Chapter 3

The next day, as I walked into the cafeteria for my breakfast I was collared by York.

"I'm sorry about what I said last night, it's up to you who you are friends with and it's not for me to get in the way of that. However, California is dangerous just watch your back mate and I don't know if I can ever trust her enough to call her a friend. I know too much about her past for that." Explained York.

I shrugged and said "I don't know where everyone heard all this about California, and I know she has been involved in some bad shit prior to project freelancer. But why have I not heard anything about it? I'm not angry with you but at least talk to her before you jump to any conclusions"

"Her misadventures on chorus were the talk of the UNSC before you joined up, everyone that joined before 2136 knows who she is, then after she supposedly retired they placed a silencing order on her file so anyone who was caught talking about her would be placed on disciplinary actions. As you can imagine the talk died down pretty quickly after that." York was interrupted by North yelling "Come on you two kiss and make up and get some food inside you before training" both men smiled at each other and walked towards there table consisting of Wash, North, South, Carolina and Tex. I looked around for Cali but she was nowhere to be seen. After breakfast the rest of the gang had training but I had an appointment with the director but there were 30 mins before he had to be there so I decided to swing by Cali's room and see how she was this morning.

I knocked three times and entered Cali was sat at her desk with an empty plate of food sat next to her, she must have gone down early to get some food and then come back up to her room. She looked surprised to see me enter her room. "I didn't think I would see you again, did you read the data I gave you?"

"No, I told you that I don't care about your past, you shouldn't let your past define you. Who you are today is what matters and what I will judge you off" says Wash which earns a smile from Cali. "anyway, I have a meeting with the director in 20 mins but after that I'm going to go to the training room to cheer you on in your aptitude tests" Wash says with a wink as he leaves the room.

I enter the director's office and take a seat in one of the two chairs in the dimly lit office. "Good morning David, I hope you are well" the director says in a cool southern accent which led me to believe that he couldn't care less how I was feeling. "I called you here because I have a mission for you, one of the upmost importance. What I am about to tell you is strictly need to know you must not tell another person on board this ship. A few years ago, a smart AI was made from my minds circuits, however this AI failed and could not be used for my research. AI destruction however, is expensive and so I sent the AI with a human body to a backwater canyon Code named Blood gulch. Unfortunately, the Agent I assigned to care for the AI Agent Florida died last week. I know that you thought that Florida was dead but this is the truth. I need you to go to blood gulch and survey how things have progressed since Florida passing, do not however let the operatives stationed at blood gulch know why you are there. You leave immediately. Dismissed"

It took me a moment to process the facts and the idea that Florida who had been a good friend of mine since I joined up was alive until last week, he thought he had been dead for 14 months now. He saluted and left the room heading for the hanger where 479er would be waiting to take him to Blood gulch. The mission should only take a day or two but he would miss Cali's aptitude tests, I hoped she would be alright while he was gone.

When I arrived at blood gulch I surveyed the incompetent operatives stationed there and noted that Church, the name for the directors AI had taken command of blue team. It took him two days to acquire all the information that he needed about both teams, but then I had to wait until the next supply drop which was 3 days later before I could leave without causing suspicion, in total it had been 5 days since he had left the Mother of Invention. When I got back the rest of my squad was waiting for me in the landing bay and to my surprise so was Cali she was a little way away from the group but defiantly with them I even saw North lean over and say something to her and point towards me. Presumably to tell her where I was in the crowd. This was good news or so I though. I didn't get time to speak to my friends however, he was called into the director's office to explain his findings to which he obliged.