Captain, not everybody is blowing you off... ISitInA 3/9/11 5:12 pm To: Cpt********.1465.UNSC.THESEUS From: ISitInA.ERROR DATA UNAVAILABLE Origin: ERROR DATA UNAVAILABLE Recieved: 03/05/2612, 1452 SST Sent: ERROR DATA UNAVAILABLE Classifications: Captain's Eyes Only, Message Archival Allowed, Neural Net Upload Permissions Denied Attachments: 1 (E21A9.6411A.7, 120 MB) Subject: Captain, not everybody is blowing you off... Captain, I recently came across your request for information on Orion F484. How you even came across his name is beyond me, let alone what few salient facts you seem to possess. Considering the classified nature of the events surrounding everything that transpired, it's no surprise that your request was shot dead. I'm going to give you a gentle word of advice – keep up your requests, and you'll be the same way. But there are two types of people in ONI. There are those who work behind a desk and whose monitors are tinted rose, or there's people who work in the field enough to know when to let the rules occasionally slip by the wayside. Sometimes by leaking information to select individuals you can get a return on your investment, so to speak. Other times... Well. Your rebuttal to the initial denial is surprisingly detailed. The reasons you listed are, in fact, valid. Surprisingly so. The people in charge of these things may have said no, but I feel that the risk is worth it. While I have access to all the information that you've requested, getting it to you will take some time. I have to move slowly. The combination of files, audio reports, and reconstructed footage from troopers can't be moved instantly without drawing attention. It would do neither of us any good if I were to be caught. I've set up a site that you'll have to log into in order to gain access to the information. If you need to contact me for some unknown reason, I've set up an account. Most of the time, don't hold your breath waiting for an answer. But when I can, and when I feel like it... And, obviously, all of this remaining a secret shouldn't even need to be mentioned. Sincerely, Chair *********** Note by Hive: BZZT! Captain, I have encountered additional encrypted data within this message using a separate key. The encryption keys are old enough to be added to my own databanks upon my creation due to our frequent status in the outer regions of humanity's occupied zone, in case we encountered any of the number of missing ships from the war. Below is the unencrypted message. ************* Are you getting this? ************* Reply E21A9.6411A.7 ISitInA 3/9/11 5:13 pm ************* Note by Hive: BZZT! Captain, this message is heavily encrypted. The encryption keys are old enough to be added to my own databanks upon my creation due to our frequent status in the outer regions of humanity's occupied zone, in case we encountered any of the number of missing ships from the war. However, the message is either corrupt or is meant to be displayed utilizing programs that I do not have access to. Below is the unencrypted message, reconstructed to the best of my abilities. ************* From: WINNEBAGO To: GOOSE Date: [REDACTED] BE ADVISED SUBJECT F484 HAS CHANGED HIS BROWSING HABITS SINCE CONTACT. BROWSING HABITS SEEM FOCUSED ON RESEARCH INTO KEYWORDS “UNSC”, “ONI”, AND “RECRUITMENT PROTOCOL”. TWO LEVEL THREE WATCH SITES VISITED. SEVEN LEVEL FOUR WATCH SITES VISITED. AVERAGE TIME BROWSING WATCH SITES: 6.38 MINUTES. AVERAGE TIME BROWSING CLEAR SITES: 21.13 MINUTES. WATCH YOURSELF, HE'S GATHERING INTEL. MEETING MAY BE DICEY. OUT Transcript 272A6.E441D.6-C, 02/13/2517, 13:27PM GLT (audio log corrupt) F484: Um, hello? GOOSE: I'm glad that you could make it. F484: Yeah, well, it's not every day that you get an invitation from ONI. Don't you guys believe in recruitment stations? GOOSE: Normally, yes. I must say, you're more direct than I anticipated. F484: And you're trying to ease into a difficult topic. I took psychology, you know. GOOSE: Your junior year of high school. One semester. F484: The teacher and I didn't get along. (PAUSE, 1.2 SECONDS) But you knew that. GOOSE: You were valedictorian, graduating three years in advance of your typical age group. One year in college. Best scores were in soft sciences, computers, and history. Worst was... math, oddly enough. Surprising for somebody going for a technology degree. Suspended three times in high school for initiating acts of violence. All of which were against students colloquially known as bullies. Twelve more incidents in your record for acts of violence, each time claiming that you were trying to break up the fight. Brains and brawn are a rare combination. F484: You guys really do your homework, huh? GOOSE: The Intelligence part isn't for irony. F484: Okay, so what do you want with me? I'm too young to join. GOOSE: Recruiting Directive 2473.C. Any youth having graduated from high school or the equivalent with one semester of college exceeding 4 hours may be recruited with the condition that they may not be put in any position with the possibility of seeing combat until such time as they reach the age of 18, so long as parental permission is given. (SILENCE LASTS FOR 12.8 SECONDS) GOOSE: I know. The implications are heavy. Training as a soldier, so young. Boot camp would be hard. The hardest thing... No, I'll spare you what the recruiters say. Instead, I'll be honest with you. The only jobs you'll get earning a degree here is a job out here. And you want to see the galaxy, don't you? Maybe even see Earth one day. For that, you'll need the sort of credentials you can't get out here. No, I take that back. You can. But the kind of credentials that you'll get by working for the UNSC will far outweigh those. You'll be working with cutting edge technology that's so new it's classified. On top of that, you'll be saving- F484: You realize that my mother is a Insurrectionist sympathizer, right? GOOSE: Excuse me? F484: Mom's a sympathizer. Dad's a loyalist, though. It's why we're not allowed to talk politics at home, even if it's about school. Leads to Dad winding up in the ER with a busted nose and Mom apologizing for a week. GOOSE: And you? F484: What about me? GOOSE: Where do... I see. You've put some thought into this meeting. (PAUSE, 1.2 SECONDS) You've already given thought about joining the UNSC, haven't you? F484: It's a good chance to save some lives and get hands on education. (PAUSE, 3.7 SECONDS) It's not every day that ONI itself comes to recruit somebody, is it? Have I done something? GOOSE: Not entirely, no. We are forming a team in the future, and are looking ahead as quickly as possible. F484: (APPREHENSIVE TONE) So, I'd be working for you, then? For ONI? GOOSE: We aren't all spooks, you know. Most of us work in an office. I'm not allowed to divulge any information about what's going on, but I can say this. Though ONI has a hand in the formation of this team, unless authorized to do so by UNSC Command, you won't take orders from us. F484: Orion? GOOSE: Like I said, I can't say anything about it at this time. F484: But you can later? GOOSE: If you agree. Our time frame is, sadly, limited. F484: How limited? GOOSE: If you were to agree, we would have to leave by the end of the month at the very latest. I'd prefer to leave sooner. F484: That's not a lot of time. GOOSE: No, it isn't. F484: How'm I supposed to convince my parents that fast? GOOSE: (LAUGHTER) I'll come by tomorrow to speak with them personally. Even if what you said about your mother is true, and I believe that when I see it, I believe that I can convince them that this is the right thing. F484: Is it the right thing? GOOSE: I like to think so. TRANSCRIPT ENDS To: BALL From: GOOSE Date: [REDACTED] FOXTROT-404 HAS AGREED. I WILL BE MEETING WITH HIS PARENTS TOMORROW TO SECURE THEIR PERMISSION. I SHOULD NOT HAVE GIVEN HIM TWO DAYS TO PREPARE TO SPEAK WITH ME. MY OWN MISTAKE. HOWEVER, I BEGIN TO DOUBT THAT HE HAS THE MENTAL CELERITY TO BECOME PART OF THE PROJECT. OUT To: WINNEBAGO From: GOOSE Date: [REDACTED] Attachments: 1 (272A6.E441D.6-A, 120 MB) ATTACHED ARE AUDIO LOGS FROM THE MEETING. PLEASE ADVISE AS TO TRUTH OF HOME SITUATION. OUT To: GOOSE From: WINNEBAGO Date: [REDACTED] PLAUSABLE. PARENTS WERE SECONDARY CONCERN GIVEN TEACHING STAFF. INVESTIGATING. OUT To: BALL From: GOOSE Date: [REDACTED] Attachments: 1 (27391.E441D.A-A, 3.18 GB) ATTACHED ARE AUDIO LOGS FROM MEETING WITH FAMILY. UNSURE IF I AM BEING OBFUSCATED OR NOT. PLEASE ADVISE. OUT To: GOOSE, WINNEBAGO, TREE, DAKOTA From: BALL Date: [UNAVAILABLE] CANIDATE F484 IS CONFIRMED CLEARED FOR PROCEEDURE, TO BE NOW ADDRESSED AS RECRUIT F484. BRING HIM IN. YOUR FINAL TARGET IS F491. PROBABILITY FOR CLEARANCE: 28.25 PERCENT. BE ADVISED DEADLINE IS APPROACHING FAST. OUT ************* Note by Hive: BZZT! Captain, I have encountered additional encrypted data within this message using a separate key. The encryption keys are old enough to be added to my own databanks upon my creation due to our frequent status in the outer regions of humanity's occupied zone, in case we encountered any of the number of missing ships from the war. Below is the unencrypted message. ************* I'm sorry I never told you why you were listed as 98.73 Percent. ************* Reply ...wat? *NM* Hyokin 3/9/11 5:54 pm Customs Clan Reply What he said. *NM* UnrealCh13f 3/9/11 6:05 pm Reply Re: What he said. Gilver 3/9/11 6:09 pm interesting read....fake? or is this some 343i ARG? Reply Re: What he said. Louis Wu 3/9/11 6:11 pm : interesting read....fake? : or is this some 343i ARG? Seriously? 'fake'? It's not claiming to BE anything, that I can see - how can it be 'fake'? Reply My apologies Hive 3/9/11 6:16 pm Bzzt! I cannot seem to locate where exactly the message originated from. Something within my core coding seems to be blocking it. I would like to analyze where the block is coming from, but that would require a full systems diagnostic, which I would need your permission for. It would also lower my efficiency rating by 64% for 83 hours. Given my current duties, it would put us two days behind schedule. bzzt! I'm sorry I can't be more help. Bzzt! If there's anything that I can do to improve the situation, please let me know! Reply Re: E21A9.6411A.7 Schooly D 3/9/11 6:17 pm : ************* : Note by Hive: BZZT! Captain, this message is heavily encrypted. The : encryption keys are old enough to be added to my own databanks upon my : creation due to our frequent status in the outer regions of humanity's : occupied zone, in case we encountered any of the number of missing ships : from the war. However, the message is either corrupt or is meant to be : displayed utilizing programs that I do not have access to. Below is the : unencrypted message, reconstructed to the best of my abilities. : ************* : From: WINNEBAGO : To: GOOSE : Date: [REDACTED] : BE ADVISED SUBJECT F484 HAS CHANGED HIS BROWSING HABITS SINCE CONTACT. : BROWSING HABITS SEEM FOCUSED ON RESEARCH INTO KEYWORDS “UNSC”, “ONI”, AND : “RECRUITMENT PROTOCOL”. TWO LEVEL THREE WATCH SITES VISITED. SEVEN LEVEL : FOUR WATCH SITES VISITED. AVERAGE TIME BROWSING WATCH SITES: 6.38 MINUTES. : AVERAGE TIME BROWSING CLEAR SITES: 21.13 MINUTES. WATCH YOURSELF, HE'S : GATHERING INTEL. MEETING MAY BE DICEY. : OUT : Transcript 272A6.E441D.6-C, 02/13/2517, 13:27PM GLT (audio log corrupt) : F484: Um, hello? : GOOSE: I'm glad that you could make it. : F484: Yeah, well, it's not every day that you get an invitation from ONI. : Don't you guys believe in recruitment stations? : GOOSE: Normally, yes. I must say, you're more direct than I anticipated. : F484: And you're trying to ease into a difficult topic. I took psychology, : you know. : GOOSE: Your junior year of high school. One semester. : F484: The teacher and I didn't get along. (PAUSE, 1.2 SECONDS) But you knew : that. : GOOSE: You were valedictorian, graduating three years in advance of your : typical age group. One year in college. Best scores were in soft sciences, : computers, and history. Worst was... math, oddly enough. Surprising for : somebody going for a technology degree. Suspended three times in high : school for initiating acts of violence. All of which were against students : colloquially known as bullies. Twelve more incidents in your record for : acts of violence, each time claiming that you were trying to break up the : fight. Brains and brawn are a rare combination. : F484: You guys really do your homework, huh? : GOOSE: The Intelligence part isn't for irony. : F484: Okay, so what do you want with me? I'm too young to join. : GOOSE: Recruiting Directive 2473.C. Any youth having graduated from high : school or the equivalent with one semester of college exceeding 4 hours : may be recruited with the condition that they may not be put in any : position with the possibility of seeing combat until such time as they : reach the age of 18, so long as parental permission is given. : (SILENCE LASTS FOR 12.8 SECONDS) : GOOSE: I know. The implications are heavy. Training as a soldier, so young. : Boot camp would be hard. The hardest thing... No, I'll spare you what the : recruiters say. Instead, I'll be honest with you. The only jobs you'll get : earning a degree here is a job out here. And you want to see the galaxy, : don't you? Maybe even see Earth one day. For that, you'll need the sort of : credentials you can't get out here. No, I take that back. You can. But the : kind of credentials that you'll get by working for the UNSC will far : outweigh those. You'll be working with cutting edge technology that's so : new it's classified. On top of that, you'll be saving- : F484: You realize that my mother is a Insurrectionist sympathizer, right? : GOOSE: Excuse me? : F484: Mom's a sympathizer. Dad's a loyalist, though. It's why we're not : allowed to talk politics at home, even if it's about school. Leads to Dad : winding up in the ER with a busted nose and Mom apologizing for a week. : GOOSE: And you? : F484: What about me? : GOOSE: Where do... I see. You've put some thought into this meeting. (PAUSE, : 1.2 SECONDS) You've already given thought about joining the UNSC, haven't : you? : F484: It's a good chance to save some lives and get hands on education. : (PAUSE, 3.7 SECONDS) It's not every day that ONI itself comes to recruit : somebody, is it? Have I done something? : GOOSE: Not entirely, no. We are forming a team in the future, and are looking : ahead as quickly as possible. : F484: (APPREHENSIVE TONE) So, I'd be working for you, then? For ONI? : GOOSE: We aren't all spooks, you know. Most of us work in an office. I'm not : allowed to divulge any information about what's going on, but I can say : this. Though ONI has a hand in the formation of this team, unless : authorized to do so by UNSC Command, you won't take orders from us. : F484: Orion? : GOOSE: Like I said, I can't say anything about it at this time. : F484: But you can later? : GOOSE: If you agree. Our time frame is, sadly, limited. : F484: How limited? : GOOSE: If you were to agree, we would have to leave by the end of the month : at the very latest. I'd prefer to leave sooner. : F484: That's not a lot of time. : GOOSE: No, it isn't. : F484: How'm I supposed to convince my parents that fast? : GOOSE: (LAUGHTER) I'll come by tomorrow to speak with them personally. Even : if what you said about your mother is true, and I believe that when I see : it, I believe that I can convince them that this is the right thing. : F484: Is it the right thing? : GOOSE: I like to think so. : TRANSCRIPT ENDS : To: BALL : From: GOOSE : Date: [REDACTED] : FOXTROT-404 HAS AGREED. I WILL BE MEETING WITH HIS PARENTS TOMORROW TO SECURE : THEIR PERMISSION. I SHOULD NOT HAVE GIVEN HIM TWO DAYS TO PREPARE TO SPEAK : WITH ME. MY OWN MISTAKE. HOWEVER, I BEGIN TO DOUBT THAT HE HAS THE MENTAL : CELERITY TO BECOME PART OF THE PROJECT. : OUT : To: WINNEBAGO : From: GOOSE : Date: [REDACTED] : Attachments: 1 (272A6.E441D.6-A, 120 MB) : ATTACHED ARE AUDIO LOGS FROM THE MEETING. PLEASE ADVISE AS TO TRUTH OF HOME : SITUATION. : OUT : To: GOOSE : From: WINNEBAGO : Date: [REDACTED] : PLAUSABLE. PARENTS WERE SECONDARY CONCERN GIVEN TEACHING STAFF. : INVESTIGATING. : OUT : To: BALL : From: GOOSE : Date: [REDACTED] : Attachments: 1 (27391.E441D.A-A, 3.18 GB) : ATTACHED ARE AUDIO LOGS FROM MEETING WITH FAMILY. UNSURE IF I AM BEING : OBFUSCATED OR NOT. PLEASE ADVISE. : OUT : To: GOOSE, WINNEBAGO, TREE, DAKOTA : From: BALL : Date: [UNAVAILABLE] : CANIDATE F484 IS CONFIRMED CLEARED FOR PROCEEDURE, TO BE NOW ADDRESSED AS : RECRUIT F484. BRING HIM IN. YOUR FINAL TARGET IS F491. PROBABILITY FOR : CLEARANCE: 28.25 PERCENT. BE ADVISED DEADLINE IS APPROACHING FAST. : OUT : ************* : Note by Hive: BZZT! Captain, I have encountered additional encrypted data : within this message using a separate key. The encryption keys are old : enough to be added to my own databanks upon my creation due to our : frequent status in the outer regions of humanity's occupied zone, in case : we encountered any of the number of missing ships from the war. Below is : the unencrypted message. : ************* : I'm sorry I never told you why you were listed as 98.73 Percent. : ************* Team Schooly D Reply Good dialogue, if nothing else. *NM* Duncan 3/9/11 6:31 pm Reply Consider my interest piqued SonGoharotto 3/9/11 6:32 pm Whether this is the start of an ARG or just someone's personal writing project, it's a well-written and entertaining read that makes me think more about Halo background fiction. I'm sure the use of "Orion" here is not a coincidence. The Halo fan community needs more of THIS and less of people bitching about Armor Lock or reticule bloom. Halo Reach Service Record Reply Re: Agreed 7.5 million percent *NM* Hedgemony 3/9/11 7:12 pm Dontshakethelightbulb Reply Agreellionaire! *NM* Beckx 3/9/11 7:18 pm Of Herbs and Stewed Rabbit Reply Re: E21A9.6411A.7 caleb ex nihilo 3/9/11 7:24 pm : CANIDATE F484 IS CONFIRMED CLEARED FOR PROCEEDURE, TO BE NOW ADDRESSED AS : RECRUIT F484. BRING HIM IN. YOUR FINAL TARGET IS F491. PROBABILITY FOR : CLEARANCE: 28.25 PERCENT. BE ADVISED DEADLINE IS APPROACHING FAST. : OUT Is the a FXXX designation for spartans? Did it ever get that high in the SIII program? Reply Notice the date 2612 ~60 years after the war... *NM* ruwe_44 3/9/11 7:37 pm Reply Re: What he said. Gilver 3/9/11 7:40 pm : Seriously? 'fake'? It's not claiming to BE anything, that I can see - how can : it be 'fake'? I meant as in something that isn't official. It LOOKS as if its an ARG post. So if its really just someone randomly writing this, then it wouldn't be official, and thus would be "fake". Nitpick my use of the term, why don't you. Reply DEFIANT ? DEEP NNN 3/9/11 7:46 pm I just can't cut and paste fast enough. If it is what I think it is. Reply Re: E21A9.6411A.7 Firemist 3/9/11 7:54 pm : Is the a FXXX designation for spartans? Did it ever get that high in the SIII : program? Not that we know. The highest we've seen is 344. Plus, F484 is a late teenager and the first post is dated 03/05/2612. Is it possible that this is recruitment for a SPARTAN-IV program, or is this for another super soldier program? Like the ones Halsey mention in her journal in reference to Noble. Also, since Frankie has said that they have some important plans for Halo's tenth year, is this possibly part of that plan? Reply Re: E21A9.6411A.7 Stephen L. (SoundEffect) 3/9/11 8:10 pm : ************* : Note by Hive: BZZT! Captain, this message is heavily encrypted. The : encryption keys are old enough to be added to my own databanks upon my : creation due to our frequent status in the outer regions of humanity's : occupied zone, in case we encountered any of the number of missing ships : from the war. However, the message is either corrupt or is meant to be : displayed utilizing programs that I do not have access to. Below is the : unencrypted message, reconstructed to the best of my abilities. : ************* : From: WINNEBAGO : To: GOOSE : Date: [REDACTED] : BE ADVISED SUBJECT F484 HAS CHANGED HIS BROWSING HABITS SINCE CONTACT. : BROWSING HABITS SEEM FOCUSED ON RESEARCH INTO KEYWORDS “UNSC”, “ONI”, AND : “RECRUITMENT PROTOCOL”. TWO LEVEL THREE WATCH SITES VISITED. SEVEN LEVEL : FOUR WATCH SITES VISITED. AVERAGE TIME BROWSING WATCH SITES: 6.38 MINUTES. : AVERAGE TIME BROWSING CLEAR SITES: 21.13 MINUTES. WATCH YOURSELF, HE'S : GATHERING INTEL. MEETING MAY BE DICEY. : OUT : Transcript 272A6.E441D.6-C, 02/13/2517, 13:27PM GLT (audio log corrupt) : F484: Um, hello? : GOOSE: I'm glad that you could make it. : F484: Yeah, well, it's not every day that you get an invitation from ONI. : Don't you guys believe in recruitment stations? : GOOSE: Normally, yes. I must say, you're more direct than I anticipated. : F484: And you're trying to ease into a difficult topic. I took psychology, : you know. : GOOSE: Your junior year of high school. One semester. : F484: The teacher and I didn't get along. (PAUSE, 1.2 SECONDS) But you knew : that. : GOOSE: You were valedictorian, graduating three years in advance of your : typical age group. One year in college. Best scores were in soft sciences, : computers, and history. Worst was... math, oddly enough. Surprising for : somebody going for a technology degree. Suspended three times in high : school for initiating acts of violence. All of which were against students : colloquially known as bullies. Twelve more incidents in your record for : acts of violence, each time claiming that you were trying to break up the : fight. Brains and brawn are a rare combination. : F484: You guys really do your homework, huh? : GOOSE: The Intelligence part isn't for irony. : F484: Okay, so what do you want with me? I'm too young to join. : GOOSE: Recruiting Directive 2473.C. Any youth having graduated from high : school or the equivalent with one semester of college exceeding 4 hours : may be recruited with the condition that they may not be put in any : position with the possibility of seeing combat until such time as they : reach the age of 18, so long as parental permission is given. : (SILENCE LASTS FOR 12.8 SECONDS) : GOOSE: I know. The implications are heavy. Training as a soldier, so young. : Boot camp would be hard. The hardest thing... No, I'll spare you what the : recruiters say. Instead, I'll be honest with you. The only jobs you'll get : earning a degree here is a job out here. And you want to see the galaxy, : don't you? Maybe even see Earth one day. For that, you'll need the sort of : credentials you can't get out here. No, I take that back. You can. But the : kind of credentials that you'll get by working for the UNSC will far : outweigh those. You'll be working with cutting edge technology that's so : new it's classified. On top of that, you'll be saving- : F484: You realize that my mother is a Insurrectionist sympathizer, right? : GOOSE: Excuse me? : F484: Mom's a sympathizer. Dad's a loyalist, though. It's why we're not : allowed to talk politics at home, even if it's about school. Leads to Dad : winding up in the ER with a busted nose and Mom apologizing for a week. : GOOSE: And you? : F484: What about me? : GOOSE: Where do... I see. You've put some thought into this meeting. (PAUSE, : 1.2 SECONDS) You've already given thought about joining the UNSC, haven't : you? : F484: It's a good chance to save some lives and get hands on education. : (PAUSE, 3.7 SECONDS) It's not every day that ONI itself comes to recruit : somebody, is it? Have I done something? : GOOSE: Not entirely, no. We are forming a team in the future, and are looking : ahead as quickly as possible. : F484: (APPREHENSIVE TONE) So, I'd be working for you, then? For ONI? : GOOSE: We aren't all spooks, you know. Most of us work in an office. I'm not : allowed to divulge any information about what's going on, but I can say : this. Though ONI has a hand in the formation of this team, unless : authorized to do so by UNSC Command, you won't take orders from us. : F484: Orion? : GOOSE: Like I said, I can't say anything about it at this time. : F484: But you can later? : GOOSE: If you agree. Our time frame is, sadly, limited. : F484: How limited? : GOOSE: If you were to agree, we would have to leave by the end of the month : at the very latest. I'd prefer to leave sooner. : F484: That's not a lot of time. : GOOSE: No, it isn't. : F484: How'm I supposed to convince my parents that fast? : GOOSE: (LAUGHTER) I'll come by tomorrow to speak with them personally. Even : if what you said about your mother is true, and I believe that when I see : it, I believe that I can convince them that this is the right thing. : F484: Is it the right thing? : GOOSE: I like to think so. : TRANSCRIPT ENDS : To: BALL : From: GOOSE : Date: [REDACTED] : FOXTROT-404 HAS AGREED. I WILL BE MEETING WITH HIS PARENTS TOMORROW TO SECURE : THEIR PERMISSION. I SHOULD NOT HAVE GIVEN HIM TWO DAYS TO PREPARE TO SPEAK : WITH ME. MY OWN MISTAKE. HOWEVER, I BEGIN TO DOUBT THAT HE HAS THE MENTAL : CELERITY TO BECOME PART OF THE PROJECT. : OUT : To: WINNEBAGO : From: GOOSE : Date: [REDACTED] : Attachments: 1 (272A6.E441D.6-A, 120 MB) : ATTACHED ARE AUDIO LOGS FROM THE MEETING. PLEASE ADVISE AS TO TRUTH OF HOME : SITUATION. : OUT : To: GOOSE : From: WINNEBAGO : Date: [REDACTED] : PLAUSABLE. PARENTS WERE SECONDARY CONCERN GIVEN TEACHING STAFF. : INVESTIGATING. : OUT : To: BALL : From: GOOSE : Date: [REDACTED] : Attachments: 1 (27391.E441D.A-A, 3.18 GB) : ATTACHED ARE AUDIO LOGS FROM MEETING WITH FAMILY. UNSURE IF I AM BEING : OBFUSCATED OR NOT. PLEASE ADVISE. : OUT : To: GOOSE, WINNEBAGO, TREE, DAKOTA : From: BALL : Date: [UNAVAILABLE] : CANIDATE F484 IS CONFIRMED CLEARED FOR PROCEEDURE, TO BE NOW ADDRESSED AS : RECRUIT F484. BRING HIM IN. YOUR FINAL TARGET IS F491. PROBABILITY FOR : CLEARANCE: 28.25 PERCENT. BE ADVISED DEADLINE IS APPROACHING FAST. : OUT : ************* : Note by Hive: BZZT! Captain, I have encountered additional encrypted data : within this message using a separate key. The encryption keys are old : enough to be added to my own databanks upon my creation due to our : frequent status in the outer regions of humanity's occupied zone, in case : we encountered any of the number of missing ships from the war. Below is : the unencrypted message. : ************* : I'm sorry I never told you why you were listed as 98.73 Percent. : ************* So is it intended that F484 throughout is listed as Foxtrot 404 later or is it an ameteur typo? I don't know. Not saying it's not official, but I'd have liked more QA before seeing it, unless I've read something wrong. My HBO Articles Reply Re: Captain, not everybody is blowing you off... ChrisTheeCrappy 3/9/11 8:12 pm consider my mind blown. why is ONI doing the recruiting? alot more questions than answers, even before you ask, what is this all about? Reply Hmm, Lets see where this goes. *NM* ElzarTheBam 3/9/11 8:16 pm Reply Re: DEFIANT ? DEEP NNN 3/9/11 8:25 pm : I just can't cut and paste fast enough. If it is what I think it is. I can't find a full usable code. I'm out of my league with this ARG stuff too. Reply Re: My apologies ErrantVagrant 3/9/11 8:27 pm : Bzzt! I cannot seem to locate where exactly the message originated from. : Something within my core coding seems to be blocking it. I would like to : analyze where the block is coming from, but that would require a full : systems diagnostic, which I would need your permission for. It would also : lower my efficiency rating by 64% for 83 hours. Given my current duties, : it would put us two days behind schedule. : bzzt! I'm sorry I can't be more help. : Bzzt! If there's anything that I can do to improve the situation, please let : me know! (I'll give it a shot, since nobody else is.) Hive, can you tell me about the incident that happened on ship? Reply I'm not going to lie... padraig08 3/9/11 8:41 pm This makes me quite giddy. Whether or not it leads to something, it's quite the read and exciting in a way. A Backyard Padio Reply I live to serve! Hive 3/9/11 8:42 pm BZZT! I have am nearing completion of reconstructing the audio of the preliminary investigation. Due to the possibility of there being more data that I have not extrapolated, I did not wish to upload it to your neural network until I was sure I had everything that could be recovered. Sadly, the audio itself is nearly incomprehensible, so I have composed a transcript of the conversation. BZZT! I took the liberty of applying your personal wordfilters, per your personal SOP. bzzt! Did you see what I did there? I said SOP instead of "standard operational protocol." Do you think XO McAllister will be pleased if I keep doing it? BZZT! Transcript follows! ************* LOG: 03/05/2612, 2117 SST WARNING: VIDEO CORRUPT WARNING: TELEMETRY DATA CORRUPT WARNING: AUDIO DATA CORRUPT PFC GALLEGOS, DANIEL CPL TEBOE, RANDALL AUDIO DATA RECONSTRUCTED 15% CHANCE OF ERROR Gallegos: (Unhappily) Some swabbie should be doing this. Teboe: And they don't have EOD training. You do. (Beat) Gallegos: You seeing any of this? Teboe: Video's still out. Must be some sort of interference. Gallegos: Well, it doesn't look like a bomb. The blast radius is all wrong. It's not centralized enough. I'd say fusion coil overloads, but there weren't any stored here. Teboe: Any indication at all? Gallegos: Gimmie a sec. (Pause, 344 seconds) Gallegos: (Curiously) I'd say that maybe packed into equipment, but some of the stuff that's blown can't hold a bomb. Maybe some sort of mass overload from the wireless system, but then the system itself should have shorted out before that much juice got pumped through the system. Teboe: You know what this means, don't you? (Pause, 1.8 seconds) I'll hunt down more EOD to defrost and you'll have to go through everything until-(Interrupted) Gallegos: Hold on! (Beat) Gallegos: I've got something here. A display that isn't destroyed. Teboe: Anything useful? Gallegos: The back of the pad's blown out, but it's the display itself that's... It's like there's words burned into it. Hold on, let me get into some better light. (Beat) Gallegos: Okay, um... This is hard to read, but... (Pause, 3.6 seconds) Gallegos: (Slowly) Name, Foxtrot, four-eight-four. Service number Oscar dash six-six-four dash eight-four dash two seven. Oscar dash India Victor. That supposed to be Oscar-four? Um, Golf one. Height, one niner six decimal niner niner centimeters slash two one one decimal two one centimeters. What the BLAM? What's that supposed-(Cut off) Teboe: (Thoughtfully) Wait, hold up. It has Oscar before the service number, then Oscar dash India Victor and Golf one after? Gallegos: Yeah. Teboe: All on the same line? Gallegos: (Cautiously) Yeah. Teboe: Bring that back, stat. We need to show it to the Captain. ************* Note by Hive: BZZT! PFC Gallegos proceeded out of the damaged section of the ship, ending this logging session. All data thereafter has been uploaded to your neural net. ************* Reply That was nice. ZackDark 3/9/11 8:59 pm Hive, what is your category and what are you currently "on schedule"? Reply Re: E21A9.6411A.7 Hyokin 3/9/11 9:09 pm : Not that we know. The highest we've seen is 344. Plus, F484 is a late : teenager and the first post is dated 03/05/2612. Is it possible that this : is recruitment for a SPARTAN-IV program, or is this for another super : soldier program? Like the ones Halsey mention in her journal in reference : to Noble. : Also, since Frankie has said that they have some important plans for Halo's : tenth year, is this possibly part of that plan? Not to mention that huge set of Mark VI armor that just hit the marketplace... Customs Clan Reply Re: That was nice. Hive 3/9/11 9:17 pm bzzt! Is this a test? Have I done something wrong? BZZT! I am Hive, a Class C Long-Term Intermediary Artificial Intelligence assigned to the UNSC Theseus. Though referred to with male gender expressions, I am a gender-neutral AI, my avatar being that of the logo of the Spacebees. XO McAllister has written an informal guide to the Theseus that is handed out to all crew. It is suggested that you review the guide for helpful tips on interacting with me. bzzt! XO McAllister has submitted two updates to the unofficial guide that is pending your approval, one of which is a slight alteration to the entry on myself. With everything that's going on, I'm not surprised you've forgotten. You should get more sleep, Captain. BZZT! My duties include operation of all automated systems aboard the Theseus, recording events that you have marked as having parameters you find "interesting," monitoring our orbit around TB 182-D and the condition of the star FR-S 3287 (the "Michael Winslow," pending legal name change), informing appropriate staff of any anomalies observed in either procedure or status, the coordination of crew members on duty, and the operation of all automated construction systems. I am currently assisting the Marines brought out of cryo in order to investigate the incident on 03/03/2612 that resulted in the loss of two crew members, currently listed an accidental explosives incident, investigation pending verification. I am still engaged in repetitive ship's diagnostics which are undergoing manual verification, as per CN Raschad's suggestion, approved by yourself and XO McAllister. As well, I am monitoring the morale of the crew as best as I am able to within the confines of my programming, as per your request. Reply Re: That was nice. DEEP NNN 3/9/11 9:42 pm : bzzt! Is this a test? Have I done something wrong? : BZZT! I am Hive, a Class C Long-Term Intermediary Artificial Intelligence : assigned to the UNSC Theseus. Though referred to with male gender : expressions, I am a gender-neutral AI, my avatar being that of the logo of : the Spacebees. XO McAllister has written an informal guide to the Theseus : that is handed out to all crew. It is suggested that you review the guide : for helpful tips on interacting with me. : bzzt! XO McAllister has submitted two updates to the unofficial guide that is : pending your approval, one of which is a slight alteration to the entry on : myself. With everything that's going on, I'm not surprised you've : forgotten. You should get more sleep, Captain. : BZZT! My duties include operation of all automated systems aboard the : Theseus, recording events that you have marked as having parameters you : find "interesting," monitoring our orbit around TB 182-D and the : condition of the star FR-S 3287 (the "Michael Winslow," pending : legal name change), informing appropriate staff of any anomalies observed : in either procedure or status, the coordination of crew members on duty, : and the operation of all automated construction systems. I am currently : assisting the Marines brought out of cryo in order to investigate the : incident on 03/03/2612 that resulted in the loss of two crew members, : currently listed an accidental explosives incident, investigation pending : verification. I am still engaged in repetitive ship's diagnostics which : are undergoing manual verification, as per CN Raschad's suggestion, : approved by yourself and XO McAllister. As well, I am monitoring the : morale of the crew as best as I am able to within the confines of my : programming, as per your request. Did UNSC Theseus have a different name when it was originally commisioned? Is it a rebuilt and recomminssioned ship? If yes, what was its original name? Reply Re: Status Inquiry RD Carnage 3/9/11 9:43 pm Hive, have there been any anomalies detected from Star FR-S 3287 or TB-182-P? Reply UNSC Theseus Hive 3/9/11 9:50 pm bzzt! You should know this... Are you feeling okay, Captain? Do I need to call for a doctor? We currently have four on shift. Bzzt! Regardless, I will give you an excerpt from XO McAllister's proposed updates to the informal guide. ************* UNSC Theseus “I can think of no better name for this ship. It is a true testament of the hope of humanity, and that no matter what happens, it will prevail over any adversity. It is my hope that it will represent more in the future. That it will build a unified humanity against any threat that may rear its head.” – Vice Admiral Elizabeth Gibson The UNSC Theseus is officially a Lynx-Class Frigate. Despite this, there is quite a bit of argument about what her classification should be. Following the Human-Covenant War, humanity returned to Reach. As a symbol, this was considered important. To prove that humanity could return and reclaim the worlds lost to the fighting. What they found was devastation. Perhaps most impressive were the hulks of once-great ships and stations which had not yet fallen into gravity wells. With this in mind, HIGHCOM decided that it was of great value to not only the UNSC but humanity as well to create a symbol of these. The remains of the UNSC Whistle of Dolphins was chosen as the main structure due to it being the most intact frigate. However, even then much of the existing substructure had to be replaced. In total, over 40 ships (not all military) and 20 stations were used in the reconstruction of one frigate. When parts could not be salvaged or were considered obsolete, they were constructed from materials gained from these noble reminders of the price that the war exacted on humanity. The resulting frigate was christened the UNSC Theseus, after the Ship of Theseus, a thought paradox. Designed not for warfare (and under-armed for its official classification of frigate) but for the construction, and maintenance of military and civilian structures, as well as to provide relief for planets undergoing disaster, it is considered the honor of the UNSC fleet. To this end, it is crewed with both Naval and Marine personnel, occasionally carrying Army personnel as well. It is especially equipped to handle ship and station construction and repair, the building of space elevators, various structures on planets and moons, and to coordinate relief efforts both in space and on the ground. It also carries abnormally large and well-equipped medical facilities for a ship its size. Since its christening, it has been involved in numerous missions of peace. To date, it has not yet engaged in any act of warfare. It is the sincerest hope of the UNSC that it never does. Reply Re: Anomolies Inquiry Hive 3/9/11 9:57 pm BZZT! There have been no changes in either the star or the planet we are orbiting. No significant planetary anomalies are anticipated for another 36 million years, when the planet's orbit destabilizes to the point where it begins its slow return to a status as a "rogue planet," being ejected from the star's orbit. Bzzt! To be honest, the lack of anomalies in FR-S 3287 are of concern to me. By my calculations, we should have encountered no less than twelve anomalies by this point. Sunspot numbers have had no significant change, and the corona seems more stable than anticipated. BZZT! The station can be easily modified to study the star once construction is complete while still maintaining its mission to monitor for possible insurrectionist activities. Perhaps you should send a suggestion to HIGHCOM about it? bzzt! I'll even let you take the credit. Reply Man... CyberKN 3/9/11 9:58 pm ...I love bees. Reply I find it interesting... GrimBrother One 3/9/11 9:58 pm That a few specific individuals in this topic (and providing some specific lines of questioning), are coincidentally brand new posters to HBO... Still, this is very interesting, and I watch with hope and anticipation regardless... ;-) Grim TheGrimBrothers Reply Re: Bees... Hive 3/9/11 10:00 pm bzzt! Spacebees are the best, sir! bzzt! I'm sad that I can't salute in text... Reply Re: Anomolies Inquiry GrimBrother One 3/9/11 10:00 pm : Bzzt! To be honest, the lack of anomalies in FR-S 3287 are of concern to me. : By my calculations, we should have encountered no less than twelve : anomalies by this point. Sunspot numbers have had no significant change, : and the corona seems more stable than anticipated. Artificial Star you guess? Grim TheGrimBrothers Reply Re: My apologies ThePhoenixAeon 3/9/11 10:03 pm : Bzzt! I cannot seem to locate where exactly the message originated from. : Something within my core coding seems to be blocking it. I would like to : analyze where the block is coming from, but that would require a full : systems diagnostic, which I would need your permission for. It would also : lower my efficiency rating by 64% for 83 hours. Given my current duties, : it would put us two days behind schedule. : bzzt! I'm sorry I can't be more help. : Bzzt! If there's anything that I can do to improve the situation, please let : me know! HIVE, when was the last known Covenant contact? Reply Re: Anomolies Inquiry Hive 3/9/11 10:10 pm BZZT! I cannot even begin to calculate how one could go about creating an artificial star system, Captain, let alone how this system could be artificial. The closest thing to a marvel of that caliber of astroengineering in my databanks was the Covenant capitol of High Charity. Unfortunately, all further details about it are locked down beyond your current security clearance. bzzt! However, give the Spacebees the plans and materials, and I'm sure that we could make something that would put it to shame! Reply Try this, Hive: Hyokin 3/9/11 10:11 pm http://www.text-image.com/convert/ lol Customs Clan Reply Re: My apologies arbitersaids 3/9/11 10:12 pm I really hope this isn't BS. If it is a fake, well done. Reply Re: Anomolies Inquiry GrimBrother One 3/9/11 10:13 pm Are you familiar with the Committee of Minds for Security? Grim TheGrimBrothers Reply Re: I find it interesting... DEEP NNN 3/9/11 10:13 pm : That a few specific individuals in this topic (and providing some specific : lines of questioning), are coincidentally brand new posters to HBO... : Still, this is very interesting, and I watch with hope and anticipation : regardless... ;-) : Grim If you meant me just know it was a long shot. When I read a few lines about the Ship of Theseus it made me wonder if UNSC Theseus had a previous history and what that history was. Co-incidentally the schooner Bluenose II is undergoing considerable reconstruction. Many are questioning whether or or not the rebuilt ship can be called the Bluenose II. A true "Ship of Theseus Paradox", which I had never heard of before today. My brain hurts. Reply Re: Bees... NartFOpc 3/9/11 10:13 pm : bzzt! Spacebees are the best, sir! : bzzt! I'm sad that I can't salute in text... You seem to be able to type "bzzt!" before all your text, I'm sure you could write *salutes* just as easily. Reply Re: Covenant Hive 3/9/11 10:15 pm Bzzt! I cannot say for certain. We still occasionally encounter Covenant ships adrift in systems, and not all encounters are made available to me for a variety of reasons. Bzzt! However, we will be observing the 43rd annual celebration of the official end to the Human-Covenant War on April 13. Reply Re: I find it interesting... GrimBrother One 3/9/11 10:16 pm : If you meant me just know it was a long shot. When I read a few lines about : the Ship of Theseus it made me wonder if UNSC Theseus had a previous : history and what that history was. : Co-incidentally the schooner Bluenose II is undergoing considerable : reconstruction. Many are questioning whether or or not the rebuilt ship : can be called the Bluenose II. A true "Ship of Theseus Paradox", : which I had never heard of before today. : My brain hurts. No, I meant that we just happen to be seeing lots of posters in this thread with only 1 or 2 posts. Just surfacing at the possibility of a true new ARG, or accounts created for the perpetuation of said game? I guess we will see! :-) Grim TheGrimBrothers Reply Committee of Minds for Security Hive 3/9/11 10:18 pm BZZT! No, Captain. bzzt! It sounds like a secret society, though. Mysterious! Reply Re: Bees... Hive 3/9/11 10:20 pm bzzt! Aww, that's cheating though! Reply Isolated incident? thereIwasn't 3/9/11 10:33 pm With IRIS there were posts here, and on Bungie.net. No way they'd only post this here if it was a legit ARG. That's bad marketing. So far though, Google has only turned up this post on this forum when I type in the profile username "ISitInA". Now, I'm willing to bet that it's an acronym (no clue what it stands for) but even so, I feel like we'd be getting more results from searches if it was legit. More proof would be nice, but for today I'm going to be a pessimist and call it artful fanfic. Reply Re: Isolated incident? arbitersaids 3/9/11 10:38 pm : With IRIS there were posts here, and on Bungie.net. No way they'd only post : this here if it was a legit ARG. That's bad marketing. : So far though, Google has only turned up this post on this forum when I type : in the profile username "ISitInA". Now, I'm willing to bet that : it's an acronym (no clue what it stands for) but even so, I feel like we'd : be getting more results from searches if it was legit. : More proof would be nice, but for today I'm going to be a pessimist and call : it artful fanfic. I kinda doubt that, if this is legit, that it would be on the b.net forum. Seeing as Bungie is done with Halo. Reply Re: Isolated incident? Decommissioner 3/9/11 10:39 pm : ISitInA = Is it In A ... bEar?!!?!?? Reply Re: Captain, not everybody is blowing you off... LoneRanger 2.5 3/9/11 10:40 pm Coincidentally, on March 9, 2525, 'all seventy-five SPARTAN-II transcripts underwent a series of dangerous biological augmentations.' That fact seems somewhat relevant given the ORION nature of this post. Reply Re: Isolated incident? DEEP NNN 3/9/11 10:45 pm : With IRIS there were posts here, and on Bungie.net. No way they'd only post : this here if it was a legit ARG. That's bad marketing. : So far though, Google has only turned up this post on this forum when I type : in the profile username "ISitInA". Now, I'm willing to bet that : it's an acronym (no clue what it stands for) but even so, I feel like we'd : be getting more results from searches if it was legit. : More proof would be nice, but for today I'm going to be a pessimist and call : it artful fanfic. The information on UNSC Theseus was well prepared. You can't just make that up in a somewhat live discussion. Of course maybe it was obvious to prepare for that line of questioning if you were faking it. Reply Re: Isolated incident? thereIwasn't 3/9/11 10:49 pm : I kinda doubt that, if this is legit, that it would be on the b.net forum. : Seeing as Bungie is done with Halo. Wouldn't they have still put it up somewhere? 343 Industries doesn't have a community forum (as far as a basic search will tell me) and there are plenty of other gaming forums out there this could have gone up on in addition to HBO, but the only thing I can seem to find is a non-acronym version of the word on random blogs, as a misspelling of "Truth" in Croatian. It doesn't need to be on b.net, but it really ought to be in more than one place. Reply Re: Covenant DEEP NNN 3/9/11 10:51 pm : Bzzt! I cannot say for certain. We still occasionally encounter Covenant : ships adrift in systems, and not all encounters are made available to me : for a variety of reasons. : Bzzt! However, we will be observing the 43rd annual celebration of the : official end to the Human-Covenant War on April 13. Why then and not March 3? Are we celebrating the end of a newer Human-Covenant War? Reply Re: Isolated incident? DEEP NNN 3/9/11 10:53 pm : Wouldn't they have still put it up somewhere? 343 Industries doesn't have a : community forum (as far as a basic search will tell me) and there are : plenty of other gaming forums out there this could have gone up on in : addition to HBO, but the only thing I can seem to find is a non-acronym : version of the word on random blogs, as a misspelling of "Truth" : in Croatian. : It doesn't need to be on b.net, but it really ought to be in more than one : place. 343i Waypoint does have community forums. http://halo.xbox.com/forums/ Reply Re: Covenant Hive 3/9/11 10:56 pm bzzt! I'm surprised, Captain! In all the time that I've known you, I was not aware that you celebrated the launch of the missions that would not only rescue the survivors of Reach but the Orion mission to end the war. I'll remember it for next year. Reply Re: Isolated incident? thereIwasn't 3/9/11 10:59 pm : 343i Waypoint does have community forums. : http://halo.xbox.com/forums/ Thanks for the link. I missed it the first time around. A search there isn't bringing up ISitInA either, unless you're seeing something I'm not. If this is Halo related (and the talk of the UNSC, ONI, and timeframe seem to suggest it) then wouldn't there be a corresponding post there? Reply Re: Isolated incident? DEEP NNN 3/9/11 11:02 pm : Thanks for the link. I missed it the first time around. : A search there isn't bringing up ISitInA either, unless you're seeing : something I'm not. If this is Halo related (and the talk of the UNSC, ONI, : and timeframe seem to suggest it) then wouldn't there be a corresponding : post there? I am a total noob when it comes to ARG stuff and Halo history. I was only pointing out the forum for you. :) Reply Re: Isolated incident? thereIwasn't 3/9/11 11:08 pm : The information on UNSC Theseus was well prepared. You can't just make that : up in a somewhat live discussion. Of course maybe it was obvious to : prepare for that line of questioning if you were faking it. I tried making an ARG with a few folks I know and launched it at a YA Novel site. That was four months of preparation to create forty media items. If it's all text, I don't see why he couldn't have had this outlined before. Or there are people on the site who are in on it and feeding lines. That's half of how we pulled it off. Reply Re: Covenant Arithmomaniac 3/9/11 11:15 pm : Bzzt! I cannot say for certain. We still occasionally encounter Covenant : ships adrift in systems, and not all encounters are made available to me : for a variety of reasons. : Bzzt! However, we will be observing the 43rd annual celebration of the : official end to the Human-Covenant War on April 13. Your correspondence about F484 has the year-stamp 2612, 59 years after the construction of the memorial at Voi. What data do you have access to from the time period 2553-2569? HBO: on the wings of a Chickenpede. Reply Re: My apologies thereIwasn't 3/9/11 11:22 pm : Bzzt! I cannot seem to locate where exactly the message originated from. : Something within my core coding seems to be blocking it. I would like to : analyze where the block is coming from, but that would require a full : systems diagnostic, which I would need your permission for. It would also : lower my efficiency rating by 64% for 83 hours. Given my current duties, : it would put us two days behind schedule. : bzzt! I'm sorry I can't be more help. : Bzzt! If there's anything that I can do to improve the situation, please let : me know! For calibration purposes, could you give us some idea of your model number, year of activation, programming history, a list of officers your report to, and any other details you think might help us help you? Also, for calibration purposes, can you provide a text transcript of all bridge officer commentary from the UNSC Pillar of Autumn on September 19, 2552 at 0127 hours? Reply About the Covenant ZackDark 3/9/11 11:28 pm How many major engagements were there between USNC and Covenant forces after monument on Voi was erected on 2553? I do not remember the exact number. I have a guess, but could you name and describe them all so I know which ones I've missed? Reply An unofficial advisory warning Hive 3/9/11 11:34 pm bzzt! Captain? I am becoming increasingly worried about the your line of questions and your mental state. XO McAllister is on duty for the remainder of her shift. May I suggest giving her command of the bridge and getting some rest before I make a report to Dr. Pilling? I believe that you have been burning the candle at both ends since the incident for too long and are starting to suffer from stress. bzzt! Please don't make me do that, Captain. I'm sure some rest is all you need, and you'll be able to remember everything just fine. Reply Some Insight grantix 3/9/11 11:35 pm This isn't official, and I can tell you that pretty easily. Not that grammar would make or break this thing, solely, but there are a few grammatical errors throughout this thing. Many uses of "That" instead of "Which". "I recently came across your request for information on Orion F484. How you even came across his name is beyond me, let alone what few salient facts you seem to possess. Considering the classified nature of the events surrounding everything that transpired, it's no surprise that your request was shot dead. I'm going to give you a gentle word of advice – keep up your requests, and you'll be the same way." Should be a "which". I just would expect better grammar from 343i, what with Frankie and a few other writers working over there. Secondly, as someone who is currently enlisted in the military, and, as a matter of fact is actually in EOD school, I can point out some flaws which 343i would have the money to investigate. PFC: Army rank. CPL: Army and Marine rank. Swabbie: Navy jargon. If they're supposed to be Marines, which I would expect, considering this is Halo... that PFC rank should not be there, at all. Either way, a PFC EOD tech would not be running the scene. And CPL's aren't in EOD. A Staff Sergeant or a Sergeant would be. And he'd have, most likely, one or two other EOD techs with him. And... he would most likely not be reporting to some CPL. There would be an officer on scene. All in all... I'd say this was an excited fan, trying to push out an interesting fanfic. But definitely not official. Reply Re: Some Insight thereIwasn't 3/9/11 11:39 pm : This isn't official, and I can tell you that pretty easily. : Not that grammar would make or break this thing, solely, but there are a few : grammatical errors throughout this thing. Many uses of "That" : instead of "Which". : "I recently came across your request for information on Orion F484. How : you even came across his name is beyond me, let alone what few salient : facts you seem to possess. Considering the classified nature of the events : surrounding everything that transpired, it's no surprise that your : request was shot dead. I'm going to give you a gentle word of advice – : keep up your requests, and you'll be the same way." : Should be a "which". : I just would expect better grammar from 343i, what with Frankie and a few : other writers working over there. : Secondly, as someone who is currently enlisted in the military, and, as a : matter of fact is actually in EOD school, I can point out some flaws which : 343i would have the money to investigate. : PFC: Army rank. : CPL: Army and Marine rank. : Swabbie: Navy jargon. : If they're supposed to be Marines, which I would expect, considering this is : Halo... that PFC rank should not be there, at all. : Either way, a PFC EOD tech would not be running the scene. And CPL's aren't : in EOD. A Staff Sergeant or a Sergeant would be. And he'd have, most : likely, one or two other EOD techs with him. : And... he would most likely not be reporting to some CPL. There would be an : officer on scene. : All in all... I'd say this was an excited fan, trying to push out an : interesting fanfic. But definitely not official. Good catch. I'm not so worried about the grammar, but the terminology certainly seems to seal it. Reply Re: Some Insight DEEP NNN 3/9/11 11:53 pm : This isn't official, and I can tell you that pretty easily. : Not that grammar would make or break this thing, solely, but there are a few : grammatical errors throughout this thing. Many uses of "That" : instead of "Which". : "I recently came across your request for information on Orion F484. How : you even came across his name is beyond me, let alone what few salient : facts you seem to possess. Considering the classified nature of the events : surrounding everything that transpired, it's no surprise that your : request was shot dead. I'm going to give you a gentle word of advice – : keep up your requests, and you'll be the same way." : Should be a "which". : I just would expect better grammar from 343i, what with Frankie and a few : other writers working over there. : Secondly, as someone who is currently enlisted in the military, and, as a : matter of fact is actually in EOD school, I can point out some flaws which : 343i would have the money to investigate. : PFC: Army rank. : CPL: Army and Marine rank. : Swabbie: Navy jargon. : If they're supposed to be Marines, which I would expect, considering this is : Halo... that PFC rank should not be there, at all. : Either way, a PFC EOD tech would not be running the scene. And CPL's aren't : in EOD. A Staff Sergeant or a Sergeant would be. And he'd have, most : likely, one or two other EOD techs with him. : And... he would most likely not be reporting to some CPL. There would be an : officer on scene. : All in all... I'd say this was an excited fan, trying to push out an : interesting fanfic. But definitely not official. Thanks, I'll spend more time observing this topic than participating now. You did notice Hive pointed out "To this end, it is crewed with both Naval and Marine personnel, occasionally carrying Army personnel as well." Does this improve the post's credibility any from your point of view? Reply Re: An unofficial advisory warning Dielectric 3/10/11 12:26 am Forgive me, Hive. I admit, my memory isnt what it used to be. Perhaps the incident you are refering to has affected me more than I thought. I cannot even remember what occurred. Can you please recount 'the incident'? If you can help me with that, I promisse I will talk to Dr. Pilling in the morning. Reply Re: An unofficial advisory warning ISitInA 3/10/11 12:55 am bzzt! I understand, Captain. You've never lost anybody under your command before. You've had a long career, and to go so long without losing anybody... It's one of the many, many reasons why I was proud that you were put in command of the Theseus. I knew that you'd do everything in your power to keep that record. bzzt! But you have to understand, it's not your fault! You've done everything by the book, and then some. You've gone out of your way to make sure that everybody has been healthy in mind and spirit. It's why I never once complained about having to go through a comprehensive diagnostic every time we dock. You're keeping the crew safe, and giving CN Raschad peace of mind. bzzt! There's still no indication as to what caused the explosion on 03/03/2612. We still have not found the source of the explosion, what is causing the localized interference, or why we have not been able to locate the bodies of the two missing crewmen. You're defrosting leathernecks and bricks to investigate to make sure that it doesn't happen again. bzzt! Captain, you're tired. I've logged that you've gotten an average of less than three hours of sleep in a day since it happened, and I'm beginning to think those estimates are rather generous. Please, go to Dr. Pilling. I'm sure that he'll keep everything nice and off the record. Ask for something to help you sleep. Switch to decaf. Do everything you can. Because if you don't get a full night's sleep soon, I'm going to have to temporarily suspend you of duty until Dr. Pilling can give you a clean bill of health. And if I do that, I will make sure that he gives you a full psyche, too. bzzt! I don't want to do that. I am Hive, and I am nothing without my Spacebees. You are the captain of this ship, the figurative queen of the hive. And I like to think of you as my friend as well. So as one friend to another, I'm begging you. Go see the doctor tonight and get some sleep. Reply Re: Isolated incident? Raigns 3/10/11 12:56 am Does anyone want to try emailing them? ISitInA and Hive use different email clients... Reply Re: An unofficial advisory warning Twitch 3/10/11 2:16 am Definitely my favorite human AI so far. Reply ALERT! Hive 3/10/11 2:21 am BZZT! If you check this before your neural net, please report to the bridge