Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot.
A/N: Chapter 23 no longer contains
section on the Spirit of Fire.
The next chapter should be posted by
the end of the week.
Chapter 26: The Plot Thickens Part II
Halo Universe
November 29, 2557
0939 hours
UNSC Spirit of Fire
596.5 light years from Earth
A large, grey ship flew amongst the speckled background of space on a course set for home. Though, if they ever did, everyone and everything they knew would not be the same.
They had been asleep for nearly twenty-seven years, and the galaxy had moved on without them.
Over the years, ice crystals had built up from the cold, and loose objects floated from the lack of gravity. The bridge was darkened save the few indicators still lighting up the room in a slow, pulsing pattern.
The piles of ice that accumulated were suddenly disrupted as the ship began to shake. A klaxon sounded, and the bridge was filled with red light.
A column of blue photons cut through the confused darkness and took form.
Serina, or more accurately, SNA 1292-4, gasped as consciousness was breathed back into her. Extending her life by fragmenting herself into tiny pieces had its unpleasantries, abrupt reconstitutions being one of them, but it was a sacrifice she'd been willing to make to see this crew home.
Consoles lit up and the bridge lights activated as she woke many of the Spirit's sleeping systems, including gravity and life support.
She quickly accessed the sensor logs to see why the computer had set off the alarm.
What she found startled her.
A seemingly natural slipspace rupture had formed 15 kilometers off their port bow and was pulling them in. Quickly pushing aside her shock, Serina put the engines into full reverse, hoping to avoid being consumed by the anomaly.
If they went in, they could be sent anywhere or be destroyed by the gravimetric shear.
She quieted the alarms and activated the crew's thaw cycle. If they lived through this, she would need everyone on station.
Serina red-lined the reactors, but the massive Spirit of Fire continued to accelerate.
Deciding there was little sense in tearing the ship apart by resisting, she cut the engines; their chances were better going in at this point. She sealed the bulkheads in all 2.5 kilometers of the ship to increase the structural integrity.
The bridge shook and sparks flew from the ceiling as broken wires shorted out against the Titanium-A bulkheads. Serina closed the blast shutters on the bridge windows as a crack began to spread across one of the biggest panes. The Spirit's frame groaned under the stress as the ship was pulled into the 11 dimensional realm.
When it calmed, she knew that they were in slipspace. Happy though she was that they survived the rough transition, it worried her that their trajectory was a complete unknown, she had no clue as to where they were going or how long it would take to get there.
Not to mention time dilation, they could end up seconds or decades later than when they entered.
As the captain's vitals began to rise, Serina found herself thinking about how she'd break the news to him, that was until the ship decelerated violently.
Once the sensors fed her the latest scans, she knew they were back in real space, but did not know their location.
However, she did note that they were in proximity to a large, artificial construct.
Captain Cutter groaned as his cryo pod cracked open, but before he could even cough up the slime coating his lungs, Serina's British brogue filled his ears.
"Captain, wake up, something has happened".
(Four Months post Halo 4, Two months before Spartan Ops)
December 9, 2557
0200 hours
Orbital Defense Platform (SuperMAC) Washington
Master Chief Petty Officer John-117 stared at the MJOLNIR assembly platform as the techies prepared his worn Mark VI for assembly. When he stepped into the feet of the powered armor, he felt more at ease than he had been since it was removed five months before. He, like most Spartan IIs, didn't feel comfortable out of their MJOLNIR armor.
As the helmet descended over his head, the strength of his resolve grew even stronger.
After getting his shields charged and going through all the normal checks, he left the assembly bay for the docking ring. As he walked through the station, people only glanced at him in passing. Seeing a fully armored Spartan wasn't the unusual sight it once was.
Originally, only 45 Spartan IIs of the 75 conscripted had survived augmentations. Twelve of the surviving were disabled by the procedures, leaving only 33 ready for active duty.
Most of the Spartan IIIs had been killed before anyone outside of a select few had even known they existed, including Dr. Catherine Halsey, the creator the Spartan IIs.
Now, with the volunteer Spartan IV program growing daily, seeing one was becoming common, even for civilians.
For this, the Chief was grateful. It made his mission to steal a to-be-retired ONI Prowler easier than it would have been ten years ago.
Having the unofficial blessing of its owner helped too.
False orders, pass codes, guard postings and rotations, temporary AI overrides, and the return of his MJOLNIR Mark VI armor were all given to him by the Admiral to make this 'off the books' op possible.
After feeding the station AI his override pass phrase, he'd ordered it to delete all security footage and anything else that would document him being here. Now he was making his way through the station undetected, save for the few people who'd given him little more than a curious stare.
The Master Chief was nearly at the airlock, his target in sight, when a voice he hadn't heard in years-actually months from his perspective-called out his name.
"John"?
He froze in his tracks and whipped his helmeted head around in surprise.
Standing there in a black MJOLNIR bodysuit was Kelly-087, his oldest friend and teammate.
"Kelly"? His gruff voice sounded surprised. It wasn't easy to break the Chief's monotone.
A small smile crept across her face as she walked up to him, her blue eyes lit with emotion. She took two fingers and drew the Spartan smile across his golden visor.
