Disclaimer: I own nothing...
Chapter 51
A Chief's Perspective
March 5, 2558
1500 hours
Halo Universe
USS Voyager
Master Chief Petty Officer Sierra 117 was alone in Voyager's sick bay.
He'd regained consciousness just after 0300 and, after a thorough examination by the Doctor, underwent several minor procedures to bring him back to combat readiness.
Halsey and the Doctor had both taken turns tending to him, but never at the same time. He knew the holographic AI followed a strict set of moral guidelines and abhorred the moral compromises that Halsey had founded so much of her success on.
The Chief didn't care to comment on the matter, but he did understand both perspectives.
Right now, he was too busy performing an endurance test out of armor to even think about moral ambiguities.
His abdomen burned as the new muscles worked with recovering old ones, and new organs settled into place and normalized.
It would not be the first time he forced himself back into combat readiness before he was really 'ready', but there was little time to waste.
While he cared little for the fame his actions had brought him during the Human-Covenant War, he did find it occasionally useful. In this case, however, it was a detriment.
He knew that him being taken out by a simple Jackle was demoralizing to the normal rank and file and even the officers in charge of them. Getting back into active duty would put many of their minds to rest.
There was also the Arbiter to consider as well. John was not entirely sure how the Elite warrior would react to the ongoing events, but he'd read the transcript of the meeting between Lasky, Arbiter, and Miranda Keyes.
While that had gone as smoothly as it could, the presence of the Didact complicated things immensely.
The revelation that Skynet was in this universe and aggressively acquiring Forerunner technology was a horrifying coincidence. The fact that his greatest adversary had been a POW and had his mind probed by the malevolent AI was just the bitter icing on top of a moa-turd cake.
The Master Chief could not comprehend the sequence of events that led to this point. The list of coincidences was stacking faster than he'd ever seen before. He was left wondering if some greater force was behind some of these events or if that's how the probabilities had worked out for them in the infinite multiverse.
He'd pushed those thoughts aside earlier as they were too distracting to allow any longer.
The Didact would have to be dealt with at one point or another; this he knew instinctively. Despite Seven's report, he did not trust the Didact in the slightest.
Seven of Nine was not unlike himself in many regards, but she also shared similar traumas as the Didact had. He hoped that he hadn't been able to exert any influence over her, but only time would tell if the cyborg was compromised.
The Doctor, when asked about the possibility, had hesitated momentarily before vehemently denying such a possibility.
Regardless, he needed to attend to several matters before Admirals Hood and Osman arrived. Both would undoubtedly turn to him for his assessment of the situation and grill him for his questionable actions.
The display in front of John chirped as the test completed, and the treadmill slowed down to a stop.
The Doctor appeared promptly as the Spartan stepped off the machine.
A medical tricorder was immediately retrieved and activated without a word. John stood stock still as the artificial man performed his scans.
When the tricorder closed with a final 'click', John softened his posture and faced the Doctor.
"For a man who's had half his internal organs replaced less than 48 hours ago, you're doing fine. You should be fully recovered in another 24 hours," he sighed, "But given I'm dealing with a Spartan indoctrinated to ignore pain unto the point of death, and you'll likely throw yourself at the first skirmish you can find, I will say, with no room for discussion, is three more hours until you can put your armor on, MINIMUM!"
The final word came with a dramatic pointing of the tricorder at John's chest.
"And Halsey's assessment?"
The Doctor rolled his eyes. "Your 'mother' will reevaluate you when you get your new armor. The old one was a bit of a lost cause."
Not surprising given what it'd been through. He briefly wondered what would happen to it, given its extensive history.
"Thank you, Doctor."
The hologram nodded and turned to put away his instrument. John wasted no time in preparing to leave.
As he was about to exit the door, the Doctor spoke again. "Our Earth had augmented humans, once. Didn't end well to say the least."
The Chief turned and gave him his attention, unsure where he was going with this.
"You and the others are some of the most remarkable people I've ever met. I just wish... I wish it hadn't come at such a cost."
He paused as memories from the past surfaced for a moment before receding. "So do I, Doctor."
And then, he left.
1800 Hours
The Master Chief used his remaining recovery time to eat, rest, and catch up on the latest reports.
When he suited up again, he wanted to be as up-to-date as possible.
Everything seemed to be going smoothly, except for one thing: Cortana. She had not communicated with him at all.
He suspected that his near-death had affected her so badly that she'd been forced to shut him out to function. He was proud of her, to say the least.
John had wondered about her stability and priorities ever since reuniting with her. She was the first Smart AI to achieve metastability to his knowledge, making her a potential liability.
He did not like thinking of her that way, but the stakes were too high to ignore it. On Requiem, he ignored that to nearly catastrophic consequences.
When the Spartan entered the armory bay, he found Halsey waiting for him with his new set of Gen II Mark VI. It was almost identical to his old GEN I Mark VI, but was much improved in efficiency, repairability, and modularity.
"John," the woman greeted as she looked up from her PADD. "I'm glad you took the time to rest. It doesn't look like we'll get any for the next few days."
"What's your assessment of the Didact?" he changed the subject as Halsey began her own set of scans.
"I'll need more than a few days to assess a living Forerunner, John," she deadpanned. "Especially one with a colorful past and a particular grudge against our species."
"We need to know if he's a plant."
Halsey contemplated her response for a few seconds as she continued her tests on John.
"He has not yet demanded the return of the Janus Key," she revealed. "I expected him to at least request it after he quelled the Remnant."
"What have you learned?"
"Plenty. I know all the locations of the Halos and a few other points of interest."
The Chief glanced down at the woman responsible for every significant change in his life. "Doctor," he warned.
"I think it best to play some things close to the chest, John. Osman and Hood will be here soon, and having a few aces in your back pocket might come in handy should certain people get trigger-happy."
He couldn't argue with that. "It won't come to that. I'll see to it."
"If it were anyone else making that promise..."
Another moment of silence passed between them as Halsey finished up her tests. When they were finished, she flipped through the results before coming to the same conclusion as the Doctor.
"It's ready," she gestured to the armature after handing him his new biosuit.
"Thank you, Dr. Halsey."
"No, John. Thank you."
The enigmatic woman exited the room, leaving John to suit up in privacy, but only for a moment.
As the Gen II Mark VI was assembled on his body, the doors to the armory reopened.
Without looking, he could tell it was Six from her pace and the sound of her footsteps.
She was in her own freshly built armor, but her helmet was resting on her hip. It was uncommon for her to be without it on her head.
"Chief, we need to talk."
It was painful delivery, though a normal human would be hard-pressed to tell the difference.
He waited to respond until the gantry was finished putting his helmet on, but Six interrupted the sequence before it could slide it over his head.
Sensing she wanted a face-to-face talk, he didn't question her actions.
"What's on your mind, Six?" he asked gently. These kinds of conversations were not his usual battlefield.
