Chapter 7 Command

Mother Of Invention: April 30, 2551

Dear Director,

The UNSC has granted you a great deal of autonomy. It has not done so because you have shown immense progress or proven your usefulness in the front lines.

It was allowed because we do not have the resources to oversee every military operation under our jurisdiction. Not anymore.

And besides your requests for additional AI, your demands have been simple. Incompetent troops to help run your simulations, and elite solders that the UNSC has deemed… unfit for combat.

However, this does not excuse your actions, Director.

When I created the Alpha AI for Project Freelancer, I expected results. Results that I have not seen in months. I had originally been delayed with other, more important work, so I was not able to address this sooner. But make no mistake, this will be addressed.

I expect a detailed report from you soon, Director.

Dr. Catherin Elizabeth Halsey

...

It's been three weeks since Church and I last spoke. It's been two months since we last met face to face, so to speak. And it's almost been a year since we've actually worked with each other.

I understand why they were hast, the situation was crap, but they've had a lot of fucking time to fix it. So, either they're the biggest procrastinators in history…

Or they're stalling.

I'm still not sure what makes me more uneasy. But still, it's concerning. Recently, they've been making plans, and I don't believe it's to test a soldier's compatibility with an AI. Not anymore.

I know it's not really my place to question these things, I'm not the one in charge. But someone needs to hold these guys accountable. They've had a lot of success on re-engineering alien equipment though, so we can use it.

But I'm just not sure what's the point of these experiments anymore, if we're not testing AI, then what are we doing?

I wish more people were willing to ask that. Sadly, it looks like I'm alone on this… Well, not completely, anyway. C.T. has been asking a few questions herself. She's getting about as much of an answer as I am.

Zilch.

I'm not saying that the rest of the Freelancers are just some heartless, immoral, bastards. Though admittedly a few are.

Like Agent Maine for example, ruthless, malicious, and generally, creepy as fuck. Seriously, the guy only talks like 10% of the time he's around. And when he does talk, he sounds like a serial killer that coincidentally also just chugged down some gravel.

Agent Wyoming is also a dick, or as the British might say, a twat. Is that how the British would say that?

Then there's Agent South Dakota, who I might have mentioned, is a complete and total bitch. Her twin brother is actually one of the nicest people I know. Once again proving the evil twin theory is completely true.

But I of course always knew it to be true. Miranda acts a lot nicer than she is.

Agent Georgia shouldn't really be added to this list. Mostly because I don't know where he is. It's not like it's for lack of trying to find out. It's just that whenever I ask someone where he is, they either tell me they don't know, or that I don't want to know.

Well whatever happened, couldn't have happened to a nicer guy.

That was probably a little mean, let's move onto people I do like.

Starting with my buddy, Agent Washington. Cool guy… moving on.

Agent York… he's pretty cool too.

Okay, uh, Agent North Dakota… who I already talked about…

So maybe, I don't know them that well, I still like the guys. But we probably should think about the elephants in the room, Agents C.T. and Carolina.

C.T. is an exceptional soldier, skilled in holograms, and quick in close quarters. She wears a brown variant of E.O.D armor, and always has something to say. It used to be that "something" was nice, but lately it's been a bit... cynical.

I can kind of see where she's coming from.

As for Carolina… Can I still skip?

I guess things are… okay with her. At the moment. Our heart to heart after the uh incident, actually brought us a little bit closer together. So, of course, The Director quickly split us apart. I really, really, don't like that guy.

At first, he just wanted to talk to me, explain that the Alpha needed to be separated from me, for a time. Then, he explained to the rest of Project Freelancer, that I no longer have the Alpha AI. Carolina took it well.

Very well, one might say.

Or as I, may not quite so subtly, imply.

I'm not trying to be the asshole here. She wants to impress her dad, to be the best, that's a good thing. It'd be even better if her dad wasn't an asshole, but nobody's perfect. Besides, we have been getting along better.

Though that might have more to do with Carolina getting back to First place on the leaderboard.

Not that it makes me angry or anything. She's just had a lot more field missions than me lately… And she's been a bit better at them than usual… I really need to get back out there...

Anyways, I guess getting boosted brought back her competitive spirit, or whatever. I just hope it's a bit less tense with her, at least for a while. I really don't need to deal with any more bullshit right now. Not that she's even here to deal with.

Last I heard, she's been sent as a "secret" backup on the twin's mission. I doubt she'll be needed, it's a symbol grab and bag, even the triplets could have done it. No offence to the triplets, wherever they are.

Then again… it is South doing the stealth work. Maybe we should have sent a tank too. Or… you know… literally anyone else.

Who knows though, maybe she'll surprise me?

...

I hate it when I'm right.

"Situation is critical, Sir. Should we do something?" Someone from command asked The Director through the radio.

"Yes." The Director answered. Moving his attention to the leaderboard. "Send her in." He told the man from command.

"Roger that." The unknown radio guy responded, beginning contact with Agent Carolina. "Come in Number One; Number One, you are clear." Number One… that used to be me once.

