCH!" Sinclair yells as he grabs his side and taking a knee before turning towards Jaison and firing a round that Jaison blocks with his forearm, Sinclair was about to fire the rest of the magazine at Jaison when Yaz finally catches up to them sending a flying kick to Sinclair's head causing him to stumble into the far wall next to the elevator only for the door to open and Dr. Weller to step out, "No Doc Wait!" Chase yells too late as Sinclair takes his chance wrapping his arm around the Doctor's neck he aims the gun at his head as he starts to back into the elevator. Both Yaz and the now standing Jaison aim their respective handguns at Sinclair both only hesitating to pull the trigger as to not hit the Dr. As Yaz spoke up, "you will not take him."

"You do realize you aiming at the smartest person on the planet right?" Sinclair says as he begins backing into the elevator.

Dr. Weller gives a confused look before realizing that Sinclair was referring to him, "Oh, me. I'm certain their aiming at you, but that's nice of you to say," he looks at Yazamin as he is pulled into the elevator, "Well, Yasamin. You were right about how today could go..." he says getting interrupted by the closing elevator doors.

Jaison immediately takes command of the situation holstering his pistol and darting for the elevator control panel, ripping it from the wall exposing the wires underneath. He turns to Chase, "he's here for one reason, get topside and be ready in case he links in, I'm going to try and stop the elevator from here," Chase nods before mixing out, Jaison then looks over his shoulder and yells at Yaz, "Madani! Get the recruits and find another way up!" He grabs a piece of cord from one of his hard pouches and connects one end to the tactical pad that was built into his forearm armor and the other into to exposed circuits of the elevator's control board before quickly attempting to try and stop the elevator externally, "man I wish Techy was here."

After a minute of trying to hack the elevator, Jaison gives up, disconnecting his tactical pad from the control board he sprints for the nearest secondary elevator drawing his pistol as he does, once he finds it he almost destroys the controls as he slams his hand into the button for the lab's floor. The ride up was excruciating for the ODST as the second's tick by until the door opens and he jumps out pistol raised only to be greeted with the sounds of screaming, looking into the lab he is greeted with the view of Sinclair convulsing in one of the GL pods his nose beginning to bleed, it took Jaison less than a second to figure out what was going on, as the now revealed fake Sinclair's noncompatible brain rejected the Gen: Lock connection frying everything in his skull until the screaming finally stopped and the image of blood flowing from the man's eyes nose and ears was accompanied by the sound of his heart flatlining.

"Well, that could have gone worse."


Another chapter done... god I need to work on my update time.

As always comment, critique, give me some feedback.

And rememberstay shwifty my friends,

Z-man out