Garrett saw a massive flash of light as his goggles shutdown hud link and his connection sputtered to his armor from his cybernetics. He knew he was floating right now, where he had no clue.
He rebooted his OS systems and ran a diagnostic quickly, the goggles reinitializing from the transport. His armor's duel anti proton reactors dulled to a mere 10 of what they normally produced, though the iridium fuel cells and secondary generator started to rebuild the depleted power supply.
Garrett looked around to find himself floating in space, stars visible in most directions, until he activated the helmet rear camera. He found himself staring down at Earth. The external thrusters on his armor rolled him around to where he wanted to face as he looked around him. He had no idea where he was, or for that matter, why he didn't see what he was expecting to see. There were no orbital MAC platform battle clusters, no docking stations and certainly no ships visible with any UNSC insignia. The only thing he did see were two emergencies. One, was that his Altimeter suddenly activated, and it meant only one thing, that he had a very fast orbital decay rate and soon to drop like a brick through the atmosphere, and second, that Archerson was floating nearby, groggy but alive. His helmet didn't seem to have any problems from the small crack from the rifle, but he too was also losing orbital control and falling, and certainly couldn't survive the process without help.
Garrett activated his thrusters quickly as Archerson slowly awoke to his surroundings, the Caduceus armor anemically waking to the precision signals sent from Garrett's brain to the controls due to the lower power. The Spartan checked his shields, hoping against hope they would work and safely overlap over Archerson. Only one layer was functional at the moment, the other offline due to low power. It wasn't enough for two people exceeding orbit, which left only one thing.
Garrett slid through the sub space armory listings and found the Caduceus's Drop Suit external armoring package, and activated the initiation sequence. 5 of the suit's already depleted energy dropped immediately from it's recharge level of 17, scaring the life out of him as he saw the huge chunk of power discharge and flux behind him, as a cal chon red light blinked and burped inside the suit telling of the emergency energy level. He overrode the signal and engaged the external armoring package on his back, enveloping around his shoulders and arms just as he grappled Archerson… and just as his suit told him of the increasing temperature outside.
Garrett rolled and swapped the one layer of shields to cover an external source, protecting the hell jumper held in his arms as the re-entry armor on his back opened it's heat shield, the heat soak and heat load readings showing online.
Archerson was awake by now, and looking around, definitely scared at what was happening.
"don't worry sir, I have you securely held. We should be Augered-in in 9 minutes" Garrett said over his com suite. Archerson was still wide eyed at what was happening, partly due to the fact that 9 min was a very fast reentry, but then looked down past Garrett's huge armored shoulder to see Earth coming up fast to greet him.
"if anyone finds out about this little union we have here when we land son, I will personally make sure you are court marshaled" Archerson finally said before leaning his head against the big Spartan's arm.
"understood sir, I won't tell if you won't" he said before keeping track of his hud readings. Something was nearby, though nearby was still about 1 kilometer to his right. As he turned his head, he noticed something else entering the atmosphere, with what looked like a bluish tint flailing around it, and a bit small. Unfortunately for him, the tilt of his head caused the angle of the re-entry to alter slightly, and they slowly drifted towards the right towards the object, which was not something Garrett truly wanted. Anything that collided with them upon re-entry would definitely have dire consequences, especially with the ODST clutched in his arms and stopping him from repelling most of whatever the object was, and usually causing spallation.
As they drifted closer, the flames from the back of the drop armor roaring around them, the shields flickering madly, Garrett gained a slightly closer look at what it was that was entering alongside them towards Earth. It seemed to be a human form, female, with long blue hair, but something was wrong, she was missing her right arm and both legs, and she wasn't burning up like organic matter would instantly do upon heading down to Earth.
Garrett re-angled his armor to stop his movement. however, the object was now moving towards the anti grav magnets pulsing on the back of the giant backpack now attached to him, and he realized he may be in deep trouble. He tried to flux the magnets to move the object away, but all it simply did was roll the woman, whom was facing down towards the planet, now towards him, her left arm flailing across her chest like a rag doll.
The woman was almost next to them before his secondary shields recharged and flexed outwards, stopping her from getting any closer. Her hair was white, and the bluish tint seemed to be coming from the atmosphere burning away something fiber optic in her hair, as well as what definitely looked like machinery poking from the holes in her legs and right shoulder.
"what the… a robot?" Archerson asked.
"I don't know sir, but her frame seems fairly capable of surviving the re-entry, unlike us" Garrett responded, before a wing armor piece from her left shoulder broke away and disintegrated.
"I spoke too soon sir" he noted, before Archerson suddenly shot his hand out towards the body, the overlapping shields flickering and shimmering around his arm as the shields suddenly overlapped the body, now pulled close to Garrett as well.