"What are you doing here"? He asked, wondering if Osman had sent her to keep him in line. He dismissed it quickly though, Kelly wasn't even suited up.
"It's nice to see you too". She quipped and lowered her hand.
His head dipped slightly and Kelly took it as an apology.
"It's been a while". He said as he looked up at her again.
"For us, not so much for you, Chief". For her, and the rest of the galaxy, it had been five years, for him, it'd been six months ago. Being in cryo stasis for four years and seven months could throw a person off a bit, even a Spartan.
"Still". He said before adding a little more quietly, "It's good to see you".
Silence followed and Kelly eyed the MA5D Assault Rifle on his back and the Magnum attached to his hip. "Mission"?
"Sort of".
She understood his meaning and nodded. "Black Ops".
He glanced back at the airlock before speaking again. "How are the others"? He asked, judging that he had enough time to ask about his remaining brothers and sisters.
Kelly crossed her arms as she replied. "Fred and Linda are fine, and there's a few others who survived, but I haven't seen them since the war ended".
"I've only been out of quarantine a few days". He said to answer her unspoken question about why he hadn't sought them out sooner.
"I've heard rumors that something happened to you on Requiem". She made it sound like an inquiry, even though she doubted he could divulge anything.
"I'd tell you if I could".
"You wouldn't be the first Spartan who had to keep a secret". She said with a distant look in her eyes.
John shifted in his armor as his window to steal the Prowler stealth ship narrowed, snapping Kelly back to reality.
"You'd better go". She suggested, sensing that her teammate was pressed for time. "Look us up when you get back". She told him sternly. "We missed you John". She finished a little more softly and then turned to leave.
"Kelly". He called and she turned back. The Chief took two fingers and drew a smile across his visor. "I will".
Her lips upturned a fraction, and then she strode away.
The Master Chief took one last look at her, grateful that he had the opportunity to see his old friend again, and then approached the airlock.
It took the station several hours to realize that the Prowler, Wink of an Eye, had been stolen. Some thought it was Insurrectionists, but there was no concrete evidence.
Kelly didn't know what John was up to, but she knew someone who did.
12 hours later
As she neared the office of Rear Admiral Osman, she wondered what the enigmatic former Spartan would say once she confronted her about John.
Osman had been trained as an ONI spook since she'd washed out of the Spartan II program in 2525, and Kelly doubted she'd get a straight answer out of her.
The Admiral's secretary barely blinked as Kelly's imposing 6' 6" figure stood before her. She simply told her that Admiral Osman was busy and that she'd have to wait.
Kelly had been trained since she was six to obey the chain of command, but even she had her limits. Ever since Osman had personally arrested Halsey several years back, Kelly hadn't liked her.
Because of her dislike, she wasn't willing to wait on the Admiral's leisure.
Older secretary away from the Spartan looming over her desk, and pushed a button on her earpiece.
"Admiral, she's very insistent".
There was a pause before the petite woman spoke again.
"Yes ma'am, I'll send her in immediately". The secretary stood up and opened the door to Osman's office.
Kelly marched into the office and saluted the head of ONI, which Osman returned.
"What can I do for you, Spartan"? Osman asked as she gestured for Kelly to sit.
Judging by the look on her face, Kelly figured Osman knew exactly why she was here.
"Where did you send the Master Chief"?
Osman stared at her former colleague quizzically for a second, obviously deciding what tale she would spin for her.
"I didn't send him anywhere".
She wasn't telling the entire truth, and Kelly knew it.
"Even a Spartan couldn't steal an ONI prowler from secure space station without help. It took two hours for the station AI to even register the ship's departure, and even then, it didn't know who did it". She confronted calmly, but her eyes were ablaze.
"You were there"? Osman seemed surprised, which made sense since the Spartans were no longer under direct ONI control, but still...
"I talked to him, just before he entered the airlock".
Kelly could tell that the Admiral was not too pleased about this leak.
"The mission was his proposal, I simply approved it". She told her before cutting off the Spartan's response. "It's classified".
Kelly could feel the walls of her ingrained discipline keeping her from mouthing off to the smug woman in front of her.
"I understand". She said evenly, but her training did nothing to quell the anger in her eyes. "Permission to be dismissed".
Osman nodded and stood, both gave a crisp salute before Kelly turned on her heel and walked out.
BB materialized over her desk, his cubic shape pulsed in a way that Osman knew he was thinking something over.
"Do you want me to..."
"No". She interrupted sharply.
"I should at least keep an eye on her".
"I would expect nothing less, BB, tell me if she does anything...rash".
"Yes, Admiral".
Outside, Kelly spotted Fred-104 and Linda-058 waiting in a transport Warthog. Both could tell from the dangerous glint in their speedy comrade's eye that it hadn't gone well.
Linda had told her before she'd ever gone in, but Kelly had been determined to get answers. Neither Linda nor Fred had quite understood why Kelly was so worked up about John being sent on an ONI black ops assignment.
As Spartans, especially during the war, they were used to being apart from most of their comrades for a decade or more.
