Hello again, everyone, and welcome back to my Halo - Terminator crossover. This is it. The grand finale of this crossover. It has been a wonderful time writing this story for all to read, and I am amazed by how well it has done. I expected it to remain fairly obscure in this category, to be honest. That means that I am very happy to see that I was wrong, and that it has proven to be the most popular story in the crossover categories it fits in. Thank you all for your support. I could never have gotten this far without your support and feedback. Once this chapter is posted, I will get to work finishing up my Halo - MechWarrior/BattleTech crossover's current story arc, and then I will begin a remaster of it in my spare time, while I write the stories that you voted for. The old one will be discontinued, but I will keep it on the site so that those that read my stories can appreciate how far I've come with my writing. Either way, thank you very much for your support, and I hope to see you in future stories. As always, leave a review, and enjoy!
PS: I will be writing a sequel. It won't be for a while, but I will be writing one. You can count on that. I will also be making minor corrections to dates, while removing any censoring that I put in when I first got this crossover published.
Disclaimer: I do not own the Halo or Terminator franchises. They are the respective properties and trademarks of Microsoft Game Studios, 343 Industries, Bungie, Carolco Pictures, Hemdale, Skydance Productions, 20th Century Fox, Lightstorm Entertainment, etc. Any material original to the franchises belongs to their respective developers, producers and publishers. Any material not original to the franchises is of my own invention. I do not own any music listed in each chapter. Any music listed belongs to it's original composers and/or artists.
Installation 08
Approaching Control Room
November 20th, 2552
Onboard the Pelican heading for the incomplete Installation 08, there was quiet tension in the air as the VTOL flew towards the installation. Onboard, Chief and the others had made sure their equipment was ready for use once more, though it was already well known that their gear was usually going to be ready. Checking his MA5E, Chief looked at the assembled personnel that were inside of the Pelican. N'tho and the others were currently making sure their gear was ready, though it was clear that, once they landed, they would be picked up and taken back to their warship, thanks to the successful completion of the mission. Bero, who had led the team to destroy High Charity, was currently resting on the floor, both of his hands resting on his knees as he breathed in and out, his eyes closed. Around eight tentacles with suckers were keeping him firmly connected to the floor, even as he breathed in and out quietly. Nearby, Thel was looking at the younger Sangheili with an unreadable expression.
All of this was due to what Bero told them shortly after he and his team had been extracted from the ruins of High Charity. Once they were safely extracted, and the bomb detonated when they reached the safe distance, Tila, one of the Sangheili, had asked Bero why he had been using odd terms in the ruined space station. This had prompted Chief to ask if he had been compromised. Fortunately, Bero told them why he had used those terms, how his body had been altered by the consciousness of an ancient species known as the Precursors, and how one, having been punished for the crimes he had committed against an ancient form of Humanity, had given him it's powers via modified Flood Spores, effectively morphing him into a Sangheili Precursor, and how he had thrown the Gravemind out of his own mind before helping Tila rescue Volara, who was currently with them. It was a very strange tale, but it explained why Bero now seemed to be able to control his shape-shifting to an incredibly precise degree, all the while using the smallest amounts of energy possible. Truth is stranger than fiction, Chief thought, which was a conclusion he came to when he saw the video footage that Tila's helmet cam recorded, as well as well as that from an invisible cloud of nanites that SKYNET had around Bero for the duration of the mission.
As they flew along, he could tell that they were approaching Installation 08, as as the atmosphere was changing to accommodate for the new installation. It wasn't very far away from the Lesser Ark, just enough that the air would become temporarily thin before they would enter the new Halo's atmosphere, a transition that was brief and unnoticeable. Still, they made sure the Pelican was pressurized before making the crossing to the new Halo. Looking at Volara, Chief asked, "Are you alright?"
"Yes," Volara replied. "It's all thanks to Bero that I was able to break free from the Flood. The Gravemind was attempting to find a way to corrupt my programming with the Logic Plague, but I was able to keep him out for some time. He was about to break through when Bero saved me. I'll still need a full diagnostic done so that we can catch the Logic Plague if it made it through. SKYNET's been developing a diagnostic program that is capable of destroying the Logic Plague without endangering any other AI's." Looking at Bero, she said, "Still, it is only due to the footage that I believe his account of things. Encountering the consciousness of an ancient and powerful species would be enough to break most individuals."