Garrett watched quite annoyed as his first layer of shields slid to 75, still not quite reinforced due to the adaptive neural network inside the armor not learning enough about heat transfer to keep it at 90. Archerson looked up at him through his helmet.
"we may need some info from it's data logs on what is happening, for all we know it might be a droid sent through on a previous experiment" he tried to explain to the blue begoggled soldier he was laying on.
"sir, permission to speak freely" Garrett asked as he looked down at the white face and white hair now covered by his shields.
"permission granted" Archerson said.
Garrett turned to him. "that was the most stupidest thing I've ever seen, you had no idea my shields would have protected you from doing that, try not to fuck me over next time sir before warning me" Garrett said.
"noted. I'll try not to make you wet your suit next time" Archerson responded as they broke through the atmosphere and the armor behind them started to cool. Garrett waited 3 more minutes before his Altimeter told him to pop the boosters for 20 seconds. He gripped both Archerson and the woman's body hard before engaging the controls. The back top of the entry armor blew off attached to 8 cable lines, suddenly aligning Garrett and his two packages feet first, and making Archerson swear as his harness went taut from the Spartan's embrace.
20 seconds past before the booster snapped it's lines and they fell. Garrett counted the seconds before popping a triple wind bracer shield from the pack, Archerson swearing some more as the harness dug into his skin even through his armor. Garrett nearly lost his hold onto the woman's body as the jerk from the bracers hit, and shot his hand out to grab her left hand before reeling her in with Archerson's help. The bracers snapped as well, but slowing their downfall severly before blasting a triple chute from the back.
Garrett slowly maneuvered himself to land with his feet braced, and slammed hard into the ground of an open desert, what looked like Africa when he was coming down, hopefully near New Mombassa and hopefully near communication to any UNSC nearby. Archerson and the woman were set down as Garrett resumed his full seven feet height again, watching Archerson catch his breath as the female droid lay motionless on the ground.
"alright. Now, how do we fix this…" Archerson huffed as he thought for a second as Garrett looked around his surroundings, watching for any patrols he expected to be there, but never showed.
"damn it… this is Captain Archerson of the 115th calling for any support near New Mombassa, can anybody read me?" Archerson started to say into his helm. All he heard was static.
"That's odd… this is a military channel, it should be up at all times… this is Captain Archerson, anybody hear me? Anybody?" he said again, and again no response.
"maybe our coms are malfunctioning" he said before Garrett spoke out.
"this is Spartan 003 on black by red, calling all high command. Retrieval requested, mission unknown. Request response, flash priority over" the black armored man said as he connected to multiple spec ops channels. Still no response.
"orders sir?" Garrett finally asked Archerson as he plucked from his suit pocket a pair of sunglasses before staring at his helmet, the crack far larger now and the hud no longer functioning.
"I suggest we try and find New Mombassa corporal, considering we can't reach anybody and considering our little drop in, I'd say we're lucky we aren't getting a tac strike on our heads in the event we're some spec ops covie group. We'll download what we can from the droid later. If I remember correctly, NM is that way" Archerson said as he started walking in the same direction he pointed towards. Garrett stood there for a moment before looking down at the droid's frail body, before looking up at Archerson now turning around.
"What, you want me to carry her? Funny soldier. Pick her, it, up and follow me" he said before turning back around and continuing to walk. Garrett detached his drop armor as it dematerialized and kneeled down. From the looks of it, the droid was definitely made for being near humans as she had skin, eyes, a mouth, and was fairly beautiful, despite the no right arm or either leg problem. Her hair was as he had seen white now, but the tips were blue, proving his theory that her hair might have been long fiber optic lines, allowing it to maybe change color to suit infiltration needs.
Garrett pushed the thought aside and lifted the body up, which seemed slightly heavier than a normal woman's body, not that he would have noticed through the Caduceus armor. He strapped her to the magnetic paneling on his back and threw her left arm over his shoulder, her head leaning against his shoulder blade before standing back up and following the captain.
3 hours
"I can't understand this, we should have had some glimpse of civilization by now, why haven't we seen a god damned soul ANYHWERE?" Archerson said as he wiped his brow with the back of his gloved hand.
"no idea sir" Garrett said as he looked around, seeing the sun starting to set in the west.
"ideas are what I really need right now son, I wish you hadn't have said that…" Archerson sighed and continued walking on, towards a tree standing in the middle of the empty land. On the other side of the tree was a small pond of water, and beyond that were 20 other trees.
"I think we should set up camp here Spartan, though with what I have no idea" Archerson said as he sat down on a large rock half buried in the ground under the shade of the tree.
Garrett set the droid's body down on the ground, and as he did so, he noticed on her collar a name, KOS-MOS. Archerson leaned over to see what he was looking at.
