Chapter 1: The Begining of the Machine.
*The sound of gunfire fills the air*
*Men are screaming, both in fear and in courage*
As I open my eyes I see fire before me… I try to move, but can’t. Beyond the fire there are figures moving… I can’t move still, even with all of my might. I try to scream, but I’m cut short. I notice that I’m trapped under a large section of metal, but from what and how did I get trapped under it? I can’t stand it! Just can’t! I try with all of my might. No results.
Explosions rock around me, shrapnel flying around me. A large piece entered my eye, through my broken visor. I attempt to scream, and I had success, but with all the things going on no one could have heard me.
My blood from my eye slowly creeps down my face, covering my other eye. I can’t do anything, can’t move, can hardly scream, and now I can’t see.
With the darkness I get the urge to rest. Just a little nap, then I can throw this metal off of me and go home…… I slowly pass out………*Heat intensifies*
*Images of a small apartment complex, a meadow, a couple…*I slowly wake up, yet I still can’t see for that my own blood has caked around my eyes. I can tell that the fighting is still going on, and the fire gets nearer…
I hear a vehicle come near, and soldiers conversing. I feel someone or something pull away the weight on my back. Just as I’m begin to grasp for breath I’m lifted above the ground. I’m then tossed into the back of a vehicle, presumably a warthog. I now begin to pass out as the vehicle gains speed……
*The breeze is calm and soothing...*
I hear voices. I still can't see, but at least I can move. Wait...I'm strapped down... I can move, yet still can't...I hope I'm gonna be alright...I decide to go back to dreaming, or at least try...
*Flashes of light*
*Sounds of a saw, and other machinery*
*more voices*
I slowly open my eyes...I can finally see, but only out of one eye... What I notice around me is a small medical room... Lightly lit, with only a couple of plants and a small desk with a computer on it. I study this location with interest, the last time I've been in a hostpital room was when I was eight. Yet I still can't move, I'm strapped under the sheets. After a few minutes of looking around a small nurse came in.
"Oh you're awake, I'll go get the doctor." -The nure said as she entered, but quickly turned around.
Within minutes the same nurse, another nurse, and a much older man entered the room. The young women strolling a stretchers at their sides.
"Good evening Mr.Conan. Sleep well?" -the older man asked.
"Sleep well? You think I slept well? Well just to let you know I'm glad to be awake." I answered.
"Well I guess that's good to know. Now if you don't mind Mrs.Shallen here will give you some meds. An-" -The man was saying as I cut him off.
"No. No more meds. Not yet. Tell me what happened, and why I'm here."
"Sorry but I have no knowledge of what you have been through."
I made a move to get up, but I came to a stop. I couldn't move...Then a shock came to my mind.
"Remove the covers. Remove them now!" -I said with protest.
"Mr.Conan, are you sure?" -The original nurse asked.
"Yes! I'm sure! I want to see what's under them!"
The woman nodded and stepped towards the bed. Behind her the man was shaking his head. When she got to the edge of the bed she slowly lifted the sheets. Not three seconds later the Heart Rate machine went of the scale. My right leg was gone, half my left leg gone, my right arm was missing it's hand, and my left arm was gone up to the half way mark of the fore arm. I passed out.......
*More bright lights*
*Some surgical men, working slowly and calmly*
"More images*
I don't know how long I was out, but I actually thought I was dead. I awaken with full sight and sharp senses. The room I was in seemed very clean, too clean in fact. It was fully lit with light from sife windows covering the wall. The place seemed spotless, and undoubtly creepy. I looked around, presumably for an assistance lever. None. But luckily a nurse walked by the door and saw that I was awake.
"Oh...hang on, I'll go get Doctor Jennings." -She said as she hung in the door way.
"Jenning?" -I must have still been on some meds.
Well in took about another three minutes for the doctor to arrive.
"Good day Mr.Conan. Think you can walk?" -Doctor "Jennings" said as he enterd the door.
"Walk? But I just woke up. AND yesterday I saw that I was missing my legs and arms."
"Mr.Conan, that was over a week ago."
"Over a week!"
"Yes. I see that your implanted chips are working just fine."
"Implanted chips!"
"It's hard to explain, but you will soon be able to leave this place in two days."
"Kinda short? Don't you think."
"Well that's the max. If you pass all of the courses you may leave soon. Maybe you can re join the army."
"Well I would like to leave early. Rejoining the Arm-" -I stopped short. "What happened to me that brought these events to life?"
"Well...on your ride from the UNSC Frigate Rennings your pelican was fired upon by seraphs. Your ride made it down to the surface in safety. And when you and your fellow comrades were jumping out yo-" -I stopped him.
"Wraith?"
"Yes."
"Just one hit flipped the bird?"
"Yes. Now I guess that proves that you can remember exact events."
"Okay, but how can I walk."
"You want to see?"
"Yes!"
The doctor came over and lifted the sheets. Both legs and both arms look fine.
"How the-" -I gasped.
"Robotic limbs, eye, and some steel plates through out your body."
"So I'm like a.....spartan...."
"Not really, but you're tougher than the average marine, and in your chest we have a light weight bullet proof plate cabable to take a lot of heat, but not too much, so you're able lot more."
"Well I guess that's good."
"Oh...one more thing, we kinda implanted a "smart" AI into your skull/suit."
"My skull? Suit?"
"You are now more of a machine, you have electronic devices throughout your body."
"And the AI?"
"Her name is Jonie."
"...Jonie..."
..................................................
"Well if I have an AI in me, then was isn't it working? And why was one added?" -I asked. I thought it was cool to have an AI in me.
"The AI was added under strict military rule. So they made us put one in you," -Was one of his answers. "As of right now, the AI is under "shut-down" we will activate her momentarily."
"Okay, cool. Now can I get up?"
"You'll have to do the eye exam first."
"Eye exam?"
"Yes. I'll hand you a holo pad, then from there just do as the directions say."
"Okay."
The Doctor walked out the door. From here I examined my limbs; I flexed my arms, what wigged me out was the blue,yellow,and red lights eminating from my wrist. Then I tried my legs, and after flexing my legs I noticed that the calf lit up with lights too.
"I wonder what my eye looks like?" -I asked myself.
I looked around for something that's reflective. I saw a small mirror on the counter next to my bed. I "jigged" towards the mirror. But before I could notice what my eye was like, the doctor re-appeared.
"Well here's the exam. We're just now preping the AI, so once she's activated, the only way to de-activate her is from extracting here from you." -He said as he walked in through the door, looking down at a holo pad.
"Bout' time."
He handed my the pad. I just stared at him.
"What?" -He asked.
"Hands."
"Oh yea."
He de-straped me from the bed. I grabbed the pad and read the instructions. The test was no different from the times when I was young. I just flew through the them. Look at dot as it moved around the pad, close one eye and follow the dot, have one eye one each dot. Nothing different.
"Done." -I said within minutes.
"Well that was fast."
"Can I walk now?"
"I presume." -He spoke as he got up from a chair at a desk in the back of the room. He wlked up to the next to the bed and unstraped my legs.
"Is it going to be different?" -I asked as I sat up.
"Maybe a little."
"And if it's not?"
"You just have to take a few more test."
"Ugh..."
I slid off of the bed and re-took my first steps. It seemed fairly easy, but I guess that's from the chips and electronics in my body.
"Fairly easy." -I said as I walked around the room.
"Good to know. Want to go after the test, or just walk around."
"Test. Then I can go home."
"If you pass."
"If I pass."
"Okay Mr.Conan," - the Doctor said as I followed him through the hospital. "First we'll to a joint test, so we're sure that your joints won't break when you walk, then we'll do a running tests, jumping test, squatting test, and a stretching test. Then we'll do your arms: Strength, stretch, and rotation."
"Sure, what ever you want." -Was my reply.
I followed him through the halls, until we went to a "testing" facility. There were multiple rooms, faculty, and machinary/electronics. We then entered a large room. Inside the room was some machine to test my jumping/running/ect. The workers attached some electron pads to my leg joints and my chest, for my heart rate.
The stretches were easy, nothing hard. Then they set my up on the treadmill. First I did a slow jog, then a run, then a sprint: But something didn't feel right, like I didn't have full control or like I had extreme senses or something.
*Bright lights*
*Some figures conducting tests*
*More bright lights*
After that old experience I noticed that I was finished with the test.
"Anything odd happen? Symptons? Anything?" -Some tester asked.
"I felt like I didn't have full control, or th-"
"Just like we suspected."
"What do you mean?"
"Those effects will wear off over time. The electronics just took over. No biggie, you eventually be able to control them, or your AI will help."
"Oh...okay, anything I should do to keep that from happening?"
"Just try to keep consiounce(spell)"
I just nodded.
"Ready to get your AI?"
"Yes."
WE walked down another long hall, into another testing room. There I had to sit down in a chair and be given some more meds.
"The AI will be placed in the back of your skull," -one of the technitions told me.
"What would happen if 'she' went crazy, would she take over my 'body'?"
"If she did then a fail safe device would immediatly kick in and disconnect her."
"Okay, got it."
The technitions pulled back the chair and strapped me down. As soon as I was begining to pass out they started their bussiness.
*Bright lights*
*Figures cast silohouets-sp-*
*Image of a young lady*
*Darkness*
"Hello...?" -came the voice of a seemenly young woman.
I parted my eyes open, but not a lot. I still felt drowsey.
"Wha-....who..." -I muttered as I awoke.
"You finally decide to awake, I thought so since your life moniters starting to come to life." -Came the voice again.
I opened my eyes some more. Another small clean, spotless, room.
"Wha- where am I?"
"Medical Room 322, St.Clarian's hospital, Reed's city, planet Thars VII, the Aldereen system. The time is 12:23:42."
"And where would you be?"
"Well look behind you and you may just see me."
I turned around, just to see a pillow. I looked back the front of the room. Then it hit me.
"Jonie?" -I asked, kinda felling stupid for looking behind me when I'm laying in a bed against a wall, second for talking to no one in an empty room.
"Ha-ha! Got you. Glad to actually see that you are awake, I've been getting bored in here." -The AI laughed.
"Hey I'm on meds. Give me a chance." -I muttered, now that I think about it, it is kinda funny for actually expecting someone behind me.
"Well your health systems have a low dosage of medications, so you shouldv'e expected me."
"You remind me of my mother."
"Don't worry I'll be more like a sister."
"I heard AI's aren't suppose to be 'smart'"
"Well my designer specifically designed me for herself, but after she heard of you she decided to give me to you as a gift."
"Well the time I meet her I'll ask them to take you back." -I smirked.
"Yea, real funny."
"So how I'm I suppose to see you?"
"You'll be given a holo-ejecter, that's built onto your chest plate."
"Chest plate? But that's already built into me."
"Not that one, the one you'll be given to."
"What do you mean?"
"The UNSC marines core is going to issue you a new combat suit, so then you may continue you duty."
"Duty! I'm a quad amputie! There is no way I'm fit for combat." -I objected.
"Why else to you think they gave you strength enhanced limbs, and a heat protective layer plate on each limb and your chest?" -She seemed very serious.
"What! You got to be kidding me!" -I yelled as I jumped up from the bed and marched out of the room in a full hospital gown.
"I'm not. Careful a UNSC officer is waiting at the entrance for you." -She seemed very serious, yet she also seemed like she was haveing a blast.
"Well he's going to have to have the whole UNSC to stop me."
"Well if you mean fourty soldiers, eight warthogs, and an armored personel carrier..."
I stopped in the halls, some passing civilians looked at me like I was some covenant species.
"Oh S-" -I turned around and headed quickly for a bathroom.
Before I even got close to entering through the doors I was haulted.
"Mr.Conan? I' glad to see that you're active. Has Jonie been any fun?" -It was Docter Jennings.
"Umm. yes she has been, a lot of fun." -I answered uneasily.
"He's been a lot of fun too." -Jonie said joyfully.
"Nice to hear from you Jonie. Mr.Conan, you have some visitors, so you must dress quickly." -Doctor Jennings said. He grabbed my arm and pulled my away.
He took me back to my room, and into the room's bathroom. He left me there alone for a few seconds and came back shortly after. He had a full stack of clothing on his arms. He handed them to me and told me to put them on as quickly as possible.
The clothing consisted of a pair of dark blue jeans, and drab green tee shirt. I slowly put them on, and slugged myself out of the bathroom, knowing that the faster I go the faster I'll be on the front lines.
I exited the bathroom once I finished dressing.
"Ready? Your visitor is waiting in the main lobby." -Dr. Jennings said as amusing as a possible.
"Yes, do you know who my visitor is?" -I asked, trying to see if he knew.
"I'm sorry but I mustn't give out that kind of information."
"Oh, okay."
I followed the doctor into an elevator, down to the main lobby, and to the officer. The officer was dressed decently, with around seven UNSC marines around him. He didn't say a word, just pointed at me, which brought his guards to nudge me out the door and into the APC.
"Okay, where we're taking you is with-held. Don't ask any questions, no smart mouth answers, and no holding up our schedule. If you do any of those you'll time in the field would start later, but be even longer." -Some soldier wearing a mask, inside of the APC ordered me.
