DOOM - Doom Slayer's Awakening

Ch 7: Look! In The Sky!

Long shot of Halo's Control Room, the Chief, Doom Slayer, Jeff and Gary were teleported in with 343 Guilty Spark. Obviously in the middle of a conversation, explaining about the Flood.

"Which means that any organism of suffcient mass and cognitive capability is a potential vector." Guilty Spark explained to the group while the Master Chief starred silently at the end of the walkway. Sensing something is not quite right which made Guilty Spark curious.

"Is something wrong?" He asked.

"No. Nothing."

"Splendid. Shall we." Guilty Spark replied as he moved up to the control panel. "Unfortunately, my usefulness to this particular endeavor has come to an end. Protocol does not allow units with my classification to perform a task as important as the reunification of the index with the Core. That final step is reserved for you, Reclaimer." Spark explained, handing over the Index to the Chief.

The Master Chief inserted the Index into the control panel. Lights and holograms appear along with a howling noise is heard, until it came to an abrupt stop.

"Odd. That wasn't supposed to happen." Spark said before being tossed back as Cortana appeared, yelling; "Oh, really?!"

"Cortana!" The Chief yelled.

"I've spent the last twelve hours cooped up in here, watching you toady about, helping that thing get set to slit our throats!" Cortana yelled.

"Hold on now, he's a freind."

"Oh! I didn't realize. He's your pal, is he? Your chum?" She mockingly replied before angrily responding "Do you have any idea what that bastard almost made you do!?"

"Yes... activate Halo's defenses and destroy the Flood. Which is why we brought the Index to the Control Center." The Chief calmly responded.

"You mean this?"

"A construct?! In the Core?! That is absolutely unacceptable!" Guilty Spark angrily replied.

"Piss off!" Cortana argued back.

"What! I shall purge you at once!"

"You sure that's a good idea?" Cortana mockingly smiled back as she removed the Index from Halo's Core. Transporting it to her body with a snap of her holographic finger, making 343 Guilty Spark outraged even more.

"How... how... how dare you! I'll..."

"Do what? I have the Index! You can just float and sputter!"

The Master Chief wasn't having any of this as stood by and watched both AI constructs argue between each other. "ENOUGH!" He yelled, bringing his hands up between them before turning back to Cortana. "The Flood is spreading. If we can activate Halo's defenses, we can wipe them out."

"You have no idea how this ring works, do you? Why the Forerunners built it? Halo doesn't kill Flood, it kills their food. Humans, Covenant, whatever. We're all equally edible. The only way to stop the Flood is to starve them to death. And that's what Halo is designed to do. Wipe the galaxy clean of all sentient life. You don't believe me. Ask him?" Cortana explained before pointing over at 343 Guilty Spark to where everyone turned toward him.

"Is it true?" The Chief questioned.

"More or less. Technically, this installation's pulse has a maximum effective radius of twenty-five thousand light years. But, once the others follow suit this galaxy will be quite devoid of life with suffcient biomass to sustain the Flood... But you already knew that... I mean how couldn't you?" Guilty Spark complained with confusion, feeling the sense of betrayal.