Halo: Survival
Halo: Survival is a fan produced audio drama following Rhino Squad as they attempt a routine mission on behalf of the Office of Naval Intelligence. When things go sideways, the Marines find themselves stranded and must fight to survive.
To listen to the audio of this transcript, you can find everywhere this show is hosted here, or you can listen on YouTube below.
04 - Departure
The convoy of two Warthogs tore up the rocky road and rapidly approached the plateau on which the UNSC Swift Gist was waiting. The smooth chassis work of the vehicles were now dented and burnt – scorch marks and small impact craters tearing deep into their pristine architecture. The footwell of the first Warthog was a mess – with blood pooled and splattered, contrasting against its stark interior features. Talbot groaned in pain.
“I didn’t get the chance to-“ His voice broke off with a gurgle and he coughed up some dark red blood.
O’Neill’s usual cocksure attitude was replaced with one of genuine concern.
“Hang on Doc – we’re almost at the ship.” He said sternly.
“Just coming up on her now!” Wisner called from the back, motioning with his hand to the vehicle behind theirs so that Vorstock, Cooper and Holt would also know that they were arriving at the vehicle.
In the rear vehicle, the Captain pressed an intercom button on his chest plate and twisted a knob so he was on the same frequency as the technicians inside the Prowler.
“Banished forces are on the ring. Prepare for immediate departure. I’ll come up to the bridge to let you know when we’re ready to go.” He ordered.
“Affirmative sir.” A urgent reply came back.
On the ridgeline, the prowler vessel came into view – sitting where the team had first arrived on Zeta Halo only a short while earlier. There was a hiss as they neared the vehicle, and the ramp for the cargo bay was rapidly lowered so the vehicles could gun it into the bay. Both of the vehicles barrelled into the hold and skidded to a halt – with the Marines frantically dismounting their vehicles and heading to the first one to support Talbot.
“I’ll oversee getting him to the medical bay. Get to the bridge.” Holt said to Cooper with a nod as the two parted ways and the Captain sprinted over to the elevator.
Holt moved forward to the vehicle. It wasn’t good. Blood was gushing from Talbot’s open wound, and he was screaming in pain. O’Neill and Wisner had pulled him from the vehicle but he was now propped up against the side of the Warthog. His breathing was ragged and his skin had become pale and clammy. Holt knew it wasn’t good. Vorstock followed her and the four Marines surrounded the doctor.
“Marines– we need to get him to the medical bay.” She turned to Vorstock. “Head to the medical bay and get it ready.”
The Marine nodded and turned – jogging down a small hallway behind them. Holt then turned to the Marines. Talbot looked at her – fear vivid in his eyes for the first time. Then, abruptly, his eyes shut as he slumped against the side of the vehicle.
“Crap!” Wisner exclaimed, kneeling down and shaking the man. “Doc – wake up! Can you hear me?”
O’Neill knelt down to join him. He lifted the man’s limp wrist gingerly and checked for a pulse.
“I’ve got a pulse but it’s faint.” He said, turning to Holt. “We need to move him now ma’m.”
“Alright, let’s do it Marines.” She said, and the three Marines began to take up positions around the man – working out the best way to carry him down the corridor and into the awaiting medical bay.
Whilst the Marines took Talbot slowly to the Medical Bay, Cooper burst onto the bridge – slamming his hands onto the control chairs as the two Technicians inside busily prepared the vehicle for departure. He reached between their chairs and activated a panel on the vehicle’s communications dashboard. One of the technicians turned to him, shocked.
“Captain! We can’t contact the station now – the transmission will trigger the communications beacons and will alert the Guardian.” The Technician explained.
“Get us ready to lift off – we’ll get out before the Guardian arrives. This can’t wait.” He squeezed the comms button in and pulled a headset away from the dashboard, raising the microphone to his face. “Midpoint Station, this is Rhino 01. We have been compromised. Banished Forces are present on Zeta Halo. Request new rendezvous co-ordinates immediately.”