"huh, KOS-MOS huh? Lemme guess, if it wasn't for this thing going through some sort of portal thing, it would have most likely been someone's sex bot right?" Archerson scoffed and looked around as Garrett carefully raised her chin and pressed at the collar softly before checking around her clothing for any sort of other identification.
"heh, coping a feel before ya dismantle her son? Didn't take you for that" Archerson chuckled.
Garrett looked up at him with his eerie blue goggles, staring at him before the captain looked away and Garrett continued, checking around her hand for any rings or bracelets while also letting his suit determine armor condition and damage of the body through his gloves. Garrett rolled her carefully over, moving his hand under what was left of her skirt, checking for a data cord normally on recon droids sent out from the UNSC, and normally found around the waistline, but nothing was there.
Garrett lowered what was left of the skirt and rolled her to her back, before picking her up and leaning her against the tree they were near.
"hey, I was gonna use that as my pillow tonight" Archerson glared at the armored man.
"I need room to build the camp, she was laying in a tent location" he responded before sorting through his systems power controls and sub space armory lists. His charge was at 60, good enough for prolonged combat, and would be full by tomorrow morning. He blinked once as he sorted the lists and found ground supplies, and initiated the transfer. Two tent packs appeared in mid air before dropping to the ground and sagging, as well as two crates, one of field rations, another of utensils and equipment, as well as condiments.
"what, no tv or kitchen sink?" Archerson raised an eyebrow before laughing.
Garrett started to open his tent pack as Archerson did the same, opening the two crates and before long they had a camp set with a fire pit in the middle.
"hey Corporal, food is almost ready, you gotta take that helmet off sometime to eat" the Captain grinned ear to ear as he served some food on two plates before sitting down. Garrett undid the latch and suction controls to his helmet before lifting it off with a hiss and setting it next to him. His hair was shorn close, marine style, and brown. His eyes were brown, with white skin, really white skin, almost as white as KOS-MOS's. However, unlike the android's body made to be snow white in color, his skin was due to being in his armor for so long. Both began to eat quietly as they watched the fire, the flames flicking out at the edges of the rocky circle and the wood burning fiercely.
"I'll take first watch tonight sir" Garrett suddenly said as he finished and cleaned his dishes before placing them into the crate again.
"hmmm, well, if you want to, however, I have a funny feeling things may not require… a guard. Just a feeling, but they usually are right" Archerson said, narrowing his eyes and looking around before resting them on KOS-MOS behind him, then getting up and placing his own plate into the crate and walking to the pond. He pulled out a long 2 cm pvc pipe with small grooves along the outside of it and a small suction cup at one end, and attached his canteen to it. He then sucked on the other end once before entering it into the water. The small pipe sounded as if it had suddenly turned on, filtering the stagnant water and forcing it into the canteen before the captain pulled it out and closed the cap.
"don't worry about watch tonight Spartan, there won't be a need. Trust me" Archerson said.
"very well sir" Garrett said as Archerson entered his tent.
"good night corporal. See you in the morning, and hopefully, we'll gain some answers and have a recovery transport here by then" the captain said before zipping the tent up.
"good night sir" Garrett said, and as the zipper finished closing, he reattached his helmet over his head and looked towards KOS-MOS one more time. She definitely registered as nonfunctioning on his armor's sensors, but that didn't always mean to let your guard down, something he learned from his training from the auto turrets used on him in practice runs.
Garrett reached out slightly with his hand towards the body, not wanting to touch it, more in a focusing effect, as his goggles changed red, then suddenly green. A data screen opened up as he read through logs, data storage, control OS and power controls before hearing a very faint voice.
Good Night
Garrett backed away suddenly and raised his rifle up to his shoulder instantly and scanned the surroundings. No one was around. He tracked anything he could, but nothing could be seen with his night vision at maximum and IR functioning.
Garrett relaxed slightly and turned back around towards KOS-MOS. He was about to raise his hand again when he knew that he'd been up for more than 48 hours, and while he had stayed up for far longer than that, he knew with the distortion that transported them that it might have affected his senses, and that he should get some sleep to remove any abnormal affect. His cells regenerated ten times faster than a normal human being, meaning almost instant, and therefore he could afford a few hours to recuperate and then try again.
Unfortunately for him, he did not realize he didn't sever the last of 5 links he had with the android.
The Spartan finally dozed off inside his tent, his auto defense sensors awakening him if anything hostile should come within a 1 kilometer radius on the ground, and he entered slumber land. He found himself in a field of flowers, and as he looked around, was suddenly standing 5 feet away from KOS-MOS, with what seemed to be legs and right arm back on her, and not a scratch as well. Her hair was blue again, light shining down brilliantly and making the tips of her hair sparkle.