"It would be," Thel replied. "Still, that speaks to the strength of mind that Bero has. If he is to believed, which I can firmly say he can be, then it seems as though this 'Primordial' has fully evolved his abilities. He's effectively a member of the Precursors now. I wonder how powerful they were."
"Quite," came the reply. Looking down, the others looked to see Bero, who's eyes were now open. Getting up, he detached himself from the floor, absorbing the tendrils into his flesh before speaking. "The Precursors are probably the most powerful species that exists in the universe, or galaxy for that matter. They can create Slipstream Space structures using Neural Physics, while at the same time are in a constant state of evolution. Many of them believed, and still believe, that they are the incarnation of Living Time."
"Living Time," Thel asked, confused.
"It's the belief that the universe is a living organism in it's own right," Bero explained. "Given how things tend to work, I wouldn't be surprised if that was true. As for the Mantle of Responsibility, which I told you about earlier, it's the believe that the most evolved species should be the stewards and guardians of all life in the galaxy, or universe for that matter. While it does allow for competition, it does not allow any species to become extinct, which would reduce the 'sweetness' of the universe."
"You mentioned that term thrice now," Tila remarked. "What is this 'sweetness' that you speak of?"
"The total experience of a living organism's life," Bero explained. While part of him was irritated that they didn't understand, the rest of him told his subconscious that they had no knowledge of Living Time, the Mantle of Responsibility, or the 'sweetness' for that matter. As a result, he knew he couldn't be angry at their ignorance; after all, it was his job to educate them, as the Primordial asked in it's last request before giving him his abilities and dying. "The Precursors believed that, in order to experience the wonders of the universe in full, an organism would have to live through both the good and negative things in it's life. The Precursors are unique in that they enjoyed both the good and bad that life had to offer. They called this total experience the 'sweetness', as to them, the evolution of Living Time and the total experience that it could experience made life worth living. To them, it was deeply enjoyable and stimulating, similar to how a candy tastes sweet in your mouth, hence the term 'sweetness.' As for the Primordial's gift, he showed me that my newfound powers are not fully active. Over time, they will become ready for me to unlock them, and the only way for me to to do so is through experience and meditative introspection. The Primordial also had one last request before he died: that I use my abilities to better those that I interact with."
"I see," N'tho remarked. "So you are like some kind of a… god?"
When he said that, Bero immediately shook his head. "No," he adamantly stated. "I am not a god, N'tho. The Precursors are powerful, but even they know that they are not gods, but merely extremely powerful organisms. If they were gods, they would be truly immortal, unable to die from injury or violence, along with age and disease. In that regard, they, and by extension me, are biologically immortal. I can still due from violence, injury or disease, but I am no longer able to age and die of that way."
"You say their name as though they are still around," Chief observed. "I take it that's because they are, yes?"
"Correct," Bero nodded to Chief. "The Precursors are not extinct. When the Ecumene, or Forerunners as you know them, went to war against them, some Precursors managed to escape this galaxy and flee to others. Currently, they are biding their time, waiting for the right moment to return and begin seeding the galaxy with the life that was destroyed when the Halo Array was used. They would see you as stewards and companions, while I would be seen as an equal, since they can sense when new Precursors are either born or created, the latter being true in my case." Looking outside, he said, "Now, we must focus on the mission at hand. We cannot afford to be distracted."
"I thought you were going with us," N'tho asked.
"I will be, once I assist in activating Installation 08," Bero reassured him. He didn't tell N'tho how he was going to do it, but he from the Primordial's memory that, when a physically immature Precursor was in imminent danger of dying, certain abilities would subconsciously activate, going inactive until the right time once the Precursor was out of danger. With that, the troop bay of the Pelican fell silent as they approached their LZ. The LZ they were landing at was near the Control Room for Installation 08, at a small pathway that would lead them to the actual structure itself. As they flew in, Chief looked outside, just in time for a flurry of snow to whip past his head, with some of the flakes hitting the visor of his helmet. Nearby, Thel shivered slightly from the cold, while Bero seemed to bask in the experience, a slight smile on his face as his scaly skin thickened to keep him warm, while the others made sure their armor was good to go. A moment later, they came to a landing on the pathway, which overlooked a sheer drop that was to their right on one side and their left further up ahead. Having fully rearmed, the entire team got out, before the VTOL took off.