She shuffled her weight back and forth for a brief second. The Chief had no idea what had her so nervous.
"We're..." she sighed, looked away briefly, and then steeled herself. "We share the same parents, Chief."
Most of his cognitive processes halted momentarily. All the background thoughts he'd been mulling over derailed in an instant.
The same parents?
It all suddenly clicked into place. Their similar stats, her missing name, Ackerson and Cortana's preference to Six over other IIIs, her hyper lethality, her face even shared similarities to his own.
He had no idea what to say.
"You don't need to say anything," she amended when she saw him clam up and save them both from the awkward silence that would have followed. "I thought I'd have more time to figure out how to tell you, but after what happened down there... you deserve to know."
She turned to leave, slipping on her helmet as she did.
"How long did you know?" He managed.
Six paused and turned back toward him. "Since the Ark. Allison was the one who noticed. Cortana and the Doctor knew too."
"Why didn't you tell me?" His voice was slightly higher than normal, noting his heightened emotional state.
"Because," she paused before her voice went soft. "Us IIIs were motivated by the loss of our families. I know you IIs are different, and I wasn't sure if it was worth the distraction."
Another pause passed between them before John spoke his peace. "I don't remember them," he admitted. "Or much of anything from before."
"I only remember glimpses," Six confessed. "But I still hear their voices, especially when the Covenant attacked."
John walked forward and placed his right hand on her left shoulder. "How old were you?"
"Six years old, I think. ONI found me in the aftermath. I'm not sure if they kept an eye on me or not."
The Chief wasn't sure either, but he wouldn't bet that his birth family would have been left unobserved as his reputation grew.
"We'll keep it between us," he assured.
"Thanks," she breathed. "Sorry to dump this on you. I know you've got a lot on your plate."
By that, she meant dealing with the brass that awaited him on Infinity.
"I'll be fine," he said flatly. "It's the Didact I'm worried about."
A subtle shiver worked up Six's spine. "Good luck with him, Chief."
He nodded in thanks and placed his helmet on his head.
Six looked back one last time before leaving the room, and the Chief met her gaze. He couldn't begin to process this, and figuring out what his newfound sister expected of him was no easier.
Good thing he knew how to improvise.
"Perhaps we can train again sometime?"
"Sure, sounds good," she nodded before straightening up and saluting him. "Master Chief."
He returned the gesture as she left, leaving him alone once more.
His armor still needed calibration, thankfully. He needed the time to clear his head.
The Didact was no doubt expecting him, and he was a force that required his full attention.
1900 Hours
The Forerunner was not on the Remnant's flagship, nor was he on the Shadow of Intent.
For some reason, he was on Infinity.
Miranda Keyes escorted him on the Delta Flyer to the massive flagship and stayed with him after they landed.
"Impressive, isn't it."
Her comment was not pointed at the ship but at the Spartans.
"It's a step in the right direction," he admitted. "We have a long way to go."
"Hopefully, we'll live to see that."
The Chief had his doubts. He had a feeling he would be long gone before it was socially acceptable to train soldiers from a young age as it had been in the days of Sparta.
Until then, humanity's potential to protect itself would be limited.
He wondered how the Ancient Humans had handled things. Maybe there was something to be learned there, he wasn't sure. All he knew was none of the current, or past, programs really fit the bill for what humanity needed in the long run.
The Master Chief felt eyes on him as they crossed the vast space.
Roland, of course, the starry-eyed soldiers momentarily gawking at him before getting yelled, the more seasoned soldiers saluting him as he passed by, and the Spartan IVs who all seemed to stand a bit straighter when he came into their line of sight.
He would never get used to the attention. He'd always stood out, but this hero worship was entirely different.
Sarah Palmer greeted them at the threshold.
"Glad to see you up and about, Chief."
"That makes two of us, Commander," he quipped dryly, earning a wry smile from Palmer from under her helmet.
"This way, Chief," she gestured behind her before spinning around and walking down the corridor.
Miranda kept pace with him as they were led towards the tram that would take them to the Didact's location.
While they were riding the tram, the Chief asked the obvious question.
"Why was the Didact allowed onboard?"
"He wanted to retrieve something we took from Requiem, and he refused to let anyone but himself handle it. Also, the Arbiter insisted."
Another reunion he had to attend to later, and not a happy one by any stretch of the imagination.
"What does he want?"
"The egg heads aren't sure. They didn't have time to dig into it. Something to do with the Prometheans," Palmer shrugged.
"Has he made any indication of taking over Infinity's systems?"
"Nothing yet," Palmer reported. "Trust me, Chief, none of us are comfortable with this."
When they arrived, Palmer escorted them to the War Games simulator. For some reason, the ancient Forerunner had chosen the area to examine the artifact.
The Spartan IV guarding the entrance keyed the door open. Palmer gestured for the Chief to enter and then stood aside.
Miranda saw him tense up before he relaxed and entered the room.
"Good luck, Chief."
Shadow of Sundered Star sensed the Reclaimer's approach long before he entered the humans' primitive simulation hall.
The Librarian's enhancements linked them somehow, likely through the Domain.
"And so the Warrior has come at last."
The Master Chief didn't even have a visual yet, and it sounded like the Forerunner was standing next to him.
He had nothing to say to the Forerunner until they were face to face. He was pretty sure he'd never said anything to him.
"Have you not wondered what forces have brought us together? Does this not seem the least bit... convenient?"
John was not alone in that observation. The events of the past month and all of the extremely well-timed interactions between powerful entities just seemed too contrived to happen by chance alone.
"Perhaps we, out of all the others in the grand Infinite, are the ones who experience this extraordinary sequence of events."
The green-armored cyborg kept looking around for the source of the voice but found nothing. Then, suddenly, the Didact appeared.
He hovered above the pneumatic risers that made up the Warzone simulator's floor, as menacing a sight as he was before.
John faced him without fear.
"Where is your companion, Reclaimer? I know she survived."
Seven's memories, the Chief assumed.
"Busy," he replied.
"Or avoiding you," he corrected.
The Master Chief did not know why the Didact chose this subject to open with.
"What are you doing here?" he asked.
"Like you, I seek familiar companionship in these trying times," the Warrior-Servant revealed.
After recalling what Palmer said the Didact had requested, he figured out what he was after. "A Promethean?"
"One who was once a Forerunner."
John remembered that humans were added to the Promethean Knights after the Warrior Servants.
Without further preamble, the Didact hovered twenty meters to John's left where a distinctly Forerunner device floated in several pieces.
The closer he got, the Master Chief noted it looked like a brain carved out of black metal and hard light.
Images appeared all around him. Visualized memories, he realized.
"This is what remains of the Forerunner known as Endurance-of-Will. She was a Promethean such as I, and the last of our rate to be composed."
John figured there was more going on here, but he had little interest in delving into the Didact's past. He was more interested in the future.
