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Installation 07: The Ring of the Others by Recent Flood Victim
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Installation 07: The Ride Into the Unknown-Ch.1
Date: 2 February 2005, 1:33 AM
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."
Istallation 07:Ch 2-The Enemies New Face
Date: 14 February 2005, 12:24 AM
Second chapter: Thank you MC for the advice. -RFV-
1232 hours, October 19, 2552 (Military Calendar)/
Eden system, On Halo construct Zero Seven
Carter rushed down the beach, followed closely by the platoon of huffing Marines and his trip companion. He knew that he should slow down and let the others catch up, but there was something of interest only meters ahead. Fox barked at the men behind him as he sped up. Carter soon saw the spot where the Marines were parked and pushed himself faster. He came up to the group of Marines huffing loudly wiping the sweat from his forehead.
Carter gazed at what some Marines were busy digging up with personal shovels. He could only fathom what the large object was. Buried deeply in the sand, he could still tell that its length was nearly ten meters long and at least seven wide. It wasn't what he would exactly call a ship, but the engine cones on the back evened out the answer. He stumbled a bit in the loose sand as he walked up to it. Placing his hand to the cold metal and a sudden surge of life could be felt as it flowed through the dead object. A surge of energy emitted through the craft and external lights began to glow. Carter quickly pulled his hand away and backed up slowly.
The ship slowly lifted itself from the ground with invisible thrusters and was hovering a meter from the sand with a minute. A rear hatch hissed open and a ramp detached itself and slid to the ground with the most graceful ease. Carter stepped walked cautiously to the adjacent door. Only feet away he smelled the aroma of death. The scent drifted through the air and lodged itself into his nostrils. Wincing back and covering his nose, he staggered to Foxes position.
"Damn...that stinks." Fox said with out the slightest emotion. Carter looked up at him and gagged as the smell entered his nostrils once more. "Marines masks!" Fox yelled out, and the platoon of green soldiers donned their protective masks. Carter did the same and breathed a fresh sigh of relief. He then turned back to the hovering ship and approached the opening.
He peered around the side into the vacant compartment. The inside was basically empty, except for a rather odd metal box that was lying on the floor. Carter looked behind him and saw Fox and the others covering his entry. Slowly and cautiously he placed his titanium-reinforced boot onto the ancient metal ramp. The vessel swayed a bit under the weight but instantly evened out. And now with a revered confidence placed his second foot on the ramp and walked up to the threshold. The metal box he saw before was now where he could make a more thorough investigation of it. He reached out and brushed his hand against the cold metal and as what happened when he touched the ship, the metal box unfolded into a floating robot.
The now unfurled bot floated in front of a stunned Carter. It had long angular like arms and in the middle of its face was a large red eye. It just floated there for five seconds as if trying to figure out what Carter was before floating by him and out of the ship. The Marines out side raised their guns at the new target and prepared to fire. Carter instantly regained his composure and burst from the alien vessel before the fire squad could pull off a round.
"No! Put down your weapons!" Fox looked at him then lowered his rifle, the others following suit. Carter looked at the odd angular machine as it floated high into the sky, then disappeared in the blink of an eye into a golden curtain. Sparks rained down to the ground then disappeared into the sand. "What in the h-"
"Mind telling me what that was." Fox looked at him, shock in his face. Carter tried to remove his mask, but stopped as the smell entered his nose again.
"I don't know." He said filtering his air of the foul smell once more. "But I really want to."
In the midst of a dark room sat and orb upon a metal frame. But soon the room was filled with shadows as a guardian of the parasite materialized. The orb turned to the guardian as if knowing what was happening.
"They have come as I thought they would. The monitor of Installation Zero Four was right in that. Now my knowledge will play its role to finding our prize. Take me to them." And with a golden flash they disappeared.
"Hey sir, how much farther. This damn hill is huge." A Marine Private called from the back of the line. He pulled the Jackhammer rocket launcher farther up on his shoulder, the strap biting into his flesh. Carter was ten men forward and looked back as his hand reached for an ancient tree limb. Fox stopped and did the same.
"Marine quite bitching." Carter looked forward at the ancient building meters ahead of him. A metal platform knifed out into the air; for what reason was unknown to him. Placing each foot before the other he climbed the last part of the steep hill.
