No Gods, Nor Masters

The War to End All Wars

"This is insane..."

"I know, right?!"

"It accurately matches the reports and what I heard from John and Cortana, at least..."

Halsey was now playing through what was (chronologically) the last 'Game' in the series. Halo 3. She had found several discrepancies in the games, but the direction through which the games went was still accurate. The entire 'story' of the main three, with the necessary air-quotes, followed John's and Cortana's adventures post-Reach and through into the last stages of the War as known to the UNSC, although the record was...

She paused, watching as 343 Guilty Spark's beam of energy shot out of its burning eye, melting Johnson's chest wide open. Although the fidelity of the graphics was questionable, the ensuing fight between the Arbiter, Chief(Halsey's player character) and their little Forerunner enemy. The lancing beams of light, the Spartan Laser's two blasts, the death of the orb and its explosion... And the final moment between the Chief and Johnson. All of it was followed by the eerily-accurate rendition of what fans of the game had dubbed 'The Warthog Run'.

She blinked, setting the controller down after finishing the run, then said, "Some bits and pieces were a little overblown, as per standard with most of the games," as she jotted down notes into her tablet, "Else, the reports match John's description of the situation. The only game with severe discrepancies I myself can confirm is 'Reach'. The Covenant assault had already begun not too long after Noble Team was deployed to seek out the missing Troopers and encountered the Zealots, Carter's death was on the ground, by Emile's side after the injuries he had sustained, Jorge... Well, that part I can confirm from a mission report and the Cortana fragment? It was not powerful enough to show its own Avatar. It was just data."

"Huh," Shino raised a brow, "So, what you're saying is that the most accurate renditions of your stories are the original trilogy? And what of Wars? Anything you can tell me about that one?" And she saw the doctor shake her head. She took her glasses off and rubbed her eyes, to which Shino looked toward her windows, which were covered by curtains. Pulling them aside, the woman was surprised to see that, instead of daylight outside, the street lamps of the base had been turned on alongside lights within the buildings themselves.

Halsey yawned, then said, "Yet more questions to answer and so little time... I will read the three books you brought over tomorrow," before standing up and turning to leave. She looked to Shino from the door, stating, "I appreciate the chance of playing these games, Sergeant Kuribayashi. It's... Interesting, to say the least. Perhaps, in the future, these games will serve as a sort of memorial for our people as well, in regards to the sacrifices our best made to protect them."

"Sure hope so," Shino smirked, "Take care, doc, good night."

Halsey nodded, then departed, leaving Shino to her own thoughts. Well, first of all, that was freaking impressive. For Halsey's age, the woman had incredible hand-eye coordination, enough so that she kept up with most of the games. The only sections she was surprised by, understandably enough, were the Flood sections, so the lattermost parts of the games, when things were really heating up.

She smirked, then bobbed her head left to right. She'd gotten frickin' Doctor Catherine E. Halsey to play videogames about her totally-not-son's adventures during the waning months of the Human-Covenant War. That was possibly the most surreal experience the young woman had ever gone through. Also probably the most amazing one. Well, no, that would be meeting the Master Chief himself.

She changed out of her uniform into her sleepwear and plopped herself down on her bed, a smirk on her face as she wondered just how the boys and girls of the UNSC were gonna be while working with'em. As she leaned back and prepared to fall asleep, her thoughts went to the wounded, as well as the newcomers. The elves, the mages, the people of that village and the 'Apostle' of this place's God of War. This was gonna be an experience.