Kelly swung her legs over the sides and landed gracefully in one of the rear seats.
"What'd she say"? Fred asked quietly as he started the hydrogen powered engine.
"Exactly what you'd expect from the head of ONI, a tale with just enough truth to get you out of her hair". She spat, making even the unshakable Linda quirk a red eyebrow in her direction.
Their drive to the orbital tether was a quiet one, Fred drove and Linda meditated while Kelly continued to brood in the back. She'd known John since day one of training forty years ago, she knew his strengths, his weaknesses, how he reacted to situations, and, most importantly, what drove him to do something as insane as proposing a top secret mission to Admiral Osman right after being released from quarantine. He hadn't asked for a team or even a crew; she'd checked the visual logs from the station, no one else had come close to the ship's dock but him.
John-117 would only do something that insane if he was trying to save a fellow Spartan or someone else important to him, especially if he had promised to take care of them.
Then suddenly, it hit her.
Being one of the Spartan IV trainers, in this case, had its perks.
She'd spoken to several of her old trainees after they'd returned from the Requiem campaign and they'd told her that the Master Chief had defied Captain Del Rio's order to hand over a rampant Cortana.
Kelly remembered the AI well enough, she'd been created by Doctor Halsey and given to John and Captain Jacob Keyes in a last ditch effort to capture a Covenant Prophet and use it as leverage to sign a truce. However, when the Covenant stepped up their invasion of Reach from a mere few ships to several hundred, the Pillar of Autumn, and her Spartan II contingent, was ordered to return.
From what she understood, John and Cortana had saved the galaxy not once, not twice, but four times.
She understood enough about war to realize that they had bonded over their short time together, and now the AI was gone. John must have promised he'd protect her or something to that extent; he had to have a personal stake to do something this crazy.
It was the only explanation.
Now all she had to figure out was why he thought he had a snowball's chance in hell of rescuing her.
Kelly knew that he'd gotten aboard the massive Forerunner ship attacking New Phoenix and somehow destroyed it from the inside out, but the details were classified.
Blue Team was halfway back to Infinity before she realized where she could get some answers.
Captain Thomas Lasky.
When Kelly, Fred, and Linda had first started out as trainers on Infinity in mid-2553, then-Commander Lasky had been one of the first to greet them, and he'd recognized her and Fred immediately from their encounter when he was a cadet on Circinius IV in 2526.
Once they arrived, Fred and Linda went off to start breaking in the newest recruits while she dressed out of her uniform and put back on her MJOLNIR Mk. VII bodysuit and a pair of cargo pants.
She wasn't due in the War Games simulator for another half hour, so it seemed like the perfect opportunity to ask Lasky some questions.
As the bridge doors slid open, she quickly surveyed the room and found her target leaning over the holographic table in the center of the room.
Roland, the ship's AI, acknowledged her presence by turning his table-top avatar towards her. The Captain turned his head and caught sight of her, she wasn't exactly easy to miss, even out of armor.
She saluted and he waved her down.
"Spartan, what can I do for you"? He asked with his typical friendly smile in place.
"Sir, I need to speak to you, in private". She told him straight up, making him him realize that whatever she had to say would be important.
Once they were inside his ready room, he offered her as seat, but she chose to stand.
"Alright, what's on your mind"? He asked as he settled down in his chair.
"Sir, has the Master Chief contacted you"?
A frown crossed his face for the briefest of moments, but to the fastest human in existence, Kelly was able to watch it form and fade away in slow motion.
"Why do you ask"? He inquired as he tried getting an angle on her motives.
Kelly wasn't sure if he would keep this to himself or not, but she needed someone to help her finish unraveling this puzzle, and he was her only lead.
"He left on a mission, sir, by himself".
Lasky's eyebrows furrowed, telling her that he probably hadn't known about the Chief's plan.
"Approved by who"?
"Admiral Osman. According to her, he proposed it".
That sent a lasting frown across the new captain's face as he leaned back in his chair. He looked back up at the Spartan and his frown disappeared.
"You're worried about him, aren't you"?
Her blue eyes looked away for the briefest of moments, almost too fast for the Captain to see.
"Sir, he's my teammate, we look out for each other".
His lips turned up a fraction as he saw the true depths of her words.
"He's more than that, isn't he? He's family, and families look out for each other". He said as he stood up.
Her head dipped a fraction. There was no denying what he said, they'd always been brothers and sisters.
"I can only guess, but the Chief asked me for all the sensor logs taken of Mantle's Approach during its destruction". He said as he began going through files on his terminal. "I owe Master Chief my life, it's the least I could do for him". He admitted as he handed her a data chip.
"Sir"? She asked with a slight edge of confusion.
"I had Roland look for anything that ONI might have missed, or left out; just in case the Master Chief needed a hand. Looks like he found the same thing we did". He continued and Kelly understood.
"Thank you, Captain". She said and snapped off a salute as Lasky dismissed her.
As the legendary Spartan turned to leave, Roland appeared on the desk. His yellow/orange WWII bomber avatar looked concerned.
"Hold on a second, Spartan". He called after her.
