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The RUNNER Series by Nickolas J Stevenson
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HALO: Project
Date: 10 June 2010, 2:03 pm
HALO: Project "RUNNER"
Prologue:
"Kayden!" He could hear his mothers cry and the sound and smell of a burning fire. He sat up in his bed quickly. He heard screams of the other colonists outside his building. He jumped down from his bunk and grabbed his rifle from under his bunk. As he ran out into the camp ground he lost his breath. He couldn't seem to move, people were running and screaming, some even on fire as they too were running from the threat. Kayden tried to identify the ones who were responsible; amongst the chaos he saw them. Brutes, fearless blood thirsty eating monsters.
"Kayden, where are you!?" Kayden herd the cries of his mother again. He looked over to his right we're he saw his mother and a few other colonists in a cage. He ran over, and grabbed his mother by the hand.
"Mother, are you alright!?" His mother seemed to look aged and tired as if she had been there for almost months. He looked into her tired eyes; her face was grotty and dirty. She had a severe burn to her cheek.
"Yes, I'm fine. Kayden run, get out of here. Don't let them catch you too." Tears started to weep up in her eyes. But Kayden refused his mothers request.
"No! I am not going to let these animals take you from me!" A man sitting near his mother spoke.
"Kayden." It was his teacher from his school. Terrence Phillip.
"Your mother is right; you don't want to end up in here."
"I am not leaving without you!" Kayden stood up and loaded his rifle.
"I'm going to show these fuckers who they're dealing with!"
"Kayden....no...."
*****
Kayden sat up in bed, panting. Sweat dripping from his forehead and chest. It was all but a dream, a memory. He rubbed his forehead and sighed, hanging his head in his hands. The wind was picking up outside. The lights from the security fence illuminated his room, casting bizarre shadow shapes on his walls. Kayden remained sitting up, before slumping back down into his sleep.
Welcome to the UNSC.
Welcome to Mardinon.
CHAPTER 1
"Okay, shut up everyone, you especially Baron." Jacqui said chewing her gum looking at baron from over her sunglasses, who was sitting on a small deck chair.
"What? You're always blaming me."Jacqui shook her head, and strolled over to baron who was a little larger than the other recruits.
"Maybe it is because this is your forth enrolment to become a pilot. So I suggest you keep that hole in your face shut, and listen. This time you might actually pass, for my sake." Jacqui backs away after she gives Baron a sarcastic smile. Jacqui is a "Fly Girl' as the UNSC boys call her. She is only five of the six female pilots on Mardinon.
"Right then are we all paying attention?" Good, now before we begin and take off I have to go through some safety procedures in case of an emergency...." As Jacqui briefs the recruits she notices Kayden by a hangar leaning on the wall, looking in her direction.
"So..., if you would please excuse me for one moment." Jacqui makes her way over to Kayden, who gives a friendly smile as she approaches him.
"Don't you have work to do?" Kayden says as he looks at her with a raised eyebrow.
"Meh, their lazy, wouldn't know what a central drive junction is if it hit em in the face." Kayden chuckles as he folds his arms. Jacqui looks at Kayden's face, her expression changing to a soft concerned look.
"You been sleeping okay?" Kayden looks to the ground for a moment, and then up into the blue sky, he then lets out a sigh. He looks into her eyes, a look Jacqui had not seen in years.
"It's beginning to become more frequent." Jacqui tilted her head in understanding.
"How long" Jacqui's voice was now smooth.
"About three weeks now." A voice yelled out from across the landing pad. It was Baron.
"Yo! Let's get in the air already. Baron is hanging half out of the back of a pelican. Jacqui turns back around and faces Kayden.
"You wanna talk later?" Kayden looks up over at the pelican.
"There's always time." He smiles at Jacqui and walks off in the direction of the main command center.
Evening had fallen over the planet Mardinon. Its purple sky, painted the horizon a pinkly purple. The closest moon, Covven could be seen in the distance, watching down on the planet like a distant guardian. General Malatov and Commander Liaison are pondering in the main Office of the complex. General Malatov looks out into the desolate plains of the planet.
"Do you know why this place is so perfect for this kind of project?" Malatov asks Liaison, as he tilts his head looking at the moon of Covven. Liaison is scanning through documents on the table in front of him. Files and dossiers of many soldiers lie scattered across the table; Liaison responds still flicking and studying each file with precision.
"No, whys that?" General Malatov turns his head and turns around, his attention now on Commander Liaison.
"How many UNSC or ONI occupied systems are there, remotely close to here?" Liaison puts down a file and looks at Malatov with a questioning face.
"None." Malatov walks forward and gets closer to Liaison.
"Exactly, that's why this project is perfect. Of course the ONI is funding it. It is safer here. No covenant bastard would even think of looking here." Liaison puts his glasses on the table.
"It only takes time, General." Malatov nods his head in agreement.
"You are right, and time commander is all that we need." Malatov emphasizes the "WE". On a console located on the large round table, a holographic image of a young girl flickers into view. A beautiful blue hue radiated off her avatar. Multiple binary coding and symbols move up and down her body.
"Excuse the intrusion, General." The holographic girl speaks. Malatov sits at the table.
"Hello Ruby."
"General. I may have found a suitable candidate for Project "RUNNER" Liaison looks over at General Malatov, the General smiles.
"No need for those archive papers, commander." Liaison raises his eyebrow.
"What have you found Ruby?" Ruby stands tall and straight, her hands together at her front as if she were carrying something.
"I have searched through our data bases and archives, and I have found a likely candidate. He goes by the name of Kayden Parker. He was registered to enroll in the Spartan program, but was declined."
"What was the reason?"
"The reason being is because of his mental stress physiology." Liaison begins to look concerned.
"Is he unstable?"
"No, Commander. He is not dangerous, if that's what you mean. Back when he was eighteen years old, he lived on a small colony world called Kiata. The Brute species raided and it, and enslaved his mother and half the colony. We the UNSC saved his life. The mental scarring and stress forfeited his enrollment in the program."
"What do you think Commander?" Commander Liaison rubs his stubble on his chin, his expression in deep thought.
"I might also add that he was quite persistent in gaining trying to re enroll, despite his age. He then went on to the ODST regiment. He successfully passed is ISA. But unfortunately on his third mission was pulled."
"For what purpose?" General Malatov asked, curious to find out more on Kayden.
"According to the data I have collected, he broke mission protocols, he risked the mission."
"How?" Liaison adds. Ruby continues on.
"The mission was beginning to fail. The covenant had successfully captured the city of Grytosa in the Radion System, a major supply line for the UNSC. After he was ordered to fall back he and his team, he decided not to obey. He instead risked the lives of his team and decided to head for the major supply complex. Once there he stole a covenant issue nuke. 45,0000 KJ of explosive." General Malatov and Liaison listen on in awe.
"Once he had taken the Nuke that the covenant were going to use to level the city, he managed to sneak on board the enemy cruiser, and rearmed the bomb. Unfortunately three of his ODST team members were killed in the process. He managed to escape, and the Nuke detonated destroying the ship and half the city. He was then moved from off duty and become a marine. Now he is stationed here."
"What job is he allocated?"
"At the moment he is a combat instructor." General Malatov and Liaison consider Ruby's suggestion. After a minute or two of discussion, the General and Commander Liaison come to an agreement.
"Ruby, Project "RUNNER" is now officially a go. I want to see the Kayden Parker."
"Of course General." And with that Ruby dissolves into the console, and General Malatov and Liaison are left alone once again. Liaison speaks after a short moment.
"Will this even work, General?" Malatov gives a slight smile.
"Of course it will. The covenant won't know what hit em."
TO BE CONTINUED...
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