And off we went...
The ride was smooth, but it was long. The APC was filled with at least ten soldiers, inluding the officer. The cabin was muggy and no openings were aloud to come open. It was so miserable that I passed out.
*Small conficed area, filled with figures.*
*Red lights*
*Image of a woman*
*The outer perimeter of a military base*
*Small, lightly lit room*
*Bright Lights*
"Where I am?" -I muttered, trying to keep my head up.
"You mean where are you?" -Someone said, it sounded like Jonie.
"Yea, that."
"You are aboard the UNSC Carrier Dawn of the Universe."
"What! I'm in Orbit!" -I jumped up, and I hit my head on the cieling.
"Smooth one..., but no you aren't in orbit. Instead you are in slipspace."
"Slipspace..... Last I remember I was in an APC heading to some hidden ONI facility, but I passed out."
"You were, but you didn't pass. Your body functoins were taken over, and your internal systems took control. You were awake the whole time, cause how did you know it was an ONI facility"
"Again.... Okay then...where are we going?"
"The planet Farse."
"Farse?"
"Yes Farse."
"And why are we going there?"
"You are going to help some ODST take over an old Covenant outpost. The outpast was recently reclaimed by the Covenant, so now we're on our way to clear it out."
"Sounds easy."
"Should be. With ODST. But you'll going to have to go into the deeper parts alone. Some Forruner structure is beneath the base."
"Why alone?"
"I'm not sure..."
"So where exactly am I?" -I asked as I jumped down from the bunk.
"Bunk #532. The armory is down the hall, on your left.
"The Armory..."
"Yes, Sergeant Wilkins is in charge there. He'll breif you."
The corridors were small and compacted as I attempted to find my way to the Armory. Everynow and then I'd past a marine or two, which one of us had to press against the wall to make room.
"Jonie. This ship. Is it going to attach itself to another one of our fleets?" -I asked as I scurried through the halls.
"Not with us aboard. After we make it to the planet's surface then ship, and the other twelve destroyers and seven cruisers will head towards Earth and reunite with another fleet, which both will then go to another system. Currently unknown." -She answered with some detail.
"Down twelve more meters and on the left." She said as I was looking through some of the ships 'ports'.
I listened to what she said and found that the Armory was indeed twelve meters away. I walked into one of the ships many armories. The room was emense, and packed with weapons from assault rifles to rockets to C-7 explosives.
"Good-day, Corporal Conan. I'm assured that you'll need to be instructed on how to go down in an HEV." -Someone said from behind me as I was looking at some battlerifles.
"Wha-...corporal.....HEV?" -I muttered to myself.
"Yes that's right, you'll be going down in an HEV. Yes you've been promoted to a corporal." -I turned around to noticed a Sergeant looking at an assault rifle in his arms. He was fairly tall, dark skin, not to muscular looking though.
"I have? Well the HEV thing better be easy."
"It is, just sit in the small compacted space, and pray that you don't crash in a dangerous location."
"Well hopefully I don't. When do we drop?"
"The second those pods fall from the ship."
"That that's easy to know. Now, how the heck do I work one of those things."
"Like I said farily simple." -The Sergeant put back the assault rifle and led me towards a replica of an HEV. He showed me how to lock myself in, work it's COM, and deploy chutes manually, and how to get out without dieing.
"Now exiting slipspace. All crew must now be prepped for launch, ETA four hours." -The COM came to life inside of the whole armory.
"Well now you better select your weapons." -The sergeant looked at me with a grin on his face.
"Weapons, what kind of weapons?" -I asked, selecting weapons seemed amusing instead of just be given an assault rifle.
"Well you can fit at least four large assault rifles, two at each side. So what do you want?" -The Sergeant too seemed amused by what I'd say.
I looked around the armory...
"I'll take one battlerifle, two smg's, and a...ah....." -I looked more around the room, I grabbed the weapons that I selected and kept moving.
"I recommend a shot-gun...or an assault rifle." -Jonie recommended.
"Shot-gun." -I declared.
"Well that would make a tight fit, but you'll be good. Now do you want any assecories?" -The Sergeant asked.
"Assecories? A grenade launcher on the battlerifle, silencers for the smgs and a red dot sight for those too, and that's all." -I told him.
"Okay then, I'll set you up. Speaking of grenades, do want any frags?"
"Yes sure, a belt of six would be nice."
"You got it, stay here and I'll bring you your weapons in a few minutes. Then I'll escort you down to the HEV's." -The sergeant patted me on my shoulder and walked away into another room.
I walked about the armory looking at the weapons, chatting with Jonie. Jonie has become real friendly too me, well some what more. Some of the weapons I would've chosen, like the rocket launcher or the sniper rifle, but I figured that some other ODST would have that weapon. Anyways I'm not too sure if I could be as accurate.
The Sergeant came back with all of my weapons, this time another sergeant came with him from the back of the room. The second sergeant had my combat gear. They both escorted my down the hall, with me carrying everything, towards the luanch location. Carrying everything didn't seem so bad, must have been the new parts that were added to me.
We entered into a semi-small room, HEV pods lined both ends of the room. The second sergeant led me to a smaller room where I was to change into my gear.
My gear was like any other kind of armor, except that it would stretch to any degree. The material was also different, and I was able to change it's color from a pad on the chest. Jonie was even able to appear from a small lense in my right shoulder pad. She looked like any other AI that I have seen, except that she was much, much younger. Kinda cute too....
Well, with everything on, I was ready to be dropped to the surface. The first sergeant pulled me aside and handed me a helmet.
"This helmet here, has two length exstending parts. The visor may come off, you have a HUD, a COM even a private on for you and Jonie. Now with helmet may save your life. It shows where your injured, your location, ammo, and with your electronic body it will allow you to do some pretty crazy things, so be careful." -The sergeant seemed very serious in his words.
"I will." -I answered back to him. I slipped the helment on and immediatly it slowly come too life.
"And take these two boys, and some more ammo." -He handed me two magnums, both with an extended clips, and a large bag full of ammo.
I nodded and saw that the rest of the ODST were entering their HEV. The sergeant pointed out which one I was assigned.
My HEV was bulkier than the others, and have a more stealth design. I grabbed my weapons and placed them into the back corners. I pulled myself through and locked myself down. The hatch came down and I was left in total darkness.
There was a slight shaking within the HEV, then everything just seemed to be falling like a rock.
"Here we go! Let's do what ODST do best!" -some one cheered into the COM.
"Feet first," -another ODST chirped.
"Feet first..." -yet another answered back.
The whole HEV was shaking, but at least it was falling. A small blue screen came online, nearly blinding me. The screen showed of a planet, with over fifty little blue circles heading towards it, with one green square. Some of the cirles veered off into their own groups.
"Looks like some of them won't make it...." -Jonie murmmered.
"Yea..." -I shuttered.
As we drew nearer the chutes opened up. I felt myself be smashed into the seat, now I did not like riding these things. The screen showed us, the green square I presume, landing much farther off from the rest of the group, only two others were nearby. Some were headed towards mountainous terrain some small lakes.
There was a number near the left of the screen, it was falling. Very rapidly.
"Uhh...Jonie...it that our altitude? Cause it says two thousand feet...." -I wasn't ready...
We hit with a hard crash....
*Blackness*
What awoke me was a small, red, blinking light, Jonie's voice, and a lound banging sound.
"Jacob! Jacob Conan! Wake the heck up!" -Jonie was yelling into the com.
There was some muffling sound outside of the HEV, sounded like some voices.
"We've got to go, the covenant saw the trails from our HEV's, we've got to go. Now." -Jonie was very persistant.
"Yes, yes. HEV feels like an oven. I'm awake." - I said as I pulled my guns onto my lap. "If you can hear me, back away from the hatch!"
I pulled one of my legs up and kicked as hard as I could against the hatch. The hatch dented. I kicked again, then again. After that the hatch flew down to the ground.
"Hey man you alright? Come on we have got to go, we landed the close to a covenant forward outpost." -The man speaking to men helped pull me out.
We had landed in a small marshy area. The HEV had sunk somewhat into the ground. The sky was dark, and there were little clouds that I could make out. I slung my shot-gun onto my back. I clipped the two SMG's to my grenade belt, then I placed the two pistols into some holsters by my ankles. I held my battle rifle with one hand, aiming at the sky.
"Yes I'm alright. Some are we going to re-group with the others?"-I asked, looking around in the marsh, for any unexpecting hostiles.
"Nice to hear that, me and corporal Tomkins here had fallen off by five clicks from the others. We'll re-group at the covenant base, hopefully drawing attention to ourselves." -The ODST told me, he too seemed to be wary. Behind him stood the other ODST, Tomkins.
"We better get going, so which way's the base?" -I asked.
The ODST pointed in a direction. "It's right that a way, we should move in an arch, so we can avoid the outpost."
I nodded my head. The two ODST took the lead as we made our way towards the covenant base. I kept my head up and my eyes open. I listened for any un-familiar sound. We were taught to listen to our surrounding when covert, so then once the noises got accustom to us and there was a sound that shouldn't have belonged we would be even more alert.
There wasn't any movements, except the two ODST a head of me. Then there was some gun fire from ahead. The others must have been noticed. Then the shooting stoped, a frag exploded. The others seemed close, but that must have been due to the silence.
Then I heard something.
"Stop..."-I whispered, as I nudged the guy infront of me.
"What?" -The lead ODST asked, impaitient.
"I heard something"- I lifted my rifle, looking through the scope.
"I didn't hear anythi-" -The ODST was cut of by gun fire, this time really close, and this time it was intented for us.
"One O'clock! One O'clock!" -I screamed as I lifted my rifle as started to place rounds down towards that direction. Spiker rounds hit the trees beside us. The two ODST jumped to the ground as I just stood in the open shooting blinding.
I stopped for a second to check for anything. My eyesight in my left eye was good enough to see the brutes scurry behind trees, but with the helmet and it's advanced technology, helped much, much more. Markers marked each enemy hostile. There were four brutes, all behind small trees, dumb apes.
I brought my rifle up and begun to shoot at each target. The first two were simple. Then the other two began to get more aggressive, they began to shoot back, but their spikers couldn't do much good. I shot one, then the other one went rampant.
He charged my like a bull, heading straight for me. I pulled the rifles trigger again, but it was out of ammo. Not good for me. The brute was closing, quickly. I slowly walked back, I wondered why the ODST hadn't shot yet. It must've been the darkness, but I didn't care. I kept walking back as the brute quickly closed, if I was about to grab a clip when I went into a tree, making me fumble it around. I dropped the clip, but it was to late anyways, if I got the brute his body would have still hit.
As the brute got within twenty yards, I just decided to jump to the side. Which that helped, the brute went head first into the large tree, but the tree just snapped in half and the monster still stood just shocked.
This time he had some sense in him, he grabbed a spike grenade and armed it then threw it at me.
My life seemed wierd then. It was in slow motion, I saw the brute, the grenade, and both ODST raising their rifles. I seemed to have acted on my own, without thought, I went towards the grenande and grabbed it in mid-air by it's handle with my free arm. As I did that I flung it right back at the brute. Then everything seemed in regular motion, the grenade hit the brute immediatly exploding on him.
I stood there heaving, looking at the body of the brute, filled with spikes in his chest. The two ODST were shocked just standing there.
"How the heck..." -Jonie too was amazed.
"Dude...that was totally freakin' awesome..." -Both of the ODST said in unison.
"I don't know how I don't that..." -I looked at myself, I was still very much hyped up from the action.
"We better keep moving, scans show that the covenant are begining to know of our location. I advise that we keep all coms off, until contact with the enemy." -Jonie was advising us.
The two ODST just nodded, so did I. I lead the way this time, so they could tell of I heard something. We didn't see much, but after a while the other ODST were very much close. The must have been two clicks off. We kept advancing through the jungle foliage. Until we were behind a small embankment, which there I heard movement on the other side.
It sounded like ghosts, and there was some heavy breathing on the other side. We went prone and crawled up the embankment. I peered over to see several, about twelve brutes hiddden in the foliage. I halted the ODST from crawling up any further, I pushed myself back, afraid that the Brutes would smell or hear us.
Then there was gun fire, just on the other side of the embankment. Battlerifles and Spikers, there must have also been some brute shots. There was some yelling on to our right. I tapped the ODST to my left, which tapped the ODST to his left. I gave an arm motion to signal for them to attack. We leaped up and began to fire.
The brutes didn't see it coming, I took atleast five, four from headshots. The other ODST, that were with me got around three or four. The other ODST, not with us got the rest.
I jogged down the embankment towards the other ODST, while also watching my back.
"Well it looks like you've been in a mess," -An ODST that was in the front of the pack, he was looking at my armor, which was muddy from ankles to my stomach. "You okay? What about my boys back there?"
"We were in a mess, but yea we're all okay." -I answered, still hyped up.