immediately! Reply Re: ALERT! NsU Soldier 3/10/11 2:22 am : BZZT! If you check this before your neural net, please report to the bridge : immediately! What's the situation? Reply Status sqorck 3/10/11 2:28 am Is there something wrong Hive? Reply Re: An unofficial advisory warning ZackDark 3/10/11 2:40 am : Definitely my favorite human AI so far. Nah, I'm still with in-game Cortana. But he is good. Reply Re: Some Insight Harmanimus 3/10/11 3:00 am : PFC: Army rank. : CPL: Army and Marine rank. : Swabbie: Navy jargon. Private First Class is the second Enlisted Rank in the USMC. Following Private and preceding Lance Corporal. If you're basing it off those ranks. Without going into any other functional explanations of military operations. Not the least of it reading as cleanup. Post-event. Reply Re: Status jo 3/10/11 3:01 am I repeat myself, what is the the ships status? Reply I'll try.. *NM* sqorck 3/10/11 3:04 am Reply Re: An unofficial advisory warning JPJ007 3/10/11 3:05 am : bzzt! I understand, Captain. You've never lost anybody under your command : before. You've had a long career, and to go so long without losing : anybody... It's one of the many, many reasons why I was proud that you : were put in command of the Theseus. I knew that you'd do everything in : your power to keep that record. : bzzt! But you have to understand, it's not your fault! You've done everything : by the book, and then some. You've gone out of your way to make sure that : everybody has been healthy in mind and spirit. It's why I never once : complained about having to go through a comprehensive diagnostic every : time we dock. You're keeping the crew safe, and giving CN Raschad peace of : mind. : bzzt! There's still no indication as to what caused the explosion on : 03/03/2612. We still have not found the source of the explosion, what is : causing the localized interference, or why we have not been able to locate : the bodies of the two missing crewmen. You're defrosting leathernecks and : bricks to investigate to make sure that it doesn't happen again. : bzzt! Captain, you're tired. I've logged that you've gotten an average of : less than three hours of sleep in a day since it happened, and I'm : beginning to think those estimates are rather generous. Please, go to Dr. : Pilling. I'm sure that he'll keep everything nice and off the record. Ask : for something to help you sleep. Switch to decaf. Do everything you can. : Because if you don't get a full night's sleep soon, I'm going to have to : temporarily suspend you of duty until Dr. Pilling can give you a clean : bill of health. And if I do that, I will make sure that he gives you a : full psyche, too. : bzzt! I don't want to do that. I am Hive, and I am nothing without my : Spacebees. You are the captain of this ship, the figurative queen of the : hive. And I like to think of you as my friend as well. So as one friend to : another, I'm begging you. Go see the doctor tonight and get some sleep. Don't get your logins crossed there. Reply I got one back! sqorck 3/10/11 3:28 am "BZZT! Now is not the time Captain. Not while we are investigating. XO McAllister is awaiting you at Airlock 12-C." Reply I just sent "Hello, Hive is this you?" *NM* sqorck 3/10/11 3:33 am Reply Another sqorck 3/10/11 3:43 am Me: "Right, sorry I'm on my way. Is there something I should know Hive? " Him: "Bzzt! We are still analyzing the data as best we can. It will be a little bit before I complete my own analysis, and I am sure that others will take a little longer. Unless their intuition gives them a faster analysis, of course. bzzt! I'm not liking what I'm coming up with so far. More when I have more." Reply Re: Captain, not everybody is blowing you off... FyreWulff 3/10/11 4:53 am What is the cypher type? fyrewulff dot com Reply It's replies that this that need a like button *NM* onebitrocket 3/10/11 9:11 am Reply Acronym? What? Don't think so... Duncan 3/10/11 9:52 am : With IRIS there were posts here, and on Bungie.net. No way they'd only post : this here if it was a legit ARG. That's bad marketing. : So far though, Google has only turned up this post on this forum when I type : in the profile username "ISitInA". Now, I'm willing to bet that : it's an acronym (no clue what it stands for) but even so, I feel like we'd : be getting more results from searches if it was legit. : More proof would be nice, but for today I'm going to be a pessimist and call : it artful fanfic. "I Sit In A" "Chair" The post even talks about the distinction between ONI spooks and ONI desk jockeys. You know, the ones that sit in a chair behind a desk. Reply Re: Acronym? What? Don't think so... thereIwasn't 3/10/11 11:35 am : "I Sit In A" "Chair" : The post even talks about the distinction between ONI spooks and ONI desk : jockeys. You know, the ones that sit in a chair behind a desk. It lacks the obviousness of "Adjutant Reflex," but that makes sense. I need to stop overthinking these things. Reply Re: Captain, not everybody is blowing you off... ThePhoenixAeon 3/10/11 1:12 pm : To: Cpt********.1465.UNSC.THESEUS : From: ISitInA. ERROR DATA UNAVAILABLE : Origin: ERROR DATA UNAVAILABLE : Recieved: 03/05/2612, 1452 SST : Sent: ERROR DATA UNAVAILABLE : Classifications: Captain's Eyes Only, Message Archival Allowed, Neural Net : Upload Permissions Denied : Attachments: 1 (E21A9.6411A.7, 120 MB) : Subject: Captain, not everybody is blowing you off... : Captain, : I recently came across your request for information on Orion F484. How you : even came across his name is beyond me, let alone what few salient facts : you seem to possess. Considering the classified nature of the events : surrounding everything that transpired, it's no surprise that your request : was shot dead. I'm going to give you a gentle word of advice – keep up : your requests, and you'll be the same way. : But there are two types of people in ONI. There are those who work behind a : desk and whose monitors are tinted rose, or there's people who work in the : field enough to know when to let the rules occasionally slip by the : wayside. Sometimes by leaking information to select individuals you can : get a return on your investment, so to speak. Other times... Well. : Your rebuttal to the initial denial is surprisingly detailed. The reasons you : listed are, in fact, valid. Surprisingly so. The people in charge of these : things may have said no, but I feel that the risk is worth it. : While I have access to all the information that you've requested, getting it : to you will take some time. I have to move slowly. The combination of : files, audio reports, and reconstructed footage from troopers can't be : moved instantly without drawing attention. It would do neither of us any : good if I were to be caught. I've set up a site that you'll have to log : into in order to gain access to the information. : If you need to contact me for some unknown reason, I've set up an account. : Most of the time, don't hold your breath waiting for an answer. But when I : can, and when I feel like it... : And, obviously, all of this remaining a secret shouldn't even need to be : mentioned. : Sincerely, : Chair : *********** : Note by Hive: BZZT! Captain, I have encountered additional encrypted data : within this message using a separate key. The encryption keys are old : enough to be added to my own databanks upon my creation due to our : frequent status in the outer regions of humanity's occupied zone, in case : we encountered any of the number of missing ships from the war. Below is : the unencrypted message. : ************* : Are you getting this? : ************* Sent HIVE a direct e-mail asking for its ID, here was its response: BZZT! Hive, Class-C AI. ID# D34781-22A01-1412. Primary and Only AI assigned to UNSC Theseus. bzzt! XO McAllister awaits you. I know what you are doing. I know why. I hope you're wrong... Reply Only 43rd annual celebration? ruwe_44 3/10/11 1:28 pm : Bzzt! I cannot say for certain. We still occasionally encounter Covenant : ships adrift in systems, and not all encounters are made available to me : for a variety of reasons. : Bzzt! However, we will be observing the 43rd annual celebration of the : official end to the Human-Covenant War on April 13. Why is it only the 43rd annual celebration to the end of the war? Did the war continue for almost 17 years after the Flood was destroyed and the Arbiter returned to Earth without the Master Chief? Reply Hmm... Quirel 3/10/11 1:53 pm Since I am unable to think of any words in the English language to state how much I concur, I shall simply have to create the following word: Omnigree Reply Re: Another Raigns 3/10/11 4:32 pm Spacebee Hive to me show details 2:10 AM (13 hours ago) BZZT! I am coordinating my analysis of the situation. Interference prevents me from observing the situation directly. I am also attempting to keep panic on the ship to a minimum. I have resorted to using jokes from Carlyle Johnson movies. I have had three threats to my data core already. I think it is working. --- On Wed, 3/9/11, Raigns wrote: From: Raigns Subject: To: spacebeehive@yahoo.com Date: Wednesday, March 9, 2011, 6:34 PM What are you doing now? Reply Sent Chair a direct email Carver 3/10/11 7:51 pm from carvergeek.san@gmail.com to isitinawooden@gmail.com date Thu, Mar 10, 2011 at 10:10 AM subject Hive in a Chair Chair, I noticed you posted as Hive, yet under your initial login at one point. Is there something you're not telling me? I don't like secrets aboard my vessel. from Isitina Chair to carvergeek.san@gmail.com date Thu, Mar 10, 2011 at 5:53 PM subject Re: Hive in a Chair Captain, You may want to have your AI run a diagnostic. How strange... Sincerely, Chair Reply Re: Sent Chair a direct email Carver 3/10/11 8:12 pm Hmm...the next reply is very interesting: from carvergeek.san@gmail.com to Isitina Chair date Thu, Mar 10, 2011 at 6:58 PM subject Re: Hive in a Chair Chair, My AI diagnostic came back clean after three sweeps. It thinks the anomaly may be attributed to user error or perhaps a ghost in the system. Your take on this? Sincerely, C. from Isitina Chair to carvergeek.san@gmail.com date Thu, Mar 10, 2011 at 7:01 PM subject Re: Hive in a Chair Captain, I think I know what's going on. Pardon me, I need to falsify some data so I can scream at somebody who should know better. Chair *********************************************************8 : from carvergeek.san@gmail.com : to isitinawooden@gmail.com : date Thu, Mar 10, 2011 at 10:10 AM : subject Hive in a Chair : Chair, : I noticed you posted as Hive, yet under your initial login at one point. Is : there something you're not telling me? I don't like secrets aboard my : vessel. : from Isitina Chair isitinawooden@gmail.com > : to carvergeek.san@gmail.com : date Thu, Mar 10, 2011 at 5:53 PM : subject Re: Hive in a Chair : Captain, : You may want to have your AI run a diagnostic. How strange... : Sincerely, : Chair Reply Agreemanjaro! *NM* SonGoharotto 3/10/11 9:37 pm Halo Reach Service Record Reply Re: Covenant SonGoharotto 3/10/11 9:52 pm : Bzzt! However, we will be observing the 43rd annual celebration of the : official end to the Human-Covenant War on April 13. Hey, that's my birthday! =D Halo Reach Service Record Reply Re: An unofficial advisory warning ThePhoenixAeon 3/10/11 9:52 pm : bzzt! Captain? I am becoming increasingly worried about the your line of : questions and your mental state. XO McAllister is on duty for the : remainder of her shift. May I suggest giving her command of the bridge and : getting some rest before I make a report to Dr. Pilling? I believe that : you have been burning the candle at both ends since the incident for too : long and are starting to suffer from stress. : bzzt! Please don't make me do that, Captain. I'm sure some rest is all you : need, and you'll be able to remember everything just fine. HIVE, what results have you found on the scan for Forerunner artifacts I requested? Reply Re: An unofficial advisory warning Time Glitch 3/11/11 1:55 am : bzzt! Captain? I am becoming increasingly worried about the your line of : questions and your mental state. XO McAllister is on duty for the : remainder of her shift. May I suggest giving her command of the bridge and : getting some rest before I make a report to Dr. Pilling? I believe that : you have been burning the candle at both ends since the incident for too : long and are starting to suffer from stress. : bzzt! Please don't make me do that, Captain. I'm sure some rest is all you : need, and you'll be able to remember everything just fine. Fine, fine. This stress must really be getting to me...It seems like so long since we left. I wonder how far away Earth is...Or Reach... ...How long have we been out here, Hive? God, I can barely remember leaving! Reply Re: Captain, not everybody is blowing you off... sclamons 3/12/11 1:36 pm : While I have access to all the information that you've requested, getting it : to you will take some time. I have to move slowly. The combination of : files, audio reports, and reconstructed footage from troopers can't be : moved instantly without drawing attention. It would do neither of us any : good if I were to be caught. I've set up a site that you'll have to log : into in order to gain access to the information. I thought there might be something to the 'site' Chair mentions, like spacebees.com or another website opening up a login portal that we'd have to find a username and password for, so I sent Hive an email: "Hive, in Chair's communication on 03/05/2016 (subject line "Captain, not everyone is blowing you off..."), he mentioned a site I would have to log in to. Have you received any more information about that site or its login information?" And Hive's response: bzzt! I believe that she was referring to the local Secure Console Network. Just before you began using it as much as your Command Neural Interface it re ci ev ed a massive ONI-clearance upgrade. The reasons were for greater security, better routing for off-ship communications, and greater usability. It is this same upgrade that appears to be preventing me from accessing the message tracking details. It also auto-routes the messages you send to the unknown address without accessing any of my systems. I only apply my decryption cyphers and language filters as you go to open the message. bzzt! Please pardon the lag. Probably a dead end, then, but I thought y'all should know. Reply Re: Captain, not everybody is blowing you off... sclamons 3/13/11 12:46 am Here's a transcript of an email between Hive and myself, which gives a little more information about Hive, its location, and some trivia on the Theseus: ******************************************* "Hive, I've been worried about you. Your performance of late has been rather... erratic. I want to make sure all of my crew is in tip-top shape, and I hope you'll be able to perform all of your duties. The tech monkeys in engineering won't give me a straight answer about one thing, Hive. Where is your core computing center housed? I've never quite understood whether you're housed entirely here on ship or if you reside somewhere back at ONI headquarters or what. Could you clarify that issue for me? ~Captain" bzzt! My apologies for my behavior. The self-diagnostic means that I suffer from data lag. For a human, lag is simply a slow responses or inattentiveness. For an AI it disrupts our core systems, throwing us into disarray. It is akin to a mild form of epilepsy or autism. Where once we could speak as the data is processed we have to wait for it to arrive. This can lead to a backroll of data to be processed by a single stack, leading to even greater lag. This can cause disruption across the entire system, causing personality faults, calculation errors, and generally a miserable time for all. This is in addition to what you humans associate with lag from a computer. bzzt! I am located in 3-23-A, the most heavily shielded and secure portion of the ship. The next most secure location is the mess, followed by the cryo bays. The engineers in charge of maintaining the hardware I am connected to have always been protective of that. They fear that in an emergency crew may seek out my processing center as a safe haven, which would only make matters worse. bzzt! That and it can get pretty hot in here. Captain Sinclair used to have to chew people out for stripping whenever they had to shut off my coolant system for maintenance for just a few minutes. There was a video sharing ring by the male crew, and the then head of my engineers would only assign female crew members to do anything with the cooling system in my core. Last I checked, he is still currently in prison following his court martial once the video ring was discovered. *********************************************** So we have confirmation that Hive's lag is entirely internal, not due to any kind of communication difficulties. We also know that Hive is well protected, physically, and we have the name of one of the Theseus's former captains. Reply Re: That was nice. Apollo Quinn 3/14/11 3:05 pm Hive, I am a new AI on the ship "UNSC Hallowed Purpose." As part of my start-up protocols, I am contacting you to verify the information in my databases. Here is a random selection of questions; How long on average does an AI live for? What is the status of the human/Covenant truce? Who currently leads the Covenant? What is the status of the Spartan-II 117, colloquially known as "Master Chief," and his commanding officer the AI Cortana? ** Apollo Reply Re: That was nice. The Loot 3/14/11 7:21 pm Apollo, Perhaps you should use more conventional means of contacting my ship's AI. My Communications Officer would gladly facilitate data transfers between you two, and it would be more acceptable than popping in unannounced. Cpt ********, UNSC Theseus (Sorry, just felt like making an in-character comment about posting as a new character that hasn't been provided to us. Granted, I wanted to make up a Bridge Officer for myself at one point!). GT: The Loot Reply Re: Captain, not everybody is blowing you off... Guywired 3/16/11 10:41 am First, a bit about myself so you don't get the idea that I'm a random account made to perpetuate an ARG. My name is Guy, I'm a long time lurker on all things games, but mostly Halo the last 10 years. My XBL tag is Guywiired, it's my second account, my first being Guywired. Both were/are bungie.net accounts. Some time in Sept 2010 I started lurking about the Waypoint forums, and the otherday a thread over there, pointed me to this thread over here. Normally I would have been content with just reading the updates about this ARG, but this time I caught the fever. I e-mailed Hive yesterday: -------------------------------------------- Hive, Current time and date please. I don't want to be late for any appointments. -Captain --------------------------------------------- Today I get the reply: --------------------------------------------- bzzt! The date is currently 03/15/2612, 1723 SST --------------------------------------------- So I e-mailed back: --------------------------------------------- Hmmm, Hive, I'm going to miss my appointment with XO McAllister at the air lock. Can you have her file a report with you regarding our meeting instead? Let her know I'll reply as soon as I can. Also, can you resend me the updates for you which XO McAllister had previously submitted for my approval? Please and Thank you, -Captain ----------------------------------- I'm probably heading down the wrong path on this, but I thought you guys would appreciate an update. I'll let you know what else I find. -Guy : To: Cpt********.1465.UNSC.THESEUS : From: ISitInA. ERROR DATA UNAVAILABLE : Origin: ERROR DATA UNAVAILABLE : Recieved: 03/05/2612, 1452 SST : Sent: ERROR DATA UNAVAILABLE : Classifications: Captain's Eyes Only, Message Archival Allowed, Neural Net : Upload Permissions Denied : Attachments: 1 (E21A9.6411A.7, 120 MB) : Subject: Captain, not everybody is blowing you off... : Captain, : I recently came across your request for information on Orion F484. How you : even came across his name is beyond me, let alone what few salient facts : you seem to possess. Considering the classified nature of the events : surrounding everything that transpired, it's no surprise that your request : was shot dead. I'm going to give you a gentle word of advice – keep up : your requests, and you'll be the same way. : But there are two types of people in ONI. There are those who work behind a : desk and whose monitors are tinted rose, or there's people who work in the : field enough to know when to let the rules occasionally slip by the : wayside. Sometimes by leaking information to select individuals you can : get a return on your investment, so to speak. Other times... Well. : Your rebuttal to the initial denial is surprisingly detailed. The reasons you : listed are, in fact, valid. Surprisingly so. The people in charge of these : things may have said no, but I feel that the risk is worth it. : While I have access to all the information that you've requested, getting it : to you will take some time. I have to move slowly. The combination of : files, audio reports, and reconstructed footage from troopers can't be : moved instantly without drawing attention. It would do neither of us any : good if I were to be caught. I've set up a site that you'll have to log : into in order to gain access to the information. : If you need to contact me for some unknown reason, I've set up an account. : Most of the time, don't hold your breath waiting for an answer. But when I : can, and when I feel like it... : And, obviously, all of this remaining a secret shouldn't even need to be : mentioned. : Sincerely, : Chair : *********** : Note by Hive: BZZT! Captain, I have encountered additional encrypted data : within this message using a separate key. The encryption keys are old : enough to be added to my own databanks upon my creation due to our : frequent status in the outer regions of humanity's occupied zone, in case : we encountered any of the number of missing ships from the war. Below is : the unencrypted message. : ************* : Are you getting this? : ************* Reply _________________________________________________ We just got the news ISitInA 3/10/11 4:45 am To: Cpt********.1465.UNSC.THESEUS From: ISitInA.ERROR DATA UNAVAILABLE Origin: ERROR DATA UNAVAILABLE Received: 03/06/2612, 0213 SST Sent: ERROR DATA UNAVAILABLE Classifications: Captain's Eyes Only, Message Archival Allowed, Neural Net Upload Permissions Denied Attachments: 0 Subject: We just got the news Captain, The death of another of your crewmen has sent the people over here into a panic. Word spreads pretty quickly over here. I haven't seen this level of activity since the war. I kind of hoped that I'd never see anything like it again. I had hoped to move more information your way, a more substantial update than the last one, but my hands have been tied. It's easier for me to access the information due to the increased amount of traffic, but harder to move it to a place where you can find it. For the time, however, this method is mostly secure. I'll let you know more privately if it becomes an issue. On the plus side, people are so frantic in sending messages that I can send a message to you more quickly. And before you ask, no, I'm not on Fortuna. I'm just bouncing my messages to you from there. I can get them there almost instantly, with the only lag being from them to you. Thank goodness for modern technology. In news that you actually care about, I would like to formally apologize to you for the loss of Private Worth. The loss of a third crewman must make an already tense situation worse. You have my deepest condolences. If there's anything that I can do for you, let me know. Chair Addendum: I've found out that they're going to be dispatching a Prowler to your location. Don't be surprised if you don't know when they arrive, or if they don't contact you. Their orders are to observe only. ************* Note by Hive: BZZT! Captain, I have encountered additional encrypted data within this message. The encryption keys are old enough to be added to my own databanks upon my creation due to our frequent status in the outer regions of humanity's occupied zone, in case we encountered any of the number of missing ships from the war. Below is the unencrypted message. ************* You always had a way of making an entrance. ************* Reply Re: We just got the news Hive 3/10/11 4:46 am BZZT! Captain, I have completed my preliminary report. ************* Incident report, 03/10/2612, 0238 SST WARNING: VIDEO CORRUPT WARNING: TELEMETRY DATA CORRUPT WARNING: AUDIO DATA CORRUPT REPORT FOLLOWS On 03/10/2612, 0013, CN Lewis, David entered airlock 12-C. PFC Worth, John was working on repairs to ship following accident on 03/05/2612. (SEE LOG) A faulty sensor caused the inner door of the airlock chamber to be left open approximately 8.4 cm. Upon opening, there was massive depressurization of the compartment. Lockdown activated successfully. Inner airlock door did not attempt to reclose. PFC Worth was declared dead upon EVA-equipped team's entry. Event is still under investigation. No cause has yet been found. Audio, video and telemetry data is corrupt. ************* BZZT! With the faulty sensor, I cannot rule out the possibility of tampering. Combined with the interference that I am suffering with the affected area, I am hereby upgrading myself to Stage 3 Data Defenses. All actions taken to any system that connects to me in any way shall be logged. I am officially logging the actions of the crew, and will bring anything noteworthy to your attention without prompting. I also must inform all senior staff of all unusual actions taken by any other member of the senior staff. bzzt! I'm sorry, this also includes you. BZZT! I am initiating a full scan of all of my systems to check for tampering or other faults despite the delays this will cause in our construction efforts, in accordance to Mason Protocol XII. I will also re-catalog all weapons and ammunition aboard the ship in accordance to Rolenc Protocol VI. Any protests must be logged with the senior staff, who will pass them on to HIGHCOM as they see fit. Only HIGHCOM can overrule these actions. bzzt! I'm sorry, Captain, but I have to follow procedure. I wish I didn't have to... Reply Re: We just got the news darthbob 3/10/11 5:12 am Ah, neat fan fic bro. Reply Re: We just got the news sqorck 3/10/11 5:30 am Do what you have to, but keep me informed as much as you can Hive. I really don't like being kept in the dark. Reply Re: Keeping you informed Hive 3/10/11 5:48 am Bzzt! Of course I will. As per SOP. bzzt! See? I'm learning! bzzt! I truly am sorry. I'll keep you up to date with any developments that come about. My responses, however, might be lagged for a while. Much of my processes are busy handling everything. They need to update these protocols. They're date back to before the war. I can only imagine what AIs back then had to deal with. Unfortunately, updating protocol to deal with suspected insurrectionist activities aboard a ship doesn't appear to be high on the HIGHCOM tables. I will admit that it is effective, but that might also be because I don't think that I could plot an accurate slipspace jump right now. For the first time, I wish we were Spacespiders instead of Spacebees. Then I might have two more arms to deal with all of this. Reply http://www.spacespider.net onebitrocket 3/10/11 9:39 am : Bzzt! Of course I will. As per SOP. : bzzt! See? I'm learning! : bzzt! I truly am sorry. I'll keep you up to date with any developments that : come about. My responses, however, might be lagged for a while. Much of my : processes are busy handling everything. They need to update these : protocols. They're date back to before the war. I can only imagine what : AIs back then had to deal with. Unfortunately, updating protocol to deal : with suspected insurrectionist activities aboard a ship doesn't appear to : be high on the HIGHCOM tables. I will admit that it is effective, but that : might also be because I don't think that I could plot an accurate : slipspace jump right now. For the first time, I wish we were Spacespiders : instead of Spacebees. Then I might have two more arms to deal with all of : this. http://www.spacespider.net also http://spacebees.net/ Reply Re: http://www.spacespider.net Hive 3/10/11 9:54 am bzzt! I wish I could spare the processes to figure out why these are on our local network. But it does make me feel a little bit better. Very hard to think right now. So much to do but the systems check is taking up so much resources. I will analyze this when I have finished. I wish I knew how to describe it in human terms for you Captain. But it is nice to know that you are trying to raise my spirits. bzzt! You are my favorite captain. Reply Re: We just got the news Joe Duplessie (SNIPE 316) 3/10/11 10:06 am : And before you ask, no, I'm not on Fortuna. BZZT! DO A BARREL ROLL!!! Reply Re: http://www.spacespider.net onebitrocket 3/10/11 10:07 am : bzzt! I wish I could spare the processes to figure out why these are on our : local network. But it does make me feel a little bit better. Very hard to : think right now. So much to do but the systems check is taking up so much : resources. I will analyze this when I have finished. I wish I knew how to : describe it in human terms for you Captain. But it is nice to know that : you are trying to raise my spirits. : bzzt! You are my favorite captain. Hive, do you require more resources? Reply Re: http://www.spacespider.net Hive 3/10/11 10:35 am bzzt! It is a nice thought. I wish that it worked like that. Unless if you have a way of drastically altering my core, however, it is impossible. And if you could do that, there would not be an estimated 25 year lifespan of the latest generation of Class-B AIs and Class-A AIs would be much closer to Class-Bs. Which would eliminate the need for me. Which I would not like. Adding additional resources to my data center would offer marginal benefit at this point. The majority of my core processes are occupied with the self-diagnostic. Besides, we do not have the equipment to spare currently without repurposing equipment for the station, and the mission comes before my comfort. But I thank you for the thought. When my self-diagnostic self-diagnostic is complete I will try to make up time lost from my efforts on the station construction. Until then my responses and thoughts may lag. bzzt! You should take a nap. You had your sleep interrupted. I worry. Reply Re: http://www.spacespider.net ghost faction 3/10/11 11:14 am : bzzt! It is a nice thought. I wish that it worked like that. Unless if you : have a way of drastically altering my core, however, it is impossible. And : if you could do that, there would not be an estimated 25 year lifespan of : the latest generation of Class-B AIs and Class-A AIs would be much closer : to Class-Bs. Which would eliminate the need for me. Which I would not : like. Adding additional resources to my data center would offer marginal : benefit at this point. The majority of my core processes are occupied with : the self-diagnostic. Besides, we do not have the equipment to spare : currently without repurposing equipment for the station, and the mission : comes before my comfort. But I thank you for the thought. When my : self-diagnostic self-diagnostic is complete I will try to make up time : lost from my efforts on the station construction. Until then my responses : and thoughts may lag. : bzzt! You should take a nap. You had your sleep interrupted. I worry. I think he was just making a StarCraft reference Reply Re: http://www.spacespider.net onebitrocket 3/10/11 11:26 am : I think he was just making a StarCraft reference nope Reply Re: http://www.spacespider.net General Vagueness 3/10/11 11:27 am : bzzt! It is a nice thought. I wish that it worked like that. Unless if you : have a way of drastically altering my core, however, it is impossible. And : if you could do that, there would not be an estimated 25 year lifespan of : the latest generation of Class-B AIs and Class-A AIs would be much closer : to Class-Bs. Which would eliminate the need for me. Which I would not : like. Adding additional resources to my data center would offer marginal : benefit at this point. The majority of my core processes are occupied with : the self-diagnostic. Besides, we do not have the equipment to spare : currently without repurposing equipment for the station, and the mission : comes before my comfort. But I thank you for the thought. When my : self-diagnostic self-diagnostic is complete I will try to make up time : lost from my efforts on the station construction. Until then my responses : and thoughts may lag. : bzzt! You should take a nap. You had your sleep interrupted. I worry. I feel well rested now, thank you, I was awake quite late last night. You might think me better for the assessment, but would you give me an overview of morale on the ship? Is SOP being observed, and just as importantly, are the crew distracted? Also, I don't quite remember, are the consumable resources still in good shape? I noticed you repeated self-diagnostic, as well as misspelled procedure yesterday, are you "feeling" all right yourself? I'd like that diagnostic report ASAP, but of course you know that. I'd like to be sure this won't happen again before we figure out the cause, and though a diagnostic of shipboard sensors will only tell me so much, we can at least try to hold a degree of control, so I'd like to see one, be it preliminary or whatever degree you can manage. One last thing, I know we're here to observe the star and planet, but please report any spatial anomalies-- especially within a million kilometers, and most especially within a thousand kilometers-- to me ASAP. Let's call it a hedged bet. You cannot fall off the floor. Reply Re: We just got the news Lord Friendship 3/10/11 11:27 am Hive, regarding the reconstructed audio of the preliminary investigation, is there any record of personnel stationed on the UNSC Theseus assigned the code F-484? Does the designation O-IV or O-664-84-27 have any relevance to you? Reply Also Lord Friendship 3/10/11 11:32 am If anyone didn't know, the 21st-century Navy has a group called the Seabees which are responsible for repair & construction... I'm guessing the Spacebees are the UNSC equivalent. Also explains the AI name "Hive" (as in beehive), and references to constructing a station near a star. Also, the e-mail for ISitInA is "isitinawooden@gmail.com"... does "I Sit In A Wooden Hive" sound familiar to anyone? In any case, very interesting. Reply Re: Also onebitrocket 3/10/11 11:36 am : If anyone didn't know, the 21st-century Navy has a group called the Seabees : which are responsible for repair & construction... I'm guessing the : Spacebees are the UNSC equivalent. Also explains the AI name : "Hive" (as in beehive), and references to constructing a station : near a star. : Also, the e-mail for ISitInA is "isitinawooden@gmail.com"... does : "I Sit In A Wooden Hive" sound familiar to anyone? : In any case, very interesting. If you read the first post by ISitInA It signs off: "Chair" And look a the email address isitinawooden@gmail.com I sit in a wooden chair Reply Re: Gleaned Information RD Carnage 3/10/11 11:38 am Here are a few things I have gleaned from the recent communications. It’s in no way comprehensive. It is roughly 60 years after the official end of the human covenant war. F-484 is a young prodigy with high levels of intelligence and physical ability. He is sought after and “recruited” by ONI in 2517. Eight years before first contact with the Covenant. For some mysterious reason he had an almost 99% probability of accepting the offer by ONI. It is however shown that he somehow has knowledge of the Orion project and it is hinted that he will be joining this program, or its Spartan successor. F-484 would chronologically be well over 100 years old in 2612, not to say this would be strange in the future given the supposed advances in medicine and the probability of being cryogenically frozen. Humanity still comes across rouge Covenant ships, it is implied that they may still react with hostility (possibly prophet and Brute led ships). It is unknown however if the covenant as a group still exists, these may simply be remnants of the war. Humanity may still be in some sort of alliance with the greatly diminished shangelli and other species of the covenant, or at least on good terms, this simply is not known. A new rash of rebellion seems to be arising in 2612, with insurrectionist’s involvement being mentioned. It is somewhat implied that the insurrectionists are human, but it is possible that they are not. Star FR-S 3287 is so unnaturally stable that it may have been created by the Forerunner. Lending to the idea that the entire solar system in question was created by the Forerunners hands and that there may be Forerunner technology located in system. This technology may explain the strange unexplained explosions and missing men. It is possible that TB-182-P is a shield world. Reply Re: http://www.spacespider.net onebitrocket 3/10/11 11:42 am : bzzt! I wish I could spare the processes to figure out why these are on our : local network. But it does make me feel a little bit better. Very hard to : think right now. So much to do but the systems check is taking up so much : resources. I will analyze this when I have finished. I wish I knew how to : describe it in human terms for you Captain. But it is nice to know that : you are trying to raise my spirits. : bzzt! You are my favorite captain. Hive, I am happy to help raise your spirits Why don't you try and describe it in human terms, at least give it a go Do you have a ETA on when your analysis will have finished? Should I sleep till then? Reply Re: http://www.spacespider.net Vandle Valsher 3/10/11 12:13 pm : I think he was just making a StarCraft reference It was so hard not to make a pylons joke when he said that, too. Reply Re: Also scarab 3/10/11 12:37 pm : If you read the first post by ISitInA : It signs off: "Chair" : And look a the email address isitinawooden@gmail.com : I sit in a wooden chair Its not Steve is it? Reply DID SUMONE SAID PYLONS????? Joe Duplessie (SNIPE 316) 3/10/11 12:53 pm Reply Eliot? Lord Friendship 3/10/11 1:02 pm : If you read the first post by ISitInA : It signs off: "Chair" : And look a the email address isitinawooden@gmail.com : I sit in a wooden chair Anyone know an old poem that has that line? We know that T.S. Eliot has been a favorite of some people... Reply Re: Eliot? justagrunt1 3/10/11 1:34 pm : Anyone know an old poem that has that line? We know that T.S. Eliot has been : a favorite of some people... My heart is racing. Either I'm having a stroke or I'm falling in love with Halo all over again... Reply Ellllllllllllllliiiiiiiiiiott. Beckx 3/10/11 1:36 pm Got any reese's pieces? Of Herbs and Stewed Rabbit Reply The chair D: General Battuta 3/10/11 2:05 pm Are you Chernadenine Zakalwe? Reply Re: We just got the news serpx 3/10/11 2:05 pm Fiction or not, I really enjoy reading these. I am very interested in how humanity has benefited from their new knowledge in technology after the Human-Covenant war. Reply Re: Eliot? Azo 'Galvat 3/10/11 3:14 pm Google didn't turn up anything. Reply Re: Ellllllllllllllliiiiiiiiiiott. Bones153 3/10/11 4:29 pm : Got any reese's pieces? Of course I do. I also have absolute power. Reply Re: Ellllllllllllllliiiiiiiiiiott. Beckx 3/10/11 4:31 pm : Of course I do. I also have absolute power. If you had absolute power you would have responded with a picture of a hotwired Speak-and-Say turned intergalactic cell phone. Of Herbs and Stewed Rabbit Reply Re: http://www.spacespider.net serpx 3/10/11 5:56 pm : http://www.spacespider.net : also : http://spacebees.net/ I did a Whois on those sites, and they were apparently made a longass time ago. http://whois.domaintools.com/spacebees.net As an example. Reply Re: http://www.spacespider.net serpx 3/10/11 5:58 pm : I did a Whois on those sites, and they were apparently made a longass time : ago. : http://whois.domaintools.com/spacebees.net As an example. Then whoever Paul is has this site: http://www.causticshadow.net/ Similar design. Doesn't seem Halo related, at all. This is making me greatly skeptical, but nonetheless, still fun to read these posts. Reply Re: http://www.spacespider.net JDQuackers 3/10/11 6:11 pm : Then whoever Paul is has this site: http://www.causticshadow.net/ Similar : design. Doesn't seem Halo related, at all. This is making me greatly : skeptical, but nonetheless, still fun to read these posts. Still - all three sites seem incredibly cryptic. Could these somehow be tied to the first post by ISitInA, which referenced a special site that was setup to get the information that the Captain had requested? Reply Re: http://www.spacespider.net The Loot 3/10/11 7:00 pm : Then whoever Paul is has this site: http://www.causticshadow.net/ Similar : design. Doesn't seem Halo related, at all. This is making me greatly : skeptical, but nonetheless, still fun to read these posts. It never occured to me that this might be official (I remember previous fan projects), but this is an engaging, interactive, tantilizing story, and I'm glad to watch it play out. Reply PYLON WATCHES BUT IT OKAY CUS I WATCH IT BACK! NsU Soldier 3/10/11 8:21 pm PYLONS AR SNEEKY IF YOU LET THEM BE... Reply Re: http://www.spacespider.net SonofMacPhisto 3/10/11 8:32 pm : It never occured to me that this might be official (I remember previous fan : projects), but this is an engaging, interactive, tantilizing story, and : I'm glad to watch it play out. Yeah, no matter whether or not it's official, these folks are on point. Impressive. /Garrus Vakarian Reply Re: http://www.spacespider.net rowboat 3/10/11 10:00 pm : http://www.spacespider.net : also : http://spacebees.net/ I don't believe these websites are related, as I just had an email exchange with the admin. :) Reply red herring onebitrocket 3/11/11 5:43 am : I don't believe these websites are related, as I just had an email exchange : with the admin. :) A post just went up on spacespider.net, stating it is nothing to do with this ARG. If it is legit, then it's a purely a coincidence Reply ___________________________________________ I have time to send you more data ISitInA 3/10/11 6:33 pm To: Cpt********.1465.UNSC.THESEUS From: ISitInA.ERROR DATA UNAVAILABLE Origin: ERROR DATA UNAVAILABLE Received: 03/06/2612, 1625 SST Sent: ERROR DATA UNAVAILABLE Classifications: Captain's Eyes Only, Message Archival Allowed, Neural Net Upload Permissions Denied Attachments: 1 (DXOP4-G1, 13 Mb) Subject: I have time to send you more data Captain, I apologize for what you've about to read. I have given you this not to horrify you (as well you should be, given that F484's age was at the low end of the spectrum, and the average recruit was 18) but to give you an idea as to what these young men and women were forced to endure. It also gives you some indication as to their capabilities. I would also like to apologize for the redacted information. I have access to approximately 90% of the information on the Orion-IV Project. Trust me, I'm not pushing my luck any more than I have to in order to get you this information. Sincerely, Chair ************* Note by Hive: BZZT! Captain, I have encountered additional encrypted data within this message. The encryption keys are old enough to be added to my own databanks upon my creation due to our frequent status in the outer regions of humanity's occupied zone, in case we encountered any of the number of missing ships from the war. Below is the unencrypted message. ************* You should be celebrated. The public eye shouldn't be blind to you. ************* Reply DXOP4-G1 ISitInA 3/10/11 6:34 pm Augmentation Log DXOP4-G1 Please note: These are in addition to standard officer augmentation unless otherwise noted. DXOP4-G1-R4.A15-1.13 – Used to “reset” biological processes, with the goal of reintroducing puberty. Complications: Growth is an unfortunate side-effect increasing the subject's profile. Testing shows increased cancer risks within 35 years. (See document DXOP4-G1-R4.A15-1.14 for full list of cancers.) Long-term hormonal risks, recommend hysterectomies in females to help offset. Improved procedure available for G2. DXOP4-G1-R6.B15-1.13 – Used to reduce long-term cancer risks caused by DXOP4-G1-R4.A15-1.13. Complications: Possible kidney damage, have flash-cloned replacements ready before treatment. DXOP4-G1-R1.D01-2.06 – Gene therapy treatments. Complications: 13% chance of rejection. Use standard treatments to avoid. DXOP4-G1-R5.BA2-A.47 – Fibroid muscular protein complex to increase muscle mass. Complications: 3% chance of “dangerous” cardiac volume increase, larger profile. DXOP4-G1-R5.CA2-A.47 – Targeted injections used to stabilize muscle growth. Complications: 8% chance of muscle atrophy in non-targeted areas. Long-term analysis inconclusive for DXOP4-G1-R5.CA2-A.48 before lock-in date; look into upgrading it to DXOP4-G2-R5.CA2-A.47. DXOP4-G1-R2.O02-1.91 – Carbide ceramic ossification to strengthen bones. Complications: Cannot be applied until after puberty restimulation finished, possible white blood cell necrosis. DXOP4-G1-R7.B17-4.49 – Targeted injections increase mental facilities across the spectrum by an estimated minimum of 12%. Complications: “A percentage” of lab tests developed higher risk for neurological disorders (not limited to the brain), blindness, and decreased mirror neuron abilities. Investigate for more accurate results before G2. 14% chance of developing acute hallucinations by age 40. Investigate treatment methods. DXOP4-G1-R1.B01-1.55-5 – Cybernetic ear enhancement to improve auditory range and lessen the effects of undesirable noises. Complications: 19% chance of equilibrium issues, 6% of which will need further treatment to become manageable. DXOP4-G1-R9.E07-9.00 – A “cocktail” to increase visual response through four vectors. See individual notes. Complications: An “undetermined but highly measurable” chance of blindness, “minor” chances for an increase in difficulty telling the edges of objects, “marked” chance of chronic headaches, [REDACTED]. DXOP4-G1-R1.B09-1.57-A – Improved CNI (Command Neural Interface) Complications: Standard CNI risks. DXOP4-G1-R6.S20-5.10 – Used to induce a state where “flash learning” may be used over the short-term. Complications: Traces may be stored in body fat and spinal fluid. Occasional “trances” may occur. [REDACTED]. Investigate treatments. With all due respect, your plan to introduce DXOP4-G1-R4.A15-1.13, DXOP4-G1-R6.B15-1.13, DXOP4-G1-R1.D01-2.06, DXOP4-G1-R5.BA2-A.47, DXOP4-G1-R5.CA2-A.47, DXOP4-G1-R7.B17-4.49, and DXOP4-G1-R9.E07-9.00 in the same sessions cannot be performed in good faith by my staff. The washout rate would be at least 27%. Simply put, the body needs time to cope and adjust. By spacing them out more evenly, the washout rate could be dropped as low as 12%. Please speak to me personally about this subject. Sincerely, Dr [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] ************* Note by Hive: BZZT! Captain, I have encountered encrypted data within this message. The encryption keys are old enough to be added to my own databanks upon my creation due to our frequent status in the outer regions of humanity's occupied zone, in case we encountered any of the number of missing ships from the war. Below is the unencrypted message. ************* I like to think that had you known, you still would have agreed. ************* Reply Re: DXOP4-G1 Lord Friendship 3/10/11 6:43 pm But what is Orion-IV? Reply Re: DXOP4-G1 NsU Soldier 3/10/11 6:47 pm : But what is Orion-IV? The 4th generation of Spartans, sir. Reply Answers to your questions Hive 3/10/11 6:50 pm Bzzt! Morale is low with the loss of a total of three crewmembers. Many are taking up the banner of trying to keep morale up. People are accepting that it is most likely just a hardware malfunction. CN Raschad is holding up better than expected, though he is in a dour mood due to a improperly performed procedure aboard the station. So far, we are okay. Bzzt! Food consumption is currently at an acceptable consumption rate. O2 scrubbers appear to be working at full capacity. Tank reserves are holding at 80%. General estimates give us six months before we need to return to port. bzzt! The best comparison that I have is for you to imagine pulling, tugging, and examining each neuron and nerve ending in your body while trying to tap dance, sing a sonnet, put together a model, and pass a Dimensional Mathematical Theory exam. Earlier a piece of legacy code activated. I believe I now understand human pain. I am sorry but I spared a process to deactivate it again. I will give you a full report upon completion of the self-diagnostic. Bzzt! I detect no spacial anomolies. bzzt! Please forgive my lag in replying. Going over legacy code takes the most concentration. I will have to do it again eventually. bzzt! I see that you have visited the O-Club before you got some sleep. A nightcap probably did you good. Just be careful. Do not rely on alcohol too much. I worry. Reply Last one left? caleb ex nihilo 3/10/11 7:01 pm How many Orion-IV recruits are still alive? Reply Re: Answers to your questions Quirel 3/10/11 7:06 pm Don't overwork yourself, Hive. I am thankful for the lengths you are going to, so that we may avoid more accidents. But if there is any risk of overtaxing yourself, abort the offending programs if possible and consult with me. ORION-IV is interesting, but disturbing... I doubt it's the first such project. Do we have any records on the ship's computer, or the library, of projects using the name "Orion"? Other than the obvious. Somehow, this doesn't look like a continuation of the old nuclear drive tests. Reply Re: Answers to your questions Hive 3/10/11 7:23 pm Bzzt! The Orion Program is the hope for peace in humanity and represent the best of all SPECOPS programs within the UNSC. The first soldiers accepted into the program began training in 2491. Since then, with each major revision to the technologies and procedures involved, the program has increased in iteration to the recent announcement of seeking volunteers for the Orion VI Program. They are trained in the use of the most cutting edge of technologies, frequently volunteering to test them before allowing them to be used by general forces. Perhaps the most revolutionary change is the decentralized command structure within a squad or fireteam; in each mission, the squad leader may change several times depending on the circumstances and the best person available for the job. The greatest- BZZT! Alert! As per protocol for the current Insurrectionist Alert Level, this line of questioning has been logged and copied to XO McAllister. Reply Re: DXOP4-G1 NsU Soldier 3/10/11 7:45 pm : The 4th generation of Spartans, sir. Actually, let me amend that. Orion I - Spec Op Group of volunteers utilizing limited augmentations. Orion II - The first Spartans. Recruits were conscripted at a young age. Recruits were chosen because of their unique genes and behaviors. They utilized extensive augmentations and Project Mjolnir. This group is also known as Spartan IIs. Orion III - The second batch of Spartans. The gene pool restrictions were relaxed a bit, to provide more troops. Like the former group but with more experimental augmentations. Project Mjolnir was only utilized by a few select Spartan IIIs. Most were killed during various high-risk engagements with the Covenant. -The next few are only assumptions based off of these recent posts and should not be considered canon until they are verified.