Matt-038 (Halo Fanfiction)

Chapter 36: Searching for Survivors

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 36: Searching for Survivors

Location: Surface of Halo

D +04:30:44 (SPARTAN-II Blue Team Mission Clock)

The tunnel was huge, plenty large enough to handle a Scorpion tank, which meant that the Matt had little difficulty steering the Warthog through the initial opening.

He'd almost missed the entry, at the bottom of a large dry wash. Cortana's sensors had identified the entrance to the tunnel system. "It's not a natural formation," she'd warned them. That meant someone built it. Logically, it meant that the tunnel led somewhere—and it might shave precious time off his search for the crashed lifeboats.

Once inside, things became a little more difficult as Matt was forced to maneuver the LRV up ramps, through a series of tight turns, and right to the very edge of a pit.

A quick recon confirmed that the gap was narrow enough to jump, assuming the 'Hog had a running start. Matt backed away. "Hang on," he warned and put his foot to the floor. The LRV raced up the ramp, sailed through the air, and jounced to a hard landing on the other side.

"I'm picking up lots of Covenant traffic," Crystal said. "It sounds like Major Silva and the Helljumpers have captured an enemy position. If we can round up the rest of the survivors, and find Captain Keyes, we'll have a chance to coordinate some serious resistance."

"Good," the Master Chief answered. "It's about time something broke our way."

The Warthog's headlights swung across ancient walls as the Spartan turned the wheel, and the LRV emerged into a large open area dotted with mysterious installations. It was dark; the road ended in front of a deep chasm. It wasn't long before Covenant troops emerged like maggots spilling out of a rotting corpse.

Plasma fire splashed across the Warthog's windscreen. Matt dove from the vehicle crouched near the drivers-side front tire and drew his pistol. John did the same on the opposite side. Fitzgerald opened up with the LAAG and swept the area with fire. Spent shell casings rained all around them.

Matt peered over the edge of the Warthog. They were dangerously exposed. The roadway they'd been using was devoid of cover, elevated roughly three meters above the rest of the massive vaulted chamber. Worse, it bisected the chamber, which left them exposed on virtually all sides.

The giant enclosure was dimly lit; visibility was poor and the muzzle flash from the Warthog's gun played hell with his night vision. Matt blinked his eyes to clear them, then activated his pistol's scope.

The metal floor dropped away to either side, and every surface was engraved with the strange geometric patterns that festooned Halo's mysterious architecture. Set well back from their position were a number of small structures, pillars, and support pylons. The Covenant were dug in among them.

A Grunt popped out from cover, his plasma pistol glowing green—he'd overcharged the weapon. The little SOBs liked to dump energy into the weapon, and discharge it all at once. It drained the weapon damn quick, but it also inflicted hellish damage on a target. A pulsing green-white orb of plasma sizzled past the Warthog.

The Master Chief returned fire, then dropped back behind the 'Hog. "Fitzgerald," he barked. "Keep fire on them. We'll move up on the left and take them out."