TexJR
06-10-2012, 03:19 AM
**I've been slowly piecing together a long short story of mine that's set in the Halo universe. The UNSC and Infinity copyrights are respectfully owed to 343 Industries and Microsoft. If this has to be removed because I've used the UNSC and Infinity words, please let me know and I'll remove it. The characters, names of vessels, setting, and plot are completely original and are my sole intellectual property. I hope you like the read. I plan to post more as I develop the story.**
Infinity-class Super-carrier UNSC Midsummer Dawn SCV-343
July 18, 2557 (Military Calendar)
The command chair descended from the ceiling as the bridge doors slid apart and running lights shimmered to life. The bridge was oddly quiet at zero-four-hundred. The constant thrum of the ship was enough to drive anyone away from their post on the bridge and pursue any kind of relief in the long corridor outside the command deck. Four posted Marines were patrolling the forward and aft square of the bridge while two more were posted as guard at the doors.
“Captain on deck!” Private Rojas said aloud.
“As you were, Marines,” Captain Reinhardt said as he stepped over the threshold. “Quiet night, boys?”
“At oh-four-hundred, sir? All the time,” Corporal Smith smiled.
At least they still have a sense of humor.
Captain Leslie Reinhardt walked to the command chair and sat down. Two holographic screens winked on displaying tactical data, the hourly engineering report, and passive communications.
“Lieutenant McCoy, I have the con,” Captain Reinhardt said. “Take a break.”
Lieutenant Jean McCoy stood up from her post at the helm, saluted, and walked out of the bridge.
Dual holo-tanks to each side of the captain’s chair lit up and two A.I.’s shimmered to life. The right A.I., Jeffery, was a blank-faced, black haired man in a tuxedo, and the left A.I., Ariadne, was a light skinned, green-eyed, blonde haired woman wearing combat armor and holding the standard issue helmet in the crook of her left arm.
“At current speed, we’ll be arriving at Dylarian Prime in two hours, Captain,” Ariadne informed.
“All hands are accounted for, captain. Magnetic Accelerator Cannons are charged at one-hundred percent and ready to fire on demand. ,” Jeffery chipped on. “Reactors running at ninety-nine percent and nothing less. Gilliam says “she’s about as fit as my husband”. Whatever that means.”
Captain Reinhardt couldn’t help but smile. “You two shouldn’t be so serious all the time. It’s oh-four-thirty in the morning.”
The A.I.’s were silent for a full minute before Jeffery said something. “We’re not paid to be anything short of serious, sir,” he said.
“Jeffery, we’re not paid at all,” Ariadne quipped. “We’re military hardware, top of the line.”
“Why are you up so early, captain?” Jeffery asked, moving on.
“I couldn’t sleep,” the captain murmured.
“If I were human, captain, I am one-hundred percent sure I couldn’t sleep either,” Ariadne said.
The bridge was suddenly quiet and the only noise that broke the silence without fail was the thrum of the four fusion reactors. The two hours passed by slowly and Captain Reinhardt began to slowly nod off during the second hour as he read the engineering report. His eyes were drooping and they finally closed, his mind dropping into the unconscious abyss of slumber.
Finally, some peace and quiet. I’ll only sleep for two minutes.
“Captain?” The voice sounded so distant, and so female.
Leslie knew he was still asleep and he went back into REM sleep not wanting to spoil the last few moments of a good dream.
“Captain!” This time it was stronger. The sensation of his stomach dropping out filled his senses as he was ripped from the dream world.
“Captain, we’ve arrived,” it was McCoy.
Already? How long was I asleep? I’ll have to ask Jeffery, I’m sure he noticed.
Leslie slowly opened his blue eyes and he scanned the brightly orange bridge for a moment then settled on the main viewports. A planet roughly two times the size of Earth filled the screen, it’s bright orange of the vast desert surface prominent and blinding. The massive supercarrier approached the planet from the dark side and remained hidden from view as the bridge crew surveyed.
“I’m not seeing much activity on the surface,” Ariadne informed. “There are strange energy readings surrounding the northern pole as well. I suggest we stand off for now and send down a recon patrol.”
“I seem to agree with her, Captain,” Jeffery said.
“All right then, let’s do it,” Captain Reinhardt nodded. “I want Captain Rhineland and Captain Brandt on a secure line as soon as possible.”
Reinhardt got up from the chair and briskly strode out of the double blast doors and out of the bridge. Minutes later he was in his ready room grabbing a bottle of Scotch out of the desk and pouring a glass. Leslie peered into the glass and watched the contents swirl around.
“Captain Reinhardt,” Captain Lisa Rhineland cleared her throat.
Leslie looked up from the glass of Scotch and nodded at the two captains who suddenly appeared on his desk monitors. They looked tired, worn out, and eager. Am I starting to show signs as well?
“Lisa, Allan,” Leslie murmured. “I want to go over some final details.”