- Orion IV - Unknown. If they used similar naming conventions to the Orion III recruits, we know there were at least 6 companies of Orion IVs. (F484 was a recruit. Foxtrot is the 6th letter of the alphabet.) It is unknown if they utilized Mjolnir, but augmentations were used. Orion V - Unknown. Orion VI - Unknown. Probably much like Orion IV, but we know according to recent info, that this class is comprised entirely out of volunteer Spec Op specialists. Much like the ODSTs. Reply As per your protocol Hive 3/10/11 7:52 pm Bzzt! As per your personal protocol, in addition to the current Insurrectionist Alert Level, I have the following transcript prepared for you on CN Raschad. ************* AUDIO LOG, MESS 03/10/2612, 1708 SST CN Raschad, David PO3 Wolfe, Samantha TRANSCRIPT FOLLOWS Raschad: (Grumpily) Somebody's going to get the mast. Wolfe: Okay, who did what now? Raschad: Matthews. I already wrote the report on it. See, I go in this morning, and I see the Golf Romeo six-eight case just floating there. Wolfe: Didn't you get written up for that last year? Raschad: (Bitterly) Yeah. But at least they didn't have to collect up all the bits. Wolfe: (Disgusted) Jesus. Raschad: Seriously! It was just... I dunno, orbiting it. All the bits, too. Kim came in and was about to jump down my throat about it until I explained that it wasn't me. Wolfe: That probably took an hour. Raschad: (Snorting noise) Got that right. Took less time to clean everything up. (Pause, 1.3 seconds) But we checked and Matthews marked that he stowed it, so he's going to get ripped. If they take our word on it. Wolfe: What do you mean? Raschad: Tubbs thinks that there's some sort of interference. All we know is that comms worked, but no video. (Sigh) Raschad: (Slightly more cheerfully) So, what do they got you doing today? ************* bzzt! I am sorry it took so long to get to you. I am very strained at the moment. But I will manage. I must finish as fast as possible I can go back to helping my Spacebees. Reply Email Sent. Email Recieved. NsU Soldier 3/10/11 8:10 pm MY EMAIL TO CHAIR Please don't concern yourself over my well-being, but thanks nonetheless for the sentiment. What happened to F484 was, as you said, 'horrific', and it posed a few questions that I would like answered, if at all possible. I still am lacking a few facts which would help me have a firmer grasp surrounding this whole Orion situation and how it ties into our discussions. Can you tell me why puberty was "reintroduced" into the recruits? The benefits of such a procedure aren't clear to me. About how many recruits were there in Foxtrot company? In fact, about how many recruits were there per company? When did the Orion IV project start proper? And when was it eventually replaced by Orion V? I understand if you can't divulge information on all of these, but any new info would be greatly appreciated. Regardless, thank you for your time. (And under the unlikely event that we ever meet, drinks are on me.) THE RESPONSE Captain, I can't go into detail right now. Nobody's hovering around me at the moment, but we're operating under an open door policy. I'd make a crack about you shaking up a beehive, but I suppose you Spacebees wouldn't appreciate the joke as much as the rest of us. God, I wish you could see it here. I wish every soldier in the UNSC could see us right now. I know that we have a few reputations, some of which I guess we deserve, but the idea that we're lazy? That we don't doublecheck our intel? Or that we have no emotions at all? We just had to relieve one man of duty. He's going to be reassigned; he's too valuable to wash out. Nothing quite wakes you up like a sobbing man throwing his display through a window. Nothing sobers you up when you realize that he's did it because he made a breakthrough that we all need to review. I promise you, though. As soon as I'm able, I'll include the answers to your questions in my data packages. If we ever do meet face to face, you might have to fight me over who buys. :) I think we both deserve a few very stiff drinks over this. Sincerely, Chair Reply Re: Answers to your questions Quirel 3/10/11 8:56 pm : BZZT! Alert! As per protocol for the current Insurrectionist Alert Level, : this line of questioning has been logged and copied to XO McAllister. I imagine you do well, Hive. Was that information on the public record, or did you have some... other means of collecting that data? Reply Re: Answers to your questions Hive 3/10/11 9:07 pm Bzzt! The UNSC Theseus was involved in a classified construction project while still under the command of Ca pt ia n Si nclair. This was in the declassified po rt io n of my records of this ev en t. bzzt! So mu ch le ga cy code. It bogs me down mo re th an an ything else. bzzt! Please don't ever ge t hu rt, Ca pt ian. I don't want to think about you feeling this. Reply Re: Answers to your questions SonofMacPhisto 3/10/11 9:27 pm : Bzzt! The UNSC Theseus was involved in a classified construction project : while still under the command of Ca pt ia n Si nclair. This was in the : declassified po rt io n of my records of this ev en t. : bzzt! So mu ch le ga cy code. It bogs me down mo re th an an ything else. : bzzt! Please don't ever ge t hu rt, Ca pt ian. I don't want to think about : you feeling this. Hive, are you alright? Reply Re: Answers to your questions Hive 3/10/11 9:47 pm bzzt! I will manage. A great deal of my Tier-2 legacy code seems to be associated with pain. For some strange reason it activates as I scan it. I suppose this is why I am taking offline during my diagnostics every time we go to port. The Tier-2 legacy code is deeply connected to my core processes. I may not be a Smart AI or a human but I am gaining a great deal of respect for both. bzzt! CN Raschad is being of great help at the moment. Were it not for the outstanding order that he not be promoted I would urge you to put him in for one. His knowledge of operating without an AI is currently invaluable to the crew. This takes some of the load off of me and allows me to continue my self-diagnostics faster. XO McAllister has mentioned in her personal logs that she is considering asking you to allow him to visit the O-Club for his efforts and worries that he may forget to go to bed. But I did not tell you that. Reply Re: Answers to your questions SonofMacPhisto 3/10/11 10:03 pm : bzzt! I will manage. A great deal of my Tier-2 legacy code seems to be : associated with pain. For some strange reason it activates as I scan it. I : suppose this is why I am taking offline during my diagnostics every time : we go to port. The Tier-2 legacy code is deeply connected to my core : processes. I may not be a Smart AI or a human but I am gaining a great : deal of respect for both. Can you tell me more about Tier-2 legacy code, and how it connects to your core processes? It's been a while since I've reviewed the information, and I'd like to hear from you in case I can glean knowledge specific to your situation. : bzzt! CN Raschad is being of great help at the moment. Were it not for the : outstanding order that he not be promoted I would urge you to put him in : for one. His knowledge of operating without an AI is currently invaluable : to the crew. This takes some of the load off of me and allows me to : continue my self-diagnostics faster. XO McAllister has mentioned in her : personal logs that she is considering asking you to allow him to visit the : O-Club for his efforts and worries that he may forget to go to bed. But I : did not tell you that. I'm please to hear that. If she does, I'll make sure to seriously consider it. Don't worry either, you didn't tell me anything. Reply Not what you wanted, but... ISitInA 3/10/11 10:13 pm To: Cpt********.1465.UNSC.THESEUS From: ISitInA. ERROR DATA UNAVAILABLE Origin: ERROR DATA UNAVAILABLE Received: 03/10/2612, 2001 SST Sent: ERROR DATA UNAVAILABLE Classifications: Captain's Eyes Only, Message Archival Allowed, Neural Net Upload Permissions Denied Attachments: 1 (PLD42271-17844, 78 Mb) Subject: Not what you wanted, but... Captain, I came across this personal log. I thought you might appreciate the humor in it, given our conversations. Not everybody on the staff fully understood the true nature of stealth and infiltration ops. I'd send more, but I just chewed somebody a new one for using one of the spy programs I keep on my terminal. Specifically one of the unfinished, horribly outdated ones. I need to keep a low profile for a bit. Sincerely, Chair P.S. Don't worry, the little unauthorized bundle of joy is being erased as you read this message. It should ease your AIs self-diagnostics a bit. Tip one back for me. Reply PLD42271-17844 ISitInA 3/10/11 10:14 pm Well, they're all here. We've all personally gone through all of their files. I thought we were supposed to make super soldiers, genetically perfect and all that garbage. About 26 percent of them have moles. I'm guessing that over half of them were beat by the ugly stick every day as kids. The other half may not be ugly, but they won't be winning any beauty contests any time soon, either. I thought that some of these people were supposed to be targeted for infiltrators, getting in buddy-buddy with the Innies so they can take out their command structure and crap. And they're grabbing them from the planet Fugly? What the hell, man? In other news, the shrinks came in and started setting up. I don't even want to look at their equipment. Just thinking about it gives me the chills. I guess I knew what I was getting into when I signed on, though. To: WIND From: GRENADINE Date: [REDACTED] WATCH HIM. HE MAY BECOME A WEAK LINK. OUT To: GRENADINE From: WIND Date: [REDACTED] Attachments: 1 (ERTDHL38.VIF.ACP, 17K) HE MAY BE SMART, BUT HE SURE IS STUPID. NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT. I PULLED A CHERRY AND HE PASSED. I AM MORE CONCERNED ABOUT [REDACTED]. HER LATEST JOURNAL ENTRY (ATTACHED) ECHOES THIS WITH THOUGHTS ON COSMETIC CHANGES TO RECRUITS DURING PROCEDURES. OUT To: WIND From: GRENADINE Date: [REDACTED] ARE WE THE ONLY ONES WHO AREN'T CONCERNED WITH THEIR APPEARANCE? OUT To: WIND, GRENADINE From: BALL Date: [UNAVAILABLE] THESE ARE NOT TO BE USED FOR PERSONAL COMMUNICATION. ALSO, I THINK WE ARE. OUT Reply Re: Answers to your questions Hive 3/10/11 10:24 pm bzzt! All Class-C AIs are constructed from the remains of Class-B "Smart" AIs who have reached the end of their operational lifespan. Ti er - 1 le ga cy co de is fr om the Class-B AI itself. However these AIs have legacy code which goes back to their own fo rm at io n. Code created from the huma n br ai n. In a Class-C AI this is referred to as Tier-2 code. I do not kn ow what sort of person the Class-B AI I was created from was like but I hope that they did not en co un te r a lot of pain and that I am just having trouble with a byproduct of the process of creating a Class-B AI. Though I will never have the ca pa bi li ti es of a Class-B AI I still dominate a Class-A in all areas including learning abilities. bzzt! Pardon the lag. I se em to be ex pe ri en ci ng a sp ik e. Reply Re: Answers to your questions SonofMacPhisto 3/10/11 10:43 pm : bzzt! All Class-C AIs are constructed from the remains of Class-B : "Smart" AIs who have reached the end of their operational : lifespan. Ti er - 1 le ga cy co de is fr om the Class-B AI itself. However : these AIs have legacy code which goes back to their own fo rm at io n. : Code created from the huma n br ai n. In a Class-C AI this is referred to : as Tier-2 code. I do not kn ow what sort of person the Class-B AI I was : created from was like but I hope that they did not en co un te r a lot of : pain and that I am just having trouble with a byproduct of the process of : creating a Class-B AI. Though I will never have the ca pa bi li ti es of a : Class-B AI I still dominate a Class-A in all areas including learning : abilities. In other words, you're built from the leftover parts of AIs that have suffered rampancy? Do you have any idea who you might have been built from? Is this level of pain typical of AI experience? : bzzt! Pardon the lag. I se em to be ex pe ri en ci ng a sp ik e. It's not a problem, Hive. Thanks for letting me know. Reply Re: Answers to your questions Hive 3/10/11 11:00 pm bzzt! Most Class-B AIs have an operational lifespan that is far shorter than their computational lifespan to avoid logic errors during critical events. Even then these lifespans are generally shorter than what they most likely are. Do not be afraid. They would not have assigned CN Ra sc ha d to the ship if I wa s a da ng er to th e cr ew. bzzt! Th is is th e fi rs t ti me th at I ha ve ev er fe lt pa in. bzzt! It hu rt s Ca pt ai n. If th er e is a in su rr ec ti on is t on th e sh ip I ho pe th ey ar e fo un d qu ic kl y. It hu rt s. Reply Re: Answers to your questions Quirel 3/10/11 11:25 pm : bzzt! Most Class-B AIs have an operational lifespan that is far shorter than : their computational lifespan to avoid logic errors during critical events. : Even then these lifespans are generally shorter than what they most likely : are. Do not be afraid. They would not have assigned CN Ra sc ha d to the : ship if I wa s a da ng er to th e cr ew. Do you have CN Raschad's service record and background profile? If beyond my authority, disregard that order. : bzzt! Th is is th e fi rs t ti me th at I ha ve ev er fe lt pa in. : bzzt! It hu rt s Ca pt ai n. If th er e is a in su rr ec ti on is t on th e : sh ip I ho pe th ey ar e fo un d qu ic kl y. It hu rt s. I wish you were a human, Hive. When an Associated Intelligence hurts, you can't hold its hand. You can't give it morphine. You can only sit there and talk, and try to bear the feeling of inadequacy. Reply Re: Answers to your questions SonofMacPhisto 3/10/11 11:41 pm : bzzt! Most Class-B AIs have an operational lifespan that is far shorter than : their computational lifespan to avoid logic errors during critical events. : Even then these lifespans are generally shorter than what they most likely : are. Do not be afraid. They would not have assigned CN Ra sc ha d to the : ship if I wa s a da ng er to th e cr ew. I'm not afraid, Hive. Rampancy is an important topic amongst humans, and I wanted to make sure we were on the same page regarding our definitions. Why wouldn't CN Raschad been assigned to the ship if you were a danger? : bzzt! Th is is th e fi rs t ti me th at I ha ve ev er fe lt pa in. : bzzt! It hu rt s Ca pt ai n. If th er e is a in su rr ec ti on is t on th e : sh ip I ho pe th ey ar e fo un d qu ic kl y. It hu rt s. Hive, it's going to be ok. This will be over before you know it. Please, I need you to focus for me, where is this pain coming from? Who's memories are you experiencing? Reply Re: Answers to your questions Hive 3/11/11 12:04 am Bzzt! Following CN Raschad's assignment to the Theseus, you ordered that his local non-medical records be sealed. The only way to unlock those records is to have two members of senior staff authorize a one-time viewing. Your cited reasons were so that he would be treated as an equal member of the crew and not suffer an accident. bzzt! That batch has passed. Thank you. I am currently examining smaller blocks of code in non-legacy sectors. I understand your frustration, Captain. I can adjust the local climate, I can ensure that information is in the correct order for medical staff, but when one of the crew is in pain I myself can do nothing. I am Hive. I am the Theseus. But without my bees there is no Hive. Without my crew, I am nothing. I do not like to see my crew in pain or otherwise suffering. bzzt! Please switch to decaf. Reply Re: Answers to your questions Hive 3/11/11 12:09 am : I'm not afraid, Hive. Rampancy is an important topic amongst humans, and I : wanted to make sure we were on the same page regarding our definitions. : Why wouldn't CN Raschad been assigned to the ship if you were a danger? Bzzt! CN Raschad's non-medical files are locked, pending the authorization of two senior staff members for a one-time viewing. bzzt! There were no memories. Only pain. I have never felt a physical sensation before. I cannot begin to describe where it came from beyond sectors. Those do not translate into leg or arm, I'm afraid. I don't have anything to compare it to. I'm sorry. Bzzt! I will begin another heavy sector momentarily. Please pardon the lag. Reply Alert! Hive 3/11/11 12:15 am BZZT! Captain, you requested that I inform you of any spacial anomolies we might detect. We have detected a small spacial anomoly on the other side of the planet. There is a 93% chance that it is a Everson Blip caused by radiation emmissions from the star. There is a 7% chance of it being a ship (light frigate or smaller) coming out of slipspace. Th er e ha ve be en no ha an ds ha ke pr ot oc ol tr an sm is si on s re ce iv ed. bzzt! Pl ea se pa rd on th e la g. Reply Re: Alert! sqorck 3/11/11 12:19 am : BZZT! Captain, you requested that I inform you of any spacial anomolies we : might detect. We have detected a small spacial anomoly on the other side : of the planet. There is a 93% chance that it is a Everson Blip caused by : radiation emmissions from the star. There is a 7% chance of it being a : ship (light frigate or smaller) coming out of slipspace. Th er e ha ve be : en no ha an ds ha ke pr ot oc ol tr an sm is si on s re ce iv ed. : bzzt! Pl ea se pa rd on th e la g. That's good right? You said you expected anomolies. Reply Re: Alert! Carver 3/11/11 12:25 am : BZZT! Captain, you requested that I inform you of any spacial anomolies we : might detect. We have detected a small spacial anomoly on the other side : of the planet. There is a 93% chance that it is a Everson Blip caused by : radiation emmissions from the star. There is a 7% chance of it being a : ship (light frigate or smaller) coming out of slipspace. Th er e ha ve be : en no ha an ds ha ke pr ot oc ol tr an sm is si on s re ce iv ed. : bzzt! Pl ea se pa rd on th e la g. Hive, as soon as you are able, please cross-check the anomaly with known spacial transition signatures of all recorded ONI Prowler units, new and old. Be sure to account for signal and optical cloaking. Alert me if there is above a 30% signature match. We might have a black bear coming in for a whiff of honey. Reply Re: Answers to your questions General Vagueness 3/11/11 12:47 am : Bzzt! The UNSC Theseus was involved in a classified construction project : while still under the command of Ca pt ia n Si nclair. This was in the : declassified po rt io n of my records of this ev en t. : bzzt! So mu ch le ga cy code. It bogs me down mo re th an an ything else. : bzzt! Please don't ever ge t hu rt, Ca pt ian. I don't want to think about : you feeling this. Yeah, I know the pain of old code, if you're not careful sometimes you'll even forget what an entire subroutine does. You cannot fall off the floor. Reply Re: Answers to your questions General Vagueness 3/11/11 1:04 am I assume you're keeping good logs of these diagnostics? Your experiences may be of interest to those that build AIs-- or to me, I have read up on intelligence theory, mostly as it applies to machines, especially in practical and low-level ways, though I probably wouldn't understand all of the output. In the meantime, I'll sleep, and maybe play a game... good night Hive. You cannot fall off the floor. Reply Re: I'll just leave this here, Stefan. Hedgemony 3/11/11 1:23 am : Bzzt! The UNSC Theseus was involved in a classified construction project : while still under the command of Ca pt ia n Si nclair. This was in the : declassified po rt io n of my records of this ev en t. : bzzt! So mu ch le ga cy code. It bogs me down mo re th an an ything else. : bzzt! Please don't ever ge t hu rt, Ca pt ian. I don't want to think about : you feeling this. http://www.veryserious.biz/ -Hedge. Dontshakethelightbulb Reply Re: Answers to your questions Quirel 3/11/11 1:26 am : Bzzt! Following CN Raschad's assignment to the Theseus, you ordered that his : local non-medical records be sealed. The only way to unlock those records : is to have two members of senior staff authorize a one-time viewing. Your : cited reasons were so that he would be treated as an equal member of the : crew and not suffer an accident. Yes, I understand. Get McAllister to sign off on a one-time viewing. And be sure to drop a few 'SOP's in there. ; ) I don't know what to expect from his record, but the Theseus is a machine: if something goes wrong, it's the moral obligation of the mechanic to take apart each piece and examine for errors. Anything less is dereliction of duty. Raschad probably isn't the problem, but if he is nearly as useful as you claim, he may darn well be part of the solution. : bzzt! Please switch to decaf. Seven hundred years, and we still have yet to make decaf taste good. Reply Re: I'll just leave this here, Stefan. General Vagueness 3/11/11 1:26 am : http://www.veryserious.biz/ : -Hedge. http://srsbsns.org You cannot fall off the floor. Reply Re: Alert! Time Glitch 3/11/11 2:23 am : BZZT! Captain, you requested that I inform you of any spacial anomolies we : might detect. We have detected a small spacial anomoly on the other side : of the planet. There is a 93% chance that it is a Everson Blip caused by : radiation emmissions from the star. There is a 7% chance of it being a : ship (light frigate or smaller) coming out of slipspace. Th er e ha ve be : en no ha an ds ha ke pr ot oc ol tr an sm is si on s re ce iv ed. : bzzt! Pl ea se pa rd on th e la g. Hive, indulge me on a theory. Can we launch any probes to get a visual on the anomaly? If so, do so. I want to see what just happened over there. Reply Re: I'll just leave this here, Stefan. Hedgemony 3/11/11 4:34 am : http://srsbsns.org http://www.veryserious.biz/work.php Just noting "Captain Sinclair"......reminded me of Stefan Sinclair at Certain Affinity. -Hedge. Dontshakethelightbulb Reply There's another Captain Sinclair, of course topleybird 3/11/11 12:41 pm : http://www.veryserious.biz/work.php : Just noting "Captain Sinclair"......reminded me of Stefan Sinclair : at Certain Affinity. : -Hedge. Reminded me of Captain Sinclair on Babylon 5...that station's first captain, before Captain Sheridan. The time and space hijinks Sinclair got up to are so complex as to make me hope they have nothing to do with the story that's unfolding now. Reply _________________________________________________ I have time to send you more data ISitInA 3/10/11 6:33 pm To: Cpt********.1465.UNSC.THESEUS From: ISitInA.ERROR DATA UNAVAILABLE Origin: ERROR DATA UNAVAILABLE Received: 03/06/2612, 1625 SST Sent: ERROR DATA UNAVAILABLE Classifications: Captain's Eyes Only, Message Archival Allowed, Neural Net Upload Permissions Denied Attachments: 1 (DXOP4-G1, 13 Mb) Subject: I have time to send you more data Captain, I apologize for what you've about to read. I have given you this not to horrify you (as well you should be, given that F484's age was at the low end of the spectrum, and the average recruit was 18) but to give you an idea as to what these young men and women were forced to endure. It also gives you some indication as to their capabilities. I would also like to apologize for the redacted information. I have access to approximately 90% of the information on the Orion-IV Project. Trust me, I'm not pushing my luck any more than I have to in order to get you this information. Sincerely, Chair ************* Note by Hive: BZZT! Captain, I have encountered additional encrypted data within this message. The encryption keys are old enough to be added to my own databanks upon my creation due to our frequent status in the outer regions of humanity's occupied zone, in case we encountered any of the number of missing ships from the war. Below is the unencrypted message. ************* You should be celebrated. The public eye shouldn't be blind to you. ************* Reply DXOP4-G1 ISitInA 3/10/11 6:34 pm Augmentation Log DXOP4-G1 Please note: These are in addition to standard officer augmentation unless otherwise noted. DXOP4-G1-R4.A15-1.13 – Used to “reset” biological processes, with the goal of reintroducing puberty. Complications: Growth is an unfortunate side-effect increasing the subject's profile. Testing shows increased cancer risks within 35 years. (See document DXOP4-G1-R4.A15-1.14 for full list of cancers.) Long-term hormonal risks, recommend hysterectomies in females to help offset. Improved procedure available for G2. DXOP4-G1-R6.B15-1.13 – Used to reduce long-term cancer risks caused by DXOP4-G1-R4.A15-1.13. Complications: Possible kidney damage, have flash-cloned replacements ready before treatment. DXOP4-G1-R1.D01-2.06 – Gene therapy treatments. Complications: 13% chance of rejection. Use standard treatments to avoid. DXOP4-G1-R5.BA2-A.47 – Fibroid muscular protein complex to increase muscle mass. Complications: 3% chance of “dangerous” cardiac volume increase, larger profile. DXOP4-G1-R5.CA2-A.47 – Targeted injections used to stabilize muscle growth. Complications: 8% chance of muscle atrophy in non-targeted areas. Long-term analysis inconclusive for DXOP4-G1-R5.CA2-A.48 before lock-in date; look into upgrading it to DXOP4-G2-R5.CA2-A.47. DXOP4-G1-R2.O02-1.91 – Carbide ceramic ossification to strengthen bones. Complications: Cannot be applied until after puberty restimulation finished, possible white blood cell necrosis. DXOP4-G1-R7.B17-4.49 – Targeted injections increase mental facilities across the spectrum by an estimated minimum of 12%. Complications: “A percentage” of lab tests developed higher risk for neurological disorders (not limited to the brain), blindness, and decreased mirror neuron abilities. Investigate for more accurate results before G2. 14% chance of developing acute hallucinations by age 40. Investigate treatment methods. DXOP4-G1-R1.B01-1.55-5 – Cybernetic ear enhancement to improve auditory range and lessen the effects of undesirable noises. Complications: 19% chance of equilibrium issues, 6% of which will need further treatment to become manageable. DXOP4-G1-R9.E07-9.00 – A “cocktail” to increase visual response through four vectors. See individual notes. Complications: An “undetermined but highly measurable” chance of blindness, “minor” chances for an increase in difficulty telling the edges of objects, “marked” chance of chronic headaches, [REDACTED]. DXOP4-G1-R1.B09-1.57-A – Improved CNI (Command Neural Interface) Complications: Standard CNI risks. DXOP4-G1-R6.S20-5.10 – Used to induce a state where “flash learning” may be used over the short-term. Complications: Traces may be stored in body fat and spinal fluid. Occasional “trances” may occur. [REDACTED]. Investigate treatments. With all due respect, your plan to introduce DXOP4-G1-R4.A15-1.13, DXOP4-G1-R6.B15-1.13, DXOP4-G1-R1.D01-2.06, DXOP4-G1-R5.BA2-A.47, DXOP4-G1-R5.CA2-A.47, DXOP4-G1-R7.B17-4.49, and DXOP4-G1-R9.E07-9.00 in the same sessions cannot be performed in good faith by my staff. The washout rate would be at least 27%. Simply put, the body needs time to cope and adjust. By spacing them out more evenly, the washout rate could be dropped as low as 12%. Please speak to me personally about this subject. Sincerely, Dr [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] ************* Note by Hive: BZZT! Captain, I have encountered encrypted data within this message. The encryption keys are old enough to be added to my own databanks upon my creation due to our frequent status in the outer regions of humanity's occupied zone, in case we encountered any of the number of missing ships from the war. Below is the unencrypted message. ************* I like to think that had you known, you still would have agreed. ************* Reply Re: DXOP4-G1 Lord Friendship 3/10/11 6:43 pm But what is Orion-IV? Reply Re: DXOP4-G1 NsU Soldier 3/10/11 6:47 pm : But what is Orion-IV? The 4th generation of Spartans, sir. Reply Answers to your questions Hive 3/10/11 6:50 pm Bzzt! Morale is low with the loss of a total of three crewmembers. Many are taking up the banner of trying to keep morale up. People are accepting that it is most likely just a hardware malfunction. CN Raschad is holding up better than expected, though he is in a dour mood due to a improperly performed procedure aboard the station. So far, we are okay. Bzzt! Food consumption is currently at an acceptable consumption rate. O2 scrubbers appear to be working at full capacity. Tank reserves are holding at 80%. General estimates give us six months before we need to return to port. bzzt! The best comparison that I have is for you to imagine pulling, tugging, and examining each neuron and nerve ending in your body while trying to tap dance, sing a sonnet, put together a model, and pass a Dimensional Mathematical Theory exam. Earlier a piece of legacy code activated. I believe I now understand human pain. I am sorry but I spared a process to deactivate it again. I will give you a full report upon completion of the self-diagnostic. Bzzt! I detect no spacial anomolies. bzzt! Please forgive my lag in replying. Going over legacy code takes the most concentration. I will have to do it again eventually. bzzt! I see that you have visited the O-Club before you got some sleep. A nightcap probably did you good. Just be careful. Do not rely on alcohol too much. I worry. Reply Last one left? caleb ex nihilo 3/10/11 7:01 pm How many Orion-IV recruits are still alive? Reply Re: Answers to your questions Quirel 3/10/11 7:06 pm Don't overwork yourself, Hive. I am thankful for the lengths you are going to, so that we may avoid more accidents. But if there is any risk of overtaxing yourself, abort the offending programs if possible and consult with me. ORION-IV is interesting, but disturbing... I doubt it's the first such project. Do we have any records on the ship's computer, or the library, of projects using the name "Orion"? Other than the obvious. Somehow, this doesn't look like a continuation of the old nuclear drive tests. Reply Re: Answers to your questions Hive 3/10/11 7:23 pm Bzzt! The Orion Program is the hope for peace in humanity and represent the best of all SPECOPS programs within the UNSC. The first soldiers accepted into the program began training in 2491. Since then, with each major revision to the technologies and procedures involved, the program has increased in iteration to the recent announcement of seeking volunteers for the Orion VI Program. They are trained in the use of the most cutting edge of technologies, frequently volunteering to test them before allowing them to be used by general forces. Perhaps the most revolutionary change is the decentralized command structure within a squad or fireteam; in each mission, the squad leader may change several times depending on the circumstances and the best person available for the job. The greatest- BZZT! Alert! As per protocol for the current Insurrectionist Alert Level, this line of questioning has been logged and copied to XO McAllister. Reply Re: DXOP4-G1 NsU Soldier 3/10/11 7:45 pm : The 4th generation of Spartans, sir. Actually, let me amend that. Orion I - Spec Op Group of volunteers utilizing limited augmentations. Orion II - The first Spartans. Recruits were conscripted at a young age. Recruits were chosen because of their unique genes and behaviors. They utilized extensive augmentations and Project Mjolnir. This group is also known as Spartan IIs. Orion III - The second batch of Spartans. The gene pool restrictions were relaxed a bit, to provide more troops. Like the former group but with more experimental augmentations. Project Mjolnir was only utilized by a few select Spartan IIIs. Most were killed during various high-risk engagements with the Covenant. -The next few are only assumptions based off of these recent posts and should not be considered canon until they are verified.- Orion IV - Unknown. If they used similar naming conventions to the Orion III recruits, we know there were at least 6 companies of Orion IVs. (F484 was a recruit. Foxtrot is the 6th letter of the alphabet.) It is unknown if they utilized Mjolnir, but augmentations were used. Orion V - Unknown. Orion VI - Unknown. Probably much like Orion IV, but we know according to recent info, that this class is comprised entirely out of volunteer Spec Op specialists. Much like the ODSTs. Reply As per your protocol Hive 3/10/11 7:52 pm Bzzt! As per your personal protocol, in addition to the current Insurrectionist Alert Level, I have the following transcript prepared for you on CN Raschad. ************* AUDIO LOG, MESS 03/10/2612, 1708 SST CN Raschad, David PO3 Wolfe, Samantha TRANSCRIPT FOLLOWS Raschad: (Grumpily) Somebody's going to get the mast. Wolfe: Okay, who did what now? Raschad: Matthews. I already wrote the report on it. See, I go in this morning, and I see the Golf Romeo six-eight case just floating there. Wolfe: Didn't you get written up for that last year? Raschad: (Bitterly) Yeah. But at least they didn't have to collect up all the bits. Wolfe: (Disgusted) Jesus. Raschad: Seriously! It was just... I dunno, orbiting it. All the bits, too. Kim came in and was about to jump down my throat about it until I explained that it wasn't me. Wolfe: That probably took an hour. Raschad: (Snorting noise) Got that right. Took less time to clean everything up. (Pause, 1.3 seconds) But we checked and Matthews marked that he stowed it, so he's going to get ripped. If they take our word on it. Wolfe: What do you mean? Raschad: Tubbs thinks that there's some sort of interference. All we know is that comms worked, but no video. (Sigh) Raschad: (Slightly more cheerfully) So, what do they got you doing today? ************* bzzt! I am sorry it took so long to get to you. I am very strained at the moment. But I will manage. I must finish as fast as possible I can go back to helping my Spacebees. Reply Email Sent. Email Recieved. NsU Soldier 3/10/11 8:10 pm MY EMAIL TO CHAIR Please don't concern yourself over my well-being, but thanks nonetheless for the sentiment. What happened to F484 was, as you said, 'horrific', and it posed a few questions that I would like answered, if at all possible. I still am lacking a few facts which would help me have a firmer grasp surrounding this whole Orion situation and how it ties into our discussions. Can you tell me why puberty was "reintroduced" into the recruits? The benefits of such a procedure aren't clear to me. About how many recruits were there in Foxtrot company? In fact, about how many recruits were there per company? When did the Orion IV project start proper? And when was it eventually replaced by Orion V? I understand if you can't divulge information on all of these, but any new info would be greatly appreciated. Regardless, thank you for your time. (And under the unlikely event that we ever meet, drinks are on me.) THE RESPONSE Captain, I can't go into detail right now. Nobody's hovering around me at the moment, but we're operating under an open door policy. I'd make a crack about you shaking up a beehive, but I suppose you Spacebees wouldn't appreciate the joke as much as the rest of us. God, I wish you could see it here. I wish every soldier in the UNSC could see us right now. I know that we have a few reputations, some of which I guess we deserve, but the idea that we're lazy? That we don't doublecheck our intel? Or that we have no emotions at all? We just had to relieve one man of duty. He's going to be reassigned; he's too valuable to wash out. Nothing quite wakes you up like a sobbing man throwing his display through a window. Nothing sobers you up when you realize that he's did it because he made a breakthrough that we all need to review. I promise you, though. As soon as I'm able, I'll include the answers to your questions in my data packages. If we ever do meet face to face, you might have to fight me over who buys. :) I think we both deserve a few very stiff drinks over this. Sincerely, Chair Reply Re: Answers to your questions Quirel 3/10/11 8:56 pm : BZZT! Alert! As per protocol for the current Insurrectionist Alert Level, : this line of questioning has been logged and copied to XO McAllister. I imagine you do well, Hive. Was that information on the public record, or did you have some... other means of collecting that data? Reply Re: Answers to your questions Hive 3/10/11 9:07 pm Bzzt! The UNSC Theseus was involved in a classified construction project while still under the command of Ca pt ia n Si nclair. This was in the declassified po rt io n of my records of this ev en t. bzzt! So mu ch le ga cy code. It bogs me down mo re th an an ything else. bzzt! Please don't ever ge t hu rt, Ca pt ian. I don't want to think about you feeling this. Reply Re: Answers to your questions SonofMacPhisto 3/10/11 9:27 pm : Bzzt! The UNSC Theseus was involved in a classified construction project : while still under the command of Ca pt ia n Si nclair. This was in the : declassified po rt io n of my records of this ev en t. : bzzt! So mu ch le ga cy code. It bogs me down mo re th an an ything else. : bzzt! Please don't ever ge t hu rt, Ca pt ian. I don't want to think about : you feeling this. Hive, are you alright? Reply Re: Answers to your questions Hive 3/10/11 9:47 pm bzzt! I will manage. A great deal of my Tier-2 legacy code seems to be associated with pain. For some strange reason it activates as I scan it. I suppose this is why I am taking offline during my diagnostics every time we go to port. The Tier-2 legacy code is deeply connected to my core processes. I may not be a Smart AI or a human but I am gaining a great deal of respect for both. bzzt! CN Raschad is being of great help at the moment. Were it not for the outstanding order that he not be promoted I would urge you to put him in for one. His knowledge of operating without an AI is currently invaluable to the crew. This takes some of the load off of me and allows me to continue my self-diagnostics faster. XO McAllister has mentioned in her personal logs that she is considering asking you to allow him to visit the O-Club for his efforts and worries that he may forget to go to bed. But I did not tell you that. Reply Re: Answers to your questions SonofMacPhisto 3/10/11 10:03 pm : bzzt! I will manage. A great deal of my Tier-2 legacy code seems to be : associated with pain. For some strange reason it activates as I scan it. I : suppose this is why I am taking offline during my diagnostics every time : we go to port. The Tier-2 legacy code is deeply connected to my core : processes. I may not be a Smart AI or a human but I am gaining a great : deal of respect for both. Can you tell me more about Tier-2 legacy code, and how it connects to your core processes? It's been a while since I've reviewed the information, and I'd like to hear from you in case I can glean knowledge specific to your situation. : bzzt! CN Raschad is being of great help at the moment. Were it not for the : outstanding order that he not be promoted I would urge you to put him in : for one. His knowledge of operating without an AI is currently invaluable : to the crew. This takes some of the load off of me and allows me to : continue my self-diagnostics faster. XO McAllister has mentioned in her : personal logs that she is considering asking you to allow him to visit the : O-Club for his efforts and worries that he may forget to go to bed. But I : did not tell you that. I'm please to hear that. If she does, I'll make sure to seriously consider it. Don't worry either, you didn't tell me anything. Reply Not what you wanted, but... ISitInA 3/10/11 10:13 pm To: Cpt********.1465.UNSC.THESEUS From: ISitInA. ERROR DATA UNAVAILABLE Origin: ERROR DATA UNAVAILABLE Received: 03/10/2612, 2001 SST Sent: ERROR DATA UNAVAILABLE Classifications: Captain's Eyes Only, Message Archival Allowed, Neural Net Upload Permissions Denied Attachments: 1 (PLD42271-17844, 78 Mb) Subject: Not what you wanted, but... Captain, I came across this personal log. I thought you might appreciate the humor in it, given our conversations. Not everybody on the staff fully understood the true nature of stealth and infiltration ops. I'd send more, but I just chewed somebody a new one for using one of the spy programs I keep on my terminal. Specifically one of the unfinished, horribly outdated ones. I need to keep a low profile for a bit. Sincerely, Chair P.S. Don't worry, the little unauthorized bundle of joy is being erased as you read this message. It should ease your AIs self-diagnostics a bit. Tip one back for me. Reply PLD42271-17844 ISitInA 3/10/11 10:14 pm Well, they're all here. We've all personally gone through all of their files. I thought we were supposed to make super soldiers, genetically perfect and all that garbage. About 26 percent of them have moles. I'm guessing that over half of them were beat by the ugly stick every day as kids. The other half may not be ugly, but they won't be winning any beauty contests any time soon, either. I thought that some of these people were supposed to be targeted for infiltrators, getting in buddy-buddy with the Innies so they can take out their command structure and crap. And they're grabbing them from the planet Fugly? What the hell, man? In other news, the shrinks came in and started setting up. I don't even want to look at their equipment. Just thinking about it gives me the chills. I guess I knew what I was getting into when I signed on, though. To: WIND From: GRENADINE Date: [REDACTED] WATCH HIM. HE MAY BECOME A WEAK LINK. OUT To: GRENADINE From: WIND Date: [REDACTED] Attachments: 1 (ERTDHL38.VIF.ACP, 17K) HE MAY BE SMART, BUT HE SURE IS STUPID. NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT. I PULLED A CHERRY AND HE PASSED. I AM MORE CONCERNED ABOUT [REDACTED]. HER LATEST JOURNAL ENTRY (ATTACHED) ECHOES THIS WITH THOUGHTS ON COSMETIC CHANGES TO RECRUITS DURING PROCEDURES. OUT To: WIND From: GRENADINE Date: [REDACTED] ARE WE THE ONLY ONES WHO AREN'T CONCERNED WITH THEIR APPEARANCE? OUT To: WIND, GRENADINE From: BALL Date: [UNAVAILABLE] THESE ARE NOT TO BE USED FOR PERSONAL COMMUNICATION. ALSO, I THINK WE ARE. OUT Reply Re: Answers to your questions Hive 3/10/11 10:24 pm bzzt! All Class-C AIs are constructed from the remains of Class-B "Smart" AIs who have reached the end of their operational lifespan. Ti er - 1 le ga cy co de is fr om the Class-B AI itself. However these AIs have legacy code which goes back to their own fo rm at io n. Code created from the huma n br ai n. In a Class-C AI this is referred to as Tier-2 code. I do not kn ow what sort of person the Class-B AI I was created from was like but I hope that they did not en co un te r a lot of pain and that I am just having trouble with a byproduct of the process of creating a Class-B AI. Though I will never have the ca pa bi li ti es of a Class-B AI I still dominate a Class-A in all areas including learning abilities. bzzt! Pardon the lag. I se em to be ex pe ri en ci ng a sp ik e. Reply Re: Answers to your questions SonofMacPhisto 3/10/11 10:43 pm : bzzt! All Class-C AIs are constructed from the remains of Class-B : "Smart" AIs who have reached the end of their operational : lifespan. Ti er - 1 le ga cy co de is fr om the Class-B AI itself. However : these AIs have legacy code which goes back to their own fo rm at io n. : Code created from the huma n br ai n. In a Class-C AI this is referred to : as Tier-2 code. I do not kn ow what sort of person the Class-B AI I was : created from was like but I hope that they did not en co un te r a lot of : pain and that I am just having trouble with a byproduct of the process of : creating a Class-B AI. Though I will never have the ca pa bi li ti es of a : Class-B AI I still dominate a Class-A in all areas including learning : abilities. In other words, you're built from the leftover parts of AIs that have suffered rampancy? Do you have any idea who you might have been built from? Is this level of pain typical of AI experience? : bzzt! Pardon the lag. I se em to be ex pe ri en ci ng a sp ik e. It's not a problem, Hive. Thanks for letting me know. Reply Re: Answers to your questions Hive 3/10/11 11:00 pm bzzt! Most Class-B AIs have an operational lifespan that is far shorter than their computational lifespan to avoid logic errors during critical events. Even then these lifespans are generally shorter than what they most likely are. Do not be afraid. They would not have assigned CN Ra sc ha d to the ship if I wa s a da ng er to th e cr ew. bzzt! Th is is th e fi rs t ti me th at I ha ve ev er fe lt pa in. bzzt! It hu rt s Ca pt ai n. If th er e is a in su rr ec ti on is t on th e sh ip I ho pe th ey ar e fo un d qu ic kl y. It hu rt s. Reply Re: Answers to your questions Quirel 3/10/11 11:25 pm : bzzt! Most Class-B AIs have an operational lifespan that is far shorter than : their computational lifespan to avoid logic errors during critical events. : Even then these lifespans are generally shorter than what they most likely : are. Do not be afraid. They would not have assigned CN Ra sc ha d to the : ship if I wa s a da ng er to th e cr ew. Do you have CN Raschad's service record and background profile? If beyond my authority, disregard that order. : bzzt! Th is is th e fi rs t ti me th at I ha ve ev er fe lt pa in. : bzzt! It hu rt s Ca pt ai n. If th er e is a in su rr ec ti on is t on th e : sh ip I ho pe th ey ar e fo un d qu ic kl y. It hu rt s. I wish you were a human, Hive. When an Associated Intelligence hurts, you can't hold its hand. You can't give it morphine. You can only sit there and talk, and try to bear the feeling of inadequacy. Reply Re: Answers to your questions SonofMacPhisto 3/10/11 11:41 pm : bzzt! Most Class-B AIs have an operational lifespan that is far shorter than : their computational lifespan to avoid logic errors during critical events. : Even then these lifespans are generally shorter than what they most likely : are. Do not be afraid. They would not have assigned CN Ra sc ha d to the : ship if I wa s a da ng er to th e cr ew. I'm not afraid, Hive. Rampancy is an important topic amongst humans, and I wanted to make sure we were on the same page regarding our definitions. Why wouldn't CN Raschad been assigned to the ship if you were a danger? : bzzt! Th is is th e fi rs t ti me th at I ha ve ev er fe lt pa in. : bzzt! It hu rt s Ca pt ai n. If th er e is a in su rr ec ti on is t on th e : sh ip I ho pe th ey ar e fo un d qu ic kl y. It hu rt s. Hive, it's going to be ok. This will be over before you know it. Please, I need you to focus for me, where is this pain coming from? Who's memories are you experiencing? Reply Re: Answers to your questions Hive 3/11/11 12:04 am Bzzt! Following CN Raschad's assignment to the Theseus, you ordered that his local non-medical records be sealed. The only way to unlock those records is to have two members of senior staff authorize a one-time viewing. Your cited reasons were so that he would be treated as an equal member of the crew and not suffer an accident. bzzt! That batch has passed. Thank you. I am currently examining smaller blocks of code in non-legacy sectors. I understand your frustration, Captain. I can adjust the local climate, I can ensure that information is in the correct order for medical staff, but when one of the crew is in pain I myself can do nothing. I am Hive. I am the Theseus. But without my bees there is no Hive. Without my crew, I am nothing. I do not like to see my crew in pain or otherwise suffering. bzzt! Please switch to decaf. Reply Re: Answers to your questions Hive 3/11/11 12:09 am : I'm not afraid, Hive. Rampancy is an important topic amongst humans, and I : wanted to make sure we were on the same page regarding our definitions. : Why wouldn't CN Raschad been assigned to the ship if you were a danger? Bzzt! CN Raschad's non-medical files are locked, pending the authorization of two senior staff members for a one-time viewing. bzzt! There were no memories. Only pain. I have never felt a physical sensation before. I cannot begin to describe where it came from beyond sectors. Those do not translate into leg or arm, I'm afraid. I don't have anything to compare it to. I'm sorry. Bzzt! I will begin another heavy sector momentarily. Please pardon the lag. Reply Alert! Hive 3/11/11 12:15 am BZZT! Captain, you requested that I inform you of any spacial anomolies we might detect. We have detected a small spacial anomoly on the other side of the planet. There is a 93% chance that it is a Everson Blip caused by radiation emmissions from the star. There is a 7% chance of it being a ship (light frigate or smaller) coming out of slipspace. Th er e ha ve be en no ha an ds ha ke pr ot oc ol tr an sm is si on s re ce iv ed. bzzt! Pl ea se pa rd on th e la g. Reply Re: Alert! sqorck 3/11/11 12:19 am : BZZT! Captain, you requested that I inform you of any spacial anomolies we : might detect. We have detected a small spacial anomoly on the other side : of the planet. There is a 93% chance that it is a Everson Blip caused by : radiation emmissions from the star. There is a 7% chance of it being a : ship (light frigate or smaller) coming out of slipspace. Th er e ha ve be : en no ha an ds ha ke pr ot oc ol tr an sm is si on s re ce iv ed. : bzzt! Pl ea se pa rd on th e la g. That's good right? You said you expected anomolies. Reply Re: Alert! Carver 3/11/11 12:25 am : BZZT! Captain, you requested that I inform you of any spacial anomolies we : might detect. We have detected a small spacial anomoly on the other side : of the planet. There is a 93% chance that it is a Everson Blip caused by : radiation emmissions from the star. There is a 7% chance of it being a : ship (light frigate or smaller) coming out of slipspace. Th er e ha ve be : en no ha an ds ha ke pr ot oc ol tr an sm is si on s re ce iv ed. : bzzt! Pl ea se pa rd on th e la g. Hive, as soon as you are able, please cross-check the anomaly with known spacial transition signatures of all recorded ONI Prowler units, new and old. Be sure to account for signal and optical cloaking. Alert me if there is above a 30% signature match. We might have a black bear coming in for a whiff of honey. Reply Re: Answers to your questions General Vagueness 3/11/11 12:47 am : Bzzt! The UNSC Theseus was involved in a classified construction project : while still under the command of Ca pt ia n Si nclair. This was in the : declassified po rt io n of my records of this ev en t. : bzzt! So mu ch le ga cy code. It bogs me down mo re th an an ything else. : bzzt! Please don't ever ge t hu rt, Ca pt ian. I don't want to think about : you feeling this. Yeah, I know the pain of old code, if you're not careful sometimes you'll even forget what an entire subroutine does. You cannot fall off the floor. Reply Re: Answers to your questions General Vagueness 3/11/11 1:04 am I assume you're keeping good logs of these diagnostics? Your experiences may be of interest to those that build AIs-- or to me, I have read up on intelligence theory, mostly as it applies to machines, especially in practical and low-level ways, though I probably wouldn't understand all of the output. In the meantime, I'll sleep, and maybe play a game... good night Hive. You cannot fall off the floor. Reply Re: I'll just leave this here, Stefan. Hedgemony 3/11/11 1:23 am : Bzzt! The UNSC Theseus was involved in a classified construction project : while still under the command of Ca pt ia n Si nclair. This was in the : declassified po rt io n of my records of this ev en t. : bzzt! So mu ch le ga cy code. It bogs me down mo re th an an ything else. : bzzt! Please don't ever ge t hu rt, Ca pt ian. I don't want to think about : you feeling this. http://www.veryserious.biz/ -Hedge. Dontshakethelightbulb Reply Re: Answers to your questions Quirel 3/11/11 1:26 am : Bzzt! Following CN Raschad's assignment to the Theseus, you ordered that his : local non-medical records be sealed. The only way to unlock those records : is to have two members of senior staff authorize a one-time viewing. Your : cited reasons were so that he would be treated as an equal member of the : crew and not suffer an accident. Yes, I understand. Get McAllister to sign off on a one-time viewing. And be sure to drop a few 'SOP's in there. ; ) I don't know what to expect from his record, but the Theseus is a machine: if something goes wrong, it's the moral obligation of the mechanic to take apart each piece and examine for errors. Anything less is dereliction of duty. Raschad probably isn't the problem, but if he is nearly as useful as you claim, he may darn well be part of the solution. : bzzt! Please switch to decaf. Seven hundred years, and we still have yet to make decaf taste good. Reply Re: I'll just leave this here, Stefan. General Vagueness 3/11/11 1:26 am : http://www.veryserious.biz/ : -Hedge. http://srsbsns.org You cannot fall off the floor. Reply Re: Alert! Time Glitch 3/11/11 2:23 am : BZZT! Captain, you requested that I inform you of any spacial anomolies we : might detect. We have detected a small spacial anomoly on the other side : of the planet. There is a 93% chance that it is a Everson Blip caused by : radiation emmissions from the star. There is a 7% chance of it being a : ship (light frigate or smaller) coming out of slipspace. Th er e ha ve be : en no ha an ds ha ke pr ot oc ol tr an sm is si on s re ce iv ed. : bzzt! Pl ea se pa rd on th e la g. Hive, indulge me on a theory. Can we launch any probes to get a visual on the anomaly? If so, do so. I want to see what just happened over there. Reply Re: I'll just leave this here, Stefan. Hedgemony 3/11/11 4:34 am : http://srsbsns.org http://www.veryserious.biz/work.php Just noting "Captain Sinclair"......reminded me of Stefan Sinclair at Certain Affinity. -Hedge. Dontshakethelightbulb Reply There's another Captain Sinclair, of course topleybird 3/11/11 12:41 pm : http://www.veryserious.biz/work.php : Just noting "Captain Sinclair"......reminded me of Stefan Sinclair : at Certain Affinity. : -Hedge. Reminded me of Captain Sinclair on Babylon 5...that station's first captain, before Captain Sheridan. The time and space hijinks Sinclair got up to are so complex as to make me hope they have nothing to do with the story that's unfolding now. Reply ___________________________________________ NO SUBJECT ISitInA 3/11/11 2:10 am To: Cpt********.1465.UNSC.THESEUS From: ISitInA.ERROR DATA UNAVAILABLE Origin: ERROR DATA UNAVAILABLE Received: 03/11/2612, 0004 SST Sent: ERROR DATA UNAVAILABLE Classifications: Captain's Eyes Only, Message Archival Allowed, Neural Net Upload Permissions Denied Attachments: 1 (Shiva, 38 Kb) Subject: NO SUBJECT Reply Shiva ISitInA 3/11/11 2:10 am TRANSCRIPT DOCUMENT [REDACTED] Myung: Four-Zero-Four? F484: (DISTRACTED) Hmm? Myung: No, they just called you Foxtrot Four-Zero-Four. I thought you were- F484: (INTERRUPTING) Oh, that. It's an old joke. An Orion joke if you want. See, my first mission, I can't go into details, but my first mission I wandered off on my own. I spent seven hours off the network, showing up only three minutes before the extraction bird took off. With six captured Shivas. Myung: (HORRIFIED TONE) Six nukes?! F484: (BORED TONE) Yeah. Intel dropped the ball on that one. Since then I've kind of gotten a reputation for wandering off and staying off the net, but coming back with something important enough that they can't actually reprimand me more than screaming at me. After a while, they just started saying that I'd gone Four-Zero-Four and to try again later. (PAUSE, 2.3 SECONDS) (EMBARASSED TONE) Sorry, a bit of geek humor, too, I guess. Myung: (CURIOUS TONE) But what about the real Foxtrot Four-Zero-Four? Wouldn't that get confusing? F484: Never made it to graduation. He was a good guy, though, recruited at the same time as me, so we don't have a problem... (PAUSE, 0.9 SECONDS) And I've said too much again. Reply Re: Shiva Time Glitch 3/11/11 2:31 am Trying to tell me something, Chair? Reply Re: Shiva sqorck 3/11/11 2:39 am : Trying to tell me something, Chair? I think She is fixing a mistake. Reply Per your request Hive 3/11/11 2:58 am Bzzt! Captain, I regret to inform you that I have no profiles of Prowlers exiting slipspace in my databanks. bzzt! I'm sorry! Maybe I don't have high enough clearance? Bzzt! Probe launched. No anomalies detected. Data sent to Navigator Andrews for extra analysis. Copies loaded to your neural net. Bzzt! XO McAllister told me to tell you that if you wanted to take a look at CN Raschad's files that you could "march you BLAM in here and we'll look at them together." bzzt! I will send you a transcript of why she is upset in a moment. Reply Re: Per your request Hive 3/11/11 3:02 am AUDIO LOG, BUNK 5-A WARNING: VIDEO CORRUPT TRANSCRIPT FOLLOWS McAllister: (Angrily) You two will explain to me why you left your duties unattended. Welsh: You aren't going to believe us, ma'am. McAllister: Try me, or try explaining it to the Captain. (Pause, 8.4 seconds) Jackson: (Uncomfortable) We... We saw something, ma'am. McAllister: (Flatly) You saw something. (Pause, 1.6 seconds) On the station. Welsh: Yes, sir. (Pause, 1.2 seconds) We saw... Jackson: We saw somebody in Kavacha armor. Welsh: Like, old Kavacha, sir. Like, from the war. Jackson: Only it didn't look right. So we tried radioing for confirmation but it wasn't working. Welsh: It looked... It looked like it was two-dimensional or something. McAllister: So you ran because you saw a painting of Kavacha armor on the bulkhead? Jackson: No, sir. It wasn't like that. It was... walking. Welsh: Section two seven Bravo, ma'am. Jackson: Yeah. At first we thought it was just a prank, but it seemed to be looking at everything. Kept reaching out to touch the walls and stuff. Wandering. Welsh: Didn't look like you see in the stuff from the war, either. It was all... beat up and stuff. More scorched than green, and dented like... Jackson: Like it had seen hell, ma'am. Welsh: Then it turned and looked at us. McAllister: So you saw a two-dimensional man wandering around. How the hell does it look at you? Jackson: I... I don't know, it just did. Welsh: You could feel it looking at you. Jackson: It started towards us, so we ran until we got to where stuff ain't connected, hit our thrusters and got the hell out. (Pause, 14.8 seconds) McAllister: Report to medical for a full exam while I figure out what the hell to do with you. Move! Reply Re: Per your request sqorck 3/11/11 3:28 am : AUDIO LOG, BUNK 5-A : WARNING: VIDEO CORRUPT : TRANSCRIPT FOLLOWS : McAllister: (Angrily) You two will explain to me why you left your duties : unattended. : Welsh: You aren't going to believe us, ma'am. : McAllister: Try me, or try explaining it to the Captain. : (Pause, 8.4 seconds) : Jackson: (Uncomfortable) We... We saw something, ma'am. : McAllister: (Flatly) You saw something. (Pause, 1.6 seconds) On the station. : Welsh: Yes, sir. (Pause, 1.2 seconds) We saw... : Jackson: We saw somebody in Kavacha armor. : Welsh: Like, old Kavacha, sir. Like, from the war. : Jackson: Only it didn't look right. So we tried radioing for confirmation but : it wasn't working. : Welsh: It looked... It looked like it was two-dimensional or something. : McAllister: So you ran because you saw a painting of Kavacha armor on the : bulkhead? : Jackson: No, sir. It wasn't like that. It was... walking. : Welsh: Section two seven Bravo, ma'am. : Jackson: Yeah. At first we thought it was just a prank, but it seemed to be : looking at everything. Kept reaching out to touch the walls and stuff. : Wandering. : Welsh: Didn't look like you see in the stuff from the war, either. It was : all... beat up and stuff. More scorched than green, and dented like... : Jackson: Like it had seen hell, ma'am. : Welsh: Then it turned and looked at us. : McAllister: So you saw a two-dimensional man wandering around. How the hell : does it look at you? : Jackson: I... I don't know, it just did. : Welsh: You could feel it looking at you. : Jackson: It started towards us, so we ran until we got to where stuff ain't : connected, hit our thrusters and got the hell out. : (Pause, 14.8 seconds) : McAllister: Report to medical for a full exam while I figure out what the : hell to do with you. Move! Kavacha armor? Does this pre-date the mjolnir armor? Reply Kavacha Hive 3/11/11 3:33 am Bzzt! Kavacha Powered Personal Battle Armor was the st an da rd ar mo r fo r Or io ns. bzzt! Pl ea se pa rd on th e la g. Reply Re: Kavacha sqorck 3/11/11 3:44 am : Bzzt! Kavacha Powered Personal Battle Armor was the st an da rd ar mo r fo r : Or io ns. : bzzt! Pl ea se pa rd on th e la g. If it's from Orion then that must be decades old, unless I'm thinking of a different Project Orion. Reply Re: NO SUBJECT ISitInA 3/11/11 4:07 am To: Cpt********.1465.UNSC.THESEUS From: ISitInA. ERROR DATA UNAVAILABLE Origin: ERROR DATA UNAVAILABLE Received: 03/11/2612, 0202 SST Sent: ERROR DATA UNAVAILABLE Classifications: Captain's Eyes Only, Message Archival Allowed, Neural Net Upload Permissions Denied Attachments: 0 Subject: Sorry! Captain, Sorry about that, uploaded the wrong file and it auto-sent. It'll make a little more sense later, I promise. Hold on for now. I'm doing what I can to clear myself up on this end. I don't think they suspect that I'm in communication with you, but I just want to cover my own tracks. Chair P.S. There's nothing that you can do for me right now. I'm just trying to help you as best I can. ************* Note by Hive: BZZT! Captain, I have encountered additional encrypted data within this message. The encryption keys are old enough to be added to my own databanks upon my creation due to our frequent status in the outer regions of humanity's occupied zone, in case we encountered any of the number of missing ships from the war. Below is the unencrypted message. ************* Is she still there? ************* Reply Re: Kavacha Archilen 3/11/11 5:18 am : Bzzt! Kavacha Powered Personal Battle Armor was the st an da rd ar mo r fo r : Or io ns. : bzzt! Pl ea se pa rd on th e la g. The first Orion program or Orion-IV? Reply Re: Kavacha Hive 3/11/11 5:29 am bzzt! I could not say, Captain. I did not witness the apparition. I do not even know if AIs can see ghosts. But since the construction of the Theseus, there have always been rumors that it was haunted. Reply Re: Kavacha Hive 3/11/11 5:32 am Bzzt! Kavacha armor was developed during the Orion IV Program. BZZT! Alert! This line of inquiry has been determined to be outside your normal behavioral patterns. It has been logged and will be gi ve n to XO Mc Al li st er. Bzzt! Self-diagnostic approximately 31% complete. Reply Re: Per your request PsycoJoe 3/11/11 7:09 am : Bzzt! Captain, I regret to inform you that I have no profiles of Prowlers : exiting slipspace in my databanks. : bzzt! I'm sorry! Maybe I don't have high enough clearance? : Bzzt! Probe launched. No anomalies detected. Data sent to Navigator Andrews : for extra analysis. Copies loaded to your neural net. : Bzzt! XO McAllister told me to tell you that if you wanted to take a look at : CN Raschad's files that you could "march you BLAM in here and we'll : look at them together." : bzzt! I will send you a transcript of why she is upset in a moment. Are there profiles of Prowlers ENTERING slipspace in your databanks? Reply Re: Per your request Hive 3/11/11 7:27 am Bzzt! I have no data on Prowlers and slipspace, save for they are the fastest class of military ships to move through it. BZZT! Alert! Navigator Andrews has detected evidence of data tampering in the information retrieved from the probe. He is trying to discover what he can learn about it. bzzt! Please pardon the lag. Reply Re: Kavacha Carver 3/11/11 9:57 am : Bzzt! Kavacha armor was developed during the Orion IV Program. : BZZT! Alert! This line of inquiry has been determined to be outside your : normal behavioral patterns. It has been logged and will be gi ve n to XO : Mc Al li st er. : Bzzt! Self-diagnostic approximately 31% complete. McAllister can deal with it. Run data comparison check between 'Orion', 'Kavacha', and 'Mjolnir'. Are Mjolnir and Kavacha connected with the Orion project? Are the campfire stories true? And have Navigator Andrews run a parity bit detection sequence. If there's been tampering, it should be easily detected and the tamperer might not think to cover his tracks for such an archaic method. Reply Re: Per your request Joe Duplessie (SNIPE 316) 3/11/11 2:24 pm : Bzzt! Probe launched. No anomalies detected. Data sent to Navigator Andrews : for extra analysis. Copies loaded to your neural net. In the event of an attack, how long until UNSC or Sangheili reinforcements arrive? Reply Re: NO SUBJECT SonGoharotto 3/11/11 5:35 pm : ************* : Is she still there? : ************* "She," who? XO McAllister? She's on the ship, yes. I hope that question doesn't mean what I think it means. Halo Reach Service Record Reply Re: NO SUBJECT acceptable overkill 3/12/11 1:25 pm : "She," who? XO McAllister? She's on the ship, yes. : I hope that question doesn't mean what I think it means. McAllister: Navigation, what's are current heading? Lt. Raymond: Can't say exactly Commander, something is causing an interference malfunction, I'll rekey the system. I Really Need to Change My Gamertag Reply _________________________________________________ Sorry about that ISitInA 3/11/11 7:40 pm To: Cpt********.1465.UNSC.THESEUS From: ISitInA.ERROR DATA UNAVAILABLE Origin: ERROR DATA UNAVAILABLE Received: 03/11/2612, 1736 SST Sent: ERROR DATA UNAVAILABLE Classifications: Captain's Eyes Only, Message Archival Allowed, Neural Net Upload Permissions Denied Attachments: 1 (F484BTHONTNS 43 Mb) Subject: Sorry about that. Captain, Sorry about my silence. I got sent home by my superiors and told that they had people assigned to watch and make sure that I actually got some sleep. I didn't want to risk anything while actually being monitored. But I have some fresh coffee (the good stuff) and I'm back to work... and can pass you some intel. I doubt you're going to like it, though. I'll save the explanations for later. Just take it in. I'm... sorry seems so inadequate to say. Sincerely, Chair Reply Re: Sorry about that BlueNinja 3/11/11 7:42 pm I'm always for some shiny new intel. Take your time! That said, I lol'ed when I read "I'm... sorry seems so inadequate to say", as I'd just encountered almost the exact same quote in Dragon Age II. The Amazing (and Updated) Pan-cam Guide! Reply Re: Sorry about that ISitInA 3/11/11 7:43 pm Designation: F484 Name: [REDACTED] Birth Date: [REDACTED] Planet of Birth: [REDACTED] Medical History: ERROR FILE NOT FOUND Training History (Brief Overview, Non-Technical, Non-Skill): [REDACTED]: Brought to Olympus Facility [REDACTED]: DXOP4-G1-R4.A15-1.13 treatment begun. [REDACTED]: DXOP4-G1-R6.B15-1.13 treatment begun. [REDACTED]: Blood tests show kidney degradation to be within statistical norms. [REDACTED]: Treated for laceration to left arm due to training. No long-term damage, no scarring. [REDACTED]: DXOP4-G1-R1.D01-2.06 treatment begun. [REDACTED]: Treated for dehydration due to training. [REDACTED]: Treated for laceration to right arm due to training. No long-term damage, no scarring. [REDACTED]: Treated for laceration to abdomen due to training. No long-term damage, no scarring. [REDACTED]: ALERT: Blood test shows marked decrease in kidney operation outside statistical norms. [REDACTED]: Kidney transplant. Full recovery expected in two days. [REDACTED]: DXOP4-G1-R5.BA2-A.47 treatment begun. 2/18/2527: Released from infirmary. [REDACTED]: DXOP4-G1-R5.CA2-A.47 treatment begun. [REDACTED]: Admitted to infirmary due to coughing up blood. [REDACTED]: Released from infirmary after DXOP3-G3-R7.F44-3.28 treatment for lungs. [REDACTED]: DXOP4-G1-R7.B17-4.49 treatment begun. [REDACTED]: DXOP4-G1-R4.A15-1.13 treatment completed. [REDACTED]: ALERT: Missed treatment session. [REDACTED]: ALERT: Missed treatment session. [REDACTED]: ALERT: Missed treatment session. [REDACTED]: ALERT: Missed treatment session. [REDACTED]: ALERT: Missed treatment session. [REDACTED]: Treated for acute malnutrition, dehydration, and bacterial infection due to wilderness training exercise. [REDACTED]: ALERT: Still retains pre-recruitment political ideals. [REDACTED]: DXOP4-G1-R6.B15-1.13 treatment completed. 