Cyberpunk: Spartan Walker

You're welcome, ma'am, Locklear said with a kind smile. You're always at your service.

Lock on the source, Lieutenant McKay said, coordinates 230, 110.

Yes, coordinates 230, 110. Polaski said. She held the joystick and gently pushed it forward and turned.

Rebecca felt the troopship gradually tilt and dive gently downwards. At this moment, the surface of Reach disappeared from the display, and the troop transport flew into the thick cloud of smoke that enveloped the planet.

I seemed to hear a beep sound in my ears, and the monitor's filtering device was activated immediately. After a while, the discerned image appeared on the monitor screen - what was once thousands of hectares of forest and land was now a sea of ​​fire, charred black charcoal could be seen everywhere, and the air in the cabin soon became dull. .

The Master Chief controlled his emotions and tried not to think of Reach as anything more than just another world destroyed by Covenant forces.

That canyon, Lieutenant McKay said, pointing to a crack where erosion of the ground had left a sinuous scar. The scanner is receiving ground information. Let's get closer and take a look.

Got it. Polaski flipped the spacecraft over and flew back up into the canyon. When she readjusted her flying posture, the stone walls with carved patterns on both sides were only thirty meters away from them.

The lieutenant reached for the backpack communications equipment they had removed from the Pelican troop carrier. She fine-tuned the frequency, searching for the unique signal they'd come here to find: a six-note message that sounded, paused for two seconds, and then sounded again.

It's amazing. This must be a secret signal between Spartan warriors. Cecilia, who came behind Rebecca at some point, whispered. Rebecca turned to look at him but said nothing.

Open the E-band channel, Lieutenant, the Master Chief said. I have a message to send back.

The channel is on, Master Chief. Go ahead.

The Chief linked his communications channel and encrypted it so that only those sending the signal could hear him. Everyone gives the all clear, he said into the microphone. Everyone can come out. We are all free.

The beep coming from the speaker of the backpack communication device suddenly disappeared.

The signal disappeared. Lieutenant McKay turned his head sharply and stared at the Master Chief. I don't know what you just said to them, but no matter what, they heard you.

Okay, the Master Chief replied. We're landing somewhere safe. They'll find us.

There's an enemy threat overhead, Polaski said. She noticed that there was a protruding cliff on the starboard side that cast a thick shadow on the ground, so she piloted the spacecraft to fly to that place. We landed there.

Open the hatch. The Master Chief said to Polaski. The hell paratroopers and I will go out first to make sure there is no danger there. You stay here.

Are you going now, Chief? Lieutenant McKay asked, standing up from his seat. Are you sure this is wise?

Yes, sir. That's what I thought. If it was a trap, I thought it was up to me to clear it, and the paratroopers would be a big help.

McKay thought, tapping her chin with her long fingers, Very good, Chief.

The Chief nodded to them and stepped down the gangway, followed by Rebecca following Cecilia and Aurora.

The Master Chief wanted them to stay on the troop ship for two reasons: first, if this was a trap and they were all caught, he wouldn't have time to rescue them and save himself; second, if the Covenant The manpower management is here, so Lieutenant McKay and Polaski must leave and bring Cortana back to Earth. He can buy time for them to escape from here alive.

When they reached the bottom of the gangway, the Master Chief stopped first, and the paratroopers also stopped. A signal appeared on Rebecca's heads-up display. There - thirty meters ahead, behind a boulder: the Friend or Foe Identification System showed that this signal point belonged to neither the Covenant or the UNSC.

The chief signaled backwards, and the paratroopers immediately dispersed, their guns pointed at the boulder. He drew his pistol, leaned down, and crawled forward.

A private communication channel suddenly opened: Master Chief, don't be nervous. It's me.

Another Spartan stepped out from behind the rock. His armor - although not as badly damaged as John's - showed signs of scuffs and burns everywhere, and his left shoulder was dented.

The Chief was pleased. His teammates, his family, not all died.

The Chief recognized the Spartan from his tone of voice and the slight movement of his glances from side to side—Spartan-044, Anton, one of the best scouts in the team.

The two stood quietly for a while, then Anton raised his hand and made a quick gesture with two fingers at the mouth of the helmet panel. It was their way of expressing laughter—it best expressed the intense emotions inside each Spartan.

John made the same gesture and asked the paratroopers to leave their bunkers and come over to join him.

Nice to meet you too, John said. How many are left?

Three, Master Chief, we have an outsider in our team. Sorry to turn off the IFF system, but we are trying to confuse the Covenant forces in this area. He looked to the left and right, I think there are It's not safe for you to make a full report. He gestured to the shadow of the cliff.

John turns on his status light. The soldiers carefully walked out of the center of the canyon, paying close attention to the movement on the edge of the canyon above their heads.

The Master Chief had a lot of questions for Anton. For example, why was his team separated from the red team? Where is the red team? Why didn't the Covenant forces burn every inch of Reach to glass?

Are you okay, Master Chief? Lieutenant McKay's voice sounded over the communication channel.

Yes, sir. I have made contact with a Spartan. Please wait.

Anton stopped at the entrance of a dark cave. Even with the image enhancement device turned on, it's difficult to see clearly what's inside. Standing in the shadow of the cliff, only the vague outline of a tunnel can be seen.

When I first entered, I saw an I-shaped steel beam painted black. Deeper was a two-meter-wide boulder, with a minigun mounted on both sides. Standing next to each machine gun was a Spartan - John recognized them as Grace-039 and Lee-008.

As soon as they saw John, they made a gesture of smile to him, and John returned the same gesture.