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The Road to Zaxheoa: Chapter 3:
Posted By: Nike<jimmyneedles09@aol.com>
Date: 11 May 2003, 10:31 PM
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A/N: *looks around nervously* *hides an issue of Playboy* Uh. . . *whispers* . . .ya didn't see nothin', awright?! Nice and goodly then. *returns to normal* Anyway. . .here is Chapter 3. Sorry that I haven't been on. AOL wasn't working, therefore I couldn't get online. As I type this, it's May 11 and the internet is working. I must warn you that there is absolutlely no action, but a crap-load of plot. Also, don't flame me about the song choice (wether you've heard it or not). When I read that part while playing the song, it fit perfectly. The lyrics are from Blue Man Group's "Sing Along" on their new CD "The Complex." Now, onto this chapter. . . (Note: Anything in bold and in parentheses are song lyrics, and during that part, you should listen to that particular song)
The Road to Zaxheoa: Chapter 3: Two Surprises
0448 Hours September 21, 2552 (Military Calendar)/
Pelican Dropship Bravo 067, en route to UNSC cruiser Faux Pas, Earth star system
Corporal Patrick Owens stared out of one of the portholes of the Pelican. He stared out into the black void of outer space, into the nightmarish unknown.
What else lies out there? he wondered. Maybe I don't want to know. But could there be something. . .else out there? Like a whole new frightening enemy?
Neo shook his head. It's nothing I should worry about right now. Maybe when I retire I could come back here and explore the uncharted unknown. Who knows? I might die at the hands of those bloody Covenant.
"Docking in the bay of Faux Pas," the junior lieutenant, Lieutenant Daniel Powell, announced. "Brace yourselves." The dropship flew into the hangar bay and, upon landing, a slight rumble shook Bravo 067. A moment later, the hatch doors parted, and the ramp lowered. The corporal's squad all ran down the ramp, sprinting straight ahead through a doorway to get squared away in their places. An announcement blared over the Faux Pas' loudspeakers.
"Corporal Patrick Owens, come to my office ASAP," the voice said.
The corporal ran down through labyrinths of corridors and side passages before he reached the platoon leader's, Lieutenant Jamie Nuguyen, office. He finally reached the door that led to her office. Owens tapped on the door.
"Enter." He did, and shut the door. "Hello, Corporal Owens." Lieutenant Nuguyen leaned back in her chair.
"Ma'am!" the man said. He then snapped to rigid attention.
"At ease," Jamie said. "Please take a seat." She gestured to a chair on the corner of her desk.
Neo relaxed slightly, and sat in the chair. "What did you require of me, ma'am?"
"I wanted to congratulate you on your successive escape from Key IX. Down on Alpha-Tango Base, during that big firefight in the hangar bay, I had never seen so much effective coordination with your fellow comrades. It was simply amazing."
"Thank you, ma'am," he replied.
"I also heard of your damn good success on getting through that Covenant minefield. Must've taken a lot of courage, huh?"
"Yes, it did." He eased back slightly in the smoothly padded chair.
"How about I give you a reward?" the lieutenant asked, leaning forward in her chair, looking Neo in the eye.
"Ma'am, I couldn't--"
"It's the least I could do." She scrounged around in her uniform pocket, and pulled out a wooden box. She slid it across the top of the desk to him. "Open it, and take a look."
Corporal Owens nodded. He flipped open the lid off, and his mouth slightly dropped open. Inside the box were three arrow-shaped stripes; a sergeant's insignia.
"The paper work will catch up sooner or later," Nuguyen said. "Now--" She stood. "--dismissed."
Sergeant Owens pinned the insignia to his right shoulder, stood up, snapped to attention, and saluted Lieutenant Jamie Nuguyen. "Thank you, ma'am!"
"You're welcome. Now go and join up with the rest of the squad."
The sarge nodded, spun on his heel, and briskly strode to the door. He turned the knob, and left.
As he walked down the corridor to the elevator, he passed Private Green. She saluted him. "Hey, Corporal--"
He held up his finger, then pointed to the insignia on his shoulder. "That's Sergeant to you, Green."
She smiled. "Sir, yes, sir!" Before she could say anything else, an announcement came on.
"All Marines are to report to the hangar bay, pronto! We have a visitor to greet!"
Green and Pat looked at each other, then sprinted to the elevator. The lift went down to the lowest floor that led to the hangar bay. The doors parted, and they ran down some corridors before reaching the bay, going through the doors, and joining up with the rest of the squad.
Steph took her place amongst the squad, and Sergeant Neo Owens stood in front of them. Bryan O'Neil, now a corporal, stood next to him.
"Sir, do you know what the hell's going on?" Corporal O'Neil asked.
"Not one clue, Corporal. Not one," he replied, shaking his head. Whatever is coming in had better be good, Neo thought.
