Halo: Ghosts of Onyx (13 page)

Chief Mendez turned to Kurt, pressing the bud receiver into his ear. "A lot of static. Encountering broadband interference. They're moving to high orbit to get a clear picture."

The
Agincourt
had just delivered supplies for the incoming Delta Company. Kurt had asked for a little observational assistance before they broke orbit.

"Pass my thanks to the Commander," Kurt said.

Chief Mendez's face darkened. "They're breaking up."

The dish-sized AI projector sparked to life, and warm red sunlight sparked and filled the tree house. It solidified into a tall Cherokee brave, bare-chested, wearing buckskins, feathered spear in his massive hand. This was Endless Summer, the ONI AI stationed at the ultrahigh-secure facility thirty kilometers to the north, a place that technically no longer existed, it was so secret.

The AI gestured for Kurt and then he vanished, replaced by the lightning-bolt symbol for a UNSC priority flash communique.

The AI that had replaced Deep Winter was aloof, had barely tolerated Kurt and his staff, and it never
initiated
communication. This was trouble.

Kurt stepped closer and the pad scanned his biometrics. Several files were beamed directly onto his retina, a top-secret protocol that gave a new twist to the phase "eyes-only"

T
O: / LIEUTENANT KURT AMBROSE, SPECIAL ATTACHE. LOGISTICAL OPERATIONS COMMAND (NAVLOGCOM) , OFFICE OF INVESTIGATIONS UNSCMID: 045888947 SUBJECT: EMERGENCY ALERT STATUS CLASSIFICATION: RESTRICTED (XXX-XD DIRECTIVE)

/START FILE/DECRYPTION PROTOCOL/

FLASH TRANSMISSION TO CAMP CURRAHEE COMMAND AND CONTROL

ENDLESS SUMMER DIRECTED TO LIEUTENANT COMMANDER AMBROSE-EYES ONLY

ZONE 67 UNDER ATTACK.

P
ER GENERAL ORDER 98.93.120, I AM AUTHORIZED TO TAKE COMMAND OF ALL MILITARY PERSONNEL ON ONYX UNDER EMERGENCY CIRCUMSTANCE. I HEREBY EXERCISE THAT AUTHORITY AND ORDER ALL UNDER YOUR COMMAND TO IMMEDIATELY DEFEND ZONE 67 FROM EMINENT DANGER.

ATTACKER IDENTITY: UNKNOWN. NONHUMAN ORIGIN.

ATTENTION
: P
OSSIBLE COVENANT VECTORS.

ATTENTION
: P
OSSIBLE NON-COVENANT VECTORS.

YOU ARE AUTHORIZED WITH CODE-WORD CLEARANCE PATRIOT-SEVEN-BLUE TO REVIEW THEFOLLOWING CONDENSED MATERIAL OF IMMEDIATE BENEFIT. ANY BREACH OF CODE-WORD CLASSIFICATION CONFIDENTIALITY IS PUNISHABLE BYTHE DEATH PENALTY AS PER UNSC MIL-JAG 4 4 65/LHG, THE WARTIME ARTICLES OF SECRECY, AND THE AMENDED ARTICLES OF THE UNITED SECURITY ACTS OF 2162.

/
END/

/ATTACHED FILE 1 OF 9/

M
AY 6, 24 91 (MILITARY CALENDAR) FIELD REPORT A76344-USNC . ENGCORP SUBJECT: SURVEY PLANET XF-0 63 REPORTING OFFICER: CAPTAIN D. F. LAMBERT UNSC. ENGCORP/ UNSCMID: 03981762

XF-0 63
IS A RARE JEWEL OF A FIND. THERE IS AN OXYGEN-NITROGEN-INERT GAS ATMOSPHERE OF SUITABLE PRESSURE AND A MODERATE WEATHER CYCLE. THERE IS A SURPRISING ABUNDANCE OF INDIGENOUS FLORA AND FAUNA, WHICH UPON CURSORY INVESTIGATION POSES NO DANGER. IN FACT, EDIBLE SPECIES PRESENT. (SEE ADDITIONAL REPORTS FOR DETAILS.) TRANSPLANT OF EARTH SPECIES POSSIBLE.

