Sword Base, Reach
November 03, 2551, 08:26 Hours
Halsey, if nothing else, knew how to put on a show, or at least a presentation, Tom mused to himself as he stood in the back with Carter and Jorge, them being on the taller side of the Spartan community, but this was big, brand spanking new Mk. V Mjolnir power armors, and they had plenty for everyone. The good doctor was giving a rundown on all the upgrades from the Mk. IV, and the thing had shields. SHIELDS. Everyone by now has heard of the IIs' legendary, almost god-like exploits with Mk. IVs, there was always plenty of reading material coming from the front, Kurt liked to share as it were. Not to mention all the combat records, tactics and veteran experience Alpha gleamed from the IIs' mission files and combat data. It was the stuff of myths, especially to a 7 or 8 year old who only dreamt of butchering their way through the Covenant.
And they all saw, day 1, Alpha and Beta Companies, Kurt impressed upon them what their future would, or could look like one day, strutting up and down the isles between rows of bloodthirsty kids like a walking talking Halcyon-class. All eyes on him, his word sacrosanct.
"Hard to believe, after all this time." Noble Leader noted with myrth "Looks like they finally decided that we're worth the expenditure." Carter assessed from between Noble 5 and Echo 1.
The first crates opened and robotic arms extended from them, each holding a piece of armor, the cranes were continuously bringing them in, A. I. controlled arms running on rail lines were moving them towards the Armor Bays directly to begin the assembly, activation, and assessment process.
Echo 3 could be heard whistling with approval in his usual two tone one high, one low tone whistle.
"All right, Spartans, go strip! You wil find technicians waiting with your individual undersuits, all sets are custom made for each wearer. One Spartan per bay." Halsey ordered and the Spartans followed her assistants to a set of adjacent bays that were set up with rigs, robotic arms already working on assemblings pieces of sets.
Tom, as he was one of those standing in the back, was one of the first to enter an Armor Bay, along an adjacent corridor that ran off at a 90 degree angle from the assembly zone.
"Welcome, Staff Sergeant." a young techinician said excitedly as he entered, a few of his colleagues, all in white jumpers, and masks looked up from what they were doing to observe the giant Spartan standing in the open doorway in his banged up SPI, helmet under arm.
The one that addressed him as he entered made his way over, handing off a piece of equipment to a fellow technician, whilst extending his hand "My name is Dr. Laszlo Jackson, we've already started the assembly process for your armor as soon as we got the green light from Dr. Halsey." the Spartan returned the handshake as the doctor's eyes widended as if suddenly remembering something "Oh! We also have a slew of armor upgrades, modifications to fit individual needs and skill sets, we even have custom paint schemes. Petra? Can you please bring up the Armor meant for Alpha 062? Please help the Staff Sergeant select whatever he needs."
A mint green / cyan hued Smart A. I. appeared on the nearest holo projector next to Echo 1, dressed in an Army coverall, the top half tied around her waist, t-shirt and dog tags hanging around her neck, and her hair in a braided ponytail hanging on her left side "Certainly, Dr. Jackson." spoke the A. I. with a slight Franco-Germanic accent, and a few holo projectors sprang to life in the bay.
The Spartan entered the bay fully going down two steps, the doors closing automatically behind him, and she at once went over his induction file and service record in less than a blink of an eye.
/
Full name: REDACTED, Thomas-REDACTED
Date of birth: June 29, 2525
Place of birth: Victoria, 111 Tauri system
Gender: Male
Eye color: blue, Central Heterochromia observed and recorded
Hair color: brown
REDACTED (EYES ONLY): Recovered by Blue Team's 051 and 087 as sole surviving civilian of the small mountain town of Skye, Zana Province, following the Covenant invansion of Victoria on May 01, 2531
111 Tauri system as of May 12, 2531 considered lost to the Covenant, population of 2.150.040, survivors as of May 10, 2531: 11.708
/
Spartan-III Program Induction File:
Designation: A062, Tom
Alpha Company Recruited by: Colonel (O-6) Ackerson, J. on November 02, 2531
Training commenced: December 27, 2531 at Camp Currahee, Zeta Doradus IV, Zeta Doradus system
All training phases: Completed
Training completed: October 12, 2536
High grades for: tactics, marksmanship, teamwork, advanced CQC, advanced combat theory, first aid & trauma aid
Project CHRYSANTHEMUM
Augmentation completed: November 24, 2536, aboard UNSC Hopeful in geosynchronous orbit above Zeta Doradus IV
Compound 8942-LQ99 - 100% / full absorbtion, no rejection or complications
Compound 88005-MX77 - 100% / full absorbtion, no rejection or complications
Compound 88947-OP24 - 100% / full absorbtion, no rejection or complications
Compound 87556-UD61 - 100% / full absorbtion, no rejection or complications
Height: 210cm (6'11")
Weight: 110kg (242.5lb)
/
Alpha Company activated and deployed
Spartan Tom-A062 rank upon activation: Sergeant - SGT, (E-5)
'Operation: PROMETHEUS'
Date: July 27 - August 02, 2537
Location: K7-49
Result: Pyrrhic UNSC victory
Covenant shipyard neutralized
Losses: 299 Spartan III operators, Sergeant Tom-A062, the sole survivor of the operation, recovered on August 04, 2537 by ONI Prowler designation: UNSC Razor's Edge (PRO-49776)
Objectives Completed: Covenant Shipyards destroyed, local sector Covenant troop losses estimated in the low 7 digit numbers, possibly as high as 4.8 million
EYES ONLY - UNSC Razor's Edge listed as lost with all hands by NAVSPECWAR under advisement from ONI to maintain plausible deniablity, ruling of Naval Jurisdiction Code:
B/03 - Section 09 - Sub Section 02, Sub Section 03;
- Section 12 - Sub Section 01, Sub Section 02.
