The Rising Tide

(The lost Forerunner story of first contact by the Primary Pioneer Group)

 

 

Part I  

"All ships report in." Captain Aodhán of First Observance paced nervously back and forth. Once they arrived in system, the fleet began checking in, numbering twenty ships of various types. The captain had little reason to be worried. He had made this type of voyage countless times in his career with the Primary Pioneer Group. The tasks never bored him or gave him cause to doubt the necessity, but once appearing above the planet known as G617g, the smallest seed of anxiousness began to take root in his mind.

The slightest displacement of air behind him caused the captain to turn around. The AI commissioned with the PPG, known as Eran, approached and hovered at shoulder height. "We are all accounted for, Captain." Eran dipped lower and moved to stare out the front viewport of the First Observance. "Hmm. It looks rather drab, according to your standards, I suppose." The AI was triangularly pyramidal in shape, though its edges were slightly rounded, with a single eye that glowed a ghostly blue. Eran turned back around to face the captain. "Shall we begin?"

Aodhán folded his arms and nodded.

 

 

 

*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***

 

 

Four sensor ships made orbit around G617g, and reported back some interesting findings. While the world did seem capable of supporting life, it did not, however, contain any sentient species. Still, there was much more to be discovered on the surface.

Eran floated leisurely around the bridge, processing the sensor information while humming quietly to itself. He paused, breaking his tune of an anthem he recalled often, and stopped his movement. Grid G6-472 was marked as "anomalous" and he selected the attached file. It indicated there was no fauna of any kind along a lush mountain valley where animal life should naturally flourish.

Apparently, the captain was mulling over the same information. "Eran, it seems rather peculiar that a section of land, such as specified, would be so void of life." The captain frowned. "We should call in the Advanced Survey Team, see what they can find."

Eran bobbed up and down to mimic a nod. "I concur this as well."

 

 

 

*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***

 

 

Team Alpha of the AST made landfall just after the local sunset. The dozen specialists set up a makeshift camp just outside the designated area, and then set off towards the mountainside, their gear floating alongside them on equipment carts. The advanced sensors onboard the carts provided the same results as the preliminary look-see, but did find something interesting. A beep from one of the consoles brought Alpha Leader, Brennus, to consult with the readings. A very low radiation emission was detected due East.

Brennus wasted no time pinpointing the anomalous energy spike that emanated from inside the mountain. He reported the location to First Observance and wasn’t disappointed to hear Eran was on his way down. Although it was the senior AI with the PPG, he found Eran to be overwhelming and difficult to deal with at times. Brennus shook his head. Taking the necessary precautions, Sentry Scouts glided on ahead.

 

 

 

*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***

 

 

Curiosity has a way of controlling you when you lest expect it. Brennus laughed to himself when he heard his own words reverberate in his mind. Being apart of the Advanced Survey Team did have its perks. They were the first to see something new in the galaxy, something Brennus cherished mightily, and they had the most advanced equipment available to the Fleet.

Of course, it’s only as good as the user who interfaces with it. Alpha Leader set his jaw and rechecked his suit’s shield diagnostics. It was a nervous habit, one that he found himself doing every five minutes since the abnormal blip appeared in his heads-up-display.

When they arrived at the base of the mountain, Eran floated down from above, circling Alpha Team, as if to personally inspect it. Brennus gave the AI a look of forced amusement. "Care to join us, Watchman?" he asked, using its Fleet designation in a subtle attempt at condescension.

Eran tilted slightly to the right. "Why, yes. Of course." The AI sputtered along toward the front of the Sentry line.

Alpha Leader shook his head. These machines never do understand sarcasm. He motioned for his squad to pick up the pace and activated his suit’s lighting system. The others did the same and the descending darkness was halted in their path. He looked back behind him, momentarily illuminating their tracks in the dry ground, and frowned as he noted the range back to the safety of the base camp increase with every step.

 

 

 

*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***

 

 

 

The captain of First Observance stood at the outer edge of the Observation Luminosity. The large, circular space was built into the bridge proper for real-time monitoring of teams or individuals. Currently, the scene from the Advanced Survey Team-Alpha was being transmitted in life-size holoform from the surface of G617g to the multiple image generators. He began to pace around the circumference when the holographic representation of Eran took the lead. The AI didn’t bother with constant updates; the captain could see the events unfold instantaneously.

Neither did Aodhán feel the need to report back to Fleet Command over their investigation of a random, minuscule power surge in the middle of a deserted planet. He needed more information to go on if he wanted to properly assess the possible dangers present on G617g.

He took a seat and settled in for the unnerving anticipation of new discoveries.

 

 

 

*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***

 

 

 

Brennus found himself hesitating at the mouth of the cavern entrance. Eran had led them to the waypoint without so much as a note from his never-ending catalogue of tunes. Perhaps he’s as unsettled as we are. However, what gave him pause were his sensors showing the temperature inside was much warmer, giving Brennus the impression they were entering the opened jaws of some great beast.

He swallowed and ventured in the wake of the Sentry Scouts. As they entered the large cavern, the reflections off the walls from their illumination devices dulled, and the surface absorbed the light. Only by directing a strong, single beam could the finer details of the area be revealed. The walls were composed of some sort of volcanic rock. The height of the ceiling could not be determined, as the air above them was layered in a cloud of mist. The ground felt loose underneath but solid enough to support their weight. The room was eerily quiet, given the size, but the silence didn’t last long.

"Oh, my."

Brennus leaned past one of the Sentries to find Eran staring at a glowing round object in the center of the underground room. The meter-wide sphere looked like a ball of water suspended in midair with static electricity sending tiny flashes of lightning over its surface. It looked vaguely familiar to Brennus, reminding him of the Fleet’s most up to date form of advanced space travel, and he crept closer.

Eran circled the object twice, covering every possible angle, and took a position beside Brennus, forming a triangle with the sphere at the apex.

"The energy readings have diminished slightly since our arrival," Eran informed.

Brennus checked his sensors and frowned. "I don’t read any change."

"Well, the variation is infinitesimal, approximately 0.0000000012 percent. I calculate—"

"—So it’s breaking down, or you’re due for a diagnostics check," Brennus interrupted.

For once, the machine didn’t react by telling him how structurally sound its programming was, or how its makers made it the pinnacle of perfection. It just hovered there, silently, as if in awe of the watery object. Eran made the smallest movement forward and Brennus took a step to halt the AI’s progress.

He heard a crunch underneath his feet. Brennus looked down, shined his light at his boots, and was shocked to see a variety of bones scattered on the ground. His mouth hung open and his pulse began to race. He looked back up in time to see Eran arch an electronic inquiry to the object. He filled his lungs with air and he yelled, "No!"

It was too late.

A brilliant flash of white light suddenly filled the cavern, causing Brennus to fall awkwardly on his back, but his visor quickly polarized to save his eyes the need to adjust. A great animalistic roar echoed throughout the cavern and the walls became bathed in a crimson tint. Vibrations rattled everything and Brennus felt as if his body would shake itself apart. A high-pitched crescendo of multiple polyphony added to the audible chaos, and Alpha Team found themselves in the middle of a dissonant chorus.

Brennus found his voice again and struggled to regain his footing. "What did you do, Eran!?" he shouted over the noise. "Shut it off!"

