January 1, 2549, 00:17 UTC
ONI Bump in the Night, Undisclosed System
CPT. Mike Ridley, ONI Section Zero Special Projects
The quiet hum of the Point Blank-class prowler muffled the sounds of a small New Year's celebration in the next compartment. Captain Mike Ridley promised himself he'd make an appearance to thank the crew for all their work. His brief but busy stint with ONI had him across the galaxy at the cutting edge of human-held space. His newest assignment had him commanding a contingent of special use troops aboard a prowler in deep space. It was hard to send men and women to their death for the greater good. However, one of the perks of his assignment included the ability to pull strings for specialized assets. Speaking of which…
"Mac?"
A yellow-hued copy of WW2 General Douglas MacArthur popped up on his desk, complete with his corn cob pipe.
"At your command sir"
"Have Commander Ray notify 247 that I need to see him right away. Additionally, pull up everything we got from NAVSPECWARCOM regarding the team they sent to Meridian"
"Right away sir"
A dozen files popped into view as he scrolled through, glazing for any pertinent information. His newest mission was a head-scratcher. A team of ODSTs was sent in to retrieve important pieces of tech and destroy any prototypes before the Covies turned the planet into a parking lot. However, after completing the objective they went dark with the tech. The problem was why Ridley of all people would be tapped for this mission. He was Section Zero, his main job was ensuring ONI was on task and mission. Why he was being asked to mop up a recovery op was beyond him. The door slid open interrupting his focus.
"Sir I was told you wanted to see me"
The Spartan stepped in and moved inhumanly quiet for a man above seven feet tall. Ridley had only seen glimpses of the Spartan's face a handful of times and even now he was not sure what exactly was hidden by the reflective veneer of his helmet. He knew the rumors of the Spartans' true origins, not the propaganda peddled to the masses. In all honesty, he probably had the clearance to request 247's full chit. However, confirming what he already knew would only make it harder to sleep at night. Having a child soldier as his personal triggerman was not exactly something he could bring himself to fully acknowledge.
"Senior Chief, we have worked together for how long now?"
Ridley knew the answer but he liked to see if 247 acknowledged their odd pairing considering the shit hand he was about to give him.
"About 3 years sir"
"So I hope you'll trust my judgment and I will trust yours"
The Spartan cocked his head in a rare display to signal his confusion. Ridley realized it may sound like he was questioning 247's faith in his commander.
"Of course, sir"
"Then I trust you know when I hand you shit it is because you're the only one I trust to clean it up. And the shit I am about to hand you stinks of something out of the ordinary. Mac, brief him"
The AI popped up again, this time about 3 feet tall next to a holographic corkboard strung up with the many different files on the mission. He walked over and observed it for a second before it zoomed in on a photo of a defense plant.
"247, this is the Meridian Heavy Industries Special Projects Plant. 3 weeks ago, advancing Covenant forces threatened to break through Army lines and capture the plant. Amidst the chaos, an ODST team was sent to secure any important information and plans and then torch anything they could not extract. Thing is, they dropped off the face of the planet after they completed their objective. Section Zero wants us to find out what happened to the info and ensure it's either recovered or destroyed"
The Spartan stood in silence before speaking bluntly.
"The catch?"
Mac turned to face the Spartan.
"Meridian's high development and position at the edge of human colonized space meant that its industry has always operated in the gray zone of legality with little oversight. The suspicious disappearance of the squad and the lack of oversight on this operation smell of a cover-up."
Before the AI could continue, Captain Ridley pressed a button. Slowly panels covered the ceiling, walls, and floor. The Spartan knew they were sound and signal-proof. Whatever the captain was about to say was beyond secret. The captain looked down at his desk before he looked up with determination.
"Senior Chief…, it is my suspicion that a black budget project was being developed at this site. Once it was threatened, the facilitator tried to recover it through the big Navy. Its existence got out and somebody is trying to cover it up. Section Zero wants to know who. If you can, recover any survivors and their helmet data then recover the tech. You'll conduct a long-range drop-in while Meridian is in total darkness in 5 hours, Mac will push you any other details you need. Report to the drop bay at 05:00 ships time."
"Sir aye sir"
The Spartan turned for the door as the room slowly unraveled itself.
"Oh, one more thing Senior Chief"
The Spartan looked back over his shoulder. The captain had cracked a wide grin as he stared the Spartan down.