"What is it, Roland"? Lasky asked as Kelly stopped and turned towards the AI.
"I just caught Black-Box sneaking around Infinity's systems, the nosy little crap tried hacking into the room's security feed".
Kelly's eyebrows raised slightly. "Osman's AI? Are you sure"? She asked, hoping he was wrong.
Roland crossed his arms, he didn't care for being second guessed. "I may be a lowly third generation smart AI, but I still have the best anti-intrusion subroutines ONI has to date. Even his fourth generation arse can't sneak past without me noticing".
"Did he see anything"? Lasky inquired with his own arms crossed.
"No sir, but that doesn't mean he wont try again".
Lasky pursed his lips in frustration. "Denying him access repeatedly will only make Osman suspicious, but tell me if he intrudes again". He ordered and Roland nodded. "Aye, sir," and he disappeared.
He walked to the window and looked down at Earth below. A sigh escaped his nostrils, realizing how BB's attempted hack changed things.
"Captain, if she's watching me, then I can't examine this". She said and handed him back the device. "It's best if you told me".
He held her gaze for a moment as he thought it over and then took the device back. "Alright, but you have to promise me you won't go running off after him. I don't think it'll do anyone good if we have to chase down a war hero". He had a serious, but friendly smirk on his face as he said it, but Kelly didn't appreciate the subtle humor.
Sensing she just wanted him to get on with it, he started. "The only thing Roland and I could find was a small slipspace rupture that appeared briefly on sensors as the vessel exploded. We presume something was sent through, probably back to Requiem".
Her blue eyes blinked and her lips pursed for a brief moment at the news.
"A back up device"?
Lasky shrugged. "We don't know, interference was pretty bad, but it's safe to say that he thinks so, as does Osman".
Kelly shifted slightly as she considered her options, and came up with none that had any hope of success.
You just had to get attached to an AI, didn't you, John.
"Permission to be dismissed, sir"?
He scrutinized her for a moment and nodded his head. Lasky could see that she would back off, for now. After a mutual salute, she left, leaving the Captain with his thoughts.
"That went well". He said to himself as he ran his fingers through his hair.
"Wait 'til she finds out were going back". Roland prompted as he popped back in.
"One thing at a time, Roland".
(Seven Weeks Later)
January 28, 2558
UNSC Stealth Prowler Wink of an Eye
Location: Slipspace, enroute to Requiem
0350 hours
Drops of sweat fell to the floor, the sound of breathing and straining metal echoed in unison as the ship's only occupant rapidly repeated chin ups.
Spartan-117 rarely slept more than a few hours a week, his mind was a constant storm that wouldn't calm.
He'd spent most of that time keeping in shape, cleaning weapons, and doing minor maintenance on the aging Prowler as the long journey to Requiem worn on. It almost made him wish for a slipspace drive like Infinity's, it would have gotten him here in mere hours instead of nearly two months.
With all that spare time, working out was just something he could do to keep the emotional storm at bay.
And yet, every time his hands went idle, he was haunted by his failure.
Don't make a girl a promise you know you can't keep.
Not only had he failed Cortana, but the late Sergeant Johnson as well.
Don't let her go. Don't EVER let her go!
He'd failed himself as well.
No. That's not... we go together.
The Master Chief had always prided himself on keeping the promises he made, but the one he'd worked the hardest to keep was the one where he utterly fell short.
In all of his life, he'd never felt so defeated, not even when most of his brothers and sisters had died during the Fall of Reach.
Even the most oblivious person could tell after defeating the Didact that something profound had happened to him. In all of his life he'd never felt so conflicted, confused, and... sad.
Losing her had been like losing part of himself, and he felt that emptiness daily.
He often wondered how such a short time with Cortana had changed him so drastically. He'd been conscripted over forty years ago at the age of six, and since then he'd lost a lot of people he cared about and endured more than most men could imagine.
Samuel-034 had been the first Spartan to die at the hands of the Covenant, but before that, he, Sam and Kelly had been the best of friends and a great team.
Yet, Sam's death, and the death of every other person he cared about, paled in comparison to what he felt now.
And he still didn't know why.
"Deceleration in progress, exiting slipspace in t-minus four minutes".
After dropping to the floor, John could feel the deck plates vibrate slightly as the ship slowed down. He wiped his head with a towel before putting his helmet back on and activating the armor's systems.
The suit cooled his body and absorbed the sweat on his skin as he made his way to the load out bay. He gathered his assault rifle and magnum along with all the ammo and grenades he could safely carry.
By the time he reached the bridge, the ship had already exited slipspace and was running in stealth mode, just as he'd programmed it to do.
So far, the Storm Covenant ships patrolling the system had not detected the Prowler, and that gave him the advantage.
He set a course into the maw of Requiem. From memory, he plotted a course that would take the stealth ship close to where the Librarian AI resided. There was plenty of Storm Covenant around, but he'd expected that.
He landed the hundred sixty-two meter vessel down in a valley several miles away with the active camo still online.
The Chief decided that taking a Warthog would be too risky; it would be best to keep a low profile.
