Chapter 3 Beta Company

Luna: January 15, 2537

Beta Company, the UNSC's third attempt at creating the most elite human soldiers in the history of mankind, Spartans. I've been following their trail since Miranda and I found out about it two years ago. They're the third attempt at creating Spartans, fourth if you want to count Alpha and Beta as separate entities.

Nevertheless, these SPARTAN III's follow a proud line, of recruiting young impressionable children, breaking their spirits, and augmenting them into the deadliest warriors to ever exist. So, I just had one question.

How do I sign up?

Dad's trying to put on a brave face for me, but the fact of the matter is, the UNSC is losing the war. The sheer number of garden worlds that the Covenant has turned into giant balls of glass is crippling. But these Spartans, these warriors are the only force that can fight them and win.

Right now, we need a win.

All of this could be considered a moot point. Beta company has only ever been in talks for the last two years. There's a lot more that can be done without being turned into a force of nature. So why should I obsess over some project that only exists in whispers.

Well, maybe because now after two years, the Beta company has been approved. They now have funding, they now have equipment, and they're currently accepting volunteers.

I can't think of a single person I know who won't kill me for what I'm about to suggest... But we're- I'm desperate. We need Spartans, now more than ever. So, I have to get into that program.

And there lies the problem. All the information about locations and recruitment that I've managed to find are outdated. Kind of hard to get recruited when you can't find the recruiter. Besides I'm not really their target audience, so them reaching out to me isn't going to work.

The last time I managed to get any information at all, was when Miranda and I broke into dad's computer. The same trick isn't going to work twice, especially on him. But there is someone I know who has experience with Spartans. Someone who may even have the clearance, or at least abilities to keep track of such a program. Especially when that someone may consider said program, to be a cheap knockoff of their own work.

Time to make a call.

...

"Hi mom!" I gotta admit though, even for me, this is low.

"Nathan," She smiles, "this is a nice surprise. I haven't thought you would ever manage to call me on your own." Yup, I feel guilty. The superpower moms have, that they don't tell you about.

"Sorry," I reply apologetically, "It's not that I don't like talking to you, I do. It's just that I'd like to have something to talk about." I probably shouldn't have said that.

"Oh?" She questions, "Is there something you'd care to tell me then?" I was right, shouldn't have mentioned it.

"It's more of a question really..." I trailed off. What? It's kind of hard for a twelve-year-old kid to sound confident to his renowned scientist mother. I'm honestly surprised I wasn't shaking.

"Is everything alright?" She asks, looking concerned. Crap! Was I shaking?!

"Yeah!" I'm quick to reassure her, "I'm fine! I was just wondering if you... you know, you maybe... knew anything about Beta company?" That sounded better in my head.

"Perhaps," She gets a suspicious look in her eyes, "I think the better question, is how do you know about Beta company?" Okay we practiced this, we've got it, just play it cool.

"Oh," I reply casually, "You know, just rumors, and stuff. Not really important." Smooth.

"Really?" She asks deadpanned.

Crap, she's not buying! Go on the attack, go on the attack! "Yeah, so do you know anything about it? Dad mentioned how you worked on the original Spartans back in the day, and I hear these guys are gonna be way tougher than them."

"Did you now?" She asked menacingly.

"Yep, I heard that the Spartans that you helped make were defective, and that a lot of them didn't even survive augmentation." Hit her in the one place it'll hurt, her ego.

"I see," She takes a calming breath. "Well as your father might have told you, I did create, and name the original SPARTAN IIs, however at the time we were under equipped, low on resources, while the very nature of our project demanded the utmost discretion."

"Is that why the project failed?" I asked, genuinely curious.

"If you have a shrewd definition of failure, then perhaps. However, in my opinion, the project was an astounding success." Well I think you have shrewd the definition of success.

"But- you lost most of the people that you recruited, you weren't even able to get as many as you originally expected, and even some of the ones who survived were crippled." I argued.

She stared at me through the screen for a second before responding. "I created the greatest soldiers that history will ever remember. It is unfortunate that not all augmentations were successful, but that was always a high risk. The fact that so many of the recruits survived at all, is a testament to their strength, and our effort in bringing it out."

"Well, how about the new guys? What do you think about their strength?" I asked... trying to get on a hopefully less infuriating topic.

"Ah, yes." Finally. "Beta company, the second attempt to copy my work. Ignoring how you've coincidently heard of a secret, ONI sanctioned project, belonging to the UNSC, through 'rumor', it sounds as though you already know quite a bit about the project."

"Well..." I trailed off, mom always could catch me off guard. "Maybe a thing or two."

"I guessed." She smirked. "So instead of trying to be subtle, why don't you ask me what's on your mind?"

Well, all cards on the table… "How do I get recruited?" I asked with a sigh.

"Recruited?" She asked, surprised. Her eyes light up in understanding. "You want to be a Spartan."

"It's not something I want." I argue. "It's what we need, the UNSC is losing this war. Spartans aren't our best chance at survival, they're our only chance."

"Do you think that your joining would make a difference?" She asks, in cold indifference. "You are but one child, Beta company has been authorized for a thousand. Even if you're recruited into the company, even if you survive augmentation, you would be a part of a set. Everything you have now that makes you unique, that makes you, you, will be taken. You'll be an asset not a person."

"I don't have any right to give less, then what those recruits will give for us." I reply, calmly.

There's a look that she has in her eyes that I've never seen before. It's not approval or disapproval. But if I had to guess, I might call it respect, or at least understanding.

"Very well." She tells me. "If you wish to be a Spartan so dearly, then I promise you Nathan, you will be."

…

I never found out how she was able to get me in, and if I'm being honest, I'm glad I didn't ask. Say what you will about mom, but you can't deny she's effective. As long as you don't question her methods…

Still though, she got me into the program, though it was no less easy on my end.

First, I had maybe days to make my goodbyes to my friends at the academy, not to mention dad and Miranda. You know she goes by Miranda Keyes now? Told you she was a daddy's girl. But after threatening to kill me herself, and some awkward crying on both our parts, we hugged, reminisced, and left on good terms. I even call her whenever I get some downtime… usually anyway. Like I said, I only really call people when I have something to talk about, and most of what I do now, I actually can't talk about. Makes for very awkward, very small conversations.

Dad was a bit easier though.

He scolded the hell out of me, don't get me wrong. But when he was done, he shook my hand, and told me how proud he was of me. I teared up a little, but only on the inside. I'm still cool.

Sadly, it looks like the emotional stuff was the easy part. I have many memories of my time in training, none of them are fond ones. I did make a few friends along the way, but… most of them are dead now.

I'm killing the mood, aren't I?

Well anyways, as it happens, despite being twelve years old, I was still one of the oldest recruits there. So, I was one of the first one's augmented… The less said about that, the better. For days it felt like my body was just trying to die.

But I did survive, which is better than I can say for most of Beta company, RIP. Which is… actually pretty surprising all things considered.

I took part in some of the worst battles in the war, at least that I know of… but I'll talk more about how awesome I am later. For now, I think I'd like some shut eye.

This is Lieutenant Nathan J. Halsey, SPARTAN-B312, of the UNSC, signing off.

Journal Entry; 003