NOTABLE ANOMALIES: NO DETECTABLE TECTONIC ACTIVITY, BUT THERE IS STILL AN UNUSUALLY STRONG PLANETARY MAGNETIC FIELD. SLIGHTLY HIGHER THAN NORMAL BACKGROUND RADIATION MEASURED, BUT WELL WITHIN TOLERABLE STANDARDS. ADDITIONAL GEOLOGICAL TESTING RECOMMENDED.

NO TERRAFORMING EFFORT REQUIRED. COLONIZATION RECOMMENDED.

/END/

/ATTACHED FILE 2 OF 9/

R
EPORTING OFFICER: LIEUTENANT W. K. DAVIDSON UNSC.ENGCORP/ UNSCMID: 0772 9654

T
HE NORTHERN PLATEAU REGION OF THE MIDLATITUDE LANDMASS HAS AN ABUNDANCE OF GRANITE AND QUARTZ VARIETIES FORMING HILLS AND MESAS. BREATHTAKING ONYX QUARRIES .

ADDITIONAL EXPLORATION OF THIS REGION HAS REVEALED LIMESTONE OF ORGANIC ORIGINS, SPECIFICALLY AN ANCIENT CORAL REEF WITH A RICH FOSSIL HISTORY.

CURSORY INVESTIGATION HAS YIELDED SEVERAL ANCIENT SPECIES OF UNKNOWN ORIGINS, AND ENTIRE PHYLUM FOUND OF POSSIBLY ALIEN TAXONOMY.

RECOMMENDATION: FOLLOW-UP SURVEY. SPECIALIST REQUESTED IN PALEO-AND XENOBIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY.

/END/

/ATTACHED FILE 3 OF 9/

J
ANUARY 3, 2511 (MILITARY CALENDAR) ORDER 178.8.64.007 SUBJECT: SECURITY RECLASSIFICATION ISSUING OFFICER: REAR ADMIRAL M. 0. PARANGOSKY, OFFICE OF NAVAL INTELLIGENCE, SECTION THREE/ UNSCMID: 03659271

E
FFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY ALL MATERIALS MENTIONING, REFERENCING, OR CONTAINING REPORTS, SURVEYS, PERSONAL NOTES AND LOGS, IMAGES, OR ANY OTHER DATA PERTAINING TO OR ABOUT THE PLANET CATALOG NO. XF-0 63 (ALSO KNOWN COLLOQUIALLY AS "ONYX") IS HEREBY RECLASSIFIED TO TOP SECERT, EYES ONLY.

UNSC
SYSTEMWIDE NETWORK PURGE AUTHORIZED BY OFFICE OF NAVAL INTELLIGENCE (REF NO. 0097833), UNDER THE DIRECTION OF MIL.AI. ID: 477-SSD.

/
END/

/ATTACHED FILE 4 OF 9 /

O
CTOBER 22, 2 511 (MILITARY CALENDAR) ONI FIELD REPORT A84110 CLASSIFICATION: TOP SECRET, CODE-WORD SUBJECT: STATUS OF RUINS IN ZONE 67 REPORTING OFFICER: LIEUTENANT COMMANDER J. G. ORTEGA, OFFICE OF NAVAL INTELLIGENCE, SECTION THREE/ UNSCMID: 7631073

C
ONCERNING THE ALIEN RUINS DISCOVERED IN ZONE 67, WE CONTINUE TO FIND EVIDENCE OF AN ADVANCED CULTURE WITH A SUPERLATIVE GRASP OF MATHEMATICS AND ASTROGATION, WITH SOME POSSIBLE ARTISTIC REPRESENTATIONS THAT SUGGEST A SPACE-FARING RACE (SEE ATTACHED DIGITAL IMAGES OF ONYX CARVINGS).

T
HEIR NUMEROUS HIEROGLYPHICS, WHILE AT FIRST GLANCE COMPARABLE TO ANCIENT TERRESTRIAL AZTEC VARIANTS, ARE, IN FACT, NOTHING AT ALL LIKE THESE PRIMITIVE EARTH COUNTERPARTS . SEVERAL LAYERS OF SYMBOLOGY SUGGEST A HIGHER-DIMENSIONAL APPROACH TO THEIR

LANGUAGE, IF IT CAN EVEN BE TRULY THOUGHT OF AS WRITING OR LANGUAGE IN ANY HUMAN SENSE .