"Well the covenant base is just around the bend there and about another two clicks, so they'll be digging in by now, possably sending out some more brutes or jackels." -The lead ODST seemed tired, they must've been through a lot more. "I want you to go with my sniper boy back there, and his spotter, just keep them guarded. They'll take you around to the back of the base, there you guys should find a path that leads up to a ledge that over looks the whole base."
"Yes, sir." -I nodded. I saw the sniper cleaning his scope off, and his spotter was wiping the binoculars. they both nodded.
"We'll sneak to front, and lay against the wall, I told our sniper what to do to the entrance guards. So just stick with them."
I nodded.
The lead ODST nodded and waved his men forward, then he waved for the two that were with me to join him.
"Dude you won't believe what we saw! It's was utterly amazing!" -Both of the ODST were just excited.
I cracked a smile as I watched them tell the others of what had happened as the group marched on. I looked back at the sniper and his partner, they both nodded and then we took flight towards the destination.
Within minutes the terrian that we stepped upon slowly became rocky. We were at the edge of a mountain, a very steep mountain. I wondered how long it would be until we found that path. Well the answer was, to the right. I just so happened to gaze upon it.
I tapped the ODST in front of me. He tapped the lead, then they both looked back at me. I pointed to the pathway. Both men just looked at me, then each other. They both shrugged then signaled that I should lead them up. So I started up the path.
Walking up the path wasn't very easy, nor was it hard. Every now and again there would be a thin strip of pathway, or some rock would give way. I noticed that we were getting higher, and I could see small bright blue lights, which were the lighting for the covenant base.
Well when I rounded the last bend I saw a Jackel, perched with a beam rifle, watching for lurking ODST. I brought up my arm, so that the sniper and the spotter would halt. I snuck along the wall hoping that the jackel wouldn't spot me. When I was about four feet from him he turned to place down his rifle, but instead he saw me. The jackel jumped up in the air with suprise and pulled out a plasma pistol. I quickly reacted and grabbed his arm.
I pulled away the plasma pistol and threw the jackel to the ground, I then stepped onto his throat to silence him.
I saw both ODST come around the corner and set up there sniper nest. After a few minutes the first shot was fired. Then another and another. There was a large explosion at the entrance of the base, which should have been the other ODST. Multiple shots from battlerifles rang out, with multiple frag explosions.
I was watching the action when a beam was shot in our direction, hitting our sniper in the arm. Both men withdrew behind some rocks, the injured sniper holding his arm. I jumped behind some rocks also. The sniper removed his helmet, I could tell that he was in total pain by his reactions. The spotter then removed his helmet.
"You! Did you see where that shot was from? I didn't see anything, I was looking through the spotting scope. All I could tell was that we were being shot at." -The spotter was terrified.
"All I saw was a quick beam of light."
"Well you think you could hit that sniper, and possably any more?"
"Probably, I'll give it a shot." -I grabbed the sniper rifle and hid against a large rock.
I set the bipod down and slithered into position. I used all of the speed neccissary to react. Before two seconds I spotted the sniper, and I quickly saw that he saw me. I pulled the trigger, shooting the bullet right into the jackels chest. He too, had shot. But his shot was a few feet too high.
I scanned for other snipers, none yet. I then scanned the base. The entrance had a large whole in the large gates, there were dead brutes and grunts lying everywhere. I saw some ODST behind a barricade, hiding from three brutes. I aimed at the three beast. One shot. Two shot. Three shot...I hit all three within five seconds. The men moved forward. I followed their pathway towards a large covenant structure. They lined up against a door, but the withdrew. I kept the cross-hairs on the doorway.
Three brutes came in a single file line, I shot them all down. Some jackels wielding shields met the ODST in the base, but they weren't flanked. Some more ODST came from thier left and shot them down. The whole base was becoming a large inferno.
I saw a large brute in some large red armor. He had a plasma turret at his side, he had some ODST pinned behind a wall.
I put the cross-hair onto his head, then pulled the trigger. Click. Click...Click, click. Out.
"Anymore ammo?" -I asked as I threw the gun aside.
"No I used the rest, we thought that we would only need just a couple of rounds." -The sniper had his arm being bandaged by the spotter.
I looked around for something to use. The beam rifle. I grabbed it and crouched down, uses some rocks to help me aim.
I saw the brute again. This time he was closer to the ODST, which they could have gone against him, or risk going against five brutes behind them. They decided to go against the five brutes.
The beam rifles scope was fairly neat. I aimed at the large brute's head again. I pulled the trigger. I hit him, but he just stumbled back. I shot two more times, the rifle overheated, but is shields fell and he was exposed. He pulled away from the ODST and tried to get out of my view. But before he did I shot once more, this time he fell with a large whole in his head.
I told the the sniper and the spotter that I was going to go help the others. They both just nodded.
I looked down the mountains face. Not to high up, but too high for survival. I decided to test fate, I leaped off of the ledge. I had nothing to break my fall. I was about seventy feet in the air, now I wish I hadn't done that.
"What are you thinking!" -Jonie screamed.
Air rushed up agaisnt me as I fell, I widened my legs as I was about twenty feet from the ground. I tensed up before I hit the ground. Then I slammed into the ground, but I seemed fine. I fell back, but caught myself. I staggered around for a moment, collectiong myself.
"Wow...I actually didn't think you would make it. Scanning life fuctions....you seem to have injured your back, but not too much. Nothing else seems damaged. Lucky..." -Jonie was really amazed, her little image came to life infront of me, she had her hand on her chin thinking. "How did you know that you would make it?"
"I didn't really think, I just wanted to see if I would make it." -I was suprised.
"Well please don't do something like that again." -Jonie didn't seem like she was happy anymore.
"Well you can't to nothing about it, but I'll think first." -I blurted out.
I went towards the covenant base. The wall around the base was a smooth purple 'metal'. I looked up at the wall. I jumped as high as I could, stretched out one arm and grasped the edge. I pulled myself up onto the wall, and rolled over the other side. I landed on my feet and looked around for any movement. There were some fires on some of the buildings, and some buildings had large wholes in them.
"COM traffic....it's the ODST, they want you to meet them at the back end of the base." -Jonie re-appeared, she had a light pink color in her.
"Which were would that be?" -I asked as I looked in all directions.
"To your right, then when you reach the wall just go left, they'll be at the end."
"Okay."
I took flight, sticking to the shadows as best as possible. It took only a few minutes to reach the wall, no activity yet. I saw the ODST at a large crater at the far end. I jogged to them, also being precautious.
When I reach the ODST they had surrounded a large pathway that lend down into the crater. The pathway led to a large structure, which I had never seen before, not even in breifings.
The stucture had a large gates, and it seemed to lead into the mountians.
"It's forruner..." -The ODST captian said to me, standing by my side.
"Forruner? You mean the thing that the Covenant are trying to protect, before their fall, I mean." -I looked back at him.
He just nodded.
"So, what's the plan?" -I asked him.
"Well first there's a warthog down there, we could use it's gun, but we aren't going down there." -He just shook his head.
"...Fine I'll go..."-I turned away from him and went down the path.
"How are you exactly going to hual that warthog up there one your own?" -Jonie's little figure appeared again.
"It's called a vehicle for a reason." -I rolled my eyes.
As I drew nearer to the structure I saw the warthog, with three wheels missing.
"Yea...it's still a vehicle...but just missing the wheels." -Jonie smarted off.
"Well, it looks like I'm screwed...." -I went around the vehicle and began to push it.
"Hey, why is there a warthog here. I mean, this should be the first time the UNSC got to this planet." -Jonie questioned.
"I don't know, ask the ODST." -I heaved at the large vehicle, and it slowly began to push back.
"Here, put me into the control board." -Jonie asked me.
I rolled my eyes and stopped at the vehicle's driver side.
"How I'm I going to place you in there?" -I started to toy with the steering wheel.
"Okay, you aren't suppose to know this, but there's a way to allow me into a system." -She seemed very confident.
"How?"
"Take of the projector that I'm projected from. Then slip it into the link."
I took the projector out, which did come out, and I slipped it into the control board.
"Interesting. There is a recording of voices, and some fighting. Seems like we're on a special mission. Take me out." -Jonie was very intregued(sp)
"Well that didn't help." -Went back to the front and began to heave the vehicle back to the ODST.
It took over twenty minutes to push it back to them, not including the slope up and out of the crater.
"Anything down there? What about the in the vehicle, anything in the control board?"-The ODST captian asked me.
"Nope nothin', nothing of interest in the control board."-I shook my head.
"Okay then, we'll take it from here. We'll protect the enterance and you'll have to go down there and check the place out."-The captian pointed down to the forrunner building.
"Well okay then, I'll see what I can find..."-I muttered.
I walked all the way back down the slope towards the forrunner structure.
"Why did you say that we didn't find anything?" -Jonie asked impatiently.
"Cause this doesn't seem right. They're elite soldiers, why can't they come with us? And why didn't they wonder why there was a warthog down there?"
"Good point, hopefully the place is empty..."
The structure loomed ahead of us, staring us down as we got nearer....
Chapter 2:
The Beast From Within.
"Well.....this looks exciting....." -I murmmered as I slid against the large doors, which were slightly budged open.
"Well hopefully it won't get nasty, but I have a bad feeling about this...." -Jonie, at least was there to keep me copany.
"Me too, I think it's going to get real bad the deeper we get." -I snuck through the opening in the doors and aimed my rifle.
There was a large open space, nothing of interest yet. Columns were at each corner of the room, and there was hardly any light at all. I check my gear. I still had both SMG's with silencers, the two magnums, the grenades, and the battlerifle, which I only had five more clips.
I snuck to the only door are the far side, keeping an eye on the radar.
"How far down I'm I supposed to go?" -I wondered aloud.
"I don't know, just keep careful..." -Jonie too seemd worried.
The doors lead to a small corridor, which branched off into two other corridors. I just kept moving, with my rifle aimed down the halls, still keeping an eye on my radar.
I slipped through another door, which lead to another large room. This room had a large elevator in the center, which was surrounded with blood stains. The blood from a human....
"This is gonna be bad..." -I whispered. Jonie didn't reply.
The only way out was down the elevator. So I stepped onto the elevator, noticed that the controls was on the other side. So I stepped over to the controls and hit the most indicating, looking, icon. The elevator shifted, I quickly stepped back onto the thing.
As the elevator went down, I asked, "How will we get out? I'm already lost..."
"I've been keeping track, when we're leaving, which I hope is soon, I'll give you nav points." -Jonie seemed to be busy at something.
The elevator halted, revealing a large room with only a single door. So I went against the wall next to the door, then slid into another large room. This one had some blood stains on it, both human and covenant. There were smears that lead to a lonely door on the far side. No motion yet. I kept looking at the ceilling for movement, but there wasn't anything.
As we neared the door I noticed large dents in it's frame, and even some bullet holes. The door didn't even open for me this time, so I had to tear it open.
I slung my rifle and placed my hands between the cracks. I pulled apart with all of my might. The door tore open. I grabbed my rifle and headed in. There was a large wall, and inside of the wall was the largest creature that I've ever seen. It looked similair to plants, but it certainly wasn't a plant. There were hundreds around it, some human and covenant looking creatures, even some that looked like balloons fluttering around.
They all stopped and just stared at us.
"I don't think these are friendlies..."-Jonie muttered.
"Niether do I...I think we should leave now......yea lets do that...." -I slowly backed away from the large glass wall.
Then with just that movement the whole room on the other side came to life. Every single creature on the other side rushed towards me, they all pounded into the glass, nearly shattering it.
The largest creature just sat there, watching us slowly back away as the others clawed at the glass wall. Then the large monstosity flung a large tenticle towards the glass, instantly shattering it.
"RUN!" -Jonie screamed. "I've set the NAV's up. GO! NOW!"
I fire off a few burst and quickly began to run for the NAV's as they appeared. Every now and again I would turn to shoot back at the things.
The power flickered and dimmed, leaving hardly any light. But my eye sight was better so nothing really change...
After minutes of running away, and occasionally shooting behind me, we had reached the elevator. I hit the same icon and dove onto the large platform as it rose. None of the creatures got aboard.
But some of them fell from above, five of them infact. They quickly surrounded me, leaving me no option of escape...
This is when it happened again, I'm in a dire situation, out matched, and life just seems to slow down for me...
A beast from behind me, looked like it was an infected human with a disease, jumped over onto my back. I grabbed it's back and flung him over onto the ground, then I stepped onto it's throat, tearing it's head right off. The thing was still alive, and stuggling to rise up when another from my right lunged at me.
I took a step back, and watched as it nearly hit me, then the thing slammed into the wall, which got it caught in the metal grateing, causing it to be rolling under the elevator killing the thing.
Another two of the jumped at me next, I ducked under one and rammed my shoulder into the next. The one that I hit shuttered back, then I did a roundhouse kick to it's body, tearing of an arm and severily injuring the thing, but it still came on.
Next I I threw my Battle rifle to the ground, and I pulled out the two pistols. I aimed at the one I just hit, shot it three times. I saw the only two standing ones move around to my sides, they leaped at me hopeing to grab me. But as they slowly drew near me, I ducked again, with them both flying over me I shot both of them multiple times, killing both.