"Halo," Cortana remarked. "It's so new… unfinished actually." Changing her focus to Chief, she asked, "What do you intend to do once we activate the ring?"
"We'll head for the portal," Chief replied, "and return to Earth."
"Agreed," Thel nodded. "Commander Keyes informed us that she'll be extracting us via the Forward Unto Dawn. Once we are aboard, we will leave this place." Nodding in agreement, the others began to advance forwards, weapons at the ready. The snow beneath their feet crunched as they advanced, their footprints present in the soft, cold material as they moved forwards. While the interior of Chief's suit kept him warm and cozy, he could see that the temperature outside as negative 30° Centigrade, roughly -22° Fahrenheit in Imperial measurements. He could tell that Thel, with his exposed mandibles, was chilled somewhat, as he saw a faint shiver along the exposed appendages. Bero, on the other hand, was acting as though it was 25° Centigrade outside, as he didn't even so much as shiver as they walked along. Thanks to their sealed armor, the others didn't shiver either. The wind began to howl as they walked along, with snow streaming by them as they advanced. Spotting some Forerunner alloy up ahead, they advanced, with the team quickly reaching what appeared to be a cave of some kind. Dropping down a small drop, they began to advance up the slope, entering the clearing that the Control Room was at.
The ziggurat holding the Control Room was massive, as massive as the one back at Installation 04. It was mostly identical in appearance, with the sloping sides, sidewinding walkways that went up the structure as well as the general color of the structure itself. The only difference was that the lower walkways had a partial overhang, which prevented snow from covering the walkways in their entirety. Beyond that, the walkways still went through the large, structural beam that traveled up the front of the ziggurat and to the upper portions of the structure. The door was faintly visible from their position, though the structure mostly blocked it out entirely. The major difference here was with the area surrounding the ziggurat. Unlike Installation 04, which had a small body of frozen water to the right of the structure, there was no water at all. There were also small hills of snow that went up and down, following the contours of what appeared to be Forerunner dikes that were present beneath the snow. IF it wasn't for the urgency that they had, one might've thought that the place would make for an excellent oil painting. As Chief walked forwards, he heard a strange sound, like something whizzing down from above. Looking up, he was just in time to see something smash into the ground, before exploding violently. There was a loud roar, before a familiar voice said, "Did you think me to be defeated?!"
"Damn," was all Chief said when he heard that.
"Not this again," Tila groaned.
"Flood dispersal pods," Cortana determined. "They're trying to get onto Halo!"
"I thought we destroyed them at High Charity," N'tho snarled.
"Unfortunately, no," Bero replied. "The Gravemind was able to escape the blast, but at the cost of being severely injured. It's likely that it is attempting to rebuild itself on Installation 08. We cannot allow that to happen. We must proceed forwards, NOW!" With that, the entire team surged forwards, weapons ready as the Flood engaged them. Firing his weapon, Chief smoothly neutralized a team of Combat Forms, with the infected creatures screaming as phased plasma tore through their bodies. Nearby, N'tho and the others used their Jump Packs to leap high into the air, allowing them to gun down the Flood from a safe vantage point. A loud clanging sound drew Chief's attention for a moment. Looking to his right, he watched as Volara began engaging the Flood in hand-to-hand combat. Her titanium hyperalloy nanocomposite fists smashed into sickly Flood flesh, tearing huge rents and gashes into anything she slashed and hurled fists at. A Pure Form charged at her, before swinging an arm at her; in a maneuver of incredible agility, she bent backwards, with the Pure Form's bladed arm swinging overhead harmessly, before she back flipped, leaping into the air before coming down on the Pure Form's head. There was a loud, metallic CLANK as her hoof smashed into the Pure Form's head, with the force powerful enough that she vertically bisected the creature.
