The Start Of Something Great

IMS Forerunner

We were pinned down on the hull of the IMS Forerunner, desperately trying to get into their hangar. Grunts swarmed us from all directions, and every time we tried to make a move, they kept coming back for more.

Buck was getting frustrated. "How the hell are we supposed to get to the bridge if we can't even get into the hangar?!"

Ray shook her head. "I don't know."

Red turned to me, hopeful. "Carver, got any ideas?"

"Give me a second," I replied, trying to think while we were being shot at from all sides.

As the IMC kept up their relentless assault, an idea struck me like a freight train. All IMC ships have interconnected ventilation systems, and it might just be our ticket inside. But then things got worse—the IMC deployed two Titans: a Ronin and an Ion Titan.

Jean's voice crackled over the comms. "Carver, now would be a good time for a plan."

I nodded. "I've got one. Jean, I need you to call down your Titan and keep the enemy Titans distracted."

"What about the rest of us?" Buck asked, frowning.

"Buck, I want you, Red, and Heavy to help Jean. Ray, you're with me."

Ray looked at me, confused. "What's the plan?"

"All IMC ships have interconnected ventilation," I explained. "If we can get to the cargo hold and find a vent, we can crawl our way to the bridge and get the data we need."

Buck gave me a sharp look. "You better not die in there. That's an order."

"Aye aye, sir."

Buck quickly relayed the plan to Red and Heavy, while Jean, Ray, and I kept the grunts busy. The Titans were almost on top of us now. Jean called in her Titan, Atlas, and it slammed down on top of the Ronin, crushing it in an instant. Jean sprinted toward Atlas, who picked her up and dropped her into the cockpit. She wasted no time in engaging the Ion Titan.

With the Titans distracted, Ray and I bolted toward the cargo hold elevator. As we descended, a few grunts tried to stop us, but we made quick work of them.

Once in the cargo hold, Ray glanced around. "Now what?"

I pointed upward. "Look there."

We ran to the vent, and Ray pried the cover off with ease. We crawled through the ducts, using the small map on our HUD to guide us. We followed the dots showing our position and the bridge's location, making our way toward our goal. As we neared the bridge, we could hear voices inside.

IMC Captain: "Where did these soldiers come from?!"

IMC Ship Pilot: "I don't know, sir. I don't have any ships on radar."

IMC Captain: "Start ascending. Get us into orbit!"

The pilot began the ship's ascent, and Ray and I exchanged looks.

I kicked the vent cover off and leapt out, pulling my RE-45 as I landed. Ray followed my lead, and we opened fire. She took out two guards to the left, and I shot the pilot, copilot, and finally put two rounds into the captain's head.

"Clear," Ray said, breathing heavily.

I moved toward the captain's console and started downloading the data with my data knife. "I'm downloading the intel now. You stop the ascent."

As I worked, Ray suddenly called out.

"Carver, the ship's ascent is automated. My data knife can't break the encryption!"

"What? How is that possible?" I said, looking up from the console.

"I don't fucking know, but we need to move!" Ray insisted.

"Agreed. Let's go."

I quickly finished downloading the data and switched to comms. "Buck, we need an evac. The ship is stuck ascending automatically."

Buck's voice crackled through. "You've got to be kidding me. Hold on."

A few seconds passed before Buck returned. "We've got ships coming in, but the Dawn says they're detecting a distress signal from the Forerunner."

I cursed under my breath. "They must've detected us. We're almost at the cargo bay."

Buck responded urgently. "You don't have long. Move your ass."

Ray and I started crawling faster, knowing we had to make it out before we were caught. We reached the cargo bay, and a small group of grunts stood in our way. We dropped down and took them out quickly, then sprinted for the cargo lift. As the lift ascended, we saw Jean battling an enemy Tone Titan, relentlessly attacking it until the IMC pilot was dead. Jean's Titan, Atlas, stood tall over the wreckage.

"Come on!" Jean shouted, pointing to the window dropship outside.

Ray and I looked over to see the rest of the squad already loading up. We rushed toward the ship, but just as we reached it, two more Titans emerged from the cargo bay—a Stryder and a Northstar. The Stryder locked onto the dropship and fired its 40mm cannon, shaking the ship with a violent jolt. I lost my balance and fell out of the hatch.

"Carver!" Ray screamed.

"Pilot, hold steady!" Buck ordered.

The pilot's voice was frantic. "I can't! That Stryder will take us out if we don't move!"

I scrambled to get back into the ship, but the hatch closed just as the pilot started to ascend. I took cover from the gunfire coming from the Titans and opened a comms channel with Buck and the pilot.

"Any idea on how to get out of this?" I asked.

Buck's voice was grim. "Not yet. Let me know if you get one."

The pilot added, "I can fly around, but I can't stay still. The Stryder will shoot us down."

"Give me a second to think," I said, scanning the area. My eyes flicked over to the turbines on the Forerunner. That was it. My stupidest idea yet.

"Hey, Buck, can you drop me two satchel charges?" I radioed.

Buck didn't hesitate. "Yeah, we can do that. Pilot, get us close and open the hatch."

The pilot replied, "We've got to make this quick."

The dropship hovered over me, and two satchel charges dropped down. I grabbed them, armed the detonators, and ran toward the nearest turbine. I planted the charges on the turbine's central mechanism, then triggered the detonator. The Forerunner jolted, and I lost my footing, sliding down the hull.

"Pilot, I could use a pickup!" I shouted, barely hanging on.

"I see you," the pilot replied.

Below, I could see the dense forests of Holly, with the planet's ocean glistening beside them. It would have been a nice view if I wasn't about to fall to my death. The dropship roared into view, coming in sideways with the hatch open. I didn't think twice. I jumped.

The thud of my landing echoed inside the ship, and the hatch slammed shut just as the Stryder fired again. The dropship shot up into the air, racing toward the MCS Dawn.

Buck's voice came through the comms. "You're one crazy SOB," he said, helping me up.

Ray wrapped me in a quick hug. "That was fucking awesome."

I took off my helmet, letting out a relieved sigh. "Let's just get back on the Dawn."