That's when the 'slow motion' ended. The only one was was still alive was at my feet with no head, so I just stomped on it's chest, killing the last one.
"It happened again didn't it..." -Jonie asked, she seemed very nervous.
"Yes it did..." -I was heaving again.
The elevator stopped at the top. I saw the next NAV point and headed right for it. Some of the ballon looking creatures somehow kept up with me, they were right on my trail. I turned and began to shoot at them with my pistols, they exploded. Then it hit me. I left my BattleRifle behind, I was still near it so I might as well go back, these things weren't too hard to fight.
As I neared the elevator I saw my battle rifle, I did a barrel roll, while at the same time putting away the pistols, and grabbed the gun. Then sprinted for the NAV. I didn't see any more in the large structure after that, but as I exited through the large, main doors the ODST began to fire down towards me.
I ducked to avoid the fire, but they weren't shooting at me, they were shooting at the same creatures. They must have fell from the ceilling inside. The warthog gunner was really helping. I didn't look back, just sprinted for the top.
"Get up here now!" -an ODST was screaming to me.
I sprinted harder up the slope. I tripped when I got to the top, but I didn't fully lose my balance.
"Are you okay? What did you see down there?" -an ODST was standing next to me.
"Okay? Okay!? I've never been better! I was just chased throughout that building! I just saw what you guys are shooting at! That's it!" -I was yelling from the stupid question.
"What I meant was, did you get hit?. Was there anything that didn't seem to belong to the creatures, the flood?" -He asked, more detailed now, even with some anger.
"No I didn't get hit, I hit them harder than you can hit me. Yea, there was a large creature, some type of plant looking thing....did you say the flood?" -I was breathing heavily.
I've heard of them before, some reports from the first Halo battle's, and they had invaded Earth I heard, but luckily I wasn't there.
"Okay then, that's good to know, now we can blow the enterance, and possibly the whole thing." -The captian of the ODST walked up, he must've over heard us.
"Sir! We need more men! There's too many!" -An ODST screamed as he fired down the slope.
There were dozens of the flood creatures coming at us.
"Not good.....I'll call for evac..." -The Captian turned away.
"Evac?...." -I wondered.
"There's still a cruiser up in orbit, they'll send down a pelican."-The original ODST said.
"Hey, cybernetic guy! Conan! Could you hold these things off, while we board the pelican's. When they get here I mean." -The captian asked from afar.
I just nodded. I didn't like doing it, but I wanted a better reputation with the ODST than the Spartan's had. But I didn't like him calling me 'cybernetic guy', so I guess this is what it was like for the Spartan's when they were call 'mutants' or such.
I walked over to the warthog, a rocket launcher lay against it, with only two more rockets next to it. I tapped the gunner on the leg, then signaled him to get down. Well he did, and I took his place.
The M41 had a lot of recoil. A lot. But it was fun to shoot. The ODST left for the pelican, which landed in the middle of the covenant base. I was left on my own, again...
There was too many flood, I have to go for the pelican. I tore the chain-gun off and threw it to the ground. I grabbed the rockets and fire at the largest groups. When I was out I grabbed the chain-gun and withdrew as doezens of flood came over the slope.
I just kept firing, non stop, until the gun went empty that is. I left my battlerifle slung so I used the SMGs. Instead of shooting and retreating I just ran for it. I saw the pelican, and the ODST had a perimeter around it until I showed up.
I was the last man in. The flood could have kept got us, but the pilot had the thrust to full, leaving them behind.
The sniper and his spotter was aboard too, glad to see that they made it.
I then just passed out......
Chapter 3:
Machine on Machine.
I awoke in a large hanger, in the back of a pelican. I looked around, the pelican was empty, and there were crew men bustling outside.
"You awake? You've been out for several minutes." -Jonie seemed alright.
"Yea...yea I'm awake...where are we?" -I was still just waking up.
"On the Cruiser Sunrise."
"Sunrise? Some name. Where are we headed?"
"Now we're in slipspace. We're headed towards a planet named Diablo. The planet Farse was bombarded from orbit a few times, not there's nothing but large craters."
"The flood..." -I muttered to myself.
"Yes. They were taken care of, hopefully we don't run into them again."
"Yea...hopefully."
An ODST without his helmet walked up the ramp of the pelican. His arm was in a sling, and he had a bandage around his shoulder.
"You okay?" -He asked me.
"Yea. I'm alright." -I realized that he was the sniper, or must've been.
"Nice to hear that. My arm here, is gonna have to be ambutated.....now it's in this sling for the time being." -He was quite when he spoke.
"It is? Hopefully you'll be alright." -I sympathized.
"Yea, so do I. They said that they may give me a robotic arm like yours."
"Well, at least you won't have been what I've been through."
"What you've been through? Dude, I want to be able to do that. Catch a grenade in mid air and throw it back."
"Wait, were you one of the guys that were with me then?"
"Yea, a group of three brutes came from behind us. Four spiker rounds got me in this arm." -He lifted his arm up.
"Ouch..."
"Yea, well, I've been ordered to take you to the bridge..."
"What for?''
"This cruiser is going to re-group, over the planet Diablo, with some of the UNSC and Elite battle forces. There's a large battle going on right now, and the UNSC has figured that you could help out."
"How bad of fighting?"
"Real bad....." -He shook his head and stood up and walked off of the pelican. I followed.
We just chatted about the covenant resistance on Diablo, the covenat base, and the flood. When we entered upon the bridge we had to snake our way through a jumble of marines, officers, and techinicians. It wasn't easy, but we did get to the captian.
"Corporal Conan....Corporal Hanson. Nice to see both of you. Corporal Conan, you may call me Captian Redson." -The captian shook our hands and greeted us. He nodded his head towards 'Hanson', the ODST with me, to the back. So Hanson left to do something else.
"As you know...there are Covenant resistance on Diablo. You have been given a special priority on this mission. Codenamed 'Cybernetic-134'." -The captian turned towards a large holo panel in the bridge.
"Cybernetic-134?" -I seemed confused.
"Yes. It's a codename for all of your files. But I'm ordered, by ONI, and same goes for other Officers, so we must all tell you the codename." -The captian told me.
"So, what special mission I'm I ordered to do?" -I wanted to be amused, but no more flood.
"We need you to help take a heavily fortified city." -He tapped something into a command board, which brought up a large screen shot of a city.
The city was burning in a lot of places, but it was still enormous.
"Our infrantry gets shot up in this field, before they even get close to the city. Tanks are immediatly hit by wraiths over these large walls." -The captian hit another command, show another pic.
This pic. showed a large wall surrounding the city, which was a far way off from the wall itself. I could see some AA guns in between the city and the wall.
"Those AA guns don't let anyone near this city, so that only allows us to drop troops by a far distance." -The captian shook his head.
"So, I'm gonna have to sneak over there without being noticed. How?" -I was really curious.
"We'll fire smoke screens in the field," -The captian seemed very confident.
"If you can get artillery to hit there, then why don't you just pummle the city?"
"Shields, the city has a large shield around it, there's no way we can get rounds through it."
"So, I'm gonna be sent in, destroy the nearest AA guns, then go into the city and wipe out the shields?"
"Pretty much, but the shields are located in sections. Each at an end of the city. If you can take out one, our armor and infrantry would come in and help out." -He was indeed confident.
Well here we go again with some life dangering mission...
"Corporol. If you are capable, or you think you are capable, there is a main power supply at the city's center, if you can take that out the day is ours. All AA, radio communications, and shields will be off-line." -The captian turned to me again.
"Sir, yes, sir. When exactly are we going to arrive to the planet?" -I didn't really want to go to the center and finish the whole thing in a short time, while risking my life extremely with little to no help. I reallly just wanted the UNSC forces there to fight the covenant on their own, but that would take even more lives....I can't decide right now.
"When will we arrive? About in three...two...one." -The captian looked back out the front of the bridge.
There was a fairly large planet. There were around fourty ships around it, both UNSC and Elite forces. The planet had dozens of firie patches, must've been from orbital bombardments and glassings.
"So now I must go to the armory for weapons?" -I asked as I slowly stepped away, bumping into some officers scurrying by.
"Yes." -The captian turned back to me and saluted. "After that go to hanger A3."
"Yes, sir." -I returned the salute and left, pushing through dozens of men.
As I walked through the halls to the armory, following the signs, I talked to Jonie.
"So how do you plan to go in today?" -Jonie asked.
"Heavy, there's no way I'm going in covert. I'm gonna let the Covenant know that I'm here." -I was being serious.
"Well know we may know what you're capable of in full out combat." -He little image appeared showing her do some martial arts combat.
I just smirked when I saw that. It took a couple of minutes to find the armory, but I found it.
I went about the armory grabbing multiple weapons: an assault rifle with a scope, a battle rifle, two magnums, a rocket launcher.
"You guys got anything special?" -I really wanted to know.
"Like what? Something with full out fire power?" -The armorer looked from behind his counter.
"Yea. Something that can wipe out a wraith in one shot." -The armorer could tell that I was serious.
He looked at the weapons that I carried. Then he asked. "You're that cyborg guy aren't you. Yea, we've got something heavy."
The man went to the back, so I walked up to the counter and placed my weapons down.
He came back with the largest gun that I've ever seen. I could tell that he was haveing trouble to carry it, and he looked strong too.
"What is that..." -Jonie's little image came back, she seemed to have been looking at the weapon with interest.
"This my friend is a proto-type. We had three of them shipped here, cause of you. It's known as the Spartan Laser." -The armorer patted the side of the large weapon.
The weapon, I could tell could really do some damage. And the word 'Spartan' really wanted me to get it.
"I could use that...." -I smiled at the man. "I'll take it."
The armorer handed my the large laser cannon. I heaved as I got full grasp to it. I looked at the weapon in a daze. I've never seen a gun this big before, that a soldier can carry around.
Jonie's image was looking at the weapon with interest.
"Proto-type? It seems like one, I wonder how it fires?" -She looked up at me.
"I don't know, but I don't care either. Just as long as it does it's job I'm good.
She just nodded.
I left the armory carrying the laser in my right arm and the rockets in my left. The magnums at my ankle hoslters and the rifles slung onto my back. We made our way towards the hanger, reading the signs as before.
When we reached the hanger, we were amazed about how organized the hanger was. There were squads of marines, all in formations loading themselves onto multiple pelicans. There were pelicans heading in and out of the hangers, some had plamsa scorches on their armor plates. Scorpion tanks and warthogs were being loaded onto Aboutross(sp).
I wondered which pelican I was suppose to ride down, if any at all. I wondered throughout the hanger, I noticed that there were some marines looking at us, probably about laser.
"Screw looking. I'm just going to take a ride down, if it's the right one or not." -I muttered to myself.
"What? You can't just take anyway you want down. They'll realy be mad if you do this." -Jonie did not like the fact of my decision.
I just walked around a group of marines and boarded a full pelican before it took off.
The marines aboard just started at me. I grabbed a hand rail from ceilling, I looked down at a marine staring at the laser.
"What's up." I just starred back at him.
He just nodded then looked away.
The pelican bulkled for a second, and the back ramp closed, then we shot out of the hanger. There was a red light that came on and there was ussually a team leader that would talk with the squad about what was about to happen and the difference that they could me.
But everyone just stared at me.
"You guys ready?" -I looked in all of their eyes. I must have creeped them out with my armor and helmet, something they have never seen before.
"Uhh....umm....yea...I'm ready....." -A Private rose his hand.
"I am." -Some more marines started to chirp in.
"Well that's good, lets go beat the covenant to the ground." -I said to the marines, as the pelican entered atmosphere.
The ramp re-opened to reveal some blinding light, which slowly transformed into a large beautiful grassland, but it didn't last long. The land quickly became a scorched battlefield with multiple craters and vehicle and human bodies.
"Well this doesn't look easy...."-Someone in the back muttered.
"It won't be...it won't be...."-I whispered.
The pelican shook for a second then it swiveled around the hovered. We all jumped out before something happened. I looked to see if there was any form of command post. Well there wasn't anything that would be formed as one, but there could have been one, but much farther off, which I ain't going to.
There was an elephant not too far off so I made my way there. Soldiers and vehicles past me heading in the opposite direction, towards the city. Every person seemed to have an eye on me. I guess this is what Spartan's feel like when in combat, especially with ODST.
Well the elephant was the place to go. There were soldiers all around it, even some elites. As I drew closer to the monsterous machine I actually felt stupid. Not only for just leaving the cruiser to get the job done, but because I had joined the UNSC military. If I hadn't I wouldn't have been here, nor would I be in this state.
Once I rounded the back of the elephant there were some zealots, about six, and about seven ODST aboard the elephant. There was a guass hog in the back, and two mongoose in the front.
All personell on board just stared at me.
"So is this the "robotic soldier" that you told us about. Doesn't look too much of a soldier." -One of the zealots immediatly repsonded to my entrance.
"What till' you see what I can do...."-I said under my breath as I walked up the ramp towards them.