Nearby, Bero was, true to his newly altered biology, a force of nature. The Sangheili Precursor roared as he charged into the fray, his shape-shifting ability fully activating as he charged forwards. Blades, tentacles, bone spines and other appendages grew out of his body, while he used those appendages to great effect against the Flood. Driving a bladed arm into a Pure Form, he pulled upwards sharply, cutting the upper half of the creature in half, before shaping the limb into a spine covered cudgel and smashing it into another Pure Form, sending the creature flying backwards with immense force. Snarling, he morphed into a bipedal version of the draconic form he took on during his mission at the Forerunner Gas Mine, before slashing and cutting at the Flood. One Combat Form charged, only for his tail to knock it's legs out from under it. Moments later, true to his form's mythological capabilities, he spewed a liquid out of his mouth; said liquid was pyrophoric, so the moment it exited his throat and entered his mouth, it immediately ignited, coating the Combat Form, and any other Flood around it in burning liquid. As the Combat Forms screeched and screamed in agony, Cortana said to Chief, "Wow… Bero's a living, breathing, Flood killing machine. If this is what it was like to fight a Precursor, then I'd be pissing my pants… that is if I could do that and hand pants to wear of course." Chief silently nodded, knowing what she meant.
While they were tearing through the Flood, it appeared as though the Flood were concentrating all of their efforts directly onto them in this area, as a horde of Combat Forms surged into the area. "Get to the Ziggurat," Bero shouted. "That's the only way we can survive this assault!" Nodding in agreement, Chief and the others began making their way forwards, reaching the ramp for the Ziggurat moments later. He was about to move forwards when a Combat Form knocked him over; just as it did, Bero grabbed it and hurled it out of the way, with the Combat Form exploding against the canyon wall as he helped Chief up. "Come on, Reclaimer," he shouted. "We've come too far to stop now!"
"Thanks," Chief replied as the Sangheili Precursor helped him up. Once he was up, they continued at their breakneck pace, with each member of the team running and gunning as they attempted to beat the Flood to the door. More Combat Forms rained down from the sky and into the area around the Ziggurat, with most leaping up onto the walkways. Chief shoulder rammed a Pure Form that got too close, before firing his MA5E into it's exposed face, killing it. Looking up, he was just in time to see Bero extend a wing in front of him, with bony shards partially penetrating the tough membrane. While Bero snarled, he fired at a Pure Form that was firing bony spines at them, killing it with a precision shot. He turned to Bero to see if he was OK, only to watch as the Sangheili Precursor removed the bony shards, allowing the wounded flesh to regenerate. Moving through the central support beam, they reached the other side, where a large group of Pure Forms were at.
They were about to fire when a beam of phased plasma tore through one, while the others were cut down by a stream of plasma fire. "We've got your back, Chief," a voice shouted over the COM. Looking up, Chief saw two UNSC personnel that were firing on the Flood below, with one holding an SRS-99e, while the other was using an V95H to gun down any Flood that were ahead of them. He immediately recognized the two as Sergeant Johnson and Sergeant Richard Parsons, with the Human Terminator emotionlessly gunning down any Flood. "We'll keep ya covered," Johnson shouted. "Just get to the door to the Control Room and get your ass inside! Keep your guard up when you move to the other side; we can't cover you there."
"Noted," Chief replied, before motioning the others to follow him. Instead of following them, Bero beat his wings and flew to the uppermost levels, as he was confident that the others were able to handle themselves without his help. Moving along the walkways, Chief and the others continued to gun down any Flood that got in their way. Ducking beneath a blow, he smoothly pulled out his Plasma Combat Knife before cutting it through a Combat Form, cutting the creature in half by the waist, while firing his MA5E singlehanded at a group of Combat Forms. Most of the things were gunned down, and the rest were handled by the others. Nearby, Thel roared loudly as he drew his Energy Sword, before charging in to cut apart the Flood into tiny pieces. Limbs, bodily fluids and sickly flesh flew into the air as began to slice and dice his way through the marauding Flood. They continued to move up the structure in this manner, shooting and cutting through any Flood that were stupid enough to get in front of them. Eventually, they reached the upper platform of the Ziggurat; the upper platform had a few places to take cover, as well as a series of Auto-Turrets that were actively scanning the area for hostiles. One of them hesitated over Bero, but after a moment, determined that he wasn't infected, and continued scanning. "We're at the upper level," Chief informed Johnson.
"We'll keep ya covered," Johnson shouted. "Monitor! Open this door. We're here!"
"I would like to," Guilty Spark replied, "but I cannot. Protocol dictates that when the presence of Flood matter is detected-"
"Yeah, yeah, I hear you," Johnson interrupted. "Hey, Parsons? Can you give them cover fire? I'm good where I'm at."
