HALO: MANE TEAM
<<TRANSMISSION START>>
Chapter 2: Unwelcome Revelations
The fire ball flickered at my failing shield, not a hooves length in front of me. I gulped and tried again. Nothing.
Of all times to get a magical burnout, why now?
I withered and curled up in a ball in front of the sealed door. 'Why' I thought 'Didn't I go in when I shoved Applejack in?' I resisted the urge to facehoof. I thought of the thirty mares and Colts behind the door and realized that the shield had indeed manifested.
One job done.
Looking into the flames, I reflected back into my life. The first time I dismantled my father’s camera, his livid face melting into a soft smile at the look of my four year old face, the arguments between me and him when I signed up for the army, the look of surprise on his face when I told him I would be serving on board the Auraskate, that sense of accomplishment when I got the marksman award. The regret in my father’s voice when they talked about my mom and how she died in a sky car accident. At some point, I must have drifted off into stupor cause when I woke up, I was lying on the floor of the cryoroom, looking into six very concerned faces.
I trashed about before sitting up. "Whoa there, Sugarcube." That voice again. I looked around the room. Everywhere, I saw smiling faces and looks of thanks. "What? What happened?" I mumbled.
"Long story. But we have plenty of time." Applejack proceeded to explain that when I fainted (Fainted? I was day dreaming!), Twilight put up a much stronger shield around the door and me. Rarity unlocked the door while Rainbow and Fluttershy "Loop-the-looped around and caught you in the nick of time." Applejack finished. While she explained, I took the chance to try to recognize any familiar faces. There was the Helmsmare Katy Santiago, and there was Weapons control colt Jae Paul. Many faces I didn't recognize, but the six mares which still were telling me how they saved my life definitely logged in my memory. Anyponies who didn't recognize them can go and dip their head into the reactor now.
I looked through the window, at the remainder of the Auraskate. I silently mourned the thousands of ponies that didn't make it to safety. Twilight sent a distress call, and suggested we go into cryo as help was a long wait away, the Chronal Matrix being as slow as it was. The crew dwindled as each one went to his or her assigned "Freezer". One by one, the capsules closed and trapped them in deep sleep. I wandered to my "Freezer", Number twelve, and was mildly surprised to find my customized sniper rifle, waiting for me in a nook under the machinery. I caressed it happily. I had gotten my marksmanship with it. Sticking it back into its nook, I laid down onto the foam mattress and pressed the close button. The cover hissed shut with a sigh, and immediately , cold gas filtered in. I fell into a fitful sleep.
~~~~~
The rescue frigates indeed had arrived, but in force. There was the Frigates Thundering Nomad and Providence Archer, But there was also the Super cruiser Alliance Warhammer, and when there is a super cruiser, there's a member of royalty around. The onboard A.I. for the Providence established a handshake protocol with what was left of the circuits of cryoroom E4. She slowly started the thaw process for the crew and monitored each ones bio signs. There was a minor heart murmur in one of them, which she quickly corrected.
Even though the battle was a long time ago, the main horror of my dreams was the suggestion that I could have done better. Saved more lives. The last words from my father echoing around my head...
Make me proud, son.
~~~~~
The A.I. observed a surge of activity in Lance’s brain--an effort to yank himself out of REM--and upped the dosage of the intravenous medicine. Standard operating procedures dictated that subjects be kept in sleep during thaw. The meds took hold of him, and he sank deeper into his dream.
~~~~~
The horrendous screaming of tortured ponies, their hides melting. the roar of launching Compensator missiles, the boom of finality when the High-power Piercer Cannon activated, the strain of engineers in the reactor room, trying to divert energy to recharging weapons, the constant clattering of hooves as ponies rushed about.
I flinched in reaction to my rising body temperature. But also to the quickening of images and sounds running through my mind.
Ponies being sucked into the void through gaping holes in the hull, the clanging of alert bells around the ship, the disbelief in the Princess's voice
The Princess.
~~~~~
Lance awoke and gasped, drawing in a mouthful out freezing vapour that filled his cryotube. Quickly, the A.I. initiated an emergency purge. Somehow, with more than three times the recommended amount of meds, he had over ridden the final stages of thaw. The A.I. simply noted the anomaly, carefully withdrew the IV and the catheter, and opened the tube's plastic lid.