"Well, if it ain't Corporol Conan. You want to enter this fight early, and you will, but you'll immediatly have your limbs exchanged for regular handi-cap limbs, for your actions. Unless you can please our friends here and please us as well." -There was a Major standing with the elites.
"I was never told who to speak with, or how to make my way down here, sir."-I stiffed up as I made it to the top. I still held all of the weapons in front of them.
"You are over eager. With it you will pay a price...." -The same zealot told me.
"Sir I must beg you to ingore any comments from corporol Conan. But he is telling the truth, we were never told how or when to get to the battlefield." -Jonie's little image appeared again, hands on her hips.
"Well, I'm afraid that just won't qualify for an apology, the only way is to do some heroic efforts." -The major shrugged.
"I can help. But you'll have to have the artillery called in, otherwise you won't stand a chance in claiming this planet."-I spoke up.
"You are correct. I am ordered to call in the smoke barrage for you, so you better hurry. These zealots here will join you after you take out the first shield."
"Okay got it." -I turned to leave.
"Before you go. I must tell you that the artillery rounds are still dangerous, but you should make it, take a mongoose to keep safe." -The Major just said his last words to me, then he began to speak with the zealots again.
I jumped from the top of the ramp to the lower deck. I went around the front of the warthog and placed the heavy weapons onto the back of the mongoose, I used a strap from my ammo bag and attempted to tie them down. When my work looked good enough I jumped onto the mongoose and took off.
Hopefully, if I don't do good enough, I'll still get to have Jonie, but I doubt it.....
No, I mustn't fail. If I want to stay with her, and keep her with more then I'll do this. 110%.
The mongoose was a quick manouverable vehicle, but I felt too exposed.
As I drew near the large foritfied city, I noticed that there were plasma mortors coming down. Aimed at me.
I took ahead of the UNSC military and was on my own for the rest of the way to the city.
I swerved back and forth, attempting to dodge the on coming plasma. There was dusk in my field of view, which didn't help. I was even near to hitting a dead body that was in the field.
All of a sudden artillery shells hit the ground ahead of me. Smoke rose from the craters, so much smoke that the helmet showed me sonething new. It added a filter to my visor, which actually clear my view up a bit, but not much. I kept gunning the mongoose to it's full potential.
I could hear other thuds of shells ahead of me. Then the smoke just vanished. And there was still over a fifty yard gap! I came under immediate fire, but luckily three more shells hit the sheilds ahead of me, cause the smoke to drift down to the ground.
A few seconds before reaching the barrier I un-tied the heavy weapons, which wasn't easy. I pulled both of them over onto my lap, then I just jumped into the air off of the mongoose.
I landed face first in some dirt, but when I looked up I saw that I had flown over the mongoose, which had a horrible dent in it. Both of the heavy weapons were under me, but they should still work. I was infact inside of the shield, just out of harms reach.
I found that the nearest gate was to my left, so I decided to head that way. When I was next to the gate I jumped as high as I could, but to no avail, the wall was too high, and there was an over hang.
I re-set up my jump, I leaped at the wall and took another step to get higher, then when I was rebounding off of the step I grabbed a hold of the wall.
I pulled myself up and quickly slid under the railings. I unslung my battlerifle where I lay, which after that I immediatly opened fire on some grunts down the far side of the stretch. In the other direction where some charging grunts.
I jumped to my feet, then headed towards the gate control before anything else happened.
I saw the panel but I didn't know what to press. I looked through all of the icons, nothing seemed to stick out. But before I could do anything I heard a mortor coming in.
I dove out of the way just in time, where I once stood was a large hole in the wall, and an open gate below it.
"That's gonna get that guy in trouble...." -I smirked.
"Yea it will." -Jonie too seemed to have some joy out of that.
I rolled over the railing and back to the other side of the wall, I didn't want to leave the new weapons behind. I slung both of the heavy weapons on my back. The weight was brutal.
I went through the opened gate, but was quickly surrounded my ten grunts. Which none of them stood a chance. I just aimed and fired, after shooting over four of them, the rest scattered. I didn't feel like useing up my ammo.
There were two wraiths on each side of me, which didn't help, and the city was over one hundred yards away.
I saw the AA gun to my left, yet I doubt just destroying this one AA gun is gonna make a difference.
"Well before the brute brigade gets here I'm gonna try this 'Spartan Laser'." -I knelt behind a large chunk of the destroyed gate.
There was a charging sound, and a small red laser pointer. I aimed at the AA gun, but I thought the weapon was out of ammo, or in this case batteries.
But there was a large 'whoosing' sound and a large explosion. A large red laser went right into the leg of the AA gun, which caused the gun to topple over and explode into a bright blue. Dust settled to reveal a downed AA gun.
"Jonie......I believe we have a new toy....."-I grinned.
"I believe we do too..."-She must've been amazed.
I placed the laser down against the large hunk of metal. Then I equiped my battlerifle, and I begun to fire at some brutes that were coming in. The wraiths hadn't paid to much attention to me, but I figured that within a few seconds they would begin to attack me. Well the brutes didn't stand a chance, but more were coming, even some jackels and grunts pitched in.
A phantom came barreling along from the city. It came to a hover around 120 yards away, droped some brutes then went back towards the large city. There was a long convoy of wraiths coming from the inner parts of the city, they began to spread out as the got into the open, lineing themselves up for a flank attack, I guess this is the time to slow them down.
I placed the battle rifle against the little cover that I had, then picked up the laser. I aimed, waited, then watched at the first three wraiths in a line got blasted. The other wraiths were forced to go around.
I switched weapons again, but this time to the rocket launcher. Another phantom came from the city, this one had a wraith underneath it. I aimed and fired one shot at the wraith. The rocket hit the wraith, which exploded, cause the phantom carrying it to wobble in the air. I fire another one, but the phantom was moving too much. The wraith fell with a thud.
"Jonie, how did I get the target indicators to come up?" -I asked, cause now I remember about the indicators in the marsh.
"What do you? Let me look.....found it, this help." - Jonie helped with the indicators, which now show me where to hit a target.
"Thanks, that helps."
"Nope problem."
I reloaded the rocket launcher and slung my rifle. I grabbed both heavy weapons and headed for the destroyed wraith. The blue fires were extremely hot, so I stood a distance away.
There was infrantry all around, even behind me. Suprisenly they didn't care about me. So I left the heavy weapons at their location for a quick bit, and dicided to head for the nearest wraith.
I ran and fired as some grunts were loittering around, which isn't that exciting. But within a couple of seconds I reach the wraith, there wasn't any gunner, so I decided to have some fun.
I jumped onto the top of the wraith, watching for the main gun. I began to pound at the side armor. There were large dents in it, but it wasn't working.
But then behind me I heard something, not like the covenant moving into defend this city, but like something behind me. I flipped over the top of the wraith to see a large brute slam a large hammer into the side of the wraith, were I was last at.
The wraith buckled and fell into the dirt. I fell off onto my back, and watched as the massive brute walk over the top of the wraith. His eyes staring directly at mine.
The brute jumped off of the wraith, hitting the ground with force. I saw my rifle a little ways behind me, I began to craw back to retreive it. Then the wraith exploded, cause the shields of the massive brute to flare up. Now's my chance, I rolled over and grabbed the rifle. I did a barrel roll and began to shoot as much lead into the thing as possible.
But it seemed nothing could stop this thing. He just recovered from the explosion and kept coming. I nearly stumbled when the brute swung his massive hammer like a bat. But I evaded the hit, with that reaction the brute did a full three-sixty.
I decided to run, but my legs collided with each other and I fell again. This beast really scared me. The brute came at me again. He brought his hammer down like an ax at me, I attempted to roll away, which actually saved my life, when the hammer hit the ground a 'shockwave' luanched me away from my enemy. I just kept rolling from there on until I hit the same wraith again.
I couldn't do anything, so I chose to fight. I had lost my rifle, but it wasn't to far. But there wasn't any way to get to it, so it was one-on-one, and my opponet had a large hammer.
I rose my fist at the brute, but it only laughed. But when it rose it's right leg to kick me....it happened again.
The slow motion time came again, and once again I seemed to not have any control.
I grabbed the brute's leg then flipped under the leg to the other side. I held the leg as I grabbed it's left hand. I then kicked the other leg out from under it. The beast fell. I pulled out a grenade, pulled the pin, then placed it into the brutes back armor. I jumped away.
There was an explosion as the brute exploded into pieces, leaving my to reclaim my bearings. I went back for my rifle, then back to the other weapons. That brute had scared the crap out of me.
"Happened again? Well at least it saves you..." -Jonie seemed worried.
"Yea, but I'm okay." -I was heaving as before.
When I got to the weapons, I noticed that there were hundreds of marines coming through the gates, and every now and again I'd see some Elites. Which one group was the special zealot team.
"We have come early to help you. You prove honorable among our ranks, we'll do as you say." -The lead zealot said, but he still had his anger in him.
"Huh......yea...."
"Were do you want us to go?" -The Lead zealot stepped forward.
"Well..." I looked around the stretch of land between the wall and the city. "The shield. Do you guys think you could do a reconissance of the area?"
"It will be done." -The zealot stared at me with his eyes, then he took his group and the headed for the shields.
"Where are the shields? I could use a NAV." -I questioned Jonie.
"Here." -She replied.
A NAV Icon appear on my HUD.
"Thanks."
The whole stretch of land became a full out battle between the covenant the UNSC and the Elites. There were wraiths that attempted to come into the fray, but there were shot with rockets, or hit with grenades.
"Corporol Conan, thank you for giving us an entrance to the city for infratry. We'll be ordering them to hit the other shield generators, but you should still take out the main grid."-My COM came to life, with the Major's voice.
"No problem sir, I've sent the zealot to the nearest generator for a recon report. If they have the chance I'll have them take it out. I'll now head for the main grid." -I replied.
"A sound plan, we'll contact you about the unfolding events."
I then headed for the city's closest entrance, with both heavy weapons on my back. A couple squads of marines had dug in there, there were too many jackels for them to handle. And a phantom quickly approached.
"Cyborg...we are at the first generator. There's light resistance, so we could take out the generators now." -It was the zealot team.
"Yes, take it out now." -I called back in on the COM. "Why cyborg?" -I wondered.
The phantom was the onto of us. Everyone was either behind a large scrap of metal, or behind a building. I was behind a large chunk of metal, which it seemed it was from a wraith.
Eight brutes were dropped down by the phantom before circling back. Another phantom was approaching to us also.
Three of the brutes had brute shots, and the rest had spikers. We didn't stand a chance, and the immense fire power was holding us down.
I saw the other phantom getting closer. Well this may be my chance. I dropped my rifle and brought up the rocket launcher. I aimed ahead of the phantom then shot both rockets off.
Both rockets had a direct hit to the front section of the phantom. The aircraft quickly dropped altitute, but it recovered, hitting a building. The crashing phantom came barreling into another building across the street, then came tumbling towards us. It slid to us on it's side, the thing was nearly as long as the street. It killed most of our attackers, a good thing.
The marines around me charged into the remaining forces, of six jackel and three brutes. The shields then fell.
"I'm getting reports that the first shield generator is down, confirm?" -The Major was back on the COM.
"Yes. I have confromation that the shields have fallen, vehicles now have a way into the city." -I spoke into the COM.
"Good job corporol."
"Thank the zealots, they did the work."
"Very well then, I'll COM them. In the mean time we could use that grid off-line."-The major said.
"Sir, yes, sir. I'm working on it." -I replied.
I looked around the street for any enemies. None, except for the ones that were oulling away. I grabbed all of my weapons and followed some marines down further into the city.
"Where the heck is this grid?"-I asked to Jonie.
"Scanning.....did you think about looking up higher?" -She asked me.
I looked up above the buildings infront of me. "Oh...." There was a large spire looking structure, yea, that's it....
So I took the lead over the marines, they just did as I said.
Four brutes and a wraith rounded the road a head of us. Not good, like anything is anymore. We fled to an alley to our right, hopeing to have not been seen.
"Stay here, I'll take care of this." -I ordered the marines.
The just shook their heads, and I crawled around the alley, looking for cover. There was a long row of barriers that could help. I pulled my way across the ground until I heard the brutes next to me.
I grabbed the grenades, then pulled the pins of them all, and then chucked them over the barrier. There were large explosions, some howls, then just the sound of the wraith.
I jumped to my feet, to see two brutes scanning the farther end of the streets. I shot them both in the head. The wraith turned to me and shot a mortor at me, but luckily it hit the building behind me. Large stones and rubble came down, nearly hitting me.
I hurtled over barrier then climb aboard the wraith. I began to punch at the hatch protecting the driver, and the hatch came open, knocking out the brute. I pulled him out and tossed him aside.
The wraith careened into the barrier, but didn't take a whole lot of damage.
"I may be able to hack myself into the wraith, then I could guide it towards the grid station." -Jonie said confinatly.
"You could? How?" -I asked as I still stood on the wraith, waving for the marines to come forward.
"I could make a copy of myself. I've never tried it, and could be dangerous."
"Well if you think you could pull it off, tell me."
"Just place the projector into the wraith command board. I'll do the rest."