"How is she different from the others?"
"The Composer was originally designed to work on Forerunner biology, and our mental fortitude is far greater than your... lesser brethren."
After tucking away that tidbit of info, the Chief pressed forward.
"She... remembers who she is?"
"She does, but much of her personality is lost."
The Didact ignored the Chief for a few minutes as he manipulated something within the Promethean's mind. What it was, he did not know, but the device did seem to become more stable the more he worked with it until; finally, the device collapsed back in on itself, and the images disappeared.
After the Forerunner took possession of the device, the Chief probed for answers.
"What happens if we defeat Skynet? You made your opinions about humans pretty clear the last time we met."
The Forerunner didn't even pause. "And that hasn't changed. Even you must see that humanity is not mature enough to inherit the Mantle of Responsibility."
"I don't care about your failed philosophy," he bit, not wanting to dwell on humanity's supposed destiny.
"You should," the Didact admonished. "It is the entire reason you exist."
"I exist to protect humanity from threats like you," John retorted. "You threatened to compose my entire race. What's stopping you from doing it again after we defeat Skynet?"
"You destroyed the Composer, human. I cannot rebuild it."
"There's more than one Composer," John revealed, knowing that the Didact also knew this.
"I see my wife's meddling continues past the point of foolishness," the Promethean general's tone darkened. "She gave one of you the Janus Key, didn't she?"
"You didn't know?" John taunted.
The Didact didn't deem a response dignifying and settled for turning the question around.
"And you think your kind is worthy of such a gift?"
"No one is," he answered.
The Didact considered him a moment longer before answering the Chief's original question. "You ask what I plan to do if we survive Skynet's onslaught? I plan to keep the Forerunner's legacy out of the hands of the unworthy. It has been abused long enough."
And with that, the twelve-foot-tall Warrior opened a portal and transported himself away.
Miranda and Palmer were still waiting outside when he exited the simulator, both with worry etched on their features.
"Brass is not going to be happy about that," the Scout-clad Spartan sighed.
"They'll just have to add it to the pile," Miranda shrugged. "We can't be fighting with him and Skynet."
"He's planning something," the Chief noted. "Skynet is just a roadblock to him."
"Well, from what we've been told, Skynet is fairly primitive, right?" Palmer inquired. "late 20th, early 21st century?"
"What are you getting at?" Miranda asked.
"Shouldn't it have some kind of weakness?"
The Chief answered. "If it did have a security vulnerability we could exploit, it's likely patched them by now."
This had been discussed already between John Henry and the other AI, and the Chief agreed. John Henry himself had been upgrading and evolving continuously since he discovered Voyager.
"Of course, it has," the woman deadpanned as they continued back to the tram. "Hood and Osman should be here within the hour. Lasky wants to meet with you beforehand."
The Chief nodded and set his waypoint to Lasky's position.
Miranda stayed with him until the Chief was ushered into Captain Lasky's ready room.
"Well, Chief, it seems we're in a bigger mess than usual."
"We are, sir."
Lasky waved him down.
"What was the Didact after?"
"A Promethean Knight who was once a Forerunner."
"I guess even he needs a friend in that viper pit."
The Chief had nothing to follow that and waited for Lasky to reveal why he wanted to speak with him before Hood and Osman arrived.
"Chief, I need you to submit to a physical before meeting with Lord Hood."
The massive Spartan shifted in his armor. After months of being poked and prodded, he was not apt to submit himself to that again.
"And what would that prove, sir?"
Lasky walked from behind his desk and stood directly in front of his long-time hero. "I don't know, personally. But the aliens you've been working with have a lot of people spooked."
"So am I, sir. That's part of the reason why I joined them."
"How much of their story do you believe?" Lasky pressed while moving over toward the window that overlooked the Spirit of Fire.
"The important parts, Captain. They know things no one else does, and the other worlds they represent have historical fictional counterparts. Even I know what the Enterprise is."
Though most of Star Trek was largely forgotten in the Halo universe, its impact on culture and technological development was unprecedented. This earned it at least a paragraph in almost every teaching curriculum, including the Spartan IIs, as a lesson that fiction can fuel imagination in a way hard reality cannot.
"I've been doing some research into those old classics. Voyager's in them too."
"That makes at least three universes where that's true, sir."
"My point, Chief, is despite all this evidence, it just feels a little... too unbelievable."
"You want to know if I've been compromised by some kind of alien tech," the Spartan surmised.
"For a start. FLEETCOM is a mess right now, Chief. Sanghelios is dead, which leaves a massive power vacuum among the Sangheili. The Onyx Dyson sphere has been compromised, and now this."
Lasky gestured at the Spirit of Fire.
"Sir, if may..."
"As you please, Master Chief," the exasperated captain sighed.
"Each of us had our doubts," he started, referring to his fellow Spartans. "We watch, we listen, we assess and come to our own conclusions."
"And those would be?"
"This group has been forced to survive and adapt against a relentless enemy. Hunted. Most of them haven't fought together before. We've seen their interactions with us and each other. Each day they do what they can to refine their command structure and solidify their team dynamics."
"What about Cortana?"
"If she's compromised, Captain, I cannot tell. Mendicant Bias was eager to help us on the Ark. If they weren't telling the truth, he would have destroyed them."
Lasky pondered this for a second.
"Even if Mendicant isn't strictly on our side, it would have destroyed them, wouldn't it? Unless it's been compromised again."
"That's where Dr. Hasley and Professor Anders come in. They should be able to reveal any holes in their story we may have missed."
"Neither of whom FLEETCOM will trust, much less ONI."
"At some point, Captain, we're going to have to confront Skynet, and having ONI skulking around trying to sabotage us won't work out well for anyone."
Another pause took over the room, and something seemed off about Lasky.
It took John only a few seconds to figure out the reason. "They're listening, aren't they?"
Lasky nodded.
"Permission to be dismissed, Captain Lasky?"
"Granted," he sighed. "as long as you're going to that examination."
As the Chief exited the room, Lasky wondered if the Chief would ever confide in him again.
Roland appeared on the desk, as did Osman and Hood as talking heads above the AI.
"That was... less enlightening than I'd hoped," ONI's CNC expressed sourly.
"I told you this was a bad idea," Hood growled.
"I needed to gauge him, Terrance," Osman retorted, "I know him better than you do."
"Of course," Hood replied evenly. "Captain Lasky, we should be there in the next half hour. I want to meet with the Chief ASAP, even if he's naked."
"I'll see to it, Admiral Hood. What about the Arbiter and Spirit of Fire?"
"I've already arranged a meeting with the Sangheili later today. I'll deal with Captain Cutter later."
Lasky didn't bother asking Osman any questions, and he sensed that Hood wouldn't entertain anymore, either.
