Arctic Halo Sample
Posted By: Deric Wadleigh<Deric0@excite.com>
Date: 8 September 2008, 12:41 am
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Arctic Halo
By Deric Wadleigh
Captain Dante Bayne stood on the bridge of the UNSC Frigate 'The Dragon's Maw' and was viewing the results of a battle that had happened.
The year was 2030 and the Covenant had glassed the planet Eridanus II.
"I just don't understand what provoked these aliens into atacking us." Dante said closing the file.
"I been thinkin about that captain and the only thing I have surmised is the rapid growth of ye humans throughout the galaxy." Williams said apearing next to Dante.
Williams was a 'smart' AI, who had chosen, as most AIs do, his own appearance after an ancient historical figure.
Unlike most AIs though, he had picked, not a good figure, but a pirate named Jack Rackham. This meant he was dressed in a dark red jacket, matching hat, and a cutlass hung at his side.
Strangly enough, Williams has taken to talking half pirate and half scientist, which made for some interesting conversations.
"Captain we've picked up a distress signal 350 kilometers ahead. It's coming from a single pelican. Captain what would it be doing out here?" His Navigation leader, Jeff Rawson, said.
"Give me an optical zoom on it." Dante said drumming is fingers on his legs.
"I've got a transmission from it, sir." Williams said, lighting up a screen in front of him.
"This is the UNSC pelican Dark Shadow. We are stranded with an oxygen leak and no engines." The Pelican, Named Dark Shadow, said back.
"Get over there and pick them up pronto." Dante said accidentally swinging his hand through Williams.
"Sir, they've been pulled into bay 2." Jeff announced.
"I'm going to go talk with their pilot." Dante said walking out of the bridge.
"Well, what sank these land lubbers?" Williams said following him.
Their ship had an advanced holo-system that allowed any hologram to be projected just about anywhere in the ship, this allowed Williams to walk around like a crew member.
*******
Down in the docking bay Commander Dante could see why they couldn't fly.
Their engines had been melted with a plasma burn.
"Captain on deck." One of the soldiers said snapping to attention.
"At ease son, where's there pilot of this craft?" Dante said walking toward the ship.
"He still be inside because the rear door is melted shut by the plasma." Williams said walking over.
"Whoa" The soldier yelped as Williams walked through him to look at the ship.
"I want this door cut open now." Dante harped at the dockworkers.
"Thar be the reason this be damaged." Williams said bringing up a holo-screen.
On the screen was the planet they were circling around and on the other side was a covenant Reverence-class cruiser.
"Sir the ship is empty." A dock officer said as the door slid down.
"Put all stations on high alert. This cruiser is out to kill so we're striking first." Dante said starting to sprint back to the bridge.
*******
"Sir the Covenant ship has sent out seraph fighters." Jack said bringing a radar map on screen.
"And it looks like that's not all." Williams said pointing at the cruiser that started its way toward them.
"I want ten longsword fighters out there to meet the seraphs, get the codes for our first Shiva nuke, arm Archer missile rows A-D and columns 1-26, and start charging the MAC coils." Dante commanded the bridge.
The crew chimed off at different times.
"Longswords away."
"Shiva Armed"
"Archer Missiles ready."
"Mac gun charged at 19%"
*******
The covenant cruiser was bearing down upon them, just out of MAC range.
"Williams you have the MAC gun, the moment that cruiser is in range take them out." Dante said opening a holo-screen over to him to watch the battle.
"Sir, the longswords have defeated the five seraphs."
"MAC gun fully charged and ready to fire." One crewman said.
"I'm going to keelhaul these yellowbellied landlubbers." Williams said pulling his cutlass and pointing it forward.
The entire ship rumbled as a pair of MAC rounds fired through space at near light speed.
"Sir, when did we get a second MAC cannon?" Jeff said.
"We didn't, it's a new recycling system that allows the gun to fire two rounds in quick succession." Dante said watching the rounds slam the covenant cruiser.
Their shield flared and died and the second Mac round cut the ship from stem to stern.
There was a large explosion and the front half of the Covenant cruiser was vaporized in a bright blue flash.
"Williams, what was that?" Dante said blocking his eyes.
"Me sensors say that their self destruction system went off prematurely and only took the front half. The rear of the ship is also vented completely but intact. Sir, I believe it would be possible to adapt a covenant slipspace drive to our own ship if you would allow it." Williams said bringing up some schematics of a UNSC engine and then showing how you could attach it.
"How do you plan we get it from their ship?" Dante said uncertain.
"Simple, we attach some lines to thar ship and pull the open side to our bay and send marines in space suits into the ship to find and retrieve the engine. But we will have to remove a piece large enough that none of its radiation, if there is any, doesn't escape." Willims said showing a simulation this.
"Ok, if it can be done safely."
*******
First Lieutenant Thomas Michel was assigned to be the leader to retrieve the covenant equivalent of a slipspace drive.
"Well this should be interesting, it's my first time into a covenant cruiser." Another solider said over the com link.
"Just be on your guard, covenant could still be on this ship." Thomas said to the rest of the squad.
"I thought the covenant ship was vented into space?"
"Well we're out here aren't we? They could still be alive." Thomas snapped jumping from the launch bay into the covenant cruiser.
*******
This is a three page sample of a story i am writing if you want the rest please go to my website at www.dericwadleigh.webs.com
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