"Like the warthog." -I pulled out the projector and slipped it into the only slit that I saw.
"Processing.....done. Pull it out."
I grabbed the projector and slid off of the wraith.
The wraith wobbled a bit, then headed towards the grid.
"So your copy gonna do it's thing?" -I didn't know that AI's could make copies of themselves.
"Well I really didn't copy myself. I just hacked it's system and set it to destroy the grid." -Jonie was proud of herself.
Well there went the wraith, past the marines and towards the grid.
"Cyborg. Anything else that we could do for you? We're looking forward to more fighting." -The zealot team called in.
"Do you guys think you could draw a diversion, so that there aren't any covenant forces around the grid?" -I replied back.
"Yes, we'll give them the meaning of honor..."
I went after the marines, I'd rather not be alone here with hundreds of covenant forces.
We just seemed to wander about the city, slowly heading towards the grid station. Every now and again we would find a group of brutes or grunts, nothing heavy.
Then there was a large explosion, larger than the average scorpion round. The shields over head flickered then disappeared, there was another large explosion and we could hear the sounds of a large building falling.
"Grid station is out, we saw a wraith attack the station, so we know that must be an ally. Luckily for them our diversion sent most of the covenatn forces around the station to come for us." -It was the zealot team.
"Good, but that isn't an ally, it was a computer controlled wraith." -I called back.
"Well that's a good thing then, cause it was just destroyed."
"Nice job drawing the attention of the covenant forces. Move about the city as you please, you are much better soldiers than I am."
"Thank -you, we'll keep them occupied."
The marines and I decided to keep moving, but when we found a large market area we fortified ourselves in. No covenant ground forces bothered us, but occasionally there would be a banshee patrol. Luckily they didn't notice us.
After twenty minutes or so a large group of marines, along with six scorpion and two cobras, came from the direction we had come.
"The major says good job, and that he is sorry for not telling you this, but he had lost contact with every unit in the city. Good job indeed." -A Seargent from a squad of marines told me.
"Tell him to thank the zealots, and Jonie..." -I just nodded my head, looking at the vehicles.
"Well I will, he also says that you are allowed to stay in the army."
We just stood there together behind the sandbags, looking at the vehicles as they began to move forward. As the tanks began to turn out of sight we heard gun shots, from those exact tanks.
There was a large sound, something that I'm unfamilair from. Then a large green beam came from the street that the tanks were headed down, destroying five of the six scorpions. The other scorpion and the two cobras pulled back and high tailed it back towards us.
The buildings on the corners took a lot of damage and seemed ready to topple over, and one did, causing the other one to also.
The three vehicles made it back safely. The marines around us began to dig in, the seargent left and I pulled out the heavy weapons. A pelican came careening out from the street and collided with another building, causeing that building too, to fall.
There were large tremors in the ground, and the sounds of machinery. The sounds got closer and closer. And as the dusk clouds settled we saw our opponet.
A banshee patrol came flying in, they strafed us, killing a good amount of marines. But hardley any one in the front of the fortification seemed to care.
There before us stood a massive machine. There was a plasma cannon one each side, a large gun in the middle, and a large obscured AA gun.
"Scarab!"
The scarab crawled over the crumbled buildings and charged up it's main weapon. The cobras and the scorpion were giving it their best, but to no prevail. The scarab's main weapon loaded up and fired upon the vehicles, quickly taking them all out. The plasma cannons began to fire and the front of the fortification.
The AA gun had began to fire at the rear of the fortification. So now we're stuck, with a scarab.
Rockets were shot at the monsterous machine, but they too did little damage.
I reached for the laser, hoping that it would do something. I mounted it against some sandbags in front of me. The weapon charged then fired, right into the scarab's back left leg. The leg hung there for a second then fell, shaking the ground.
The scarab toppled back, into a building, but it still stood. It's weapons were all still shooting, except for it's left plamsa cannon.
It's main weapon turned towards my location, charged, then fired. I had to leave the laser behind, or else I wouldn't have made it very well.
Well I had lost the laser, and the rocket launcher, I should've grabbed that. Too late now.
"We need something stronger to take it out!" -I screamed, trying to be heard over the scarab's weapons.
"I've got some C7!, hey over here! I've got some C7!" -A lone marine acrossed the street was yelling towards me.
I gave him the okay sign and headed for him. I sprinted at full speed, hoping to not be noticed.
"Here, take it! I don't know what you plan on doing but don't count me in." -The marine told me as I reached him.
I just took the explosives out of his hands and high tailed it for the scarab.
It's front legs were clawing to move forward. It's left plasma cannon saw me and began to fire at me. I duck and rolled as quickly as I could, hoping to not be hit.
Lucky for me I made it under the scarab. I wondered how to take it out, and quickly. The legs, I could climb it's legs and take it out from there.
I went for it's remaining back leg, since it wasn't moving it should be easy. I jumped as high as I could, I felt for something to grab a hold of, I felt a large cable. I grasped the cable in my right hand and held the C7 in my left. I pulled myself up, wrapped my arm around the cable for some support, then I charged the C7 to ten seconds.
I fell off of the leg and headed for it's front right leg. Once I jumped up it's right leg and grasped the cable, the explosives went off. The scarab bulked and fell back, throwing me off balance. I had only three fingers on the cable, I rose my legs to my a surface to arm the C7, once I armed the C7 at ten seconds, I threw it as best as I could onto the leg.
I fell off and rolled on the ground. I've got to get out from under this thing! I ran as hard as I could for the fortification. As I was just under it's main gun the explosives exploded. I tripped just as the beast came down, just six feet away. I looked back at it.
"We've done it! We defeated a scarab!" -I pantted.
But to my suprise it's main gun charged up again! I stared at it for a few seconds, then rolled and stumbled out if it's sights. The thing was still capable of taking us out. It's AA gun was still shooting too.
I looked around for something else to do. I still had some C7 left, but I wanted to burry this thing.
Wait a second....burry it.....
As the scarab was still shooting at the marines, some warthogs rounded the street much farther down.
I watched as it's only working leg was scratching at the road's surface, like an actual insect trying to get way. The building it was laying against was ready to topple over, so C7 was more than enough.
The AA gun was still operational, and it immediatly began to fire at the oncoming warthogs.
A single rocket or two should be able to take out the building, of they hit the correct spot. But it's not worth useing the C7 to rid of an AA gun when there's a large cannon that can wipe out anything in it's path.
So I ran for the building, hopeing that it wouldn't collapse on me.
"Jonie, where would be the best possible place to add some C7?" -I asked moving throughout the crummbling building. Every now and again I would see the side of the scarab, from where it entered the building.
"Here." -She shortly replied.
A single NAV icon came up on my HUD. The NAV location was one floor above, and around ten feet behind me. The ceilling looked weak enough for me to shoot through it.
I rose my Battle rifle and punched holes into the weak looking material.
Sections of the cielling fell, but still stood. I pulled out a grenade, backed up, 'cooked' the grenade, then threw it.
The grenade exploded in mid-air about six feet away. I ran forward and jumped into the newly made hole.
This level wasn't that badly on fire, but it was some pretty bad flames.
The NAV icon was placed on a pillar in the center of the structure. I place the C7 then set the timer for twenty seconds.
I looked for a way out. Well, I shouldn't really have done, cause right behind was a large gapeing hole, which led onto the scarab. And across the street from the scarab was an alley.
I felt stupid for looking for a way out, but I still took the closest route.
I jumped out of the building an onto the scarab. The AA gun was still fireing, and the main cannon was recharging.
As the main cannon began to fire, I tripped off of the scarab. I ended up rolling onto my back. I pulled myself up and sprinted for the alley.
The AA gun soon began to fire at me, large chunks from the buildings at the sides of the alley began to fall. I kept going anyway.
There was a large explosion, and a bright blue light as a large section of a building fell onto me.
Talk about a knock-out hit......
Chapter 4:
Alone.....
*Small dots of light.*
*Images of a small, digital woman.*
*Sounds of yelling*
"You.....you would make a most excellent....worthy.....champion....."
"You must....you WILL become a legend."
"A legend of darkness...."
"You will not SUCCEED(sp) in escaping from me. Nothing can escape me, not even the ark can stop me."
"Like all other's. You are the child of my enemy, but you will become MINE!"
I don't know what the voice was, or where it came from, but one thing is for sure. I'm getting out of here now! But wait, I'm trapped.....I'm stuck under piles of rumble...
From the buildings in the alley! I remember!
Now I must find a way out......but how?
There were patches of light here and there. So this mustn't be too heavy, but you never know.
I pushed with all of my strength, did little, but it did move the rubble. I pushed again, the rubble moved soem more. I pushed in sequences, one push then two, I repeated this process until the rubble finally was light enough for me to stand.
The city....it was in an inferno in one direction then in the the other it was just deserted. There was no signs of life. The scarab still lay were it was taken down, but where did the UNSC and the Elites go?
A large Covenant or Elite ship passed over. So some one is still here, but who?
There was a large explosion farther away, sounded like a glassing beam.
Wait.....inferno.....glassing.....not good.....
Another large ship was parrallelled over head the road. It was headed straight for me, and fast.
"Jonie!" -I yelled as I ran for the clearer end, away from the ship.
"Wha- So you decided to wake up?"-She must have been on stand by or something, to hard to think right now.
"We're stuck in this darn city, and it's being glassed." -I puffed out of me and I jumped over some destroyed UNSC vehicles.
"Wait....What! Glassing!" -She became frantic.
"Yes, and I have no idea how to get out of here."
The ship drew closer, it's beam charged up and fire down on the far end of the street.
"Just keep running! I'll try to figure something out." -Jonie really didn't want to die.
The beam cut through the scarab within seconds, and it was quickly gaining on me. The beam was so hot that there was flames at least four feet ahead of the beam itself.
We're not going to make it....there's needs to be a street or an alley that I could cut through?
The nearest alley was too far for me to reach without getting burned alive....same for the nearest intersection....
Without thinking I threw myself throueh a doorway into a building. The building was fairly large, there was a main lobby that was littered with trash. The placed must have been an Embassy or something.
I went throughout the building looking for an exit. The lobby's fire escape was bolted shut, and I didn't feel like I had enough time to tear my way out. I went to the next level, and there I saw my escape. There was a small crater, presumably from a rocket, that I could make a jump out of.
I didn't think of any consequences(sp) of falling, after all I did survive a seventy foot fall. I just jumped out as far as I could. In mid-air the building exploded into flames right behind me. Lucky me.
I hit the ground rolling into a destroyed warthog. I pulled myself up and began to run along the side of the cruiser, away from the inner parts of the city.
"The best chance we have is to head for a communitcations array." -Jonie said.
"Oh yea.....where would I find one of those?" -I heaved as I ran.
"There nearest one is here. It's not the safest one to go to but it's the nearest. The safest one to go to is here. It's far away, but it's most likely the last on being glassed."
Two NAV points came up on my HUD. One was behind me, it was the closest. The other one was at the far side of the city, to my left. I ran for the safest one, there was no way I'm going to be glassed.
I ran as fast as I could towards the communications hub, but to my luck another cruiser was headed for me. This cruiser was coming from my three O' clock, which was good and bad for me.
The good thing is that I have a good chance of getting clear out of it's path. The bad thing is that the cruiser is faster than me, yet I may just have the chance to get away.
"Jonie....how far is that cuiser?" -I huffed as I ran.
"Not far enough....around two and three fourths of a nautical mile....The cruiser's speed and your speed......" -Jonie trailed off. "If you pick up that pace by three and a half steps you'll be five feet from the flames of the beam."
"Is this good enough?" -I sped up as best as I could.
"Not quite...try to slow your breathing a little, that might help..."
I didn't really think that slowing my breathing would help, but I gave it my best shot. I ran as hard as I could to evade the cruiser.
Soon...it's long, obscured shape would block out the sun......
The cruiser's shadow quickly engulfed me, and with that happening I ran faster. The buildings behind me bursted into flames. I had escaped the beam, but the heat was still intense.
With the cruiser leaving I continued for the communications hub. There was litter fluttering about the streets, some shell caseings lay here and there.
As I jogged around the next bend I was shocked. The NAV pointer was directly over a crater filled building. There were dozens of bullet holes and large gaps in the building.
"I don't think the communitcations hub is fully oporational ."-I whispered silently.
"Me neither..."-I shook my head. I looked around the street then back at the building.
I decided to walk off away from the raging infernos, hopefully heading towards safety, or the walls.
As the cruiser pasted behind me, I just walked towards the walls, assuming that I wouldn't make it out alive. I didn't seem to care anymore, same for Jonie. Jonie hadn't said a word for over five minutes.
As I came upon the walls, to my suprise I saw an exit.
There was a large gaping hole in the upper part of the wall. When I was jogging towards the wall, plasma blobs arched over my head. The plasma was coming in waves. At first I ducked my head, not even looking back.
The ground around me threw up dirt as plasma was hitting the ground next me. As that was happening I twisted around to catch a glimpse of two banshees flew directly over head.
I had no weapons....wait I do! The two pistols, I reached down for them and pulled them out. I then ran as hard as I could to reach the walls.
