Matt-038 (Halo Fanfiction)

Chapter 34: Halo

Author's Note: If you have any tips writing tips, please feel free to comment.

Again, I gratefully accept constructive criticism as a means to help me develop my skills further as a writer.

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Chapter 34: Halo

Location: Lifeboat Lima Foxtrot Alpha 43, in emergency descent to the surface of Halo

Deployment +00 hours:02 minutes:51 seconds (SPARTAN-II Blue Team Mission Clock)

Matt watched the ring open up in front of him as the pilot guided the lifeboat in past a thick silvery edge, and down "under" the construct's inner surface, before putting the tiny ship into a shallow dive calculated to place it on the strange landscape below. As he looked forward, he saw mountains, hills, and a plain that curved up and eventually out of focus as the ring swooped upward to complete itself somewhere over his head. The sight was beautiful, strange, and disorienting all at the same time.

Then the sightseeing was over as the ground came up to meet them. Matt couldn't tell whether the lifeboat took enemy fire, suffered an engine failure, or nicked an obstacle on final approach. It really didn't matter; the result was the same.

The pilot had time to yell, "We're coming in too fast!" A moment later, the hull bounced off something solid, and the Spartans were knocked off their feet.

Pain stabbed through his temples as his helmet slammed into the bulkhead on his way to the deckplates—followed by clinging blackness...

"Commander... Commander... Can you hear me?" Crystal's voice echoed in his head.

Matt opened his eyes and found himself facing the overhead light panels. They flickered and sparked. "Yes, I can hear you," he replied. "There's no need to shout."

"Oh, really?" the AI replied in an arch tone. "Maybe you'd like to file a complaint with the Covenant. The crash triggered a lot of radio traffic and it's my guess that the welcome wagon is on the way."

Matt struggled to his feet and was just about to answer in kind when he saw the bodies. The impact of the crash had ripped the boat open and mangled the unprotected people within. No one else had survived besides him and John.

"Cortana, what's the Chief's status?" Matt asked as he dragged John out of the lifeboat.

"Scanning... the Master Chief is unconscious," Cortana answered. "Hopefully he'll wake up soon. We need to move."

"He will," Matt said.

There was no time to dwell the dead Marines and the pilot, not if he and the Chief wanted to stay alive and keep Cortana and Crystal from falling into enemy hands.

Matt hurried to gather as much ammo, grenades, and supplies as he could carry. He had just finished checking the pins on a quartet of frag grenades when Cortana piped up: "Chief... Chief... Can you hear me?"

Matt saw the Chief sit up. Matt went over and gave him a hand to help him up. The Chief took it

After John was in his feet, Matt walked over to a nearby MA5B assault rifle, picked it up and tossed it to John. The Chief caught it and started to gather some ammo.

"You ok, sir?" Matt asked.

"I'm fine, Blue-One. How about you?"

"I'm fine, sir. Don't worry about me," Matt said as he finished gathering his gear.

Suddenly, Cortana piped up in alarm: "Warning—I've detected multiple Covenant dropships on approach. I recommend moving into those hills. If we're lucky, the Covenant will believe that everyone aboard the lifeboat died in the crash."