T
RANSLATION CONTINUES TO ELUDE ALL EXPERTS, HUMAN AND AI.

R
ECOMMENDATION: INCREASED FUNDING AND EXCAVATION WILL UNDOUBTEDLY YIELD HITHERTO UNKNOWN TECHNOLOGIES.

ADDITIONAL NOTE: NO FURTHER INFORMATION HAS BEEN DISCOVERED REGARDING THE GLOWING SPHERE DISCOVERED BY BETA COMPANY TRAINEES. THE SUBSEQUENT DETONATION OF THE SPHERE OBLITERATED ALL CLUES OF ITS ORIGIN.

/END/

/ATTACHED FILE 5 OF 9/

S
EPTEMBER 2, 2517 (MILITARY CALENDAR) ONI FIELD REPORT C384409 CLASSIFICATION: TOP SECRET, CODE-WORD SUBJECT: STATUS OF RUINS IN ZONE 67 REPORTING OFFICER: COMMANDER J. G. ORTEGA, OFFICE OF NAVAL INTELLIGENCE, SECTION THREE/ UNSCMID: 7631073

N
EW FACILITIES WENT OPERATIONAL AS OF 0500 HOURS TODAY. SMART AIS FUNCTIONING IN TANDEM AS PER SPECIFICATIONS WITH SOME PRELIMIANRY SUCCESS ON SOME OF THE SIMPLER, LOW-DIMENSIONAL HIEROGLYPHICS.

CONTINUED EXCAVATIONS OF MILLIONS OF CUBIC FEET OF EARTH IN ZONE 67 YIELD RUINED BUILDINGS, CARVINGS, AND TABLETS, BUT AS WITH THE OTHER REGIONS NO DISCOVERIES OF A TECHNOLOGICAL NATURE DISCOVERED (OR IF THERE ARE, WE LACK SUFFICIENT UNDERSTANDING TO DISCERN THEIR FUNCTION).

C
ARVINGS DEPICTING THE INHABITANTS OF ONYX STILL NOT FOUND . WHATEVER THESE CREATURES LOOKED LIKE, FOR THE MOMENT, REMAINS A MYSTERY .

THE SENIOR STAFF NOW BELIEVES THAT A SUDDEN CATACLYSM CLAIMED THE INHABITANTS OF THIS WORLD. UNKNOWN IF PATHOLOGICAL, SOCIOLOGICAL, OR RADIOLOGICAL IN NATURE. THIS MAY, HOWEVER, EXPLAIN THE HIGHER-THAN-NORMAL BACKGROUND RADIATION LEVELS.

RECOMMENDATION: INCREASED STAFF AND FUNDING. THE RUINS ARE SO EXTENSIVE THEY COULD TAKE SEVERAL LIFETIMES TO UNEARTH THEM ALL. THIS ENTIRE WORLD MAY BE COVERED IN SIMILAR RUINS. NEW TECHNOLOGIES CERTAINLY MUST HAVE SURVIVED AND AWAIT DISCOVERY.

/END/

/ATTACHED FILE 6 OF 9/

ISSUING OFFICER: ADMIRAL M. 0. PARANGOSKY, OFFICE OF NAVAL INTELLIGENCE, SECTION THREE/ UNSCMID: 03669271

G
ENTLEMEN, I'LL BE BRIEF. AFTER ALMOST FIFTEEN YEARS OF CONTINUOUS AND RUINOUSLY EXPENSIVE RESEARCH WITHOUT A SINGLE NEW USEFUL TECHNOLOGY DISCOVERED, THE BUDGET OF THE ONYX INITIATIVE HAS BEEN REPRIORITIZED.

ALTHOUGH THE ALIEN ARTIFACTS AND HIEROGLYPHICS CONTINUE TO BE OF INTEREST, RECENT REBEL ACTIVITIES IN THE OUTER COLONIES DEMAND THAT WE FACE REALITIES AND REALLOCATE OUR FINITE AI AND MILITARY PERSONNEL TO COUNTER THIS NEW THREAT.

