The Bridge was buzzing more furiously than normal as the unknown contact dropped into the Infinity's airspace. Hood eyed the now complete scans of the craft as soon as it did, ignoring most of what was going on around him including the Kid barking out orders to corral the fleet into a less frenzied state at the first contact. Hood had to admit the ship was pretty sleek, but he still didn't like how exposed the canopy was. It obviously wasn't a military ship, most likely civilian, yet still bigger than any of his fighters by a full measure of them. It would pop them out of the sky if it wanted to, but even the smallest mini mac would shred it to pieces shielding or not.
"...And keep the targeting close but not locked! Lets not fuck a fresh start up people!" Lasky yelled out as Hood zoned back in.
"What do we have, Roland." Hood called out after the kid was done and could return the strategic side of things.
He flickered back to the command table after doing his part as the de facto XO of the Infinity. Hood didn't have a problem with it. He'd be signing some digital sapient rights bill at some point sometime soon. Reforms impossible during the war, and now imperative to completing the kid's objectives that was just laid out for him.
Roland said, "Sir, definitely a fusion reactor. Get this, using pure hydrogen."
"Not deuterium?" Lasky asked with his hand on his chin, staring intently at the ship and the direct visual of it beside the holographic model.
It had a slick blue pearlescent paint, and obviously a civilian job. Though there were markings that could denote flag and rank he saw on the sides of the flattop of its hull. It was certainly human, and name in plain English also there for any to see, the Tycho Brahe.
"No sir. It was scooping direct from the corona to fuel it. Pound for pound not as powerful as ours, but much more efficient and cooler running overall. It's using helium exhaust gas from the reaction for the thusters, at low output right now keeping the ship at relative zero. Energy shielding, but I've found a couple spots that could be generators, and couple spots that could be their drive, it's weird sir. It's like they're two of those things."
"Primary and a backup. And maybe that explains the first signal source. Two kinds of drives. What about their systems, think you could get in if necessary?" Hood asked.
Roland thought a second, "I'm getting a weird feeling from that too sir. Like there's something in the deep starting back when I look at it. Maybe another AI. It would be a big risk to try."
"They haven't tried to poke you have they?" Lasky asked.
"No sir…hold up. I'm getting power fluctuations. Their deploying weapons! Two lasers and two missile launchers!"
The bridge was a fury again as they prepared for war once again. Lasky kept his head to Hood's approval. He threw his hand up, "Hold! Our orders were clear. They haven't fired yet, and if they aren't brain dead they know they're no match for us. Roland, analyze those power fluctuations."
He flickered for a moment, "Apologies sir, I may have jumped the gun there. The fluctuations were to lower outputs, and I'm reading those hard points as cold. We're being scanned directly, sir."
"It's alright. Better safe than sorry. Is it invasive?"
"No more than a basic scan, sir. The contact is moving again."
"You still haven't broken though?"
"No sir. I've tired the previous line, and this new frequency but still no dice."
"They're just scanners." Hood said, "They wont be able to talk to us though them, even if we could get to them. That looks like a respectful speed. Where's it going?"
Roland calculated a predicted path for a fraction of a second, "Looks like the main comm array sir."
"So they're trying to get though to us. Orders sir?" Lasky asked.
Hood smiled warmly, "It's your ship Lasky. I'm just here for the ride."
Lasky scoffed with a smile, "Keep a patrol at a respectful distance, but let it happen. I suspect they'll scan our comms and key to our channels. Prepare for any intrusion from it."
"Yes sir." Roland flickered as he multi-taksed the myriad of follow on orders to fulfill his captain's simple ones. One of those orders was to his heavy hitter on board to get ready to defend, with firm instance that only defenses be prepared.
They watched the ship more quietly approach the Infinity. Around it was a bubble of pelicans and condors keeping their distance, but ready to pounce on nearly all sides. If they had a ship like that, twice the size of any of their fighters with shields and energy weapons, the war against the Covenant would have been just that. Not a slow bloodletting as even total losses were considered victories if enough of the of enemy went with them.
When it got a couple kicks out the ship slowed down to an even 100 meters per second, doing 200 before. If it was anywhere close to top speed was anyone guess, but it was casually doing most of his fighters top speed to get to where it was. As it approached the main comm towers jutting from the top of the ship, it slowed even further and further until it stopped at half a klick.
"The comms array is being scanned. Same as before. They must gave to get this close to focus in on a specific modules. A 6 kilometer super carrier is easy at range. Not really surprising." Roland said.
"Still a friendly scan?" Lasky asked.
"Annnd, yes. They're done and retracting their hard points. No attempted incursions."
"Alright, let's give them a moment to solve the communication problems." Lasky replied.
A moment later and static came though on an open frequency, "...Commander...Brahe…"
"Zeroing in, it's like the protocol was written on the fly, either this guy is that good…"
"Or he does have an AI." Hood finished.
"Got it!" Roland said.
"...Do you read Infinity?"
Laskey answered, "We read you Tycho Brahe. You had us worried for a moment there."
"My apologies Infinity. I needed to hit you with my data link scanner to resolve our comms. In order to do use the d-link you have to deploy hard points even if they aren't on that fire group. I assume you saw they weren't powered."
"Indeed we did, and it saved us from a misunderstanding, so thanks for that. Your first was still broken up. I'm captain Lasky of the UNSC Infinity. To whom am I speaking to?"
"Commander John Doe, Independent Pilot of the Pilot's Federation. I don't have any authority to do so, but I greet you on behalf of the wider galaxy, and humanity in general."
There was a long moment of silence on the bridge of the Infinity, broken only by a few sobs of relief, some of joy, others still of mourning. Hood simply closed his eyes and held his head low. Lasky almost joined that fray but collected himself as a professional officer would. He said, "Commander, you have no idea how good it is to hear you say that. Thank you."