The banshees circled back around to make another pass. Thier weapons heated up and fired at me. I ducked and rolled as the plasma nearly hit me. One of the banshees fire their fuel rod gun, lucky for me it hit just a few feet behind me. There was two bad things about that: One, the explosion knocked me onto me knees. Two, with me now lying on the ground a two cruisers came closing in.
I pulled myself up and contunied towards the wall, ingoring the banshees as they past over again. I came up to the wall and leaped over. Once I hit the ground two fuel rod guns were fired, hitting the wall, knocking the wall over me.
I shrugged off the sections from the wall and began to run along the wall itself. The banshees circled the other way, then came back paralle(sp) with the wall.
As the fliers came closer, I once again for the 'hundredth' time I entered the "slow motion" time frame.
I still had no control, but it seems like I know what I'm doing.
One of the banshees' broke off of their formation as they drew closer. But the lead flier kept his course, and his course was to just fly right by me.
As he, the lead banshee, flew past me I grabbed onto his right wing. Even in the slowed time period, I could feel the banshee loose altitude.
I pulled myself up to where I was standing, with both feet on the banshee's wing, and my hands are on the upper cockpit. I noticed that there were some "ape-like" legs at the rear of the banshee. What happened to the UNSC and the Elites?
There's no time to think about them, yet. I forced my fist into the cockpit, causing a reaction for the banshee to gain altitude. The brute pilot slid back and fell out the back of the banshee, the banshee kept going.
I manouvered my hand inside of the cockpit, to steer it back down. I saw that the second banshee was headed straight for me, with it's weapons hot.
We were on a collision, head to head, and I really don't feel like blowing up. I felt around inside until I just, out of complete randomness, pressed a trigger. My banshee's cannons fire six rounds into the opposing banshee, hitting it's upper mid section.
All of a sudden I was in actual reality, time was on track, no 'slow motion'. And the other banshee was still on track, and so was I.
I let go of the flier that I was hanging, I didn't care if I was fourty feet above the ground, I've survived seventy.
The two banshee hit themselves head on before I was half way down. The blue explosion's filled the sky around them, nearly blinding me.
I hit the ground on my back, and that really hurt. Metal from the banshee's landed around me, but from what I could see, none of them were going to actually hit me. I thought wrong.
One of the pilot sections, the lower half, hit the ground next to me up right, and it slid down onto me.
The banshee hit me in my torso, then rocked back and forth, not so pleasent. I could feel the weight of the aircraft as I attempted to push it off. Nothing happened. I tried to push again. Still nothing. My arms were under the banshee, so I could see anything wrong with them.
"Jonie....run a diagnostics" -I gasped as I tried to push again.
"Running.....both arms have been severally damaged due to the impact of the banshee's 'body.'- I did not want to hear that.
"So I'm stuck under here?"
"Without any help...."
"What kind of help?"
"I'm able to re-route the engery flowing into you legs, into you arms, but your legs won't be very effective, i.e. you can't sprint as fast, or jump as well."
"I don't care if my legs won't work well, I just need to be able to run.....especially now that I've been spotted, and that the pilots were brutes...."
"So they were brutes....Hang on, re-routing power....you may now try to lift the banshee..."
I attempted to shoce away the banshee, this time I succeeded. The banshee was moved aside like a large cabinet.
I pulled myself up then continued along the wall, hopeing to find a way out.... What also struck me was the fact that there is brutes, so they must of had something that would have pushed the UNSC back.
After over twenty minutes of walking soldemnly, I saw the Major's elephant, just sitting there on it's own, nothing else around. No forms of life, no other vehicles, no weapons, nothing but papers fluttering across the front.
There was a large explosion, followed by a massive tremor. I jogged for the elephant as I heard the walls and building crashing down.
The explosion sounded close, but I could tell that it was on the other side of the planet.....
The UNSC were still here, just in orbit, and I figure that they presume I'm KIA other wise they would have drug me out, then they would MAC the planet.....
I rounded the elephant an tripped up the ramp. I pulled myself up and went face first into a warthog.
I came to, then searched the elephant as fast as I could. I found a holo-pad lying by a desk on the second level.
It read:
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October 24, 2553
ONI Section 2
Major Lively
Mission File: Cybernetic-134
Major,
Corporal Conan's next mission is to return to Earth. There is a serious threat that must be dealt with. Not only is that there are still some flood combatants still loitering in Africa, but there are two more serious threats.
In New City, New York at 12:40:32 P.M., there was a major explosion.Seventy people were killed, and thirty others wounded, twenty-two people are still missing, presumed KIA. The bomber of this event is assumed to be a rough mercenary, name "John Asworth". John was in the UNSC for five years before going AWOL, he left becoming a mercenary in Asia. He helped both us, and the URF.
As soon as you have Conan, take him to Earth by any means neccicary(sp). We need him to track down John Asworth, in an attempt to save dozens.
The other serious threat may be just as dangerous as the flood. In a secret ONI facility, over twenty teams of special scientist were attempting to figure a way to create a new 'super weapon'. The project, Operation: Omega.. The task was to create a super virus, capable of taking out over seventy-five percent of a planets population, then ceasing.
To the scientist suprise, the new virus didn't multpy by two's, but instead by four's. The numbers were increasenly exponential, with each viral cell multiplying within fifteen minutes.
Any attempts to slow the virus spreading had fail. With any sort of radiation, Carbon, or any other elements the virus spread faster.
The teams were intrigued, but there was an accident, two of the scientist were infected, and they then attacked the others. The infected had turned in ten seconds or less. Symptoms are:Rage, foaming of the mouth, brutallity, sweating, blood coming from all openings in the body.
We could use some help from Conan. The facility was fully infected under twelve hours, we found out of the inccident by the time the virus hit the northern half of Asia. We are in dire need of help, this virus cannot be stopped with medications, we need Conan.
Thank you,
ONI Section 2
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"John? Earth? Flood? Virus? Me?" -I muttered aloud.
"What?" -Jonie appeared at she studied at the pad. "We need to get out of here,"
"Yea, I noticed....."
"Take the warthog, we could use it's communications array to find any UNSC forces in orbit." -Her little figure pointed at the vehicle.
I didn't reply, I just pulled the chip out of my chest, jumped down to the first level, inserted her then got into the hog' and took off.
The air was refreshing as we drove across the land.
"Phantom in-bound! Seven O'clock! I may be able to hack the warthog's grid and enable to the gun to shoot at the phantom." -Jonie barked.
"You can do that?" -I said as I drove, weaving back an forth as I passed some destroyed scorpions and wraiths.
"Do what?"
"Hack the hog's systems....then have the gun target, well targets."
"Yes, I can, but since I'm specially designed, I'm practically the only A.I. that can do that."
"Well then do it..."
After a few seconds I heard the gun swivle around, then after a few more seconds the gun came to life, firing at the phantom.
Ahead of me there was a small covenant outpost. From where I was, I could tell that there were some UNSC vehicles that were taken out, I'm gonna have to pull a monouver to throw off the phantom and get around the vehicles, otherwise I'd just wreck.
The phantom came along side of the warthog, with a plasma cannon armed by a grunt, and it's chin mounted turret. Both weapons aimed towards me, but they didn't fire immediatly, so they must have been stunned that the gun was shooting on it's own. This was my chance.
"Jonie, could you put this thing into 'auto-pilot?' when I say to, and be sure to have it in reverse." -I asked nervously watching the phantom.
The outpost was really close.
"Why yes," -She replied.
As soon as I heard her say that I turned the steering wheel as hard as I could to the left. The 'hog spun around into the other direction. We went under the phantom, heading in reverse. I went into the reverse as I saw the phantom dip lower, then gain alttitute and line back up.
The rear gun was still firing. When the casings were coming out they would hit me in the back of the head. So now I'm hearing some banging in the back of my helmet.
"Weapon's dry," -Jonie remarked.
"Well, then come here," -I pulled the chip out of the slot, then re-inserted it back into my systems. "Now give me some power to all of my body functions, and give some extra power to any limbs that I need to any of the actions I do, now!" -We were coming in to close to the destroyed UNSC vehicles. And the phantom came back up to our side, this time meaning bussiness. The phantom was only about five feet from us, I guess they really wanted to make sure I was dead.
I took my only chance I thought I had and jumped for the phantom. The 'hog careended into the UNSC vehicles cause a bright explosion. The warthog itself flipped end over end onto some scorpions.
While the phantom gained altitude, so I guess the pilot wanted to either knock me off they just didn't know I was here. But the two grunts and the three brutes in the troop hold did.
One of the grunts came over to pull away me hands. To bad for him I threw him off.
I pulled myself up to meet three brutes and one grunt.
The grunt, without thinking pulled out two plasma grenades as soon as I got to my feet. He began to chanter something, but I couldn't understand him. As he got within three feet I grabbed him, then just threw him off, nothing to it.
The brutes spread out infront of me, all of them with spikers. One to my left came swinging it's spiker at me, well let's just say I ducked under him, causeing him to tripped out of the phantom.
The other two brutes threw down their weapons, then they practically just did the same thing. I on the other hand, just sidestepped away as they collided into each other, throwing them both out.
Through that whole time, the pilot must've not have known that I was there. The phantom didn't do any kind of manouvers to knock me off balance. So I went to where the phantoms cockpit would be, the front.
I began to bang at the walls with my fist, causeing some pretty major dents. After my sixth hit I was revealed with a stunned brute.
The brute jumped out of his seat to throw me me out. I rolled back away out of his grasp, grabbed both spikers and fired as he make a leap for me.
The spiker filled brute slumped in mid air, falling. I rose both spikers as the half dead brute fell onto the spiked ends. I heaved him aside, then made my way into the cockpit.
This 'bird' was quickly loosing alttitude.
I stumbled inside, and to my suprise, even though I did it, I had tossed Jonie's clip into a small slot, the control board.....
"Hang on!" -Jonie said as the phantom's doors closed and pulled up.
"To what!" -I slid out of the opening, into the back of the phantom.
"We're going to orbit.....the scans show some UNSC ships over the planet, so they are MACing the planet.......Sending messages....."
"Orbit? UNSC ships? Still useing MACs?"
"Yep...."
I slumped back against the wall, might as well just sit and wait.
"They've responded, they see us, they're now sending in some escorts" -Jonie remarked.
"Make sure they don't shoot us down...." -I closed my eyes and fell asleep.
"Don't worry, if we're shot down, then well let just say it would be a qick death......." -Jonie said as the phantom bulked for a second.
I didn't respond, I just wanted to get to a bed. I closed my eyes for a bit.....and before I knew it we were just entering a frigate....so that's a reason why sleeping can be good.
What got my attention to keep awake was the phantom's hatches had come down, blinding me with a bright light. I rose both hands to block the light, which didn't really help.
Four UNSC marines stepped on board, aiming their assault rifle, incase this was a trap I guess.
"How the heck did this thing fly when you were in the back?" -A marine asked me as he held out his hand.
I grabbed his hand, then got to my feet. "Well I wasn't the one flying......" -I stepped over into the cockpit and pulled out Jonie's chip. "She did the flying......"
The marines just stared at me. Another corporal came aboard, looked at the marines then me.
"Conan, right?" -He tilted his head back some.
I just nodded.
"Well you're with me, we thought that we had lost you in the city before the Covenant released the flood," -He nodded the marines away.
"The flood?" -I asked. I was quite suprised that I didn't meet them.
"Yes, just enough for our ground forces to pull away. Did you feel a MAC round at anytime?"
"A MAC, yea....."
"We had MACed the starting point, from where the flood was released, so then we could retake this city and find you, if we could."
"Well then it's a good thing that I was far enough away...."
"Yea it was. Now you're need for debreifing, follow me."
I took off after the corporal as he stepped down off of the phantom, into a really large hanger....
Well by large, I meant big enough for a good company or two...
I followed the corporal for at least twelve minutes, finally finishing at the command bridge. Where I was told in person about the situations.
"Okay son, this may be difficult for you to understand, but the northern tip of Asia has been hit by lets see....a virus..... and there's a rouge merci-" -The captian, a mid fifty year old man, seemed nice in all, but I had to cut him off.
"Yes I know, I read a holo pad on some major's elephant. (:P, that didn't seem right.), I know what to do....when do we get to Earth?" -I asked, leaning back against a small desk.
"Please, try to keep from taking authority...Well, you just made my job easier. We'll be jumping to Earth in fourty-five minutes. Take the time to rest, it'll be a seven hour jump." -The captian folded his arms.
"Yes, sir... Sir, where would I be resting?"
"I suggest going down to the aft section, in the crew chamber..... 3D. There should be a good amount of empty bunks, and over ninety percent of the soldiers on the planet are aboard, the rest are still boarding."
"Yes, sir, thank-you sir." -I left the bridge heading to where I suggested the aft of the ship should be, once against following the arrows.
"It's nice to be able to rest..." -I yawned(sp).
"For me, that was easy, the only part that's rough for me is hoping that you don't die." - Jonie said.
