Chapter 2

As the Rookie wandered through the ghost city, he had found a destroyed helmet that had belonged to the Office of Naval Intelligence operative, ONI, Captain Dare. He didn't have the opportunity to meet her in person, only via video comm. He had never seen this type of helmet before. It had large, rounded features, with rise along the top of the head with two black triangles pointing out the front of the head on each side of the rise. He had found it in a deserted building, on the highest floor, crushed into a large vid screen. As he took it out, started at it, he noticed a broken window. He looked out onto the streets, and saw a lone ODST pod. He knew that the user would be gone, so he decided were to go next. As he looked at the streets, he saw the weirdest thing.

The all the holographic street signs started to point to a direction. He didn't know where to go, so he had no other choice but to follow the signs. As he left the building, the Rookie noticed a device that was working. It wouldn't have mattered, but the EMP from the slip space rupture had shut down everything. So, he went towards it and savaged what was left on it. It was another video message. He found a safe place and activated it.

As the train stopped abruptly, the people on the train were all confused, except for Ruby, who was trying to get the train moving.

"Vergil, you can't stop the train," she muttered to the train. "There are other people on board."

All that the train kept saying was "Emergency stop! Please remain calm!"

"Cut it out, Vergil!"

A man heard her shout, and asked "What are you doing, crazy lady? Talking to the train?"

Ruby ignored the man, and turned her attention towards Vergil. "I wouldn't even be here if you hadn't kept turning all traffic signals red!"

The repeating message was stopped with a chime, and was replaced with a pre-recorded message. "Detour! Proceed with caution."

"Whoa. Wait," the man said, startled. "Train's talkin' back to you now? What the heck's going on?"

Now noticing the man, Ruby said "Sir, I'm really sorry about this. I was just trying to get out of the city." She then whispered "Vergil, I am going to enlist!"

"Watch your speed! Children at play," Vergil replied.

"I'm nineteen! And besides, the UNSC is taking everyone it can get."

As she said this, Vergil played a recording of a car accident.

"That's exactly what Mom would say!"

The man interrupted and said "You know…train's got a point. A lot of soldiers are dying these days."

"He not a train, he's a city." She then muttered "A bad, bad city!"

Vergil played a recording of a whining puppy.

"That worked when I was a kid, Vergil. Open the doors, now!"

As the train doors opened, and everyone got out, Vergil played "Now departing, Hope station, leaving Hope station."

"Vergil, go to hell," Ruby said.

Just then, everyone heard a loud crackling noise, looked up at the sky, and started to scream. A giant Covenant Cruiser appeared in the sky. The alien race had found Earth!

"Scratch that…hell just came here."

As the Rookie wandered the streets, he felt bad for the people that used to roam these streets. He never thought about the people who lived here, just about the mission. As he was following the direction of the signs, he had found two more video messages, and played the first one.

The crowds panic upon seeing the alien cruiser. As she dodged the people, Ruby started to speak to Vergil on her Chatter.

"Vergil, can you hear me," she shouted. "I'm on my Chatter. But I'm off the train in Old Mombasa and-!"

Vergil played a recording in her Chatter that said "No parking! Violators will be ticketed and towed!"

"I know! I can see it! A giant Covenant ship, just hanging above the city center!" She looked around when she saw a kiosk. "There's a kiosk on the platform! Makupa station! Meet me there, ok?" She was met with a chime, indicating that Vergil would meet her there. As she pushed through the crowd, she shouted "Excuse me! Sorry! Hey! Watch it mister!"

As she reached the kiosk, it said "Please state your destination."

"Vergil, give me eyes on Mom! Quick," Ruby shouted.

"I'm sorry, I don't understand that-"

The normal message was interrupted by an image of a woman with silver eyes like Ruby's, black hair, and wearing a lab coat.

"Ruby, where are you," she asked.

"Train station. Old Mombasa. Mom, there's a ship-!"

"Listen, sweetheart. I wanted to tell you at breakfast, but you left so early," the woman, Dr. Summer Rose, continued, ignoring her daughter pleads. "You know my latest project? The seismic survey for the new construction downtown?"

"Mom! There's a Covenant ship-!"

"Well, Vergil found something under the city. I've never seen anything like it!"

"Mom! Covenant are attacking the city! Do you hear what I'm saying?! You've got to get out of there!"

"Don't worry, I nine levels underground. And I built Vergil's data-center to be very, very secure."

"Fine, then I'll come to you," Ruby stated.

"No! Absolutely not! Stay exactly where you are! I'll have Vergil-!"

Ruby started to make fake static noises while saying "Sorry, Mom! Kursh! There's, uh, something, Kursh, wrong."

"This is a video connection, Ruby. I can see you making those sounds," Summer said, as Ruby frowned.

"Right…well, tough! Vergil, get that train going in reverse!"

"Ruby Rose! I will not allow you to put yourself in danger-!" Before she could finish, she heard a whistling sound. "What's that noise?"

"Uh oh…Incoming," Ruby said, dodging an incoming plasma canon, as it slammed into the station, destroying it, along with the kiosk. Ruby now had an objective, get to her mother before the Covenant does.

So that's the end of this chapter, hope you guys, and gals, liked it. If you want to review, then you could do it. It would be helpful.