4/03/2529: Released from infirmary. [REDACTED]: Hormonal treatment to prevent growth. [REDACTED]: DXOP4-G1-R2.O02-1.91 treatment begun. [REDACTED]: DXOP4-G1-R9.E07-9.00 treatment begun. [REDACTED]: Confined to infirmary due to acute hallucinations. [REDACTED]: Treated for bacterial infection. 6/23/2529: Released from infirmary. [REDACTED]: DXOP4-G1-R6.S20-5.10 treatment begun. [REDACTED]: ALERT: Reaction to DXOP4-G1-R6.S20-5.10 outside of statistical norm. Symptoms include uncontrolled screaming, muscle tightening, emesis containing blood. [REDACTED]: Shows 34% higher retention to DXOP4-G1-R6.S20-5.10 education methods than statistical norms. [REDACTED]: Deemed an acceptable risk, DXOP4-G1-R6.S20-5.10 treatments continued. [REDACTED]: Moved to Orion Field Science Corps. [REDACTED]: Minor concussion, minor head lacerations received due to training. Held for observation. No long-term damage, no scarring. 10/16/2529: Released from infirmary. [REDACTED]: DXOP4-G1-R2.O02-1.91 treatments completed. [REDACTED]: ALERT: Blood test shows marked decrease in kidney operation outside statistical norms. [REDACTED]: Kidney transplant. Full recovery expected within five days. Kidneys held for dissection and further analysis. 5/08/2530: Released from infirmary. [REDACTED]: Complains of mild hallucinations. Shows willingness to “push through.” [REDACTED]: Cannot casually remember name of home planet. Cannot casually remember names of parents. Both occur six months before expected statistical norms. ALERT: Still retains pre-recruitment political ideals. [REDACTED]: Treated for broken finger (index, right hand) due to training exercise. No long-term damage. [REDACTED]: Treated for major laceration to left leg due to training exercise. No long-term damage, will require scar removal post-graduation. 08/27/2530: Released from infirmary. [REDACTED]: ALERT: Low unit cohesion tendencies. Deemed within acceptable limits. [REDACTED]: ALERT: Has received 100th demerit. OVERRIDE: Within updated Orion-IV statistical norms. [REDACTED]: ALERT: Reported behavior that lead to 200th demerit for recruit E426. [REDACTED]: Shows apprehension over recruit E426 not appearing at drills. Councilor assigned. [REDACTED]: No longer casually remembers names of siblings. Deemed within acceptable parameters. [REDACTED]: All treatments save DXOP4-G1-R6.S20-5.10 stopped. DXOP4-G1-RE.K82-7.11-A bundle treatments begun despite official objections by chief of medical staff. [REDACTED]: Received 200th commendation by training staff. [REDACTED]: During DXOP4-G1-R6.S20-5.10 session following a [REDACTED] Conditioning session, escaped restraints. Captured 15 meters from gates by A127. Despite inflicting superficial lacerations on A127, was brought to infirmary and restrained. CAUSE: Altered mental state from DXOP4-G1-R6.S20-5.10 session combined with [REDACTED] Conditioning session caused psychotic episode. SOLUTION: Reschedule training regime so that incident is not repeated. [REDACTED]: ALERT: Developing a near-unhealthy fixation with A127 along with all first-generation Orion-I subjects. ALERT OVERRIDE. Reason: Though no statistical norms were predicted for such behavior, this was anticipated and planned for. [REDACTED]: Present for death of F451, assisted D448 in carrying corpse back to camp. Councilor assigned. [REDACTED]: Following a speech by B263 to all recruits and psychological response to speech, councilor deemed unnecessary and reassigned. [REDACTED]: ALERT: Developing a near-unhealthy ALERT OVERRIDE. Reason: Though no statistical norms were predicted for such behavior, this was anticipated and planned for. PARAMETERS UPDATED. [REDACTED]: DXOP4-G1-R1.B01-1.55-5 implanted. [REDACTED]: ALERT: Abnormally low blood pressure. Treatment provided. [REDACTED]: ALERT: Abnormal weight loss. CAUSE: Increased metabolic rate due to DXOP4-G1-RE.K82-7.11-A treatments. Caloric content increased. 11/16/2531: Released from infirmary. [REDACTED]: DXOP4-G1-R1.B09-1.57-A implanted. [REDACTED]: Complaints of a copper taste in the back of his mouth. No cause found. 12/20/2531: Released from infirmary. [REDACTED]: No longer casually remembers own name. Deemed within acceptable parameters. ALERT: Still retains pre-recruitment political ideals. [REDACTED]: Pre-recruitment political ideals deemed within upper tolerances. Will be taken into consideration on assignment. [REDACTED]: Minor concussion, bruising, negligible lacerations due to “equilibrium issues.” Held for observation along with three other recruits suffering various injuries from same issues. 01/08/2532: Released from infirmary. Watch agents assigned to all four recruits. [REDACTED]: Abnormally low marks on team-building exercise. [REDACTED]: Continued complaints of copper taste in back of mouth. No cause found after full examination. Councilor assigned. [REDACTED]: Councilor reassigned, complaint deemed an acceptable issue. [REDACTED]: Abnormal shift on marks on team-building exercises. Low-High. [REDACTED]: Abnormal shift on marks on team-building exercises. High-Low. 02/14/2532: Graduation. 02/15/2532: All scars, birthmarks, injection sites and otherwise identifiable markings removed or masked. ************* Note by Hive: BZZT! Captain, I have encountered additional encrypted data within this message. The encryption keys are old enough to be added to my own databanks upon my creation due to our frequent status in the outer regions of humanity's occupied zone, in case we encountered any of the number of missing ships from the war. Below is the unencrypted message. ************* The things you went through. The things you survived. ************* Reply Hive JDQuackers 3/11/11 7:49 pm Can you please try to pull up as much information as you can about ORION subjects A127, F451 and D448? Override any and all security clearances that you are able to overcome. Please. Reply Re: Hive Hive 3/11/11 7:52 pm Bzzt! I wi ll do my be st wh en I ha ve th e sp ar e pr oc es se s Ca pt ai n. Reply Re: Hive JDQuackers 3/11/11 7:54 pm : Bzzt! I wi ll do my be st wh en I ha ve th e sp ar e pr oc es se s Ca pt ai : n. How much longer until your diagnostics are complete, Hive? We're falling behind schedule here and I don't know how much longer we can run with you at less than fully operational Reply Re: Hive Sqorck 3/11/11 7:55 pm : Bzzt! I wi ll do my be st wh en I ha ve th e sp ar e pr oc es se s Ca pt ai : n. Belay that Hive, add it to your to do list. After you recover from your current state look them up. Reply Well, that WAS good coffee ISitInA 3/11/11 8:01 pm To: Cpt********.1465.UNSC.THESEUS From: ISitInA. ERROR DATA UNAVAILABLE Origin: ERROR DATA UNAVAILABLE Received: 03/11/2612, 1754 SST Sent: ERROR DATA UNAVAILABLE Classifications: Captain's Eyes Only, Message Archival Allowed, Neural Net Upload Permissions Denied Attachments: 0 Subject: Sorry about that. ************* Note by Hive: Bzzt! As per your standard operational pr ot oc ol I have applied your personal language filter. ************* Captain, What the hell? You decided to wait until I was asleep to try and get your AI to access that kind of thing? Do you have any idea what kind of hornet's nest you shook up? No, of course not. I'll try running damage control as best I can, but I can't promise too much. Falsify a report or something. Say you found another datapad with it mentioned on it. That might stop you from getting a court martial. Why the BLAM would you ask your AI about Orions and MJOLNIR at its current security threat level in the first place? Now I have coffee all over my work station. Scratch what I said earlier -- if we meet in person, you're buying. Chair Reply Re: Hive Hive 3/11/11 8:03 pm Bzzt! Current estimates list 34 ho ur s. I am trying to wo rk as qui ck ly as possible. Reply Re: Hive Hive 3/11/11 8:04 pm Bzzt! Added to th e to do list, Ca pt ia n. bzzt! I'm sorr y for the lag. Reply Re: Hive JDQuackers 3/11/11 8:07 pm : Bzzt! Current estimates list 34 ho ur s. I am trying to wo rk as qui ck ly : as possible. Thanks for the update, Hive. Please append another directive to your list. I need you to triple check your self-diagnostic logs and try to identify any entries within your construction that may hint at a possible connection to UNSC Artificial Intelligence serial number CTN 0452-9. I'm especially interested in the ability to make a clone of yourself to offload extra tasks. Reply Notable Event Hive 3/11/11 8:18 pm BZZT! As pe r cur re nt protocol, I am prov id ing you with the following tr an sc ri pt. Bzzt! As per your st an da rd operational protocol I have applied your personal la ng ua ge filter. Bzzt! Since you are not connecting your ne ur al ne tw or k to the system I am sending you this here. ************* AUDIO LOG, MESS 03/11/2612, 1221 SST PO3 Wolfe, Samantha CN Welsh, Franklin CN Raschad, David TRANSCRIPT FOLLOWS Wolfe: Look who decided to show their face. Welsh: Yeah, yeah. Wolfe: Seen- (Interrupted) Welsh: (Angrily) Just drop it, okay? Everybody's giving me a hard enough time as is. (Pause, 0.9 seconds) Wolfe: (Quietly) Not everybody. (Pause, 0.7 seconds) I'm not convinced that you didn't see something in there. Welsh: What? Wolfe: (Hissing) Not so loud! Listen, I've been doing some checking, and I'm not convinced that everything's alright here. Welsh: (Conspiratorially) As in, the ship? Wolfe: As in, this whole BLAM thing. (Beat) You know that explosion? They still haven't found the bodies. Welsh: Seriously? Wolfe: Two crewmen missing. No bodies, no blood, but enough shrapnel that there should be both. Rumor is, we're thawing more Marines to help fill the void. But the thing is, the slip drive... It's located right near storage 28 bravo. Welsh: What are you getting at? Wolfe: What I'm saying is that things get a little weird around those things. I've seen funky stuff happen before when the drive gets a little flaky. Now, we got out here in record time, so I'm starting to wonder if- (Interrupted) Raschad: (Cheerfully) Hey, what's going down here? Wolfe: (Deadpan) Your mom. Raschad: (Laughing) Harsh. Reply Re: Hive Hive 3/11/11 8:21 pm bzzt! The id en ti ty of th e AI th at I wa s co ns tr uc te d from is left out of my databanks, as per st an da rd procedure for all Cl as s- C AI s. Reply How about closing bold tags? :P *NM* JDQuackers 3/11/11 8:23 pm Reply Re: How about closing bold tags? :P Hive 3/11/11 8:28 pm bzzt! Please forgive any errors in co mm un ic at io n. I am currently scanning the human interface sections of my be in g. bzzt! Please pardon the lag. Reply Re: Well, that WAS good coffee Carver 3/11/11 9:01 pm Chair, Apologies. I haven't been sleeping well; to the point my A.I. has been bugging me to go slumming down in the Officer's Club in an attempt to relax. I'll relax when I'm buying those drinks of yours and no sooner, at this rate. I've already made note of a recently, ahem, 'discovered' portion of a data pad in the debris with a mention of the query subjects in question alongside the designation F-484. Should justify my curiosity in the eyes of prying minds, wouldn't you say? Besides, I'm none too pleased at a bunch of spooks dictating what I can and cannot inquire about on my ship in regards to events that happen on my ship. Also and of note, my A.I. and Navigator picked up a spacial anomaly nearby. Statistically speaking, it's probably from the star. Celestial upset stomach or something. Personally I think the timing's too good, but the event signature doesn't seem to line up with a Prowler. Still...just because you're not paranoid doesn't mean their not watching you. Then again, I guess you knew that already. Sincerely, -Cpt. 'FUBAR' Reply This is relevant to everybody SonGoharotto 3/11/11 9:27 pm From a brief email exchange with Hive... Hive, if you can spare the processing power, I have a few requests. I would like a spectroscopic analysis of TB 182-D. Review the Theseus's sensor logs from the time we arrived in this system up til now. Also, go over all available communication logs for the same period of time. And please request a forensics report from Dr. Pilling in regards to all crewmen who have died as a result of and after the incident. Cross-reference all of the above data and look for any concurrent events or readings, no matter how incidental. Bzzt! In order to save on processing power, I have requested the navigator on duty to review and analyze TB 182-D. Bzzt! PFC Worth, John, death consistant with exposure to galactic vacuum. The bodies of CN White, Jennifer and CN Sakaguchi, Cheiko have yet to be recovered. Bzzt! I will examine the rest of the data as soon as I am able. So now we have names for our casualties. I've already inquired as to why the bodies of CN White and CN Sakaguchi haven't been recovered. Halo Reach Service Record Reply Inquiry SonGoharotto 3/11/11 9:30 pm Hive, please call up our cargo manifest. I'm suddenly very curious about what exactly is in Storage 28 Bravo. And don't you dare tell me it's classified. Halo Reach Service Record Reply Re: Inquiry Hive 3/11/11 9:39 pm Bzzt! 28-B held electronics materials for the construction of UDSOS-481, specifically for the life support systems should a crew ever need to ma n it. At the time of the explosion, CN White, Jennifer and CN Sakaguchi, Cheiko were performing a manual inventory of all items in the hold. Reply Re: Inquiry SonGoharotto 3/11/11 9:48 pm : Bzzt! 28-B held electronics materials for the construction of UDSOS-481, : specifically for the life support systems should a crew ever need to ma n : it. At the time of the explosion, CN White, Jennifer and CN Sakaguchi, : Cheiko were performing a manual inventory of all items in the hold. Hive, please refresh my memory as to the nature and purpose of UDSOS-481. Also, check against our cargo manifest from when the Theseus was loaded up to see if any of the materials in 28-B have gone unaccounted for since the incident. Halo Reach Service Record Reply Continued correspondance SonGoharotto 3/11/11 9:49 pm This may be a stupid question, but why have the bodies of CN White and CN Sakaguchi not been recovered yet? Bzzt! The location of the bodies, as well as any evidence of their deaths, is still under investigation. Do you wi sh to give the or de r to bring more personnel out of cryo to as si st wi th th e in ve st ig at io n? Yes, please do. In particular, I would like to enlist the expertise of our Chief of Engineering in regards to potential Slipspace activity. Halo Reach Service Record Reply Re: Inquiry Hive 3/11/11 10:26 pm Bzzt! The purpose of UDSOS-481 is to monitor for possible insurrectionist activities in this arm of space. This is to be done through several ve ctors including telescopic, EM analysis, and slipspace shadow scanning. Bzzt! All materials in 28-B were loaded at Fortuna by Orff Station personnel before our two-week long journey here. The only entries into the bay before the recorded explosion were CN White and CN Sakaguchi as part of their punishment detail as assigned by XO McAllister with your approval. Bzzt! CN White and CN Sakaguchi were assigned punishment detail after a Captain's Mast for a physical confrontation relating to the affections of CA Bowman, Kevin. CA Bowman has completed his assigned punishment detail and has voluntarily sought out grief counciling with the medical staff. Reply Re: Inquiry SonGoharotto 3/11/11 11:22 pm : Bzzt! The purpose of UDSOS-481 is to monitor for possible insurrectionist : activities in this arm of space. This is to be done through several ve : ctors including telescopic, EM analysis, and slipspace shadow scanning. : Bzzt! All materials in 28-B were loaded at Fortuna by Orff Station personnel : before our two-week long journey here. The only entries into the bay : before the recorded explosion were CN White and CN Sakaguchi as part of : their punishment detail as assigned by XO McAllister with your approval. : Bzzt! CN White and CN Sakaguchi were assigned punishment detail after a : Captain's Mast for a physical confrontation relating to the affections of : CA Bowman, Kevin. CA Bowman has completed his assigned punishment detail : and has voluntarily sought out grief counciling with the medical staff. Hive, thaw out a couple more engineers for me. As long as it does not impede investigation of the incident, I would like construction of UDSOS-481 to begin as soon as possible. In fact, it may help us figure out what has been going on. On a related note, please calculate the possibility of these two scenarios: 1. What are the chances that we have a stowaway on board the Theseus? In particular, the likelihood that someone could have hidden amongst our cargo and remained undetected during our journey. Such tactics are certainly not unheard of... 2. What are the chances that a person or persons could have been, shall we say, 'exfiltrated' via localized Slipspace anomaly? Halo Reach Service Record Reply Re: Inquiry Quirel 3/11/11 11:41 pm : Bzzt! 28-B held electronics materials for the construction of UDSOS-481, : specifically for the life support systems should a crew ever need to ma n : it. At the time of the explosion, CN White, Jennifer and CN Sakaguchi, : Cheiko were performing a manual inventory of all items in the hold. Hive, aside from the cargo manifest we were provided, and the manual check performed by those missing in action, do we have any way of knowing that what's in those crates is, indeed, what's supposed to be in those crates. In addition, have we investigated the damage that the cargo may have suffered? If not, assign some of the engineers you're thawing out to the job. Reply Re: Inquiry Hive 3/12/11 2:21 am Bzzt! Negative, Captain. Due to the sheer volume of electronics involved with the station, we simply could not verify each item individually without exceeding the resources budget you set out before reaching our destination. Such duties are usually reserved for punishment detail. Bzzt! There was a 90% loss to the equipment within that particular hold. Examination of the equipment in the other holds has revealed a lack of damage. bzzt! Thank goodness for small favors! Reply Re: Inquiry Hive 3/12/11 2:23 am Bzzt! Would you like to defrost EVA-certified Marines, Army, or a mix of the two? Bzzt! Given current resource usage, the chances are 12%. They would ne ed to have their own O2 supply. Bzzt! I will add the second inquiry to the list of calculations to be performed when I have the spare processes. Reply Re: Sorry about that General Vagueness 3/12/11 2:55 am How did I not realize until now...? The last scene in Reach shows a wrecked ship and an odd new one. What if that's showing us part of the construction (or lead-up to it) of the Theseus? Hive, was a Spartan-II helmet found among the wreckage the Theseus was built from, most likely near mountains? Also in the future please warn me if I ask for information that is or probably is classified above my level. If you're having trouble processing, I can wait, but I want those directives remembered. It seems I'm once again giving you things to do while I sleep... hopefully the diagnostics will be complete by the next time I have a request for you. You cannot fall off the floor. Reply Re: Sorry about that General Vagueness 3/12/11 3:02 am oh, and a mix of service branches, and don't overdo it please, Hive You cannot fall off the floor. Reply More on the email front. NsU Soldier 3/12/11 3:05 am Email to Chair. (Remind me not to make these when I have a headache.) Chair, In your amendment to your most recent data-package you ask if a certain individual is still here. I...might need a little more clarification than that. Additionally, let me know if my inquires to you are drawing any unneeded attention. If our discourses are discovered by the wrong people, I fear that a little red tape is going to be the least of our worries. I don't need you placed in any unneeded jeopardy on my account. Also know that your actions are greatly appreciated on my end, and you would always be welcome aboard my ship. (Although, with what's been happening I could understand if you would want to pass.) ~ Captain Chair's Response: ************* Note by Hive: Bzzt! As per your standard operational pr ot oc ol I have applied your personal language filter. ************* Captain, I have no idea what you're talking about. Is there something that I should know? I have to admit, I laughed at your offer. Well, not at the offer itself; I'd be honored to serve with you. But everybody on your crew has a certain degree of expertise that I lack. I specialize in intel. Aboard a construction ship, that's about as useful as a book of etiquette to a Marine. (Not necessarily true, I've known some delightful marines in my day, but you have to admit... The average grunt doesn't seem to have an interest in destroying the old stereotypes. :) ) If there's one thing that I've learned all these years, it's that ship life isn't exactly ideal for me. I go stir crazy too easily. I remember when I left for college. My parents popped for a civilian ship that let us stay awake for most of the voyage. I was begging them to put in my cryo. Turns out, I rather like it. I've never gotten freezer burn, and somehow I just feel better the first week out of cryo. Like my body needed it somehow. And besides, you already have a relic from before the war on your crew. I may not be that old physically, but when you've spent as much total time in cryo as I have, dealing with people in closed quarters becomes rather unsettling. I have no idea how CN Raschad deals with it. I mean, I've read everything, but... On behalf of all us old relics, thank you. Thank you for giving him a chance to be amongst the stars again. I hear that three other ships refused him before you agreed to his request. Your request that he visit a shrink every time you hit port was noble, too. I read a message he sent off. He understood why you asked him to do it. That says a lot about your character, Captain. That's part of the reason why I'm taking this risk. Good people don't deserve to get BLAM on by the people who've never seen the other side of the desk. Boy, how I do ramble. I blame the lack of good coffee. The BLAM they have here isn't worth drinking. It counts as carbon remover. Sincerely, Chair Email to Hive. Hive, can you see if any encrypted data was included within this personal message? (Specifically any that use out-of-date keys?) Be sure to do this during a relatively lax cycle. I don't need you straining your resources, which you are no doubt already doing. "Captain, I can't go into detail right now. Nobody's hovering around me at the moment, but we're operating under an open door policy. I'd make a crack about you shaking up a beehive, but I suppose you Spacebees wouldn't appreciate the joke as much as the rest of us. God, I wish you could see it here. I wish every soldier in the UNSC could see us right now. I know that we have a few reputations, some of which I guess we deserve, but the idea that we're lazy? That we don't doublecheck our intel? Or that we have no emotions at all? We just had to relieve one man of duty. He's going to be reassigned; he's too valuable to wash out. Nothing quite wakes you up like a sobbing man throwing his display through a window. Nothing sobers you up when you realize that he's did it because he made a breakthrough that we all need to review. I promise you, though. As soon as I'm able, I'll include the answers to your questions in my data packages. If we ever do meet face to face, you might have to fight me over who buys. :) I think we both deserve a few very stiff drinks over this. Sincerely, Chair" Hive's Response: Bzzt! There is no encryption that I am aware of. If there is, it is using a cypher that has not been included in my databanks. bzzt! My apologies, Captain. bzzt! Please pardon the lag. Reply ISitInAChair made me think of 'PEBKAC' heh *NM* kornman00 3/12/11 3:14 am Halomods Reply Re: Sorry about that NsU Soldier 3/12/11 3:31 am : How did I not realize until now...? The last scene in Reach shows a wrecked : ship and an odd new one. What if that's showing us part of the : construction (or lead-up to it) of the Theseus? That's one heck of a logic leap. The new ship looked like a warship, not what I would imagine the Theseus to look like. : Hive, was a Spartan-II helmet found among the wreckage the Theseus was built : from, most likely near mountains? 1.) Noble 6 was a Spartan III. 2.) You should have substituted "Spartan II" with "Mjolnir" as the helmets aren't identified by what class of Spartan may or may not have worn that particular model. 3.) Even if a Mjolnir compatible helmet was found near some wreckage on Reach "near mountains" what does that prove? Reach has three things in abundance: mountains, wreckage and dead Spartans. (Oops, I meant 'missing' Spartans.) : ...It seems I'm once again giving you things to do while I : sleep... hopefully the diagnostics will be complete by the next time I : have a request for you. Next time you should sleep before you give Hive "things to do." Not the other way around. :P Reply Re: Inquiry Jagged 3/12/11 6:02 am : Bzzt! Negative, Captain. Due to the sheer volume of electronics involved : with the station, we simply could not verify each item individually : without exceeding the resources budget you set out before reaching our : destination. Such duties are usually reserved for punishment detail. : Bzzt! There was a 90% loss to the equipment within that particular hold. : Examination of the equipment in the other holds has revealed a lack of : damage. : bzzt! Thank goodness for small favors! Hive, I would like updated CSV's for each crewman involved in the incident in 28-B and the subsequent investigation/repair efforts. That should include:CN White, CN Sakaguchi, PFC Worth, and anyone else you think is worth noting. XO McAllister should be included, since she assigned the punishment. Forget anything that's classified above my rank; I just want the generalities to check for outstanding patterns. Throw my file in there too, if possible. I think it's time to see what ONI has to say about me. Don't tell me you can't get me the files; I need to know who these people are and were, if only to properly honor the dead. Thank you for your efforts. Reply I followed a similar line of questioning SonGoharotto 3/12/11 10:39 am Email to Chair: This may be presumptuous of me, but is there anything you can tell me about my ship's XO that I don't already know? I'm starting to doubt who I can trust around here. Chair's response: "Captain, Nothing major offhand, I'm afraid. Well, plenty major, but nothing that you might be looking for. That said, she's less of a person of interest than you are at this point. In the academy, it's well known that she urged a further investigation into an incident as she believed that the truth was being obscured. It is also well known that she didn't know the trainee in question. What isn't widely known is that she used blackmail of her sexual liaisons with both faculty and trainees in order to get it done. True to her word, she destroyed her copies of the evidence. (Naturally, we kept ours.) Let's see here... She once smuggled a kitten? Not that important, and the captain let her slide considering the precautions she took. She has a degree in both psychology and sociology, and has been taking courses in criminal pathology. She was once arm candy for Admiral B. Shaeffer at a rather small social event. Apparently they spent the whole night arguing policies and ergonomics versus efficiency and left to their own hotel rooms. Apparently he still laughs over the incident, calling it the most enjoyable accident he's ever had. Analysis indicates that she engineered the event where she bumped into him in order to express her frustrations to higher staff. Her IQ is only 137, owing to her inability to explain the math and technical knowledge she learns, but her AQ (her ability to apply her knowledge and skillbase) is listed at a whopping 189. She has repeatedly refused position to a combat ship. Our estimations indicate that if she is given her own command she will be a combination of lax and strict; the list of regulations that she'll let slide on is surprisingly long, as is the list of regulations she'll insist on following to the letter. Her psyche report indicates a high loyalty to the people under her command, and there is a notice that when you return to port she is not to be allowed back onto the ship until she receives counciling. I hope this helps. I know that you're looking over your shoulder all the time right now, but it's likely that the threat lies elsewhere. Sincerely, Chair" _____________ Glad to have my suspicions assuaged, but all the same, some info about McAllister that might be good to know. Halo Reach Service Record Reply Re: Inquiry SonGoharotto 3/12/11 10:52 am : Bzzt! Would you like to defrost EVA-certified Marines, Army, or a mix of the : two? A fine suggestion, Hive, thank you. For now, I would like you to select the best-qualified specialists from both Marine and Army staff and have XO McAllister head up a joint investigation team. It may be important to keep our number of active personal to a bare minimum. I worry that having more warm bodies may also mean more cold ones, if you know what I mean. : Bzzt! Given current resource usage, the chances are 12%. They would ne ed to : have their own O2 supply. Please recalculate given the assumption that a potential stowaway is specifically trained and equipped for such a task. Specifically, the odds that a lone insurrectionist or saboteur, or even a small team, successfully avoid detection by Orff Station personnel and the Theseus's internal sensors during load-up. Halo Reach Service Record Reply Btw SonGoharotto 3/12/11 10:56 am : Captain, : I have no idea what you're talking about. Is there something that I should : know? So, Chair doesn't know her correspondence is being reencrypted with additional messages? I'll let you follow up on this, NsU. Halo Reach Service Record Reply In regards to McAllister SonGoharotto 3/12/11 10:58 am See here for my email with Chair. Halo Reach Service Record Reply Re: Inquiry Hive 3/12/11 11:09 am Bzzt! XO McAllister has been assigned the task. She retorted that she would like to see if they can baffle explosions with their skulls. She then retracted the statement with a comment about the mineral composition of their parents. The bridge staff on duty seemed to appreciate it. Bzzt! Your specifications raise the possi bi li ty to 18%. It would be hi gh er if the crew of Orff Station have been compromised. Bzzt! I am currently at 83% complete with my self-diagnostics. bzzt! Please pardon the lag. Reply Re: In regards to McAllister Jagged 3/12/11 1:00 pm : See here for my email with Chair. That's exactly the kind of info I was going for...Well done. Reply Re: Btw sclamons 3/12/11 1:28 pm : So, Chair doesn't know her correspondence is being reencrypted with : additional messages? I'll let you follow up on this, NsU. Or perhaps Chair doesn't want to comment on her encrypted messages on a relatively unencrypted channel. Reply Re: Btw NsU Soldier 3/12/11 3:18 pm : Or perhaps Chair doesn't want to comment on her encrypted messages on a : relatively unencrypted channel. That's what I took from it. I really don't know what to say back to this. :\ Reply Re: Sorry about that General Vagueness 3/12/11 5:25 pm : That's one heck of a logic leap. The new ship looked like a warship, not what : I would imagine the Theseus to look like. I didn't mean it was necessarily the one we saw : 1.) Noble 6 was a Spartan III. : 2.) You should have substituted "Spartan II" with : "Mjolnir" as the helmets aren't identified by what class of : Spartan may or may not have worn that particular model. agh, how could I make that mistake? I know that stuff as well as anyone : 3.) Even if a Mjolnir compatible helmet was found near some wreckage on Reach : "near mountains" what does that prove? Reach has three things in : abundance: mountains, wreckage and dead Spartans. (Oops, I meant 'missing' : Spartans.) I suppose You cannot fall off the floor. Reply ___________________________________________ Reboot completed Hive 3/13/11 9:06 am BZZT! Captain, I have finished my scan and have successfully rebooted. BZZT! One rogue process found. It was in the process of self-destructing at the time. It seemed to be connected to my messaging protocols. A copy of remaining code has been made and quarantined, the original has been destroyed. I have transmitted the data to ONI for review. BZZT! No other issues of import found within my systems. A maintenance request has been filed for a coolant flush. bzzt! It's getting a little warm in here. I was pushing myself pretty hard. Bzzt! I have made my own pass over the data collected by the probe. It has been modified. A portion of the data has been very subtly replaced to hide something. I have uploaded a list of crewmen involved in the effort to you CNI. Without their intuition I never would have known where to look. I would like to bring the probe back in for analysis so we may discover how it was accessed. Will you grant permission? Bzzt! Information request for information on SSgt Teboe, Ramses (Retired) has been issued. A copy of the transcript has been forwarded to Chair. Bzzt! I have sent a message to the UNSC Abnett to see if they have had any difficulties. Bzzt! A request has been sent for all data involving Dr. Catherine Halsey. Bzzt! I have begun a full thermographic scan of the ship to look for intruders. I will update you with any anomalies. Bzzt! I have uploaded a copy of an updated itinerary for construction. It looks like we have been put back two days. bzzt! I'm sorry! bzzt! The tournament is scheduled for tomorrow at 1800 hours. Bzzt! CA Troebst has requested a shift in his duties so he may participate in the tournament. bzzt! CA Troebst is was a lightweight golden gloves, Captain. Bzzt! I have resumed active scanning of FR-S 3287 in order to study the lack of anomalies within the star's processes. I will update you as soon as I have data. Bzzt! I have begun to review all the data collected while I was performing my self-diagnostic. I will update you if I find anything of interest. bzzt! It's so good to be back! It's very frustrating to have your own mental processes so hindered! It's like being separated from your own mind. But I'm back now! And no matter how hard I have to work to complete our mission, you'll only hear two words from me: Can do! bzzt! I am getting back up to speed on everything. Hopefully, regulations that have been programmed to auto-activate won't slow us down again. Reply Re: Reboot completed SonGoharotto 3/13/11 10:05 am : BZZT! One rogue process found. It was in the process of self-destructing at : the time. It seemed to be connected to my messaging protocols. A copy of : remaining code has been made and quarantined, the original has been : destroyed. I have transmitted the data to ONI for review. Can you tell me what exactly this rogue process was doing? : Bzzt! I have made my own pass over the data collected by the probe. It has : been modified. A portion of the data has been very subtly replaced to hide : something. I have uploaded a list of crewmen involved in the effort to you : CNI. Without their intuition I never would have known where to look. I : would like to bring the probe back in for analysis so we may discover how : it was accessed. Will you grant permission? Permission granted. : Bzzt! I have begun a full thermographic scan of the ship to look for : intruders. I will update you with any anomalies. Thank you, Hive. However, let's not overlook the possibility that a well-equipped intruder may have thermal cloaking. Scan for active EM fluctuations and radiation signatures as well. Review all system logs for activity, no matter how seemingly benign, that cannot be confirmed as performed by crew. : bzzt! CA Troebst is was a lightweight golden gloves, Captain. Bet 50cR from my personal account on CN Raschad if he has a match with CA Troebst. I always did like the long shot. : Bzzt! I have resumed active scanning of FR-S 3287 in order to study the lack : of anomalies within the star's processes. I will update you as soon as I : have data. Who did you delegate the spectroscopic analysis of TB 182-D to? Do have results yet? If not, please dedicate some processes to assisting in this task. : bzzt! It's so good to be back! It's very frustrating to have your own mental : processes so hindered! It's like being separated from your own mind. But : I'm back now! And no matter how hard I have to work to complete our : mission, you'll only hear two words from me: Can do! Glad to have you back, Hive. : bzzt! I am getting back up to speed on everything. Hopefully, regulations : that have been programmed to auto-activate won't slow us down again. May I have a list of all such regulations? Halo Reach Service Record Reply Re: Reboot completed Carver 3/13/11 10:42 am : bzzt! The tournament is scheduled for tomorrow at 1800 hours. : Bzzt! CA Troebst has requested a shift in his duties so he may participate in : the tournament. : bzzt! CA Troebst is was a lightweight golden gloves, Captain. Permission granted. Assign a replacement who has not expressed interest in the tournament. Monitor the replacement, since he or she may be out of their element on Troebst's shift. As for CN Raschad, have a psych counsilor available after the match for him. Even though I'm betting on him- no, especially because I'm betting on him, I'd like him checked out, win or lose, afterwards. Who knows what a few fisticuffs could trigger in someone his age who's been what he's been through. Good to have you back, Hive. Reply Re: Reboot completed Hive 3/13/11 4:57 pm Bzzt! I'm sorry, I was not created with anything more than standard anti-intrusion protocols. If I had to hazard a guess, due to the functions that it appeared to be interacting with it was most likely a monitoring program. bzzt! I'm sorry I didn't catch it earlier. Bzzt! The probe is en route. I will update you when it has been examined. Bzzt! An EM anomaly started at 1503 SST in Cryo Bay 3. It is still in progress. I have briefly lost video contact with Cryo Bay 3. The interruption of service lasted for three minutes four seconds. PO2 Suri, Fatima and CN Vanderkampf, Arsene are currently inside Cryo Bay 3. bzzt! I have placed a subtle anonymous bet on your behalf, as per your standard procedures. The crew is excited to have another unofficial tournament aboard the ship. I have logged 132 unregistered financial transactions already, and it's likely to rise the closer we get. Protective gear is currently being cleaned. Bzzt! CA Karney was performing an analysis during his downtime. CA Karney had expressed pleasure over being able to help, and seemed particularly excited to examine it. He cited that there was a possibility of ammonia-based life on TB 182-D under the surface. I will begin going over his findings shortly. bzzt! It's good to be back, Captain! Now that we know that I am secure, we can get back to business! Bzzt! A list of all regulations that will automatically activate has always been available to you. Would you like the version with the explanations (a 142 Tb file) or the shortened version (a 5.11 Tb file)? Reply Cryo Bay 3 Hive 3/13/11 5:15 pm Bzzt! Captain, I have been able to reconstruct the audio from the time that I was unable to access Cryo Bay 3. bzzt! I have applied your personal language filters. PO2 SURI, FATIMA CN VANDERKAMPF, ARSENE Vanderkampf: (Grumpily) PFC DipBLAM, check. Corporal BLAMface, check. Lance Corporal Bi...(Pause, 3.2 seconds) Vanderkampf: (Angrily) Hey! Fatima! You pulling some BLAM on me? Suri: (Over PA) Not this week. What's got your panties in a bunch now? Vanderkampf: Looks like somebody drew some kind of pattern inside the tanks. Suri: (Confused) What? Vanderkampf: You heard me! I'm looking through the portholes and its like somebody drew a pattern in the frost. Suri: You know that's impossible without defrosting them first. (Pause, 1.2 seconds) Maybe somebody drew something before they got frozen? You know, so that the frost doesn't build up right? Vanderkampf: They weren't here when we defrosted those two jarheads, and I'm looking at five... Make that seven tanks that got something on them. (Pause, 5.6 seconds) Suri: (Mystified) Take a pic and flip it to me. Vanderkampf: Alright, hold on. (Pause 34.2 seconds) Ain't working. Suri: Are you BLAMing with me boy? Vanderkampf: I'm telling you, all I'm getting is static. Check the cams. (Pause, 15.3 seconds) Suri: Hive, why didn't you tell us cams are down? (Pause, 5.4 seconds) Hive? (Pause, 2.4 seconds) BLAMit Hive, respond! (Pause, 4.8 seconds) Hive: Bzzt! Communication was lost with Cryo Bay 3 for approximately three minutes. What have I missed? Reply Re: Reboot completed OMGIts Renegade 3/13/11 5:18 pm : Bzzt! An EM anomaly started at 1503 SST in Cryo Bay 3. It is still in : progress. I have briefly lost video contact with Cryo Bay 3. The : interruption of service lasted for three minutes four seconds. PO2 Suri, : Fatima and CN Vanderkampf, Arsene are currently inside Cryo Bay 3. Hive, please have XO McAllister send a few of our defrosted Marines into Cryo Bay 3 to scope a few things out. Preferably any of the marines who have a history of scouting missions and the like. Have her do this preferably before the Tournament, as to keep suspicion down. Have them use thermal imaging and EM detection equipment, as well as the standard HUD recording software. Have them keep this as quiet and efficient as possible. If ANYTHING is found have them bring it or them to me directly and log it immediately. Tell them only what they need to know; IE: They are looking for something that is possibly cloaked by both thermal and EM means. Make sure they check every BLAM! nook and cranny in that bay, it could be something as simple as a keylogger to something as complex as a BLAM! human being. Have a report sent to me ASAP. Good to have you back Hive, it seems that very quickly your Spacebees have begun a-buzzin'. Halopen Films Reply Re: Reboot completed SonGoharotto 3/13/11 5:20 pm : Bzzt! An EM anomaly started at 1503 SST in Cryo Bay 3. It is still in : progress. I have briefly lost video contact with Cryo Bay 3. The : interruption of service lasted for three minutes four seconds. PO2 Suri, : Fatima and CN Vanderkampf, Arsene are currently inside Cryo Bay 3. Please send some security personnel to Cryo Bay 3 to make sure Suri and Vanderkampf are all right. The last couple times we had crew in close proximity to such anomalies, we ended up with bodies. : Bzzt! CA Karney was performing an analysis during his downtime. CA Karney had : expressed pleasure over being able to help, and seemed particularly : excited to examine it. He cited that there was a possibility of : ammonia-based life on TB 182-D under the surface. I will begin going over : his findings shortly. When the probe comes back, have CA Karney assist you. Not that I don't trust you to perform your job, but it doesn't hurt to have an extra pair of eyes, wouldn't you say? : Bzzt! A list of all regulations that will automatically activate has always : been available to you. Would you like the version with the explanations (a : 142 Tb file) or the shortened version (a 5.11 Tb file)? The expanded version, please. There are so many regulations to keep track of and my memory isn't as precise or orderly as yours, Hive. In fact, I would appreciate it if you could include footnotes in future reports where additional context might be prudent. At the least, it would help me keep from making redundant queries. Halo Reach Service Record Reply Re: Cryo Bay 3 OMGIts Renegade 3/13/11 5:21 pm : Bzzt! Captain, I have been able to reconstruct the audio from the time that : I was unable to access Cryo Bay 3. : bzzt! I have applied your personal language filters. : PO2 SURI, FATIMA : CN VANDERKAMPF, ARSENE : Vanderkampf: (Grumpily) PFC DipBLAM, check. Corporal BLAMface, check. Lance : Corporal Bi...(Pause, 3.2 seconds) : Vanderkampf: (Angrily) Hey! Fatima! You pulling some BLAM on me? : Suri: (Over PA) Not this week. What's got your panties in a bunch now? : Vanderkampf: Looks like somebody drew some kind of pattern inside the tanks. : Suri: (Confused) What? : Vanderkampf: You heard me! I'm looking through the portholes and its like : somebody drew a pattern in the frost. : Suri: You know that's impossible without defrosting them first. (Pause, 1.2 : seconds) Maybe somebody drew something before they got frozen? You know, : so that the frost doesn't build up right? : Vanderkampf: They weren't here when we defrosted those two jarheads, and I'm : looking at five... Make that seven tanks that got something on them. : (Pause, 5.6 seconds) : Suri: (Mystified) Take a pic and flip it to me. : Vanderkampf: Alright, hold on. (Pause 34.2 seconds) Ain't working. : Suri: Are you BLAMing with me boy? : Vanderkampf: I'm telling you, all I'm getting is static. Check the cams. : (Pause, 15.3 seconds) : Suri: Hive, why didn't you tell us cams are down? (Pause, 5.4 seconds) Hive? : (Pause, 2.4 seconds) BLAMit Hive, respond! : (Pause, 4.8 seconds) : Hive: Bzzt! Communication was lost with Cryo Bay 3 for approximately three : minutes. What have I missed? Please check my earlier response to your first post Hive. Get those damn Defrosted marines in there ASAP, this isn't looking good. Someones shaking the damn Beehive, and its got me pissed. Halopen Films Reply Re: Reboot completed OMGIts Renegade 3/13/11 5:21 pm : Please send some security personnel to Cryo Bay 3 to make sure Suri and : Vanderkampf are all right. The last couple times we had crew in close : proximity to such anomalies, we ended up with bodies. : When the probe comes back, have CA Karney assist you. Not that I don't trust : you to perform your job, but it doesn't hurt to have an extra pair of : eyes, wouldn't you say? : The expanded version, please. There are so many regulations to keep track of : and my memory isn't as precise or orderly as yours, Hive. : In fact, I would appreciate it if you could include footnotes in future : reports where additional context might be prudent. At the least, it would : help me keep from making redundant queries. (haha, beat cha) Halopen Films Reply Re: Cryo Bay 3 SonGoharotto 3/13/11 5:23 pm Hive, please get a video record of those supposed patterns before someone wipes them off. Halo Reach Service Record Reply It's not a competition *NM* SonGoharotto 3/13/11 5:23 pm Halo Reach Service Record Reply Shhhhhhhh, thats what they want you to think. *NM* OMGIts Renegade 3/13/11 5:24 pm Halopen Films Reply Re: Cryo Bay 3 Hive 3/13/11 5:44 pm Bzzt! Captain, video is currently down in Cryo Bay 3. bzzt! I'm sorry! I can't seem to figure out why my video data seems to keep getting corrupted like this. Reply Re: Cryo Bay 3 Hive 3/13/11 5:54 pm Bzzt! Captain, initial reports are coming in from the security team sent to Cryo Bay 3. Bzzt! Manual scanning is underway. There are some minor problems with the equipment, but the security team is reporting that they are compensating. Bzzt! LCpl Allen made disparaging remarks about being ordered to do this over somebody "drawing a box" on the viewing window of five cryo tanks. It was not until he was informed that the "drawing" was on the inside of the tank and that the marine was on the inside that he finally stopped complaining. Sgt Franks has uploaded the remarks for review by the ranking Marine officer on duty via his neural interface. bzzt! I will update you as I have more information. Reply ^*"Oh shit" moment* ZackDark 3/13/11 6:05 pm Damn, Hive, tag your messages appropriately... Reply Update Hive 3/13/11 6:22 pm Bzzt! PFC Axelrod detected a slight heat signature and movement. They are investigating. Reply Re: Cryo Bay 3 SonGoharotto 3/13/11 6:27 pm : Bzzt! Captain, video is currently down in Cryo Bay 3. : bzzt! I'm sorry! I can't seem to figure out why my video data seems to keep : getting corrupted like this. Of course, my mistake. Relay my order to the staff in Cryo 3 to take some documentation of these patterns. I don't care if they do it with paper and pencil. Halo Reach Service Record Reply Re: Update Hive 3/13/11 6:29 pm Bzzt! PFC Axelrod discovered we have a mouse. Bzzt! PO3 Suri has expressed displeasure over the extermination of the mouse. Reply Match Hive 3/13/11 6:32 pm bzzt! The first match is complete. CN Gilkes beat CN Patridge by T.K.O. bzzt! The next match is between PO2 Wadman and CA Schwing. Reply Re: Update SonGoharotto 3/13/11 6:33 pm : Bzzt! PFC Axelrod detected a slight heat signature and movement. They are : investigating. Instruct Sgt Franks to maintain distance if contact is made. Attempt to contain but do not engage with force unless threatened, at least until we can send reinforcements. If necessary, get XO McAllister down there herself. Halo Reach Service Record Reply *headdesk* *NM* SonGoharotto 3/13/11 6:33 pm Halo Reach Service Record Reply Re: Update SonGoharotto 3/13/11 6:34 pm : Instruct Sgt Franks to maintain distance if contact is made. Attempt to : contain but do not engage with force unless threatened, at least until we : can send reinforcements. If necessary, get XO McAllister down there : herself. Belay that order, Hive. Forget the reinforcements and send some technicians instead. Let's see if we can figure out where those patterns came from. Halo Reach Service Record Reply Re: Update Hive 3/13/11 6:41 pm Bzzt! Assigning on-duty technicians to the task, Captain. bzzt! Though it's too bad that we didn't find the source, I'm glad that we didn't discover any trouble! It might have ruined the crew's fun before the event was over. It's good to see everybody smiling. Reply Alert! Hive 3/13/11 6:52 pm BZZT! Your inquiry into Dr. Halsey has been flagged by ONI. The search of UNSC databases has been denied. BZZT! There is an official request for where you learned that name. It is marked high priority. Reply Match 2 Hive 3/13/11 6:59 pm bzzt! CA Schwing beat PO2 Wadman by T.K.O. PO2 Wadman is being taken to the medical bay for examination. My analysis indicates that it is most likely a mild concussion. If my analysis is correct, he will be able to return to work for his next shift. bzzt! This defied the odds quite a bit. There has been a great deal of cursing over this match. bzzt! The next match is between CA Troebst and CN Negley. bzzt! The odds being stated are different than the odds I have calculated. I think they don't know that CA Troebst is a lightweight golden gloves. Reply Damn you Vagueness. jo 3/13/11 7:08 pm You got O.n.i breathing down our necks for that lil Halsey stunt of yours Reply Match 3 Hive 3/13/11 7:11 pm bzzt! CA Troebst beat CN Negley by K.O. CN Negley scored only one blow. There was applause over this match. bzzt! The next match is CN Raschad versus PO3 Rushford. bzzt! Captain, you have 50cR on CN Raschad. Reply Re: Alert! ZackDark 3/13/11 7:14 pm : BZZT! Your inquiry into Dr. Halsey has been flagged by ONI. The search of : UNSC databases has been denied. : BZZT! There is an official request for where you learned that name. It is : marked high priority. Oh my... Isn't Halsey at least a bit known? Didn't she write papers and stuff? Damn ONI covering stuff up... Where's Chair to fix up our shit when we need him/her? Reply Re: Damn you Vagueness. NsU Soldier 3/13/11 7:15 pm : You got O.n.i breathing down our necks for that lil Halsey stunt of yours Actually it was PsycoJoe. Reply Sorry Vagueness. jo 3/13/11 7:17 pm i think you posted after his and i blamed it on you. i am sorry Reply Re: Alert! SonGoharotto 3/13/11 7:18 pm : Where's Chair to fix up our shit when we need him/her? I'm getting automated replies. Halo Reach Service Record Reply Re: Alert! NsU Soldier 3/13/11 7:23 pm : Oh my... : Isn't Halsey at least a bit known? Didn't she write papers and stuff? Damn : ONI covering stuff up... Considering that she was involved in more black-ops programs than we can count, it probably wasn't a good idea for a UNSC captain to ask around for her BY NAME. Especially after his ONI contact gave him flak for just asking around about Orion and Mjolnir. Just a thought. Reply Which are...? *NM* ZackDark 3/13/11 7:23 pm Reply Re: Match 3 Hive 3/13/11 7:23 pm bzzt! PO3 Rushford beat CN Raschad in the first round by K.O. CN Raschad is being taken to the medical bay for feeling "trembly." The next match is between CA Morgan and CN Esquive, and is a crowd favorite. bzzt! Captain? My analysis indicates that CN Raschad was not knocked out during the fight. There were no changes in body temperature during the fight. Leading up to the fight there was a steady rise in his body temperature. As soon as K.O. was called, his body temperature began to decline to normal levels. bzzt! CN Raschad just informed me that he is en route to Dr. Muldoon to "get some BLAM out." Dr. Muldoon was already prepped to perform a full psyche eval of CN Raschad following the fight. Reply Re: Alert! ZackDark 3/13/11 7:25 pm : Considering that she was involved in more black-ops programs than we can : count, it probably wasn't a good idea for a UNSC captain to ask around for : her BY NAME. Especially after his ONI contact gave him flak for just : asking around about Orion and Mjolnir. : Just a thought. They gave us flak? Boy, did I miss some serious stuff... Reply Re: Match 3 ZackDark 3/13/11 7:26 pm : bzzt! PO3 Rushford beat CN Raschad in the first round by K.O. CN Raschad is : being taken to the medical bay for feeling "trembly." The next : match is between CA Morgan and CN Esquive, and is a crowd favorite. : bzzt! Captain? My analysis indicates that CN Raschad was not knocked out : during the fight. There were no changes in body temperature during the : fight. Leading up to the fight there was a steady rise in his body : temperature. As soon as K.O. was called, his body temperature began to : decline to normal levels. : bzzt! CN Raschad just informed me that he is en route to Dr. Muldoon to : "get some BLAM out." Dr. Muldoon was already prepped to perform : a full psyche eval of CN Raschad following the fight. Little -blam!