Doe chucked a bit on the other side of the line, "Don't count your blessings yet, captain. There's a lot of chaos you're about to walk into. A lot of webs that could tangle around you. The powers that be may not like your entrance onto the galactic stage, with a ship like this behemoth you've got. There's a careful balance being maintained to prevent arms races and total galactic war between the super powers."
Lasky grimaced. It obviously wasn't all sunshine and roses, but the friendly greeting and confirmation of human galactic society was nice while it lasted. He said, "Thanks for the fair warning. Perhaps we can talk about it face to face. We've got plenty of room for you to land you're ship."
"I'm willing to oblige. First a couple ground rules though. Don't touch my fucking ship, captain. I will know, if you do. Second, I won't be disarmed. I've shown some trust with my ship's weapons, I'll show even more when I park in your bay and leave my ship unattended. You can show some in return with my personal armaments."
Lasky's eyebrows shot up the forcefulness of the requests, a 180 turn from how the conversation was going, and Hood rose one of his strong brows up. Lasky thought a moment, and decided he had enough security on hand to make that work. And the requests weren't exactly unreasonable.
"I agree to those terms, commander. I'll gave a couple pelicans escort you in, and the way will be lit."
"See you in a few captain. Doe out."
"That didn't go bad." Hood said.
Lasky shook his head, "But he's obviously attached to that ship, and has trust issues."
"So do we" Hood replied.
Lasky nodded, "Yes sir. Roland, make the preparations, and get the Chief and blue team."
"Aye aye, sir." Roland said before flickering off
Lasky motioned for the Admiral to make way, and as he did Hood scoffed and started walking. He said, "You're welcome."
"For?" Lasky asked as they were about to hit the bridge door to the trams.
Hood kept his smile, "Blue team. Chief scored that win on 04, and I thought it would be nice to get him back with his old team. Give them all a damn day off to celebrate our first real victory of the whole damn war. I hate what we did to those kids. I have since I first read the spartan two files. Anyway, I was going to have them operate together again. Shock and awe against whatever the hell the Covenant was after. Their real goals besides exterminating humans. That's what 04 was about. They were there at the ceremony."
"So now they're here with us. It feels dirty. Us getting out." Lasky said as people stopped and turned to attention at the presence of their passing CO, and his CO.
"How do you think I feel? The Admiral that should have gone down with his ship. The one that blew the damn ship up while he wasn't on it."
"We need you sir."
"We need you more, Lasky. And Blue team. Not some old and tired man." His tone brooked no argument.
"Thank you, sir."
"You're welcome." He said as they hit the tram and it took off.
"I don't have clearance for the spartan two files. I knew something was off when Chief saved my life at the academy. Fred, Kelly, and Linda took their helmets off on the evac bird, and they looked even younger than us."
"You'll have it Lasky. You'll get sick reading it. All of it." Hood said while staring off.
Lasky stared off himself, and so did the tram yeoman. They knew not to hear what they were hearing, let alone speak of it. The tram continued along its path until it hit the hanger bay assigned for touchdown. It only had some cargo in it, no ships docked because they weren't made and delivered before the departure of the Infinity. It didn't really need cleared at all, the cargo was off to the side in it's assigned staging areas.
Blue team was already there, along with Sgt Major Johnson and a squad of ODSTs. Too much security would be threatening, so there weren't any more, and the Roland gave the orders for the Spartans to say off to the side and out of sight. That wasn't a problem for any of them, but one had to be told yet again that only defensive moves be made. Roland didn't want to see what was on the other side of that cold abyss, and didn't want whatever it was on his ship. They cargo bay's were natural Faraday cages, and would shield the rest of the Infinity from any tricks.
The ODST's and Sgt Johnson snapped to attention when the two officers stepped in the doorway to the place. Lasky and Hood both met it with nods, and they took a moment to affix his own breathing mask lest there be alien pathogens. The ODST's had their helmets, and Johnson his own mask.
"Whada we got, sir. You think we'll have to kick some ass?" Johnson confidently asked.
Lasky smiled, hearing much about the famed Sgt Major Avery Johnson, and now seeing the legend for himself. He replied, "Hopefully not, but be ready if we do. They're human we know that much. Just ones we've never met before."
"Yes sir!" He said, "God I love the Corps. Every damn day is an adventure."
Lasky and hood cracked smiles and chuckled. The ODSTs didn't chuckle, but did have smiles underneath their signature helmets and BDUs.
The ship was now in sight of the bay, and started a slow approach towards the energetic field covering the entrance to prevent decompression. As it did Dr. Halsey then caught up in a fashionable manner. Hood wasn't happy about that, but she was the only thing the ship had for a chief science officer, slash chief engineer, slash chief of medical, and would been needed to at least scan for pathogens.
"What did I miss." The arrogance of the woman grated him.
"They haven't docked yet, Halsey." Hood said.
"I can see that. I know we're in another galaxy. That much was clear from the anomalous drive data as soon as I saw it. Whom are we meeting?"
"A human. An independent pilot of the Pilot's Federation. I reckon he just stumbled onto us going somewhere else." Hood said as the ship entered the field and slowed down even more.
"Well thank the gods he did. We wont survive to a harvest. If there's a human civilization out there, we need their help." She said as it gently touched down.
Dr. Obvious, she was. Hood said, "I know."
The pilot got up from his chair they saw, and they walked towards the main ramp that doubled as the front landing strut. The scale of the ship was truly put in prospective when they got as close as they were when the door started opening. It was well over twice the size of any analogous ship they had built, even heavy combat fighters. And it was apparently a normal civilian ship to have.
They tensed as their airlock cycled and the door finally swung open. The pilot took the first step onto the escalator platform, and first contact had begun.