- MaxRealflugel
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- Elder Mythic Member
Part 20
Otterburn Firing Range, United Kingdom
John and the others made their way on towards the cliff face to the north. Each of them were brandishing the HHAG as though it was some kind of metallic child, holding it close to their armour.
Olivia had reclaimed her role on point with Mark close behind. He like Linda, were the only two carrying the reliable and deadly sniper rifle.
Mark was walking with his rifle permanently aimed at the distant cave entrance. Occasionally he would briefly stop to use the rifles powerful scope to check out the entrance as Olivia carried on ahead, blending into the knee-high grass and patches of heather that covered most of the area.
John walked alongside Fred in an almost casual manner, but this was far from the truth. Each Spartan was well prepared and determined to see out any encounter, no matter the enemy, or the weapons they carried.
About fifty metres to the left of John and Fred, Kelly moved along in a half-crouched walk, nimbly avoiding the large tufts of grass and earth with un-rivalled grace.
Each tuft of peat filled mud was the size of a large water melon. If this path had been walked by a marine with his usual pair of issued boots then the trip would most likely be brief, and filled with sprains or a fractured ankle.
The terrain, although green and pleasant, was littered with these so called ‘Babies heads’. The British based military arm of the UNSC often referred to these irregular mounds of earth as fields of heads. All of which could break the ankle of any unwary soldier.
Since John’s arrival on Earth he had received a brief upgrade of armour plating and software. Something which now enabled him to see all of his squad members military records, and he was impressed with the new additions to the squad.
To the right strode the confident and eager Ash. And despite his youth, especially when compared with the Spartan II’s, he had matured into a proficient and capable leader.
Olivia was a well-proven scout and as quiet as the smallest of cats, whilst Mark was the younger version of Linda, and just as capable with a sniper rifle.
John could see that Kurt had performed admirably in his role as an instructor.
John was pleased that he had been reunited with his remaining Spartans, but despite this he was concerned with his constant absence from Cortana.
Her voice had provided sound advice since she had been installed into his armour all those years ago on Reach.
Since defeating the loyalist arm of the Covenant and the lie filled uttering’s of the prophets, John had thought that his remaining time alive would be filled with endless conversations with Cortana as they glided in empty space.
She would no doubt discuss every previous encounter with the Covenant, analysing each combat scenario to a degree that a neurosurgeon would be proud of.
He had anticipated that her eventual descent into rampancy would be quickly followed by his own madness, something which he was content with. His role in the war with the Covenant had been fulfilled, and all of his enemies had been cut from their delicate grip on life.
John had finally relinquished himself to an eternity of silence, far from the sickening sound of screams and gunfire, and the bright blue light of exploding plasma.
But as he soon discovered, Cortana was not his only concern.
When the other Spartans had escaped the assaulting army of Covenant soldiers on Onyx, they had found themselves in an environment filled with wonder. All of it created by the Forerunners.
But Doctor Halsey had other priorities. In addition to the desire to escape the artificial prison that had protected them since their arrival, they needed to uncover the Forerunners advanced grip on technology to free another squad of Spartan III’s.
Team Sabre had been imprisoned in a series of stasis pods, but their method of capture was presently beyond the abilities of Doctor Halsey and the full weight of the UNSC advanced research division.
He knew full well that mankind had an understanding of Slipspace, but it was only enough to send space faring vessels through to their remote and distant destinations.
It was simply a question of knowledge and experience in a field that mankind was quite new to. The Covenant were however, more experienced in this area. But even they had been at a loss to solve the Sentinel induced puzzle of Slipspace enveloped stasis pods.
John’s other additions were also a concern. Lucy another of the Spartan III’s, was currently receiving treatment for posttraumatic vocal disarticulation - a condition that prevented her from speaking.
John was unsure whether this was from any physical trauma, but whatever the case, he wished her a speedy recovery.
But regrettably his reasons for wishing this were not born from sympathy, but a need for more soldiers, soldiers that could give mankind another glimmer of hope, against a formidable foe.
John was sometimes disappointed that he lacked the almost sympathetic attitude to his fellow Spartans. Unlike Fred he always concentrated on the objective. Achieving it was what he strode for. And unfortunately, that often came at a heavy price.
Tom was another of the Spartan III survivors, but his responsibility currently revolved around Team Sabre. There was little he could do apart from provide a presence in case the technicians were successful. Something which John thought was unlikely, at least for now.
The technicians also had another mystery to solve. Both John and the other Spartans had managed to get back to Earth by finding a Forerunner hangar. Now the UNSC was in possession of two advanced vessels.
Unfortunately these two craft were only shuttles, but they would hopefully provide some answers in the search for new technology.
John’s return journey to Earth had been brief, but the other Spartans had had further to travel, in addition to carrying the doctor around after she slipped and fractured an ankle.