"Happy New Year's kid. Report to the armory. Got you a gift on our last port call."
The Spartan nodded and ran his hand across his visor, the Spartan symbol for a smile. The captain chuckled and nodded him out of the room.
Jordan-B247 strolled through the narrow corridors of the ONI Bump in the Night. He had never been one for ships. The clean white halls were off-putting for how narrow they were. His meetings with Captain Ridley were always interesting. The man was the closest thing to a mentor he had since his instructors at Camp Currahee. Straight to business but always concerned, Jordan wondered why he had been chosen to be his right-hand man. After a chance meeting regarding an asset Jordan was sent after for recovery, Captain Ridley saw something more in him and Jordan was not gonna mess this opportunity up. As he pondered it in his head, he took a left and reached the ship's armory. Inside, the single tired-looking armory technician immediately perked up when he saw the Spartan. Jordan believed his name was Kelly, but was not sure.
"Late night shift?"
"Yes, Senior Chief. I guess I got the unlucky straw, haha"
The technician's nervous chuckle showed his unease around the hulking superhuman. Most of the ships' crew reacted this way. The armor and the presence of constant death ensured that most were uncomfortable around Spartans.
"I was told something was waiting for me"
"Uhhh…"
The technician thought for a moment before his realization clicked and he started searching.
"We do have it. It's in about a dozen really heavy different crates. I can wake the team so we can start getting it together?"
"What is it?"
The technician looked confused.
"Your MJOLNIR armor, Senior Chief"
The technician could not see it but there was genuine surprise under his helmet. The Spartan did not know how he felt but it was good. Only the top-performing Spartan IIIs were given MJOLNIR armor.
"How long would it take for you and I to put it together without the team?"
The Spartan preferred not to deal with a whole bunch of people if possible. The technician looked up and scrunched his face in thought.
"Maybe an hour but I would have to see how fast I get the hang of it. All your undersuit components are in that crate there. In the meantime, I can start working on all the firmware for the hard suit"
The technician pointed to another crate in the corner. The Spartan walked up and examined the crate's labels.
MJOLNIR POWERASSAULTARMOR MIV UNDERSUIT COMPONENT KIT 1/1
Jordan cracked the seals and pulled the lid back to reveal a black ballistic body suit alongside some other components. He closed it quickly and picked it up. Turning to the technician, he spoke.
"I'll be right back"
Jordan did not like taking his helmet around anyone, let alone taking off his entire armor set. It would be the first time he took off his Semi Powered Infiltration armor in about six months and now it would be the last time. He carried the crate through the narrow hallways to his quarter. Being a Spartan afforded him a private 8x6 room with a bunk built into the wall. There were few personal effects besides a small journal with a note from his training bunkmate and a few photos from his time with Beta Company. He stopped and picked it up, opening the cover to find a small piece of paper taped onto the first page.
J,
I assume you heard the news. They wouldn't let me wait to tell you in person. I got the "CAT2". I'm sure you'll get pulled soon, you're too much of a dick to stay in Beta for long, ha. No clue where I am going yet but they told me to pack my shit and go. This is not goodbye though. Just see you later, brother. You promised we would win the New Carthage Series when this is all said and done. Either way, we are getting a beer on the beach. I know we will need a vacation when this is all over. If you ever need a shooter by your side, put the word out. I'll find you.
Your Brother,
Matt
Jordan had heard rumors he was alive and killing Insurrectionists across the galaxy. No news one way or the other was better than bad news. He closed the journal and turned to his mirror. He put his hands on his helmet and then gave it a slight tug and twist. The helmet hissed as the pressure seals broke and he lifted it over his head. His face was that of an 18-year-old boy. His eyes, however, were that of a 40-year war veteran. The hard stare of a man who had seen too much in his short life. He was not sure if he was 18. The time he had spent in cryo from planet to planet may have left him biologically younger than he was. His scar was now well faded, a shadow of a past life left to remind him just in case he had been too far gone. His hair was messy but short. He recently started shaving regularly, preferring to keep a clean face.
He ran some water over his face and started methodically pulling pieces off his armor. In less than 5 minutes he had stripped down to the SPI's undersuit. Slowly, he pulled off the undersuit revealing a body streaked with scars and wounds. A giant scar sat on his left abdomen where a needle had blown a solid chunk of his muscle and intestines out of his body. Otherwise, he was in peak health and condition. Standing at 6'11" and built like a tank, Jordan had survived wounds and hits that would've turned most men to paste. He turned to his crate and cracked it to reveal the MJOLNIR undersuit again. He pulled it out and guessed that it weighed about 100 pounds. He quickly pulled it up and felt it activate as it pulled itself tight against his body.