“Leslie, we’ve already been briefed before we left the Oberon,” Lisa Rhineland said. “Is this necessary?”
Allan Brandt rubbed the brow of his head with his left hand as he sighed deeply. “All right, what’s new this time?”
“Ariadne picked up energy readings from the northern pole. There’s nothing active on the planet that we can tell from orbital scans,” Reinhardt informed them. “I want to send down a recon patrol and see what they can find before we decide to touchdown.”
Lisa and Allan just stared at Leslie and shook their heads.
“Look, captain, we know our roles. We’ll de-orbit to the Conchera Mountains on the dark side, set up an F.O.B. and wait for further orders from ONI contacts on the planet. We’ll have our targets, we’ll have our roles,” Lisa said. “How hard can it be?”
Allan remained quiet.
This is harder than you think, Lisa, more than you know. “We wait. I’ll send out a few Longswords and we’ll know more in a few hours,” Leslie said.
“Whatever, captain,” Captain Rhineland huffed. “We can’t wait too long. Our orders came straight from the top.”
“I know,” Reinhardt replied. “Just let me see what’s up in the north.”
The video feeds cut off. There didn’t need to be any more conversation. Rhineland and Brandt wouldn’t have a choice anyway. Reinhardt was the commander of this mission and they would obey his orders.
“Ariandne,” Leslie said aloud.
Ariadne shimmered into existence in front of Leslie’s desk and she nodded. “Yes, captain?”
“Three Longswords, recon, they're yours,” Leslie ordered. “Find out what’s going on in the north and report to me as soon as you know anything.”
“Yes, sir,” the A.I. saluted. “We’re receiving a hail, sir. It’s a scrambled communiqué. I can’t pinpoint it’s exact location with the energy anomalies disrupting everything.”
“I’m on my way to bridge,” Leslie said as he went for the door. “Keep them waiting.”
There was no indication that Dylarian Prime was active, let alone inhabited. Unless there happened to be a Prowler in-system that neither of the three ships knew about. It was unlikely, but still probable. Maybe the Insurrection still had it in them for spying. Leslie strode back into the bridge and went straight for his chair before the automated system descended the chair.
“No one knows we’re here. Who could be hailing us?” Leslie asked.
“Shall I put them on, captain?” Ariadne smiled sarcastically from her holo-tank.
“Please do, Ari,” Leslie growled.
A holographic monitor shimmered on and an elderly looking man appeared onscreen. He was beginning to bald at the edges of his hairline of his head, a nasty scar wound its way across his left cheek to the base of his neck, he was wearing a pair of small spectacles where piercing blue eyes hid behind, and he was smiling.
“Ah, Leslie, there you are,” the man calmly said. “Welcome home, son.”
Infinity-class Super-carrier UNSC Midsummer Dawn SCV-343
July 18, 2557 (Military Calendar)
The command chair descended from the ceiling as the bridge doors slid apart and running lights shimmered to life. The bridge was oddly quiet at zero-four-hundred. The constant thrum of the ship was enough to drive anyone away from their post on the bridge and pursue any kind of relief in the long corridor outside the command deck. Four posted Marines were patrolling the forward and aft square of the bridge while two more were posted as guard at the doors.
“Captain on deck!” Private Rojas said aloud.
“As you were, Marines,” Captain Reinhardt said as he stepped over the threshold. “Quiet night, boys?”
“At oh-four-hundred, sir? All the time,” Corporal Smith smiled.
At least they still have a sense of humor.
Captain Leslie Reinhardt walked to the command chair and sat down. Two holographic screens winked on displaying tactical data, the hourly engineering report, and passive communications.
“Lieutenant McCoy, I have the con,” Captain Reinhardt said. “Take a break.”
Lieutenant Jean McCoy stood up from her post at the helm, saluted, and walked out of the bridge.
Dual holo-tanks to each side of the captain’s chair lit up and two A.I.’s shimmered to life. The right A.I., Jeffery, was a blank-faced, black haired man in a tuxedo, and the left A.I., Ariadne, was a light skinned, green-eyed, blonde haired woman wearing combat armor and holding the standard issue helmet in the crook of her left arm.
“At current speed, we’ll be arriving at Dylarian Prime in two hours, Captain,” Ariadne informed.
“All hands are accounted for, captain. Magnetic Accelerator Cannons are charged at one-hundred percent and ready to fire on demand. ,” Jeffery chipped on. “Reactors running at ninety-nine percent and nothing less. Gilliam says “she’s about as fit as my husband”. Whatever that means.”
Captain Reinhardt couldn’t help but smile. “You two shouldn’t be so serious all the time. It’s oh-four-thirty in the morning.”
The A.I.’s were silent for a full minute before Jeffery said something. “We’re not paid to be anything short of serious, sir,” he said.
“Jeffery, we’re not paid at all,” Ariadne quipped. “We’re military hardware, top of the line.”
“Why are you up so early, captain?” Jeffery asked, moving on.