Even hovering in the air, the AI still shook violently. "I had no reason to suspect any activation from a simple inquiry—"

The conversation was cut short when a dozen bipedal silhouettes seemed to leap out of an unseen gateway and materialized before them. Horror took hold in his heart and Brennus peddled backwards. One of the forms leaped in the air and struck down a member of Alpha Team, clawing away at his torso with tentacle-like limbs.

The Sentry Scouts quickly categorized these new beings, analyzed their posture, and assumed them as the threat they were. The machines opened fire with their beam weapons, slicing their enemy into disproportionate segments. More beings began appearing before them, but this time they were smaller, crawling over the ground towards the squad, and too numerous to count.

Brennus reached for the weapon at his hip. "Eran, close it down now!!!"

The Watchman sent a jolt of energy at the orb, and a tremendous, forceful wave rushed out from the sphere and knocked Brennus flat on his back. His head hit hard, but he did not loose consciousness right away. The cavern was once again plunged back into darkness, and the rhythmic clanking of machinery hitting the ground filled the void of the previous cacophony. A muffled munching sound could be heard, and that’s when Brennus knew his suit was inoperable. He was no longer hearing through the enhancements his suit offered, but naturally. His strength was almost gone, but he forced his head to roll to the left. Beside him, a fellow Team member was covering in the smaller bulbous creatures. He felt a tingling in his feet and knew that his suit had lost integrity.

Grief and sorrow washed over him, as he knew he was going to die. He tried to let the comfort of his father’s encouraging words overcome his current feelings, but his thoughts were interrupted by a familiar sound of ions firing. With his last bit of strength he raised his head up.

Eran was frantically cutting down the remaining parasitic creatures with gouts of energy emitting from his eye, only pausing to limit injuring the members of Alpha Team. The larger forms had all been bisected and diminished to heaps on the ground.

Exhaustion replaced any other feeling Brennus had, and he closed his eyes to fall unconscious.

 

---

New story out! Halo: Below the Brine
(it's the best story you're not reading!)

Awesome, that characters are like a mix between Covenant and Human, which is cool. Keep it coming.

---

"This one has forgotten whether it's heatsink is over capacity. It wonders whether the criminal scum considers itself fortunate" ~ Blasto, the only Hanar Spectre.

thanks! i know this is going to be a little short, but i figured it could always be expanded upon. probably not till after those "great" books come out in the Forerunner Trilogy.

i'll try and get part 2 up.... as soon as i write it. but i DO know where i'm going with this. sadly to say, it does tie in with my Pioneer/Echelon stories.

---

New story out! Halo: Below the Brine
(it's the best story you're not reading!)

I don't tie my stories in, other than sequels. It gets confusing. I could tie True Sangheili in with Memoirs, but it would be a little strange.

 And the title of this story is a little weak...

How about Halo: Flood's waters?

 Or something similar...

---

"This one has forgotten whether it's heatsink is over capacity. It wonders whether the criminal scum considers itself fortunate" ~ Blasto, the only Hanar Spectre.

i agree, the name's kinda lame. oh! how 'bout,  The Rising Tide?

too cliche? i don't care!

---

New story out! Halo: Below the Brine
(it's the best story you're not reading!)

Footbutt:

i agree, the name's kinda lame. oh! how 'bout,  The Rising Tide?

too cliche? i don't care!

I actually like it. Its a great metaphor for the "coming flood"

---

Baron vOn Instinct

The title also add's some mystery as to what The Rising Tide actually is.

---

I detest farmyard animals

unhappy farmer:The title also add's some mystery as to what The Rising Tide actually is.

so if you like the title, does that mean you like the story by default?

if not, do you like it?

---

New story out! Halo: Below the Brine
(it's the best story you're not reading!)

 Part II

 

"Can you open your eyes?"

Brennus wasn’t sure if he had asked the question himself, or if he was hearing it from someone else. Might as well try. His left eyelid was stubborn to move, but his right eye opened to a bright light that caused tears to form. He tried to bring his hand up to wipe away the moisture but his progress was halted after the slightest movement.

He breathed in and found it somewhat difficult to fully capacitate his lungs. He blinked several times and his vision focused. A light-green glow encased his body and Brennus knew he was in medical stasis. That realization brought a new wave of emotions to engulf his mind. How bad am I hurt? What happened to my squad? Are we safe from those… things?

As if reading his mind, Eran’s clipped tone of voice responded. "You are in a stable condition."

Brennus tilted his head to the right and found the AI at his side. "What about—"

"—Alpha Team? Three deceased, four in stasis, just as you." Eran’s "eye" flickered on and off like a worn out illuminator, and he circled around to the left. "We are… in a troubling situation."

Alpha Leader’s brow furrowed. "What do you mean?" Needle-like pain spiked in his brain as he turned his head to follow the wandering machine. He hissed and shut his eyes again, letting the pain subside until he could open them. He’d been in medical stasis before and he had never felt this bad.

A new voice entered the conversation from above his head. "We are mute and lame." Captain Aodhán took a position beside the AI, and Eran shrunk back to leave the explanation to the captain. "When that orb was activated, it unleashed something." He reached his hand out, but drew it back, knowing it would never make contact with Brennus’ shoulder while in stasis. We would be hard at work, going over the Librarian’s records of all known categorized lifeforms…" he paused, giving a sigh. "But when the object was shut off, it emitted a burst of energy that knocked out every piece of technology in the system. Even our emergency communication buoys we stationed at the fringes of the system are dead." He motioned with his head to the AI behind him. "Eran, here, was the only thing that was still operating. Luckily, he has since helped restore backup plasma emitters to standby functionality on our main ships.

"But we are not out of the woods yet. We don’t have enough power to engage the drives to return to an outpost, nor can we power up the communications array." He opened his arms to encompass the ship. "First Observance barely has enough power to keep you in stasis."

Brennus closed his eyes. "So what can we do?"

From the sound of its voice, Brennus could tell Eran had moved closer. "Fleet Command Protocol dictates that if we do not facilitate communications within approximately 506 hours, a military division of the Fleet will be sent to investigate."

"So we sit tight for three weeks? Captain, can we not be back up and running by then?"

"That is our hope, though the damage does look rather extensive." He folded his arms. "We’ll do our best."

Outlook: Dismal. Brennus tried to relax but tensed when he recalled those creatures. "What were those things that attacked us?"

Captain Aodhán walked to the doorway. "We are unsure. They are like nothing we’ve ever seen before." He pressed a panel that opened the door and called back over his shoulder. "You’re safe now, Brennus. Try to get some rest and this will all be over before you know it."

Brennus tried to take another deep breath to find it stopped short, and he began to cough, racking his body in agony. "Will do, Captain," he managed between coughs. If nothing else, his chest felt tighter than before. He swallowed and hoped Aodhán was right.

 

 

 

*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***

 

 

 

 

Captain Aodhán retreated to his private quarters to find it dimly lit and disturbingly quiet, like the rest of the ship. He paused under the archway and let his thoughts drift away to years past.

Like his father, Aodhán joined the Naval Academy on his home world and soon found himself aboard one of the local orbital platforms. With the goal of obtaining captaincy for a ship of his own, he pushed himself to the limits his mind and body could take, and succeeded within four years, a Fleet record.