The line crackled and there was no response.
“Midpoint station, please respond.” He said – raising his voice.
The line crackled again. Cooper slammed his fist down on the console and threw the headset back in place.
“Something has gone wrong. Get us off of this ring, now.” He yelled.
In the medical bay, Talbot was sprawled out on an operating table – screaming. Vorstock and Holt were attempting to treat his injuries whilst Wisner and O’Neill stood in the hallway watching with horror. The usual banter the Marine squad shared had gone – with the space replaced with an eerie silence. Everyone knew it didn’t look good.
“Hand me the scanner.” Holt said to Vorstock.
The female Marine turned and reached into a medical draw, pulling out a handheld scanner device which could be used to find where the Doctor’s injury was. Holt went across the doctor’s chest and stomach, where the bulk of the impact he suffered had been, and found something.
“Shit – he’s got a collapsed lung.” She said. “Nat – is there any Biofoam in there?”
Vorstock looked through some more draws – eventually finding a small container with a handheld pump and a nozzle at one end. She looked across it and then passed it over to Holt.
“We’re not equipped to treat this here.” She said.
“I know.” Holt sighed, injecting the nozzle into the cavity present in the man’s chest.
On the bridge, the Captain was beginning to take in the empty void of space as it once again began to expand through the viewport in front of them. Stars and space systems of various descriptions could be seen in the distance – and it seemed that, for the most part, things had gone relatively easily. He looked across the empty space and allowed himself a gentle smile. They had made it off of the ring, and were going to be able to get back to command, get some reinforcements, and come back and find out what had happened to their forces. The Banished had made a big mistake by choosing to miss with Rhino Squad. Satisfied with this thought, he went to turn out of the bridge, when one of the technicians exclaimed out loud.
“What the hell is that?”
Cooper turned and felt his blood run cold. Emerging from a portal of blue energy, the shape of a silver bird-like construct began to emerge from the portal – with thick, angular wings emerging and what could only be described as a metallic head with a pair of menacing blue eyes. The structure of the vessel was like nothing he had ever seen before – separate segments of metal and raw light connected by seemingly nothing, but assembling one of the most beautiful sights he had ever seen. As the artificial being finished unfolding itself it took a moment to settle – and then it appeared as though the lights which adorned it’s body began to grow brighter. The intensity of its eyes became blinding – penetrating every corner of the cockpit. Cooper and the two technicians had to cover their eyes as the lights continued to expand – and then the noise began. I t was a horrific, high-pitched moan that almost began to sound like singing – but it had a thick, ominous tone underneath it which grew in intensity the longer it went on. Then, suddenly, it let out what sounded like a roar – and a pulse of blue energy tore through the Prowler – sucking the life from its engines. Computer consoles blinked off in a second and the vessel was suddenly plunged into red emergency lighting as it lurched with the impact.
The medical bay was thrown into darkness as the emergency lights kicked in – and Wisner and O’Neill were thrown to the floor as the vehicle lurched again and began to get sucked in by the gravity of the planet. Around the table, Holt and Vorstock were gripping onto the sides of it for dear life – looking at it with confused expressions on their faces as they felt the spaceship begin to drop out from underneath them and plummet back towards the surface from where they had just come. Things were thrown into the air by the turbulent re-entry. A cabinet in the corner fell and Vorstock had to dive in the way to prevent it from falling onto Talbot’s bed as the main stared wide eyed at the ceiling. Whilst everyone else seemed confused and shocked at what they were experiencing, his wide-eyed grimace told them that they had already put it together. As explosions began to sound in the distance and the Prowler began to tear itself up as it entered a forced re-entry, he spoke, a soft tone which was a mixture of fear and excitement – clearly delirious from the blood loss. Holt looked at him, a stunned expression crossing her face, asking him to repeat the sentence which he had just mumbled under his breath. He locked eyes with her and a gentle smile spread across his face as he said it again.
“I always wondered what it would be like to see a Guardian up close.”
