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.
06 - Zeta Halo
“Clear right!” O’Neill shouted as he moved around the corner of the metallic structure with his BR55 raised.
O’Neill used the side-mounted flashlight on his rifle to illuminate the room as he advanced into it. The room was a large, hollow space with a few blue lights decorating it – and what appeared to be some kind of console mounted on one wall with ancient Forerunner hieroglyphs planned within. The Marines weren’t sure what the purpose of the structure was, but it’s angular tower emitted a blue pulse into the sky every now and then – suggesting it was part of some kind of network. They were sure that Talbot would have loved the finer details – but they were lost on the Marines. They just wanted shelter. Wisner moved in behind with the CQS48 Shotgun raised. He lowered the weapon and then reached up to his helmet, tapping his comms device to activate it.
“Complex is secure, Sarge. You and Vorstock can come on in.”
O’Neill and Wisner set about placing their weapons down against the wall as they began to assess the space. Wisner reached into one of the pouches on his vest and pulled out some kind of energy bar – peeling back foil as he bit hungrily at it. He finished it and then slung the MA40 he was also carrying off of his back and begun the process of field-stripping it. O’Neill was now sat doing the same with his BR55. Vorstock walked in with her BR55 slung across her chest and the Sergeant came in the rear – with her DMR slumped on her back as she drunk some water from a canteen.
“What’s the situation?” She asked, walking in.
“Well it ain’t no Sundown, but it’ll do, Sarge.” Wisner joked.
“It’s close quarters.” Vorstock chimed in, turning to the Sergeant. “We can’t stay here for long. If the Banished were to catch us in here, it’d be like shooting fish in a barrel.”
“We don’t have many good options right now.” Holt retorted. “We’ve just got to make the best of a bad situation. Hunker down and get some sleep Marines. It’ll be nightfall soon. I’ll take the first watch.”
Holt went back outside to a ramp which they had passed as they cleared the Forerunner structure, and she climbed it – emerging on a platform which surrounded the apex of the emitter tower. She walked to the edge and sat, her DMR nestled across her legs as she looked out across the rich and expansive landscape of the ring. Across, in the trees, she could see some animals which weren’t too dis-similar to Deer found on Earth moving about as a pack – harmlessly calling out to each other as they went. They glowed with a vibrant bioluminescence as they moved – and she found herself mesmerised by these peaceful animals. Birds could still be seen in the night sky – and in the distance, the lights of Phantom Dropships could be seen going to and throw – thick spotlights searching through where she assumed the wreckage of the prowler was now slumped. As she watched, she removed the magazine from her DMR, checked the rounds, and then placed it back in – thumbing the safety.
Some time passed, and eventually, Vorstock came up to take over on watch. The pair nodded to each other and Holt headed back down into the structure – where the other Marines were fast asleep. She slumped down in an exhausted heap and finally let the darkness wash over her as she fell into a restless, haunted sleep.
“Sarge – wake up! Sarge.” O’Neill shouted, shaking Holt’s shoulder.
Her eyes opened and took a moment to adjust to the light in the room. There was a hissing noise – and it took a moment for her to realise that it was static coming from a radio in O’Neill’s hand.
“A signal came through on the UNSC Emergency Band. No words but it sounds like someone is nearby.”
Holt sat up and looked at the Marines in front of her. O’Neill and Wisner were staring at her, eager-eyed, waiting to see what she wanted to do next. She weighed her options over in her mind. On the one hand, she could attempt to contact the signal source – but this may lead to their location becoming compromised, and that would mean they’d have to exfil in the hurry. On the other hand, if there was a UNSC force left in the area, then she might be able to spot a sign of their location if they were to climb out of the valley and recon the surrounding areas from one of the mountain tops nearby. She weighed up the pros and cons of both options. A four-man recon team wouldn’t be fantastic – so she’d have to leave some of the Marines behind. But it would also mean they had a secure location to return to if the signal was a trap. It seemed like the most logical option.
“Wisner – get Vorstock. We’re splitting up.”
A few moments later all four Marines were in the room together.
“The plan is simple. We’re going to split into two teams. O’Neill and I will head to one of the peaks of the local Mountain Ranges. I’ve got some binos and also the DMR – using them we’ll recon the local area and see if we can locate any UNSC forces who the signal may have originated from. Vorstock and Wisner – you’ll stay here. We’ll leave most of our equipment here so we can move quickly. If we find the source, we’ll come back and collect you. If not, we’ll come back, pack-up and we’ll get ready to move out on our own terms.”
“But didn’t you say this location wouldn’t be safe for long?” Wisner asked.
“It won’t.” Holt retorted. “But it’s secure for now, and this recon op won’t take long. We’ll get to the location, avoid the Banished, and be back before sundown. If we’re not, you move on without us.”
“Why me? Nat’s better at longer-range work?” O’Neill asked, with Nat nodding.
“Exactly – so she is the perfect person to help Wisner keep watch while we’re gone. That way we keep everyone safe.”
The Marines nodded – Holt seemingly having settled their concerns.
“Okay. O’Neill – grab your weapon. Let’s get moving.”