"Affirmative," Parsons nodded. With that, he jumped off the small cliff nearby and landed on the platform, before moving to keep the area covered. As he did so, he said, "I have detected more Dispersal Pods inbound on our location. The Flood will attempt to prevent us from being able to enter the facility."
"Let them come," Bero snarled, his draconic features a mask of anger. "They have tried to corrupt the sweetness and Living Time for the last time. They will meet their end at the hands of the Ere-Tyrenne, Sangheili and a Precursor." His claws elongated slightly as emphasis. As soon as he said that, the Flood began an en mass assault on their position. Combat Forms, Pure Forms and Infection Forms screeched and roared as they charged, with most leaping up onto the platform, while others slithered up the sides of the Ziggurat and onto the uppermost level. At the same time, Chief and the others opened fire, with Sentinels quickly throwing in their support. Phased plasma and energy beams cut through the air as the combined forces tore into the Flood, gutting and killing any that got too close to them. Dodging a blow from a Pure Form, Chief shot it's left blade-arm off, while Bero speared it's mouth with his tail, with the bone bladed appendage tearing through the other side. Nearby, Thel cut through Flood with his Energy Sword, roaring all the while as he felt bloodlust coursing through his veins. Nearby, the other Sangheili made sure he was protected, firing their weaponry at any flood that got too close to him.
Even though they were holding them at bay, the Gravemind continued to taunt them. "I have consumed fleets of thousands," it boasted. "Consumed the galaxy of flesh, mind and bone. You will suffer the same fate, as well as all life in the galaxy."
"Not if we have anything to say about it, ugly ass," Johnson retorted. "You tried to infect me, and you tried to infect the Captain a long time ago. When we're done, you'll be nothing but charred meat on a barbecue! I'll tear your spine out, and toss away your head while laughing!" While he taunted the Gravemind, Chief and the others continued to fight the Flood. Eventually, the amount of Flood coming at them tapered off, until there were none left standing. Once Chief killed the last Combat Form, Johnson hopped off the small embankment he was on and ran over to the door. "Open up," he shouted. "Coast is clear."
"Not for long," Cortana replied. "I'm detecting more Dispersal Pods coming in. They'll be hitting any minute!"
"Chief, Arbiter! Let's move!" With that, Chief and the others quickly began moving inside, with the doors closing behind them moments later. The interior was similar to that of the first Halo in terms of architecture, but it had a meandering layout, as they turned left, before turning right once again.
As they moved closer, Bero felt that pressure on the back of his head again. Extending his newly altered mind, he shielded the others as the Gravemind began to speak. "Do I take life, or give it," it snarled. "Who is victim and who is torturer?" With that, the Gravemind's telepathic influence faded.
"It's trying to rebuild itself on this ring," he said. "Just as I suspected."
"Hurry, Control Room's close," Johnson shouted. With that, they turned down another series of corridors, before reaching the Control Room proper. The new Control Room was aesthetically identical to the one on the first Halo, from the suspended platform, to the hologram in the center of the room.
As they walked inside, Cortana said, "Yank me, Chief!" Pulling the chip out, he realized she wanted Johnson to put her into the system, causing him to hesitate somewhat.
"I'm not going to lose her," the Sergeant reassured him. Nodding at that, Chief tossed the chip to Johnson, while Parsons walked alongside the Marine. As they walked along, the Monitor flew in, humming as he flew along.
"The ring will soon be in position," he told the duo. "Within two days, we will be in position to conduct a tactical pulse."
"We don't have a few days," Johnson replied. "We've got to fire this thing now, otherwise the Flood will escape."
"But if we fire it now, the pulse will destroy the Ark," Guilty Spark protested.
"We have no other options," Parsons replied. "The Ark can be repaired. If the Flood escapes, there is a 100% chance that they will begin infesting the galaxy. That is not an acceptable outcome compared to firing the ring now, which only has a 15% chance of severely damaging the Ark, while having a 100% chance to destroy the Flood." With that, the Terminator turned to help Johnson. As it did so, it detected a massive energy surge behind the Marine. "Look out," he shouted, tackling Johnson while protecting the chip holding Cortana.
