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Installation 07: The Ride Into the Unknown-Ch.1
Posted By: Recent Flood Victim<Stonesourfan696@Yahoo.com>
Date: 2 February 2005, 1:33 AM
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Hello and thank you for choosing to read my story. Now this is a series about a two ONI operatives and a mercenary company of Marines. The story is about a young doctor, much in the way of Dr. Halsey, and his assigned ONI black ops companion. In this story ONI knows all of the Halo rings locations, and Installation 07 is the last to be found. But this ring is not like the others, its older and a little more...familiar. Stay tuned in for each chapter. -RFV-
0649 hours, October 19, 2552(Military Calendar)/
Eden System, In route to Halo Installation 07
"Sir, the object is coming into view...now." The Navigation officer punched in a series of keys and the object came up on the large screen in front of all of them. It was larger than anything the bridge crew had ever seen. Light that reflected off the ice giant it orbited made it shine a brilliant silver-gold.
"Carter...what am I looking at?" The ships captain asked pulling the cigar from his mouth and leaning forward in his seat as if to reach out and touch. The man named Carter stood next to the screen; he held his glasses in his hands and rubbed the lenses with his shirtsleeve. He replaced the out dated spectacles to his face and turned to look straight into the eyes of the captain.
"From the reports I was able to read through I have come to figure that it is a weapon. Though that is all I been able to figure. When I know more you'll know more captain. But until then I suggest we prepare the crew for landing." The captain shot a sharp glance and felt hate rise in his chest. Taking orders from a basic civilian was something that wore at his pride. But he had been given an order and barked at the bridge crew to get to work. Carter turned and left the bridge.
"Those spooks are hiding something." He scratched the stubbed hairs on his chin. "But what?"
Carter walked down the shiny corridors to a high security door. He placed his hand on the pad and a red light scanned over his palm.
"Welcome Doctor Carter." A cool female voice sounded as the doors slid open. Carter walked into the well-lit room, and saw his partner for the voyage in the corner of the room stripping his rifle.
"Hey Fox." The man in the corner turned and watched as Carter sat down at his desk.
"So were your calucalations right?" Fox asked going back to his work.
"Yes, the seventh ring has been found. Finally all of their locations have been recorded."
"So are we landing on this one?" Carter turned and looked at Fox.
"Yes, though it seems odd that the Brass wants us to land on this one. Maybe its because of those strange transmissions we intercepted on the way here?" He shrugged his shoulders, " Any way I've told the captain to prepare the Marines for ground side operations. Though he seemed reluctant to comply with my orders." Fox sighed and set down his weapon. He stood and walked over to a locker.
"Carter, you have to learn something. Their mercs, and that is it. Yes they'll seem reluctant to comply, but in the end their damned fools." He opened the locker and pulled out a small bottle of amber liquid. He walked over to where Carter was sitting with two small glasses in hand. "But they know that if they do not comply they do not get paid. And that is something they don't want." He set down the glasses and uncapped the bottle. "Whiskey?"
"Sure. But what does make me wonder is how you were able to convince an entire ship to go on a mission to an unknown destination with no further Intel?" Fox poured his tiny glass to the brim then downed it all in a single gulp.
"Money my dear boy. Money. I simply offered them an amount they could not refuse. But that is of no importance at this very moment. What is important is finding some of those Flood things and taking them back to HQ. I was offered a handsome fee for some of them." He poured and downed another glass, Carter looked at his glass with patience to consume the liquor.
"You were offered money? But those things are dangerous, even more than the Covenant. And you want to bring them on this ship." Carter sat stunned and looked horror struck. Fox became tense and pounded his fist onto the table.
"I will do as I am ordered, and that is all."
"I thought you were ordered to watch over me?" Fox looked at him and frowned.
"Just forget the whole thing okay."
"Sure, sure. But what do we do when the Marines find out about all this?" Carter lifted the glass to his lips and swallowed the harsh liquid.
"When they do find out it'll be to late for them to do anything." He swallowed the whiskey then turned and walked back to his desk.
"Doctor Carter, the ship board AI has informed me that your Pelican is ready. Also the Marine Company is now going through their last checks." Carter personal AI's voice came through his glasses and into his ear. He had designed her himself and had given her the voice of his wife.
"How long till launch?"
"Fifteen minutes Doctor."
"Fox." Carter yelled across the room. The semi-sober man slung a heavy bag over his shoulder.
"Let's get this shit done. I'm due for some leave time next month."
Lance Corporal Amelia "Amy" Calhoun jogged down the length of gangway to where the rest of her platoon was stationed. They greeted her as she huffed the rest of the way up. She noticed that three Pelicans were already stationed and ready to be boarded.
"Well Amy what do you think about this whole thing?" Her lieutenant walked up beside her as she scanned the entire bay.
"Personally sir, I think its FUBAR."
"Well good, at least I'm not the only one."
"All Marine personnel to loading stations." The captain's voice bark over the intercom.
"Well you heard the old man, move like you got a purpose." The Lieutenant turned to Amy. "Keep your eye on them. Hell knows what they'll get us into."
Carter pushed his glasses farther up onto the bridge of his nose. He grunted a bit under the wait of his pack as they moved into the hanger. Fox turned and saw Carter straining with the load. He shook his head and pulled one of the heavy bags off Carters shoulder.