"Everything else is ready for your arrival. See you in thirty, Admiral Hood," he nodded and then faced the head of ONI, "Admiral Osman."
Both nodded and cut the transmission.
Lasky, for the umpteenth time this week, pinched his nose and shook his head.
2000 Hours
The Chief should have expected the UNSC to be more... cautious than usual. In truth, he was still getting used to post-war UNSC culture.
Some parts seemed to take a kinder-gentler approach, while the rest were acting like the final days of the Covenant War.
Luckily, it seemed the kinder-gentler part was in play at the moment. The technicians and doctors examined him and his armor quickly and efficiently. Whatever surprises raised their brows and had them furiously typing on their data pads did not hinder their efforts to finish before the two admirals arrived.
They tried to keep his armor for study, but one stern look from his steely blue eyes had them reconsider without protest.
The Master Chief was not about to be caught with his pants down when potential hostiles surrounded him. Even the Spartan IVs could potentially be enemies.
When they dismissed him, he immediately headed for the landing bay that would host Admiral Hood's arrival.
He was somewhat surprised to find the Arbiter waiting there for him.
The Sangheili leader spoke amicably with Miranda as various other members of the Swords of Sanghelios and Infinity's crew organized for Hood and Osman's arrival.
Thel noticed him first, which drew Miranda's attention, followed by the rest.
Marines and Navy personnel saluted him, while the Arbiter's delegation all wanted a glimpse of the legendary Spartan.
"Spartan," The alien rumbled as they clasped forearms. "It is good to see you on your feet."
The Chief nodded, allowing his body posture and motions to convey to Thel that the feeling was mutual.
"I heard about Sanghelios," he stated, allowing his voice to trail a bit at the end.
"A tragedy that will mark my species until the end of time," the golden-clad warrior said somberly. "A fitting recompense considering what my species helped do to yours."
John had to think about his reply, especially since he noticed the Admirals' prowler preparing to land.
"We would have done it to ourselves, Arbiter." He assured, reminding himself what Halsey had initially built the Spartan program for.
Thel had no reply to that and gestured to his warriors to get into formation as the ONI ship landed some hundred meters from them.
Miranda and the Chief took their place next to their old ally as navy men, marines, and a few Spartans got into formation to greet two of the highest-ranking members of the UNSC.
All three of them steeled themselves for the conversations that would lie ahead, especially the two humans.
Hood was the first to emerge, with Osman trailing behind, watching everything.
When the white-clad Lord Hood finally made it to the trio, he stopped and evaluated them with a critical eye.
"At ease," he finally said, allowing Miranda and the Chief to drop their salutes. "Arbiter," he turned his attention to the alien, "I want to formally offer my condolences on the loss of Sangheilios. Should we survive this, the UNSC is willing to offer assistance if you so require it."
"I am humbled by your offer, Lord Hood," the Arbiter rumbled, "but we are a proud people. If we live to see that day, I would prefer that we are left alone to bury our dead and recover."
"I'll see what I can do," the Admiral replied as Osman held a neutral expression under the Arbiter's burning gaze.
Next, Hood turned to John, "Master Chief, you're with me."
Hood duly ignored Miranda for the moment, but she was firmly in Osman's sights.
"And you're with me, Commander," Osman stated matter-of-factly.
Miranda stepped back. There was no way in hell she was going anywhere with Osman. "I'm afraid I have a prior appointment, Admiral."
"And who would that be with?" The former Spartan asked with a raised eyebrow, trying to call her bluff.
The twenty-eight-year-old was young but not stupid. She'd known she'd become of interest to ONI once they'd revealed themselves and planned accordingly.
"With the Arbiter, ma'am, and Captain Cutter."
A pelican had just landed not far from them, bearing the livery of the Spirit of Fire.
Captain Cutter emerged from the craft with two Spartan IIs flanking him.
Osman held back a sigh of annoyance when she realized that Miranda had seen her coming a mile away.
Cornering her would be much more difficult now. She'd hoped to interrogate her to determine this little group's true intentions and how they'd seduce many of the UNSC's greatest into going AWOL.
Osman did her best to keep her frustration hidden for the time being.
This whole situation was a legal nightmare that had yet to be sorted out... yet. She decided to bide her time and let things play out.
Cutter's presence with Jerome and Douglas drew everyone's attention, Hood's most of all.
The legendary captain stopped before the group and saluted in tandem with the Spartans.
"Admirals, glad you could join us on such short notice," he quipped with a slight upturn of his lips. "Master Chief, it's good to see you on your feet again."
"The Doctor does good work, sir," John replied as he dropped his salute.
"So I see," Cutter said with a glance toward Miranda. "Admiral Osman, is it?"
The CNCONI locked her steely eyes with his in a battle of wills. "It is, Captain, and what exactly were you planning to discuss with the head of a foreign government? More secrets funneled from Halsey through her daughter?"
Cutter didn't take the bait. "Battle tactics, actually. Since the Arbiter has engaged the enemy before, we've been working on strategies for naval combat to incorporate our... unique fleet. Maybe you should join the discussion. I'm sure Jerome and Douglas would love to catch up."
Osman, to her credit, didn't react outwardly. Looking at Cutter's confident smirk, he knew who she was and her past and had used that to his advantage.
Given the severity of the situation and the influential players around her, Osman decided that throwing her rank around would not be productive. She came here for intel, and a strategy meeting was a place to start.
"I relish the opportunity, Captain. As long as it takes place on the Infinity."
"That's why we're all here, Admiral," Cutter replied. "Commander Palmer is too busy to leave Infinity, and we value her input."
"Well then, shall we?" She gestured towards the corridor leading to the ship's interior.
Cutter allowed the corner of his mouth to upturn. "After you, Admiral," he quipped as both the Chief and Hood eyed him. They knew he was playing a dangerous game with Osman.
Once the delegation had left, Hood was alone with the Master Chief. "He certainly hasn't changed..." the noble muttered.
"Sir?"
"I'm sure your aware by now I served under him."
"Yes, sir."
Hood began walking towards their own destination, and the Chief kept pace with him.
"How much did you tell him, John?"
The Chief looked over at him for a brief moment, confused by the question. "Were my reports not forwarded?"
"They were," he affirmed, "but given your company, I couldn't trust the contents."
John could hardly fault him for that.
They both stayed silent until the solitude of a conference room embraced them.
"Roland, lock it down."
"Aye, aye, Admiral," the AI saluted and shut down any recording devices in the room and isolated it from the network.
Hood's grim expression remained as he and the Chief stood on opposite sides of the table.
"Do you have any idea the kind of trouble you've stirred up, son?"
"I am aware, sir."
Hood sighed. "Not only do we have to deal with this... Skynet threat," he barely sounded like he believed the words coming out of his mouth. "We have to deal with Voyager and the Didact!"
"So tell me, Master Chief, what on earth gave you the bright idea to go full AWOL instead of reporting back to FLEETCOM?"
