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- "Cortana, all I need to know is did we lose them?"
- "I think we both know the answer to that." -(sighs) "We made a blind jump. How did they—"
- "Get here first? The Covenant ships have always been faster. As for tracking us all
the way fromReach... at light speed, my maneuvering options were limited."
-"We were running dark, yes?" -"Until we decelerated, no one could have
missed the hole we tore in subspace." -"They were waiting for us on the far side
of the planet." -"So, where do we stand?"
-"Our fighters are mopping up the last of their recon picket now, nothing serious."
-"But I've isolated approach signatures from multiple CCS-class battle groups, make it
three capital ships per group. And in about 90 seconds they'll be all over us."
-"Well, that's it then. Bring the ship back up to Combat Alert Alpha. I want everyone
at their stations." -"Everyone, sir?"
-"Everyone." -"And Cortana..."
-"Hmm?" -"…let's give our old friends a warm welcome."
-"I've already begun." -"Attention, all combat personnel: Please
report to your action stations." -"5th Platoon, secure airlocks on Deck 11.
14th Platoon, rendezvous with 22nd Tactical at bulkhead Charlie 14."
-"You heard the lady! Move like you've got a purpose!"
-"This is not a drill. I repeat, this is not a drill."
-"Men…keep your eyes down range, fingers on your triggers, and we all go home in one
piece." -"Am I right, Marines?"
-"Sir, yes sir!" -"Uh-huh. Damn right, I am. Now move it out!
Double time!" -"Attention, all personnel: We are re-engaging
the enemy. Internal and external contact imminent." -"All you greenhorns who wanted to see Covenant
up close...this is gonna be your lucky day." -"Whoa! Sir?"
-"Right. Let's thaw him out."
-"Okay. Bringing low-level systems online. Cracking the case in thirty seconds."
-"His suit shows green. Cycle complete." -"Sorry for the quick thaw, Master Chief.
Things are a little hectic right now. The disorientation should pass quickly."
-"Welcome back, sir. We'll have you battle ready stat."
-"Chief, please look around the room. I need to get a calibration reading for your battle
suit's diagnostics." -"Good. Thank you sir."
-"I'm bringing your health monitors online, sir."
-"Vital signs look normal. No freezer burn. Okay sir, go ahead and climb out of the cryo
tube." -"I gave you a double dose of the wake-up
stim. Take a quick walk around the cryo bay and join me at the optical diagnostics station
when you're ready." -"I know the ordnance techs usually take care
of your targeting sensors, but we're short of time, Chief. Just look at each of the flashing
panels to target them. When you lock on, it'll change color."
-"Okay, that looks good..." -"Sir, I'm getting some calibration errors.
I'm going to invert your looking pitch, so you can see if you like it better that way."
-"Try targeting the flashing lights again." -"Is that better or should I switch it back?"
-"OK, I'll leave the pitch normal/inverted. But if you want, you can change it yourself
later. (pause) I'm ready for the energy shield test now."
-"Please follow me to the energy shield test station."
-"Fire teams: Report to defensive positions Alpha through Sierra. Sensors show inbound
Covenant boarding craft. Stand by to repel boarders."
-"Okay, bring his energy shields online please." -"Alright. Shields read as fully charged."
-"Okay, sir. Bring them down to test the automatic recharge."
-"Recharging normal. Showing green across the board."
-"Bridge to Cryo 2, this is Captain Keyes. Send the Master Chief to the bridge immediately."
-"Captain, we'll have to skip the weapons diagnostics and I-"
-"On the double, crewman." -"Aye aye, sir. (to the Chief)The skipper
seems jumpy, we'd better get moving. We'll find you weapons later."
-"Okay. I'll leave the self-diagnostics running, at least."
-"Good idea. You'd better get to your evac group, Sam!"
-"Affirmative. Just have to reset the computer and I'm outta here!"
-"Oh God! They're trying to get through the door!"
