Halo: Foward Unto Dawn Trilogy

Chapter 8: Composer

Somewhere in an asteroid belt with a large planet in the background. A Slipspace portal suddenly appears in the foreground and the Mantle's Approach comes out, along with several Covenant remnant Liches and Phantoms. They all move away from the belt.

He is under cover in one of the last Liches. The shields protecting the ship from Slipspace fade away.

Master Chief: Cortana?
Cortana: Still here.
More Phantoms and Liches cross in the background as John gets out from his cover and looks up. He sees a Halo installation.

Master Chief: A Halo?
Cortana: Installation 03. It's where Infinity found the coordinates for Requiem.
John looks up at the Halo.

Master Chief: Then why are they bypassing it?

a nearby asteroid belt, where most of the Covenant crafts are flying towards. A human station is built into one of the asteroids.

Cortana: Because the Composer's not on the ring.

Numerous Phantoms and Liches approach the station. .

Cortana: What are you waiting for? That station's not going to save itself.

Master Chief goes hijack the Lich and kills the Elite with his Covenant Carbine.

Cortana: (voice distorted) Put me into the console.

John steps up to the panel and inserts Cortana into the console. A hologram of the station comes up.

Master Chief: This is UNSC Master Chief to base. Do you read?
Sandra Tillson (COM): Yes! I hear you! This is Sandy Tillson of Ivanoff Station! We're under attack!
Master Chief: They're after a Forerunner artifact you took from the Halo ring.
Cut to the Lich's exterior; it is approaching the station.

Sandra Tillson (COM): How do you know about that?
Master Chief: Doctor. I need you to protect that artifact until we arrive. Send whatever-

The hologram of the station flickers and disappears completely, replaced by the figure of Cortana, who's undergoing another rampancy fit.

Cortana: (voice distorted and high-pitched) Do you know what that condescending bitch said to me after our first game of chess?
Master Chief: Cortana...
Cortana: Even I don't call him by name anymore.

A red signal flashes on the screen as the Lich flies toward the station on a collision course.

Master Chief: Correct your approach.
Cortana: Yes, well he also said he works better alone.

The Lich flies dangerously close to the station with no deceleration. The red signal continues to flash.

Cortana: I can see why you chose him, Catherine.
Master Chief: Cortana!
Cortana: I'm your greatest achievement and you detest me!
Master Chief: Pull up! Now!

But it was too late as the Lich crashes just below the open landing bay. He regains his consciousness as Cortana kept apologizing.

Master Chief: Doctor Tillson, are you there?
Sandra Tillson (Video COM): Oh, thank God! When your signal cut off I di-
Master Chief: Doctor, listen to me. You have to issue the order to evacuate the station.
Sandra Tillson (Video COM): We've been trying! The Covenant... they've already taken over the landing bays!
Master Chief: Send me your coordinates. I'll see what I can do about clearing an evac route on my way to you.

He made it to the landing bays as he managed to neutralize the Covenant and closes Harbor Barricade.

Cortana: Doctor Tillson. Bay 7 is secure and we're moving to your position now.

A blue barrier activates and blocks the hangar from any more Phantoms.

Sandra Tillson (COM): Really? Oh- that's incredible! Thank you!

Then he's on the way to Tilson's Location and made it on Time.

John walks through the open door. Sandy Tillson is right in front of the door and greets him immediately and nervously.

Sandra Tillson: I desperately hope you know why all this is happening. Because, to be honest, my objectivity isn't doing me a whole lot of good right now. Hold on, I'll start us down.

He continued the journey to the control Defense system to protect the shuttles as they evacuate so quickly he grabbed his Shotgun to shoot the Covenant Down. Master Chief is on the way to the Tilson position but Composer's location is compromised. He manned the Mantis and took down the Covenant Troops and Ships and now he's now on his way to Tilson's Position but Didact Took the Composer. Several scientists, including Tillson, are on the platform, some running around on their tasks. Tillson is conversing with two coworkers.

Sandra Tillson: They've compromised the station's hull.

He runs over to a nearby console, passing Tillson on the way.

Master Chief: The Didact's taken the Composer. Get these people to the evac centers!

He takes out Cortana and puts her in the console.

Sandra Tillson: Taken'? 'Taken' how?
Master Chief: Tap the flight deck. Find us something that can carry a payload.
Sandra Tillson: Wait, something's happening.

Tillson and the scientists stop to look at the Mantle's Approach, which is closing in on the station. The Composer on it starts charging.

Master Chief: Cortana, can you access the station's defense systems?

Cortana is fiddling with a hologram.

Cortana: They're not responding!

The Composer continues to charge. Cortana is attempting to start the defense systems, to no avail at every attempt.

Master Chief: Cortana?

Cortana turns to look at him. The hologram is still flashing an error warning.

Cortana: Chief, it's-

The Composer fires. The scientists stagger from the blow, their skin already starting to flake off into units of data. They all begin to collapse including Tillson. She screams in pain as her skin, muscles, and skeletal system are broken down into orange flakes of data. John is unaffected, though his armor flickers orange as he collapses on the floor and blacks out.

John awakens some time later, the staff now reduced to ashes. Cortana is sitting on the pedestal, forlorn. Vapor is rising from the ash piles that are all that remain of the scientists. John's armor too is smoking. He looks around, and gets up onto one knee. Cortana looks up at him.

Cortana: Are you okay?
John stands up with his assault rifle. He looks around at the ash piles, still smoking.

Cortana: I monitored the data pulse. I could hear them... what was left of them...

John moves toward the door, thinking.

Master Chief: We need to move.
Cortana: These people are gone.
Master Chief: And more will follow if the Didact reaches Earth.

Cortana remains silent for a moment.

Cortana: They'll pair you with another AI. Maybe even another Cortana model if Halsey lets them.

John looks and turns toward her in disbelief.

Master Chief: That's not going to happen.
Cortana: It won't be me, you know that, right?

John doesn't respond, turning around again. Cortana stands up and activates the hologram again.

Cortana: Spinning up a Broadsword in hangar C-11. Whatever the Librarian did to you obviously worked.

John turns back to her.

Master Chief: "Cortana."

Cortana turns toward him.

Master Chief: It's not over. Not yet.
Cortana: "Not yet.

They won't give up until they saved the earth.