Brushing his hands against each other, Carter strode forward towards the out stretch of a building. He ignored the others behind him and walked straight up to a closed door way. Ancient markings lined the exterior from the floor to the top of the blunt building. Dark green moss grew in the crevices of the odd lines and circles, giving the sense of age a boost.
"Any idea how it opens?" Fox asked walking up behind Carter.
"May I can be of some assistants?" Fox and Carter turned quickly, Fox pulling out his pistol. What they saw had stunned the Marines in their tracks. Carter looked at the machine being quizzically then raised his hand.
"Low...lower your weapons." Carter stepped forward slowly as Fox lowered his gun reluctantly. "Are...are you the monitor of this ring?" The odd configured droid nodded what they could only guess was its head. His metal frame groaned as the ancient metal rubbed against itself.
"Yes, I am the monitor of Installation of Zero Seven. My name is 117649 Deranged Guilt, at your service." It bowed as gracefully as its hard mechanical body would allow. Carter looked at Fox and then bowed the same. "Now how may I help you Reclaimer?"
"Uh...well first if you could show me how to open this door." The mechanical being walked to the door and touched a small rectangle hidden underneath the thick moss and over growth. The weathered metal door slid apart from the middle, and disappeared into the walls.
"There you are sir. Now please follow me to the production line." Fox grabbed Carter by the shoulder and pulled him back.
"What in the hell is that thing?" He said through clenched teeth, gripping tightly into Carter's shoulder.
"It's a monitor of the ring. From Cortana's report on the first ring she tells of the Chief helping the monitor of the ring control the Flood. I can only guess that this thing is just like that one. Don't be afraid of it." Fox released his grip and back down.
"Who ever said I was afraid?" He turned and started barking down orders to the men. Carter turned back to the Monitor and followed him into the building.
"This is one of many production factories I have started since you were last here. It has turned out a very good, how would you say...crop. Might you like to see?" Carter looked at the Monitor and nodded. The droid moved forward down a descending ramp into a well-illuminated hall.
"Squad two guard our rear, squad three follow the Doc." Carter heard Fox over the COM in his glasses. He then heard metal soles clang down the stone slope.
The ramp leveled out into a hall, which extended a hundred meters each way. The hall was wide enough to fit a Warthog through and was about seven meters tall. The droid took a left and walked down the hall, motioning Carter to follow whose eyes began to wander around at the odd carvings.
"Do you not like what has happened to them?" Carter looked at the droid quickly.
"What do mean?"
"I mean what has happened to them since your last departure. I have tried to keep them in better shape, but my attention has been towards improving the production line." Carter took his finger off the odd carvings and walked over to the droid.
"What is this production line?" The orb's green eye instantly became brighter as if filled with excitement.
"Ah yes, right this way." He walked down the hall to another ancient door. It slid apart as our presence became aware and revealed an enormous room. The room was filled with droid bodies much like those of the Monitor's. Smaller machines zipped around filling the air with a bright light from the laser they produced. "This production line is the soul development of my latest creation, the Reclaimed Sentinel." His arms opened wide as if to take all of the droids in a giant hug.
"Why are they called the Reclaimed Sentinel?" Carter asked reaching out to touch one of the small flying objects. It chirped loudly and sped off.
"Please be gentle with the Constructors, they are very delicate. And to answer your query, to name them took very long. So long in fact that I would just end up calling them Guardians. But then I noticed their body shape and began think about my masters. And then I thought about the last reclaimer and there in I found the name." Carter walked down two steps, cold air nipped at his bare skin causing a shiver to run down his spine. He turned to the Monitor who was looking up at the ceiling.
"If you will please excuse me Reclaimer I have much to do. There is a small outbreak in Quarantine zone six which I must attend to." Carter's features grew grim as he heard the words pass through the air. His hands began to sweat and shake, and the video of Captain Keyes and his squad being consumed past through his thoughts.
"How small of an outbreak?" He asked, forcing the words from his mouth.
"Oh nothing for you to worry about. Only a small stasis chamber was opened on accident. Do not worry Reclaimer all will be well. Now please feel free to explore the factory and other installments. I will return once my work is done." And with the end of his words the monitor disappeared into a golden cloud.
Corporal Amy Calhoun was one of the ten in charge of keeping their borders safe. Though none of them saw any reason why.