-"Security! Intruders in Cryo Two! No, please don't—
-"Sam! Sam! ... C'mon, we've got to get the hell out of here!"
-"This way!" -"Sir! The Captain needs you on the bridge,
ASAP! You better follow me." -"Captain Keyes."
-"Good to see you, Master Chief. Things aren't going well. Cortana did her best, but we never
really had a chance." -"A dozen Covenant superior battleships against
a single Halcyon-class cruiser. Given those odds I'm content with three...make that four
kills." "Sleep well?" -"No thanks to your driving, yes."
-"So you did miss me." -"Report!"
-"It must have been one of their boarding parties! I'd guess an Antimatter Charge!"
-"Ma'am! Fire control to the main cannon is offline!"
-"Captain, the cannon was my last offensive option."
-"Alright then. I'm initiating Cole Protocol, Article 2. We're abandoning the Autumn. That
means you too, Cortana." -"While you do what, go down with the ship?"
-"In a manner of speaking. The object we found, I'm going to try and land the Autumn on it."
-"With all due respect, sir, this war has enough dead heroes."
-"I appreciate your concern, Cortana, but it's not up to me. Protocol is clear. Destruction
or capture of a shipboard AI is absolutely unacceptable, that means you're leaving the
ship. Lock in a selection of emergency landing zones, upload them to my neural lace, and
then sort yourself for a hard transfer." -"Aye aye, sir."
-"Which is where you come in, Chief. Get Cortana off this ship. Keep her safe from the enemy.
If they capture her, they'll learn everything. Force deployment, weapons research... Earth."
-"I understand." - "The Autumn will continue evasive maneuvers
until you initiate a landing sequence. Not that you'll listen, but I'd suggest letting
my subroutines handle the final approach." -"Excellent work, Cortana. Thank you. Are
you ready?" -"Yank me."
-"Good luck, Master Chief." -"Hmm…your architecture isn't much different
from the Autumn's..." -"Don't get any funny ideas."
-"I don't keep it loaded, son. You'll have to find ammo as you go."
-"Those Marines could use some help, Chief! Do what you do best!"
-"Hey look, a Mark V! What the hell? Did something just hit us?"
-"Move it! Back to the airlock!" -"They're using our lifeboat airlocks to attach
their boarding craft. We go out and they come in! Clever ***..."
-"Covenant! On the landing above us!" -"All hands, this is the Captain. Prepare
to abandon ship! Combat Teams, repel boarders until Ops personnel are away. Good luck. Keyes
out." -"The lifepods are launching! We should hurry."
-"The Covenant are destroying the lifepods...they really don't want us on that ring."
-"Warning! Blast doors closing! (pause) We'll have to use the ship's maintenance access
ways. Follow the NAV point, it will lead you to an opening."
-"I'm detecting Covenant movement outside the access ways.
-"The door's control mechanism is offline, but it's taken a lot of damage. You should
be able to bash it open with the butt of your weapon."
-"It looks like the Covenant wanted to catch you napping."
-"There's one last lifeboat! Quickly, get aboard before it launches!"
-"The damage to the superstructure is extensive... I don't know how much more abuse the Autumncan
take." -"Oh no, oh no!" (Picked up by the Chief and
thrown into lifepod) "Ahhh!" -"Now would be a very good time to leave!"
-"Punch it." -"Aye aye, sir!"
-"We're disengaged. Goin' for minimum safe distance."
-"We're gonna make it, aren't we, sir? I don't wanna die out here!"
-"Look!" -"What is that thing, Lieutenant?"
-"Hell if I know, but we're landin' on it." -"The Autumn! She's been hit!"
- "I knew it! The Autumn's accelerating, Keyes is going in manually!"
-"Heads up everyone, this is it! We're entering the ring's atmosphere in five!"
-"Sure you wouldn't rather take a seat?" -"We'll be fine."
-"If I still had fingers, they'd be crossed..."