"Activate Failsafe." The Director ordered.

Failsafe?

"Copy Sir. Initiating Beta Protocol."

Beta Protocol?

"Beta Protocol, Sir?" I voiced my question out loud.

"At ease, Agent California." The Director responded, without facing me. Dick. "I wasn't referring to you."

"Of course, Sir." I'm really starting to hate this guy.

After deciding that trying to get an answer out of The Director would be about as effective as trying to cure cancer with toothpaste. I turn my attention back to the probe video we have on the twins.

...

So, I see the twins, surrounded by insurrectionist soldiers on every front, who are on a platform higher than them, with their leader pointing a turret at them. Suffice it to say, their mission did not go as expected. At least for them, I completely expected it.

"Well, out of the frying pan and into the fire." North Dakota said, pretty annoyed about the situation.

I mentioned him a bit before, right? Super nice guy, like he's the anti-south. He wears purple Mark VI armor, with a green secondary tint. It suits him pretty well.

"Eh, figure I could take about fifty of 'em. How 'bout you?" South Dakota told him cockily, only half joking.

I know I mentioned her. She wears pink Mark VI armor with a light green tint as well. Probably emphasizing yet again that they're twins. Seriously, we get it. Not like Miranda and I did that kind of crap… Probably would've if she asked, she's an angel.

But South, she's a… you know what, if you have nothing nice to say, don't say anything at all...

Bitch… Damnit! I was so close.

"How 'bout you save your jokes until we get out of this?" North asked her, a little fed up with the situation in the first place.

"Where the hell is extraction?!" South demanded, frustrated with not seeing any backup.

"Attention assholes," The Insurrectionist's Guard Captain, angrily called. Trying to get them to focus on their current situation. "Stand down, you're surrounded! Give us the data file, now! You will be taken into custody. We can either do this the easy way, or the hard way. There is no escape, so give us the damn data file!"

While he spoke, I noticed an outline of a soldier in dark armor on a nearby crate. I had a guess or two about who that was. Then I was immediately proven correct when she jumped down and started kicking insurrectionist ass.

Agent Carolina, she usually wore a teal/aqua? Colored armor, with recon shoulders, and rogue armor. It's black right now, but that's probably the color camouflage equipment her armor's equipped with. Not as useful as active camo, but you can run it almost indefinitely without an AI.

After she mopped the floor with soldiers on the upper platform. She used the mounted turret the guard captain held, to start shooting down the other platforms. I would've just used them on the soldiers, but points for creativity.

"Get down!" North shouted, once gunfire started, and platforms full of soldiers fell on them. "Son of a bitch." He said angrily, looking at Carolina.

"What's going on?" South asked, frustrated, and confused. She always was a bit slow on the uptake.

"It's her." North answered, annoyed and disappointed.

"What?" What's she doing here?!" South asked outraged. Cleaning up your mess, bitch. Crap, I did it again.

The enemy soldiers started getting back to their feet on Carolina's platform. So, she kicks the still firing turret into a spin and jumps down to North and South. Back in her classic… let's call it light blue. "Okay, my turn." She told them confidently

She then proceeds to beat the shit out of every still standing soldier left. Except the two our probe's camera focuses on? "Oh my God oh my God oh my God - yes! A rifle! I'm saved!" Soldier 1 exclaims happily. Having previously been crawling around.

"Uh, hey man, I hate to bother you, but I think that's my rifle you're holding." Soldier 2 tells him awkwardly.

"What the hell are you talking about, just, grab any rifle, like look at that, there's seriously a pile of rifles-" Soldier 1 said understandably frustrated, pointing out a literal pile of rifles.

"That's my good luck gun, man." Soldier 2 interrupts

"-right there man." Soldier 1 continued, like he hadn't been interrupted.

"That's the one I sleep with every night." Soldier 2 admits, a bit embarrassed, but still demanding.

Soldier 1 looked at him, incredulously. "Are you kidding me, man?!" He asked, before their conversation was interrupted by South kicking him into Soldier 2.

Well that sucks, they were actually pretty funny. I kind of wish I saw more of them, eleven years more, even. At least until Soldier 2 left to do better things, and Soldier 1 got progressively worse on his own because of market conditions.

Moving on…

The Freelancer agents were kicking all kinds of ass, the mission quickly turning around into their favor. Sadly, it didn't last, the Guard Captain got to his feet and back to his turret. North noticed this and saw him aiming at South.

Rushing over to South, he thought fast, but not well. "South, look out!" He yells, knocking her out of the way, and taking a few rounds himself. "Ah!" That… that doesn't look good.

"North-NO!" South shouts, rushing to his aid. Nice to see she has a heart, wish she did it before her brother got critically wounded.

Carolina fires her grappling hook at the Guard Captain's turret, to his confusion. "What the-" Then she yanks it down, causing it to shoot the platform, which causes it to split... which causes it and the Guard Captain to collapse.

Good move Carolina.