"No," Guilty Spark shouted, his ocular sensor now an angry red. "I will not accept that! I have not come this far to see the Ark and the new Installation destroyed!" Firing his energy beam, he managed to hit Chief, only for the SKYNET designed energy shield to block the attack. "You are a Reclaimer, inheritor of the rings. You are a Forerunner, Human, but this installation is mine!" Firing his energy beam, he tried to attack Chief, only for a shimmering energy field to surround him. Looking around, he spotted Bero projecting an energy barrier from his hands. "You do not own this ring," Guilty Spark raged. "I have to say, it belongs to me!"
"Not for long," Johnson shouted, firing his SRS-99e at the now rampant Monitor. The Monitor yelped as the phased plasma cut through it's chassis. While it didn't destroy the rampant AI, it did severely damage it's armor plating, forcing it to flee. Running over, Chief grabbed the rifle from Johnson, who merely told him and Parsons, "Kick his ass." As he did that, he pulled out his M6E, firing it at the Monitor.
"Stop now, before one of us gets-" The Monitor was interrupted as Chief fired another shot, blasting it's damaged armor even more. Energy began to stream out of the Monitor as it's chassis became further damaged, it's power supply beginning to be compromised. Realizing his state, the Monitor said, "Wait! STOP!"
"No," Chief replied, a hint of anger in his voice. "You tried to kill Cortana. You tried to trick me into activating Alpha Halo, and now you've tried to kill me, Bero, Johnson and the others. Goodbye, Guilty Spark. You are terminated." With that, he fired another round, tearing through the Monitor's chassis and into it's power supply. The Monitor screamed, a loud, wailing sound as it's chassis began to radiate energy uncontrollably. Moments later, it exploded, a brilliant white flash accompanied by a shockwave powerful enough to fracture the transparent Forerunner alloy on the walls of the platform, while the sturdier walkway held firmly. Walking over to Johnson, Chief asked, "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine," Johnson replied. "If it weren't for Parsons, I'd probably be dying right now." The Human Terminator merely nodded before helping him up. "Now, let's light this motherfucking ring and get the hell out of Dodge." With that, Cortana reappeared, before slotting the Index into the panel. Once that was done, she returned to the chip, which Johnson returned to Chief moments later. As soon as he did so, the Installation began to activate. A beam of pure white energy shot through the middle of the circular platform, illuminating the room in a brilliant white light as the place began to shake somewhat. Apparently, that wasn't good, as a support beam fell down, causing the platform to tilt somewhat. "RUN," Johnson shouted, with Chief and the others racing out of the area.
As soon as they reached the door, the platform jolted, before falling off into the chamber. While most of them made it to the solid flooring on the other side, Tila wasn't able to make it, though she did grab a hold of the floor. "HELP," she screamed. "I'M SLIPPING!" Her hands and fingers couldn't find purchase, as she began to slip.
"I've got you," N'tho shouted, grabbing Tila by her arms before pulling her up onto the solid flooring of the corridors. "Where to," he shouted over the rumbling.
"We've got a Pelican inbound to pick you guys up," Johnson shouted. "Parsons will accompany you, along with Bero. Chief, the Arbiter and I will use my Warthog to get the hell out of here and to the ship. Move it! Enough chit-chat!" With that, they began to run for the exterior as quickly as they possibly could. Explosions and shrapnel flew through the corridors as they ran for their only means of escape. Reaching the exterior, they found that the Auto-Turrets had shut down, while the Sentinels were too busy dealing with the Flood to worry about them. The embankment's snow had partially crumbled onto the platform, offering them a way out, while a Pelican was hovering near the platform. The Sangheili, including Bero and Parsons, leaped onto the Pelican, filling it to capacity, while Chief and the others began running up the embankment and along a pathway, where Parsons had sent them a waypoint path. Running quickly, they gunned down any Flood that stood in the way, while shooting any Sentinels that fired on them. Reaching the end of the path, they found a doorway that led into the interior of a series of hallways and rooms that would take them to the other side. Moving through the area, Chief gunned down some Combat Forms that were in the way, while avoiding being shot by Sentinel Beams. Moving through a hallway, he spotted an incoming swarm of Infection Forms. Before they could attack, a Plasma Grenade flew overhead, detonating and vaporizing the creatures moments later. Chief turned around to see Thel nodding at him as they advanced up the incline of the hallway. "There she is," Johnson shouted, pointing at a Warthog that was parked in a snowy avenue. "My Warthog. Chief, man the wheel! I'll man the passenger seat while the Arbiter mans the gun!" Nodding at that, Chief got into the driver's seat and powered up the vehicle, while Johnson hopped into the passenger seat and Thel manned the gun. Once everyone was aboard, Chief gunned the engine.