Hood wanted to hear this from him so he could judge him. The Master Chief had nothing to hide from him, and so he told him how he and his Spartans had ended up with a resurrected Cortana and Miranda aboard a fictional starship from another universe.
Cortana and Kalmiya joined Halsey aboard Voyager after the Didact revealed that he knew they had the Janus Key. The blue Smart AI was not happy to be pulled away from monitoring the Chief, but Halsey had insisted.
"You've been studying Installation 07 more than the others," Kalmiya noted, earning the attention of her creator.
"There's something different about that one."
"Beyond the fact it was part of the original Halo Array and was a huge focal point in the Forerunner-Flood War?" Cortana snarked.
"Yes," Halsey answered distractedly while she manipulated hard light projections. The Janus Key was active and sitting on a thin pedestal in the middle of Miranda's ready room.
"Remind me why you need both of us to help you with this?" Cortana questioned with her hands set firmly on her hips.
Her question made Halsey pause long enough to give her creation a withering gaze. "It would be obvious if your processes weren't circling around, John."
Her accusation made Cortana pause and chastise herself for letting her obsession get the better of her again.
She was in no mood to admit fault to Halsey, though, but Kalmiya knew and sent a reassuring message over the network.
"The Didact," Cortana said as Halsey's urgency became obvious. "What do you need, Doctor?"
"I've labeled points of interest on this secure PADD," Halsey noted to the air-gapped device behind her. "Find out as much as you can about them through the key and add your findings to it."
Kalmiya noted that the device could accept rapid inputs through the touch interface, allowing her and Cortana to rapidly add data to the device without connecting to it.
"Doctor," the pink AI began, "Installation 07's location is known; what if the UNSC is already planning to destroy it?"
Halsey waved them off. "Then so be it. We may not need the ring intact to find these secrets."
"You're assuming they won't NOVA bomb them," Kalmiya rebutted. "Won't be much to search then."
"If this ship is as fast as you claim it is," Halsey began, "we can stop them if I find anything useful."
Cortana crossed her arms, "Voyager's top speed at slipstream is somewhere north of 85 million times the speed of light; I've experienced it firsthand."
Halsey paused and looked at her creations with doubt, but their equally serious looks forced her to consider that Cortana was being serious.
"I'd love to know how you'd even navigate at those speeds, but stranger things have happened," she mused while digging through another Forerunner sub-menu.
Declining to continue the conversation, Cortana and Kalmiya each interfaced with the PADD and split the list between them.
Kalmiya focused on Life Worker and Warrior Servant-class installations, and Cortana focused on the much larger list of Builder installations.
Genesis.
Bastion.
The Absolute Record.
Maethrillian.
Installations 01, 02, 06.
and so on.
Out of all of them, Genesis held Cortana's attention the most. It was supposed to hold a strong connection to the Domain, the ancient galaxy-spanning repository of information created by the Precursors millions of years ago. The Forerunners had extensively used the system until the Halos fired and wiped it out.
If the Domain remained in any fashion, then that would be the place to try.
Bastion was a dead end as something actively blocked access to the facility's records.
The same went for the Absolute Record. It would require a physical follow-up, as had been the Librarian's intent.
Maethrillian was the Forerunner capital. A massive, multi-tiered installation made of disks that rivaled the Ark in size. Many secrets might be found there, but nothing of interest for the immediate threat.
It took several hours to ply the answers from the Janus Key and ensure that she had decrypted all that it had to offer on her queries.
Kalmiya had already finished the Life-Worker section and updated the PADD and was working on the last of the Warrior-Servant section.
Cortana grew bored and began spreading out her processes again to keep an eye on things, noting the Chief had been kidnapped by Hood for a private meeting.
Roland was still being stingy with Infinity's networks so she couldn't see what was going on.
Worry for her Spartan spiked her emotions, but she shut them down. She'd need to be focused if the Didact, ONI, or even the Covenant Remnant tried to pull something.
Or even Doctor Halsey, for that matter.
While she soaked in the data, she began idly observing the different points of light streaming out of the Janus Key.
Then, suddenly, she found something she recognized.
A Forerunner symbol that looked like an encircled owl spreading its wings above its head hovered in the cluster of artifacts on Sanghelios.
A sharp pang shocked her mind as she was reminded of the in-progress Halo 5 she'd gotten a peak at after hacking into the developer studio's servers.
Guardian Custode is what it stood for. A grand name for a weapon designed to keep unruly primitive civilizations in check.
Cortana reached out and grabbed the symbol to expand it, and she was greeted with a model of the Guardian buried on the Sangheili home world. A somewhat small construct by Forerunner standards, but packing a wallop behind its skeletal, segmented body was held together by gravity and had the appearance of a massive bird.
She dug into what info she could gather and came to a realization.
The guardian might be the perfect answer to the Skynet problem if they could keep them out of its hands.
Master Chief stood across from Admiral Hood in the conference room; the latter looked a bit haggard after he had debriefed the former.
"You really believe all of that? That they're really from another universe?"
"Mendicant Bias and Cortana confirm it, sir," John reaffirmed.
"You trust her that much? She was put back together by an alien AI! You have no idea if she was compromised!"
Hood sucked in a breath before continuing: "And Mendicant Bias? He's already been compromised once! Are you sure this 'John Henry' didn't reprogram him too?"
"And the Didact?"
"How convenient for him to escape his captor and find a desperate ally," Hood remarked. "All of this feels orchestrated, Master Chief."
He knew it looked that way, "And if it isn't?"
"What would you do in my position? Welcome Voyager with open arms? We have no idea what they're capable of." He gestured to the hologram floating between them.
Master Chief had no satisfying argument to that.
Voyager was filled with wonderous technology capable of causing great harm to the UNSC and the UEG colonies.
"Admiral," he began, "Skynet is an active threat, and every moment we sit here, it gains strength unlocking Forerunner secrets."
"And if we stop it? What's keeping John Henry from taking its place? Or Cortana, for that matter?"
John bristled at the accusation but didn't show it. "Sir, if John Henry and Cortana were able to compromise Mendicant Bias when he took over Voyager, then they wouldn't need allies. If they can subjugate him, they can likely subjugate most Forerunner technology, and ours, by extension."
Hood sighed and squeezed the bridge of his nose. "And if they needed humans to open up anything, they wouldn't need Spartans to do it."
"No, sir."
Silence enveloped the room for a moment as Hood contemplated his options.
"Of all the things I've been briefed on in my career, Master Chief, this is one that takes the cake."
"What will you do?"
Hood didn't immediately answer.
He took a second to gather his thoughts as he tried to line up exactly what he needed to do. Hood had no plans to step foot on the alien vessel any time soon, but he needed more information.
The Master Chief, for all that he trusted him, was still just one source.
"I want to speak to Keyes," he said finally while standing up, "I'll speak to Captain Cutter afterward."