~~~~~
It wasn't long before the Alliance Warhammer sent out rescue transports, tugging the shielded rooms into the docking bay of the Alliance Warhammer. The thirty ponies within the cryoroom slowly filed out. I didn't know where to go, so I grabbed my sniper rifle and simply followed the mass around, as medical ponies checked us for injuries.
I heard a collective gasp. Spinning around, I spied royal guards and deduced that somepony important was coming. Like everypony else, I bowed. Through half closed eyes though, I saw an... aging dark purple Alicorn?
Of course Twilight zoomed straight to her, you know, being her dead sister's student and all that. Her eyes widened for a moment as she glanced at the purple mare suddenly in front of her. "Twilight...Sparkle?" she whispered. I registered shock in her voice. "Why so shocked, Princess?" the mare replied.
"L...Let's talk in private." She stuttered. The purple mare retreated with her friends and the Princess to a dark hanger. Their conversation was becoming more and more heated, more gestures being exchanged. I saw it first, that slight droop of the shoulders, the sudden gasp, the flattening of ears. "Something bad, I think." I mutter to myself.
Huh. Oh well, I was feeling hungry, so I left in search of the mess hall. Wandering around the cruiser, I got lost soon enough. Hey, didn't I just past that door? Hm... Trotting around some more, I came across the reactor room. Looking through the observation window, I spotted the reactor. Weird, it had a much different look compared to the reactors on board the Auraskate. I was so transfixed by it that I didn't notice the door open behind me.
I yelped as I felt a sharp pain on my hindleg. Turning around, I only had time to see an angry guard, before the tazer he hit me with completely shut down my nervous system. I was knocked out cold even before I hit the deck.
~~~~~
"Ouch... Anypony caught the licence plate of that Manticore that hit me?" I moaned as I slowly woke up. Sitting upright, I take stock of my surroundings. Hm... Gunmetal gray walls, electro-lazar bars.
Yep, I was in the brig.
No problem. I just sit in one corner and wait for somepony I can holler and shout at.
~~~~~
Three shouting matches later, another guard came and unlocked the electro-lazar gates. "The Princess wants to see you. Command deck. Now." He tells me.
"Uh huh... one itsy bitsy teeny weeny problem."
"Oh? What would that be?"
"Where's the command deck?"
"You have got to be kidding me...Okay, erm... walk out the door, take a lef..." The guard paused, looking at my blank look. He recognized a total klutz when he saw one. "Never mind. I escort you there." Turning around, he walked out the door. I slowed down to grab my sniper, and then I followed him.
~~~~~
Trotting onto the command deck, I was immediately grabbed by one very energetic pink pony and pushed into the conference room just off the main bridge. Recovering from the shock of being bounced across the floor, I stand up. Huh... the same Alicorn with the Mane 6.
"Lets dispense with the pleasantries. One senior technician, Lance Gravedawn. Am I correct?"
"Yes?"
The Alicorn pauses, and glances at me "Twilight here tells me of your bravado while saving both them and the crew of the Auraskate. Impressive, if not stupid."
Typical. I save the day and somepony calls me stupid.
Damn. I hate mares.
"Have you heard of the Stallion-2 project?"
My ears prick up at the sound of that."Hm... I can't say I have."
"Okay, the Stallion-2 project was dreamt up by Celestia herself, in case of a war. Basically, it allows subjects to become masters of a particular field, whatever they choose it to be. Also, the subjects physically alter, becoming supersoldiers."
"One question. Why?"
I had a gut feeling, but I had to confirm it.
"Twilight, explain."
The purple mare only nodded. "Remember the alien ship we encountered at Nixas?"
"Yeah?"
"Well, they are back. And they want to kill us all."
That one simple revelation stunned me. I turned and asked: "What year is it?"
Applejack slowly broke the news. "Honey, the year is 2049."
I mentally reeled. Turning back to the Princess, I muttered: "Okay, explain everything. Start from the beginning."
With a deep breath, she started.
<<TRANSMISSION END>>
Footnote: Whew. I finally finished. Well Filles and Gentlecolts, I will be away for a couple of weeks for my holiday. The "On Hiatus" sign really means that. Oh, and I really am in need of ideas, I mean, Chapters 3, 4 and 5 I have planed, but other than that, I still don't know what to write. Any suggestions? Write it in the comments below. They will be taken seriously.
Abilities upgrade :
Heat shock Upgrade level 2
"The time spent in front of the fireball has hardened you. Scalds and other flame related injuries now deal 20% less damage."
I do not own either My little pony nor Halo
Please support official releases