Then the entire Navy began disarming, giving little reason to support an ambitious Captain from the Core, as he was once called. His ship was decommissioned and Aodhán took a job under a private liner-carrier group. It seemed years of training and preparation had amounted to tug duty for passengers. That was until a representative from the secretive Special Exploratory Unit approached Aodhán and offered him a job.

"Primary Pioneer Group," the rep had explained. "That’s who you’ll report to, though your allegiance will be to our Unit." He leaned in close. "And if you tell anyone of the SEU, we will disavow knowledge of ever speaking with you."

It was a loaded threat, Aodhán had figured, but the promise of commanding a ship again held tremendous pull. "I’ll accept," he said, punctuating it with a sigh. He had a lot to learn about the tangled web of internal politics the offices of the Fleet contained. While still a branch of Fleet Command, he was under the watchful eye of SpecEx, as he learned to call it, and a small amount of fear had been planted ever sense. Aodhán thought of it as a healthy fear, like a son looking to please his father. SpecEx would contact him before, during, and after a mission with the PPG, and Aodhán was sure to give the details in full holoform. Taking the rep's advice, he doubted even Eran knew of his secret involvement with the intelligence-gathering group.

He sealed the door, walked over to his desk in the corner of his room, and settled into the plush fabric his chair offered. He bent down, placing his elbows on his knees, and buried his head in his hands. Aodhán wanted nothing more than this gambit to be through. He had decided to take one last mission before settling down in some remote valley, spending his days in silence and peace. He had his words already chosen for the Administrator at the SEU, but now he quickly saw the opportunity vanish in his mind’s eye. Natural curiosity fuels innovation, he cited the Primary Pioneer Group maxim to himself, but unbridled curiosity leads to destruction. He snorted. Aodhán once believed that saying, but now after opening the floodgates, he wondered if they would prove the latter. About himself. About this mission. About those new lifeforms.

Aodhán shook his head at the stray thoughts circling his mind. There was an emergency going on and he needed to be clearheaded. He stretched tired muscles and slowly stood, contemplating sleep. Eran was coordinating the Engineers with the repairs, and would alert the captain if anything important came up.

Then there was the issue of those creatures Alpha Team encountered. The medical overseer, the Apothecy, was perplexed by the beings. He informed the captain that they looked parasitic in nature, but without power to access the medical equipment, he was having a fit trying to deduce the creatures’ biology. In the meantime, the Apothecy was examining the bodies of those slain in the confrontation and wouldn’t be due for a report till the next few hours.

Aodhán decided to take those few hours and use them to rest.

 

 

*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***

 

 

 

The dim light in the medical ward was barely enough for the Apothecy to view the cadavers. He cursed out loud, then looked up to see if anyone had heard him. Hunched over the second body, he breathed a sigh of relief when we realized he was alone in this late hour. The medical frigate Avail Run was side-by-side with First Observance, orbiting G617g, and it issued a few more creaks and moans from the work the Engineers were performing. He was annoyed with the untimely interruption, and for the fourth time, the Apothecy had cursed his circumstances. Of all the places to be stationed, he never thought he would be examining mangled bodies on some forsaken rim world. Still, it was better that teaching his trade back home.

The breathing apparatus he wore could barely hold the stench radiating off the table. He awkwardly adjusted the filter with the outside of his wrist and continued. An Apothecy was more than just a doctor. It was a position given to those that obtained an almost mystical ability to identify the tendrils of life that ebbed and flowed through living creatures. Some thought it was the next step in their peoples’ evolution, but it was special to a select few. And with his examiner station without power, his skills were being pushed to the test.

He gently probed through the torn flesh of the abdomen of the deceased and focused his senses. With the room once again quiet, he found the smallest trickle of energy at his fingertips, and it overwhelmed him. He quickly pulled his hand out and reeled back several steps from the table. The fact that he sensed the current didn’t cause him to jump back; it was normal for a fallen soldier to still have a few active cells in his body. This was unique. It was the amount of current that he felt that had him confused. It was the sense of something growing, not dying.

The few operating glowpanels flickered on and off, then with a metallic moan and thud, the room was plunged into darkness. The Apothecy reached out to his sides to find something to grasp only to topple over trays of utensils and send tools clanking to the ground. He stumbled backwards, found the room’s far wall, and flattened himself against it, hearing his heartbeat in his head. Taken aback by his sudden fearfulness, he forced himself to breathe slower.

A muffled gurgle broke the silence and the Apothecy snapped his head to right. The noise had originated from where the third, unexamined body lay. That’s impossible. He closed his eyes and tried to focus on the sounds he was hearing: a rasping of fabric, two meaty thumps, then off-balanced footsteps. The lights flickered on for a split second, revealing a figure moving quickly towards the opened door. The Apothecy inhaled sharply and shrunk down to the floor.

The creature slowly turned in the doorway to face him. It no longer resembled the soldier who once wore the protection suit that encased the figure. Its body had become asymmetrical and drooped to one side. It let out a low growl then vanished into the hallway.

Horrified, the Apothecy began to physically shake in fear. Then the sounds of small sticky organisms crawling filled the void the creature left. They were everywhere, surrounding him. In the darkness, the Apothecy knew there was little he could do, and as the things drew nearer, he realized he should have taken that teaching job so long ago.

---

New story out! Halo: Below the Brine
(it's the best story you're not reading!)

Things are going to hell...

 :D

 Great part.

---

"This one has forgotten whether it's heatsink is over capacity. It wonders whether the criminal scum considers itself fortunate" ~ Blasto, the only Hanar Spectre.

this should be attached to PART II. Sorry for the confusion....

 

                                            *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** 

I am not myself.

I am hearing new thoughts.

Dark thoughts.

Something is not right with me.

Eran floated back and forth in the propulsion room aboard First Observance, distracting itself by inspecting the casing of a plasma emitter. The alignment was off by a miniscule amount that would cause problems further down the line if not attended to within the next several months. Eran hummed nervously to itself, and after finishing up the final repairs of the reactor, started for the docking bay. The AI had kept its possible problematic situation from the captain, in hopes it could be resolved by the time that the Primary Pioneer Group was back up and running. The Engineers were taking much longer than Eran had previously calculated, giving the AI more time to sort its mind out.

Once reaching the docking bay, Eran could look out the opened bay doors to see the rest of the fleet, leisurely floating in the black emptiness of space. Eran signaled the Huragok repair crew to pause their work while the AI attempted to bring the fleet to standby. Communicating with a lone Engineer aboard each vessel, the short burst transmission was sent out. For a moment, nothing happened, then exterior running lights on a single ship sputtered to life and others quickly followed suit. Within a matter of seconds the fleet was restored to minimal power and Eran could feel First Observance coming back to life.

Satisfied with the progress, Eran allowed itself to resume humming a well-known waltz. As it turned to leave, it looked out over the fleet one last time and paused when the AI noticed the Avail Run still not fully operational. Hmm.

Eran decided to resume the repairs on the rest of the PPG, and make a journey to the medical frigate as soon as it talked with Captain Aodhán.

The AI’s contentment was replaced with anxiety.

---

New story out! Halo: Below the Brine
(it's the best story you're not reading!)

Part III

 

They struck me, but I did not become ill.

They beat me, but I did not know it.

When shall I awake?

I will seek another.