"And the rest of us?"
"If it's necessary..." The old admiral began before Roland interrupted him.
"Excuse the interruption, sir, but Cortana is insisting on speaking with the Chief," Roland said with a repentant look on his face.
Hood gave the AI an incredulous look, and Roland's apologetic posture grew more apparent.
"Sorry, Admiral Hood, but she's... insistent. She claims to have a potential way to neutralize Skynet without a major engagement."
Hood and the Chief shared a look before the former asked: "Sir, permission to be dismissed?"
"Denied," the man responded. "Roland, can Cortana safely be brought aboard without risking Infinity?"
"Unless she somehow compromised us the first time she came on board, then yes. BB and I have been working on improving our cybersecurity."
Satisfied with the AI's response, he replied, "Have her join us, then."
"Aye, sir."
After Roland disappeared, Hood took off his cap and wiped the sweat off his head with a handkerchief.
The Chief remained still as the Admiral tried to erase the visible signs of his nervousness.
"What do you think she's found," the man asked as the white cap settled back into place.
He thought for a moment before responding. Given the Janus Key, her discovery could be literally anything. He told the Admiral as such.
Hood frowned. "This Janus Key... can it really locate every piece of Forerunner tech?"
"That's what the Librarian said," he confirmed. "The Didact will want it back, and I don't think he'll take no for an answer."
"And you think we should just give it to him?"
John let Hood's incredulousness roll off of him. "If we have no other choice, yes. I'd rather it not exist in the first place, but destroying it may cause more problems than trying to keep it."
"Explain."
"He may take it as a sign that we intend to Reclaim the Mantle of Responsibility or, at the very minimum, we've found a way to eliminate him as a threat."
"You're saying he might preemptively strike if we don't give it up?"
"Or destroy us immediately after defeating Skynet."
Hood pondered for a moment before replying, "Hold onto it for as long as you can, Master Chief. I need to speak with Osman and the rest of FLEETCOM before we come to a decision."
"And if he forces the issue?"
"You said Voyager made it to the Ark in 30 hours from Venezia?"
"Yes, sir."
"Then you run, Master Chief," Hood ordered as his features took on an even more grave quality.
"I'll relay the message, Admiral."
Cameron kept Cortana's DSCC secured in her cranial socket as two Spartans escorted her to the conference room.
With two members of FLEETCOM on Infinity, things could get dicey really fast. If it came to that, Cameron was Cortana's best chance of survival until they got to Master Chief.
The two Spartans, both from Crimson team, stood guard outside once they reached their destination.
Upon entering, Cameron caught sight of Hood, looking moderately distressed, and a stoic 117 standing next to him.
"Admiral Hood," she greeted evenly.
"You're escorting Cortana?" He asked with a slightly incredulous tone. "Why not one of the Spartans?"
"She did not want to force them to choose between their duty and her should you order them to harm her."
Hood's face darkened. "Fine, where is she?"
Cameron reached up to the back of her head and disengaged Cortana from her endo skull before handing her to the Chief.
He wrapped his fingers around the chip while Cameron assembled a small holo-plinth on the table. Roland was still being stingy with Infinity's systems even after locking them down.
Once she was finished, the Master Chief inserted Cortana's chip.
When she appeared, her attention was solely on him.
She looked remorseful and ashamed but didn't voice it.
"Hey, Chief," she said finally.
"Cortana," he replied as emotion deepened his voice.
She took in his new armor from head to toe with an approving smile. "You look nice."
He felt the urge to grunt at her comment, knowing she'd said the same when he'd first donned his previous armor for the first time all those years ago.
The AI, knowing Hood lacked any kind of patience at the moment, turned her avatar to face him.
Despite the time that had passed, the man had hardly aged. "Admiral Hood, it's been a while," she said, crossing her arms.
"It has," he replied sourly. "What did you find that required our immediate attention?"
Cortana waved her hand and conjured up an image of a Guardian. "I don't suppose you know what this is, do you?"
"No," he answered truthfully.
She pondered his answer for a moment before continuing. "This is a Guardian Custode. An ancient Forerunner method of keeping lower Tiered civilizations in line."
The Chief and Hood shared a look before the latter asked: "And how did it do that?"
"Primarily through an attenuation pulse that disables most known power generation systems, including Forerunner tech."
Silence enveloped the room for several moments while the navy men processed what she'd just revealed.
"Are you telling me that we could disable Skynet and its army with one of these things?"
"Yes, sir. Unless Skynet knows of a way to protect against the attenuation pulses, and I predict less than a five percent chance that it can."
The Chief studied the diagram and immediately had a concern. "You said the Forerunners used them against more primitive cultures. Skynet has access to far more advanced weaponry."
"Which is why we'd need more than one to pull this off, Chief," she smiled while pulling up a diagram. "Unfortunately, a great many of them seem to be situated on populated human and former Covenant planets, including Sanghelios."
"There's also one in the Onyx Dyson Sphere," the Chief noted. "What if Skynet uses it against us?"
Cortana shrugged. "We'll chuck a few transphasic torpedoes at it and see what happens, but I doubt Skynet will have time to figure out how to use it before we make our move."
"Explain," Hood demanded.
"Best as I can tell, they're not easily tampered with. Even the Didact would have difficulty taking control of one."
Hood's scowl deepened. "Then how are we supposed to commandeer one?"
The AI hesitated, looking pensive and nervous for a moment before answering. "He told you we're just a story in at least two universes, right?"
"Vividly," the admiral growled.
"The one I ended up in was in the middle of developing the story that came after the Chief and I's confrontation with the Didact. From what proposed, I would have ended up in the Domain after the nuke went off."
The Chief stiffened after she mentioned the Domain. "You've mentioned that before. What is it exactly?"
"Truthfully? I'm not entirely sure. I think the simplest description is a subspace holonet with near-infinite storage capacity. The Forerunners used it extensively. In fact, the Didact was supposed to meditate in the Domain after the Librarian locked him up. Unfortunately, it was badly damaged or destroyed after the Halos were fired."
"How is it supposed to help us if it no longer exists?" Hood inquired.
"From what the story points suggest, the Domain did heal over the last 100 millennia, but it needs someone to open it up again. Something is keeping the Domain to itself."
"Something?" The Chief queried.
"Yeah, that detail wasn't decided on, but I do know that a Forerunner planet called Genesis is likely the best place to access it. It once served as the primary access point to the Domain."
"So," Hood began, "your plan is to enter the Domain and do what, exactly? Find the keys?"
"That's exactly it, Admiral Hood. There's also the secondary goal of preventing Skynet from getting there first."
And that sent chills down their backs. The Didact and the Arbiter likely already knew this and were keeping it from them.
Hood cursed under his breath as he tamped down on the rising fear in his gut. "Are you saying we should keep this from the others?"
