Chapter 2: Matthew Svenson
"Subject: Svenson, Matthew, service number 21102-72342-MS. Private First Class, 79th Infantry Battalion. Fireteam Delta. Born January 24th, 2527, on Draco III."
The interrogator sat directly in front of Svenson, but he could barely see the man. The room was dark, and the bright light above him only illuminated the table which his hands rested on. When the interrogator fell silent, Svenson figured that he was supposed to confirm the information.
"Y-yes," he nodded, "that's me."
He didn't know where he was or why he was there, but he knew that the man interrogating him belonged to the Office of Naval Intelligence. It had only been a few weeks since the battle of Alpha Halo, as the UNSC was calling it, had ended. And for those few weeks, Svenson could barely recall anything that had happened. He didn't know whether he was at a facility somewhere or on a ship, he could barely tell if he was even still alive.
"You returned wounded from Alpha Halo with Fireteam Foxtrot after losing Fireteam Delta to the Covenant," the interrogator continued.
The Covenant? There was a lot that Svenson didn't remember and several things he wanted to forget, but he knew that it wasn't the Covenant that had killed his fireteam. It was something much, much worse.
"No, that's not correct," Svenson said. "Fireteam Delta wasn't lost to the Covenant. Something… Something else killed them."
"Something else? Could you explain?"
"I… I don't know what they were," Svenson could feel his heart beginning to beat rapidly. Just thinking about the monsters made him panic. "They… They were some other kind of aliens, they… They tore Delta apart. They… Infected them."
"They were infected?"
"Yeah… They took them over and turned them into monsters."
The interrogator reached into his pocket and presented a datapad. After typing into it for a moment, he set it down on the table and turned it so Svenson could see it clearly. On the screen was an image of a Marine, twisted in unimaginable ways and morphed into something that was nowhere close to looking like a human. The only reason Svenson could tell it had been a Marine was because he had seen his friends turned into creatures like it all over the ring.
"Could this be what you're referring to?" the interrogator asked. He clasped his hands and placed them on the table.
"Yes, that's it," Svenson said. He felt his heart pounding against his chest faster for every second that he looked at it.
The interrogator pulled the datapad away, and slid it back into his pocket. Svenson felt another person behind him, and he felt a pinch in his neck as he was injected with something he presumed would help him calm down. He felt his heart slow down, and he took a deep breath.
"What were those things?" Svenson asked.
"We were hoping you could tell us," the interrogator sat up in his seat. "Intelligence from other survivors of the Alpha Halo incident suggests that they are a parasitic life form called the Flood. Beyond that, we know very little."
"I… Don't know what else I can tell you," Svenson sighed. "All I know is that they turned people into monsters."
"You were present in the facility in which they were released from, were you not?"
"I… I was."
"Tell me, how is it that you were the only member of Fireteam Delta to make it out of there?"
Svenson began to speak, but he stopped himself. What happened in that facility was something that he would never forget. He was on the run after he lost his fireteam, and that was when he encountered the Elite. The Covenant soldier that had lowered its weapon and helped him escape. They risked their lives to help one another escape, and they parted ways without a second thought. It was a story as unbelievable as it sounded, and it wasn't something he planned on telling anyone.
"I… I don't remember," Svenson said, hoping to pass it off as one of the many things he wanted to forget. He knew that the interrogator would be able to tell he was lying, but he did his best not to speak about what happened anyway.
"Would it help you remember if you took these focus drugs?" the interrogator pulled a small container out of his pocket and set it on the table. Svenson had seen the interrogator take them before the session began.
Svenson knew he couldn't refuse them as it would only make him seem suspicious, but if he did take them he wasn't sure if he would be able to stop himself from telling the story. All he did was nod, and he tried to come up with a story on the spot as the interrogator took a pellet from the container and pushed it towards him. He took the pellet and swallowed it quickly, and memories he had pushed away had started to come back.
He saw his fireteam in front of him. He saw Arceneaux shooting O'Hale in her head after she had gotten infected. He watched the Corporal get gunned down by another monster. He watched as the last of his friends got infected in front of him. Lopes, Hanoi, Kamal. Faraday.