"No!" Brennus screamed, and the vision of a multi-limbed creature staring down at him evaporated in his mind. His breathing was labored like before, and he found himself clutching his arms in protection, huddled in the corner of the room. His throat felt raw from yelling as an attending medical technician appeared before him. At first he swatted the helping hands away, fit to remain isolated. When he looked past the female medtech, he saw the stasis device he last remembered suspended in still glowing. He glanced down at his hands and found them slightly bloodied.

Then Brennus saw his blood soaked gown and he began to tremble in pain, falling into the arms of the technician. He closed his eyes and tried to shake the dark image from his head.

"Please, stay still," the tech begged. She was waving a scanner over his face and then continued with the tool to trace the outline of blood on his gown.

The full weight of his body collapsed, his muscles no longer supporting him, and the medtech eased him down to the cold white floor. With teeth and hands clenched, Brennus tried to push past the agony his body was soaking in and forever erase the deep, resonant voice echoing through his every thought. He felt as if his mind was being mapped out, each stop sending a jolt of pain to that particular synapse. With the circuit continuing throughout his brain, he began to hear the voice again.

Only this time, it sounded like his own.

Do not condemn me. Why do you contend with me?

A new wave of pain and confusion washed over Brennus and he felt himself start to loose consciousness. He opened his eyes and found a half dozen medical technicians surrounding him, looking alien to him in their HazMat suits. Darkness crept into the edges of his vision and he welcomed the chance to rest once more.

 

*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***

 

 

On the bridge of First Observance, Captain Aodhán waited for Eran. The AI was attempting to access the teleportation network, but it seemed Eran’s attempts were futile and it chose to head to the bridge the old-fashioned way. With the reactors back online, The Engineers were slowly restoring systems previously unavailable. Aodhán looked down at the status bar on the main display and saw most systems outlined in red with very little highlighted in green. He sighed to himself. At this rate, we’ll be luck to have our weapons systems online by the end of next week.

"Captain?"

Aodhán turned to face Eran as he entered the bridge. "How is Brennus?" he asked with concern.

"Stable." The AI floated past the captain to look out at the gathered ships. "He is back in Medical Stasis, yet he is showing signs of severe emotion trauma. Difficult to understand, really."

"Really?" Aodhán asked sarcastically. The AI had little grasp on emotions, period, let alone try to deduce the mental state of a soldier. He shook his head in mild disgust. With the intercom of First Observance still inoperable, and little of anything else working, the reliance upon the lone AI for all long distance reports was a struggle. But priority dictated that the environmental systems and medical facilities remain at full power, especially with the three wounded members of the AST-A spread out between the orbiting fleet. "Have the other two members of the Survey Team said anything about hearing strange voices?"

Eran seemed to stir nervously in its place, then met the captain’s gaze. "Unfortunately I have not been able to travel to the other ships, as of yet. Avail Run is the lone ship still only on standby power. I was going to find out the reason for this delay, but if you’d like, I could reprioritize my schedule."

Aodhán folded his arms. "No, see what is taking Avail Run so long, then head on over to Seeker and Phylith. I want to know how our separate medical teams are doing with the injured. Perhaps they’ll be able to collaborate and figure out what is going on with our soldiers."

Eran’s eye winked on and off. "Very well, Captain. We should have short-range communications up within the hour, so I will contact you via the comm."

The AI sputtered out of view, and Aodhán was once again left with his thoughts.

 

 

*** *** *** *** *** ** *** *** ***

 

 

The docking bay of Avail Run was almost as dark as its exterior color. The only illumination was from the lone star in the system, casting deep shadows against the bulkheads. Eran exited the airlock and entered into the Engineer maintenance hatch located above the main doorway. With visual sensors and audio enhancements set on maximum, the AI traveled down the cylindrical corridor with the bridge being its destination.

Eran had thought about going down to the reactor core and confronting the problem there, but from the bridge Eran could access the entire ship’s functions, providing the reactor was back online.

A noise echoed through the corridor, and Eran froze in place. The AI played the sound back, analyzed it, and had the conclusion within a nanosecond.

Someone had screamed.

Pulling up the schematics of Avail Run, Eran had deduced the scream to originate from the barracks. Logic dictated the barracks would be the ideal place to herd the crew; giving them a comfortable place to stay, out of the way of the Engineers. Setting it to memory, Eran increased his speed to arrive on the bridge in a matter of seconds.

The bridge was frigidly cold, void of life, and completely silent. Shutting off all power, even standby reserves, to the parts of the medical frigate where the crew was not currently occupied, was indeed a good decision by the captain. If the view outside the main window had not been that of an outer rim system, one would think Avail Run was still in a shipyard, waiting to be crewed. Eran approached the central console cluster and quickly ran a system-wide diagnostic. Most of the emergency systems lit up in the green, so Eran engaged the main reactor.

With a short thump and a series of vibrations, partial power was restored to the ship. Displays and consoles scattered through the bridge beeped and flickered on. Eran did a quick thermal scan of the immediate area for members of the crew and found none.

Still confused, Eran began to focus on the security and surveillance gear networked throughout Avail Run. The lines were still functional, but their repair status had them low in the queue. Eran tapped some of the reserve power and enabled the observation cameras in one of the barracks, bringing it up on the main display.

The AI was having a difficult time computing what it saw. Creatures, like the ones they had found on G617g, were running about, attacking the crew of Avail Run. Striking with reckless abandon, the bipedal aliens and those smaller bulbous ones spread quickly through the barracks. The crew was helpless against the onslaught; hand-to-hand combat was proven fatal. The larger creatures would bring down the most resistant victims that were using random objects for defense, and the smaller, parasitic creatures would quickly overwhelm the crewmen and staff clutching each other in fear. Those fallen would convulse spasmodically, gurgle, then fall still as if in death.

A crackled over the bridge’s comm tore Eran’s attention away from the screen. It was Captain Aodhán from First Observance. Apparently short-range communication was now online.

"Watchman, do you copy? We have an emergency."

Eran keyed the comm. "Yes, we seem to have an emergency situation here," the AI agreed. "Recommend we send over a large security force to Avail Run. We have . . . an infection."

"Yes, we are dispatching security teams to Avail Run, Seeker, and Phylith. There are hostile forces crawling all over the last two," Aodhán informed.

"Make that all three." Eran locked down the bridge, sealing itself inside.

The AI perceived an odd sensation from deep within its programming.

Shame.

I have unleashed hell upon us all.

---

New story out! Halo: Below the Brine
(it's the best story you're not reading!)

Part 4

 

Captain Aodhán remained close to the comm station on the bridge of First Observance. Without the Observation Luminosity functional, they had to rely on primitive audio transmissions to remain in contact. The lead communications officer was doing his best to filter the reports and maintain order over the airwaves. The static that filled the dead space between conversation exchanges began to eat away at Aodhán. The white noise seemed to match the situation perfectly: disorder and chaos.

Seeker and Phylith had reported attacks in the medical wards of each cruiser. Both ships still held nominal power and were requesting a security force. With First Observance being the only ship in the fleet that had operable Sentries, Aodhán had dispatched the floating machines to all three vessels needing assistance. The inter-teleportation grid was almost ready for use and the captain was prepared to send a larger group to Avail Run.

A transmission from Seeker blared over the comm. "Captain Aodhán, we are in desperate need of assistance. Those things have overrun our armory."

Aodhán didn't recognize the voice. "Seeker, seal off the occupied areas. We have a team of Sentries on their way."