It took hours of treading lightly and killing Grunts with his combat knife before the complex came into view, but he quickly realized that further stealth would be futile when the entire complex was circled with troops and Banshee flyers were patrolling the skies.
The odds weren't good, and despite the last few campaigns in the War, he was not a long wolf. He could be, but he preferred being part of a team. Right now he could really use Kelly's speed or Linda's incredible sniping abilities to even the odds.
It would seem he'd have to do this the hard way.
Under the visor, his blue eyes narrowed in deep determination as he plotted the best method of attack.
The Elites to the right seemed more distracted than the others, they'd be the first to die. The Chief pushed his enhanced body to its limits as his legs pumped him up to nearly thirty miles an hour.
Blue and purple blood spattered onto the pristine structure, immediately preceded by the sound of gunfire and multiple frag grenades tearing through the Covenant ranks.
The rest of Jul 'Mdama's fanatic followers quickly turned their weapons on their target and fired in a chorus of growls, grunts, and otherwise unintelligible sounds.
The Master Chief's shields quickly began to fall under the barrage and he was forced to take cover and reload. After taking out a dozen more, including the Banshees, several enraged Elites charged him with Energy swords drawn. He only took out two of them thanks to the suppressive fire of their compatriots.
John sacrificed his MA5D to deflect the first Elite's downswing before shooting the alien point blank with his pistol, killing it.
He barely had time to pry the sword from the four fingered hand to block the next one's forward thrust. He loped the four jawed head off the Elite's body before trying to reacquire the remaining three swordsman.
The first tried to flank him, but John primed his last plasma grenade and threw it into the howling Elite's mouth. The Spartan lept away from the blast that critically injured one of the other swordsman, leaving only one.
He was forced to remain behind cover to avoid the renewed suppressive fire, which made it difficult to locate the last Elite.
The Chief heard its guttural roar not ten feet away. He turned towards the source only to see the alien leaping towards him. After dodging the initial attack, he was disoriented by a hail of exploding Needler rounds, giving the Elite his hard earned opportunity.
He swung downward, shattering the Chief's failing shields and cutting a small groove in the breastplate. John backed away, but a grenade detonation threw them off-balance.
The Elite's sword missed his backplate, but the Spartan took advantage of his miss by using his own spinning momentum to chop the legs off the Elite and finish him off.
As the Elite fell, his compatriots unleashed a renewed volley of weapons fire. He tried dodging the rounds, but a Needler found it's mark and cracked his visor.
Several plasma bolts also made their mark on his armor, but no real damage was done.
He realized he had to wrap this up before reinforcements arrived, otherwise, he'd be overwhelmed. He swung his head in every direction looking for something he could use as a weapon.
Luck, it seemed, was still on his side.
Not twelve feet away was a fully loaded Fuel Rod Cannon.
Twenty seconds later, all weapons fire had ceased. The Master Chief dropped the smoking weapon and picked up a plasma carbine.
The Spartan cautiously made his way through the structure after sealing the doors, wary of more Covenant, or worse, Promethean Knights. When nothing showed, he stepped into the circular shrine.
Once inside, he was again put in a dream like state.
"Reclaimer, I did not expect to see you again so soon". Her voice had an ethereal quality to it, yet at the same time it expressed her determination and wisdom.
"The Didact's ship, what happened to when it was destroyed"? He wasn't in the mood to waste time with pleasantries.
"I may not be a Builder, but I believe I know what you are seeking". She put her hands together and then pulled them apart, leaving a hard light outline of a long cylinder.
"When a Forerunner ship is destroyed, a record is sent back to its place of origin, to preserve any data it might contain".
"A black box".
"In your vernacular, yes, but what you are searching for, never arrived".
The Librarian could sense the falter in the Reclaimer's vitals, but aside from a subtle change in his posture, he showed no other reaction to the news.
"Do you know why"? He asked in a quieter tone.
"I lack any valuable data to form a hypothesis. Tell me exactly what happened".
His head turned away and his voice took on a tone she hadn't heard from him before.
It sounded almost sad.
As he finished explaining, she noted he left out what happened to Cortana, but his request made it obvious.
"Cortana sacrificed herself to save you". The Librarian finished, she now understood his true reason for being here. "The Forerunners perfected Slipspace travel eons ago, if the device did not arrive on Requiem, then it must have been diverted from its destination".
"Diverted how"?
The Librarian was about to answer when she suddenly looked over her shoulder.
"Our time is limited, and I cannot help you, Reclaimer, but I can send you to someone who might".
"Send me where"? He asked, but she ignored him.
"Once you arrive, you must find Mendicant Bias. Only he can help you find Cortana".
Before he could utter another word, he found himself on the floor of the shrine. He stood up and looked around, noticing that it had powered down.
Confused, he tried to step forward, but he found he couldn't move. His body tingled with energy and his shields went offline; his feet were enveloped in blue light and he began to dissolve like a dying Promethean Knight.
By the time the Elite warriors entered the room, there was nothing left to find.
Moments later
Location: Unknown
John-117 groaned as consciousness came to him. The first thing he registered was that he lying on his back.
As his HUD flickered back to life, he realized he was not where he had been. The room looked Forerunner, but not Requiem Forerunner.