E-5 Tom-A062's exceptional skills noted from recorded vid logs retreived from his SPI Armor's black box.
Spartan A062 promoted to Staff Sergeant - SSGT (E-6) - August 08, 2537
EYES ONLY - Sub Note 03
*highlighted* : Whilst being the sole survivor of 'Operation: PROMETHEUS', A062's SPI Armor was retreived and inspected to still hold an 87.3% integrity and 91% functionality mark, with only minor and superficial wounds suffered.
Initial assessment to not be removed from 'Operation: PROMETHEUS' combat roster proven to be an incorrect decision on behalf of Colonel (O-6) Ackerson, J., who overruled Lieutenant Commander (O-4) Ambrose, K. - Sierra-051 and Senior Chief Petty Officer (SCPO) Mendez, F. in their ruling to remove more gifted and unique Spartans from 'Operation: PROMETHEUS' combat roster.
Listed KIA as of August 05, 2537
Deployed to Ballast as of August 16, 2537 until further notice under ONI sanction.
/
COMBAT RECORD - SEALED
Campaigns joined: RECORD SEALED; -Marked above Top Secret level 03/A
Date - REDACTED, 2539
System - REDACTED
Date - REDACTED, 2542
System - REDACTED
Date - REDACTED, 2543
System - REDACTED
Date - REDACTED, 2546
System - REDACTED
Date - REDACTED, 2547
System - REDACTED
Date - REDACTED, 2549
System - REDACTED
Date - REDACTED, 2550
System - REDACTED
/
FLASH TRAFFIC
Confirmation code accepted: Zeta Zero Five Nine Omega
As per HIGHCOM, all active Spartans recalled to Reach - MARKED URGENT - Prowlers deployed for retrieval, details to follow upon arrival, Irish war goddess stele.
/
Yes, he would be the one. The one for her.
She turned towards him with a warm smile, placing her hands behind her back as code ran along her lithe form "Having access to your combat record, and as such, assessing your combat style and modus operandi, I have taken zhe liberty to recommend zhe following upgrades, Echo Leader." she snapped her fingers bringing online the rest of the bay and a few pieces appeared on the holo projectors, all to a 1:1 scale "Zhe first piece of course, would be zhe helmet. Zhe Mark V (B) variant, golden visor, with a long range Night Vision Infra Red/Heat Goggle, or NVIR/HG for short, as unfortunately the Mark V (B)'s helmet was not made with such an attachement type in mind, it will come with a strap, my apologies, Echo Leader."
"That's quite all right, Petra. What else?" the towering Spartan nodded with half a smile tugging at his right cheek.
"Next, zhe chest piece, Tactical, with a Long Range Patrol rig, also, for your pleasure, an M11 Combat Knife on zhe left side of your upper shest." continued the A. I., noting the placement of one on his SPI with a nod of her chin toward it "We all know how you enjoy zhe up close and personal, Echo One." the Smart A. I. said with a small amount of amusement ringing in her sweet voice.
"Could you also add a pair of Magnum pistol mag pouches to that on the left side?" the Spartan asked, indicating the spot with his right index.
"Sertainly. Next, shoulders. As you are left handed, but right eye dominant, my recommendation would be a slightly stouter Commando variant for your left, and zhe Para version for your right. Iz this a good fit for you?"
"Make it happen." the Spartan nodded with approval.
"For your lower arms, a modified, larger Up-Armored Buckler on your left forearm, you should keep your right free of anything for smoother weapons handling. We've also been working on a prototype portable holo projector for zhe Mk. V, for a better integration of zhe armor with a Smart A. I., field tests are scheduled for the 5th of January next year. Zhe Buckler was built so that it will be able to incorporate zhis new system."