"Negative on that, Captain. Our lines are are severed."

Aodhán frowned and closed his eyes at the order he was about to issue. "Seal them manually; arrange a two-section safe zone on the border of the engagement. We need to contain those creatures."

There was a gasp in response. "Sir, what about those still trapped inside? We can't just--"

"--We have little choice, Seeker."

"Yes, Sir. We'll do our best."

The comm clicked off, and Captain Aodhán rolled his neck to loosen tense muscles. "Patch me through to Phylith."

The communications officer enabled a second channel. "Ready, Sir."

Aodhán inhaled. "Phylith do you--" A burst of static filled the air and he winced. He looked down at the officer. "What's going on? Are we getting through?"

"Yes, Sir, but there seems to be some sort of interference." He pressed a few buttons on his console and frowned. "We've also lost contact with our Sentries on Phylith."

"What?" Aodhán was in partial disbelief. In desperation, they had sent the remaining Sentries to combat this unexpected threat. If they're gone, he had little choice but to send in a security team of his own crew.

The communications officer shook his head in reply. "We may have lost the ship, Sir."

The captain straightened up and called out to anyone who could answer. "Is our teleportation grid up?"

"Stand by," a technician said. "The Engineers have just finalized the repairs, though we can only send on our end. We cannot receive any personnel from the other ships."

Aodhán blinked in surprise. "That will do for now." He signaled the comm. "Security Teams Alpha and Beta report to the teleporter room and prepare to transfer to Phylith. Teams Gamma and Delta, will be sent to Seeker."

An officer stood up behind his console. "Sir, what of the Avail Run?"

Captain Aodhán turned to look at the questioner. "Eran does have one more option."

 

 

 

*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***

 

 

 

Eran continued to ramp up the time table for repairs, desperately feeding power reserves from unnecessary items to the most important ones. The Avail Run, even with all the death and violence on board, was quickly becoming fully functional again.

Futile, yet worthy.

Eran's motor functions glitched and caused the AI to tremble for a second. The voice was back and louder than ever. "I am trying to save them," Eran replied into Avail Run's silent bridge.

My will is your will.

"Stop it!" Eran moved back and forth to shake the static bursting through his circuits.

The bridge comm beeped and the familiar voice of Captain Aodhán broke off the conversation. "Watchman, are you there?"

Eran snapped back to reality and took a moment to collect itself. "Yes, I am here."

"Eran, since Avail Run is a medical frigate, does it have an emergency medical defense system incase a virus or disease breaks loose in the medlab?"

The AI focused on the ships systems, scanning them for such a protocol. "Yes, Captain, it does. The Internal Pathogen Defense System will eliminate any designated pathogen deemed harmful to all ship personnel." Eran finished reading the IPDS function explanation. "However, Sir, it does need to be activated on site, in the medical laboratory. I cannot remotely activate it."

"Eran, we’re going to teleport a security team into the medlab where they will defend you while the IPDS is initiated, understood?"

Eran thought for a moment. "Yes, Captain. I’ll be there momentarily." The AI lifted back into the maintenance corridor and started for the medical lab.

 

 

*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***

 

Eran arrived to the flickering light of the medlab. There were none of the creatures in the vicinity, so the AI signaled First Observance the all clear. Eran entered the lab from above as the two-squad team appeared in the golden rings that accompanied teleportation arrival. The teams fanned out to give a perimeter around the central column.

The commander of the group kept his eyes fixed on the nearest doorway. "Watchman, do you have the exact location of the Defense System activator?" he asked, without preamble.

Eran projected the floor plan in midair and set a waypoint several rooms down from their current location. "I will need several minutes to prime the system." The hologram vanished and Eran took position in the middle of the two squads. "Do be careful, Sir."

The commander waved his left hand forward and the group set off in motion. The hallway was in stark contrast to the seizure-inducing light of the medlab. Brightly lit, light blue walls guided them to their destination, as the distant sounds of screaming reflected off the raised ceiling. The activator was sealed in an entirely separate room that needed the authority of the ship’s captain and the chief medical officer to open. Fortunately, Eran’s position as Watchman allowed the AI to access the critical systems of all ships in the Primary Pioneer Group.

When they were within two dozen paces from their destination the group commander stopped and knelt down, bringing the infiltration team to a stop. "Watchman, I have contacts just outside the airlock."

Eran checked its own motion tracker and concurred. The airlock was around the next corner to their right and still out of visual range. "Yes, three individuals; the larger types, too."

"If we attack with energy weapons, others might hear and be alerted to our presence," the commander spoke softly.

Eran thought for a moment. "That is acceptable; we must pass through this area." The AI floated on ahead of the group. "Once the IPDS is activated, this infestation will no long be threat."

The commander swore under his breath and pressed on, calling back to his team. "Short bursts only. Perhaps we can bring them down before they realize we’re here." He caught up to Eran in two long strides and tugged the AI back behind him. "We go first, okay?"

"Yes, of course." Eran cowered back down using First Squad as a shield.

The group commander poked his head around the smooth edges of the corner and reeled it back quickly. "Three marks, possibly one friendly," he whispered. He held up four fingers, made them into a fist, then pointed left to the opposite side of the hallway. Four members of First Squad gathered at the commander’s side, awaiting his signal.

"Go."

In one fluid motion, the four squad members rose and moved to the left side of the hallway, while the commander rounded the corner and took aim. Years of training took over and they each fired two short bursts at the creatures down the hall. The first mark blew apart in a shower of brown matter, leaving rustic stains on the blue walls. The second mark that was bent over a recent victim lost its head and most of the upper torso; its lower body remained twitching for a second before collapsing in a heap on the floor.

The last target was the farthest away and took a burst to its right arm, severing it just below the shoulder. It looked down at the missing limb, let out a primal roar, and started to run towards its attackers. The creature made it two steps before it became washed in the orange beam of the commander’s weapon.

"Targets neutralized. Second Squad, move up," the commander ordered. He straightened up and glared at Eran. "That may have cost us or secrecy, so I recommend you proceed with the mission."

"Sir, we have a survivor," the leader of Second Squad called back to the commander.

Eran joined the two squad leaders and saw the once-lifeless victim was a young assistant. She moaned as the commander turned her over on her back. Her face was colorless and layered with scratches. The intact, basic medtech suit was the only thing that kept her from falling prey to the infectious monsters. Unclasping the shoulder straps, the commander eased the poor girl out of the protective shell. Her breathing immediately improved and she clutched to the commander tightly.

With assurance of her well being, Eran turned towards the airlock and began to unseal the door. Gears clicked into place and the white, rectangular door lifted up to allow access to the room, but then it froze partway.

Eran accidentally rammed into the stubborn door and hovered in puzzlement. Entering into the small room filled with racks of medical archives, Eran located the Internal Pathogen Defense System terminal. It was centralized in a pillar the rose from the center of the room. Eran began to interface. "It will take several moments," the AI informed the security team.

From the hallway, the commander hulled the scared medtech into the relative safety of the square room and gently set her down on the floor. "Watchman, we need to get her out of here, now."

"I'm a little busy, Sir."

"Can't you activate the teleportation grid?"

The AI turned to face the commander and did a quick inquiry of Avail Run's transportation systems. Stunned and slightly alarmed, Eran fumbled over the first few words. "Why, it appears the Engineers are continuing repairs at an amazing rate. Yes, by all means, stand by."