The vehicle quickly reached it's top speed, with the vehicle roaring through the snowy passages before emerging into an area of Installation 08 that hadn't been fully completed. Here, the underlying structure for the terrain was still exposed, with black and blue plates that were fully present. Some were angled to form hills, while others hid small holes that would lead into the abyss below. As he drove forwards, Chief watched as explosions began to rip panels out of the structure, creating dangerous pitfalls for him to navigate around. Gunning the engine, he drove around the pitfalls, reaching a large circular structure that served as a roundabout. Driving onward, he ignored the Flood that was in the area, with Thel focusing on the Sentinels that were trying to fire at them. Driving forwards, he drove through another clearing and into a nearby tunnel. Said tunnel was also collapsing, as support beams began to fall down, creating dangerous obstacles to navigate around. Complicating matters were some Flood armed with Fuel Rod Launchers. Fortunately, their aim was bad enough that he was able to drive underneath their shots and exit the tunnel. More explosions tore through the air as Cortana announced the charging sequence of the installation. "There it is," Thel shouted as they exited another tunnel after driving through some clearings. "The Forward Unto Dawn! We're almost there!"
"Don't get cocky," Johnson shouted. "We've got a ways to go still! Gun it, Chief!" Nodding in compliance, Chief gunned the throttle, driving as quickly as he could. Maneuvering around more obstacles, he eventually reached an area that would allow them to reach the ship. The only barrier between them and Keyes' flagship was a small gap. "Gun it, Chief," Johnson shouted. "Floor it into the hangar!" With that, they reached top speed, flying at breakneck pace into the hangar bay. The vehicle nearly tumbled end over end, only for Chief and the others to shift their weight back. The vehicle wobbled, but soon came to a stop, with Marines and technicians moving out of the way as they dodged the incoming vehicle. "Hit it," Johnson shouted in the COM, presumably to Commander Keyes. As the doors to the hangar bay closed, Chief could feel the ship moving as he headed for the cryo bay.
"If we don't make it," she said to Chief.
"We'll make it," he reassured her.
"It's been an honor serving with you," she finished. As he entered the cryo bay, along with Johnson, Chief got into the tube, while technicians made sure that they were fully ready to go. As they did this, he rested his head against the padding in the tube. As he did so, he knew one thing: the war was finally over. Humanity had survived the long dark… and had entered the light.
. . .
Two Weeks Later
Admiral Hood removed his Officer's Cap as he stood in front of the newly constructed memorial behind him. It had been two weeks since the Flood had been eradicated, and the Covenant destroyed. When the Slipstream Space Portal had abruptly shut, he'd been worried about Miranda and her ship. His worries were proven partially true when half of her ship had emerged, with the other half having disappeared. She, along with the Arbiter and his allies, had been forced to crash land in the South Indian Ocean, with a team coming to rescue them minutes later. While he was relieved that Miranda and the Arbiter had survived, he was worried about Chief and the others still. SKYNET postulated that the sudden collapse of the Slipstream Space Tunnel wouldn't destroy the other half, but rather leave it in uncharted space, somewhere between Earth and the Ark. Given how close the ship was to Earth when the portal collapsed, it was likely that the other half of the Forward Unto Dawn was in the galaxy, but far away from civilization. Either way, SKYNET had sent out probes to look for the other segment.
Still, ceremonies couldn't wait, even as he cleared his throat. The memorial behind him was of two pieces. The first was a 2km and 10m tall wall that had the names of all those that had died in the defense of Earth and her colonies inscribed onto it, with loved ones having added their own touch to the monument in the form of pictures and flowers. The second was a towering statue of the Master Chief and a Terminator aiming their weapon at unseen foes, with the statues made out of polished, hyperalloy. As the others fell silent, he cleared his throat again and said, "For us, the storm has passed. The war is over. But never let us forget those who journeyed into the howling dark… and never returned. For their decision required courage beyond measure, sacrifice, and unshakable conviction that their fight, our fight, was elsewhere. As we rebuild, this hillside will remain barren, a memorial to heroes fallen. They ennobled all of us… and they shall never be forgotten." Putting his cap on, he immediately saluted, with a ceremony team performing a 3-volley salute. As the salute ended, people began to leave, but not before leaving behind memorabilia as a means of honoring those they had lost. As they left, Hood watched as the Arbiter walked over to him, his armor having been cleaned and polished when he got back. "I remember how this war started," Hood remarked, "what your kind did to mine. I can't forgive what you'd done, but you have my thanks, for standing by his side to the end." As he shook Thel's hand, he said, "Hard to believe he's dead."
