Orders From the Top

S1: E7

(December 27th, 2548 - Briefing Room) [Aoric POV]

Aoric: *quiet as he watches the Director talking to an AI.* How many AIs do we have again? *looking to the others who simply shrug.* Oh... right. *thinking.* I'm stuck with people who have less on their mind than an unmarried marine on Harvest.

**Carolina walks up behind the Director, clearly not intending to answer Aoric's question.**

Carolina: Director?

Director: *quietly to Alpha"* Log off.

Alpha: Yeah, yeah. Way ahead of ya, bud.

Director: *turns around* Yes, Agent Carolina?

Carolina: The team is ready, sir.

Director: Excellent. Let us begin.

**The two approach the holographic screen, where several Freelancers and soldiers are waiting. Which prompts Aoric to subtly turn on his visor's recording systems for the mission briefing.**

Aoric: *looking around at the other agents.*

Director: Agents! Your mission today is by far the most important you have undertaken to date. As our Number One, Carolina will be leading from the field.

**Carolina takes her position at the front of the screen. She presses a few buttons that activates a holographic sphere onto the screen.**

Aoric: Well, let's see what we're in for then, boss.

Carolina: *somewhat taken aback by Aoric's remark.* Okay... here's what we have. As you may have heard, there is suspected Insurrection activity in this area. Our intel says that members of the UNSC loyal to the Insurrection have acquired a high-level asset and are holding it in this secure location.

Aoric: I'm sorry... fucking what did you just say?

**Holograms form into buildings, the tallest one in the center. The actual buildings are seen afterward.**

Aoric: *trying to think hard about if he knows that building.*

Carolina: It's a hundred and ten-story building in the middle of an urban environment.

Wyoming: What does security look like?

Carolina: They have enough troops to fill a hundred and ten story building.

Wyoming: So, that's a lot of security.

Aoric: That's also a dumb question.

Wyoming: Oh shut up, Nevada.

Carolina: We're up to it.

**A red line cuts through the tallest building and forms a dot at a specific point inside.**

Aoric: Hold on... *looking to the director as they show their "path" beginning from the bottom of the building.* We're going in from the ground level?

Carolina: Our job is to infiltrate the building, work our way up to the floor where the Sarcophagus is being held, and secure it.

North Dakota: The Sarcophagus?

Aoric: Then we sho-

Director: *glaring at Aoric as he answers North's question.* That is what we are calling the primary objective.

Carolina: But since this is a high-level asset, we need to access a key code to open the Sarcophagus.

Washington: I'm guessing they don't keep that just taped to the side.