The commander cradled her neck and cleared long hair from her face. "Rest easy, you'll be safe, shortly."

She managed a faint smile that quickly faded.

Smiling through the visor in his helmet, he asked, "what is your name?"

"Imogen," she replied. "Thank you for saving me."

Eran turned its attention to the medtech. "Please remain still."

The commander backed away and she vanished in golden halos.

An incessant beep from the motion trackers caught everyone's attention.

Eran spoke up first. "Multiple contacts incoming. Looks like a mix of all sizes." The AI went back to the terminal. "I still need a few minutes. Hold them off."

The security team filled the hallway; First Squad took position to the right down the long stretch of fading blue walls, while Second Squad guarded against an attack from the left at the rounding corner. The group commander stood between the two squads and chanced a look at Eran. "What exactly will the Defense System do once activated?"

Annoyed again, Eran half turned to answer. "Eliminate the designated pathogen I select by plasma vaporization. Fairly effective, if I may say."

The leader of Second Squad barked an alert. "Contacts!" He fired his weapon at the incoming enemy, slicing down the first one he saw. His fellow squadmates pulsed orange energy at the continuous waves of the smaller bulbous creatures, tracing their paths up along the walls and back down. From the right, monstrous roars filled the air and more contacts leaped into view from the shadows of rooms that branched off along the hallway. A barrage from First Squad took down four leaping beasts, and soon the corridor was filled from wall to wall with the gurgling, tentacle creatures.

The battle on two fronts could only last for a few more moments before the security team would be overrun.

And the commander quickly realized their this. "Watchman, we are about out of time!"

"Ten more seconds." Eran finalized the procedure and paused over the activation key.

You are no long in control here.

"What?" Eran asked out loud. The deep, internal voice was back, and at the worst possible moment.

"What?"

"Nothing, commander," Eran forced out. Bringing his circuits back up to speed he gave an adequate response. "Five seconds."

A slave to your own mind.

"No!" Era shouted.

The group commander ducked into the room. "What is going on, Watchman?"

"Activating the IPDS, now!" Eran hit the activation key and the hallway erupted into a flash of white light and screams of pain.

Only the screams were of an octave too high.

The commander heard the clattering of weapons hitting the ground and saw the remnants of a team member blow into the room like a pile of dust in a windstorm. Utterly stunned and horrified, he turned to face the AI. "What have you done?"

As the unaffected creatures barged into the room, Eran couldn't help but watch the ravenous moment unfold before it. The commander didn't fight back, but rather accepted his fate and dropped his weapon. Or maybe he was still in disbelief as to the actions of a confused machine that didn't know what it was doing. The commander fell to his knees as a larger form jumped on him from behind, pitching him forward.

What have I done? Could I have calculated so gravely as to program the security team as the real threat? I didn't do this on purpose. Did I?

Laughter reverberated in the small room. With the creatures now filling the room and the rest of the medical frigate, Eran knew there was nothing more to do and activated the teleportation grid to leave the condemned ship.

Avail Run was lost.

---

New story out! Halo: Below the Brine
(it's the best story you're not reading!)

Part 5

 

"Watchman. Watchman!"

Eran kept its gaze at the bridge floor as it turned to Captain Aodhán. "It’s hard to say exactly what happened, Sir. Once the system was initiated, all lifeforms on board containing traces of the infestation were to be vaporized."

"But you killed the survivors instead, and your security team!" Aodhán paced back and forth, shaking his head.

"Captain, I never would have purposely murdered innocents," Eran said bashfully.

"Are you saying it was an accident?"

"Of course, Sir. Perhaps a slight mis—"

"—A miscalculation?" Aodhán suggested. "As the lead AI, Eran, you’re vital to performing flawlessly. If you cannot perform to the standards the Fleet has set . . . "

Eran seemed to slump slightly. "I understand, Sir."

Aodhán noticed the entire bridge crew was watching and he sighed in frustration. The last thing we need right now is everyone loosing their heads. We also need all the help we can get. Reluctantly, Aodhán realized that his ability to defend the fleet was quickly becoming scarce, and the AI was still necessary to help combat this new threat. With the Sentries combating the infestations on Seeker and Phylith, the captain had little else to rely on. On the other hand, Watchman had just wiped out an entire ship’s crew, and the possibility of rampancy was prevalent. Fleet Command has assured the PPG that this new class of AI was revolutionary, but Captain Aodhán thought anyone not blind to misleading bureaucrats could see the fault in relying so heavily on a single AI to network an entire fleet. Politics. Aodhán ran through his options and came to his conclusion. "Once the Engineers have adequately repaired either the long-range communications or slipspace drives, you will be temporarily decommissioned until Fleet Command is contacted. Consider yourself on lockdown."

Eran’s eye dimmed in disappointment. Apparently, the AI knew how to handle a reprimand. "Yes, Captain." Eran perked up. "What would you have me do?"

Aodhán brought his mind back into focus. "First thing is to tell those Engineers to halt their progress on Avail Run. If those aliens have indeed taken over the ship, I don’t want us acting as their repair center."

"One moment." Eran hovered to the main viewport to view the medical frigate.

The captain stared at the back of the AI. "Well?"

Eran remained still. "I’m afraid we may have lost them. I’m not receiving any response from my inquiries."

Swearing to himself, Aodhán lowered his head in thought. "It’s too risky to send more units over to take back the Avail Run."

"Captain?" The communications officer looked befuddled.

Raising his head, Aodhán spoke softly. "If we can’t scuttle the ship, we’ll have to take it down ourselves. We have no choice but to safeguard the rest of the Fleet against this . . . " Aodhán tried to find the word that could best describe this unrelenting, overwhelming force.

" . . . This flood."

 

 

 

*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***

 

Imogen faded in and out of consciousness. The bright lights above passing by at the speed of a fast walk. She felt the lacerations on her face with her trembling hands and tried to push aside the pain that racked the rest of her body. It was of no use. A figure appeared overhead, becoming rhythmically silhouetted with the series of lights. Flashes of red assaulted her from the sides that told Imogen the ship was on full battle alert. She felt her pace slow and the visual chaos dull.

"It's okay. We're going to place you in medical stasis," said a deep voice from her left. At least that's what she thought.

Turning that direction, Imogen saw someone, probably male, already bathed in a faint glow. "Hello?"

"That's Brennus of the AST-A."

Imogen turned back to the right to see the person behind the remark, a masked figure examining her arm. She winced at his not-so-gentle touch.

"We've had to place him in a permanently induced coma. Until we figure out what happened, he'll be right there."

"If you would like my assistance, I'm a medical technician from Avail Run," she said with a forced expression of helpfulness. "Although, I may not be in the best of shape, for now."

"Yes, we know." He moved to her other side and ran delicate, gloved fingers over her left ear and cheek where the most severe wound sliced her once unblemished, soft skin.

Imogen could her a fizzing sound, which she recognized as an antiquated cauterizer, and arched her neck at the discomfort.

"I apologize, but we are pressed for time and proper equipment." He continued using the medical tool, tracing the hairline across her forehead. "We're expecting more of the injured to arrive from Seeker and Phylith."

She remained still, knowing movement could disrupt the wound-closing process. "How badly am I hurt?"

"No infection to speak of, if that’s what you are wondering."

