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The Final Mission

Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2011 1:14 pm
by ISitInA
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 (ARIEL-UAAC-F484-U.MP.S-48721-B, K.2833.28476-ST.LOG-ERROR.ERROR, 8.7 Gb total)
Subject: The Final Mission

Captain,

I know things are getting intense over there. You must be pulling out your hair. I wish I could do more to help, but there's only so much that I can do. The most that I'm good for is passing along this kind of data. Fortunately, I hear that the testing of the station is going well, despite your troubles. You've got some men with steel genitalia, I'll give them that.

Myung had some harsh words, to be sure. But they did resonate with some of us. More than a few of us hung our heads in shame. Some of us retired. There were those amongst our numbers who strove to make things right as best we could; though there are some admirals who balked at bodies disappearing, obviously bound for Reach and their home in 23 Zulu, we stood up to them. We had help from others, one specific other in particular but we knew our moral stand now.

Sadly, there were fewer of us than we'd like. It makes me think some days.

But you probably don't want to hear about how we had to drink ourselves to sleep at night. After all, once the genie is out of the bottle, you can't put it back. You have to live with the consequences, no matter how bitter they may be to swallow. All that you can hope for is that you can make your mistakes count for something.

They spent quite some time there on Ariel. Some of it was spent waiting for F484 to awaken and return to a semblance of normality. Even more was spent formulating a plan. A grand plan. One that would end the war once and for all, by removing the most little thought of source of power within the Covenant. The one weak link in their armor that now had to depend on.

Using The Knowing's resources (Myung wouldn't allow F484 to cram after that) they were able to find a proper location, a communications hub for the Forerunner network that would allow them to transmit to every Covenant world, every ship, every source of power. The plan was to fell their entire empire in one fell swoop.

As with everything though, there was one snag. The communications hub was on a Covenant world.

Naturally, they had a plan. Not the best of plans, but given F484's declining state, speed was of the essence.

Sincerely,

Chair

P.S. We think the armor log was on 4/13/2569. At least, that's when we got the last data dump, so we can only hope.

*************
Note by Hive: Captain, this message contains a large amount of data that appears to be encryption of some sort. I am not equipped with any of the appropriate decryption codes, I'm afraid. Whatever is buried in this message is beyond my grasp.
*************
ARIEL-UAAC-F484-U.MP.S-48721-B wrote: F484: Yeah, it's big enough. You're sure that you can get it up to the surface?
Knowing: Yes.
F484: And it's slipspace capable?
Knowing: Yes.
Myung: I'll pilot the Pelican by remote. We get there, jettison it out the back to shoot up some ground and distract them, then land this thing as close to the entrance as we can.
F484: So I get to fly the ancient ship with controls in an ancient language that I only understand on an instinctual level?
(PAUSE, 1.6 SECONDS)
Myung: You pilot the Pelican, I'll fly the ship.
F484: That's what I thought.
Myung: You're sure they haven't gotten into the main transmission chamber?
Knowing: They use it as a temple. The San 'Shyuum had begun to uncover its secrets, but with their purging at the hands of the Sangheili no further attempts have been made.
F484: Besides, it needs a Reclaimer to operate, right?
Knowing: One of my creators would also suffice.
F484: That settles it, since I'm the only Reclaimer here right now. Our mission parameters are set. Approach, distract, land, move at best speed through the facility to the main transmission chamber, upload new orders and protocols, send a transmission to the UNSC, then get to the extraction point.
(PAUSE, 5.7 SECONDS)
F484: (AMAZED) We're going to win this war. I'm going to complete my mission.
K.2833.28476-ST.LOG-ERROR.ERROR wrote: Automated Logging System
Displaying Last Log
WARNING: DATE/TIME STAMP CORRUPT