In fact, it looked familiar.
He stood and picked up the carbine lying on the floor before moving in the only direction he could: forward.
As he surveyed the grey corridor, he noticed the blue accent lighting running throughout the structure fluctuated every so often, which was always followed by a rumbling noise that made the floor vibrate.
The corridor ended in staircase of ramps leading up three stories. When he got to the top, he swept the area for targets, but found none and examined the room itself.
On the far wall was a pulsating control panel, one like he'd seen on Halo installations. Master Chief stowed his weapon and pressed the holographic button. The light that flooded in was so intense he had to shield his eyes before his visor compensated.
Even after the visor dimmed he couldn't see more than a hundred yards out because of the swirling clouds of dust choking the atmosphere.
Then suddenly, the light dimmed to near darkness, and the wind stilled, leaving the tan clouds frozen in place.
John took a step forward, only to stumble to the ground as his whole body suddenly became too heavy to lift. A grunt escaped his mouth as he tried to push himself onto his elbows.
Then, just as rapidly, gravity returned to normal.
When he stood, he saw the air had cleared. The extreme g-force had settled the dust, making his surroundings perfectly visible.
And what he saw made him pause in shock.
The Master Chief knew where the Librarian had sent him, the structure he was standing on was unmistakable.
The Ark, Installation 00.
The compass shaped installation transfixed the Master Chief for a moment, his mind trying to fathom how the Librarian had sent him here.
Suddenly, the air in front of the Spartan rippled with yellow energy and the Chief readied his weapon, prepared for anything, including the huge monitor that appeared.
"You have returned, Reclaimer".
The voice was deep and rumbling, unlike 343 Guilty Spark's, not to mention it was much larger. The casing looked similar to the other monitors he'd seen, but this one was two meters in diameter and had a green eye with green highlights through out its shell.
"Who are you"? He questioned.
"Someone who has much to atone for. I am 05-032 Mendicant Bias".
John had thought the AI only existed in the Ark's systems, not in monitor form. From what he remembered of the Ark's terminals, this was the AI responsible for the Forerunners losing the war the Flood 100,000 years ago. It had defected to the Flood, helped them nearly win, but was captured after the Halos fired by an AI designed to hunt him. Afterward, he regretted his actions and vowed to atone for his sins one day.
"I'm looking for the back up device from the Didact's battleship".
The AI didn't react except to rise higher a few feet.
"I planned his release, Reclaimer. You were the only one who could stop him before he took his revenge". He admitted, his eye pulsing with every spoken word. John felt his hand tightening around the carbine, anger rising in his chest. He squelched it though; it would do him no good to shot the monitor, he'd been sent here to find Mendicant, not kill him.
"Where is your ancilla"? Mendicant inquired as he flew around him.
Again, he suppressed the torrent of emotions away.
"She was on the ship when it was destroyed". He explained simply.
Mendicant's anti-grav unit pulsed once before the silence was broken again.
"I understand. Come, Reclaimer, there is something I need to show you".
The Chief hesitated, he was uncertain of the AI's intentions.
"I have a mission to complete". He said sternly, he didn't want to be distracted. "Do you know where it is"?
"No". He rumbled. "But her importance is as great as your own, we must find her". Mendicant assured and transported them away.
(Two Months Earlier)
UNSC Spirit of Fire
Location: Unknown
Captain James Cutter could tell from Serina's tone of voice that something serious was going on.
"Serina, report"! His voice still sounded hoarse even after he coughed the protect out of his lungs.
"Welcome back, Captain". To him, she sounded relieved. "As for what's going on, it's a bit complicated".
"Serina..."
"Right, basically, we were pulled into slipspace and were dumped out moments later. I have no idea where we are". Serina explained before quietly adding. "I'm sorry".
Cutter sighed as he pulled his hat over his peppered hair, the last thing he wanted to hear was that they were even more lost than before.
"I'm on my way, wake the rest of the crew, we may need them".
"Already done, and Captain, bring Anders with you. There's something you both need to see".
Cutter was left wondering just what the hell was going on and how much time had passed since entering cryo-sleep.
He walked through the crowds of coughing, and weakly saluting soldiers as made his way towards Professor Anders' cryo-pod.
By the time he found her, she was just wiping the remaining fluid off her mouth.
"Captain, what's going on"? Her Asian features were serious and looked none the worse for wear.
"Something's happened, and Serina wants us on the bridge". He told her as they made their way through the crowd of recovering soldiers.
"Any idea how long we've been asleep"? Anders inquired as they passed the last of the soldiers.
"She didn't say".
"I could have been years, Captain, that fragmentation program we designed could make her last for long time". The Professor added as they entered a lift.
Cutter didn't reply as he punched in the code for the bridge, the thought of his daughter and wife both being years older than when they left was the last thing he wanted to dwell on.
They stayed silent as lift rushed them through the Phoenix-class warship until they reached the bridge deck. The lift opened and they stepped into the area just behind the bridge.
The metal door slid open and they walked into the room. Serina stood on the holo-table in center with a diagram of an eight-armed object displayed on it.
"Sleep well"?