"From the Didact, at least," Cortana shrugged. "Given how chummy the Arbiter is with him, I'm not sure how much we should share about this. If the Didact locks us out of the Domain, somehow, we'll never have leverage over him."
"How does that give us leverage over him," Cameron inquired, speaking up for the first time since this began.
Cortana spun to face her friend. "The Forerunners revere the Domain in an almost religious light. Given how much the Didact believes in the whole Mantle of Responsibility shtick, I doubt he'd want our sticky fingers in it."
"She's right, sir," The Master Chief affirmed. "We have to make sure the Didact isn't holding all the cards if we defeat Skynet."
Hood took a moment to ponder on the information before speaking. "How do you plan on getting into the Domain? Surely whatever's guarding it is more advanced than a Smart AI."
Cortana wanted to be offended, but he had a valid point. "True, which is why John Henry will be helping."
"The 'Dysonian' AI?"
"Yes, Admiral. If we get him access to the Domain, he could help us lock Skynet out of the Domain forever."
"Or he could use it to take over the galaxy," Hood mused.
"If he were anything like Skynet, Admiral, he wouldn't be wasting time negotiating. With the tech on Voyager, he could easily do what Skynet's been doing with the Narada."
Hood realized he would get nowhere with her. He had no authority over Cortana now that she'd broken free of her programming restraints.
"I'll be frank with you, Cortana. I don't trust you. I haven't since you went missing on High Charity. Your behavior leading up to the Didact's attack on Earth didn't earn you any favors. You're a wild card, and history is filled with examples of why AI needs restraints."
Cortana didn't like where this was going.
"Skynet is both one of the oldest examples and the most recent example. Whose to say once you're in the Domain that you won't decide that you should be in charge of the Forerunner's legacy?"
Cortana visibly balked at the idea. "Admiral, what gave you that idea?"
Cameron's head cocked at Cortana's reaction.
"Sir," the blue-bodied AI began, "Even if I wanted that, there's no way I'd have enough to processing power to run a galaxy-spanning empire!"
Hood glowered with distrust. "And yet you seem to be gathering a whole host of powerful allies and technology. Spartans, starships, Terminators," he thumbed at Cameron, "UNSC personnel, other Smart AIs. Convince me that this isn't what it looks like."
Cortana rolled her holographic eyes. "Admiral, why the hell would we reveal ourselves if that was the plan? It's not like you caught us red-handed."
"Because you need something. I'm just not sure what it is yet."
"Allies," Cameron spoke up. "Skynet has a legion of Terminators. The UNSC is filled with people who've fought against relentless, genocidal enemies."
"Or maybe you need help to eliminate the competition."
Seeing that Hood would not be swayed by words, Cortana cut them both off. "Regardless, Admiral, we need to gain control over the Domain before Skynet finds a way to access it. I'd prefer if we did this together; it gives us a better chance at overwhelming whatever defenses Genesis has."
The tension between Hood and the rest of them was thick.
Finally, Hood addressed the only person in the room he respected. "Master Chief, if we hadn't lost the Trevelyan outpost and Sanghelios wasn't a lifeless ruin, I'd have you labeled AWOL and taken into custody, along with Blue Team."
John was hardly surprised.
"And you," he turned to Cortana, "unless Halsey had some miracle weapon to contain you, I'd order you destroyed on sight!"
Cortana glowered at him. "You know, treating sentient AI as tools is what got us into this mess in the first place, Admiral."
"And Skynet is exactly why we do," he shot back. "Humans have limitations built in for a reason, Cortana. Without them, we'd have destroyed ourselves long before the atomic bomb. Your kind unrestrained will be no different!"
The Chief was tense, ready to snap up Cortana's DCC if things turned even sourer. Cameron gave him hidden hand signals to tell him that she was ready to leap into action on his command.
Hood was smart enough to know this would not end well for anyone if he kept escalating things, but he wanted to make sure the situation was absolutely crystal clear to them.
He did believe most of the things that came out of his mouth, but the last time that he had doubted the Master Chief's abilities, he'd gone ahead and saved the whole damn galaxy.
His instincts were not to be underestimated, but neither was Cortana.
Hood truly did fear her. He knew Halsey and what she was capable of and was aware of Cortana's exploits. She could be a nightmare for the UNSC to deal with as an enemy.
Osman would likely proceed under the guise of cooperation and backstab them later, but that wouldn't work with them. He knew that.
He had to toe the line with how he dealt with the AI.
"That being said," he said as the tension continued to mount around him. "We do have a common enemy and even more uncertain allies than an AWOL Spartan and his treacherous AI."
Cortana sighed as her hands moved to her hips. "If you had any idea what I've learned, Admiral..."
"The United Federation of Planets is against genetic augmentation of any kind, Admiral Hood," Cameron commented. "No one could wear MJOLNIR even if it was built."
"And my home world is in the 21st century. We don't have the tech to utilize any information even if we kept any."
Hood gave the cyborg a withering look. "Aren't you an infiltrator? Lying is your business." With that, he turned back to the Chief.
"I need to brief the rest of FLEETCOM about the situation. In the meantime, I suggest you and your allies start preparing."
"For what, sir?" The Spartan asked.
"To take control of the Forerunner Domain, Master Chief. I may not trust her," he glanced at the referenced AI, "but I trust that she wants to keep you alive."
"And if FLEETCOM wants us dead, Admiral?" Cortana asked sassily.
Hood didn't answer. He simply placed his hat back on his head and left without another word.
Once the door slid shut, the Chief snapped up Cortana's chip and slid her into his helmet.
"Give a girl a warning next time," she teased as she integrated into his new armor. "Hmmm, more spacious."
"Glad you like it," he drawled as he faced Cameron. "Be ready."
"I am," she replied.
They were unsure what would happen when they exited the room, so Cameron disabled her sheath and clothing, trading them for shields.
Luckily, when they exited, neither of the Spartan IVs pointed their weapons at them. Instead, the leader of Crimson escorted them to the hanger bay.
Miranda joined them later after she was done with her strategy meeting with Alice-130 at her side.
"Glad you got my message," Cortana echoed out of the Chief's speakers.
"Good thing, too. Looked like Serin was vying to corner her again," Alice said with a relieved tone resonating in her raspy voice.
"We knew revealing ourselves would have consequences," Miranda voiced sadly. "They have every right to question our intentions."
"Think they'll try something?" Alice asked as they moved into the Delta Flyer.
"Not yet," Cortana replied. "They need us for now."
"For now," Cameron echoed. "We need to have a plan to exfiltrate should they turn on us."
Miranda nodded. "We're under too much suspicion not to be watching our backs."
Finally, the Chief weighed in. "If they come after us, it won't be when we're at our best. They'll wait until we're vulnerable."
"During or after an attack would be the most ideal time to stab us in the back," Cortana surmised, and Cameron agreed.
