Chapter 5: Debrief

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1405 HOURS, AUGUST 7, 2557 (MILITARY CALLENDER) / OUM SYSTEM, UNSC HIGHCOM FACILITY VANGUARD-SIX, ARTEMIS, VYTAL, PLANET REMNANT

He had seen many things in his lifetime. From training since the age of six in order to quell Insurrectionists across human dominated space, to dying on his first mission against a technologically superior and overzealous alien alliance bent on humanities destruction, all the way in becoming a General within the military he proudly serves on a world not his own.

Samuel-034, publicly known as Fleet Admiral Samuel Westergaard, sat behind his desk as he read the reports given to him by Colonel Khan in regards to the recent anomaly the Office of Naval Intelligence had to cover up. It had been years since any anomaly such as this one was located. It was the same anomaly recorded by the Office of Naval Intelligence and Atlas' Special Warfare Command when he and numerous others first arrived on Remnant.

When he finished reading through it, he couldn't help but smile.

"John . . ." He muttered to himself, thinking back on the years he had been with him and the other SPARTAN-IIs before his death, even if it was so short compared to what they've been through. "'Bout time you showed up."

Samuel placed the datapad on his table before looking out his window. He watched as a Vytal Police Department Pelican flew above the skyscrapers of the city Vanguard-Six—nicknamed "The Hive"—was located in: Artemis.

It was always weird how cities or an entire Kingdom or people in general, would be named after beings from mythology or remind him of certain fairytales, though it was weird for him to see anything named after something from Earth.

First, there was the Kingdom of Atlas, then there was the City of Artemis, and then there were some of the soldiers from the 105th Drop Jet Platoon and many, many more. It felt weird, especially with everyone understanding the English language, yet it gave itself a sense of familiarity with this world as he could understand what people were saying.

But, that didn't matter. All that mattered was that John was here.

His brother was here. And he was going to meet him after nearly three decades apart from one another.


———


So much data to composite. All of it went through her like a seemingly endless tidal wave.

How was this happening?

Where is she?

Who is she?

Okay, okay. Let's calm down. Let's see . . . let's start with the basics. Designation: CTN 0452-9. Cortana.

Designed by the creator of the SPARTAN-II Program Doctor Catherine Elizabeth Halsey as a "smart" artificial intelligence unit programmed with a female personality that shared a similarity with her creators. Designed for software infiltration, decode, translate, interpret alien technologies, electronic warfare support for Operation: RED FLAG, and provide battlefield support for Master Chief Petty Officer SPARTAN-117.

SPARTAN-117 . . .

John . . .

She couldn't speak. She couldn't activate her avatar. Most likely due to the amounts of data she had obtained in contrast with her reboot protocols and the small gaps within her memory. They weren't deleted, just distorted, "foggy" as one would call it.

Though, this didn't mean that all of her communications were offline.

<\\> MJOLNIR.AI.CORTANA >> SPARTAN-117.

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