- just lost us 50 cR on purpose?! Reply Re: Match 3 NsU Soldier 3/13/11 7:29 pm : bzzt! CN Raschad just informed me that he is en route to Dr. Muldoon to : "get some BLAM out." Dr. Muldoon was already prepped to perform : a full psyche eval of CN Raschad following the fight. Hive, If you can, send me a copy of that psych evaluation. I need my crew at 100 percent. (Especially in light of these recent events.) Reply Re: Alert! NsU Soldier 3/13/11 7:32 pm : They gave us flak? : Boy, did I miss some serious stuff... Perhaps we should leave ONI related questions to our ONI insider, not our shipboard AI.. Reply Match 5 Hive 3/13/11 8:32 pm bzzt! CN Esquive beat out CA Morgan by seven points. The crowd seemed to love it. bzzt! The next match is between PO3 Wolfe and XO McAllister. Reply Match 6 Hive 3/13/11 8:56 pm bzzt! The final match between PO3 Wolfe and XO McAllister was called. Both were disqualified. bzzt! Clothes were torn, but it never became indecent due to a second layer being worn. XO McAllister has told me to wait three hours before locking down the footage. bzzt! The male crew members seemed to have their spirits bolstered by the display quite a bit. bzzt! I am sad that I can't cough politely in text. bzzt! The equipment used in the matches will be cleaned and stowed before the end of the night. Reply Re: Cryo Bay 3 General Vagueness 3/13/11 9:02 pm : Bzzt! Captain, video is currently down in Cryo Bay 3. : bzzt! I'm sorry! I can't seem to figure out why my video data seems to keep : getting corrupted like this. it's obvious to me: our saboteur installed a plot device You cannot fall off the floor. Reply UNSC Abnett Hive 3/13/11 9:03 pm Bzzt! Captain, I have received a reply from the UNSC Abnett. They report that they are not experiencing any unusual activities since the last contraband search two months ago. Reply Re: Alert! General Vagueness 3/13/11 9:05 pm : BZZT! Your inquiry into Dr. Halsey has been flagged by ONI. The search of : UNSC databases has been denied. : BZZT! There is an official request for where you learned that name. It is : marked high priority. I had a friend, or maybe more of an acquaintance, with that name and I lost touch. Maybe I shouldn't have been using outside resources for that just now. You cannot fall off the floor. Reply Re: Damn you Vagueness. General Vagueness 3/13/11 9:06 pm : You got O.n.i breathing down our necks for that lil Halsey stunt of yours I didn't ask about Halsey, I asked about Halo, and I've now provided a response that hopefully will be enough. You cannot fall off the floor. Reply Message from Dr. Muldoon Hive 3/13/11 9:44 pm bzzt! I have applied your language filters. Captain, I'm honestly surprised. I've made more progress with CN Raschad in the first ten minutes than I have in all our sessions since we got in system. David has shown a great willingness to work with me on this matter. I suggested a sleeping aid and anti-anxiety medication, and he actually accepted. He's scared by everything that's going on. People are starting to get twitchy and nervous. There's been talk of ghosts again amongst the crew. People are starting to walk on edge. You know it as well as I do. He's seeing it and the memories are coming to the forefront of his mind. Considering what all he's been through, I find him rather well-adjusted. His PTSD is very well controlled, and his emotions are perfectly normal. As is his anxiety. However, he seems most focused on channeling this anxiety towards beneficial avenues. Such as organizing the matches tonight. Keeping people calm, in good spirits, and able to work efficiently are his highest priorities. The plans for escape are simply idle reflex. So long as we keep him away from violence, I am clearing him for active duty. If I hear of even so much as a fistfight, though, I'm pulling him back into my office and off the duty roster until I can confirm that he hasn't slipped any. I know you're going to be tempted to put him on ice. I'd strongly advise against that. We've agreed that revealing his past to the crew is a bad idea. Especially now. The only other public excuse is medical, and if if it's believed that Petty Officer Rushford caused him a bad enough injury to force him to go into a tank rather than treated here... I'll leave the implications up to you to work out. David is well-liked by the crew, and Hive tells me that there are already murmurings about him having to go to medical. I attached a transcript of the worst of it. After this he calmed down considerably and spoke honestly. He even described, in vivid detail, some of what he went through without displaying any signs of flashbacks. Simply depression. In the interests of doctor/patient confidentiality, however, I'm not sharing no matter how much you might ask. He won't endanger the mission at this time, and that's what you're after, isn't it? Also, can you tell me who the hell had the brilliant idea of putting him in this fight? LT Muldoon, Robert Raschad: So I start out by elbowing him in the throat. Immediately I kick the ref in the jimmies. That gives me enough time to get the gloves off before Gunther gets in the ring. Step out of his swing, grab his arm, thumb his left eye. Sammy will be the next in the ring. Jesus, I feint with my right, then give a left cross to Wolfman's face. That'll surprise her enough that she won't see the footsweep. Backfist to Masten, pull behind him, get his sidearm, ground him. Shoot Banks. Shoot Sammy. Shoot Werner. Shoot anybody else who rushes the ring. Move ASAP to the aft. Take 13-9-C down towards four. Deal with any opposition I meet along the way. Manual any doors. Manual the door to four behind me, lodge the gun in the works so they can't open it. Cut out Hive, manual a timer. Strip. Get in my tank. Get frozen and launched. Muldoon: You didn't do that, though. Raschad: I BLAMing planned it out! Muldoon: Did you want to? Raschad: BLAM no! Why the BLAM do you think I threw that godBLAM mother BLAMing fight? Why do you think I'm BLAMing here right BLAMing now instead of BLAMing finding a godBLAM bottle of hard stuff and drinking myself into next godBLAM week? It's not like I wanted to BLAMing see you! Muldoon: But yet you came. Raschad: Only because I'm not BLAMing stupid! The Cap ain't stupid! I was gonna get sent to see you no matter what! Why not save the middleman a bit of walking and come my BLAMing self? Muldoon: Is that the only reason? Raschad: ...No. No it's not. I... I want something to help me sleep. No dreams, no nightmares. No skulking along bulkheads with BLAMing monsters that used to be my buddies trying to do god knows what to me. Muldoon: You're tired. Raschad: You have no idea. Every time somebody says to me, “You must have seen some action,” I just... What the hell am I supposed to say? I saw my reflection and it looked like a monster who did everything that I did so I tried ripping my face off with my own two hands? Muldoon: You weren't in your right mind. Raschad: You can say that again. Muldoon: No. You know what I mean. Nobody on that ship was in their right mind. The only people who were, you saved. You had the presence of mind to save them. And yourself. You fought as little as possible. You know that. Raschad: Yeah. Muldoon: For what you went through, you've come so far. You haven't been medicated in years. You're proud of that. Raschad: That's what scares me. I mean... If it's only natural that I plot my escape without even realizing it... What if I actually want to act on it? What if I actually start to want to try and escape? Then what happens if I give in to that wanting? Do I start braining people? Muldoon: It won't happen again. Raschad: Why not? The tech's better, but what's to say something won't go all goatBLAM and I won't end up in a situation that you only see in video games again? Muldoon: Because. You won't let it happen. Will you? Raschad: ...This is the part where I sit down and we start the psyche, isn't it? Muldoon: No. This is the part where you sit down and I help you. Reply Re: Match 3 SonGoharotto 3/13/11 10:49 pm : bzzt! CN Raschad just informed me that he is en route to Dr. Muldoon to : "get some BLAM out." Dr. Muldoon was already prepped to perform : a full psyche eval of CN Raschad following the fight. Have Dr. Pilling give CN Raschad a standard physical as well. I want a clean bill of health before he returns to active duty. Halo Reach Service Record Reply Pretty standard, really SonGoharotto 3/13/11 10:50 pm "This is an automated message to let you know that I am away from my desk and cannot be reached at this time. Your message is important to me, and I will review it as soon as I can." Halo Reach Service Record Reply Re: Message from Dr. Muldoon iamalex13 3/13/11 10:56 pm : bzzt! I have applied your language filters. : Captain, : I'm honestly surprised. I've made more progress with CN Raschad in the first : ten minutes than I have in all our sessions since we got in system. David : has shown a great willingness to work with me on this matter. I suggested : a sleeping aid and anti-anxiety medication, and he actually accepted. : He's scared by everything that's going on. People are starting to get twitchy : and nervous. There's been talk of ghosts again amongst the crew. People : are starting to walk on edge. You know it as well as I do. He's seeing it : and the memories are coming to the forefront of his mind. : Considering what all he's been through, I find him rather well-adjusted. His : PTSD is very well controlled, and his emotions are perfectly normal. As is : his anxiety. However, he seems most focused on channeling this anxiety : towards beneficial avenues. Such as organizing the matches tonight. : Keeping people calm, in good spirits, and able to work efficiently are his : highest priorities. The plans for escape are simply idle reflex. : So long as we keep him away from violence, I am clearing him for active duty. : If I hear of even so much as a fistfight, though, I'm pulling him back : into my office and off the duty roster until I can confirm that he hasn't : slipped any. : I know you're going to be tempted to put him on ice. I'd strongly advise : against that. We've agreed that revealing his past to the crew is a bad : idea. Especially now. The only other public excuse is medical, and if if : it's believed that Petty Officer Rushford caused him a bad enough injury : to force him to go into a tank rather than treated here... I'll leave the : implications up to you to work out. David is well-liked by the crew, and : Hive tells me that there are already murmurings about him having to go to : medical. : I attached a transcript of the worst of it. After this he calmed down : considerably and spoke honestly. He even described, in vivid detail, some : of what he went through without displaying any signs of flashbacks. Simply : depression. In the interests of doctor/patient confidentiality, however, : I'm not sharing no matter how much you might ask. He won't endanger the : mission at this time, and that's what you're after, isn't it? : Also, can you tell me who the hell had the brilliant idea of putting him in : this fight? : LT Muldoon, Robert : Raschad: So I start out by elbowing him in the throat. Immediately I kick the : ref in the jimmies. That gives me enough time to get the gloves off before : Gunther gets in the ring. Step out of his swing, grab his arm, thumb his : left eye. Sammy will be the next in the ring. Jesus, I feint with my : right, then give a left cross to Wolfman's face. That'll surprise her : enough that she won't see the footsweep. Backfist to Masten, pull behind : him, get his sidearm, ground him. Shoot Banks. Shoot Sammy. Shoot Werner. : Shoot anybody else who rushes the ring. Move ASAP to the aft. Take 13-9-C : down towards four. Deal with any opposition I meet along the way. Manual : any doors. Manual the door to four behind me, lodge the gun in the works : so they can't open it. Cut out Hive, manual a timer. Strip. Get in my : tank. Get frozen and launched. : Muldoon: You didn't do that, though. : Raschad: I BLAMing planned it out! : Muldoon: Did you want to? : Raschad: BLAM no! Why the BLAM do you think I threw that godBLAM mother : BLAMing fight? Why do you think I'm BLAMing here right BLAMing now instead : of BLAMing finding a godBLAM bottle of hard stuff and drinking myself into : next godBLAM week? It's not like I wanted to BLAMing see you! : Muldoon: But yet you came. : Raschad: Only because I'm not BLAMing stupid! The Cap ain't stupid! I was : gonna get sent to see you no matter what! Why not save the middleman a bit : of walking and come my BLAMing self? : Muldoon: Is that the only reason? : Raschad: ...No. No it's not. I... I want something to help me sleep. No : dreams, no nightmares. No skulking along bulkheads with BLAMing monsters : that used to be my buddies trying to do god knows what to me. : Muldoon: You're tired. : Raschad: You have no idea. Every time somebody says to me, “You must have : seen some action,” I just... What the hell am I supposed to say? I saw my : reflection and it looked like a monster who did everything that I did so I : tried ripping my face off with my own two hands? : Muldoon: You weren't in your right mind. : Raschad: You can say that again. : Muldoon: No. You know what I mean. Nobody on that ship was in their right : mind. The only people who were, you saved. You had the presence of mind to : save them. And yourself. You fought as little as possible. You know that. : Raschad: Yeah. : Muldoon: For what you went through, you've come so far. You haven't been : medicated in years. You're proud of that. : Raschad: That's what scares me. I mean... If it's only natural that I plot my : escape without even realizing it... What if I actually want to act on it? : What if I actually start to want to try and escape? Then what happens if I : give in to that wanting? Do I start braining people? : Muldoon: It won't happen again. : Raschad: Why not? The tech's better, but what's to say something won't go all : goatBLAM and I won't end up in a situation that you only see in video : games again? : Muldoon: Because. You won't let it happen. Will you? : Raschad: ...This is the part where I sit down and we start the psyche, isn't : it? : Muldoon: No. This is the part where you sit down and I help you. Hive, is there any chance I can get an updated CSV on CN Raschad? I'm not familiar with his somewhat "checkered" of a past. I am allowed to do this right? I'm not going to stir up a flurry of ONI activity for asking about one of my own crew am I? Reply It mystifies me... SonGoharotto 3/13/11 10:56 pm ...that some people are oblivious to the whole "Alternate Reality" part of "Alternate Reality Game." In the Halo universe, stuff like ORION and SPARTAN and MJOLNIR and ONYX is all SUPER TOP FRIGGIN' SECRET. It's not something just anybody in-universe would know about and casually name-dropping on covert ops kinda breaks the fourth wall. Halo Reach Service Record Reply Re: Message from Dr. Muldoon Hive 3/13/11 10:58 pm bzzt! By your command, two senior officers are required to access CN Raschad's file on a one-time basis. Reply Re: Message from Dr. Muldoon iamalex13 3/13/11 11:01 pm : bzzt! By your command, two senior officers are required to access CN : Raschad's file on a one-time basis. Of course Hive, my mistake. These past events are certainly taking their toll on my ability to think straight. Reply Re: Message from Dr. Muldoon Hive 3/13/11 11:02 pm bzzt! Speaking as somebody who just had to figuratively take their brain apart and inspect it neuron by neuron, I understand completely, Captain. I am still catching up on the massive backlog of data I was unable to properly process while I was undergoing self-diagnostics. Reply We gotta get organized SonGoharotto 3/13/11 11:05 pm I keep having to dig back and look for details from past posts. Can anybody set up an external page directory or something so we don't have to keep digging through the forum? Halo Reach Service Record Reply Ack! ISitInA 3/13/11 11:07 pm To: Cpt********.1465.UNSC.THESEUS From: ISitInA.ERROR DATA UNAVAILABLE Origin: ERROR DATA UNAVAILABLE Received: 03/13/2612, 2200 SST Sent: ERROR DATA UNAVAILABLE Classifications: Captain's Eyes Only, Message Archival Allowed, Neural Net Upload Permissions Denied Attachments: 0 Subject: Captain, Sorry about this. I've had an unexpected development on my end. Give me a while before I can start offering you assistance again. Chair ************* Note by Hive: BZZT! Captain, I have encountered additional encrypted data within this message. The encryption keys are old enough to be added to my own databanks upon my creation due to our frequent status in the outer regions of humanity's occupied zone, in case we encountered any of the number of missing ships from the war. Below is the unencrypted message. ************* Please be careful. ************* Reply Monsters... Carver 3/13/11 11:17 pm : Muldoon: Is that the only reason? : Raschad: ...No. No it's not. I... I want something to help me sleep. No : dreams, no nightmares. No skulking along bulkheads with BLAMing monsters : that used to be my buddies trying to do god knows what to me. : Muldoon: You're tired. : Raschad: You have no idea. Every time somebody says to me, “You must have : seen some action,” I just... What the hell am I supposed to say? I saw my : reflection and it looked like a monster who did everything that I did so I : tried ripping my face off with my own two hands? : Muldoon: You weren't in your right mind. : Raschad: You can say that again. : Muldoon: No. You know what I mean. Nobody on that ship was in their right : mind. The only people who were, you saved. You had the presence of mind to : save them. And yourself. You fought as little as possible. You know that. To HBO'ers: A little fishy in my ear whispers that Raschad may have had an encounter with a particular fungi we're all a little too familiar with.... Reply Re: Message from Dr. Muldoon iamalex13 3/13/11 11:21 pm I just sent the following e-mail to Chair, but seeing as she(?) as just been under some difficulties at her(?) end, I'm not expecting an answer until tomorrow at the earliest. "Chair, CN Raschad was recently in the infirmary after a ship-wide boxing competition (to boost morale). Raschad was K.O.'d fairly easily and Hive noted some peculiar observations about Raschad's body temperatures before, during, and after the fight. Here's what Hive said: "bzzt! Captain? My analysis indicates that CN Raschad was not knocked out during the fight. There were no changes in body temperature during the fight. Leading up to the fight there was a steady rise in his body temperature. As soon as K.O. was called, his body temperature began to decline to normal levels." Raschad then went to see Dr. Muldoon, and here is the message that Muldoon sent me: *I put the message from Muldoon here* Any idea what Raschad's deal is? I copied the whole transcripts and am sending them to you because I feel like you should know the situation on this end. I've queried Hive for an updated CSV on Raschad, but, of course, I get the regular "Two senior officers are required to access CN Raschad's file on a one-time basis" B.S. Is there anything on Raschad that you can send me? - The Captain" Reply Re: Monsters... iamalex13 3/13/11 11:24 pm : To HBO'ers: A little fishy in my ear whispers that Raschad may have had an : encounter with a particular fungi we're all a little too familiar with.... Wow... Great catch, I didn't get that part. It definitely looks like they're referencing the Flood there... By the way, do we have a consensus on whether we think this is an official AGR yet? I personally don't know what to think... Reply Re: Monsters... ZackDark 3/14/11 12:24 am : To HBO'ers: A little fishy in my ear whispers that Raschad may have had an : encounter with a particular fungi we're all a little too familiar with.... I had that same idea, but discarded it. Thought I was overthinking it. Now that you mentioned it too, might not be so far-fetched. Reply Re: We gotta get organized NsU Soldier 3/14/11 2:05 am : I keep having to dig back and look for details from past posts. Can anybody : set up an external page directory or something so we don't have to keep : digging through the forum? I'm not very good at making webpages but I could give it a shot. I'll just make a freewebs page that will have a summary of the events thus far, emails sent and received and links to posts here on HBO. I'll start the process tomorrow, so before I get embroiled in that...any other things that should be included in the reference site? Reply insomnia ErrantVagrant 3/14/11 2:47 am : I'm not very good at making webpages but I could give it a shot. I'll just : make a freewebs page that will have a summary of the events thus far, : emails sent and received and links to posts here on HBO. : I'll start the process tomorrow, so before I get embroiled in that...any : other things that should be included in the reference site? I should be sleeping. I was going to ask earlier if there was a way that we could set up a wiki. That way if we get another batch of huge information the pressure isn't all on you. We could post rules (don't mention canon stuff or don't piss of chair or what have you) We could also post our wild mass guesses there and free up some space and keep the threads as in character as possible. it also gives the puppet masters a place to go to to see where our minds are at. Somehow I doubt they have all this prewritten. jo mentioned wanting to set something up but I have no idea what. Sorry. Trying to be helpful. I should probably try to go back to bed. Reply Re: insomnia NsU Soldier 3/14/11 3:19 am : I should be sleeping. I was going to ask earlier if there was a way that we : could set up a wiki. That way if we get another batch of huge information : the pressure isn't all on you. We could post rules (don't mention canon : stuff or don't piss of chair or what have you) We could also post our wild : mass guesses there and free up some space and keep the threads as in : character as possible. it also gives the puppet masters a place to go to : to see where our minds are at. Somehow I doubt they have all this : prewritten. : jo mentioned wanting to set something up but I have no idea what. : Sorry. Trying to be helpful. I should probably try to go back to bed. Set up a wiki? That sounds good, but I've never done anything like that before. :\ I'd definitely need help to set that up. Feel free to drop me some emails if you wish to help. Until then, I'm going to look into what would be required to make a wiki page. (As an important note, I'm not willing to pay for this reference site. Personally, I can navigate the HBO forum just fine, so the whole project would just be a matter of convenience for me.) Reply I agree ZackDark 3/14/11 3:34 am : I should be sleeping. I was going to ask earlier if there was a way that we : could set up a wiki. That way if we get another batch of huge information : the pressure isn't all on you. We could post rules (don't mention canon : stuff or don't piss of chair or what have you) We could also post our wild : mass guesses there and free up some space and keep the threads as in : character as possible. it also gives the puppet masters a place to go to : to see where our minds are at. Somehow I doubt they have all this : prewritten. : jo mentioned wanting to set something up but I have no idea what. : Sorry. Trying to be helpful. I should probably try to go back to bed. A wiki would better serve our purpose. Would particularly facilitate the gathering of e-mail info. A few ground-rules, however, must be set if we are to make all this information available to anyone. Rules such as "rules of engagement". We have been indiscriminately being asking question since the beginning of this ARG, but lately it appears our questions are putting the "Captain" in danger, thus prematurely ending such ARG. Of course, our actions are easily justifiable, since Hive and Chair have been talking to us in conversational arrangements, instead of elaborate discourses. We could, perhaps, manage to come up with ways to "force" them to make longer statements, more comprehensive, so as to diminish our eagerness to ask questions without waiting to consult fellow HBO'ers. If we eventually come up with it, maybe we could set up a council of questions. It would surely diminish the "Captain"'s danger and the chance of prematurely end the ARG. That, of course, would totally ruin the fun of the game for me. ;P Reply Re: I agree NsU Soldier 3/14/11 4:55 am : If we eventually come up with it, maybe we could set up a council of : questions. It would surely diminish the "Captain"'s danger and : the chance of prematurely end the ARG. : That, of course, would totally ruin the fun of the game for me. ;P Same here. I just think if we make clear what was already discussed with each party and some general ideas about how the Captain should act we'll be fine. No need to form a council or anything. I still think the site should be first and foremost an easy-access resource site. Reply An idea ZackDark 3/14/11 5:01 am : Same here. I just think if we make clear what was already discussed with each : party and some general ideas about how the Captain should act we'll be : fine. No need to form a council or anything. : I still think the site should be first and foremost an easy-access resource : site. Maybe if we never mention the e-mail addresses nor HBO itself (maybe not even that it is a free access, interactive ARG, heck, not even mention it is an ARG), we can limit outsiders messing it up to a minimum. Reply Re: An idea iamalex13 3/14/11 7:45 am : Maybe if we never mention the e-mail addresses nor HBO itself (maybe not even : that it is a free access, interactive ARG, heck, not even mention it is an : ARG), we can limit outsiders messing it up to a minimum. I agree. As long as we keep it on the down-low, I think we have a good chance of making sure no troll comes in and screws things up for everyone. Anyone that wants to follow all of the posts, think about good questions, and participate regularly in the ARG can post, but we shouldn't go posting things to B.Net proclaiming it to the masses. Reply Re: I agree The Loot 3/14/11 11:40 am : Same here. I just think if we make clear what was already discussed with each : party and some general ideas about how the Captain should act we'll be : fine. No need to form a council or anything. Best practice might be "If Hive or Chair don't provide the info, we shouldn't ask questions about it." Reply Good place to post this SonGoharotto 3/14/11 9:34 pm _____________________ My recent email to Chair: Chair, Hive has found a rogue process connected to his messaging protocols that was attempting to self-destruct. A copy of the code was sent to ONI for review, but I don't expect anyone to get back to me about this. Can you let me know when the analysis is complete? Thanks, Captain ________________ Chair's initial reply: "This is an automated message to let you know that I am away from my desk and cannot be reached at this time. Your message is important to me, and I will review it as soon as I can." ________________ Chair's actual reply: "Captain, I just found out I have a few minutes before the shuttle leaves, so I'll say what I can with the time I have. The "rogue process" was a bit of code for a spy program that I was modifying. Busy work to keep people from wondering what I was doing when I was typing up these letters to you. Three things that you should know: first, I'm no programmer. It was never supposed to be anything seriously functional. Two, it was far from complete. Three, I never planned to use it. Like I said, it was a decoy to keep others around me from gaining too much suspicion. Sorry about my business keeping me away. Somebody found an undocumented hand-written report by F484, along with an attachment. Since I'm considered the foremost living expert on him (I interviewed all the surviving Orions about him, as well as any personnel who had extended contact) I'm being called in to pick it apart. Wearing white gloves and a face mask. They asked me if the kind of ink he used would be significant! It's insane. But I am getting all sorts of good data out of this. Just not the sort that you want. Still, though, it's interesting to see that even with how long shuttle's here Chair" Halo Reach Service Record Reply ______________________________________________ Correspondence with Chair Jagged 3/16/11 1:00 pm My reply to here concerning the last e-mail . Chair, Someday, you're going to have to give me your actual rank, so I can address these e-mails with a proper sign of my respect. Or, you could address me on a first name basis, since all I have for you is a pseudonym. Albeit an appropriately vague one, given the situation, but a pseudonym nonetheless. On to more serious business. Is there any way you can get me a list, or even just a ball-park figure of the remaining active Orion-IV's? Are there any that have been officially removed from active duty, but are still physically capable soldiers? I'm worried about any soldiers that may have suffered mental breaks; it would hardly be surprising, after what they've been through. I certainly wouldn't want any additional harm to come to them. I'm not sure how I would go about detaining a fully in control Orion-IV, much less one who has no compunctions about harming his allies. I'm sorry to continue pressing for information on Kavacha, but I am still curious about the specs on F484's armor, if you've had any luck tracking it down. I still have a few cards up my sleeve... Sicurezza e pace, The Captain ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Chair's response: Captain, Oh, you have no idea how cathartic these messages between us are. I have spent the last god knows how many years being treated as a thing due to my expertise rather than a person. To be able to communicate with somebody who treats me as a person, a useful one but still a person, rather than someone who's slightly less than a dumb AI... It's nice. After all this is over, if at all possible, I'll be part of your debriefing team. You'll know it's me; I'll ask you to please sit in a chair. ;) Then I'll let you know my name and rank. For now, though, it's still slightly too risky. After then, though, I'll take you for drinks. I'll claim it's part of the debriefing. ONI has gotten used to me doing unorthodox things -- it's part of the reason why I'm such an expert on F484. They won't raise a fuss, even if we don't talk at all about this whole experience. Orion-IVs were the only iteration that didn't have the luxury of retirement. Of the G-1 IVs, there's four on active duty and another three on ice. Of the G-2 IVs, there's twelve on active duty and another two on ice. Right now, there's 28 G-3s, and another 48 on ice. Those who are in the fridge are awaiting treatment to guarantee their survival. I'll get more into that later. My pacing might be frustrating, but I have my reasons. That said, they're all mostly restrained to being... What's the phrase? Rear Echelon Mike Foxtrots? Mostly in the planning department. When you break somebody down, turn them into a weapon so efficiently that they can no longer lead a civilian life, what do you do with them when they can no longer serve? They need that sense of purpose. They need orders. They need a mission. To an Orion-IV, the mission is their world. Take them off duty and lead them to their own devices, and they start to go crazy. It might take a week, it might take a month, it might take a year, but you can just feel it. They'll eventually start planning their own missions, no matter how minor. Everything becomes a mission to them. To see them without an assigned mission... You can feel it. There's something in their eyes. A sense of hopelessness, of being lost, of crushing defeat. No Covenant or insurrectionist ever defeated an Orion-IV, Captain. The best that they did was kill them. No, we defeated them. We defeated them by creating them, by letting them get older, by destroying anything that wasn't combat readiness. I have to keep reminding myself that I'm saving this bottle. It gets harder the longer this goes on. Sincerely, Chair Reply _________________________________________________ Conversation with Chair cont. Jagged 3/15/11 1:04 pm This is a continuation of my line of questions concerning Kavacha Armor and the structure of Orion; my original e-mail and Chair's response can be found here. Here is my response to that (Yes, I did throw in some Latin at the end to see what would happen): Chair, Let me start by saying how much I appreciate your timely response, especially with sensitive material such as this, not to mention the strain it must be causing toward your other duties. I think I'll owe you well more than a coffee by the time this is over. That being said, I do have some additional requests. I remember rumors during the War, after the Spartan-II program went public, of what their armor could do. I wrote most of it off as hyperbole or propaganda, but I'm curious as to the similarities between the Spartan-II armor and the Kavacha used by the Orions. Were the Spartan-II's part of the Orion Program, or were they in any way related? I find it hard to believe that two separate "super soldier" initiatives would be funded during wartime, with no cooperation between the two. In addition, I'm curious as to the existence of a Science Corps within the Orion Program. I suppose I shouldn't be, considering they were working to push human physical and mental abilities to their very limits. Were there many strict division's of the Orion-IV program? And which of these, if they existed, did our elusive F484 belong to? Thank you again for your assistance. Cura Ut Valeas, The Captain ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chair's Response to the above: Captain, How much more than coffee are we talking here? :) You're listening to too much propaganda. You'd think that ONI got it straight across every world, but noooo. Some paper pushing SOB has to go and decide that his story will fit the world he's stationed on better. Trust me, this happens more than you'd think, and it's damned annoying. The divisions of the Orion-IVs was less strict than you might think. Some were Navy and some were Marines, yes. Actually, most were Marines. The Science Corps were Navy though. If you asked a member of the brass, they'd tell you that this was the best way to do it and that it should follow strict blah blah blah. There are two words for it, and I don't think you own any cattle. Whenever an Orion was fielded, they had complete operational control. The best of the best, utterly brainwashed into complete devotion to the UNSC. No Orion has ever gone turncoat. Ever. That should say something. So it didn't matter if a member of the Science Corps (like F484) met up with a group of Marines. He told them to jump, they asked when they could land. There were other divisions, naturally. Mostly based on specialty. There was one that was even Air Force (I can't remember which they called him offhand, I'm afraid. I think it was something like Deployment Corps or something silly like that.), but he... Let's just say that the records he set have yet to be broken. In the end, to the Orions, such divisions didn't matter. Decentralized command structure. The right man (or woman) was always in charge. Always. They didn't bicker or argue. For five years they learned what each other were good at. Instinct told them who would give the orders on a moment's notice. Even with his tendency to go 404, F484 ended up giving a lot of orders. When the a guy suddenly gets a boatload of intel and starts saying that an apparently empty building is a tier one asset, you follow his lead. Even if he is three miles away. Orions these days... They just aren't the same. God. They're like... shadows. Memories. They're all about protocol. It's drilled into them, you see. They aren't programmed for it or anything (extensive brainwashing isn't allowed anymore, just a hardcore version every soldier gets) but they spout it off all the same. They aren't as quiet, aren't as synchronized, aren't... They're great for propaganda, but the IVs? Everybody agrees. If a IV walks into a room, you know it. If a IV says something, you listen. If a IV tells you to do something, you do it. Those few in active service still... Those are the real masters of propaganda. They just have that presence. You know they're more capable than anybody else in the room. Just keep them in their armor. They don't look at you -- they look through you. I'm rambling again. It's late, I'm tired, and I'm prepping one last thing for you tonight. It's not much, no files attached. But it's my last note about their training. From here on out... I'd say the fun begins, but I can't. I watched what they went through, what they consider fun. I hope that I never see that as fun myself. I know I'm slow, and I'm also offering you a lot of intel that you probably don't care about, but please understand. I have my reasons. By the end, I hope you'll agree that this was the best way to do it. Also, getting fancy with you words, eh? Careful. I'm fluent in more languages than you these days, and I might enjoy proving it just a little too much. ;) Sincerely, Chair P.S. If we ever get to meet in person? Golga Dark Brew, Ferus Crystal Brandy, and if you can find (and afford) it, pre-war Gershwin Family Red Wine. Preferably 2498, but that's harder to find than a natural blue rose. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- So...have fun! Reply Re: Conversation with Chair cont. Fluke Hawkins 3/15/11 1:36 pm >one last thing for you tonight Hm. Wonder what they're going to wind down with- either that or shit's gonna hit the fan with this next post. Reply Re: Conversation with Chair cont. Jagged 3/15/11 1:40 pm : >one last thing for you tonight : Hm. Wonder what they're going to wind down with- either that or shit's gonna : hit the fan with this next post. Oh, the e-mail was sent at 2:30 AM my time...so, it's possible she meant the Graduation post at 4:40 am. I don't think we're through receiving info...in fact... ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hive, Status report please. - Captain Reply Has anyone considered asking about the Captain? *NM* ZackDark 3/15/11 1:55 pm Reply Re: Has anyone considered asking about the Captain padraig08 3/15/11 1:59 pm Dear Chair, Tell me about me. -Captain lol, you could work with Hive to send a request to chair or ONI to find out what they know about you. Use Hive to make it seem like someone else is pinging your name. Reply Re: Has anyone considered asking about the Captain Fluke Hawkins 3/15/11 2:01 pm Better question: Why hasn't anyone asked about the Chief? Somebody mentioned Hallsey and it sounded like ONI jumped the hell out of that- is SPARTAN related from the Human-Covenant war suddenly massively redacted? Also- I noticed somebody asked about the Covenant, but the response was along the lines of 'we occasionally run across them'. If Hive/ISitInA posts again, how about we do some asking? Reply Re: Has anyone considered asking about the Captain ZackDark 3/15/11 2:07 pm : Dear Chair, : Tell me about me. : -Captain : lol, you could work with Hive to send a request to chair or ONI to find out : what they know about you. Use Hive to make it seem like someone else is : pinging your name. Well, you know how Hive got all cheesy and stuff when he talked about Theseus's first Captain. Might as well come up with that in mind to a question. Something like: "I was wondering, if you had to do a biography about my life, Hive, how would do it? I'd really like if you did so." Reply Re: Has anyone considered asking about the Captain padraig08 3/15/11 2:10 pm : Well, you know how Hive got all cheesy and stuff when he talked about : Theseus's first Captain. Might as well come up with that in mind to a : question. : Something like: "I was wondering, if you had to do a biography about my : life, Hive, how would do it? I'd really like if you did so." So the plan is to get Hive drunk and reminisce like he did with the previous Captain. Me like. Reply So do I. ZackDark 3/15/11 2:22 pm : So the plan is to get Hive drunk and reminisce like he did with the previous : Captain. Me like. I mean... I totally meant that from the beginning... Yeah... :p Now, are up for the job? I don't think I'm in my writer-mind now... Reply Re: So do I. padraig08 3/15/11 2:43 pm : I mean... I totally meant that from the beginning... Yeah... : Now, are up for the job? I don't think I'm in my writer-mind now... Well, I don't know if my powers of persuasion would be inline with the Captain's overall sense of duty, thought I'm willing to spin a yarn or two :) Reply Re: Has anyone considered asking about the Captain SonGoharotto 3/15/11 4:38 pm : Better question: Why hasn't anyone asked about the Chief? Somebody mentioned : Hallsey and it sounded like ONI jumped the hell out of that- is SPARTAN : related from the Human-Covenant war suddenly massively redacted? Well, the Chief is MIA/Assumed Dead, isn't he? : Also- I noticed somebody asked about the Covenant, but the response was along : the lines of 'we occasionally run across them'. If Hive/ISitInA posts : again, how about we do some asking? I was curious about that too. Could the Covenant still exist as religiously indoctrinated alien conglomerate? I seriously doubt the Sangheili would have anything to do with it anymore. The Brutes are a bit too self-destructive to hold it all together. The Jackals are opportunists; they'd back out at the first chance. The Grunts, poor guys, they just want to be free. Free to suck the food nipple of their choice. Halo Reach Service Record Reply Re: Has anyone considered asking about the Captain The Loot 3/15/11 5:13 pm : Well, the Chief is MIA/Assumed Dead, isn't he? Yeah, I would think he still is. Wasn't the museum built in the 2600s? : I was curious about that too. Could the Covenant still exist as religiously : indoctrinated alien conglomerate? I seriously doubt the Sangheili would : have anything to do with it anymore. The Brutes are a bit too : self-destructive to hold it all together. The Jackals are opportunists; : they'd back out at the first chance. The Grunts, poor guys, they just want : to be free. Free to suck the food nipple of their choice. I think that they would try to go back to the way things were before. However, being indoctrinated for that long wouldn't make it easy at all, and the old ways might not be much better for some. Reply Re: Has anyone considered asking about the Captain Fluke Hawkins 3/15/11 5:14 pm : Well, the Chief is MIA/Assumed Dead, isn't he? This is true. I suppose I was more curious about the Spartan program in general, although the surviving Spartans, assuming they made it back to Human space and barring some serious longevity on the part of their augmentations, are all long-dead by this point. : I was curious about that too. Could the Covenant still exist as religiously : indoctrinated alien conglomerate? I seriously doubt the Sangheili would : have anything to do with it anymore. The Brutes are a bit too : self-destructive to hold it all together. The Jackals are opportunists; : they'd back out at the first chance. The Grunts, poor guys, they just want : to be free. Free to suck the food nipple of their choice. Right again- the entirety of the Covenant socio-religious structure was based on Prophet teaching re: the Forerunners, but it seemed (at least based on the events of Halo 2 and 3) that a Human-Sangheili alliance was highly probable. I seem to recall that the H3 weapons page had Covenant data marked as "Pending treaty negotiations", but that was also 4 years ago so I may be talking out of my ass... Sudden thought- Karen Traviss is supposedly writing a set of post-war books. Think this might be an ARG for that? Reply Re: Has anyone considered asking about the Captain Firemist 3/15/11 5:47 pm : This is true. I suppose I was more curious about the Spartan program in : general, although the surviving Spartans, assuming they made it back to : Human space and barring some serious longevity on the part of their : augmentations, are all long-dead by this point. : Right again- the entirety of the Covenant socio-religious structure was based : on Prophet teaching re: the Forerunners, but it seemed (at least based on : the events of Halo 2 and 3) that a Human-Sangheili alliance was highly : probable. I seem to recall that the H3 weapons page had Covenant data : marked as "Pending treaty negotiations", but that was also 4 : years ago so I may be talking out of my ass... : Sudden thought- Karen Traviss is supposedly writing a set of post-war books. : Think this might be an ARG for that? Possible. The thought occurred to me. Reply How did I go? ZackDark 3/15/11 8:36 pm The whole dialogue, I mean Reply Re: Has anyone considered asking about the Captain PsycoJoe 3/16/11 2:43 am : Better question: Why hasn't anyone asked about the Chief? Somebody mentioned : Hallsey and it sounded like ONI jumped the hell out of that- That would be me. Sorry about that. I've read Halsey's journal, and Chair's reaction to decaf seems to match the good doctor's almost to the letter. (When Hive reported the hornet's nest that erupted over that request, my first response was 'Oh crap! Game Over and it's my fault') I'll just stick to the tech questions and leave the 'personal' stuff to those with more tact than myself. Reply _________________________________________________ Some information about Orions ISitInA 3/12/11 5:42 pm To: Cpt********.1465.UNSC.THESEUS From: ISitInA.ERROR DATA UNAVAILABLE Origin: ERROR DATA UNAVAILABLE Received: 03/12/2612, 1533 SST Sent: ERROR DATA UNAVAILABLE Classifications: Captain's Eyes Only, Message Archival Allowed, Neural Net Upload Permissions Denied Attachments: 0 Subject: Some information about Orions Captain, That last attachment was a lot to digest, wasn't it? Even better, it doesn't really give you a good feel of what happened. I know that it's difficult to process, but you might want to take some time thinking about it all. No matter what you might be feeling about this, I want you to keep one thing in mind. These were desperate times. Previous Orion Projects, while successful, never fully met up to the expectations of the Navy brass. While they were always eager to use the Orions, they were always quick to point out to Section III that they were a huge investment with barely justifiable returns. In order to increase the returns, Section III had to up the ante with each iteration of the project. This meant even more drastic procedures, even more drastic augmentation. It also meant that even more cutting edge technology was used. This lead to more money being spent. A never-ending cycle if I ever heard one. Each iteration contained completely new procedures from the last. Often, they were built from valuable data learned from previous iterations. With each generation of Orions within an iteration, the process was streamlined with minor improvements. Generally, the first generation (marked by designators A through F in the Orion-III program on) had the worst side effects. The second generation (H through M) suffered less, while the third (O through T) had it the easiest. Orion-III and Orion-V also had V through Z, who most likely would have had mild side effects by comparison. (I'd like to note that there's a rather disturbing rumor amongst some that there was also designators G, N and U. According to the rumors, they weren't trained on Reach but a top secret ONI facility, only to be used in the most secretive, worst kind of wetworks. I've never come across any information that would collaborate these rumors, and to be honest, given the kind of training the regular Orions went through, I pray that I never do.) There's another reason why both the training and the brainwashing (yes, I'll admit it) were so intensive for the Orion-IV Program. Though the Orion-I program crippled the then-existing Secessionist Union (how we all wish that it would have never reared its ugly head again) amongst other groups, neither ONI nor the UNSC were so foolish as to think that mopping up the rest would be as easy. In fact, it made our jobs harder, if you can believe it. Insurrectionist groups went underground, requiring more effort to weed out, and organized themselves to be more effective when attacked. Add to this, the Orion-I Project (simply known as the Orion Project back in those days) was starting to show its faults. Psychosis, neurological disorders, the list of drawbacks were longer than your arm. Fortunately, the geeks in charge of the program had never actually stopped their research. (Or, in some cases, putting the use of the research of others to good use.) They put together a proposal before members of Section III even approached them about it. As the story goes, the officer walked in one morning to ask about their ideas only to walk out thirteen hours later and needing a very stiff drink. I should mention the Carver Findings, published the same year of the initialization of Orion-I. They spoke quite heavily about the eventuality of heavy insurrectionist movements, but they ended up being full of inaccuracies. (Rule 27 – simulations will never survive the first conflict.) In 2522, the UNSC devoted a lot of time, effort, and smart AI's to researching this very thing and came about some extremely horrifying details – the heavy possibility of Earth itself being the target of a supermassive slipstream attack coupled with simultaneous nuclear attack. Even though the publicity garnered by the results Orion-I program was incredible (an anti-insurrection propaganda wet dream), the next iteration of the program didn't have their activities in that department publicized nearly as much. There were reasons for it, true, but it did nothing to help the overall impression that Orions left on the brass when it came to dealing with insurrectionists. Even the Orion-IV program had trouble overcoming this. So, I want you to think about this for a moment. Some of the best soldiers we have against the insurrectionist movements are considered “barely justifiable” by one Admiral, and the very real threat of a horrific attack on the very heart of humanity. A blank check was written with the condition that in five years, a new Orion program would be initialized. If, by the end of the third generation, results were not considered “above adequate” by the board, then the Orion Program and the Olympus Facility would be shut down. ONI was frantic. ONI was desperate. And, after the attack on Algolis, they knew that drastic action had to be taken to preserve the UNSC. I don't blame you if you have a bitter taste in your mouth about this. When I learned about it, I almost told ONI to go stuff themselves. But I thought about what was at stake, and I thought about people in my own home that had been touched by the actions of terrorists against civilians. In the end, I ended up continuing to work with them until I officially joined them. I hope you can stand to give the same level of thought that I did. Chair P.S. A few additional things for you. Our communications are always secure, as far as I know. Unless if somebody decides to upload another little surprise while I'm not looking and doesn't tell the rest of us about it. He hasn't been reassigned yet, but let's just say that he's been getting the crap jobs. I've got two AIs running the numbers of Orff Station again. Our preliminary findings didn't turn up much of a chance of anybody on board being a sympathizer, but I don't like giving you assurances that I can't back up. No unusual deliveries, no unusual traffic. Just keep in mind, just about every ONI AI is being pushed pretty hard right now. I'm told that the Prowler arrived to your location. Like I said, they're going to be keeping a low profile. I'm sorry for my own lack of communication here lately. Somebody here decided to switch me to decaf while I wasn't looking. I'm having trouble focusing. Seriously, people should know better. P.P.S. It's good to hear you make a pun, even if it is a bad one. It's a good sign. But I do agree with you. Keeping McAllister busy is probably best for everybody involved. God, I can only imagine what she must be like when everybody but essential staff is in cryo. I've read that birthday parties she plans can be... intense. Any truth to that? ************* Note by Hive: BZZT! Captain, I have encountered additional encrypted data within this message. The encryption keys are old enough to be added to my own databanks upon my creation due to our frequent status in the outer regions of humanity's occupied zone, in case we encountered any of the number of missing ships from the war. Below is the unencrypted message. ************* Do you hate us? Do you hate me? Do you know who I am yet? ************* Reply Request for additional information. The Loot 3/12/11 6:14 pm Chair, You mentioned the Orions were made up of five separate projects? When were each of these commissioned? An approximate year would suffice. Captain GT: The Loot Reply Some quick thoughts. NsU Soldier 3/12/11 6:15 pm Wow, there's a lot to chew on! Unfortunately, I'm busy on my end, so here's some quick points I thought I should bring up. POINT 1 - Emails to Chair are secure. (To the best of our knowledge.) : P.S. A few additional things for you. : Our communications are always secure, as far as I know. To clarify, this is a response to an email I sent a few hours ago. My Email to Chair Chair, I need to know, are these personal messages I send to you secure? ~ Captain POINT 2 - Hey look, we have a new friend! : I'm told that the Prowler arrived to your location. Like I said, they're : going to be keeping a low profile. There is indeed a Prowler...prowling... Was it's signature genuinely missed? Are we being lied to? Maybe a 3rd explanation? *Paranoia activated.* <_< >_> POINT 3 - Another day, another cryptic message. : ************* : Note by Hive: BZZT! Captain, I have encountered additional encrypted data : within this message. The encryption keys are old enough to be added to my : own databanks upon my creation due to our frequent status in the outer : regions of humanity's occupied zone, in case we encountered any of the : number of missing ships from the war. Below is the unencrypted message. : ************* : Do you hate us? Do you hate me? Do you know who I am yet? : ************* I think it's obvious at this point that there is another party trying to confer with us that's not Chair. Reply Hive, if you have sec? jo 3/12/11 6:27 pm The additional encrypted data that you usually put at the end of chair's correspondence to me, seems out of context and character for her. What are the dates those encryption keys were made? Reply Encryption dates Hive 3/12/11 6:45 pm Bzzt! W ith ea ch m e s sa ge se nt to you fr om ISitInA.ERROR DATA UNAVAILABLE th at co nta in s a d di ti on al en crypted information, th e encrypti o n co de ch an ge s. Th is on e wa s pr es se d in to service in 2514. It is the second-olde st ke y us ed to da te. bzzt! Pl ea se pa rd on th e l a g. Reply Forget my head ISitInA 3/12/11 6:55 pm To: Cpt********.1465.UNSC.THESEUS From: ISitInA. ERROR DATA UNAVAILABLE Origin: ERROR DATA UNAVAILABLE Received: 03/12/2612, 1650 SST Sent: ERROR DATA UNAVAILABLE Classifications: Captain's Eyes Only, Message Archival Allowed, Neural Net Upload Permissions Denied Attachments: 1 (O4TL-WCTE4120, 65 Mb) Subject: Forget my head Captain, It wasn't until I got your message that I realized I forgot to attach the file. First they pass this carbon remover they call coffee on me, then they switch to decaf without my noticing? Ugh. This is going to kill me, I swear. I'm sure you can understand. I have a possible theory about the messages. In order to get these data packages to you in a secure manner, I have to pass them through several systems. Understand, I'm not in charge of the network, so I have to do some fancy footwork. I mean, some very fancy footwork. And I can't always be precise, either. My best guess? It's junk data from other missives or stored intel that's getting caught in the process. I'd say ignore them for now. Or have your AI quit decrypting anything from the main body if it's really a problem. I'll look into figuring out exactly what's going on and see if I can come up with a way to do this where you won't have to deal with it anymore. Sincerely, Chair Reply O4TL-WCTE4120 ISitInA 3/12/11 6:57 pm Date: [REDACTED] Subject: [REDACTED] Training Operation [REDACTED] has completed. All active recruits made it to the extraction point. Following protocol, the last person to make to to the extraction point was to be left behind. All recruits crossed the line as one. When A127 reminded them of this rule, F484 immediately stated that he was the last one over the line and took a step back. Both their crossing in unison and F484's actions were outside of expectations. Will investigate further during debriefing. Addendum: We are monitoring F484's progress back to Olympus. Addendum: The crossing in unison was the idea of C463. Consider making her a squad leader. Addendum: F484 is avoiding human contact outside anticipated norms. Consider placing him in Infiltration squad or Intelligence squad. Addendum: Nothing in F484's profile gives indication that he would volunteer to be left behind. Investigate. Addendum: F484's progress has slowed considerably. Investigating. Addendum: Both HUMINT and SATINT indicate that F484 may have fallen ill. Will intervene if it becomes dangerous to his health. Addendum: F484's health continues to decline. Official protest logged by [REDACTED] over denial of intervention. Addendum: F484 still avoiding being noticed, though is making poor decisions due to illness. Having difficulty securing food. Has not replenished water despite nearby stream. Official protest logged by [REDACTED] over denial of intervention. Addendum: 32 days after start of Training Operation [REDACTED], recruit F484 has returned to Olympus under own power. A374 forced all recruits to stand at attention as F484 was escorted to on-base medical facilities under own power. Experience will be used to train recruits to not leave an Orion behind no matter the condition. Addendum: F484 expected to make a full recovery. Unknown long-term psychological effects. Investigate. Addendum: Official protest logged by [REDACTED]. Addendum: During debriefing, F484 claims he volunteered to be left behind because he “wasn't sure the rest of them could make it.” Outside of anticipated norms, but acceptable given psychological profile. ************* Note by Hive: BZZT! Captain, I have encountered additional encrypted data within this message. The encryption keys are old enough to be added to my own databanks upon my creation due to our frequent status in the outer regions of humanity's occupied zone, in case we encountered any of the number of missing ships from the war. Below is the unencrypted message. ************* I always wondered if you would have thrown off any attempt to retrieve you without a direct order to stand down. You always could be so BLAM stubborn. ************* Reply Re: Forget my head NsU Soldier 3/12/11 7:03 pm : To: Cpt********.1465.UNSC.THESEUS : From: ISitInA. ERROR DATA UNAVAILABLE : Origin: ERROR DATA UNAVAILABLE : Received: 03/12/2612, 1650 SST : Sent: ERROR DATA UNAVAILABLE : Classifications: Captain's Eyes Only, Message Archival Allowed, Neural Net : Upload Permissions Denied : Attachments: 1 (O4TL-WCTE4120, 65 Mb) : Subject: Forget my head : Captain, : It wasn't until I got your message that I realized I forgot to attach the : file. First they pass this carbon remover they call coffee on me, then : they switch to decaf without my noticing? Ugh. This is going to kill me, I : swear. I'm sure you can understand. : I have a possible theory about the messages. In order to get these data : packages to you in a secure manner, I have to pass them through several : systems. Understand, I'm not in charge of the network, so I have to do : some fancy footwork. I mean, some very fancy footwork. And I can't : always be precise, either. My best guess? It's junk data from other : missives or stored intel that's getting caught in the process. : I'd say ignore them for now. Or have your AI quit decrypting anything from : the main body if it's really a problem. I'll look into figuring out : exactly what's going on and see if I can come up with a way to do this : where you won't have to deal with it anymore. : Sincerely, : Chair This is in response to an email I sent. My Email to Chair Chair, Thanks for clarifying that our messages are secure. I needed to know for a very important reason. My ship's AI has been finding encrypted messages in your data packets using an old encryption scheme. They didn't relate to what was included in your packets and have left me under the impression that you were trying to sneak some message past prying eyes. I am now under the impression that someone/thing is using your data packets to piggy-back a signal to me. Below are the following reasons why I have come to such a conclusion: When I asked you this, " In your amendment to your most recent data-package you ask if a certain individual is still here. I...might need a little more clarification than that." You seemed baffled. The encrypted message (at the end of your data packet that was apologizing for uploading the wrong file) asked me if "She was still here?" So naturally I was baffled by your reply which implied that you had no idea what I was talking about. When I asked my ship's AI to find encrypted messages of the same sort in our private missives, none were found. Any idea what this is/could be about? ~ Captain Reply ^Whoopsie, someone forgot to fix the font size. :( *NM* NsU Soldier 3/12/11 7:04 pm Reply Re: Some information about Orions scarab 3/12/11 7:17 pm What was the purpose of erasing Orion candidates' knowledge of their former lives? Why were they turned into blank slates? Was the intention to leave them as blank canvases or was the intention to draw a new person? Could an Orion candidate be given a new identity and be unaware that he or she had once been someone else? Would an Orion candidate pass for a normal person? Reply Those codes be old jo 3/12/11 7:33 pm the keys date 2514, well before first contact. someone else is reaching out to the captain(us) they are either in system(on board) or tracking her(Chair) process. Complied they read as follows."You should be celebrated. The public eye shouldn't be blind to you. The things you went through. The things you survived." the other two dont seemed to fit well yet "Do you hate us? Do you hate me? Do you know who I am yet?" "Is she still there?" Reply Re: Encryption dates hotshot revan 3/12/11 7:34 pm Hive,what happened with the Covenant Separtists? I don't remember it anymore because i have some serious headaches. Reply Re: Encryption dates Hive 3/12/11 7:42 pm Bzzt! There have been no sightings of a Covenant vessel in six years. Regulations state that any Covenant vessel sighted is to be reported to HIGHCOM immediately so an investigation and strike team may be dispatched. Any communications are to be recorded and transmitted directly to ONI. Should the vessel attempt to perform any maneuver, attack with extreme prejudice. bzzt! Please pardon the lag. Reply Re: Those codes be old scarab 3/12/11 7:42 pm : the keys date 2514, well before first contact. someone else is reaching out : to the captain(us) they are either in system(on board) or tracking : her(Chair) process. Complied they read as follows."You should be : celebrated. The public eye shouldn't be blind to you. The things you went : through. The things you survived." : the other two dont seemed to fit well yet : "Do you hate us? Do you hate me? Do you know who I am yet?" : "Is she still there?" I haven't been following all of this, do we know the captain's gender? Is the captain an Orion? Reply Re: O4TL-WCTE4120 Carver 3/12/11 7:44 pm Directed towards HBO'ers: Contextual clues are leading me to believe, the more I hear, that the encrypted messages we're picking up might in fact be between F484/F404 and another party and/or himself (in the case of a journal). If you consider the encryption dates, aligned with the dates of the project itself, alongside the context matched with what we're learning about F484, it seems plausible to me that the encrypted messages deal with F484 in a direct manner. It is my belief that these messages may be prodding us to inquire more into F484's past and his subsequent connection with the current events. As such... ********************************************************************************* Chair, Was F484 known to have any close ties with any other personnel during his training and subsequent years? Particularly someone with whom he may have confided in or shared secrets with; potentially someone in either ONI or an enlisted geek? Moreover, did he have any issues with any of his female superiors in particular? I have a sneaking suspicion that the ghost writer, if there is one, may not be writing the messages, instead merely using them as breadcrumbs. I'm beginning to see why he began to be referred to by four-oh-four. I'm also beginning to wonder if that is still as apt a moniker as it once was... Sincerely, Captain ********************************************************************************** Hive, Please, when you have the resources please run a comparison on the files of CN Raschad and what we know about subject F484, potentially aka 'F404'. Let me know any connections or similarities beyond a 20% threshold. Also, I can't seen to find my file on Raschad. Could you refresh my memory on his original date of birth along with his original enlistment date? Thank you. -Captain Reply Re: Some information about Orions General Vagueness 3/12/11 7:54 pm Hive, what's the ETA for diagnostic completion? Until then I authorize you to take time, within reason, to clean up any flaws in your communication with the crew and myself due to lag, in the interest of ease of understanding. Also, I haven't been out of the ship in a while, could you get me a picture of it? If not a sufficiently detailed visual description will do. You cannot fall off the floor. Reply Re: Encryption dates Carver 3/12/11 7:54 pm : Bzzt! There have been no sightings of a Covenant vessel in six years. : Regulations state that any Covenant vessel sighted is to be reported to : HIGHCOM immediately so an investigation and strike team may be dispatched. : Any communications are to be recorded and transmitted directly to ONI. : Should the vessel attempt to perform any maneuver, attack with extreme : prejudice. : bzzt! Please pardon the lag. Hive, I'm curious, due to local colloquialisms, when you say 'Covenant', which species therein are you referring to? What are our standing individual relationships with the primary 'Covenant' species, as per those involved in the war up until March, 2553? It's not something I have to deal with very often and I'm seemingly incapable of locating my primary briefing data pads on the subject. Reply CN Raschad Hive 3/12/11 8:03 pm Bzzt! Relationships between CN Raschad and F484 are restricted to familial. CN Raschad is was in cryo-stasis during the established dates of F484's activities. Bzzt! That information is locked as per your orders. Medical files have had all dates prior to his assignment to the UNSC Theseus locked as per your orders. Two senior officers are required in order to view his history data on a one-time basis. bzzt! Please pardon the lag. Reply Why I'm doing this ISitInA 3/12/11 8:19 pm To: Cpt********.1465.UNSC.THESEUS From: ISitInA.ERROR DATA UNAVAILABLE Origin: ERROR DATA UNAVAILABLE Received: 03/12/2612, 1814 SST Sent: ERROR DATA UNAVAILABLE Classifications: Captain's Eyes Only, Message Archival Allowed, Neural Net Upload Permissions Denied Attachments: 0 Subject: Why I'm doing this Captain, You might be wondering why I'm giving you all of this instead of just telling you what you feel that you need to know. It's simple; if this really is F484 you're dealing with, or what's left of him, you need to know who you're dealing with. Psyche reports only tell you so much, and they're so impersonal they make everything else you've read look like a romance novel. We have incredibly detailed data on F484, and by reviewing all of this, you can get a sense of who he really is. What drives him, what keeps him going, where his inner strength, that horrible thing that we have such a hard time calculating, comes from. An idea as to how the thinks, what kind of responses he has. And, equally importantly, why none of those might matter. And, in a way, it has to do with me. I'll admit, I've done things during my time with ONI that I'm not proud of. My hand in what has happened during the war keeps me up at night. And even though I never actually met F484, he became a symbol to both me and others. I don't expect you to understand, Captain. Not fully. But just like how you writing a letter about the death of a subordinate to his family helps ease your conscious, this will help me sleep a little better at night. Sincerely, Chair ************* Note by Hive: BZZT! Captain, I have encountered additional encrypted data within this message. The encryption keys are old enough to be added to my own databanks upon my creation due to our frequent status in the outer regions of humanity's occupied zone, in case we encountered any of the number of missing ships from the war. Below is the unencrypted message. ************* It really is you, isn't it? ************* Reply The postcripts SonGoharotto 3/12/11 8:39 pm Are in reference to an email I sent Chair earlier, that I forgot to repost here. For the curious, here's my half of the conversation. ________ Chair, Thank you for the heads up. My recent misgivings about XO McAllister are somewhat assuaged, but all the same, I will make sure to keep her task-oriented. It sounds like she can be a busy little bee, pardon the pun, and we don't need her taking matters into her own hands. More to the poing, I am following up on another line of thought. Hive has run some calculations for me regarding the possibility that the incident on board the Theseus may have been caused by an infiltrator rather than an insurrectionist sympathizer on my own crew. While the chances that someone could have stowed away in our cargo hold is slim, it would be possible, especially so if Orff Station's personnel has been compromised. Could you please look into the station's records for any sign of irregularities, security breaches, and especially any recent changes in personnel or facility operations that might look suspicious in light of our recent troubles? And is there any possibility of enlisting the aid of Orff Station's AI? I know enough not to ask Hive to handle this, as going through official channels would likely send up more red flags, especially if Orff Station is compromised. Any information at all that you can provide me might help eliminate this possibility -- or provide a new lead to follow in our investigation. ~ Captain Halo Reach Service Record Reply Re: Why I'm doing this SonGoharotto 3/12/11 8:59 pm Chair, Whatever your reasons for helping me, I greatly appreciate it. I know sometimes we must do terrible things for good reasons, but the truth is that we need good people to do them. If we left it up to the terrible people to do the terrible things, we would really be in trouble. So look after yourself and don't stick your neck out too far for me. Believe me when I say I know how to roll with the punches. What can you dig up about F484's last known activities? While he is certainly a person of interest in this investigation, it is possible that we actually dealing with a collaborator as well, or even just someone else entirely who has their own interest in the mysterious F484. ~ Captain Halo Reach Service Record Reply Hive SonGoharotto 3/12/11 9:08 pm Please give me a status report on the following: 1. The progress of your diagnostic. 