ONYX IS TO REMAIN CLASSIFIED, CODE-WORD TOP SECRET. ALL MATERIALS AND FILES HAVE BEEN REDESIGNATED UNDER THE NOMENCLATURE KING UNDER THE MOUNTAIN.

P
URSUANT TO ORDER 178.8.64.007 ANY BREACH OF CODE-WORD CLASSIFICATION CONFIDENTIALITY IS PUNISHABLE BY THE DEATH PENALTY AS PER UNSC MIL-JAG 4465/LHG, THE WARTIME ARTICLES OF SECRECY, AND THE AMENDED ARTICLES OF THE HOMELAND SECURITY ACT OF 2162.

A
SKELETON CREW AND ONE AI WILL CONTINUE TO PROBE THE MYSTERIES OF ZONE

67. MAYBE THEY'LL HIT PAY DIRT. IN THE MEANTIME, THE REST OF US HAVE A WAR TO FIGHT.

/END/

Kurt never finished reading Endless Summer's flash transmission.

An explosion darkened the horizon with a mushroom cloud of fire and dust, and the holographic page dissolved before Kurt

could scan the rest of the files. The projector sputtered, sparked, and died.

The intel Endless Summer had just sent swam through his mind. Alien ruins? Possible Covenant invasion? What did the AI mean by possible
non-Covenant
vectors?

"We have to get out of here," Kurt said.

Chief Mendez continued to stare at the distant blast. "Artillery. Maybe a missile strike?"

Kurt scrutinized the shape of the blast cloud. "No, it's highly asymmetric. There are uneven heat blooms. I'd guess a directed energy weapon."

The Chief picked up the radio and again tried to raise the
Agincourt.
"This is Camp Currahee C and C. Come in, over?"

Static.

"Try the squads," Kurt said.

Mendez nodded. "Saber, come in. Katana? Report, this is Chief Mendez. Gladius." He clicked the mic. This time, there wasn't even static, only dead air. "You think"—Mendez looked up at the sky—"the
Agincourt
did something?"

The Chief crinkled his silver brows together, worried. It was an emotion Kurt had never before seen on the old man's features.

Another detonation shook Zone 67. What had been a distant granite bluff turned into a disintegrating rain of dust.

"We've received orders to defend Zone 67," Kurt said.

Mendez sighed and shrugged. "I've got my M6 sidearm." He patted his holster. "And a knife in my boot. You?"

Kurt held out his hands.

"Should be a fair fight then," Mendez remarked. He tried the radio again. "Come in, Saber."

His voice filtered through the speaker, crackling with pops and static.

Kurt shook his head. "Something's jamming the transmission. Our Spartans aren't going to fight with stun rounds and flash-bang grenades. They'll head to the armory at Camp Currahee."

"Tom and Lucy should already be there," Mendez said. He moved to the zip line that stretched from the tree house top to the jungle floor. He grabbed the line, wrapped slide casing on, and then jumped over the edge.

For a man pushing sixty, the Chief moved like a soldier thirty years younger. It wasn't the first time Kurt had wondered what kind of Spartan he would have made.

Kurt followed down the zip line, free-falling for a moment, then squeezing the line to brake; he landed hard.

They ran for the Warthog parked on the dirt track at the base of the tree house.

Kurt jumped into the driver's side, and turned the engine over. The vehicle coughed to life and purred.

"No BMP damage," Mendez said. "Or the coil would have been fried."

It was almost a disappointment. A nuke, Kurt could understand. Fissile materials were used only by the UNSC or rebels— human forces.

He floored the accelerator and the Warthog fishtailed, and then the tires caught and they bumped down the dirt track.

The day suddenly brightened, and an extra set of shadows crisscrossed the jungle floor.

Kurt slowed the Warthog, and looked up at the sky The canopy obscured his view, so he turned off the track and drove into the jungle, bouncing over exposed roots, and then down the bank of the Twin Forks River.

Here Kurt had a clear line of sight to the sky, and he noted the sun had moved to a new position lower in the sky.