"hello" she said to him right as he attempted to draw his rifle from his back and aim at her. He was crouching suddenly, and she was slightly surprised at how quickly he moved, taking 2 steps back from her as he surveyed the area. He was definitely a soldier, unlike anyone she had ever seen before or anything in her database. Even her memories of who she used to be couldn't derive any info on a soldier looking like him.
"I am not hostile, you do not need to worry about me harming you" KOS-MOS said softly and nodded with her hands palm up in a gesture of no weapons held.
The armored man looked around carefully as she said that, still aiming at her for a few more seconds before lowering the barrel from her and standing back at full height, which she until now had no idea was seven feet. He towered over her, almost double her height, and his armor seemed to drink in light around him. Two blue fluorescent oculars were under a long black visor on the helmet, and a black armored shock mask encompassed the goggles and covered his face, making it impossible to see anything of who he was besides the armor.
"who are you" he asked bluntly.
"my name is KOS-MOS" she responded.
"who built you, were you used in the teleportation experiment and why am I here. I remember going to sleep, therefore this must be a dream" he asked.
"I shall answer your questions as best I can. However, this may take some time. However, might I know your name?" she asked.
"Spartan" he said.
"Spartan? That is an odd name for a person. I apologize if that sounded rude, though it is still unusual. Is that what you are?" she asked.
"yes" he responded. He clearly wasn't caring for talking or divulging much information, and certainly didn't trust her yet.
"what is your name? please?" she asked.
No response.
"please. Humor me" she asked, trying to smile to make him feel at ease.
"Spartan" he said flatly.
"Spartan. Hmm. Do you have a last name?" she asked him, curious with his short answers.
"003" he told her.
"that is a designation number, not a…" she stopped for a moment. On his shoulder was a designation number, 003, along with an eagle claw grasping two thunderbolts. No other name was written on the outside of his armor.
"I see" she said. He wasn't a normal human being, that much she could discern from his height as well as the armor. It was almost as if he was similar to her, built for a specific combat purpose, but yet she had never seen or heard from any data records from Shion or anyone else in the past about any special projects besides the KOS-MOS project and T-elos, along with Merkabah and Omega Res Novae. This Spartan was definitely new, and with the approach to him being from a dream, she had no way of using her sensors to perform an armor check or internal scan of him.
"I shall do my best to answer your questions then Garrett, however, I must ask some questions of my own. Will you accept?" she asked.
"understood. Now, who built you?" he asked.
"Vector industries, first R&D division, later remodeled by Shion Uzuki and Allen Ridgeley" she said.
"remodeled? Is that what you call not having legs or a right arm?" he cocked his head backwards in a slight bit of surprise, then regained his composure.
"no, they did not do that to me, a large explosion caused by a gnosis was what caused the damage. My reactor was damaged in the process, so I will remain offline until it is repaired" she told him.
"Gnosis? What?" Garrett cocked his head even more.
"it is difficult to explain in the current time frame, you will have to make due with the next time we meet, if we ever do meet again. This connection that allows me to speak to you was because an unknown attachment to your aura was still lingering near my soul, and I reached out to talk. I-" she tried to finish but Garrett cut her off.
"soul? Androids don't have souls" he stated flatly.
"I… do. I cannot explain that, I simply do. You will have to trust in those words. It is small… from what she left me… but I am who I am, and it will grow" she said, slightly sad he stated so matter of factly she wasn't living.
"alright, I'll accept that for the time being, the second question I believe has been answered as well, as I have never heard of nor seen stock options for any business named Vector industries, however this might have been due to an underground marketing construction or it has not gone public. Therefore I-" and Garrett was next to be cut off.
"Vector industries builds 90 of all equipment ships and items for the federation, I doubt that you have not seen any of their items made that you have not used" she said.
"um… no. I have never heard of any business named Vector or anything associating with Vector, and care to explain what the federation is? Is that the new name for the rebel insurgents we've been suppressing?" Garrett asked.
"no, it is not. I believe this has opened more questions that I must ask now" KOS-MOS said, blinking slowly and sitting down on the bed of flowers. Garrett stood there, like a black statue against the sun before she motioned for him to sit. He kneeled, his armor she expected to make any sort of noise besides the slight stretch of Kevlar and undersuit she thought she heard, but the armor he wore seemed quite flexible.
"alright, more questions from both sides. I am hoping we have enough time to finish most of them tonight" Garrett said.
"I hope we do as well" KOS-MOS said. Both were about to speak when Garrett heard something.
"something is happening outside" he said, as the sensors were blaring.
"wait! Please, I must ask, if you find a power supply sufficient to awaken me, please, we would be able to speak agai" and the line cut with Garrett waking up.