"I feel achy, sore all over."

"Well, you were transported over here via a shaky teleportation network. The ill effects of such a crude, hasty transfer was bound to cause some discomfort." He retracted the cauterizer.

A cooling sensation replaced the intense heat, and Imogen could tell the wound might leave a scar. A reminder of her encounter with those . . . things. She shivered at the recent memory of her attack. "I thought I was going to die."

"Perhaps you would have. You are much stronger that you think." The medtech snorted. "Must be good genes."

There was a click from underneath Imogen and a vibration caused her body to tingle. She identified the low rumble as Medical Stasis and soon a soft glow appeared before her.

"Rest easy, this is just precautionary. You should be out in a few hours."

Gravity vanished and Imogen was weightless in the void. She closed her eyes and took the medtech’s advice.

Imogen slept.

 

 

*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***

 

 

The Sentry simply labeled "A5" had entered Seeker through an exhaust port underneath the starboard wing of the medium cruiser. Slicing a layer of insulation and radiation shielding, A5 was finally aboard the infected vessel. Hailing the rest of the group, the other Sentries followed in A5’s wake, sealing the hull to maintain adequate, internal pressure.

The small team of five Sentries found themselves in a weapons platform loading area. A5 recommended to the others to remain in tight combat formation as they ventured out into a connecting hallway. Like most ships in the PPG, space was considered an affordable luxury, and the width of the hall easily allowed the Sentries to spread out to cover multiple attack angles without entering each other’s crossfire.

Group B was mimicking the pattern of events from their portside entrance into Seeker, but their destination was to the Reactor Core where they could cut or regulate power to segments of the ship at its very source. Watchman had instructed them to engage the infestation without alerting the enemy to the Sentries’ arrival. So far, so good.

A5 led the team into the main corridor that ran the length of the ship. Debris and mutilated bodies were strewn about. The aftermath of violence. With sensors on full spectrum, A5 started for the bridge. Once the bridge was secure, A5 could begin synchronization with Group B and eliminate the hostile force quickly spreading throughout Seeker.

Movement was detected up ahead. Gathered in a pack of two dozen, the bipedal creatures were rummaging through a clothing locker, casting protection suits and garments on the glossy deck. Without hesitation, the Sentry team fired orange beams of energy that sliced into and through the alien beings. There was no chance for the creatures to respond, and within a matter of seconds, brown flesh lay burning on the now-charred floor. A5 hovered for a brief second, awaiting a response from somewhere in the shadows. But none came, and the team pressed on.

 

 

 

*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***

 

 

Sentry B2, as designated by Watchman, was leading group B. They had encountered two contacts, which the team had quickly dispatched, and were almost to the Reactor Core. B2 spotted four more possible enemies hiding in a utility room down the end of the hallway, but the lifeform pattern wasn’t matching previous known threats. Cautiously, the team continued on, trying their best to avoid the concealed contacts.

A burst of ions shot across B2’s path, and B1 ran right into the destructive beam. At first, B1’s shields held, but a second line of fire filled the air and the Sentry’s casing spit open like ripened fruit.

The rest of the team quickly closed the distance to the utility room and began filling the doorway with orange return fire. A gurgle and a shriek later, the assailants lay motionless on the floor. B2 looked down at the remains of B1. Without a sensation of sorrow programmed into its circuits, the Sentry passed over the charred mass and led the group farther on.

B2 calculated over 50 contacts in the Core with four of those being anomalies. The small team held up as B2 peeked around the corner. Fanned out in a protective semi-circle, more of the larger creatures were at the outer edges, armed with various weapons from Seeker’s Armory. Farther into the mass of contacts were the smaller, bulbous ones.

And at the center of the formation, Four assimilated Engineers trifled with a power regulator.

The leader of Sentry Group B wasted no time organizing the team. It ordered B4 and B5 to travel farther down the line, to the other side of the core; the two groups of two would attack simultaneously. B2 measured and recalculated attack angles a hundred times a second, waiting for the others to get into position. B4 signaled "ready."

Interrupting the Sentries’ battle plans, a singsong whine echoed through the core that ended in a nonmusical grunt. The Engineers had completed their repairs.

The four Sentries sprang into motion, bringing their primary weapons to bear on the outer defensive ring–

–But each of the creatures vanished, as the golden glow of teleportation surrounded them and transported them away to an unknown destination. One lone Engineer remained and turned to face B2. It squawked something incomprehensible and disappeared from the medium cruiser.

Seeker lurched up, as if a drunken pilot was at the helm. B2 tried to hail A5 but was met with static and dead air. Sentry Group A was gone.

The four remaining Sentries of Group B gathered to where the Engineers had completed their task, as the low-level hum or the reactor increased in oscillation. Examining the recent work, they discovered the regulator was running at a hundred and ten percent.

Against all logical means, B2’s programming pondered, the infestation had not only repaired the ship at an alarming rate, but they had taken over the ship.

---

New story out! Halo: Below the Brine
(it's the best story you're not reading!)

Part 6

 

 

Aodhán had just finished his fleet-wide transmission when a throat clearing turned his attention back around.

"Captain, Radon reports sixty percent efficiency in the main drives," the communications officer relayed with a smile.

Aodhán nodded. That put the destroyer above the threshold necessary to attempt entering Slipspace. The first good news of the day. "Bring them up on the comm." He moved closer to the communications station and leaned over the console. "This is Captain Aodhán, with whom am I speaking?"

There was a pause and a throat clearing over the static. "Uh, acting-captain Derrish here, Sir."

"What happened to Captain Venol?"

"When we initially lost power, our gravity generators depolarized and he was smashed into the bridge ceiling, along with much of the crew stationed there." Derrish stuttered. "We’re now in the auxiliary bridge, Sir."

Captain Aodhán’s shoulders slumped. Venol, dead. Captain Venol had been a long-time acquaintance, serving with distinction in the Rathenos Uprising. He had transferred to the Primary Pioneer Group, wanting to finish his carrier in the Navy on a peaceful note. Now, Venol would never get that chance. Rest easy, my friend.

"Orders, Sir?"

Aodhán collected himself before speaking into the comm. "Derrish, your ship is the first one that can head back to a Fleet outpost and bring us some reinforcements." He signaled the communications officer. "We’re sending you the coordinates for the nearest station. Radon is to summon a military response group to combat this infestation with all haste. I’m uploading my authorization codes to resolve any clearance issues."

There was a beep over the comm, an acknowledgement that the transmission was received. "Understood, Captain," Derrish said with a renewed confidence in his tone. "It will take several minutes to prime our drives. We will signal you when we’re ready to head out."

"Thank you, Captain Derrish. And good luck."

 

*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***

 

 

Derrish felt uneasy and out of place in the auxiliary bridge’s command chair. Sitting on the edge, his fingers tapping randomly, the minutes felt like days as he waited for the drives to warm up. "Status?" he asked for the third time in as many minutes.

The junior officer sitting at the propulsion console checked his diagnostics. "Forty-two percent and rising . . . " He trailed off and leaned forward to view that data on his screen more closely. "Wait. It’s stopped."

"Stopped?" Derrish echoed.

"Yeah, like someone shut off the coupler or something."

Derrish frowned. "Find out what’s going on down there," he said to the backup communications officer.