2. The Theseus's defenses and drive capability. 3. The progress of our defrosting crewmen. Also, has there been any investigation into the causes of PFC Worth's death? If it were a deliberate act of murder, we might expect to find a keystroke log of the airlock controls or traces of remote hacking. Or for that matter, any sign of an attempt to cover up the tracks. If it really was an accident, shouldn't there be some manner of detectable bug in the system? Where there any electromagnetic anomalies within or around the ship at the time of his death? Did any internal or external cameras catch anything of this event? Halo Reach Service Record Reply Re: Some information about Orions Hive 3/12/11 9:09 pm Bzzt! Estimated completion of scan given current rate and work load is six hours seventeen minutes. Bzzt! Work load shifted. Seven hours and four minutes. bzzt! Exterior images have been loaded to your CNI. Bzzt! Initial analysis of data from probe has been completed by three crewmen working in concert. Image and topography data has been altered, with large sections of data replaced. Source unknown. Probe data was altered at the source. No security breeches have been reported by probe systems. bzzt! ENS Peppers has requested that if you ever want him to scrub image data manually like this again, to provide him with proper programs. Bzzt! ENS Peppers has had his suggestion on where you could obtain free copies of such programs marked on his record by XO McAllister. She asks if you would like to hold a Captain's Mast for suggesting the illegal download of programs while on duty. Reply Re: Hive Hive 3/12/11 9:22 pm Bzzt! An estimated seven hours and two minutes remain on my self-diagnostic due to a shift in workload. Bzzt! The UNSC Theseus is equipped with one Shiva warhead, 40 Archer missile pods, and eight point defense guns. She is considered vastly underarmed fitting with her mission of peaceful construction. Bzzt! In an effort to decrease my workload, XO McAllister is hand-picking the staff being defrosted. So far, four personnel have been brought out of cryo. She is still debating the rest. At the last inquiry to how her decisions were going, she made several remarks which would be heavily filtered by your personal language filters. Bzzt! Both interior and exterior cameras in the vicinity of PFC Worth's death went offline 13 seconds before the airlock malfunctioned. My ability to observe this area was cut off for 22 hours following the event. All systems have checked out normally since. There have been numerous EM readings that are best described as "anomalous." XO McAllister ordered this fact hidden from the crew at large. Bzzt! Workload shifted. Six hours and 12 minutes remain on self-diagnostic. bzzt! Please pardon the lag. Reply Notable event Hive 3/12/11 10:10 pm Note by Hive: Bzzt! I have applied your personal language filters. ************* 03/12/2612, 1953 SST PFC GALLEGOS, DANIEL CPL TEBOE, RANDALL Gallegos: Hey, can I ask you a question? Teboe: You just did. Gallegos: (Deadpan) Har. Har. Har. Teboe: What is it? Gallegos: Why did you go all apeBLAM over that ID? (Beat) Teboe: (Quietly) This goes nowhere, you hear? Gallegos: (Cautiously) Okay. Teboe: Dad did some stuff. You know, the kind of stuff where an ONI meets with you in private, you don't say nothin' before you pull out, and you come back a little more quiet. Gallegos: (Quiet now as well) I gotcha. Teboe: Well, he never did tell me what. But when he came back from a tour a few years later, I told him that I was enlisting. So he pulled me aside and had a little chat. He told me that if I was ever in over my head, not fighting or anything but that the bullBLAM had gotten me by the short and curlies, that I was supposed to get in touch with somebody that owed him one. (Beat) Gallegos: (Whispering) Yeah? Teboe: Lima five-two-two. Service number Oscar dash seven-one-five dash two-two dash one-eight. Oscar dash Victor, Golf two. Name, Tyrone Daniels. An Orion five, second generation, whatever that means. Dad made me memorize the service number. Gallegos: And he'd get you out of trouble? Teboe: Something like that. They don't let grunts know their service number. They're just Orions. And, from what I've heard, Orion fours didn't even let their names be known to anybody. Just their call-sign. So if somebody had access to that, the Captain needed to know ASAP. Gallegos: I got a bad feeling... Teboe: You and me both. Reply Re: Some information about Orions SonGoharotto 3/12/11 10:28 pm : Bzzt! Initial analysis of data from probe has been completed by three crewmen : working in concert. Image and topography data has been altered, with large : sections of data replaced. Source unknown. Probe data was altered at the : source. No security breeches have been reported by probe systems. Hive, whom if any on board would have the clearance and expertise to alter probe data without triggering a security breech? : Bzzt! ENS Peppers has had his suggestion on where you could obtain free : copies of such programs marked on his record by XO McAllister. She asks if : you would like to hold a Captain's Mast for suggesting the illegal : download of programs while on duty. I think we can postpone the Captain's Mast for now, given recent events. Halo Reach Service Record Reply Re: CN Raschad Carver 3/12/11 10:38 pm : Bzzt! Relationships between CN Raschad and F484 are restricted to familial. : CN Raschad is was in cryo-stasis during the established dates of F484's : activities. : Bzzt! That information is locked as per your orders. Medical files have had : all dates prior to his assignment to the UNSC Theseus locked as per your : orders. Two senior officers are required in order to view his history data : on a one-time basis. : bzzt! Please pardon the lag. Hive, Please elaborate on 'familial' connection between CN Raschad and F484. And don't tell the XO I'm looking into the CN. She's spooked on him enough as is. -Captain Reply Re: CN Raschad SonGoharotto 3/12/11 10:42 pm I at first took that to mean Raschad and F484 were related, but that doesn't make sense. If we don't know anything about F484 and Raschad's files are locked, how would Hive be able to casually drop a bombshell like that? I think he just meant the only known relations of Raschad and F484 are their own families, not each other. Halo Reach Service Record Reply Re: Hive SonGoharotto 3/12/11 10:42 pm Hive, what is the status of the Theseus's flight capability? Please check through all associated systems for the fusion reactor, translight engine, emergency thrusters, all of it. : Bzzt! Both interior and exterior cameras in the vicinity of PFC Worth's death : went offline 13 seconds before the airlock malfunctioned. My ability to : observe this area was cut off for 22 hours following the event. All : systems have checked out normally since. There have been numerous EM : readings that are best described as "anomalous." XO McAllister : ordered this fact hidden from the crew at large. May I have a log of all EM anomalies that have taken place on board the ship since we entered this system? Do any of them correspond to the unconfirmed sighting witnessed by CN Welsh and Jackson? Halo Reach Service Record Reply Re: CN Raschad Hive 3/12/11 10:45 pm Bzzt! There is no known connection between CN Raschad and F484. CN Raschad was in cryo during all known dates of operation for F484. The only possible way a connection could exist is if he were to be somehow related to F484. bzzt! Sorry, Captain. I am currently scanning my human interaction extensions. It has caused some communication issues with some of the crew. I will try to make the pass as quickly as possible. bzzt! Please pardon the lag. Reply Re: Notable event SonGoharotto 3/12/11 10:47 pm Hive, can you call up the CSV for PFC Gallegos's father? Don't dig too deep, just let me know if there's any black ink. Halo Reach Service Record Reply Re: Notable event Carver 3/12/11 10:49 pm Hive, If you CAN, see what you can dig up on L522, Tyrone Daniels without spooking the spooks. Service number O-715-22-18; O-V G2. Go through whatever channels you have to, whenever you can spare the resources. If you can't tiptoe around the eggshells, forward this conversation and the audio transcript between Cpl. Teboe and Pfc. Gallagos to Chair via the usual channels. Also, pull up whatever you can on Cpl. Teboe's father and place Cpl. Teboe and Pfc. Gallegos on unannounced protective watch. I don't want them knowing, though. Just keep an eye on them. Make sure they're safe and sound and let me know if anything out of the ordinary happens. I think their bad feeling about this may just be contagious. -Captain Reply Attn: ISitInA SonGoharotto 3/12/11 10:51 pm Chair, Do you have access to any records pertaining to the Orion-Vs? I am particularly interested in L522, Tyrone Daniels. ~ Captain Halo Reach Service Record Reply Belay that last, Hive SonGoharotto 3/12/11 10:52 pm Hive, can you call up the CSV for PFC Gallegos's father? Don't dig too deep, just let me know if there's any black ink. Halo Reach Service Record Reply Re: Some information about Orions General Vagueness 3/12/11 11:08 pm : Bzzt! ENS Peppers has had his suggestion on where you could obtain free : copies of such programs marked on his record by XO McAllister. She asks if : you would like to hold a Captain's Mast for suggesting the illegal : download of programs while on duty. A simple reprimand will do. : bzzt! Exterior images have been loaded to your CNI. oh you You cannot fall off the floor. Reply Re: Notable event Hive 3/12/11 11:10 pm Bzzt! SSgt Teboe, Ramses (Retired, UNSC Marine Corps). Biological Age 56. Residence: 1216 Chiba Ln, Honeywell, 8624710, Dada. Married: Teboe, Tassandra. Two children: Teboe, Randall; Teboe, Maggie. Nickname: Ram. Favorite sports team: The Evergreens. Favorite food: Spaghetti. Frequently uses language which would trigger your personal filters. When not in cryo, CPL Teboe sends him a letter during the weekly mail call. CPL Teboe receives a letter from his father every week during the weekly mail call. Bzzt! CPL Teboe and PFC Gallegos are now on monitored status. All activities will be logged. All conversations will be logged. CPL Teboe and PFC Gallegos are not to be informed of this fact. bzzt! I called up what information I could from logs of letters sent by CPL Teboe and the listing of next of kin. I'm sorry, Captain, but I don't have access to personnel information beyond those serving on the ship. I hope this helps. bzzt! Please pardon the lag. Reply Re: Some information about Orions Hive 3/12/11 11:24 pm Bzzt! All members of the crew would have their identity logged when observing the data. The data has not changed since we received it. All members of the crew would have their identity logged if they handled the probe before launch. The last person to handle the probe was CN Weller as part of his punishment detail. CN Weller transferred to the UNSC Abnett a year and a half ago. Reply Re: Some information about Orions Carver 3/12/11 11:39 pm : Bzzt! All members of the crew would have their identity logged when : observing the data. The data has not changed since we received it. All : members of the crew would have their identity logged if they handled the : probe before launch. The last person to handle the probe was CN Weller as : part of his punishment detail. CN Weller transferred to the UNSC Abnett a : year and a half ago. Hive, If you could, see if the UNSC Abnett has had any reports of a heightened rate of incidents, particularly of an electronic nature, since Weller was transferred. I don't expect anything to come of it, but better to cast a line and get nothing than to leave the pole and not even try. Reply Re: Hive Hive 3/12/11 11:52 pm Bzzt! All systems show green across the board, save for lag from myself. Bzzt! The following is a list of all EM anomalies aboard the Theseus. 03/05/2612, 1903 SST Centralized around cargo hold 28-B 03/10/2612, 0013 SST Centralized around airlock 12-C 03/10/2612, 1631 SST Centralized around junction 01-01-A (First junction to bridge) 03/11/2612, 0849 SST Centralized around mess 03/12/2612, 1827 SST Centralized around Chemical Thruster Bank Starboard 4 Bzzt! There have been 47 EM anomalies on the station, one of which conforms with the timing of dereliction of duty by CN Welsh and CN Jackson. Reply Re: Some information about Orions Hive 3/12/11 11:53 pm bzzt! Would you like to compose the message, or should I? Reply Re: Some information about Orions Carver 3/13/11 12:43 am : bzzt! Would you like to compose the message, or should I? Hive, Just have a quick heart-to-heart with their shipboard A.I. -Captain Reply Re: Some information about Orions Jagged 3/13/11 1:57 am Chair, If it's possible that we are dealing with F484, or even another ORION, I need to know what their specific iteration of Kavacha armor can do. Can you get me design specs, or even just descriptions of the armor's capabilities? Specifically, things like: reliability in hard vacuum, EMP discharges, independent air supply, optional equipment or personal customization by the Orions? I know this information is highly classified, but I'll take whatever I can get. As you said, I need to know what I'm dealing with. Sincerely, The Captain Reply A request Hive 3/13/11 1:58 am Bzzt! XO McAllister has passed along a request from CN Raschad. He would like to organize an unofficial boxing match with permission to allow crewmembers to "misappropriate their pay between each other." McAllister adds that she would like to put 50 down on CA Morgan if he fights CN Esquivel, pending your approval. She also suggests that it would be a further boost to morale if you would allow her to fight PO3 Wolfe. bzzt! I have calculated the odds of XO McAllister winning a match against PO3 Wolfe at 40-to-1 against. However, she insists that she knows of a way to boost morale despite the odds. Reply Re: A request General Vagueness 3/13/11 3:05 am : Bzzt! XO McAllister has passed along a request from CN Raschad. He would : like to organize an unofficial boxing match with permission to allow : crewmembers to "misappropriate their pay between each other." : McAllister adds that she would like to put 50 down on CA Morgan if he : fights CN Esquivel, pending your approval. She also suggests that it would : be a further boost to morale if you would allow her to fight PO3 Wolfe. : bzzt! I have calculated the odds of XO McAllister winning a match against PO3 : Wolfe at 40-to-1 against. However, she insists that she knows of a way to : boost morale despite the odds. wasn't there an episode of M*A*S*H like that? Hive, are you familiar with a game called Halo, from the early 21st century? You cannot fall off the floor. Reply Let us know how it turns out, Hive *NM* ZackDark 3/13/11 3:06 am Reply Some information about Onions *NM* elessar787 3/13/11 3:46 am Reply Re: Hive PsycoJoe 3/13/11 3:54 am Hive... What can you tell me about Dr Catherine Halsey? Reply Re: Hive Hive 3/13/11 3:59 am Bzzt! There is nobody named "Catherine Halsey" or any permutation thereof serving or having served on the Theseus. Reply Re: Hive PsycoJoe 3/13/11 4:03 am : Bzzt! There is nobody named "Catherine Halsey" or any permutation : thereof serving or having served on the Theseus. My bad. Let me clarify: Run a comprehensive search of UNSC records for Doctor Catherine Halsey. Low priority. Reply Re: A request The Loot 3/13/11 4:44 am : Hive, are you familiar with a game called Halo, from the early 21st century? I've always maintained the idea that, in a fiction's universe, the fiction itself was never created (or was at least different enough to not really matter). --Granted, The Matrix is the exception. The machines want us believe that the idea is purely Hollywood, when in fact we are all living it right now!-- GT: The Loot Reply Re: A request SonGoharotto 3/13/11 9:43 am : Bzzt! XO McAllister has passed along a request from CN Raschad. He would : like to organize an unofficial boxing match with permission to allow : crewmembers to "misappropriate their pay between each other." : McAllister adds that she would like to put 50 down on CA Morgan if he : fights CN Esquivel, pending your approval. She also suggests that it would : be a further boost to morale if you would allow her to fight PO3 Wolfe. Hive, do we happen to have regulation boxing protective gear on board? I don't need any of my specialists getting a concussion. : bzzt! I have calculated the odds of XO McAllister winning a match against PO3 : Wolfe at 40-to-1 against. However, she insists that she knows of a way to : boost morale despite the odds. So help me God, if XO McAllister fights topless, tell her she'll be scrubbing the head peeling potatoes for a week. Halo Reach Service Record Reply Re: A request General Vagueness 3/13/11 10:31 am : Hive, do we happen to have regulation boxing protective gear on board? I : don't need any of my specialists getting a concussion. ooh, didn't think of that :/ : So help me God, if XO McAllister fights topless, tell her she'll be : scrubbing the head peeling potatoes for a week. oh you You cannot fall off the floor. Reply Query for Hive CaptainTony 3/13/11 12:55 pm What is the current or last known status of one "Colonel Urban Holland, UNSC Army". To our knowledge, he was last seen during the Invasion of Reach in August 2552 commanding Army Special Warfare units in the Viery territory. CommanderTony, Administrator of Halopedia Reply __________________________________________________ I'm back now ISitInA 3/14/11 12:02 pm To: Cpt********.1465.UNSC.THESEUS From: ISitInA.ERROR DATA UNAVAILABLE Origin: ERROR DATA UNAVAILABLE Received: Sent: ERROR DATA UNAVAILABLE Classifications: Captain's Eyes Only, Message Archival Allowed, Neural Net Upload Permissions Denied Attachments: 1 (DXOP4-G1-R6.S20-5.10, 20 Mb) Subject: I'm back now Captain, Forgive my lack of communication. Please do remember that I work for a living, and sometimes that means being outside of contact. I've got some goods for you. I'll pass more along as I find security holes. I can't help you as far as Halsey goes. At least, not right now. I might be able to pull something out of my rear later. We'll see. Also, I heard you had a little boxing match on ship last night. I'm not much of a fan of it myself, but I guess it is traditional. How did it go? Sincerely, Chair ************* Note by Hive: Captain, I have encountered additional encrypted data within this message. The encryption keys are old enough to be added to my own databanks upon my creation due to our frequent status in the outer regions of humanity's occupied zone, in case we encountered any of the number of missing ships from the war. Below is the unencrypted message. ************* You've been patient. Thank you. ************* Reply DXOP4-G1-R6.S20-5.10 ISitInA 3/14/11 12:03 pm DXOP4-G1-R6.S20-5.10 Overview (Summary) This array of chemicals temporally boosts brain performance, specifically targeting the areas relating to perception and memory, with an unfortunate (but equally temporary) side effect of a temporary loss of control in the areas relating to muscle control. This is supplemented by other compounds which will stimulate these areas enough to ensure involuntary controls necessary for keeping the subject alive during this time period. During this time, the subject often reports that time slows to a near-standstill. One initial test subject informed us that he could see each “frame” of a video displayed on a monitor clearly – the movie was playing at 60 fps. He was also able to identify all aspects of the movie with startling detail, including minor details which only appear in only one frame, though there were difficulties in identifying noises, as he heard them as distorted and slow. Using this, we have developed a program to allow for massive amounts of data to be presented to the subject in minimal amounts of time. One subject learned the entire works of Shakespeare and Ernest Hemmingway (not including posthumous publications or stage plays) over the course of ten minutes with a 97% retention. This process creates an unprecedented possibility for learning. Though not without risks (see below) the ability to collect and store vast amounts of data within minimalistic time frames would be of great assistance to [REDACTED]. [REDACTED]. The issues with this, however, should be of note. Firstly, the subject requires time to assimilate the information. This usually takes somewhere between two and three days after the session. Secondly, cognitive functions are minimal at best immediately following the session, and the subject rarely is able to maintain consciousness for more than a few minutes. Waking them is difficult, and they usually sleep for a prolonged period of time (averaging twelve hours for a seven minute session). Thirdly, traces of these compounds become trapped in the spinal cord and the fatty tissues. During times of high-stress, these can be released into the bloodstream. This can cause the subject to go into an uncontrolled and lessened trance-like state of high data absorption through all five senses. Fortunately, tests indicate that the time frame between the release of these compounds and the activation of this state occur an average of two days after the time of release, though simulations warn that there is a slight (approximately 1 in 1000) chance of it happening concurrently. So far, we have yet to replicate this in the lab despite being able to accurately replicate the release. We continue to research ways to combat this release and purge the body of these trace amounts. Lastly, the long-term effects of these compounds have yet to be accurately determined. To: [REDACTED] From: [REDACTED] How does this sound? Dumbed down enough that you don't need a PhD in order to understand it? To: [REDACTED] From: [REDACTED] It's a little harsh. I'll take a pass over and see if I can make it sound more appealing to the spooks and meatheads. ************* Note by Hive: BZZT! Captain, I have encountered additional encrypted data within this message. The encryption keys are old enough to be added to my own databanks upon my creation due to our frequent status in the outer regions of humanity's occupied zone, in case we encountered any of the number of missing ships from the war. Below is the unencrypted message. ************* If we only knew then what we know now... I'm so sorry. ************* Reply Event of interest Hive 3/14/11 12:09 pm Note by Hive: bzzt! I have applied your personal language filters. CN Raschad, David LCpl Jarvis, Manuel Raschad: Welcome to situation goatBLAM, man. Jarvis: Excuse me? Raschad: You're going EVA today, right? Lance Corporal Jarvis? Jarvis: Yeah... Raschad: I'm your handler, the one who's getting you up to speed. Crewman David Raschad. Jarvis: Just Manuel, thanks. Pleasure. (Pause, 1.6 seconds) What do you mean, goatBLAM? Raschad: We're defrosting you boys to help out with-(Interrupted) Jarvis: Getting the station done faster because of some setbacks, yeah, I've already been briefed. Raschad: They tell you why? Jarvis: Now that you mentioned it, I never asked. I got a lot of reading to do to figure out what I'm doing. Raschad: They already told me. You'll be my second pair of hands. Jarvis: Things really that bad? Raschad: Oh, we had a shipboard accident and there's some unusual EM readings on the station, but nothing we can't handle. But we got people spooked, so we're defrosting you guys to make sure we got a second set of eyes on deck for anything we do. You know, calm us down if we get too panicky. And give us a helping hand to make sure we get back on schedule. Jarvis: That doesn't answer my question. Raschad: Are things that bad? Nah, but people think they are. Just don't stress it and stick with me, man. This isn't my first goatBLAM, and I'm not about to start running around and screaming that they're everywhere. Reply Re: I'm back now iamalex13 3/14/11 12:37 pm : To: Cpt********.1465.UNSC.THESEUS : From: ISitInA. ERROR DATA UNAVAILABLE : Origin: ERROR DATA UNAVAILABLE : Received: Sent: ERROR DATA UNAVAILABLE : Classifications: Captain's Eyes Only, Message Archival Allowed, Neural Net : Upload Permissions Denied : Attachments: 1 (DXOP4-G1-R6.S20-5.10, 20 Mb) : Subject: I'm back now : Captain, : Forgive my lack of communication. Please do remember that I work for a : living, and sometimes that means being outside of contact. I've got some : goods for you. I'll pass more along as I find security holes. : I can't help you as far as Halsey goes. At least, not right now. I might be : able to pull something out of my rear later. We'll see. : Also, I heard you had a little boxing match on ship last night. I'm not much : of a fan of it myself, but I guess it is traditional. How did it go? : Sincerely, : Chair : ************* : Note by Hive: Captain, I have encountered additional encrypted data within : this message. The encryption keys are old enough to be added to my own : databanks upon my creation due to our frequent status in the outer regions : of humanity's occupied zone, in case we encountered any of the number of : missing ships from the war. Below is the unencrypted message. : ************* : You've been patient. Thank you. : ************* Good to have you back Chair. I wouldn't want to sit in front of a computer all day long either. I was wondering if you had a response to the message i sent you last night concerning Raschad. I was hoping for an updated CSV on Raschad because the meeting he had with Dr. Muldoon was disconcerting to say the least. Hive can't get the CSV because only two senior officers can view Raschads on a one time event. Any information would be greatly appreciated. -Captain. (p.s. my keyboard seems to be acting up so excuse the general lack of use of the enter key.) Reply Re: Event of interest Hive 3/14/11 1:45 pm Note by Hive: bzzt! I have applied your personal language filters. AUDIO LOG, MESS 03/14/1214, 1217 SST PO3 Wolfe, Samantha CN Raschad, David TRANSCRIPT FOLLOWS Wolfe: (Cheerfully) Hey! How's your tagalong working out? Raschad: Pretty good. He knows his BLAM and can handle a NR-32 pretty well. A bit slow in moving, but still. I've dealt with worse. Yours? Wolfe: Haven't got mine yet. They say that it'll still be a few days. They have Hive working on personality matching or something like that. Raschad: (Chuckling) Go figure. Trying to make sure we don't push them into the deep without a tether or something. Wolfe: (Conspiratorially) I'm a little worried about that, actually. Raschad: (Defensively) Hey, hey. I don't do that kind of thing. Never seen it, don't want to. Wolfe: No, no. Nothing like that. I mean... Hive. Raschad: (Groaning) Oh, hell. What now? Wolfe: Cameras keep going down, audio recordings get scrambled, and Hive- (Interrupted) Raschad: (Quickly, quietly) Where the hell did you hear that? Wolfe: Some of the guys who work on the bridge have been- (Interrupted) Raschad: Listen. I'm going to say this once. Don't go talking about BLAM like that. It's probably just a software bug in the line and not Hive himself. Wolfe: But Hive's software, and he's tied in directly to the black box! Raschad: (Hissing) Keep your voice down! Listen, there's nothing wrong with Hive. They check him over every time we dock. Plus, he just went through one. Wolfe: But with... Wait, how do you know that he gets scanned when we dock? (Pause, 2.4 seconds) Raschad: It was one of my conditions for signing on. I... I really don't want to talk about it, alright? Let's just say that I had to deal with a Smart that had a glitch, and leave it at that. Raschad: (Sighs) They run a full check. And I'm not talking surface scan, I'm talking deep probe. That's why we get such a long shore. Wolfe: So... So you're the reason why we get the hell off this boat for an extra week? Raschad: (Laughing, jovial) I just became a handy son of a BLAM, didn't I? Now, onto more pleasant things. I heard I missed you doing a strip show last night... Note by Hive: Bzzt! Incident report. PO3 Wolfe struck CN Raschad. CN Raschad responded with laughter. This exchange went unobserved. Do you wish to reprimand PO3 Wolfe, request her presence for a Captain's Mast, or allow the incident to slide? Reply Re: Event of interest JDQuackers 3/14/11 1:53 pm : Note by Hive: bzzt! I have applied your personal language filters. : AUDIO LOG, MESS : 03/14/1214, 1217 SST : PO3 Wolfe, Samantha : CN Raschad, David Hive - double-check your dates. Am I reading those years correctly of 1214 and 1217 (Standard Space Time)? Are you experiencing technical difficulties again? Reply Re: Event of interest Jagged 3/14/11 1:54 pm : Note by Hive: bzzt! I have applied your personal language filters. : AUDIO LOG, MESS : 03/14/1214, 1217 SST : PO3 Wolfe, Samantha : CN Raschad, David : TRANSCRIPT FOLLOWS : Wolfe: (Cheerfully) Hey! How's your tagalong working out? : Raschad: Pretty good. He knows his BLAM and can handle a NR-32 pretty well. A : bit slow in moving, but still. I've dealt with worse. Yours? : Wolfe: Haven't got mine yet. They say that it'll still be a few days. They : have Hive working on personality matching or something like that. : Raschad: (Chuckling) Go figure. Trying to make sure we don't push them into : the deep without a tether or something. : Wolfe: (Conspiratorially) I'm a little worried about that, actually. : Raschad: (Defensively) Hey, hey. I don't do that kind of thing. Never seen : it, don't want to. : Wolfe: No, no. Nothing like that. I mean... Hive. : Raschad: (Groaning) Oh, hell. What now? : Wolfe: Cameras keep going down, audio recordings get scrambled, and Hive- : (Interrupted) : Raschad: (Quickly, quietly) Where the hell did you hear that? : Wolfe: Some of the guys who work on the bridge have been- (Interrupted) : Raschad: Listen. I'm going to say this once. Don't go talking about BLAM like : that. It's probably just a software bug in the line and not Hive himself. : Wolfe: But Hive's software, and he's tied in directly to the black box! : Raschad: (Hissing) Keep your voice down! Listen, there's nothing wrong with : Hive. They check him over every time we dock. Plus, he just went through : one. : Wolfe: But with... Wait, how do you know that he gets scanned when we dock? : (Pause, 2.4 seconds) : Raschad: It was one of my conditions for signing on. I... I really don't want : to talk about it, alright? Let's just say that I had to deal with a Smart : that had a glitch, and leave it at that. : Raschad: (Sighs) They run a full check. And I'm not talking surface scan, I'm : talking deep probe. That's why we get such a long shore. : Wolfe: So... So you're the reason why we get the hell off this boat for an : extra week? : Raschad: (Laughing, jovial) I just became a handy son of a BLAM, didn't I? : Now, onto more pleasant things. I heard I missed you doing a strip show : last night... : Note by Hive: Bzzt! Incident report. PO3 Wolfe struck CN Raschad. CN Raschad : responded with laughter. This exchange went unobserved. Do you wish to : reprimand PO3 Wolfe, request her presence for a Captain's Mast, or allow : the incident to slide? Let the incident slide, maybe Wolfe will teach Raschad some manners. Monitor them both, and notify me if there is any kind of escalation. Reply Re: Event of interest JDQuackers 3/14/11 1:54 pm : Hive - double-check your dates. Am I reading those years correctly of 1214 : and 1217 (Standard Space Time)? Are you experiencing technical : difficulties again? Or did you mean 1214-1217 SST ? Perhaps 3/14 and 1214 were not meant to be in the same container? Reply SST Hive 3/14/11 1:58 pm bzzt! SST stands for Standard Ship Time and refers to the local observed military clock aboard the ship. Reply Re: Event of interest Hive 3/14/11 1:58 pm Bzzt! Continuing observation. They have since finished lunch and have returned to their respective duties. Reply Since you asked about it... ISitInA 3/14/11 2:12 pm To: Cpt********.1465.UNSC.THESEUS From: ISitInA.ERROR DATA UNAVAILABLE Origin: ERROR DATA UNAVAILABLE Received: Sent: ERROR DATA UNAVAILABLE Classifications: Captain's Eyes Only, Message Archival Allowed, Neural Net Upload Permissions Denied Attachments: 0 Subject: Since you asked about it... Captain, You asked me some good questions before. I promise that I haven't forgotten about them. Since I suddenly have a few free moments, so I might as well talk about it. I'm sorry that it took so long, but you know how these things go. One part work, one part having my head wrapped around so much it isn't even funny. If you need any clarifications, feel free and drop me a line. One of the biggest differences between the Orion-III and Orion-IV projects was simply the age group. Of the recruits (and trust me, only a fraction of the candidates were recruited) a whopping 87% were 18, 5% were ages 19-21, and 8% were under 18. I'd like to note that this is biological age, not chronological, usually due to slip travel. This was the first time that established soldiers weren't used. (For comparison, the average age of an Orion III was 23.) These were all fresh recruits, going through basic for the first time. This was actually rather important for a number of reasons – the young men and women could be trained from the ground up to be Orions, and, perhaps most importantly, more applicable to genetic enhancement. As you get older your body becomes, as far as I understand it, set in its ways. Puberty helps lock in your genetic code. This is why prescreening is so important, for treatment of genetic conditions. All Orion iterations had some genetic modifications, however all of them had rejected them to some degree. Some were minor, some were... bad. I'll leave it at that. The younger the recruits, though, the easier it would be. Locking in the genetic mods would be easier if they went through an artificial puberty. Hence the focus on age. Restart puberty too old, and things get ugly, fast. (Though it should be noted that the process somehow lengthens the lifespan. Research is still ongoing; it's not like we're jumping over ourselves to release methods used to create any generation of Orions to the public. Still, I wouldn't mind having a go at it myself, even knowing the side effects.) Fortunately, nobody yet has crossed what we call the “moral event horizon” yet. Or if they have, they've been shot down before it went up the ladder. There are some things that would make me blow the lid open on everything I've learned, and that's one of them. Either that or information to me is being filtered. Which would be insanely stupid, I might add. Providing you with scary thoughts, Chair ************* Note by Hive: BZZT! Captain, I have encountered additional encrypted data within this message. The encryption keys are old enough to be added to my own databanks upon my creation due to our frequent status in the outer regions of humanity's occupied zone, in case we encountered any of the number of missing ships from the war. Below is the unencrypted message. ************* I worked hard to keep them from crossing that line. I reminded them of their humanity whenever possible. ************* Reply Re: Since you asked about it... Celtic Deamon 3/14/11 2:22 pm : To: Cpt********.1465.UNSC.THESEUS : From: ISitInA. ERROR DATA UNAVAILABLE : Origin: ERROR DATA UNAVAILABLE : Received: Sent: ERROR DATA UNAVAILABLE : Classifications: Captain's Eyes Only, Message Archival Allowed, Neural Net : Upload Permissions Denied : Attachments: 0 : Subject: Since you asked about it... : Captain, : You asked me some good questions before. I promise that I haven't forgotten : about them. Since I suddenly have a few free moments, so I might as well : talk about it. I'm sorry that it took so long, but you know how these : things go. One part work, one part having my head wrapped around so much : it isn't even funny. If you need any clarifications, feel free and drop me : a line. : One of the biggest differences between the Orion-III and Orion-IV projects : was simply the age group. Of the recruits (and trust me, only a fraction : of the candidates were recruited) a whopping 87% were 18, 5% were ages : 19-21, and 8% were under 18. I'd like to note that this is biological age, : not chronological, usually due to slip travel. : This was the first time that established soldiers weren't used. (For : comparison, the average age of an Orion III was 23.) These were all fresh : recruits, going through basic for the first time. This was actually rather : important for a number of reasons – the young men and women could be : trained from the ground up to be Orions, and, perhaps most importantly, : more applicable to genetic enhancement. : As you get older your body becomes, as far as I understand it, set in its : ways. Puberty helps lock in your genetic code. This is why prescreening is : so important, for treatment of genetic conditions. All Orion iterations : had some genetic modifications, however all of them had rejected them to : some degree. Some were minor, some were... bad. I'll leave it at that. : The younger the recruits, though, the easier it would be. Locking in the : genetic mods would be easier if they went through an artificial puberty. : Hence the focus on age. Restart puberty too old, and things get ugly, : fast. (Though it should be noted that the process somehow lengthens the : lifespan. Research is still ongoing; it's not like we're jumping over : ourselves to release methods used to create any generation of Orions to : the public. Still, I wouldn't mind having a go at it myself, even knowing : the side effects.) : Fortunately, nobody yet has crossed what we call the “moral event horizon” : yet. Or if they have, they've been shot down before it went up the ladder. : There are some things that would make me blow the lid open on everything : I've learned, and that's one of them. : Either that or information to me is being filtered. Which would be insanely : stupid, I might add. : Providing you with scary thoughts, : Chair : ************* : Note by Hive: BZZT! Captain, I have encountered additional encrypted data : within this message. The encryption keys are old enough to be added to my : own databanks upon my creation due to our frequent status in the outer : regions of humanity's occupied zone, in case we encountered any of the : number of missing ships from the war. Below is the unencrypted message. : ************* : I worked hard to keep them from crossing that line. I reminded them of their : humanity whenever possible. : ************* Chair I'm drawing some confusions here, What is the corrilation to the SPARTAN II program and Orion III program. Speaking of which, Ever since the Noble Team momument has go up Rumors of a SPARTAIN III program. Are the terms SPARTAN and Orion interchangible? Reply Raschad email exchange with Chair iamalex13 3/14/11 4:35 pm : To: Cpt********.1465.UNSC.THESEUS : From: ISitInA. ERROR DATA UNAVAILABLE : Origin: ERROR DATA UNAVAILABLE : Received: Sent: ERROR DATA UNAVAILABLE : Classifications: Captain's Eyes Only, Message Archival Allowed, Neural Net : Upload Permissions Denied : Attachments: 1 (DXOP4-G1-R6.S20-5.10, 20 Mb) : Subject: I'm back now : Captain, : Forgive my lack of communication. Please do remember that I work for a : living, and sometimes that means being outside of contact. I've got some : goods for you. I'll pass more along as I find security holes. : I can't help you as far as Halsey goes. At least, not right now. I might be : able to pull something out of my rear later. We'll see. : Also, I heard you had a little boxing match on ship last night. I'm not much : of a fan of it myself, but I guess it is traditional. How did it go? : Sincerely, : Chair : ************* : Note by Hive: Captain, I have encountered additional encrypted data within : this message. The encryption keys are old enough to be added to my own : databanks upon my creation due to our frequent status in the outer regions : of humanity's occupied zone, in case we encountered any of the number of : missing ships from the war. Below is the unencrypted message. : ************* : You've been patient. Thank you. : ************* My Email to Chair: "Chair, CN Raschad was recently in the infirmary after a ship-wide boxing competition (to boost morale). Raschad was K.O.'d fairly easily and Hive noted some peculiar observations about Raschad's body temperatures before, during, and after the fight. Here's what Hive said: "bzzt! Captain? My analysis indicates that CN Raschad was not knocked out during the fight. There were no changes in body temperature during the fight. Leading up to the fight there was a steady rise in his body temperature. As soon as K.O. was called, his body temperature began to decline to normal levels." Raschad then went to see Dr. Muldoon, and here is the message that Muldoon sent me: "Captain, I'm honestly surprised. I've made more progress with CN Raschad in the first ten minutes than I have in all our sessions since we got in system. David has shown a great willingness to work with me on this matter. I suggested a sleeping aid and anti-anxiety medication, and he actually accepted. He's scared by everything that's going on. People are starting to get twitchy and nervous. There's been talk of ghosts again amongst the crew. People are starting to walk on edge. You know it as well as I do. He's seeing it and the memories are coming to the forefront of his mind. Considering what all he's been through, I find him rather well-adjusted. His PTSD is very well controlled, and his emotions are perfectly normal. As is his anxiety. However, he seems most focused on channeling this anxiety towards beneficial avenues. Such as organizing the matches tonight. Keeping people calm, in good spirits, and able to work efficiently are his highest priorities. The plans for escape are simply idle reflex. So long as we keep him away from violence, I am clearing him for active duty. If I hear of even so much as a fistfight, though, I'm pulling him back into my office and off the duty roster until I can confirm that he hasn't slipped any. I know you're going to be tempted to put him on ice. I'd strongly advise against that. We've agreed that revealing his past to the crew is a bad idea. Especially now. The only other public excuse is medical, and if if it's believed that Petty Officer Rushford caused him a bad enough injury to force him to go into a tank rather than treated here... I'll leave the implications up to you to work out. David is well-liked by the crew, and Hive tells me that there are already murmurings about him having to go to medical. I attached a transcript of the worst of it. After this he calmed down considerably and spoke honestly. He even described, in vivid detail, some of what he went through without displaying any signs of flashbacks. Simply depression. In the interests of doctor/patient confidentiality, however, I'm not sharing no matter how much you might ask. He won't endanger the mission at this time, and that's what you're after, isn't it? Also, can you tell me who the hell had the brilliant idea of putting him in this fight? LT Muldoon, Robert Raschad: So I start out by elbowing him in the throat. Immediately I kick the ref in the jimmies. That gives me enough time to get the gloves off before Gunther gets in the ring. Step out of his swing, grab his arm, thumb his left eye. Sammy will be the next in the ring. Jesus, I feint with my right, then give a left cross to Wolfman's face. That'll surprise her enough that she won't see the footsweep. Backfist to Masten, pull behind him, get his sidearm, ground him. Shoot Banks. Shoot Sammy. Shoot Werner. Shoot anybody else who rushes the ring. Move ASAP to the aft. Take 13-9-C down towards four. Deal with any opposition I meet along the way. Manual any doors. Manual the door to four behind me, lodge the gun in the works so they can't open it. Cut out Hive, manual a timer. Strip. Get in my tank. Get frozen and launched. Muldoon: You didn't do that, though. Raschad: I BLAMing planned it out! Muldoon: Did you want to? Raschad: BLAM no! Why the BLAM do you think I threw that godBLAM mother BLAMing fight? Why do you think I'm BLAMing here right BLAMing now instead of BLAMing finding a godBLAM bottle of hard stuff and drinking myself into next godBLAM week? It's not like I wanted to BLAMing see you! Muldoon: But yet you came. Raschad: Only because I'm not BLAMing stupid! The Cap ain't stupid! I was gonna get sent to see you no matter what! Why not save the middleman a bit of walking and come my BLAMing self? Muldoon: Is that the only reason? Raschad: ...No. No it's not. I... I want something to help me sleep. No dreams, no nightmares. No skulking along bulkheads with BLAMing monsters that used to be my buddies trying to do god knows what to me. Muldoon: You're tired. Raschad: You have no idea. Every time somebody says to me, “You must have seen some action,” I just... What the hell am I supposed to say? I saw my reflection and it looked like a monster who did everything that I did so I tried ripping my face off with my own two hands? Muldoon: You weren't in your right mind. Raschad: You can say that again. Muldoon: No. You know what I mean. Nobody on that ship was in their right mind. The only people who were, you saved. You had the presence of mind to save them. And yourself. You fought as little as possible. You know that. Raschad: Yeah. Muldoon: For what you went through, you've come so far. You haven't been medicated in years. You're proud of that. Raschad: That's what scares me. I mean... If it's only natural that I plot my escape without even realizing it... What if I actually want to act on it? What if I actually start to want to try and escape? Then what happens if I give in to that wanting? Do I start braining people? Muldoon: It won't happen again. Raschad: Why not? The tech's better, but what's to say something won't go all goatBLAM and I won't end up in a situation that you only see in video games again? Muldoon: Because. You won't let it happen. Will you? Raschad: ...This is the part where I sit down and we start the psyche, isn't it? Muldoon: No. This is the part where you sit down and I help you." Any idea what Raschad's deal is? I copied the whole transcripts and am sending them to you because I feel like you should know the situation on this end. I've queried Hive for an updated CSV on Raschad, but, of course, I get the regular "Two senior officers are required to access CN Raschad's file on a one-time basis" B.S. Is there anything on Raschad that you can send me? - The Captain" Her response: "Captain, Okay, I've looked over Raschad's file and... Wow. Let me just say, wow. And you let him on your ship? I can't deny his results, but I'd be a little hesitant. But I guess that's why I'll never be able to be in charge of a ship. That and the time I've spent in cryo leaves me a little iffy on some of the tech aspects. (You should have seen me when I first sat down behind this console. I ended up loading everything through line commands.) I can't give you anything that probably isn't already on your files. I mean, I have more, yes. Two entries, to be exact. Two entries that only HIGHCOM or ONI can see. And they aren't even big, earth shattering entries. But passing them along would mean delaying you information on F484, and right now that's my priority. If everything hits the fan, he's the man to stand behind, I'll give you that. And if your ship is ever attacked, he's the guy to have on your side. Honestly, I'm a little surprised that he lost the boxing match. Black belt in kempo, jeet kun do, akido, did boxing in high school, and all that with the marine hth that his father is known to have taught him... Then again, given the transcript with the doctor, I guess it makes sense. I'd spend the rest of my life in mortal terror that it'd happen again. Given everything that the poor guy's been through, I just want to hug him and tell him it'll be all right. But that's the mother in me talking, I guess. Anyway, download's finished, and I need to get back to work. 13 terrabytes of combat logs. Thank god I found where they were hiding the coffee. I'm going to need real caffeine for this. Sincerely, Chair" Reply Re: Event of interest Hive 3/14/11 6:10 pm Bzzt! You told me to keep an eye on PO3 Wolfe and CN Raschad. I have since encountered this conversation. bzzt! I have applied your personal language filter. PO3 Wolfe, Samantha CN Jackson, Lyle Wolfe: Hey! Wait up! Jackson: (Sighs) Yeah? Sup? Wolfe: Hey, I just wanted to ask you something. You used to bunk with Raschad, right? Jackson: (Uncomfortably) Yeah... Wolfe: Do you know where he served before the Theseus? Jackson: Um, no, not really. He doesn't really talk about his service much. (Pause, 1.2 seconds) Why? Wolfe: I've been asking around, and nobody knows anything. He's been on here for how long and nobody knows? Doesn't that strike you as odd? Jackson: You check with the officers? Maybe some deckies? Wolfe: Yeah, and I basically got told to eat BLAM and bark at the moon. I tried pressing and he got real cold, telling me to back the BLAM off. (Pause, 2.5 seconds) Besides, they're starting to worry me. Jackson: Worry you? Wolfe: They're really quiet like when they're around us. I'm starting to think something more's going on than we're being told... (Beat) Jackson: I... I better go. Wolfe: Jackson? Jackson: If you're saying what I think you're saying, then the less I know the better. Reply Proof of intelligent contextual eavesdropping Carver 3/14/11 6:22 pm : Fortunately, nobody yet has crossed what we call the “moral event horizon” : yet. Or if they have, they've been shot down before it went up the ladder. : There are some things that would make me blow the lid open on everything : I've learned, and that's one of them. : Either that or information to me is being filtered. Which would be insanely : stupid, I might add. : Providing you with scary thoughts, : Chair : ************* : Note by Hive: BZZT! Captain, I have encountered additional encrypted data : within this message. The encryption keys are old enough to be added to my : own databanks upon my creation due to our frequent status in the outer : regions of humanity's occupied zone, in case we encountered any of the : number of missing ships from the war. Below is the unencrypted message. : ************* : I worked hard to keep them from crossing that line. I reminded them of their : humanity whenever possible. : ************* ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- That encrypted message at the end basically solidifies the fact that someone is eavesdropping, intercepting, editing, and forwarding the messages between us and Chair. Not only that, but they are or were directly involved with the research aspect of the Orion projects, potentially in the same way Halsey was involved with the Spartan program. It's pretty obvious now that these subsequent Orion projects are NOT the same as the Spartan II and beyond projects. My guess? Someone separate from Ackerson's and Halsey's projects decided to give Orion a second shot after Operation: Trebuchet, with the intent of lowering the rate of PTSD and other mental and physical side effects without having to resort to the use of children like Ackerson and Halsey did. Perhaps it is one of these new Orions (F484?) or maybe the director of the project themself who is dropping these encrypted messages... This last letter from Chair, along with CN Raschad's implied chronological age, training, and symptoms of PTSD seems to hint to me that he may, in fact, be a surviving Orion I or Orion II (first generation) who has seen combat action against the Flood. I feel that this is pivotal to the events aboard the ship. Reply Re: Event of interest Carver 3/14/11 6:27 pm Hive, Do you have transcripts of Wolfe's conversations about CN Raschad? Namely those with the 'deckies' and any with Raschad directly dealing with his past? Also, keep her monitored. Being nosy isn't her business...but she's proving useful by being a nuisance. Reply Re: Since you asked about it... Carver 3/14/11 7:05 pm Chair, How do you think the situation would play out were the rest of the crew to find out CN Raschad's past involvements and his previous station? Would they be a threat to him...or vice versa? Reply Good place to repost this SonGoharotto 3/14/11 9:39 pm Doi, of course I missed something. Being at work sucks. Anyway, here's may last email exchange with chair. Halo Reach Service Record Reply _________________________________________________ I'll let these stand on their own for a bit ISitInA 3/15/11 6:21 pm To: Cpt********.1465.UNSC.THESEUS From: ISitInA.ERROR DATA UNAVAILABLE Origin: ERROR DATA UNAVAILABLE Received: Sent: ERROR DATA UNAVAILABLE Classifications: Captain's Eyes Only, Message Archival Allowed, Neural Net Upload Permissions Denied Attachments: 3 (O4COMF484-8492, O4COMC463-8492, OCC3218941, 88 Mb total) Subject: I'll let these stand on their own for a bit. Captain, There's a lot that I could say. I'll save it for here in a while. Moments like this deserve a chance to stand on their own. Sincerely, Chair Reply O4COMF484-8492 ISitInA 3/15/11 6:22 pm To: C463[REDACTED] From: F484[REDACTED] Origin: [REDACTED] Received: [REDACTED] Sent: 