A minute later, a Longsword interceptor came into view. It sped at a quick yet steady pace toward Faux Pas' open hangar doors. Its nose entered the open hangar doors.
(If I sing a song, will you sing along? If I sing a song, will you sing along? If I sing a song, will you sing along. . .or should I just keep singing right here by myself)?
The hangar doors quickly closed as the Longsword touched down on the landing pad. One door on the side facing all the surviving Marines from Key IX and ones already on board the cruiser opened, casting a glowing harsh light from with the small bomber. A figure clad in forest-green armor stepped into the light, gripping an M90 shotgun.
(If I tell you I'm strong, will you play along? If I tell you I'm strong, will you play along? If I tell you I'm strong, will you play along. . .or will you see I'm as insecure as anybody else)?
"Hey, a Mark V!" one Marine in another squad shouted. Every Marine looked at each other, then at the armored figure. A loud course of cheers and happy shouts followed immediately afterwards.
(If I follow along, does it mean I belong? If I follow along, does it mean I belong? If I follow along, does it mean I belong. . .or will I keep on feeling different from everybody else)?
The green figure walked down the ramp, metal boots clanking in unison. Two men, with the insignia of a colonel, briskly walked over to greet him. The armored man snapped to rigid attention.
"Spartan-117 reporting, sir!" the Master Chief said. He saluted to the two colonels. The two returned it.
"Ah, okay. So you're the Master Chief," the older colonel said, scanning the Chief's imposing figure. "Where have you been?"
"It's a long story, Colonel Hughes," Cortana suddenly chimed in. "If the captain, you two, and any other important personnel would set up a conference, and I'll be able to explain everything."
"Understood Cortana. I'll notify the captain, and we'll have the meeting. Now, Master Chief, if you would follow me, please?" Colonel Hughes replied. He gestured for the Chief to follow, who nodded.
John slung his M90 over his shoulder, and followed the colonel to a terminal next to the door that entered the ship. Colonel Hughes linked up with Captain Johnson, told him what Cortana had said, and cut the transmission. "A briefing room is this way," the younger colonel, Colonel Mario Swift, asserted.
Sergeant Patrick "Neo" Owens stared at the figure following his regiment's commander. What are those things called again? He paused mentally. Ah, I remember. Spartans. And he's the last of his kind? Damn. . .he's one lucky guy. . .
The Chief followed close behind, his mind clear and alert, the M90 pointed in front of him; it was instinctive. That act came natural to him. After spending two days on Halo, he could no longer trust anyone. But that trust would slowly return to him.
The Chief inserted Cortana's processing chip into a slot in a pedestal. John took a seat, as did Colonel Hughes and Colonel Swift. Captain Johnson entered a moment later.
"Cortana, you may begin," he said and took a seat next to the Chief.
Cortana explained of their jump from Reach, their crash landing onto Halo, the Control Room, about the Flood, and the Monitor. It took nearly an hour and a half to explain.
When she was finished Swift, Hughes, and Johnson had stunned looks on their faces. "So hacked into the Truth and Reconciliation's battle net and obtained the location of the Covenant's homeworld?" Colonel Hughes inquired.
Cortana's hologram did an equivalent of a human nod. "That seems to be the case. The name of their homeworld is. . .hold on a second." She paused to search her lexicon for the answer. "The name of their world is. . .Zaxheoa."
"Hmm. . .well, it looks like we'll need to tell the brass about your findings, Cortana, before we can take any immediate action. But great job on obtaining this vital piece of information for us. As goes for the rest of the data about Halo," Captain Johnson replied.
A message squawked over the PA. "Captain, your presence is requested on the bridge!"
"What is it?"
"Covenant boarding parties have just been deployed! Your orders are required sir!"
"Damn it!" The man slammed his face down on the conference table. "How many, son?"
"The number is unknown, Cap'n," the voice on the other end replied.
"I'm coming now." Johnson was walking out of the briefing room, to the elevator, and back to the bridge. "This is the captain! To all Marines; prepare to repel any Covenant boarding parties that have been deployed. Fall back to Decks 2-5. Triple time!"
The Master Chief stood, his massive weight pushing the chair he was sitting in all the way back to the wall. He checked his M90 to see if it was fully loaded; it was. He pumped the grip to load a round. Next, he checked his M6D to make sure it also was fully loaded; it was. John pulled the slide back, and put it back in its holster.
Gripping his shotgun, he spun on his heel, and proceeded to repel the Covenant bastards who were attempting to board the Faux Pas. They weren't going to do that, if he had anything to do about it.
Time to get back to work, John thought. Time to kill some Covenant.
TO BE CONTINUED
A/N: Chapter 4 is coming soon. . .and it's going to have action. And some space action too! See, don't you hate it when I have to make you wait? Because I really love doing that to you guys. . .
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