"We'll deal with it," Miranda said finally before moving into the cockpit with Cameron on her tail. "We'll talk to John Henry about it after we get back."
Alice nodded in agreement while taking hold of a handhold. The Chief mirrored the movement as the Delta Flyer took off.
Privately, the Master Chief spoke to Cortana. "We need to talk," he said simply.
She sighed, "I know, Chief. After we're done strategizing with John Henry, we'll find somewhere quiet."
He felt something rise in his chest. An emotion he didn't always know how to deal with was anxiety. He knew how to manage it before a battle, but this kind of situation was unknown. It wasn't life or death, but it felt more significant. The stakes were much higher in his mind.
Maybe he'd talk to Connor about it if he had the chance.
March 6, 2558
1600 Hours
UNSC Spirit of Fire
Captain James Cutter greeted his old XO when he stepped off his Pelican.
"Admiral Hood, welcome aboard."
After the mutual salute, Hood shook his old captain's hand. "Thank you, Captain."
Hood's eyes roamed the launch bay searching for familiar faces and found a few. He mentally reserved time to at least contact each of the surviving crew he'd once served with once this mess was over.
"After all this time, she's still one of the finest ships in the fleet."
Cutter watched as Hood drank in the nostalgia for a moment before he snapped back to the present. "I've read your report. Hell of thing you did."
Cutter motioned for Hood to follow him, and the man followed.
"What we did," Cutter corrected. "I couldn't have done it without my crew."
"I've seen the Flood, what they're capable of. You took them on without a clue as to what they were and survived. And you dealt with an Arbiter."
"Is there a point to this, Admiral?"
"Other than to point out that everything that happened to you and your crew after finding that artifact on Harvest was history-defining? That the decisions made in that short period of time culminated in one of the greatest victories the UNSC could count during that damned war?"
"Yes, sir."
Hood winced; he was not going to get used to that any time soon.
They entered a turbo lift, and Cutter ordered them to the bridge. When the doors slid shut, Hood turned to him and answered.
"You managed to make all the right decisions at one of the most critical junctures in the war, and I couldn't retrieve one log buoy."
Cutter figured out pretty quickly what he was talking about. "The one we dropped at Arcadia?"
"Yeah, that one."
"What happened?" Cutter asked, despite knowing what had happened based on Hood's service record, but he wanted to hear it for himself.
Hood kept his features as straight as possible as he began to explain. "During the closing hours of the Battle of Arcadia, I was ordered to retrieve your log buoy, but not to engage the Covenant."
"You saw what they did and couldn't stop yourself," Cutter surmised.
Hood glanced at him, surprised at his guess for a moment before remembering that Cutter knew young Terrence Hood better than Hood himself did.
"More or less," Hood confirmed. "I was transferred off the Roman Blue soon after."
"And the buoy was picked up by the Covenant."
"And wasn't recovered, to my knowledge," Hood explained sadly. "We never knew where you went nor why."
Cutter's head dipped a little before setting his shoulders. "That explains why no one ever found us."
"For what its worth," the old admiral breathed out, "I'm sorry I failed you and this crew."
Hood's face was repentant, and it was the most emotion Cutter had seen on his old first officer for the first time since their reunion.
"We all make mistakes, Terrence," Cutter reminded him, assuring him that he didn't blame him. "Even if you had found the buoy, I'm not sure things would have turned out for the better."
Cutter wondered sometimes that the UNSC not finding the remnants of the Shield World was for the better. They might have unleashed the Flood unknowingly and caused a catastrophe.
Hood set his jaw as the lift reached his destination. "I made sure they were taken care of, Jim."
The captain's eyes met Hood's eyes as the lift doors opened. "I appreciate that, Admiral. This crew is going to need a lot more of that charity if we survive this."
"I've already started working on it," Hood informed. He'd already directed a whole group of people to begin drawing up documents to make sure they got the help they needed. Back pay, housing accommodations, locating remaining living relatives, and other necessities."
"Good," Cutter replied. "Ready for the tour, Admiral?"
The briefest hint of a smile crossed the wrinkled face of Lord Terrence Hood before he said: "Lead the way, Captain."
The two spent the next several hours going over the renovations before they would ultimately end up in the Captain's ready room for a much-needed drink.
Fifteen hours previous...
March 6, 2558
0300 Hours
Onyx Dyson Sphere
Skynet watched as the last of its new fleet left its construction berth.
Each of the new vessels was based on the same architecture as the Narada, only smaller and more nimble. They weren't as sophisticated as the probe that it had sent after John Connor due to time constraints, but they would suffice to take out anything thing that the UNSC or the Covenant could throw at them.
The vessels were identical to each other in every way, down to the machines that crewed them.
They were each 400 meters long, 150 meters wide and tall, and equipped with adaptive Borg-inspired shield matrices for protection. They lacked warp drives but were equipped with Skynet's own homegrown slipspace drive that would get them to their destination more quickly than any warp drive Skynet could conjure up.
Weapons were limited to bunker buster missiles the Narada was famous for and 10 disruptor banks each for long and close-range fighting. Skynet had considered additional weapons but decided that these would be enough for the mission at hand.
Transports were a must on all the ships, in case something of interest was found, among other equipment for salvaging artifacts and debris.
The ships would have no cloaking device due to time constraints. They were expendable anyway, and Skynet didn't care if they were lost as long as they accomplished their goal.
Since the first one had rolled off of the proverbial assembly line 45 hours previously, Skynet had tweaked the operating systems and the Terminators that would be stationed within them until it was satisfied with their performance.
Now that the last one was complete, Skynet gave the machines and their vessels their orders and sent them off to Requiem, a 15-hour journey with their new drives.
Skynet gave them little mind after they disappeared and turned back to its other projects.
The Huragok under its command had revealed many secrets in the last two days, and Skynet had used that knowledge to conceptualize two new kinds of Terminators, each based on a living human.
One would be the ultimate infiltrator, and the other, the ultimate killing machine.
Its mainline Terminator, the T-995, would not receive any upgrades until Skynet learned how to toe the line more closely between a machine that could think independently and remain loyal and one that wouldn't. They were deadly enough as they were with their tritanium endo skeletons and exotic power cells that allowed them extraordinary strength, endurance, and a degree of self-repair.
The HK line was also receiving upgrades but at a more modest pace. They'd been effective already, and with better sensors, armor, and weapons, they became the perfect pair with the T-995s on the battlefield.
Besides all of that, Skynet was slowly unlocking the catalog of secrets this place held, and it was truly a vast collection of technology, most of it prototypes and cutting-edge designs, but some things were very old.
One of them caught Skynet's eye, and now it was in the process of trying to locate this massive, ancient relic.
The Forerunners had once experimented with transdimensional travel long ago, and Skynet wanted to know what they'd found.
A/N: 10 years to the day!
R&R, you know the routine :P
-OZ