"Hey Amy got a smoke?" Corporal Mick Johnson asked as he shouldered his rifle, walking through the loose sand up to her. Amy reached in to her right breast pocket and pulled out the contraband items. She pulled out two and passed one to Mick. He pulled the instant ignite tip on the end filling the air with a bright flash and the wafting smell of tobacco. Amy did the same and sat down on one of the few scattered rocks along the beach. Mick sat in the sand next to her and they both looked out at the disillusioned endlessness of the sea.
"It's beautiful." She said, then inhaling the smoke into her lungs. Mick laid his rifle against the rock and pulled a picture from his jacket. He tapped Amy on the shoulder and handed her the picture. "What's this?"
"That's me and my wife Elise. She's really the only thing I'm fighting for right now." Amy looked long and hard at the picture taking, in every detail of the couple. Mick stood next to Elise, who was wrapped in his arms. His then long hair was blowing in the wind and he smiled widely, a gleam in his eye. She then looked at Elise.
Her long brown hair, faint blue eyes and the sundress she wore which was captured in a waving motion as the wind passed over the cloth. Amy noticed the sun setting in the background shining a brilliant arrangement of reds, oranges and yellows.
Mick looked up at her and noticed moisture around the rims of her eyes. He quickly looked away knowing the stress that the picture most put on her. He quickly stood and politely took the picture from her fingers.
"I'm sorry...I forgot." He stuffed the picture back into his pocket and threw his cigarette into the sand. "Well let's get back to post."
Amy wiped the moisture from her eyes, resenting the emotion she had so bluntly exposed. Cursing to her self she threw her cigarette into the passing wind and hurried to catch up with Mick.
Captain Tecumseh sat at his mahogany desk and wrote up notes of the day into his log. An old an out dated method; it still stored pride in his heart. He leaned back in his chair and let out a long sigh of disappointment.
"Teddy tell me again." He ordered out to the shipboard AI. A six-inch figure appeared on a holopad on his desk. The brisk man whacked his large wooden cane into his hand.
"Why?" He queried noticing the half empty scotch bottle on the Captain's desk.
"Just do it." The Captain blurted out through his drunkenness, agitation clouding his emotions.
"Fine. When we passed through the center of the ring a large plasma bolt struck our aft port. The impact severed all Archer missile pods in that section and also dropped aft defense 42%. It also caused twenty casualties. The count is nine have minor contusions and abrasions, six have broken bones, and five are dead. And the apparent cause of death is due to a collapsing catwalk caused by the impact." The Captain let out another long sigh.
"How could I have been so reckless?" He asked himself pouring and downing yet another drink.
"With all due respect there was no way of calculating the event. It was simply a random thing of being in the right place at the right moment." Teddy tried his best to console, but nothing worked. The Captain picked himself up from the chair and walked to his bed, bottle in hand.
"Teddy, tell the crew I'm not to be bothered until morning."
"Yes sir."
Carter adjusted the settings on his pop-up tent and looked up at the sky. He could barely make out their ship passing soundly overhead. The tent popped into shape and the air inside settled. He unhooked the flap and stepped inside, it was roomy but still cramped.
"Your nerve network is a mess. May I suggest some sleep?" Carter yawned, stretching his arms back till the elbows popped. He had done that since he was a kid, and old habits die-hard.
"You may, but may I suggest you stop reading my thoughts?" A sheer tone of annoyance came from his speakers as Lexine snapped back.
"Must I remind you I am in your thought matrix? It's not to hard to read each one."
"Just stay away from the important ones, okay." He settled back onto his cot, relaxing each muscle.
"You still miss her don't you?" Her voice had cooled and was now sympathetic.
"She died...as did I that day." Carter closed his eyes and drifted into the sleep, the loud barks of Fox died into silence.
"This Reclaimer is so much what I hoped for. Now we may begin the journey of a billion souls." The odd shaped being let out a high pitched laugh and pressed a symbol on a luminous panel. It turned a sharp red then cooled to blue. The Monitor looked into the room, which was protected by thick crystalized glass, at the five dark green figures who were grouped together.
One shouted at the others and they brought their weapons to bare. The doors around them illuminated a sharp green and opened. A flood of small balloon like creatures piled out towards the figures. The well-illuminated room was filled with flashes and racing steel as the figures fought for their lives. But their actions were futile as the small creature flooded over them, consuming them.
"And so it begins." The odd droid pressed another symbol and the door leading into the room opened. The hoards of tiny creature stormed out into the open, hungry and ready to consume. "May only the righteous survive."
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