He stood up and pushed the clutter of SPI components into the crate and shoved it into the corner of the room. He took one last look at himself in the mirror then slid out back into the passageway.
As he walked a couple of the personnel quickly craned their head to try to catch a glimpse of his face. Others kept their heads down, too busy in their worlds to notice the Spartans walking by. However, it was night cycle aboard the ship and it was mostly dead. He came back to the armory where the technician now had a dozen or so cases all plugged into a datapad. A film of sweat was visible as he looked up at the Spartan.
"Had to pull out some of those cases. They're heavy as hell. Firmware is ready, just give me a minute to fix everything."
He did not directly acknowledge the Spartan's helmetless face but Jordan could see him looking out of the corner of his eye. Quickly, from the feet up, they began assembling the outer hard suit. It only took about 30 minutes and a lot of struggle for the technician to lift the chest plates but they finished right around the quoted hour mark. The technician stood back and admired his work briefly before turning and pulling one small crate off a shelf.
"You look ready for war, Senior Chief "
"Good thing there is one"
"Here is your helmet, Captain Ridley ordered you an Operator variant based on some previous reviews on the MJOLNIR helmets"
The helmet's smoked glass visor and new sheen reflected Jordan's face at him. He picked it up and slowly lowered it over his head as the helmet powered on. The technician turned and plugged a cable into the helmet.
"I just need to run a targeting system optimization package and you should be ready to rock and roll."
The software was downloaded quickly and the tech unplugged his cable. Jordan moved his arms. They felt like they moved without weight as if they were moving just when he thought about moving. His first steps were shaky but he caught the hang of it quickly.
"I'll need my rifle, and deep infiltration loadout"
"Aye, Senior Chief"
The tech quickly ran around picking out his personal battle rifle from a line of small arms before setting about with a list of predetermined specialty equipment. The tech laid it all out on the arms bench. It took him a couple of minutes before it was all ready. The tech silently nodded at him before returning to his station to log the whole affair and all the equipment. He slowly began loading his brand-new armor with all his equipment, mentally checking off a list in his head of what he needed. After completing his assembly, he exited the armory and returned to his quarters. He decided that this would be his last opportunity for safe sleep so he set his alarm and laid down.
It was dark.
Incredibly dark.
The screaming and banging were muffled through the door. Jordan covered his ears with his hands. His mother told him to stay there until she came back for him. Everybody was running with these big pieces of metal in their hands as she closed the door shut.
Mom, come back, please. I am scared
Suddenly, three holes were punched through the door just above his head. His ears hurt even though he was pressing as hard as he could.
Mom, please
He pressed himself into the corner. He tried to stop the tears and he remembered how his mom told him to be a big brave boy. A big brave boy did not cry. But he was not that. He was scared and he wanted to go home.
Without warning, the door flew open. In front of him, a figure stood clad in all black pointing a big metal tube in his face. He started sobbing uncontrollably as the figure lowered the tube. Behind the figure, another one lifted their tube and fire came out of the end of it. His ears were ringing and snot was bubbling out of his face.
The figure put its hands up as it let the big tube fall on its sling. Slowly they reached for their helmet. Slowly they lifted it. The woman underneath was pretty, her hair cropped boyishly short as she put her helmet on a clip and raised her hands again. She tried to smile, the kind of smile you give a terrified child.
"It's okay sweetheart, you're safe"
Her voice was loud but soft amid the chaos.
"You can come out"
Jordan did not know whether to trust her or push himself further into the corner. But for some reason he trusted her. He wiped his face and slowly lifted his arms to be picked up. The woman picked him up.
"Hager, what are you doing"
A black-clad figure looked over his shoulder back at the woman.
"I am taking him out of here, we'll fight to the drop zone"
The woman had a look of defiance in her eyes as she shouted back.
The figure shook his head. The woman looked down and smiled at the boy once more.
"I need you to be big and brave for me. It will be scary but just bury your face and you will be safe soon."