Looking back at South and North, I see that she's managed to move him to the edge of the platform. She moves an arm to keep firing at the insurrectionist. "Come in Command, we have wounded, you need to get us out of here, right now!" She screams into her radio.

Carolina rushes down to meet them and puts a hand on both their shoulders. "Come on, you two, we're leaving." She says, before... pulling them both backwards?! WTF?!

Wait, the three just fell onto their escape pelican. Complaint rescinded.

"Sorry about the mess, fellas!" Carolina shouts to the soldiers currently shooting at them. "Package is secure, everyone on board." She says into her radio.

...

I watch the three of them enter the shuttle, then decide they've probably got it from here. Turning to face the Director's back, I remark, "I guess they didn't need your failsafe, Sir."

"The mission is not over yet, Agent California." He didn't miss a beat, to respond in his southern drawl.

Ignoring him, I made my way to the landing bay, North didn't look too good. I just want to make sure he's alright. It'd be nice to check on at least one friend. I still haven't heard back from Wash yet, and we've lost contact with our drones a while ago. I hope he and C.T. are okay.

I'm not sure how long I ended up waiting there. I was just getting more restless for every hour that passed and they weren't here.

Eventually, I did spot their pelican, looking like it just charged through an asteroid. Rushing down, I wait for them to dock, before screaming at South when I saw how bad North looked. "What the hell happened?!"

"We failed the stealth portion." She answered dryly, helping North get to the medics.

I lend her a hand, while I reply. "No, really? I could have sworn, explosions, gunfire, and general stupidity was covered in the stealth section of our field manual." I tell her sarcastically. "And the pelican?"

"We can talk about this later." Carolina told him, before giving me and South a look.

"Yeah, sure." I muttered, after they and North left for the med bay, with me quickly following behind.

We didn't talk about it.

...

Mother Of Invention: May 7, 2551

It's been a week since the mission, but now the North's finally out of the med bay, they're getting briefed. They succeeded their primary objective, at least. But South blew the whole stealth part, so she's probably gonna get a dressing down.

Probably wouldn't hurt to check on them though… and the leaderboard. I'm not really the competitive type, but I really don't like coming in second.

I need to get back into the field, soon.

In other, more positive news, Wash's mission is done. I heard he should be back sometime later today, honestly, it'd be pretty good to see him. I could use a friendly face.

As I make my way to the briefing room, I see South marching off angrily. "What's up with you?" I ask rhetorically. She just shoulder checks me, and storms past me. "Bitch." I mutter.

Shit.

Now I'm doing it out loud.

Carolina and North don't take long to follow her out of the briefing room. "Hey guys," I greeted them. "Want to get some lunch?" I asked.

Carolina and North look at each other and shrug. "Sure." Carolina says.

"I could eat." North replies.

"Great, let's go. I still want to have that talk about the mission." They stay quiet for a minute, before Carolina takes off her helmet to look at me.

"Could we, maybe, not talk about work?" She asked politely but determined.

Yeah, I figured. "Sure." I told her with a half-smile.

On our way to the mess hall, I saw Wash and C.T. heading back towards the briefing room. "Wash," I call, getting his attention. Looking back at North and Carolina I tell them, "Hey you guys go on ahead, I'll catch up."

They nod, and Wash spoke up as they left. "Het Cal," He said. Then he sighed as C.T. just walked by us despondently. "Now's not really a good time."

"I've been getting that a lot lately. But not from you, what happened?" I asked him, concerned.

"We really need to go, I'll tell you about it later, alright?" He told me, in a sad tone.

"Alright." I told him uncertainly. "Go ahead, I'll wait in the mess."

"Thanks Cal, we'll talk later."

We actually did talk about it.

…

It turns out, their mission failed. On all accounts, all objectives. People got hurt, they got killed. Pretty much a situation that I really shouldn't have brought up. Maybe I just don't understand social cues.

Wash didn't outright accuse her of it or anything, but it sounds like C.T. dropped the ball. It's why she'd been pretty down about the whole situation. Not really sure how I could've helped if I even could.

I'm still not even sure why we were doing those missions against the insurrectionist. I get it they're the bad guys, but we should be targeting the Covenant. This isn't the time for infighting. Not even for us.

Hell, especially for us, we were some of the greatest soldiers the UNSC had ever known. Instead of using our talents, our skills, and our equipment, to win the war, we just fought over a leaderboard.

I didn't find out that mom had been corresponding with the Director, until a couple of months after I left the program. But now it's all I have to keep myself occupied. Just reading, and recording.

Waiting.

Ideally for a rescue because I'm running out of time.

Well, I mention in my last entry I'd say what was up, so here it is. My last mission was a success… but it might actually be my last mission. I'm trapped on, a now glassed world, in a cave, in a canyon, in the middle of nowhere.

Rations are running low, and power's almost drained. It's seeming more likely than not that I might die here. On the other hand, I could try to leave, and definitely die.

So, there's that.

I do have my own kind of failsafe, but I'm saving it as my absolute last resort.

I'll talk about it next time.

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

Journal Entry: 007