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High Sanctum Chapter Five: Treasure Hunting
Posted By: Jerzey
Date: 18 March 2006, 8:45 pm


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I'm doing some human perspective on this one, makes it more interesting.

Major Jack Richard/Human outpost world "New Tundra" year 2540

Damn it, thought Major Jack Richard. The snow was everywhere. The sub-zero wind ate away at his skin along with his men. This was possibly the coldest environment he had ever experienced. Why the hell would the Covenant come here? The entire God damned planet was polar. There were Covenant here too, ONI had seen the entire fleet orbiting this planet. So they felt the need to send in the Major and his men to see what they were up to. How suicidal can you get, thought the enfuriated Major Richard. He was lying on his stomach looking at the bastards through binoculars. There they were, a group of grunts, jackals, and those blue armored elites all led by that one white armored elite. If it was up to Jack he would be picking them off right now, but ONI had given him specific orders just to observe and report. He really hated ONI.

***

Field Master Sanren Conomee/Unamed sub-zero planet, year 2540

Supreme Commander Kamamee had sent Sanren down to look for the supposed Forerunner crystal in this location. Kunta said the prophets were sure it was here. Apparently, the Covenant already held some of these crystals which were supposed to form a star map to something. To what, Conomee was unsure of. Kamamee would die, Sanren despised him more than ever since the Tournament. He had been deprived chances to kill him and that fool Jiralhanae chieftan proved less than reliable.

Conomee had been trudging through this damndable frozen wasteland for too long now. The radar pointed in this direction. Suddenly, a grunt dissapeared with a shriek.

"Excellency, behold!" said an elite pointing to a hole in the permafrost. Sanren looked down the pit carefully.

"Help me Excellency!" came the cry of the grunt from the dark abyss.

Conomee shrugged and motioned his group in the hole. They did so and he followed with one brave leap.

***

Major Jack Richard

"What the-" said Jack Richard with a gasp. The Covies had dissapeared.

"What is it sir?" said Private Stevenson.

"They're gone private." said Major Richard. "Get the boys ready, we're going to investigate."

The marines were roused out of their tents and armed with the standard MA5Bs. There were fifty in total divided into five squads of ten each commanded by a seargent. Of course they all had to follow the orders of the Major.

"Leave the vehicles." said Jack. "We go on foot." So the fifty marines left the camp stealthily in their arctic camo. Vehicles would be too noisy. As they came to the area, they too saw the hole in the ground, large enough for a spartan in full armor to fit through. Spartans, thought Major Richard, how they could use them. "Stevenson. shine a light down there." ordered Jack. It was done and the metal floor could be seen."That's a jumping distance," said Jack Richard, "we're going in marines!"

***

Field Master Sanren Conomee/Forerunner Facility

The architecture of this underground complex was indeed Forerunner. Who knew they left so many places behind. Conomee and his group of about twenty troops walked warily through the halls. The radar was still active, pointing them in the direction of the crystal. Many doors were locked off for whatever reason. "It seems like a research facility of some kind." said Sanren.

A yellow beam cut down a grunt in mid stride. The group turned to face a floating robotic contruct of some kind. Sanren fired his carbine at it and it fell to the floor as flaming debris. Then more came. The entire group opened fire on the robots. Covenant were killed. The robots were destroyed.

"Damndable machines." said an elite.

"Pay no heed, continue." said Conomee who led them to another set of halls and rooms. Eventually, they came to the central chamber with many computer terminals. "It should be in the main terminal." said Conomee. "Nakra, slice it."

The elite obliged and fiddled with the controls. Eventually, a tray from the computer popped open bearing the crystal. Sanren snatched it with delight and looked at its iridecent sheen. "Excellency," said Conomee into a com link to Kunta Kamamee who was back with the Fleet of the High Sanctum orbiting the planet,"we have it."

"Very good."came the reply from Kamamee."Come to the surface for extraction."

***

Major Jack Richard/Forerunner Facility

The squads had been split up to search for Covenant activity. They Covies had left but little did the marines know, they released something when they hacked into the terminal. The doors of the research facility had hissed open. Containmant protocals had been violated, the facility would self destruct in five minutes. "I think they're gone sir." said Stevenson.

"Cut the chatter private." replied Major Richard. Then a transmission.

"Sir, we've encountered hostile activity, requesting support, its not Covenant, hel-"

The squads of marines were quickly wiped out by the unknown enemy. Last came the Major's group.

"Sir, I think I see someone." said Corporal James shining a light into the shadows, since the lights of the facility had gone out about five minutes ago. Three minutes until full self destruction, though the marines were not aware. There was indeed a human figure sillouetted in the light.

"Report marine!" ordered the Major. No answer,it just stood there in an awkward postion. "Ya got shit in your ears?" yelled the Major. The thing dissapeared. "Dammit, what's gotten into him." said Major Richard to himself.

"I don't like this." said Stevenson.

"Shut up private." whispered the Major with his rifle raised. Something wasn't right. "Squads 2-5 report." said the Major over the comlink. Only static. Then next to the Major a marine screamed in agony. A football sized creature with tiny wriggling tentacles had latched itself on to the marine. It burrowed into him and he collapsed and lay still. Another marine began weaping in fear. Then the fallen marine got to his feet and let out an unholy shriek, now deformed and twisted. Hell had been unleashed for Major Richard's company that day at the coldest location in the Milky Way

***

ONI Agent John Hardy/Investigating lost marine case at human outpost planet "New Tundra"

The camp was abandoned. It was when Agent John Hardy made it to the smoking remains of an underground complex which he believed to Covenant, that he found anything. The stammering form of Major Jack Richard in the fetal position. Somehow he had escaped the facility's explosion and lay on the snowy turf with wide eyes.

"Major?" said John Hardy. The crazed man looked up at Hardy.

"T-t-t-t-they were everywhere. The monsters! Not Covenant!"

"What do you mean sir?" asked John

The Major only ignored him and began stammering of these monsters he saw. Hardy had his men take the major away on a stretcher, packed up the abandoned camp and gave a salute to the marines who lay dead in the wrecked facility. There were no other signals so none had made it save the Major. "Crazy Jack" was the name Major Jack Richard would get in time. He would be locked in in a metal institution and would be the talk of the military for years to come of how he always stammered about his "monsters". It would be another twelve years before anyone would find out he was telling the truth.

Supreme Commander Kunta Kamamee/Fleet of the High Sanctum, en route to High Charity

Kamamme looked at the crystal with wonder. What secrets would it unlock? He had to be wary of secrets however, as he remembered his sleeping sequence. For now though, the prophets would be pleased. The crystal was found and the mission was accomplished. Conomee had outdone himself this time. Another day, another victory for the Covenant.





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