Chapter 6
Author's Note: Sorry I haven't been posting in a while! Here's Chapter 6!
A few weeks later, Zeta sat cross-legged, scanning through all of the different parts of the ship. Nothing wrong. She had already scanned them multiple times, and everything seemed to be in order. However, Zeta was growing bored, running out of things to research.
The A.I. turned to the one pod that was in use, the one that held Axel. Zeta tilted her head, wondering what it was like to be a human. To feel the chill of the cryo-pods, the comfort of sleep, the freedom of being able to go places and do things...and to feel pain. To feel selfish and greedy and brutal and insane...Zeta was confused. She couldn't decide how to feel about the humans. On the plus side, they were absolute geniuses, they could engineer and innovate...they had even created her.
Zeta shook her head, trying to think of other things. Suddenly, the entire ship began to vibrate gently. She flipped through all of the ship's systems, but couldn't find anything wrong. Then the vibrating grew to a rumbling, then a violent shaking. Zeta suddenly found the problem. The ship was directly above the planet it was meant to land on, but it was being fired at by none other than the Covenant. The small cruiser was being fired at by about twelve banshees and two Phantoms, which were circling every edge of the ship.
Zeta quickly struggled to find the reactivation button for Axel's pod. Once she found it, she repeatedly pushed it as if it would make Axel wake up faster. Slowly but surely, the door to the pod opened, and Axel pulled herself out. She gave a stretch, raising both hands in the air.
"Are we here?" she asked calmly, unaware of the danger.
"No,we're under attack!" Zeta yelled frantically. "This little cruiser won't be able to hold up against so many ships!" she continued, beginning to press random buttons in hopes that one might generate a shield or something useful.
Suddenly, the whole ship lurched dramatically, and the front hull was ripped from the rest of the cruiser. Axel jumped back in surprise, astonished as she was faced with a large gaping hole in the ship big enough to see stars and planets.
Zeta threw her holographic hands to the sides of her head.
"Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap...all the systems are down, we're directly above where we need to be but can't get to it, and HALF THE FREAKING SHIP IS MISSING! WHAT DO I DO?!" she cried, frustration and fear in her voice. Axel felt a bit surprised at the A.I.'s sudden outburst. However, she sort of understood...in a way. She felt a bit panicked, too. Axel shook her head to clear her mind, then spotted something metal on a wall close by, a jetpack. I could use this...
Axel snatched the jetpack, threw it on her back, pulled the panicking Zeta and put her in her head, then ran to the newly formed hole.
"Time to go," Axel said. Then, she jumped from the ship, hoping to escape before the Covenant discovered she had abandoned the cruiser. Zeta spoke.
"Heh, uh...quick thinking...so...uh...where are we going now?" she asked nervously, her voice now more embarrassed. Axel turned on the jetpack, and could now see its power displayed on her HUD.
"Well, while you were throwing a tantrum, you said we were right above the planet we need to be at. Therefore, I say we start there. Sound like a plan?" Axel explained with a small chuckle.
"O...ok!" Zeta answered. "Sounds good...hey, uh...how do you exactly plan to land on the planet without getting killed?" she asked. Axel shrugged as they both hurled toward the planet.
"I dunno, I guess we just hope I don't get killed," Axel answered calmly. "Unless you could, I don't know, use some sort of A.I. power thingy to make my landing safer or something?" she continued. Axel may have been a good fighter, and she might have been smart and good with strategy, but she honestly didn't know crap about how A.I.'s worked.
Zeta snapped her holographic fingers.
"Actually, I might just be able to alter your armor lock to increase its strength, that could work! But...the fall would still hurt…" she trailed. Axel looked down at the planet below her, which was quickly getting closer.
"Well, whatever you're gonna do, DO IT NOW!" she cried, the calm in her voice now gone.
"I...I'm already working on it, but it could take a while, this is complicated stuff!" Zeta stuttered. She had retreated back into the chip on Axel's helmet. The planet was getting closer, bigger…
"Zeta...hurry up!" Axel pushed. She could feel searing heat as they entered the atmosphere at extreme speeds.
"I'm trying! I'm trying! the system's jamming!" Zeta answered.
"ZETA!" Axel cried. The Spartan and the A.I. crashed into the planet, sending dust flying in all directions. The dust settled, and all was quiet. There was a huge crater in the the ground, and in the middle lie Axel, lying on her stomach. She didn't move.