Agent Alaska (A Red Vs. Blue Fanfiction)

Prologue: Drafted

The Covenant were ruthless, that was evident. New Washington towered around me...or what was left of it. The Covenant were closing in. A marine, A Sergent, Sergent Susman, ushered me toward a pelican dropship, the last civilian evac transport.

I was the last civilian in. Babies were crying while horrified mothers tried to calm them down, with children crying for their parents, Husbands grieved for their wives, parents grieved for their children. I didn't make a peep. I was mute by birth, I couldn't make a sound.

Planet Roanoke was now visible through the back window of the pelican. I could see the planet's surface glowing orange like molten lava. The glassing of the planet had already begun.

I was only six and this is what made me grow up.

Over the next ten years I would try to sneak into the military, false identities, bribery, exhortation, black-mail, threatening, everything, but the marines, the ODST, no one would take me, not even ONI. The least I could do was maintenance on data pads or something stupid, boring, and repetitive, but no. I was too young for the horrors of war.

- - - -

The orphange was still musty and stuffy. Ms. Arenna, the lady in charge of this place, didn't waste money on air fresheners or windows. The Human-Covenant War was over, thanks to Master Chief, but I still knew that military operations could use me. I planned to enlist the day I turned eighteen, better than being shoved out of the orphanage to fend for myself. At least I would be doing something I knew was productive.

I placed another clean and dry plate into the cupboards and picked up another plate to dry. It was tedious, but it was productive, and if I didn't do it I wouldn't get dinner. That was the one thing you learned here on your first day: do as your told or else you will pay, either through terrible manual labor projects, something disgusting like massaging Ms. Arenna's feet, or be without dinner for the night, or breakfast the next morning, something that you knew you didn't want to do. Ms. Arenna could get really creative. All kids broke, it wasn't a matter of if, it was a matter of when.

I'd finished drying twenty plates when there was a distinct loud knock on the door.

"Jennifer, get the door," Ms. Arenna ordered me, while she sat in her chair reading some all-important romance novel. I put down the plate I was currently drying as well as the hand towel, left the closet of a kitchen and went to the door.

I opened the door to see two marines and a man with glasses, a goatee, and a decently expensive suit. The two marines were armed.

"Who is it?" Ms. Arenna asked aimlessly.

I couldn't answer, she always forgot I was mute, and mistook it for stupidity.

"I already told you: If it's a shipment I already paid," she replied.

"No Ms. Arenna," the man with glasses in front replied, stepping into the orphanage.

"Who are you? This is an orphanage, not a flea market, I won't buy what you're selling. Leave," Ms. Arenna replied in a huff.

"Ma'am, we're not here to sell anything," he replied. The two armed marines in her doorway got Ms. Arenna's attention.

"I didn't realize you were with the military, my apologies, sir," Ms. Arenna replied, setting down her data pad and standing.

"I am Dr. Leonard Church," the man in the suit introduced himself.

"What can I do for you, Dr.?" Ms. Arenna inquired. Dr. Church handed Ms. Arenna a data pad. She glanced over it.

"I am here to collect a Ms. Jennifer Bradner. The military has interest in her, we're drafting her into my program."

"Jennifer isn't even eighteen, you can't draft her into the military," Ms. Arenna countered.

"No, but I can adopt her," Dr. Church replied smoothly.

"I see... I will get the papers read-"

"All necessary forms have already been filled out. I'm just here to collect Jennifer," Dr. Church replied.

"Of course," Ms. Arenna quietly consented. She turned to me.

"Jennifer, get your things," she instructed me.

And just like that I was adopted. I had no sentimentality connected to this place, I only have a few outfits of clothes from clothing drives, gifts from non-profit organizations.

When I returned Ms. Arenna was reading her book again. I continued to the doorway where the Dr. along with the two marines waited. A black car awaited in the street. A marine opened it for the Dr. who sat and shuffled across the car to make room for me. I sat and the marine shut the door.

The two marines took the driver and passenger seat.

"Get us to the space port," the Dr. instructed the marine who took the driver's seat.

"I understand you are mute yet you know some ASL?" the Dr. inquired, turning to me.

I nodded my head.

"Under normal circumstances I wouldn't have done this," the Dr. noted to me. "However, after I found your file on countless attempts to join the military, and found the flame still strong in you, I decided that I wanted you in my program.

"Jennifer, I am the Director of a military project, project FREELANCER. We are designated by the UNSC to study and experiment with aggresive AI programs and how they affect soldier behavior. You will be one of my agents."

The Dr. pulled out a laptop. "FILSS have you decided on the codename for our new agent?"

"I have run personality tests and have determined that Jennifer's recommended codename be: Alaska."

The Director turned to me brieftly. I didn't care what they called me as long as it wasn't something stupid.

"Add Agent Alaska to the roster and list her as active."

"Complying," FILSS replied. "Welcome to Project FREELANCER, Agent Alaska."