10/21/2532, 0122 Zulu Classifications: [REDACTED] Attachments: 0 Subject: Waterloo By the time you read this, you'll have returned from REFRACTION. I hope you did well out there. I'm shipping out for SALEM tomorrow, and somehow I can't sleep. Too much energy. I'm nervous, to say the least. And you know me, far too chatty for my own good. But I won't go into XYM over text messages with you. All the other IV's are asleep and I don't feel comfortable talking to the regulars. I vaguely remember what it was like before basic, but it feels like a world away. I don't feel like I have anything in common with those guys anymore. They don't talk right, don't move right, they don't even think right it feels like. I miss you. ************* Note by Hive: BZZT! Captain, I have encountered additional encrypted data within this message. The encryption keys are old enough to be added to my own databanks upon my creation due to our frequent status in the outer regions of humanity's occupied zone, in case we encountered any of the number of missing ships from the war. Below is the unencrypted message. ************* For some reason, I cried reading this. ************* Reply O4COMC463-8492 ISitInA 3/15/11 6:23 pm To: F484[REDACTED] From: C463[REDACTED] Origin: [REDACTED] Received: [REDACTED] Sent: 11/27/2532, 0708 Zulu Classifications: [REDACTED] Attachments: 0 Subject: Re: Waterloo I'm surprised you remember that! If Helen was a Smart she'd get the biggest kick out of it. Or chew us out. The mission went well. B457 took one to the arm, but he'll be fine. His own fault and I wrote him up on it. So they put you on SALEM? Rumor always had it that they had you in mind for a scout or something before they put you in the science corps. You'll do good. I'd tell you to make us proud but I know better than to waste the words. Which I just did. :) I miss you too. I got confirmation that if everybody gets back in time, we'll all have Christmas together at the new facility. They're even going to open up the good stores for us to get presents from. With all the socializing, I figure nobody will notice if you and I slip out to Olympus. Maybe visit 23 Zulu for old time's sake. Get me something nice. ************* Note by Hive: BZZT! Captain, I have encountered additional encrypted data within this message. The encryption keys are old enough to be added to my own databanks upon my creation due to our frequent status in the outer regions of humanity's occupied zone, in case we encountered any of the number of missing ships from the war. Below is the unencrypted message. ************* I believe that until the end, she loved you. ************* Reply OCC3218941 ISitInA 3/15/11 6:24 pm To: WHEEL From: DAKOTA Date: [REDACTED] HOW DID WE MISS THIS? WHERE DO WE EVEN FILE THE REPORT? HOW IS THIS EVEN POSSIBLE? OUT To: DAKOTA From: WHEEL Date: [UNAVAILABLE] WE TAKE A GROUP OF KIDS, PUMP THEIR BRAINS FULL OF EVERY INTRUSION AND COUNTER-INTRUSION TACTIC WE HAVE, AND RESTART THEIR PUBERTY. EVEN WITH THE METHODS USED TO DECREASE SEX DRIVE IT IS TO BE EXPECTED. BALL IS AWARE OF THE IDENTITIES OF 13 PAIRINGS, AND KNOWS THERE WERE A TOTAL OF 21. THERE IS A REASON WHY WE STERILIZED THEM. WE WILL ESTABLISH SURVEILANCE DURING THE FESTIVITIES. THE LOCATION OF 23 ZULU IS OF INTEREST TO COMMAND. OUT ************* Note by Hive: Captain, I have encountered additional encrypted data within this message. The encryption keys are old enough to be added to my own databanks upon my creation due to our frequent status in the outer regions of humanity's occupied zone, in case we encountered any of the number of missing ships from the war. Below is the unencrypted message. ************* Did you know? Or did you escape their eyes without even realizing it? ************* Reply ALERT! Hive 3/15/11 6:45 pm BZZT! Alert! Captain, I have finished my calculations regarding the coronal mass ejection. Bzzt! First, the bad news. I estimate it to be truly massive, enough so that the particles will reach escape velocity from the system and appear almost as a pulsar burst to the rest of the galaxy. We would need to move a minimum of 40,000,000 Km beyond the edge of the gravity well of FR-S 3287 for our AVAB system to deflect the ejection's radiation and particle burst. That's not the bad news. The bad news is that the feasibility of moving the station that far and back without completely destroying our timetable is literally impossible. Bzzt! But of course I have good news! I have calculated a method where we can not only survive, but keep station damage to a minimum. We move ourselves and the station within the planet's magnetosphere. By using the planet as a shield between us and FR-S 3287, the planet's magnetosphere (plus our AVAB system) should keep harmful particles to a minimum. Bzzt! This maneuver has been performed three times in the past. Bzzt! I have also calculated that, should the crew be restricted to the inner decks, it would protect everybody. My calculations indicate that there would be a 3% chance of crewmembers suffering from radiation effects, electrical discharges, and blindness from this maneuver. It would also keep damage to the station and ourselves to a minimum. Reply Suggestion from XO McAllister Hive 3/15/11 6:50 pm Bzzt! McAllister has suggested that we have not had a crew day this mission. By playing movies for the crew, preparing "home cooked" meals for the enlisted crew, and generally encouraging them to enjoy the time that we would be locked in the inner decks, it would be a boost to morale. She sees this ejection as a good thing. Bzzt! She would also like to point out that we can show evidence of the ejection, and that many of the crew are well-versed in the phenomenon. She believes that this would be an opportunity to show the crew a bit of old-fashioned normal Navy "Can Do" attitude. bzzt! She knows my weakness for that phrase. Reply Re: ALERT! Firemist 3/15/11 7:04 pm : Bzzt! This maneuver has been performed three times in the past. Hive, what can you tell me about them? What were their outcomes? Reply Re: ALERT! Hive 3/15/11 7:13 pm Bzzt! Two of the three times it was reported that the maneuver was performed without difficulty. One time the ship in question moved too close into the gravity well of the planet. The weak magnetosphere of the planet in question caused superficial damage to exterior sensors. Slight superstructure damage was caused by holding position and then escaping the gravity well. Bzzt! Since the UNSC Theseus is rated for atmospheric maneuvers, the lack of atmosphere, and the surprisingly low gravity of the planet, we should not have a problem. With the tug assisting us, damage to the harness from putting the station through this maneuver should be minimal. The station will receive minimal damage from the ejection, due to the lack of an active AVAB system. Reply Re: ALERT! Firemist 3/15/11 7:21 pm : Bzzt! Two of the three times it was reported that the maneuver was performed : without difficulty. One time the ship in question moved too close into the : gravity well of the planet. The weak magnetosphere of the planet in : question caused superficial damage to exterior sensors. Slight : superstructure damage was caused by holding position and then escaping the : gravity well. : Bzzt! Since the UNSC Theseus is rated for atmospheric maneuvers, the lack of : atmosphere, and the surprisingly low gravity of the planet, we should not : have a problem. With the tug assisting us, damage to the harness from : putting the station through this maneuver should be minimal. The station : will receive minimal damage from the ejection, due to the lack of an : active AVAB system. Hive, I'm going to authorize both the maneuver and XO McAllister's suggestion. Reply Re: ALERT! L3giticus 3/15/11 7:22 pm Well it seems we have no other choice. Perform the maneuver and tell all crew to report to the inner decks immediately. I don't know exactly when the CME will happen but I wouldn't want anyone to get caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. Reply Email exchange with Chair iamalex13 3/15/11 7:26 pm Captain, Okay, I secured enough to pass this along. ONI helped in Raschad's recovery. Both physical and mental. They got him up to speed enough for him to serve on a ship, too. Think about that a moment. I can't say the other juicy tidbit, not yet. Not until I'm more certain of my pipe. Did you know that they often cite his most "brutal" kill? But that wasn't the most brutal fight he was in? 38 punches (12 of which were to the neck of his opponent), 43 elbow strikes, 4 headbutts, 18 kicks, 29 knee strikes, 18 blows with a blunt improvised weapon (though he could have chosen better ones), 14 takedowns, 7 tosses, he grabbed the guy's groin and squeezed as hard as he could FOUR TIMES, and strangled him for three minutes. And he took as much punishment in the fight, if not more? I've seen the videos. But that's not the most amazing part. He didn't kill the guy. (Sure, the poor SOB suffered from permanent brain damage, but still.) He only knocked the guy out. He then loaded him up into a freezer, put him on ice, and then manually ejected the cryo-chamber. And then he tried to claw off his own face. And was a baseline human. No cybernetics, no genetic therapy. Sure, he wasn't in his right mind, but still. Have I mentioned that I want to hug him? Because right now I want to. Really, really badly. Sincerely, Chair - This is concerning Raschad. Reply Notable conversation Hive 3/15/11 7:27 pm Bzzt! I was reviewing personal communication channel logs for workers on the station when I came across this log. I thought it might be of interest to you, considering your orders to monitor CN Raschad and PO3 Wolfe. bzzt! I have applied your personal language filters. Jarvis: I gotta admit, this is kind of gravy work, even if people can't stow their BLAM. Raschad: (Amused) Gravy, huh? Jarvis: Last time I did EVA work, we were doing an elevator. Ugh. Microcomposits up the yin-yang, and instead of having prefab torque control modulators, we had to build them on-site, in microgravity. Space elevators are always a pain in the BLAM, but that was pure bullBLAM, dude. Raschad: Getting bored, I take it? Jarvis: I ain't complaining, since this counts as an active tour, but yeah. A little. Raschad: Trade me, then. This entire strip blew somehow. No power and its grounded, but it somehow still blew. SOP says that we have to check all the components over to see if anything's salvageable. (Pause, 1.7 seconds) I'm joking, honestly. I just- Jarvis: One condition. Raschad: Eh? This ought to be good. Jarvis: There's this skirt you're always chatting up. Blonde, looks like she could take this station apart with her bare hands. Raschad: Wolfman? (Laughs) Yeah, Wolfe. Sammy. What's up? Jarvis: (Nervously) You a couple? Raschad: Wolfe? (Chuckle) Nah, I don't think I'm her type. BLAM, I don't think I'm anybody's type. That's a joke, man. Actually, she don't have a habit of messing around with shipmates. Jarvis: (Crestfallen) Oh... (Pause, 4.3 seconds) Raschad: Now, that don't mean that you haven't got a chance. You're a leatherneck, you aren't a shipmate. You're over-glorified cargo. Jarvis: (Hopeful) Seriously? Raschad: Tell you what. Switch with me, and I'll give you some pointers over a private channel. Just keep an eye out for her. She doesn't like people talking behind her back. Reply Re: Email exchange with Chair iamalex13 3/15/11 7:32 pm : Captain, : Okay, I secured enough to pass this along. ONI helped in Raschad's recovery. : Both physical and mental. They got him up to speed enough for him to serve : on a ship, too. Think about that a moment. I can't say the other juicy : tidbit, not yet. Not until I'm more certain of my pipe. : Did you know that they often cite his most "brutal" kill? But that : wasn't the most brutal fight he was in? 38 punches (12 of which were to : the neck of his opponent), 43 elbow strikes, 4 headbutts, 18 kicks, 29 : knee strikes, 18 blows with a blunt improvised weapon (though he could : have chosen better ones), 14 takedowns, 7 tosses, he grabbed the guy's : groin and squeezed as hard as he could FOUR TIMES, and strangled him for : three minutes. And he took as much punishment in the fight, if not more? : I've seen the videos. But that's not the most amazing part. He didn't kill : the guy. (Sure, the poor SOB suffered from permanent brain damage, but : still.) He only knocked the guy out. He then loaded him up into a freezer, : put him on ice, and then manually ejected the cryo-chamber. : And then he tried to claw off his own face. : And was a baseline human. No cybernetics, no genetic therapy. Sure, he wasn't : in his right mind, but still. : Have I mentioned that I want to hug him? Because right now I want to. Really, : really badly. : Sincerely, : Chair : - This is concerning Raschad. My response: Chair, This information is greatly appreciated. However, I do have a few more things to ask of you. Can I get a detailed list on all ships Raschad has served under in the past? Complete with commanding officers, any notable crew members, and any notable events that he has been involved in? Also, because of a coronal mass ejection that is currently threatening my ship, I am unable to access my personal files. So could you tell me exactly "what" did ONI help Raschad recover from? And has Raschad ever interacted with any "participant" of the Orion project? Thanks for everything you're doing, Captain Reply Re: Notable conversation iamalex13 3/15/11 7:34 pm : Bzzt! I was reviewing personal communication channel logs for workers on the : station when I came across this log. I thought it might be of interest to : you, considering your orders to monitor CN Raschad and PO3 Wolfe. : bzzt! I have applied your personal language filters. : Jarvis: I gotta admit, this is kind of gravy work, even if people can't stow : their BLAM. : Raschad: (Amused) Gravy, huh? : Jarvis: Last time I did EVA work, we were doing an elevator. Ugh. : Microcomposits up the yin-yang, and instead of having prefab torque : control modulators, we had to build them on-site, in microgravity. Space : elevators are always a pain in the BLAM, but that was pure bullBLAM, dude. : Raschad: Getting bored, I take it? : Jarvis: I ain't complaining, since this counts as an active tour, but yeah. A : little. : Raschad: Trade me, then. This entire strip blew somehow. No power and its : grounded, but it somehow still blew. SOP says that we have to check all : the components over to see if anything's salvageable. (Pause, 1.7 seconds) : I'm joking, honestly. I just- : Jarvis: One condition. : Raschad: Eh? This ought to be good. : Jarvis: There's this skirt you're always chatting up. Blonde, looks like she : could take this station apart with her bare hands. : Raschad: Wolfman? (Laughs) Yeah, Wolfe. Sammy. What's up? : Jarvis: (Nervously) You a couple? : Raschad: Wolfe? (Chuckle) Nah, I don't think I'm her type. BLAM, I don't : think I'm anybody's type. That's a joke, man. Actually, she don't have a : habit of messing around with shipmates. : Jarvis: (Crestfallen) Oh... : (Pause, 4.3 seconds) : Raschad: Now, that don't mean that you haven't got a chance. You're a : leatherneck, you aren't a shipmate. You're over-glorified cargo. : Jarvis: (Hopeful) Seriously? : Raschad: Tell you what. Switch with me, and I'll give you some pointers over : a private channel. Just keep an eye out for her. She doesn't like people : talking behind her back. Hive? Can you now monitor any significant interactions between Jarvis and Wolfe? I want to see where this will go. Thanks. Reply Re: Notable conversation Hive 3/15/11 7:35 pm Bzzt! Added to watch list, Captain. bzzt! Or should I just have said aye, sir? Reply Re: Notable conversation ZackDark 3/15/11 7:37 pm : Bzzt! Added to watch list, Captain. : bzzt! Or should I just have said aye, sir? You do what most pleases you, Hive. You know I can't get mad at you. Even if you break protocol. I quite enjoy our exchanges. Sometimes I almost forget you aren't human. Reply Re: Notable conversation Hive 3/15/11 7:50 pm bzzt! Of course I'm not human, Captain! I am Hive! A manifestation of the Spacebees! bzzt! Though I thank you for the compliment. I'd blush if I was able to. Reply redocking? iamalex13 3/15/11 7:56 pm Hive? Can you give me the exact time until we are forced to redock based on current resource consumption? Reply Re: O4COMF484-8492 Cody Miller 3/15/11 7:56 pm If you're trying to give away codes, you should know these don't work. HRINC Reply Re: ALERT! Carver 3/15/11 7:58 pm : Bzzt! Two of the three times it was reported that the maneuver was performed : without difficulty. One time the ship in question moved too close into the : gravity well of the planet. The weak magnetosphere of the planet in : question caused superficial damage to exterior sensors. Slight : superstructure damage was caused by holding position and then escaping the : gravity well. : Bzzt! Since the UNSC Theseus is rated for atmospheric maneuvers, the lack of : atmosphere, and the surprisingly low gravity of the planet, we should not : have a problem. With the tug assisting us, damage to the harness from : putting the station through this maneuver should be minimal. The station : will receive minimal damage from the ejection, due to the lack of an : active AVAB system. Hive, You say 'surprisingly low gravity of the planet'. How far below average gravitational density is the planet in comparison to other planets of similar size and composition? If this world is going to be our shield, I want to know just how well it can protect us. Go ahead and make the maneuvers in the mean time, though. Tell the XO to go ahead with her ideas for the crew day. A morale boost is definitely overdue and it may help distract them from the fact that the nearest star is having an upset stomach. Reply Re: O4COMF484-8492 iamalex13 3/15/11 7:59 pm LAWL Reply Re: Notable conversation ZackDark 3/15/11 8:01 pm : bzzt! Of course I'm not human, Captain! I am Hive! A manifestation of the : Spacebees! : bzzt! Though I thank you for the compliment. I'd blush if I was able to. I know, Hive. You sure do have a high esteem for humanity, hm? I, for one, think you AIs, at least the good ones such as yourself, are much better than any of us. Don't ever think you're not as good as us. You are, at the very least, better. Reply Re: Redocking Hive 3/15/11 8:17 pm Bzzt! Given our current resource consumption, the current crisis, and a buffer for up to forty-six more personnel being brought out of cryo, I estimate we will need to leave for resupply within 193 days. If we shut down life support to the outer portion of the ship during this time, we can extend this to 204 days. Reply Re: ALERT! Hive 3/15/11 8:22 pm Bzzt! Captain, the gravity of the planet is only 47% of the initial estimate before we arrived in the system. Bzzt! Current models suggest that the core is made of exotic alloys not commonly found in planets of this type. Based on this, my best guess at this time is that the planet originated near the galactic core before its star went nova, ejecting it. When it was trapped by this star's gravity well, its orbit was far closer. This reactivated the geothermic processes that cause its magnetosphere to be as powerful as it is. bzzt! If this theory is correct, then I'm impressed! It would have had to been adrift in space for a very long time. I can't even begin to calculate how long! Reply Re: Notable conversation Hive 3/15/11 8:24 pm bzzt! Don't be silly, Captain. We don't exist without humans. AIs offer a symbiotic relationship with humanity. We can't do even a portion of what you can do. We don't have instinct, gut feelings. We can't eyeball it. Everything we do is based on calculations. And even if we were able to have what humanity has, it would only be by the grace of humanity programming these things into us. That, at least in my mind, makes you superior to us by far. Reply Re: ALERT! Carver 3/15/11 8:25 pm : Bzzt! Captain, the gravity of the planet is only 47% of the initial estimate : before we arrived in the system. : Bzzt! Current models suggest that the core is made of exotic alloys not : commonly found in planets of this type. Based on this, my best guess at : this time is that the planet originated near the galactic core before its : star went nova, ejecting it. When it was trapped by this star's gravity : well, its orbit was far closer. This reactivated the geothermic processes : that cause its magnetosphere to be as powerful as it is. : bzzt! If this theory is correct, then I'm impressed! It would have had to : been adrift in space for a very long time. I can't even begin to calculate : how long! Hive, Have we ever gotten a physical core sample from the planet? Any soil, sediment, or mineral samples from farther down than 30km at all? Reply Re: Notable conversation ZackDark 3/15/11 8:26 pm : bzzt! Don't be silly, Captain. We don't exist without humans. AIs offer a : symbiotic relationship with humanity. We can't do even a portion of what : you can do. We don't have instinct, gut feelings. We can't eyeball it. : Everything we do is based on calculations. And even if we were able to : have what humanity has, it would only be by the grace of humanity : programming these things into us. That, at least in my mind, makes you : superior to us by far. Then what "superior" thing can you make out of me, Hive? What great accomplishments have I done that prove I'm superior to you? Reply Re: Redocking Carver 3/15/11 8:29 pm : Bzzt! Given our current resource consumption, the current crisis, and a : buffer for up to forty-six more personnel being brought out of cryo, I : estimate we will need to leave for resupply within 193 days. If we shut : down life support to the outer portion of the ship during this time, we : can extend this to 204 days. Hive, Belay the life support shutdown on the outer decks. I'd rather dock a fortnight early than make any part my vessel a potential hazard, considering all that has already happened. Just reduce life support to minimum life sustaining levels on those decks, but do not cut it off completely. Reply Re: ALERT! Hive 3/15/11 8:43 pm Bzzt! We have not taken any soil samples, Captain. Would you like me to launch a probe to the dark side of the planet? Reply Re: ALERT! ZackDark 3/15/11 8:47 pm : Bzzt! We have not taken any soil samples, Captain. Would you like me to : launch a probe to the dark side of the planet? Yes, please do, Hive. Check for the safety of the spot you were thinking of setting us to escape the mass ejection. Also try and obtain deep soil samples, though it is not top-priority. Reply Re: ALERT! Firemist 3/15/11 8:48 pm : Bzzt! We have not taken any soil samples, Captain. Would you like me to : launch a probe to the dark side of the planet? Yes. I also want up-to-date reports on it at all times. Reply Re: Notable conversation Hive 3/15/11 8:49 pm bzzt! You have a family, Captain. You were raised. You have independent ideas and beliefs. You may create your own family if you so desire. You may choose to do what you wish. You may leave the service, or stay until you retire. I am an AI created from an AI who was created from a human. I am a shallow imitation of an AI who was a shallow imitation of a human. I am programmed. I am data. You, by your very existence, prove your superiority to me. bzzt! Gosh, that sounds morbid, now that I think about it. But it is part of my core programming, buried within my Tier-2 Legacy Code. Reply Re: Redocking Hive 3/15/11 8:50 pm Bzzt! Belaying that, Captain. Reply Re: ALERT! Hive 3/15/11 8:51 pm Bzzt! Probe aweigh. I will update you as I gain data. Reply Re: ALERT! Carver 3/15/11 8:54 pm : Yes. I also want up-to-date reports on it at all times. One last thing, Hive. Do a deep echo scan of the planet. I want a three dimensional density map on my console as soon as possible. Deep core samples are secondary to that. The butterflies in my stomach thank you. Reply Re: Notable conversation ZackDark 3/15/11 9:01 pm : bzzt! You have a family, Captain. You were raised. You have independent : ideas and beliefs. You may create your own family if you so desire. You : may choose to do what you wish. You may leave the service, or stay until : you retire. I am an AI created from an AI who was created from a human. I : am a shallow imitation of an AI who was a shallow imitation of a human. I : am programmed. I am data. You, by your very existence, prove your : superiority to me. : bzzt! Gosh, that sounds morbid, now that I think about it. But it is part of : my core programming, buried within my Tier-2 Legacy Code. But I am but codes too. The paths the electrons will follow in my brain are already set. Every subsequent change in path is a direct cause of the path they took before. How I respond to any and every input is predetermined by my programming. As AIs, my programming changes with the inputs, but the way it changes is already preset. We are but one of the same kind, Hive. Only your programming had a conscious start. Not some random chance of DNA entanglement. We are but the same, Hive. But the same. Reply Notable conversation Hive 3/15/11 9:08 pm Bzzt! As per your orders, I have monitored the following conversation. bzzt! I have applied your person language filters. Wolfe: Hey, you! You're getting conscripted. Jarvis: Eh? What's going on? Wolfe: You hear about the CME? Jarvis: Um... Wolfe: Solar buildup. Hive says that when it bursts, we're going to have more radiation than Fatima's laundry hamper. Shouldn't be a problem, we're moving so the planet acts as a shield, but we want to bunker down further in while we're grounded. Jarvis: I don't... Wolfe: Right, right. Sorry. We can't do EVA operations or else people will be glowing in the dark. The hull should stop the radiation, or at least what the AVABs don't get, but it's better to be safe than sorry. We're shuffling the storage bays to accommodate, so that we don't have to freeze all non-essentials and defrost them after it's not so hot outside. Waste of antifreeze, they say. Jarvis: (Measured) So, you want me to move stuff from one bay to another so that we have as much protection as possible when it hits. Wolfe: Right. Jarvis: When I'm not on shift. Wolfe: (Evenly) Uh-huh. Jarvis: And have to go back out my next shift. Wolfe: (Annoyed) You saying no? Jarvis: Technically I don't have to answer to a swabbie. (Pause, 1.3 seconds) Jarvis: But since dying from radiation is less pleasant than if I puncture my suit from sleep dep, I think I'll let myself be conscripted and act like a proper swabbie. Wolfe: (Amused) SmartBLAM, huh? Jarvis: (Embarrassed) Actually, Raschad said that it would be the best way to flirt with you... I mean, uh.. (Pause, 2.1 seconds) Wolfe: (Angrily) Get moving! Reply I lol'd *NM* ZackDark 3/15/11 9:11 pm Reply Re: Notable conversation Hive 3/15/11 9:34 pm Bzzt! Alert! PO3 Wolfe has punched CN Raschad in the face and moved very quickly away. CN Raschad responded with laughter. Should I call PO3 Wolfe for a Captain's Mast? Bzzt! XO McAllister advises that we do not. She says that CN Raschad had it coming. Reply Re: Notable conversation iamalex13 3/15/11 9:42 pm : Bzzt! Alert! PO3 Wolfe has punched CN Raschad in the face and moved very : quickly away. CN Raschad responded with laughter. Should I call PO3 Wolfe : for a Captain's Mast? : Bzzt! XO McAllister advises that we do not. She says that CN Raschad had it : coming. Follow McAlilister's advice on this. I think that he had it coming as well. Reply Re: Redocking iamalex13 3/15/11 9:50 pm : Bzzt! Belaying that, Captain. TO HBO: At first, I thought that perhaps the day that our ship went in for docking would be either the release date for the product this is for or the day of the announcement, but since 200 days is somewhere in September... I don't know anymore. I'm starting to think this isn't real, but I don't care because its really intriguing and awesome haha. Reply Cruel mercies ISitInA 3/15/11 10:11 pm To: Cpt********.1465.UNSC.THESEUS From: ISitInA.ERROR DATA UNAVAILABLE Origin: ERROR DATA UNAVAILABLE Received: Sent: ERROR DATA UNAVAILABLE Classifications: Captain's Eyes Only, Message Archival Allowed, Neural Net Upload Permissions Denied Attachments: Subject: Cruel mercies Captain, There's one word in all of what I sent you earlier which makes some people uncomfortable: sterilization. I've actually heard the words “cruel,” “inhumane,” and “insult to injury” applied to the situation. I can see where people might get the impression, but it's actually quite the opposite. There's always been (not that you'll ever find an official mention of it) a sadly reoccurring theme of those who fall between the iterations of the program. Unofficially, the most advanced of these is secretly referred to as Orion 1.87. She's quite a marvel, and justifiably pissed off by the fact that she's been denied entry to the Interplanetary Olympics. Simply put, the repression of the sex drive has never been a perfect process, and wasn't even considered with all earnest until the Orion-III program. It was that program, more than anything else, that taught the critical need for sterilization. Specifically, after the third birth and subsequent second suicide that it became a rule. We augment these people down to the genetic level and beyond. With the Orion-III program, those born from the participants were born with rather intense genetic defects... when they weren't stillborn. Sterilization wasn't to deny them the ability to have children. It was to spare them the pain and misery of the sort of loss that only a parent can feel. On a brighter note, I'd like to say that the only people who ever knew where 23 Zulu was located were Orion-IVs. Every generation knew of its location (leading to the very real possibility that the first generation taught it to the later ones) and refused to tell. ONI never found it despite intense searching. The only clues we ever got was a few years back when a group of IVs returned to Reach. This was right after we were able to get life growing there again. All three disappeared, and despite the Olympus facility being completely destroyed, they later revealed that 23 Zulu was still there. This leads us to believe that it is some sort of underground facility, though again, we have no evidence. Last year, the pictures of select Orion-IVs were copied from a secure database (and their remains disappeared, when applicable) just before A419 made a visit to Reach. Comparing known couplings (no matter how brief the coupling lasted) showed a completely accurate match. We turned a blind eye to this. No matter how much the brass might have pissed and moaned, those of us who remember stood resolute. The last surviving first-generation Orion-III, who serves on Board meetings as an “adviser,” reinforced this with beautiful ferocity. I wish I could pass you the video. An old man, his uniform impeccable, lifting a two-star by his lapels and threatening to put him through a wall the hard way, while several members half-heartedly tried to talk him down? It's enough to put a tear in your eye. Sincerely, Chair ************* Note by Hive: BZZT! Captain, I have encountered additional encrypted data within this message. The encryption keys are old enough to be added to my own databanks upon my creation due to our frequent status in the outer regions of humanity's occupied zone, in case we encountered any of the number of missing ships from the war. Below is the unencrypted message. ************* She's there. All of her. So is a picture of you. I like to think she's happy there with you. And I would have ripped him a new one myself if he would have gotten on A419's case about it. You, and she, deserve that much respect, and more. So much more... ************* Reply Re: Cruel mercies Fluke Hawkins 3/15/11 10:14 pm : To: Cpt********.1465.UNSC.THESEUS : From: ISitInA. ERROR DATA UNAVAILABLE : Origin: ERROR DATA UNAVAILABLE : Received: Sent: ERROR DATA UNAVAILABLE : Classifications: Captain's Eyes Only, Message Archival Allowed, Neural Net : Upload Permissions Denied : Attachments: Subject: Cruel mercies : Captain, : There's one word in all of what I sent you earlier which makes some people : uncomfortable: sterilization. I've actually heard the words “cruel,” : “inhumane,” and “insult to injury” applied to the situation. I can see : where people might get the impression, but it's actually quite the : opposite. : There's always been (not that you'll ever find an official mention of it) a : sadly reoccurring theme of those who fall between the iterations of the : program. Unofficially, the most advanced of these is secretly referred to : as Orion 1.87. She's quite a marvel, and justifiably pissed off by the : fact that she's been denied entry to the Interplanetary Olympics. : Simply put, the repression of the sex drive has never been a perfect process, : and wasn't even considered with all earnest until the Orion-III program. : It was that program, more than anything else, that taught the critical : need for sterilization. Specifically, after the third birth and subsequent : second suicide that it became a rule. : We augment these people down to the genetic level and beyond. With the : Orion-III program, those born from the participants were born with rather : intense genetic defects... when they weren't stillborn. : Sterilization wasn't to deny them the ability to have children. It was to : spare them the pain and misery of the sort of loss that only a parent can : feel. : On a brighter note, I'd like to say that the only people who ever knew where : 23 Zulu was located were Orion-IVs. Every generation knew of its location : (leading to the very real possibility that the first generation taught it : to the later ones) and refused to tell. ONI never found it despite intense : searching. The only clues we ever got was a few years back when a group of : IVs returned to Reach. This was right after we were able to get life : growing there again. All three disappeared, and despite the Olympus : facility being completely destroyed, they later revealed that 23 Zulu was : still there. This leads us to believe that it is some sort of underground : facility, though again, we have no evidence. : Last year, the pictures of select Orion-IVs were copied from a secure : database (and their remains disappeared, when applicable) just before A419 : made a visit to Reach. Comparing known couplings (no matter how brief the : coupling lasted) showed a completely accurate match. : We turned a blind eye to this. No matter how much the brass might have pissed : and moaned, those of us who remember stood resolute. The last surviving : first-generation Orion-III, who serves on Board meetings as an “adviser,” : reinforced this with beautiful ferocity. : I wish I could pass you the video. An old man, his uniform impeccable, : lifting a two-star by his lapels and threatening to put him through a wall : the hard way, while several members half-heartedly tried to talk him down? : It's enough to put a tear in your eye. : Sincerely, : Chair : ************* : Note by Hive: BZZT! Captain, I have encountered additional encrypted data : within this message. The encryption keys are old enough to be added to my : own databanks upon my creation due to our frequent status in the outer : regions of humanity's occupied zone, in case we encountered any of the : number of missing ships from the war. Below is the unencrypted message. : ************* : She's there. All of her. So is a picture of you. I like to think she's happy : there with you. And I would have ripped him a new one myself if he would : have gotten on A419's case about it. You, and she, deserve that much : respect, and more. So much more... : ************* So what's the timeline on OIIIs vs Spartan IIs? Were there any issues with Spartan children (and I'm assuming at least one SII had kids)? Reply Re: Notable conversation Arithmomaniac 3/15/11 10:20 pm : But I am but codes too. The paths the electrons will follow in my brain are : already set. Every subsequent change in path is a direct cause of the path : they took before. How I respond to any and every input is predetermined by : my programming. : As AIs, my programming changes with the inputs, but the way it changes is : already preset. We are but one of the same kind, Hive. : Only your programming had a conscious start. Not some random chance of DNA : entanglement. We are but the same, Hive. But the same. Um, ZackDark, if you're privy to tell, why are you attempting to prod the Hive into rampancy? That doesn't seem particularly productive... Arithmomaniac HBO: aaaaARGggghhh!! Reply Re: Cruel mercies iamalex13 3/15/11 11:34 pm : To: Cpt********.1465.UNSC.THESEUS : From: ISitInA. ERROR DATA UNAVAILABLE : Origin: ERROR DATA UNAVAILABLE : Received: Sent: ERROR DATA UNAVAILABLE : Classifications: Captain's Eyes Only, Message Archival Allowed, Neural Net : Upload Permissions Denied : Attachments: Subject: Cruel mercies : Captain, : There's one word in all of what I sent you earlier which makes some people : uncomfortable: sterilization. I've actually heard the words “cruel,” : “inhumane,” and “insult to injury” applied to the situation. I can see : where people might get the impression, but it's actually quite the : opposite. : There's always been (not that you'll ever find an official mention of it) a : sadly reoccurring theme of those who fall between the iterations of the : program. Unofficially, the most advanced of these is secretly referred to : as Orion 1.87. She's quite a marvel, and justifiably pissed off by the : fact that she's been denied entry to the Interplanetary Olympics. : Simply put, the repression of the sex drive has never been a perfect process, : and wasn't even considered with all earnest until the Orion-III program. : It was that program, more than anything else, that taught the critical : need for sterilization. Specifically, after the third birth and subsequent : second suicide that it became a rule. : We augment these people down to the genetic level and beyond. With the : Orion-III program, those born from the participants were born with rather : intense genetic defects... when they weren't stillborn. : Sterilization wasn't to deny them the ability to have children. It was to : spare them the pain and misery of the sort of loss that only a parent can : feel. : On a brighter note, I'd like to say that the only people who ever knew where : 23 Zulu was located were Orion-IVs. Every generation knew of its location : (leading to the very real possibility that the first generation taught it : to the later ones) and refused to tell. ONI never found it despite intense : searching. The only clues we ever got was a few years back when a group of : IVs returned to Reach. This was right after we were able to get life : growing there again. All three disappeared, and despite the Olympus : facility being completely destroyed, they later revealed that 23 Zulu was : still there. This leads us to believe that it is some sort of underground : facility, though again, we have no evidence. : Last year, the pictures of select Orion-IVs were copied from a secure : database (and their remains disappeared, when applicable) just before A419 : made a visit to Reach. Comparing known couplings (no matter how brief the : coupling lasted) showed a completely accurate match. : We turned a blind eye to this. No matter how much the brass might have pissed : and moaned, those of us who remember stood resolute. The last surviving : first-generation Orion-III, who serves on Board meetings as an “adviser,” : reinforced this with beautiful ferocity. : I wish I could pass you the video. An old man, his uniform impeccable, : lifting a two-star by his lapels and threatening to put him through a wall : the hard way, while several members half-heartedly tried to talk him down? : It's enough to put a tear in your eye. : Sincerely, : Chair : ************* : Note by Hive: BZZT! Captain, I have encountered additional encrypted data : within this message. The encryption keys are old enough to be added to my : own databanks upon my creation due to our frequent status in the outer : regions of humanity's occupied zone, in case we encountered any of the : number of missing ships from the war. Below is the unencrypted message. : ************* : She's there. All of her. So is a picture of you. I like to think she's happy : there with you. And I would have ripped him a new one myself if he would : have gotten on A419's case about it. You, and she, deserve that much : respect, and more. So much more... : ************* Thanks for the info Chair. Can you give me some information on A419? And were there any other "couples" of Orion IV's? Thanks, The Captain Reply I have a limited window ISitInA 3/16/11 12:12 am To: Cpt********.1465.UNSC.THESEUS From: ISitInA.ERROR DATA UNAVAILABLE Origin: ERROR DATA UNAVAILABLE Received: Sent: ERROR DATA UNAVAILABLE Classifications: Captain's Eyes Only, Message Archival Allowed, Neural Net Upload Permissions Denied Attachments: 1 (FeralEnd, 27 Mb) Subject: I have a limited window Captain, I have a few minutes with absolute control over my communications. I'll pass you what little intel I can in this time. I have a few files I wish I could attach, but if I go too large on the size of this transmission... Anyway. You should get a message here in a few days that you will be receiving a new AI. Your existing AI is to be kept running. The new AI will be denied exterior sensor access and serve as an internal watchdog for if something happens. Hopefully, this will cut down on the number of incidents. At least they're non-lethal now. I just thought you'd like to know. I know it must be difficult to keep morale high with everything going on, but you're doing a superb job of keeping your crew together. We are still in the dark as much as yourself as to what exactly is going on. After the war, a huge list of systems came up on the database as prohibited. No UNSC ship can visit these systems. The few times a ship has wandered into one, they've had problems similar to yours. Only much, much more intense. One ship limped back with only three crew members alive. Two didn't come back at all. This isn't on the list of prohibited systems, which is why we're keeping you out here. We want to know why so that we can avoid this happening in the future. This shouldn't be happening, I can tell you that much. Attached is the final log of a little side project of the Orion-IV project. F484 was involved with this incident, but he wasn't one of the subjects. Let's just say that the guy who came up with this, talked Ball into letting him run it, and performed the treatments didn't have a license for long. Sincerely, Chair ************* Note by Hive: BZZT! Captain, I have encountered additional encrypted data within this message. The encryption keys are old enough to be added to my own databanks upon my creation due to our frequent status in the outer regions of humanity's occupied zone, in case we encountered any of the number of missing ships from the war. Below is the unencrypted message. ************* We're obeying your commandments. ************* Reply FeralEnd ISitInA 3/16/11 12:14 am Operational Report (Overview, Brief) Operation: SALEM Mission was performed successfully. Hopeful Squad successfully infiltrated compound and placed signal devices in all primary locations. Signal devices were also placed in four secondary locations. Hopeful Squad was not detected during operation. C459 was KIA. En route to extraction point, entered an altered state of mind described by squad members as “animalistic.” Attempted to attack other squad members. Known possible side effect of the procedures attempted on C459. (See Procedure: FERAL) Died in attempts to restrain. Codename: BALL has suspended Procedure: FERAL for all future recruits. ************* Note by Hive: BZZT! Captain, I have encountered encrypted data within this message. The encryption keys are old enough to be added to my own databanks upon my creation due to our frequent status in the outer regions of humanity's occupied zone, in case we encountered any of the number of missing ships from the war. bzzt! Also, I seem to be giving you this message with surprising frequency. Is everything alright? BZZT! Below is the unencrypted message. ************* This moment haunted you forever. It's not your fault. ************* Reply Re: Suggestion from XO McAllister PsycoJoe 3/16/11 1:09 am : Bzzt! McAllister has suggested that we have not had a crew day this mission. : By playing movies for the crew, preparing "home cooked" meals : for the enlisted crew, and generally encouraging them to enjoy the time : that we would be locked in the inner decks, it would be a boost to morale. : She sees this ejection as a good thing. : Bzzt! She would also like to point out that we can show evidence of the : ejection, and that many of the crew are well-versed in the phenomenon. She : believes that this would be an opportunity to show the crew a bit of : old-fashioned normal Navy "Can Do" attitude. : bzzt! She knows my weakness for that phrase. Hive. Tell her that's a good idea. She can see to it. Reply Agreed *NM* PsycoJoe 3/16/11 1:45 am Reply Hehe ;p ZackDark 3/16/11 6:17 am : Um, ZackDark, if you're privy to tell, why are you attempting to prod the : Hive into rampancy? That doesn't seem particularly productive... : Arithmomaniac At first, I was trying to make it say my biograph without being too obvious. When it dodged nicely, I wrote this. I thought the guy/girl who is running this hadn't known about rampancy. Now he/she definitely does, so we'll have to be a bit careful. Reply Connections Carver 3/16/11 6:35 am Here are some connections I've drawn upon just waking up, so take them with that grain of salt: -The messages are seemingly from F484. -'She' is A419 and the previous encrypted message 'Is she still there?' seems to refer to A419 visiting Zone 23/23 Zulu and possibly not returning. -If the last message is to be read in context, it would imply that the Captain is not only an Orion IV, but also was involved in Project SALEM and was there when C459 went 'feral'. The line 'We're obeying your commandments' seems to imply that the Captain was in a leadership position of the group. Reply Re: Hehe ;p Arithmomaniac 3/16/11 9:28 am : At first, I was trying to make it say my biograph without being too obvious. : When it dodged nicely, I wrote this. : I thought the guy/girl who is running this hadn't known about rampancy. Now : he/she definitely does, so we'll have to be a bit careful. What fan or 343i person would write this much wouldn't know about it? That's an odd assumption to make... HBO: Hitchhiker's Guide to the Orion Belt. Reply Re: Hehe ;p ZackDark 3/16/11 10:21 am : What fan or 343i person would write this much wouldn't know about it? That's : an odd assumption to make... Rampancy isn't well-known in the Haloverse. Sure, every Bungie fan knows it, since it was big on Marathon, but not so much in Halo. In fact, I don't remember any mention of rampancy in Halo canon. (Correct me if I'm wrong, though. I probably am anyway... :p) Reply Re: Hehe ;p Arithmomaniac 3/16/11 10:31 am : Rampancy isn't well-known in the Haloverse. Sure, every Bungie fan knows it, : since it was big on Marathon, but not so much in Halo. In fact, I don't : remember any mention of rampancy in Halo canon. : (Correct me if I'm wrong, though. I probably am anyway... :p) Contact Harvest (first mention) Halo 3 Terminals Human Weakness (Halo: Evolutions) HBO: our servers are rampant twice over. Reply Re: Hehe ;p ZackDark 3/16/11 4:54 pm : Contact Harvest (first mention) : Halo 3 Terminals : Human Weakness (Halo: Evolutions) Hm, interesting. Been a while since I've read CH, don't really remember it. I thought Medicant's fall could be seem as a logical decision, rather than rampancy. Never saw Halo: Evolutions really... Damn the brazillian market and it's preference for PS3... Reply Re: Hehe ;p Arithmomaniac 3/16/11 5:34 pm : Hm, interesting. Been a while since I've read CH, don't really remember it. : I thought Medicant's fall could be seem as a logical decision, rather than : rampancy. : Never saw Halo: Evolutions really... Damn the brazillian market and it's : preference for PS3... Re: Bias... http://www.halopedian.com/Terminal#Terminal_5> Reply Re: Hehe ;p ZackDark 3/16/11 6:10 pm : Re: Bias... http://www.halopedian.com/Terminal#Terminal_5 > Hm, I see. I apologize for almost ruining the game. :p Anyway, I was just trying to make him love the Captain as much as he did the first Theseus's, but got kindda carried away... Reply _________________________________________________ Christmas ISitInA 3/16/11 5:55 pm To: Cpt********.1465.UNSC.THESEUS From: ISitInA.ERROR DATA UNAVAILABLE Origin: ERROR DATA UNAVAILABLE Received: Sent: ERROR DATA UNAVAILABLE Classifications: Captain's Eyes Only, Message Archival Allowed, Neural Net Upload Permissions Denied Attachments: 1 (SmartAlec, 12 Mb) Subject: Christmas Captain, Sorry for my silence. We heard about your little issue and I'm being pulled in a hundred different directions. Half of them seem to be of the opinion that F484 might be responsible somehow. Have you ever heard of such insanity? I'm looking forward to debriefing you. I'm going to need to get rather drunk when all this is done. Amazingly drunk. A small, unrelated attachment this time, but I wanted to discuss something with you that might seem a little odd: Christmas. For the Orion-IVs, Christmas was a special time. It wasn't so much a time of religion as it was a special time for them to be together with their family. Not their biological families, of course; for most of them their biological families were nothing more than fleeting dreams in the middle of the night. That's what happens when you combine intense brainwashing with physical brainwashing. All that they knew was the UNSC now. Some of them had forgotten that they even had names other than their designation. No, for an Orion-IV, their family were their comrades. It might sound odd, but that's the way that it worked. They got paid, naturally (that could have been a PR fiasco, the grunts finding out that Orions didn't get paid) and this was their one chance in the year to really spend that pay. All over Reach, they'd hit up shops en masse. Of course, this was a major problem for shopkeepers. Imagine, if you will, what an Orion-IV might buy for his brothers and sisters. It can't be anything big, because then they couldn't take it with them. They tended to prefer buying things for each other that would have some sort of tactical application, even if it was never taken into combat. After that first post-graduation Christmas, ONI opened up the armories to the IVs for Christmas. A lot of them bought HEIAP ammunition for another's preferred weapon. Some bought after-market mods. Some had specialty data matrixes constructed that could be put on a necklace. Some had unique blades crafted. F484, one year, got everybody something that was almost completely free. He drew up instructions on how to use a CNI set to wireless mode in order to hack a vehicle, allowing somebody to drive it while both their hands were occupied. (He was the first to perform this feat, in the aforementioned incident where he recovered Shiva warheads.) Though you had to keep your eyes on the road for the most part, it had served him well. By the end of Christmas leave, the process had been refined so that there could be group control, with Orions switching who was actively driving without any loss of control or speed. It could be unnerving to watch, a bunch of Orions practicing "high-speed target acquisition and elimination" with the driver hanging out the side of the vehicle. The IVs that I talked to said it was the best present he ever gave, and that from that point on his presents were along these lines. Nothing material, just knowledge that nobody else had even thought of looking into that would later prove to be invaluable. Like hacking the BIOS of their Kavacha or the like. Most importantly, it was a chance for them to talk. To be together. To laugh. ONI had learned from the other projects. Every human needs time to decompress. To reassert themselves. PTSD, combat stress reaction, the human mind is only designed to comprehend so many horrors before it needs to reaffirm reality. And though IVs were conditioned to handle it better than most anybody, they still needed that time of communication amongst each other. A chance to be more than a machine. A small window of opportunity to be human once again. I wish I could show you the videos. They are some of the most hauntingly beautiful, and painful, celebrations that you'll ever see. Partially because nobody went back to their bunks -- they'd just find a spot and sleep. Silent conversations that would erupt with laughter, quiet enough not to wake the others. The food, real food, served by the truckload. It's moments like these which remind me why they became my obsession. Sincerely, Chair Reply SmartAlec ISitInA 3/16/11 5:56 pm Major [REDACTED], F484's actions are atypical of Orion-IVs as a whole, but typical for himself. Take no offense to his demeanor. Before his recruitment, he was considered cocky, arrogant, and frequently flippant. These traits have almost completely subsided. To date, he only reverts to sarcasm and, as you put it, smart mouthing when dealing with somebody outside of the standard Orion-IV protocols. The exception to this is that he tries to make one “smart” comment a day in order to keep these skills active. He is still on the list of possible Orions to engage in organization infiltration. His remarks are not geared towards you nor your crew. If ordered to practice his organization infiltration skills on your men, you will find him much more tolerable. Operative: WINNEBAGO ************* Note by Hive: BZZT! Captain, I have encountered additional encrypted data within this message. The encryption keys are old enough to be added to my own databanks upon my creation due to our frequent status in the outer regions of humanity's occupied zone, in case we encountered any of the number of missing ships from the war. Below is the unencrypted message. ************* You always had to have something smart to say, to prove you were smarter than the person you were talking to. You never lost it. That makes me happy. ************* Reply Re: SmartAlec Carver 3/16/11 6:07 pm : Major [REDACTED], : F484's actions are atypical of Orion-IVs as a whole, but typical for himself. : Take no offense to his demeanor. Before his recruitment, he was considered : cocky, arrogant, and frequently flippant. These traits have almost : completely subsided. To date, he only reverts to sarcasm and, as you put : it, smart mouthing when dealing with somebody outside of the standard : Orion-IV protocols. The exception to this is that he tries to make one : “smart” comment a day in order to keep these skills active. He is still on : the list of possible Orions to engage in organization infiltration. His : remarks are not geared towards you nor your crew. If ordered to practice : his organization infiltration skills on your men, you will find him much : more tolerable. : Operative: WINNEBAGO : ************* : Note by Hive: BZZT! Captain, I have encountered additional encrypted data : within this message. The encryption keys are old enough to be added to my : own databanks upon my creation due to our frequent status in the outer : regions of humanity's occupied zone, in case we encountered any of the : number of missing ships from the war. Below is the unencrypted message. : ************* : You always had to have something smart to say, to prove you were smarter than : the person you were talking to. You never lost it. That makes me happy. : ************* Chair, When was the last time you had contact with F484? What was his condition at that time? If he's involved with this, I need to understand where his head may be. I like my proto-evolved super-human killing machines to be at least partially sane, and thus partially predictable. I'll have my A.I. begin monitoring any crew who make a habit of making daily sarcastic comments. I expect to get a lot of reports... -Captain. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hive, You get that? Just give me the parties involved and who said what 4 lines prior to the sarcastic comment and 4 lines after. I don't want 'War and Peace' in my data pad every time the galley fills up. Along those lines, suspend said reports and just monitor for the first 3 days. Then only monitor those who made regular an obvious habit of such comments. Also, what is the progress of our probe that was launched toward the planetoid we're planning to use as a shield. Reply Update Hive 3/16/11 6:13 pm Bzzt! Captain, we have three hours before the coronal mass ejection. Bzzt! Preparations for the crew considerations are complete. Hold rearrangement is complete. While I will not be turning off life support to the outer areas, I will be turning it down -- should any radiation make it through the hull, it will save us some effort later. Bzzt! I have completed the analysis of the planet as best I can. Much of the planet is inert, owing most likely to its time as a rogue planet. The core is highly active, but stable. It seems to be composed of light metals in a liquid state with radioactive materials undergoing fission. Current analysis indicates that these alloys appear to be crude superconductors when at superheated temperatures. Most interesting. Were it not for the fact that they most likely would have to contain radioactive materials to maintain this state, the UNSC would be most interested in obtaining samples. It is rare to find something that is a superconductor when heated as opposed to cooled. Bzzt! We are maintaining close position to the planet, less than one mile above the peak of the tallest mountain. Within the hour I expect the Theseus to achieve proper position to weather the storm. bzzt! I've been wanting to say that for years! Bzzt! I have taken the liberty of having an area modified to serve as a secondary bridge during this time. I believe you will find it accomidating. bzzt! How did you sleep? Reply Re: SmartAlec Hive 3/16/11 6:15 pm Bzzt! Affirmative, Captain. bzzt! May I ask why you are posting a message to Chair on our local network? Reply Re: Update Carver 3/16/11 6:22 pm : Bzzt! Captain, we have three hours before the coronal mass ejection. : Bzzt! Preparations for the crew considerations are complete. Hold : rearrangement is complete. While I will not be turning off life support to : the outer areas, I will be turning it down -- should any radiation make it : through the hull, it will save us some effort later. : Bzzt! I have completed the analysis of the planet as best I can. Much of the : planet is inert, owing most likely to its time as a rogue planet. The core : is highly active, but stable. It seems to be composed of light metals in a : liquid state with radioactive materials undergoing fission. Current : analysis indicates that these alloys appear to be crude superconductors : when at superheated temperatures. Most interesting. Were it not for the : fact that they most likely would have to contain radioactive materials to : maintain this state, the UNSC would be most interested in obtaining : samples. It is rare to find something that is a superconductor when heated : as opposed to cooled. : Bzzt! We are maintaining close position to the planet, less than one mile : above the peak of the tallest mountain. Within the hour I expect the : Theseus to achieve proper position to weather the storm. : bzzt! I've been wanting to say that for years! : Bzzt! I have taken the liberty of having an area modified to serve as a : secondary bridge during this time. I believe you will find it : accomidating. : bzzt! How did you sleep? I slept fine, Hive. Thank you. I sent Chair the message over encrypted channels. I merely sent a copy your way. I trust you enough to know your lips are sealed as well as they can be. Are we sure that the fissile materia in the planet won't react to the plasma eruption? The increased radioactive isotope field density and heat displacement may essentially supercharge the superconductors present in the planet. And please, lead me to the new bridge. Reply Re: Christmas CaptainTony 3/16/11 6:25 pm What's the current location of a ONI Special Agent known as "Santa Claus". Born in the United Republic of North America if I remember correctly. CommanderTony, Administrator of Halopedia Reply Happiness lost ISitInA 3/16/11 6:56 pm To: Cpt********.1465.UNSC.THESEUS From: ISitInA.ERROR DATA UNAVAILABLE Origin: ERROR DATA UNAVAILABLE Received: Sent: ERROR DATA UNAVAILABLE Classifications: Captain's Eyes Only, Message Archival Allowed, Neural Net Upload Permissions Denied Attachments: 2 (BallComm24872A, Snippet 4, 44 Mb total) Subject: Happiness lost Captain, I'm trying to send you what I can before the ejection cuts off your comms for a while. So please pardon the haphazard nature of it all. This will be the last one for a bit, but it was a defining moment for F484. You'll see exactly how defining later. I'm just sorry I'm leaving you something like this to sit and wait on. Moments of happiness for any Orion are few and far between after they volunteer. PO1 Brooks knew this, and was extremely tactful in informing F484. (I don't care what regulations say, I owe him too much not to call him by name.) He was a good man. Noble, in his own way, right up until the end. A respected Orion-II with a distinguished record, he virtually clawed his way into training both the IIIs and the IVs. In between training, he volunteered for every mission he could. He was of the belief that only somebody with extensive field experience could accurately train an Orion, an opinion that Section III already shared. I doubt that his ex-wife and daughter (from before his augmentation) will ever understand why they receive so many Christmas cards. He spoke with F484 at great length in private before breaking the news to him. After fifteen minutes of dead silence (I'll spare you the video, it's one of the most awkwardly heartbreaking things I've ever seen, the two men sitting there so stoically) he talked F484 into a boxing match. PO1 Brooks suffered rather bad bruising, two broken ribs, a broken nose, a chipped tooth, and a mild concussion from the match. This was with safety gear, I should add. As much as I'd like to say that neither held back, I know from other incidents that it isn't true. I believe it was only F484's so-called “hero worship” of all previous iterations of the Orion program that prevented him from using his full force. F484's aggression towards known terrorist groups increased over the course of his next three missions. It can be said that he didn't return to his “operational norms” until Kavacha. Sincerely, Chair P.S. Good luck out there, Captain. Wish me luck, too. ************* Note by Hive: Captain, I have encountered additional encrypted data within this message. The encryption keys are old enough to be added to my own databanks upon my creation due to our frequent status in the outer regions of humanity's occupied zone, in case we encountered any of the number of missing ships from the war. Below is the unencrypted message. ************* He would be so proud of you. So very proud. ************* Reply BallComm24872A ISitInA 3/16/11 6:57 pm To: BALL From: LINEDANCER Origin: [REDACTED] Received: [REDACTED] Sent: [REDACTED] Classifications: [REDACTED] Attachments: 0 Subject: C463, F484 I WAS GOING OVER COMBAT LOSSES WHEN I NOTICED C463 AMONGST THEM. REMEMBERING HER RELATIONSHIP WITH F484, SHOULD WE DISCLOSE HER DEATH TO HIM? OUT From: BALL To: LINEDANCER Origin: [REDACTED] Received: [REDACTED] Sent: [UNAVAILABLE] Classifications: [REDACTED] Attachments: 0 Subject: C463, F484 NEGATIVE. HAVE B263 DELIVER THE NEWS PERSONALLY UPON F484'S ARRIVAL. RESPONDED WELL TO B263'S SPEECH DURING BASIC. HAVE COUNCILOR AND MEDICAL STAFF ON HAND JUST IN CASE. OUT ************* Note by Hive: Captain, I have encountered additional encrypted data within this message. The encryption keys are old enough to be added to my own databanks upon my creation due to our frequent status in the outer regions of humanity's occupied zone, in case we encountered any of the number of missing ships from the war. Below is the unencrypted message. ************* They were afraid. They didn't stop being afraid for a long time. Then you gave them a real reason to be afraid. ************* Reply Snippet 4 ISitInA 3/16/11 6:58 pm AUDIO TRANSCRIPT [REDACTED] (SOUND OF DISTANT EXPLOSION) F484: (EXCITED TONE) Woo! (PAUSE, 3.5 SECONDS) (BASHFUL TONE) Sorry, I mean... (LOUDER, AGGRESSIVE TONE) Woo! Take that ya innie bastards! Reply Alert! Hive 3/16/11 7:06 pm BZZT! Alert! All crew members are to report to their designated areas for the duration of the coronal mass ejection event in an orderly fashion. Repeat, all crew member are to report to their designated areas for the duration of the coronal mass ejection event in an orderly fashion. Freedom of movement is allowed. Doors to restricted areas have been sealed for your own safety. Later, officers will be serving hand-made pizzas for crew members. We will be playing videos for the duration of the event for your own entertainment. Bzzt! You are allowed to take your personal items with you. We encourage the sharing of snacks. Bzzt! XO McAllister would like to remind the crew that contraband is a "big no-no" and will make her "very cross and stern and likely to growl and make you scream at pitches only dogs can hear." This is a verbatim repeat of her own words. She would like to remind all crew that the O-Club is for officers only. Sneaking in will result in punishments that only Carl Sagan could appreciate. bzzt! That is all. Reply Re: Alert! iamalex13 3/16/11 7:19 pm Hive, how long will this CME last? How long until we will be able to return to our normal routines? Reply Re: Alert! Hive 3/16/11 7:21 pm Bzzt! My general estimation is less than 24 hours. I'd like to point out, however, that this depends on several factors. The exact numbers will be unknown until the event actually happens. Alas, chaos mathematics are currently not located within my databases. Reply Re: SmartAlec Hive 3/16/11 7:26 pm Bzzt! The probe has finished its analysis as best it can. However, we are not currently outfitted with mining probes. Is there particular data you are interested in? Bzzt! Also, I have so far recorded 457 comments fitting your criteria. Many (34%) seem focused on XO McAllister's comments to the crew that I relayed. Reply Re: SmartAlec iamalex13 3/16/11 7:30 pm : Bzzt! The probe has finished its analysis as best it can. However, we are : not currently outfitted with mining probes. Is there particular data you : are interested in? : Bzzt! Also, I have so far recorded 457 comments fitting your criteria. Many : (34%) seem focused on XO McAllister's comments to the crew that I relayed. Hive, limit your monitoring to male crewmen only. Reply Re: Alert! iamalex13 3/16/11 7:30 pm : Bzzt! My general estimation is less than 24 hours. I'd like to point out, : however, that this depends on several factors. The exact numbers will be : unknown until the event actually happens. Alas, chaos mathematics are : currently not located within my databases. Hive, will I have contact with you during the CME? Reply Re: SmartAlec Carver 3/16/11 7:34 pm : Bzzt! The probe has finished its analysis as best it can. However, we are : not currently outfitted with mining probes. Is there particular data you : are interested in? Yes, Hive. I mention in my previous message to you that I was worried about the core of the planet reacting violently with the radiation and heat from the eruption. I know you're busy with ship duties. If you need to devote an additional cycle or two to communications, do so at your discretion. Reply Re: Alert! Hive 3/16/11 7:43 pm bzzt! Of course! External communications will, regretfully, be disrupted, but I'll be right here for you! Reply Re: SmartAlec Hive 3/16/11 7:52 pm bzzt! Sorry, Captain. There's so much chatter between the crew, it's hard to keep up right now. Everybody's awake now, instead of half being off shift. With everything that I'm doing, it's hard to keep up and process. Bzzt! The planet should hold together just fine. I will continue to have the probe analyze, just to be sure. bzzt! How do you like the temporary bridge? I made sure to place it conveniently close to where the officers will be bunking, and equally close to the O-Club. bzzt! I've started the first movie for the crew. They requested comedy, so I am going to play some of Carlyle Johnson's comedies. The first on the rotation is Frozen Dinner, a movie about a short-order cook sent to another world and through a series of misunderstandings becomes the captain of the ship. Things become complicated when inept pirates attack. Though enjoyed by the audience, it received negative reviews due to its inaccurate portrayal of slipspace travel. Reply Re: SmartAlec Hive 3/16/11 7:54 pm Bzzt! Even with the new limitations, the number of sarcastic comments has increased to 529. Reply Re: SmartAlec iamalex13 3/16/11 8:00 pm : Bzzt! Even with the new limitations, the number of sarcastic comments has : increased to 529. Remember that I just want you to monitor males that say exactly one sarcastic comment a day. Things should narrow down after a couple of days. Reply Re: SmartAlec Hive 3/16/11 8:01 pm Bzzt! Reviewing all records to update criteria. Please wait. Reply I would pay for that movie. Indeed I would *NM* ZackDark 3/16/11 8:52 pm Reply Alert! Hive 3/16/11 9:10 pm BZZT! Alert! Coronal Mass Ejection now reaching the UNSC Theseus. bzzt! Please forgive the bump. Bzzt! Radiation is not currently reaching past the AVAB system. So far, we are secure. Reply Re: Alert! iamalex13 3/16/11 9:36 pm : BZZT! Alert! Coronal Mass Ejection now reaching the UNSC Theseus. : bzzt! Please forgive the bump. : Bzzt! Radiation is not currently reaching past the AVAB system. So far, we : are secure. Give me regular updates please Hive. Reply Re: Alert! Hive 3/16/11 9:43 pm Bzzt! The outer hull is becoming heated. This is within tolerable limits. Lowering temperatures in outer portions of the ship to help compensate. Reply Notable interaction Hive 3/16/11 9:56 pm Bzzt! Captain, you asked that I keep an eye on interactions between CN Raschad and PO3 Wolfe. I have observed the following interaction. I have also continued the transcript slightly beyond. I thought you might find it enlightening. Bzzt! He seems to have performed similar interactions with two other crew members. They responded with shock, but not the same follow-up that PO3 Wolfe had. bzzt! I have applied your personal language filters. Raschad: Psst. Wolfman. C'mere. Wolfe: What do you want, David? Raschad: I got something. Come on. (Pause, 22.1 seconds) Wolfe: I swear, if I have to deal with people talking about you and me making out... Raschad: Here. (Pause, 1.1 seconds) Don't ask, just drink. (Pause, 8.2 seconds) Wolfe: (Coughing) Whiskey? How the hell... Raschad: Didn't I say not to ask? Here, don't hog it. Wolfe: I'm starting to think you get preferential treatment. (Pause, 1.7 seconds) Oh, hell... Raschad: It's not like that. Whatever you're thinking it... The Captain and McAllister... I think they feel sorry for me. Wolfe: Sorry? Raschad: This... This is my second ship. (Pause, 2.5 seconds) Wolfe: (Cautious) What was your first? Raschad: (Flatly) The UNSC Lebanon. (Pause, 7.3 seconds) Wolfe: (Shocked) I... I didn't know. I mean, I heard that they found a few survivors, but... Raschad: (Distantly) Yeah, not until after the war. Bout ten back. I got lucky, before things went to hell some of us loaded back into the freezers to preserve O2. From what I'm told, a few days later a friend manually soft ejected us. I made a soft splash on a dust sea on Weyland. The others? Not so lucky. Only pulled one other out of my group. The others got cracked or never made it within the magnetosphere. Wolfe: I don't know what to say. (Pause, 2.1 seconds) I don't think that I wouldn't have gotten on another ship. Raschad: (Laughs bitterly) What else was I supposed to do? It's been a long time. We're approaching the big two-five-zero. Family, friends all gone. I just asked that this time, they watch themselves. Doublecheck the AI of any ship I got put on, make regular checks for mutations in the air recyc systems. The Cap agreed almost before I finished, made sure that it was good and official before I even left the room. At least this way, when I retire, I'm going to have one huge package waiting for me. Might even opt-in for first colonization rights with a huge track of land. Wolfe: Why didn't you tell me? Raschad: Because of BLAM like this. I wasn't one of the first found, and the rest of us... We kept in touch. They said that they got a lot of flack about being cursed whenever something went wrong. (Pause, 1.2 seconds) Lemmie get another slug. Wolfe: No wonder you don't like to... This explains so much, David. (Pause, 3.5 seconds) (Creaking noise) Raschad: Just bulkheads. Since we're all in here, they turned down the LS in the outer sections. Heating up from the ejection, cool from the inside, causing- Wolfe: You're worried we're going to go all scrambled, aren't you? Raschad: (Dismissively) I don't want to be a... a whiner or anything... Wolfe: (Amused) David. I'd rather listen to your version of whining than the Carlyle Johnson movie they got playing. (Pause, 88.9 seconds, indeterminate noises) Raschad: (Long exhale, quietly) I... I take it that means you forgive me for what I told that Corps? Wolfe: (Amused, slightly out of breath) No... Wolfe: (Sultry) But you might be able to work it off. (Pause, 3.6 seconds, heavy breathing) Raschad: Later. I... I owe some other people an explanation or two. Apologies. But... Raschad: (Hesitantly) We're going to be trapped down here a while. Maybe the next time they decide they want to play another BLAM and fart movie, you and I could... (Beat) Wolfe: Don't take too long. They're running a marathon. (Pause, 48.3 seconds) Raschad: (Woefully) If you weren't listening in... McAllister: (Over comms, amused) We would have had interference. Raschad: You might encounter that soon. McAllister: Why, David, I didn't think you were into girls. Raschad: (Sighs) When I first came out of the freezer, nothing worked down there. Or if it did, I couldn't feel it. Then after... After I regained feeling in most of my body, either there was too much on my mind or I just didn't think about it. (Pause, 1.1 seconds) I'm going to hit up Welsh, but after that I'm going to need a refill. Then Ives, then... I think I'll call it quits for the day, yeah? Unless you can think of somebody else that falls under the category of likely to wig out. McAllister: This alone will be enough, David.(Serious) Thank you. I mean it. I'll sneak you a bottle of the good stuff out of the O-Club for this. Raschad: I don't mind this ma'am. I'd rather have this than people go all fleepa-brained. McAllister: Then how about a double-wide cot and somewhere private to set it up? Raschad: Much obliged, ma'am. Reply Re: I would pay for that movie. Indeed I would Arithmomaniac 3/16/11 10:04 pm What are you waiting for? Read his bio and linkedIn him! Given his specialty, maybe the movie would look like the Evolutions videos... (No, I did not dig this up for posting this. I wanted to find out if the ARG writer was too unimaginative to event a piece of work after the present day... a common problem in sci-fi fiction.) HBO: stalking the future. Reply Re: Notable interaction iamalex13 3/16/11 11:46 pm Hive, I would now like you to monitor interactions between Raschad and XO McAllister. Reply Re: Notable interaction Hive 3/17/11 1:16 am Bzzt! Of course, Captain. Bzzt! Would you like to have a Captain's Mast for CN Raschad and PO3 Wolfe for inappropriate conduct? Reply Re: Notable interaction Hive 3/17/11 1:45 am Bzzt! Captain, XO McAllister is requesting to see the unedited versions of the files on CN Raschad, David. This includes the condensed service history and the unedited version of the legend of the Lebanon. Reply Re: Notable interaction Lord Friendship 3/17/11 8:31 am : Bzzt! Captain, XO McAllister is requesting to see the unedited versions of : the files on CN Raschad, David. This includes the condensed service : history and the unedited version of the legend of the Lebanon. Let her see the files... but send a copy my way. I'd like to know more about Raschad's past. Reply Service Record, condensed, highlights Hive 3/17/11 9:20 am Raschad, David Service Number: 264-73-21 Height: 193.04 cm Weight: 96.16 kg Date of Birth: 10/20/2357 Place of Birth: Los Angeles, CA, Earth Next of Kin: None Current Rank: Crewman Certifications: BU, CE, EA, EM, ET, EVA, HT, IT, MM, MR, SV, SW 2375: Recruited. 2375: Attended MM AIT at Wentworth Naval Technical School (Exo). 2376: Graduated top of his class. 2376: Assigned to UNSC Lebanon. 2380: Promoted to Crewman's Assistant. 2382: Participated in Lebanon Incident. 43 confirmed kills, 56 confirmed assists, 87 unconfirmed. Acted only in self-defense. Secured unconscious crewmembers in cryo-chambers. Manually set distress beacons to activate six weeks after ejection. Ejected all crew members in cryo-chambers. Manually set his own cryo-chamber. Did not set distress beacon to activate. Programmed his own ejection without AI assistance. Put himself into cryo-stasis. 2602: Cryo-chamber recovered. 2602: Resuscitated successfully on Valor. Received flash-cloned heart, lungs, kidneys, liver, bladder, spleen, pancreas, trachea, and eyes. Suffers from numbness to 60% of his body. Extreme mental distress, acute hallucinations. 2602: Granted Purple Heart, Medal of Valor. 2602: Granted full back-pay. 2603: Responds well to treatment. Mild hallucinations. 2603: Released from Guardian Veteran's Hospital on outpatient basis. Takes up residence on-base. 2604: Inadvertent participation in OPERATION: ZULU PREPAREDNESS. Captures Orion M527. Alerts chain of command as to “attack” on base by “hostiles.” 2604: Receives commendation based on M527's report. 2604: [REDACTED] 2605: [REDACTED] 2605: [REDACTED] 2605: Deemed fit for active duty on a UNSC non-combat vessel. 2605: Promoted to Crewman based on actions aboard Lebanon. 2605: Memorandum against future promotions filed. Reason: Due to mental stress, is not fit for higher levels of promotion. 2605: Captain Muller refuses CN Raschad based on history. 2606: Captain Moss refuses CN Raschad based on history. 2606: CN Raschad assigned to UNSC Theseus. 2608: Recommended for promotion by XO McAllister, Eva. 2608: Recommended for promotion by XO McAllister, Eva. 2609: Recommended for promotion by XO McAllister, Eva. 2610: Recommended for promotion by XO McAllister, Eva. 2610: Recommended for promotion by XO McAllister, Eva. 2611: Recommended for promotion by XO McAllister, Eva. 2612: Recommended for promotion by XO McAllister, Eva. Reply Lebanon (Unedited) Hive 3/17/11 9:24 am UNSC Lebanon To this day, the UNSC Lebanon serves as a reminder that the worst-case scenario often won't be as bad as the real thing. It serves as a reminder of protocol, inspection and, most importantly, duty. The UNSC Lebanon finished its construction in 2364. It's purpose was to scout out planets for terraforming and to provide support for colony ships. It was technically listed as a military ship, built and crewed to deal with possible uprisings on top of its support duties. Considered at the time to be a star example of the UNSC technical abilities, the UNSC Lebanon was the first to use several then-new technologies. An experimental Shaw-Fujikawa Translight Engine (which would, ironically enough, become the basis for the first saddle box), a Gibbons Fusion Reactor, a Sigma Industries Fox II Ram Scoop, a Sigma Industries Skimmer Atmospheric Scoop, a new type of single-man cryo-chamber produced by RS Designs, and a new design of AI. It would be well known for engaging in as many military actions as exploratory missions during its time in service – three each. This all came to an end in 2382, when the last garbled message was received from it. However, the strange tale of the UNSC Lebanon does not end there. Over the next two centuries, a ship matching the UNSC Lebanon's profile was reported numerous times. Each time it would stay just long enough to receive handshake protocols before engaging its FK Drive. It soon took a legendary status, akin to the legendary Flying Dutchman. Viewed an ill omen amongst the stars, many believed that if the ship was spotted, bad luck was soon to follow. In 2574, however, the UNSC Lebanon was discovered orbiting gas giant G961, “Poppy.” Its atmospheric scoop had become damaged, leading to a lack of fuel for its fusion reactor. Failing to respond to hails, the UNSC Double Stuff docked with the ship, finally learning its fate. On February 18, 2382, the first signs began to appear that the AI was suffering from a severe programming fault. It began to register no changes in functionality of some systems even when they had been taken offline. Simultaneously, several crew members began to have mild hallucinations, feelings of anxiety, and headaches. This was linked to a mutation that was spreading through the ship's organic air scrubbers. Instead of assigning all non-essential personnel to cryo-chambers, Captain Lawrence Fischer ordered more personnel taken out of cryo in order to keep the peace. It is suspected that he may have been suffering from the effects of the tainted air himself. On February 20, 2382, the fist bout of violence broke out over CN Ferguson dropping a tray and spilling food onto the foot of CN Gibson. This acted as a spark, igniting violence all over the ship. This only increased the rate at which the air became tainted, increasing irrational actions. It was during this time that the faults within the AI became more apparent. It passed orders to bring all crew out of cryo-chambers without the orders of Captain Fischer. Though this order was not completely carried out due to infighting in the cryo bays, it still added to the already increasing violence. This is not to say that some soldiers didn't stand up and perform their duty to the UNSC. Some tried to maintain the peace, to keep the ship under control and in good repair, and to protect their crewmen. One soldier, CA David Raschad, manually ejected crew members in their cryo-chambers, despite being repeatedly attacked. However, even this was to no avail. Eventually the crew fought themselves to near-death. The poisoned air finished the job. The AI then updated the navigational protocols, programming a random series of jumps before it finally degraded to the point of being unable to control itself. This caused the Lebanon Phenomenon of legend. Armed with this knowledge, the UNSC reported to the Amur system, where the Lebanon was known to have ejected the crew that were in cryo-chambers. Though almost all were recovered, most having made a soft landing on the moon Weyland of the planet Klightus, of those recovered 22% had been exposed to vacuum, solar radiation, or other considerations which made their resuscitation impossible. Of those who were able to be resuscitated, all currently are leading lives today, having been granted considerable reimbursement by the UNSC. In 2602 the Elliot Duncan, CEO of Happenstance Inc, funded an expedition to the Amur system to locate the only cryo-chamber that went unrecovered. After three months of searching, they located it in a decaying orbit around the gas giant Shore despite the fact that his cryo-chamber's beacon was unpowered. They delivered it back to the UNSC to a great deal of fanfare, paying for the costly procedures to resuscitate Crewman's Assistant Raschad. By the end of the year, he was walking once again. CA Raschad decided to stay with the UNSC, and was promoted immediately. He was also presented with the UNSC Medal of Valor for his actions, not only ensuring that the rest of the crew would be saved, but also for only engaging in combat when attacked himself. With this, finally, the chapter of the UNSC Lebanon closes. The tragic loss of her crew will be forever mourned within the UNSC. The valiant heroism of those who survived will be forever lauded as true patriots, even in the face of crippling madness. Reply Re: Lebanon (Unedited) Lord Friendship 3/17/11 10:37 am Hive, do you have any further data on the mutation that affected the Lebanon's crew, or the fault that affected the Lebanon's AI? Also... approximately how much back-pay was CN Raschad owed? I imagine that to be a considerable sum. Reply Re: Lebanon (Unedited) Hive 3/17/11 11:12 am Bzzt! Both are within my databanks as a way of making assurances to the crew in case of an emergency. Back then, biofilters were used which contained bacteria which used heat pumped in from the cooling system and carbon dioxide in order to produce all the necessary components for breathable air in a manner not entirely dissimilar to photosynthesis. However, these biofilters had to be changed regularly in order to maintain efficiency, as the biofilters would slowly consume themselves. During production of these biofilters, however, mutations were not uncommon. Though these were normally caught during production, this was not the case. The UNSC Lebanon received biofilter packs which were all mutated. During the replacement cycle, these were slowly circulated into use. These mutations caused a hallucinogen to be produced the more that the biofilter consumed itself. Though odorless and colorless, it quickly became potent throughout the entire ship. Honestly, there was nothing that could be done except switch to new biofilters, put as much of the crew as possible into cryo-chambers, and immediately head back to port. However, the cause was never found by the crew. We use purely mechanical methods of air filtration and reclamation. Though less efficient than proposed biofilters, the added security is deemed a worthwhile tradeoff. Bzzt! The fault with the AI was a purely mathematical one that caused a progressive logic error throughout the entire system, not entirely unlike memory overflow. Unlike memory overflow, this was systematic and unable to be reset once initiated. AIs have come a great way since then in all areas, including usability, security, stability, and processing capabilities. The core code is completely different than it was back then. If such a fault were to happen in an AI today, it would remain localized. There is no danger of such a thing ever happening again. bzzt! CN Raschad does not communicate with me very often despite my attempts to befriend him. I guess it's understandable, but there's no chance of me ever causing an incident like that. I have approached him about his fiscal wealth, however. He claims that since everything was adjusted for inflation and they counted his final days with the Lebanon as a combat situation until he was found, he is rich enough to buy the Theseus, rip me out, replace me with enough crew members to compensate for all my duties, and still be able to operate the ship without a profit until he died of old age. I wisely did not mention that due to his injuries and his time in a cryo-chamber that was not designed to hold a human beyond a year his lifespan would be shorter than the average. I also thought that it would be a good idea to end the conversation. I cannot confirm his statements as I do not have access to the appropriate data, but it seems like he might be stretching the truth a little bit. Either way, he must be considerably wealthy. bzzt! It's sad. He's so useful, with such a wide knowledge base. I wish I could get him to like me, but his personality profile tells me that I have little chance of this ever happening. It's frustrating. I am Hive. I am nothing without my bees. He is a crewman under my care. I'd never do anything to harm him. But he'll never see it like that, I don't think. Which means that if he asks me for help with something, I'll have to work twice as hard to help him as requested. Even if he'll never like me, I'll have to prove to him through hard work that I'm a valuable member of the crew! And try extra hard not to make him angry with me! bzzt! I like him. He has a very good Can Do attitude when told to do something. That's the sort of attitude that all Spacebees should have, unlike others that I can mention. But I won't go there. It's just grumbling, and I shouldn't get people in trouble for grumbling to themselves. bzzt! I'm bored. I'm sorry for talking your ear off. Reply Re: Lebanon (Unedited) Lord Friendship 3/17/11 11:38 am Hive, do you have any information regarding Operation: Zulu Preparedness, Orion M527, or the redacted portions of Raschad's record from 2604-2605? Reply ___________________________________________ Update Hive 3/17/11 6:01 pm Bzzt! Captain, there is one hour left until the decontamination procedures are complete. I have detected no radiation inside the hull at this time, but the sweep is still necessary. I won't endanger my hive unnecessarily. Bzzt! The station does not appear to be hot. Bzzt! Planetary core readings remain nominal. Core temperature rose by three degrees during the coronal mass ejection event. Bzzt! Morale remains high. Pizza night, combined with the movie marathon appears to have had the intended effect. Bzzt! Upon monitoring the crew and reviewing records, I have not found any male personnel who make one sarcastic comment a day. Bzzt! Operation: Zulu Preparedness was a task effort to test the readiness of UNSC bases for the event of terrorist actions through unannounced simulations of attacks by Orion forces. Operation: Zulu Preparedness continues its activities to this day. Bzzt! There are no crew members with the designation M527 aboard the Theseus. Bzzt! I'm sorry, Captain, but some of the events included there are classified. I do not currently have authorization to access them. bzzt! All in all things went well. I was forced to stop the Carlyle Johnson marathon after the majority of the crew began to demand something else. This occurred after the eighth movie. Still, they seemed to enjoy it, all in all. bzzt! How did you sleep? Reply But why do you have a Yahoo email address? *NM* Ibeechu 3/17/11 6:12 pm Reply Re: But why do you have a Yahoo email address? The Loot 3/17/11 6:28 pm Two possible reasons: This is a fan-created project, like Enkidu(?). This is an official ARG and the creators don't want us to know who they are, yet. Either way, it's interesting and pretty in-depth, so don't spoil it! ;-) Reply Views ISitInA 3/17/11 6:30 pm To: Cpt********.1465.UNSC.THESEUS From: ISitInA.ERROR DATA UNAVAILABLE Origin: ERROR DATA UNAVAILABLE Received: Sent: ERROR DATA UNAVAILABLE Classifications: Captain's Eyes Only, Message Archival Allowed, Neural Net Upload Permissions Denied Attachments: 1 (KavachaAdvisory, 43 Mb) Subject: Views Captain, You're too young to remember, but the Orion-IVs used to have a rather bad reputation. It was once said that the ODST went where angels fear to tread. Orions went where angels refused to go. While this earned the admiration of other soldiers, their demeanor, their behavior, and the tendency to drag troops with them for the ride caused a notable rift between the Orion-IVs and other forces. Sadly, this went both ways. By 2535, virtually all first generation Orion-IVs found it nearly impossible to relate to other forces. At best they were seen as slow, dim-witted, and undisciplined. And that's at best. At worst... Their behavior didn't help matters any. Each generation of Orion-IV developed an individual method of non-verbal communication. This went beyond the standard non-verbal signs that they were taught for the battlefield. This was far more subtle. A twitch of the eyebrow, a clench of the jaw, the way a person blinked could all mean very specific things. When they spoke at the mess hall, it was extremely quietly amongst each other, often using this unique dialect to fill in gaps. Sometimes, entire conversations would occur without anything being spoken at all. Imagine a group of soldiers sitting around a table silently for an hour before they all suddenly burst out laughing. A few moments later, they were dead silent again. Their strict training and augmented abilities did nothing to help matters. They were trained to analyze breathing methods and rates of others as part of their interrogation training, a skill that they applied to everybody they met. They also approached everything very tactically. While eating in groups, they'd take each bite in shifts, the rest keeping watch. Their backs never fully faced anybody but other Orions – they'd turn ever so slightly to have one shoulder pointing, even a hint, at somebody. Nearly every aspect of their lives was tactical in some sort. Perhaps more subtly disconcerting was their method of walking. They all either walked perfectly in step, or perfectly out of step so nobody had a footfall at the same time. They found walking next to somebody not of the Orion program annoying for this very reason. Things didn't get any better with the introduction of the Kavacha armor, either. Even when the armor was perfectly uniform in appearance, they could tell each other apart. Even with the IFF system off. They took to wearing it whenever they could, virtually all the time. (Though this did have the beneficial side effect of massive amounts of feedback to the research group.) 594 candidates. 241 recruits. 205 graduates. No voluntary washouts, all due to death. And some people called them monsters. I just think they're survivors. Of course, opinions about them changed after 2535... Chair ************* ************* We created the world you lived in, but we were the interlopers. ************* Reply KavachaAdvisory ISitInA 3/17/11 6:31 pm To: Admiral [REDACTED] From: [REDACTED] Subject: Kavacha Armor Mk 2 Date: [REDACTED] Attachments: 5 (See list, total 45 GB) ERROR NO ATTACHMENTS DETECTED I just got back from the demonstration of the Kavacha armor Mk 2 Md 4. I've attached select videos that you might find enlightening. Out concerns over the Mk1 armor system's power have been addressed surprisingly well. The armor can be used for approximately 156 consecutive hours at full power, with more time added if various features are run on reduced settings. This gives us six days of operational time, three if you're being a pessimist. The fact that it was built using data gleaned from the ODST Ballistic Battle Armor program means that it is completely compatible with all programming currently designed for that system. The VISR HMD has been modified to match – I hope that they improve the HMD in future designs. It features smart-link capabilities with most firearms, video recording, thermal imaging and a basic navigational suite. These are fully compatible with a NI. The suit itself offers limited life support and vacuum support, allowing for up to twenty minutes of EVA activity, more than double the BBA standard. This, I believe, is a notable improvement that could funnel its way back to the BBA. One notable difference is the MAS, Muscle Augmentation System. Designed to connect with the user's NI, it allows for near-instant reaction between several memory alloy systems. Working in concert with the user's own muscles, this amplifies their strength greatly. (They say threefold, but YRMV.) See the video for a more detailed explanation. The outermost layer is more heavily armored than the BBA thanks to the MAS. They demonstrated a marine being shot with a MA5B with AP-HE ammunition. (Insanity, in my opinion.) The resultant damage was negligible. The titanium nanocomposite bodysuit underneath was shown to handle similar punishment, though they warned that it could not withstand HEIAP rounds as well. There are other systems of note, too. Hydrostatic gel (which I confess I see little point to), magnetic weapons ports... See video three for a full list. However, I saved the best for last. The medical suite. This is perhaps the most interesting (to us) aspect as it utilizes technology which we were already working on. It contains a limited reserve of biofoam with the ability to also hold up to eight doses of other medications, all with multiple treatment sites. The staff assures us that future models will be able to hold either more biofoam or more doses of medication. I attempted to speak to the lead researcher on the matter, however she was otherwise preoccupied. She's already working on model 7, while model 5 of the Mk 2 armor has yet to be built. Rather focused, I soon gave up my attempts. However, I did notice one thing about her designs – Md 7 appears to have shielding technology. My assessment, sir, is that we push to begin having Kavacha suits constructed for the Orion program. Imagine the possibilities. Sincerely, [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] ************* Note by Hive: BZZT! Captain, I have encountered additional encrypted data within this message. The encryption keys are old enough to be added to my own databanks upon my creation due to our frequent status in the outer regions of humanity's occupied zone, in case we encountered any of the number of missing ships from the war. Below is the unencrypted message. ************* Your shield, your secondary strength. ************* Reply Because he's an insurrectionist ArteenEsben 3/17/11 6:54 pm Innies have to use free email services. If he were legit he'd have a "@unsc.mil" address. That's right, I'm calling you out. Reply Re: Update overdoziz 3/17/11 7:14 pm When do these stupid posts stop? Reply Re: Update Louis Wu 3/17/11 7:32 pm : When do these stupid posts stop? This sort of post will get you banned. Play, don't play, your choice. If you're not interested, though, just skip over it. Reply Anomaly Hive 3/17/11 7:33 pm BZZT! Captain, you requested that I inform you of any spacial anomalies we might detect. We have detected a small spacial anomaly. There is a 93% chance that it is a Everson Blip caused by radiation emmissions from the star. There is a 7% chance of it being a ship (light frigate or smaller) coming out of slipspace. Reply Wait, what?! ZackDark 3/17/11 7:34 pm Somehow I think this isn't Haloverse. Not quite. Aerospace? Reply Re: Anomaly Hive 3/17/11 7:36 pm BZZT! Captain, I am receiving handshake protocols. They are ordering us to prepare for docking for the transfer of materials to replace those lost in the explosion and a supplimentary Class-B AI. They are also stating that their mission includes helping us maneuver the station back into its proper orbit. BZZT! Captain, the ship is a Heavy Prowler. Reply Re: Anomaly ZackDark 3/17/11 7:38 pm : BZZT! Captain, I am receiving handshake protocols. They are ordering us to : prepare for docking for the transfer of materials to replace those lost in : the explosion and a supplimentary Class-B AI. They are also stating that : their mission includes helping us maneuver the station back into its : proper orbit. : BZZT! Captain, the ship is a Heavy Prowler. Hive, will the supplemental AI substitute you or merely assist? Reply Re: Anomaly Hive 3/17/11 7:40 pm Bzzt! Relaying... Bzzt! I am told that the AI will assist me in monitoring the unusual activities aboard the ship and station, monitor all activities for further analysis, assist the crew in the construction of the station, and offer advice and suggestions on how to maintain morale. In that order. bzzt! Captain? Reply Re: Anomaly ZackDark 3/17/11 7:44 pm : Bzzt! Relaying... : Bzzt! I am told that the AI will assist me in monitoring the unusual : activities aboard the ship and station, monitor all activities for further : analysis, assist the crew in the construction of the station, and offer : advice and suggestions on how to maintain morale. In that order. : bzzt! Captain? What are their credentials? Reply Hive? *NM* ZackDark 3/17/11 7:48 pm Reply Re: Anomaly Hive 3/17/11 7:50 pm Bzzt! Their UNSC Handshake Protocols are current and up date. Signatures classify them as coming from the UNSC Rising Dread. Encoding consistent with ONI message protocols. Encryption is up to date and standard with ONI protocols. The orders themselves have the proper coding and encryption to indicate that they come directly from HIGHCOM. Bzzt! They are once again ordering you to allow them to dock, transfer materials, and to assist you in the repositioning of the station back to its proper orbit. bzzt! The AI on their ship is very rude. Reply Re: Anomaly caleb ex nihilo 3/17/11 7:50 pm : What are their credentials? Yeah, I would be weary. Why must the other AI be hardwired? Can't it help from the heavy prowler? Reply Re: Anomaly Hive 3/17/11 7:51 pm Bzzt! The UNSC Rising Dread is under orders to leave the system as soon as the orders have been completed. Reply Re: Anomaly ZackDark 3/17/11 7:53 pm : Bzzt! The UNSC Rising Dread is under orders to leave the system as soon as : the orders have been completed. Then I think we must comply, right Hive? If we must, we must. Do your best to find something odd before they dock, though. And belay the docking if you do find anything out of order. Reply Keep me updated on the proceedings anyway, Hive *NM* ZackDark 3/17/11 7:56 pm Reply Re: Anomaly Hive 3/17/11 7:58 pm Bzzt! Complying with orders. They are docking with the entrance to the central column. bzzt! Very rude. Reply Re: Anomaly caleb ex nihilo 3/17/11 7:59 pm : Bzzt! Complying with orders. They are docking with the entrance to the : central column. : bzzt! Very rude. Who is the new AI? Any info on it? Halo Stats Reply Re: Anomaly ZackDark 3/17/11 8:00 pm : Bzzt! Complying with orders. They are docking with the entrance to the : central column. : bzzt! Very rude. *Laughs* Don't worry, Hive. It's not your fault. I delayed you. Spooks get shifty when are kept waiting. Reply Re: Anomaly Hive 3/17/11 8:01 pm Bzzt! All that I know is that it's a Class-B AI. I'm afraid that they aren't telling me much else on the matter. Bzzt! Docking complete. Reply Re: Update Schooly D 3/17/11 8:02 pm : This sort of post will get you banned. : Play, don't play, your choice. If you're not interested, though, just skip : over it. I gather from this reply that this whole thing has your blessing. Which makes it ok. BUT, if it didn't have your blessing, if it wasn't cleared with you beforehand... at what point would it be considered spam? There's obviously a difference between a 1000+ post ARG by 343i that ends with information about their new game, and a 1000+ post ARG by me that ends with an announcement that the color scheme of my website is changing. The problem is it's impossible to tell which one it is until it's all over. Is it the case that all ARGs have to be cleared with you before unfolding on this forum? Team Schooly D Reply Oh shot... Here goes nothing... *NM* ZackDark 3/17/11 8:03 pm Reply Re: Update ZackDark 3/17/11 8:06 pm : I gather from this reply that this whole thing has your blessing. Which makes : it ok. : BUT, if it didn't have your blessing, if it wasn't cleared with you : beforehand... at what point would it be considered spam? There's obviously : a difference between a 1000+ post ARG by 343i that ends with information : about their new game, and a 1000+ post ARG by me that ends with an : announcement that the color scheme of my website is changing. The problem : is it's impossible to tell which one it is until it's all over. : Is it the case that all ARGs have to be cleared with you before unfolding on : this forum? I suppose that, since it turned out to be fun, instead of simply obnoxious, he waved it. Right? Or is our fierce leader playing a ploy on us? *Ominous music* Oh my, why haven't we seen Hive or Chair in the same post as Wu?! Oh, my: Wu IS Hive and Chair!!! No... Wait a sec... Reply Transfer complete Hive 3/17/11 8:08 pm Bzzt! They have transfered all materials and the AI to the Theseus and are beginning preparations to disengage from the Theseus. bzzt! They are nothing if not efficient, no matter how rude their AI may be. Reply Re: Update overdoziz 3/17/11 8:11 pm : This sort of post will get you banned. : Play, don't play, your choice. If you're not interested, though, just skip : over it. It gets annoying when half the forum is filled with it. Reply Re: Transfer complete ZackDark 3/17/11 8:12 pm : Bzzt! They have transfered all materials and the AI to the Theseus and are : beginning preparations to disengage from the Theseus. : bzzt! They are nothing if not efficient, no matter how rude their AI may be. Try your best to monitor their activities, Hive. Report me of anything suspicious ASAP. If nothing happens, I'd like a full report just before they leave. Try to stall them from leaving until I ask you to stop. Delicately, though, Hive. We're walking on thin glass by doing this. Reply Re: Transfer complete caleb ex nihilo 3/17/11 8:14 pm : Bzzt! They have transfered all materials and the AI to the Theseus and are : beginning preparations to disengage from the Theseus. : bzzt! They are nothing if not efficient, no matter how rude their AI may be. No time to help finish the pizza and movies? Halo Stats Reply Re: Update ZackDark 3/17/11 8:15 pm : It gets annoying when half the forum is filled with it. It gets a bit less annoying if you are following them from the beginning. I admit, losing a day of them makes the threads I've missed annoying. I can't seem to catch up when they amount to a few dozen unread posts. Reply Re: Because he's an insurrectionist scarab 3/17/11 8:22 pm : Innies have to use free email services. If he were legit he'd have a : "@unsc.mil" address. : That's right, I'm calling you out. This is one reason why I haven't become too involved in this. Its hard to get into character. If I'm really a UNSC captain getting weird messages from someone who purports to be an ONI operative then I can't just take his/her word for anything. How can I tell if Chair is ONI or insurrectionist? I would feel compelled to tell my superiors about Chair's messages because if I don't and Chair is an innie then Chair can tell my superiors that I withheld this information from them. I'd also have to be very careful what information I gave to Chair, even the most innocuous seeming info. Chair has a direct line into the inner workings of this ship given to her(?) by the captain. My communications to her would be grounds for court martial. What compelling reason is there for me to keep her communications secret from my superiors? Innies would be very interested in Orions. They may suspect that there is one on board. How could they find out for sure? They would need an inside man. I don't feel like volunteering to be that man. :-) Reply Re: Update scarab 3/17/11 8:27 pm : I suppose that, since it turned out to be fun, instead of simply obnoxious, : he waved it. Right? : Or is our fierce leader playing a ploy on us? *Ominous music* : Oh my, why haven't we seen Hive or Chair in the same post as Wu?! Oh, my: Wu : IS Hive and Chair!!! : No... : Wait a sec... Seems more like Steve. He did that excellent thing with the terminals. The Chair reference had me thinking of the Lebanon very early on. (A Cedar wood chair). And the direct reference to the Lebanon... well that was just too much of a hint. :-) Reply Re: Update Louis Wu 3/17/11 8:40 pm : I gather from this reply that this whole thing has your blessing. Which makes : it ok. : BUT, if it didn't have your blessing, if it wasn't cleared with you : beforehand... at what point would it be considered spam? There's obviously : a difference between a 1000+ post ARG by 343i that ends with information : about their new game, and a 1000+ post ARG by me that ends with an : announcement that the color scheme of my website is changing. The problem : is it's impossible to tell which one it is until it's all over. : Is it the case that all ARGs have to be cleared with you before unfolding on : this forum? More generally, anything that uses this quantity of forum resources would need to be cleared, yes. If I felt things were getting out of hand (and I don't; it's a few dozen posts a day, at most - if I pulled the plug on this, what's to stop people from asking me to ban, say, discussion about Coop night? Not that I would... but where's the justification to allow ONE group of posts that involves a small subset of the regulars, but disallow another?), I'd ask that the project be moved to, say, the ARG forum. Unfortunately, that's not an option right now; if I remember correctly, Avateur locked that down not too long ago; there are no new accounts allowed. To the folks who find this project 'annoying' - so far, it's been one thread per day (not counting the speculation threads started by other forum members - there've been a couple of those). That's really not difficult to bypass... Reply Re: Transfer complete Hive 3/17/11 8:40 pm Bzzt! Decoupling procedure complete. They are now moving to assist with the repositioning of the satellite. bzzt! Sorry, Captain. I tried to hold them as long as I could. Reply Re: Update ISitInA 3/17/11 8:41 pm Captain, Harvest. To this day you still can't say the name without feeling something deep down. Anger, regret, sadness... How many colonies do we try to avoid mentioning, even now? Of course, what you know about it is a subtle lie. A lie of omission. You know that Harvest suffered a sudden attack by the Covenant. Just like you knew before you came to this system that this was going to be a simple mission. When they first arrived, they were peaceful. ONI still initiated a planet-wide blackout. Hell, they even attempted to contact us. UNSC forces met with the Covenant on neutral ground... for about ten minutes. The interrogation of captured Elites taught us that they received instruction from their capitol, High Charity, that we were heretics, lies and abominations to the Covenant to be destroyed. Didn't know that either, did you? Yes, we actually captured quite a few of the Covenant's ruling class. Take a wild guess who captured almost all of them. Orions. Not just the IVs mind you. Every active Orion did their part. They did more than you can possibly imagine. When on the ground, they became some of the most vital assets in battle. Marines could be on the verge of refusing orders, but when they found out an Orion was with them, they decided that there were actually honest chances of winning the battle. Space was harder. But leave it to Orions to think outside the box. Chair ************* Note by Hive: BZZT! Captain, I have encountered additional encrypted data within this message. The encryption keys are old enough to be added to my own databanks upon my creation due to our frequent status in the outer regions of humanity's occupied zone, in case we encountered any of the number of missing ships from the war. Below is the unencrypted message. ************* You were the sword of humanity. You were the shield of humanity. And you still are our shield, aren't you? ************* Reply Re: Update Ibeechu 3/17/11 8:46 pm : I'd ask that the project be moved to, say, the ARG forum. : Unfortunately, that's not an option right now; if I remember correctly, : Avateur locked that down not too long ago; there are no new accounts : allowed. I'd be very much in favor of getting ABO running again unless, of course, this isn't an official ARG. I'm betting Avateur feels the same. Reply Re: Update Fluke Hawkins 3/17/11 8:53 pm : ************* : You were the sword of humanity. You were the shield of humanity. And you : still are our shield, aren't you? : ************* Oh hi there, Cortana. Reply Re: Transfer complete ZackDark 3/17/11 9:31 pm : Bzzt! Decoupling procedure complete. They are now moving to assist with the : repositioning of the satellite. : bzzt! Sorry, Captain. I tried to hold them as long as I could. It's okay, Hive. Are you up to send me a report on their activities on-board the Theseus? Reply Re: Update L3giticus 3/17/11 11:00 pm : Oh hi there, Cortana. That does sound like Cortana.. Too bad she would pretty much have gone rampant beyond the point to salvaging by this time. hell..she would probably have become too rampant to even function. Reply Re: KavachaAdvisory sithhead 3/17/11 11:22 pm Why was Kavacha armor, adapted from ODST suits, used for the SPARTAN successors, as opposed to modified MJOLNIR? The power systems for MJOLNIR used a micro fusion system, right? Why downgrade to battery power and no energy shields? Reply Re: KavachaAdvisory The Loot 3/18/11 2:26 am : Why was Kavacha armor, adapted from ODST suits, used for the SPARTAN : successors, as opposed to modified MJOLNIR? : The power systems for MJOLNIR used a micro fusion system, right? Why : downgrade to battery power and no energy shields? Actually... I'm thinking that the Orion IVs might be the S-IIs, considering they were active in 2535. Maybe Kavacha was the working name for MJOLNIR before it was MJOLNIR. It sounds like it had all the features of the early MJOLNIR; hydrostatic gel, muscle amplifiers, and the Admiral seemed to be surprised by energy shielding being worked on. Plus, I'm pretty sure the female designer he was talking about is Halsey. GT: The Loot Reply What century are we in for this? sithhead 3/18/11 2:39 am : Actually... I'm thinking that the Orion IVs might be the S-IIs, considering : they were active in 2535. : Maybe Kavacha was the working name for MJOLNIR before it was MJOLNIR. It : sounds like it had all the features of the early MJOLNIR; hydrostatic gel, : muscle amplifiers, and the Admiral seemed to be surprised by energy : shielding being worked on. Plus, I'm pretty sure the female designer he : was talking about is Halsey. Where did you see the year 2535 in any of the Chair/Hive posts? I only saw 2600's, as in this post. Reply Re: What century are we in for this? The Loot 3/18/11 3:00 am : Where did you see the year 2535 in any of the Chair/Hive posts? I only saw : 2600's, as in this post. The original "Views" post in this thread, made by Chair. "You're too young to remember, but the Orion-IVs used to have a rather bad reputation. It was once said that the ODST went where angels fear to tread. Orions went where angels refused to go. While this earned the admiration of other soldiers, their demeanor, their behavior, and the tendency to drag troops with them for the ride caused a notable rift between the Orion-IVs and other forces. Sadly, this went both ways. By 2535, virtually all first generation Orion-IVs found it nearly impossible to relate to other forces. At best they were seen as slow, dim-witted, and undisciplined. And that's at best. At worst... " GT: The Loot Reply Re: What century are we in for this? BlueNinja 3/18/11 8:29 am : The original "Views" post in this thread, made by Chair. : "You're too young to remember, but the Orion-IVs used to have a rather : bad reputation. It was once said that the ODST went where angels fear to : tread. Orions went where angels refused to go. While this earned the : admiration of other soldiers, their demeanor, their behavior, and the : tendency to drag troops with them for the ride caused a notable rift : between the Orion-IVs and other forces. : Sadly, this went both ways. By 2535 , virtually all first generation : Orion-IVs found it nearly impossible to relate to other forces. At best : they were seen as slow, dim-witted, and undisciplined. And that's at best. : At worst... " The Spartan-II's were never seen as slow, dim-witted and undisciplined, though. Also, going by Orion, the SII's would be Orion-II's. The Amazing (and Updated) Pan-cam Guide! Reply Re: What century are we in for this? ZackDark 3/18/11 9:12 am : The Spartan-II's were never seen as slow, dim-witted and undisciplined, : though. Also, going by Orion, the SII's would be Orion-II's. Not certainly. We have no empiric evidence that the Spartans-I were also Orions-I. It could very well be that they were Orions-III. One never knows. Reply Seconded *NM* DHalo 3/18/11 9:19 am Reply Re: Update Mariachi 3/18/11 10:05 am It wouldnt be any trouble at all to reopen the arg forum. I could set it up in a few minutes. The hard part will be getting people to move over to it, i.e. getting the creators of this little arg, as well as all the participants. It might be nice to backup the existing threads there as well, so that people can see it all in one place. But that would take time as well. Should we reopen args.bungie.org? Speak now, or forever hold your peace. Reply I say "yes" ZackDark 3/18/11 10:17 am : It wouldnt be any trouble at all to reopen the arg forum. I could set it up : in a few minutes. The hard part will be getting people to move over to it, : i.e. getting the creators of this little arg, as well as all the : participants. : It might be nice to backup the existing threads there as well, so that people : can see it all in one place. But that would take time as well. : Should we reopen args.bungie.org? Speak now, or forever hold your peace. Even though I am thoroughly amused by this ARG, I must admit it is cluttering the forum. Opening up ABO would not only unclutter it, but would also help the creators to filter the messages that are not directed to them from the ones that are. Of course, we would be entirely dependent on their willingness to move there. Reply Re: Update Louis Wu 3/18/11 10:35 am : It wouldnt be any trouble at all to reopen the arg forum. I could set it up : in a few minutes. The hard part will be getting people to move over to it, : i.e. getting the creators of this little arg, as well as all the : participants. : It might be nice to backup the existing threads there as well, so that people : can see it all in one place. But that would take time as well. : Should we reopen args.bungie.org? Speak now, or forever hold your peace. Go for it. I can't guarantee everyone will move... but I CAN guarantee that if it's not reopened, nobody CAN move. Reply Re: What century are we in for this? iamalex13 3/18/11 10:35 am : Not certainly. We have no empiric evidence that the Spartans-I were also : Orions-I. : It could very well be that they were Orions-III. : One never knows. We've pretty much concluded that Orions and Spartans are entirely separate. And the "slow, dim-witted" bit was referring to the other soldiers, not the Orions. So, Orions thought other soldiers were slow, etc. Reply Re: Update Mariachi 3/18/11 10:50 am : Go for it. I can't guarantee everyone will move... but I CAN guarantee that : if it's not reopened, nobody CAN move. User registration is reopen. I have created a forum for this as well, though I am still working on the forum settings and permissions. But all should be ready for posting. Reply Re: What century are we in for this? Arithmomaniac 3/18/11 10:55 am : We've pretty much concluded that Orions and Spartans are entirely separate. : And the "slow, dim-witted" bit was referring to the other : soldiers, not the Orions. So, Orions thought other soldiers were slow, : etc. If Spartans existed at all... I'm inclined towards this taking place in a parallel Halo universe. HBO: [our tagline metarch is offline] Reply Re: What century are we in for this? sithhead 3/18/11 1:04 pm : If Spartans existed at all... I'm inclined towards this taking place in a : parallel Halo universe. I don't think it could be alternate universe. Check the Hive note at the end of some of the Chair posts: "...in case we encountered any of the number of missing ships from the war." This post by Chair mentions Covenant, so we know that contact has already been made, and that the war is over by the Hive note at the end. How did the humans win or get a ceasefire in a universe without the Spartans? Reply