"Yeah, but don't worry, I won't die, cause I'm too good to even get hit." - I smirked.
Chapter 5: The Drowning by Blood.
Once I found a small, bunk room I immediatly removed my gear, and pasted out on the bottom most bunk. I hope no one will come in and start a fight becuase I'm in their bunk. I didn't see any signs of luggage(sp) or any signs that some one has been here before. But besides that, I'd feel really bad if there was a person or part of a squad stationed in this bunk that didn't make it.
Well, I couldn't think, I could not hold back the forces of flling asleep.
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*A man and a women standing side by side.*
*Images of Earth*
*A city on fire*
*Blood riddled people, attacking on another.*
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I awoke in the small bunk, all lights in the room were dark.....
I could tell that some one else was in the room. Since I didn't have my helmet on I couldn't use the lenses, but with my advanced eye, I could tell that there were two other people in the room.
Their gear was at the ends of their bunks. Their armor, looked very similar to my own, if not the exact same.....
I slowly moved against the wall, looking towards the two sleeping people. One person was on the bottom bunk, the other on the top bunk. I once again fell asleep.
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I re-awoke in the same position as I fell asleep. One of the two guys that sleep across from me was awake, polishing his armor.
He looked up, as if he knew that I was just waking up. A small light was focused on his armor. I could see his face just right. He had short black hair, brown eyes, and he didn't seem like he was the normal person.
"Well it's good to see that you're awake." -He shook his head up and down, and he began to polish his armor some more. "I'm Micheal Sommers, Ashley here, and I are two new members to your squad."
"My squad? What squad? I didn't even know that I would have squad." -I spoke as I sat up.
"When we arrived you were asleep. So we never got to tell you." -The man, Micheal, began to polish his gear some more.
"Who are you?"
"Us? I'm Cybernetic-153, and Ashley is Cybernetic-152."
"Wait. What? Cybernetic-153, and 152?" -I thought I was the only one.
"Yes, we too are 'cyborgs'. I'll tell you our stories later, but for now lets just say that you're the first person to survive the "change", and I and Ashley are the second and third. Ashley beat me by a minute."
This is going to be interesting.........
Ashley, up on the top bunk, rolled over, and boy did something hit.
The first thing that entered my mind was HOLY COW! I've never seen a god looking girl like that. We looked at each other for a second or two before Micheal looked up.
"So now you want to get up?" -He asked, still looking up.
"Yep. I finally decided to get up..." -Ashley said looking back down at Micheal. She had long, but not too long, brunnet(sp) hair, a light tan, but was odd, was that the same thing hit me when I first saw Micheal. I could tell that she too, could fight.
"So now I can activate the lighting?" -Micheal asked.
"Yes, you may now. I'm going to go change." -Ashley slid off of the bunk and out the door she went after she grabbed her duffle bag.
"Good looking, ain't she?" -Micheal said, smiling at me.
"Huh, what? Yes, yes she is." -I didn't look at him in the eyes, but I guess I had a good reason to. My chest armor was lying against the wall, and the end of my bunk.
Jonie. I wonder if she's on "stand-by". I reached over to grab the armor.
"Don't touch the armor." -Jonie's little figure appeared.
"Well, excuse me, but what's a matter?" -I remarked looking at her little figure.
"The chest plate is being up graded. Your little up grade has finished a moment ago."
"My upgrade?"
"Yes, you've had your limbs upgraded with some newer materials, and some other 'fluids'."
"Fluids?"
"I can't say. Because I personally don't know. Your suit on the other hand is being upgraded with some stress pads, why? I don't know."
"How long has it been?"
Jonie's little figure looked towards the cieling, "Since you passed out, it's been, nine hours."
"Are we above Earth?"
"Yep." -Micheal said behind me. "There's a great viewing port down on your right."
I jumped up to go see my old home.
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I scurried down the narrow corridors, looking down each intersection for a viewing port. I ran into an marine leaving a small lounge.
"Hey! Watch yourself! You don't know who I am, or what I can do to you!" -He yelled, shoving me aside.
"What ever man, I haven't seen Earth since I joined the marines." -I turned to walk away, ingoring the marine.
"Hah, you're a marine. I'm with the ODST, so you won't stand a chance. You better watch yourself next time." -The "ODST", got up in my face.
This guy is just show, I could tell, even if he was an ODST, he really couldn't do anything to me.
"I don't want no problem, I just-" -The ODST stopped me short.
"I don't want no problem.....blah, blah, blah. If you have the guts you'd hit me first." -The ODST mocked. Some of his buddies come waddering out.
I turned to leave, but the ODST shoved me from behind. I caught myself, just before hitting face first.
The ODST and his companions laughed.
"Whatcha gonna do about that? Go get your little wimpy marine buddies to come help?" -He bent over behind me, making little lip gestures.
Wait? Wouldn't he have had gone through the marines to make it to the ODST? Shows how smart he is. But no one shoves me from behind and gets away with it.
I flipped over and kicked the guy in his stomach. He blocked half of the blow to him with his upper arm.
"Oh! Now you're fiesty!" -He laughed.
"You first." -I told him. His buddies still just watched.
The ODST lunged at me, but to no prevail. I caught him just as hit was hitting my stomach. I pulled up on his arms and threw him over behind me.
He landed right on his back, but he took the pain. While still on his back, the ODST grabbed my legs and pulled me down with him. I hit my head on the floor as he leaped onto my back.
I guess I could just show off, cause I doubt he could do anything to me.
He made some signal to his buddies, and two of them came over. The two held my arms in place, but it'll take more than just them.
I pushed myself off of the ground with the three ODST on my back. The two on my arms let go, while the one on my back grabbed my arms, pulling them back.
The two that had just joined got set to go for my head and body, while the main ODST held me in place. Too bad I pulled a monouver, throwing the ODST on my back over onto one of the two ODST in front of me.
The remaining ODST made his move with a right jab. I ducked below it, pulling on his arm until I was on his back, there I shoved him to the ground.
I backed away, watching the group of ODST that were just watching and the three that were on the ground.
"What's a matter? You can't beat my in one on one? You need your little ODST friends to come and try to save the day? Man, you guys aren't nothing compared to the ODST I was with on Farse." -I said, wiping my chest off.
"Wait....you're that cyborg.....I've heard of you...." -The original ODST said, rolling his teammate off of him.
"Yeah, that's him. Now you guys better leave him alone, or it's going to be three on three. Those guys right there play by the rules." -Ashley and Micheal stepped in behind them. Ashley already knew who I was........wait...never mind......
"Ashley, he started it-" -The "lead" ODST piped up as he got to his feet.
"Listen to you Greg! You sound like a little kid! 'He started it!', boo-hoo, Micheal and I were watching the whole thing from the start."
"Whoa, hold on....how do you guys know each other?" -I asked, looking back and forth from the ODST to Ashley to Micheal.
"It's a long story, we'll tell you later, but we were in this ODST company, the Golden Eagles." -Micheal spoke as he stepped over to me. "Still want to see Earth? The port is just at the next intersection. But we'll have plenty of time getting you ajusted to her on the ground."
"Just to let you know you little trurp(sp), it's not easy down there....."-One of the ODST said, he was the final one I threw down.
"Come on, Ashley will handle them. Her and Greg used to have a 'relastionship'." -Micheal began to pat my on the back.
Patting me on the back? I just fought those guys off, and he's treating me as I got my butt kicked. Oh well, at least I've got some action.
Micheal and I walked down the hall, silently, not speaking a word. While Ashley on the other hand, was argueing with the ODST, Greg.
When we rounded the next intersection, I saw the large viewing port and hurried past Micheal. I went face-flat against the viewing port, and there she was.
Earth, I haven't been there for months. I....I can't even remeber correctly where I had lived. Some place in the states, that's all I know....
"Glad to see her, aren't you?" -Micheal asked, stepping next to me.
"Yeah......" -I answered in a mono-tone voice.
"That's the place where Ashley and I were nearly killed."
"What? Where?"
"Down on Earth. After the Covenant forces, and the flood were dealt with, the "Golden Eagles" were dispatched down in Germany for some 'Practice Training'...."
"And?" -I asked Micheal.
"There was an inncedent. Our mission objective...go into a run-down school and find a bomb. The bomb was placed in the main office, and we had to find it. I, Ashley, and seven others were to find the bomb, and disarm it. We had done it time, and time again. But this time we didn't know where it was at exactly, we searched the whole building, since there was an extended time limit we thought we'd find it in time...." -Micheal's eyes never looked away from Earth.
"The four of our squadmates; Alex...Salem...Sam...Dean... searched the office. The others were just behind us, behind Ashley and I, just by seven or eight meters. I remember hearing someone yelling that they had found it...but, not in enough time...The bomb exploded, before our mission timers even said the there was five minutes left." -Micheal continued.
"Before the five minute marker?" -I looked at him confused.
"The 'planter', had messed up, itstead of thirty minutes, we had fifteen. The office was the third area to look; just after we scanned the upper floor, and the janitor room. After the explosion, not a second later, the school had collapsed. Ashley had both arms broke, and both legs. Her spine was severely damaged. Most of her ribs were fractured due to the explosive force. I on the other hand had my legs crushed my a large section of the wall. My arms were broken from the blast, and the same for my skull. The others didn't make it. Ashley and I were the farthest from the bomb, and we weren't even far..."
"I'm.....sorry...about the others....."
"Well the best I can say is that they were good people." -Micheal had some tears form in his eyes. "But, you, your surgery was much worse than ours. You had lost your eye, and had both your legs and arms amputated. We just had some robotic parts installed into our limbs. Ashley was in worse condition than myself, some fragments had entered through her eyes, both of them, and she couldn't see. So now she has some 'chips' implented into both eyes, allowing her to see much farther than the both of us. I do not know what they placed in her, or how, but I do know that it's very effective. Her spine on the other hand was dealt with nicely, just a few 'ajustments'. -Micheal slowly shook his head, and stared back at Earth.
"So....what's our next objective? I'd like to see what you guys can do..." -I said, trying to get off of the subject.
"Our next assignment is a bloody one...." -Micheal looked back at me. "But first, you. my dear friend, had a 'check-up' to go through."
We walked away discussing my 'check-up', which were just easy blood samples.
"So you're going to get your blood tested and some small stretches." -Micheal told me.
"Doesn't sound to hard...." -I shrugged.
As Micheal and I made our way to the clinic, we discussed about our lifes, and some about the current situations with the UNSC and the Covenant. Once we entered the small clinic, I had to say my name, then wait a few minutes while the nurse looked my name up.
"Well, it looks like Doctor Burke is ready to see you already Mr. Conan." -The nurse said, still peering down at the holo-screen, before leading me to the back room. Where I met 'Dr. Burke'.
"Nice to meet you Mr. Conan. All I'm going to do it get a small blood sample, then we're going to get through a small exercise, then take another blood sample." -Dr. Burke ackknowledged, looking down at a small holo-pad.
I didn't say anything, not even 'nice to meet you'. I didn't really have to, since Doc. Burke just jabbed a small syringue into my left arm. I saw my blood be vaccummed into the small chamber of the syringue.
"If you may, would you take a look at the holo-pad on that desk over there, then just follow it's instructions." -Doctor Burke began to work with some of his 'instruments'.
I took a glance at the holo-pad. Just five exercises, rotate the arms, then the legs, stretch as high as possible, rotate the body, then finally stretch back. Hold each position for five minutes for each stretch.
I finished them, just within thirteen minutes. I waited for another five minutes for Dr. Burke, which he took another blood sample.
"Oh, my....." -Burke mummbled, when he looked at the test results after ten minutes or so.
"There appears to be something wrong......well not really wrong, but unusual....." -Burke stressed his face as he glaced hard into the holopad.
"What? Doctor Burke.....what....." -I slowly began to step towards him.
"Not long ago so 'fluids', to help with you electrical parts; Which I don't know how they work...., the fluids have...well lets say, entered your blood stream..." -He looked up at me.
"Will it have symptoms?"
"I actually do not know. What I do know is that once your heart-rate is just above average the fluids release themselves into the blood." -The doctor began to look down at the pad again.
"It appears that after the moment the fluids had been injected into your body, some had 'slipped out'. Have you been any sort of activity that would have made your heart-rate increase?" -He continued.
"Uhh, and small little brawl..." -This, situation, better not kill me.
"That might have activated the fluids to bond with the blood cells, then once combined the new fluids could've been able to signal the other fluids in your electrical parts to be able to bond. Don't worry, I'll sent a message to ONI ASAP. Just to let you know that this is my theory, so I could be wrong." -The doctor shook his head.
"May I leave now?" -I slowly nudged away from him, towards the door.
He shook his head before continueing some other 'activity'.
"Oh, before you go, I was told to send you to the armory.....A-2. There Micheal and Ashley should be waiting...." -Doc. Burke ordered before I scrammed out of the room.
Well, I guess today's going to be just fine......after I get through the arrows, and once I get some action...
Aloysius:3. Mandatory search bar usage.
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http://s3.invisionfree.com/WWII_Domination/ (WWII forum game, still being worked on. Halo game, will soon follow)