Halo: The Dunes of 2560

Chapter 9: The UNSC Spark

David decided it was the day he'd sit down and take a look at the Networks available to him through the computer systems aboard the Vessel, he put a t-shirt on, pants, and grabbed a cup of coffee. He saw Pilot sitting at the cafeteria table, staring at nothing, with nothing in front of him to eat or drink, David approaches him out of curiousity, "Hey, Pilot, hmm I was wondering, what is the name of this Vessel?" Pilot looks up at him and says, "UNSC Spark, it's been in development for about 8 years, and became operational 7 months ago, around the time Pilot 2 was killed." David nods, "Can I use the computer systems here on Spark? Or is it dangerous?" Pilot thought for a second, "Yeah, go on. It won't be dangerous, it's a secure network connection, and won't be an issue to connect to the UNSC and SFA networks." David places his hand on Pilot's shoulder, "Tell me... How hard is it to befriend you? Hm? You're a locked door, and it really irks me." Pilot grabbed his hand, and brushed him off, "I have a lot to process. You need to give me time to compute the current events I have been involved in..."

David sat at one of the screens and was swiping and clicking and clacking through pages and sites, and all he can wonder, is why Pilot talked like a robot, and why the Vessel is named UNSC Spark. David found a document page detailing information about the Spark, and sees the Chief Architect is a man named Phil Lancer, son of Commander Lancer, David chugs the rest of his coffee and exhales, "Lancer..." He finds out Commander Lancer is the Chief Commanding Intelligence Officer of the UNSCSFA, and his son is an Engineer, not any ordinary Engineer either, he's a prodigy. He digs around to find the documents on the Lancers, the father and son, are both brilliant scientific minds, but what makes Phil Lancer stand out, is he designed the UNSC Spark at age 15, in 2551. He lived on Reach, and Commander Lancer, at the time, was dedicating his time to spying on the Mjolnir Program, a covert SFA operation initiated by a Secret General. "Secret General? What?" David found out that the term, "Secret General," was a term utilized by the SFA, to keep their Generals' identities hidden, by never naming them. The Secret Generals are a mysterious group of individuals, who can be potentially be Human and or Sangheili, that control any and all activities of the UNSCSFA, and also have major influence on the UNSC's operations as well. David felt something hit his chair, he jumps, it's just Vixon, "Fuck! God damn it Osa..." Vixon laughs a little, "Sheesh, relax. I'm not here to eat your face. Unless you want me too." He winks, David's brow wrinkles, "Your sense of humor is just not... Just... Don't say shit like that." Vixon just shrugs him off, "I don't really care what you have to say about my sense of humor." David turns back to the screen, Vixon looks, "What are you lookin at?" David sighs, already tired, "Just some bullshit about this Ship, it's called UNSC Spark." "Like 343 Guilty Spark?" This hit David like a train, "The... The Monitor that killed Sargent Avery Johnson on the Ark?" Vixon looked him in the eyes, refusing to answer him verbally, he nods slightly.

Thel 'Vadam was the last to get up, it was so late by the time he got up, they forgot he was even on the Spark. At the Bridge, they were watching on a large screen the News Station of Romanoah on The Dunes, he walked in and saw them all watching a Anchorwoman talk about them, "What is happening?" Vixon turned, "Thel! Come, sit, we're watching a hot take." Thel sat next to Vixon, groaning in pain, "Why are we watching this? It's a waste of time." Vixon inhales deeply, "I beg to differ, we need to return to Romanoah, and find out a way to acquire some form of immunity, so that we can go about our mission without being hunted down by the most dangerous force in the universe." Thel turned to the screen, the Anchorwoman speaks into the microphone as a backdrop of Hangars of a UNSC Military Base. "This is the scene where the defectors had assaulted and stole an Official UNSC Naval Vessel. Investigations are underway, as a manhunt for the criminals is underway and is top priority of the UNSC." Thel cleared his throat, "Are you sure that is a good idea?" Vixon sighs, "There is a much larger plan for all this. I hope you will trust me, because it will work if we all work together." Thel looked at Vixon in the eyes, and realized at that moment, "You, and the two others, what are you?" Vixon turned to face Thel, "We are Sangheili. Red was boiled in human blood, Crystal is well, Crystal, and I was from Number 19, my family fell victim to the genocide. Nothing really too special about us." Thel shook his head, "I know you are hiding something." Vixon leaned back, "They aren't. I am, yes... I'm hiding something about myself, and myself alone. I trust you, I want to be your friend, but I find that what I have to hide is just not something that matters right now." On the screen, an emergency report pops up with an Anchorman behind a desk speaking in a panic, "Reports from Fen 'Lisin, the Chief Commander of the Refugee Ex-Covenant Groups on the other side of The Dunes are informing the UNSC that the Covenant are attacking, and possibly commencing a Glassing Operation!" Gloom washes over all of them, Vixon sighs, "If only war didn't exist..." Thel retorts, "Were it so easy..."