Wisner and Vorstock walked their comrades to the door and then watched as the two Marines gently sprinted away into the woodlands. Holt wasn’t sure what they were going to find – but if they kept moving in a North direction, she knew they would come to the mountain ranges she could see on the horizon, and from there they would be in a much better position to ascertain circumstances on the ring. Her and O’Neill slowed into a slow jog as they began to move through the woods. They made sure to keep a wide arc around the field they had come from – knowing that Banished would likely still be entrenched around the crash-site. It pained Holt to know that Cooper and Talbot’s bodies were probably in Banished possession – but there was nothing she could do about it now. As the recon team continued to move through the woodland, they occasionally herd the whoosh of a Banshee flying overhead. Now and then they could also hear the discharge of Banished Weaponry in the distance – followed by an eerie stillness. It was clear that their alien attackers were making their presence felt on the ring – but Holt was helpful that the UNSC reinforcements they were bound to find soon would help them to repel this small incursion and avenge the deaths of their friends.
Eventually, after what felt like an eternity of running, the two Marines emerged at the rocky outcrop of the lower end of one of the mountain ranges. The terrain became increasingly volatile and difficult to navigate – and the Marines had to sling their weapons on their backs to begin to scale the rockface. Eventually it became more vertical then horizontal, and the Marines took a moment to catch their breath – eating rations and drinking water.
“It’s damn high – and that terrain looks lethal. We’ll have to take our time.” Holt said.
“Hey, it was your idea in the first place Sarge.” O’Neill retorted. “By all means – lead the way.”
At the Forerunner structure which the Marines had temporarily occupied, Vorstock was pacing back and forth on the observation platform – her BR-55 in hand. She didn’t like that there were only four of them left on the ring – and she certainly didn’t like the fact that the Sergeant had decided to go and investigate this signal. They needed backup – but investigating something so strange was bound to be dangerous – and she wasn’t entirely convinced that it would have originated from a UNSC source. Still, Holt was left in charge, and she had to follow her orders – even if she did work better alone. She was deep in her own thoughts when a scream came from deep inside the compound. It took her a moment to realise that this had been Wisner. As quickly as she heard him, things feel silent – and she felt a chill run down her back. She checked her rifle and turned, moving back into the inner workings of the Forerunner structure. She raised her rifle and cleared the corners quickly until she came to the room where the Marines had hold up. Wisner lay on his back – and as she got closer, it became quite clear that the poor Marine was dead.
Something had sliced through his stomach – and it’s clear it had been hot and fast as it had left a near vertical bloody slit in his torso. She could see internal organs through the bloodied pulp and knew instinctively what had done this. An Energy Sword. A weapon favoured by the Sangheili– and a weapon which could kill in a single blow. She could see that Wisner’s Bulldog shotgun lay next to him – just out of arms reach. She found some small comfort in knowing he had tried to fight back at least. There was a click as something hit the floor behind her and she turned to see an empty corridor. But, as her sight adjusted, she realised something wasn’t right. In the middle of the corridor, the empty air almost appeared to be…simmering. She didn’t hesitate and fired three rounds in quick succession – impacting against the figure which stood there. At once there was an alien sound and two red blades quickly became visible – energy sizzling against the air as the hostile’s shields recharged and it’s outline disappeared once more. She fired once more but at this point the creature had lunged forward and plunged the sword deep into her stomach. She moaned in agony as the BR55 cluttered to the floor and she fell back against the floor.
She could feel her body becoming numb but she didn’t want to give up this easily. She’d be trained to take the enemy with her. She reached around to the back of her utility belt where a grenade was mounted and pulled it to her front – desperately attempting to thumb the safety off of the weapon despite the failing sense of feeling in her fingers. She was almost there when the feeling dropped away altogether – along with her hand and half of her forearm. She looked down – more in shock than any real horror – and saw the grenade and some of the bloody remains of her arm drop to the floor in a mess. She turned, mouth agape, beginning to gurgle on blood as her eyes began to force themselves closed. For a moment she saw a towering black figure with a red visor look down at her – almost in pity – and then everything went black.
Across the ring, O’Neill and Holt were blissfully aware of Vorstock and Wisner’s fates – with no way to contact their fallen Marines. As the duo reached the peak of the rockwork which they had spent some time climbing, they were able to get a view out across the Ring – showing them everything from the crash-site where the Prowler had come down, to further afield then they could see before. As they begun to take in the view, both of their faces dropped – and O’Neill’s usually charming demeanour dissolved entirely.
Waves of Banished vehicles could be seen across the ring – including Phantoms and Banshees patrolling the skies, and armour columns of Wraiths, Marauders and other vehicles picking their way through the fields. Foot soldiers could be seen everywhere – and large structures dotted on the horizon resembled old-school fortresses, with defensive walls, watch towers and other nasty-looking fortifications wrapped around them. On the hills and mountains in the distance large Banished structures could be seen reaching towards the skyline, too – including what appeared to be Barracks and also a string of Anti-Aircraft Canons set up in a defensive formation. Here and there the former remnants of UNSC forces could be seen – still smoking in some places. Old bases had been destroyed and vehicles abandoned. It was becoming painfully clear that the signal hadn’t heralded a last bastion of human resistance – but, rather, it had heralded the arrival of something much bleaker.
“This isn’t an incursion.” Holt said – now devoid of emotion. “It’s an Invasion.”