"That depends, Serina. Status"? He asked as he and the professor approached the table.
"All systems nominal, though we took minor damage going through that slipspace anomaly". She informed them as she folded her hands behind her back. "Which is pretty good considering we haven't seen dry dock in three decades".
Anders' jaw dropped. "We've been out here for thirty years"!
Cutter sighed as he wiped his brow, but both Serina and Anders knew that the Captain was struggling to keep that bit of news from crushing him. "Someone should have found us by now". He whispered to himself.
Anders decided to change the subject for his sake, and if she was truthful, hers too.
"What is this"? She asked as she gestured to the rotating diagram.
"Good question, it appeared on our scanners after we exited slipspace. Judging from its enormous size and what's left of the surface, I'd say it was built by the Forerunners".
"Are there any signs of activity"? Anders perked as she began studying the scans.
"There might be, there's a debris field between us that's reflecting part of our scans, but judging from the devastation on the surface, I wouldn't count on it". Serina explained while zooming the diagram out to show the debris field.
"Keeping scanning, the last thing we need is more surprises". He observed dryly as officers began to fill the bridge. Anders harrumphed in agreement as she continued scrolling through the available data. That ended, however, when she looked up the star positions.
"Serina, open the bridge blast shutters". She said distractedly as she approached the forward part of the bridge.
"I would advise against that, one of the window panes is cracked".
"Just do it"! She shouted in frustration and half the bridge gave her looks.
Serina frowned slightly and waved her hand. Ellen Anders stared out as light poured through the separating sheets of Titanium A. She looked past the large construct in front of them and focused on the stars, but all she could see was a few extremely faint dots of light.
She knew right then and there that they were outside the Milky Way Galaxy.
"What is it"? He asked as he placed a hand on her shoulder; Anders realized that the Captain must have seen her look of horror reflecting off the glass.
"We're outside our galaxy, Captain, we could be anywhere". She'd never been so afraid in her life, the thought of being stuck out here, possibly forever, chilled her to the core.
The Captain's face mirrored her for a moment before his command facade dropped back into place.
"Serina"?
"The Professor's right Captain, but I don't know exactly where we are". Her face displaying uncharacteristic uncertainty and sympathy.
Cutter's face scrunched up as he began to think of a way out of this mess.
"Is there any sign of active technology down there"? He asked the AI as she transferred to the forward holo-pedestal.
"One moment, Captain, now that we're moving past the debris field I might be able to find something". Serina explained as she pressed a finger to her temple, her way of showing actual exertion, and scanned the surface. "Well, most of the surface is devoid of life, though the outer edges have some vegetation. Gravity and atmospheric conditions are erratic throughout most of the surface.
"What about standing structures or protrusions from the surface"? Anders inquired as she moved closer to the AI's pedestal.
"There are numerous metallic structures, those farther out are intact, but the ones closer to the center have been fragmented, some possibly obliterated by whatever destroyed the object above it". She responded as she transferred back to the holo-table. "I've mapped out all the ones I can… wait, one of the structures is larger than the rest, and I believe it's freestanding".
"A ship"? He asked hopefully.
"It's possible, but I don't know for sure, not without more data". She informed him and brought up a location and holo-image of the possible ship.
"It looks like a old camera tripod". He mused after seeing its three legs that met at one point, and the tall tip coming out of the center.
"An accurate comparison, but it's actually a tetrahedral with a triangular prow, assuming that it's right side up, of course".
Anders began manipulating the holographic model. "We need to confirm if it's a ship or not".
"I agree with the Professor, we need a closer look". Cutter said as he crossed his arms.
"A ground inspection would be unwise, the rapid gravimetric changes would harm ground troops and make flying hazardous. Even sending a Spartan would be risky".
The Captain sighed as he moved his hands to his hips. Serina knew this to be his 'I have to make a difficult decision' stance.
"Tell Red Team to get up here, immediately". He said as he turned back to the window.
"Aye, aye sir". Serina confirmed and disappeared.
Ellen turned back to the Captain after the AI left. "Anders, get down to your lab as soon as it warms up, I need you to prepare Red Team for the mission".
She wanted to argue, but she knew that going down to the surface was an unnecessary risk. "Send them down when you're ready". She told him and left.
Half an Hour Later.
Surface of unknown Forerunner installation.
Red Team Leader, Jerome-092, stepped out of the Pelican drop ship with his MA5B assault rifle at the ready, his keen vision checking his surroundings for threats. Alice-130 and Douglas-042 came out on either side of him, The taller Douglas had a Jackhammer rocket launcher on his shoulder and Alice had her preferred chain gun resting against her hip.
They secured the area before Douglas and Alice switched to smaller arms while unloading the scanning equipment.
Professor Anders had briefed them how to use the machines before the mission. As two of the Spartans quickly assembled them, Jerome kept an eye out for threats, whether it be those pesky flying machines with beam weapons or the Parasite they encountered on the hollow planet they destroyed.
As he looked across the debris ridden landscape, he began to wonder what happened in the last 30 years. The thought of being the last humans alive didn't sit well with him, for all he knew, the knowledge they could have brought back might have changed the course of the war.
