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Archive: Part One - Partners
Posted By: Bodie<bodie_bumm@hotmail.com>
Date: 23 October 2006, 7:17 am
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0407 Hours, October 22, 2552 (Military Calendar)/ Sol System
Planet Earth: Australia. New South Wales; Sydney
Admiral Caitlyn Hope sat at her dining room table, absentmindedly fiddling with the tablecloth. Her laptop sat open on the table, bathing her in white light. She was tired, but the three ascending tones that drifted out from the laptop's speakers awoke her from her daze. She looked out the frosted window. Little ice crystals stuck to the pane, and formed beautiful spider webs of glass.
She sighed, and looked back to the screen. A small unopened envelope with bold writing next to it greeted her with a bored, blank stare. She stared back hoping it would disappear. She knew what it contained, and was not eager to open it. Reluctantly she sluggishly moved her fatigued hand to the mouse lying next to the laptop.
The simple click of the mouse button rang loudly in the silent room of Hope's apartment.
The screen changed, and she stared at the writing, slowly reading it, but taking nothing in. Finally, she forced herself to read it properly. Her mind, even though it was fatigued, filtered out all the drivel in the e-mail, and only absorbed the essential part. Strangely enough, the whole e-mail could be shortened to one word.
Wood.
Hope was used to e-mail being filled with large, unnecessary, intelligent sounding words. She had come to expect that in every e-mail she received from ONI Section 0.
This one was no different.
Hope shut her laptop, automatically severing the internet connection and turning the machine off. She pushed her chair a bit further from the table, and slumped down in it. She looked abound at her flat. Mounted speakers, holo-panels, and a large central holo-screen gazed back at her indifferently. These were all hooked up to a specially modified AI matrix grid within Hope's flat.
Wedged in between the walls, floor and ceiling of her apartment was a layer of AI matrix and of all the ways Hope liked to describe her flat; "a roomier MJOLNIR helmet" topped her list.
She thought her apartment had earned the title; after all, it was this place that once housed her experiments on the AI matrix weave being inserted into MJOLNIR assault armour. But the title always reminded her of the grueling work, effort and time she had put into the project.
It was hard working with Catherine Halsey, especially when Project MJOLNIR was the project that everyone was so interested in. Hope had never met a SPARTAN, but had co-designed the suits that had saved most of their lives.
Kelly, Hope's personal AI, chose this moment to appear on the nearest holo-pad, in the centre of the table.
"You seem tired," she said bluntly. "You should get some sleep".
Hope tried to face her, but the light given off by her bright violet body was too much to face after being in the dark. She shut her eyes and responded.
"I'm fine, Kelly, really. How's the weather out there?" She inclined her head out the window.
"The NOAA-7 satellite is down at the moment, I'll update you later."
Hope squinted her eyes and looked at the hologram before her. Kelly was beautiful, and had the 'mind' to match. She was a 'smart' AI, but she often proved a little too smart for ONI's liking. Until a few years ago, Kelly had always resided in the AI populated databanks and AI pathways within the ONI computer complex, but she had been too nosy and mischievous to stay there. She often hacked into ONI classified records, Section 0 files, and other top secret places. So, ONI had tried to shut her down, twice.
But Kelly had proved too resourceful, and never came close to being destroyed, despite numerous attempts. Being the sister of Kalmiya and Cortana had its perks, the main one; having all the counter-intrusion software the other two had. Unfortunately, ONI had ordered Hope to keep her locked up inside her apartment, and Hope reluctantly agreed.
"Thankyou. I don't fancy a trip in the elevator while it's raining. Especially with Wood on board." said Hope
"So he's definitely coming?" asked Kelly, a hint of intrigue in her voice.
"Unfortunately. With him, there's bound to be trouble. Especially on this risky mission."
"The Archive assignment?"
"Yeah. I don't trust him, and I don't know why HighCom does either. Still, we have to push on."
"Be careful, Caitlyn. Wood is bad news."
And with that, Kelly receded back into the holo-panel, and back into the walls.
Planet Earth: Australia. Victoria; Melbourne
Thousands of kilometres away, in Melbourne, Admiral Matthew Wood woke with a start. The shrill scream from the alarm was muted with the press of a button. It was early morning, but Wood had work to do. He slid his legs out from under the covers, and rested them on the floor.
He slowly stood up and stretched his cramped back. At 26, Wood was one of the youngest Admirals in the UNSC. It had its perks, like commanding officers. But it also had major disadvantages; Caitlyn Hope being the main one. Wood pushed these thoughts from his mind. He'd have plenty of time to dwell on his hatred after he had checked who else was on the Archive assignment.
"Please don't let it be Hope. Anyone but Hope." He silently prayed as he walked out into his living room. The large space was filled with expensive and high quality lounges, chairs, tables, and other furniture. It was dead silent; Wood was the only inhabitant in this house. He walked across to his kitchen, passing his massive TV, and opened the stainless steel fridge.
Cold and light greeted him. He pulled out a jug of chilled water and brought it over to the bench top. He reached up to one of his top cupboards, and pulled out a glass. He poured and downed the water, feeling the cold, smooth liquid slide down his throat. It was cool and refreshing, but it did little to take away the thoughts of Hope.
Three descending tones rang through the room. The e-mail had come. Wood, his head still full of thoughts about Hope, darted around the room looking for his laptop. It was resting on his soft blue lounge. Wood saw it and ran to the lounge.
He opened the laptop, and saw the little black box alerting him to 'one new message'. He accessed his inbox, and saw it. "The e-mail that could ruin this whole operation" Wood whispered, expelling the breath from his lungs. He opened it, and his eyes flashed with astonishment as he located the name.
Admiral Caitlyn Hope.
Wood dropped his laptop, and it landed with a dull thud and a crack on his wooden floor. "Of all the people," he shouted, shaking. "It had to be her!"
A slight echo rang around the room, and quickly died. Wood went back into his room to get dressed. HighCom would be open at the moment, and Wood had work to do.
'There is no way Hope will be with me on the assignment! Anyone but her!" he shouted to no one.
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