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The Grunt Revolt by Arithmomaniac
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The Grunt Revolt - Part I
Date: 8 July 2004, 7:34 PM
For many years, the tale of truth
Of the survival of mankind
Will be told and remembered and rectified
From the seeing to the blind.
And while most the credit will go
To Master Chief, you must see
The turning point was the Grunt Revolt
Of twenty-five-fifty-three.
1452, February 17, 2553
New Baffin, Antarctic Beach
The war against the Covenant was not going well. Southeast Asia and Australia had already been over-run. Millions of lives had been lost, and the Spartan IIIs were coming out the door too slowly. Japan and New Zealand were already under siege, and even John-117's crushing victory in the Central African Protectorate was not enough to turn the tide of war.
But here, 50 miles inland of the Antarctic Coast, was the last hope for humanity. Surrounded in a giant heat-controlled energy shield camouflaged by the same technology used in the Elite's armor, thousands of scientists worked a 50-foot skyscraper. It belonged to the Plasma Research Division, ONI unit 3.A27. Using Cortana's data mining of the Ascendant Justice, they were making great progress. They had already figured out how to recharge a plasma core, and were testing it in New Tokyo, with a mass release coming in a few weeks. But they needed some technology of their own, something the Covenant didn't do.
Meanwhile, in a purple room surrounded by stylus-controlled computer panels, Arjwani She'anyu was experimenting with harnessing plasma for electricity. While he was adjusting the electrical properties of his sample of plasma, he had a flash of insight. When an electron and positron hit, the matter combusts and disappears. If anti-plasma hits plasma, then the plasma is neutralized. So, if he put a small anti-plasma charger on the underside of a gun, and shoot it at a plasma rifle, the plasma rifle core will be permanently disabled.
But all that did was require the manufacture of a new gun. Arjwani thought of the many nuclear disasters in history for ideas. Hiroshima. Chernobyl. Beijing Blowout of 2143. The terrorist hijacking of the Congo Power Plant during the Rainforest Wars.
The Congo Power Plant. It was a fusion plant, so its inactivity was harmless. But then they programmed it to violently explode. Just like the plasma grenade! If he tweaked the reactive balance of the plasma, it would combust and kill the plasma wielder before he realized his gun was broken.
That was it! He darted out his office and arranged for an appointment that evening at 1700. He then picked up a plasma rifle from the military supply center, departed immediately, and after 5 minutes, arrived at Horizons.
Horizons, Antarctic Beach. Established in 2057 to provide easy transportation for research scientists, it was now the only civilian establishment in Antarctica. And what a city it was! 3000-foot buildings, all of them as white as the snow, sparkled in the clear summer day.
Arjwani took his eyes off landscape, set the autopilot, and departed for Earth City. After assembling a prototype anti-plasma gun, he soon fell asleep.
1601, February 17, 2253
Earth City, Atlantic Seaboard
A soft, male voice disrupted Arjwani's sleep. Flight Complete. Earth City. 1601. The last part caught his attention. "1601? I'm running late!" said Arjwani. He walked down the road, picked up a moped, and immediately zoomed away.
He was in such a rush, he didn't even have time to look at the city. Formerly called New York, it was now the headquarters of the UNSC. Buildings miles tall sprawled across the horizon, the setting orange sky blending with the purple and gray web of towers. Tens of Millions of people lived here, the so-called capital of the universe.
But the real capital was on an artificially elevated plateau high visible from across the city. In the huge, nearly insurmountable black complex, the offices of the heads of humanity sat, working constantly to prevent the inevitable massacre. And it was in this complex that Arjwani walked into the office of Mr. Mohammed Khalen, the chief commander of ONI unit III.
Arjwani stood still admiring the office. Holograms of all the world's greatest scientists lined the walls. Einstein, Newton, Shaw...it was amazing. Then he snapped out of it and sat down.
"So," said Khalen, "my aides told me you have come up with the weapon that will bring the fall of every Covenant structure except the needler?" He frowned. "That's overbearing."
"Yes," said Arjwani. "Allow me to show you the anti-plasma gun."
Arjwani took the prototype he made on the plane. It looked like a glowing dual-barrel assault rifle. Then he took out the plasma rifle he picked up and placed it halfway across the room. He aimed the anti-plasma gun at the plasma rifle and fired. Two black rays of light darted out of the gun, instantly fused, and hit the plasma rifle. The plasma rifle instantly stopped glowing blue and sat on the floor, dead. Then it started rattling, and it blew up violently, creating a small crater in the floor.
At first, Khalen was furious. There was now a foot-wide crater in his room! But then he thought about the potential of this gun. If he shrank it, and attached it to ANY gun, the Covenant would cower under the feet of humanity!
Khalen smiled. "Well done, Mr. She'anyu. Now, I am sending you back to New Baffin to make 100 prototypes of anti-plasma assault rifles and ship them to New Alki. Be careful. It's under attack." Khalen frowned. "Now, don't let this get into enemy hands. The fate of humanity is dependent on how well you can keep this from the enemy. Do NOT tell anyone outside your group. Understood?"
"Yes sir."
"For your reward, Arjwani, this will be the last job you will ever be assigned to. I am buying you an apartment in Horizons." Arjwani smiled, tingling in excitement. Khalen ignored him. "Now, get out!"
Arjwani left, hurrying to finish his task and retire. Khalen closed the door behind him and chuckled. For you see, New Alki WAS under siege. But Khalen had another reason: it was the Earth headquarters for a group that was trying to undermine the Covenant from within, a group that was desperately fighting to break free from the shackles of war. It was the Earth base for the Grunt Revolt.
(Continuation of the series is dependent on reader response.)
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