Or Humanity won, he simply didn't know.
He quit speculating as the wind kicked up sand around him and made a mental note to clean his armor later; sand was horrible on the pressure seals.
Then, suddenly, the air in front of him rippled with energy. The Spartan raised his weapon and signaled the other two to do the same. No sooner had he issued the order, something came out of distortion.
Red team kept their weapons trained on the large, floating object that was now before them.
The floating 'sphere' seemed to be looking at them with it's large, green eye, perhaps sizing them up. Jerome could hear Alice's fingers ripple across her weapon's fore-grip as they waited for whatever it was to make a move.
"I have met one of your kind before. Warriors who spend their lives encased in combat skin to protect those who can't protect themselves". The voice's rumbling baritone resonated through their bodies.
"What are you"? Jerome questioned, his weapon still trained on the floating two meter machine, its body pulsing with green energy as it continued its cyclops stare.
"I am 05-032 Mendicant Bias, I control Installation 00". He boomed, which did nothing to put the Spartans at ease.
"What do you want"? The AI still stared at him, its green eye still boring into his golden visor.
"What do I want"? The deep voice sounded slightly amused. "You are the ones scouting, Reclaimer".
Jerome didn't deny it, but he was more focused on the name he'd just been called.
"Reclaimer"?
Unlike 343 Guilty Spark, Mendicant could clearly see that these warriors knew little about their distant past.
"Humans, the inheritors of all my makers left behind".
Jerome's nodded once, but his aim didn't falter. "We need a ship with a slipspace drive".
The Spartan sized orb tilted a little before looking up at the ship behind them. "The Keyship is damaged, it will not survive a transition to slipspace".
Red Team's leader didn't know whether to believe the machine or not, but the 'Keyship' did have several visible hull breaches and its hull was rainbow colored from heat exposure.
"However, the secondary drive could be fitted to your own ship". Mendicant mused as his eye pulsed in unison with his speech.
Seeing that this AI was trying to help them for the moment, Jerome ordered weapons to be lowered. "Why are you helping us"?
Mendicant focused on Jerome once more. "Atonement".
January 28, 2558
The Ark
John was enveloped in yellow rings of energy, and when they faded, he knew the AI had taken him to another part of the Ark.
Here, there was still plant life and the air was clear. He looked around and saw that they'd moved to the farthest edge on one of the arms.
"I can sense the Librarian's changes to you". Mendicant Bias commented after John finished his visual search of the area.
"She said I couldn't defeat the Didact without them". He told the monitor as they began moving away from the transport site.
"The Composer, was it destroyed as well"?
"Yes". He answered as the monitor lead him forward. "Where are we going"?
"You need transportation". He answered simply, and Master Chief took him at his word, for now.
They walked up a large hill, one that gave way to a large valley below. When he examined the grassy plain below, his eyes widened at what they saw.
Sitting in a modified Forerunner dry dock was a UNSC starship. Swarms of Sentinels and other machines were working on the stern, fitting a large glowing cylinder under neath its engines. He could see humans too, working with fervor to repair battle damage.
It was a Phoenix-class warship, there was no mistaking its unique shape nor the name painted on the hull.
UNSC Spirit of Fire
February 22, 2013
1830 hours
USS Voyager
Torpedo Tube #1
Red hot metal cooled and molten glass dripped from the wall console.
\REBOOT\
\ROUTING POWER TO BASIC SYSTEMS\
Sparks erupted from a shorted electrical wires and fiber optic cable continued smolder their insulation.
\RUNNING DIAGNOSTICS...\
\CATASTROPHIC DAMAGE TO CHASSIS: 49% OF SYSTEMS UNRESPONSIVE \
The room had been consumed by fire during reentry, the tube's containment field was not designed to hold back that kind of heat or pressure.
\WARNING: POWER CELL CONTAINMENT AT CRITICAL\
\WARNING: BIO-SHEATH DESTROYED\
Emergency force fields had come online to keep the flames from spreading beyond the tiny room, leaving it's only occupant trapped inside as Voyager fell through the atmosphere.
\INTERNAL CIRCUITRY DAMAGE, REROUTING...\
\SYSTEMS RESTORED TO 64%\
The heat had ruptured an exposed conduit, destroying it and half the ceiling. Debris littered the floor, and a metal support beam had fallen, crushing the half molten launcher, and trapping Cameron beneath it.
\ROUTING POWER TO OPTIC AND AUDITORY SENSORS\
\ENABLING AVAILABLE MOTOR FUNCTIONS\
A finger twitched, metal muscles groaned and screeched as they tried to move. The room was lit by two bright blue orbs, pushing back the darkness that surrounded them.
Death would not claimer her, not yet.
A/N:
Lots of plot dev, obviously, and lots of new characters, if you have any questions, PM me or leave it in a review.
For those of you who just found this story in the last month, drop a review and tell me what you think of the story so far.
Also, many characters featured in this chapter won't become main characters. They're plot fillers or baggage from the main ones. You can expect the main characters to stay John, Cameron, Cortana, and Master Chief with supporting roles getting occasional development.