"Sergeant O'Hale was infected first," Svenson said. "Corporal Arceneaux killed her before she could become a threat. One of the monsters shot Kormanyos in the head. Arceneaux, Roscoe, and Skenandore were gunned down after we took an elevator further into the facility. Clarke was infected, and he stayed behind to cover us."
So far Svenson had only told the truth. He began coming up with lies so he wouldn't give away the secret of the Elite. He wasn't sure if the lies were any good, but he would have to work with them.
"Lopes and Faraday were infected as we reached another elevator," Svenson continued. "I took it up with Hanoi and Kamal at my side, we were the last ones left. The elevator went up to another of the facility's entrances. When it stopped, there was an infected Elite there that killed Hanoi and Kamal, but I was able to finish it off. After that, I escaped the swamp on my own."
Svenson had sprinkled some truth in there, and he had to force himself not to let out a sigh of relief when the interrogator didn't question that part of the story.
"And that was when you found Fireteam Foxtrot?" the interrogator asked.
"Correct. After I left the swamp I searched for other survivors, and found them."
"I already have the accounts from Corporal Santiago and Lance Corporal Griffith. You raided a Covenant airbase which held two captured D80 Condors, and you left the ring."
Svenson nodded to confirm. After that was when he didn't remember much. All he remembered was being on the floor of the Condor with his legs broken and passing out. When he woke up, he was in a medical facility, presumably in the same place that he was now, where he passed out again. When he woke up next he was in the very chair he was sitting in.
The interrogator pulled out another datapad and typed something into it before putting it away. He clasped his hands and leaned forward, now Svenson could partly see his face in the light on the ceiling. His skin was dark and pebbled, and his face was clean shaven.
"None of this leaves this room, do you understand?" he asked. When Svenson nodded, he continued. "The threat of these Flood creatures is over, and your accounts are being studied in case something like it arises again. But you will not under any circumstances mention them or the battle of Alpha Halo to anyone other than me, or a higher ranking ONI operative. If you do, you will be detained and discharged from the UNSC Marine Corps. Am I clear?"
"Yes," Svenson nodded. He didn't plan on mentioning anything to anyone to begin with. All he wanted to do was leave the nightmare in the past.
"Now, before I continue, do you have any questions?" the interrogator asked.
"Just one," Svenson sat up in his chair. "Where am I?"
"We are aboard the UNSC Tigershark, FFG-327. We are currently in orbit of New Tampa."
New Tampa. That wasn't a location Svenson had ever heard of. He figured that he let his confusion show too much, as the interrogator explained more.
"It's a more recently colonised world, described as a paradise by its residents. And it is where you are going to be placed on mandatory shore leave."
"M-mandatory shore leave?" Svenson tilted his head. Part of him was happy to have a break, but another part of him knew that the war between humanity and the Covenant was still raging on. He didn't want to sit idly by as humanity's worlds were destroyed one by one. "What about the war?"
"You will not be continuing the fight until your mental condition can be fully assessed," the interrogator said. "Besides, I think you've earned a little break."
Svenson nodded. He knew it wasn't something he would be able to refuse. At least the idea of shore leave on a paradise planet sounded a little promising.
"Yes sir," Svenson said with a nod.
"Once you're on the ground, you will report to Sergeant Nagata at Firebase Veles. From there you will be supplied with everything you need, and you're free to explore the city. Keep in mind you will be monitored."
Svenson nodded again. He didn't like the idea of having ONI agents following him around, but he knew he didn't have a choice. Hopefully they would at least not get in the way. He wasn't sure what life in a city would be like, especially after the things he had seen, but he figured he'd get used to it.
"You are dismissed. You may report to the hangar when you are ready," the interrogator said.
Svenson rose from the table, and he left the interrogation room. His legs still hurt with every step he took; they hadn't fully healed yet from his fall, but at least he could still walk. When he left the room he was in a brightly lit hallway with screens on the walls that showed the view of New Tampa. The surface was mostly blue, filled with a giant ocean. There was a large landmass with a collection of lights, which Svenson figured was the city he was going to visit. Aside from that, he couldn't see much else other than a scattering of islands all across the ocean.