Jordan did as she said and buried his head in her shoulder as they moved from room to room. There was more banging and shouting. Big booms would occasionally jolt him but the woman would hold him tight. Jordan wondered where his mom was, or if she sent this woman to get him. After what seemed like an eternity, he heard a loud whirring and as he looked up he saw a giant green steel monster that the army troopers liked to ride around. The woman ran up the ramp alongside the other figures. He peeked over her shoulder and watched as the ground got very far away.
"Hager, what the fuck are you gonna do with that kid. It's not like we can keep him. Parents are gonna make us a news spectacle when they find out you jacked their kid.
The woman held him tight as she responded.
"We'll deal with that when we get to it. He was scared and in a war zone. I was not gonna leave him there"
Jordan wanted to ask about his mom, he wanted to shout for her and start crying again. But he was tired. Very tired. The woman started bobbing him as she held him. He put his head on her shoulder and fell asleep.
January 1, 2549, 04:50 UTC
ONI Bump in the Night, Undisclosed System
SCPO Jordan-B247, ONI Section Zero Special Projects
The shrill alarm snapped Jordan out of his sleep. The Spartan rose out of his bed and grabbed his journal. He placed it in a small compartment in the armor that had not yet been occupied by equipment. He then placed his helmet on his head and stepped into the passageway one last time. He walked through the hallways towards the drop bay with a rifle in hand. The crew stepped out of his way, mesmerized by the hulking mass of steel and muscle that the MJOLNIR look gave him. For all they knew a Spartan II could have come aboard and they were not informed. He stepped into the empty drop bay where two technicians worked on a Long Range Stealth Orbital Insertion Pod. The specialized drop pod would allow Jordan to make a long shot drop from slipspace onto the blockaded moon of Meridian. The technicians stepped back as they noticed his approach.
"Senior Chief, pod is ready to go. Skipper informed us we will be making the jump in 15 minutes, so let's get you ready to go."
Jordan nodded as he placed his weapon in its rack. He sat down in the seat as the technicians buckled him in. Suddenly, Mac popped up in the corner of his HUD.
"Ready, Senior Chief"
"Always Mac"
The technicians shut the door of the pod and checked its seals before exiting the bay. Now it was just Mac and Jordan.
"I will be following up for any technical assistance. However, I understand your fondness for completing things solo so I will stay out of the way unless needed. Am I okay to give Commander Ray your go for the FTL jump?"
Jordan pressed his green response button and Mac disappeared for a moment. The ship's hum changed as power was drawn into the Shaw-Fukushima engine. Suddenly, the ship lurched as it made the transition to slip space. Mac reappeared in his HUD.
"We should be at the launch point in 5 minutes, Senior Chief. Captain Ridley wishes you luck."
Jordan began performing his final checks in the pod. Going once over his equipment, then doing his own check on the pod's systems. Mac popped up again.
"1 minute, Senior Chief."
Jordan closed the screen and then checked his harness points again.
"30 seconds"
Finally, he ran the pressurization diagnostic on his suit to ensure it was not defective.
"10 seconds"
It popped up green and he relaxed as Mac continued counting down.
"5, 4, 3, 2,..."
Jordan pressed his hand against the compartment holding his journal. He wondered what Matt was doing right now. Maybe he'd be waiting for him on Meridian. He smiled at the thought.
"...1"
The pod lurched as it flew free from the prowler and into slip space. It felt like he was thrown on a bucking bull as the pod bounced around. It calmed down as the pod lost velocity and exited slipspace just above Meridian and screamed toward the moon.
"Entering atmosphere in one minute, Senior Chief"
The moon was fast approaching. Entering the atmosphere was just as rough as slip space. He bounced around the capsule as the atmosphere created a layer of superheated plasma around the pod. The drag chute deployed, slowing the pod down to manageable levels as the plasma dissipated. His display reappeared showing him his LZ beneath him. As the ground quickly approached he searched for any sign of life in the darkness below him. In front of him, he could see a single Covenant battle cruiser hovering on a continent far away. Hopefully, it would not move before he was gone.
The altimeter quickly counted down and his rockets deployed slowing the pod just before it hit the ground. With a jolt, the pod came to a stop. Jordan sat in the pod, waiting for movement or just a sign of life. There was none. Grabbing his rifle, he unharnessed himself and popped the door off. It flew a couple of yards as Jordan stepped out and scanned the surrounding rocky hills. Mac popped up in his HUD once more.
"Welcome to Meridian, Senior Chief"