“I couldn’t sleep,” the captain murmured.
“If I were human, captain, I am one-hundred percent sure I couldn’t sleep either,” Ariadne said.
The bridge was suddenly quiet and the only noise that broke the silence without fail was the thrum of the four fusion reactors. The two hours passed by slowly and Captain Reinhardt began to slowly nod off during the second hour as he read the engineering report. His eyes were drooping and they finally closed, his mind dropping into the unconscious abyss of slumber.
Finally, some peace and quiet. I’ll only sleep for two minutes.
“Captain?” The voice sounded so distant, and so female.
Leslie knew he was still asleep and he went back into REM sleep not wanting to spoil the last few moments of a good dream.
“Captain!” This time it was stronger. The sensation of his stomach dropping out filled his senses as he was ripped from the dream world.
“Captain, we’ve arrived,” it was McCoy.
Already? How long was I asleep? I’ll have to ask Jeffery, I’m sure he noticed.
Leslie slowly opened his blue eyes and he scanned the brightly orange bridge for a moment then settled on the main viewports. A planet roughly two times the size of Earth filled the screen, it’s bright orange of the vast desert surface prominent and blinding. The massive supercarrier approached the planet from the dark side and remained hidden from view as the bridge crew surveyed.
“I’m not seeing much activity on the surface,” Ariadne informed. “There are strange energy readings surrounding the northern pole as well. I suggest we stand off for now and send down a recon patrol.”
“I seem to agree with her, Captain,” Jeffery said.
“All right then, let’s do it,” Captain Reinhardt nodded. “I want Captain Rhineland and Captain Brandt on a secure line as soon as possible.”
Reinhardt got up from the chair and briskly strode out of the double blast doors and out of the bridge. Minutes later he was in his ready room grabbing a bottle of Scotch out of the desk and pouring a glass. Leslie peered into the glass and watched the contents swirl around.
“Captain Reinhardt,” Captain Lisa Rhineland cleared her throat.
Leslie looked up from the glass of Scotch and nodded at the two captains who suddenly appeared on his desk monitors. They looked tired, worn out, and eager. Am I starting to show signs as well?
“Lisa, Allan,” Leslie murmured. “I want to go over some final details.”
“Leslie, we’ve already been briefed before we left the Oberon,” Lisa Rhineland said. “Is this necessary?”
Allan Brandt rubbed the brow of his head with his left hand as he sighed deeply. “All right, what’s new this time?”
“Ariadne picked up energy readings from the northern pole. There’s nothing active on the planet that we can tell from orbital scans,” Reinhardt informed them. “I want to send down a recon patrol and see what they can find before we decide to touchdown.”
Lisa and Allan just stared at Leslie and shook their heads.
“Look, captain, we know our roles. We’ll de-orbit to the Conchera Mountains on the dark side, set up an F.O.B. and wait for further orders from ONI contacts on the planet. We’ll have our targets, we’ll have our roles,” Lisa said. “How hard can it be?”
Allan remained quiet.
This is harder than you think, Lisa, more than you know. “We wait. I’ll send out a few Longswords and we’ll know more in a few hours,” Leslie said.
“Whatever, captain,” Captain Rhineland huffed. “We can’t wait too long. Our orders came straight from the top.”
“I know,” Reinhardt replied. “Just let me see what’s up in the north.”
The video feeds cut off. There didn’t need to be any more conversation. Rhineland and Brandt wouldn’t have a choice anyway. Reinhardt was the commander of this mission and they would obey his orders.
“Ariandne,” Leslie said aloud.
Ariadne shimmered into existence in front of Leslie’s desk and she nodded. “Yes, captain?”
“Three Longswords, recon, they're yours,” Leslie ordered. “Find out what’s going on in the north and report to me as soon as you know anything.”
“Yes, sir,” the A.I. saluted. “We’re receiving a hail, sir. It’s a scrambled communiqué. I can’t pinpoint it’s exact location with the energy anomalies disrupting everything.”
“I’m on my way to bridge,” Leslie said as he went for the door. “Keep them waiting.”
There was no indication that Dylarian Prime was active, let alone inhabited. Unless there happened to be a Prowler in-system that neither of the three ships knew about. It was unlikely, but still probable. Maybe the Insurrection still had it in them for spying. Leslie strode back into the bridge and went straight for his chair before the automated system descended the chair.
“No one knows we’re here. Who could be hailing us?” Leslie asked.
“Shall I put them on, captain?” Ariadne smiled sarcastically from her holo-tank.
“Please do, Ari,” Leslie growled.
A holographic monitor shimmered on and an elderly looking man appeared onscreen. He was beginning to bald at the edges of his hairline of his head, a nasty scar wound its way across his left cheek to the base of his neck, he was wearing a pair of small spectacles where piercing blue eyes hid behind, and he was smiling.
“Ah, Leslie, there you are,” the man calmly said. “Welcome home, son.”