"Matthew Svenson?" a voice came from his side. Svenson turned to see a small Marine of indeterminable gender. The nametag on their helmet read their surname, White. They looked too young to even be a Marine, but he didn't plan on questioning it.
"Yeah, that's me," Svenson said.
"I'm Private White," they said, "I'll be your escort. Your possessions are being gathered and brought to the hangar, I was ordered to bring you as well."
"Alright, just be patient," Svenson turned to follow them. "My legs aren't in the best condition yet."
"I understand," said White, "follow me to the hangar."
Svenson followed White as they took him to the hangar. The bland grey hallways of the Tigershark reminded him of the Pillar of Autumn. He hadn't spent long on that ship, but he had still considered it a home for a time. He began to recognise the ship as a Paris-class heavy frigate as he moved through the halls, he had done a lot of studying UNSC starships whenever there was downtime.
He wondered if Corporal Santiago was there, as well as the others from Fireteam Foxtrot. If he was being put on mandatory shore leave, they would be as well. He winced as he remembered watching Private Jericho's shoulder get torn apart by a Covenant needler, and wondered if he even survived to get picked up by the Tigershark. But the interrogator had mentioned Santiago and Griffith, so they could be there on the ship with him.
Eventually they arrived in the hangar. It was lined with docked Pelicans, and groups of Marines from a regiment Svenson didn't recognise were scattered around. He noticed a pile of crates underneath the Pelican that White brought him to, he figured his armour and guns were inside. Why would I need my gear if I'm being placed on shore leave? He knew that there wasn't really anywhere in the galaxy that was still safe, but he didn't know if they were expecting an attack on New Tampa any time soon or not.
A pilot approached him as he and White stopped under the Pelican. He had tanned skin with dark hair and a full beard. He almost reminded him of Kamal. It wouldn't surprise him if he had relatives in the UNSC.
"Mister Svenson?" the pilot said as he approached, his voice was almost a little too cheerful. He held out a hand, and Svenson awkwardly shook it. "My name's Chatham, but you can call me Cas. I'll be your pilot for today. Pleasure meetin' you."
"Likewise, Cas," Svenson said. He already liked the pilot's energy.
"I heard you took a little tumble so, why don't you have a seat inside while my boys take care of your stuff?"
"Sounds good to me."
Cas clasped a hand on Svenson's shoulder, and he went on to help a group of Marines lift the crates into the back of the Pelican. Svenson slowly walked up the ramp and took a seat near the door to the cockpit. When he looked back toward the ramp, he didn't see the inside of the Tigershark. He saw pine trees, tall cliffs, grey metal towers. For a moment he was back on Alpha Halo. When he shook his head, he saw the Tigershark's hangar again.
The group of Marines lifted the crates into the middle of the troop bay and secured them there. They all proceeded to take seats on either side of the troop bay, but none of them sat near Svenson. He wondered if they were just giving him space, or if they knew he came back from Alpha Halo and they didn't want to be near him. Cas sprinted up the ramp and clapped his hands before entering the cockpit. After a moment, the pilot began to speak through an intercom.
"Alright y'all, we'll be descendin' down to New Tampa in no time," Cas said. "Keep in mind, atmospheric reentry can get a little bumpy at times. So y'all make sure to strap in, sit back, and enjoy the ride."
Svenson secured his own restraints, and the other Marines did the same. Minutes passed before the Pelican's ramp closed, and the hangar door opened. Svenson could feel the Pelican shift underneath him as it rose away from the hangar, and left the Tigershark behind.
Several screens in the troop bay activated to show the descent. Svenson watched the planet grow closer, and he felt the ship begin to rumble as it descended into the planet's atmosphere. This was far from the first time he'd been on a ship entering a planet's atmosphere, so he didn't feel much as it happened. If he was a kid again, he would probably be very excited.
"Hang onto your seatbelts kids, we'll be touchin' down in twenty," Cas said through the intercom.
Whatever feelings Svenson had toward the shore leave before, he set them aside as they neared the planet. He was sure this break would be just fine.