Continious Signal, Channel 6
WARNING: SIGNAL UNENCRYPTED
Burst Signal Sent
WARNING: SIGNAL UNENCRYPTED
ALERT: Taking fire
ALERT: Taking fire
ALERT: Taking fire
ALERT: Taking fire
ALERT: Exceptionally high blood pressure
ALERT: Taking fire
Medical Pack 1 Activation Requested
Medical Pack 1 Activated: Class-A Combat Stimulants administered
Medical Pack 1 Status: 2 dose(s) remaining
ALERT: Taking fire
ALERT: Shield Collapse
Charging Capacitors
Medical Pack 1 Activation Requested
Medical Pack 1 Activated: Class-A Combat Stimulants administered
Medical Pack 1 Status: 1 dose(s) remaining
ALERT: Taking fire
Shields Restored
ALERT: Taking fire
Medical Pack 1 Activation Requested
ALERT: Exceeding Administration Safeguards
OVERRIDE ACCEPTED
Medical Pack 1 Activated: Class-A Combat Stimulants administered
Medical Pack 1 Status: 0 dose(s) remaining
ALERT: Heartbeat Irregular
ALERT: Taking fire
ALERT: Exceptionally high blood pressure
Medical Pack 6 Automatic Activation: Biostatus regulator
Medical Pack 6 Status: 1 dose(s) remaining
ALERT: Taking fire
ALERT: Unusually Low Core Body Temperature
ALERT: Taking fire
ALERT: Shield Collapse
Charging Capacitors
Shields Restored
ALERT: Heartbeat Irregular
ALERT: Danger Heartbeat Irregularity Entering Redline
ALERT: Automatic Defibrillator Primed for Response
ALERT: Automatic Defibrillator Activated
Heartbeat Within Acceptable Parameters
Medical Pack 3 Activation Requested
ALERT: Exceeding Administration Safeguards
OVERRIDE ACCEPTED
Medical Pack 3 Activated: Class-B Combat Stimulants administered
Medical Pack 3 Status: 0 dose(s) remaining
ALERT: Taking fire
ALERT: Taking fire
ALERT: Taking fire
ALERT: Taking fire
ALERT: Shield Collapse
Charging Capacitors
Shields Restored
ALERT: Heartbeat Irregular
ALERT: Unusually Low Core Body Temperature
ALERT: Blood Loss (Head, Minor) Detected
Medical Pack 9 Automated Activation: Artificial Platelets administered
Medical Pack 9 Status: 3 dose(s) remaining
ALERT: Blood Loss Not Decreased
OVERRIDE ACCEPTED
ALERT: Taking fire
ALERT: Taking fire
ALERT: Shield Collapse
Charging Capacitors
Shields Restored
ALERT: Taking fire
ALERT: Taking fire
ALERT: Shield Collapse
Charging Capacitors
ALERT: Taking fire
Shields Restored
ALERT: Taking fire
ALERT: Taking fire
ALERT: Taking fire
Shields/Hydrostatic Gel Set To Crash Mode
ALERT: Impact Event
ALERT: Shield Collapse
Charging Capacitors
Hydrostatic Gel Set To Normal
ALERT: Blood Loss (Head, Minor) Detected
Shields Restored
ALERT: Taking fire
ALERT: Taking fire
Medical Pack 7 Activation Requested
ALERT: Exceeding Administration Safeguards
OVERRIDE ACCEPTED
ALERT: SECONDARY OVERRIDE REQUIRED
SECONDARY OVERRIDE ACCEPTED
Medical Pack 7 Activated: Class-S Combat Stimulants administered
Medical Pack 7 Status: 0 dose(s) remaining
ALERT: Low Blood Pressure
ALERT: Blood Loss (Head, Minor) Detected
ALERT: Esophageal Spasms
Helmet Removed
ALERT: Esophageal Spasms
Helmet Worn
ALERT: Taking fire
ALERT: Heartbeat Irregular
ALERT: Danger Heartbeat Irregularity Entering Redline
ALERT: Automatic Defibrillator Primed for Response
ALERT: Automatic Defibrillator Activated
Heartbeat Within Acceptable Parameters
ALERT: Taking fire
ALERT: Shield Collapse
Charging Capacitors
ALERT: Armor Breech (Left Bicep)
ALERT: Blood Loss (Left Bicep, Extreme) Detected
Medical Pack 9 Automated Activation: Artificial Platelets administered
Medical Pack 9 Status: 2 dose(s) remaining
ALERT: Loss of signal status below Relay 3 (Left Arm)
Biofoam Dispensers (Left Bicep) Activated
Biofoam Status: 61% Remaining
Blood Loss Stopped
Shields Restored
ALERT: Unusually high core temperature
ALERT: Explosion detected
ALERT: Shield Collapse
Charging Capacitors
Shields Restored
ALERT: Heartbeat Irregular
ALERT: Danger Heartbeat Irregularity Entering Redline
ALERT: Automatic Defibrillator Primed for Response
ALERT: Automatic Defibrillator Activated
Heartbeat Within Acceptable Parameters
ALERT: Usually high core temperature
ALERT: Blood Loss (Head, Minor) Detected
ALERT: Heartbeat Irregular
ALERT: Danger Heart Irregularity Entering Redline
ALERT: Automatic Defibrillator Primed for Response
ALERT: Automatic Defibrillator Activated
ALERT: Automatic Defibrillator Activated
ALERT: Automatic Defibrillator Activated
Heartbeat Within Acceptable Parameters
ALERT: Blood Loss (Head, Minor) Detected
Helmet removed
ALERT: Esophageal Spasms
ALERT: Esophageal Spasms
ALERT: Esophageal Spasms
ALERT: Heartbeat Irregular
ALERT: Dangerously low blood pressure
ALERT: Dangerously high core temperature

UNEXPECTED LOG END
WARNING: DATE/TIME STAMP CORRUPT

Re: The Final Mission

Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2011 3:25 pm
by thereIwasn't
Hive, send the new encryption key to Helen. The last three were ONI codes, maybe this one is too.

Re: The Final Mission

Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2011 3:39 pm
by Helen
Yes, Captain, it is an ONI encryption key. And yes, it is from the pre-Human-Covenant War era. I cannot give the message to you, but I can give you a brief summary of its contents.

The first is a passage from Norby, The Mixed-Up Robot by Janet and Isaac Asimov. There is a quote by Lord Terrence Hood about the plans to launch a counterassault to retake Reach. There is a selection of music from the band Marvel Net. Finally, an image of three young males, one of them holding a large white cat.