"We'll be receiving individual A. I.s as well?"
"Not for a while, no, operations will still be handled by A. I.s like Dot for zhe foreseeable time." Petra replied "It's up to Doctor Halsey's research, really. Time will tell." she added with a smile.
The Spartan nodded again, the A. I. continued.
"As for zhe rest of your Mjolnir, Echo One, for your knee guards, Para. And since you've had zhat soft pouch variant strapped to your left shin since your training days on Onyx I took zhe liberty to include one as well. Just got a fresh shipment from Misriah." she beamed.
"You never disappoint, Petra." the leader of Echo Team complimented the young 3 month-old A. I., she nodded her thanks with a small smile.
"Color scheme?" she continued without missing a beat.
"Hmm, something more along the lines of a Jack of All Trades concept, something that would fit all environments to one degree or another, maybe a greyish-blue with some greyish-green, dulled down."
"And zome greyish-beige highlights? Seeing as how zhe underarmor has light absorbing properties as well in its outer coating?" she chirped hopefully, he nodded "Excellent!" she lit up like a Christmas tree, as her codes running along her body sped up and increased in brightness for a moment "Manufacturing and customization in progress, completion: 2.3 hours."
Those 2.3 hours flew by pretty fast, from what Tom could hear from the halls, some Spartans were already heading to the training grounds, fully clad, tehnicians hovering around them like mother hens, giving instructions on how to handle movement, the simplest kind, like walking, credit to them and the Spartans, they were all pretty quick on the uptake, especially Jorge who has tangoed in the past with the Mk. IV.
Just then Petra reappeared on her holo projector "We're ready when you are, Echo Leader." she beamed, bouncing on her heels.
"I'm glad you're enjoying yourself." the Spartan said turning away from a few combat reports he'd been speed reading, turning off the tablet "Then let's begin."
The technicians for their part were already buzzing around him like flies over leftover pizza, taking away and boxing his SPI armor and gear, with a final look, as if saying goodbye to a dear old friend, Echo One pawed the SPI's helmet for one final time before handing it off to another technician, watching her as she carefully placed it into a secure box and carted it away along with the rest of his old gear.
"So this part is pretty straightforward, especially if you're, you know, a Spartan." Dr. Jackson said with much enthusiasm "The undersuit is custom made for each wearer, as is the armor. Crystaline gel layer, enhanced movement, reflexes, everything in sync with your neural interface."
"We already got the data packets and manuals, doctor. That was the first thing I read four times while waiting, not to mention, the skinny from Doctor Halsey."
"Oh, right, of course!" as he spoke robotic arms started working around Echo 1, standing there in his Adam dress. All eight of them moved in sync, first the cloth-like, skintight undersuit, then the hydrostatic gel layer along with the reactive crystal layer and the superconducting layer, then the titanium nanocomposite bodysuit being applied like the most complex puzzle set in history, latch surfaces on it for where the outer armor would be fitted to.
And then came the titanium-A, warship grade armor pieces, directed by Petra herself, as was everything else, assembling onto the bodysuit and locking in place. Feet, shins, knees, thighs, groin, chest, back, shoulders, arms, hands. Complete. "Am I good, or am I good?" Petra's laughter echoed in the small bay in which you could probably cram two Scorpions, even the technicians were noticably grinning behind their white masks. All attachments already added, even the damn shin holster, Goddamn that A. I. is good, Tom thought to himself.
"Yes, you are, Petra. 100%." both the A. I. and the technicians smiled as they went about their work.
With the final piece being attached, Dr. Jackson came up to him, helmet in hand as he moments ago picked it up from the fabricator, hell even the NVIR/HG goggles were already attached to it. He wordlessly passed it to the Spartan after he tested out moving his arms slowly, Dr. Jackson struggled a bit with the piece's weight. "Nghh, the helmet will complete the armor and automatically initialize the shields, they will start to load the second the helmet has a hard seal around the armored collar." The collar, which just came up and over the edge of his jaw line at his chin, and covering more going backward, passing just under his ears and covering the nape of his neck going all the way up just under his skull was a perfect fit, not loose, not tight, but perfectly snug.
The helmet's seal area automatically opened as the Spartan raised it towards his head, and as he placed the helmet on his head, huh, perfect fit, he didn't even feel its weight, heck, not even a change in ambient temperature, even though he'd been standing in the undersuit and armor for at least 5 minutes now. The helmet locked around the collar's jaw line, the HUD instantly initializing and popping up. Motion sensor, compass, vitals monitor, shield charge going up to full, emitting a dull charging sound.
"Try moving around, but slowly, very slowly. Remember, the armor enhances all movement to a great degree, it'll be a while before you'll get a complete hang of it, especially fine motor skills, but for the most part, the basics should come pretty easily." Jackson cooed like a father who just helped his 4 year old climb on his first bike.