"Hard to think you're leading us." Fox grinned and turned his eyes to the Pelican where the rest of their cargo was being loaded. Carter mumbled under his breath and picked up the pace of his walk.
"Hey Fox...how, how did you get assigned to this?" Fox tossed the extra pack into the Pelicans' bay and turned to face Carter.
"I've been on more black ops campaigns than any other ONI field agent. I've helped plan tactics on several alien worlds. I fought and won several battles against rebel insurgents. You ask why I was assigned to your mission? Well frankly, I think I'm the best damn guy to keep your sorry ass out of the fire." Carter looked him in the eye for only a split second; long enough to see the fire in the aged mans eyes. He turned his stare to the deck and heard heavy footsteps as Fox boarded the Pelican.
"Doctor, before we go I have something to ask of you." Fox turned quickly to Carter as he heard the AI's voice through his earpiece.
"Where the hell did that come from?" Carter shook his head at the naïve question. He tapped his head three times and smiled.
"I have installed a new neural interface system in place of my old one. It allows an AI construct to be downloaded into my nervous system. Though it's just a prototype, it will soon be an invaluable asset."
"So how is it downloaded? Carter turned his head to one side and lifted up his wavy hair. Underneath was a small port about a half an inch wide. "Oh, I see."
"Continue Lexine."
"Yes Doctor. As I was saying, I asked a favor of the shipboard AI to do a topical scan of the ring. And with comparing the geologic features of the first ring I have found a good area to start our search." A highlighted area came up on view of his glasses. It was a small island, about a kilometer and a half long.
"What is so special about this island?" Carter read through the stats at the bottom of the view screen.
"On the first ring a map room, the so called Silent Cartographer, was found on an island much like this one. It would be a good place to set up command post." Carter looked at Fox, who had also heard the whole thing. He nodded and Carter told Lexine to relay the area to all pilots.
"Well now that we know where were going, may I suggest we leave?" Carter picked up his bags and set them on the metal floor of the Pelican's bay. "Punch it Bravo team."
"Sir, five of the eleven Pelicans have left hanger bay seven." The Executive officer relayed to the captain. "The final six are being loaded as we speak."
"Good, as soon as they're off the ship take us into a close orbit near the center." The captain looked at the ring in all its majesty. He squinted against the reflected light from the neighboring planet and could make out the tiny shadows of the five Pelican craft as they sped toward the surface.
"Sir, the final Pelicans have launched." The captain tore away his gaze and looked at his crew.
"Navigation take us through the center of the ring. Low orbit descent." The NAV specs officer repeated the order and finished it with an "Aye, sir."
The large hunk of metal moved forward, and began to descend on an averted incline. The nose soon passed over the very edge of the ring's atmosphere and began to penetrate further into the layers of air. When from the ground a blue bolt streaked through the sky.
"Sir, incoming..." The Radar officer called out, but was cut off as the blue bolt intercepted the aft end of the ship. The hull shook and many crewmembers fell to the floor.
"Damage report." The captain barked out as he replaced himself into the commanding chair.
"Sir, armor integrity in sections eighteen and twenty are down to forty-eight percent. I don't know what the hell that was sir, but it hits hard." The captain placed a cigar to his mouth and chewed on the end.
"Theodore, tell ground side of what just happened. I want this to be a top priority investigation." A hologram appeared next to the captain. It was that of a large man, brisk and muscular. On his face he wore ancient glasses that reflected light giving them a dark shadow like look. A large mustache grew from his upper lip and he hit a large stick in his hand.
"Roger that Captain Tecumseh. May I note something though." The captain waved his hand to let the AI proceed. "I do not think we are the only living things here. While scanning the ring, my long-range sensors picked up several faint movements. Though concealed, they must also be very large for our scanner to pick them up. Just thought it would interest you." The captain nodded and the hologram faded away.
Five Pelican aircraft fired their nose thrusters in unison as their altitude dropped. They evened their angle and deployed their landing gears. Inside the cargo and personnel shook off the dizziness from the fast drop. Carter held back the urge to vomit, and pulled himself from the padded seat. He held onto the top netting over his head as the Pelican settled onto the ground. The bay door fell open and created a ramp.
Fox was the first out followed closely by Carter. The four other aircraft dropped the Light Reconnoissance Vehicle, Warthogs, from their tails. Twelve men piled out of each Pelican, three boarding each vehicle, and the others setting up a safe perimeter. Carter stepped out into the glaring sun, his glasses instantly polarizing to protect his eyes.
"Just as I thought. The climates on these rings are controlled. How amazing...it looks just like a beach on Earth." Fox grunted and pulled a pair of sunglasses from his breast pocket.
"Damn, I forgot my bathing suit. First squad secure the beach, second and third follow me." The Warthog's engines roared and the tires threw up sand as the sped down the beach. The rest of the squads moved forward as the Pelicans lifted off the ground and headed back to the ship.
"Doctor, I am encountering many radio transmissions from around this area. Their faint and hard to track...I can't seem to get a fix on just one." Lexine said, frustration in her usually smooth voice.
"Keep trying Lexine." Carter looked down the beach and saw through the wavering heat an old building. He pulled a monocular from his pocket and placed it to his eye. The world zoomed in and fixed on the old stone building. "Well there we go."
"Squad one to leader, come in." Fox responded. "We've found something that might be of interest. Get over here double quick."
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