The officer made the query and pulled his earpiece out when a burst of static filled the line. "I can’t raise them, Sir." He dialed down the volume and placed the device back in his left ear. "Maybe with the drives warming up the shielding hasn’t stabilized yet, causing the distortion," he suggested.

Derrish nodded. "Then we shouldn’t try and force the regulators, one might blow, then we’ll really be delayed."

The propulsions officer lifted his head. "Hold on, it’s back up and running." He blinked in surprise. "And rising fast." His brow furrowed in contemplation. "Fifty percent. Fifty-seven percent. Captain, I don’t know how the drives are warming up so quickly."

Radon began to vibrate as the reactor’s pitch rose steadily, unnaturally fast. Several consoles began beeping an alert and warning klaxons blared overhead.

"Shut it down," Derrish instructed.

The propulsions officer fumbled with the controls. "I can’t, Sir. I’m locked out."

Derrish stood and hustled over to the console. "Locked?" Sure enough, the mid-air display was frozen. "Run diagnostics," he turned to the communications officer, "and get me First Observance."

A gasp brought Derrish’s attention back to the display. "What in the . . ."

Scrolling across the holographic screen were random symbols, nothing recognizable as binary or any known language.

Sweat began to form on Derrish’s face as he ran back to his command chair. He keyed the comm. "First Observance, this is Radon, requesting assistance." His leg began to twitch in nervousness. "First Observance, come in, please."

Increased static was the only reply, but fragments of Aodhán’s voice leaked through. "….hostile……telepor…..shut off…..not….drives…."

"Can you clear any of that up?" Derrish asked the communications officer.

"I’m sorry, Sir. I’m locked out as well."

"Something’s taking over the ship," an officer breathed from the back of the bridge, sounding frightened.

Derrish swore to himself. If the reactor was powered up past the pre-approved threshold, it could go critical. He got out of his chair and opened the compartment above and behind him. He pulled out a beam pistol and checked the power clip. Full charge. "I need as many hands as possible. We’re going to manually shut down that reactor."

Several other officers followed suit and armed themselves. The communications officer rose, but Derrish motioned him to stay put. "Keep trying to get a hold of First Observance. Tell them we need a security team here, now."

He nodded and the small group of seven officers left the bridge.

Not wanting to risk a possible failure with the teleportation grid, they set out on foot, weaving their way through the gathering crowd in the main corridor. Shouts of protest and questions from various officers came in waves at Derrish, but the seven pressed on with purpose.

Branching off from the main corridor were a series of lifts centralized in the midsection of Radon. Derrish entered his override code and they took the lift down to the reactor level, giving them a chance to catch their breath.

"Alright, as soon as we stop, fan out and cover one another." The captain pointed to three officers. "You take the left side."

‘We’ll take the right," said a navigations officer for the remaining three.

Derrish nodded and forced a smile, a silent "thanks" for their willingness to help. He rechecked his energy pack and said, "Go."

The double doors slid open quietly to a darkened hall’s end. The grated floor gave a distinctive clatter as the officer’s boots stepped lively. While not trained for incursion or infantry, the officers still had a professional manner in which they moved. Three moved to each side of the foyer, while Derrish locked down the lift, securing their escape, if need be.

Derrish exited the lift, pointing his weapon at the door at the long end of the rectangular hall that would give them access to their destination. He stopped to listen. Except for the thrum of the reactor, all was quiet. He exchanged glances from his officers and motioned them to move forward.

Moving silently, the sudden mechanical thump sounded louder than it could ever have seemed. The seven ducked reflexively, as dust from overhead piping was shaken loose and fell.

Derrish’s expression turned from determination to worry. "What was that?" he demanded.

The thunderous boom struck again, jarring even more dust this time.

"Weapons Platform firing," explained an officer that was looking up. He frowned as he made eye contact with the captain. "Secondary weapons are firing."

"But at what? Are we under attack?" asked the navigations officer.

Through the rumble of the weapons and the escalating questions, Derrish barely heard the hissing from the reactor’s blast door. "Quiet!" he yelled through clenched teeth. Compressed air began leaking through the cracks around the door. "Fall back to the lift, now!"

The seven awkwardly ran backwards, causing the left column of officers to stumbling over one another. The door began to creak open.

"Get up and keep moving!" Derrish ordered as he reached out to help the nearest officer up.

A fleshly tentacle crept around the crack in the door, and a gurgle could be heard. It pulled the heavy door open the rest of the way, and the doorway’s occupants were finally revealed to Derrish and his officers. Nearly bursting through with shouts of anger, four creatures leaped into the hallway with weapons firing.

Still in shock, on officer stood motionless as a beam sliced through his chest, instantly dropping him to the floor, as the acrid scent of burnt flesh filled the foyer.

With one hand, Derrish shoved the navigations officer up off the floor towards the lift, and with his right hand he returned suppressing fire. "Go, go!" He was rewarded when one blast of orange energy stuck an alien in the head, bursting the deformed face and causing the weapon to clatter to the floor. The stream of return fire, nearly sliced Derrish in half, but he ducked down just in time. He dove towards the lift and tucked his body as he hit, slamming his back against a wall currently out of the line of fire.

Either the surprise attack made the remaining officers freeze in fear or the creatures were indeed ferocious in their attack. Perhaps both. Derrish couldn’t help but watch his comrades collapse, one by one, to the cold grated floor.

A groan from his left tore the captain’s eyes away from the massacre. Leaning heavily against the opposite side of the lift, the navigations officer clutched to what was left of his right leg. The last member of Derrish’s so-called assault team lay bleeding, as another barrage of ardent lances lit up the confined space of the lift. A final twitch of the head and all signs of life exited the navigations officer.

Cringing at the sight, Derrish reached up and keyed the doors closed before the enemy could sweep their beams of destruction to his corner of the lift. Rising shakily to his feet, Derrish entered his previous level of departure.

Within a matter of minutes, Radon had become completely turned over to the hands of the enemy.

Well . . . almost. Derrish breathed raggedly as he closed his eyes, still in shock from the scene of death he’d just witnessed. If he couldn’t bring the ship back under his control, he had no other choice.

He fingered the access key chained around his neck. This key could self-destruct Radon, and end the lives of others before succumbing to assimilation. Captain Aodhán’s fleet-wide alert began ringing in his mind. If the parasite is able to commandeer a vessel, and attempts at eradication are proven useless, scuttle the ship. By eliminating the threat on said ship, it will stop the progress of this rapidly expanding, unknown enemy. He was just in time to finished his thoughts, when the whine of the engines deafened his plans of sacrifice.

 

*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***

 

 

Captain Aodhán felt his jaw drop as Radon picked up speed and accelerated across the fleet. Then his eyes grew wide as the destroyer fired a broadside of its secondary weapons system at an unsuspecting light cruiser that happened to be in Radon’s outbound vector. The light cruiser, which Aodhán identified as Truence, didn’t even have a chance to bring its shields up as a wave of orange energy ripped clean through the engine section of the larger craft. Truence immediately lost control of its orbit around G617g and began its fateful decent to the planet’s surface.

Radon struck out again, firing at point blank range into the bridge of another destroyer. The two ships grazed each other slightly as they passed, sending the latest victim of the rebellious ship tumbling end over end.

Then with a flicker of its drives, Radon leaped into slipspace and vanished.

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New story out! Halo: Below the Brine
(it's the best story you're not reading!)