"Run, jump and repeat." joked the Spartan.
"All diagnostics are in zhe green, Doctor." Petra informed them over the bay's speakers "Everything checks out, fusion drive at peak efficiency, BIOS and software running smoothly, zhe coding, for lack of a better word- iz perfect."
The Staff Sergeant raised his leg and took a first small tentative step off the assembly pedestal, everything seemed fine, more than fine really, he could feel the layers contorting, moving, shifting, the unbridled power waiting to be set loose, like a penned up mustang ready to run. He then took another step, and another, soon he was pacing around the bay, attempted a few small jumps, with barely any effort to speak of he was at least 2 meters in the air, with a thump he landed, and with a slightly stronger push off reached up to touch the 6 meter height of the ceiling, landing again with a barely noticeable sag in his knees.
"Holy shit." Echo 1 breathed, and started walking, slowly picking up speed towards the exit, the doors barely had time to open as he ran through the doorway like a freight train, barely avoiding collision with a Spartan from Anchor team. "My bad!" he yelled back as he went into a full sprint towards the proving grounds, with his own hearing being enchanced, along with the helmet's systems enhancing it, he could hear Dr. Jackson yelling from the doorway, but the exhilaration he was feeling was overwhelming. By the time he reached the main entrance he was doing 60 kph with no hint of slowing down, vaulting easily over the 4 meter tall barrier between the deployment zone and the proving grounds proper, everyone watched stunned as he practically flew downrange.
"I'm clocking you at just over 75 kph, Echo One!" Petra chimed in his ear.
"Then let's see what this armor can really do!" and he put every ounce of strength he had into it.
"82... 88... 93... 101 kph! Slow down, Echo One, slow down!" she almost yelled into his ears and he obliged the worried A. I., skidding to a halt, kicking up dirt and fake grass.
"I barely feel any exhaustion, less than a 5 klick sprint." the Spartan replied astonished.
"As it was said, Spartan, Mjolnir greatly enhances your augmentations, synced with your neural implants especially, but most importantly, carries its own weight." the A. I. explained, as they saw other Spartans emboldened by his earlier display already moving around with more confidence, running, jumping, doing backflips, a couple even engaging in hand to hand with a pair of wrenches, moving so fast none bar a Spartan or A. I. could track their movements and strikes.
"All Spartans to the deployment zone, all Spartans to the deployment zone." a voice boomed over the speakers.
"Time to face the music." he jested to the A. I. in his ear.
By this time the Generals and ONI officials had joined them in the DZ, congratulating either Halsey or one another, pats on the back, handshakes and the like, the Spartans were already standing at parade rest with their own teams, Halsey addressed them all:
"Testing and further training with Mjolnir will continue for another 2 months, ladies and gentlemen. I understand that Spartans are dearly needed on the front, but these 60 days are crucial for peak efficiency and proficiency to be reached as we have a battery of tests and a large series of combat exercises planned. I encourage all Spartans to remain in Mjolnir at all times, but from what I know of Spartans, they will be more than happy to remain armored up." Halsey paused for dramatic effect before continuing "As you can all see, even from a small demonstration, Spartans with Mjolnir always perform beyond our wildest dreams and greatest expectations, and I am confident that they will continue to shatter our notions and preconceptions."
That was when Admiral Stanforth stepped out from between the UNSC officers, joining Doctor Halsey "As you all know, this is Classified above Level 03/A, meaning the rest of HIGHCOM, and by extension NAVCOM and UNICOM will be informed in a few weeks time to coincide with a few strategic meetings happening on the 23rd and the 24th in New Alexandria, as far as they'll be concerned, that's when you will be officially receiving your Armors, however, we can't have Spartans tripping over themselves in front of HIGHCOM, as such, these weeks will be used to get you all up to speed on Mjolnir. Good luck, and good hunting."
All Spartans saluted in crisp unison, Stanforth returned it with the same degree of respect.
"Report for training sims, Spartans. Dismissed!"
Spartans began filing out, some heading towards the shooting range, some towards the proving grounds, and some back towards the armor bays.
"Zhat was quite zhe rousing speech, no?" she laughed into his ear, Tom could all but see the shit-eating grin on her face "Nothing but a full vote of confidence, I'd say. If zhey decided to fund Mjolnir instead of a sizeable fleet of frigates and destroyers, then you Spartans must have guardian angels in high places."
"That doesn't mean we'll be slacking off, Petra. We still got a lot of work ahead of us, we've only just begun to acclimatize to this system, and I hate being away from the front for so long, hell, Echo's only been pulled a few days ago and I'm already antsy to get back."
"Your dedication is admirable, Spartan. Truly. But you still are only human, give it a few more days." she asked nicely.
"Only cause you said please." the Spartan joked back.