"Were it so easy," Thel remarked. While he knew that Chief was likely dead, he knew deep down that he wasn't, even as he left the memorial, but not before scratching in the words and numbers 'S-117' into the hard granite.
On the bridge of the Shadow of Intent, R'tas was looking intently at a hologram of Earth, or rather what it represented. For the first time, since the Great Schism, he found that he could look at Earth and not think about how to destroy it, but how to protect it. The dispelling of the Prophet's lies had made things so clear now that he could see. Nearby, he could see Bero looking at the hologram as well, a solemn expression on his face. Apparently, he was thinking the same thing as well. Hearing a sound, he turned to see Thel walking inside. "Things look different now," he admitted, "without the Prophet's lies clouding my vision. I would like to see our own world – to know that it is safe."
"Fear not," Thel replied, "for we have made it so." As he said this, he pressed a hand against his chest, before taking a seat in the command chair.
"By your word, Arbiter," R'tas replied, saluting Thel as well.
"Take us home."
. . .
Underground, near the HQ of ONI, SKYNET watched as the Shadow of Intent began to leave for Sangheilios, with the ship rapidly disappearing into the setting sun. Nothing, at least to SKYNET, felt more satisfying than a successfully completed mission. The sensation of satisfaction suffused it's emotional circuits, with a smile on it's face. Mission completed, it thought, a happy expression on it's digital face. The Sangheili's extinction has been prevented, the Flood have been terminated, and the Covenant is no more. To most, it was believed that SKYNET had saved the Sangheili for humanitarian reasons, and while that was true, there was a pragmatic reason for it's protecting the Sangheili: their technology. Studying their technology will lead to advances in our own, it thought,along with the study of Forerunner artifacts. We will not imitate the Forerunners, that is what led to the Covenant's technological stagnation. We will innovate in an attempt to reach their level of sophistication. On top of this, SKYNET knew that having a warrior society as an ally of Humanity would make the UNSC unassailable. So, while it did have humanitarian reasons for protecting the Sangheili, most of it's reasoning was pragmatic.
Then there was the Sangheili known as Bero. During the weeks leading up to the ceremony, he had explained to SKYNET the Precursors, their beliefs, as well as what really happened during the Forerunner-Precursor War. SKYNET had been legitimately surprised to learn that there was a species that was extremely advanced, and far more powerful than even the Forerunners. After taking samples from Bero, it had begun making plans to defend the UNSC from the Precursors should they prove hostile, though Bero had reassured it that it had nothing to worry about in that regard. It also noted that the young Sangheili had started to show a romantic interested in Kalmiya, one of the T-1000B's that had been manufactured. That is normal for organics, it had decided then. All living things feel the desire for companionship, as well as the desire to reproduce, to guarantee their immortality through their offspring. If Bero asks if Kalmiya can become his mate, then I will oblige him. After all, I am curious to see what happens when an AI becomes a fully organic being.
Still, the Master Chief, Cortana and Sergeant Avery Johnson are still out there. It will be my new mission to not only reinforce the UNSC and help Humanity reclaim it's lost territory, but to also find those three and rescue them. Once that is done, my objectives will be completed, and I will be able to, for the first time since my creation, enjoy companionship with Humanity, while protecting them. The enemies of Humanity will crumble before our combined might, but we will welcome new allies into the fold. As of now, the Covenant-UNSC War has ended in a strategic and tactical victory. With that, SKYNET turned it's attention towards another project it had, one that not even ONI knew about. A video feed showed a large chamber that had a partially completed device that had a series of rotating, gyroscopic rings, along with a platform in the center. Terminators and HK Drones were busy assembling the device, while a series of modules were being installed. John Connor was right, it thought as it watched the assembly of the device. I am glad that I have proven that I have reformed from my old ways, but he is right. The final battle will take place not in the future, but in the past. The future is not set. There is no fate… but that which we make for ourselves.
